#sniffs and sobs but that means I have to learn to animate!!!!!!!

[zfedraws]

Trying 2 get better

[phoebepheebsphibs]

Double-Mutated Mikey

Chapter 11: Anthropophobia

Continued from the short story written by @boots-with-the-fur-club

Prev || Next

Splinter is the first to meet April as she walks in. She's carrying several bags that hang from her wrists and arms. Apparently she went grocery shopping before she got here.

Splinter walks over to her and nods his head in greeting.

"Ah, April. Good to see you again..." he sniffs the air, his demeanour immediately changing from composed host to excited foodie. "Ooooh, is that tiramisu I smell?"

April laughs as she reaches into one of the bags.

"All for you, Splints," she says, handing the box of cake over to Splinter, who grabs it with a huge grin.

"Aha! Come to big papa! Thank you, April, this is very kind of you."

"Anything for you and the guys," she says with a smile. "Speaking of which, how's Mikey doing?"

Splinter pauses.

"...How much have they told you?"

"You know Donnie, he likes to be vague and build up suspense for dramatic effect. But he texted me last night to say how the mission went."

"Did he?"

"Sometime at like, midnight or one AM," she grumbles. "Just to say that the mission was a success and they got Mikey back. I asked how he was, and all he said was that he was alive and conscious. But I haven't known Donnie all these years to not know when he's hiding something. So, how is Mikey, really? Is he okay?"

"It's difficult to say," Splinter mumbles, walking back into the lair with April. "He's... he's awake and can communicate, to some extent. He can walk and even run. But... I'll let you decide when you see him."

April is unsure what he means by that, but lets it slide. She's sure she'll find out in a bit.

The three other Hamato sons come into the room to greet them. Leo is first, rushing in with haste. Raph comes in after him, his pace quick but not as swift as Leon's. Donnie meanders in last, his stride slow and somewhat sluggish. He looks exhausted.

"Hey, family!" she says, leaning in for a hug from Leo, who takes half of the bags from her as Raph takes the rest. "How're you holding up?"

"Well enough," Leo mutters. "All things considered. At least, I haven't had a emotional breakdown yet!"

Raph looks embarrassed. Apparently he can't match that boast.

"Where is the man of the hour?" April asks. "I got some new paint pens for him."

Leo looks uncomfortable.

"Uhh... we left him in Donnie's lab. I think he's still asleep... let's get these groceries into the kitchen for now; we'll tell you about everything."

April nods sadly as she follows the guys.

.

.

.

"Hold him still!"

"Stop struggling!"

"Get me 20 Cc's of the mandrill, the boa, and the -- crap, he's gotten loose again!"

Mikey shrieks as he jumps down from the operating chair and dashes to the exit. A guard blocks his path, a cattle prod in his grip. He flicks the switch on it and a loud grinding sound ignites as blue sparks fly from the end. Mikey makes a quick turn and dodges him, running to a corner of the room and cowering. The doctors surround him angrily.

"Where's that frost gun?"

"Over there by the table!"

"Antagonizing little cretin! You'd think he'd have learned his lesson from the last time!!"

One of the men in white comes back, brandishing a long thin airgun with a blue stripe down the middle. A special weapon made specifically for him, for when he acts out. The doctor points it at Mikey and pulls the trigger. A gust of icy air shoots out directly at Mikey. He screeches in pain as the shock of temperature causes his body to go rigid. He falls to the ground convulsing and shivering, painful stabbing sensations prickle across his entire body. He almost feels like he's dying. He can't move.

The guards grab him roughly. He can't move to fight back. Mikey sobs and screams.

He hurts so much, there are so many hurting places on his body.

Needles that have broken the skin to inject what Mikey can only assume is poison because of how much it hurts.

Bruises from where he has been forced into places with other animals to see how they interact. They are never friendly. Mikey is the only one to ever walk out of the room again. Instinct is efficient and ruthless.

There is no love in this room. Only hate. Only pain.

Mikey is taken back to the chair and strapped down. He howls.

"I'd advise you not to do that again," a doctor says with anger burning in his eyes. "Or else there will be consequences."

Consequences worse than what is happening now? He doubts it.

Syringes prick his arms. Oozes and slimes and ghastly liquids are shoved into his veins and bloodstreams. He can feel it doing painful things to him, he feels his bones shift and crack and grow and shrink. His teeth snap into new formations and his fingers start to elongate, the nails splintering and curving into talons.

Mikey sobs. Why is he here? Why do they hate him? Where are the other ones?? Where is Red, and Blue, and Purple? Where did they go, why have they left him behind? Did they escape this place? This place is all he can remember, apart from them. He only recalls needles and linoleums and cages and cold and pain and tears and hatred and fury and longing and loneliness.

Why did they leave him... didn't they love him, once?

Didn't anybody love him once?

No. No one could ever have loved anything from this place.

No one could have loved whatever it is that Mikey is.

.

.

.

Mikey's eyes snap open, tears streaming down his cheeks.

He doesn't recognize this room. It's another cage? It's a small white tunnel, he's stuck inside, he needs to get out!

Mikey clambers around, whining and crying like a puppy stuck in a kennel. He somehow manages to make a backwards shimmy out of the tunnel.

He is in Purple's lab. He wants to leave, now. Right now.

Purple and Blue and Red aren't in here. Where did they go?

The door is open. Mikey rushes out, calling for them.

He howls, long whining hoots that anyone within the lair could hear. Why don't they respond? Where are they?

They left him again...? They left him. They left.

Gone. Gone. Gone.

Mikey starts to whimper.

Should have known they would leave...

No, they wouldn't leave!

Then where are they?

Somewhere... Brothers are somewhere... He'll find them eventually.

No trust. Something bad. Smell something bad.

Mikey smells it, too. Where is the bad smell coming from?

It's not a disgusting scent. In fact, it is, in some ways, very nostalgic. There are traces of coconut oil in it. Sweet scents. But it is a bad smell.

Something dangerous is in the home.

It's coming from the kitchen...

Mikey goes into hunting mode. He digs his talons into the cracks between the bricks in the wall. As he climbs, the pads on his palms shift, tickling sensations that give pins and needles on his hands. Miniscule hairs create Van der Waals forces, causing a suction effect as Mikey starts to scale the wall and crawl to the ceiling.

He sneaks along the top of the hallway, following the bad smell.

Mikey cranes his neck down to peer into the kitchen. Everyone is inside, unloading bags and boxes and containers of food and supplies.

Rat is in the corner of the room, wiping his eyes. He was crying. The human who made breakfast is also in here, quietly rummaging through the pantries and cabinets as he places things away. He looks like he might cry, too. Blue, Red and Purple are holding someone in their arms. She is making a lot of noise, weeping and wailing and sobbing in their embrace. Apparently everyone was crying.

They must love her.

But she smells bad. She has the bad smell. Why trust bad smell?

The bad smell is human.

We don't like humans.

No... we don't... but the male human made the food for us! We trust male human?

NO. No trusting humans! Bad humans! They do terrible things to us. Mikey must not trust humans. Only Instinct. Instinct kept us alive.

Instinct kept Mikey alive...

The male human seems to sense something is watching them, and looks up. He yelps in surprise.

Red, Blue, and Purple turn to look at him, then at what he's pointing at. The girl looks up at Mikey and screams in fright.

He hisses back at her, growling loudly as his tail whips underneath him. The scales and scutes start to lift, the ridges on his shoulders and thighs raising high. His tail becomes a spiky bludgeon.

Let Instinct take over. Instinct will keep us safe.

Mikey can do it. Instinct Might hurt brothers.

Instinct is better. Stronger. Instinct is --

MIKEY CAN DO IT, he snaps back in his mind. His tail cracks like a whip again as he snarls angrily.

The human girl yipes and hides behind Red.

Mikey starts to creep along the ceiling, watching them. Making sure that the evil humans don't do anything to hurt Rat or brothers.

Red follows him around the room, raising his hands and guarding the girl.

"Mikey? Hey Mikey, come on down, bud..."

"How... how is he doing that?" the girl asks.

"Lizards can climb on walls," Blue mutters. "Remember we said he has lizard DNA now?"

"I can't believe... that's really Mikey?" the girl whimpers quietly, grabbing Blue's arm.

"It's him," Blue says. He sounds sad.

"Mikey, come down?" Red begs.

Mikey sneers at the girl.

"What? April? You remember April, right?"

Mikey snaps at her, baring his teeth. The canines are growing longer and longer.

"Mikey, she's your sister," Red enunciates.

Mikey's expression softens. Sister? Like brothers?

"Yeah, mi hermano, she's cool! It's big sis April!" Blue joins in, patting her on the head. "See? She's one of us!"

Mikey croaks at her, cocking his head in confusion.

Don't trust her. Don't trust them. Humans are evil. Humans did this to us. They hurt us, and kept us from brothers, and made us sad and scared. She will hurt you!

Red walks directly underneath Mikey and holds his arms out as far as he can. Mikey lowers himself into his embrace, dangling upside down from the ceiling for a moment before readjusting and wrapping his torso around Red's forearm, his spine twisting with flexibility that surprises his brother.

"Boa constrictor?" he asks, looking at Purple.

"I guess," Purple answers with a tired shrug.

Mikey keeps his eyes on the human girl. She cautiously starts stepping closer, holding a hand out to him.

"Mikey? It's me, April. Please say you remember me...?"

Her voice wavers. She sounds so sad.

Humans can be sad?

Humans only cause sad. How can this human be sad?

Her eyes become glassy and blur over. She sniffles. Her nose is red and her cheeks are rosy. She was crying. She was very sad. Why is she sad now?

Did Mikey make her sad??

Mikey mews at her. He feels bad now. Her fingers touch his beak. He takes in the scent on her hands... lotions, perfume, coco butter from her curls. Mikey doesn't remember her face, or her voice. But he remembers these scents. And they do smell safe. He loves these smells, though he can't remember why. His eyes water, the scents activating some distant and foggy recollection of a warm embrace and a soft hand against his head and the feeling you get when laughing too hard.

She might be human... but he loved her once. He can love her again.

Mikey purrs, closing his eyes and leaning his face into the touch. He hears her stifle a sob, stroking her hand across his forehead and down his cheek. Tears pool in his eyes and seep through. Soon enough, she's wiping the tears away.

The humans were never gentle like this in the other place. They never loved him. But she loves him.

He was loved once. He is loved again.

Prev || Next

[alice-the-demon]

So huh, I wrote a "fan-script" about one of the sketches I made here about when both Dynamite Anton and Annie got expelled from high school (19-20 y/o).

I came up with the story while drawing, I'm not a master at writing fanfics so uh, if you have any criticism or general comment(s) about it tell me lol

(TW: Alcoholism, Depression)

•

•

•

(They both got kicked out from high school at their last year, they didn't receive their diploma. To cheer up Anton and Annie decided to go out and drink something. They sit on a bench in a park and they start drinking beer.)

Anton: ... Man.

Annie: Eh, at this point it's like a routine. *She talks while gesturing with the beer bottle in one hand* We go to school, the teachers talk about boring stuff, Danton and Nina annoy us, we get scolded by the principal, we go home with a note and repeat the whole thing until we get to next year.

Anton: Annie. We blew up a classroom. With the principal in it. We got expelled for that. Now we can never go back and get our diploma!

Annie: *While shrugging* Meh, it's just a stupid piece of paper anyway. *She drinks more beer.*

Anton: *Stays silent for a moment, looking at the ground* ... Do you still remember our days in elementary school? I do a little. In fact... I remember that one time we were playing in the playground, and in a corner I saw you being tugged by a bigger kid to take away the doll you were playing with, you tried to defend yourself but they were stronger. The moment they punched you I ran towards them and I bited them. Heh... The teachers had to drag me back in the classroom to lecture me on what I did... I yelled and cried like a wild animal, hahaha... Hah... *He pauses as his face gets darker, he leanes back on the bench and looks up. The sun is setting and the sky is starting to get darker.* Y'know... In my whole life the others always said that I'm incorrigible. That I can't behave no matter how many times I get in trouble. That I can't learn from my mistakes. That I'm... Hopeless. That I'll have a miserable life... And... that I'll die without accomplishing anything.

...

I'm starting to think they're right. *He starts to sob while laughing* Haha...! That's how life is gonna be, isn't it? Being hated by everyone... No dignity... Nothing of value coming out of me... Just a stupid, immature, pathetic... *His voice shakes as rivers of tears starts forming on his cheeks* ... Useless man broken beyond repair since the very start! HAHAHAHAHAHA! *His laughing slowly transforms into a desperate cry as he covers his face with his left hand as he clutch the beer bottle with the right one. After a while he stops sobbing and sniffs his nose up.* ... Hell. This is Hell. Like... The one that we read in school during literature. Da... Danche? Dan... Te... Somthin'...? *He turns his head towards Annie* You get what I mean, right?

Annie: *She's sleeping while snoring loudly, leaned all the way on the bench*

(Annie fell asleep halfway through Anton's flashback. He stays silent as he looks at Annie with discouragement. He then sighed. It's not like Annie would have understood what Anton feels anyway. He thinks. He's not sure. They have never talked about nor understood feelings, they'd just humour away the pain together. But this time everything feels... Too heavy. He looks at the beer bottle he's holding, it's half full. He leans back on the bench and drinks all of it, trying to numb away the pain.)

[obeymexdanganronpaaskblog]

anything but that, shuichi must tell from start what's his background and his stories of his life, who knows they'll understand

I see... if that what you want...

I'm detective in training, I'm still learning and improving my detective skill

well I'm also former killing game participant, danganronpa v3 that's maybe thing that I attend a few years ago.

danganronpa you mean?

like kind of reality show or anime series?

no, it's like game show but much worse

I explained to you, danganronpa is not just game show, it's killing game, you trapped in academy then you try to survive hard as you can

in order to escape to outside world, you either must kill a participant, but that's a lie, the truth is you will bought to class trial, the right verdict will be executed by monokuma the headmaster of a killing game

what!? I couldn't believe there's thing like that in human world

......

I lose everyone and 3 people included me survive, mostly I lose kaede, I don't know where other crew been doing after they got eliminated.

I watched my friends get killed and executed, and that's too much

*sobbing* I just can't hold myself from crying, when I'm remember about last times that my friends meet me in killing game

yosh yosh human, it's just past, you must not thinking about worst part of your life again

yeah after all we always beside you!

same thing, I see killing games is horrible, but that's past, I'm glad you survive

*he don't speak he just look down, they could see tears forming on his eye*

I know my exchange student, but.. seriously you got this, that just past, please forget about your tragic past

you have our support, human, cheer up

*he stops sobbing and looks at remaining demon brothers* hmm? *sniff* really?

you either must focus on present and future, and oh I forgot to tell you, you will be live with brothers at house of lamentation

*sniff* you guys....

oh okay thanks for cheer me up, you're my best friends after all.

heheheh that's the spirit my exchange student, hope you like living with us in devildom.

yeah sure.

[kaseyskat]

//amphibia spoilers

i'm so normal. i'm so normal! i am very sane and normal. i have a tummy ache and can't sleep so instead i wrote this because as established, i am very normal. enjoy!

sasha finds her sitting with joe, gently preening his feathers. 

it’s a job they’ve split, since her arrival back to amphibia. anne had wanted to learn, and she had the notes on how to take care of joe sparrow properly, and sasha had let her because she can’t be greedy with her coping mechanisms. besides, it helps having a grounding presence; keeps her from making a bad decision, like taking off on joe sparrow and spiriting away to the castle knowing what it might cost. 

“i can’t believe this is happening,” anne says, quietly, before sasha can even say a word. “with the moths, we’ll finally have a way to the castle. we’re so close, i can feel it.” 

