#and the other (usually the blue but not always) had a cape that goes over one shoulder

[wingedcat13]

Tell No Lies

[Part One of the third Synovus installment.]

Living on a tropical island didn’t mean the weather was always sunny.

Your island wasn’t in quite the right spot to really get the worst of the monsoon season - too far on the eastern side of the Pacific - but you did still get plenty of rainstorms. When that happened, your group of minions battened down the hatches, triple checked the generators, and usually played cards or other bored games. Sorry, board games.

Sometimes you played, sometimes you didn’t. You weren’t playing this time, because you were catching up on some reading. Sans costume, slumped sideways in a chair, one hand on the cup of hot chocolate you had requested and immediately forgotten about.

Then your phone had dinged.

That was weird, because during storms you didn’t usually have service - technology hadn’t yet beaten Mother Nature entirely. But there were the underwater cables that had been set up to provide internet access, and emergency calls.

And that was more than enough for an entity like Optix to get through when it wanted to. Even when your phone was set to silent.

With a small sigh, you had set the book aside and reached for the screen. An email from Optix: the subject line, in all caps, “INVITATION.”

Intriguing.

You opened it, scrolling past the gold-adorned letterhead to the digital party invitation. You read it. You deleted it. You reluctantly pulled it from the trash folder to read it again. You forced yourself to read it a third time.

‘Thank you for informing me.’ You replied to Optix, before sliding the phone away. The book came to rest comfortably against your chest, pages down, probably doing all kinds of damage to the spine. You stared up at the ceiling, ignoring the present to alternate between stewing over the possibilities of the future and miring yourself in the past.

Eventually, your field of vision had been interrupted by a slow-moving face, drifting in from your peripheral. One eyebrow raised, only inches from your own face, it continued moving slowly and smoothly past where most people would have reached a limit.

“Dude.” Alexandria said, “You haven’t even blinked in like. Two minutes.”

Your erstwhile ‘apprentice’ was using her abilities to float over you. Wearing her suit, which had been modified recently to include panels of bright color against the near-black gray you’d initially designed, she looked sleek and surreal. And older than seventeen, though maybe you just couldn’t judge ages past ‘young’ anymore.

“Hello, Menace.” You’d greeted her placidly. “How goes the Great Pacific Vandalism Project?”

Alexandria beamed, and floated away an inch or so to a more comfortable speaking range. She’d finally gotten a better handle on equilibrium in flight, so her gestures as she talked no longer caused her to wobble in whatever direction she indicated. “It went great! We finally managed to get that CEO.” Her grin widened, “Right in the middle of a press conference.”

“It was satisfying.” A different voice had agreed, as another costumed figure moved into your general field of view. This one didn’t lean over you, but rather settled into the chair opposite, and helped themself to your hot chocolate. Cold chocolate, by now.

A bit of concentration had changed that, as the thief raised the mug to consider it. Their dark blue form-fitting suit had changed in recent times as well, now featuring more delicate details around the neck and wrists. Not quite scales, not quite flourishes, not quite vines, picked out in a slightly darker shade. The short cape at the hips now had flared ends, rather than a pointed tip. It had an elegance that Menace’s suit lacked.

Or perhaps that was the wearer?

“Naiad.” You’d been certain that your tone hadn’t changed. “Welcome back.”

Minerva had lifted the stolen mug in salute, and allowed you a trace of a smile. Crime agreed with her - even if she only rarely agreed with it. Once the straight-laced, impeccable hero Athena, she was now known much more widely as the Naiad: a bioterrorist with a strong cult following among ecology groups.

Over the past year, she had very publicly and very precisely targeted companies who were responsible for much of the pollution going into the Pacific Ocean. Working alone at first, then allowing Menace to join her, she had made trips to the great garbage patches that floated in the ocean’s wide expanse, and returned their contents very directly to sender.

Cars, homes, persons, factories and distribution centers (while they were closed and no one was present; employees were innocent until proven guilty) were all fair game. The only way to be sure of immunity from the Naiad’s attacks was to publicly document cleanup efforts, make donations to the groups who did the same, and implement vast reductions in pollution.

It was good mother/daughter bonding time for the two of them. You knew your presence would only overshadow their efforts, so you simply offered aid and tips during the planning phases. And there was the standing unspoken fact that you would appear to bail them out, if it ever became necessary. So far, it had not been necessary.

Minerva had even admitted, grudgingly, that this new angle on life was, at times, fun.

And that, really, plus the trace of a smile, is what had given you a terrible idea.

—------------------------------

What was even more terrible was that Minerva had agreed.

She stood now at your shoulder, just a step behind, while your invitation was inspected by a man who had gotten very tense at your approach. His costume was patterned in pale yellows and purples, a strip of rainbow draped over his collarbones. You couldn’t make out much expression behind the mask, but you didn’t really need to when you could hear the material creaking as he prepared to square up.

“I am… confused.” He allowed, considering the printed invitation. “You - do know this is a hero’s wedding, right?”

“I’m aware.” You answer flatly, the helmet giving you a wonderfully crisp punctuation. You’ve made only the slightest concessions to the event’s formality in the form of a nicer, gilt-edged cape with decorative clasps, and white rose corsages at your wrists to indicate your intention of peace. “I don’t begrudge you the confusion, Sun Dog. I will be grudging if you attempt to deny me entry.”

Sun Dog hesitated a moment more. You really didn’t want to hurt the man, no one you knew of did - which was probably why he was the bouncer at this particular event. It was hard to hate the person whose sole job was disaster response and relief.

Just when you were resigning yourself to this going poorly at the gate, Naiad leaned forward over your shoulder. Her costume had been adapted to include a floor-length skirt in a blue ombre, slit to the thigh on the sides and revealing the usual suit’s leggings beneath, and her arms were bare to the shoulder except for jewelry in the places of her normal accents. She’d pinned her hair up with sea-shell and coral pins, with deep purple pearls for earrings. You stopped breathing, attempting to be as still as possible to prevent any of those decorations catching on part of your ensemble.

“Parhelion. We’ll cause no trouble.”

The name clearly meant something to him. Sun Dog’s body language changed, shifting rapidly through a few shades of things you didn’t know him well enough to identify. None of them were hostile, though, so you gave the man his moment to process.

“I… had my suspicions, but…” Sun Dog shook his head, “Sorry. Not the time or the place. Glad you’re alright - Naiad, is it?” At her confirming nod, he continued, “Anyway, the invitation is legitimate, I’m just surprised you actually came. Uh. Guest book is ahead, gift table to the left. Good luck?”

You nodded regally and moved further into the venue, gaudily bedecked in white and taupe and glittering silver and gold. At the guest book, you confined your signature at first to the simple stylized S that was popular among bored schoolchildren. Naiad signed more gracefully, and pressed the pen back into your hand. You contemplated stealing it to make a point, but added the remaining letters to your name in a normal script instead.

Naiad was also the one to place your gift - a small black box with a silver ribbon - among the bright and shiny assortment of well-wishes, though that was more a matter of practicality. If you’d put it there, everyone would’ve assumed it was a bomb.

And the entire time, you were surrounded by people in costume. Some had made little to no alteration to their standard getups. Others had clearly commissioned outfits specifically for this event. Those who were part of the wedding party were all in what felt to you like mockery of their usual garb; the same shapes and silhouettes, but in shades of champagne and adorned with glitter, their masks or helms altered to match each other.

You didn’t stand out as much as you might’ve. There were heroes who dressed in dark colors and full-coverage helmets. It was the cape that really made your silhouette distinctive, which was why you’d shortened it from its usual wide floor-length to a slimmer, knee-length drape. And besides, who would invite Synovus to a wedding? Particularly this wedding?

Abruptly, you wished that changing your outfit hadn’t felt like so much of a concession, a surrender. You wished that you could’ve hemmed and hawed between narrow or wide skirts, short or long sleeves, backless or high necked. Layers of chiffon, of deep blue with tiny flickering gems in blues and greens and purples, a clear blue sash at the waist, or perhaps a shawl around the shoulders -

But that kind of wishful thinking is what got you here in the first place. The moment passes. Your suit is familiar, fitting, and practical. The rosettes at your wrists feel like chains.

You hear the first whispers from one of the bright costumes around you. Is that Synovus?

You turn to Naiad, “We should find our seats.”

—-------------------------------

You were, rather mercifully, seated to the back and one side, in a portion of the room not quite as well lit. The set up was rather traditional, with everyone split down rows, and the aisle in the center. You were on the bride’s side, and couldn’t honestly have said what the name of the groom was.

A few of the heroes had taken to eyeing you. Before they could investigate or act on their suspicions blindly (you knew which one you thought was more likely), the music started.

And the lights went out.

Your hand found Naiad’s in the darkness, and you lifted it to your helmet so she could feel you shake your head. Not me. Your power was quiet, the shadows entirely natural. You remained still, watching the attendees shift and begin to whisper. Most of them must have been warned ahead of time - prudent, considering how many of these people you’d fought. How many of them had you given a fear of the dark?

When a light appeared, it was not natural, nor electric. Nor was it yours. A pale silver glow began at the foot of the aisle, illuminating from beneath one high heel. Then another. On the next step, the first light began to float, turning from a spot on the floor into a small orb of light. Others joined it, like so many small sparkling stars.

In this way the bride, the hero Dazzler, made her way down the aisle.

You had to admit, it was a stunning display. On occasion, one of the lights would twirl around her, granting tantalizing glimpses of her dress and playing off the crystals in her hair. The pale silver glow was soft and alluring, and in the darkness of the room, it made her seem as though she were a deity of creation; the steps she took forming reality in her wake.

At the altar, she paused, to hand off her bouquet. Then she turned to face the crowd, raised her hands, and called all of the globes of light to encircle her and the man in a suit who was presumably her groom. They formed the shape of a heart, then faded as the room’s lights came back on.

Everyone oohed and awed appropriately. Naiad shifted, and you realized you still held her hand. Without conscious thought, your grip had tightened. Abruptly, you let go.

The two of you sat in silence as the ceremony began.

—----------------------------------

Once everyone had moved to the tables, you actually thought you might get through this without being officially recognized by anyone other than Sun Dog. That was both a relief, and mildly insulting.

Naiad had given you questioning glances since you had left the ceremony, but you’d yet to provide an answer. You’d warned her before you arrived that you would speak as little as possible once inside the venue - your voice would certainly give you away. Naiad had said that was the consequence of being a monologuer. You’d protested, vociferously, because it was true.

But as the guests were mingling, the open bar being besieged, the instant your shoulders started to relax, there was a high pitched shriek from somewhere behind you. Not a shriek of terror or anger or surprise. One of joy.

Of course.

The syllables of your name filled the air, broken into three and a half parts. There was a frantic rustle of cloth and the rapid clicking of heels. Then arms wrapped around your middle, and a heavily perfumed, glittery weight slammed into you.

You, very judiciously, did not move.

“I’m so glad you came!” Dazzler gushed, moving around in front of you. She let her arm trail as she did, so that she never lost contact with you. You felt like you were being circled by a shark. Up close, the makeup and glitzy hair-pieces felt like an attack. “You never RSVP'd! I’d almost given up hope!”

You still had not moved, even to turn your head. Dazzler pouted at you, and you tried to ignore that you knew she was just looking at herself in your helmet’s reflection. Around you, half the guests had abandoned their chairs or their place in line at the bar, half-starting, ready to leap into action. Every single pair of eyes in the place was fixed on the two of you.

And you knew that this was exactly why Dazzler had invited you. You’d known when you received the invitation. You knew when you decided to attend. Because this kind of bullshit was exactly why you’d harassed her into moving to a different continent.

“Many felicitations, Diane.” You reply, as though she isn’t doing her damnedest to make a scene. As though she’d cornered you in a hallway, instead of the middle of the banquet hall. “I get invited to so few parties - I can’t imagine why.”

Laughing, Dazzler moves to swat you on the arm, and transitions from that to looping her arm through yours. “Oh, Syn. People just don’t know you, that’s all! Come on, say hello to everyone with me, it’ll-”

You have no intention of being dragged off by Dazzler to become arm candy. But before you can find a way to elegantly maneuver out of the situation, Naiad is stepping between you.

“Perhaps things have changed since my wedding.” Without a filter, Naiad’s voice is not far off from Athena’s. She’s taking a terrible risk to do this, that someone will identify her by her past persona and its questionable end. But Athena never took quite that tone of condescension. “But greeting the guests is typically something one does with their groom.”

“Oh.” Dazzler steps away, a tiny frown creasing her brow. She’s not used to having competition. Not used to being thwarted by anyone who isn’t you. Still, she recovers quickly, laughing again and holding the back of one hand to her forehead. “Of course! With all the preparations and everything, I forgot there’s so many steps! You must remember, right? All the decisions you have to make, and then there’s so many people here -”

Again, Naiad cuts her off, “Then we wouldn’t want to monopolize so much of the bride’s time. Happiness - and many years of it - to you both.”

She raises an arm to your back, and automatically, you reciprocate. It makes you a unified front, automatically reinforcing her words. You know everyone here will remember this. Naiad is now permanently associated with Synovus.

“Be well, Dazzler.” You add, so no one will think this is some kind of catfight you allowed to happen. You’re not sure that thought was coherent, actually, but saying something seemed important at the time.

Together, you and Naiad turn away, moving to your assigned seats in a corner. The rest of the room is silent, except for the music no one thought to pause. Dazzler’s bridesmaids - most of them heroes themselves - swarm her, whispering furiously.

Dazzler raises her voice to be heard by everyone when she responds, “Oh, we used to date.”

———————————

“I dislike that I can’t even call that woman a menace without besmirching my daughter’s name.” Naiad said, some time later.

The two of you had sat in silence while the room slowly restored itself to a cautious order. No one had forgotten you were there, but some seemed to accept that you were here peacefully. Given that you were not going to remove your helmet, and therefore could not actually consume anything, both you and Naiad had eaten before you came. This also spared the nervous waitstaff the task of servicing your - otherwise empty - table.

You let out a long, slow exhale, below what your helmet will verbalize. “Calling her anything will please her, in the end. Any attention is good attention, and if it lets her play the virtuous victim, all the better.”

