#the next im obsessively looking up the character on ao3

[ace-the-fox]

Why has my English lit class given me a new obsession? Why is Victor Frankenstein residing in my brain? Why can't I get him out??

[torukmaktoskxawng]

tsamsiyu ta'em - strangers like me

Masterlist - part ten

Summary: Kayla continues to learn about island life with the Metkayina and also learns a bit more about her teachers along the way. Tonowari and Ronal find their student strange and intriguing.

Pairing: Ronal/Tonowari/Original Female Character

Tag: #tsamsiyu ta'em fic

posted on ao3

Word Count: 6k+

Taglist (bold indicates "could not tag"): @motheroffae @undeniableadrenaline @mooniequeen @shit-i-say-shit-i-think @heart-an0n @amiets2 @slutforsmut4ever @yeosxxx​ @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @sucker4angstt @inolaphoenix @ilovechickenwings tojisleftarm andyfromku @ivysully

A/N: I am so sorry for my absence! I wish I have a good excuse for being absent, but the truth is I'm not doing so hot in the real world rn. My job is cutting back hours and I barely have enough for rent. I'm getting a second job next month so hopefully, things smoothen out.

Here is the long-awaited update that I will kick myself for delaying in exchange for obsessively crying over Good Omens Season 2. Let the montage of Awa'atlu life commence! Again, thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy!

Note: The title is named after the Phil Collins song "Strangers Like Me" because Tarzan and Avatar just go together XD

To avoid having Ronal hunt her down again, Kayla got up earlier the next morning and made her way back to the village to join her brother's family for breakfast before her lessons. Kiri was definitely doing better and Tuk was excited that her aunt had decided to see them off before their busy days. After pleasant conversations and the promise to meet before their midday meal, the kids took off to pursue whatever they planned for the day. Kayla stood up with the intention of going to find either the tsahik or the olo'eyktan and so Jake walked her out of the marui as they talked.

"So Neteyam mentioned that you guys talked about what happened between Lo'ak and Ao'nung," Jake started off.

'Oh, boy, here we go,' Kayla thought as she tilted her head to glance back at him, feigning partial innocence, "Yes? What about it?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to let you know that it's already been handled, and it sounds like the boys are actually getting along now. Neteyam also mentioned that you didn't get to meet Ao'nung yesterday so I wanted to make sure you knew this before you went looking for a fight with the kid."

"Jake, how young do you think I am?" When his face twisted with hesitance, she rolled her eyes, "Don't answer that. What I'm trying to say is that I'm not a child, I'm older than I look, and believe it or not, I do realize this. You don't have to worry about me... but you could've been a little nicer to Lo'ak."

Jake refrained from also rolling his eyes, knowing his sister would say this. He wasn't blind. He was well aware that Kayla would always be quick to defend his youngest son, no matter what he did. Jake was half-convinced that Lo'ak could get away with murder as far as his aunt was concerned, "He knew he wasn't allowed to go beyond the reef but he went anyway. He was at fault as much as Ao'nung."

"I get that, but it feels as though Lo'ak received more punishment than the boys who actually put him in danger, and for what?"

"For picking fights."

"No, for defending his sister," her eyes narrowed, "Not that you would know what that means."

Jake took the verbal lashing in stride, internally sighing, "I can't punish the chief's son for what he does against my kids, Kayla."

At first, Kayla had every intention of cursing her brother out, but instead paused and tried rephrasing her response. Her eyes drifted to the reef while she recalled far-off memories, "I remember Mom and Dad were allowed to punish the neighbor kids if they misbehaved with us and no one would bat an eye."

The mention of his old life irked him, and he wasn't afraid to show that in his deep snarl, "Well, Mom and Dad aren't here and we're not on Earth," her posture visibly stiffens but doesn't interrupt. Jake's wave of anger is immediately replaced with guilt, so he opts in taking a breath before he could say anything else he might come to regret, "Things are different here. So be civil and keep the peace. Don't go picking fights with teenagers."

"I won't," she mutters darkly, the coldness in her eyes returning as she side-eyes him, reminding Jake that he still wasn't out of the storm regarding her, "That's what you're here for."

She doesn't stay long enough to hear whatever rebuttal he might have in mind. Instead, she walks down the pathways leading further into the village before calling back, "I'll see you later."

Tail lowered in distress and possibly shame, Jake could only turn back to the marui and try to go about his day as he normally would. He knew he deserved the petty insults and his sister's aggression toward him, especially after all the radio silence she had endured for months while he was here experiencing a new way of life, on top of everything else. He just wished Kayla could manage to let go of all the pain and anger like he did when he first began to learn the ways of the Omatikaya. Physically, Kayla's avatar hasn't changed apart from the new Na'vi trinkets she had added to her standard-issued cargo shorts and crop top. However, Jake had hoped her mentality toward him would change the more she learned how to be Na'vi. 

He knew he was a fool to get his hopes up so soon. 

Walking through the village, Kayla went down the same route Ronal had brought her yesterday, hoping she would catch sight of the tsahik. Again, there were some stares from the Metkayina, but they didn't last as long as the day before and the reef people didn't look as bothered by her appearance. The Na'vi go about their day without much acknowledgment to Kayla, and before she knew it, she had made it to her destination, the craft huts she had met Tsireya just the other day.

It wasn't hard to find Ronal among the crowd of mottled skin patterns. Her accessories, tattoos, and rounded stomach are a dead giveaway, and the tsahik easily found Kayla in the crowd in turn, though it wasn't as hard, given the circumstances. Ronal's eyes visibly squint when her gaze lands on Kayla, then the Na'vi woman pulls away from her task to rise and meet the avatar. Another Na'vi stands to join her, a teenage boy and Kayla had an inkling who it was.

When Ronal approached Kayla, she motioned to the boy behind her, "My son, Ao'nung."

Smiling timidly, Kayla greets Ao'nung as respectfully as possible, though even she could admit her smile was tighter than usual. Ao'nung didn't say a word back, instead deciding to simply nod and avoid eye contact. His ears drooped and his head lowered like this was torture for him. Clearly, he was being coerced into being here with Kayla, but she decided not to fault him for it. Perhaps he's already being punished enough for his wrongdoings that he didn't need Kayla to torture him further about it.

Ronal doesn't appear to notice nor care for Ao'nung's discomfort and sternly stated to Kayla, "We will be teaching you how to communicate underwater. Do not fall behind or you will be left behind."

Kayla refrains from the small smile that threatened to escape her. Ronal's words vaguely reminded her of Neytiri's way of teaching Jake both from the stories she heard and the video log Jake had recorded. As Jake had once phrased it, 'Learn fast or die.'

With that in mind, Kayla doesn't complain and silently follows Ronal and Ao'nung away from the craft huts and further down the pathways. It didn't take long before they brought their guest to a large marui. It wasn't as big as the communal pod for the feasts, but it was significantly taller and wider than the normal ones Kayla has seen, including the Sullys' marui. She took note of the different colors of weaving and decorations adorning the home, such as the totem and skimwing skull hanging over the front entrance in greeting, a small windchime of shells softly dancing in the warm breeze. If Kayla had to guess, this was the olo'eyktan and tsahik's pod. Soon after stepping inside, both Ronal and Ao'nung lower to the ground, sitting back on their legs and Kayla does the same, proceeding to listen as Ronal starts off the lesson.

Nothing eventful happened as Kayla learned the Metkayina equivalent of sign language. Ao'nung never said a word regarding Lo'ak or any incident that happened with Kayla's nieces and nephews prior to her arrival. In fact, Ao'nung didn't say a whole lot other than chiming in a time or two to help Kayla with the lesson. Perhaps he never said a word outside of the subject of his people's sign language because his mother had been giving him sharp looks throughout the whole lesson. It was hard to miss. Ronal wasn't exactly a subtle creature. She openly expressed whatever she was feeling, unafraid of hurting someone's feelings, not even her son's, it would seem.

It was amusing to find all the similarities between the mother and son, both physically and spiritually. Their glare, eyes, and even their pout were the same. Kayla even dared herself to look a little closer without getting caught and noticed that Ao'nung inherited the same mole as his mother's, both spots found above their lip, on the top right side.

She must have lost track in time as the suns rose higher in the sky. Before she knew it, her next teacher had shown up to take her to her next destination. Tonowari stepped up into the marui, his large frame blocking the majority of the light coming in through the entryway. His gaze brushes over Kayla and Ao'nung before his eyes land on the tsahik, "Ma Ronal. Is this a good time?"

One of Kayla's ear flick to the side at the term of endearment, glancing over to the woman in question who only firmly nods and stares back at Kayla, "Go on. My mate will continue your riding lessons from yesterday."

Kayla mutters her thanks and stands up to join Tonowari. As they turn toward the exit, the olo'eyktan points back to his son, "Ao'nung. Remain with your mother."

"But, Father--"

"Do not question me, boy," the tone in Tonowari's voice was a little louder and stronger than normal, and even Kayla could feel her spine straightening up, despite not being under his scrutiny. Kayla briefly glances back at Ao'nung and notes the way he shrinks in on himself, still unable to look her in the eye, clearly embarrassed. Kayla looks away and follows Tonowari out of the marui, shadowing his footsteps as he addresses her, "I apologize for my son."

For the moment, Kayla had the empathy to pity the teenager and decided to soften the blow against Ao'nung, "There's nothing to apologize for. He was a pleasant enough teacher."

His voice had reverted back to its normal tone, significantly smoother and kinder on the ears, "Did you learn well?"

"I think so. It's not that different compared to what the Sky People have," when he flashed a questioning glance over his shoulder at her, she further explained, "They have a language that requires hand motions, too."

He doesn't question it further, instead looking back ahead and leading Kayla down to the docks. The ilu anxiously await their arrival in the water below, clicking and calling excitedly as Tonowari pulls a harness over one of their heads. The two adults get into the water and stand beside the earnest ilu, Tonowari trying to calm the creature whilst Kayla makes tsaheylu. She mounts the creature with ease, remembering yesterday's lesson and dreading the idea of falling off again as Tonowari begins reassuring her, "You need to exude confidence. Tell the ilu that you will command them and you will be respected by them. Do not give them space to come up with their own ideas."

She takes a few deep breaths to calm her nerves and nodded, waiting until Tonowari steps away before commanding the ilu to move forward using only the bond connecting them to each other's thoughts. The creature obliges and all appears to be going smoothly. Kayla manages to instruct the ilu to swim faster before eventually sinking underneath the water's surface. The ilu picks up speed and even as she clings on for dear life, Kayla could already feel her grip loosening. Angry and determined, Kayla tightens her thighs around the saddle of the creature and demands her bonded steed to leap out of the water and let her breathe, no room for nonsense.

To her shock and delight, the ilu chirped happily and sprung out of the water like a bullet, briefly flying through the air and allowing Kayla to take a breath before diving back in. She was so shocked that she almost lost her grip before regaining composure and asking the ilu to do it again, in case she had only imagined her success. The ilu was ecstatic to leap out of the water again and did so without a fuss, and this time, Kayla laughed as the shock wore off.

On the surface, the woman is met with a small audience. Lo'ak, Neteyam, and Tsireya were out riding their own respective ilu that afternoon before briefly pausing to watch a school of fish swim all around them, tickling their feet. Just as Kayla appeared to finally be getting the hang of riding an ilu, the teenagers caught notice of her as well. Lo'ak is the first to spot her, cupping his hands over his mouth as he crows in encouragement, "Go, Auntie! Woo-hoo! Yeah! You got it!"

