#happy chaos canary

[envy-of-the-apple]

Rewound Infinitely

Gojo Satoru x Reader

Part one: Infinite Rewind

Synopsis: A decade later, Gojo has finally caught up with you. Weddings take a lot of planning.

Word Count: 8.6k

(Warnings: flashbacks to gore, not healthy trauma coping, thats all tho! pretty wholesome compared to last time)

Some things about him had changed within a decade, while others stayed the same. 

Even taller than you last saw him. His hair has been styled, no longer ivory chaos. You can't see a single blemish or mark despite the decade of fighting curses. He's as flawless as the first day you met him. No glasses; the entirety of his blue keeps you still.

You've seen this Satoru before: Suguru's memories, with glassy eyes, ruffled ivory hair, and an empty expression. Seeing such beauty yourself when you're standing right in front of him, it's breathtaking. 

Even the lights of Tokyo couldn't compare to him. 

You say nothing. You can't. Your mouth is dry and pointless. You're not even sure where to even begin. In front of a God, your insecurities pile up all over again. Is he disappointed by you? How could you explain everything that you put him through? Your mouth opens, you think you're about to speak: an apology, a plea, anything-

"—You're late!" 

His hands reach up to squish your cheeks together. It was so unexpected, you squeak. 

And Gojo Satoru is pouting. 

It's a wave. The ocean of anxiety, guilt, and fear crashes into the shore. You feel nothing but indignant rage at the brat who clearly hadn't matured one damn bit. 

"I'm not late!" You hiss back. "If anything, you're the one who's late. I was—"

You're cut off by his laugh, light and happy. 

He isn't offended by your outburst; he's overjoyed about it. His cheeks are dabbed with pink, and his lips are so wide that he's showing his teeth. Your anger wanes when he pulls you into his chest, arms circling around you. You can smell his cologne when he buries his face into your hair. 

"There you are. Finally." He melts into you like butter. "I missed you, Greeny." 

His voice is soft, quiet, and sincere. You can't do anything but hug him back, allowing him to sink.

"I missed you, too." You whisper.

He hums. Apart from the wind, it's quiet. He's clinging onto you as though he's afraid once he lets go, you'll disappear forever. His behavior is justified. You were constantly meddling with his life before whisking away. Just this once, you allow him to keep you within his reach, letting the cat catch the canary. 

"This is sweet 'n all. But we're actually getting late." He mutters. "Also, we gotta do something about your clothes." 

"Hm?" 

One moment, you're atop the Tokyo Skybridge; the next, you're standing in an upscale boutique. 

Satoru skips away from you. Meanwhile, you're frozen, brain scrambling to catch up with what happened. Teleport. He can teleport now.

"Mr. Gojo, sir." A voice calls. An older woman smiles at him. 

He gives her a casual wave before gesturing over to you. "Mind giving this one a dress? It's a black-tie event. We don't have a budget." 

The woman turns to you with a smile. "Of course, sir." 

What?

Dazed, you pliantly follow the woman into the back of the boutique. Her hold on you is gentle as she ushers you through the hall with one hand on either side of your shoulders. When you look back, Satoru is waving with a wide grin. The door shuts behind you. 

"Do you have any preferences?" 

You turn back to the woman. She's still smiling. You can't tell if it's genuine or customer service. Perhaps both. 

Did Satoru not like what you're wearing? When you look down, it makes sense. Your time on the tower wasn't kind to your hair, not to mention your clothes. This morning, you'd just thrown on the first thing you saw. 

This morning. That felt like centuries ago. 

She's still waiting. You give a trepid smile. 

"Anything," you say, "anything as long as it's cheap. I'm not exactly swimming in cash." 

She gives a confused look. "Oh, but Mr. Gojo is paying, isn't he?" 

Was he? You had no idea what was happening, much less what he had just said. She returns to her usual smile. 

"If you have nothing in mind, let's see here..." 

Some time later, your usual clothing was removed and replaced by something satin and long. It was a pretty dress that fell right to your feet. A set of women also flitted in and worked on your hair and face, putting everything back in your face so that you looked more human and less cryptid. 

"What do you think?" She asks, looking at you through that mirror. 

Pretty, you looked pretty. But when you looked closer, no amount of make-up could remove that look in your eyes. 

When you step back out, Satoru is waiting with a tapping foot. 

"Finally!" He exclaims, standing up. He doesn't acknowledge the dress, probably because he's seen himself in better. "Thanks, Hana. Okay, let's go." 

"Go?" You prod. "Go where? You—you still haven't told me what you're even doing—" 

It's no use. He grabs your hand, instantly warping you away from the boutique. 

You're outside. There's people everywhere. In the distance, you can see a crystal glass dome. The sun was still in the sky, which was strange because you remembered watching a sunset not too long ago, unless you weren't in Japan anymore. To prove it to yourself, you check your phone location. Yakima, Washington. What the fuck.

Was this some type of torture, him flitting you from continent to continent, all in a ploy to punish you for something? You give him a pleading look. 

"Just tell me what's going on—" 

"Nuh-uh." He grins. "It's a surprise! Besides, you'll figure it out soon enough. Now, I gotta' go. Stay here, be good, and find the panda!" 

And then he's gone.

You always knew he was insane, but this is ridiculous, even for him. To leave you in the middle of nowhere, that asshole.  

There is no one you recognize in the crowd, but they are all walking towards the dome, so you meekly follow. What did he say? Find the panda? It had to be a metaphor of some kind, or perhaps there was a panda statue you needed to wait under. 

And then you see a panda on two legs walking and talking with a group of teenagers.

Seriously, what else did you expect? 

Feeling like you've just aged five years, you approach the group. Including the animal, there's five. They all look like 14-16 years old. You feel like you're in high school all over again when they glance over at you. The girl looks particularly unimpressed. 

"Hi." You look at the panda. Maybe it's a really good costume because no one else looks shocked. "Satoru said I should find you...?" 

One of them seems to get the code. The one with black hair and puppy eyes perks up. 

"Ah! Are you 'Greeny'?" Did he tell everyone about that nickname? Didn't you tell him it was supposed to be a secret? Though, it doesn't really matter anymore. 

"It's not my actual name." You say before introducing yourself. 

He gives a nod. "Okkutso Yuta." He bows. What a polite kid. "This is my friend, Inumaki Toge." 

The kid with half his face under his scarf gives a wave. You smile. 

"Just Maki." The girl steps in before she gives you a once-over. "I like your dress." 

"Oh, thank you!" You say happily, "I love yours as well!" 

She looks away, but you have a feeling she has a hard time taking compliments. 

"I'm Panda." The panda fucking says, and no, it isn't a costume, but you're too tired to ask at this point. "Nice to finally meet you." 

When the final kid says nothing, Panda reaches over and wraps a furry hand around his shoulder. 

"And this is Fushiguro Megumi! He's shy." Panda says cheerily. The boy flusters under his weight. 

"Get off." Fushiguro gripes. 

"Don't mind him." Maki rolls her eyes. "He's just throwing a tantrum because his sister couldn't make it, and he's gonna have to socialize with people instead of hiding behind her." 

Fushiguro glares, but he doesn't respond to that. He just gives you a nod, and you decide these are good kids. At the very least, they're all way better than that brat Satoru. 

"So, why are we waiting out here?" You ask, peering around. 

"The doors haven't opened, yet," Okkutso kindly relays, "we're just waiting out here until everything is set up." 

"If they're taking this long, then they should at least ask for help." Maki crosses her arms. "We've been waiting out here for at least thirty minutes." 

"At least there's food." Panda tries to assuage. 

"Salmon," says Inumaki. 

"They're serving salmon out here?" You give him an incredulous look and he waves his arms around. 

"Bonito flakes." Inumaki says. Okkutso tries to come to his rescue. 

"Inumaki can't speak anything but food items because of his curse-" Maki quickly yanks him down by his collar frantically. Fushiguro is whispering something in his ear. You watch them go back and forth before it clicks. 

"Does it have something to do with his technique?" You ask, curiously. 

They stop squabbling. 

"Oh, our bad. Sorry 'bout that." Panda gives a sheepish grin. "We didn't think you'd know about jujutsu sorcery 'cause...well. Your cursed energy is really low." 

"Super low." Maki agrees. 

"Salmon." 

"Even lower than Maki's." That earns Panda a punch from her. 

"Thank you," you dryly say, before you turn back to the building. 

"What's going on in that place anyway?" 

They all give you an odd look before they look at each other. Did you say something wrong?

"Did Gojo-sensei not tell you anything?" Okkotsu asks. 

You allow yourself to leak some bitterness. "Satoru just dropped me on the sidewalk before teleporting away. He never tells me anything.

"That sounds like him." Panda nods. 

"Idiot," Maki says.

"Such an idiot," Fushiguro says, and now you feel bad for Satoru.

"Our sensei's getting married today." Okkutso supplies. He points at the dome. 

You don't get why you didn't realize it sooner. You knew these kids, at least Okkutso, Maki, Panda, and Inumaki. They all showed up on the very last day Geto Suguru died. Okkutso, in particular, had fought and defeated Suguru. 

These were Gojo Satoru's students. 

You think back to the last time you saw Satoru. He didn't look like a groom, but he's an eccentric guy. You wondered what kind of person would put up with him for the rest of their lives. You pitied them. 

"Oh." You frown. "His wedding? I—I would have at least brought a gift." 

"I don't think he'd mind," Panda said, "besides, you didn't even know!" 

You still felt a bit guilty. 

"We didn't bring anything either," Fushiguro states, and it helps just a tiny bit. 

"When the ceremony begins, you can sit with us," Okkutso tells you, "we're supposed to keep an eye on you, anyway." 

"You're not talking to a dog." Maki grunts. 

"Oh no I—I didn't mean to be offensive!" Okkutso backtracks. "It's just—well, Gojo-sensei's been talking about you for a while, and we want to make sure everything goes smoothly and we were all really excited to meet you so—" 

He keeps rambling like that until Inumaki pats his shoulder. You laugh, amused. 

"I wasn't offended or anything." You tell him before his words sink in. "Wait, Satoru talks about me?" 

"All the time." Maki responds, an edge to her voice. "'Greeny this', 'Greeny that'." 

"We usually tune him out when he gets like that," Panda says, "honestly, we didn't even think you were real until just now." 

"I always thought 'Greeny' was an inside joke Gojo-sensei and Haibara-sensei had," Okkotsu admits. 

Something warm bubbles in your stomach. 

"So," Fushiguro speaks, "how do you know Gojo, anyway?" 

You didn't know the story Gojo told them so you simply keep it vague. 

"I knew him as a kid." 

It's Panda who gets the most excited about this. 

"Really? What was he like as a teenager?" 

"A brat." You instantly respond, and then you think a little more. "But I don't think that ever changed." 

They ask you a couple more questions about Gojo's high school days. You oblige, thinking this as payback for how Satoru dropped you here without saying anything. You don't know how long you spend out there, airing out Gojo's younger days while his students get increasingly giggly. 

Okkotsu is the one who notices the crowd is moving. 

"I think they opened the doors." He smiles. "Let's go, everyone." 

You follow behind Maki, admiring the architecture. It's a grand building. Sparkling crystal glass lets the sunlight bleed in. The decoration was something else entirely. Small white flowers adorn the chandelier, and they cascade down the edges. Ice sculptures of angels greeted the guests. Live music was already playing. Satoru knows how to plan a wedding. 

Maki finds you all seats. You sit next to her. Fushiguro follows you. Okkutso, Inumaki, and Panda take the seats behind you. While you wait for the guests to settle down, you pass your time, waiting for the students to bicker with one another. From your assumption, it looked as though Maki, Panda, and occasionally Inumaki butted heads with each other. Okkutso often served as the timid referee, trying to get everyone to calm down, which almost always made things worse. Fushiguro just elected to ignore everything. 

"Are they always like this?" You lean over to whisper to him. Fushiguro gives a tired nod. 

"Every. Single. Day." He's saying this from experience, but at least you get a show. 

Everyone settles down eventually. The kids grow quiet when the music starts to swell. The indoor lights dim. It's starting. 

You've never been to a wedding this grand before. There was a live orchestra. Women and men were dressed in baby blue, gently strumming away their cellos, violins, and violas. 

It's how you miss Satoru's entrance. He's already standing on the altar by the time you look back. He's changed into something more formal. The suit and green tie fit him. A perfectly put-together beauty. As though he can sense your stare, he catches your eye and winks. 

But why was he already up there? Shouldn't he be—

"Sensei's coming!" Okkotsu whisper-yells. Inumaki hushes him.

Everyone turns to face the door. You do, too. 

Your heart stops when you see him. 

