#The domino twins should not be left alone

[superlarva]

Much needed cuddles!

Raising Dominoes has reached double digits!!! I've never been this committed to a project before and I can't wait to share more!

Here's Chapter 10 - Reunited.

Prologue: 00 Previous chapter: 09 Next chapter: 11

Summary: Rex and Fives visit Echo at the hospital.

CW: Implied/referenced child abuse, food insecurities, hospitals, missing limbs

Chapter 10 – Reunited

Fives bolted into Echo’s room before Rex could even think about stopping him. One second the boy had been holding his hand, the next the door was beginning to swing shut after him.

In the split second that Rex had been able to see into the room, he caught sight of a familiar figure in a long white coat standing next to a bed occupied by a small boy. The shades were not drawn this time, and there were less machines beeping away. From the fleeting image it looked like Echo was doing better.

Rex followed Fives into the room and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of the kid climbing up onto his twin’s bed. Worried that Fives was going to accidentally hurt his brother, he quickly covered the distance between them and reached for Fives, ready with a lecture about proper behavior in a hospital, but faltered when he heard a deep chuckle.

“It’s alright, Rex,” Kix said, smiling as he finished hanging a bag on an IV pole.

Rex frowned, worry etching creases in his brow.

“He’s being careful. He won’t hurt him,” Kix reassured. He walked around the bed to Rex’s side and lowered his voice so the boys would not be able to hear, “Trust me, they need this. That was the first time I’ve seen anyone get near the kid without him flinching.”

Rex nodded, but his frown deepened. Echo weakly shifted over in the bed to give Fives more room.

“See if you can get him to eat anything,” Kix whispered before turning on his heel and starting for the door. When he reached the door, he looked over his shoulder at the twins and waved, “Okay, Echo, I’m going to go now. I’ll be back in a few minutes to check on you, alright, trooper?”

Echo made no response, but Kix did not seem to expect one since the door was already clicking shut behind him.

Rex should not have felt uneasy being left alone in a room with his twin boys. It was ridiculous, really, but the way Echo stared put him on edge. The boy’s eyes never left him, not even as Fives snuggled up next to him, close but not touching. Not even when Fives called his twin’s name.

Echo’s eyes were cold and evaluating. Sizing him up as if he were a threat. Rex supposed that was probably what he thought he was: someone else that would hit or yell, someone else that would poke and prod with needles.

Rex really only had one move. He backed away from the edge of the bed slowly and sat in the chair pulled up beside it. Echo’s eyes followed him.

It was Fives who broke the silence, “Are you better now?”

Echo blinked, his eyes slowly pulling away from Rex’s to settle on his brother, “…yes.”

His voice was so small and though he wanted to sound brave for Fives, it was more than clear he was lying. His face was pale and gaunt, his voice hoarse and dry, and he was still surrounded by bags of meds and beeping machines.

“So, we can take him home now?” Fives asked hopefully, lifting his head from the pillow to address Rex.

Rex shook his head, “We have to wait for Kix to discharge him.”

Fives let out an exasperated sigh and let his head drop back into the pillow dramatically. After a minute of silence, he turned to Echo, his voice soft, “I missed you.”

The corners of Echo’s thin lips quirked up into the image of a smile, but an image was all it was. There was no sincerity to the motion and the smile dissipated quickly, face contorting in pain, or grief, or sadness.

The boy’s mind was elsewhere, his sad eyes darting around the room before drifting back over to study Rex. Rex smiled, though he was afraid his was as empty and meaningless as Echo’s had been, “Uh, Echo, it’s nice to meet you. I’m… I’m Rex.”

Rex cringed at his awkwardness, but he forced himself to gauge the boy’s reaction. There was none. Echo remained still, eyes locked onto his.

Rex broke eye contact, dropping his gaze to the gift bag still clutched in his hand, “Oh, um, Fives, do you want to give your brother his present?”

“Oh, yeah!” Fives jumped off the bed and retrieved the bag, crinkling it around loudly as he climbed back up, kneeling at Echo’s side. He held out the present in front of his brother, “I saw this at the… the gift shop and- and Rex said I could get it for you!”