Kayla laughs as Neteyam and Tesireya begin to cheer her on as well, their voices carried by the winds as Kayla and her ilu dive into the water and back out again. By the time Kayla remembered herself and returned to her teacher, Tonowari had his arms crossed but otherwise appeared pleased by her improvement, tail leisurely swaying behind him with curiosity.

~~~~~~~~~

Weeks go by since Kayla first arrived in Awa'atlu, and despite having to adapt to yet another completely different culture, Kayla had to admit that it was getting easier as time went on. She originally thought the ways of the Metkayina were a cakewalk compared to the Omatikaya, but maybe it was because she learned from the Forest People first that made learning from the Reef People easier than she originally thought it would.

She makes sure to reiterate this to Norm and the other humans every time she sees them. When everyone in Awa'atlu is meant to be resting, Kayla retreats to her campsite and secures her avatar form before closing her eyes and breaking the neural link. The next time she opens her eyes, it's within the link gurney back at High Camp.  Norm and Max are always there to greet her, asking about her headaches and other health problems. There were days even Kayla had to admit were rough. After spending so much time in her avatar form, it's starting to strain the link connecting herself to her human form and it causes massive headaches every time she breaks a new record of not reporting back for days on end. To distract her friends from lecturing her, Kayla just updates everyone on Kiri's condition and relays any messages Jake or the rest of the Sully family wanted her to bring. In return, the scientists or even the Na'vi, such as Txe'la and Meui, would update her on any information regarding Ardmore or any Sky People activity. 

She's always left disappointed when they say the same thing. No one has seen Spider. 

Trying not to let the news discourage her, Kayla always wakes back up in her avatar form in better spirits so as not to worry Jake and his family. Kayla continues to treat the days as normal, continuing her lessons and helping out in any way she can so as not to overstay her welcome. When she wasn't following Tonowari or Ronal around, Kayla was usually in the company of her nieces, nephews, and their new friends.

Tsireya was one of those friends, and she was such a sweet girl who would happily entertain Kayla in any endeavor. When she wasn't busy, one of Kayla's favorite pastimes was helping Tuk and Tsireya find seashells for their hair and any jewelry idea they had in mind. Tsireya, as Tuk said, knew all the best spots where the shells were always fully intact and not crushed into pieces by the harsh tides. During these little adventures, Kayla, Tuk, and Tsireya would learn more about each other, bonding over the fact that they were all their families' younger sisters. 

The sign language was easier than the verbal language, but Kayla felt as though she had a rug pulled from beneath her feet when Ronal knowingly stated that she was going to be teaching her student a third language. The tsahik, with the help of other Metkayina, began to teach Kayla the language of the tulkun, the sea creature Kayla learned to be the spiritual animal and companion to the Reef People, as the ikran is to Forest People. Apparently, not even Kayla's nieces and nephews have progressed as far as learning the tulkun language yet, and they became ecstatic to realize that they would be learning this alongside their aunt. Joining Ronal in these lessons with Kayla and the Sully kids would also be Tsireya and Rotxo, which only excited the forest kids more. Ronal wasn't as pleased with her own student when she caught Kayla fondly watching the children interact more than once. 

Kayla had to learn this extra language on top of her breathing lessons, the latter of which was taught by both Tonowari and Ronal. Sometimes they would teach her separately, and other times they would do so together, but whatever the case may be, it didn't matter to Kayla. She would carefully listen to whoever was teaching her, and sometimes she listened so intently that she caught herself observing her teachers a little too closely. 

Like Tonowari's eyes for example. Kayla noted they were a light blue at first as she sat cross-legged across from him while they practiced breathing exercises. But upon closer inspection, Kayla noticed specks of green engulfed by those blue orbs, like clumps of islands surrounded by warm sparkling oceans.

He was a clenched fist with a gentle touch. Kayla greatly admired him for being someone who could easily take advantage of his strength and position above his people but chooses to be kind and soft-spoken instead.

 It was fascinating for Kayla to see just how different the Metkayinas' eyes were compared to the Omatikayas'. Whereas every Na'vi of the Forest had orange or yellow cat-like eyes, the ones who live off of the reef had rounder and bigger eyes, not to mention they had a variety of different shapes, sizes, and colors. 

Like Ronal's eyes. The opposite of her mate's, Kayla noted that Ronal's eyes were more green than blue, with specks of a warm, gold color, like a sunset reflecting off the ocean surface. 

She was orphic, but that's as far as Kayla allowed herself to describe the tsahik.

There was plenty to say about Ronal, but Kayla thought it best not to linger on any of the words bouncing around in her head. It was clear to her that the tsahik will always disapprove of Kayla and her presence among the Metkayina, so Kayla didn't want to compliment the Na'vi woman too much, especially since she doesn't intend on staying for very long.

Her stay was still very much temporary, at least in Kayla's eyes, as she still intends on going back to the forest to find Spider. For now, however, she was content with her small campsite just inside the treeline of the Metkayina island, a campsite that Ronal appears to disapprove of along with everything else about Kayla. The tsahik still has to occasionally venture out and find Kayla among the trees if she is in need of the avatar woman, like today when Ronal had the mind to take the time to find Kayla. It wasn't hard since the demon had kept her promise and never moved her campsite so she would be right where Ronal could find her. Still, Kayla was apologetic when Ronal found her and the tsahik begrudgingly told the foreigner to follow her back to the village.

Ronal brings her to the shoreline and recruits her to help fix an ilu pen that had begun to wither with age. Tonowari was already hard at work on it and briefly looked up to greet the two women when they sat down on the edge of the pathway and gracefully slipped into the water with him. After a brief instruction from him, Kayla gets to work in silence, and Ronal isn't opposed to doing the same. The silence wasn't as awkward as they were in the past, but out of the corner of her eye, Kayla could clearly see that something was bothering the tsahik, as Ronal wasn't ashamed of openly frowning while watching Kayla work. She didn't appear to be glaring in disapproval, but she looked... frustrated. It was as if she was trying to figure out a complicated puzzle. Kayla briefly glanced at the Na'vi positioned on the other side of her and noticed that Tonowari was much more subtle than his mate. Unlike Ronal, he only snuck glances at Kayla and her work here and there and did his best to hide whatever expression was on his face.

"Am I doing it wrong?"

"No. You're doing well," a compliment was not what she was expecting and it shows as Kayla's ears perk up and her eyes briefly widen. Ronal pointedly ignores the reaction and blatantly asks, "Why do you not stay with your brother's family at night?"

Kayla looked at Ronal, nose scrunched slightly in confusion, all the while completely unaware of the stare Tonowari sent to his mate from above Kayla's head, "Why would I?"

"Group sleep is also customary in the Metkayina."

"What's a group sleep?"

By Eywa, did the Omatikaya teach this alien woman anything? Ronal huffs out an irritated sigh, "Families sleep in large groups, usually in their swaynivi. Some clan members will sleep alone or with their mate just as long as they return to their family's nivi in a short period of time. Otherwise, they're deemed spiritually unhealthy. It is unsafe for one to sleep alone."

"I see," Kayla's ears pin back and her posture straightens, understanding the question now while pointedly staring down at her work on weaving the ilu pen together instead of addressing Ronal, "Well, where I'm from, that's called an invasion of privacy. I would assume that the families who sleep in large groups mostly contain parents and their children, correct?"

She doesn't wait for a response as she further explains with a small distaste in her mouth, "Since I'm neither of those, I don't want to invade my brother's and his children's privacy. Thank you for your concern, but I've been alone for a very long time. I can assure you that I am just fine with the sleeping arrangements I have now."

Even Ronal can sense a dismissal when she hears it in Kayla's voice. It was clear that the alien woman didn't want to further discuss this topic and so the tsahik didn't push it. Returning to her work, Ronal now briefly shared a glance with Tonowari but he pointedly kept his mouth closed during the whole conversation and after.

Luckily, the silence is saved by Neteyam as the teenager arrives with a purpose, slightly bouncing over the pathways above the adults' heads, "Auntie. My father is looking for you."

Kayla's discomfort visibly melts before Tonowari and Ronal's eyes. She looks up and smiles at the Na'vi boy, "Tell your father he can come and get me himself next time instead of sending you out. You should be elsewhere, enjoying the reefs and hunting with your friends."

She briefly turned back to the clan leaders, silently asking for approval to leave with her eyes flicking between the two Metkayina. Both nodded and openly watch as Kayla turns back to Neteyam, smiling up at her nephew as she rises up onto the pathway and follows him out, gently shoving him once to get him to pick up the pace so she didn't trip on his heels.

Neteyam huffed a small laugh as they walked, but the sound falls in replace of shame. He was visibly acting a little shy as he avoided eye contact, "I am sorry that I told my father about our conversation. I should have asked for your permission."

"Hey, no harm," she nudged him, "It's not like our talks are meant to be a secret or anything. It's nice that you can trust your father with everything; trust him enough to talk about whatever you want. As long as you're comfortable, kiddo."

"Was your father not like that?"

Kayla bit her tongue to refrain from visibly wincing, staring directly ahead instead of at her nephew, "No. I don't think he was. Not from what I can remember. Mostly I relied on Tommy and your dad growing up."

"What was my father like as an older brother? Am I like him?"

Kayla briefly grew quiet as they walked, pondering about how she could best word this to her oldest nephew. She tried seeing Jake in Neteyam, she really did, but whenever she tried comparing the teenager's best traits, they only remind her of Neytiri. And when Kayla thinks about Jake, all the pain and other torture he had put her through both intentionally and by accident, she couldn't even fathom Neteyam doing the same thing to his own siblings. Physically and mentally, deep down she knew that Neteyam was nothing like his father, and she was secretly grateful for that.

So instead of agreeing, Kayla simply smiled while staring the teenager in the eyes so he could see her sincerity, "No, 'Teyam. You're like Tommy. He was the older brother. When it comes to how you treat your siblings, you remind me of him, and I think your father sees it, too."

~~~~~~~~~

When Ronal isn't busy with her duties as tsahik or teaching Kayla, she is making sure Neytiri also adapts to their way of life. Although the former tsakarem had been comfortably accustomed to island life by the time her sister-in-law joined her family, Ronal still takes Neytiri into the jungle for a second pair of hands to gather the needed plants and herbs for her stock. Today was no different as the two women stumbled across a large jungle tree, larger than any of the others around them. Instead of following Ronal's suggestion to skip this tree and its healing fruits in exchange for a shorter one, Neytiri stops and shakes her head. Ronal was adamant about moving on since she was in no condition to climb and wasn't built to climb trees even if she wasn't currently pregnant. 

Neytiri still shook her head in defiance and simply said, "You need Forest People."

The Forest woman opens her mouth and calls out at the top of her lungs, causing Ronal's ears to twitch in response to her whooping and cawing. Notifying her family about her location, it didn't take long for Jake, Kayla, and all the Sully children to come running to Neytiri's call. 

Neytiri proudly smiles at her family while explaining why they had been summoned, "Our tsahik needs the fruit from the top of this tree and the ones surrounding it."

The others take a moment to look at one another before Kayla breaks the silence, briefly tapping Tuk's shoulder before running off, "'Last one to the top is a rotten egg!"

Tuk squeals and immediately chases after her aunt. The older Sully kids smile and break into fits of laughter, following suit and running after Kayla and their little sister. They all leap up, grabbing onto the lower branches before lifting themselves up, climbing expertly higher without their arms protesting the weight of their bodies. Ronal watched them climb higher and higher, keeping her expression stoic while observing the way Kayla makes the collecting and scavenging into a game for her nieces and nephews, challenging them to see who can gather the most fruit. In the corner of her eye, Ronal could still see Neytiri standing beside her, also watching the trees and smiling fondly up at her family. Jake soon stands beside his wife, hands on his hips while watching his sister and his children with a careful eye.

It was then did Ronal address Toruk Makto directly, flashing a face of disapproval, "Does your sister always act so childish?"

Jake's posture stiffens and he struggles to find the right words under the tsahik's watchful eye, "Well-! Uh..."

"No, only with the children," Neytiri answers for him, eyes hardened when they meet Ronal's as if daring her to speak again, "She plays with them because she wants to remind them that they are still just that. Children."

~~~~~~~~~

Kiri woke up bothered about something and everyone could tell. That girl didn't know how to hide her feelings no matter how badly she wanted to, the definition of an open book. Even though no one knew why she was upset, they could clearly tell that whatever it was, it had something to do with her aunt. Kiri wasn't necessarily cold to Kayla, but the teenager would go quiet and only speak in one-word responses whenever the older woman spoke directly to her. 

Kayla decided that she needed to fix whatever was going on between herself and her oldest niece, so she offered to take the children out as the afternoon slipped into the evening. Neytiri suggested bringing them swimming through the reefs to collect barnacles and other underwater plants for tonight's supper, a passing time a lot of the villagers tend to do. Kayla takes up the idea and presents it to the Sully kids, who all agree to go, some more enthusiastic than others.

Tuk immediately splashes into the water and her brothers chase after her. Meanwhile, Kayla and Kiri linger on the beach, watching them disappear into the ocean. Kayla had tried breaking the tension with a small smile, "So when are you gonna show me how to use those underwater fairy wings?" 

She was hoping for a small laugh or even a smile, but Kiri does neither. Instead, she looks sad and distracted, looking out over the horizon where the sky meets the sea, daydreaming of other lands... of home. Kayla bravely touches the girl's shoulder, and when Kiri looks up, her aunt could see the concern plain on her face. The avatar woman squeezes Kiri's shoulder, "What is it?" 

Kiri bites the inside of her cheek before giving in, letting out a small sigh, "When are you going back to the forest?" She quickly understands how that could easily be misinterpreted and corrects herself, "It's just that-- you promised you'd look for Spider. And yet, you're here and he still hasn't been found yet."

Kayla relaxes both in posture and touch, removing her hand from Kiri's shoulder and instead letting it fall to her side, "I'll likely be gone by the end of the week, but for Norm's peace of mind, I'm going to be running a few tests on you so he and I both know you'll be okay," silence follows and Kayla reaches out once more, letting her hand gently grasp Kiri's arm, "Kiri, look at me."

The teen does so, a little belligerent at first. Upon staring up at her aunt, Kiri could see the determination in her eyes that closely matched Kiri's father's. Kayla tilts her head down to try and stand more at Kiri's height before softly explaining, "I haven't given up. And you might find it pointless to keep an eye on you after what happened, but I don't, and I don't think Spider would either. Think about it, kiddo. Spider would want us to make sure you're alright before we ever went looking for him."

Kiri ducks her head and watches her toe make shapes in the sand beneath her feet, "I know... but that doesn't mean I have to like it. He deserves to be put first for once."

Silence lingers between the two of them before Kayla simply says, "You're right."

Kiri doesn't wanna look up to see whatever expression was on her aunt's face. Instead, Kiri takes her arm and drags her to the water, "Come."

"'Where we going?"

"You said you wanted to learn how to use a txampaysye."

Kayla's nose scrunched up, testing the word on her tongue with bitterness, "How do you even spell that??"

Kiri manages to loosen up and laugh before they both held their breath and sank down into the water, sinking until they joined the rest of the Sully children. They introduce Kayla to txampaysye -gill mantle- and instruct her on how to use it in order to breathe underwater. Kayla wasn't far off. The gill mantles really did look like fairy wings, but other than maybe a few comments or stories, none of the Na'vi children would know what exactly a fairy was. The children and their aunt spend the evening doing as Neytiri suggested, gathering underwater plants and barnacles alongside other Metkayina, most of whom all wore the txampaysye. By the time the communal dinner rolled around, the Sully family was exhausted, but content all the same.

~~~~~~~~~

A peaceful morning where the Sullys invite Kayla over for breakfast goes uneventful until they're rolling up their nivi after a good night's rest. Their peace is interrupted by a horn, followed by whoops and hollers of celebration coming from outside. Confused and on edge, Jake and the kids emerge from the marui, looking around as the Metkayina jump around and dive into the water, making the newcomers curious as to what was going on.

Their answer came in the form of Tsireya, astride an ilu as she waved down her people from the water below their homes, "The tulkun have returned! Everybody! Our Brothers and Sisters have returned!"

Kayla looked up toward the atoll wall protecting the village from less docile nature. Emerging from the tunnels and pathways underneath the wall were rolling waves indicating something large below the water. Spurts of seaspray spring out like geysers from beneath the ocean's surface. It was a large pod of whale-like creatures, massive and slow. Their descent onto the village was graceful and one that brought much joy to the Metkayina as they couldn't get in the water fast enough.

