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discrunkled-twog · 1 year

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Chapter Two: How Funky Are Those NutZ™?

Odd Logic... Ah, how I love you... I started this project over a year ago and have about 13,000 words of it. Sad, but stil reassuring. Chapter 2 is finally done, and was finished on November 30th--- Oliver's birthday.

Tagging @jezifster and @ae32156 because I tagged them on the last one? And also @endless-brainrot because that fanart you made still lives in my head. I bite my pillow at night and dream and froth at the mouth of that fanart. It's the plinko to my horse.

Word Count: 5,837

Warnings: Uhh... they get held at gunpoint? But it's pretty chill, so yeah.

Ao3 and Wattpad alternatives, if preferred.

********************

"Rise and shine!"

Nobody was risen and nothing was shining.

Though at 5:39 in the morning, that was expected. The sky was a dark blueish-gray color and half the people currently in this particular apartment were unrisen, seeing how at this time, most sane people would be asleep. One important factor in this was that in our world, only half of the population of Oliver's bedroom would qualify to be any flavor of sane.

He awoke to the soothing sight of Lightbulb Man hovering over him. Grinning, he roughly shook him by the shoulder in an attempt to wake him up. Dreary shadows made his expression even more unsettling.

"You know you can get up to twelve months in prison for this, right?" Oliver kept his eyes shut, his heart racing from the scare.

"For waking you up...?" Charlie's innocence was its own brand of sinister in a way.

"For breaking and entering," he muttered, pushing himself up on his elbows and grabbing his glasses from— "Where are my..." His hand roamed the desktop to the left of him. " Why are you wearing my glasses ?"

"Son, I admire your perseverance, but this kind of handicap can't be overlooked." Charlie shook his head in disapproval, casually sporting a pair of tortoise-shell glasses that were much too small for his head. "Also," he said, blinking rapidly, "You're tiny."

"Hell no. You're huge . Also, I'm not that blind. Also! You can get a fine of $2,500." Oliver snatched his glasses off of the ever-hovering superhero, putting them on and pressing onto the sides, hoping that he didn't pull them open enough to damage them. "On top of the prison time. And this is what, the second time you do this?"

"I hardly consider it breaking and entering. After all, I didn't break anything. It's actually very easy for me to get in." He smiled as if that wasn't the creepiest thing he'd said that morning. "I'm not sure what sort of disaster struck this foul place, but your security is a bit more than lax."

Charlie leaned over Oliver's face, at the minimum standard for a reasonable distance. He stared at such an angle that it didn't make sense for him to be standing on the floor.

"It was fairly easy to fly into the window. Oh! About that, I advise against leaving any windows open, in case anything else that flies decides to pay you a visit," he said, letting out a hearty chuckle.

"Hey, you can fly?" Oliver wasn't sure if he thought it was cool or even more creepy.

"Of course! What kind of superhero would I be if I couldn't fly?"

"A lame one."

"Certainly! And I assure you I can, though I may not have demonstrated it during our last visit. In fact, I'm flying right now!"

Oliver leaned up, looked over the bed to see Charlie's feet floating two feet off the floor, and then screamed.

"Why are you so shocked? I just finished telling you about this ability of mine! And you can fly too, can't you?" Charlie settled onto the ground.

"Yeah, sure..." With zero chance to calm down, Oliver sat up and threw the blanket off himself. "Well, I'm up."

"You're not dressed...?"

Oliver, like any normal person, was in casual clothing fitting for the sheets, but not for the streets, since he'd been sleeping for the past ten hours.

"Frankly, I'm disappointed," said Charlie, disappointed. "You should be prepared for anything! And here you are, disheveled and unarmed in the face of an opportunity?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now go, so I can get ready at least."

Charlie set himself free from the invisible strings holding him up, slamming loudly on the floor, most likely waking any neighbors under him, who would exact their revenge at another time.

"I meant... leave the room? So I can get dressed...?"

"Oh! Of course." He opened the window and gracefully floated out and down onto the sidewalk below. From the ground, he shouted, " Take your time !"

Only two days after he was turned down and he was already refusing to take no for an answer. Though that being the last of him wasn't what he anticipated, he certainly didn't think so quickly, he'd be bothered again. But if not to test the tried and true method... Ignore it and it'll go away.

Without a care in the world, Oliver yawned, stretched, then jumped right back into bed, pulling the blanket over his head. The harsh, worn-out cotton that had irritated him nights before coddled him on the peaceful brink of slumber, the dark room and very soothing cricket chirping outside singing him gently to sleep.

And then Charlie banged on the window. And reality was shattered. And joy had been eradicated.

"You're not getting dressed! You duped me !"

Screaming ensued.

********************

The sun began to peek over the horizon, gently illuminating the city's skyline. The air was damp and fresh; petrichor wafted through, helping one to settle into the effects of the slight cold. If there, you could hear the early morning sounds of cars and crickets, one much faster than the other but both equally enthusiastic. All in all, a desirable, peaceful setting...

Had he woken up later.

Having his dream— something about a trip to Nebraska to see his parents, who did not live in Nebraska— interrupted to be dragged around, literally, wasn't how he'd planned to spend his Sunday. Sunday! The day with the least crime; the perfect sleeping day. Especially because he had to go to work in nineteen hours. He was not planning to be awake for all nineteen hours.

"Y'know, the park does look pretty nice at..." He checked his watch. "6:09 in the morning."

The swings were covered in dew, ready to wetten the britches of any child or swing-loving adult who decided to sit on it. Things like the few slides and climbing things, aside from being wet, looked worn and even slippier than the swings. Like any good park, there were several empty water bottles and soda cans left by considerate park patrons who decided the government-issue garbage can would've been too far to reach after so savagely quenching their thirst; at least, such was to be assumed, considering the cans and bottles were crushed and full of dirt, which could only mean that such people obliterated them in a fit of thirst instead of leaving them on the ground for days or weeks. Surely.

"It's something of an early morning treasure, is it not?" Charlie stretched his arms above his head, then moved on to bending over and somehow touching his toes; a ways away from the top of him. "Doesn't it make you feel better about being here before light? The way the sun hits the morning dew, and it reflects... something one could only appreciate with a reasonable sacrifice!"

"Yeah. It really makes 'one' glad they got dragged out of bed at way-too-early. Time." Oliver flashed the most sarcastic grin, his slight eye bags and messy hair making a most charming display. Well.

Taking this the wrong way, Lightbulb Man smiled. "See?" He slapped Oliver on the back a little too hard. "I knew you'd come around!"

Nonverbal messages have never failed so greatly.

Cans were kicked, swings were tested, yet no one could understand what the point was. Granted, they'd stayed without a disturbance until Oliver decided the swings were, in fact, too wet to use, therefore there was no point in them being there. If asked, however, he'd deny it and claim once again that he was tired, even though he was planning to use his Highest Swing before feeling the uncomfortable wettening of his britches.

"So." His hands went anywhere in an attempt to look casual and wipe off the water. "I really don't think there's any 'crime' here, so uh... What were you even looking for?"

"There's plenty of crime to be found at the park, lad!" Lad was a new one. "Anyone could be lurking around here... A place filled with young, innocent children ... Do you know what this means?"

"Uhh... I hope no—"

"Their parents! With so many distracted adults in one place, do you know how many wallets can be stolen? How many pockets can be mercilessly picked?" He threw an arm over his face, one hand holding him up from a dirty bench. "Oh, the very thought...! Preventing such travesties is what you and I have vowed to accomplish, isn't it?"

"I seriously doubt many people come to the park to steal wallets. Why wouldn't they go somewhere more crowded? Like, say, a crowd? At night?" He shrugged in response to his involuntary companion's expression of discontent. "If I were a criminal, which I'm not, that's what I'd do."

"Ohoho, boy... You'd better not think about switching over to... The Bad Side." Literal, unexplained darkness shrouded his face. If he squinted hard enough, thunderclouds bunched together in the sky— not above them, but behind Lightbulb Man. "Even if we're friends, I can't promise that I won't pummel you into the dirt."

"A little violent, and since when are we friends? And—"

"No, that's not it!" He sprung up several feet in the air. "You're thinking like the enemy! It makes me proud to see you already applying the principle of Lesson #5! Especially because this is hardly our first lesson!"

"Exactly. Oh, are we looking for park creepies? I remember when I was a kid, sometimes weird old guys would hang around parks, and then my mom would make us leave. It didn't make sense to me until I was older." He shrugged. "Now I always assume it's—"

"I told you that you should be more confident in my teaching abilities! After this impressive display, I certainly am!"

"Wait, shut up for a second."

Charlie's monologue continued despite his request. "No, really, shut up! You see that lady?"

An oddly disturbed-looking woman standing off on the side of the road was staring directly at them, or very intensely at a point in the distance.

"Oh, I see her now!" He cleared his throat. " Hello, assumingly kind citizen !" Frantically waving, Charlie yelled at the woman, who dug into her pocket and pulled out something that seemed to have good reception.

"Is she. Yup. She's calling the cops."

"She is? Is there somebody we've failed to spot? A criminal we didn't see?"

"No, I think—"

"Oh, you idiotic child !" A few inches from his face to drape himself over the park bench, Charlie cried out. "How could you fail us so terribly...? I trusted you, boy!"

"I mean. I'm not, but okay." While the neon-clad hero continued his croaks and groans, Oliver thought for a moment before clapping his hands together. "You know what? I have a friend who's a cop. Shouldn't be a big deal. If they actually take us in for some reason, I can just explain—"

"Your foolishness never ceases! Don't you know what heroes do in times like this?"

"Uh, tell the truth and hope it works out?"

"They—" Charlie scooped him up while the woman presumably called the police— " Fleeeeeeeeeeeeee ...!"

And with a 'fleeeeeeeeeeeeee,' they were gone.

********************

"Perhaps the park was even more dangerous than I anticipated."

Not even a full minute and they were already on the other side of the city. Fleeing had proven to be a fast exit strategy, even if a horrifyingly disorienting one. "And to think we were the ones in trouble! What a funny situation, eh?"

