#but if there's a lot if Lou I might be able to do it through the power of love or w/e

[sheepydraws]

Is the gajillion hours it takes to watch fantasy high worth it if your favorite intrepid adventurer is Lou Wlison? (serious answers only)

[bettyfrommars]

Death Becomes Us

Part 10: The Man Who Made a Monster

vampire!Eddie x supernatural!Fem!Reader

masterlist playlist

WC: 7.6k

18+ONLY, MDNI, mention of wounds, car accidents, a bit of body horror, angst, guns, gunshot wounds, reader gets physically hurt (but bounces right back), blood, drinking blood, allusions to smut, evil men, supernatural powers, a demobat fren, fear of the unknown, a fire, werewolf!Steve, Dr. Brenner. References to one of my favorite 80's shows, the Incredible Hulk with Lou Ferrigno, and mid-90's MTV. Tiny references to FOI that you won't even notice if you haven't read the book.

Summary: Eddie, Jareth, and Steve come to your rescue, but do you even need to be rescued? Bad men surface and reader finds strength she never knew she had. Eddie confesses more than one secret to us, and the tension is thick. Reader is called Dove as a nickname.

Author's Note: I covered quite a few bases in this chapter, but there is still a lot to explore in the next and final part. We get to see reader in action and get some much-deserved satisfaction. I 've been staring at it for so long, I really hope you have fun reading this, love you. As always, Jareth's face claim is Jamie Campbell Bower.

-----

this starts right where Part 9 left off

Eddie snatched his keys and shoved Steve out the door before he quickly put some food down for Dio and locked the dead bolt.  

Steve called shotgun in the air, vaulting over the hood like an extra from the movie Grease, making Jareth roll his eyes.  “Is he part werewolf or labrador?” Whispering under his breath to Eddie, but Eddie just nudged him out of the way.

Jareth paused on the opposite side of the Pontiac GTO.  “We should go on foot, it would be faster,” hinting to the lightning-speed with which vampires moved.

Eddie inclined his head to Steve.  “Not when we’ve got the pup with us.”

“Fuck you,” Steve sneered, brushing back a flop of hair from his forehead.  “I can keep up with you two geezers, trust me.”

“What if I just kill him and rid us of the dead weight,” Jareth grumbled.

“You can try,” Steve bit, growling deep in his chest.

“Enough!” Eddie snapped, swatting the top of the car with his hand.  “Everyone get in and hold the fuck on. We’re goin’ for a ride.”

—----

Heat scorched through your veins like lava, and as your eyes fluttered open, you passively wondered if the car was on fire, and you were about to be cooked alive.

But

You were no longer in the vehicle.  Squeezing your eyelids tight to find the memory, recollection came flooding back as your fingers curled into dirt, cheek pressed into the forest foliage.  There might have even been a pinecone acting as a pillow at your ear.  

The muscles in your arms and shoulders throbbed, not to mention the feeling of your skull being cracked open by a catastrophic neurological event.  A migraine to rival all migraines.

You remembered being taken…the conversation about Brenner…and Bela…

Bela!

You called her name, but it came out as nothing but a puff of air, a whine deep in your chest.  

What if she got hurt in the crash? What if she —

The crash!

Adrenaline flushed through you like a swarm of bees and you sat up, cracking your stiff neck as you went, and your head swam.  

Where the fuck were you?

A car passed a few yards away on the highway and you realized you’d been tossed into a ravine.  In the distance, the SUV you’d been kidnapped in was on its back and smoking as if something inside had caught fire.  Where was that awful witch and the man who was driving?

A memory of ripping the door off by its hinges and climbing out of the vehicle flashed behind your eyes, but that was impossible.  You must’ve been able to jump out and then hit your head or something. You weren’t turning green and ripping out of your clothes; you were no Lou Ferrigno.

You moved your legs to make sure they worked, and soon you were on your feet, using tufts of grass to crawl along as if you were about to fall off the earth.

In the distance, thunder rolled.

—----

“Turn here, take the shortcut!” Steve shot his hairy arm between the two seats, pointing to right after the stop sign.

“I know what I’m doing!” Eddie roared.  “Just sit the fuck back and stay cool.”

Eddie could feel you, and his heart was jackhammering in his chest.

He floored the gas, tires squealing as they ghosted the road, peeling down the old highway through the woods that barely anyone used anymore.  The velocity shot Steve back against his seat, and Jareth’s fingers dug into the console while music from Sisters of Mercy blared from the stereo. 

“We’re close,” Eddie lowered his chin, laser focused on the scene ahead of him.  He could feel that familiar static fill his body whenever he was in your vicinity.  

You were not the first human whose blood he’d tasted, not by a long shot.  In fact, for the first few years after he’d been made vampire, he didn’t care about  himself or anyone else, and it seemed there wasn’t a willing human in a 100 mile radius that he hadn’t tasted.

But with you, it wasn’t even about your blood.

You made him feel a certain type of way that he’d been missing for over a decade, perhaps even his whole life.

The clouds trembled, and a crackle of lightning shot a silent burst of light through the midnight sky. All three of them could smell the wreck before it was ever in view, and Eddie released his foot on the gas to slow down a bit.

—---

You stumbled onto the main highway, and the headlights came at you too fast to understand what was happening.  

Everything was so bright, it hurt your eyes. It made you swipe your hands in the air and groan, fighting the illumination as if it were a tangible enemy. 

The car coming at you screeched on its brakes, twisting to the side so that it wouldn’t hit you, skidding sideways.

In a blink, you recognized the stunned faces on the other side of the windshield.

—---

The other two men in the car didn’t see that it was you at first—but Eddie knew.  He’d witnessed those shock white eyes before, void of color or pupil.

Electricity snapped off you, as if  you were a live wire. It crackled and skipped off of your skin like the lightning that appeared above them in the sky.

One of your arms was twisted unnaturally backwards at the elbow, but you somehow flexed the joint back into place as you stood there, correcting your posture.  You stood on one side of  your foot as if your ankle was broken, but then that righted itself with a sickening twist.  Your limbs jerked like the walking dead trying to move for the first time after reanimation.  All of this, and yet your face appeared unphased, as if you were impervious to the pain.

Your face was set in surprise and fear and confusion, and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest to be able to hold you.

With a curse, he slammed the GTO to a halt, tires burning rubber as they locked and skidded on the asphalt.  

Something told him you were fairly invincible, just like him, but he wasn’t taking any chances.  

Steve slid across the backseat, knocking his head on impact, and Jareth’s fingers dug so deep into the console that they left puncture marks.  

Eddie didn’t have time to think about what the other two were doing or the danger of leaving his car in the middle of the highway, he threw the gear into park and jumped out to check on you.

From above, there came a loud squawking, and Bela soared down from where she’d been circling in the sky to land on your shoulder with a weight that almost made you lose your balance.

—-----

Bela bared her teeth and screeched at whoever was approaching from the vehicle.  The headlights were too bright, and your ear canals were on fire with hot noise.  A loud, shrill ringing filled your skull cavity like sharp a million tiny pinpricks.

But then you recognized his silhouette

You’d know  it anywhere

“Eddie?”

“It’s me,” he assured you.  “Are you hurt?”

Bela settled once she knew it was him, lowering her wings, and his body came to block the light so that you could see the distress in his face.  He reached a hand out to touch your arm, but then he yanked it back with a hiss.  It was like you’d given him an electrical shock, with volts like those from a cattle prod or taser.  

“I didn’t mean to do that,” you hesitated, hoping he’d dare to touch you again. 

And he did, rushing closer without pause, not caring about how bad the last one stung. He cupped one hand at your jaw while the other went to your hip, searching your mouth for temptation's sake.  “Let’s get you home.”

He got zapped a few more times from seemingly stray sparks, in the chest and the side, making him wince, but he did not relent.  It was a good thing the violent stabbing did not force him back, because just then your knees gave out and you slumped into his arms. Bela took to the sky again before landing on the hood of the GTO with another high pitched wail, wings spanning out as if she were about to conduct an orchestra.

Eddie dropped to his knees on the ground next to you, careful to protect your head from the pavement with his hand.  In wolf form, Steve trotted over to nudge your face with his snout and lick your cheek with a whimper.

“She’ll be okay,” Eddie took his jacket off and made it into a pillow for you, before angling to sink his fangs into his own wrist.  “She needs blood.”

“Use mine,” Jareth hovered nearby, and you could vaguely hear them arguing as your adrenaline crashed.  “I’m older, my blood is stronger.”

“No,” Eddie growled, and then the two bared their teeth at each other.  

Eddie knew that, more than anything, Jareth wanted to be in  your head, to be linked to you in the same way he was.  To know where you were at all times and for you to have…those special dreams about him.  No way in hell would Eddie let that happen.

He’d already punctured a vein and had his tattooed wrist over your mouth, leaking his life force into your trembling lips until you were able to latch on and suck.  

Jareth’s stare bore into Eddie.  “Maybe I should tell her you’re the reason Brenner knew about her in the first place.”

Eddie glared at him.  “You don’t know fuck about it.”

Jareth smirked.  “I know more than you think about the little ‘job’ you were hired to do for him.”

Eddie’s eyes narrowed and he shushed him. “This isn’t the place for this, Jareth.”

A car had to navigate around the GTO to continue down the old highway, and the person shouted their disapproval, but then the driver slowed once he spotted you on the ground and the SUV that was rolled over on its side in the distance.

Jareth and Eddie turned to him and hissed with their fangs out, glaring at him with obsidian eyes, until he slammed on the gas and sped off in the direction he was headed.  Steve growled and chased after the car, keeping up with it for a while before hanging back to sniff around the wreckage that you’d managed to somehow survive.  

You mumbled, gurgling on a spurt of blood, and Eddie took his wrist away.  Your eyes were closed, but your tongue flicked out to lick more of his essence from your stained lips.  Were you conscious enough to know what they were talking about? He’d planned on telling you everything, but the time was never right.  He never expected things to get so…messy.  Never expected you’d become so…special to him.  

Some rich dude offers you to keep an eye on someone for a couple weeks for an abnormally huge chunk of cash, you do it.  He’d had no skin in the game when he initially accepted the offer.  

Caring about you as much as he did was the last fucking thing he’d expected to happen, but he didn’t know how to make it stop.

Jareth leaned over you to get closer to Eddie.  “If you don’t tell her soon, I will, and your little fairytale will be over.”

All Eddie could do was grind his teeth: Jareth was right, he should’ve explained the whole thing to you that night when he’d waited for you to get back from your date with Steve.  But by then, he was afraid he’d lose you.

Yet, how could you lose someone you never had?

“We need to get out of here,” Eddie eased you into a sitting position, your head flopped, and then held your chin in his hand.  Your eyelids were fluttering and your skin was beginning to cool as the healing properties of his blood took effect.  

God, how badly he wanted to press his lips to yours.

“What about the witch?” Jareth stood to full height to look over and see Steve sniffing around the crash. “What if they survived?”

Eddie had you off your feet and lifted in his arms by then, but Jareth was right.  As much as he wanted to get you far away from there, he’d watched enough horror movies to know that you never turned your back on a killer until you knew they were dead.  Knocking them unconscious with the back of a shovel wasn’t enough; you had to chop their whole head off and throw them in a cement mixer.

Steve morphed back into human form halfway back to the group, butt naked again, to report back on what he’d found.

Eddie waited for him to announce that there was no one in the vehicle and the bodies were gone…

But instead, Steve shook his head.  “Looks like they didn’t survive.  His neck is broken and she’s—-”

“Are you sure?” Jareth blurted with an air of irritation. “Maybe I should check for myself.”

“I think I know what a dead body smells like, asshole,” Steve grunted, pushing back on Jareth’s chest.

The headlights of another car was approaching, and Eddie reiterated that they needed to get as far away as possible from the scene of the crime. He threw the keys to Jareth, and made Steve sit in front so that he could crawl into the back with you while you healed.  Bela billowed into the sky and hovered there, waiting to see where they were taking you so she could follow.  

It wasn’t his blood that healed your broken foot or your fractured arm though—you’d done that all by yourself.  Maybe you didn’t need him after all, maybe you’d be better off without him.

“Put your pants back on,” Eddie tossed the clothing from the back seat over to Steve.  “I don’t need you teabagging the upholstery.”

Next to him, you had your head on Eddie’s shoulder and your hand on his thigh when Jareth sped off just in time to miss being clipped by the oncoming semi truck.  It blared its horn just as you lifted your head to look up at Eddie with groggy eyes.

He licked his lips, feeling his throat close up at how near your face was to his.

“Did you save me?” Your voice was strained, sounding like your esophagus was constricted.

Eddie put his hand over yours and you interlaced fingers.  “I think you saved yourself,” he mumbled.  “You don’t need me.”

“I do,” you said it so fast, and he leaned over even more, thinking maybe he hadn’t heard you correctly.  “I do need you.”

Your hand in his, he brought it up to his chest, searching your eyes as an avalanche of words trembled at the tip of his tongue, right there wanting to roll out like a carpet of devotion to you.  

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves because he was shaking so fucking bad.

Jareth caught his eye in the rearview mirror and the two glared at each other before Eddie broke contact and wrapped another arm around your shoulders to bring you closer.  “We’re almost home,” he hushed, planting his lips to your forehead, blushing at the way you refused to let go of his hand.  “I won’t leave you.”

—----

By the time you got back to the trailer park, your energy and strength had been fortified and you urged everyone to go home to let you get some rest, except for Eddie, who’s hand you were still holding as you got out of the car.

The witch and her companion being dead felt too good to be true, and a measure of palpable dread hung in the air.  It was unspoken knowledge that Brenner was still after you, and he knew exactly where you lived.  

Jareth stepped forward, tipping your chin up with the crook of his finger.  “Are you sure you don’t need anything, love?”

“She has me,” Eddie growled.

Jareth fluttered his eyelids in that bored way he’d mastered.  “If you’re so concerned, we’d be better off at Sacrament.  I can keep her safe there more sufficiently than she’d be in this…” he fanned his hand around a few times, “...this place.”

Bela landed on the railing with a swoosh and squawked.

“I hate to say it, after everything,” you angled toward the steps, exhausted.  “But I don’t think this Brenner person is going to stop until he gets what he wants.” You glanced sideways at Eddie. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me.”

“I’d like to meet this guy myself,” Steve said through gritted teeth.  

Jareth flipped the collar of his coat up and ran a hand through his golden hair.  “Well, my offer stands.  Sacrament is at your service if you should require shelter or protection.”

“Sounds good,” Eddie said dismissively, reaching for the railing to cage you away from the two men. “We’ll let you know.”

“Thank you, Jareth,” you told him, and he winked at you, returning the genuine curve of your smile.

And Eddie hated it so much, he wouldn't have been surprised if steam were coming out of his ears like a cartoon villain.

But he let it slide because Jareth could make things fucking awkward in that moment if he wanted to.  

You turned to Steve.  “Would you like to come in? I don’t have much by way of food, but—”

“He’s fine,” Eddie answered for him.

The two glared at each other for a beat, but then Steve relented.  “Thank you, but I’m not hungry.  Still, I think I’ll stick around for a while, check the perimeter,” he ignored the tick in Eddie’s jaw and waved at you as he backed up to disappear around the backside of the trailer. 

“Hey Harrington, my vest!” Eddie shouted, and it wasn’t long before the denim came sailing through the air to land on the dead lawn near the porch.  Eddie bent to pick it up with a huff, and by then Jareth had disappeared into the night.

Now you were finally alone, and as much as it was what he wanted, it made his stomach drop.

Eddie paced the living room a bit before taking a seat, perching precariously at the end of the sofa to bounce his knee and gnaw at his bottom lip.  

“Listen,” you took a beer and a half-full bottle of NuBlood out of the fridge to put it in the microwave for him.  “I figure there’s no use asking you to leave with people obviously hunting me down, but I really need to take a shower.  So just…make yourself at home I suppose?”

The microwave dinged and you walked the warm glass bottle over, and then waited for him to wrap his hand around it, fingers grazing yours, before you spoke. “I feel like there are some things we should talk about.”

Eddie was already nodding. “I’d like that,” he gulped.

Eddie waited until he heard the shower running before he sank down into the cushion and used the remote to turn the TV on.  He needed to distract himself from letting his mind wander to how you were absolutely undressing in there, about to be naked and wet and…

He squirmed in his seat and turned the volume up.  It was an MTV music video for Metallica’s Until it Sleeps, but he only vaguely cared as he puffed his cheeks for a forceful exhale. In his head, he practiced what he would say, how he would beg your forgiveness, and how he never really understood what this guy Brenner was all about until it was too late…

In the shower, you made the water as hot as you could handle it, leaning into the burn, and stood there for the longest time without moving. Eyes closed, you could feel Eddie step into the shower behind you, sneaking his hands around to pluck at your nipples.  “Room for one more?” He rumbled in your ear, just before he nibbled it.

He wasn’t really there, but you couldn’t help but touch yourself with a soapy hand as if he were, biting your lip around a moan.

The water ran cold by the time you were ready to step out, swooshing the curtain aside with a swift swipe of your arm.  

The thump of something heavy falling to the ground out in the living room had you straining to hear what it might’ve been as you pulled a clean t-shirt and jeans on.  Music videos were on, playing In the Blood by Better Than Ezra, and you called Eddie’s name.

The only response you got was from Bela, and she let out one long screech that felt like it had the power to break glass.

“Eddie?” You shouted this time, flinging the door open to let the steam roll out and fill the hallway. “Bela??”

The door to your trailer was wide open, but Bela was there, scrambling from the back of the couch to perch on your shoulder the second you came into view. 

“What happened?” You asked your demobat companion.  “He just left us here? Without a word?”

The potted terracotta plant that had once been above the TV right by the door was on the carpet, shattered.  

You crossed your arms over your chest, and shivered as you stepped one foot out on the porch to look around, a chill breeze nipping at your flesh.  “Eddie? Are you out here? Steve?”

The whole court was eerily silent, even the crickets and frogs were holding their breath.

You backed up into the house, pulling the door shut.

The TV screen went from MTV to static, and you stepped back to stare at it while Bela swished her tentacles around nervously, leaving red, raised scratches on your arm and neck.  She was heavy, but you’d gotten used to her weight and hitched our shoulder up to accommodate.

The static changed to the image of a man standing before a black backdrop.  He was tall and thin, wearing a business suit with a full head of silver hair. 

“Hello Dove,” the man on your TV said.

He was looking right at you.

You glanced around for a weapon, but as if he could read your mind he said.  “No need for that, I don’t want to hurt you.”  He was handsome in a “trust me”, evil doctor kind of way, but the last thing you felt like giving him was your trust.

“What did you do to Eddie?” It felt stupid, talking to an electronic device as if it were a person, but that was the situation you’d found yourself in.  

Brenner said nothing, but you got a bad feeling and swallowed to wet your dry mouth before taking cautions steps over to the window facing his trailer to peel back the blinds.

But you could already see the flames inside, and just then, you smelled the smoke.

His trailer

It was on fire.

“Nononono no,” You chanted, charging for the door.  

“Come with me quietly,” the man on the TV said, calmly. “Or your vampire boyfriend will meet the final death.”

You halted in your tracks, glaring down at the older man, nostrils flaring with anger.  “Come with you? Where are you hiding?” You chided; hands balled into fist as you cocked your head. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”

Brenner looked down before meeting your eyes again.  “Your father underestimated the capacity for your powers.  I don’t plan to make the same mistake.”

“How did you know my father?” You barked.

Outside, one of Eddie’s windows blew out, glass shattering everywhere, and his curtains went up in flames.

You ran outside and flew down the steps before the man's voice could stop you.  Dio, Eddie’s cat, ran by to hide under your trailer.  

Maybe Eddie had gone in like a crazy person to save some photos or something, and somehow, he’d gotten trapped in there.   Bela took to the sky while you rushed to his door.

But then there he was, staggering out on a dark cloud of smoke, holding an electric guitar in his hand.

“My sweetheart,” he held it up.  “I couldn’t let her burn.”

He was smiling at you from the top of his steps, dimples popping, and you could help but mirror it, flooded with relief.  He really didn’t care that his whole place was burning, as long as he had Dio, his guitar, and you.

He’d lost much more in his life to a fire once when he was younger, so this one wouldn't sting half as bad.  

And it suddenly didn’t matter that some creepy old dude could somehow talk to you through your TV: Eddie was okay.  

But then something else happened. 

He took the first step, never taking his eyes off of you, but something knocked his shoulder back, like an invisible punch.  

And then another and another

The smile on his face quivered and his forehead creased, trying to understand what was happening.

He tucked his chin to look at his torso, and your eyes followed.

Dark blooms were appearing on his shirt like liquid spilled from an inkwell.  On his chest, over his heart, from his stomach.  

He stumbled down the last two steps and then fell to his knees, dropping the guitar so that he could brace himself with his hand.

Had Eddie been shot?

You didn’t have time to figure that out.  Some strange voice in your head told you there was a chance the trailer could explode—or maybe you’d watched too many movies—but you had to get him away from there.  He was a vampire, and even if he had been shot, he could heal, but you weren't sure how he would survive his body being blown to bits.  

The next thing you knew, you were carrying him, much like he’d carried you in his arms earlier.  You didn't need to summon the insane strength; it was just there. There was that buzzing in your skull, and you could feel violent sparks crackling through your muscles.

Everyone was coming out of their trailers at that point, and Dolores was screaming frantically into her phone wearing a nightshirt and curlers in her hair.  You didn’t know how long it would take for the fire department to get there, or if there was a possibility that the wreckage would spread to the other trailers.

You put Eddie down on the other side of your hearse and leaned him back against the tire to find there was blood trickling from his mouth, but he still tried to grin at you.

“See,” he sputtered.  “You’re like a superhero.  You don’t need me.”

“But I do,” tears clouded your eyes while another window blew out from the trailer.  You put your forehead to his and your lips brushed together.  “Please, don’t leave me.  Eddie I—”

“The bullets,” he winced.  “They’re silver.  My body can’t reject them.”

There were three or four different holes in him there that were steaming as the silver burned him from the inside.  You cupped your hand on his jaw, and he grabbed your wrist, turning his head to kiss your palm.  

“Here, take my blood—” 

You yanked your shirt down to give him your pulsing jugular, but all of a sudden you were forced back by some unseen force, flying through the air until you landed ass first in the gravel and skidded to a stop, rolling over to find yourself face first at the feet of someone wearing a pair of black, shiny shoes and slacks.

“Dove,” a familiar, deep voice said. “We meet again.”

You pushed back, scuttling away to find that it was the man from your TV; he was standing in your trailer park.  Flanked by two menacing looking men with bald, tattooed heads, wearing sunglasses.  Each of them in suits and ties as if they were the actual Men in Black.  

“I don’t know you,” you grumbled, getting to your feet that were bare and bleeding, but healing rapidly. You checked around each shoulder cautiously to see that there was a handful of other men in suits, all of them holding guns, and then a tall guy with a scalp of strawberry stubble, no more than 20, in a red jumpsuit. The guy had his chin down, eyes pinned on you as if he might shoot lasers from them.

His expression was deceivingly kind.  “My name is Martin Brenner.  I met you before you died the first time,” he said casually.

“You see, your father and I used to be friends,” he walked a circle around you, before coming front and center again.  “He stole valuable information from my laboratory in order to bring you back.  You're my property as well, but he decided to keep you from me.”  

“My father never mentioned you,” was all you could say.  In your peripheral vision, you could tell the others were inching close.

“We could’ve been so great together, Dove.  Imagine your contribution to science.  And you would not be so uncertain about your powers,” he stepped back to gesture at the boy in the red jumpsuit.  “I want to introduce you to Kane.  He was reanimated the same way you were, but under my expertise and supervision.”

Kane had a railroad scar on his forehead, and a hand that was a different skin color than the rest of his body.  It wasn’t just a different skin tone; it was a body part from an entirely different person.