Echo reached out slowly and took the bag, letting it rest on his chest as he used his remaining arm to attempt to fish out the gift.

Fives watched his twin struggle for a moment before his excitement won out, “It’s a book!”

Echo finally pulled out the book and turned it over, looking at the cover.

“It’s a- a guide book. For Kamino- no, um- Coruscant. That’s where we are!” Fives exclaimed, excitement and his difficulty remembering what Rex had said about the book causing his words to come out breathless.

In Rex’s eyes the book was worthless—a cheap tourists’ guide to Coruscant—but it had been the only book in the gift shop, and Fives had insisted Echo would like it. Who was Rex to dispute his claim?

Echo turned the book over one more time to look at the back and set it down at his side. “Thanks,” he said quietly, looking at Fives before turning his attention to Rex, voice now so soft Rex had to strain to hear it, “Thank you, sir.”

Rex smiled, and this time he was sure it looked genuine, “You’re welcome.”

“Do you like it?” Fives asked, beaming at his brother and bouncing a little on the bed.

Echo nodded, his eyes flicking over to Rex and shoulders tensing.

He was lying.

He was lying and he thought Rex was going to what? Punish him for it? Call him out on it? Make both of them upset?

“Wow,” Fives breathed, flopping back down onto the bed, seemingly oblivious, “I’m so happy to see you.”

“I’m so happy to see you,” Echo repeated, tearing his eyes away from Rex to face his brother.

“Does- Does it hurt?” Fives asked, looking at the places on the sheets where the lumps ended.

“Not really, I’m just tired.”

“Can I see?”

Echo shifted to sit up a bit higher on the pillows and pulled the blankets down. The stumps where his limbs used to be were wrapped up in bandages. His right arm had been cut just above the elbow, his right leg above the knee, and his left leg below the knee. It was a miracle the paramedics had been able to arrive in time to stabilize him before he bled out.

“Not much to see,” Echo rasped, letting out a strangled laugh that quickly morphed into a coughing fit.

Rex rose from his chair instinctively, “We should get you some water.”

Echo flinched back at the sudden movement, screwing his eyes shut, coughing subsiding for a moment to allow a small whimper to escape his throat.

“Okay, okay, I’m sitting down,” Rex slowly lowered himself back into the chair.

Fives hovered over Echo, hands twitching like he wanted to touch him, but he was not sure he should. Instead of offering any sort of physical comfort, Fives opted for verbal, “It’s okay, Rex is nice. He’s nice.”

“He’s nice?” Echo managed weakly, eyes opening a crack.

“Mm-hmm! Nice,” Fives answered cheerily.

Echo began coughing again and it took all of Rex’s strength not to get up from the chair for a second time. There was a glass of water on a tray full of food next to the bed and Rex pointed to it, “Fives, can you get that water for Echo?”

Fives turned and grabbed the cup, pressing it into his twin’s hand. Echo took it and brought it to his mouth, arm trembling under the small amount of weight. Much of the water spilled down the front of the boy’s papery hospital gown and onto the sheets, but Rex was relieved to see him take a few gulps.

Echo passed the glass back to Fives and relaxed back into the pillows, giving out one final cough.

“That feels better, huh?” Rex asked, relaxing back into the chair himself.

Echo blinked, “…feels better?”

“Yeah, doesn’t it?”

The boy slowly nodded, “Yes, sir.”

“You know what else would help you feel better?”

Echo swallowed, his eyes darting over to where Fives sat next to him before returning to stare blankly at Rex, “No, sir.”

“Some food in your tummy,” Rex nodded to the tray of food by Fives.

Fives pushed the tray over to Echo, who shook his head, “I’m alright, sir.”

“Aren’t you hungry?” Rex questioned, concern written across his face.

“A bit,” Echo confessed after a moment. The boy dropped his eyes to the bowl of stew and looked at it like it was a cup full of bugs.

“Are you allergic?”

Echo shook his head, still watching his meal with disgust.

“You just don’t like it then?”

The boy shrugged.

“Okay…” Rex mumbled, wracking his brain for a nicer what to ask what the problem with the food was.

It turned out he did not need to.

“So then why won’t you eat it?” Fives asked.