Oliver stayed quiet.

"Well, you don't have to glare at me like that! Our first destination didn't work out— what of it? After all, it was only our first destination for a reason! Crime lurks in all sorts of environments, and we must always be vigilant!" He balanced himself on only the tips of his toes, rotating on a singular point with his hand stiff and pressed against his forehead.

"Where did you even... where... let me just..." He stumbled forward then back, then clunkily fell to his knees and sat down on the sidewalk. "Bank's closed this early..."

"Of course! This would normally be a critical failure in our plan. So horrible that in that case, I might've considered abandoning the mission!" He posed, arms flinging here and there— "Devastating!"— while his dizzied apprentice watched in both awe and disgust.

"So... it's not, because...?"

"Oh, no reason. There's basically no reason for us to be here."

Oliver flopped onto the pavement.

"But! Fear not, my loyal student, for I have already concocted a genius plan that will allow us to enter the building! First, we inconspicuously climb inside. Then... Oh, then !"

He tittered.

"Then we wait."

"That's ille— That's literally breaking and entering, have you learned nothing ?"

"Hush now." He planted his giant, irritatingly muscular hand square on Oliver's face. "Who's the student here?" He moved his hand to do the ol' 'tut n' wag.'

"I thought we established yesterday that that was not the case, right? You remember that fun little visit? I remember. Do you remember?"

"Yes. You may also address me as Mr. Green if you feel compelled to do so. But that's hardly of any importance, we're busy. I believe if we scale that wall there," he said, pointing to the east wall of the building, "we can cut a hole in the ceiling and make it inside. The lasers won't prove to be too much of a threat, since we can fly—" He snapped. "They'll be expecting that! But if we're careful..."

Though he was spouting absolute nonsense, his hands were quite expressive. It was impressive how someone could so perfectly portray the image of two men zipping and flitting through lasers so well with only eight fingers. You know, since the other two were busy pointing to the bank itself.

Though you probably know what buildings look like and how they work, I'll continue on with the next paragraph. I do believe if you find this to be undesirable, you may overlook it, or simply imbibe something which I would prefer not to mention by name.

This bank, Second Bank Of Parva, was a gray, dull building with ATMs and many, many parking spaces. Its name was shown in large, blue letters, hung over the locked automatic doors our heroes sat/stood in front of. The roof had raised edges, the inside surface being likely a minimum of a foot thick; not very laser-cuttable, unfortunately. Also, most banks' securities consist of something more akin to motion sensors and alarms, rather than death lasers. Ah, how the times have changed...

Aside from the obvious cultural differences, there was no reason to have to so stealthily enter the bank at this time of day. Criminals rarely struck so early in the morning, seeing how most of them left their struckage for the middle of the night. Oliver, being the nerd he was, was well aware of this, but could do nothing but watch as his filament-fueled friend began to scale the front wall of the building. Which is to say, he hovered awkwardly in place while stepping himself up to the roof, painstakingly slowly.

"Son, assist me."

"I thought you could fly?" He snickered. "That doesn't look like flying."

"You should do things as they did in the old days! It's—" He grunted and hitched his foot up, resting on the edge of the brick. "It's fun to do every once in a while! And besides that, it strengthens your quads."

Oliver scoffed. "Oh, believe me. I have impeccable quads."

Steadily, shakily, persistent still, he grunted his way up the wall, cheating by hovering into the correct place. They both stopped to scope the area, hoping no one was around to call the police. Even if the woman from earlier had given up, Serrano could only bail him out so many times. Wait, perhaps that should be kept for later...

Charlie flopped onto the roof. He panted for a moment, resting while laying flat on his face while Oliver flew up to meet him. He locked his arms and legs into strange positions while he did it, but he hovered well for a mortal.

"So... you gonna just lay there?"

Immediately, he sprung up. "Of course not! And look at you! For a second," he chuckled, "I was convinced your powers were nothing but a ruse! Since you don't brandish them as often as I thought you would."

"Why would I? And why would I lie about that? Especially because if I couldn't give a demonstration of my powers, I'd be caught immediately. I mean, who's going to just take someone's word for that sort of thing? Also, I'm pretty sure I've been in the newspaper before? Also , you did literally track me down at my house so you could pull me out at five something in the morning, and I doubt you would have done that had you not known for sure that I had powers. Actually, I think the nice grass smell was making me forget that I'm pissed at you. Anyway, yeah, I'm pissed at you. And then you—"

"That's enough!" Charlie cleared his throat as if that would get rid of temper phlegm. "Stop flapping your gums and help me cut a circle! Do you have the ability to shoot lasers from your eyes, ears, mouth, nostril, or any other major appendage...?"

It was questions like that that made him even more terrifying.

"Uhh... eyes, I guess. But I think it's kinda useless." A dry laugh. "Doesn't matter."

"How so?"

"Just not very useful. Like, I don't think I can cut through anything with it. And I've never tried, so." Oliver sheepishly retreated, hoping to be spared from any more questioning.

"What can they do?"

Some steps. Then a thump. Maybe he passed out; good.

"Boy, did you hear me? What do they—"

"I think all I can do is make popcorn. On the bright side. It's really good."

Though eyes were rolled, the embarrassment didn't last. The sound of something breaking— wood, drywall, bone— interrupted his defensive starts. "I'm in!"

Call it what you will, floating was effective.

Unsurprisingly, there were no lasers of death, security guards armed to the neck, or complimentary coffee stations. Charlie zipped around, hoping to find something other than himself that defied the laws of physics.

No alarms rang, and no one was springing out of the walls, or questioning the large, jagged uncircular hole in the ceiling. Something skittered in the darkness, but that was all.

"What the hell was that?"

"I'm unsure, but I'm sure I can come up with a few theories." Charlie slunk up to Oliver's back, leaning against him until being pushed away. He nearly fell to the floor. "My first theory— rats have taken over the building and are planning a mutiny on their leader."

Oliver groaned. "This place doesn't open for another hour or so, but could we call someone? Report it or something... I'm sure people will want to know about... the rats, I guess."

"But what kind of harm would they be put in? I'm sure they've already sacrificed those who betrayed the mutiny!" His pleas sound even more pathetic in whisper form.

"I dunno, they'll fumigate?"

A gasp was heard from somewhere; it echoed through the empty place. Idea.

"You know... Poisonous gas...?"

"Oh, perish the thought!" he wailed.

"It'll kill 'em, that's for sure—"

"Alright, alright! I surrender!" The skittering started again as a tall, annoyingly blond man shot up from behind the main counter. He wore khakis and an incorrectly fastened button-up. Disheveled, he hoisted himself up over the counter and weaved his way through the dividers. "Just... don't tell anyone, please."

"Aha! I knew I heard something!" Oliver muttered something about his grandfather and regained his composure. "What are you doing here? Who are you?" He glared at the man while his associate was searching for literal rodents.

The stranger scoffed." I! I should be asking what you're doing, and who you are! Besides, I was here first!"

"Oh, right." Oliver took off his glasses and tucked them into his back pockets. Life was blurry. "Do you recognize me now?"

"Oh, hey! You're that superhero guy! I saw you in the newspaper once!" The man laughed. "Man, I thought you were taller."

"To be fair, I'm the average height for a— anyway, who are you?"

"Sorry." He cleared his throat. "My name's Jeremy. Jeremey Poole?" He held out a spot of a shirt in place of a hypothetical name tag. "I really thought this would last longer..."

"Well, it appears this building is both rodent and mutiny-free. Unfortunately." Charlie dusted off his hands for no reason.

"Wait, how long has that fellow been here?" Jeremy pointed at Lightbulb Man. "Behind you, I mean."

"Son, what's his business here?" He gasped, overdramatic in doing so. " Are you a criminal ?"

"Um, only on paper. The thing is, I actually work here? But you know when your work life and home life start to blend together because of your love of the job? And also, your wife leaves you and takes your only son and all your savings so that you're left with overwhelming mortgage payments and crippling depression?"

Jeremy chuckled, nervous. Charlie stopped listening.

"Sometimes the comfort of the one place that's never changed can draw you in..." He squatted and rubbed the floor tiles. "Aside from the occasional renovation, of course. I remember when they replaced those counters back there, and when the walls got a fresh coat of paint... I remember being so excited I told my wife about it!"

"That's nice, but—"

"Yeah, sure, renovations on a building are all well and good, but I wasn't ready for my wife's ' tune-ups .'" He raised air quotes.

Oliver started but was unable to get a word out before Jeremy continued.

"Really? Just a tune-up, Martha? Where'd your nose go, Martha? Where'd your stomach go, Martha? A fresh coat of paint on a woman is cheaper, sure, but was it really necessary? Martha?" Still squatting, he banged a fist on the ground. "Just because I said that I liked that they got rid of the popcorn ceiling in my mother's apartment, doesn't mean you had to get rid of your popcorn ceiling!"

"Uhh—"

"So what if it was a little outdated?" He stood up and flailed his arms. " You're a little outdated, but I still married ya, didn't I...?"

Jeremy flipped open his wallet while Oliver tried to catch the attention of a zippy blur.

"See my son?" A small, wrinkled photo displaying a young boy that was even blonder than his father was being held in the air for all to see as if it was his greatest treasure. "Alexander Roy Poole. Ain't he a beaut?"

"I mean, he looks like a random eight-year-old to me, but if you—"

" Twelve . He's twelve."

"Really? Because he's a little— you know what, forget it. Are you living here? Don't places like this usually have some sort of motion detectors after they close?"

"It used to." He smirked. "Yup. Yuh boy figured out how to disable them. Just one of the many perks of the job."

"That should be scary, but dude, cool!" He paused. "J-dawg!"

A chuckle gurgled out of Jeremy. "Yeah. Yeah! J-dawg! Ohohoho, if only Martha could see me now!"

Zippy Blur paused and landed on the ground with a heavy descent. "Do I hear... crime?"

"Nope. No crime here." Oliver winked at Jeremy, so obviously, that even he scolded him with his eyes. "Just a friendly conversation."

