#and then you retire and you become very fond for each other and have very cute interviews until his very retirement

[skitskatdacat63]

if u’re still doing these… top 5 most insane martian moments.

Sry for the late response, I really had to think on it! But these have been pretty fun to do so thank you!! <3

1. The entirety of Monaco 2010

Any Monaco celebration has a special place in my heart as you probably well know! But just Monaco 2010 as an entirety is insane to me, to name a few: the matching Porsches...their parc ferme hug...Seb trying and failing to pull Mark into the pool...them jumping into the harbor together and Seb having to pull Mark up onto the dock, MONACO REALLY GAVE US SO MUCH 🤧 but also this race being the calm before the storm, like seeing them be all cute with each other but then knowing how the season ends and how things continue to proceed after that

2. Their Singapore 2008 date

Always holds a special place on my heart. Just that we have so many pictures and even footage(!!!) of their PR mandated date in a time where this kind of thing wasn't really common yet. The caption of the YouTube vid "Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel share an evening in Singapore" 😵‍💫 and I also think often about this comment on that vid calling Seb a "kleine Mädchen." I just think it's very cute. Giggly STR Seb and older gruff RBR Mark, not yet affected by teammate tensions

3. Japan 2007

I think its always very interesting the foreshadowing you can read into while watching older races. I love that Martian were always on an inevitable collision course. Like imagine being Mark and that rookie who crashed into the back of you then goes to win a race before you and then becomes your teammate and then becomes wdc. That they were on this collision course before they even became teammates and Seb had barely been in the sport yet. And LIKE that quote from Mark about Seb about "kids with no experience" and Seb crying in his garage, crazy.

4. Turkey 2010

I have such a fondness for "WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE DOING HERE!? WHAT A STUPID ACTION! I'M GOING HOME! FUCK YOU!"(to the point where my friends who know nothing about f1 know about that quote by proxy bcs I quote it so much") I think it's interesting how much Martian's conflicts revolve around team orders and disobeying radios. It's funny bcs in Turkey 2009, a very similar situation to both Turkey 2010 and Malaysia 2013 happens, them telling Seb to stay behind Mark bcs of whatever reasons. And in 2009, Seb is clearly 🫤 about it but obeys but then goes on to try to overtake Mark in 2010 and fails, but then succeeds in 2013, very interesting to see how that dynamic evolves and grows more toxic! But by far the best part about Turkey 2010 is them having to take that "Us in our Get-Along T-Shirt" pic 😭 it's so funny and I wish they'd do press releases like this nowadays

5. That Monaco 2021 interview where Mark interjects about knowing the meaning behind the coins in Seb's race boots

It's just very sweet to me. There's some post about it on here that explains how meaningful it is, but I don't feel like searching for it, so I'm kinda just paraphrasing that. But like imagine them having a conversation where Seb explains it to Mark and the meaning behind it, and like probably a decade later, Mark still remembers it in perfect detail, enough to remember about the specificities about which coin goes in which boot and why.

Obligatory mentions: Malaysia 2013 of course(but I wanted to mention others, but Multi-21 is a given when considering crazy Martian moments), Australia 2016 podium, Mark's various Instagram forays during Seb's retirement, that one interview where Mark grabs Seb from behind while Love Will Tear Us Apart plays, when Seb sat on Mark's shoulders, anything of them from Abu Dhabi 2022, etc etc

[recreationalfanfics]

"What A Beautiful Family!"

In which you get confused for being a family

Rengoku:

- It happens during a trip to the store in town with his little brother. Maybe it was to restock groceries or maybe it was buying supplies for his next demon conquest, either way: all three of you went down to visit.

- Rengoku smiled softly at you as he watched you with his little brother, holding his hand and laughing with Senjuro and occasionally lifting him up and spinning around.

- At some point during the walk, Senjuro pointed at some birds flying in the tree and begged Kyojuro for a closer look, which Kyojuro happily allowed him to do and put him on his shoulders with a big smile. You helped Senjuro steady himself and laughed at how precious the two looked.

- As Senjuro and Kyojuro debated about what kind of birds they were, you couldn't help but look at Kyojuro with nothing less than love in your eyes and a fond smile.

- "Aw, how precious!" a woman walking past with a basket filled with baked goods cooed at you three, "I'm glad even with demons terrorizing us, people can still have moments like this. Here, have some!"

- At first you tried to decline out of embarrassment but Kyojuro humbly took them and gave one to Kyojuro and handed a pastry to you. You were hesitant but then you took it and graciously thanked the lady, "but also, I feel bad for not paying for these, ma'am. Please, let me-"

- "Don't you worry about it. A beautiful family like you should enjoy a good snack on such a lovely day, especially since your husband's a hashira."

- Rengoku opened his mouth to let out a hearty "TASTY!" but stopped himself halfway when he heard that. You just stared at the lady in flustered shock as she bowed her head and walked away.

- You and Kyojuro shared a look with each other, Kyojuro giving you a nervous yet wide grin and you returned it. Both of your faces felt warm and you were barely able to hold eye contact with each other.

- "Haha, that lady thought you were (Y/n)'s husband! Isn't that funny, big brother?" and Rengoku's gaze softens as you become timid and look down at your feet, "Yes...I suppose it is, Kyojuro."

Tengen:

- You were walking with Tengen and his wives, happy to see him a bit more after his retirement, when you stumbled upon three neighboring children, who played too roughly and were crying their eyes out about it.

- You and Hinatsuru helped them while Suma tried not to cry with the two boys but offered to help and Makio awkwardly tried to calm them down. Tengen just squatted down and told them that it wasn't very flashy to cry, which made you and Hina elbow him.

- Instead of getting more upset, however, all three boys became excited and seemed to recgonize Tengen, asking him if he was the sound Hashira, which seemed to greatly inflate his ego as he said: "Yes but I am also the God of Festivals!"/ "WOW! REALLY!?"

- You and his wives exchanged glances knowing he wouldn't shut up. When they asked if he could tell him a story of the demons he fought, he tried to be all: "Oh, it might be too scary for you kids...BUT WHAT THE HECK- So I was in the Entertainment District which is filled with prost-"/ "UZUI."/ "IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE STORY."

- Anyways, after some censoring, each boy found a home in your lap, Suma's lap, and another sat on Hinatsuru's but leaned their head on Makio's arm. All of you entranced by Tengen's storytelling and prescence.

- "Haha, such an energetic father. Those boys are definetly gonna grow up strong!"/ "I wonder which of those women are his wife?"/ "From the way they're looking at him, all four, probably."

- Tengen's voice suddenly stopped, most likely because he heard what they said, but instead of correcting him, his eyes landed on you. You could feel Hina's, Suma's, and Makio's gaze on you as well and you felt timid...but not uncomfortable. His lips upturned into a smirk and you felt yourself trying to look at ANYWHERE but the attractive faces that were staring at you.

- "Well, what happened next!?" One of the boys demanded, impatient from the cliff hanger.

- "Huh- Oh, right! Anyways, this demon CAME OUT and he was UGLY. Absolutely hideous, like a monster that crawled from under your bed-"

- When the boys finally were called home, you all waved goodbye and parted ways. Leaving you alone with the retired Hashira and his wives, you didn't say anything but the energy felt different as Suma clung to your arm and Tengen walked closer to you, Makio's eyes would stray towards you but timidly look away when you caught her gaze as Hina wished this walk would last forever. Just the five of you.

[lemonlover1110]

Hello! I hope you are doing well 😌 you are my fav writer and I just wanted to to throw out this crazy brainrot request to u bc I am SICK over it

So Florence nightingale syndrome right? Toji is like a professional boxer or whatever something athletic bc he's a fucking beast and he gets hurt, like his leg or something, and you become his at home occupational therapist. So you're like taking care of him and he's getting feelings for you while also being a stubborn ass bc u push him constantly so he can get better. and he's super hesitant to accept his feelings bc he's a Playboy of course.

I'm just picturing this one scene where you're helping him up and he's leaning on you and he says something like "are you sure you can handle me princess?" Idk I'm insane I'm sorry 😭😭😭😭

Pairing: boxer!Toji Fushiguro x f!caregiver!Reader

Warnings: Fluff, frustrated Toji, Florence nightingale syndrome, Toji has an injured leg and is a little bitch for a bit

*This was so fun to work on and now I'm having thinking a little too hard about boxer toji (I'm ovulating) sofjsof enjoy!

Discord 18+ - Twitter - Ko-Fi

Toji never really thought he’d be dependent on someone, yet now he can’t even take a shower standing up. After an unlucky boxing match, Toji ended up in a cast and crutches. That’s what he gets for not listening to his son who told him it was around time to retire.

“I’m not a fucking skeleton, I’m good in my field. I can do this for a couple more years.” How he wishes he could swallow his fucking words. He thought that after getting the cast off he’d go back to normal, and he’d have no issue with mobility. He shouldn’t have an issue moving his fucking leg again, he’s been moving it for more than thirty years, why should three months of not moving it change much?

Apparently he can’t do anything, which is why he has someone with him all day every day, helping him so he can get better. Toji’s main issue? He gets frustrated when someone tries to help him. 

“Be careful, it’s hot.” You smile at him as you put his dinner in front of him. He has a scowl on his face as you set it down in front of him. He tried to help make dinner but he couldn’t stand for too long. He’s mad, but not at you. He could never be mad at you. 

Toji wasn’t necessarily fond of you when you started working with him; he hates being dependent on someone else, and he knew that he would have to depend on you for pretty much everything. You try to help him though, and he should be more appreciative of you because of it, but in reality he feels like a fucking baby. He’s grown to like you though… A little too much for his liking. 

You leave him to eat, going to wash the dishes since he can’t do the task yet. Perhaps his own bowl and spoon, but not everything that needs to be cleaned. You watch him from the counter, watching his refusal to pick up the spoon and eat the soup you made him. Earlier he was so prideful, telling you that he would help you every step of the way during dinner, and he couldn’t even finish one third of it. You were proud of him regardless.

“It’s really good, Toji! The potatoes you helped peel really added a touch to it.” You’ve gotten close enough to be on a first name basis. You see each other every day, you stay in the same house, of course you’re close enough to talk to each other so casually. It doesn’t mean you should though. You’ve always managed to keep a very professional relationship with patients, but there’s just something about him that makes it hard for you to be normal around him.

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a fucking kid.” He says, pushing the bowl of soup away. He’s not hungry anymore. Toji stands up, his hands holding on to the table to support himself before grabbing his crutches. 

“Toji, if you’re not eating it, can you try to bring it over to me, please?” You ask. You know the soup has cooled down, if he spills it, he’ll be fine.

“If you want it, pick it up yourself.” Toji is clearly mad. You don’t take it to heart though, because you know it’s with himself and not you. 

“How about we go to the park tomorrow? It’s supposed to be a nice day out.” You talk to Toji who tries to watch a documentary. He’s not all that interested in what he put on, caring more about what you have to say. He might not show it, and he tries to deny it, but he has the biggest soft spot for you. “We can also get some ice cream, if you’re in the mood!”

“Hey… I’m sorry about earlier. I was just—” It’s hard to get an apology out of him, but sometimes he knows he’s in the wrong and he feels the need to apologize. He doesn’t want you to be mad at him, even though you’re clearly not upset with him. You’re so understanding and patient with him, he feels like he doesn’t deserve that.

“You’re fine, Toji.” You reassure him with a smile, your hand going over his balled up fist. You feel your heart skip a beat as you touch him. You’ve crossed the line past a professional relationship, and you should set some boundaries within yourself– But his other hand goes on top of your own before he brings it up, softly kissing your knuckles. It’s hard to set boundaries when he feels the same way.

“I’m tired.” He tells you, and you stand up to help him get up. Toji usually denies your help, but this time, he has no problem accepting it. You just want the best for him, and there’s some things that he can’t do completely alone. He has to take baby steps. He’s using you for support, and he’s scared that he’s too heavy for you. He asks you, “Are you sure, princess? Can you handle me? I know I’m pretty big.”

“You’re fine. I can handle you.” You reassure him, and you begin to walk to his bedroom. His room was previously on the second floor, but ever since his injury, he’s moved his bedroom to the first floor. You get him to his bedroom, helping him on the bed. You smile at him before saying, “Let me grab your crutches. You left them in the living room, right?”

Before you can walk away, he grabs your sleeve. Toji’s slowly realizing that he can’t fight off the feelings that consume him when you help him, and he’s usually not a fan of them. Toji’s been tied down once before, he certainly doesn’t want that again. But with you, it’s different. He doesn’t mind the idea.

“Will you lay down with me?” He asks, and you suck in your bottom lip between your teeth. You shouldn’t. He caresses your cheek with the back of his hand before he prompts himself up to kiss the corner of your mouth.

