#code abbreviation

[megasoup]

identified like a galaxy. stupid idiot.

[spidergirl-fibula]

Fear & Hunger really perfectly teaches the player about how hostile its world is by freezing indefinitely and forcing you to start over five times in the first hour of playing the game

[johnslittlespoon]

comes crawling back 24 hrs later heyyy haha hi i'm literally flat on the floor with how fucking nice everyone's been about yad(iym) ch1 i don't even know what to do with myself i'm so sjhdgkjgdsk????<33!!!!

i'm so overwhelmed my heart is so full and i'm so motivated to get ch2 done u don't even know :'))) thank you a kaJILLION times, i keep rereading comments and getting TEARY like a LOSER but it rly does mean sm to me, ty ty ty for enabling my brainrot and apologies for always being so Nervous and also Sentimental SDJGJK <33

+ speaking of brainrot i literally have like 50 asks to get back to with drabbles and brainrot and stuff omg i feel so bad, they're all so good and i'm so antsy to get back but i also rly want to focus up on writing this fic bc ik how long i take to write and i don't want to go a month between each update LOL so i will have to find some balance :'^)

[missingn000]

so i’m writing a seraphim ace fic

[axe-trio-commanders]

Hm. You know what, it's time for various, disconnected rambling about Zori, bc I've been thinking about her a lot lately

One of the vew things Zori actively despises is the Consortium. She wasn't around for LWS1 events, so it isn't for those reasons- no, the "Burden of Choice" achievement line (the one with the leyline anomaly visions and the shadowstone) is cannon here

Which makes her first real interaction with the consortium getting a message saying "listen, clearly the priory is understaffed and doesn't know what they're doing here, why don't you use our services instead :)"

Which. As a member of the priory, specifically a member of the priory very often tasked with the retrieval, collection and study of highly magical artifacts, Zori took that very personally.

She has found out where a majority of consortium operations are and has since been intentionally poaching their recruits and employees by loudly daydreaming about how cool the priory is, how well they pay, how diverse their job opportunities are, how humane the working conditions are... either they'll join the priory or demand better working conditions, it's a win-win in Zori's book. She's never mentioned this to anyone else tho, so as far as most of Dragon's Watch is concerned, she'll just occaionally start talking about the priory a lot more for no apparent reason.

(Icebrood saga spoilers)

Speaking of things Zori loathes, kudos for the return to icebrood event for reminding me how much she absolutely loathes every aspect of Bangar's existence. It's the 'invited aurene's champions to the ralley but never once asked about the dragons he wanted to tame', it's the outdated paranoia, it's the causing a civil war on purpose, it's the 'oh so that's why Rytlock is Like That'-

But most importantly it puts in very very sharp focus the fact that they have a similar amount of influence, and that all this is what happens when that influence is used poorly. They've both rallied armies together, pulled different people into a common cause... this is what could happen if she does it wrong. Raise an elder dragon early, close friends, family at each other's throats, blood of thousands upon thousands on her hands, in her throat, drowning her, and Bangar doesn't even seem to care. How do you manage to be the kind of person that doesn't drown in this?

(Bangar is the reason Willow Tree March is on her playlist)

(Janthir Wilds spoilers)

The most recent development as of JW is that, since I've gone and developed them into their own characters, I figure it'd be a fun time to introduce her to Amiaza (her aunt, soulbeast ranger that bonded w/ a sand lioness for so long her skills look more like a Scourge's) and Strea (her dame, elementalist with a knack for fire that caused enough friction at her home among the Olmakhan that she decided to venture away to see the rest of the world, met Vallus, died in the brand, brought back from the dead via brand/dragon shenanigans i might elaborate on in later fic), because having them all interact, especially in the expansion that gives her access to a homestead to decorate and maybe kind of settle down in...

Strea and Amiaza recognize and care about her, are protective of her, and... at this point, Zori just. Doesn't know how to process that anymore. It's been so, so long since anyone has wanted to protect her and care about her as anyone other than a means to an end or an equal (and she's... not really certain there's a difference. There is, in actual reality, but that doesn't stop her from wondering...) She's just. Really not sure how to... have parents, and she doesn't really know either of them, and she's pretty sure this should be a relief or fulfilled dream but it just... isn't setting in right, like the charging port's just a little too crooked... (until in some moment it suddenly isn't as it hits her all at once that it's been years since she's been able to fully believe that someone cares about her and doesn't expect anything from her, because she can't find a single reason either Amiaza or Strea would. They don't need her, they're just.... there. She knows other people have claimed the same thing, somewhere she knows it might be true (it is). But when they're in tbe guild you're supposed to be leading... but this? This, she can't find an alternative explination for. Maybe... maybe it's true elsewhere, too. Maybe it's okay to want that.)

(More Janthir Wilds spoilers,msome SoTo spoilers)

Since Enkkioh became the newest Official Commander(tm) as of EoD into SoTo, Zori comes along to the big meeting in JW primarilynas an advisor and emotional support- in Priory wear rather than full commander regalia, so most of those present outright don't recognize her. (Gixx does, of course, and it feels extensively off to both of them to only trade pleasantries. Zori hasn't visited the Priory at all in years at this point. Neither mention it. Trying to reclaim that comfort feels like a betrayal to her, somehow.)