Naiad glances back at you, gauging something. “She fooled you?”

You wince, attempt to communicate something solely by facial expression, and fail utterly because you’re wearing a helmet. How to describe what you’d seen in Dazzler once?

“I…. Wanted very badly to be someone worth effort. She caught me by surprise. It wasn’t until much later I realized she actually believed….” You break off, grimacing.

Naiad’s head tilts in a way that suggests she’s raising her brows at you. “Believed you loved her?”

“No - no, I knew she thought that. I wasn’t - I was young.”

These had been the days before Rosie, before Doll. Before there had been anyone but you, still running from and hunting any of Sunhallow’s surviving lieutenants. Nineteen and alone and then suddenly there was someone telling you otherwise, someone with a power of light so like and so different from your father’s.

“She felt.” You say finally, “That we were… destined. Her light, to my darkness. That I was… tameable.”

It had taken some years of retrospection to put the pieces together, but you had. Dazzler had wanted a tame villain; proof she was worth loving enough that it erased your identity in the process. Justification for everything she was, because she was the ‘good’ half. The ‘pure’ one.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Naiad mutters. She raises one hand, as though to pinch the bridge of her nose, but settles for bracing against the mask’s thick material.

“That too. But as I said - we were young.” Your voice was dry, and a little bit weary. Dazzler exhausted you, even now.

“Does she-?” Naiad cuts herself off, looking to re-affirm that Dazzler (and her groom) are on the other side of the room. Still, she lowers her voice, “Does she… know, then?”

Your laugh is bitter, but it is a laugh, “No. No, I got away before she learned all my secrets.”

You tap the table, curving your hand to make a small alcove where only you and Naiad can see your palm, and summon a small flicker of light. Then you let your hand fall flat again, extinguishing it.

“I am complete without her, by whatever metric you care to use.”

Naiad nods, accepting that explanation. There had been glasses of water on the table when you arrived, and she’d pulled one closer to claim it. You can tell she’s thinking by the way she traces its rim. You can tell she’s upset in some way by the way the water in the glass rises to follow her movement.

“How’d you explain the tattoo?” She asks mildly.

“She never saw it. I think she believes I have scars I don’t want anyone to see.”

A tattoo was a kind of scar, in a way, so it hadn’t been a lie. And it had fit with the image of you Dazzler so wanted, for you to have been broken and abused. Ashamed.

Naiad narrows her eyes, “If you were lovers, then-“

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to, my dear.”

She leans back in her seat, taking the glass with her. She sips at the water and surveys the crowd. You pretend not to be surveying her. Dazzler was not a secret, per se, but the details of how you’d felt about it are not something you’ve ever shared.

You need to stop giving Minerva your secrets. Particularly when she doesn’t realize how many of them she holds.

The music is upbeat and space-filling. Loud enough that conversations are confined to their groups, but not loud enough you have to shout to be heard. You’re pretty sure this song is on one of Menace’s playlists - something by Chappell Roan.

“Synovus, why are we here?” Naiad asks finally. You willingly give up any attempt to identify the song to consider the question.

“Because I’ve never been to a wedding. Well, no, that’s not quite true. I’ve never been a guest at a wedding.”

Naiad’s gaze drifts to the middle distance, and she downs the remaining water like she wishes it was something stronger. You silently slide another glass over towards her - they set the tables for six apiece.

“Whose wedding were you in?” She asks, making conversation.

“Mine. Technically.” It’s a long story.

Minerva - no, Naiad, you need to think of her that way in the field - had been toying with the stem of the second glass. Now she stopped, becoming very still. At first, your attention pivots to your surroundings, searching for the threat.

Then Naiad says, flatly, “Explain.”

“It wasn’t - like this.” You wave a hand. “I - this was after Dazzler. There wasn’t - I’m not still married.”

“Synovus.”

“It lasted a week, as we’d agreed at the start, the identities were fake, and we swore to never speak of it to each other again.”

It had been a last grasp at normalcy. You didn’t have a social security number, you hadn’t had a community in which to undergo rites of passage that weren’t geared towards Sunhallow. You’d never been to a public school or a prom or a fucking football game. But getting Vegas married and having a honeymoon, then immediately divorcing?

Well that you could do.

“Who did you even do this with?” Naiad asks, flabbergasted and possibly appalled.

“Ah.” You wish you could sip water, to buy yourself time. “Tallflawes.”

Naiad’s outraged, “What?” Is drowned out, however, by the sound of shattering glass, as a blurred figure drops through the roof.

———————————

It’s a bad idea to crash a wedding. Lots of people, most of them easily rallied to at least half the attendees’ defense. It’s worse when more than half the guests have superpowers.

The good news was that no one had to worry about the falling glass - there were four or five different barriers flung up immediately.

The bad news was that it was absolute fucking chaos for five minutes. You hope no one attending had epilepsy.

You, of course, had no intention of intervening. This wasn’t your doing, you were going to be blamed for it regardless, so you might as well enjoy the show. But then you’d recognized the invader as Prodigy. And he was alone.

And the only thing he was yelling, over and over, was your name.

So you stood, removing the white rosettes at your wrists as casually as someone adjusting cuff links. You called to the shadows you’d been keeping at bay. You dialed up the volume of your helmet’s speaker.

And as everyone in the room except Naiad - including Prodigy - found themselves wrapped in solid darkness, you bellowed into the room,

“BE SILENT.”

You also had a small loop of shadow kill the music, because you never did a thing by halves.

As the room suddenly quieted, Prodigy came to drift in the middle of the space. The hum of his hoverboard was the loudest thing in the room at the moment. He wasn’t even struggling against your bonds.

And when he neither complained nor cracked a smile, only looking at you with wide wild eyes and tendrils standing on end, you felt your stomach drop. You knew even before he said, “They’re coming, Synovus! My homeworld - they sent a ship!”

——————————————

[I did say this was the one where they went to space. Buckle up, everybody, it’s time to dance!

Which Chappell Roan song is playing? Whichever one you personally believe is funniest and/or most tragic. Tag it!

Links to Ao3.]

[radiance1]

Prompt idea: inmortal teen looking Danny, jumping across different dimensions he lands in DC. He quickly become annoyed because the native heroes won't stop trying to adopt him.

Oh and it take some years to Danny to jump to another dimension

*Cracks knuckles*

Alright so this is extremely, very, late. But it shall be DONE!

So, let us start with some BACKGROUND.

Danny is an immortal teen, yes? So then, Danny has outlived every mortal he knows, as in Jack, Maddie, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, everyone.

So when the last person he loved and cared for died (your pick as to whom), he went into the ghost zone to explore to hopefully forget all the pain. He explored the zone, stopping by some of the ghosts he knows before finding a portal, to which he just says fuck it and dives in.

At first he didn't know where he was, but with some digging he came to the conclusion that it's a different dimension and is like neat. So he explores a lil, meets some people, drinks and eats some food.

Y'know, the usual tourist stuff.

So after a few years he had his fill of this new dimension, seeing everything there is to see and all. So he left, finding a conveniently open portal and then goes on to the next.

And the next.

And the next.

Until one portal, like any other. He pops into a new dimension and expects it to be like all the others, he already had things going on his mind about what it would be.

Perhaps old timey? Maybe Prehistoric even? Oooo, maybe it would be futuristic, those are always fun.

Except it was none of that, in this dimension people have powers and superheroes are actually real.

He was a bit surprised, but easily accepted it.

So there he was, just minding his own business outside of earth's atmosphere, eyeing up the planet to think about where he would visit first, he picked up a lot of languages in his travel, so he doesn't think he'll have a problem where he choses.

So he picks a certain spot to land, some city by the name of Metropolis, only to be met with two people.

A man with a red cape in blue and red spandex, and standing near him is a bat furry in black spandex.

Weird choice but alright, he doesn't judge.

It was when the former turned around- Superman if he remembered correctly, that he felt like he was punched in the gut.

He looked so much like him, so, so much that he thought he was standing- well, more so floating, right there in front of him.

"Dad?"

Danny noticed his mistake after he let it slip, there were some slight differences that his father didn't have, and well, his father is dead and all.

So what did he do to save himself from the embarrassment of mistaking some guy for his dead dad?

He's an adult- practically older than a lot of people actually, even if he looks like a kid. He is mature and will solve this and act accordingly.

He turned invisible and peaced out.

He's sure nothing won't come out of that frankly.

It was just a teeny, tiny slip up.

Something did come out of it, much to Danny's chagrin.

Now he's being followed by these superheroes everywhere for whatever reason and they won't leave him alone when he just wants to sight see.

In a dark and grim city because he was avoiding Metropolis?

Followed by some ninja furries in spandex. (Also what the fuck, why the hell are they so damn sneaky for he almost forgot they were following him-)

He went to New York.

Got found by this random lady who also wouldn't leave him alone.

He escaped to Central City and had a conversation with this guy in red spandex with a lightning bolt of his chest.

Honestly he had a pretty nice time but what is it with Superheroes and spandex?

He wanted to leave, but the portal isn't gonna open again for some undetermined amount of time.

...The universe really likes to fuck him over, don't it?

[sociallyawkwardjustice]

“Luffy was all kinds of stupid-cute during heat week…”

It’s been 84 years since I fanfic’d…

But I finally watched One Piece all the way through and. This. Happened…

ABO fluff, no smut, cuddles galore. Takes place on the Sunny en route to Dress Rosa. Implied one-sided pining Lawlu, mild possibly one-sided Zolu. Asexual Omega Luffy having snuggly-times with the Straw-Hats.

The Straw-Hat pirates were many things.

First and foremost: they were a band of single-minded idiots, at least as ridiculous as they were formidable.

But they were also a pack — one of the most peculiar packs Trafalgar Law had ever seen.

They were infamously unorthodox, as far as pirate crews went. Most packs are no more than 6-10 in number, so whole crews usually aren’t packs. And the packs within a single crew are normally blood-related.

Not so for the Straw-Hats. They were a small crew, and they were pack-mates not by blood but by choice.

But the part that went from uncommon to almost unheard of? The ship’s captain, the pack leader, was in fact an omega.

The rest of the crew were betas, with the exception of Roronoa Zoro, the feared alpha swordsman from East Blue. But the former pirate hunter followed his omega captain with unwavering loyalty.

Many found it puzzling. Traditionally the captain is always an alpha, the alpha of the pack in every meaning of the word. But not one of the Straw-Hats seemed bothered in the least by their upside-down ship dynamics.

And in a fight, every enemy soon learned that no one was stronger than Straw-Hat Luffy, the teenage omega with an unyielding ambition to become the king of pirates.

It was still a hard pill for some people to swallow. Omegas are thought of as physically weak, or demure, or soft-featured. But Luffy was certainly none of those things!

(…Although, he did have a bit of a baby-face.)

And every omega goes into heat, yes. But contrary to popular belief? It’s not a sustained, uncontrollably aroused state. It depends on the individual, but most omegas just become sensitive to physical touch during heat, and seek out cuddles and pettings. Nothing so debilitating as the popular beliefs about omega heats!

All the same, the Straw-Hat crew during Luffy’s heat was… quite a sight to behold.

Now, the thing about the captain of the Heart pirates? He didn’t like to appear in any way vulnerable, to either his enemies or his allies. So his expression was almost always grim. He only smiled in a devilish, cunning way that revealed no softness. It made him feel armored, somehow, if no one could tell what he really felt under his veneer of confidence.

And there was no greater threat to Trafalgar Law’s famously stoic image than unbearable cuteness.

This was why Law was prone to casting aghast glares when he was forced to behold the adorable. If he didn’t, a smile might slip - the gentle kind of smile that didn’t befit a fearsome pirate captain.

So throughout the Straw-Hat captain’s heat, the Heart pirates captain wore an even more severe glower than usual.

Because Luffy was all kinds of stupid-cute during heat week.

Ussop, Chopper and Luffy were already always all over each other, like a trio of little boys. But during Luffy’s heat?

Luffy would carry Chopper around everywhere like a stuffed toy. He’d swing on his heels side to side, tucking his chin snugly into the top of Chopper’s hat… blithely ignoring increasingly exasperated requests of “put me down, please”. To get anything done, the reindeer doctor had to shift into his heavy point form while Luffy just held on still, hanging like a cape over Chopper’s big fuzzy shoulders.

When it was Ussop’s turn (because apparently no crew member was safe from captain cuddles), Luffy typically scooped the sniper up with the same ease as he did Chopper. After dangling awkwardly over Luffy’s shoulder with a flat expression, Ussop usually could persuade his captain to ease him into a piggyback position. As long as Ussop kept his arms tight around him, Luffy seemed content to parade around with his friend on his back, giggling like a maniac even when Ussop wasn’t cracking jokes in his ear.

Nami was much more strict in her approach with heat-touchy Luffy.

“Nuh-uh, you know the drill, dummy! Let me finish what I’m doing first,” she’d snap when she was in the middle of something, and Luffy had inevitably tried to sneak a hug. He’d pout and sit impatiently on the galley floor while Nami gathered up her navigation materials off the table.

When she was ready, she would find herself a seat, pull a pillow into her lap, and turn to Luffy.

“Okay. C’mere you limpet.”

Luffy then happily bounced up and scrambled so that his head was on the pillow in Nami’s lap. She’d make a show of sighing like it was a huge chore while she scratched and ruffled at his black head of hair. But she couldn’t help a small, fond smile as she shook her head.

That sleepy-kitten smile on the strawhat captain’s face as he nestled into the pillow and outright purred… it was so adorable, Law contemplated clawing his own damn eyes out.

Brook, Franky and Robin gave no sign that anything the omega did with them was less than a normal, everyday occurrence.

It had taken Law a moment to even notice something amiss when Brook walked by him. None of the crew looked twice at the sight, and the skeleton man himself carried his lanky form much the same as always.

Law had to do a double-take when he realized that there was something attached to one of Brook’s legs. Wrapped like a bandage around his shin was one rubbery omega captain, hanging on like a toddler riding his mother’s ankles.

