#something about writing things on GIANT surfaces that hits different..........

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

the urge to walk to the dollar store and buy a giant roll of paper so I can brainstorm this new sunless ground villain

[moonstruckme]

Honeydew

I'm doing a rewatch of the bear and god he is just so irresistable. My childhood crush on lip gallagher has been revived and given new purpose! I can't promise to write for carmy consistently but if y'all have requests I wouldn't be opposed to them :)

cw: blood 

Carmy Berzatto x fem!reader ♡ 972 words

There are tons of benefits to being in the same kitchen as a classically trained chef. For one, Carmy always gives you the easy tasks. Stirring pasta, scrambling eggs, chopping scallions. Today, you’re cutting up melon while he whips up some kind of citrus sauce, because your boyfriend is incapable of making just a fruit salad. No, it has to have some kind of fancy factor, or else they’ll take away his star, you guess. (Not that you’re complaining. That sauce is gonna be awesome.)

One thing that doesn’t tend to feel like a benefit is that any time you mess something up, you feel about three times more stupid than you would if you were by yourself. 

How were you supposed to guess that instead of cutting down through the melon when you try to slice it in half, the tip of the giant knife you’re using would come jutting out of the melon and embed itself in your palm. 

You gasp and pull away on instinct, and for a second, can only stare at the strangeness of it. You can see straight through to the inside of your hand, which is as unsettling as it is sickening, freezing you in morbid fascination until blood wells to the surface and your brain catches up to what’s happened. 

“What?” Carmy asks flatly, having heard your gasp and well used to your kitchen mishaps. 

You tear a paper towel off the roll, jamming it over the wound and fisting your hand around it. “I cut myself,” you say, somewhat shakily. 

“How bad?” 

You look down at the knife, miraculously clean-looking despite the blood now flowing from your hand. The paper towel is already starting to feel damp with it. 

You use your good hand to take the knife out of the melon, setting it in the sink so you don’t forget to wash it. “I don’t—” You’ve never cut yourself this deep before. You don’t know how bad is bad. “It seems not great.” 

You startle when a tattooed hand wraps around your elbow. 

“Chill,” Carmy says, turning you around to face him. He takes your wrist. “Open your hand.” 

“I can’t.” Panic makes your throat hot and tight. “It’s bleeding a lot.” 

“Let me see,” he says, trying to pry your fingers away from your curled-up hand. 

“I think it’s fine.” There are tears in your voice, and sometimes you wish Carmy was the type of person whose emotions naturally adjusted to balance out those around him, but your alarm only works him up. 

“Let me see,” he insists sharply, and you don’t have the will to resist, letting him unfold your fingers. You flinch as he removes the paper towel, blood running quickly into the crevices of your palm. 

“Shit,” Carmy hisses, tugging it over the sink. Your hand looks like a delta of crimson streams. He picks the paper towel up again, dabbing roughly so he can see the cut better. 

“Do you think it needs stitches?” you worry aloud, then immediately want to hit yourself. Even if he says it does, you think you’ll push back, too fearful of hospitals and needles and odd, stinging pains to consent to getting them. 

Your boyfriend is quiet, bending close to your hand as he lifts the paper towel again, and your voice goes a bit shrill. “Carm?” 

“No,” he says, staunching the wound again. 

Relief washes over you like a warm tide. Still, you ask, “How do you know?” 

Carmy presses your fingers closed like they had been, loosing a breath as he gives your fist a light squeeze. “I’ve seen enough cuts that do need stitches to know the difference. What the hell did you do?” 

You try to breathe out like he had, but your chest still feels too tight. You can feel your heart beating in your hand. “I don’t know,” you admit. “The knife slipped and went through the skin, or, like, the peel.” 

His brows knit together, and Carmy picks your knife up from the sink. You have no clue what he sees that you don’t, his eyes narrowing, but he shoots you a look once he’s done, setting it back down. 

“It’s dull,” he says, like this is a punishable offense. Maybe in his kitchen, it is. “This is why we keep our knives sharp, so these fuck-ups don’t happen.” 

“How was I supposed to know sharp knives were less dangerous?” You’re trying to joke, but your voice comes out watery. You press your lips together as adrenaline catches up to you, your vision blurring. 

“Relax.” Carmy sounds tired. His grip is strong, though, as he wrestles you into a hug, thick arms banding across your shoulders. You feel stupid, and silly, and he can tell, his hand cupping the back of your neck as tears carve hotly down your cheeks. “You’re just supposed to know.” 

You laugh wetly, breaking up some of the emotion knotted in your chest. Carmy pulls back until he can see your face. His hand moves to the side of your neck, thumb pressed against your jaw. 

“You’re okay,” he says firmly. “Does it hurt?” 

You shake your head. “Not really, I was just scared.” Your lips wobble pathetically, tears dribbling off your chin. “And you yelled at me.” 

Carmy blows out a breath, his mouth slanting wryly. “That wasn’t yelling,” he says, but brings his other hand to your face, brushing your tears away with his thumbs. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” you choke out, pushing against his hands until he gives in, letting you fold yourself into his chest again. “I’m sorry I didn’t sharpen my knife.” 

“I’ll do it for you later.” You can feel his biceps bulging as he tightens his grip on you, holding you closer. “But there’s no fucking way we’re using that melon now.” 

[kyumisyumi]

Something something something eldritch Nikto something something something

I've sifted through so many ideas for this because I didn't wanna just pick a random eldritch creature from my box of horrors and slap Nikto's name on it. But also I don't feel like I have enough info about him(ironic, considering I write about him so much) to craft him into a creature. I watched some documentaries on eldritch horrors, dived into Russian cryptids and still drew blanks but here's what I managed

Rating: E for everyone who loves Nikto

Eldritch!Nikto x F!Reader

Word count: 1K

~Taking requests~

You weren't running from the consequences of your actions, more like briskly walking in the opposite directions. Looking forward all the way because backwards held the sounds of large dogs and angry men. Their boots cracking every twig and foliage along the way, voices interrupting the once peaceful ambiance of the woods. You could hardly tell whether the growling was from the hounds or the men. And really, who wouldn't want to run away from such a thing? Not run; walk. Quickly, very quickly. You were being smart, not cowardly.

No, never that.

You weren't cowardly when you snuck into that guardsman's post. You weren't cowardly when you tried to steal the gold he confiscated from the Miller's wife, the only woman that kept you fed while the streets were your home. You weren't cowardly when you defended yourself once he caught you. And you weren't cowardly when you accidentally bashed his head in with a clay pot. He should've worn a helmet, really. A guard should always have their helmet on! What was he thinking? Now look at you, running for your life and deluding yourself as if it would change the actions of the past.

Running.

You ran your mouth, ran your mind, but no matter how fast you moved, you couldn't outrun hunting dogs. Your fault, really, for trying to do so while wearing the long, ugly skirt you stole from someone's unattended clothesline. You should've maybe stolen the guard's old pants, you knew he had some because he mentioned wanting to give them to his nephew who was in combat training. Instead you dashed out the home the moment you realized he wasn't breathing, panicked by your first time taking a life. What were you thinking?

"I wasn't-" you spat a thick glob of blood out your mouth, it's red color staining the putrid black floor. Tears staining your vision and pain plaguing your mind. "I didn't mean to." You said it over and over again but it was little defense against men who'd lost a comrade because of you. A good man. A good man who stole from widows and bullied the elderly? It's weird how two people can look at the same person but see someone different. But that train of thought was halted by a kick to your stomach. And when one of the men took the final hit, the force of it sending you against the edge of the pit, you finally felt that feeling in your stomach. The one you hid away behind conversations with yourself. Locked away behind a naive expectation that things will either go your way or go away. Your first taste of true regret. Because you got a glimpse of where that attitude has lead you. That attitude that kept you going when your parents had left you. That attitude that kept you alive when your survival was in your own hands at an age where other children were being coddled and sung to. That attitude that protected you in the harsh village slum, now had you staring down into hell. 'The pit'; a giant hole defacing mother earth's perfect form. It's surface covered in black ichor, you couldn't tell whether the walls were moving or you'd been hit so hard your vision was thoroughly fucked. This was considered a punishment worse than death. Jokesters and troublemakers got a stern talking to. Thieves and crooks got jail time. Murders and adulterers got death. But the truly damned got the pit. The punishment didn't match the crime but judging by the hate filled glares of the men surrounding you, they didn't much care.

Or maybe they did care, they cared about you as much as you did yourself, these days.

That was a more comforting thought, maybe? Maybe not. Either way, thinking about it felt a whole lot better than thinking of the weightlessness you felt as you fell. Your vision quickly losing the greens and yellows of a gentle forest to being plunged into darkness. A darkness beyond description. One that surpassed what's seen when you close your eyes for the night. That surpassed the unconsciousness of sleep when dreams escaped you. A darkness that felt like death yet was somehow alive.

The walls were moving, they shifted uncomfortably as they felt the presence of another. Voices that whispered of uncertainty and conflict. Voices that yelled intruder and ones that yelled fodder. But one voice just hummed in curiosity at seeing the source of blood and spit and tears it tasted. He had consumed many of your kind but what little it had of you ignited interest rather than hunger. So it did not eat. Didn't wrap you in its tendrils and rip you apart into easily digestible pieces to be absorbed by its mass. The tendrils held you, confused by their many intentions and wants, before simply bringing you lower into the pit. To the very bottom that no other creature has ever seen. No other creature would ever be allowed near. Far too close to it's more vulnerable organs. But you wouldn't hurt it, would you? Wouldn't hurt them. Not with those blunt nails and teeth, not with those little limbs and severed ties to the natural order. You were weaker than it's weakest points yet you fought against his tendrils like you believed you could win. Struggled and resisted as if you had a fighting chance. 'Hush, little human.' It thought as it strangled you, only enough to render you unconscious. Give it enough time to build a prison home inside itself for you. Then build a form for himself more perceptible to your primitive eyes, he'd tried once before but the human face was so hard to mimic. There was so much anger inside you, more for yourself than for him. And Nikto couldn't understand it. There is only one 'you' inside that tiny, fleshy form. How can one be angry at their own/only self? That would be one of the first things he asked. He felt there was nothing a creature like you could teach him yet he had so much he wanted to ask regardless. Maybe once he had his answers he could finally consume you in peace. Maybe then the voices that called for him to spare you will quiet down. And the ones that screamed for him to bond with you will stop. Your body couldn't handle the things he desires... Could it?

Regardless, he has time. All the time in the world and beyond.

Silly human, getting yourself thrown down here, what were you thinking?

All in all, I didn't want to forget the eldritch and just make a monster.

[thewriterghost]

Lab Night

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: You were working late and Bucky was worried.

Note: This is my first time writing for Marvel and it's been a while since I last wrote in English so, sorry in advance if it doesn't make sense or it has mistakes (it probably does). Also, English is not my first language. I appreciate all the feedback!

*****

Night was fresh and lab was calling to you, as Tony stated before pulling you into the giant lab of his. And to say that you were simply delighted to be there, would be an understatement. All sorts of technology were surrounding practically every surface the laboratory had. The walls had different sized mechanical arms and legs, and things you couldn’t recognize but know that they belong to some project of Tony’s. Every table had a half finished or nearly finished project on it. As you walked in, Tony was busy with clearing a surface for your equipment.

“So, what do you want to work on?”

“Well, water tanks were easy to use on the last mission.” You sat down in front of the white and glass table, which was clear after Tony pushed a lot of things aside. Or one should say, he ordered FRIDAY to push things aside. You continued. “But the fuel tanks? Not so much.”

You had to use a water tank so that you always had water around to manipulate, and a fuel tank to be able to light a flame when you need to use your fire abilities. Being able to control four elements of nature wasn’t easy when you don’t have the elements near you. Luckily, air and earth were all around you most of the time. You were still working on perfecting your manipulation skills, but if you were to ask the Avengers, they would easily say that they depend on your skills greatly even if they’re not at full capacity yet.

“We could look at the plans again, see if we can alter anything.”

*****

The ticking of the clock echoed through the lab. Tony had to leave a while ago, to say goodnight to Morgan, and told you to go to bed as well but you wanted to take another look at the plans before you hit the bed.

“What are you doing this late?” You looked up to see the source of the voice. A certain super soldier was leaning against the door frame with a stern look on his face, his metal arm shining under the lab’s white lights. He looked tired.

You didn’t bother answering verbally, instead just pointed to the table you were working on.

“It’s three in the morning.”

“Time is an illusion.” You joked. He didn’t laugh. Of course, he didn’t. Instead, he chose to glare as always. As Sam once said to you, you get used to it.

When neither of you spoke, he walked in and stood in front of your table as he continued.

“You are a human being, who needs sleep.” He said slowly, as if he was speaking to a child. That side of him, the one that worries about you in times like this, was one of your favorites to encounter. He would act like he couldn’t care less, and yet he would be there, trying to take care of you while trying to look like he was in fact not taking care of you. That made you smile. Not a lot of people saw that side, you thought. Only you, and of course Steve. Maybe sometimes Sam. He would rather die than to admit it, though.

“Exactly. Who needs sleep?” You grinned. He groaned. You'd be lying if you said you didn't like messing with him.

“Don’t force me to physically drag you out of here.”

“Fine! I’ll leave!” You huffed. “I was just taking another look at something. I think I was close to actually find a better way to release fuel from the tank.” You narrowed your eyes as you looked through everything on the table once more. Yes, Tony had already changed a few aspects of the tanks, but you weren’t sure if you could’ve done something else or not.

“Sleep deprivation. That’s what you are close to.” He turned around. “Come on.”

You put the plans back to where they belong and followed him outside of the lab. At that moment, you realized that it was three in the morning, yet he was wide awake, pulling you out of the lab.

“Why are you up at three in the morning?” You asked as both of you started walking down the corridor.

“I was thirsty.”

“But your room is closer to the kitchen, and you didn’t even have to go through here.” You tilted your head with curiosity as you looked at him.

“I thought I should check the lab before going back to bed. So what?” He said, his eyes were looking ahead. This exchange would seem normal to people who didn’t know Bucky or his interactions with you, but luckily you were aware of his tiny habits of speaking with you. Whenever he asked you a question, he would always flash a glance towards you. It wouldn’t matter if you were alone or not, it was something he’d done regardless. So, when he didn’t look at you in the slightest it got you suspicious.

“Why, though?” You pushed the subject once more.

He stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned towards you. His blue eyes were fixated on you.

“Because you weren’t at your room, alright?” His voice wasn’t raised, yet the look on his face was enough to tell you to drop it. You both would be surprised if you did.

“You went to my room? Why? Did you need something?”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he started walking again, towards the end of the corridor where your rooms waited just across each other.

“Bucky?” You asked, while you tried to keep up with his steps.

“It was nothing. Just drop it.” He said as he stopped in front of your room. You stood in front of him. Not asking, but still curious. You had your reasons though; Bucky would never come to your room in the middle of the night if it wasn’t important.

