#either that or he doesn't change and E ends up killing him

[transrevolutions]

no listen if you want to do a royalty au it has to be enjolras as the scrappy commoner who is plotting to overthrow the monarchy and grantaire as the sheltered and nihilistic crown prince who drinks too much and doesn't think about the oppression of the people under his family.

and then he meets enjolras and something changes and soon enough he comes to power and immediately abolishes the throne and the nobility and looks like we won't need that revolution after all.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Spooky season needs spooky stuff.. >:3

So can I request the digital circus cast (minus Caine)meeting a Child Spirit Y/n headcanons,who like Kinda possesed/went inside the game to find they’re killer for some reason? They are eerily quiet and like to stare but if talked to very sweet but quick to snap in distrust because..well trust is what got them killed in the first place? They’re a bit bloody..and a eyeball sometimes hangs out?? Like vhs horror stuff

Sorry I’m being so descriptive,I hope you are a nice day!

OOOoo yes time for more spooks!

Also I am having a nice night, thanks! (and I hope you are having a nice day/night too!)

......

Pomni

To make a long story short, you got murdered while wearing the headset, and that tethered your spirit to TADC.

As expected, you lost memories of who you were--except for the knowledge that someone killed you because you trusted them too much, and you believed the answers were inside this very game.

Your character ends up looking like a child's ghost costume: a white bedsheet stained in blood and one of your eyeballs occasionally wanting to pop from its socket.

Caine (who was very much bewildered at your arrival) declares that you're part of an "exclusive Halloween update" and changes up the tent and grounds to have more spooky flair.

But Pomni clearly wants no part of it, and she can tell you don't either.

You're clearly a kid who is (somehow) handling the situation of being stuck in this game better than her, yet when she tries asking you about it....all you do is stare back.

She swears she can hear static noises and whispers she can't decipher--all in all getting a...very creepy vibe from you.

Initially she decides to keep her distance, afraid you were secretly some virus or Abstraction underneath that sheet.

But that changes when you're walking by the rooms one night, and you pass by Pomni's door, hearing her quietly crying.

Although you weren't inclined to get close to anybody here, you were concerned. And since you weren't actually coded into the game, you didn't have to follow any of its rules--and that allowed you to enter her room without a key.

At first you scared the shit out of her, but after realizing it's you, she lets you sit beside her, eventually venting about how badly she missed her real home.

"Everyone keeps telling me "oh this place is so much better" or "get used to it"...but what if I don't wanna do that? I don't care if my old life was bad...I-I can't take anymore of this.." Her sobs grow louder. "I wanna wake up in my own bed knowing my real name!!"

"...I miss home, too," is all you say in response. Yet it's more than enough to calm her down.

For once, you're not trying to brush her off or force her to "cheer up" and accept her reality. You made her feel heard.

"Yeah..me, too....sh-should I thank you for agreeing..?" She sniffles, seeing your subtle nod, before you leave her be, not wanting to get too attached.

Ironically, she was able to sleep a little easier after talking to you.

Jax

From the get-go, he's gonna be real nosy and curious.

Since not even Caine himself expected your arrival and found out that you don't follow the "rules" like everyone else...Jax is gonna try his damnedest to understand you and see what makes you tick.

But he's gonna be disappointed quickly since you don't respond much to him (or anybody in general).

"So...ya like Halloween?"

"........"

"....thought so. Good talk, new kid."

You definitely act like a legit ghost--doing nothing but stare, move things around, and pop up unexpectedly.

Eventually, his curiosity leads to him visiting your room (which has no key), and he discovers many drawings on the walls.

Most depicting a dead person wearing a headset.

What he found most disturbing was a journal that contained his and the others' names..

From what he's gathering...you're suspecting one of them of murdering your real world-self.

But he doesn't get much time to ponder this as you show up, angry at him for intruding.

You make yourself look even bloodier and scarier, with both of your eyeballs hanging from their sockets and staring at him.

"Get out."

Those two simple words put the fear of god in him.

Jax runs out faster than a jackrabbit, colliding with Gangle in the process. Her comedy mask falls off again, but he catches it and looks at her.

"J-Jax..?" She realizes his fur is standing up on all ends, and he looks terrified....even more than he did after realizing the circus was his forever home.

But he just shoves the mask back into her hands and leaves without saying a word.

He never speaks of what he found in your room that day.

Kinger

He thought his eyes were weird...until you came along and periodically had to put your own eyeball back into its socket.

"It's good to know I'm not alone!" He nervously chuckles, only to be met with your eerie silence.

Sometime later, he suggests showing you his insect collection, and it does pique your interest.

You did love all things "creepy" and "crawly".

Yet you're adamant about going to his pillow fortress after he invites you.

It reminds you of the ones you used to build all the time, up until...

Fortunately, Kinger recognizes your reluctance and just brings one of his bug boxes to you so you can look at it.

He could infodump about the various critters for hours, with nothing but nods and quiet "mhms" from you, and he's happy.

In general, he doesn't mind your quiet personality.

Although you still sometimes jumpscare him unintentionally like Gangle often does.

Tbh he's a good father figure and recognizes that you're just a kid who got trapped in this game unfairly.

Even so, you try to keep your distance and looks at him suspiciously if he starts acting too nice.

He was quiet aloof, and you weren't sure how he would act on any given day.

Gangle

After accidentally spooking her (by simply existing in the same room as her), she breaks her comedy mask off.

But immediately she feels guilty for screaming and tries scrambling to fix it, hoping you weren't mad at her.

Yet all you do is stare, not looking angry or anything at all (it's hard for any of the performers to see your expression in general, aside from your hanging eye, but still).

Poor Gangle is just afraid you'd turn into a scarier version of yourself.

When she keeps cutting her ribbon fingers(?) on the ceramic pieces, you come over and clean it up for her, taking it away despite your own hands bleeding.

The implications that you were able to shed blood and nobody else were a little disturbing to her..but she's glad you're not offended by her screaming.

Although she wonders where you're going with her mask..

Later on, you knock on her door and present it fully fixed.

Except...it looks more Halloweenish with an evil smile painted on it, messily glued together.

'Oh god I hope this doesn't turn me evil or anything..' She thinks, putting on a smile as she takes it anyways.

Yet you remain where you are, staring and clearly waiting for her to try it on.

And so she does, and it turns her into a very chaotic Halloween lover, acting even more mischievous than Jax and allowing her to finally get her revenge for all his pranks.

In the end, you gain a decent friendship with her, subtly protecting her from Jax's bullying.

Ragatha

Seeing that you're so distant from the rest of the gang has her worried.

Some of them might consider your loose eyeball creepy, but she's not gonna judge you on that (besides, she's missing an eye altogether so she can't say much anyways).

Howeve,r she's the first to find out how strong your distrust of everyone is.

"[Y/n]? I don't think it's good to be isolating yourself like this. I know you hate being here and Caine's a weirdo..but...we're all in this together. You can trust us-"

"Don't." You warn, putting on a frightening display of anger that sends her tumbling to the ground, sending chills up her spine.

"Trust" became something you didn't take lightly, as the last time you put your trust in someone....you ended up dead, turning into a literal ghost in the machine (that was your gaming system).

Despite this, Ragatha doesn't run away.

Like Pomni, she understands that you're just a kid who's confused and lost.....and clearly had serious trust issues.

But she's determined to help you through that, even if you keep scaring everybody away.

She's got motherly instincts, and she hopes that in due time you'll learn to warm up to her.

Zooble

"A bedsheet worn as a costume? That's a classic."

She's seen weirder things during their time in the circus, so you don't faze her too much.

Only when you snap at Ragatha or somebody who was trying to be nice to you does she raise an eyebrow.

Honestly, they 100% understand that you just wanted to be alone sometimes, and she respects that.

It's suffocating trying to act all cheery and go along with every damn activity Caine tries to get everyone involved in (but lucky for you, he can't make you follow along).

Especially since she believes he made up that stupid "Halloween update" as lazy way to explain your sudden arrival.

The only time you do interact with Zooble is after she yanks Jax by his ears, and they hear this eerie-sounding giggle behind them.

When she turns around, you're just standing there motionless, staring at her.

Somehow, they just know you were smiling underneath that costume, which makes her smile, too.

"Maybe I should pull him out a hat next time, huh?" She jokes after letting him go, and you giggle once more as he hits the ground.

[thequietkid-moonie]

Hiiiii I hope I'm not a bother again, can I request a reaction of assassination classroom's main boys where you hide under your desk because of the weapons' loud noises? I used to read a quotev story and the mc did that, it broke my heart and I wanted to comfort them!!

Thank you<3

S/O is scare of the weapon's loud noises

[ HEADCANONS ] [ Nagisa, Karma ]

[ Assassination Classroom / Ansatsu Kyoshitsu ]

Uuuuh so cute ~ I will like to hug them too 🥺

By main boys you mean them right? I hope so, also sorry I changed a little the prompt I didn't specify that s/o hides under the desk

Nagisa Shiota

Nagisa is really caring towards you and even when he can get pretty shy that doesn't stop him from noticing when you are bothered by something, also he is really observant so it doesn't take him long to notice that you are scare by the guns you use, although he prefers to don't confront you right away

As well, Nagisa doesn't like to jump into conclutions so once he notice that you are afraid he imediatly pays attention to his surroundings to try find out what is bothering you (specially if you don't like or is difficult for you to talk about that kind of things)

Nagisa really wish to have the opportunity to talk to before the problem grows, so if it reach the point where you end up hidding to avoid the weapon's loud sounds or even have a panic attack Nagisa will feel really bad about letting things get so far (and he will blame himself a little because he already noticed that you were afraid)

When Nagisa sees you hidding he is quickly to react, trying to brush off his own feelings for now and just focusing in comforting you, approaching to you and with a soft voice trying to catch your attention, sweetly asking you whats wrong (even when he may know what happened, he wants for you to express, but he won't force you to), he doesn't want to right away touch you fearing that he may make things worst, and if there are more of your classmates there worring about you he asks to please don't surround you to not overwhelm you (unless you prefer for them to be there with you)

It could be that he confronts you about it before this ever happen or after this experience, that doesn't matter too much because in either case he will do it in a calm and soft manner, not wanting to make it seem like he is invading your privacy or something, as well as making sure to express that he is really worried about you (but if is after you hide he will be a little more pushy with making you talk)

Nagisa isn't going to judge you for being afraid of the loud noises, he even admit that at first he was startled for how loud they actually were, and he is just happy to finally being able to talk about this with you

Nagisa immediatly offers you help to find out a solution to this, because there is no way for you to avoid the weapons since the assassination is an important part of the classes (unless you leave class 3-E, but that isn't easy neither), and he probably bring up the idea of talking it with Koro-sensei (who already noticed your fear)

After talking with Koro-sensei he let you avoid the roll call at the beginning of the classes to avoid the shooting, and since in class is forbidden to shoot to not interrupt the classes it won't be much troubles (and your classmates gladly help you with it too, not being able to use the guns will help them to find another ways to try to kill the teacher after all), and in Karasuma's classes you can use special headphones to don't hear the shooting

Besides, Nagisa is constantly checking on you, asking if you are alright and if you need a moment before going to the next classes, as well as making sure you don't forget your headphones and comforting you if you need it. Nagisa make a lot of efforts to help you because seeing you so scare that you feel the need to hide makes his heart squeeze

Karma Akane

Even when he doesn't show it much Karma is really caring towards you (you are his partner and not just in crime after all), he just show it in discreet and indirect ways, also he is really observant so it won't take him much time before noticing that you seem afraid by the weapons

First of all Karma is really interested and curious about your fear, so he won't say anything for a while and just watch you closely to see what exactly makes you afraid (although once he notice that you are really afraid or even almost with a panic attack he reacts quickly taking your attention away from whatever is startling you)

Even when Karma is pretty sure about your fear he doesn't confront you about it right away, specially if you don't like or have problems to talk about those things, still he tend to do little coments and even jokes about it mainly to let you know that he already know it (but if it makes you really uncomfortable or even embarrassed he will stop)

Karma likes when he feels like he has the control of the situation or at least knowing that it isn't going to become a disaster, so he is confident on that knowing about your fear he can talk to you before things get messy, so if he finds you hidding because of the weapon's loud sounds he is kinda shocked and mad at himself too for letting this happen because he was sure that he could help you before this happens, although if he actually confront you before you end up hidding or having a panic attack he will be calm while handling the situation

If it happens that he sees you hidden he reacts quickly, just by seeing you so scare make him really worried about you so he imediatly gets serious and kneeling in front of you he calls you, trying to make you focus only on him, pointing out that he is there with you and that he isn't going to leave you, as well as helping you regulate your breathing

When you finally manage to calm down Karma still in a serious manner confront you about it, asking you directly about your fear and when you say that is specifically to the loud noises he is surprised but still doesn't judge you (although if is in the case that he didn't saw you hidden he will be a little more carefree and even laugh softly, but not like making fun of you)

Karma knows that, as much as he hate seeing you in such state there is no way to avoid the weapons because all of this is an important part of the class, so instead he immediatly search for a way to be able to help you with your fear, he doesn't really bring the idea of asking Koro-sensei (but it isn't like he will just stand there and don't do anything)

From his side he will shield you at the best of his habilities from the loud noises (and he won't hesitant on going against whoever use the guns outside of the permitted time or attempted murder and makes you afraid), as well as talk to you about this fear (but making it seem like a normal chat without much importance) hoping to be able to help you decide to confront your fear or at least get used to

[sitp-recs]

15 21 fics where Draco takes care of Harry

Happy Weekend folks! The last reclist for this self-indulgent HBD Harry celebration week brings the trope we all love and deserve: Harry being taken care of! Let 👏🏻 that 👏🏻 boy 👏🏻 be happy! I’m really soft for this trope because it delivers delicious character development and emotional payoff. Harry deserves all the nice things and I love seeing Draco willing to provide it, whether in the form of physical comfort, protection, shelter, medical care or just good old diq. I wanted to follow the previous lists format but ended up with 20 fics which means I left a bunch out (my first draft had around 30 🤡). As usual I tried to include both classics and hidden gems, and especially some that aren’t in the other lists. Enjoy!

Ceremonials by @jackvbriefs (NR, 4k)

“What are you doing here?” Harry said. This Malfoy blinked up at him, then lifted the bottle of tequila. “I’m teaching you how to make a drink.”

Is This Love? By @phdmama (E, 4k)

Draco wouldn’t call himself a tender man. He fights the forces of evil for a living, trying his best to pay penance for the evil he’s done. He’s fought and killed in the name of duty, and when he’s not on duty, he tends either to play hard or retreat alone. He doesn’t lean on anyone, and he knows he’s not the first person anyone goes to when they need care. Comfort. That all changes tonight.

It Never Occurred to Me That I Would Fall in Love With a Frenchman by lamerezouille (T, 6k)

Harry kisses Draco in a public place. All hell breaks loose.

Unseen by astolat (M, 11k)

When he wasn’t wearing it, he got jumpy, always waiting for someone to come at him wanting something—and now they did it even more urgently, if they ever saw him, because most of the time, nobody did.

Nice Things by aideomai (M, 22k)

The first thing that happened was Theodore Nott came back from France.

Lusimeles by spqr (E, 23k)

“You’re not special, Potter,” Kingsley informs him, not looking up from his work. “But I’ve already done Occlumency training!” Harry splutters, indignant. “And it’s Malfoy.”

just tell me when it’s alright by M0stlyVoid (E, 23k)

Harry’s been fighting tooth and nail for any bit of normalcy he can get his hands on. He’s sick of feeling like something’s wrong with him, tired of feeling different. He thinks he’s finally gotten to the root of it, and has settled into a routine that makes him happy. Naturally, that’s when Draco Malfoy walks back into his life and upends it once again. Has Harry bitten off more than he can chew with his former rival?

The Green Vial by @eidheann (E, 31k)

After months of seeing Harry Potter walk into his Apothecary disappointed and hopeless, Draco offers to carry the baby that Harry can't. Now he's just got to hide the fact that he's been half in love with Harry for years.

Expecto Patronum by @writcraft (E, 35k)

Harry Potter is the most sought after celebrity in wizarding Britain. His every movement is scrutinised, his relationships questioned and his photographs plastered over every paper. Harry's used to everyone thinking he’s a hero and has had plenty of time to learn how to keep his biggest secrets hidden from the press. As Draco Malfoy negotiates his feelings for the wizarding world's brightest star, he becomes increasingly attached to Harry and unravels the secrets he keeps hidden from the rest of the world.

(Un)wanted by @aibidil (E, 36k)

Ginny's pregnant, then she's not and Harry's single. Harry, again with no family, doesn't know what to do with this turn of events, or how to find a new life—post-war, post-Ginny, post-abortion—in which he belongs. He doesn't expect that life to include dancing to the Backstreet Boys with Hermione and Draco Malfoy. A story of finding belonging in the unexpected.

Breathe In (and Feel No Hurt) by Constance1 (T, 38k)

A tale of love, loss, and of finding hope again. Or the story of how Draco turned into a house-cat in order to secretly bother a depressed Harry Potter until he was no longer feeling sorry for himself.