“Toji, you know this isn’t something I can do.” You tell him as he looks lovingly into your eyes. “I’m here to help you get better.”

“You can help me get better by laying down next to me.” Toji responds. You grab the hand that so lovingly touches your cheek and kiss it, before bringing your lips down to meet his momentarily. He swears he hears fireworks when your lips meet, even after you pull away.

He’s most definitely in love with you.

“I’ll go get your crutches. Good night, Toji.”

[e-vay]

The Shadora Horde - 2023!

Here are all the ShadowXAurora kids I've made (so far hahaha!). As I always mention, I'm always open to Shadora fankids that you guys make. I can never have too many Shadora babies. I made changes to the original 5 so they're now closer in age and I also balanced out their powers more. Some of them were a little OP originally but I think I've fixed it. I have super detailed descriptions of each character below the cut!

PIPER

Birthday: 11/12 (1st Born)

Age: 16

Role: Leader

Powers: Combustion, Weapon Summoning

Weaknesses: Disorder

Dream Voice Actor: Brittany Snow

Theme Song: “Smile” - Wolf Alice

Piper is the first born in the first litter of Aurora and Shadow and is the natural leader of the group. She is generally sweet and respectful but is very proud of her pedigree so can be a little judgemental at times. She is a perfectionist to a fault and will become easily aggravated if things don’t go her way. Though she can be cocky, she is overall a caring and loving person and is quick to help those in need. Piper has naturally wild bangs and a large patch of fluffy fur on her chest. These traits drive her crazy! She always has her bangs pinned down to the side and her chest fur covered up. In her teen years she takes up motorcycle riding and it helps loosen her up and embrace her more wild side. 

Piper is capable of harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to perform Chaos Blast and Chaos Control. Without the need for Chaos Emeralds, Piper has combustion powers. Piper can incinerate objects with a snap of her fingers. She has excellent mastery and precision of this skill. She was given the task to train Cinder to control his combustion powers, but the two tend to get frustrated with each other since control comes so naturally to Piper and it’s incredibly foreign to Cinder.

Piper is naturally drawn to Amy’s hammer wielding abilities and grows up admiring it. Though she isn’t allowed to use the Piko Piko Hammer, Amy trains her in good hammer-form with the use of props. IF Mammy Amy ever decides to retire, she will bequeath her hammer to Piper. The hammer’s design will change based on Piper’s personality.

-

ZANE

Birthday: 11/12 (2nd Born)

Age: 16

Powers: Super Speed

Weaknesses: Arachnophobia 

Dream Voice Actor: Robert Buckley

Theme Song: “We Are Young” - 3OH!3

Zane is the second born in the first litter of Aurora and Shadow. Zane is a daredevil and an extreme extrovert. He is most like his Pawpaw Sonic with his quick wit and high energy. He does not like emotional confrontations and will go out of his way to avoid uncomfortable situations. Even though he’s mostly easygoing, he butts heads with his dad a lot. 

Zane is a huge flirt and frequently develops intense crushes on people, but due to his short attention span, he’ll move on quickly (think Romeo with Rosaline). Zane is very fond of children and enjoys being the center of attention. Even though Piper is the leader of the group, the younger siblings tend to follow whatever Zane is doing. Lucky for Piper, he mostly listens to what she says.

Zane is capable of harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to perform Chaos Control. Without the need for Chaos Emeralds, Zane has super speed. He wears special shoes that can transform based on his needs, but he prefers the motocross boot style when he’s not running.

For hobbies, Zane likes to do extreme stunts and attend/throw parties. He has dreams of being a DJ with his brother Nova. 

-

NOVA

Birthday: 11/12 (3rd Born)

Age: 16

Powers: Plasma (Ionikinetic Combat)

Weaknesses: Laziness

Dream Voice Actor: Josh Keaton

Theme Song: “Weirdo” - K.Flay

Nova is the third born in the first litter of Aurora and Shadow. He is very peaceful in nature and would rather find roundabout ways to solve problems than coming to blows (though he attributes this to knowing he would cream his opponent due to this strong bloodline). He’s a bit of an oddball but he embraces his quirkiness instead of being concerned about how others think of him. He often comes off as aloof and is rather lazy.

Nova is capable of harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to perform Chaos Control. Without the need for Chaos Emeralds, Nova has plasma/Ionikenetic powers. He can shoot radioactive plasma at his enemies which can burn or dissolve material on impact. Nova does not like using his powers because they are so destructive. 

Nova is very close with his brother Zane and will go along with his schemes, even if his heart’s not entirely in it. He is artistic and tends to live a very messy, disheveled lifestyle. He loves to collect things and can be considered a packrat. 

-

ASTER

Birthday: 4/8 (4th born)

Age: 15

Powers: Telekinesis, Telepathy

Weaknesses: Codependency 

Dream Voice Actor: SungWon Cho [x]

Theme Song: “Despair and Traffic” - SOFT PLAY

Aster is the first born in the second litter of Aurora and Shadow. Though he seems rough on the surface, he’s actually the most academically intelligent of all his siblings. He is loud and passive aggressive but can appreciate the beauty in peace and quiet when he chooses. He is very theatrical and enjoys making a huge spectacle out of his battles, including saying poetic catchphrases and even coining the term “Prepare for the Blitz-Aster Disaster!” He is secretly a romantic at heart.

Aster is rarely seen without his sister Blitz. He is the brain to her brawn. Though he’s the more level-headed twin, Blitz’s dominant personality tends to direct their fighting strategies. He does not know how to be independent, which can be used against him.

Aster is capable of harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to perform Chaos Control. Without the need for Chaos Emeralds, Aster shows early signs of telekinetic and telepathic abilities. He hasn’t mastered many techniques yet, but with some proper training it’s possible he could become a force to be reckoned with. If only Blitz would shut up for 5 minutes so he could concentrate!

Aster enjoys challenging mind games, like chess. 

-

BLITZ

Birthday: 4/8 (5th born)

Age: 15

Powers: Energy Blasts (“Chaos Spear”)

Weaknesses: Codependency, Impulsivity

Dream Voice Actor: Jessica DiCicco [x] [x] OR Chloë Grace Moretz [x]

Theme Song: “God Complex (Mojo)” - poutyface

Blitz is the second born in the second litter of Aurora and Shadow. Blitz is brash and forward but can be a little spacey. She has a short attention span and is easily bored. She considers fighting as a form of playing. She is very proud of herself and her heritage and isn’t afraid to namedrop to get her way. 

Blitz is rarely seen without her brother Aster. She is the brawn to his brain. Blitz’s dominant personality tends to direct their fighting strategies despite her brother’s concerns. She is very theatrical and enjoys making a huge spectacle out of her battles, including saying poetic catchphrases and even coining the term “Prepare for the Blitz-Aster Disaster!” She is very codependent and hates doing anything without Aster.

Blitz is capable of harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to perform Chaos Control. Without the need for Chaos Emeralds, Blitz has the natural ability to perform Chaos Spear which can dagger her enemies with energy.

Blitz loves fashion and is a huge trendsetter. She would love to be a fashion designer if world domination doesn’t work out (She’s just kidding – relax already!)

-

Cinder

Birthday: 2/18 (6th born)

Age: 14

Powers: Combustion, Stellar Tantrum

Weaknesses: Migraines, Short Temper

Dream Voice Actor: Michael Daingerfield [x] [x]

Theme Song: “Tantrum” - Ashnikko

Cinder is the first born in the third litter of Aurora and Shadow. He has a very short temper and is incredibly impatient. He is the most like his father in that he is not very talkative and would rather be left alone than socialize with others. His outbursts of rage can often be used to his enemies’ advantage by being misdirected to his siblings and teammates. He is also terrified of himself, which makes him constantly on edge. 

Cinder is NOT capable of using Chaos Emeralds and instead has to rely on his natural abilities. Cinder has combustion powers, but unlike his sister Piper, his powers are based solely on his emotions so he has a very hard time commanding the direction and radius of his blasts. Piper was tasked with training Cinder to better manage his combustion powers, but the two tend to get frustrated with each other since control comes so naturally to Piper and it’s incredibly foreign to Cinder. When Cinder goes into a blinding rage, his fur and eyes change color and sparks of energy will fire off randomly around him. When in this form, he can perform a move called “Stellar Tantrum.” This move is highly destructive and will incinerate any and all objects nearby. He has absolutely no control over this power once it’s unleashed.

As a child, Cinder was more outgoing but still prone to crying outbursts. However, during one particular fight with his sister Diamond, he accidentally unleashed a Stellar Tantrum and severely burned her. Luckily Boon was able to use his healing powers to reverse it, but Cinder has never forgiven himself and has never been the same ever since. Cinder requested a special Inhibitor necklace be made to help dampen his powers, but it’s not very effective. It works more as a placebo than anything else. He keeps everyone at a distance whenever possible and thinks there’s something evil in him, despite his parents’ reassurances. 

Cinder doesn’t like to discuss his hobbies, but he actually loves baking and reading books.

-

DIAMOND

Birthday: 2/18 (7th Born)

Age: 14

Role: Tank

Powers: Brute Strength

Weaknesses: Poor eyesight, Light sensitivity

Dream Voice Actor: Kimberly Brooks [x] [x] [x]

Theme Song: “Cleopatra” - Nova Twins

Diamond is the second born in the third litter of Aurora and Shadow. She has a sweet disposition and is very polite, even to her opponents. However, she can be a smart ass at times and is quick to make jokes. She is highly dedicated to physical training but outside of the gym she’s very easy-going. Diamond was born with Oculocutaneous albinism. Due to her albinism and nystagmus, she is sensitive to light and has very poor eyesight. As a baby and toddler, Diamond mostly clung to Aurora whenever outdoors as she could bend the light around Diamond and protect her from UV rays. As Diamond got older and grew more independent, Tails’ Workshop crafted a special brooch that acts as a light shield when activated. Diamond never leaves home without it.

Diamond is NOT capable of using Chaos Emeralds and instead has to rely on her natural abilities. She has incredible strength and is physically the strongest of all her relatives. 

As a child, she and her brother Cinder got into a fight where he accidentally unleashed a Stellar Tantrum and severely burned her. Luckily Boon was able to use his healing powers to reverse it. She has completely forgiven Cinder and has never held it against him, but he continues to be distant with her to this day.

She enjoys training in the Shadora Home Gym to better perfect her fighting skills and she is almost always found sporting earbuds so she can listen to her favorite punk rock and metal bands.

-

Boon

Birthday: 2/18 (8th Born)

Age: 14

Role: Support

Powers: Healing, Mood-Boosting

Weaknesses: People-pleasing

Dream Voice Actor: Ben Schwartz [x] ← Please watch this whole interview, it will leave you grinning ear-to-ear the whole way through

Theme Song: “Smile” - Dami Im

Boon is the third born in the third litter of Aurora and Shadow. Boon is the embodiment of a ray of sunshine and has 10000% charisma. He genuinely loves everyone he meets and enjoys putting smiles on people’s faces. Boon is very silly and has a very childish sense of humor. He also has a lot of energy and has a habit of rambling without realizing it.

Boon is NOT capable of using Chaos Emeralds and instead has to rely on his natural abilities. He has incredible healing abilities and can heal the wounded, but it takes a lot of energy from him so can only do so much at a time. He cannot revive the dead. Boon also has a “mood-boosting” ability, where he can positively affect the emotions of others. This can only be done by making direct contact with someone and the effect only lasts temporarily. Boon’s powers positively affected Aurora’s pregnancy, making her third litter the easiest and stress free of all her pregnancies (Thank you, Boon!)

Boon wears special rocket boots so he can quickly fly to anyone in battle who needs assistance. His boots have a button on the heel to activate them, and he likes to click his heels together to turn them on. Though he never complains about his duties, Aurora often worries about Boon’s need to please others and reminds him that he can’t help others if he doesn’t help himself. Aurora and Boon are the most alike of all her children as both are prone to singing outbursts, goofy jokes and harmless pranks to make people laugh.

—

All Shadora kids are mortal and did not inherit Shadow’s immortality. However, they do heal faster than the average Mobian.

—

Want to get more of a feel for the Shadora kids? I've made a Spotify playlist dedicate to their theme songs, songs that make me think of them, or general music they would listen to. You can listen to it here, but be warned it contains explicit songs.

—

A NOTE ABOUT SHADOW’S “AGE”

Shadow is immortal so therefore he doesn’t age. However it’s been long debated in my Shadora stories whether or not he will give up his immortality to live a normal life with his family. I have him in these drawings as still being immortal, especially because I like the angst and challenges that comes with (ex: how are your rebellious teenagers supposed to respect you when they are seemingly “older” than you?) but I haven’t actually decided when he will decide to be mortal. 

