#im hunting you down to the ends of the earth

[greycaelum]

Ok im gonna drop this here for u to write it whenever u want,cause its been hunting me

Royalty au where gojo and reader are living happily,that is until someone poisons his queen when they're having dinner together.

She drinks the wine,and suddenly falls to the ground while throwing up blood and blood running from her eyes. Shoko manages to save her and geto holds gojo back so he doesnt do anything stupid. But when his queen wakes up she's really weak so shoko tells gojo about a flower that'll heal her up,so gojo leaves in order to search for it.

But when he's back,geto leads him to the flower garden the queen loves and he finds her among the flowers,a little better and seeing her not on deadbed has him running toward her,lifting her up and spinning while both of them laugh and kiss

Happy ending

Scribbles & Doodles—Lotus Tears

—Elven Emperor Gojo Satoru X Human Empress Reader

𑁍 Synopsis:

His azure orbs stare as you reach to cup his cheeks with a slight understanding frown painting your brows. It doesn't help that you are wearing the other pair of purple robes. It made his belly warm, and his chest swelled with pride. You are pairing... He was the only one who could wear the purple robes since he was born, a lone star, but not anymore. And that was enough to make his heart skip a beat. "Will you be back for dinner?" Your tone carried hope and joy into his day. He doesn't understand why he has to part with you every day... He heaved a sigh hoping the day turns to dusk soon so he can hold you again to his heart's content. "For you, always, My Flower."

𑁍 Genre: historical fantasy, elves/faes, dark magic if you squint, interracial marriage

𑁍 WC/CW/TW: (4.3k)— poison, mad Satoru, elven traditions and cultures, fluff, angst, comfort, implication of major character death, mating bonds, talks of rebirth

𑁍 ✒️☕: Hi to the person who sent this ask. Pardon the very long wait, but I loved writing this one, I just need to say your ask is one of my fave ideas for elf Satoru so I tweaked some things, fantasy tropes are my favorite to write to escape canon~ Grey,

At night when you lay in their bed, your head atop his chest, he cannot sleep a wink for he has forever to spare and only a lifetime with you in his arms. For such a fragile flower, even a man who has grown bleak and untouched over the long passage of time, Satoru cannot help but stroke your head gently, scaring the pixies who would try to sneak in to soak with his mate's presence. He doesn't know if it's a good thing or bad that his mate is loved by the small faes. But one thing is for sure, he doesn't delight that they are trying to pry you awake from his arms. It's no secret he doesn't like sharing... especially when it's about you.

For a human to become the Empress of the High Courts is an unheard thing. Improbable would be the word. And you do not need to know what methods Satoru used to make this happen. Because you already knew that behind his delicate beauty, lies the prickly thorns that wield the absolute power over nature. There is a reason why he was able to rule undisputedly in the indifferent flow of nature over the passage of time.

When he married you, he knew he would uproot the earth and supplant it again and again to give whatever you desired. He is the supreme ruler and Emperor of the High Courts and would only sheath his indifference in the presence of his Empress. He has broken down the millennial walls covering his heart and found himself enthralled by the maiden who never feared the Dark Woods. She found beauty in the mystery of the borders, and he found solace in her presence. She has grown to be his beloved Flower.

Fortunately for you, even as a born human, you have adapted to the faes far quicker. Learning their language and making up for your lack of magic, you learned diplomacy. It was not easy to learn such an intricate affair, but fortune has smiled upon you, with Satoru, who has boundless knowledge of the matter to be your tutor.

"Is this adequate enough?" Satoru hopefully looked at you in the mirror and the craft he had finished for a satisfactory answer.

"Satoru, we are not going to any gathering, are we?" You chuckled as you sat in front of the golden mirror while Satoru stood behind, holding an ivory comb in his hand as he carefully brushed your silky tresses. Small flowers adorned your hair like trinkets as he wove them skillfully into a braid. At this point, your handmaidens have lost their job, with your mate attending to almost everything you need unless he is away for the court.

"At least let me do this before I leave for my duties." He brought the tip of your hair to his lips, kissing it as he stared at you, a longing look on his face. This prompt you to turn the chair and face the elven emperor.

His azure orbs stare as you reach to cup his cheeks with a slight understanding frown painting your brows. It doesn't help that you are wearing the other pair of purple robes. It made his belly warm, and his chest swelled with pride. You are pairing... He was the only one who could wear the purple robes since he was born, a lone star, but not anymore. And that was enough to make his heart skip a beat.

"Will you be back for dinner?" Your tone carried hope and joy into his day.

He doesn't understand why he has to part with you every day... He heaved a sigh hoping the day turns to dusk soon so he can hold you again to his heart's content.

"For you, always, My Flower." Satoru tilted your chin and pressed a kiss on your forehead. "I do not wish to leave." He grumbled and connected your forehead, staring right into your eyes.

Your soft chuckle fluttered through his ears as you reached to cup his cheeks and stare into his eyes. A sense of tranquility floated in your orbs bringing his heart into a puddle of cotton.

"I will wait for you at dinner, Satoru. So the earlier you finish the earlier we see each other. Alright?"

"Alright, as you wish." Satoru sighed and kissed the tip of your nose. "The things you make me do..."

He never thought he would one day sit under the shade of foliage with his Empress on his lap, reading through some parchments while he pilfered some wildflowers to braid her hair. Or to walk while gently pulling the reins of his equine, leading the elk through safe passages whilst you ride on the back. Things he never imagined and things he never thought he would do. But the second you came it all seemed natural for him to indulge you in every way possible.

You are like a brittle glass flower to him that he cannot help but wrap you in the most flawless silks and softest ermine furs. You evoke in him a firm sense of fierce protectiveness.

So imagine the horror and derangement inside him when you were still smiling and talking with him at the dinner table but suddenly blood flowed down your nose, followed by a series of coughs drawing blood from your throat as you dropped to the floor, desperately gasping for air.

If it wasn't for his friend Suguru, a Dragon Lord who he has grown with, who happened to visit the very same day only to pin him down in his rampage of killing the perpetrators hiding in the imperial kitchen staff, perhaps one-fourth of the castle must've already been slaughtered.

All he could see was red. The burning flames consuming the imperial castle and the wilting forest mirrored the despair in his heart. He couldn't hear that his people were wailing for him. All he could ever see was his mate dying each second from the potent poison coursing in her bloodstream.

"Don't touch her!"

He snarled with pure frenzy when Shoko tried to reach out to your unmoving body in his arms.

"Satoru, Shoko is only going to heal her. Your mate needs help." Suguru tried to reason with the livid, elven emperor cradling the unmoving body of his bleeding empress. "She would not do anything to her, only help her."

Suguru could see how unfocused and distraught the dark blue eyes of his friend were, so far from his usual calm and regal sense. Satoru's eyes were bloodshot red. Thankfully, he didn't move when Shoko reached out again to heal his mate. 

A faint color of life returned to your face, but you were still as pale as alabaster, still unconscious. The fire consuming the woods slowly died down... A slight sense of sanity returned to Satoru, who held you close, ready to hide you from the world if not for Shoko's words.

"She's in moratorium state... I've only managed to stabilize her body and freeze the poison to stop it from spreading further. Right now, we need to find an antidote... Or else she will only have seven days to live. For now, let's take the Empress to a safe place." Shoko pinched the bridge of her nose as she looked back to the fire slowly dying down, leaving shared trees and ashes. "And fix the chaos you have ignited, Your Majesty, the Emperor."

There are, but severely few times he let his emotions overcome him. He could count it in his hand. But ever since that sight of your throwing up blood, Satoru experienced a myriad of emotions he thought he was never capable of.

Fear... Despair... Uselessness... and most of all heartbreak...

You don't know how many millions of times his soul has shattered in every second he held your cold hand whilst he channeled all healing spell he knows into your body as you sleep on the cradle of the sacred tree cushioned by wildflowers and vines dangling down the archaic branches of the colossal wood. It seems you're merely asleep, but it feels like it's been forever since he last saw your eyes. The reality is that day by day, you are losing your life while all he can do is sit here, rooted in place, too afraid that if he steps away, he might not see you again.

"Your Majesty..." Shoko came forward. The Emperor has been sitting here for three days straight beside his dying mate in silence holding her hand, unmoving, and would attack anyone who dares to step one foot closer to the lying Empress. The court matters have been neglected, with only the elders holding the court together in his absence. The woodlands are closely related to the essence of the Emperor. The depression of his heart manifested in the woods, which gradually lost the green leaves and were replaced by withered branches...

"I have found a possible cure for the Empress."

Shoko had never felt strong empathy, but she did feel a bit of ache for her friend when he raised his head at her, almost pleading with his bloodshot eyes.

"Speak."

"Do you remember the Sacred Tombs of Tvar?"

The sacred burial grounds of the late Empresses. It's deep-seated in the heart of the Mountain of Hanging Tombs, guarded by the mythical beasts his forefathers have created to protect the resting place of the late Imperial Rulers.

"What about it?" Satoru has only been there once when his Imperial Father has taken him to visit his late Mother. It's a mystical mountain filled with ancient elements, from the creatures to the plants, that can only be heard in folklore.

"For high faes like us, the poison the Empress has induced was nothing serious. But to humans, it is lethal." Shoko sighed. "The spell I cast was only a valve to keep the poison at bay until we can find an antidote. On the seventh day, when the sun rises, the spell will cease to exist, and the poison will corrode her bo—"

"Tell me, what should I do? Anything Shoko. I would kill if I had to." The bones on his knuckles protruded with his clenched fists. The Emperor cut her off. He would not hear her say such ominous words about his mate's life.

He would uproot the earth to find anything that can cure you. Anything.

"Killing might be going too far, but it's not impossible." Shoko took out from her robe a parchment containing a sketch of what seemed like a flower and handed it to her Emperor. She never slept over the three days in a desperate search for any cure. "There's a flower that can only be seen in the Sacred Tombs of Tvar that may be able to save the Empress. As we all know, only the direct descendant of the Imperial Family can enter the Mountain of Hanging Tombs."

The Mountain of Hanging Tombs is as ominous as the name implies. It's a mountain range covered with black mist and ferocious mythical animals and exotic plants. It's not that only the direct descendants of the Imperial Elven Bloodline can enter the mountains, but the lower beasts residing on the foot of the mountains refrain from attacking an imperial descendant since they are born from the first Emperor's blood as well. No ordinary fae can survive these mythical beasts, and could only result in death. Thus, it has become known not to venture deep into the mountains.

Satoru, however, wasted no time to cross the valleys leading to the burial grounds. He needs to find that flower.

Lotus Tears...

It is said that the flower can heal any illness. However, it's impossible to scour for the elusive flower, which roots deep only in the burial grounds of the Empresses and leave unscathed from the toxic plants and mythical animals on top of the Mountain of Hanging Tombs that will attack him at any given second.

"Why do you always put the flower on my left ear? I'm not yet married." You asked him during one of the days he stayed longer to watch over you as you searched for some wild, beautiful flowers in the woods.

Satoru stared at the magenta lilacs he conjured from his hands and tucked them into your left ear.

"You look beautiful in any shade of purple..." It matches the color of his robe.

You pursed your lips and huffed clearly not satisfied by his vague answer.

"You didn't answer my question, Satoru."

He chuckled at your angry face, bopping your nose, making you annoyed as you tried to punch him clumsily. The little girl still has the same pout even as she bloomed into a prim and proper lady. It was too adorable even to be called 'angry.' He jumps down the tree and walks up to you, bringing the tip of your hair to his lips for a soft parting salutation.

"Next time... I will tell you, My Precious Flower." With that, he took you to the borders of the human village and the dark woods, as your Mother was already looking for you. He watches you run into the light while slowly walking back into the shadows.

Maybe... He should have never forced this fate on you. You may have called on him in desperation to flee from the humans chasing after you, but he, being the one who knew better, should have returned you to your realm rather than letting his selfishness devour him and claim you as his mate. If he had done so, then you wouldn't have met this predicament.

You wouldn't have been lying in your blood, cold like a corpse...

"Where is she?" Satoru's heart felt like it was dying when he saw that your body was gone from the bed of the sacred tree. "Where is my mate?! Shoko!"

Did he lose you? Did he come too late?

He stared at the blue lotus he so carefully dug out of the perilous mountain despite the throbbing pain on his shoulders after a chimera managed to bite him before he could slay it.

No, you cannot leave him like this... Oxygen left his lungs, and his feet staggered, unable to support the weight of heaven, crushing his soul. His vision is going black, not like this. He barely got to dote on you. Barely got to drown you with the love he has secretly hidden all these years. No, no, no. Satoru's throat ran dry. He wants to scream as if the tearing of his heart wasn't enough to shout his despair.

The forest closely linked to his essence slowly wilted as if joining their Emperor in his mourning. The leaves slowly dried up. The flowers closed, and the vines started shrinking to twigs. His sorrow is mirrored by nature.

His mind went black, his heart slowly crumbled in every passing second that his eyes could not see you. Why did the gods despise him to tear apart the only joy he has ever touched for what seems like an eternity?

"Satoru!" Suguru found him in haste after the forest slowly grew darker and darker.

Who knew that his apathetic friend could have this vast amount of emotions to turn the lush evergreen forest into a barren land? Suguru wasted no time to drag what seemed to be a lifeless Satoru into a maze-like garden.

Shoko was there. She immediately snatched the mystical lotus from the Emperor. Satoru could care. All things pale in comparison to his mate... All things. He dropped to his knees, holding onto your hand.

"Y-Y/n?" Satoru's throat was parched as he saw your sleeping body, with the wilting grass around, as if you were truly taken away into the underworld... This was your favorite garden... All flowers in here, he has grown with his own hands. Not it seems like he has planted those flowers only to send you off to the afterlife. "No, you can't do this to me, My Flower... I would lose my mind." He muttered like a madman, bringing your cold hands to rub against his cheeks, desperately searching for any signs of warmth but finding nothing...

Suguru tried to pry him away from your frail body, but his malevolence met those who tried to separate you from him until the Dragon Lord had no choice but to use all means to knock Satoru out...

The last thing he saw was your sleeping face as he desperately begged his eyes not to close... He needs to see you, to be beside you... to hold you...

"Satoru...?" You were both sitting under the shade of a magnolia tree with his head on your lap, eyes closed from the glaring sun, meanwhile, you intertwined his lustrous hair into a loose braid, tucking little flowers in your masterpiece.

"Hmm?" It was one of the days when he had enough time to traverse the hills with you and meet other fae tribes so you may have time away from the Imperial Courts.

"Promise me that if the memories we have together start to hurt... you will forget me."

His eyes opened in a split second, and he looked back with furrowed brows only to meet your small smile.

"That is nonsense. I would never wish to forget you. You are my mate." Satoru sat straight and took your hand in his. "What led you to this ominous thought, My Flower? Do not think of such things, we are bonded for eternity."

You gently shake your head.

"You're an elf... I'm a human. Our life span runs differently. Some day... You will have to remember me longer than you have held me..." The bitterness of your eyes was quickly concealed as you closed them. "That's simply the order of nature..."

Satoru was tongue-tied... He cannot face that reality yet... Not yet... If ever the Lady of Light is listening to him, he prays that the sun and moon slow down... Forever never seems to be enough...

Forever will never be enough...

"Satoru...?" 

He wishes never to wake up. If you're not in the world he opens his eyes to, he may as well live in this fantasy. He has lived such a long time in solitude. So even if it's just a fragment of imagination or make-believe, he would choose that sweet lie rather than face the cold reality you're gone...

"Satoru..."

Your voice... It's sweeter than the sirens and softer than the small faes singing with the birds in early dawn...

A soft touch brushed off the fringes on his temples, shielding his eyes from the blinding sun. Unable to bear the brightness, his eyes opened and looked up to the blue sky...

Slowly, his blurry eyes met your worried ones as you tucked your hair behind your ear while staring at him with his head laying on your lap.

"You're finally awake... Thank goodness!" You sighed and smiled. "Welcome home, Satoru..."

Your hair... It's not the same color as it was... It shone a bright silver like his under the sunlight, which only the imperial descendants can inherit... But he knew it was you... His soul tells him so.

"Y-Y/n?" He reaches out to touch your cheeks that have grown prominent... more elf-like... "This isn't a dream?"

Your sweet chuckle filled his ears as your warm palms held his and pressed it to your cheeks, kissing his wrist.

"I must've worried you so... I'm sorry, but I'm fine now... because of you."

You're really warm... So warm, you melted the millennial thorny wall he built around his heart. Your palms are so dainty compared to him, but they have always been able to soothe him more than anything else.

"You... You look like me..." Satoru slowly sat up as he took in your features. "My Flower... you look like a fae..." Satoru is a bit confused about the sudden transformation. You look just as you are, but the silver hair, pointy ears, and sharper features... 

"It must've been because of the flower's healing attributes," Shoko explained, taking a step forward to assess the changes on you, who indeed looks like an elf now. 

"Explain, Shoko." Satoru looked at the woman as he was adamant about answers.

"The flowers had healing attributes; it's just a speculation, but aside from healing, we all know that lotus also signifies rebirth. The flower may have deemed it necessary to change the human blood running in the Empress's veins into elven blood for her to heal from the poison fully... As for the silver hair, I can only think that since the Lotus Tears came from the sacred buriel grounds of the late Empresses, it must have absorbed most of their remaining energy and passed it on to the Empress through the flower's healing attributes..."

"Does that mean my Mate is now an elf?" Satoru cannot believe how these events have turned out for you and him. He took your hand and studied your features... You are still you, but indeed, there swirls a more mystical air around you, and only a faint scent of human blood is left lingering in you.

"The Empress is not yet fully an elf at the moment, but I am sure before the fortnight ends, her transformation will be complete, and she will truly be a full-fledged fae, like us." Shoko nodded.

You stared at Satoru... The once wilting forest which you woke up to slowly regained life.