Chocolate and Pastry by agentmoppet, anemonen (E, 50k)

When Pansy bets Draco that there is no chance he and Harry could carry out a genuine romantic relationship, he and Harry form a plan. But as their fake relationship progresses, Draco sees a side of Harry he never expected. Harry is struggling with something, pushing it far down inside him where he doesn't have to acknowledge its existence. Draco starts to worry, and then he starts to care, and then... horribly... he starts to fall in love.

Sweeten to Taste by @saintgarbanzo and @babooshkart (E, 51k)

It starts with Draco's buckwheat crepes with honeyed oranges. Or maybe it starts with his porridge with toasted walnuts and homemade apple butter. Or perhaps it starts with the cinnamon buns Draco made from scratch with mascarpone icing. Harry just knows he's hungry for more.

Meet Me at Midnight by @the-starryknight (T, 57k)

Harry was beginning to wonder if he’d ever make anything again when Malfoy stormed through the door of Harry’s furniture shop. Now Harry’s got an impossible Ministry commission to finish, and even less energy than ever to deal with his elusive muse. That is, until he stumbles upon the surreal and beautiful world of a mysterious fae creature…

I Am Not Who I Became by mab_di (E, 93k)

Draco left England after the trials and has travelled the world meeting wizards and Muggles from different cultures and with vastly different relationships to magic, each other, and the natural world. Now he's a fisherman in Finland on commercial vessels. Harry has been struggling since the war and has become a recluse while trying to write his autobiography.

A Thousand Beautiful Things by geoviki (M, 100k)

Draco Malfoy struggles with changed fortunes, shifted alliances, an ugly war, and an unusual spell, with the help of a concerned professor, an insightful house-elf, and an unexpected Gryffindor friend.

Far From The Tree by aideomai (E, 112k)

The arrival of Harry Potter’s children—snapped back in time, the children themselves guessed, twenty or so years—was the most interesting thing to happen at Hogwarts for years.

A Sword Laid Aside by @korlaena (E, 128k)

When Draco’s cover is blown during a deep undercover operation and the Ministry is compromised, Ron takes Draco to the only safe place he can think of—Potter. Hiding out with a taciturn Harry Potter, who has been missing from the Wizarding World for almost two decades after a shocking fall from grace, is nothing like Draco thought it would be.

Any Instrument by @dictacontrion (E, 131k)

Draco Malfoy wouldn't go back to England for anything less than an exceptional case. Being asked to figure out why Harry Potter can't control his magic might be exceptional enough to qualify.

By the Grace by lettered (T, 140k)

Harry is an Auror instructor. Malfoy wants to be an Auror.

Twist of Fate by Oakstone730 (T, 300k)

Draco asks Harry to help him beat the Imperius curse during 4th year. The lessons turn into more than either expected. A story of redemption and forgiveness.

[buriedpair]

Your ocs are so interesting, I found you through a repost of another yandere blog I love but now I also love yours so get ready for my weird asks.

So what if MC is a god, not a good one nor a bad one, not popular but neither unknown. That doesn't matter to them, they have unlimited power and are immortal. So what best way to use that power than go to gamble for the fun of it? They are cunning and extremely confident (for obvious reasons) and treat others with basic respect but it is apparent that they view them as ants compared to them.

You can choose which OCs find out they are a god and wich don't. How would they react? How will they act around them?

Specifically for DD, MC decides to gamble their life and loose just to fuck with them as they try to pierce their skin and it's simply impossible (or maybe not and they love too much and spare them, I still don't know what he would do if their beloved lost their life)

-🦊 anon

OOOH THIS IS COOL!!! THANK YOU !!!!

Yandere!OCs x GN God!Reader

(Pssst, TW for a mention of suicide)

Amias

Amias has always known there was something off about you. Your mannerisms are strange and he constantly feels like you're looking down on him.

When you decide to gamble your life, he's appalled. How dare you? As far as he's concerned, your life is his too. This is too much for him.

He feels his heart melt out of his chest when you lose. Time stops as he falls on his hands and knees in front of you, eyes wide and unfocused. He's not ready to have a dead darling.

But you seem confident. Was this your plan? To get rid of him, you want to die? He can't stand to watch as you make your way confidently to the execution arena.

Did he go too far? Did you really need to do this? He can be better. Please don't leave.

But the blade doesn't make even a dent as it rests against your skin. You laugh mockingly toward the crowd before announcing your immortality with a confident smile.

Amias is shattered. You did this all... just to mess with him? Oh, dear. Such a pretty little bird doesn't need to be making a big fuss. You'll be safer from yourself in his arms.

Edge

Edge always knew. He could see right through you. It just makes you even more interesting, in his eyes. The way you look down on him... He's so untouchable, usually. So for you to treat him like an insect?

It's intoxicating.

Degrade him more! Tell him how useless and disgusting he is! Fuck, you've unlocked something in him. He's never been treated so poorly before, and he's entranced.

He's under your thumb, this time. You seem to be enjoying it too, so what's the harm? There's no way you're ever losing a game, by the way. You've unlocked simp Edge.

Double Down

He has no clue. He doesn't care much about your degrading comments. He's been rejected before, and he'll still go after you no matter how many times you tell him to die.

DD absolutely REFUSES to kill you, even when you gamble your life. You'd have to get him real mad before he even considers it, which is very difficult to do. When Edge tells him he HAS to, he says he's quitting his job then. He doesn't care. He'll walk out with you on his arm (you looking less than amused) whether you like it or not.

So, now he's unemployed and attached at your hip. You're annoyed. This weird mortal is clinging to you like a weird dog with separation anxiety. He looks happy, though.

Jackpot

He's already prepared to worship you, so don't worry about being a god. Nothing will change, he adores you either way.

If you gamble your life and lose, he's broken. Forever. Doesn't matter if you don't actually die, he's shattered. You did it on purpose? Even worse. He's never going to forgive himself.

He's hardly what he used to be. He won't eat or sleep. By this point, Gambit probably hates you. Jackpot's by your side, weakly clinging to your hand whenever he can be. He doesn't show up to work, either.

You've ruined him.

Gambit

Gambit isn't sure how to feel once he finds out. He ends up with the information on accident when Edge tells him, but he doesn't know how to react. He doesn't change much, maybe gets a bit more shy around you.

He loves you regardless, don't get him wrong. He just doesn't feel worthy of being around you.

If you gamble your life and lose, he'll calmly escort you out of the casino to give you a stern lecture on the value of life. You're half asleep by the time he finishes.

He'll keep you tied up if it means he can keep you safe, no matter how immortal you are.

[skeleton-mischief]

Dust "Serrif"

Shhhh shhh shh, it's all just a bad dream. It's just a bad d r e a m... But when you wake, remember that it is all your fault.

*Dust Sans cannot escape his fate

To Note: I keep the Bad Sanses and the Roommate Universes separate. So if I mention Killer, for example, it is in the Bad Sanses universe. Mostly, both versions are quite similar to one another, but the interactions he has with others influences slight changes of how he grows. If you have further questions, don't be afraid to ask! (I'll go crazy/pos)

- Official height is 5'5

- He/Him

- Nihilist

- Drinks Ketchup, but rarely nowadays

- Intuitive, pessimistic, cynical, overthinker, observant, responsible, sarcastic, serious, assertive, quiet, dedicated, untrusting, overprotective, secretly jealous, cunning, ruthless, manipulative, reserved, blunt, and bitter

- His brother's dust fused with his soul when he killed him, and that is why he can see his dead brother and talk to him, so he can see him almost constantly

- Almost always the only one who sees his brother. Very rarely, however, if the magic is strong enough, a faint and hazy outline of Pap can be seen

- He reads as a hobby, usually involving old literature. When everyone was dusted, the Library was somewhere he frequented out of boredom

- He would have horrible dissociative issues, zoning out worse than most even without provocation. He struggles identifying what is real, where he is, who he's around, and what place he's at. He can be catatonic

- He cares for every papyrus he comes across, and he ends up the most gentle to them and the most patient. After all, even if he killed his brother, that doesn't mean he wants to kill others. When he's disassociated, however, he can sometimes be a danger to Cyperus and often tries to stay away from him as a result since he can forget that he's not his Papyrus

- Good friends with Powder and Saint

- He used to resent Vanilla specifically, as he envies him in so many ways

- strangely, he is friends with Red, and while the dynamic is similar to Vanilla and Red, the dynamic is tilted and often enough Red can be a little off put by him

- He can be outright nasty to others, apathetic to them, but as time goes on he's just exhausted and reserved

- He is willing to let things happen without involving himself, unless he deems it necessary to do so

- He's picky with those he's friends with, he doesn't get close to other Sanses easily and in fact tries to actively avoid making close friendships

- He won't admit it, but he sometimes argues with his brother and he looks crazy. He could be muttering at the wall and next thing you see his him strangling the air while angrily muttering

- The most hateful to Frisk, he refuses to be around any au of Frisk or Chara. Even if he got the help he needed, it just isn't possible for him to forgive them

- (This would be if we go by the Bad Guy Sanses rather than the Skeletons in one universe/house) He would despise Killer Sans specifically in the beginning of their work relationship, but as time went on they became close friends

- He wears a hood and hat since he does not want other people to see his face. It wasn't just to keep his identity stifled, he just also doesn't like to see his own face and associate it with himself. Mostly shrouded in shadow except for his eyelight or teeth sparingly, I like to think that once he starts to heal you can see more and more of his face as he starts to either forgive himself or at least can associate his face with who he is

- He can mimic Vanilla practically in every way, but he only does this to hide his identity in public or if someone confuses the two somehow. The only issue is that something just seems...off when this happens

- An erratic and violent fighting style, he's unpredictable and doesn't follow a pattern like Vanilla does

- He's jittery and when stressed he is more snappish and anxious as a result, constantly paranoid and on high alert

- He struggles with fight or flight responses when confronted or even in situations that don't require a large response. however, this usually ends with fights

- He enjoys cooking from anybody, complimenting them and eating all of it. He doesn't waste food, and he is always appreciative of someone making something. He especially loves it from the Papyri

- Talks to himself sometimes (it's actually Papyrus)

- An angry crier, but he becomes unresponsive or too frustrated to calm down easily when he's really distressed

- He picked up smoking when in the Junkyard area, finding a hat there and a mostly empty pack of cigarettes. He finally lights one when he just finishes dusting Papyrus

- Because the food supply at some point dropped, Dust ended up crossing Grillby's side of the counter and found hidden stashes of alcohol. He ends up drinking and often pretending that everyone in the bar is present when shit faced, but it ends up with him usually breaking down

- There are little times Papyrus is not with Dust since they share a soul in some ways, but it's possible

- He would call his lover Angel

- His brother had always nagged him to wear glasses, but he was always too lazy to do it. Nowadays, he can be seen wearing them when reading

- He finds comfort in forests when above ground, as it helps him clear his thoughts. Rarely though, he can't stand being around them when he starts to hallucinate the voices of those he once loved in the absence of Papyrus. If he's in the forest, he tries to at least have someone to talk to, even if it's just Pap. He hates silence.

- He's extremely patient, almost to a concerning extent. He is willing to play the long game, and so a hobby he interestingly tuned in on is chess

- He is one of the best Sanses when it comes to playing poker, you would have to be careful when making bet with him

- Is a fantastic liar when he chooses to, something about his voice is....trustworthy. If you have wonderful intuition, however, you can just pick up that odd tone he has

- No one is allowed to wake him up early, he stays up late as it is and ends up sleeping the most out of all the Sanses as a result. He is extremely grumpy otherwise. Of course, this would be if he trusts those around him. He actually ends up avoiding sleep and doesn't trust others enough when he first interacts with them. Powder or Red will fight others on waking him up once they pick up this fact

- Does crosswords when possible. He loves to do Junior Jumble because Pap used to love them. He can be seen muttering to himself and even...at ease, when he does them.

- Loves thunderstorms, he's reminded of when Pap used to need comfort as a babybones. He often can be seen watching outside a window or even standing in the rain to get those memories to be fresher in his mind

- Extremely touch starved, but often feels that he doesn't deserve to ask for it. In fact, if he really trusts someone, he leans into them if they initiate touch. If he doesn't like someone however, he'll forcefully remove them. The presence of those he cares about is enough most of the time though. Rarely, he actually will initiate touch. This is reserved for those he's extremely close with though

- Frequently has night terrors, Saint has them too and sometimes they need each other since only both can calm the other. In truth, it was something both ended up being useful for, and it was one of the things that really strengthened their bond. If we talk about the Bad Sanses, he actually was surprised to find Killer sitting beside him and even stroking his skull when he's freaking out one night. Killer knows what it feels like, and even if he knows that Dust was going to be mad, Saint wasn't present and he oddly felt that he had to take initiative. Dust ended up not complaining and actually laid his skull against Killers lap that night

- He can't sleep without hugging something. Pillow, blanket, stuffie, person? Doesn't matter, he has to have something at any point. Even if he ends up sleeping in a laundry basket, he can be seen cuddling something such as a scarf or shirt

- He buries his face in his brother's scarf when cold, or when he wants to breathe in his scent as a soothing and comforting coping mechanism

- Doesn't trust anyone with Pap's scarf, and only washes it sparingly or if he allows it since he wants to remember the scent of his brother. He uses the same soap that Papyrus used

- Will let any Papyrus clean his room, but no one else, not even Powder

- He likes photography, he ended up being closer to Stretch when he was gifted a camera from him

- He doesn't care too much for his health mentally or physically, but works on himself overtime if he's in a safe environment

- Usually doesn't speak unless someone else prompts him to, but he'll sometimes do it unprompted on rare occasion

- Magic smells of leather and slight tobacco, magic tastes of vanilla

- Due to starving underground after the genocide, he now has ash tinted bone and is in fact quite scrawny. Similar to Saint, he has chipped bone and sometimes dust can be seen flaking off. His situation was different though, so he didn't physically change too much like Saint did

- He doesn't seem like it, but he actually enjoys certain puns even after everything. He's a hard skeleton to crack, but with the right joke he can ease up around someone almost as in approval. Depending on who he's connecting with, the joke can be a lame pun, or seeing someone make a fool of themselves

- He is not prone to listen a lot of the time, more spiteful and petty. Like Vanilla, he won't do something well or at all if he doesn't like someone, but he's less subtle about it than him. He won't enjoy scoldings either, since he's used to being scolded a lot more anyways from Pap

- He likes to provoke people at times, and can even actively be passive aggressive or nasty to them as a result. He won't apologize either, and only will apologize if he really deems that person worthy of it

- He's really secretive, and in fact if he's in the roommate timeline it would take awhile for others to REALLY know what happened. Even then he doesn't like talking about it

- His clothes are covered in dust, so that's what he often smells like if he's not using magic. It faintly can remind someone of a dusty attic or library, but for a monster it's very unpleasant and disorienting

- He will threaten someone in a rather calm manner, not bothering to raise his voice. He detaches himself, and if he's really angry he can become what he was like with Frisk: manic and unhinged

- He has a high pain tolerance, so he can have someone smash his face with an object and he'll stumble sure, but he won't react to it much

Closing Notes: oh my STARS bro he's one of my favorites to work with, I actually have a lot of fun when talking about him and exploring his character. I didn't care much for him when I was younger, but that's because I was crazy or something🤭

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed reading! I feel weird when people interact but I appreciate when you guys do. Thank you for reading🫶🫶

[itspdameronthings]

Benny the Rookie Pt.1

Summary: At long last! Finally finished it! Tale of Benny as a rookie cop. Story follows him visiting his young wife. Sweet moments followed by some smut. no minors!

Benny’s point of view:

Hard to believe that I'm a cop. Okay, I just graduated last month. Rookie? Haven't been one since I was a teen. Training wasn't that bad. Runnin and shit piece of cake! Shootin no problem. Codes? That was a bit of a problem. I got it down when I remembered how I used to study in the Army. Another plus? Get to see my wife.When I go to the hospital after dropping off a punk to be checked out. Hard to believe that Gracie Garcia is my wife. Took Pope a long time to accept us as a couple. Oh how he fought tooth and nail to keep us apart. Want to protect his baby sister. Have been in love with her since.. She was 18 yrs old. I was .. cough cough 24 at that time. Age is a fucking number. Now.. she is an ER nurse who gets to see her from time to time. Oh I love to see her in action. Love it even more when she patches me up. So gentle with me until…. She finds out how I got hurt. 