BUT if you ever draw me fanart or write me fanfics and you want to have become mortal at an earlier point in his life I’m totally cool with that! I’m flexible.

[redrebecca]

Hawkins Heat & Hypocrites

NO VOL 2 SPOILERS - TAKES PLACE BETWEEN SEASON 3 AND 4

Summary: Its hot in Hawkins and Steve really, really loves you

Word count: 2.8k  

A/N: The first fic I've completed in about 2 years and the first one I've written for Steve! I hope you like it :)  

Pairing: Steve Harrington x fem!reader

*

Family video on a Tuesday, a few minutes past one o’clock, in the height of a characteristically hot, humid and sweaty Hawkins summer is understandably not bustling with customers. In fact, not a single customer had entered the store in two hours - the chime of the bell above the door remaining thankfully silent. The usual chatter from Robin was also absent from the heavy air after she had retired to the back room half an hour prior, grumbling and groaning about sore arms, sweat stains and too many tapes to re-shelve. 

Family video was deserted, it may as well have been closed.

According to Steve Harrington.

Steve Harrington, who had you perched on the counter, short clad legs spread wide enough for him to slot comfortably between as he pressed doting kisses to your neck, jaw and cheeks, his fingers trailing lightly up and down your thigh and his other hand gentle but firm where it rested under your top, slightly above your hip.

Steve Harrington, who would never admit that he may have been slightly biased.

“Steve you can’t just close the store” 

The hand on your hip gave a gentle squeeze as he reluctantly pulled back to look at you, eyes soft whilst harbouring their usual amount of mirth.

“Sure I can, I did it last night. It’s simple really all I have to do is walk up to the door, flip the sign and-“ 

The corners of his mouth tug upwards when you groan at his antics. He hides his fast approaching grin by returning to his previous position, dragging his nose along the line of your throat, his lips kissing wherever they land despite your previous concerns over the damp layer of sweat and sun cream that had formed on your skin, a gift from the relentless Hawkins heat. Steve had made it very clear he couldn’t care less. A suggestive comment had been made, referencing the many times you’ve broken into a sweat in his company, in his bed to be more specific, with the sole purpose of trying to fluster you. It worked, you rolled your eyes but he hadn’t missed your bashful smile as you tried to turn away. Before you had a chance to fully hide from him he’d cupped your jaw in his hand, ducking down to tell you, “I’ll still have you, slimy or not” before quickly covering your lips with his to quiet your affronted protests. 

That's how you ended up in your current position, the skin of your legs sticking uncomfortably to the cold countertop, your boyfriend caging you in. 

“No, idiot. I know that you can physically close the store I just mean that you can’t close it now”

“Oh yeah? Says who?”

His words were slightly muffled by your skin, his palms warm and heavy on your hip and thigh and Steve delighted in your small shudder as the tip of his nose brushed over that spot just behind your ear. Much to his enjoyment, you inhaled sharply and swallowed before answering.

“Keith. Probably some of the family video heavy weights too”

“Family video heavy weights”

Steve’s voice was dripping with a combination of amusement and fondness, igniting a familiar heat in your chest. You scratch lightly at the hairs at the back of his neck, squeeze him a bit tighter between your legs.

“You heard me”

“Always do, sweetheart”

There’s a pause in conversation as he continues his loving ministrations, each kiss becoming more and more searing - hot enough to rival the blazing sun. The beams of golden sunlight catch the tendrils of his hair between your gentle fingers, hints of chestnut shining amongst his darker hair.

“I know what you’re doing”

“Oh really?”

As his teeth graze at your neck, you can only hum in agreement knowing a normal-sounding spoken response would be near impossible and the boy does not need any encouragement.

“And what is it that I’m doing?”

When he pulls back and tucks a stray hair behind your ear, fingers trailing along your cheekbone as his eyes follow, you blink. Hard. Hopefully hard enough to tether you back to the front desk at Family video. 

“You’re trying to butter me up so I let you close early”

“You’re insane”

“You’re transparent”

He scoffs but doesn’t deny it.

“All I’m saying is we could be at my place in a half hour, I wouldn’t have to wear a vest.. or much, y’know with the heat and all. And, I changed my bedding yesterday. Fresh sheets”

He wiggled his eyebrows and squeezed your hip.

“It’s too hot for that, Steve. I’m not getting heat stroke because you can’t keep it in your pants for a full shift”

He scrunches his face up at that.

“That’s not what this is I- that makes me sound like a creep”

“It’s not happening, Harrington”

He sighs. You think he’s dropped it. You should know better.

“I have AC”

“Great, answer’s still no”

His eyebrows raise

“I have a pool”

Now it's your turn to scrunch your face up.

“The pool where the kids swim? Really, Steve?”

Far too late, you catch the innuendo you’ve let slip. Steve, despite his age, grins. Trying to claw back a bit of control and add some reasoning to your refusal, you continue.

“It’s hot out, the lunch club knows no boundaries. I’m not scarring a group of innocent little teens because of you, hotshot”

“I don’t think they’re that innocent”

You shake your head in frustration, because out of all of your argument that’s his takeaway? 

“Steve”

His facial expression morphs into one of exasperation as he defends himself.

“I’m just saying the other week when I was dropping them off I couldn’t look out of my rear view mirror for ten minutes because every time I did, all I saw was El and Mike making out. Ten whole minutes, babe. If you don’t believe me, ask Henderson” 

“Dustin was there? Did he not get them to stop? He threw a shoe at you that one time”

He nods, briefly flinching at the memory of when the curly headed boy had hurled his shoe at Steve because he was ‘sucking face’, your face to be specific, in his eyeline which, in the Henderson rule book, is apparently punishable with a shoe to the head. Followed by a lot of high pitched screeching.

“He thought the phone call with Suzie-poo the night before was a more pressing matter”

“Was it?”

“Apparently they’d broken their record for the longest ‘you hang up, no you hang up’”

You snort and despite his previous exasperation, he lets out an amused huff of laughter. Chocolate coloured eyes remain on your face, your soft grin and the way your eyelashes brush against the top of your cheek when you blink. He wants you. He always does, but especially now. So, he prepares his final proposal to get you into his car and back to his house.

“I can lock the gate?”

“We both know that a lock won’t stop Dustin Henderson”

Steve nods begrudgingly and mumbles “Shit head” in agreement. He deflates as his last chance is ripped in front of him all because of a kid that can’t keep his nose out of other people's business, his forehead coming to rest against yours. His hair tickles at your temple but you don’t want to move.

“And anyway, in your family pool? Have a bit of class, Harrington”

And just like that, Steve splutters back to life.

“Class? That’s rich coming from someone who’s been all over me for the past half hour” 

You watch him, entirely amused by his theatrics. He’s looking around the store as if to find out where you’d lost your critical thinking ability. However his futile search screeches to a halt when his eyes lock on yours and your giddy smile is returned tenfold. His hand on your hip subconsciously moves higher and squeezes again. You can’t bring yourself to care that you’re grinning like a love sick idiot.

That is, as always, before Steve opens his mouth.

“You know what you are? A hypocrite”

A startled laugh leaves you. Where this accusation has come from, you’re not entirely sure, but you know from the look on his face you’ll find out soon. So for now all you can do is enjoy the moments of silence before he no doubt continues to spout ridiculous allegations.

“You’re groping me at family video of all places and lecturing me about class? Unbelievable, I should kick you out”

“Groping?” 

Maybe your voice is higher than usual, but Steve’s rises to reach it, echoing your previous words.

“You heard me”

“Whose hand is under whose shirt?”

You have him there, hook, line and sinker. Steve knows this, but the logical path is not one he tends to follow in your conversations - hence the hypocrite and groping accusations. He doesn’t move his hand.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”

A pause and a cheeky grin.

Your fingers still in his hair in anticipation for what he’s going to say

“Hypocrite”

He belly laughs as you shove him away from you and jump off the counter. It’s a laugh that’s present in all of your best memories, a familiar sound that always has your heart racing and cheeks burning from smiling too hard for too long. One you would go to great extents for, on nights where the horrors of what you’ve experienced catch up to both of you. The laugh you miss so deeply when those aforementioned horrors appear, a seemingly unending cycle that you can only pray you’ve seen the end of. 

Your grin falters and your laugh fades with it.

“Hey”

When you look up, he’s staring at you. His eyes hold the warmth you’ve become so familiar with, but it’s not right. His eyes linger too long, trail across your face one too many times - he’s worried. Immediately, you’re struck with how well he knows you, how he can read the smallest, almost indistinguishable changes in your facial expressions and body language. He’s done it before, he’ll do it again, but the fact that someone loves you so deeply, that Steve Harrington loves you so deeply, is a feeling you will always be stumped by and will always cherish.

“C’mere”

You flash him a playful glare and try to ignore how his shoulders sag slightly in relief or else you’ll run into arms, sob and then maybe later he would have to have you removed from the premises for getting handsy with him in a Family video store.

“Get lost, Harrington”

He grins, hands raised in surrender. 

“I won’t try anything I swear, just… can I?”

Maybe you nod your head too quickly, but when Steve Harrington asks nicely with his tone slightly softer than usual, you’re not sure if there’s anything he could ask for that you would say no to. Except from the swimming pool plan because in full seriousness, Dustin Henderson has never been stopped by a lock. And you dread to imagine what he would throw at Steve this time.

You step forward into his waiting arms as he reaches for your necklace, fingers brushing your collar bone as he repositions it around your neck. It doesn’t take long for you to understand what he’s doing, it takes a second longer for you to understand why he’s doing it. But when you realise you feel stupid - the answer is glaringly obvious.

Because he’s Steve.

And you’ve struck gold.

“The clasp was at the front”

He explains it simply, as if he hasn’t left you reeling over such a small gesture. But maybe that’s the beauty of it, he gives so much and so often without realising, without expecting anything in return. 

“And whose fault was that?”

The easy grin is back on his face. He takes your wrists into his hands without a second thought, his hands sliding up your arms to hold onto your shoulders, thumbs stroking over exposed skin before they trail back down to intertwine his fingers with yours.

“I was cajoled”

“Sure you were, Stevie”

He lights up at the nickname, the one he claims to hate. 

Hypocrite, you think.

Steve’s eyes drift down to your necklace again and suddenly he’s looking all too smug.

“It’s a nice necklace”

You can’t even deny it. He’d bought you it for your last birthday, completely off his own back without any input from you. You’ve worn it every day since, something Steve has noticed but never mentioned, deciding to be quietly proud instead of rubbing it in everyone’s faces despite how much he wants to. 

Hell, even Robin was speechless. 

“So what did dingus get you?” She’d asked lounging on one of Steve’s couches, a slice of birthday cake in hand and a party hat placed haphazardly on her head. You gestured to your neck and watched as she nodded, approving. 

“I’m surprised you remembered which one she wanted”

“Fuck off, Buckley. I picked it out myself”

The girl was stunned, the cake nearly dropped right out of her slackening fingers. She shuffled even closer to you to get a better look, growing even more shocked and, much to her surprise, impressed with Steve.

“Holy shit, Steve”

Meanwhile Max still refused to believe that Steve had actually chosen it.

“It’s a really nice necklace”

Using his hold on your hands he pulls you into him, his hands wrapping around your back as you tuck your face into his shoulder. The name badge attached to his vest presses into you but you don’t care. It’s a small discomfort you quickly forget about as his broad, heavy hands hold you close. 

“I wear it everyday”

Steve hugs you even tighter to him, you clutch him even tighter to you.

“I know”

You feel the soft press of a kiss to the top of your head and sigh at the feeling of his hands slowly moving across your back, then to your shoulder, up the back of your neck before your head is gently tilted back. You close your eyes as he pecks your lips. Once, twice, three times before he deepens the kiss, your hands grabbing at his sides as his hands remain sure and unwavering on your cheek and at the back of your neck. It’s hard to think straight when he’s crowding every one of your senses, that’s why it takes you a few seconds to remember where you are. Maybe you allow yourself to indulge in his kisses and caresses for a moment longer, but you enjoy it and you’re certain Steve does too.

“Steve” 

He barely pulls away, lips smearing against yours as he speaks.

“That’s it, say my name babe”

“Steven”

He makes a displeased noise. 

“Not quite”

Before he can slot his lips against yours, you put a firm hand on his chest. He gets the message and reluctantly stops, moving a hand to rest on the arm between you. His short fingernails scratch lightly up and down the expanse of skin, goosebumps shortly following after.

“Can I stay at yours tonight?”

His nod is quick and hurried. 