"Lies! You lie! You creased your eyes in an untruthful way!" There is crime!" Charlie bellowed out a deep laugh, mysterious wind flapping his cape. "I was right!"

"That's the worst part."

" That's the worst part? Pal, he could get me fired from my house! And it's happened before! I didn't think it could— but they don't tell you that ...! I'll be homeless! Again ! Weren't you listening to my tragic tale?

"Ohh!" Charlie seated himself in the air. "Do tell."

"Well, I remember it was June 16th... I was happily married to Martha, and my only son, Alexander, was in—"

"No no no, don't tell." Oliver waved his hands at both of them. "This is trespassing. I mean, they legally can't charge you rent, but this place is still up and running, which means you need to leave. Now."

"What, why?" Jeremy ran back to the counter, nearly tripping over the dividers. He clutched the counter for dear life. "I work here! And besides, this bank is my child..."

"What about your actual child?"

"That one too!"

Charlie laughed because he apparently dubbed that the appropriate response. "This is perfect for your training, boy! I order you to subdue and capture this man, delivering him to the proper authorities!"

" Subdue ?" Jeremy looked as if he was about to burst into tears.

"What? No. I'm not going to do that. Look, sir, calm down. It's not that big of a deal. Just... if you leave now, I won't tell anyone about this, and you can find another place to live."

"Do you think suburban houses of over 1000 square feet can just be found ? Also, what's with this ' sir ' stuff? I thought I was 'J-dawg!' " Jeremy leaned back on his counter, resting his elbows.

"Oliver! That's not the appropriate response! That sounds nothing like subduing!" Charlie tutted and walked over to Jeremy. "Look at this pathetic man! Does he look like he's being taken to the police? Like he's swearing himself to a life of purity and law-abiding because of something inspirational you said? No ! He's simply standing there, writhing in his own filth ! Aren't you going to grant this smelly man the mercy he so desires...?"

Instead of refuting his claims, Jeremy nodded and informed them that mercy was his favorite.

"I mean, I just think it'd be less of a hassle to let him go before this place opens, then we can all forget this. I'll stop by every now and then to make sure he's not still here—"

"I knew there was a catch!"

"And then we don't have to involve the police. And besides, wouldn't it be better to leave them to do more important things? Such as..." He posed, like someone who was not used to posing. It was almost sad. " Crime-busting ."

"But then there'd be nothing left for our training! How would I teach you about the ins and outs of the heroic experience if I had nothing to base it on?"

Jeremy, who'd been fiddling and twiddling at the counter while the two bickered decided to chime in, interrupting the next line of dialogue. "So my home teeters on the edge of this weird little side deal you two have, huh? Do I mean so little to you, O-cat...?"

" O-cat ?" He rubbed his temples. "It's either this, or I turn you in to the police, so you decide, pal."

"So unfamiliar with your newfound friend? But a hero is always supposed to be caring and kind!" Charlie grabbed a screaming Jermey and flew him over. "Now, apologize."

"And we let him go?"

"Of course not! What have I been telling you this entire time?"

Charlie and Oliver continued to bicker, repeating the same things they'd been for a while now, while our poor friend, Jermey tried to decide what to do. Since the doors were locked, running away was out of the question. Hiding in one of the back rooms seemed unreasonable as well. But then he remembered that the heroes themselves made a perfect escape route.

The ceiling.

He took a glance to make sure the heroes were still shooting at each other like children, then grabbed the dividers from behind him and dumped them into a strange pile. They slipped and rolled off each other, but he persisted. Afraid he was making too much noise, he kept the corner of his eye locked on the other two men and began to climb.

The pile of his raised him an additional five inches off the ground, without stopping to consider that they didn't stay in place long enough for him to stand on. Either way, the 6'1" tall man's attempts were futile against the undeniable 14' of the ceiling.

Also, they weren't deaf.

"Escape? What? No, never ! Please." They hadn't asked anything. They did stop talking, though. "What kind of coward do you take me for?"

Nice try, Jeremy.

"So."

Their eyes had long adjusted to the dark room, but colors and spots moved as they stared into the abyss. The sun was starting to rise.

"You know what your options are, don't you...?" Oliver crossed his arms.

"Yes..." He slumped his head down, hand in his pocket, grasping his wallet. "B-But! I have... money...? Or, I can open you an account! Look!" He stumbled over to the counter, too shaken up to still his hands and voice. "I can offer you great rates. Fixed compound interest for five years! How's that sound? A young man like you needs savings, doesn't he?"

"Though that sounds like a smart decision— financially, I mean— I'm not accepting a bribe."

"I'll... I'll make it ten years! Huh? Huh ?"

Oliver sighed. His stubbornness reminded him of— oh, for God's sake, was he still looking for rats? Anyway. "Look, you can still work here. I won't tell your boss or whatever... But you can't live here anymore. Alright?"

Jeremy— gross, pathetic, blond Jeremy— nodded sadly, frighteningly similar to a child's reluctance to their mother's orders. Then he bolted to the end of the room, yelling " YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME ALIVE " while he tumbled his personal effects over his shoulder to throw them off his trail. Surprisingly, it worked. Though Oliver tried to follow him, all he found was the back door swung open, the key still in the lock.

Charlie emerged from the shadows cradling mousetraps.

*********************

"Anything you want! I promise you, anything in this box of stale products you desire, you may have! Up to and including the eight dollars and seventy-two cents I have in my wallet." Charlie's wallet was comically small. Or perhaps he was comically large. "Also, I would love to get some Funky NutZ ™. I love Funky NutZ ™."

"I'm still mad at you."

Charlie groaned in the middle of the aisle, getting looks from various customers while Oliver was busy crossing his arms and turning his head to illustrate his anger. The convenience of the convenience store was not helping him. "But I'm your tutor! Your teacher! Your mentor! Your..." He shed a tear. "Second father, almost."

"I have a father." He turned further away. Fury. "I wouldn't even consider you an acquaintance ."

Clearly, snack foods weren't going to solve the exaggerated crying and scoffing.

" Well I can tell when I'm not wanted !"

" You obviously cannot !"

People— normal people, trying to go about their daily lives— gawked at the two and listened to their shouts as they went their separate ways; Funky NutZ ™ Finding; trying to be nonchalant about the situation.

"Wait! Hold everything!" Lightbulb Man, heroic-looking as ever, outstretched his hands to the general populace, making everyone stop what they were doing. "I found FLAMING HOT Funky NutZ™ in this aisle! It's my lucky day!"

"Nobody move!" A shot was fired into the ceiling. People screamed over each other, scrambling to leave. A masked man in assumedly inconspicuous clothing began to climb over the counter, pointing a handgun at the cashier. The cashier put his hands up and moved out of the way while the man hopped down. "Anybody tries to walk out of here, I will blow their face clean off — got it?"

Oliver slinked into Charlie's aisle, where he shuddered and clutched his FLAMING HOT Funky NutZ™. He shook his arm to grab his attention.

He whispered, "What do we do? We're not armed, and he's already threatening to kill people —"

"Oh, so now you're talking to me...?" At least he was whispering. "Some big hero you are. Why don't you go... stop him yourself? I'm sure they'll put it in the paper."

" No ! I mean— I can't. I don't— Look, I can try my best to sneak up on him, but he might shoot at something or someone to try and stop me."

Lightbulb Man ripped open his nuts. The snack ones. "Aren't you bulletproof? Any good hero has to be bullet-proof."

" I don't know ! And I'd rather not test that out right now. Are you?"

"Am I a good hero?" He grinned, smug. Not the time.

"Is that a yes? Because people could die ."

"I thoroughly accept your compliment." He flew above the shelves, pointing a heroic finger at the thief while he rooted through the register. " Halt, fiend !"

The man pointed his pistol away from the frightened group of people and instead towards the bumbling idiot floating carelessly above the chips and keychains. "What the..."

" I, Lightbulb Man of Grand City... " His voice boomed through the room as it darkened. Oliver assumed fear could cause hallucinations. "Give to you, Oliver Barrison of Parva , up-and-coming hero!"

He wasn't one to curse, but when the time was right...

"He will handle you from now on." He gracefully descended.

Without time to think or scold, Oliver walked out of the aisle and approached the man, who had a gun pointed at his face.

"What are you doing? You think just because you got some sort of introduction from that guy that can fly means I'm going to be scared of you?"

He didn't speak, though he damn well tried.

"Move—"

A short burst of concentrated heat, and then...

"Ow ! What the hell—"

The man shook his hand in pain, loosening his grip and giving Oliver a chance to grab the pistol and point it back at him. He clicked the safety on and motioned for the cashier to go around the side.

"Don't move."

The next six minutes were calmer. The cashier called the police while the customers left to do other, safer early-morning activities; the thief was apprehended and the gun was taken; they were to resume business as usual, though very few people stuck around to shop.

This gave time for the confusion and rage to fully settle in.

Charlie watched and clapped as the last people paid for their things and made their way out of the store, while a few of them thanked him and even Oliver.

"Charlie." It was difficult to know how to be angry in such a situation.

He slapped him on the back as if to congratulate him. "Well, it seems you've passed this lesson! And with flying colors! I assume you've never been held at gunpoint?"

Nothing.

"I'll take that as a no. But still, good job! It makes me proud to know you've grown so much in so little time! This'll help you in tomorrow's lesson."

As the yelling started, bubbling up from the pit of his soul, Charlie flew off, nowhere to be seen.

#odd logic #my writing #writing #original fiction #oliver barrison #charles green #jeremy poole #random robber guy idk #oliver and his fantabulous friends #why have none of his fantabulous friends come out yet??#i'll get to that.#i'm so happy with this actually #for now #i'm sure i'll hate it soon.#this is scheduled btw i'm not usually up this early

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nyxneon · 8 months

Note

1, 5, 15, 28, 34, 45, 51

hey there, thank you @milverton!

1. What was the first fandom you got involved in?

First real fandom i checked out online was the X-Files. Back in...1996 more or less, when I first got an internet connection. I was in middle school and my knowledge of english was....limited. But I learned a lot!!

(For n5 I'm copying and pasting from the other ask I got...)