Grace’s Point of view: 

Slow night in the trenches. Boring! Nothing to do but to do is either do chart review, practice on stitches. Until I hear a family voice. Oh that sexy, southern drawl . Exting exam room 1 see my poor Benny! Arm bleeding! Rushed over,” Oh Benny! What happened? “ Look into my brown eyes. Taking a deep breath,” You are gonna kill me.”  Oh I hate when he says that! Seems like every fucking time those words comes out of his mouth. Means two things. One he might need stitches,or two have to admit him. Hope option two doesn't come into play. His partner helps me to exam room 1. Moved my mess on the exam table. Meaning my laptop,and charts. Benny sits on the table trying to act like he is so mighty. Looked at his partner,” I know you don't know me very well. Gonna cut to the chase. If there is any lying

  on how this injury happened? I'll make sure you get the most ruthless doctor to tend to you. Got it?” His partner nods,” understood. See we were chasing a suspect down an alley. Benny here climbs a wired fence. As he comes down. He scratched his arm. Now.. if you excuse me. Have a call to make.” Closed the door so no passerby can see what I'm doing. Stood between his legs while pulling down his shirt so I can see the injury. Not a bad scratch. Sadly he needs a tetanus shot. Oh how he hates them. Looking into his beautiful blue eyes as our foreheads touch,” Glad you are okay baby. Hate to see another gunshot wound on your perfect body. Since you are my last patient for the evening. We can get out of here. Go home so I can properly clean your boo boo.” Benny is lost in his own little world when he holds me close to him. Breathing in my special scent of lavender and gardenia body spray I have on. Kisses the tip of my nose,” Love that idea sweetheart. Glad we have the same day off. Have plans for us. Can't tell ya . Would be a surprise.” Love to know the plan is,but he forgot about the get together at Santi’s . Kiss his lips as I leave to get his shot,” Forgot about one thing. Dinner at..” Benny moans as he lays down,” Ya, forgot. Hope he behaves himself. “  Return moments later with the shot. Told him to sit up ,and wiggle his as I administered the shot. Placed a bandaid on the site,” All better handsome. Now.. if you excuse me. Need to change. Meet ya outside so I can give ya ride to the station to change.” 

Both of us arrive home. Got take out. Too worn out to cook. Rather be in bed with my husband than cook.bodies hurt to no end. After a nice shower. Both of us got ready for bed. Wore one of his worn out tees. With a nice surprise underneath. Moments later after turning the light off from our master bath. Moonlight shines on his necklace. Dangles as he looks down at me. Love how his blue eyes sparkle with so much love. Nose touched. He leans forward,” Love you so much, rose blossom. Only person who can keep me from goin down the deep end. So beautiful. Need to kiss ya now.” That's what he did. Kiss nice and slow savoring each kiss like it was our last. Till sitting up long enough to remove his tee. Laying down again,” Make love to me Benny.  Nice and slow.” Benny leans forward to kiss me again. Tongues danced followed by him holding my hands above my head. Mouth on my neck.Working his way south. Stops for a moment to shimmy off his boxers. Oh love his perfect body. So eagar for his long cock inside my body. Wait till I'm begging for it. Want it now! Continues on using his mouth to work on making me squirm. Lowers his hands as he pulls me up to his chest. He wants my legs around him while grinding our bodies together. Feels like I'm in heaven! Till I feel my back touching the softness of our sheets. Legs spreading apart till I feel what I'm in need for. Long , thick cock inside my body. Arched my back to enjoy the nervana of being taken care of. Slowly his body moves while kissing me. Want to take care of him like he is doing to me. Upon saying that. Tell me he is taking care of me. Continue this dance till feeling cum dripping down my legs. Benny collapsed on top of me. Rubbing his sweaty body. We remain like that till we fall asleep.

Benny’s Point of view: 

I'm at peace. On cloud nine. Soft hands touchin my back. Slow circles she is drawin. So lucky to marry my angel. Dreading the dinner at Pope’s not ready for anymore of his shit! Thank goodness for his mama being there. Need to straighten the shithead out.

[ramblingandwritings]

Vergil fluff alphabet

This is one of the longest alphabets I've written in a minute so it'll be under a read more

A = Activities (What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?)

Walking around town, library dates and staying home reading is just fine for him. He's not the greatest cook by a long shot but cooking together is pleasant, he mostly handles the prep work

B = Beauty (What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?)

Actually managing to put up with him and all of his baggage. He knows it's more than difficult

C = Cuddling (how do they like to cuddle?)

He typically doesn't, not to say that he doesn't love the closeness of it, he's just not used to it. He'll pull you into his chest occasionally, but usually the only time you'll cuddle is if you wake up like that or you start it

D = Dreams (How do they picture their future with their s/o?)

He doesn't see his life as ever being truly peaceful, but having a place to stop and catch his breath would be nice. He just wants a simple house out of the city with you, away from Dante and the madness

E= Equal (Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?)

He's the dominant one in the relationship. You'll have to speak up and assert yourself otherwise he might accidentally steamroll you. He eventually gets better about that but it takes a while

F = Family (do they want one? If they do, when?)

Nero is enough for him, he's more than good on that front

G = Gifts (how do they feel about gift giving? What are their habits when it comes to this?)

Vergil rarely hands you gifts, you'll just find them laying somewhere he knows you'll see it. He'll ask about it later, subtly prodding to see if you like his gift

H = Holding Hands (when/how do they like to hold hands?)

Vergil won't. He needs those to fight at a moments notice, thank you

I = Inspiration (Did their s/o change them or the other way around?)

It's gonna be about 50/50 but being around him means being in danger almost constantly. You have a target on your back and things trying to kill you is gonna be pretty normal. You're likely to be jaded to attempts on your life by year three

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?)

Horribly jealous. He's afraid of losing you and he will outright tell anyone he thinks is flirting with you to kick rocks. If they're dumb enough to push their luck then having Yamato pointed in their face usually does the trick. If you ask about it, then he'll always deny being jealous

K = Kiss (Are they a good kisser?)

He is, he usually keeps a hand either on your waist or chin to hold you in place. If he ever gets panicked then his kisses can be damn near nose breaking

L = Love Confession (How would they confess to their s/o?)

He doesn't explicitly say the words I love you, he can't bring himself to say it. Being rejected would crush him even though he wouldn't show it

Instead he casually recites poetry in hopes that you'll understand what he's trying to convey

M = Marriage (Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?)

Vergil is in no rush, he's dedicated with or without a ring. He'll propose on his own time, when he's ready for it. He gets Kyrie on board to help him ring hunt since she'll probably know where to search

He's the type to just get down on one knee in private and ask, any other way might not show how serious he is. As far as everyone else knows, one day you just suddenly have a ring on since there's no formal announcement

N = Nicknames (What do they call their s/o?)

Publicly, he just uses your name. Privately, you're doll or darling

He slipped up in front of Dante once and he will never hear the end of it

O = On Cloud Nine (What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?)

To Dante, it's so obvious that he might as well have hearts in his eyes and Dante will comment on it. To everyone else, it just seems like Vergil is slightly nicer to you

He will hunt down things you've been looking for or help when he can. You also have the privilege of being able to wear his jackets occasionally

P = PDA (Are they upfront about their relationship? Are they rather shy when others are watching?)

No. He's not big on public affection at all, the only exception is if he was just previously in fear for your life

Q = Quirk (Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.)

Being able to cut holes into space/time opens up a lot of new possibilities. Wanna go to France but don't have a passport or money? Doesn't matter, you two can do it. He won't abuse the ability though, it's for special occasions

R = Romance (How romantic are they? Cliché or rather creative?)

Everything he's learned, he's learned from books. Things can be a bit typical when he actually tries to be romantic but that's not a bad thing

S = Secrets (how open are they with you?)

He keeps some stuff to himself, he doesn't want to talk about them. It's not an insult to you, it's just how he is

T = Time (how long did it take you to get together?)

A solid year, he didn't want to rush into things and accidentally make a mistake

U = Understanding (How good do they know their partner?)

Like a book. It doesn't take him long to figure people out, so he has a pretty good read on you

V = Value (How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?)

He won't give up his search for power for you or stop fighting, but he's more than ready to spill blood for you. His or someone else's

W = Wild Card (A random Fluff Headcanon.)

He actually remembers every important date and makes sure you're on time for everything. There is no such thing as being late around him

X = XOXO (Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?)

Hahahahhahah, no.

In actuality, he craves love and affection but he's not used to getting it. He's spent a good portion of his life alone, believing that attachments are weak. Love is new to him and love without brutality is newer

He'll be slightly more affectionate in private but he's never particularly touchy about it

Z = Zeal  (Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?)

Oh god, the entire crew fears what will happen if you die because there will be hell on earth. He's ready to rip the world apart to bring you back

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Would Aro have done anything differently if he knew Bella would turn out to be a shield? I don’t know if he would still be insistent on Edward changing her if she could turn out to be such a threat. Would it be easier to simply let Edward happily live with a human for 80 years & not have to worry about the threat?

I understand it is the law, but it’s not like he hasn’t bend the rules before, esp for the Cullens.

I stand by my theory that "shield" is a bullshit term Eleazar made up.

The thing is, Aro did know, certainly he had a very good idea. Bella completely blocked Edward, his own gift, and Jane's in that meeting as a human. Later he would confirm that Demetri can't find her when he should be able to. It wasn't inconceivable that she'd be able to block Chelsea and Alec even if she couldn't for whatever reason block Alice, Jasper, Marcus, or even James.

Now, her being able to protect thirty people at a time is downright impressive, but it's not out of the realm of possibility either.

The thing was that it wouldn't matter, because in a sane world Bella Swan would never have been his enemy.

If Edward gives into pressure and turns her, then hooray for Bella, she's a vampire like she always wanted, the Cullens are law abiding citizens, and Aro never need see them again. Edward may resent him forever for this, but there's nothing he can do about it or will do about it.

If Edward ends up killing her, then it's a bit of a waste and a tragic ending, but it's out of this world. The law has been followed one way or another, the human is dead, and given history Edward will probably try to kill himself which isn't Aro's problem.

Aro, however, does not live in a sane universe.

He lives in the very strange reality, hanging by a string of chance, where Edward...

a) chooses to fuck his very breakable human wife even with the very high risk he'll fornicate her to death

b) Edward succeeds in fucking his human wife on such a level as to cause her no serious injury requiring her immediate transformation \

c) Edward's demon seed somehow, impossibly, impregnates Bella Swan with an alien, something that so rarely happens Aro's never even heard of it, because Edward really really really wanted to fuck his human wife and was so filled with hubris didn't even consider condoms

d) Bella chooses not to abort and is protected by Rosalie who prevents Edward and Jacob for cutting her open with a machete in a back alley

e) Edward changes his mind about demon babies very suddenly and almost miraculously and decides vampires have souls after all.

f) Jacob is prevented from murdering Renesmee by SUDDEN IMPRINT

g) Bella somehow survives childbirth even when the doctor's out of the room, Edward's opening her womb with his fucking teeth, her spine is broken, and her heart actually stops

h) Jasper doesn't take the baby out back behind the chemical shed despite the fact that it's a vampire baby, Alice is blind, and he must be shitting bricks

i) The Denali invite themselves over, have a history of nearly being murdered over immortal children, and the Cullens did not think, perhaps, to move and avoid them for a while until Renesmee looked an appropriate age. Anyway, the Denali invite themselves over, Irina happens to see the baby, and is far enough away that there's no time to chat.

j) They somehow convince all of the Cullen friends that they should really really really stand witness to the fact that this baby is not an immortal child. Edward just likes fucking humans.

You can see we're already on j, here, and I could keep going. Had none of this lined up, then that confrontation would never have happened, and they would find themselves weirdly pitted against the Cullens.

Aro lives in a fucking insane universe.

[eriexplosion]

FINISHING OUT SEASON ONE WITH KAMINO LOST, TIME TO CRY.

Lugging Crosshair around Kamino like a sack of sad potatoes. The way he gets to wake up pinned underneath a fucking steel beam like fucking congrats you tried to kill yourself one way so how do you feel about this significantly worse impending doom?

The voice work on the clone reporting that Kamino is destroyed is fantastic, that poor fucking clone.

GREETINGS CT-9904! YOU SURVIVED THE AERIAL BOMBARDMENT BUT ARE NOW MOMENTS AWAY FROM DROWNING!

Azi is so fucking funny like it's obviously terrible to experience this but imagine doing it with this chipper robot narrating your oncoming demise for you

I have a headcanon that Crosshair has a fear of drowning, because his reactions to possible death elsewhere are nothing like here where he sees the water and starts Immediately trying to actually survive.

Getting Hunter to shoot him? Fine, he'll take that. But do NOT let this fucking planet drown him after all this time.

"WHAT have you DONE" Crosshair do you really think this is THEIR FAULT? You knew the Empire was going to bomb the place!

IF YOU WANT TO STAY HERE AND DIE THAT'S YOUR CALL sometimes you need to lay it out clearly for someone that is intent on throwing a giant tantrum.

The entire tower of pods being submerged fucks me up so much

God but if there's one thing they're good at doing it's animating absolutely devastating destruction in intense detail.

Never noticed before that Echo nearly falls and has to grab onto Crosshair because everything was always moving SO FAST.

Crosshair genuinely standing there looking like he's thinking about just staying there and dying but thinking better of it when he realizes dying here means drowning specifically.

ENDING UP BACK IN THE BARRACKS.

Literally they are safe for like 3 minutes tops and Crosshair plans to spend all of them complaining.

We made a choice, and so did you. Goddddd the betrayal and hurt layered in there. Just. A lot changed when Crosshair said that the chip was out and didn't bother to clarify when. And no one here knows the chip was enhanced to be even stronger. (Except maybe AZI?) Just Crosshair really feels like he admitted he totally tried to kill them under his own power.

"We need to go back" BACK TO W H E R E CROSSHAIR?

Tech's assessment that basically diagnoses Crosshair as Insanely and Incredibly Stubborn. I dub thee an unbearable bitch, but I understand you.

THIS OUTCOME IS SATISFACTORY! while they all look utterly traumatized by the experience.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LET A KID CALL THE SHOTS Crosshair I swear to god. Your plan was to stand there and die so like, I think u need to ease up a bit.

Literally might be dead in a few hours but he WILL dedicate those last few hours entirely to registering numerous complaints and insulting a 12 year old. I love him.

"THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM HUNTER, YOU TAKE THINGS TOO PERSONALLY." This is single handedly the funniest line in the show no intentional humor can beat Crosshair accusing other people of taking things too personally like he doesn't take every single action utterly personally to a pathological degree.

Omega trying very very hard to bond with Crosshair who is blocking her attempts to know him with the skill of an elite goalie.

You know my headcanon is still that AZI took Crosshair's chip out to save his life and that's why Crosshair was the one to say that the droid could do it. Nothing has actively shut this down either and with AZI possibly being the only one to know Crosshair's chip was enhanced I would LOVE for this to come back up.

I understand why Omega has to be in her own tube for plot related reasons but it is SO fucking funny that Echo and Tech are doubled up and SO ARE HUNTER AND CROSSHAIR instead of Hunter being in Omega's tube.

Our Get Along Tube

The sequence of AZI guiding the tubes is actually legit beautiful the GRACE of juggling all of them and the light of AZI's eyes in the dark

Genuinely the way they used AZI at the end of season 2 does not make up for how genuinely devastating AZI falling into the depths i- wait a fucking moment. Why is this so reminiscent of Tech's slow mo fall into the clouds?

Omega watching someone she loves slowly fall away from her. Will she try to save Tech in some way and need to get rescued herself? Hm. Much to think about.

I feel like people do overstate the moment of everyone aiming guns at Crosshair because like it is definitely mentally traumatic to Crosshair but they absolutely had their stun on. Sometimes I see people act like they were going to kill him lol.

Everyone looking at the ruins of Tipoca City because no matter how they felt about it, it was the only home they ever had. Seeing it just utterly in ruins like that, my HEART.

God they tried to give Crosshair a chance to come with them and he's just not READY YET. Well he'll have a lot of time to think about it here on Kamino. Lots of time.

Ughhhhh this is such a heartbreaking ending I need season 3 to end on a high note because this is SO DEPRESSING.

I understand why they wanted to put the Mt Tantiss hook in at the end but godddd does it throw off the pacing, Crosshair watching them fly away is like the perfect final shot.

[strangerstilinski]

SELENOPHILES OF BEACON HILLS | Teen Wolf Rewrite

Stiles Stilinksi/Original Female Character

chapter three - - chapter four - - chapter five

fic summary; after an already traumatic evening involving the unfortunate discovery of a gruesome scene, amber is convinced to hike through the woods with her two best friends in search of the other half of a dead body. but it's not as if she could ever say no.. not when stiles looked at her like that.

chapter word count; 9,804

chapter notes; scott has a disturbingly realistic nightmare that he can't seem to get out of his head. lydia gives her best shot at playing matchmaker. something about big bad derek just doesn't seem to add up and amber sets off to figure him out for herself.

masterlist

c h a p t e r   f o u r

pack mentality

Sandwiched between Stiles and Scott, Amber walked up the concrete path to the school building, pulling her backpack straps tighter around her shoulders as she listened to Scott recount the vivid dream he'd had the night before.

"I'm serious, you guys. It was an actual nightmare-" He explained, "In the dream I couldn't control my shift and we were locked inside a school bus.. Allison was trying to get away but.. There was so much blood.." Scott shook his head as if trying to eject the memory from his brain and Amber lifted a hand to give him a sympathetic pat on the back.

Stiles wrenched open the large metal doors to the building when the trio reached them, "So you killed her?"