“Of course you can. Just uh,”

His eyes remain on your arm where your skin is still covered with goosebumps, the corners of his mouth raise and as much as you hate yourself for it, yours do too.

“Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit. Or do forget, I’m sure we’ll find a way around it”

Your bubbly laugh contradicts the eye roll his comment receives and the warmth in your chest is now joined by the giddiness in the pit of your stomach. You shake your head, traitorous bursts of laughter still leaving your lips.

“I’m not coming for whatever you have planned in the swimming pool, Harrington”

“No? What are you coming for then?”

You grin and shrug your shoulders with an air of faux nonchalance.

“You have AC”

Steve’s laughter fills the silent store, the best a Family video has ever sounded in your humble opinion. Your laughter is quick to follow, spurred on by his happiness and his hand that is still on your arm, keeping you close to him. You’re overcome by love, adoration and Steve, and you can’t get your eyes to leave his face. The laughter from your end fades as you continue to gaze at him with an overwhelming amount of fondness and endearment.

He can’t help but notice, suddenly turning sheepish under your unwavering attention.

“What?”

A smitten smile, full of emotion.

“I really love your laugh”

Usually he would joke or tease, but you look absolutely besotted and Steve knows he’s got the same look in his eyes. Also, most importantly, he loves you. He really, really loves you.

“That’s strange, I really love yours too”

[enavstars]

Cyberpunk au characters (Part 2)

Details:

Jay

He lives in the city junkyard with his parents Ed and Edna, who work as tinkers and scrap sellers; he got his passion for engineering from them.

When he was a kid, he got extremely sick with a deadly disease that was very difficult to treat. In the shitty society that is the city, his parents could not afford the safest medicines to cure him, so they were forced to risk it and buy a cheaper version from a not so reliable seller.

Unfortunately, even though he did survive and recovered, the medicine was mixed with a drug that had an unexpected side effect: he began to lose feeling on one of his legs until eventually he lost control over it entirely.

Rather than having him to deal with an unresponsive leg, to help their son deal with his disability Ed and Edna decided to spend all the resources they could spare to build him a prosthesis and amputate the flesh, and, after a few months of tireless work, the family’s joint efforts were able to get him walking again.

As a silver lining to this traumatic incident, though, he discovered his passion for technology and realized his aspiration: he wanted to make bionic prosthesis to help other people forced to go through the same kind of situation as his. But his family did not have the proper technique nor the resources to teach him (it had been hard enough just to make a single rudimentary leg), so it was after meeting Nya and eventually telling her about his goal that he finally got the opportunity to learn from an expert. Although he was intimidated by Ronin at first, the two of them grew fond of each other almost like an uncle and his nephew (yes he's become a literal wine uncle).

To this day, the man is (secretly) very proud of his boy and thankful he got him doing something useful again after his retirement.

The anecdotes with these gangs happen when they are older:

Morro

He’s the leader (alive and in flesh) of one of the many, many city gangs; particularly one known for their violent tendencies. For the area’s criminal standards, they are in fact relatively tame, because at least they do not ever mess with other arguably more serious criminal activities like drug dealing or pimping. They do like, however, beating the shit out of people for barely any reason at all (most of the time, just to “assert dominance” lmao).

One time, this habit came back to bite them in the ass when Morro decided it would be a good idea to mess with Lloyd. Obviously, underestimating him and the RGB as a whole just for being weird Outsiders was a terrible mistake, because as soon his brother caught wind of the situation, the fool got to taste Kai’s vengeful fury :).

As a result of that encounter, both Morro and Kai got VERY badly beaten, but finally the RGB got famous for being Those People You Don’t Mess With.

Harumi

The leader of THE most dangerous of the city gangs, known as the Sons of Garmadon (le wink), a cult-like criminal organization whose ideology is basically “survival of the fittest”. In fact, she is so obsessed about demons that she even wears pointy ear accessories to mimic their ears.

The organization itself is almost like a mafia, being at the center of most of the worst shit that goes on in the city. Of course, she loves being the head of all this attention, and she prides herself in being the deadliest and most cunning gang leader of them all.

On one occasion, after learning about the RGB’s (aka the outsiders) reputation of being tough as shit and hard to get advantage of, she figured it would be best to form an alliance with them to expand her contacts and (secretly) keep them in check. However, upon arranging a meeting with their leader, Kai, he is able to discern her true intentions. For this reason, when she eventually oversteps their agreement to try to manipulate the group, he is ready to confront her, and the siblings end up beating the shit out of her, marking the first time the great boss Harumi has ever been beaten up badly (by our queen Nya) and defeated in her scheming :).

Brad (le Greenflawa cuz why not)

Since back when he was a kid, he's been part of a little group of orphans named the Darklys, who like to pull pranks and cause trouble in general.

However, back then it used to be a lot more harmful than it is today, as the children were not completely aware of the damage they were causing. In fact, Brad himself was still an entitled brat, so much so that the first time he met little Lloyd ("Green"), the first thing that came out of his mouth was "Outsider, bow before me!". But it was due to Lloyd's deadpan response (he's used to his brothers being crazy stupid) and the awkward relationship that grew from it that Brad eventually realized that his bratty attitude was not getting him anywhere, and that little gangs' pranks were actually harmful.

So by the time he gets older, his gang is reformed to a more tame biker gang who only really pull harmless pranks from time to time. Brad himself is a far calmer person, but he still holds on to some problematic aspirations:

At one point he became fixated on the idea of him and his gang to join the Sons of Garmadon out of oblivious admiration. It was so bad that only Green was able to convince him, and only after having a pretty serious argument with him about how vicious and deadly they could be and how wild their insane leader's influence had become. But the stubborn Brad was not completely convinced, until in the end, Green managed to get through to him by emphasizing how his life would be in constant danger if he joined the literal most dangerous criminals in town. Most importantly, he confessed just how important of a friend he was to him, to which Brad, insecure and doubting his words, quietly replied that he didn't even know his true name. Right before leaving, though, Green offhandedly revealed his name to him, and Brad, left speechless, became the first person in years to learn his real name.

Long story short, he realized he was being stupid and was rewarded with massive gay panic :)

[kimbappykidding]

Imagine thinking Joshua is only nice to you because he’s a good person but your friends Vernon and Seungkwan trying to convince you it’s actually because he has a crush on you

Like most people, the first interaction you had with Seventeen was through their residential social butterfly Seungkwan. When he found out you were a similar age to him he decided you were going to be friends. When he learned you spoke English and had moved to Korea to become an idol he introduced you to Vernon without a second thought. It was a really nice move on Seungkwan's part and you quickly became friends with Vernon through the bonding of being born in another country. However, you weren't American but British, which the other members reacted very strongly to. They found your accent funny and told Vernon and Seungkwan to bring you around so they could make you say things in your accent. That's how you met Joshua.

He came downstairs one day to hear someone speaking English but in a very different way to him or Vernon. When he walked in he realised it was you and smiled hearing the English accent. He actually found the accent pretty hot but he didn't make that obvious. Instead he introduced himself to you and soon you had two friends who understood your situation. Joshua especially understood what it was like to leave your family and home far behind and he seemed to make it his mission to make you feel comfortable here. You soon learned Joshua was very caring and sweet, he never hesitated to help you and you began to be very fond of him. He’d even put a lot of effort into befriending your (now ex) boyfriend NCT's Mark, Joshua was that good a friend. You and Mark had been together for nearly three years when you broke up. You'd met as trainees and had a very sweet relationship. You were both so innocent and naive when you got together and you’d been each other's everything...for a while at least. When you both debuted things changed. Fame and popularity altered things and you'd noticed how you'd slowly been growing apart. You finally worked up the courage to break up with him and everything had been very amicable. When you broke up with Mark and told Seventeen you thought they were all extremely kind and sympathetic...but Vernon and Seungkwan had a different view. 

"Did you see Joshua's face?" Seungkwan asked when you all retired to his room. You shrugged "erm no but he told me that he was very sorry for me and that I could vent to him whenever I needed to". Vernon smirked "I bet he did". You sighed aware that Vernon and Seungkwan had a theory Joshua was into you. "Okay and what was your opinion on what happened then?" you asked. Seungkwan smiled "Joshua's eyes lit up and then he quickly realised you were upset and his concern for you took over but he was definitely pleased". "Definitely" Vernon agreed and you rolled your eyes "Joshua does not have a thing for me!". "Ow come on y/n you must notice how sweet and attentive he is to you?" Vernon asked "you only have to look around for something and he's asking what you need, or tonight when you couldn't reach your glass and without even hesitating he swoops in to save you". You blushed, getting flustered with the idea but still didn't believe it yet. "Joshua is just a really nice guy, he's literally known as the gentleman!" you cried. "Yes but he's not just nice to you because of simple politeness, with you it's different". "I'm not too sure" you shrugged and Seungkwan shook his head "why can’t you ever let yourself believe you're good enough? You're a great girl y/n, Joshua would be insanely lucky to have you" getting teary. He always got this way when he got wine drunk and you and Vernon shared a smile. 

"Thank you Seungkwan" you said taking his hand "it's not that I don't like myself it's just I struggle seeing what you guys do. I think Joshua is just nice to me because he knows what it's like to be from another country, the same way we became friends" you said to Vernon. Vernon nodded "sure that might've been it at first but I'm your friend now because of so much more than that and it's the same for Joshua. You're now fluent in Korean, have a house here and belong...Joshua is just interested in you. Accept it". You grinned at Vernon's tone "why is it so important to you guys that I do?". "Because then you and Joshua can finally become a couple like the whole group wants!" Seungkwan cried and Vernon shot him a look. "What?" you asked confused and Vernon laughed awkwardly "nothing...just the members kind of ship the two of you". "What? Does Joshua know?". Vernon nodded "they sometimes tease him but it's just a bit of fun! Like how we tell Mingyu he's gonna marry his reflection". "All of you ship us?" you asked. Seungkwan nodded "yeah because we see how you look at each other and how Joshua used to look at Mark". You laughed "Joshua and Mark were friends!". "Yeah but not friendly...more Mark was important to you so Joshua was civil to him but he never liked him, he actually had a go at him one time". "What?" you asked and Vernon nodded "yeah we were at this nightclub and Mark was there. It was when you were ill and Joshua went over and asked how you were and basically heavily hinted Mark should go home and look after you or he would. Mark left like five minutes later". You remembered that night, Mark had appeared early from his night out and you thought it was such a kind and sweet gesture...but apparently it wasn't even his idea. It had been Joshua all along. "Wow I didn't know...does Joshua do stuff like that a lot?". "All the time for you!" Seungkwan cried "you just never seem to notice". You nodded "well I'll try paying more attention now do you want to play uno or something?".

After that, what Vernon and Seungkwan told you about Joshua largely slipped your mind as you were busy with work and training. So you were really relieved when you finally had some free time and went out with Vernon, Seungkwan and their members. You were having a nice night and really enjoying being with your friends. You did notice how good Joshua looked but figured he was always handsome so you checking him out didn’t mean anything...Seungkwan and Vernon had different views but you were too tipsy to argue so just humoured them. 

You were passing through a room coming back from the toilet when you spotted a familiar face. Mark was there and he wasn’t alone, he was sat with a girl and they clearly were not friends. You backed away from the scene as if you’d been struck by lightning and felt panic begin to build in your chest. You felt like the lights and music were too powerful and you couldn’t calm down no matter how much you tried to. You weren't sure why it affected you so much. You and Mark had broken up over 3 months ago now. It had been amicable and you'd both sensed it coming for so long....so why did you feel so hurt? 

You didn't know what you were feeling all you knew was you had to get out of the room so you quickly backtracked the way you came and rushed outside. You banged into several people in your rush but barely noticed them. You finally made it outside and let the cold air wash over you. The wind was piercing but it helped you to breathe so you didn't even feel the coldness of it. You had your eyes closed trying to stop the tears but it didn't work. You jumped when a hand touched you. "Y/n what are you doing out here it's freezing!" Joshua cried quickly wrapping his jacket around you. "I'm fine..." you said but your hands wouldn't stop shaking. "What happened?" Joshua asked seeing the tears running down your cheek. You struggled to speak and only managed to say “Mark” but that was enough for Joshua. “He’s here? What has he done?  "has he said something to you? I swear if he has...". "No" you said shaking your head "he...I just don't want to be here anymore". Joshua nodded "would you like me to take you home?". You shook your head "no I can't ruin your night". "You won't be, trust me. I won't be able to enjoy myself if I know you're upset anyway. Come on let me take you home and we can talk if you want?" he asked. You nodded "okay" and Joshua led you to the exit, keeping close to you but never presuming to touch you. Once outside again you felt better and Joshua quickly got you to his car and opened the door for you. Then he walked around to his door and slid in beside you. He gave you a small smile and passed you his phone "play anything you want or we can just drive in silence. Whatever you want". You nodded and tearfully chose a random playlist.

