wow guys i cant believe saturn is canon now thats so cool (hes not canon)

it’s so easy

summary: Mikey and you had been secretly dating for over a year, and a lot has changed in both of your lives. The Kraang invasion, the people of New York, it all shook up the status quo. On a rooftop date, you and him spill the tea and reconnect about what's really important.

relationship: Mikey x F!reader

warnings: romantic, fluff, humor, secret dating, slight hurt/comfort, sfw

word count: 3,191

author's note: another request for @/snipersiniora!! 💕 (ngl i listened to the reel big fish cover of “it’s not easy” while writing so this is loosely inspired by it lol)

You don’t know why in all the time you’ve spent in New York, you’ve never been up on a rooftop. The view was amazing. 

There were a couple of reasons as to why. Your hatred of high places, for one. With a strong enough breeze, you could go flying off your roof and become intimately familiar with the pavement below. Sometimes your neighbors would set up lawn chairs and shoot the shit, which was fine enough. You’ve just never been comfortable enough to want to join them. Lastly, it was a little difficult to skate on. The crowded atmosphere and uneven terrain made it the last place you would want to find yourself on a nice evening such as this. 

But, the rooftop of your building had one upside: it was the place you got to see Michelangelo. 

You clicked your heels together as you sat at an empty folding chair leftover from one of your upstairs neighbors. He wouldn’t show up for at least another 30 minutes, but you couldn’t help but jump the gun a bit and wait on the roof anyway. You’ve been keeping yourself busy, drawing random sketches onto your iPad. 

Mikey and you had been friends for a while, but you officially started dating about a year ago. Not much has changed between you two, even after the Kraang invasion. 

He was his same upbeat, eclectic self. But Mikey was also a little more confident. He carried himself differently, with a knowledge and experience you couldn’t even begin to relate to. You were a human, he was basically a superhero. 

You bite at the tip of your drawing pen. Why was it whenever you started thinking about him and his brothers, you got inexplicably frustrated. 

Was it because Raph, Donnie, and Leo still didn’t know you two were dating? 

No, not really. You and Mikey weren’t really concerned with labels. You two were content to continue hanging out like you always had, just with a little extra…intimacy.

Maybe it was the fact that you had to hang out in precarious places such as your rooftop. Why couldn’t you just go to your apartment, or the lair? 

“No, that’s not it.” You grumble to yourself, tapping the pen against your cheek.

“What’s not it?”

Mikey’s head appeared right above yours. He had just landed on the top of the wooden overhang you sat under, hanging like a spider. 

Smiling, you sit up a little more straight to give his snout a peck.

“This…caricature. I just can’t capture his likeness. It’s missing something.”

Mikey blushed, dropping from his perch to sit next to you. “Allow me to offer you my artistic perspective!”

You happily oblige and show him your screen. Thinking about your fellow tenants had made you unintentionally start to draw little doodles that looked like them. You couldn’t help wanting to draw the people you knew. Your weird, human neighbors were quite the characters. Almost a little more weird than the turtles, in your opinion.

“Oh, I know this guy. Is this the one that knocked at your door at 3 AM asking for a DVD?”

Mikey pinched to zoom in on your sketch. You don’t know whether your drawing was that accurate or if he was just great with faces. Either way, you can’t help but smile even more.

“How did you know?” You snuggle closer to Mikey, leaning in. “He insisted that I had borrowed his copy of Cats. And I was like, ‘Dale, I already own it on Blu-ray. Why in the world would I steal your DVD?’”

Mikey fell into your lap in hysterics. “NYAHAHA—! You didn’t!”

You weren’t lying about the interaction having happened, but maybe you embellished the part at the end. You just loved making Mikey laugh. 

“I did!” You beam. 

“Your neighbors are so weird, even for me. And the only neighbors I have are the sewer gators.”

You set your iPad down on the patio, scooching Mikey to lie fully in your lap. 

“Her name is Leatherhead and she’s lovely. I met her family once, on the way to the lair.”

Ignoring your sly tone, Mikey curled up into you like a lap cat. He was practically purring from how happy he was to finally be in your arms. It’s only been a couple of days since he’s had the opportunity to see you like this, and he was absolutely touch-starved.

“I missed you,” he sighs. “Patrol has been intense lately.”

His tired smile told you that he’d rather not get into it right now. You hum, petting the side of his head.

“I missed you too.”

Talking about his brothers wasn’t necessarily a taboo topic, but right now was the time for Mikey to relax, to unwind. You had plenty of stress in your own life too. Maybe it wasn’t as important as keeping the city safe, but it was tiresome to you nonetheless. 

You both just wanted to forget about everything else, just be together. That was what these rooftop hangouts were for. And if that was good enough for Mikey, it was good enough for you.

But your smile faltered, if only for a moment. 

Mikey’s eyes were closed as he continued to relish your head pets, unaware of your subtle shift in mood.

“Tell me more about your neighbors.” Turning his head, he speaks softly into your hand. “I love hearing about the people you live with. They’re interesting.”

“Well, this town is kinda ‘interesting people’ central.” You shrug.

“Yeah, I know. Are humans in other places like the ones here?”

Dragging your fingers along his textured skin, you think about it. You hadn’t really gotten around much, but you figured that NYC was a little unique compared to other major cities.

Your lips ease back into a lazy smile. 

“Sort of. This place is sort of a big Melting Pot, y’know? It doesn’t really matter where you come from, everyone ends up wherever they are…for whatever reason.”

Mikey looks up at your face, his expression dripping with curiosity.

“What’s that mean?” He smirks.

“It means that people are weird. This place has a lot of people. Therefore, New York is just about the weirdest place there is!”

You two laugh, basking in each other's presence. After looking down at Mikey, you feel a little more normal. Work, life, all of that didn’t really matter anymore. Or at least, it shouldn’t. 

“My neighbor’s aren’t all that interesting, Mikey. They’re just your run-of-the-mill folks, day drinking and sitting on the stoop.”

“Woah…” He gasps, sitting up. “Day drinking?”

Internally, you chide yourself. “I wasn’t supposed to say that.”

“Don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me!” He smiles, zipping his lips shut.

“I shouldn’t gossip…”

You roll your eyes a bit before they land on Mike. His eager, expectant expression was just too cute. Who could say no to a face like that?

Suddenly, you’re filled with bubbly energy.

“Okay, okay! Liz told me that Bill said that Debbie’s grandma was apparently—“

You whip your head around, making sure the coast is clear. You never knew who might be listening in, your neighbors were terribly nosy.

“She snuck Hennessy into the apartment meeting. Last Sunday, when we got together with the building manager, they had coffee and stuff…”

Mikey quickly scrambles over to grab a free chair before sitting directly in front of you. Enraptured, he places his head on his hands. 

“And she added a little extra somethin’ into her mug? How scandalous!” He wiggles his eye ridge, fully getting into the story. 

You launch forward and gesture wildly with your hands. “No, that’s the thing! She put the booze…in the coffee pot.”

Mikey’s smile dropped. 

“You don’t mean—“

Grimly, you nod your head.

“I mean a whole room of people, shnackered at 10 AM. On God’s day.” You chortle. 

He covers his mouth in genuine shock. You chuckle, looking at his wide-eyed expression.

“And I know that Liz was the one who ratted her out, the bitch. She of all people would know what Hennessy tastes like, I saw her drink 5 whole cups with my own eyes!” 

Mikey moves his hands away, his voice hushed. “She sounds like a bitch.”

You kick your legs up and recline farther in your chair. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Liz was your next door neighbor. She always had a knack for being right outside your door whenever you stepped out to go to work. You left early everyday just to accommodate for the inevitable one-sided conversation. She was old, and very lonely, so you didn’t mind her chatting your ear off. 

But she was also very bitter. Even more so after the Kraang invasion.

“I swear, I keep seeing those…frog men. They flip around my windows at all hours of the night, whooping and hollering up a storm! Who do those punks think they are?”

You’ve seen a lot of different reactions from people after the turtles officially became public knowledge. Usually, it was just casual disinterest or disdain from the more conservative crowd. Old people, cops, etcetera. 

But for some reason, the people you lived with just happened to be either really old or in law enforcement. They hated all mutants, and they didn’t have any problem letting you know about it.

You nearly get lost in your own thoughts before Mikey nudges your knee.

“I think she’s the one who threw a flower pot at my head that one time.” He chuckles, rubbing the back of his noggin.

Sighing, you lightly knock his leg with your foot. “Yeah, that’s Liz. If rent wasn’t so good here, I’d move out in a second.”

“Aw, they’re not so bad!” Mikey shoots a toothy smile at you. “It’s not the worst thing someone’s thrown at me.”

You meet his grin with a small frown.

“How do you do it?” 

Mikey cocks his head. “Is that a rhetorical question?”

“Ugh, no? Yes?” You lean back and stare up into the sky. It was a clear day, not a cloud in sight.

“You’d think people would be a little more thankful to the guys who saved their asses from alien invaders.”

You seethed, thinking about all the nasty side comments and quiet whisperings you’ve overheard in your hallways. 

“Hey, don’t get angry on my account.” Mikey reaches out and gives you a good-natured pat on the leg. “My family’s used to people wanting to kill us all the time, so a flower pot is actually a nice change of pace.”

“I guess so.”

Then, you realize it. 

This was why you were so stressed out. Whenever you think about the turtles, you can’t help but associate them with all the negative energy you’ve been surrounded in at home. You thought you had thicker skin, but you feel your heart start to sink. 

“You know, it’s funny.” 

Mikey sighs, musing to himself. 

“Sometimes I think about how weird it’s been lately. Splinter always told us it was important for us to not be seen, to stick to the shadows. It was because of the ninja thing, mostly. But I know he was trying to keep us...”

He picks nervously at his palm, tracing the lines of his hand. 

“Safe?” You ask. 

“Sheltered.”

There was a sadness creeping into his voice. You hated the sound. It was just too bittersweet for you to handle. You cautiously look back to Mikey, waiting for him to finish.

“But, then there was April. And Casey, later on. I thought there might actually be a chance for us to make it out in the human world. The whole yokai/mutant thing with Draxum was…well, a whole thing.”

Mikey briefly looked back up to make sure he wasn’t boring you too much. Not that he didn’t like to talk with you about stuff like this, it was just a little hard. 

When you give his hand an encouraging squeeze, he sighs. 

“But, I knew we kinda wouldn’t have a choice to stay in the shadows anymore. After the Kraang, that is. Leo told us we wouldn’t exactly be  getting the red carpet treatment.”

“Humans are stupid.” You huff. 

“You’re a human, and I don’t think you’re stupid at all.”

Mikey squeezed your hand back, a sad smile forming on his face. 

It wasn’t like he needed the entirety of New York to accept him and his brothers. With April, Casey, and especially you, he had all the human approval that he could ever want. He searched your face, and he knew that you were starting to slip. 

You try to swallow down the lump in your throat before speaking up.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up all this.” You run your thumb along the edge of Mikey’s.

Mikey sits up, puffing out his chest. “That’s enough. I will not have you getting sad because of me!”

Suddenly, he stands up, bringing you along with him.

“I’m not sad, I’m mad!” You scoff, rubbing your nose on your sleeve. “I ought to throw ceramic vases at Liz, see how she likes it.”

Tutting you, Mikey leads you out into the middle of the roof. There was a concrete slab next to the door that led back into the building, where you had placed your backpack earlier. You watch as Mikey sneaks around, dipping behind your back, to dig through your bag.

“You know a good way to get rid of all that anger?” Mikey whispers, rising up.

“What are you scheming back there?” You cross your arms and spin around. “Stop messing with my—“

When you turn around, you see Mikey holding up your trusty pair of skates right up to your face. He held them by the shoelaces, a cheeky grin peeking around them. 

“Skate the hate away, baby!” 

“That’s a beautiful thought,” you smirk. “But I couldn’t.”

“Oh, then let me help you.”

You gasp, feeling Mikey drag you over to your chair to push you back into it. Once you fall, he moves down to pull off your sneakers and lace up your skates. 

Blushing, you watch him lovingly guide your feet in. He sticks his tongue out as he ties little bunny-ear knots.

“Mikey…!” You giggle, his fingers tickling your ankle. “This is too much.”

Whenever you started to become sad, you could always count on him to lift your spirits back up. You tried to stay as endlessly positive and go-with-the-flow as Mikey, but it was difficult sometimes. The inner optimist in you was finding it more and more hard to navigate the nihilistic world you found yourselves in.

“There! Now c’mon.” He smiles. 

Mikey lifts you back up, pulling you to glide over to the concrete by the door. 

You can’t help the goofy smile that creeps in when he spins you around. The flat surface was just big enough for you to skate a couple of inches away from him. 

Your shoulders slump, all at once feeling happy again. 

“What did I do to deserve you?” You fold your hands behind your back and circle Mikey. 

Chuckling, he tries following your face as it spins around him.

“Nothing. You were just in the right place at the right time.”

He stood there idly watching you elegantly sail past him. It was fun constantly making him have to twist around to keep eye contact with you, and you feel laughter begin to bubble up.

You snatch his hand, forcing him into an awkward dance with you. 

“Care to join me?” 

You grin from ear to ear, placing a hand upon the small of his back. Or rather, his shell. 

Surprisingly, Mikey is caught off guard by your bold move. You watch with glee as his face flushes a bright pink. He stutters, a little bashful at being led around by you instead of the other way around. 

“I g-guess I don’t have a choice?”

You pull him closer, pressing up against his plastron. “Nope!”

The two of you spin around in lazy circles for a while. The blazing sunset on the horizon brought a new feeling of warmth and comfort, a heavenly glow lighting up your eyes. The entire city looked like it was bathed in orange, Mikey’s signature color.

It was a good look for New York.

“Wow…” You sigh, marveling at the beautiful world around you.

“I know.” 

Mikey shifts a bit, managing to stand an inch or two higher than he usually is. You were both about the same height, at least that was what you kept insisting to him. But he wanted to look down at you for once. He wanted to hold you like you held him. 

“You make me feel accepted, you know.”

You blink against the light of the sun before looking back at Mikey. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You just let me be me. That’s all I need. You make me feel all…sparkly.”

You bite your lower lip, holding back a chuckle. 

“Sparkly, huh? That’s a unique adjective.”

That was the best way Mikey could describe it. You and him had so much in common, mostly in terms of your hobbies and your personalities. But there was just something about being around you so much that showed him how different you were. In a good way, obviously.

You were human, he was a mutant. There was the ninja-ing as well. You both had wildly different life experiences. 

Slotting your head between his neck and his shoulder, he hugs you tightly. 

“What about you?” 

His warm breath makes you shudder, practically melting into his hold.

“You make me feel…”

You move your skate to engage the rubber stopper. The world was seriously starting to spin.

“Shiny.”

“Hey, are you copying me?” 

Playfully scoffing, Mikey picks you right off of your feet and spins you around again. You laugh into each other's embrace, and you hold on for dear life as he pins you securely to his chest.

“It’s true! You make me feel all shiny and new.”

For a second, you feel your thoughts wander back to your earlier conversation. You don’t like having to shift into serious mode, but you needed to say just one more thing. Mikey moves away to get a better look at your face.

“I know it’s not easy. Having to save people when they don’t even—“

“No, it’s not. But when I think about all the people who do care, who do understand me…”

Mikey smiles, tipping your chin up slightly to look at him. He always wanted to do that to you. 

“It’s easy. It gets easier everyday. All I have to do is have you right here.”

Then, your heart flutters in your chest. You didn’t notice it before, but Mikey stood a little taller than you now. You don’t know if he had a growth spurt or something, but there he was. Looking at you, his eyes sparkling in the sunset, you knew there was a lot more to Mikey than anyone thought. 

Even you.

“I love rooftops,” you sigh, moving up to brush your lips against his cheek.

Angling his head around, he leans into you. 

 “I love rooftops too.”

taglist: @saspas-corner

“who’s got you smiling like that” shut the hell up. nobody. no one. look away. now look into my eyes. you are going to walk away - hey, keep looking at me. you are going to walk away slowly and i will watch you carefully, any wrong step and you’re a goner, okay? you will pretend you saw nothing, and we’ll continue life as normal. you’ll never catch me smiling over *anyone*, got that?

i luuuuuv donnie :3 long snout donnie is frankly underrated, he’s just a little guy. but one day ill try to draw a future donnie and ill try to make him look hot and stuff, watch out for that!

(my sister drew the comically small cat)

Chizuru Town (Part 1)

In the game you wake up on the beach in Chizuru with NO IDEA how you got there.

I have a little fun with it. Enjoy!

“MC!”

The children’s voices were happy and oddly squeaky. They draw you out of unconsciousness. Your body feels a bit cold, and you shiver. 

“MC!” They keep calling you. You’re lying face up but their hands are pressed against your back. They keep pushing you from below.

You take a breath and feel the cold shock of water up your nose. The choking sensation makes you want to bolt upright but something is holding you up on the surface of the water. You catch a glimpse of silver grey, rubbery skin. A thin slit in that skin opens and sprays a mist with a sharp whoosh. The children’s voices are replaced by the squealing and whistling of dolphins.

Dolphins! Their sharp pointed fins are cutting through the water. You can see their bright eyes turn to look up at you. The way their mouths curve in their snouts gives them a smile. But they were powerful, insistent creatures. The moment you tried to swim on your own, they pushed you out of the water again.

The salt water in your mouth, the frigid breeze against your sun warmed skin told you this wasn’t a dream. You’d heard stories of dolphins rescuing people before, but you’d never actually thought you’d get to experience being carried on these muscular bodies. 

There were more surrounding you. Their sparkling backs broke the surface, no doubt watching. One eventually peeled off and another replaced them and you realized they were taking turns carrying you along. The sun was about halfway across the sky now and you could see the sparkling white sand of a small beach. The beach was only a few yards wide before it hit the seawall. You could climb up the seawall by what looked like stairs that led to a main street.

You gather your arms about yourself. What little clothing had survived the ghost tooth dragon vipers was torn away by the water and water-born debris. You were completely naked. You already were in the country illegally. You couldn’t imagine what would happen if you just showed up completely exposed like this. But how would you get any clothing?

The dolphins didn’t care about this at all. They pressed forward. If they knew anything about humans, it was that humans belonged on land and, for whatever reason, they had made it their mission to get you to the land as soon as possible. They pushed you with their snouts so hard you thought you might bruise and swam so quickly, you formed a wake in the water. You were already weak from fatigue and dehydration. There was no way you could fight them.

So you are pushed like a buoy towards the shore. When the water got too shallow the dolphins were forced to turn back or risk beaching themselves. Still, they swam a close distance away. Your body was shaking at a steady constant rate and the warm sand was irresistible. You lay down and sigh.

After a bit of rest, you pick a shadier spot against the wall, out of the sun and hopefully out of the prying eyes of people walking by. The dolphins follow you, spy hopping and watching. This was all so surreal.

You were supposed to be dead.

Again.

When you were younger, you read a book about a world where there was almost no difference between heaven, hell, and the living world. People died and woke up again to a place they found familiar and only vaguely strange. The book was deliberately unsettling, meant to blur the line between reality and dreams. The protagonist wasn’t sure if he was still alive, in heaven, or in hell, and the reader was not to know either until the end.

You’re feeling this way now. You thought you had died in the Arctic ocean, only to be thrown into a chaotic dragonslaying academy. Now you thought you died, only to wake up to a school of dolphins after nearly getting eaten by a dragon.

How are you alive after all that has happened? Maybe you weren’t alive. Maybe this was hell and you were suffering multiple deaths. The dolphins chattered brightly ahead of you, but now their sounds seemed more like they were mocking you, naked, on the sand alone, alive again with no friends.

There was no sign of Lu Mingfei, Chu Zihang or Caesar Gattuso. Were they saved by dolphins too? Or left to drown and be eaten? Was God only with you and not with them? Your mind starts to form an idea. You can test out this theory. Worst case scenario was that you died for real and you’d long since gotten over that fear.

You stand up and brush the sand off your bare bottom. You would take your time to rest and hide out until night fell and then use the dark to your advantage. 

Fatigue made you sleep longer than you wanted. Darkness has truly fallen when you wake up, stiff and achy. A greyish mat of sand has stuck to your whole body. You look back towards the ocean, but the dolphins are gone. You waddle out on wobbly legs and wash the sand away. After so much time in the water, the feel of it on your skin was suddenly abhorrent and you would be happy if you never spent another day in the ocean as long as you lived.

The theory that you’re actually dead and none of this was real was again challenged by how hard it was to make it up the stairs. You were so exhausted, starving and dehydrated that you swayed. You’d give anything for a bowl of hot ramen, served up fresh with a bit of egg floating on top.

