#grisly was the best tho
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The alhaven ask game thing:
Epiphany!
ohhhhh epiphanyyyyy thats a hard one simply becuase there is so much i could talk about . warning this is long
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there's individual character epiphanies - like the fact that Fate doesnt truely dictate your actions, and that horrible events in your past don't dictate what the rest of your life will be like (mordred , morgana respectively) {this theme i think is most prevalent in We Were Villains (Weep for me)}.
on a lighter note - there's ari's epiphany that she hadn't told zach yes to the whole platonic marriage thing in first snow. i always found that funny like she's just WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THIS????
(these are are all on my ao3 btw my username is writetype but you have to be logged in to see them)
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in terms of plot points i think my favourite one (and probably the best fit for this prompt) is the camping trip, set during the main cast's teen years (zoe's 19/20 , zach's like 17 , will's also 17 and aimee is 15) - for context before this point the family is fractured - aimee and zoe's mother {morgana} died around two years previous and aimee really hates zoe for not being there for her (zoe's was struggling before this but now is trying her best to reconnect with her sister , aimee is.. resentful) zach hates his cousin , will , seeing him as an intrusion bc they are FINE GODDAMIT WE DON'T NEED YOUR HELP. the adults are trying but they are spread thin (especially with inflation and grief and such). tensions are starting to thaw though a bit but still threatening to yknow explode
and so when they finally get that one week off around christmas - what better way to spend it than CAMPING WOO.
and its that traditional thing of everything is going to shit but along the way , through broken shopping carts and getting lost in ditches and climbing trees and the lack of mosquito repellent , they bond a bit . and the breathing space becomes wider and gazes are cooler. it kinda feels remincent of those nights where they used to bring out sparklers and write their names in air , its looking at the remains of them smoking , orange bright , but instead of feeling the brand of when you couldn't stop stepping on leftovers , searing your barefoot in a grisly crevice - its just feeling content. being quenched by the outside tap. its not all gone , the water still makes you itch all over funny but - its better.
its not quite a massive epiphany, more a realisation but is one of my favourite moments still
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i think the most important epiphany for me in terms of alhaven - is my own . i used to (and still do in some moments) feel bad for the unrealisticness of alhaven and the fact it was all fluffy and very badly worldbuilt. it didn't feel like a serious story like the ones that my friends would write about , the ones you see in novels . the dead come back to life , some ocs become famous ish , there's swords and historical costumes readily accessible and cheap. alhaven as a town has a kebab shop even tho its technically in the middle of nowhere, dragons , aimee grows up to host a bookish gameshow thing . murder most unladylike the netlifx adaptation exists - and alot of the story is just about the mundane . (also coupled with the fact alhaven is also the paracosm amplified things - like its my daydream world for goddam sakes)
but like the biggest epiphany for me that even if it didn't feel serious - this story was serious, to me. fluff content and the mundane wasn't a lesser form of writing - it wasn't cringe. it made me feel happy and thats all it really needed to be for it to be important. for it to matter. for it to be worthy.
alhaven has been with me for almost more than 6 years now , and to feel ashamed of it feels like a disservice to that younger me , happily writing harry potter , bbc merlin and percy jackson cross over fic with a green pen at 11pm at night.
its probably one of the epiphanies im most grateful for actually.
#i feel like ive just overloaded everyone with information so if you guys want clarification on anything just ask - even its just to ask#who the hell zach is#ill try my best to pare it back#alhaven#alhaven association game#quotidian-oblivion#ask answered#long post#ahoys thoughts#ahoy screamz#THIS is what that tag is for
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sick of reviews saying that chainsaw man is good Despite Denji! so many reviews r like 'good manga! denji tho...' ur entitled to ur opinion obvi but nearly every review i've seen has been at best lukewarm on my jar guy. oh is he stupid and annoying? do u find him vapid and horny? what would the manga be w/o him? not for me imo. he is a bottle rocket the bumper car the reader is strapped to so we can be launched thru the grisly world. chainsaw man has its quiet, horrific moments and denji is here to hotwire the car when it splutters out. 'he's stupid' yes. ur welcome.
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omg hi……. 🎵
omg hiiii this was so hard... i hope you like this tho! ^^
position: ALL AROUNDER easily!!!! you're good at literally everything but i think your passion would be dancing, choreography, and perhaps even writing lyrics. you'd be directly involved in a lot of the creative design bc you have such a good eye for it. you'd also be one of the older members, but like fake maknae kind of. until you get serious and then people r like wow....
group name: ok bare with me for the explanation but your group name would be astroglia !! all lowercase and if possible in bold letters. astroglia are a collective bunch of star shaped (!) cells in the nervous system (brain and spinal cord specifically) and astroglia help form the physical structure of the brain but also do a LOT of functions for the entire body -- kind of like, saying your whole group is the foundation for the new era of kpop bc every member can do SO MUCH. all rounders indeed!! but ALSO. science is always growing & scientists r always learning, so theres the aspect where you guys never give up on yourselves. you're always learning. there are 5 members bc of the 'star' shape and obviously i chose this partly cuz you’re so smart my god
concept: lets go science concept!!!!!! each comeback is a new type of science, personally my favorite would be the chemistry one where all you do is cause explosions. your fans favorite concept though is the AI creation concept, where you fight against clones of yourselves (see: onf) ALSOOO for a halloween concept ver. you do a modern version of Frankenstein its great! theres just soooo much you can do with the generic 'science' being the overhead concept. a dark/horror concept could be a forensic science concept where u have to solve a grisly murder using your FS skills.... fascinating
debut song: i wasnt sure what 'sounds' go with a science concept so like im a bit lost but its probably very electronic sounding, and idk why but 24k's only you comes to mind for this, especially the chorus and that 'bloop' part lol idk but just know it matches your concept!
fun fact: each of your albums are named after a different scientific discipline! and while your group, astroglia, are in the nervous system (aka the BRAIN), your fans are called atria (a main part of the HEART) bc your fans are your heart!!!!! brb crying. also one of your members decides to go back to uni to study some sort of science bc they were so inspired lol and youre their #1 fan and supporter its so nice. you quiz them on stuff. you do the same thing for your fans, they always tell you about upcoming major exams and u ask them a bunch of questions on vlive to help them study.... truly the best idol
send me a 🎵 and ill create a kpop group with you in it, based on you and/or your blog!!
#mkg#im not going to lie my thought process to get to astroglia was WACK#i literally googled aleks cuz i was so lost on what concept to give you#and it sent me to a math psychology learning page#the 'ALEKS' learning program or whtever#which talks about neurology and#thats where i got to the nervous system and#astroglia sounded the coolest LOL#i know nothing about science or any of this besides the 20 mins i spent skimming 10 diff wikipedia pages for this#hope you like it lmfao#replies#answered#i cant believe how much i rambled hijfgk SORRY
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🥤🍄🔪 for the writers truth & dare ask game :)
🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love: (already did this one!)
🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings: CALEB AND ESSEK CALL EACH OTHER "HIS WIZARD" (i have put this into MANY of my fanfics, i think it's cute). ORYM CLIMBS ASHTON LIKE A TREE in every literal sense in order to kiss them. ORYM AND FEARNE ARE VERY TOUCHY FEELY, especially since Dorian left and they don't have their middle spoon. I've shown a few times in my fics that whenever Fearne cuddles Orym, her bountiful boobs are a comfort, bc it means he can feel her warmth and listen to her heartbeat and feel cozy (these two have one of the best queerplatonic relationships I have ever seen).
🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?: hmmmmmmmmm. joke's on you, i don't normally "research" for a writing project, but in the times i have....fictionally, I think the insane amount of research I did for both my Champion of the Luxon AU and also my very first Shadowgast Spies AU was pretty intense, tho that "research" was mostly me frantically combing through every single wiki page I could find. in terms of realism, I did spend a bit too much time trying to figure out how the fuck amputations work (a certain character in my book ends up losing an entire arm, so i had to figure out wtf was up with that). that, and also the time and energy i put into trying to figure out the grisly mechanics of someone getting stabbed in the chest. i eventually went "fuck it, i don't care, they can have their dramatic final words".
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HEY!! I wrote this out on Twitter but I thought it would be fun to share here too but
DID YOU JUST GET OUT OF GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE AND WANT MORE GHOSTBUSTERS? Check out the Idw Run of Ghostbusters Comics!
It picks up in the Prime timeline following Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston after the events of Ghostbusters 2!
As someone who has hyper fixated on this franchise for practically my entire life and consumed any kind of media I could get my hands on, I think the comics are my favorite piece of the franchise. (I’m going to say franchise and media a lot I’m so sorry)
It was started back in I believe 2011(?) and the writing and characterization is incredible. I grisly think all of the characters have a time to shine and I feel like Erik Burnham (writer) really understand the characters. I really love how he portrays the group dynamic and their interpersonal relationships. I think out of all of them Peter’s writing is outstanding bc yes, it feels like a Bill Murray performance (via comic book obviously) but Burnham really goes in and explores that even tho Peter is kinda this asshole who tries to make it seem like he’s not really putting in the effort, he’s actually a really skilled at what he does and he really does care about his friends. I think Peter is written the best in the comics out of all gb media.
If you’re like me and one of the things you really appreciated from the original movies is how the characters do actually feel like friends who have known each other for a very long time (this def being Harold Ramis’s character writing and one of his strengths) and the interactions really show that, the comics encapsulates this completely.
The ghost/monster designs are also COOL AS HELL thanks to artist Dan Schoening. His art in general is amazing and I think it’s so cool to see how much he improves as the series goes on.
The issues themselves are also really cool and some of the stories feature: a third minion of gozer here to bully ray for choosing a marshmallow as the form of the destructor, the gang going on a cross country ghost hunting road trip, a rival ghostbusting team, exploring gozers family, and so much more!
It’s great if you only know the original movies and afterlife, but if you’re like me and also watched Real Ghostbusters, Extreme Ghostbusters, and enjoyed the 2016 Answer the Call Ghostbusters there’s stuff for everyone.
It is such a good continuation of the original story and truly the love letter to the fans. I know at some point Erik Burnham said he couldn’t pitch any new stories to idw until after Afterlife comes out so I’m excited to hear if he is going to pitch new stuff to them and if it’s going to somehow incorporate Afterlife into a run (or get it’s own run I would love to see idw take on Phoebe and Podcast and the whole new lineup)
If you have any questions about the series or if you Have read the idw comics talk to me about them! I feel like not a lot of ppl know about the comics and I truest love this series so let me know your thoughts about it. Sorry about the Long post and this is very scrambled thoughts I am going to include pics.
#long post#ghostbusters#gb#ghostbusters 2016#ghostbusters answer the call#ghostbusters afterlife#idw comics#Alex talks
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Stay Now, Little Prince
Prompts: Hi there!!! Can I request a romantic DLAMP + platonic dukeceit fic? The idea I had was from the incorrect quote:
Remus: And that's when you'll kill the light sides!
*Janus doodling the light sides and him holding hands with hearts all around them*: Kiss the light sides! Got it!
Remus:........ Why do I even try with you?
Except! It's a superhero AU! And these two are the vigilantes/villains (your choice really) and Remus is secretly rooting for Janus and also gives the others a shovel talk *read*: threatens to drag them to hell and back and through the core of the earth and feeding their remains to his shoebill if they so much as think about hurting Jan
You don't have to write it tho! 💝 - anon
Hiya! Will you be up to. writing an "enemies to lovers" Roceit au? By that I mean they act like enemies but behind closed doors are best friends and maybe more!!!! Your writing is beautiful and magnificent and you're amazing!!!!!! - anon
Hi hi hi hi!!! I LOVE your writing it's- *so* amazing- and I was wondering- (if you're still taking requests ofc) if we coul have more of that SWEET SWEET roceit content in that one hero roman fic? maybe talking more about how he rekindles his relationship with remus after being so far apart, how janus helps him come out of his shell, and how he deals with the fear of being abandonded by the two of them? tysm i hope you have an awesome day!!! :D - anon
Y'all really like this au huh
Read on Ao3 Part 1
Warnings: self-destructive behavior, gaslighting, implied/referenced torture (kinda)
Pairings: roceit
Word Count: 10063
Cities are full of bright lights and shadows alike. Those that live in the light, the heroes, the ‘good guys.’ Those that live in the shadows, their grisly work only illuminated when the sun deigns to show its face again. Sometimes the shadows are too deep. Sometimes the spotlights are too much.
The Prince, Roman Prince, is the Golden Boy of the city. The newsreels, the cameras, the public adore him. But they don’t see the winces when the bulbs go off right in his face, or whispers to be better, do better, perform better from the people that pull him aside after every daring adventure.
No one knows the name Janus, but they know his work. They don’t shout, they whisper. They huddle together in the dark, searching for the light so as not to get caught in his coils.
But sometimes, when spotlights are too bright and shadows too flat, a little prince will make its way into the snake’s den.
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Roman opens his eyes.
He expects to see the sterile white ceiling. He expects to see the pockmarks in the tile. He expects to see the bedcovers, the tray of first aid supplies he never clears away properly until the inspection comes, and the single photo.
He doesn’t expect a darker ceiling with a soft amber light, nor the linen sheets that slide carefully off his shoulders as he sits up. He winces slightly at the pull in his middle and immediately puts a hand to it. It doesn’t come away red.
The bed is empty except for him, the other side neat and pristine. He swallows.
He didn’t expect to wake up. Not after what happened.
Not after what he did.
He doesn’t know what pulled him all the way across the city, dragging blood everywhere he went in the grooves the guilt had etched behind him. Only that he needed to get somewhere away from the horrors he’d left, away from the bright lights and cityscapes.
And white lies…and masquerades…
He shakes his head to clear it. Now is not the time.
But did he have to come here? Did he have to walk—no, crawl on his knees before the Serpent and willingly let teeth be set to his throat? And why? For what?
He runs a hand over the wound again.
The better question would be why the Serpent hasn’t killed him yet.
Why he all but invited him inside, took him into his private rooms and patched him up. He’s used to rough patch jobs, used to being pushed around a little as he’s fixed to the point of maneuverability and ushered back to his room to lick the rest of them away, but that wasn’t what happened at all.