Brook merely refilled and sipped from his teacup, apparently unbothered.

Law had noticed before that the musician wore the highest quality cloth. His trousers in particular were made of the softest materials, maybe to compensate for his harsh and uninviting bone body. Luffy seemed happy enough to rub his cheek against the fabric like a cat, despite the lack of flesh or body heat underneath.

When it came to the Straw-Hat’s shipwright, Luffy preferred to sling his body over the cyborg’s enormous shoulders like a scarf. He dangled upside down on one side of Franky, the rest of him hanging over the other side in an inhuman stretch. It didn’t seem to hinder Franky in his work. He did pause sometimes to show Luffy an invention or upgrade up-close, or to pop out the smaller mechanical hand inside his big hand to boop the omega’s nose.

The high-pitched squawk Luffy made at that was gut-bustingly cute.

And then there was Robin…

The so-called Devil Child’s serene smile grew a little when her captain stumbled over to her, usually at the end of the day after running around with Ussop and Chopper. He didn’t need to say a word. She would simply sit on the floor and gesture to her lap, and he’d plop drowsily right into her arms.

If she didn’t already have a book in hand, she’d grab one and settle herself so that Luffy was strewn over her lap like an overgrown puppy. She sprouted extra hands to simultaneously hold up her book and squeeze Luffy’s spindly limbs to herself.

Sanji tended to comment that he wished he were in Robin��s arms like that, in an annoying, singsongy voice. This was ignored by all.

But then, the Straw-Hat’s cook could not escape his own round of cuddle-attacks from Luffy.

The blond crewman was always going out of his way to proclaim his eternal infatuation with any and all woman-folk. While he was actually quite friendly with the men in his crew (except for the swordsman, for reasons unknown to Law), he didn’t fawn over them the way he would the female crew members.

True to his lady’s man image, Sanji would complain at first when Luffy glomped him from behind. He’d insist that he didn’t want a man clinging to him, making halfhearted efforts to shake Luffy off. But he gave that up pretty quick. As Sanji assumed a defeated posture, Luffy clamped onto him like a backpack and peered with interest at the food he was preparing.

Sanji then entered an obviously familiar routine of catching and batting away stretchy hands out of ingredients, maneuvering expertly around the kitchen as though he wasn’t weighed down by a cuddly omega captain on his back. Occasionally he held a spoon up to let Luffy have a taste of something. Luffy’s face would light right up and Sanji’s eyes would soften. The kid clearly loved Sanji’s food, and Sanji clearly couldn’t help but spoil the kid just a little.

The last crew member, Zoro, almost seemed to be avoiding Luffy.

That wasn’t all too surprising. The swordsmen was an alpha, after all. Law was too, but he wasn’t that affected by heat pheromones. They just made him a little antsy.

It varies from alpha to alpha, but some have more severe reactions to omega heats. Intense mood fluctuations are common, as well as mild-to-moderate physical discomfort. Or it could be vice versa; the omega could have an adverse reaction to a specific alpha’s pheromones during their heat.

They would have known by now if Luffy had that problem with Law’s pheromones, though. So Law didn’t bother to evade the omega altogether.

Law could only assume Zoro and Luffy just weren’t comfortable around each other during high-pheromone production periods (which Law would never admit made him feel a bit superior to the other alpha, because there was no cause to boast about pheromone compatibility with a dumbass like Straw-Hat Luffy).

But then one afternoon Law finally saw them.

He’d been looking for a quiet corner to get a much needed break from the boisterous Straw-Hats, and decided to try the crow’s nest. But once he reached it he stopped with a jolt.

There, propped against the mast at the center of the nest, was Zoro and Luffy.

Zoro hadn’t been avoiding Luffy. He probably just didn’t want the others to see this… because the alpha and the omega were napping together in an embarrassingly sweet embrace.

The rubber captain sat at a straddle in his first mate’s lap. Smushing the side of his face against Zoro’s chest, Luffy had his arms wrapped all the way around them both in a stretchy loop that came back to his own shoulders. One of Zoro’s bulky arms was draped lazily over Luffy’s waist, while the other arm pillowed the back of his own head.

The two highest-bounty Straw-Hats, all soft and cuddled up? It was too compromising a position for a pirate captain and his first mate!

Law took a second too long just staring.

Even though Zoro was always napping, he was a light sleeper. His one good eye snapped open almost right away and fixed on Law. A growl slipped out of the half-awake swordsman. It was probably just instinct, sleepy brain only processing that another alpha was in the same space as his in-heat captain.

Law was still irked by it.

Up until now, Zoro had shown the good sense not to provoke the other alpha during this tenuous alliance. Now he had the audacity not only to growl at him, but to do it with a snoozing Luffy in his lap. For some reason that made it so much more annoying.

So Law sneered and turned up his nose. “Comfortable?” he asked snidely.

He was unreasonably bothered by the protective grip Zoro tightened on Luffy.

Although a faint blush rose in the swordsman’s face, his eye narrowed and he looked like he was about to retort.

Instead Zoro was interrupted by Luffy stirring slightly against him.

Both alphas’ attentions turned immediately to the omega. But he didn’t wake. Luffy just nuzzled against his crew mate and made a funny little lip-smacking noise. After mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like “meat”, he went quiet again.

Law wasn’t able to appreciate the uncharacteristic warmth overtaking Zoro’s expression. He was in no position to tease or condescend to the younger alpha - not with how unfairly cute the sleepy omega was being. It was a hard sucker punch to the ego.

The surgeon of death only huffed, trying to sound disgusted, and chose to use his devil fruit power to teleport out of there. His chest was clenching and Law knew it had nothing to do with cardiac or respiratory health. So Law glared at the floor and willed himself to calm down.

It was bad enough that anyone, anything, was making his heart palpitate like this. That it was over a rival pirate captain was even more humiliating.

He couldn’t even blame it on heat pheromones. It wasn’t the omega’s scent, or the faint tug of instinct in Law’s alpha hindbrain.

It was the look on that doe-eyed face when Luffy’s pack showed him their affection. It was the puppyish wiggle in his body when Luffy was getting himself comfortable on someone’s lap or back. It was the childish giggling Luffy would start up unprovoked, which eventually faded into sleepy purring.

It was that Luffy was just so cute, damn it!!

[quibbs126]

This is the other kid I wanted to do today, her name is Wild Pepper Cookie

So originally, her name was Dark Pepper, in reference to black pepper, which is what’s used in pepper shakers, and that’s what Werewolf has in his dough (this was before Peppercorn came out), and of course, the Dark part is there because Dark Choco. But at some point I changed it to Wild Pepper, though I don’t remember why, and I guess it just stuck or sounded better (though now that I think about it, Dark Pepper could still work fine)

I’ll just show black pepper:

Anyways, so I had always planned on making her hair short and black but putting the little pepper bits in, and that’s what I did. I also wanted to give her a big fluffy cape, like Werewolf and Dark Cacao, but I don’t think I made it fluffy enough

As for the purple eyes, to be honest I just didn’t want to make her eyes red, since I feel like I do that too often with my Dark Choco fankids. But giving her blue eyes would make her look too much like Werewolf, so I made them purple, though not the same dark purple as Dark Cacao

I’ll be honest, other than the dark parts of the colors, I just sort of slapped something together with her outfit. I asked my friend for advice on the colors, but she’s halfway around the world right now and it’ll be a while before she responds, and I thought the colors looked fine enough, so I just decided to post as is. Though if she gives me better ideas I’ll edit this with new colors

And honestly, same goes for the outfit outside of the cape, I just sort of threw something together

I swear, that’s my biggest problem with these guys, I never know what to make them wear, and I usually come up with something I don’t find that great

Anyways, so why don’t we just talk about Wild Pepper?

So she’s a little girl living with her dads. I imagine they’re living around the woods or something, as they just want a quiet life. She loves to explore the woods and find bugs, as shown in the sketch, often watching them and playing with little animals she finds. She usually comes home a mess from her explorations, but it’s all good. She’s a very friendly and energetic child, and she’d probably ask a lot of questions to random strangers she meets. She’ll also help out around the house if need be. Her parents love her very much

Anyways, so I’m sure you can see in one of the sketches, she has a wolf form as well, however it’s more of a shadow than a normal wolf. I basically was trying to mix together Werewolf’s wolf form and Berserk Dark Cacao. When she first did this, it definitely scared her parents, as they weren’t sure what would happen. Though fortunately, she’s relatively harmless like this, just a big shadow pupper. I think she turns like this when she sneezes, but I might change that. I was also considering the idea she can teleport short distances in the form, but I’m not sure why or if I’ll keep that. But I want her to have shadow-y powers

Also as you can see, I don’t know how to design werewolves. Her design will probably change

But also, speaking of her wolf form, I had the idea that while it’s harmless now, as she grows older, the form only grows stronger, gaining lightning powers as well over time (also, her shadow eyes eventually shift to red instead of white). Not only that, but the form grows huge, much bigger than Werewolf’s ever got. And over time, as it grows stronger, she has less control over it until one day she loses control and basically goes berserk. Though if I’m being honest, I’m not sure I want to keep it. I like the idea in principle, but also I feel like the culmination is just too similar to Werewolf’s whole backstory, and she’ll just be another him

But yeah, I think that’s all I got for her, I hope you like her!

[mahou-furbies]

Once again it is time for

This year's event will be hosted by mahou Zeldas, because I've been spending a lot of time in Hyrule this year.

Mahou anime of the year:

(Futari Wa Precure Splash Star, Yes! Precure 5, Yes! Precure 5 GoGo, Smile Precure!, Mahou Tsukai Precure!, Hirogaru Sky Precure!, Otona Precure, Tokyo Mew Mew New s2, Magical Destroyers, Zettai Bouei Leviathan, Petite Princess Yucie, season movies for Splash Star, Yes5, Yes5 GoGo, Smile & Delicious Party, Crossover movie for Fresh Precure!)

Then the stuff I read:

(Saint Tail, Stellar Witch Lips, Magical Girl Tsubame, W.i.t.c.h. reboot, Smile Precure novel, Null Magical Girl, Magia Record Scene Zero)

I also keep up with what kind of designs Magia Record releases though I don't play it or otherwise follow the story.

Extremely Precure year this time around though that was not intentional, usually I only manage one backlog season per year. But I started with Smile, and then we were hit with the news that we'd have a Yes5/Splash Star sequel in autumn, and in preparation for that I had to power through some 150 episodes for the original series. And then I somehow ended up watching all of Mahou Tsukai in less than 2 weeks. And then there was Otona as well of course.

Now there's only three backlog seasons left, and they should be doable in a year if the Mahou Tsukai sprint is of any indication, though we'll see how that goes. I'd like to take a look at other similar shows too (like Doremi and Sailor Moon) but I want to clear Precure first before moving to the next thing.

The W.i.t.c.h. reboot was also a thing this year, which seems to have come and went with a thud. Which is a shame because I was looking forward to it, but... well it wasn't particularly good. I guess it can pick up of there's more to the story.

For the first time I've followed a Magia Record (game) story, with Scene Zero. The format is difficult but I am interested, so it's possible I'll look into more MagiReco stories once Scene Zero is over. The game has so many cute characters so I'd certainly like to know more about them.

This year I also took part in ArtFight and did some mostly mahou themed OC art, which was a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to doing the same next year as well if they host the event again.

Now onto the awards!

Best henshin design goes to Cure Sky! Blue lead Cure aside this is a top tier magical girl design, and that is mostly thanks to the cape, especially the red inside and yellow fringe. It looks so majestic! But being a half-cape prevents her from looking too stuffy. The thin twintails also look great with the cape in action shots. And of course she is also stupidly cute.

Also a shoutout to Saint Tail's simple but very effective look with a rarely seen colour scheme.

Best team design goes to Stellar Witch Lips! Similar enough to be a team but everyone has their own take on the theme, black makes for a good base colour and the sparkly tops look amazing.

Best powerup design goes to Cure Felice's Alexandrite form! She looks so regal and powerful, truly a nature goddess!

Best civilian design goes to Cure Sky in general! I just like her practical style and the clothes look all comfy.

Best hair goes to Junia! It looks so soft and poofy and her pastel colour palette makes everything even cuter.

Best magical item goes to the tiara and amulets in Petite Princess Yucie! They aren't that special to be honest but I'm always ready for magical items that don't look like cheap plastic toys.

Best henshin scene goes to Cure Sky! A lot of dynamic animation, the tinted split screen at the end is fresh for Precure, the modulation in the middle amps up the power, the dark background makes everything a little bit cooler, and the cape flip and wings at the end just look amazing.

Best fan creation goes to ArtFight in general! It was my first time participating, and getting to draw other people's ocs on a low threshold was great, and obviously receiving a ton of art of my own ocs felt amazing.

Best relationship goes to the group in Petite Princess Yucie! I really like how the side characters have distinct relationships with each other and not just the main character, and how not everyone gets along all the time (or most of the time with Glenda and Elmina). The fact that they're also rivals makes things more interesting and everything culminates successfully in the power of friendship in the end.

Best mascot goes to Saki's cat Korone! Not exactly a traditional Precure mascot but he does become more mascot-like towards the end. Absolute unit of a cat, gets a funny deep voice and even lands a hit on the final boss, and most importantly isn't annoying.

Best supporting character goes to Kintoleski from Splash Star! He's a pretty simple character but I like villains who are honourable and polite, and he managed to be consistently funny as well.

Best visual goes to Stellar Witch Lips! The story wasn't really anything to write home about but the ultra cute and sparkly art is just magical.

Best audio goes to Updradft Shining bgm! It's surprisingly epic for such an early series attack and it'd be cool if the franchise used music like this more.

A honourable mention to Tsubasa's eagle sound effect in the Majestic Halation attack, Mabayu's (MagiReco) silly "nuwawawa" scream of pain in a decidedly serious scene, and every "Haa!" from Ha-chan.

Best scene goes to the separation and reunion scene from Mahou Tsukai Precure! Or I guess that's more like half of an episode. Really impressive how they spent so much time on pretty low-key character stuff like this.

Honourable mention to the big battle towards the end of Petite Princess Yucie.