You heard a voice cry out. A young couple was out for a stroll and had spotted you. You must look like a monster, hair long and matted and no clothes at all. Sure enough, they back away moaning with trembling voices before turning to run off, screaming something you can’t understand. Further up towards the street, you see bright lights. The smell of vendors cooking street food makes your stomach rumble. You couldn’t be out in the open, but maybe if you got close enough, you could dumpster dive and find some clothes. You sneak behind the back of the nearest building, a stucco box with a small front yard. The young man of the couple returns with a few other people. He’s speaking breathlessly, pointing towards the ocean. Poor guy. No doubt he thought he’d seen some ghost girl come from the ocean. This is probably something that would traumatize him for life.

You hear a small noise next to you. A little black cat is pawing at you. You could barely see it in the shadows. It didn’t care that you weren’t wearing clothes. Its fur was soft and warm and its purrs were comforting. You run your hand over its head and ears and it crawls into your lap. You would have liked to own a cat someday. You always liked them. They were funny and cute and very affectionate like this one. When you raise your eyes, your heart leaps. There are clothes hanging on a clothesline from a house not too far away!

You scramble quickly towards it, careful not to step on anything that might make noise. You check every gap to make sure that no one can see you. Then as soon as you reach the clothing, you carefully yank it off the line. It was just one of the local school uniforms. The white button down top was a bit small, but the wine-colored skirt fits you just fine around the waist. You were only a bit older than Renata when she died so this was probably the outfit of a highschool student.

Your eyes fall on the back door of the house. That’s right, Japanese don’t wear shoes in the house. These shoes were laid out neatly on the rack. You glance around and carefully approach, snatching what you hope will fit you. They’re just the right size, much to your shock. This surprise is enough to send a jolt of happiness through you. Now clothed, you return to the cat and pick it up in your arms and walk out on the street. The first thing you saw was a sign that said, Chizuru.

Before arriving in Japan, Norma, the school AI had told you about a place called Chizuru being a safe haven and to find an Internet Cafe there if you ever got into trouble. The hairs rose on the back of your arms. How could this be possible that dolphins not only save your life, but take you directly to the place that you needed to be? You sang the song that said ‘God is with you’ but it was supposed to be a metaphor right? 

You approach a man on the street who looks at you with a stunned expression. “I… excuse…”

Before you can ask anything, he shakes his head again and again and flees from you. “Wait! I need…”

You try again, this time of one of the vendors, an old craggy-faced man who stares at you with a black expression until you give up.

Burned, you just decide to wander around until you see something that looks like an internet cafe. It wouldn’t be in a neighborhood. More likely closer to the city center, on a main street. You head that way, away from the beach and the houses. The city center seems much quieter than you would expect it to be. You stop.

A group of people are standing on the street, five men in black leather jackets displaying flaming Oni masks. One had a wild looking tall mohawk dyed red. His black jeans reached down to black leather boots studded with silver spikes. It was as if the black dragon that tried to eat you had turned human and walked on land.

He turned his head and spotted you. It was too late to hide. His eyes ran up and down the length of you and he grinned, and made a slow whistling noise. You may have been raised in an orphanage but you weren’t that naive to not know what that smile meant. You’d seen it before on some of the staff who liked to take advantage of the older girls there. 

So you didn’t need to know the vulgar words coming out of their mouth.  You set the kitten down on a nearby trash can and pat it on the head, quietly telling it to stay in Russian. The cat obliged, and started to clean its paws.

In the orphanage, you were taught hand to hand basics until you were strong enough to actually use it in a fight. The trainings were very light against each other and you weren’t allowed to cause injury, but there was no gender splitting. You were only hybrids. Whether you were male or female, it didn’t matter so long as you had dragonblood in your veins.

Because of your background, you didn’t show the same innocent fear that these men may have been accustomed to from someone your age, in that clothing. You stared them straight in the eyes, your arms at your side, not moving forward or back. This nonchalant attitude made them stand there in brief bewilderment. The one with the mohawk was clearly the bolder of the five and he shouted something at you that you don’t understand. You just shake your head.

“I need to find the Internet Café…” You make a gesture with your hands to pantomime typing at a computer. They started to laugh, elbowing each other and nodding. You sigh. You’re so tired and it showed on your face.

Your lack of Japanese and your weary expression was an invitation to attack and they approached you now.

In the orphanage, no one would approach you like this in such a joking manner. Especially not on the training grounds. The Mohawk’s hands were relaxed. He was confident. He wasn’t watching your hands ball into fists as tight as stones and he wasn’t watching the sudden shift in your feet as you moved into a sturdy stance. He reached out with his hand to your elbow. So he was unable to block or dodge your fist that struck him like lightning.

He didn’t just feel pain or stagger back. The man felt flat to his side, straight to the pavement, and he didn’t get up. The eyes of his four friends followed him down with a stunned feeling. You knew that feeling. Like they suddenly found themselves in a fantasy world where a high school girl in a school uniform could knock out a gangster with a single hit? 

Maybe this was a fantasy world and you were a fantasy high schooler. After all, you were carrying a cat!

They all turned to you in unison and you attacked the next one, levering back on one leg and slamming him with a kick to the solar plexus. He staggered back, wheezing, curling in on himself, once or twice.. 

The next one now had the wherewithal to produce a switchblade. He swung it wildly at where your heart should have been, but the blouse was a bit open where it was too tight and he caught a glimpse of the fact that you’re not wearing anything underneath. Your hand caught his wrist and you pulled hard, driving your knee directly into his crotch.

His grip on the knife released as he slowly sank to the ground and you swiped it easily. You give it a toss and catch it by the handle. Now the smile is on your face and there’s no pleasure in it as you stare down the final two gangsters.

One gives up and turns to run, arms pinwheeling comically as his oni mask jacket flapped in the breeze created by his own flight.

The last one was backing away, stumbling over his feet, crawling back upright. And when he does get up, you see something in his hand, shiny and black.

A gun. You hadn’t seen one in a while and you stopped. You couldn’t do anything about this. He just needed to pull the trigger and you were gone. But this was a world where you couldn’t die… right?

A man in a white shirt and black slacks leaped out from behind a car and a bright metal arc gave off sparks as it neatly cut the gun in half. Chu Zihang’s sword then rested its edge on the man’s throat

The man stared at his severed gun in silence a moment before he noticed the blade.

“Senpai!” You joyfully run forward and wrap your arms around Zihang.

Zihang looks bewildered, unsure of what to do. His free hand hovers over your shoulder… head… and then he settles on patting you on the back.

The man at his mercy is trembling in terror at the discovery that this warrior girl in a school uniform somehow has a ‘Senpai’ at all. His companions are already staggering away, one of them limping and bowlegged as he flees. 

Chu Zihang raised his hand and rubbed his thumb and fingers together in the universal sign for ‘money’. You stick his tongue out at him.

The man was quick to oblige, tossing him his wallet.  Chu Zihang lowered his sword. After examining the contents, he picked out a few bills and handed the man his wallet back but he was already running away.

“Were you just going to let him shoot you?” He asked.

You opened your mouth. “Yes… but!” You raise a finger to halt objections. “I knew something would happen to keep me from dying!”

Chu Zihang shook his head slowly. “Where’s Lu Mingfei and Caesar?”

Your expression sobers. “I don’t know. I was looking for the Internet Cafe…”

He walks over to a vending machine and puts in the money to buy you something to eat. You return to where the cat is resting on the trash can. “What a good kitty!” You whisper, ,gathering it up in your arms.

“You shouldn’t keep that.” The Machine is pouring out noodles with soup broth base. Your stomach rumbles and the cat meows.

“Is there something for Kitty?” You ask.

Chu Zihang sighs again. The man gave the whole wallet, after all. Chu Zihang orders some dried squid for the cat.

In a few moments both you and Kitty are sitting against the building. You’re so hungry that you scald your mouth on the soup, but you don't care. Chu Zihang is silent, still standing guard and watching. With your hunger sated, you look up at him. “You’re the team lead right?”

“Only if I find out Caesar is dead.”

“You think he’s alive? Do you want me to call you boss?”

“No.”

“Okay boss.”

You look up at him and he’s scowling at you, not in the mood for your jokes, or your kitten. “How did you survive?”

“You’re not going to believe this. A pod of dolphins brought me all the way here.”

Much to your surprise he believes you. “That’s true. The dolphins here are very friendly to the locals. In fact there was a story I read about that...”

There was a sudden cacophony of roaring engines. Chu Zihang grabs you and together you duck behind the parked cars. Motorcycles, dozens of them, are all roaring off in one direction, their lights streaming towards a single destination. Among them were vans filled with people with automatic weapons. Right after that, all the lights go out in Chizuru. From the tallest building, to the smallest house, even the lights illuminating the advertisements go dark. 

Chu Zihang sighed deep in his chest. “I have a bad feeling Caesar is that way.”

Paris Stands Alone; Part 13

Part 12

This chapter’s art is...

As always, HUGE credits to @gajer-1226​ , for her amazing art!

Marinette groaned from her spot on the couch. Mullo had come down from relaxing in the sunroom a while ago, and the trio was sprawled out on the couch, cuddling under a blanket and watching a news report on the current Mayoral elections. Monsieur D’Argencourt was running again, despite having lost so many times in a row. His opponents were a strict woman who had been on the city council for years and was very conservative, and a man who was far more liberal but had little experience. She’d need to keep an eye on things politically, things like this always led to stronger Akumas, be they the politicians themselves or angry citizens.

Right as she had begun to debate with herself whether or not she should go back to bed the whole house shook, and she heard screaming in the streets.

“Son of a bitch…let’s go.” She rolled off the couch with a heavy sigh. “What are we betting on this time?” She asked, stretching and rolling her neck gently.

“Oh! Animal!” Mullo squeaked, perking up. She and the Kwamis had invented a game of betting on what the Amoks would be, winner getting to pick what game they would play on the household game night. If there was a tie, they would do a coin toss.

“I imagine after this morning they’ll go for inanimate.” Tikki yawned. “Ready whenever you are, Marinette!”

“Spots on!” She cried, smirking when she saw a portal appear a few feet away from her, put of sight of the windows. Leaping through, she let loose a battle cry as the world sharply shifted.

X0X0X

The Amok was a rampaging, canine beast, with massive fangs and glowing red eyes, and a hissing, spitting cobra for a tail. It looked like a terrifying mix of a pit-bull and a Doberman pinscher. Nightmare had taken to the rooftops, opening a portal that Ladybug leaped through with a mighty cry. She flung her yoyo at a flagpole and yanked it tight, swinging towards the beast feet-first. She slammed it across the snout, making it whine and stumble. A figure dropped from another portal in the sky, this one swirling blue and white, the figure indistinguishable.

“No way!” Teacup squealed, bouncing in place.

“What is that?” Batman asked, drawing a batarang.

“That is someone we don’t see very often.” Cat Sidhe muttered.

“Who?” Wonder Woman asked, fidgeting with her lasso.

“Bunnyx, the wielder of the Rabbit Miraculous. Her Miracle is called Burrow, it allows her to transverse the timestream with ease. She only visits on important occasions, or if she needs to warn us away from something. She’s the one who sent Jade Turtle out on patrol the night he died saving that girl from the disgraced one. Let’s go say ‘hi’, everyone.” Yellow Jacket was smirking as she took off running for the edge of the building. Right as she reached the edge, she grabbed a dagger from her boot and flung it at the beast at the same time as she flung her trompo at the same flagpole Ladybug had swung from. The dagger nailed the beast (presumably an Amok) in the eye, and it howled in agony and rage. It thrashed and stomped it’s feet, which were the size of minivans. It managed to take the corner off a building, making the civilians evacuating along the sidewalks scream.

Snapping Turtle dove into action, drawing their shield in a fluid motion and shouting something lost beneath the sound of the monster’s howls. A green semi-opaque dome made of hexagons appeared, surrounding a small family and the hero in question from the rubble raining from above. The shield didn’t even flicker or waver, merely protecting the small family as Snapping Turtle scooped one of the three small children up and prepping the family to move.

Vixen, standing on the rooftop, drew her reedpipes from her belt, and slowly began to play a haunting tune. Cat Sidhe, picking up on some hidden signal, made a series of gestures with the hand that bore his ring, before uttering a word that made the Americans shudder. It was dark and dank, this feeling, like the paranoia of being out late at night with shadows looming and every sound inducing panic.

From the ring began to emerge a shadowy figure. It morphed itself slowly into a humanoid figure, dressed in all white, with features that seemed to whisper ‘not right, not human, predator!’ in the ears of all who saw it. It was the unnatural smoothness of it’s skin and features, the inverted colors, with white pupils and black irises, hair that started pure white and faded to dull purple. It seemed to be a doll, unmoving, until Cat Sidhe spoke.

“Distract the Amok for me.” He ordered, and the inhuman thing melted into a pool of shadows, before the puddle seemed to dart away towards the Amok.

“What was that?” Nightwing asked uneasily.

“That was his Grace’s secondary ability, Nyx. It creates an inverted clone of pure destruction energy. You don’t want to be around when it self-destructs, that’s for damn sure.” Roi Singe sighed. “I’ll stay back this time; I don’t want to throw you guys off.”

“Alright. I’m off. Vixen, you good?” The fox, who was still playing her pipes, which were emitting a light orange mist, nodded slowly. The mist was descending to the streets below, and Cat Sidhe went running towards the edge of the building, going into a diver’s position as he plummeted towards the street below. Barely twenty feet above the pavement, the cat hero drew his baton and extended it, slamming the end into the ground so hard that it dented the asphalt as he vaulted towards the Amok, which was now biting and snapping as Ladybug and Yellow Jacket darted around it’s head. There was another heroine, this one in blue and white with roller skates on her feet, moving too fast for anyone to properly see her.

The orange mist, which now filled the entire block, suddenly blew towards the Amok, whirling around it as if being held by a tornado. A glance at Vixen proved that her fingers were dancing over her pipes faster than ever, and Batman felt on edge. He’d never been a fan of magic.

The mist rapidly coalesced into a large, feline shape, similar to the Amok in it’s unnatural size. The feline let out a powerful yowl, and swiped with massive claws at the Amok. The Amok (Who Yellow Jacket insisted on calling ‘Fluffy) growled and pounced at the beast, only to be entangled in the wires of Ladybug and Yellow Jacket’s weapons as the illusion dissolved into mist once more.  As the wires pulled taught around the Amok, Cat Sidhe’s Nyx reappeared before the beast, darting every which way and holding it’s attention. The beast, desperate in it’s rage to attack the tiny unnatural thing in front of it, thrashed and wriggled, trying to get itself lose, and only succeeded in tightening the wires. Slowly, Cat Sidhe snuck up behind the Amok, right hand raised in front of him as if he was trying to smack a fly. Right as the Amok snapped it’s jaws closed around the clone, Cat Sidhe slammed his hand into a thin red collar around Fido’s neck. The dog let out a startled, pained yelp, and was encased in a squirming mass of dark blue bubbles, which hissed and popped as the Amok shrank. Ladybug stood, waiting, and yanked on her yoyo string, which came zipping back into her palm. It wasn’t until the mass was barely any bigger than an American football that a peacock feather appeared that she acted, gently swinging her yoyo to catch it. When she had the feather secured, she flung her yoyo high into the air, crying out a string of words that felt like pure safety.

It was after the loveliness had faded that the final bubbles faded away, revealing a small, emaciated puppy, who’s bones showed through it’s skin, and it seemed to shiver as it looked up at all the heroes surrounding it. It snarled and snapped, cowering from the heroes around it.

“Wait, that was the eight-story tall monster that just did at least half a million in property damage?” Nightwing asked, walking up behind the Court members.

“This is why Hawkmoth and Mayura are so dangerous, they turn even the most innocuous, innocent little thing into something that can kill hundreds.” Vixen explained, landing behind them lightly, as if she hadn’t just jumped ten stories.

“What will happen to the poor thing?” Wonder Woman asked, watching as the puppy shied away from Ladybug’s hand as if expecting to be hit.

“Well, Fidel already has several dogs. They naturally love her, and Yellow Jacket has been talking about setting up a sanctuary for stray dogs. This one, however, seems to have developed a liking towards her Ladyship.” Roi Singe chuckled, watching as the small dog pressed it’s head into Ladybug’s palm.

“And lord only knows that my Melody could never turn away an animal in need.” Cat Sidhe said, approaching them casually. “Thanks for staying out of the way back there, it could have been bad if someone got hurt.”

“You’re in charge here.” Batman said gruffly.

“Still, we might have an issue. I have some stuff that needs me back home, so I was thinking one of my brothers could come over and help you guys out.”

“We’ll talk about it more tomorrow, for now we all need to split before the press starts getting pushy and Vixen, Bunnyx, and I transform back.” Ladybug said, holding the small dog in her arms. The canine was cuddled up close to her, soaking in her body heat. “Ready, love?” She asked Cat Sidhe, who nodded and sent a glare at a woman with pinkish hair who was coming their way, a camera crew behind her. “Bug out!” Ladybug said, winking to the cameras and flinging her yoyo (which should not be able to go that far) at a flagpole on a nearby building. Cat Sidhe began to extend his baton, before letting it fall, vaulting off down the street.

X0X0X

Nadya watched as Ladybug and Cat Sidhe left the scene, and the various Court members disappeared to the rooftops. This was perfect! And yet, right as she approached, Batman drew a grappling hook from his belt, fired at a gargoyle on a nearby building, and went flying off, and Wonder Woman barely waved to the camera before flying away. At least the remaining hero, a young man dressed in black and blue, took a moment to smile and give a dramatic bow before somehow climbing a brick wall. These heroes were ruining her poor ratings! Well, she still had that Ladyblogger girl’s number…

@krispydefendorpolice​ @ficsforthestars​ @multifandomscribette​ @legendaryneckjudgestudent​ @ash-amg-blog @bee-wrecker​ @dawnwave16​ @the-supreme-ace-queen @politelyvicious​ @stonestridernerd​ @justmdj​ @stingrowl​ @damianette-is-life​ @miraculous786​ @mjisntme​ @hauntedfreakdeputyhero​ @miraculousdisapointment @lesscooltodoroki @bb-basbusa​ @isabellemasen​ @sassydepression​ @imspectralboiii​ @spicybelladonna​ @moonystars14​ @frostymoon11 @worlds-tiniest-spookiest-pastry @spartanxhunterx​ @fandoms-run-my-life​ @chocolateherringtacofan​ @imburningneon @fandomsaremylifeline​ @risingmoonyue​ @zotinha456​

Hairless Cat! S/O: Mao Mao

Request: your ask box seems to be closed on your tumblr, or at least I can't find it, so I'll drop my request here bfyudksbvfjdsvx- What if s/o was was a hairless cat? i think it'd be kinda interesting to see how he'd handle the whole 'hairless cats are ugly and mean' stereotype and stuff like how they get cold easier or can't be in the sun for too long without getting sunburnt. (sorry i rlly like hairless cats aaa) thanks-

[A/N: I'm back!! Sorry for the giant hiatus everyone!! Hopefully I should be posting regularly again! This was very fun to write, (I love hairless cats!!!) and I can't wait to fill the next request! I love you all so much. Thank you for all of the love and support <3 Anyways, under a read-more since it’s long!]

He’s had a lot of experience with all sorts of animals, so you’re not the strangest person he’s seen: not by a long shot. Not to mention, he grew up in a cat-dominated city. Some of his more distant family members are Peterbalds, as well! He has a very deep respect for hairless cats, and he has plenty of experience with them.

That’s not to say he views y’all accurately, though. At least, not at first.

He actually bows to you the first time you two meet. Hairless cats are typically royalty where he’s from!

He’s very confused when he looks up and doesn’t see you wearing gold jewelry, or bearing the traditional tattoos. It’s an... awkward few moments of eye contact. You don’t understand why he’s bowing, and he doesn’t understand why you look so... normal? Civilian-like? Why are you dressed so casually?

He follows you around for a little while out of habit. He thinks he has to protect you. You must be royalty in disguise, right? There’s no way a hairless cat is just another citizen! You have to be some sort of royal family member in disguise. Maybe you’re on a secret mission? Yeah, that has to be it! He follows you from the shadows, ready to protect you from danger at a moment's notice.

You eventually convince him that you’re just a normal cat and god, he’s embarrassed.

He thinks you’re really cool, honestly. There aren’t many furless mammals around, so it’s really cool to see natural skin. He views it as a symbol of strength and individuality.

Adorabat loves to paint on you since it’s easier to get the paint off! The little paint swirls stand out so well on your skin, and you can't help but giggle at the starry-eyed look she gets. It's like painting on a breathing canvass to her!

She got so excited when you mentioned tattoos and their significance in your culture: she likes to pretend she’s giving you pretty tattoos now!

Mao Mao loves the bond you two share. It makes him fall so much deeper in love with you. She's practically his kid, after all.