“yeah,” sasha says lamely, and she can’t bring herself to look at anne when she’s like this. they haven’t really… sat down and talked about anything, not one on one, not since anne’s arrival, and though sasha wants nothing more than to reach out, there’s something holding her back. 

someone. there’s someone holding her back. 

“i don’t care about the war,” anne admits, reverently. “i mean, i do. of course i care about the people that andrias is hurting and the lives he’s taken. i care about the frogs, and everyone else. but…” she trails off with a shudder, burying her face into joe’s feathers as joe chirps at her reassuringly. 

sasha thinks she might understand. 

“we’re going to save her, anne,” she says, as calmly as she can muster, like the thought hasn’t been eating her alive. “that’s what you’re thinking about, right?” 

anne sniffs, and she nods so timidly. she looks small here, half buried into joe’s flank, and it’s far too easy for sasha to sit down beside her, to press her hand against joe’s feathers almost comfortingly. joe’s master, after all, has been missing for far too long now. 

“what if we’re too late? what if… what if she’s gone, and we’re never going to see her again?” anne sniffs again, and her shoulders shake with muffled sobs. “i’ve been trying so hard to keep it together, sasha. i didn’t want the plantars to know how worried i was. i didn’t want myself to know how worried i was, because there wasn’t anything i could do about it, but now… what if we should’ve saved her sooner?” 

“hey. hey. anne, look at me,” sasha instructs, and maybe there’s a cold tingling in her chest, a fuzziness in her head, guilt and grief combined to drag her down– maybe she’s going insane with it, but that doesn’t matter when anne is distressed, because anne wasn’t the one who intentionally left her behind and anne is not the one who has anything to apologize for when she had been betrayed time and time again. “remember what i told you back at the marauders camp?” 

anne does look up here, and her eyes are watery and sad, forlorn in a way sasha’s never seen her before. she’s clutching to one of her arms, and joe keeps reaching his head around to pluck at her hair affectionately, like he can sense their distress. 

“sometimes being the leader means having to make a hard decision. and… this one has been so hard, anne. you think i didn’t want to fly to the castle at any given point in time for her?” sasha blinks, and her eyes burn, and she blinks again and they’re wet, and she slumps into joe sparrow’s side too, thinks about the last time she saw her best friend happy. thinks about the way marcy had looked when she was leading joe to newtopia, confident in the knowledge that she’d be with them forever, and isn’t that what sasha had wanted too? 

“so don’t… don’t beat yourself up too hard, okay? she’s alive, we know she’s alive, and now that we have a way to transport an army, we’re gonna go up to that castle, kick andrias’s ass, and rescue her like the heroes of her favorite animes.” sasha hesitates, and then reaches out one of her hands, offering it just in anne’s reach. “and no matter what happens, we’ll fix it. together. right?” 

“together,” anne echoes, and she takes sasha’s hand with her own, clutching onto it like a lifeline. “i just… i miss her a lot, sash.” 

“i know.” 

“i’m scared.” 

“me too.” 

“i’m not even mad at her anymore, i just want her to be okay. she’s gotta be okay, she’s…” anne trails off again, and her shoulders shake again, but this time she doesn’t bother keeping it in– she just sobs, pressing her face back against joe sparrow’s flank. 

and what can sasha say to that? what comfort can she offer when dread and trepidation sit hand in hand in the pits of her stomach, building and sinking like a stone, plaguing her mind by night and settling deep into her soul by morning so she never forgets how it feels to have fear? how can she ease anne’s mind when she’s barely kept her own from crumbling? 

she can’t, so she doesn’t try. instead, she just scoots closer, using her hand in anne’s to pull herself forwards, and she rests against joe while anne cries, and there’s still a presence missing, maybe there always will be. they were always meant to be three, isn’t that what mother olm had said? 

hold on a little longer, marmar, we’re coming for you, she thinks. and when we find you, we’ll never let you go again– i promise. 

[tare-anime]

SxF Chapter 55

(Beware spoilers)

Okay, first of all, so many things happening for sxf fandom! I feel so blessed to be part of this fandom 🥰

Spy x Family get an anime!! AAAAAHHH! I'm loving all the artworks, and the tiny bit of Loid's voice. Uuhh... I can't wait to hear Yor and Anya, and the background music, the OP the ED, and of course, to see my favorite panels in color and moving!

And earlier that day, we were granted with vol 8's official Yor art that is so awesomely drawn. She's so pretty 🥰🥰

And then, we have this closure chapter (before the family fluff I believe), that is so warm, almost like it tend to Yor's wound. I'm sobbing 😭😭

We are so blessed. Thank you so much, Endo!

Okay, now unto the chapter.

So, Loid showing off his analytical skills, which once again reminds us why he's considered one of the best.

His deducing skills here??? Top tier!! 😫👌👌

Unfortunately, he needed to experience the ugly side of bureaucracy (Ugh, I always hate when spelling this word. As I also hate the meaning of the word).

Saving face? Usual practice. Fortunately for the SSS, Twilight here was the worker type that had so many creativity to overcome the obstacles given to him.

He managed to save the ship, and all of its passengers. During his vacation nonetheles!

Btw, I love the parrallels here.

Heh.... Loid really learned a thing or two from his wife.

Plus, as @eldraftsman point it out, the arc opened with Yor yeeting something, and ended with Loid yeeting something.

Yep. So poetic 🤣

Another parrallels that I noticed:

> In this arc, Yor's "boss enemy" (a.k.a Sniff Jobs and Snoop) managed to get away from Yor, but getting blown away by Loid.

> In Inusan Crisis, Loid's "boss enemy" (a.k.a Keith) managed to get away from Loid, but getting kicked by Yor.

And in both arcs, Anya was the one pulling the string, manipulating people here and there, to keep her parents (and everyone else) save. Using any disguises and any reasons and any acts accordingly.

🤣🤣

I love this family so much. They really are meant for each other.

Love this Loid getting soft, and slowly but surely turn into real family man.

He's become a real dad.

Good for you, Loid 🥰

Now the thing that made me sobbing in this chapter, were these panels:

I love the metaphore in these panels.

How Yor viewed herself as "dirty". She never enjoyed to be in this job, but then she reminded herself that she is doing this just for a simple purpose: to prevent tragedy befalling one or two person near her.

And by Olka being "the person" to be at the recieving end, didn't hesitate in holding Yor's dirty hand, it's as if Yor's simple wish was approved. And she was rewarded with warmth. From both the mother and the innocent child.

A real warmth that perhaps Yor has forgotten.

These panels.

With her dirty hand, getting a hug from contended Gram. I'm..... I-....... *sobs* 🥲🥲😭😭😭😭

Yor finally get the overdue recognition for her hardwork.

Now please Endo, let Yor got the warmth from her family next, yeah? 🥲🥲

Bonus??

The soft McMahon.

As a family man himself, he of course understand a thing or two that made Yor showing that face.

Finally he let go of that strict mask of him, and gave Yor her rewards. The director relayed Loid's message to Yor. He even teased Yor not to use swimsuit 🤣

Ah, this side of him, made me wonder if @lacrow theory is right. That McMahon's family was long gone. 🥲

Anyway, this week has been super awesome for us.

And I can't wait to see the Forger family reunion 🥰 To be exact, I can't wait to see Loid's face when he saw Yor after 2 days separation.

Praying hard for TwiYor content here 🤞

[shoutoismybaby]

Omega Shame Part 1

Summary: After spending most of your life on suppressants and ignoring your second gender, you finally decide to embrace who you are with your alphas support. But what happens when your alpha Bakugou walks in on you nesting and sparks memories of your past trauma?

warnings: ABO, Nesting, ANGST ending with fluff,

***

Nesting. This was something you hadn't even attempted since you were but a small pup. Both suppressants and fear had kept any desire for this activity far away from you, until a couple months ago. That was when you got a courting proposal, your first ever.

It was a necklace, and not just your typical alphas 'just learned how to make jewelry with string'. No. This necklace required welding, a skill you had no idea about, but that just made sense for your alpha to poses. The chain was a simple silver, leading down to a locket with intricate holes on its top layer, creating an almost explosive like design. The cloth that sat inside was a ruby red color that matched the alphas eyes, and the scent it held was strong of caramel and ash.

Of course if Bakugou was to make a courting gift, his was going to be the best you had ever seen.

You had wasted no time in placing the necklace around your neck, relaxing as his scent filled your nose. It was from this point that you knew Bakugou would make an amazing alpha for you. After all, if he put so much effort into the courting gift, you could only imagine the effort he would put into courting you. Even then in typical Bakugou fashion, he passed all expectations.

It started with the way he would make you lunches, walk you to wherever you needed to go, and made sure to give you a thorough scenting only after he got permission. He always showed concern for your physical and mental wellbeing, stopping you from pushing yourself too hard in training and even scolding you for your self deprecating jokes.

“No one gets to talk down about my omega. Especially not my omega.” He had growled at you once. Again Bakugou did something unexpected, making your omega purr at a growl.

It felt so nice to have someone who cared about you. Someone who encouraged you to stop hiding your second gender from everyone but those in your own class. Not that you had even let your class discover on purpose, but the stressful situations class A had gotten in over the years did wonders for wearing off suppressants and scent blockers. 

He, along with your other classmates, had been building up your confidence in your secondary sex for years now. Bringing you to the realization that being an omega didn't mean that you were weak or any less than betas or alphas. Momo and Ochako were omegas after all, and they were some of the strongest people you knew. So once you had gotten an alpha your omega was basically begging to be set free, and you didn't feel like you had to deny it anymore.

So here you were, after 3 months of being off of the medications your hormones and instincts were finally leveling back to normal. It was something you had never experienced before, but you had Bakugou to help support you along the way. That's why you needed his scent in your nest. No matter how nauseous you felt walking into the young alphas room while you knew he was training, your omega refused to continue the day without at least one peice of his clothing. More than that and you were sure you would be sent into a panic attack. You had no idea how he would react to you doing this. Would he be disgusted? Angry?

Ironically the only thing calming your thoughts was to continue building the nest. Pillows upon pillows methodically shoved between various stuffed animals and blankets became nest shaped as the time passed. Soon enough you were left with just one item left, one of his favorite skull shirts. You had wanted to take something he would miss less, but they weren’t drowned in his scent like this one was. You sat back into the middle of your nest to take a thorough look around. You didn’t want to take too long to decide a place for it by now as you were getting tired. Not to mention you were going to go out on a movie date with Bakugou so you also needed to get ready for that. You would have checked the time if you weren’t so fixated on your task, and that would turn out to be a huge mistake.

You had finally found the perfect place for his shirt when you heard your door open from behind you. In the middle of slipping the clothing item over your pillow you froze as your heart began to race. Your omega knew it was an alpha before you knew who it was and she let out a chirp before you could stop it.

All you could remember was the first time this had happened, an Alpha walking in on your nest. You were seven, not old enough to even present as an omega but tendencies could show early in childhood. You were excited and happily humming as you arranged your blankets, stuffed animals, and your parents best smelling clothes into small yet sturdy walls in the shape of an oval on your bed. You couldn’t help but feel safe, like you would no longer fall off your bed in the middle of the night, or that monsters or other intruders would quickly avoid hurting you once they got just a single sniff of your parents alpha scents. You were proud when you were finished and immediately snuggled into it for a nap, only to wake up to the scent of rotting eggs. A clear indicator your father was both near and very angry. All the yelling and trashing of your hard work that happened next was just a blur. But you could remember how you felt the entire time so vividly. The way your lungs seemed incapable of taking in air, the trembling of your hands and especially the weakness in your knees. Most of all, you remembered the absolute terror as your safe space was invaded. Adrenaline pumped through your veins as fast as your heart would allow it, and you could only sit back and watch.

It was that day that you first became aware that there was something wrong with you. Something gross, weak, and worth hating.

That’s why even when the scent of Bakugou filled your nose, your heart still didn’t slow down. In fact, it only sped up when you finally turned around to look at him, all of the hope you had gotten by convincing yourself he would be happy you were embracing yourself quickly diminishing. His brows furrowed more than normal and his mouth was set in a deep scowl, slightly open just enough that his naturally large canines poked out.

He was angry.

“Do you not know how to answer your fucking phone?! You were so eager to force me to agree to this date and then you don't even respond when I-” Your thoughts were racing far too fast to actually hear what he was saying. Your omega could only think of one thing, your alpha was angry with you. You messed up and now he was angry with you. It was just like your parents, you should have listened to them when they told you it was stupid to nest.

But you had worked so hard on it, and it made you feel so good. You didn’t want your nest to be torn apart again. The smell of smoke wafted from the alphas' palms as you were too caught up in your memories to really hear him. Hear how he was angry with you for forgetting about your date, angry that you had stood him up and too busy being upset to even notice that you were sitting in a nest. The smell of smoke invoked just another event in your mind, one that happened when you had first presented as an omega at 13. Something that caused the damn behind your eyes to finally break.

“PLEASE DON’T DESTROY MY NEST” You Omega sobbed, distressed chips flooding from your chest like air. “Please, please!”

Your outburst startled the Alpha into silence. He could only stand there and watch as his omegas scent was filled with fear as she wiped at her eyes aggressively. A first he was confused, letting his body pump out comfort pheromones instinctually as he let himself observe the situation. You were dressed only in your school uniform, clearly having been building the nest that surrounded you from the time you entered the dorm room to when he had burst into your room, now far past dark. You were trembling too, body curled up in on itself as you hiccupped and begged.

“Please, I'm sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorryyy! Just please dont destroy my nest.” Your voice cracked and it resonated painfully in his ear and his heart dropped. Why did you think he would destroy your nest? Sure he wasn't the best alpha but he wasn’t a monster. Did you really think he would destroy the one place where you felt safest? A weight grew in his chest that left as a deep growl,

“Here.” He growled, “Probably best if we just end this bullshit.”

This was all your fault. If you hadnt built this stupid nest in the first place, or even started crying like a fucking baby then this wouldnt have happened. But you were a weak omega, and just like your parents said, no one can love someone so weak. Especially not someone as powerful as Katsuki. You shouldn’t have let yourself believe that they were wrong for even a second. You had thought that Bakugou would be the one who would love you for who you truly were. But that was naive. No one could love such a burden. No one could love you.

The drop of the crafted bracelet to the ground seconds before your door slammed, leaving you alone once more in your room, proof enough of that.

Your parents were right.

A flame of anger lit in your chest. Why were you so unloveable just the way you were? Why couldn’t you just be different? Why couldn’t you be an alpha like your parents had wanted?

You could feel your nails extend into claws as the hair on your body raised. You glared at the soft material weaved together around you as hot tears built up behind your eyes. This time instead of being fueled by fear they were fueled by rage and resentment.

You were so angry. So angry at youself, at your weak omega, and especially at your stupid nest. You couldn't help but let a couple tears fall as you let your anger get the best of you, and you didn't stop it until you were heaving in the middle of your disaster of a room. Surrounded by torn pieces of fabric and the other contents of your room scattered by your tantrum, you finally let yourself breath. 

You turned around to see the item you had been avoiding, your pillow with bakugou's shirt. With a deep breath you grabbed a hold of the object, digging your claws into its plush softness. The caramel ash smell that permeated the air only helped to break down the remaining bits of your anger. And you didn’t want to be left alone with your despair just yet.

With the release of your breath a ripping sound could be heard. The shirt split and cotton popped out from the opening like popcorn. Once you had successfully dissected what had been a comfort item you threw it somewhere away from you and took another deep breath.

Now you were finally alone. Just you and your reality. You could really feel how much pain your omega was in as your hair began to lower and your normal nails returned. You had heard about this pain before. A deep one in your chest, heartbreak. Your omega seemed to curl around that feeling. Of rejection. Self hatred. That no one would ever need you, let alone want you. You could feel yourself start to slip into the limbo of numbness and searing pain.