"I don't know, I just woke up," Scott said as he and Amber entered the school, stepping past where Stiles was holding the door open for them, "And I was sweating like crazy.. And I couldn't breathe. I've never had a dream where I woke up like that before-"

"Really?" Stiles questioned with a grin, a look of satisfaction taking over his face at the innuendo, "I have. Usually ends a little differently.." He wrapped an arm around Amber's shoulders as they walked down the hallway and pulled her into his side with a laugh, "What about you, Am? You ever had one of these dreams? With the heavy breathing and the sweating and the-"

She turned slightly into Stiles' side beneath his arm, pressing her fingertips against his lips to stop the rambling. Her heart beat loudly in her ears as she her mind drifted to the dream she'd had the week before that has featured Stiles himself, from which she'd woken up breathing heavily and coated in a sheen of sweat. She looked into his wide eyes as they continued down the hallway with slow steps and she remembered the moment in her dream just before she'd gasped herself awake, the moment that Stiles' warm brown eyes had locked with hers just before she'd come.

After what was probably a moment too long, she removed her hand from his mouth, "Yes, Stiles. I've had a sex dream before. You're hilarious."

"Wh- Really?" He sputtered, "About who?"

She took a pointed step to the side to put some space between Stiles and herself and his arm fell from her shoulders to hang limply at his side again as they picked their pace back up. She was saved from having to dodge the question herself when Scott interjected.

"A, I meant I've never had a dream that felt that real. And B, never give me that much detail about either of you in bed again."

Stiles sighed a long-suffering sigh at the change in topic but surrendered, "Noted. Let me just take a guess here-"

"No," Scott interrupted, "I know you both probably think it has something to do with me going out with Allison tomorrow, like I'm gonna lose it and rip her throat out."

"Of course not-" Stiles began, cut off when Amber spoke over him.

"Noo.." She drew out the word with sarcasm.

Stiles gave in first, "Yeah, that's totally it." At Scott's dejected sigh, he continued, "Hey, listen, it's gonna be fine, alright?"

Amber nodded, patting Scott on the shoulder, "I think you're doing pretty well, all things considered-"

"She's right. I mean, personally, I think you're doing pretty frickin' amazingly, you know? It's not like there's a Lycanthropy For Beginners class you can take." Stiles joked.

"Yeah, not a class, but maybe a teacher..” Scott hinted, gauging for his friend's reactions.

"I think it's probably the best idea you've had since-" Amber started.

Stiles looked between them with wide eyes, "Who, Derek?" He reached around to hit Scott in the back of the head and used his other to smack Amber in her shoulder, "You both forgetting the part where we got him tossed in jail?" Stiles exclaimed, his voice loud as they moved through the crowded hallway.

Scott raised his own voice in response, "Yeah! I know but-"

"I will not be settled with equal blame in that. I still think we should've at least talked to the guy before-" Amber's voice was drowned out as Scott continued to speak.

"-Chasing Allison, dragging her to the back of the bus, it all felt so real."

"How real?" Stiles asked, opening a set of side-doors that led out to the courtyard and leading Amber through as Scott followed them a step behind.

"Like it actually happened," Scott said as they stepped out to the paved area that held outdoor tables and a smaller parking lot. When his two friends came to an abrupt stop, Scott walked straight into Amber from behind and stumbled. He caught himself with a hand on her shoulder before stepping up to stand beside her. His friends' eyes were trained ahead of them, mouths open in shock and Scott looked to what had caught their attention.

There was blood everywhere.

A school bus had its rear emergency door hanging loosely from the hinges, dozens of bloody streaks and handprints marked up the yellow paint. There were uniformed deputies rushing around the taped-off crime scene, taking photographs and swabbing surfaces for evidence.

"I-I think maybe it did." Amber said quietly as her hands began to shake.

The three tumbled back into the school building in a rush to check for any sign of Allison. Scott looked panicked and Amber wrapped a hand around his bicep as she raced to keep up with the boys who were both taller than her, her mind quickly spiraling in fear.

"She's probably fine!" Stiles assured them, not quite managing to keep the nerves out of his own voice.

Scott reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone, desperately checking it for new messages before squeezing it tightly in his hand and putting it back. His voice was strained as he turned to look at his friends, "She's not answering my texts, you guys-"

Amber took a deep breath, unable to speak. She squeezed Scott's arm in her hand and looked to Stiles on her other side with wide eyes.

"It could just be a coincidence, alright?" Stiles said as they continued to scour the hallway for any sign of Allison, "A seriously amazing coincidence."

"What deity did we piss off to earn this much chaos in only two weeks, anyway?" Amber breathed. Her hands were still shaking, but the one gripping onto Scott's bicep felt slightly more controlled.

"Just- Help me find her. Okay?" Scott pleaded with them, his feet still moving quickly as he raced down the hall.

They'd covered the entire east wing of the school without a glimpse of the girl and when they reached an unoccupied row of lockers, Scott tugged himself out of Amber's grip to brace himself against them. He dropped his forehead to one of the cool metal doors and his hands came up on either side of him. He was breathing heavily, in a scarily similar way to when he was on the lacrosse field, just before he had lost control and tried to kill them in the locker room.

"Scott?" Amber asked softly. She had begun to take a step closer when Stiles pulled her back gently with a hand on her shoulder.

She and Stiles watched as Scott breathed harshly for a few moments before Scott suddenly stood upright, tightening his right hand into a fist and punching the door of the locker. The force behind it put a deep, hand-sized dent in the metal, bending it at an angle that had the lock disengaging and sent the locker door swinging open slightly, hanging sadly from its hinges.

Scott took another deep breath, backing away from the destruction while he and Amber both looked around at their peers, checking if anyone had seen or heard his episode, but no one seemed to be paying them any attention.

When Scott rushed down the hallway, Stiles used the hand still gripping Amber's shoulder to guide her in the other direction, "He needs a minute to calm down, Am."

"Yeah, and we need to help him-" She started, trying to step away but his grip was firm as he pulled her in the opposite direction.

"You and I aren't gonna be much help if we end up in a situation like last week and he manages to actually kill us this time," Stiles argued, "We'll keep looking- Give him a while to calm down, and then we'll regroup, okay?"

"I- Yeah," She deflated, "No, you're right."

Satisfied that she wasn't about to rush off to follow after Scott, Stiles released her and gave her back full autonomy of her body as they approached her locker. After she'd packed away her things and collected her books for English, the two made their way to Stiles' locker so that he could do the same. All the while they kept their eyes peeled for the Argent girl, but didn't manage to find any sign of her in the hallways.

When Amber slid into her desk in front of Stiles, she sighed at the two empty seats in the row to the right of them. She turned around in her seat to face Stiles and kept her shaky voice low in an attempt at privacy, "What if it was real and Allison is-"

"-Walking in the room with Scott right now," Stiles finished her sentence, nodding toward the front of the classroom.

Amber spun forward again so quickly she only narrowly avoided sweeping all of her books onto the floor, but Stiles was right. Allison was walking into the room with her usual soft smile on her face, certainly not looking like she had been mauled by a werewolf the night before, and Scott trailed just a couple of steps behind her.

When Scott slid into his seat, Amber leaned slightly over the arm of her desk to lessen some of the space between them, shooting him a glare, "Would a text have killed you?" She hissed, "I'm pretty sure I was only a few minutes away from an aneurysm from stress."

"Sorry." Scott shrugged, not looking entirely sorry, as he smiled gratefully at the back of Allison's head.

"Unbelievable." Amber leaned back into her seat muttering. Despite her words, she felt a wave of relief rush over her with the knowledge that Allison was okay. As her back came to rest in her seat fully for the start of class, she felt Stiles reach across his desk to squeeze her shoulder softly. She tilted her head to the side and pressed her cheek to the back of his warm hand for a moment before sitting up a little in her seat.

Everything was fine.

By the time third period came around, the sick feeling in Amber's gut had returned. Even though Allison was safe, there was still a crime scene in the back parking lot along with a bloodsoaked school bus, Scott had still dreamt that he'd been there the night before, and someone or something had lost a concerning amount of blood.

Scott turned around to face where his friends sat at the sideways tables behind him, "Maybe it was my blood on the door," He suggested quietly.

Amber shrugged in response while she continued to copy down the equation that Mr. Harris was writing up on the chalkboard.

"Could have been animal blood," Stiles interjected, fiddling with the pencil in his hand, teeter-tottering it back and forth rapidly between his middle and forefinger, "Y'know, maybe you caught a rabbit or something."

Scott frowned in confusion, "And did what?"

"Ate it." Stiles said simply.

Amber snorted quietly, glancing up to the front of the room to ensure their teacher hadn't heard it. Mr. Harris was still facing the blackboard, so she felt safe enough to whisper back to her friends, "Gross, Scott. You ate a rabbit?" She questioned gleefully.

"What and I ate it raw?" Scott asked.

"No, you stopped to bake it in a little werewolf oven." Stiles glared, annoyed. Amber laughed quietly again as he continued, "I don't know, you're the one who can't remember anything."

"Mr. Stilinski," Harris' voice rang out with its usual amount of irritation, "If that's your idea of a hushed whisper, you might want to pull the headphones out every once in a while." Amber looked back at her notes, face flushing in mortification, and she heard Stiles huff a nervous laugh, "I think you, Mr. McCall and Miss Callisto would benefit from a little distance, yes?"

"No-" Stiles protested immediately.

Mr. Harris glared from behind his small, black framed glasses and pointed to an empty seat at the far end of the classroom, and another at a table in the front. Stiles and Scott both huffed, but collected their things none the less and moved to their respective new seats. Amber remained in her seat, avoiding the amused gaze of the classmate she shared her table with.

"Hey! I think they found something!" The girl sitting beside Scott suddenly yelled, rushing to the window overlooking the back parking lot.

Every student in the classroom followed suit and ran to the wall of windows. Amber pushed through to the front of the room and hovered just behind Scott and Stiles, peeking over their shoulders to see the person being carted toward an ambulance on a gurney.

"That's not a rabbit," Scott stated quietly.

The old man on the gurney suddenly sat upright and attempted to pull away from the paramedics. He screamed and all the students hovering by the windows flinched back in surprise. The backward movement of the boys in front of her had her tripping over her own feet and Amber's hands went to Stiles' waist to steady herself.

Scott backed away from the scene slowly with a horrified look on his face. Amber and Stiles immediately followed after him and went to their friend's side.

"Guys, what-" Amber swallowed past a lump in her throat, unable to finish her question. She looked to Stiles with wide eyes, hoping he might have something to say to make the situation seem less dire.

"This is good!" Stiles said, "This is good." He repeated, looking back and forth between his friend and the windows, "He got up, he's not dead. Dead guys can't do that." Stiles let out a long breath.

"You guys.. I did that." Scott whispered.

"Hey, listen. We don't know for sure that you did anything." Amber assured Scott again. She settled her lunch tray over her forearm and reached out to rub Scott's arm encouragingly as they made their way to an empty table.

"Dreams aren't memories." Stiles agreed in a whisper.

"Then it wasn't a dream." Scott countered, setting his tray down on a table, "Something happened last night and I can't remember what."

Scott grabbed a seat, throwing his sweatshirt into the empty chair beside him. Stiles pulled out his own seat across the table and Amber settled herself into the one to the right of Stiles.

"What makes you so sure that Derek even has all the answers?" Stiles asked in defeat.

"Well to start, he was fine on the full moon-" Amber started.

"Yeah," Scott agreed, "He was in total control on a full moon while I was running around in the middle of the night attacking some totally innocent guy."

"You don't know that." Stiles reiterated to their friend.

"I don't not know it!" Scott said, leaning forward into his lunch tray as he spoke. "I can't go out with Allison. I have to cancel-"

"No." Stiles interjected, "You're not canceling, okay?"

Amber frowned, unsure when Stiles had taken this stance on Scott's love-life, but wanting to reassure him all the same.

"The next full moon isn't for another two weeks," Amber stated, "So, you'll be fine tomorrow, and then after you've gone on your amazingly perfect date, we'll work on your control. By the time the full moon comes around, you'll be totally fine."

"Yeah. You can't just cancel your entire life. We'll figure it out." Stiles agreed.

"Figure what out?" Lydia's voice cut in. The girl dropped her lunch tray down beside Scott's and fell gracefully into the seat across from Amber.

Stiles huffed out a surprised breath, looking at Amber as if she might know why the strawberry blonde was joining their table at lunch.

"Uh-" Scott said dumbly.

"Just homework." Amber smiled, reaching to grab a chicken tender from Stiles' plate and beginning to rip it into tiny pieces over her salad.

"Yeah," Stiles agreed loudly before turning to whisper in Amber's ear, "Why is she sitting with us?"

Amber shrugged in response just as the rest of the empty seats at their table were suddenly being filled. A guy Amber didn't know very well from the lacrosse team sat at the head of the table between Lydia and herself. Danny Mahealani settled into the seat on the other side of Stiles. Allison went to the seat beside Scott, pausing while he collected his sweatshirt from the table so that she could set her tray down.

"Thanks," Allison said to him with a smile.

"Get up." Jackson's voice cut in harshly, glaring at the boy sitting beside Amber.

The boy floundered for a moment, "How come you never ask Danny to get up?" He questioned, pointing to where Danny was sitting a few seats away.

"Because," Danny interjected, pointedly looking at the way the boy's eyes were glued to Lydia's chest, "I don't stare at his girlfriend's coin slot."

The boy pulled his eyes away from the redhead in embarrassment and huffed, quickly grabbing his tray and rushing off so that Jackson could take his vacant seat.

"So, I hear they're saying it's some kind of animal attack. Probably a cougar." Danny said, unknowingly steering the topic of conversation back where it had been only moments before.

"I heard mountain lion." Jackson disagreed.

"Same thing," Amber said through a large mouthful of salad at the same time Lydia said, "A cougar is a mountain lion."

Jackson's eyes narrowed at his girlfriend and Lydia continued, "Isn't it?" Lydia asked dumbly, looking up at Amber across the table in faux-confusion.

"Who cares," Jackson rolled his eyes, "The guy's probably some homeless tweaker who's gonna die anyway."

Amber's eyes snapped back to Jackson and she had to fight the urge to stab her fork into his hand instead of the salad on her plate.

She felt Stiles' hand go to her shoulder as he leaned over the table with a video playing on his phone, "Actually, I just found out who it is. Check it out." Stiles said, positioning his phone so that most of the table could see the newsreel he was playing.

"The Sheriff's Department won't speculate on details of the incident but confirmed the victim, Garrison Meyers, did survive the attack. Meyers was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition." The reporter recounted over a video clip that had been taken of the crime scene, followed by a photograph of the victim smiling that they'd managed to pull from somewhere.

"I know this guy." Scott said, looking up at his two best friends with wide eyes. Amber took a shaky breath at the admission, glancing over at Stiles to see he looked just as dejected. "When I used to take the bus back when I lived with my dad.. He was the driver."

There was a moment of silence wherein the three friends sat with matching looks of devastation.

"Can we talk about something slightly more fun, please?" Lydia cut in, "Like- Oh, what are we doing tomorrow night?" She asked excitedly, eyes flicking to Amber before they settled on Allison at the other end of the group, "You said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow night, right?"

There was an awkward moment where Amber watched Allison choke down the bite of food she had in her mouth, eyes bouncing between Lydia and Scott, "Um," She struggled, "We were still thinking of what we were gonna do."

Amber and Stiles made brief eye contact, unsure how Scott and Allison could get out of sudden the turn of events.

"Well," Lydia said, "I am not sitting at home again watching lacrosse videos, so if the six of us are hanging out, we're doing something fun."

Allison was nervously sipping from her water bottle when Scott turned to face her, "Hanging out? Like, the six of us?" He asked slowly.

Stiles reached a hand up to cover his own mouth to keep from groaning in frustration. Amber grabbed his hand and pulled it down to settle on the top of the table, squeezing it for a moment.

"Do you wanna hang out, like, us and them?" Scott asked Allison quietly.

"Yeah," Allison said after a second, "I guess. Sounds fun."

"You know what else sounds fun? Stabbing myself in the face with this fork." Jackson said, holding up a metal fork identical to the one Amber had debated stabbing him with just a few minutes earlier.

"Well I'm, uh, busy.." Stiles said, hoping to get things back on track for Scott's date.

While Stiles had caught the grateful look Scott shot him, he missed the shattered expression that flooded the face of the girl sitting beside him. Amber let out a pained breath at Stiles' immediate dismissal of being paired up with her on something as simple as a group date.

"-With my dad. Gotta.. Do a thing." He finished lamely.

"Fine." Lydia dismissed, "Don't worry, hon, I happen to have a backup date all lined up for you." The redhead grinned slyly at Amber, like this was going more according to her plan than she could've hoped.

"A date?" Stiles squeaked at the same time Amber furrowed her eyebrows and said, "A backup date?"

"Well if he's too busy," Lydia started, shooting a small glare at Stiles, "We can't leave you fifth wheeling, can we?" She explained, "What, do you have plans with his dad, too?" She asked sarcastically, raising her eyebrows at Amber.

"I- No, I. I guess I don't." She confirmed, avoiding eye contact and moving the lettuce around on her plate.

"Good," Lydia smiled before turning her attention to her boyfriend, "How about bowling? You love to bowl."

Jackson scoffed, "Yeah, with actual competition."