The Innovation award is given to a magical girl work that I think does something fresh for the genre. This year it goes to Hirogaru Sky! Precure for having a boy Cure, an adult Cure and most importantly a non-pink lead Cure! Which isn't particularly notable for the genre as a whole but a gigantic achievement for this franchise. Hopefully it wasn't just a 20 year celebratory fluke and we'll see more variety in the future too.

The Golden Mana award is the prize given to one thing I didn't like.

This year it goes to the henshin forms in Otona Precure, or more specifically the way it did absolutely nothing about them. No adults-as-magical girls, no new looks as 14-year-olds, and not even a new powerup form for the final finisher. Boo! I'm not really saying that the show is required to include new forms just because I wanted it or because it's common in the genre, but that would definitely have made me a lot more forgiving of its many other flaws. And this is my list so I get to complain about my preferences.

Dishonourable mention to Nozomi's catchphrase in Yes5 and GoGo for exemplifying the selfish and pushy aspect of pink heroines like this that often goes uncriticised.

Best character goes to Cure Sky! In addition to the excellent character design she also has a fun personality, "earnest dumbass" is a great combo, and her determination is just great. I also like that she isn't super girly for once. The story of Hirogaru isn't that good so Sora too is held back from having a truly awesome story, but as a character she is still enjoyable enough.

Best work goes to Petite Princess Yucie! It has fun characters, great designs, good group dynamics, interesting world and a really strong ending. It's a shame they don't seem to do kids' anime like this nowadays?

Plans for 2024

Onwards to 2024! I swear this year I'm going to continue with MagiPro, I've been stuck at volume 7 for several years.

[fattybattysblog]

Friend, Please (Chapter 2)

Fandom: Kirby/Kirby Right Back At Ya!

Gen | Teen

Characters: Meta Knight, Dark Meta Knight, Velka | Arcta Knight (OC)

Summary: They should be used to desperate people making horrible decisions by now, but somehow it always goes too far before anyone does anything about it. A person fell prey to the empty promises of dark, powerful hearts to become Arcta Knight. As they make their mark on Dreamland, Meta Knight grows anxious about the encroaching danger and leaves suddenly to prepare for a duel like no other.

AO3 | SqWA | Quotev

Tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Blood and Violence, Swordfighting, Original Villain Character, Gijinka Kirby Characters

@ocappreciationtag

(Cover art done by Dean, edited together by me)

Lone Messenger

Castle Dedede was surrounded by a rather quaint yet bustling town. The friendly residents waved to each other and spoke about benign business with kind smiles. Vibrant signs and draping decorations welcomed all into the businesses surrounding the main square of the town. A caped man strode from the castle to patrol the streets. A sparse guard wasn’t uncommon in Cappy Town. Often, Meta Knight found himself alone in the town while his men took to the borders. The people greeted him as they did any of their neighbors, with wide grins and sweet words. Meta Knight turned his gaze to the clear, bright sky and smirked beneath the mask. He paused a moment and studied the few clouds crawling along the vast blue expanse.

“Good morning, Sir Meta Knight.” A voice snapped him from his thoughts. His cape wrapped around him as he turned to the civilian and nodded a silent greeting. Meta Knight continued his rounds as usual. No delay, no fuss. It wasn’t long before he was finished and returned to the castle to report no abnormalities.

The castle was strangely empty that evening. Meta Knight glanced around the grand hall. Potted plants, few servants passing through with equal confusion. His brow furrowed. The heavy doors to King Dedede’s throne room groaned open as Meta Knight stepped through. King Dedede, the rotund king to this corner of Dreamland, sat on the throne shouting at his sniveling advisor. Meta Knight rolled his eyes at the familiar sight before bowing his head to his employer.

“King Dedede.” He addressed them, awaiting a pause in their fight and permission to continue.

“There you are! You had me waiting long enough!” Dedede chastised.

“Where have your shadows run off to?” Escargoon asked, raising one brow over the other quizzically.

“They have been on the perimeter since last night,” Meta Knight answered, “they still haven’t returned. I am beginning to worry.” King Dedede laughed, about to reply when he was interrupted by Escargoon’s devious whispers. He grumbled under his breath to him with a growing sinister grin. Meta Knight was a statue in waiting. Used to the long stretches between speaking in a direct conversation with the king. He politely coughed to remind them of his presence, but it was unnecessary.

“Meta Knight!” A young voice cried, dripping in panic. Meta Knight stopped idling and raced to the living hall, hand on his hilt. As he approached, Claihd raised his head. He was accompanied by a pair of nurses too busy to face the commander. The source of the voice, the young lady of the castle, held Claihd’s hand in the most caring manner. She beckoned Meta Knight over while keeping his weak hand in hers.

“What happened?” Meta Knight asked. Claihd’s brows arched and furrowed, fear, surprise, worry. He had no breath to vocalize his issue. Sweat poured from his face turning his hair to string clinging to his brow and he panted heavily with a faint wheeze. Meta Knight turned his gaze to Claihd’s partner but found no other soldier in the hall. He frowned and set his hands on the table.

“Where’s Lann?”

Claihd’s face paled and his eyes fell to the floor. He refused to meet Meta Knight’s stern scowl as tears welled in him. Meta Knight stepped away, allowing the soldier some time to breathe.

“Let me know when he is fit t-”

“Lann told me to get you,” Claihd finally spoke, though his head was still heavy and downcast, “I can’t give you more with children present…” He shifted sight from the floor to young lady Tiff. It took a moment, but she understood and slipped out of the living hall without a word. Claihd watched her leave, ensuring the door was shut before he met his commander’s gaze. Tears streamed down his face, but he forced himself to remain composed. He cleared his throat and sniffed, closing his eyes to focus.

“We heard Geola’s horn from a distance and ran there as fast as we could. Geola was already dead, so was the rest of his squad. Cepel was the last one fighting this… well it looked like a knight? A knight of your caliber more than ours. We got there while Cepel was still fighting but he didn’t make it. Lann sent me to get you right after. Y-you need to hurry. The battle is in the plains, just outside Whispy Woods. Please help them, Sir Meta Knight.” As Claihd explained he became more and more frantic, standing as he passionately pleaded, losing his grip and spilling more tears. Meta Knight clasped his shoulder, bringing some ease and sitting him back down. Silence took the room, Claihd needed to calm down and Meta Knight needed to finalize a plan. He nodded sharply and marched to the doors.

The second he opened the door, Tiff and Tuff got under his feet.

“What’s going on?” Tuff buzzed.

“Let us go with you!” Tiff demanded.

“No. This is a serious matter.” Meta Knight grimaced at the rowdy pair and attempted to step past them. They crowded him as he left the castle. He stopped at the fountain in the town square and attempted to detach the children from his cape.

“You two need to stay here.” He said.

“If it’s a monster, you know we can handle it! We’ll bring Kirby and we’ll beat it in no time!” The pair clamored over each other. Meta Knight sighed and crouched to their level.

“This isn’t like the monsters Kirby deals with. I need you two to stay in town. I’m serious.” He was grim, his voice lowered and calm. Tuff stepped back, seeming spooked. Tiff folded her arms and glared at him. They stared each other down for a while, the fountain trickling in the silence. Finally, Tiff threw her arms and gave in. She was entirely reluctant to stay behind, but even she couldn’t ignore the severity with which Meta Knight warned them away.

“Please stay safe.” She said, arms folded as she waited beside her brother.

“I will, my lady.”

(Previous Chapter) | (Next Chapter)

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Pretty good answers thank you! :D got some more

1: what’s the best Christmas gift they ever gotten?

2: for this year, what gifts do they really want?

3: when they are with their families, who puts the Star on top?

4: what’s their favorite & least favorite Christmas song?

5: what’s the greatest revenge they gotten on a bully?

6: what’s their opinions on guns? Also I can see them wielding special non-lethal guns similar to red hoods that they can charge their darkness & starbolt energies into. Chris has a blue gun with either the Nightwing symbol on the rear grip or maybe a charm kinda like in call of duty & Jake has a yellow or maybe blue too with his symbol on the gun or charm.

1. Chris: His own custom made blue and orange cape with the House of El symbol on the back stitched up by Martha, Clark and Jon when he was 10. He cried tears of joy as it was further proof that they’re his real family

Jake: The Skybird suit, made by both Alfred and his Father when he was 9. At first he wonder why the boots seemingly lacked the steel toes like in his older prototype suits, only to discover they were inside the boot safely so that he had that enhanced kicking power yet they look even more stylish.

2. I would like to think of the two being humble enough so that they aren’t too demanding for their gifts….that being said, if the Duo receive the entirely of Dragon Ball, from the original to Super, as DVDs/Blu, Ray, they very much would appreciate it

3. Chris: Jon and him playfully do an arm wrestling contest, 2 out of 3, in deciding which one has the chance to put up the tree Star. By the time Chris edges out a second win though, Krypto already beat the two to it

Jake: Both Mar’i and him put up the Star together, floating up to the top with each of them carefully holding a side of the Star as it’s made of precious Tamaranean jewels on its eight points and a sturdy yet easily to dirty metal. It’s a traditional they’ve been doing since Jake was around six when he began to float in the air successfully, always capped off with Dick taking a photo of the two just as the star is put into place.

4. Chris - Favorite: ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ by Paul McCartney; as per usual given it’s written by a Beatle and the fact it’s just a catchy joyful melody bell never get tired of

Least Favorite: ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ by Mariah Carey; frankly, not much to say here other than it’s over played to Chris’ liking everywhere he goes

Jake - Favorite: ‘You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch’ by Thuri Ravenscoft and Dr Seuss; true Jake can never in his entire lifetime ever reach that legendary Deep Sound in singing it but the poetry, the instruments and just the gleeful tone of the whole thing gets him so excited whenever it comes on

Least Favorite: ‘We Are Santa’s Elves’ from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer; having about one or few adventures with Chris that involve meeting Santa himself along with the eleven working with him, he will not stand this misrepresentation of Elf kind if he can help it. Plus the song itself is relatively annoying

5. Easily the time they suited up and during a school dance night, when a bully who earlier that week took Jake’s lunch money and proceeded to embarrass him via reading his diary out loud in class, the two waited until said bully was all by himself right outside the auditorium building, proceeding to wrap his ankles with a grapple line, dangling him upside down and Jake gives his best batglare while Chris lays down the terms. Basically, back off from any of his victims and give back their lunch money if he still has them. The bully tries claiming innocence, with his rambling saying “I swear to..” onto for Jake to interrupt with a classic “Swear To Us” before bungee dropping the bully with his grapple line. That was enough to convince the bully, who by wet himself in fear, to start changing his ways. It was good enough for Jake who then let him back down gently flat on his butt before taking off away.

6. Oh, They dislike actual real firearms with a burning passion, comparable to Obi Wan’s distaste for blasters. That said, those color schemes for those gadgets that can channel their respective energy powers into a compact form do sound fitting for them

Sorry it took a while but at least I got to them my friend

Thanks for your patience @gothicghost2000

[halfblxxdprinc3]

THE HALFBLOOD PRINCE

CRACKS OF STRUGGLE & STRIFE

name & alias: Severus Snape || Sev

birthday: 01.09.1960

status: Halfblood

residence:  Morden part of London | Spinner's End to visit

occupation:  Potioneer

allegiance: death eaters.

gender & sexuality: CIS-Male || Bisexual

tattoos/scars:  Dark Mark || Various on Back

grooming:  Severus has never been one to keep up with grooming or really any self-care. There was never enough money for properly matched clothes growing up, so Severus stuck with robes and keeping them washed as often as possible. However, he was often teased for his greasy hair and bad teeth. Since school, his Slytherin comrades have been immersing him into Pureblood society, forcing him to do some well-needed maintenance. Now, he keeps new robes washed often and his hair is a little less greasy; overall, looking much less unkempt. In fact, he goes for the robes that suit his line of work, without embellishments or fluttery sleeves that would get in the way of his potions. Usually, his color of choice is black paired with white. Although now, again immersed in Pureblood society, he does wear dark blues and greens (even browns).

extras: As the war rages on, Severus never goes unprepared. Thus, he carries, not only his wand, but a couple of vials of both blood replenishments and dittany on his person at all times. There are spots in the cuffs of his robes and cape as well.

inspo:  One of Severus Snape’s favorite reads in his pastime is The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli. For Severus, there is a lot to be learned and gained from the Machiavellian way of thinking. Not only to see how people get power, but ‘show their hand’ to the people for a better understanding. Gain power - without any fear of betrayal.

CHILDHOOD

Severus Snape was raised in the Muggle Dwelling of Spinner’s End – close to the Evans family home. His parents were: a witch, Eileen Prince, and a Muggle man named Tobias Snape. Growing up, Severus was an awkward boy with little-to-no social skills; however, he managed to befriend his neighbor Lily Evans. While she was Muggle-born, Severus had taken a liking to her because of Lily’s rare, genuine talent for magic just as he had at a young age. Plus, both were ‘freaks’ in her sister Petunia’s eyes. It made a friendship from a common ‘enemy’, or at least someone that was a bully, thus bonded together. Petunia was harsh to Severus – making fun of his mismatched clothes and scrawny figure. The young red-haired girl helped Severus forget her unkind sister, sometimes defending him, but always making him feel uplifted by their conversations. And magic, of course. With Lily being his only friend, Severus often stayed with her for hours at a time, trying to avoid the neglect and abusive life awaiting at home. And…since the pair were so close, the young boy yearned for the dream that both he and Lily would be sorted into the same house once they were at Hogwarts.

Although, this very idea was shot down by other bullies.

On the Hogwarts Express, other upcoming students had shared their space and fought over which house was better. From that very moment, Severus never forgot James Potter or Sirius Black – and their mutual disdain for one another grew even more over the years.

At the beginning of school, even with being sorted into different houses, Lily and Severus remained close friends. Severus had always been in love with Lily, but his interest in the Dark Arts kept her from returning his feelings (among other reasons he’d been selfishly oblivious to). Ironically, Severus thought that if he were successful in those darker endeavors, it would grab her attention. The only thing the Evans girl could really do, was try and give subtle hints she didn’t want him down that path – and continued to be his friend.