He sighed. “Had a nightmare and I thought I’d come see you for a second.” He mumbled, his eyes looking everywhere but you. You could tell he was embarrassed to say that long before you realized his cheeks had a light shade of pink to them, even though he still looked dead serious.

“I’m fine.” He quickly added. “Everything is fine.”

“I’m the one that’s supposed to say that.” Standing on tiptoe, you wrapped your arms around his neck, and continued. “You’re fine. Everything is fine.” He wrapped his arms around you in response. You didn’t need Wanda’s abilities to know that he was thankful for the hug. The way he hugged you and buried his face in your neck was enough to let you know that. You ran your fingers through his hair, to try and comfort him.

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” You asked as he pulled away.

“It’s three in the morning.” He stated the obvious thing that you refuse to acknowledge.

“Your point?” There was that stern look once again.

“Fine, fine, we’ll sleep.” You dragged him to your room. After all, you wouldn’t be able to leave him on his own after he chose to come to you at that hour.

“Only if you’ll actually sleep.” He said as the both of you walked into your room. You went ahead and pulled your covers.

“Promise.”

[some-pers0n]

do you have any writing advice?? i LOVE your fics so much i cant comprehend how you’re so good at making them 😭😭

Awaw thank you!! And, as for advice? It's a bit tricky at times but generally here's some things I always recommend to people trying to write.

Read a lot. It's very unfortunate but you gotta be a good reader in order to be a good writer. I spent a lot of my time rewriting scenes from WoF cause either a) I thought they would be better had they gone another way or b) held a lot of appreciation for it. Of course not every writer is gonna wanna be a fanfic writer, but that's for me.

^ To follow this up, just generally try and read whatever interests you or you find to be fun. Your writing style is a mesh between styles you personally enjoy. Like I think it's kinda obvious to see Tui Sutherland's influences in my style, which, hey, makes sense given I've written so much. If you read, you'll also learn grammar and syntax, which is also quite important as well.

Write a lot. This too is quite unfortunate. There is no real trick or tip to instantly make your writing great. I had to get to this level after like four years of doing this. I didn't miraculously get this way lmao. You have to put in a lot of time and a lot of effort into getting here.

To go along with "read a lot" you also gotta develop a critical eye. Another thing that comes with practice sadly. This helps a lot with fanfic writing, but also with general character building, plot writing, etc and etc. Analyzing other stories and such. I mainly got my start by watching a TON of videos on Bojack Horseman and Arcane and their ways of character writing and storytelling.

For general writing advice channels? I'd recommend Hello Future Me and NEVER GO NEAR THOSE "Top 10 Writing Tips to Make Your Writing Instantly Better!! <33" CHANNELS. I jest, kinda. The advice those channels give are kinda basic surface level stuff that isn't bad at all, but I generally think it's better to understand why some stuff works better than others than to think that doing X, Y, and Z will instantly make your writing better. There is a lot of nuances with writing that is hard to define and you could be hindering yourself because some YouTuber said that audiences HATE it.

You can just go about your writing however you want honestly. When I was first starting out I felt pressured to make giant outlines, but I found them more daunting than helping. I personally work out my plot, characters, dialogue, etc and etc throughout my head through trial and error and seeing what works best. That's my way, but other people may cling to that outline. Other people may need cue cards and something akin to those bulletin boards with red string, connecting plots together. Whatever works best for you.

For more general stuff? For my fics I try to always analyze the characters I'm writing about as much as I can. Obviously my version of them will be different than canon, but I always find it best to understand what the character is at a fundamental level. Identify core characteristics. Why are they the way they are? What could have prompted them to say that? It's a lot of mental (or even physical) notetaking lol.

For more general and practical stuff, I used to like flipping on headphoes or putting in my earbuds and listening to ambience when it comes to more Out There locations. I also like pulling up pictures and trying to see how I'd go about describing it as a funky little practice for when I go and write it.

Lastly for this time? I'd say write and describe around things. Has an arrow plunged into the shoulder of a person? I'd describe the pain and such moreso in how the person reacts, with maybe one sentence dedicated to the actual pain and such. Emotions and such are a lot more relatable, and lines like "I pried his kneecaps off like a lid on a can of paint" hit a lot more if you're a little more generous with them.

[amanita-the-spore-druid]

A friend of mine dared me to write a grimdark story so here's a thing

We were a small task force, six soldiers sent to check on the jungles back on Earth. We expected the mission to be quick.

We’d all heard stories about Earth, about how before the bombs dropped in ‘37 it used to be a haven of Solan life. I mean, Humans still live on Earth sure as there’s air on Mars, but they’re different. All of the boys and I were from Tranquility on the Moon, miner’s kids who just wanted to join the force.

We landed on the surface during the night. We’d never seen the Moon from below, it looked like a tiny silver sliver in the sky. We took our first steps onto the thick moss that blanketed the ground. The locals used to call it Nevada. It was a mess of, well not trees, they were giant woody stalks that rose to the skyline and draped white blankets of what looked like mold.

We heard all around us the drilling cry of something called ‘cicadas’, the cry of birds, and crickets, and with every step we took the crunch of the thick moss under our feet. We walked maybe five hours through the jungle, coming across the ruins of old towns. I’m not sure about much but we were all confused when we saw most of the town ruins we found had Spanish names considering the Old American Empire was supposed to be an English country, but they could’ve been taken from Mexico for all we know.

There was never much in terms of remains in ruins, bodies have been eaten up by bugs and were only identifiable by the growth of mushrooms all over them. But one thing we always knew, is what direction the bombs dropped from since the shadows faced the same directions. It took us a few seconds to notice too, shadows burned into concrete and asphalt. But no Humans.

Eventually, the Earth sunrise came as we trekked, a strange mix of oranges and pinks in the normally blue sky. As sun fell through the tops of moldy blankets enveloping the jungles, flowers on the ground began to bloom, and we agreed to find a clearing free of spores to eat.

We found a small clearing where the ‘trees’ weren’t around, breathable amounts of spores, and survivable radiation levels. We took off our helmets and pulled our MRIs from the bag. And then we made a mistake; we let our guard down on Earth. Someone sat down on some ivy and began unwrapping his MRI, when it started to grow. It grew and wrapped a vine around his leg and once he got up its grip tightened, pulling him to the ground where more vines sprung from the ivy to engulf him.

I rushed with my knife to cut him out, when felt a wet burning on my shoulder; my armor was melting off. We all looked at each other when saw rustling in a bush. Another man rushed to unholster his gun, shot, and we all heard a loud screech and smelt the odd scent of … strawberries. I kept trying to cut the first man out of the ivy when the one who took the shot looked at what he hit.

It looked like a ‘Human’, but its skin was covered in thick bark, its middle knuckle extended out into a sharp spine, and its mouth had a set of insectoid mandibles. It was still twitching. The smell of strawberries grew stronger as I pulled the first soldier free, he was left gasping for air and his armor’s vitals said he inhaled a lot of toxic spores. Someone put a few bullets in the head of the creature, and he started heading back to the ship.

That was our second mistake, not burning the body. As we walked, the sweet smell followed us, and the jungle went silent. Not quite, not low, dead silent. Now, here’s what I can’t understand; we followed the exact trail that we followed from our ship, and found ourselves in the middle of nowhere.

There were deep trenches all around us, as the radiation was highest here. We walked slowly, and carefully. Then, we made our final mistake. We announced ourselves.

A jittery man took a shot at another one of the same creatures when it made a jump at him, and the jungle cried out. All at once every single creature in the jungle seemed to be all around our desolate trench and the air grew foggy. No, moldy.

We ran between the trenches when we saw them; the previous task force. They lay still on the ground, one man kicked the palm of a soldier’s hand when his boot got stabbed. By one of those spines, the dead men started to get up. We heard the same clicking all around us, when suddenly the helmets of the dead started to melt off as they spat acid at my fellow soldiers.

I shot quick, taking the surprise from the others as a chance to run. I hid in what looked like a makeshift artillery bunker and looked from the peephole to see more of the bug men walking by. And then I noticed it, a thin string of mycelium connecting them with everything else. I saw one of the surviving soldiers from my task force being dragged by two bugs, down to a tree in a crater. It was covered in shelf fungus, was was leaking green sap. They forced him to lick the sap, and that’s when I knew what I had to do.

The mycelium all circled around the tree, and as he licked it his body grew a dark oaky bark, his face and hands warped, and he grew a string of mycelium attached to the tree. I scrounged around in the dirt, found an old flask that still smelt like it had some alcohol in it, took out a matchbox, and stepped out.

I ran passed the bugs, spitting acid and running at me. The newly transformed shoulder seemed to be shaking, as he spit acid onto my face. I felt my cheek burning, and with little strength left, I lit the match and threw it in the flask. The capped flask bursted into burning ethanol as I hurled it, and saw the tree catch fire. The bugs began screaming, as I felt the last shot of acid hit the back of my head, and burn through my skull. And my last thought was; “Nature can take Earth back, but Humanity can always kill nature.”

[ninjadeathblade]

Mouin Rouge Discotrain AU (Christmas Special Part One)

Summary: It's Christmas! Our lovely and strange little friends are all celebrating in their own ways.

Beginning | Previous | Next

Word count: 1,272

Warnings: Mentions of toxic relationship, mentions of death, discussion about how life isn't always good

Author's notes: I left it far too long to write this. I should have prepped these chapters sooner. But, they are here! Congrats!

“That is the dumbest thing you've ever proposed,” Empress deadpanned as she locked up the shop for the night.

“You're just a coward,” Snatcher goaded.

The cat's tail twitched with annoyance and she stared at him for a long moment before speaking.

“Okay then. What do you propose with this little… bet?”

Snatcher grinned and looped an arm around her shoulders, turning her to face the giant area at the centre of the metro.

“We both take a different half of this place. Decorate it to the nines with as many lights, inflatables, sculptures, blow-ups and decorations as we want,” Snatcher pitched.

“On Christmas, every resident of this forsaken place votes on who did it better. Loser has to buy the winner dinner for a month.”

Empress smirked, elbowing him in the side. “You really think you could beat me?”

“Why of course!” Snatcher shouted, stepping away from her and making a flourishing gesture.

Small crystals of ice shot out from his hands and both stared at the fragments.

“That's new,” Empress said warily, hoping that Snatcher wouldn't push himself with this challenge.

“And isn't it just the best!” Snatcher replied with a false happy tone.

One of Empress' ears flicked backwards, another bit of worry tensing her muscles.

“So?” Snatcher extended a hand, a slightly tight smile on his face, looking as if he was going to burst with excitement.

Empress placed her paw in his hand and shook. “I am going to regret this.”

“Never.” Snatcher's features stretched back into a genuine grin and he retracted his hand, dragging it through his curls.

She noted briefly how vivid the blue streaks seemed to be.

“You'd make a good radio show host.”

He turned back to her with a curious expression, head tilted slightly to the side. “Yeah?”

Snatcher paused, staring as if he were somewhere very far away.

“I never really put thought into wanting to do something other than law,” he admitted quietly.

Empress hit him gently on the shoulder, slowly drawing his attention back to her.

“Come on. We've got some decorating to do.”

Days passed and all too soon it seemed to be Christmas.

Snatcher strolled into Empress' shop with a self-satisfied smile.

His friend was shouting at some poor cat who scrambled out of the shop as soon as possible.

“Merry Christmas!” Snatcher said, sitting down on one of the counters.

“Get off of that right now!” Empress snapped and he quickly hopped back off.

The cat's tail lashed from side to side as she muttered to herself.

“You good, Em?”

“I'm fine,” she growled.

Snatcher frowned, reaching towards her before pausing, hand hovering near her shoulder.

“Let's just pecking get this over with.”

Snatcher walked a step behind the bristling cat into the main station.

His side was decorated on every possible surface with lights, trees and a couple ice sculptures that had exhausted him for a couple days.

Empress' side had a measly few bits of bunting and a string of half working lights that was trailing across the floor.

A few dozens cats were shifting nervously in the plaza, a mere fraction of residents.

Snatcher snapped his fingers as both of them stood in position, a message made of shadows displaying behind them.

All the darkly coloured cats’ eyes widened, and they scrambled to change what they'd written on their slips of paper.

As Empress turned around the message disappeared and Snatcher waited a moment longer before revealing everyone's votes.

The letter E floated above every cat's head.

The crowd dispersed as quickly as possible.

“Nice going, you won,” Snatcher said, trying to cheer his friend up.

Empress continued to scowl before striding back towards the shop.

He let out a defeated sigh, waiting a couple of minutes before following her.

He expected to find her breaking something, maybe ripping something to shreds.

What he didn't expect was to find her crying on the sofa.

Snatcher slowly crossed the room, settling down beside Empress.

The cat quickly scrubbed a paw across her face and hissed at him. “Go away.”

“No. You're family. I'm not-” he took a deep breath in. “I'm not going to ignore my family when they need me.”

Empress' ears were flat against her head and her tail twitched. “That so? And what exactly makes us family?”

“I mean, I practically live here for one,” Snatcher said with a slightly bitter laugh. “You helped me after the whole thing with Vanessa. And you're someone who's opinion I care about. And who I want to live a happy life.”

“Like anyone ever gets that in life.”

Snatcher sighed, hazy memories of his life flitting through his mind.

“Yeah, okay, so happiness is a fluke some of the time. But not always. I mean, you've told me about what you were like when younger. You were happy then, right?”

Empress narrowed her eyes at him before making a miniscule nodding motion.

“And I wasn't always happy while alive. Hell, me and Vanessa were an arranged marriage that I knew about since I was five years old. But I tried to make the best of it despite it all.”

The cat's ears perked up slightly as he went on.

“And peck, I hated how infatuated she became with me. I didn't realise it at the time but I look back at it now and it was such a toxic relationship. And sure I hated dying and what it meant for me but…”

He trailed off momentarily and realised that talking about it was making him feel choked up.

He swallowed down a sob and blinked away the tears at the edges of his vision.

“But if I hadn't died the way I had, I don't think I'd have my power. The curse gave me the power I had for my deals and you wouldn't be able to see me without it. I would never have my friends- my family if it weren't for it. So yeah, life does suck sometimes. But you've got to look on the bright side of things. I had to become a glass-half-full kind of guy. And I think it'll help you as well if you do that.”

Empress uncurled herself slightly, reaching for him and pulling him into a hug.

“It's Christmas, you shouldn't be crying. But you're allowed to show weakness you know.”

Snatcher finally let his wall break, sobs pouring out of him as he clung to her.

How much had he been holding back? How long had he just brushed things off and accepted them as they were? How long had it been since he truly accepted how unfair life had been to him?

It felt like ages until he stopped crying.

“I'm sorry I've been so grouchy,” Empress apologised, her tail winding itself around his arm. “Scarlett died around this time of year. And no matter what I do, it always hurts.”

“You two were really close, weren't you?”

A small nod brushed against his shoulder.