“I…” Echo started, his voice barely audible, “I don’t deserve it.”

Everything stopped for a moment: the beeping of the machines, the little particles dancing in the waning light, even the beating of Rex’s heart. The kid thought he did not deserve hospital food. Hospital food. It brought Rex back to the first night he brought home Fives, when the boy had cried because he was “being too nice” to him.

Vaguely Rex wondered if Echo thought he did not deserve the meal because it was nicer than whatever type of sustenance he was used to, or because he was accustomed to having to work for his food. Neither option made Rex very happy.

In fact, he was angry.

No, angry was not quite right.

He was livid.

Rex gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before his heart exploded with rage. When he opened his eyes he was met with twin sets of chocolate colored irises staring back at him.

His heart melted, “You deserve it, Echo.”

The boy kept his face unnaturally still and Rex wished he could read what was going on under that carefully maintained mask.

“You deserve it,” Rex repeated, louder this time. He looked down at the floor, hoping to hide the sadness in his eyes, “Everyone deserves to be able to eat when they’re hungry.”

The room was silent again. Rex did not dare look up from his shoes. He did not know if he could bear looking into their innocent faces after everything they had been through because of him. Because he had done everything he could to not look back.

If only he had, then he would have found them earlier, before-

“I can eat it,” Echo’s quiet voice cut through Rex’s thoughts.

He snapped his head up to see both boys looking at the tray of food with downcast expressions.

“I’m sorry, sir” Echo muttered, his shoulders tensing, “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“What? No, no, I’m not upset,” Rex said, waving his hands around as if that would prove his sincerity. The last thing he wanted was for his boys to be tiptoeing around him and worrying about upsetting him.

The twins looked up at him skeptically.

“Not upset,” Rex reassured, giving them a small smile, “Not upset, just- Hey! I’ve got an idea.”

Echo’s head tilted to the side, one eyebrow cocking up in interest.

Rex turned to Fives, “Hey, bud, are you hungry?”

“Uh-huh?” Fives’ brows crinkled together.

“Why don’t we go down to the cafeteria real quick and get some dinner to bring back here? Then we can all eat together.”

“Okay,” Fives agreed easily, sliding off the bed. Once his feet hit the ground he turned back to his twin, “Okay?”

Echo nodded, “Okay.”

The rest of the evening was spent answering Fives’s one hundred and one questions about the hospital and watching Echo slowly pick at his food long after both Rex and Fives had finished. When he finally pushed it away, he had only gotten through around half, but when Kix came in to say goodbye at the end of his shift, he seemed ecstatic that any of it was gone at all, so Rex counted that as a win.

At around 8 pm both boys were exhausted. Rex was about to suggest that he take Fives home for the night when the boy passed the Coruscant guidebook to his twin, “Can you read to me?”

Echo smiled softly and took the book, sandwiching it between his chest and his hand so he would be able to keep it steady as he read.

There was no way Rex was interrupting this. He leaned back in his chair and listened to Echo rattle off facts about the Bureau of Ships and Services Heritage Museum.

After a few minutes Fives shifted in the bed next to his brother. “Cuddle?” He asked, looking at Echo hopefully.

Echo put down the book for a moment to pat his shoulder, “Here.”

Fives smiled sleepily and inched closer to his twin to rest his head on his shoulder.

Echo resumed reading and in no time at all Fives was asleep. Rex watched as Echo carefully set the book down so as not to disturb his brother. He then pulled the covers up around Fives’s shoulders. As he did, he noticed Rex looking at them and frowned in a silent question.

“You take such good care of your brother,” Rex said softly.

Echo looked down at Fives, a real, true smile spreading across his face, “I love him. I’d do anything for him.”

@marierg @stressed-cherry @ffdemon @renton6echo @bambambunny @tearfulsolace @rndmpeep @brokenphoenix99 @nerdy-valkyrie @xylionet @tazmbc1 @eyayah123 @the-bad-batch-baroness @sarcastic-nebula @ihaventpickedausername @sexysmeagolshitposting @emma-1409 @marcadamia

#Fives takes care of Echo just as much as Echo takes care of him #but we'll get there #eventually #the clone wars #tcw #clone wars #arc trooper echo #arc trooper fives #clone trooper echo #clone trooper fives #captain rex #clone medic kix #clone trooper kix #domino twins #baby dominos #superlarva

[staycalmandhugaclone]

Let's talk Wolffe, Gregor, and Rex. For each of them, would they prefer a warm bubble bath, hot shower, cold shower, or skinny dipping in a lake?