You thought about all of the love you were raised with, and though your dad fumbled the ball on attentiveness quite a bit, you never doubted how much he cared for you.  You were beginning to understand that maybe he didn’t explain what abilities you might have because it would lead you back to Brenner somehow.

The surge of power was growing inside of you, and instead of pushing it down, you let it grow and churn and spill out, creating a type of electrical force field around your body, a vibrating aura of protection.

“Show her what you can do, Kane,” Brenner said.

Not sure what to expect, you watched Kane rubbed his hands together, creating a bright bolt of lightning from the friction, his eyes went milk white, and then he shot an arm out towards the nearest hulking security guard, palm open, and it sent the man in black off his feet, sailing back as if he were hugging an invisible beach ball.  He smacked into the side of the opposite neighbor’s trailer with a bone to metal thwack.  

Your eyes were fixed for too long on the man slumped in the gravel, and when you turned to face Kane again, he was a few steps closer, peering through his lashes at you with an evil twitch of his lips.

Apparently, you were the next example in his bag of tricks.  

Your feet were off the ground before you could process another thought, catching air like a rag doll only to drop down and skid face first into the cold, dry earth.  

Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be, eh? Lifting into a push up position, you spat dirt and blood from your mouth with a curse.

Gathering yourself up and into a crouch, you vaguely heard Eddie call your name, but he was still rendered temporarily helpless by the silver, and your head was spinning.  Not so much from confusion and fear this time, but more…anger.

You nailed Kane with a heated look, and then your hand lashed out in his direction, though he was yards away, and actual sparks flew from your palm, spitting like fireworks.

Kane was pummeled in the gut with a force he obviously wasn’t expecting, and you kept going before he could find his footing again, knocking him down before he could raise a hand at you again..

“How does that feel?” You bit, towering over him. 

In a heartbeat, you lifted Kane’s limp body above your head with a roar that you could not believe came from your own mouth.  Arching back, you aimed to drop him over the nearby trailer hitch, which would surely break his back, if not kill him, but then you remembered who you were and faltered.

Blinking, trying to quiet the buzzing in your skull, you knew you did not want to kill this boy.

You understood, even under such duress, that he was only doing what he was told.  

But Brenner was actually applauding you, pupils blown from the intensity, urging you to keep going, to murder this stranger at his bidding.  

You could’ve very easily ended up just like Kane, if not for the love and protection of your father.  

Heaving, trying to calm yourself, you threw Kane’s body in the opposite direction, so that he landed on flat ground that would absolutely hurt, but he’d be able to walk away.  

Brenner beamed at you like a parent watching their child take their first steps.  “You’re stronger than I’d imagined.  Your powers have somehow increased since your inception, and I’d love to know why.”

You squared up with him, making him step back to avoid the sparks actively snapping off of you.  “What do you want from me?”

You didn’t have to look to know that all of the guns were trained on you.  

“I want you to work for me, Dove. We could change the world together, you and I.”

It felt like he was trying to sell you a car, not asking to hook you up to electrodes and make you his own personal soldier.  

“Never,” you were calm now, and you wanted nothing to do with this man or whatever he thought he could do for you.

The flames went higher on the trailer, and in the distance, wails of a fire engine could be heard.  

You caught sight of Eddie, but he was flat on the ground now and no longer sitting up.

You rushed by Brenner, slamming into his shoulder as you went, but two of the guards caught you by the arms.  It felt like they were stronger than normal men, and when they bared their fangs, you realized they were vampires.

Growling, you flung them off of you, and they went stumbling back as if they weighed nothing, as if you were suddenly impervious to their supernatural strength.

“Kill the boyfriend,” you heard Brenner bark at the men.  “Use the wooden bullets this time.”

A gun cocked, and you ran a few steps, but then vaulted over Eddie’s body, arms wide, using yours as a shield.

You felt the bullet impact like a dagger in your back, but it was as if it bounced off somehow instead of penetrating.  Eddie barked in pain as you covered him, but then he clung to you as you rolled him under the hearse, away from the gunfire.  

Caging yourself on top of him, knees on either side of his hips, and stomachs touching, you could feel how weak he was; the silver enabled his body from healing, and you had to find a way to get them out.  

You watched the feet of the one with the wooden bullets approach the vehicle, thinking of your next move when Eddie whispered into the side of your neck: “You’re so fucking beautiful—”

If this was the end for him, this was how he wanted to spend it: with you, being able to see your face one last time.  

Before you could respond, there came a shrill, tortured scream, and the booted feet you had your eye on stumbled back.

More agonizing screams, until the body in question dropped to the ground, limbs writhing, and you could see that Bela had attached herself to his head like an Alien facehugger.  

Only because he was a vampire, he was able to pull her off, but she took most of his flesh and his nose off with her.  

Bela took to the sky again, out of view, and they aimed their guns up at her.

“Not so fast, boys,” a new voice rumbled from the shadows. “I want to play, too.”

Eddie’s shallow breaths moving under you, it was all you could do not to cheer out loud when you realized the voice belonged to Jareth.

And apparently, Jareth brought friends; enough to fill the entire courtyard.

They were crouching on the roofs, on cars, everywhere.

Brenner and his crew were surrounded; Bela had gone to get help.  

In the woods, a pack of wolves howled their attendance as well.  

Jareth pierced the closest vampire in the heart with a wooden stake and he exploded, guts flying everywhere.  

As far as the human bodyguards went, the rest was a bloodbath.  

From what you were told later, Kane ran, and Brenner tried to get behind the wheel of the SUV, but instead he was dragged into the war zone and drained dry before being ripped limb from limb. 

Jareth wanted to keep the doctor in his dungeon to torture him, but a few of the vampires knew of Brenner and the experiments he’d done on their kind over the years.  It was all nothing short of sadistic torture, keeping them barely alive so that he could run experiments on them over time and sell their blood for a profit.

They’d been wanting to get their hands on him for a long time.

—-----

By the time the rescue team and fire truck showed up, all of the vampires had evaporated into the shadows, and you’d snuck Eddie up into your bedroom, carrying most of his weight as he was only able to hobble.  You collected his guitar as well, and brought Dio inside, since those were the only two things from the burning wreckage, he voiced a care about.  With the lights out and the curtains closed, you used a modest bedside reading lamp to assess the damage.  While you were concentrating on him, his eyes never left your face, his heart bursting. 

“You might have to suck them out,” he cleared his throat.  “The bullets I mean.  I’m sorry if that’s weird.”

“You mean, weirder than all of the other shit that happened tonight?” You mumbled, coming back from washing your hands.  There was still dirt caked under your nails, possibly some blood, but whatever.

“Good point.”

Until you got the bullets out, any blood you gave him would be useless, so without another moment of hesitation, you crawled up on the bed, springs bouncing, and knelt next to his torso, bracing a hand at either side of him. He was burning up around the sight of each wound, and the skin sizzled as the alloy continued to roast him alive.  

The first one was at the surface and came out fast, hot metal on your tongue.  The next one, under his right nipple, was deeper and you had to suck harder, making Eddie’s toes curl.  You spit each out onto the floor, and strings of his blood mingled in your saliva.

One hand behind his head, the other rested at his hip with a thumb in his belt loop.  “So, you’re like…the incredible Hulk, but with powers.  That’s pretty badass.”

“I don’t know what I am,” you scoffed, sucking out another, and then pausing to watch the openings seal up and heal.  “I’m a waitress, that’s all.  That’s all I want to be.”

He nodded, musing on how many times he’d wished he could go back and not be a vampire. He wanted to tell you the story of when he was reborn, but that could wait for another time.  Now it was time to put some very messy cards on the table. 

The last bullet was deep, and you had to swirl your tongue around in the hole to loosen it.

“I have something I need to tell you,” he blurted while your lips were near his belly button.

“Mmmhmm?”

Fuck, here it goes…

“First, I just want to say that I had no idea who this Brenner guy was before, like, a few months ago,” his next swallow felt like he was chugging a grapefruit. “If I’d have known what a creep, he was I never would’ve…”

You stopped what you were doing to raise your head, waiting for him to finish, the final bit of silver still lodged in his abdomen. “You knew of Brenner? Before all this?”

He couldn’t look at you, he had to stare at the ceiling.  

“Uh, yeah, that first week you were here, he tracked me down at the chop shop and said he’d pay me a shit ton of money to keep an eye on you. I didn’t ask a lot of questions.  As far as I knew, you were his long-lost daughter, or some shit and he wanted to make sure you were safe.”

You sat back on your knees, trying to let that sink in.

He lifted up to brace himself on an elbow, wincing at the sting of the remaining bullet.  “I didn’t know you then, that was before we were…” he fumbled with what he wanted to call you and what you actually were, “...a friend.”  

“So,” you frowned down at your hands.  “You’re the reason I was kidnapped tonight? The reason all of this happened?”  Your wide eyes snapped to him.  “Did you set me up?”

He sliced his hand in the air a few times, shaking his head vigorously.  “No..nope…I had nothing to do with any of this,” he pleaded.  “I only reported back to him for a couple of weeks, and then I stopped, really.  After that night I first took you to Sacrament, I told him I was too busy to—”

All of the horrific memories were rushing back to you.  “What about the Klemp’s? Did you pay them to hurt me or something? So that I’d have to drink your blood and let you into my head?”

Eddie spoke so fast; he stuttered over his words.  “No, absolutely not, never! I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I would never let anyone hurt you like that.”

“But they did hurt me,” you muttered.

Now it was you who couldn’t look at him, working your jaw muscles as you tried to decide which emotion you should be feeling.

“Why should I even believe you?” Your voice was small.

“Please believe me I—”

“If you knew this guy was stalking me, why didn’t you tell me sooner? If you’re as concerned for my welfare as you claim to be?”

You couldn’t tell if you wanted to cry or scream; maybe both.

Eddie didn’t have a chance to answer.  You were on your feet at the end of the bed with your arms crossed.  

Suddenly, you were shaking, and you couldn’t control it. “After Sacrament, I didn’t see you for a long time, it felt like you were avoiding me.  Was that because you no longer had to fake interest in me for your scam?”

Eddie pushed himself up into a seated position, blinking back the memory of how painfully hard it had been to stay away from you for all that time.  “No, you have to trust me, that had nothing to do with—”

“Trust you?” You barked a sarcastic laugh.  “Tell me why then? Why avoid me for so long, huh? Because you weren’t getting paid to—”

Eddie’s voice wavered and he spoke in a rush.  “Because I started to have feelings for you, that’s why. Happy? Because ever since that first day I saw you, you’re all I can fucking think about.  Because I can’t even look at another woman without seeing your face, and believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve gotten real good at disappointing people and leaving people behind, and all I know is, I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Your lips parted to say something, but he figured what the hell, he might as well scare you all the way off while he was at it.

He relaxed his shoulders and wet his lips. “I never told you that I was made vampire against my will.  I died and was brought back, but my heart went cold, and I never thought I’d feel anything for anyone ever again.  I didn’t want to feel anything.  I should’ve stayed dead, I wanted to be with all of the people I’d lost…”

His suede brown eyes sought your face.  “When I’m with you, I don’t feel dead anymore. When I think about you, I feel fragile and human again.  Like maybe I’ve got something worth giving away.”

Silence filled the room like helium in a balloon about to burst.  

He’d gone for broke, and there was nowhere left to hide. He was officially at your feet, where he’d always been.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he whispered when you didn’t respond right away. “I get it.”

You tilted your head all the way back to stare at the ceiling.

“I dream about you every night,” you admitted on an exhale. “Logically I know it has to do with ingesting your blood, but it’s…it’s more than that.”

He bit at the inside of his cheek, picking at a thread on the comforter.  “Every night, huh?”

You gave a few slow nods, and you could almost hear the smile pull across his teeth. 

“Yeah, so, blood induced dreaming should only happen a handful of times after it’s ingested,” he said, shifting in his seat. 

You kept nodding, since that was something you’d already suspected.  “The dreams are always so vivid, I wake up…”

He dared to finish for you after a long pause. “Wanting more?”

“No,” you corrected, turning to face him.  “I wake up wishing they were real.”

----

I la la la love you all who have reached out to me about this story and continue to cheer it on. Comments, reblogs, and asks about this world mean everything to me.

----

Taglist: @trixyvixx@sllooney@writinginthetwilight@sidthedollface2@atomickaratel8dy@probablyin-bed@kiyastrf94@briamunson92 @joannamuns9n@jasminelafleur @@bellalillyrose @dashingdeb16 @alba8688 @corrodeddeadlydoll@brassreign@likedovesinthewnd @ilovetaquitosmmm @skrzydlak@onegirlmanytales@angietherose@probablyin-bed@reidsbtch@moonbeamsandmayhem@eddiesxangel@hideoutside@secretdryrose@nailbatanddungeon@thorfemmes@corkadymu@kellsck@mrsjellymunson@poofyloofy@dream-a-little-nightmare

[vampirepunks]

Higgs Monaghan, "Beach Babies," and mind control

We know that the Bridge Baby dolls that Higgs and the Homo Demens used function completely differently than the human BBs invented by Bridges. But did you know they're also otherworldly vessels of extinction itself?

The novelization of Death Stranding suggests that these BB dolls from the Beach ("Beach Babies," as my husband and I refer to them) warp the minds of their users and bend human will towards the goal of extinction.

So... how many of Higgs Monaghan's decisions after meeting Amelie are his own?

The first thing to note is that Bridges BBs react negatively to the presence of these Beach Babies, as seen here when Sam encounters terrorists using them.

Lou does not like these things. Perhaps that's why she points the Odradek at Higgs during their first encounter with him?

The novel introduces us to a porter who visited the Evo-Devo Biologist (referred to as EV in the book) while equipped with one, a couple years before Sam's expedition. He was polite and overall pretty normal at first, but then on his next visit things get... weird.

So... there are holes in reality that using a Beach Baby allows you to see, and that's how the tar leaks from the Beach into the world of the living. Speculatively, this might be how Higgs is able to DOOMS-jump so easily and frequently (and summon tar), without getting exhausted or needing much focus at all, in addition to his level 7+ DOOMS.

Oh, but it gets weirder. And scarier, as soon as Extinction Entities are mentioned.

Wow... he sounds a lot like Higgs, doesn't he? Come to find out, Higgs gave it to him.

But surely this is just him echoing the party lines of Higgs' organization and repeating Higgs' same sentiments... right? Unless...

Important to note, this porter doesn't have DOOMS. He shouldn't be experiencing extinction nightmares, but his Beach Baby is showing them to him.

Whether directly or not, this thing talks to him. Like some eldritch call of the void or an element of a Lovecraft novel, it tells him that extinction is the only answer, the only solution.

EV is, understandably, instantly alarmed when she sees Sam with Lou, relating this story back to him. Sam is quick to connect the dots between that porter, the terrorists, Lou's terror at encountering these other BBs, and Higgs himself.

As they discuss further, a chiralgram recording from that porter begins to play, in which he takes credit for the voidout that killed Heartman's family and explains why he did it.

So then, how is Higgs affected by his own Beach Baby? From his perspective, it doesn't sound good.

We can infer a few things from this:

The Beach Baby acts as the vessel for Higgs' connection to Amelie and her Beach. By the nature of his powers, that's why he's able to DOOMS-jump constantly without getting exhausted, control BTs and timefall, and use telekinesis. Think of it like supercharging a battery; his powers are fueled by connection to the dead, and through Amelie, he's plugged into the dead of five mass extinctions, skyrocketing his DOOMS abilities to their maximum potential.

The Beach Baby (perhaps even Amelie directly, by using it) shows Higgs extinction nightmares beyond the scope of normal DOOMS nightmares, "speaking" to him and giving him forbidden knowledge that fills his mind with thoughts of extinction in terms of inevitability, even without Amelie telling him directly.

(Speculative): Higgs betrayed Fragile because of what the Beach Baby did to him, and perhaps doing so was Amelie's own will disguised as his idea. After all, he turned on Fragile immediately after connecting to the BB doll, severing his closest bond practically overnight. Further, Fragile states (at least in the book, I forget if she acknowledges this in the game or not) that it wasn't Higgs who prevented her from DOOMS jumping with the nuke in South Knot City, but "someone else," who she later determined to be Amelie. Amelie ensured that Fragile had no power in that situation, and that there was no way for her to escape without hating Higgs in the end. Personally, my reading is that Amelie wanted to be Higgs' only option and only remaining connection; she set herself up to be all he had left, the only thing he could focus on. It's easier to control someone who's isolated, scared, and alone otherwise, and would remove the risk of him having doubts about accepting extinction because he had nothing--and no one--left to lose.

(Speculative): The Beach Baby acts as a mind control utility. Whatever hopes, dreams, and beliefs a person has, this BB doll can override them and bend its user's will towards the goal of extinction instead, reshaping their ideology to fit the EE's goals. It's impossible to say how much of this control is direct and tangible, but it grants Amelie a high degree of influence over Higgs' inner world, removing any sense of rebellion against her or instinctive resistance to the concept of total human annihilation.

Established later in-text (too much content to cite and embed), Higgs experiences grandiose delusions surrounding his role in the extinction, falsely believing that he's the one in control, viewing himself as "the bridge that brings the extinction" and is destined to safeguard Amelie so mankind can meet its end. Despite the facts, he genuinely thinks it was all his idea, his plan, and he's the mastermind behind the whole thing, personally chosen by cosmic forces to deliver the apocalypse and usher in a new world after humanity is gone.

As soon as Higgs is disconnected from his Beach Baby by Fragile, his delusions completely shatter and he immediately reverts to cold, hard logic, albeit the kind steeped in self-hatred. His ego does an immediate 180 and he realizes, "it was all make believe,” and "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and righteous fury. Signifying nothing." It hits him all at once: he was nothing but a pawn, a tool, a means to an end, played for a fool. Upon seeing the error of his ways, he can only lament how blind he was. The book decidedly doesn't kill him, instead leaving him on the Beach, "alone, without a person in the world to connect to," thinking, "this is how I'm meant to be," as he remains stranded "with nothing else to do but continue to confess his endless sins."

We'll never know how much of Higgs' mindset and atrocities were truly his own, while acting as Amelie's herald, and how much of it was solely based on Amelie's unseen influence. Just like Lady Macbeth, Higgs is both villain and victim to a greater evil, so to speak.

[runnning-outof-time]

K! Congratulations on 2K!!! 🎉🙌🏻 I hope you get a lot more 😊

Can I request something with this prompt? For Tommy

“Look me in the eyes and repeat what you just said.”

Thank you so much for sending this in, Mar!! 🥰 I hope you like that I did with the prompt.

Thank you for helping me celebrate hitting 2K followers! Want to read more blurbs from this celebration? Check out this post!

Some Good News

Tommy Shelby

Warnings: none

(Y/N) comes to Tommy with news that she’s been holding in for too long.

“Where is he?” (Y/N) asked as she rushed through the rooms of the Shelby Company Ltd.’s office.

“Tommy’s in his office,” Lou, one of the secretaries, answered, knowing exactly who the other woman was referring to.

“Thank you,” (Y/N) didn’t even stop, hurling her thanks out as she continued on to the door at the end of the lobby-like room. She didn’t even bother knocking, and instead opened the door and walked right in.

“(Y/N)?” Tommy asked, confusion in his voice. (Y/N) also noted that Michael was in the room, but that didn’t hinder her desire to go forward with what she’d had planned from the second she arrived back in Birmingham.

“Yes,” she blurted out as she walked across the room to where he was standing behind his desk.

“Yes what?” Tommy was even more confused by her single word declaration.

“Yes, I will marry you,” she elaborated, not breaking her stride until she stopped in front of him, “I shouldn’t have made you wait so long after you asked, but with everything going on at the derby and then when they took you, and then Polly told me what might have happened, and I thought I’d never see you again, so I felt guilty about not giving…”

“Woah, hold on, (Y/N)…” Tommy cut her off, stopping her rambling before she could even finish it, which was good for her because she had no clue where she was going with her babbling. “Look me in the eyes and repeat what you just said.”

“All of it?” she asked sheepishly, wondering if she’d need to repeat her previous statement in its entirety.

“No,” Tommy shook his head slightly, “just the first part of it.”

(Y/N) couldn’t help but smile as she hooked her eyes onto his. Tommy had a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he waited intently for her to speak again. She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly before doing so. “Yes, I will marry you,” she told him, her voice staying steady as she spoke.

“Yeah?” Tommy’s question was rhetorical in nature. He’d just heard her say that she would, multiple times actually.

“Yes,” (Y/N) confirmed it again anyway, her smile growing wider. “I should’ve said yes the second you asked me. It was dumb of me to stand there and not give you an answer…it all happened so fast though.”

“That doesn’t matter, you’ve answered me now,” he brushed her off, letting her know that she shouldn’t keep beating herself up for how she initially reacted.

“Are you happy?” she asked then, not realizing how stupid that question sounded until it left her lips.

“Of course I’m happy, love,” he answered with a slight chuckle, “it’s nice to get some good news like this after all that’s happened today.”

“I’m so happy that you’re ok,” she sighed as she moved forward to wrap her arms around his torso. She just couldn’t stop herself from doing so any longer.

“I’m always gonna be ok, (Y/N),” he mumbled into her hair as he held onto her tightly, “I’m gonna have you by me side for the rest of me life now,” he added after she pulled back slightly to look at him.

Unable to wait any longer, (Y/N) leaned in and pressed her lips to Tommy’s in a passionate kiss. She was able feel Tommy’s grin against her lips, and it only made her grip onto him tighter. She couldn’t believe that she was going to marry him.

“I guess Michael left,” she said, then exhaling a breath after they pulled away.

“Good,” he answered, his grin still present, “he didn’t need to see any of this anyway.”

(Y/N) couldn’t even respond because Tommy’s lips found hers as soon as he finished speaking.

———

Tagged: @mgcllovdrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21 @peaky-cillian @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @midnightmagpiemama @cillmequick @rangerelik @lovemissyhoneybee @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica

MASTERLIST

[1mnobodywhoareyou]

'dragging them out to every restaurant or store to get free drinks or birthday benefits' for Flynn and Willie pls 🙏

- Parker

😁 complete with a set of neos as previously discussed 😊 Thank you! Hope you like it! @lou-writes-things

Willie’s nearly bouncing in its seat waiting for Flynn in their sole shared class this semester. Flynn finally, FINALLY makes it through the classroom door and Willie jumps out of its seat to greet aer with a tight hug. 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!” Willie cheers. 

Flynn pats Willie’s shoulder with a light chuckle, “Okay, okay, thank you! Put me down.”

Willie complies and they walk back to their usual seats together. Willie drops into its chair with a dramatic groan, “It’s been terrible being awake so many hours without being able to wish you a happy birthday in person.”

“You’ve texted me almost every hour,” Flynn replies with another laugh, taking aer own seat. “Since midnight, I might add.”

“Okay, yes. But,” Willie says, digging through its bag. “It’s not every day your best friend turns twenty-one!” Willie presents Flynn with a flat envelope. 

Ae accepts it with furrowed brows. “What’s this?”

“Your birthday present!” Willie beams at aer. 

Flynn opens the envelope and slides out a sheet of folded paper. On it is a list of different businesses in town, ranging from restaurants and bars to mom and pop shops. The wrinkle in Flynn’s brow deepens. “I don’t get it.”

“This,” Willie says as it takes the paper from aer, “is our plans for the rest of the day.”

Flynn gestures for Willie to continue. 

“I figured out everywhere that does birthday freebies and plotted out a route based on when places close and open.”

“You did what? How long did that take?”

Willie shrugs, “Not too long. I just did bits at a time over the last few months. It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?!” Flynn widens aer eyes at Willie in disbelief but is silenced by their professor starting class. “This is not nothing,” Flynn whispers, flipping aer notebook open.

Willie grins at aer, knocking its foot against Flynn’s under the table. Flynn returns the smile and foot knock and they both do their best to focus on their lecture for the rest of class. 

They quickly pack up as soon as class is over with Flynn laughing as Willie fumbles with its things in excitement. “My birthday is not that big a deal.”

“Shut up, yes it is.”

Flynn rolls aer eyes but doesn’t argue. 

