#clusterfuck AU

[reyislikesotired]

i take your kardashian batfam au and give u idol! batfam au where the wayne kids became a jackson 5-esque-idol group

the wayne kids decided that being an idol group is the BEST cover yes sir cause there's nothing that could go wrong with that no sireeee

i only had in mind that someone joked about the wayne kids having enough siblings for an idol group and dick decided that was so ridiculous, it was perfect

then he roped everyone else in it, somehow convincing them with one reason or other

[...]

"who would believe that nightwing has an idol day job?? ... don't answer that BUT NOBODY WOULD THINK /THIS ROBIN/ OR /RED HOOD/ WOULD!!"

[...]

dick: so-

cass: im in

dick: but-

cass, putting her hands on his, her eyes burning in passion or smth: im. in. :)

dick: ... can you convince tim?

cass: :)

[...]

"i KNOW you want to join steph but you need to be adopted into the family officially for that!"

steph joins after blackmailing dick with one thing or another, idk but jason helped her, she's the new lead rapper

[...]

duke: yk... when i joined this family, i didn't know what to expect *looks at all his adopted siblings in sparkly outfits, ready to perform, then down to his own where he got manhandled into one and was about to be introduced as not only the newest wayne but the newest member* but i can tell you for certain, it wasn't this...

[...]

when bruce is asked about it, he just says to take it up with the kids' managers, who is babs, and everyone is lowkey scared of her.

[...]

kpop community would know about this best but listen yall know those variety shows where idols go on often and sometimes do random challenges for coupons?? yeah. that.

the bats are already insanely competitive. that's all i'm gonna say :)

[morningflamesword]

[tainted-esau]

Woa

[murmel-malt]

KICKS YOUR DOOR DOWN

Tell me about your new OC!

Nat, I am kissing you on the forehead and pulling up the powerpoint presentation!!! thank you for indulging me!! ❤️❤️❤️

okokokokokokok so:

Her name is Hedaera (Daera for short) and she is Vissy and Daemon's younger sister (as of now she's the twin of Baelon & Alyssa's Aegon). She didn't get a dragon or a cool sword like her brothers but she did get the braincell of the family.

Baby Daera is the stereotypical pampered, annoying, daddy's-girl of a little sister and adding someone like that in to the mix that is Baelon & Alyssa's sons has been a lot of fun and a great exercise in creating well-rounded sibling relationships.

So far Daemon is my favorite of all the relationships Daera has. It is such a rollercoaster ride and I love it so much. Never thought Daemon would be my favorite in anything (other than a hitlist).

Still possible subject to change is her marriage, which is currently to the heir and later Lord of Old Oaks in the Reach. But I am pretty sold on this. A marriage to either of her brothers was ruled out on the basis that a) Viserys was too old for her and b) Daemon and her would have either murdered each other or made everybody around them fucking miserable.

[skzoologist]

Unfamiliarity [five]

word count: ~10.5k

genre: Hybrid AU, no pairings

warnings: anxiety, heavy signs of PTSD, even heavier hints of being experimented at, past abuse, occasional curse words, hurt/comfort (a LOT of it), scums trying to buy hybrids and talking about owning them

summary: With two new variables added into his life, how will Bae deal with it all? Or: Hurt/comfort, the chapter

a/n: Iiiiiiii'm back! With another chapter! More than a month late, shame on me! To be honest, besides all my medical issues, it was a bit hard to write this chapter, because there was no heavy angst in it. This is the chapter for the two newbies to fit in, for Bae to get used to them, so it is basically fluff. But very essential fluff. You'll see why : )

Please let me know if I left a warning or anything out, I will add it in! Reblogs, likes and feedback are greatly appreciated!

!This is just fiction, my interpretation of Stray Kids. By no means is this how they are and how they behave in real life!

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I hadn’t left my den in days, even though my body ached from being crammed into such a small space with little to no movement. The bed above me gave me no room to wiggle around, pulling out a heavy sigh from between my lips.

I was exhausted, mostly sleeping my time away.

Everything was wrong. The smells, the mood, the atmosphere, even the noise. Nothing was alright. The house that I felt safe in was gone, now filled with an unfamiliar presence and unease. While I was the cause of the latter mostly, no doubt about that, I wasn’t the only source either. I could smell it, feel it, even if faintly. The members were worried, guarded against the newcomer that I’d only laid eyes on once. Even their human, Jisoo, smelled wrong, the grass overgrown and dry.

I closed my aching eyes once more, my ears ringing from the silence that fell over the entire place. It was silent again, just like it was yesterday and the day before that and even before that, my mind by now muddled, gleefully playing tricks on me by presenting me with long gone memories. Their presence was weird after being locked away for so long, giving me welcomed and loathed knowledge all the same. I shuddered, nearly unable to differentiate between them and reality in my hazy vision.

As I drifted off once again, I found myself back at my workplace, in my old life, when I was young and naive. A simple suit donned my body, one that you would see on any other office worker as well. You could hear the gentle taps my shoes made on the pristine tiles and the endless clicking of buttons as the other workers typed away diligently. There were hushed whispers when I passed by, the cause no doubt the goal of my short walk. 

Yet, I paid them no mind, pushing the nervousness down as much as I could, my jittery hand reaching for the door of my boss’ office. The hinges creaked slightly, robbing my attention away for a single second before my eyes were looking forward again. My boss was an average man, slightly on the chubby side with black hair and eyes. Nothing was eye-catching about him, neither his appearance, nor his personality.

Maybe that was why I’d trusted him so foolishly.

Of course, I hadn’t known what awaited me at that time, so I nervously sat in the chair in front of his dark oak desk, hoping I wasn’t in trouble for anything. The man smiled, slightly wider than usual, his eyes dancing in the shadows. His lips moved, yet no sound left them. I squinted, feeling as if the air was getting hotter around me, my clothes now too tight on my skin. 

But no, the harder I focused, the brighter everything became. 

I could hardly make out anything around me, only feeling the inescapable hold on my form as I was dragged away. No matter how hard I tried to escape it, my limbs felt numb, heavy, as if they themselves were asleep. I struggled and struggled fruitlessly, until I eventually gave up, my surroundings much darker now. 

A soft touch registered in my brain, soon followed by a calming coolness spreading from my forehead, easing my aching body and allowing me to close my eyes for a few seconds. Soon my eyebrows furrowed, because that didn’t sound right at all, yet I couldn’t tell exactly why.

Forcing my eyes open once again, I was met with the blurry sight of someone’s back. Murmuring could be heard around me, but none of the gibberish sounds made sense to me. The person in front of me turned back, gently caressing a hand over my feverish skin and tucking a few strands of hair away. His lips were moving, but I only caught a few words, like ‘awake’ and ‘alright’. The surrounding noise immediately quieted, other bodies shifting closer to me. One held my hands, stroking a thumb over my knuckles gently, while the other played with my hair, scratching at the base of my ears every so often. I let out a sigh I didn’t know I held, the actions soothing me as faint traces of sweet flowers and fruits and pines hit my nose.

Ah, I was with them now. 

I was safe.

No other thought crossed my mind as I closed my eyes for a final time, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

-.-.-

The next time I awoke I felt much better, my senses sharper and mind clearer. A simple glance was all it took for me to realise I wasn’t in my den anymore, instead resting in a different room, on a different bed. The air was filled with everyone’s scents, an obvious telltale that I was still in the house. Jisoo’s huddled form was next to me, his head resting on his folded arms as little snores left him occasionally. He looked tired, the skin under his eyes darker than usual and his hands rough, too cold to the touch. I placed one of my hands on his, slightly warming it up, even if for only a few minutes.

Letting out a silent sigh, I cautiously got out of the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping person in the room. A wet rag fell into my hands, letting my hair fall onto my damp forehead and slightly stick there. I placed it next to the bowl of water as I passed it by, my steps careful in approaching the door. I still felt weak, yet it was incomparably better than last time.

The hallway was bright, forcing me to squint my eyes as it flooded my senses, blinding me for a good few seconds. Blinking the bright spots in my vision away, I slightly stumbled towards the living room, knowing who I would find there even in this weakened state. Once I reached the stairs, I leaned against the rail and simply watched them, drinking the sight in. 

Jin was pestering Lino, until the latter had enough and took a pillow in his hand. That was all it took for Jin to bolt away, afraid of the feline that was chasing him now. Channie giggled as he watched them, shaking his head at their silliness. Jisung was leaning against the wolf, perfectly content there as he was seemingly focused on something else. Lixie and the fostered pup were pestering Binnie, who pretended to be annoyed, even though he was quick to break into a smile in the next second.

They all seemed so happy, so…content like this. My heart ached a bit, because I wasn’t there with them.

I wasn’t needed.

I couldn’t, nor did I want to force my eyes away, burning the sight into my mind, even when I heard footsteps approaching to my right. It was Jisoo, the only other occupant of the house who wasn’t part of that chaos. He leaned onto the railing next to me, amused by the events unfolding right in front of him.

“Aren’t you joining them?” - he whispered so quietly, had I not had sensitive ears, I wouldn’t have heard him.

I just shook my head, taking a last glance at the others before I straightened up and turned away. All I wanted was to go back to my den in silent peace, but the human had other intentions.

“Nah, we’re not having this useless angst in this household. You’re gonna communicate it out, like it or not!” - his voice raised in volume with every word, his arms winding around my middle as he hoisted me up.

Of course everyone’s attention was on us by the time we reached the last step on the stairs, their bodies frozen mid-action. It would have been hilarious, had I not been the centre of that attention. I couldn’t even struggle out of Jisoo’s hold, too afraid of accidentally hurting him and it was too late anyway. My cheeks reddened when I met their gazes, my own drifting to the floor in response.

I couldn’t have been prepared for what was to come.

All of them just dashed towards me, except the stranger, pushing me and Jisoo to the ground. The poor man took the brunt of the fall, making me feel sorry for him already. The hybrids on top of me didn’t care about that at that moment though, no, they were too busy rubbing their faces into my neck, my wrists, anything they could get their hands on to scent me. Purring and chirps filled the air, even Channie was being vocal about his feelings. I let them do what they wanted, battling this frenzied warmth in me that wanted to break outside. It was hard, and had Jisoo not made a sound that was closer to something that a dying dog made rather than a living human, I was sure it would have bursted out.

“Are ya okay now? How’re ya feelin’?” - Channie immediately started fretting over me, checking me over for any signs of injury or sickness once we freed the human beneath us all.

“Can ya stand? Sit down, Bae hyung, c’mon, this way.” - Lixie was the next, leading me away to the couch, even as the questions never ceased.

They left me no time to answer any of their inquiries, leaving me with no choice but to watch them fret around. Lino checked my temperature at least four times by now, his sharp eyes analysing me from head to toe. Binnie asked me if I was hungry countless times already, and after not getting any answer, he instead went to grab something from the kitchen. Jinnie was the most dramatic, saying how he thought I was dying and how glad he was that I came back from the brink of death. He also latched onto one of my arms, the other already belonging to Lixie and his deadly grip. Channie wasn’t any better than the two, since I was laying in his arms, no matter how smaller he was than me.

Only one person wasn’t latched onto me who was cuddly, my eyes easily finding the nervous form of the little squirrel. I didn’t understand why he was hesitating so much, but soon I realised he didn’t want to accidentally stress me out and cause the episode I had in the facility to reoccur. His intentions warmed my heart, adding onto the already big pile in there and causing a smile to slip onto my lips. Our eyes met and with a small nod of my head he brightened up and jumped at me, making the wolf underneath give out a little ‘oomph’ sound.

And just when I thought they were done, Binnie came back, an entire plate worthy of a warm meal in his hands. I looked at him, my arms tied down, and he looked back at me, a determined glint in his gaze. A sweatdrop rolled down the side of my head, a spoon raised in front of my lips. Everyone was expectantly watching me, but mainly the little pika, a pout settling onto his lips the longer I didn’t do anything.

He… he really wouldn’t budge, would he?

Accepting defeat, I took the offered bite. It felt as if everyone let out a silent sigh of relief, the atmosphere brightening around us. It confused me, but if it made them happy, I had no choice but to continue accepting every bite, no matter how humiliating it was.

Once we were done -because you could be sure he fed me the whole thing-, Binnie proudly stood there and nodded, taking a seat with us once he put down the empty plate on the table. I half-laid, half-sat there for a bit, just enjoying everyone’s presence and scents in peace.