She is legitimately excited to explore a new place and culture (she's purposefully ignoring the implications of the Ward existing. Just a whole organization that really probably could have helped with the dragon situation. Maybe prevented some deaths. A lot of deaths.It's fine. This is fine. She is not going to start a political incident today this is fine. (Enkkioh has been lowkey bullying Isgarren about this pretty much since she learned the ward existed. She figures whacking him over the head with a newspaper every time he does something stupid is basically the rest of the wizards' job, so it's her job now too. It's not too different from her experience as third commander so far in some ways))

She absolutely adores the journeykin, though, and immediately takes charge of taming the first one they encounter- she perfectly understands the need to wrastle, and has plenty enough experience with different cats (Kiori (jaguar), Claw (tiger), Snowflame (Canthan white tiger), herself, Amiaza,,,) to recognize the attitude of 'wants to play and forgot other creatures are not immune to Giant Claws', she's incredibly releaved at how graciously the lowland kodan take them in. It is. Such a relief to interact with a leader that makes thoughtful, informed decisions..... (she still has a near heart-attack every time Poised Arrow does basically anything. What do you mean interacting consistently with Ryland who's nearly the same age as her and had very similar traumas had a lasting impact she's fine nothing is wrong these are normal reactions.) So mostly things are initially going fine, but once she and Enkkioh begin to figure out what's going on, once it very... very quickly becomes less a 'cool adventure learning vacation' trip and more a responsibility she needs to fix or people will die (of course it's literally the titans! Of course it's literally the titans and the white mantle and Caudecus is involved too! Great no great this is fine. History sure is a flat circle huh.) And like, out of the people there... Caithemprobably starts to notice it's getting to her, but isn't really close enough to her to drag any sort of confession out of her, Enkkioh doesn't know her well enough to really notice at all... but Malice is perspective enough to notice, and still technically being her imperator, isn't near intimidated enough not to drag information from Zori if she wants to. (She's also smart enough to have recognized who Zori is early into her appointment as commander, and to have kept trackmof her since.) Which... Zori hasn't really considered herself a part of the legions, or charr culture in general, for a long while now... even just Malice still considering her as part of Ash as a base assumption would throw her for a loop...

[thegreatestheaver]

Can't wait for the Electric Dreams reaction today :]] (I'll probably put it on and watch at the same time) (I'll also look into Murder Drones at some point)

SQUEE SQUEE SQUEE WE CAN HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT YAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!! IM HAL… AND IM HOLLOW… THE MOVIE NIGHT BROTHERS🔥🔥🔥SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE I JUST WOKE UP PLEASE IGNORE THE FACT THATITS LIKE 4PM BUT. IM GONMA TRY TO GET MYSELF TO GO TO THE STORE SOON FOR MOVIE TIME SNACKS :))))))))) pins yoy agsisnt a wall and puts my hand on your chin before putting my hands on your throat and choking you and FUCKING KILLING YOU PLEEEEEKKKK CHECK OUT MURDER DRONES ITS SO GOOD I SWEAR I SWEAR I SWEAR I SWEAR I SWEAR INSWEAR ISWEAR I SWEARRR PELAPLPASPLLPELPALEPKRJPOHJIPOEAGRHIHOPIGRE[PGRBRGJPOFPOJSPOWQPWLAPLPLPWWPLPAPLSPL PLAPLSLPEPAPLE PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mewrising]

things I should be doing with my flight rising time: writing actual lore for my actual clan and actual dragons

things I actually do with my flight rising time: come up with alpha codes for the bird items

[gricean-sphinx]

A Guide to Abbreviations and Terminology on Chicken Smoothie

Ah, yes! CS abbreviations. There are so many, lol, especially trading lingo. Let's see...

Pets' Growth Stages

OK, to start off there are a handful of easy abbreviations that refer to pets' growth stages:

PPS / EPPS / and kinda, sorta GUPPS

PPS stands for Peter Pan Syndrome and refers to a pet that will never grow to an adult stage. It's usually an "outcome" in a litter that is a little special like that c: Most (but not all) PPS pets will have that abbreviation on the pet image, and the pet info page will say: "PPS This pet has "PPS". What's that? Here's a PPS pet from February:

EPPS is a term that means "early" or "extreme" PPS and is used to refer to PPS pets that never grew from their newborn/first stage. Here's an EPPS pet from February:

Finally, GUPPS stands for "grown up" PPS. This one's a bit weirder because it refers almost exclusively to pets that are released during the advent calendar, when artists of a PPS pet released earlier in the year choose to create an adult version of it. For example, this puppy was originally released in Oct. 2023, then the artist made a "grown up" version for the Advent Calendar in December. The grown up version is a GUPPS:

Trading

The shorthand "WL" stands for "Wish List." The acronym "FTT" stands for Fair-Trade Thread, which is a very popular and useful thread on the forum where you can post a link to a trade you sent or received, and other users will give their opinion on whether it seems fair or not. Some users refer to duplicate pets of the same outcome as "dupes."