That is, until one day, when Lily tried to stand up for the Slytherin, their friendship took a turn for the worst. As usual, James and his horde of Gryffindors used one of Severus’ own spells against him, levitating him upside-down to reveal his underwear to a vast number of students, including Lily. While she, like many times in their childhood, came to his defense, it only made the situation worse. In his rage, Severus lashed out at James to recover his lost dignity. Subsequently, Severus inadvertently called Lily a Mudblood. She refused to forgive him for it, even after his repeated apologies…because it wasn’t just about the slur; yet, Severus was too blind at the time to see. It was also his fascination and defense of his rather vindictive and sadistic housemates. This was Severus’ worst memory. Their friendship then plummeted. He was left without his best friend and love…leaving nothing but disdain towards the Gryffindor boys.

Yet, that fateful night, when James ‘saved his life’ from a changed Remus, Severus’ loathing practically manifested into its own creature. He thought the Gryffindor boy only did it to protect his friend and prevent expulsion, when really, Severus knew James was trying to keep Lily from (actually) hating him. If James had let her once-close friend die or be bitten from a werewolf, Severus knew Lily would never forgive her housemate. The Slytherin grew bitter at the advances James put toward the girl he loved and a bit jealous since she stopped brushing them off so easily. The Gryffindor boy claimed his immaturity had dissipated (though the Severus knew better) and Lily began to date him.  Snape’s jealousy, rage, and resentment were to the point he’d never thought possible.

From that night on, Severus did all he could to learn more about the Dark Arts after being sworn to secrecy about his classmate by Dumbledore. The least he could do was gain the trust and respect of his own housemates. Perhaps, eventually, use his own spells against his bullies. Yet, he felt empty…having lost his only true friend…his first and only love…The influence of Slytherin had never taken more of a toll on him, shaping him into what he wanted to be after graduation. The Dark Arts completely enthralled him; as well as potions; having made commentary on his old textbook. Once Severus had become friends with his housemates, they showed him the world of Purebloods and, eventually, their cause. It was alluring…captivating…seductive.

START OF THE WAR

Soon after joining Pureblood Society, there was an immense pressure for Severus to join Lord Voldemort’s ranks after seeing the sheer passion and raw skill he had for the dark arts. In fact, many hid that Severus was a Half-Blood, calling his by the surname ‘Prince’ …all so that the young Slytherin could gain an audience with The Dark Lord and make his way into their ‘inner circle’ of the Death Eaters. Something Severus only truly longed for to gain that sense of belonging…

Yet, there was a price. Many prices. Including the fact that he needed to gain their leader’s trust…

As such, the bill came due for Severus Snape. To become one of them – the only side he saw winning this war – a dark action was needed to prove his loyalty. An act that would darken his soul forever more: killing his Muggle father.

At first, Severus was appalled by the idea. He hated the man, to be sure, but to take his life? Fracture his own soul…that was something he was only allowed to contemplate over twenty-four hours. And to prove his worth, Snape tuned down that dark path before the allotted time was even up. To keep his mother safe from their Death Eater trials, and malicious acts, Severus gave her all his saving to leave; go towards somewhere in their Pureblood family’s homeland of Romani. Then dealt with the cockroach alone. Taken by a swift motion of his wand in his childhood home of Spinner’s End. To keep any Muggle suspicion away, Snape made it seem like an accident, due to too much alcohol consumption. When the Dark Lord took the memory away to witness it, only then was Snape allowed in their ranks.

PRESENT DAY

Severus Prince. Some call him now. Others still stick to his name; the one that got him within their innermost circle to begin with: Snape. He doesn’t mind either, as long as he’s given his due respect. Immersed in their Pureblood society, Severus has deluded himself into thinking that he has finally found a home with them. He believes the only outcome of this war is The Dark Lord on top. As such, he does all he can to tinker new potions for their master, as well as continuing to dabble in the Dark Arts and creating new spells. He is, at his core, a loyal soldier.

[21entity21]

Freeko Anndii Redesign

Modern name: Freeko Anndii

Ancient name: Frikoziaul Andrenilia

Sex: Female

Age: Unknown

Height: 875 feet (267 meters)

Length: 1,756 feet (535 meters)

Weight: 203,576 tons

Race: Zumbae

Classification: Demonic IIII

Specialties: Arts, storytelling, comedy,

Personality Traits: Can be kind, funny, sweet, sympathetic, empathetic, emotional and sensitive or stubborn, greedy, selfish, masochistic, sadistic, angry and depressed.

Appearance: A large jaw, smaller in height muzzle, cat-like nose, long nose bridge with slight bump in it, tired and angry gaze coming from hazel eyes and black scleras, large yellowish teeth, small scars on face, and long pointy ears. Wider neck, broad spiky shoulders with large muscle definition but a soft layer of fat overtop, attached to long clawed hands. A larger bust and a massive, fat belly. Long, thick legs, massive four toed feet, and a large long tail that doubles her size in length head to tail tip and very few scars cover the body. Near black base, light blue gray throat, chest, belly, hand patterns and tail patterns. Spiky body, spikes being gray or white colored. Claws on hands and feet are an ever lighter black color than the rest of the body. Long red brown auburn fur that covers 40% of the body. Hair that falls over the right side of the face, but still kind of styled in a mohawk,the front part between the eyes is a gray color, and it gets fluffier growing down the neck. A cape of fur falls over the shoulders and upper back to about halfway down and it goes back into the line of fur it was on the back of the neck and goes all the way down the end of the tail which is just a massive tuft of fur about the same size as the torso and the chest down to the groin is just long red brown fur. Red scars are found on the neck, collarbones, arms, waist, hips, and tail.

⚠️TW⚠️ For this next part, if anyone wants to read it, just mentally prepare yourself.

Background: Freeko Anndii had supportive parents, but never really had confidence in herself, she was always determined to please others, whether her friends or elderly in her life, and if she felt she couldn’t do that she’d beat herself up about it for a while. She developed suicidal ideation when she was 11 and her poor eating habits came into play and she got fatter from there, and came close to committing suicide around 6 times when she was 14-15 years old. She’s dealt with anxiety her whole life, and started to come out of that cage when she was 16, because her dad encouraged her to show the world the funny side of her personality, still she tried her hardest to impress others and hurt herself when she was alone when she couldn’t. She started to develop sleeping problems around the age of 17 where she couldn’t sleep the whole night due to dark thoughts, but she never thought she could get help for it because it would make her a burden. She grew into an adult that refuses to be helped for her poor self-esteem and suicidality. She usually tries to fight off her intrusive thoughts to kill herself alone and sometimes will come close to committing it before second thoughts occur and it results in her hitting her head repeatedly and leaving bruises on other places around her body.

The side that everyone actually sees is really funny, charismatic, and… artistic, she knows how to make art…

The side close friends see is chaotic, masochistic, sadistic, still funny, determined to please others, they know she’s suicidal and struggles with anxiety. She’ll isolate herself when others get too close and not talk about what is wrong when she is upset. She usually suppresses her emotions by stuffing herself with food. When she can’t find a way to suppress, she gets aggressive and violent because most of the emotions are anger or become angry.

[cursedbeasts]

Bestia's Wrath Chapter 1: The Last Transmission

Navigation

Tag in chrono order

Next

Beginning Notes:

Recommended listening for the prologue: In the End (Rewinder remix) Goodbye to a World (Porter Robinson)

Silence hung over the dark cliffs outside an Imperial outpost. No wildlife cried out, no plant rustled. Even the wind had died down to a silent breeze. 

Sharack, a very tall and large Red Sith Jedi dressed in blue robes and a cape with a fluffy white collar, watched the last of the Imperials hurry into a small red shuttle painted with sharp designs of the Dread Guard. One of the gestures of goodwill the Dread Masters made in this mess of a situation. A small move against their former master. Sharack thought those Imperials must be having one hell of a whiplash, getting into a Dread Guard ship while protected by a Jedi and a Republic soldier. A Red Sith Jedi, no less. A Sith Jedi. Or a Jedi Sith. Sharack chuckled at the thought.

The silence weighed heavily upon Sharack's broad shoulders, and she sensed a dark presence honing in on her location. They say that if wildlife suddenly goes quiet, a large predator is around. This couldn't be more true right now, Sharack thought. Vitiate was coming, and the environment itself could sense it. To Vitiate, she was a beacon of the light side, and the Emperor wanted nothing more to snuff the annoying light out. She poked at the gravel with a claw of her robotic foot, just to hear some noise.  

She turned to face her brother, Seid. He was almost as tall as her, but that was where their similarities mostly ended. The only other shared trait between them was a white triangular spot on their foreheads that extended into the hair, creating a white forelock. Sharack's skin was a lighter shade of purplish red, her hair was a dark muted red and unruly, and her eyes a bright ice blue, an unusual color for a Red Sith. But there wasn't much usual about Sharack in general. From the eyes, to her height, to her cybernetic legs and tail. 

Meanwhile Seid had very dark red skin and bright red hair and eyes. He was clad in gold armor and leaning on his huge assault cannon. They both were bright splashes against the grey environment, but even their colors seemed dulled somehow. 

Seid returned her gaze, quizzical and clearly unsettled. He was Force-blind, but even he could feel the oppressive aura of the Sith Emperor. Sharack sighed, raising an arm.

"I'm sorry, brother. This is one fight you can't follow me to." 

Before Seid could react, he was lifted off the ground, cannon and all, and floated into the shuttle just as the door started to close.

"WAIT, NO!" He yelled, reaching for the shuttle door. 

The door lifted into its slot in the hull and there was a click indicating it was sealed. Seid leaned back against the wall in defeat. His sister had always been reckless. She was incapable of fear, and Seid took the role of the self preservation instinct of the group. He wasn't alone in this task. Sharack's padawan, Kira, helped keep the Jedi out of danger too. However, Kira wasn't here either. The only one of her crew remaining with her now was the astromech droid, T7. The others were either aboard the orbital station, or aboard Sharack’s spaceship.

Seid felt the shuttle rumble as it took off. He stood up, found an empty seat and strapped in, towering over the Imperial sitting next to him. He felt as if he failed Sharack, but realistically, what could he do against the full might of the Sith Emperor? It wasn't like the previous time they faced the emperor., back then Vitiate had been confined to a weak failing body. On top of that, he was recently kicked out of his previous host. Being forced to swap bodies weakened him. Sharack's attack came as a surprise too.

Now? Now he has fed on the conflict between the Empire and the Republic, staged through the effort of a former galactic legend. Thanks to Revan, Vitiate has gained enough  strength to erode the wills of more and more Ziost citizens. And now it seemed he was preparing for something. Sharack's chances were slim at best. And yet, she still chose to stay behind.

Sekhmet, the flagship of Dread Master Bestia, floated in Ziost's orbit. Styrak and Bestia stood by the viewport on the bridge, staring silently at the planet. Long ago Ziost was their home. Both of them were born and raised here. And now Bestia was back, only to find the planet in chaos as her former master fed off its population. Bestia's cyan eyes scanned the planet's surface. What was Vitiate doing? What was the point of mind controlling all these people? Was it just a show of power? Was he preparing for something else? Bestia had a sinking feeling it was the latter. She felt restless and angry at being reduced to just standing and watching.

"We should be down there!" She hissed.

"I know, love. But it would require all six of us to stand against Vitiate," Styrak replied, putting a hand on Bestia's shoulder.

"We can summon the others! Oricon isn't that far! We could still make it in time before…"

Bestia's holocom beeped, interrupting her. She unclipped the device off her belt and held it up, pressing the response button. A blue image of Sharack hovered over it, blinking and glitching out. Even through the bad connection, Bestia could make out the determination and sorrow in her daughter's eyes.

"Mom. I just wanted to say it was great to finally meet you, and fight by your side. Both you and dad. I sent Seid to safety, he should be at the GSI station with the last bunch of evacuees. I love you both-"

The transmission distorted and cut off before Bestia could reply. She stared at the now inert communicator, before slowly dropping her hand and looking back at the planet. Nothing changed, at least visually. The Force, however, was a different story. Bestia could sense the fear of people inside numerous ships that hurried away from Ziost. She could also feel a dark presence swelling in the northern hemisphere of the planet, moving slowly farther North.

There was much that Sharack wanted to say. Particularly to her father. She had already offered an apology before for stabbing him and contributing to his death on Darvannis. Sharack wanted to reiterate it but the signal cut off and didn't come back. Vitiate's presence seemed to mess with electronics and signals. She said what mattered most, the Jedi thought. She regarded the device in her hand grimly before clipping it back to her belt. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the surroundings darken, and raised her eyes. A conglomeration of black shadows loomed over her. The purest black she'd ever seen, rivaled maybe only by the black hole she saw once. She craned her head up until her gaze was met by a pair of hateful black eyes with red infinity sign shaped pupils. Below was a maw filled with glowing red sharp teeth. Too wide, even for the vaguely serpentine face it belonged to. Vitiate's true form, one of pure darkness and malice. Black and red. Colors that in nature usually signify danger. It was, again, fitting.

This would definitely require her big girl lightsaber. Sharack gripped the long hilt of her weapon, twisted, and with a metallic clang it transformed into a lightspear. An even longer cyan blade hissed to life. Her lightsaber was one of a kind, a hilt that could be extended into a polearm, and an extra long blade. Sharack specifically requested those modifications to make use of her height and larger than life nature. 

"Let's dance, you bastard!" Sharack called out to the looming shadow.

She then smirked, crouched, and jumped, her cybernetic limbs sending her high into the air. She spun around, making a gigantic sweep across the shadows that made up Vitiate's form. The blue of her blade cut the monster in half, but the damage was short lived. The darkness clamped its teeth down, shutting the light out. 

Back in orbit, Bestia squinted at the planet below. 

"What is that?.." Bestia murmured, her eyes glued to a dark spot that formed in its northern hemisphere. It was where she sensed the emperor's presence. The spot turned into a dark star that started spreading outward from its source.

