#this is the most ive ever wrote

[sutherlins]

Like UPS? ↝ SydCarmy | Rated: E | Word Count: 8.4K+ | [READ HERE]

Summary: Sydney has always loved reading fanfic, so when an old friend sends her food network RPF as a joke she can't help but check to see if other chefs are on there too. Turns out, Carmy has fans. It's not until almost two years later when Food and Wine post a series of videos they shot for them that she sees the comments and it prompts her to check ao3 again and discovers something that shocks her: 18 works in Sydney Adamu/Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto

“What’s RPF?” "What?" “Under the video we made for Food and Wine, someone left a comment about how RPF was bad but they didn’t care?” “People are shipping us online.” "Like UPS?" "What?" “This something to do with you working for UPS?”

inspired by this post by @damnikindadontcare!

[its-flame-art]

“wait a minute. wait a minute, Doc. ah... are you telling me that you built a time machine...out of a DeLorean?”

[yun-shuten]

keepsies

surprise. i wrote something for this thing

You wish you had hands. Something for Error to touch even if you know full well by now that he would never let you touch him, or vice versa. It’s been so long since you knew him after all and even the way you are is pushing it. The fact you’re not a million scattered pixels is truly a miracle, given Error’s reputation and usual behaviour with SOULs like you.

Still, you dream. Your thoughts wander.

Respect the boundaries that exist but what if? Would he feel solid, if you had the senses for it? How would his glitches translate to your more broad senses? Would he lash out at you, or allow you the benefit of doubt? Surely he knew you long enough to allow even a brush?

But you don’t have the sense of touch. Not the right one anyway.

There is a solution though (there's more than one way to break free, you remember this) and your little self is further strung along by the idea’s allure. 

The current rules only exist because you were here. Anomalous being, abominations to those within this plane of existence. Bound to rules of the medium, but who says you were stuck to only one medium?

You drift a little further ahead, the pull of a potential change singing to you like a siren’s song. 

(where are you going?)

It’s right there, sitting so tantalizingly close yet so far away - an exit to this depressing situation you’ve put everyone in. A solution that sits nearly outside the box… But it’s not beyond your reach.

(wait)

You reach out, SOUL thrumming with longing for something better. A solution only you could present thanks to what you were. Maybe you could bring a better person to make this story better. Someone who wasn’t ‘you’ right now. Something new. Only one of you is allowed per setting and it’s clear that this ‘you’ isn’t working. You’re not what he wants or needs.

You are the Anomaly and Error hates-

(wait)

Yellowed tips enter your vision, followed by red phalanges, then black metacarpals. Each digit cupped around that fragile shape that holds you, until you are caged within the same hands you have seen break things over and over again. Your destination is obscured from view as those hands bring you down from your ascendance slowly. Gently. 

You follow the direction of his hands. Don’t touch him, you remember this as you carefully hover in the hollow space he carves out for you in the air with his hands. You don’t want to set off his fear.

The two thumbs above crack open and mismatched eyes gaze down upon your little SOUL. The snarl on his jaw isn’t present, instead replaced by a frown with a tightness you don’t remember seeing on him ever.

For a moment, neither of you move. Error’s Intent, usually a whirlwind of manic rage and glee, is unusually solemn. Quiet. Dare you say, gloomy. 

You're reading it wrong.

Your Intent hasn’t changed. Mostly, anyway. There is a shred of hope that blooms in your little pixel mass, a glow that aches for more. You would do anything for a favorite even if it meant giving them the silence they demanded.

“don’t…” Error breathes out, not a shred of the anger you know or the relief you predicted present in his tone. His sockets droop, and his hands draw you closer and closer until the Destroyer hunches around you like a cage.* “… don’t go.”

(he can’t find you if You leave)

[bottombaron]

ranking the Thunderbolts characters by how likely they are Zemo in disguise

some context: a character being revealed as Zemo in disguise in a genuinely unexpected twist is somehow hilariously common for the character in the comics (if i had a nickle for each time i’d have at least four, and that's almost a whole quarter!). most notably however it’s in the very first introduction of the Thunderbolts team. the Thunderbolts are kind of synonymous with a Zemo related twist at this point. basically, with the DC not-alive-anymore-by-choice squad you can count on the team having their implanted neck-bombs and with the Thunderbolts you can count on Zemo being hidden somewhere like a murderous purple Where’s Waldo.

SO, while everyone is like “where is Zemo?” and “why isn’t Zemo in the Thunderbolts movie?”, i remain steadfast in certainty that he’s going to show up in the third act,,, despite there being literally no evidence to the contrary. also this is just for fun so don’t take it seriously unless i’m right then i told you so.

these rankings go from least to most likely

0 / 10

Ava Starr

-because Zemo knows better

——————————————————————

1 / 10

John Walker

-he would have to dress up in an American propaganda outfit

-Zemo might have to intimately deceive Walker's wife and child and that's creepy

-he has the Super Soldier Serum

-calls Bucky “Bucky”

-even Zemo wouldn't ignore Walker's crying child like that, comeon man

——————————————————————

2 / 10

Yelena Belova

+surprisingly not completely unthinkable???

+like maybe as a gag it could play?

+i think it’s because they both have that tiny stabby assassin energy

-obviously it would be super weird, confusing, and narratively unsatisfying for both characters

-Yelena and Florence deserve their spotlight and i wouldn't want anything to detract from that

——————————————————————

3 / 10

Alexei Shostakov

+only slightly above Yelena in believability simply for him being more expendable narratively (so the character not actually being himself in the movie wouldn’t be as much of a let down)

-he’s not particularly similar to Zemo in any way

-like Walker, he has the Super Soldier Serum, so it’s unlikely Zemo would disguise himself as Alexi by choice

-it seems exhausting just being Alexi for any length of time, even for Alexi

+bonus: in the trailer, Alexi b-lines for the bar the instant they exit the elevator in the former Avenger's tower. total Zemo behavior

——————————————————————

4 / 10

Taskmaster

+same height

+non-powered (if you don’t include mimicry but i think Zemo could fake it for a short amount of time)

+wears a mask and doesn’t talk much, making for easy impersonation

+scarred face is similar to Zemo’s scarred face in the comics

-their builds don't match up to a passing glance and unlike Yelena, with her more baggy clothes, Antonia is wearing a fitted outfit, making it more difficult to pass (i don't need it perfect mind you, just enough to suspend believability juuust a little)

-mostly it's just the vibes tbh

-idk man im not feeling this theory anymore and i used to be a Zemo in the Taskmaster suit truther

-maybe it's the suit redesign 🤷‍♂️

——————————————————————

5 / 10

Bob/Sentry/The Void

now we’re getting to the ones where i start to vibe with, but also would need a whole lot of exposition

basically, if you wanted to give a guy like Zemo brain scramblies, make him forget who he is, do some experiments (possibly à la Hydra on Wanda/Pietro? finally pulling on that dropped thread of Sokovians having a higher rate of manifesting powers -specifically Wanda’s reality warping powers- when exposed to the Mind Stone than the average human?) and try to corrupt him into an American branded superhero with a mild-mannered personality, you usually give him a three letter name. like Bob. or Jim.