Trading Status There are also some shorthand terms users will write into their pet names or pet group names that give you an idea of their trading status, like:

HTTF - "hard to trade for"

VHTTF - "very hard to trade for"

NFT - "not for trade"

UFT - "up for trade"

UFA - "up for auction," or sometimes, in the free adoptions forum board "up for adoption"

Pets' Rarities There are a handful of very easy-to-learn abbreviations that refer to pets' rarities:

OMGSC - OMG So Common

EC/XC - Extremely Common

VC - Very Common

C - Common

UC - Uncommon

VUC - Very Uncommon

EU/EUC/XUC - Extremely Uncommon

R - Rare

VR- Very Rare

ER - Extremely Rare

OMGSR - OMG So Rare

High Value Trades This is where things start to get complex. I'll explain some abbreviations that are common when trading high value pets, but if you start getting confused about what even is happening at this stage, don't stress about it: we can go over how high value trades work and whatnot in the future, if you like c:

High Value Pets Usually, the user base will agree on names for certain pet litters and outcomes to make trading and talking about pets easier. So if someone says "White February," I know they're talking about this white wolf that was originally released in 2009.There are certain high-value pets that come up so often in discussion that users have shorthanded their names into acronyms. Here are some popular examples I can think of:

BA - Black advent

BMD - Bernese mountain dog

TWA - Timberwolf advent

RBM - Rainbow mane

GWJ - Growing white July

BEG - Black-eyed galaxy

CEG - Clear-eyed galaxy

GSD - German Shepherd Dog

WWA - Winged wood angel

(Tangent: if you know the year and month a pet was released but not their (un)official name, there's a really cool archive run by CS users called Chicken Smoothie Transpets that basically functions like the archive, but it lists the widely agreed-upon names of relevant pets, including the acronyms!).

High Value Worth Shorthands Because trading high-value pets on CS can be a bit complex (since we don't know exactly how much rarer certain pets are compared to others; we only know estimates according to their rarity labels), there have been user researched and made guides to trading OMGSR and ER pets taking into account their demand and estimating how many are found up for trade. The current such guide that seems to be popular right now is Horror's [🐝] Guide to Trading Every Pet on CS. In order to trade certain high-value pets for others at the more or less agreed upon values, most of the userbase use certain labels to describe a pet's worth:

OR - Stands for Old Rares and refers to rare pets from 2010-2011

MA - Is equal in worth to 10 ORs. It stands for "Mid Advent," mostly as a leftover term from an older guide. It's not really important to know exactly why this term is used, and I feel like I am already giving you too much info, so maybe I can tell you the story another time XD. MAs are used to measure the more valuable pets on the site.

Non - Is equal in worth to 10 MAs (or 100 ORs). The term comes from the unofficial names of some of the earliest dogs to be released on CS.

True Date, Un-Released and Re-Released Pets Lore - December 18th is a really exciting day for the whole CS userbase. It is the day. The only day when all users have a chance to adopt pets that were released on previous years and are no longer available though the Adopt page. It is the only day you can adopt a very rare or more valuable pet reliably on the site—I hope you're around for that!

RR - Pets from previous years that are adopted on Dec. 18th are called Re-released pets, or RRs.

TD - In contrast, pets that were adopted in the month and year when they were originally released are called True Date pets, or TDs.

UR - Finally, Un-released pets, or URs are also adopted only on December 18th, but unlike every other pet given out on that day, UR pets have never been released normally before. They are always extremely rare and valuable. You can find the UR pets released each year under the "Special Releases" tab of the archive.

COPPA Sorry for the info-dump. Take a breath, we're back in easy territory c: You may see users mention COPPA users in their tarde rules and such. The acronym stands for "Children's Online Privacy Protection Act." To comply with this act, CS allows kids under 13 years old in the US to make an account and collect pets, but not to participate in the forums or write trade messages.

And, well, that's probably too much information already! But I hope you find it helpful. And if you have any questions about any abbreviation or terminology being used around the site, don't hesitate to ask. I promise to return a shorter answer next time! Let me know what else I can help out with or if you want to dig deeper into any of the subjects I mentioned above. c:

[forget-me-not-automaton]

IntbfM.Is,Ijntbl.wbid.

[julsoats]

Parts of the plane and people have been found! We now have a fairly solid idea of what most likely happened to BSAA Star Dust, compiled details of the accident.

In 1998, two Argentinian mountaineers discovered the plane's engine along with scraps of metal and cloth. Later in 2000, climbers discovered more of the plane, along with human remains. An Argentinian Army expedition was sent to retrieve the human remains, and DNA testing confirmed these were the remains of people aboard BSAA Star Dust.

A little interesting extra: The Ministry of Civil Aviation's official report from 1948 (Archived)

Yet, STENDEC remains a mystery.

Now you 🫵 will think about this every time you give or receive head

on their clit like morse code

[ashbur]

.