You arrived back outside your house in what felt like no time and Joshua hesitated in the driveway. “We’re here...do you want to be alone or would you like some company?" Joshua asked. You weren’t really sure how you were feeling but you knew if you went into the empty house alone you’d just start crying. "Can you stay? How about we watch a film?" you offered and Joshua nodded "sounds great" and parked. Once inside you got changed while Joshua went to make some hot chocolates. You met in the living room and while the tv was loading Joshua looked at you. "So it's fine if you don't want to but would like to talk about what happened?" he asked and you sighed "I feel so stupid really...I saw Mark with another girl and it just hurt. I don't even know why! I'm happy we broke up and I don't want him back but I saw it and freaked out...what's wrong with me?". "Nothing!" Joshua assured you "y/n you and Mark were together for years, it's bound to scare you when you see him with someone new. It doesn't mean you're weird or still want him. It's normal". "It is?" you asked and Joshua nodded "when my first girlfriend dumped me I was a mess for months and months, still if I meet someone with her name it makes me feel vulnerable and weird for a few seconds". "That's what it was! I felt so vulnerable and alone! Like he was moving on and I wasn't...does that make me really immature and petty?". Joshua shook his head "not at all, but you know you're not vulnerable or alone right? You have all your members and friends not to mention, me, Seungkwan, Vernon and all the other members. We're all here and always will be". You blushed "thank you that means a lot, I'm glad I met you". Joshua smiled back "I'm glad I met you too y/n" and you just enjoyed the moment for a few seconds. 

As you watched Joshua you saw the way he was staring at you, the way his eyes looked at you with so much care and adoration and your heart sped up as you recognised what Vernon and Seungkwan meant. Joshua quickly caught himself though and moved away from you. He would never make a move on a girl while she's emotionally vulnerable so he did the responsible thing and turned to you with an innocent smile "so what film should we watch? You picked last time but I guess I can let you choose again". You smiled back at him and took the remote from his hands, ignoring how your heart fluttered when your hands met. 

After that it was like your whole world had been turned upside down. You couldn't stop watching Joshua out of the corner of your eye and later when he left your stomach did back flips as he hugged you and told you to call anytime if you needed him. You lingered slightly and blushed as he stared at you with those beautiful eyes. Once he'd gone everything felt different and things even looked different. You were no longer upset over Mark, you had this excited feeling in your chest because you were pretty sure you'd fallen for Joshua. The next morning you asked Seungkwan and Vernon to grab a coffee and met them around the corner from your house. Once you were seated you sighed "okay so I've got something to admit. You might've both been right this entire time" you said looking down. Vernon didn’t get what you meant but Seungkwan did. He leapt at you with a huge grin on his face "you finally see it! You see how he looks at you". Vernon grinned "Joshua?" and you nodded "how did I miss it?". "Honestly when you were with Mark you didn't see it because you were his girlfriend and only interested in him but I think now, finally, you don't have that blinding you. What happened? How did you realise?". You explained the situation and the two were soon acting like school children, squealing and grinning at you. "Y/n you have to come to Joshua's birthday barbeque next week and tell him!" Seungkwan cried and Vernon nodded "totally!". "But I thought that was for members only?" you asked. Seungkwan shrugged "so? We're doing it for Joshua and what better way to make him happy than having you there?". You blushed at how sweet that was and Seungkwan continued. "You should totally come just before we eat too! Make a grand entrance". Vernon nodded "yes make it more dramatic". "Oww and wear that red dress you wore to Vernon's birthday party! Remember the way Joshua's eyes nearly popped out?". Vernon hit his arm but you were now very okay with the idea of Joshua finding you attractive. "Okay I'll do it!" you said feeling confident. That confidence of course had completely faded by the time the event actually rolled around. "But what if it all goes wrong?" you texted into your group chat with Seungkwan and Vernon. "Not possible" Vernon replied instantly. "Yeah, he's going to be so happy to see you. Are you near?" Seungkwan asked. "I've been parked outside for five minutes". "Y/n! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE RIGHT NOW!" Seungkwan replied. So you got out and nervously made your way to the front door. Vernon was helpfully waiting there and he grinned when he saw you "come let's put your stuff inside and then take you to Joshua". You blushed "what if he doesn't actually like me?". "You're only saying that because you're nervous. it's all going to be great" Vernon told you and you chose to believe him. You found Seungkwan inside and he rushed over to hug you. "You look smoking! Joshua is going to be on the floor". You just turned even redder and Vernon laughed "come on let's get her outside" and you followed them. You could hear the other members talking now but couldn't see them as Vernon and Seungkwan blocked you from their view by walking in front of you.  "Have we got room for one more?" Seungkwan called and dramatically moved out of the way so you were revealed. "Y/n?" Joshua called and you smiled "hey, I hope it's okay I came, I brought alcohol and presents". "Of course it is but you didn't have to bring anything!" Joshua said rushing over to hug you. The other members smirked as he practically ran and threw his arms around you. "Happy Birthday!" you smiled hugging him back and Joshua was beaming. "Thank you so much for coming...would you like a drink?". Joshua led you over to the bar and the members all smiled. "We all woke him up bang on midnight, arranged a skype home and threw him this party but we didn't get a smile even close to that" Scoups said grinning "he's so smitten it's cute". "Vernon and I totally win best birthday present" Seungkwan said and the others all nodded. "Well it’s hardly fair when your present is the girl he’s crazy about" Jeonghan commented. You and Joshua turned around to find everyone staring at you and they quickly pretended they hadn’t been talking about you.   As you came to sit down the members all moved down so you could sit next to Joshua and the two of you stayed like that most of the day. You chatted to everyone of course but your attention was well and truly captured by Joshua. He looked so happy surrounded by all his friends you never realised how beautiful his smile was before. Throughout dinner you kept shooting shy glances at him and then blushing when he caught you while doing the same to you. 

After you’d eaten it was time for gifts. "Present time!" Seungkwan cried coming forwards with the stack the second the table had been cleared. You helped pass them down to Joshua and smiled as all his members got him such great gifts. You noticed Seungkwan sneakily keeping yours until the end and tried to get Vernon to stop him but of course he didn’t. So the last present was yours and Joshua recognised that straight away. “Y/n’s! You really didn’t have to get me anything”. You shook your head “of course I did it’s your birthday!”. Joshua went to argue but the members called for him to open it already and so Joshua relented. He undid the wrapping paper and began to laugh. "What is it? What are they?" Hoshi asked and Joshua grinned "y/n you didn't?". You smiled at how he riffled through the box. "Jaffa cakes, Jamie Dodgers, Space Invaders...you even baked Cherry Bakewells! You got me all the best British snacks! This is amazing". You blushed at how happy Joshua seemed "well you loved them so much that day you tried them at mine so I asked my mom to send some over for your birthday!". "Wait you shipped them over from England just for my birthday?" Joshua asked like you'd imported them from space. "It's no big deal" you shrugged but Joshua shook his head "it is. Thank you y/n I love it so much". You smiled "I'm glad you liked it" and Scoups smiled before he caught DK trying to steal some of the snacks "Dk no!". "But they're British snacks! I've never had them before" he whined. "They're Joshua's that y/n shipped across thousands of miles. Leave them for him". "I'll bring some more for you to try next time" you promised and Dk relaxed now pleased he wouldn’t be left out. 

Seeing as that was the last present, you needed something to mark the occasion."Let's take a photo" Jeonghan said and everyone nodded and began moving closer together. "Who's going to take it?” The8 asked and you stood up "why don't I? That way you can post it on social media if you want to". Joshua shook his head "no I want you in the photo" which made you blush and all the members smile again. "We can just put it on auto timer" Wonwoo said and he and Jeonghan began setting it up while everyone got into place. "Sorry I think I'll have to come closer to you" Joshua told you and you shook your head "it's fine" and relaxed as he leaned on your chair putting an arm around the back to stabilise it. "Okay everyone ready? We've got 10 seconds from when we press the button" Jeonghan called. Everyone nodded and you glanced at Joshua making him look at you. "What?" he asked and you shook your head "nothing you just look really nice" as the camera took the photo. Joshua had the biggest smile on his face.

After that you all played some drinking games and soon the hours flew by without you even realising it was almost dark. "Y/n are you staying over tonight?" Dino asked noticing the sun setting. You paused "erm maybe, what time is it?". "Too late to drive back or get a taxi" Scoups said "just stay". You were just about to nod when Hoshi smirked "I'm sure Joshua won't mind letting you bunk with him". Everyone paused in shock and Hoshi gasped “did i say that aloud?". "Yes" Jeonghan said secretly loving how pink you and Joshua had both gone. "Y/n can stay wherever she likes, with me, with Vernon, with Joshua..." Seungkwan said trying to save the situation but he just made everyone laugh at the awkwardness even you and Joshua. "I'm sure I'll figure something out" you smiled and caught Joshua watching you making him blush.

Slowly the members began to move inside and prepare their last surprise for Joshua. It was an American movie he loved and they were turning the living room into a cinema. So they told Joshua to stay put and as more and more drifted off you stayed with him for company. You smirked as you got a text "it's my mom asking if you liked the snacks" you laughed and Joshua smiled "we should send her a selfie with them". He held up a space invader and passed one to you "if you want to of course?". You nodded "sure" and moved closer for the photo. Joshua held the phone out in front of the two of you and smiled holding up your little alien-shaped snack. Joshua took the photo and then brought it up for your approval. You both looked so happy and good together that it made you pause. You’d never looked like that in any photo with Mark and it made you feel so grateful to have Joshua in your life. 

Joshua noticed your expression turn serious and paused “woah y/n are you okay?”. You nodded “yeah today’s just got me thinking and you know I don’t think I ever thanked you for being so nice to me when we first met". Joshua shook his head "ow come on it was nothing". "No you made me feel welcome and offered to help me with my Korean and moving apartments and basically everything. I always wondered what I did to deserve such kindness from you". Joshua smiled "Y/n you don’t have to do anything to deserve kindness. It's a basic human right that you are more than worthy of". You blushed and after having several drinks felt a little confident so you replied "It’s things like that which make girls go crazy for you, you know?". Joshua laughed "I’m not too sure about that" he smiled and you shrugged "the ones with any sense do". "Like you?" he asked boldly and you paused "yeah...like me. I guess that means I'm the only one with some sense". "That's more than fine by me, you're the only girl I'd want paying attention to me" Joshua replied and leaned in to kiss you. It was spontaneous and beautiful. You don’t think even Joshua had been expecting himself to do that but it made it all the more perfect.

When you separated Joshua looked worried. "It just occurred to me now I did that without asking you if it was okay with you" Joshua said softly. "Well I'm hoping you could tell from my reaction but I didn’t hate it" you replied with a huge smile on your face. Joshua laughed "that's a relief". "I like you" you said simply and Joshua smiled "I like you too...I have for ages but the time was never right but now...". "Now feels pretty perfect” you smiled and Joshua grinned "I couldn’t agree more. Best birthday ever”. You laughed "happy birthday" and kissed him again. The two of you walked up to the house hand in and hand and passed the window making all the members gasp. You let Joshua go in first so he could see the room and smiled as he was so impressed with everything. He loved it and the members quickly directed him to a seat in pride of place in the middle of the room. Joshua looked for you but you realised you’d forgotten your phone and went back outside to grab it. Joshua turned back to the room and the members all grabbed him. "Stop!" he called smiling "none of this when y/n gets here. I don’t want you to make her feel uncomfortable". "I'm sorry but we’ve been waiting for this for years, you can handle a little excitement" Jeonghan replied. 

You walked inside and the boys all stopped and then cheered. You blushed and Joshua held out a hand to you. You joined him and he pulled you into the seat with him, letting you hide your blush from the guys. "I just want to say I'm so happy you two are together" Seungwan said "you'll be a brilliant couple and we don’t even have to threaten Joshua because we can trust him...but still hurt y/n and I will kill you" Seungkwan said making you laugh. "Don’t worry I have no plans to make her anything other than happy" Joshua replied and several members groaned while the others awed. You blushed and turned to Jeonghan "should we just play the movie and kill the lights?". "Why? You got some plans with Joshua when it goes dark?" the boy asked smirking and Joshua threw a cushion at him "just play it!". Jeonghan pressed play and the room dissolved into darkness. 