turning to a comic that i can't believe more people dont talk about in relation to Zemo and the Thunderbolts: Welcome to Pleasant Hill

there's a lot in this comic that gives precedent to the twist of Zemo (and the audience) believing they're just a common, good-natured, all-American before finding out it's a lie in an elaborate supermax prison system. (this will definitely come up in almost all other thoughts and theories i have, including the character on this list that i'm most interested in. i'm kind of obsessed with this comic tbh) the story even involves Bucky, the Thunderbolts, the Cosmic Cube (which is the Space Stone in the MCU - related to the Mind Stone) and reality warping/memory altering similar to the Sentry’s own comic twist. and yes, it’s basically the plot of WandaVision before WandaVision except that the warden wasn't a grief stricken Wanda but a surprisingly Valentina Allegra de Fontaine-ish Maria Hill (put a pin in that similarity). there's also the fact that the MCU loves to merge characters into one, like the upcoming Doom-Stark combo.

so how does this work? hell if i know. Zemo could be forced to change his appearance with that Black Widow spy mask thing? maybe the only ones who see Bob as Bob are the ones who don't really know him + Walker who's easily deceived?? idk. it's a pretty big stretch (but not as big the next one on this list!) the most probable scenario of this one happening is Zemo somehow being tied to Bob’s alter, The Void. again, not probable at all unless the movie does some trippy stuff, but it’s fun to imagine the possibilities.

+the trailer seems to suggest said trippy identity/mind stuff, which you would need to pull this off

+Loki’s staff that once housed the Mind Stone in Sokovia could be a reference to Kobik/the Cosmic Cube that creates Pleasant Hill in the comics

+uhhh Bob and Joe are both three letter names??

+in the Pleasent Hill comics Zemo kind of looks Bob/Sentry like?

-a major thing that holds this theory waaaaaaay back is the fact that Steven Yeun was going to play the part of Sentry first and its highly unlikely they would Plot Twist him into a white man (or god i at least hope not)

-ultimately, there's just not a lot of places this reveal could go imo so /shrug

——————————————————————

8 / 10

Countess Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

look ok hold with me here bc we both know that when those heels started clacking outside the Senate hearing in TFATWS everyone was thinking that it was Zemo rocking them for a whole hot second. I KNOW. I REMEMBER. I WAS THERE.

does this make sense? no, not really. should comedy legend Julia Louis-Dreyfus unmask as Zemo in drag in the third act of a big, multi-million dollar franchise movie made by The Mouse?? absa-fucking-lutly.

i even think it would go over with audiences for the most part. they’d see Zemo, Zemoing about, and go, oh yeah ok that tracks.

+Bucky kind of looks like he’s playing the role of Val’s bodyguard/muscle and his demeanor reminds me so much of TFATWS when he was playing the same role for Zemo

+Bucky knowing this whole time that Val is Zemo and is reluctantly going along with his grift for whatever reason is so funny to me idk why

+Bucky saying “what's the plan” in the trailer just feels better if he is saying it to Zemo

+Bucky is wearing some of his old WS gear and who put him in that last? Zemo

+her line about there being bad guys and worse guys is very on par with Zemo’s pessimistic mentality, maybe justifying an Avengers team up as a necessary evil?

+there should only be one unpowered, tiny, bitchy, manipulative, mastermind serving cunt in a purple jacket in the MCU and Val is crowding Zemo’s throne. solution: Zemo uses Val as his public identity (you know, because of all the war crimes. Val has almost certainly done similar war crimes but they were for the U.S. government so she’s safe to masquerade as) and leads the Thunderbolts with nobody being the wiser

+this also means keeping Julia Louis-Dreyfus around and thats worth like, a hundred '+'s

+the purple. the royal titles. oh, it’s all coming together

+totally think that JLD and Daniel Brühl could pull this off i’m not even joking

+it would delight and entertain me

+Zemo would be leading the Thunderbolts team as he should be

-i fear a shadow of transphobia looming around this idea (with a female character being revealed to be a man in disguise) and that instantly sucks any fun out of it

-Zemo’s ideology would have to do a complete 180 hairpin turn or be a very elaborate plan to sabotage things from the inside, kind of making it difficult to buy into the whole thing in the first place

-its never going to happen

——————————————————————

8/10

Bucky Barnes

ohhhhhhh kkkk

here we go

here’s all that twitter stuff abt how there’s reason to believe that the person shooting at the limo isn’t Bucky at all or that he’s being brainwashed again:

personally, i don’t feel WS here but maybe that's because Seb is doing a little bit of his Judge Dredd scowl and there’s too much going on behind the eyes? it still feels like Bucky still imo, even if his actions are like, a bit extreme. it’s that whole “i had to go to work today” energy that Bucky perpetually puts out lol. basically i didn’t get the vibe that he’s Winter Soldiering, or even that he’s trying to kill the team, i just get the vibe he was tasked with rounding up and escorting the group back to Vale and he’s doing it his usual undelicate way. of course, this is only 3 seconds from a teaser so all those details could be right or wrong in the film, only time will tell.

BUT this reasonable talk is counterproductive to this crackpot theory, so…

The Zemo being brainwashed or otherwise manipulated/reality altered into believing (or pretending to be) he’s Bucky/WS theory:

+if i had a nickel for every time Zemo in the comics was brainwashed/tortured into believing he was Bucky/Bucky adjacent and/or the narrative obfuscating which one was which, i’d have at least two nickels

+and that is purposeful btw, in the comics Zemo and Bucky have a strange thematic connection. it’s not a coincidence that when Steve was still grieving Bucky, here came a guy with ties to his past (specifically the son of the man who ‘killed’ Bucky) that would have been roughly the same age as Bucky if he didn’t ‘die’. Steve then commits to saving Zemo time and again, dispite what a complete fuck-up he is. so, Zemo hating Bucky but also kind of having this deep inner desire to be him at least has thematic presence in the comics

this motherfucker literally keeps a shrine of Captain American memorabilia, including putting Bucky’s old costume in a lit glass display case

-on the other hand, MCU Zemo is almost nothing like his comic counterpart and certainly doesn’t hate Bucky or want to be him

+on the other-other hand, there’s far too many similarities to MCU Zemo and the MCU Winter Soldier to ignore and the text of the movies/show seem to continuously remind us of that in little ways

+so in this theory Zemo wouldn’t be impersonating Bucky Barnes per se, he’d be the Winter Soldier

+who, conveniently, has Sebastian Stan’s face so Daniel Brühl wouldn’t have to be on set as much nor have to do any stunt work. good for him

means, motive, and opportunity:

+Val most definitely has access to the raft (and by extension Zemo) as the head of the CIA

+we also know that Val must have access to some form of the Super Soldier Serum if the Sentry is involved, and the clutter of Sentry related branding in the trailer seems to indicate Val/OXE/the U.S. government has been trying to create their own superhero, Homelander style

+Val also has access to all sort of means of manipulating Zemo's sense of identity. chemical memory alteration, use of off-world artifacts, the old fashioned WS programming way, or even all that Stark tech that was confiscated by Damage Control…remember B.A.R.F.?