The Sully kids couldn't wait either, jumping from the walkway around their home and into the water below. They scatter, exploring the new creatures one way or another. Tsireya had grabbed Lo'ak when she spotted him and pulled him onto her ilu, swimming away to introduce him to her Spirit Sister. Jake summoned his tsurak and both he and Neytiri take off to observe the sacred animals themselves. Rotxo had come around and pulled Kiri and Tuk away too, leaving Neteyam and Kayla to wander. Ao'nung was not far behind his friend, however, and invited Neteyam to come along with him to find his own Spirit Brother. Earning a small reassurance from his aunt, Neteyam doesn't hesitate to jump in and both teenagers each grab an ilu and take off, making a game of chase with Ao'nung in the lead.

Neteyam kept close to Ao'nung the entire time. The chief's son leads Neteyam through the chaos expertly, the two of them swimming quickly around a particular tulkun. Kiri, Tuk, and Rotxo were hanging onto the bull's fin and gliding peacefully through the water, the tulkun likely the reef boy's Spirit Brother. Neteyam was only able to catch a glimpse of this as they swim by, keeping close to Ao'nung's tail and playfully chasing him.

Jake had been leisurely swimming his skimwing through the maze of tulkun and Metkayina before glancing off to the side and perking up. Reaching back and tapping Neytiri's thigh to grab her attention, he waits until her eyes are on him before pointing out the sight he stumbled across. Following her husband's gaze and finger, Neytiri spots a mother tulkun and her calf, the smaller whale-like creature keeping close, mostly under its mother's fin or belly. Neytiri smiled with delight, her heart melting at the picture.

Kayla had been floating above the surface, watching the vast sight of tulkun from up top the back of an ilu she had successfully summoned. She didn't venture very far until the olo'eyktan sought her out. She noticed his tsurak first, flying above her head before gracefully sinking into the water, folding in its webbed fins. Tonowari brings it back around and swims up to Kayla's side, a determined smile on his lips, "We must put all that you learned to the test. Come meet my Spirit Brother and see how well you can understand and communicate with him."

She nods and dutifully follows him into the water after taking a deep breath. They submerge and take off, weaving through and around the large bodies of tulkun, dodging other ilu and Na'vi while Tonowari keeps his pace slow for Kayla's ilu to catch up. Underwater, Kayla can get a better look at the tulkun, and to her amazement, she realized that most of them were tattooed like their respective Na'vi. Eventually, they come across a large bull and Tonowari slows to a complete stop, disengaging from his tsurak and openly swimming the rest of the way to the heavily tattooed tulkun male. Kayla disengages from her ilu and watches it swim away before swimming in the same direction as the olo'eyktan, keeping a small bit of distance while he approaches the tulkun, greeting it like an old friend with a wide smile before gesturing Kayla to come closer.

When Kayla swims close enough to float near the large eye of the creature, Tonowari motions to the bull and makes rapid hand movements, "This Makayla te Suli tsmuke te Toruk Makto. She is of the Forest People and has come to learn our ways."

"Greetings, Makayla te Suli." The tulkun sings, and Kayla is delighted that she can understand him.

She quickly signs back, just as she had practiced, "I See you, great and mighty tulkun."

"Have you learned much since your arrival?"

"Yes, many things. I have excellent teachers in the olo'eyktan and the tsahik."

"Indeed. You are in good hands with my Brother and his mate. Ro'a speaks highly of her."

Curious, Kayla turns to the olo'eyktan in question, hands slowed by the water as she asks through the Metkayina sign language, "Is Ro'a Ronal's Spirit Sister?"

Tonowari nods while further explaining with his hands, "Yes, and I believe Ro'a has just given birth to her first calf."

"Indeed." The tulkun calls softly, the beautiful sound muffled in Kayla's ears like a song trying to pierce through cotton, "We are very proud and happy for our sister. What of Ronal's child?"

Tonowari beams, "Growing fast. Halfway there."

Kayla faintly smiles as her lungs begin to faintly burn, then quickly makes the appropriate hand motions to signal, "Forgive me. I need air."

She tilts her head upward and kicks her arms and legs to plunge up to the surface. Kayla immediately gasps for air the moment her head broke through the ocean waves, taking deep and calm breaths while looking around at all the joyous reunions going on around her. Laughter and cheers are still clinging to the approaching afternoon air, not a single Metkayina worried about the day's chores as they are too busy reacquainting themselves with their Spirit Brothers and Sisters. Kayla fondly watched these interactions, her heart warm and yet... sad as she watched the Na'vi swim around her without a care in the world. It's not as though she expected anyone to notice her, but it was a brief realization that today she was invisible and an outcast compared to these beautiful tulkun creatures. It was just another reminder that she didn't belong here and she had no Spirit Sister of her own, feeling out of place among an entire lagoon full of tulkun, Na'vi, tsurak, ilu, and other aquatic creatures.  

Once she caught her breath, Kayla inhaled deeply and stuck her face back into the water to check out the activity going on beneath her treading feet. Looking around, she managed to catch a glimpse of a familiar Na'vi, a woman, adamantly communicating with her hands toward another tulkun, a female and her calf. Kayla recognized Ronal's ornaments that expressed her importance among the other Metkayina, along with her rounded belly. Without those traits, however, Kayla wouldn't have recognized her because the tsahik was smiling, broadly, unbothered by anything going on around her as she spoke to what had to be her Spirit Sister, Ro'a.

In all the weeks Kayla had been living here, she had never seen Ronal smile, let alone smile like that.

A/N: Please remember that I can't reply to any comments below every chapter because I'm using a secondary account. So if you have questions about the series you would like answers to, please put it in the ask box, thank you!

If you have a request, check the rules first! Much love!

Buy me ko-fi <3

Just a brief notice that updates are gonna be spotty from here on out as summer is coming to a close and I'll be working two jobs next month (Sept). Keep the love and support coming and I hope to update for y'all soon!

[maddilynmuse]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55890415/chapters/141920194

Huh. I wrote almost 10,000 words in less than a week. When the brainrot hits, it really fucking hits.

WARNING, POST GAME SPOILERS, CONTINUE AT OWN RISK! (And if you do click the link, y’know, mind the tags)

Anyways, hello In Stars and Time fandom! Look what I just finished up earlier today~ For those who don’t obsessively check ao3, it’s a little series I’ve made about Siffrin post-canon having some time loop trauma manifesting as getting stuck in just repeating his lines (well, most lines are his, hehe) and going semiverbal. This here is a prequel to the smaller fic “Line, Please” which is the same basic premise, but later chronologically (so the fam isn’t quite as freaked out).

Do mind the warnings, this is a trauma response after all, but what can I say? For as much as I like to break characters open and see them bleed, I also adore some hurt/comfort and recovery. I think this game and fandom ought to understand, Change is destruction, but can be good too.

… and I wasn’t sure whether to go into it on ao3 or if it’d be weirdly personal and TMI, but fuck it. This was partly inspired by me going nonverbal about a week prior to “Line, Please.” It doesn’t happen to me often (I could count the times on one hand), but the mortal terror and sheer, prolonged dread of hearing people talk about imminent tornadoes all day, hurriedly packing as much as you can into a bag and going to the closest thing you have to shelter only to realize it is closed, it will not accept you, you cannot get in, desperately looking for anywhere else and slowly realizing you have no good options… Well, good news (for me at least), it missed us. I didn’t lose my life, car, apartment, or anything I owned. But turns out an entire day of slowly building terror and helplessness will fuck up your mental state. Im lucky that was the worst though.

… so yeah.

Anyways! Back to fic, there’s a nonzero chance I’ll somehow manage another insane bout of productivity next week, but there’s also a nonzero chance I will once more fall off the face of the earth for months (for more details, see the unnecessarily long author’s note on chapter 3, but good news! Job’s been confirmed, YA GIRL WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE INCOME!!! NO STARVING! YAY!)

Hope y’all have enjoyed, and sorry not sorry for the rant. You chose to click Read More, I wash my hands of responsibility /hj (but seriously, thanks for reading and have a good day).

And zero pressure, especially since I really don’t put too much on there, but link to Kofi.

[crows-home]

hey! i hope you don’t mind me asking, but do u have any fics you recommend reading? (specifically sonic fandom ones)

im so sorry anon but im probably the worst when it comes to fic recs. I just started using the bookmark function on ao3 like last month. There's probably tons of fics that i've read and absolutely loved, but never saved and are just collecting dust in my history ToT

i'm going to shout out a few of my favorite authors whose works i absolutely adore and some fics under the cut!

There's definitely more authors and fics i missed, but this is what i was able to come up with!! in general, the sonic community is full of so much talent and i'm just really happy to be here :)

@cozyqueerchaos - I love every single piece they put out honestly and these fics are the reason i dipped my toes more into the sonic fandom years ago. they're THAT good. love them all.

@phantomruby - another wonderful fic writer that everyone should check out. "Slipping Away" makes me cry fr, although i haven't caught up on the latest updates. everything just makes my heart go oshfdsfhd

@chaoxfix - sonic fics are wonderful sonic takes are top notch i dig everything. the understanding of the characters and archie is just phenomenal.

@teamxdark - fell in love with the Tales of Avalon series and fell harder in love with the team dark Boomtober fics and dynamics and aaaaaa, wonderful writing and style.

@rubyiiiusions - every fic is a joy to read and every story really just gets your attention and keeps it till the end. i've bookmarked a few of them since last week :)

I went digging through my history and here are some of my personal favorite Sonic fics!

radio silence under a yellow sky by chaox Summary: Sonic finds out Tails is missing. And more importantly, that no one's been looking for him.

A gen fic about Sonic finding out Tails was MIA during Forces it's so so good i think about it a lot

falling by sonosuke Summary: Shadow likes a boy

sonadow during SA2 I'll cry. so angsty but it makes me :')

Birds of a Feather by SonicaSpeed123 Summary: Sonic has been trapped in Camelot for three years, but he's started to make a place for himself that he can finally be comfortable in with his beloved Lancelot Something has been bothering him, though: If all the people of this world look like the people back home, where is Sonic's lookalike?

Lansoni. Part of a series of SatBK mini fics that i really love, but this one especially because it answers the question of 'what about the Sonic doppleganger?'

you can hardly swallow your fears and pain by chaox and sketchjii Summary: Shadow is usually better at putting up that cold, unfeeling front, isn't he? Or maybe that's him. (or: sonic doesn't need to be in touch with his feelings if he pretends they don't exist in the first place)

One of my all time faves i love it so much i dont think i have the right words. shadow tries to give sonic mental health advice. it does not go well. takes place some time after Forces.

the time has come again for stars by rubyillusions Summary: (five times someone notices sonic and shadow are in love and one time they do something about it)

sonadow, Teen. obsessed with how the characters are written here and the way all of their friends interpret their relationship it's just so cute and sweet and shit and i love it a lot.

against every odd by eggskie Summary: "We're friends?" Nine asks, small and timid, and oh, doesn't that break Sonic's heart. "Of course we are. We always have been. Or we always should have been." Or: Nine isn't used to being cared about

wanna see how hard i can cry? Gen, Sonic Prime fic about sonic and tails and what they should have been.

Dreams Don't Come True by Skyblaze Summary: Short, mildly humorous fic with sonadow flavouring. It also takes the mickey extensively out of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 Next Gen game. Warning: not to be taken seriously.

This fic is just really silly i like it a lot :)

A largely platonic cave by mousewritings Summary: "You know I uh, love hanging out with you and all, but do you think we could go somewhere that's not a cave for once?" Shadow stares at him. "What do you mean, go somewhere that's not a cave? Think you're too good for caves?"

Sonic Boom Sonic and Shadow (pre-slash sonadow) my beloveds <3<3 this fic is so funny they're so insufferable

Also, uh. I know you said only Sonic fics but i'm going to add a few more fics that i really really love from different fandoms because i reread them a lot, i hope you don't mind! ^^

Our way by shpeeper Summary: Overall, the mission was pretty simple. Sniper was instructed to track the spy for a week, figure out his daily patterns, then put a bullet in his brain when no one is around. No one told him there would be a kid. An AU in which Spy raises Scout alone, and Sniper is hired to kill Spy.

Oh my fucking god i could go on about this fic. Sniperspy, Teen, TF2. filled with action and danger. Every time a new character would get introduced, i would have fun piecing together who they were in my mind. the first chapter already had me emotional, it's been in my brain for YEARS. And don't even get me STARTED with the twist at the end. holy shit.

Desmodontinae by Romiress Summary: Kirk wakes up in a Gotham that is not his own. A what-if, where Gods and Monsters Batman winds up in the DCU. Originally intended as a short oneshot, and expanded out into a small story, exploring the differences, struggles, and conclusions. Focuses primarily on Kirk Langstrom (G&M Batman), with a side or Hernan Guerra (G&M Superman), Damian Wayne, and Bruce Wayne. Guest appearances by various other Robins, Clark and Jon Kent, and several others.

The Gods and Monsters DC team means so much to me and oh my god this fic was made with so much love and care for the characters. It's been a while since i read it, but i remember this fic had me staying up literally all night, eagerly going through all the chapters, one at a time. i was in bed kicking my sheets quietly irl lmao.

[damianbugs]

batfam taking care of dick grayson fics !! time travel fics !! heart wrenching batfam fics that actually analyse the characters and give a good character study and don't simply accept fanon crap (coffee addict tim drake im looking at u) !! ur top 5 all time fave batfam fic !! and also, i love ur stuff so much on ao3 thank u for sharing your work w us <3

THANK YOU SO MUCH !!! this is so sweet i am so happy you enjoy my work <3 i will do you one better and offer a list combining all your requests to the best of my capabilities !! you've caught me at a great time, because i am currently obsessed with batfam timetravel.

i will admit i definitely have more than five favourites (my 500+ carefully curated and organised private bookmarks should be proof enough) so i hope you like the ones i have selected here :D ! (these are in no particular order!)

MY TOP 5 FAVOURITE BATFAM FICS (on ao3) !

Tap by CKBookish

Bruce returns home from the time stream, haunted by phantoms and dreams. Dreams of a past that can't be real.

But all of that wouldn't be so bad if his home didn't feel so empty in the absence of one of his children. Jason, refuses to talk to him or even answer his calls and Bruce can't figure out why or what he did wrong, not after they had mended their fences before his disappearance.