But I had to address the odd one in the room soon, so I opened my eyes and looked around.

Sure enough, Jisoo was sitting next to him, quietly chatting. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, the two even let out a happy little laugh sometimes. Yet, I could catch the occasional quick glance in our direction from the pup, the slight changes in his smell. It was muted thanks to everyone else’s scents, but the boy smelled like burnt lint, as if someone used too much detergent in a failing machine. It slightly scorched my nose and throat, cutting into flesh and nerve, but it was easily bearable with us being at home.

The stranger had honey brown hair, his fur the same, blending together perfectly. His ears drooped on top of his head, gently flopping around with every head movement. His tail was fluffy and straight, making it clear what breed he was. Just a simple golden retriever, a common choice to keep at home. Not like I couldn’t tell that anyway, his smell was void of any of that disgusting clean and antiseptic. It was better this way, with only three of us having it.

Our eyes met and he smiled at me. I blinked back at him, one of my ears flicking, but he merely looked back at the human and continued talking.

This puppy was…weird. Even when we’d met at first, I’d had the same thought. He hadn’t cared about how I looked, hadn’t given me any weird looks, he just smiled at me and introduced himself. And after I’d done the same, he’d asked me if we could play. Just that. Play. I’d declined, because he had still been a stranger to me just like now, but he’d looked so sad it’d made me feel guilty.

He seemed so, so… purehearted. Something that seemed impossible in this cruel world. Something I’d only seen in Lixie so far, making me sure the snow leopard was born naturally, despite his breed.

While the pup wasn’t fully welcome here in my eyes, he wasn’t a threat either. He felt like a guest, something that fit with the fact that he was only staying with us temporarily, the facility only able to make Jisoo foster him, not adopt him.

We had two fosters with us, something that sat weirdly in my stomach.

“Whatcha wanna do today, baby?” - the wolf’s question broke me out of my headspace, making me turn towards him, even though I couldn’t see him from my position.

I remained silent for a while, quietly thinking. I didn’t really have anything in mind, I just merely wanted to spend time in the others’ presence. When I glanced at the windows displaying the green and yellow leaves dancing in the wind, Lino spoke up, surprising me.

“No, you cannot go out, the weather’s too harsh for that and you’re still sick. Do you know how worried we were? We found you in your room, burning up!” - his voice was harsh, yet I could see the hurt and pain in his eyes. “We were really worried, Hyung. We thought we’d give you some space, but after you just shut yourself in your room, we went to check up on you.” - Lixie followed up, his deep voice sad and quiet. “It was me, I found you. You didn’t answer your door, and I just had a bad feeling. When I looked under the bed and found you panting there, I…” “It’s okay Hyune, you called me and Channie hyung. Everything’s fine now.” - Binnie comforted the leopard, the latter tearing up as he recalled what had happened.

I felt the guilt slowly eating me up from inside, the weight of making them all worry to the point of tears sitting heavily on my shoulders. It was never my intention, and never would it ever be.

“I’m sorry.” “Baby, why’re ya apologising? It’s not your fault that ya got sick. Your immune system was a bit weakened from the shots, that’s not your doing.”

We sat in silence after that, their hold on me only tightening. I found no words to say, and in turn neither did they. Only the purring picked up a notch, relaxing my rigid form further. I found myself unconsciously burying my nose into the lil squirrel’s nest of hair, rubbing my face there in content. He buried his head into my neck deeper in response, my tail thumping against someone’s leg in content.

I would have happily continued, had I not remembered that we weren’t alone in the room. So with a silent sigh, I lifted my head up, making the others look back at me.

“TV?” - I suggested, answering Channie’s long ago spoken question.

This got everyone in an excited frenzy, plans already being made and bodies already moving around. I watched them with curious eyes before something finally crossed my mind, something that should have happened a long time ago. My muscles became taut once more, air refusing to escape from my frozen lungs.

“I shouldn’t be near you guys, you’ll get sick.”

Everyone looked at me as I just passed the wide-eyed squirrel into the wolf’s hold, my legs carrying me away from their frigid forms. I could definitely tell I was still not fully healed now, the ground beneath me uncertain and my mind a bit fuzzy.

Laughter caught my attention, quiet as it rang through the air. It came from one person only, a smile on his face hidden behind his hand. Our eyes met soon afterwards, mirth clearly dancing in his. I could only watch with confusion, even when he stood up -only after gently patting the puppy on the head-, long legs carrying his now quiet form towards me.

“Bae, it’s alright, they all knew it already. Do you know how hard it was to battle them, just so I could take care of you instead of them? Where do you think these scratch and bite marks came from? Had Seungmin-ssi not helped me, I probably would have lost an arm!” - an airy laugh left his lips, no anger could be seen anywhere, only gentle warmth as he gazed at his injured limb.

Amidst the protests and denial flying around from the hybrid’s lips, Jisoo’s eyes met mine again, slightly crinkled from the smile widening on his lips, expression so soft I almost couldn’t believe it. Because he was looking at me like that. Not anyone else, not any of the other hybrids or other humans he knew, no.

His eyes were looking at me alone.

“Sometimes you’re so dense, I wonder if you didn’t actually crawl out of one of those fantasy stories I have sitting on my shelves. It’s alright, you know. These stubborn idiots wouldn’t let you be alone even if you wanted to. Now go and let them pamper you, shoo.”

With that, he let my hand go and pushed my back, his touch tender, yet strong enough to move my uncertain form. I stumbled forward, right into awaiting arms. The scents I treasure enveloped me completely, robbing me of my anxieties and uncertain thoughts. Their hold on me was firm, encasing and guiding me to wherever they wanted to, my body unresponsive to my relaxed and ill mind.

I was vaguely aware of laying in a sea of pillows, surrounded by everyone, every inch of my body hogged by someone laying on it. A noise droned on in the background of my mind, soft lights accommodating it from the TV. I paid no mind to it, the sound of purring, chirping and low growling resonating in my ears pleasantly instead. The smell of lint and laundry lingered around, yet I didn’t find it completely unpleasant. 

Everything else masked it well. 

The forest was blooming, the trees were swaying happily in the salty wind that caressed their leaves and pines. The flowers were singing in delight, their sweet nectar luring in various colourful creatures of nature. The trees that bore fruit were visited by animals who happily munched away on their sweet juices, not scared away by their slightly sour taste. Even the grass was thriving, its blades shining on the sun. Soft, orange rays peeked through the canopy, warming up everything it touched, letting every creature bask in its gentle warmth. The painter took his usual seat once more as well, paintbrush gliding over his canvas in his quest to capture the moment.

And amongst that, I tiredly laid down, head resting upon my weary paws, cold fur warmed by the sun.

I was home.

-.-.-.-

The presence of the puppy was weird in the house. He wasn’t your typical dog hybrid, in the way that he didn’t rush at you and seeked your affection. He was calmer in a sense, usually not the one to approach you first. Sometimes he was in a more cuddly mood, finding a partner easily in one of the members who resided here. 

Of course, just as he had his calm moments, he also had his playful ones. The entire place became a warzone, his tricks always keeping you on your toes as you couldn’t be sure what he came up with this time. Did he temper your snack? Did he sneak into your room and play around with your chair, or maybe even your clothes? You never knew, causing everyone to grumble in annoyance once they’d found out. But even with all that, even with all their frustrations, there was always a warm shine in their eyes, something that betrayed how they truly felt. Never was any of them truly annoyed with the pup, the more playful ones even retaliated.

And yet, I was never one to experience these.

The playful puppy never played pranks on me, never approached me first. But whenever I looked at him, his eyes held no anger, hate, or anything in my direction. It was only curiosity, and something else I couldn’t quite put my hands on. I appreciated it, getting enough time to grow used to all the sudden changes amongst the pack, and yet… there was a weird feeling in my chest, a suffocating experience whenever I watched them play around. My gap-filled memory failed to recall what it was, forcing me to quietly watch on in painful silence.

Taking a deep breath in, the scent of resin and freshly washed clothes filled my lungs, the process not stuttering and unpleasant anymore. I indecisively glanced at the two, the wolf and the puppy cuddling on the couch, my legs deciding in my stead on what to do as they carried me to them. The couch dipped under me, two greetings welcoming me and a squeeze on my leg, the latter Channie’s doing.

The TV was playing another drama, as usual, one I’d already seen in the past with Jinnie on one of our long drama-watching nights. Channie’d only seen bits and pieces of it before whenever he joined us on our nightly adventure, so I wasn’t surprised why he was the one watching it with the curious puppy. Their attention was back on the bright screen, giving me a chance to lay against the wolf’s shoulder. He brought a hand around my form, not letting me escape even if I wanted to. But I didn’t want to anyway.

We sat there for a while, the serene atmosphere lulling me into a comfortable headspace. I wasn’t paying attention to the show, content with just existing in the others’ presence.

Maybe that was why I didn’t immediately realise when the puppy touched my hand, uncertain and hesitant. His fingers were slightly cold, probably due to the ever so slightly dropping temperatures that came with the changing weather. His big, dark, chocolate eyes were trained on me, pulling my gaze in and trapping it inside easily. He was right in front of me, sitting in Channie’s lap comfortably and I didn’t find the heart in me to deny him. 

So, I let him tighten his grip on my hand, so tight that he was pushing my fingers together lightly. My body didn’t move in protest even as I let him slowly drag my hand into his lap, where he started playing with my fingers, curling and uncurling them in a seeming rhythm.

I merely blinked at it all sleepily, not finding the puppy’s actions uncomfortable. I only realised this when I felt the strong scent of pine, so clearly elated that I had to lift my head and look at who it belonged to, catching such a fond expression on his face that my mind short circuited. His own dark pools were lit up, the light inside dancing around in happiness. Those dimples I loved so dearly were on display, proudly laying in their rightful place.

My ears twitched and I looked away, that expression so bright it felt like I would burn to ashes if I’d looked at it any longer. Guilt bubbled up inside me along with confusion, the little voices whispering that I didn’t deserve his gaze. Their words held truth to them, my past haunting me every night with vivid pictures, not letting me forget my sins and my scars.

The moment Felix walked in I gave him my attention, thankful for the distraction and the warmth of his chest as he pressed into my vulnerable back.

-.-.-

The whiny voice of the little squirrel woke me up, adamantly defending himself against the rumbles of the wolf, the latter sounding tired and worried. I slowly blinked my eyes open, letting out a silent sigh when the thought of starting the day and leaving my den crossed my mind.

“And now you woke him up, great.” - grumbled the wolf, sighing loudly. “What, oh, uhm, sorry Hyung. Good morning…?” - the herbivore muttered out, unsure, instantly lowering his voice and blinking up at me with doe eyes.

I rubbed at my eyes to shoo the sleep away, blinking back at him in my den. He was squeezed in beside me, laying on top of me as much as the limited space allowed to. My eyes drifted back up to Channie’s form, only seeing up to his torso as he sat there. His face popped into my vision when he leaned down, lightly waving at me with a guilty expression. I looked back at the little squirrel in my arms, wondering what was going on, something tickling the back of my brain.

Didn’t I go to sleep alone?

My eyebrows furrowed the more I looked at Jisungie, his expression morphing into a guilty one as well. He caught onto what conclusion my still waking up brain arrived to, scrambling to provide a worthy enough explanation for his actions.

“I couldn’t sleep last night, but your scent is nice so I wanted to ask if I could crash here, but you weren’t answering your door, probably because you were asleep, so I sneaked in and I’m so sorry pleasedon’thateme.” - he rushed out in one breath, scared eyes gazing into my own.

I willed my stiff form to relax at least a bit, sensing that something was amiss, something that the little squirrel in my hold didn’t want to admit just yet. My instinct-driven brain accepted his reasoning with difficulty, the notion of intruding upon my den waking up old memories. But it was alright, I kept telling myself, I wasn’t there anymore.

“It’s alright Channie, thank you.” - I muttered out, turning towards said wolf.

He looked uncertain, but he still nodded and left after ruffling my hair, careful of my ears. Having the little creature to myself, I looked back at him, watching how he let out a sigh of relief once the door closed.

“What happened?” - my question was quiet in the still air.

I got no reply, merely eyes avoiding mine.

A nudge of my nose and a squeeze of my hands on his waist was all it took, his head buried into my chest and side, his hold tightening on me.