+the whole choice to use Zemo could even be out of convenience. he’s already had extensive military training, was a successful black ops commander, he literally has nothing left, not even citizenship to a country

+nobody would look for him or wonder where he is or if he’s even still alive

+even if they did, would they care? to most people, he's a super villian. even people who might object morally, like Sam or the Wakandans seem to be too busy with their own shit rn anyways

+Bucky is literally the only one left who might object and if they're using his identity to carry out clandestine missions then they have leverage. keep quiet and you have a job, prestige, perks, etc. without having to actually do any of the dirty work. don't, and we spin this like you went off WS style and there's nobody to keep you from being locked up anymore. plus Bucky hates Zemo right? why would he care if he's America’s Winter Soldier

+this also allows for a built-in deniability for Val/the government if Bucky!Zemo was ever caught on a mission. that can't be the Winter Soldier doing assassinations in Europe if you can see Bucky Barnes at a Congress meeting on public tv at the same exact moment

+as to motivation, other than all the reasons stated above, it's clear that Val doesn't want a Captain America. she said as much to Walker in TFATWS. while it might work to her advantage to have a controlled Avengers team for her public image, it helps her far more to have someone reliable to do her dirty work

+creating a black ops assassin à la the Winter Soldier, but for America, would be her goal

+and sure, she had Walker and Yelena under her payroll already (and we assume Ghost and Taskmaster as well) but they don’t have that living action figure, perfect soldier rizz. in various ways im going to assume they've disappointed her, questioned orders, or just generally was too human

+so why Bucky's identity? easy. he's already got a whole brand. i can hear the sardonic lines out of JLD mouth about how hard it is to create something new when you can just reboot it. Bucky has a legend as the Winter Soldier, one that still carries a lot of clout. she wouldn't even need to deploy him for assassin reasons, just use him for negotiations and fear tactics. the Winter Soldier is already a verified threat at an international level, you can't buy that kind of marketing. using Bucky's face and WS identity would be essential to her

+wouldn’t just brainwashing the real Bucky again be easier? well, other than the advantage of having Bucky and the WS be separated people as mentioned above…the last two times Bucky Barnes was brainwashed to be the Winter Soldier and otherwise held against his will, an empire fell (S.H.I.E.L.D./Hydra and The Avengers). so, while i’m sure Val has a fondness of the Rule of Three as much as i do, i also think she’s smarter than that

+i’m sure she’s even approached Bucky directly and has probably tried to manipulate him with a job that looks legit on the outside and gets him a nice private house. but Bucky isn’t going back to the WS role, it’s not going to happen. and he’s already side-eyeing Val pretty hard in that trailer so her perfect soldier he won't be

so Val has means, opportunity, and motivation to take Zemo and turn him into her very own super assassin. but lets take this a step further.

this post by magnitothemagnificent brings up a great theory that Bucky here could actually be Jack Monroe, more importantly brings up one of Jack's alter egos, Scourge.

this same guy from the comic page above

(for my theory, obviously, instead of Jack, it would be Zemo as a Scourge-like character)

+we know that there is a version of the serum going around to create the Sentry, and that the Sentry's #1 personality trait in the comics is his mental instability

+we know that, in the comics, Jack Monroe was driven mad specifically by the Super Serum he was given. it messed with his sense of reality and identity in big ways including making him believe he actually was Bucky, instead of just taking up his mantle

+possibly, this version of the serum is responsible for the mental instability of everyone who takes it, creating delusions and hallucinations and this is what affects the Sentry’s mental stability and warps this hypothetical Bucky!Zemo/Scourge's sense of reality

+this could even tie into Walker's story, as it seemed like he escalated in his instability after taking the serum (you know, there's actually a fairly large connection between Walker/US Agent and Monroe too hmm…)

in the comics, Monroe is being controlled (through nanites, so idk maybe Stark Tech?) by a very Zemo-type motivated guy who hates supers and even works for the Commission on Superhuman Activities (basically the same people who created the Sokovia Accords in the MCU, led by Ross and the UN). being controlled by this man, Monroe, as Scourge, is forced to attack and kill super powered people and targets the Thunderbolts. Comic Zemo is literally beheaded by him in a page that definitely tries to make the reader think that it is Bucky Barnes attacking Zemo (this was before the Winter Soldier Brubaker run that brought back Bucky Barnes, so at the time Bucky was still thought to be very dead for over 50 years)

and the Scourge suit would explain other parts of this theory, such as why is that literally Sebastian Stan’s face?

+the suit comes with a camouflage feature and image inducer so looking just like Bucky wouldn't be a problem (in the comics, previous versions of Scourge, one who i actually believe was Jake Monroe, just used latex masks, even disguising himself as a woman more than once -go Val=Zemo theory!- but the most important detail is that Scourge has always been a master of disguise, so that element is already built into the lore of the character)

how would Zemo be able to mimic the Super Soldier Serum?

+if he's not being dosed by Val with a version of the serum, the suit has various means of mimicking increased strength

but unless they really committed to amputating an arm and have a Wakandan prosthetic laying around, how would Zemo have the metal arm?

+from what i can tell, we don’t actually see Bucky’s metal arm in this scene? i believe it’s covered up with a jacket. and even if some of it shows, that could be a CGI misdirect. otherwise the Scourge suit would answer this too, specifically the metal-looking high-tech gauntlets that he wears could be made to at least look like Bucky’s arm and do the same things Bucky’s arm can do

but what about real Bucky?

+we have to first buy into the two Bucky’s theory, which i don’t actually hate. there’s Bucky trying his best in the trailer and then there’s an impersonator out there doing his best Winter Soldier. this way we don’t run into the same problems of a third act reveal like with the others (not actually following the real Bucky Barnes). we would be, hopefully with a confrontation between the two in the climax, getting almost an out of body visual of Bucky’s inner turmoil. him vs the winter soldier identity and everything that represents to him

even having Bucky wearing the Winter Soldier gear would have a cool call back to the Scourge suit:

+the suit in the comics has two gauntlets that can access various tools and weapons by simply voicing a code. they appear as if from thin air but in reality it is a clever use of pym particles

+these weapons aren't even just regular ‘ol things but rather he has a whole arsenal taken from other heroes and villains

+so a suit that carries the whole Winter Soldier arsenal, despite us having every reason to believe Bucky wouldn't have those things anymore, could be a fun way to reference that

speaking of the WS arsenal:

+I know its just a coincidence, but its worth noting that, as others have pointed out, Bucky is predominantly carrying the Škorpion vz. 61 (also known as the Sa vz. 61 Skorpion) in the trailer and in the poster. which was the gun that used to attach to the harness on the WS suit

+Zemo's paramilitary team from Sokovia, EKO Skorpion, was, at least partially, named after the Serbian Skorpion paramilitary force. the real life Serbian Skorpions named themselves after their favorite gun, you guessed it: the same Škorpion vz. 61 that is used by the WS

+additional fun(?) fact: the real life Serbian Skorpions had a secret relationship to the CIA and the CIA might have had a hand in the Yugoslav wars (shocker). if we follow this trajectory, it's possible that Val could have had connections to Sokovia and Zemo as early as the 90s/early 2000s, working as a CIA agent involved with the Sokovian Civil War

+if Hydra was involved with instigating the civil war in Sokovia (as they almost certainly were as it gained them a great advantage in establishing their base there) and Val truly is Madame Hydra, then that would establish pretty strong connective tissue between Val, Sokovia, Zemo, and the WS/Bucky

taking us to Pleasant Hill again:

i love this panel in relation to the Thunderbolts bc this is everything that Yelena is struggling with and seems to be the central theme of the movie, these broken people finding purpose in a world that they’ve been alienated by