“Not a day goes by that I don't miss her. I wish I could speak to her again. Hell, even just seeing her would be great.”

Snatcher tightened his grip around her. “Would it help to watch a movie?”

Empress let out a small laugh, pulling away from him enough to look him in the eye.

“It won't cure everything but it might help, yeah.”

Snatcher twisted around slightly so they were both laying down on the sofa together.

“Okay then. Movie night it is.”

“Actually, TV show night,” Empress stated.

“Christmas show?”

“No. But there's a character I think you'll like.”

“Evil?”

“Mhm.”

“Count me in.”

[sailorsplatoon]

Chapter 1 of a Dedf1sh/Acht fanfic I wrote

So, looking at my last post about sharing my writing, I figured I'd post a little something I've been working on recently in celebration of Dedf1sh being in Side Order. Consider this an AU because most of it will probably be proven wrong by Side Order lore. I am open to any feedback at all! (Also, I will be referring to Def1sh with they/them pronouns and calling them Ahato because of a few headcanons I have. And TarTar doesn't talk in contemporary speech mode for the first chapter because MORE HEADCANONS!!! If you have any questions feel free to ask!)

Next

Read it on ao3

Chapter 1 below!

(CW: Swearing)

The sky was blue. Ahato had never seen the sky before. It was so beautiful. 

Marina was right, the surface was amazing. Maybe they could find her and she could teach them about this astounding new world. So this was the Inkopolis Square she’d talked so much about. It wasn’t very big yet and most of the buildings were still under construction, the most eye catching of which was what looked like a giant tower. And the music! The inklings loved music, it was so different than what Ahato was used to. There were different songs playing everywhere, like a symphony of new. 

Maybe Ahato could make music like the inklings. They’d brought the portable turntables Marina had left to them when she ran away from the Octarian Army. Maybe finding her could wait if they got the chance to experiment with this new music. But they would need someplace quiet. Maybe an alleyway? Oh, perfect! A little alley sat in the corner of The Square. They could work there in peace.

It took. So. Long. To finish making the song. They just kept getting distracted by how interesting and strange this new world was. But all Ahato really wanted to do was finish this song. Just finish this one remix. Why couldn’t they focus!? If only there was a way to get rid of what was distracting them…

After working hard for what felt like forever, they’d finally made it. Their very own remix of Splattack, Splattack (Octo). Admittedly they could have come up with a more creative name, but the real joy was what they had made. 

Ahato wanted to keep making music. Maybe even something original? But how could they focus with all these distractions!? Maybe if they went further into the alley? There was a staircase leading down into what looked like a subway, but there was gate in front of it. They could easily hop over it if they wanted to… and they could always come back out later…

Ahato hopped the fence and ventured further into the depths.

***

It was dark and cold. Ahato already missed seeing the real sky. Here, there wasn’t even a fake one. But they desperately wanted to keep making music, so they trudged into the growing darkness. Their heavy duffel bag was beginning to hurt their shoulder, but there was not a chance they were going to leave it behind. It carried all that they owned.

It only took a few minutes before Ahato began to hear something in the distance. A telephone ringing? Why would there be a phone down here? After a little more exploring, they found the source of the ringing. An ancient looking phone that appeared to almost have a face. Out of curiosity, Ahato picked it up.

“[SEARCHING FOR USER ID…] [USER 283 CONFIRMED]” The phone screeched into their ear and they pulled away from the speaker, not expecting it to be so loud. “Greetings 283. Your current location is: Deepsea Metro Central Station.” What was this thing, and why was it calling them 283? Ahato did not like it at all, it reminded them of being in the Octarian Army. Most of the octolings born into the army were given numbers rather than names, Ahato was lucky enough to have been born outside the army and then be drafted in.

The memory hit them like a shot from a splatterscope. The day they were drafted. Scrambling to gather their most valuable possessions before being taken away from their home. Ruffling their little brother’s tentacles for the last time, and exchanging hats with him as a keepsake. They could never forget the scared looking face that had become somewhat of a symbol of how much they cared about eachother. How they would be there for eachother when the other was afraid. Or the last hug that their father gave them on that day. How his smell lingered on their clothing long after they left, and how they cried when they could no longer remember how his voice sounded. Or trying to hide their fear as they walked away from everything that they loved. 

Ahato froze from the sudden recollection. They hadn’t thought about their life before the army for so long. That was it. Whatever this place was, they did not like it at all. No amount of focus is worth-

“My primary function is to facilitate your journey to the promised land,” the telephone interrupted Ahato’s thoughts. Promised land? Could that be some place even better than living in Inkopolis? Their gut told them this was a bad idea, but their curiosity had been piqued. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.” 

“What do you mean by ‘promised land’?” Ahato asked. They had so many questions, but they still didn’t know what was going on and they weren’t sure if they fully trusted it.

“You’ve spent your entire life in the dark. Your eyes closed to the beauty that awaits. The promised land is a utopia of light beyond your wildest dreams.” The telephone continued. Whatever this promised land place was sounded great, but Ahato still didn’t have enough information. “You cannot go to the promised land.” Seriously!? This thing was just going to talk up a place that they couldn’t even go!?

“Then why the fuck did you tell me about it,” Ahato snapped. They were exhausted from their journey already and were starting to get annoyed with this rusty old phone and this dark subway.

“Let me finish,” its tone turned harsh and caused Ahato to tense up, “You cannot go to the promised land yet. You must prove yourself first. There have been 282 applicants so far, you are applicant 283.”

“I never applied for-”

“Do you octopuses ever shut your beaks!?” The phone snapped. There was a long heavy silence in the air. Then, making up their mind, Ahato turned around and began to leave, their boots thumping as they made their way to the exit.

“Wait!” The mechanical voice echoed through the large station. “If you leave you’ll be missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime. You won’t get another chance.”

“Fine by me. I was perfectly happy where I could actually see the sky.”

“I heard the music you were making earlier.” That caused Ahato to stop in her tracks. This thing could hear their music all the way down here? “Any loud noises echo through the entire subway. If you stay here, you could go to the promised land and make music for everyone here to hear.” The offer wasn’t bad. As much as they wanted to explore Inkopolis more, they desperately wanted to make more music and this certainly seemed like a good place. After all, they could leave at any time, right?

“Fine. Whatever. But I have a couple terms if I going to agree to whatever you have going on. Firstly my name is not some series of numbers, it’s Ahato Mizuta and that is what you’re going to call me. Second, don’t expect me to do anything you tell me to. I am done following orders from people and I especially won’t follow any from some rusty hunk of metal.”

“... Here is your CQ-80 and CQ card. Don’t lose them, they’re very important,” the phone printed out a little card with a blue and white pattern on it that seemed to resemble a sea cucumber. It dropped a large hunk of metal as well that Ahato guessed was meant to be the CQ-80. “The train will come to pick you up shortly.” With that, the phone went silent. Ahato assumed it had powered off. Despite its reassurance that the train would come soon, they had to wait there for nearly an hour and a half before it finally came rolling down the tracks. The doors opened and Ahato backed up, assuming people would walk out, but the entry way stood entirely empty. They climbed on and the large metal slates shut behind them.

The train was also nearly empty except for a few passengers. Ahato had never seen anyone that looked like the people they saw on this train. They were fascinated by just how many other living things existed that they didn’t even know about. Maybe being down here could teach them more than living in Inkopolis could. Ahato took a seat on the train as it lurched forward, beginning to move again.

After just a few seconds a small blue thing that looked similar to the design on their CQ card came inching through the door, “Hello and welcome to the Deepsea Metro, thank you for choosing us. I am C.Q. Cumber, your conductor.” A sea cucumber! Ahato had never seen a sea cucumber in real life before! “Judging by your awestruck facial expression, I can assume this is your first time riding with us. I can explain how our lines work and our partnership with Kamao Co. if you would like.”

“That would be great, thank you,” at the very least, maybe the conductor of this train could answer a few of Ahato’s questions.

“My pleasure. This underground facility is a series of chambers connected by the Deepsea Metro subway system. The facility itself is run and owned by Kamabo Co. Is that a CQ-80 you have?” C.Q. Cumber seemed to gesture to the large piece of metal that Ahato was holding. Though, being a sea slug he couldn’t gesture with much other than his head.

“You mean this old looking thing? Yeah, I’m not sure what it does.”

“You CQ-80 will allow you to navigate the tests within the stations at the Deepsea Metro. If you complete enough of these tests it will help you to reach the promised land.”

“What is this promised land place? That telephone wouldn't stop talking about it but I still have no clue what it is.”

“We denizens of the deep are not allowed to ender the promised land. However, I have been told that it is a paradise.”

“Why can’t you enter it? That seems unfair,” Ahato's suspicion rose again. Why was is restricted to only e few people? If it was so great then why not let everyone enjoy it?

“The tests are designed only for inkfish to be able to pass them. Those of us without ink sacks or aquatic forms stand no chance. But that is unimportant. I and many of the other denizens here are happy with our lives as they are now. But if you want to make it to the promised land, you will have to pass enough tests so that you can find and collect the four thangs. Once you gather all of them, you will be able to enter the promised land.”

“Four what? Okay… so I just have to pass a few tests and collect the thangs? Is that what they're called? The I can go to the promised land?”

“That is what I have been told. Allow me to show you how to access your first test. Please activate your CQ-80.” Ahato clicked a button on the device and a large glowing map projected out of it. “This is a map of the stations you can visit at the Deepsea Metro. The more tests you pass, the more you will unlock. Seeing as you only have one station unlocked currently, I can take you there now if you would like.”

“Would you mind if I started these tests in the morning? Or uh… when I can get some rest?” Not being able to see the sky, artificial or real, had caused Ahato to entirely lose their sense of time. “I’m really tired...”

“Of course. Unfortunately, we have no sleeping areas on the train, so unless you have a place to stay you will have to sleep on the seats.”

“That’s alright. I’m a heavy sleeper,” Ahato gave the little blue conductor a smile as he left the car. They lied down on the seat, clutching their large duffel bag tightly and wrapping the straps around their arms. They were not going to risk losing it. They placed their hat over their face to block out the florescent lights and let sleep fall over them.

That's the end of chapter 1! If you have any feedback or questions, I'd love to hear them. I'm always looking to improve my writing, so anything helps. And if you want to see the next chapter, let me know! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

[kath-trashh]

okay i could only narrow it down to 9 questions 😭. so you're getting 2 different asks to break it up and if you don't want to answer any of them feel free to skip!!

What do you have in common with your MC? What's different?

What hobbies or skills do they have? How long have they been pursuing them? Why?

Gender identity/sexuality?

How well can they hold their own in a fight without magic?

How does their personality differ between strangers, acquaintances, friends, romantic partners, enemies, etc.?

hehe giggles

2. What do you have in common with your MC? What’s different?

Rin- It’s pretty funny b/c on the surface they’re basically a glorified self-insert down to appearance / preferred name and pronouns but I tried to give them a bunch of other stuff to zhuzh them up a little. They are also probably the most heavily Asian-coded out of all my characters. Now they are an explosively fiery idiot :’)

Avis- I don’t think I share anything in common with them <//3 I am insanely jealous of their hair though. It’s so fabulous.

Mareike- I really did want to be an architect when I was a bit younger, but that’s all in the past now. And maybe borne out of a desire to be a really tall giant lady

Jaxen- I made him to be a little shithead because I have an intense desire to cause problems on purpose. I giggle a little thinking about how much of an irreparable shithead he is.

More under the read more !!

13. What hobbies or skills do they have? How long have they been pursuing them? Why?

Rin- Rin likes horseback riding. They also have a penchant for gymnastics, but that’s post-revival, so they haven’t had a chance to explore it too much, but there’s something.

Avis- They sing. Since they’ve lost their memories, they always hum an empty melody that they don’t know where they learned. But it’s calming, even though they can only seem to hum one line.

Mareike- Mareike’s biggest hobby is cooking. She’s always had a passion for it, and she likes hosting parties for friends or acquaintances. That, and she’s also pretty good at mixing drinks, which is always a neat party trick to show to friends and aspiring alcoholics.

Jaxen- Carving! He’s had the talent since he was a little kid, but it helps keep his hands busy when he’s got some downtime. It humanizes him just a little to see a bloodied assassin finally act like a contemplative kid and carve away at some wood and produce something beautiful.

20. Gender identity / sexuality?

Rin- enby and bisexual

Avis- genderfluid and demisexual

Mareike- transfem and pansexual

Jaxen- cis and bisexual

21. How well can they hold their own in a fight without magic?

Rin- They’d have to rely on their speed and smaller stature to dodge hits, but I can’t imagine them winning any real fight against a skilled opponent (re: when Morga made them spar, Muriel did in fact wholeheartedly beat Rin. Rin then proceeded to cheat and fluster him so he’d be too distracted.)

Avis- Not well. Just not well at all. They’re thin and reedy enough that they could be blown over with a strong wind, never mind a fight.

Mareike- Could and would beat the shit out of you with her bare fists and her writing implements.

Jaxen- A big believer of ripping out someone’s throat with his teeth. That, and as a trained assassin, he holds his own pretty well. His magic only really serves to boost what was already there, like boosting his endurance, mid-fight healing, things like that.

27. How does their personality differ between strangers, acquaintances, friends, romantic partners, enemies, etc.?

Rin- Very friendly to everyone they meet, but also somewhat guarded initially. They aren’t exactly slow to trust, but have strict barriers and lines that they don’t cross with people they’re not familiar with. Around friends and acquaintances, they become more mischievous and playful. A lot of what makes a person reliable to them is being able to understand their patterns and where they stand— and once Rin is able to realize that, they open up more. Around romantic partners, Rin is a snuggler and big on small acts of service and touch. They seek understanding, so they never want to push their boundaries. Around enemies, well. Rin isn’t afraid to speak their mind if they really hate someone.

Avis- They can come off absentminded and distant to everyone, regardless of strangers, acquaintances, or friends. This trait stemmed from before they lost their memories, where their work would keep them essentially detached, but in this case, due to the fact that there’s so much of what made them up missing, they can’t seem to come back down to earth. Around a romantic partner, Avis might open up a bit more, reveal their worries and sort of become more amiable, but they still have periods where they would retreat back into their mind and essentially be unreachable. Around enemies, Avis’s distance can come across unsettling, but they also intend to come off unsettling in that case.

Mareike- Hospitable to a fault. She treats everyone pragmatically, and tries to get to know everyone. Awkward silences aren’t her thing, so she instead tries to can-open everyone in a way. She can make anyone feel like they’ve known her for years with a single conversation. Around friends, she’s happy and conversational, often willing to help out others with any minor inconvenience and offer feedback. She loves just talking to people and helping them— it’s how she sees herself as useful. With a romantic partner, she lets her walls down a little, and can sometimes ask for help on her end. She likes praise, but she also likes her control and as such, often goes out of her way to check up on her romantic partner. Around enemies, Mareike is harsh and doesn’t mince words when voicing her distaste. If anything, she invites confrontation.