“I wasn’t lying, your scent really does calm me. I, I dunno what happened, I guess I was just feeling anxious. I didn’t wanna wake anyone, that’s why I’m here now. ’m sorry…” - his voice was muffled, my ears picking up on certain words only thanks to their enhanced state.

I tightened my hold on him before letting go, instead rolling onto my side and taking his chubby cheeks into my gentle hold. It was over in a brief second, but my lips pressed onto his forehead, my protective side coming out full force. 

When I opened my eyes up again, I could see how much his own shined, like the moonlit surface of a lake. Something vulnerable was hiding inside, in the bottom of that lake, locked away from view and touch. It longed to be let out, to feel something besides the crushing weight of the water, endlessly waiting there. 

My chest squeezed together once more, stronger than last time, the dam threatening inside of me to break. But I couldn’t let that happen, not when his own dam broke, when those eyes glistened as tears cascaded down. I brushed the droplets away, shushing him softly.

“A-are you like-, like me?” - the broken question left his lips, words interrupted by hiccups, but I understood him nonetheless.

I knew what he was referring to, of course I knew it. How could I not? When that clean still clung to him stubbornly, when his clothes just sat on his form weirdly. Something always rubbed me the wrong way about them, just like how unique his colours were, a void opening up in the pit of my stomach and my limbs feeling out of place once more, my bones aching as if they grew too long.

Because he was so much like me, and I was so much like him.

I shushed him once more, brushing his hair away from his forehead before pressing another brief kiss there, hugging his shaking form into mine. The ocean was raging, waves and tides crashing into each other in sorrow. Plants were torn out of their places, sea creatures hiding in their coral homes. A single intake of air burned my nose and clogged up my throat, the salt sitting heavily in it, as if it was snow itself.

I simply laid there, letting the boy cry his anger and hatred and anguish out, holding him, hoping it would hold his broken apart pieces together.

His tears only dried up after an hour or so, his hold on me loosening and his breathing evening out as he drifted off to sleep. No doubt his body was exhausted, little tremors still running through him every so often. I tried to pull one of the blankets onto him as best as I could, now slightly regretting sleeping here and not on top of the bed, like the others did.

At first I’d found it strange, but nobody’d really mentioned this habit of mine after witnessing it for the first time. So I never felt pressured into following their ways, only doing so when we slept in a pile. There were days we just gathered together, sometimes because one of them felt lonely, sometimes to scent each other. On a few occasions we even let the human in, if he slept at home -his work had him busy often-.

And then, then there were the other times, when that gaping void opened up in my chest, urging me to seek someone out once again. They always teased me, but never once did they turn me down and force me to sleep in my cold den alone. No, all of them welcomed me with open arms, latching onto my form once we laid down on the bed, heads usually snug in the crook of my neck. While their beds were big, big enough to comfortably house two snuggly hybrids, it always felt a bit too crammed with me added into the formula.

I sighed, brushing my fingers through the small squirrel’s hair once more. My other arm had fallen asleep long ago, an uncomfortable knot forming in my back from the awkward pose I had taken up. I really wanted to let him sleep for just a bit more, but I was nearing my limit. The delicious scent of food drifting up from the kitchen didn’t help either, tangling up my empty stomach.

But no matter what, the boy wasn’t waking up, not to words, nor touches.

Having been left with no other choice, I slowly wiggled us out of my den, being careful to not harm the one in my hold. Once we were out -and i caught my breath-, I properly positioned him on top of me, legs on my sides and my arms on his back, secure. Standing up was another challenge, one I had to take slowly to make sure Jisungie wouldn’t just fall out of my hold, hitting his head on the floor. That would be a horrible alarm to wake up to, one I wanted to avoid at all cost.

A long sigh left my lungs once I was finally standing, the small squirrel fast asleep in my arms. His fingers were tangled into my shirt, hold so tight I was afraid he would rip the fabric apart. His tail was comfortably laying on one of my arms and his own leg, ears relaxed on top of his head.

He looked so tiny in my hold.

My stomach rumbled in protest, hurrying me out of the room and down the stairs. I mumbled a greeting out to everyone once I saw them lounging on the couch, their wide eyes burrowing into my form and a few, confused greetings answering me back. 

I all but ignored them and their hushed whispers, opting for the kitchen and the still warm food on the table instead. It was probably courtesy of Lino, knowing the cat and how he was, painting a small smile onto my lips. There were two bowls waiting for us, telling me quietly how the others had already eaten, easing some of my worries.

I sat down before one of the bowls, eating carefully with the squirrel in my lap. Soft snores left his lips, one of his cheeks squished as he laid on my chest. The skin underneath his eyes was raw and red, making my heart ache. I only looked away from him once I heard the sound of footsteps, one of the chairs next to me now occupied.

The mellow scent of flowers wafted through the air, curiously poking around. A single glance was all it took to change that, his presence now blanketing us in the silent room. His dark eyes were warm, despite the questions clearly swimming in there. No sound left his lips as he sat there, head propped up on top of his palm, almond shaped eyes trained on me. I gazed back, watching him slowly blink at me. I blinked back, his relaxed ears slightly lifting upwards before drooping back down.

I tried not to think about the immense warmth pooling in my chest, my lips pursed to hide the smile breaking out on my face. The food in front of me looked much more interesting, something my stomach agreed with hungrily.

Jisungie only woke up once I was done with eating, my gaze torn away from watching Lino washing the dirty dish left from my meal. The small boy looked around, confused, questioning gaze stopping on me.

“You were sleeping too deeply.” - was my only reply, amused eyes watching him piece everything together.

The cat nearby snorted in amusement, now on his way back to us.

“So your best solution to this was to carry him down and leave him in your lap?” - Lino asked, his famous grin already dancing on his lips.

We both flushed at hearing that, although I stayed quiet, unlike the little herbivore, who just sputtered out nonsense and broken words in self-defence. The cat found this all too entertaining, humming along with excitement clearly written on his face. I nudged the squirrel in my lap at one point, gaining his attention, watching me as I gestured at his now probably lukewarm bowl of food. The flare on his cheeks cooled down a bit, a hand coming up to his chin as he was deep in thought, although I had an inkling what it was about.

A few minutes later he hummed, shaking his head and slotting it back into the crook of my neck. I sat there, flabbergasted, aware of Lino laughing and cackling at my expense. My skin heated up, mouth opening and closing a few times, unable to decide what to say.

In the end, I decided that staying quiet would be more beneficial, along with avoiding Lino’s gaze and not reacting to his teasing, no matter what. Which was a hard task in itself.

Taking in a deep breath, I coaxed Jisungie to not hide in my neck anymore, silently turning him around so he was facing the table as well. Deja vu was hitting me full force, as I’d fed a certain leopard like this not too long ago. I pushed the memories and the heat on my cheeks away, instead silently urging the boy in my arms to take the bite. He did so reluctantly, the muscles under my touch feeling tense and rigid. Eventually they started relaxing with each bite, the small smile on his face slowly blooming the more he ate. Even his tail was relaxed, happily swishing around gently.

Once his bowl was empty as well, he let out a content sigh, leaning back into me. Lino took the bowl away, washing it and placing it next to the other one to dry. He stopped teasing us at one point - only after he took some pictures- and just watched us, that familiar warmth dancing around in his eyes that usually Channie’s held. It was strange, but in a good way. 

Not wanting to break, I ignored it once more, all my attention on the relaxed herbivore in my arms.

“Alright, let’s go to the others!” - he all but shouted, excitement rolling off of him in waves. “But you aren’t moving?” - Lino asked, a knowing lull in his voice. “Of course not, Hyung will carry me.” - he answered, causing the cat to burst out into laughter and my skin to heat up.

Maybe he was a bit too relaxed.

-.-.-

We were lounging on the sofa, Jinnie in my arms, his chest kicking up a storm with all the purring. His content couldn’t have been more obvious, his scent flourishing and coating the room in charcoal and paint, his spotted tail curling and uncurling in a slow pace pleasantly. Those wide, shining eyes were fixated on the screen in front of us, his ears twitching when something surprising happened in the show, grazing against my clothed skin.

We spent the night like that, the young leopard eventually falling victim to sleep, snoring away quietly.

He’d been glued to my side ever since I’d fallen sick that one time, keeping tabs on me and dragging me to wherever he wanted. That usually entailed having a night filled with drama episode after episode, although he also liked to quietly be near me and paint, or simply sketch something with graphite. And sometimes, sometimes I joined in, that blooming smile on his face too irresistible to deny his wishes.

Of course Jinnie wasn’t the only one who monitored me, it was every single member of this household.

Channie? He checked in on me often, ushering me to sleep eventually. Lino was my living shadow, making sure I ate enough and on time. Binnie made sure I moved around enough, playing with me in the garden regularly. Lixie liked to drag me to play games or just stick to me, as if he was my second layer of skin. Sungie was similar, although definitely more chaotic and full of teasing. He really should’ve spent less time with our resident cat, they were impossible to be near without heated skin whenever they were together.

And the puppy…

He’d engaged more with me, talking about anything that held his interest at that moment. This often boiled down to books and stories, having seen me read one before. I never minded, his view and take on the words that were inked upon the paper had been refreshing, a nice lull to listen to. I found the expression that would usually sit upon his face as he was animatedly talking endearing, much too bright compared to my muted presence.

Much like his scent that’d cleared up and now smelled purely fresh, with an underlying hint of vanilla, his presence was soothing too. There’d been times I’d caught myself with my guard completely let down, eyelids drooping as he was reading from a book, his voice quiet and sweet.

Having been laying there for a while now with Jinnie not showing any signs of waking up, I took him in my arms properly. With an arm around his back and the other under his knees, I stood up, the TV screen dark with the simple click of a button. He stirred a bit, but settled back in, deciding that the crook of my neck would be the perfect place to snuggle his nose into. A small, silent breath left me, my own nose gently burying into the crown of hair that sat graciously upon his head.

The walk to his room was brief, my long legs efficiently carrying us both to his door. I didn’t need to be cautious with opening it, since no one decided to crash in his bed for the night. A miracle in itself, considering how cuddly everyone was.

A little noise left his lips once I had put him down on the soft covers, a sigh following it soon after as he settled in. Grabbing the blanket from the side, all crumpled up at the edge of the bed, I swiftly covered him up and sweeped a stray strand of hair away from his face before leaving.

Blinded by light the moment I turned around after closing his door, I shielded my eyes and blinked a few times, annoyed at the bright spots swimming in my vision. 

Wasn’t it just night?

A brief look around helped clear my confusion slightly, the halls bathed in orange sunlight. My sense of time was probably jumbled due to not sleeping at proper times, the most realistic explanation I could come up with on the spot. A deep sigh left me, already knowing Channie would berate me for not sleeping at night, so I turned to my left and headed to my den, intending to sleep.

A stray puppy prevented that from happening.

He appeared from the stairs, probably only woken up not too long ago, if his sleepy look and the big yawn that escaped him was anything to go by. The moment he caught my standing form in the living room he smiled, a lazy wave greeting me below. I waved back, watching as he made himself a cup of coffee, my nose scrunching up in distaste.

The smell of that beverage always tingled my nose in the wrong way, utterly unpleasant for my senses, especially after they became heightened. The first time the others had found out they’d laughed at me, only Lixie saved me from a still giggling wolf’s hold and thanked me for not leaving him alone in the coffee dislikers group.

Naturally, this sly little puppy’d joined the others in teasing me the moment he’d found out, even now a content smirk danced upon his lips that he failed to hide behind his mug. Failing the urge, I rolled my eyes, yet the edges of my lips perked up slightly. This boy was a handful, but he somehow fit right in with us.

A warm touch broke me out of my train of thoughts, his fingers gently holding my hand and leading me away to the couch. His mug was replaced by a book, the hard cover familiar with its unique design. He plopped onto the plush surface, dragging me down next to him and gingerly placing the book into my hands. I confusedly looked at him, since he was the one who’d usually read either silently, or out loud to me.

“Could you… maybe you could read for me today? Please?” - his voice was uncharacteristically quiet, dark eyes wide and pleading.

Despite my previous confusion, my body didn’t hesitate to open the book on the first page, the printed words quietly leaving my lips. The puppy next to me seemed to be taken aback for a second, but he quickly shook it off and settled in. 