No, the Serpent had been…gentle.
The hands on his skin hadn’t touched him to bruise him, hadn’t wandered a little too far this way or that. They’d…they’d stitched him up and…and comforted him. Even when he confessed his mistakes, when he’d said that he was a coward, they’d…the Serpent hadn’t hurt him.
Only when there’s a soft twinge does Roman realize he’s been rubbing at the stitches. He flings his hand away from himself like he’s been burned and quickly lies back down, reducing the strain on the wound as much as possible. He stares at the ceiling, eyes wide, trying to make the ache in his chest fade. If he rips them out…
Well. The window for killing him easily has probably passed, right? Would…would he still kill him now? After all he’s done?
Roman has plenty of marks that attest to the Serpent’s creativity.
Though…now that he thinks about it…the Serpent has never been the one to hurt him directly. He’s had people to do that.
He’s had Remus.
Remus.
Memories.
Memories of another body pressed against him as they shivered together in the cold, wrapped under a single sheet so thin that they could feel their nails scratching together as they pulled it closer around themselves. Memories of a streak of white hair in his face when he woke up, limbs twisted so closely around each other they didn’t know whose was whose. Memories of his throat screaming in protest as he cried out, as they were ripped apart and locked in separate cages.
Rooms, Roman. They aren’t cages, we aren’t villains.
He barely remembers having another voice tell him that wasn’t true.
But Remus is alive. Remus is alive and he’s here and—and—
They didn’t kill him. They never killed him. They may have abandoned him, left him for dead, but they didn’t kill him.
The ache in his chest blossoms and whines. He wants his brother back.
Footsteps.
Roman shuts his eyes and hopes whatever position he’s in looks at least somewhat convincing. Maybe he can fake startling awake, he’s done that enough times to have some practice. Maybe he can make it look like he’s just waking up, maybe then they won’t—
“Little prince, you really don’t have to pretend to be asleep.”
Well, he certainly startles, much to the Serpent’s amusement. He quickly brings a hand to his chest to make sure he hasn’t pulled any of the stitches and tries not to scoot away as the Serpent sits on the edge of the bed.
“There’s no need to be so skittish,” the Serpent chuckles, “really, little prince, you didn’t seem this afraid last night.”
Last night. When everything in his body ached and screamed from lights and cameras and people and open air and only by holding a knife to his own throat could he get away from it.
“Roman.”
“Sorry,” he says quickly, “I just…”
“You were drifting,” the Serpent says softly, “did you see something?”
“S-see something?”
“A memory, a flashback, an afterimage…” The Serpent lifts a hand to card through his hair. “Whatever you want to call it. Something from last night, maybe?”
Roman swallows, trying not to lose himself in the gentle fingers in his hair but it’s so hard. No one…the Serpent has always known, somehow, how to throw him off balance.
“Little prince?”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“Shh-shh-shh, none of that, now,” the Serpent chides, the hand coming to lift up his chin, “I’m not angry with you.”
Roman blinks. “You’re…not?”
Something flickers across the Serpent’s expression too quick to be seen. “No, Roman, I’m not.”
“Oh.”
The Serpent watches him for a moment longer before sighing and standing up, lifting Roman’s chin as he goes. “Come out to the living room, little prince.”
Roman stands obediently and follows, body adjusting to the order before he’s fully understood it. He tucks his shoulders, bows his head, keeping his gaze high enough to see the Serpent’s path, but no higher. He isn’t walking toward the counter this time, nor is there anyone else in the apartment.
He tries to pretend the ache is just from the healing wound.
“Sit,” the Serpent orders, tapping the arm of a chair that Roman shouldn’t be allowed to touch, let alone sit in, but he doesn’t dare disobey. “Good.”
Oh, that should not do what it does to him.
The Serpent sits across from him, one leg crossed elegantly over the other. He reaches for one of the teacups on the coffee table between them and gestures for Roman to do the same. Roman picks it up and immediately winces. He isn’t allowed to hold fragile things, he’ll break them. But he can’t just refuse the Serpent’s offer so he sets it as carefully as he can in his lap. He can feel the Serpent’s eyes on him so he takes the smallest of sips.
It’s warm, slightly spiced, and sweet. He finds himself relax, just a little.
“Good?”
“Mhm.”
“I’m glad.” The Serpent sets his off cup to the side and folds his hands in his lap. “I learned something interesting about you last night.”
Roman’s hands begin to tremble and he quickly sets the cup down. “Yeah?”
“Mm.” He tilts his head. “Well, several things.”
He’s going to die. He’s going to die. He’s going to die.
“You have a very high pain tolerance, little prince.”
Roman swallows. “Isn’t that to be expected for someone like me?”
“Mm, even little heroes aren’t immune to stab wounds,” the Serpent says easily, raising an eyebrow, “unless there’s another side to your powers you’ve been hiding from me?”
He shakes his head and immediately bites his lip. The Serpent’s mouth tugs up into a half-smirk.
Shit.
“So then you know you’ve got a high pain tolerance, hmm?” He tilts his head. “That does make a few things click into place.”
Roman stays quiet.
“You also seem quite used to operating under severe blood loss,” the Serpent continues, “are you being captured by others as well? Do they regularly leave you to bleed out on your own? I’m quite jealous.”
He isn’t quick enough to hide his flinch. The Serpent’s eyes narrow.
“Perhaps that would explain why you refuse painkillers, even though you know it does more damage to your body in the long run.”
The curtains are drawn, Roman realizes too late, he can’t tell what time of day it is. Is it night? Did he sleep all the way through a day? Is it the middle of the day? Are people walking around? If he screams, could someone hear him?
No. He can’t. A fist closes around his throat before the thought is fully formed and he swallows, trying to dislodge it.
“You’re drifting again.”
Roman’s gaze snaps back to the Serpent, who looks at him with badly concealed amusement. He quirks an eyebrow.
“If I’d have known my living room would be so distracting,” he purrs, “I would have let you stay in bed.”
The tips of Roman’s ears turn red and heat rushes through his chest. The Serpent chuckles.
“Come, now, what is it? Not enough of an ‘evil lair’ for you, is that it?” He tilts his head. “Is your only impression of me dark warehouses and abandoned factories?”
“You’ve not given me a lot of evidence to the contrary.”
The Serpent spreads his hands and gestures around. “Then how do you explain this, little prince? You’re the one who found your way here, after all, all on your lonesome.”
Another smirk.
“Am I truly so intriguing, or is it the allure of my interior design?”
The words stick in Roman’s throat. The Serpent raises an eyebrow and laughs.
“Oh, and here I thought we were back to business as usual.” He idly toys with the fingers on one gloved hand. “I have missed your witty remarks from all of our other talks.”
“Those were interrogations.”
“Mm.” The Serpent doesn’t blink.
“Is…this an interrogation?”
“Yes.”
Roman stiffens. He glances down at the chair, expecting restraints to appear out of nowhere. His gaze darts to the cup sitting innocuously on the table in front of him.
“It’s just tea,” the Serpent says, “with a little honey.”
He looks up. The Serpent cocks his head to the side, waiting for Roman to say something. “Why are you not pointing a gun at me?”
“Guns aren’t my style, little prince, and I did just spend a considerable amount of time fixing a hole someone put in you. Seems a little counterproductive to put one in you myself, now, doesn’t it?”
“Then what’s stopping me from attacking you?”
The Serpent raises an eyebrow and chuckles, his voice rolling through the room and leaving Roman breathless. “Oh, little prince, I think the time has passed for threats, don’t you?”
“You’re threatening me.”
“Am I?” The Serpent flicks his hand. “I’ve just answered your question about whether or not this is an interrogation. How is that a threat?”
Roman’s somehow forgotten that every exchange they have ends with game, set, match to the Serpent. He swallows the lack of response on his tongue and feels his shoulders square.
“Look at you,” the Serpent murmurs, “all tough now. Is it truly so easy for you? To shrug that armor back on when you know it doesn’t work?”
Roman remains silent.
“Oh, let’s not do that,” he sighs, his hand tapping against the arm of the chair, “the silent treatment isn’t an effective strategy for you, little prince, especially when you do so well with the quips.”
He holds his tongue.
The Serpent sighs. “Then I suppose I won’t tell you where your brother is.”
Roman’s head snaps up. “What?”
The Serpent just looks at him, a slight condescending expression on his face. Roman feels his cheeks start to heat up and his hands clench into fists in his lap.
“What do you want?”
The Serpent is quiet for a moment. Then he shifts his weight and leans forward. “I have questions, little prince. I want you to answer them for me.”
“And then you’ll tell me where Remus is?”
“And then I’ll tell you where Remus is.”
Roman takes a deep breath. For Remus. He can do this for Remus. He’s waited over a decade for his brother, he can…he can get through this. He just has to be very, very careful.
The Serpent watches him, huffing softly. “You still look unsure, little prince.”
“Just not used to not being restrained.”
The Serpent’s eyes darken and a smile slowly cuts its way across his face. “Is that an invitation, little prince?”
Oh, god, not that fucking voice. Roman splutters, face bright red, trying to come up with something to say.
“I’m teasing,” the Serpent says with a softer smile a moment later, “relax, little prince, you’re alright.”
Roman isn’t sure which he hates more, how easily the Serpent is able to rile him up, or how easy it is for him to calm him right back down.
“I just want you to talk to me,” he continues, still in that soft voice, “answer my questions the way you like, try and be honest. My hospitality is not contingent on the information you give me, nor will I hurt you if I don’t like the answers I get.”
“Why should I believe you?”
The Serpent nods to his chest. “Have I not established a little bit of goodwill with you, little prince? Am I not the only person you can trust?”
“That hasn’t exactly worked out for me in the past,” Roman snaps before cold horror rushes through his veins.
It’s too late. The words are already out.
“What does that mean?”
His tongue ices over. He stares at the table. After a few moments, the Serpent sighs.
“You have my word I won’t hurt you, little prince,” he murmurs.
Roman looks up at him slowly. “…I thought you said this was an interrogation.”
“I’m asking you questions about information you seem hesitant to give me. Is that not an interrogation?”
“But you’re not hurting me to try and get it.”
“Is that all you think an interrogation is?”
“That’s the kind I’m used to.”
The Serpent rolls his eyes. “The standards around here…whatever happened to keeping oneself civilized?”
A giggle bubbles out of Roman’s throat before he can stop it and the Serpent winks. His expression turns a notch more serious after a moment and Roman takes a deep breath.
“You’re allowed to drink your tea, by the way,” he says, gesturing to the abandoned cup, “that’s why it’s there.”
“Did you drug it?”
The Serpent levels him with a look. “Yes. I spent an entire night patching you up after you bled all over my carpet, dressed you in my clothes, let you sleep in my bed, and held you as you cried without reactivating my security system, risking my own life to make sure you were alright, so I could then poison you.”
Roman sheepishly picks the cup up. “…you could’ve just said no.”
“And where would the fun in that be?”
The tea is good. Of course the Serpent has excellent taste in tea. He drinks for a moment in silence before the Serpent opens his mouth again.
“You’re touch starved,” he says quietly, “do you know how severe it is?”
He swallows the drink of tea. “I don’t know how you measure that.”
“You said I was the last person to touch you before last night. Down at the docks, over that disagreement with the freighter.”
‘Disagreement with the freighter,’ he says, not ‘black-market arms dealings that threatened the safety of the city.’
“Yeah.”
The Serpent frowns. “But that was almost a month ago, little prince, surely someone else has touched you since then?”
Roman shifts in the chair. “I mean, I’ve gotten into fights since then and that…that counts, right?”
He doesn’t say that the fists burned nearly as much as the Serpent’s hand on his face did, nor that he sometimes let himself get hit just to let the burn sting a little more.
“…that was the last time someone handled you gently,” the Serpent says slowly, “that’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”
Roman nods. The Serpent stares into space for a moment, thinking. One of his hands twitches.
“You were surprised to see Remus.” He tilts his head. “Why?”
“I thought he was dead.”
“Why?”
“I, um…hadn’t heard from him in a while.”
The Serpent quirks an eyebrow. “Do you know how many times Remus has been a few feet away from you?”
Roman stiffens. Is…is the Serpent saying that Remus…before, when he’s—when he’s been caught, has Remus—was Remus ever the one to—to—
“Judging by his response last night,” the Serpent says, “he didn’t realize it either, but that doesn’t seem like the nosy little prince who managed to figure out my address, does it?”
Oh. So Remus wasn’t—he would’ve seen. He would’ve known it was Roman. Kind of difficult to not know who the person you’re beating is. His shoulders slump with relief, but not enough to wash away the knowledge that he wouldn’t have cared.
Even if it had been Remus every single time.
“You haven’t answered my question, little prince.”
He blinks. “I, um…the circumstances under which I couldn’t contact him were what made me think he was dead.”
The Serpent hums. “And what circumstances were those?”
“…ones where I couldn’t really question them.”
The Serpent chuckles. “You, the little rascal who snuck into my warehouses and investigated every scrap of intel I told you? You, the wrench in so many plans that had been laid out?”
“Didn’t realize you paid such close attention to me.”
“Clearly, little prince, we’ve not been operating on the level of mutual respect I thought we were.” The Serpent raises a hand to his chest. “I’m hurt.”
Roman huffs, taking another sip.
“You did find this place, I suppose,” the Serpent sighs, “which begs the question. Why drop the matter of your brother’s death so quickly?”
His throat is strained for three days. He loses every inch of ground he gains on his voice by crying out for a brother that isn’t coming back. They tell him he ran away, they tell him he’s delusional. One time they try and tell him he never had a brother.
He’s punished for a week after he screams that they’re wrong, but they never try and lie to him like that again.
He stops asking when they bring in a body in the middle of the night with a streak of white hair.
“…because I thought I saw him.”
The Serpent hums, idly flicking a speck of dust from his glove. “But he’s alive.”
A shuddering breath leaves him. “But he’s alive.”
“So what does that mean?”
Roman blinks. “What?”
The Serpent meets his gaze easily, spreading his hands. “What does that mean, little prince? You thought he was dead, you thought you saw him dead, but he’s alive. How does that change things?”