[textsearchaccessgooglemicrosoft]

ABBREVIATIONS SLANG CODE WORDS

[raincloud47]

Raspberry Delight

The css for the buttons is from a skin made by @ao3commentoftheday with the colors changed to make them more pink.

The pink icons were made by @zerafinacss

@zerafinacss also has pink stat icons that look really good with this skin. It would replace the language/words/chapters ect. with some cute pink icons.

If you want this skin, the code is under here!

First, you have to put these codes into the wizard.

After you save that, you just copy and paste this code:

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^ If you only read on desktop, this last bit is unnecessary. It fixes the blank profile pics from being too big on mobile, but in doing so, it does keep the pics small on desktop

EDIT: If you have any problems with the tags on mobile, go to media and select: "max screen and (max-width: 42 em)" and it should fix it!

[confinedinthisflesh]

.... the tortured poets department? 🧍

[woniwontons]

dead end - CHAPTER THREE

bob reynolds x therapist!reader

summary: after being assigned to monitor bob reynolds’ recovery inside the new avengers tower, you try to keep your fears hidden. but between quiet training sessions and unsettling therapy logs, you start to realize he’s watching you more than he should—and that something inside him never stops whispering.

w.c: 3.7k

warnings: abuse by parent, psychological thriller, inaccurately depicted mental illness, emotional manipulation (by void), nightmares, slow burn, possessive themes, combat violence, unreliable realities, hallucinations, brief mention of suicidal thoughts (not reader's), domestic bob, gore/bloody void, like a lot of blood & violence

chapter nav: one | two | three | four | five | six

⋆｡°✩⋆｡°｡⋆

You weren't supposed to be in Dr. Harding's office.

The door had been left ajar, just slightly. But something more than just curiosity consumed you, filling your impulses with walking inside.

"Dr. Harding?" you said quietly with a soft knock on the door.

No one.

The office was sterile, as always. White walls. Sleek silver fixtures. No personal items. No scent or warmth. Just the sound of the air vent and the soft click of the wall clock.

Then you noticed the screen on her tablet which was left open on the desk.

Still active, as if she had only stepped out for a moment.

It was a biometric scan. Heart rate, neural activity, baseline data.

The subject ID was redacted. But the image attached wasn’t.

It was you.

"What the hell is going on?" Nothing made sense anymore, but the pieces were starting to come together. This new assignment was so much more than it seemed.

Your breath caught as you leaned in slowly, squinting your eyes in disbelief. There were notes below the scan -- coded abbreviations, but none of them you were able to recognize from previous research.

And one highlighted phrase:

Subject displays high tolerance to --

"Dr. Charles! How was your conference?"

Hearing her voice down the hall nearly sent you into cardiac arrest as you scrambled away from the desk. "Shit," you whispered crudely, smoothing out your lab coat before sliding out of the office door. Rushing down the corridor towards your sleeping quarters.

And not a single human eye caught the sight of it.

You couldn't sleep at all that night.

Your stomach felt as though it were doing backflips in your gut, concave from not being able to eat all day.

You rolled over in bed for the fourth time, staring at the wall where your reflection barely showed in the dark glass. The silence was heavy. Not peaceful.

Just full.

Of things unsaid and dreams you refused to have.

You ran your fingers through your hair and sighed, pushing the blanket aside. Sleep was out of reach, but rest felt impossible too. It wasn’t just your body that was tense—it was your mind. Your thoughts. That strange hum behind your ribs you’d started to recognize as something other than your own.

Eventually, you gave in.

You padded barefoot to the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the hot water fill the room with fog. The sound drowned out the silence in your head for a little while.

You stepped in and stood still beneath the stream for a long time, letting it sting your shoulders. When you finally reached for the shampoo, your hands shook slightly.

As water ran down your scalp and face, something that had seeped in under your skin. The scent of your body wash filled the space, eucalyptus and chamomile. It should have been comforting. But the heat on your scalp only made you feel more aware of yourself. Of your body. Of the fact that you didn't feel alone, even when you were.

When you stepped out, towel wrapped tightly around you, the mirror was already fogged.

You wiped your palm across the glass.

And then, just for a moment, you saw it.

A reflection that wasn’t yours.

It flickered at the edge of the mirror—his shape. His shadow. Gold eyes where yours should have been.

You blinked, and it was gone. But your skin was still cold where he’d touched your arm in that attic dream.

You looked down. Nothing there.

No bruises. No marks.

But you felt it.

The presence.

Your hands shakily reached out for the knob of your sink, glancing down as you shut it.

c o m e t o m e

The letter spelled out on the mirror in cast shadows had struck you motionless. You stood frozen, your breath catching sharp in your throat. The room suddenly felt colder, like the air had been pulled out and replaced with something heavier. Thicker. Pressed close to your skin.

You stepped forward slowly, unsure why. Instinct told you to back away. Logic screamed to dismiss it as a stress hallucination.

But part of you didn’t want to.

Part of you was listening.

You reached out and pressed your fingertips to the glass. The words didn’t smear. Didn’t fog.

They just stared back at you.

You blinked. It was gone.

A hard swallow makes its way down your throat. "Leave me alone, let me sleep," you begged, "I can't handle this forever."