5. Which fandoms have your written fanfiction for?

on an old ao3 account, I posted fic for Sherlock and Supernatural; on my current ao3 I posted stuff for the Sandman, Gotham, Bleach, and die Aerzte and their 80s film (Richy Guitar). When I was a teen (more than 20 years ago), I also posted a couple of Harry Potter ficlets on the diagonalley forum. During my final years of HS and then at university I wrote also for Death Note, but never posted any of those. I also tried something about Duran Duran, also in HS.

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love?

I'm not sure if the Rose/Kira (Bleach) ship is...obscure. But it's definitely a lot smaller (as far as fanfic production) than other ships. In the same fandom, also Shinji/Momo... I didn't get hooked on them back in the day, but now...damn... i love them.

28. If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story, which story would it be and what would the picture be of?

I have absolutely no idea. Anything would make me extra happy. On the other hand, i do take inspo from fanart sometimes...

34. What’s the word count on your longest fic?

I tend to write drabbles and ficlets only, nowadays. It's 1,527 words on Insignia of Despair, considering my current ao3 account. But, yeah, I write short stuff... lol.

45. What is your all time favourite fanfic?

OMG, I don't know... first of all, I have lousy memory, and anyway, it really depends on the period, the mood, the fandom... I wouldn't know, honestly.

51. Rant or Gush about one thing you love or hate in the world of fanfiction! Go!

ok, two parts, rant first. I dislike how drabbles and ficlets and even sometimes just one-shots are seen as "lesser stuff" by some people. Not just because I write short stuff, i also like reading one-shots, and they do need effort too. Some people dismiss them as... idk, not worthy. I don't understand the hate for present-tense narration, because different tenses have different effects, and they all serve a purpose. I'm not particularly fond of the AUs that basically end up being about characters that just share a name with the original character, if you know what i mean. I mean, i like the idea of AUs, but sometimes some fanfics get super-famous but the characters have changed so much from the source material to be...hardly recognisable... I can't read reader inserts at all... they... are not my cup of tea, so to say. Ok, this is not a rant, but a list of pet-peeves...ooops. I could go on...

Gush: I love the concept of fanfiction. I think it's one of the best things that has happened to me. It really... helped me a lot growing up. Also, it made me practise my English. (Which in turn kinda ruined my life a bit...but this is.... besides the point.) I like the endless creativity of the world of fanfic, the passion behind it. I mean, i don't like everything (my petpeeves are an example of that) but... I believe fanfic is a worthy hobby, a super important part of fandom in general. I like writing, I've always loved it, even if...I can only do ficlets and hardly ever finish longer stuff. But, it's part of me.

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nocturnefactory · 1 year

Text

tagged by @eddie-rifff yay thanks!

what book are you currently reading? Actually I just finished one and I'm about to head back to the library today to renew my card and get a new one--hopefully not over 500 pages again lol

what’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this past year? ...I don't see movies in theaters anymore whoops, we did sit down at the TV to watch the original Willow on New Year's Eve though, someone explain to me why I'd never heard of it until then

what do you usually wear? uhhhh pants. shirt. My job has conditioned me to be as boring and inconspicuous as possible and I need to change that so so so much, time to splurge this year on a new look

how tall are you? 5-foot-4, wheee

what’s your Star Sign? do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event? Capricorn! I believe I share my birthday with Ted Danson and Dexter Holland of the Offspring, Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues...some more people...and Buck-Tick's Day in Question concert series always falls on that day for some reason

do you go by your name or nickname? I've been going by my own name for so long that I never actually stopped to think about an internet nickname and now I'm thinking of Squid (yes I know my avatar is an octopus I'm just really lazy and indecisive) :P

did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child? When I was a kid I wanted to be a paleontologist because I fixated on dinosaurs, I wanted to be a mangaka because I fixated on manga, I wanted to be a guitarist because I fixated on musicians...I don't know how to take fixations seriously lol

are you in a relationship? if not who is your crush if you have one? noop, single as heck. ...all my crushes are middle-aged musicians. Yeah.

what’s something you’re good at vs something you’re bad at? Good at? I can bust my arms hyperfocusing on something until it's done. Bad at? Socializing and having anything to say in general (cringe)

dogs or cats? I own neither but they're both beautiful

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this past year? I drew a lot of Buck-Tick fanart that I mainly posted on Twitter/Instagram, not sure which one stands out to me the most but goshdarnit I need to post here more often even if no one understands lol

what’s something you would like to create content for? uhhh probably something that's not real people if I can just get into the headspace somehow

what’s something you’re currently obsessed with? hardly anything new, except for getting nostalgic over 90s video game music and following the lives of the composers on Twitter

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this past year? I never get my hopes up very much anymore since hardly anything ever happens around here anyway but I'm disappointed that I keep losing my creative muse...which I guess is inevitable at that point, lol I gotta change that

what’s a hidden talent of yours? How would I even know

are you religious? not in the way my parents would've preferred lol, it's private

whats something you wish to have at this moment? I have a lot of things that I'm not even taking advantage of so I think I just need my motivation hurr hurr also a warp portal to the stores in town would be nice

tagging @bjonka @wonderous-lawnmower have fun, no pressure :P

#tag thing

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incandescent-creativity · 1 year

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I love you too, you creative genius! :D

Okay, more questions. Kind of silly questions as well as legit questions like in the first ask.

If you had to assign what fruit each of the teens and Dr. Agau would be, which ones would they all be and why if you have a reason?

What is Dr. Agau's favorite food?

Did you base any of the characters' personalities off of anyone particular? If so, who?

How many books will the SOLE project be, if done to plan?

Do you anticipate the book being completed if you finish Nano or do you think it'll be over 50k?

Have you ever dreamt about the SOLE project world? If so, what was the dream about?

What do you think would be the most popular fanfiction concept written about the SOLE Project books from their fans?

Which of your characters would you MOST like to see fanart of?

What do you think would be each character's creations to finding fanart or fanfiction of them?

OKAY so I KNOW that this was a pre-NaNo ask, but I was saving it to answer sometime in November, but then, well, you know, I blacked out in a creative fever, and now here we are.

SILLY QUESTIONS HERE WE GO :D

If you had to assign what fruit each of the teens and Dr. Agau would be, which ones would they all be and why if you have a reason?

Beth is a cranberry, because you have to flood cranberry fields to harvest them.

Hans is an pear. Hallie is a peach; sweet, and with a fuzzy sweater. Christian is an apple, because he likes pies. Matt is a strawberry. Michael is probably a lemon.

And Dr. Agau would be a tomato, because she's all about technicalities.

What is Dr. Agau's favorite food? Steak dinner with too many courses.

Did you base any of the characters' personalities off of anyone particular? If so, who?

I did originally base the cast off my only friend group at the time. Given as I started this project in middle school, as a different novel entirely, I think this is a writing sin that can be forgiven.

Now, they're their own characters with their own personalities, and the only thing that remains is the names.

How many books will the SOLE project be, if done to plan?

APPARENTLY it will not be a standalone, but a duology. It better stay as two, otherwise I'll tear my hair out.

Do you anticipate the book being completed if you finish Nano or do you think it'll be over 50k?

I didn't anticipate it being done after the 50k from NaNo, and I can now report that it isn't. The first book's first draft is nearly 150K long, there's no way this sequel won't be at least 100k. Help.

Have you ever dreamt about the SOLE project world? If so, what was the dream about? No, I hardly ever remember my dreams.

I know that other people have dreamt about it, which is wild.

What do you think would be the most popular fanfiction concept written about the SOLE Project books from their fans?

Fix it fics with happy endings.

Which of your characters would you MOST like to see fanart of?

I think both Hans's and Dr. Agau's designs are fun and compelling to draw, for different reasons. One being wings, obviously (check this out!) and the other being the severity and stand-out details Barbara has (e.g. red lipstick, hair bun).

What do you think would be each character's creations to finding fanart or fanfiction of them?

If Dr. Agau deigned to interact with it, it would be to go through and write up everything wrong with it. From scientific inaccuracies to things she wouldn't do or say, that poor author is getting a dissertation in their comment section.

Hans would think it's flattering but doesn't quite understand why him. Beth is the same, but she's more unnerved by it. Matt would think it's the coolest thing ever and want to make friends with every artist he finds. Hallie likes fanart better than fanfiction. Christian doesn't want anything to do with either; poor lad's self loathing is a little too strong for that.

Fanart would inspire Michael to try his own hand at art.

#queerlilchinchin #incandescently answered #the sole gang

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kogameh · 1 year

Text

whenever i draw fanarts, the biggest satisfaction to me is when i was able to draw...an idea that is unique to the source material, something that i cant just simply recycle to ocs or any other fandoms, and especially, something fans of the source material can appreciate the most... its also something i knew i cant achieve with ocs. because at least with fanarts, at least someone get the context behind the art. i couldnt care less if im not drawing for a bigger or more popular fandom if i was able to share my love for something like this to the same people who love the source material as much as i do... im fully aware that my artstyle is not the most desirable. or the most social media-favored. or just anything thats worth being stared at anything for more than 5 minutes, haha. thats why i rarely post my doodles or rarely draw headshots because...i often find to look the most boring... but thats also why i really. tried really hard to get rid of my shortcomings by focusing more on the composition and "story" side of it over anything else. i tried. again. really hard to put my style in the backburner so the flaws of my unappealing style wont overshadow the "story" i wanted to tell in my art....

but yknow i just...feel like lately its all pointless hahaa...

so just when my mimi fanarts gets the most attention solely because it has mimi on it and not because of the art that i drew...im starting to ask...whats the point anymore if i even spend any extra time beyond just drawing the character. i might as well just draw the most soulless headshot or even stickman of the character and i'd guarantee it'll still get as much attention only because of the subject i drew. and the last important thing being...my art.... and this isnt just limited to one character or fandom, haha. every time any more replies to any of my art starts focusing on the subject over anything i put in the art, i knew that i failed to deliver the "story" i wanted to tell. at that point its starting to feel like...my art is nothing more than an accessory to a conversation starter. haha. i get it. my art isnt all that appealing. and my composition is still extremely amateur. but i guess no matter how much love and soul i tried to put in my art, it still doesnt matter if the subject is not creating any interesting conversation...

and its lately more and more apparent when i start to draw more oc artworks and obviously? theres less things to talk about now since theres 0 prior attachments existing with my ocs! :')

you could say that its mainly because im drawing for a small fandom. you could say its because i drew for a fandom where 90% of its contents is untranslated. but i just cant help but think...its simply because im still not good enough.....

i cant translate. im not fluent in any languages that isnt my mother tongue. im not the most talkative and hardly ever fit in any friend group. and every skills i have any inch of knowledge of is barely useful to anyone. and i know that i’ll never be remembered for anything. so i just....in the end, when i love something, the last i could do to say that "i love it" is to tell them with my art, despite its shortcomings and imperfections... but i guess thats...still not enough... to prove even that... :')

so just. haha. idk. even right now i kinda...lost all my motivation to draw. every single time i tried to i started to ask "is this even worth it?" and wonder if i shouldnt finish the art and put the bare minimum on it now, even if its gonna be the most soulless thing i've drawn. ultimately, a part of me just felt like i shouldve changed my priorities and focus starting this year. haha.

