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borderlinebox · 1 year

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Lose My Mind

Summary: Sunato Banda had found his interest in you, a psychiatrist.

Pairing: Sunato Banda x Psychiatrist!Reader

Warning: AiB normalities, Urumi acting like she's manipulating you, a little bit botched jack of hearts cause I forgot how the game went, manipulation, deaths mention, not proofread!!

A/N: Apologies for taking a while to post!! Ive been busy lately with my university but Im slowly working my way through the requests!

Request from Wattpad: Can i request a psychiatrist reader x sunato banda please, I think it would be fun to see how they would interact :) take your time if u do decide to write btw <3

Feedback is highly appreciated!!!

"Please put on the collar and proceed to the room upstairs."

The same ai voice rang through the small room you walked upon in. It was clear to you that the game must've included something about trust or a guessing game due to the looks of the collar. There was a small, circular display of a screen on the back of it.

You gulp before placing the collar onto your neck.

There was no going back now.

Feeling the light cold from the contraption, you made your way up the stairs and into a room full of other people just standing there. They all had the same collar as you.

For the time being, you decided to do what you do best; observe.

Back in the real world, you were a psychiatrist. Which meant you would study harsh behavioral disorders based on your diagnosis. You were relieved on how much your job had helped your ass during games like diamonds and hearts. It also allowed you to understand others and be able to adapt to their personality.

Maybe you wouldn't call yourself manipulative, but you definitely had the great advantage and ability to.

Your mind suddenly went blank when your eyes stopped and stared at a man from the other side of the room.

Sunato Banda.

Yes, you've heard bout him in the papers before, in the real world.

And then, it seemed like you had been staring at him for a bit too long and he seemed to take notice of your gaze. Banda started to stare back at you, as if he was observing you like you did him.

When you realized this, you quickly gathered back your surroundings and looked away from him.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see that he had interest in you. A dark interest.

As soon as everybody filled out the game's player registration, the big tv screen in front of them turned on - revealing a jack of hearts card.

Everyone listened intently to the game's instructions.

And confirming your earlier suspicions; this is a game of trust. You could already tell, straight off, that most of the players in this room would go off and lie when the option and possibility is given.

Then most of them had gone off in groups or pairs.

Currently for you, you needed to find somebody you could trust. So you needed to observe everybody else first. You're too unbelievably close to finishing off this game - you needed to survive.

That poor boy with his one eye hidden decided to pair up with Sunato.. And it seemed like Sunato had already established his superiority over him.

You looked off to the side and found a boy who seemed like he was having a breakdown every two seconds sitting next to white-hooded other. It was rather odd and unique that they were paired, considering the fact that one of them looked calm and collected and the other was wild and shaky.

You really did feel bad.

But you couldn't do anything about it.

You felt a tap on your shoulder. You turned around to reveal a girl in a blue lollita dress - It was the same lady who suggested going in groups.

"Hey, you seem like you need a team... Do you wanna join our group?" She smiled 'innocently'.

Hesitantly, you looked at the group behind her. They were all so desperate in leaving this place alive that they forgot how to work smarter. Some were shivering, some were talking over others..

"Yeah, sure." You accepted and gave her a quick smile.

You had to accept naturally, otherwise they may suspect you as the jack of hearts. And it was too early for you to die.

She smiled. "Wonderful! My name is Urumi, yours?"

"My name is-" You were cut off by somebody asking if they could join the group and it seemed like Urumi had quickly forgotten about you.

You exhaled through your nose in slight annoyance. Then you darted your eyes off to the side and found Banda watching you again. His newfound lacky had disappeared into the small cafeteria.

Eyes narrowing at him, you were about to go and interact with him, get some non-verbal information from him at least, until Urumi touched your shoulder again with her bright, fake childish smile.

"Why don't we go to the cafeteria?" She persuaded in exaggeration, like a kid convincing for their mom to buy a toy for them. "We can have a group meeting there."

It felt like you had caught the eye of many people, like they knew who you are and what you can do.

You certainly know that you've caught Banda's eye, and now this Urumi girl seemed to be the most friendliest to you.

However you knew better than to trust someone like her, but you needed to follow her instructions for now so you wouldn't raise any sort of suspicion. You had to give her the steering wheel for now.

"Sounds like a plan." You answered her, giving one last glance back at Sunato as she continued to drag you away from the main room to the cafeteria.

"You're a club!" Urumi chirped happily, and the group members behind her agreed on with her.

Truth. The cogs in your head told you.

You were sure they said the truth. You looked around and smiled thankfully, "Many thanks." Bow.

After a while, it was time to answer your suit. You made your way to the cell of your choice and waited until the bot's voice said any further instructions.

"Please answer your selected suit."

"Club."

3 - 2 - 1 - Ding! Congratulations, you didn't die.

You sighed in relief and dusted off some dirt of your clothes before leaving your small cell. You guessed nobody had died this round, it's too early for the Jack to start their attack.

You opened the cell and were greeted by everybody else around you, and you were right; no one died. Your group got together in the center hall, all bowing and thanking their fellow teammates.

All of you started to tell each other their symbols once again until that one big bully decided to cause a scene. It was no surprise to you though.

He started threatening and attacking the poor man he forced to team up with him, pushing the victim onto the ground as they cried.

Banda was quick to pick the pitiful man up. "Are you okay?"

That struck you as odd. Surely, it did surprise you.

But then he leaned down onto the crying man's ear and whispered something to him. Despite his back was facing you, it was awfully obvious that he had a plan.

Seeing that the game was a hearts, and it needed you to evaluate how much you can trust one another; you also guessed that Sunato told the guy to lie.

It was only inevitable.

When the attacker was about to strike again, he was stopped by his words.

"Club! You're.. a club.." he cried, begging him to not hurt him anymore.

What a sad display in front of you. But it was the duality seen in reality. Where the bigger people fight the weak just to show the dominance they have over them. But it is a world that you have accept. You looked down in shame - not for yourself but for the humanity you live with.

"Don't wait so long next time." The bully chuckled and left.

He walked by you and his collar was in fact, not a club. Nobody decided to tell, letting the foolish man fall into his inescapable death.

After that, slowly, people died. One by one. It started off with that half-witted man, then the man who lied and so forth, so on. And it was all because of Urumi with her suspicions.

It was clear as day that she liked manipulating people using her childish charms.

You were thinking on leaving the group as you sat on those cafeteria benches.. But how were you going to do it without seeming suspicious? Well, you had no choice but to start avoiding her or tell her right away. But maybe next round, there was 20 minutes left and you had just done that group meeting. Thankfully, they haven't lied yet, or else you would have some serious problems.

"Hey."

You know that voice. You could feel your breath hitching and your nervousness starting to rise, but you had to keep yourself composed. Don't show fear.

You turned around to face him, "Banda."

He smirked darkly at you - A smile you've seen a thousand times on people like him.

Banda made his way to sit in front of you. He had his interest piqued at the very moment he had his eyes on you at the start of the game. He knew you were way ahead of the rest. The way you narrowed your eyes at people you were reading.

It also felt like he knew about you way before this game. Dare I say; world.

"I've seen you eyeballing me every time you enter a room." Banda taunted as his small, creepy smile never went away.

"You act as if you don't do the same." You remarked. "I know who you really are, Sunato Banda."

He grinned at you. "Feisty, I like that about you. Putting up a wall so nobody would know what you really think of others."

You only blinked slowly at him. What was he trying to get on about? Why were you even talking to him anyway?

"You'd be surprised." You shrugged his way.

And why were you entertaining him?

"You know, you're group is starting to become extinct rats. What are you going to do when they all died off?" Banda started making a good point.

"What? Am I supposed to say I'll ask for your help?" You asked suspiciously, a little offended.

"What else are you going to do?" He chuckled, soon turning to a dark point. "Just so you know, you don't have to trust in me. I have a feeling that my partner isn't telling me the 100% truth - and when your group dies down, you'd have no one to turn to."

"What are you trying to say?" You knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Why not help each other out? I do you a favor, you do mine."

"And what if you're the jack?"

"What if you're the jack?" Banda played along with signature smile.

Your eyes narrowed at him, a little pissed off. Two can play at this game. "Fine then," You crossed your arms on the table, "Suppose my group does die, and I do listen to your advice - What do you suppose you would do with me after? It's not like I'll easily trust a serial killer."

Banda sneered while placing both of his palms on the table and leaned closer to you, all up in your face with a snarl, "Sometimes, you make me lose my mind."

You leaned closer, "Too bad you already lost it."

With that you chose to stand up from your place at the table, not daring to look back at him. You could already tell he was starting to break character and the real, angry psychopath was starting to show. The true darkness and power that a man like him can hold over their victim. It was already on display at the very first second of this match - everyone was just blind.

But, much to his surprise, you turned around a little, not a full turn where your whole face was visible. You gave him a somewhat sympathetic smile - hard to know if it was fake or not.

"But, I'll be keeping your offer in mind." You chimed before waltzing your way out of the cafeteria with a racing heart.

Did you seriously just back-talked a criminal? Yes, Yes you did.

While you were busy feeling a little bit confident of yourself, which is quite suspicious and yet wrong in a game like this, you didn't notice a pair of eyes watching your back with dubiety.

After another round of this jack of hearts game, it felt like none of them was getting a speck closer into finding out who the jack might be. You gathered with your groupmates once again, waiting for your turn.

"So, what's my symbol?" You asked, trusting them.

"You're a... spade!" Urumi smiled innocently as she swayed lightly, her blue dress flying around lightly. Hand fiddling with the pink pocky stick in her hand.

Lie. Your head told you.

Your eyes widen in shock and terror as you processed the doom that you were in. For the very first time, you were being told a lie in your group.

After what seemed like hesitating more than confirming, the only members left of the group nodded their head and agreed on the symbol. The way they confirmed it was so transparent, you could tell how much of a lie it was, just because their tone of voice and their faces were all so fake.

But you decided to play along.

"Thank you." You nodded.

It didn't take long for the group to disband again, going their separate ways.

You went your own, really separate way alright. You went to Banda, much to your very own disappointment with your so called team.

"So you decided to finally come to terms, hm?" Banda played as he followed the lines of the brick walls in the small room in a hallway nobody would really bother to check, especially with a people of this amount left. He was very cocky.

"I said what I said, and I keep my word." You recalled, leaning against the wall with folded hands as you watched Banda slowly come closer to you, his index finger still tracing the dusty old grout.

Eventually, he got closer to you that he was practically 2 inches apart from your figure.

"Sounds trustworthy." He replaced his index finger with his whole palm, up against the wall. "Now I trust you'll tell me the truth?"

"I'll tell the truth if you do the same. I think you know that I'm more than capable to tell the difference between a truth and a lie. No matter how good you are, everybody always have a tell." You didn't meet his eyes yet, you stared off blankly into space but you were very confident and were true to your word.

Banda grinned at you, it made you look at him with your own blank eyes. "No strings attached?"

"No strings attached." You echoed back. Both you and Banda had agreed that both of you wouldn't try to control the other, just simply telling each other's symbols until the end of the game. After all, both of you know how many colors manipulation comes in.

"Your symbol is a heart." He answered.

Truth..

You walked behind him and read his collar, "Spade."

Sunato smiled once more at you, he seemed to trust your words. His partner must've answered the same so it was somewhat of a 100 percent chance for him to be alive this round but you knew that it wasn't going to be the end just yet. Someone was bound to lie some time.

Both of you then made your way to that cell room of yours, watching Urumi walk into her own as she smiled so sweetly your way before walking in.

What a bitch, you thought.

"Please answer your selected suit."

"Heart."

It was correct... The doors unlocked as soon as you realized you had survived. One by one, you heard doors open from the outside. You had counted the amount of players that were left, walking in their cells, so determining how many doors would be opened, it would tell you how many players had survived.

Unfortunately, another player seemed to have passed away. But it wasn't to your surprise.

The real surprise that was about to ensue was to Urumi, who was very shocked and quite pissed off that you were still alive. She had guessed that you had somebody else to trust other than her.

The way she watched you as you walked pass her through the cafeteria was just so full of hatred.

But the real threat to her was her groupmates. Not only were they losing faith in her - she was starting to lose trust in them. It was bound to be a lose-lose situation that would never seem to find its solution.

And as another few rounds went by, your conclusion was true.

Everybody from your group had disappeared, all with their necks blown off in the cells they all last departed to before their certain deaths.

It was a pity for all of them to have died. They wouldn't have had to die if only they were good enough to each other and speak nothing but the truth. But alas, none of them could trust the other.

Each round, usually when Banda's partner was long gone and off to the food section by himself, you would meet up with Banda where nobody else could see and exchange answers of the symbol on your collar and some other information both of you had gathered in safety of the other in the game.

You had told Banda that you had to team up with the white hooded boy with bleached-blonde hair who was formerly in your group but started phase out with the other guy with the yellow shirt. Both of which, you learned their names were Chishiya and Ippei. In order for you to not look suspicious in front of everybody else who was alive.

You couldn't help but feel bad for that one Ippei guy. He really was too kind for this world. It made you wonder how he got this far. Too bad he stranded in the Jack of Hearts game.

Sunato understood your reasons. For a serial killer, he was quite smooth with his words and made very good points from time to time. He was surprisingly a good person to chat with and pass the time.

Both of you learned each others aspects of being a serial killer and a psychiatrist, often play small and few rounds of a guessing game to figure out what the other thinks about or do or anything along those lines.

That's until what seemed like the last round came.

You were with Chishiya but Ippei had sadly passed away. He really shouldn't have been here in the first place. He didn't deserve it. You had a sure feeling that Chishiya was trustworthy enough to go through with your plan of surviving and you hoped that he didn't see you as a threat as well.

There was no real point in lying to him anyways.

In these few rounds, you've noticed how intelligent and observant he really was. It seems like the only last few who were left were the ones who stayed quiet and listened instead of going around and assuming others.

Both of you were sure that the jack was going to make the move.

Anyways, despite the fact you were with Chishiya, he told you not to tell him his symbol yet in order to get some answers from the people he seemed to suspect.

And as the plan went on smoothly, when everybody was gone from the small food section, you told each other your symbols and parted ways. You promised Banda that you'd meet up one last time in the same small room down the hallway.

"About time you showed up, I've been waiting here for 5 minutes." Banda turned around to you.

"And that's all the time it took for you to start losing your head up your ass, huh?" You teased back with unamused eyes.

He didn't really like that so he narrowed his eyes at you. Something he took from you, due to your little habit. "What happened?"

"Nothing much. I just had to do a plan with that Chishiya guy. Really helpful. You?"

"I also teamed up with another guy. Similar to ours. We both believe that we have many things in common." He answered willfully, everything coming out of his mouth was the truth.

It honestly stunned you, the fact hoe he actually was telling the truth about every word he tells you. You were just expecting more unsuspecting and cocky lies, same to everybody who had currently died at this game. Instead, you were met with a man who wanted to survive as much as you do. Maybe even as manipulative as you if you were.

"Reasonable. How sure are you that the guy you're with is the jack of hearts?" You asked.

"I mean considering the fact that you can tell the difference between a truth and a lie, shouldn't you know?" Banda sassed back at you, tilting his head with delight.

"I can tell the difference between a trustworthy prick and ally as well." You smiled at him exaggeratingly. You knew why he suspected his partner already but it couldn't hurt to know if your secret teammate knew why as well.

"When I said he was transparent from the start, I really meant it. He's clearly trying to act as if I have him under my control. The way he doesn't know the way I truly see him when he doesn't have a clue." Your partner says, all in the truth.

"Fair." You answered him. "I hate to say this for once but, hope you end up till end, Sunato. Just so you know, I really am saying the truth."

He nodded towards you before leaving the room first, never to be seen until the results of the last round.

Something tells you that you weren't the only one who felt and read the tension you had between the both of you. A deeper and more twisted and maybe even forbidden kind of tension. But it was the thing both of you had. But you couldn't say anything about it.

As the last few game matchers stepped into the last room of potential death, it took them almost a minute to find out who had won.

You answered your suit and you were more than relieved that your symbol was right and that you were ready to feel actual ground again and breath after this game. You could hear some laughter from outside, near your cell.

But despite trying to sound all so serious, you chuckled at his laugh. The jack was just right next door to you. How stupid.

One by one, you and the last other 3 players revealed yourselves to be alive as you told the jack of your clever plans and how much all of you had outsmarted him.

And in the end, before Sunato and that Yaba guy left into the cell to start their work, the last thing you saw was Banda's wink.

"We shall meet again, princess."

#alice in borderland #aib #alice in borderland x reader #aib x reader #sunato banda #sunato banda x reader #banda x reader #banda #aib sunato banda #aib banda #x reader #oneshot #box writes

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papermint-airplane · 2 months

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OC Questionnaire

I was tagged by @stargazer-sims, @drawing-way-outside-the-lines, @bool-prop, and @happy-lemon. Hehehehehe now I get to do more than one! 😈

Aiden Ayy 👽

Name: Aiden Ayy

Nickname: He was definitely that kid who tried to nickname himself and then got frustrated when nothing stuck. Despite his best childhood efforts, Aiden has no nicknames. 😭

Gender: Male

Star sign: Gemini ♊

Height: 5'8"

Orientation: Pansexual

Nationality/Ethnicity: 100% Sixamite

Favorite Fruit: On Earth, pineapple. On Sixam, grarglefroot. It's basically a pineapple except blue.