Her answer came in the form of excruciating mental pain as the feedback of mass death hit her. Bestia has always been in tune with the Force around her. People, animals, plants. All life had the Force coursing through it and that's what Vitiate was after. He was devouring Ziost, her home planet, like he had once done with his own. 

Not many people knew about Nathema, but Bestia and Styrak, as two of the Dread Masters, were aware of it. A green world once called Medriaas. Vitiate's origins were a mystery, but Bestia knew that Medriaas was his birth planet. He rose to power early in his life, taking the place of the planet's ruler. At one point, he called a meeting between many Sith lords under the guise of peace talks. However, it was a trap, and Vitiate conducted a ritual that drained the Sith lords and the planet itself of all life.

Bestia was intimately familiar with Nathema, having spent time in one of the experimental facilities Vitiate had there. He tried to break her, solely for his sick amusement, and possibly to use as a stronger vessel, but failed. It left scars, both physical and mental. Bestia was overcome by a flashback to that time. She leaned on the wall, overwhelmed. And then she felt something ripped away, and realized that Sharack, her daughter, had failed. The daughter that Bestia had only recently found, irreversibly lost to her again. She collapsed to her knees, watching through tears as the darkness made its way around the entire planet, leaving behind barren wastelands. Completely powerless to stop it. She heard a rustle of robes as Styrak knelt next to her, awkwardly wrapping his arms around her shoulders, doing his best to quietly comfort her. 

"She's...gone. We just got her back… And now she's gone. Forever." 

And Bestia, with all the power of a Dread Master and almost a thousand years of life experience, could do nothing. Styrak stayed silent, but Bestia didn't really need a reply from him. His presence alone was enough. Bestia turned around and buried her still masked face in her husband's chest. He was one of the few who Bestia allowed to see her vulnerable. Styrak held her, watching the dying planet. Even with the distance, Styrak could sense the anguish of countless spirits denied an afterlife of becoming one with the Force. This, too, was one of Vitiate's crimes. He didn't just drain the planet of its life force. The echoes of sentient beings were bound to him so he could feed off them gradually, and they were denied the afterlife of becoming one with the Force.

The black tendrils made their way across the surface in just a few minutes. Just like that, thousands of years of history and culture and millions of years of evolution, were completely snuffed out. Ziost was no more.

[captainshyguy]

there’s something really funny about looking over your art and seeing unintentional patterns and preferences in terms of design over the years 

[blvck-cherrie]

Since you’re my blessing from above… My dear cherrie.. if I May can I request a scenario with Noé where he meets a blue eyed vampire who works on odd jobs but hides her presence a lot so at night he looks for her and on this one cafe in a dark corner he finds her, our clueless boy goes in for a nice talk but she strikes at him and he tries to talk it out but gets flustered at her power level…in the end the both stay a good amount of time getting to know each other and maybe a smooch in da end? Ty for your precious time

𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓔𝔂𝓮𝓼:  Noe Archiviste x gn!reader

Genres: romance, mild fluff

Warning: none

Word count: 1,573

It was another peaceful day in Paris- the weather was just right, the breeze felt just the right amount of cool when it hit the skin, and the sun hung at just the right spot on the horizon. It was almost sunset and a gorgeous hue was cast over the sky. Noe was out on a walk, carrying Murr in his arms. He did that almost everyday, it was like a routine for him. But these past couple times, it was different. Usually he's out just for a stroll or because he was craving some tarte tatin. But lately, he had been seeking someone. It all began last week, when he first saw you- You were standing at the corner of a busy street bustling with people, a piece of paper in your hand. It had some sort of address scribbled on it, along with a not-so-detailed description of a certain cat. How am I supposed to find precisely their cat with such a lousy description..? You didn't really have stable work, so you took up all sorts of odd jobs for money, and this time, you'd gotten a request to find someone's lost cat- a white one, specifically. By this point, you'd looked almost everywhere- at the river banks, on rooftops of houses, in alleyways. You'd even climbed a few trees to check if a cat was hiding between the branches, but you couldn't find a single cat, let alone a white one. You'd searched all the less crowded areas, and that is why you had decided to look through a street bustling with crowds of people. You had always hated crowds. You absolutely avoided being noticed by people. Part of the reason was because you were, well, shy and wary of people, but the real reason was something else. Standing in a corner, you kept looking around. And that is when you spotted a white cat walking lazily on the street. That must be it. Finally. You quickly pulled the cape over your head, covering nearly half of your face- that's how much you hated attention- and sprung towards the cat. Right when you thought you had the cat in your hands, a tall, tanned man appread in front of you and picked up the cat in its arms. Huh? "Ahh, Murr, you'll give me a heart attack don't just run away like that-" So this is not the one I'm looking for. As soon as you realized that, you began to leave. "I'm Noe Archiviste.. Did you want to pet my Murr?" The man said, flashing a wide smile. But you didn't respond. Instead, you hurriedly rushed past him. Unfortunately for you, as you left, he'd gotten a glimpse of your face as your cape gave way to the wind and your eyes met for a split second. He's a vampire too. Vampires could sense each other's presence, so of course you realized it. You were one too. When he saw you though, you noticed his eyes widen. Ughh they're all the same. A lot of people who saw you, always seemed to have a similar reaction. "You're born under the blue moon clan". Its what everyone always thought. "Wait a minute- who are you-" he quickly turned around so that he could face you, only to watch your retreating figure disappear into the crowd. Ever since that encounter, Noe had always been on the look out for you while you hoped you'd never run into him again. The problem was- the uncanny resemblance of your eyes to Vanitas'. The legendary Vanitas. This alone put you at the receiving end of a lot of unnecessary hate, despite you having absolutely zero relation to that man. But everybody thought it was you, that you were a vampire of the blue moon clan and that you would curse them, solely because of your eyes. The best solution you thought of to avoid all this, was to hide your identity. So you pulled on your cape in public and stayed away from people. The evening sky had now turned into a shade of deep purple. It was already night and Noe was still looking for you. "No luck today either.. Right, Murr?" he spoke to his cat as if expecting a reply. The busy streets had now begun to get quieter. His routine walks weren't usually long, but a part of him never really wanted to go home; to rest, until he saw you. As to why he was so hung up on seeing you again, he himself didn't quite understand. If it was curiosity, or mild

attraction that he felt towards you, towards your eyes.. Or maybe just a little bit of both? He wanted to 'know more about Vanitas, in case you were related' or so he told himself. But with each passing day, his reasons to seek you became more and more unclear to himself. Unexplainable. He couldn't get the picture of your eyes out of his head. They were hauntingly beautiful. They made him want to see you again. Just seeing you once and never getting to know you- this realization made him feel uneasy on the inside, to say the least. He decided to call it a day and headed home, feeling unsatisfied. He was getting tired after all. On his way back, he decided to stop by a café which was a few blocks from the apartment he stayed in. Maybe some tarte tatin will soothe my mood- he thought. He put Murr down, outside the café. Pets weren't really allowed in there. He pushed the heavy glass door and got inside. He decided to have a seat at the back section of the café which was usually quieter and had a dimly lit ambience as compared to the brighter, busier front section. He liked it there because it was pretty cozy. He stepped inside and saw no one except one person. Wait. I feel like I have seen them somewhere.. His eyes began to widen at the realization that the person he'd been searching for, who's face he had been seeing in his head all this while, was finally in front of him. He was happy he got the chance to see you again, but more than that he was anxious. You were engrossed reading a book, so you hadn't noticed him enter. More importantly, you weren't even wearing your cape. But.. How could he approach you? What would he say? That he had been seeking you this whole time? For what? What if you were creeped out? What if you didn't recognize him? His head was swirling with all sorts of thoughts, when he finally made the attempt to approach you. He walked towards where you were seated, with his hand extended, "Hey, uhmm.. We've met befo-" But before even he could complete his sentence, you pushed him against the wall beside you and put a knife to his throat. It all just happened so swiftly, he couldn't even comprehend the situation. You were strong. Definitely strong, and he was flustered by your strength. His hand against yours was the only thing preventing you from piercing his throat, as you looked him dead in the eye. But the only thing he could focus on, was how beautifully your eyes shone in the dim lighting. In all honesty, he could've easily overpowered you and had the knife to your throat, switching your positions, if he tried. But that's not how he wanted to treat you, really. "L- look, I just wanted to talk.. I don't mean harm", he gulped. That, and the fact that he hadn't made an effort to free himself from your grip made your grim expression soften. "What do you want?" you asked. "How about you put this weapon down first..?" He said, eyeing your knife. You were hesitant, but ultimately released him, putting away the knife, still keeping your gaurd up. "You tried to pick up my cat once.. Remember?" He asked, innocently. "Yeah, I do recognize you.. But i wasn't picking up your cat", you said, sounding annoyed. He just chuckled. "Haha, you're cute" "What?" "Do you come here often?" He was apparently good at conversations and you both ended up talking for quite some time. He didn't ever bring up anything about Vanitas, which you thought was pretty nice of him. After that meet, you both ended up meeting each other pretty frequently, at the same café and had almost become good friends, when one day- "You know what?", Noe asked. You both were at that café again, late at night. "Yeah?" "You're really beautiful" "What?" "Yeah. When I saw you the first time, I think I've liked you ever since" "Wai-" What is he sayin- You felt your cheeks burn. He was an idiot, and you loved how genuinely honest he always was. He shifted closer to your seat and rested his hand between the both of you. "And your eyes are really pretty" At this point, he was so close to you, you could feel his breath

on your skin. Needless to say, you were a flustered mess. He tucked your hair behind your ear and whispered, "May I?" leaning in closer. You nodded. You liked him. He was such a nice guy, plus, he was absolutely handsome. The moment your lips touched, you felt your skin ignite, and you fell in love with him all the more.

A/n: Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it! This was fun to write but maybe the ending sounds rushed? Idk tell me in the comments. Also, requests are open so send in some <3

[pastafossa]

Flufftober 2021, Day 5 - Watching the Sunrise

You can track my progress here on my Flufftober list, and you can find the official flufftober tumblr here! Now let’s see some sweetness with Din Djarin.

Ship: Din Djarin x Reader Rating: SFW   Wordcount: 1,003 Warnings: None, just a sweet moment with your found family.

“What’re you two doing out here?”

You glanced up at Din, his gleaming metal helmet tilted downwards to stare down at you and Grogu, who you had cuddled up in your arms. You took Grogu’s tiny hand and waved it. “Enjoying the scenery before we head out. We’ve still got an hour and everything’s already prepped. I don’t think he’s ever seen anything like this.”

Din considered you for a long moment, the tilt of his helmet shifting from examination to mildly puzzled. You liked to think you’d become an expert in translating Din’s unique helmeted head-tilts over the months you’d been with him. When combined with the rest of his body language, you could usually get a decent grasp on his mood. Not that you needed it this time when his confusion managed to work its way through his vocoder. “Seen what, exactly?”

Your brow furrowed a little as Grogu cooed, waving tiny gremlin hands and pointing towards the creeping edge of pink light on the horizon, frosted and pale as it began to chase away the rich blues and purples of night. “The… the sunrise. Haven’t you ever watched one here?”

He turned his helmet to consider the horizon as you slid Grogu’s goggles down. You weren’t entirely sure whether the kid’s eyes were sensitive to the sun, but the last thing you needed was for the little guy to stare directly into the sun and burn his big buggy eyes out. The merchant you’d bought the pair of goggles from had needed to make a few modifications to fit the shape of Grogu’s head and eyes, but he’d guaranteed the kid’s eyes would be protected without diminishing the color.

“Is it… different here?” Din asked quietly.

“Different?”

“The colors. Different here? Than the others?”

“I read this planet has some of the most beautiful sunrises in the Outer Rim. Pink, purple, green, orange, red. It goes through most of the spectrum.” You reached up to tug gently at Din’s cape, and he reluctantly crouched down next to you with a quiet grunt. Grogu seemed pleased this had become a group activity, babbling excitedly before he went back to watching the sunrise with an amazing amount of focus. The misty shadows of pale pink had begun to creep across the sky, followed by the rich colors of a roaring fire blooming at the horizon’s edge, signaling the coming of the sun. “Do you really not see that?”

“The helmet… filters out a lot of the brighter colors. Less distracting.”

“Have you ever seen one, maybe… I don’t know. While eating? When you’ve taken the helmet off?”

“No,” he said softly, turning his head back towards the sunrise. “I haven’t.”

The smokey clouds on the horizon began to flare into bright swaths of green and gold, the shafts of pink and purple filling the sky above you as the sun began to rise, a burning, brilliant red arc of fire. Din turned back to watch the two of you as Grogu and you gasped.

You wished he could see it, too.

And maybe he could see the thought on your face—the longing, the ache for him—because he quickly rose, sand scraping under his boots as he stepped away from you. You let him go, not wanting to push him into anything. He’d only just started taking his helmet off around you in the dark and when he was positioned behind you out of sight, and always, always in the ship, when you were both alone. He’d never removed it out here in the open. Even when there was no one else around, like now, you refused to ask that of him.

Maybe we can come back one day.

Sand crunched behind you and when you started to glance back, Din carefully caught your head, his hand incredibly gentle as he nudged your cheek until you were facing forward again. “Don’t turn around,” he said gruffly, settling down behind you.

Your brow furrowed but ultimately you did as he asked, keeping your eyes straight ahead, wondering what he was up to. You thought you’d figured it out when his legs stretched out alongside yours and he slid up against your back, the scent of warm leather, beskar, and blaster residue drifting in the air around you. He’d clearly decided to take part in watching with you both even if he couldn’t quite see it the way you and Grogu could. The thought warmed you enough that you grinned, leaning back into him affectionately.

There was a quiet hiss behind you, and then a thump as something was set in the sand. And then…

“Don’t turn around,” he whispered again, his rough voice warm and rich beside your ear—as rich as any sunrise, and full of something tender. It was a sound you’d never heard outside the Crest, and your eyes widened. You only just managed to keep your head facing forward, resisting the urge to react as he set his chin on your shoulder. His arms wound around your waist carefully, almost wary. You adjusted Grogu in your lap, who grumbled until he realized what you were doing. It took a little adjusting, but eventually, you got Grogu positioned so that Din was holding both you and his son, Grogu’s tiny hand holding tight to one of Din’s gloved fingers.