It's all there. Black hair, but it's longer this time around. Of course it is, he's had years to grow it out. He's tall, he must've grown since highschool. 

You don't think you're breathing when you watch him walk down the aisle. The music is low, barely loud enough to hide the click of his heels. He takes his rightful place beside Satoru, his best man. Satoru gives him a nudge, and Suguru shakes his head fondly. 

Everyone turns to see Shoko's entrance. You should too, but you keep staring at him. How much he's changed since high school. How much he's changed since he waltzed onstage wearing a priest's outfit, filled with nothing but empty hatred for those he viewed as weak. 

But he's not wearing that twisted monk costume. His eyes aren't dull and dead and bitter. There's no sickly faux smile on his lips.

Today, Suguru looks like the happiest man on Earth. 

His eyes are wide and eager and sparkling purple beauties. He's 27, but he looks younger. The lines of exhaustion and heartbreak aren't so prominent. And you—and you—

You just sit there, watching as Shoko walks up to the altar, watching as they stand as bride and groom. His daughters, adorned in pretty blue dresses, stand right behind him, smiling so hard you're sure it hurts. The priest speaks. They say their vows. You can't hear a single word. It's like you're behind a glass wall, and you can see him, but you can't feel him. 

 When they kiss, everything comes back. The crowd celebrates. Satoru ruffles Himeno's hair. Nanako smiles wider. Behind you, Inumaki and Panda sniffles. Okkotsu hands them a tissue. 

"It’s pretty." Maki comments. Fushiguro gives a hum of agreement. 

ⴵ

Satoru finds you and the kids when you're waiting for the reception to start. 

He appears behind you with a cheery, "And how are my lovely students holding up?" You almost spill your drink in shock.

"Sensei!" Okkotsu chirps. "Where's Geto-sensei and Ieiri-sensei?" 

"Shoko's around; Suguru's taking a break," Gojo answers with a grin. "If you don't mind me, I'll be stealing this one for a sec." 

He doesn't wait for an answer, steering you away by your shoulders. You look behind you. Panda waves. Fushiguro just looks even more upset. You wave back at them regardless. 

"I can't believe you put your students out on babysitting duty." You tell him. "And what's with this wedding? There's no alcohol anywhere." To make your point, you take another sip of your apple juice. 

"We have kids here. Kinda' have to make it alcohol-free," Satoru says. 

"The bartender could ID them." You suggest. 

"You think teens who fight curses daily wouldn't figure out how to get around that?" He grins. You frown at his frustratingly good response. 

“What’d you think of them?”

“Hm?”

“The kids.” He urges. “What’d you think?”

Your brows scrunch. You have no idea what he means by that. Eventually, you take a breath.

“I like how...close they are.” You eventually say. “The bond they share. They care. I think each one of them will be good sorcerers.”

He’s silent, and you think you might have misunderstood his question.

“I learned that from you,” Satoru says, “keeping them together, making sure they can grow, get stronger, together. You were always so insistent on that, back then. I’m glad you were. It was one of the best things about you.”

You stare at him. Really stare. You’ve never heard him sound so genuine, so sincere before. You look into his crystal-blue eyes, wide and earnest. Part of you wants to take a picture, so you could keep it forever.

Eventually, Gojo successfully drags you to a less crowded area of the party. He looks around. 

"Hm, he should be around here somewhere...?" Satoru hums to himself. 

"Who?" You ask. That question answers itself. 

Haibara Yu is waiting a little ways ahead. By now, the sun was starting to set. His brown hair turned gold. Gojo eagerly hurries you forward as he calls out to him. You stumble, still lost at what you're seeing. 

"Guess who I brought?" Gojo sweetly sings, Yu-Haibara, he hasn't let you call him Yu yet-tilts his head.

He smiles, confused. "Oh? Hello!" He says cheerily. "Who's this?" He asks to Gojo. 

"Guess," Gojo says. 

Haibara stares at you, and you decide to give him a hint. 

"Brocolli head?" 

He gapes. It's almost the same reaction he had last time. Last time, when you had to convince him to kill you so you could go back in time to save Satoru.  

"No way." He gasps. "Greeny?"

 He doesn't remember. He wouldn't, why would he? Still, it's nice to see the innocence on his face, rather than the pain you saw last time. Right before he snapped your neck. 

You think he was crying the last time you two saw each other. 

In this timeline, Haibara is hugging you so tightly you think your head's about to explode. 

"It's really you?" Haibara says, but his bear hug muffles his words. "“—I—I can’t believe it? It’s actually you! I thought I’d never see you again even though Satoru said we'd see you again one day, and—and then suddenly you pop up outta’ nowhere—not that I’m complaining— but—”

"Haibara." You plead. "You're suffocating me." 

"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry." He lets you go, and your lungs inflate again. "I—I'm just so happy! And—and you're a girl!" He says it like it's the most surprising thing about this whole revelation. Maybe it is. 

Satoru is always needy for attention and whines as always. 

"Wait, you two came up with a code word?" He complains. "That's not fair. We never did that." 

"I mean, it was Haibara's idea." You point out. "You should be smarter next time." 

That makes him frown even more. You laugh. 

"Yu." Haibara suddenly says. 

You turn to him. 

"My friends call me Yu." 

It's nice to know that no matter what timeline you're in, Yu will always remain stagnant. 

"Okay, lover boy," Gojo says with a not-so playful bite, "keep your eye on this one for me, okay? Gotta' go do more best man shit." 

Satoru's gone once again. You look at Yu. 

"He's been running around since I got here." You tell him. "Does that man ever rest?" 

"Nope." Haibara grins, before taking your arm. "Follow me; you should meet a couple of people." 

He leads you through the crowd. You spot the teens moping about out of the corner of your eye. Panda and Inumaki seem to be in a push-up competition. Maki is egging them on. You wisely decide not to disturb them.

Yu drops your hand to wave to someone. There's no need for any kind of introduction for these people. 

Riko and Misato Kuroi smile at you first. Miss Kuroi's aged beautifully since you last saw her. Wispy silver hair knitted seamlessly into brown strands. She never got that chance to grow gray hairs last time. You're staring so much it might be rude. 

"Yu?" Riko asks and you think you're about to break because they know each other. "Who's this?" 

"Uh, this-" Haibara chokes before looking at your awkwardly. Right, he doesn't know your actual name. 

Come to think of it, Satoru doesn't know either. He never bothered to ask too. Probably on purpose. Ass. 

You smile and politely introduce yourself. It takes everything within you not to scream and hug them both because in this timeline, they don't know you. They never did. 

But you can change that now. 

"Hello!" Riko beams. "I'm Kuroi Riko, but just Riko is fine! And this is my mom: Kuroi Misato." 

She says that so plainly, like that had always been her name, like Miss Kuroi had always been her mother. You wonder how long it took for those two realities to become her norm. Or maybe it hardly took time at all. 

"It's wonderful to meet you." Miss Kuroi states before she tilts her head. "May I ask how you know the couple?" 

Haibara jumps in for you. "Um—actually, this is Satoru's date!" He fumbles. 

You do a double-take. No, you technically weren't Satoru's date. But you technically entered the wedding with him. And he was the one who 'invited' you. Fuck, you were the brat's date. Damn it. 

"Ah." Nanami cuts in for the first time. "So, you're the one Gojo won't shut up about." 

His accusation sounds like Maki's, but less harsh. You wonder if he has a favorite student. 

Nanami looks the most different from his high school counterpart. A new haircut, less slouchy, more tall and refined. He blinks at you, slow and calculating. 

Sheepishly, you laugh. "Yeah...that's me....sorry." 

"Don't be rude, Kento." 

Ieiri arrives with a soft smile and painted features. She's changed out of her glowing gown, sticking to something small yet perfectly elegant: a short white dress that curls ever so slightly at the ends. Riko's the first to hug her, ecstatic. Ieiri hugs her back, too, because they've become friends in this timeline. The circles under her eyes are less prominent. Her smile looks more real. This isn't the timeline where she's had to bury her friend; it's the timeline she's allowed to marry him. 

"Congratulations," you say politely once everyone is done cooing over her. She smiles at you, the way a stranger would. 

Then, her head tilts. 

"Sorry," she hesitates, "do we know each other? You...feel familiar somehow." 

Ieiri was the first person you met when you activated your technique and returned to the past for the first time. She was the one who calmed you down, kept you grounded. In a way, you owed a lot to her. 

Looking at her, you can see why Suguru kept her cigarettes in his pocket. 

You shrug. "I must have one of those faces." 

The attention turns back to her, her beautiful dress, pure and white and beautiful. You feel Haibara stare at you. You shake your head at him. It wasn't the time. Maybe it never will be. 

"This really is a beautiful wedding," Mistato says when the conversation reaches a pleasant lull, "I can't imagine how much it cost." 

She shrugged. 

"Probably a fortune, but I let Satoru deal with the numbers." 

Misato looks confused, and Ieiri laughs. 

"He paid for everything." She gestures to the venue. "Suguru and I didn't have to fork over a single cent. It's the least he could do for being a pain in the ass for 12 years." 

Damn, you knew he was rich, but you didn't know he was rich rich. Maybe you should consider being nicer to him. If you ask politely, perhaps you could get him to pay off your car loans. 

"I'll get him to pay for my wedding too." Riko proudly says. 

"He'd probably do it, too." Ieiri nodded along. "He offered, just like that. The only thing he was hellbent on was the date." 

"The date?" You echo. Ieiri shrugs, messing with her laced sleeves. 

"Said it absolutely needed to be on December 24th. Something about spirituality. I never listened to that guy's rants." 

It comes to you immediately, but you're pushing it away. No way. Satoru wouldn't. There isn't a chance in Hell he would have convinced his friends to have the biggest day of their lives on the same day you were supposed to meet him. 

No, of course, he would do that. Ass. 

"So, how do you know Satoru?" Riko asks you. When she realized how rude it sounded, she backtracked. "I—I didn't mean anything by it! It's just...the guy only knows five people. When he spoke about bringing someone along, I thought he was joking." 

"Same here," Nanami says. Haibara stifles a laugh, and you realize all of Satoru's friends think he's a loser. 

Friends. Back then, he only had one of those. 

"Um." You toss Haibara look. He shrugs. "We met a few years ago! But we just recently reconnected." That's close enough to the truth. Good enough. 

You remember your blunder. You sympathetically look at Shoko. 

"I'm so sorry I wasn't able to bring a gift," you say, "I was blindsided. Satoru barely gave me enough time to get ready." 

You laugh, and you're hoping they laugh it off too. They don't, instead Shoko, Nanami, Riko, and Misato look at you. Then, they look at each other. 

Nanami speaks first. He clears his throat.

"Did Satoru....abduct you?" 

"What?" 

"That sounds like him." Misato sighs, more exasperated than anything else.

Riko nods along with her. "We tried to teach him. Where did we go wrong?" she laments. 

Haibara and Shoko laugh as you desperately try to defend your not-date date because he didn't actually kidnap you, but he did bring you here against your will and started dragging you along like some toy, but it's the context about that that matters. You wished they could've had a bit more faith in him. Poor Satoru. 

It ends eventually. Ieiri excuses herself. Riko and Misato go too. You stay with Yu and Nanami, watching as they get into increasingly petty arguments. It’s hilarious how quickly Yu is able to bring the usually staunch and serious Nanami down to his level.

Sometime later, you find yourself roaming the balcony. The party roars on indoors, laughing, talking, cheering. It was chilly outside, you should go back in within a few minutes. You just needed a break from the action.

The sun had already gone down, by then. You were somewhere out in the country. The buildings sparsely dotted the horizon. There were no artificial lights. It meant the stars could shine as brightly as they wanted to, with no one to stop them.

You hadn’t seen Satoru in a while. You had no idea where he’d run off to. It didn’t matter; you knew he’d eventually pop out of a box to harass you again.

But now that you had space for yourself, you needed to think.

You rest your hands over the rail, looking up at the stars. There were so many out tonight.

You fixed the future. You changed everything. Does that mean you still needed to tell Satoru about the past timeline?

You promised him answers the next time you two met. You promised him an explanation. He waited ten years for that. You pinch at the fabric of the dress.

This future that you carefully built, crafted with your own hands. It’s delicate, a glass castle.

It’s justice, but did that make it right?

“Want one?”

The voice makes you jump.

He stares at you, leaning against the rail. Purple eyes, mirroring the starry sky.

You knew these eyes, for a while, they used to be yours.

You stare at him. Then, you stare at the cigarette in his inviting fingers.

Your fingers twitch.

“No—no, I’m fine.” You smile. “Actually, I’m trying to quit.”