Favorite Season: Spring.

Favorite Flower: I think I answered this before in a different post with some wild ass flower that looks like it belongs on an alien planet which is great worldbuilding and all but I literally forgot what it was so let's go with basic bitch roses. 😅

Favorite Scent: Cinnamon.

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate: Aiden is up for any of these as long as they're spiked. He hasn't yet learned that not everyone does that all the time and that it makes you look like you have a problem if you do.

Average Hours of Sleep: Aiden doesn't actually need sleep! He meditates to restore his brain power but sleep isn't necessary for him. He's a lot like D&D elves in that way. He can choose to sleep if he wants to, though, because dreams are fun and he looks cute when he's eepy. 🥺

Dogs or Cats: Yes. Any animal at all, really. Aiden is fascinated with them.

Dream Trip: Sixam. Poor baby wants to go home. 😭

Number of Blankets: "I'm worried what you just heard was 'give me a lot of blankets'. What I said was 'give me all the blankets you have.' Do you understand?"

Random Fact: Aiden is based on a Sim I created in the Sims 2 when I was 18 for a Bachelorette Challenge. It was, predictably, a disaster, and the poor baby kept having mental breakdowns. I decided it was because he was new to Earth and the stress of all the unfamiliarity wore heavily on him, but it was definitely because I didn't know how to cheat needs at the time. He got a visit from the invisible psychiatrist more than once, you know? It became a character trait! Aiden, the nervous alien who just wants love. 👽💚

Roman Gallan 🧜‍♂️

Name: Roman Gallan

Nickname: "Hey Asshole". Guess who gave him that one. Go on, guess. (It was his little sister)

Gender: Male

Star sign: Leo ♌

Height: 5'11"

Orientation: Gay

Nationality/Ethnicity: Icthyan

Favorite Fruit: He's super fond of this obscure Earth fruit called a "lemon". He eats them whole, peel and all. Somebody please teach him not to do this. 😐

Favorite Season: Summer

Favorite Flower: Any and all wildflowers.

Favorite Scent: Cedar. Beating the moth accusations for sure.

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate: Coffee. He likes it bitter and strong enough to crawl out of the cup under its own power.

Average Hours of Sleep: 5 or 6. He should probably sleep more but it's kind of hard when the distorted whispers of the primordial god that created your planet are emanating from your eye sockets. Most Icthyans learn to accept it as kind of a cursed ASMR, but Roman tends to sleep light anyway.

Dogs or Cats: Cats.

Dream Trip: It says here in my notes that he's always wanted to visit Uranu--ROMAN, SERIOUSLY?!

Number of Blankets: Roman's a hot sleeper, so no blankets for him, thanks.

Random Fact: Like all Icthyans, Roman is amphibious. He has lungs and can breathe on dry land like any Earth Sim, but he's also able to breathe underwater for an extended period of time.

I think everybody and their dog has done this one by now considering ol' Professional Crastinator Laura's stellar time management skills. 🙄 Let's throw a few names out, though. @miss-may-i, @treason-and-plot, @llamabees, @bellakenobi, @kimmiessimmies, @rebelangelsims, @moyokeansimblr, @id-element0. As always, ignore if you've already done it or just don't want to.

#tag game #tag meme #just simblr things #oc development #oc questions #sim: aiden ayy #sim: roman gallan

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thegoodending-thelasttime · 4 months

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my reaction to the resident lover lore drop: part two

access the doc yourself here

spoilers utc

DONNA CONTD

i have a lot to say about the the donna and daniela relationship section, none of which i feel capable of putting into words for the time being. i will, however, say this.

"Donna is watching what could've been in regards to her past self when it comes to Dani and MC"

"Just sometimes [Donna] really wants to hit [Cassandra] you know?" i think a lot of people in the fandom know after Cass' infamous neutral ending

"She grieves but she lets herself live too." all the muscles in my face are convulsing

"Donna struggles to stand up for herself for a long portion of her route and only through the aid of MC will she start to show a little more of her backbone." Donna. i can help you be brave Donna. pick me. choose me. love me. (delusional 3)

"There is a brief scene in which Miranda and Donna are having tea while Donna has a complete and utter breakdown about just how on the edge she is. Miranda of course encourages her to keep spiraling..." miranda i'm going to get you.

"Donna is mentally unstable at this point and can either be sent into the abyss or helped out of the low point toward a brighter future." I CAN HELP YOU TOWARD A BRIGHTER FUTURE DONNA I SWEAR PLEASE (delusional 4)

Depression being a theme is just. I'm going to write a hurt/comfort fic about this.

and, "Destiny [Soulmates]" don't think I'm normal about that either. cuz i'm not.

the nursery being an allegory for Donna. my brain feels like a backyard and you're mowing it with a tiny little lawnmower.

"Hades and Persephone" words. in my mind.

glad that Donna fans unknowingly cracked phantom of the opera though, that's fun

"...she is not unwilling to lunge towards Miranda herself and brandish a weapon in her direction." she's so real for this

"Miranda has had to trigger the loop several times in reaction to a violent outburst of Donna’s." WOOOO YOU GO BABE. FUCK UP MIRANDA'S LIVES HELL YEAH

"MC shows unconditional and unwavering love towards someone with severe abandonment issues and gets a very attached flower shop owner for their troubles." SHUT UP MY HEART.

"...a small part of her is pleased to know she got the upper hand on Miranda. Donna’s ability to make MC explicitly reject Miranda has left the goddess incredibly pissed..." FUCK YEAH

"Post Donna Miranda is particularly cruel about how she treats the toxicologist and parades MC near her but never in reach." top five sentences that make you want to kill a cult leader

"LIKES: Stuffed Animals..." help i love her so much my heart really can't take this

"LIKES: Pranks. I’m sorry she’s a menace" i'll prank her back (by kissing her on the face)

"DISLIKES: Those really sad adoption commercials where they play ‘I Will Remember You’ while a slideshow of really sad puppies plays. They make her cry" NO DONNA POOKIE BEAR DON'T CRY COME HER LET ME HUG YOU

"DISLIKES: Miranda" OMG SHE DISLIKES MIRANDA TOO (shocker) !?!?! WE'RE SO SIMILAR WE SHOULD MARRY ACTUALLY

MIRANDA

MC and miranda being burned alive the first time around. man wtf

love that they were both canonically sickly victiorian children at one point

"Death penalty for sodomy" that actually has me so fucked up. how could you do this to me

"[MC] Drowned, Miranda was nearby but chose not to save them" WHAT WHY

"Mia got mad and threw a stone at MC" i would get mad too if i saw someone repeatedly fall for miranda over the course of multiple timelines

"Miranda ran MC over in an accident" HELP 💀

miranda really fell for the unluckiest motherfucker goddamn. tom and jerry ass

"Yes + Mia" "No + Mia" best way to word this. i will be using these from now on. ask me a yes/no question i dare you.

"This life is when the very first iteration of Eva is born and it completely changes Miranda’s soul as a confounding variable in their soulmate-hood" oh my GOD. i'm a little scared miranda's section might be making me start to like her a little.. NO I REFUSE. THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING.

"Toxic Yuri + Loving" thank you Cinder. i appreciate you for your silliness.

really wish we got more eva content but oh well. maybe in the dlc content the team said would probably come out in a few years/maybe more

"Mia’s soul has slowly changed over time and has grown to naturally despise Miranda’s soul for its unwitting part in MCs death every life" nvm i like Mia infinitely more than miranda

"Mia acts as a foil to Miranda’s relationship in every life they meet because she is - without fail - naturally resistant to them being together and highly suspicious of the way Miranda behaves" FUCK MOTHER MIRANDA ALL MY HOMIES HATE MOTHER MIRANDA. MIA'S A REAL ONE.

"[Bela and Miranda] would be insane if they worked together, but unfortunately, they are narratively designed to be pitted against each other" i disagree i think it's very fortunate they're not on the same team

"Miranda is afraid of [Donna] because she remembers every single time loop... Donna is also handy with sharp objects and has been known to attempt a few murders at meetings when pushed..." fuck yeah. be afraid miranda.

"...views Donna as “cursed” due to her family history of deaths" can i say kys just this once (to miranda).

"Intrinsically offended when MC chose Donna during the loop" be offended. L + bozo + cry about it + Donna's better

"[Donna and Miranda have] used each other as crutches in moments of weakness... they used to have regular tea together in which they would act out their familial roles and encourage each other further down their spirals" i'm actually not okay rn thanks for asking!

...that legitimately has me so fucked up

"Miranda actively encourages Donna’s fears to keep her under control..." "She would kill Angie to both punish Donna and to relieve herself of the annoyance" hey miranda come here. what do you mean, i don't have anything in my pocket. don't worry about it just come here. so i can... hug you. SHANKS YOU MIA STYLE BUT IT ACTUALLY WORKS THIS TIME SHANKS YOU MIA STYLE BUT IT ACTUALLY WORKS THIS TIME SHANKS YOU MIA STYLE BUT IT ACTUALLY WORKS THIS TIME

"Miranda and MC are soulmates, all the way up to their 19th life this is 100% proven and true (even though they don't always get to meet) but the 20th life is different because Miranda is still in her 19th. It could be argued that MCs soulmate is who 20th Miranda was supposed to be. (Could've been if a coin had been flipped)." I'M ACTUALLY HYPERVENTILATING RIGHT NOW THANK YOU FOR FEEDING USTHANKYOU MY HEART OH MY FUCKIUNG GOD ASDFGUIHUADSDHLFKAJHSDFKLGJHDAFKJG. I BANGED ON MY DESK THAT'S NOT EVEN A JOKE WHAT THE ACTUASL FUCK

"MC would go into divorce arc which is salvageable but very long winded" need yall to elaborate on this, also it made me giggle

"The only exceptions are Mia (who told Miranda to fuck off), Bela (who still remembered), and Angie (who doesn’t listen to anybody)." that's so based of all of them. naming them the based squad for this.

"DISLIKES: Her height being mentioned" i don't care if it's a low blow and that she's actually one inch taller than me. i'll call her short. short ass. imagine being 5'6" lmao

part three coming up

#resident lover #resident lover lore #resident lover spoilers #resident lover donna #resident lover donna beneviento #resident lover daniela #resident lover daniela dimitrescu #resident lover mc #resident lover bela #resident lover bela dimitrescu #resident lover mia #resident lover mia winters #resident lover angie #resident lover angie beneviento #resident lover miranda #resident lover mother miranda #resident lover cassandra #resident lover cassandra dimitrescu #resident lover eva

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littlefirefly42 · 8 months

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Age Regression

This is a long ass post so beware

I had an agere block for so long I genuinely thought I'd never get over it. It didn't help that I had a crisis about the security of my regression and the people I could trust with it which caused me to reject the idea of regressing all together so I could protect myself from a nonexistent threat. But because I lost that outlet things have just felt worse and worse and it all kind of culminated in a baby-breakdown last night.

And that's okay.

Regression isn't just cartoons and coloring pages. It's not always secure and consistent. It can sometimes be fragile and easily hindered or blocked. It can be full of sadness and anger and fear. Sometimes something negative happens in relation to your regression and you feel like it's ruined forever. But

Negativity is not the enemy of healing.

You are not wrong for feeling negatively when you regress. There's nothing wrong with being sad/scared/angry (especially that last one) and responding to that feeling in a way that isn't cutesy or aesthetically pleasing.

You are not anyone's aesthetic, you are a human being

The only thing you will ever owe anyone is kindness. You DON'T owe anyone your happiness. You don't owe anyone your consistent regression. Feel and express all your feelings. If you have a block, work it through in your own time and don't feel rushed to do so. I promise you will be able to regress again, just give it time.

Be patient, give yourself grace and love. Nothing about your regression is wrong. Blocks will pass. Everything will be alright <3

#sfw agere #dni if kink #age regression #little space #baby space #sfw regression #agere sfw #sfw littlespace #sfw little post #sfw little community #comfort

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enpr-ss · 6 months

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1 HOUR LONG RUN?! HE WOULDNT FARM THAT LONG WOULD HE?

He doesn’t recognize the bony ravagers lol. “You gotta feed the ravagers they’re skins and bones!” LOL.

Also the amount of cards he has is just visually intimidating.

The joy in his voice every time loot n scoot plays.

He just can’t stop hitting these pressure plates. LOL HE THREW A BERRY INSTEAD OF THE COMPASS. dude needs to stop jumping onto the pressure plates. He’s just booking it out because he’s scared. And of course he gets bounding strides as he is being chased by a ravager to go right over the jump boost wall. HOW DID HE FALL IN JUMP BOOST?!? THERES LITERALLY A JUMP BOOST BYPASS FOR THE CHAIN PARKOUR. AND HE DOES IT AGAIN!!! DOES HE NOT KNOW ABOUT THE PATH? He could have made it on the second try but now the ravager’s there.

Ravager ping pong is always so funky to watch. What do you mean very hard to do with bounding strides etho please. THERES A BYPASS SPECIFICALLY FOR BOUNDING STRIDES. how does he fall into the same pit 3 times WITH bounding strides. HE GOT BOUNDING STRIDES AGAIN?!? AND HES GOING TO WAIT FOR IT TO END BEFORE GETTING OUT?!? WHY. I’m having a breakdown watching this. I’m losing my mind. Tango is also correct; there’s other ways besides the chain parkour and he has jump boost AND armor. He can take 2 ravager hits. “But they’re not blocked because you have jump boost, skippy” TANGO LOL.

Is this really our champion. The best player. The winner of phases 3 and 4?

“We’re going to get it first try” *takes berry damage* AND HE FALLS DOWN FOR FOURTH TIME. THE RAVAGER ISNT EVEN INTERESTED IN HIM ANYMORE BUT GETS LINE OF SIGHT BECAUSE HE LINGERED TOO LONG ON THE WRONG END. How does someone fall into the same pit 5 times. He was almost out of there. “How many times can I fail this?” “You’ve surprised me so far” Tango absolutely obliterating this man. Good. And he finally realizes the jump boost bypass. The regret in his voice. Delicious. He’s begging, weeping and wailing and cowering in the pit. Keep it coming this is fantastic. “I’m safe to come up now” as the ravagers wanders closer LOL. THE DUNGEON TRULY IS YANKING HIS CHAIN HAHAHAA. where are your Jedi mind tricks now Etho? Look at him yelling and pleading with the ravager. Pearl logging in just to roast him. We love it. NOW THERE ARE TWO RAVAGERS LOL. IM LAUGHING SO HARD IM CRYING. He’s overloaded with sounds and no one has any pity for him. We’re too busy laughing. Kangaroo Master LOL. NUMBER 6 HAHAHA

lackey on demand for 30 crowns honestly not a bad idea. LET HER IN!! LET HER KILL! 7 times. This is a farce. “That was a bad booping.” That llama idea by Pearl is brilliant. The shame, the humiliation of dying by being literally spat on. Definitely should be the path of the coward death. Meatball and Snausages LOL.

New plan to live in the dungeon? DUNGEON LET’S PLAY CUB HAHAHA.

AND TANGO GOES IN JUST TO PUNCH HIM. OH MY GOD. PEAK COMEDY. “I can’t believe this. It’s ridiculous at this point. What are you doing?” Eat your own words Etho.

AND HE’S OUT!!! AFTER LIKE 20 MINUTES. Is he literally going to go camp the berry bush. Just live in the treat or trick hut. I’m losing it. IS HE GOING TO RUTSY? I HATE HIM SO MUCH. 12 CROWNS AND 53 EMBERS?!?! DIE. “Just a little more berries and I’ll go just trust me IM GOING Don’t let Gem in” most pathetic man ever.

HES JUST BEELINIG TO ALL BERRIES LOL. AND THE RAVAGER IN THE WATER HAZARD IN THE CRYPT AGAIN. NOT AGAIN. NOT THIS CAMPING AGAIN.

“Oh no you might hit max clank soon” tango stop LOL. “Which year?” LOL. THE HAZARD BERRY BUSH IS INSANE. IT REGREW INSTANTLY TWICE. AND HES JUST THROWING COINS AND KEYS INTO THE LAVA.

AND HE FAILS!! AND DIES TO A VEX!! YAY!!!! GET HIM GEM!!! GET HIS ASS!!

A lava bucket at max clank! Making it worse for himself! Etho’s run was so long that the server died HA.

This run as long as one of my reaction posts.