(and i'll just be real. if someones gonna say "draw for yourself!!! not for others!!!!" i would...rather not just post them at all to solve that. period. saves MUCH more of my time and anxiety if i just stopped posting them!!! :'))

i just. really dont know anymore...

#tbd ///#please dont reply if you have nothing important to say. thanks.#i just needed this off my chest bc i really...cant draw anything rn...#ultimately if you start mass liking my art after reading this please dont. im not intending on guilt tripping anyone here :')#and i dont intend on vaguing anyone. any names or fandoms here are just examples for emphasis. thanks.#also cool i typed this on impulse and on a stress week so if you see me regretting this post later 👍 gj

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nanaminokanojo · 3 years

Text

[10:00 PM] Ryomen Sukuna

LOG 14 OF MY JUJUTSU KAISEN TIMESTAMP DRABBLES

collection masterlist

photo/fanart credits to @/Natsushio on Weibo

"Baby."

Sukuna knows you heard him. Still, you continued walking as if you didn't, going ahead of him about ten paces ahead, your posture and the overall attitude in your gait speaking volumes of your current mood. He easily kept up with you, placing an arm over your shoulder, but much to his surprise, you shrugged it off you and walked the remaining expanse of sidewalk towards your shared apartment. He just watched in annoyance as you walked into the lobby and got into the elevator before him.

"Trouble with your princess?" this nosy grandma, who lived at one of the units at the first floor, asked.

Sukuna just smiled awkwardly, bowing slightly as he passed her by on his way to the elevator. When he finally got into your unit, he found your coat lying on the hallway, picking it up only to see your jeans a few steps ahead then your shirt. He finally found you in the kitchen already wrapped in a robe which you didn't even bother tying up, agitatedly pouring yourself a glass of wine, the cerise liquid sloshing around the glass violently.

You were behaving rather out of character, making a mess out of your clothes when he knew just how much you hated it when he leaves his things scattered about. On top of that, you left the cutlery drawer open with the corkscrew you used on top of the counter, droplets of red wine littering the granite top. You just passed him by without saying anything, refusing to look at him on your way to your bedroom.

I see how it is, he thought, taking long strides to the direction you went. He eyed you sternly, having had enough of your attitude. "Y/N, what's going on?" he demanded.

You flinched visibly at the way he addressed you. He doesn't call you by your name unless he was dead serious about something. "It's nothing. Don't mind me."

"Woman, don't tell me it's nothing when –"

Before he could finish, you walked into the adjoining bathroom, turning on the tap to the tub to tune him out. You were evidently being passive-aggressive now, and he detested it when you did that.

"Just go back to your party. I'm sure everyone's wondering where you've gone," you told him, picking up your glass from the dresser top. "Especially Miss Hanako." You shot him a sardonic smile before taking a swig out of your wine, the way you said the woman’s name dripping with vitriol.

And then it hit him. You've been dishing out barb since you told him you wanted to leave the company party he was partly hosting for his department. You did so when the secretary to the president arrived and started chatting him up. He was now thinking your behavior thereafter had something to do with it. You were fine before that so it could only mean one thing.

He didn't know whether to laugh or what at the thought of it. When he decided to pursue you, he didn't have qualms about it even if you were a good six years younger than him. He knew how problematic it could get having an immature partner, but that's where you were different. You held yourself with such confidence, grace and equilibrium way beyond your age, you shared the same pragmatic mindset he had and you didn't seem to have a proclivity for drama like others your age. You hardly ever fought because of petty things and he loved that about you.

But then, you're still young and he didn't hold it against you that you're suddenly acting like a brat. If anything, he was happy about it because you were never ever jealous. It sometimes made him doubt how you felt about him when you yourself would be pointing at other chicks for him to look at while saying things like, "Baby, look at her ass. Damn, she's sexy." And now that the green-eyed monster is rearing its head to the surface, he couldn't say he didn't like it.

"What about her?" he asked cautiously, making you jump the hoops.

You sneered, the action very intimidating despite your angelic features. “Oh, I don’t know, Sukuna. You tell me. You seemed to be enjoying her company. Don’t stop at my expense.”

He leveled his expressions to you. “Well, she is something, isn’t she? Smart, too.”

“Yeah, you deserve each other,” you hissed, the anger flaring up in your eyes making him stir alive.

“But she’s married.”

“All the better!” Seeing through what he was doing, you turned towards the bathroom and slammed the door shut. He didn't hear you lock it so he followed suit.

"If you're jealous, just say so already!" he told you. He wanted to hear it out of your mouth.

"Why would I be jealous? She looks like a bad rip-off of 80s Brooke Shields!" you spat, confirming his thoughts. You climbed into the bathtub sulkily, eyes on the bubbly water.

Sukuna knew he shouldn't even be thrilled about the prospect of it. If you were jealous then that means you were kinda doubting him in terms of his loyalty to you, and he should not like that, but at the same time, you were also being possessive which you rarely do. He couldn't help it.

Loosening his tie, he began shedding his clothes off, stripping naked before you, revealing the tattooed expanse of his skin and his impressive musculature as he tossed one garment after the other.

"What are you doing?" you asked as he approached, the way you mumbled the words causing him to just sigh, feeing defeated at how endearing you looked hugging your knees to yourself. "I thought I told you to go back to your party."

He didn't say anything as he went into the tub, sitting opposite you, but it wasn't long before he was pulling you towards him, positioning you between his legs so your back was pressed against his hard chest. He then began planting hungry kisses on your neck, down to your shoulders, his large hands wandering all over your body, one already having found itself on your breasts while the other coaxed your head to turn towards him so he can kiss you, his movements urgent yet languid and gentle.

"I'm all yours," he breathed against your lips, grinning. "You know that, right?"

"I know." You shrugged, facing forward again. “I don’t like the way that witch was touching you though. And you were all smiles about it, too.” You smacked him on the thigh, eliciting that deep laughter you adored no matter how mad you were at him. “Don’t laugh! It’s not funny.”

“It kinda is.”

“If you even think for a second that anyone can have you, Ryomen Sukuna, you’re wrong.” You looked him in the eyes, your dark orbs boring into him while your hand touched the side of his face, your crimson-painted nails looking like claws against his cheek. “You’re mine.”

He wrapped his arm around you, kissing you on the temple before placing his chin on your shoulder. "Jealousy is ugly, baby," he whispered in your ear, "but I gotta say, you wear it so well."

-END-

Okay. Before I get another "untimely (and unsolicited, if I'm allowed to say) lecture" about the etymology of the word "Ryōmen (両面/りょう)" meaning "two-faced/two-sided" and not a surname or given name , let me say it now, I KNOW, but thanks anyway. Sukuna and I are neighbors, just 4 hours by train. Geez. However, I am using his whole name in literature form, so if I do switch it up and use it as a surname for him (cause heaven forbid, the Kamigami rain hell on me) it's all for fun and literary creativity. No need to get too pressed over it.

No more fighting on my comments to point this out @fushigummy @kenkinori XD

And I have nothing against the 1980s or Brooke Shields. *waves at her fans*

It's established. I love bathtub scenes although I detest the idea of stewing in my own filth. But yeah, look forward to more bathtub drabbles.

I say too many things. Bye.

Thank you so much for reading. Likes, comments and reblogs are deeply appreciated! Hope you enjoyed it.

PHOTO/IMAGE/GIF/FANART CREDITS TO THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

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eyndr-stories · 2 years

Text

Howdy, traveler!

Welcome to the void under the bridge, where I stow all my creative nonsense. You can look around as long as you like! Don’t mind me, I’ll just be staring at you intently and hovering closely over your shoulder as you look at my stuff!!

Tags:

eyndr tells a story - all the stuff ive written

eyndr does art - all the drawings ive made

writing help - posts about tips and advice for writing stuff

art help - posts about tips and advice for drawing stuff

paper airplanes - asks I've answered

prized jewels of the hoard - fanart from others <3<3<3 (I love you all so much)

queue cheese please - I've got a queue set up now! Sometimes I'm not on tumblr for a while so this will hopefully keep things a bit more consistent. If you see me in your notifs liking a bunch of stuff, the reblogs will follow soon lol

~*~

This is a side blog for my stories and other creative nonsense and current fandom shenanigans! Currently very much into FNAF: Security Breach so you're gonna see a whole lot of that here lol

My main is @eyndr which is mostly just for memes and general tom-foolery

My ask box is open! Feel free to yell at me, send me a prompt, say hi, whatever B^) I am a friendly creature and I hardly ever bite promise :)

~*~

If you'd like to toss a coin under my bridge I have a patreon and a ko-fi! Patreon's got a bit more stuff on it just cause they have better support for posting stories and I also like their tagging system lol

New stories are posted in their entirety to Patreon in advance as soon as they're done! That’s right, I figured out how to schedule things all nice and proper, just for you!! If you want you can pay to read the whole story all at once for as little as a dollar, otherwise, my stories will typically post chapter by chapter one day at a time (and become available to the general public on Patreon at the same rate) both here and over on Ao3

~*~

All my stories and their info are under the read more~

Unwelcome Shopper - Created from a prompt by @write-it-motherfuckers, this short story is about a very tired retail employee working the night shift, speculating about their weird little town, and working through their anxieties.