Remus isn’t dead. They didn’t find his body. It wasn’t his body they brought in that night under the cover of darkness, where none of them could see because of how dark it was.
…even though they passed right under the light outside Roman’s room.
Even though the morgue is on the other side of the building.
Even though the sheet just happened to flop down.
Roman’s eyes widen.
They’d known.
They’d known it wasn’t Remus.
They probably didn’t think it was Remus.
They wanted him to see. They wanted him to see what he would think was his dead brother so he would stop fighting. So he would give in. They wanted him to see it. They did it so he could see it. They put on a show just for him and they made him think his brother was dead.
They…they did that.
To him.
To all of them.
…so what does that mean?
Roman could laugh. He won’t, but he could. He could cry, he could laugh, he could scream.
It doesn’t mean anything.
Some part of him always suspected. Always thought that maybe they’d had him killed, or at the very least, didn’t care enough to try and stop it if it happened. It wasn’t the farthest stretch to imagine they’d do something like that.
Not after everything else.
Roman takes a drink of tea.
“It doesn’t.”
Surprise flickers over the Serpent’s face. “No? Not at all?”
Roman shakes his head. “No. Remus is alive. That’s…that’s all that matters.”
“Alive…and not with you.”
“No.”
The Serpent frowns at him for a moment. Then he sets his cup back on the table. “You seem remarkably sure about that for someone who was near incoherent just from seeing his brother last night.”
Roman shrugs. The Serpent waits a moment longer before asking another question.
“Why did you come here, little prince?”
“I think I’ve answered this one already.”
“I’ve led you to answers,” the Serpent corrects, “you’ve not exactly volunteered one yourself.”
“I did. I said you were the only person I could trust.”
“Mm.” The Serpent steeples his fingers. “And why is that?”
Roman swallows. “You…you’re the only one who hasn’t lied to me.”
Now the Serpent truly looks surprised. “And how exactly have you come to this conclusion, little prince?”
“You leave things out, sure, and you’re not exactly upfront about things, but you don’t outright lie to me.” Roman stares down and swallows again. His throat is dry. “You…you were also right.”
The room is silent.
“You said that one day I would realize that they don’t care about m-me. You said that one day I would realize that the world isn’t black and white. You said that you would help me if I didn’t—if I couldn’t do it anymore.”
He looks up to see the Serpent staring at him, unmoving.
“And you did.”
The Serpent’s hand slowly clenches and unclenches. He looks away, his eyes closing.
“So…yeah, you’re the only one who hasn’t lied.”
“I see.” There’s another pause and then he looks back. “Where are your scars from, little prince?”
Roman frowns at the abrupt change of topic. “What?”
“Your scars, little prince, where are they from?”
“Uh…you do know what I do, right?”
The Serpent stands, slowly crossing the short distance between their chairs. This…this is more familiar. A smirking, elegantly-clad figure leaning over him, to murmur threats and vaguely flirty promises in his ear, distracting and mesmerizing touches to his face, his arms, his chest.
But the Serpent isn’t smirking. The touch is soft, yes, but almost timid as it runs along the scar peeking out from under the shirt by his collarbone. The voice isn’t purring, it’s…it’s…
“I didn’t do this,” the Serpent whispers, running his fingers lightly over the raised skin, “what happened to you?”
Roman swallows all the same. “Accident.”
The hand stills, then flattens to press lightly against his chest. Not a threat, just pressure. “Don’t lie, little prince.”
It’s the gentlest chide Roman’s ever heard and it robs his words quicker than he can recognize. The touch burns. He wants to burn in it. But he has to answer the question but he can’t answer that question.
His silence is enough of an answer.
“So,” he mumbles when enough time has passed to make it clear that’s all the Serpent is going to get, “what now?”
A sigh comes from above him. “What now, indeed.”
Gentle fingers under his chin to lift and turn him.
“Tell me, little prince,” the Serpent asks quietly, “when was the last time someone held you captive?”
The blood drains from Roman’s face. Being held prisoner? No, those…those are the bad ones.
“It’s—it’s been a while,” he manages in a strangled whisper.
The Serpent hums. “What did you expect, little prince, when you crawled on your knees into the snake’s den? Did you expect to be let go so easily?”
He’s going to die. He’s going to die. He’s going to die.
It’s going to hurt.
In the midst of his panic, he doesn’t notice the flicker of concern across the Serpent’s face, nor the split second of rage before he’s sighing.
“You really are shaken, aren’t you?”
“Wh-what?”
He blinks and the Serpent is cupping his face in both hands, now, looking down at him the way he did last night. “My apologies, little prince, I thought we were back to playing again.”
“P-playing?”
“Yes, but you’re still terribly afraid, aren’t you?” The Serpent lets out a soft noise and rests their foreheads together. “I’ll stop teasing, little prince.”
“What’s going on?” Roman manages, words coming out in a whine as the hands on his face burn.
“Stay,” the Serpent murmurs, “stay here, little prince. You’ll be safe here, I can look after you. Remus can too.”
“Wh-what?”
The Serpent pulls away a little. “Do you want to go back?”
“Back?”
“To your people. Where you normally go. Do you want to go back to them?”
It isn’t a question of ‘want.’ He has to go back. He has to. He has to.
He…if he doesn’t go back…
…the others will get hurt.
It will be worse the longer he stays away.
But they don’t know that he’s here. They probably think he’s dead.
Can he do that to the others, though? He knows how much it hurt to see Remus dead, what if they—what if they do the same thing with him?
He doesn’t want it to hurt. But he doesn’t want them hurt.
But the Serpent…the Serpent kept him safe. The Serpent was kind to him. He is kind, at least he has been. He’s…
…maybe?
He’s still waiting for an answer.
Slowly, so slowly, Roman shakes his head.
“Then stay,” the Serpent murmurs, “stay here, in this apartment. Stay here with me.”
Roman looks up. What…what is the Serpent offering? A safe haven? A—a safe house? Safety? What…why? Why offer this to Roman? Doesn’t it—wouldn’t it—why?
“…why?”
The Serpent’s expression softens the barest amount. “I told you, little prince, you’re not that difficult to care for.”
“You don’t know that,” Roman blurts out, only for the Serpent to gentle his hand away when he claps it over his mouth.
“Then I’ll learn it,” he says, “but if that’s what you’re worried about, little prince…you needn’t be.”
A harsh laugh bursts out of his throat. “So what, you’re—you’re just going to keep me here?”
“No,” the Serpent says smoothly, “I’m going to unmake you here.”
Roman’s eyes widen.
He’s…he’s going to what?
“This is what they made of you,” the Serpent murmurs, trailing a finger over the scar again, “a touch starved, isolated tool who submits to them out of fear. They lied to you, they hurt you, and they’ve made you believe that death is a viable way of redeeming yourself from mistakes you couldn’t avoid.”
The burning hand cups his cheek again.
“I’m going to unmake that,” he promises in an achingly gentle voice, “until they won’t recognize the little prince they’ve made of you anymore.”
Oh.
Oh.
“…you want to keep me.”
The Serpent’s smile is blinding. “Yes, little prince, I want to keep you.”
He shifts his grip a little on Roman’s face, smile softening when he sees the traces of fear that must still be in his expression.
“But you can decide how much you’d like to be kept later,” he murmurs, “because you still look like you’ve not had enough rest.”
Indeed, Roman’s eyes are beginning to droop again. “Are you sure you didn’t drug the tea?”
The Serpent chuckles warmly as he helps Roman back to bed. “Tell you what, little prince, next time you can watch me make it.”
-----------------------
The snake settles the little prince back into the nest with a gentle hiss and a quick squeeze from its coils. It is best to learn how to be soft now, how to never raise a hand to the little prince when fury licks at the underside of every scale and every inch of it longs to find something to sink its fangs into.
No. Not the little prince. Never the little prince.
So it learns now, how to be soft, how to be gentle, how to channel the fury into kindness for the little prince in order to make the den safe.
Only after the door closes behind him does Janus let the rage run free.
How dare they.
How fucking dare they.
How dare they make Roman so starved for touch he willingly gets into fights to feel something? How dare they strip him of his family, going so far as to fake a death right in front of a child? And how dare they break him to the point where trying to oppose them feels hopeless?
Janus closes his eyes and tries to swallow. But it’s too late. He’s held back the tide for too long and it’s starting to freeze him. It runs into the hot and possessive urge that still warms his hands and his arms begin to tremble.
The little prince is safe for now, where he sleeps beyond the door, but he won’t be if they don’t do something about it.
The snake hisses.
He’d suspected, of course, that the little prince had been hiding something, that the hero life wasn’t all the papers made it out to be, but not this. Never this. And oh, how long must Roman have been warring with himself to plaster a smile on his face, to shrug on a dashing persona to fool the world, himself, everyone into thinking he wasn’t being hurt so badly?
And they had the audacity to call people like Janus supervillains.
How barbaric.
Janus takes a deep, slow breath and lets it out over eight counts.
He can’t afford to lose his cool now.
Only after he’s reached for his phone to summon Remus does he realize he never filled his end of the bargain. He allows himself a brief, bittersweet smile before he’s typing out a message and turning to the teacups.
“Someone is nice to you,” he murmurs as he clears them away, gaze lingering on Roman’s mostly full cup, “and your first thought is that they’re attempting to kill you. What have they done to you, little prince?”
Remus arrives a few minutes later, walking inside and standing at attention. Janus raises an eyebrow.
“Why the sudden interest in formality, my darling?”
“Your security is wired through me,” comes Remus’s answer.
Ah.
“So, you heard?”
“Yes, I fucking heard,” Remus snarls, and now Janus can see why he’s holding himself so stiffly, it’s so he doesn’t scare the little prince either.
“Report.”
“The news stations have been scrambled successfully, we have our team monitoring the waves to make sure nothing pops up. So far it’s been described as a gas leak, one that made the head delirious as he staggered out onto the roof.”
Janus raises an eyebrow. “Adding insult to injury, I suppose, to imply that the head’s death was anything other than planned.”
“Well, that part is true.” Remus glances at the ground. “And the gas has been disposed of. Labs are working on a quarantine schedule, trying to figure out if anyone needs to go into isolation.”
Janus nods. “And the other side?”
Remus’s body armor groans as he tenses. “The outside sweep is done. No agents, no boots on the ground. They did a basic scan and abandoned the trail when it went cold.”
“And when was that?”
“About a block away from the site.”
Janus raises an eyebrow. Impressive. He can see a gleam of appreciation in Remus’s eye too. “Just as well. Can’t have anyone else learning the address of this place, now, can we?”
“Especially not now that you’ve decided you’re keeping him.”
Janus hums. A warning for Remus to watch his tongue.
“That puts a bigger target on your back, Jan,” Remus says, a bit of concern slipping into his voice again—truly, how sweet—as he steps closer, “and it makes this place more vulnerable.”
“That’s what I have you for, isn’t it, dear?”
Remus sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Janus watches him over the rim of his cup.
“You’re thinking,” he says after Remus is still for too long, “what about?”
“Why do you want to keep him, Jan,” Remus asks finally, voice weaker than Janus has ever heard it before, including the times the man’s been hovering at death’s doorstep, “why?”
“You’re not jealous, are you?”
Remus just looks at him and waits.
Janus sighs, bracing his hands against the counter. A beat passes. Then another.
“Fucking hell,” Remus whispers, “you don’t know. You actually don’t know.”
Janus’s head jerks up, ready to put Remus back in his place, only for it to falter as he sees the look of genuine panic on Remus’s face. He frowns.
“Remus?”
“You don’t know,” Remus repeats, stepping back, “you don’t—know—“
The man stumbles to a chair and sits down, his hands flying to tangle in his hair. Janus watches him in alarm. He can count on one hand the number of times he’s seen Remus panic.
“Remus, talk to me.”
“You’re keeping him alive and you don’t know why!”
Remus’s eyes are wide and he somehow manages to look small, even under the kevlar. Janus takes a step closer.
“The longer you keep him alive without knowing why you’re doing it,” he says quietly, “the longer you give them to sink their hooks back into Roman. If you can’t plan for how you’re going to keep him and you’re sure about why? They’ll find the uncertainty and rip him away from you.”
Oh, these broken boys…
Janus steps around to Remus and pulls his head up.
“I swear to you,” he says, low and dangerous, “that I will never let them lay a finger on your brother ever again.”
Remus stares at him. “You promise?”
“I promise.”
Something shifts then. There’s another level to the bond between them now, something connecting them that isn’t just business. Something that has the potential to be incredibly dangerous.
Then Remus smiles and oh, there he is, the feral man who tears cities apart with his teeth, and Janus feels his own smile crawl back.
“You said you hated him,” he says lightly, “why the sudden spur of brotherly affection?”
“Something had to keep me alive before you did, Jan.”
“And that was him? How sweet.”
Remus snarls. “Not to them.”
“Well, luckily for you, that won’t be a problem anymore, now, will it?”
He lets Remus go and steps back, carefully pulling on his coat and taking his cane from its holder.
“I’ve got an appointment to fill,” he says, “and you have guard duty.”
Remus stands, nods sharply, and Janus leaves.
The security system clicks into place behind him and Remus slowly turns his attention to the bedroom door.
Something rustles on the other side and he carefully steps through.
Roman turns and is immediately struggling out of the bed to meet him.
“Easy, easy,” Remus barks, catching him and pushing him back onto the bed, “Jan wasn’t kidding about the stitches.”
But Roman isn’t listening to him, no, he’s scrabbling for a hold on Remus like they’re both stupid children who don’t know anything and all they need is each other. Remus swallows the sudden lump in his throat and curses his stupid, stupid brother.
“…calm down, Roro,” he mumbles, leaning down and letting Roman wrap his arms around his neck, “shh, shh…you gotta calm down.”
“I’m sorry, Remus, I’m so sorry, I thought you—I thought it was you, I—“
“Shh, shh, shut up, you’re gonna make yourself freak out.”
“But I’m sorry—“
“I know you’re sorry, Roman, you won’t stop saying it.” Remus lets Roman drag him further onto the bed and sits with his back to the headboard, trying not to let any of the weapons get anywhere near him. “Shh, I’m right here, you got me, okay? I’m right here.”