+now the major twist in the comic wasn’t just that Zemo is really mild-mannered Jim, but rather the readers were manipulated through various means into believing that Jim was actually Bucky until the end reveal

+combining these things (the Pleasant Hill comic run and the Jack Monroe/ Scourge comic run) creates a story where the audience is led to believe Bucky is Winter Soldiering about, attacking and possibly trying to kill the Thunderbolts team

+but in reality it is actually Zemo, being manipulated and controlled by Val thru various sci-fi means to make Zemo just appear as Bucky

some other things:

+the last person to imitate the WS specifically? Zemo

+and he literally did it with just some prosthetics and theater kid energy

+their height difference is concealable with some heels and Zemo would know how to run in them

+this might even explain Bucky's bad hair:

+like ok hold with me here but Daniel Bruhl had this same exact hair cut for his role as Karl Lagerfeld

did he keep the hair during Thunderbolts filming? i have no idea. but its fun to imagine

and finally,

+the popular Bucky/WS left hand theory. while i’m not necessarily convinced just by this trailer (even tho i really like the theory and the visual importance of Bucky using his metal/left arm), this would gain added legitimacy if it’s actually Zemo impersonating the WS

+because, while Bucky may not be left handed,

+Zemo is

——————————————————————

10 / 10

this gerbil

+100% Zemo, he’s not even in disguise here that’s just Daniel Brühl on set

[itsrainingbubbles]

Highschool law and luffy having the most fucked up sleeping schedules known to man

Law has insomnia so his sleep schedule was already fucked up but then he started dating Luffy, Luffy who didn't like the idea of law staying up all by himself without even having a choice about it because of his insomnia so he decided to stay up with him

Luffys sleep schedule starts to mirror laws after that and it even gets worse since now law has company and he wants to spend more time with luffy (despite already spending all his time with him) and so even when he does feel like he could sleep he stays up longer to talk to Luffy more

And law is no stranger to all nighters, he's fine going a couple nights without a wink of sleep but Luffy isn't, so he'll fall asleep halfway through class, on the bus, even during lunch

So law begins taking naps with Luffy after school and during the weekends, even at night sometimes

They don't have a consistent sleep schedule at all, some nights they'll stay up for 3 hours, nap for 2, and then stay up the rest of the day until they can nap together after school again

Sometimes they sleep for 5 hours, not consecutively, but they sleep for 5 hours that night until their nap

Every time they sleep they have to be on call, it's just a must

Once ace and sabo 'grounded' him and took his phone so he snuck out to stay over at laws. He got in more trouble but he continuously snuck out until his brothers gave up

[bobosbillionsknives]

Diner doodles

[dreamsy990]

hi i wanted to draw my own au so have a snippet of scene i rewrote like 12 times and will likely rewrite again

[creeky-cricket]

I HEREBY BREAK MY SILENCE (IDK not for long, probably)

and in doing this, I will give you my first SFW alphabet, of MyStreet!Zane Ro'meave. cause the lack of content for this man is absolutely CRIMINAL.

Cw: talk of character death, very very brief talk about kinks, angst, fluff, hurt comfort, probably ooc idfk LMAO

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He probably wouldn't be the most affectionate in public, poor dude can't even bear the thought of people knowing his biggest interest cause he's worried he's gonna be made fun of </3. But, behind closed doors, he would 100% be the most gentle and cute lover, constantly asking if he was allowed to touch you, to hug you. It's the little things. As for verbal affection, I feel like he wouldn't be the biggest fan of pet names, maybe common ones like baby, or sweetheart occasionally but nothing BIG.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

I have a few ideas for this one, but starting off with the most likely. You were probably a friend of Aphmaus or a friend of someone in the main group who's begun meeting everyone. I like to believe you two didn't click immediately, not fighting all the time or anything you just never really spoke. When it actually comes to being friends, you're the one to make the first move, even if it was just a subtly joke to him on the sidelines. Eventually, it just became a common occurrence to see you two together, enjoying each other's company. The two of you can barely even remember when you didn't talk, it just, suddenly happened.

(As for any others, I can think of a few tropes. Like, childhood best friends to lovers, the coffee shop aus, anything soft and sweet. BUT it has to have character development and plot.)

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

This man is a cuddler. Not in public, never in public. But if you two are sat in the same area together, he's leaning on you. Or pulling you into his chest. He likes the feeling of your weight on him, makes him feel grounded. I can also see something else that would happen quite often, like. You sat on the couch watching TV, and he comes in and sits on the floor in front of you or to the side of where you're sitting and just leans his head or body against your legs. (Don't be shy, play with his hair. >:3)

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

This man is the most organised neat freak. Like, to the point it can get a bit tedious. He likes things to be in order and the way he likes it. However, he would be open to compromises. That being said, though, he would be totally fine with having most of the cleaning responsibilities. Like, as long as you’re not leaving him to clean up your stuff, and pick up after yourself, he doesn't expect you to go through and deep clean regularly. This doesn't mean your house is totally spotless tho. As for cooking, I feel like that would be more your responsibility- since all he can really do is bake LMAO. He can make like- bacon- I guess. He's not totally useless, but get him to make anything like stew or smth, he's gonna require a LOT of help. 

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

If he was the one breaking up with you, he would be very quiet leading up to it. Like, you would probably know because he's just- stopped wanting to be around you. Making excuses, being really mopey around you, and generally just not engaging with things that involve you. It's not like he's trying to be a dick or anything, he's just really worried about how you’re gonna take it. I feel like the reason he wants to break up isn't generally anything bad, he would have just lost feelings. Or felt as if it would just benefit the both of you if you were just friends. He doesn’t want to hurt you and is scared of you not wanting to be around him again. As for if you broke up with him, and how he would take it? PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT BREAK UP WITH HIM OVER TEXT. Zane, the soggy wet cat that he is, will internalize this SO BAD. one-way ticket to Spiral City, ‘What did I do.’ ‘why couldn't I be better’ such and such. Obviously, this would still happen if you broke up with him in person, but at least he can have the immediate distraction of the outdoors or whatever environment you’re in. The first thing he does. Text. Aphmau. Or hell, maybe Garroth depending on the point of timeline. He will cry. Mans will sit and stew in his room just, laid in bed for however long he feels. Will only come out for food and water.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quickly would they want to get married?)