For a man so stoic, he is an open book... You can't help but chuckle as the smaller faes slowly creep out of their homes and rejoice at the blossoming life enveloping the woods again. Shoko and Suguru have left, leaving you and your mate some privacy in the garden.

"I..." Satoru cannot confess enough what he had done out of rage and sorrow when he thought you were gone.

"I know..." You shake your head telling him to speak no more as you took him in your arms... This time, you could feel him ever closer, hear his thoughts louder, and see him clearer. Everything he has done and he has said, you knew and felt in each passing second... But no words were uttered, as you can feel the remorse coursing in his being. What he needs the most is your embrace...

Nature can renew itself as long as it is given care and time...

The trees are once again full of luscious foliage, the grass is back to its evergreen hue, and the different faes have returned to their homes and gone through their duties as usual. Satoru is somehow a bit busier with the court matters, while you, the Empress, needed a little more recuperation before you come back to your court duties.

"Your Majesty... We always knew you smelled sweet even before you became like us."

The smaller sprites sat on your finger as they flapped around you, more drawn than ever. It seems that your new form has made you more captivating to their instincts, just like how they are drawn to the presence of their Emperor.

"Really? Though, I know you just want more sugary treats." You played with their cheeks until they perked up and bowed to someone. "See you tomorrow, Your Majesty!"

You didn't have to guess who made the little sprites flee in haste.

You turned around, and sure enough, you were swept off your feet as a pair of strong arms wrapped around your waist, lifting you off the ground. His sweet sandalwood scent filled your senses, soothing your racing heart.

"I missed you, My Flower... What did my mate get for me?" Satoru looked at the basket you're holding, filled with several flowers from the garden he built for you.

"It's nothing much... It's too loose to be called a crown." You showed him the crown you clumsily made with some lilacs. But Satoru guided your hand to put it on his head, indulging you with anything. You have now fully turned into an elf. Bright silver hair, lucid eyes, and the sweet scent of jasmine and orchid around you with the purple robes that only the Imperial Rulers can wear. Anyone who sees you will immediately recognize you as an Imperial Fae and their Empress.

"I would take anything you offer me, Y/n." Satoru softly kissed her forehead... his lips slowly kissed his way down your nose until he found your lips. "Can I ask for a kiss?"

"What if I say my kisses are not offered?" You raised a brow.

Satoru merely shrugged it off with a smirk.

"I'm pretty sure you can make exceptions for your husband, no?" Satoru chuckled. "Can I have my kiss now?"

Your sweet smile and soft giggle drowned in as he captured your lips for a gentle but passionate kiss.

If the lotus has tears, he will shed it only and only for you...

—GreyCaelum

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME

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All rights and credits of the Jujutsu Kaisen character(s) mentioned images(s) and songs(s) used, belongs to their respective owner(s)

General Taglist: @ice-icebaby  @aeanya @tender-rosiey @lexiene @nevermoresworld @loml-riri @pelicanpizza @emichou-chan

[chrisevansonly]

𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚 | 𝒐𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒊𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊

☁︎ oscar piastri x female reader

☁︎ oscar is experiencing thanksgiving with your family for the first time….and boy is it crazy

☁︎ no warnings just fluff and maybe a tad overwhelmed oscar lol

☁︎ i can’t believe october is starting to come to an end, these little fall fics have been making me so happy, i think ill do another one in december too to get ready for christmas 🤭 p.s thanksgiving in canada is beginning of october in contrast to the USA which is end of november in case you’re confused :)

Thanksgiving was a little chaotic in your family, when everyone gathered together and all sat down for the annual fall meal, only this year it was your boyfriend Oscar’s first time attending it with you. He knew you got your vibrant and extroverted personality from your parents, but now that he looks back on it, he’s pretty sure your entire family played a part in it.

“Oscar when do you and my little sunshine plan on having children hmm?” your grandma asked, causing you to choke on your water

“Nana!”

Oscar laughed patting your back gently to help with your coughing

“I think whenever the time is right, we’re in no rush”

“Well you’re only getting older!”

You shook your head at the old woman’s antics your mother stepping in before you

“Mom, leave these two alone, they’re both still in their early twenties, no babies for them, eat your turkey”

“Never too early to have a baby, such nonsense!”

Leaning over to Oscar you looked at him apologetically

“I’m sorry, she’s very persistent”

He only smiled, kissing your forehead as he squeezed your knee under the table

“I don’t mind at all, it’ll happen someday anyway”

The two of you may have been young but you both knew that you were endgame for each other, there was no one else on earth more perfect for either of you, and everyone was starting to see that.

“So Oscar, i’ve been watching your season, looks pretty good this year”

It was your father’s time to chime in, Oscar nodding as he gave your father 100% of his attention.

“Yes, it’s been going really well, the car feels good this year, so i’m looking forward to finishing the next few races and then having some time off” he replied, a bit hesitantly as he always did with your dad

“That’s good to hear, I’d love to come see a race sometime”

You smiled

“You should come to Las Vegas with us dad! You and mom have been wanting to go back there so why not?”

In hindsight you should have asked Oscar first if he was okay with this, but knowing him, he wouldn’t mind at all. He loved spending time with your family as much as you did with his.

“Oh that’s a great idea honey, i’m sure we can figure something out!”

The rest of dinner went off without a hitch, calm conversation and laughter shared between everyone, you could already feel the classic thanksgiving hangover hitting you as you lounged on the couch tucked into Oscar’s side, your eyes heavy and tired.

“NO YOU JUST SLAPPED ME WITH ANOTHER PICK UP UP 4 IM GONNA KILL YOU!!!”

Oscar laughed hearing your little cousins playing uno in the other room as you rolled your eyes. If anyone was the loudest on these holidays it was the kiddos.

“YEAH WELL YOU JUST SUCK AT THE GAME THEN!”

It wasn’t long before your aunt went in there and told them off, quiet chatter resuming after the mini scream fest over the classical card game had ensued. Truth be told you were nervous for Oscar to experience thanksgiving with your family because you weren’t always put together and fancy, you were loud and energetic, your family loved playing games, having treasure hunts and playing games of charades.

You knew deep down it wouldn’t everyone’s cup of tea but Oscar wouldn’t have it any other way. He’d never felt more comfortable and at home like he did with you when you visited your family. It made him feel normal and accepted, he didn’t have to worry about the media, the race track or the constant murmurs going around the paddock.

“How was your first thanksgiving experience love?”

He smiled down at you, his finger tips running up and down your back

“I loved it, really it was so much, I can’t wait to keep experiencing this craziness with you”

“Oscar loves the thanksgiving craziness…never thought i’d say that”

The Aussie laughed leaning down to kiss you

“Well now I get to experience a different craziness from yours everyday”

“Hey!”

You frowned jokingly but he was quick to once again bring his lips to yours, deepening the kiss enough to have your face flush, thankfully your family too enamoured in their own activities to notice your little display of affection.

“I love you and all your craziness darling, it’s what makes you, you.” he stated softly, taking his time to admire you

“I love you more.”

Oscar had all he needed right in front of him, he’d never felt more welcomed and appreciated than he did right now, curled up on the couch at your parents house after a delicious dinner, something he would continue to be apart of for years…and years to come.

[gloryy-vs]

hi ! this isn’t a nsfw request but this came to mind since im unfortunately on my period rn 😭 if u could write maybe fem!human x neteyam where she’s on her period and neteyam is rlly concerned and confused?? so she has to explain what a period is and more abt fhe human female body. and he ends up comforting her while she’s just having the worst cramps everrrr. you can totally change it up :) thank youuuuu

Shark Week

|| YURR.

characters: neteyam x reader

ratings: fluff, confused neteyam, in pain reader

||

You were in a fetal position, face contorted in pain and your hands pressing against your stomach from the stabbing and pulling feeling. Taking deep breaths was the only thing you could really do as you laid inside your boyfriends hut on the hammock, goosebumps forming on your skin from the slight cold. You were groaning quietly, impatient from the length this one cramp really had, it had no intention of stomping anytime soon.

Neteyam sauntered in, ready to tell you about his day hunting with his father when he saw your face, and your body all curled up. Worry immediately showed in his ears and face, and he hurried over to you, crouching slightly at your position. “Hey, hey. What’s wrong baby? Someone hurt you? What happened?” Neteyam was worried and confused, waiting for an answer as to who or what hurt his mate. You shook your head, reaching out to hold his hand. He brought it to his mouth, giving you small kisses on your even smaller fingers. His hands were ridiculously warm. Neteyam saw the small bumps on your arms, running his hand up and down your tiny frame to warm you up. You lifted your head, looking up at the much larger male.

“M’got my period. Cramps are killing me…” You said while holding onto his hand, relishing in the warmth his hands brought to you. Neteyam cocked a brow, his head tilting as well. “A period? I don’t know much about those..” You smiled weakly, admiring his obliviousness.

“Basically my body punishes me for not being pregnant. It cleanses out the female system. Only girls have it. So when it’s cleansing our system it hurts a lot, and that’s how we get cramps.” You explained, hand farting to your stomach in response to the pain getting worse. A groan escaped your lips, and he looked at you desperately. Neteyam hated seeing you in pain and not knowing how to help his princess. “What can I do? Tell me what can help you.” He bargained, holding onto your hand tightly.

You exhaled, taking his hand and leading it to where your stomach was. Neteyams hands were larger, so it covered all of your stomach and down to your womb area, heat spread through your body instantly. It relaxed those tense muscles, and brought a content smile to your face. “That’s it. Your hands are so warm, Teyam.” You said softly, happy to relieve the ache. He exhaled as well, pressing his hand down softly to your liking. “Here, lay with me.” He said, scooping you up in his free hand as he hopped into his thick hammock. Neteyam gently placed you down next to him, your head burrowing into his neck. Small hands rested overtop of his larger one that stayed on your stomach as a heating pad. It was better than any pain reliever you’ve had back at Earth, just the comfort and warmth of your lovers presence.

[fandomxpreferences]

The Endless Darkness and Mystery of the Ocean Is Becoming A Bit Tempting To Dive Into Now

Masterlist

Pairing: Ex!John B Routledge x female!reader, JJ Maybank x female!reader (all over 18)

TW:18+ smut, piv. unprotected sex. size kink(?), squirting, drug use, angst, violence, brief mention of blood,I think thats it

Summary: After ending things with one of your best friends, you see JJ in whole new light. the problem is you can't tell John B, but everything comes to light eventually. (Based on this request)

Word Count:4.4k

A/N: please excuse any typos, its 2 am and im delirious. also I couldn't choose between these gifs so have them both

Ever since the breakup things have been… tense, to say the least. You've been friends with the pogues since you could walk; they're like your family. 

A year ago, your relationship with John B blossomed into something more and up until last month, the two of you had been a picture-perfect couple. 

However, after everything with the treasure hunt and deserted island, something just changed. Your heart wasn't in it anymore, and John B agreed. Though it was mutual, it still put a strain on the group. 

It's not like a normal breakup where you don't have to see each other anymore. Your entire friend group is shared, and you still have to hang out with him every day. It's getting easier, but how do you recover when you went from best friends to lovers and back again?

Walking away obviously isn't an option for either of you, so you're just trying to make the best of the situation. 

You've found solace in JJ, the two of you growing even closer in the midst of your heartache. Which is exactly how you found yourself sitting at the end of the dock passing a joint back and forth. 

The two of you have been laughing hysterically at nothing for the past hour when JJ suddenly goes quiet. You look over with a frown and find the man staring off into space. You wave your hand in front of his face with a small giggle. 

"Earth to JJ. Anybody there?"

It's lighthearted, but his face is dangerously serious when he turns to look at you. 

"I liked you first, you know." 

The words hang in the air, thick and heavy as they register in your hazy mind. 

"No, I don't know. What the hell are you talking about?" 

You're genuinely confused at the random confession. You'd be lying if you said you don't find JJ attractive, but you never thought he'd see you in that light. He lets out an exasperated huff as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. 

"I liked you before John B. That's why we made up the whole 'no pogue on pogue macking' rule. We found out we both wanted you, so instead of fighting, we made a truce and promised not to pursue it. I kept my word, he didn't."

He takes another hit of the joint and blows it toward the night sky, a thick white cloud dissipating in front of his face. He doesn't seem to realize the gravity of what he just said, but you feel like you're suffocating. 

JJ liked you so much that they made up a rule?

"JJ.."

Your voice is soft as you reach out to grab his hand and his eyes dart down to where your flesh touches his. 

"It's fine, Bambi. You didn't know, it's in the past now."

Your heart clenches at the nickname only he's allowed to use, and suddenly you feel tears sting your eyes. He's called you that since you were kids, your habit of falling and bumping into things earning you the fitting moniker. 

"Is it?" You whisper, and you notice his breath catch. 

That's all the answer you need and without thinking, you lean forward. He stares at you with wide eyes but doesn't pull back. 

The moment your lips touch you realize how stupid you've been. Things were great with John B, you have chemistry and history, but it never felt like this. Electricity crackles under your skin, every nerve feeling like a live wire threatening to electrocute you. 

He stiffens for a moment before succumbing to the sensation of your mouth massaging his. He's dreamed about this since seventh grade, and you're so much sweeter than he ever could have imagined.

The kiss deepens and you moan quietly as the taste of mint, beer, and weed mingles on your tastebuds.

He pulls away to breathe and you chase his lips, desperate to feel them again. Kissing him is like you were brought to life, suddenly aware of how dull the world has been all these years. 

You didn't know what you had been missing, and now that you do, you're not sure you can make peace with not having it. 

Your eyes slowly flutter open to find JJ already staring at you, and your fingers brush against the soft pink skin as if to make sure it's still there. His eyes are filled with love and lust, pupils blown, and you know he felt it too. 

It's late, most likely early morning by now, and the rest of the group went to bed hours ago. You look around to make sure no one is watching, the only illumination coming from the moon and white Christmas lights strung around the wood railing. 

As soon as you know you won't be caught, you lunge forward and JJ instantly wraps his arms around your waist. You can feel his muscles bulge as he maneuvers himself on top of you, his lips ravishing yours like a man starved. 

Your movements are rushed and hasty, the idea of being seen looming over the two of you like a dark cloud. You lean your head back as his mouth moves down to your neck, the feeling nothing short of euphoric. 

His lips are so soft, a stark contrast to the rough calloused texture of his hands as they roam under your shirt. He moves quickly, pulling down your bikini top and brushing his thumbs over your perked nipples. 

Time seems to move at warp speed and in slow motion simultaneously as he unbuttons your shorts; your own hands moving down to his swim trunks. You can feel he's hard already, and he lets out a low groan when your slender fingers wrap around his thick cock. 

Even without seeing him, you can tell he's bigger than John B.

The denim stings your freshly shaved legs as he drags them down the tan skin, a deep moan reverberating in his throat as he takes in the sight of your half-naked body below him. He stops abruptly and you look at him, concern written on your features. 

"I don't have a condom."

You bite back a smartass remark about JJ Maybank not keeping a rubber in his pocket and settle instead for nipping at his Adam's apple. 

"I'm on birth control."

He seems to like your response as he drops his head into the crook of your neck and rubs his tip through your folds to spread the wetness. Under different circumstances, you'd beg to taste him. But now is not the time, and you're certain you'll get the chance later. 

He looks to you for confirmation, and you give it with a short nod. 

You hiss as he pushes in an inch, the burning sensation as he stretches your heat taking you by surprise. You'd never had this problem with John B. 

"I know, sweet girl. You can take it, I promise. I'll go slow." 

He's speaking through clenched teeth and you know he's exercising a painful amount of restraint. He pulls back and pushes in a little more, repeating the movement a few times as you adjust to his size. 

You gasp loudly at the feeling of being full, your eyes rolling back as he hits a spot you didn't know you had. 

"Almost, baby. You're doing so good."

Your eyes snap open and peer into his, a look of sheer bewilderment on your face. 

"That's not all of it?"

You don't think about the absurdity of the question until a playful smirk breaks out on JJ's face and your head rolls back in embarrassment. 

With one more short thrust, you feel his hips meet yours and breathe a sigh of relief.

He stays still for a moment, waiting for your cue, which you give him in the form of lifting your hips. 

He starts at a slow pace, testing the waters, and your mouth drops open. You briefly feel guilt over the fact you never let John B hit it raw, despite his incessant begging, but the thought is quickly erased. 

You can feel every single inch of JJ, and your mind goes completely blank. He takes this as a good sign and speeds up a bit. His arm wraps around your hips, angling you up, and you let out a sharp whine at the new feeling. 

He's pounding into you relentlessly now, each sharp thrust slamming his pelvis against your clit, and loud mewls rip from your throat each time he makes contact. You feel his hand cover your mouth to quiet you, but it doesn't do much to stifle the sheer volume of you screaming his name. 

"As much as I love hearing those pretty sounds, and my name rolling off your tongue, you need to be quiet before you wake John B up. Can you do that for me, Bambi?"

His voice is strained, and the thought that you're the cause has delicious white hot heat bubbling in your abdomen. You nod against his palm and he resumes his brutal fucking. 

It's not long before you feel the coil in your belly threatening to snap, and JJ knows you're close by the way your legs tremble and your chest arches into his. 

The hand that was over your mouth drops down to where the two of you meet, and he rubs fast circles on your clit. You try desperately to silence yourself, your teeth drawing blood from your bottom lip as you clamp down. 

JJ stops and removes his hand just long enough to push your shirt up so it's in your mouth before resuming his assault. 

"Come on, Y/N. Let me feel you squeeze my cock. I'm dying to know what that pretty face looks like when you come."

The sound of him growling your name pushes you over the edge and your body convulses as pleasure you've never experienced before rips through your body. Every muscle seems to contract as your vision goes white and your fingers and toes tingle from the intensity of it all. 

JJ fucks you through it, your own release triggering his as your pussy squeezes him with a vice-like grip he knows he'll feel for weeks. He paints your walls with a loud grunt, his face contorted beautifully from the force of his orgasm. 