Meanwhile,

Catherine struggles to hold it together for her and Jason as life falls apart around them. When all she has to give is love she does her best to give it all.

MY NOTES: one of my all time favourite not-exactly-time-travel time travel fics! features some wonderful character building and complicated relationships, and the plot itself is just incredibly. the way everyone is written is definitely realistic to how i would imagine them personally (especially dick).

A Good Place by LemonadeGarden

Damian Wayne is kidnapped and sent back years through time. Together, he and Father – who's only been Batman for a mere six months –must figure out how to return him to his own time.

Over the course of the next week, Damian discovers that Mexican gangsters do not mess around, that social workers find Bruce annoying, that Bruce might be a little messed up, and that crystal chandeliers create the fondest memories.

Oh. And Alfred has hair.

MY NOTES: not only is this one of my top favourite time travel fics, it is also one of my favourite bruce and damian fics. it is so witty and fun, but also hurts immensely. fics where the kids are forced to endure young bruce's ridiculousness is always a treat, and here it is infinitely more amusing because it's damian finding his father entirely silly.

Modus Tollens by fanfictiongreenirises

Dick is cursed to kill anyone he touches.

MY NOTES: this one is fantastic. really gut wrenching throughout and you really feel for dick when it gets tough, but the sweet ending makes up for all the pain. dick loves his family and his family loves him immensely.

I Used to Be an Adventurer Like You, Then I Took an Arrow to the Knee by audreycritter

Stephanie was just on patrol and now she’s stuck somewhere, sometime, with Bruce.

They bleed and bond and mostly try to keep each other alive— you know, just a Tuesday.

MY NOTES: don't mind me casually recommending just the best bruce and stephanie fic to ever be written. it is unhealthy how many times i have read this one. and it is time travel! this is my dream come true. it also features one of my most favourite studies on bruce and stephanie and what they represent to each other.

Keep Your Head, Your Backbone and Your Heart by MrMich

The last thing that Duke expected on what was supposed to be just a regular patrol was being suddenly thrown five years into the past, coming face to face with a darker, more violent Batman than the one he knew, a broken family, and a Tim who was a foot shorter than Duke, and not even Robin yet.

MY NOTES: there was a moment in time where i briefly made this fic my entire personality with how much i spoke about it. dare i say one of the best duke thomas centric fics and ITS TIME TRAVEL! it is so great. i have noticed that you rarely see tim as robin in time travel fics, and he is so lovely in this, especially his dynamic with duke. as always, young bruce is ridiculous, but how duke navigates through it all is so important to me.

OKAY i will stop here as i frantically try to shove the remaining 495 fics back into my metaphorical ao3 closet. i hope u like these anon! <3 also if you haven't already, check out all these authors other works too! they are all fantastic !!

[leifkncries]

Mammon's plans never work out, do they?

cross-posted from ao3

Mammon deviously grinned, the demon all alone in the hallway. "Heck yeah! Satan's out with Asmo, Luci's drowned in paperwork, Levi's playing a new game he found, and Beel and Belphie are sleeping. This is the perfect day for mischief!" He cheered, feeling lucky.

"I'm seriously gonna make bank, I know it!" The avatar of greed stared at the door. 'Sorry, TanTan. I gotta indulge in my sin, ya know?' He apologized in his mind, and opened the door, letting it creak.

"If Levi was here, He would say somethin like… 'This feels like a creepy anime scene, wowowowow!'" He imitated, chuckling at himself. He peeked into the room, eyes glancing around at the books.

"Dang, Satan's room is a little messy, aint it?" He sweatdropped. Mammon hummed, staring at the books. Some were even floating – He does have quite an obsession with books. Books were his first gift to Satan.

He stepped into the room, tip-toeing so that he didn't accidentally step on the books. "I took 'im for the organized type. Then again, He was raised mostly by me." Mammon insulted himself.

"Anyway, I gotta close this door just in case someone notices the door's open." He muttered to himself. His shoes flattened on the ground, looking back at the door. He slammed it accidentally, and He flinched.

'If Luci hears that, it's over for me! I might as well get hung on the ceiling again!' He mentally screeched to himself. He looked around, seeing a door near a bookcase. 'Jackpot! I can hide next to the bookcase or inside the door itself!' He grinned to himself.

He ran to the bookcase at the far end corner, avoiding the books on the floor with ease. He then stopped close to the wooden case with books in it. Footsteps.

Truthfully, It was just Beel coming back after getting a snack.

But Mammon never knew that.

'FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK-' Panic set in. He was the fastest demon, so he just used a little bit more speed. (it wasn't a little bit) It's not like he could adjust his speed like a video game character, but when the situation calls for it, he becomes faster than sanic.

(sanic. not sonic. sanic's faster than sonic cause he's a meme :p)

He was so fast that the wind started to form.

And the wind was so strong that a thick book fell and hit Mammon on the shoulder. 'Oh fuck-' His expression turned into an uncomfortable one. He stared at the book that hit him.

Why did his eyelids feel heavy? He placed his hand on the wood beside him, his eyes forcefully closing. 'Was the book that tough?' He asked himself in his mind before his consciousness drifted away.

-

78 bottles of beer on the wall, 78 bottles of beer.

Take one down, and pass it around, 77 bottles of beer on the wall.

Oh wait, I’m awake! FINALLY!!!

He was in a void with lots of stars… It was weird. (but very pretty)

He woke up in Satan's room as expected, but on the bed. (That wasn't expected.) 'I thought he would leave me on the floor or even outside the House of Lamentation. That's what he did before.' He sweatdropped as he remembered that memory.

He frowned, sitting up. “What in the celestial realm?” He muttered to himself, raising a brow. “I should probably get out before Satan yells at me..” He stood up but flinched when he heard a voice pipe up.

“Why would I yell at you?”

…..He’s fucked.

He turned his head slowly, looking at the blonde next to the bed. “Uh… Hi, Satan!” He let out a low chuckle as he screamed at himself mentally. "Mammon.." Satan walked closer to him.

"How are you here?" Satan furrowed his brows, conflicted. "Ya won't ki- Eh?" Mammon paused, so shocked that he forgot to run. He let out a sigh. "Use ya brains, Satan. Your door was unlocked." He nearly flicked Satan in the head.

Satan paused, silent. It was like he was thinking about something. "What happened yesterday?" The blonde asked him suddenly "Eh? We were at RAD most of the time last night 'cause of a meeting. Ya know, eatin' dinner at the end, and y'all were insultin' me again. The usual shit." Mammon answered, a dumbfounded look on his face. Did he get amnesia?

Satan let out a sigh and sat on his bed with an unreadable face. He had some eye bags if Mammon looked closer… "Fuck, I knew it." He put his face in his hands. "What, Satan? Did'ya get memory loss?" Mammon questioned, sitting right next to the green-eyed demon.

"I collected a book the other day that put a curse on anyone that wasn't the buyer, even with the slightest touch. The curse is randomized, and so are the effects." He sighed once again. "Why'd ya… Whatever. And?" He raised a brow.

"Mammon, you're from another universe." Satan looked at Mammon. There was an uncomfortable silence. "Ha... Haha! You're prankin' me, aren't ya? Probably got the idea from Levi, eh?" He laughed.

"Ugh," Satan breathed. "Mammon, yesterday was Saturday." Satan glared at him.

"And a few weeks ago, you were found dead."

Mammon stared at Satan, bewildered. "You... Is this a prank of some sort?" He stared at Satan's expression, looking for a smirk or something that would tell him it was a prank, but there was none.

Fuck. Satan was telling the truth.

"For fucks sake…." He muttered, furrowing his brows as his mouth curled into a frown. "Does anyone know I'm here?" Mammon asked. "Since I'm the avatar of wrath and my aura is usually.. well.. overbearing, I have a spell that hides aura in my room. Plus, everyone's probably in their rooms grieving. No one knows or even suspects that you're here." Satan explained.

The white-haired demon sighed. "I need to find a way out of here before they find out." This was stressful. Mammon just wanted money, not to fucking universe travel. Satan raised a brow. "Why would you want to go?" A shadow was cast on his face.

"Cause- I might mess some shit up. Barbatos explained to me the cons of shit like this, and I ain't gonna let this place be destroyed." He stood up, ignoring the slight dizziness he felt after standing up abruptly.

"But… Can't you just stay here? The universe won't end if we use our powers to make you a part of this universe. I can't let us lose you again." He reasoned as he stood up after Mammon, muttering that last sentence so Mammon couldn't hear.

"Hah... TanTan, you can't defy the rules of the universe. Thought ya knew that?" The avatar of greed chuckled as he looked behind, flicking wrath's forehead. He wasn't as scared as before, it felt like a proper thing to do this time to fix Satan's brains.

(Satan flinched at the nickname and stared at Mammon with wide eyes. That's how Mammon managed to flick him.)

Satan winced at the contact. It wasn't painful, of course. Like it could do a thing to him. (unless mammon used his actual strength and aura… he was terrifying if he used them.) But the slight contact made the blonde a bit annoyed.

Huffing, the blonde glared at Mammon who grinned in response. "Well, you're the same old idiot." He rolled his eyes, insulting the secondborn. "Wha- Hey! Respect your older brother!" Mammon gasped offendedly and refuted his sentence.

"Maybe if you start acting like one. You've always been childish and immature." Satan said back. "Ya know.. since I raised ya the most, I'm technically your caretaker, aren't I? You should praise me instead of being so mean to me!" Mammon pouted, trying to pull the anime arrows out of his chest.

"And that's not a comeback to my comeback, meaning that I win this argument." Satan chuckled to himself, clearly proud of himself. 'This dontwannabe Avatar of Pride fucker..' Mammon had an anime tick mark on his forehead.

"Well, whateva. Anyway, care to tell me how I died?" Mammon huffed. Satan raised a brow. "A question that isn't idiotic?" He furrowed his brows, pissing Mammon off purposefully. 'At this point, I'd gladly kill myself 'again'.' Mammon scoffed to himself.

"Well.. since your question isn't harmful to our bank account, I suppose I'll tell you." Satan sent a smirk toward Mammon. 'The insult AND the "I suppose"?! I felt like I was speaking to Lucifer!' Mammon huffed.

"Why'd ya keep on insulting me?! Didn't I technically just die?!" Mammon groaned. Satan ignored the complaint. "You died from a group of witches that manifested into one body and used… a lot of holy magic." He narrowed his eyes, the temperature in the room dropping to zero.

'At this point, just tell me I'm speakin' to Luci already!' He shivered, a chill traveling up his spine. 'Also, what is that stupid boss battle shit? I feel like Diavolo just told the family the cause of death, then Leviathan says 'that's just like a boss battle from a game, lolololol!' Mammon scoffed.

"What happened to the group of witches?" Mammon raised a brow, thinking of the answer. "Well obviously, they became Cerberus's new fetch ball. Lucifer throws the witches and Cerberus fetches them so that they don't die immediately. Of course, I would join and love to see the pain, regret, and guilt on their idiotic and ugly faces, but I don't exactly wish to be more like Lucifer. I prefer doing my methods, such as curses." He explained in pure detail.

'Even I got the chills! What in Celestia?!' Mammon genuinely felt fear at that moment, and well.. who could blame him?! Even the other brothers were terrified by the first. (Except for Belphegor, he nearly ended the witch race but was stopped by Beelzebub, who didn't want him to get stuck in the dungeon again.)

(since I don't have mc in this au, let's just say that the only human (Solomon) that got transported here explored the house of lamentation. because of his magical properties and many pacts, he managed to let Belphegor go with it. even with all the secretly borrowed help from the other demons and demon lord, he overused his power which made him sleep in bed for over a week. while the demon brothers were grateful, they still didn't have the best relationship and just said that their payment was that lucifer didn't kill him.)

"Satan, can you redo the spell that makes me forget his… death? It wore off and I don't want to go out to drink right now… I wanna look pretty for hi-" Asmodeus entered the room, jaw-dropping as he stared at the white-haired demon.

"M-M-Ma-Mam-Mams-" He stuttered a bit, a tear dripping down from his eyes. "Uh.. hey, Asmo!.. I can explain this all... I think.." He pursed his lips, sweat dripping from his forehead in contrast to the tearing up Asmodeus.

Asmodeus let out a loud wail, before bursting into tears and tackling Mammon. 'I feel like I need to go to the Devildom hospital…' He winced at the attack on his physical state and eardrum state. "Gosh, thank Diavolo for this being Asmodeus's normal actions after his death…" Satan didn't seem to be bothered, but he winced a bit as well. Satan sighed and closed the door with his magic.

"Ma-Ma-MAMMOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!" He sobbed, arms around Mammon's waist, trapping him. "HOW ARE YOU HERE?! ARE YOU JUST A GHOST OR SPIRIT?! I MEAN YOU CAN'T TOUCH THEM SO I GUESS NOT. BUT I SAW YOUR DEAD BODY AND IT WAS REAL SO HOW ARE YOU HERE?!??!?!! I KNOW IT'S YOU BECAUSE I JUST KNOW IT! I AM SURE OF IT! NEVER MIND JUST DON'T LEAVE US OR THIS HOUSE FOREVER OKAY?!" Asmodeus cried.

"Uh… what?..." Mammon was genuinely confused. Did the loss of their brother make them laugh so much that they developed a new personality? Did they like him? Or was he just hallucinating because of that loud noise..

"Asmo.." Mammon sat up from the floor and hugged him back. Combing Asmodeus's hair with his hands, soothing the other with a worried look. Satan felt like the avatar of envy at the moment. Enough envy to make Leviathan notice, but because of the aura cancellation, it was hidden.

(realistically, this wouldn't actually stop it from getting noticed by leviathan, but i don't know how to put levi in this scene. Also, while I love mamamon, I don't want him to suffer with having to take care of 3 crying children. so yeah, it's an excuse.)

"Asmo.. let me explain…" Funny, wasn't it? Just yesterday, Mammon was close to tears in his room due to his brothers and their stupid insults. Now, Mammon was comforting his crying brother who told him to kill himself one time. A demon shouldn't be this forgiving, but I guess Mammon is the more.. humane demon.