“Okay, let’s go!” Willie exclaims once it’d successfully packed everything up.

“Right now?!”

“Yeah, we have a tight schedule. Gotta get started.”

Flynn raises an unimpressed eyebrow, “Dressed like that?”

Willie looks down at its outfit and holds its hands out in question. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

Flynn doesn’t bother answering, ae simply spins on aer heel and walks out of the classroom with Willie trailing close behind. 

Willie follows Flynn to the apartment they share where Flynn picks out a new outfit ae deems appropriate for celebrating aer 21st birthday. 

“Better?” Willie asks, modeling the new clothes with a spin for Flynn. 

Flynn nods approvingly, “Much. Now we can go. After a quick stop by my room.”

Willie narrows its eyes, “How quick.”

“Quicker if we get moving, let’s go!”

After another outfit change and a few selfies for good measure, Flynn and Willie get started on the birthday tour. 

They encounter very few issues, enjoying free shots, drinks, appies and random gifts as they move through Willie’s list. Willie had preplanned which stops would require them to actually spend money to get the freebies. There were only a few stops that were unexpectedly outside of Willie’s budget and they had just moved on, quickly making up lost time from the wardrobe changes. 

“It’s too bad the whole crew couldn’t be here until the weekend,” Flynn says from behind the display ae’s sifting through. Flynn and Willie opted to go to a speciality arts school instead of joining the others at their college. They’re not necessarily far, but it’s still far enough that making the trip during the week is a lot to ask. Even for a milestone birthday. But they make it work. 

“Yeah,” Willie agrees, handing over something that had caught its eye that Willie was confident Flynn would like. “But they’ll be here this weekend and we can ring in your new year for real.”

“I guess I can settle for your company until then,” Flynn teases. 

“You’re lucky to have me.”

“I am,” Flynn agrees with a smile, putting everything they’d been browsing through back. “Where to next?”

Willie takes Flynn through the rest of the stops, ending at the club that they’d been frequenting for the last few years. The staff knows them well and are excited to offer Flynn aer upgraded admission bracelet. 

Flynn accepts it by dramatically holding aer wrist out and bowing deeply once properly adorned. Aer brow furrows in confusion when one of the staff guides them away from the dancefloor. Ae looks back at Willie who just shrugs. 

“What…” Flynn cuts aerself off when ae sees where they’re headed. Squashed into one of the booths hiding in a quieter part of the club are all of their friends. 

“SURPRISE!!!” they yell with their best attempt at jazz hands while also trying to pile out of the booth. 

“Guys!” Flynn cries, hand pressed to aer chest. 

Everyone surrounds Flynn and Willie, wrapping them up in a tight group hug. “Happy birthday, Flynnie!” they chorus. 

Flynn fights back the tears threatening to make themselves known. “I can’t believe you managed to do this. And not tell me! All of you suck at secrets.”

“We can learn new things for you.” Willie says with a wink. 

“Absolutely unbelievable. All of you,” Flynn says as ae draws everyone back in for another hug. “Thank you! I love all y’all weirdos.”

“We love you too, Flynn. Now, c’mon! One last freebie,” Willie grins as it shoves Flynn into the booth, crawling in after aer and letting everyone else pile in behind them.

[danotits]

up her skirt

louis ives x reader

summary: louis has been feeling a bit down, so you take them shopping for some new clothes

warnings/content: hurt/comfort, dysphoria (only a lil), smut, semi-public sex, fluff, gn!louis (she/they pronouns), gn reader

length: 1k

♡♡♡♡♡

Your girlfriend had had a hard month. With autumn just settling in, there'd been a cold blast coming through, and New York was coated in thick, depressing fog. She only had summer clothes so far, so on the days when wearing her suits to work didn't spark joy, she didn't even have anything affirming to put on when she got home. They still enjoyed their suits, but clearly the lack of weather appropriate dresses and skirts and blouses had been wearing her thin. 

You decided, one afternoon when the fog had lifted and the sun was peeking through the clouds, to take her shopping. They were still nervous about going shopping, especially when they were wearing baggy sweatpants and a hoodie (the least offending cold weather items she had in her closet) and didn't feel like she belonged in the women's section. So you took her to a bougie department store and set her up in a dressing room while you scoured the racks for something nice for her. There were lots of great tartan skirts this season, so you picked up some mid-length ones that swished pleasantly when you took them off the rack. Louis loved full skirts. 

The next rack housed some unassuming women's pants, in similar tartan prints to the skirts. You hesitated before picking them up in their size. They might be able to get away with these at work. The fitted ones would have been a bit awkward, her shape being so straight, so you got straight leg ones and hoped she'd like them. Next you beelined to the blouses section. Before you walked in, she'd been looking longingly at one in the window display. You found it and sifted through until you found the color from the display: a soft sage green. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was made of a thicker material and had long sleeves that were slightly puffy. 

Before you went to your girlfriend's dressing room, you stopped and hauled a bunch of sweaters in your arms. These should keep her occupied while I look for some nice winter jackets, you thought, and went into the dressing rooms and knocked on her door. 

"Lou, darling?" You said softly. 

They unlocked the door and you unceremoniously dumped the sweaters on the stool so you could hang up the rest on the various hooks. Louis stared at the pants. 

"I thought you could wear them to work." You said. 

"They're lovely, but… no, I think everyone would notice." You patted her shoulder comfortingly. 

"That's ok. I'm gonna go find you some jackets." You replied. 

♡

After successfully finding three jackets that would look perfect on Louis, you returned to the dressing room. She was analyzing her outfit in the mirror. She was wearing one of the skirts, the blouse and a big white fluffy jumper. You couldn't help it, you turned her away from the mirror and kissed her. As they melted into it, you pushed them back into the mirror, and they let out a soft moan as you pinned them there. 

You let her go but stayed pressed close to her, and brushed her hair back from her face. 

"You look so beautiful, sweetheart." You cooed. Louis looked down, smiling bashfully, and you gently used your hand to bring her eyes back to yours. "You really do." 

You kissed her again, long and slow, and before either of you knew it your hands were up her sweater and gently tugging the blouse out from the waist and of the skirt. They looked so warm and sweet and you needed to feel their hot skin on your fingers. She shivered lightly as you made contact, fingers still a little cold as you hadn't worn gloves outside. You trailed up to feel the lace of their bralette. She didn't always wear one, but the feel of it was familiar, and you knew how to get exactly where you wanted. 

Louis sighed as you brushed your fingers over her nipples. It amused you how sensitive they were. You had to shush them as you started to rub circles. As you did this, you pushed your leg between hers, and you could feel her getting hard through the skirt. She moaned again as you used your leg to rub up against her cock. You put your mouth back on hers and did it again. 

It was hard work lifting the long, heavy skirt but when you finally got your hand up there, you were rewarded with Louis' fully hard cock straining against her underwear. You clamped your other hand over her mouth as you stroked a finger along the outline, then dipped your hand into her panties and rubbed your thumb along the slit of her cock. 

"Honey, you're so wet for me." You whispered as you felt their precum. Taking her into your hand, you started slowly pumping. You knew it wouldn't take long to get her there, so you wanted to savor this. Louis mouthed something against your hand, so you let go for a moment. 

"More, please." was all she said, voice breathy. How could you deny them when they asked so nicely? You started going faster, as her cock twitched in your hand and you could hear breathy moans escaping the confines of your hand over her mouth. She was so close already. You stroked her faster and faster, until you could feel her all but drooling, and as you swiped your thumb over her slit again, she came. 

When you let go of her mouth, she reached up and wiped the spit from her lips. You tucked her back into her panties and gave her a sweet kiss. 

"Good girl." You whispered as you pulled away. 

Louis leaned back against the mirror, coming down from the high as you suddenly laughed. They looked at you, confused. You laughed harder. 

"I hope you like that skirt," You said. "'Cause we kinda got it dirty." 

Louis smiled at you, adoration in their eyes, and huffed a small laugh. She pushed herself away from the mirror and came over to enclose you in a hug. The material of the sweater tickled your neck as she kissed you on the head. 

"Thankyou." They said. 

♡

Louis proudly carried their new clothes to the counter. The cashier smiled as they rang it up, and gave Louis an encouraging thumbs up as she left the store with you, holding the bags as you walked back out into the brisk street together. 

[magicjesuscup]

Toa's Book 1 Thoughts

I just finished my second play through of Toa's route. (Someone, correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like we had more time to play Jasper's route. We had a week/maybe less to play Toa's. I feel like we had twice as long for Jasper.) Anyway...

Spoilers for Toa, Lou, and Rio's book 1s.

Toward the end just before Toa erases MC's memories, there's some talk of MC not being able to stay on the Isle of Colde because of her lack of magical powers. I'm curious what would've happened if she didn't get them back.

If she was expelled from the island (which I don't see Lou doing), where would she go? Do they have something like a birth certificate or id (like a driver's license) in Saligia? Some form of travel papers? She's not going to have any of that. She doesn't have proof of citizenship to any kingdom, so how would she get in (assuming the princes don't find a way for her)?

I get that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to make someone go to a magic school if they can't magic, but all of the other students are rich nobles. If Lou kicks them out of school, they have a big, fancy house to go home to; he wouldn't be making any of them homeless (again, assuming none of the princes jump in to help her...which they probably would, but they were awfully quite when this topic came up.).

Even if she didn't get her magic back, her eyes are still black, and it would be bad if anyone else found that out. I feel like for that reason, he'd still want to house her on the Isle of Colde, just maybe not at the academy. The town is full of people ready and willing to bend over backward for Lou. I'm sure he could find someone who could give her a job and rent her an apartment at the very least. In Lou's book 1, it sounds like everyone is so willing to do whatever he asks because he helped them out at some point. He might not even need a great reason to help MC stay on the isle because in their minds, Lou helping someone is just what he does. He's the governor; he can do whatever he wants.

I like the idea that if MC pushed, "If I can't stay here, where would I go?", Fenn would be the first one to jump in with a solution. (In Rio's book 1, when Lou wanted the S ranks to help MC when her powers were going a little wonky, Fenn was the first one to volunteer. I feel like there are other instances of Fenn jumping in to help MC before the other consorts, but that's the only one I can think of right now.) Anyway, in my head, Fenn would offer to marry her. Since he can marry as many people as he wants, she wouldn't have to be queen (assuming he becomes king) if she doesn't want to. She wouldn't have to produce heirs for him (again assuming he becomes king) if she doesn't want to. Even if they're not in love (in this route anyway), Fenn wouldn't be stuck with her as his only partner. She has a place to go (he could ask Lou to let his fiancé/wife stay with him since he can't go back to Luxure or send her to stay with Hardie) and he can help his friend. Everybody wins. And because it's Toa's route, Toa would not like this AT ALL. XD

Speaking of Toa, I think it would've been funny if instead of Fenn writing, "Here's a love note MC wrote. Also, she's leaving soon so you better get back here and say goodbye," he wrote, "MC doesn't seem to have any memories of you. Did you erase her memories? Did something go awry? She's been in the infirmary since you left. You should probably come back to say your goodbyes." I can picture him sitting back and watching Toa literally fly back in a panic thinking his ancient magic was somehow killing MC. It's really funny to me picturing Toa freaking out confessing his love for MC, them having a moment, and then him saying something like, "I have to fix this; I can't let you die." And MC being really confused because she's not dying. And then Toa realizing Fenn lied, and while that's embarrassing, he has a paramour now so maybe it's ok (or maybe he'll just kill Fenn another time. lol.).

[imthejudge]

make sense of me

Warren Graham x Nathan Prescott

Chapter Seven Word Count: 8,257

Chapter Six

Tags: fluff, hurt/comfort

Read on Archive

https://archiveofourown.org/works/41111322/chapters/120710245

-

Chapter Seven: improve

The following morning comes all too soon, the night having gone by in a blur. Such as it goes. Warren wakes up feeling… strange. Knowing it’s his last day stuck in the 80s before attempting to travel back home. This uneasiness knotted in his stomach doesn’t come from the anticipation or worry over the feat. Not entirely. It comes from the fact that he can’t convince Nathan to come back with him. And having run out of time to do so.

If only he’d known earlier. Or if there was some way of discovering this before they’d travelled. Before the storm, before the fight in the parking lot, before everything. What he would give to go back, all the way back. Before Jefferson ever got anywhere close to Nathan and the others.

Warren certainly considered it. The temptation to turn the dial to a date before anything happened. But he knows it’s too big of a risk, not being able to voice the idea to Nathan, who he’s sure probably thought of it himself. Both refusing to bring it up, like an unspoken agreement that it wasn’t a possibility, as much as it hurt to admit.

Messing with time, well. It's dangerous. Warren doesn’t even want to dive too deeply into their current circumstance. His mind likely to explode from trying to wrap his head around what being in 1983 might’ve contributed to the future already. To try to ‘fix’ what transpired before the events of he and Nathan’s present in 2013? Warren doesn’t need to go through loop after loop trying to change the future. It’s chaos theory, you know, the butterfly effect and all. Living through the attempt would likely cause them more pain than actual help. And as selfish as it sounds, Warren doesn’t want to put him or Nathan through that. The choices they might have to make… the consequences with them.

So it’s with a dreadful acceptance that Warren starts his day, wanting to push it all far from his mind. But, despite it all, there’s that little, tiny, bit of hope that still lingers. That perhaps it’s not too late yet. That Nathan can be swayed, and that’s what keeps him going. It’s enough motivation to plaster a somewhat acceptable–and at the very least neutral–expression on his face when he and Nathan meet up with Lou at the Two Whales for an early start on their last day.

But even Joyce’s prized smile and his favourite order of Belgium waffles can’t raise his spirits, only managing a couple mouthfuls before he begins aimlessly poking at it with his fork, gaze downcast.

“Uhh, I don’t think so. Warren’ll be the deciding factor.” Warren drifts back to the conversation at the mention of his name, focusing on Lou and Nathan as they eye each other competitively. “You don’t think he’ll agree with me?” Lou feigns a look of despair, shaking her head solemnly. “Sweet, unaware Nathan.” She takes a long sip of the chocolate milkshake she has in front of her.

“What’re we talking about?” Warren looks between the two of them, completely lost.

“Your friend over here thinks strawberry is the superior milkshake flavour,” Lou throws a thumb Nathan’s way with an expression like he’d just tried to convince her that the sun revolves around the earth.

“Yeah, cause it is.” Nathan crosses his arms and narrows his eyes, the expression so strikingly reminiscent of the version of Nathan Warren recalls before everything that it sends a chill along his spine.

The feeling only deepens when he clues into the fact that he’s going to have to agree with Lou, and therefore disagree with Nathan. “Err, chocolate all the way, man… sorry.”

Nathan tears his eyes away from Lou to squint them further, disgust curling his lip. Arms still crossed, he gives Warren a quick once over. “This explains so much.”

Warren has to stop himself from bursting out laughing and he can see Nathan’s expression has lessened somewhat, too, allowing himself the slightest quirk of his lips. Lou looks between them, shaking her head disapprovingly before she turns away from them and absentmindedly stirs her shake with her straw, “I don’t know what you guys think is so funny, this is a serious matter.” But amusement flashes in her eyes when she flickers them back to the boys’ direction. “But onto actual serious matters, we’ve yet to figure out a way to divert the energy from the lightning strike to Warren’s car. Which, if we don’t do, then all our work will practically be for nothing.”

Warren considers this. He had the idea of potentially finding a metal wire that they could lead from the source of impact–right on the bald head from the statue centering main campus–to where they’d situate his car.

When he shares his idea, Lou nods thoughtfully. “It’s risky, but probably the best option we have as the point of impact is so awkward. We’re lucky it’ll be late in the day, but I’m afraid that as much as that means there won't be any students around to witness us doing this, there is going to be campus security lingering about. And I have a feeling that messing around with the statue of Jeremiah Blackwell in the very middle of campus is going to be like lighting a beacon for them.”

“We’ll just have to be extra careful, then.” Warren states, not wanting to dwell on all the things that could potentially go wrong with their plan.

“I agree,” Lou blinks, fixing her gaze somewhere past Warren, no doubt already going over details in her head. A silence grows, the two of them determinedly lost in thought.

“I need to piss.” Nathan announces spontaneously and tonelessly, straightening up from his seat so fast Warren almost jumps.

As he walks off to the direction of the bathroom Lou shakes her head, an air of amusement still about her. “He’s a strange one.”

“Yeah,” Warren agrees lowly, though not being able to help the little bit of endearment that seeps into the response.

“Are you excited to go back?”

Warren looks up at her from his slumped position, having held his head in both his hands as his elbows rested against the booth table. She’s gazing at him expectedly, her smile replaced by genuine inquiry and a hint of something that Warren can’t quite pin. Though, it reminds him of how his mom would sometimes prod him back home when she was worried over him.

To the future, she means. He hesitates. “Yeah.” No. The instant contradiction of the voice in his head comes as a surprise, almost like he’d been avoiding actually asking that question internally so he’d never fully admit it to himself.

She’s unconvinced, Warren can tell by the way her brows knit together. But she doesn’t say anything more since Nathan’s walking back towards their booth and throwing himself across from Warren once more. They get the bill, which Lou pays without discussion, then they’re leaving the comfortable coziness of the diner to brace for the contrast of the brisk fall air outside.

“Shotgun.” Nathan bumps Warren’s shoulder as they head back to Lou’s car. Warren rolls his eyes, letting Nathan beeline it to the passengers seat while he bends down to tie his shoelace that’s come undone. But instead of witnessing Nathan launching himself in the front seat like he expects once he’s finished, Nathan’s still waiting beside the car door. “Hey nerd, you good?” Nathan asks once Warren catches up.

“Huh? Oh. Yeah.” Warren drops his gaze, hand reaching out for the backseat door handle. Pausing, he lets go of it to set his gaze back on Nathan. “Actually, no. Not really. I can’t stand the idea of going back to the future without you.”

Shock registers on Nathan’s face momentarily as he stares back. A beat passes between them, where that shock morphs into something else, something Warren can’t decipher and just as Nathan opens his mouth to speak Lou pops her head out of the driver's side window to peer over at them inquisitively, “everything okay? You guys coming?”

They don’t say anything. Then Nathan drops his eyes as he turns away, opening the passenger side door to duck inside. “Yeah…” Warren eventually answers once he’s inside the car, too. “Let’s go.”

-

They end up splitting off from Nathan, who goes back to the dormitories to shower, while Warren and Lou continue back to the school labs for what is likely their last time. Warren finds himself hung up over all these ‘last times’. The last time he’d see the Two Whales in its prime. The last time he’d sleep in Lou’s dorm room. The last time he’ll routinely work on the reactor with the best lab partner he could ever ask for.

The last time he’ll see Nathan.

The hardest one to accept of all.

Nathan. Who has, against all odds, become his friend in the end. There is a twinge of something in his chest. Somehow the term ‘friend’ just didn’t feel adequate enough. It’s a gut-wrenching feeling, really, since it’s accompanied by the realization that if he would try to define it further, it would only hurt more. Because whatever it is that developed between them will be staying right here. Stuck in 1983. Forever.

So Warren doesn’t want to dwell on the thought, no–he outright refuses to think about it further.

But as much as he tries to push it all away Warren has a difficult time concentrating when Lou and him tackle what’s left with fixing the reactor. He finds himself struggling to focus his full attention throughout that morning. Even going as far as zoning out while working on it, sometimes–much to his embarrassment–during crucial conversations with Lou.

The saint that she is, Lou didn’t lose her patience when he’d ask her to repeat something, or when he–not once, but twice–dropped the pair of pliers he brandished when aiding her in lining the interior walls with the last of the new material.

Continuing to fumble into the afternoon, Warren adds it all up to his concern. His mind wholly and inexplicably taken up by a single thing. Nathan . But it isn’t just about his consistent worry over the fact that Nathan said he wouldn’t go back with him, leaving him behind. No, it was just simply…Nathan.

His presence, his attention. That smirk he’d point at Warren when he’d try to provoke him. His eyes, his hands, his hair. The jacket he gave to Warren so that he can breathe him in at all times. Notes of all the different scents that could vaguely be described as who Nathan is, but aren’t close enough to commit to. So Warren doesn’t bother discerning them. He just knows he can’t live without it anymore.

How–as much as Warren has been avoiding thinking about last night–something shifted between them. Something that could be traced right back to the very moment that Warren entrusted letting Nathan carry the reactor in his hands. The trust Warren hadn’t realized he had put in him then, somehow further solidified after last night. Because that was the exact moment Nathan decided to return that trust.

And it’s cruel, really, to have shared such a vulnerable moment together only for the repercussions to become as fragile as paper that he will have to shred to pieces in order to go back home. Repercussions that are, simply put, how Warren has never become so enthralled with another human being before. Completely and utterly invested in Nathan.

And just when Warren starts to wonder when Nathan will show up, the door to the lab opens as the very person saunters in, immediately sweeping his half lidded and dark-circled eyes to meet with Warren’s. And for the third time that day Warren lets the pliers fall from his grasp, the disruptive sound of metal hitting the floor ringing around the space of the lab.

Warren instantly darts to pick them back up, embarrassed, his lab coat crinkling noisily as he does so and further cementing his humiliation.

“Hey,” Nathan nods his head to Warren.

“H-hi,” Warren stutters out in response. What the fuck was that?! A judgy voice that sounds way too similar to Nathan berates internally. Warren can sense himself turning red–from embarrassment, definitely from embarrassment–and swivels on the spot he’s standing to focus his attention back to the reactor Lou’s still busy with.

“Hey, Nate,” she calls to him with a small wave of her hand. And then he’s rounding the lab bench to walk into Warren’s direct line of sight again, precisely the opposite of Warren’s intentions when originally turning away.

But he’s there. And Warren has no choice but to witness in silent horror as he crosses his arms and begins pulling his sweater–Warren’s sweater–up and over his head, exposing the skin of his back as the shirt he wears underneath rides up with the motion. Warren’s drawn to the spot, until his shirt falls back in place, almost hanging off of him, really, and Warren tunes in that it’s the Grease shirt he himself had been using as a pyjama shirt.

Warren’s eyes widen. He doesn’t know why he’s so taken aback by the image. It’s not his shirt. It’s Lou’s. And yet he continues aiming his dumbfound reaction with increasing obviousness at Nathan as if this second layer of clothing that Warren has worn himself is somehow scandalous.  

Quickly fixing his face, Warren sends what he hopes isn’t a super noticeable side-eye at Lou who’s stationed across from him on the other side of the bench. She’s still transfixed by her work, to which Warren wastes no time shifting his attention back to Nathan. His hair is still a little wet from his shower, reminding Warren of how it had looked the day they’d first travelled here. The natural texture of his dirty blonde hair starting to come through as it dries. Some droplets that cling to the ends threatening to let go, and when they do they prove to be just as distracting as how they’d been on that first day after stepping out of the storm.

Nathan looks really good.

Warren tears his gaze away, pretending to be busy with a couple of tools that are laid out on the lab bench in front of him.

Nathan’s always looked good, though. He’s always been attractive, objectively so. Warren’s always known that. He supposes that’s what makes a popular guy like Nathan so popular… right? Is Nathan even popular? Warren assumes. Because he’s part of the football team and knows sooo many people. Not to mention his involvement with the Vortex Club, and whatever exclusive club within that club he’s a part of. So it’s easy to conclude how that, along with his obvious looks, makes him desired.

Okay, cool. So why is Warren so hung up on it? Yup. That’s Nathan Prescott. He’s also kind’ve an asshole. But not as much of an asshole as originally presumed. They’ve moved past that, and with all the acquired context, Nathan has turned out to be a completely different person from what Warren initially assumed. Therefore all of this factors as a reasonable enough consequence to Warren being internally occupied over the subject matter that is Nathan Prescott.

But, like, he looks sooooo gooood.

Warren lifts his gaze again, settling on Nathan across from him, now loitering on the lab bench adjacent to the one Warren and Lou work at. He’s always had those pronounced cheekbones, sure, but since when did Warren start paying so much attention to his neck–

“...did you want to take a break?” Lou leans into Warren’s frame of view.