#pearlescentmoon

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xyfanficarchive · 11 months

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labor of love

norman bates (psycho 1960) taxidermies you (romantic) (gender neutral)

or, the strange mentally ill erotic fantasy of someone cutting me open and just getting all up in my guts (Nicely,) has surfaced from the old deep deep deep dark days of my life and now has a place ig?

cw death and detailed gore; cw fucked up content in general but if you saw this title and are still reading further you already know whats up, you sicko ;) this is unedited word vomit style typed directly into the tumblr post editor, bcs it was very very slow today and this was better than ruminating myself into an actual mental breakdown at freaking work so this is for the absolute freaks and please dont come for my ass if anything in the getting taxidermied by norman bates fanfiction isnt accurate

in thinking about the potential endings for an extended norman and reader romance... i think it would be such an extraordinarily delicate balance to manage a relationship and try to help him while avoiding the shitshow of human rights violations that was psychiatric care in the 1960s. and maybe you could manage it but if you couldn't......... perhaps he was hiding the true extent of his illness, even well into your relationship, even after getting married. some act of repression, of course he didn't want to scare you away and he was so certain he would, and nobody had ever loved him like you did and nobody ever would again. but ya just can't bottle it up like that without building and building the pressure... and to have a relationship, to have sex with you and marry you and try to be happy WITHOUT HER, oh what a grievous transgression to the ignored Norma, cast away to the far recesses of his awareness, he's managed to hold onto control for this long but the situation will simply not do, and she'll just have to eliminate the disgusting little bitch who stole her son away from her, take the reins back in a moment of weakness, of fracture -

and norman wakes up in a place he doesn't remember, in clothes he doesn't remember, but he remembers the fight and the fevered pitch of your voice, the wide-eyed fear in your face, his mixed up train of thought derailing, crashing, and the sound of his mother screaming in his ears. not a hint of a thought of what happened enters his mind as he retraces the trail of blood through the house, empty and automatic and despairing but still not connecting the ideas together until he actually finds the mangled heap of your body slumped on the floor, with the sick metallic smell of clotting blood, a dizzying lake of deep red bigger than he'd ever seen before surrounding you.... it's so shattering that he is disconnected even from the impulse to vomit, though he drops to his knees and screams and screams and screams...... and his mother is nowhere around to help him, and you're gone gone gone, forever! forever! but no! he hears your voice in his ear, soft though it startled him: "no, you can still save me, don't you remember? you've done it already before, norman, save me, save me before it's too late...!"

you're still even warm by the time he brings you down to the basement, cradling you in his arms and staining the clean clothes mother had gone out of her way to dress him in, still limp dead weight, he puts you on the table where he does his taxidermy and kisses your lips with blood on your mouth, pets your hair, coos a billion apologies. "oh my love, i should have never ever let this happen! i promised myself i would never let this happen to you that i would never let her hurt you im sorry im sorry im sorry i tried i tried!!" screwing his eyes shut at your body in front of him, crying tears that dripped onto your skin. and you shush him, your voice comes like a bell calling him in the darkness "i love you norman, i forgive you, but you must work fast now, you have to work fast to revive me!" he opens his eyes, far gone, nods fervently into your lifeless face, knowing that this would be very hard, and very easy, in that he had done it dozens of times before but not on this scale and not this fresh. he strokes the soft skin of your cheek, flits over to bring his tool kit near and then strips your body bare to begin his work - but he already has to stop, go up to the linen closet to bring towels and a bucket of water to clean the blood and gore off your skin, revealing in detail every grisly angry slash, stab, loose flap of skin that should still be all connected, should be, norman cries, with only an extremely dim awareness that it was his own hands that wrought this upon you. but he would fix it, he would suture your lovely flesh back together last, after the bulk of the work was done.

it takes significant effort to cut you with the same blade that he had cut birds and other small creatures with but he made it through all the layers of skin and fat and muscle, cut flaps to splay your belly open for easy access. and the inside of your body. explodes with colour and detail that he had never seen on this scale before. your insides were all shining red, and translucent membranous pink, with lipid yellows, greenish and brownish hues, pearlescent white fascia and winding lines of purple-blue connecting everything. and then he trembles all over seeing it his hands shaking violently, already slick with blood, as they approach the opening, and you comfort him, sweetly in his ear, "calm now, my love, i'm in good hands, i know i am, but you need to stop shaking, you need to be gentle." "i know, im just scared. i'm sorry, i'm so sorry..." "i trust you, norman." he steeled his nerves and then slips his hands oh so, so gingerly into the wet, the slick and smooth mess, the winding intestines, cold on the surface from contact with the air but still warm underneath, and he only loves you more and more and more that you trust him like this, that you let him do this to you, putting your faith in him to revive you.

he was struck by the intimacy of it, he was so close, closer than anyone else in the world had been to you, even closer than sex, up to his forearms in your body cavity, with all the beautiful unseen parts that had sustained your living body for so long, all those years........ you would have to learn a new kind of life now, with him. he scoops the intestines, they spill over the sides onto the table, attached at either end, and he realized he would have no place to actually put any of this once he removed it, he took the bucket with red translucent water and tipped it over into the floor drain. then, bringing it near, cuts your entire digestive tract free, placing it gently in the bucket. looking down at the heap inside, he feels a sheen of sweat on his forehead, and reached up to wipe it with the bloodied back of his arm. then, the pancreas, the kidneys and bladder, the liver (some cultures thought the liver was the seat of human love, he thinks), everything is so connected, tubes and gossamer-thin tissues that he has to dissect to separate the parts out. he has to reach underneath your ribcage to cut your lungs free, they sink in and deflate more as he works, and puts them too on top of the rest of your organs. then, last, your heart - he hesitates, and trembles, feeling the imperative to be especially delicate now, as if the muscle might disintegrate under his touch. but he feels around, remembering the anatomy diagram of the heart he'd learned so many many years ago, cuts free the three arteries connected to the aorta, the pulmonary vessels, both venae cavae, and suddenly he is holding the fist-sized organ free in his hand. he set his knife to the side and then reached in again, cradling the muscle in both of his broad palms as he brought it out into the light, letting out a shuddering breath - your heart! oh it was your actual heart, the heart that loved him, the heart that once beat in your chest, that he listened to countless nights to soothe himself, pressing his ear to your sternum. he sees the fatal gash the knife made, he turns his head and leans his ear in, though he knows it's silent anyways he almost starts to sob, "keep it," you say, and he startles "keep it, my love, it's yours, it was always yours" and he looks up into the ceiling "really? are you certain?" forgetting the anguish, and he feels your confirmation, your permission, as the warmth of your love. then, looks down at the deep red knot of muscle, presses a tender kiss there, and holds it to his chest, mirroring his own living heart. with reverence, he sets it on the table in his view and continues on -

it's best practice to remove the bulk of the skeletal muscle, too, and so he opens the skin on the arms that held him close, the legs and thighs that he'd had bliss between, and frees the long corded masses - the ones in the limbs come out of the body clean and compartmentalized, attached to the bone really only by two tendons on either end, separating easily from each other. this was by chance one of the largest buckets he had in the house but now it was full top with all your externalized insides, and the slippery smooth remainder of your muscles went to the floor - it was only a short distance to the furnace anyways, and all of this would have to go to the furnace, into the fire, you wouldn't be needing them anymore, and everything would have to be clean, clean, clean after. and now your body was ready for treating with the chemicals - there might not be enough, but it would have to do - and the sawdust which only seemed to come in large quantities, and it's easy, easy, art to craft the contours of your body that he learned, he knows from memory. he closes with care the long incisions he had made, making the flesh edges meet neatly all down the length of your limbs, up the i-shape he made on your abdomen and then, the awful wounds, slashes and gashes all over he sutures at last with a lingering feeling of sorrow, that dissipates when, finally cutting the last thread, he sees the miracle of life bloom forth on your face out from the monochrome of death "norman!" you smiled, with recognition in your eyes from where your head was limply rolled to the side

he smiled back at you, euphoria like a thrill of electricity tingling through his body as he reached out to cup your face - of course the fact he didn't have a sufficient amount of preservatives and anything didn't matter because it had little to do with the process of reviving anyways. it was all in the effort itself, in the way he marked his own soul in order to remake you and have you forever, it was in that labor of love where the actual transformation was made. he stroked his thumbs on your cheekbones, leaning over you and sobbing out "yes, yes, yes, yes, it's me, i'm here!!"

"you did it, i knew you could, i knew you would save me, norman."

"i could do anything for you, i would do anything for you!"

"i'm so cold now down here in the basement, i feel so weak and exhausted after everything... would you please help me get dressed?"

your bloody clothes were all heaped on the floor and he sniffled, blinking the tears from his eyes. "oh, those are all completely ruined..... I'm sorry... I'll take you up to the bedroom now, okay? and we'll get you into pajamas, and then you can just sleep for however long you need." and you would need the sleep - it was a strange and difficult new life to adjust to, being so dependent on him now for so many things, and you would never be able to leave the house anymore, which would likely be as hard for you as it was at first for his mother. but might get easier for you faster, he thought, as you had both found many more interesting things to do inside than he and his mother ever had in nearly thirty years until you came along. he kisses you on the forehead, and gently lets your head down, before he shifts his arms underneath you and scoops you up in a bridal carry, the whole weight of you in his arms as he carries you up the stairs to the main floor, then turned, climbing up and up again

"i was so scared when she killed me, Norman." Your voice makes his lip tremble as he looks down into your eyes, "but I know i'm safe now with you."

"Yes, you're safe here with me... You'll be safe here with me forever..."

He can feel the vibration of love coming off you, that keen resonation, it was always always there though he never managed to put it to its name, his heart absolutely swells with the sensation, love, pure ecstatic love! you were his one love and the most precious thing he had ever encountered in his life and now he could keep you safe from everything, forever, with him! oh, it didn't work out as nice for you as if it has never happened in the first place, but he could feel a new tension and energy, a precipice on which he was looking out at a new and encompassing depth of your bond, of your relationship, and he only had to dive in with you. he was almost even excited to start this new and beautiful era of your life together.

#norman bates x reader #norman bates #slasher x reader #slasher fandom #psycho 1960 #i dont know man freaks come around i need the freaks to see this #x.wordvomit #x.writing #does this count as a cry for help?#jk guys im fine (i want norman to taxidermy me and act out my life so i dont have to live it myself)#barely read hit post

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paint-lady · 5 months

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🖊 + Maru!

Send me a “🖊+an OC“ and I will talk about that OC! It can be a headcanon, a fun fact, a small paragraph of backstory- anything! Alternatively, send in just a “🖊“ and I will talk about any one of my OCs at random!

Oh, Maru my beloved.

Maru "Maru-Maru" Maru is my character in Secret World Legends and my NPC (and eventual PC) for the Secret World ttrpg. They are the current OC im constantly rotating in my brain like a rotisserie chicken.

I had attempted to write a longer form comic for them and even finished a first chapter. Unfortunately, life got busy and started taking more spoons to other tasks and I am not able to dedicate the time and energy I want to the comic. And thats okay. In the year I have been cold, I have expanded upon the Maru-verse even further, and discovered even more interesting loops and details to incorporate. And I cannot wait to illustrate them one day.

So without further ado, please enjoy this extensive lore breakdown on Maru-Maru:

For your convenience this post has a keep reading <3

Name Significance: Of course Maru is not their given name. Its partially a joke, partially an echo of a long-lost memory, partially a misheard role to fulfill, and their first grasp on their identity.

The name Maru firstly comes from my Exalted Zenith character. My partner and I wanted to name our bees after them, as a way to honor the fun we had with such a short campaign. Little did we know how smoothly Exalted and SWL can blend together- the transition from one age to the next, apocalypses rising, and powerful beings beyond comprehension changing Creation. The tone is certainly different though: an Exalted chronicle is uplifting and with epic heroes to save the world, whereas SWL is riddled with uncertainty about how long the collective will of reality can hold.

The SWL version of Maru can barely remember their previous incarnation, it's more like a weird dream than anything else. If they look to closely, the memory vanishes; like the people of the Third Age trying to grasp their memory of the Second, and their predecessors before them. The golden light within them feels different, yet can still vanquish monsters with their touch, and aid people plagued by nightmares seeping through cracks in reality.

A more recent discovery has played nicely into my friends headcanons and names of their characters. SWL Maru was discovered by experienced agents of names Inanna and Ninshubur in Kingsmouth. While the name Maru is not a Sumerian/Assyrian deity, Mamu is. There is not a lot written about Mamu. They are most notable for being a god of dreams and having both male and female depictions. We love a lil gender fuckery in the pantheon. There was temple built in Imgur-Enlil (modern Balawat) to them. Dreams were not seen as depictions of the subconscious (thanks Freud) but rather true portents of the future. This is all over the epic of Gilgamesh as a literary device to keep that long ass story going. Regardless, the Assyrian King who had dreams of Inanna vanquishing his enemies felt the portents were significant enough to build that temple to the messenger: Mamu. Additionally, there are oodles of accounts of death-dreams and glimpses into other worlds (namely the Underworld) across several sites, whether its recorded dreams from priests and priestesses- or more Enki myths.

And this is what Maru does- even by accident. They catch glimpses into the other worlds, talk to other versions of themselves to relay messages and warnings, and make sure Inanna and Ninshubur are aware of whatever weird shit is out there. In the SWL ttrpg, I intend to have Maru explore this role to fulfill more, as a messenger and a dreamer. Funnily enough, the surname I gave Maru is 夢宮: Yumemiya, which can translate to Yume: dream, and Miya: a shrine, or place for gods. Don't you love it when the narrative falls into place like that? (But in truth, I borrowed the surname from Kanae Yumemiya, an actress who portrayed Usagi in a Sailor Moon Live production...)

Lastly on name significance, we have the japanese translation that Maru means ◯, and is literally a circle. Depending on the characters used to spell Maru, it can also mean truth, and expanded to mean a complete unending cycle. Putting two ◯◯ together is like censoring a name or word, similarly to how $#%&#! is used in English. In a way, Maru-Maru is saying their name is Redacted, or blankety blank or So-and-so. This was incredibly hilarious in the SWL game when QBL labels the player a terrorist after climbing Orochi Tower. Ah yes, you've definitely found the ringleader who set off the Tokyo bomb: It was ◯◯! Excellent journalism, QBL, no notes.

But in truth, its a clever and funny way to hide themself. Searching Maru on google is gonna get you a stardew valley villager and a cute, chubby cat youtube sensation. And they like it that way.

So whether it's Maru, Mamu, Redacted, ◯◯, or some other weird fifth thing, they'll always be that one odd baby bee who reaches across dimensions to keep reality running just a little longer. They won't have to face the end alone, in fact, its statistically improbable.

And if you survive. If you are still you. Think on the questions. Remember when you were a bright little thing, so full of questions?

THE LIFE CYCLE:

Time is a funny thing when dealing with several versions of the same individual. The smallest changes completely alter a course of events. Many Marus recall gaining their bee not long after the Tokyo Filth bomb around 2012, and being swept up by whichever agency got to them first. Many recall their parents working tirelessly at their jobs at the Orochi Group. They learned how to cook for themself at a young age because Mom and Dad wouldn't be home til late. Many recall the first time they heard the buzzing static was as young as 6, following the sweet whispers through a soon-to-be park and a newly planted flowering tree. There are a few that never receive a bee, or receive their power through other means. These timelines are the strangest ones.

A riddle to kill a sphinx: What's one, then three, and then one again? Wait- that's not how it goes...

The Lumie, Templar, and Dragon Maru all share the same origin. Depending on where an outsider glances, the three realities are so close, they are nearly one. Nearly. They grew up in Kaidan with their parents. They did attend the Orochi-sponsored schools and attended several programs, but flew right under the radar for "gifted abilities" that Orochi was seeking. Little Maru was aware of whispers in tv static, rattles in old pipes, the shrieks of summer cicadas Evangelion style. As a young child, they marched to the beat of their own drum, ignoring or indulging the whispered warnings as they saw fit. The dreams were harder to ignore, but when they told their parents about the big scary monsters that couldn't get out- it was written off as their overly active imagination. After all, they had failed an aptitude test to get into the nearby elementary school near their work. Its uncertain whether or not Maru's parents knew what that test was truly analyzing- and whether or not they were relieved to see they failed. Decent Orochi employees have excellent poker faces.

Sometimes one is born special. Sometimes specialness is genetically modified into one. Not every child is equal.

As they grew older, the supernatural continued to burrow into their eardrums. Maru was an average student, but occasionally received top marks on answers whispered to them. They earned a reputation for being a little bit of a tech whiz, and had an observant eye for finding errors in codes. Not really a "super power" but troubleshooting tech is an immensely useful skill. Maru was exceptional at the ol' percussive maintenance with old printers, punchcards, and fax machines. When things went to digital interfaces, Maru found the tried and true "have you tried turning it off and back on again," to be a real winner.

When they didn't want to hear the whispers, they'd make use of bulky, noise-cancelling headphones. Maru would often be seen wearing them outside of class and in their home, enjoying the peace and quiet. Maybe the headphones were a placebo. It only worked because they believed it worked. However, at night, their mind would be plagued with vivid dreams and even louder whispers and messages. Headphones can't keep hide the noise if its already in their head. Frustratingly, they'd always wake up and immediately forget what they dreamt. This was their normal. Caffeine to keep themself up during the day, wear headphones to keep out the messages, and TV to drown out the static at night.

And there wasn't really anyone to talk about it with. Last time some Orochi kid fessed up to their weird dreams and whispers, he'd definitely vanished. Teachers said the student moved away, but Maru knew his parents still worked in Faust upper management. Another girl said she could hear thoughts before you could finish thinking them. Maru thought that one was bullshit- but she disappeared too. Lesson learned. Keep the static to yourself.

Don't fear It. Fear Nothing. Fear the Foundation. It's no wonder; they say once you hit four, it's all downhill from here.