Well, this is a tricky one. Theoretically, yes. He would wanna get married, he's always liked the idea of that ‘picture perfect’ life, especially with you. But I guess it's just the actual act that would put him on edge. Not to mention the planning! It would stress him out so badly. God forbid the proposal too! He can barely plan a surprise birthday party, let alone a romantic moment that the two of you will look back on and treasure forever??? That being said, if somehow everything does go to plan, without Zane passing out or dying from cardiac arrest, I don't think it would change much for the two of you. Yes, you’re together by law now, but you were already living together before this, you were already settled before this. Honestly? I feel like he would be set with just staying engaged for the rest of your life. By this point, he knows you’ll never leave him. And god knows that he would never even begin to fathom a life without you in it.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Gosh, Zane would be so conscious of being too overbearing with you. So he is very gentle physically. If you have long hair, and you ask him to tie it up for you, he would be so careful with it. Apologising if your hair gets tangled on his fingers, barely even pulls the hair tie in case it would hurt you. While you’re cuddling, he holds you fairly loose too, just in case you want to pull away. Or if you felt uncomfortable. Bro, it would be like a year into your relationship and he would still have such shaky hands and soft touches cause he's so nervous around you. I also hc that his hands are like, constantly cold. No amount of warmth can do this man good, so it's common that he pulls his hands away very quickly if you were to flinch from the cold. (like man, it would be the middle of summer and he would fr feel like he's been locked in a freezer for the majority of his life) Emotionally? Well, he tries, he really tries to be open for you. And he is, you can talk to him any time you want! He would never get bored of hearing your voice, it's just. He's always going to be blunt. And he's never gonna be able to know the right things to say in any given situation, so please be patient with him. (AHJDBAWHJK WAIT MF you: ‘…do you think I'm ugly??’ Zane: ‘uh… sometimes. I guess? why?’)

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Hugs are awkward in the beginning. Like, he's such a touch-starved dude he doesn’t know what to do when someone hugs him. Let alone someone he likes a lot. God forbid it’s in a context in which you need comfort too, it would be so awkward. It’s also awkward because he doesn’t know how to ask for them. In theory, he wants to touch you all of the time. Like, he wants to hug you and be near you every second of the day, so he just doesn't wanna come off weird for wanting to hug you all the time. After a while, you both develop your own non-verbal mannerisms and ways of asking for physical affection, so it does get better. But still, if he had the choice of being close to you forever he would accept that so fast.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He probably says it very fast into the relationship, but like, it would be a heat of the moment sort of thing. Probably when you first start dating, it's a very flustered, very rushed ‘ILOVEYOU-’. But then wouldn't really say it after that. He already feels as if it’s something he shouldn't have said at the time, so he's not gonna risk saying it again not until at least a month or two into your relationship, or you begin saying it too. Once it becomes a normalised thing, he says it quite often. You’re the best thing that's ever happened to him, he wants you to know that! Even if that includes random moments of him pouring his heart out to you. Bro, it would be so dead silent, you could be doing something like housework and he would just spawn out of nowhere and be like ‘I really, really love you. You better know that!’

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Ooohhh, he gets jelly. Very easy. Usually only over small things tho, and it's not entirely a big deal. But please don't just brush him off, poor baby just wants to make sure you’re not gonna leave him. He was in the shadow of pretty much everyone he's ever met: his brothers, his classmates, his friends. God, can you even blame him for being a little bit nervous about that? That being said, it's usually pretty easy to know when he's jealous. He gets very huffy and blushy and quiet, glaring at whatever’s making him jelly. Give him a few words of reassurance, hold his hands and give him eye contact while doing so and he’s a pile of mush lmao. However, there can be times that you can't tell that you’ve done something wrong, or well, what you have done wrong. If something makes him genuinely jealous, and makes him upset. He will wait until you’re in a more private setting before he explains, first of all, because he respects that that sort of stuff shouldn't be done in public. And secondly, because he just doesn't know how to phrase things, and probably feels as if he doesn't have the right to be feeling like that. 

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

You guys don’t have your first kiss until like, 4-5 months into your relationship. Depending on how close you are before you get together that is. It's possible you’d already had it before you started dating, but still. This is mainly because of the fact he wears the mask, which kinda obstructs things. But I feel like your first kiss would be so sweet, maybe during a moment where you’re comforting him. Specifically about his looks, he's sat telling you his insecurities and you persuade him to take his mask off. Cradling his cheeks and looking over his features, he gets a little flustered, so he begins to pull his mask up out of instinct but suddenly your lips are on his. He. Would. MELT. PILE OF GOOP. Putty in your hands. Probably goes really quiet for a while and you worry you made him uncomfy, and suddenly, after like 10-15 minutes, he asks if it would be ok if he kissed you again. >:3 He also likes to give you forehead and cheek kisses. Easiest to give through the mask. As for where he likes to be kissed, cheek, temple, lips. He's not entirely picky. Will get really flustered if you kiss his neck/jawline tho. Even if it’s in a completely innocent way, he just gets really red. 

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

You are not having kids. It's not like he doesn't like children, well- he doesn't but it’s more the anxiety that he gets around them if anything. Always feels like he’ll do something wrong and it would have lasting effects. Man worries too much, but at least you would know that if you did happen to have kids he would wanna be involved 24/7. He would technically be a good dad, but he would probably end up being a helicopter parent, especially if something was to happen to you.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Zane would either be the type to be up at 7 am sharp even on weekends. I feel like he’d be the type of person to loathe mornings too, so it would be pretty funny if he was an early riser. 

‘ ‘Hey, baby.’ you coo as you walk into the kitchen in the morning, seeing your beloved boyfriend resting his forearms against the windowsill, watching those who walked past. ‘Whatcha doin’?’ You ask, curiously, walking up beside him to find the scowl etched onto his face, ‘..judging..’ ’ He gets out of bed carefully in the morning so as not to wake you, slowly making his way out of your shared room and down the stairs. He probably just sits and watches TV in the living room for a while until you wake up. Though, if you didn't work at home, he would get things ready for you. Like, make you a drink, make sure your clothes are out of the wash, would want to make your food but he probably leaves that to you. His service stops at breakfast in bed (most days). 

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Being a night owl, Zane’s the most ‘active’ at night. 7 pm to 12 am is the best time frame for him socially and creatively. Granted he's not the most creative person, but I imagine he does like writing and doodling every once in a while. Nights are pretty unpredictable when it comes to him, sometimes he's busy at work getting things done, or busy with some project that he's working on. But then, there are nights when all he wants to do is snuggle with you on the couch and just watch TV. Or even just spend some type of time with you. 2 am baking is a common occurrence too. A big mess to clean up in the morning too. Usually consists of you and Zane, sleep-deprived and laughing as you try and bake something together. Music is on in the background as you’re busy at work. 9/10 ends up with you both covered in various powders and ingredients due to you both getting too competitive in your ‘competitions’. However, that 1/10 is usually that sweet type of baking, tiredly clinging to each other as you follow some recipe that KC sent you either that morning or sometime a week ago. Soft kisses shared while you wait for things to mix and kjbkjbfsd I love baking oneshot ideas...

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He's not a very open person, we know this. Only starts telling you really deep things once he knows he can trust you, which takes a long time, mind you. By this I mean like; his insecurities, how he’s been treated during his life, and his feelings. And when he does start talking to you about this, it comes out like a fucking waterfall. Especially if he's ranting after a high-stress situation. God, this poor guy, probably starts crying and beating himself up about it because he's embarrassed and feels like he's making a fool of himself in front of you. Ends with him in your arms, from an angry peak to a very sad low. There are situations like this every now and again with him, with the way he bottles pretty much everything, day in, day out it's hard not to. Everybody needs some kind of release every once in a while. 