It takes you longer than usual to come down, your lingering high amplifying even the slightest sensation. You slowly feel your breathing calm down, and peel your eyes open to find a spent JJ staring down at you in wonder. 

"There she is. You did so well, take some deep breaths for me okay? I don't need you hyperventilating and passing out on me." 

You smile tiredly at the comedic relief, your body going completely limp as you regain feeling. You lay there and consider just sleeping outside as JJ pulls out carefully and starts cleaning you up. 

"Do you usually do that?" 

Your eyebrows furrow as you will your limbs to work. 

"Do what?" 

There's a brief pause before he answers, and when he does your eyes snap open. 

"Squirt. Because it was the hottest thing I've ever seen and I kind of want to make you do it again."

Your body seems to kick into gear as you prop up on your elbows, and you stare at him in shock. 

"Uh no, not really. I didn't even know I could do that." 

You don't miss the victorious smile on his face, no doubt happy that he finally beat John B to something. You can't help but match his expression when his dimple pops out and he plops down next to you. 

Neither of you says anything as you bask in the afterglow but you know you're both thinking the same thing. There's no coming back from this. 

"Is it weird that it didn't feel weird?" You wonder quietly and his head flops to the side to observe your face.

"No, I don't think so. It kind of felt like something we should have been doing the whole time."

You breathe a sigh of relief and nod. 

"I'm glad you said that, because I'd be super fucking bummed if we never did that again."

His bubbly laugh fills your ears and you lace your fingers through his gently. Another silence falls, and you're just about to stand when JJ speaks again. 

"We can't tell John B, or anybody for that matter. Not for a while at least. We have to keep this on the down low."

There's a tinge of sadness in his voice and you nod solemnly. 

"I know." 

The next three months continue with you and JJ hooking up anytime you get the chance. It's not easy having to sneak around, especially when you're never alone. Making up excuses and cover stories is getting harder, and you know the group is getting suspicious. 

One night after you managed a quickie, JJ is sitting out by the fire with John B just chatting when everything comes to a screeching halt. 

"Why so glum?" JJ teases, and John B takes a long swig of his beer. 

He's been staring blankly at the flames for twenty minutes now, and the silence is starting to irritate JJ. 

"I'm still in love with her and I don't know how to stop."

John B's voice is barely audible, but JJ hears him crystal clear. In a matter of seconds, the guilt of his secret relationship with you crushes him and bile rises in his throat. 

It's not just hooking up anymore, the two of you have developed real feelings and made it exclusive. Meanwhile, as he's living in bliss, his best friend is still torn up about you. 

"I didn't realize it was that serious. I thought the breakup was mutual." 

JJ tries to best to conceal his rapid breathing as he chokes on air, and it seems to work as John B releases a bitter laugh.

"I didn't want her to feel bad. What was I supposed to do when she said she wanted to end it? Confess my undying love and guilt her into staying?" 

JJ doesn't have a response to that as his mind is sent reeling. Two best friends, both in love with their other best friend. How the fuck does he always get himself into these impossible situations?

He tries not to think about the fact your cum is dried on his boxers or that there's still an imprint from your lipstick smeared on his cock. He feels like John B can sense the pictures of him fucking you on his phone, and gets the urge to chuck it in the ocean.

"You just need to get laid, bro. She'll be off your mind in no time." 

It's all he can muster before standing and basically sprinting into the chateau. He feels bad leaving his friend in a time of need, but he was choking like a fish out of water.

He knows it's bullshit. He's absolutely certain that after having you, he would never be able to move on. Not fully. 

How could he when he's felt your loving touch and let you into the deepest corners of his heart? It's even worse to know that John B is in love with you when your heart is reserved solely for him now.

His feet carry him to you instantly, and the look on his face has you following him into the guest room without question. That seems to be a new ability he's gained since dating you. He always knows where you are, like his heart and body can sense you before his mind does. 

"What going on?" 

You cup his cheek the way you always do, and he leans into your touch. Normally it would bring him comfort, but hurt shoots through your chest when he seems to realize what he's doing and recoils. 

"Did you know he's in love with you?" 

The question takes you by surprise, and you try to get caught up to speed. 

"Who? What are you talking about?"

His hand runs through his hair as he turns around, and he just as quickly whips back to face you. 

"John B!" His voice is just below yelling and he lowers to a harsh whisper when he realizes. 

"JB just told me he's still in love with you, Y/N."

You shake your head in disbelief and pace back and forth a few times before stopping. 

"JJ, we never even said I love you. It's been months, why would he still have feelings for me?" 

Despite dating for a year, you could never bring yourself to say the words. You do love John B, but you could never figure out why you weren't in love with him. It didn't make sense, not until you fell for JJ.

You're nearing panic as you resume pacing and JJ throws his hands up. 

"Y/N, have you seen yourself? Who wouldn't be in love with you?" 

You stop all of a sudden and turn slowly to look at your boyfriend. 

"What?"

His brain seems to lag for a moment and you catch the exact millisecond he realizes what he said. 

"No, I- I didn't me-" 

You cut him off with two strides forward and he shrinks under your intense gaze. 

"No, you asked who wouldn't be in love with me. Are you in love with me?" 

He lets out a frustrated groan and rubs his hand down his tired face. 

"Don't change the subject." 

You scoff and quirk an eyebrow, suddenly much more interested in the man standing a mere six inches away from you. 

"I'm not. You're the one who said it. So what's the answer? I'm not letting it go.

He ponders his options for a second before relenting. He knows you, and he knows that you will get an answer come hell or high water. 

"Yes, okay? But now is not the time, so can we please put a pin in it?"

You smile brightly and kiss his cheek before standing flat on your feet again. 

"Fine. For the record, I'm in love with you too. So what are we going to do?"

You can't help but think how cute he looks as the wheels turn in his head, and he gives a playful glare as you stare at him with heart eyes. 

"Don't look at me like that, baby. We can't tell him, not now." 

Your shoulders drop as you deflate. You know he's right, but it still sucks. 

"I'm tired of hiding us." You murmur and JJ's features soften as he pulls you into a tight hug. 

"Me too, but we have to be careful about this. Just a little bit longer, okay?"

He kisses the top of your head as you nod against his shoulder and pull back. The two of you compose yourselves, hiding any sign of affection, before trekking back out to the rest of the group. 

A month later, you're all sitting around the bonfire after a kegger; a little too much alcohol coursing through your systems. You've settled into a game of truth or dare, loud laughs being shared as you all do ridiculous tasks and share secrets. 

You're sitting across from JJ and he shoots you a wink when it's your turn. 

"Okay Y/N, truth or dare?" Sarah asks and you press your finger to your chin pretending to think for a second before answering.

"Truth."

You instantly regret it as she gets a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

Her and John B have gotten cozier since his confession last month and you're glad he's finally moving on. The problem is since you've both experienced a relationship with him, it opens you up to a whole new level of personal questions. 

"Where's the craziest place you've had sex?"

You don't catch the smirk on John B's face as he takes a sip from his cup, thinking about the time you fucked on the open beach. He's sure that's your answer, and he almost chokes when you respond with something different. 

"Either on the hood of a police car or on a motorcycle." 

Your answer is immediate and you don't give it a second thought before spitting it out. It doesn't occur to you that your ex is sitting five feet away and that it most definitely wasn't with him; or that he knows you only had sex one other time before him in the bathroom at a party. 

You don't realize that you just told him you've hooked up with someone since the breakup, and you don't see the way JJ tenses as your words linger in the air.

Sarah barks out a surprised laugh while raising her cup to cheers you. 

"Who knew you were such a daredevil."

John B certainly didn't. You're about to move on when Kie interjects. 

"Wait,"

JJs eyes squeeze shut when he realizes what's coming. This is terrible timing and the second worst way for the secret to be revealed. The only thing that could top this is being caught red-handed. 

"JJ, didn't you tell me you hooked up with a girl on top of a cop car like three months ago?" 

His mouth opens and shuts a few times as he fumbles for words while Pope adds fuel to the already scorching fire.

"Hold up, you told me you fucked a girl on your dirt bike two weeks ago." 

As soon as he says it, JJ wishes the ground would swallow him whole. He could have passed one off as a coincidence, but both? It's not exactly common to hook up in those locations, and he knows you're caught. 

His silence and your beet red face only confirm the suspicions, as realization dawns on everybody at the same time. 

"Holy shit." Kie mutters and you don't dare look at John B as his eyes bore into the side of your face. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" His voice is laced with venom and you wince, instantly kicking yourself for your lapse in judgment. 

Everybody jumps to their feet and your head spins as chaos breaks out. You're decidedly too drunk and not drunk enough for this and evaporating into thin air seems like a good idea right about now. 

"He's my best fucking friend! You left me so you could fuck him? Since when are you a homie hopping whore?" 

He's screaming now as Pope and Kie hold him back, and you look like a deer caught in headlights as tears pour down your cheeks. To her credit, Sarah is comforting you despite the conflict of interest and you're eternally grateful. 

You drop your cup and gasp as JJ lunges forward, slamming into John B and tackling him to the ground. 

"Don't fucking speak to her like that!" 

His voice is hoarse as it booms from his throat and John B just laughs. 

"What are you gonna do? Hit me? She's gonna get tired of you too, man. Before you know she's played you, she'll be on her knees for Pope." 

JJ's fist collides against his nose with a sickening crack and you barely register your own voice as you scream for him to stop. 

Much to your surprise, the blonde listens and is standing in front of you in an instant. Johns B's blood is on his knuckles and he cups your face tenderly as your friends tend to your wounded ex. 

"How long?" John B coughs, and your eyes meet his over JJ's shoulder. 

You can see the sheer hurt and betrayal and your stomach lurches. You never meant for any of this to happen. 

"Four months." 

Your answer is simple, yet John B looks like he's been shot. 

"Un-fucking-believable. How could you do this?" 

Your heart breaks as his voice cracks and JJ hates the anguish in your usually bright eyes. 

"Hey, we don't have to do this right now." 

You shake your head and step around him, coming face to face with your lifelong best friend. 

"I didn't mean for this to happen, or for you to find out like this. Please, John B. I love him." 

He physically recoils as the words ring out, and your knees wobble as they threaten to give out. 

"I can't do this. You can't have us both." 

He knows it isn't fair, but despite his growing feelings for Sarah, the idea of watching you be happy with a man thats like his brother makes him nauseous.

"Don't make me choose, John B." 

You feel JJ's hand rest on the curve of your lower spine and subconsciously lean into him. 

"Why? Because you'll choose him?"

He looks ill as he speaks and you slowly nod your head. 

"Yeah. I choose him." 

You mean it with all your heart, yet the words still taste like acid as they leave your tongue. This is exactly what you didn't want. 

John B stays glued in place, his eyes raking over your face searching for any sign of doubt or deceit. When he finds none, his heart shatters all over again. 

He knows he should leave, that he should stand his ground and never look back. But this isn't just anybody. This is two of his best friends in the entire world, and he doesn't have to ask JJ to know he'd choose you too. 

He can't bring himself to walk away, and his eyes squeeze shut as reality sets in. 

"I'll get over it." 

He doesn't entirely believe himself as his voice shakes, but he's going to try. He's got a good thing with Sarah, and if you can be happy for him then he should try to be happy for you. If he loves you, he'll let you go. 

You swallow thickly as you take a hesitant step forward and JJ resists the urge to pull you back. 

"Pogues for life?" You ask quietly and he nods. 

"Pogues for life." 

Sarah and Kie take this as their chance and pull you inside, leaving the three men outside alone. JJ shifts his weight, hands wringing nervously as he anticipates John Bs next move.

"Hurt her and I kill you." 

JJ gives a mock salute and watches as John B turns hastily to walk to the end of the pier. Pope looks at him with raised eyebrows and JJ gives him a pointed glare. 

"Don't."

Pope raises his hands in surrender with a smug smile. 

"Wasnt gonna. We all kind of knew besides John B anyway." He admits and JJ tosses his cup at him. 

"Asshole."

@disturbedbeautywrites

[regretisstoredintheme]

Indulgent thoughts? Indulgent thoughts. 

I was told that if I ever had indulgent thoughts (about Leo specifically???? What 😭😭😭) I had to share them, so… *sighhhhh*

YOU TWO. (@soradragon and @milks-thoughts) ASKED FOR IT.

Disclaimer that most of this was improv.

For context: I had this really bad interaction with Celina’s Yan!Leo ai, (I had tried to correct it but I ended up having to just delete the convo.) Anyways, after I had recovered from it, it got me thinking abt a post the aforementioned mutual, @pianocat939 made. I realize how much of a bad idea it is to @ her, but I’m already exposing myself, so WHY NOT 😀 

HI CELINA 👋👋 IM ON TV!! IM BEING A BRAVE BOY 😀😀😀 

Anyway

—

The idea is that you— or I guess me?? Ehh I’ll put it in a ‘Y/n’ format so it makes more sense. (Tw for Yandere behavior) 

Y/n had been held captive by a version of Yandere Leo that was a lot more— physical, ig?? and who felt completely content with making them feel like the scum of the earth. He had violent mood swings, and picked— no, more like dug at any insecurity of theirs he could find. (The Ai made it clear he was like a wolf in sheep’s clothing 😒 a wolf on the hunt. and by “made it clear” I mean it literally could not stop mentioning it lmAOHDJAHAHA—) 

This is where my au comes in. 

So what does Y/n do? They start being reckless. Looking for any way to escape. There weren’t many times the brothers left on missions, so when they finally did, they had a plan to investigate around. They walked up to Donnie’s lab, and started poking around at things. They figured the purple-clad turtle would have something they could use. Something dangerous, perhaps? 

Unfortunately, (or fortunately..?) they found one of his prototypes. 

This prototype was meant to bend reality, it was an experimental design since it was his first attempt at mixing tech with mystic. but since they poked around at it’s draft, it couldn’t help but act unexpectedly. 

And sent them into another dimension entirely. 

The canon dimension. 

With no Yanderes, no captivity, and none of that fear they were so used to. 

They were .. free..? 

They looked around the streets cautiously, looking for any signs that it was a hallucination or illusion. Were they really back in the streets of NYC? After having been in that godforsaken lair for years? How many years they had no idea, their guess was 2, but they couldn’t be sure.

They sat in waiting, cautious. They couldn’t go to the police, but they knew they had to stay out of sight. The prototype of Donnie’s creation had come with them, flashing every few seconds.  They didn’t know how to turn it off, only how to hide. And they did it pretty well, holding a home base for a few days. 

Everything tipped them off, but they were beginning to calm down, that was before they realized Donnie’s invention was probably still on. After finally finding the switch, they flipped it, the light finally powering down. They sighed, eyebrows furrowing in relief— but it wasn’t over yet. 

Hearing a sound, they flipped around in surprise, running to hide before lifting their arms up, a feeble attempt to guard from whatever was walking out of the alleyway.

From the shadows, the only slightly familiar face of Foot Lieutenant, his mouth curved into a dark smile. Y/n had only seen him once, when they had attacked the turtles, but they seemed— different somehow..  “I do believe that was a tech signal from a certain purple, mutated turtle..” he turned to Brute with a sinister chuckle, gazing down at a jagged piece of equipment. “We’ve got them now..” 

Y/n could hardly breathe, but they kept a hand over their mouth, determined to be as quiet as possible. From their many failed escape attempts, they knew Donnie had a tracer on his tech. Anyone who used it without authorization would have his ‘tag’ on them for quite a while. It was easily traceable. So if these people could trace that signal..

“Wait, I’m picking up something else!” Lieutenant looked back at the equipment, “it’s.. some sort of residue..” he hummed, then turned in Y/n’s direction. 

They felt their heart stop, eyes wide as they went to check around the corner. Was there a way out of this? Were they gonna leave one captor only to walk into the hands of another? 

Just as they began to spiral, a bright light illuminated from below them, encasing their cheeks gently in its blue hue. They didn’t have any time to react, the ground opening from below them as they fell into the abyss of neon. 

They felt the world spin around them as arms circled their back and legs, bridal style, as if their ‘savior’ had twirled flamboyantly once he caught them. 

Their eyes opened gently, before a gasp left their throat. The blood drained from their face, looking upon none other than Leo.

Normally they knew at least a few things to expect from him when they tried to escape, but they had never made it away for more than an hour before… 

They had no idea what he was gonna do. 

To their surprise, he was chuckling, not like he usually did— not with that — edge of maliciousness that reminded you why you couldn’t trust him. It was genuine, and weirder yet, he smiled at them. 

“Hey, need a hand?” He cheesed, quirking a brow. 

Y/n felt their bones nearly crack just at the sound of his voice, and found themself kicking at his plastron scrambling to put distance between them. Whatever manipulation tactic he was trying this time, it wouldn’t work on them. 

They gave him a terrified look, their eyes narrowing slightly as they braced for whatever he had planned. “Get away from me!” They yelled, baring their teeth. They had no way to fight back, and yet couldn’t stop the angry tears that piled in their eyes. 

“Woah— woah..” Leo seemed to shrink, making himself smaller as he showed his empty hands, keeping them where you could see them. “I know I look a little different but I assure you I have no intention to harm you..!” He gave a small laugh, as if he’d never seen this visceral of a reaction before. 

“That’s what you said last time!!” Y/n practically shrieked, hands up in defense to cover their face, that cold blooded liar would have to kill them before they allowed him to take them back to the lair. 

“Last time..?” Leo’s hands sunk a little, brows furrowing in curiosity. He’d never met this person before… 

Right..? 

—

THATS IT THERE YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANTED 😔😔😔😔😔😔 

Bonus: 

the art I made on a whim that inspired this

anyways.. Tell me if you want more of this silly lil au or something 😒😒

[chrysaliswife]

Ok so know im late to the party BUT,,,, heres my mlp infection au lol, unnecessary lore ramblings under the cut if ur interested but also CW for like, trypophobia???