As pages passed and time flew by, his weight eventually sank into my side, head placed upon my shoulder to curiously glance at the pages and occasional illustrations. I turned the book slightly towards him, always giving enough time for his eyes to scan the shapes drawn by the ink. An appreciative hum left his lips, quiet, as if he was afraid of disturbing something. Even his tail was quiet as it thumped against the couch in glee, drawing a small smile onto my face.

A quiet sound could be heard from behind me, startling me out of my trance and causing me to whip my head around to it. Binnie stood there like a deer caught in headlights, form rigid and smile apologetic. I instantly relaxed, the danger alarms in my head quieting down slowly, but surely.

The puppy at my side grumbled a bit, rubbing at his eyes as if he was on the verge of sleep, lightly glaring at the little herbivore behind us. Binnie apologised out loud this time, taking the scolding of the pup full force. Sensing that no true grudge was behind it all, the sight was quite entertaining to behold, the older simply taking the words quietly. That in itself was a small miracle, showing how much of a soft spot Binnie had quickly developed for the fostered pup.

Done with their little play, the little pika went towards the front door, grabbing the light jacket he usually wore out on his morning runs. But before he could properly put his shoes on and leave, the puppy called him, grabbing his attention.

“Hyung, are you going on a run?” “Yea, why?” “Can I come with?”

The question stunned the man so much that he’d frozen for a few seconds, merely blinking back in heavy silence. Then, as if we stepped into a tropical forest itself, the room was filled with the scent of citrus and nektar. My lungs stuttered from the sudden onslaught, but soon relaxed and demanded more hungrily, already addicted.

“Sure, uh, yea, of course. Change into something, I’ll wait here with Bae hyung. Actually, Hyung, you wanna come with us too? Move around a bit, it’ll be good for you.” - his question didn’t exactly catch me by surprise, having gone with him a few times already in the mornings.

I nodded, watching the smiles break out on their faces, one more tamed than the other. The puppy nearly ran up the stairs while I calmly strode up them, watching the other in case he stumbled and fell. Thankfully, he didn’t, passing through his doorway unharmed. 

Shaking my head at the silliness of it all, I headed towards my room as well, digging out the light clothing the others’d gotten me back in the day. They’d insisted on getting this, probably already knowing they would drag me to morning runs and workout sessions. I didn’t fully mind, the fabric light and airy on my skin, much less annoying than those harsh jeans. They’d long given up on making me wear them, probably not wanting to witness me growl at an inanimate object so intensely ever again.

A quick change later I jogged back down to the living room, the puppy soon to follow. The collar lightly hit against my collarbones, its weight unwelcomed. Their own ones were tighter around their necks, although with plenty of breathing room left between skin and leather. Everyone wore them in a similar way, even Jinnie got used to them quickly.

“Alright, let’s go. Just follow my lead, we won’t go too far.”

The colourful leaves crunched underneath our feet with every step, their orange and yellow exterior bending and breaking apart. My tail swished along behind me gently, the cool temperature a pleasant sensation with all that thick fur. Brisk air entered my lungs with every inhale, refreshingly sharp on the senses. My eyes looked around ceaselessly, marvelling at every little thing I could possibly find.

I’ve never had the chance to just leisurely look around before deciding to join Binnie in the mornings, long years of my life having been spent with endless running and fighting against fate. To this day I could never truly process that I was safe, that I didn’t need to hide alone in dark alleys anymore and scramble for scraps of food at every given chance. Being out in the open again, running, brought a deep-seeded instinct out of me, one that had always been hard to fight. It’d been what had kept me alive in the past, so of course it would never be easy to ignore. My teeth itched, hands twitching with the urge to touch the rough pavement that we ran on. The warm hat on top of my hat felt unnecessary and annoying now, my ears begging to be freed and feel the wind freely.

But I couldn’t allow that.

The animal I could turn into was too recogniseable, too risky to be seen. Something that the others realised as well, them being the ones asking me to not change forms for these morning runs. I’d obliged, not even willing to entertain the thought of being found by them.

Pushing the urge to let fur swallow my weak skin, I focused back on the roads, tuning into what the two boys were chatting about in front of me. They were bickering and playing around, something that I grew used to quickly, since they never really stopped doing it. But they always did it with smiles on their faces and a light breeze to their scents, calming my senses and useless worries instantly. Most of their choice of topics flew over my head, either because I had no idea what they were talking about, or their voices turned into a big, soothing buzz in the back of my mind.

Right until I felt a gaze on the back of my head, my fur bristling in response.

“--ot true, ice cream is clearly superior!” “No, frozen yoghurt is! Tell him, Hyung!”

I all but ignored them, eyes carefully looking around for the danger.

“...Hyung?”

The feeling never stopped, urging me to continue looking, nose higher up in the air to catch its smell.

“Bae hyung?”

An unpleasant aroma picked up amongst the others, clearly on its way over to us. A deep growl ripped out of my chest as a warning, the two in front of me startling and looking a bit panicked. Not even thinking for a second I pushed them behind me, staring at the human calmly approaching us.

Its presence itself was revolting, the smell so overpowering and artificial that the urge to gag almost won over me.

“My my, what have I found? Something as rare and unique as this hybrid is just walking out in the open, and without its owner at that? Where are they, hmm, little doggy?” - the voice purred, fake and disgustingly sweet.

Another growl crawled out of my throat, a dangerous sharpness to its edges, cutting into walls of flesh, the taste of blood blooming on my tongue.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that. I just want to talk to your owner, ask if they would be willing to sell you. I’m willing to pay, quite heftily. Your burgundy fur is just splendid looking in this autumn weather, I wish I had a coat like that. Maybe I could find one, to match with yours, little pet.” - those eyes were below me, yet they looked down upon me, as if I was worth next to nothing.

They were just like that scum’s, glinting in the dark the same way, mouth morphing along the same curve.

It was revolting.

My teeth ached as my growls strengthened, begging to be sinked into flesh once more, to get rid of the danger once and for all. Every fibre of my being shouted for that same goal, forming together to see it through.

“Fuck off.”

And yet, it never came down to it.

“I wasn’t talking to you, pet, but since you started, you could lead me to your owner.” “I said fuck off. I won’t ask another time.”

The little pika’s form in front of me was firm, unbudging, voice so low and threatening I could nearly mistake him for a different person. His arms were crossed in front of his torso, muscles rippling in an intimidating way, the tiny ears that were hiding in his mop of dark curls were facing me in a harsh angle. That usually sweet citrus was sharp, acidic, yet I found myself soothed by its presence.

Without uttering another word, merely shrinking down in fear, the human left hastily, their shoes tip-tapping loudly against the cement.

“Come on Hyung, let’s go back home.” - a gentle voice asked me on my side, a similarly soft hold laying on my arm that only registered in my mind at that moment.

“It’s okay Bae, we’re fine. See?” - it was Binnie this time, gaze tender as he took hold of my other hand, thumb calmly grazing over my knuckles before he gingerly placed it on his chest.

The surface thrummed in a steady rhythm, pulse strong and unwavering. I let it flow through me, swallow me whole, the continuous beat travelling through my skin, meeting my own wild one. They danced around each other, my own one erratic, but with each step it slowly calmed down, settling back into its rightful pace.

Opening my eyes once more, I was met with the patient expression of the pika, cheeks dusted with pink from the harsh breeze. His eyes held nebulas, shining in those dark depths with countless little stars and directing their light on my muted form. A weary little giggle left his lips, and while I didn’t know the reason for it, I drank in the sound like a weary traveller.

The little puppy was on my other side, cheeks similarly bitten by the weather and dark eyes gazing up at me. A smile took its place on his face, wider the more I looked at him. His tail moved behind him left and right, the gold-woven fur swishing in the wind gently. A squeeze could be felt on the hand he held, as if he was reassuring me of his presence.

I let the two lead me back, back on the roads we just ran on, their hold on my hands never disappearing. My mind was still reeling, emotions nearly impossible to battle. The best I could do was let the two take me away into safety, blindly trusting them to do so.

My eyes were useless, vision filled with fear and anxiety. Thoughts bounced around in my brain, voices whispering into my ear. What if I failed to protect them? What if I was found and led the danger to them? I would never forgive myself for causing them harm, the mere thought pushing my stomach into knots and causing my lungs to stutter. The act itself sounded like a sin, and I was sure I would be dragged back into hell for committing it.

But through all that, another little voice kept feeding words into my mind, asking with a vicious voice: What if they actually wanted to sell you? What if they wanted to get rid of you, since you’ve always been so useless and weak, always causing them trouble? Maybe they finally got bored of you, history repeating itself.

The blood inside my mouth tasted like copper and iron, a much too familiar sensation.

The moment our feet hit wooden boards and warm air heated our skin, I twisted my hand out of theirs, bringing them into my chest and burying my head into their hair. They felt rigid, surprised by the sudden turn of events, but soon they relaxed in my hold, scents changing and betraying their worry and confusion.

“Hyung, it’s okay. We’ll usher them away for you.” - the puppy’s voice was muffled against my skin, head slightly turned towards my face. “Don’t worry Dal hyung, she won’t ever find you again, I’ll make sure of it.” - the pika’s choice of name surprised me for a second, only making me tighten my hold on the two.

“Please don’t leave me.”

My voice sounded so quiet and broken, I couldn’t have told it belonged to me. The scent of citrus and fresh vanilla strengthened, hugging my form like a warm blanket on a winter night. Hands wrapped around me, their hold firm and tight, as if they never intended to let go of me. The thought itself comforted me, and maybe, just maybe, I could let myself believe that it would become reality as well.

“Of course not. I’m never letting go of you, jagi.” - Binnie answered as if he had heard me, the dam breaking and letting the world see my vulnerable self.

The puppy didn’t say anything, but his hold impossibly tightened on me, head shaking slightly against my chest, as if he was defying the very existence of words I uttered. My form shook in their hold, their hair wet as sobs rocked through my body. I buried my nose deeper into their hair, their necks, seeking comfort from their existence itself. It never felt enough, but they let me indulge myself, not even once trying to break out of my hold and leave me.

Soon enough footsteps resounded down the corridors, scents sharpened with worry. Not having the power to speak, nor the will, I shifted, bones cracking and mending in a matter of seconds.

Yes, this form soothed something deep inside me, my mind just a tad bit calmer now.

I still continued to push into Binnie and the pup, their fingers buried deep inside my thick coat of fur. The others hurried towards us, Lixie falling to his knees and sliding the last few metres. He took my much too heavy feeling head into his hold, thumbs gently wiping the still leaking droplets away. The bright eyes that sat above those lovely constellations were glassy, slowly filling up with their own tears. He’d always been a gentle soul, emotions easily swayed from those he felt for.

“What happened?” - it was the wolf, a warm hand placed on me despite the question not being directed at me. “Some fucker walked up to us and asked for our so called owner, just to buy Bae hyung.” - Binnie’s response was basically growled out, his hold on me tightening.

But it was nowhere near tight enough compared to Channie’s hold. 

My fur was stretched, a few strands tearing out from the force. The pine trees were taller than usual and bathed in a cold palette, their roots and branches writhing and splitting in anger. Wind helped them in their wake, its form harsh and unforgiving as if a storm was brewing nearby.

A small whine left my smothered form, body leaning against his. The wind calmed down just a bit, the trees looking more vivid and less harsh. He muttered out an apology, hand smoothing down my roughed up fur. 

And yet the storm was still brewing, the sky covered by dull clouds, the earth itself trembling in silent fury.

That lovely flower field was covered in thorns, their nectar dangerously sweet and alluring. That same sweetness could be felt in the air, its presence so thick that you could choke on it alone. The easel was laying on the ground, empty, red and black splotches of paint being its only companion. The sun hid itself, covering everything in darkness and cold, only egging on the raging sea in the distance.

Moving forward, I stumbled into those in front of me, the storm slightly letting up, but never disappearing. I nudged them all with my nose, earning a few apologies and silent pats. Hating how the little snow leopard was feeling, especially because of me, I placed my head back into his hold, licking his tears away. The salt was nothing compared to the taste of the raging sea, almost non-existent to my senses. A few giggles were my reward, a bit wet and broken compared to their usual selves, but I appreciated them nonetheless, giving him another little lick on the nose. He purred back, the sound so quiet I nearly missed it.

A single glance back at the two was all it took for them to understand, a tiny pika landing on my back and a honey-dipped puppy pressing into my side. Thankful for their quick understanding, I deeply rumbled, a little chirp and a bark greeting me back. Not wanting to waste any other time, I took the puppy’s fur at his nape into my hold gently, carrying his smaller body easily between my long legs. The others gave way to me, letting me carry the two into the closest room, its door luckily left open.