“Huh?” He blinks, focusing on Lou’s tilted head across from him.

She quirks an eyebrow, looking over her shoulder at Nathan, then back at Warren with a slightly amused expression. “We’ve been going nonstop, it’s okay if you want to take a break and hang out with your friend for a bit. I can take over.”

“Oh, n–no, it's fine. Today’s the last day, we should take advantage of every minute.”

“There won’t be any point if your brain is too fried, Warren.” Warren gawks at her, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. Is it that obvious? “You’ve been working too hard, taking breaks is important, too. We’re basically done, anyways. All that’s left is reattaching the door,” Lou clarifies.

“Ah, right,” Warren only reddens further. “I mean–are you sure? Because I can focus, I swear.”

She rolls her eyes, motioning Nathan’s way with her head. “Go on.”

-

“So where are we going?”

Warren pushes open the door of the main school entrance, holding it for Nathan and craning his neck to look over his shoulder at him. After triple checking it was okay with Lou to take a break–who insisted–and quickly shedding his lab coat, the two of them were on their way out. “I told you, I just wanted to take a break. And I’m hungry. We’ve been at it since this morning.”

“We driving?”

“Yeah,” Warren steers them in the direction of the parking lot, hyper aware of the fact that this is the first time it’s only the two of them since last night, if he’s not counting the very brief morning they shared before meeting up with Lou. Which he isn’t.

Silently, they walk across campus until descending the few steps into the parking lot. “Can I drive?”

Warren comes to a halt in front of his car, his eyebrows raised in surprise when he looks at Nathan, “Uh, sure, yeah.” He lightly tosses the keys he already brandishes in his hands, Nathan catching them effortlessly.

“Where to?” Nathan looks at him expectantly once they’re sat inside.

“Well, I felt bad extorting Lou of any more money sooooo...” Warren twists himself in an awkward position so he can get to the wallet in his jeans pocket, fighting against the seat belt he’s already fastened. “I still have, like, twelve bucks left and was thinking we’d pick up some sandwiches from the gas station?” Nathan’s gaze drops to the few crinked bills in Warren’s hand. “Um, I mean, if that’s okay with you,” he adds.

“E-Z Gas it is,” Nathan confirms as he starts the car and begins shuffling around to rearrange it to his liking. Then he’s pressing random buttons that even Warren isn’t familiar with, the irrational fear that his Chevy might explode causing him to latch onto Nathan’s arm to stop him.

Nathan doesn’t react, but Warren jolts and releases his hold a second later, the motion having been instinctive. “What are you trying to do?”

“This thing have any music?”

Warren flips it over to the CD that he has in. It’s a mixtape he’d made himself featuring a bunch of his favourite artists–ironically from the 80s–that he had the intention of lending to Max. He never ended up mustering up enough courage to do so, with how intimidating her music taste is. Giving her a thumbdrive full of cult classic films seemed an easier bet, especially since she’d expressed an interest after that one time they’d nerded out over just about everything they’d ever watched for 4 hours straight.

Nathan rifles through the mixtape, one hand on the steering wheel as he maneuvers onto the street, the windows already down due to a brightly shining sun that’s had the afternoon to turn the interior of the car into a sauna. Warren welcomes the cool breeze that flows in, enjoying the sensation of the sun against his face that he knows is fleeting with the storm bound to roll in later that day.

The sporadic sound of the first few seconds of a variety of songs abruptly stops when Nathan backtracks to one he likes. The familiar upbeat synth tempo of Take on Me by a-ha blasts through the dinky speakers of Warren’s Chevy and flows out of the windows when Nathan dials up the volume.

Talking away I don’t know what I’m to say I’ll say it anyway Today’s another day to find you Shying away I’ll be coming for your love, okay

Warren almost thinks it’s a joke, trying to read Nathan for any indication that he’s mocking Warren’s choice in music. But he can’t find anything to suggest he is, instead all he sees is how he leans back, one arm draped over the steering wheel. His hair all over the place from the wind in a way that Warren could never replicate himself because it just looks so cool. Almost reminiscent of a frontman to a band of the current century they’re stuck in.

But most surprising of all is his expression. No ounce of fear nor furrow to mark his usual scrutiny. And even with the consistency having faded in the last couple of days, Warren doesn’t think he’s ever seen Nathan this at ease.

So, needless to say I’m odds and ends But I’ll be stumbling away Slowly learning that life is okay Say after me ‘It’s no better to be safe than sorry’

He doesn’t know what to make of it, doesn’t want to think too deeply that this is the manifestation of his acceptance to stay. And Warren doesn’t know if he’s hurt more by the fact that Nathan is likely experiencing this sense of freedom for the first time in a long time or that he’s already so readily accepted a life where he’ll never see Warren again.

Or, perhaps, Nathan is simply enjoying a single moment of uninterrupted bliss. Something that Warren is quick to want to join in on. The comfort of listening to a favourite song while driving with the windows down. The laziness of the sun hitting the skin of his arm as he props it up on the window. The current company they share. As if for a second they can hold onto a life that sounds so much more promising than the one offered. Like there is a better end to the story they’re getting.

“Oh, things that you say Is it a life or just to play my worries away You’re all the things I’ve got to remember You’re shying away I’ll be coming for you anyway”

Warren didn’t realize how he’d started to sing along, lowly, but he’s not alone. He sees Nathan’s lips move along with the words. And before they know it, Nathan’s turned it up even louder and the two of them are shouting alongside each other. Hitting the high notes as a duet, both out of tune but neither of them bothered enough to care because their chests hurt too much from belting it out.

“Takeeeeeee on meeeeeee,

Take. On. Me.

Takeeeeee meeee onnnnn!

TAKE ON ME.

I’LLLLL BEEEEE GONEEEEEE

IN A DAY OR,

TWOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

They’re both breathing heavily when the song finishes, the silence filled by the rapid intake of air for only a second before they exchange a look of understanding and Nathan presses the back button on the radio console to start the song over again.

Warren almost urges Nathan to forget the gas station and tell him to just keep driving. For another couple of replays of the song? For the rest of the evening? Forever? He doesn’t know, but he doesn’t want it to end. The hunger in his stomach protests to the idea, so when the same E-Z Gas station they’d visited to get the frozen peas comes into view, it’s with much reluctance that Warren brings up a hand to turn the volume dial down.

They park and go in to grab their sandwiches and some bottles of Coca-Cola, this time passing on the peas. When they return to the car with their stuff, they unsheath their sandwiches from the red and white checkered paper they’re wrapped in and scarf them down sitting on the hood of the car in silence. Leisurely, they sip on their drinks until there’s nothing left to preoccupy themselves with.

After a minute or so passes without breaking the silence, Nathan slips off the hood of the car. Warren has to suppress the panic that rises from within him when he does this, brought back to the last time he’d done the same maneuver. But Nathan’s not running off, no hint of frustration surrounding him like last time.

Warren watches as he, instead, makes his way to the backseat to pull his sweater back on then come back around to where Warren still sits on the hood. Nathan shoves his hands in his pockets, fixing Warren with his stare, “let's walk to the beach.”

Before Warren can respond, his body answers for him and he’s jumped off. “Okay.”

-

The steady sound of the waves crashing on the beach can be heard before the trees open up from where they walk to reveal the expanse of sand. There’s an ethereal look of sunlight behind dark clouds that threaten to rain, casting everything in a weird lighting that almost looks artificially improved. Warren’s acutely aware of the beginnings of the storm that is bound to hit Arcadia Bay soon enough and bring them the lightning bolt to take them home. Him home.

They take their time walking toward the water, their steps awkward from the uneven sand. Warren had been hoping for a chance when it would just be the two of them again, trying to gather the courage to say something that’s been on his mind ever since Nathan told him about everything that happened.

He suddenly stops, looking up from his feet and telling himself now is as good a time as any. “Hey, um. I’m gunna try and stop him, you know.”

Nathan stops, too, only a couple of feet from where the tide reaches. He wears a confused expression when he looks back at Warren.

“Jefferson, I mean. I know you’re going to tell me not to because it will be dangerous but I can’t let him get away with everything he’s done to those people–and to you–it’s not… it’s not right. I’m going to expose him, he’ll be caught for what he did.” It was true, it had been a consistent thought throughout Warren’s mind. Jefferson can’t get away with it. And Warren will do everything in his power to stop him. “My friend’s mom is a lawyer, so that will probably help. And I’ll obviously be super careful, I won’t get involved but I’ll talk to the right people who can investigate it. We’ll find that Darkroom you mentioned and–and he won’t be able to hurt anyone ever again.”

Warren’s wringing his hands together nervously. Nathan isn’t facing him anymore, not saying anything as the silence begins to stretch out. Warren’s worried he’s breached the already delicate subject. Almost wonders if Nathan might turn to him in anger or pretend he has no idea what Warren is talking about. To discredit everything from last night due to regret in his state of vulnerability, as if to say it were a mere fever dream Warren conjured up.

Without facing Warren, but instead with his body angled away to face the beach, his gaze distant, he says something in such a low voice that Warren almost misses it, so close to being lost to the waves that crash on the shore. “I never thought there would be anyone who believed me.”

It takes a second for the words to reach Warren, for him to fully understand the weight behind them. Said so quietly, so calmly as if it lessened their severity. But it’s devastating to hear, remembering how distressed Nathan had been when he found him the previous night. Wild eyed and frantic and so scared in his confession to Warren.

Nathan finally turns himself to Warren, his expression taut as though he’s calculating everything Warren just said. “I don’t even need to ask you if you mean it. ‘Cause I think I already know you do.”

“I do. I mean every word of it.” Warren has to try to keep his voice from wavering from the sudden sense of overwhelming emotion that overtakes him. Of course he’d meant every word. Nathan deserves that. And Warren tries not to think how it will sort of feel like avenging him. Because even if Jefferson goes down, he will have succeeded in bringing Nathan down with him, as far as he knows.

“I know.” Nathan repeats, offering a small smile that’s quick to slip away again.

They watch the waves for a little while, Warren finding a strange comfort in the way it steadily lulls and crashes onto the bank. The water darkening the sand as it soaks in, before fading away.

“I’ve… actually been thinking…” Nathan casually holds his hands deep in his sweater pockets, kicking some of the sand they stand on with the tip of his shoe.

His eyes dart to Warren, who can’t help but stare back widely with increasing anticipation and a failed attempt not to make himself sound too hopeful when he lets out a breathy, “yeah?”

Nathan’s eyes skirt away again, and Warren almost thinks he’ll drop whatever it is that he was going to say. Warren wants to curse himself for his inability to act–for lack of a better word–chill.

“I…um… fuck.” Nathan tries. And Warren frowns. It’s not unlike Nathan to act frustrated, but if Warren didn’t know any better he swears Nathan almost seems… apprehensive?

“I–” Nathan tries again, articulating with his hand out in front of him now. Trying, but met with more frustration at his attempt to get the words out. He sighs, dropping his hand and making a strangled, choking type of noise. “And I–”

Warren is having difficulty hiding an expression of increasing amusement, his mouth turning into a smothered frown. It’s definitely a sight to behold Nathan like this. He’s got both his hands in front of him–a development–like he’s invisibly force choking someone. It’s very reminiscent of Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith, the episode of which he’s at the height of his tormented attractiveness, in Warren’s opinion. The comparison makes Warren internally reel back, always having fixated on Episode III Anakin.

Huh. Warren is fully frowning now, not having anticipated the rabbit hole his thoughts are sent down as some things seem to click into place for him–and at such an inappropriate moment.

He pushes the mental Venn-diagram comparing Nathan Prescott and Anakin Skywalker–and what it might mean to him–far from his mind, very far–however difficult it may be–to focus back on Nathan and his continued struggle, apparently not having noticed Warren’s own mental freakout. Thankfully.

“Look. Okay.” Nathan runs a hand through his hair, seemingly collecting himself somewhat. “I was pretty dead-set on staying here, to not go back, but… but things… everything has changed. And honestly–I couldn’t give a fuck about going back, at all–but now, now… you won’t be here for much longer. And when you’re gone I–And for so long I’ve been alone and I’ve been fine with that cause–cause it’s all I’ve ever known! And I don’t know if that’s what I–I… fuck!”

He’s pushed his fingers in his hair again, this time the action is frantic, forcing his head back to look at the sky. Warren blinks, taking in Nathan’s freakout which seems so oddly familiar because–

Nathan’s eyes grow wide, his expression slightly lax as if something’s suddenly dawned on him, “This is your fault! You’ve rubbed off on me, oh my God. I’m fuckin’ doomed. I’ve turned into you–”

Something escapes Warren–he can’t help it–too late to catch it before he realizes it’s a laugh that he’s let out. And in that instant Nathan reels on him, latching onto the gesture. His eyes are dangerously narrowed as his face screws up again “are you–are you kidding me right now?”

The way Nathan looks at Warren, like he could ignite him just from how his gaze burns into him somehow makes Warren crack up even more, he’s clapping a hand over his own mouth and trying hard not to double over. “Nonono, I’m not I’m–” but any attempt of lying is squandered by Nathan getting right up into his personal space and taking hold of his arm to try and pry it away.

“Are you seriously laughing at me when I’m trying to admit I have feelings for you?”

“I’m sorry! I swear I’m–wait, you what?” Warren’s dumbstruck, eyes wide and mind completely and utterly blank. It’s Nathan’s turn to smirk now and before Warren can blink or react in any way or absorb anything that Nathan said, the space between them–that he didn’t realize had grown so close in proximity–is closing, until–

Nathan’s lips crush against Warren’s in a flurry. Chapped and warm, the sensation so foreign Warren doesn’t know how to react. It’s only for a moment, but Warren instantaneously feels everything. Tasting him, it’s bitter, the desperation, the hope, his breath against Warren’s skin. And just as fast as it happened it’s over, breaking apart from each other with a jolt.

They both stand and stare at the other, breathing heavily, before Warren’s reaching out to grab Nathan’s face and force their mouths back together. He has no idea what he’s doing, or if it even remotely qualifies as anything real, his mind briefly thinking of how Nathan is probably way more experienced in this department, but shoving the thought away just as fast because he doesn’t care in that moment, he just knows he wants more, needs more. He’s greedy for it and Nathan seems to be just as eager. Impatient, yet so engrossed that there is no need to be. No need to rush but not being able to help the desperation that so completely consumes them.

Warren has no idea how much time has passed when they separate from each other again, but it comes with a need for air and a sudden question that jumps from his tongue–

“Does this mean you’ll–?”

“Yeah, nerd, I’m with you. We’ll go back together.” Nathan says, sort of exasperatedly, his hair array and what Warren notices is a growing smile that braces his lips. Real and whole and directed at Warren. It reaches his eyes in a way that makes them squint. So foreign to Warren but so full of life, bringing colour to cheeks that aren’t as gaunt or sallow as they once were.

The already heightened elation interpreted from the warmth in Warren’s own cheeks and chest spreads further as a grin widens across his face to the point where it’s almost painful. He compares it to the dance and how he’d felt when he saw Nathan standing in the middle of the dancefloor after showing up. All dressed up, camera pointed, face full of trepidation, and showing up for Warren. 

It makes his heart do a little flip, the realization of what this feeling he’s feeling is. And unspoken, he knows it’s exactly the same way that Nathan feels about him. All hesitation and doubt gone. That if there’s anyone in the entire universe that he’d wanted to see in that moment at the dance it would be him. That if there is anyone in the whole world he’d end up stuck with travelling through time it would be him. That if there is anyone to be trapped in an impossible situation, Warren’s glad it ended up being him.

Words can never describe how Warren feels about the circumstances that led them to this exact moment, however fragile and carefully constructed this moment may be. And he knows he wouldn’t change it for the world.

The feeling Warren’s experiencing must transfer physically–perhaps directly beaming off of him and directed straight at Nathan–because next thing, Nathan’s pushing a hand against Warren’s shoulder to knock him backwards, though with no real force. “Alright, ease up.”

But they’re both still smiling like idiots and Warren can’t tear his eyes away from Nathan, the wavy hair that dances across his forehead from a wind that’s picked up around them. How the strong sunlight that threatens to lower beneath the layer of storm clouds casts him in such perfect lighting Warren wonders if his mind might be playing tricks on him by dosing this particular moment through rose-coloured glasses, as if he’s growing nostalgic over it already.

Warren could bask in the happiness that emits from Nathan forever, rooted right to this spot. But he doesn’t have to. He won’t have to mourn this moment because Nathan is coming back with him and they’ll make many more moments like these.

“Come on, I’m ready to leave this fuckass place.” Nathan states eloquently and swivels where he stands, shoes digging into the sand further, before he begins trudging his way back up the beach.

“Yeah, me too.” And this time Warren means it.

-

Warren’s never been so aware of the way the sun slowly begins to set. Maybe not since he was still a young kid mourning the last few weeks of summer break before having to go back to school. The feeling wasn’t completely different from this, but at the same time it felt like nothing before.

It’s bittersweet, to say the least. The way the water in the bay pulls the sun down until swallowing it whole and dosing the small town into another star-filled night, putting an end to their last day.

“Hey nerd, you gunna help us or are you having a moment?”

Warren’s stood planted on the grass in the middle of the main campus, having zoned out from the view that cascades down to the horizon on the water. He spins around when Nathan calls him out, sending an apologetic and lopsided smile at him and Lou situated a couple feet behind Warren. “Sorry!” Just can’t believe we’re here already…”

Here meaning a mere hour away from when they’re supposed to travel back to the future. No big deal.

It’s started to rain, only sparsely, but enough to confirm the storm that is headed their way. Nathan has his hood on, pulled far over his hair so Warren can only make out the deep scowl he wears on his face. He holds up an umbrella to cover Lou, walking backwards together as she uncoils a thick copper wire from the spool in her hands leading from where they’d secured the end of it to the campus statue’s head.

“Here,” Nathan’s shoving the umbrella he wields into Warren’s hands after he lightly jogs to catch up to them. “Stay with Lou, I’m going to go grab the car and move it to the right spot on the main road.”

Their fingers brush, Warren hesitating with a response. He can’t explain the uneasiness that settles in his stomach at the idea of letting Nathan out of his sight, like something awful will happen in the few minutes they’re apart so close to going back.

“It’s okay,” Nathan says, low so only Warren can hear him. “I’ll be right back. I promise.”

Warren can only nod and watch as Nathan turns his back, “Wait!” Warren calls out, prompting Nathan to face him again. “I want to say a proper goodbye. To Lou. With the three of us.”

Nathan and Lou only stare at him for a second. Then Warren’s outstretching his arms, holding them wide, “Come on, bring it in.” Lou complies and so does Nathan, though not as willingly. But their enthusiasm is quick to change once they’re all in each other's embrace, the grip they hold tightening as the realization that this is it dawns on them.

I’m going to miss this. Warren doesn’t have to say it, and neither do Nathan or Lou. He can sense it the same way as if they did. They’d somehow managed to grow so close after such a short amount of time. The same could be said about Nathan and Warren, but it won’t be the same without Lou. And after everything, all of their work to get to this exact moment… a part of him doesn’t want to leave this behind.

They break apart and Warren clears his throat. “Well,” he focuses on Lou before sending a fist toward the sky. “Don’t you, dun dun dundundun, forget about me…” he sings off-key.

Lou, in return, looks between Warren and Nathan with vague concern and total lack of understanding of what she is witnessing. “Uh…”

“You know, Breakfast Club? Wait, is that not out yet?” He points the question at Nathan.

“Oh my God.” Nathan rubs a hand across his face, not even able to look at Warren as he angles himself away.

“Oh. Nevermind.” He cringes internally. And probably externally, his face scrunching up with embarrassment. “It’s a really good movie, though.”

“Okay, I’m going now,” Nathan begins to trek across campus in the direction of where they’d parked Warren’s car in the school lot. He may not have been able to handle the overbearing sentimentality, but Warren could swear he heard a sniffle escape him before he disappeared.

Lou, on the other hand, struggled to get back to unspooling the wire, her eyes glassy. “You can’t just make me cry and then leave…” she mumbled out, busying herself again.

By the time they spooled all the way to the campus’ edge and down to where the sidewalk meets the road, Nathan pulled up alongside them. The rain had picked up significantly, causing Lou to almost slip down some of the grass that’s grown muddy, Warren shooting out a hand to help stabilize her.

“We gotta get going!” Nathan calls over to them above the steady shower as he exits the car and slams the door, “a security guy was eyeing me when I left the parking lot and I think he’s headed this way!”

“Shit,” Lou curses, squinting from how the rain beats against the umbrella. “This isn’t as inconspicuous as I’d hoped and It’s going to be hard to explain exactly what we’re doing. I have a feeling ‘a science project for Mr. Wells’ class ’ isn't going to fly. I have an idea, but I’ll have to make a move right away–”

“–Wait, Wells as in Principal Wells?”

Lou falters, “Mr. Wells becomes principal?”

“Guys–”

“Right, not the point.” Warren rushes the words out. “What do you have in mind?”

“I’m going to cause a distraction in the dormitories, it should buy you two enough time!” She pushes aside the sleeve covering up her watch, “you have less than 15 minutes, it’ll be fine.” As reassuring as her tone is, she can’t hide the worry that flashes across her eyes when she meets them with Warrens.

And Warren recognizes that this is it. “But you won’t make it back again.”

Lou shakes her head solemnly. “No.”

“So this is goodbye, then.”

“For now,” her voice is soft, as is the smile she gives him. “I’m sure you’ll be seeing me very soon.”

Warren mirrors the expression. She’s right of course, it will be as if no time has passed. The same can not be said for her, though. Lou will have to wait 30 years before they’ll meet like this again.

“Thanks for–for everything,” Warren stutters out. “I don’t think we could have done this without you. You’re, uh, the coolest mom in the world. But you’re also a great friend. The best, really.”

Lou’s mouth, which is now pressed into a thin line, is set into a frown like she’s suppressing the urge to cry. She wrings her hands around the umbrella handle, fingers turning white with strain. “I’m… I’m really proud of the kind of person my future son has turned out to be.”

They hug again, this time properly and not as awkward as before. When they’re finished she hugs Nathan, too. “I’m glad you two have each other,” she says to him, causing him to look away. “Now I’m really going to go, before this somehow gets weirder.”

She waves over her shoulder at them as she darts away in the direction of the dormitories, angling the umbrella against the harsh wind and rain. The boys waste no time turning their attention to the car where Warren begins wrapping the wire around the antenna at the back while Nathan holds his varsity jacket above them to help shelter against the aggressively growing downfall of rain.

When Warren’s finished he wipes aside the hair that sticks to his brow, checking the watch that Lou lent him. “Okay we have 9 more minutes until impact, let’s get in the car!”

But as Warren straightens back up, the wire that had been pulled taut suddenly goes lax. The copper material seems to flicker, the reflection of the streetlight above catching the droplets that fall from it. Their attention snaps to one another as an understanding passes between them that the wire has come loose on the other end.

Before Warren can say anything, Nathan beats him to it, “I’ll go, you stay!” He yells as he’s already whipping the jacket around himself to pull his arms through.

“But–”

“There’s no time! Get in the car and start it,” Nathan flings the car keys Warren’s way, who instinctively encloses a fist around them in the air.

“I–I caught them!” Warren stares at the palm of his hand in disbelief.

“Proud of you, bud,” and then Nathan’s gone, swallowed by the sheet of rain as he sprints headfirst into it.

Warren has no choice but to dart around to the front of his Chevy and fling himself into the driver's side, forcing the keys into the ignition and starting the engine.

The precious few minutes they have left that creep by in Nathan’s absence are torturous. Warren waits apprehensively, fingers wrapped around the steering wheel in a vice and his free foot tapping with impatience. Come on, Nathan, come on. His eyes are glued to the passenger’s side window, barely able to make out anything from the rain that distorts the glass.

Warren chances a glance at his watch. 9:58. 6 minutes.  