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He gets grumpy easily, but that's it really. He never really gets ‘angry’ with you, and you guys never really argue, not really. Maybe silly disagreements here and there, but if you’re actually the one for him I feel like he would value you most because you can agree on almost everything. That being said, he is Zane Ro’meave, an easily irritated guy. Plus the fact he annoys people for the fuck of it and lacks the skill the care about who he upsets. If you do something that actually pisses him off you’ll know about it eventually. Similarly to how he gets when he's jealous, he just gets kinda quiet for a while, before giving himself to recollect his thoughts before sitting down and speaking about it with you. Working out solutions and ways to avoid it in the future. Do expect to be glared at a lot too, this man has the perfect stink eye, and will not be afraid to throw it at you if you’re being annoying. (though he doesn’t really care lmao, as long as you’re comfortable and having fun it's usually not a problem.)

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He knows absolutely everything. Mainly because he will just sit there and listen to you rant, just like you would do for him. Like, at first you would be ranting, and he would be doing something. Like scrolling on his phone, or reading. And you would get mumbly and stop because you didn’t want to get annoying and were afraid of him getting irritated. Bro fr looks up from whatever he is doing and raises his brow. If you don’t continue, he will prompt you to. ‘I'm still listening,’ ‘continue,’ ‘and then what happened?’. Would probably be able to recite the whole thing back to you. Along with this, he remembers the other small things too, whether it's something you told him about yourself, or something somebody else told him about you. Like, your favourite drink, your favourite movie, hell, he would totally try and get into your special interest and learn certain things about it if he heard how much it means to you cause he wants you to feel heard and loved. :3

R = Remember (What is their favourite moment in your relationship?)

If you were to ask him, he'd probably say he couldn’t tell you, that he didn’t really know. But honestly? His favourite is probably from near to when you first started living together, not everything was in its right spot as of yet, and things were still unfamiliar. One night, there was a huge storm outside, thunder, lightning, wind, you name it. Just when you thought it couldn't get much worse, the power had been cut out due to it too, so no wifi, no TV, and most importantly, no light. The power cut out just as the sun began to set too, and wouldn't be fixed till late morning. Zane, being the guy that he was, didn't really care too much about the cut. Sure, it was inconvenient but it wasn’t a huge bother to him. But he noticed how on edge you seemed. How tense you were. And so, he asked you about it, and upon learning about your feelings towards storms, plus the added stress of lack of lights and distractions, he took it upon himself to ‘protect’ you. And so, for the rest of the night, you two poked around in unpacked boxes, looking for torches, games, anything you could use to pass the time. Though, through everything, it ends with the two of you cuddled under a blanket fort you made out of boxes, blankets (obv) and various other bits of furniture. Zane's arms wrapped around you, keeping you secure as the two of you either slipped into sleep or waited for the sun to rise once again.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

As I said before, very nervous about being too overprotective, he doesn't wanna seem controlling, cause he's heard that that’s a bad thing to be. Would barely even touch you for the first few weeks of your dating, cause he didn't want to make you uncomfy. It's the same reason he doesn’t like PDA, along with the fact it makes him uneasy. But, that doesn't mean he won't protect you. Like, if someone were to start being rude to you, he would be on the front lines. Verbally, of course. If it was one of the main group, and they had said something that had upset you. He would 100% chew them out for it, in public too. He does NOT fear confrontation. As for you with him, he would not like for you to do that. If somebody upsets him, he can and will stand up for himself and he wants you to be able to understand that. (But if someones talking behind his back and he wasn't there…. well.) I feel like the ‘protection’ that he would want from you, is to just be a safe haven for him. Someone he can talk to, be himself with and have no worries that you would tell anyone. It seems silly, but he would literally love you forever.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

NAWH HE WOULD TRY SO HARRRDD. One of the first dates you go on would probably be a really fancy thing, like a restaurant. BUT IT WOULD BE SO AWKWARD. The reason he invited you to that dinner is because that's what he thought you expected him to do, and obviously he has connections with money considering his family. But after that, he would probably talk to you about it, and upon learning that also wasn’t your setting, you would move on to more comfortable places. Like the movies! Or the arcade! As for gifts, and anniversaries, he would panic SO BAD. Your first anniversary, he had Aphmau and Aaron guiding him through it. Like, ‘What should I do?’, ‘Where should we go??’, ‘What do I get them???’. He just wants it to be perfect for you like you would do for him. Safe to say the key thing with him is communicating, no surprise dates. That would make him so uncomfy. OH, AND HE WOULD HELP YOU WITH TASKS TOO. Like, if he saw that you were stressing he would fr sit you down and be like, ‘ok, listen. This is stressing you out. What can I do to help you.’ would 100% do the silliest task you set for him as long as it makes you feel better </3

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He probably finds it really funny to annoy you. Like, most of the time it's harmless, but sometimes it gets to a point where you feel as if he’s just making fun of you. Which isn't his intention! And you know this, in the grand scheme of things. He just gets carried away, seeing you frustrated is cute and funny to him. It's also probably his way of flirting lmao. Bro will find pay so much close attention to you, find the ways that you tick and the small things that piss you off and push every fucking button he can LMAO. Can and has ended up with you being like ‘Dude, seriously? Cut it out.’. It would take him a while to fully apologise, especially at the beginning of your relationship. Back then he probably wouldn't even say it to your face, would send you a genuine text paragraph saying he was sorry and then act like it never happened. When you’re more comfortable with each other he will say he's sorry, but subtly. He does mean it, he just gets really awkward about it.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

This dude. For a man who wants people to think he is tough, mysterious and intimidating, he dresses like an E-boy and covers 75% of his face simply because he doesn’t like how he looks. And he feels like people would think less of him because of it. It takes him a long time to feel comfortable enough to be completely maskless around you. He’s not as bothered with his eye as he is with his freckles, so that’s probably the thing you see first. To help with this, complement him. Complements are his weakness. Just a simple ‘you’re so pretty’ would have him REELING. (Bro has the biggest praise kink) 

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Oh absolutely, this dude can barely sleep in a bed without you in it. Once he's gotten a taste of the love you gave him, he feels like he wouldn't be able to go on without it. This might be the angst-craving side of me talking, but imagine a world where you’re suddenly taken from him. Little to no warning. Whether you die, you go missing or whatever, the absolute disdain that he would feel. Would feel lost for so long if you remained gone, barely talked, barely went out, and probably moved out of your shared house and back in with Garroth for a while. He just doesn't know what to do with himself. Depending on how far into the relationship you are when this happens, idk if he would get with anyone again. If it was rather early, he would more than likely move on eventually. It would take a while but he would, for you. But if you were like, committed? Engaged and everything, there's no way. You were the one for him, and he would just not be happy with anyone else. Cause it wouldn't be you. 