The place smelled like pine and sweets, the signature scents of Lixie and Channie. Their happy, relaxed essence calmed me a bit, making my form less tense. Finding the bed thankfully empty of any unnecessary items, I jumped onto it, letting go of the pup in my hold. He sat up and looked at me as I temporarily laid down, allowing the tiny pika to jump off of my back. The two looked adorably small together, urging me to bundle them up and never let go of them.

Exhausted both emotionally and physically, I acted on that urge, dragging the blankets together in a circular shape around us. After walking around in the little makeshift nest, I looked at the two awaiting hybrids, a low sound leaving my chest to let them know they could take their place now. They happily bounced in, curling up next to each other. My much bigger form joined theirs, draping over them like a protective veil. An appreciative sigh left both their forms, bodies snuggling closer to mine and seeking my warmth silently.

With each deep breath the alarm bells in my head slowly shut off, the whispers disappearing and fading into nothingness, all those doubts and fears locked away once again. The only thought in my head was how warm it all felt, how wonderful everything smelled, as if I was in a bakery, freshly baked pastries with fruits and vanilla cooling off on the counter. 

Nothing else mattered anymore.

These two pack members were in my hold now, safe and taken care of.

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅⋅•⋅⋅⋅•∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

next chapter

[elementsofemily1193]

Hello Tumblr! I hope you’re all having a nice weekend! I know you are all waiting on a new chapter of Business and Brushstrokes, but I had this idea come to me in the middle of the night and the words have been nonstops flying out of me and I had to share! This AU is going to be such a commitment but I am determined and inspired!

Please read the first chapter if you get a chance!!

[tennessoui]

ko-fi fic uploads

hey guys, I'm going to start putting some of my new tumblr prompt fills and writing warm-ups (ficlets of 4k-6k length) up on my ko-fi!!

Monthly supporters will be able to go into the gallery tab on my ko-fi and click on an uploaded image. The title will be which tumblr-based au the ficlet fits into and how many words it is. The description beneath the image will be a quick summary of the au and a link to the google doc containing the ficlet. The "root" au post, aka the post that started the au on my blog, will be linked as well on that google doc.

This will not affect my wips and progress on them in any way! I feel like that's very important to state - I write these sorts of ficlets all the time because it helps get me in the writing mindset for writing ao3 fics. I will just be spending a little extra effort on them to put them up on ko-fi.

I will NOT be posting any ficlets on my ko-fi that you need to read to understand a fic on ao3 - that's some disney monster conglomerate kind of shit. I will also still be posting shorter ficlets (1k-3k) on tumblr as I write them, especially if I'm answering a prompt someone sent me here. Again, I think it'd be a bit of dick move to not do that

I'll try to vary which ficlets go up on ko-fi and every time I upload one, I'll make a post about which au it is as well as a link to the page in case anyone wants to, idk, unsubscribe for a month because they hate the hopeless in coruscant au, and then refollow next month because they enjoy the playmaker au etc etc

I'm definitely still trying to figure out what I want this to look like and what feels fair or reasonable, so hopefully this isn't a huge mess on my end!

All this being said:

I've posted the first ficlet/fic on ko-fi: it's for the Senator Menace AU, an au that's basically "What if phantom menace but reversed? how fucked up would anakin get over the youngling his father master died to protect?"

the first au post is here // my ko-fi is here

[storystartsanew]

Closed Starter (Sense8 AU): Clusterfuck

Ozwell grins when he sees Laurian. He's reasonably sure it's not his Laurian, but goddamn he's hot in any universe. He starts making his way towards him eagerly, waving at him as he does.

Erin groans from where she's wandering the streets of Addersfield, looking for her sister. "Goddamnit, Ozwell, you better not be about to seduce some random guy just because he looks like your boyfriend."

Mariana snorts and shakes her head slightly. "It's Ozwell, of course he is."

Spencer goes to say something and doubles over in pain. He breathes through it, trying to keep it out of the bond as much as possible, if it even is possible. He's not entirely sure what's going on, but being here doesn't seem to agree with his existence. Wherever here is. He leans back against the wall where he's holed up, continuing to just listen to everyone else.

@nxttheendxfthestxry

[fevervoidthing]

Funnysilly majora gjinka i made for that little AU im making :}

[the-kipsabian]

i really need to read immortal fears back and get back to writing it huh

[tathrin]

If Finrod is Legolas's other dad, explain Lorien.

Reference is to this post, and also I'm tagging @z-h-i-e because this is their ship-baby, I just popped in to sprinkle some additional inspiration because my brain went "ooh hey!" when their post crossed my dash because that's the kind of supportive community fandom is supposed to be made of fyi.

Right, so. There's no sense of tone in straight-text communication on the internet, so I know that it's entirely possible that this ask was sent in the spirit of giggling-with-popcorn delight while you eagerly await the resulting explanation. It's equally possible that you're playing at being The Ship Police and challenging me in the expectation that I won't be able to make this Just For Funsies ship sail without floundering on the rocks of canon.

Either way: buckle up. Because the boats of Lórien don't sink.

Because when Legolas gets to the woods of Lothlórien with the rest of the Fellowship, he's delighted. He's never actually been here before! He's heard all the stories, and listened avidly, but. well. Thranduil and Galadriel both blame the other a little bit for the nasty way Finrod died (they know it's not the other's fault so they don't say anything, either to each other or anyone else but, well. it feels like it ought to be the other one's fault, somehow).

And there's all that tension re: Doriath still, and why Galadriel couldn't just pick-up where Melian her teacher left off and maintain the Girdle afterwards—because I'm not a maia, Thranduil, you ass! Oh, so you couldn't even TRY?—especially because she then proceeds to do basically that for Lórien just a few thousand years later...and of course Galadriel thinks it's Oropher's fault that so many of Lothlórien's elves died in the Last Alliance, because if only he hadn't been so reckless and pig-headed then surely Amdír would never have thought up that idiotic suicidal charge on his own...and if she'd maybe tried a little harder to rein-in the son/nephew of the Kinslayers, maybe Sauron would never have even made the Rings, and Mirkwood would still be Greenwood, which you'll note she can't be arsed to extend her convenient semi-girdle to either...and if he wasn't so damn prideful maybe somebody could help his precious stupid spider-forest...etc etc.

They aren't like. enemies. but they don't really get along anymore, either. They don't talk. (There's a reason the elves of Green/Mirkwood were moving north even before Sauron took up housekeeping in Dol Guldur.) So even though Lothlórien is like maybe a week's walk away, Legolas hasn't actually been here before. And he is stoked! Because he's always wanted to visit, but he didn't want to hurt his remaining dad's feelings by being like "bye, gonna go visit my aunt whom you haven't spoken to in like three thousand years, nbd!" so he never did — but here they are now, and it's part of the Quest, so it's not like Legolas just popped in for a visit, is it? He's doing something that just happened to bring him here, so Thranduil can't take it personally, and...well, here he is! At last! This is awesome! He's so excited to see his aunt's fabled forest!

And then they want to blindfold him!? He's FINALLY in Lórien, and he's not even allowed to look at the place!? This is his aunt's forest, for fuck's sake — he is an elf and a kinsman here, dammit! No wonder he goes from zero-to-sixty re: "golly Gimli don't be so stubborn" => "hOw dARe yOu!?!?!?" when the blindfold is suggested. He's not just pissed, he's taking it personally. Because he's family.

Okay so far so good, but when the Fellowship comes before Celeborn and Galadriel why doesn't anyone say anything about Legolas literally being their nephew, one might ask? Ah! Well, that's because we have Hobbits for our narrators, and they simply don't know elvish family trees well enough to catch that detail. Which is why when Celeborn says "Welcome son of Thranduil! Too seldom do my kindred journey hither from the North," it's perhaps a little more pointed of a statement than the Hobbits know. Celeborn is saying long time no see nephew, how nice of you to visit FINALLY. But Legolas and Thranduil have called themselves "Wood-elves" since moving to Greenwood, so the fact that he's actually half-Noldor just never gets mentioned, because it's not like it's relevant, is it? He doesn't mention being half-Sindar either. He calls himself a Wood-elf because he is a Wood-elf...by adoption. So why would the Hobbits even think to ask?

And we know that Galadriel uses ósanwë on everybody, so why wouldn't she be using it with her own nephew? What better way to have a private family chat, after all? And she doesn't say anything aloud to anyone while Celeborn is greeting everybody else, and it's not like Galadriel really needs to listen to the "hellos" either; perhaps she and Legolas have a little mental confab just the two of them while everybody else is settling in. You could easily write that in, if you wanted to, without breaking any of the existing canon.

After that, we actually have a perfect textural opening for Legolas to go hang with his aunt and uncle some more: while the rest of the Fellowship doesn't see Galadriel and Celeborn again until the Mirror and then their departure, the book says "Legolas was away much among the Galadhrim, and after the first night he did not sleep with the other companions, though he returned to eat and talk with them." So we know that Legolas is going off to hang-out with the Lórien elves...a.k.a. Aunt Galadriel. Probably sleeping in the guest bedroom and pestering her for embarrassing stories about his dads. And maybe asking her for tips on how to talk to dwarves without putting your foot in your mouth since she's clearly got experience.

And no, none of them went in for stuff like gushing hugs when they meet...but if they haven't spoken to one another in a few thousand years, and probably didn't spend all that much time together even before that (Galadriel and Thranduil weren't much in any of the same places after Doriath fell) then they wouldn't likely be all that cuddly with one another anyway, would they? Distant-but-fond seems like the order of the day to me, and you can definitely read their fleeting interactions in the book that way. (A kickass bow potentially strung with your own hair is a great gift for a nephew you don't know well who's about to go off into danger! I bet he could even shoot-down a Ringwraith with a bow like that!) Tense-and-awkward-but-trying-to-be-polite would work too, of course; depends on what kind of drama you want.

So yeah, actually I think it's perfectly reasonable to posit that Galadriel could potentially be Legolas's aunt; I've seen several fics that present Celeborn and Thranduil as cousins or some other close relative, and nobody gets shirty about the canocity of that kinship re: the Lórien scenes, so why wouldn't the connection be just as acceptable to come via Finrod and Galadriel instead? There's nothing in the text that I know of that says it can't be canon.

Anyway, Finrod-as-Legolas's-other-dad wasn't actually meant to be a serious "look how well canon supports this idea, it's definitely a very plausible thing that people should embrace in a wholly serious and canonical manner" theory to begin with. I was just having fun. Somebody said, "hey check out their weird rare ship, it's a lot of fun!" and my brain had a lightbulb moment and went "ooh what if you took that silly fun ship and leaned-in even harder with it, though?" and here we are.

Does a marriage between Thranduil and Finrod actually fit with all the canon of the Silm? I don't know, probably not; then again it might, simply because so much of the Silm is vague, especially when it comes to the elves of Mirkwood who barely even get mentioned once or twice. Personally I prefer having Legolas be born in Mirkwood and to be relatively young for an elf when Fellowship starts (there's no canon about that either way, I just like the vibes of it). However, this ship is a lot of fun too. In fact, I think it's already my favorite idea for an older-Legolas-with-ties-to-important-people take on the character, if that's how you want to take the character, simply because it is so much fun.

Do I think it's canon? No, of course not. But who cares? We're not writing Academic Articles on Accurate Tolkien Scholarship, we're writing fanfiction. We're having fun. So if you're a giggling-with-popcorn anon: good, awesome, glad to have you here enjoying the fun too. If you're a Ship Police Anon...well, acab and farewell because I frankly just do not have the time to give a shit about what somebody else ships or doesn't. Block the tag and move on.

[ajgrey9647]

"I don’t wanna go to work today, can we just cuddle? Please?” “Yeah, let’s do that.” + Kimberly/Bulk~ ^^

AND "I don’t wanna go to work today, can we just cuddle? Please?” “Yeah, let’s do that.” + Kimberly/Bulk~ ^^

Two for one prompt lol; didn't know how to add the other one.

Coming to the Truth of the Matter....

Coinless Universe

Before she came face to face with the spiteful, delusional hellhound that wore her brother’s face, Kimberly felt confident that she knew the trajectory of her future. Now, everything had tumbled ass over teacups, her long held beliefs about the people in her life facing a strident challenge in the fallout of Red’s true identity being revealed. And the Pink Ranger suffered overwhelming waves of rage, guilt, shame, and anxiety.