An Omega Depression.

You remembered learning about it back when you were in middle school, most people were beginning to present as their second sex. Your teachers had emphasized how important it was to get medical attention at the first signs, you knew how dangerous it was, but all you wanted to do was lay there on the floor. You were tired, and what was the point? No one cared about you, not your parents… not Bakugou. Your throat strained painfully at that thought. Bakugou didn’t want you, and it was your fault.

[novasintheroom]

Hiya~ :D Saw your requests were open. Mind if I ask for one, please? Would you do me the honour of writing a 'lil somethin' somethin' with the bois' fem!S/O seeing them cry for the first time and how she would handle it? 2003 or Bayverse, your choice. ;) Please?

I had this ask nearly done and then my computer ATE it lmao I’m so sorry it took this long to answer!!!

Leo

·         Takes a lot to get this guy to cry tbh. Has to be something really tragic or traumatizing to get him going. That, or watching Coco

·         Which is exactly how you see him cry for the first time

·         The guys hadn’t seen many Disney movies, so you decide to rectify that with a Disney night. Coco is first, and Leo is Unprepared™ for Miguel and Coco singing together at the end

·         He has to leave like right after because he’s holding back sobs, and you’re like ‘wtf’. Like, it’s sad, and you’re a bit teary-eyed, but it’s not that bad, right?

·         You follow him and find him in a corner deep in the lair trying to get it together. You ask him what’s up, and he confesses that seeing Coco so old reminded him that Splinter’s getting old too, and he’s worried about keeping his family together once he passes

·         All of Raph’s threats to leave over the years have really dug under his skin

·         Gall, it’s heart wrenching to see him trying to hold it in and apologizing for his “stupid” worries. So you wrap him in a hug and tell him it’s okay to be sad about it, and to let it out. You’re surprised when he does start crying, even though it’s quiet.

·         You also tell him that he’s never gonna lose his family or you, even after Splinter’s gone. His family’s gonna stick around because everyone loves him.

·         He doesn’t cry much (read: at all) after that, but he comes to you a lot more when something bothers him or makes him sad. Really helps your relationship improve overall!

Raph

·         2nd most likely to cry out of the brothers. He’s an emotional guy okay.

·         Hates to be caught crying though lmao – would rather die before admit he shed a tear

·         First time you see him cry, you catch him on your roof before he can leave

·         It’s a surprise, since you weren’t expecting to see him that night, but you’re happy to see him anyways.

·         He’s a bit distant, though, like he’s trying to decide to leave or not. You ask him what’s up, and he just mumbles something you can’t hear. You ask again, and he sighs this aggravated sound and just sits on the roof

·         “I ran into some humans tonight. Stopped a mugging happening. Was gonna just get outta there after, but the people I saved started throwing rocks and bottles at me. Callin’ me a freak.”

·         You didn’t know, but that’s the third time this week that’s happened. He may not show it like Mikey, but that stuff still hurts to hear, even if it’s gotten a bit better working with the NYPD

·         He starts ranting about it, about how people just don’t care anymore, that he should’ve just let them get mugged instead of helping them because they didn’t deserve help (he doesn’t mean it, Splinter’s taught him better; but you know how anger can fuel meaningless words)

·         You sit beside him, dangling your feet over the roof’s side, and take his hand in yours while he talks. His throat grows tight, and he has to stop a few times to keep the tears from falling, and when one does, he just gets more angry and starts on another tangent. He doesn’t move from your side, though. You’re a balm to his wounds.

·         Eventually all he can do is breathe heavy, and in a broken voice, ask, “Why was I made like this? It’s not fair.” Gall, if that doesn’t just break your heart…

·         So you hug his arm, and tell him how much you love him. He’s right, it’s not fair that he has to live in the shadows, away from people when all he wants is to be normal. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve love and happiness, and you promise that you’ll always love him for him, not for what he could be or should be.

·         It’s exactly what he needs to hear. He knew there was a reason he came to you that night.

·         He still tries to not cry around you, but this experience helps him feel more comfortable in being vulnerable with you.

Donnie

·         Nearly as unlikely to cry as Leo, but not quite

·         His crying usually comes from tears of frustration more than anything

·         He’s a determined guy, and is hard-pressed to give up on something when he puts his mind to it

·         But man it’s aggravating when that tech he’s been working on for months just keeps blowing up or just won’t work and he can’t figure out why

·         That’s how you find him and see him cry for the first time. You come into the lair, rearing to have some fun with new tech Donnie said he was working on. When you get to his lab, he’s hunched over his desk. He didn’t notice you come in, and he sniffs a few times

·         Your hand on his shell makes him jump, and he tries wiping the tears away with the tails of his mask, asking you when you got here, how’s your day, oh no, he’s fine, just a bit of dust trailing in from the sewers

·         The air filter rattling at the desk makes that a bit doubtful

·         So you pull the paper screen he has nearby around the desk to give a bit more privacy and ask him what’s wrong. He tries to deny it – “it’s just dust, my eyes are tired from the screens,” etc. etc. – but then you ask about the little bug-like device sitting in front of him, and he sighs like all the world is wrong. It’s a new mobile spying device he’d been developing for tracking Foot Clan people in hard-to-reach places (i.e. lots of humans around), but its legs keep locking up, or the sound cuts out, and it’s so tiny and his hands are so big despite the tools he has specifically for that kind of stuff

·         A few more tears leak out, and he wipes them again

·         So you offer to help him with the little things – not just the bug, but getting him the water and food he’s been neglecting for hours as well

·         A full stomach always brings up anyone’s mood

·         You also force him to take a break and catch up on an episode of a TV show you’ve both been watching

·         He feels a lot better after all the care, and is so glad to have you around – especially when you get the bug’s legs working for the first time

Mikey

·         Oh he’s a crier, baby

·         If he hasn’t had a good cry in a month, something’s wrong. He fully subscribes to the belief that a good cry relieves stress lol

·         First time you see him cry is when you guys are just watching YouTube videos on your phone. One of those charity ads pop up for impounded and abused animals, and he is just gone. Sobbing into your shoulder, reaching for a blanket to wipe his nose on, the works

·         You’re just so caught off guard – like one minute you guys are laughing at some gamer playing Phasmophobia, the next he’s blubbering about the “poor kitties and dogs” and “why are people so cruel!”

·         Raph walks by and throws a tissue pack your way. “He’s gonna be there a minute. Get comfy.”

·         So you comfort Mikey, rubbing his shell and handing him tissues when one gets too soaked. His cry sessions usually morph into other things he’s been stressing or sad about, so it’s a lot of talking over the meaning of life, morals, etc. etc.

·         He even manages to get you to cry a bit, and then he’s comforting you about whatever you’re getting off your chest

·         Once it’s over, he’s back to his happy self, with a weight off his shoulders that honestly he didn’t realize was there

·         You learn to carry tissues in your pocket from then on – you never know when a stray kitten could set him off lmao

[luna-mistrunner]

i’ll catch you in the in between

Sometimes you make it, sometimes you don’t. You go somewhere when you die and your fate is inexplicably caught up in a tightly-wound ball of timelines you aren’t able to control. Sayaka didn’t make it this time, and neither did Kyōko, so they meet each other in this familiar, not-familiar space again.

(An abstract piece about musing with someone you love in the space between death and rebirth. Based on looking at the “and i’m home” ED card from the anime.)

Written for @werewolfcave​‘s birthday. Happy birthday!

~*~

And now, again, as they had many times before, they find themself in the in between.

This place, if it can be called one, takes different forms every time, transient as it is. An errant breeze could change its form, the angle of a teardrop could change its space. One or three deaths ago, it was a concert hall, with a choir of strings singing Ave Maria until Sayaka couldn't take it anymore –– and if it was up to them, they could take it for an eternity.

This time, it was the bottom of an ocean filled with still, dark water, filled with the echoes of whale song, their giant’s bones resting in the lapis-silver sand at Sayaka’s back. And when they sob, they find that they can breathe the water like it’s air. Though, when sobbing, the air can sometimes breathe like water. It’s like coming out of a nightmare, the tears running the same way the illusion does at the coming dawn.

They feel a thumbpad at the corner of their left eye. Kyōko is here.

Now, as in many ends before, she is there to grab their hands in the water, all slowed motions and spear-calloused fingers.

“I preferred the concert hall, honestly,” she says to them. “I had Pocky there. I could offer you some. Put up my feet.”

Their throat still chokes on the self-rejection that comes from being a witch without knowing what it means. So they don’t say anything just yet. They sniff and swallow, and it tastes disgusting and awful, because that’s the way they died feeling.

She has a thumb in the crease of their palm, near the place their hand and wrist meet. If they concentrate hard enough, they could make their post mortem heart beat for her. But this skill is lost in translation every reset, every timeline, and they have to feel it out through their turmoil every time they meet her here again, the place between the end and whatever comes next.

The water around them is calm, cold, thick and heavy, and Sayaka's tears drift to the space above them, falling in reverse, edging closer to the light they can't imagine touching.

Perhaps they don't have to.

"You're already using 'they' when you're thinkin’ about yourself," she comments, "so you must be getting used to comin’ here."

The “they” is important, though, so of course they’re starting to remember it more with every push. If they concentrate hard enough, they can remember, or they can foresee, that there’s a timeline where or when––or whatever––things just don’t go wrong the way they always do. And they can grow up a little, stretch their legs a little, slow down a little, think things through a little, learn a little more about themself.

“The first time was hard,” they say, finally, because it’s easier to talk about this for some reason this time.

“Well, swell damn thing it isn’t our first time, then,” Kyōko quips.

“It’d be nice if we could get it right the first time,” they say.

“Obviously,” she says, “but you know that I know that’s not how anything works.”

If she wanted to, she could change the in between for them, set it on fire and put them on a set of stairs inside a church neither of them wants to see again. Just so it could be smoke they’re breathing instead of water and broken stained glass behind their back instead of whale bones. You know, just to prove her point. But she won’t. Because they do know this is how everything works.

“I wish I wasn’t so stupid,” Sayaka says.

“Eh, you’re a hero, right?” It looks like she’s chewing on something. They wonder if Pocky gets stale underwater. “Heroes are always a little stupid.”

“‘You’re not stupid, Sayaka! You tried your best, Sayaka!’ Geez, you could at least try to comfort me a little here.”

She laughs a little, and Sayaka thinks it would be funny if they just made the sound travel underwater here a little more like real water, just to fuck with her. But they don’t.

She cradles their face in her calloused hand and it's warm the way she is, and rough the way she can be, and tender the way she always ends up being, if they close their eyes and remember the future that they could have together if the world didn't end the way it always does. They lean into that hand, the hand that holds, and they nuzzle her palm, just a little.

They open one eye to peer, and she's already a little embarrassed about it.

"Geez." But she doesn't move her hand the way she might have ten or twenty ends ago. "Geez, you're being cheesy."

"And yet," they say, "you were the one who put your hand there first." And maybe they can feel themself start to smile, just a little.

"Well, you were looking so dejected."

"Don't I always after I first get around to being Oktavia?"

This is something to pause about. Oktavia is a shadow. Oktavia is a form. Oktavia is a body, but they don't know what kind, every time. They can't tell, until they've sat with it for a million billion nothings in one, whether Oktavia is their true body, or a product of their self-rejection, or if Oktavia von Seckkendorff is just another facet in the ever-cut gem that poses as Sayaka Miki, magical hero, ever falling, ever wanting to catch someone before they fall.

"You can wax poetic about it all you want, but I'm not pulling you out of the toilet again if you flush yourself. We both know how that goes."

"Well, it just happened again, didn't it?"

"I don't remember the last time it didn't. Well, I do, but what I mean is, it's been a while."

"It's not really profitable for Kyubey to just let me not hate myself."

“He knows how important you always are, that’s why.” She’s chewing on another Pocky stick. You get unlimited Pocky when you die, until you come back. “Just stop being important, Sayaka, c’mon.”

“Absolutely not. I have to be this important or else the whole plot falls apart.” Fate is so cruel to them, what else could this be but a story?

It's worth it to hear Kyōko laugh––it always is. They're still a little sore about everything, because no matter how many times they do this, it always hurts to go through the script, no matter the variations to it. So they want to make her laugh, because that makes it hurt a little less. No, it distracts them from the hurt, and that makes it feel like it hurts less. It's the distance. So they feel themself smile, but they pull away from her hand, just slightly, too.

And then her hand, like it always seems to be, is in theirs, and her fingers, which are rough and soft the way real love is, are making their way between their own.

"It's not always justice I end up fucking up for, is it?"

"You want me to troll all the way back and piece it all together for you?"

"No, I guess I'm just wondering about it. I'm not that fragile, am I?"

"Nah. I just don't think people are actually meant to be strong on their own."

"You're telling me that? You?"

"Hey, you know better than anyone that I never want to actually be alone. It just ends up that way. ‘Cause my dad’s shitty or something." She squeezes their hand, and it feels like she's done that one thousand times before, maybe a million times. Maybe just once. They squeeze her hand back. "You don't wanna be alone either, that's why you're so stubborn all the time, right? Stubborn about adjusting for everyone you like or don’t like, even. Knucklehead."

"You had to throw that one in, huh?"

"Absolutely. Can't let you get too full of yourself." She’s getting more used to swimming now, because they’ve been here together before, too. So she helps them turn on their back and she turns on hers, and they float there, watching what might be stars or something distorted by the water. “Besides,” she continues, “you get to drag me at church all the time. This is like, the only chance I get.”

They stay like that for a long time, staring up at ninety-seven universe's stars, or maybe just two, they don't really know, because in here, there's too much to sift through and at the same time, not enough. Too many memories of too few things said or done, or too much, it varies with the timeline. And with that too much, sometimes there's just nothing left to say. The questions have all been asked here before, the arguments have all been had, and it's back to waiting for the next life, and the next, and the next. And during the waiting, between all the times they try and fail and try again, she squeezes their hand and they squeeze hers. Morse code for the weary-hearted and the never-stays-dead.

Finally, they revisit an old question.

Sayaka asks, “When do you think we’ll get that happy ending? Because I know you always ask for one.”

Kyōko says, “I don’t know. I mean we get it sometimes, obviously, but I don’t know when we will.”

She has one free hand, to itch at the nose these ghosts still have, for some reason, even though they breathe water and noses don’t do that, usually.

“But I think it’s worth trying again and again.”

“And again.”

“And again. ‘Cause, you know. Even if it takes forever--”

“God, I hope it doesn’t.”

“--we’ve always got here, you know? Not an end, not a beginning.”

Sayaka looks at her. They see her watching them like she’s watching the stars, like maybe they outnumber them, and that makes them stronger, or better, or just themself.

“Just a moment.”

They could float there until they feel themself resurfacing, and they could hold her hand through that entire long, too-short moment. But it’s fine, because even if they fuck up, both of them, just her, just them, they know they have something to come back to, at the end of the end.

And then, again, as they had many times before, they leave, together, their home in the in between.

[hopekiedokie]

The Dreaded First Day of School (single dad!jimin)

SUMMARY: On his son’s first day of school, we learn that the badass, leather jacket wearer, and tattoo clad single dad might not be so tough after all. Or maybe, his soft little son isn’t as pure as he ought to be. (In short, Jimin’s baby is growing up and he’s not prepared for it.)

GENRE: fluff, humour, maybe angst if you squint hard enough

WORD COUNT: 1.6k

NOTES: So Jimin isn’t supposed to be a mean or awful dad here. He’s just still not totally equipped to be one even after five years now. This might become a mini series with Ms. Y/n being Haneul’s teacher in the future. Who knows? Also, the photo is not mine.