With nothing else to occupy him, he tries to look through the sheets of torrential rain that aggressively roll over the car and make it almost impossible to hear anything else. He squints, his heart giving a jolt when he sees a flash of red before it’s gone again. A quick glance at the car's digital clock tells him 3 more minutes. The anticipation is killing Warren, making him instinctively reach across the passenger seat to yank open the side door. He doesn’t care when the inside of the car is instantly drenched, all he cares about is if Nathan will be back in time.

The downpour is deafening now, and visibility has barely improved after opening the door. “Nathan?” he tentatively calls out. There’s no response, until he hears a muffled sort of grunt somewhere in the distance. Before he can call out again, there’s a flash of lightning far off–not the one they’d been waiting for, but close enough to momentarily light up the setting Warren looks out to. And to Warren’s utter horror, the still image of Nathan grappling with someone on the ground instills itself into his vision. It’s as if he caught a momentary glimpse of a picture taken with flash to paint the scene in front of him.

Someone’s yelling, and though it’s hard to make out, Warren knows it’s not Nathan. “Did you really think I’d let you get away after what you fucking freaks did to me?! You’re dead! And your friend is next!”

The tips of Warren’s fingers go numb as he feels the blood drain from his face and hands, realizing who it is that has stopped Nathan from getting back, tackling him to the ground mere steps away. “Nathan!” Warren cries out, automatically beginning to crawl across the passenger seat.

“No!” He hears Nathan shout, “don’t! Don’t leave the car!”

Warren freezes, looking back out to where he can see the blurred mass that is Nathan and his father rolling across the soppy grass. A quick glance at the car's interface reads 10:03. One minute. “But I–I’m not leaving you–!”

“It’s fixed! It’s fixed, Warren–you can–ugh–” Nathan lets out another grunt and Warren knows he’s been hit again. There’s a scrambling that can be heard mixed with the downpour and for a brief moment Warren can make out Nathan’s form back on his feet again, booking it toward the car. Warren stares wide eyed, holding his breath when Nathan gets closer and–

He’s back on the ground, his father’s arms wrapped around his legs to take him down again, landing face first. But he’s so close that when he whips back his head Warren can see his face. His pupils are blown out and he looks terrified.

“Give me your hand!” Warren calls out, thrusting his own toward Nathan. Nathan doesn’t hesitate when he complies and reaches up. They’re so close, and Warren stretches as far as he can, until it hurts, until his ribs feel like they might expand and break from the pressure, until the strain is almost unbearable. Their fingertips brush and Warren begins to wrap his hand around what he knows is Nathan’s own.

Please please please please…

But all sensation is lost when a blinding flash and boom takes up all of him. Squeezing his eyes shut, Warren clenches his jaw hard as he braces himself, the air on fire around him. And just as fast as it happens, it’s all over.

[artcosmique]

Heyyyy guys, Im alive !

Annnnd i dont know if you noticed, but Im the kind of person who came with a lot of ideas, and (tragedy) after that i dont know wich one i should/want explore further

Soooo

I Will make yall choice WHEHEHEHE :D

1. Rise Of The Foot Clan AU

Well do you remember my Rise ‘design’ for Leatherhead ? I would like to put him in a comic where we will see more 2012 vilains through a comeback of The machiavelic Foot Clan :}}

Pro : I have a cool and long plot for that and cool designs ideas too

Con : My project plot is so long i might give up in the middle of it ;-;

2. Hanzo Samurai AU

a timeline exploring the lives of my two ocs Carravagio and Tiziano, from a Clan mirroring the Hamatos one, but who are not Ninjas but Samurais eager to restore the honor of this ancient abandoned clan.

Pro : The plot is cool i swear

Con : It will be a little less focused on our four favorite turtles (and yeah logic but we'll see them anyway) and before anyone asks the question no they won't have a ship (even if they are technically not blood related in my mind they are like cousins)

3. Brotherhood AU

Well it will be a series of small comics and not really a big story retracing the reunion of the four brothers in the following context:

Baron Draxum was interrupted during his most important experiment, that of giving life to mutants from turtles and Lou Jitsu DNA, a company called TCRI stole the four mutants from the experience, before locking them up in the four departments of this company to experiment on them. About fifteen years later, the Yokai Government collapsed this illegal business, rescue these mutants and the four brothers will be able to find each other again, rediscover each other, but what can you do when you have been separated for so long?

this will explore the theme of brotherhood (with humor) (and written by someone who hasn't had siblings, aka me)

Pro : I have quite a few of these little comics already written precisely in my head

Con : It will be very emotionally focused, there won't be a lot of action

And

There won't be much Splinter and Draxum, at least not Yet.

And

I know i Never talked about it before now lol.

Bonus :

Would you like more lore on my Rise Sona, Cosmos the Chameleon?

[seradae]

I wrote a book!

Spire Bound is my first published novella and is a romance/erotica hiding inside a hard sci-fi shell. You'll get to know Erica (she/her) and Lou (they/them) as they spend time together after a long time apart. Oh, and they happen to do that in a massive space station orbiting Earth. If you asked Erica for a summary, she would say, "lesbians in SPAAAAAACE-ACE-ace!"

Read on for a preview of the first chapter, or go to Amazon to get your copy!

Amazon link: https://a.co/d/aQRCJA5

2045-08-11 15:50

138 hours to departure

Erica floated near a wall, staring at her phone. She watched as the shuttle map updated, a blip coming closer and closer to the port. She fidgeted excitedly – tossing the phone between her hands every few seconds – as she imagined the fun they'd have over the next few days. Then she heard the characteristic click-hiss of the docking procedure and grinned so hard her face hurt.

A few moments later, the airlock door swung open and attendants began helping passengers out into the hub and onto the waiting train. She saw a flash of short blonde hair and kicked off the wall as she locked eyes with Lou, flying toward them and exclaiming, "you're here!"

She grabbed a handhold on the wall to suppress her motion and yanked Lou off to the side, pulling them in for a deep kiss. "God, I missed you."

Lou wrapped their arms around her and squeezed her so tight she was momentarily worried she might bruise. "I missed you too, baby! I thought you were going to meet me in the Donut?"

"I wanted to surprise you!" She kissed them again and then grabbed them tight and kicked off, aiming toward the train. "C'mon, another one won't be here for a few minutes."

The interior of the train was softly lit and each row of eight seats was arranged around a central aisle. Erica watched with amusement as most of the new arrivals chose seats on the 'floor' – ignoring that it was just a matter of perspective. As they got their lap belts fastened, she asked, "how was the trip? Why'd you end up so late?"

"The flight was fine -- short and uneventful -- but everything leading up to that was annoying as hell. The passenger trains from the Buenos Aires ring to the New York ring were down for almost a day; apparently a tether snapped and had to be completely replaced. So I had to transfer through the Bangkok ring and missed my shuttle," Lou grumbled.

Her eyes grew wide. "Wait, the entire tether snapped?!"

They laughed a bit at that. "Oh, fuck no. That would've taken a lot more than a day to fix. Just one of the redundant lines, but you know how strict they are. Either way, I'm just glad I'm finally here."

"Me too," she said quietly as she laid her head against Lou's shoulder. "It's nice being able to touch you again."

"Perv," they teased, turning to kiss the top of Erica's head. "I know it's only been a few months, but it feels like years. How's life been?"

"Pfft, takes one to know one. Honestly, it's been really good; watching this place grow and change has been amazing. And I was able to set up a few fun surprises while you're in town!" She reached over and held their hand, sighing softly as their fingers interlocked for the millionth time.

Lou perked up at that. "Oh? Like what? Can I get a hint?"

"Nope. If I give you a hint, we both know you'll figure them out. I know you're terrible at it, but be patient."

"Next stop: Euclid station, your hub for shopping, entertainment, and hospitality."

"That's the Donut, right? Isn't that where your apartment is?" Lou reached down to undo their lap belt to get up, but Erica pulled their hand away.

"Yes, but that's not where we're getting off," she replied with a smirk.

"I guess the surprises are starting early," they said inquisitively.

She kissed them on the cheek. "Damn right. I have my baby for less than a week and I'm gonna take advantage of every second."

----------

"Next stop: Spire Prime, luxury hospitality."

Erica detached her lap belt and gestured for Lou to follow suit. "This one's us!" They raised an eyebrow but didn't speak. "When we stop, just follow me."

As the train came to its stop, she pushed herself up and they both proceeded to the exit. As they left the train, they were greeted by a pair of attendants. One of them spoke kindly, "welcome back, Ms. Rae! And you must be Mx. Cruz, lovely to meet you and welcome to Spire Prime. Your luggage should be here shortly; we'll see that it gets to you as soon as possible. Would you care for assistance to your suite?"

They both smiled wide at the personal greeting. "No thanks, Tom, I'll lead the newbie," Erica said with a wink.

"Understood! Let us know if you need anything, and we'll see you shortly with your luggage."

She locked arms with Lou and kicked off the doorway, leading them towards the panoramic glass exterior wall of the module. They could see the whole Earth below them, fully illuminated, though at this distance it was impossible to make out details.

She grabbed handholds along the wall and propelled them around the module until they reached their room. She waved her wrist in front of the lock on the wall and the door opened, beckoning them in. She grabbed hold of them and the door and flew inward, past a bathroom and into the living room.

Lou had seen pictures of this place as it was being built, but they absolutely did not do it justice. They looked around the room, taking in the sights. "Wow... This is absolutely amazing. You didn't have to do all this, you know." They drifted toward the glass dome window at the end of the room, while Erica attached her purse to the wall near the couch.

She scoffed. "It's your first time on the Spire! We have less than 6 days; do you think we were just going to go hit dive bars?"

Lou twisted around to look at her. "... Are there dive bars here?"

"I mean, yeah. But they're faux-dive still. Gonna take a few years to really get them dirty; we'll work on that later. But for now, I just want you to enjoy yourself." She pushed off the wall and flew over to them, grabbing a handhold and pinning them to the window, kissing them hard. "And I want to enjoy you."

Lou's arms wrapped around her body and pulled her in tight. "I love you so goddamn much," they whispered as they bit her neck gently. Goosebumps appeared all over Erica's body and she moaned softly.

She let go of the handhold and the two entwined, kissing passionately yet slowly. They drifted in space together, exploring each other's bodies as they had so many times before.

Lou grabbed the bottom of Erica's shirt and lifted it, their eyes transfixed by the earthlight cast on her skin. They pulled it off and dropped it to the floor, then broke out into laughter.

Erica turned and saw the shirt spinning aimlessly in midair and started laughing too. "Forgot there's no gravity, didn't you?"

"It's still so surreal..."

"You get used to it. Next time, throw," she remarked with a chuckle, then pulled them back in and kissed them hard as she unbuttoned their shirt. She removed it with ease, as she had done many times before, and tossed it over her shoulder.

They each pulled off their pants, throwing them out of the way. Lou kissed their way down from her lips to her neck to her chest, finally sighing, "god, I missed this."

She put her hands on either side of their face and pulled them up to look at them. "Me too, love. But we're together now, and that's what matters." Her hands traced down their side and then across their panties. "And I haven't fucked you in far too long."

She deftly maneuvered her hand into their panties and they spread their legs. Her hand moved forward and then she slid a finger into them. Lou moaned and leaned forward to kiss her hard, clinging tight to her, lest they be separated by physics. She slid a second finger in and started to fuck them with abandon, feeling them moan into her mouth.

Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door. "Oh, fuck. The bags." She gave them a quick kiss and then shouted, "one moment!"

[lesbiansurge]

June 2023 Brawl Talk

OH FUCK DANI IS IN THE BACKROOMS!!!!!!

more below the cut!

the new brawler this season is Cordelius, a, um..... mushroom, guy...? they say he was a gardener in starr park, but the toxicity of the place drove him mad; now he's stuck there. oh shit thats LORE!!!!!! nothing we didnt already know but wow!!!!

most of his kit isnt a whole lot; his main attack seems a little on the weaker end, but he is very fast to make up for that. on top of that, his super transports himself and whomever he hits to another dimension where they fight... TO THE DEATH!!! however, the odds are most definitely in his favor, as he gains a speed(!) and reload speed boost while his opponent can't use any gadgets or supers.

there's also spore mind cordelius, the tier 70 brawl pass skin, but frankly i dont care about it. blah blah blah another evil tier 70 brawl pass skin. this is like the third one we've gotten so far, right?

this skin (haunted house 8-bit) sucks dookey im not talking about it.

STONE TROLL LOU IS AWESOME THOUGH!!!! but its the power league skin *among us sound effect*

i actually quite like wood spirit chester. the face reminds me of el muneco from guacamelee 2 :) might not go out of my way to get it however.

finally...

ughhhh i could talk about my gripes with this skin now, but i'll save that for another post. tldr its a fun design but its also a big day for annoying people

there are more skins coming in The Summer of Pirates (keeping to the theme of summer of x) but i dont really care for any of them enough to cover here. which is funny considering griff and surge both got skins for this event.

its time for the best fucking part of this brawl talk though DOUG!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hes actually so awesome and looks so fun to play mechanically. plus i looooove hot dogs WAIT THATS WHY HES NAMED DOUG BECAUSE. BECAUSE THE THE THE HOT DOG!!!!!!!!!

mechanically he has a range similar to (maybe a little smaller than?) jacky, but with attacks like byron. that is, they both heal and hurt. there's also a bit of a point-blank mechanic in play where the closer everyone is to doug, the more health they gain/lose. i also noticed that the healing and damage arent 1:1, which actually makes me a little peeved since they refuse to do something similar for byron. but its whatever though (-:

moving on, he is the first brawler in the game that is able to revive others and himself! wait what about 8bit with extra life?? ...anyway, his super functions very similarly to gus, but replace the shield with a revive effect. of course, this revive effect doesnt last forever! i noticed that brawlers dont drop their gems if they get revived though, which sounds like he will be really good in gem grab. maybe. idk.

theres also the obligatory recolor skin draco doug. not much to talk about with that though <3

not to mention skin remodels! dark tide carl, iris tara (now stara), smuggler penny, and phoenix crow!!! wow!!! bonnie is also getting some 29 gem skins, unicorn bonnie and footbonnie (LIKE FOOTBALL. GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE GUTTER!!!)

finally, the moment some of you have been waiting for...! ARE! BOXES! RETURNING!!!

NO!!!!!!!!

i audibly cheered when they said that. however the mechanics are coming back in their own unique way. its in a way that i feel is a lot less predatory, so im overall happy with this, er... rework...?

introducing starr drops! you earn drops through winning matches (any kind of match counts) that can range from rare to legendary, much like the brawlers. you also get four chances to upgrade these drops, but the chances seem very small. drops can give resources, brawlers, pins, sprays, icons, and even skins! small caveat, only skins purchasable with bling that are not limited can be rewarded.

they also go into some stuff about how this is an overall buff to resource gain. i'll take their word for it :)

some extra stuff! payload is back, but the payloads themselves have no collision (basically meaning you can walk/shoot through them now. like hotzone but the zones move). takedown my beloved and wipeout my despised are back in rotation. quests can now be completed with more than one (but not every) brawler. speaking of quests, premium quests can now be progressed, even if you havent purchased the premium brawl pass. this makes it all the more sweet when you purchase the brawl pass after the beginning of the season :D

finally, paula is going to be leaving the brawl stars team. i wish her all the best <3

[natalie-the-writer]

Hey y'all! I'm back again with another UglyDolls, Lou centric story. It's a long one (over 14,000 words that I didn't know I was capable of-) but I really wanted to write this as a gift for my friend (0PerfectImperfections0) here. It is a very far cry from what was originally planned, but I do like it. Lots of angst. Lots of comfort. Lots of Lou. It connects with my other stories, but they're not needed to understand this.

Happy reading!

Thunderstruck

Boom!

Thunder rolled over Imperfection, dark clouds blotting out the sky. It wasn't often that it rained, but it always did at least once every two or three months in order to give new dolls the storm experience. Lou could teach about it all in textbooks, but a doll might not be able to completely comfort their child if they hadn't experienced it themsleves. The blonde stood up under a tree as the first rain drop fell, plopping on his nose. He blinked at it, then sighed. Another storm to get through. He hated these storms - the factory never held back on showing them every level of storm intensity. The lights would likely be out by midnight.

It was just passed eight now. Most dolls had returned from their child if they weren't staying for the night. He'd already seen Moxy, Babo, and Mandy walking around, waving joyfully at him whenever they passed. Lou smiled like he meant it, but he'd been feeling the storm thrumming through his stuffing since last night, leaving him sleepless and on edge, unable to sit down until dawn. He wasn't scared of storms themsleves, no, but due to being so connected to this doll world as a prototype, he could feel it in his core. In his programming. It made his chest feel like a coiled spring, breaths coming a little too labored at times, and a lack of focus on his end. He could barely get through his classes today, often leaving them to their own devices with a worksheet as he tried to drown out the headache building behind his eyes. The only time he really forced himself to be present was when he ran emergency drills: what to do if something happens to go wrong at your house, if you get caught in the storm outside, etc. He wasn't about to let them get hurt because he couldn't focus.

With every roar of thunder, he felt a shiver move up his spine, his headache beginning to take on a new ferocity. This always happened. It was a terrible feeling. He'd already sent out the message to all dolls, telling them to hunker down in their homes, and soon, he would be returning to his. The cottage was much better than his mansion, but it would still be empty. Distractions from the storm only worked for a limited time. Once it reached full ferocity, he'd have a migraine to the nines and another sleepless night. He'd have to cancel classes tomorrow for clean up and to get his mind to relax.

"Lou!"

He almost didn't hear the male voice calling his name. He blinked, realizing that he'd tucked his hands into his pockets. The drizzle had picked up, little droplets soaking into his black tux and hair. A second later, Nolan practically slammed into him from the side, nearly taking him down. He stabilized himself as the doll wrapped his arms around him in a hug, face pressed into his shoulder. Lou hesitated only a second before hugging one of his best friends back, entirely confused. Mandy was walking toward them, her hands wringing together and a small smile on her face.

Lou's brain was slow to catch up. Nolan and Mandy likely hadn't experienced a storm. If Mandy had on the outside world, it was likely nothing compared to what they knew would come from a factory induced storm. It'd been four months since Nolan came, and three since they became friends. The storm was a little late, likely due to the chaos the UglyDolls caused, but Lou definitely didn't mind. "Oh," he said, forcing himself into complete focus, "you both are neverous about the storm?"

Nolan nodded into his shoulder, pulling away a little but still not letting go of Lou's jacket. Mandy shuffled forward, nodding a little herself. "We were worried about you, too," she added. "You weren't answering your phone."

Confused, he kept one arm around the brunette as he pulled out his phone, seeing missed texts and calls from everyone. Oops. "Sorry, I didn't realize my phone was on silent." The thunder rolled again, making him tense involuntarily. "You both should get back home. I've survived enough of these to know how bad it can get. Better have flashlights and candles." He tried for a reassuring smile.

"That's the thing," Mandy said. "We're having a sleepover at my house for the storm. All our friends are there. We just need you."

For a moment, he was floored with shock. Sure, they'd been friends for a while. They'd stayed at his house for a night or two when he got sick or exhausted, but it was never for fun. The only time he really remembers spending the night with someone was right before they all became friends - when he became ill from exhaustion and collapsed, spending three nights at Moxy's house to recuperate. That doesn't technically count as a 'sleepover' - a word he only knew of from a short section in one of the textbooks. It took him a moment to realize they were both looking at him expectantly, possibly with some... hopefulness. Seeing those wide eyes on him, he felt any walls crumble. No matter how bad of an idea it was, he couldn't deny them. "Alright, I'll go."

Nolan and Mandy grinned. A second later, both were on either side of him, taking him by the arms to lead him down the hill and back into town. He silently urged them to pick up the pace as the storm picked up, not liking the twinge behind his eyes. Why did he agree to this sleepover again? 'Because they wanted you to come,' he reminded himself. 'Not sure why, but they do. The least you can do is try to make them happy, somehow. You can ignore your pain for a little while.' Maybe Mandy would have some painkillers in her bathroom.

"Lou? Earth to Lou?"

He snapped back into focus at the sound of Nolan's voice, realizing they were standing on the porch of Mandy's house. She was undoing the lock with her key, and Nolan was standing at his side. A crack of thunder erupted from the sky and the brunette flinched. Electricity buzzed under Lou's skin, increasing the ache in his skull, but he managed a smile. He rested a light hand on Nolan's shoulder. "It's alright, Nolan. Just a storm. Harmless as long as you know what to do."

He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good thing we've got the expert here." They shared a small chuckle.

Soon enough, he was sitting on the couch, Moxy sitting by him on the arm of it and Ox on his other side. Everyone else was sprawled out on the other couches or floor, where blankets and pillows were spread. There was a movie beginning to play on screen - Toy Story, they'd decided, just for the ironicness of it. Lou let the back of his head lean against the cushion, forcing his eyes open even as the storm increased his headache. He could feel the chip in his neck growing a little hot. Not painfully so, but enough to keep him from going into a doze. He was somewhat thankful for that.

Everyone was either watching the movie, talking, or laughing amongst themsleves. Weirdly, it didn't aggravate the ache. In fact, it made it a little better. Lighter. In the past, by this point, he'd have been holed up in his mansion bed, the covers over his head as he tried to sleep a little. Instead of the pain and panic, he only felt a little stuffed in the head, maybe a little floaty at times, his focus drifting in and out.

"I've got pajamas!" Mandy announced, shaking him out of his comforting oblivion. The higher volume in voice rattled his brain a bit like the thunder, and he had to blink away the fuzziness in his vision with a wince. The girl doll dropped a pile of clothes on an open spot of the couch. "Robes, silk, anything." She grinned, beginning to hand out clothes. Robes and altered pajamas that she and Nolan likely made were passed to the UglyDolls first, then a plaid pajama set was tossed to Nolan. He caught it easily.

Lou was not as lucky. The silk blue pajama set nailed him in the face. Not hard, but he still blinked with surprise, staring at them as they landed in his lap. "Thanks, Mandy," he managed, earning a grin in return. She went back to sorting clothes.

Ox bumped his shoulder lightly, gaining his attention. "Hey, you alright, brother?" He whispered, concern pulling his lips down.

Lou nodded before he consciously knew what he was doing. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going to go change." He got up and headed to the bathroom, ignoring the slight waver in his balance and hoping no one noticed.

________________

Ox did notice the near mis-step, and watched the blonde go down the hall. Once he disappeared into the bathroom, he summed up the thoughts he was having out loud. "There's something wrong with Lou." All the chatter stopped, heads turning to him with instant concern, worry, and confusion. Huge steps from when he first brought up that something was wrong with Lou, four months ago.

"I noticed, too," Nolan said quietly. He was wrapped up in a blanket, pajamas in his hands as he waited for Lou to come back. "He's... out of it. His face keeps tightening, too. Something's wrong."

"Think he's nervous about the storm?" Babo asked.

Mandy shook her head. "I don't think so. He's been here for years. Seen every storm. There might be something else wrong, but he's not saying anything."

"What do we do?" Moxy inquired from her spot on the arm of the couch, small purple robe wrapped around her body.

Ox sighed. "There's nothing we can do. We can't force him to open up. He'll only close up more. We watch him as best we can, maybe distract him from whatever's going on in that head of his, and keep him comfortable. He'll tell us if he wants to - he'll run if he doesn't feel safe."

Nods went around the room, and they turned back to the movie, trying to act as normal as possible for when Lou returned. He did, a few minutes later, allowing Nolan to change as well. Ox kept a subtle eye on the blonde, noting how Lou didn't seem focused on the TV, keeping his hands clasped in his lap and sapphire eyes almost distant from the world around him. A round of thunder shook the room and the dolls shuffled unconsciously closer together. The Uglies had experienced some storms before, but away from the main area, they weren't this bad. Mandy and Nolan were the most out of sorts, and the others kept a hand or arm on them at all times for assurance. Ox felt Lou tense when the thunder came, hands twitching.