You jerked your hand back and turned away from the mirror, suddenly aware of how alone you were. How watched.

You tried to breathe evenly, to quiet the rising panic.

You didn’t look back. After drying your hands and turning off the light, you walked out of the bathroom like you hadn’t just seen a ghost.

Hunger hit you again, plaguing you for your decision to skip dinner that night. A sigh of resignation escaped you as you slid your clothing and slippers on. Any leftover fruits inside the cafeteria kitchens would have to suffice for tonight.

Peaking side to side in the dimly lit hallway outside your door, heart still racing from your recent encounter, you quietly closed your door behind you.

The hallways were still, lit only by the pale emergency lights that hung overhead. You hadn’t planned on leaving your sleeping quarters, but the pangs of hunger wouldn't settle long enough to be able to sleep.

However, you hadn't expected the kitchen lights to be on. You half expected to grab something from the leftover tray and leave unnoticed.

You paused just inside the doorway, head tilting.

Behind the counter, sleeves rolled up, brow furrowed in concentration, stood Bob.

A pan sizzled in front of him, and a bag of sliced cheese sat half-opened on the counter. You watched as he meticulously layered a slice of cheddar over the bread already crisping in butter.

It was so disarming to watch him outside of his normal environment of doom and gloom. To see him at such peace all alone.

"I guess we're all trespassing today?” you called softly.

Bob startled, nearly dropping his spatula before turning quickly in your direction. He blinked at you, caught mid-sandwich flip.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied after a beat, voice low and warm. “Late-night for you?”

“Just starving,” you shrugged. “Didn’t know you were an overnight chef.”

He gestured toward the stove. "Well you get really good at making greasy food when you've worked at every fast food chain that'd hire you."

You walked up to the counter and leaned on it. “That smells really good though."

He smiled at you sheepishly, and your heart melted a bit at how sweet it looked when that smile was for you. “I can make another.”

You raised a brow. “You offering?”

He was already reaching for more bread. “Well since you've made the idea so tempting...”

You sat on a stool across from him, arms resting on the counter. “So this is your rebellious streak? Ditching security to make grilled cheeses at midnight?”

Bob glanced at the door, then back at you. “They won’t find me for another five minutes. I timed it.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Seriously?”

“I’ve been testing their rounds for weeks. Figured out the weak spot on Thursdays.” He gave you a little shrug. “Sometimes I just want to feel normal. Get hungry. Make something. Sit somewhere that doesn’t beep at me."

Your smile faded at the edges, softened by the truth in his voice.

“You do this often?”

“Only when I can’t sleep.” He finished buttering your sandwich and dropped it into the pan beside his. “Which is most nights.”

You wondered where else he snuck off to at night.

You quietly watched him cook with your chin in your hand, leaned against the counter with your elbow. He took his time despite making something so simple, making sure he buttered both sides. Sprinkled parmesan over the top for an extra crisp. It struck then you how much of his life must have been spent feeling watched. Or worse, restrained.

He slid your sandwich onto a plate and set it in front of you with a proud smile.

“Try it. I dare you to say it’s not the best grilled cheese you've eaten past bedtime.”

You took a bite.

It was the best grilled cheese you've probably ever had.

He waited, eyebrows raised.

“Okay,” you said through a mouthful, “I hate to admit it, but your sneaky midnight grilled cheese is really good."

He grinned and took a bite of his own, mumbling, “At least you know why I go through so much effort to come down here.”

You both ate in comfortable silence for a few moments, the kind that doesn’t need filling. You glanced at him between bites, watching how he smiled after each mouthful, how he seemed so… human right now.

No glowing eyes. No flickering hands. No Void.

Just a guy, maybe a friend sitting across from you. You couldn't imagine how scared you were of him before when you felt so weirdly close to him now.

“What’s it like?” you asked gently. “Being in control one minute… and not the next?”

He raised his eyebrow at you questionably before you realized your mistake.

"Off the record, of course. No clipboard, see?" you explained quickly, holding up your free hand as you took another bite of your sandwich.

Bob set his sandwich down slowly, eyes on the plate.

“Like I’m renting space in my own head,” he said. “Most days, I can push him into the corner. Pretend he’s not there. But he’s always listening. Always waiting. And when people look at me, I can tell they’re waiting for him appear too."

You didn’t respond right away.

“I don’t think that’s what I see anymore,” you said quietly.

Bob looked up at you through his lashes, confused and surprised at once. It made you feel warm and guilty all at once.

"I like the guy in front of me, Bob seems like a really cool person."

His throat bobbed, but he didn’t speak at first. Then, softly, “Thank you.”

You both fell silent again, this time heavier. Not awkward, just full.

He didn’t finish his sandwich.

Just left the last bite on the plate as footsteps echoed in the hallways behind him. When the cafeteria doors hissed open behind you, neither of you moved right away.

Two security agents entered, frowning the moment they spotted him.

“Mr. Reynolds,” one said firmly. “Time to return.”

Bob sighed and stood, brushing the crumbs off his hands. “Knew I was cutting it close.”