My Planet - Created from a prompt by @writing-prompt-s, this short story is about love, hard decisions, and a little bit of sci-fi stuff.

From Dirt We Come, To Dirt We Return - This is an original short story written by yours truly about a pet sitter who agrees to watch a very dirty dog. Elavo struggles both with their mortality as well as keeping their house clean.

The Stranger The Better - A finished Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach fanfic! In Summary: Reader is a forever exhausted young adult who has social difficulties doing their best to pay the bills, so when they get hired at the well-paying, almost entirely automated Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizza-Plex, they don't really hesitate to think things through before stumbling headfirst into a horror mystery surrounding this company and its crew of quirky (and surprisingly kind) animatronics.

To Be Human - A finished Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach fanfic! In Summary: In a distant future where humans no longer roam the Earth and the sentient robots they left behind are left with little to no clues as to the lost history of their inherited world, Sun and Moon take up the title of scientists and endeavor to create their own human in their lab (that's where you come in!) in order to shed light on the mystery that is the lost history of the human race. Shenanigans and existential dread ensue as you, a funky little lab creature given sentience, attempt to puzzle out what it really means to be human.

To Be Alive - A finished Five Nights At Freddy's: Security Breach fanfic! Also a continuation / part 2 of 'To Be Human'. In Summary: At long last, the thrilling continuation of 'To Be Human'! There are more shenanigans for Star and co to get up to, and new horrors to be subjected to! Not to mention, Eclipse is still at large and up to no good... As 'To Be Human' is a self contained stand-alone story, one could very well choose to leave the adventure as is! Considering there are some heavier themes in this one (biggest thing here being death, specifically) that's exactly what I would recommend you do if you like everything very much the way it ended in 'To Be Human'. This story is an exploration of a few ideas I wanted to work with left over from the first story, and a way to tie up some very minor loose ends, as well as a return to some characters and a world I had a lot of fun with.

Chester and the Jesters - A finished Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach fanfic! In Summary: The new tech sure does seem a little strange. Chester (at least, that's what their name tag says) doesn't seem as concerned as they should be about the high turnover rate here at Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizza-Plex, or the numerous rumors about what happens to people who take the night shift. And to make matters worse, there seems to be some kind of criminal on the loose! The cops say they think the criminal is hiding out in the woods somewhere near the pizza-plex. Stress is high at the plex these days, but Chester is stoic as ever. Say, come to think of it, no one can seem to remember where Chester's application went or who they interviewed with. Their employee file is misplaced or missing just like everything else in this place. But the new tech does a good job completing their tasks, and has their own badge and everything, so of course they must belong here. It's not like someone would sneak into the plex and go this far out of their way to impersonate a low level technician. Right??

I Think I Smell A Rat - A finished Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach fanfic! In Summary: Being a robotic repair rat who lives in the walls of the pizza-plex is a pretty great gig, all things considered! You fix the wires instead of chew them, and you get into tight spaces those silly humans can't reach and fix things up behind the scenes. You do your little tasks diligently, and all is well. That is, until one night when you realize all of your other repair rat friends have gone missing, and almost all of those animatronics outside the walls are acting strange… You aren't sure what it is that needs fixing, but by golly you'll fix it! You just might need a little help along the way…

THE SQUEAKUEL - Epilogue to 'I Think I Smell A Rat'! Just a silly little thing, all chill fluff. You and your rat friends play games with Sun and Moon!

Did It Hurt When You Fell? - A short little scenario request from ShiraCheshire on Ao3! Same universe and characters as 'I Think I Smell A Rat'. No prior reading required. This is a very detailed repair scene! We dive paws first into the noggin of our favorite blorbo :) And there's a few nifty little tidbits about repair rats as well!

We'll Need To Invest In Parachutes At This Rate - A short scenario request from FormDrop on Ao3! Same universe and characters as 'I Think I Smell A Rat'. No prior reading required. This is a sort of other side of the coin of the last chapter (Did It Hurt When You Fell?), where this time its Sun & Moon helping you after you've sustained some pretty gnarly damage!

Tea Time Tall Tails - A short scenario request from The_TRUE_Fanfiction_Princess and Gaiko on Ao3! Same universe and characters as 'I Think I Smell A Rat'. No prior reading required. Basically Sun, resident expert on having fun, teaches a bunch of robo rats how to get silly! Just a cute fun little chapter ^_^

Untitled Goose Fic - It's a lovely night in Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizza-Plex, and you are a horrible goose. Super short, just a single chapter, and packed full of silly shenanigans! You are a goose a la 'untitled goose game' and you decide to have some good silly goose fun for a night in the plex! You confuse and maybe even befriend baffled animatronics and knock a lot of things over and do a considerable amount of honking. That's all, its just a silly fun little fic! Enjoy!! <3

Across The World - Original story written by yours truly! 8 chapters, fully completed. Summary: The gods of this world are ancient, most of them forgotten, or nearly so. Nomen has been taught not to make deals with any old gods, should they be unlucky enough to come across one. However, when their little brother Maribus stumbles into mortal peril, they find they have no real choice but to accept the trials of one such god in order to save him.

#writing #stories #short stories #eyndr tells a story #eyndr does art #prized jewels of the hoard #writing help #fanfic #fnaf sb fanfic #rebagel #paper airplanes #art help #pinned post #last edited march 2. 2024

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lydias--stiles · 3 years

Text

because your kiss is on my list

alternatively: four times juke snuck up on each other for affection and the one time they didn’t have to | based on the achingly beautiful fanart by @lovelyrugbee

Luke was being manic again. And not in a cute: “Oh my God, he’s so passionate about music!”-way, but in a: “He might actually tear his eyes out from these infuriating lyrics that aren’t working”-way. Every once in a while, songs didn’t flow out as easily as they usually did. The topic was a bit trickier, or the instrumentals didn’t mesh, or something was just off. Julie wasn’t too stressed about it. They had plenty of time to rework and fix things before the gig in two weeks.

Unfortunately, Luke didn’t have the same mindset.

He has been holed up in the studio all day, cramped on the windowsill to the point of submitting himself to a hernia and scrapping writing scrapping scrapping scrapping. The sound was infuriating, Alex being the first to poof out and Reggie following soon after when Ray became far more interesting than a guitarist going haywire. Which was sad, cause her dad was just unloading groceries.

Alright. She had to do something. Standing at the doors of studio with a somewhat amused expression, she took in as her boyfriend was oblivious to the world and her. In any other situation, he’d notice and compliment the orange dress she was wearing. She thought about calling his name, maybe singing or jamming her fingers on the piano, but then a better idea came. A fun one.

Quietly slipping closer, a mischievous grin crawled on her lips. Thank God she was barefoot, or else her sneakers would’ve squeaked against the cement floors. He still hasn’t noticed her, the pinch between his brow so deep and lost in thought.

Three, two, one...

“Ah!”, she cried out like a warrior, snapping her arms around him from behind and snatching the damned songbook from his grasp. Before he could react, she smacked a wet kiss on his cheek and added a “Mwah!” for good measure.

The startled Luke began chuckling, trying to get his book back, her peppering more kisses on his cheek in retaliation. He had to get out of this funk! Breathe a little! Turning his cheek to look at her, he smirked. “Sneaking kisses now, Jules?”

Julie hummed against his skin, eyes sparkling. Whispering in his ear, she said: “Stop breaking your head over these lyrics and relax. We have time.”

His smile softened, gaze tracking the way she hugged him and then- “I like the dress you’re wearing.”

Ah, yes. There he was.

Julie Molina truly made the afterlife less boring and a whole lot more bearable. Which became really apparent whenever she had an avalanche of homework and couldn’t hang out. Luke loved his boys, but damn did he miss his girlfriend a lot now. If the situation were different (you know, had he not been head over heels in love with her), he’d poof up to her room and annoy her until she came to the studio. Alas, he respected his girlfriend and her interest in getting good grades, so he had to deal with it.

Bleh. “Dealing with it” was like a curse word to him.

He hasn’t seen her all day though. She left early for school and didn’t pass by the studio when she got back. All he needed was a quick look and talk and maybe a hug and then he wouldn’t be so antsy.

(What he’d give to wrestle her into cuddling right now. He was honestly blessed he found a girl who saw all of his need for affection and then gladly gave triple the amount.)

Yup. Screw homework. He had to see her. Without telling the boys, he stood up with a huff and poofed out. The offended “hey!” from Alex he ignored.

Dropping into Julie’s room, a smile instantly bloomed on his face at the sight of her. She was on her bed, textbooks and notes splayed out in front of her while her curls danced with each breath she took. Even when tired, his girlfriend was pretty as hell.

“Hey,” he grinned.

She didn’t look up and mumbled: “Hey.” A page turned. “What’re you doing here?”

Luke sat down on the edge of her bed, far enough so her pens wouldn’t roll away. “Haven’t seen you today. I missed you.”

This time she did look up, her weary eyes softening and smiling. “I missed you too. I have homework though, so...” The implication was there: please leave so I can finish. His hope for a hug quickly dwindled.

“Yeah,” he muttered, not ready to go back and get slapped by Alex. “Uh...” His eyes fell on her right hand, slightly more outstretched then the other. It just... laid there. Teasing him. Freaking tantalising him when he knew how good it felt whenever those fingers brushed his cheeks or raked his hair.

It happened before he thought about it. Crawling onto the mattress, he snatched her hand and pressed soft kisses on the knuckles. Julie caught his gaze again, that smile he loved so much melting into an adoring puff - like she couldn’t believe this idiot was her boyfriend.

He didn’t mind being her idiot.

Sometimes, Julie was just that more adorable. Like now, with her hair spread around her shoulders and that small smile stuck on her lips and her eyes that seemed impossibly soft today. All for him, only for him.