He wasn't scared, but he was definitely uncomfortable. The distant eyes weren't assuring either. He bumped his arm against him again, feeling his worry increase when Lou's eyes were slow to turn to him. "What?" The blonde muttered, a hand coming up to rub at the corner of his left eye. Was he tired? In pain? He thought he heard some of his students remark that he wasn't as lively today. Maybe he hadn't slept well last night, or maybe a headache? Before he could ask, Moxy stood. "Let's play a game!" He watched Lou flinch a little at the louder volume, but the blonde leader straightened easily.

"What kind?" He asked, eyes shining with a bit of curiosity and amusement instead of covered with that distant cloud. Moxy grinned at him.

________

One game turned into five. Toy Story turned into Incredibles. Lou got so wrapped up in board games, card games, and charades that he could almost forget about the building pain in his head. He wasn't zoning out, but he was distracted from the constant ache to the point where it almost felt... not there. During game lulls, he found himself thinking about the past. About how he was all alone back then. Maybe this was part of what he needed. Maybe being lonely had made the pain worse.

Then the lights went out with the largest thunder boom. His vision whited out for a brief second, his knees going weak despite being sitting, and he had to blink away the haze as everyone else turned to look up at the now dark lights. The light of a flashlight made him squint. Ox was holding it, having produced the little light from... somewhere. "Looks like the TV is over."

"Is this normal?" Nolan asked weakly. Lou leaned forward, peering past Ox to look at the brunette.

"Yes, it is." He tried not to be too blunt, but every heart beat was reverberating in his ears. "The factory wants you to know every condition with a kid, and power outage is always a possibility." It felt like he was reciting off the textbook with a little more care than typed words. He hated that. It felt like his old self, but it was all he could muster. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he reached around Ox to pat Nolan's blanketed shoulder again, meeting mismatched eyes easily. "We're just fine. I promise."

Nolan gave him a real smile and the fissue of pressure in Lou's brain loosened a little with the knowledge he'd comforted his friend. He moved his hand after a moment, watching Moxy take the flash light from Ox and hold it up under her face. "Do you know what the dark means?" She asked excitedly.

"No lights?" Ugly Dog joked from where he laid on the other end of the couch. They laughed. Lou couldn't help the small snort that escaped him.

Moxy rolled her eyes playfully. "It means stories! Usually it's ghost stories, but I would rather tell happy or real stories. I'll go first!"

Over the next hour, the flashlight was passed around. The dolls told stories, some challenging others to figure out if they were fake or real. Even Wage joined in, telling of how her kitchen almost caught on fire. Lou watched with amusement, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, head held in his hands. The darkness wasn't so bad with the light and the laughter of friends. The storm rolled on outside and he found himself comforting Mandy and Nolan with the others, offering small touches and smiles. Sometimes, a large thunder boom or lightning strike would shake even Ox, and he would be the one assuring them things were fine. It gave him purpose and fulfillment.

His eyes were almost half lidded when the flashlight was passed his way. He took it on autopilot, blinking himself fully awake. Moxy jumped up to sit on the arm of the chair again. "Tell us a story, Lou!" She leaned against his right shoulder as he straightened again, looking at him with huge eyes.

"What kind of story?" He fished for suggestions, brain unwilling to come up with anything on its own. As much as he was relaxed, the pain was still ever present, clouding his thinking. He resisted the urge to rub at his temples, knowing that would give himself away automatically. They couldn't have any fun if they were worried about him. They'd spent too much time worried about him.

"Hmmm..." Mandy tapped her chin. "... a memory?"

The memory that came to mind immediately was his first storm. Taking a moment to look at all their faces, hopeful for him to share something of his past, he leaned forward slightly, letting the light illuminate his face better. He'd have to spare some details so they wouldn't find his current predicament, but his first storm was a somewhat interesting tale. "Alright." They leaned forward, getting closer to him with wide eyes. "I'm going to tell you about the first storm I ever experienced."

He wove them the story easily, the memory breaking through the fog because he could associate it so easily with this pain. He hadn't known the storm was coming, just that he felt 'weird' the day before. (They didn't know he could sense the storm, only that he saw the 'signs' hours before, allowing them to go through the storm drills. For story purposes, he described it as a gut feeling.) He told them how the storm came while him and the newest batch of dolls were still outside. They'd never seen rain before, so it was terrifying on all levels, but he'd led them to safety back to his mansion. He told of how they all crowded around in the basement, scared beyond witts, until he remembered what exactly what was happening. Back then, he'd had an easier time talking to dolls, and had calmed down through a game. He recounted how the fear eased out with laughter. Even as the lights went out, smiles continued. "And that's how we survived our first storm," he concluded, waving a hand with exaggerated gusto. Not exactly the most harrowing of tale, but he hoped they could empathize with the fear and surviving. "Just like we will. It's alright to be scared, as long as we don't let it control us."

"Exactly!" Lucky Bat declared, jumping on the couch. "This storm can't bring us down, as long as we're together." It was cheesy, but Lou found himself smiling anyway. Five months ago, he wouldn't have been able to say he had anyone to weather a storm with. Now he had multiple dolls to stay with. They were together. Despite the usual pain, this was the best storm experience he'd had. Even his first one wasn't really the light he played it out to be. As much as he'd enjoyed the laughter, it had shaken his skull. He'd stood off to the corner, watching, feeling like his head was an anvil and every hit of thunder shaking him to the core. He hadn't known how connected he was to that world until right then. It really proved how much the factory had control over him. He could let go of his fear of storms, but the pain was a reminder than he couldn't shake the control.

Nolan yawned, triggering some other scattered yawns and following giggles. Even Moxy was leaning more heavily against his side. Ox chuckled breathily. "I think it's safe to say it's time to sleep." A chorus of murmured agreement went around, causing a little trill of fear to go through Lou. He quickly calmed it. Just because they weren't talking and playing didn't mean he was alone.

He helped Mandy and Ox grab rolled up sleeping bags from the storage closet, busying himself with directing everyone to the best sleeping spots where they could be comfortable but still close. He helped with handing out pillows and extra blankets. Ox insisted they keep the flashlight on, pointed toward the opposite wall like a little night light. No one argued with him. The rain pounded against the windows and roof, and he knew by the growing pain in his head that this wasn't the worst point. The wind hadn't even gotten bad yet, only a small whistle against the outside walls.

Finally, at nearing one in the morning, they were all settled down in the sleeping bags. No one felt comfortable taking the couches and having the others sleep on the floor, so they were huddled in a group, some talking quietly and others already snoring. Lou gingerly settled his head on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling as he listened to them, trying to block out the rain.

Ox scooted closer beside him. Nolan was already sleeping on his other side, his fear thankfully less. Mandy was quietly chatting with Wage and Moxy. Lucky Bat and Babo were having a similar, quiet conversation. Ugly Dog was likely asleep as well, though Lou couldn't see him from his vantage point on the edge of the group. "Are you sure you're okay?" Ox whispered, so quiet he doubted the others heard. For that, Lou was thankful.

"I'm sure, you worry wart," he muttered. Even in the dark, he could see Ox raising an eyebrow. It hurt, but he rolled his eyes. "Just a little tired."

The green doll sighed. "Alright. Get some sleep. Goodnight."

"Night."

Lou let his eyes fall shut, forcing his body to go slowly limp in hope of convincing Ox he was asleep. It worked. More snores slowly filled the room until he was almost one hundred percent sure he was the only one awake - some dolls didn't snore, one of them being Lou himself. Snoring was considered imperfect, afterall. He allowed his eyes to open, shifting his head to face the comforting light, knowing his friends were at his back. His head pounded, the pain increasing every few minutes. Definitely a migraine. Ow. The comfort and friends helped, but now the pain was almost too much. He grimaced when a loud thunder boom raised the pain to a momentary crescendo, pressing his lips together to hold back the small whimper. He focused on the fact that the thunder hadn't woken anyone, holding onto that little bit of mental warmth, and tried not to cry.

He failed. He didn't make a sound, but a tear slipped down the side of his face, hitting the wood floor. Wrapping his arms around himself, he screwed his eyes shut and pulled in a stuttering breath, willing the pain to just stop. It never did, but it never stopped him from praying. He pressed a hand against the side of his neck where the chip was, feeling the burning beneath. It wasn't unbearable - like a fever in one area, but it was a sign of his tie here. A sign of the storm. It was only half over, maybe not even that. He was waiting on the downhill slope, for the pain to ebb away and leave him dizzy and numb feeling.

Another tear slipped out, drifting down his nose.

___________________

Lou wasn't sure when he managed to doze off, but he knew when he was awakened because Mandy was there, gently shaking his shoulder. Her voice was white noise to the slight ringing in his ears, and he blinked a few times, both from the sudden stabbing pain behind his eyes and the blurry vision. It cleared by letting out tears. The ringing faded. "Lou, Lou, do you hear me?" She whispered. The doll was knelt down beside him, hand gripping his shoulder tighter.

"Hm... yeah, yeah I hear ya.." he murmured, squinting up at her. "What is it?" His groggy mind struggling to pull words together or understand the situation. He could still hear snoring. The storm was still raging, but nothing was wrong, was there?

She paused, looking almost hesitant to continue. A crack of lightning went off, lighting up the windows beyond the blinds. Before he could think about it, he pressed a finger to his temple with a wince. It did nothing to relieve the pain. "You... you were crying a little in your sleep. Is this storm... hurting you?"

Realization slammed down on him all at once and he quickly wiped his eyes, opening his mouth to deny the observation, only to close it again. What exactly could he say? It's exactly what it looked like. "Maybe a little." She raised an eyebrow, mouth pressing into a thin line. The expression screamed 'I don't believe you. Cough up the truth or no more cookies for you.' He sighed, pulling himself slowly to sit up. He didn't fail to notice Mandy helping him. "Alright, more than a little."

She sighed. His eyes fell downcast, guilt welling in the pit of his stomach. "I'll be back in a sec with some pain killers." She got up and disappeared into the kitchen. When she was out of sight, he pressed his hand to his forehead, closing his eyes. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. He shouldn't have stayed here. Now Mandy was worrying over him. At least if he were home, he could've hid this. He'd suffered through it a hundred times. What was one more?

He heard her foot steps coming back and straightened, trying to fix his hair in some semblance of normal and wipe any remains of tears away. She gave him a small, sympathetic smile, offering him two small white tablets and a glass of water. He attempted a smile back, then quickly swallowed down the medicine, not wanting to wait another second for a little relief. "Thank you."

"Of course." Her eyebrows furrowed together as she took the glass back. "Why didn't you just ask for some in the first place?"

"I... I don't know. I guess I just... didn't want you to worry."

"I'm worried because you didn't tell anyone. I'm your friend, so I'm going to worry either way. Just... here." She put the glass on the little coffee table that'd been pushed to the side for them all. Then she did the unexpected. Mandy sat down beside him and pulled him into a hug, arms wrapping tight around him. He hesitated a second, then half melted into the embrace, the pain still keeping him a little tense. She ran a hand up his back and gently through his hair. The extra touch somehow took away a little of the deep, skull breaking ache. It was like magic. "Does this prove I'm your friend?"

"I know you're my friend."

"Then let me help you. Let us help you." She shifted so his head was pressed up against her shoulder. "Go to sleep. I'm right here." Her hand ran up and down his arm before moving to his hair, fingers gently massaging his temple. He found himself relaxing involuntarily, eyes growing heavy. The pain was still a heavy sledgehammer, but not hitting quite as hard. He was willing to bet it was more Mandy than the pain killers activating in his system. It hadn't been long enough yet.

He could only mumble something even he didn't understand, letting his eyes shut. He didn't try to fight back the pain. He let Mandy have full access to it, her fingers soothing anything she touched. It was only a brief second of reprieve in a certain area, but it was better than it was. He slipped into sleep more easily, letting the oblivion take him away from the pain for a little while.

________________

Mandy sighed, watching as Lou relaxed a little. His breathing came deeper and she would've believed he was peacefully sleeping if not for the tense muscles in his back and shoulders. She settled in to stay for a bit, hoping her being there might keep him asleep for a little while. She'd woken up to go get something to drink only to see some tears drifting down Lou's face when she happened to glance toward him. It'd been easy to wake him up, it always was when he didn't consciously try to stay asleep, but it'd taken so long for him to focus... She brushed her fingers lightly across his forehead. No fever. Just what looked to be a very intense headache.

She found herself thinking back on everything and honestly getting angry. Not at Lou, but at the factory. He'd already been subjected to torture in perfection. He'd been told to eliminate any dolls with physical wrongs, constantly paranoid as he bent the rules for years. He'd snapped due to so many abandonment issues and being fed up with everything, like being a trapped prototype guiding others to happiness that he couldn't have. Yes, he had things to make up for. A lot of things, some more serious than others, and he'd worked hard to redeem himself in the eyes of everyone, returning to be more like a Lou that Ox once knew. He'd succeeded in their eyes, yet he was still suffering. The storm was hurting him. She wasn't sure how, but it was. She wanted to yell at the clouds. At the factory. Tell them to stop hurting him when he's already been kicked enough.

"Is he asleep?" Ox's voice almost made her jump. She looked over to see the green bunny awake, eyes trained on his brother.

She sighed again. "Yeah, he is."

"I knew there was something wrong with him." He shook his head, obviously frustrated with himself and a little at the blonde doll. He sat up, reaching out and brushing some hair away from Lou's eyes. "Headache?"

"A severe one." Thunder rolled again. Lou flinched a little in his sleep, eyebrows furrowing and face tensing in pain. His breath stuttered in its calm rhythm. "The storm is hurting him. Every time it thunders or lightnings, it hurts him more." Frustrated tears were stinging the corners of her eyes. She fought them back. "There's no telling how much pain he's been in this whole time. It's likely why he was so zoned out."

"We'll let him sleep as long as he can. I doubt he slept last night, judging by how his students were talking. Maybe he can get through the worst of it unconcious."

Mandy could only nod. "What time is it?"

He looked at his new watch, a recent gift from Lou. "2:27. The others won't be awake for a while."

"You can go back to sleep. I'll watch him."

"You know he won't like you doing that." Ox stood. "How about you both move to the couch? You can both sleep there." It was best idea they had besides moving her sleeping bag over. Even then, the one pillow between Lou's aching head and the ground didn't feel like enough. They worked together to carefully shift Lou to lay up against Ox while Mandy got up. The blonde didn't wake, only shifting a little. Mandy was soon able to pick him up bridal style, moving him to the couch. They ended up letting out the recliner part, Mandy laying on that seat with Lou's head in her lap, propped up by another pillow. Ox draped a blanket over both of them, tucking the cloth securely around his exhausted brother.

"There we go. Snug as a bug." He whispered. Mandy cracked a smile, hands already in Lou's locks to gently massage his scalp and temples. The blonde leaned into the touch with a small, content sigh, some more tension leaving him. The medicine had to be working by this point. "Get me up if anything happens?"

"Of course."

Ox went back to his sleeping bag, though it took him a while to go back to sleep, eyes looking at what he could see of Lou when they finally closed. Mandy turned to watch her newfound friend, studying his face. The pain lines were there, if less pronounced. How long would the pain go on? Until the storm ended? Longer? She didn't know the answer. She settled her head back against the chair, hands idly combing through Lou's hair as she drifted into a light doze, ready to wake up if he needed her.

About an hour later, he did.

A loud crack of thunder followed by lightning made it feel like the house was shaking. She jerked awake, other dolls following suit. A pit in her stomach said this was the worst point, and she was proven right when a few tears escaped from under Lou's closed eyelids, a small, almost undetected whimper coming from him. She gently shushed him, vaguely aware of Ox coming to his other side and wiping the tears away.

"What happened?" Ugly Dog asked groggily. Nolan pulled his blankets over his head, peeking out from under them after a moment. Mandy couldn't blame him. That was loud. It had woken everyone, all the dolls sitting up and blinking rapidly.

"Just thunder," Ox assured quietly, placing his hand on top of Lou's head gingerly. Moxy's eyes widened when she saw where Mandy and Lou were.

"What's wrong with Lou?" She asked in a frantic whisper, garnering everyone else's attention.

Ox and Mandy shared a look. As much as Lou would hate everyone knowing, there was no getting out of it. Mandy let out a small sigh, gently pressing her finger to his left temple. "The storm hurts him. That's what has been wrong the whole time. I don't know why it does, but he's has a lot of pain in his head."

"What can we do about it?" Wage asked worriedly. She'd been one of the ones to initially doubt Lou, but since he started to help her out in the diner and show his truly soft side, she came to care for him as much as they did. Lucky Bat, the main one with medical knowledge due to his kid having medical textbooks, moved forward, peering into Lou's tense face.

"Not much," he supplied. "You've given him medicine?" Mandy nodded. "Then if the storm is what's hurting him, we'll just have to wait it out with him." He moved to the side so Nolan could take his place, the brunette kneeling by the blonde. Thunder rolled. The formerly scared doll didn't flinch, watching Lou's mouth tighten minutely.

"Why didn't he just tell us?" He asked, resting a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"He didn't want to worry us," Mandy said. "That's what he told me earlier. I told him we worry either way because we're his friends."

"Darn right." Ox agreed. Nolan's hand moved from Lou's shoulder to his neck, expression growing perplexed and alarmed. "Nolan?"

"His chip is burning."

Worried and a little confused, Mandy pressed her fingers near where his hand was. Indeed, heat was radiating from the area where Lou's most vulnerable part was. The piece none of them had. The sign of a prototype. He'd confided in them about it one night, telling them how it was the thing that kept him from going through the portal. When asked why he couldn't remove it, he'd said that it also contained his memories, his thoughts, his programming - even his emotions had developed within that chip. There was no way to remove it and still have Lou be... Lou. The robots had to remove it twice a year for scheduled maintenance, and he could never remember anything about that time besides being extremely cold. Removal wasn't an option.

"Lou's tie to the storm must be that thing," Babo said, ruffling through his pockets. He procured a rag. "Would ice help?"

"Good idea, Babo," Wage said, taking the offered item. "I'll have to open the freezer to get ice, but it'll be worth it." She ran off, coming back a minute later with a bag of ice wrapped in the cloth. Nolan took it and gingerly pressed it against the skin that covered Lou's chip. His face scrunched up, but some of the pain receded.

"What do we do now?" Nolan asked, watching worriedly.

Ox's face was grim. "We wait."

____________________

Most dolls had gone back to their sleeping bags, but they didn't sleep, quietly whispering among themsleves. Nolan sat at the end of the couch, holding Lou's feet in his lap, and Mandy stayed as a headrest for Lou. As much as her legs were likely getting restless and numb from being still, she didn't move, obviously worried she'd wake him. Ox sat on the armrest, watching his brother as Mandy kept the ice pack against his neck. It'd been three hours since everyone found out what was going on. Lou drifted somewhere between asleep and awake. When his eyes were open, they were vacant and hazy, his mouth unable to put together any sentences. Exhaustion was clear, but the storm kept him from sleeping peacefully.

'At least he's resting,' Nolan thought, turning from his friend to the nearest window. 'And the storm is dying.' Outside was mostly dark, clouds rumbling overhead, followed by the occasional lightning strike, but a bit of light was beginning to seep through. The rain wasn't as persistent, and the winds weren't so loud. Lou's pained winces were growing less and less.

"Mandy?" The voice was so quiet that Nolan almost didn't hear it. His head snapped over to look at Lou, who was blinking his eyes open slowly. Some pain and confusion clouded blue irises, and it made his heart hurt to see. "What's..."

"It's okay, Lou. You've been sleeping. How do you feel?" She asked quietly. Nolan could feel some tension rising in the air, the others silent now as they waited for Lou's response. The blonde's eyes moved from Mandy, to Ox, to Nolan, and he sighed.

"A little less like there's a wrecking ball in my brain." He closed his eyes fro a brief second. "Storm's almost over. Maybe two or three hours left. Lights should come on in a little bit." His left hand moved to press against his forehead and would've dislodged the ice pack if Mandy hadn't grabbed it. He blinked at it confusedly.

"How can you gauge that?" Ox asked curiously, pulling Lou's attention to him.

"I can feel it."

"How?"

"It's kind of hard to explain, but it's like it's in every thread I have. In my brain. I've been sensing it coming since the night before. It starts as a small prickling at the edge of my brain and in the..." he gestured to his chip, face pulling into a grimace. "It doesn't get painful until a little bit before it starts. It'll ware off in a while and I'll be fine."

"I don't think 'fine' will be the right word." Ox said. "I doubt you'll snap back to good the minute the rain stops. You haven't really slept."

"I've slept more than I normally would."

His eyes narrowed, face pinched with concern. "What do you mean?"

Lou pulled himself to sit up, Mandy grabbed the ice pack before it could fall, and Nolan shifted so Lou could sit between them. The navy pajama clad doll pushed away the blanket like it was an offending object, letting it fall onto his legs. "I mean," he put his index finger to his temple with a small wince right before thunder clapped. Nolan barely resisted the urge to hug him, shifting so his elbow was touching his arm. Lou offered a weaker smile. "I don't usually sleep any during these storms. It's too hard to. If I do, it's more similar to being knocked out by the pain. This time... I think I actually slept a little. So, better than usual."

"That still doesn't mean you're good to go. A little sleep isn't enough. I thought we established that?" Ox reminded pointedly. Lou glanced down, shoulders tensing a little as he visibly straightened himself. "Look, you've already cancelled classes and everything. It's clean up day. You already did enough yesterday to prepare everyone, so you need to rest."

Lou's eyes narrowed back at Ox - challenging him. "I've done this plenty of times before. I can handle it."

"Even if you can handle it, you shouldn't have to. Lou," he jumped off the couch, coming to stand in front of him. When Lou tried to look away, Ox forced him to look back, "you're tired. You've been in pain for several hours, and I doubt it'll go away without some kind of aftershock." The slight wince Lou made said that he was right. "You will stay here. You will rest. Then we're all going to come back here and figure out a plan for next time this happens."

"You can't fix it." The sentence was mumbled, so full of hopelessness that Nolan couldn't resist throwing his arms around Lou, hugging him tightly.

"Then we'll do something to soften the blow." Ox smiled softly, then hugged Lou around the front. Mandy followed on his other side. Soon, all the dolls were crowded around, hugging Lou from all sides and angles. Nolan felt him relax, the last of the tension in his body draining away. The rain was slowly pattering outside, a break in the clouds allowing the sunrise to start to break through the horizon.

Lou let out a sigh. "Alright, if you insist."

______________

'I feel miserable.'

Lou let his forehead rest against the tub, arms loosely wrapped around his torso. He was sitting on the floor of the bathroom by the toilet, breathing deeply as he tried to calm the rolling in his stomach. He didn't have anything to expel, so it was mostly dry retching, but it hurt. His head no longer hurt though it felt like he had cotton for brains. If he tried to stand, he was knocked back down with dizziness and the weakness in his limbs. It wasn't anything he was unfamiliar with, but he was used to doing this in the solitary of his mansion or behind a bush when no one was looking.

He blinked slowly, trying to chase the swirling colors from his vision. This storm had been a bad one, maybe worse than the others, but it was somehow better, too. Maybe because his friends were in the house, getting ready to head out to clean up. He'd disappeared in the bathroom fifteen minutes ago, hoping to get passed the nausea on his own. It never lasted overly long, but the weakness would be persistent for a few hours. His chest still felt tight, and he was exhausted. Ox was right. He wasn't going to snap back instantly. He never did.

'Be a lot easier if I could,' he thought with a deep breath, pushing against the tension in his chest. His stomach was calming, but he didn't feel ready to stand. He couldn't stand. He drew his knees to his chest, letting his head roll onto them. A knock on the door would've made him jump if he had the energy.

The storm sucked everything out of him. Sometimes, he was convinced that it took strength from him personally.

"Lou? You okay in there?" Nolan asked.

"Yes," he answered. It came out muffled. He tried again, raising his head. "Yes, just a minute." His voice sounded weak even to him.

"You've got sixty seconds. You have been in there a while." The worry in his voice warmed his heart a little.