POSTED ON: 26th March, 2021

What the actual heck is this??

Jimin has seen a lot of crazy things in his life but this, whatever is happening in front of him, is something he truly cannot believe.

You see, today is his son's, Haneul, dreaded™ first day of school.

The kid was up until 3 in the morning, crying his eyes out. He kept begging Jimin to not let him go, saying things like “I’ve been a good boy.” or “I don’t know those people.” or “Please, daddy, I don’t want to go!”

Half of the time, Jimin didn’t even understand what he was saying because he was crying so much.

The worst part is that Jimin had half the mind to give in to all these excuses and to just let Haneul attend school next year.

Contrary to popular belief though, he’s not entirely an awful example of what a father should be. In general, yes, he’s done a lot of questionable things. But in particular, as a father, he does like allowing his son to eat whatever junk food he wants, watch whatever is on the tv, or letting him up way past his bedtime (as late as 4am).

BUT he still has a smidge of decency left in his being and he actually wants his son to grow up decent.

(Which for the most part, is going along fine since Haneul is probably one of the sweetest and softest kids he’s ever seen. How though? Jimin has no idea.)

So with tired eyes and barely 4 hours of sleep, he dragged his son to school.

Even during the drive, Haneul was still adamant about skipping school and all the while, he kept using his cute crying voice that ALWAYS turns Jimin into mush.

Not this time though.

“It’s gonna be okay. You’ll meet a lot of friends and you’ll play with them! It’s gonna be fun, I promise.” This is one of the many things he said to lift his son’s spirits up.

All his efforts are still not enough to pacify Haneul as the tiny boy kept throwing a tantrum. Jimin even had to carry him after getting out of the car and during the entire walk to the school gymnasium where the assembly is, Haneul held his arms tightly around his neck.

To be completely honest, Jimin thought that it would be embarrassing but actually, he found the entire thing quite endearing.

Maybe it’s the narcissistic prick inside him that’s talking but seeing and hearing his son say that he’d rather spend time with him makes him feel like perhaps he’s not so bad of a dad after all.

Which brings us to the present.

To reiterate, Jimin cannot believe what’s happening.

One moment, his son is clinging to him for his dear life, then in an instant, he watched him grow up right in front of him.

In the worst way possible.

Not to be dramatic, but it was like watching his entire life slip away from his grasp.

The beginning of the end started when Jimin pointed to these three boys and insisted Haneul to introduce himself.

Boy, oh boy, oh boy, BIG mistake on his behalf!

He probably should’ve pushed his son to the “nerdier” looking kids. That would’ve helped him in the long run, as well!

At first, he watched in awe from a far as Haneul progressively turned less tense and more comfortable with those boys. They started with cute small smiles but it quickly turned into wildly animated gestures while comparing their Paw Patrol themed trolley backpacks.

“That’s my boy! Already making friends and it’s only been 5 minutes.” Jimin proudly thought to himself.

Okay, maybe Haneul is going to be fine. All that crying thinking Jimin did the entire night was for nothing! His cute soft son can totally do this.

Now, Jimin’s life altering moment comes. The time to actually say goodbye is here.

A teacher announces that they’re taking the kids to their respective classrooms and even if they cry or make a huge fit about it, the parents or guardians should stay where they are. They should refrain from “babying” their child.

Alright, now’s the time for Haneul to cry again! There’s no way he doesn’t cry even just a tiny bit…....Right?

Jimin makes eye contact with Haneul and, without any second thoughts, proudly mouths “I love you” while pointing to him.

Normally, Haneul is quick to return the gesture. Heck, he even goes as far as drawing a huge heart with his tiny pointer fingers!

But today, he doesn’t do that. No no no no no!

Instead, Haneul discreetly looks around him to check if anyone is watching him then……….

He shakes his head towards his father then faces back to his new friends.

Gasp! What is this???

Jimin has never felt so betrayed in his entire life! Not to mention, by his OWN son too.

This irks him so much.

So much so that he stands and gets close to his son, opposing the teacher’s instruction of letting their kids be.

Bitch, no. He’s getting his “I love you” from his son no matter what.

As he walks towards Haneul, it’s apparent that the kid had somehow done a complete 180 from his mood 10 minutes ago.

How can this be? How is he suddenly so cold towards his own man?

When he finally gets to Haneul, he literally, no joke, had to call his name 4 times to get his attention. The actual audacity of this kid!

“Hey, Haneul. Daddy’s gotta go!” Jimin says with his world famous “no eyes” smile.

Haneul’s face drops.

Bingo!

This kid is about to get a huge reality check or so Jimin thinks he is.

He’s waiting for any signs of despair, a sniff or maybe some glassy eyes but nothing happens.

Come on, where are the water works?? Where are all the hugs and kisses???

Haneul is like (・-・) to Jimin.

O-okay…….

“...”

“...”

“...”

Nothing???

“There’s a lot of scary strangers here……”

Okay, so that was really mean for Jimin to say bUT HE ONLY WANTS TO SQUEEZE EVEN JUST A DROP OF AFFECTION FROM HIM. Sue him!

Haneul finally opens his mouth.

Jimin quietly anticipates his son to return to his warm and loving self that he still doesn’t quite know where he gets from...

“So what, daddy? I’m a big boy! I don’t need you.”

(´⊙ω⊙`)?！

Uhm exCusE mE, but W H A T??

Needless to say, that statement hurt Jimin like a buttcheek on a stick.

However, he’s not gonna break away from his badass persona in front of all these people, especially around these little shits that they call “children”. He has an ✨𝓪𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓬✨ that he strictly abides to, people!

And frankly, he’s not gonna let his son walk all over him.

So without any word, Jimin leans down to give Haneul a kiss. If he’s not gonna receive any affection through words then fine! He’s gonna get it through a different way.

Jimin’s lips are almost in contact with Haneul’s plush cheeks. They are literally a hair away that Jimin can feel the heat emitting from it but all at once, that heat is gone.

You know why?

Because Haneul is quick to do that matrix shit where he bends his back to avoid his father’s lips.

Then he saunters away, leaving Jimin hanging.

(๑´⊙ ₃ ⊙`๑)

Jimin calls him a couple times but again, he did not look back.

S I G H

Alright, then. He doesn’t normally raise his voice towards his son (nor disciplines him tbh) but oh boy, oh boy! This kid is practically asking for it.

He doesn’t give a fuck if he’s five, no son of his is gonna be allowed to treat him like that!

“HANEUL! GET BACK HERE. NOW!”

Well, that got him looking back towards his father.

Jimin points in front of him to which Haneul begrudgingly complies after taking a peek from his new found friends.

Haneul hears the other boys snicker behind him as he trudges towards his slightly pissed father.

When he’s standing right where his father wants him, Jimin leans his cheek down again for him to kiss.

Now, the other boys are blatantly laughing at him.

Maaaaaaaan. He can’t be a laughing stock on his first day of school! He needs to be as cool as his daddy!

As Haneul contemplates his life choices, Jimin patiently waits for his kiss. There’s no way Haneul is gonna reject him for the third time in a row within a span of two minutes!

Within a few seconds, he feels Haneul’s lidol babie hand against his cheek.

O M G

How 😭 cute 😭 is 😭 this 😭 ??

This has got to be one the softest moments they have shared together. AND it’s in front of all these people!

Take that Namjoon hyung for saying I can’t be a gentle and tender loving father!

Jimin is about to place a hand over Haneul’s small one to caress it but then Haneul pushes his face away.

“Just go, daddy!”

Before Jimin is able to process what just transpired, Haneul is already strutting towards the other kids, feeling like a king or a boss for bitch-slapping his own father.

This little fUqer!!!

Who does he think he is to act like this towards Jimin iN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE??

This is what happens when he lets his son spend too much alone time with his Uncle Jungkook and Uncle Taehyung.

But to be fair, Haneul is still Jimin’s son at the end of the day so…..like, maybe he shouldn’t be too surprised??

Yet, still, he truly cannot believe it.

All it took was 5 minutes and a rowdy set of friends, then his kid has grown up.

He apparently “doesn’t need him” anymore, according to the kid.

To think that Jimin got up early to make him those cute bento boxes. He even specifically made them look like various pokemons that Haneul fancies!

Wow. Just. WOW.

Excuse him, but he’s just gonna get in his car and crank up “Slipping Through My Fingers” by ABBA while he ugly sobs.

[clownistyping]

A Witch & A Hick, Chp. 3

Little Secret

This chapter is just the two learning about each other and car problems lol.

Also warning for Elizabeth offering sex as payment lol, it doesn't happen. Also I do hc Lester living in a trailer bc its extremely common and realistic tbh.

Lester puts the truck in drive and looks at Elizabeth as he presses the brake, 

"I remember you said there's a town nearby, any chance we can go there to fix up my van?" Elizabeth asks as she pets the two dogs, 

"No need, they'll charge ya criminal prices. I can fix it." Criminal prices, he repeats in his head. 

"Oh come on, you've already done so much." Elizabeth says her face soft, 

"I insist! I can't just let them uh take ya money when I can fix it for free." He smiles and Elizabeth mirrors it. Lester gives from the brakes and drives towards his home, 

"I have a feeling there's something...more behind this." Lester gulps, 

"What made ya think that?" Lester nervously laughs and his hands tighten around the wheel, 

"That's how most men are, expect a favor for a favor. Though they often expect ya know." Lester blinks and cringes, 

"Aw that! I wasn't thinking anything like that, hell I wasn't even thinking about you doing anything." 

"I mean I'll do it." His eyes widen and he stops the truck again, 

"What?" He blushes and looks at the girl, 

"I'll get you off, I've done it before." 

"No no! I have to decline, I just ain't that kinda man." Lester nods to the woman who shrugs, he lied. He is that kinda man, he's had victims beg for safety with offers of sex. He always took it, but let's the girls fall back in the hands of his brothers. 

"Not that I don't find ya pretty!" He defends quickly and Elizabeth laughs, 

"You're real purdy, I just. I just can't." He sighs and Elizabeth notices how tense he is. 

"Thanks, for calling me pretty." She smiles, 

"I think you're real pretty too." She compliments Lester who blushes again, Lester has never talked to a stranger this long. Never had a girl call him pretty, never met her.

"Ya just sayin that cuz I'm given ya a ride." Lester chuckles and Elizabeth shakes her head, 

"Nope," she pops her P, 

"Everybody's beautiful in they're own way, just as nature intended." Lester blinks and remembers her van, the witchy collection in it. 

"Oh right, you're a witch!" Lester exclaims and Elizabeth nods, 

"How'd you know?" She teased and Lester laughs,

"How'd you even get in all that junk anyways?" Lester asks and flicks his hat, 

"It ain't junk. Don't be rude," Elizabeth smirks and Lester nods his head, Jonesey puts her head on Lester's lap. He pets the dogs head. 

"Sorry but, how did you ya know..start?" 

"My sister got me my tarot cards, she really showed me the basics of witchcraft. Our parents didn't really care all that much but never let us do it in the house. Guess that's why I moved out so early too." Elizabeth laughs, 

Lester pulls up towards a driveway of a trailer.

The trailer is a once white single wide, covered in vines and ivy. Bones hung from the porch ceiling, 

Elizabeth notices his front door was wide open, and in the yard were scatters of trash, car parts, bones and more. The windows were open but blinds were keeping the inside blocked. 

It looks like nobody lives there, as stray cats scurried under the trailer and hissed at each other.

"I'll be quick, I'll just unload your van and fix her right up in a jiffy." Lester smiles at the girl and gets out of the truck, Jonesey follows and Mac follows after her. 

Elizabeth smiles as she watches the two dogs sniff around and play, getting out of the truck her barefeet sink into the grass and dirt. She stretches, the truck wasn't entirely comfortable with Mac siting right on her. 

"Sorry for the mess, I don't really have guests." Lester says as he unhooks the van, 

"Its fine, I've seen much worse." 

"Nah, doubt it." Lester shakes his head and wipes his hands on his jeans, Elizabeth takes note of the depreciation joke he says. 

As Lester pops her hood and smoke rises from it, Elizabeth frowns. 

"That happened before?" Lester asks as he waves the smoke off, Elizabeth nods. 

"Yeah, I've had a couple engine problems. Mainly because of oil, but my light wasn't even on." 

"Yup, cars will do that. Just spring a problem on ya right as ya were doing fine." Lester grazes his hand over the engine and instantly finds the problem, 

"When's the last time ya changed the cooling fan?" 

"Never." 

"Cleaned it?" 

"Never." Lester sighs and Elizabeth frowns, 

"That bad?" He nods, 

"Your engine is busted, you're gonna need a new one." 

"Nooooo." Elizabeth groans

"Hey its okay, this happens all the time. It's just an accident." Lester tries to comfort the girl, she squats and hides in her knees. 

"Hey now," Lester gets on his knee and pats the girls back. 

"We can maybe order one from the next town over, but it'll take a while for it to come in since we're basically in the middle of no where." Lester then sits with the girl and he blinks when he hears a sob come from her. 

"Jeez darlin, it ain't anything to cry about." He says and Elizabeth looks up, her makeup more runny than before, 

"This is my karma! I know it is and- and I shouldn't be cryin-ing but-" she hides her face again and Lester stutters, 

"Aw no no, this ain't karma just an accident. Honest." 

He isn't entirely sure what else to do, seen plenty of girls cry in Ambrose. Ain't none of them cried like this. 

Crying about karma, hell if karma was real he'd be dead, he thinks and shakes his head. He gently pats the girls back as she sobs. The two dogs show up and sit around the two Mac places his head on the girls back. Pushing Lester's hand away, Elizabeth quickly hugs her dog.

After a couple minutes, her sobs stop and she looks up. 

"Im sorry Lester, I just. It's just been a lot today," she says and wipes her eyes, smudging her makeup. 

"Wanna talk about it?" Lester ask and Elizabeth looks around, noticing the sun is starting to set. 

"No, not right now. I'm just tired now, sorry for bothering you with my emotions and junk." 

"Ain't no bother at all, I'm happy to help." She shows a smile from his words as he stands, he puts his hand out and she takes it to stand. 

"I know, and thanks again. Do you think it's alright if my van stays the night? I'll try to go to another town in the morning and order an engine. I'll find a motel too." She says, trying to clean her face up from tears and makeup. 

Lester raises a brow, and Elizabeth shakes her head already knowing he'll offer his home. 

"Lester please you've already done so much for me! I promise that by tomorrow I'll be out of your hair." She says and Lester shakes his head, 

"Darlin, How about we both go into town order you an engine and when it gets here I can put it in. If you think I'm letting you sleep in that hot van for the night you're dead wrong." Lester stands up straight and crosses his arms, Elizabeth actually has to look up to see his face. 

"I've got a spare room, it's messy and mainly holds all my junk but it's got a bed, a desk and a closet." Lester says and Elizabeth takes a deep breathe, 

"Thank you," she says and Lester uncrosses his arms, 

"I mean it, without you I'd probably be kidnapped by some crazy guy. Unless you are the crazy guy." She jokes and Lester nervously laughs.

"I like to call myself unqiue." Lester jokes and Elizabeth laughs, 

"That you are friend, that you are." Elizabeth says and watches as the sun falls behind the trees.

After grabbing her needed things from the van, the two walk towards the trailer. 

The two walk onto the wooden porch, Elizabeth's hands grazing the bones hanging above, 

"Those are my people repellents, makes hikers skedaddle." Lester jokes and Elizabeth smiles, 

"They're beautiful," she compliments and Lester walks through the open door, 

"Yup, they sure are. I uh, I keep my door open so the strays can come in and relax and get away from the heat." He says and flicks on a light, it blinks a few times but turns on. 