There was a startled inhale from Din, his chest expanding against your back as the sun began to fully breach the horizon line. The sky exploded into a wash of color from cloud to sky, as if the stars themselves had spilled sweeping puddles of color across the sky, swirls and elegant minglings of light and shade that took your breath away.

Din was quiet as you reached back to stroke his cheek, your eyes still firmly settled on the horizon. He tilted just enough to brush his lips over your wrist, and then his head was back on your shoulder, as the three of you watched the sunrise together.

-x-

Tagging those who know that 🌌This Is The Way 🌌 (to be added to my taglist, click here): @somanyyumypeoplejustletmehave1 @sictrnstgloria @ancientbeing10 @moonyinthestars @caswinchester2000 @lov3vivian @ownerofthehighground @melodicmel @claire-of-asgard @tripletstephaniescp @catsnow14 @hopplessdreamer @theheartshaker @lady-loves-a-lot @pastamomma​ @letterfromvienna​

@viviace​

[cyberaxolotl]

y’know what i WILL write something quick and small about couples cuddling and i will either write it all in one go or forget about it forever in my drafts!!!

Quiet Night

Multi-ship fluff (Lottaham, Wigglefunny, Snorplo)

The stars shine bright across Snaxburg, sending beams of light down upon the tops of huts, only being shadowed by the large structures themselves. No trees to shadow over the town, only the towering silhouette of the Frosted Peak, which the moon sat across from. As the people in town settled down, and bugsnax around either went away for the night or just started to come out, all became still and silent.

So it is, the fire was soon doused, the grumps around it already partially dozing away. Shelda, in all her years, had gone to bed before the rest, leaving Filbo with Chandlo and Wambus.

“That’s it for tonight, everyone.” Filbo said, grabbing the pail of water he kept nearby. He splashed it purposefully in the direction where Shelda would have sat, not wanting to deal with the consequences of getting either of the other two soaked. “It’s about time for us to be in bed!” He added.

Chandlo yawned, his tusks glinting in the moonlight. “You’re right about that, dawg. Snorpy was in bed a few hours ago.” He stood up tiredly, stepping over the log he was sat on. “See you dawgs in the morning!” He exclaimed, though quietly, and then walked away.

“Hmh. Same goes to Triffy, she was probably off to bed quite a bit ago.” Wambus stood up, putting his hands on his back to crack it and relax after sitting still so long. “Night, Filbo.” With that, he walked away.

“Night~!” The lighter blue grump smiled, putting the pail down. He let out a yawn, then walked in the direction of his own hut, internally wondering which crochet frog he’d sleep with that night.

Wambus stepped into the doorway of his home, leaving his hat on a hook. “Triffy?” He asked quietly, looking at the bed. Triffany was in her usual spot, still as a stick, with her knees tucked up closer to her body. He couldn’t help but notice her in-ordinary expression, one of slight disdain. ‘She’s havin’ another nightmare…’ He thought, walking over.

He quickly found his way on the bed, shuffling up behind her. Gently as to not startle her awake, he put his arms around her, slipping one under her waist and the other over her. He started gently scratching the fluff of her collar, stroking her. “Yer okay, Triffy… Ain’t nothin’ here…”

“..!” He felt her take a sharp breath and jolt a little, before quickly relaxing. “Didn’t notice ya come in…” She said quietly.

“I wouldn’t dream of sleepin’ anywhere else.” He continued petting her fur, which she appreciated. “‘Nother nightmare?” He asked.

She sighed. “It’s that same one all the time recently. I’m starting to wonder if it’s some kinda prophecy…” She let out a small chuckle at the thought.

“Hmh, sure hope it ain’t, if it’s as bad as whatcha always tell me about…” He put his head over her shoulder, leaning closer to her.

“Ah, well, we don’t hafta worry about it now. Let’s just get back to sleep, yeah?” She accepted his closer embrace, shutting her eyes again. Wambus purred quietly as she did, slowly coming to stop petting her fluff.

In the house across from theirs, another pair of grumps were getting ready for bed. “You sure you wanna sleep here? It’s a small bed, and I wake up real early…” Gramble asked, sitting on his bed, fiddling with his hat in his hands.

“Gramble dear, we both wake up really early. If anything, it’ll be nice to wake up with you in my arms.” Wiggle looked over at him, digging through her bag. “Ah, here it is!” With that, she pulled out a blanket, one with little pompoms attached.

The rancher chuckled. “Alright, if you say so…” He accepted as she walked over, holding the blanket behind her like a cape. “Wah-!” He jumped when she jumped at him, grabbing him with the blanket and wrapping it around both him and herself. Given his small stature, he was wrapped around almost completely by her and the blanket.

“How’s this for a good position~? You, cradled around me, and this lovely blanket.” She pulled him up, getting his head closer to hers, and putting her arms more properly around him.

He let out a soft chuckle, smiling at her. “It’s perfect, Wiggle..!” He put his arms around her waist, bringing his head closer to the voluminous fluff of her chest.

“I’m glad. I’m hoping my presence will help with your sleep walking, keeping you here in my arms…” Wiggle’s voice trailed off, her curling around him. They felt warm in each other’s fur, like they were meant to be there together.

He purred softly. “I hope so too…” He mumbled out, then shut his eyes.

Once again, their neighbors were heading in for the night, one of them already long asleep.

Chandlo walked upstairs, his posture slack, a rare occurrence. He was immediately greeted by Snorpy’s bed, the inhabitants of which being, of course, asleep. Snorpy always went to bed at eight PM on the dot, no later, no earlier, and he also woke up exactly twelve hours later. Chandlo found the strict schedule impressive.

‘I gotta wonder how you stand to sleep like that…’ He walked up to the bedside and thought. Unlike him, his housemate slept in a very still position, his arms at his sides and his legs aligned with his hips. The green grump always slept entirely sprawled out. ‘Heh… Guess that’s part of the reason we don’t share a bed.’ He could picture himself accidentally throwing himself on top of the other, and he didn’t want to do that.

Aware of how light of a sleeper he was, Chandlo leaned down slowly, putting his hand on the bed frame to steady himself as he placed a small kiss on the other’s forehead. “Mmh… Chandlo..?” It seemed his gentle efforts were not enough, Snorpy’s eyes opening slightly, sounding groggy.

“Didn’t mean to wake you, Snorpdawg. Go back to sleep.” He smiled down at him, a little flustered to have been caught.

“What are you doing up at midnight..?” Somehow, he knew the exact time.

“I was just heading to bed, bro. You know I tend to stay up late.” Chandlo shrugged, glancing away.

“Mh, well, alright…” Snorpy, tired and groggy, didn’t question it further. He returned to his position, noticeably relaxing as he did.

‘He’s so cute…’ The athlete thought, then turned away, walking over to his own bed.

I am going to fall asleep too now goodnight reader

[writeforfandoms]

Drift Away

Sooooo I don't really know what this is. I might continue it, if there's some interest. This is not at all my norm here on Tumblr so let's see how this goes!

Deathstroke/Slade Wilson and f!reader

Selina takes you to a Wayne charity gala, and you meet an intriguing man and bring home a souvenir.

Warnings: light thievery, Tension, cape and cowl crowd drama.

Word count: 1.2k

The gala was just like any other gala: full to the brim with riches and champagne, and dull. There was lots of networking going on among the elite, as always. Rumors and gossip flew like bullets, tarnishing reputations. Or, in some cases, helping them along.

You kept track of anything particularly interesting you heard as you slunk through the crowds. Selina had sent you off to make a circuit of the room, just to get you out of her hair for a few minutes while she flirted. Not that you minded - she was the mastermind. You were just the helpful friend.

Helpful friend that also knew how to pick pockets, anyway. You smiled slyly, pleased with yourself as you tucked a little diamond charm in your purse. You'd hang it in your room later, just for fun.

You weren't on the same level as Selina, but you could hold your own. You knew what you were doing. And you enjoyed the challenge.

You spotted Dick Grayson across the room, laughing with a few young women. Playing his part well, clearly. Bruce Wayne was nowhere to be seen, but he wasn’t your problem. He was very definitely Selina’s problem.

A few more minutes of wandering brought you back to Selina. She was gorgeous tonight, of course, classic and with just a flash of diamonds to draw the eye. She was a professional, through and through, and you couldn’t help but admire her a little.

“There you are, precious,” she murmured, smiling at you and snagging a glass of champagne to hand to you. “I was beginning to think I’d have to go find you.”

You smiled impishly with a careless shrug. “Oh, you know me. Restless feet.”

“Oh? And what did your restless feet find tonight?”

“Not much of note.” You shrugged. “For a Wayne gala.” In short: the usual, what the two of you had expected.

“Well, maybe you’ll find something fun to distract you.” Selina’s smile shone as bright as the diamonds in her ears. Which meant she wanted you to go find something fun to take, make a little distraction. Nothing huge, nothing incriminating. But she wanted more attention on you than on her.

And she was letting you pick your target, too.

“Oh, I certainly hope so.” You chuckled softly and took a sip of your champagne, gaze already wandering for a likely suspect. “In fact, I think I found something to distract me.” You winked at her and slipped away, back into the crowd.

Since this was essentially just for fun and for a distraction, you picked the biggest target you could. Literally. This man was tall, possibly taller than Bruce, and broad, with white hair held back in a ponytail, and a patch over one eye. His suit was charcoal gray and fabulously tailored, very flattering on him.

And his cufflinks looked to have something expensive in them. You couldn't quite tell from this angle, but the glint of light off them made you curious.

Besides, you rather wanted to see if you could get away with taking something of his.

Selina wanted a little distraction. Nothing huge.

So you "tripped" over another guest and stumbled into the huge man. You gasped and grabbed his arm to help steady yourself, and his free hand came up to your shoulder.

"Are you alright?" He looked down at you, blue eye bright and, if you were reading him right, amused.

"I'm okay," you agreed with a little laugh. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to grab you."

"Not a problem, miss." He lowered his hand, and you took a step back from him. He really was quite handsome.

There. Minor distraction caused. Your job here was done.

Except Dick Grayson stopped next to you, smile fixed firmly in place, eyes a little narrowed. "Slade! I wasn't expecting you tonight!"

The man, Slade, smirked just a little. "Dick," he greeted smoothly.

“Are you alright?” Dick turned his face towards you but didn’t fully look away from Slade.

“Just caught my shoe,” you said with an embarrassed laugh. You were beginning to regret your choice of targets. “I’m perfectly fine, I promise.”

Dick didn’t even respond, merely looking at Slade again. Still. Whatever. “I didn’t know you were back in Gotham. Here on business?”

Slade smirked, shifting his hands to tuck them into his pocket. He hesitated for a moment as he tucked in his left hand, the one that you’d taken the cuff link off of. There was no way he could have noticed that. No way.

But you dropped the cuff link. Just in case.

“Stopping overnight,” Slade answered in a smooth drawl. He had a hint of a southern accent still. “Thought I’d stop by and greet some old friends.” His teeth flashed in what might have been a smile.

You were beginning to suspect you had landed right in the middle of something much more dangerous than a little distraction.

“Oh!” you gasped, drawing the gaze of both men. “Did someone drop this?” You stooped briefly to pick up the cuff link off the floor.

Slade’s eye glinted at you and he tipped his head, just a little, a slow smile curling his lips. Normally you weren’t the biggest fan of facial hair, but his looked good. Not too long, nicely trimmed, clearly well kept. And he was clearly older than you. Damn but he was ticking too many of your boxes.

“It’s mine,” he rumbled, holding out a hand. “Thank you for spotting it. I would hate to lose one of a pair.”

You dropped the cuff link into his hand with a smile. “Of course! It would be a shame.” You glanced at Dick to find his jaw clenched. And your smile widened a little. Maybe a little more poking the bear. Just a little. “I’m sorry, we haven’t met.” You gave him your name, holding out your hand.

He reached out slowly, his hand completely engulfing yours. “Slade Wilson.”

“Slade doesn’t live in Gotham,” Dick said with forced cheer. “I’m sure that’s why you two haven’t met before. Say, is Selina around? I know Brucie was looking for her earlier.”

“Oh, she’s somewhere,” you deflected with a light laugh. Slade had scars on his knuckles, so small most people probably didn’t notice them. You weren’t most people. “You know how she is. But I see an old friend - will you two excuse me?”

Dick nodded, already refocused on Slade. Slade inclined his head to you, much more regal than anything you were used to seeing. You stepped between the two and placed one hand lightly on his right arm.

“It was lovely to meet you. I hope you have a good night.”

His smile was slow and almost predatory. “You as well,” he agreed.

You stepped past him and continued on your way. You kept your grin down until you were on the far side of the room, heart still pumping fast, adrenaline going.

That had been a bit of a rush. And just a little distraction.

Later that night, after you’d gotten back to your apartment and changed into comfortable clothes, you held up the cufflink you’d taken from his right sleeve and smiled. Pity you only had one of a pair.

--

Taglist: @beecastle @littlemisspascal @honey-im-hotdog

[the-suicidal-lizard]

Chapter 1: Daffy Get’s Blasted (Baffy)

Summary: Every scene with Bugs and Daffy from 'Looney Tunes: Back In Action', BUT with them pining after each other, and them being a couple.

Chapter 1/11; Daffy Get’s Blasted.

Note: Right, so I wrote this a while ago on AO3, and I decided to post this first chapter here... so... if it goes well, I’ll continue to post the chapters...

Next Chapter.

Rabbit Season

Rabbit Season!

                                             Duck Rabbit Season

                                                                      RABBIT SEASON!

rabbit season

The cartoon forest was rather quiet, like usual, and was filled with painted signs that read 'Rabbit Season', some of the signs were nailed over. There was one drawn figure, who was creeping through the forest, a gun pointed and raised, wearing a brown hat and suit, Elmer Fudd - you can't have a classic Looney Tunes Cartoon without good ol' Elmer Fudd!