Jaxen- Well. What’s there to say, really? Jaxen doesn’t care how he comes off to people. Around certain people that are a bit more aware of how he acts, he tries to come off a little more reliable. But really, he skates by on pure charisma around strangers and acquaintances, leaving before they can really become friends. As a romantic partner, he has a lot of trouble understanding other people’s perspectives— there’s something there about how he really can’t bring himself to truly let down his armor and guard. Around enemies… you’d better hope that Jaxen doesn’t feel particularly murder-happy. Because he personally doesn’t give a single fuck about whether you’re alive or dead as his enemy.

[eclaisse]

2024 Week 5

I need to get better about writing these blog posts on a timely basis. Originally I was using Twitter for every thought that popped into my head and posting it immediately, but I got tired and embarrassed by that very quickly.

I have multiple Twitter accounts and have been using the platform since 2016 I think. My main Twitter has a lovely selection of posts— art from my favorite artists, cute foods, different sciences, psychology, astrology, and funny memes. Then there's one I made as a VTuber and one I made for art after the last account was hacked. I don't check the VTuber one anymore because it's full of VTuber drama or overtly sexual humor. I understand that's part of the appeal of VTubers, but the jokes are so corny and make me cringe quite a bit. It makes me feel like I'm back in high school with a bunch of obnoxious students yelling dumb jokes as the teacher is trying to speak. Very specific, I know, but I think we've all experienced something like that.

The art Twitter isn't any better since I follow some VTuber mutuals on there. The people I follow are fine, but on the timeline I still see dumb posts with people either stirring up drama, spreading misinformation, or being overly dramatic about simple things. The memes on there are also super outdated— like stuff I saw back when I was still on Tumblr is making rounds again and people are eating it up. It's just become very off-putting to be there. I did have a lot of fun posting daily as a challenge though. It was a good exercise in research to see what kinds of posts were doing well. And I do like the mutuals I made through streaming, they are all very sweet people. I want to stay connected with them if possible.

I've been brainstorming other ways to pursue "content creation" (I hate that phrase). I just want to share my work with others and bond with them over it. I don't desire to be famous or have a community, I just want to have fun with my hobbies and interact with people.

Maybe it's better if I make a text document and update that like a Twitter every day for the week, and then compile them all into a post on Saturday or something like that. I will think about how to continue the consistency. This is probably the clunkiest post I've made because the sentences are so abrupt and short. But right now I just want to get my thoughts across.

Nothing super interesting happened this week I guess. I found a new dentist and set up an appointment with them, which is early tomorrow morning. I need to schedule a checkup next, but maybe I will wait a bit for that. I want to get a blood panel done this year and see how I'm doing. Work was dull this week because I barely had anything to do— and then suddenly I had to repeat one task three times, which was annoying but no one's fault.

It's been storming a lot so I made a tasty soup today. I used the chicken stock I made and froze a few months back, and added wood ear mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, baby bok choy, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and noodles. The broth tasted especially good after the ingredients simmered in it for a while. I want to try making it again. I want to make a heartier one though since this was a very light vegetarian soup.

The storm was making me feel anxious though, the tree outside was waving its branches wildly and bending to the winds. the wind and water hitting against the outside surfaces of the house was also a bit eerie to hear. My fear is that the roof will crumble and place will flood, though I think the place is a lot more structurally sound than that. I have enough food and a giant flashlight if I do lose power (many of my friends already did today) so I will just try to be careful.

[astaroth1357]

IT'S RAINING (DEMON) MEN!!!

I asked my sister for a prompt to get my creativity going. She played this song. Nuff said.

Intro:

It's been two months since the MC went back to the human world, and the demon boys are getting desperate to see their human… How desperate are we talking? Desperate enough to try their hands at some questionable sanctioned magic to get themselves to the human world... Good news is, they'll get there!

Just probably not in the way they expected. 🤷‍♀️🤭

Lucifer

He is going to KILL Mammon the next time he gets a hold of him…

He had no intention of taking an impromptu trip to the human world. He actually has clearance to go there when he needs to, thank you, so he didn't need to use any underhanded tricks to go between realms...

But he had made the mistake of walking too carelessly into Mammon's room while looking for a book he stole and stepped on a sigil half-obscured by an old pizza box…

...which is how he ended up falling from the Devildom to the human world at an unimaginable speed. It was like someone was yanking him to the Earth by the goddamn foot!

The unsuspecting MC was just out window shopping when suddenly an empty parked car across the street was utterly decimated by his falling body…

Of course, HE was fine, but that poor car never stood a chance… 😣 They had to help Lucifer pry himself out from the caved-in metal…

While he watched the MC fuss and try to brush all the broken glass off of him, Lucifer had only three things in mind:

(1) They look so cute when they're worried about him for practically no reason...

(2) Since he's already here, he may as well keep them company for… oh, a couple days at least?; and

(3) He was going to punish Mammon slightly less brutally than usual this time… May just fling him into a car too and leave it at that. 😌

Mammon

Okay, Mammon isn't stupid. He can do magic, he swears!!

He's just… rusty. Yeah. That. 🙄

That's the only reason the sigil that he haphazardly drew in his bedroom flung him to the human world like a catapult instead of neatly teleporting him like it was supposed to...

When the MC woke up that morning, they heard something familiar… Sad, pitiful little cries for help from outside their bedroom window….

Really only one person sprang right to their mind.

When they ran out to check, they indeed found Mammon tangled up in a tree like a wooden spider's web... He wasn't even facing upright!

It took them a half hour to detangle their poor demon from the tree… They almost gave up halfway through and had to call the fire department to pull him out like a trapped kitten... 🤦‍♀️

To say that Mammon was pretty clingy after they got him down hardly covers it. They were now his savior! (Yet again)

They had better not have any plans for the next day or two because he's going to want to spend every second he can with them… 

Or at least until Lucifer finds him and drags him back home by the back of the neck… 😰 (Hope they don't mind housing this figurative fugitive for a while…)

Leviathan

So in his defense, he didn't actually think the "Return to Lover" spell he saw on TSL would work, but he got so desperate to see MC again that he half-jokingly tried it one night...

Unfortunately for him, he also forgot that Simeon tends to use a lot of real-world influences in his writing, so… 😥

He hadn't wanted to be dragged to the human world quite so violently, and let's say he is NOT a graceful faller (arm flailing, girly screaming, spinning all over the place, etc.). 

Only when the smell of beach sand and sea salt hit his nose did he begin to calm down a little and get a good look at the surroundings he was hurtling towards… The ocean!

Video game logic dictates that if you land in water, you should be fine, right?? (Well, that's not how it works in real life, but when you're in a super sturdy demon body, there can be expectations 🤷‍♀️)

The MC was not expecting someone to splash down into the water next to them like they fell out of Heaven, nor for them to enter the water with the poise of an Olympic high diver…

They REALLY weren't expecting to see Levi surface beside them, demon form in the all it's sea serpent-y glory, totally stoked that the stupid thought he had actually brought him to them!

… Of course, he also has no idea how to get back, but who actually cares about that?? Lucifer will figure out he's not in his room eventually. For now, there wasn't anything in the ocean or beyond that could separate the MC from their adorkable otaku… 🤭

Satan

Okay. Teleportation magic is hard. Very, very hard. It basically requires bypassing several different physical laws by breaking down one's essence into a transmigrational-uh...

Whatever, the point is it's difficult, and mistakes happen even to the best of us.

Satan genuinely thought he triple-checked the symbols on his sigil… He must have made a crooked stroke or forgot a step in completing the seal properly… Either way, the spell he intended to bring him right to MC might have made a… slight miscalculation.

Rather than effortlessly stepping out beside them, he found himself hurtling towards the human world like a falling comet… If he hadn't known a few spells that could slow down his fall, he'd have had a pretty nasty meet with the ground... 😣

The MC was visiting a local park when pretty much everyone in their vicinity heard the sound of trees rapidly snapping nearby. At first, they were concerned it was a large animal… and then Satan stumbled out covered in twigs and leaves!

They, of course, ran over to see if he was alright, and the cheeky bastard just denied that anything had gone wrong. "Apparently," this was all according to plan… 

(Truthfully, he'd rather call Mammon some unsung genius than admit that he got the spell wrong, even if it was complex… 🙄)

Truthfully, Satan wasn't going to try making a return sigil for a while, so at least he and MC could be together for a time! Do they know if there were any cat cafes nearby??

Asmodeus

Asmo was PISSED at Solomon, furious even because he wouldn't help him sneak away to go see his beloved human! Didn't he know how hard the distance was on him?? The nerve!!! 😤

So, to him, it only seemed fair to steal some of the sorcerer's tomes and equipment… If he wouldn't help him in person, he could at least (unknowingly) do so in spirit!

… He just wasn't expecting the spells to be that difficult. Asmo is decent enough at magic, but some of those explanations were honestly beyond him… They bordered well into Satan or even Lucifer territory...

He tried his best, he really did, but the gentle teleportation that he was after actually flung him to the human world like he had been shot out of a cannon…! And while it was raining in the human world too!! 😫

The MC was walking home in the rain, umbrella and everything, when they heard screaming from the sky...

Thankfully, Asmo remembered just enough magic to cushion his fall… But that didn't save him from landing right into a massive puddle right next to the MC, effectively soaking them both.

On any other day, he'd have been angry that his expensive clothes were covered in rainwater, but that day? The second he saw the MC was there (and also tastefully soaked in water 😏), he just flung himself at them with a squeal of delight!

The MC had to convince him to let them get inside before they got too cold, but every step of the way was full of laughter and cuddles between the two of them...

Asmo would have to call Solomon to fess up to his theft, but hey, he got to see MC out of it! The bruised tailbone and ruined clothes were more than worth a treat like that.

Beelzebub

Beel genuinely wasn't intending to go to the human world; he really wasn't. He hated the distance like everyone else, but he knew better than to mess with magic that dangerous…

What happened was that he was walking by Satan's room one day and he smelt something inside… apples. A lot of them. He just couldn't help himself…

He didn't know that Satan was using those apples as test subjects for his teleportation magic… Unfortunately, the first fruit that he grabbed actually put him right smack dab in the middle of an incomplete sigil…

Beel kind of blacked out for whatever happened during the next part, it happened really fast, but it was the smell of more apples that woke him back up… and pears, peaches, pineapples, plums-

It's a farmer's market. Beel fell into the apple stand of a farmer's market….

The MC was out shopping there when they heard two things: the screams of shock and horror from the end of the market and a familiar voice shouting, "I'M HUNGRY!!!"

Of course they ran towards the screaming, defying all survival instincts (because who else are we talking about here?) and found Beel, mid-rampage, eating every scrap of food he could get his hands on…

But he actually stopped when he heard them shout his name. That's right, he stopped eating right then and there to turn and see them in the crowd... Oh, the smile that popped up on his face could have reignited a sun!

Beel had no idea how he got there and even less idea of getting back, so the MC had to eventually call Lucifer. They did get to spend the day with their gentle giant, though! (Just don't mention the massive bill for all the fruit he ate… 😣)

Belphegor

So here's the story. Belphie was sleeping in the library, as he sometimes does, and the next thing he knew, he was free-falling through the sky.

No, he didn't know what happened either. Maybe he rolled onto a stray sigil Satan left behind. Perhaps he was accidentally summoned to the human world. Mayhaps he even dreamed about MC so hard that it broke a rift in space-time to try and bring the two together... 

Who the hell knows? His more pressing concern was less how he got up there and more where he would end up.

Unfortunately for him, all he could see below him was a human residential area, and even worse yet, it looked like he was hurtling towards someone's roof… The MC's roof, to be exact!

MC was incredibly lucky to have already been up and starting their morning routine when the seventh-born came crashing onto their bed. Who knows how much damage he could have done if he had landed on them...??

That didn't change their shock to see Belphie, covered in plaster and wood fragments, sitting himself up while looking more annoyed to have been woken up than that he… you know... crashed through their roof...

He was grateful to have popped up close to them because it would have been pretty awkward to land in some random human's room. The MC was… less enthused that they now had some significant repairs to do.

Smooth-talker he is, Belphie not only managed to convince them that Lucifer would take care of the payment (which he would) but also not to call him just yet. Not until he could get himself cleaned off and maybe have a nap or two… Say, they weren't going anywhere today, right? Good. 😏

Check out my Masterlist for more wacky ideas.

[tokoyamisstuff]

Scandal Ch. 5 - Loki x Reader

Summary: Loki returns to claim what is his - willing to kill everyone in his way.

Warnings: Angst.

Words: ~1800

I Story Masterlist I General Masterlist I

Taglist: @catlover092402152, @hi-there-x, @haloangel391, @misssilencewritewell, @babayaga67, @accioremuslupinn, @mochimommy2002, @just-someone-who-likes-to-write, @damalseer, @bethanystan, @loser-alert, @star017, @nina1800, @queenariesofnarnia, @n1fangirlsblog, @vengefulsokovian, @lunamoonbby, @freyagallileaevans, @emmojoy, @literate-lamb, @aninnai​, @justsomerandompersonintheworld​

A/N: Sweet little Feedback Anon, I took your suggestion. You know which one I mean if you see it. (:

Btw guys I have like 60+ Drafts I need to finish so pls be patient with me.

Word sure spreads fast among the folk of Asgard, about Odin’s shame and your innocence.

Since his lies had weakened the favor among his subjects, the Allfather was desperate to clean his name and reputation, ultimatively inviting you to come back.

But you declined, stating that this wasn’t your homeland anymore ever since they betrayed you to fullfill their selfish ambitions.

However, Asgard’s hypocrisy wasn’t the only reason you chose to stay on Midgard - you just knew that it would break your heart every day you’d spend on a place with so many memories connected to your deceased husband.

Earthlings, the people of S.H.I.E.L.D and especially Thor’s friends Jane and Erik Selvic had basically become like family to you. Even though they could never fill the void Loki had left in your heart, things being like this was more than you could wish for.

“Lady Y/N!” a familiar voice greeted you, yet his worried tone startled you. Thor was already standing in your room, practically kicking in your door as he was visibly upset.

Immediately, you put Liam into his crib and rushed to his side. “What’s the matter?!”

A strange mix of horror and excitement was stretched across his face, making your heart sink to your stomach.

Actually, you didn’t want to involve yourself with the Asgardians any further. All you ever wanted was for your child to be healthy and happy, no matter where this was possible.

But Thor was still your cherished brother-in-law, as well as a wonderful uncle, never ceasing to provide for you and Liam, even when everyone else had forsaken you.

Yet what he was about to tell you let your blood run cold: 

“Loki is back.”

Immediately, all the walls you had built up over those past months were crumbling as you collapsed to the floor, crying out of anger and relief.

“H-How? How is this even possible?! He’s dead! Loki died!”

“Pull yourself together, Lady Y/N!” Thor has always been a rather touchy-feely kind of person, in opposite to his raw and bulky appearance.