Mao Mao will absolutely defend you from bigoted folks. You look a little different from everyone else: so what? What’s their issue with that? Are they really so close minded that they can’t even fathom a different genetic structure? He gets really heated about it. He hates it when people judge you right off the bat, condemning you without getting to know you. He will throw down with someone over it, if you let him.

He honestly doesn’t understand where the “ugly and mean,” stigma comes from. You’re so kind...how could anyone perceive you differently? Why make such broad, negative generalizations about people they don’t even know? And you’re so pretty!

He loves how naturally social you are! You’re always someone he can come to when he isn’t feeling his greatest, and he treasures that so much.

He buys you a little parasol to help you weather the sun. It makes even more people stare, but honestly, it’s better than getting a sunburn! It ends up becoming a key piece of your aesthetic. Some people think you're a witch at this point. You don't bother correcting them.

The most embarrassing moment of your guys relationship was when you got up from the couch, only to reveal a small oil stain. Despite the embarrassment, you both had a big laugh about it. You remember the way he doubled over, laughing until he wheezed. He tried to stop himself from laughing by putting his paws over his snout, but once you assured him that it was, in fact hilarious, he took his paws away and laughed for ages. You laughed along with him despite the raging blush of embarrassment. It’s a very fond memory that really solidified your relationship’s trust. You ended up changing your diet that day anyways. Oily skin isn't fun, anyways.

He always picks at your food while you eat. He claims he’s just trying it, but it happens every night! He actually just likes the high quality ingredients he uses in your food.

He ends up switching his diet over to yours as well to make things easier. It makes him feel fancy, anyways.

He tries his hardest to get you to blush. He thinks it's adorable!! He loves how easy he can gauge his advancements as well. You can't fake a blush! And you can't hide yours!

He gets really nervous in the winter. I mean, he gets cold in winter, and he grows a whole new coat for it! He can’t imagine how chilly you get. He totally goes overboard when buying clothes for you. Most of your closet consists of parkas, scarves, and thermals.

Wakes up early to start the fireplace in the morning once winter hits.

He loves to give you forehead kisses. He thinks it’s cute when you flex your “brows” at him in response. He can’t help but snort at the patterns it makes, and he ends up poking you whenever you respond that way. It’s a sweet little inside joke.

He honestly thinks clothes fit you super well? Skin-tight stuff is mesmerizing. The way it clings so effortlessly to your frame, without a single hair marring the cling of the fabric...it’s incredible to him. He's enchanted.

He loves to hold you. The feel of fur on skin is weird, but it’s become a comforting feeling to him. He loves to trace little patterns on you when you cuddle.

Which is very unfortunate if you’re ticklish. His fur always seems to drag across your skin in a way that makes you giggle!! And he knows what he’s doing!! He’s so stubborn about it as well. He won’t stop until you call a time-out.

He smiles every time you yawn. He thinks you’re cute.

He wants to draw on you, but he has no artistic talent. He’s too shy to learn!! He hates not being perfect at first attempt, and well...art is a honed skill. He loves the idea of painting night skies on your back, and making sharpie tattoos for you, but it’ll probably never happen.

You can convince him to write on you, though! He does great calligraphy.

Sometimes he’ll write little poems on your wrist, or your sides. He likes to do this when you’re sleeping, for two reasons. A.) So he doesn’t get embarrassed or flustered about it, and B.) So you have a nice surprise when you wake up!

They’re short, but sweet.

He’s actually a really good poet! Most of the things he writes on you are of his own creation.

Beauty isn't seen by eyes.

It's felt by hearts,

Recognized by souls,

In the presence of love

Overall, he thinks you’re gorgeous. He won’t hesitate to defend you from bigoted people, and he’s always here to help you with any accommodations you may need. You’re beautiful. He loves you so much, and he feels so lucky to have you by his side. He’ll do anything for you!

A Fic By @Ticklish-Sides

[note: hey y’all! so this is a repost of a fic written by the amazing @ticklish-sides, who was gracious enough to let me repost it here on my blog! thanks, dude!]

Emile looked down at the three Light Sides hidden in the pantry in confusion. “Um, hello,” he chirped, tilting his head in bemusement. “Why are you all standing around here?”

Logan flushed, adjusting his tie nervously. “Please,” he scoffed shakily, “as if you haven’t seen Patton today. He is in a mood.”

“A mood,” Emile repeated with a frown, “what kind of mood?”

Roman giggled from where he was standing in the corner, his face as bright red as his sash. “A ler mood,” he giggled, squirming a little. “And when Patton is in a ler mood, he is the most torturous, teasy, evil Tickle Monster ever! Not even this Knight can defeat him!”

“And we’ve all tried,” Virgil said. His lips were turned up in a nervous grin, hugging his stomach protectively. “We’re all gonna be tickled, that’s a given. But the first one he catches is gonna get it the most. Whoever he catches is his-” the other shushed him, giggles pouring out of all three of them.

Emile laughed, so unused to seeing the three Sides - two of them normally so serious acting - giggling and clutching at each other. “His what?”

Roman and Logan exchanged looks before Logan managed to compose himself enough to squeak out, “His Gigglebug.”

“And the Gigglebug gets the teasiest teases, the most teasy tickle games, and all of Patton’s attention,” Roman warned, bouncing up and down. He looked an odd mix of excited and nervous. He glanced over at Virgil with a smirk. “Virgil’s been the Gigglebug the last four times.”

‘He’s fast, okay,” Virgil squeaked, hiding his face in his hands.

Emile arched his eyebrow, finding what they were saying very hard to believe. Patton? Cute, sweet, ticklish Patton, was the evilest Ler in the Mindscape? The same Patton who just laid there last night and laughed as Roman tickled his toes. Yeah, he just couldn’t believe that it was as bad as they were making it out to be. “Mmm, are you sure that you’re just not in big lee moods,” he teased, “and are exaggerating?”

“We are not,” Roman gasped before Logan put his hand on his shoulder.

“No, it’s alright, Roman,” Logan said, smoothing down his tie. He smirked at Emile. “Let Emile find out for himself if we’re exaggerating or not. Go on, go see Patton and see for yourself if we’re telling the truth or not.”

Virgil copied Logan’s smirk. “Just don’t be surprised when you end up as his Gigglebug, Gigglebug.”

Emile rolled his eyes and stepped out of the pantry. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave you three Laughy Sapphies to hide.” He closed the door, shaking his head in amusement. Silly sillies. Well, he might as well go see Patton. Maybe he’d want to watch some cartoons with him!

Emile skipped out into the living, smiling as he saw Patton sitting on the couch. The Moral Side was dressed in PJs and his cat hoodie. He was watching the TV but his head snapped around when Emile came in, perking up with the beginnings of a smirk on his face. Not that Emile noticed it. “Hi, Emmy,” he cooed, patting the spot next to him. “Wanna come sit with me?”

“Sure,” Emile chirped, sitting next to him and drawing his legs up so he was hugging his knees to his chest. “How are you doing, Patton? Watching cartoons?”

“I am,” Patton cooed, adjusting his glasses. He smiled at Emile. “I’m so glad I found you! It is a ghost town around here today, isn’t it?”

Emile burst into giggles, not noticing the way Patton perked up at that. “You’ll never believe where the others are. They’re hiding in the pantry. They seem to think that you’re some type of evil ler.”

“Oh, really,” Patton asked with wide innocent eyes. “Oh, I don’t know where they’d come up with that.” He smiled at Emile innocently, patting his legs. “Lie down, Sweetpea. You’re much too tense.” He gently pushed Emile down to the side and took his legs, gently pulling them so Emile’s feet were in his lap. “Does that feel better?”

“Oh, a little,” Emile chirped. That sure was nice of Patton, making sure he was comfortable. “Thank you, Patty.” He glanced down at his shows and flushed. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I’m going to get stuff on your nice PJs with my shoes.” He started to pull his feet back but Patton gently caught them, pouting at him.

“No no,” Patton tsked, “don’t you worry about that, Emmy. How about I just… take them off?” He undid Emile’ shoelaces with a grin, sliding off his Pokemon-themed shoes and giggling at the Digimon socks underneath. “Aww, such pretty socks,” he cooed.

Emile blushed, giggling a little. “Thank you, Patty!” He lit up, sitting up a little. “Do you want to hear about the show? I just found this show a little while ago and I can’t believe I never watched it before!” He bit his lip a little, squirming when Patton’s index finger gently, barely even there, started to trace the little Agumon on his inner arch. It didn’t tickle enough for Emile to laugh but enough to make him squirm.

“Of course,” Patton cooed, patting his leg gently. “You tell me all about your new show. Is this little cutie in it,” he asked, poking Agumon’s snout and making Emile’s foot twitch a little.

“Y-yes,” Emile stuttered, blushing a little at Patton’s tone. “It’s so nice and it teaches different virtues! M-my favourite character is Daisuke but he g-gets introduced in the second season.” He shifted a little, his other foot shifting in front of the one Patton was gently tracing. “It’s my new favourite show! After,” he pouted, “Steven Universe of course.”

Patton pouted right back at him. “Aww, no pouts. C’mon, keep telling me about your new show. Is,” he poked at the Patamon on Emile’s toes, making Emile squeak, “this wittle guy on it?”

Emile blushed pink at the babytalk. Of course, it didn’t mean anything. Patton was just being silly like always. “Yep! He’s a-actually really powerful.” He squirmed a little when Patton’s touch became a little firmer, tracing the Digimon on Emile’s soles and making Emile giggle a little. “P-Patty, you’re tickling me.”

Patton gasped, looking at Emile with wide and innocent eyes. “Am I? Oh, I’m so sorry, Emmy. I just got distracted by these cute little things,” he cooed, gently poking at the Digimon designs. “They’re just so adorable,” he squealed. He smiled at Emile innocently. “Sorry, sorry, keep talking. You were saying that the little one was the most powerful?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say the most,” Emile said with a grin. He kept glancing down at Patton’s fingers. Not that he was nervous. There was no reason to be nervous. This was Patton! Patton! There was no reason that Patton was a teasy, evil- he suddenly squealed when a finger wiggled under his toes. “Patton!”

Patton smiled at Emile sweetly. “Oh, sorry, Emmy! I just got distracted again.” He gasped with a grin. “I have an idea! What if we just take this little old socks off?

Emile’s blush got brighter and he squirmed nervously. “T-take them off?”

“That’s right,” Patton cooed, slowly pulling his right sock off until they were only covering his toes. He winked at Emile and pulled it off with a grin. “See! Off goes the first one and,” he quickly pulled off the left, “off goes the second! See, all better! Now I won’t get distracted!”

“I-I guess so,” Emile giggled, squirming a little. He was starting to get the same mix of excited and nervous that Roman was feeling before. “I-”

“Oh my goodness,” Patton squealed, bouncing up and down. “You have a birthmark! Oh my!” He gently traced the strawberry-shaped birthmark on Emile’s left food, right on the ball of his foot. “That is so adorable!”

Emile’s giggles started to get louder and he bit his lip, trying to force them back. “Thahank you.” He squeaked when Patton’s fingers wiggled into the birthmark. “Pahahatty!”

“Shhh,” Patton cooed with a smirk. “I wanna look at your cute little birthmark. Do you think you can stay still enough for me to look at him, Gigglebug?”

Emile’s eyes widened and his smile widened nervously. “Gihihigglebug?”

“That’s right,” Patton cooed. “My wittle itty bitty Gigglebug. Do you think that my Gigglebug can stay still enough so I can look at your birthmark? Or do you think that you need my help?” He smiled at him and adjusted his glasses. “Do you want my help, Gigglebug?”

Emile couldn’t speak, having burst into giggles. Oh Gosh, the others were right. And not only were they right, but Emile had also actually walked over to the Tickle Monster, laid down, and put his feet in his lap. Gosh, he might as well had asked Patton to tickle him!

Patton winked at him. “I think I’ll help you, Gigglebug. Help you stay still. Isn’t that nice?” He shifted his arm and, in less than a millisecond, had Emile’s feet in a headlock. “Is this better,” he cooed, wiggling his fingers against Emile’s arches and sending Emile into a fit of giggles. “What do you think, Gigglebug?”

“Yehehes,” Emile giggled, squirming as much as he could. There was nothing he could do now. He had walked into the trap and now he wouldn’t be leaving until Patton was satisfied. “Thahank you.”

“Oh, such nice manners from my Gigglebug,” Patton cooed. “I have an idea! Let’s play a game! You like games, don’t you, Emmy?” He grinned when Emile nodded. “Perfect! You just lay back and enjoy the game!” He grinned and wiggled Emile’s big toe. “This little piggy went to the market!”

Emile squeaked and giggled lightly. Thankfully, his feet were the least ticklish part of him. Not that that meant a lot. He was almost as ticklish as Virgil. Almost.

Patton sang through the entire song, making sure to tickle each toe and tickle underneath each on. By the end of it, Emilie’s face was bright pink and he was giggling into his hands. “Wasn’t that fun,” Patton laughed, his index finger slowing moving up and down Emile’s feet. “Wanna play another game, Gigglebug? Especially since I know that these little feetsies of yours aren’t very ticklish.” He didn’t wait for Emile’s answer and let go of Emile’s feet. “What do you think, Giggles?”

Emile didn’t answer, giggling as he scrambled off the couch and making a break for the hallway. His pink tie was crooked and his glasses were hanging down his nose. He could hear Patton running after him and only laughed louder. He knew he’d be caught but… he might, maybe, be having fun.

….Okay, he was definitely having fun.

“Gigglebug,” Patton called as he chased him. “Gigglebug, don’t run from me! I’m gonna getcha getcha getcha!”

Emile squealed when arms wrapped around his waist and hands dug into his tummy, cackles pouring out of him as he squirmed in Patton’s arms. Patton rested his chin on Emile’s shoulder and cooed, “Aww, did the Gigglebug think that he could run from the Tickle Monster? Aww, that is so cute!” He blew a raspberry onto Emile’s neck, making Emile squeal and bounce up and down. “So adorable! But I think that the Gigglebug needs a punishment, don’t you?”

“Nahaha,” Emile laughed, shaking his head and scrunching his shoulder as Patton nuzzled his neck. “Nahahaha!”

“Aww, but I think you do,” Patton cooed. He grinned and easily picked Emile up, bouncing him up and down as he walked down the hallway to his room. “I think that the Gigglebug needs a punishment for running from the Tickle Monster!” He walked into his room, dropping Emile onto his bed, crawling on top of him and sitting on his thighs. He smirked and drew Emile’s shirt up and raised his hands. “Pick a number, Emmy Wemmy.”

Emile squeaked, hiding his face in his hands. Oh no no no, he knew this game. Oh gosh, a big number or a small number? Longer wait or smaller wait? “I cahahan’t,” he giggled, kicking his legs. “I cahahan’t!”

“Sure you can,” Patton encouraged brightly. “Just pick any random number, Emmy! Don’t even think about it!” His hands flexed into claws, wiggling right above Emile’s stomach. “Any number you want!”

“Five,” Emile burst out, face on fire. “I choose five!!”

Patton grinned at him. “You got it! Fie,” he dropped his hands and gathered Emile’s wrists up and over his head, “five little raspberries all over this cute little tummy of yours!” He ducked his head before Emile could react, blowing a raspberry right above Emile’s belly button.

Emile cackled and tossed his head back and forth, squealing and laughing as Patton blew raspberry after raspberry on his stomach. By the time Patton was done, Emile was breathless and giggling. His glasses were almost off and his hair was ruffled.

“Aww, my Gigglebug is all tuckered out,” Patton cooed, pressing a kiss to Emile’s cheek. “Good job, Sweetheart. Why don’t you lie down and take a well-deserved rest?” He grinned and winked. “We’ll play more games later on once you’ve had a nice nap. Does that sound good?”

Emile nodded, completely worn out and sleepy. His eyes were already closing, giggling even now. He felt his glasses gently being pulled off, his tie being undone, and a hand running through his hair.

“…Sweetpea, where did you say the others were hiding again?”

Emile giggled, a sleepy smirk playing on his lips. “The pahantry.”

Patton smirked, pressing a kiss to Emile’s lips. “Thank you, Gigglebug.”

Hey, uh, do you take request for any epilogue stuff or just Henry suffering? Because if the former, well, we never got to see Old Sport apologizing to the lost souls, and since now that's his job... could we get that? Sorry to bother ^^' - (copied by me, original from AO3)

(Every kind of request is welcome! That is something I meant to write anyways, but I’m still really scared of it- it’s something very important, that HAS to sit just right. I doubt I will manage, but hey, at least it’s out of my mind after this one. OH AND I JUST REALIZED YOU’RE RIGHT ABOUT THE “we never saw”- FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE FINALE I knew I forgot SOMETHING, I thought I had it all written down, but I DIDN’T. Urgh, no point in crying over spilled milk I guess, but have my apologies, I know that you especially were looking forward to it ;n; Now I’m lowkey stuck between a rock and a hard place- either I make this into a proper epilogue thing, in which technically shouldn’t be able to apologize- or I go back and make this as a fix-it/rewrite scene from within the action. I think I’ll try to make it an epilogue and bullshit my way into Old Sport being able to apologize. Bear with me)