"How do you know we're not actual competition?" Allison asked, turning to Scott with a smile, "You can bowl, right?"

Scott paused, eyes wide, "Sort of."

Amber grimaced, glancing up at Stiles to find him still looking at her with a frown, a french fry dangling from between his lips as if he'd had some sort of life changing realization mid-bite.

What? She mouthed to him, grabbing the exposed half of the fry and pulling it from his mouth. Stiles simply shook his head like he was clearing his thoughts and returned his attention to the rest of the table as he chewed the food still in his mouth.

"Is it sort of, or yes?" Jackson was prodding Scott.

"Yes." Scott said defiantly, sitting up a little straighter in his seat, "In fact, I'm a great bowler."

Amber sighed in all sorts of disappointment.

Stiles and Scott made their way from their final class of the day in a rush to leave school, moving faster that normal with the knowledge that they didn't have lacrosse practice that afternoon. They entered the stairwell and moved quickly until they reached the bottom.

"You're terrible at bowling!" Stiles finally said loudly, thinking back on the fiasco in the lunchroom.

"I know!" Scott whined, "I'm such an idiot!"

"God, It was like watching a car wreck. I mean, first it turns into this whole group date thing. And then out of nowhere comes that phrase-"

"'Hang out.'" Scott agreed.

"You don't hang out with hot girls, okay? It's like death. Once it's hanging out you might as well be her gay best friend. Believe me. It'll be like me and Amber when we're 'hanging out'." Stiles ranted as they turned into the lower hallway.

"How is this happening?" Scott asked, blind to the way his friend was beginning to spiral, "I either killed a guy or I didn't."

"God! I could've had a date with Amber and I freaking blew it." Stiles complained, "D'you think she would've thought it was a real date? Who do you think she's going on the date with now?" Stiles asked, his mind racing.

"I ask Allison on a date, and now we're hanging out." Scott said to himself, ignoring Stiles.

"Scott, who do you think Amber's going on the date with now?"

"I make first line, and the team captain wants to destroy me. And now-" Scott bemoaned before he checked the time on his phone with a groan, "Now I'm gonna be late for work." He said, running off again and leaving Stiles standing in the middle of the hall.

"Wait, Scott!" Stiles called after his friend's retreating form, "You didn't- Who's Amber going on the date with now! You didn't-" He paused, continuing quietly to himself, "Answer my question."

"Ben Davis." A voice came a few inches from Stiles' ear.

Stiles jumped, flailing his arms and tripping forward a few steps. He nearly smacked the girl beside him as he caught his footing and he heard Amber's laughter as he righted himself.

"Ben Davis?" Stiles repeated with a grimace.

Stiles didn't necessarily like the thought of Amber going on a date with one of the many assholes that Lydia could have easily lined up from the lacrosse team. But, somehow, Amber going on a date with Ben Davis was worse.

Ben was all tall lean muscle and clear skin paired with a sharp jawline and thick shiny hair. In addition to all that, though, was what Stiles was beginning to think was the thing he hated the most about Ben — he was nice. The guy was a part of the Big Brother Big Sister Program at the middle school. He was always willing to help the Freshmen when they were having trouble with the drills while all the other upperclassmen just watched them flail in satisfaction. He volunteered at an honest to God soup kitchen around the holidays.

Stiles didn't want Amber to go on a date with some douchebag who he knew would be telling dirty jokes and feeling her up all night, but at least that would be a one and done situation. He knew Amber would kick the ass of a guy like that before she ever agreed to a second date.

But a guy like Ben — That was a guy she'd go on a second, third, even tenth date with. Ben was a guy Amber would probably date until they graduated high school and then the two of them would get married and have two annoyingly beautiful children.

Stiles felt like he was going to be sick.

One Hour Earlier

As soon as the bell rang for the fifteen minute break before last period, Amber rushed to the bathroom. She felt Lydia's eyes on her as she passed by but refused to slow, speeding past with a tight feeling in her chest.

She hadn't been able to pay attention to anything they'd covered in class after lunch. She had mindlessly copied down notes from the board and into her notebook, but she wouldn't have been able to recall a word of it if anyone asked. Her mind was stuck on the confirmation she'd received that Stiles truly couldn't see her as anything more than his friend.

She'd told herself hundreds of times that something like this would happen, that Stiles didn't want her in that way. But to have it laid out in front of her with all of their friends present had been more mortifying than she could have ever imagined.

When the bathroom door opened, Amber was sitting with her knees pulled into her chest, curled up on the wide window sill that ran along the frosted glass panes. She heard the soft clicking of Lydia's heeled boots along the tiled floor, but Amber was busy trying to focus her breathing, squeezing her legs tight.

"Oh, sweetie," Lydia said softly, sitting down on the edge of the sill beside her. Lydia's hand came up to run through her friend's long hair softly, pulling Amber close. "You're upset about buzzcut?"

"Stiles." Amber said quietly, voice sounding hoarse even though she hadn't cried.

"Right, well, I know you're hurt but.. If he doesn't want to go on a date with you, he's an idiot." The strawberry blonde stated.

"Feel kinda like I'm the idiot." Amber mumbled, leaning back and looking up into the green eyes of her friend.

"You're not." Lydia said sternly, "But d'you know what will make you feel better?"

"If you say going bowling with-"

"Going out for a fun night with your friends and a guy, hand picked by me. Who, by the way, is very hot and very perfect for you." Lydia smiled softly.

"Perfect for me?" Amber asked distrustfully, loosening her grip around her legs and leaning back against the wall.

"Yes," Lydia insisted, "Please, I know your type. He's sweet, but he's also so family oriented it's boring, and he's a total nerd." Amber raised her eyebrows at the list of supposed perks, "Not to mention he's insanely hot."

Amber sighed, giving in, "Who are we even talking about?"

"Ben Davis." When Lydia grinned, there was something both beautiful and scary about it.

Amber knew who Ben was. He was in their class and had tried out for lacrosse with Scott and Stiles as Freshmen the year before. She didn't know him well, but she knew him well enough that she thought he seemed like a nice guy. He was tall for a Sophomore, and he had gorgeous dark hair that somehow always looked styled but effortless. Lydia wasn't lying, he was insanely attractive.

"I just- I don't know how much fun a date sounds to me right now." Amber admitted self-consciously, picking at a loose thread on her jeans.

"Just come on the date," Lydia said, combing her fingers through Amber's hair one final time, "Come. Try to have fun- And then if you want to mope and be depressed about your friend for a week, I say go for it."

Amber took a deep breath, "You really, honestly think I might like him?" She asked, sighing at Lydia's answering nod, "I don't think I'm up for it tomorrow, but a date in general.. I just.. I'll think about it, okay?"

"Deal," Lydia held out a pinky, waiting until Amber joined her own before letting her hand drop. "But even if you don't go tomorrow night, I am getting you on a date with this guy," She wrapped Amber up in another tight hug, "I swear you'd like him."

Amber nodded reluctantly. Despite the ever present pang of heartbreak she was feeling for Stiles, she felt significantly lighter than she had before her talk with Lydia.

Amber was on her way to her locker at the end of the day when she heard Stiles' voice ring out from down the hallway.

"Scott, wait!" She heard Stiles yelling as she rounded a corner, steadily closing the distance between her and her friends.

Finally, she spotted the back of Stiles' head. He was standing in the center of the front hall, shouting at Scott's back as the tanned boy walked in the other direction through the crowd of students in a rush.

"You didn't- Who's Amber going on the date with now! You didn't-" Stiles called out as Amber reached his back. She leaned closer to Stiles' shoulder as he continued speaking quietly to himself, "Answer my question."

She leaned up onto her tiptoes, her face hovering close to Stiles' ear, "Ben Davis." She answered, her mouth only a few inches from his left ear.

He flinched in surprise at the sound of her voice so close. The boy stumbled and when his arms pinwheeled in an attempt to catch himself, he only narrowly avoided hitting Amber in the face with a flailing limb. She laughed loudly as he tripped forward half a step and righted himself before standing upright again.

He turned to face her and when she looked into his wide brown eyes, she fought to remind herself of the way he'd rejected her in the lunchroom.

"Ben Davis?" Stiles repeated, voice sounding unusually high. His nose crinkled up cutely in what looked like confusion.

Amber shrugged, suddenly feeling self conscious. She couldn't help but associate his surprise with him thinking the same thing she had when Lydia revealed her prospect — that Ben Davis was ridiculously out of her league.

"I mean.. I already told Lydia I'm probably not gonna go." She told him, nervously readjusting her books from where she had been cradling them to her side to hold them in front of herself protectively with both arms. She opted to leave out the fact that Stiles was her main reason for bailing on the group excursion.

"You're not going on the date?" He asked for clarification, his eyes raking over her face.

"Nah," She said, "I know Lydia won't be deterred that easily, in the long run but- Looks like it'll just be a double now with Scott and Allison, Jackson and Lydia."

"Good. Great- Cool!" Stiles said enthusiastically, his cheeks dimpling and putting an instantaneous smile on Amber's own face. His mood seemed to perk up and he threw a casual arm over her shoulders as he led them in the direction of her locker, "What're your plans for tonight? Scott's got work. But if you want, I thought we could order takeout and study for the Chemistry test-"

"Jason doesn't have to be back at the station until eight, actually," She interrupted, casting a brief glance at the mole-dotted cheek on the right side of Stiles' face, "We're making papoutsakia for dinner!" She said excitedly.

"Is that the eggplant one or the pasta bake?"

"Eggplant!" She grinned wide in excitement, "We're pulling out dad's recipe for the tomato sauce and everything. We can never get it to taste exactly like he made it but one of these days... We're gonna get it right."

"Right, yeah-" Stiles said, releasing her so she could open her locker and get her backpack, "That's cool, I'll just.. Drop you off at home then."

"We could order food and study tomorrow night though, if you want." She suggested hopefully.

"Yeah, I- Yeah sounds good. Great!" Stiles said quickly.

He moved to lean against the row of lockers and evidently misjudged the distance, by the way his shoulder slammed loudly against the metal. When she glanced at him while dropping a few books into her bag, he seemed unharmed. Instead, he wore a pleased little smile on his face, his cheeks dimpling in a way that made her heart clench.

"Cool." She smiled, zipping up her backpack and pulling it over her shoulders.

Amber was finishing up in the shower just after nine o'clock that evening when she heard her cell phone ringing loudly from the bathroom sink. She wrapped a towel around her body and nearly slipped with her wet feet against the tile as she jumped from the shower to get to the phone before it rang through to voicemail.

"Hello?" She said in a rush as she answered the call, hovering the phone a few inches away from her ear to avoid it coming into contact with her wet hair.

"Amber, you good? We're on our way to pick you up." Stiles' voice came through the tiny speaker.

"W-Why? I'm showering, what- Did something else happen?" She asked anxiously, leaning to shut off the running water and cursing quietly when she nearly slipped again in a puddle beside the bathtub.

"You're in the shower?" She heard Stiles' ask in a strained voice. Scott muttered something in the background and Stiles shushed him before continuing, "W- Right now?"

"No, not right now. I don't take my phone into the actual shower with me, Stiles. I was showering when you called." She said, turning him on speakerphone so that she could dry herself off quickly with the towel. "Now tell me what's going on."

"We're going to go to the school so Scott can sniff around or something. We'll explain more when we get there. Just get dressed and meet us outside, we'll be there in maybe two minutes."

"Fuck," She exclaimed at the time frame, rushing to finish drying her dripping hair before running to her bedroom to find clothes, "Okay, I'll be right down."

She ended the call, pulling on jeans and a tshirt from the mess on her bedroom floor before running out to the driveway. When she got there, the blue Jeep was already idling and she rushed to the passenger side, clumsily climbing over Scott to get to the center of the bench seat.

"Hi," She panted, elbowing Scott in the face as she readjusted to sit down, "Sorry-" Stiles was already backing out of the driveway and Amber shivered in the cool air of the vehicle as her hair dripped water down the collar of her shirt. "So what's happening? What're we sniffing?"

"I talked to Derek earlier," Scott told her, "He said that if I go back in the bus and use my werewolf senses, then I might remember what happened."

"I told you we should've talked to Derek sooner," She stated, "Was he furious about getting arrested?"

"Well, he didn't seem happy." Scott said, earning a snort of laughter from Stiles.

"Hey, this is serious, okay? We got the guy arrested. For his sister's murder." She glared at Stiles in the dark cab of the car.

"He still could've done it." He pointed out.

She rolled her eyes, "Stiles, seriously. We have more important things to focus on right now than your burning, passionate hatred for Derek Hale, alright?"

Stiles muttered something under his breath that she didn't catch, but remained otherwise silent until they pulled up to the gate that closed off the bus lot behind the school at night. As soon as the vehicle was shut off, both doors were flung open and Scott and Stiles dashed from the car, Amber climbed out a moment later and ran to catch up with them as they approached the gate.

Stiles put his hands and feet into the chainlink and immediately began to climb but Scott tugged him down to stand on the ground again.

"Hey, no, just me." Scott said, pulling Stiles' shoulder back and pushing him to stand beside Amber a few steps away, "You guys need to keep watch."

"How come we're always keeping watch?" Stiles asked defensively.

"Because he's the werewolf." Amber stated, putting her hand on Stiles' shoulder and pulling him back another step toward the car.

"Okay, why's it starting to feel like you're Batman and I'm Robin?" Stiles asked, his focus on Scott. "I don't want to be Robin all the time."

"Nobody's Batman or Robin any of the time." Scott said in exasperation.

"I- Not even some of the time?" Stiles asked sadly.

"Just," Scott turned his attention to Amber, "Make sure he stays here."

"Gotcha." She replied at the same time Stiles whined in annoyance. She pulled Stiles back toward the Jeep and together they climbed back in through the still-open doors. The car was quiet for a long minute before Amber spoke up, "Y'know, for the record, if there was a Batman of the group, it'd be you. Regardless of werewolf powers."

Stiles scoffed quietly, "How do you figure that?"

"You're kind of in charge, y'know? You're the one who's always got a plan, even if I don't always approve of it. And you're the one who keeps us together whenever shit hits the fan. Plus, well, you're always trying to keep me safe and pulling me out of danger-" She looked over from where her eyes had been focussed on the bus in the distance and finally turned her attention to the boy beside her. He wore a soft look or surprise on his face that made her feel oddly vulnerable, like somehow she'd revealed too much in the safety of the dark car. "Um.. Not to mention, you've got the super cool car."

He smiled and the light from the parking lot cast shadows over the dimples in his cheeks. Amber tore her eyes away to glance back toward the parked bus and jumped when she saw flashlight beams approaching from the other direction.

"Stiles!" She alerted her friend, pointing toward where Scott was still in the bus and the growing beams of light.

"Shit-" Stiles exclaimed quietly, honking the horn of the Jeep obnoxiously for several long moments to get Scott's attention.

They watched as Scott emerged from the bus and took off running in their direction. He jumped onto the hood of a parked car and ran along the roof before launching himself over the tall fence, tucking and rolling when he hit the ground on the other side.

"C'mon, c'mon," Stiles muttered, hitting the steering wheel anxiously as they watched their friend.

Scott ran toward the Jeep and Amber rushed to open the passenger side door for him.

"Go! Go!" Scott yelled as soon as he was in the vehicle.

Amber flinched at the shouting and she watched Stiles fumble with his keys for a moment before getting them in the ignition and throwing the vehicle into reverse. Amber couldn't help but grip onto Scott's arm when Stiles slammed on the gas to propel them backward before cutting the wheel as he switched gears. The Jeep turned to the side and hadn't yet come to a stop before Stiles slammed on the gas again and they took off in a forward direction and away from the school.

"Did it work? Did you remember?" Stiles yelled quickly as he drove.

"Yeah, I was there last night," Scott explained, gripping the window with one hand and allowing Amber to continue squeezing his other arm tightly, "And the blood- A lot of it was mine."

"What does that mean?" Amber questioned in confusion.

"So, you did attack him?" Stiles clarified.

"No." Scott answered, "I saw glowing eyes on the bus, but they weren't mine. It was Derek."

"Oh, come on-" Amber cried out, only to be ignored.

"What about the driver?" Stiles asked.

"I think I was actually trying to protect him."

"Wait," Stiles interrupted frantically, "Why would Derek help you remember that he attacked the driver?"

"He wouldn't!" Amber interjected loudly.

"It's gotta be a pack thing-" Stiles thought aloud, ignoring the incredulous look Amber was shooting him, "Like an initiation. You do the kill together."

"Because ripping someone's throat out is a real bonding experience?" Scott asked warily.

"Yeah, but you didn't do it," Stiles pointed out, "Which means you're not a killer. And it also means that-"

"I can go out with Allison." Scott finished quickly, a look of relief taking over his face.

"I was going to say that you wont kill me and Amber." Stiles said, taking his eyes off the road to look past Amber and glare at Scott.

"Oh, yeah." Scott agreed quietly, "That too."

"You're both ridiculous." Amber stated, releasing Scott's arm to cross her own over her chest. There was so much she wanted to say but she remained quiet as she sorted through her own thoughts.