We’re expanding! Let’s see how I can go about not giving you a direct answer (because those just aren’t as much fun). Reference to spicy times, but this one’s mild.

Wolffe: He’s been known to enjoy a cold shower, but this man lives for a hot tub. Somewhere that the lights can be dimmed and he can enjoy a moment of stillness and relaxation; to have just a moment to slough off the weight of responsibility that grows more crippling with each brother lost. If he lets you join him in one of these rare moments of peace, he’ll merely hold you in perfect silence, preferring to keep your back flush against his chest and bury his face in your hair, in your neck; to hide himself in your scent and the soft flutter of your heartbeat. He may want you there for the comfort of your presence, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready for you to see him like this; not yet. If you grant him this stillness for a time, eventually you’ll feel him begin chasing the dance of your pulse with his lips, feel his hands start to roam, and he’ll show you just how grateful he is to have you with him.

Gregor: Okay, this one’s a fifty/fifty. He will never say no to a bubble bath. Give him the scented oils, light the good candles, sprinkle the water with rose petals. He’ll make a joke that you’re trying to woo him, and then illustrate just how clearly it’s working. That being said, he’s also 100% down for skinny dipping. Life is too short and death comes too easily for even a moment wasted in hesitation when the opportunity to make the most of every second presents itself!

Rex: He’s just happy for a stress-free shower… really… if he turns on the hot water and hot water comes out instead of water so frigid it should realistically have frozen in the pipes, and the cold water nozzle yields cold water instead of some atrocity of an orange drink boasted as containing a wealth of vitamins and minerals and capable of dying everything it touches that terribly bright, artificial color, he’s thrilled, but life with the domino twins and Hardcase have left him skeptical of even the few minutes he has for himself in the fresher… If he were to have an honest-to-Force bath, however? He’d melt. He’d decline any frivolous goodies, but if the bath happens to already be drawn and you happened to already throw in some epson salt and a subtle, relaxing scented oil? Well, it certainly shouldn’t go to waste. For the most part, he prefers to bathe alone, purely for a few minutes of actual quiet, but once he’s done? Once that tension wanes and he can breathe? That rush of euphoria has no better outlet than showing you the depths of his gratitude.

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#star wars #star wars the clone wars #sw tcw #star wars headcanons #the clone wars headcanons #ccommander wolffe #tcw wolffe #tcw gregor #commander gregor #tcw rex #captain rex #rex #commander wolffe x you #captain rex x you #commander gregor x you #asks answered #unhinged asks

[phantom-of-the-501st]

Character Revivals in SW

Okay, so I just reblogged one of my own posts talking about this and I wanted to touch more on it so let's go on a bit of a ramble.

I know that there are a lot of people who argue that they bring back too many characters from the dead in this franchise and I do kind of get it but I also want to touch on character deaths and what they mean for the greater stories in SW because I actually think that some characters benefit from being brought back.

A lot of the weight of a character's death is defined by the weight that that fate holds on the story as whole. The ones that stick the most are the ones that resonate and have lasting effects throughout the story, or mark a significant turning point. There are a lot of deaths in SW that do this but also some characters who grew more after their revival, so I'm going to touch on a few characters and why the fate that they have works.

Vader

We all know why Vader's death is so significant. It was the final chapter in Anakin's story and it came to a close just where it needed to. That narrative was done, it was complete. It never needed anything after that because his story already has such a strong impact on SW and Luke's story. It made perfect sense for that to be the end of the character. The stories set before solidify this end, but there's no need for anything after.

Maul

Yes, Maul dying worked perfectly fine in the Prequels. There was nothing particularly wrong with having him "die" in the first place, but I think most of us can agree that Maul's revival ended up adding so much to the story of Star Wars. The entire Siege of Mandalore arc alone is reason enough to have brought him back. But it isn't just about enjoying having that character on our screens again, it's that bringing him back added something to the franchise.