Forgiveness isn’t something you can work towards as a single person. It wasn’t like they hadn’t known that when they made their way to the first few restaurants, but it still always left a little crack behind in their optimism. Of course, there was nothing they could do about it. Freeing souls was actually a terribly ungrateful job, something that surprised Dave. Sure, Old Sport had warned him beforehand, but still. It stung. Not that Dave wasn’t on some level aware that he’s the one everyone’s anger was targeted at- for good reason, he had created this scenario in the first place- but a selfish part of him despised the kids for not playing along right away. Henry had told him back in the day that he needed to get a grip on his desire for instant satisfaction- and he was right. As much as Dave hated to think about it, he was right. There were things he easily lost patience with. Hell, he had pressured Old Sport far, far more than he should have. A sudden surge of stubbornness settled into his chest. It was FINE, it worked great with Old Sport. He didn’t do anything wrong. He DIDN’T. He’d do it again! … … that wasn’t the right attitude for a man on the road of redemption, but he couldn’t really help it yet. Deep down he hoped the attitude change would come with habit. There was no way he could get around to it on his own. Old Sport was… doing okay, all things considered. Being almost ripped out of your own body, because you resembled your worst enemy more than your former self was pretty- terrifying. So nowadays, he was… quiet. A little car chase always managed to rip him out of his thoughtful moments, returning the grin to the place it rightfully belonged, covering most of the Orange Guy’s face- but it was only moments, minutes, not long enough, not nearly long enough to satisfy him. Or at least calm him. Old Sport knew that too. When he glanced over at his friend- his partner, his lover, all these words that almost seemed to make no sense, they felt like weren’t supposed to be applied to HIM, him the soulless guy shambling from place to place- When he glanced at Dave, he saw the tension radiating off him like a swarm of bees. Even in his smile, it was clear, he wasn’t outright happy, he was- Like a bow, tightly strung, ready to escalate. There was nowhere left where he truly could let out his chaotic desires, as each Freddy’s they walked into was another mission that had to be done perfectly, like clockwork. Cheesy words, little theatrics, the same patterns over and over and over and over and over- It was what had driven Old Sport over the edge the first time. It wouldn’t happen again though. Maybe they should go to Vegas. However, he didn’t really want to let Dave loose anymore. Not now that their actions felt so… intertwined. Whatever Dave did, he felt responsible for, thus he tried to keep him in check. And now… … now he almost felt scared of Dave, from time to time. Now that he was trying to take the lead. It- wasn’t right. No, no. Fear, fear implied HE was the one afraid. This was different. Worry. He was worried for Dave and he worried for the world around him. But that was the price he paid for being moral and wanting things to work out for everyone. It felt a bit dirty, just picking up a morality, not due to experience and inner passion for these things, instead only because morals came as a set. Really, he still wasn’t a whole person. … at least he was working on it. “What’s wrong with ya, Sportsy?” Dave stretched his neck out towards him, drawing a smile out of the Orange Guy. Somehow seeing Dave becoming all- noodly- always brightened his day. “Nothing! Nothing. I was just thinking about the next place… apparently the Freddy’s burned down, but the animatronics are still in the area?” “Is that what the bear told ya?” “Yes. Which means setting up the party and getting them to stumble over it will be more dangerous than usually… we’ll have to lure them there. We miggt have to walk through the town while wearing the suit!” “Sounds like fun!” Slightly Old Sport smiled. This was something Dave still was great at. “… if you say so. You’re the only one who thinks of waltzing around in sweaty suits, while potentially being chased by dog as ‘fun’.” “Yeah, right- I’m just the only one of us who can admit it! That’s ‘cause ya can’t admit to your feelings, Sportsy! It took ya YEARS, DECADES to finally give into your BURNING DESIRE FOR ME-“ “Sh-shut up! Don’t be weird!” His cheeks were reddening as Dave laughed. This was the one way his constantly building up tension melted away. If he didn’t think for a few moments, the world seemed okay. “Welp, either way-“ The Purple Guy continued, pulling the car to the side. “- we’re at the destination. This is the burned down place. Wait- doesn’t burnin’ them usually free ‘em anyways? Ya know. If all stops have to come out?” “True. There are only two souls around, the one inside of Freddy and the one inside of Chica. The rest was freed by the fire.” “So, we’re dealin’ with two REALLY nasty bastard kids?” “You shouldn’t say that. That aside: yes, you’re right on the money.” “Urgh, those are the worst. Can’t we just break them and burn the pieces?” “No.” “I knew you’d say that Old Sport. Yet I’m STILL disappointed.” He sighed, as he parked to the side. Getting suited up as soon as they could, they looked around the forest area, the lights of the town far in the back, but still very much visible. No taking roads, yards were fine, forest first though. “… alright, this will take time.” Old Sport looked over the wrecks. “Good we have plenty of things to set up a little party anyways. Dave?” “Yessir?” “You go out and try to find them while I set up. We can’t really afford wasting too much time, especially if they might be genuinely vengeful.” “Splittin’ up? First mistake in the horror genre, tsk, tsk-“ “Sure, because either of us is at such a risk of ACTUALLY DYING. EVER.” He waved his hand at him. “At least stake the place out. So we know which places are easier to cross while seeking. And how much we roughly have to look over.” “Fiiiiiiine.” Clearly not pleased, but accepting of his role, Dave walked past him- Just to abruptly and grab Old Sport by the mask, pulling him close into a pretend-kiss, which was somehow even more flustering than an actual kiss. “DAVE!” “C’mon, somehow I gotta motivate myself, right?” Happy as can be, he nuzzled his snout against Old Sport’s, before letting go and skipping away. “Be back soon! Don’t cut any cake without me!” When he was gone, Old Sport slowly sighed. “He… won’t hurt anyone.” The suit echoed. ‘He won’t. As long as you won’t.’ Old Sport winced at the familiar voice- it was soft, caring, and so, so sad. “Fredbear-“ ‘The birthday, Old Sport. Birthday first.’ Nodding to himself, defeated, he pulled out the tools from within the car. Candles, banners, lights, plates and hats, a music player… … they were prepared to create a party out of nothing, out of a charred place of dirt, if they had to. Thankfully the walls were at least still mostly preserved. Ashes to ashes. Places like this reminded him of… “… I never apologized, Fredbear.” ‘That is true.’ “They were gone. I knew what Mike did, I just- couldn’t- I couldn’t face the Toys anymore. I didn’t even know their names. Mike knew their names, right?” ‘He did.’ “I can’t ask Mike. I can’t ask him for the names.” The words stumbled out of him. Fredbear tended to join him every time that they were setting up, not in his true form right away, but as a presence within the suit Old Sport had to wear. It was reassuring in some regard- But at the same time, the memories he brought Old Sport were suffocating. ‘You could.’ Old Sport wanted to scream, his busy hands still setting up, regardless of the conversation. “Yes. Yes I could. And I could kill Dave. And I could jump from a high building to try out to fly. And I could adopt twenty cats. And I could hijack a train. And I could- what is there I couldn’t do!? But I don’t want to, because I’m not dumb, I KNOW it’s wrong, I know it’s terrible, I know-“ Shortly he paused to take a breath. “There’s so much I could be, and nothing that I am, but I WANT to be something now. So I can’t.” For a moment it was silent, Fredbear not saying the many things he could have. Yet somehow, it felt as though he could still hear them. Spiteful whispers, stuck in the suit, banished from this place, but remaining as echoes. Nothing ever truly disappeared. He had stained the suit, and the suit had been stained by the one wearing it before him. Blood remained with any object, no matter how well you cleansed it. “… I need to apologize to them.” ‘So you can forget?’ His mind knew that Fredbear would never say something like this with spite, but it still cut him deep. “… so I can… know I did something right.” ‘We never can right our wrongs.’ “Since when did you become so cynical!?” ‘It is not cynical. There just are wrongs we cannot turn back the time on. Well- perhaps the dog could have, he never wanted to however. I have blood on my paws from making you, trusting a creature that never was a human… and I have damned a man to hell. And not even when I should have, only when it was too late.’ Finally, this managed to shut Old Sport up for good. Don’t look so hurt, other people have problems too. Except he didn’t have any problems. No, he was fine. It didn’t keep him awake at night. It didn’t bother him. Just the knowledge that there was something on his checklist to reach a goal he set himself, something that he would never be able to cross off, it irked him. Petty. A hint of sadness took ahold of him. “… how old are you, Fredbear? Or- were you, when you-“ ‘I lived many lives, those that joined me. Many more than I wanted to count. I feel so old, I cannot remember. And everyone I carry with me is so different too.’ “Alright then.” They were busy enough anyhow, trying to make the place look like new, like a place to feel happy at, to play and not to think about anything- Making it up. Celebrating the birthday they never had. Making a lie into a truth, a lure into a genuine gesture. Follow me. Old Sport did it once- now he played the part of Henry in the freeing missions. It was important to follow the old pattern, to overwrite it. Who would be doing the luring? Who would be cutting the cake? What games would they play? Fredbear kept quiet about it until they knew exactly where to go and all other preparations had been done. One thing at a time, he always said. “Fredbear?” Old Sport quietly asked. ‘Yes?’ “… can I- can I apologize to you? In their place I mean. Apologize to you like I would to them- just so- I have it out. And if you think it’s any good, then maybe you can tell them what I said.” ‘… it’s alright. We can do that.’ Understanding warmth- yet it didn’t feel like it was meant for him. He couldn’t accept it. At least this was something he was looking forward to- now he only had to figure out the right words to say. Lost in thought, he didn’t even realize how fast the time passed, until- “OLD SPORT!” Yelping the Orange Guy jumped, thankfully not triggering any springlocks. “DAVE! God- don’t- DO that!” Sheepishly the Purple Guy in the bunny suit tilted his head. “Sorry! Sorry Sportsy, really am, but I have- good news and bad news.” “Bad news?” “Ain’t nothing ya can do here.” Instantly turning more serious, Dave shook his head. “These are mine and mine alone. I guess I was really… passionate about the whole shutting down Freddy’s stuff. I lured them on my own. You can’t even be nearby.” His voice was so different. So much smoother, more clinical. It was nice and yet it wasn’t. Old Sport nodded. “… good news?” Perking up, back to his usual self, he pointed into the woods. “I know where they are! And I know how to lure ‘em, seein’ as they fuckin’ hate each other!” “… so two lost souls hate each other and you see that as a win?” “Yeah! It’ll be great! I can tell ‘em to meet here to fight and then- oh.” He scratched his fake ear. “… actually, now that ya say it, it might be a bit more of a hassle.” His expression turned pleading. “Spoooortsyyyyyy…? Ya always have such good ideas, so…?” “Depends on why they hate each other. Why are they fighting?” The pressure was on! “Uhm. How about you do actually send them here to fight, for one last time. Tell them that you’ll solve the fight once and for all. I think it will be the truth.” “Great!” “But Dave- remember- they might be fighting about who is at fault for their death. You… sure you want to get between that?” “Eh. It’s fine. If they’re upset about that, then it’ll be even easier to get them to calm down. Ain’t nobody’s fault they died but mine!” A hint of envy stung through Old Sport’s chest. “… you… really don’t mind, do you?” “Nah. It’s fine.” Curiously Dave looked at him. “They’ll give me a good beatin’, then they’ll be on their merry way. I dealt with worse pain before!” “That’s… not what I meant.” He said to much, and turning away didn’t help- Within a second, Dave’s hands were on him, as he pulled his orange lover closer, petting over the back of his head, a gesture he could feel even through the layer of metal and fur. “… did Fredbear bully you again? You should take the suit off.” “He never bullied me.” “He’s telling you stuff that upsets you! Over and over again!” Upset Dave scoffed. “Sounds like mistreatment to me! I’m telling you, if he gets too much, we’ll just get rid of him. We’ll figure the saving souls stuff out ourselves!” “I KNOW you would get rid of him.” That was exactly why he didn’t talk about it. “See? You know you can count on me!” For a moment Old Sport remained tense- then he slowly melted into the hug, trying to relax. “… I’m- Fredbear really didn’t do anything. I’m taking the suit off in a bit, when I’m sure he has nothing more to say- but it’s not the problem anyways.” He sighed, to himself. “You shrug it off so easily. I want to do it too. Or- I would want to, if I weren’t-“ It was hard to put it into words with Dave, who never really saw the world how he did. Once more he attempted. “If I’d do the thing I’d do, I would become worse for it. Worse and worse. I would do more bad things. So I’m- worried about messing up. I worry that if I start shrugging it off, I’ll never care in the first place.” It was obvious Dave frowned, even with the mask. “… I- don’t get it. Gotta be honest with you, Sportsy. Why do you think if you don’t make yourself feel a certain way, you’ll feel the exact opposite way? You’re yourself and do what you think feels right. Why would one bad thing lead to another? Unless you wanted to do all these bad things anyways? You don’t have to pretend with me.” “I… guess. But we made a deal. We’re freeing them. What happens after that…” Stumbling over his words Old Sport tried to gather himself. “I want to be someone. Someone better than who I am.” “… but if you want to be someone you deem good, it means you by yourself think that person is good. You, for yourself, have decided you like these traits. So if you want to be someone, then only because you can recognize what’s in them from something that’s within you.” “Dave, you’re scaring me when you’re this serious.” The big, moon-like eyes inside of the suit slimmed down to match a cheeky grin. “Ya can say that Old Sport, and I can dumb myself down for ya! Stop worryin’, dunce, leave all of that to me. I’ll be able to reel ya in if ya ever go off the rails!” Raising an eyebrow, the Orange Guy looked at him. “… you kill people for fun and profit.” “Yeah, but that ain’t a BIG deal, right? I can let ya stay home while I do it.” Playfully Dave responded, before turning away. “You need to have some more faith in me Old Sport… and for now, nothin’ of this matters! Let’s free some souls! Or rather, let ME free some souls, while ya have a nice evening. Watch some stars! Is everything ready for the party?” “All is set up!” “Fantastic, that’s why I love ya, Old Sport!” Instantly flustered, the Old Sport made a movement at him. “Quit saying that at EVERY opportunity!” “What?! Why?! I just say it when it’s true! Like when you laugh, when you make breakfast, when you burn breakfast, when you talk to me on the road, when you-“ “DAVE. EYES ON THE PRICE.” “You’re the only price I-“ “D A V E.” “Fine, fine, be the killjoy. That’s why I lov-“ “GET GOING. THE NIGHT ISN’T FOREVER.” “Sure, sure!” Waving at him and still laughing, Dave made his way down the hill, leaving the bear-suited guy inside of the ruin that was covered in glitter and lights. He had taken off the suit. Stargazing for now. Music came from the ruins of the old Freddy’s, music and light, glimpses of another world. It radiated outside in waves, catching up even the place where he and Fredbear sat. Soon enough he would change his form, leaving to join the two spirits. At least so far there wasn’t any screaming or crying, or fighting- it means whatever Dave had said to them or done with them worked out. Old Sport wished he could have joined them. Maybe he wouldn’t be caught up in all these thoughts still. “… Fredbear? Do you think what Dave said was right?” It was silent for a moment. Then the bear suit shifted a little, seeming more energized in presence of the party. ‘… no. But he is not entirely wrong either. Being good does not come naturally… and neither does being bad.’ Once more, quiet. The stars seemed a little bit closer than usually. “Fredbear. I want… I think I can say my apology now.” Wind breezed through the trees around them, sounding like whisper. Maybe mocking him? But all of a sudden, he felt a deep calm. Maybe mocking. Maybe expecting. No matter what, he would say what he needed to. ‘Go ahead.’ There was no soul to reach into, but his heart was still beating, still working, still doing its jobs. The heart could be wrong and harmful and petty. Perhaps even evil. It was better than nothing however, it was the one thing he had in contrast to Henry. “I… wanted to apologize.” He started. His voice quiet. “… and it won’t be a good apology, because what I want to apologize for isn’t something that… you CAN apologize for. I’ve been trying to find the right words for a while now, but there aren’t any. At least though, I can offer you a why. Why I did what I did. Something so wrong and cruel. I… did it, because it didn’t feel real. And that is abhorrent, I know exactly why, because now it is real, what I did was real, IS real, what I did to five real kids, who had their own lives, that I just TOOK away. It’s not fair, I shouldn’t have been able to do that. It’s insane to think that I could have done so, that the universe let me do it. God, I wish I could do something to make it up for you. That I somehow could replace everything I took. Yet, I can’t. I can’t even ask you what I could offer you. I’d let you borrow my body, wear me like a skinsuit, I’d bring you things that remind you of better times, more peaceful times, something that makes all the hurt go away for a few moments. This apology is one of the few things I can do for you, something I wanted to do for you for a while. I wanted to be there for the party. But I know I shouldn’t have, so I didn’t. … carried around these words and feelings with me for a while. I hope that wherever you are- knowing that I’m paying for what I did, every day a little. There’s justice in this world, even if it looks weird and doesn’t come around right away.” For a moment he paused, staring at the shining stars, that didn’t seem to care. “… I wish… I wish you all have forgotten me already. That would be right. Yes, I hope wherever you are, you don’t even remember the day. I hope you’re having fun and that you are free, that everything is just right, that I’m a nobody now and will stay that way forever- that you only remember those who were kind to you and made your life better. I hope you’re happy and I’m inconsequential. And I will keep paying and giving my best. So that you leave in your wake only good things.” His head hurt. This hasn’t been a good apology- but it was all out there now. He said what felt right to say. He said the things that he wished that they knew, deep down, even if he wasn’t the one saying it to them. Next to him, the real Fredbear stood up, shaking his golden fur, before putting one of his paws onto Old Sport’s shoulder. “THE PARTY NEEDS ME NOW. I WILL GET GOING.” “… yeah. Thank you Fredbear. Bring the kids somewhere nice, will you?” “I WILL.” With that the bear trotted off- Leaving Old Sport to gaze at the stars. At some point, someone sat down beside him. Then someone else. Then another one joined in. And a last. They didn’t forgive him. This was not something you could forgive. But they sat with him until the dawn broke, sun touching the grass, coloring it orange.

Someone needs to put down a wet floor sign because Tucker’s pretty sure his heart has melted into a puddle around his shoes.

Or, Tucker gets to see Wash interact with children, including Junior, for the first time ever and, to quote Grif, he's so fucked.

--

Merry Christmas @washingtubb!  I hope you enjoyed this fluffy Blue Team bonding with just a pinch of Tuckington thrown in for good measure. Thanks for being so patient with this fic getting posted. @redvsbluesecretsanta

--

“Have you guys seen Junior?” Tucker asks, poking his head into the common room.

Carolina, who is sat perfectly still on the couch and in the process of having her long hair braided by three children, glances Tucker’s way without turning her head.

“He was with Caboose’s group earlier,” she says, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face. “In the mess hall.”

“Yeah, apparently they got told to leave because Grif tried to organize the kids into storming the kitchen. The things that guy will do for chocolate pudding.”

“BLARG!” Cries one of the twin Sangheili infants in Carolina’s lap. She rubs the alien’s back soothingly and raises an eyebrow at Tucker in a silent question.

“She’s ready for a nap,” Tucker translates.

There haven’t been a whole lot of opportunities for Tucker to exercise his Sangheili conversation skills on Chorus. That all changed two days ago when a ship full of Sangheili and human refugees landed, fleeing their own war-ravaged planet halfway across the galaxy. They had received Epsilon’s message and come seeking help because the reported conditions on their planet made Chorus seem like an idyllic paradise. Among the refugees were an almost comical number of children, outnumbering the adults six to one. The situation became a lot less funny when you realized 80 percent of the children were orphans.

“Here,” Tucker says, pulling out his datapad and selecting a playlist of classic Sangheili nursery rhymes. “They’ll recognize these. Puts ‘em right to sleep. You’ll have the songs stuck in your head for days, though.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Carolina gives a crooked smile as she accepts the datapad. “Can’t be worse than the crap Wash listens to.”

“Speaking of Wash, any idea where he’s hiding?”

Carolina cocks her head—as much as she can considering one of the aliens curled up against her shoulder is batting at her braid like a particularly curious cat. The kids finish up on her hair, and a little boy passes Carolina a pink hand mirror. Tucker bites his lip to keep from laughing as the Freelancer turns her head this way and that, inspecting the no less than eight messy braids sticking off her head at ridiculous angles.

“Looks great,” Carolina whispers, causing the kids to giggle and blush.

She turns her attention back to Tucker. “What makes you think Wash is hiding?”

“I don’t know, have you seen what it’s like out there?” Tucker asks, gesturing towards a window overlooking the track where groups of kids are playing frisbee or jumping rope, supervised by the lieutenants. “I’m having trouble keeping up, and I’m a dad!”

“Eh,” Carolina shrugs, “you’d be surprised.” She looks around at the cluster of children, “Do you remember our deal?”

The kids nod excitedly.

“If we take a nap, you’ll show us how to punch good!” A girl with wilting daisies woven into her hair punches the air, beaming.

Carolina raises an eyebrow. “And the rule?”

“Only in s-self, um,” lisps the boy missing his two front teeth, “s-self defenssse!”

“That’s right,” Carolina says, tapping the datapad. Plucky music starts to play as the kids curl up on the couch. She looks over at Tucker.

“Try the barracks,” she tells him. “They might have gone to get Caboose’s crayons and coloring books.”

“Thanks,” Tucker says, tossing a salute her way as he backs out the door. “Let me know if you need another teacher for punching class.”

“Sure thing. Watch out for—”

“HONK BLARG!”

A dark shape shoots out from under the couch and latches on to Tucker’s leg before he has time to blink.

“Holy fu—” Tucker catches himself. “Fudgsicles. Holy fudgsicles. Definitely what I was going to say. Right, little buddy?”

The small Sangheili wrapped around his leg hoots happily and starts gnawing on his boot laces.

“I think she’s teething,” Carolina explains. “Her brother is with Caboose’s group. Mind taking her with you?”

“No problem,” Tucker says, lifting his foot to get a better look at the alien. “And what’s your name, champ?”

“Firo 'Srattin,” yawns the little girl draped over Carolina’s shoulder.

“Strattin,” muses Tucker. “Good, strong clan name. Well, come on, Firo. Let’s go find your brother.”

“Say goodbye to Captain Tucker,” Carolina tells the children. A chorus of honks and goodbyes follows the teal soldier out of the room.

In the hall, Tucker looks down at his passenger. She’s given up on his laces and is now digging through his cargo pants pocket looking for snacks.

“All right,” Tucker says. “Which way should we try first, hm?”

Firo sniffs the air for a moment before pointing down the hall. “BLARG!”

“The barracks? Good choice. Let’s roll out, soldier.”

It ends up being a long walk to the barracks—and not just because Tucker has a honking deadweight wrapped around one leg.

Passing the empty lot behind the mess hall, he and Firo walk past the Reds organizing a game of football for the kids, and the pair promptly get roped into playing referees. They leave at halftime while Donut’s group of kids performs an impromptu cheerleading routine (The man’s created surprisingly passable pompoms out of old caution tape).

Despite the rest of the base swarming with children, the barracks are oddly quiet.

“I could’ve sworn they’d be here,” Tucker tells Firo after checking Caboose’s room and finding it empty.

“BLARG,” she agrees around a mouthful of a granola bar—wrapper included.

“I mean, I guess we could check bomb disposal range. Maybe they’re playing fetch with Freckles?”

“BLARG?”

“No, fetch with Freckles basically involves vaporizing tennis balls straight out of the sky. So, there’s no real ‘fetching’ happening.”

“BLARG CHONK.”

“I know, right? That’s what I said!”

“CHONKA CHONKA.”

“Watch the language!” Tucker chides. “I don’t want the parents thinking I taught you that.”

Just then, Firo perks up, her large grey snout sniffing the air intently.

Tucker stops walking. “What is it? Did you get their scent aga—whoa, hold up!”

In the blink of an eye, Firo lets go of Tucker’s leg and tears off down the hall.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Tucker calls, sprinting after her. “Firo 'Srattin, get back here! If you had a middle name, you bet I’d be using it right now!”

Firo only stops long enough to stick her tongue out at the sim trooper before racing away down another corridor.

“Why you little,” Tucker mutters to himself and looks up at the ceiling. “Mom, if this is what I was like as a kid, I am so sorry. Firo!”

Tucker skids around a corner just in time to see Firo squeeze through an ajar door and disappear inside.

“Oh fuck,” Tucker groans, picking up speed. He hisses. “Firo! Get out here! That’s somebody’s room, and they don’t want to wake up to an alien chewing on their socks!”