(demon-like judge of fire is that you)

Sighing to himself, He let the light haired demon calm down, hiccups replacing the cries just earlier. "Alright, Asmo.. sit on the bed and I'll uh.. tell ya all about it." He smiled awkwardly.

Asmodeus's lips curled into a frown. "Can't I just stay here?" He asked. Mammon nearly ran out the room. They were literally on the floor as Satan glared at them as if they said they didn't like cats.

"I'd actually prefer it if you went to bed." Mammon bluntly responded, making Asmodeus huff. "Fine." He stood up and plopped himself on the actual youngest's (satan) bed.

"Alright, so basically, I'm from another universe." Mammon.. again, bluntly responded while on the floor. Asmodeus flinched, not exactly expecting that. He expected something like Satan doing a ritual..

Satan was basically shocked at the second-born's wording, and was wondering how much sleep the demon got last night. Mammon was tired. He just wanted to indulge in his sin so that he doesn't feel as empty as before.

But now, he doesn't know what's going on, he feels sleepy, he just wants to chill, and he feels depressed just cause he didn't get any money.

What a pleasant afternoon.

-

A sigh escaped Mammon's throat.

He was currently present with all the brothers in the family room, everyone looking at the white haired demon. 'Never trust Asmodeus with secrets, he can't shut his trap.' Mammon mentally noted to himself.

"So.. you're telling me that somehow, because of a book and his greedy instincts, he got in here?" Lucifer pinched his nose, staring at the second-born and the fourth-strongest.

"Pretty much, yeah." The white haired demon shrugged, giving up on life completely. His eyes were droopy, and he just wanted a little sleep. "If you want, you can sleep in our room.." Belphegor offered.

Mammon perked up at this offer. You know, Belphegor never offered that for him. Well.. whatever. If he can get recharged, he'd gladly sleep in a dumpster. "Aight.." He nodded.

You must be wondering.. why is the avatar of greed so tired?

Hah.. The real question is, how could anyone not be tired after this?

First, he was a little woozy after literally teleporting from another dimension to this one. Plus, he didn't do it willingly, so he couldn't really prepare himself for that.

Second, what the fuck was going on? So.. he's dead, right? But it's so confusing! How would you react if you learned you died weeks ago?! All that talking and comforting made him drained..

Third, they were acting weird. They were all acting weirdly kind to him. They were even saying stuff like… "Don't go! Just stay here." It's pretty weird. Normally, this wouldn't be as draining, but with thinking of all the other stuff as well? It's uh.. tiring.

He was tired, and for a reason.

Maybe a nice nap will ease him.

He then felt his body being picked up.

"Eh?" Mammon flinched. "Wha- Huh?" He was carried on a shoulder.. Beel?! "Beel-" He began to say, before Beelzebub covered his eyes. "You need to sleep. You seem tired." His voice was firm.

Belphegor, who was behind them, quickly snapped Mammon unconscious. (I dunno how he does it and if he does it. Whatever, I'll finish this quickly.) They all went upstairs, while Belphegor looked back at them. "Think of something." He said to them, before going back to Mammon and his twin.

As soon as they heard the door close, the other brothers looked at each other. "Whatever happens.." Satan began, making the others have their attention on him.

"We can't let him go. We'll do whatever, we'll kill if needed, everything." Satan spat, looking at the group with downcast eyes.

"We already lost him once, anyway. We can't risk losing him again."

[nexfarious]

hi! i finished binging dq recently and i wanted to share some of my thoughts bc the brainrot it has given me is literally insane like. You dont understand. i didnt want to put this probably gigantic block of text in the ao3 comments so i figured id send it here so you can decide if you want it posted or not!

back to the topic i need to put thief in a blender (said with as much affection as possible btw). theyre soo painfully realistic and have a very unique perspective on the killing game which isnt rlly explored in fanfics so im eating it up! their talent is so cool and i cant wait to see them use it more later on. i also love how despite their paranoia and distrust they are still. Kind. Like they still reached out to ryouma and it literally saved his life!!!!! btw i think not killing him off in ch2 was a really good writing choice bc i think him dying after That scene with thief would just destroy them entirely -but on the topic of ryouma! im very glad you decided to give more spotlight to characters that werent given much of it in canon (or fanon ngl). him and tsumugi are characters that im rlly interested in but the game straight up gave them next to nothing, which i guess is very usual for danganronpa but yknow. Its still disappointing

thief and saiharas relationship makes me want to use both of them as a chew toy bc theyre so. So!!!!! im literally obsessed w them. we are still pretty early in the killing game but so many of their moments are already rotating in my mind At All Times. from the detective/criminal dynamic, to how much they care abt each other (thief obviously having a soft spot for shu despite not trusting people is soooo cute i need them gone). though that one scene in ch19 (i think?) where its said that their situation wld be considered romantic if it thief didnt have a knife at his throat is Life Changing and ive been thinking abt it so much -the contrast is just so good and the scene itself is so sad. also "Maybe this really was truly Shuichi, another side reflected to all of you, gleaming in the light like shards of a prism. Maybe you couldn’t see all of the sides right now, in this moment, but what you could see was so wonderful, spots danced in the back of your eyes." is such a beautifully written paragraph but the fact that thief thought this in the middle of a trial is so hilarious to me but i still support them. sometimes you really need to admire your Friend in a life or death situation to be able to push through. I get it

ok enough of those two. i love how you take the time to explore thief's relationships w other people as well. the break up scene between them and tsumugi had me blankly staring at my screen for good 30 seconds i think. the brief thief/ouma collab was great as well. i already mentioned ryouma but he is so dear to me head in hands.......cant wait for ch3 to physically beat the shit out of me

i have more thoughts but i also think this is too long already so ill stop it here. anyways i love your writing so much and im looking forward to more of dq! take care of yourself and have a nice day/night!

hi umm . this ask destroyed me emotionally, threw me out the window and then stole my lunch money /pos

this is genuinely so so lovely to read, i can’t believe you would take the time out of your day to come and tell me what you think of my fic,,, that’s so sweet <3

thief is my little freak whom i need to microwave at the highest temperatures. i think a lot of people should be more selfish in the killing game tbh, there’s a lot of characters who are ready to throw away everything for each other, i mean even a lot of the killers have selfless motives (kirumi, kaede) which is totally fine but!!! where my selfish bitches at where are the guys who just want to survive. despite all their paranoia though, they are a good person at heart which is something i’ve always found compelling in writing them.

WHY DIDN’T RYOMA LIVE IN CANON!!! you’re telling me a major theme of the game is overcoming yourself and pushing through despite hopelessness and then you just . kill off the other guy who’s canonically suicidal? it kinda left a bad taste in my mouth tbh. “oh you have nothing left to live for? die” i love ryoma i love mugi (obviously) and they deserve better than what the game gave them

they haven’t had much time for each other because we’re not even halfway through the game but UGH thiefhara means so much to me . thief wants to keep everyone at arm’s length but is actually way too soft to go through with it because there’s a detective with pretty eyes (which is so real btw) . i cant tell you anything about the plot but let it be known that chapter three is gonna have quite a few important moments in their relationship!!!

tbh the knife scene was something i just came up with as i was writing and thought “yeah okay that would be funny” and now people seem to love it,,, good thing i love it too

thief’s friends are so incredibly important to me btw . tsumugi who just wanted to be their friend but was rejected and has turned to angie and tenko, ryoma who still doesn’t have a reason to keep going but wants to try because there is someone who cares enough to reach out, kokichi (derogatory/with love), kaede who betrayed them in thief’s mind and still haunts them - someone who broke their trust after they went out on a line for someone, kaito whom i need thief to spend more time with because honestly he deserves more scenes

i hope chapter three slam dunks you into another dimension anon (said with so much sincerity and love), we got major canon divergence incoming ^-^

ANYWAY !!! don’t ever apologise for sending me your thoughts it’s actively encouraged and motivates me to write!! if you ever have anything more to say you are more than welcome to leave a comment or another ask i promise it makes me giggle and do a little spin in my chair of evil . hope you’re doing well too anon

[raysletters]

get to know your fanfic writer!

i have to be honest, the lovelies @14carrotghoul and @suseagull04 tagged me for this like a week ago and i have incredibly bad memory, but here i am anyway (thanks for the tag and sorry for being late lol 💀)

when did you post your first ever fanfic?

oh my god,,,,,, i think it was 2015(??

first character(s) you wrote for:

before i say this, i need to explain i was a child with a very early access to internet. also, i am, as a great mind said once, a pathological people pleaser, and my sister was a directioner,,,,,,,,, so yes ofc i wrote a fanfic about harry styles for my sister, even though i never published it, and it was just a dumb y/n story,,,,,,,, (this was like 2012). though, since harry styles is a real person and not a character like my 9yo self thought, then i assume the next one would be,,,,, damon salvatore (it was posted on wattpad and absolutely horrible, i had an hyperfixation and created an oc and everything)

main character(s) you’re currently writing for:

alex claremont-díaz, henry fox-mountchristen-windsor, beatrice fox-mountchristen-windsor, june claremont-díaz, nora holleran, and percy "pez" okonjo have all had their points of view written or worked on at some point on my docs. between that and them seeing the light of day is another thing.

character(s) you haven’t written about before but plan on writing about soon:

i- i guess, since they haven't been posted yet, bea, nora and pez will get their time to shine (soon, hopefully) on my next fics. ive also been trying to write a bit of catherine for the diabetic!henry au,,,,, but its been really hard bc its all just too close to home.

fandom(s) you’re currently writing for:

red, white & royal blue

platonic pairing(s) you currently write for:

at this moment im obsessed with writing alex interacting with both bea and pez, bc we didnt get enough of that on the book and fics always show june being besties with henry and i kinda wanted to pull an uno reverse on that trope. also, im really interested in writing some henry and nora, bc they're besties on the book that gossip about drag race and stuff,,,,, but i want to maybe dive into it a bit deeper.

romantic pairing(s) you currently write for:

firstprince and junopez, and ive already have two wips where i give bea a girlfriend,,,,,, so theres that

your top 3 tags on AO3 (if you post your works on AO3):

i literally went to my dashboard to look it up, the first one is my different alterations of the tag "not beta read", but we're not going to count that one. next we have (surprisingly to no one) "angst", "mental health issues" 💀💀, and lastly "songfic" jskssjsksjsksjsksjskswjsksjsksjsks

your current platform where you post your works:

you can find me on ao3 as raysletters

snippet of the wip you’re currently working on:

i am working on SO many wips rn bc ive been sick and that has meant being in bed and not doing shit most of the day bc it hurts to breathe sjsksjsksjsksjskssjsksjkssjsksjsjsjajkssj

here, i give yall a snippet of the musician!alex au yall saw on the wip title game (that can be alternatively called "fulfilling most of smut saturday prompts in one single fic bc i wanted to try writing smut and it quickly got out of my hands")

so, idk if this would be nsfw bc it is not the smut itself, but more like smut-adjacent narration, but still putting the break so y'all can decide if you want to read it or not

This exact moment, though? It might not only embarrass him in a very public setting, but might also make him combust and collapse from sheer lust.

The entire place is crowded to the point of asphyxiation, the fans are spinning at their limit speed on the ceiling, and Henry feels like this is probably how hell feels.

That is, if hell ever had the pleasure of getting Alexander Claremont-Díaz on his knees, making the most obscene and erotic guitar solo known to mankind, thrusting his hips to the rhythm of She by Harry Styles on his guitar while the lights focus on him; his open white shirt shows the chain he now knows contains the key to his family's home at Texas, his glistening chest and the sweat that rolls over his collarbones, his pectorals, his abdomen and then disappear on his navel behind the guitar. It makes Henry reminisce of that first video he ever saw of Alex, and can’t help but compare the performance to seeing it live after more than a year, while knowing how excited he had been at the rehearsal, jumping and moving around while refusing to practice because of his own jitters.

Of course it paid off, Alex, the bloody show-off, has the entire place entranced under his spell, not even the clients sitting on the bar stools, who had shown little interest in the performance through the night, could take their eyes off of Alex.

Henry absolutely gets it, but can't help the feeling of jealousy that courses through him. He desperately wants to drop to his knees to show Alex how marvelous he is, hoping he thrusts in his mouth like he does on his guitar.

[ventismacchiato]

okay so this might come out a bit long or cringey im sorry but i need to get this out of my chest 😭😭

your scara story was literally a 10/10 and im not even exaggerating. i've been reading it since the ever first chapters and even since then i was always looking forward the next update and yeah im not rlly the long fanfiction type of person you know 🧍🏻 im more fond of one shots BUT!! if i tell you that im not someone with the patient to wait for thing but i waited two months for this story to finish let me tell you that this was bc it's truly a masterpiece. i legit couldn't bring myself to read the last chapters bc i knew u would cry and i did?? silly me, anyway i think that this was the main reason i started to like scara again too?? like dunno but i always had periods where i was all heart eyes for him and then i stopped caring about him snd this has been going on since his first appearance in 1.1 so yeah 😭 this was so good that it made me read a long ass fic AND be obsessed with the same fictional character for two months?? miss your writing must have some kind of power. Anyway, again, the story was perfect on every aspect and im certainly looking forward for the new story 🫰🏼 keep up with the good work babe and remember to take care of yourself too!! have a nice day/evening 💗

the way i was giggling the entire time reading this omfg anon IM GOING TO PUT U IN MY POCKET ILY /p

😭 i honestly don’t know how to say thank you enough for ur kind words but THANK YOU!! it means sm to me that my fic was interesting enough for you to keep up with and made you like scara more? forever spreading the scara agenda

😭 i am also not patient omg whenever i find a fic in the works i like on ao3 or smth i just bookmark it and come back months later and same with webtoons IM JUST IMPATIENT so i understand u and appreciate u keeping up w my fic despite that 💓

TYSM UR SO KIND U HAVE A LOVELY DAY/NIGHT AS WELL and don’t apologize for sending me this i don’t find it cringey or annoying it was very cute 🫶

[crazywolf828]

please go outside and cleanse your mind from writing weird ass porn. think about it. you badically write teenage cartoon porn on a basis. (rwby) you obviously have an obsession and need to stop thinking of these fictional characters bedding eachother. all these, 'kinks' and 'tropes' youre writing for is really harmful and honestly really offending. i truly truly hate all of what youve wrote. ive read a few, and unsurprisingly your interpretation of blake and yang are also ass. it makes me laugh so hard. im sorry. like, i dont think you realize how ooc you write them, and it annoys me because its not the hot shit you think it is. you need more substance in your stories. literally all you write is cock, balls and pussy. like, i feel like everytime i try reading what you've posted on ao3 i want to rip out my eyeballs and forget all of it. im being a hater right now but honesty is my best trait. your booty fics flood the bumbleby tag here on tumblr AND on ao3 jesus im sick of seeing your cornball ass name. go find something else to do, or maybe, just delete yourself from the internet and stop posting fics.