When it came time to apply for highschool, a few of their peers found this "Clubhouse" and despite its messaging, were blabbermouths about it. Maru always felt uneasy about the place. If there were whispers saying they had nothing to fear, they didn't trust it. They couldn't believe the claims that were coming from this place. Free drinks? Can play games as long as you want? You can be yourself without any fear? Maru especially didn't trust the last one. None of their classmates knew how they felt wearing the girls uniform. None of them knew how exhausting it was to shut out the whispers, keep the eyes on them sated with just the right expectations, and then complete their coursework on top of it all. Maru absolutely did not want to "perform" there either.

Upon finishing highschool, Maru was presented with an opportunity. They'd complete a university comp-sci degree and then immediately dive into a job at the company. Orochi is not devoid of nepotism. At first, this seemed ideal. They'd attend university in New York, and take their summer internships with the American branch of Orochi. Should everything go well, which... it was going to go well that was the expectation... they'd be looking at a substantial salary and generous benefits while working in the Tower.

America was loud. America is loud. But the sheer volume of everything drowned out the buzzing whispers. They still needed the headphones to drown out the rest of the noise though. They could focus a lot more on themself outside of the Orochi bubble, even if their presence was just a few streets away.

Maru figured out a lot about themself in the four years at Uni, especially the gender thing. They enjoyed building weird robots and programming them to do silly things- in addition to their assigned tasks. They enjoyed the few college parties they attended. They even had a steady, long term relationship with a classmate named Caesura (nods back to Exalted). As graduation loomed, they dreaded going back home. They realized how much time they spent alone and really did not want to go back to that solitude at Orochi. So they avoided it. They delayed their graduation by a year and a half by swapping majors, making absurd connections and promises with subdivisions of Faust and Anansi, and prolonging which classes they needed to graduate.

What was the cause of all this, sweetling? Where is the zero point?

Everything changed sometime in 2012. Maru couldn't get anyone on the phone back home when the bomb went off. Even the work lines in Faust were gunked up. They have zero clue if a letter they wrote made it through security and into Orochi's headquarters. Caesura had also vanished. (Unbeknownst at the time, the man was abducted by the Dragon. In most timelines, he does analog calculations for the faction, figuring out where pieces need to move rather than doing field work himself). And then they get their bee, freak out and wreck their apartment, get nabbed by one of the big three, and then get sent out to Kingsmouth.

Things start to break and differ sometime after this for our Red, Blue, and Green iterations of Maru. They all admit to being unaware of their prowess for chaos magic before meeting two other big bees: Ninshubur and Inanna. It was Ninshubur who gifted the confused baby bee a chaos focus, and Inanna gifted a them an empowering gadget. Receiving these items are one of the more prominent cracks on the flickering timelines on the Reality Engine.

Though the most prominent tears in their time are when the Dreamers made themselves known to Maru. The first, a gift. The second, worship. The third, freedom.

Templar!Maru, believes they were tricked by the gift. They swear they would have never have listened to the bubbling voices, but deep down they know that they fell for their sweet words. Whenever the Dreamers approached them, they were certain to make sure they'd never be fooled twice. Their choices are marked with unbound Blue wings.

Dragon!Maru had already begun developing their philosophy on the cyclic end of the world: however messy and destructive it was going to be, whatever was going to rise out of the ashes was going to be just as magnificent. Decay is a form of life. They morbidly want to see what the world will look like at the end, but have to be strong enough to make it there. Accepting the gift, begrudgingly worshipping, and freeing the Dreaming Ones is all part of their dream. Their wings drip with filth. Unease sits in their stomach, they do not know if they'll get their wish.

Lastly, Lumie!Maru was keen on not listening to more voices in their heads. They are the only iteration to refuse the gift. Their wings gleam gold. What is done cannot be undone, and they loathe that their defiance to one set of voices is obedience to another.

Go ahead, glance back. Don't sweat it, sweetling. You won't turn to salt and you can't make yourself impossible. History will conserve itself. The continuities will hold.

Again, time is funny when dealing with several iterations of the same individual. The slightest changes make immense impacts on their lives. There are Maru's who graduated on time. There are Maru's who never left Kaidan. These individuals work with Orochi, whether they want to or not. There are Maru's who's last memory is the filth exploding from within that guy's jacket. There are Maru's still sleeping. There are Maru's who joined the Council of Venice, there are Maru's who hacked the Swarm's game back, and fled their factions. There are Maru's who want nothing to do with the secret world and just want a peaceful goddamn life with their wife and accounting job. There's a Maru who is just really into boats...

But they are all connected, tethered to one another. Like a rat king on reality, fated to meet and tangle.

FUN and STRANGE DETAILS:

BLOODY VALENTINES: Uta, the rabbit killer in Kaidan, is three separate individuals who used to inhabit the same body. Lilith is responsible for splitting her like a worm and separating the sibling souls into new bodies. Maru is an anomaly: they are physical duplicates of the same individual existing simultaneously. Both Maru and Uta fight with unprecedented coordination, switching aggro and balancing their buffs between the three of them. The showdown at the top of Orochi tower was certainly a spectacle... And a vocabulary lesson for swears in several languages. Some agents have noticed the similarities between Maru and Uta, but Maru is quick to squash any speculations. This is not because the two actually know each other, but more Maru does not want anyone to know their Orochi background if they can help it.

The buzzing on Uta reveals some interesting clues about Maru and their existence. Uta was not plagued with insanity but rather hypersanity for the new age- and with new software there are bound to be bugs. While Maru didn't absorb their twin in the womb or was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia; Maru was also sensitive to whispers just outside reality. And so were other children born around the same time. Maybe Maru and that generation of kids got the patched version.

A LUCID DREAM: The Black Signal, or John, tells the Chuck's who will listen that he's no longer singular, he is plural- but remembers what it was like being a sole individual. To Maru, this is so old news. In fact, Maru loves to snark back at him saying that he is not special and they're plural too. There are many Maru's. The Black Signal doesn't really tend to listen to this. Maru may be many, but Maru is still meat. If they would hatch, then they'd have a new conversation. Again, Maru disregards this, and says they've spent enough time being an egg.

They don't want to think too hard about what it means to have "hatched." They know John's not talking about them being nonbinary. Maru is an adept and experienced enough chaos user at this point to recognize when a timeline is too different for them to safely pull on. There's a phantom pain in their outreached hands and fingers when they try to go too far. They are aware that there are some selves they used to be able to call upon and cannot anymore. Something about them has changed. They are aware they can become "out of sync" with their doppelgangers or even be "out of phase," and get stuck somewhere overlapping two or more timelines. But to not be able to call themself at all is terrifying. If only they had the ability to glance at all it all from the outside ... oh.

At least, Maru can't do this consciously. Some versions of Maru have swapped places with their doppelgangers in their sleep or had rude awakenings of being pried from bed to be used as a meat-shield for another. While dreaming, they can go anywhere- so long as they don't forget how to wake up. These ones don't know how close they get to bleeding out of reality.

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES:

In my SWL playthrough, I of course ran into a whole bunch of bugs and glitches. And I love them. But, there were times that it made the game do absolutely weird things- which provides some very fun stories to weave into the glitch. The most notable was at the Second Choice in the City of the Sun God. At this point, my partner had played ahead and was almost through Translylvania when I had finally defeated Aten. He knew there was an Ultimate Move behind the choices and spoiled a little (with my permission). I didn't know what "Blue Wings" meant but I understood to get them I would need to, against my better judgement, listen to the Dreamer's at least once. So after defeating Aten and being greeted by the Filth bird saying "hey you should do the worship emote" I then obliged and typed /worship.

And the game crashed. No worries- this happened all the time for me. My laptop would get obscenely hot running this game and would shut itself down so it wouldn't fry itself. Upon reloading, I had to do the Aten fight again but found myself having trouble with some of the UI interface. Reloadui did not solve the issue, and I found myself in front of the Filth bird again. I typed /worship and Maru did nothing. I opened the emote tab, and clicked, and Maru would do nothing. In fact, all of my emotes were not functioning- except the dances.

I laughed as I watched Maru dance and devour tacos in front of the Dreamer, not knowing how frustrating it must have been for the cosmic entity to watch some small, nascent angelic thought just proceed to do anything but what it requested. How much longer? Out of frustration, I eventually attacked the creature, triggering the next cutscene. The Dreamer's were angry, and I laughed and laughed.

Now the strangest thing is in game play, Maru sometimes has golden wings. I have had friends say they see blue wings and I will see gold on my screen. I've also had the opposite. In all cutscenes, they are blue. Considering the overlapping timelines, it seems like Lumie!Maru's almost choice bleeds through onto their timeline sometimes.

INITIATE THE D20 SYSTEM:

I have been very fortunate to be the storyteller for some very avid fans of the Secret World and have presented an alternative timeline to the world they know and love. Maru of course, is no exception to this. Everyone is operating with different times and circumstances. Eventually, I will get the chance to play Maru in the game. But for now, Maru has only made one appearance: to Olivia, the newest bee of the group. Of course, Olivia has zero idea what implications she has encountered by merely interacting with this version of Maru, untethered to their doppelgangers. The TTRPG timeline is indeed one of the strangest.

Thank you for reading this absurdly long OC lore post, I have spent easily 3 week writing and editing and rewriting and adding. I hope you enjoyed and it sparks some fun thoughts about SWL and maybe a lil Exalted. As a treat.

#steph answers questions #thanks for the ask!#swl #storyteller vibes #maru energy

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sheriffgrimes-archerdixon · 1 year

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Hi :) I hope you're doing well ☺️ Could I request a Paul Rovia x Female Reader fic please ? Where Paul opens up to Reader about his insecurities, his fears and everything else he has never been able to tell and share with anyone, except with her. (We know he has always had troubles building relationships). Like he is super vulnerable at that moment and may be on the verge of a breakdown and reader (who also happens to be his best friend or s/o) comforts him in the sweetiest way possible and assures him he IS worthy of Love, no matter what people told him in the past. Also hugs. Lots of hugs. And Hair stroking. You know... Just pure comfort and care. 🥺 Thanks :)

Hi! I’m so sorry, this took me FOREVER to write with writers block and everything. So sorry for the wait!! Thank you for the request

Tw’s: sensitive topics, emotions running high, coming out.

Please note, as I would rather not get rude threatening DM’s please know this story is about Paul and reader as friends. I would never write Paul with a female character romantically. In the last twenty minutes I’ve been getting nonstop messages about this specific post and they’re fairly rude. I’m only human. I’m only writing stories because I like to. Again this story is focusing on friends helping each other!!! Nothing more nothing less. PLEASE think before you message me with abusive language. Thank you. I will not be discussing this topic again

Some of the things I write as Paul are probably going to be made up as I don’t know everything about him so apologies if I write something wrong!

“you can talk to me,”

Your words were soft as you gazed at your best friend, Paul. His long hair fell in front of his face shielding the look of discomfort in his eyes but his body language was enough of a telling sign that something wasn’t right. He was always at hilltop but you had noticed something was off with him so encouraged him to take a break from being busy and spend some quality time with you. He never spoke to you about how he was feeling, he always felt like a burden but you just wanted to listen to him. Make him realise that it was okay to talk. “What happened?” You questioned- you weren’t a mind reader but you wished you were one at that very moment. It tore you apart not being able to help him. “Nothing” he said quietly and you looked at him raising your brows “nothing my ass” you said sarcastically you simply stared at him overly concerned for his well-being and rightly so, being in the apocalypse all alone with little to no family was a risk to mental health.

“Seriously it’s nothing y/n” he said shaking his head as he stood up from the couch. Your eyes flared with concern and you held yourself back from standing up with him “please don’t shut me out” you pleaded watching as his sea blue eyes slowly moved to look at you, his expression hurt and confused. “You’ve got enough on your plate I don’t want to bother you, seriously-“ you cut him off grabbing onto his hand tightly but gently as you gazed into his eyes “I’ve always got time for you.” You uttered out giving his hand a light squeeze “no matter what I’m always here for you… always.” You said and you watched as he seemingly allowed himself to break free from the “Im fine” demeanour as he sat back down beside you but you didn’t let go of his hand simply holding onto his hand tightly, your fingers intertwined with his as you brushed your thumb against his hand gently. Silence soon engulfed the both of you as you could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to word what he wanted to say properly.

He licked over his lips nervously before letting out a breath “I’m scared.” He practically whispered and you remained silent gazing at him before your eyes softened “oh, Jesus” you cooed gently letting go of his hand as you wrapped your arm around his shoulder pulling him close, his head slowly falling to rest against your shoulder as he closed his eyes feeling tons of comfort wash over him. “You’re allowed to be scared” you assured gently but he soon shook his head “I… I’m not just scared of the apocalypse or walkers or anything… I’m scared of losing you.” He said his voice trembling ever so slightly, you nodded slowly snaking your hand up to rest against his head as you listened to him your fingertips slowly running through his hair, trying to soothe him as best as you possibly could. “I’m wasting so. much. time. Because I’m unable to connect with people I feel useless and so stupid… I can’t seem to solve anything anymore I’m only good for stealing… I’m just useless” he said almost numbly and you quickly pulled away to look into his eyes as you cupped his face in your hands “hey, no… where is this coming from?” you shook your head “absolutely not- we need you for everything. For your skills… for your kindness, passion, fighting skills… you’re amazing.”

But even though your words were said with all the kindness possible he didn’t believe it, looking away as tears formed in his eyes, his hands trembling as he seemingly looked like he was about to breakdown. “You can talk to me, Paul… please. I want to help you. Let it all out.” You pleaded as he let out a breath leaning back into the couch as you wrapped your arm around his shoulder. You had known him for a while now and knew he got most comfort and security from comforting touches- touches being the only way to truly calm him down. You watched as he stared up at the ceiling struggling to control the heavy emotions rolling round his head. “It’s all in my head” he said gently “all the thoughts. The memories. The pain. It sucks” You nodded slowly as a tear slowly trickled down his cheek. He was always such a strong strong man who never showed much emotion so it shocked you… he was opening up to you.

“Okay… I’m listening.” You assured gently as he nodded turning his head to look at you his eyes full of honesty and seriousness but a deep pain was starting to shine through “I had a group before hilltop, I trusted them… I ignored the warning signs. They were a bunch of bullies basically…. Making fun of everything about me. They weren’t a group- they were just people who had to suffer with me there, we were hunting together. This was probably a month into the whole apocalypse and we were scavenging for food… soon enough we became the food. The dead surrounded us everywhere and all of them threw me into the dog house basically… they ran and left me to fend for myself.” Your brows furrowed as you listened “oh I’m sorry that’s awful…” he wiped away some fresh tears angrily visibly trying not to be too emotional about it “but I somehow freed myself from it all… I then started my journey again but solo this time….” He bit down on his bottom lip “a few weeks later and I found them all dead… they hadn’t been bitten- none of them- they had all just been stabbed in the head and to this day I don’t know who did it but I regret not being there to help them. I should’ve helped them….” “No you couldn’t-“ he cut you off gently “no, y/n, you don’t understand. I should’ve been there to somehow save them. I don’t think of them often but when I do it’s when I’m like this… I guess… but that’s usually the time when I’m alone.” He said and you stared at him quietly, he had been doing this for ages- suffering alone. “I’m always here to listen” you said and he nodded “I know.”

You slowly rubbed up and down his back trying to think of something to say watching as he sucked in harsh breaths and you got closer to him “come here” you soothed quietly as you wrapped your arms around him as he practically sunk into you as if this was the first hug he had, had in forever, his body instantly relaxing into yours as you stroked his hair resting your chin atop of his head “it’s okay… it’s all going to be okay.” You soothed as his body began trembling, shaking harder every now and then as he tried to keep in his cries “let it all out… you’re safe” you coaxed, continuing to murmur quiet assuring things to him as he continued crying in your arms.

“How do you know it’s going to be okay?” He suddenly asked sniffling “I don’t know that but what I do know is you’ve survived this long… you’ve got us… you’ve got a family. Cut yourself some slack. You’re only human.” You said to him quietly. “We’re so lucky to have you Paul. I’m so lucky. I’ve got the greatest best friend” you said with a small smile as you continued stroking your hand over his hair “you’re so loved… you’re so worthy. You may not feel it at times but you are.” You said with a small smile. Usually he was the one comforting you but being able to comfort him back felt nice… “really?” He looked up into your eyes and you smiled down at him nodding your head “absolutely.”

Paul appreciated your kindness. He hadn’t experienced such kindness in a long time and so he was grateful for it. You made him feel safe. You shielded him from the pain. “Do you feel better now?” You asked softly and he nodded slightly “anything else you’d like to talk about?” You offered and he gazed at you “yes, actually.” He said and you hummed sitting up straighter as you gazed at him “okay… I’m uh, I’m not going to sugar coat this alright? But I’ve been insecure my whole life… I could never figure out why… I couldn’t get to the main root of the insecurity but I found it…” he said and you nodded quietly easing him to continue “I’m gay… I like… guys.” He said staring at you waiting for your reaction and as he saw a smile light up your face relief was quick to wash over him “that’s amazing” you wrapped your arms around him “but I’m sure I knew… I see the way you look at some guys.” You chuckled out and he smiled at you “thank you.” He murmured and you shook your head “no… thank you.” You said and he furrowed his brows slightly “for opening up to me…. Communicating is important. Don’t leave me in the dark okay? I’m here to listen.” You said and he nodded… for you he’d try and learn that he wasn’t a burden and that he could communicate to you.