The maze of two-person bunk rooms all looks the same to Tucker, so he’s halfway up the hall before he realizes the alien just escaped into his room. His and Wash’s room.

“Damn it,” Tucker mumbles, screeching to a halt outside the door, a hesitant hand on the handle.

Okay, okay. No need to panic. Maybe Firo hasn’t turned any of Wash’s meager possessions into chew toys yet. The Freelancer isn’t one for trinkets or homely touches. If it wasn’t for Tucker, the man would still be living out of his footlocker rather than the closet and chest of drawers available to him. But that means any nonessential items Wash does keep around are all the more meaningful. Like Caboose’s messy drawings or the ugly-ass cat figurine that Tucker carved him out of a bar of soap (“No, no, Tucker, I appreciate the gift. It’s a cute giraffe.” “It’s supposed to be a cat!” “Uh, cat. Right. That’s what I said.”)

“Alright, whose turn is it to turn the page?”

Tucker freezes. Fucking of course Wash is hiding out in the desolate barracks while the base is swarming with children. Tucker’s never seen him interact with someone younger than the lieutenants outside of a military setting. You don’t exactly see a whole lot of kindergarteners toddling around an active military base (Caboose doesn’t count). Long story short, Tucker has been putting off even introducing him to Junior because everything about Wash; his anxiety, his control-freak nature, his stickler-for-the-rules attitude; screams that he and children do not mix.

So who the hell is Wash talking to?

“BLARG!” A high-pitched Sangheili voice shouts.

Tucker’s brow furrows. He’s just about to push the door open when someone else speaks up.

“It’s Ure’s turn,” a young voice translates.

“Alright, Ure, you can do the honors,” Wash says. “Careful this time.”

Tucker hears the sound of a page being turned.

“Great, where were we? Right,” Wash clears his throat. “The BR55HB Service Rifle entered service in 2548 and is employed as a medium-to-long-range marksman rifle.”

The fuck?

“Though its barrel is longer than that of the BR55, the weapon performs almost identically to its predecessor,” Wash continues. “The magazine housing is built directly into the underside of the stock of the rifle and is located behind the grip. And look, here’s a picture.”

That’s it; Tucker can’t stop himself from sneaking a peek around the door.

Wash is sat on the floor, leaning back against his cot. And around him are no less than twelve children and young Sangheili, cuddled up against him, hanging off his arms, sprawled across his lap, and peering over his shoulders at the yellowed paper gun manual in his hands. After turning the book for everyone to see the battle rifle diagram, Wash goes back to reading,

“Though the BR55HB SR is a select-fire weapon, it is most often used in its three-round burst mode.”

“This is my favorite part,” whispers Caboose to the three kids comfortably sharing his lap.

“Despite firing a very powerful cartridge, the weapon is subject to little recoil, even when being fired automatically.”

Curled up in the arms of one of the Sangheili is Firo, happily sucking on her brother’s shirt as she listens to Wash read with rapt attention, along with the rest of the children. Huddled up among them sits Junior, head resting in his hands as he drowsily listens with a content smile on his face.

Someone needs to put down a wet floor sign because Tucker’s pretty sure his heart has melted into a puddle around his shoes.

“Whose turn is it to turn the page now?” Wash asks, and a tiny boy pulls his thumb out of his mouth just long enough to raise his hand.

Wash smiles, and it’s so warm and natural Tucker momentarily forgets how to breathe. “Want some help?”

Thumb back in his mouth, the boy nods, and the Freelancer helps him turn the page with his free, chubby little hand.

“Great job. Now, it fires M634 X-HP-SAP round from a 36-round magazine, which fits flush in the receiver...”

Suddenly, Grif is there next to Tucker, whispering. “You’re so fucked, dude.”

Tucker startles so hard he stumbles face-first into the door. He turns to glare at Grif who disappears into his own room next door with a little wave. Tucker turns back around to find he’s accidentally pushed the door open and the entire room staring at him.

“I, uh, just...Firo!” Tucker recovers quickly. “There you are! I’ve been, ah, looking everywhere for you. Yeah.” Hell yeah. Fucking smooth. Definitely doesn’t sound like you’ve been creeping outside the door.

Wash has gone bright red. “I, uh. There aren’t any, er, kids books on base,” he stammers and starts to stand up. “They kept asking to read this one cause it has pictures. It’s stupid, I kno—”

“What happens next?”

“I—” Wash stops. His brow furrows. “What happens what?”

“What happens next?” Tucker asks again, coming to sit cross-legged on the floor beside Junior. “Dude, you can’t leave us in suspense. I gotta know who lives happily ever after, right guys?” He winks at the kids who giggle. Junior slings a massive arm around his father’s shoulders and pulls him close.

Wash just sits there, ears and cheeks still tinged with red. “You’re sure?” he asks, narrowing his eyes in the way he does when he’s trying to figure out if Tucker’s fucking with him or not.

Tucker settled in, leaning back against his son. “Just read the story, dude,” he says, grinning.

Wash flips the manual open, laughing under his breath. “Okay then,” he concedes. “Section 1.4 Service History. The introduction of the BR55HB SR led to an immediate increase in the BR55's popularity, prompting all branches of the UNSC Armed Forces, except the Army, to replace the M392 with the newer weapon...”

Startled by the sound of his door opening, Lana turned after making her last adjustments. She’d been hanging his birthday gift by his window, a prime spot for the breeze to stir if the latch was undone. Strung up on a homemade mobile, one she’d recruited the help of various minions to make, dangled twelve separate origami animals, each a different colour. All had a personalised message from one of Dom’s friends, if you spread the paper flat to read them.

Ducky’s said ‘cool guy :)’ and was folded into a bear. Navy white pinstripe. 

Philly’s only had a little goblin doodled on holding a fistful of socks. The paper was an expensive kind, white with mint and lilac glitter. Folded into a caterpillar. Lana liked this one because caterpillar’s have butterflies inside them and she feels the magic in Philly is sourly overlooked by the general population -- she’s the most likely person Lana knows to sprout wings and fly away.

Viktor’s was far too explicit with a recurring mention of cock. It could not be included in the gift.

Maggie’s was a wolf. Lana drew a little smiley face below the snout that wasn’t quite fitting, but it felt friendlier, that way, more Maggie -- paired with a dainty floral paper, too. It had a quote written on from Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. “She rested her head against his and felt, for the first time, what she would often feel with him: a self-affection. He made her like herself.” It finished with “love you, Maggie x”. 

Marlowe’s was a tiger. Flame orange, eye catching. On it, it said: ‘anyone who's put up with my shit for almost four years deserves a medal of some kind... like pinned to their lapel and personally engraved and everything. i got outbid on ebay so I don't have a fancy medal to give you...so instead i'll just say, you're a good guy dom evans! and I hope you have a fucking awesome birthday man. if anyone deserves only good things its you :)‘.

Rosa’s was folded into a monkey. Pink paper, in the end, because Rosa makes Lana think of love and blushing and sunsets. ‘dom i can't believe you're 23 today, you're an old man now!!! when i was just an embarrassing 12 year old and made those happy 15th bday shirts for you i was so obsessed with you because a small part of you thought you were an angel on earth and you'd come to protect me but it's nice to know now that we can protect each other. i'm still going to wear those 15th bday shirts for the rest of the week so everyone knows, i think your life is the most celebration worthy thing in existence. and if you want to know i am, in fact, hoping that i never marry so that by the time i'm 35 we can just run off together, preferably with franklin in tow, and have a worry free life, it's what you deserve. i love you forever dominic james evans!!!‘

Kasey’s was a fish in a pastel shade, sweet like a ripe peach. ‘Happy birthday Dom, you're the best of the best!!‘

Jude’s was a sloth. Deeper blue. Lana hassled him to write Dom one despite the fact they aren’t even particularly close. On it, he wrote: ‘Dunno you that well but you seem alright. Lana’s pacing as I write, clearly riled her up enough. Saw your ass in full view, high definition. Was decent. Good work soldier. Back to the trenches. Happy birth and shit.’.

Gunner’s was a dog. She did her best to capture the essence of a golden retriever with yellow paper, given that this was his family pet’s breed. Notably, she drew a very large dick onto the origami between it’s legs -- assuring Gunner Paxton’s legacy wasn’t overlooked. ‘in first year i had a hard time making friends and you saw me struggling in the caf when i sprained my wrist so you offered to help me cut up my food and i thought it was weird but it was the first time a stranger showed me care in such a specific way now i always feel cared for with you and it's nice so thanks for being you and happy bday‘.

Jack’s was a lion. Below the paper mane Lana wrote ‘NOT UGLY’ in small, block font, almost fashioned like a collar. The paper was faded black and white, referee striped -- tribute to his time coaching little league. Unfolded, it says: ‘dearest cousin Dominic, you are my favorite cousin even when you peed on me that one time at the beach because you said it would keep the jellyfish away. thank you for always throwing the football around with me and even being okay with it if i threw it too hard and it hit your nose and made it bleed and we had to tell my dad you tripped over a rock. happy birthday let’s get fucked! Love Your Best Friend, Jack Hall :P’.

Will’s was a shark, folded from paper slicked to look like an oil spill, gleaming in the light -- dark and technicolour, all at once. Lana drew sunglasses over the eyes. ‘sorry i tried to dye your hair purple that one time. you're kind of great even if statistically you shouldn't be since you're an RA. that's fucking bizarre of you, by the way. you seem to be one of those people that's genuinely good which is also fucking bizarre but i figure if anyone around here deserves a good year, it's you. happy fucking birthday don't die xoxo‘

Marla’s was a pigeon. Oxblood red. She wanted a vicious city-dwelling creature that feasted on the flesh of abandoned McDonald’s fries. ‘you are more worthy than a thousand plates of ikea meatballs. you can seize life by the balls. the meatballs. extended meatball metaphor. you are a leaf floating on an amber river. you are a cherry blossom caught in a ceiling fan. if auras existed yours would be INCREDIBLY fucking sexy. you will live a long life and father approximately 333.3 children.’

Noah’s was a sky blue dog with a doodled strand of wheat from it’s mouth. ‘hey man happy birthday :) not to get all sappy but im really grateful to know you. don't know if luck is real but if it is, hope this brings you some of the best of it there is’. A drawing of a little four leaf clover after the message.

There was a thirteenth string without anything attached and Lana almost took it as an omen of how unlucky it was, her opening up in this way, how much she’d come to see it as a curse. But she held it in her hands, anyway. A swan as white as the Betta fish she’d pointed out as him at the aquarium. Wishing star white. Whiter than an angel. The most Dom paper she could think to fold it from, when she woke up and realised she’d been dreaming about him. 

“Hey,” she breathed with a laugh, cat burglar caught with the ruby in gloved hands. By all practical accounts, she’d broken and entered. “Charmed my way in. Wanted to, um... Was meant to be a surprise, like, an in and out job, and... I told some other RA Gunner left his inhaler here and he went all crazed, like, Action Man, whipping out a master key. Totally Oscar worthy. Should probably... let him know Gunner isn’t dead, later, but. Wanted to give you your present. It’s, um... I mean, it’s everyone,” came as she sifted gently at Philly’s caterpillar, smile bubbling to the surface. “I got them all to write you stuff. It isn’t, like, crazy, or anything, but.” Lana wet her lips, excitement overflowing -- she couldn’t seem to smother her smile. “This... is mine.” That did it. It faded as her eyes dropped. She pinched the swan delicately in both hands, then, blood rushing in her ears -- it provided amusing contrast, the coy blush in her cheeks with the devil horns she’d slid into her hair, a costume nobody had asked for. “Kinda wrote it... a while ago. It’s -- I don’t know,” she second guessed, laughing again at how dumb she was sure she sounded. Gestures like this always scared her, when she really meant them, felt like far too much. “You can read it, if you wanna.” @domfm​

Emogust 09.08 — Stubbornness

For the last prompt (of the first week) of DCMK Emogust 09.08 — Stubbornness!!

A/N: Not sure if this fits the stubbornness theme but once I pictured them as kitties I just couldn’t stop squealing internally. I mean, who could resist kittens!AU?? So I had to do this because this is the only way I know how and I can’t for the life of me draw anything nice /cries/ @mintchocolateleaves @sup-poki 

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that anyone in possession of a kitten must constantly be in need of new blankets. And curtains. Or something like that. Maybe it’s just my kitten, Ran thinks, as she regards her curtains sadly. They have threads sticking out every way all along the bottom hems.

Shinichi has shredded the ends of her new ones, and while these not quite brand new, at least they weren’t so obviously scruffy before Shinichi came along. Gathering the curtains, she tucks them up on the handles of her French doors out of Shinichi’s reach before turning to the kitten in question.

Shinichi has magically gone from ripping around the apartment when Ran first came home to sitting quietly in a corner with his head cocked to one side. He is a picture of cuteness. Spoiled cat knows he’s in trouble. His eyes are shining bright as if they’re glittering, making him look harmless and innocent. Ran knows better.

But Ran has a huge heart so she picks Shinichi up and sits him in the crook of her elbow, before tapping him on his velvety nose, saying “Don’t rip up the curtains ever again, okay?”

She stares into Shinichi’s blue eyes. Blue eyes stare back at her. Ran stares some more. She’s not going to lose to this cat again! Finally Shinichi looks away first. First ever win since Shinichi’s been with her! Small victories win the battle~, Ran tells herself as she carries Shinichi into the kitchen, placing him on the counter.

“What shall we have today? Chicken and turkey casserole or grilled seafood feast?” She asks Shinichi, chucking him on the chin. Ran pulls out two cans of cat food and sets them in front of Shinichi. She watches as Shinichi sniffs one, sniffs the other, and then instead walks toward the bag of rotisserie chicken Kazuha has brought over earlier for dinner.

Against the advice of the vet at the shelter, Ran ends up sharing bits of her chicken with Shinichi. If he goes bald early it is definitely his own fault for being so cute anyway.

---

Kazuha’s the one who wanted a cat first.

“I think having a pet will help alleviate my stress levels and provide me some company. At least that’s what Aoko-chan says.” She told Ran enthusiastically over coffee one day. Across from them, Sonoko made a face, “But then you’re gonna have to feed it and clean up its mess. Sounds like a lot more trouble to me.”

“She does look happier lately since she got Kaito,” Ran noted. About a month prior, while the four of them were on their way back from their weekly routine of doing grocery shopping together they had passed by a pet adoption event. She immediately had her eyes set on a stunning white Manx cat and decided to adopt it the moment it opened its blue eyes and stared back at her. The name displayed on its cage was “Kaito” and she never bothered to come up with a new name for him.

That’s how they end up on a Saturday morning at their local cat shelter, watching two kittens chase each other around in a pen. They run many rounds before the dark chocolate one abruptly stops in its tracks and turns to bat the cream kitten on the head, hard. The other kitten is stunned for a moment, and then suddenly the high-speed chase turns into a round of head-bopping. Kazuha is confused. Will there be bloodshed any moment? She turned to look at Ran, is this how cats usually show affection?

They turn to ask the shelter staff and not a minute later when they turn their heads back, the cream kitten now has the head of the other kitten cradled between its paws, very diligently licking the tuft of dark brown fur sticking out from its head.

Kazuha watches with some disquietude as Ran squats so that her face is nearer to the kittens and makes cooing noises. The brown kitten’s eyes fly open and Kazuha swears he’s glaring at her for interrupting him. On the other hand, the cream Birman kitten now just looks sleepy, like all that has worn him out. He’s flopped onto the floor, one paw curled possessively over the other kitten’s neck. 

When Ran reaches down to pick up the cream kitten and cuddle it against her cheek, the brown one gives a sort of squeaking noise, and peeked his eyes open and shut it close again, not making any effort to get up. Kazuha makes a squealing noise herself, but for very different reasons. Surprisingly though, instead of lashing out at Ran’s face, the kitten starts making this odd whirring noise, and rubs his head against Ran’s cheek. He’s got really light brown markings around his eyes and snout.

“This one’s name is Shinichi!” Ran says brightly, immediately sold. 

Somehow, they end up taking both kittens. The chocolate one latches onto Kazuha’s sweater, snuggling into the soft wool when Kazuha picks him up. That’s when Kazuha notices he has tiny white socks on all his four paws.

“Snowfrost Socks would be a fitting name for him, Kazuha-chan!” suggested Ran. 

“I’m not calling him Snowfrost Socks, Ran-chan.”

Kazuha can hear the pout.

She lifts her kitten to eye level and looks into his dark green eyes. “It says here that his name is Heiji.” She grinned.

---

Ran regards the kitten which has been super active since she brought him home. She’d set up his bed for the night and shown him where his water bowl is. After the tour was done, he had promptly jumped onto Ran’s favorite plush bean bag chair and jumped down onto the carpet, before jumping up again. Seems like he’s found his spot.

“You’ll have to give them extra love and attention as they have abandonment issues from being abandoned by their mother.” That’s what the shelter staff told them. She’s not sure how to show extra love to a cat that literally does nothing but nap.

So she leaves Shinichi to it, and sets up her laptop to get some work done on an overdue paper. Barely five minutes into it, Ran feels something pulling on her pajama pants. She looks down to find Shinichi sitting at her feet, the claws of one paw hooked onto the hem of her right pant leg. Absentmindedly, she reaches out a hand to pat Shinichi on the head, once, twice, then resumes her typing.

Then it happens again. 

So she lifts Shinichi up onto her desk and coos over him for a bit, scratching his chin and tickling him behind his ears until he’s purring and pliant on the desk, eyes drooped close. When Shinichi looks like he’s fallen back asleep, Ran returns to her report.

But Shinichi wakes up again. This time, he thinks it’s a good idea to jump up and step on her keyboard. Her laptop makes a number of alarming noises and Ran scrunched her nose up. She shifts Shinichi off the laptop four times before she decides he’s probably not going to get any work done until she gives Shinichi some attention. 

Ran suddenly realizes this must be those abandonment issues coming into play! Picking him up, she moves them both to the shag rug in her living room and pulls out the catnip mouse she had gotten together with the other supplies earlier.

Shinichi only gives a couple of half-hearted pats at the mouse however, before he flops onto the rug, asleep. Ran watches the kitten sleeping, waits until it seems like he’s properly fallen asleep and sneaks back to her work.

Fifteen minutes tops. Shinichi is back at her ankles mewling again.

Ran discovers a pattern with her new kitten. Shinichi only wants attention when she’s trying to get things done on her laptop, or cooking herself some dinner—basically any time she is not playing with him means it’s petting time! 

Rana keeps repeating to herself, “abandonment issues, abandonment issues” and puts up with Shinichi’s stubbornness. He makes up for it when he snuggles up against Ran’s neck at night, warm and cozy, his steady purr a lullaby to them both.

---

Heijii is bristling on the couch, his fur still ruffled from his earlier freak-out, hissing and scratching at Sonoko when she’d tried to pick him up. Kazuha adds “precious baby kitty” to the list of names he must remember to tell visitors not to call Heiji.

Half speaking to herself, half to Heiji, Kazuha says, “I’m going to stay forever single if this keeps up.”

First it had been this guy whom Kazuha had invited in after their date. He was rather persistent and insisted they dove straight into a make-out session. He abruptly left because Heiji had bitten his ankles when he placed a hand onto Kazuha’s lap. She tried to reason that Heiji was just being territorial—Kazuha’s lap is usually his after all. Teruaki-kun lasted longer, but that was also probably because he was less aggressive. Heiji had leapt up to his thighs, claws digging into his jeans only when he’d suggested to Kazuha, “Why don’t you put your kitty in the bathroom? I don’t feel comfortable when he’s staring at us like that.”

Usually they get the most angry when instead of immediately tending to their wounds, Kazuha picks Heiji and asks, alarmed, “Did you get any blood under your claws?!”

“Hygiene is very important for growing young cats,” she tells Sonoko, the only one among them without a kitten. “Especially since they’ve been abandoned by their mother, there’s no one to teach him to clean out his paws properly so I have to be extra careful.”

Kazuha insists the problem must lie with those guys. Heijii has never scratched her in his life, he's only ever had sweet cuddles from her precious baby kitten. 

(Albeit being really grumpy at times, more often than not.)

When Kazuha forgets to feed him some snacks, Heiji starts wailing, a whining pathetic mewl that sounds a lot like crying. The same thing happens whenever her attention is divided and lies on anything else other than him. Really, this kitten could be extremely stubborn. But once Kazuha leaves what she’s doing to attend to Heiji, the kitten doesn’t seem that interested in playing with her. 

Some days she comes home after a having a really bad time at school, or work, or both. But whenever she sees Heiji’s tiny face relaxing as she scratches the back of his ears though, her heart always melts, along with her bad mood. Heiji could be rough to visitors (Kazuha fails to notice that it’s mostly toward male presence only) but he’s actually a really big softie. He has truly won her heart.