But right now, he wouldn’t dare to hug or console you, like he’d usually do. Instead, he was offering you a hand to help you get back up - which you wouldn’t be able to take just yet. “There’s no use in overthinking this! We need to hurry!”

“What do you even want me to do?” you wondered, because if your husband was really alive, you’d doubt him wanting to see you. “He’s changed...killed a lot of people before he disappeared. And still, I don’t wanna fight him. How can I be of any help at all?!?”

“We know he’s probably after you and the child” the God of Thunder stated coldly. “So you need to be transferred to a safe location.”

What can be more safe than a base of S.H.I.E.L.D? If only you knew he had already demolished a whole, giant outpost of them with ease...

“I’ll explain everything to you on the way.” “Let me quickly get the baby.”

“What, did you forget the name of your nephew already?” you chuckled awkwardly, but seeming to have struck a nerve.

Thor was only slowly approaching the crib in which your lovely baby was resting, staring at it with awe while his trembling hand caressed Liam’s cheek.

“Incredible...” he whispered mainly to himself,  as if this wasn’t the thousandth time he would lay eyes upon him. “He’s just like I remember him.”

Something was off.

Of course Thor had a spare key to your flat, but you had never heared him unlock it - he had just kind of appeared in the middle of the room. Could as well be that you had been to invested with something, or buried in thought to notice him, and yet...

“Wait” you stated, making him flinch away from the child and turn around. “My knees are still weak. Help me up first.”

With heavy steps, Thor would force himself away from the crib and towards you again, lending you another hand and easily pulling you up - just for you to point a sharp dagger to his throat.

“Lady Y/N, when did you summo-”

“Shut up!” you hissed, and the god held his hands into the air to assure his goodwill. "Drop the disguse. Now!”

The man let out an amused huff, a taint of green covering his body to revert it back to normal - revealing your husband.

His hair had become longer, and dark rings showed how devastating those past months went by for him. Yet still, he was unmistakingly your husband.

Yet a faint, mad spark in his eyes was what worried you the most.

Now he was holding a knife as well, both circling around the crib with a knife at each other’s throat, as if to dance with each other.

“So it’s really you, Loki?”

“The one and only” he declared, chest swelling with pride at his performance and completely ignoring your hostile undertone. “I missed you painfully, my sweetling.”

He looked to the side where your son was still sleeping soundly, regret clearly visible on his face. “Wha- what name did you give our child?”

“Liam it is.”

The smallest of smiles tugged on his lips, swallowing harshly to surpress the sobs wanting to break free. “Beautiful name. Very well chosen.”

Pain was stretching across your features, desperately trying for the dam of emotions to not break. The dagger in your hand vanished, rather choosing to reluctantly caress his cheek - to make sure this was really him, and not one of his illusions.

And it was really him, leaning into your touch with a content purr. “Yes, my love, just like tha-”

A loud noise drang to his ear, effectively cutting him off. He needed a second to understand that it was in fact you slapping him what caused the interruption.

“Dear, wait, I-” Another hit, this time it was your knee digging into his groin, making him gasp in pain.

With his current power, it would be a piece of cake to block you - yet he knew that after everything that had happened to you, and everything he had done...

...it was what he deserved. So he would allow you to let off some steam.

Yet much to his surprise, you were done already - now grabbing desperately on his cloak and pulling him in for a passionate kiss.

He immediately reciprocated, dropping his weapon as well to embrace you fully, lips mingling with each other over and over again.

Oh, how long had both of you craved for each other?

“Sorry” you panted as your lips finally parted, “Just needed to get that off my chest.”

“Do not apologize, my love” Loki declared, chin resting atop of your head, still no intention to let go off of you. “I deserve far worse than that.”

You looked up to him, the kiss having made something surface in his eyes: So solemn, and incredibly fragile, it made your heart ache.

“Wha- what happened to you? Where have you been all this time?”

Loki’s face contorted at the question, as if the thoughts in his mind were physically painful. But his mind was clouded, unable to make his proper memory resurfacing. “Places far beyond your imagination, dear. And I have learned many things.”

“I-I thought I had lost you...” you ultimatively began to sob, face dug into his chest.

“No” the god whispered softly, his gaze still unwavering. “You always have me. I promise.”

“What now?” you sniveled as he gently pet your head, just as back in good old times. “Where do we go?”

“What do you mean?” Loki’s features creased into a slight frown, “We stay here. There’s no need to leave or flee.”

“Bu-” you hesistantly took a few steps back, to take in his full reaction. “But you’re a wanted criminal, Loki! On Asgard as well as Midgard!”

His manner became more defensive again, glee radiating off of him. “Oh, my sweet, innocent Y/N...still the idealist, I see.”

“And you are still insufferable” you scoffed back, crossing your arms. “What do you mean?”

Actually, you dreaded the answer.

The man seemed to be thinking about many things at once, eyes narrowing before he finally took a hold of your hand, squeezing it ever so slightly when he saw that you were still wearing his ring - even after everything that had happened.

“Y/N, my love, those deaths were a necessary evil.” He tried to peck a quick kiss on your hand, but you pulled away at those words. “The only crime I feel guilty for is having left the love of my life. But don’t you worry, I’ll make up for it.”

He summoned a staff, glowing in the same blue as the tesseract - and much to your terror, his eyes started to adapt to them as well.

“I will create my own kingdom, Y/N! Here on Midgard, with you as my queen! This is what you deserve, my love! You and our child will have everything you desire and more!”

“This is madness, Loki!” It wasn’t the first time he had heared that.

People always treated him wrongly, afterwards wondering why he was trying to create felicity on his own. “Is it?” he croaked, “Is it madness for a person born to rule two kingdoms to create a home he never had?”

His plan did not merit awe or any such feelings he hoped you to have - the only person in the world he thought would understand him.

“Loki, what your parents have done to you is inexcusable, yet-”

“They’re not my parents!” he screamed enraged, eyes then widened in shock that he had raised his voice at you. “My apologies, I...”

“They have kept the truth from you so that you’d never feel different. You know you’re their son, and the Asgardians are your family. You must know that!”

“You speak like mother” he spat, and still Frigga’s words he could not shake off as easily as Odin’s. “There is no going back to that place, and Jotunheim I never had a connection with. You most likely heared that I tried to kill Laufey, yes?”

Nodding in silence, you nervously bit your lip. “Please...” Wrapping your arms around him and placing one ear at his sternum, you could clearly hear how his heart was fighting a war, struggling to decide.

“You can still stop whatever you were gonna do. We can start anew somewhere, lead a peaceful life with Liam. I don’t need wealth or power, and you clearly know any of this wouldn’t give you the satisfaction you’re searching for!”

“As always, you’re right” he grumbled deeply, already regretting what he was about to do. “But it’s not that easy, my naive little dove.”

“No~” With his hand on the back of your neck, he infused a powerful magic inside your body, slowly shutting down your nervous system completely. As careful as possible, he cradled you in his arms and slowly led you to the floor, then proceeding to take his heir.

“The only thing I need for myself is our little family - and I will avenge you by murdering anyone that did you wrong, or tries to separate us again.”

[wandaromanova]

“And I... Am...” [2]

A Natasha Romanoff x Gn!Avenger!Reader story

warnings: fighting, little bit of violence, angst, death (let me know if i should add any!)

A/N: Ahhh, here’s the final part of this very brief series. i hope you all enjoy and if anyone would like me to write something else my asks are open. thank you for reading! <3

tagging: @username23345

summary: 5 years ago, the avengers lost. half the world may have been taken away, but Y/N’s entire world faded to nothing in their arms. they would do anything to bring everyone back, most especially the love of their life. whatever it takes.

Part 1

Word Count: 3.7K words

(gif is not mine)

5 years. 5 years without seeing her bright, pearly white smile. 5 years without her sarcastic comments and snarky remarks. 5 years without her messy red hair sprawled across her pillow as she sleeps peacefully beside you. 5 years without her warm hugs as her lavender scented perfume invades your senses. 5 years without long nights of cuddling in each other’s arms as you watched the cheesy romcoms of your choice. 5 years without waking up to her playfully kissing your face. 5 years without her standing by your side during missions. 5 years without your little dinner dates that you both decided to go on whenever you both had the time. 5 years without her teasing kisses against your neck that made you laugh as hard as ever before. 5 long, long years without Natasha Romanoff.

Everyday without her was agonizingly slow. Every part of your shared apartment a constant reminder of your failure. Your failure to protect the world, the failure of protecting your world. Natasha always ensured your safety and protection when you needed her most, and the time she needed you; you astronomically failed her. Your heart ached every night as you fell asleep, even more so in the mornings. The mornings were the worst as you would reach over to her side of the bed, expecting to feel her peaceful form breathing steadily next to you, but you are only met with the cold white sheets of your once shared bed. The cold sheets a heartbreaking contrast to her warm body.

You didn’t get a single night of uninterrupted rest, as the memory of Natasha fading to nothing in your arms would replay over and over like a song stuck in your head. You cried the first time you returned home on that fateful day. The walls of your apartment holding the memories of happier times, when she was still alive. Her coffee cup that she never washed and left on the counter every morning still sitting where she left it that very day. You didn’t have the heart to move it. You didn’t dare to move any of her things, leaving them where she had placed them. You wore all of her hoodies though, as they still held her scent. However, you went through all of her hoodies quickly, her scent fading away just like she had. You considered not staying in the apartment, the memory of her making it hard to breathe within the confines of your shared space. But, you didn’t have the heart to leave it either. Leaving your home felt like leaving her, although your true home was her.

You tried to hold out hope though. Every single day you would go to the Avengers Compound and oversee any occurrences. You would communicate with any avengers that were not in New York or simply not on earth such as Captain Marvel, Rocket, Rhodes, and Okoye. You got consumed by your need to compensate for the failure that changed your life and absolutely wrecked your self-esteem. Although you were stuck in the past, some of the other avengers tried to move past it. Tony and Pepper brought a beautiful daughter named Morgan into the world, you were so happy for them, albeit a bit envious. Steve joined a support group, Clint was.... somewhere doing lord knows what. But you remained in the compound, constantly ignoring your own well-being, unable to stomach the failure and desperately trying to find something to hold out hope. However, your stubbornness was not for naught, as one day, while Steve visited you at the Compound, Scott Lang appeared at the front of the Compound. As he explained about Quantum Physics and the possibility of time travel, hope made its way back to you full force. You could all quite possibly make things right again. This spark of hope didn’t ignite within you only, but it also coursed through the remaining avengers when they were informed of the insane, but good idea of time travel.

——————————————————————————

Time travel. That’s our only hope of restoring what used to be. It sounds absolutely insane, but it’s the only option we have. Just the fact that there even is an option, is a miracle. Tony took a little bit of time to be on board with the idea, but he came around and now all the avengers stand together on the platform. Clint and Rhodey were set to go to Vormir. You, Tony, Banner, and Steve were to go to New York. Nebula went to Morag, Thor and Rocket went to Asgard while Scott stayed behind. What felt like hours for the team, was only a minute in real time. As you all made it back to the present, you looked around at the entire team. “Did we get them all?” You turn to your right and look at Banner. “You mean to tell me this actually worked?” You asked with a wide smile. Suddenly, a thud is heard to your left.

The entire team looks at Rhodes, he is soaked and it is then you notice Clint’s absence. “Rhodey? Where’s Clint?” You ask nervously. Rhodes just looks up at the team with sorrow evident in his eyes. The whole room knew what that meant as it fell silent, you dropped to your knees. You were as close to Clint as Nat was, given he was your girlfriend’s best friend. Your soul was absolutely crushed by the news, and the fact that someone would have to tell his family about his sacrifice to bring everyone back was heart crushing. However, Clint’s death only fueled the motivation to get this over with once and for all. No one had time to truly mourn as now that the team retrieved the stones, the stones just needed to be placed into the gauntlet.

However, this was not the hardest part, no. The hardest part was figuring out who should actually snap their fingers. Thor, Tony, and yourself offered to do the snap, but Banner immediately intervened. “It’s gotta be me. You saw what those stones did to Thanos. It almost killed him. None of you could survive.” He said solemnly. “How do we know you will?” You asked him seriously. “We don’t, but the radiation is mostly gamma. It’s like, I was made for this.” He finished off, and everyone in the room begrudgingly agreed. Unfortunately, before Banner could even put his hands on the gauntlet, the compound was attacked by a huge explosion, sending everyone flying in different directions, some knocked out by the impact and buried beneath rubble.

——————————————————————————

You wake up with a groan, you entire body is aching. You slowly open your eyes and take in your surrounds. You are buried beneath the concrete of the compound. The once magnificent architectural building, now a destroyed foundation. You look to your right and notice that water is flooding into the area where you, Rhodes, and Rocket are trapped. You noticed that Rocket and Rhodes are both trapped under a piece of cement and you use your powers to lift it off of them before dropping it back onto the ground with a grunt.

You speak into comms, “Is anyone there? We’re trapped and are unable to get out of here. I can hold off the water, but I can’t get us back to the surface.” Your powers are strong, but it will take a great deal of energy to get yourself, Rhodes, and Rocket out of here. You have no clue how deep you guys are below the surface. But you could at least hold off the water until someone is able to save you all. Scott replies and says “I’m on my way, I’ll get you guys.” And you mumble a “thanks” before asking another question, “How on earth did this happen?” you ask this as you use your powers to form some sort of blockade to keep the water from drowning you all. Scott suddenly appears, going back to his regular size and says “Nebula was compromised. You guys better hang onto something,” as he turns into a giant and breaks you all out of the concrete cage you were held in.

As you all return to the surface, Scott places the three of you on the ground. You take notice of the state of Steve, Tony, and Thor. They are badly beaten as Thanos cowers over them. Your eyes widen as you notice the ships approaching behind Thanos, along with his army of thousands. You, Rocket, Rhodey, (and Gamora??) together, ready to attack. You have no time to question Gamora’s sudden seeming resurrection as you notice Banner is the only one missing from the bunch, nowhere to be seen. You turn to everyone as you point at the gauntlet in Gamora’s arms and speak “Protect that gauntlet at all costs, don’t let him get to it. As soon as Banner is spotted, give it to him so he can do the snap and end this, once and for all. Understand?” Everyone nods in acknowledgement at your words.

A sense of deja vu hits you as you turn to face the impending battle. Once again you all are drastically outnumbered, you all must stand and fight against Thanos once more. The only differences being that you all are 5 years older, half of the universe’s population is gone, and Natasha is not by your side. The entire team is angered that this happened in the first place and the desire and will to defeat the mad titan is as strong as its ever been. You all failed to protect the world and your loved ones once, you all refused to lose this battle again. You all have something to fight for. You all attack and after what felt like hours of fighting Thanos’ army, you notice Scott running with the gauntlet, and your eyes widen as Thanos makes his way towards Scott. You quickly throw the enemies you were dealing with, with the flick of your hand and rush for the titan head-on.