Once the movie started everyone settled down and Joshua moved closer. “Hey i’m sorry about them” Joshua whispered but you shook your head smiling “it’s okay, they’re just excited”. He nodded “well as long as they didn’t make you uncomfortable”. You shook your head “no i’m very comfortable” leaning into his arm around you and Joshua chuckled “good” and moved closer. The gesture felt so natural and you felt so safe and welcome here with Joshua and all his members. Something told you it was where you were meant to be. 

[happilyfeatherafter]

Happilyfeatherafter's ficrec Fridays

Back for my second week of fics I've read and loved recently, as well as a couple of throw backs. If you missed last week's you can find it here for more!

12 January 2024

Altitude by enochianprayer (@chapeldean, art by @hornystiel here and @naughtystiel here) is a wintery delight, in which Dean is a seasonal worker in a mountain lodge and Castiel is a hiker who's passing through. Enchanted by their brief encounter with each other, Dean can't get Cas out of his head, and Cas' questioning leads him to find something holy in the revelations he stumbles upon at the lodge. Sweet and romantic, wild and wandering, cosy and brave.

boy leave your boots by the bed by an_ardent_rain (@alulangel) is a post-canon fix it, a smutty cowboy kink (shh yes this WILL be a recurring theme on my rec lists), wish fulfilment fic for the spn bang bang with one of my favourite tropes of Dean and Cas going on little dates without really realising they're going on little dates, whilst pining. Plus absolutely wonderful banter:

Cas squints and ignores that.  “Technically, you could say that this heaven is still ‘in beta’ now,” he says, and he uses the air quotes and it’s so adorable Dean bites the swell of a bottom lip to hold in a fond smile.  Cas is, as always, a giant dork.  “But we are soliciting feedback.”

“Yeah, you got a heavenly suggestion box?  Hotline for complaints?  Five stars, would die and spend eternity here again?”

“There are… more than five stars, Dean.”

Sweet Science by emmbrancsxx0, (@valleydean) is now complete, a 12 days of smutmas challenge continuation to the incredible destiel 1930s boxing au Heavyweight. Cas and Dean are on a romantic winter retreat to get out of the spotlight against the backdrop of the burgeoning economic depression in New York, both seeing the boxing world become harder to maintain a living. With Cas secretly planning to retire, and not yet letting on to Dean, can they navigate their future whilst still maintaining their hard fought for trust? I love these guys so much and am so glad to be back in their world.

The Root of this Love by kathscradle is for all the bearded!Misha fans. May he have survived the acrylic paint incident. The very short and sweet and sexy premise: Cas is hairy, now that he’s human. Dean can’t get a grip on himself. (But he sure can get a grip on Cas!) Smutty body hair celebration and body worship.

Just Being and Just Having by Englandwouldfall is the post-canon fic series I drop everything to read every time there's a new update. It delves so incredibly beautifully into Dean and Cas' history of miscommunication and gives them the chance to truly talk things out, finding themselves falling more deeply in love as they do so and understand their own mistakes but also what makes them work so well together when they're no longer under Chuck's thumb. Each chapter feels like therapy and a brain and heart massage! Two chapters left to go of Just Having, dive in now so you can lose your mind with me when it's complete.

Solitudes by ilovehowyouletmefall (@angelinthefire, art by @hawkland) is set in season 12 after Cas is nearly killed by Ramiel. Dean is close to acknowledging his feelings, whilst Cas is weighed down by the responsibility to find Kelly, but he agrees to help out on one more hunt before he leaves. Trapped, they encounter a monster which makes both of their nightmares come true...or so they think. Witnessing each other's despair, this is a haunting and genuinely creepy story that will make your heart ache.

[kydrogendragon]

For Valentine's Day I think Daniel needs some love too. With Hob, of course, 29.

Daniel does need some love! Thank you for the request, nonny!!

Pairing: Dreamling 2.0 Words: 1039 Warnings: None Ao3 Link Here

It’s been a year since Hob dreamed of his friend’s funeral. It’s been a year since he woke up, having had way too much cheap ale in a run down building at a ren faire only to have Death show up and confirm that it was all true. It hurt. At first. How could it not after all? His dearest friend, the man he’d loved... he was gone.

But, apparently, not truly gone. That, too, took some getting used to. When the doors to the New Inn swung open to an unfamiliar face, but a very familiar presence, Hob didn’t know what to make of it. His friend — Daniel, as he know goes by — greeted him with a hesitancy he’d not seen on his friend before. He was younger, both in looks and in the way he carried himself. It was as if death stripped him down back to his youth, but with it, took all the confidence he used to carry.

It was a strange sight, to see the least.

But Hob told him to stay, to have a drink and to catch up. He told his friend that he’d missed him and his friend has smiled. So Hob talked. And his friend talked as well. More than he’d talked before. He learned of his function, of what he is — something Hob heard very little of in their meetings in the twenty-first century. In some ways, he knew this version of his stranger even more than he had his old one.

The fondness for him, Hob thinks, is also something unchanged.

Daniel sits on the couch beside him currently. They’ve retired up to his flat for the evening after enjoying some... well, we’ll say interesting poetry to be nice, down at the monthly poetry slam they hosted. Most were uni students. Hob even recognized a few faces, but it was nice. And guaranteed some business. Daniel had enjoyed it, given how intensely he’d been listening to each reading. Hob should have figured that, though. No matter what face he wore, he was always a sucker for the arts.

“So I said, ‘If Sarah thinks she’s so much better at reading in Middle English, then she can come and say it to my face!’” Hob recalls, pointing his glass out for emphasis. Daniel smiles, reclined along the length of the couch, their legs just barely touching. Hob tries to not think about that too hard, though. “Of course, that led to talk between the departments and next thing you know, we’re swapping out our lunch break for a Middle English face off. And you know what the worst thing was?”

Daniel hums in curiosity.

“They had the audacity to say that she won! Her! I think it was a setup. There were far more English professors among the votes than History professors. I think it was rigged.” Daniel swirls his own glass of wine — another difference, he’s seen. Daniel will drink. And eat, occasionally. He’s a propensity for chocolate covered biscuits, which Hob ensures to always have stocked.

“Are you so opposed to being bested?”

Hob scoffs. “Yeah, when it comes to matters of my native tongue, I am. You’ve no idea how close I was to screaming out how I should have won cause I bloody lived through it. Didn’t though, but God’s Wounds, was I ever tempted.”

Daniel chuckles. “You are a fool, Hob Gadling.” There’s affection in his voice that stirs something within his chest. Maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe it’s the way he looks at him from over his wine glass with those breath-taking star eyes of his. They’re green, usually. When there’s other around. But here? Just the two of them? They become like the night sky, but the night sky of old. Where the closer you look, the more stars you can see. No light pollution, just the heavens above.

“Hob?” Daniel’s a lot close than he used to be. Oh... That’s because he moved. He was no longer leaning back against the arm of the couch but was now hunched over his knees, peering up at his friend.

“I’m your fool,” he whispers, his vision consumed in the inky darkness of his friend’s eyes. Hob can feel his heartbeat quicken as his eyes flick down to Daniel’s lips. They part, ever so slightly and there has been nothing more that Hob has ever wanted to do than to lean forward and press his mouth against them.

“Hob…” Daniel’s voice was strangled.

“I meant it, by the way. Still do.” He looks up, away from the rosy lips and back to his friend’s eyes. “I know we never really... talked about it before. You’re not much of a talker. Even less back before, but.” Hob sighs and leans back so he feels less like he’s cramming into his friend’s space. He watches and Daniel sets his glass down on the coffee table beside them. Hob mimics the movement with his own drink.

“Listen, I don’t expect you to reciprocate or anything like that. Never did, I just... I wanted you to know. That you were loved, even if it was just by me. So, just in case it wasn’t clear before, I— that love didn’t end with him, you know. It belongs to you too.”

Daniel is silent and still. Almost eerily so to the point where Hob has to look away because the longer the silence goes, the more worries he grows. It shouldn’t be anything new, just reiterated. Reassured. But when Hob glances back up and there are tears in his friend’s eyes, he’s beginning to wonder if somehow that memory didn’t transfer.

Finally, his friend moves. Slowly, he reaches out, a lithe hand brushes against his chin, raising his face. "I was the fool, before. For not accepting your affections as the gifts they were. I was afraid. But now..."

Hob’s eyes widen as Daniel leans in closer and closer. His eyes fall close as a pair of plush, warm lips brush against his own. He all but sobs as he wraps his arms around his friend, pulling him as close as possible. When they break, Hob pants, his face red. Daniel, looking perfect as ever, says, "Now, I am not."

[ottoslab]

not to be extremely predictable abt the characters i ask abt but do you imagine any of the p7 are still around during or right before the future au? i know they are. Old. but i always am fond of the concept of like the old folks helping out at the camp after pn2.

Im always so very tossed up about how and If the p7 are still around during the aac timeline . But for the sake of “it would be funny if,” I will simply say they Are. (And ramble more about the thoughts ive had about a couple that might Not be and Why under a cut bc its kind of depressing)

Otto will never die and will never leave the Motherlobe much to Hollis and Truman’s dismay. The older he gets the more powerful he gets. He continues to contribute, arguably with increasing efficiency, but as each year passes he gets less and less concerned about getting caught doing things outside of the parameters of Psychonauts rules. “What are you gonna do? Fire me? Lmao” *goes back to working on his death beam that he just made because it was funny.*

I have this hc that at some point Sam makes it her mission to renovate the Lumberstack Diner as the Questionable Area? becomes more profitable over the years. And i think Compton working as a cook there would be a nice little job for him to have while in retirement. Cooking is like the one type of stress he can handle i think. Hes so so scared but in the comfort of something familiar so its less likely to cause him to start blowing things up.

Bob and Helmut deserve a nice little retirement home and I think theyre the primary residents of the Gulch (next to maybe Cassie and Compton?) They supervise (re: sometimes run into and chat with) Raz and his team who have basically taken up their own residence in the Gulch. Perks of being teammates with agent Aquato and Zanotto is that you dont have to resort to dormitories.

I’m not sure what’s up with Cassie! I don’t think she’s doing much either, probably also sticking around the Gulch. Though i think through the support of the others she at least gets Slightly more involved with the Psychonauts or going out into towns to do book signings so that she doesn’t become a complete and total recluse again.

I think Ford and Lucy are out traveling a lot while they’ve still got the time to. Making up for a whole lotta lost time n all that, giving each other time to talk and jazz. They’re not around a lot but they visit often!

Ok. And a very specific less sweet outcome for Ford and Lucy under the cut

When i run through which characters it would be like. Narratively “Best” to have passed away around the AAC timeline, my mind always immediately jumps to these two. Like obviously I think some characters would be more likely to have died before them (looking at you my friend Bob) or ones that could be more impactful in other directions (Cassie and Compton having to learn to exist without one another) but considering their last narrative experiences in Pn2 was finding each other again for the first time in years, it feels like any of those four (Bob, Helmut, Cassie, Compton) passing away would just be a disservice to prior storytelling. And Otto will never die, as I’ve said, so don’t even worry about him <3

I just think a lot about a story in which Ford and Lucy pass on before Raz can ever really reconcile any of his issues he had with either of them. A story in which he’s happy to see them getting along and traveling together, but every time they leave he holds his breath and counts down the days until they make it back and he can guarantee they’re still alive and he goes “This time, this time I’ll say something,” and then he doesn’t because how do you even bring up that conversation after all this time.

And then eventually they pass and it’s almost poetic, really, going at around the same time. But he never got to say anything to them, never got to reconcile and barely got a goodbye. And now he has to learn how to deal with that. How to deal with the fact that they’re still everywhere, in True Psychic Tales issues, on murals, on old pictures, inherently buried in the history of the psychonauts.

And i dont know. I think it’s an interesting story to explore. In a hypothetical real Psychonauts future story, you enter the story with some characters trying to question Raz about something theyre worried about that he always cuts off or dodges before you get to hear, but the lack of any mention of Ford or Lucy is so absent that it’s palpable. Stuff like that.

[sleepyclan-project]

Moon 0

Welcome to SleepyClan! SleepyClan is a Clan of, as the name implies, very tired cats. Their patrols have very odd schedules and therefore their sleep schedules aren't the healthiest, but it doesn't bother them all too much, as long as they can survive each Leaf-Bare.

Their home is in a mossy grotto with ivy growing all across the walls. It's hidden from any other Clans, for now anyways, and it serves SleepyClan well for shelter against Leaf-Bare. Hopefully it will for many moons longer!

Now to meet the cats of SleepyClan!

Burrstar is the leader of SleepyClan, and the oldest cat in the Clan at that. She was appointed deputy not for any physical strength, but for her wit and intelligence. Problem solving skills like hers have served her well as deputy AND leader and they will for moons more.