#the walking dead #jesus x y/n #jesus twd #paul rovia #paul rovia x best friend reader #twd #alexandria #hilltop #xreader #comfort #coming out #sweet #opening up #its okay

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dxncingwithastrxnger · 6 months

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EVERYTHING TRISLANCE RN

OKAY THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG ASS POST CAUSE IMMA GIVE YOU SNEAK PEEKS OF EACH ONE THAT HAS STUFF WRITTEN ALREADY, TOO

First one: [pretty, pretty please]

[He hears a slight creak of the floor and whips around, his heterochromatic eyes meeting bright red ones and he instantly relaxes, sagging in on himself. In the presence of the other boy, he felt ashamed of himself. If Lance had a demon form, he would never lose control the way that I do, Tristan thought to himself glumly as he dropped his eyes down to the floor, gritting his teeth.

"What is with you today?" Lance speaks up sternly. Tristan continues his inspection of the floor, but he hears the slight tunk as Lance closes the door to his bed chambers and the quiet wisps of fabric brushing together as he makes his way towards him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Tristan argues weakly, both of them knowing it's a complete lie. Lance reaches for his hand and Tristan flinches away from him. I don't deserve his touch. He should be disgusted by me, just like everyone else.

Lance hesitates then, Tristan can tell. His body goes still, his breath hitches, and he swallows. Tristan still isn't looking at him, but his other senses have learned to pick up on his every move and action just as well as his eyesight by this point. He knows what's coming. He's about to be scolded for his pathetic slip-up. This is the first time they've managed to actually talk right after a loss of his control, so Lance has never gotten to truly lecture him about it before, but Tristan knows that he wants to. He's made that quite clear through snippy comments and stern remarks thrown about in conversation between them whenever the topic allows. Tristan is certain that he knows exactly what Lance is going to say to him, so he's very surprised by the question he hears spoken softly into the room.

"...Are you afraid of me?" Lance asks Tristan. His voice is wobbly and quiet, as if the question itself is enough to make him completely crumble into tiny pieces. Tristan's head shoots up immediately upon processing what Lance was asking him. He thinks I'm afraid of him? Seriously?]

So, about this one!!! Basically Tris has one of his many mental breakdowns and Lance shows up and ends up learning just how badly Tristan sees himself while Tris finds out about some of Lance's own insecurities and it's all a bunch of angst that eventually ends with some fluff. I only plan for it to be like a chapter or two, tbh, just a short lil thing.

Second one: [and all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along]

Synopsis: It's your usual trope. Royalty meets commoner and love blossoms between the two. But these boys are a bit different. Not only are they completely different classes, they're different races, too. In this version of Britannia, the Fairy clan doesn't take too kindly to the Goddess Clan and vice versa. But the Prince of Liones has such mesmerizing eyes and that bread thief's sly grin is enough to leave anyone it's aimed at breathless.

[Tristan hurries down the hall and to his room, having only a limited amount of time to get there before the guards come back and see the basket of food he carries with him. It's not like getting caught would be too big of a deal. But getting caught meant he would have to provide an explanation as to why he had the food with him in the first place, and that's what he would get in trouble for. 'Oh, well, you see, mother and father, the reason I was taking this rather large basket of food to my room with me is because I've decided to start giving that very handsome young commoner boy that you captured in the kitchens two weeks ago baskets of food every week so that he'll keep coming back to my balcony and calling me pretty.' Yes, that would certainly go over well. There are so many things wrong with that sentence that just speaking it out loud to anyone would gain him an immediate doctor visit or two.

He bites back a grin as he slips through the doors to his bed chambers quickly, allowing them to fall closed behind him. He sets the basket on his writing desk before walking over to his bed and flopping down on it, the grin finally breaking through despite him trying to prevent it from doing so.]

This little snippet is literally all I have written out for this fic so far, but I plan for this to have at least 6 chapters and I haven't finished planning it out yet, tbh, just that it's gonna be a pretty decent amount of story, lmao. But basically Ban, Elaine, and Lance live like a (mostly) normal family but are pretty poor and Ban tries to stay straight and out of trouble, but Lance doesn't have the same sentiment. HE decides it would be a great idea to try and steal some food directly from the King and Queen (Because Meliodas and Elizabeth don't know Ban or Elaine in this AU, ofc) and he gets caught and thrown behind bars for a few days. But then he gets released and on his way out, he spots Tris looking pretty in the gardens and Tris sees him as well and then there's ✨chemistry✨

But because of Elaine being a fairy, she's extremely distrustful of Elizabeth and Meliodas by association and Ban hates demons, so he hates Meliodas and it's all a whole thing. I plan to have King in the story, too, but I haven't figured out his part of the story yet, or most of the other characters for that matter, lmaoo

Third one: [we're only lost children]

AKAJAKA I'VE TOLD YOU ABOUT THIS ONE BEFORE

THIS IS THE ONE WHERE THEY DANCE

AND THEN THE TIMELINE IS SWITCHED

SO LANCE DISAPPEARS AT AGE 16 INSTEAD OF 10

AND THEN THERE'S A N G S T

But I'll still give you a lil bit of it so that you have plenty of food to eat up :DDD

[They’re so close now, their bodies almost entirely pressed together. Lancelot leans down and presses his forehead into Tristan’s. From their current position, their chests are pressed together and Tristan can feel Lance's heart beating as fast as his own. Lance brings his hand up from Tristan’s knee and instead presses it to his cheek instead, cradling his face tenderly. Tristan mimics the action with his free hand and the two of them stay just like that for a few long moments. Then, slowly, Lance stands back up, pulling Tristan with him, and they continue their dance. But this time, it's different.

Before, the heat and tension building between them was subtle. Now it was all around them, closing in and getting ready to consume them. Their chase continues, but it's faster. Who's the hunter? Who's the prey? Neither is quite sure yet, all they know is that they must catch the other. Tristan's glad to see that Lance is just as affected as he is. The blonde has wide pupils and it almost seems like he's panting. Tristan knows he's the same way. All he wants to do is pull his lover into a kiss, end this chase, but he doesn't want to give in just yet. The air around them is filled with fire and every step they take just adds another spark to the flame.

Lance can see it in Tristan's eyes. He's right on the verge of giving in, of letting Lance win. The competitive nature in him is filled with glee at the chance to win this unspoken game of theirs. He fills his eyes with all his want, all the desire he has for the boy in front of him, and lets a boyish grin grace his lips. And that's it, right there. He sees the moment Tristan gives in and he knows he's won, exactly as he planned to. He pushes Tristan out for one more spin and then pulls his prince right into him.

"Damn you." Tristan whispers against Lance's lips before pushing all the way against him, and the flames overtake them.

The kiss they share now is unlike any kiss that's been exchanged between them before. They've had plenty of makeout sessions, but none of them held as much heat as this one.]

Aksjslakas I forgot that I planned on putting smut in the first chapter 💀💀 Cause it's supposed to be all sweet and romantic and our two boys being all in love and being connected more than ever before AND THEN BOOM

Lance is gone right after for THREE WHOLE YEARS

Cause I'm evil and love making angst LMAO

So there you go!! I know there's a fourth one but I have literally nothing for it except the title, lmao. BUT I know that the title is a lyric from the song The Only Exception by Paramore, so maybe listening to the song while thinking of Trislance will bring whatever idea I had back 💀💀💀

#purple_strxnger #purplestrxngerasks #abby asks <3 #trislance #wips

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maxverstepponme · 10 months

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Oookay, long ass "breaking my silence" statement. Cause I'm done.

STORY TIME!

it may be too early to talk about alexandra, but she and giada don't get that much criticism because they seem to have a life of their own. when Alexandra is away from Charles, it seems like she is surviving and managing on her own small private life. maybe she might embarrass me in the future, but for now I'm just upset about the way Charles treated her. anyway charlotte was just a random girl that no one knew about in the beginning. and Charlotte is criticized for being disrespectful enough to announce her and her friends ex boyfriend Charles' new affair via instagram just a few weeks after Charles broke up with Giada, "him saying that he would focus on ferrari", and THE WORST thing is after ChaCha breakup, she posted a story supporting max and then used a photo of a donkey to say, "Still supporting the red cars with the little horse, don't worry guys :) But was it really worth it to specify? *pointing the donkey* Even Théophile knows it". plus her cheap ass attitude and the fake lifestyle that she tries to pretend to be is also so embarrassing. I'm sorry, but Charles could always do better than Charlotte. tw/painful fact!!! Charlotte's not a princess daughter of a perfect and rich father. apparently, your father's money does not make you to build a prestigious and self-owned brand. I think we're tired of talking about her attitude. she can't become the it girl of Monaco by wearing cheap and substitute goods, having lame hobbies that you hope will make money, acting like being rich and showing off luxury goods gifted by sponsor for days, or going after everything that you think will bring you popularity. no one is having a nervous breakdown because of her :), we're making fun of her. besides I think you're crazy for not accepting she is so desperate. do not pretend that she is a loved one. even Charles's family couldn't accept her, and no one has to. so Alexandra's look with the clothes she wore from her closet on her first monaco paddock debut were way more expensive than the hag outfits that Charlotte had been making for weeks, along with gifted goods. as long as she stays away from Charles, no one cares about her anyway. #freelordperceval

by the way is valentine sine here? cause only she'd defend her sister like this. period.

Let's end this please

Charlotte is not an angel and has never been. Whoever thinks that are fooling themselves lol

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tired-o-fighter · 8 months

Text

So you may wonder

Hey tired

You made so many promises for propagandas

Why didn't you post a single one?

Wellp

I am not exactly in an alrighty ish mental state lmao (nothing bad or tragic or anything just used all my brain energy and I'm running low and can't actually function like a human being lol)

But more importantly

I made the decision to go get my nails done. And because i basically had no actual nails to work with i got poly gel nails annnnnd it's too long. I ACTUALLY CAN'T FUCKING DRAW.

Holding a pencil like i used to is actually not possible but I'm relearning so it'll be alright

But digital? Haha no way. I use my phone and finger for all the digital art you've seen. Guess what when you get long ass nails you can't use your fingertip to touch the screen.

Still haven't had my mental breakdown over this. But for now (the next 20 days) i gotta draw traditionally 90% of the time. Which is what I'm working on. As again, Holding a pencil the way I've been holding for the past like idk 14 years is actually not possible and a tad bit painful when i try to do it by force

I'm actually genuinely sorry for not posting the stuff i promised. Regardless of the results of the polls , I'll post all of them as soon as i can.

Right at this specific moment i have no creativity like none and I'm just trying to figure a way out to prepare for the last day of polls

If you still want something. Whether it's art ask or au questions or anything you'd like to tell me or ask me, my ask box is always open. I'll do my best to answer them. Especially the none art ones

Thanks for reading my rant.

I'll bounce back just gimme a lil bit of time and don't let me isolate myself please

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thetrashywritingwitch · 2 years

Text

“Be Still, Just for Me” Bakugo x Fem!Reader, Ch. 45

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

(all chapters are available in my masterlist!)

Summary: Bakugo Katsuki, a Pro Hero in Japan, is used to the routine: wake up, kick villain ass, rinse and repeat. He’s living his dream, soaking in all he’s ever wanted and worked for.

During the brief moment he lets his guard down, everything changes.

Tossed into a world without quirks with nothing but the clothes on his back, he’s forced to accept the help of someone who knows exactly who he is: a manga character who should definitely not exist.

Chapter length: 12k

Warnings: T+ for language, no warnings

Reminder that the A03, Wattpad, and Quotev links will be in a reblog so this post shows up in search results! They’re also in my profile header! <3

Co-written and plot mapped by @rose-sparks13

thanks to all my beta readers!!! <3 @birinboom, @bananabossbitch, @jems-all-in-a-wood, and a few others who prefer to remain anonymous. NOTE: please ignore and forgive anytime i might've misspelled "Yaoyorozu" because I swear I spelled it three different ways throughout the chapter and @birinboom bonked me on the head for every single one

Chapter Title: The Night We Met

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"Oooh, I feel like I'm gonna barf." Your hands never felt so jittery before, shaking like a leaf in the wind; well, no, that probably wasn't entirely true, but it damn sure felt like it was in the top five potential nervous breakdown moments in your life so far. Just to be safe, you hurried to the bathroom with the toilet seat up and paced on the cold tile. Despite your stomach's twisting unease, nothing came up.

Waiting for someone to whisk you away to the world of My Hero Academia so that you could reconnect one last time with Bakugo Katsuki would no doubt give anyone brain fog at the plausibility of it all.

You should've been excited - you were excited - but the stress of committing such a risky leap into turbulent waters was nerve wracking to say the least. If things turned out well and Katsuki didn’t outright reject seeing you as his surprise birthday gift after six months, then you’d not only get to spend valuable time with him again, but you’d get to meet his friends, see Japan, and experience the world of My Hero Academia with your own eyes; an opportunity singular to you and only you in the entire world as far as you were aware.

On the other hand, what if your sudden reappearance instigated Katsuki into another angry outburst to mirror that awful night after the theme park date? What if waiting months after Uraraka arrived with her gift at a second chance was the wrong thing to do? Rejection tasted like glass shards, sharp and bloody and nearly impossible to pick out every tiny piece. Hearing it from him the first time was bad enough even though he took it back and apologized less than an hour later… but you weren't sure if you could take having all of his friends watching as he potentially rebuffed your arrival at his own birthday celebration.

Catching yourself in the bathroom mirror, you frowned at the stress evident from the shadows under your eyes; sleeping last night proved nearly impossible with anticipation twisting in your stomach. Nevertheless, you tried to rest as best you could considering the incredibly busy day ahead of you if things went according to… well, whatever plan Katsuki's friends had in store.

You'd been anticipating this moment ever since Uraraka left your apartment months ago. The realization of what exactly you agreed to didn't set in until that evening when panic slowly crept in as you went through a mental checklist of what you needed to do in preparation and what could possibly happen to derail all of it once you arrived. You asked for time off from work for the week of April 20th right after the holidays. To keep your parents from worrying if they tried to contact you, you told your parents that you were going on a week-long trip with some friends where you wouldn’t have close access to cellphone towers.

Most unexpectedly of all was the fact that you and Livia from the ramen shop had actually become friends. Though she was younger than you and things had obviously been awkward at first, you found her energetic and optimistic personality a welcome gift in your dejection as it slowly waned with time. And because she had actually met Katsuki, you told her that you were planning on going to Japan to try and visit him for a week. It wasn't a lie… your trip was taking you to Japan… just in a different universe.

"Oooh, that's straight out of a romance book my mom would read I swear," she'd said after you explained. "You nervous?"

"I mean, yeah," you joked with a dry laugh as the two of you sat at a small café after work for warm drinks and pastries. "I've never been to Japan, but I've always wanted to go… "

"I meant about seeing your man again." Livia picked a crumb off her plate and stared at you with raised brows.

You fidgeted with your mug and avoided her scrutiny. "Oh… um, yeah. Just unsure of how things will go, I guess. Since he doesn't know that I'm coming as far as I'm aware-"

"Hold up." She blinked, obviously disbelieving your words. "He doesn't know you're planning this trip? Um, explain that one to me?!" Face scrunched and twisted in a way that anyone who wasn't being interrogated by her would find funny, Livia held her palms up facing the ceiling to pass the conversation back to you.

Scraping your teeth across your top lip, you thought about how to spin this so she would buy it. She was smart enough to get into law school, which meant she was smart enough to pinpoint your bullshit. "So, like, his friends found out about what happened and contacted me saying that he wished he could see me again… sooo, we're kinda planning to surprise him… which wasn't my idea! I said they should tell him what they were gonna do, but they're his friends, not mine, and they wanna keep it a secret in case I can't make it or something…"

She sat across from you, chin in her palm, lips pursed before she let her tongue click against the roof of her mouth. "You're gonna get kidnapped."

"What?! No-"

"This is like, stranger danger 101. Now. I'm totally into traveling and experiencing new things and chasing what you want, but this sounds sketchy as hell."

To anyone that didn't know the true context of the entire situation, yeah, it did sound like a dumb and audacious idea to travel to an unfamiliar country to find a guy you knew for a month. However, Katsuki and Uraraka and all of their friends were trustworthy Heroes who only wanted to bring the two of you together again. They'd never bring you there if it would put you in danger; if anything, being around top Heroes would be the safest possible option.

You tapped a fingernail on the side of your cup and sighed. "It does sound reckless, yeah. But it's still four months away and I've talked to his friends. You and my parents know I'll be away. Like, I get it and this whole plan sounds like a bad Lifetime movie plot… but just-" The tea in your mug almost sloshed out onto the table as you slid it to the side and leaned forward into Livia’s personal space, eyes determined, and mouth pulled into a thin line. “Just know that I wouldn’t do this if I thought something bad would happen or I didn’t trust Kat’s friends. And even if our meeting doesn’t go as planned… well, I’ll just explore Japan on my own, then. Which is why… I’m wondering if you couldhelpteachmeJapanese!”