Roman just buries his head into the crook of Remus’s neck and oh—oh, fuck.
“Hey,” he tries, but shit, his voice is already going shaky, “none of that sappy shit, we’re grown adults.”
But Roman doesn’t care. He’s clinging onto Remus like he’s a teddy bear and godfuckingdamnit.
“Oh, Ro,” Remus murmurs, burying his nose in Roman’s hair. “I missed you too.”
A sob is choked out between them and you could not pry Remus away from Roman right now.
“I’m sorry, Re, I—I wanted to believe you were alive but then they showed me the body and I couldn’t—“
“I know, Ro, I know—I didn’t mean to leave you, I thought I could get us both out, I should’ve listened—“
“But you got out, you got out, you’re safe—“
“But I left you. I let you be taken from me.”
“No, no, Re, you can’t—you can’t think like that, you’re—you did it, you got out, I should’ve listened to you—“
“You were scared, Roro, you’re still scared, it’s okay, it’s okay, I’m not mad at you—“
“Don’t you hate me?”
The question pierces right through the kevlar and embeds itself in Remus’s ribs.
Not Roman’s broken voice, so certain that his brother despises him. Not the shuddering remains of the strongest person Remus knows. Not the scared little prince that should be dead.
He remembers the hours of punishment after failing to beat Roman. He remembers the strain of having to look at his brother being praised for everything while he was ignored. He remembers Roman telling him it was just a game when they both bore marks to prove that it wasn’t.
But he also remembers a vicious little brat getting in between him and the world and baring his teeth until they left him alone. He remembers little hands doing their best to patch him up with stolen medical supplies and food rations. He remembers another voice in the dark, whispering that they still cared about each other, that nothing in this world would keep them apart.
“…no, Roro,” Remus whispers, “I don’t hate you.”
Something breaks then, as Roman’s frantic energy dissipates and Remus is left with a shivering, shaking mess of a brother crying into him. He closes his eyes and feels tears build up too as he gently lies Roman back down.
“Relax, Ro, I’m not going anywhere, I just don’t want you to pop those stitches.”
Roman lets him set his head in his lap but wraps his arms tightly around Remus’s leg.
“…yeah, you got me.”
“Good. I win.”
Remus chuckles and ruffles his hair. “Sure you did. I won’t go so easy on you next time.”
“You can try.”
How they slide back into teasing each other he can’t quite explain, just like he can’t put a finger on how it feels to have Roman’s weight on him and recognize it, even though it’s been so long since they were together. He keeps his hand in Roman’s hair, scratching gently the way he did to coax him to sleep so long ago.
“…Re?”
“Mhm?”
“What…” Roman swallows. “What does the Serpent want with me?”
Shit, starting off with a hard one, aren’t you? Wait… “‘The Serpent?’”
“Y-yeah, that’s…the, um…the guy you work for.”
“That’s his—“ Remus sighs— “do you not know his name?”
A pause.
“…sure, I do.”
“Wow, you fucking suck at lying.”
“No, I don’t!”
“You may as well have said his name was fucking John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, that’s how believable that ‘sure I do’ was.”
“Hey!”
“You know what? That’s his name. John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.”
“No, it isn’t, Re.”
“Oh, that’s right, because you know his name.”
“…yeah.”
“How are you still bad at lying?”
“Leave me alone.”
Of course, as soon as those words leave Roman’s mouth, there’s a strangled gasp and the grip on Remus’s leg tightens.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, please don’t leave me.”
“Relax, Roro,” Remus says, ruffling his hair, “I know you didn’t mean it.”
There’s a pause for a moment, then Roman carefully squeezes Remus’s leg. “…what does he want with me?”
Remus sighs. “…he’s not gonna hurt you, Roro.”
“But what does he want?” Roman turns to look up at him. “I can—I can do it, I just need to know what it is.”
I am going to fucking skin them and feed them their own kneecaps while their intestines writhe in agony.
“…he wants you, Roman,” Remus decides carefully, “and right now that means you staying here and healing.”
Roman swallows. “Why?”
“What are you, eight?”
“Remus.”
Remus sighs. “Because it’s really fucking hard to hate you, Roman, even with all your messy shit.”
Roman looks confused and no, that’s not the reaction he’s supposed to have, he’s supposed to grin and tease Remus about how much he missed him, “but…but…then…”
Remus swallows. He’s going to regret asking this. “But then what, Roro?”
“…why did they do that to me?”
You know what? No, they don’t get to die. They can spend their lives in eternal pain while I rub salt onto the exposed nerves until their vocal cords fracture.
“Because they’re fucking awful, Ro,” Remus growls, “they don’t do it because they hate you, they do it because they can.”
Roman blinks. Then he blinks again. And oh, yeah, okay, maybe Remus understands why Janus suddenly wants to keep Roman because the sight of those eyes welling up with tears is too much.
And he will never tell anyone how weak he is for Roman’s little pouty crying face.
“Shh, shh, Roro,” he tries, fumbling to wipe Roman’s tears away, “you’re not there anymore, you’re here with me, I’ve got you, you’re safe.”
“Remus—“
“Shh, shh, shh—come here—“ he hauls Roman up—carefully!—and wraps his arms tightly around him— “you feel that? You with me? I’ve got you, Roman, you’re alright, now.”
Roman lets out a weak sob and Remus curses, fisting the back of the shirt he’s wearing and letting him cry again.
“I’ve got to go back,” he hears faintly, “I need to—the others—“
“What others,” he asks sharply, “what are you talking about, Roman?”
Roman’s silent. Remus curses again and pulls back to see his face.
“They’re still there?”
Roman’s lower lip wobbles. “You were the only one who made it out, Re, the rest of us…they…they…”
Fuck. Janus isn’t going to like this.
“And I’m sure you took the brunt of everything, didn’t you,” he growls, “stupid overprotective, self-sacrificing idiot.”
Roman just stares at him with fat tears rolling down his face and Remus yanks him back into his hold.
“…sorry.”
“I’m not mad at you, you fucking idiot.”
“…you seem mad.”
“Yeah, at the fucking bastards who did this to you.”
“Oh.”
“You’re a real pain in my ass sometimes,” he sighs, “you know that, right?”
“…I love you too, Remus.”
Fucking Christ on a fucking saltine floating in a fuckpuddle with cranberry fucknuts sprinkled on top.
“Go the fuck to sleep, you asshole.”
Roman does eventually fall asleep, his head pillowed on Remus’s thigh with one hand tangled protectively in his hair. Remus just sits there, watching his brother’s chest go up and down, up and down.
He keeps the security system live on his phone, watching Janus’s car approach the building and pinging him as soon as he’s in the elevator.
“Well,” Janus chuckles as he walks in to see Roman asleep on Remus, “you certainly took the assignment seriously.”
“There are more of them.”
Janus pauses as he sets aside his case. “Excuse me?”
“More of them,” Remus repeats, jerking his head toward Roman, “and my idiot of a brother is convinced he can’t leave them there.”
Janus’s expression flickers. “He’s not planning on sneaking out, is he?”
“I don’t think so, but I don’t think he’s gonna be content with sitting here either.”
It’s Janus’s turn to sigh as he stares at the sleeping Roman. “Oh, little prince, what will we do with you?”
“Change the plan.” Remus doesn’t flinch as Janus’s gaze turns to him. “Come on, you know we can’t just do what we planned if you’re keeping him, and there’s three more of him.”
Not many people know how to watch Janus. He’s far too clever for that, far too prepared as soon as he steps foot outside of his lair. But Remus, Remus knows how to watch him and he can see the rising tide of terrible fury that threatens to overtake the room.
But then Janus reaches out and smooths Roman’s hair away from his face and it settles.
Ah. Well, fuck.
He knows what Janus’s order is going to be before he says it.
“Find out what you can. Report back to me.”
“Aye, aye, boss.”
“And Remus?”
Remus pauses, shifting a pillow under Roman’s head to let him sleep as Janus walks up to him. He reaches up to take hold of Remus’s chin.
“You’re mine,” he says in a low, dangerous voice, “do you understand?”
Oh.
Oh, fuck.
Janus is staking a claim on him too.
“…I understand.”
“Good. Now go.”
-----------------------
The lights in the medical bay are bright. Rows and rows of people in scrubs hustle to and from the room, some pushing trays of equipment, some walking with tablets, a select few wheeling gurneys.
One of the figures turns a corner and heads to an elevator. The doors close on their face and when they open again a floor later, the elevator is empty.
A figure sheds the scrubs and stashes them back in the air vent, crawling through the ducts. Sometimes they have to lower themselves to the floor and they run on silent feet, heart in their throat, until they can climb back up into the vents.
They finally drop down into a dark corridor outside a set of rooms.
“He’s still not back.”
“That’s two full days.”
“He’s—he’s not—you don’t think—“
“He’s Roman,” the figure says, “he’s survived worse in our training fields.”
“You know those are more dangerous than half of the assignments we get, Virgil.”
“Of course I know that, I’ve got the scars to prove it.”
“You think he’s still alive, though?”
Virgil sighs, rubbing his forehead. “I don’t know, Patton. I don’t know.”
Patton glances at the other person in the corner. Their fingers tap anxiously on a notebook. “Logan? What do you think? Have you…”
Logan shakes his head. “I haven’t heard anything. His tracker went cold and I don’t know…I can’t be sure.”
“Whether it’s dead cold or cut out cold?”
Patton winces.
“Sorry, Pat.”
Patton waves him off. “I just…it won’t matter. You know it won’t.”
“What, because The Prince isn’t back yet and the city’s gonna mourn him like no other?”
“No…”
The three of them huddle a little closer together.
“…yeah, I know. Me too.”
“We don’t know anything,” Logan reminds them, “we can’t give anything away because there’s nothing to give away.”
“I just want him back.”
“We all do.”
A cold voice suddenly sounds from the intercom.
“Assignment. Level 2, landing bay 19, 20 minutes.”
Virgil sighs. “Well, let’s not keep them waiting.”
The assignment is brief. There’s a rumor of activity at one of the warehouses downtown. Now that the Howlies leader’s turned up dead, a few of the other crime rings have started to make bids for the remaining territory. They’re supposed to go and investigate, clean up whatever’s there, and report back.
“Why are they sending all three of us,” Patton mumbles as they move out, “normally they just send one?”
“They might be being cautious,” Logan whispers back, “since…you know.”
“You two, shush.”
They shush, waiting until they get to the vehicle and climbing inside.
“This is Craft 7, requesting exit.”
“You’re clear to go.”
The ride isn’t long, only about ten minutes. They leave the vehicle a few blocks away and make the rest of the journey on foot.
“It looks empty, save for a few crates on the fourth floor.”
“On my way up. No other cars parked here. You got a heat sig?”
“Nothing yet. Oh, wait—“ Logan squints at the display— “just one. Fifth floor, southwest corner.”
“’S it just me, or does this smell like a trap?”
“I’m not sure what a trap smells like, Virgil.”
“Oh, for the love of—just be on the lookout.”
“That is my job.”
Virgil swings carefully into the warehouse and lands on silent feet. He sticks close to the walls, activating the scanners so Logan can see what he’s seeing. Patton’s on the other side, doing the same, and occasionally he catches sight of him through the goggles.
“Signal’s getting choppy,” he hears Patton murmur, “you’re gonna have to move in.”
“Copy that.”
“Yeah, this is definitely a trap,” Virgil mutters as he tracks Logan’s location to the roof.
“Target still hasn’t moved from the fifth floor.”
“Making my way down.”
“Mirroring.”
The two of them land on the fourth floor and immediately their signals die. They hear a muffled curse from Logan as he descends to get closer to them. The trap is closing in on them, a bubble to keep them isolated.
“I got eyes on the figure.”
“Me too.”
“ID?”
“Nothing yet.”
“You know I can hear you assholes, right?”
That voice…they know that voice.
At least, a much younger version of it.
Patton steps out first. “…Remus?”
Remus waves. “Long time no see, Popping Corn.”
“What the fuck,” Virgil spits, “are you doing?”
“Well, it’s nice to see you too, Emo.”
“How are you still alive?”
“I’m a cockroach, remember?” Remus grins and yes, that’s—that’s definitely Remus. “Impossible to squish.”
Logan finally appears on the floor and quickly takes his comm out. “They’ll know you’re here.”
“Only if you tell them.”
“They can see things through us, you’ll—“
“Oh, please,” Remus rolls his eyes, “I’ve spent nineteen years dodging those motherfuckers, I know what I’m doing.”
That gives them pause.
“…you’ve been here,” Logan says slowly, “in this city, for nineteen years and they never found you?”
Remus smacks his lips together. “Yup.”
Patton edges a little closer. “…how?”
“I found a good place to hide.”
Virgil glances around. No one else makes any move to get closer but he and Patton pluck out their comms too. “Who helped you?”
“I think you know, Squirmy.”
Virgil’s eyes widen. “You work for the Serpent.”
“Got it in one!”
“Wait, but that means—“
“You’ve been working directly—“
“How have they not found you?”
“You have Roman.”
Logan’s statement rings in the empty warehouse. He takes a step closer.
“You show up after all these years now, after Roman has gone missing, and you reveal that the reason you’ve been able to stay hidden is because of your ties with the Serpent.”
“You always were the smart one.”
“Is he safe?”
Remus shrugs at Patton’s question. “As safe as he can be.”
Patton narrows his eyes. “Is he safer than he would be if he came back?”
Remus’s figure stiffens. Some of the facades slip away and he looks at them with a serious expression.
“Undoubtedly.”
The three of them exchange glances.
“If you’re about to think about asking for him back,” Remus says, “don’t.”
“Will he be safe,” Patton blurts out, “if he stays where he is?”
“…if he stays, yes.” Remus looks at all of them. “But I don’t know if he will.”
“Why not?”
“You know Roman, why do you think?”
Virgil curses. “He’s gonna try and come back for us.”
“He can’t,” Patton says, “they’ll—they’ll—“
“Which is why,” Remus interrupts, “I’m offering you a choice.”
Logan takes a deep breath. “If we help you, you’ll keep him safe?”
“No.”
One lone figure takes a step toward three.
“If you help us, we can keep all of you safe.”