Oh wow it's been a hot second since I've gotten hate this long, fucking hilarious. So first off, they are adults. In the show by the time they get to Atlas, they are adults. I am not, and will not write nsfw of underaged characters. Second, yeah I know it's ooc for a lot of them but like also, how do you know? It's hard to write kinky shit for characters when you've never seen them in that situation and you don't know how kinky they are. As for the tags... I suppose I could ease up for kinktober, a fic every few days is rough I can see that, but also you can just block me on ao3 and Tumblr! Curate your experience instead of bitching about it! Or, I tag every fic on here with 'my fic' and 'don't mind me' so block both those tags too like? And like why do you keep reading them if you've already established you don't like them??? So wild.

EDIT: I'm also realizing you've probably only read my kinktober fics which, tbf are supposed to be kinky. Go read my packer fics, or my transmasc yang fic, or the body worship fics, or the multiple multichapter fics that have actual plot. Like hell, one has over 600 kudo's (which is still wild) so yeah I do have plenty of plot based fics, you just didn't look for them. Literally look at my pinned post if you want to see them. They're right there.

I mean, I did well enough that a person who hates the bees loved my angst band oneshot so clearly I'm doing decently enough.

Anyway "cornball ass name" and "delete yourself from the internet" are terrible insults, try better next time! :)

[wilt3d-r0zes]

Hi I'm like aggressively obsessing over Teen Wolf and I just finished my first fic for it, so here you go

Summary, AO3 link and link to inspired fic "So he knows about that. He knows that he recognizes the wolves’ body language. He knows he can understand their growls and howls and what English equivalent they’re meant to portray. What he doesn’t know is that he started mirroring it." Or, Autistic!Stiles can understand wolf growls, body language, etc etc and starts mirroring it without realizing. It makes communicating a lot easier.(Takes place just after Season 3, ignoring the plot of Season 4 because I haven't watched it yet) Fic Link Inspired Work Notes:  Like I said in the summary- I haven't seen season 4 bc im not emotionally prepared after the end of season 3 fUCKED ME UP uhhhh so just ignore season 4 and the weird hint at season 4 that happened at the end of season 3 Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Ethan, Isaac Lahey, Scott McCall, Kira Yukimura and Derek Hale (Stiles Centric)

As per usual, there are a lot of things about werewolves that Stiles doesn’t really get.

Unfortunately, there are a lot more things he doesn’t get about humans than there are about werewolves. If anything, werewolves seem to just click in that weird, mentally ill part of his brain.

One thing he’s noticed is that the wolves in his pack (his? when did he start calling it his pack? he’s just the human. He’s the only human now. Fuck.) is that they have a new, slightly weird way of communicating. One that Stiles understands somehow.

The way they stand, the various ways they flare their powers with claws, pointed ears, fangs, glowing eyes, etc. The way they growl, howl, all of the above, it all has different, specific meanings. Like back off, or my territory. Things like concern and panic, all have their own little flavor of wolf communication.

What Stiles continues to not understand is how he understands it.

When Scott looks like he’s pissed, like he’s about to rip someone's head off and he growls and all Stiles can hear is that he’s scared, that he’s absolutely terrified, even when every human social cue he knows should be screaming anger, he’s not sure how he knows that’s wrong.

So he knows about that. He knows that he recognizes the wolves’ body language. He knows he can understand their growls and howls and what English equivalent they’re meant to portray.

What he doesn’t know is that he started mirroring it.

I.

With the benefit of the school temporarily shutting down due to some repairs and cleaning needing to be done, the pack spent a lot of the next week after the Nogitsune together.

A lot of the time they’d spend the night at each other's, occasionally Allison’s, houses. At Derek’s loft, all piled up across Scott or Stiles’s room. Sometimes they’d conk out at a park on accident because none of them wanted to face the nightmares they see when they sleep.

It’s a night like that, where they’re all asleep on top of one another. Stiles has Scott draped over his chest, using him as a pillow. Isaac and Kira are both using Scott like their own pillows, Kira on his stomach and Issac practically cuddling his lower legs.

Ethan is off to the side, legs over Isaac’s and snoring loud enough to rival Stiles’s panicked breathing.

Still, it wakes Scott. His eyes blinking open when his pillow starts bouncing him up and down and connecting the breathing to his best friend. He’s up and moving the parts of him not held down by a soundly sleeping Kira and a slowly waking Isaac before he can even process the growling.

Because Stiles is… growling, in his sleep. His face is pinched in sweaty, panic, and he’s growling. Scott’s wolf brain translates it on its own, and all he can smell and hear and see is, Help me. Scared. Panicked.

It scares Scott. How does Stiles know how to growl like that? Growl like a wolf? How does he know that the way his face is scrunched reads like a werewolf baring its teeth when it's backed into a corner, even in his sleep?

“Scott? Is that you?” Isaac’s voice is tired, but he still sounds concerned for his alpha. Concerned about the growling he’s hearing because it sounds like a wolf.

Scott turns back, eyes wide, “It’s Stiles,” he says, borderline breathless in his own confused, slight panic because what if something is wrong with Stiles, what if he’s turning into a wolf? How is he growling like that?!

And then Stiles starts screaming, and everybody is awake within a few minutes while Scott and Isaac work together to restrain a screaming, crying, Stiles. Growls are slipping out between his words, between his yells for help, yelling Hatred, Fear, Anger, Confused in a not-really language he shouldn’t be able to understand.

“What’s going on?” Ethan’s asking once he’s woken up by screaming and being kicked in the face off of Isaac, while Kira is trying her best not to pile the same question on after being essentially thrown onto the grass.

“He had a nightmare,” Scott replies, looking at Isaac and expressing for him to let go, leaving him to sit there with a panting, growling, terrified Stiles in his lap. His best friend is shaking and sweating and panting as he sprawls his legs out and buries his face in Scott’s chest.

“Who’s growling?” Kira, who doesn’t understand the growls for what they are but recognizes that they mean something different to the wolves than they do to her, finds herself looking around at all three of them in search of who it is that sounds like they’re about to go to war.

“Stiles,” Isaac sounds just as breathless as Scott did, if a bit more confused than panicked, “He’s…”

“Terrified,” Ethan finishes.

Stiles doesn’t remember waking up from his nightmare the next morning, and Scott helps him count his fingers until he calms down.

II.

None of the wolves bring it up to Stiles.

Ethan tries, and he almost does, he starts the conversation but then the bell rings for class and Stiles doesn’t care enough to try and figure out what he was so concerned about.

Scott and Isaac can pretend that it was a one-time thing. It’s not some new supernatural terrifying thing where maybe the bite to Void transferred to Stiles somehow. It’s not.

(It isn’t. Stiles has been able to understand the wolves from day one. His running theory is it’s either something to do with being around them so much (No. Because Allison couldn’t. Why can he?), or it’s because of his autism or something that means an alternative form of communication is easier to read.)

It happens again during class. Not in such a similar way, but still noteworthy nonetheless.

There’s a surprise fire drill happening that day. Scott knew Stiles was already having a bad sensory day, even if neither of them brought it up. Knew in the way he jerked away from touch, in the way he flinched at every loud noise and covered his ears when Coach started yelling.

When the alarm rings, the noise that Stiles makes from his seat right beside Scott sounds like a wounded wolf, and it means that he zeroes in on his friend instead of the fact he should be standing and leaving the classroom in a line.

It means that he doesn’t listen to the teacher as he does a head count, because he’s too busy rushing toward Stiles and pulling him down onto the floor where he knows he’ll be more comfortable.

It means he barely hears the way the class shuffles out without them after the teacher yelled at them and neither so much as looked at him, because Scott was too busy helping cover Stiles’s ears and listening to the tiny, wolf-like whimpers that he shouldn’t be able to make so cleanly.

Those whimpers turn into growls of Hurts, Help, Stop, Pain when his hands get free thanks to Scott, flapping so hard he occasionally hits himself or the werewolf covering his ears from the alarms. A pained growl always comes after he hits, something closer to Sorry, Hurts, Scared than anything else, like he’s directing it at Scott.

They sit like that for a while, somewhere down the line Scott started growling back, trying to communicate Helping, Love you, Calm down, on the off chance that Stiles can somehow understand it.

When the alarms finally shut off and the lights stop flashing, Stiles slumps down, and then slowly falls forward against Scott. His head hits the alpha’s chest with a thump, and it’s followed by a quiet Sorry, Thank you, Good now growl.

Scott doesn’t stop himself from answering with a You’re Welcome, Happy, Safe, and pretends it doesn’t terrify him when it makes Stiles relax.

III.

Derek Hale has seen a lot of things.

He’s experienced a lot of things.

A human that can understand and mimic werewolf not-language, though?

He hasn’t seen that.

And yet here’s Stiles, holding a full conversation with him without him saying so much as a word.

It’s been twenty minutes. Sure, Stiles is talking a lot, but when he pauses he turns and he looks at Derek, and if he doesn’t get what he’s looking for his brows will scrunch up until Derek makes some sort of noise.

And then he’ll just respond, like those noises were words!

It’s… weird.

It’s a good weird?

Derek doesn’t know how to feel. He’s never seen this before, but it’s nice to not have to talk when he doesn’t want to. When he can just communicate in the way that actually comes naturally to him as a born werewolf.

Even if it’s nice, he still wants to know how. How does this completely human teenager understand werewolf not-language like it’s a verbal conversation?

IV.

Isaac doesn’t get it.

But it sure is helpful, when he’s waking up from a nightmare and straight into a flashback and Stiles is the only other person awake to calm him down. When he only comes out of it because suddenly Stiles is mimicking a growl he’s only ever heard Scott make that means Stop! Calm down!

It drags him mentally kicking and screaming back to the dark room that is Stiles’s bedroom (Sue him for being nervous about leaving the previously void-possessed human in their pack friend group alone again. Especially knowing he still has night terrors.)

“How did you do that?” is the first thing he says, breathless and confused but slightly calmed down.

Stiles, from where he’s in front of Isaac now that they’ve both more-or-less fallen to the floor, gives him a confused look, “What? What’d I do? I just kinda panicked because you weren’t really responding other than trying to hit me and screaming, so.”

He shrugs like it’s no big deal. Isaac assumes it’s because he does the same thing.

“You growled at me,” Isaac breathes, “And it sounded like Scott.”

V.

“Hey, Deaton?”

Scott figured that today might as well be the day he asks somebody else.

Well, he did ask Derek a week or so ago, but he had no idea and clearly didn’t care all that much. So, Deaton it was.

“Yes, Scott?”

“Is it possible for a human to learn and mimic werewolf, uh, language?”

Deaton paused in the injection he was giving the dog on their table, looking up at him with scrunched brows, “Is this about Stiles?”

“Uh, Sorta?”

“No, as far as I know, a human cannot learn nor mimic werewolves,” Deaton allows, turning his attention back to the dog, “It is one of the many downsides to letting a human be part of your pack.”

“But he’s doing it, Deaton,” Scott sighs, running a hand through his hair, “Isaac said he copied one of my growls to calm Isaac down, he keeps growling when he’s stressed or scared and I don’t know how he’s doing it.”

“Perhaps, the bite to the Nogitsune?” Deaton offers, “That was a situation unlike any I’ve seen before, it could’ve had unforeseen consequences.”

“How would that make him able to growl like an alpha?”

“...It wouldn’t.”

“Great, so you can’t help either.”

VI. (+1)

Over the last while, Stiles has realized what he’s been doing. Mostly through Isaac and his dad, who seemed very confused when a nonverbal Stiles started growling at him to tell him Fine, Tired because werewolf is easier than human.

(Werewolf shouldn’t be easier than human. He’s a human, he’s content being a human, so why is it easier to act like a werewolf?)

It’s another nonverbal day, actually, where it all really comes to head. One day where Stiles wakes up and it feels like his joints had been bathed in a concrete mixture while he slept, and like speaking will mean he gets his vocal cords ripped out.

(It’s anxiety-inducing, to even think of talking. To think of making any human-like noise, which is why it’s still weird that he’s making wolf-like noises instead. Whenever everything else feels like too much, he turns into a perfect mimic of his best friend.)

But he still has to go to school, even if he can’t talk and he’ll probably shut down at the first sign of relief. He’s missed too much with all the supernatural problems that he’ll get held back if he misses too much more.

So he drags himself out of bed and out of the house, into his jeep, and through the school doors. Scott’s at their lockers when he shows up, borderline dressed in pajamas. (Jeans were too much and he couldn’t find a shirt that felt right, only the t-shirt he slept in that was soft and overworn would work. He threw on sweatpants and pretended it wasn’t sleepwear.)

He greets his friend, bag half hanging from his locker so he can pick out what he needs for class. Stiles growls in response, Hello, Tired, Happy, it says, even when Scott turns at him with those wide, confused eyes he always gets when Stiles does things like this.

Stiles can’t bring himself to care today. He’s just so tired.

Sick? Worried, Scott responds, shutting his locker quieter than he usually does like he’s expecting it to throw Stiles into a loop.

He stares at his bag for a long minute, trying to think of how to respond. He doesn’t think there’s a werewolf not-language equivalent to what he wants to say, but he tries anyways, Tired, Healthy, Sleepy, and then shuts his locker.

“Are you guys growling at each other?” Lydia’s seemingly always judging voice greets, appearing behind Stiles, “Did you get into a fight or something?”