The last words - a plea towards your new friend - slurred together as you sank lower into your seat. One of the biggest obstacles you knew you’d face being in a different country was that you knew next to zero Japanese aside from the easy phrases Katsuki helped you with. There was no way your phone was going to work there since Uraraka’s didn’t work here, so learning as much as you could in as little time as possible was your best chance at having some mild independence while there; plus, it was a huge bonus if you were able to talk to Katsuki without having an annoying robotic voice to translate every little thing.

Livia's face morphed into the most shiteating, smug expression that would even give Katsuki a run for his money. "Aaah, I see what's going on here. You want me to give you Japanese lessons so you can talk to your hottie boy toy easier. OK, I might indulge you… but what do I get?"

"I'll pay you money."

"Deal." Her response was so immediate, you couldn't help but snicker. "Plus, if you know the basics, then I’ll feel better about you going… but if they do kidnap you and you escape, I’ll totally be your defense lawyer.”

All you could do was shake your head limply trying to hold in your laughter while picking at the last crumbs of pastry on your plate. It wasn’t as though you were leaving your whole life behind for a guy, now that would’ve been dumb, even if the guy in question was Bakugo Katsuki. He was the one from the shounen manga story, not you.

Now, months later as you double-checked your bag to make sure you had everything safely packed away while replaying Japanese phrases in your head. Clothes to last for a week, plus extra socks and underwear, hygiene products, makeup, styling tools for your hair, a phone charger that you probably wouldn’t even need… and Katsuki's orange hoodie.

His scent had long since faded from the comfy fabric even though you tried not to wear or hold it too often. Sometimes, you just wanted to press into whatever was left of him as a source of comfort, even if it left you with mournful nostalgia. Maybe if things went well, he'd toss it in with his laundry or wear it so you could bring it back… or maybe that was a bad idea considering this would really be the final time the two of you could be together. Just delaying the inevitable.

And finally, sitting on top of everything else was the red dress that had been gathering dust in your closet.

You planned on wearing it for this birthday party of his. Hopefully, he’d think it looked as good on you as it did on the hanger. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be upset at seeing you again after all this time…

At that very moment, you jumped up from the couch and stared at the center of your living room as an iridescent shimmer began to appear and swirl around the air. Recalling when Uraraka left six months ago, this had to be-

“Oof!” The simmer quickly formed into the shape of a person before materializing fully. A familiar-looking man in plaid, sun-faded jeans, dirty boots, and a beard that nearly engulfed his entire face landed with a hard thud on your floor.

“Fuck, shit, are you OK?!” You remembered how tired he was last time and thought you were prepared, but having someone manifest out of glitter in your living room was still kind of shocking. Bending down, you helped him onto the couch before grabbing him a glass of water. “Um, Devin?”

Clearing his throat, he finally looked at you and nodded. You knew it was him, but your nerves frazzled the rational part of your brain because you were about to travel to a different fucking universe!

Devin’s strength began to return about ten minutes later as he took a deep breath as if sucking in clean mountain air before sitting up and letting it all out again. “Wa- ah, chotto matte,” he said with a thick American accent before he dug into his pants pocket and pulled out two things: a small device you didn’t recognize, and the champagne cork that looked just like it did six months ago; true to his word, he’d taken good care of it.

You watched as Devin fiddled around with the device before holding it up between the two of you. “This thing workin’?” A small light on top flickered on before a robotic-but-pleasant voice came out of a speaker on the bottom. It seemed to translate Devin’s words into your own language… except it was much faster and more accurate than your phone app.

“If you’re asking if I can understand you, then yes? It works." Well, this was something you didn't expect. "Is this a translator of some kind? Why didn't Uraraka bring it with her last time?"

He took another long sip of water and relaxed into your couch. "Yep, it's a translator thingy. And it seems to work a lot better than whatever you used; still weird, but ah well. As for why we didn't have it before, well it didn't exist. Uraraka apparently thought ahead and asked someone in Support to make it with the excuse that it could help with their Hero work or something."

"Support? Oh, you mean like someone who makes support items for Heroes?" Devin barely knew you and vice versa, so you weren't scared of accidentally saying something that Katsuki possibly didn't mention. The underappreciated department gave all Heroes their edge with specialized equipment and gadgets; it made you wonder if Hatsume was still around.

"That's right," he confirmed while carefully placing the cork back in his pocket. "They'd already been workin' on this thing for a while since rescuing tourists could get messy if you're trying to tell 'em something important. But don't ask me how it works because I don't have a clue. I chop wood and fix stuff; Hero tech isn't my area."

All of that made sense, and you felt lucky that they'd use a fancy gadget like this to help you out. "Ha, I'd been practicing Japanese since you and Uraraka left in preparation, but four months isn't long enough to know a whole lot. This is appreciated. Thanks, Devin."

He shrugged. "Thank Uraraka. I'm just the messenger. Also a taxi, I guess… so uh, you ready to go or…?"

"Oh, right. Umm… just one question, I guess. What's the weather there like right now? To make sure I packed appropriate stuff." Sure, a logical question, but maybe you were also stalling out of fear of what would happen once you got there. This was what you wanted - something Uraraka claimed Katsuki wanted, too - so all you could do was hope for the best.

Devin found your question simple enough to answer. "I know about comin' prepared for a trip, though my pack is usually full of provisions and survival gear. Weather's nice in Japan right now. Cold's mostly moved on and a light jacket should be plenty."

OK, yeah, that worked. You'd looked up the weather in Tokyo here but weren’t sure if it would be exactly the same there. Anything extra just meant you were stalling. "Then… y-yeah, I guess I'm ready."

He waited for you to turn off all the lights and make sure you left nothing plugged in like most people would do when preparing for a vacation. You also sent texts to your mom and the few friends who knew you'd be gone before turning off your phone. If they tried to call and got some kind of disconnected message, it could cause unnecessary worry that you would hate to deal with when you came back home.

"Does it hurt? Teleporting, I mean."

"Nah," he assured as he stretched his thick arms towards your ceiling. He'd given you the fancy translator to hold along with your bags. "You'll feel a tug behind your belly button, but it happens in a flash. Probably be kinda disoriented and tired, but it'll affect me more than you."

If it wasn't for Devin and the dedicated effort of Katsuki's friends, none of this would even be possible. "Thank you for all of this, Devin. Without-"

"Nah, no, none of that." Holding up his hands as if you were sick, he sucked in his lips until they were completely hidden behind his beard. "I'm doin' all this as a favor to someone. But you better make this little journey count and snag that guy of yours, got it?"

Heat pooled in your cheeks as you shuffled your feet. Even this stranger was rooting for you and Katsuki to try and make it work… temporarily, at least. "Half of it is up to him, but I'll do my best. Now, let's go before I do something dumb."

Devin cracked his neck before extending his elbow out for you to hold onto. Terrified that a vital part of you would somehow get left behind despite Devin’s reassurance, you gripped his sleeve and dug your fingers into his arm while your other hand shakily held onto your suitcase. Please let this work, please let this work, please let me not barf as soon as I get there…

You screwed your eyes shut while Devin pulled out the old All Might keychain Melissa gave him. All of these small, ordinary items held so much emotional significance to their owners… the world really was a crazy, beautiful place behind it all, huh?

The tug behind your stomach was immediate, like a vacuum trying to suck you into a powerful whirlwind that gave you no time to escape. Your vision swirled and meshed like a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes shoved into a blender. There was no time to process dematerialization or what you imagined taking LSD might be like, as everything turned blindingly white before something hard and flat came up to meet your palms and knees.

I'd much rather fall out of bed than deal with that. Thoughts disoriented and blurry, you groaned as you tried to figure out what happened, where you were, and if all of your limbs were still attached. Although nothing hurt, your eyes felt as though you’d stared straight at the sun for a second too long and struggled to open them. Unrecognizable voices talked around you in Japanese as you tried to sit up before a painful twisting in your chest had you doubling over in discomfort.

Meanwhile, halfway across the city, Katsuki and Mar were talking to authorities after just apprehending a rowdy group of wannabe villains trying to start trouble at a bank.

"Mm, that's right," Katsuki said to one of the cops on the scene. "They- hhrg!" Out of nowhere, a sharp jolt struck him right through the chest and nearly took his breath away, causing him to stagger and lean against a nearby building for support.

"Dynamight?! What happened? What's wrong?" The officer followed Katsuki’s glare as he whipped his head around trying to find the source of the pain, paranoid that a hidden villain had somehow managed a sneak attack on him again… but just as quickly as it began, the pain subsided. Also, for some unexplainable reason, the ache that had plagued him since first returning home six months ago, the light tug of invisible thread wrapped rigidly around his heart… lessened. The thread was given slack like a jump rope resting on the ground while two points still held the handles.

A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face at feeling the paradox of simultaneous worry and relief. Mar's voice came into focus as they jogged up behind him.

"Dynamight-senpai? I saw you double over and-"

"You secured the perimeter, right? All the villains are in custody?" He avoided Mar's worried expression and instead stared across the horizon of the city trying to mentally piece together what just occurred.

"Um, yes. I double-checked and everything's in order and accounted for. Did something happen…?"

Katsuki remained silent, his lips pulled into a thin line. Just let me get through my fucking birthday without any bullshit.

Back at the Midoriya household, you were dealing with similar confusing feelings muddying your thoughts compounded by the daze of landing in a stranger’s house with people who looked familiar. You almost couldn’t believe it despite knowing they were just as real as Bakugo Katsuki.

A tall woman with long black hair pulled into a neat ponytail trailing over her shoulder and dark granite eyes was tending to Devin laying limply on a nearby couch with a damp cloth. She looked exasperated while trying to keep polite composure as she spoke in hushed Japanese.

Another person, this one with pale pink skin, matching hair, yellow horns, and dressed in loud but chic clothing waved her arms dramatically while giving an earful to-

“Oh my god,” you mumbled to yourself as you immediately identified the mop of forest green hair, freckles, and long-healed scars covering his hands and forearms as he nervously attempted to assuage the pink-skinned woman who was now karate chopping him on the head. Though they were older, taller, and noticeably more muscular - Midoriya, especially - you were clear headed enough to put names to their faces.

Yaoyorozu Momo, Ashido Mina, and Midoriya Izuku currently surrounded you while you recalled what the hell happened over the last five minutes. You landed on the floor, distressed voices in alarm, your chest hurt as though someone had smacked your sternum hard enough to knock the breath out of your lungs, someone helped you sit against the edge of a chair…

Your murmuring must’ve drawn Midoriya’s attention away from the frustrated Ashido as he swiftly walked forward with panicked eyes, glued his arms to his sides, and bowed generously while repeating what you could only make out as a string of apologies in rushed Japanese as you sat dumbfounded on the floor with your knees pulled into your chest. The translator Devin gave you lay off to the side since you dropped it while trying to break your fall.

"Umm… " While you slowly reached for the translator while staring awkwardly at the man apologizing to you, Ashido gently pushed him to the side with a roll of her large black eyes before kneeling in front of you as her expression softened.

"Ogenki desu ka?" Ok, you could finally put some of your studying to good use…

"Uh, hai, genki desu," you answered easily. This mild disorientation was finally wearing off. For whatever reason, that made her giggle which reassured you that nothing had gone catastrophically wrong with this part of whatever their surprise birthday plan entailed.

Just as your hand was about to close around the translator, Ashido noticed and snatched it up with quick reflexes before holding it up curiously. "Nanda korya?"

"G-gomen! Hai," Midoriya stammered while grabbing the device out of her hand and handing it back to you. Pressing the "power" button that Devin showed you earlier, a green light flickered on while Ashido pouted.

"Thank you," you said as the pleasant voice reverberated out of the bottom. "I don't really know what's going on… I mean, I sort of do, but-"

"Please tell me you're (y/n)-san?" Midoriya looked as though he'd barely slept in days, so the least you could do was pacify him even though you desperately wanted to know where Katsuki was.

You nodded and he deflated in relief. "Thank goodness… so, it really worked-"

"Excuse me, Midoriya-san." The woman you assumed to be Yaoyorozu stood up from her place next to Devin, her perfect posture and disciplined visage almost imposing despite knowing her kind personality from canon. Hopefully, she hadn't changed drastically in that regard since being a teenager. "Can you please fill Ashido-san and I in on what exactly is going on? You asked us to come and help you with an important favor for Bakugo-san's party tonight, but have been evasive on the details. Who are these people," she said, gesturing to both you and Devin, "and how did they get here?"

Knowing Midoriya hadn't actually told them who you were and what you were doing here made you want to curl up into a ball to catch up on missed sleep. Did that also mean they didn't know where Katsuki had been all that time he was gone? You knew his friends were as impulsive as they were strong, but there was no way this would go off without a hitch. What a mess and I've barely been here ten minutes…

Chancing a look at the couch to your left, you asked, "Is Devin alright? He said he would be tired afterwards…"

Yaoyorozu followed your line of sight and sighed. "Yes. He's asleep, but fine. Apologies for my rude outburst. I'm Yaoyorozu Momo and this is Ashido Mina. It seems like you already know Midoriya-san and that you are not fluent in Japanese judging by your accent and use of the device in your hand…”

With fidgeting fingers, Midoriya stood up and again bowed in apology, this time towards Yaoyoruzu. “Sorry, sorry… I know this all must be confusing, but you and Ashido-san were who I thought of first to help with our, um, plan. Also, if we could try and keep it down… Ochaco is resting right now, but she’ll wake up soon to help with tonight since I know she wants it all to go well…”

“That doesn’t tell us much.” Ashido stood up and brushed invisible dirt from her thighs. “I mean, I like surprises and all as much as the next girl, but we really need more to go on than that… why are you staring at me?”

Her sudden inquiry made you realize that your eyes were glued to her appearance, which made you feel incredibly embarrassed. “Crap, that’s rude, sorry,” you apologized while standing up yourself to make sure the dizziness was finally gone. Introducing yourself properly even though they heard your name through Midoriya a moment ago, you explained, “It’s just… no one has pink skin or horns in my universe. But I still shouldn’t stare! You’re very pretty and it’s a lovely shade of bubblegum pink.”

Cupping her cheeks demurely, Ashido fluttered her lashes and gleamed. “Oh, well, thank you- wait. What’d you just say? What do you mean in your universe?!?”

You looked to Midoriya for silent advice on what to say since that answered a few questions regarding what they knew or didn’t know, but luckily he stepped between you and the other two bewildered women. “I-I know that must sound weird, haha! Like I said, it’s hard to explain… but um, hopefully (y/n)-san can fill you in because I have a lot to do before seven o’clock tonight.” Silently balking at Midoriya shoving the responsibility of telling perfect strangers your history with Katsuki on your own shoulders, you frowned as he continued to plead his case. “Just help her get ready? I guess??”

Ashido and Yaoyorozu shared a look that spoke volumes. “Midoriya-san, ready for-”

A familiar but tired voice echoed from somewhere down a hallway on the opposite side of the room. “We were too loud! I swear, Kirishima-kun, Todoroki-kun, and I will make it up to you two! Devin-san can stay here for now, but if you all could leave and just come back later tonight, I think that will work best."

Rather than wait for an answer, Midoriya quickly but politely shooed all three of you towards the front door while you dragged your single bag of luggage and purse behind you. Ashido and Yaoyorozu huffed while they slipped on their shoes, Midoriya continuing his trait of apologizing profusely before he opened the door, waited until his guests were fully outside, and waved goodbye before leaving you standing with your back to Yaoyorozu and Ashido while silently panicking. This wasn’t exactly how you expected to be welcomed by Katsuki’s friends…

On the other side of the door, Midoriya came close to banging his head against the frame from his own frustrations. “Why’d I do that?! Kacchan’s going to blow a hole in my chest if he finds out I pushed his girlfriend out of my house because I can’t handle everything myself-”

“Izuku? What’s going on?”

He turned around to find his wife, now almost seven months pregnant, holding her stomach while tiredly pointing at Devin still asleep on the couch. Her drowsy face and messy hair from waking up were adorable to Izuku; he wanted to keep her as relaxed and stress-free as possible as the pregnancy progressed, which was why he’d attempted to handle all of the party planning, communications, favors, and Kacchan’s extra special surprise gift all on his own despite Ochaco’s insistence that she was still perfectly capable of helping.

Back outside, you stood by awkwardly as Yaoyorozu and Ashido discussed what to do about, well, you.

“Look,” you interjected while wheeling your suitcase behind you like a lost tourist in a foreign airport. “I’ll explain what I know and why I’m here and all of that if you give me a chance. But it’s kind of a long story… I just don’t have anywhere to go and don’t really know anyone here besides Uraraka and Katsuki.”

At using his given name, Ashido’s eyebrows shot up and the warm sun above sparkled off her sheer lip gloss with a silent “ooh…” while Yaoyorozu, ever the prim and proper lady, brought a hand up to her mouth as struck by your presumed social faux pas. Black eyes glistening curiously, Ashido reached over and tugged you by the elbow towards a very nice and expensive-looking car parked nearby.

“I think you really do have a lot of explaining to do, missy… YaoMomo!” She called over her shoulder with a wave of her free hand. “You mind driving to your place?”

Knowing she wouldn’t get any answers as to what in the world was going on without agreeing, Yaoyorozu nodded with a sigh while pulling out her keys and mentally noting which tea blend would help with her inevitable headache.