Tommy was supposed to ‘the one’, her high school sweetheart sliding easily into the role of husband and, eventually, father. Kim couldn’t help but peruse the bridal magazines when she went into the bookstore at the mall, flipping through the glossy pages with a soft, dreamy smile curling her lips as she mentally planned her wedding ceremony. Once the vows were exchanged, surely the White Ranger’s demeanor towards her would change, wouldn’t it?

Clearly, as evidenced by Tommy’s obscene display of arousal and obvious desire when in Red’s presence, the traditional celebration was not the issue with his reluctance to become passionate and sexual with her. Kim certainly had tried every trick in the female toolbox to seduce her boyfriend, confused by his hesitancy to take their relationship to the next level.

‘I hinted that I was already taking birth control,’ she recalled, thinking that perhaps a surprise pregnancy was an obstacle to consummating their love. ‘I wore sexy clothing, flirted like hell, kissed him like they did in the movies, even put his hands down my blouse…’

Ever the gentleman, which was completely absurd now, Tommy would avert his eyes, play stupid, and feign shyness, jerking his hands back like touching a hot potato and cheeks aflame with embarrassment.

‘He’s not one bit embarrassed that all our friends and teammates can see his erect cock stretching the crotch of his Ranger uniform!’

There was no missing the lewd response either, as much as the others might pretend to not see the White Ranger’s bizarre behavior when it came to the older, wilder, crazier doppelganger of his best friend. Jason, himself, had stood at Tommy’s shoulder when they all attempted to make sense of what was going on with the delusional Coinless Jason Scott. Kimberly noticed the way his dark eyes stared at his ‘bro’, taking in the intense, stormy expression, the muscles of his back and shoulders rigid as if preparing to pounce, and, most oddly, the leaking, twitching outline of a rock hard erection.

The Pink Ranger couldn’t decide what the Red Omega was thinking or feeling about this newest bullshit of Drakkon’s or Tommy’s disgusting preoccupation with his evil shadow’s creation. Jason never said anything, not to her or anyone else, about what was going through his mind watching these interactions. Obviously, he blushed a deep shade of red that mirrored his uniform, or his mouth would gape, and eyes widen with every crass, crude, and provocative thing Red hissed or did.

It was inevitable that she’d explode on the catty bitch, though she tried her damnedest not to, knowing the hateful pet was mentally ill, another victim of that vile motherfucker Drakkon…

But it was so hard watching Red behaving so inappropriately and Tommy practically drooling over this broken man just when she’d thought that her boyfriend was just being old-fashioned and ‘perfect.’ Most of her girlfriends gossiped about their own problems with their guys trying to play ‘grab ass’ twenty-four/seven, becoming too handsy, and begging on bended knee for a glimpse of pussy.

‘Well, Tommy’s dick isn’t broken. It just isn’t turned on by me!’ she sniffed, wiping her eyes on the sleeves of her pink sweater.

Kimberly had secreted herself away in an empty, barren corridor of this make-shift Command Center, the flickering, sputtering lights half-assed into working nearing the end of their cooperation. The hard floor was chilly, the coldness seeping into her soft leggings, but she didn’t care as long as she could be away from prying eyes to be alone with her thoughts.

What hurt the most wasn’t Red’s scathing insults or curses, though they too stung her deeply. It wasn’t even just knowing that Tommy wanted to fuck Drakkon’s canine into the floor until they came out the other side. Physical desire aside, she knew once the words passed the pet’s lips that the dirty slut wasn’t lying; Kim hadn’t been paying attention.

Tommy Oliver was IN LOVE with Jason Scott.

The Pink Ranger noticed as Red had that the White Ranger’s entire face lit up when he started passionately explaining what was so damned special about the Red Omega, how his voice changed, dropping into a deeper octave.

‘Red wasn’t lying to be an asshole. He’s right. Why didn’t I see what was right in front of me?’

Why hadn’t she acknowledged the way Tommy was always asking where Jason was, the way he smiled when Jase entered a room, the subtle, yet frequent ways he touched the Omega, the number of times he sought Jason out instead of her when he suffered nightmares and flashbacks to his evil Green Ranger days?

‘I just thought they were really close because of what happened in the Dark Dimension and because Jase freed him from Rita’s spell.’

Had they ever fooled around, even if it was before she and Tommy started officially dating? Had they shared even one kiss, whether open-mouthed with lots of tongue or a chaste, tight-lipped peck on the cheek?

‘I know Jason better than that! He would never betray me like that, knowing how I felt about Tommy! He teased me about my crush before everything went to hell in a handbasket. And if he thought Tommy would try to cheat, he’d kick his ass without a second thought!’

A cruel, vicious whisper echoed a memory she’d not thought about in ages, the context taking on new meaning and suspicion.

Tommy admitted to her privately, when they’d met in the park late at night, seated on a picnic table overlooking the playground, that often the only way to calm himself after a nightmare of the Dark Dimension was to teleport to Jason’s house under the cover of darkness. He felt compelled to assure himself that he hadn’t actually succeeded in stabbing the Red Ranger to death and wasn’t satisfied until he’d seen with his own eyes that he still breathed.

And rather than that be the end of it, Jase would throw back the covers, pat the small empty space on the mattress beside him, and allow Tommy to crawl into his bed, tucking him close with the blankets so that the terrified teen could rest his head against the other’s chest and listen to the comforting thud of a still-beating heart.

‘He had no problem cuddling Jason’s half-naked body!’

Besides her ire and embarrassment at Tommy, Kimberly felt crushing shame at the way she, herself, had behaved toward Red, allowing herself to treat a victim of severe physical, mental, and emotional torture like absolute shit. The sick shit Drakkon chronicled in his diary made her ill, had literally caused Billy to vomit more than once, and brought them both to tears. It was no wonder Coinless Jason checked out and created this human-canine, Red, to deal with the tyrant’s fuckery, which also drove him into insanity.

Of course, the pet had no choice when it came to engaging in sexual activity, whatever sick game came to Drakkon’s mind, his captive had to comply. To do otherwise would have only added too his pain and terror even if he’d been in a ‘right’ frame of mind.

It made sense that Red had studied sex, learning the proper techniques and skills to keep himself safe, to lessen any discomfort, and, eventually as he’d admitted, entice his master into more preferable acts or games. The older man had to play the hand he was dealt. And part of that included toying with Tommy, Drakkon’s youthful twin self, when he’d noticed the White Ranger’s interest.

The Eugene Skullovitch of this hellish dimension had warned them upfront about how Drakkon’s puppy could be, detailing his own close encounters with his unstable temperament and behavior. Red was so wildly different from Jason Scott, who was presumed dead all this time, that Skull hadn’t even recognized his old classmate. Kim could now see how this was possible.

Jason didn’t talk the way Red did, didn’t insult, swear, and curse so hatefully, didn’t strut around like an erotic pin-up model, or chug booze, smoke weed, or pop stimulants. Red was off his rocker this morning, high as shit, dancing around like a stripper, according to Zack, only to end up dissolving in hysterics like a small child, clutching his beloved stuffed animal to his heart, the long-lost Rexy who sat on Jason’s bed in the Prime Universe, a place of honor.

Approaching footsteps echoed down the corridor causing Kimberly to stifle her sobs and sniffles. Faint voices murmured to one another, impossible to discern what they were saying until the distance grew shorter. The Pink Ranger tucked herself more deeply in the shadows, not wanting to answer questions as to why she was hiding out and crying, though no one could possibly be that dense.

“I’m sorry you saw him like that,” a deep voice resonated with concern. “I still can’t believe that ‘thing’ in there is Jason.”

Two shadowy figures passed the Pink Ranger’s crouched figure, both too absorbed with their conversation to realize the small girl lurking around the corner. Farkas and Ranger Slayer moved further down into the desolate room that served as a kitchen/dining area. A large hand was perched soothingly on the Slayer’s shoulder, her head bowed, short brown hair hanging over her forehead.

“I can’t believe I never realized who I was looking at all that time I was in Drakkon’s service. I saw Red often, up close even. Maybe if I weren’t under an obedience spell…”

“Don’t think like that,” Bulk gently argued. “Skull wasn’t under any spell and he didn’t know who he was looking at either. And why would you guys? Drakkon said he killed Jase. He even went into great detail how he did it! So how the hell would his name come up as a possibility?”

Turning up the lamps in the kitchen, the bear of a man went to the cupboards, searching through the contents to find his lover some nourishment. Something warm and filling…

“I know… I just… I feel so guilty. He was alive all that time, suffering and alone, no one even attempting to rescue him. Jase must have felt so helpless and scared,” Kim whimpered, face averted. “Bulk, don’t bother with trying to get me to eat. I have no appetite right now.”

Farkas sighed, his large frame shifting as he moved to take a seat at the splintery table. Holding out his hands, he beckoned his partner closer.

“Come here,” he whispered softly.

When Kim got closer, he pulled the smaller woman down into his lap, pulling her legs up over his massive thighs.

“Listen to me, ok? Whether you knew or you didn’t, by the time you got there, Red was already Red, and as we can clearly see today, he isn’t interested in being saved. Drakkon’s got him wedged so far up his prissy ass that he can’t see reality. If we can manage to keep Lord Fuckwad away from him, maybe one day, we can get through to our Jason.”

Burying her face into the crook of Bulk’s neck, the Slayer sniffed miserably.

“There’s no way, love. I know how obsessed Drakkon is with Red. And so does Skull, who’s close to an expert on Red’s antics. He’s jumping at every snap and crack and trying to pretend to be unbothered. I’m glad he’s got Billy, even if it’s a younger, Prime one. Losing ours nearly broke him.”

Bulk only hummed in response, his lips brushing Kim’s soft hair.

“I think Jason would rather be dead than live like this,” the Slayer spoke again. “He’d think our Billy was the lucky one. I don’t even know how we could tell that we could trust anything Red tells us. He could play the long game, wait it out and string us along, and when we think we’ve got Jase…”

She snapped her fingers.

“He pounces.”

Farkas threaded his thick fingers through her shaggy locks.

“Skull’s right. We have to keep in mind that Red is NOT Jason Scott. We can’t ever expect him to behave like the person we used to know, even if we get through to him, not after everything he’s went through.”

Bulk’s words further condemned the young Pink Ranger’s actions, solidifying her guilt at getting into a pissing match with a man who’d undergone such horrific torture that his mind fractured, like an eggshell.

‘All the King’s horses and all the King’s men…’

The old nursery rhyme flashed through her mind and she felt the prickling of fresh tears. The Ranger Slayer had suffered for twenty years, believing her big brother to be murdered, gone forever, and, in a way, he still very well could be if Red continued to obstinately deny even the possibility that he was really Jason Scott.

‘Here I’ve been sitting, thinking the worst about my Jason, treating him like shit because I’m jealous of Red flirting with Tommy. He could have easily died back in the evil Green Ranger days just like Coinless Jason did. Or supposedly did, I guess. I should be thanking my luck stars Jase is still here.’

Kimberly hadn’t meant to be snappish with the Red Omega, or roll her eyes at him, or sneer, or glare, yet she had. And Jason definitely noticed and could deduce the reason. He’d merely looked at her with grief on his face, before quickly excusing himself from the interaction.

A choked sob shook her frame, the anguished sound smashing past her lips with a vengeance and alerting the two lovers to her presence.

“Who’s there!” Bulk demanded as the Slayer briskly slid from his lap and drew her bow. “Show yourself!”

Awkwardly, the Pink Ranger stepped forward, flushing with tears and embarrassment.

“Hey, guys…” she whispered, clutching her hands behind her back.

Bulk’s green eyes softened from his lethal glare and his muscles relaxed.

“Kim? What are you doing back here?” he frowned.

Kimberly looked from Bulk over to her older self and sucked in a shaky breath.

“Sorry… I’m sorry…” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just…needed…somewhere to think.”

Exchanging glances, the Slayer and Bulk both knew why the young girl was upset and avoiding her friends. Kim slowly approached Kimberly and curled her arms around her hunched shoulders, embracing her as tenderly as she knew how.

“Oh, little one, I can’t imagine how you must be feeling right now,” she soothed. “I’ve been shocked at how Red is acting towards Tommy…”

The Pink Ranger grunted in frustration.