He tip-toed through the forest, then turned to you. He raised an index finger to his lips, "sh! Be very quiet. I'm hunting rabbits." He laughed his usual, shoulder jiggling laugh.

Just a few steps down the forest path was an animal on two legs, black feathered and a large orange beak, hammering a blue sign with red lettering which read; RABBIT, over what originally read DUCK. The sign was now reading RABBIT SEASON. He had two nails in his beak, three signs that read 'Rabbit Season' under his arm, and a hammer, Daffy Duck. He turned to you, "I am a duck bent on self-preservationum."

Another animal with grey and white fur, two gloves and two long ears, and buck teeth, walked over, and straightened the nailed on 'Rabbit' sign, as Daffy looked to him, Bugs Bunny, always the cool and chill bunny he is.

A gun was shoved in Bugs and Daffy's  face, Bugs looked down at the barrel confused and Daffy didn't seem to care, and hid the hammer behind his back. Elmer Fudd smirked, "say your prayers, rabbit! It's rabbit season!"

Bugs used his index finger and pushed it over to Daffy, "duck season."

Daffy looked down at the barrel, hands on his hips, eyes wide, then shoved the gun back to Bugs, "rabbit season!"

Bugs pushed his back, "duck season." He yawned, relaxed.

Daffy pushed it back, "rabbit season!"

Bugs pushed it to Daffy, then pulled it back to his chest, "rabbit season."

Daffy pulled the gun to his own face again, mixing himself and the rabbit up, "duck season! Fire!"

Elmer shot, a long bank and fire came from the barrel, and Daffy found his beak blown backwards, his eyes wide, and Bugs just looked on with boredom. Daffy glared at the rabbit and human.

Elmer shot again, and Daffy's beak flew off, hitting bullseye on a red and white dart board that Bugs held up behind the duck. He was shot again, and his beak flew passed Bugs, who was dressed as a Bullfighter, and the rabbit pulled the cape up for the beak, as a crowd cheered.

"Fire!" Demanded Daffy, and he was shot at again. His eyes went wide, and red veined, as his beak stuck into the tree behind him, and Bugs stood, now holding a red 10 and 9 sign.

Daffy was shot again, and his beak melted down his face with a gross splatter and squelch. And again, his beak spiralled around his neck. And again, the tip of his beak burnt and crumbled off.

"Hold everything!"

................

Daffy glared down at the script he was reading in anger, sat in a red leather chair. He raised his hand, "'Daffy gets blasted.'" He read out the stage directions in anger, and he rapidly flipped a few pages, "page 7: 'Daffy gets blasted.' Ha-ha-ha!" He said, glaring at the executives in suits of the Warner Brothers studio. He flipped rapidly forward a few pages. "Page 8: 'Daffy gets blasted again!'" He slammed the script down, the whole thing was circled in red and he leaned forward in his seat. "What's the matter with you people? We can't do this kind of stuff anymore." He scolded, a glare on his face, looking around at the men in suits, who looked clueless and bored. There was one woman in a purple dress shirt, twin girls behind the Brothers Warner', and the brothers were in matching suits with folded hands. "Brothers Warner... show biz legends like me," he placed a hand on his feathery chest, "shouldn't have to play stooge..." He had to remind himself to actually insult the rabbit, though this was secretly his - their - way of complimenting each other in the public eye, "to that long-eared, carrot-chomping, overbite-challenged—"

"Eh... what's up, doc?"

Daffy's eyes widened in shock, and one pupil was smaller than the other. The whole room 'awed', as Daffy turned around in his seat with a clear glare. Usually, his glare would soften ever so slightly at seeing the rabbit, and his back being turned to the men in suits, but he was feeling rather angry, and so he kept glaring.

There Bugs stood, one hand pressed against a column, leaning against it, chomping on a carrot, as usual. He walked forward, and gestured with his chomped carrot, "hey Bobby, how's the wife?"

Two women moved a red leather chair over next to Daffy, and dusted it clean, as Bugs headed to it.

"Great nose job, Chuck. Thanks, girls." Bugs thanked with a smile, sitting in it, not missing the annoyed grumbling of the duck. "Good rug, Mel. Never would have guessed." He turned, and the girls pushed his seat next to his co-worker, "pardon me." He said, pushing Daffy out the way. He had to stay in character, but tried to lessen the blow to the duck.

Daffy pushed his seat back, and leaned into Bugs angrily, "the pleasures mine." He spat out, angrily.

Bugs leaned back into his seat slightly, "fellas, I think Daff's right. Maybe I'll take a vacation." He offered, rubbing his nails to his chest, and Daffy crossed his arms. Bugs brought out his wallet, as multiple pictures flopped from it, "go visit my 542 nieces and nephews!"

Daffy rolled his eyes with a sigh, and glared at Bugs, who shrugged back slightly. It's how they're written and drawn. But, it doesn't mean they hate each other.

"Mr. Duck, excuse me, I'm sorry." Said a woman, specifically the one in the purple shirt. She stood up, and all eyes were drawn to her, "I don't see how we can have a Bugs Bunny movie without Bugs Bunny."

Daffy stood up, and got on the desk, his hands up, and Bugs watched it with half-lidded eyes of coolness. "Oh, my heavens, no," Daffy agreed sarcastically. "You couldn't have a movie without Bugs Bunny." Daffy stood in front of her, trying to pin a name to her face. She was tall, skinny and blonde, seemed really uptight if you asked Bugs or Daffy. He leaned in, "if you don't mind me asking, whose glorified personal assistant are you?" He asked, pointing an index finger to her.

Immediately, she took his hand to shake it, and scowled angrily, "Kate Houghton, Vice President, Comedy."

"Right," agreed Daffy, as she dropped her hand. He looked down to his hand, and frowned, seeing his hand ice over - comedy his beak!

Bugs leaned on his gloved hand, his furry cheek nuzzled into his palm, as his half-lidded eyes watched Daffy.

Brother Warner turned in his swivel seat, "Kate did Lethal Weapon Babies." He pointed to a poster on the wall of two babies scowling, holding milk bottles.

Brother Warner said, "finally, a Lethal Weapon that I can take my grandchildren to."

"Gentlemen, check your phones." Kate said, looking down to her phone and Daffy frowned. Everyone picked up their phones, and the Brothers Warner picked up their old telephone, and so their assistant's handed over their newer phones. "Our latest research shows that Bugs Bunny is a core asset..." Daffy looked over to her phone, to see three bar green charts and Bugs on it, and the rating were high, "that appeals to male and female, young and old throughout the universe..." She switched screens, and he saw three red bars and himself there, which quickly dropped to nothing and he fell on the screen, "while your fan base is limited to angry fat guys in basements."

"Yeah, b-but," stuttered Daffy, pointing to himself as he looked around the room. "Come on, fellas, I'm thrice the entertainer the rabbit is!"

Now all the attention was back on Bugs, he fell back into his casual routine, and he leaned in his seat, chewing on his carrot. He burped, and everyone in the room laughed.

Daffy waved his hands as if annoyed, "fine, it's hilarious..." He said as if he didn't mean it, but it's true. Even he found Bugs to be funny, it one of the reasons they're... close friends. "But, moviegoers these days demand action heroes," he called, finger pointed up, "like me!" He flung himself around, kicking and whacking his legs, knocking over glasses, cup holders of pencils, scattering paper everywhere, and people recoiled in shock. He spun around crazily, and ended up tangled on himself, balancing on his fingers, in front of Bugs, who looked bored and had his feet kicked up - he could fool everyone but Daffy, who could see the quirk of the rabbit's lips under his buck teeth. Panting, Daffy said, "top that, rabbit."

Bugs, keeping in routine for them, and character, tapped his foot against Daffy's beak, watching as his eyes popped out and bounced on the desk. Everyone laughed again, while Daffy jumped around to find them.

Daffy slid back to Kate and the Brothers, his eyes jumping out as he did, and his hands were behind his back. "So, it has come to this, has it?" He crossed his arms and turned, "I'm afraid the Brothers Warner must choose... between a handsome matinee idol," he dragged a hand over his head, "or this miscreant perpetrator of low burlesque." He pointed to Bugs who was drawing patterns in the table.

Attention back on Bugs, he quickly put on a bow tie, fake glasses with a moustache and eyebrows, and the bow tie spun. Again, everyone laughed.

"Whichever one's not the duck." Said Brother Warner.

Daffy gasped in horror. He frowned, seeing a woman slam down a box full of things. He saw a teddy, a few awards, and a picture of him and Bugs, and he pointed to it with realisation, "hey? That's the stuff from my office."

"You don't have an office." Brother Warner said.

"Not anymore." The other Brother said.

"Symbolically, this is bad." Daffy said, and flung himself to his knees, hands clasped together. "Please, brother. Other brother?" He bagged, caressing their faces, and the pulled back. He moved onto Kate, hugging her neck, "icy she-wolf? Help me, please. I'm too moist and tender to retire!" He sobbed.

Kate pulled him off, and held him at arms length, "let me escort you out."

"Wait!" Called Daffy, kicking and flailing in her arms, "I haven't tried toadying, kowtowing, or butt-kissing yet. I'm still begging here!"

Bugs sighed, and followed after the two. "Uh, toots, maybe you should—"

"Mr. Bunny, I can handle this." Assured Kate, scowling at the duck in her hands.

Daffy broke free, and rushed at Bugs, tackling him, "don't let her take me!"

"Seriously, I got this for a few..." Assured Bugs, hands to his side, as Daffy clung to him like a tree.

Kate stared, and sighed, "I'll be back in five minutes." She said, walking out. She had no choice but to listen to a superior.

Bugs waited, and checked nobody was around, "Daff, I never let you leave. I have many favours still, duck."

"Hey, I thought I was visiting your nieces and nephews too?" Asked Daffy, clinging to Bugs like a life line, no the the rabbit minded. Actually, Bugs held Daffy's rump, careful to not insinuate anything, but was holding the duck close.

"I want you to be fair and equal, even if we give the impression we don't, doc." Bugs explained, holding Daffy close, "and you are, I just wanted to give ya a chance."

Daffy frowned, "I don't wanna go..." But, he couldn't keep relaying on Bugs to bring him back.

"Well, this is the fifth time this month, Daff." Shrugged Bugs, "I'll talk to the—"

"No! I can handle this! You can't keep saving me!" Daffy insisted, jumping down from Bugs' arms, "I don't need your help!" He spat out, not missing the way Bugs' ears dropped slightly, but he had to fend for himself, "you don't need to cry, and you don't need to play hero every time! I can handle it!"

Kate came back, "handled it?"

"Sorta?" Bugs said, unsure and his eyes sad.

Kate gripped Daffy, and dragged him out again. The cartoon duck began thrashing again, "wait! Wait! Wait! Let me talk to the Brothers Warner!" He called.

Bugs looked over, and followed sadly, eyes soft.

................

"What about animation? I could do cartoons!" Daffy suggested, struggling and trying to run from Kate, who tightened her grip. They walked out the building to see a man, a security guard, and they vaguely recognised him - DJ. He was waxing a red, shiny car, sweating in the sun slightly.

Bugs cupped his mouth and called, "dead duck walking!" He walked down the steps, as Kate pulled Daffy down the steps as well.

"Morning, Mr. Bunny!" Called DJ, barely glancing up from his task.

"Very hot now. And I do voices. Listen!" Daffy insisted, struggling to get out of Kate's grip.

"Excuse me!" Kate called, and DJ looked over confused.

"'Fetch the stick, boy.'" Daffy said in once voice, "'what a maroon.'" He pulled his hand, and said in another, "'you can't handle the truth.' Some grip, lady!" He grunted, as Kate pulled him away from the car.

"I need you to eject this duck." Kate said, moving up to DJ.

DJ frowned, and looked down at the black and orange cartoon, "but, that's Daffy Duck."

"Exactly!" Agreed Daffy, his hand on his chest.

"Not anymore. We own the name." Explained Kate, in a way that could be described as smug.

"Oh yeah?" Asked Daffy with doubt, "well, you can't stop me from calling myself Da-Du-d..." He held his throat, and looked to Bugs, pupils uneven and in fear, as Bugs just gave him an unimpressed look - none of this would be happening if the duck just let him handle this. "What do you know?" He asked in shock, and Bugs shrugged.

"You fired Daffy Duck?" Asked DJ in shock, and all eyes moved to him.

Bugs stopped looking unimpressed and instead seemed thankful someone brought up how ridiculous it sounded!

"No, I didn't." Kate denied, but then corrected herself, "I did. They did." She jabbed her thumb behind herself.

"You just were following orders." Reasoned DJ, sarcastically.

Bugs moved to Daffy, deciding that if he couldn't help Daffy keep his job, he could still help him by getting his hand loose. He tapped the duck's shoulder, and carefully pulled Daffy's wrist from Kate's grip, then slid his hand into her grip instead, "skidaddle." Bugs whispered.

"Really, even after what I said about not needin' ya?" Asked Daffy, eyes wide and heart touched.

Bugs shrugged, "eh, go. Catch ya later, doc."

Daffy smiled, not missing the small smile on Bugs' face, it's just how he's written. With a nod, he ran off, unnoticed.

"You know what? You don't know me." Kate said, hand on her waist.

DJ crossed his arms, "you're Kate Houghton, you're the VP of Comedy. Go figure. You drive a red 1988 Alfa Romeo. Good engine. Little under-driven. I know this because you nearly ran me over last week." He listed, not seeing Kate's starstruck look. "Anyway, about that duck, you want me to get rid of him still?"

"Huh?"

DJ began making duck noises and flapping his hands.

"Duck, yes. Eject the duck, please!" Agreed Kate, confused and thrown off, having let go of Bugs' hand during her daze.

"Well, can't do that right now," DJ mumbled.

"Why not?"

"He's gone."

The two looked down, and noticed Bugs who shrugged cartoonishly, but wore a smile on his face that said 'this is my doing'.

Kate looked to DJ, who had shrugged back at Bugs, "well, what are you waiting for, backup?"

DJ raised his eyebrows and laughed, "ho oh!" And, he walked off.

Bugs watched him leave and frowned, he only hoped Daffy got to safety before DJ found him, or Kate.