“Ah.” Suguru says, lighting it up before bringing it to his lips. “Shouldn’t tempt you, then. Pardon, what’s your name?”

You can hear your heartbeat. It’s loud, right in your ear. You wonder if he can hear it too. Are his curses around? Can they smell it? Your blood? Are they still as ravenous as the last time, eager to tear and fester and eat—

“It’s Greeny,” you say, “you can call me Greeny. ”

He hums in approval.

“Geto Suguru,” he says, “though I’m pretty sure you already know that.” You both share a huff of laughter.

“My fiancé quit a few years ago.” Suguru starts, mentioning the cherry-red cigarette. “Thought I’d follow in her footsteps, but here I am.” He shrugs before he winces.

“Wife, sorry.” He corrects. “I still can’t believe it.”

The monsters come out to play their song. You close your eyes, forgive Suguru, and you die once more.

You smile at his tone. He sounded like that 12 years ago, when he was still just a kid. Full of soft wonder.

“I’m guessing you’ve been planning this for a long time?” You ask.

He shrugs. “Shoko did most of the work. This is all thanks to her, really. Unfortunately, I was too busy managing the school.”

“I heard you were a principal?” You prod.

Suguru nods, “Our current one recently retired. I’m trying to follow in his footsteps.”

You think of Principal Yaga, the one with sunglasses and a stern expression. He looks a lot like Nanami in some areas. But he acts more like Suguru than anyone you ever knew.

And you knew Suguru; you knew him as well as yourself.

The screams start up again, and you forgive Suguru. 

“I can tell you’re already making him proud,” you say, “I met your students. They’re good kids.”

He smiles, soft, gentle. Those used to be your smiles.

“They are, aren’t they?” He repeats back, “some of them had a rough beginning, but it all worked out somehow.” He hums. “I’m glad.”

His daughters, the ones standing beside him as he kissed his wife, wide eyes and even wider grins. They didn’t have the darkness in their faces. The bitterness. Like they did in the last timeline.

You were glad, too.

This death is a lot more painful than the others. 

The curse that's holding you is more intelligent than its predecessors. It keeps you alive, tearing at your skin, feasting on your flesh. Blood is everywhere. You scream until it rips out your vocal cords. It's almost a mercy to just die. 

You forgive Suguru.

“It sounds like you’ve had personal experience with that sort of thing.” When he looks at you, you quickly say. “Your eyes. I—I can see it. I’ve always been good at that sort of thing.” You knew Suguru. His eyes matched yours.

He doesn’t look offended. Suguru takes a minute, reaching up to his black locks. He removes the elastic, pretty black hair falls down his shoulders He’s grown it out since high school. It reaches his waist.

He eases himself back onto the rail, looking up at the stars. You follow.

“Yeah, I do,” he’s saying, “I think I know what it’s like being them at that age. Alone, isolated, slipping down a rock. Drowning, but no one can see it.” Ingested. Exorcised. Ingested. Exorcised.

“When I was younger...it was really hard. Some days, I was so full of hate and anger. The pain was a lot. Sometimes, I had this despicable idea that it was someone else’s fault I was like this. Someone innocent.” He laughs, bitter.

“And, on those days, I would often feel something.”

You look at him. Suguru doesn’t stare back, eyes lost in the stars.

“Sometimes, it’d be a voice. Other times a small nudge on my shoulders, pushing me in the right direction. Once, it was a hug, keeping me from doing something that would’ve changed my life forever. And it would be just a bit more bearable, like I wasn’t so alone.”

You can feel your heart in your throat. Your fingers grip the railing.

“What did you think it was?” You expect hate, disgust. You want to give yourself a reason.

You forgive Suguru.

He takes a moment, coming back from heaven. His eyes find yours.

“I’m not sure.” He admits. “I’m not religious, but I always liked to think of it as—”

An angel. A hand of God. A higher power. It doesn’t matter what Suguru said, you knew what he meant.

A part of you always wondered why Suguru would return to Jujutsu society, when he wanted nothing more than to run from it. You expected him to retire. Instead, he took the reins of the beast, wrangling it down. Now, you get why.

“That’s why you’re a teacher now,” you say, “so you could be the same thing for your students.”

He nods, and you think of Maki. You think of Okkutso. You think of Panda. You think of Fushiguro. You think of Inumaki. Suguru must have been there for Maki, even when her own family wasn’t. Suguru must have helped Okkutso control his technique, being the only one who could. Suguru, must have made these kids better than they ever possibly could’ve been. Fighting for them instead of against them.

“Sorry.” He blinks. “I—I didn’t mean to get so sentimental. It’s been years since I thought about my own highschool years.” He laughs, voice full.

“You’re just...really nice to talk to.” He hums. “I don’t think I can explain it but it’s...familiar somehow.”

You look at him. He’s older, but in some ways, he hasn’t really changed. Even now, when you look at him, you see a reflection of yourself.

“I can see why he likes you.”

“Who?” You ask when he brings you back from your thoughts.

“The idiot.” But he says it so affectionately, so lovingly, you can’t help but smile. “I saw him dragging you around earlier. Sorry about that. I would’ve stepped in but...” He trails off, thinking.

“It’s been a while since I saw him like that.”

You hadn’t noticed anything about Satoru. He smiled just as brightly as he did in highschool. Now, you wonder if this was the first time in a while Suguru had seen that side of him: carefree, no longer The Strongest.

It hurts. It hurts so much. Blood seeps into the pavement. You can hear the curse laughing. It sounds like him.

You forgive Suguru. 

“Are you and him…” he trails off.

“No.” You laugh. “No, I’m his….childhood friend. We just haven’t seen each other in a while.”

“Oh?” He tilts his head. “How long has it been?”

You decide to be honest. “Ten or so years, give or take?”

He whistles.

“No wonder he’s bouncing around like a yipping puppy,” He says, and you can’t help but agree with the analogy.

“In any case.” He leans over the railing. His cigarette is down to its last embers. “I hope you stick around. A friend…I think he needs more of those more than anything.”

You stare at him. Those purple eyes. You can see what Shoko sees. You can see what Satoru saw all those timelines ago. They only ever saw the light, the gentleness, of Geto Suguru.

You are the only person in the world who knows him.

He’s killed people. He’s killed you. No matter how much logic or justification or pain was involved, the blood of the innocent is still sticky. It still drips across the pavement, scarring the sidewalk in red. It still hurts.

When Suguru would kill you, you’d force yourself to forgive him. You needed to die without regrets, because the pain of hatred builds up, you’ve seen it happen firsthand.

But now that you’re free, what Suguru did to you wasn't fair. Just because his innocence was taken away doesn’t give him the right to take the lives of others. It never gives anyone the right to murder. You keep telling yourself that this Suguru and that Suguru were different…but they weren’t. Not really. The look in their eyes matched perfectly.

He’d do it again, in the right conditions.

And yet.

You forgive Suguru.

You can’t judge him. If there is a God, maybe Suguru will have to pay for the crimes he committed all those timelines ago. You can’t save Suguru from that. But to you, the debt is paid.

Besides, you’re too tired to hate him. And you won’t allow yourself to fall into the same cycle he struggled to break free from.

You look into his eyes. Then, at his ring. You smile. 

And that's enough.

“I will,” you say, “I will.”

Then, as two parts of a whole, the two of you stare at the stars for a little while longer.

ⴵ

The reception was nice. A fancy dinner, you can’t remember the last time you ate something. The speeches were beautiful, especially Shoko’s. You swore you saw Nanami shed a tear, but you never said anything about it.

You saw a glimpse of white hair in the crowd before the first dance began. Stunning music. The couple must have practiced for months. Bride and Groom, husband and wife, held hands and looked at each other like they were the only ones in the room.

Megumi stood beside you, watching Ieiri and Geto sway to the music. As though the kid could sense him, Megumi’s serene face sours. You’re about to ask him what’s wrong when there’s a tap on your shoulder.

“Cute, huh?” Satoru starts, mentioning at the dance. “It didn’t look this put-together in the beginning. Shoko gave him a ton of bruises,” he says with a shit-eating grin.

You frown. “Shouldn’t you be doing something else than gossiping about your friends?”

“I am! I’m checking up on my son!” And then he turns to Fushiguru. “Megumi!”

“No.” Fushiguro instantly rebukes.

“Don’t mind him.” Satoru chides. “He’s going through an angst phase.” Fushiguro rolls his eyes, but he shifts just a tiny bit.

“Y’know, he was actually supposed to be the flower boy, but he refused. Such a shame, the pictures would’ve been something else.” Gojo sighed and now you’re convinced they aren’t father and son.

“That was never going to happen.” Fushiguro says, and as if he thinks you’re naive enough to believe Satoru, he glances at you. “Never.”

“Of course not.” You crack a smile.

You watch as Ieiri descends into a graceful spin, Geto taking the lead. When he tips her over, your eyes soften.

Gojo leans over; you can feel his breath in your ear.

“Next year.” He whispers. “For us, it’ll definetly be next year.”

You jerk away but he’s already skipping off, having the audacity to call out a cheerful ‘toodles’.

“What did he say?” Fushiguro questions.

That’s what you wanted to know, too, but you were so tired, and the night was so long, and you couldn’t bother to get out your Gojo translator and figure it out.

“The same stuff he always says. Nonsense.” You decide on. Fushiguro takes the answer.

“I don’t understand how he has all that energy.” You mutter, watching Satoru disappear through the crowd.

“I thought he’d get better with age, turns out I was wrong,” Fushiguro says.

“I wanted to ask,” you start, your eyes still on Ieiri and Geto, “how do you know Gojo? Aren’t you still in middle school?”

“Everyone knows Gojo. He’s pretty famous in the jujutsu world.” Fushiguro shrugs. “But personally...he’s my benefactor. Took me and my sister in when my parents left.”

You look at him. And you feel like an idiot.

He’s the spitting image of his father. Sharp cobalt eyes. Black hair. Fushiguro Toji is all over the young man.

Gojo Satoru, the one who killed the sorcerer killer, took care of his enemy’s children.

“What?” Fushiguro asks when you’re smiling

You shake your head. “No, no it’s nothing.”

Satoru told you that you’re the one who taught him about the importance of bonds. But you think he should take some of the credit too.

ⴵ

Eventually, everyone gets on the dancefloor.

It’s a mess. Absolute chaos. Panda and Inumaki are trying and failing to do the waltz. Maki and Okkuttso are lightly swaying to the music. They’ve managed to get Fushiguro up there too. Though, he doesn’t look extremely happy.

The adults are even worse. Apparently, the retired principal Yaga is a pretty good dancer. You think one of them found alcohol, because Haibara looks absolutely wasted. He’s swinging his arms around, almost hitting the other guests. Nanami is trying to get his attention, but the guy wants none of it. When Haibara catches your eye, he wildly waves in clear invitation.

You smile back, but you shake your head. You think he’s about to come up to you, but something else catches his eye, and he’s grinning at a very irrated-looking Iori.

You were sitting on a chair, just people-watching. It was a nice break from everything. To listen to the music, lightly tap your feet, play with the frill of your dress. You weren’t really in the mood to dance.

Besides, you weren’t technically invited here anyway. It’d be rude to just burst on the scene.

“There you are! Been looking all over for you!”

You don’t have to look over to see who it is. Satoru slumps down in a chair next to you.

“Greeny, you gotta’ do something about your cursed energy. It’s so weak. Like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“Thanks,” you say dryly.

“Always happy to help.” Satoru beams, and then he glances over at the floor.

“We’re dancing after this song, by the way.”

“Absolutely not.”

“It’s so cute you think you have a choice, Greeny.”

You frown. “There’s no point in calling me Greeny anymore. Unless you still don’t know my name.”

“I do, but it doesn’t matter,” Satoru says arrogantly. “You’ll always be my Greeny to me.”

You roll your eyes. Even now, he’s a brat. You thought all these years would mellow him down just a tiny bit.

“So,” you start, “are you done with your ‘best man shit’?”

“Yup.” He announces. “Now, I can sit back and enjoy the show.”

You smile, but you can still feel the butterflies in your stomach. He’s been running around so far and it’s given you time. Now, that he’s free, it means you two have to talk.

And you aren’t sure if you truly want to.

You flex your fingers.

“Um, how have you—”

“Stop.” Satoru interrupts. “Let’s not make this awful, Greeny.”

You nod immediately, relaxing. His voice gets softer, after that.

“I’m glad you chose that color,” he says, “I was sorta’ hoping you would.”

You look down at the dress. A deep green. You hadn’t even thought about the color, the boutique lady had basically thrown it at you.

The shade of Satoru’s green tie matches your dress. You can feel your smile again. Typical.