Ok so *tucks hair behind ear lol* this is actually a curse that behaves like a virus cast by Queen Chrysalis before she turns to stone at the very end of the series teehee

The curse originally only impacts unicorns, who spread it through biting others, which is why Starlight (and most other unicorns) dont have bite marks, or are disembowled to a certain degree

Earth ponies and pegasi however, can only contract the virus through bite marks from infected unicorns, which is why they are often very gruesome and gorey looking, typically turning at a much faster rate than the unicorns who were originally affected

The curse (or the changeling virus) rewires ponies to only be able to feed off of love, in the same way changelings used feed off love, causing normal food to longer be nutritional anymore. Due to the virus blocking magic in infected unicorns, and regular ponies lacking the same abilities changelings have to consume love, the only way they can get the same satisfaction is by consuming others

The only unicorns uninfected (outside of the Crystal Empire) are Twilight and Rarity, as Twilight cast a protection shield around her and her friends when she realized that Queen Chrysalis was charging up one final spell (unknowingly saving the two of the from the curse). Princess Cadence, her family and any unicorns in the Crystal Empire are also unaffected due to the magic properties of the Crystal Heart protecting them

Each species acts different from each other once they fully succumb to the virus, but theyre all incredibly dangerous

●Unicorns are more likely to stalk ponies and attack at night, especially if the pony is (or looks similar to) someone they knew pre-infection. They hang back just far enough that theyre not an immediate threat, but will always keep targets within their line of sight and strike when least expected.

●Pegasi typically hunt in small flocks (two or three), and take to the skies if able. Theyre especially odd as they almost work together, similar to pre-infection, however the goal is to separate groups of ponies together to make them easier to overcome. Despite the teamwork, they are territorial with their prey once caught.

●Earth ponies are known to charge other ponies, (including the infected). Actively hunting and chasing them down until the victims tire out and are caught, or are lost. Often stopping at nothing to catch their prey, unless they are completely unable to move, the chase never ends. Should they catch up, they often stampede over their victim, efficiently subduing them.

Here are some doodles on how pegasi and earth ponies might looks at late stage infection *bats eyelashes*

If you read all of this tysmmm i hope u liked it and id love to know ur thoughts :) hehe

[dragonfirerogue-writes]

had a rough night yesterday so im basing it off that, hopefully you make its angsty and also fluffy

Wednesday x Reader

You and wednesday and other friends were hanging out, but suddenly you get a notification. you open up your phone to see someone that hasnt posted in a while, your Ex that has ghosted you for months and have never talked to again, hell you never even talked about breaking up as after a year of not responding to you, you assume that your relationship with them is over. Your previous expression drops as you feel despondent, you moved on but you were still hurt as they never even tried to contact you, never tried to talked it out with you.

and you can decide what Wednesday and the others reaction will be and how this will turn out, this is a personal turmoil of mine so i apologize on pushing this on to you and i hope you have fun writing this out

Better Days are Ahead

Wednesday x Reader

The day started out so well. It was a free day so you were out with friends. Wednesday was by your side, broody as ever. But among you and your friends, the aura around her was comparatively lighter. The others in your group were chattering away and you were content to just listen and bask in the company of good people.

A loud ping alerted you to a notification on your phone. You took a quick look, just to check what it was. The antics of your friends weren't to be missed and you wanted to witness tomfoolery. However, the name you saw turned a glance into a stare. Suddenly, everything changed.

Your ex's name. You had forgotten that you still had your phone set to receive notifications from them. It had been a year. A whole Gods forsaken year.

A year since they last spoke to you.

A year since they disappeared from your life.

A year since they ghosted you.

Your mind gets pulled back into the past. To happier, naive days when you and your then partner spent every moment together. In your eyes, you had it all. It was perfect. Nothing could pull you two apart.

Until one day, they were gone.

You had sent a text out, but never received a reply. Initially, you figured that they might've forgotten or got distracted. It happens so you weren't fussed. But more and more texts went unanswered. Calls were unreturned. Visits became nonexistent. Suddenly you're struck with the fact that they up and ghosted you. Left you alone without so much as a goodbye.

And it hurt.

The pain was near unbearable. Your friends witnessed it. The tears and sorrow that flowed out of you. The dark cloud that followed wherever you went. It was enough that even Wednesday was offering her services to dispatch your ex. You declined though. Having her near was enough. It took a long time, but you got better. You moved on with the help of Enid's positivity and Xavier's artistic distractions. Girls' Night began to involve you as Yoko and Divina gossiped your ear off. Ajax eased your nerves with his stash and his jokes.

And Wednesday? Her concern for you brought you back. As much as she didn't want to admit it, seeing you so down hurt her. It made her want to destroy the one who hurt you. She was willing to kill for you and it surprised her. When she mentioned it to you, you let out a soft laugh.

"It's like you like me or something. That's impossible though. I'm not worth it, apparently."

Suddenly you find yourself face to face with the goth.

"I will hunt down this cur to the ends of the earth for making you feel like this. You are worth more than one fool's opinion. You're worth even more than the opinions of your friends and you know they hold you in high regard. As do I."

That laid the foundation for your rise.

But now? The hurt returns. You can feel your eyes welling with tears. Your heart clenches in your chest. A frown pulls at your face and your energy drops dramatically. Even after all this time, they still affect you like this. The simple name before you caused this flood of emotions to overwhelm you.

Before you could succumb to the void, you feel a hand in yours. You look up and see Wednesday eyeing you with concern.

"Why are you in your head?" She asks. The question draws the attention of the others. With everyone's eyes on you, you just let out a sigh and show them the notification.

"My ex seems to be back. They just posted something. And, you know. Not a word to me."

The sudden uproar startles you. Xavier was standing, ready to storm off and fight someone. Enid growls and flexes her claws. Wednesday looks ready to release demonic energy. You take a moment to stare at everyone. They were all quick to defend you. Even the laid-back Ajax was fuming.

A smile blooms on your face.

The feeling of your friends and partner giving their support so readily made your heart swell. The pain of the past felt more bearable. It was still there, but you could ignore it now.

You feel a hand on your cheek and turn your head. Wednesday's eyes soften when they're on you, but there's still a danger in them.

"Cara mia, it will be nothing for us to hunt them down and force them to grovel to you. Just say the word."

You just lean in to give her a quick kiss and turn to the rest of your friends.

"They're not worth it. But if they ever show up..."

Almost everyone's grin turns sinister. It was a fascinating sight.

[child-of-the-sky-people]

hi Ali! im looking for a new narrative podcast to get into, what's your current rec list? :)

Oh god it’s so long 😂

Horror:

Human Error - this one is mine so of course I’m recommending it 😂 it’s about a found family of survivors going on a road trip during a zombie apocalypse 12 years after the world ended!

We’re Alive - also zombie horror and was the show that got me into audio dramas! It’s very long and looks overwhelming but I promise it’s good!

Darkest Night - anthology horror where you find out how people died but each case is actually related and there is a bigger mystery and this show lives in my head rent free lol

The Waystation - found footage style show about a group of people on a space station that all died (the story is trying to piece together what happened). It’s along the same lines as The White Vault

DERELICT - a research group are studying a door at the bottom of the ocean, and then shit goes sideways. I binged this series super fact and I need season 2 immediately lol

The Eleventh Hour episode called The City of Statues - I made this! It’s about a group of survivors trying to make it out of a city filled with statues trying to hunt them down 👀

Someone Dies in this Elevator - mix of horror and thriller I think. It’s an anthology series where every episode someone dies in an elevator 👀 I composed for a few episodes and it’s v fun 🤩

Thriller

The Liberty Podcast - made by the same folks behind The White Vault and VAST Horizon. It’s an anthology series of stories taking place within and surrounding a tower where a civilization lives. Some episodes might lean more towards horror but I personally consider it more thriller

The Walk - made by the same folks behind zombies run! In this show you the listener are the main character, an individual making their way across Scotland with a package they were mistakenly delivered. I love this show so much omg

Primordial Deep - scientists are finding extinct dinosaurs alive and well under the ocean and they’re trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. I fucking love this show omg

Spines - woman wakes up in the middle of a cult ritual with no memories and is trying to figure out who she is and where she came from. Also there are powers!

Mirrors - same person behind Spines! Three women from three different centuries (who are all related to each other) discover they can communicate with each other through ghost like figures. It has a bigger mystery and the ending made me cry it was so good

InCo - a woman finds a prince from a world that shouldn’t exist floating in space. This show is a delight and is a micro series and I love the humor within it so much omg

Where the Stars Fell - the Antichrist is roommates with their guardian angel and they’re trying to stop the rapture

DUST - anthology series about science fiction and technology! Season 3 is definitely my favorite as it is one story but the entire show as a whole is very good

Feel Good/Light Hearted Shows

Unseen - this show lives in my head rent free and I ache for it to be real. It’s about magic existing in the real world and is an anthology! It’s made by the same folks behind Wolf 359

Joy to the World - holiday series I helped produce! It’s about an astronaut named Joy talking with different people on Earth about the holidays! It’s an anthology and v warm and I highly recommend it as a holiday series

Sidequesting - a person who is totally not the hero is avoiding the main plot and going on a bunch of side quests! It’s charming and lovely and made by the wonderful Tal

Back Again, Back Again - a woman is retelling her stories of his magical world she was transported into and about the prophecy she became involved in

If none of these are your jam lmk and I can suggest some more! If you tell me what you like to listen to/what kinds of stories you enjoy I can make a more personalized list

[tachimichishrine]

<ok guys so hear me out. this is the second time i've posted this on tumblr (originally posted on my main— which isn't a fic blog btw) AND i have it somewhere on my other platforms that i havent touched in ages... im just tryin to organize myself so pls dont remind me..... womp womps apologetically,, anywho, it's canon that jouno was a crime executive before joining the hunting dogs sooooo !!!!!! >

"sweet and sour"

◝≞▣≞◜ crime executive!jouno saigiku x gn!reader

warnings: except for a bit of guns + cursing and ooc jouno,, none! this is all fluff :) i didn't write this in lowercase??? crazy amirite

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"Jouno Sai... Saigay? I was certain there was gay in there somewhere... Anyways! Hi!! It's a pleasure to meet you!!"

The mispronounced man in question glared at the individual who was giggling happily, strolling around in the office like they owned the place, shooting a, "Hey, Fernando, did you get a new haircut?", "Lookin' good in that suit, Ichika!", and, "Oh my god! Where did you get those shoes, I swear I saw the exact same ones at that store down the street, the uh... what's it called? Y'know what I'm talking about, don't'cha?" to his fellow executives like they've been friends for years on end.

The room had always been tense, from what he recalled. When people entered, they expected to get shot by the boss, or be given a task so difficult to complete that they would ultimately get shot. In short, a meeting with the renowned organization that Jouno Saigiku worked for was a death sentence for his subordinates, even more so for rival organizations.

Yet, this person had been bouncing around the walls like a child in a candy store, waving around the knife at their fingertips like a ten thousand yen bill and showing off the gun strapped to their thigh and waist with the same bubbly confidence of a new outfit they'd just bought the previous day.

'They're going to get themselves killed in no time,' he laughed to himself, waiting for the one in charge to enter the room.

For now, he was responsible for managing the building and their potential customer (from another criminal organization. It made him wonder how on earth someone like them could possibly be working in the same sadistic field as he did) until their meeting began. He'd never met this person in particular before, and wished he would've never had to. However, business was business, and he would need to accommodate them well enough to prevent a war between the two groups to break out.

"[l/n], was it?" he smirked, a strained playful smile that was barely hanging above the devilish one he had underneath. "It's Jouno Saigiku, and I'd recommend that you refrain from making yourself too comfortable in here. You are, as you know, on our turf, which means that-"

"Bla, bla, bla! you're so formal!" they scoffed with a wave of their hands, bouncing off of the velvet couch and strolling up to the executive, glaring at him with a particular expression that he couldn't see. "I'm actually rather touched that you knew my name! [l/n] [y/n], I'm your connect with [criminal organization name ~ [c /o/n]] so don't be a meanie!"

..."Don't be a meanie? "

As if by miracle, the boss entered right when they were about to get close enough to his straightened-out figure, almost army-like in posture, to tap his nose with their fingertip as one does with children. In his field of work, only people of utmost trust managed to meet directly with the person on the top, so he considered that perhaps they were prevalent in some other field that didn't have to do with relationships and appearance. Now, all he had to do was wait for his boss to get infuriated at their attitude and demand that he dispose of them and he'd be able to drag them out back and peel off their skin...

"[l/n], dear! It's been a while, has it not?"

This keeps getting better and better.

"Kantoku!" they beamed out, running over to the old man and avidly shaking his hand. "Oh, I've missed you so! Things have changed around here, didn't they? You never told me you promoted a new executive!"

With a playful eyeroll, Kantoku - the man in charge of his crime syndicate - gestured to the couch and began to converse, almost casually. What baffled him, perhaps the most of all, was that every regular beat of their heart was steady, this wasn't a feigned façade nor overcompensation for fear. This person was truly, genuinely an idiot.

"Pst, Jouno," the woman executive standing beside him nudged his shoulder, "the boss is here so we're free to go. Plus, that asshole who stole from us isn't talking, so we might need your help."

With that, he left behind both the room and the lingering feeling of confusion regarding [l/n] [y/n].

.

.

.

.

.

Jouno Saigiku did not have a very complex job.

In fact, his daily tasks mostly consisted of torture and punishment, with the occasionally laying off (which undoubtedly meant death. There was quite a bit of death around him, a certain fading scent that permeated throughout any room he'd visit. This was not a literal physical scent, for that would obstruct his sight and handicap his senses, but nonetheless he found himself rather pleased when he felt warm blood splatter across his soft cheeks.)

Today was nothing different; supposedly, someone from [c /o/n] had blundered and fled right into their territory. Given the amical relationships between the two groups, it was their job to retrieve and return the fugitive, annihilate them if they do not cooperate and it becomes necessary.

At the moment, he found himself seated in a vehicle, driving to the last location that this person was last seen, being described as "[s/c] skinned and [e/c] eyed", all attributes which couldn't possibly make any difference to him, due to his lack of vision. When he asked for a name of this person, he was shocked to learn that it was the same energetical and bubbly individual who vaguely crossed his radar a few weeks back.

"Oi, oi, Jouno slow down, we don't wanna pass 'em 'cause you're drivin' too fast, 'ight?" his coworker for this mission reprimanded. "Just 'cause you can do that fancy hearin' thing ain't mean my eyes ain't good, 'ight?"

Jouno thus pressed his foot with more force against the gas pedal, speeding up the car only because he didn't quite like the tone of this person.

"Hm?" he asked innocently. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you very well, what did you say?"

"I said slow down you-"

They cut themselves off, not allowing for a response since their silence indicated that they had learnt something new.

"Woah, yeah, they're right over there!" they exclaimed, tapping a point on the window so that Jouno could hear the faint sound and distinguish which direction their target was. "Pull over, I'll tie 'em up and toss 'em in the back."

The white-haired man paused momentarily, thin brows imitating each other as they angled upwards in confusion.

"What do you mean? That's not them."

"For a blind bitch, ya really think yer all that, don't'cha? I can literally see them right now, they're standing outside the fuckin' car so pull over and lemme mug 'em."

His lips had pressed into a line, contemplating the situation. The reason he wasn't allowed to go on his own was because they were extremely picky about identifying the right culprit, yet Jouno cared little for his escort of sorts. He'd encountered [l/n] before, and what marked his memory the most, asides from their childlike behavior, was how their heart hadn't betrayed a thing on the outside attitude, despite being blatantly threatened. This person, the one that his temporary partner had suggested was their target, was in fact sweating buckets and had such an erratic heartbeat he might've believed them to be having tachycardia. On top of this, their breathing was not the same, from what he gauged, they couldn't possibly be the right height, build and walking pattern. People on the run obviously become more more jittery when faced with escaping an impossible situation, but this conflicted his knowledge in too many ways to be true.

"I believe," he suggested calmly with a grin appearing, still refusing to unlock the doors or pull over, therefore driving past the individual, "that [l/n] might not be as gullible as we first presumed, and that this person is a decoy set up to distract us."

And so, Jouno found himself pleasantly challenged by the least likely person.

.

.

.

.

.

As the sun bled out into the sky during its descent from the zenith to the crepuscule, Jouno had finally managed to shed his gravely irritating partner and complete his task alone.

That idiot - really, that's all he could call them - decided to ignore his words and kidnap the scapegoat. Of course, this person sobbed and repeatedly told them that they're not the right person, that there's been a mistake, but no one believed their words. Inevitably, they were tortured for a few hours and deemed unnecessary. Jouno shot them, then headed back to search for the real culprit.

"Now, where could they be?" he hummed, almost amusedly, to himself. "Most people tend to lay low when running from important and dangerous organizations, but something tells me..."

He was rather lucky, in a sense, that someone had spotted the fugitive near a bar. However, this was over 5 hours ago. People on the run tend to be smart enough to scatter from location to location, but he supposed he shouldn't be overestimating other people's intelligence.

The door creaked with a lowly groan, as did the floor when he applied weight onto it via his heavy tread. Upon first impressions, the bar was nearly empty.

Then, he heard a voice call out.

"SAIGAY!! Ahh, it's been a while, hasn't it?! Come, come! Can I order you anything? You look like a bourbon man, are you into bourbon? Unless... fine wine? Oh dear, don't keep me guessing, come, sit!"

Immediately, as soon as they called out his name and announced themselves with such ardor, he knew he had the right person.

"No thank you," he smiled. "I can't drink, I'm currently at work."

"Are you? Aw, you don't mean you're here to kill me?" they replied, voice dipping down to a pouty grumble as they neared the end of the sentence. "I'm tired of people trying to kill me, it's no fun."