The two are standing in the living room, the couches covered in fur and scratches. Clothes are all around and clean and unclean bones sit on the coffee table. 

But the recliner is free of fur, just a flannel on the back. 

Lester notices his playboy magazine on the coffee table and quickly snatches up the magazine, Rolling it up he laughs embarrassingly. 

"Sorry about that, again not often I get guests." Elizabeth smiles and shakes her head. From behind the two, Mac and Jonesey come running in. They jump on the couch and sit next to each other. 

"My house is there house." Lester pets Jonesy's head and smiles, putting the magazine behind the couch during this. He turns to face Elizabeth whose staring at the bones, 

"I'll show you to ya room," Lester walks to the right and opens a bedroom door, 

The bedroom filled with bones in boxes, books, clothes and random knick knacks. He quickly lifts boxes from the bed and pats the dust off. 

"My casa your casa." He smiles and Elizabeth places her stuff down, Lester stands in the doorway now. 

"Thanks again, Lester. I really appreciate it." Elizabeth puts her hand out and Lester looks down at it. It's so small, he gently grabs it and Elizabeth grabs one of the bracelets on her wrist. She brings it over her hand and onto his, 

"I can't not give you a gift." She says and lets him go, Lester looks down at the bracelet. A whole set of animal teeth with beads in between. 

"I- thank you. It's so purdy." He says and continues, 

"You're a real uh...what's it called?" 

"Freak?" He quickly shakes his head, and takes her hand again. Putting their wrists together with the bracelets, 

"Unique," he smiles, "You're a real unique girl." 

"Is it because I mess with bones and junk?" 

"Well that, and because you're real nice." Elizabeth smiles, 

"You're just as unique as me Lester." She says and the two look at each other for a second, wanting this conversation not to end but not sure how to continue. 

Suddenly from behind Lester, Mac barks. 

Elizabeth laughs, 

"It's past his bedtime, sorry he gets cranky when he's not in bed by this time." Lester let's the dog run past him and onto the bed, 

"Well, goodnight, um. Sleep tight?" 

"You too Lester." Elizabeth quietly shuts her door and Lester stares at the closed door. Jonesy whines from behind him, 

Lester turns to the dog and squats, he pets the dogs cheeks and smiles. 

"She'll be our little secret, right Jonesey?" The dog licks his face. 

[gingerwritess]

Do you have any hcs about the first time Loki gets into a fight with Elliot and/or Frigg? Because let's face it, no matter how much parents and children might love each other, they're bound to have a serious fight at some point.

quarantine, please be good to us.

this includes mentions of bullying (jotun/colour related), lil bit of yummy angst all wrapped up in familial love and understanding

Elliot is a precious little thing.

Pure, innocent, unmolded clay. He looks like his father, talks like his father, has the brains of his father…and is starting to gain the height of his father, too.

Your little boy is growing up.

He came home with a cut on his cheek one day when he was around ten years old. “There was a snake at the park,” he explained as you held ice to the bump, watching your baby turn blue again as the coolness hits his skin.

“It bit your face?” You made a mental note to have a discussion with Loki about how friendly he is in regards to the rather dangerous creatures.

“Nah…” Elliot looked ashamed, you remember that clearly. “Some older kids were pokin’ it. Said they wanted to stab it and-and squish it’s guts out.”

He shuddered on the kitchen counter, feet dangling.

“The snake wasn’t hurtin’ anyone, and all I could think of was how much dad likes snakes, and I didn’t want to see them hurt it. I didn’t mean to start a fight, mom, I swear it was an accident–”

You hugged him tight, tucking his head under your chin. “I know you didn’t,” you assured him, running a hand through his hair. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks, mom.” Patches of his blue skin had started to return to normal and he hopped off the counter, running off to his room before you could say another word.

You weren’t too worried when he began to come home with scraped up knees and blood running down from scrapes in his arm, because Elliot swore up and down that he had just fallen off his bike, run too fast and fell, tripped going down the porch steps…but by the fourth “clumsy” excuse you didn’t believe him and called in the professional.

“I think Elliot is lying to me.”

Loki just laughs, actually, not the response you were hoping for. “And you’re surprised, my love?”

“Well, he’s always been an honest kid!” You give his waist a squeeze. “But today he said he fell off the swingset, and I just…that doesn’t seem right.”

He’s silent as he thinks, holding your head closer against his chest.

“I’m just worried about him,” you whisper, reaching for the blanket. “I know you don’t like to get in his head, but…”

“I will,” Loki sighs, and he presses his lips to your forehead. “Just to see if he is telling the truth. Then as the biggest hypocrite of the milenia, I’ll tell him not to lie.”

“I love you, my god of lies.”

“…precisely.”

Sure enough, two days later your son sneaks through the back door with a swollen eye. He doesn’t make it far on tiptoe and whirls around when you clear your throat, clapping a hand over his eye with a guilty grin.

“H-hey mom…”

“What happened to your eye?” You tug his hand away, inspecting the puffy lid and cut through his eyebrow. “Tell me the truth.”

He pauses when you say that, mouth partially open as he struggles to decide what to say. “I fell off my bike again,” he answers firmly, but you can tell in his eyes he doesn’t mean it. “I was riding near a—”

His face twists and the kid recoils, some unseen force making him shrivel up and he clutches his ears, shaking his head as his back slams into the wall.

A coldness settles in the air when Loki stands up from the table, walking over to his son and crossing his arms. “That’s a lie, Elliot.”

“No, you promised, dad,” your son pleads, grabbing Loki’s arm. “You promised to stay out of my head, you promised not to read my—”

“—and you promised to tell the truth.” Loki’s voice is gentle but stern, icy and you almost feel bad for Elliot having to be on the receiving end of this scolding. “You promised me I wouldn’t have to.”

Tears are already welling in the boy’s eyes, and he sinks to the floor before the two of you, shoulders trembling.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he sobs, hiding his face in his hands, and you notice his fingertips starting to turn blue. “I didn’t want to lie but they know, dad, they know about me ‘n you and-and today they called mom a really bad word and I told them to stop—

Not expecting that, Loki quickly crouches next to his son, a hand on his shoulder. “Easy, Elliot, it’s alright…we’ll listen to you, of course. Come here.”

He catches your eye, wide and worried; you know Elliot can be a bit…sensitive, but that was enough of a reaction to shake you to your core.

What in the world?

The two of you lead him to the couch, and he angrily swipes at his eyes and tries to pull himself together.

“There’s…there’s these kids,” he sniffs, not looking either of you in the eye. “They’re huge, dad, huge and beefy and-and muscles like Thor’s, really, and they always yell at me when I’m outside and—”

Your heart sinks.

“It’s alright,” Loki promises, pulling Elliot under his arm. “Just breathe, you’re alright. Do you have any idea why they are picking on you?”

The kid sniffs again, dropping his head to his hands. “They say I’m tiny. Call me wimpy. Guess…guess that makes me an easy t-target.”

“Elliot…” you run a hand through his curls, scooting closer and hugging him too. “That doesn’t matter, they can’t—”

“But I am!” He lifts his head and his eyes burn red. “I’m tiny, mom, I’m a runt and I’m little and I’ve got no muscle and one day I’m gonna-gonna snap like a twig.”

“Did those other kids tell you that?”

He nods, wiping his nose. “They know I’m blue, too, they like to sneak up ‘n drop ice cubes down the back of my shirt just to make me…make me…y’know.”

His voice cracks and dissolves into silent sobs.

“Oh, Elliot.” Heart aching, you pull him into your arms.

“That shouldn’t matter,” Loki gently tells him, holding out an open hand to his son that’s turning blue as well. “Yes, we’re different, Elliot, but that doesn’t make us any less worthy of—”

“I hate it.”

Loki’s blue hand drops to his thigh, empty.

“Elliot,” you quickly cut in, “don’t say anything you’ll regret.”

“Why not? It’s true,” he spits, hands furiously shaking and, much to everyone’s chagrin, slowly splotching with blue. “I’m a monster, I’m a mutant and I hate it.”

“We aren’t anything more than a different colour, that doesn’t—”

“Stop saying we, dad!” Elliot shoots to his feet, a finger in Loki’s face. “It was ‘we’ when I was a baby, and you could just–just show me off, but this isn’t we. This is me, and people hurting me, and I’m too freaking weak to even learn how to fight back, and–and I didn’t ask for this.”

“None of us did, Elliot.”

“No,” your son chokes, “you did ask for this. You asked for a kid, and well, you got me. This is it. Me, the animal, the runt, your mutant blue baby who can’t find an ounce of control over anything in his life, but it’s okay, it’s cute.”

“Elliot…”

He shakes his head, eyes clenched shut to fight back the tears.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers, then turns and runs to his room, slamming the door behind him.

The silence in the room sits heavy.

“Loki?”

You break it with a gentle question, turning to your husband to find tears silently streaking his face.

“Oh, my love, my Loki.”

You pull him into an embrace, one he doesn’t return, slowly pushing you away to look at you.

“I knew he was a mistake,” he quietly confesses. “We shouldn’t have had children.”

“Don’t you dare say that.”

“But look what I’ve done to him—”

“Shut up.”

You stand abruptly, holding out a firm hand to pull Loki to his feet with you. “We’re going to go talk to him,” you decide, “until he can see how much he’s loved.”

Not giving your husband a moment to respond, you pull him along behind you straight to Elliot’s room.

Elliot is still crying, crying quietly into his pillow with the rest of his body curled as tightly as possible, leaving you and Loki plenty of space to lay on either side of him and curl just as tightly around him.

The contact does seem to help, you note, and he takes a great shuddering breath when you smooth a hand through his curls.

“My sweet boy,” you murmur, and press a kiss to his temple. “Don’t let the light inside you die.”

“I don’t think–I don’t think there’s any light in me,” he thickly replies between sniffles.

“That’s bullshit.”

A wet, teary laugh leaves his lips for a split second.

“I’m serious,” you smile, “that’s complete bullshit, and your father will one hundred percent back me up on that.”

Loki nods and takes Elliot’s hand. “It’s bullshit.”

“You are…a beacon of light,” you promise him, holding him tighter. “I’ve never known someone with as pure a heart as yours, and to see these bullies trying to rip it from you breaks my heart.”

Loki lays down beside his son, turning to face him and bring his hand to his heart. “And you are right. We asked for you and we were gifted with you, our beautiful, sweet, incredible child, so please don’t push us away.”

Elliot sniffs, blinking away tears as you smooth a hand over his hair, and Loki presses his forehead to his son’s.

“Please let us help you.”

More sniffles, his thin body trembling, and your son slowly nods.

“I need to learn to control it,” he mutters, eyes squeezed shut. “I have no power over myself.”

Loki nods, giving his delicate hands a squeeze. “I’ll double my efforts. We can figure this out, alright?”

Another tiny nod.

Sandwiched between the two of you, Elliot sneaks an arm around Loki’s chest, hugging him close against him while his other arm holds tightly to yours, the one around him.

“Don’t let go,” he whispers. “Please.”

―   ―   ―   ―

~ masterlist link in my bio ~

loki tags: @bluediamond007 @himitoshi @drakesfiance @destiel1597 @dangertoozmanykids101 @archy3001 @jcalpha1 @yzssie @skullvieplu @forthesnakeofdragons @skulliebythesea @wegingerangelica @storiesfrommirkwood @agarwaeneth @adaliamalfoy @laurfangirl424@fitzsimmons-is-forever @ladylokimischief @katelinwrites @tarynkauai @polaristrange @loavesofmeat @canadian-ravenpuff-multishipper @lou-makes-me-strong @holyn0vak @chocolatealmondmillk @swtnrholland @kenzieam @jessiejunebug  @the-republic-and-face-of-texas

~ scroll here! ~

@doralupin01 @whitewitchdown @atomiccharmer @falconfeather23435 @babygirlicecream @avengrcs @vethrvolnir2 @bookgirlunicorn @wabisabigrl @myhealingstar @khaleesi-marvel @ei77777 @spacecrumbs @scarlettghost13 @rocks-are-pretty-odd @confessionsofastrugglingteen @easilydistractedwriter @arttasticgreatnessoftheawesome77 @fluffyllamaswearinghats @milktearose @lcyouinhell @h0tshotholland @dontmesswithmemundane @southsidesarcasticwriter @helnik-s @lilith-akemi @fire-in-her-veinz @unlikelysamwinchesteronahunt @mischievousbellerina @kcd15

~ scroll here ~

@mellowgirl01 @lokislilcaribbeanprincess @allthingzhiddleston @scorpionchild81 @lokixme @blue-automne @devilbat @kangaroobunny @end-up-well @planetariumx @sarcsep @mrfandomtastic @amaru163 @im-way-too-many-fandoms @caswinchester2000 @kybaeza @wester-than-west @vintagesunshinebitch @adefectivedetective @poetic-nikolai @moonduhsted @kerri-masson @iamverity @innaminitus @spnbarnes @narcissxblack @woohoney @anxiousamandapanda @padmeisgay @authordreaming13 @lokisironthrone @theunknowinglys

~ scroll here ~

@highfuncti0ningfangirl @epicfallenismine @stubby-toe-589331 @fandomnerdsarecool @retrofantasyland @arch-venus25 @forever-trapped-in-my-dreams @littleredstarfish @marshyrebelcloud @okie–loki @atterodominatus @stfxlou @pandacookieowo @tonakings @shinisenko @tinchentitri @nildespirandum @thefallenbibliophilequote @vodka-and-some-sass @highfunctioningfangirl19 @sadwaywardkid @lokioneshot @brooksaza @wild-honey-piy @ellaenchanted91 @watermelon-lights19 @just-another-romantic @skinny-macncheese @lokisironthrone @rorybutnotgilmore

~ scroll here ~

@toozmanykids @brooklyn-times @nonsensicalobsessions

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

Crescent Chapter 3 Revision Notes

Revised Chapter 3 is out baby, view it on tumblr dont talk to me about the links not working on that post its broken for some reason or ao3! Since this chapter feels like the one most heavily updated, here’s some notes on what was reworked

Removed Roman’s pov from the very beginning and replaced it with Patton’s pov. I made this decision because it felt like it made for a stronger opening. Some of Roman’s beginning inner monologue in the original is reused at the end of the revised chapter

Patton tearing that mugger apart is now 40% more gruesome and descriptive. 

Patton’s character is now more rounded out and thoroughly explored imho

Roman, Patton and Logan are now 20% more werewolf in their behavior 

Instead of Logan conveniently arriving home for that Dramatic Entrance when Patton finishes telling Roman what’s up, he’s just there and ready to silently disapprove Patton’s choices in life

The Argument at the end between the three is a bit more expanded upon and Patton has a bit more agency in it. 

Original Word-Count was 2557, Updated Word-Count is 4574, little over 2k more than the original.

Included below is the original chapter 3 so you can see the differences if you’d like

To be fair, Roman wasn’t surprised when Patton came home a stray in tow. Patton had a heart of gold—there wasn’t a mean bone in his body. He cried easily. He cried when a girl and her dog got separated in a movie, and he cried again when the two were reunited. He couldn’t bear passing by a downed bird, injured and all alone. It was why they now had a flock of ravens that took shelter within the confines of their yard.

Roman knew it was always hard for Patton to let go of the strays after he nursed them back to health. He grew attached to their presences, loved them like they were his own children. But he also knew that they couldn’t really care for pets with their type of lifestyle beyond the wild animals like the ravens that just wouldn’t leave. However, that was alright. A flock of ravens were considered good luck among werewolves.

So the ravens stayed, whilst the others were sent away. Logan always did his best to help situate the animals into loving homes. It made Patton feel better knowing that they went to owners who’d care for them just as much as he did.