“I’m glad I did too,” you honestly say. And then, you continue to fiddle with your fingers. Ultimately, you decide to just bite the bullet.

“I thought you’d be mad.” You finally say, words jittery and unfocused. “Angry at me for...for what I did.”

He’s silent, and you feared that it was all true. The laughs and the jabs were all a facade.

"I don’t think I was ever mad." He responds, staring into the crowd. "Hurt, yeah. Then, it faded into something that stung everytime I thought about it, and then...something else. And now, I know it's a waste to get mad because you're finally here now. With me." 

His tone pitches upwards as he reaches over to painfully pinch your cheek. 

"'Sides, I know you can't escape me anymore, Greeny," Satoru cheerfully says, "Now, I know your face, your name, and with little effort, I could probably find your address, your social security-" 

"Okay! Okay!" You pull away, rubbing your cheek. Damn, he's scary. "Threat acknowledged." 

"Good!" He straightens himself back up, and you find yourself slumping again.

“I am sorry, though,” you say, “for leaving like that. I...I always wished I could do that a bit differently. You deserved better.”

“Don’t do that.” He shakes his head. “Don’t blame yourself for only doing what you could. It eats at you, Greeny. It really does.” He sighs, leaning forward in his chair.

“You deserved better too,” he says back, voice barely above the music, “I always had some regrets about those years. I thought I could’ve done more to help you, back then.”

There it was again: selfishness, the urge to do good to others while retaining that greed. You supposed you taught him that.

You put your face in your hands.

“Even though, you dragged me here against my will, I feel so guilty being here.” You complain, hoping it’ll lighten the mood. “You should apologize to everyone because I crashed the party.”

Satoru scoffs. “What are you talking about? Everyone loves you!” He exclaims. “Look, Yu’s ecstatic. Riko won’t stop gushing about you; you even have Nanami’s approval! I don’t even have that!” You roll your eyes, sinking back in your seat.

“Besides, you needed to come. You needed to see it.”

“See what?” You ask.

“This.” He points to the venue, the ballroom full of glittery whites and sparkles.

“Look around, Greeny. Look at all the people you saved.”

Haibara and Riko are dancing together. Two dead children finally had the chance to grow up. Misato speaks to Nanami. Beautiful gray hair, eyes that aren’t so tired. Shoko sparkling in her dress, and Geto—

The same day he was supposed to die, Suguru was getting married.

“Thank you.” When you look at him, Satoru is staring right at you. His sea eyes give everything and more.

“Thank you for saving all of us.”

Your heart skips, then just stops completely. You can’t cry, you won’t not here, not on such a happy day. But your eyes are stinging. And Satoru is turning blurry.

And then, like Satoru always does, he ruins the moment.

"Did you just fall for me a little?"

His head tilts. That same mischievous, irritating smile lights up on his face.

You relax, laughing out of disbelief. When you speak, your voice is barely scratchy. "You're so full of yourself; it's actually a little cute." 

"You think I'm cute?" 

"Did you hear anything else that I just said?" 

"I heard you think I'm cute,” Satoru responds proudly, and you doubt he’d ever let you hear the end of it.

“And besides! Today is supposed to be a celebration for you too!” He exclaims.

“Oh really?”

“Yes,” Satoru says proudly, “you did it! You became a fully-fledged sorcerer. Considering your low CE, you might pass as grade four, but when I talk to our new principal, I’m sure he’ll make things right. Get ready to join be and him in the big leagues.”

You could read between the lines. Satoru wanted to tell everyone. You think a while ago, you might have agreed, but...

“Can...Can I quit being a sorcerer?” You ask. “I’m tired.”

He takes a second. Some of you wonders if he’ll try to talk you out of this. It’s more beneficial for him if you stay as an asset to the jujutsu world. How many people’s lives will be saved by a technique like yours? To be able to go back in time again and again and again. To die again and again and again.

“Someone once told me that it’s okay to be selfish every once in a while.” Satoru looks at you, eyes like lilies once again. “I won’t fault you for it. I don’t think anyone will.”

When you try to smile, it feels wobbly.

“That person sounds smart.”

“Nah.” He grins. “An idiot, actually. Way too oblivious.”

You laugh, despite the insult.

“Quit,” Satoru says when it’s quiet again, “do whatever you want. But...you can’t run away, okay? I won’t let you.”

It’s barely a touch. His hand reaches for your fingers. You’re the one who grabs it.

“I won’t.” You promise. “I won’t.”

He’s satisfied with that. You can tell when he squeezes your hand back.

You look at him, and you decide you won't tell Satoru what happened in the last timeline.

There's no point. It wouldn't do anything but shatter everything he worked so hard to make. Why would you break the glass when you could just add concrete, make it stronger? You saved everyone. A few white lies here and there just keep this future safe.

And you know this Satoru. If you told him, he'd carry that burden with you like the soldier he was. You don't want him to do that. You don't want him to have the same look you see in your own face. One last sacrifice.

When you come back, Satoru is shifting in his seat, uncrossing his legs.

“So...about that dance?”

“Ugh, fine.” You stand up. “One dance. And if you do anything embarrassing, I’m leaving.”

“Clearly, you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” He grins, standing up himself.

He doesn’t release your hand for the rest of the night.

You don’t mind.

(When you disappear again, Maki’s the one who finds you.

By then, it’d been long into the night. Shoko and Suguru were already gone, off to their honeymoon in the Maldives. Riko, Misato, and most of the students were sleeping off the night. Maki, his most diligent student, was helping the remaining adults pack up the venue.

She’s dragging chairs away when she grunts in Satoru’ direction.

“By the way, your date’s sleeping outside.”

Ah, you were on the balcony. No wonder he couldn’t find you. Satoru needed to do something about your cursed energy. What’s the point of having six eyes when he can’t even find the one person who’s evaded him for a decade?

You’ve completely passed out. Slumped over on a chair, head bent at an angle that could not be comfortable. Satoru knows he should feel bad. He dragged you around the entire night like a ragdoll. This was partially his fault.

He can’t really blame himself, not when you were finally here.

It still feels like a dream. Being able to hear your voice, not Suguru’s, not Yu’s. Your touch. Your eyes. Your face. Your laugh. For years, he’s wondered what it sounded like.

Reality beat even his perfect daydreams.

Seeing you up there on the Tokyo Skytree. The wind pushing your hair back and forth. It was breathtaking.

Even the lights of Tokyo, couldn’t compare to you.

He leans down, lips at your ear, voice low because he’s too prideful to let anyone else hear, not even you.

“I know it’s too late, but you looked really pretty tonight.”

You say nothing, but you shift, murmur something in your sleep. It’s all he needs.

He ditches the clean up party, taking you within his arms. He thinks he says something to Yu, but Satoru doesn’t really care if he heard. Right now, he only has one priority.

Tonight, he’ll sleep on the hotel’s pull-out sofa while you snooze in the luxurious queen-sized bed. You’ll probably be mad in the morning, something about how you should’ve taken the couch, but he doesn’t mind your mindless acts of selflessness.

He’s waited a decade. He deserves to keep you.

And he knows you won’t fault him for being selfish one more time.)

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 30

 DC prompt where the heroes get magically cursed or changed into animals for a bit. Chaos of course reigns while they are so- though the magician regrets their actions. Wonder Woman is scary enough, but instead of being something small she’s now a very big bear who isn’t happy. Robin? He’s now a goose with a sword and he’s not afraid to continue to use it. Marvel is happily a giant tiger who- oh no now all seven of the marvels are big cats who can apparently still call down lightning. For some reason they change between big cats and domestic ones, but maybe it’s just something wrong with the spell??

 The magician had no chance, even if some were far smaller and less scary creatures. Honestly, who expected a hare to be able to break someone's kneecaps? The villains sure didn’t but here they are, getting defeated when they thought it would be easier to defeat the heroes now that they don’t have opposable thumbs. Well, most don’t, that raccoon somehow found a gun and knows how to use it..

 The one issue the heroes find after fixing everything? They can apparently still turn into animals, sometimes at less than opportune times unless they can learn how to control it. 

Ideas for who is what? (honestly just ideas, do whatever you want lol) 

Superman= Bull Batman= Capybara Wonderwoman= Brown Bear Flash= Hare Aquaman= Elephant Green Arrow= Squirrel Black Canary= Chihuahua Cyborg= Crocodile Green Lantern= Husky Hawkwoman= Golden Eagle Martian Manhunter= Gliding Lizard

Captain Marvel= Tiger/Tabby Miss Marvel= Leopard/Mau Blue Marvel= Jaguar/Bengal Silver Marvel= Puma/Ragdoll Green Marvel= Lion/Laperm Purple Marvel= Caracle/Munchkin

Nightwing= Falcon Robin= Goose Red Hood= Raccoon Red Robin= Hedgehog Kid Flash= Cheetah Superboy= Flying Squirrel Arsenal= Elk Miss Martian= Flying Lemur

Bonus DP Crossover: Danny= Snow Leopard Ellie= Polar Bear Tucker= Sandpiper Sam= Vine Snake

[in1-nutshell]

Hi again, I’m here to spread the propaganda of every maximal being a dad lol 😂

Now I request Dinobot as a dad. It would be cute if the sparkling turned into a little bird.

Dinobot would take a lot of time warming up to the kid but I think if megatron ever took the sparkling captive Dinobot would go apeshit.

Yes! Spreading the Maximal Dad's everywhere! Hahaha! I had fun making little bird Buddy with Dinobot.

Hope you enjoy!

Dinobot finding an abandoned sparkling

SFW, familial, platonic, mentions of kidnapping but happy twist, Cybertronian/ Bot reader

Beast Wars

The sparklings beast mode is a canary.

Dinobot has a complicated history.

From being one of Megatron’s top soldiers of the Predacon’s; having to defect to the Maximals; from trying to get along with the team; living up to his warrior’s code of honor; and narrowly escaping death (Just ignoring canon here. Don’t mind me.)

He has his work cut out for him.

“Hey, watch where you’re going Scale belly.”--rattrap

“I would if I saw were you were Vermin.”--Dinobot

“Oh, yeah what about my height? You want to go Chomperface?!”--Rattrap

“Meet me outside in 20 minutes. We will settle it then.”--Dinobot

“…Its literally 3 am. Why are either of you up?”--Cheetor

“We could be asking the same thing to you kid? Go back to bed.”--Rattrap

“But—”--Cheetor

“Go to bed!”—Rattrap and Dinobot

He honestly thinks he has peaked in the weird things that have happened.

Let’s change that with story time.

It was chaos on the battlefield.

It was an interlock shooting battle between the Maximals and the Predacons over the newest pod that had just crashed down.

Dinobot and Rattrap were the closest to the pod hiding behind a rock. They were running out of time and ammunition. The pod had just finished scanning for a life form and the pod’s door was stuck. The bot inside couldn’t get out even if they wanted to.

“I’m going in.”--Dinobot

“Say what?”--Rattrap

“Cover me!”--Dinobot

“Dinobot!”--Rattrap

Dinobot starts sprinting towards the pod while Rattrap was doing his best to keep him covered. The rest of the team soon followed suit. Dinobot yanks the pods door clean off its hinges and grabbed the bot body close to his chassis as he turns to run back. He makes it back to the rock and shields the bot with his body.

“Don’t let the traitor escape!”--Megatron

“Hey Megamouth! Try this on for size!”--Rattrap

“Grenade! Grenade!”--Terrorsaur

“Take cover!”--Waspinator

Rattrap manages to throw a grenade at the Predacons which causes them to retreat. As the smoke clears, Dinobot still has the bot close to his chassis waiting for the sounds of blasters to stop. Then he hears the sound, a sound that he hadn’t heard in eons.

A sparkling chirp.

He quickly looked down and sure enough in his arms was a sparkling. This sparkling was smaller than the average sparkling.

They had a beast mode that honestly made a little difference in their size.

They were still so small.

The sparkling ended up nuzzling themselves further into Dinobots chassis.

Happy chirping noises

“…”—Dinobot and Rattrap

“Don’t you dare.”--Dinobot

“Hey everyone!—”--Rattrap

“Rattrap!”--Dinobot

Oh boy…

Dinobot didn’t want this.

The next few days Dinobot is trying to do his regular duties without being seen by the sparkling. The sparkling, if they found him, would make a beeline into his chassis and start cuddling. His teammates found this funny as Dinobot would try and get out of the sparklings grip, but they would always come back.

“…Coast is clear…”--Dinobot

“Hey there Dinodip.”--Rattrap

“…”--Dinobot

“…”--Rattrap

“…Don’t—”--Dinobot

“Hey Buddy, Dinobot’s here!”--Rattrap

“You insolent rodent!”--Dinobot

Chirpping getting louder.