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He's a very sleepy drunk and a lightweight. This man didn't have his first drink till like, his late twenties. And even then I don't think he would ever make a habit out of drinking, maybe a few at gatherings, doesn't really like to go out to an alcohol-centric setting (like a bar or anything). Plus the fact it's hard to drink through a mask so most of the time at these gatherings he was the designated driver. So if he ever does get drunk around you, (one of the rare times) expect to be fallen asleep on, and helping him to the car. Also a cuddly drunk. But only with like, you and Aph. Maybe Garroth depending on how far gone he is. Will just sit there silently, either with you on his lap or sitting to the side of you, arms around your waist and head on your shoulder / in your neck, sound asleep.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Someone who won't / isn't able to communicate with him. Communication is key with Zane, after being pushed around and forced into awkward and unwelcoming environments for the vast majority of his life he just wants to be with someone who will listen to his point of view and not judge him for basically existing. He also wants to be with someone who can tell him when he's doing something they don’t like. He’s not good at reading between the lines, and will just continue doing something if you don’t tell him. He would also need you to tell him when he does something you do like as well. He wants to know what he can do as well as can't do. And he expects all the same from you too. He understands communication can be difficult for some people, but to be his partner you’ll need to have the ability to set boundaries, and clear ones at that.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Bro pulls all-nighters like he doesn't need sleep to survive. And then he complains that he's tired all the time. Will say something like ‘I've got such bad eyebags’ and then argue the toss when it comes to you telling him to sleep more. Though not to be cliche, he does sleep better when you’re laid with him. It's just the grounding feeling of your weight against him, and the sound of your soft breaths. And the fact he physically can't move by law. Lmao, you have to coax him to actually go to bed though, like a toddler. He’ll be so tired, eyelids drooping and falling asleep on the couch or at a desk and he will fr be like ‘Noooo, I don't wanna’. And then as soon as he lays down he is out like a fucking light.

oh, hey!!

ty for reading!! :3

[rosescarletful]

Written for For @divinit3a Café Lunch Rush prompt list. All great inspiration, I had a blast writing this! Take this *throws Eclipse at you.

Drabble name: Tireless Work Brings May Flowers

Contents: Canon Eclipse x Reader, yn is a mechanic, post fire au.

Chosen words: Clouds, honeydew, bonfire, hope, celebration.

Word Count: 2185

Day fifteen. You wipe the grease from your brow and exhale, turning screws back into place. This isn’t the first time you have had to fix this circuit, nor will it be the last, but you persevere this way regardless. 

You plug in the animatronic to your wall, press a switch in his open chest, and wait, leaning over his face plate to hold him.

“Hi sweetie.” You coo to him. His optics are black, and you do not know if he hears you, but you will talk to him this way regardless, just like you did back then. You’re not sure who it is, really, Sun or Moon. They merge perfectly in this form, his hat you stitched up piece by piece dangling over the table and his rays carefully mended.

“I fixed one of your core wires. It blew out again - this should be a better piece now.” You lament your limited access to good parts, but if Faz caught wind that you stole one of their own, they would probably hunt you down real quick. You would never see him again, and that's not something you can bear. The fire already made your heart break and weep enough.

You found him lying there, smoking from the bonfire. He was posed reaching for the entrance, clothes almost entirely burnt off. You wept and gathered him up, pressing apologies upon apologies into his metal. How scared they must have been, under the pressure of the burning heat.

You trace a finger on a ray, pushing it gently to rotate. You miss when Sun span his rays when he saw you, making wave patterns to make you laugh. “Should be any day now.” You comment, trying to hold it together as he fails to boot up again. Something sparks down by his leg, and you take a deep breath. 

It's alright, the world is not ending. Something is preventing them from booting up, and you just need to figure out why. 

Day twenty eight. You know you are getting closer because they do not spark anymore, at least. So far, he gets to his optic lights flickering, then powers off again, so you are so close you can taste it. 

“It's a beautiful day out today.” You hum, opening the blinds. A sunbeam shines on his chassis, you hope he can feel some of the warmth, or at least know the sun is there. “I hope we can have a picnic soon. Remember? I said I'd show you, and Moon pinched my cheek making fun of me. You can’t leave, he said. But I said I'd figure it out.” You type rapidly at your computer, going through his code line by line. The answer to his failed boot up, or at least why the sun does not change their appearance, is in here. You are sure of it.

Day forty five. You rest your head in your hands next to your attendant, taking slow, deep breaths. You will not give up, no matter what, but you feel frustrated close to tears. Fixing the code isn’t working, and there’s nothing theoretically wrong with their body, yet they won’t wake up. 

You pick your head up and rest it in your hands, just staring at him. “I won’t stop.” You mutter. He has to know you aren’t letting this setback stop you. What if they are listening in there? Stuck? It would be a living hell to you, so you refuse to leave them in any capacity. 

You stand, stretching and cracking your spine. You can, although the memory is getting a little hazy, remember Sun reprimanding you about your posture, so you straighten up.

No, don’t think like that. He will wake up. You are a decent mechanic and you will get to see them again. There is no other outcome.

You wonder what they think of you, working tirelessly. You harbor your silly feelings in yourself, too afraid to say anything. 

Day fifty arrives with little fanfare. You are a little worse for wear, eye bags heavy from long nights and constant work. You have him sitting up, trying something new with the cables on the back of his head. You are petrified to touch his motherboard, but as the weeks dragged on, you are running out of options. 

“You know, soon, I can get some boots for you so you can stomp in puddles. I think both of you would like that.” The rain beats heavy against the window, muffling the world outside. You would give anything to sit with either of them on your porch, just watching the storm. “Maybe a poncho. Do they make ponchos nine feet tall?” You snort at your own joke, carefully soldering the pins connecting the wires. 

Once done, you lay him back down, and plug him into the wall. Again, you press the button, leaning over his face plate once more. “Okay. Give me something sweetie. Anything.” You stare at him intently, eyes flicking over his body rapidly. Like always, his fingers twitch, core beginning to boot up. His optics turn on, flickering, but then the whole body shuts off right after.

You curl your fingers. You’ve increased the electric output way more than what should be necessary, so why is this happening? 

You go back over to the plug, inspecting it. The storm booms horribly outside, but you pay no mind to it. 

Is it your electric output? You think you would cry for a whole day if this all amounted to not enough power. But, you have checked this outlet countless times, even got a power maximized for it. Nothing. 

Lighting strikes close. “Don’t worry.” You say out loud. You would be worried if you had never heard a storm before, too. “It will pass. I'm gonna try the startup sequence one more time, okay?” You take a breath, and plug it back in.

You are thrown back, shouting in pain. Electricity shoots up your arm, and you shake, almost biting your tongue. “What the hell!” You shout, shaking your head. 

No. Your heart stops for a second, because that was plugged into your friend!

You scrabble to your feet, choking. This can’t be it. All your hard work can’t end here. Oh god the hard drive could be fried! You could have a smoking motherboard, never to see them again! You watch in horror as he spasms, electricity coursing through the body.

You lean over him, assessing any damage. His internals look okay, and you don’t smell smoke. Instead, you watch with fear turned rapidly building hope as his optics turn online, electricity turning the gears in his internals. 

You hold your breath, praying to anything that could be listening. “Sun? Moon?” You call, shaking with adrenaline. Anything, please. Just let him wake up.

Slowly, pinpricks turn on, and he blinks one. You almost start sobbing.

Abruptly, he sits up, rays popping in and out of his face plate. “Happy birthday!” He cheers, in a voice that does not sound like either of your friends. Your watery smile falters. Who…is this?

“Happy..birthday?” You echo, unsure. He seems to light up brightly, swinging his feet to the side. At least mobility is okay. You are so shocked, you aren’t sure how to react. 

He calls your name, startling you out of your thoughts. “Still us.” One voice, low and soothing. “Still us!” Another cheer, light and airy. 