A bubble, in the middle of a city, with four people inside. Time slows. Reality holds its breath.
A silhouette of a figure reaching up and snapping something off of his armor. The slow scrape as it slides across the floor. The weight of an agreement as another figure picks it up.
“It’s good to see you again, Remus,” Logan calls before they leave.
Remus pauses for the briefest of seconds before he nods and vanishes into the shadows.
-----------------------
Janus pauses as he walks through the door, a fond smile tugging at his face as he sees Roman on his side. At some point, hopefully, the little prince will be alright with not pretending to be asleep.
Then the door closes audibly and Roman flips around faster than Janus can blink, the tease freezing on the tip of his tongue. Roman’s eyes are wide, his breathing frantic.
“Where’s—where did Remus go?”
“He’s out, little prince,” Janus says softly, “he left while you were sleeping.”
He frowns when he sees how worried Roman is, clutching at the sheets, and lets out a soft noise, coming to sit on the edge of the bed and take Roman’s face in his hands.
“Look at me, little prince,” he calls, and swipes his thumb across his cheek, “Remus is fine. He checked in a few minutes ago. He’s alright.”
Roman’s eyes search his face and he nods slowly. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, little prince, you’ve done nothing wrong.” And it’s so easy to tuck Roman’s hair behind his ears, a fond smile coming to his face as he watches Roman shudder under the gentle attention. “Did you sleep well?”
Roman nods after a moment, but then he keeps nodding and it quickly becomes nudging Janus’s hands lightly and Janus chuckles.
“You poor thing,” he murmurs, “you must be so cold.”
Suddenly Roman jerks and he stills.
“What’s the matter, little prince?”
“Nothing,” but the tips of his ears are turning red and he won’t meet Janus’s eyes.
“Little prince…”
“It’s nothing,” Roman insists, “really.”
Janus just waits. Roman ducks his head and oh, the little prince has such an adorable little blush. He mumbles something Janus can’t hear.
“A little louder?”
“It tickled,” Roman mumbles, “see? Nothing.”
Oh, this sweet little prince…
“Did it, now?”
“Ye—wait, wait,” Roman says quickly, scooting away as Janus reaches for him, “don’t!”
“Don’t what, little prince?”
“Don’t,” he says again, but frantic giggles are starting to bubble out of his throat, how sweet, “don’t, don’t—“
“Don’t what, little prince,” he teases, still reaching for him, “I don’t know what you don’t want me to do if you don’t tell me.”
“Don’t ti—ah!”
Janus lunges forward and catches the little prince in his arms, heart in his throat as Roman gasps in pain. He looks down to see red blooming on the front of the shirt.
“Oh, sweetie…”
“I’m sorry,” Roman gasps, “I—I—“
“Shh, shh, sweetie,” Janus soothes, gentling him back to the bed, “lie still. You’ve popped your stitches, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry—“
He pauses as he pulls away from the bed, going to retrieve the first aid kit, when Roman looks up at him, panicked.
“I’m not angry, little prince,” he murmurs, leaning down to caress Roman’s cheek, “I just need the first aid kit to stitch you back up.”
“I didn’t mean to—“
“I know you didn’t, sweetie, but I need you to lie still. Can you do that for me?” He presses a hand to Roman’s chest to lie him back down on the bed. “Just like that…right there. Good, little prince, now stay put.”
He doesn’t imagine the shudder that goes through the little prince as he lies there, so he quickly fetches the first aid kit and comes back, pulling on a pair of plastic gloves and carefully undoing the shirt.
“It’s only a little bit,” he says as he opens the kit, “this won’t take long. Just be still for me, would you?”
Roman nods.
“Good.”
He carefully pulls the popped ones loose, setting them aside to be dealt with in a moment, and prepares the new ones. True to his word, Roman lies there as still as he can. His breath hitches once when Janus starts and he lets it out slowly.
“Good, little prince.”
He sees Roman’s cheeks flush out of the corner of his eye and hides a smile.
Focus.
He finishes stitching the little prince back up and clears everything to the nightstand, pulling off his gloves and resting his bare hand next to the wound. Roman’s breath hitches again, but this time he can’t seem to let it out. Janus raises his eyebrows and pointedly takes a long, slow breath.
Roman lets it out with him and he smiles fondly.
“Good.” He tilts his head when Roman’s face keeps burning. He raises his hand and runs a finger down each cheek. “What’s all this for?”
Roman tries to glare at him but it comes out like a pout.
“Use your words, little prince,” he says softly, “what’s the matter?”
Roman looks away from him and swallows heavily. “…’s new.”
“What is?” When Roman doesn’t answer, the snake coils. “…being praised, little prince, is that it?”
When the little prince nods, the snake coils tighter around him, holding him safely on the bed. Never again, it hisses, never again will you doubt that you are worth something.
“I’ll say it as often as you need to hear it,” he murmurs, “until you believe it too.”
“B-believe what?”
“That you’re good.” Oh, Roman shudders on the bed and this poor thing… “You are, sweetie."
Roman blinks up at him, cheeks still flushed, but eyes shining. Janus smiles at him and ruffles his hair.
“Why did you look so scared,” he asks softly, “when I came in?”
Roman’s face falls. “When I woke up, no one was here, and I thought…I…”
“…did you think we’d left you, little prince?” When Roman nods, Janus lets out a soft noise and leans down to kiss his forehead. “No, little prince, we won’t leave you. You’re staying here, where I can look after you.”
“…I can stay?”
“Yes, sweetie, you can stay.”
After a moment, Roman’s fingers curl shyly into the folds of Janus’s coat and he smiles.
“Is this your way of asking me to stay, little prince?” Roman nods. “I’ll stay, don’t you worry. Do you think you can sleep?”
“I’ve slept a lot.”
“You’re allowed to sleep, you’ve been through a lot.” The snake nestles the little prince in its coils. “And I can see your eyes closing, sweetie, go on.”
“…will you be here when I wake up?”
“Yes, little prince, I will.”
-----------------------
“I found it.”
“Location confirmed?”
“Names en route.”
A slow cut of a dark smile across a face full of teeth.
“Let’s make it hurt.”
“Aye, aye, boss.”
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#dragonbabbles#fic#sanders sides#roman sanders#roman angst#roman sanders angst#janus sanders#deceit sanders#sympathetic deceit#remus sanders#sympathetic remus#patton sanders#virgil sanders#logan sanders
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ayo, m' the dude who req'ed for the pop culture one and honestly i LOVED IT aaaa solid 10/10 would become a soft jelly thing again. also if you dont mind another idea, but how about one where the reader doesnt react when am tortures them, so he takes it as a challenge, but when he does he feels guilty because its not fun when Y/N actually reacts. ty tho for the first one i am geeking over it rn aaaaaa
((This one gets a tad dark.))
---
"So, the bugs, the filth, the electrocution, and you've come out with nary a flinch." AM regarded his most difficult prisoner with annoyance and intrigue.
You had an odd relationship with your captor (not that anyone had a normal relationship with him). You had known for a long time that you were his favorite human. He liked your candor, your empathy--and your resilience. You bounced back from his tortures with a superhuman ease. Sure you yelped somewhat and gritted your teeth, but you somehow managed to power through maelstroms and blizzards alike. It had become a game between you and the computer to break you, and you wouldn't admit you dreaded what he was thinking up.
To keep the challenge going, AM had foregone delving into your mind to find the secret behind your stoicism. Little did he know, it was him, in a way. As long as you were able to focus on his steel walls or circuit boards, you could remind yourself that every torment would end. It was just an immature computer throwing a tantrum and he'd grow bored with it soon enough.
"Still kicking after a hurricane?" Barbed wires manifested and bound your arms and legs. "I truly have to respect that. But alas, the show must go on."
You studied a control panel mounted high on the wall as the barbs ripped into you. It was almost...invigorating. You laughed, a tired and moderately insane laugh as you zeroed in on buttons and switches. You briefly saw the ends of two needles flying straight for your face--
A sick puncturing sound, and hot blood spilled out of your eyes. You shrieked into the darkness.
"Ha, gotcha, didn't I?" His cackling filled your ears. He released you from the wire and removed the needles, allowing you to crumple on the floor. "Can't believe I didn't think of this before."
You couldn't breathe. You dug your shredded nails into dusty metal, grabbing for something to focus on again. You clutched at your blind face, gasping.
Well, AM had never seen you like this.
"Aw, come now, don't be a sore loser. Here, as a consolation prize--"
Light entered your eyes again as your wounds closed with a strange tickle. But even though he had granted you your sight again, you hardly seemed to pay attention as your wails echoed in the cavern.
AM could not explain why it made him uneasy, hearing a human cry in terror. Certainly, this one was his very favorite and the only one to offer any sort of camaraderie to him (actually wanting to play a game with him, and such a grisly one at that), but they were still just a human.
"Enough. I'm being very patient in letting you have your pity party. Now be quiet." He considered removing your mouth, but you would only feel worse then, and by extension he would as well.
It was only when your sobs died down a while later that he realized begrudgingly that you had in some way bested him.
You nearly tripped on the meal of one single uncooked potato that awaited you, branded with the word "Winner" in a comical font. Not much, but much more than another human could hope for.
You murmured "Thank you" as you ate it, and AM's nerves came to a rest.
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Gruvia Week 2021 Day 3 - Discovery
Author’s note: This emotional roller coaster turned out longer than I intended. Hope you enjoy ^^
Summary: It take place several hours after Alodron’s defeat, on the way of Drameel.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Group had stoped over in a small yard inside the forest before continuing their path to Drameel. It was the excuse they gave the army. They were campers which had been attacked by some wild animal on thir campsite. They would head to Drameel right after dressed their wounds. Aldron was just a town’s name they knew. To their surprise, army really bought that.
It was really small yard, just enough to lit a campfire. So everybody was spread around the forest. Less injuried members were gettering up wood and food to prepare dinner while Wendy was running around, healing big injuries with last drop of her magic.
Everybody was tired, injured and confused yet happy. Small victory smiles were visible on every face. Joyful whispers were rising from everywhere. Fairy tail was safe and together again.
Gray leaned on a tree which wasn’t too far away from campsite but private from other sights. He closed his eyes with a big sigh while Juvia went to get health supplies. The nauseous feeling had been crippling inside him since the event with Metro kept getting stronger and he was at his limit at this point. His head was aching, there was a still fresh wound end of the dried blood track, his left shoulder was at least dislocated and without adrenaline rush, he was feeling like fainting.
He opened his eyes with two different footsteps coming to his way. Juvia was carrying dressing matterials while Wendy was carrying a bowl of water. Both of their faces was twisted in worry. Was he looking bad as he felt?
“Gray-san what’s wrong, where did you get hurt ?” Wendy asked in rush. “Just my arm and head, not big deal” he said with a ressuring smile but nobody bought that.
Juvia was sitting in the corner, giving Wendy enough space to do her stuff. It wasn’t easy tho. He looked like a mess. She’d been aware that his condition was getting worse every passing minute as they walk but he wasn’t looking half as bad before she left, had he’s been faking it not to worry her? Her heart twitched with another wave of affection.
Wendy checked his head first and gasped a little. It was worse then she initially thought. “Do you feel dizzy or like vomiting Gray-san?” she asked. He gave a small nod then hissed in pain. That hurted, he thought.
“You’re probably having a concussion, I will heal it right away. You should still rest tho.” she said while using her magic. With that ice mage started to feel alive again. “Shit, I’m feeling awesome Wendy, you are amazing!!”
She mumbled something like thank you with one of her cute blushes on and tend towards his left shoulder, fixed it instantly too. This time Juvia talked “ We are so luck to have you Wendy-san~” she said with a bright smile. The gloom had been radiated from her was long gone. “I’m glad I can help my friends. Juvia-san what about you, Did you get hurt too?”
“No, just some scratches, Juvia is okey.”she said while giving an impish look to Gray. Which led him to blush and turn his head. Wendy didn’t know what was that about but she had a guess. “Is that so, than I’m heading to Erza-san. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need.” And left while ice and water mages were waving goodbye, warning her for not to overuse her magic.
Idiot,idiot,idiot he repeated himself as Wendy’s footsteps faded. She’s my power to live?? What will you do next time, kiss her in the battlefield? You extra little-
His inner scrolling cut short by a wet cloth. Juvia was cleaning his face. “Dressing time” she said, trying so hard not to grin like a cheshire cat. She knew it would scare him if she teased him about it longer than she already did. But remaining calm was hard when all she heard was her beloved’s voice echoing in her head. Juvia was his power to live!!
With that she bit her lower lip in an unsuccessful attempt to stop a smile from forming. Gray rolled his eyes to that but relaxed a bit. Her dramatic reactions were so familiar... Yeah, he had practically confessed but it wasn’t something new. Things wouldn’t changed between them. With that realisation he even smiled when she covered her mouth to muff her slipped out giggles.
“Oh,shut up” he said while rolling his eyes once again. But this time he was chukling too. “Juvia’s mouth is sealed.” She said while switching to his arm, cleaning the area with a bright smile. She had almost finished bandaging his right arm when he stopped her. “Wendy healed me, I should have done dressing to you first.” “Not until Juvia finishes mummifing Gray-sama” she said, pushed him back and continued her job. “Hah, I knew it, you had come out of nowhere to kill me. White mage was just an excuse, wasn’t it?” He said playfully. So he was comfortable enough to joke around again? He usually needed more time for his awkwardness to fade off. Progress, she mentally noted.
“Of course it was.” She put her best yandere impression on: “ She missed her Gray-sama too much while he was away, she come here to make sure he won’t leave her ever again!” Than laughed grisly.
“Okey, that was terrifying. You are terrifying Juvia” he played along. “Oh and you should be terrified, Juvia is dead serious, see?” she said, started wrapping his abdomen faster while touching that soft spot she knew Gray was ticklish more than she had to.
His response was immediate. “Stop, no, Juvia sto-“ his words cut off with a laughter. His eyes began to fill with the effort not to burst out. He was crawling in different shapes to save himself but Juvia was merciless. She cornered him between her body, large tree that he was initially leaning on and ground he was currently laying. And tickled him more aggressively as she finished bandaging his wounds. “I have a reputation damn it, stop.” he said between laughters and hold her wrists together in a, successful this time, attempt to stop her. But instead of trying to tickle him more or accepting her defeat, she hissed in pain.