"Don't rush me," he muttered, letting his head drop down. He doubted Nolan heard him. "Deep breaths," he told himself. "I've got to stand. No use worrying them more." He braced his left arm against the tub and went to rise. He made it halfway up before his legs collapsed underneath him, his knees hitting unforgiving tile. He winced, forehead coming to rest against the tub again. "Just a few more seconds. Come on."

He must've drifted a little longer than he thought because the doorknob jiggled, then twisted. Why didn't he lock it again? "Lou!" Nolan was at his side in an instant, hand on his back. "What's wrong? What do you need?" He was fretting, his other hand moving uselessly in the air. Lou would've laughed if his head didn't suddenly feel so off balance.

"Jus... just need a sec, Nolan. I'm okay."

"This does not look okay." The hand moved across his shoulders. "I'm going to go get Babo. This floor isn't doing anything for you." The hand disappeared, followed by Nolan's fast footsteps down the hall as he called for Babo. A small smile pulled on Lou's lips and he let his eyes fall shut, focusing on the air moving in and out of his lungs as the haze settled more firmly over his brain. It wasn't typically this bad. It might've had something to do with the off scheduleness of it all.

He didn't realize he fell asleep until he was being gently picked up by strong, fluffy arms, one looped under his legs and the other supporting his back. His head fell easily against Babo's chest and shoulder, his half concious mind trusting the bigger doll not to drop him. He kept his eyes shut as they moved, fighting back the small amount of vertigo that threatened to churn his stomach. Soon, he was laid across the couch again, a fluffy blanket pulled up to his shoulders.

A hand pressed against the area of his chip. He didn't flinch. "It's cooled down now," Mandy said quietly. "But just in case..." The ice pack was slid back into place. It was admittedly soothing after so much heat had burned up the area, but not as soothing as the thought behind the action. It loosened some of the tension in his chest as his heart warmed. He let himself float in his mind as he let the words of the others wash over him. They were organizing clean up crews after receiving reports of cloth being blown around, some trees and structures tipping with the wind, but no one was hurt. They'd followed his instructions.

Light hit his eyes and he squinted. Electricity was back. Said lights were cut off very quickly, letting him blink his eyes open further. He turned his head slowly, watching the others move about, reorganizing Mandy's livingroom back to how it was before the sleepover. Sleepover. An unconscious smile appeared on his face. It had been nice, hadn't it? They should do more of these sleepovers. That was a fun word. How often did people actually sleep on sleepovers? Kids sometimes pulled all nighters. He wondered if he could organize one. Something fun to make up for all of this. He yawned into his hand, fighting to keep his eyes open as he soaked up every bit of comfort. It was nice to be able to breathe after a storm instead of forcing himself to act normal.

"You jus' rest up here, brother." Ox appeared, patting his shoulder. "Recuperate. We'll be back in a few hours, with lunch."

"It's on me!" Wage called, getting a round of smiles and laughs.

Ox snorted out a laugh. Then his face turned vaguely serious. "You do anything foolish, I'm coming for ya. I can and will put you on bedrest if I have to, and I know you hate that."

Lou rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I got the message," he muttered. Everything was slowly getting a little clearer, but sleep was grabbing at his conciousness. The blanket, the softness of the couch, the warmth - he was safe to fall, right here, right now. "I, uh," he didn't know what was compelling him to say this, speaking so quietly only Ox and maybe near dolls could hear. "I didn't tell the full story with the first storm. Close, but not... complete."

"You don't hafta say if you don't want to," his brother said quietly, a sudden concern crossing his face.

"I want to." He thought for a second, unable to look him in the eye for a second. Finally, he forced his eyes to meet Ox's. "Everything about the other dolls was true but... I stayed off to the side. It was... the first time I really felt pain. I didn't know what was happening, but I wanted them happy even though I thought I might be dying. The factory never told me that storms would hurt my head so much, or why. I just figured it was because I am a deep part of this world."

"You don't deserve this pain, Lou," Ox whispered, eyes glossy and angry. Lou knew that anger wasn't directed at him. "If I could fix it right now, I would. We're going to try and fix it. I promise. We'll do everything we can to make it better." He took his shoulder and squeezed it. "Thank you for telling me all this. Telling us. Don't worry about anything. We'll take care of it." He fixed the blankets around Lou's neck. With the knowledge he'd told the story right, told someone one of his most terrifying memories, Lou let his eyes shut. The tightness in his chest was slowly easing and his head didn't feel so fuzzed out.

He fell asleep a minute later.

_______________________

Lou woke up an unknown amount of hours later, blinking dazedly. He felt comfortably warm under the blanket, none of those unpleasant chills racing up his spine like before the storm. The only chill was the ice pack, and it had mostly melted down into cold water. He rubbed at his eyes with his fists, forcing himself to wake up a little more. The sun was higher overhead - about noon. He'd slept peacefully for six hours. No dreams. No nightmares. Pure sleep. His head was still a bit cotton feeling, but it wasn't too the point where it was hard to focus.

Slowly, he pulled himself to sit up. The room didn't spin. He waited a moment before pushing the blanket off. As much as his body wanted to lay there for another hour or so, he also didn't like staying still right this moment. Ox's threat came back to his mind as he put his feet against the floor. 'I'm just going to change into my suit again,' he reasoned with himself. 'No use to stay in pajamas all day.' He pushed weight on his feet tentatively, then hauled himself all the way up. He stumbled a brief second, but stayed on his feet. "Success," he muttered to himself, glancing around as if he'd get caught. The others might not approve, but they weren't here to stop him, were they?

He moved carefully back to the bathroom where his clothes were neatly folded on a shelf, right where he left them. His strength wasn't completely back, leading to him placing a hand against the wall for balance as he changed. The weakness would be persistent for another few hours, though it definitely wasn't as bad as earlier. He could walk anyhow.

Lou smoothed back his hair as best he could and went to place his used pajamas in the hamper, only to see how much laundry had piled up. "Huh." He tossed the clothes in, grabbed the basket by the handles, and headed to the laundry room. He had to stop a few times on the short trek, cursing himself a little each time, but he did eventually make it to the washer. He chucked the clothes in, poured the exact right amount of detergent and softener, and started the load. "Ironic." He said aloud. As much as the factory told him to use the wash as punishment, the hypocrisy was not lost to him.

Before he knew it, he was picking up chores around Mandy's house. Dishes, clothes folding, sweeping, dusting - he did everything his eyes landed on. It was partly his inbuilt urge to make things perfect by cleaning, but the main thing was that this was Mandy's house. She hosted a sleepover and cared about him. The least he could do was clean up afterward. An hour later, he had most things done and shakily sat down on the couch, only then realizing how weak his legs were feeling. Ignoring that, he raised up his fingers in opposite 'L's, checking the symmetry of the pictures on the walls.

The door opened. "We're back!" Moxy announced loudly, running into the house with one of her giant, contagious smiles.

"Moxy!" Ox gently scolded.

"What? He's awake. You can't wake an awake person."

Lou decided to chime in, dropping his hands. "She's right."

"Ha! Louis agrees with me!"

Lou rolled his eyes, fighting back a smile. He didn't correct his full name. "Only because you're correct."

"Exactly. Proving my point." She jumped up onto the couch, sitting up against his side. "We got you pasta with pepper flakes. Your favorite!"

"Absolutely my favorite." His heart twinged. He'd went with them to eat numerous times and his main order was definitely pasta, with a medium amount of pepper flakes. Not too much, not too little. It was touching that they noticed, no matter his often he ordered. It meant they were listening to him on something that wasn't doll regulation related. Of course he knew they listened, but every reminder made him tingle with warmth.

"And something a little different that might help you," Lucky Bat said, walking up to him with a plastic cup balanced on his head. Lou took it when urged, eyeing the dark liquid suspiciously.

"Dude," Lucky Bat jumped on the couch, settling on the arm, "it's not poison."

He narrowed his eyes playfully. "That's exactly what someone who was trying to poison me would say." Despite that, he took a sip. It was minty and somewhat sweet. Tea with something else in it. Something like... "Peppermint tea?" He guessed.

"Yup!" Moxy replied. "Lucky said it might help your head. We can try it sooner next time, see if it might take off some pain."

He got that heart feeling again. "Thank you." He took another sip, getting used to the cooling sensation that settled over his mouth as the others settled the bags of food on the table, taking out styrofoam cartons and handing out drinks, happy chatter filling the room. He asked about the clean up and was met with stories of shenanigans and success. He was proud of the dolls, his students, who jumped in to help immediately. Apparently clean up was a cinch. He felt guilty for not being there, but he also knew they wouldn't have let him, nor would he have been much help in his state.

Mandy was looking at him strangely. He met her eyes with a raised eyebrow. She crossed her arms. He crossed his, crossing his legs too for good measure after placing down the drink. The others paused, looking between them.

Ox was the one to break the silent stare off. "What's going on between you two?"

"He cleaned." Mandy stated, sending eyes his way. "Even the dust is gone."

"You weren't supposed to do anything, Lou." Ox scolded.

"I wasn't supposed to do anything foolish," he defended himself. "I don't think straightening up a little is foolish. Also, that picture is crooked." He pointed, going to get up only to be gently pushed back down by Nolan, the brunette appearing at his side out of thin air.

"You didn't need to do that," Mandy said, dropping her arms with a sigh.

"I know."

"Then why did you?"

"I wanted to."

She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm not going to get anywhere with this, am I?"

"Nope."

Mandy rolled her eyes, grabbed the box labeled 'Lou-Lou,' and pushed it into his hands. Before she stepped back, she ruffled his hair. He let out a little 'hey!' as he playfully batted her hands back, attempting to fix his hair to its original state. She chuckled and grabbed her food, going to sit on the other couch as Nolan sat on his other side, squishing Lou between him and Moxy, who was cheerfully drinking a milkshake.

A movie came on the TV, but most weren't paying attention. Lou definitely wasn't. He was twirling pasta around his fork and drinking the new tea they were so considerate to get, listening to pleasant, friendly banter and conversation. Jokes were made, some food almost spilled, and Lou was smiling to himself as he listened to it all. He was warm. Physically and mentally. Nothing hurt. The haze had receded, allowing him to fully feel and understand the care they were all showing him. They really did care. He knew they did, but every day reaffirmed it. He wasn't alone anymore.

That was the best feeling in the world.

__________

It was during a dinner three months later that he felt it again. The prick in his brain. The shiver in his spine. A buzzing feeling beneath his skin that wouldn't allow him to stop fidgeting with his hands under the table. He knew the feeling would get worse in a few hours, but in the beginning, it was manageable. He didn't want to ruin dinner - the first time they'd all been able to be together in a week. He forced a smile when looked at, talked when spoken to, and tried to keep breathing through the tightening of his chest.

Nolan lightly elbowed him in the torso. He looked up from where he was poking at his pasta, raising an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"You've gone quiet, Lou." He commented. He was smiling, but there was a worried tint to it. "Everything okay?"

"I'm fine, Nolan. You worry too much."

"Well, you're not one to be silent during a debate."

He tuned back into the conversation going on around them, vaguely aware it had become white noise to his ears. Moxy's kid had pineapple on pizza, and they were debating if that was right or wrong. Lou knew it didn't matter to them what someone ate, but it was fun to have an opinionated debate. Moxy was declaring it the best thing ever while Ox was against it. They were making their cases, pulling others to their sides. It was mostly laughter. "Just... want to watch."

"You were kind of watching your food."

He rolled his eyes, ignoring the numb feeling developing at the forefront of his mind. It would soon delve into sparks that left him unable to close his eyes. "Specifics. I was listening." He took a sip of his drink.

"Are you drinking the peppermint tea?"

"Yes," he admitted slowly. "Why?"

"Does your head hurt?" The question was spoken quietly, wide eyes staring worriedly at him. No one else noticed, laughing at something Babo said.

He huffed. "No." It wasn't a lie. Technically. It wasn't painful yet. "I just like it."

"Okay." He dropped the subject. Lou was thankful for that.

"Hey Louis!" Moxy called. He raised an eyebrow. "Pineapple on pizza: yes or no?"

He shrugged. "Never had it, so I can't judge."

Next thing he knew, Ugly Dog and Lucky Bat were flagging down one of Wage's employees, ordering a slice of pineapple pizza for him. While he knew he'd be throwing it up tomorrow, he smiled through it, reminding himself that the sun was still shining outside. He soaked up every bit of the comfortable familiarity of the situation so he could hold onto it later.

If Nolan noticed him ordering a peppermint tea to take home, he didn't say anything.

_________________________

Lou couldn't stay still.

It was one in the morning and he could feel the storm forming. It was distant, a pulse behind his eyes and electricity running across his skin, leaving him unable to stop and close his eyes. Sleep was futile, but he tried anyway. He didn't stay down for five minutes, tiring of tossing and turning.

Now he was moving from room to room in his house, taking the stairs two at a time whenever he happened to hit them. Moving a lot gave him a brief reprieve from the static in his brain, but it wasn't enough. He couldn't focus. He'd start a task and stop halfway through because something else caught his eye. All the half done tasks - laundary, book reorganizing, dishes - were driving him nuts, but he just couldn't stick to them. He'd drank all the tea. He was out of peppermint candy. He couldn't think, constantly on edge and unable to relax for one moment. It was frustrating. It was horrible.

"I've gone through this a million times." He told himself, pacing back and forth across his bedroom. When he took a glance at the mirror, he saw his hair was becoming a mess from running his hands through it. His suit was a little rumpled from running around. The visual made him feel worse. "I can do it again. It'll be over soon." Maybe they'd have another sleepover? But it wouldn't be like last time. They'd be worrying over him now that they knew how the storm affected him. They knew about his pain. They wouldn't be able to have fun.

Lou did another lap around the room, stopping at his bed to fix the already perfect blankets. His hands trembled, unnatural energy with no way to get out. Lou moved to his bookshelf where he had several stacks of books on the floor, disorganized and ready to be moved to the partly empty shelves. He knelt down and put a few away, only getting halfway through before he couldn't stand barely moving. Letting out a frustrated huff, he left and practically sprinted down the steps to the kitchen. He walked around the island counter a few times, flexing his hands. He hated this. How many times had he thought that at this point? Too many to count.

His thoughts were coming too fast. He pressed his index and thumb fingers against the bridge of his nose, dragging in a deep breath as he speed walked. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. It didn't do any good for him to get upset. He just needed to go through the motions until morning, when the fidgeting would settle into exhaustion and more haze. At least he could think at the moment. That would be harder to do later. So much harder. "It's just temporary." He had to assure himself.

In the next second, he ran into the fridge. Rubbing his forehead, he glared at the offending appliance. His face softened when he saw a photo of his friends, held there by a smiley face magnet. They were all grinning at him. His eyes roamed over the metal, his body stilling for the first time in hours as he looked over various photos. Selfies covered his fridge, everyone smiling at him. A small smile chased away some of his frustration, allowing him to take one deep breath. The electric energy buzzed inside, demanding to be let out, but for a moment, it fell to the background.

He could text them. They wouldn't be awake, but he could let them know there was a storm coming. It might appease some of his anxiety because they would know. Maybe. He started walking again, feeling the nervous energy build once more, and grabbed his phone from where it charged on the couch. He found the group chat quickly and typed (making several typos that he had to go back and fix): Storm coming in tomorrow evening. Drills in the morning.

It was curt. He was typically professional (with snark when the time called), even in the chat, but it was a bit much. What else could he say? He dropped the phone back on the couch, not expecting anything of it. All of them were asleep, like they should be. Like he should be. Like he wanted to be. Running his hand through his hair again, he paced the living room, switching his hands from being folded behind his back to in front of his stomach multiple times. As with every time this happened, he wished he knew why. Wished there was a way to block it all out. Disconnect from the storm. Literally. He touched his chip area. It was cold. He was cold. The heat was turned up, but he was cold.

He headed up the stairs again. Spun when he hit the top and ran back down, almost tripping on the last step. What time was it again? Had to be getting near two in the morning.

Up the stairs again. Down the stairs. Up. Down. Try to shake off the edge. The anxiety. Up the stairs. Down the stairs. Focus on walking. Up. Down-

Halfway down, there was a knock at the door. He stumbled out of sheer surprise, missing the next step and tumbling down the last four stairs. He managed to catch himself in a crouch at the end only due to his athleticism, but impact with the stairs would leave him with a few bruises tomorrow.

"Lou!" That was Nolan. The doorknob jiggled. Lou was infinitely glad he locked it. "Are you alright in there? What happened?"

The blonde took a moment and straightened himself up, smoothing out his suit as best he could and attempting to organize his hair into some semblance of style. He shook himself, ordering his body to stop with the shaking. He could act normal until Nolan left. Why was he here anyway? Did his text wake him? A pit of guilt settled in his stomach as he opened the door. "Stop yelling. You're going to wake the whole neighborhood." He forced an eyeroll, immediately regretting it when he saw Nolan's worried face, the brunette looking him up and down. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Nolan slipped inside the house. Lou let him, shutting the door and shoving his hands in his pockets to hide their movements. "I just wanted to check on you."

"Well, I'm fine and you should be asleep." He would've crossed his arms if they weren't in his pockets. Nolan was wearing grey sweatpants and a green t-shirt, obviously having been ready to sleep but was decidedly not.

"So should you." Nolan was free to cross his arms, but didn't. His mismatched eyes were full of worry. "You're not even in pajamas."

"I like my suits."

"I thought you loved your pajamas?"

Lou hesitated. "I do. I just didn't want to wear any right now."

Nolan glanced around, eyes narrowing on the half dome dishes in the kitchen. "Why is every light in your house on? And are you doing dishes?"

He gave an exaggerated sigh. Staying still was a pain, so he allowed himself to move to stand across the room, hopefully blocking out Nolan's view of the sink. He tried not to think of all the other half done chores. "Look, Nolan, I'm perfectly alright. Go back home and get to sleep. Big day tomorrow with the storm and all." He waved his hand dismissively, ignoring the slight tremor in his fingers.

"Louis." He almost flinched. Nolan never used his full name. This was bad. "Being very frank here-"

"I thought you were Nolan," he tried to joke. He was met with a raised eyebrow. The worry never left his best friend's face.

"-you do not look alright. Is it because of the storm? The way you said you could sense it?" Lou glanced away. His foot tapped at the ground, and not just because of the excess energy running through his stuffing. "That's what this all is, isn't it? You told me your head didn't hurt." The sadness in his voice made Lou snap back to him.

"And it didn't."

"Does it now?"

"No." Nolan watched him, silently encouraging him to elaborate. Lou heaved a sigh and placed his hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Look, I'm not in pain." His forming bruises begged to differ. "I'm just a little...on edge." That was vastly understating it. His hand shook against Nolan's shoulder and he yanked it back, offering a smile. Nolan surveyed him again.

"You're practically shaking."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am- ugh." He ran his hand through his hair again, walking away to the kitchen. Nolan followed him. "I'll go to sleep in a little bit." It was easier to lie when not looking at him.

"I really doubt that. You can't stop moving."

"Can too."

"Prove it then."

"You sound like Mandy."

"Still not seeing you proving a point."

Lou pressed his hands against the counter, forcing himself to be still. He looked Nolan dead in the eyes. "There. I'm still." The energy built up like a shaken soda bottle in his chest, tingles running through his brain and threads. Nolan stared at him. One second. Two. Three. Four. Fi- His fingers tapped against the cobblestone. "Ugh. Fine. I can't stop moving at the moment. It'll ware off in a little bit."

"And turn into head pain."

"Not until the thunder starts."

"That's not very comforting, Lou."

"Whatever." He was running out of mental energy for this. "Just..." he ran his hand down his face with another sigh. "There's nothing you can do." A shiver went up his spine, and he rubbed his hands together to try and create some heat as well as let out some energy. He started to pace beside the island counter, unable to stand the lack of motion any longer.

"But I want to help you." Nolan's eyes were so wide it hurt.

"If you want to do me a favor, then leave." The brunette flinched slightly. Lou winced and softened his voice, forcing himself to pause. "I don't mean it like that. I feel bad keeping you from sleep. It would make me feel better if you did get some rest. Really. I'll be okay."

Nolan spoke so quietly Lou almost didn't hear it. "But you're not okay right now."

Lou didn't answer. Instead, he turned on his heel and headed up the stairs, unable to handle this right now.

He didn't want to admit how much his heart hurt when he heard the door shut.

___________________

Lou was organizing the walk-in closet when he heard footsteps on the stairs. More than one set. He sighed, reaching out to hang up a black suit. He didn't really need to move it to another spot among other black suits, but moving clothes around allowed him to walk back and forth across the closet and still feel like he was doing something. No matter how pointless it was.

"Lou?" That was Ox.

Lou peered around the edge of the door, foot tapping anxiously. Ox and Nolan had just walked into his room, slightly open mouthed. The blonde couldn't blame them. The blankets from his bed were crumpled on the floor from where he'd wanted to redo them, only to jump to the closet when his focus switched. It wasn't entertaining enough. Engaging enough. It didn't require enough movement. The closet was barely cutting it, and he was about to move to something else. The rest of his room was also in shambles. More books off the shelves than on. Framed photos and trinkets were thrown this way and that, some on the bed and others sitting on the floor. His usually impeccable room looked like a tornado had gone through it.

He was the tornado. A storm inside a doll.

Deciding he couldn't hide anymore, he sighed. "Right here." He stepped out, aware he probably looked like absolute crap. The instant concern on Ox's face proved that. "What do you need and why are you both here?" His eyes narrowed, hands folding behind his back. "I thought I sent you home, Nolan."

"I went for reinforcements, a lot of whom were already awake, by the way," Nolan replied.

"My text?"

"No," he shook his head immediately. "I... kind of thought you weren't saying the whole truth at dinner and told some of our friends. They were awake when I called."

"Wait, some of? They?" He slipped by them, dodging the hands that tried to stop him. He got through the doorway, turned sharp, and hit the stairs two at a time once more. His legs were beginning to ache from moving so much. He might be athletic, but his energy didn't match his physical capabilities at the moment.

"Lou!" Mandy's voice startled him so much that he missed the next step and fell down the stairs. Again. Only this time, he didn't land on his feet. The air was knocked out of him as he landed hard on his back. "Lou! Oh gosh. I didn't mean to startle you." The girl doll was there in a second, grabbing his hand. "My goodness- why are your hands so cold?" Instinctively, he yanked his hand back and hauled himself off the ground.

"It's fine. Just didn't know you were there."

"How is it fine? You just fell down the stairs." She took him by the shoulders, looking him over. "Are you hurt?"

He took her hands off of him, already moving to spin around, seeing all the dolls doing various things around his house. Lucky Bat and Ugly Dog were on barstools, doing his dishes. Well, attempting. They were getting quite a few suds everywhere, but he didn't find himself able to mind. He'd already destroyed his room. Like he did every time this built up energy came. Wage was at the stove, a pot of something boiling on it. A styrofoam box sat to the side, away from the suds. Babo was fixing photos he'd taken down in an attempt to rearrange, replacing them on the wall hooks. Moxie was nowhere to be seen. That should unnerve him a little, but he was too confused to care. Everyone was wearing pajamas.

"Lou?" Mandy waved her hand in front of his face, pulling his attention back. Her face screamed worry. Nolan and Ox were coming downstairs, similar expressions on their face. The former was carrying what looked like a set of his pajamas. "You didn't answer me. Are you okay? That looked rough." A quick glance proved the others were visibly trying not to look at him, eyes as concerned as Mandy's. They were probably trying not to place mor attention on him.

"No, no, I'm fine." He assured, trying to keep his voice light even as he moved to the kitchen. The three followed. "Not the first time I've fallen down the stairs tonight." As soon as the words came out, he grimaced. Probably shouldn't have said that, but his mouth had a mind of its own. Too many thoughts to figure out what he should and shouldn't say.

"You've already fallen down once?!" Ox's voice was barely below a yell.

"I landed on my feet."

"But you fell down the stairs."

"I landed on my feet," he repeated. Stressed it. Why were they all here? "What's going on? Why are you all here and not, I don't know, asleep in your homes?"