He looked at you as he turned to leave. "It was nice talking to you, off the record."

You gave him a smile, even if it wobbled a little. “Make me another grilled cheese sometime.”

His grin was soft, and this time, sad. “I can arrange that. Thank you for coming and joining me."

He left quietly, flanked by his silent escort.

You sat alone at the counter, staring down at the half-eaten sandwich he left behind.

That single, untouched corner.

And something in your chest twisted with guilt and something deeper.

You didn’t know what scared you more:

The Void that became him and haunted your dreams.

Or the good patient you found yourself so attracted to.

You didn't have any dreams that night.

ANONYMOUS POV

Transcript Log | INTERNAL FILE [REDACTED] Access Level: TOP SECRET - NEED TO KNOW Date: [REDACTED] Location: Off-site - Audio Transcript Only

Scientist 1: The subject isn’t reporting ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇.

Scientist 2: ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇. ▇▇▇▇ to display ▇▇▇ signs ▇▇ disobedience as ▇▇ others.

Scientist 1: Then she’s further along than expected. We haven’t even introduced ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇t yet.

Scientist 2: ▇▇ ▇oid’s adapting. Faster than the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ model projected.

Scientist 1: That’s not supposed to be possible. It’s not supposed to form preference.

Scientist 2: Then explain the new side effect.

Scientist 2: “Come to me.” We wouldn't be able to see it if it was her hallucination. It was spatially reactive. Infrared resonance picked it up for six seconds before it dissipated.

Scientist 1: …It’s communicating directly in reality?

Scientist 2: Or claiming ▇▇▇▇.

Scientist 1: Then we’re running out of time. If Reynolds becomes aware of the ▇▇▇▇, or worse, ▇▇▇▇ finds out. The whole operation is blown.

Scientist 2: We'll shut it down soon.

Scientist 1: Meaning her?

Scientist 2: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇.

Scientist 1: ▇▇ ▇▇ think ▇▇ the ▇▇▇▇?

Scientist 1: ▇▇ her ▇▇▇. But initiate passive ▇▇ testing.

Scientist 2: Copy. We’ll see how far she can get before we inevitably have to find a replacement again.

End of File

Dr. Harding was already waiting for you when you entered the hallway outside the therapy wing.

Her posture was perfectly composed, one hand gripping a tablet, the other loosely tapping a pen against her palm. She smiled when she saw you, but there was no warmth in it. Just courtesy.

“Morning,” she said. “You slept well?”

You nodded automatically, though you weren’t sure if you had. Your dreamless nights felt emptier now, instead of the relief you should feel. Something about your nights had become harder to measure.

Harding didn’t wait for an answer anyway. She clicked something on her screen and walked ahead, expecting you to follow.

But halfway to the session room, she slowed—just a little—and said:

“If you start to feel... weird, I want you to say something.”

You frowned. “Weird?”

Harding glanced at you from over her shoulder, eyes cool. “Cognitively. Emotionally. Things can blur when we’re in long-term exposure to unknown powers, especially with patients like Reynolds.”

You narrowed your eyes slightly. “You think I’m going to get effected by his presence?"

She stopped, turned. “Not yet.”

“But everyone reaches their threshold eventually.”

She smiled again, as if she hadn’t just implied the strangest thing.

Then she turned and keyed the door open without another word.

Bob was already seated on the mat.

His eyes lifted as you entered, immediately landing on you, not looking in Harding's direction. He didn’t smile, but he didn’t look away either. You followed Harding to the observation chair and sat, clipboard in hand, pen uncapped but still.

Bob’s hands rested on his knees, eyes neutral as Harding began the session with her usual line of sterile questioning.

“Any changes in suicidal ideation?” “Any intrusive thoughts or impulses?”

Bob answered calmly, giving the perfect answer for each one.

You wrote the words down, but they felt less real than the pen in your hand.

When Harding asked a follow-up question about emotional suppression, Bob didn’t respond immediately. He just looked at you again, quietly. Like he wanted to say something else.

And then Harding’s comm buzzed at her hip.

She huffed, checked it, and stood.

“Emergency from the upper psych wing,” she muttered. “I’ll be back shortly.”

And then she was gone.

The door sealed behind her with a sound that echoed.

Bob’s shoulders dropped almost instantly. A breath left him like a valve finally released. “She always make people feel like they're being dissected alive?” he asked.

You gave a faint, knowing smile. “Something like that.”

Bob stretched his legs out slightly, his posture loosening into something more natural. Still guarded, but no longer braced for impact.

“I don’t think she likes when I talk too much,” he added.

You hesitated, then asked: “Has she always been your lead psychologist?”

“Yes and no,” he said, eyes drifting upward to the mirror on the far wall. “I would see her before, but I had a rotation of different psychologist. But after the last assistant left, it's just Harding now.”

That made you pause. “Left?”

Bob glanced at you. “There were a few before you, but they didn’t last long,” he continued. “The last one, she actually started getting sick. Headaches, panic attacks, you name it. Like her brain was shutting itself off."

You didn’t speak. Your fingers twitched against the edge of your clipboard.