“Or something,” Scott replies, still staring at his painfully human best friend, who’s holding himself like he did when he was having night terrors every night. His shoulders hunched, head hung low, there are bags under his eyes and he looks like there isn’t a single thought in his head beyond tired.

(Scott and Lydia both pretend it doesn’t scare them to see his face so blank. Only the Nogitsune held his face like that, Stiles always has some sort of expression. A hint of anything emotional. But instead, he’s staring right through Scott’s boots with his lips in a straight line.)

Go, Home, Work, he growls, and Scott can’t help but laugh at the mishmash of English logic applied to Werewolf not-language.

“Seriously, how is he doing that?” Lydia points at the now-leaving Stiles, but Scott just shrugs.

“We haven’t figured it out, Deaton thought it might’ve been the bite I gave the Nogitsune but he mimicked one of my growls at Isaac, so,” he sighs, “No idea. I’ll see you in class, Lydia.”

…

Stiles agreed when Scott asked him to come along to a ‘pack meeting’. He looked confused, if only for a moment before the tired, autistic emotionless appearance returned, but followed the werewolf anyways.

He still wasn’t talking. At least he hasn’t shut down yet.

The park is where they end up, the park that has trash all over it and is too overgrown for anybody except the weird kids to go to. Most of them steer clear when their pack is there, some still-human instinct to avoid matter they don’t belong in.

Stiles hasn’t ever experienced that feeling. Maybe it’s because this is his pack, even if he is human.

When they’re all sat on that stupid picnic blanket Isaac bought as a joke because Stiles complained about the grass one too many times, Scott addresses them all.

Stiles didn’t realize this meeting was going to be about him. If he had, he wouldn’t have come. He’s cutting Scott off to say Upset, Tired, Stop, before he can get more than five words out.

He’s still too tired to care about the way they all turn and look at him.

“That’s what I wanted to talk about,” Scott says, gesturing toward him, “Stiles is still human, but he’s… somehow figured out how to understand and communicate like a wolf.”

“Yeah, but I thought we already knew this?” Isaac raises a hand, glancing between his alpha and Stiles.

(Stiles isn’t really listening, eyes trained on a random spot on the blanket, one knee pulled up to his chest with his hands tapping out a rhythm onto the knee.)

“Yes, but apparently Stiles didn’t know until recently, so I thought I’d make sure we were all on the same page. This is also an official way of saying that he’s part of the pack.”

Ethan is the only one to double-check this. To feel for the pack bond. To look for that connection he’s lucky to feel with Scott and Isaac.

He finds it.

Pack, Ethan growls.

Pack, Stiles responds, even though he doesn’t look up. He’s starting to shut down, but growling is still easier than words, Tired.

Home.

Scott lets Ethan be the one to take him home on the back of his bike, and if the werewolf stays with his human pack member to make sure he’s okay, then that’s his business.

[daedalusdavinci]

ao3 wrapped

taken from here. i thought this would be fun!

1. How many words have you written this year?

i published 316,173 words this year, including the drabbles i only posted on tumblr. if i added wips... i dont even want to think about it.

2. How many works did you publish this year?

i wrote 62 tumblr drabbles and posted 31 works on ao3, amounting for a grand total of,, 93 works..... theres.. theres no way..... oh jesus christ

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

you know what i think it has to be hollow americana. i really wanted to write a fic that captured how i felt on roadtrips, and how empty a roadstop in a desert can feel. i wanted something that was haunting and melancholy and hung you up on all of the little details, and i think i pulled that off perfectly. its exactly what i wanted it to be

4. What work of yours has the most hits?

this year home intrusion got 4,033 hits, which i guess makes sense, since its batfam and also not a part of the jdau.

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

ummm all of the jdau, basically. it was such a niche idea and i really just wrote it because i was fucking obsessed with harvey and jason and tfz and its amassed more of a following than i expected it to

6. Favorite title you used

i like “son of dent” because its a direct reference to traditional jewish headstones and i think im soo clever for that, and i love “hollow americana” because it fits the energy of that fic so well. i think “like an oil-stained phoenix” is pretty good, if a little pretentious, but my favorite is definitely “the mystery of the old boathouse” because i really really wanted a title that references old mystery books i grew up reading and ties into the detective au theme, and it fits well!

7. If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?

i dont think i ever used song lyrics for anything other than like. titles. i hope i didnt anyway. i know “sharp edges” in “lost days” is a linkin park song, and “temporal shenanigans” is part of the homestuck soundtrack. thats literally it tho

8. Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

i dont even have to look to know that it was bruharv.

9. Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

actually probably jason/nico. theeen bruharv

10. What work was the quickest to write?

one of the drabbles im sure. sometimes i just shit those bitches right out and theyre often under 1k so its liek. lol

11. What work took you the longest to write?

fucking level 2. unless you count the jdau series as a single work, in which case, that

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

one :’) just the one. and im not sure yet if ill keep it

13. What’s your longest work of the year?

i dont even have to look to know that its level 2. level 2 is 126,596 words and 23 chapters long and its my biggest regret

14. What’s your shortest work of the year?

one of the drabbles im sure. but on ao3 its out of sight, a very very short harvmatches drabble i posted before i started posting drabbles on tumblr

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

theee only one in my docs. wdym. its supposed to be another part of the jdau, which i guess is also a massive wip? but i dont like to think of it as that

16. What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

im sure it was fucking “Harvey Dent Adopts Jason Todd” this year

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

harvey and 2f clearly, theyre like babygirls to me. but writing jason (grace and todd) is also very cool

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

bruce. that insufferable old whore. maybe if dc could just stop being stupid and give him af ucking consistent characterization, i wouldnt have so many PROBLEMS. im out here merging different sources like its a game. build your own bruce. i hate it here.

but also harvey ive done so much goddamn research to try and write him right and i sitll worry all the time that its not enough

19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

personally i want to explore some bitches /j

no but like idk man im really tired and writings been really hard lately and ill be happy to just write anything and feel good about it after

20. Which work of yours have you reread the most?

i reread the stupid jdau all the time just so i dont fuck up the next installment

21. How many kudos in total did you get this year?

3,145, apparently!

22. Which work has the most comments?

level 2 has the most comments at 31. which is kind of surprising, because it did not do very well otherwise!

23. Did you do any collaborative works this year?

nope

24. Did you write any gifts this year?

i wrote literally dozens of requests which are all sort of gifts i think, but in terms of literal gifts on ao3, i gave @roomfulloferidans many

25. Did you receive any gifts this year?

nope. things were not written for me nor was i given an Ao3 Gift(TM). but eri drew some very nice pictures for me! they drew equius from ammfh and my ocs and i have them saved on my computer so i can come back and look at them all the time

26. What’s your most common category?

its M/M because im gay and i think men are hot

27. What do you listen to while writing?

i listen to white noise if im really struggling to focus, otherwise ill loop a playlist or a single song. its switched around a ton over the year but right this second im looping an arcadian wild playlist i made that has other bands with similar sounds on it in addition to the entire arcadian wild discography

28. Favorite work you wrote this year?

also hollow americana, for reasons i already said

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

bro. im grabbing you by the shoulders right now. i wrote 300k words. i promise you i do not know the answer to that.

i know i like some of the headcanon stuff i put in starting over and hollow americana has a lot of good lines but i cant think beyond that even tho there are probably some real bangers because i wrote 300k words and i cant remember all of them

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

now. this may blow your mind. but. did you know. that if you dont like your ocs. you can just... get rid of them. and start over? still reeling from that one tbh

[sosoane1]

I posted 5,334 times in 2022

That's 813 more posts than 2021!

115 posts created (2%)

5,219 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@captainjimothycarter

@crazyplantkatie

@kitsune-35

@falcon-chill

@wedonttradelives

I tagged 2,714 of my posts in 2022

Only 49% of my posts had no tags

#xfiles - 446 posts

#steggy - 89 posts

#doctor who - 80 posts

#mcr - 62 posts

#my chemical romance - 60 posts

#critical role - 52 posts

#wheel of time - 41 posts

#ncis - 36 posts

#moon's midnight post - 35 posts

#peggy carter - 34 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#like thats why i got into xfiles(my current obsession) why im watching buffy why i watched doctor who sherlock missmaisle owl house and more

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Ao3 is down so i cant read my morning fic like I'm a man in the 50's drinking coffee and reading the newspaper:(

9 notes - Posted June 6, 2022

#4

Chapters: 1/3 Fandom: The X-Files Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully, Dana Scully/Melissa Scully Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Melissa Scully Additional Tags: High School, Teen Crush, Scully's favourit study spot just so happens to be where she can stare at mulder, Highschool AU, alternative universe Summary:

It's senior year for Fox Mulder and there are two new students at his school. Melissa and Dana Scully. Will their paths cross? How awkward is it when your newly assigned partner is your high school crush?

Tagging @today-in-fic

9 notes - Posted August 3, 2022

#3

River x Doctor "Can we keep it? Please?" 🥺🦖🦄🦇

Thanks for the Prompt! I had a great time making this! hope you like it.

Jim The Fish | 11 x River | 633w | AO3

The doctor had planned a beautiful date that had yet to turn into a dangerous situation, surprisingly since any time the doctor planned a date, he wouldn’t actually take into account the historical events of said date. A date in 15th century London was an excellent idea just not on the second of September 1666, let’s just say his plans went up into flames.

This time it was on Icoupra, a planet known for its amazing water features, oceans, seas, lake, and ponds. They had set up next to the Colothune pond.

River was wild but she did love those quiets moment when she could just exist with her husband. She longed for a normal life and this was the closest she would ever get. She had started to make an effort to remember the exact look in his eyes when he looked at her.

Those beautiful eyes, so full of love for her. The Doctor was playing on some stones that formed a line across the pond. He looked like a child playing in the water feature. He was being intentionally silly, just to make her smile. And it worked. God she loved him, as infuriation as being in a relationship with an ageless god could be, she loved him with every fiber of her being.

She was lost in her thoughts when she heard a loud ‘splash!’ The doctor was nowhere to be seen. She got up from her resting place and looked into the water as he emerged. 

‘Riv! Look!’ He shouted, drenched, and not minding the peace of algae on his head. He was holding up something that resembled a fish. He quickly approached her, doing his best not to drop the creature.

‘Can we keep it? Please.’ He said making his best puppy dog eyes at her.

‘Sweety, you can’t just take a fish out of a pond and keep it.’ She looked at the poor creature who was clearly struggling. She gently took it from his hands and released it back into the water. The fish gladly swam away, but then returned holding his head out of the water.

‘Thank you, lovely lady. You are much nicer than this vile man.’ Both The Doctor’s and River’s eyes grew wide as the creature spoke. ‘My name is Jim and that was my home that you decided to so carelessly walk on.’ The fish, or Jim, talked with a condescending attitude looking directly at The Doctor. If a fish could look angry, this fish was fuming.

‘Oh, I’m… I’m so sorry.’ The Doctor had seen many strange things, and surprisingly a talking fish was not one of them, or at least not a talking fish that looked like a fish. He looked to River for help with what to do in this situation but she had a great big smile on her face. She was glad that it was someone else who was scolding him for once.

‘He will help you rebuild.’ She offered.

‘That is a kind offer my lady, but I would prefer him anywhere that isn’t remotely close to my pond. You are welcome any time though.’ River was confused, was the fish flirting with her? How was it that a fish was better at flirting than her husband?

She leaned closer to The Doctor and whispered ‘I think we should head back, I’m sure we can find something else to do to occupy ourselves.’ Taking the peace of algea that was still on his head and flicked it away. The Doctor shivered at her words.

They promised Jim that they would pay for the damages and promptly packed up and headed back to the TARDIS. 

Once inside, they both bursted out laughing at the absurdity of the event. A talking fish! Who would have thought!

10 notes - Posted July 13, 2022

#2

I want Fox to be my dad

@100wednesday | TXF | Emily Sim | 100 Words | AO3

‘‘Mom? Do I have a dad?’’

‘‘No darling.’’

‘‘But I want Fox to be my dad. Can he be my dad?’’

Scully smiled at the question, she wanted nothing more than for her two favourite people to share this bond.

‘‘I think you should ask him that darling.’’

Emily turned on her seat at the kitchen table to face Mulder.

‘‘Can you be my dad?’’

He looked at Scully waiting for her approval. When she nodded he could have sworn his heart grew.

It would be the greatest honour Pumpkin.’

And that night, they were now finally a real family.

11 notes - Posted September 22, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I enjoy making music quiz. Would anyone do a galavant music quiz if i made one or i shouldn't bother?

50 notes - Posted January 12, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ao3feed-danganronpa]

And Through It All (How Could You Cry For Me)

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/P20nyI8

by HotGarbage

You traced your fingers over the words on your wrist for what felt like the umpteenth time in a little over an hour.  The green they held was never your favorite color until you had actually heard the words spoken and looked into the eyes of your fated one, the one you were always going to be attached to, Hajime Hinata. --- Sitting on the bed next to Izuru was always an uncomfortable experience, your entire body wanted this, wanted to be near him, and you assumed his body called for yours as well but… It felt more like two strangers forced to sit in close proximity on a train.

Words: 1268, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Super Dangan Ronpa 2, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa Series

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Kamukura Izuru, Hinata Hajime

Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Reader, Kamukura Izuru/Reader

Additional Tags: Soulmate AU, Izuru is a shitty soulmate, Emotional Hurt No Comfort, Am I capable of writing happy soulmates PROBABLY NOT, I've had this idea floating in my head for about a week, Reader is gender neutral, Reader is slightly obsessed, repetitve lines, reader is also shorter than them (cause im like what? nearly 9 inches shorter?)

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/P20nyI8

[micamicster]

i would like to redo my ask to: any particular snippet you are really excited to share! (also i was curious about the callout post one)

Hello again bestie thank you so much for your interest <3

So that one is my Russian Doll au which im obsessed with and which has been living in my brain for the past month! (If anyone hasn't seen russian doll, it's about a woman who keeps dying and reliving her 36th birthday, and then meets a stranger who is also stuck in a time loop. i HIGHLY recommend it). In this au Saira would be Nadia, and Amina is Alan. Saira keeps dying on the night that she, Bisma, and Ayesha are trying to play a gig.