The sparkling was an energetic induvial that had a terrible habit of getting into bad situations. And it wasn’t like the sparkling was looking for it either.

“So why are we here again?”--Blackarachnia

“It’s a team meeting.”--Silverbolt

“What is it about?”--Tigatron

“It’s about Buddy.”--Airazor

“What about them?”--Dinobot

“Have you notice that they manage to attract a lot of bad things?”--Rattrap

“Oh, I get what you mean.”--Cheetor

“What you lost me. What things?”--Rhinox

“Just the other day I had to save the kid from a falling beam.”--Optimus

“I just checked those things a few days ago.”--Rattrap

“We went outside and Buddy nearly got attack by two snakes, several big fish and a rabbit. How does a mere rabbit attack Buddy?”--Dinobot

“Yeah, maybe we need to see into this.”--Silverbolt

“Wait has anyone seen Buddy?”--Dinobot

Giggling noises

“Oh scrap!”--Rattrap

They kept everyone on the team on edge whenever they went somewhere alone.

Dinobot didn’t care though.

He didn’t care that this little creature gave him spark attacks every time they were in danger. He didn’t care that they got hurt doing the simplest things. He surely wasn’t teaching them some self-defense techniques. He definitely doesn’t freak out when he hasn’t heard their annoyingly cute chirping sound—

Oh…oh…

No, no, no, no, no, he doesn’t care about that pesky little sparkling. Dinobot tries to keep his distance even more after this realization is made. He makes it clear that he doesn’t care to the rest of the team as soon as the parent jokes are made.

He doesn’t know that Buddy was making their way past the room. They only see an angry Dinobot, they think about some flowers they saw earlier. That for sure would cheer him up! So, they mosey on over to the entrance of the base and are on their way to go get the flowers.

It takes a couple of minutes for Dinobot to realize that things are too quiet.

“Where’s Buddy?”--Dinobot

“Oh, they’re right—”--Cheetor

“They’re gone again!”--Rattrap

“Fan out and watch your step!”—Optimus

Now everyone is looking around for any sign of Buddy.

Then they get the call.

The Predacons had Buddy.

“Maximal scum. If you ever want to see your precious bird again then come to the base without your arms. Maybe a negotiation can be reached? Yess.”--Megatron

“Megatron, once I get my servos on you I am going to shove my sword up—”--Dinobot

“Enough. Now come over, if you ever want to see your precious bird again. Yesss.”—Megatron

Everyone is ready to get Buddy back. Dinobot is out for blood, they manage a plan, and they are ready to execute it.

For Buddy.

The Maximals are halfway to the base when they hear a familiar buzzing sound and chirping.

Dinobot is leading everyone.

They remove the thick bush when they find a peculiar scene.

It was Waspinator and Buddy. And it looked like Waspinator was… teaching Buddy how to fly?

“Yes, little bird bot is doing it!”--Waspinator

Happy chirping

Buddy looked at their family and happily chirped and went for Dinobot. For once reciprocated the hug.

“Where is Megatron?!”--Dinobot

“He’zz not here. Only Wazzpinator and little bird bot.”--Waspinator

“What?”--Dinobot

“Megatron wazz going to bring little bird bot to mean Spider bot. Bad things… Wazzpinator didn’t want new friend to get hurt.”--Waspinator

“You… saved them?”--Dinobot

“Yezz. Wazzpinator save little bird bot and want to be Maximal like Lizard bot.”--Waspinator

Dinobot contemplates this as he looks over Buddy seeing no harm was done.

So they all returned with a sleeping Buddy and newly formed Maximal Waspinator.

[bogusboxed]

Boxtobier ⊗ Day 1

"Go Big or Gourd Home.”

Pairing: Toby Rogers X GN!Reader

Theme: "Pumpkins." & "I've Got You.”

Rating: (PG-13)

Words: 3.9k

Trigger Warning(s): Vulgar Language & Descriptions of Scars.

        The rights to this character, "Ticci Toby," fully belong to Kastoway.

This is a fictional, harmless piece of writing; do not incorporate it into your daily life.

"I saw this on TikTok once!" Toby tried to speak before you cut him off. "Stop. Stop right there—we are not adding fucking mayo to this pumpkin pie."

You may have been trying to make a mess of the place with the poor excuse of trying to make a pie. But you weren’t about to add mayonnaise to this thing.

You sighed; maybe this wasn’t the best way to get payback on Tim.

⋇⊶⊰⊗⊱⊷⋇

An hour before this deranged chaos, you’d been called down by Brian and Tim.

This wasn’t anything brand new; you were usually issued some requests, among other things, like a few tips, reminders, and things to do while they were out on their mission.

But instead, this time, you were greeted with a heap of shit. That heap was a very unwanted critique of your work performance.

Of course, it wasn’t like you couldn’t handle constructive criticism. No, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was his sassy little Southern attitude.

⋇⊶⊰⊗⊱⊷⋇

Brian had been leaning against the wall closest to the front door in his typical canary hoodie. He wasn’t wearing his ski mask yet, instead clutching onto the fabric with a shit-eating grin. He watched you both silently, like a hawk above two bickering rabbits.

"I know you can do better than... well, that."

Tim sighed, making direct eye contact with you while baring a half-lidded expression. 

He hadn’t seemed bothered by his last-second addition; in fact, he seemed relaxed, placing his hands into his jeans pockets.

He didn’t harp on it too much but made it clear he wasn’t impressed by your "lackluster conduct" on your last mission. It was his professional way of saying he thought your way of handling your missions was half-assed and messy.

But, to you, it wasn’t any of his business to judge and stalk how well you performed solo. You knew you were the newest addition to the proxies, but you were just as capable as any other proxy, if not better.

So, in a childish backstab, you invited Toby (of all people) to make a pumpkin pie with you.

To the average person, making a pumpkin pie was an extremely nice thing to do with friends. But the thing was, you weren’t in it for the pie.

You were in it for the anarchy of a mess Toby was going to mindlessly create, and he was more than happy to oblige, thinking this was just a cute, innocent activity you two were going to bond over.

Currently, you had just shoved the pie into the rust-covered oven; it was finally semi-done, and all you had to do now was let the turmoil simmer.

Taking a swift and profound inhale, you let your shoulders fall. Considering all things, your plan to get revenge on Tim was going perfectly.

Taking the time to scan the granite countertop, you found that flour had been recklessly scattered and even dumped nearly all over the place. To add to this disaster, the pumpkin puree you two had fought with ended up everywhere, including the ceiling.

Admiring the mess you bet Toby would make with a devilish smile, you turned to your fawn-headed counterpart. He blinked slowly, his usual sarcastic, hyper personality dimming to detachment.

He took a sluggish, staggered exhale like he finally took in the severity of the mess you two made.

"...Tim’s going to kill us," he stuttered, fumbling over his words while mindlessly furrowing his thick eyebrows.

Looking at his face, a mix of pumpkin and flour was streaked all over his soft, distressed features. From his freckles to his scars, the ingredients covered just about all of him. It was even on the shitty apron he stole that read, "To-do list: Let's Get Griddy Gang." (What deranged teen did he steal that from?)

The corners of your lips curled upward as he watched a mischievous glint appear in your eyes. "I hope so."

"What—are you a masochist? -I-... never mind. Don’t answer that." He huffed, shivering from the chest up.

Not because he was cold, but because he just functioned like that.

He swallowed thickly, watching the kitchen timer slowly dial down. He couldn’t accept the fact that you genuinely wanted to make Tim hate your guts, so he just watered it down to you being clinically insane.

Although he wasn’t too off target.

You had your entire scheme planned out on a whim; once the pumpkin pie was done, you’d place it on the countertop and immediately leave for your mission with Toby, all right before your "roommates" got back.

Staying in a still, dazing silence, you decided you’d go ahead and get the most arguably important element you needed for this dessert. The thing that’d tie it all together, like the cherry on top of the hurricane.

The whipped cream.

Leaving the lankier man’s side, you traversed through the disordered mess to reach the fridge.

Heaving the steel door open, you were hit with a frigid breeze of air that’d been accumulating inside all day. Ignoring the cold, you allowed your eyes to filter through all the items. From the pickle jar, milk, and beer to the black body bag.

Until you saw it. You immediately reached up to the skinny aluminum can, and your warm palms quickly reacted to the cold metal. However, something was off.

It was light.

His gaze retreated from yours, tension rising in his limbs. He sank inward, his posture shrimping forward as you eyed his motions. He scratched his palm, clearly trying to avoid your suspicions.

He mumbled sharply, narrowing his eyes while feeling his throat constrict, "I was hungry—what else was I supposed to eat? - Pickles?"

You sighed, dismissing his defensive behavior as you brought the half-empty can to the nasty countertop. You didn’t get why he couldn’t just admit it and move on. You didn’t understand why he had to get so bent out of shape for being called out on something as stupid as that.

Your eyes apprehended the surrounding clutter with satisfaction. Dropping his behavior, you softly nodded your head to the wreckage of the kitchen. As disorienting as it looked to the average person, the mess had looked serene to you.

Even with Toby’s unclear personality, you had to admit you enjoyed his presence. Having to live in this cabin in the middle of nowhere was mind-wrenching and would make even the sanest person question things.

Especially since you worked under that thing.

Although the people you considered to be your current coworkers weren’t all that bad, when you reached the top, you were finally separated from the others. After that, your life had become substantially more placid.

It wasn’t to say the work wasn’t harder than before, because it was. But at least here you had real free time. You had time to clear your mind away from all the horrors of your job without being bothered by a coal-haired, tweaked-out serial killer.

Plus, Kate, Tim, Brian, and Toby were easier to stand than the others you had to work with, and unlike the others, you didn’t mind spending time with them. But you just wished you could’ve all met under different circumstances. (Not that you’d ever admit that to any of them.)

Finally placing the whipped cream on top of the cakey debris, Toby decided he’d continue the small talk, "So, uh, what are we going to do about the mess?"

He watered the situation down, knowing you both could visually see the multitude of the destruction.

"Nothing," you replied instantaneously as he stiffened at your words. 

His view flickered toward you as his mouth slightly hung open, forming a silent "O." By his expression, you could tell he was starting to actually believe you had a death wish.

He muttered under his breath, almost not believing what you were saying, "Why?"

You kept quiet, deciding whether or not telling him the truth about why he was here would be a good idea or not. You knew he had anger issues, but you didn’t know if your deceitful actions would set him off or not.

But yet again, lying would just escalate the problem.

"...To get back at Tim," you exhaled softly, knowing just how childish it sounded.

He tilted his head at you. To him, the words that came from your mouth were foreign. He didn’t know how to take being associated with your crimes, but he didn’t mind it all that much. 

He just thought you were stupid.

"Yeah, 'cause that’s a good fucking idea." He chuckled at you, his healed mouth tear contorting upward.

In a hush, he still had a smile indented into his features. He wasn’t going to shoot down your plans entirely, considering he’d had his agenda of getting back at Tim.

Looking at you with his curved features, he questioned your methods, "Then what? I mean, he’s going to be back eventually, and he's going to be pissed."

"By that time, I should be off on my mission." You folded, admitting the rest of your plans to your now willing accomplice.

Toby held his tongue with a light smile. He began to lean back on the disaster of a countertop behind him, not thinking about the potential that it could stain the back of his hoodie.

You watched him lay the rest of his weight back before moving a hand to his temple. Strands of hair that once stuck to his forehead were fluffed as he allowed himself to drop his shoulders.

His nut-brown eyes were dilated and unfocused on anything you had to say.

All things considered, this was a pretty positive response from Toby. He didn’t seem all that tense, and you knew what he was typically like from the months you’d shared a cabin with him.

But, from his current expression, you didn’t have an ounce of worry that you’d get any backlash from him. In fact, he seemed all in on your naive rebellion against Tim.

He chewed on his raw bottom lip absently and said, "Y’know, I tried—to burn down the cabin my first week."

You felt your eyes blink several times before fully processing what he just said. Hearing that, you regretted not going further with your actions. (Poor Tim.)

You raised your eyebrows involuntarily, replying, "If you're still standing, then maybe I have a chance."

He breathlessly chuckled at your words, continuing to gnaw on his healed wounds. A droplet of crimson raced down his chin as he nibbled at it, not noticing the warm liquid trace his scar-filled features.

He stood there, still reclined on the granite, "Yeah- well, Tim dragged me along for any missions he had after that."

Hearing those words, you felt your throat tighten. Now you really couldn’t afford to be caught in the crossfire of this mess. But if what he said was true (and it probably was), You’d only be denying the inevitable of having to be followed by Tim for a good month or two.

But, yet again, maybe he’d have more mercy on you, considering you didn’t burn down the cabin.