Idling at the entrance, Jouno didn't quite motion to sit next to them, nor did he seek to keep close in case of sudden evacuation. From what he had heard, this person was without ability, so they didn't pose much danger. Nevertheless, he was a cautious man, and had known that false information could potentially be fatal in certain circumstances, especially when the target is acting so laid back.

"You stole half a million yen from one of the most dangerous organizations around, I don't particularly think you'd've expected it to be fun."

Met with muttering, he would've asked them to speak up had he not heard the nearly incomprehensible, "but I didn't steal anything" from their lips.

"You didn't?" he said aloud. "Then where do you suppose the money had gone?"

A pause insinuated, and he pondered repeating his question in a more forceful way when they answered. "Woah, you've got great hearing! I wish I were like that, half the time people talk to me and all I hear is 'bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bl-'"

Jouno pulled out his firearm and pointed it directly at them.

"Enough games. Cooperate and I'll only make it hurt a lot."

"Gee, mister, did someone piss in your cheerios? I'll come, I'll come, just give me a second! I want to finish my drink."

On the table, however, there wasn't a single glass.

Upon having Jouno point this detail out (for while he could not see, he could still visualize objects in space with his other senses), they paused briefly. "So either you're blind but scarily good at it, or you can see through that crazy squinting of yours."

"I don't appreciate you stalling," he hummed, cocking the gun. "Do you think I won't shoot?"

"No, no, it's clear you would!" giggled the individual. "But, oh, do tell me more about yourself. Being threatened is so much more pleasant when-"

He shot them once.

He shot them twice.

Both bullets landed in non-lethal locations, such as their right shoulder and calf, which was enough to get his message across without rushing his punishment for their actions.

"That hurt!" they frowned, clutching at the opening from which blood was rushing out. "Owwie! You really don't like talking with people, do you, Saigay?"

"Saigiku," he corrected with a hiss. "Do you ever stop talking? I could very well kill you right now."

"Well, I sure hope you don't!"

This just made him want to shoot them even more.

He listened eagerly as they let out a few hisses and groans, then a soft squelch and the clattering of a metal against the marble countertop. He guessed that they were taking out the bullet from their calf, since the one in their shoulder had effectively shattered into hundreds of shards, and would require special medical attention immediately if they wished to live for a few more years. Then again, he knew that they probably wouldn't live past tomorrow, so it wasn't his concern.

Letting out a soft gasp while they tore off part of their attire in order to wrap their injured limb, they still seemed to be laughing. "Thanks."

"For the gunshot wound?" the white-haired male tried to clarify. He didn't take them to be such an open masochist.

Yet, his question only spurred a flurry of coughing and chuckles. "Of course not! I meant, thank you for not attacking me further. Really thought you'd kill me here and now, but you're letting me treat my wounds without interference. Is it because you have orders not to kill me?" Adding with a terribly comedic bite of their lip, they said, "Or have you been seduced by my charm?"

Once he made it perfectly clear that he'd shoot again, they backed off on the teasing remarks and requested that he help them up. "To walk," they'd clarified. "I can't walk, y'know. How do you plan on getting me back to your base?"

"I'll drag you by your hair if I need to," he replied.

(He had to hijack a car because there was no way he'd drag a body across the city, especially not a body as talkative as this one.)

"So you're telling me," they pondered while blindfolded and cuffed in the back of the vehicle, "that you're blind, yet you have highlights? They're pretty, I'll give you that, but why did you colour it? Midlife crisis? Doesn't sound right to me, plus you can't even see the colour so why on earth would you do it? Are you responding to me? I can't hear anything with this blindfold over my ears. Aren't blindfolds supposed to obstruct your vision, not your hearing? Man, but maybe I can hear perfectly fine and it's all your fault because you're not answering me. C'mon, Saigay, humor me!"

Of course, he had no intentions of humoring them.

"You're lucky I didn't gag you," he said. "Or cut off your tongue. In fact, knocking you unconscious would've been a splendid idea."

"But you didn't!" the ex-criminal beamed. "Besides, I'm going to get beat up enough once you deliver me back to [c /o/n]. If you ask them to let you watch and/or participate, they won't say no, I think. Pops isn't too strict when it comes to those things."

"Pops?"

"Y'know, the head of [c /o/n]. He's my dad's close friend and the brother in law of your boss."

That explained a lot of things, starting with this seemingly innocent person's involvement with such dark themes. Yet, there was still something Jouno needed to know.

"And you betrayed your own family friend?" asked the blind man, quickly approaching the location of the building in which he was given rendezvous for the drop-off of the traitor.

"Ahh, connections don't mean shit," they scoffed, waving around their tied hands as if to emphasize their point. "But I didn't betray them. I'd have to be an idiot.... No, not an idiot, whatever is worse than an idiot in order to steal money from a man who would've given me the cash if I asked him for it. So, no. I didn't steal anything. That's why I didn't run; I'm not guilty of anything, running would make it look like I am."

Jouno was interiorly perplexed. So they've got a decent brain behind all of that buttery personality, after all. But, there was just something about them that didn't fit with the narrative, something he couldn't wrap his head around.

"Why wait for me to tie you up?" he finally suggested aloud, hearing his own words formed allowing him to make more sense of his confusion. "Why not just waltz into the building? This makes you look both stupid and guilty."

A laugh burst from the backseat, the kind of laugh that makes you want to join in despite not fully understanding the reason behind it. It was however cut short, due to a sharp inhale of pain then a few curses murmured at their injuries.

"Maybe I am an idiot. Maybe I wanted to get caught. Who knows? Maybe this was all part of my master plan to lure you near Negishi Station so that I could use my all-powerful ability."

He spent a few seconds registering that last bit. Lure him out to Negishi so they could...

"BOOM!"

With a jolt, he nearly crashed the car; luckily, in time Jouno had realized that this was just a sound effect from the hostage, and not a real crash caused by an ability. They were, in fact, right next to Negishi, which made the whole thing a huge coincidence, but other than that, nothing occurred. They were still in the car, unharmed and untouched by any ability that he could detect.

Meanwhile, [l/n] was laughing their ass off.

"BWAHAHAH, you actually fell for it!!" they managed between heaving breaths and uncontrollable laughter. "I knew that since you were blind you would be sensitive to loud noises but that worked so much better than I thought it would, you should've seen your face! You were all like," then they proceeded to make a plethora of faces he couldn't see, but that he knew were all mocking him.

[l/n] continued, "By the way, just because I haven't used it doesn't mean I don't have an ability. So watch out for your ass, pretty boy, or else I might just... BAM!"

He did not flinch this time, but he found himself rather frustrated with his previous reaction. People, normal people, never teased him this way. He'd have thought [l/n] would be a bit less friendly around him after sustaining the injuries, but so far, that appeared only to drive them towards a playful alternative to revenge on par with a snowball fight between two children.

"I'll tell you what," concluded the hysterical individual attempting to calm themselves down, "let's do this again, same time tomorrow? Muah, it was lovely meeting you Saigay!!"

Before he could protest or question this, they waved around their somehow uncuffed hands, reached for the handle of the car door, pushed it open and leaped out.

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He found himself standing at the entrance of the bar the very next day.

It was beyond frustrating to pick up the pieces of yesterday's aftermath; based on his recollection and the most probable situation, [l/n] likely used the loud noises not only to ruffle and distract him, but to cover up for the sound of the click of their handcuffs being taken off, courtesy of a pin they had picked the lock with. On top of this, their haphazardous mention of Negishi station was just a way of situating themselves in space (since they had been blindfolded) so they could think of the safest escape route.

He quite frankly did not expect to be outsmarted by someone who can't even remember his name right. Yet, the fact remained that he was strolling up to the entrance of the same place as he'd previously apprehended them at, same hour of the day. He rather hated the sunset; nothing felt right for him. Not the consistent buzzing of the cicadas during the day nor the melodic trilling of the crickets; dusk never held a sustainable aura, and for this reason he'd grown to loathe it, despite being told repeatedly that the setting sun was beautiful.

Rushing curtly inside the building, the bells connected to the door jingled, and, almost on cue, a loud cheer roused him from his lucid trance.

"Saigay!! Over here, over here! Can't say I expected you to show up, but I'm pleasantly surprised!" gleamed [l/n] upon his arrival.

"It's Saigiku," he repeated for an umpteenth time, "and I'm here to turn you in."

They shook their head. "I'd have hoped you'd realized that I don't take to being kidnapped. But I do appreciate the perseverance, so I'll make a deal; have a drink with me, then I'll cooperate for an entire 5 minutes without trying to escape."

"...You truly are an odd person," said he, despite taking a seat by their side and waiting. He didn't know what trick they had up their sleeve (rather, their cast. Turns out, they'd gone to a private medical professional in order to have it looked at. He smiled when he noticed this; a sure sign that victory was much more likely tonight.)

"I'll take that as a compliment!" [l/n] laughed heartily, then called for the waiter. "One [favorite drink] for me, and he'll have a cup of whiskey. The good type, y'know what I mean, darling?"

The waiter raised a brow at the nickname and odd hint, but took the order anyways and began preparation. Meanwhile, Jouno sat, trying to protest that he did not want anything to drink, but was quickly cut off by his temporary enemy's much louder affirmations that he did indeed want some.

"You don't look like the type to be trying out sobriety," they hummed, "but I know if I let you chose for yourself, you wouldn't get anything. You'd be all," (and here their voice deepened and became gruff in an attempt to make it clear that they were looking to mock him,) "'I'm here to kill you! I'm a mass murderer so fear me!!' Am I right or am I right?"

Before he could respond, the fingers on their uninjured hand began to flick his dangling earring, on the right side of his face.

"You have an earring," they pointed out, almost stupidly. "Why don't you have one on the other side?"

He wasn't going to respond to any of this. In fact, he was toying with the knife in his pocket, gauging the right moment to strike with such an unpredictable opponent.

"Because I don't," he said dully. The waiter came, their glasses clinking with the ice inside as it toyed around in the liquid, gently being placed onto the counter.

"Fair enough," they smiled. "Okay sooooooo, wha'd'ya wanna talk 'bout? Gimme anything, I hate silence."

That made two of them.

"What is your ability?" he said rather bluntly, with a soft hum. He was in an optimal position to strike, only a few centimeters away, but he thought better than to attack without knowing such an important piece of information. Besides, with the way the conversation was going, they seemed to be eager to tell him the truth, for whatever reason, so he wouldn't lose anything to try.

After taking a long sip from their drink, they paused. "Nothing, I don't have one. You?"

The cautious man pressed further. "I find it hard to believe you haven't an ability in such a dangerous environment."

With a chuckle, they took another gulp from the glass. Then, turning to him with a relaxed heartbeat, they said very calmly and slowly, "I don't believe in needless deceit. Unlike you, Mr. Hide-my-knife-in-my-pocket-that-I'm-going-to-stab-you-with, I don't play dirty. So, when I say that I don't have an ability, don't be so surprised, yeah? The majority of people don't. I supposed when you're gifted, you don't quite try to sympathize with those unlike you."

So, they're aware of the weapon, yet made no move to dodge? Perhaps he's overthinking this, after all there are many people who seem invincible just because one doesn't act based on rational decisions, but based on their feelings. He should know, he spends most of his free time toying with said emotions and tearing them apart.

In one swift movement, he let his knife slide back down his pocket and removed both hands from the shadows.

"You sound genuine," he said, almost to himself.

"Well, I sure hope so," they laughed, despite nothing particularly funny being said. "I am being genuine, after all. You'll be able to bring me in and tie me up properly in a little while, so I'm going to enjoy the now while I still can, that's my philosophy!"

"Your philosophy is to drink something before you get kidnapped instead of trying to escape?" he repeated, incredulous. Perhaps their drink was laced with something, some kind of drug that drags your mood to a high. Even if he smelled no trace of anything other than [favorite drink], he concluded that this was the only reasonable explanation to this indecipherable human being.

Doubling over with a violent wheeze, they were (yet again) laughing at his words. They babbled a few words between gasps for breath, such as, "Didn't know you had a sense of humour!" and "Please, I can't breathe!" like he'd been a world renowned comedian. He almost felt the urge to clarify that he was attempting to degrade them, to criticize them and point out their stupidity, but one does not simply explain themselves when insulting another. Typically, their words transmitted the message well enough, but this was far from a typical recipient.

Finally recovering, they put on a mock angry face and waved around their finger. "You fiend, take it easy, I'm injured! At this rate, you'll make me pop my lungs out, ahah! Is that your master plan? To incapacitate me verbally? Bravo, I didn't expect that!"

"I wasn't..." he said, trailing off as he was thoroughly perplexed. What does one say in his situation? At this rate, his biggest concern was their oddities, not their capture.

On second thought, he nearly forgot that he was here to capture them.

"That's the beauty of it," they exclaimed, waving around their drink and spilling a considerable amount on his shirt accidentally with the grand gesture. "Unintentional torture! Wow, you must be even better than what I've heard about you, Saigay."

Not even bothering to correct them, he said, "And what exactly have you heard of me?"

"One, that you're very attractive. Two, you're ruthless when it comes to sadism. Three, you have exceptional intellect and four, you can hear heartbeats. Is that last one true? Wouldn't that make you a living polygraph?"

He was, but also wasn't, listening. The first thing they'd mentioned was his attractiveness, likely physical, but what an odd thing to point out, that is! Fighting down the odd feeling blooming in his chest with success, he finally mustered a response; an affirmation.

"That must be your ability," they pondered. "Isn't it? You'd be too strong if you had something else on top of this."

With a grin, Jouno explained, "It is not."

A melodramatic gasp could be heard echoing throughout the mostly empty room. "It isn't?? Gah, I must've been astronomically lucky to have escaped you last time!"

He'd've agreed had he not been promptly cut off by a rush of guesses regarding his ability. Most were way off, a select few absurd, and the entirety of them wrong. He felt his face contort into that of a confused expression when they suggested that he might be able to listen to people through walls, drawing an example by explaining that he might, and here the words were engraved into his mind, "listen in on people while they went to the bathroom, thus deducing whether their digestion was going well." Somehow, this had become a conversation in which they recounted the vivid tale of their daunting task of finding a bathroom once when they'd been in a 'foreign environment' - also known as the downtown region of the neighboring city during a negotiation.

All done and said, they'd contented themselves with a fairly one sided discussion, and he sipped down the Japanese whiskey he'd been handed. Upon noticing this, [l/n] stuck out both of their wrists as best as they could, pressed near one another as if pleading.

"Well, a deal's a deal! Take me away, Saigay! Ah! That rhymes! Maybe I should become a poet!" they giggled.

Jouno considered this for a long time, the topic that was on his mind ever since his arrival. The previous day, he'd told his boss that [l/n] couldn't be found, and that he must've made a mistake when saying that the doppelganger was a fake. This, of course, was untrue, but it also gave him leeway in case he found himself up against a formidable opponent. All of this meant that, if he did not turn [l/n] in to [c /o/n], he himself would not lose anything.

It wasn't sympathy, he told himself, that led him to get up and walk away as they left their arms extended. No, it was just an avoidance of unnecessary effort. If he walked away now, he would save himself the hassle of detaining them, all the while giving this person a second chance. Who knows, perhaps they'd be useful to him in the future.

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Jouno had not expected to be called by the lower ranking members of his organization early in the morning. What he had expected was to go to his office; not being told that there was a "package" waiting for him at the base.

He hadn't a clue what this package was. His first instinct was that it was a weapon of sorts, a bomb, anything that did damage. Although, it could very well also be a traitor who had been tied up and sent to him as a peace offering. The more he thought about it, the happier he was as he approached the location in which he was expected.

"J-Jouno-sama!" exclaimed one of the nervous underlings - a kid, really - holding a...

...A dog?

It barked at him, growling and struggling in the grasp of the two kids tasked with holding it down.

"What is this, a prank?" Jouno hissed, ready to make them pay before he even got the entire story.

One of them audibly gulped as their blood drained from their face, while the other stuttered an explanation. "N-No! We f-found this dog attached w-with a leash right in front of the building, and there was this attached to its collar," they said as they handed the executive a wrinkled piece of paper which, upon further inspection, turned out to hold an uncanny resemblance to a napkin from a nearby fast food place.

On it, there were an assortment of dots which were ink being pressed hard onto the fabric. Braille, he concluded. This person seemed not only to have specifically destined this to him, but desired to keep the contents for him only, rather than have someone read it for him.

On it, he managed to decipher the following:

'Dear Saigay,        Thanks for not trying to kill me!! I'm certain you're just a big softie heheh.         The doc told me I shouldn't be moving around too much after those wounds you gifted me, so now I'm kinda on house arrest lolol. Either way, I'd've loved to thank you personally but can't so I got you a present, its name is undecided yet BUTTTTTT they're a bitch just like you so I called them saigay jr. for the time being ♡ plus I figured you never had a guide dog, right?? So here you go!  XD

p.s. you never told me what kind of drink you liked. was I right about the whiskey? pls tell me!! i'll recover properly then find you, so you better have an answer by then >:( p.p.s. heheh peepee s p.p.p.s. you still haven't told me why your hair is dyed p.p.p.p.s. SAIGAY JR HAS YOUR MISSING EARRING BTW!!'

What on earth-

He certainly was no longer angry at this weird dog, but at the owner.

What made it worse was that the two kids had finally gotten over their fear of him and started calming down the dog (which he was not going to called Saigay Jr., much less Saigiku Jr.), noticing the earring; it was only a clip on that was obviously made up of cardboard clippings and poorly colored insides, as well as engravings that he could physically feel and recognize, but the resemblance to his own was noticeable. He wondered if this was an insult from [l/n] disguised as a present, but decided that there were too many exclamation marks for this to be anything resembling a threat. Not to mention the "XD".

Now, he had to figure out the dog. It's too much noise and too much effort, besides he doesn't like dogs all that much. He supposed he'll just have to snatch off that wretched earring and dispose of it before anyone makes the link and this haunts him, then kick it out. Surely it'll wander back off to its home or whatever. None of what followed would be his concern.