(I've been jokingly calling it variations of canceled problematic etc because, well, Russian Doll is a lot darker than walp. It deals with themes of addiction and suicide and its characters can behave in ways that are a lot more damaging. So a walp fic with this premise would be like... canon character flaws, but made 200% Worse. So while I'm happy sharing bits of it with you all my best friends in my phone i don't think I'd be putting it up on ao3 anytime soon haha)

The elevator jolts to a stop, edging free-fall. It scrapes against the emergency brake with a horrible grinding noise before breaking through it. As it starts to plummet to the basement, Saira spares a moment to feel for the rest of the occupants, who are being sucked into the black hole of her endless death.

A woman is screaming, another pressing buttons. A man is slumped on the floor, clinging to the walls. Somebody—she’s not sure who—has pissed themselves, and the acrid scent is floating into the air. In all the chaos, there’s one person who hasn’t moved. A young woman in a red hijab standing toward the back of the elevator, looking around with calm disinterest.

Saira shifts her weight to lean against the back wall next to her. Because what else are you going to do when you’re waiting to hit the bottom? “Hey, sister. Haven’t you heard? We’re about to die.”

The girl turns toward her, revealing the biggest eyes Saira’s ever seen. “Oh, it doesn’t matter,” she says. “I die all the time.”

Saira blinks. “Me too.”

Looking into those eyes, Saira can feel something starting. There’s a rhythm to her heart that it hasn’t beat since it was Wednesday, or maybe longer ago than that. The smile on her face is only half finished when they hit the bottom.

[batarangsoundsdumb]

yet another ask dump yeehaw!

do you ever think that jay's mother was one of those bitch who believes in horoscope and tarots and things like that and so he believes in these things too, or it is just me projecting?

sheila haywood took one look at jason's birthchart said 'nah this won't do' and left.

Wait, but what happens when the justice league does find out that Bruce and John fucked? Lmao it sounds like it would be hilarious, really, I don’t want a justice league that doesn’t make fun of Bruce for like his entire life.

barry runs out of the meeting immediately and comes back with an entire sti testing kit. diana fully seriously wants bruce to get tested while bruce is sitting there like 'come on guys, you're being ridiculous, i already checked twice'

john is standing in the corner clearly offended while bruce is just like 'don't even say anything, constantine, you fucked a shark'

tim was like "i'm drake now" and everyone was like ahh so your fursona is a dragon and tim was like pffffft no. ducks.

on the one hand, good for him, on the other hand, bro, how do you still have a secret identity when your superhero name is just your last name,,,,

Your fic on ao3 was GOLD PLEASE CONTINUE I loved Dinah's cameo btw ( @purple-vixen

thanks so much! i already continued but this ask is like 10 years old because i'm a notorious procrastinator (also yes! i love dinah so much aahhhhhhhhhhhh)

I've FINALLY been watching the Batman animated series and I gotta say, after watching "the gray ghost" I am CONVINCED that Batman is a closeted super hero geek who was 100% freaking out the first time he met Superman and is just REALLY good at hiding it.

bruce internally: holy fuck holy shit holy fuck holy shit holy fuck holy shit holy fuck holy shit holy fuck holy shit bruce externally: get out of my city, alien

AHHH ur multimedia fic is the only thing that brings me happiness anymore continue it forever pls

uhh thanks, but can't continue it forever because my attention span is that of a toddler on crack on a good day and i can't function without at least 10 things going on at the same time and music in the background

Oi, so I'm getting into dc and watching batman the animated series, and they use fruitcake a lot. Which I thought was very funny and wanted to share w you - Denilla

wait like fruitcake (food) or fruitcake (derogatory) ?

young justice 🤝 teen titans slut shaming batman

tim drake and dick grayson to their respective teams 'you guys stop it, that's my dad'

Happyhoganon: If an eighty year old Batman had fought crime in Gotham City for decades and the only threats to him and the city lately are a wheel chair bounded Penguin, your usual purse snatchers and a few con artists popping up every now and then, how well could the Dark Knight do in maintaining the peace in Gotham despite him being just somewhat fit to do that as an elderly man (which says A LOT given how old he is)

uhh he'll probably do what my grandpa does and that is ruthlessly prank them until they die of shame.

in the death in the family interactive movie there's an ending where Jason is tasked with raising Damian and he decides he's gonna raise Damian to take down the waynes and al ghuls which uh maybe isn't great BUT the idea of Jason raising Damian... PRICELESS. CHAOTIC. I just need more people to know about this :)

yes i saw that wow holy shit but jason would accidentally drop damian on his head one (1) hour in and jason just yeets him into the lazarus pit.

Headcanon: The Penguin has a really hard time fighting any of the Robins because of his avian obsession means there's always a small part of his mind that's like "Birb. Child. Protect" ( @subspacecadet )

as soon as dick becomes nightwing the penguin is like 'you know what, fuck this dude' and shoots at him.

Y'all talking about King Shark dating Constantine, let's not forget about John literally hooking up with Satan

listen there's a clear difference between monsterfucker and satanfucker in that king shark is literally a shark and satan still looks like a normal dude

Does everyone in Gotham think Batman is a teen dad?

everyone in gotham thinks batman has been around since gotham was founded, but they do think that bruce wayne is actually a teen father and dick grayson's biological dad.

why. why would you do that fancast when you know it will only hurt people

what? i loved my fancast it was really well done. i did it with good representation in mind and i really managed that with alfred pennyworth being ✨italian✨

Seeing james charles a jason gave me psychic damage how dare you i need to wash my eyes

well that's a you problem isn't it?

do you think dick grayson thirst tweets about nightwing just to annoy his family/cause problems on purpose in general?

he thinks nightwing is hot, next question.

holy jiminy cricket batman, its as cold as the good lords ass crack in here!!

i- what? this is why i don't fuck with english expressions it's way too goddamn weird

Brooooooo, your teen dad!Bruce au is soooo good. I've got brainrot.

Honestly if you ever write anymore, I'd read that shit twice. Sign me the fuck up. Good stuff, Good Stuff.

uh yeah i'm thinking about writing a fic, but i have exams coming up and i don't wanna fail because that would suck. but after i'll certainly be writing more tho

your teen dad AU is so great! bruce acting like a big brother for all of like a week before he's telling everyone about his son. what if in the AU dick meets the JL because they need to rescue him? maybe he's in trouble/kidnapped at a gala and bruce starts calling for JL. clark finds him and has to fly with dick to bring him home - that's how dick and clark meet and superman becomes dick's fave hero. he goes around the manor thinking he can fly with a red blanket draped around him like a cape.

actually- if you want a young dad! bruce fic with like that kinda stuff(just with damian) go check uhh- in for a penny by cdelphiki. it's really good and bruce is like 24/25-ish. (and dick's there!!!)

This account has solely convinced me that Tim is a trash goblin ( @hamilcat-and-magic-turtle )

because he is. that boy has slept in dumpsters on multiple occasions even if he is the son of a billionaire.

Okay but when you said victory dance I did think of the whole justice league defeating the big bad and then they all start flossing

well that's exactly what hal jordan does and that's why batman uses a gun now. no but the victory dance in my opinion is like the 'we're all in this together' dance from high school musical.

The horrors in Invincible s1 was nothing compared to the comics, I cant wait for s2

oh well okay, i mean i personally react to horror and violence by laughing awkwardly so i can't wait to be called a monster for accidentally laughing at a mass murder.

I'm currently watching Batman: The Brave and The Bold and- Bruce is just talking about Oliver like he's an old love (@nightwings-kid)

okay im going to watch that lmao that's totally and completely in character for him tho.

The invincible comic is like super gratuitous with its violence so much so I'm shocked the show was able to adapt it in a faithful way! Anyway had the show been live action it absolutely wouldn't have the same impact as it does as an animated show and I'm so glad so many people agree with me on that

also because a live action casting would've been like uhh amanda stenberg for amber, the dude- the guy from the supernatural but with a mustache for omni-man, and scarlet johanssen for debbie grayson

Debbie grayson is a milf, yes. You're welcome for the invincible propoganda, now you can questions your life. Bruce def seems like the perfect father next to Omni-man. Like they really took a rip off justice league and I was like well, now I'm attached even tho I was like hah I know who they're supposed to be. And then bam- death gore death gore gore gore sad Mark grayson just had to have daddy issues. Why does every character have daddy issues. I'm sick of the attacks

because daddy issues make a person arguably funnier, that's why i'm not even remotely funny (haha good dad flex). i liked that it was dark contextually, but not in the colouring, bc i hate when it's like 'uh yeah graphic murder and now a shot so dark you have to sit in a dark room and squint at the screen to faintly see the characters. (like dcau ugh)

About the Wayne insurance, for a moment I thought you would put the video with moans over the waves.

i mean- i could've done that, but rick rolling seemed more family friendly.

Its the first time in forever that im surpise rickrolled, i usually expect it. Congratulations (i really should know better this is tumblr)

i get rickrolled so often but i actually like the song so i dont really give a fuck

Actually, my information about Damian and John's kids is outdated because it was revealed that the old men telling the kids stories about the Supersons were actually Jon and Damian the whole time. I was blinded by my thirst for Grandpa!Bruce Wayne but I was wrong... I liked my version better, tbh (@artemisa97)

fair enough. but i'd honestly like to see damian and jon getting together, just because it's a really fun dynamic and their friendship was really cute when they were kids. (also idk maybe it would be nice to have one (1) main batfam/superfam character that's not cishet)

How am i JUST finding your blog skdskfkd you're so fucking funny and ur takes are hot

i thought u were calling me hot :( but youre not :( crime detected (but lmao thanks)

So I have depression and I swear that your memes are one of the few things that have made me laugh so thank you 💛🥺 (@katekanebadass)

aw you're welcome, and i hope you're doing okay!

The metropolis memes are so funny, I love them 💀😌

i think metropolis is also so fucking funny it deserves more attention imagine having your entire police force being upstaged by an alien from kansas and his kids

as an american i feel your complete lack of knowledge of us geography is just so sexy (platonic) ❤️

thanks so much (i also don't know any other geography, i'm not kidding, like you can tell me you're from hungary and it will just blank, there will be nothing that comes to mind)

In the DC universe they don't say "Can't have shit in Detroit" they say "Can't have shit in Gotham"

this just reminds me of that guy whose porch got stolen like the steps to his door, and i'm thinking of people living in gotham and waking up without a front door and going "can't have shit in gotham"

honestly all i know about chicago is the bean, so. what would gotham's famous sculpture be?

gigantic gargoyle statue in front of one of the police precincts because a villain thought it was a smart way to keep the police inside, but it's too heavy to move.

why tf do people go on about how batman "works alone" or how he's the "lone wolf" when he like 38290202 members in his family

bc people think it's cool that a grown man in his 30s has no friends or family instead of calling it what it is (sad)

Bruce is gotham's sugar daddy

why would say something so controversial yet so brave.

my favorite batfamily fanfictions are the ones where they use their shitty codenames, unironically, in any context

dick: gerard way are you in position, gerard way are you in position

tim: for the last fucking time, my codename is 'totally not count olaf' this week, abbafan 3000

dick: shut up my codename isn't 'abbafan 3000'

dick: it's 'abbafan number 1' and you know it

I have a feeling Tim drake is ur favourite batfamily member but okay u don't have favs if u say so ok

i mean he is, i won't deny it. but i love each and every one of the batfam just the same, i just have a weak spot for short dumbass nerds, because i'm a short dumbass nerd.

Omg i fuckin love boy meets world too fam shsjkfk

bro boy meets world was the shit!!! it was just fire and awesome and so fucking great like bro. it was so good im not even going to be accepting criticism

you know I find the whole "joker completes batman" thing a bit disgusting considering the horrendous stuff the batfamily went through because of the joker and let's not get started on the "joker has a point" thing like yeah he's this cool complex villain but he's absolutely batshit crazy

like yes! i get what you mean the joker just fucking sucks man he doesn't do shit for batman's character or the batfam he's literally just annoying as fuck. like the joker has a point' shit is so stupid. i will accept 'magneto was right' because he fucking was and i think he didn't do anything wrong, but joker? he's just like that. he's not even cool and complex he's just a weirdo with a bleach kink at this point.

ALSO YOUR RACISM POST- SO TRUE BESTIE

thanks bestie, i'm glad you agree.

in today's essay of why I think cass should become batman- I was thinking Tim would probably be the most efficient batman in many ways but I also think he wouldn't want to be batman tbh none of the batfamily members would want to be batman because they're trying to outgrow him but cass is the one who wants to represent the symbol that is batman

absofuckinglutely i will say it again and again that cass represents the batsymbol more than anyone in the batfam, in batgirl (2000) she literally didn't care about anything else than bruce's oath to not kill, she thought the batsymbol was more important than anything in gotham. she's just an excellent character because her motivation to not kill is not 'i'm scared i can't come back from it' or 'well my dad says no murder so i'll go along with it' but that she's killed somebody as a young child and she never wants to kill a human ever again and that's so fucking beautiful for a new batman like yes.

need more cass, duke and tim inclusion in gothamite memes

yes yes, a tall order of cass, duke and tim coming up in 1-14 business days

oldest to youngest batfam members cus I'm confused as shit

okay order of being taken in: dick, jason, tim, cass, damian, duke order of age: alfred, bruce, dick, cass, jason, tim, duke, damian (though cass and jason are around the same age general consensus is that cass is a little older)

I'm so confused Steph is a redhead?? like how was it that hard to get this right? the source material is literally right there and free

cw is jared, 19

do you receive anon hate? if so, how do you deal with it

uh no, i'm not remotely popular enough to get anon hate and i also don't say a lot of things that would attract anon hate, but i do send anon hate to @the-real-peter-parker because he forgot about the specialists from winx club

Wait how many languages do you speak??

uhh- 5 if you include latin, but that's a dead language and i'm really bad at it. but english, my native language, german, and french also, tho german and french not fluently.

You can mix aguaepanela with aguardiente 😈 and is tasty

okay but now i'm curious if the liquor deserves the 😈 emoji or if that's a you problem. but i googled it and it looks like something you'd take one sip of and then not remember the rest of your evening.