It proved difficult keeping your attention on Ashido and Yaoyorozu as you sat in the back seat studying the architecture, signs, and people - oh, the people - who differed so drastically from the familiar. Even though it looked like a normal residential neighborhood, it reminded you of the picturesque animation styles from classic slice of life anime with kids running to school with toast hanging out of their mouths. But what truly caught your attention were the people going about their day. Someone had more arms than Shoji while another seemed to have hair that twirled like lavender flames.

It really hit you that you were the odd one out here. Not just as someone from outside their world, obviously, but you were also quirkless. Considering that only a quarter of people were quirkless in the canon timeline, that percentage had most likely shrunk even more over the past decade. Feeling so out of place, it reminded you of Katsuki's initial arrival. Well, with several key differences.

"Helloooooo, anyone in there?" Ashido's sing-song voice snapped you away from the car window as you held tight to your purse in your lap. She looked at you quizzically over the headrest while Yaoyorozu kept her eyes trained to the road ahead.

"Sorry. This is just a lot to take in… but you want to know what all this is about, right? And who I am and why I'm here and all that?"

"Bingo," she affirmed. "We're Heroes so our whole job is to help people, but all this is like, giving me weird vibes. And what you said earlier about people not having pink skin where you're from? What's that about?" Her tone was pleasant laced with skepticism, but her large black eyes seemed to regard you with slight mistrust. You really couldn't blame her and were honestly frustrated with Midoriya for leaving this part of their "plan" in your own hands when you were more out of the loop than anyone; well, except for Katsuki if they'd managed to keep this whole situation a secret since December.

"Yeah," you breathed out with your head heavy on the back of the seat. "You both deserve to know what's going on since you were dragged into this… I'll try to summarize but it, uh, might be a long story…"

The car rolled to a smooth stop at a red light as Yaoyorozu said, "We have six hours until the party tonight. That should be enough time, right?"

Wrapping up six months worth worth of time in as many hours would've been doable if you were able to get through it all without questions or interruptions, but less than five minutes after nervously recounting the first day he arrived so many months ago, Ashido nearly made Yaoyoruzu lose control of the car with her yelling.

"NOW HOLD ON!"

"Ashido-san, please don't make sudden movements while I'm-

"You mean to tell me," she continued while halfway turned around in her seat to face you, face smeared with incredulity as Yaoyorozu returned her focus to the road. "That aaaaaaall this time, Bakugo was just fine and dandy while all his friends thought he was in trouble? And that you come from a different universe that’s similar to ours, but everyone’s quirkless?!”

Gnawing on the inside of your cheek, you avoided eye contact and gave a short nod. Ashido opened her mouth while the device in your hand translated, then shut it again as Yaoyorozu interjected.

“I can understand Ashido-san’s… hesitance to accept such a tale,” she admitted, fixing her slick black hair in the rearview mirror while waiting for some pedestrians to cross the street. “But I trust Midoriya-san and assume he is aware of what happened since you are here because of his help, I assume. Kirishima-san and Todoroki-san must also know where Bakugo-san was since he mentioned them as well…”

Ashido huffed and slumped against her seat. “I knew Kirishima was keeping secrets. He’s such a bad liar. Best bro friend privileges, I guess. OK, OK, so like, he crash-landed in your house, so what-”

“We’re here.” You peered through the gap in the front seats as Ashido turned around to see a set of large and intricate iron gates swing open to reveal a long, winding driveway leading up to a beautiful house big enough to fit at least ten of your apartments inside. Right, Yaoyorozu is rich… I feel too poor to be here.

It felt similar to walking into a ritzy hotel, wheeling your suitcase behind you as you followed Yaoyorozu and Ashido inside. Following their example, you removed your shoes and slid on a pair of indoor house slippers that you knew were customary in Japanese homes to avoid tracking dirt everywhere. Again, you felt incredibly out of place: a tourist in a new place with no real direction, resources, or friends - well, except for Katsuki and Uraraka - relying on the kindness of strangers; the situation really was parallel to Katsuki’s. The sooner evening came and you found out if this whole ordeal was worth it or not, the better.

Yaoyorozu led the two of you through a sprawling entryway and into a dining area that could’ve easily seated twenty people. Along the way, you spotted photos hung up on the walls of Yaoyorozu and her supposed parents since they were never shown in canon. The pictures that gripped your attention, though, were the poses of her standing next to a shorter woman with dark violet hair and long earlobes that ended in earphone jacks. Holding hands. Smiling… oh man, does this mean MomoJirou is canon?!

A pink hand gripped your sleeve and tugged you further into the house. "C'mon, missy. YaoMomo can tell you about herself and her girlfriend after we get some more answers. Man, that translation thingy is annoying… "

"Not as annoying as using an app on my phone that's only about seventy percent accurate," you admitted before someone you didn't recognize appeared from around a corner and held out a gloved hand as if wanting to take your suitcase. "Um…"

"Don't worry." Looking up, you saw Yaoyorozu seated gracefully at a table as another unidentified person waited patiently at her elbow. "Kageyama-san will keep your things safe while we talk. Are you hungry? Some tea will be out for us shortly."

OK, this was a little more overwhelming than you expected, but things could've been worse. "I'd like to keep my bags with me if you don't mind." There were too many sentimental things stuffed behind the zippers and letting them leave your sight, even if they would be secure in trusted hands, made you uneasy. "And I don't want to impose or anything… but I guess I was too anxious to eat breakfast this morning, so I wouldn't mind a snack."

Ashido echoed your desire for some food, albeit in a more relaxed and amicable way, before sitting down herself with her chin resting in the palms of her hands while Yaoyorozu waved off who you now assumed to be hired help. Feeling black and grey eyes staring you down expectantly, you sat down with your things at the table, Yaoyorozu at the head and Ashido seated at your opposite.

Clearing her throat as if to begin a speech, Yaoyorozu cut the silence. "Now that we are comfortable, I'd like you to continue explaining who you are, why you're here, and what happened with Bakugo-san while he was missing."

None of this was going how you expected it to play out. These two heroes were familiar to you from canon, but they were essentially complete strangers who were trying to understand your motivations; yet another parallel with Katsuki's stressful vacation away from home. Maybe once you gave them enough diary-esque word vomit to satisfy their curiosity, the stiffness embedded in your spine and fidgeting fingers could finally relax. It'd be nice to be friends with Katsuki's friends…

So, with a deep breath to steady yourself, you began.

Your confusion and his anger. Your generosity and his needs. Your flustered inelegance and his effortless poise. As you talked, Yaoyorozu and Ashido slowly began to understand. The warm tea and appetizing spread of food placed in front of you went untouched as you recalled that first week and a half with Bakugo Katsuki. It was as simple as tying your shoes or brushing your teeth, tasks ingrained and completed without effort. After all, you'd lost count of how many times you replayed his visit from beginning to end over the last six months. Rewinding the tape to remember and sadly smile with nostalgia and yearning before pressing the button worn down from the oil of your fingers right before the credits rolled to bring it back to the beginning once more. Day 1. Day 2…

The two women sat in wide-eyed silence, a teacup hovering in Yaoyorozu's manicured hand while Ashido curled a section of hair around her finger while gradually scraping off her lip gloss with her teeth. The latter snapped first. “Oh. My. God. Oh my god,” she repeated with increasing volume. “So you and Bakugo were like, DATING?!” You answered with an endorsing nod, which made Ashido slump in her chair like bubblegum ice cream melting in the sun. “I owe Sero soooo much money…”

In contrast, the ever-composed Yaoyorozu carefully set down her teacup and met your stare with her own. “I see. Well, that certainly does answer some things. In all honesty, I’m as surprised as I am happy for Bakugo-san. He was in a dire situation and you offered him help when he normally refuses such things if he cannot reciprocate in some way. Forgive me, but he never struck me as the… dating type.”

You managed to let out a small laugh for the first time since arriving. “I mean, I was as surprised as you are when I wasn’t outright rejected. All I did was tell him how I felt and left the rest up to him. It’s not like I’d rescind my offer of letting him stay with me if nothing happened.”

Skipping over that whole bit of conversation, Ashido chimed back in. “And you’re sure this is the same Bakugo Katsuki that we know? And not like… an imposter?”

While her exaggerated reactions to every new bit of information you revealed was funny at first, her reluctance to accept your relationship of all things ground on your nerves. Was it truly so unbelievable?

“Ashido-san! Don’t be rude.”

“I’m joking, I’m joking!” She turned to your unamused face and managed to look repentant. “Sorry. Bakugo isn’t the type to do something without putting 110% into it. And he’s such a workaholic…he never made time for stuff like that. But…!” Reaching her hands towards you across the table, Ashido winced and said, “If you and him were together that whole time, and then he had to leave, that’s so sad! No wonder he was so moody when he came back home…”

It was then you realized that this was the first time you were able to be completely honest about Katsuki and who he was with other people. There was Uraraka, sure, but she already knew most of what happened. You were telling Ashido and Yaoyorozu what you couldn’t back home. Lying to your parents, your friends, coworkers, your therapist about who Katsuki truly was and why keeping in touch wasn’t as easy as just calling or texting. He was unreachable, and though you’d tried so fucking hard to accept that reality and move on… here you were one last time.

You only realized you were crying when Yaoyorozu jumped up from her chair in a rush to grab a box of tissues.

While you were sipping lukewarm tea in her mansion-like house, Katsuki was finishing up the day’s paperwork after returning to the agency with Mar. No other bizarre incidents happened after that invisible sucker punch to the chest, but it still put him on edge for the rest of his patrol. Something just felt… off, and it had nothing to do with his birthday. At least, he hoped it didn't, considering he wasn’t sure exactly what those idiot friends of his had planned.

“Knock knooooock!” Katsuki didn’t bother looking up, knowing Kirishima’s sing-song voice as he waltzed into his office as if he didn’t have one of his own right down the hall. "How's the birthday boy-"

"Shut the hell up," he hissed with a glare. "Announce it to the whole damn city, why don't you? I've already gotten enough annoying texts to last me through all of next year."

Kirishima didn't falter at the sass and instead walked calmly up to the large wooden desk in the center of the room with a knowing grin. "C'mon, don't be a sourpuss on your birthday of all days; you got 364 other days to turn up that dial as high as you want."

Even though he knew Kirishima was right, Katsuki just clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair with crossed arms. "Mar already called us old, the little brat… if you really want me to relax, the fewer people know about today, the better." As far as he knew, Kirishima had no idea that Todoroki opened his mouth about their little surprise party tonight. Might as well fuck with him a bit to teach him a lesson about secrets…

Laughing, Kirishima said, "Yeah, well, I already had a brief quarter-life crisis for about an hour. Then I got over it. We're just gettin' better with age!" Katsuki stared at him blankly. "You got any plans later? And why are you still working? Reports can wait a day," he insisted with a wave of his hand.

"Lucky you; I just finished," he replied. Well, he was ninety-nine percent finished, the remainder being reading it over for mistakes… but Kirishima was right, it wasn't anything that couldn't wait until tomorrow. "As for plans, I'm going home. Maybe pick up a pastry or something on the way. Make sure my cat hasn't destroyed anything. Order out for dinner. Go to bed."

The red head grimaced as if his imaginary plans let out a foul odor of their own. "Uh… that's it? No, no, unacceptable. What if I said-"

"No."

"...No? But I didn't say anything yet."

Kirishima's sad, puppy-faced dejection almost made him feel bad. Almost. "Isn't everyone saying I'm a workaholic? Well, I'm going to relax on my own damn birthday." Packing up his things, Katsuki stood up as if getting ready to leave, sliding in his hearing aid kept in the small case on his desk. It had taken him a while to adjust to the damn thing after a villain with annoyingly precise aim got him right on the left ear. Things were just slightly… fuzzier out of that side, now. Doctors recommended he upgrade his ear protection and invest in a hearing aid. Plenty of heroes used prosthetics or support items to help them back on their feet after a rough fight; no shame in that.

"I mean, true! The relaxing part." The slight urgency in Kirishima's voice was evident now as he followed Katsuki out into the main office, still talking as he locked the door. "But I totally think it would be good to, y'know, get out for a night and celebrate!"

Quickening his pace towards the elevator, Katsuki didn't let his facade slip through Kirishima's nervous chuckling. "I already told you my plans. Isn't what I want the most important thing here?"

"Just! Trust me on this; it'll be great."

"What will? You dragging me across town to get drunk?"

"No, something better."

The elevator dinged.

"What'd I just say?"

"We spent ages planning this party for you, and I'm gonna make sure you make it there!"

Finally. The confession brought a sly grin to the surface while Kirishima deflated, assuming he spilled the beans. However, his raised voice caught the attention of several office staff minding their own business, Mar included as they walked in from the restroom to see their senpai dragging Red Riot by the arm around a corner at the other side of the room.

He stammered, trying to backpedal his blunder, but knew it was too late. “Dammit… I was supposed to come up with an excuse to get you to come over to Midoriya’s tonight.”

“I know,” Katsuki admitted coolly. “Or rather, I’ve known for a few months about whatever surprise party bullshit you and the other two members of the Nosy Friend gang have been planning for me.”

“Y-you knew?! But how-”

“Blame Todoroki. He’s good at bullshitting, but didn’t seem bothered telling me over noodles. I just wanted to see how you’d get me to go along with it if I claimed to have different plans; you need to work on your script.”

Judging that his friend wasn’t promptly freaking out, Kirishima assumed that Todoroki only told him about the party and not about the second part of their plan. He just needed to keep it that way for a little while longer…

As the two men bickered, Mar stood just out of sight around the corner, eavesdropping on their little conversation. Celebrate? Party? Specifically for Bakugo…? Then it clicked. Flaring their nostrils, Mar whipped around the corner, causing Kirishima and Bakugo to turn and stare at them.

Deep breath in, deep breath out. “"ES TU CUMPLEAÑOS POR QUE TU NO ME LO DIJISTES?!?” (Why didn’t you tell me it’s your birthday?!?)

“Uh… what?” Kirishima never was one for learning new languages, so he met the Spanish yelling with startled confusion. Katsuki, however, actually put some effort into learning some of the basics from Mar; living with you and engrossing himself in a completely unfamiliar country might’ve had an effect on that.

So, he got the gist of why Mar was a fuming teenager. Cursing to himself, Katsuki glared at Kirishima’s fat, shark-toothed mouth before turning on his heel, bolting down the hallway, and kicking open the door to the stairwell leading downstairs.

That whole relaxation idea seemed better and better by the second.

Back at Yaoyorozu's home, things went much smoother and the discomfort slowly evaporated as the three of you talked and opened up to each other. Yaoyorozu confirmed that she and Jirou were dating, still flustered over it despite being together for almost two years. But it only got to that point after both laughter and tears were shed on all fronts.

Ashido freaked out over the bear attack story - months of therapy made talking about it a hundred times easier - and insisted that she would've run away, too. In addition, Yaoyorozu reminisced on her childhood when you talked about the amusement park, and how her parents would take her to similar places; neither of them had been to one in years, though, and were in agreement that they would attempt to make time for plans like that in the future.

It took a while, but your appetite finally returned once you felt comfortable enough to unwind from your initial reserved stiffness. True to what you remembered, Yaoyorozu’s persnickety options of fancy tea blends offered you warmth and relief.

Once the two of them were in agreement on what exactly to help you with - Ashido would fix your hair while Yaoyorozu decided to paint your nails and help with makeup. At first, you insisted that they didn’t have to help and that you could get ready on your own just fine since you packed a week's worth of stuff in your bag, but they claimed they needed to complete the task Midoriya had given them.

Maybe being pampered… wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world? Just for a few hours…

“I swear I’ll drip acid on Bakugo’s shoes if he says something stupid after all you went through to get here,” Ashido vowed while running her fingers through your hair after you described how you wanted it styled. “He’s smart, but he’s also dumb.”

“I agree that, while Bakugo-san is very knowledgeable with battle tactics and quick to react while in a combat situation, it would be callous of him to dismiss your efforts.” Yaoyorozu straightened out your red dress hung up on a door hook after insisting it needed to be pressed and steamed once she asked what you planned to wear in order to coordinate a proper nail color. It had wrinkled a bit while folded up in your suitcase, but she’d whisked it away before you could argue.

Groaning to yourself, you wondered if he’d understand why you waited so long to see him again rather than coming here as soon as Uraraka handed you the invitation. “It’s been six months… what if he’s already moved on and is with someone else, now?”

Ashido sputtered behind you. “Pfft! Trust me, he’s not. Kirishima used to try and help him meet new people and even set up a few dates for him, but they never went anywhere. Actually… Do you have, like, lists of well-known people in your world where they’re ranked as hot or not or something like that?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, I see those kinds of things on magazines and clickbait websites about celebrities… why?”

“Well,” she began as Yaoyorozu raised a meticulous eyebrow up at her colleague. “I’ve seen where people rank us Heroes and-”

“You can’t be serious, Ashido-san,” Yaoyorozu challenged as she held a jelly red nail polish in her hand.

“I totally am. Anyway, Bakugo is usually on those lists, but there’s usually a little note next to his picture that complains about his personality or something mean like that; you know how those types of fanmade things are. Kami showed Bakugo the list one time thinking it’d be funny, but actually, Bakugo didn’t really care at all. Nothing and no one can make that man change who he is. We’re used to it,” she continued, pointing at Yaoyorozu as her other hand accidentally tugged your hair a little too hard. “And know that’s just how he is. For you to come aaaaaall the way here just to see Bakugo again tells me you’re one of a kind.”