What he was surprised about was the…species of the stray Patton brought home.

He heard the door click open, as he worked on his canvas. He didn’t bother glancing up. He didn’t need to use his nose to know it was Patton entering their humble yet magnificent dwelling. It couldn’t be anyone else, but Patton as Logan didn’t get off work this early, and there wasn’t anyone else who had a key to the house.

“Hey, padre!” He greeted, frowning as he redrew the eyes of his sketch, “Did you complete your quest to obtain the chocolate chip cookies with the extra chocolateyness?”

“Oh my goodness,” Patton gasped, “I left the cookies back in the city!”

“What happened? Did you get sidetracked by a baby squirrel again?” Roman chuckled.

He expected Patton to launch into some excited ramble about the cute poor animal he came across, or perhaps amazing scent trail that derailed him from his errand. But instead Patton seemed hesitant to share information.

“Not…exactly.” Patton admitted.

“What do you mean?” Roman finally looked up.

Instead of the kitten or baby bird that Roman expected to find, there was a stranger in Patton’s arms. Small and thin and pale in baggy black clothing. His first thought that must be another werewolf—Patton wouldn’t dare bring a human here, would he? But Roman took one sniff and knew immediately.

There was no mistake about it; Patton had brought a human into the home.

“Patton why is he here?” Roman growled, “He’s a human!”

The older man pressed his lips together, walking past Roman to lay the human on the couch before facing him once more.

“He was in trouble, Roman! He—he was all alone and I couldn’t just leave him—” Patton drew a breath, “Please, let me explain.”

-

To be fair, Patton did not mean to go sniffing out for trouble. He only meant to go sniffing out for cookies after another botched attempt at creating them. As much as he loved making food in the kitchen, baking was not his strong suit. Logan said it was because he wasn’t exact with his measurements. Patton didn’t see how adding more sugar could ruin the recipe that much. He only wanted to make the cookies sweeter, and what’s sweeter than sugar itself?

It was alright though, because that just gave himself an excuse to visit Thomas. He let his nose take all the way downtown to the Piece of Cake bakery. The bell jangled as he bounced in, grinning around at the pastel interior of the bakery. He took a deep breath in, letting the sweet scents of the desserts invade his nose.

“Hi Patton! What’ll it be today?” Thomas asked, giving a friendly wave from his place at the counter.

“Thomas! It’s so good to see you!” Patton squealed, reaching over the counter to give the man a hug.

The man let out a surprised yelp, but eagerly returned the hug just the same. He learned by now that Patton often to forgot to ask before he invaded people’s personal spaces in his rush to lavish them with affection.

“Opps sorry,” Patton gave a bashful grin as he withdrew from the hug, “I was just excited to see you! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!”

“Patton, it’s only been like three days,” Thomas laughed.

“I know, but still.” Patton pouted.

The two made friendly conversation as Patton picked out his order. It wasn’t until another customer came into the bakery that the two exchanged their goodbyes, and Patton made his departure.

He hummed cheerfully, swinging the bag of cookies with each stride. Occasionally at intersections he took a moment to open the bag and smell the delicious sugary delights. Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodles, Sugar Cookies—the scents tickled his nose with glee.

Patton loved scents—they often told the truth more often than someone else’s words or his own eyes could. He was happy he could always trust his nose when his other senses failed him. He couldn’t imagine not being able to smell! He’d rather give up his sight or his hearing than not being able to smell the comforting presences of his packmates.

Once, Logan revealed to him that humans couldn’t smell as well as their kind. Patton cried for fifteen minutes straight after that.

“Why are you crying?” Logan asked, awkwardly patting Patton’s back, “Humans’ sense of smell may be feeble compared to ours, but they have been able to survive just fine with it the way that it is. Besides, it is not as if they know the difference.”

“Exactly!” Patton sobbed harder, “They’ll never know how—how wonderful smell is.”

Logan sighed.

“Would it help any to say as a former human, that I now know how wonderful a heightened sense of smell can be?”

“A little.” Patton sniffled.

The crosswalk switched from an angry red hand to the cute walking stick figure that signaled it was the pedestrians turn to walk. The crowd surged forward, a few people bumping into Patton’s shoulder as they passed by him.

“Oh!” He looked up from the bag, spying the crosswalk signal. He covered up the bag once more and hurried across the crosswalk.

It was a long walk to the outskirts of the city where Roman, Logan and Patton lived, but he much preferred it over taking the car. As much as he enjoyed driving, he didn’t enjoy that thick traffic that left him antsy in the seat knowing he could walk faster than how fast the car was crawling across the interstate. When there wasn’t traffic clogging the streets, the car whipped by faster than Patton’s liking.

He took the idiom “stop and smell the roses” literally. Patton enjoyed walking because of the journey. He loved hearing the chatter out of the bustling city, the wind rustling his hair, seeing the various sights that the city had to offer. Not to mention the smells. While some scents like gasoline could be nauseating to smell, there was scents like—pizza. Greasy breading baked with tomato sauce and cheese with a variety of toppings. His stomach grumbled in agreement.

As if in a trance, Patton’s feet led him in the direction of a nearby pizzeria. It wasn’t until he was a block away from the restaurant that he realized how far off he deviated from the walk home. He needed to walk north, not inwards towards the heart of the city. As much as his mouth watered for pizza, he already prepared a delicious meal at home. He would have to save pizza for another day. Perhaps he could even make homemade pizza! He hadn’t tried that doing that yet.

It was hard to suppress his urge to chase after every wonderful scent that infiltrated his nose, however. The closer he came towards home, the more overwhelming it became. When Patton had been younger, it was harder for him to ignore the urges to chase after the scents. Flowers, perfume, the smell of Asian food wafting in the air from a nearby restaurant—it enticed and overwhelmed him.

He chased the scents, curious to see where they led. Often, he found himself in trouble from sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. After spending his childhood largely isolated from the human world, he had been ignorant of appropriate manners among humans. For example, humans often took offense if you smelled them. Whereas werewolves had very little sense of personal space. Something that could be found inherent in Patton by how he heaped affection on people within five seconds of meeting them.

Patton knew better now. He recognized he couldn’t gleefully chase each scent without abandon. He had a responsibility to look after the needs of the others. If Patton didn’t remind the two workaholics when to eat, he wasn’t sure who else would.

Gotta focus, gotta focus, gotta focus. The mantra ran through his mind repeatedly. He opened the bag of cookies once more, taking a deep whiff to remind himself of his mission. The rich chocolate, cinnamon goodness and fear reminded him that he can’t wait to share them with the others—wait.

Patton paused in the middle of the sidewalk, causing the person behind him to grumble in frustration. Fear? That can’t be right. That scent doesn’t belong with a cookie but rather—a living being. He scanned the bustling crowd who traveled down the sidewalk as usual. The scent of increased perspiration clung to the air, how could the humans just ignore it? Could they not smell it?

He didn’t stay put to find out. There’s no question in his mind whether if he should not follow this scent. His heart pounded, as he dashed after the scent. He trusted his nose to lead him to the source.

“Opps, Excuse me! Sorry!” He called out, apologizing to disgruntled pedestrians as he tore through the foot traffic. His large, hulking figure was perfect at plowing through the crowd—no one wanted to get trampled by a 6’2 man.

He skidded around a corner, the scent leading him to the entrance of a winding, dark alleyway. There lay a sight that angered him. A large burly human held a gun against a smaller one, who shook badly from terror.

Patton let out a low growl, too upset to say anything intelligible. His claws came out as he launched himself at the mugger, tearing him away from the small human. A shot rang out from his gun, and Patton could only hope it didn’t hit the human on the ground. The mugger attempted pointing his gun towards Patton, but he ripped the weapon out of his hand and onto the ground.

The mugger made a frantic scramble after it, but Patton pinned him to the ground. He sunk his claws into the man, and only let go when the man went limp.

He breathed in deeply, forcing himself to relax. His instincts screamed at him to remain on guard. But the danger had passed, and he needed to make sure the small human was okay. He was ignorant of a lot of things about humans, but he did know they could be easily frightened by his more wolfish appearance. The last thing he wanted was to scare the poor guy even further. As soon as he morphed back into a humanoid appearance, his focus went immediately to the small human—his eyes widening in concern at their collapsed figure.

“Are you alright?!” He called out as he rushed to their side. Their head lolled backwards, signaling that they had gone unconscious.

A surge of protectiveness took over him as he immediately gathered the human in his embrace. He can’t help but marvel over how small and fragile the human looked! He must have been the runt in his litter. The human wore a raggedy black hoodie and ripped jeans with scuffed up converse. His face was too thin to be healthy, and those circles underneath his eyes! If the poor thing didn’t faint from fright, he certainly fainted from exhaustion.

He gasped upon seeing the bandages wrapped around the human’s hands. The skin underneath looked red and swollen, indicating it was a fresh wound. The human’s hair was glistened with sweat. Patton pressed a hand against his forehead and nearly flinched at how warm it felt. He shouldn’t feel this warm…humans shouldn’t feel this warm, right?

Patton snuck a glance towards the mugger, and immediately withheld the urge to vomit. The wounds looked deeper than Patton had initially thought and although the mugger was still breathing, it might not be for long. Patton was a lover not a fighter. The thought that he could be this man’s cause of death was haunting. But as he looked back down at the runt, he didn’t regret it. The mugger had threatened an innocent life, and Patton wasn’t going to stand there and watch it happen.

That was also the reason why he couldn’t just leave the human, alone and unconscious, in the alley alone with the bleeding-out stranger that tried to kill him. If someone came across him, he’d be an easy meal. He had to take the human somewhere safe. The only thing is, Patton had no way of knowing where he lived. He had no way of tracking down his home. It was nearly impossible to distinguish a scent from the hundreds of millions of aromas existing in the city air.

A scream interrupted his thoughts. Patton looked up to see a woman staring from the entrance of the alleyway, covering up her mouth in horror. Patton’s mind came to a screeching halt as his instincts screamed a singular command at him. Run.

This was not a time to attempt explaining the situation. His nerves were shot, and he was afraid of what was going to befall on the human. Would the other humans see how sick and small he was and attempted to finish what the mugger started? He couldn’t let this small human go through any more pain than he already had. Not now he was here. He scooped up the human in his arms, sprinting into through the sidewalks of the city.

He ran as fast as his feet would carry him, afraid that police sirens would be after him at any moment. Patton was fast, but not fast enough to outrun a car. Especially while carrying the human, despite how worryingly light he was.

Patton, being paranoid, took detours—attempting to throw off any would-be pursuers off his trail. When he finally reached the porch of the house, he almost collapsed from exhaustion. The human let out a cry in his sleep, and Patton stroked his hair.

“Shhh,” He said, “You’re safe now.”

The human unconsciously leaned into the touch, completely relaxing in Patton’s hold. The werewolf’s heart melted even further.  If Patton’s heart was a popsicle, it was now a puddle of sugary sweet liquid.

As he sat on the porch, the human lying draped across his lap, he started to realize that Logan and Roman probably wouldn’t be happy with this arrangement. But Patton wasn’t going to abandon him, even if he was a human!

Which was why, he was now pleading to let the human stay with them.

“Please Roman, he needs help, I couldn’t just leave him all like that!” Patton begged, “Please don’t tell Logan—not yet, at least.”

“Tell Logan, what?”

Logan stood in the door frame, arms crossed as he stared down at the unconscious form of the human on the couch. Patton gulped.

He did not look happy.

“Hi Logan,” Patton chuckled nervously.

“What is he doing here?” Logan gestured to the human, “He shouldn’t be here, Patton. Do you remember what happened last time we let a human in our house?”

“This—this is different,” Patton insisted, “He needs us!”

“He needs to go!” Roman burst, clenching his fists.

Logan turned to look at Patton.

“Explain.” He said, and Patton did.

He repeated the same story as he had with Roman, with a few occasional interruptions by Logan who reminded him to stick the facts and not stray off into tangents. Once he finished, Logan sighed and pinched his nose between his fingers.

“So, what I’m hearing is that you panicked and weren’t thinking straight.”

Roman snorted. “Patton doesn’t think straight—ever.”

“I couldn’t just leave him all alone like that! What if he got attacked again?” Patton huffed.

“You could’ve left him at a police station or taken him to the hospital if you were worried about his health.”

Now that he thought about it, those might’ve been better options. Logan had always been good at figuring out more rational solutions to problems than Patton. But it didn’t change the fact that the tiny human was here now and needed their help.

“He needs a pack, Logan. And I know you know how to care for sick humans!”

Logan raised an eyebrow, “Patton, humans are social creatures, I’m sure he has packmates of his own who are concerned by his disappearance. There’s also no telling how he would react once discovering our true nature. We should take him to the hospital.”

Patton frowned. He hadn’t taken in consideration that the small human might already have packmates. If he did, Patton didn’t think they were good packmates based on the human’s malnourished appearance.

“We don’t have to tell him about the pack. But we can’t just leave him alone in the hands of strangers, Logan! We should care for him until we find out where his packmates are.”

Roman glanced between the two like a child observing an argument between their parents unfold in front of them.

Logan said nothing, reaching downwards to feel the human’s forehead.

“His temperature is unusually warm,” He noted, “We should take his jacket off—to help cool down his temperature.”

Patton’s eyes widened.

“Does that mean—”

“Yes, he can stay,” Logan said before clarifying, “only until he’s no longer ill.”

Roman’s eyes flashed angrily.

“Wh—”

“Patton, can you go prepare the spare bedroom for the human?” Logan interrupted.

“Of course!” Patton beamed as he scurried out.

As soon as Patton left the room, Roman turned to face Logan.

“Do I have no say in this?” Roman spluttered indignantly, “Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? It’s a human, Logan. A. Human.”

“A human who is physically weaker, underfed and feverish compared to us. While it would be optimal to take him to a hospital, you and I both know about how attached Patton gets to…strays. I theorize he’s able to pack-bond more easily with other species than us.”

“Look, I don’t want to hurt Patton’s feelings as much you do, but we should put the safety of the pack first.”

“I did consider the safety of the pack in my decision making. This is a compromise—we’ll look after the human for long as he’s sick in exchange for Patton promising to return him to his friends and family,” Logan explained, “Who knows? The human might even want to leave early.”

He walked towards his study before turning to glance back at Roman.

“Make no mistake. I know how dangerous humans can be; I was once one myself, Roman, and I have no intentions of harboring the delusion of keeping one in our home any longer than necessary.”

[theoverly]

Her choice

Pairing: Johnny & female V

Rating: T for swearing

Dreams are a reflection of our subconscious, and nightmares are our subconscious way to deal with trauma, as Johnny learnt the hard way early on in his life

——————————  

Catch me traumatizing myself with my own headcannon

——————————  

On ao3; https://archiveofourown.org/works/30339804

Or press “Keep reading”

—————————— 

”I… I can’t believe it… everythin’. A-all we did… pointless.” V glitches away, leaving Johnny alone at the glitchy diner-booth for a moment before he follows the path of her code, already as familiar to him as her mind. She’s sitting in the vast empty space of the net, knees pulled up towards her chest and arms resting atop them, staring out into nothing with an empty look in her eyes. “I’m sick of this…” she growls just as he materializes, pulling a chair out of cyberspace to straddle, arms resting on the backrest. Even without access to her mind he can feel the rage building up in her. “Of everythin’.” She continues as she glares up at him from under her brows. “You most of all.”

  He ignores what feels like a stab or a glitch in his code, and instead levels her with a stern gaze. “Perfect, ‘cause we’re stickin’ to the plan. You’re goin’ back to your body, and I’m goin’ with Alt.”

  “Where she even gonna take you?” she bites out.