"Jouno s-sama, what should we do with the dog?" uneasily asked the kid. He shook his head, snatched the makeshift earring in one fell swoop and crumbled it into a ball in his hand.

"Take it outside, it isn't mine and I don't care about it. This was just a prank from someone I know."

With this, Saigay Jr. was released back onto the street, the collar still coated with braille dots that spell out its name.

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Once work was done, he decided to go for a walk, for some fresh air. However, Jouno was not expecting to hear panting coming from his side.

Saigay Jr. barked at him, happily wagging their tail and bouncing on their paws.

"What is wrong with you," he swore under his breath, then made his tone much vocal. "Go away! I don't want you here!"

None of this, obviously, got across to the dog, who was still following him closely.

"I said go away!" he yelled, a bit louder but also significantly harsher. "Stupid bitch."

It somehow reacted differently, barking much more avidly and skipping over to him with apparent excitement.

At this rate, he'd never get rid of the dog. He contemplated calling the pound and having someone take them in, but knew that this was likely an unnecessary step to take. Regardless, he'd have to get rid of it soon. All this barking is going to make him dizzy soon.

The sounds subsided as it transitioned from growling to a soft whine, choosing to lay down. It was then that he noticed a certain odor that he hadn't paid attention to before.

...Blood?

He almost could've sworn the dog was injured.

Jouno decided that it was not his concern and left it there, on the street, alone.

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The dog was certainly a stubborn little thing, as it was there when he came to work the next day.

He took out his gun, shot it in the air (loud noises hurt him a lot, but he knew the same applied to the animal) and hummed contently as it scurried off out of fear, out of his life.

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Saigay Jr. came back the very next day.

"Oh, will you fuck off already?" he groaned, taking out his gun yet again to fire a warning shot. Of course, he wasn't going to actually kill the beast, but he was reaching a point where he was very well considering it.

He stopped himself as he heard it whine, then lower itself to the ground, almost bowing to him in a human fashion.

"I'm not keeping you. [l/n] should've just left you in the dump where they found you," he said, realizing that he was talking to a literal dog.

He reached his hand out with a sigh, and began to pet it. This clearly made the dog calm down significantly, as it was finally getting recognition from the one it believed to be its owner, and so it didn't noticed as he curled his fingers around the leash, detached the ends of the collar then used it to attach the canine to a post.

As soon as it realized its situation, it began to growl, barking aggressively at him, then pouting and almost seeming like it was about to cry. Jouno didn't care, however, as he took out his burner phone and dialed animal patrol.

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Somehow, by some un-abiding law of the universe, Saigay Jr. was there, sitting happily, waiting for him outside of the building in which he operated.

Its leg and arm seemed to be getting better, he could tell, which made it likely that it wouldn't stop coming back to annoy him.

"It's like a miniature [l/n]," he laughed to himself.

Over time, he'd almost began to enjoy his daily encounters with the animal. He found it almost enjoyable to pet and ruffle its soft fur, eliciting the pleasant reaction of a calm dog.

Today, he decided, he would stop pushing it away. It's Houdini, this mynx, a Houdini who refused to disappear and could get out of any trap he laid for it.

"First off," he crouched down, stroking its ear, "ground rules. You are not my dog. I'm doing this to see if it'll get rid of you once you get bored with me. Got it?"

Ears drooping, Saigay Jr. seemed to be saying, "aww, but I wanted to be your dog!", to which Jouno replied with a look that said, "Don't make me get up and leave."

"Second rule, keep your piss and shit away from me, I'm not touching or smelling any of that. Third, you do as I tell you to. Understood?"

He wasn't expecting the dog to nod, but would've liked seeing it react other than burrowing its head further into the palm of his hand. Reluctantly, Jouno didn't resist, and sat there entertaining its need for physical touch for a few moments before springing to his feet.

"I'm going home. You are not allowed in my house," he warned, turning around.

Saigay Jr. followed him home anyways.

Somehow, as the day turned into night, he found himself helpless when it comes to resistance against this dog. It was thankfully very unproblematic, not making much of a mess when they arrived to the apartment which he lived in (it wasn't his, evidently. The criminal organization he worked for simply scared off all the tenants and let their members live there, unofficially.) He gestured to a corner for it to stay while he settled down, and stuck there for as long as he told it to.

As he took care of his own affairs, the time to rest finally came, and the dog didn't appear to have any plans to depart from its new best friend.

"Leave," he repeated forcefully, pointing to the door left ajar for it to crawl outside. "I said leave."

The message seemed to be getting across, as Saigay Jr. finally began to trek towards the entrance.

Then, it used its snout to shut the door, returning promptly and sitting down in front of him, waiting for some kind of reward.

"I'd really wish you'd die right now," he threw a hand on his face, tilting it upwards to display his frustration. "Fine. Let's play this the hard way."

He walked outside his apartment, knowing that the dog would follow, and shut the door behind them both. With a smirk, he activated his ability, disintegrating into the smallest specks and re-entering the room while sifting through the openings on the side of the door.

This way, he was back inside while the animal was whining from the outside, scratching occasionally to ask him to let them back in.

"Absolutely not," he laughed proudly, tossing himself into bed, trying to will himself to fall asleep before he'd begin to feel guilt about leaving the diligent and loyal gift from [l/n] outside.

A click, a creak and a shuffle later, and he heard a very clear panting noise.

Saigay Jr. had somehow managed to get inside.

"Fuck, you know what? I don't care anymore," groaned the tired man. "I give up. You win."

As he let himself doze off, the dog had crawled up onto the bed and softly laid its head on his chest, breathing steadily.

Jouno wouldn't admit that the sound and feeling was a nice change to his norm.

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At this point, Jouno had practically adopted Saigay Jr.

He didn't hear anything from [l/n], which he found odd since it had been over 6 months since he'd last seen them. He knew that he shouldn't be thinking about them; he'd only known the peculiar individual for a grand total of about 3 encounters, one of which he hadn't even interacted with them and the other two being attempted kidnapping and murder. The white-haired man knew that the only reason their image stuck in his head was due to this dog, this constant reminder of them, on top of their boisterous personality that he could've swore made him look at people like him (who had little to no personality, all business and no fun, as they might've said) differently.

The dog was a weird new addition to his life as well. He'd never seen it eat nor require to be walked. In fact, their relationship had gotten to the point where he was becoming more and more eager to be in its company; he woke up with Saigay Jr. (whose name he couldn't bring himself to change nor get out of his head), the both of them walked to his work, and then when he was done with his daily torturing, the loyal animal was waiting for him at the door of his apartment. He occasionally let it sleep in his bed, but mostly it found a small corner on the couch where both of them seemed content. It was a particularly odd situation; Jouno did not like pets. In fact, he didn't like people, so why would he expose himself to this small, fluffy thing for daily companionship? He didn't know, but found that there was no need to question a mutually beneficial situation.

Today, however, something odd had happened.

Saigay Jr. was not waiting in front of his door when he got back, covered in the heavy smell of blood for today's session was especially... artistic.

"Junior?" he found himself calling out, a name he never had the need to say out loud due to their chemistry. Yet, there seemed to be no movement nearby.

Weird, he thought, but there's no need to make a big deal out of this. The animal probably had to attend to its animal business, or whatever. Maybe the meeting that they always attend while he's at work was running late, he humored himself.

A few hours later, and nothing happened, no one showed up scratching at his front door or barking at it. He'd told himself that he was going to keep going on with his day as if nothing happened, but sleep was difficult to find because of the nagging feeling that something wasn't right.

It was then that he heard a knock at his door.

Not a scratch, but a knock.

He grabbed the firearm from the drawer next to his bed, and greeted the guest with a smile as he unlocked the door cautiously.

"Saigay!!"

He couldn't believe it; [l/n] was standing at his door.

"Sorry, sorry, I know this is sudden but at least be glad you were wearing pants when I knocked on the door," they spoke casually, letting themselves into his apartment and spreading themselves on the couch like they'd been living there for a while, in a particularly odd way that eerily resembled that of his dog, "but I was running late since my dad was telling me that I should come clean about this whole thing and bla bla, y'know that old man wisdom? You seem like you know what old geezers think. Anyways, Dad was givin' me the lecture and whatnot, so I told him that since I was mostly recovered, I might as well come and say hi without barking."

"Without... barking?"

He squinted his eyes even further as he tried to make sense of this.

"So you didn't gift me a dog, you..."

"Were the dog? Yup! The name's actually Soseki [y/n], and I've been a spy at [c /o/n] for about a year or two, can't remember too well since my time was cut short by a certain injury some pretty asshole gave me. Annoying, ain't it? I hate getting shot at. Being a dog is so much easier."

"You lied," he said, trying not to panic from the fact that he had been sharing his life for quite some time with another person in disguise, "when you said you didn't have an ability."

"Of course! Isn't that what everyone does? People lie tons, like when you told 'Saigay Jr.' that you didn't have a ticklish spot, only for me to find out that you have sensitive ears and chest. Very ticklish, especially when you think no one is watching."

He felt the blood rushing to his face while he swallowed dryly. What else had he done accidentally in all that time? He couldn't possibly have kept track of everything.

"Aw, he blushes," they laughed, tapping his nose before he could recover. "Relax, I'm not out to get you. I thought you were interesting and cute when you kidnapped me, so I thought I'd put you to the test for a bit while I recovered from my injuries. Okay, not so much a test, per se, but I wanted to hang out with you. I had a feeling you were lonely, and I was right!"

Heartbroken wasn't the right word to describe how he felt; what was running through his mind was a hellish mixture of embarrassment and fear of vulnerability. It's the sensation one feels when one is deceived and looks back on it, wondering how they could've been so foolish. He should've known, he kept telling himself.

"I get that you probably feel humiliated. Dad says that most people do, so I've just gotta smile and remind them that I've got a terrible memory," they laughed, reading his mind. "Maybe once you get over it you'll come to realize that I wasn't lying about wanting your friendship."

With a timid smile, nothing like what their usual bubbly personality would typically make, they bowed gently to him, seemed to consider leaning in to hug him, then decided that this all would be too much at once.

[y/n] left, hesitantly adding, "Same place... tomorrow?"

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Why had Jouno showed up at the bar where they had originally been introduced, all those months ago, when he'd been so foolishly deceived?

Perhaps it was as he kept repeating in his head, that he was there to pick up the pieces of his torn dignity. Or maybe it was to finally kill them and receive the reward on their head.

Or was it to accept their offer?

He reassured himself that he couldn't possibly, that people were terrible and he couldn't let himself get soft with this one or else he'd become mushy and weak. He wasn't sure what terrified him so much about that idea, but he didn't even consider it as an option.

As always, the bells jingled as he entered, but there was no shout of his mispronounced name.

Nevertheless, he took a seat at the counter, ordering the whiskey not because he wanted some, but because he subconsciously attributed it to this location and time, despite not having an overwhelming number of memories here. He supposed that certain memories can be short but impact you more than you could ever fathom.

Even while he waited, he'd began to feel the pit of his stomach drop, like he had a cavity in his chest in place of a soul. Jouno hadn't realized up until now how accustomed he'd grown to a persistent joyful presence in his life, be it [y/n] under human or canine form.

The waiter returned, placing his order against the counter, and murmuring in a melodic voice, "I didn't expect you to come."

He didn't have to glance upwards to know it was [y/n], and so kept his gaze downcast.

"I'd say I'm sorry but I don't quite see anything to apologize for," they said, taking a sip out of his drink, lips lingering at the rim of the glass. "I had a lot of fun in the past few months, haven't you? My approach might've been a bit cruel, but think of it as Karma for shooting me, twice. This way, we're even! Wha'd'ya say? We good?"

Jouno's mouth betrayed him as he snatched the cup from them, chugged it all down at once, then said, "yeah, why not?"

Immediately, their heart rate sped up from excitement, and they leapt across the counter to trap him in a bear hug. Trying to resist but knowing there was no point, he eventually melted into their embrace.

Pulling away, they giddily babbled, "Okay, so now that you've forgiven me, I feel like it's a great time to mention that I've seen you strip multiple times and I would've told you that it was weird to change your clothes in front of a dog but I didn't know how to tell you or look away without acting weird so I just went with it and I feel like maybe I should compliment your stellar abs while I'm rambling like this but complimenting you will probably not do much good so how about I just offer you another drink and we forget this whole thing?"

Jouno cursed under his breath, nearly chuckling but not quite, realizing that they were right. "Fuck, what else did I do?"

"Well, I've got to tell you that your snoring is adorable, but you roll a lot in your sleep and that, mister, is something we need to take care of."

For the first time since he could remember, Jouno laughed a genuine laugh, not laced with malice or sugarcoated, as he listened to [y/n] vividly recounting their numerous embarrassing tales of him, only to be teased back for their dog habits like the panting and tail wagging. He'd've thought that the drinks were making him loose, but [y/n] had actually told the waiter to give them both multiple shots of apple juice.

As the night progressed, Jouno slowly found out that he'd opened himself up a lot more than he was comfortable admitting. Yet, this made him both want to retreat and lock [y/n] out of his life and invite them into his daily rituals, to never let them go. On the other hand, [y/n] had always found him to be a wonderful person, and only became further entranced as they watched him operate on a daily basis.

Somehow, Sweet fell in love with Sour, and Sour fell in love with Sweet.

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Another set of months later, Jouno returned from a particular mission given to him in the middle of the night, exhausted, ready to do nothing expect collapse onto the bed and sleep.

He was practically dragging his feet as he approached the door of his apartment, inserted the keys lazily and opened it. As always, his partner called out for him.

"Sai!" they said, skipping up to the door and noticing his beat up expression. "Damn, what did they force you to do this time?"

He shook his head before burying it into the crook of their neck and letting his hands dangle by their side. "The guy I had to interrogate was an opera singer, lungs of fucking steel." Strands of his hair were brushing by their skin, and his lips were murmuring against the warmth. "He wouldn't stop screaming my ears off, even with the gag."

Unable to contain their laughter, they poorly comforted him with a rub on the back while shaking from giggles. "My poor baby, today hasn't been your day, has it?"

Almost like handling an infant, they snuck their arms under his own and half-carried him to the bedroom. Getting in with him and tenderly placing a kiss on his cheek, [y/n] traced out random features on his face with their fingertip, hoping to soothe his body with touch.

"You smell terribly by the way," they said sarcastically in a deep sultry voice. "Do I kick you out to sleep on the couch or are you gonna take a shower? I can smell the blood on you, darling."

Half-asleep already, he slurred a, "Tomorrow...", followed by, "It's not my fault you've got the nose of a dog."

"You aren't any better," [y/n] teased, rolling over on top of him and kissing his sensitive lips with the delicacy of a flower blooming in spring snow.

"Just... let me sleep," he groaned, waving them away like a fly, only to have his hand caught by their own.

"Mnn, fine," murmured the [h/c] haired individual, gazing at him softly with heavy eyelids, as mesmerized with him as always. "Want something fluffy to snuggle into?"

"No, stay the way you are."

With another kiss that lasted a bit longer and in which Jouno participated weakly, [y/n] rolled back and cradled his head, bringing it onto their chest.

"'Night, [y/n]," he managed to say, shifting himself so that he was curled up against their figure. After a brief pause, he shuffled himself again under the covers, resting his head on their body. With their chest steadily rising and falling in sync with their consistent breathing, he found that he slept so much better.

They smiled gently.

"Goodnight, Saigiku."

[mugentakeda]

speaking of Emotional Reunion for the dai li au, i have to ask bc i remember seeing you mention iroh flying into a rage at long feng: does iroh kill him, or does he just rough him up badly before someone steps in/iroh himself realizes what he’s doing? do zuko and azula ever learn about this? does lu ten???? (im sorry for so many questions i just. i love angst. i love torturing these people. you understand how it is)

WELL. to be honest i was considering that iroh roughs him up pretty bad and ALMOST kills him but is stopped by lu ten (who was set off by the “the earth king has invited you to lake laogai” shit by long feng, to keep him in attack dog mode when long feng realized lu ten wasnt gonna attack the children). and thats when lu ten and iroh duke it out, which is what long feng wanted to happen.

because he knows that while iroh is powerful, lu ten is intensely strong, fast, and unpredictable (and has a pretty large amount of weapons on him lol). plus, its not like iroh would want to hurt his son after he just got him back, so the fight is like the most violent game of chicken ever. long feng knows that iroh will eventually tire out or get caught off guard by lu ten and die, or he’ll miscalculate within the heat of the fight and kill lu ten by accident. which is the less ideal option, because as long as lu ten’s brainwashing sticks there’s still a weapon left that long feng can salvage and fix up again. but at least in that scenario where lu ten is defeated, long feng can die satisfied knowing he beat iroh twice.

and the lu ten iroh fight gets very nasty. obviously katara aang and zuko catch up and manage (with great joint effort lol) to get lu ten down long enough for katara to heal him again.

and its at this point where i was considering that lu ten ends up being the one killing long feng. or at least badly injures him and its left up in the air whether or not he survives up until the end of the war and king kuei has long feng hunted down and arrested? like, long feng tries to lash out on zuko or azula during the fight, and lu ten kills long feng before he can get them out of instinct. BUT IDK. rhats kinda what i have in MIND.

[fossils-dundundun]

hi. slay the princess vessels as magnus archive entities. i just like making lists.

THE BEAST: the hunt!!! like do i even need to say it. the den as well lol!!!!!

THE RAZOR: slaughter. slaughter. slaughter. SLAUGHTER!!! SLAUGHTER!!!!!!!!!!

THE ADVERSARY: the slaughter as well lol !!!!!!!

THE DAMSEL: the web. she's a puppet, a reflection that can't do anything other than what she is meant to. or the stranger!!!!!!!! but i like web.

THE THORN: hello everybody to be very honest i dont know anything about her bc i havent found her route yet & i REFUSE to look up a walkthrough but. i think shes the lonely? feel free to sound off if im wrong and stupid.