“It’s not just how Red’s acting. That shouldn’t matter,” she interrupted. “Red isn’t the one who owes me anything. Tommy is supposed to be in control of his cock, not the other way around! He WANTS to fuck that little tart!”

She gasped, not intending to give voice to her feelings about Red to any of the Coinless, yet mad as hell that she had to admit Red was right about one thing.

Tommy was in love with Jason, whether her big brother knew it or not, was interested or not…

“He wants to fuck him! Every dirty thing that Red whispers to him, he’s captivated! But any time, I tried to…”

She stopped, feeling horribly self-conscious, Red’s nasty insults ringing in her ears.

“I know that man in there is sick, that’s he’s just as much a victim of Drakkon’s as anyone else, that I shouldn’t judge him so harshly. He’s obviously loved and missed by all of you, but every time I look at him, I see ‘the other woman.’ So then I look at ‘my’ Jason and wonder if he’s hiding anything from me!”

Kimberly knew she was rambling, rattling on with scarcely drawing one breath. It didn’t matter; this had all been bottled up too long now! She was gearing up to have a total melt down when Bulk’s gentle voice spoke up.

“It’s ok to be upset with Red, I think anyone would be. He’s not exactly endearing or pitiful or… I was going to say ‘pathetic’, but that actually fits pretty decently. You’re allowed to feel what you feel, dear. Just ask Skull…” he chuckled. “Think how much pain and misery would have been spared if Drakkon just went to therapy or something… Learned how to feel emotions other than anger and pettiness.”

The Ranger Slayer managed a grin at her partner’s observations.

“I think that wild fuck would have required inpatient admission and strong medications. And a strait jacket. I doubt any of the docs would have condoned mass homicide, torture, or creating spooky human pets.”

Bulk’s arms encircled the Slayer, pulling her back tightly to his chest and dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

“True story, love. But I think the White Ranger should stop engaging with Red and riling them both up for all our sakes.”

Rubbing at her scalded cheeks, the Pink Ranger sucked back her tears. She couldn’t miss the passionate, loving expressions on the pair’s faces as they gazed at one another. This was weird.

‘I can’t believe I end up with Bulk of all people over here,’ she mused. “He’s definitely not the person I would have thought. Skull always used to chase me in our world.’

The Coinless Eugene Skullovitch, however, was smitten with Billy, had been destroyed by his Blue Ranger’s death from what the older Zack and Trini had disclosed to her.

Bulk noticed her looking at them with curiosity.

“What?” he smiled.

“Oh, sorry, it’s just…” she struggled to find the right words, hoping to avoid offending these kind people. “It’s just odd seeing myself with you… like that…”

Farkas laughed good-naturedly as Kim grinned.

“I don’t mean it in a bad way, of course,” the Pink Ranger stuttered as the two continued to look amused.

“We know,” the Slayer chuckled. “Honestly, seeing you and Tommy together… is like seeing me with Drakkon, which is a little gross. So, I get it. Back in the day, I didn’t give Farkas a second glance either. But after shit went sideways, I seen the man he was underneath all his hot air and bluster. And so did he.”

Bulk blushed when Kim turned within his arms and kissed his full lips.

“He’s my diamond in the rough.”

A Few Year’s Later in the Prime Universe

The light fluttering of her curtains before the open bedroom window roused Kimberly from a light slumber. A gentle, spring breeze carried the scent of fresh rain and the low rumble of thunder sounded somewhere in the distance. She smiled, feeling the warmth of her partner’s chest against her bare back.

A protective arm draped over her middle; the man’s breath tickled the top of her head as he dozed.

Kim felt a peace she never thought she’d be fortunate enough to feel, finding her soulmate after being so sure she was destined to be alone forever.

‘It hurt like hell, but it wasn’t the end of the world.’

The aftermath of the Coinless debacle, the whole Tommy and Red cat-and-mousing, Drakkon’s near slaughter of them all…

No, it hadn’t been the end of the world, but things certainly couldn’t stay the same. It took a while and a lot of fighting, between her and Tommy, her and Jason, Tommy and the others, Jason and the others… It was a huge fucking mess for a short time.

Kimberly had broken up with Tommy and did them both a favor. She hadn’t been too surprised when months later, the White Ranger approached her with trepidation and explained his sexuality, such as he understood, and his strong feelings for Jason, which he apparently returned, something she hadn’t expected. Though the only dating or discussion thereof had been the Red and Yellow Omega enjoying a sweet, but short, romance.

That Jason might return Tommy’s affections had haunted the Pink Ranger while the anger and pain were still fresh. Her former boyfriend ardently denied anything had taken place between himself and his crush before, during, or after their relationship, though recently playful, teasing flirty eased the way for passionate confessions.

The White Ranger claimed he wanted her blessing before going further, before anyone else learned how they truly felt for one another because sure as shit, things were going to get wild again before they got better. And Tommy didn’t care about that, just concerned about Kimberly’s thoughts and feelings out of the others.

“Zack’s really going to be fit to be tied,” she advised the love-stricken man standing before her. “He might just kick your ass for real this time.”

“I don’t care about that. Jason’s worth having Zack’s whole boot up my backside. But I don’t you to think anything sneaky was going on or that we planned this or…”

Nodding, the Pink Ranger held up a hand, stopping Tommy’s prattling.

“Do you really love him? I mean, do you LOVE love him?”

The White Ranger’s eyes sparkled with passion.

“Yes, Kim. I really do. I’d give my life to save his…”

And she didn’t doubt that.

“Then you better take good care of my big brother. Because if you hurt him, if you break his heart… I’LL be the one kicking your ass! Zack will have to settle for whatever scraps I leave behind!”

Tommy looked flabbergasted, clearly expecting more tears, arguing, and accusations. Definitely not this effortless acceptance and grace.

But what he didn’t know, what Kimberly hadn’t bothered to inform him of, was her budding relationship with Farkas Bulkmeier, who she looked at with new eyes after seeing the latent potential that lived just beneath his gaudy exterior. When push came to shove, Bulk was capable of great things.

Their relationship wasn’t exactly a secret, per se, but they didn’t advertise it, merely enjoying one another’s company (and bodies) with surprising ease. It took some time for Red’s crude insults regarding her sexual abilities to fade from memory, as her new lover constantly praised and coveted her time and attention in the bedroom.

Feeling the man behind her stretch languidly and give a grunt of contentment, Kimberly grinned, rolling over to look up through her lashes at his soft features. Her alarm was going to start sounding any time now, blaring for her to get up for work, another stint in a sprawling retail outlet as she worked to save for college while deciding what she wanted to ultimately do with her life.

Bulk cracked an eye, staring down at her button-sized face with love.

“I don’t wanna go to work today. Can we just cuddle?” she pouted prettily. “Please?”

The heavy eyelid dropped closed again and he kissed her sweat-dampened forehead.

“Yeah, let’s do that….” he sighed happily.

Then a corner of his mouth twitched up.

“And more…”

[transingthoseformers]

Slipstream and Cyclonus as a Terrans is so cute!!! Mirage isn't alone but also baby seekers and they gets to learn from their adopted Moms'(novastorm and Skywarp)!!!

Nightshade definitely contemplates letting the stasis bots early, they never do but they thinks about it a lot. How could it fix the war? Would Megatron help Twitch? Would he make it worse? They don't know and honestly their scarred

Hashtag worries about Starscream a lot and Starscream worries about her spending so much time in a cell. He looks out for her because he's come to see her as his daughter

Megatron wakes up first, it was an accident, the decepticons were getting closer and Nightshade knocked into thing and one thing led to another and the Megatron was free.

Exactly exactly!!

Also exactly, Nightshade is a scientist; it's their job to think about the variables and wonder just what would happen— except they can't test it out, and they're afraid what could happen. What will happen. What is happening.

Ohhh aw yeah. They worry so much so much about each other because they've been down there so long.

Oh? It was an accident? Ohh. Oh now that would be a trippy as hell thing to wake up to after the clusterfuck that things were when Megatron was pushed into stasis.

He's going to have so many strong feelings about all of this, and he wants to help Twitch stop this. Especially since, based on what Nightshade has told him, Twitch really really needs his help to.

[dracomeir]

Just 'cause I'm really intrigued by this (and more or less tempted to draw..) do you have any designs/references for your Renegade Detective AU gang? Could help to also ramble a bit on their world and setting, even if you don't write it out. Always cool to get info about these fellas, might even help you brainstorm on plots and such for later whenever : )

Luckily for me, this is literally the only AU I have planned start to finish. I could write a whole essay, but I don't want to drop everything at once right now. :3

Also to anyone reading this, spoilers but not really since all of this would be in the prologue/chapter one, and I'm like 70% sure I'll never write this fanfic, but still.

So I'm lazy, and can't be bothered to redraw OG Pico into what Soft Pico is wearing, but that's basically what the uniform of the SCF (Special Crime Forces) is. This squad was created with Detective Pico as its leader, and they deal with any crimes where demons are involved. Forensics scientist Darnell wears a purple shirt. He's also the one who creates weapons, sprays, tranquilizers, and any other means of self defense that are effective against demons. Criminal analyst Nene wears pink. She gathers intel from less legitimate sources, keeps an eye on the black market for items of interests, and helps Pico determine what a suspect's next course of an action could be. She also tore the sleeves off of her blazer since she gives no fucks, and the higher ups can't do shit about it since Pico and his crew are the only one with the balls to deal with demons.

Pico is the only one of the trio to have dual pistols. One is a black one called Noir. He uses this gun for humans, and other creatures that don't require magical means to be harmed. His runic pistol is white, and is called Blanc. BF gave this to him back in college, and its enchanted by magical runes that allow him to harm demons, or any other entity that can't be harmed by non-magical means. He is considered a renegade in the force since he will break protocols/the law, and disobey orders if it meant saving the lives of others. Due to him and his squad being the only ones capable of dealing with demons, he hasn't gotten fired for his insubordination yet.

I quickly drew BF's design since I never drew him in full yet, but just imagine him with his usual hair, and pants matching his vest. The lines on his horns represent his energy level. This energy is required for him to live, and incubi/succubi can regain this energy by simply seeing certain thoughts/desires of those around them. Unfortunately for BF, he is unable to gain the energy he needs like others of his kind. This is due to an arch demon punishing him with a curse for betraying the clan, and preventing them from killing Pico, Darnell, Nene, and other students at college. This curse harms him if he doesn't actively block out the desires of others, and the only way for him to regain energy is to take the souls of others, killing them in the process. No one else knows about this until way later in the story. This demon attack on the college was also the reason why BF was forced to drop his human illusion, and his use of charm magic in combat causes Pico to jump to the conclusion that the incubus charmed him to make him fall in love, and breaks up with him. With the bad reputation of his kind at this point of time, BF had no chance to explain himself.

BF doesn't see Pico again until a few years later where a new program that employs demons as emotional support was made. This program is an attempt to improve the reputation of demons, and to show the general public that not all demons are a threat. With the help of the ginger's father (tank dad, yippee!), BF convinces the ginger to put an anti-magic bracelet on him to prove that no magic will get in the way of regaining his trust. He also cooks for him, plays his saxophone for BGM despite Pico's annoyance, and helps him fight demons once the detective trusts him enough to not use magic on him or his friends.

To give you a better idea what BF and Pico's dynamic will be like, here's a short dialogue exchange between the two of them when the ginger trusts BF enough to use lower level magic. A level of magic that allows him to see the thoughts/desires of others.

"Thanks, Pico. I promise to only look when I really need the ener- Wait. Why is your head empty?"

Pico simply shrugged in response despite knowing he had protection against the magic BF was using.

"Has your standards gotten higher since we broke up? Is my ass too small? Too big? Is my chest window not big enough? Is lean and muscular not good enough for you now? Do I have to work out?" He looked at himself in the mirror. "Actually, fuck everything I just said. I'm perfect the way I am. Still though, there's a hottie right in front of you, and you don't even have the smallest dirty thought of him?"

"Hm... Maybe you're not trying hard enough."

"Excuse me? You have no fucking idea how hard it is," he gestured to himself as he walked away to question his abilities as an incubus. "To look this good. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to... Do maintenance on my saxophone."

The moment the door closed, Pico chuckled to himself. "Fucking idiot."

Edit: I forgor that Pico wears reading glasses.