There was no way that Derek Hale was attacking people just because he wanted Scott in his pack.

Amber knew something else was going on, and she intended on figuring it out.

The next day, Amber insisted she needed to do something before their study date and requested that Stiles drop her off at home after lacrosse practice.

The girl watched out the front window as the Jeep reversed out of the driveway before she abandoned her backpack on the dining table and headed to the garage to pull out her rarely-used bicycle. Tugging the garage door closed once again, she climbed onto the uncomfortable seat and took off in the direction of the preserve.

Amber was passing by a gas station at the edge of town when she spotted a familiar black Camaro parked at one of the pumps and she quickly turned into the parking lot, coming to a stop at the back of the car.

Derek was swinging the driver's side door open and getting out just as she climbed off of her bike, letting it fall to the ground as she approached him.

"You have got to tell us what the hell is going on." Amber demanded.

"You and your little friends have no idea what you've gotten in the middle of." Derek stated darkly, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Uh, yeah, that's kind of the problem!" Amber said, gesturing wildly with her arms, "Scott and Stiles think you're this crazy murderous werewolf who attacks random people for some sort of idiotic pack bonding ritual- And you, with your stupid brooding face and half-truths whenever you're confronted with a question, are not helping!"

Derek rolled his eyes at the teen, leaning against his car casually, "Then what d'you wanna know, huh?"

"I want to know who attacked the bus driver, and who killed your sister, and why your werewolf butt showed up in town at the same time Scott was bitten." Amber listed, counting off the questions on her fingers.

"I don't know who attacked the driver, alright? I was hoping Scott would once he triggered his memories." Derek stated.

"Okay, well.. What about your sister?" Amber asked.

"I don't know that for sure either," Derek said, crossing his arms over his chest, "I really did follow my sister here. I didn't lie to you."

"Okay, well-" Amber started, cutting herself off when Derek's focus suddenly snapped down the street, his eyes wide and his brows furrowed, "What?"

"Get in the car and hide on the floor in the back seat." Derek ordered, moving to grab her bike and throwing it into the bushes at the edge of the parking lot like it weighed nothing.

"What? Why would I-"

Derek was already opening the door and pulling the seat forward. He picked her up easily and shoved her into the backseat of the car, repeating himself, "Hide on the floor." He demanded, pushing the seat back upright, "Don't move. Don't make a sound. Got it?"

Amber bit her lower lip nervously but nodded. The moment she gave her confirmation, the door to the Camero was slammed shut and Derek rounded the car and began the process of filling his gas tank.

The sound of several more car doors opening and closing sounded out and Amber curled tighter on the floor of the car to hide herself away from the tinted windows. Everyone outside of the car was silent for a long minute and eventually, she heard Derek pull the pump from the side of the car and flip the gas cap closed.

She remained on the floor and listened as a male voice began speaking at the passenger side of the car near where Derek was standing.

"Nice ride." The man finally said, "Black cars, though.. Very hard to keep clean. I would definitely suggest a little more maintenance. If you have something this nice, you want to take care of it. Right?"

Something soft slapped wetly against the windshield and Amber flinched, peeking around the passenger seat to see the arm of someone cleaning the windshield with a squeegee.

"Personally, I'm very protective of the things I love." The man continued as he wiped down the glass, "But, that's something I learned from my family, and you don't have much of that these days. Do you?"

Anger flared in Amber's chest at the insensitive comment that was most likely meant to pull a reaction out of Derek. It didn't seem to have worked, as Derek remained silent and out of her line of sight from the floor. It was, however, effective in making the girl inside the car begin to feel protective and quietly enraged.

"There we go." The man said after a moment, stepping back from the car, "You can actually look through your windshield now. See how that makes everything so much clearer?"

Amber watched through the small crack between the passenger door and the seat as the man began to walk away, he was wearing a tan jacket and his hair was heavily graying.

"You forgot to check the oil." Derek called out at the man's back brazenly, his voice deep and unaffected by the encounter.

"Check the man's oil." The man from before ordered someone after a long moment of silence.

Only a few seconds passed before someone approached the driver's side door. Amber ducked down tighter toward the floor just before someone broke through the front window with the butt of a large gun, glass shattering loudly and flying into the car as Amber flinched with a quiet gasp.

"Looks good to me." The second man said with mirth as he backed away from the car, not noticing the girl in the back.

"Drive safely." The first man told Derek, voice growing quieter as he walked away from the car for the second time.

A minute passed in which she could hear car doors opening and closing again, two engines turning over, and the sound of the vehicles driving away. As soon as the sounds retreated, Amber sat up a little straighter and watched as Derek tugged open the passenger door this time and pulled her back out of the car with his hands on her waist.

"Who the hell-"

"You okay?" Derek interrupted her, checking her arms and face for cuts. His eyes narrowed as he reached up and pulled a tiny piece of glass from her hairline without warning.

"Ow!" Amber flinched, pulling back a step and pressing her fingers to the tender spot where the glass had been lodged in her skin. When she pulled her hand away, her fingertips had a small drop of blood on them and she stared at the drop in a daze for a moment before looking up at Derek's frowning face, "Seriously, who-"

"Hunters." Derek told her, "Chris Argent and his crew. They didn't see you, though. You should be safe for now."

"For now?" Amber repeated in a squeak, "What do you mean for now?"

Derek sighed, "Scott's control isn't the only thing that puts you in danger. Just knowing him, being friends with him, that puts you in danger too. From hunters."

"I am not going to stop being friends with Scott." Amber told him resolutely.

"That doesn't surprise me." Derek stated, purposefully brushing his hands down Amber's jacket and jeans. Tiny shards of glass fell from her clothes and hit the pavement below with a quiet clinking. "Look, I'm on my way to check out the bus driver. I'm going to see if I can get any scents or clues off of him but you and Stiles- You need to stay out of things. You're human. It's not safe."

"But-"

"Go home." Derek ordered, pushing her gently in the direction of her bike.

Amber frowned, but approached the bicycle where it was sadly hanging out of the bushes, relatively unharmed considering it had been thrown across a gas station parking lot. She picked it up and looked back to see Derek already climbing into the Camaro and closing the door behind him.

She sighed, pulling her phone out to text Stiles to pick her up at home before throwing her leg over the bike and taking off in the direction of her house.

When she got to her house, she dropped her bike haphazardly against the front porch. Amber rushed inside to grab her backpack again and poked her head through the curtains to see Stiles already parked in the driveway once more.

"That literally took you less than an hour. I could've just hung around-" Stiles stated while she pulled open the passenger door and climbed into the Jeep, "What did you have to do?"

"Um-" Amber hesitated as she turned to buckle her seatbelt.

"Are you bleeding?" Stiles asked quickly, reaching out to brush her hair to the side and leaning closer to get a better look.

"Shit-" Amber cursed, having already forgotten about the small cut at her hairline.

Stiles tucked the hair that had fallen in front of her face behind her ear to hold it in place, leaning around her to open the glove compartment and pulling out a napkin before slapping it shut again.

"Why are you bleeding?" He demanded, pressing the napkin to the blood that had dripped down her forehead.

"I was going to ease you into it-"

"Ease me into what?"

"Well-" Amber sighed, taking the napkin from his hand and wiping at her forehead herself, "You're gonna be kind of mad."

Stiles sighed this time, "Amber, why am I gonna be mad?"

"I went to see Derek-" Amber started.

"Derek- Derek hurt you?" Stiles asked angrily. It was a tone Amber wasn't sure if she'd ever heard his voice take. The boy reached into the pocket of his jeans as he continued, "That's it. We're calling my dad and this time he'll arrest the deranged werewolf for-"

"Stiles, stop." Amber grabbed the phone from his hand when he pulled it out of his pocket, "Will you just listen? Yeah, I went to see Derek, but I'm bleeding because Allison's dad showed up with a bunch of other hunters and broke in the window on Derek's car."

"You were in his car again?"

"Yes, I was in his car. He told me to hide in there when he heard the hunters pulling up. But that's not the point, Stiles-"

"Unbelievable!" Stiles exclaimed, "You're about to defend him again, aren't you? You're still defending Derek?"

Amber took a deep breath, weighing her options.

"Why don't we talk about it later, then. Okay?" Amber asked. Stiles looked like he wanted to fight her on it but before he could say anything, she spoke again, "I'm starving. What did you want to order? Pizza? Chinese? Mal's?"

Stiles sighed, facing forward to back out of the driveway and begin driving.

When they had arrived at the Stilinski house, the two had quietly snuck their Chinese food upstairs, attempting to keep it far away from where Stiles' dad would have been sure to steal some of the greasy and likely artery-clogging takeout.

Amber's head was pillowed comfortably in Stiles' lap as she quizzed him with the stack of flash cards she'd worked on the night before. They had been at it in between picking at the food for over an hour and were nearly finished with the thirty card stack.

"Okay," She said, shimmying slightly as she readjusted to make sure he couldn't see the flash card if he tried to peek, "Chemical reaction resulting in a single product?"

"Synthesis?" He questioned, grabbing another spring roll from the bag beside him and reaching out on autopilot to allow Amber to take a bite from it.

She accepted the bite easily and nodded, flipping to the next card in the stack as she chewed, "And what type of reaction takes place in the presence of oxygen and produces carbon dioxide and water?"

"Combustion." He answered confidently this time, shoving the remainder of the spring roll in his mouth and eating it in a single bite.

"Last one," She announced, sitting up to face her friend dramatically, "Products of the double-replacement reaction between aqueous hydrogen bromide and aqueous sodium hydroxide?"

"Uh-" Stiles paused, tapping his hand against his thigh in thought, "I- Water and sodium bromide?"

Amber squealed excitedly, jumping forward on the bed to tackle him into the pillows with a hug, "We are so going to ace this test! And when we do, Mr. Harris can suck it!" She said with a muffled voice into the pillows behind his head.

She felt Stiles' laughter underneath her and she pushed up onto her elbows to hover over him, laughter faltering when she noticed how close they were. She blew out a soft puff air over his face, her eyes tracing the freckles and moles dotting his flushed cheeks before settling on his eyes. His eyelashes were dark and thick and the warm brown of his eyes appeared darker than normal in the uneven light shining from the desk lamp across the room.

His eyes flicked back and forth between her own and she couldn't help the way her gaze dropped down to his lips, bringing up pondering thoughts of whether they were as soft as they looked. She both saw and felt his exhale as it slipped from his mouth and blew out against her chin. Amber swallowed audibly, her arms relaxing a touch more into the mattress beneath him.

The moment was broken when the house phone rang loudly downstairs with an incoming call and Amber flinched, rolling to the side in a rush to get out of the bed. Stiles reached automatically for the cordless phone he had on the side of the bed, covering the mouthpiece as he picked up to listen in to his dad's call.

She watched silently until he hung up the phone, only seconds before the downstairs door slammed shut as the Sheriff left the house, "What is it?" She asked.

"The bus driver's dead."

"Shit." She grabbed her phone from the front pocket of her backpack and checked her messages to find one from Scott that she'd received only two minutes before, "Scott just texted that he dropped Allison off."

"Let's go, then." Stiles said, abandoning their school supplies and leftover Chinese takeout to pull her out of the house and back down to the Jeep, their previous moment forgotten.

When they pulled up to the house, the windows were dark and the family car that Scott was driving tonight was still missing from the driveway.

Stiles grabbed Amber's hand and tugged her over to the trellis at the side of the house. They used to climb it as kids — the same trellis Stiles had climbed just a few weeks before on the night Scott had been bitten.

Stiles began to climb and urged Amber to follow close behind, making his way up the wooden structure and quietly sliding open the unlocked window into Scott's bedroom. He climbed through and she followed, her foot catching on the windowsill and causing her to tumble through. She landed hard on Stiles' back and rolled off of him with a quiet apology as they righted themselves.

Suddenly, a figure moved through the dark doorway to Scott's bedroom wielding a weapon and Stiles and Amber seemed to notice it at the same time, yelling out in fear.

"Woah, woah!" Stiles yelled, bringing his arms up to protect them from any anticipated blow as Amber and their attacker both screamed loudly.

The room settled into silence for a brief moment as they took stock of the situation. Ms. McCall stepped back and lowered the baseball bat she was holding before scolding them loudly, "Guys! What the hell are you doing here!"

"What are we doing!?" Stiles yelled, pointing to the bat in the woman's hands, "God! Do either of you even play baseball?" He asked loudly, referring to when Scott had threatened him the same way.

The lights in the room suddenly flicked on, revealing Amber huddled behind Stiles on the bed, Ms. McCall standing in her robe with a baseball bat, and Scott standing in the doorway.

"Can you please tell your friends to use the front door?" Ms. McCall asked her son gently with a sigh.

"But we lock the front door," Scott said simply, "They wouldn't be able to get in."

"Yeah, exactly." The woman responded, still gripping the baseball bat loosely. "And, by the way, do any of you care that there's a police enforced curfew?"

"No." All three teens responded at the same time.

"'No!' Alright then. Well, you know what? That's about enough parenting for me for one night, so- Goodnight." Ms. McCall said in exasperation before leaving the room.

The three friends sat in silence in the room for only a minute before Scott gave them a look, "What?" He asked.

"My dad left for the hospital fifteen minutes ago- It's the bus driver." Stiles said, glancing at Amber beside him before continuing, "They said he succumbed to his wounds."

"Succumbed?" Scott asked in confusion.

"He's dead, Scott." Amber clarified. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach telling her that, somehow, things were only bound to get worse.

[windienine]

obsessed with the way ysme & loic's senses of humor counterbalance and play into one another

ysme has her whole court jester schtick, she'll lay into you over nothing and prod and prod and prod at you until she finds something you're insecure about (hopefully bawdy and easy to exploit) and then keep prodding 'til you squirm. the fun thing is that she gets flustered pretty easily herself, her ego is kind of fragile and she's easily put out when stuff doesn't go her way. she's this fluid person whose mood and bearing can change a lot from moment to moment, and that includes self-image and confidence.

and it doesn't work on loic even a little. like he's clearly capable of getting nervous and frightened (loses composure when the voice kills ysme, thrown off-kilter upon finding out that ghosts are real, ysme can sense that he's scared of her when she goes full goddess mode) but he categorically can't be humiliated. if he thinks a joke about him is funny he'll lean in and yes-and the bit, if he doesn't, there's a tortured beat panel or an "alright then" and he moves on. he's having fun with ysme in so many of their little back-and-forths even when he's being ribbed because he just turns them into new conversation pieces and learns about what ysme cares for and prioritizes with every bit. (all those vegetable, the flashlight bit, asking if he'll carry her, ass flower, fish flower, etc.) the more he plays with her and ribs back. he finds her fun to talk to.

at multiple points we're given these hints that a pet peeve of loic's is bureaucracy and closed-mindedness in others, systems thinking and architecture that doesn't allow for certain aspects of people or nature to shine through. ysme's relentless weirdness is its own breath of fresh air. when she's being playfully antagonistic.

things ysme has tried to tease loic about and failed:

his masculinity (doesn't care, fine with how he is)

his physique (doesn't care, will rib himself right along with you)

trying to be a hero (not why he acts the way he does, ineffective)

his nerd hobbies (likes when she expresses any interest in what he does, gets mildly put-out about being cut off when trying to explain something, but otherwise will keep offering to explain stuff at every opportunity whenever it's relevant regardless)

his sex life (complete no-sell, ysme this man has a daughter and an ex! he's not a prude! the fact that you assume you will Get Him To Crack This Time is a wile e coyote line of thinking and i love you for it)

lia (cares greatly, but doesn't so much as get icy when ysme tries to rib him about her. just moves on.)

it's like every time she expects to catch him out and embarrass him til he melts into a prissy heap or gets angry, but that's just not the kind of person he is, and it's a little endearing that she keeps trying over and over again because getting under people's skin seems to be The One Way She Knows How To Connect With And Understand People. being vulnerable and open with someone would involve giving them power over her and questioning her motives and her goals and her sense of self is the last thing she needs when she's trying to become god, so she uses dark humor to act like she's above everything that happens.

if loic wasn't completely immune to the routine/as willing to play along with ysme, i don't think she'd take even a fraction of the interest she does in him. it doesn't really add up to her: someone who has no sense of self-preservation and no ego but also this much confidence in who he is and what he stands for blindsides her. what kind of weirdo has this much dedication to a way of life and personal code but has no desire to convert anyone else to acting the same way OR to do anything but help her? either be a proud asshole with the will to live or a shy weakling without it. why is he neither? what does he really want, if he sticks around after getting maimed?

the whole little end scene of the prelude is her trying to suppress the fact that she is feeling all of her feelings intensely and she is literally and figuratively cast naked before the narrative as someone whose mask is broken and who is coming dangerously close to admitting she cares about someone.

and to that loic in his own semi-straightforward way declares that even from a few disparate pieces of truth, he knows who she is in this moment and it's someone who really wants to be free of whatever life she came from. and this messes ysme up because she expected him to hate her once the opportunity arose, that she'd have to break him to her will again and again and again. here he is of his own free will after giving up his own life. fucking weirdo!

loic only ever raises his voice when ysme is in danger. ysme thinks this is weird and maybe some part of a bigger lie that will unravel the more time he spends with her. unfortunately, she is getting attached.