*DING*

The dingy, off-white kitchen timer finally rang, breaking the slight silence you two had harbored. You felt yourself flinch at the abrupt buzz, while Toby didn’t seem all that phased by the sudden noise, and if he was, he was able to unconsciously restrict his movement.

You rambled some curse words before swiftly racing over to the 2000s stove. Your hands ran to the knob, cranking it off before grabbing two distinct, picnic-looking gloves from the stovetop you’d conveniently left beforehand. Hastily, you slid your red gingham-patterned mittens on as you yanked the oven door open.

A wave of heat blew against your face, causing a slight burning sensation on your cheeks. The warmth enveloped you, putting a thin layer of sweat on your forehead.

The heat messed with your vision as you aggressively blinked through it.

With the hot breeze, you could smell the pie. The aroma was soft on your nose, as hints of cinnamon and spice danced in the air. The addicting smell was enough to make you take a quick inhale before returning to your original focus.

Through the heated air, the oven’s interior light helped to illuminate the scene. The dim light revealed a perfectly caramelized pumpkin pie that sat in the middle of a metal tray.

Steam radiated from the pie, showing it was still somewhat cooking.

Reaching inside, you grabbed the blazing pan from the inferno. Lifting the tray, you could feel just how heavy the pie was.

The baked good was a hefty, dense pie that completely relied on your steadiness to not collide with the floor. You could feel your frame teetering, inches away from falling face-first into the oven.

You swallowed, trying your hardest not to tip over while still pulling the pastry out.

Finally retrieving the tray a little more than halfway, thoughts started to impulsively soil your mind. What if you went too fast and it tipped over? What if you had bent too far and there was just no safe way to retreat?

At this point, you could feel just how hot the cooking tray was.

You felt how the heat seeped through the fabric mittens and onto your palms. 

You needed to speed up before you burned yourself. Pulling the pan up further, you suddenly felt your soles slowly slip due to the pumpkin puree under you.

Dread filled you as you began to slide on the smooth flooring. 

You had accepted your fate, and while still trying to lift the burning tray to a safe spot, you started sliding fully. Thinking of a safe way to execute your plan, you paused your movement to not further the slide. 

That was until you felt a presence hovering behind you.

You would’ve questioned the person if you didn’t have a steaming pan stuck in both hands. Standing there, almost falling with the tray, two skinny hands quickly covered your own from behind.

Arms surrounded yours, helping you hold onto the pan.

"I’ve got you." Toby stuttered as he stabilized you and the tray.

You were stunned, to say the least. You did need help; you just didn’t expect it to come in this manner. He was close—almost too close for just friends to be. You could hear his rapid heartbeat as his muted, warm breath invaded your neck.

The sensation that this brought was so much warmer than the freshly baked pie that had been cemented to your hands.

Your thoughts felt like they were leaking out of your head like your brain was slipping out of your ear.

Noiselessly, you froze up like an idiot. Thoughts paralyzed you when you smelled the pine on his worn-out hoodie.

Every breath you took sealed your fate. You wanted to speak, but here you were holding your peace. The feeling pulsing through you had to have been what sinking in quicksand felt like.

He had planned on mirroring your movements from behind until you just decided to stand still like a mannequin on display, "Are you going to place it? Or what?"

God, you had been spacing out.

You felt heat rise to your cheeks. Returning to consciousness, you forced yourself to continue your original plan. Ignoring the figure observing your stillness, you finally pulled the tray out completely.

The weight of the pie, which seemed almost unmanageable seconds ago, was now securely resting in your shared hands.

Carefully holding the fall-themed dessert, you maneuvered the both of you to the gasoline stovetop. The way you two cooperated felt like a team game as you both gently placed the pumpkin pie down.

Once the pan made a satisfying clink sound with the oven, his bony hands swiftly uncovered yours. He pulled his lean, well-formed arms, now fully away from your figure.

As you pulled your oven mittens from your warm palms, you felt his brisk absence.

Exhaling, you distracted yourself with the pie. The once-saffron orange had been reduced to a muted ginger. Near the edges of the circular treat was a deep auburn shade hinting that it’d been cooking using its heat. 

Admiring your work, you couldn’t help but think how good it’d taste on a crisp Halloween night.

The toasty atmosphere was still swirling, enveloping the both of you. Inhaling the aroma of the freshly baked pie, you could feel the lingering tension. Your breath stifled, trying to embrace the smell rather than your accusing thoughts.

A mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a tinge of cloves spread through the cabin like wildfire. Honestly, the pie smelled like a lit candle from a high-end store.

Looking back at Toby, you met his sight, "Thanks."

The words were plain and simple. Relaxing you could feel the heat of the room gradually decline.

"A-huh," he muttered back at you, resigning his gaze to the floor.

You watched him scratch the inside of his mixed hands more destructively than he needed to. The conversation was growing dry as you didn’t say anything in response to his dead tone.

Your sight soon hunted down the almost hollow can. There wasn’t much left. Not nearly enough for each slice to have its own dollop. Would one swirl in the middle be enough, or was it not even worth it at that point?

Indecisiveness flared through you as you decided to use this moment as a spark for conversation, "Cream or no cream?"

"Well, there’s not much left, but if you want to do one dumb dollop, then go ahead." He replied, picking at his fingers like he wasn’t the reason you were lacking whipped cream.

Looking at him this close, you could tell he was chewing the inside of his cheek. He seemed to have ignored what happened last time. Eyes tracing to the other side, you looked at the hollow gape in his mouth. Teeth ran up his jaw like a canine, revealing his darkened gums.

You tapped your fingers on the skinny can like a drum as his eyes flickered to yours. "Y’know, it’s rude to— stare."

You slightly recoiled, turning your gaze elsewhere as he dropped his head slightly to the side. Unannounced to you, a misshapen smile formed on his face. He was fond of the way you responded to his words.

"Sorry." You exhaled, knowing he was playing with you.

In response to your words, he lightheartedly giggled. He had a certain way of letting you know if he was upset with you, and this wasn’t it. But, still, you didn’t want to set him off in any way.

He knew he shouldn’t mess with you like that, but he found it so addicting.

You heard a firm click of the tongue, and unwillingly, you turned back to him. He was tracing his convoluted scars with his index finger; no blood dripped from the healed wounds. At this point, it seemed he wanted your attention.

He wanted you to look at his wilted wounds with loathing repulsion. He needed to hear you critique his looks so he could bury the feeling deep inside of him.

Instead, your sight trailed from his face to his arms and then to his hands.

His sculpted hands were littered with disfigured markings from his past. The valleys of his fingers had been flawed with absent chucks of flesh like he’d gnawed them off a while ago.

But that aged damage wasn’t what you were disturbed by.

It was the inflamed scarlet decorating his chapped palms. The marking seemed tender to the touch, unlike the rehabilitated marks everywhere else. He held his shaky breath in his throat, seeming to realize what you were skeptical of.

"...You touched the pan, didn’t you?" Your words came out loosely; you watched him swallow densely now, not enjoying the words coming from you.

He kept silent with a stiff expression (he got caught red-handed), "Maybe."

Of course, Toby couldn’t feel it, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t injured. With the number of reckless incidents he inflicted on himself, you’d think he’d learned by now.

Typically, his only argument was that it gave you all the superhuman ability to heal wounds overnight, and while that was true, it could still get infected in that time frame.

Inhaling, you wished that he hadn’t helped you after all. He didn’t have to, but he did. Of course, you might’ve fallen on your ass if he hadn't, but still, there was a chance you wouldn’t have.

Maybe he was scared that you'd drop the pie you two worked so hard on, or maybe he was driven by a feeling of irrationality that had him doing before thinking.

You came to his side before calmly reaching out for his scorched palms. He withdrew naturally before he realized your intentions. He soon gently rested both of his unstable hands on yours.

Taking both of his trauma-filled hands, you investigated the swollen skin. You absent-mindedly started to run your digits all along the inflamed marks.

Reaching his palms, you could tell he was much warmer than he should’ve been.

In concern, you mildly pulled him by the wrist. Mindfully, you both treaded through the battlefield of a mess to the sink. You turned the faucet, bringing it to a slow, manageable pace.

Quickly, swatting your hand through the water to ensure it was at a safe temperature, you pulled his wrist again, motioning him to cool down the wound. He glared at you before giving in to your concerns. The water splashed the side of the sink in response to his hands suddenly changing the course of the mini waterfall.

He stayed quiet, looking down at you. "You realize I can’t feel it, right?"

"Yeah, but you’re still wounded." You rebutted his obvious observation, holding back the urge to say something witty.

You solemnly watched the liquid deliberately stop the inflammation. It wasn’t like you didn’t know about his medical condition; it was more that you didn’t like him denying his physical well-being. Sure, it wasn’t a big deal to him, but it was to you.

"...Thank you." The words dripped from the grit of his teeth lowly, almost like he didn’t want you to hear them.

You grinned hearing him force his pride away, "You’re welcome."

You looked him in the eyes and kept your smile. It felt right to help him, and it felt even better to hear him praise your efforts.

"We should probably-" He tried to speak until both of you were abruptly cut off by a noise neither of you wanted to hear.

The doorbell.

Heads turned to the front door; it was obvious they were back. Anticipation bubbled viciously in your stomach. How long had you two been messing around?

This wasn’t good. Neither of you was supposed to be here right now. It wasn’t part of the plan. You felt your body stiffen as you swiftly looked at your partner in crime. He seemed to stare at you just the same.

"Fuck."

-

Written By: Verdana. (bogusbox)

Beta [Alpha] Reader: Sara. (tobyskitten342)

Mentions: @flufftober & @tobyskitten342

A/N: I won't be participating much this year due to my personal life. Things are pretty messy over here, but I hope the oneshots I do post are okay!

-

[idwsonicshowdown]

HAPPY PRIDE FROM THE IDW SONIC SHOWDOWN! Made it just in time before pride finishes here in the UK, but pride lasts all year around anyway. However you celebrate and whatever flags you use to represent yourselves, I hope you have a good one Here's a little doodle featuring characters from IDW and a few other Sonic comics who have some degree of queer to them, either in the comics, word of god or popular headcanons. I wanted to include more (shout out to Mighty's gay dad and his dinosaur bf from StC!), but ran out of time and space A little more info about each character, in case anyone's curious:

From top left: Tekno the Canary - From Fleetway Sonic the Comic, a character widely embraced by the queer community. In a conclusion to StC written by series writer Nigel Kitching and released on StC:Online, Tekno is revealed to be in a relationship and have a child with Amy Rose. As of this year, Tekno's creator Lew Stringer gave his blessing for fans to think of her as non-binary, even if he himself wrote her as female - leading some fans to embrace Tekno as she/they Gold the Tenrec - From the Archie Sonic Comics, Gold has been stated by creator Evan Stanley to be attracted to women, although Stanley wasn't sure if Gold was strictly bi or gay, which is why I opted to give her the rainbow flag here Tangle & Whisper - As close as we can possibly get to being a couple without officially being a couple. Hopefully one day! I was actually going to use the rainbow flag for them as well, but as of this month's issue, the duo appeared with a lesbian patterned sky in the background, so they got the lesbian flag Dr. Starline - Headcanoned by some to be a transman because his spurs (which are naturally occurring in male platypuses) are artificial. It's also generally accepted (I think??) that his idolising of Eggman may be romantic. I did a poll for which flag to give him and the gay flag won, so he got that one Nite & Don - Our married bird guys! Good for them! Again, I gave them the rainbow pride flag because it hasn't been stated (that I know) if they're gay, bi, pan or otherwise, but they're happy and together either way Sally Acorn (with tiny Nicole!) - My childhood fave from the Archie Comics. This chipmunk is bisexual and there is nothing you can do about it Lanolin the Sheep - Many of us are optimistic that Lanolin might quietly be the trans rep we've been hoping for from Sonic, as she's a girl sheep with horns Cheese the Chao - As chao are non-binary, I included Cheese to represent them, because Cheese is cool Sonic the Hedgehog - A touchstone to many in the community. I included the asexual, aromantic and trans flags in his speed trail, as Sonic won the t-boy swag tournament on tumblr and Sonic/no one was voted the best Sonic ship on tumblr. As a trans aroace person myself, Sonic's lack of interest in romance and conformity was always inspirational to me growing up. The rainbow facepaint is because I'm sure that he's as important to other members of the community in their identities as well As always, these are my readings and takes on these characters that may not align with your own or be canon in anyway. But I hope that you can find joy and peace in pride as I do regardless :3

[samobservessonic]

Idea: multiverse nonsense happens and any of the comics can crossover with each other, what characters would you like to see interact with each other?