  He glances off to the side, to a beam of bright light that appears to be both extremely far away and dangerously close at the same time. “Beyond the Blackwall, to become part of her-“ he looks back, glancing at the glitchy outline of V’s boots. “Whatever the hell that means.” He finishes, voice trailing of a little at the end.

  “… What’s it like, beyond the Blackwall?” he looks up at the slight tremor in her voice, finding an air of anxiousness about her, making him huff.

  “Assumin’ I don’t loose my fuckin’ mind-least no one’s gonna ride my ass there.” She chuckles, a little, face softening. “Can’t read you mind anymore, V.” he reminds her, wondering what’s so funny.

  “Didn’t seemed to mind having you ass ridden – on occasion.” Her mouth curls into a toothy half grin, her signature look of mischief.

  He blinks at her for a moment before realizing what she’s hinting at. “Dirt girl…” he huffs, shaking his head in amusement. “Gone pokin’ ‘round in my memories for the juicy stuff, huh?”

  She chuckles briefly, shaking her head and looking down at her hands as she begins to wring them together, a display of anxiousness he’s never seen her partake in before. “… you go beyond the Blackwall, you ain’t comin’ back…” she mumbles, voice hoarse. “What about hanging around as a construct?” she glances up at him. “Just… till we find another way?”

  “Know you ain’t that naïve.” Johnny shakes his head, looking away from her. “Findin’ another way means makin’ a deal with ‘saka. I’ll pass.”

  There’s a stretch of silence only interrupted by the hum and buzz of cyberspace, neither of them jumping in to fill the void for a long while until- “I don’t wanna die, Johnny…” V whispers, making him look back at her, finding her eyes staring down into nothing with a hopeless expression. He furrows his brows in concern, wondering what thought are racing through her mind as she tries to come up with a plan for how to tackle her current predicament. “Never thought life was worth clingin’ to. Not at any price, anyway…” Her eyes focus and she looks up and to the side, to the beam of light, eying it in a mournful way that has Johnny’s code buzzing in alarm.

  “’cause it ain’t.” he huffs.

  “Wrong.” She shakes her head a little. “That light beyond the Blackwall-“ she nods her head towards it, inviting him to look at it, though his gaze is pinned on her. “-that’s hope.” He shakes his head as he prepares to jump in and interrupt, but she continues. “Could be the flames of Hell or Heaven’s grace -who cares?”

  Cyberspace buzzes and both constructs look to the side where Alt’s form glitches into being. “We’ve learned to turn into pure data-” She begins, voice soft and booming at the same time, echoing through cyberspace. “-but an animal still prowls inside us, and its instinct to survive almost can’t be extinguished.”

  Johnny narrows his eyes at the AI. “Yeah, that instinct’s part of bein’ human – but so is denyin’ it.” He looks back to the nomad. “V, you’re talkin’ crazy – there’s nothin’ for you beyond the Blackwall.” He stresses sternly.

  “‘least it’s not the big fat nothing I’m goin’ to in six months’ time anyway…” she murmurs before looking away from Alt and pinning him with a stare. “I am going to die, Johnny.” Each syllable of every word of that sentence is thoroughly pronounced, the difference is startling compared to her usual drawl; It’s not a guess or a fear anymore – it’s a statement of fact... Don’t mean he can’t open his mouth to argue- “Save your breath-“ she shakes her head and looks away from him. “-really think I alone could find some way to save my life in the following six month’s when we haven’t already?”

  “You won’t be alone.” He reminds her. “You’ve got some great chooms backing you, V.”

  She ignores him, instead looking up at Alt. “What now?”

  “As I said; You can return to the body, where you will perish within six months. Alternatively, Johnny can retain the body, remain there, whilst you come with me beyond the Blackwall.”

  “Guess it was naïve of me to think there’d be a happier ending for all involved…” she chokes out, voice thick with grief.

  “Wrong city, wrong people…” Johnny agrees mournfully.

  Alt’s body splits into copies, showing up along a path leading towards the beam of light. “This path leads deeper into cyberspace. Take it, and permanently sever the connection to the body to go beyond the Blackwall.” More copies, this time leading in the opposite direction and towards what appears to be a well of some sort. “The path to the body passes through the mortal well. Whichever of you goes through it will retain the body.”

  V’s eyes linger on the well, and Johnny feels a wave of relief washing over him that she’s considering going back. “What I told you at the Pistis Sophia-” the relief drains from him and is replaced by dread as she speaks. “-we stick to that. I’ll go with Alt. You stay in our body.” She rises to her feet slowly, not even sparing him a glance.

  It pisses him off…

  “Turning your back on your problems, again?” he grits out, glitching off the chair when she turns towards the beam, grabbing her arm to stop her and yank her back. “What? Just gonna roll over and decomish? Give up?” he growls at her.

  “It’s my decision, Johnny.” She yanks her arm away from his grip, clutching her hands into tight fists and bracing for a fight. “This bullet is comin’ my way, I just need to make sure it don’t take you down with me.”

  “You’re loyal, I’ll grant you that. But damnit are you dense! Haven’t changed a bit since we met.”

  Her construct shakes, edges glitching as she seems so be winding up, and he fully expects her to start throwing punches. Instead –

  “I’m so damn tired, Johnny…” she breathes, eyes fluttering closed, face scrunching up in despair as she fully deflates. “I just want this all to end…” she sobs, making him deflate too.

  “I know, princess…” His voice comes out soft, the nickname he’s been using to tease her now an honest term of endearment. “But let’s not make any rash decisions, ok?” He grabs her forearm again, just below the Johnny + V tattoo, and softly pulls at her, signaling for her to follow him as he turns around towards the well. He pulls his hand back, but hers shoots out to grab his in a weak grip. Given that it’s his chrome hand and they are both two constructs in cyberspace with no physical form, he really shouldn’t be able to feel the soft warmth of her hand, but he does. He squeezes her hand lightly and holds it as he leads her to the well, sitting her down on the edge before taking a step back from her, her weak grip allowing him to slip his hand free. Her face is an open book now that she’s admitted to her exhaustion and allowed it to set in, looking at him mournfully.

  “I don’t want to die alone again…” she admits quietly.

  “You won’t.” He insists. “Really think Vic’s gonna just sit back for six months and let you die? Fuck – tell Kerry what’s happening, he’ll throw a fortune Rouge’s way so she can-“

  “You know I don’t trust Rogue.” V interrupts coldly, shaking her head weakly.

  “Then go to the Aldecaldos;” he insists, voice rising as he begins to go on a rant. “you know better than anyone that a Nomad clan large as that is bound to know someone who knows someone who can help, and you’ll have six months to dig ‘em out. Or fuck – call Judy. Girl’s smart, maybe she and Vic can figure somethin’ out if they work together for six months? Or maybe that PI of yours can sniff out a lead better than he can a fuckin’ clitoris!”

  V breathes out a small chuckle, shaking her head in amusement. “River did fine, you’re just mad I made you fuck a cop.” She protests, smiling softly at him for a moment before patting the edge of the well beside her. “Sit with me?” she asks quietly. Johnny’s wound up tight, and he almost snaps at her, but the small hint of a hopeful smile tugging at her lips deflates him, so he ambles his way to sit down next to her, leaning forward to rest his forearms against his legs, glancing up towards the beam of light beyond the Blackwall, where he’ll go after they’ve said their goodbye. “I still want you to have my body…” she admits quietly, and he shakes his head briskly.

  “Stop already.” He snaps. “You’re a fighter, V… It’s as that doll back at Clouds said; You’ve never backed down from anythin’ in your life, so don’t go backin’ down from the fight for your life.” He sits back up a little so he can look at her, her eyes starting to gain some focus, hanging on to every word he says. “You’re stubborn as all hell. You see a wall blocking your path, you’ll either find some way ‘round it or bash that thick head of yours against it until you bring it down.” He reaches out and knocks on her forehead, making her huff out a sound of amusement and swat his hand away softly. “You’ll find a way to cheat death again, and when you do; Gonna take Night City by storm. Ain’t nothin’ gonna stand in your way.”

  She shakes her head a little, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she looks at him with such open adoration it’s startling. “… Goodbye, Johnny.” her voice is hoarse again, filled with unshed tears that he doesn’t deserve.

  “Goodbye, V... And never stop fighting.” He moves to stand up and help her into the well, but before he can she glitches away to stand before him, forcing him to look up at her in alarm. Her face, set in burning determination, is the last thing he sees as he feels her hands on his shoulders pushing hard until he tumbles backwards, over the edge of the well and into a freefall.

 Nightmares are nothing new to Johnny, he’s had them since his gonk ass enlisted as a child soldier and went to fight in Mexico, but it’s been a long time since he’s had a nightmare so vivid it causes a physical reaction.

   ——————————  

  He wakes with a start, throwing the cover off his body – drenched in cold sweat – as he shoots up from the bed and stumbles out of it, catching himself on the floor with a grunt of pain before franticly pulling himself back up and stumbling out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, throwing himself at the toilet as he dry heaves a couple of times before emptying the contents of his stomach into the bowl in several drawn out heaves that leaves his entire body trembling. His fingers weakly curls against the cold ceramic as he hurls and hurls until there’s nothing left for his body to expel, and then he dry heaves a couple of more times, tears and snot running down his face once he manages to gulp down large breaths of air, the occasional sob or groan of pain interrupting his efforts to try and catch his breath.

 He wipes his face with his arm, leaving a disgusting mess of tears, snot, and vomit as he slowly rises, looking down at the tattoo on said arm as he drags his feet along the cold floor and to the sink, hands shooting out to grab the edge of it before he looks up at his reflection. Gasping sharply, he pulls his fist back, a primal roar of rage and loss rips from his chest as he punches the mirror, shattering V’s reflection.

[sunmaylight]

TGCF Book 3 Reaction pt.3 - Wind Master’s Self-Designated Quest & The Events that Happen After

I am back again with reactions & comments for when I read book 3. 

This is honestly fun for me because I can look back at what I read and remember my first reaction to everything. I can also see how things connect to make up each arc by going back and reading them. 

I really want to start book 4, but completing this first so I compose myself and not be a mess of emotions reading it. Cause, any book that is mainly about Xie Lian’s past is bound to be filled with angst and possible tears for the guy.

Ch 102: The Love for All Seasons Stew, the stew Xie Lian made and Shi Qingxuan is enthusiastically wanting to try some, shares with Ming Yi. Hua Cheng eats it like nothing and gives Xie Lian feedback

- Me: Ah, RIP Shi Qingxuan and Ming Yi. It was nice knowing you two.

Start of the Venerable of Empty Words

Ch 103: The stew knocks out Ming Yi and sends Shi Qingxuan to tears. Then Shi Qingxuan hallucinates

- Me: You know, by this point Xie Lian should have his own warning label to prevent this from happening in the future. What if he made something for Jun Wu and kills him with his cooking? Actually, that sounds pretty funny. This just in: Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu defeated by a plate of questionable food made by his favorite Heavenly Official, Xie Lian.

103: Shi Qingxuan tells a horror story. Xie Lian feels a cold breeze and discovers it’s made by SQX.

- Ah, I think I’m understanding more that Heavenly Officials are really eccentric. Especially the upper court.

Xie Lian casually mentioning he has encountered a Venerable of Empty Words in the past and how that ghost left him after staying with the fallen god for almost a year.

- Me: *sobs* Xie Lian. 

Wind Master talking about his past before ascension and then post ascension

- Me: Okay, but did you actually ascend?

Learns about Heavenly Calamities

- Me: Well, that will surely be relevant in the future.

105: Investigating for the Ghost. Learns that from a tampered list that Hua Cheng killed vengeful, malevolent tyrants

- Me: Hua Cheng, who else have you killed? How the fu-dge is it that you are more productive than Heavenly Officials in making sure nothing bad happens?

As the group was going to leave, Xie Lian remembers the kids (& Qi Rong). 

Hua Cheng: I have already called a babysitter. Don’t worry about a thing Gege.

106: The group was teleported to the wrong place.

- Me: Well, aren’t things starting out just lovely.

Hua Cheng changed clothes and Xie Lian Noticed. 

Hua Cheng & Xie Lian exchange verbal communication passwords. Hua Cheng’s password has Xie Lian blushing.

- Me: WHAT IS IT?

Xie Lian’s password: “Just recite the Ethics Sutra a thousand times.”

- Me: ...Is that a joke? Xie Lian, if they actually had to recite that, it’s like saying you don’t want people to talk to you.

Xie Lian’s password is revealed to be just that phrase. He set it up as a joke

- Me: goddamnit. I have been bamboozled. 

Learning about the legend of the Potential Scholar He, who was mad smart but got a lot of people wanting to crush him out of jealousy. He died after getting his revenge against those who were gatekeeping him.

- Me: HI! WHERE IS THE SHRINE FOR THIS GUY. I NEED A SHRINE TO WORSHIP SCHOLAR HE AS WELL AS A CERTAIN DIANXIA AND HUA CHENGZU

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng now have to play Mafia in a four man group.

Ch 108: A game to sniff out the Word Ghost. The game reminds me of the Japanese Game, King’s Game.

- Me: Is there a Chinese equivalent to the King’s Game?

SQX -’king’- Xie Lian and Hua Cheng have to strip each other. Just one layer

- Me: If this was me to my crush, I would be weirded out to do this in front of my friends. Unless if I was drunk

SQX to Hua Cheng (from the book): “What’s the worse suffering in the world?”

Hua Cheng: “To watch with your own eyes your beloved be trampled and ridiculed, yet unable to do anything. That’s the worse suffering in the world.”

- Me: (ToT) Hua Cheng. I got to mark this down. Hua Cheng’s beloved and him need their happy ending.

Ming Yi to Xie Lian: “What’s the biggest regret of your life?”

Xie Lian: “My Second Ascension.”

- Me: !!! Xie Lian, what the F*CK happened during the shortest ascension recorded in Heaven?

Ch 109: Hua Cheng lends Xie Lian a ‘bit’ of spiritual power. Xie Lian does a palm thrust and blows off the roof of the temple.

- Xie Lian & Me: ...Hua Cheng, that’s a little bit?

Hua Cheng: Was that not enough? I can lend you more.

Ch 110: Hua Cheng puts on a mini fashion show to Xie Lian in the middle of something important. 

Xie Lian: *focus is pulled away to stare at Hua Cheng*

- Me: Okay. Cute, but please focus. There is a time and place for everything. Now is not the time!

Water Master is suppose to prepare for the third Heavenly Calamity. SQX is kidnapped

- Me: What if this is the third calamity? Having to save SQX from the Venerable of Empty Words?

Xie Lian wants to do a soul-shifting spell, but Hua Cheng is stopping him.

- Me: Hm, does Hua Cheng know something? That is suspicious.

Ch 111: Venerable of Empty Words says: “Don’t worry, with your eyes wide open, you will watch the person coming to seek you die before you!”

- Me: *Thinks of Hua Cheng for Xie Lian* Shit, it got to Xie Lian. I really hope this doesn’t happen in the future. Cause, it’s not like Hua Cheng can die by conventional means since his ashes are ***** - Safe

Wind Master is revealed to be wearing a lot of treasures and gems on their person

- Me: Why is Wind Master wearing all of that?

Soul-Shifting spell ends, Xie Lian hears Hua Cheng’s voice

- Oh shit. I think Hua Cheng is mad.

SQX: “This is the Terrace of Cascading Wine. It’s where I ascended”

- Me: Wait, SQX is one of the Four Famous Tales? The odd one that is like Qi Rong that is about a guy who ascended for just pouring wine?

Learns that Xie Lian was actually sleeping when he ascended.

- Which ascension did that happen at?

SQX is in hysteria after Shi Wudu grabs him. SQX was acting suspicious before then SWD arrived.