[aziraphales-library]

hey, tysm for what you're doing, i've found so so many amazing fics through it

i was wondering if you've got any where after the bookshop fire Crowley just loses his shit, like, the "bastards! all of you!" except he's acting on it, 100% vengeful demon after all of heaven and hell. doesn't have to be after the fire even. i'm mostly just looking for bamf crowley fics because i've found a disturbing lack of them? or even if he's just some sort of villain, or fighting demons, or or or. preferably not E rated.

thanks!

The bookshop fire is not a moment people choose to make Crowley a BAMF, and most fics link that to trauma for Crowley. You can check our #protective crowley tag for fics where he is more of a bad ass, and I have some bamf Crowley fics here for you...

Forget Me Not by Supergeek21 (T)

Aziraphale wakes up in Heaven with a pounding headache only to realize he has very little memory of the last 6,000 years. The good news is he successfully averted the War. The bad news is the Serpent of Eden now wants to kill him for revenge, or so Gabriel tells him.

***

When Crowley pops by the bookshop to visit Aziraphale and is greeted by the full force of an angel's wrath, he has no clue what he's done to incur such rage, or why Aziraphale is apparently reading his old work reports, but he'll be blessed if he isn't going to find out and win him back.

The Art of Creation by Bookwormgal (T)

Once upon a time, long before humans set foot outside of Eden and long before his inelegant landing in a pool of boiling sulfur, Crowley had been an angel. An angel with a very different name and far less cynicism. And that angel was made to build Her creations. He built stars, nebulas, and other beautiful and complicated things far out there in the cosmos. He shaped fundamental elements and materials into new creations. He molded burning fires and sculpted dust into breath-taking patterns. He started bright and powerful reactions, serving as a catalyst to spark the birth of stars. He set various celestial objects spinning.

He built. He took raw materials and built wonderous things with them. He built because that was the role that She made him for. In the end, was rebuilding that much different than building? And wasn't rebuilding fairly close to healing?

When it was his angel's existence on the line, Crowley was willing to grab at any chance available. He would find a way to fix what had been damaged. He would find a way to save him.

But I would walk 500 miles by Augenblickgotter (T)

There's a conspiring of foes from both sides that forcefully kidnap Aziraphale. Crowley is in hot pursuit and will stop at nothing, finding some unlikely aid along the way, and bringing up his True Form when the time is needed.

Some depictions of pain and violence, minor character deaths by Holy Water, and mild gore. Also mild claustrophobic and dingy descriptions of Hell. And the boys relationship can be flat out platonic asexual best of friends or downright dirty lovers. The story is up to you and is more about how far they would go for each other. ;) No, no monster sex in this one either (comb for my last fic if you need it). Just BAMF Crowley ready to walk 500 Miles through Heaven or Hell to save his Angel.

I've Got You by caffeinefire (T)

Aziraphale felt the change in the air, a burst of power and a whiff of ozone. He spun, and jumped when he came face to face with Gabriel leering cheerfully over his right shoulder.

“Aziraphale!” he smiled as if greeting an old friend, then clapped his hands together loudly, so close it made Aziraphale flinch. “You’re early, so glad you could make it.” He began to walk around him, admiring the circle beneath his feet, careful not to cross it. It posed no real danger to him, it had already been activated, but crossing the bounds of an active circle was never a fun experience.

“Gabriel,” his voice wavered despite his best efforts. “What is the meaning of this?”

------------------------

Hellfire didn't work, but Heaven has one more idea. And this time, they're going to force Crowley to watch.

Beyond Grace by HKBlack (T)

“Crowley, I need you to do what you do best.”   “Wozzat?”

“I need you to find me, and rescue me,” Aziraphale whispered.

After Aziraphale is discorporated Crowley goes on a mission to do what he does best. Recruiting help from both of their former Head Offices is easier said than done, especially when Hell thinks the whole thing is a ruse, and Heaven thinks you’re on the hunt for more angels to corrupt.

The Infernal Bodyguard by Santillatron (M)

Alistair Zira Fell is a popular author. Loved by everyone he meets. Well, almost everyone. Someone is trying to hurt him, and right now, he needs a bodyguard.

Anthony J. Crowley is the best, although he doesn't work with celebrities. He has three rules. He never gets too close, never stays once the job is done, and Never Gets Involved.

But this isn't a thriller. This, is a love story.

- Mod D

[sitp-recs]

Hi Liv, do you have any hurt/comfort recs for me ?

Thank you, you’re the best and I love you and your blog.

Thank you, anon! I hope you’re taking care of yourself ❤️ here are some h/c reads for you, I’ve tried to include a little bit of everything so you can find something special to your tastes:

Is This Love? by @phdmama (E, 4k)

Draco wouldn’t call himself a tender man. He fights the forces of evil for a living, trying his best to pay penance for the evil he’s done. He’s fought and killed in the name of duty, and when he’s not on duty, he tends either to play hard or retreat alone. He doesn’t lean on anyone, and he knows he’s not the first person anyone goes to when they need care. Comfort. That all changes tonight.

To know the pain of too much tenderness by @cibeewastaken (E, 6k)

Harry is in love with Draco, and Draco sometimes goes on dates with other people, but it’s not like Harry could be bothered by it when he never told Draco about his feeling, right? Right. So Harry isn’t that bothered by Draco’s dates, what bothers him is when one of those dates knocks Draco up and doesn’t want the baby.

Solve Us Like a Mystery by tryslora (T, 12k)

When Harry stops in at the bookstore where Draco works, they find a surprising shared interest in mysteries. Draco doesn't expect to see Harry again, and he definitely doesn't expect to become the subject of unexpected investigation that may endanger the life of his unborn child, and at the same time, may bring him the kind of happiness he never thought he'd have after the war.

The Body Keeps Score by amorsindolor (E, 13k)

Draco cries during sex. A story about touch, intimacy, and the healing we find through mutual trust and love.

Between Myth and Man by slytherco (E, 16k)

Draco, lost and a little broken, navigates post-war reality convinced that people like him should not be allowed to make their own choices. To solve the problem of his self-sabotaging tendencies, he starts taking a few drops of Veritaserum every morning.

Can’t Fight the Moonlight by sunsetmog (M, 16k)

Or: the one where Harry accidentally gets Draco pregnant, both of them fail to talk about their feelings, and in the end, there's a baby.

Scenes of Surrender by Rasborealis (E, 16k)

Draco just wants to keep his head down and finish his last year at Hogwarts. He's not supposed to let his mask slip, and Harry isn't supposed to care.

Savage by marguerite_26 (E, 18k)

In a post-war world that lives in fear and ignorance of werewolves, Draco Malfoy has taken every step to keep his condition hidden. When the delicate balance of his life shatters in a single moment, it is Harry Potter alone standing in his defence.

Vale Sanare by RurouniHime (M, 23k)

Draco’s world gains a new component just when he thought he’d sorted everything out.

In Your Arms, Rests My World by @l0vegl0wsinthedark (E, 24k)

Harry presses his mouth to Malfoy's forehead; he wants to tell him that he’ll never leave, that he wouldn’t dream of it. “You make me feel safe, Potter” Malfoy whispers. “You keep me safe.”

Stain of Silence by brummell (E, 28k)

After the war, Draco serves out his sentence in Harry Potter's house.

Strange Bedfellows by ravenclawsquill (E, 30k)

When Harry encounters a frail and fidgety Draco Malfoy at the Ministry, he just knows something is wrong and he’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

Holly and Hawthorn, Thistle and Thyme by bryoneybrynn (T, 31k)

After the war, Harry can’t shake the feeling that something is very wrong with him and he has a terrible feeling he knows what that “something” might be. He has a terrible feeling Malfoy might know, too.

(Un)wanted by @aibidil (E, 36k)

Ginny's pregnant, then she's not and Harry's single. Harry, again with no family, doesn't know what to do with this turn of events, or how to find a new life—post-war, post-Ginny, post-abortion—in which he belongs. He doesn't expect that life to include dancing to the Backstreet Boys with Hermione and Draco Malfoy. A story of finding belonging in the unexpected.

Anatomy of a Wolf Heart (orphaned, E, 40k)

Three years ago at the tragic Battle that freed our great Wizarding World from the grip of a megalomaniac Dark Wizard, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, our world lost many Witches and Wizards. Among the dead and missing was Draco Malfoy, the only son of notorious Death Eaters Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, both of whom volunteered their home for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to use as a headquarters.

Meet Me at Midnight by @the-starryknight (T, 57k)

Harry was beginning to wonder if he’d ever make anything again when Malfoy stormed through the door of Harry’s furniture shop. Now Harry’s got an impossible Ministry commission to finish, and even less energy than ever to deal with his elusive muse. That is, until he stumbles upon the surreal and beautiful world of a mysterious fae creature…

Balance, Imperfect by @bixgirl1 (E, 91k)

When Harry sustains an injury in the line of work, he no longer knows how to navigate the life he loved, and finds help and solace from the most unexpected source.

I Am Not Who I Became by mab_di (E, 93k)

Draco left England after the trials and has travelled the world meeting wizards and Muggles from different cultures and with vastly different relationships to magic, each other, and the natural world. Now he's a fisherman in Finland on commercial vessels. Harry has been struggling since the war and has become a recluse while trying to write his autobiography.

Nor All That Glisters by @sweet-s0rr0w (E, 110k)

Lonely and frustrated on house arrest, with no prospects for the future, Draco begins brewing Felix Felicis in an attempt to improve his lot. Just in the short term, of course. He isn’t a total idiot.

Away Childish Things by lettered (T, 154k)

Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

[riotlain]

Carl Grimes Fluff Alphabet

Me when i lobe him sm

THIS IS A NWLNW BLOG!! WOMEN DNI

--------------------------

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Theres not alot of free time during the end of the world and surviving and all. But he enjoys just doing whatever with you around.

Reading comics? Hell yea! Just laying together in silence? Alrighty!!

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

Physically he enjoys your eyes. Carl just loves staring into your eyes. He doesn't know why but its calming. He also loves your hands. Doesn't matter how they feel. He just enjoys holding them.

He admires your passion. Your interests, your deep thoughts. Carl just loves to listen to you ramble whenever he can listen to it.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

He's not good with emotions himself. The apocalypse never really taught him how to comfort I guess.

He's there by your side when you need it and will try to calm you down and talk you through it. Unless you want alone time, he wont leave your side.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Carl knows he shouldn't, but he cant help but dream of a future with you and a small family.

He would love to grow old with you but you both know this'll never happen.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

Mainly leaning towards dominant I guess. Of course he gets rather dominant when he's being protective, telling you to stay put or something.

But he also listens to your thoughts and opinions alot and will go with what you say at times.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Yes he's very easy to forgive you. Any day you could die so he can never stay mad forever.

When you get into big big fights tho, he will probably yell honestly. When you get upset he will ask Rick or Michonne for advice.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

Its the end of the world, OF COURSE HES VERY GRATEFUL OF YOUR EXISTENCE

Like bro will literally go one rambles about how grateful he is to have you just for no reason. He loves you sm

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

No. Nothin to really hide. He doesn't tell you everything everything. But he tells you most things on his mind.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

You helped him accept the fact that he can show when he's sad instead of bottling it up

He has the mindset of "People have been through worse so i'm not worth hearing" and you really help him overcome that.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Really depends on how youre acting. If someone is straight flirting and you dont realize it, taking it as just compliments, he'll probably get jealous.

He usually just tries to walk into the convo saying he needs to talk to you or something. Just to have you away from whoever flirts with you.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

He's.. alright???

No one teaches you how to kiss so the first kiss was awkward as hell. A short simple kiss after you killed a walker for him.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

He either confesses by giving you a letter or out on a "run".

He'd make sure you 2 are alone on a "run" just to lead you to an area thats set up like a lil picnic as a lil date.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Maybe yea kinda. He knows you guys might not live for long so if anything he gave you a promise/kinda wedding ring.

Father Gabriel would be the one to wed you guys in a run down church or something along those lines

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

A shortened version of your name, babe and simple names like that.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Carl is the most obvious thing alive. Everyone knows except you (MAYBE YOU EVEN DO). Always looking after you, very act of servicey, maybe a bit touchy

Everyone knows.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Carl doesnt brag but he isnt shy to kiss you. He kisses you whenever one of you goes on a run. He mainly gets a tiny bit shy when the adults start teasing yall a bit

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

You learn how to use a gun and usually always have a weapon on you.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

A good balance. Honestly he goes off the adults around him and asks around to see what he should do.

Carl is a romantic fella who loves to take you on lil run dates and giving gifts.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Im not sure what kinda goals you would have in the apocalypse other than surviving but yes hes very supportive and helpful!!

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

Routine is kinda the norm. Just for living. Carl tries to keep a routine but yknow you never knows what happens when theres dead people roamin the earth.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Very understanding and always willing to listen when your distressed. Hes generally pretty empathetic I think.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

Carl would risk his life for you. And he probably has. You mean the world and more to him.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

Very very warm. Radiates heat. Also i feel like his love language is a good mix between acts of service and physical.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Very affectionate. Like y'all cuddle almost every night. Except like maybe during the summer.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Bro will steal your clothes. Like doesnt matter if he can even fit them theyre just in his room now. Wont elaborate on why he has them if you ask.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Once again. Will literally die for you. Like he doesnt try to but he is willing to do almost anything as long as your well and alive

[melishade]

Attack on Prime Peaceful Timeline: If Fritz did survive.

So this is an idea that I've been having in my noggin for some time and I wanted to expand on it in detail. I've already discussed this with @justawannabearchaeologist and @echoblaze5 but I also wanted to put it here.

For those you who might be new, basically Attack on Prime: Peaceful Timeline is an AU where TFP Optimus gets sent to Founder Ymir's time and stops the power of the titans from ever existing. And Fritz dies, quite brutally, and it was so satisfying to write. For more info: here's the Peaceful Timeline Pilot, and I have my masterlist that goes into detail of what Optimus and Ymir have been doing after that time. Also here's the link to the Marriage, because there are some other characters you'd want to familiarize yourself with for this scenario.

But what if there was a slight differentiation. A deviation in the Peaceful Timeline. What if Fritz's wasn't killed by Helos after Optimus fled with Ymir?

TW Torture. TW Blood TW Anxiety

Picture this: King Fritz climbs up Ymir's titan form to grab her after her insubordination in the pilot which was to kill Optimus. But Optimus grabs Ymir from the nape of the neck and blasts him off of Ymir's decaying titan body. Optimus uses this cover to flee, but so does Fritz. Helos isn't able to spot him and kill him. He assumes he died during the attack. But Fritz used the smoke of the titan body to limp away and hide in the forest. He still watches as his empire falls before him. He watches his men either get killed or be forced to surrender while the Marleyans celebrate with tears of joy.

Fritz lost everything. His throne, his empire, his weapon. He's reduced to nothing but rags, carrying nothing but his blue cloak, his armor, and his sword. And now only one thought fills his mind and fuels him: find his slave Ymir and rebuild his empire. He searches for years, spite and anger fueling him. He ages and becomes weaker. He sees the damage his empire has caused, and he is forced to become the lowest of the low. He has no food, no water, he's forced to beg on the streets. He has to sell his armor and his cloak in order to eat, but he still keeps his sword. He is forced to hear the celebration of his defeat. Of how the 'Savior from Heaven' defeated the 'Devil of the Earth' and freed the world from his empire.

Despite witnessing the death and destruction he has caused and seeing the struggles of the common people, he doesn't have a change of heart. He's still bitter and spiteful and doesn't have a change of heart. He refuses to accept change, and only wants destruction and power. He wants to take back what is his.

So years later, at least eight years later in this hypothetical (Before Ymir tells Oshern the truth about her power), Fritz is still searching, but he's old at this point, but surprisingly spry and strong. He's just very delusional and has been having hallucinations, but he does end up near the village at the base of the mountain and spots Ymir foraging with Solveig. His slave was still alive after all this time! But they don't notice him as they return to the village together. But Fritz limping over to them with a sword in hand. However, when he gets there, he loses track of them, as they enter Solveig's house. The villagers notice him, and think he's in trouble and want to help. But Fritz loses his shit and swings his sword at them, demanding to know where his slave is. He ends up slashing Darrbey's arm and nearly stabbing Garth.

Ymir and Solveig are alerted to the noise. Both are watching in shock to see Fritz attacking the villagers, and Ymir hears his voice demanding for his slave, and the world stop. No...NO! He found her?! NO! Ymir is trembling in fear, and Solveig is telling her to get inside. But Ymir catches Oshern trying to calm him down. But that gets Ymir to react as Fritz swings his sword at him. Ymir runs and gets in front of Oshern and is slashed in the back, her dress getting torn, and blood spilling everywhere. Everyone is horrified as Oshern and Ymir are knocked to the ground, thinking that she's dead. But they all watch in shock as her wounds begin to heal. Oshern crawls back in disbelief while Ymir is on all fours, feeling the pain subside, but now she had gone from being scared to terrified. Her secret had been exposed.