I know I kinda already asked this before, I just like hearing about interesting character interactions

I'm just incredibly boring and want to see Whispangle, Sallicole and TekAmy all hang out together as the trinity of Sonic Comic wlws...! But also, I feel like Whisper the Wolf in general is such a versatile character who I could see in any other Sonic media. Archie/SatAM? Make her part of the Wolf Pack who went off to defend them in her own way, easy! Fleetway? She could be in the Flock! Imagine how cool it'd be if the Flock had this one wolf member amongst the rest of the sheep, but like... maybe Whisper could be Sab's protégé?? By contrast, imagine having Lanolin the Sheep be someone who was in the Flock, but grew frustrated with their methods and left? That'd have lots of story potential between Whisper & Lanolin right there I feel like I say this every time, but I also think that Tekno the Canary would be easy to put in any other Sonic world. If it was IDW Sonic, just have her as Amy's genius bestie during an Amy solo arc Also, this one feels too easy, but I want Fleetway Super Sonic and Surge the Tenrec to be chaotic BFFs who try to destroy Sonic together. Their plot line could be that Surge hates when he powers down, so tries to get more chao energy to bring him back. While Ebony is like "Dammit, better stop this crazy girl from bothering Super again..." I'm always happy to answer this question btw. I think there's loads of potential there :D

[simsofstrawberryhill]

Thank you so much for the tag @living-undead!! 💚 This will be so much fun!🍓

Last song I listened to...

I'm Amazing - Omar Apollo 💜

Favorite place...

La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain) 🌴

Favorite book(s)...

'The Catcher in the Rhy' (by J.D.Salinger), 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' (by O.Wilde), 'Night Film' (by M.Pessl), 'Lord of the Flies' (by W.Golding) and 'Die Stadt der träumenden Bücher' ("The City of dreaming Books" by W.Moers) - sorry I just couldn't decide on less than five books 📚

Currently reading...

'Orlando' by Virginia Woolf 💛

Favorite TV Show...

It's so hard to decide on one, but I just love both Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and Chaos Theory 🦕🦖

Favorite Food...

Lasagne!

I'll tag...

@moonwoodhollow @blerdytrait @goatmoodlet @happy-lemon

@faerun-s @warmsol @gaeulssims @cowboycid and @linalinsims

To everyone I've tagged, I love all your amazing blogs! 🍓

If you don't feel like participating, that's totally fine, please feel free to ignore this!

To all my mutuals I have not tagged, I love your blogs so much and if you see this and feel like participating, feel free to do so and just assume you've been tagged by me anyways! 💚

.

[tsel-bas]

Life Series ; Avian!Grian & Jimmy + Two More Avians

Warning: Headmates may not turn out exactly as described. Anything and everything can be changed to fit your system.

Name(s): Grian, Greyson

Pronouns: He/Him/His/Himself, ne/nym/nys/nys/nymself, hy/hym/hys/hys/hymself, ☁️/☁️/☁️s/☁️s/☁️self

Gender Identity: Transmale

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Bisexual

Preferred Terms: Masculine

Age: 30

Role: Birdxenorole, Filterer, Chaosnaut

Type: Sourced Willogenic

Source: Life Series, Edited by @/tsel-bas

Species: Parrot Avian

Description: Grian is a mischievous guy. Pranking others and causing chaos for fun. He enjoys building and making things in the Innerworld/Headspace for the enjoyment of others. Despite nys role as a chaosnaut, hy is actually very kind and enjoys helping ☁️s fellow headmates/alters. He also enjoys flying around with the other avians in the system.

Faceclaims:

Name(s): Jimmy, Solidarity, (Timmy)

Pronouns: He/Him/His/Himself, ze/zim/zis/zis/zimself, le/lem/les/les/lemself, 🐤/🐤/🐤s/🐤s/🐤self

Gender Identity: Male

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Bi-curious

Preferred Terms: Masculine

Age: 28

Role: Frijōn, Chaosnaut

Type: Sourced Willogenic

Source: Life Series, Edited by @/tsel-bas

Species: Yellow Canary Avian

Description: Jimmy is a cursed man. Always the first to pass in the Life Series. However, he doesn’t let that get to him. Ze lives les life to the fullest. 🐤 enjoys making friends and looking at things through a positive lens. His role as a Frijōn goes hand in hand with that.

Faceclaims:

Name(s): Jay, Wren, Enara

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers/Herself, jay/jay/jays/jays/jayself, so/soar/soars/soars/soarself, 🪽/🪽/🪽s/🪽s/🪽self

Gender Identity: Demigirl,

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Queer

Preferred Terms: Feminine

Age: 26

Role: Understudy, Vicarian, Vernalian

Type: Willogenic

Source: @/tsel-bas

Species: Bluejay Avian

Description: Jay is a ray of sunshine, always looking for positivity in the dark. She enjoys fronting and making friends. So overcomes the systems fears to be able to seek out rewarding things. Fronting is one of 🪽s favorite activities and will take over whenever someone won’t or is unable to.

Faceclaims:

Name(s): Aya, Dove, Paloma

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers/Herself, Fe/Feath/Feather/Feathers/Featherself, Wi/Win/Wing/Wings/Wingself, 🪶/🪶/🪶s/🪶s/🪶self

Gender Identity: Transfem

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Aroace

Preferred Terms: Feminine

Age: 28

Role: Thailean, Beauheur

Type: Willogenic

Source: @/tsel-bas

Species: Turaco Avian

Description: Paloma sees the world as a positive thing and can be naive at times because of it. Sometimes she is unable to see things as negative. Fe stores happiness inside of wingself and shares it with others.

Faceclaims:

[halfmoth-halfman]

I want to start off by saying I’m so happy you’re back! Hope your brain got the rest it needed before it reigns terror on us. Last chapter was fantastic! There’s too much for me to write down and analyze so i’m just doing my fav moments (i’m still writing a damn essay on this series after it’s done). Btw I wrote this in my notes at 4 am so very mush brained incoherent.

I loved seeing Canary’s quick wit make it’s appearance again when she stood up to Adler, he gave her tools but no instruction manual just said “figure it out” and him blaming her for his failure just shows he’s only her donor, not her father in my book,I can just imagine her mom whooping his ass after he died, “you did what to my baby!?”. Her biting back was like the first step to justice for herself because she’s coming back stronger than ever, she’s healing. Yes queen, use that tongue of steel (one of my mom’s saying, “we don’t have silver tongues, we have tongues of steel bc we spark when we speak and slice when we need to”).

Canary is finally finding her fighting spirit again and I can’t wait for her to rain some brimstone on her enemies, or just be comfortable in herself and know she regained her autonomy. Finally Price in jail made me laugh because all I could see was Canary in the “I lived bitch” meme.

As always you’re one of my favorite authors and will forever have me running to your blog when I get your alerts- 🔥

i'm happy you're happy, but you're like the third person to say they're happy i'm back and i??? never left??? did i get shadowbanned for criticizing staff LMAO

anon pls know i already love the asks you send me and i will cry if you write an essay on this series

canary def got her wit and quick comebacks from adler, it was kind of a necessity given how he raised her and what he was raising her to be. you're so right, he gave her the tools but never told her what to do with them. he expected her to be smart enough to know how to use them, but she didn't have the same life experiences he did so of course she wouldn't do things exactly how he wanted. and i think his blame for her stems from a disappointment and anger toward himself because deep down i think he knows the responsibility of her failures fall back on him. and canary's at the point now where she's not afraid to tell him that.

i can say that canary's mom will only be mentioned once or twice more, so this isn't really a spoiler. adler is very much the way he is/was with canary because of her mother's death. had she lived, this would've been a very, very different story because i think of adler and his wife's relationship much like price and canary's (though maybe a bit more possessive on adler's end). adler would've (and did) move mountains and burn down empires for his wife. she was his entire life, and he would've left everything behind and started living a mob free life if she asked him to. i headcanon that if she lived, canary's mother would've wanted adler to step down and settle somewhere peaceful and quiet and away from the blood and chaos. and i think adler would've done it in a heartbeat.

her mother would've been much more hands on and open with canary, but adler would've been like those dads that don't talk much and are kind of awkward with their kids but still love them very much. he'd still run his gang, but from afar with not as much input and leaving the big decisions to someone he trusted. canary would've grown up with a much more solid family dynamic, growing into a confident and proud woman, and (in my own little headcanon) would've met price at a gala hosted by one of her adler's friends and they'd have a series of casual flings before getting serious and eventually married.

canary's finally decided enough is enough and she's so ready to get her revenge and begin to heal from everything she's gone through and i love that for her honestly.

asdlaksdlkj i just imagine like gaz playing into canary's not-death just like-

gaz: this year, i lost my dear, sweet canary

canary: quit telling everyone i'm dead! >:(

gaz: sometimes, i can still hear her voice

or he'd just send a blurry bigfoot-style picture of her to price with a text that's like "manor's haunted"

thank you so much babes, please know i always appreciate your asks and i hope you have a wonderful day!! 💜

[puer-aurea]

More Secret Life session 6 spoilers! (I can't help myself)

The chaos has died down- for the most part. Some people are still freaking out, complaining about the damage, arguing. Martyn doesn't care all that much, he's ready to return home to Baxter and Jimmy

The dog house is unharmed, a happy sight to see. He stands outside, waiting for Jimmy to come home so they can relax.

When he doesn't show up after a few minutes, a seed of fear sprouts in Martyn's heart, feeling like a light pang in the chest. He tries to stay optimistic, surely Jimmy's just chatting and turning in a task.

A few more minutes pass and the seed feels like a sapling in his heart, a shove where the palm meets the middle of your chest directly. He keeps his left hand over the communicator bracelet on his right wrist, not wanting to check the player list and see Jimmy's name in grey.

Not that it would be grey, of course not. It would still be red, he'd be alive and well. Maybe down a few hearts from the wither or warden, but alive.

The sapling is a tree in his heart- a stab to the chest- as he realises he has to face the possibility Jimmy might not be coming back.

Martyn takes a deep breath as he raises his right wrist to check the communicator. There's no death messages except Bigb, but Lizzie's death didn't appear in chat either.

An explosion sounded when she died, and the tree of fear in Martyn's heart feels like it's swaying from a forceful wind as he recalls the two explosions he heard when hiding.

But they weren't Jimmy, they couldn't be. Jimmy's alive and Martyn's going to see his red name when he switches to the player list.

He presses a button on the communicator bracelet and the small holographic screen closes for a moment before reopening to the player list. He takes another deep breath before scrolling to the bottom to find Jimmy's red name.

Except he doesn't.

It's grey.

Jimmy's dead.

All of the other reds are dead.

Martyn's alone in this game.

The holographic screen closes as he lets his arm fall. He sits on the ground and leans against Baxter. He can't help the panic that builds up in his chest. It feels like a million needles pricking him repeatedly. He tries to distract himself from the crippling loneliness by thinking of anything and everything else. Baxter is cute- Martyn didn't die- the damage is far from his home- Jimmy's not alone.

Jimmy's not alone in the afterlife.

It's a comforting thought, in a way. Martyn can only imagine how Jimmy felt being alone every other time he died. This time, someone was there to greet him. And someone else joined shortly after.

Somehow, the mental image helps Martyn calm down, but the crying from the panic attack already exhausted him. It takes all his energy to go in the dog house and sit in their single bed.

Or, his single bed, now.

Somethin somethin what if Martyn didn't find out Jimmy died until he got back to Baxter and Jimmy never followed him there? Somethin about the watchers being upset with him for his dishonorable win last season and takin his teammate from him, who just so happened to be the canary. or maybe im crazy

also ik some people do communicators as like a little box they can type on but i picture them as bracelets strapped onto the wrist that have holographic screens of chat and a keyboard, if that makes sense?