Eldermuzzle may look like he's on his way to retirement, but he's actually younger than a good chunk of the Clan. He's hard working and makes sure to get the job done.

Ivyspark is the medic of SleepyClan, though he very much sticks to strictly medicine. He doesn't understand the fuss around communication with dead cats and isn't good at it when he's tried. He is excellent with herbs, though. He has been thinking of taking on an apprentice.

Icepelt is very much a goofball, always trying to have fun and teasing her clanmates like a kit. Despite this, however, she is very intelligent and will prove you wrong if you call her a mousebrain.

Glintfur's name is accurate, and her fur is almost always glistening from some delicate grooming. She is well aware of the intricacies of Clan life and conversation and uses this to her advantage plenty.

Greenriver is ALSO a goofball, but not in the same way as Icepelt. Rather than teasing, Greenriver is all physical contact, batting at his clanmate's ears and shoving them around until a play-fight begins. He also loves pranks, but some of his clanmates aren't so fond of these antics.

Nectardash takes his duties as a warrior very seriously, especially when battle is involved. Whether that's because he just wants to fight really badly is up to interpretation though. He got his scar from a border skirmish.

Beamkit is the only kit in the Clan and isn't due to become an apprentice anytime soon. He uses his time in the nursery alone to make mischief and has many a time brought a bug into some poor cat's nest.

Magnoliagrowl is SleepyClan's guide to StarClan. She used to be Burrstar's deputy but unfortunately passed in the previous leaf-bare. She watches over Beamkit especially. I wonder why...

And that's all of SleepyClan to start off with! Here's a bonus Beamkit until moon 1 is ready to post

[crystaltoa]

With those tid-bits about Onu-Metru, that explains why Whenua is weird among onu-matoran. Many of those who work in the Archives don't see it as a job and would never leave if they could (although there's probably some exaggeration there). Whenua loves the Archives, but he wants to retire from being an Archivist. He sees it as an unwanted duty.

I can see that potentially being the case. Whenua avoids thinking about the future so he may never really have imagined what kind of life he would want if he were to take a different career path ('retirement' as we know it would be a foreign concept to Matoran, but many of them yearned for something other than their current job).

Maybe, like many Matoran who eventually become Toa, he was curious about what the world outside the archives was really like, or wondered what it would be like looking after and studying live Rahi like Matoro instead of just stashing them in stasis.

Another thing that might separate Whenua from his peers is if we take that headcanon that he is quite a bit older than the average Onu-Matoran due to their high mortality rate. He's not old compared to the Matoran population in general, but he's outlived a lot of colleagues. He's seen dozens, possibly hundreds of archivists die or go mad from the day to day hazards they face. He doesn't really get attached to people any more when he doesn't think they'll be around for long. (Look at how quickly he accepts that Nokama is going to die from poisoning in Maze of Shadows. No other stages of grief, just grim acceptance. He's seen this before and believes there's nothing to be done except make her last moments comfortable.)

It's also fairly unusual for a Matoran to remember as many traumatic events as Whenua does given that their usual response to severe trauma is amnesia. Perhaps the Matoran brain retains these things when that knowledge is key to one's survival. Which, Whenua very much believed his knowledge of the past was. Those other guys aren't around to learn from their mistakes, but Whenua certainly can.

As you say, he did love the archives though. He seemed most happy and at home when showing people around and explaining about the exhibits (Even Nuju didn't have the heart to be annoyed with him for that). But you can love something while also knowing in your heart that it's not a healthy environment and it's slowly destroying you. I imagine that feeling that one's job or duty is an unwanted burden is a source of guilt and shame for Matoran, so I doubt he'd ever tell anyone he was feeling that way.

It must have been an odd feeling coming back to Onu-Metru as a Turaga and seeing the place he has many fond memories of, but was also the site of a lot of pain and trauma. And then there's Dume expecting the Onu-Matoran to get back to work and for things to be exactly how they were before. But Whenua has changed too much as a person for that to seem acceptable to him any more, and his challenge now is how to keep Metru Nui running without the unnecessary sacrifice of so many Matoran's lives and wellbeing. And even the keeping of Rahi in stasis may have seemed wrong to him after learning to live in harmony with many of them on Mata Nui. It would have been interesting to see how different each Metru was after the return due to the experiences of the Matoran and Turaga on the island having changed their worldview so much.

[symphonic-scream]

Here's a bit more about the Persona 5 Mech au, where everyone is and what they're up to

More Mech au

(title to make it easier for me to search)

Alright let's go

Here's some world stuff again to start

Schooling goes like, elementary for young kids, until they're about 15. After that it's either Pilot school or high school, though since pilot school only takes new applicants every 3 years, some starting pilots are as young as 12

Body augmentations are common. For non pilots, "replacements" are things you can buy to improve your life, originally created as an option for disabled people. For pilots, there is never a choice. When they sign up for pilot school, they sign a waiver that allows the government automatic consent to replace any part of them to keep them alive

Pilots dont pay for their food, lodgings, or Replacements. Medical too. They pay with their service, since the mortality rate is over 80%. They get a small weekly allowance for amusement spending, and any other money comes from their families

When they retire, there are two payment options. If they work outside the government structure or swear off working with them, they receive just enough to live in their chosen area. Otherwise, they're employed by the government for as long as they are able, and have access to standard amenities with decent pay

Character info under the cut! It's a lot so I don't wanna clog the tags with a mile long post lmao

Otherwise, tell me if you're interested in this one. Like my hero au it's gonna stick around a while, I like this one a lot! So feel free to send me asks!!

Joker (I use the name Akira for him but I usually just say Joker)

So, he's not human. A test tube baby too! He's a mix of human DNA and DNA taken from the monsters they've managed to kill. The "spirit" of the monster he shares DNA with was placed into the mech he tends to pilot most, Arsene

When Wakaba and her team created Joker, they used the most human parts for him. The excess was used to create unit M0N-A, aka Morgana. He acts as a companion for the pilots, and is the mascot for Pilot team 3

Joker was raised by a mix of head researcher Wakaba, and security officers Sojiro and Zenkichi (in the words of Cap, Old Man Yaoi). He was raised as Futaba's older half-brother, and is unaware that he is not human

Goro

An orphan, he joined the Pilot academy to make something of his life, to prove that he was worth keeping. One day he hopes to face his father and show him what he missed out on

He didn't have good sync scores with any pilots in his grad year, his closest to passing mark being a 61.23 with Makoto's former partner Eiko. However, he and Joker broke the national sync record by hitting a 95.89 on their first attempt, making them partners

He did nearly die around that time. In order to save him they used Joker's blood for a transfusion, and now Akechi's body is, doing strange things

He shares a quad dorm with fellow class 192 graduates Makoto and Haru, and class 193 graduate Hifumi. He gets along very well with Security officer Zenkichi, and is fond of having debates with head office staff Sae Niijima

He joined the Pilot academy after his orphanage was visited by a few members of Team 2 (the Persona 4 crew). He really looks up to pilot Naoto Shirogane

Ann

Her parents were against her becoming a pilot. They wanted her to inherit their business, which makes the sync suits the pilots wear. However, she felt a rush when she tried one on for the first time, and she doesn't let anyone stop her from reaching her dreams

She and Ryuji were sync partners in the academy, best friends from kindergarten too. Shiho joined their group in elementary school, and all three joined the academy together. Shiho's sync scores with both of them were just below theirs, and their teachers joked that they'd be the perfect team for a three pilot mech

Ann and Shiho fell hard for each other, and started dating at the academy. They planned to try to pilot at the same base after, maybe even actually become a true trio with Ryuji- so they could be together forever

But of course, the final exam is known for cutting pilot numbers down fast. By killing most and injuring the rest, leaving only the bravest to continue forward. Ann and Ryuji passed, though their training mech went up in flames. Ann had to have her left arm replaced, only up to the elbow.

However, Shiho was less lucky. Barely passing, she lost both legs below the knees. She decided to retire immediately, but vowed to stay by Ann's side even if she continued as a pilot.

And continue she did. Chosen for the elite Team 3, Ann got to stay in Central Base City, and married Shiho as soon as they were able to. She shares a room quad with Ryuji, Yusuke, and Joker

Her ultimate dream? To retire and live peacefully with Shiho, working on making better and better sync suits

Ryuji

Being a mech pilot was always his dream. His dad had been a deadbeat, and tried to hurt him and his mom. A pilot trainee had noticed and swept in and saved them, and ever since it was the only thing Ryuji wanted to do

He grew up besties with Ann, and eventually Shiho. He never minded third wheeling them, they never made him feel left out. His marks were always just barely good enough to pass, but his physical test results were always top of the class

During his final exam, his and Ann's mech caught fire. He lost his right leg, up to his hip. The replacement works well enough, but he always walks with a slight limp. Neither Researcher Wakaba nor Medic Tae Takemi know why, nothing shows up on his tests

He is the pilot that gets along the least with M0N-A, and goes off base once a month to stay with his mom for a week

Yusuke

He was the first student pilot to use a solo mech on the exam and pass. He also came out of the exam whole, since his Replacement eye came from a sneezing incident while he was sketching his precious mech

Yusuke's mom used to work at the Northern Reach base, which is where the infamous Pilot Team 1 was stationed. His art teacher was a corrupt man and tricked his ill mother out of money with the false promise of a new-gen Replacement for her liver

Orphaned once she died, Yusuke nearly killed Madarame in his rage, but two Team one members, Makoto Yuki and Kotone Shiomi, stopped him in time and took him in for a spell

He believes he owes the pilot program for his survival, and joined the academy the first chance he got. He was temporarily sync partners with Hifumi, but they could only reach a 65.20 sync rate. As such both were pushed into the test group for solo mech's due to their otherwise high test scores

Yusuke rarely pilots a dual mech because of this, but he has the most success with Joker (who is genetically designed to achieve high scores) and Haru. The highest sync score he's ever achieved was a 73.95, with Joker

He also is the one who sews on the patches to everyone's bomber jackets. Oh, cause they each have a Team 3 bomber jacket in their mech's colours. Yusuke made team 3 patches, as well as any other patches his teammates wished for and sewed them by hand

Makoto

A second generation pilot! Her father and mother had met through the pilot program, him as a pilot and her as a researcher, and they had Sae as, an accident. They were both young, maybe too young. It did keep him out of combat for a few years though

When their first daughter was about, 12-15, you know, pilot age, they found out they were having a second child. Sae didn't want to be a pilot, but she wasn't pushed that hard because well, her father was going to have a second chance for a legacy now

However, the mother didn't make it. Makoto was born during the first monster attack on Central Base City, and the complications with the birth meant only daughter survived. It was devasting for her father, but he sat in the loud, flashing hospital hallway with his baby daughter, his oldest tucked into his side and shivering, and promised to dedicate his life for their futures

With her father focusing on piloting, Makoto was mostly raised by her older sister and said sister's girlfriend, Tae Takemi. Still, she looked up to her father almost too much, and knew she was going to be a pilot no matter what

Even when he died. Even when Sae tried to rip up her pilot school application. Even when she legally died for a few minutes during her final exam.

Before the exam though, she was top of her class in all categories, competing for top spot with Goro. She was dating her sync partner Eiko, was good friends with another pilot named Haru, life was good

But you know. Her partner died during the exam, and Makoto nearly did too. Their mech shorted, sending electricity right through them, and lots of it. Makoto's heart was, well, fried. But Tae and the medical team got her in and successfully implemented the 22nd functioning organ replacement

She didn't retire though, and was paired with Haru and placed in Team 3. She always feels, less than human, and fears she'll lose her humanity without her heart

Futaba

Daughter of the lead researcher, Futaba was around mech's her whole life. Her mom is still alive! And she's doing great. She didn't want Futaba to be a pilot, but she also knew she couldn't tell Futaba no and expect her to listen

In her exam her copilot died, and her spine had to be replaced. They were, crushed. Literally. Futaba won't let that stop her though, and wants to keep pace with her big brother Joker

She is unaware that she shares more blood with her brother's partner than her brother

Both she and Makoto's Replacements require monthly check ups, whereas everyone else only has to go in every 3 months

Futaba has. Something, with Sumire. They were made sync partners when they were assigned Team 3, but there's. More. Neither will admit there are feelings involved though, so it's. A work in progress

Haru

Daughter of the owner of one of the big companies that fund the pilot program, Haru entered as a secret. Her father only found out when she was accepted, and by then it was too late to turn back

She was fond of her first sync partner, but from day one she was in love with Makoto. She was fine with the way things were, and kept trudging on. She was going to be a pilot, she was going to help

In fact, she was pretty damn good. Haru was one of few that survived the final exam without needing a replacement, yet her partner still retired. She was paired with Makoto when they were placed in Team 3, and it was like a dream come true. Only, her partner is as dense as a concrete wall

Oh well. She's already waited ten years, what's a few more?