Sure, it was probably because they were working on one of their personal songs, but the fact remained that his girlfriend still left him rendered speechless months into dating.

“What if we try it in a lower key?”, Julie proposed, nodding at his guitar.

The song in question was a song about them. It wasn’t so lovey-dovey that it would turn the guys off, but it was still blatant. Only they would write about ‘the sea glass green of his eyes’ and ‘the smile that put Mona Lisa to shame’.

He did what she asked, her singing the same verse again. It held more depth now, soulful and lively. The rasp in her tone made it playful and egged him on to join, like it was truly banter between lovers put to music. It was them. It was her. It was-

Luke abruptly stopped playing, pushed his guitar aside and grabbed onto her. She hardly had time to chuckle as he pressed his lips onto her forehead and held her as tight as possible. Warmth filled his chest, that strange sensation of being loved and loving back twice as hard, as she clutched his body. He almost got choked up. Here he was, in the sundrenched studio with the girl he adored playing the music they created together and she was singing it in such a quintessentially ‘them’ way. No one but them would ever truly understand the magic they conjured. How it was only explained through grins melting on skin and the giddy skip in his heartbeat.

“What’s that for?”, she smiled.

His hand trailed from her back to her cheeks with an elated shrug. How could he explain to her her ‘Julie-ness’ was dialled up to two hundred without sounding insane? Caressing the skin, he murmured instead: “I guess you’re just irresistible today.”

Her eyes squeezed shut at his words, like she was embarrassed how much delight it brought her, and pressed her face back in his shoulder.

Letting that giddy skip in his chest kiss her again, he gently pulled away to sent her a wink. “Let’s finish ‘Wicked Love’, yeah?”

“So, Flynn’s been thinking-”

“Mh-hm.”

“-about a new poster for the gig we’re playing. The old one is a little amateur and she made some new concepts. Wanna see?” Julie held her phone at his face, his hand leaving the strings of his guitar to gently push it back. Falling back on the bed, she frowned.

“Maybe later, I’m figuring out this progression...” His back bend over his guitar again, only giving her a view of the black muscle tee.

When Luke told her he wanted to hang out that Saturday afternoon, she had hoped it would be a bit more ‘Julie and Luke’ and not ‘Luke and His Guitar’ - alas, the girlfriend was competing with a piece of wood and some metal. While texting Flynn about graphic design was fun, it was time for Luke to start doing what he promised her.

Then again, she was a sucker for music talk. “Why don’t you try switching up the chords? Start with G instead of C.”

He tried it out, a grin crawling on his cheeks. “Yeah... yeah, that works. Thanks, Jules.”

“So?”, she sang.

“Hm?”

With a sigh, she grabbed onto the strap of his guitar and gave it a tug. Luke’s neck rolled backwards in surprise, catching her playful smile.

Chastely pecking his forehead, she said: “Your head is in the clouds.”

The teasing look of his matched hers. “You’re kissing my head right now.”

“Mh-hm,” she mumbled, loving the way his hair had that perpetual scent of apple and something inherently Luke. Kissing the locks, she added: “And you’ll be getting a lot more if you actually start hanging out with me.”

His book and instrument slid off his body just like that as he speared her into hug. Luke collapsed onto her body with the cutest grin and she knew she caught him. Their laughs chimed throughout the house for the rest of the day.

+5.

Luke poofed onto her bed with a grin, his girlfriend automatically snuggling into his side and finding each other’s lips with ease. For a beat, they’re cherished the quiet passion shared between them. They didn’t need to do a lot to feel loved by the other.

He pressed his nose into her curls. “How was school?”

“Good,” Julie whispered against his neck. “How was the studio?”

“Chill. Reggie scared a spider.”

She giggled, the sound making his grin widen and hide his face so she wouldn’t see how ridiculously giddy she made him. Turning her head so she’d see him anyway, her nose scrunched. “I know you’re smiling.”

“That’s my line, Molina,” he huffed, the teasing glint shimmering in his eyes.

A signature brow quirked. “You got that on paper?”

He didn’t miss a second. “I love you.” He didn’t need to ponder or linger or rewrite or scrap or workshop the thought. It wasn’t even a thought. It was a truth and he’d repeat that truth over and over again until the universe knew it too and kept it in their books for centuries to come. He loved her, he loved her, he loved her.

The smile that came was worth the truth, how her love for him broke through without a moment of hesitation. Now she’d say the same, over and over and over again, so the universe knew they were talking about each other and would always keep their names together in said books.

Julie kissed him again, long and sweet and as easy as breathing. Her utters were barely audible, but his heart caught it. “I love you too.”

Locked in their embrace, they shared earphones listening to their favourite music until they fell asleep. (How Luke could fall asleep, but only when in her loving touch, he wouldn’t question. Some oddities of the universe were best unsaid.)

@blush-and-books @unsaid-emily @bluefirewrites @willexx @ourstarscollided @alexjulies

#its after midnight so excuse if its a jumble #ophelia? using metaphysical similes? why of course its the libra in me #juke #julie and the phantoms #jatp fanfiction #otp: i think we make each other better

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untamedunrestrained · 2 years

Text

Obsessed

We need to talk because this is seriously out of hand.

Recently my WangXian obsession has once again spiraled out of control and it almost feels like Feb of 2020 when I was first introduced to their story (it should be noted that this was just before the world went totally bananas) and I couldn't get enough of them. This is one of the most creative fandoms ever, the fanart and fanfic out there is exceptional and I have read quite a bit of it. Also, everyone in China seems to be very aware of its popularity and therefore there is a ton of adaptations for the story, merchandise and official art that also manages to slay me every time basically. All this translated to the fact that when I first became obsessed it was literally months before I could even think about anything else.

But now it's all back with a vengeance. It's probably because of the release of the official English translation (who am I kidding it definitely is). I'm still waiting for my copy to arrive but this new year I shall finally have it. I initially wasn't sure if I would be able to get a copy easily in my country and so I didn't pre-order and then I became apprehensive about the quality of the translation but despite my doubts I totally caved. Just imagining that story on my bookshelf made me feel so much joy that I can't even fathom the joy I will feel when my imagination becomes reality. Fingers crossed that the translation is faithful and absolutely delivers because the novel is my favourite form of the story by far though I really really love 'The Untamed' especially because that is how I was introduced to this story. Also, shout out to the manhua which is also really good.

So, anyhow it's WangXian hours 24x7 in my brain at the moment. Ever since I watched 'The Untamed' I knew I would re-watch it and I am not one for re-watching but I knew the moment I finished it that I would. Never had a SO in my life but I am totally sure that if such a person was to be, watching The Untamed would be a mandatory requirement.

A side effect of all this WangXian running in my head is that it brought out another fascination that I had hoped was dead and buried and that is the fascination with the actors.

So considering the fact that they ranked as high as they both did in this year's Tumblr fandom lists it’s not much of a stretch to say that I'm not the only one obsessed, though considering how popular these two are that should hardly be a concern I mean frankly, the world is obsessed with those two. But anyhow all this thinking had me down the Yizhan rabbit hole as well and I literally wish these two would star in another project together because I really want to see them on screen together like it's a testament to how ridiculous this world is that something most people want will never happen. I could probably survive only on the BTS content of such a venture.

I am also really invested in Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo's life which was initially tangled all up in my love for WangXian but this time around it seems to have liberated itself into a whole new obsession that is definitely stronger than before. The worst part is I will probably never watch anything they actually do because I have this weird quirk with things I really love and I mean love like ‘The Untamed’. I love that show so much that I will never be able to see these actors play other characters, unless there are some extenuating circumstances. That is also the reason I haven't read another book by the Mo Xiang Tong Xiu because I love MDZS I feel like my love for MDZS will forever overshadow any other work by her and though I am still going to read TGCF but I'm already scared that it isn't going to live up to expectations.

Anyhow this was just to get my feelings off my chest. Currently very very obsessed with WangXian and Yizhan. Also, I am putting in all my hopes into manifesting another Yizhan interaction soon, like that would make 2022 for me in the state I'm in.

Fingers crossed my state of mind calms down once the book arrives because I just spend the entire night day before yesterday scrolling Tumblr and YouTube for Yizhan posts and videos, like I slept for an hour that's how long I was up.

Also, this has me wondering considering the popularity of the novel there must have been a hype around the live action show and I'm curious if anyone has any receipts for that. I really want to know what the buzz was like at that if there was any. Like I know TGCF is getting a live action adaptation and I don't really see a whole lot of news about that either so maybe there really wasn't a lot of hype and buzz prior to the shooting of The Untamed but there must definitely have been rumors once the cast was confirmed and they had begun shooting. I guess I need to go deep sea diving to find that particular treasure. [I have since then discovered that apparently ‘The Untamed’ was released out of the blue and the actually released the trailer while it was airing. What? I knew about the Wen Qing rumor but I want more. Someone feed me!]

I'm seriously trash right now, its completely insane in my head.

#WangXian #Mdzs #The Untamed #Cql #Yizhan #Wang Yibo #Xiao Zhan #myposts

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philliamwrites · 3 years

Text

koi no yokan

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Pairing: Kazuha / Aether

Tags: boys kissing, slight angst with happy ending, simping aether, practice sparring

Words: 2k

Summary: “A healthy mind in a healthy body,” Kazuha said, crossing the little circle they used as their practice area to the maple tree where they left their stuff. He took a dark cloth from his backpack and began wiping his body. Aether looked pointedly at the clear sky as if checking if one of Baal’s bolts would spontaneously flash and smite them. “Whatever thoughts trouble you will affect your performance and slowly but steadily deteriorate your physical capabilities.”

“Did the wind tell you that?” Aether wasn’t really into the idea that the gentle breezes cooling their hot skin spilt all his troubles. Be it his mourning for his absent sister or how horny he was for Kazuha. “Maybe the wind should just mind its own business.”

Notes: Inspired by @jeruki's fanart. My twitter: @philliam, my ko-fi: philliam

koi no yokan(恋の予感) (n.) lit. "Premonition of Love"; the sense one can have upon first meeting another person that the two of them are going to fall in love. It is the feeling that future love is inevitable.