- Me: Wow, what happened to SQX? D-did he actually fail his Heavenly Calamity and this is part of the punishment? Do Heavenly Officials get an advance notice that they have a Heavenly Calamity they have to face? Or is he behaving like this because of the removal of all of those artifacts and jewels?

-----

Ch 113: Hua Cheng sent a step-litter, a step-litter that is very extravagant, to Xie Lian. Hua Cheng is giving Xie Lian a fancy carriage ride towards somewhere.

- Me: Wow. What an obvious sign that Hua Cheng has deep feelings for Xie Lian 

The whole Step-Litter Scene of Ghost calling Xie Lian Hua Cheng’s ‘lady’ while he was in the Step-Litter and everything after until they drop Xie Lian off at Puqi Shrine

- Me: THIS NEEDS TO BE ANIMATED

Xie Lian’s new banner: “Return Babes through Miraculous Hands”

- No words

Hua Cheng helping Xie Lian do a task of working in the field. There is an indescribable tension that has been created through Xie Lian’s dense brain

- Me: Man, you can slice the tension with a sword and they still wouldn’t realize anything.

Xie Lian has a mysterious donor who filled his donation box with gold bars. He decides to return them

- Me: Yes, good for you Xie Lian. You do you.

The Drama between the Wind and Water Masters

- Me: You know, there is someone on YouTube who animated this part. I can now only visualize that while reading through my notes.

Earth Master forged his shovel to be his spiritual device. Ming Yi, Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian travel through the tunnels dug by the Earth Master’s Shovel under Heaven

- Me: Wait, does this mean technically anything can be made into a spiritual device?

SQX can’t access his spiritual powers

- Me: shit. Did he actually fail a Heavenly Trial against Reverend of Empty Words?

The three are forced to dig and end up at Quan Yizhen’s palace with Pei Ming behind them

Pei Ming: QYZ, help me out and capture them

QYZ: *sees Xie Lian and remembers what he did for him during the Lantern Festival* - Grabs bed and throws it at Pei Ming- YEET!

Xie Lian tosses dice and the three end up at Puqi Shrine again. Xie Lian is greeted to the sight of a shirtless Hua Cheng finishing up some labour work with using E-Ming.

- Me: Is this going to be Xie Lian’s gay awakening? Will he finally acknowledge he has feelings for Hua Cheng?

Xie Lian immediately calms down and gets back into action

- Me: dang it!

The group, now with Hua Cheng, teleports to the Rain Master’s land. They exchange what they know and Xie Lian is drawing a very terrifying conclusion.

- Me: So, if there was a chart of the four famous tales compared to the four great calamities based on comparing their authenticity of tales

- Xie Lian    Hua Cheng       (They have to match somewhat)

- Princess who slit her throat         White No-Face      (Both have very little knowledge and seem very much bamf)

- General who broke his sword       Black Water       (Just vibes based on their names)

- Shi Qingxuan         Qi Rong     (Don’t really match the others, but are famous enough to get on the list)

Xie Lian connects the dots on Scholar He's name

- is that even possible?

Pei Ming arrives and then the group moves to Shi Wudu’s Heavenly Trial ground cause mortals are in danger. Their mission is to help the mortals and not get in the way of Water Master. 

Hua Cheng changes into a fisherman outfit

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng share a tender moment with a steam bun. General Pei watches them

- Me: Oh? Pei Ming, what did you notice? Did you notice the potential ship between the two of them?

118: The ship somehow wandered into the Ship-Sinking Black Water’s territory.

- Me: Oh no. The drama.

--------

Alright, here seems good. The next part will be the Wind & Water Master Arc pt 2 (?). At least I think so since the Wind part was discovered and now it’s the Water part that’s next. 

You know, I really wanted to comment on a bunch of other stuff. Especially the Hualian moments, but decided against it cause there are some things that should be read

[ahtohallan-calling]

chapter 3  of true north is here!

[kristanna / t / the actual fic version of my single dad au at long last]

ch. 1 / 2

“Can we see the penguins?”

“That’s the only reason to go to the zoo, isn’t it?” Sven asks, leaning back to tickle his goddaughter’s ankle. 

She squeals and kicks at his hand. “No! We go for ice cream!”

“We have ice cream at home,” Kristoff says, hiding a smile, because it’s his job to be the grouchy one so that Uncle Sven seems even cooler.

“But it’s my birthday,” she whines, and Kristoff glances up in the rearview mirror to see a pair of puppy dog eyes that match the set coming at him from the passenger seat.

“I’ll consider it,” he lies, knowing damn well he’ll be putting down ten bucks for two firecracker pops and a frozen lemonade and watch his melt while he keeps a napkin pressed to Alice’s chubby wrist before it drips onto her dress, and then inevitably more of it will end up on the ground than in her mouth.

He wonders if Bailey would say he’s spoiling her, that she doesn’t need a popsicle and special pancakes and her pink birthday cake.

But Bailey’s not here, and that’s why he’ll do it.

“Hey Al, do you see what I see?” Sven says with exaggerated enthusiasm, pointing to the green road sign that says “Zoo Next Exit”, and Alice scrunches up her face.

“A tree?” she asks, confused, and Kristoff can’t help but laugh.

---

“Nah, man, I’ve got it,” Kristoff says gruffly as Sven pulls out his wallet.

“Let it be my birthday present to Al,” Sven argues, even though he’s already putting it away again; it’s a familiar routine for both of them, helps both of them keep their pride intact even if it means they get weird looks from waiters sometimes when Sven’s excuses err on the ridiculous side.

“I’m sure you already got her something else,” Kristoff says, sliding his debit card across the counter, and by the other man’s grin he knows that’s a yes.

The teenage boy managing the cash register makes that face, the one with narrowed eyes that say don’t I know you from somewhere? Mercifully, Alice saves them by proclaiming very loudly, “It’s my birthday. I’m four.”

The teenager slides an “it’s my birthday!” sticker over the counter. “There you go, kiddo. Happy birthday. And, uh,” he adds, eyeing Sven a little shyly, “go Tigers.”

Sven grins and gives him a fist bump. “Thanks, man.”

They’re saved from getting asked for an autograph by a school bus of preschoolers rolling up. Kristoff pulls Alice out of the way and kneels down to put the sticker on her shirt, but she shrieks and pushes his hand away. “Not there, Daddy,” she whines. 

“Okay, where?”

She points to the same spot he just went for, and he follows her orders. “Better?”

Alice nods and takes hold of his hand. “We can go now,” she says, imperious as a queen, and Sven doesn’t bother to hide his snort of laughter.

---

The arctic section, thankfully, is in the middle of the zoo, so in only a few minutes Alice has her nose pressed up against the glass as she watches them dive for their breakfast. Sven’s right beside her, ooh-ing and ahh-ing with all the kids even though he’s as tall as five of them stacked together. 

Kristoff hangs back and takes a surreptitious picture on his phone; they’ve learned the hard way if they try and take pictures together, someone inevitably notices and gasps, “Sven Peters?” and asks for a picture of their own, and then they lose half an hour to football fans who don’t give a shit that they have a limited amount of time before Alice has an “I-need-a-nap” meltdown.

Eventually, the penguins disappear in the recesses of the enclosure, and Alice bounds back over to him, holding her arms up. He does her one better and sets her on his shoulders. “Where to now, Ally Pally?”

“Seals!” she proclaims, and off they go, just in time to see the show with the trainers and the red ball. 

The birthday sticker nets Alice a chance to ask the trainer a question. “Do seals have mommies?” she asks, and though everyone else laughs at how cute it is, Kristoff feels queasy for a second, worried that she’s still not over last night’s meltdown.

They move pretty quick after that, knowing there’s only a finite amount of time before she starts asking for ice cream; Asian animals are next, first the elephants-- “stinky,” Alice says, wrinkling her nose as they watch one relieve itself, and then the tigers-- “take a picture of me with them quick, Bjorgman,” Sven insists, and somehow they manage to pull it off without anyone seeing, and then the pandas, which are Kristoff’s favorite because they know the secret to happiness is being left the hell alone to eat as much as you please.

The other bears are next, and Alice takes great delight in watching Sven look between Kristoff and the grizzly enclosure and ask if she sees a difference. “I’m telling you, Bjorgman,” he says, clicking his tongue and shaking his head sadly, “the beard’s gotta go, or they’re gonna put you behind glass, too.”

“Shut up,” he mumbles, earning a snort and an elbow to the ribs.

They’re only halfway through the monkey section when Alice starts whining about a popsicle. “We’re not coming back through here if we leave now, Al,” Kristoff warns her, but she’s unmoved.

She switches to holding Sven’s hand while Kristoff pays for the popsicles and finds a bench big enough for the three of them; Alice sits in the middle, red popsicle juice already dripping onto her t-shirt, and leans back with a happy sigh.

“Good birthday so far, Ally Pally?” Sven asks as he slurps at his own firecracker pop.

“Uh-huh,” she mumbles, trying and failing to catch a drip running down her arm.

Kristoff sets his frozen lemonade aside to swipe at it, cursing himself for leaving the wet wipes in the car. “Guess what? Uncle Sven’s going to Nana’s house for your party tonight.”

“Why?” Alice asks, frowning.

“Because he’s your family,” Kristoff says.

“Why won’t Mommy be there?”

Shit. He walked right into that one. “She’s busy,” Kristoff says, wondering if she actually is.

Some days, that line works. Today, it doesn’t. A moment later, the popsicle is on the sidewalk, Alice is screeching, and he and Sven come to the silent agreement that it’s time to go.

If he wasn’t so busy wrangling a sobbing four-year-old, Kristoff would have time to be amused that, just like when they played together in college, Sven’s the one clearing a path for him through the horde. He’s damn lucky to have a friend like that, and he knows it, but it still doesn’t sit right, sometimes, all the shit Sven does without asking for anything back. He won’t even take Kristoff buying the tickets and ice cream; there’s going to be a twenty shoved in the glove compartment or the fridge or one of Alice’s little plastic purses by the end of the day, and neither of them will say anything about it.

---

One mile in the car is enough to knock Alice out, and they’ve still got fourteen to go. Sven chuckles at the sight of her slumped over in the carseat. “Damn. Guess chasing the seals up and down the glass wore her out.”

“She didn’t sleep well last night,” Kristoff admits, and they’re both quiet for a minute; they’ve been best friends, tight as real brothers, for going on nine years now, but it’s still hard sometimes, talking about shit like this. It only ever happens in the car when they don’t really have to look at each other.

“Asking about the wicked witch of the west again?”

Petty as it is, the stupid nickname still gives Kristoff a twinge of satisfaction when he hears it. “Yeah. Apparently Lily’s mommy was at her birthday party, so now Al wants hers. As if she’s a fucking clown for hire or something.”

“What’d you tell her?”

“That Mommy’s busy. I’ve told her before that Mommy’s not coming back, but it doesn’t really get through to her. I don’t think she gets ‘never’ yet, you know?”

Sven mutters something under his breath that’s so vulgar Kristoff checks the rearview mirror to make sure Alice didn’t wake up to hear it. “Well, at least she’s got the world’s coolest uncle. And her dad’s alright, too, when he’s not being a grumpy bastard.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

That’s enough male bonding for one day. They’re quiet for another moment, and then Sven plugs the aux cable into his phone, and they listen to Journey at half volume the rest of the way back to the house, Sven headbanging and playing a wicked air guitar until Kristoff cracks a rare smile and plays the drums on the steering wheel at a red light.

---

Sven heads right to practice once they’re back at the house; he claps Kristoff on the shoulder and says “see you tonight” before loping off to his car and leaving him to carry Alice upstairs to her bed.

He’s got forty minutes of naptime left if he’s lucky. He sniffs at his shirt and cringes; between the meltdown last night and how tired he was afterward, a shower hasn’t happened yet. Neither has mopping the kitchen where it’s still sticky after an apple juice incident, nor washing his sheets; he hasn’t even finished double checking the books for the café like his mom asked. 

But that shit’s a hell of a lot easier to do when Alice is awake than this is, so Kristoff hops in the shower without waiting for the water to warm and grabs his bottle of three-in-one soap. He hums a little to himself as he lathers his hair, one of the songs they jammed out to in the car, and lets the warm water do what it can to relieve the tension that’s always sitting in his shoulders even on the days when no one calls out at work and Alice doesn’t scream in the grocery store. 

He winces at his reflection when he gets out of the shower. Sven had a point today about the beard; combined with his overgrown hair and the shadows under his eyes, he looks less like a twenty something ex-football player than a grizzled old mountain man. No fucking wonder people keep their distance from him. 

He likes it that way, though, really; no probing questions in the checkout line, no well-meaning advice from strangers, nobody interrupting the routine they’ve got down. 

But sometimes, he has to admit, it would be nice if—

“Daddy?” comes a sleepy, petulant voice from down the hall, and he’s been wasting time wanting things when he’s not even dressed yet. 

—-

As usual, his mom’s gone all out for the party; Kristoff’s her only child, so she spoils Alice with the focus and enthusiasm of an entire competitive cheer squad. There’s a massive pink cake— way too much for the two of them, his parents, and Sven and his new girlfriend, who’s an unexpected but highly welcome addition to the crew, considering how quickly she and Alice bond over their love of Mulan and orange juice.

 It’s not a break, exactly, to have this many adults around, but it’s breathing room, at least; Alice is in the living room on her grandfather’s lap performing all her favorite songs from Poppy’s Garden Tales while Sven’s girlfriend-- Marissa or Maisie or something-- claps along and Sven takes pictures of them both. Kristoff’s in the kitchen working on clearing the table and washing the dishes, enjoying the relative peace of the moment, until suddenly his mom appears at his elbow with a knowing glint in her eye.

“You’re not eating enough,” she says without preamble.

“What? I ate two plates of spaghetti.”

She jabs him in the side, and he yelps. “What else have you eaten today?”

“A pancake,” he says defensively. “And some frozen lemonade and a PB&J.”

He didn’t realize how little it was until he lists it all off. He used to eat four thousand calories a day, track all his macros weigh all his proteins; now he just eats whatever he’s making for Alice. 

“Baby,” his mother says gently, “you gotta take care of yourself, too.”

He’s heard this lecture a thousand times over the last four years. “I know,” he mumbles; arguing only prolongs the inevitable. 

“Maybe Sven can help you find a nice--”

“No, Ma,” he says, and it comes out harsher than he means it to. He pauses his scrubbing, remorseful, and she sets a hand on his forearm in silent understanding.

He leans down and kisses her cheek. “You and Al are the only girls I need,” he says, keeping his voice light, and she laughs.

The singing’s ended by now, and Alice is on her uncle’s lap reciting all the animals they saw that morning. “We’re gonna go back,” she announces. “You can come next time, Mary.”

Mary-- shit, how’d he forget an easy name like that? He really is getting old.

“What’d you wish for when you blew out the candles, Ally Pally?” she asks, and now Kristoff really likes her for catching on to that so quick.

“I want every day like this,” Alice announces decisively.

Sven chuckles at that. “If every day’s your birthday, then it’s not special anymore.”

“Nooo,” Alice giggles, “I wanna have fun with Daddy every day.”

Well, shit. He fucking wants that too, but how the hell do you tell a four year old it’s not that easy, that he only got today off with her because both his parents worked at the cafe today despite his dad’s knee replacement and his mom’s arthritis?

He’s glad Ma’s turned away from him when Alice says it so he doesn’t have to see the all-too familiar sympathy in her eyes. He gets that look from her and the rest of the world every damn day. He doesn’t want pity, doesn’t even want help. Him and Alice, they’re a team, and they don’t need anyone else. 

“Baby,” his mom starts, and he knows it’s going to be something too compassionate to stomach right now, and so he walks into the living room, pretending not to hear.