---

Playdates for Shinichi and Heiji usually end up with hours of cleaning for whoever hosts. The two go absolutely mad around each other, tearing around whatever room they are in, displaying some form of kitty-parkour as they vault over side tables, bounce off armchairs and balance on ledges, knocking over anything in the way. Kazuha and Ran soon learn to put away breakable objects and secure anything that can moved by a 4-pound kitten any time Shinichi and Heiji get together but collectively they still manage to smash uncountable bowls, many vases, and notably one extremely expensive frame from Kazuha’s father, a half dozen coffee mugs and—Ran sort of loses track along the way.

It’s Ran who has the bright idea to ask Aoko if they could have a playdate with her cat. Kazuha feels pretty anxious at first, since her kitten has a reputation of attacking random people at times. It’s only ever been Shinichi and Heiji, because they seem to be very close even back in their shelter days. Ran has no worries about Shinichi getting along with Aoko’s kitten, mainly because Shinichi is pretty reserved and doesn’t really bother anyone but her.

From what she’s head from Ran and Kazuha, their kittens are fairly possessive of each other and their owners. Indeed they look strikingly different, but Aoko gathers for herself that both cats are pretty similar as far as cat-personality goes. Her own kitten, Kaito, is nowhere as guarded as Shinichi and Heiji but he has his own fair share of stubbornness that she has to deal with. 

Unlike Shinichi and Heiji, Kaito is good at socializing with humans, especially with the ladies. He never seems to mind whenever any of Aoko’s girl friends pet him on his head, or stroke his fur, or pick him up and cuddle him around. Kaito is very welcoming and likes receiving any attention from anyone. Aoko often brings Kaito along with her on their girls days out because he’s such a friendly kitten. 

Sonoko adores Kaito so much so that she always squishes him to her cheeks and chest whenever she sees him. “It’s something about Kaito that’s so charming,” Sonoko gushed on one sunday afternoon when they were out in the usual coffeeshop (pet-friendly, yes). Aoko doesn’t get to hold him much whenever Sonoko is around because the latter often insist for the kitten to be held by her. The short-haired girl has now made up her mind on getting her own kitty cat as well. 

Kaito always knows when Aoko’s leaving the house, and he’d always whine to be brought along with her. Aoko doesn’t want to say that she can get jealous at times. (Especially when he’s comfortable nestled on Akako-chan’s chest, she grumbled to Ran once.) And every night Kaito always creeps up to her bed and settles on her shoulder. It’s as if he doesn’t want to be left alone and will do anything to be with her.

Apparently, all goes well. Aoko’s apartment hasn’t been decorated with broken pieces of glassware or furniture. 

All goes well, that is, until Kaito decides to lick Shinichi with his pink, slobbery tongue. The look on Shinichi’s face screams shock (Ran has learnt to read her cat) and Heiji, offended on his littermate’s behalf, shoots a paw out with claws extended and smacks Kaito on his face.

The round of screeching, yowling, whining and skittering claws on Aoko’s parquet floor goes on for twenty minutes until Ran and Kazuha bravely wade into the fray and grab their own kittens. Kaito manages to escape to the top of the washing machine in the laundry room. He’s not trembling in fear like Ran and Kazuha expected, and instead sort of looks like he is grinning happily.

“It could’ve been worse,” Ran says, ever the optimist.

Aoko puts her hands on her hips, nodding to herself, “I’ve never seen Kaito this way before. I think we should let the three of them have playdates more often. It’s good exercise!”

Shinichi and Heiji are completely quiet, save the occasional purrs on the way home, both asleep and exhausted from their earlier exertion. They are curled up around each other like a cream and brown yin and yang symbol.

41 + 66 please

66. If I die, I’m neverspeaking to you again.

-

(sequel to this)

“Dennis, please comehere.”

“I don’t want to. I don’t seewhy you need me — this was your idiotic idea, sweetheart, so it just feelslike—”

“Because I have two hands! Ionly have two hands!” Mac kicked at the bottom of their bedroom door again. “Dennis,get out here right now!”

“Alright, Jesus. Jesus Christ!”When he finally yanked the door open, Mac fell back a step. Dennis was glaring.“If it will get you to stop yelling. What’s the plan?”

“The plan is,” said Mac, and heran a patient hand down the head of the puppy currently squirming in his arms, “Ikeep a hold on the dog, and you go grab Psycho Killer and keep her calm whilethey meet each other. I think she’s in the bathroom cabinets.”

“Why would you let her in thebathroom cabinets?” Dennis sighed, storming past him to go rifling underneaththe sink. “She could get trapped in there!”

“It’s not my fault!” said Mac.He drifted across the room toward him. “You were supposed to be watching herwhile I was out picking up the dog! As soon as she saw it, she spooked.”

“Well, that’s why I told younot to get a goddamn dog. Cats and dogs, they don’t like each other. Theyaren’t friends. Besides, we live in a goddamn apartment. The dog’s gonna growup and be too big.” Dennis stood up, setting his hands on his hips. “She’s notin here, Mac.”

“Well, I don’t know! Go findher!” Mac drifted back to let Dennis pass. He scratched behind the puppy’s ears,murmuring to her while she gnawed on one of his wrists. “Dennis is gonna likeyou, don’t worry about that. He just needs some time to get used to you first.”

“I found her!” called Dennisfrom the spare room. “I’ve got her, she crawled into the closet.”

“And you’re not gonna be toobig either, so don’t take that personally either,” Mac said. The puppy turnedto chew on his other arm instead. “You’re gonna be a perfect size, because you’reperfect.”

“Her claws had better not comeout while we’re doing this, dude,” said Dennis as he reappeared in the livingroom, holding their terrified-looking cat at arm’s length. “If she scratches meand I bleed to death and then I die, I’m never speaking to you again.”

Mac rolled his eyes.

“Don’t be dramatic, bitch. Justget ready to hold Killer in the dog’s general vicinity for a couple minutes. Showher it’s okay.”

Dennis sniffed. “Fine. But if Killerdoesn’t like it, we’re getting rid of the goddamn dog. She was here first.”

“Uh-huh. If you kick this dogout, then I’m going with her.”

Dennis squinted at him. After amoment he said, “Just put the fucking puppy down, Mac.”

Mac sighed. He dropped to asquat, letting the puppy’s wriggling feet hit the ground but keeping a tightgrip on her body so she couldn’t scamper off. He scratched her head again, whisperingencouragements and compliments. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dennis getto his knees in front of them, holding Killer out near the dog.

They stayed on the floor wavingtheir pets in front of each other for a couple of minutes.

“This is going great,” Macsaid, grinning at him.

“This is so goddamn stupid,”said Dennis. “They’re just sniffing each other, Mac.”

“They’re getting used to eachother’s scents,” he explained. “Once they’re familiar with it, they’ll know they’refamily now. Trust me.”

“That’s never going to work,”said Dennis. He sighed, sitting back on his heels. “I think we gotta let themgo, dude. Come on, now they kind of trust each other a little more. Let’s letthem hang out for a while.”

Mac bit his lip. “I don’t know…”

“If you want, we can sit back andwatch them for awhile. Make sure they’re okay.”

“Well…I guess that would be okay,”Mac said after a minute. “Let me let her go first.”

“Fine. Whatever.”

Mac released the dog. Thesecond he did, she plodded forward — Killer drew back as much as she could inDennis’s hands — and the puppy skirted right around the cat to sniff at Dennis’sthigh.

“Not me. Don’t pay attention tome.” Dennis poked her in the ribs. “Get back, mutt. Go say hi to the cat.”

Mac was grinning.

“She likes you, babe.”

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Well,obviously.”

“Come here,” said Mac, snappinghis fingers at the dog. She didn’t even look at him. “Come over here.”

“Play with the cat,” Denniscoaxed. She pushed her wet nose under his shirt, nudging him in the waist.Dennis laughed and shoved her off of him. “Okay, I’m just gonna put Killerdown, and they can work it out themselves.”

“Okay. Do it.”

Dennis set Killer on theground; Mac thought she would dart off the minute she was free, but she didn’t.Instead she put a tentative foot forward and sniffed at the puppy. Mac carefullygot to his feet, trying not to make any sudden moves and draw the animals’attentions away from one another.

“Come here. I think they’reokay,” said Mac in a low voice. He held his hand out to Dennis, helping him offthe floor. “Let’s sit down. They’re getting to know each other.”

Edging backwards without takingtheir eyes off their pets, they felt their way safely to the couch andcollapsed down in the middle of it. Mac let go of Dennis’s hand to wind an armaround his back.

“So how big is this dog supposedto get, exactly?” said Dennis after a while. Mac looked over at him. Dennis reachedto fiddle with some of his hair.

“She’s supposed to be medium-sized,”said Mac. “She was a stray so I don’t really know. I wanted, like, something reallyhuge who could roughhouse with me and shit, but the guy said I shouldn’t gobigger than her if we’re gonna keep her in an apartment.”

“So what? Like, fifty pounds?”

“Probably closer to thirty,dude. She’s on the small side of medium.”

Dennis gave a noncommittal humand went back to playing with his hair. Mac rubbed his back while he watchedthe pets tiptoe in circles around each other, occasionally darting forward topress their snouts into each other’s fur before the other flinched away. Theyseemed to warm up to each other the longer that they all stayed there, and thecat didn’t even flip out when the puppy’s tongue flicked out and licked her.She didn’t love it, but she didn’t run away either.

“So what do you wanna name her?”Mac asked, nodding at the puppy. “I have some ideas—”

“What about Eve?” Dennis interrupted.

Mac stared at him.

“What made you just think ofthat?” he asked. “Although — You know what, that is biblical, so I’d actuallybe—”

“No, never mind,” Dennis saidquickly. “I don’t wanna hear you talk about that all the time. What about, uh…”

“Oh my God!” said Mac. “Baby, Ihave the perfect fit! We can finally use the name Murphy!”

Dennis sighed. “Are you stillon this? I thought we talked about this already when we got Killer.”

“Come on, Dennis, look at her!”He slipped his arm out from behind Dennis to jab a finger at her. “She lookslike a Murphy, her ears are all floppy. Plus, you only said you didn’t wannaname Killer that because she was too sweet, but this dog is badass, dude. Also,you don’t even give a shit, because you didn’t want the dog in the first place.”

“But if I’m gonna have to takecare of her anyway, she’s gonna be mine, and I want a say in—”

“Murphy. Murphy. I wanna nameher Murphy. Murphy, Dennis. Murphy, Murphy, Murphy, Murphy—!”

“Fine!” Dennis screamed overhim, and the animals jumped apart from each other down on the floor. Killer skatedback a few steps, her eyes wide as she stared at Dennis. The dog sat. Mac,looking at neither of them, quieted down and curled into a smile. “We can usethe fucking name. Goddamn it.”

“Yes! Ha,” said Mac.

He reached to cradle the sideof Dennis’s face in one hand, holding him still as he pressed his lips againsthis cheek. Dennis rolled his eyes, patting at Mac’s thigh, while Mac scatteredmore thankful kisses across the side of his face before finally turning him bythe chin and planting one on his mouth. Dennis leaned into him with a littlesmile.

“This is gonna be great,Dennis, trust me,” he said when they pulled apart.

“It won’t be great,” saidDennis, shaking his head. “She’s gonna piss on the floor for months before we housebreakher. We’re gonna have to take her out for walks all the goddamn time. We’llhave to actually kennel her when we go on vacation—”

“Yeah, but look how fun thisis.” Mac pulled away from him, leaning forward and clapping his hands on hisknees a couple times. “Hey Murphy, come up here.”

“Don’t invite the — Not on thefurniture—”

Too late; she saw Mac talkingto her and scampered across the floor, and when she got close enough Macscooped her up and cradled her in his lap. He cooed at her while he scratched herbelly, and after a minute, Dennis reached across reluctantly and rubbed herbehind the ears.

“I guess she is pretty cute,”he conceded.

“I told you,” Mac said smugly. “You’regonna love her, dude, just wait until you see how nice it is to cuddle up withher before you go to sleep—”

“Now, hold on,” said Dennis,brandishing a finger at him. “She is not sleeping in our bed with us.Absolutely not, that’s where I draw the line.”

“It’s gonna be so cute,” said Mac,ignoring him completely.

He picked Murphy up, rubbingtheir noses together. When she licked him, he laughed and pulled her away,holding her against his chest. Dennis sighed and reached out to pet her again.Mac turned to look at him for a while, watching him smile as he petted the dog,as he started to murmur to her as well.

“Hey, Dennis?” he asked, quiet.Dennis’s attention flicked to him. “I love you.”

Dennis’s eyes rolled, even ashis cheeks got pink.

“It’s just a dog, Mac,” he muttered.

Mac just grinned at him for along moment before turning back to Murphy, cuddling her close while she turnedand began to teethe on his forearm again. Dennis curled closer, settling againstMac’s side and reaching over him to play with her too.

“Oh, you know what?” saidDennis after some time. “We can finally get some of the bigger toys from the petshop! You know those big squeaky cones?”

“The plush ones?”

“Yeah!” Dennis said. “Thosewere way too big for Killer, but this dog will be perfect for it. And Isaw some of these weird, like, bones in there the other day too, they werefilled with peanut butter or some shit? I don’t understand the technology ofit, but I’d bet she would love those. We can finally use the tug-of-war rope,too, Killer never gave a shit about that.”

Mac nodded dutifully as Denniscontinued to map out the toys he wanted to buy next time they went to PetSmart.From there he branched into what dog food they should buy, because he didn’twant to waste too much money spoiling her with gourmet garbage, but he didn’twant his refined puppy to be chowing down on cheap store-brand shit either.

Mac settled closer to him,smiling as Dennis talked. He’d been so worried about getting another pet, butMac didn’t see what the big deal had been except that Dennis liked to make afuss. They were gonna dad the shit out of this dog so hard, Mac thought smugly.She wasn’t even gonna know what hit her.

Crush

@lynea-kureji

This is how Toshi first met the girl of his dreams. I hope you would do some cute pics of the two together.

May contain references to Gravity Falls. And a touch of Jurassic Park.

--------

(Six Months Ago)

Toshi was hanging out in the lobby of St Olga’s whilst the other princesses show Star and Marco (as Princess Turdina, liberator of the oppressed princesses of St Olga’s), the new reform school that was once a prison and now turned into a place of self-acceptance, non-stop partying and brunching.

The young lizard hid from view because he felt embarrassed and nervous around so many girls of every kind, who are gushing and admiring him for his cool and good looks. He did stand out and gave them forced smiles at their way with some cool gestures pointing at them, spotting them swooning at how cool he is, and kept on walking out of the lobby. When he reaches the dining hall, he froze upon the sight of a very pretty elvish-looking princess.

“Oooh, a girl!” he shivered, temptation and delight swelling up and filling his brain. He realised what he is going through and took deep breaths to calm himself. He is going through what boy lizards, make it a Septarian or a Lacertian, are going through when they see a girl they like in coming of age. 

The urge to mate.

“Calm down, Toshi,” he advised to himself, hiding behind a potted plant so the girl wouldn’t notice him, “Think normally. Don’t do anything lizard-related just like those lizard men from the anime, Overlord, cause it will make the moment super awkward, and be cool. Besides, what could happen?”

The moment the elvish girl stopped by the plant he’s hiding behind, he peeked through the leaves, wearing a calm (though really forced) grin on his snout. His sudden appearance was so sudden, the girl was taken back.

“Clever boy,” she whispered in fright.

“HI!” he greeted in a sudden loud voice, “NICE TO MEET YOU!!” He stuck out his hand to her for a handshake and he bared his sharp teeth through his creepily forced grin.

The girl’s reaction? She shrieked, threw the cup of punch she had in her hands at his face, and ran away screaming like a bat out of hell. 

And Toshi’s reaction to his super awkward greeting? His face twists into a miserable frown and he moved back to hide behind the ferns so he can hide his shame and embarrassment. 

However, unbeknownst to him, Marco and Star had witnessed what happened.

(Six Months Later)

“DUDE! YOU’RE SOCIALLY AWKWARD WITH GIRLS!!!!!????” 

“Marco, please! Don’t shout like that,” Toshi whimpered, face buried into his pillow to hide his shame, “I don’t wanna think about that night.”

“How can you get so awkward with girls even though I’m a girl?” Star pointed out.

“If you were a Septarian or a Lacertian, you would understand!” Toshi cried, muffling his sob in the pillow.

“But still-! Dude, you need help on going out with girls! Or not you’re going to be single and awkward forever!” Marco suggested.

“HOW!?” the young lizard howled, lifting his head up and giving Marco the big sad lizard eyes that are brimming with tears, “I never been out with anybody for 20 years living like an outcast and fugitive from the law and treated like a villain like my DAD!”

The Hispanic smiled and rested his hand on his shoulder, “Tosh, you got me and Star. We’ve been out with a couple of people and we’ll help you get better in talking with girls.”

Toshi sniffed, rising up and wiping away his tears, “Thanks, guys. But I-I-I think it would be best if I ask my parents.”

“NO!” Marco and Star screamed, grabbing him and pulling him into a tight hold till their faces are squished side-by-side, “Toshi, if you want good dating advises -!” Star screeched.

“NEVER TAKE DATING ADVISES FROM PARENTS!!” Marco howled dramatically.

“Why? I thought and heard getting dating advises from parents will be better than friends’ dating advises,” he protested, pulling himself out of their hold, “I know, but sometimes dating advises from parents can get you into crazy trouble. I saw a friend did it by listening to his dad’s advice on how to hitch a girl and he ended up shunned by girls everywhere he goes,” Marco warned.

“And we don’t want you to end up in that same fate,” Star cried, hugging him.

“Speaking of my parents giving me dating advices, you should see this if you can trust them on giving me dating advices,” Toshi hopped off his bed and strode downstairs. A moment later, he came up with a family photo album and took out a picture from a page. He hands the photo to them, and they were stunned by what they see.

“WOAH!” they shouted in unison.

It was a picture of the young lizard’s parents together, when they were teenagers, celebrating a crazy party with the two in each others’ arms, their wide grins showing they are having fun.

“THAT’S your DAD!?” Marco gasped, pointing at the picture of Toffee as a teenager.

“HE’S HOT!!!” Star commented in stunned awe.

“I know, now you know where I got my good looks from,” Toshi rolled his eyes, dryly.

“Okay, we can trust you on getting help from your parents, but let’s just hope nothing bad happens, okay!?” Marco cautioned.

“Sure. Besides, sooner or later, I gotta take a drive on Razor in Mewni,” he said, “Need to.....clear my mind from all things.”

“Good thinking,” the two friends nodded in agreement.

------------

(In Mewni)

“Razor, if you ever meet a beautiful she-dragon cycle one day, would you do something casually until it ended up so badly? Well.....if that ever happens, we’ll be the only guys who are socially awkward with girls for life. Bu hey, we still got each other right?”

The cybernetic-looking dragon cycle chuffed and growled in agreement, nuzzling his owner in the shoulder. Toshi chuckled at the gesture and patted his head as the two watched the horizon of the desert, sitting on a hill to watch the view of the sun setting. 

“I already talked had the dating talk from mom and dad and Marco and Star just now,” he said to his dragon cycle, “All I have to do is calm down, take deep breaths and approach the girl like normal. Last time, I made myself look like a creepy stalker to that cute girl back at St Olga’s,” he sighed at that memory, “I wonder if I can apologise to her for scaring her. Maybe she won’t know me. Marco’s advise is girls’ like boys who are cool and kind, knowing full well he gets that with girls. Star’s is show the girls’ my talents and tell them about what I like, no matter if they don’t like anime or not. I just hope they don’t say Kamen Rider sucks and super childish.”

“But for Mom and Dad’s, it’s just be who I am and be patient when a girl talks to me and when you feel like doing something for her, you have to show her through actions. I remember that story of how Mom first met Dad. She began to love him later after he treated her as an equal when he made her part of his posse, especially on the days of war, made her his second-in-command. And Dad also told me, loyalty is what makes a girl like in a boy. I’m loyal. So I hope she is too.”

Razor nodded in understanding and agreement. It was getting late, so Toshi was about to mount Razor when the dragon heard a faint vroom of another dragon cycle. He turned his eyes to the direction and was smitten upon what he saw.

Well I guess you'd say What can make me feel this way? My girl (my girl, my girl) Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl ooh)

A beautiful female dragon cycle with the most beautiful red and yellow scales came into view, sniffing a bush filled with sweet-smelling flowers. The female has dazzling green eyes, beautifully curved and arching black horns, a nice set of tusks, and a long tail that ends with a few spikes.

Hey hey hey Hey hey hey Ooh yeah

Razor knew what he’s feeling, even his eyes are showing signs of it. He’s in love with this beautiful she-dragon cycle. And without warning, just as Toshi was getting on the saddle, the dragon cycle zoomed off towards the female and the sudden action flipped his rider onto his back.