You can’t help it, you break down in sobs right there. You throw your arms around his neck, shaking and trembling. “Oh, thank god. You’re here, you’re alive, you…merged?” You ask. He wraps arms around you, and you could cry from how gently he holds you. You thought that this form was some kind of safety protocol, when the day and night cycles got messed up. Apparently not.

“Yes! My name is Eclipse.” His tone is cheerful and bright, yet warm and slow with an even cadence. He really is both of your friends. “Don’t cry, starshine! We’re back in tip top shape, thanks to you!” You press your wobbly lips together, overjoyed. 

He lifts a hand, holding your cheek. You pick up your head to face him, ugly crying as you are. He holds you everywhere, touching your sides, your hair, your legs. Like he is memorizing you.

“We’re so happy it was you fixing us. You’re perfect, just perfect.” He hums, rubbing thumbs on your face. This new version of your friends is very…affectionate! “Ah, we could hear you, as well. Everything.” He says dreamily. Your face flushes, but you are so glad you assumed that they could. “Even the anime updates.” A deeper voice grouses. You choke out a laugh, bubbling up from deep within your chest. He stares at you intently, optics flicking over your face.

“Let's do that right now.” He says abruptly. You tilt your head. “Sit in the storm. That sounds like a lovely idea! We can watch the ever moving blanket of clouds, with our favorite mechanic!” Arms reach out to hoist you up, and you squeak, patting his chest to stop.

“Wait! Wait! You need to go through diagnostics first! Hold on!

Your life changes like the flip of a card, with Eclipse. He is so happy to do anything with you, whether that be finally showing your friends anime, cooking, or just sitting next to you, buzzing in a way that can only be considered purring. 

You were a little worried that your friends would fade away, merged like this, but that could not be farther from the case. Your morning walks are exclusively with Sun, his higher pitched voice and straight posture show his control. The rays shrink almost into his head with Moon, who fights you in video games and hums to you sometimes, when he thinks you are asleep.

Eclipse however, is very…hands on. You have a very hard time saying no, those feelings you shoved deep inside of you overjoyed at getting to touch freely. You can’t break this easy camaraderie that the two of you have, but lately you can’t stop thinking about kissing his silly face. What would it be like? Would they take turns, or just kiss you as Eclipse? You wouldn’t mind either way.

When he is stable enough, and you are sure he isn’t going to keel over outside, you take your friend on that promised picnic. You bring food for yourself, some tools just in case, and a fluffy blanket. 

The day is crisp and shining, Eclipse watching in fascination as his steps sink into the ground. His gaze darts around, taking in the birds, trees, and a deer running off in the distance. Your heart swells, feeling like you won the lottery as his rays sink into his face plate to spin rapidly. “Up that hill.” You direct, carrying your things up with you.

You two sit under a tree, enjoying the sunshine. He points out every day things to you, like a squirrel staring at him intently, like the cloud formed in the shape of a fish. A smile is stuck to your face, nodding along. You celebrate every new instance, overjoyed.

“Toldja.” You remark, gesturing to your set up. “I promised. This is a good old fashioned picnic!” He scoots closer to you, picking you up bodily and placing you in his lap, hugging you. Jeez! He doesn’t have the same boundaries as a human, but give a person a warning!

“Eclipse!” You shout, squirming in his lap. He rumbles in his voice box, pulling you to his chest, resting his face plate on your shoulder. “That's better..” He gives you a squeeze, fans whirring in his chest. 

“Actually..” Sun’s voice cuts in. “It's missing one key part.” You turn, trying to see what he’s talking about. Instead, he presents a flower to you, a tulip in fresh bloom. “For you.” Moon’s voice rasps, and presses it into your hair, over your ear. You touch it, in wonder. 

“Thank you, that's so sweet of you.” You get your knees under you and turn, greeted by a tender look on Eclipse’s face plate.

“This is a new emotion for us.” Eclipse starts. You blink. “But what we do know is that we would have no other. You are precious to us, honeydew, and we hope you feel the same.” Your face turns red as a tomato, sputtering. He leans closer. “Would you be ours?” The voices break Eclipse’s steady cadence, both of them speaking at once. 

“Do you…do you know what you’re asking? To be together, that's more than just friends.” It's okay if they don't understand. You are content to be this way - 

“Yes.” They answer firmly. “We know what being partners is. We want that. We want everything with you, whatever you will give us. Your hopes, your fears, love, as well.” Your lip wobbles. This is something you could only dream of, working on them tirelessly.

Shakily you nod. “Yes. Yes, please. Yes.” He pulls you in for a kiss, fans so loud you can hear his chest rumbling.

You share a kiss that is all encompassing, pressing your hands to his chest.

A new beginning, a new love.

Fin.

[gremlinshatephilosophers]

Ice Cream and a Corgi

Rating: G • Words: 1,351

Summary: "I feel better when you're here." Phil should know by now not to push himself too far and take his health for granted. Most of the time he's pretty good at it, but migraines are unpredictable. In his ideal world none of this would happen in the first place, but if he can't avoid it, a bit of daydreaming with Dan by his side makes it all just a tiny bit more bearable.

[theguardianace]

anyways mutuals this is your call to go watch pokemon horizons its the series currently airing and for once you don't actually need to know anything about what's happened before. its a new series with new characters to follow in a brand new narrative style. and it slaps. and if genuinely incredible characters, beautiful animation, and riveting battles aren't enough to convince you- shinonome ena's va voices liko, one of the protagonists.

just. go watch the first two episodes at least. for me. ok thank you

[a-flickering-soul]

"try not to speak superlatives", Kirjavi, 2024-12-06 // "Elphaba and Fiyero in the Forest," Wicked (2024) deleted scene, released 2024-12-31

[ferocioustrout]

B4 I follow U, are U proship or antiship?

i have a job

[drugsttoreperfume]

Chapters: 4/5 Fandom: 9-1-1 (TV) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Major Character Death Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, I'm Sorry, Five Stages of Grief, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, References to Depression, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, very briefly, Everyone is going through it, Everyone Needs A Hug, Tommy Kinard Bashing, Protective Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Mild Buddie, they don't get together but the love is there, they're grieving, Suicidal Ideation, no beta we die like my sanity

[starstruckodysseys]

toya and mizuki’s step by step guide to romancing a shinonome

“Akiyama, I’m not sure that romancing is a word.”

“Yeah, well, we’re also not in the 16th century, either. Who the hell says wooing anymore?”

(a journey in love languages, making a fool of yourself, overthinking your every move, and friendship born out of solidarity.)

read here on ao3

[lover-of-mine]

all i ever wanted comes right down to you

Pairing: Evan Buckley and Eddie Diaz (911)

Word Count: 3k

The thing is, Eddie knows he probably looks pathetic right about now. He can't help it. Not when the low light of the bar hides him just enough for him to be able to watch Buck leaning against the counter a few feet away talking to a woman he doesn't know without worrying about what it looks like. About how it would be interpreted. About keeping his expression neutral enough as he feels his heart ready to burst out of his chest. It's stupid, but he can't shake it. He can't move past it. Can't box it up into something he can manage. Can't make it something he can live with. It's like loving Buck is somehow wired into his DNA. That's not exactly the problem. He's ready to love Buck in whatever way Buck wants him to forever. It's just that sometimes… Sometimes he wants more. or Eddie is very dramatic in his pining and Buck overhears something that changes everything.

read it on ao3