Fritz is grinning. After all these years he finally did it. He found what he thinks belongs to him. He demands that Ymir return to his side at once, and he might forgive her for leaving his side and abandoning his duties to the Eldian Empire. Ymir's afraid to look everyone in the eye because now they know. They know what she is. They know that she's a monster. When Ymir doesn't react the way that he wants, he starts screaming and insulting her, telling her that the villagers know what she is: a monster, a freak of nature. She would never be accepted, he would be the only one who would. She would come back to his side! NOW!

The villagers are just mortified by this. This old man was insulting this woman! How the hell was she the monster?! Ymir is freaking out right now! Her hands are shaking! Optimus and Megatron weren't here! She didn't know what to do! But then she hears someone scream out 'MAMA!' Ymir raises her head to see Maria running towards her, calling out to her, but Magnar quickly grabs her and stops her from going further. But she's still screaming and crying out to her mother! And the villagers are just watching this fucked up scene before them, not really sure what to do. But Ymir seeing Maria, gives her resolve. She had her daughter, and she needed to protect her. Even if the world hated her, she knew for a fact her daughter didn't. She clenches her fists before getting on her feet. She turned to Fritz, and notices how different he looks. How old, and how weak he's become. He was no longer that same imposing figure that sat on a throne above everyone else. She walks up towards him, and the villagers are scared of what she's going to do, because they just witnessed her power and they don't know what the hell it even is! But then she speak.

I...am not...your slave.

The village is in shock. Ymir could talk, and her words were that of defiance. Fritz is in shock; he genuinely can't believe it. She just...defied him. He tells her to obey, but she tells him to leave. He tells her again, more forcefully, hoping it would be enough, but she still told him to leave.

"I am your master!" Fritz yelled at her, "I am ordering you to-!"

"LEAVE!" Ymir screamed out in anger, "LEAVE NOW!"

No. NO! Fritz was not going to take this insubordination lying down. She would die for it. He raises his sword to attack her, but Ymir is shocked when Oshern grabs her arm and pulls her back from the line of attack. Fritz is shocked. They defended her! But then Beini sneaks up behind Fritz and knocks him out cold. Solveig quickly orders for Fritz to be tied but and Maria wiggles her way out of Magnar's grip to get to Ymir.

"Mama!" Maria screamed as she wormed her way through the people to get to her, "Ma!...ma..."

The words die in Maria's throat when she realized how tense it was. All the eyes of the villagers...they were staring at her mother. Oshern was still holding Ymir's arm, but the woman yanked it back from Oshern and held it close to her chest. Ymir's eyes darted around the crowd that had formed. Her body began to shake, and her shoulders hunched over to make herself look smaller. Her mother...looked so terrified.

Ymir felt her breathing grow ragged as a million thought swarmed her mind. They knew the truth. They saw her power they knew she was a monster. She couldn't stop thinking about that day. When the other slaves looked at her, pointed their fingers at her and blamed her for the loss of Fritz's pig. The pain and terror that came after. The loss of her eye, the running, the drowning, the horrible torment and agony. But there was nothing to save her this time. There was nothing to give her power. Optimus wasn't here right now; she was on her own. No...She didn't want to be alone. She...

Solveig was worried as Ymir clutched the sides of her head and tried to control her breathing. She knew about Ymir's power for a long time, but had kept it a secret for a reason. But now the villagers knew, and Solveig wasn't even sure how she could spin this to protect both Ymir and Maria. The girl has been through enough; she didn't deserve more suffering! Solveig grew tense when Idunn let go of Darrbey and entered the circle, approaching Ymir in a calm and controlled manner. When Ymir saw Idunn's sandals in her vision, she tightened the grip on her hair even more and wired her eyes shut. They were going to shun her. They were going to kill her. She wouldn't be able to say goodbye to Maria, Optimus, Megatron. She wouldn't get to say goodbye to her fami-!

Ymir gasped as Idunn reached out and embraced her tight. Ymir's eyes snapped open at the gesture, but she still didn't release her head. What...what was this? Why was she hugging her?

"It's going to be okay," Idunn whispered, and Ymir's eyes were as wide as saucers, "It's going to be okay. We're not going to tell anyone about this. You're safe here, and you're not a monster. You're one of us."

That's...impossible. They didn't...shun her? They embraced her? She was being shown mercy? Ymir tried to contain her tears as her hands released her head, but her fear and relief had bubbled over to the surface, and the tears fell. The mother let out a loud wail in Idunn's embrace, making the villagers feel both guilt and sympathy for her plight. Solveig couldn't help but let out a breath of relief as Ymir continued to sob. Ymir was going to be alright. She was going to be safe.

During all of this, Optimus and Megatron were at the Cybertronian ship that they found to find energon and just be in their actual forms. When they returned to the cabin for the night, they were surprised that Ymir and Maria weren't there. They should be there by now. They go down to the village in their holoforms, and they see the villagers are in a panic demanding where the hell were they?! They explain some maniac attacked the village and was calling Ymir his slave. Optimus, worried, immediately demands where Ymir and Maria are and they point them to the mother and daughter. Ymir is draped in a blanket, her cheeks still stained in tears. She was drinking some water to rehydrate, and the two titans also see Maria curled up next to her mother under the blankets. The child's confidence was replaced with fear. She held Ymir by the waist and eyed the villagers with caution. Optimus calls out to the both of them, and the way their faces light up almost breaks him. They run up to each other and immediately embrace. Megatron checks Maria for any wounds and Optimus just holds a crying and relieved Ymir. But Optimus' mind is spinning. He wasn't here to protect Ymir or Maria. They were in danger, and he wasn't here. Optimus feels the clean tear in her dress and his spark drops. Ymir was injured. Her powers! Did the villagers know?! Megatron immediately asks where the assailant is and they all guide them to Fritz tied up, away, and screaming his head off. He screams at them to let him go and to give him back his slave. Megatron thinks the man has lost his mind, but Optimus recognizes the voice. From that day! He was the one! That monster!

"You...," Optimus spoke, earning all eyes on him. The old man kept staring at Optimus in contempt and confusion but he speaks anyway.

"Do not address me in such a disrespectful manner!" he yelled, "You are in the presence of royalty! And you have taken what is mine!"

"You...," Megatron grew tense at the sound of Optimus' voice. The villagers see his face morph into one of fury. His teeth were grinding against each other, and his fists were clenched tight. They are immediately reminded of that day the Eldian Empire invaded their village. But...they knew it was so much worse.

"For your sake, I'd advised that you remain quiet!" Solveig warned.

"I am the King of the Eldian Empire! I do not take orders from some decrepit old woman!" he yelled.

"YOU!" Optimus lunged across the table and punched the man dead in the face, breaking his nose and knocking him to the ground. The old man is yelling in pain from the punch, blood coming from his injury, but his pained expression turns into one of fear as Optimus glares at him like a rabid animal.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Optimus roared as he lunged again, but Megatron lunged after him and grabbed him before pinning him to the ground. Megatron locked his arms around Optimus' abdomen to keep his arms down, but the Prime kept on kicking his legs and trying his best to wrestle his way out of Megatron's grip, flailing like a wild animal.

"Optimus, stop! Not here! There are humans here!" Megatron yelled, "Ymir! Maria!"

"LET GO OF ME, MEGATRON! I NEED TO KILL HIM!" Optimus screamed, "DO YOU HEAR ME?! I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO MY DAUGHTER!"

The villagers can only watch Megatron try to stop Optimus, but the man was running on pure rage, trying so hard to kill the old man. Ymir had to cover Maria's eyes and ears at the scene, but she is just as terrified as everyone else at the display before them. Please stop. She just wanted him to stop.

"COWARD! MONSTER! DIE!" Optimus screamed. Megatron tried to cover his mouth to stop him from saying more, but the Prime had bit down on the hand hard, destabilizing the holoform hand. But Megatron still kept his grip on Optimus and refused to let go. He knew if he did, it would be a bloodbath. Megatron heard cries of sorrow getting mixed in with Optimus' cries of angers. The Prime still tried to wrestle his way out of Megatron's grip. He still bit down on Megatron's hand to try and use pain to get him to let go, but nothing worked. The villagers kept on watching, still scared on what to do, but then they witnessed Optimus beginning to cry. Tears poured out of his eyes and disappeared the moment they left his cheeks. Optimus screamed out in agony, furious he couldn't get what he wanted.

Megatron turned his attention to Beini. "Get the old man out the room! NOW!"

Beini and Garth quickly grabbed Fritz and dragged him out. Optimus finally released Megatron's hand from his mouth, but the scream he lets out is louder than before.

Optimus has to be dragged away and Megatron has to calm him down. But the villagers want some kind of explanation. Ymir is still afraid to provide one herself, but thankfully Oshern is able to fill in on what he knows. Oshern explains the Eldian Empire was a ruthless bunch and they had been conquering the world with the 'Devil of the Earth'. He explains that the Empire attacked his home and killed his people, leaving him the only survivor strictly due to chance. He had heard the tale of the Savior of Heaven defeating the Devil of the Earth, but...they all turn to Ymir, hoping she can provide an explanation. And she knows that she has to give one. So she writes down her story and gives it to them to read. And they are all horrified. And so much shit is clicking for them. Why the family chose to stay in the mountains. Why Ymir didn't talk. Why Optimus went ballistic. They still don't know what Optimus or even Megatron are because of what they've seen between the two. The hand started disappearing! What do they even make of that?!

Maria can't help but ask if they were going to hurt them because she understood the importance of keeping Ymir's power a secret, but Solveig immediately shuts the thought down. No. They were safe here, and they were family here. They weren't going to hurt any of them. Ymir doesn't feel safe going home, though, so Solveig immediately offers the two stay at her place for the time being. Thyra and Tove take the two there. They end up lying on Solveig's bed and holding each other tight, but it's really hard for both of them to fall asleep. Solveig orders the children to be taken home while the adults handle the situation. Because there's a discussion: what were they supposed to do with this man now?

Megatron is able to bring Optimus back into the room as the adults talk. He's calmed down, but he has refused to talk. Megatron has to speak for the both of them. A lot of the adults are saying that they need to kill this guy. He can't be left alive. He's a danger. Some are saying the man is old. He'll be dead soon enough. Kick him out. Oshern is pissed off because he's literally the guy responsible for killing thousands of people in the name of his empire! He needs to die, and some of them want to let him go because they don't want to take the life of a person ?! Megatron also brings up the fact that if Fritz is left alive, it could inspire others from the fallen Empire to reunite and start their conquest again. But, Solveig thinks of a more creative solution.

"Megatron, was it?" Solveig asked the former warlord, "I know that you're smarter than that. Death is too much of a mercy for someone like him."

"From experience, Solveig, a problem like this left alive for too long is too much of a risk," Megatron declared.

"Fair," Solveig agreed, "But if we kill him now, it's too easy. Too instant. If we torture him, he'll end up dying from his wounds because he's too weak. We leave him alive; it's running the possible risk of reviving the Eldian Empire. But we can't have that."

Solveig stood up. "I think major problem in all of this is that we are still treating this bastard like his human. He's not. He's an animal. Scum of the earth, and the excrement left by animals when they've eaten something bad. If someone wants to act like an animal, then they will be treated like an animal."

"What do you recommend?" Megatron asked with curiosity. Solveig turned to Oshern.

"Oshern, do you happen to have the knife your father gave you?"

"Um, yes." Oshern pulled out the knife and handed it to Solveig.

"Killing him as a human is a mercy, and mercy is too good for him. He will live the rest of his days as an animal and he will die as animal," Solveig declared, "A slave has no need for a tongue, and an animal has no need for his balls."

(Basically, Solveig's got a kill count and it's enough that it gets Megatron's respect. Megatron:...What's your kill count? Solveig: I lost track after 20. Megatron: You would have been respected in Kaon)

After that! Fritz ends up losing his tongue and his balls. Solveig wants to know if Optimus can handle this, but Optimus wordlessly takes the knife, grabs Fritz's tongue and chops that sucker of in one clean swoop. Fritz is crying out in pain, but Solveig uses her medicine to dull the pain and keep him alive for his castration. Fritz is weak and in pain, but Optimus grabs Fritz by his collar, lifts him in the air, and tell him:

"You will never cause pain to anyone ever again. You will die," Optimus declared, "And when you do, no one will remember you."

Fritz was still choking on his own blood from the loss of his tongue, but see stared at Optimus in fear.

"You are a stain on this world," Optimus continued, "A stain on the earth that robs and kills of anything good, but when you die, no one will even remember your name. You will be wiped away by the ravages of time, and as long as I still function, as long as my spark still beats, I will ensure that you are forgotten forever."

Optimus dropped Fritz to the ground, at the wretched man crawls back in fear. His assailants, his tormentors, look down at him like he is nothing, like he was scum of the earth. Like he wasn't even worthy to be called even a slave.

"Leave this place," Optimus ordered, "And never come back."

And just like a terrified animal, tucking its tail between its legs, Fritz is forced to flee into the wilderness. Once he's gone, Optimus ends up collapsing to his knees and covers his face to silently weep, while Megatron walks over and sits down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

So what happens after:

-Ymir is still really on edge when she goes to sleep and finally manages to wake up hours later. She sees Maria still awake, desperately clinging to her and not wanting to let go. The event traumatized Maria beyond belief and she doesn't want to let her mom go. But both of them are hungry and they need to get up. Ymir sits up on the bed, and is surprised to see a new dress at the foot of it, to replace her torn one. She puts it on, and Ymir goes to Solveig's kitchen, with Maria hiding behind her. And both are stunned to see Solveig, Oshern, and a few others making them food. Tove sees them and the woman beckons them over to eat, claiming they must be starving. But they don't even take a bite after they are seated. Maria asks the same question again: were they going to hurt them? And Solveig immediately tells them no once again. Ymir ends up kneeling down and bowing, apologizing for the trouble she brought, but they explain that she has nothing to apologize for. What she went through was horrible, and that she didn't deserve any of that. The fact that she stood up to the man who hurt her, is a testament to her bravery. Ymir is asked to stand up and the mother and daughter finally eat, but both are crying through every bite.

-Optimus and Megatron return after Optimus finally calms the hell down! He may have destroyed a thing or two on the ship out of frustration. And Optimus is so ashamed that he wasn't there to protect Ymir and that he let his emotions get the better of him. He apologizes to her, but Ymir just hugs him and rubs his back. He was in pain, and Ymir knows for a fact that she is loved. Optimus reassures her that Fritz is gone, and that he will never hurt her again, and it's the biggest weight lifted from her shoulders, because she knows that Optimus will keep his promise.

-Meanwhile, Megatron, who's had to be the voice of reason, has Maria clinging to him and refusing to let go. He sees the way that she's so scared. She was in a situation where she almost lost her mom. Megatron ends up holding her the rest of the day, focusing on comforting his Firelight and not trying to hunt down Fritz! He also says that he's going make sure Maria gets stronger. No exceptions. He doesn't care what Optimus and Ymir say. He does not want Maria to be in a helpless situation like that again. And Maria agrees, but right now, she just wants to feel safe with her Papa.

-Oh and the village also wants to know: WHAT THE HELL ARE OPTIMUS AND MEGATRON?! And Solveig immediately rats them out, saying that they are gods. And Optimus immediately tries to do damage control.

Garth: What do you mean you're gods?!

Optimus: We are not gods!

Megatron: We're demigods!

Optimus: MEGATRON!

Cause how are they supposed to explain aliens and planetary life to a place that doesn't even have electricity?! At least the villagers have a reason as to why Optimus and Megatron don't eat. But it also baffles them that they learn that Maria is the normal one out of the family. This does ultimately force Optimus and Megatron to reveal their titan forms with mixed reactions. Nothing too negative, although some people faint, and the kids immediately see a playground.

-But this does allow Optimus, Megatron, and Ymir to be more accepted into the village. There are no secrets anymore, and they can honestly breathe a huge sigh of relief at the idea of permanent safety. Although there is some accidental...worship. Optimus immediately tells them to stop while Megatron is interested in entertaining it.

-Oshern and Ymir end up having a talk. Ymir apologizes for keeping this a secret from him, and she understands that if he doesn't want to see her again, she understands, but Oshern just tells her that she's beautiful before kissing her. He loves her. That hasn't changed. Oshern and Ymir's relationship actually goes a lot more smoothly this time around because everyone knows the truth, so Optimus and Megatron don't have to be on edge, and they're able to get married a lot more easily.

-There's also the fact that the villagers piece together that Fritz is Maria's father, but for the sake of her, they keep quiet about it. She's been through enough as it is. Maria ultimately figures it out, but that's a conversation for another day.

-And as for Fritz, the last of his days he's treated as scum of the earth. No one spares him any change. People throw dirt and food at him, cursing and laughing at his situation. There are a few that survived the Eldian Empires fall. They see him and recognize him, and the fact that they are mortified and turn away, destroys Fritz. He would never be able to regain the power he once had. He was reduced to nothing, and he died with nothing.

(I love writing an abuser getting his comeuppance. It's fun. Also, Optimus losing his shit is also fun to write. Okay! Time to work on the Beloved Timeline Pilot and another Autobot Anthology entry.)