“They said it was stress. Too much exposure to the shadows, from before I could control it better.” He tilted his head. “I didn't think she was that afraid of me though. All the assistants before her had similar symptoms, but nothing nearly as bad.”

Your throat felt dry. Images of your face on Harding's tablet flashed in your mind as you started to think paranoid thoughts.

Bob looked at you, eyes darker than before. “You don’t feel sick, do you?”

You shook your head. Slowly.

“That's good,” he said, "the last thing I'd ever want is to hurt someone else again. Especially you."

The stillness inside you was too heavy to push back. "I don't think you're the one causing it," you whispered, so quietly you barely exhausted an entire breath.

Bob leaned forward slightly. “Who else could be causing it?"

You raised your finger to your lips, urging him to be quieter. Glancing at the observation room to ensure it was empty.

Bob’s expression changed, something knowing, something careful.

“You think they’re doing this on purpose?” he whispered.

You couldn’t breathe for a moment, but you nodded your head, pretending to write down notes for the camera. Your pen scratched softly across the page. You weren’t writing words. Just shapes.

Circles.

"I don't know exact what's going on, but I know I'm the subject of some kind of test they're running. I saw it on Harding's tablet," you revealed, wringing your hands together in stress.

Bob's face darkened with confusion and annoyance. "What?"

A short laugh escaped you as you adjusted on your seat, throwing you ankle over the other. "I can't believe I'm even telling you this, but I think you're the only person I trust right now."

"The others have to know something, you should speak to Bucky or Yelena, they'll tell you the truth," he said earnestly, "I just can't believe they didn't tell me if they do know."

You nodded before checking your tablet, faking the responses to the questions you were supposed to ask him.

Shadows flickered on around Bob's seated figure and his fingertips as he sat in contemplation, wondering where everything went wrong. Wishing he had met such a beautiful, kind person in different circumstances than this one.

But in his presence, everything always went wrong.

"Bob?"

He settled, looking up at you. "Yes?"

"Thank you for talking with me, but we should wrap this up before someone notices how much time has passed."

"Anything for a friend."

In Your Nightmares

You were running, but the hallway wouldn’t end.

Steel walls. Fluorescent lights overhead, flickering like dying stars. Every door you passed was marked with your name. Over and over again:

SUBJECT: Y/L/N STATUS: FAILURE IMMINENT

You tried to scream but sound wouldn't escape from your mouth. All you could hear was the thoughts inside your own head crying out for help. You didn't even know what you were running from, only that it wasn’t very far behind.

Each door you had tried was locked, twisting just a centimeter before clicking in resistance as you dragged the skin of your palm around the knob.

The floor shifted then.

You fell—hard—into a room that wasn’t there a moment ago. The tiles turned to concrete. Wet. Dark. Sticky with blood. You scrambled to your feet, but your hand slipped in something warm. A sound echoed through the space—something like wet breathing. Something like chewing.

And then you saw it.

Yourself.

Not a mirror image, a second you in the room. Face slashed with tears, skin gray and twitching. She wore your clothes, but they were soaked in black. Her mouth opened too wide, face sunken in too deeply.

She lunged at you with impossible speed.

You fought back on instinct, elbowing her face, feeling bone crunch beneath your palm. Blood splattered your arms. Her fingers clawed at your face, your throat, her eyes wide and weeping as she screamed in your own voice.

"Please, please," she cried in agony, attempting her best to overpower your resistance.

You slammed her to the ground, but she twisted with monstrous strength, flipping you onto your back. Concrete met your skull with a thunderclap.

CRACK.

Your vision exploded in white.

You tasted blood as your head opened to a splitting ache.

She grabbed your hair at the root, squeezing tightly as she slammed your head down again.

CRACK.

Again.

CRACK.

Again. Again. Again.

Your scream tore free, raw and useless. It was all you could think or hear was to wail in pain. You felt the warmth of it spilling from your nose, your mouth, your ears. Your elbows slipping in the gore pooling beneath you each time you attempted to push back.

And just as your fingers lost their strength, just as the edges of your mind began to slip, he appeared as your second self stopped.

He emerged from the wall behind your double, blacker than anything your eyes could process. As if it was so dark, it could not reflect any light. Gold eyes gleamed like lit oil beneath water, searing into your bones as his presence pulled the air from your lungs.

Your copy stilled, her last look as hollow stare, then crumbled.

Her body peeled away like smoke, revealing you. Just you. Broken. Drenched in blood.

You lay there, staring up at him, ribs heaving. Vision swimming and your lids dipping slowly.

He crouched beside you, head tilted with something like admiration.

“I am the inevitable horrid truth of everything, little one,” he said, voice silk and rot at once. “I am where everything goes to die, I am the end of all lies.”

His fingers brushed your jaw. Gentle. Reverent. “It’s no wonder I scare you so…” His mouth moved closer to your ear, gold eyes never blinking, “little lying goddess mine.”

You whimpered, barely conscious.

Coming to a kneel, his bloodied finger tips continued past your jaw until it touched the side of your neck. His hand pushed lightly onto your throat until the connection between his pointer and thumb hit your esophagus. "Perfect," he whispered, caressing smeared stains of blood down the length of your throat with the gentle pad of his thumb.