Using your vibrant blue powers, you strike Thanos with a powerful beam of energy. Thanos tries to block himself but is a little too late as he’s sent flying back. “You took everything from me.” You say angrily and with a vengeful conviction as your eyes turn blue and your blue powers waver across your hands, levitating you a few feet off the ground. The titan stares at you as he stands and says “I don’t even know who you are.” You look at him and tilt your head, and reply with a dangerous calmness, “You will.” You then end up encasing Thanos, holding him up high in the air, your powers acting as blue hands. You squeeze him with all the strength you can conjure up and start to rip off his armor without laying a finger on him. “Rain fire!” The titan exclaimed to his servant. “But sire, our troops.” “Just do it!” Thanos screams. Unfortunately, you were so caught up in your rage that you failed to notice what Thanos was saying. You were soon knocked out with a powerful blast from a ship above you. Your grip on Thanos no more as you flew across the field and were knocked unconscious.

——————————————————————————

You wake up and groggily try to take in your surroundings. Your entire team beat to the ground. Banner, Scott, and Clint are unconscious, and the rest of the team are too weakened to move. Captain Marvel was also here, when she got here? You have no idea, but that doesn’t matter as she was knocked out as well. However, at least the giant ships and Thanos’ army had been taken out. You guys did impressively well considering how outnumbered you all were. You look away from your battered teammates beside you and you feel panic wash over you. Above you, the massive titan stands, placing the gauntlet on his hand. No. He CANNOT get that gauntlet, you think in a panic. However, your body is too weak to get up, you still try to stand with every ounce of strength that’s left in your body, but to no avail. All of a sudden, you feel a tingling sensation from your hands that you have never felt before.

You look at your hands and notice little sparks of electricity forming. This has never ever happened before, your powers are a dark blue and are more like laser beams than sparks. What is happening? As you stared at your hands, you failed to notice Mjölnir rising beside Thor. Mjölnir abruptly launches itself into your hand, and you suddenly feel a surge of electricity flow through your veins, giving you a spark of energy. The people who are still conscious are shell-shocked as they had all tried and failed to wield the mighty hammer. You yourself had even failed to lift Mjölnir all those years ago before the Ultron situation, but now here you were, worthy and determined to win this battle. As you attempt to stand once more, Thor joyfully exclaims “I knew it!” At Thor’s words, Thanos stomps on Thor, successfully knocking the Asgardian God out cold.

You rise to your feet, the only thing on your mind being that you need to bring Natasha back. You charge at Thanos, rising off the ground as your dark blue powers mixed with the lightning of mjölnir radiate off of you. You struck the titan with a powerful, concentrated hit with Mjölnir before using up the most power you ever have. You manage to do damage to Thanos, but with the gauntlet on he manages to use the stones to fight against your own powers. As he hits you, he fails to notice you exchange the gauntlet with the stones, with another gauntlet that he failed to notice lying on the ground. As your body is flung like a ragdoll across the floor, you look up as Thanos says “I... am inevitable.” And he snaps his fingers, but nothing happens. He, along with everyone else looks confused as he does this. All of them were puzzled, except for you.

You get on your knees and place the real gauntlet on. The energy so powerful as it courses through your veins, it’s an intense burn as if your blood was made of fire, pumping through every part of your body. You look around at the team, the people you have grown to love and call a family. You know that this will be the end of you, but you are content with that. What better way to go than saving the world and bringing the love of your life back? The team seems aware of your fate as well, the sadness evident on the faces of the broken down avengers. It hurt them, but they knew it had to be done. They couldn’t stop you, even if they tried. You already had the gauntlet on and you had made up your mind. After one last glance at your family, you focus back on Thanos, who stares at you in shock. A human wielding the stones, that was a sight for sore eyes. The snap almost killed Thanos the first time, imagine now? You have powers of your own, yes, but you’re still a human. You take a deep breath, your mind is racing as it is taken over by thoughts of Natasha. How you’ll never get to see her red hair and green eyes sparkle again, how you’ll never hear her raspy laugh that warms you up inside, and how you’ll never have the future you both had always wanted together. But you remind yourself that this is all for her, and that was the final push you needed to follow through with this plan.

You stare Thanos dead in the eye again as you shakily say “I... Am...” you envision Natasha and her big bright smile as you finally say “an Avenger.” And with the snap of your fingers, a bright light consumes your body and radiates across the field. All you hear is the ringing in your ears and all you can focus on is the burning of your charred body. The conscious team members gather around you, they are all speaking to you but you can’t fully hear what they’re saying. They sound far away even though they’re right in front of you. You watch as Thanos and his little servants disappear into dust, just like half of the population did 5 years ago. You release a heavy sigh of relief at the sight.

You look back to Steve who’s directly in front of you. He reaches into his pocket and dials a number, and when he turns the phone towards you, you notice the contact name; Natasha. Steve’s eyes widen as the redhead actually answers her phone, it worked. He however, tried to swallow his shock as he let’s her know that you’ll be put on the line. He doesn’t have the heart to inform her of your condition. You use every muscle in your body just to reach out for the phone and grasp it in your hand. “Hello? Y/N, baby?? Where are you?? What happened??” You smile widely at the sound of her deep, raspy voice as your eyes slowly start to close. The team panics as they try to convince you to keep your eyes open just a little longer, Natasha’s voice sounding more concerned and alarmed at the coaxing of the team. We did it, we really did it... she’s okay... it’s okay... is your final thought as your eyes close even further. The darkness is so tempting and you find yourself falling deeper and deeper into it, until you’re consumed by it. Never to see the light again.

——————————————————————————

2 weeks later

At your funeral, Nat was suspiciously devoid of emotion as the ceremony commenced. It was so weird for the team to see and they were genuinely worried. Natasha was always sure to not make her emotions known, it’s how she was trained as an assassin, but to show no emotion after losing the love of her life? Definite cause for concern. After the beautiful ceremony and burial, the team all returned to Tony’s cabin, he let the team know that there was something he needed to share with them. Tony stands before the team in his living room and places his iron man helmet on the mantle. He clears his throat before he begins, “Before the time heist, Y/N approached me and asked me a favor. They borrowed my iron man helmet and asked me to play this recording if things went south. So, this is me fulfilling their final wish.”

You appear as a hologram, sitting on a chair in your time heist suit. “So, if you’re watching this.. that means that I’m... yanno” and you make a throat slicing motion with a little laugh. You then realize that the people watching this will most likely not find humor in your little joke and immediately stop laughing. “I hope that in watching this, that means that we succeeded in bringing everyone back. It’s all we have been hoping and praying for, for the past 5 years. And I pray to God... or to Thor... that it worked out.” You actually laugh at your terrible attempt at a joke. Everyone in the room laughs at your corniness with tears in their eyes.

“If we did win, that must mean that you’re here Natasha.” You pause and take a deep breath. At the mention of the redhead, the room falls silent as Nat watches intensely, desperate to hear what you have to say to her. You proceed, your voice wavering as you were overcome with emotion, “I’m so sorry that I had to leave you so soon. I’m so sorry that we’ll never have the chance to get married and have little rascals of our own running around a little farmhouse of our own in the middle of nowhere like we always dreamt of. But, the day you left me, those 5 long years ago, a part of me left with you. And I would do anything to get you back, and I’m sure I’ve proven that to be true if you’re seeing this.” You take another break as your voice starts cracking, as Natasha finally let a tear escape.

You suddenly stand up, and move over to the camera, staring directly into it with an intense gaze. “But Nat, baby, you have to listen to me when i say that this is not the end of the world. It may feel like it, but I promise you it’s not. Those 5 years without you, I felt as though I was drowning in grief and despair, but then hope made its way into my life when Scott suddenly appeared on the steps of the compound. And I promise you that you will have hope again, not for my return, but for happiness in your life again, without me.” At your words, Natasha shakes her head furiously as silent tears steadily fall across her pale cheeks.

You giggle “I know you won’t believe me right now, but you will one day my love. You were wrong that day in Wakanda. You WILL survive this. You must move on eventually, as impossible as it sounds and as much as it kills me to say. Please do not give up on the world, don’t push everyone away, but let them in. I gave my life up so you could live yours, and I know you wouldn’t let my life go to waste.” You stop and look down at your watch. “I have to go now, if this time heist thing goes to plan, then everyone who vanished will return. God, I hope so.... I love you Natalia Alianovna Romanova.” You look down at your hands, and back up at the camera and say your final words.

“Remember...” you begin while moving closer to the helmet, “You could never lose me moya lyubov... I’m yours forever.” You smile tearily and the recording ends. Those last words were what finally did it for Natasha. All the emotion she was keeping bottled up broke loose and she had no control of the wheel of her emotions as she slammed head first into a breakdown. Natasha cried in sorrow as she mourned the possibilities that are no longer possible and screamed out in anguish for the unfulfilled promises of a happy, long life with you by her side.

The world had won, but Natasha had lost her world.

[gojo-satoru-brainrot]

I Don’t Want a World Without You. Eren Jaeger x Reader

Request from @shittypaperwork

A/N: This took me forever to write this. I wanted it to be perfect. I really hope it is. Also, my asks are open for AOT smut (Disclaimer I do prefer to write in Canon Au but not opposed to writing Modern AU if I like the idea.) , Jujustu Kaisen smut. But please enjoy!!!!!!

WARNINGS: SMUT!!!, slight breading kink ig, name calling, slight Dom!Eren. Unprotected sex, Canon AU,

WORD COUNT: 3.5k

Your friendship with Eren was unlike any relationship you had experienced before. You both joined the Scouts after the attack on Wall Maria. You both bonded over the losses you both endured that day. Eren sought out revenge on the Titans. His hatred and rage fueled his desire to become a better soldier. You wanted a better understanding of the outside world. Why all the memories came fooling back in the middle of a titan ambush you had no idea why. A giant hand came out from the shadows of the forest directly aiming for you. You didn't have much time to react before Eren swooped in and grabbed you.

"(Y/N) you need to pay more attention," Eren said right before the titan grabbed the wire to his ODM gear causing him to fall to the ground several hundred feet below.

"Eren," you screamed out. Your heart pounding in your chest as you locked eyes with the titan. Suddenly, a red hot burning sensation rushed through your chest and up your face. Tears started to form in your eyes as you maneuvered around the giant trees. Finally finding a vantage point, you zipped over the titan and your blades cutting deep into its nape. It fell to the ground dust and debris flying above its lifeless body. The feeling still stuck in your chest, but it was different something lingered beneath the surface. You located Eren, and you looked at him the feeling became stronger as you watched him lay there, blood dripping from his head on the ground under him.

You were irrevocably in love with him.

There was no time to confess to him your newfound feelings. He needed to get the infirmary. The more you realized your feelings for him, the more you realized it would never work. This world was unfair and unforgiving. There was no room in the world for love let alone a relationship, or that's what you told yourself. The pain you would feel if Eren didn't reciprocate your feelings would tear you apart inside.

Two weeks had passed since the ambush in the forest and your feelings had remained the same, in fact, they had gotten stronger. Your whole squad had made it back alive, which you were grateful for. Eren was rushed to the infirmary due to his extensive injuries. You didn't sleep most nights so you would sneak down to see Eren. You held his hand and changed out his bandages being very careful not to wake him.

"(y/n), you have to let him rest," quickly turning around you saw Armin standing in the doorway.

"It's my fault this happened," the tears started to swell up in your eyes. Armin grabs your hand leads you outside.

"B-but Eren," you stammer looking back at him.

"He's going to be fine while you're gone". You looked up at the night sky, gazing at the stars above you. It was late, you didn't realize until now. How long have you been sitting by Eren? An hour? Maybe five. A cool breeze hits your face as you sit down beside Armin on the bench just outside the infirmary.

"You're so concerned about Eren. If I didn't know any better I'd say you're acting like Mikasa," he laughs. You chuckle slightly. You had been so wrapped up in making sure that Eren was okay that you had forgotten what it feels like to relax. Memories of you and Eren flood your mind.

"Armin there's something I need to tell you. I can only trust you with this information," the blonde turns to look at you.

" I'm in love with Eren". Armin's face gets all red and he turns away.

"So why are you feeling me this? Shouldn't you be telling Eren?"

"Because it would never work out the way I want".

Eren was finally recovered enough to leave the infirmary, but he was strictly prohibited from any training, missions, and extraneous activities. You have been avoiding him for days, unable to come to terms with your feelings you thought it best to stay away.

"You're eventually going to have to tell him you can hide from your feelings forever," Armin said to you quietly.

"Shut up, Armin," you punched his shoulder just a little too rough. He winches in pain, and you touch his arm.

"Sorry." You start to blabber about how you're used to hitting Eren because he can take a hit. You didn't realize Armin was trying to tell you that Eren was right behind you. A slight punch suddenly hits the middle of your back causing you to fall forward into Armin's chest. You turn around quickly to see you hit you. Your eyes lock with Eren's, trying to speak, but nothing comes out of your mouth. His green eyes peer into yours. It feels like your entire being is melting into the palm of his hand.

"Shouldn't you be picking on someone your own size," Eren smirks at you.

"Uhhh," you fumble your words trying to form a comprehensible sentence but fail.

"I gotta go!" You said quickly as you darted off somewhere far away from Erin and Armin.

Finally catching your breath you stood in front of the shower house you are reminded of a prank you pulled on Eren just a few months ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a long day of combat training and Eren was the first to use the shower, like always. Connie dared you to sneak into the men's showers and take Eren's clothes and hide them in a nearby bush.

"Easy! You should come up with a harder one next time," you smirked knowing this was going to be way simple. Quietly you snuck in being extremely careful not to slam any doors. You glanced around trying to find Eren's clothes, the steam from the showers making it hard to see. Stumbling into one of the benches close to the showers.

"Fuck that hurt."

"Hello? Who's there?" You heard Eren call out. Your heartbeat quickened as you heard the water turn off.

shit shit shit where are they?

Finally, you found the clothes tucked away under the bench. You guessed this isn't the first time this happened to him. You balled up his clothes and ran out. The steam made your hair stick to your forehead as you threw his clothes in a bush.

"Nice going (y/n)!" Connie gave you a high-five. Both of you waited for Eren to realize his clothes were missing, but to both of your surprises, Eren walked out of the showers butt-ass naked with only one of his hands covering his goods. Your jaw dropped at the sight of him the sunlight made his wet skin glisten. He shook out his hair causing water droplets to scatter around him. You followed the water as it dripped down his toned chest and pass his carefully carved abs. Your eyes followed the v line just below his abs.

"My eyes are up here! Now, where did you put my clothes, darling?" Eren steps closer to you feeling the heat radiate off him from his shower. Your mouth stayed agape and all you could do was point over to the bush. He made his way over not bothering to cover his ass.