Sumire

One half of the former Yoshizawa strike team. She and her twin sister Kasumi had record high sync scores, and were on track to be the best pilots of their generation.

You can probably guess what happened.

The final exam. Their mech was sliced in half, the core exploding from the stress. The left side was completely destroyed, Kasumi along with it. Sumire survived, barely

Her left arm, leg, part of her shoulder, some ribs and a chunk of hip were all replaced. She also feels like half her soul was ripped out. She did t retire though, vowing to be the best, for her sisters sake

Paired with Futaba on Team 3, there's. Something there. Along the lines of, friends with benefits? Maybe. Kind of. They're being, selective with the whole thing

Hifumi

And finally Hifumi! She payed for a brain augmentation, a processing chip, to be placed in her brain. So she can think and plan a lot faster, but she's still getting used to the whole thing

I don't have much for her compared to the others, she's otherwise full human and tends to be sent out the least of the Team 3 pilots

Anyways. ASK ME ABOUT THIS I HAVE LIKE THE WHOLE THING WORKED OUT

[muthaz-rapapa]

Hirogaru Sky Impressions (2/5)

Full starting team now assembled. Yay~!

That said, I'm going to keep this "short" as I'm not feeling well. Also got some other things I need to finish but I can't concentrate on that if I don't get this post done and out of the way first.

Overall, the season is continuing to be a very delightful watch. I'm pleased with the pacing and that the writers are diligent about not giving away too much of the main plot just yet. There will be a proper time to dive into that later.

In the meantime, dedicating all the fillers to further fleshing out the Cures and building their team rapport and bonds with each other are exactly what we should always see from Precure.

Sora certainly holds the MC role the most prominently out of all her friends since her arc is tied closely to the main plot. So it's just a matter of waiting until the story returns to that for her arc to move forward. Namely, the reason behind the conflict between Skyland and the Undergu Empire (aka this season's lore), what Ellee-chan's significance is in the grand scheme of things and where the hell Captain Shalala is.

Though I think most of us have already theorized that her sudden disappearance is a setup for the eventual reveal that she is actually in league with the villains and will re-emerge as the third general. Or perhaps even the big bad boss because c'mon, you don't hire a veteran seiyuu like Mitsuki Saiga for only two or so episodes and call it a day.

Villain roles are mostly performed by well-established seiyuu in the industry so we can definitely expect Shalala to return in a fashion that would shake Sora's core beliefs (i.e. the broken pedestal trope). Which will then push her to re-evaluate what it means to be a true hero and come back even stronger after recovering from the shock.

On another note, I have my doubts whether Shalala is really the boss because the superior we heard Kabaton conversing with in ep 11 is actually voiced by Takako Honda, another veteran, and not Mitsuki Saiga.

...maybe Shalala is playing a double agent in order to get close to the Undergu leader and get rid of the threat once and for all that way?

Possible. But we don't have enough clues or evidence to confirm that yet so we'll just have to wait.

On another note, I like that they're doing something new again with this season by having the villain generals retire from their post right after their last defeat. Not sure if Kabaton will return as an ally in later episodes or not but it was heartwarming to see him turn over a new leaf and aim for a new and better purpose after he's been spared from death.

Back to the Cures.

Sora and Mashiro's friendship is just beautiful to behold. Thanks to Sora's arc being set aside for the moment, there's more time to focus on developing their relationship. Noticeably, it's during these fillers that Sora has increasingly become the one to support Mashiro rather than the other way around while Mashiro takes her own lead in finding her own path and discovering what she wants to do and what her dreams are (so yes, she isn't a Cure without a personal story arc, that's such a relief!).

Their partnership is quite balanced in that respect and I couldn't be happier.

Adding onto it, they're continuing to pay tribute to the original Futari Wa pair through Sora and Mashiro this way without disrupting the team camaraderie which is also a plus.

Tsubasa and Ageha as the beta pair provide very fun interactions, too, and I think I favor them over Sora and Mashiro. Whereas Sora and Mashiro are best friends who strive to do their best for each other, Tsubasa and Ageha have a more sibling dynamic between them with all the fond teasing and nagging.

The only complaint I have about them is their duo attack.

I mean yea, Wing looks so cool in his phoenix form (I'm calling it that, you can't stop me) but that shouldn't be a trade off for Butterfly getting all the lines while he becomes her nuclear pudgy mount.

I'm afraid that for all the progressiveness Toei has shown with HiroSky, they're still too chicken to go the full mile with the changes they implemented just yet.

We took two steps forward by finally including a male member to the main team...but took one step back with them still placing more importance on the girl cuz it's easier to sell her than the boy when their positions should be equal.

Granted, it's just one stock footage that only lasts about a minute but...it just bugs me, that's all.

That said, Butterfly's debut was omg, so awesome?!

The whole transformation sequence captured Ageha's vivacious personality perfectly.

She was already more than qualified to become Precure with her natural confidence and heroic drive. To see her slip right into the call like a duck taking to water (or er, a butterfly to the air) and then proceed to kick utter ass in her alter ego form...

Absolutely WONDERFUL.

I also love that though they constantly refer to Ageha as an adult and regularly show her dedication to her studies and jobs, they don't let her duties be the only things that define her.

Yes, she is mature and responsible but she's also living her best life and enjoying herself right now. She's interested in fashion, make up and has other personal interests outside her aspirations. She looks out for the kids who are younger than her while also having fun alongside them.

Yes, she's 18 and still in her youth but the point about Ageha/Butterfly's character is that there's no limit on choosing what you want for yourself. Just like how gender should not be an obstacle to becoming a magical girl (the metaphor for one's dreams and wishes), age shouldn't be one either.

Wear the accessories you want, pursue the hobbies you like, dance and sing without a care in the world.

As long as you're not hurting anyone, do what you find is fulfilling for you and do it without shame. You can be 30, 50, or 80 years old and that shouldn't matter in loving what you love.

Be like Ageha.

Act your age but don't be that. Be yourself foremost.

And that's all for now, I guess.

I suspect that midseason Cure debut will happen sometime before ep 30 so that we can have the ultimate forms + whole group power up attack around ep 40.

And then the remaining 8 episodes will center more or less around the main plot.

K, bye for now.

[marveloustimestwo]

So I Could Ask The Avengers With A Ninja Or Anti-Hero S/O

Thank you for requesting. I'm writing this for the original six. Please do specify in the future, though. Which characters, poly or not, platonic or romantic, stuff like that, and please keep it to two characters or under in requests.

Warnings: Yandere themes, a few mentions of Reader getting injured, but not explicit.

How each of them responds to someone like you is a bit different, but all of them are not particularly fond of your lifestyle.

Steve and Tony are the worst to deal with when it comes to your profession.

They're the main ones who are heavily disapproving of you being an Anti-Hero, and the most likely to force you to quit or kidnap you because of it.

Even though you do good things, they hate how you do it.

Tony disapproves of how you go outside of the law and even kill those in power to achieve your goals. He thinks he, and the other Avengers, are right when they say you shouldn't have to kill to get what you want.

Steve hates how you recklessly endanger yourself. He often ignores your skills, instead he focuses on the few times you actually do get hurt to prove how much you aren't fit for the job.

On the opposite end of the scale, Thor would actually be the most lenient with you.

He admires your strengths and your goals, even if they're not exactly lawful. He honestly doesn't mind what you do so long as you're with him and you come back in one piece.

Clint, Natasha, and Bruce would fall in the middle.

Bruce is more on the lenient side but still doesn't much like you being an anti-hero. He's very anxious about how you go about things.

He wants you to be safe more than anything and would rather you just become an Avenger if you want to achieve your goals so bad. (But he would rather you quit fighting altogether.)

Natasha is on the more disapproving side, though definitely not as preachy as Tony or as suffocating as Steve. She doesn't think being an anti-hero is wrong considering she's a spy herself.

But it's for that exact reason she disapproves. She knows the dangers of hero and spy work and would much rather you retire your anti-hero ways. She's likely to manipulate you into quitting the longer you continue your work.

Clint lands directly in the middle. He's very similar to Natasha in why he doesn't like you being an anti-hero, but he's not as anxious about your health and safety as Bruce is.

I think he's one of the more lenient yanderes. So long as you come back safe, Clint won't force you away from it.

[ante--meridiem]

Because I haven't had time for much else during semester, dnd has become my main outlet for creative energy/writing/character creation stuff, so now I'm having some fun thoughts about how those characters turned out which are under the cut to not bore those of you not interested in my rambles.

So the thing that's really fun to me about both Caoimhe and Mircea is that they were designed on one level as 'my complete opposite' and on another just as 'me, but a little to the left'. And also they came out as each others' opposites in the process! (I'm pretty sure their stats are literally in reverse order of each other from highest to lowest).

I'll start with Caoimhe - she was designed to be a character that would be fun to play, rather than the kind of character I'd necessarily enjoy reading about or watching, which makes me kind of surprised by how fond of her I ended up being. But the 'slightly to the left' tweaks with her were deliberately picked for how they'd affect my roleplay; since my biggest concern based on how I usually socialize was that if I made a more reserved character I'd just end up silent and non-contributive for the whole session, so I removed her filter and impulse control so I would be forced out of that comfort zone while playing her. So the baseline for her is the version of me that you'd find over caffeinated (...I personally don't, but Caoimhe would abuse the hell out of energy drinks if they existed in her universe) and extremely strung out up at midnight working on a maths problem even though I don't have to be, because I got caught up in it. (And also much smarter than me but that's a stat thing - turns out you max out stats very quickly if you start with a good roll and have relevant character build bonuses). Which is definitely a real side of me, but not one I usually let out in a social circumstances, so having her have that on all the time leads to a character pretty unrecognizable from me to most people who know me. (At least in her platonic ideal form - the reality is my improv skills are limited and so is my energy so I can't actually play her as Fully On all the time). Most of the rest of her character then developed from me playing the no-filter-or-impulse-control thing (and some grounding in her background) to pick the first emotion or opinion on situations that comes to mind as making sense for her and lean all the way in. Which is very different from how I'd normally develop a character I was writing, and ultimately led to someone with pretty strong and intense opinions on everyone and everything where I would naturally be more ambivalent/indifferent. She's just very enjoyable to me, and I'm pleasantly surprised that a simple tweak to the left and then letting her evolve naturally gave me that.

Mircea on the other hand is much more of a character I'd find interesting to read about and much more deliberately developed, but he also fits the "tweak slightly to the left and build from there" formula I used for Caoimhe. At a baseline, I'd describe him as the most high masking version of me but with much more investment in it and much less self awareness about it. The sides of him that are recognisable in me are opposite/complementary to the sides of Caoimhe that are recognisable in me; he's the compulsive niceness/pleasantness that I turn on in any social situation I'm not fully comfortable in, whereas Caoimhe is the underlying intense nerdiness and bluntness that can't help peeking through sometimes. The most fundamental difference between him and me is that for me, that kind of masking is a social survival strategy that I retire as soon as I'm not in an uncomfortable social situation, and don't really identify myself with at all (and get very annoyed when people do identify me with it). I'm pretty people-please-y in social situations but most of my drives and things that are important to me aren't social, or at least not that kind of social, so I perceive that as a fairly superficial aspect of me. So while sharing my brand of 'niceness' he ultimately still comes of differently than me because I have a certain degree of... aloofness/introversion/inner confidence and nerdiness/analytical-ness that's usually at least a little visible through any amount of masking.

Mircea, on the other hand, doesn't have my comfort with solitude and pursuing non-social things, and his most deep-seated drives and psychological needs are social, so he does end up identifying more or less entirely with his social strategies. Which makes him much better at them than I am (16 charisma, yay) but also gets him in some pretty serious trouble with his inability to detach himself from them or ground himself in something else. Which is something he has already been confronted with at the point the campaign begins, and has attempted to do something about, though the way he's currently trying to do that is not the best or most based in self-reflection either. But part of his arc as a paladin is definitely revolving around him trying to direct those needs and intensity towards a divinity/abstract cause rather than the people around him.

I think the best way to describe the 'me-but-to-the-left'-ness of him is that he might be who I'd been if I'd never shown enough academic aptitude for it to be encouraged and had instead directed all that energy at improving my social skills, and also was somewhat more extroverted. I also think he quite possibly could have ended up much more like me if certain childhood interests of his hadn't been pushed down out of frustration and humiliation at not being talented enough at them. But as with Caoimhe, that step to the left ended up creating a character who could in many ways be considered my opposite instead.