[iridescentis]

since the next life series is on fucking friday?? i guess??? im still so in shock and confused BUT here are my hopes NOT PREDICTIONS just hopes

i am begging. on my knees. please. let there be a soup group team. now that we know gem is going to be in it, and that photo she posted wherever had impulse in it, i am so desperate for a soup group team AT LEAST an alliance.

second thing, regardless of her team i really want pearl to be in a group rather than another duo this time, i just want to see her dynamic with a larger group of people more involved with the thick of chaos rather than off to the side - this is partially because i always watch her povs first and in limited life i was so confused what was happening around her

NEXT. of course, as usual, i would love some more team randomising, i know they gravitate to the same players for a reason but it's always nice seeing new dynamics we wouldn't otherwise see

in terms of winners, i would say im rooting for either cleo or impulse because, even though i'll be happy with anyone winning, i think both of them character wise and gameplay wise deserve it so much

i am curious how everyone else is feeling about the canary curse though because i feel like i hold an unpopular opinion maybe? i really want the curse to be broken tbh i think the lore would go crazy, all the animatics and fics that would come from jimmy just being the second to die instead would be insane and i would love that so much

i think that's it really? i am so excited and kind of on edge for this to start like i was very clearly not expecting this i can't remember how i reacted when limited life started but i feel way more caught off guard this time lmao

[hmshermitcraft]

yk the brainrot is bad whenever a custom tag has to be made LMAO mst au part 6 (i think? IM losing track goddamn) other jobs edition! despite scar being a very well known supervillain, being a menace towards the hero's association is very expensive. even more so when being a supervillain that's essentially independent doesn't pay. so naturally, he needs another job to help pay for the chaos he causes. (outside of the occasional stealing. it's boring for him though (unless it's canary) he prefers fireworks and explosions.) his other job, is well... being an assistant teacher! he teaches with doc hybrid biology, despite being a "human". (he knows that doc is actually m77. doc does not know he's hotguy. scar personally finds this hilarious, considering m77 hates hotguy, even if theyre both villains.) [this is also how scar met cub- both of them being science teachers. they've been stuck to the hip ever since. cub is one of the very few people that know he's hotguy, and he's saved his ass more times than he can count. thanks cub.] jimmy doesn't really have any other job outside of being a hero. it's time consuming enough and it pays really well, so there's not really a need to get another job. however, he doesn't mind doing the occasional favor if he has the time. (cat-sitting is his personal favorite.) when scott isn't busy getting information on topics that many people don't write about, or writing about said information, he works part time at a flower shop! it's family owned, and he worked at it even before he became a reporter. jimmy is surprisingly a regular, because he tries (emphasis on tries, he cannot have a plant survive to save his life) to take care of small potted plants. he will admit, he does find the endearingly clumsy canary very cute.

-tn (this might count as flower shop au... does this count as flower shop au? also holy shit this ones long)

Scar's job doesn't pay much, but it does give him access to a lot of useful information. Knowing when an exhibition is going to open, or an important artifact is due to be transported is incredibly helpful for planning hits! He still thinks meeting Cub was the most useful part of his job. He'd be living a very lonely life in a hall cell otherwise.

Jimmy does worry about only being a hero, but he doesn't have time to do anything else. He likes to think he has enough odd skills that he'd be able to find a job if all of this fell apart.

Scott, meanwhile, does everything he can to keep his job on the lowdown. He doesn't want to bring unnecessary attention to the flower shop, whether good or bad. Fans can be just as awful as his enemies - and don't even get him started on agents.

He's happy getting to arrange flowers, caring for the plants there. The family practically raised him during his teenage years, after his own family fell apart. It's like his home, and he loves interacting with the customers too (one in particular more than others.)

[doodl3]

Canary Curse- Not Lifted?

So Jimmy didnt die first this season, Lizzie did. But he still died 30 minutes later, during the chaos. Hear me out. This is the most Watcher Lore heavy season. A lot has come into play here, so many dominoes. We cant know for sure if the Canary Curse is really gone until next year. Heck, it might actually be gone. But have you noticed how happy the Watchers are because Jim, the canary, didnt die first? A canary cannot rid himself of being a bird. Perhaps Lizzie died and released the canary out of the mines.. For now. Have a Jimmy canary big dogg idk

[bluberimufim]

8

-EB

though it isn't perfect

the frog smiles

as this time they've

caught the canary

@the-chaotic-writer @trickster-spirit @firesmokeandashes @fire-but-ashes-too @writeblr-of-my-own @albatris @ashwithapen @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @enne-uni @bored-frog @a-had-matter @silviathebard @notyourleena @phynewrites @leisoree @desastreus @writeblr-of-my-own @the-stray-storyteller @kooperation1101 @cabbojage @trappedgoose-in-a-writblr-room @yesireadbooks @gracewritesbooks @midnight-and-his-melodiverse @cljordan-imperium @writing-is-a-martial-art @scribbling-stardust @holdmyteaplease @sm-writes-chaos @voidismyhome @grimfox

Happy for the frog but kinda worried about the canary!

So we have WRITEB now?

Hey @writeblr-of-my-own I think this may have something to do with you 👀

[edogawa-division]

ARB Birthday Special 2023: Kaoru Shinozaki

~~ September 15th ~~

“There is no great genius without a mixture of madness.”

Login Lines:

“Zzzzzzz…. Gah! I'm up! I'm awake! Oh shit, you scared me! Don't do that! I can feel my heart pounding! Huh? Is this a present?” 

“Why are you even giving this to me? It’s not like my birthday is anytime soon. Wait, what do you mean today is my birthday? Athena dammit! I forgot again!” 

Voice Lines:

“I can't believe I forgot about my birthday for the second year in a row. I mean, I did spend the last few days working on an invention. Oh well, I might as well see what chaos I can get up to today.” 

“Alright! “Operation: Birthday Bash” is a go! Mwahahaha! Major intelligence agencies all across the world are currently waking up to a malware virus that I just sent to their servers!*giggles* It's nothing too bad. All it's going to do is forcibly take control of their speaker systems and play “Never Gonna Give You Up” on repeat all day. Take that you fuckers!”

“Hi Mama, Papa, Nii-san. It's me. I’m doing alright, just turned 23, but I'm sure you all knew that.*sighs* Lately, I've been thinking about what my life would be like if the accident never happened. I think…I would've been miserable, and isn't that a horrible thought? I never said this, but for all that you loved me, none of you ever bothered to understand me. How could you? I was too different. What? You don't think I heard you talking at night? That you thought I walked the line between genius and insanity. That you thought I would grow up to be a villain? That some days you were even afraid of me? Ha! A part of me resents you for that even now.” 

“You know A.D.A is usually the first one to wish me happy birthday, but I haven't heard from her all day, which is pretty strange. I think she’s planning something because she asked me a while back if I had any plans for my birthday all while looking like the cat who ate the canary. Ehhhh…I should probably prepare for the worst. A.D.A can get pretty vindictive when the mood hits her.” 

“Yurikoooo! What did you get me? Noooo! Betrayed by my own mother! Next thing you know I’ll be left out on the cold streets to fend for myself. Oh, the horror! *wheezes* Okay, okay, I’m done! Oh, come on, Yuriko! It's my birthday. Let me live a little! Anyway, did you not really get me anything? Hahaha! I knew you’d never let me down! So, whatcha get me?” 

“A string of numbers? Wait, are these what I think they are? Fuck…Yuriko that place is literally one of the best guarded networks in the world. I could spend years attempting to hack it as Delphi, and even then, I would only be able to make a dent in their firewall. Literally, the only ones allowed to have access to that place are the top and, I mean, top dogs of the underworld. So why? Why give this to me? Why give me access to… somewhere where I make the worst of my genius blossom to life with no consequences? A storm, huh? You can count on me, Yuriko. I promise.” 

“No wait Kanra! *crunch* K-K-Kanra it seems like your birthday hugs get stronger every year huh? My ribs certainly can tell. Oh, what are we waiting for then? You know I love your cakes Kanra! Hahaha! Okay, then what did you get me?” 

“Pfffffftt! Kanra that thing is nearly as tall as you are! Hahaha! No, but seriously Kanra thank you. I've always wanted one of these. How did you even get one anyway? This thing is kinda of expensive. *wheeze* Kanra please! You can't treat a fight like it's a Pokémon battle. Hahaha! Never change Kanra.” 

“A.D.A! There you are! You're even in your android body, too! So I can only assume you have something special planned for me today. A.D.A…your grin is kind of scaring me. The last time you grinned like that, you didn't let me have coffee for 2 weeks. Oh gods, you are banning me from coffee again! A.D.A, please! I need coffee to survive! A.D.A…you’re still not filling me with confidence, but alright, what did you get me?”

“Uhhh…A.D.A? This is just a piece of paper with a time and a set of directions on it. Of course a…A.D.A WHAT DO YOU MEAN DATE??? Y-y-you…dinner…him…error…error…asdkhgkjiwenfkdklyyxgsitzfzjfzkfoxyoaryhdftwehadghffnjkelfhewnejwnjb…*faints*”

Yuriko Lines:

“Happy Birthday, Kaoru. *raises eyebrow* Does it look like I'm carrying a gift for you? *sighs* Are you done with your little charade Kaoru? Birthday or not, please do not wail like you’re the ghost of a Victorian child. Really?  Do you truly believe I would get you anything? What kind of mother would I be if I didn't get my own daughter anything? Now I'm sure you’ll find this quite interesting.” 

“Not just any set of numbers, Kaoru. I had to pull quite a few strings for these numbers. As you know, there's the black market which even a regular citizen can get access to if they look hard enough and then there's █ █ █ █ █ █ █. A global network of various dealers and brokers, hidden behind a series of codes and unknown numbers. Where only the truly dangerous lie, both people and items. It’s so well hidden that not even the various governments are aware of its existence, or if they do, all they know is rumors. Kaoru, I won't lie. A storm is brewing and heading our way. I’m not sure when or how, but I’ll be damned if I don't do everything in my power to make sure the three of us survive. If that means giving you access to someplace where you can be the worst version of yourself, then so be it. I know Kaoru, I know.”

Kanra Lines:

“Happy Birthday Kaoru! *hugs* Eh? Sorry! Guess I got a little too excited. Ah! Nevermind that! Come on Kaoru! I have your birthday cake in the kitchen! First I have to give you your present! I hope you like it!”

“Ta-da! Your very own giant Mareep doll! It is not! I can see over it! Hm? Oh right. So every time I beat someone unconscious I rummage through their wallets and steal all the cash they have on them. Why not? Winner’s rights! If people wanna pick a fight with me they better be prepared to fork over some cash when they lose!”

Bonus! A.D.A Lines:

“Kaoru my dear! Happy Birthday! Oh, I have just a little something special for you today. *grins widely*  Hm? Hahaha! Don’t be so scared, Kaoru, it's nothing like that. I will admit that it was a bit hard to work on the plan without you noticing, but I succeeded. Now, here I have something for you!”

“Why is it the time and location for your dinner reservation for your date with that pretty goth boy! Of course! He seemed surprised when I asked him. He was under the impression that you would be spending your birthday with Yuriko and Kanra, but I waved off his concern and told him you would love it if he took you out for dinner! Oh dear, her mind is erroring. Are you alright, Kaoru? Kaoru? AHH! SHE FAINTED!”

[cielcreations]

The Yellow Canary - Empires SMP

TW: Suicide

Solidarity stared at his empire.

An empire that is filled with nothing but Toy Story references, salt in the wounds, and hatred. He wanted nothing more than to just... blow it all up. However, that would be unfair to the residents, even if they didn't respect him either.

It hurt. It hurt so much. Perhaps that's why he sat on the water tower, overlooking it all. He sighed, tapping his pen on the paper, wondering when the sun would fully set. He wanted to watch it one last time, he wanted to do this when darkness over took everything.

He wondered how long it would take. For people to find him. Probably a long time. Weeks, maybe? No one cared about him, at least not enough to look for him if he were to go missing. It was... well, it was just the way it is. He couldn't be upset, he couldn't cry, he couldn't scream in frustration, it was just the sad truth.

No one would even miss him. Actually, no, scratch that. They'd miss their punching bag, they'd miss the guy they could bully because he'd never stand up for himself, they'd miss the body and shell of Solidarity Gaming. But they wouldn't miss the person. That would require empathy, sympathy. But they didn't have any.

Solidarity sighed once more, looking up at the final rays of light disappear. The blackness of the sky called to him, he couldn't help but smile. He stood up, throwing the notebook away from him. If someone found him, they were bound to find the notebook.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward, eyes closing, wings folding into his back.

< SolidarityGaming fell from a high place >

***

Walking in the void was nothing new to him. He stepped forward until he saw a familiar woman. He smiled and ran over, letting out happy chirps.

The woman turned and smiled. She knelt down and held out her hands, the yellow canary happily standing on her hands.

"Welcome home, Solidarity." She gently pet the bird's head, "Poor thing... The humans and mortals never treat you right like they do with your brother and sister, hm?"

Solidarity let out a small, unhappy chirp.

"It is alright, my little chick." She gently kissed his forehead, "You are home now. And I won't let you go out again until you are ready. I thought you would have fun with familiar faces and away from the chaos your brother causes. However, I see I was wrong. Forgive me, my child."

Solidarity squawked and nuzzled her, chirping and trilling.

"Oh, you're too kind, my chick." She then stood, placing Solidarity on her shoulder, "Well, then, come on. I still have work to do, but you can stay as long as you want. You're free here, Solidarity."

The yellow canary smiled.

The yellow canary was free.