"Well, that was fun," Eren chuckled as he pulled up his pants and let them sit on his hips unbuttoned.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Wetness started to pool in between your thighs, causing you to blush from the intrusive thoughts of Eren. You looked around to make sure no one would follow you. After stepping into the shower, you took your clothes off, and neatly folded them, and placed them on the bench. You pulled the curtain closed in hopes of having a sliver of privacy. The cold water rushed over your body and hair. Your nipples became hard as the cold water ran over them. Your mind began to imagine Eren behind you and what his hands would feel like as he rubbed your shoulders and softly caressing your breasts. Maybe he would snake one of his hands down your waist and tease your folds as the other would grip your neck pulling you back into his bare chest.

"Mmm. Eren," you moaned teasing yourself closer and closer to orgasm. Your finger moved faster in circles around your clit. A tightness started building up in your core and just about as you were going to come undone the door to showers swung open. FUCK! Disappointed in your attempt to relieve some stress you quickly got dressed.

"Hey (y/n)," Sasha greeted you, but you bolted past her "okay, bye!"

You didn't want to be rude to Sasha, but you had other things on your mind. All of them were Eren. Your body ached for his. You wondered want it would feel like on top of yours. Your mind kept racing all these thoughts about him and what he looked like under his clothes.

"(Y/N)! Instead of daydreaming why don't you help in the kitchen?" You were quickly drawn away from your thoughts as Levi approached you.

"Sorry Captain, I-" you tried to explain yourself before Levi shut you down.

"You're almost as bad as Eren." Eren? You clung to his name.

"What's wrong with Eren?" You ask.

"Well, since he's been released from the infirmary he's been zoning out. But enough chit-chat go help get dinner ready."

You made your way to the kitchen. Both Connie and Sasha were slacking off and having a baguette battle.

"Guys, let's do what needs to be done. I'm tired and want to go to sleep." You announce. It took about an hour to get prepped and cooked. By the time you were done cooking, you wanted to go to your room and finish what you couldn't in the showers.

After finally arriving at your room. You quickly shut your door. The rooms weren't big, but none the less you were grateful to have your own after spending a year in the barracks. The rooms were massive, but they were a decent size for one person. A desk with a wooden chair sat in the far corner and a closet just big enough to hold a few scout uniforms and a full-size bed. Still, a layer of dust covered everything although you didn't mind. It wasn't like you were going to be staying in your room all day.

You rubbed your eyes and sat at the edge of your bed, taking off your boots and jacket, neatly putting them away in the closet. You always hated taking off your harness there were so many buckles and straps, you got confused so easily. The only light to work with was an oil lamp fixed to the wall. You sighed heavily as you finished folding up your clothes and getting into your pajamas.

As you laid down in your bed thoughts of Eren came back to you. Softly you moaned as you pawed at your breast and teased your nipple. Woefully imagining it was Eren's instead of yours. You felt a wetness start to pool between your legs. Slipping your hands down your shorts your finger circled your clit. You were a virgin, but you still knew what happened you just never found anyone worthy enough. Expect for Eren.

You moaned as you came closer and closer to climax, but it was cut short again. "(Y/N)..." You had sworn you heard someone moan your name. Quickly you pulled your covers over your body as you listen to the room next to you and you heard it again. You were sure someone was moaning your name. In the room next to yours you heard the bed squeak as someone got up from it. Your heart beated faster as you heard footsteps approached your door. You closed your eyes and pretended to be asleep. The door to your room slowly creaked open. "(Y/N)... Are you awake?" It was Eren. You still didn't open your eyes as the door shut and Eren sat on the edge of your bed. He took your hand and held it and pressed it to his chest.

"I know you're asleep but I wanted to tell you, thank you for saving me, I know everyone told you to leave me but you didn't and I'm grateful. I don't know why you've been avoiding me, but I probably deserve it somehow." You heard his voice crack and you could tell he was about to cry.

"I just don't know how to tell you this but here does nothing, I love you (Y/N)." You opened your eyes and saw Eren crying.

"I love you too." You said sitting up in your bed. Your hands cupped his cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss. His lips were soft and perfectly fit in between yours. It was sweet and soft but your core ached for him. He pulled you onto his lap and brushed your hair behind your ear.

"I can't tell you how many nights I wished for this, to be here with you." Eren buried his face into your chest.

"You don't have to wish anymore," you told him as you wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him again this time softly biting on his lower lips. He moaned into the kiss sending chills down your spine. He gripped your hips, his callused fingers dug into your sides almost as if he was scared you were fall through his hands if he didn't hold you tight enough.

Your hips ground into his causing a deep moan to escape from his lips. His erection grew quickly underneath you. Eren flipped you over on your back onto the mattress. He stood up and began removing his shirt. Your eyes followed the skin on his stomach as more of it was exposed. Moonlight peaked in through the window, shining on his torso. It was beautiful, hours and hours of training had paid off.

"My eyes are up here, darling" he chuckled as he climbed on top of you. You couldn't help but feel his chest and abs. His piercing green eyes looked into yours. His lips crashed into yours, it was sloppy and wet and hot. Your clothes limited his access to your perfect body. He slowly took off your shirt and kissed up your stomach and in between your breasts before he took one in each hand and massaged them. His thumb rubbing your nipples before he took it in his mouth and circled it with his tongue. Your fingers ran through his hair as you leaned your head back and moaned. He made his way up to your neck kissing and sucking on it. You knew for sure there was going to be a hickey tomorrow but you didn't care. You wanted everyone to know that you were Eren's and that he was yours too.

"Eren, I need you." You begged him to touch you. He leaned back on his calves and pulled your legs up to his chest, slowly removing your shorts.

"You're so wet for me already, have you been expecting me?" He chuckled and smirked as he pushed your legs apart. His hot breath hit your folds making you beg for him even more.

"Please please Eren!" Your cries for his touch were desperate. Him seeing how much you needed him turned him on. He was throbbing in his jeans. His finger slid up your folds and collected your wetness before he put it in his mouth and sucked on his finger.

"Open your mouth," he commanded and you did as he stuck his finger in your mouth. "Suck." His voice was deep and demanding making you want him even more. Your tongue danced around his finger you tasted yourself on his finger. His mouth attached itself to your clit and you threw your head back moaning. His tongue circling your clit making you bite down on your lip to keep from moaning too loud. Your hands found their way to his beautiful brawn locks, your fingers entangled themselves pulling slightly. Eren groaned and gripped your thighs tighter, maybe enough to leave bruises. The idea of having Eren's fingerprints lingering on your skin turned you on even more.

Eren's erection grew harder and slightly painful. He stood up from the bed and a whine came from your mouth in protest.

"Don't worry we aren't done yet. Do you know how much my hand hurts by now? I'm so glad you accepted my feelings so I can fuck you now."

"All you had to do was ask" you teased back at him "but you should know I'm a virgin." You weren't shy about it, it was just how you were.

"Well, I am too, if that makes you feel better." You sat up on your knees and began to undo Eren's pants. You could hear his moan that he held back. Your fingers slipped between his skin and underwear slowly teasing it down before releasing the waistband and having it snap back to his skin. A low hiss rolled out of his mouth as he smirked at you and his eye went darker with lust.

In a fit of lust Eren quickly removed his pants and pulled his cock out. Your eyes widen at the sight, you always thought Eren was big but never this big.

"Suck now." His tone cold and demanding. You took it in one hand and started to suck on the tip of his cock. You could taste the precum from the tip. His hand placed at the back of your head slowly pushing you further and further down. Your hands gripped his thighs as he drove his cock deeper into your face. You looked up at him, he looked so hot his eyes were rolled back and beautiful moans escaped his mouth.

"Ahhh fuck (Y/N) your so warm. I'm so close, will you be a good girl and swallow for me?" He looked down, locking his eyes with yours, you nod.

"Mmmm that's my girl." He continued to fuck your face, his hands cupping your checks. A warm salty liquid flowed into your mouth. You swallowed it and sucked the rest off his cock before opening your math to show him.

"Fuck... You're such a good slut for me." He crawled on top of you. "I'm gonna take such good care of you," he kissed your stomach right below your navel. He slowly slid two fingers inside of you making you arch your back and grip the sheets. He took his time moving his fingers in and out of you taking care to make sure you never felt any pain.

"More Eren, please..." you begged for him, bringing him closer for a kiss. He lined himself up at your entrance wetting his tip on your folds. He steadied himself by placing his hand next to your head. He looked into your eyes. "Ready, darling?" You nodded. He slowly pushed his tip in both of you letting out moans of each other's names. You momentarily adjusted to his size before he added another inch. You wrapped your legs around his hips allowing him to fully enter you.

"Oh fuck, you're so tight I could cum right now," Eren moaned into your chest. Your breath was heavy as you fully adjusted to his massive size. Eren pressed his forehead to yours as he thrust in and out of you at a good pace. You moaned and softly bit into his shoulder careful not to hurt him and activate his Titan.

His thrust because faster and faster. You moaned his name over and over again. Sweat started to drip from his forehead, you could tell he was holding back his orgasm. The tip of his cock hitting your cervix. Eren let out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" You asked.

"I can it inside you. Look." You glanced at your stomach and saw the tip pressing the skin up. "Fuck I can't wait to fill you up with my seed." He pounded harder into you as your orgasm started to build.

"Eren I'm getting close," you mewled in his ear. His thrust becomes sloppy as his thumb played with clit and that sent you over the edge. Eren watched as your body twitched underneath him. It felt like your entire body was on ice and fire at the same time. Eren was not long after you as he slammed one last time into you and let out the most beautiful moan you ever heard.

"Ahhh fuckkkkk (Y/N). You were such a good girl for me." He pulled out and laid down next to you pulling you close to him.

"I love you. I always have. I don't care if this world is unfair and unforgiving. A world that doesn't have you isn't where I want to be." You pressed your face into his chest and slowly fell asleep.

[thelittleboyfromloveactually]

Two Shorten the Road

part 1

joel dawson x reader

warnings: cussing? idk, bad writing.....fluff, cuteness, monsters(is this a warning), mentions of death, SPOILERS

word count: 2154

prompt: when your best friend decides to leave your colony to go find the love of his life, you decide to join him on his journey even if you aren’t so happy about where this journey is going

Welp I did it, I took it into my own hands. I am writing a joel dawson series. Because we👏need 👏more👏joel👏fics👏 it’s basically the movie, almost the same script but obviously slightly different…ENJOY! <3

No one in my generation or later had a typical upbringing, I mean some of us did but then the world ended. This type of thing sounds straight out of some apocalyptic movie, but we basically live in one now. Agatha 616, an asteroid heading straight for earth, I know, so original. So we all came together and did what we do best, blow things up. Yup, we blew up teh asteroid, and humanity was saved! We thought. But here’s the thing about rockets, they are made of a bunch of chemical compounds which eventually rained back down on earth. Suddenly there were these Aileen creatures that mutated and started eating us. Ants, lizards, roaches, crocodiles, you name it. Our president was even killed by a giant moth. Ya….not so original now huh? We suddenly need tanks to kill ants, oh man I remember the good old days when a shoe would do just fine. Sometimes even the tanks didn’t work. Eventually the really big ones and our military took each other out and we lost 95% of the human population in a year! Those of us who survived hid, bunkers, caves, panic rooms, all around the world. So for the last seven years I’ve been hiding in an underground bunker. It’s really not as bad as it sounds, and it’s better than getting eaten alive. It’s a great group of people and we all love each other.

“Are you sure they’re asleep?”

“Who?”

“Y/N and joel!”

“Oh ya I’m sure”

“Joel? Y/n?”

“He’s asleep”

Actually we are both awake. Me and my best friend joel have kinda mastered faking being asleep. Our beds are right across from each other so we normally just lie there and make stupid faces at each other. We are the only two single people in our bunker. Nice huh? Joel is my best friend. I met him when I joined the colony. He’s the sweetest. It’s funny cause everyone thinks we should just have sex already because that’s literally all everyone else does. But we are way above that. Anyway, joel is in love with his girlfriend from before the colony, her name is Aimee. With one “I” and two “e”s. He loves to talk about her, he writes her letters. So in reality, I am the only one who is not in love in this bunker. I’ve never had a boyfriend, ever, even before the world ended.

We don’t really get any sleep. The moaning kinda keeps us awake. I got up and out of my bed and headed for the kitchen. I heard Joel’s bed creak and then his footsteps as he followed behind me. Another annoying thing about being down here is that to get to the kitchen from my room, you have to walk though other people’s bedrooms. Oh shit, they are busy, why would they leave their door open. Me and Joel stopped.

“Oh” joel and I said in unison

“Hey Y/N! Hey Joel!” Ava said

“Oh hey Ava” Joel said, we didn’t dare look over to our left.

“Y/N how’s it going?” Tim asked

“T-totally good tim, h-how are you doing” I asked

“Yeah, good” he responded

“I uh we couldn’t sleep” said Joel looking at the ceiling

“Ya we know the feeling” Ava said with a laugh

“Yeah probably not for the…..same reasons” joel said looking straight ahead

“Your guyses door was open, did you…did you know that?” I asked

“Yeah we know” they said

I shook my head and knitted my eyebrows together

“Okay” joel trailed off

Ever since Tim’s parents were eaten by a swarm of termites he and Ava have gotten really close, in every way.

“Okay, goodnight” joel said as we walked

Basically everyone is coupled up down here, a baby was born last winter! Welcome to the apocalypse kid. Ok if we ever get out of this, that would be an awesome story to tell your kids. “Oh ya I was born in an underground bunker doing a monster apocalypse” “yes exactly like World War Z but with bugs bigger than a 5 story building”. I mean come on.

So your probably wonder how the hell we get food, we’ll we have a cow. Gurdy. Gurdy is great. We also have a hunting party that brings back whatever they can from the surface. It’s gotten harder and harder, cause we ran out of bullets. And facing one of those things with a handmade weapon is just as hard as it sounds. It’s very very difficult. I go with them….sometimes. I still get scared. But I’ve been out quite a lot, especially compared to my man joel over here. I’ve been out maybe 30 times, he’s been out…maybe once, or not even. He’s the chef of the bunker. He makes super good Minestrone.

Me and joel like to hang out with Mavis. A robot. Yup. Not much for conversation, her batter is shot. Just like every other mavis I would imagine. When I’m not hunting we hang out with her. But sometimes I just go read. Reading and joel keep me sane. I mean sometimes joel drives me insane but I still love him. I have quite the collection of books too! I’ve got Emma by Jane Austen, a couple random ones that we found, all the hunger games and Harry Potter books, some mysteries that stopped being mysteries after a while, and then of course some smutty romance books for personal entertainment.

Joel likes to say that his thing is target practice. He has never hit the target but ya know, gotta entertain yourself. I think his thing is drawing though, he has this book that he draws in from Aimee. It’s really cool actually. He’s really good.

I sat watching Joel as he tried to hit the target, laughing a little every time he missed. It was cute how hard he tried.