THE TOWER: desolation. tear it down & start again in her image. or the vast because shes soooo big and talllll (i think shes the vast to the voice of the broken. the scale of her can't be understood, can't be rationalised. better to give in to something that you can't see the edges of that to drown in it.).

THE FURY: the FLESH!!!!!!! skin dress!!!! she explodes your guts!!!! meat!!!!!!! people are just meat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhh!!!!!!

THE SPECTRE: lonely :'(

THE GREY: she's the end. argue with a wall. you kill her she kills you kills her and you. inevitable. lol!

THE NIGHTMARE: STRANGER. AAAAAAAHHH STRANGER AHHH DOLL MASK FACE AHHHHHHHH nightmare is so nikola orsinov coded. moment of clarity is as well, but i think she might also be spiral. hm. much 2 think about

THE WRAITH: now. i dont actually know. if anybody has anything other than "probs the slaughter because shes like. mad or whatever" get in the comments

THE WITCH: HMMMMMMM. hunt (kill or be killed).

THE WILD: the eye. yeah.

THE PRISONER: web!!! but she also feels so buried to me idk. i guess dirt is dirt even if it looks like a house.

please argue with me. also i dont know if i have missed any....peace and love on planet earth 🫶🫶🫶🫶

[margowritesthings]

THE MEANING OF THE SCAR

a RDR2 x Black Badge crossover

pairing: N/A for this chapter, will eventually be Arthur Morgan x reader word count: 2650 words warnings: spoilers for RDR2 ending, violence, Micah Bell, explicit language, major character death and subsequent resurrection, brief mentions of domestic violence YOU DONT NEED TO HAVE READ THE BLACK BADGE TO UNDERSTAND THIS SERIES, EVERYTHING IS EXPLAINED DURING THE STORY authors note: What's that, you say? You want a RDR x Black Badge crossover?? No??? WELL IM DOIN IT ANYWAY

The series that no one asked for tbh. If you haven't heard of the Black Badge, it's a wonderful series of books by Rhett C Bruno and Jamie Castle, where the audiobooks are narrated by Roger Clarke. This series puts Arthur in the shoes of the protagonist, who is doomed to hunt the supernatural to pay off his karmic debts. The prologue explains it a little better, so sit back and enjoy! There will be romance, there will be monsters, what more could you ask for?

BLACK BADGE ORIGNAL SERIES

PROLOGUE

I have seen so many incredible things. 

Living on the land for as long as I have, you tend to. I’ve camped under the most breathtaking sunrises, that big orange orb scattering unimaginable colours over our poor souls as it creeps over the horizon. I've seen nature at its finest: baby deer learning to walk, wolves running together in tight packs not unlike us outlaws, even saw a little chick hatching once. Beautiful women from all around batting their long lashes at me, not even all of them because I was a prospective customer. I’ve been a lucky man, to have experienced so many sights.

Never did I think that the last thing I saw living on this Earth would be Micah Bell’s goddamn ugly mug.

The barrel of his gun was shaking in his tight grip, and I used the absolute last of my strength to keep my head up and look right down it. 

“You’re not better than me, Morgan.”

Never claimed to be, but if I had more time, I might have argued it, the rat. But that was the thing… I didn’t have more time. I could tell, the simple act of breathing was becoming just too much. I might have gotten a few more days, if Micah hadn’t just knocked the seven bells of shit out of me and the last few days had been a little calmer, but such is life. Such is death, I should say. 

After a wheezed cough was pushed out of me, I still managed to get one last jab in, as laboured and choked out as it was, 

“Whatever you say, you fool.”

Everything hurt, and I could hear the clock ticking my final seconds out as Micah’s finger trembled on the trigger. He was mad, I could see the fury spreading across his face as he registered what I was choosing to do with my final words. 

Maybe it was supposed to be the time for prayers, the time to have my life flash before my eyes while I count my regrets and mourn the things that will never happen, but there’d been enough of that ever since that doc told me my days were numbered. I hadn’t lived a good life, I wasn’t a good man, but I got some peace knowing my final hours were spent getting Marston and his family out safe, making sure Milton didn’t, and insulting the gang’s little pet rodent. If I had any regrets in that moment, they would only be that I didn’t manage any more permanent damage to Micah’s ugly ass mug before he got me. Actually, I might’ve wanted to die at dawn, to see one last sunrise, but mostly the Micah thing. 

“Damn you…” he spat, the glow of the moon casting the most horrendous shadows from his twisted expression. 

“Damn us both!” 

And that was it. 

A shot,

and it was all over. 

No sunrise, no grand redemption in the last few minutes of my damned life…

Just me, the moon, and goddamned Micah Bell. 

═══════☆═══════

I never expected I’d get into Heaven, but I never thought it’d be so goddamn dark down here in Hell.

I stirred as if waking up from a fitful sleep filled with nightmares involving Micah shooting me in the face, and even though my eyelids flew open, there was no light to speak of. There was a crushing weight on my chest, and a burning behind my right eye. What felt like dirt fell into my face with each little movement, and suddenly it all fit together, forming a terrifying reality of my predicament. 

It wasn’t a dream. Micah fuckin’ Bell had shot me. Tuberculosis ran ragged through my veins and filled my lungs, I’d been captured, hung in an O’Driscoll camp and tortured for information, hell, I’d been shipped off to goddamn Guarma with nothing but the shirt of my back… and in the end the sorry sight to end my story was a rat with a revolver. 

The dirt fell in my eyes relentlessly, so much so I had to close them again. It wasn’t like they were being much use anyway, what with me being buried alive and all. Moving my limbs was hard, but not impossible, I found, giving me hope that I wasn’t too far down in the ground. I never thought I’d hope for a shallow grave, but then again I couldn’t have predicted waking up in one either. None of it made much sense, but I reckoned it’d probably be best if I got back out into open air before figuring out why I couldn’t feel my toes, why breathing felt so strange and unnecessary, or how I’d survived a gunshot to the head. 

I started with small movements, flexing my numbed fingers in and out until there was enough room to ball them into fists. I would have shouted for help, if I could, but I knew all I’ll get from it is a mouthful of dirt. I’d have to do this alone, it would seem. 

The movement spread from fists to arms, the dirt starting to mould around me until it didn’t feel so crushing anymore, and I was soon clawing upwards. I dared to squint one eye open, finding small holes of light poked through the blanket of nothingness like stars. I felt triumphant when I reached upwards into open air, but it was short lived when I failed to feel the wind or the breeze or the sun or anything to let me know this wasn’t all some death dream. 

I pressed on, scraping at the skies until big patches of the Earth fell apart around my body and I could pull myself out of my grave. The sun beat so brightly that I couldn’t help but continue to squint, trying to make out my surroundings. It was dawn, ironically. I always assumed Hell’s skies would hold a lot more fire in them, but the blue hues and yellow rays were anything but hellish. They were beautiful, a sight I was sure I’d never see again. 

After my eyes adjusted, I made out the tombstone standing above my grave, a handcrafted wooden cross with my name scratched into the centre. Folk aren’t usually lucky enough (or unlucky enough, I hadn’t yet decided) to see their own graves, and yet here I was. Why? Was this truly Hell, looking over the sunrise while I was damned to sit by my own grave and wait for no-one to mourn me? 

‘Blessed Are Those Who Mourn, For They Will Be Comforted’

It was my epitaph, carved into the circle surrounding my name. I hoped it was true. I didn’t know how long I’d been buried, but I didn’t want anyone sitting around crying over me. I hoped I’d done enough, in those last few hours, and that the ones I loved, whoever was left of them, anyway, made it out okay. 

I pushed myself up out of the grave, dusting off the mud that clung to me and standing straight despite the complaints of my aching back. I looked over the hill, over what looked an awful lot like Ambarino. 

“Beautiful, ain’t it? I tell you, that friend of yours picked a good spot. Shame you’ll get no rest here.” 

I froze, my spine straightening on instinct as the voice behind me confirmed that I was in fact in Hell. Even after looking Death in the face and calling him a fool, it still took me a moment to turn and face my father. 

I expected anger to course through my veins, for my fists to ball and fury to burn over my skin the first time I saw him after all these years, but it didn’t. I looked my Daddy straight in his cold, dead eyes, and nodded to him. He did the same.

“Pa?” 

“Fraid so.” 

I was almost too dumbfounded to realise what he was sitting on. Who he was sitting on, I should say. Boadicea stood as tall and as beautiful as that last day we spent together in Blackwater. The sight could have taken my breath away, if I had any. 

I wanted to step closer, to pat my girl on the neck and feel to make sure she was really there, but I wasn’t ready to move just yet. 

“What… What the hells goin’ on?” 

Daddy dearest chuckled, probably at my ironic choice of wording, and Boadicea stomped a foot on the ground. Despite everything, all I wanted to do was to get Lyle Morgan off my horse, but there’d be time for it. 

“You’re dead, son. Nasty shot to the head, though you put up a good fight.” He said it like he was recounting the most mundane story ever told, not breaking the news that his only son had died. I considered his words, finding a strange peace with them all.

“...This Hell?” It had to be, right? There’s no other way he could be here, not with the way he treated me and Ma. I dreaded to think what Boadicea could have done to deserve an afterlife with him, but it made more sense than both of us fools being let into the pearly gates upstairs everyone always goes on about. 

Pa chuckled again, clearly finding my demise much more casual news than I, “To some, but not in the way you’re thinkin’ of it. I’ve got some bad news, boy.” 

“Worse than my death?” It was annoying me, how elusive and blasé he was being about everything, dragging this out for longer than he needed while holding the cards right up close to his chest. He knew what was going on, and yet there he was, sitting on Boadicea like he owned whatever goddamn realm we were in. Surely this was Hell, having this conversation with the man who beat me into who I am today. Who I was, before karma caught up with me and shot me in the face. 

“Depends on how much you were lookin’ forward to it.”

My teeth ground together as the frustration at his evasiveness built. He must’ve sensed it, as he dismounted Boadicea and patted her on the neck.  It threw me more than it should, watching the man I’d left long behind me interacting with my beloved Boa. 

He stood just as tall as the day I watched him hang, the only difference being a nasty scar that wound around his neck and made me dread to think what I might look like. It was like looking at a ghost. Well, I guess I was looking at a ghost. 

“You’re still here, Arthur. On Earth. Seems you did just enough good there in the end that they didn’t know what to do with you. Too bad to make it to the upstairs, too good to burn in Hell… for now.”

“Earth? But… I’m… we’re-“

“Dead? Yeah. But you’re stuck here, doin’ their bidding.” 

He was running his fingers over Boadicea’s mane, and she shook her head in response. She seemed like she wanted his hands off her as much as I did, but I had to find out what was going on first. 

“Bidding? Who’s bidding? Can you just be straight with me for one damn minute-“

“Patience, boy.” He snapped, bringing out one of Boadicea’s signature annoyed huffs, “The White Throne’s bidding. You’re theirs now. You do as they say, or you end up in a far worse position than you’re in now.”

I felt like I needed to sit down, but unless I was going to climb back in that grave, there was nowhere to rest. 

“I… I don’t understand.”

Lyle sighed, turning fully towards me and hooking his thumbs in his belt loops.

“The White Throne have chosen you to be a Black Badge, Arthur. You’re not alive, nor are you fully dead. You work for them until they decide they’re done with you, and then…” 

“And then?”

“Well… I ain’t sure, truth be told, boy. I never got as far as you, I’m just here to pass the message on.”

None of it made any sense, and I had no idea who this White Throne was. Dad didn’t seem to have the answers, nor did he seem inclined to give them to me even if he did. It was then I noticed that my heart should be pounding out of my chest. Instead, it felt hollow, the anxiety of my situation bouncing around an empty can of nothing. 

So this was really happening…

“They’ll call on you when they need you with this,” he turned, rummaging through Boadicea’s saddle bag and handing me a journal. It looked exactly like the one I gave to Marston just before I died, the one I collected my thoughts and sketches in, only when I flicked through the pages, they were all blank. 

“Keep an eye on it, it’ll tell you what you need to do, who to look for, or where to go.”

“What am I, a goddamn undead bounty hunter?” 

He laughed, a proper hearty laugh that would’ve made my skin crawl had I not been so occupied with the confusion of it all. 

“You could say that. But you’re not just after anyone, they’ll send you off to the supernatural stuff. Vampires, werewolves, demons, that sort. You’ll get the hang of it.”

I was so stuck on the whole supernatural thing that I hardly noticed him step towards me, slapping a hand onto my shoulder. I froze, but not because my father had touched me for the first time in decades, but because I couldn’t feel a damn thing.

He must’ve seen the shock on my face, cause his brows pulled together in a pitiful look, “Ah, yeah… there’s some side effects to death, son. But I’m sure you’ll figure that one out.” 

‘Side effects’ was a light way of putting it. I’d later find out that we unlucky few in the Black Badge have a fair few impediments. I can’t feel. Not the sun on my face, the wind in my hair, the touch of another, not even the burn of a good whiskey. I don’t feel pain, which can be helpful at times I guess. I can’t taste anything, either. It’s a unique punishment, to be stuck walking the earth but not really living, having no access to those simple pleasures in life like a stiff drink or the touch of a pretty lady. If I’d have known what was waiting for me at the end of all this, well… maybe I’d have made some different choices. 

“It’s a lot to take in, I know.” 

I glanced to my shoulder, finding Dad’s hand still there. He must’ve sensed my discomfort, removing his touch- or lack thereof- from me. 

“You’ll get the hang of it, son.” 

If I weren’t so preoccupied with my new lot in life (or death, I should say), now would have been the perfect time to confront the man who stood beside me. Ask him why he did what he did, get some answers for every question my teenage self tortured himself with while he wandered the streets for somewhere to stay for the night. But when I turned, he was gone, without a single trace to suggest he was ever there in the first place. Seems I’d gotten all the information out of him I was entitled to. 

That left me and Boadicea, standing beside an empty grave I wasn’t sure anyone would have visited anyway. 

I sighed, finally stepping towards her and patting her neck in that spot she always loved. 

“Well girl, guess this is it for a while…” 

I looked down to the journal in my hand, just in time to see inky black writing appear on the page as if bleeding through the realms.

‘Welcome to the Black Badge, Arthur Morgan.’

[thesockghost]

Earth feels a bit odd in the sun and moon show…

A side from the gender obvious difference with her being one of the three girls on the show (earth Pollux and nebula) she seems a bit….misplaced so to say…..im not saying that she’s weird or bad or anything, I love earth in all her Barbie loving glory! But….she just feels odd……and I think I know why that is.

Earth doesn’t know true suffering.

She HAS suffered, but she doesn’t know what it’s like for your life to truly be a living hell.

Everyone else on the show is there because of suffering, and is in this mess because they wanted to find some way to escape it.

Sun and moon? Separated because of the suffering they had while together. Eclipse? Is constantly hunting for the star in hopes that he can make a life where he’ll never be alone or uncounted for again. Lunar? Helped eclipse take over the channel in hopes of a happy life as a family with eclipse. After that? helped sun and moon take down eclipse for the same reason. Even solar. While you might think that the reason he fits in so well is because he’s basically just a redeemed eclipse, and while that probably contributed to that, the whole reason he came there was to escape his moon and live a happier life.

All of these people have been promised a happier life, but ended up in a worse situation then before.

And you may be wondering “but what does this have to do with earth?”

She was never there because of suffering. She just came there because her dad told her to.

And you might be saying “oh but earth probably suffered when she was with the creator!” But you forget WHY she’s so sensitive about him. (Well one because of forgor) but secondly because she’s actually been treated pretty well. We’ve seen how much of a master manipulator the creator is, and if he’s smart, then he’d probably know that mistreating earth will only lead to problems. So what does he do? He keeps her happy and safe and most importantly, naïve.

So I think that the reason why earth sticks out like a sore thumb is because she doesn’t know what it’s like to suffer (well at least suffer to the s.a.m.s standard.) she was given everything on a Silver platter right up until she went to go live with sun and moon. AND EVEN THEN SHE HAS THE UPPER HAND IN THIS SITUATION.

She was programmed with therapy stuff in mental health HELL. So it’s odd to see her handle such traumatic situations so well, when we’ve gotten so used to seeing characters completely break when something terrible happens. And I’m not jumping on the “earth is a marry sue” train, she’s definitely had her idiotic and dicky moments. But the fact that she Handels it all so well ironically makes her the most robotic in the show.

So basically what I’m trying to say is that while the other characters have been to hell and back and still show scars from it, earth was basically given a “get out of jail free card” and actually knows how to deal with that kinda shit, and is almost the exact same personality wise as the day she debuted.

[teslacoils-and-hubris]

What the shit is everhood

(Info dump pls?)

Gladly! ^w^

so everhood is a game that I would say is very similar to undertale, from the pixel art style to the humour to the general uhh theme? i guess is the word? Where you play as a wooden puppet named red on a quest to get your arm back from gold pig. The battle mechanic is a rhythm based system where you have to jump around and over beats the enemies through at you. The music is absolutely fucking fantastic and i actually bought the soundtrack i like it so much lol

a couple battles get absolutely insane with the visuals too, to the point im not even totally sure i can do a description justice? you can check out this video if you're curious, theres really no spoilers in this battle but it shows what im talking about. these battles are where the photosensitivity warning really comes in though, so be cautious if that effects you

I can't go too deep into the plot without getting into spoiler territory, so i'll put that under the cut for anyone who's curious, but here's what I can say! You go around collecting clues to find gold pig and get your arm back, and along the way you get to meet all the wonderful characters that populate Everhood. Like Rasta beast, Noseferatchu the sneezing vampire, Flan and Muck, the dancing mushrooms, a vampire who's name always changes. You really get to know and love these characters while also learning that maybe everything isn't as it seems in Everhood. Maybe, actually nothing is what it seems. Maybe you're the only one willing to do something about. But..... are you willing?

oh also kermit is there and I think he might be god? Also you can kill him and it impacts literally nothing

Full plot summary under the cut. I highly recommend you play the game without spoilers, but if you're like me and you Need to know what happens before you play then go wild. I'll only be talking about the intended good ending though, since I haven't gotten around to playing the secret endings yet- oh also mild spoilers for undertale i guess if youre worried about that in 2023

so when I say its similar to undertale in themes, its sort of. in a reverse sense. In undertale the good ending is the pacifist route. By saving the monsters you help them escape the underground and better their situation. It is mercy, the direct functional opposite of killing, that saves you. There is no mercy kill because using mercy ends the fight period.