[lemony-snickers]

chapter 17/epilogue >>> part 16 here. and, finally, the end.

Title: Helping Hands (part 17 of 17) (AO3 Link Here) Chapter Summary: And the future brings with it the fulfillment of all promises. Chapter Word Count: 1,411 Chapter Warnings: fem!MC, suggestive content, pregnancy .

Tenzo realized, of course, he should have known the Kakashi Hatake who invited him to visit his foreign Estate while in Konoha for Gai’s nuptials would not be the same one he found upon that distant shore by the time he arrived.

And were he a more sentimental man, he might actually have found the love sickness with which his friend was so obviously afflicted quite charming.  Rather, though, Tenzo found himself most usually exhausted by the exceptional affections so obviously on display for the duration of his visit to Hatake Manor.

Not because he did not like the charming woman with which his Senpai had become enamored, nor because he was not indeed extremely happy for his friend to have found some love and happiness in a world he had thought so recently devoid of it entirely.

No, of course not; for those were all good things.  All things which he could cherish in his own way as a friend of the Lord—and now, he liked to think, of the Caretaker, too.

It was the noise, honestly, that did him in.

By the time Tenzo had stayed his month and four days at the House, he could not recall the last occasion upon which he’d had the pleasure of sleeping soundly through the evening.  For it seemed no matter how great the Manor might be in scope and size, the voices of Lord Kakashi and his Caretaker carried well within every hall given the right opportunity—of which they had a seemingly endless supply.

That the pair had apparently deluded themselves for so long that they were not obviously and hopelessly in love appeared to him more than folly, and he said as much.

“Are you really so stupid?” he asked Lord Kakashi as they rode together over the vast grounds of the Estate one afternoon.  “Did you really think you could avoid her in such close proximity?”

He didn’t mention how he heard them each night, singing their love for one another long and loud from his bedchamber, but his ears turned red anyway, as he thought about it.  Even the snoring of Bull, who he had coerced into his room the night before by offering him a bit of meat leftover from his supper, had not been enough to drown out the riotous sounds of their lovemaking.

Lord Kakashi chuckled.  “I supposed from an outside perspective, it might seem very foolish, indeed, that I ever considered denying my true feelings.”

“And her,” Tenzo said, shaking his head, “she’s as bad as you are.”

The fond smile that flourished over Lord Kakashi’s face made it clear he agreed, though also that he thought no less of her for it.

Tenzo smiled broadly, shaking his head again as he kicked his horse to prompt him into a gallop.  “I’m happy for you!” he called over his shoulder, “Though I shall be glad to get a full night’s rest when I return home!”

Lord Kakashi had blushed mightily at the assertion before regaining his wits well enough to speed off after his friend.

The Caretaker attempted to maintain a proper distance as she bid Tenzo farewell upon the afternoon of his eventual departure, but in a last strange show of his true feelings, he pulled her into a rather crushing hug instead.

“Thank you,” he whispered earnestly against her ear, “for taking care of him.”

She giggled as she pulled away, smiling happily, “I assure you, he does quite the same for me.”

Tenzo hummed thoughtfully as he stepped back, crashing a hand onto Lord Kakashi’s shoulder so roughly the other man’s knees buckled.

“Don’t let him string you along forever,” Tenzo said teasingly, “be sure he makes an honest wife of you soon.”

Both Lord Kakashi and the Caretaker remained blushing and sputtering long after Tenzo made it into his carriage, still laughing heartily at having left the couple in such an embarrassed state.

His fun at their expense would last him the entire voyage home, and induce both Gai and Shizune into a similar fit of amusement upon his retelling of the exchange.

Neither Lord Kaksahi nor the Caretaker spoke of it for a long while after Tenzo left, preferring to regain their rhythm in the wake of his leaving.  Despite all that shared history, their love still felt too new; vulnerable as a sapling, and requiring just as much careful tending to ensure its roots might grow strongly into the earth.

The Caretaker finally moved the last of her belongings from her old bedroom, which was surrendered fully to the dogs in her absence as she joined Lord Kakashi officially in his own chambers.

That the happy—and quiet—little life they carved out together was enough for them would be an understatement of immense proportions.

For the two of them spent the next year in contented bliss, caring for the House and the grounds together, reading in the parlor every evening before retiring to their shared room to lavish one another with their private affections.

Truthfully, and upon more than one occasion, their desires took hold of them in the library or the kitchen, and Lord Kakashi groaned when he considered the way she sometimes looked at him smirkingly as they worked, knowing the influence such a thing had on him.

Still, it was not until some time that next summer that Lord Kakashi gathered the courage to broach the subject of marriage with her.

“I never considered whether I might marry again,” he explained softly as they stared at one another beneath the golden slip of the morning sun.

The Caretaker did not wake so early anymore, or at least, did not rise from her bed at such a young hour.  Rather, the couple took to waking early and then spending time in the quiet morning together, talking of their plans for the future or their dreams or that which required tending around the house before they finally rose for their breakfast and began tackling the tasks of the day together.

She smiled at him softly that particular morning, as she so often did; luxuriating in the way his hands roved her shoulders and back aimlessly—the faint caresses borne of comfort and intimacy over the months they had spent learning one another.

And the secret she had been keeping for several weeks, now, seemed at last to have been provided the proper opportunity for its disclosure.

“Though I have no need for titles or acknowledgements myself,” she said, letting her fingers trace along his jaw and then up to the scar over his eye before brushing his hair away from his face tenderly, “I do think your child has a right to be recognized as your true and rightful heir.”

It took a moment for Lord Kakashi to register her words, eyes searching her face instinctively for any hint of deception or ruse.

“You are with child?” he asked.

The wide smile which overtook her face was all the answer he required.  He pulled her to him, one hand resting already protectively over her belly while the other threaded into her hair, and dragged her face to meet his in a sloppy, delighted kiss; both of them far too busy grinning as they basked in the revelation to care for whether it was a good kiss at all.

Lord Kakashi married his second wife shortly thereafter and despite all the rumors which abounded about the provenance of his betrothed and the circumstances by which they became acquainted—the conditions of how and when they fell in love, as if such a thing could ever be quantified or accurately measured—neither of them cared in the slightest.

Lord and Lady Hatake had always chosen their own way.  And no sharp tongue or cutting glance could ever deter them from the happiness they so quietly sought, and eventually found, with one another.

For no two people had ever been better meant for each other than the pair who found genuine and deep affection in the house that would be known evermore, through many ensuing generations, as Hatake Manor.  Though the House itself often sat empty while its original occupants travelled, enjoying a life of ripe adventure and passion even as their family grew, it would remain forever their one and only true home, cared for always in equal measure by the hands of the handsome and eccentric Lord Hatake and his very dear, very clever Caretaker.

[toomanyplotbunnies-sendhelp]

Hello and welcome to Day 16 of "Let's Explore My Plot Bunnies"

Continuing the Crack/Crossover My Hero Academia plot bunnies that I have, today we are talking about a Shaman King Crossover (-ish?).

Title for the fic: "Spiritual Warfare - Quirk Era Edition"

The story starts with the mess that Asakura Hao's successor to the title of Shaman King makes literally a month into his new position.

Said mess leads to the apparition of super-powered humans into the world. At the beginning, the superpowers (or Quirks as they are later known as) aren't that big of a problem. The real problem starts later down the line when Quirks show signs of becoming too powerful for the body of humans, thus ending up with the humans dying in gruesome ways.

The other Shaman Kings from history decide it is time for them to intervene when the creation of Nomu by the one called All For One starts - after all the souls of the people that were sacrificed in creating that abomination have never been fully able to move onto their next life, which causes a problem for the world at large as well.

The Shaman Kings decide that Hao's soul (including Yoh) should be the one(s) to take care of this problem and reduce the full possibility of a calamity for Earth. (And, no, it's not because the Shaman Kings still dislike Hao and want to put him to work as punishment for the headaches they got while he was Shaman King; they are not that petty ... )

As such, Asakura Hao and Asakura Yoh are reborn in the Quirk Era. Asakura Hao is reborn as Midoriya Izuku and maintains his connection to Spirit of Fire - which is very good considering Spirit of Fire can be explained as the combination of his mother and father's Quirks.

Meanwhile, Asakura Yoh is reborn as Bakugou Katsuki, whose parents just happen to be extremely close to Izuku's parents. Which in turn means they grow up as brothers - even more than when they were brothers before.

Being a baby again sucks, but at least all they have to do in this lifetime is just find this All For One and get rid of him for good. (Easier said that done when you are supposed to be a law-abiding citizen, but oh well)

Since being a Pro-Hero is not only a good career but also could make finding AFO easier, Bakugou decides to go for it. And he drags Izuku with him at the U.A. Entrance Exams because Bakugou wants him there as moral support ("Ha! Now that I think about it, you are now the younger one between us."; "I am gonna kill you, Yoh!")

Izuku planned to just sit there... you know, like a statue and not get himself any villain points so he wouldn't have to deal with this situation at all, but it appears that his younger brother's mentality of "Let's protect humans" has rubbed off on him in the last 500 years. So, when the Zero Pointers appear and some children are stuck in between the debries, Izuku helps them. But it's not a big deal. It's not like he will get point for this, right?

... RIGHT?

Fast forward a few weeks later, both Izuku and Bakugou get their letter of admission for U.A. (Izuku will end Bakugou before this whole spiel is over. That he promises.)

Now, both Izuku and Bakugou have to deal with juggling between school work, attacks from the villains, the ever growing problem that is All For One and his bullshit, the too insistent Mr. Yagi, taking care of their classmates and making sure they don't die that fast (who the hell let kids fight in this world? Izuku just wants to talk, nothing more) and their never-ending but ever growing hatred for Hao's successor. Let's hope they make it, I guess?

Some details I wanna ramble about more:

Hao!Izuku was born in the Midoriya family, which is a very distant line of the Asakura family. So, Izuku is still an Asakura.

The shaman community has been on the down low since a lot of them were killed during the time humanity hated everyone who wasn't "normal" and had those "abnormal powers." Because you know, humanity just loves to start purges every other century or so. This only serves to make Izuku (Hao) more angry at humanity. At least this time, Bakugou (Yoh) is also angry.

In this lifetime, Izuku (Hao) is the one who had an arranged marriage. The arranged marriage is a good thing for both Izuku - who doesn't want to deal with gold diggers - and for the girl, Sayaka - who just wants to be a person in her own right and not just a trophy wife for someone else's family. Bakugou (Yoh) is the happy uncle who fears the gremlins that these two will give birth to.

Izuku (Hao) chooses to have "Hao" as his Pro-Hero name; while Bakugou (Yoh) is still undecided on that.

After they end up in UA, it becomes apparent that they are not the only ones to have been reborn in this world; (me and my friend @yokomisaki brainstormed who would be who in this AU and this is all we have so far) => Eri is Opacho; Todoroko Natsuo is Horohoro; Himiko is Anna (and she is not a villain in this one); Todoroki Touya is Faust (Double Spy ftw?) and Eliza is Hawks; Lyserg is Detective Tsuauchi Naomasa; Tao Ren is Monoma; Manta is Melissa Shield; Ryunosuke is either Snipe or Present Mic (still undecided);

Izuku (Hao) ends up adopting Class 1-A to his own horror and to Bakugou's (Yoh's) amusement.

Izuku (Hao) is also very much done with humanity as a whole. He is losing braincells the more he stays here, he can swear that on his soul.

Bakugo (Yoh) is able to sleep through an explosion created by a villain attack - this was confirmed by Izuku, who did, in fact, witness this happening.

Izuku (Hao) took a look at Endeavor's fire once and proclaimed that a fireplace is more effective than him. Todoroki Shoto may or may not have heard that one.

I can totally see Touya (Faust) flirting with Hawks (Eliza) while other heroes are presents. He does that mostly because he thinks it's fun (Hawks also blushes a lot) and because he likes being a little shit around these "heroes".

And this is about it for this crack fic.

Honestly, while I was talking to Yoko and deciding who is who in this AU, my brain just went over Naomasa as a potential character for Lyserg. But when it hit me, I was like: "Doesn't Lyserg hate lies/liars? Did we just make him a lie detector?" And then we proceeded to laugh over the irony of this.

Either way, I hope you had fun reading my rambling. Have a great day/night, and take care of yourselves!

See you tomorrow,

-TooManyPlotBunnies-Send Help

(Same here, Yoh, same here)