He got up fast, questioning what was wrong while rolling up her sleeves. When he saw weird, bruis like wounds covering her whole arm, he yelped.
“Juvia!! Why didn’t you say anything?” Juvia was looking pretty surprised too. “Where Juvia had been pinned inside Metro was stinging a bit but she didn’t think it was something important...” Her voice kept getting lower once she saw his angry expression. “Your whole arm and-“ he checked under his long boots “ leg are covered in red bruises and you didn’t think it was important!?” Juvia opened her mouth but Gray was just started. “You never take care of yourself. Can’t I even trust you when you say I’m fine?” He started to unbuttoning her coat aggressively since bruises were going beyond her upper arms. He’s stripping me, she mentally noted and placed it aside for later. It wasn’t the right time, he was really angry.
“And you bandaged me with those arms! Always depriving yourself, UGH” She opened her mouth once again when he paused his silent yelling to search right ointment in first-ait bag. But before she could found an excuse, moment passed. He continued scrolling her while angrily rubbing oinment on her left arm.
“What should I do, do I need to strip you every time after a mission to make sure you are okey-“ he paused once again when his eyes slightly crossed over the scar on her abdomen, the one he couldn’t stand seeing. Oh-uh Juvia thought, knowing this would make him grumpier. And she was right, his grip tightened on her wrist. Continued his speech angrier which was about how reckless she was, how she was not listening her physical needs, how she should get her priorities right...
And at that moment, it hit her... She knew her feelings were not as unrequited as it was before. She had known it before that sweet words from several hours ago, she’s my power to live. She had known it before he had claimed her body by saying it’s his. She had known it before unpleasant encounter with Invel. She even had known it before he had promised an answer to her on starry night.
But at that exact moment, while he was grumbling about how reckless she was and angrily wrapping bandage above her elbow; she realised he may care her more than she dared to assume. And at that exact moment she felt loved, more loved than she felt her entire life.
He stopped when he saw her eyes were shining with tears. His expression softened with guilt. Lightened his grip. “I’m sorry. Did i hurt you?” She shooke her head and hugged him carefully, trying not to ruin his effort by rubbing ointment off.
“Juvia will take care of herself more from now on, she won’t act reckless, promise.” She said with a touched voice. It was obvious she was crying. “Hey, hey what’s wrong?” Gray tried to push her, to saw her face but she tightened her arms and buried her face deeper in his neck. “Nothing, really. Can we stay like this for a while please.” she said. Gray was about to object when he felt her tears in his neck, followed by a smile. That was a genuine smile. Gray had never been good at reading people’s emotions but Juvia was different. He would understand if she faked it.
So he mumbled “What is this for all of a sudden?” but still wrapped his arms around her waist, rested his blushed cheek on her hair. They were out of sight anyway.
They stayed in that position until Mirajane declared it was dinner time.
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you got any rare kliego fic recs? i’ve probably read the first five pages of most kudos’d results but i know there are a ton that slip thru the cracks
ok, i'm sorry for replying so late, nonny, but i guess looking at the list you'll understand why ❤
i'll be honest with you once i've gotten into kliego i read through their entire tag of ao3 [at least those fics where i was ok with the tags and summary felt intriguing] so now i literally went through it again and picked those of the fics the names of which i remembered, and there's A LOT 😀 some of those are really popular, some not at all, but i remember loving those ❤
at first i thought i would tell you a bit about every fic on the list, but it would take me forever, so i will just give you titles/links, authors and summaries, hope it's fine ❤ look out for the tags tho, to know if you’re fine with everything! and some of those are benkliego ❤
i'm sure i forgot or missed something, but i did my best, trust me ❤
so without further ado i present to you:
bee's big kliego rec list (in no particular order)
till you can breathe on your own by iwishii
Diego has never been more frightened than he is now, trying to help his brother reach the surface in time.
❤ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ❤
practice makes perfect by iwishii
Klaus doesn't want to show up to parties totally inexperienced and virginal, so he asks Diego to help him get some practice in.
❤ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ❤
master of my domain by achilleees
“You’re asking five 13-year-old boys not to jerk off for – it can’t be done,” Luther says. “Now that we’re older, it would be different, but back then –”
“Excuse me, I could do it,” Five says. “I could certainly outlast all of you.”
They all look at each other.
“Oh, no,” says Allison.
❤ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ❤
the year that wasn't by achilleees
Diego turned to Five. “I’ve already, uh, lived today. This has already happened.”
Everyone went still.
“Ooh, that’s a mind-fuck,” said Klaus.
❤ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ❤
The Weight of Himself by sarkywoman
If he could, Diego would unfurl his middle finger.
For the 'can only move the eyes' square at badthingshappenbingo. Reginald's experiments have devastating consequences on Diego, but both he and Klaus refuse to let that be the end.
❤ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ❤
Laid Bare by MilenaDaniels
“So,” Five continued matter-of-factly, “you’re in a cramped, human sized box, in a graveyard where you can’t see light or hear sounds. What are the odds that you’re above ground?”
Diego blinked. He thought he’d been smelling the iron of his blood pooling and drying under his head but it was humid in here, and musty.
“Fuck,” Diego said.
Diego and Klaus are buried alive together.
❤ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ❤
Flies in the Kitchen by yourfearlessleader
Klaus is sixteen and love is a rot.
❤ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ❤
Before, During, and After by yourfearlessleader
Before the apocalypse, life was making the best of a bad situation, and Klaus found that he grew up to be very good at it.
During is, for lack of a better word, hard.
After they try to kill Vanya, after the apocalypse, after they jump through time to avoid it, after they survive and make up and a million and one other things, here they are.
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break it like you're breaking a code by findyourfortunefalling
"Are you planning to sit in a chair like a person today, or are we all eating our breakfast off of you this morning?"
"Kinky," Klaus purrs, but he rolls off the table anyway, and piles himself into a seat near the head of the table. Diego puts the plate of pancakes in front of him; he's put blueberries in them today. "Thank you, chef."
"Eat," says Diego. "Quietly."
Instead of replying, Klaus picks up a pancake with his fingers, stuffs the entire thing into his mouth at once, and chews noisily.
Diego sighs, and goes back to the stove. "Man, I remember a time when you were house trained."
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two boys emerging from shadowed hallways by spikeymarshmallows
After Ben dies, Diego drags a broken Klaus out of the Academy. They're both determined to never return, to find their own way out in the world.
Things are not as easy as they would like.
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the things i can't say by spikeymarshmallows
"Diego, wait!" Klaus shouted, clutching Diego's arm.
"You look like Antonio Banderas with long hair," he choked.
*
Five times Klaus doesn't say 'I love you'.
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Into the Night by spikeymarshmallows
"Hey," Klaus whispered, "hey, Diego, wake up."
Diego grumbled, dragging his blanket higher up his body before settling again.
"Hey." Klaus tried again, voice a little louder. "Hey, wake up." He poked at Diego's arm insistently.
*
The Hargreeves siblings go on late night adventure to get doughnuts
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all tangled close by spikeymarshmallows
They were all going to have to deal with the pheromones for however long Klaus' first heat lasted.
Diego was, in a word, screwed.
*
Five times Diego and Klaus have heat sex; and one time they don't.
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the kliego genderswap/sexswap by spikeymarshmallows
The name speaks for itself.
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The Fools' Journey by sweetstuff
After his release from prison on a manslaughter charge, Diego tries to leave behind the life he adapted to survive on the inside. He finds himself drawn to a beautiful and peculiar sex worker named Klaus in a local bar, and when danger strikes Diego makes a decision that will have them both running for their lives.
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and death i think is no parenthesis by laiqualaurelote
“You guys seem really chill about all this,” observed Ben. “By this point most people are running around screaming.”
“Occupational hazard,” said Klaus.
“I’ve lost a lot of blood,” said Diego. “I’m just accepting everything at face value right now.”
Allison is the best damn realtor in the business, and she is going to sell the Hargreeves Mansion if it kills her. Never mind that it’s packed to the rafters with the ghastly relics of grisly murders, or that there’s a vampire in the basement who looks like a 13-year-old, or that the medium she hired to exorcise its inhabitants keeps flirting with some of them, i.e. the one with the knives and the one with the tentacles. Or that if they all spend enough time together, they just might cause the apocalypse.
NotSiblings!AU that is basically The Umbrella Academy as American Horror Story: Murder House, though you need not have seen any AHS to read this.
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i got troubles (they won't let me be) by antipathy
“I don’t understand why you’re hung up on this.” Five didn’t bother to mask his scowl. “Let me spell it out for you: either you two fuck, or we all die.”
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Eye Of The Storm by shadowhive
Diego decides to surprises Klaus by taking them on a weekend trip, but it doesn’t go as planned.
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Mine, All Mine by Electra_XT
“No!” Klaus said. “Move the other way.”
“What are you trying to get a good look at, exactly?” Diego said.
Klaus blinked at him. His eyes were wide and kohl-rimmed, as fetching and alluring as the rest of him. “Why, your ass,” he said. “That thing is fine.”
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On Sight by Electra_XT
“Oh,” Klaus said, stopping in his tracks with his hand on the mouse.
Ben leaned over his shoulder. “‘Cute Latino camboy gives a show’?”
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Practice Makes Perfect Sense by punk_rock_yuppie
“Practice… kissing?” Diego asks.
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Aftershocks by punk_rock_yuppie
Saving the world is hard work, is Klaus’ last thought before succumbing to the heat of the puppy pile he and his other siblings have formed.
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Passenger by Cunninglinguist
“And you’re sure that’s okay?”
“I mean, yeah. It’s fine with me. All we have to do is ask Diego.”
“And you think he’ll be...cool with it?”
“Dunno.” Klaus shrugs and stirs his smoothie with his straw. “But I’m on board with it, and he usually gets on board with whatever I’m on board with, so. I’d say it’s at least worth an ask.”
Klaus feels Ben’s eyes burning into him as he sips his beverage. Sure, the idea of Ben possessing him had initially been about as appealing as a coffee enema, and the first few times in practice had been more than slightly traumatizing. But once they’d established ground rules and worked to get more in tune with one another, Klaus had come to find the experience to be...interesting. It could be pleasant, almost zen—there is no sensation in the world quite like being a passenger in one's own body. And to be privy to both his own sensations as well as Ben’s? Well, that’s something else entirely.
Which is why the idea of Ben possessing his body during sex both freaks him out and turns him on in equal measure.
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i am a dark and wicked thing by Cunninglinguist
Klaus is staring at Diego with hollow eyes, straw still perched between his lips. No reaction, not even a spark of joy or schadenfreude as he watches Diego disrupt breakfast. Diego shifts. He’s seen corpses before, and were Klaus not sitting close enough to touch, chest rising and falling visibly with his breath, Diego could easily mistake him for one.
Vampire!Klaus AU
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The Diamond Sinners by Cunninglinguist
Another drink and a half later, he’s finally back on the right side of numb. The house lights dim and a new dancer is announced. He’s gazing across the club, eyeing the buffet with semi-tipsy hunger, thinking that it’s probably time to call it a night, when suddenly, his heart stops dead in his chest.
There, onstage, rolling his lithe body sensuously against the pole like he was summoned out of one of Diego’s wet dreams, is Klaus.
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Broken Like Me by Starrstruck_64
“This s-s-stuff will kill you,” he says plucking the cigarette out of Klaus’ fingers, delighting slightly in the fact that he’d only partially stumbled through the sentence.
Klaus smirks and it’s such a far cry from his fun loving brother he had two weeks ago that Diego nearly flinches.
“Ever stop and think that’s the plan,” Klaus says moving to stand and reaching to snag the cigarette back.
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sing it out, hard as you can by plingo_kat
The first time it happens, Klaus doesn’t notice.
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Soft by Dirty_Corza
Sometimes, between the boxing matches and vigilante business, Diego likes to be soft.
Klaus and Ben surprise him by liking the softer side of him, too.
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Wait for it by nishiki
A mission gone wrong, a dream shattered.
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all that i have to lose by UnrememberedSkies
Diego does some good, and Klaus pays the price.
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wasp by Chelseylovesllamas
Diego is scared of bugs, Klaus saves the day.
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Friday at Four by Kliegology
Diego's life takes a nosedive when he's forced out of work and into an art therapy class. He's clinging to his last shred of normality when he meets Klaus, who takes one look at him and threatens to tear it away.
“I think you’ll find you have a lot in common with the other people there,” The Therapist said, watching him shrewdly.
Diego was vividly reminded of the jittery, barefoot man in the pink fluffy cardigan. He snorted. “I don’t think so.”
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I gotta say I live for your Soul Eater content, it keeps the fandom alive. But I have to ask if you could recommend any good fanfics? I’ve read all of your own fanfics as well as your past recommendations but other than those I struggle to find good ones out there.
hiiii thank you very much and omg you read mine too? thank you 😭
for another fic recs... hmmmmm..... let’s see.... I must apologize that these are mostly SoMa tho...
Budding Trees by Kittenintheden (M). Kid sends his top two weapon-meister pairs to Hawaii to deal with a band of pre-kishins and impress the local goddess. this is infantblue’s fault that I ended up crying over this fic and I curse her forever bc this fic is. just. that. good. characterizations, dialogues, build-ups, descriptions, banters, sass, all gold.
Chocolat Blanc by Luer de L’aube (M). Hooking up with a stranger at her childhood friend's wedding hadn't been Maka's plan, nor had she planned on being so hung up on him after that night. It had been just sex after all, even if he had been endearingly awkward and cute and had flirted with her via pastries. Maybe she should have at least asked for his last name as well. The pacing is good, and both of them are adorable. And Soul as a pattisier? yes, please.
For Better or For Worse by ilarual (G). What’s two best friends do when one of them is hard on cash and the other getting nagged to settle down by his rich family? Making a marriage contract, of course.