“OW! Razor!” he shouted at his dragon cycle. 

“Oh, is he your dragon cycle?” a female voice surprised him. Turning his gaze away from his dragon cycle, approaching the female and giving out friendly chuffs and growls in greetings and getting the female dragon cycle’s attention, he saw a girl walk out from behind some trees.

And his heart just skipped a bit on the appearance of the newcomer.

Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight It must have been something you said I just died in your arms tonight

She was the most stunning lizard girl she has ever seen in his life. Reaching to his shoulders, her scales were scarlet red, giving her the impression of a ruby, smooth yet wild white hair that streak down her shoulders and back, a pair of yellow horns protruding from her forehead to the back of her head, bedazzling gold eyes that pierces into your soul, and a long tail that ends with a flame on the tip. She was wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, a white strapless singlet, a chain necklace with a lock on it around her petite neck, black fingerless gloves with metal plates on the back, matching jeans with one leg cut and short, matching heavy metal boots with silver buckles around the top and what caught his attention is that she’s holding a sketchbook, filled with anime character drawings on it.

I keep looking for something I can't get Broken hearts lie all around me And I don't see an easy way to get out of this Her diary, it sits by the bedside table The curtains are closed, the cats in the cradle Who would've thought that a boy like me could come to this

Be cool, Toshi, remember what everybody taught you, and don’t mess it up like last time, he reminded himself. Taking a deep breath, he got up onto his feet and approached the girl, “Hi,” he greeted. To his relief, she smiled, genuinely smiled at him, “Hey.”

He cleared his throat, “Yes, that’s my dragon cycle. Razor over there,” he swept the collar of his jacket to calm himself, “I see that he’s....interested with your dragon cycle.”

She giggled, “Valkyrie has a way with boys. Usually, she’ll scare them off if they get close to her. But somehow, your dragon cycle has gotten her attention and I’m impressed.”

They both looked to see the two dragon cycles rubbing noses in affection, purring. They couldn’t help but laugh that their dragons are in love.

“I’m Ruby”, she introduced herself, “Ruby Ryot. What’s yours?”

“Me? Uhm?” he cleared his throat when he felt his anxiety coming up, “Ahem. I’m Toshi. But my real full name is Shirogane Tytus Wyrmbane.”

Ruby’s eyes widened in amazement, “Shirogane? You’re named after Shirogane the Unbreakable!? That is AWESOME!!”

“I know right? My dad came up with that idea,” he spoke out in excitement.

“Your dad? Wait! Is your dad.....Toffee!?” she squealed in pure excitement, “Wow! I heard about you! Your the son who saved Mewni from Kurogane the Black Sail and was able to reunite with his dad! Is it true your dad and Kurogane are living with you now?”

“My dad, yes,” he nodded, “But Kurogane has became the kingdom’s guardian. You’ll see him roaming around sooner or later.”

The two lizards gazed at each other’s eyes for a few moments, feeling a spark happening between them, until they realised the time.

“I gotta head back home, it’s getting late,” he told her, fetching Razor, “So uhh, Ruby? When can we see each other again? I would like to know more about you.”

The lizard girl winked at him, making him blush as she fetched Valkyrie, “My dad’s gone off work tomorrow. So tomorrow?”

The two got onto their dragon cycles, revving them up in preparation for take off, “Tomorrow,” Toshi agreed. And with that, the two took off into different parts with Toshi using his dimensional scissors to open the portal back to his home and the girl flying off into the opposite direction of the desert.

Toshi could not believe it. He has finally talked to a girl, and the girl’s reaction was what he wanted and he couldn’t help but feel one thing.

He has a crush on her.

art direction and detective pikachu

I’ve seen vague posts and had short conversations about this with friends, but I really want to write it out.

Most of us are pretty excited about the Detective Pikachu movie, including myself. It looks like a fun, interesting, and especially unique Pokemon movie and I will most likely be seeing it when it comes out. However, I frankly won’t be able to enjoy it to the fullest due to one thing in particular: its art direction.

What do I mean by that?

I mean that the art direction is ALL OVER THE PLACE. 

Art direction is, to me and many others, the most important part of any project. It’s what ties everything together within a world, it’s what makes a world interesting. Visually appealing, unique, and consistent art direction is everything. It’s what first draws someone’s attention. If the art direction in a show, a movie, a video game, any visual thing, doesn’t come together, if it isn’t consistent, it ruins an experience. And sometimes even that isn’t enough. 

In video games especially (and also quite commonly in movies now) the art direction might be consistent but it’s...not much else. For some reason, a lot of [mostly Triple A and larger “indie”(?)] video game companies have decided that “art direction” means “make it look as realistic as possible”. And I’ll tell you what; that? Is boring as hell. Same with movies. It’s why I’m not interested in most “live action” movies, whether they be comedy, action/thriller, romance, or any other combination of genres. They’re just visually boring.

What’s really frustrating to me about this is that you can have realistic graphics/visuals and still have visually appealing and/or unique art direction. (I.E. Video Games: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Assassin’s Creed, Red Dead Redemption | Movies: The Matrix (I guess works as an example for this?), World War Z, Mad Max (from what scenes/images I’ve seen of it lol))

With Detective Pikachu, the art direction takes an obviously realistic route, given the fact that it’s, you know, live action. And it’s certainly a unique direction. But the problem here is that the art direction just hasn’t convinced me in the slightest that those Pokemon are real animals, all in the same universe.

And what do I mean by that?

If you told me that Pokemon like Charizard, Bulbasaur, Lickitung, Mr. Mime, etc. were “real” animals I’d say, okay, sure, why not? They look like actual animals in that universe, more or less. Now, what do those Pokemon have in common? Why do I see them as fitting in within that world?

They don’t have fur. And that’s really the thing I want to talk about here in regards to the movie’s art direction. The Pokemon with fur don’t work.

We’ll start with the star Pokemon: Pikachu. Pikachu has been described since its creation to be a “mouse Pokemon”. A rodent. However, when I see what Pikachu looks like in this movie, I don’t see "mouse”, I see fluffy plush toy-thing come to life. I also see “cat”. 

The way his fur is rendered isn’t that of a mouse or really any small (or many larger) rodent that I know of. The fur is too long, too soft, too plush. His face looks more like a cat than it does some kind of rodent. The nose and mouth are feline in nature, and that’s strange to me.

That’s not a “mouse pokemon”. It’s not a bad design, no, and it’s certainly cute. But “mouse pokemon”? That’s what Pikachu is and what it always has been, and for the artists to simply ignore that doesn’t feel right to me. It also just doesn’t look right to me.

here is a picture of a mouse. It has much shorter, more wiry and flatter fur that follows the form of its body instead of sticking out like it does on Pikachu. THIS is what I always imagined Pikachu to look like were it to be “real”. It’s what the cartoon always looked like. The only longer fur to ever really be shown on Pikachus is a tuft of fur on their heads (See: Sparky). Never have I thought of Pikachu being fluffy in any way before. Its character design never ever told me that.

When I see the DP Pikachu I don’t see an animal that exists as an animal in that world. It doesn’t look like a real animal. It just looks like a really fluffy toy.

Also the tail?

I’m not really sure what’s going on with that fur. But anyway-

How about we talk about Growlithe.

My first response to this was “Um.” My second was “is that supposed to be a dog?” 

I mean I guess it kind of looks like a dog. But more as if you described what a dog looked like to someone who had never seen a dog and then told them to draw it.

Growlithes are really cute pokemon, but these? These aren’t cute. They look dirty. The fur lays on the body weird, the longer fur on the head especially confuses me. The fur doesn’t travel along the body the way a dog’s fur does. Even a dirty dog. It’s stiff, chunky. Please give them a bath.

Also apparently this is what Arcanine looks like? 

I don’t remember seeing this in a trailer, and googling showed me like, DP themed pokemon cards??? No clue. But regardless, this looks okay! The head/snout shape is a little off, but overall it LOOKS GOOD! The way the fur looks here, how it shapes and falls over the body, that’s what it should look like. Why couldn’t Growlithe look more like like this? Why can’t Pikachu look like this? They don’t even look like they belong in the same movie.

Next: Pyduck!

Yeah That’s A Duck.

At least they didn’t give it fur, I guess. But they did their best to make it look like they did.

My biggest issue with this is that it doesn’t look like a water bird. They just took Psyduck and made it “real”, badly. I mean, its name is Psyduck for Pete’s sake, at least try to make it look like a duck. It doesn’t even have to look like an adult duck. If it looked more like this in face/feather texture it’d be fine

And that’s probably what it’s SUPPOSED to look like. A young duck. But instead they gave it short stubby feathers that look too much like fur and a much too thick bill (even compared to the original cartoon design).

Last one I want to talk about because if I continued with other pokemon Snorlax,Flareon,etc I’d be writing for like three hours: Aipom

good christ was is that thing

You’re telling me that that’s an Aipom. That thing. Is an Aipom.

Not only does it not look like an Aipom in anything but color, it doesn’t even look like a monkey. And what’s up with its teeth?

If they wanted to convince me that this thing is a real animal within this universe living alongside all these other animals they should have:

1. Actually used monkeys as references when designing it? Because they obviously didn’t

2. Given it, hands?? And not weird nubs??? Nubs don’t work on monkeys in a realistic setting what the hell it looks deformed 

3. Not...given is perfectly straight, shiny, white human teeth.

All those things look fine on its original cartoon design, but LORD in heaven this thing is a absolute monstrosity.

The thing about all these and many of the other furred pokemon (Snorlax being a REALLY big culprit) is that the artists just...didn’t look at real life animals enough. They clearly focused on just the Pokemons’ cartoon designs, took those, and “made them real” while making the minimum amount of changes. You can’t just...take a cartoon and make it real. That never works.

All of these different designs work when in context of the shows or the games because the shows and the games have a coherent art direction made specifically for the media they’re presented in. They were never meant to exist in a realistic setting like this.

It always requires some kind of adaptions, some changes, adjustments to the original design, just something when making a cartoon look real. And they didn’t do that here. And the best part about all this?

They got RJ Palmer (website linked in source) to work on the project. RJ is an amazing artist/illustrator, one of my favorites, who is probably best known for his “realistic Pokemon”. His stuff has been reposted a few dozen times on this website alone, with or (usually) without credit, and the majority of pokemon fans have probably seen at least one piece.

The most influence he’s had with these movie designs that I’ve seen has been the Charizard. I saw that Charizard in the trailer and knew it was RJ’s. But if not for that Charizard (and the fact that he said he worked on this movie of course), I would have never known he had any part in this.

Compare the above to his art that I’m about to show you (I specifically chose Pokemon appearing in the movie for convenience’s sake, but I highly recommend that you check out his other realistic Pokemon art as well), and tell me that, if you didn’t know any better, you’d think that this guy worked on this movie.

Just to name a few.

And yeah, obviously I don’t, and never will, expect Nintendo/Game Freak to go this far. But at the same time, if you’re going to get THIS artist to work on your Pokemon movie, the least you could do is make it LOOK like he worked on the gosh darn movie!

The art direction he has in his work is beautiful. All of these creatures look like Pokemon while also being influenced and actually looking like real animals. And following that more with the movie’s art direction would have done nothing but improve it. It certainly would have been more convincing for me and many others.

I obviously don’t want them to look exactly like RJ’s artwork, but the designs do need to be more uniform, and following the practices RJ clearly does would have helped that.

All that said, RJ is rightfully excited and proud of this project. It’s looking like it’ll be a wonderful movie.

I just wish the art direction was better.

Roleplay Server Log #288

“Cave Rescue, Fire-human, Please Don’t Eat the Birds”

[Alexis] - Not what I'm used to doing, but alright

[Alexsezia] Puts him down gently and the big cat just slumps. She pulls out her pick and cracks away the rocks, heading swiftly down-

[Alexis] Works hard next to the other Alex, occasionally putting down a torch so they can see-

[Alexsezia] Opens a hole and then jumps to the side as an arrow comes out of it.

[TLOT] Darts forward angrily and sticks his head in the hole, there's a lot of very panicked clattering noises before he backs out and throws a skull on the floor contemptously-

[Alexis] - Nice save

[TLOT] I don't have time for them right now. - Tail is lashing

[Alexsezia] Goes at the hole again-

[TLOT] This way.

[Alexis] Follows and scan their surroundings, her eyes darting to every shadow-

[Alexsezia] Puts her pickaxe into a zombie - Stupid thing!

[Alexis] Draws her bow- I don't like this

[TLOT] Natural tunnel... - Sniffs the air and runs ahead of them, his eye lighting up the darkness somewhat-

[Alexsezia] I don't either, but my Herobrine can certainly be trusted to find our Steve. - Follows him

[Alexis] Shudders a little but keeps up with them-

[Alexsezia] Loses sight of TLOT, but the passageway isn't a branching shaft.

[Steve] Suddenly perks up and lets out a little coughing bark

[Deer] Perks up as well- What is it?

-White eyes appear in the darkness, quickly approaching-

[Deer] - TLOT?

[TLOT] Barrels out of the dark and jumps on Steve, the two of them roll and land curled up together with TLOT licking Steve's snout affectionately.

[Deer] - Sorry TLOT, it's my fault we're down here

[TLOT] Looks up at her - Shit.... you got stuck in a lower part of the house, didn't you?

[Alexsezia] Comes running up as well - Deerheart?

[Deer] - Yeah, the playroom.  Oh, hello Alex

[Alexsezia] How in the world...?

[Steve] Gestures making the tunnel bigger and digging with his claws-

[Alexis] Comes closer, sticking close to Alex- So how will we get her out of here

[Deer] Shouldn't be too hard, I do have creative in this form

[Alexsezia] We got down here from a surface hole, it's not too far.

[Alexis] - Yeah, let's get you guys out of here

[Deer] - Lead the way

[Alexsezia] Gauging the size the tunnel needs to be- Could we just use some TNT?

[Alexis] - Umm, I guess we could...

[TLOT] Show me where you want it.

[Steve] Worried chirp

[Alexsezia] Just a little bit of TNT. We're not going crazy here.

[TLOT] Prrp.

[Alexis] Shoots a spider that was coming closer-

[TLOT] Is turning stone blocks to TNT where Alexsezia is directing him too.

[Alexsezia] Okay, you guys stay back-

[Steve] Small unhappy noises-

[Alexis] Stands near Steve- Don't worry, we'll be out of here soon

[Alexsezia] Sets off the TNT, and the air is rent with the boom of explosions -

[Steve] Claps his paws to his eardrums-

[Alexis] Flinches at the noise and makes a tiny whimper-

[Deer] - Alexis?  Are you alright?

[Alexis] - Yeah, I just...  Wanna be on the surface again...

-The dust clears and there's a large open space so they can advance, it's about halfway to the vertical shaft and Alexsezia and TLOT are already laying the next line of explosives.

[Alexis] Is fidgeting some-

[Steve] Coos at her questioningly.

[Alexis] - I...  I think I should be fine...  Just feels like these tunnels are small...  Kinda remembering why I never liked mining much...

[Steve] Looks around them with a practiced eye and scurries away, there's the sound of claws ripping away rock and he comes back with a handfull of small items and holds them out to her. Theres a few iron ores, some coal and a chunk of flint.

-There's another boom from up the tunnel-

[Alexis] Flinches at the noise- Thanks Steve- She takes the offered items

[Deer] - It won't be much longer

[Alexsezia] Comes back- We still need to widen the vertical part, but that might be safer with picks-

[Alexis] - Can we...  Hurry?- Starts heading towards the shaft

[Deer] - I could probably do that quickly

[Steve] Trots towards the thin shaft of light and looks up-

[TLOT] is at the wall tearing at the dirt and stone-

[Alexsezia] Is on the opposite wall working it with a pickaxe

[Alexis] Starts working a bit desperately-

[Deer] Stands on her hind legs and scratches away as well-

-There's a bit of a flash and Alexsezia swears as it begins to rain up top and the droplets fall down the shaft-

[Alexis] Of all times for it to start raining!

[Alexsezia] Just goes at the stone with more determination, they're pretty close to the top-

[Deer] Pulls down a large chunk of rock-

[Steve] Hops from block to block and emerges onto the surface first-

[Deer] Pulls away more chunks to make the opening bigger so she can get out-

[Alexis] Is starting to breathe a bit harder-

[TLOT] Stops digging to look back at her- Alexis?

[Alexis] - I'm fine

[TLOT] Eyes narrow - Somehow I doubt that... - He brushes her mind gently

[Alexis] Is feeling a bit panicked about being in the tunnel-

[TLOT] Don't worry, we'll be out soon.

[Steve] Is scrabbling nimbly up the walls clawing out stone and checking the width against Deerheart

[Deer] - We're almost there

[Alexsezia] Gets to the top and starts breaking around the hole to make it bigger

[Alexis] Is moving slower-

[Deer] Claws away at the ground a bit faster-

[TLOT] Goes back to hurry Alexis up the crude stairs

[Alexis] Sorry, I don't know what's wrong...

[TLOT] You're afraid of caves.

[Alexis] - I don't think that's it exactly...  I've been in caves before...

[Alexsezia] Came back down to help more - Alexis? You're afraid of small spaces?

[Alexis] - I don't know...  I'm usually above ground in the open...

[Alexsezia] That's bad when survival can hinge on mining the right materials...

[Alexis] - Like I said, Stevie usually does all the mining...

[Alexsezia] We'll work on it, for now though, come up. Let's get this crew back into the light

[Alexis] Follows the others up into the rain-

[Deer] Makes sure the others are out of the way before she climbs up-

[Alexsezia]  Dusts herself off- Good job all

[Steve] Leans on TLOT-

[Deer] - Does anyone know where Doc is?

[TLOT] Looks ashamed-

[Deer] - Or Yaunfen?

[TLOT] Yaunfen was with Markus last I saw.

[Deer] - Then I'll head over there, thank you for helping me get outside

[Alexsezia] You're welcome.

[Deer] Heads off for Lie's place-

[Alexis] Is taking some deep breaths, trying to calm herself

This message has been removed.

[Steve] Lowers his body and scratches on the ground a bit listlessly-

[Alexis] - Alex, the gift?

[Alexsezia] It was your idea. - She passes the item to Alexis and motions to Steve.

[Alexis] Fumbles a bit with the blanket before going over to Steve- Hey, Steve?

[Steve] Hrmm?

[TLOT] Is watching her curiously-

[Alexis] - Alex and I made this for you...  Well, actually Alex did most of the work...

[Steve] Curious trill-

[Alexis] Tosses it over him- You know, since you're always making things for everyone else when they need comfort...

[Steve] Perks up and runs his fingers over the cloth, pulling it close like a cape. His eyes squeeze a little and he makes a soft noise-

[TLOT] He says thank you Alexis, and Alexsezia both.

[Alexsezia] Anytime. I think Alexis learned a lot. She'd never sewed before.

[Alexis] - Lots of finger poking

[Alexsezia] Pats her shoulder. - It gets easier-

[Steve] Snuggles down under the blanket.

This message has been removed.

[Alexis] - So long as you enjoy it

[Alexsezia] You guys can come to my house to dry off. Come on Alexis, I'll walk you home.

[Alexis] - Oh, thanks

[Firebird] -Scuttles up to Lie's house looking for CN. He's wearing actual shoes and the hood of his cloak is up for once.-

-Notch's door is suddenly burst apart by a fireball as a blur of fur and feathers comes racing out-

[CN] Is flapping madly and actually manages to get some air.  He however is not looking where he's going since his eyes are closed and he flies right into Firebirds head-

[Firebird] -Eeeps and spins around, snatching CN out of the air. He almost squishes the poor kid before he recognizes him and loosens his grip- Hey bud...

[CN] Panicked noises-

[CP] Leaps for the small bird-

[Firebird] -Straight up just goes to kick CP in the general body, hissing softly at the cat-

[CP] Is thrown back and growls at Firebird loudly, his eyes are still trained on CN-

[Firebird] -Coldly- I will personally stomp on you until either your bones break, or you fuck off, so I'd recommend leaving. -Holds CN to chest-

[CN] Little hops up onto Firebirds shoulder-

[CP] Releases a fireball at Firebird-

[Firebird] -Gets the crisped, but looks no worse for wear, but he did raise his arm so CN didn't get crisped-- I am the SUN. Fire is my element you fool. -Attempts to kick CP again, much harder than the first-

[CP] Jumps out of the way, hissing at the NOTCH-

[CN] Tries to get under Firebirds hood-

[Firebird] -Tries to Kick CP one more time for good measure only to let out an eep as CN tries to get under his hood. Snatches up CN and puts him to his chest again- Don't.

[CN] Confused noise-

[CP] Starts trying to circle Firebird-

[Firebird] -Ignores CP and starts toward Markus's house since the door got totaled- Just, don't go in my hood.