You sat stunned at Ashido’s unexpected speech that ended in defense of not only Katsuki, but your own feelings for him as well. It was definitely true that he never held back with anything he did or said and usually got straight to the point, taking the shortest route in favor of a longer, more scenic experience.

Yaoyorozu nodded along in apparent agreement as she sat diagonally from you. “Ashido-san is right. Besides, would Midoriya-san have brought you here if Bakugo-san was dating someone else? That would be an awkward and uncomfortable meeting.”

“I… yeah, that’s true.” While you knew that Katsuki favored keeping his personal life behind a privacy wall, with how much attention his friends were giving him, keeping a new date under wraps would’ve been difficult. Not to mention his insistence that if he were with someone, he wouldn’t be ashamed or hide them from the world. Their words set you at ease despite the lingering worry of what would happen when you finally came face-to-face again.

This back and forth continued for a while with questions and light banter, both of them sharing about themselves alongside your own personal stories. Yaoyorozu was actually intrigued when you told them about your job since she has no real experience doing work outside of her Hero career. However, Ashido seemed more interested in digging up romantic dirt between yourself and Katsuki to quench her thirst for gossip.

Leaning over your shoulder as she finished up with your hair, Ashido hummed curiously. “Hmm… I have a very important question for you, (y/n).”

You adjusted yourself in the chair to gain back some feeling in your butt after sitting in it for so long. “Yes?”

“Do you looooooooove Bakugo? And if you do, does he know?”

“Ashido-san! That is a very personal thing to ask,” Yaoyorozu chided, pausing with a fresh cup of tea in her hand and a frown. You stiffened in your seat as you chewed the inside of your cheek at Ashido’s prodding.

How many times had you rewound the tape of that final tearful morning? How many times did you plead for an answer in return, even if it meant heartbreak? “Yes,” you said flatly, eyes transfixed on your fingers gripping the translator device in your lap. “Yes… I do love Katsuki. I did six months ago, and I still do now. And he knows… I told him… right before he left…”

Ashido gasped and squealed like a teenager while Yaoyorozu placed a delicate hand over her mouth as a flush spread across her cheeks. Only when you revealed that you weren’t sure if Katsuki fully reciprocated your feelings did they both understand the final puzzle piece of your worry for the night to come.

Halfway across town in the heart of Tokyo, Katsuki stood with his back against the bathroom counter, a mirror in one hand and a tar-black eyeliner pen in the other.

After escaping Mar’s pitiful wrath and coming home, he gave his apartment a decent once-over to make sure his devil-in-cat’s-clothing hadn’t broken or wrecked anything. True to the warning he was given at the adoption agency, Princess Explosion Murder was an absolute terror… well, to anyone who wasn’t Katsuki, at least.

That first week in his apartment, she’d secured some favorite hiding spots, including: under his bed, under the couch, squeezed between the wall and the fridge, and the dark seat of a rarely-used chair covered by the edge of a tablecloth. The first time he came home after a long patrol and found her perched atop his wall-mounted TV wobbling precariously on its hinges was also when she gave him some of the worst kitty scratches across his arm.

She turned her whiskers up at half the cat food brands he bought until he attempted to make his own with the help of some online recipes and a bone grinder that he already owned for making his own stocks. That way, he knew exactly what was in it and she seemed to approve as well.

She hissed if he got too close, but meowed if she didn’t get the correct amount of attention at exactly the right time. He’d written off the arms of his couch as a lost cause in addition to trying to cut her pin-sharp nails; at least she used the scratching posts… sometimes.

However, when he eventually figured out the balance between giving her space and recognition, things slowly but surely improved. If he sat on one side of the couch, she’d inch closer from the opposite end day-by-day until she was almost against his knee. The furball even allowed Katsuki to pet her briefly, but only in specific spots and for the perfect amount of time before she tried to gnaw his fingers off. At least it was progress.

While he and Princess were building up this cohabiting relationship, Kirishima had come by one day after seeing Katsuki carrying a bag of cat litter on his shoulder and practically begged to meet his new pet.

“Do not make any sudden moves… at least your quirk is good for this,” he warned before opening his apartment door.

Kirishima beamed at the beautiful white cat with the black rhinestone collar perched neatly on the back of the couch staring at them, orange eyes surrounding pinprick slits of black.

"Oooh, she's so fluffy and pretty! Who's a good-"

That's all he managed to say before Princess leapt off the furniture like a pouncing lion right towards Kirishima. He was hesitant to come and visit after that, escaping with a few scratches to avoid possibly hurting her with his hardened skin.

Now, that spoiled and snarky fluffball sat in the doorway of Katsuki's bathroom staring up at him expectantly since it was almost her dinner time; apparently, cats understood routines very well when it came to food. If he was five minutes late, she wouldn't let him forget it.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Stop meowing like you're starving," he huffed before returning to the mirror to finish the perfectly crisp wing of his eyeliner. He didn't do this kind of thing often - dress up in a nice pair of dark wash jeans, a deep indigo blue button-up shirt rolled up to the elbows with a gray tank top underneath, his hair actually styled for once, etc. - but if everyone else was going to make a big deal out of his birthday, he might as well put in his own effort, too.

Finally satisfied with his appearance, Katsuki tried not to trip over Princess, who tried to weave between his legs with angry meows while leading him to the kitchen. He made enough food to last a few weeks and just put them in pre-portioned refrigerated containers for ease. "You got your attention earlier, so entertain yourself while I'm gone tonight… do not break anything."

He might as well have been mute and invisible to the damn cat who attacked the food bowl ravenously. Rolling his eyes, Katsuki did his rounds to make sure he grabbed everything and turned off most of the lights before leaving his apartment.

Checking the time on his phone as he stepped off the elevator, Katsuki headed towards the door leading out to a private garage for residents when the security guard Takahata called out to him.

"Don't usually see you heading out so late, Dynamight." Takahata knew exactly who came in and who left every single day, so a change in routine would never get past him. Plus, it was obvious by how he was dressed that this outing was for leisure and not work for once.

With his elbow pressed against the door handle, Katsuki turned back and said, "Yeah, well, maybe it'll do me some good." Takahata probably knew the birthdays of every Hero resident by heart, but he was smart enough to keep his lips sealed for certain people.

The garage was warm from the spring air outside as he walked under the ceiling lights towards a back corner with only a few cars sparsely parked nearby. Unlocking the chain around his bike, he let it fall against the pillar before sliding on his customized helmet with a grenade detailed on the back, stretched a pair of gloves over his calloused hands, and situated himself atop the second spontaneous personal addition he bought: a flashy motorcycle painted in gradients of black and burnt orange.

After adopting Princess, he continued his moderately impulsive streak with the bike purchase after looking up reviews and maintenance costs of various models made within the last couple of years. Paying for it made him want to puke, but Katsuki considered it an investment in anonymity and privacy. With the slick black helmet and gloves, no one knew who he was on the road; maybe a few assumed he was a Dynamight fan from the subtle coloring and decals, but with his face hidden, he didn't have to deal with crowded public transit.

He still rode the train if the weather was ugly and generally didn't take his bike to the agency. For errands or getting around town on less busy days, though? The motorcycle scratched his speed demon itch in a completely different way… plus, Katsuki was right: he did look hot zooming around Tokyo - and occasionally the mountainous city outskirts if time allowed.

All of this to say that for the first time in months, the weight of every stressor and obligation just… disappeared as he focused on the lamp-lit streets leading out to the Midoriya household. And as much of a fussy show as he put on for Kirishima earlier, he really did feel excited about this stupid party. Maybe having a drink and eating cake and catching up with the people who put in an effort to come - the people who probably cared about him the most - wouldn’t be so terrible.

Pulling up into the driveway, Katsuki took note of the cars lining the streets. He recognized some, but not others. The motorcycle kickstand moved easily under the toe of his boot as he took off his helmet and ruffled his hair; so much for putting in the effort to style it.

The lights were out and the neighborhood was quiet when, not bothering to knock, Katsuki opened the front door.

“SURPRISE!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!” The lights flickered on simultaneously as the entryway flooded with hollers and laughter. Katsuki’s face remained as impassive as stone as his eyes roamed across familiar faces that seemed puzzled as to why he wasn’t reacting.

“Um… did we get the day wrong?” Kaminari, wearing a cliché party hat with glittery polka dots all over it, whispered to Tokoyami who then looked to Midoriya who appeared to have barely slept for at least two days.

In response, Katsuki scoffed and pointed a lazy finger at Todoroki and Kirishima. “Oh, right,” Todoroki recalled. “I told him about the party months ago.”

While this revelation generated dramatic groans and sighs, a woman with dirty blonde hair and a plastic cup in her hand stepped into the center of the room and smiled at Katsuki who was about two seconds from walking right back out the front door. “Like, about time the birthday boy got here. This party was mega lame, but I bet we can totes save it.”

“WOOO YEAH!” Kaminari enthusiastically agreed as Camie raised a half-empty cup that smelled strongly of alcohol.

While everyone said their hellos and embarrassing birthday wishes to Katsuki who grumbled about how he just had to come so that all their effort wouldn’t be a giant waste - Kirishima blocked the door so he couldn’t escape - Midoriya sent a quick text to Yaoyorozu letting them know that they could arrive soon. He and his other two cohorts in super secret birthday present crime figured that it would be best to try and get the two of you together after he’d settled in and loosened up first.

“Are you ready, (y/n)-san?” Yaoyorozu and Ashido stood waiting by the car as you stood under the porch light, your purse in one hand and translator in the other. They’d already put your suitcase in the back seat despite being unsure what would happen and where you’d go at the end of the night.

With a lump in your throat and an overhang of worry shadowing you like an eclipse, you nodded.

Being the enthusiastic person she was, Ashido tried to keep things positive and assuage your worry as the car drove through illuminated neighborhood roads. "You look so cute! We did a good job, huh Yaomomo?"

She hummed while you watched the houses go by from the back seat window. "I should be more excited, right? And I mean, I am! It's just crazy that I'm actually here, but Kat doesn't… nevermind. Whatever happens, happens. No regrets…"

Ashido frowned and glanced at Yaoyorozu who gave her a silent "I hope this works" look. They hadn't known you for long, but they did know Bakugo; you both deserved to be happy with each other again, even if just for a single week.

Pulling back up to Midoriya's house, you counted the new, unfamiliar cars lining the street and drivewa while trying to think of what you were going to say once you came face to face with him again. Why are you doing this to yourself? Don’t be dumb. It’ll be fine… We’ll be fine. Yaoyorozu opening your door for you as the air outside ruffled the hem of your dress forced you to swallow your insecurities and troubles.

Your heels clicked against the pavement, your eyes darting to the dark motorcycle parked close to the house; if Tokoyami was here, maybe it was his? He seemed like the motorcycle type. “Whose bike is that?”

“Hm?” Ashido spun around, walking backwards as she looked between you and the motorcycle. “Oh, hehe, that’s Bakugo’s! It’s pretty new, I think. Probably makes him feel badass or something.”

Eyes going wide at her answer, you almost tripped on your own heel, but caught yourself at the last second. God, if Katsuki called you Clumsy-chan in front of his friends, he might just find himself with smushed birthday cake in his face.

Shifting weight between your feet and needlessly patting out nonexistent wrinkles from your dress, you stood behind Ashido and Yaoyorozu as they knocked on the door. A few seconds later, it creaked open a hair as if the person on the other side was guarding the entrance to an underground club. Everything seemed to be in order when the door finally swung open, revealing a man - more like a mountain in the shape of a human - with a long and spiky red ponytail who quickly and quietly ushered the three of you inside.

Oh my god, that’s totally Kirishima and he’s even taller than Katsuki! And- why is everyone here so fucking attractive?! There was little time to try and introduce yourself to the fan-favorite and resident Good Boy Kirishima, though, as he ignored you for the moment and whispered something to Yaoyorozu and Ashido, the latter of which stuck her pink finger in his face to seemingly berate him for keeping so many secrets.

As you followed their example and slid off your heels in favor of a pair of house slippers that weren’t as fancy as Yaoyorozu’s, the anxiety in your stomach attempted to bubble up again while you attempted to understand and recognize everything and everyone further into the house.

Low music played from an unknown source while people stood and talked, a few of whom you identified almost immediately. Kaminari’s signature lighting bolt hair was unmistakable. So was… oh god, don’t make the same mistake of staring at Tokoyami’s bird head that you did with Ashido’s pink skin. And that’s-

Kirishima suddenly stepped to block your view, clapping his hands together and muttering something you couldn’t understand since you’d turned the translator device off with the assumption that it would be a mess surrounded by so many voices. Although you didn’t normally feel claustrophobic, being bombarded with unfamiliarity made you take a reflexive step back towards the front door. Where was Katsuki?

The green-haired man you knew as Midoriya skidded around the corner looking exasperated and relieved to see you again. Moving too quick for you to see, he suddenly appeared behind you and encouraged you forward with his scarred hands on your shoulders. In any other circumstance, you would’ve wheeled around and demanded to know where Katsuki was, but being surrounded by strangers without anyone to really lean on made you silently compliant. What the hell was going on?!

Kirishima followed Midoriya and Todoroki wasn’t far behind. Ashido gave him a brief scolding for not telling them what was going on, but you three managed to arrive at the literal perfect time, which meant they needed to get you to Bakugo as quickly as possible so the two of you could talk without prying eyes.

“Is Kacchan still out back?”

“Yeah, said he wanted a breather from everything for a minute,” Kirishima answered before an arm swung around his neck and Kaminari sloppily pointed at your back, nearly spilling some of the alcohol in his cup in the process.

“Heeey Kiri! Who is that? Didn’t tell me you were bringing pretty ladies to the party-”

The red head lightly headbutted his shorter friend. “Dummy, that’s Bakugo’s girlfriend! I told you we had a plan to bring her here, and tonight’s the night!” The tipsy grin on Kaminari’s face remained for a good five seconds before he yelped in disbelief. Or tried to, anyway, since Kirishima clamped a hand around his mouth to avoid Bakugo coming back inside a moment too early.

Weaving between guests, a few of whom tried to stop and chat, Midoriya remained focused on guiding you through his house towards the back door leading out to their small covered porch and garden. He was so focused, in fact, that neither he nor the others noticed how rigid and strained you appeared. On the way, he passed by his wife who did a double-take while holding a tray of snacks.

"Izuku! You didn't tell me (y/n)-san was here," she chided while attempting to give you a friendly and familiar wave, but you just stared straight ahead until you stood in front of the sliding glass door at the other end of the house.

There, in your peripheral vision at the very edge of the porch stood the unmistakable silhouette of Katsuki. Like a phantom lit by the ghostly glow of the moon overhead, he remained statue still with his back to you as though closed off from the rest of the world in his own little bubble.

The tightness in your chest swelled and your nails dug indents into your palm, unable to take your eyes off of him.

Even for someone like Katsuki, there sometimes came a point when the quiet called out and drew him away from the raucous and rowdy turbulence of high energy situations. The porch was a respite away from Kaminari’s drunken shenanigans and Kirishima’s toothy laughter and the half-decent music that Jirou picked out.

Condensation from the drink in his hand coated his calloused fingers as he leaned on the banister and stared up at the moon, bright and glowing in the cloudless black. The idea of you crossed his mind - as you often did during these serene escapes - and he wondered briefly how you were, what you were doing, if you were happy, and if you sometimes stared up at the sky in wonder like you did back at the cabin all those months ago.

… But his moon wasn’t your moon, and his stars weren’t your stars. There was no cliché stargazing shared from opposite ends of the earth that could exist for him. Maybe the lingering fumes of alcohol brought out this fruitless romantic nostalgia; or maybe it was-

“Katsuki…”

Time stood still. The gentle breeze faded as if suspended. He’d heard the click of the glass door behind him and assumed it was someone about to drag him back inside. But no one called him “Katsuki.” Not in that voice, that tone, that painfully familiar lilt that he’d fought to remember and forget and remember and forget… and remember…

“... Katsuki?”

Neck stiff and mouth dry, he looked down at the melting ice in his glass and silently cursed at the cruel tricks played on vulnerable hearts. He misheard. You weren’t here. You’d never be here. Haven’t you haunted me enough?

Turning with a frown to stare down reality and blink away the taunting mirage, Katsuki froze, struck wide-eyed and off-balance by Medusa’s gaze staring mournfully at him just a few meters away.

Eyes locked on each other as everything and everyone else faded away. Two apparitions brought together once more to rekindle old love before finally being laid to rest.

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... please do not hate me for this cliffhanger it's been planned for literal years and the next chapter will be SO fucking long so ummmm worth the wait??

again of course, so sorry for the wait lkajsdlkjaf i shold NOT have given myself "oh yeah next chapter by his birthday haha totaly doable" and here we are two fucking months later almost to the DAY. just... just tell me i'm a good girl and pat me on the head 😭

so heeeeh yeah. they come face to face for the first time in six months. it'll be satisfying i SWEAR so don't @ me but also you're allowed to strangle me affectionately for this cliffhanger :)))) love u all!

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