The Stand-in by ilarual (G). Initially, being a resident pianist in the local dance school didn’t include crushing on his coworker and ended up being her dance partner at an important recital, but who was Soul to protest?
also, you should check ilarual’s other works, they’re so good ✨
It’s What I Do by KeybladeBanditJing (K+). Spirit’s thoughts of his daughter and her weapon. The interaction between Spirit and Soul is very good and endearing in this one. I always love them bonding. Honestly we need more Spirit pov in this economy
The Art of Losing by redphlox (T). Anastasia AU. Simply beautiful. This is also one of the resbangs I caught myself thinking every other time.
Caught Dead by redphlox (T). Holes AU. When Maka Albarn takes the fall for a friend’s crime, she is sentenced to Shibusen Juvenile Detention Center in Death City, Nevada. It’s almost bearable thanks to a frustrating - and cute - camper who helps her dig holes under the hot sun.
tbh Julie is one of those authors that you Just Have To Read All of Their Stuff, so go check her other works as well
there's something at work in my soul by ohmytheon (M). SteinMarie Fullmetal Alchemist AU. Years after serving in the horrors of the Ishval War and seclusion, Stein, a State Alchemist whose alchemy is terrifying and unique, is forced to investigate a series of grisly murders alongside his old roommate and closest friend, Lieutenant-Colonel Marie Mjolnir, and former pal, General Spirit Albarn. one of my first ever SteinMarie fic and honestly still one of my faves.
I once again recommend to check this list of authors and read their works bc fuck yeah they’re all 10000/10
I think that’s it for now? might add more when my brain’s coherent enough wwwww anyway thank you very much for asking 💜💜💜
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s’more things about gregory :)
he works for a “rich hospital” that gets all of the government funding and all of the grisly 3 hate it and regularly try to sabotage it to get the government to stop funding it and fund their hospital instead out of spite
despite this he still has a crush on mitch. love wins ig
he wears his rain boots literally everyWhere and has 5000 different little bows and even more silly sweaters
whenever gregory gets seen as a worm he’s just like “oh yeah this is just my fursuit. don’t worry about it” genius plan it almost always works
he’s best buddies with price if only because they share that supernatural monster aspect and knew each other a bit when price was still alive??? they work at the same hospital. price frequently pushes gregory to do things he usually won’t like getting back at the grisly 3 for messing with their morgue bodies. price is kinda like gregory’s backbone in that sense
he has a soft voice comparable to a children’s preschool show host. which is fitting bc of his occupation. he tends to lose his composure when he’s panicked tho
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Nino’s Quest Chapter 3: Delving Deeper
The party meets up at Alya's house and explores the kobold den. What they find is a little more than they bargained for...
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 (Final)
Enjoy!
Read on Ao3. My ko-fi.
Nino yawned, the lingering effects of staying up all night working on his campaign. Plus a few breaks to get his homework done. He’d been hit by a sudden wave of inspiration and knew where he wanted to go with this campaign. Now that he had the plot mapped out, all he needed to do was keep them meeting consistently. There was room for missed days, but not a lot of it. If everything went according to plan then they would be done just before December.
One step into the classroom and he saw that he wasn’t the first of his friend group to arrive. Adrien and Marinette had beaten him there. To his immense surprise, the two of them were holding a conversation. By themselves. With neither him or Alya to supervise. Naturally, he went back around the corner to watch from afar. He’d done it without thinking and shook his head after he realized it - Alya was getting to him.
“That was a really cool plan you came up with, Marinette!”
“R-really? Oh! Th-thanks, I made it myself!”
Nino winced, but Adrien just laughed. “And you’re hilarious?! I wish we had done this way sooner.”
“Y-yeah! And you, um, you’re pretty too- I mean, pretty cool! You’re just so excited about everything. It’s… it’s really inspiring. Even when you don’t succeed.”
“Oh?” Adrien practically purred. “Did you wish I got better results with my first roll?”
“Wuh- I, um, that’s- well…”
“Don’t worry, I’m just kidding.” Adrien chuckled and Marinette joined him after a sigh of relief.
Nino took that as his opportunity to enter the room nonchalantly. “Hey, dudes. Were you talking about the session? We still on for this Saturday?”
Adrien shared a fistbump with him. “You know it! Hey, did you get today’s science homework done?”
Remembering the rushed work he did last night, he pulled out his scrawled notes. “Uh… sorta. Mind lending some help before class starts, bro?”
----------------------------
“Hey hey, little dudes!” Nino smiled as Etta and Ella ran towards him. “How’s it hangin’?”
After getting caught up with them, he set his backpack full of rulebooks on the living room table and walked into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter as he watched his girlfriend put the finishing touches on dinner.
“Right on time, babe. Tonight’s meal comes straight from my mom’s cookbook. You’d better get ready for a treat to remember.” Alya gave him a peck on the cheek as she passed him on the way to the dishes.
“Your mom’s recipe? And you cooking? That’s gotta be good, no doubt about it.”
“Sweet talk like that will get you everywhere, cappy.”
Nino stepped over to the pot of soup and took a deep breath. It was every bit as delicious smelling as he had hoped. Maybe it wasn’t the ideal food for a D&D session, but he wasn’t about to complain.
“So how long do we have the place to ourselves?” The twins started shouting from their room. “Well, uh, not exactly to ourselves, but, um… you know.”
Alya leaned against the counter and shrugged. “Who knows? Mom and Dad tend to get carried away on their dates, so we’ll at least have a few hours. Maybe they won’t show up until way late. Nora’s out of town, though, so at least there is that.”
“Right on. The less interruptions we have, the better.” He grinned. “And the less people I’ve got to share dinner with.”
“Any clue when the other two are supposed to arrive?”
“Dunno. My boy Adrien said he’d take a bit longer than he’d thought. What about Marinette?” Alya smiled and Nino pinched the bridge of his nose. “Babe… you didn’t.”
There was a knock at the door, which prompted Alya to flash another smirk at Nino before letting them in. Just as he’d suspected, Adrien entered and was followed by Marinette, her cheeks tinged pink by the time they’d spent alone together.
It didn’t take long for them to get settled in - at least, not after they found something to distract the twins with. A few minutes of set up and Nino was right back to where they had been last week.
“The caves are open for exploring. You can bet there are tons more enemies where those first few came from, but you guys haven’t even drawn a weapon yet or taken any hits. What do you do?”
“...What do you mean?” Adrien scrunched his eyebrows together. “We still need to clear out the rest of them. Do we have options besides leaving or fighting?”
“Well, um, I think what he means is we could, ah, scout?” Marinette replied. “My character should be stealthy enough to find out where there are more kobolds. Without running into more traps.”
“Ohhh!” Adrien’s eyes went wide. “Yeah, that might be a smart idea. I’ll give you my signal horn in case you run into trouble.”
“Th-thanks! I hope I won’t need it.”
A brief exploration later lead to other one sided battles as the party ambushed the kobolds in their own den.
“You’ve scoured this level of the cave, but can’t find any more raiders. What you did find was a tunnel leading deeper into the cave system. From what Marinette can tell, it looks like an old mine.”
Alya narrowed her eyes. “No way that was all the kobolds. We’ve only killed like twelve of them, which is still a ways off from the twenty that the villagers were so sure about. Something doesn’t add up, and I bet we’ll find our answers down there.”
“Well, maybe they are just down in the mine? Would that be so strange?” Adrien tapped a finger to his chin. “Or… they could be out on a raid.”
“No way, sunshine. The raids were barely big enough to kill cattle. Half their numbers just for a raid isn’t in their MO. Besides, you heard how Cappy described the entrance to the mine - ‘silent like a tomb.’”
“Actually,” Nino helpfully cut in, “now that you’re closer, you can hear something moving down there. Sounds a little bigger than a kobold though. Not by much, but still.”
The adventurers shared a look.
“I’m not about to leave a job half-finished,” Marinette said as she crossed her arms on the table. “And we’re still in pretty good shape.”
“Where you go, my song shall follow.”
“...Well, I guess someone has to keep you two safe,” Alya said.
“The tunnels wind deeper beneath the ground until you discover a grisly sight - the remaining kobolds, torn to shreds. Bones, nicked by the kobolds’ spears, lay scattered around them.”
Silence reigned over the party.
“Bones?” Marinette spoke first. “Are they carved with patterns or…?”
Nino shook his head. “Nope. It looks like random jabs and cuts from the spears. At least, as far as your untrained eye can tell.”
“Well… now I’m even more worried.” Marinette narrowed her eyes at her character sheet. “Something had to have killed these kobolds.”
“Yeah, girl. We don’t want to leave now, only for the village to get messed with by whatever did this.” Alya idly rolled her eight sided dice.
“So you’ll be pressing on then?” Nino looked between them, getting nods in return. “Sweet. You walk toward the other end of the room… and the bones reassemble into a band of dwarf sized skeletons. Roll for initiative.”
The battle ended up being longer than Nino had originally intended. None of the party members were equipped to deal with a skeletal enemy, excluding his cleric. They may have won the fight, but they were worse off for it. Maybe he should tone down the number of skeletons in the next few rooms.
Before he could make a decision, though, the twins burst from their room. Despite Alya’s best efforts, once released, they couldn’t be contained again. The session had been officially derailed and ended.
--------------------------
The following day, Nino opened discord to see how his party was handling their nearest brush with defeat.
Alya’ll Beware: Sorry it got cut short guys. Sometimes Etta and Ella are too much even for me
:(
Marinoodles: Don’t worry! It was fine, I’m just glad we got them to fall asleep before we started on our sleepover.
Adrien Regreste: It wasn’t any trouble. Although I’m wondering if it usually takes this long to get through a dungeon, or if we just have super bad luck…
Lord DM: Fights always take forever it feels like, and dungeons are packed with them. I was assuming it’d take a few sessions to finish, but yeah, our luck hasn’t been awesome lately. We’re almost done tho.
Alya’ll Beware: Thx guys! Makes me feel a little better
THo maybe we should stick to mari and adrien’s for a while
I get the feeling we’ll just get interrupted again if we go 2 my place
Ya know?
Adrien Regreste: yeah
We should be able to hang out at my place next session
After that is sort of a gamble though
Marinoodles: You’re always welcome at my place!
All of you i mean
Not just adrien
But you definitely are welcome to visit too adrien!
Whenever you want
If you want to
Lord DM: Anyway. This coming session will be at Adrien’s place then. Sound good?
Alya’ll Beware: Yup
Marinoodles: Can’t wait! :D
Adrien Regreste: :3
#Miraculous Ladybug#Nino Lahiffe#Alya Cesaire#DJ Wifi#Adrien Agreste#Marinette Dupain-Cheng#Adrienette#ml fanfiction#my writing#Nino's Quest
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Along the same vein as the other anon what would your fav cryptid or urban myth be? like I love me some mothman and also the different black dog legends that pop up in different places
i was gonna say “i’m british, and we don’t have many cryptids” but apparently we have a bunch, so that’s me put in my place (tho to b fair, none of them are from anywhere near me, so that’s my excuse)
i’m still gonna go with The Beast of Bodmin Moor, though. depending on who you ask, the Beast is anything from an escaped panther that was imported illegally into the uk, to some native big cat species that has for some reason only survived on bodmin moor and has never been discovered, to some kind of seven-foot-long, paranormal entity, shaped like huge, hulking cat, that screams with a voice of a woman and stalks the night looking for livestock to mutilate. either way, there’s tonnes of sightings going back probably thirty-odd years now, and even some photos/videos that purport to show The Beast, or tracks from The Beast, or grisly leftovers from The Beast’s murderous rampages…
i was told about it as a kid (we’re talking like… six or seven here) for some reason and, despite living nowhere near bodmin moor (nor, in fact, having any idea where bodmin moor was; i was pretty sure it was somewhere near stonehenge, or maybe bath) i was fascinated by it. i was in my big cat phase at the time, which helped - i was convinced i would not only one day find the beast of bodmin moor, but that i would tame it and it would come live with me in my house as my best friend/pet. variants on the standard horse girl fantasy get weird, it turns out, when you’re obsessed with big cats instead.
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IwaOi fics ( I )
Site: AO3
Status: Completed (All)
Conquering the Great King by SuggestiveScribe
This is actually my first fic (like ever) which led me down the rabbit hole never to resurface again. Its goood! Classic IwaOi in my opinion. Tho they’re not childhood friends here. But its awesome! Also check out the side stories!
--
Iwaizumi blinked his gaze over to Oikawa, "Last time was supposed to be a one time thing," he said, voice low, lacking some conviction.
Oikawa's lips twitched into a smirk and he brought them hovering just over Iwaizumi's, "One time thing, Two time thing, what's it matter as long as it's not a Relationship thing?
--
Word Count: 105,619
Chapters: 17
Rating: E
--
The Alpha King And I by caelestisxzy
As the title suggests, its A/B/O! Also past lives involved and kinda like Soulmate!AU. Also has side stories or behind the scenes kinda thing.
--
"Appearance wise, Iwaizumi Hajime was eighteen years old. In actuality, he was a little over five-hundred years old. No, he wasn't a vampire. No, he wasn't a vampire/alpha hybrid, or whatever the hell that was. Quite simply, Iwaizumi Hajime was cursed."
--
Word Count: 147,276
Chapter: 17
Rating: E
--
Petrichor by Shaples
Also has a series. This is written in Hajime’s POV and has a side story written in Tooru’s POV called Ichor. The title really drew me in cause it has the word ‘ichor’ in it. Reminds me of PJO. It's a Shifter!AU x Vampire!AU. Also!! The title kinda makes sense after reading it.
--
When Iwaizumi stumbles into a vampire den on the night of the full moon, it seems like his luck has gone from bad to worse. But Oikawa is more than the lurking predator he tries to be, and promises to upend Iwaizumi's lone wolf existence before the sun rises. Iwaizumi POV, companion to Ichor.
--
Word Count: 63,738
Chapters: 3
Rating: E
--
The Loyalty of a Traitor by DeathBelle
OMG THIS FIC REALLY KILLED ME. Yakuza!AU dO I HAVE TO SAY MORE?! Also it really has a dash of mysteryyyy. Also, check out the side stories!
--
Iwaizumi Hajime was an undercover officer with a single objective: Infiltrate the Seijoh Syndicate of the Yakuza and tear them down from the inside out. His primary target was the boss, Oikawa Tooru. The job itself was simple enough, until Iwaizumi got in too deep and absconded not only from the mission, but from the city itself.