[CN] Is really confused but settles down-

[CP] Hunkers down and butt twitches towards Firebirds retreating form-

[Markus] Runs out the door and nearly slams into Firebird- Fuc-

[CN] Surprised chirp-

[Firebird] -Totally didn't nearly punch Markus for getting bumped into, nope.- Watch it! You almost squished CN!

[CP] Leaps at Firebirds back-

[Notch] CP NO! - It's VERY loud

[CP] Flinches and drops to the ground-

[CN] Scrambles for Firebirds shoulder in surprise at how loud Notch was-

[Firebird] -Steps back a bit, spooked-

[Notch] Strides forward and sweeps Cp off the ground into his arms- Just... stop...

[CP] Yowls-

[Notch] Tries rubbing his ears - I know we're all under a lot of... - really looks at Firebird- ...pressure?

[Firebird] -Awkwardly letting CN settle on his shoulder- ... Yes?

[Notch] Is standing at an odd angle trying to see under his hood - Why is your face covered?

[CP] Grumbles as he hunkers down in Notch's arms-

[Firebird] -Just tilts head to not allow Notch to.- Because it is. Do I need a reason? -Soft huff-

[Notch] Keeps petting him softly- Oh... is it because of your eye?

[Firebird] ... Yeah.

[CN] Hunkers down, making himself as small as possible-

[Firebird] You can see them both when I'm.. Fully human. My hairs different like this.

[Notch] So? If you're missing an eye it's no big deal.

[Firebird] -With emphasis- It bugs me more than it will anyone else.

[CP] Huffs and lays his teeth on Notch-

[Notch] You know... Doc has a pretty big jar of glass eyes in different colors in their lab. I think they basically make them for fun, and maybe shock value. If you asked I'm sure they'll give you one. - notices the teeth- I can feel that...

[CP] Puts a bit more pressure-

[Stevie] Comes running out to jumps in puddles-

[Notch] Winces - Cp...

[CP] Little growl-

[Firebird] Really? .. I'll have to ask at some point... So uh.. Why is everyone.. Not as they should be? I saw Flowey was in his bear form again..

[Notch] Doc updated the server with a bad copy of the snapshot accidently- he indicates the non-functional golem totem-

[Deer] Comes into sight, having heard Notch- Oh, so that's what happened

[Firebird] Ah. Alright.

[Notch] Then Cp and TLOT both chased them off. I'm not sure where Doc went.

[Deer] - That would explain TLOT's silence when I asked about Doc...

[Notch] He seemed really angry. I presume you found him somewhere?

[Deer] Shakes her head- No, I came to get Yaunfen first.  I was stuck underground until Alexsezia and Alexis came and helped get us out

[Notch] Ah. Endrea has hir. In the house. Yaunfen is in their humanish shape.

[Firebird] -idly petting CN-

[Deer] - Could you get them for me?  I'm afraid I wont fit...

[CN] Rubs into the pets-

[Notch] Yeah, hold on a sec. - Goes into the house, still carrying Cp-

[Yaunfen] Is reading a book-

[Deer] Looks at Firebird- Firebird?  That's your secondary form?

[Firebird] I'm not sure. I'm fully human. I'm usually only partially. -Scuffs heel a bit- It's inconvenient.

[Deer] - But it can have it's uses

[Firebird] I guess.

[CN] Snuggles up against the outside of the hood-

[Notch] Comes back out with Yaunfen-

[Yaunfen] - Mama!

[Deer] - Hello my little one, have you been having fun?

[Yaunfen] Nods eagerly-

What happens when reioka and I talk

reioka: For real?! Tony's tiny, not person sized?! ifdragonscouldtalk: No XD hes person sized in the fic But it would make it funny Imagine bruce trying to find a needle small enough to get a blood sample reioka: I mean... ask a bird vet probably ifdragonscouldtalk: Tony hanging off Steve's pinky finger by his tail reioka: The idea is very adorable, if impracticle ifdragonscouldtalk: Bucky has a cat. The cat likes little tony. Tony does NOT LIKE the cat reioka: Awww. Wait like like "dinner" or like like "person!" ifdragonscouldtalk: We dont know. Tony screams when Cat gets within 3 feet. Steve keeps Cat out of the room now. reioka: Aw poor kitty lol Poor Tony "It's big! It's get sharps everywhere! EVERYTHING IS SHARP!" ifdragonscouldtalk: Bruce puts a filter in the tank. Tony doesnt like the filter. It swirls the water around and blows him away. Tony launches a war with the filter. Bruce is Not Happy. reioka: Smol Tony building tools with the rocks at the bottom of the tank, sacrificing one of his pieces of seaweed to tie them all together to fling into the filter and cause it to jam ifdragonscouldtalk: Hes smug af cuz he clearly Won until he sees Bruce's face o h s h i t reioka: Lmao does he even understand WHY he needs a filter Does he want to swim in his own excrement ifdragonscouldtalk: He lived in the ocean before reioka All he knows is before the waters were still and now they are Not He probably doesnt notice XD reioka: Lmao the waters were never still you water horse you were just too far down to notice

ifdragonscouldtalk: But ok tony getting so excited he flails around in the water and winds up tangled in seaweed He does Not Appreciate pepper taking a picture reioka: "Pepper I am suffering. This is abuse. I'm going to die here." "You are not going to die you dumb seahorse I won't let you." "*choking sound*" "...Are you crying--" Tony ducks further into the seaweed and mumbles no ifdragonscouldtalk: Bucky and steve storming in from opposite doors shouting whO MADE HIM CRY WHY "I'm not crying!" reioka: Lmao just the idea of them trying to threaten Pepper tho Like... what a death wish ifdragonscouldtalk: Im sobbing imagine some intern giving tony little barbie tools and shit and he gets so frustrated because "I know these are fake! They're plastic!" reioka: He lets go and they float to the top of the tank and he is at the bottom just glaring up at them like... "You've all betrayed me. I know they're plastic and I hate you." ifdragonscouldtalk: Im a g ine someone buying Real Seahorses and putting them in the tank and tony is so territorial and ends up actually just wrestling a bunch of them reioka: I just snorted water out my nose omg "MY tank. MINE. GET OUT." ifdragonscouldtalk: And the actual seahorses are just so curious about this Strange Seahorse They think hes just trying to bump bellies until he grabs ones snout and then theyre Angery reioka: OH NO What does an angry seahorse do [ifdragonscouldtalk sends a screenshot of seahorses fighting with their tails] ifdragonscouldtalk: Seahorses punch Tony with their tails. Tony wails. Theyre meanies. reioka: Wtf Tony you've got actual fists HIT 'EM BACK ALSO A TAIL What a whiny baby I love him ifdragonscouldtalk: Tony eventually emerges victorious They find them the next morning with the others cowering in the corner and the water very slightly pink Bruce is Not Happy reioka: Just name the entire series Bruce is Not Happy because that will probably always be his reaction to everything. ifdragonscouldtalk: Series starts Bucky -- hey yo stevie look at this weird fuckin fish i found Steve -- screams reioka: *snort* Everyone debates on whether or not he's technically a fish and he's just sitting there like "I'm a seahorse" but are you a FISH? "A seahorse." ifdragonscouldtalk: "What is your species" "Awesome" reioka: "What do you call yourselves?" "Our names? I'm Tony, in case you've forgotten." "No, I mean, as a group?" "A family? *gasp* Do you guys not have families, is that why you don't know?" An intern is crying in the background from the effort it takes not to laugh because Tony looks honestly distraught that they've never heard of a family. ifdragonscouldtalk: Oh my g od Good reioka: Finally "Tony. Tony. Are you a fish?" "I'm a seahorse." "Seahorses are fish." "Then I gotta be a fish." Bruce screams in frustration in the background. They've been at this for hours. God damn it. ifdragonscouldtalk: Shoulda just googled it Tony compliments Bruce's singing because he's a gentleman But secretly wtf sort of singing is that reioka: LMAO if the real seahorses are still in the tank, just whispering to them "Did you hear that? Do they draw mates with that? Horrifying." ifdragonscouldtalk: The seahorses just look at him Bruce screams again reioka: Bonus if Betty is there for some reason and comes to see what happened and Tony gasps. "It worked!" ifdragonscouldtalk: Im crYING Whenever pep walks in the room now tony screams reioka: Bonus points: Pepper knows why and one time she screams back and Tony ducks back under the water, covering his blushing face. God I wish I could draw Just seahorse Tony covering his face and Pepper laughing good-naturedly in the background ifdragonscouldtalk: Bucky and Steve spend the whole day trying to figure out why tony keeps blushing and why hes making a "mating hut" reioka: HAHAHA I wonder if Pepper feels bad for "leading him on" because come on, they don't--even have compatible parts, not even talking about the size difference ifdragonscouldtalk: Tony scoffs and says he knows and he was only joking and then literally just turns around and starts crying. Shes still standing there. TONY. reioka: TONY THE ENTIRE TANK IS SEE-THROUGH Aw now I feel really bad for him haha ifdragonscouldtalk: He'll be fiiiiiiine, natasha challenges pep to a fight on his behalf The fight pretty much entails nat biting and kicking peps hand with her tail, but w/e tony loves it reioka: "I will protect Tony's honor," Natasha tells everyone and then BITE BITE BITE Pepper pretends it hurts more than it does tbh Natasha beating the shit out of Pepper's hand Pepper wrapping it in bandages longer than strictly necessary because every time Natasha sees it she puffs up proudly and Tony looks pleased ifdragonscouldtalk: Tony still kisses all the band aids tho Cuz hes a whiny sweetheart reioka: Aw Natasha grudgingly tells Pepper she was a worthy opponent and Pepper glows for hours. ifdragonscouldtalk: Tony starts screaming at steve ans bucky instead reioka: One time when the humans go out for drinks Pepper gets sloppy drunk and cries and the others are like "What's wrong" and she's just like "God I just love these stupid fish so much" YEEE Are they smart enough to scream back or do they just get nervous because they think they've done something wrong ifdragonscouldtalk: Oh my God pep I bet bucky screams back just for the heck of it and steve shrieks cuz hes startled but tones takes it for a scream. Tony glows "I got /two/ human mates nat" She screams at hill just because she likes a challenge and human women are Cute reioka: Natasha is daunted but if they hurt Tony she's gonna fight 'em anyway lol Lmao does Hill scream back OH Hill doesn't scream back but Natasha's just like "aw yisssss motha fuckin challenge" Tony supports Natasha's endeavors even when he thinks she's out of her mind ifdragonscouldtalk: Tony is a Good Bro Tonys new mating house tho Its glorious Nat helps him with it Bruces like "what are you doing" and tonys like "showing off for my mates" "Who?" "Bucky and Steve. They didn't say?" Bruce is Not Happy reioka: It's a good thing Bruce doesn't have Hulk powers because I assume literally everything we've said so far would make him turn into the jolly green giant. ifdragonscouldtalk: "You guys cant fuck the seahorse. It is physically impossible to fuck the seahorse." Steve actually chokes ifdragonscouldtalk: Real question: is clint a seahorse or a human Because i can see him accidentally almost killing Tony and Nat on a weekly basis and them loving it but i can also see him convincing Tony to do stupid shit with him like rock their tank off the table Bruce comes in and screams so loudly and tony looks at clint and goes "wow he really loves you" reioka: On one hand: "You wanna try coffee?" *pours coffee directly into tank. Everyone hates him. Tony and Natasha have not stopped vibrating for hours. They could have died. "MORE COFFEE! MORE COFFEE!" they chant, banging on the glass. Everyone HATES him. On the other hand: "That box they brought in looks interesting do you think you can throw me at it." Tony puts his engineering cap on and Bruce walks in just in time to watch Clint fly out of the tank, screaming, and lands on a pizza box with a splat. ifdragonscouldtalk: Im vibrating desperately as i try not to laugh Clint: puts an entire bar of chocolate in the tank, its gone in two hours, Tony and Nat are simultaneously in immense pain and doing theur best to tear the tank apart Or Clint: challenges natasha to a fight and sends everyone running when he screams because "SHE WAS GONNA RIP MY TAIL OFF" reioka: Lmao beautiful "She wouldn't have ripped your tail off," Tony tells him soothingly as Natasha gives Tony her best wtf face and mouths "yeah I would." ifdragonscouldtalk: Either way bruce screams and tony thinks theyre mates. reioka: Tony, whispering: Bruce must really like you, he screams an awful lot. Clint, thoughtful: ...We could make it work. Natasha: I dunno he screams at a lot of people? Maybe he's not monogamous. Bruce: *notices all three of them staring intensely and is somewhat uncomfortable* ifdragonscouldtalk: Tony: maybe he's what the humans call a player! Clint and Nat: *gasp* Bruce: why tf are they glaring at me what are they planning now ifdragonscouldtalk: Imagine someone trying to explain to them that screaming =/= mating reioka: Tony: It worked for me??? In both cases??? Pepper's just not ready for children but I am and I understand that. Pepper: *spews coffee* Tony: But Bucky and Steve like me! :D Natasha: *smug* Maria likes me. *everyone turns to look at Hill* Hill: ...I have paperwork to do. ifdragonscouldtalk: Bucky and Steve nearly have a heart attack when bruce askes when they were planning to tell him about the children reioka: Steve: Tony, we... can't have children. Tony: D: you... you don't want children with me? Bucky: That's not it! We, uh... we're physically incapable of. Conceiving. With you. Tony: ...WELL. You can't help that you're barren. Steve and Bucky: *bug-eyed* Tony: Maybe I could talk to Natasha. The fry wouldn't be your biologically but it's the love that matters. Bruce finds Steve and Bucky crying later and he doesn't want to ask but he does anyway. "It's the love that matters," Steve sobs, and Bucky adds, "That's so beautiful, holy shit." ifdragonscouldtalk: Oh my g od If they did have children only one ends up having a normal name because bucky and steve are never quick enough to imprint on the fry reioka: Lmao LOL THE PREGNANCY Steve: So how many kids are we lookin' at, Bruce? Bruce: At least two dozen. Bucky: *faints* Bruce: Probably more. Steve: ...Can I afford that many children Bruce: GET OUT OF MY LAB. ifdragonscouldtalk: OH MY VGOD Pepper buys another bigger tank Clint and Nat start hissing at anyone who tries to touch tones except his mates reioka: Aw, little tiny ultrasound on Tony's belly! Bruce endures Clint and Natasha's biting with aplomb. ifdragonscouldtalk: Steve and Bucky both pass out minutes into the labor and continue to pass out every time they wake up till its over By the time they wake up the last time theyre already named - dummy, you, cutie, friday, toast, stan Nat names one Hill and Hill is her Best Niece reioka: Lmao "Why Toast" "Why not Toast? Do you not like it? Well it's too late her name is Toast." ifdragonscouldtalk: Steve and Bucky are crying. The seahorses think it's joy. Pep and Bruce are just patting their shoulders. Pepper thinks they shouldve seen it coming Clint names one Hawk just to piss ppl off reioka: Lmao Tony introducing all the fry to Steve and Bucky, "Children, these are your fathers. Steve, Bucky, this is" long list of names. They're never going to remember them all, they're terrible parents. Eventually Tony orders his children to tell them who they're speaking to because when they misbehave he wants to yell at the right one. "That's fair," the fry agree, and then start doing it for everyone except Pepper and Hill. reioka: Pepper: Isn't it... kinda cruel? Natasha: I heard a seahorse gave birth to fifty kids once. Some of them drift away because they're idiots that won't listen. One time my mom called me every name but mine. ifdragonscouldtalk: Imagine how much Trouble clint gets them into reioka: Clint: Do you think with all these seahorses we could tip the tank Tony: Do not tip the tank. Clint: I bet we could. Natasha: Do NOT Fry: *cheerfully* TIP THE TANK! TIP THE TANK! Tony: STEEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEE CATCH THE TAAAAAAAAAAANK ifdragonscouldtalk: Tony and Natasha actually screeching Bucky and Steve catch the tank but tony is sobbing and panicking because his cHILDREN ARE GOING TO DIE LIKE IDIOTS reioka: Steve: *angry* DON'T DO THAT TO YOUR MOTHER. Bucky: Steve, you shouldn't yell at the kids. CLINT YOU LITTLE SHIT. Tony: *sobbing, gathering the fry to him frantically* Fry: *feel terrible* ifdragonscouldtalk: Imagine them all going to the beach and all of them are hanging off Buckys hair and Steve is makin sure none of them drift away Tony is actually screeching in joy because a c t u a l s a n d Toast would prefer to be near Steve so she hangs on to his drawstring of his swimsuit Nat teaches Hill how to train and ride hermit crabs reioka: Tony: *cries* Look at my beautiful family. Bucky: Aw, doll. :) You don't have to-- Tony: MY FAMILY KICKS EVERY OTHER FAMILY'S ASS. Bucky: ...Doll. Steve: *laughs, chokes on sea water* ifdragonscouldtalk: Clint.... Challenges a blue crab,, to a fight Bruce has to save him reioka: Okay so hear me out -- Bruce and Betty are together but Clint just kind of gets inserted into their relationship because "I'm pretty sure he's lowkey trying to die" Bruce says and then Betty has a baby and Clint was like "Holy shit this thing is huge. I love her. She's mine now." Betty's amused. Bruce just sighs. ifdragonscouldtalk: G O O D Clint trying to get the baby to challege a crab to a fight reioka: Baby sitting on it and crushing it with her diaper. Clint: ...That works. Bruce: Stop trying to get our child to fight everything bigger than you, Clint! Clint: *starts crying* Bruce: Oh God what did I do Betty: *snorting, trying to get the crab to let go of the baby's diaper* You called her 'our' baby and he's included in the 'our' and he's happy you idiot. Bruce: Oh ifdragonscouldtalk: Natasha rides past on a hermit crab and clint starts blabbering to her and shes just like yeah? Can YOUR kid race hermit crabs Clint looks at Bruce and Betty. Bruce: No, our kid cannot- Betty: if you can find one big enough Bruce: BeTTY reioka: Betty: Oh my God Bruce he's never going to find a crab big enough. Bruce: I don't believe that. I believe he could find one. He regularly gets himself thrown out of the tank to steal my pizza. Betty: He's so tiny how much could he eat? Bruce: *stony silence* Betty: D: ifdragonscouldtalk: Ok but Bucky with seahorses just hanging onto his hair. Theyre everywhere. He looks like a seahorse tree. reioka: Pepper takes lots of pictures. Bucky loves them. He'd thought about cutting his hair at one point but now that he has become the seahorse tree he vows to only have it trimmed. ifdragonscouldtalk: A horseshoe crab scares one of the kids and Tony's just like im gONNA FITE IT and Steve is like nO reioka: Tony manages to knock it upside down but it's so distressed by it that he gets Steve to turn it back over and it scuttles away in the opposite direction ifdragonscouldtalk: Ok but also Clint and Tony and Natasha forcing pep to help them set up a 'human date' for Nat and Hill because yes reioka: Clint and Tony vibrating when they see Hill coming back with Natasha, ready to interrogate her on whether the date went well, but then Hill leans down and presses a kiss to Natasha's cheek (Well, her entire side of her head, but they intention is still there) and they squeal and then slap at each other to shut up because NATASHA IS BLUSHING OH MY KRILL ifdragonscouldtalk: G O O D Natasha is smug like "She's definitely my mate. She just hasn't done the ritual yet." Hill going to Coulson like "a fish is courting me" reioka: Coulson: Stranger things have happened. Hill: Not to ME ifdragonscouldtalk: Wwheezesx justin hammer,,, stealing them reioka: NOOOOO Can you imagine Tony, Natasha, and Clint trying to protect all the fry Trying so hard, but they all get taken anyway, and they know they couldn't really do anything against a human but they feel like they SHOULD HAVE ifdragonscouldtalk: Can you imagine,, tony breaking down,,, and justin trying to get them to breed. Cuz m e r m a i ds. And tony just telling him that if he touched the kids his mates would kill him reioka: Justin would probably curse himself for missing two seahorses But NAY TWO SUPER SOLDIERS ifdragonscouldtalk: ScReech can u imagine justin putting a little glowy tracking device in tonys chest reioka: Honestly I'm just imagining them all being so scared that their tails clutch at each other until they're just a big ball of trembling, teary seahorses WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT I love it ifdragonscouldtalk: When they finally do come it's actually Maria who gets there first and she scoops up hill and nat and holds them desperately Just nuzzling them Bruce finds clint actually sobbing Steve and bucky beat justin mostly dead reioka: GOOD He deserves it ifdragonscouldtalk: Tony clings to steves fingers and cries while bucky gets the kids reioka: Steve presses desperate kisses all over Tony's body but his lips glance over whether the tracker is and Tony wails in pain and Steve is horrified because oh God what did Hammer DO Bruce physically stops Steve from walking over and crushing Hammer's skull under his boot because he needs to know everything Hammer did