Well in Everhood, the good ending requires you to kill everyone.

Your arm was taken from you because you've done this before, wiped out countless lives, friends even. And now you must finish the job. Its hard and sad and it sucks but it has to be you because no one else is going to. It falls on you to go back to these spots you've been through already, these happy cheerful locations, and hunt down everyone you've come to know over the course of the game.

so why do you need to kill everyone? and how on earth is it similar to undertale at all? well, Everhood isn't just the title of the game or the location it takes place, its the state every single character in the game is stuck in.

in the distant past, humanity found a way to reach another world, one they called Everhood. And in this world, no one could ever die. Some people chose to stay in this world, which lost connection to the human world for some reason i dont remember rn, and in doing so slowly lost their humanity. They lived for eons and eons and eons, changing their shape and loosing themselves in the process. You discover at one point that the Green Mage, a chaotic character whom I love, has been keeping track of the years everyone has spent in Everhood, every year a tally on the wall of their secret playroom. It takes three hours to get to the end of this hallway, to give you an idea of scale here. three real time hours.

Your character, Red, is a vessel for the literal human player behind the screen to free the inhabitants of Everhood from eternity. They aren't really happy. They can't be. They've been stuck for so long, and even though they beg and plead for you not to kill them you have to. Its the only way for them to be happy and move on from Everhood. And don't get me wrong you CAN choose not to go through with it. You have to actively fight back after this reveal to kill anyone. I haven't played through this way, so I can't speak on it.

The ending is sort of ambiguous, in which Pink (the person pretending to be Red and letting you the player control them) goes to an afterlife after killing everyone and gets to see them one last time, and they're happy. They forgive you. One by one you talk to them and they thank you for freeing them, apologize for fighting you, and move on happily to whatever comes after death. I choose to interpret it literally, but there's something to be said about the idea it's all in Pink's head. I don't think it was meant to be taken that way, but its one way to look at it.

The game sort of looses people with this being the good ending. But I think it's a beautiful metaphor. Sometimes you keep doing things that hurt you only because you're used to it. Maybe you don't even realize how its hurting you, its better than the alternative right? For the longest time I kept my bedroom blinds perpetually closed because the bright sunlight gave me headaches. I didn't realize just how depressed it was making me to be in near constant darkness like that. It was only after I bought a plant on a whim that I realized how much happier I was letting in the sunlight. You get so used to bad habits and awful jobs and clothes you hate because they're familiar. And doesn't it just seem easier? To take non-action and let everyone keep living and having fun in Everhood? Green Mage hosts DnD every week (or whatever counts as a week after you've lived for eternity), go play with the mushrooms in the forest, doesn't that sound lovely? You don't have to kill anyone, just keep living on exactly as you were! You have friends here Red! It hurts too much to kill them! they don't want to die! why not just give up? How could anything good come from the pain of change?

[donnetellotheturtle]

Protector

Chapter 5

Decisions

Hugo was silent as they moved through the long tunnel. Their torch crackling and the dirt under their feet were the only sounds in there.

What happened to Donella? She wasn’t one to go down without a fight. Did they overtake her? Why didn’t she even look at him? It was like he was invisible. That hurt a lot.

“Four eyes?” Varian asked.

Hugo looked over.

“You okay?”

Hugo forced a smile on his face. “Oh yeah…yeah im fine.”

“Are you still mad at me for tricking you?” Varian asked.

“What? No. I…its been a long night. Lets just find a place to sleep.”

Varian still looked nervous. There was something he was thinking that Hugo wanted to understand. He usually liked the way Varians mind worked. But not when he looked so scared and nervous. Not when he was afraid and being chased.

“Varian I…” Hugo began. But where to begin? With the fact that he was a witch? The fact that Donella was his mom? The fact that he was the one who saved him with an explosion that he couldn’t repeat if he tried? No. No Varian would hate him. Varian hated witches. He made that quite clear.

The feeling of magic sparking and burning already badly hurt skin on his thighs only confirmed the thoughts.

That was until Varian came over and grabbed his hand out of his pocket. “What’s wrong, Hugo?” He said it so gently. It made Hugo’s stomach churn. “whatever it is, we can handle it. Together.”

He looked over and saw Nuru leaning against the wall, fully immersed in her book, trying to give them some semblance of privacy.

“I…” Hugos magic calmed in Varians hand. Just holding the other boys hand made him calm. Made his magic calm. He couldn’t do this. He wouldn’t put Varian in danger. He was dangerous. His magic was dangerous. A deep sense of panic gripped his chest.

“I cant.” He pulled his hand out of Varians.

“Can’t what?”

“I…im not who you think I am.”

“Hugo I don’t understand.”

“you’ll be safer with Nuru…not around me.”

“Hugo…” Varians voice was so gentle, so kind. “You can tell me anything.”

“I can’t.” hugos voice betrayed him. The deep sense of panic in his throat, in his chest. In his hands. The magic pooled into them and made them red hot.

Nuru stood, putting a hand on Varians shoulder. “Lets just give him a minute, okay? He’ll catch up with us.”

Varian sighed. “Don’t keep me waiting too long…please.”

Hugo just nodded as Nuru led him off down the cave. Farther and farther down until he couldn’t see the light of the torch.

Then he heard it.

Footsteps he’d learned to listen for since he was a kid. Heavy and intentional. Cyrus.

Hugo’s panic was only getting worse and Cyrus-why did it have to be fucking Cyrus-was coming. He was probably just like Donella. Under some kind of strange spell. He couldn’t even move his feet with how the panic gripped him.

He was right. Cyrus, big and intentional and burly in his armor walked towards him with a small light. Magic. Cyrus didn’t use magic.

“Boy.” It was the many voices again. Like what he heard the first night those goop monsters attacked. Only this time they were coming out of Cyrus’s mouth.

“Where is he?”

Hugo took a deep breath. “Why would I tell you that?”

“He stole what is mine.”

Hugo shook his head. “…You’re the protector of that place. Right?”

“Correct…If you brought him to me I could put something in it for you. Your magic. It is…explosive.”

“How did you-“

“I know all magic’s. I know how to take it away. Bring the boy and you will be rewarded.”

The worst part was, Hugo wanted to accept the deal. He wanted this magic gone. He wanted to be normal.

“I will be waiting at the river docks until tomorrows dawn. Should you decide to take my deal. If you do not however…I will hunt you and the boy to the ends of the earth.”

There was a long moment while him and the thing possessing Cyrus’s body stared at each other.

The words tumbled out of Hugos mouth. “Can you really…just take it away?”

“only if you comply.”

“And…and what will happen to Varian? Once it’s gone?”

“Nothing permanent…you have until dawn tomorrow.”

Cyrus turned. God Hugo wished he could go and hug Cyrus. Just like he used to when he was a kid, and Cyrus would hold him tight in his arms and make everything feel alright again.

Instead, Hugo collapsed to his knees, the surge of magic that released was bright. Too bright. He shielded his eyes.

When he opened them, in front of him was a small translucent mouse. It lit up the room with how bright it was.

“What…” The mouse crawled up into his hands. Hugo sniffled, hugging it close. “What should I do? I just…I want this to be over…I want…I want to go home.”

The little mouse blinked at him. He wanted to go home to his sleeping bag and the shared tent.

He also wanted to go home to Varian. Stupid Varian with his goggles and laugh and more kindness in a single sentence than he’d ever experienced in his life. Stupid Varian with such a smart brain that he thought of getting a sample. Who would think of that?

Stupid, stupid Hugo for thinking he ever had a goddamn chance. Not with someone as good as him. Not when he has so much magic his own father tried to kill him over it.

Hugo sobbed. The little mouse couldn’t say anything but it was comforting not to be alone in this place.

After a moment, he calmed himself and looked at the little mouse.

“You need a name, don’t you?”

It squeaked in response. Hugo thought for a second.

“how about…Oliva?”

Oliva seemed to like that name as she squeaked happily and climbed into Hugo’s coat pocket.

“So Oliva, what do we do?”

--

Varian had been quiet since they left Hugo in the cave. Nuru didn’t like it.

“…You know he just needs a couple minutes…he’ll be right back.”

Varian looked at her. “…What do you know about him?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Back at the tavern…you two were acting like you’d met before…you know something about him? Don’t you?”

Nuru looked to the side before answering. “Its not my place to tell.”

Varian rubbed his face. “What is your place? …who are you, Nuru?”

Nuru rubbed her arm. “As I told you, I’m a wizard from Estelle.”

“And why are you here? Helping us?”

“I cant tell you most things but I can tell you it’s the last mission before I become queen.”

“Queen? You’re a…”

“Yeah. Im royalty.” Nuru didn’t look extremely happy about that. “We should keep going.”

“no we’re not leaving it at that. That answers nothing about what I asked. Just…I need someone to tell me the truth here. Hugo…Hugo is being weird. I want to help him but I don’t know how.”

“Maybe you should start with channeling that magic.” Nuru said. “You didn’t see it. I doubt Hugo saw it…but I did.”

“What do you mean?”

“In the tavern. The way you thought. The way your kind works. It reeks of the eternal library. You’re the youngest alchemist to work for a royal family and your formulas are used all around the seven kingdoms. Varian I think that comes from your magic.”

“My magic is…my brain?” Varian questioned.

“That’s my running theory. Its very hard to prove though considering it’s not an obvious one…but, Varian you could be the most amazing wizard of this age if you put that mind to work in Estelle.”

“Nuru…”

“Just think about it, Varian. It makes sense.”

Varian shook his head. “I earned everything I know. And you think I was just given it cause of my mom?”

“That’s not what I was saying.”

“Sounded like it!” Varian took a deep breath. “…Lets keep going.”

Nuru sighed and the two walked in silence for a couple more minutes before they heard footsteps.

“Guys!” Hugos voice called out. Varian immediately brightened. As soon as he saw Hugo he ran to him, tackling him in a tight hug.

“Hey goggles. You miss me?”

Varian blushed, pulling away. “pfft no!”

“Boys let’s keep moving. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be stuck in this cave all night.” Nuru said.

Hugo moved to walk ahead when Varian took his hand. Hugo blushed a little.

“Don’t go away again…okay?” Varian asked quietly.

“Are you okay?”

Varian’s eyes flickered to the ground as they walked, then at Hugo. “…you’ve been my only constant the last couple days…I want to keep it that way, if that’s alright?”

Hugo softened and nodded, squeezing Varian’s hand. Oliva poked her head out of his pocket. Varian brightened at the little mouse.

“Oh my god where did you find her?” He asked as he offered a hand. Oliva climbed up onto it. Hugo quickly noticed the mouse wasn’t translucent anymore. Now she looked like a real mouse, not one born out of magic. “She’s so cute!”

“I named her Oliva.” Hugo said with a smile.

“That’s so cute.”

Nuru giggled softly. “You boys are adorable together…I think I see an exit.” She pointed up ahead. There was a latter, the top being a trap door.

Nuru climbed first with the torch. Then Varian, then Hugo. They were in an abandoned mill in a cave.

“Okay…not the best place to be.” Varian muttered. “We should try to get back to town.”

The conversation with Cyrus…not Cyrus. The protector in Cyrus’s body was gnawing at Hugo. But the feeling of Varian’s hand in his made it a little easier to deal with. It helped that he no longer felt like he was going to explode at any moment.

The three walked in quiet.

Varian noticed that Hugos mind was working overtime again. He had hoped the little bit of space given would keep this from happening again. He hated seeing Hugo so quiet. It wasn’t like him. but last time he asked about it Hugo freaked out. maybe he was still mad about him tricking him…or worse.

“Hugo?”

“Yeah?”

“Is now a good time to talk about earlier? In the cave?”

Hugo didn’t say anything for a moment, then nodded. “Whats up?”

“…Do you get those a lot? The panic attacks?”

“I…yeah.” Hugo had never heard it described that way. Thinking back, most of the time when his magic was going haywire it was because he was panicking.

“I get them too…”

Hugo had never known about that. He looked at Varian confused.

“Not that I’ve had time for it these days.” Varian sighed. “I mostly just work through them until they go away…how long have you been dealing with them?”

Hugo thought about it for a second. “All my life, basically…”

Varian nodded, not pushing the conversation further. Hugo counted himself lucky. The three slipped into silence again as they made their way into the deep woods.

“We’re pretty far away from town.” Nuru said. “We should make camp.”

“Cant you just teleport us?” Hugo asked.

She rolled her eyes. “No. im not that powerful.”

Hugo had a snarky remark but saying it would give away his magical imposition to Varian. He huffed and crossed his arms.

“Okay. I can make a campfire.” Varian said.

Finally, Hugo would get to sleep under the stars.

< >

Read this on A03!

[trailerprk-princess]

—tell me if you love me | dean winchester x fem!reader

!!!: my work is not to be reused without credit/permission!

request rules!

warnings: angst & comfort! proofread to my best ability

summary: dean returns from hell but it is not the same dean you knew before

word count: 1.08k

authors note: he is such a sad character tbh...and i can heavily elaborate on every emotion he feels but im almost sure everyone has already done that lol my requests are open tho!

Ever since Dean returned from hell, a distance grew between the two of you. Since the beginning of the contract, you and him were inseparable. He tried to stay at your place longer and go on fewer hunts, to Sam's dismay as he wanted his brother to find a solution than waste his precious time with a girl. Deep down, you knew that Dean was not going to try to find anything to save his life as he has said many things with suicidal undertones.

You were not there when he died, you have never been hunting before and you knew that night was going to be the end of his life. You did not want to watch your boyfriend brutally die. But in turn, it was hell when Bobby knocked upon your door to tell you what happened. Sam could not even tell you the news. You beat yourself up for the next four months for not being there when he died, you wished you hugged him a little tighter or kissed him a little harder.

And when he came back, you wish he never did. Selfish, was not even the word to describe it. Dean, your boyfriend was back from the dead and you secretly wish he never did. How could fathom such a thought? You were so ecstatic when he rang your doorbell and when you realized that you have your best friend back at your side. You told him all of the celebrity gossips that he missed the past four months just for him to give you the cold shoulder. You love him very much but it started to feel like you were losing him all over again, which just made you want him to stay gone.

Your days spent together used to be fourteen or more days a month which turned into four days in just a month. How did fourteen turn into four? He took on double the hunts, double the jobs. You were watching him kill himself. It hurts when it felt like the only reason he stayed around was that he felt obligated to.

"I just don't get it! It's like you... don't love me anymore," you stammer. You and Dean both look tired, with pink and purple eyebags from losing sleep from one another. You tried to keep a cool and calm composure because you could not stand breaking down and crying in front of him. You were not the person who needed to be comforted in this situation.

Six months after he appeared from the dead, you finally spoke your feelings to him during the first out of the four days you had him. You were both standing in your kitchen, you had him play a board game with you to distract you from the impending doom of your relationship with him. His phone rang, and the minute he answered it and his eyes fell, you knew it was Sam on the other end telling him about a job.

"I'm sorry, Y/N. I gotta go," he said when he flipped his phone shut. He stood up from the kitchen chair, grabbing his earth-toned blue jacket that was thrown over the backrest of the kitchen chair and put it on. How could he not even try to spend a full day with you? Causing you to stand up and say the constant worry on your mind which resulted you to be in the situation you are in now. Questioning his absolute certainty of love for you.

Dean stopped in his footsteps and turn towards you. He knew you were scared of whatever he may reply with and of course, he loved you. But then again, he was barely showing it.

"I can't live like this forever. Not knowing if you love me or not, I need you to tell me if you love me." You demand, breaking the long pause of your last statement which caused no response from him. He was clearly, trying to think of something to say. The air turned cold and goosebumps formed on both his and your arms.

"Of course, I love you. I always have," he says. Stepping closer to you, to be honest, he has not noticed that he has been neglecting you.

"Then why don't you act like it?" You ask, your heart rate picking up with everything that leaves your mouth. Always been the one for confrontation but hated it when it came to those you loved dearly.

"I-I thought I have been, 'm sorry that I've been gone lately. I just... can't stand who I am now and I don't want that person around you. I have done horrible, horrible things, and I don't want you to get hurt." He explains, getting closer to you with each movement and trying to maintain the sympathetic eye contact you are giving him.

"I am not the one who needs to be protected or saved," you state. "You do. You need to sleep for longer than two hours, take a week off, eat some vegetables, and if you don't, you're gonna kill yourself. How is your life not worth protecting or saving? but mine is? You're at more risk than I am."

"You're already hurting me, everytime I look at you, you look different Dean, you look sick, sad, and lost. That is what happens if you overwork yourself, you should try facing your problems for once instead of running away from them. What are you so scared of?"

Everything that left your mouth is a wake-up call for Dean. He didn't realize that he was hurting you in the process of trying to protect you but every action has its consequences. Dean finally breaks the eye contact and looks away, he takes off his coat and sets it back down and drapes it over the chair. "I'll stay and rest. It's what's good for me and you're also good for me, I'll do better." He gives in, it should've felt satisfying but it did not but instead you felt like you forced him to say that.

You walk to him and wrap your arms around his body, he stiffens up before putting his arms around you. Your righ cheek rests on his chest as you look to his right in the kitchen. Dean did not want to let go of you and neither did you. If it was up to you, you would have stood there in the kitchen the whole night. You knew that there was a lot of work left to be done to get back to where you two left off but this was not a bad place to start.

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