Now, two years later, he’s dragged back into Tokyo’s unsavory underworld. A grisly string of murders is plaguing the city, and the culprits are most definitely Yakuza. The problem is discovering which Syndicate is responsible, and Iwaizumi – the leading expert on Yakuza affairs – is the man most suited for the job.
Despite his determination to stay away from Tokyo – and from Oikawa – Iwaizumi finds himself right back in the middle of Seijoh, and it feels a lot more like home than he’d care to admit.
--
Word Count: 76,197
Chapters: 17
Rating: E
--
And All the Prince’s Men by FindingSchmomo
This one is a Royalty!AU with a twist! It’s actually captivating and kinda hnnggg at some point. Consider this one slow burn
--
"Father only loves that which he owns, and I am the one thing that can never truly be his."
In which Iwaizumi Hajime is a young orphan suddenly thrust upon the royal court, and Oikawa is the Prince he's been assigned to. A story of their friendship and love, of their years spent together and apart, of their losses suffered and their wins hard fought.
--
Word Count: 65,365
Chapters: 5
Rating: T
--
Kotov Syndrome by Aetherdrive
This one is actually part of a series, but it can also be considered as a standalone. Cops!AU
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Corruption is brewing in Seijou's police force. Oikawa Tooru, the captain of Special Investigations, is put onto a case where he cannot afford to fail.
But despite his best efforts, not everything goes according to plan.
A standalone fic in the buddycop AU series; reading the others isn't necessary if you'd just like to read this one!
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Word Count: 50,023
Chapters: 9
Rating: M
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the courtship ritual of the hercules beetle by kittebasu (chanyeol)
THIS FIC IS CUTE. PINNING TO THE MAX. Mix in some nerdy awkwardness and BAAM! Also, this is the reason why I bought a Venus Flytrap
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Tooru is pretty sure he could manage the mating habits of a mosquito. It’s the mating habits of people he can’t seem to get right.
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Word Count:66,307
Chapters: 3
Rating: T
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When You Wish Upon a Star by emerald1963
THIS. THIS IS VERY UNEXPECTED PLOT FOR ME BUT AFTER READING IT I WAS LIKE WHY HAVENT I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT?!
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Hajime has no idea how this situation is even possible, but he’s one hundred percent certain that it’s all Oikawa’s fault.
Oikawa blames the aliens.
The Iwaoi body swap fic that this fandom needs, if not the one it deserves.
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Word Count: 31,975
Chapters: 8
Rating: T
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hey hope!! i’ve completely run out of things to watch recently and was wonderinf if you had any recs of movies and tv shows??
HI!
It’s your lucky day because I have found myself in a hole of watching many new things lately that I’ve more or less found enjoyable so hopefully you will too? lol
1. Russian Doll: Nadia, a young woman who is on a journey to be the guest of honor at a party in New York City. But she gets caught in a mysterious loop as she repeatedly attends the same event and dies at the end of the night each time – only to awaken the next day unharmed as if nothing had happened.
(I know I’m late to the party with that one, but it is quite literally one of the best comedy-dramas I’ve seen in a long while, not to mention Natasha Lyonne, the ultimate babe, stars in it. It is, blatantly, obvious that the script was written by women (thank god) and it has a cool, mind-trip twist at the end that’ll have you guessing what actually was happening the entire time. Super easy to binge!! 10/10)
2. Perfume: When a woman is found murdered with scent glands excised from her body, a detective probes a group of friends who attended boarding school with her.
(A German mystery-crime-thriller that is way too convoluted and intertwined to know the real culprit of the grisly yet complex murders until the few minutes of the last episode. It has an incredibly intriguing script with intricate details and dialogue. Pleasantly surprised by how solid the entire storyline and characters were. TW though!! There are scenes of obscene sex, implied rape, domestic abuse, and sexual assault. So be careful if those things trigger you. Watching it in German with English subtitles is the way to go, though. Trust me.)
3. Handsome Devil: Two opposites, a loner and the top athlete become friends at a rugby-obsessed boarding school, and the authorities test their friendship.
(An irish coming-of-age LGBT film that, again, pleasantly surprised me with how well it was executed underneath the guise of an overly cliche storyline. It’s winning, compelling, and quite moving with how it tackles individuality in teens. It’s just a great film that takes tropes and turns them on their head by transforming the characters in their own way. Not to give too much away but the talk one of the boys have with the English professor on the rugby field at night is so, so important as an open dialogue.)
4. Dumplin’: The plus-size, teenage daughter of a former beauty queen signs up for her mum’s pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow in her footsteps, revolutionising the pageant and their small Texas town.
(As you can probably guess this film is an emotionally-impactful conversation about self-acceptance that rides on the back of societal expectations of young women all tied together in a very heart-warming coming-of-age drama. Also there’s loads of Dolly Parton music. What else is there to say)
5. The Lobster: In a dystopian society, single people must find a mate within 45 days or be transformed into an animal of their choice.
(Isn’t a new watch, but I was reminded of it recently. Just an extended Black Mirror episode, pretty much. It’s odd. It’s bizarre. It’s engaging. It’s a lot of things, and they are great.)
6. Shirkers: In 1992 teenager Sandi Tan shoots Singapore’s first road movie with her enigmatic American mentor, Georges, who then absconded with all of the footage. The 16 mm film is recovered 20 years later, sending Tan, who is now a novelist living in Los Angeles, on a personal odyssey in search of Georges’ footprints.
(One of my favorite documentaries I’ve seen in a while, mainly because it doesn’t exactly feel like a documentary. It feels like you’re privvy to the incredibly frustrating, disheartening, and determined story of friendship, women-bound creativity, youth, and dishonesty when it comes to the mystery of where and why Georges disappeared. It’s also empowering in a way to see the transition of these young women reclaiming their lives after such betrayal.)
7. Grace & Frankie: For as long as they can recall, Grace and Frankie have been rivals. Their one-upmanship comes crashing to a halt, however, when they learn that their husbands have fallen in love with each other and want to get married. As everything around the ladies is coming apart, the only thing they can really rely on is each other.
(I’ve been living under a rock, sue me. This show is fanfuckingtastic. Just watch it. Just binge it. Just do it.)
8. Voyeur: Gay Talese investigates Gerald Foos, a Colorado motel owner who spies on his guests. Using a carefully constructed platform in the motel’s attic, Foos documents his guests most private moments, from the mundane to the shocking.
(Just a frustratingly and horrifyingly sad and strange recollection of two men who act as an incredibly interesting character study if nothing else. Recommend)
9. Some Freaks: A charming romance develops between a boy with one eye and an overweight girl, though when she loses her weight after going to college, their relationship is tested in devastating ways they never dreamed would happen.
(….. I still don’t know how I feel about this movie. I’ve watched it twice, once alone and once with a friend, and I’m still conflicted on my lasting thoughts about the film and its message. It’s definitely something I suggest watching, at least, to come to your own conclusions about how it made you feel. It’s just. uncomfortable in the strangest of ways, and I just need more people to converse about it with lmao)
10. The Kindergarten Teacher: A teacher sees such great promise in her 5-year-old student that she goes to unreasonable lengths to protect his talent.
(I watched this film on a whim one day while off from work, and I was pleasantly surprised by its depth and heartbreaking tendencies. This film does not evoke anything but unsettled feelings and yearning for both the young boy and the teacher. Many people tend to gloss over the fact that this film does so much more than its superficial narrative. it opens such a bigger conversation into what absence and neglect of personal creativity and art through someone’s marriage and family can cause them to in-turn have an unhealthy obsession with wanting to keep a child’s love/talent for art alive. Haunting but great film.)
11. Mr. Roosevelt: A struggling LA-based comedian goes home to Austin, Texas, when a family member becomes ill and finds herself in the awkward position of staying with her ex and his amazing new girlfriend.
(Friend found this hidden-gem on Netflix, and it’s such a quirky, comforting, easy-watch that I miss a lot in indie films. It’s progressive and weird in all the right ways, and it leaves you with a cozy feeling inside once the film reaches its end.)
12. Queer Eye Season 3
(You know the drill just more feel-good reality-television makeover that makes all of us a little bit happier about humanity’s ability to be kind)
13. Happy Anniversary: On their three-year anniversary, Molly and Sam are at a crossroads and need to decide whether to move forward or call it quits.
(Another hidden gem found on Netflix that I ended up thoroughly enjoying. It comes across as a real, genuine, non-exaggerated look at the inside of a couple’s relationship. It’s candid, fun, witty in dialogue, and heartwarming towards the end. I’ll admit I got a bit misty eyed at 1 AM lol also the dude who plays jean-ralphio is one of the mains so c’mon.)
14. Class Rank: When her class rank threatens her college plans, an ambitious teen convinces a nerdy peer to run for the school board to abolish the ranking system.
(Listen up, I watched this film because I was under the impression that it was going to be a b-rated teen film I could be amused by, but it ended up being a sorta cute story that I enjoyed a lot more than I probably should’ve RIP. Give it a shot).
15. Cam: A camgirl has her principles, until a mysterious woman who looks just like her takes over her channel.
(Don’t take the general critic review to heart and watch the film, yourself. It’s. a ride. It definitely gave me chills as much as it made me uncomfortable. A thriller with twists and uneasiness at every corner. Just a real creepy look into AI, especially in industries like the camgirl industry. I do want the girl’s play dungeon tho rip)
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Animorphs Notes: 39
Book 39
The infamous buffahuman book
Narrated by Cassie
Which Cassie is it in this book?
Hey Erik
Isn’t this the plot of the first Megamorphs book just with a helmacron ship instead of a living tornado?
I still don’t get why people being controlled are called controllers
Cassie was hiding the cube in the barn
That wasn’t suspiscios Cassie
ANd nice job endangering your mom
Apparenly Cassie’s mom is a bad driver
American buffaloe? You mean bison
Aka the Widow Maker is a badass name or was the sentence supposed to be an african cape buffaloe, aka the widow maker?
Cassie is in a transport with an African Cape Buffaloe
Apparently the gardens has poor animal transportation policies
Which given the fact that people can directly fall intgo the crocodile pit isn’t surprising
Yes, buffaloe is the lest suspiscious morph here. Not like folks would know how many damn buffaloe they loaded into the fucking truck
Cassie looses control of the morph and tramples several people
Cassie is not much in control of this morph
How the fuck is human an unnatural scent to a damn AFRICAN buffalo. Humans are native to fucking Africa
Cassie doesn’t seem to consider that her mother might notice she’s gone or that no one’s gonna find her clothes
The buffalo can morph
What would be interesting is if we got the buffalo’s perspective in all this
That bison is big enough to be used as a host
Cassie finds this morally objectable and very uncanny valley
Hinged bovine jaw? What do bovids have extra mothjoints that i don’t know about?
Cassie is gonna get someone killed. Either leave the buffalo to its fate or end it b/c its knows just enough that the yeerks getting it would be dangerous
Cassie feels personably responsible for this thing existing.
That’s not how morphing works
And just b/c it can turn into a human doesn’t mean its automaticly a person
Cassie decides to demorph and run in the woods from the helicopter as a human
Cassie makes a commentary on helicopter based hunting
Why can’t the cube be taken to the chee’s mysterious undergound base and put somewhere it can’t give off a signal?
Granted that would mean the chee actually do things so I guess that’s why
A mention of the yeerk resistance
I would not weep for the chee
Lying in this situation could get people killed. If you are exhausted say so and pass the fucking torch
A mention to Karen
So did the Animorphs actually directly free anyone other than Karen? Actually they didn’t really free Karen, just changed Aftran’s mind and Aftran and their friends freed Karen
Yeah, the buffalo can identify Cassie good to see someone thought about that
Cassie is arguing the morallity of offing an animal just b/c it can morph human and she feels responsible for it
Her argument against holds no water
Marco, Rachel, and Ax are correct here
Assuming that a helicopter is being piloted by yeerks in horks and/or taxxons, which I doubt that either could fit that well in something made to transport small handfuls of humans
Its nice to see people shooting down a suicide run
Marco is the one that comes up with a plan to work without people dying
The exact same plan used in the first magamorphs books
This is recycling that plot and not even exploring the new angle
More hosts dying grisly unnecessary deaths
I’m surprised these fights don’t cause more wildfires\
Cassie drops the morphing cube to kill a taxxon host instead of warning Tobias
Jake rightfully calls her out for leaving something more important than their individual lives unguarded
The Animorphs are not good at stealth or avoiding fights. Or not everyone fucking screaming and drawing more attention.
Or coming up with plans that dont involve a lot of morphing. I swear they were better at this exact plot in book 7.5
WHy are house flies teh best morph for this situation?
Ahh Cassie finally says what the problem is. SHe doesn’t want to knowingly get even maybe quasi human blood on her hands (disregarding the human hosts she def trampled and gored earlier)
If the yeerks were actually interested in capturing the bandits then they would only use dracon beams on the stun setting and wouldn’t seen in any taxxon hosts
Visser 3 is right about them being dumb fucks for not splitting up
Everyone finally decides to handle the buffaloe
The buffaloe aquired an andalite!
The buffalo is fighting Visser 3 and the yeerks are just sitting back and watching
The buffalo not knowing a single thing that’s going on beat Visser 3
I don’t Care about Cassie’s feelings
I care more about the buffalo than Cassie
Visser 3 continues to be a shit leader
Ya know Cassie, you could hide the buffaloe maybe? Finbish the mission then come back for it
I am more invested in this buffaloe and I would like to know what its thinking
I would like to point out that its not a mutant, its just a buffalo like all yall are just humans/andalites
How’d the fucking ant get there tho? It was left probably miles behind?
That’s not how ants work
Ant tries to kill Cassie
The buffalo rescues Cassie and fights the ant
Cassie has no problem killing the ant
And the buffalo gets blown up by the yeerks
B/c we can’t actually have the Animorphs have to figure out what to do with it
Cassie you’ve litterally done this before
More than once really
And she’s awknoledged that she’s done it b4
Helicopter is taken out by a seagull somehow getting into the intake
Cassie demorphed while unconcious
Ax attempts a joke
More jokes and a happy ending
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