In his journey through Teyvat, Aether had seen a lot of things. Dragons, assassins, sentient flowers shooting their frozen or burning seeds at him which never made for a funny joke when he and his party sat around the campfire in the cool evenings. Catboys grown into men who paid their taxes and lived a humble life near calm Springvale. Name it and Aether had seen it.

But Kaedehara Kazuha was something else entirely. When he fought, it was hard to look away. He had a dancer’s grace and a seemingly unerring instinct for what his opponent would do next. His sword wasn’t simply a weapon he swung to cut through enemy lines. It was part of him. Like Lumine completed Aether, Kazuha was only fully himself with a weapon in his hand. This kind of commitment Aether only knew from Xiao, but Kazuha made his devotion for battle look divine; so much purer. Almost innocent in a way that did not speak of foolishness or guilelessness or the innocence of a child that simply waited to be consumed by the world. Kazuha’s innocence was something honest, linked to the making at the heart of the world.

He looked happiest with his sword slicing through the air. He looked graceful plunging from the skies like a hawk pouncing to catch its prey. He looked deliciously fuckable with his hitatare slipping off his shoulders and revealing smooth, white skin glistening with sweat. Aether had noticed a little scar winking at him whenever the fabric slipped and wondered how it would taste like near that elegant curve where Kazuha’s chest turned to solid, firm abs. He imagined leaning over and tasting Kazuha’s skin and suck—

A harsh blow swiped his feet from under him. The world spun and for a moment Aether was flying again, soaring through the sky before golden eyes flashed in malice and his sister was taken from him. The reality of Lumine being absent would come to Aether in flashes. He knew it to be so, but he could not feel it to be true except in these sudden bursts of realisation. The light of that strange, unthinkable truth would dazzle him for a moment and then it would be gone again, a fleeting sense of terrible loss. The pain almost always felt the same, and all he could do in that moment was take it, endure the unbearable and bear it.

It ended as quickly as it stared. Aether’s back hit the hard ground, the impact punching the breath out of his lungs. He stared up at the beautiful crimson sky stretching overhead—red like so many things in Inazuma which was fitting for the country governed by a goddess with a taste for blood.

But then, Kazuha’s even more beautiful face bent over him.

“Focus, Aether,” he said, offering his hand. Aether imagined pulling Kazuha down next to him where they would roll in the dirt like two puppies, drunk on adrenaline and intoxicated with the addicting taste of defiling these sacred lands where the cries of helpless, innocent men would never be heard over the ever-present roar of thunder. Where neither of them was welcome.

Instead, he allowed Kazuha to pull him back up on his feet, slick skin against slick skin, with a swift ease that left little room for imagination how else he could manhandle Aether. He swallowed, his mouth dry.

Kazuha exhaled softly, and even in that companionable silence Aether had grown used to, it was loud enough to catch his attention. “Where are your thoughts, Aether?” Kazuha asked.

Aether kicked some pebbles. He could hardly confess how he imagined sucking Kazuha off. Somehow he didn’t think someone as versed, with a soul consumed by wanderlust like Kazuha, would like to hear that. So he simply shrugged, inspecting the hilt of his wooden practice sword as if it could be held accountable for his lack of focus.

“Oh, you know,” he said, shrugging. “Archons and Visions and the like. The usual stuff.”

Kazuha’s eyebrows rose. Aether held his stare for a long minute but ended up turning away first. Somehow he didn’t believe secrets could be kept hidden for too long from those keen scarlet eyes, and while he wouldn’t mind presenting his body to him, he wasn’t too comfortable bearing his very soul to someone he’d known for less than a month. He wondered if that even mattered. He had let Kaeya rail him in much shorter time than that.

“A healthy mind in a healthy body,” Kazuha said, crossing the little circle they used as their practice area to the maple tree where they left their stuff. He took a dark cloth from his backpack and began wiping his body. Aether looked pointedly at the clear sky as if checking if one of Baal’s bolts would spontaneously flash and smite them. “Whatever thoughts trouble you will affect your performance and slowly but steadily deteriorate your physical capabilities.”

The wind picked up, tossing Aether’s hair left and right so it came even more loose after their sparring. He was sure his mind played tricks on him, but somewhere in the distance it sounded like Venti’s clear, bell-like laughter. If this was his weird way of trying to set him up, Aether was not happy with it.

“No, you just did.” Kazuha finished cleaning himself, but was in no apparent hurry to tie up his hitatare. When he looked back up at Aether, his smile was a little mischievous but still gentle, and Aether wanted to kiss that stupid grin away. He flopped down next to Kazuha. Dry maple leaves rustled under his body and he took one in his fingers, turning it this and that way just so he could observe the crimson and stall time.

If he met the Raiden Shogun and she didn’t have the answers he desired, then what? How much longer would he have to journey, to tread foreign countries and dangerous lands until he found what Lumine needed him to see? Why was this arduous task better suited than simply telling him? The only logical answer was that during her own travels, Lumine had grown to not trust him in a way only she understood and couldn’t confide in him. The thought closed like a cold fist around Aether’s heart. There was nothing logical about that, for if Lumine chose to hide her heart from Aether, where would that leave him? Loneliness spread like a dark stain inside him, a horror that stole his breath and tightened his chest. Black dots danced across his vision. Aether noticed his body moving without his will, he sat up, afraid he might suffocate. His heart. His heart wasn’t in his chest anymore. It was in his throat, making it hard to breathe. Just thinking she doesn’t need me, Lumine is gone forever and all I have loved, I have loved alone—

A warm hand grasped his, squeezing his fingers painfully until his splintering mind reassembled to the present. Aether stared at Kazuha with wide eyes, filled with horror, with fear, he just couldn’t understand how anyone bore that loneliness without a twin, without another part of their soul bearing the harsh world with them and give comfort and respite.

“Aether?”

Aether flinched, only noticing then how close Kazuha hovered near his face. When he looked down, he saw how his golden strands were caught between Kazuha’s slender fingers.

“There was a maple leaf in your hair,” Kazuha said, not taking his eyes away from Aether.

“Oh.” Aether’s reeling thoughts momentarily halted at this whimsical observation, so simple and apart from his anxious feelings. He looked up at the grand tree above them, crying red leaves. “Really?”

Kazuha still looked at him. A gentle tug lowered Aether’s head back down.

“No,” he said, and then kissed him. His soft lips brushed against Aether’s once, then twice and then he pressed his mouth to his, pushing Aether to the solid, hard ground. One leg stole between Aether’s, pressing a knee against his crotch, and Oooh. Until now, Aether had thought Kazuha to be soft and restrained, a man more servant to the voice of nature than his own desires. But there was nothing soft or restrained about the way he pinned Aether to the ground now, stole his breath and swallowed all those little huffs and moans, making Aether go crazy with lust.

Swift fingers dug into his bare waist. Aether was looking forward to the bruises he’d see blossoming the next morning. Their bodies pressed together hard; Aether arched his back, hoping that if he just willed it hard enough, he would become one with Kazuha and fill that gnawing black hole inside him. Kazuha reached out and put his thumb to Aether’s jawline. The tips of his fingers brushed the hollow of his throat and pushed against the pulse point where Aether’s blood visibly thundered in exalting beats against his skin.

Kazuha’s tongue darted across Aether’s lower lip. Willingly, Aether opened his mouth, longing to savour his taste and finally quench his thirst for the exquisite being that Kaedahara Kazuha was.

But Kazuha remained still, their mouths inches away from each other, each inhaling the other’s breath. Aether opened his eyes, meeting Kazuha’s that had turned so much darker. Wilder.

“You don’t even know what you do to people, do you?” he mumbled against Aether’s lips. His nose grazed his cheek as he dove for Aether’s jawline, his neck, mapping Aether’s face with his lips and teeth. Aether remembered Kazuha saying once that he smelled like stars, and wondered how that worked.

“What—“ Aether exhaled a long, shuddering breath. “—do you mean?” He tried to buck up into Kazuha, to create some delicious friction between them, but Kazuha’s grip around his waist was like iron. Aether whined, but Kazuha made with one, sharp bite pretty clear that whatever happened would only happen on his volition.

“The way you move, the way you look and think no one notices.” Amusement stole into Kazuha’s voice. “Or might you think only I don’t notice?”

“I am anything but subtle,” Aether acknowledged, planting a kiss on Kazuha’s temple. He chuckled against Aether’s skin. “And you don’t necessarily make it easier, fighting like this.” His hands sneaked inside Kazuha’s hitatare, fingers trembling with excitement spread against his warm chest.

Kazuha inhaled sharply. His own fingers trailed a path up Aether’s waistline, nails scratching the sensitive skin and sending shivers all over his body. “Look who’s talking. It’s hard focusing on anything else with you walking around like this.”

Aether laughed, dark and rich. “It’s my pleasure.”

“No.” Kazuha tugged the fabric of Aether’s black collar down and kissed his neck. “It’s mine.”

Aether didn’t know how long they stayed like this, cradled against the maple tree’s trunk, growing drunk on kisses and lust and the taste of each other until their lips were bruised. At some point, they had dozed off under the setting sun that made way to twinkling stars that winked at them in mischief. Only they knew the secrets and confessions they shared, absolving one another from their darkest sins.

“I know you seek your sister,” Kazuha said, studying the joints and bumps on Aether’s fingers before he brought them to his lips. “We both follow steps of people dear to us, choosing to ignore we only run after shadows. I think that is why my soul refuses to leave you.”

Familiar pain throbbed in Aether’s chest, but where it once was sharp and overwhelming, it now had softened to a dull song. Bearable. “I’m sure one day we’ll catch up to them.” He intertwined his legs with Kazuha’s, felt the warmth radiate off his body. “Together.”

#genshin impact #genshin #ao3 #philliamwrites #genshin impact kazuha #genshin impact aether #genshin impact kaedahara kazuha #kazuha x aether #kazuther #genshin impact kazuha x aether #genshin impact kazuther

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