“Shut up” he said shaking his laugh away

I laughed again, but then suddenly the lights started flickering. You could hear screeches and creeks echoing through the bunker. Joel turned to look at me. Worry and determination in his eyes. We both scrambled out of the room and into the kitchen where everyone was preparing.

“Hustle, hustle people we’ve gotta move”

I turned to look at Joel but then realized that he wasn’t next to me. Where did he go? Worry flooded through me. Suddenly the clanking of our weapon started behind me.

“Hey guys!” Joel said as he rammed into the railing, I shook my head. “Guys! I’ve got the weapons” he smiled at me

A few people walked over to him taking them out of his hands

“Stay” said Tim

“W-what?” Joel asked looking around in confusion

Everyone was talking and barking orders “grab what you need and let’s go! Y/N you coming?”

My eyes shot open “yes! Yup!” I jumped up and grabbed the bow and arrow from Joel.

“W-what's happening?” He asked innocently “what’s going on?”

“There’s a breach” said Tim

“What do you mean? Like inside the bunker breach?!” He asked

“Yes joel! Now come on!” I told him, patting him on the pack as I followed the others

He followed me and watched the plan get arranged

“Anna, Y/N and I will engage. Anderson and Tom plank him”

“Plank him, ya ok where do you guys need me? You want me to uh come through the rear or..?” Joel asked eagerly

“I don’t think your going to pass this joel” I told him

“Pass what? You guys need help, let me help” said clutching his crossbow

“You gonna make me say it?” said Sam

“Say what?!” God he was so adorably clueless

“You can’t handle it joel, your shook” said Sam, we all began getting into positions

“Ya ok, yes so you guys don’t get scared..ever?” He asked still getting ready to fight

“We get scared, we all get scared joel, but you get really scared” said Sam

“They are trying to make you feel bad joel” I said sweetly, trying to calm him down

“We love you joel”

“But your a liability”

“Ok why did that speech feel so rehearsed? And what about Y/N? She’s like…ya know?” He said bobbing his head

“Joel-“ suddenly the bunker shook and the lights flicked again

“Ok 30 meters out! Let’s move!” And we were off

Leaving joel and some others behind. You could hear the growling of whatever we were up against

I followed the others and listened carefully. I was freaking shaking. Don’t ask how I got sucked into becoming one the the hunters. Kinda just happened and I was just-

“OH SHIT!” I heard someone yell, it was too dark to see. Someone was gone, that thing took them. I couldn’t even see it. Oh fuck my life. Everyone began scattering, running away from the monster. I stopped running to take a breath, when I realized I was alone. Nicely done Y/N. The lights kept flickering. I heard something blow up in the distance.

“Conned? Conner?” I heard a whisper, one I knew all too well. Shit, joel. I ran toward the sound, and had no idea I was also running toward certain death. I stopped running. There it was, that thing. I’d never seen this before. I didn’t recognize it. I stayed silent, not moving at all. It slowly crawled over a shower curtain. Oh fuck. He was going toward joel! I quickly grabbed my bow and arrow and shot it. Right though the face. Next to its….eye I guess you could call it. Joel stood there, frozen.

I slowly walked over to him “Joel, hey are you ok?” I asked as I slipped my hand into his. He was trembling. Tears ran down his cheeks. He has a bad freezing problem, so I've been helping him work on it.

About an hour later I sat with Joel, still holding his hand as he stared out into space. We could hear everyone talking. How could this have happened?

“It ripped through steal”

“Anderson and I resealed the Breach point, nothings getting in that way again”

“But why did it happen?”

I tried to toon it out, and I hoped Joel did too.

“Joel, do you wanna talk about it?” I asked squeezing his hand, he looked so sad, which just crushed me

He shook his head

“Ok….” I nodded, I leaned into hug him but was interrupted by his voice

“How far away is Aimee's colony?” He asked

I pulled back, looking at him confused. The talking stopped and everyone look at him

“What?” Tim asked

“Aimee’s colony, how far away is it?” He repeated

“About 85 miles” he said as he furrowed his brows

“How long will it take to get there?”

“What do you mean joel?” I asked leaning closer to him

“Just humor me, how long?” He insisted

“7 days” said Tim

“Someone who’s armed and trained would hardly last 50miles, but you…joel” Ava said, I felt bad for him, he really didn’t deserve any of this

“Alright” Tim continued “now I need volunteers”

“I’m gonna go” joel said

No one said anything, they just stared

“It’s an impossible journey joel” said Tim, crossing his arms

Joel stood up, moving around my chair. “No im serious…I love you guys but there’s only one person in this world who ever truly made me happy and she’s only 85 miles away” he said strongly “I’m gonna go see her” I could see his mind was made up

God he was such a romantic, how could you not love this guy? Sure it hurts when your best friend tells you that you didn’t make him truly happy. Especially when you maybe sorta kinda have a crush on him.

He let out a breath “woah, that felt awesome” he said as he walked off to start packing

I stood there for a second processing and thinking, but then suddenly my mouth took over and well….

“I’m coming with you!” I said, he froze “I mean you can’t leave me here with these middle aged people, and your my best friend so” I shrugged

“I’ll come back for you I promise” he walked over to me “I can’t let you put yourself in even more danger” he said grabbing my arms

“I can’t let you put yourself in danger knowing that I could have helped protect you” I said, he stared blankly at me

I smiled “o-ohK…then I guess…” he trailed off

“Cool I’ll go pack” I skipped past him. Was I scared? Hell yes. But like I said, I needed to help joel and protect him in every way I can. And sure I wasn’t so happy that he was returning to his long lost love but if it made him happy then I would live. And anyway, two do shorten the road.

[number5theboy]

Please elaborate on how Five could've turned into the most insufferable character to watch

Thanks for asking me to elaborate on this text post:

@tessapercygranger​, @waywardd1​ and @margarita-umbrella​ also wanted to see a more detailed version of it, and I ended up writing an essay that’s longer than some of my actual academic essays. So buckle up.

WHY NUMBER FIVE SHOULD BE THE MOST OBNOXIOUS CHARACTER IN TV HISTORY, AND HOW HE MANAGES NOT TO BE

Number Five: The Concept That Could Go Horribly Wrong

Alright, let’s first look at Five in theory in an overarching way, without taking into account the execution of the show. The basic set-up of the character, of course, is being a 58-year-old consciousness in a teenager’s body, due to a miscalculation in time travel. Right off the bat, Five is bar none the most overpowered of the siblings; by the end of Season 2, no one has yet been able to defeat him in a fight. He is a master assassin – and not just any master assassin, but the best one there is – and a survival expert, able to do complex maths and physics without the aid of a calculator, shown to have knowledge of half a dozen languages, has very developed observational skills and, to top that all off, he can manipulate time and space to the point where he can literally erase events that happened and change the course of history. And Five knows how skilled he is; he is arrogant, self-assured and sarcastic, and his streak of goodness is buried deep inside. David Castañeda once described Five in an interview as 90% chocolate with a cherry in the middle, meaning that you have to get through a lot of darkness and bitterness before knowing there is a good core, and I think it’s an excellent metaphor. However, Five is also incredibly, fundamentally terrible at communicating with anyone, and, because he is the only one with time travel abilities, the character a lot of the actual plot - and the moving forward of it - centres around. Also he’s earnestly in love with a mannequin, who is pretty much a projection of his own consciousness that functions as a coping mechanism for all the trauma he has endured. All in all, this gives you a character who looks like a teenager, but with the smug superiority of a fifty-something, who a) is extremely skilled in many different things, b) has a superiority complex, is arrogant and vocal about it, and most of the superiority is expressed through cutting sarcasm, c) has one very hidden ounce of goodness that he is literally the worst at communicating to other human beings, d) is what moves the plot along but is also bad at talking to anyone else, meaning that the plot largely remains with him, and e) his love interest is essentially a projection of himself. Tell me that’s not a character who is destined to be just…obnoxious, annoying, egocentric, a necessary evil that one has to put up with to get through this show. There are so many elements of this characterisation that can and should easily make Five beyond insufferable, but the show manages to avoid it, and I’m putting this down to three aspects.

That Trick of Age and Appearance

Bluntly put, Five as a character would not work if he was anything else than an old man in a 13-year-old body. Imagine this character and all his skills and knowledge, but actually just…a teenager. Immediately insufferable. Same goes for him being around 30, like his siblings, all of which are stunted and traumatised by their father’s abuse. If Five, being comparatively unscathed by Reginald to the point where he explicitly does not want to be defined by his association with his father, were 30 like his siblings, it would just take the bite out of that plot point and also give him a lot less time in the apocalypse, reducing the impact it had on him as a person. And making Five his actual 58-year-old self would make him very similar to Reginald, at least on surface level, with the appearance and attitude. Five and Reginald are two fundamentally different people, but having one of the siblings being a senior citizen that’s dressed to the nines and bosses his siblings around in a relatively self-centred way does open up that parallel, and would take away from Five’s charm as a character. Because pairing the life experience of a 58-year-old with the appearance of a teenager gives you the best of both worlds. You get the other siblings (and a lot of the audience, from a glance in the tags of my gifsets) feeling protective and paternal about Five, but his age and experience also give the justifications for his many skills, his arrogance, in a way, and his ability to decimate a room full of people. It’s the very interesting and not new concept of someone dangerous with the appearance of something harmless, a child. This is also where Five’s singular outfit comes in. I know we like to clown on Five to get a new outfit, but I think what gets forgotten often is how effective this outfit is at making the viewer take him seriously. The preppy school uniform is the perfect encapsulation of the tension between old man in spirit and young teenager in appearance. The blazer, vest and especially the shirt and tie are quite formal, relatively grown up. They’re not something we, the audience, usually associate with a teenage boy wearing; it makes Five just a little bit more grown up. But there is also a reason characters in this show keep bringing up Five’s shorts and his socks, because those are not things that we associate with grown men wearing; they’re the unmistakably childish part of his school uniform. Take a moment and imagine Five wearing a hoodie or a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers; would that outfit work for him as well as the uniform does? Would he be able to command the same kind of respect or seriousness as a character? I don’t think so; the outfit is a lot more pivotal in making Five believable than a lot of people give it credit for.

Writing Nuance

The other big building block in not making Five incredibly insufferable is the writing. Objectively speaking, I think Five is the most well-written, and, more importantly, most coherently written character on the show (which does have to do with the fact that the show’s events are all sequential for him), and his arc and personality remain relatively intact over the course of the two seasons. More to the point, a giant part of what makes Five bearable as a character is that he is allowed to fail. He is written to have high highs and low lows, big victories through his skills and his intelligence, but also catastrophic failures and the freedom to be wrong. His superior intellect and skillset are not the be-all end-all of the plot or his character, just something that influences both. His inability for communication has not (yet) been used to fabricate a contrived misunderstanding that derails the plot and left all of us seething; instead, it’s a characteristic that makes him fail to reconnect with the people he loves. This is a bit simplified, as he does find common ground with Luther, for example, but in general, a lot of the rift between Five and his siblings is that they can’t relate to his traumas and he does not understand the depth of Reginald’s abuse, which is an interesting conflict worth exploring. Another thing that really works in Five’s favour is that he is definitely written to be mean and sarcastic, but it is never driven to the point of complete unlikability, and a lot of the time, the context makes it understandable why he reacts the way he does. Most of the sarcastic lines he gets are actually funny, that certainly helps, but in general, Five is a good example of a bearable character whose default personality is sharp and relatively cold, because it is balanced out with many moments of vulnerability. Delores is incredibly important for this in the first season, she is the main focus of Five’s humanising moments, and well-written as she totes the line between clearly being a coping mechanism for an extremely traumatised man and still coming across to the viewer as the human contact Five needs her to be. In the second season, the vulnerability is about his guilt for his siblings, it’s about Five connecting a little bit better to them. There’s also his relationship with the Commission and the Handler specifically – which honestly could be an essay on its own – that deserves a mention, because the Handler is why Five became the man he is, and this dynamic between creator and creation is explored in a very interesting way – their scenes are some of the most well-written in the entire show. And TUA never falls into the trap of making Five a hero, he is always morally ambiguous at best, and it just makes for an interesting, multi-faceted character, well-written character, and none of the characteristics that should make him unlikeable are allowed to take centre-stage for long enough to be defining on their own. I know a lot of people especially champion the scenes where Five goes apeshit, but without his more nuanced characterisation, if he was like that all the time, those scenes would not hit as hard.

Aidan Gallagher’s Performance is Underrated

But honestly, none of the above would matter that much if the Umbrella Academy didn’t luck out hard with the casting of Aidan Gallagher. I think what he achieves as an actor in this show is genuinely underappreciated. Like, the first season set out to cast six adults having to deal with various ramifications of childhood trauma, and a literal child that had to be able to act smart and wise beyond his years, seamlessly integrate into a family of adults while seeming like an adult, traumatised by the literal end of the world, AND had to be able to create the romantic chemistry of a thirty-year-long marriage with a lifeless department store doll. The only role I could think of to compare is Kirsten Dunst in Interview with a Vampire, where she plays a vampire child who, because she is undead, doesn’t age physically, but does mentally, so she’s 400 in a child’s body. And Kirsten Dunst had to do that for a two-hour movie. Five is a main character in a show that spans 20 episodes now. That’s insane, and it’s a risk. Five is a character that can’t be allowed to go wrong; if you don’t buy Five as a character, the entire first season loses believability. And they found someone who could do that not only convincingly, but also likeably. As I said, he is incredibly helped by the costuming department and the script, but Aidan Gallager’s Five has so much personality, he’s threatening and funny and charming and arrogant and heartbreaking. He has the range to be convincing in the quiet moments where Five’s humanity comes to show and in the moments where Five goes completely off the rails. Most child actors act with other children, but he is the only child in the main cast, and holds his own in scenes with adults not as a child, but as an adult on equal footing with the other adult characters. That’s not something to be taken for granted. But even apart from the fact that it’s a child actor who carries a lot of the plot and the drama of a series for adults, Aidan Gallagher’s portrayal of Five is also just so much fun. The comedic timing is on point, he has the dramatic chops for the serious scenes, the mannerisms and visual ticks add to the character rather than distract from him, and his line deliveries, paired with his physical acting, make Five arrogant and smug but never outright malicious and unlikeable. It’s just some terrific acting that really does justice to the character as he is written, but the writing would not be as strong if it wasn’t delivered and acted out the way Aidan Gallagher does. He is an incredible asset for this show.

Alright, onto concluding this rambling. If you made it this far, I commend you, and thank you for it. The point of all of this is that Five, as a character, could have been an unmitigated disaster of a TV character. He is overpowered, arrogant, uncommunicative and could so easily have been either unconvincing or completely unlikeable, but he turned out to be neither. It’s a combination of choices in the costume department, decisions in the writing room, and Aidan Gallagher’s acting skills that make the things that should make him obnoxious and annoying incredibly entertaining, and I hope you liked my long-winded exploration of these. Some nuance was lost along the way, but if I had not stopped myself, this would’ve become a full-blown thesis.