"Because believe it or not, we care about you," Mandy stepped forward, taking him by the hand again. She squeezed his fingers without trying to stop his walking. In fact, she walked with him. "Nolan told us you weren't able to stay still because of the storm. We hoped we could help."

"I've already told Nolan - there isn't a way to help. This happens every time and I've tried everything." He walked around the island, then to the living room, fully aware of the eyes on him. It wasn't like when he was on stage. Mandy stayed right by his side, keeping up with his long strides.

"We can be here for you."

"I don't want any of you worrying. You all need to rest."

"And so do you." She reached out and took his chin, pulling his face to look at her. "I've told you before, Lou. We are going to worry because we are your friends. We don't want you to bottle this up and try to handle it yourself. Even if we can't do much, we'll do what we can. These messes," she gestured around to where the dolls were cleaning, "have to be annoying you, aren't they?" Hesitantly, he nodded. "We can clean them up. We can wait this out with you. Please, let us help."

He looked around. Everyone's eyes were on him. Silently pleading with him. It only took a few seconds for him to completely cave. He let out a long drawn out sigh. "Fine." She smiled and pulled him in for a hug. Just like when looking at the pictures, he found a second where he could pause, putting his arms around her. It only lasted a moment, but it calmed some of the anxiety keeping his chest tight and thoughts racing. Smiles went around the room as the dolls went back to what they were doing, Nolan and Ox standing at the edge of the kitchen with soft smiles.

He had to let go after a minute, going back to his pacing that the storm demanded he do. Mandy followed, hand in his and offering warmth that the heater couldn't. "Really, why are your hands cold?" She asked.

"I don't know. I really don't. Just like with the storm, I don't know how it affects me. It's... how it works."

"What does it feel like?" Nolan asked suddenly. Lou raised an eyebrow, turning his head while walking to keep him in his vision. "Having to walk around and all. What's keeping you going?"

His shoulders fell a little. Mandy squeezed his hand. "It's like...." He forced in a breath. "It's like there are a million sparks going through me. Too much energy without a real outlet. I can't focus on anything for too long because there are so many thoughts going through my head. It's kind of ironic because later, I won't be able to focus or move much at all, and there will be hardly any coherent thoughts going through." He winced. "Or maybe it's just how it's supposed to go."

"None of this is how it's 'supposed to go.'" Mandy insisted, eyes hard. "You don't deserve this."

"We don't choose the cards we get dealt."

There was a brief moment of silence at his statement. Ox broke it. "How long does it usually last?"

He thought for a moment, pivoting on his heel. Mandy switched hands. "Until about four or five o'clock, somewhere in there." He answered the next question before it could be asked. "No, I don't sleep."

"Why?"

"Too much stress. And I don't want to accidentally sleep through class." He replied. Ox's mouth turned down in obvious distaste, but he nodded. Nolan came up and pushed his pajamas toward him, forcing Lou to catch them in one arm. He blinked confusedly.

"At least change into these. You'll be more comfortable."

Knowing there was no getting out of it, he nodded. Mandy and Nolan passed his hand between them and soon he was being led upstairs to the bathroom to change.

________________________

When he stepped out of the bathroom and into his room, he was surprised at what he saw. Nolan, Ox, and Mandy had picked up his floor and remade the bed. The clothes he hadn't quite finished folding were done and put away. "You guys know you don't have to do this, right?" He more stated than asked. Mandy looked her arm with his.

"We know, but we want to." She said, smiling slightly as she threw back words he said months ago. He managed a small chuckle, already moving forward and pulling her along. She matched him easily, even as he took the steps two at a time. Ox and Nolan followed right behind. "So you've basically been running around the last few hours?"

"Yes."

"And it doesn't make you tired?"

He wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. "It's... complicated. I can be tired and full of energy at the same time. The energy isn't exactly mine." She nodded, worry once again covering her face. He hated that expression. Hated that they were all worrying about him even though it was touching his heart like it always did. "I'll be tired later."

"And you'll sleep."

He didn't say yes or no.

When they got downstairs, Wage pushed a warm glass of brown liquid into his open hand. "Drink up, Lou. If it helps or not, I know you like it." A little surprised, he took a drink. Peppermint tea. He smiled as the cooling sensation crossed his mouth once again. It was ironic in the fun way. His mouth was cool and the warmth of the drink was seeping into his cold hand.

"Thank you, Wage."

"Anytime. I've also got some pancakes ready for you in the morning." She patted his shoulder as she passed him.

He took a look around, still in constant motion. Everything was fixed back relatively close to how it was. He didn't mind the small changes - they were signs of care. Signs his friends cared even as they stayed awake for him. "Thanks everyone. It looks great."

Several 'no problem's and 'anytime's met him. He smiled. Despite the electricity running through him, he felt... calm. Truly calm for the first time in hours. Moxy then ran in from somewhere else in the house, holding something in her hands. "I have something for you, Lou!" She announced, almost slamming into his legs. He managed to pause his walk to peer at her curiously. "Here!" He knelt down to take a multicolored cube. At his confusion, she elaborated. "It's a rubix cube. The goal is to get one color per side. It might help your focus and give you something to fidget with."

He sat down the glass of tea on the table and Mandy loosened her hold on his arm so he could take the cube, flipping one piece experimentally. Then another. "It's cool, isn't it?" Moxy beamed. Then she did something unexpected - something he should really expect out of her. She lightly stepped onto his foot, putting her arms around his leg. "Carrying a weight around can help deplete that energy. Could we try?"

He couldn't say no to her face, but it wasn't like he wanted to. "Alright, we can try."

"Me too!" Ugly Dog barreled into his other leg, doing the same thing as Moxy. Neither weighed that much. "As long as you're fine with it, that is."

"I think I'm good with it. Hang on." He took a careful step with his left leg, causing Moxy to giggle. Then his right. Ugly Dog laughed. He soon settled into a slightly slower walking pace, Mandy on his arm and the two smaller dolls on his leg. He messed with the cube, silently trusting Mandy to pull him around anything. She did, leading them to walk around in a circle. He didn't feel compelled to switch tasks or sprint up the stairs. He was... content. Focus captured by a cube he was trying to solve and energy controlled by walking with two doll weights on his legs, listening to their laughter and feeling Mandy's arm interlocked with his.

It was nice. Really nice.

They kept it up for an hour. Four am ticked by. He barely noticed. Everyone was laughing and talking, a movie on the TV. Moana. It was almost like the all nighter sleepover he hoped for - just with him unable to sit down and some occasional concerned glances thrown his way. Next time, he hoped it would be without the brewing storm in his mind. Maybe next week...

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice the energy drain. It was all at once, similar to falling into cold water and then being yanked back out. Near every bit of strength got sucked out of him, sending his head into a momentary spin. He was lucky Mandy was there or else he would've fallen face first against the ground, his legs giving out beneath him. She caught him the second he started to tilt, Ugly Dog and Moxy jumping off of him in alarm and worry. "Lou, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said after a second, managing to get his legs back up under him only to be scooped up by Babo. He was placed down on an empty spot on the couch and he allowed himself to relax into the cushions, head tilted back a little. "I'm fine. It's just..." It was becoming harder to string words together. The fuzziness was already beginning to drift into his brain. A barely there barrier that would soon grow into a wall between his thoughts and focus.

"The energy is gone." Ox finished for him. He nodded gratefully. His legs had a full on ache in them, but his head was no longer buzzing. His body was his again. A very tired body. The next 'phase' of the storm would start soon, but right now he was content to breathe. After once again assuring them he was okay, they went back to the movie, talking quietly. Mandy settled in on his left side while Ox pressed against his right, trapping him in a good cocoon of warmth. His eyelids were growing heavy.

He'd managed to hold onto the rubix cube during the commotion. Only one piece left to turn. Gingerly, he flipped it, letting it slowly slide into place. A little smile pulled at his lips. Every side had been mismatched, yet here it was, whole and complete. A bit like him and his friends - a mismatched group of individuals who somehow manages to fit together perfectly. It took work to figure each other out, but it was all worth it in the end.

Lou let his chin drop down on his chest, unable to hold it up anymore. The anxiety and stress that typically plagued him wasn't there to twist his stomach or make his heart race. He felt... safe. Secure. Warm. Relaxed. It wouldn't be a terrible thing to sleep, would it? They'd wake him up before class started, right? It was Wednesday, so class wasn't until nine. Maybe some sleep would help the fuzziness in the long run...

Finally, his eyes fell shut and he sunk into the comfort of friends, head drifting to land on Mandy's shoulder as he slept.

__________________

"Guys, look." Ox whispered.

Moxy turned. The first thing she noticed was Ox's smile. The second thing she noticed made her replicate that smile. Lou was asleep against Mandy, face lax and peaceful. She had one arm around him, securing him against her side, and a smile on her own face. Something in Moxy loosened at seeing him finally still after having to be constant motion for who knew how many hours.

"He said he didn't sleep because of the stress." Nolan said quietly. "It looks like we did help."

"Proved Lou wrong," Ugly Dog sing-songed quietly.

Babo grabbed the blanket off the back of the other couch and draped it over the blonde, tucking Mandy and Ox in as well. He settled back down in his spot, the same smile on Ox's face being copied by him. Everyone shared the same endeared smile. Moxy took one more look at Lou to ensure he really was sleeping, then turned back to the movie. He'd looked - not an exaggeration - terrible when she first saw him, but now he was content. For the moment, all was calm. The storm would roll in tomorrow, but that was tomorrow's problem. They'd endure whatever storm came their way.

As long as they were together, they'd be fine.

________________

[thedawningofthehour]

1) When I read the part where Draxum rejects the idea of seeking an alliance with Big mama, a part of me snapped my fingers and said 'Dang! But another part of Me said 'ooh that's right, Draxum still doesn't know that Big mama was fucking Lou-jitsu ass' considering his secret crush on him I would love to know his reaction if he finds out.

Especially if big mama gets to win the race of who get donnie first and finds out from her, who I can see taking him right after to the ceremony for Splinter to kill him as a wedding gift. Which thinking about it would be a pretty cruel fate even for Draxum.

2) I imagine that Draxum did not apply his plan with the four turtles because it would have been much more difficult to keep an eye on all four of them, if one of them escaped he could free the others and his plan would be shattered. Now I wonder how it would have been if Draxum had also captured Leo on that roof? Double angst for the fam surely.

3) we see yokai that can fly, in the hidden city most wanted episode there's a part where we see a bird yokai mom flying with her child. Also the tmnt has mutants that can fly, Koya for example.

I feel like he would know?! I mean, come on, this is Big Mama and the all-time Battle Nexus champion. They were 100% on the cover of like...CosmoYokai, or Hidden City Enquirer. (it's been like fifteen years since I've cared about that kind of magazine so I forget what's popular) They were the star couple. When Lou stopped competing there were probably rumors that Big Mama ate him black widow style or that they had kids or something and Lou was now a stay-at-home dad. (human AU where Big Mama is Lou's executive, bread-winning wife and he quits acting to raise the kids)

I get the feeling that Draxum always knew that he would never have a chance with Lou. Either because he thought Lou wasn't interested in men, because he was wholly devoted to Big Mama or simply because Draxum kind of sucks and has never had a successful love life. I mean, he got Lou in his house and just stuck him in a cage. No attempts to woo him or anything. Raising Lou's kids was all Draxum could expect.

Oooooh man that is cruel. To have his son taken away, then be told that the guy he's in love with is marrying the woman who took him-literally because she kidnapped his son-right before Lou hatefully murders him? Goddamn. Just obliterate him.

Oh, exactly, all the boys are dangerous and they're increasingly dangerous when you put them together. Donnie was definitely the most risky one to capture, but he also had the most potential. It would have been difficult to do the same thing with more than one because Donnie actually required a lot of one-on-one attention. He might have been able to manage it with two, but why would he? He can make new mutants with similar abilities and would be more loyal to him. Donnie was one in a million and Draxum knew he had to take advantage of that luck.

He wouldn't have captured them both. He didn't have anything set up to hold Leo and knew he'd require something specially tailored to him, like The Table was for Donnie. Leo and Mikey didn't really interest him anyway. The only other one he would have wanted was Raph, who he knew could tear through physical restraints and Draxum would need to leverage one of his brothers over him to keep him from destroying everything. The only other brother that interested him was Donnie, and Draxum didn't want to risk Raph calling his bluff and having to hurt Donnie.

But some of Raph's Book 1 actions are actually adapted from my Risex2012 crossover idea where Leo and Donnie end up in 2012 universe and Raph goes a little crazy with two of his brothers missing. The scene with Meat Sweats was originally just Raph, and without Leo there to stop him, uh...let's just say he did a little more damage.

There would probably be both flighted and unflighted classes of winged Yokai, honestly. Some of them would be able to fly, some would have mutated with wings too short or too weak, some are probably crossbreeds with unwinged Yokai and were born with solid bones or without feathers. Now I'm thinking about how bird Yokai talk despite clearly having beaks-they'd have to make those sounds like birds do when they mimic, with their tongues. They probably have their own sort of sublanguage that's easier for them to vocalize.

Also, just fucking imagine all the feathers. Especially if the feathery Yokai molt on some sort of seasonal cycle-I'm unsure how it is with other birds, my cockatiels have always molted kind of whenever. When Angel molts it literally looks like a bird exploded wherever he stands for more than a few minutes. He'll do a shake and three to five feathers will come flying off. And he's like the size of my fist. Imagine how many fucking feathers a human-sized bird would drop during a molt. There's probably weeks of the year where it looks like cotton or cherry blossoms are covering the streets but no, it's just fucking feathers.

[bitchfitch]

Idk, I've had Monty and Lou Percolating for a bit and I think I'm finally starting to figure them out.

Monty is a monster hunter and Lou is a monster, Basic.

Monty is a monster hunter contracted to do the duty and is in it only for the money. It was this or more mercenary work that took him away from his comfortable home, but he is a deeply angry and violent man who wants to lash out and uses his job as a way to break his prim and proper dandy facade in a socially acceptable way.

Lou is a monster, some sort of water spirit that can take the shape of anyone or anything but mostly prefers to chill in the cracks and crevices so he can listen in without being noticed. He's missing his heart, a locket with a picture of what he looked like before he was this creature. His memory is going and he doesn't know who he is a lot of the time anymore. his heart being what grounded him because his memory is tied to the things and people he becomes, so becoming himself, let him be himself again.

The monsters arnt distinct species but corrupted members of extant species, and they are true monsters. their old selves forgotten and their minds warped to make them desire nothing but to spread their corruption. Making the job of monster hunters dirty and grim but very necessary work.

Lou was on that path. He'd gone full water monster and rarely changed shape and so was loosing what little there was left of him. But through their encounters, Monty encouraged him to take up faces again, Monty's specifically, and it started helping him recover in a way. Not immediately, and not always linearly, but after a few months even Monty had to admit Lou was on the mend.

Difficult for him considering how badly he wanted to make Lou dead and how many times he'd failed to so far, but still. There was something fascinating about a monster recovering. It'd been heard of plenty before, if you could keep someone grounded in the early stages they'd pull through eventually. But Lou didn't seem to have gotten that treatment at all and was fully gone, but still in control of himself. He had all his monster perks, while not trying to eat people.

Monty ends up being assigned as Lou's handler because beyond being a marvel, he's useful. The whole 'can get into any non water tight space' thing combined with the shape shifting and mild hydrokinesis made him a bit of an asset for a group that would really rather find the infected Before they started mauling people rather than after.

There's growing pains. Monty is a bit pissed to be forced into both baby sitting and recon, but he can admit it's safer and a lot more calm most days since Lou is the one actually doing a lot of the work. And Maybe Lou is growing on him a little bit, and maybe Monty feels real fucking bad for the guy because it's not hard to see what sort of man he was before getting monstered.

Most of the people turned and not saved are those forgotten by everyone. Even on Lou's good days when he can tell you where he liked to go for walks when he was a boy and what the name of his first dog was, he can't tell you anything about someone who might have known him. Lou never really lingered on that. He had to have had Someone, right? He just wasn't able to remember them. As soon as he had his heart back he'd remember and they could go pay them a visit and see if they wanted Lou in their lives again.

Monty always promised they would. Even when he became certain there was no one missing this damp spot he's started to think of as a friend.

he just hopes Lou is right about his locket being what he needed to stay himself. Because despite the progress that's been made, it's impossible to miss the slow backslide Lou seems trapped in. He won't be able to fight that part of his infection much longer.

[fallout-lou-begas]

Less people know me on tumblr than they do on twitter so I feel a bit safer using this as, like, yknow, a blog that is personal, and something that’s been eating at me for a while is that the pencils to the first two pages of the next IKROAH have been done for a while but when I tried to ink them I fucked it up so bad that I’ll probably just have to completely redraw them, and I don’t think anything that discouraging has happened to me before since I started drawing back in 2020. It’s just been really hard to motivate myself for the mulligan when I’m already worried about messing the inks up again, and also I’ve been under a heat advisory for the past week and change so I’m already too hot and sweaty to be motivated to do much of anything lmfao

I remember when IKROAH first started I would put out issues every two weeks or so, and then once per month, and treated that as almost like a schedule or a deadline, which was insane! All while working the same full-time job that I do now! Admittedly that pace was only achievable because frankly my art was worse and sloppier and while impatience is definitely still my biggest weakness as an artist, I have undoubtedly improved over time but at a certain point making art better means taking more time on it. It’s created this weird conflicting feeling where art and comic pages aren’t something that I can just bang out in a day or a few days anymore, and even relatively small projects are pretty big time and attention investments. Obviously I could revert this by just embracing drawing more shittily but, like, come on, I have my own standards. And this isn’t insurmountable and doesn’t mean that I hate drawing now, not at all, but this change in my relationship to my art and my art-making has definitely been on my mind a lot, especially as I’m aware of how much I’d rather just play video games or hang out with my husband whenever I’m not at my job. Because that’s a big part of it, the increase in how much art feels like “work” means I don’t want to do it as much in my leisure time. It’s good work, it’s work that I love doing (much more than my actual job lmao), but it’s still work and lately I haven’t wanted to work!

It’s another funny balance. A wise friend of mine once said, bluntly, that you do it or it doesn’t get done. This applies to making and finishing art of any kind, reading books, cleaning house, developing skills, etc., and applies even if you’re sick or busy or distracted by myriad other things. If the only people who ever made and finished art were the idle people with the luxury of all the time in the world, we’d only have pretty shitty and boring art. So unfortunately the only way to get good art or to make it is to power through feelings of overwork or sickness or exhaustion or whatever is ailing you and make it anyway. Intellectually, I know this, but emotionally(?) I’m just dealing with a real lack of steam ever since I finished a zine at the start of May. It’s not like I depend on commissions or print sales for income or anything, anyway, so it’s not like I have an urgent need to be drawing, either, the way some other artists might be.

These thoughts don’t really have a point. I suppose I’m just self-conscious about falling off such a meaningful hobby to me for so long, about not Making Things, especially as someone who generally figured that she Makes Things? But it doesn’t feel like burnout or loss of interest, it just feels like I’m doing what I want to do and enjoying it and I just don’t want to make art as much as I used to. Maybe if I got paid my current salary to work on comics eight hours a day instead of doing data entry I’d get a lot more art done but that just goes back to the previous paragraph lol. I don’t really need any kind of “chin up lou, i’m sure you’ll be able to draw again soon” or “it’s okay take all the time you need” kinds of comments because I feel like I know these things already and I’m just Posting Through It

Anyway how’s your summer going

[lovecolibri]

Maybe it's because i still try to have some kind of hope in this show, but the fact that they cut the eddie/lucy scene where as ak said she told him she didn't want to replace him, but maybe the 118 is just growing and that our dear kristen saying they don't know if they can keep ak make me think that maybe she won't coming back, ofc they can't say omg everyone hates her because we mad a big mistake

Yeah, when the episode ended and they had cut her scene with Eddie (add it to the list of specific moments she mentioned that never made it to screen), I started to have a tiny bit of hope. I'm not holding my breath because they may be banking on the fact that since they cut most of her stuff the GA may forget about the kiss for the most part by season 6, and that the "joking" scene in the truck would shut down the idea of BL (for now) so people online would go back to defending her as "bi-besties" with Buck. Just like the did with Tay Kay. And oh look! It's happening, exactly as predicted. So they absolutely could be working on a soft revamp for the character. 🤷🏻‍♀️

However, they do have solid evidence most especially and most recently with Tay Kay that this approach doesn't work. The GA was ambivalent mostly about her coming back in season 4 and a lot of fandom took her obviously terribly treatment of Buck to mean they wouldn't get together. (Which is why I am so baffled that people think the show "made it clear" that BL were incompatible so we shouldn't worry. Like, have you seen Tay Kay? She called him "needy" right after we learned his painful backstory and even though it never made sense for him to want her after 2x06 it certainly didn't stop them from dragging BT out for a whole fucking season. ANYWAY) But come 5a when everyone saw Buck being miserable with her and how she ignored him and his light was just so dim, people starting singing a different tune. And then she was there all the time taking up screentime and then we got Ghost Stories and the GA officially got fed up with her. I think we were ALL looking forward to a fun, lighthearted episode (which we STILL never got the whole season) and to see all that stuff get cut so we could watch the most pointless procedural show about NOT first responding? To watch her half of the investigation which ended up having NO bearing on what Lou did, or how the case turned out? It was incredibly disappointing and the GA was done. The show continuing to drag it out for the whole rest of the season didn’t help either and I doubt they’d be able to bring her back though KR making sure to show them ending amicably after Buck was was so upset sure was...a choice 🙄

But in L’s case, she started out badly and never recovered for the GA after all the push for her in the interviews instead of talking about the actual main characters, and then the kiss. And we got a break for Boston, but 5x13 was so awkward and cringey and we saw her doing things we’d normally see Buck do on a call and after 5a being so light on things actually happening for the mains, people were tired of them not getting the focus. Then we had 5x14 and the whole high-rise save debacle which even the GA noticed was a WEIRD storyline to have for someone with so many more years of experience than Buck, instead of going to Ravi who has been a delightful and loved addition to the recurring character line-up. We just got to see him and Buck working together in 5x13 and making the save through good planning, so him making the save out of luck and then worrying that he might mess up and someone could die would be a natural thing for a probie to go through and Buck helping him through it would be a very full circle moment from 1x02. We also got her insulting Chim, insulting marriage to a group of mostly married people and someone who desperately wants to be (in another call that would have flowed better with someone like Chim or Ravi around), and all her otherwise superfluous moments. 

So while the cynical part of me who is trying to quash any hope so I’m not disappointed and angry when she’s not fucking gone even though she never should have existed says to brace for impact, there IS a part of me that says the numbers are loud and they have precedence for knowing how this turns out and they can’t afford to do it again. Losing 1.5 million viewers and .6 key demo over the 2 seasons KR has been mostly at the helm is still a lot even if they’re not in the danger zone (though airing up against sitcoms helps). Plus two of the most hated characters ever on the show being her creations, and having to entirely cut a whole storyline because a 2 minute scene got SUCH backlash, and everyone dragging the finale as being incredibly lackluster and overly full of emergencies instead of showing us the main character’s storylines wrapping up, especially May’s after all the focus on her not being sure what to do in May Day, and Eddie’s after his arc is one of the only things that got consistently positive reactions from fans for all of 5b, and season 5 generally being criticized for poor planning/pacing issues/mains doing nothing, it’s a LOT of bad all at once and a lot laid at the feet of the showrunner. Which Tim picked and Tim signs off on decisions from, so he’d be in the hot seat too. 

I’m just going to spend this hiatus manifesting some good changes and season 2/3 vibes coming back around for season 6, and all our mains getting the focus and screentime and storylines they deserve. We saw some incredible work from Ryan, Kenny, and Aisha especially this season and I hope the overwhelmingly positive and “it’s about time” reactions will result in more for them in the coming season, and for the love of all that is holy can we please get Oliver something to do outside of having to simper after KR’s self-insert women? The man is literally begging.