You couldn't summon the strength to move or speak.

Blink. Open. Blink. Open.

Then he smiled, "Wake up."

Blink. Closed.

This slow burn train is starting to pick up speed here, huh? This chapter was hard to write for me, but it was necessary for what is about to hit the fan in the next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed how this one ended, a little twisted but sweet.

Also, I must give credit here! The quote said by The Void in this chapter: "I am the inevitable horrid truth of everything, little one. I am where everything goes to die. I am the end of all lies." This quote is one written in the comics for Sentry, and something that really inspired the vision for this chapter's ending! The quote can be found in "Doctor Strange Vol 1 #385" written by Donny Cates.

ALSO: if you are not currently on the taglist, please comment down below if you want to be! if you already commented on chapter 1 or 2, don't worry because i've already added you :)

link to chapter four

[uraniathegypsy]

To be Hero X Agencies

So I've been thinking alot after Ep. 4 (for....reasons 🥲) but opened up and brought attention of somethings.

One of them being that we get to see more of other Hero Agencies, glimpses of how they operate, and what each of their "brand" is for the Hero Commission.I'd like to dedicated this post on the info that we know and my on personal theories on them.

TREEMAN

First off, we have the Treeman Group whose CEO is Mr. Shand. For their employed Hero/Villain rooster so far has featured:

Nice

Moon

Wreck

Firm Man

Blankster

Lin Ling ( new recruit )

Translated desc.- "a hero agency that makes good use of marketing to shape the hero's personality" (@tbhx_officialCN)

From what we've seen, the mangers and staff take in precaution on how their heroes are depicted on stage, their meet-ups with fans, as well as crafting a boosting narrative for their heroes trust values to grow in the eyes of the fans. They are not above bribery, coercion, and stunt casting in order to push their quota ( as seen by the actions of Miss.J )

Also from what I've seen and gathered, it seems that Treeman possibly owns much of the real estate and city development in this world cause much of their promo features a lot of residential areas and shopping districts with their brand on them.

So maybe them hiring people to play the part of villains is because they are the ones who are able to rebuild plus reshape how fans live and consume.

FOMO

Up next is FOMO, which literally stands for "Fear of Missing Out". Their CEO seems to be this young guy named Zac. Their rooster so far consists of:

Loli

Ahu

Translated desc.- "provides ordinary people with opportunities to speak out and become famous" (@tbhx_officialCN)

So from their general description they seem like the mostly are in tune with what regular people are doing, and finding out what's new and fresh.

From the look of their office space, FOMO it's the most colorful and lively of the 4 agencies. It gives off what a lot of start-up tech, social media, and web HQs like Google and Youtube.

It's possible that most, if not all, of their heroes started out as Influencers or people that became heroes through viral moments on the web. Maybe their dark side is that their heroes have to keep coming up with more new, and exciting acts or content to please their fans to keep raking in Trust Value.

It could be more possible that FOMO has the same guide lines like YouTube, Twitter, and Twitch. ( Which would be pretty bleak ^^')

MIGHTY GLORY

Third, we have Mighty Glory whose CEO is the mystery guy right here. Their rooster, as far as we know, consist of:

E-Soul

Ghostblade

Dragon Boy

Translated desc.- "The ace hero organization Mighty Glory has successfully cultivated many high-ranking heroes" (@tbhx_officialCN)

Just looking at the main heroes they have, this agency mainly focuses on acquiring heroes that have a wide-ranged of fighting and physical skills.

They also seem to have morally gray code and ethics. Some not against pummeling or killing those that they deemed "deserve it".

My theories on the CEO is that he is collects and sees their heroes how a Roman Emperor does with Gladiators. They are valued solely on their combatant attributes and merciless displays, but are kept in line behind the scenes like wild animals or slaves.

DOS

And lastly, we have DOS. I have yet to find what it the abbreviation means, but this is their CEO, Mickey. Their hero rooster, so far in the show, consists of:

Queen

Lucky Cyan

The Johnnies

Translated desc. - "DOS pursues high efficiency by acquiring a large number of small hero companies to grow stronger." (@tbhx_officialCN)

So it seems like they are the largest AND most powerful agency out of the collective 4. It has a very...Disney way of acquiring more heroes to cultivate it's company.

They have means to tap into different markets of branding for their heroes.

On one brand, you can appeal to animal lovers and sell marketable mascot plushies, and on the other, you can appeal to pop star and music fans who want to see their favorite idol to succeed.

Not to mention they hold one of the strongest powerhouses to take the title of X.

O_O!!

Disney Evil! This company is willing to obtain and cultivate their heroes so it can become the most controlling Hero IP out in the world (This CEO is Steve Jobs and Bob Iger rolled into one).

So if their was ever a chance or motive for these agencies claim to dominance. it's DOS.

So I hope you enjoyed my on-the spot, collective analysis and ramblings on the agencies so far. I'm still holding on to some other theories and little details I spot that I want to post soon (hopefully a shorter one ^^')