The actions of Maul had lasting consequences and some of his actions marked huge turning points for the characters. The resonating effects of what he did are why this character coming back works so well. His legacy is so much stronger now for that story added.

Waxer

While Waxer doesn't get brought up a whole lot, I actually think that his fate is a good example of why some of the less discussed character deaths mean so much. The death of Waxer marked such a deep tragedy. Yes, the loss of so many clones on Umbara was already so heartbreaking, but the loss of a clone that we recognised, and one from so early on in the show, really solidified that catastrophe in our hearts. It was brutal and unjust and perfectly encapsulated why that story was so tragic. They couldn't bring Waxer back after that because it would've undermined what that casualty meant.

Fives

Oh Fives... we miss you dearly. But the Domino Twins are actually perfect examples of demonstrating this point, which is why I'm bringing Echo up right after this!

We all wish we could bring Fives back, as implausible as it would be, but him dying is exactly why this character has had such a firm chokehold over the fandom. We love him. He brought so much to TCW and we would be overjoyed to still have him around. But let me play the Devil's advocate and explain why he should remain dead (for the sake of the show, not our sanity).

The tragedy of what happened to Fives is why that story has left as much of an effect as it has. Fives tried so hard to protect all of his brothers and to prevent Order 66 from happening, but he couldn't do it. At least, not at the time. His death works because we see the long-lasting effects of what he discovered knowing full well that he will never get to see it. He should be there. That's why he stills sticks with us, why we can never let him go. Because we know that he should be there. If anyone deserved to see what he did for the clones, it's him.

And that's why it was a fitting end for his character. It's heartbreaking, it's tragic, it hurts, but the ripples left from that death are still spreading. That death meant something to the legacy of the show and the unfairness of it is why it cuts so deeply. Fives still gets brought up because the sacrifice he made was so powerful. Honestly, him being dead will always be more impactful than him still being here. I would love to see him fighting alongside Echo and Rex, but the tragedy of it is why it was the perfect end. It was a great chapter for him to end on. It's the perfect example of how to have a character be cut down in their prime while not having it feel like it was too early in the narrative. It was too soon for the character, but the perfect time in his story if that makes any sense.

Echo

And while we're on the topic of the Domino Twins, here's why Echo coming back was the better decision!

As I just mentioned, Fives' death has a legacy. It had a huge, unforgettable impact on the overall story. No-one can deny what Five's sacrifice meant. Echo's? No so much.

Look, Echo's death was tragic and people who love him will not forget it, but it would not have had the same everlasting impact as his brother's did. It doesn't even hold the same weight as Waxer's death in the fact that while it shows the unfairness of the lives of the clones, it doesn't quite have the same level of heart wrenching unjustness. Let's be completely honest here, how much of an influence would Echo's death specifically have on the overall story? Echo would've never have held the same legacy as Fives if he had stayed dead.

But if Echo died now? Holy shit would it be the most heartbreaking thing. His death wouldn't just be felt by the Bad Batch and Rex but also by every single clone that he helped saved. Echo holds so much greater of a legacy now than he ever did back then. He has been instrumental in helping the clones during the rise of the Empire and his impact on the story is so much bigger now than it ever was. Yes, Echo's "death" was tragic, but if we lost him now then the aftereffects of that would be so much greater. Echo's story has improved exponentially from having him back (not to say it was bad beforehand).

Tech

Which brings me on to Tech. Do I think he's dead? Nope. And as much as I joke that it's out of denial, I genuinely do not think that he is for the exact reason that I've discussed here. Yes, Tech's death means a whole lot to his brothers and to us, but to the greater story of Star Wars? Ehhhhh... not so sure.

Now, if the Empire started experimenting on Tech and turned him into another Clone X? Now we have something. It would be dark and horrific but it would also have huge consequences in terms of what this means so characters in Star Wars. It would just highlight even more than now just how powerful and horrific the Empire were.

Tech sacrificing himself is brutal in the moment, but I don't think it has the long-lasting impact on the franchise that people think it does. And it doesn't feel right for him at this point in time. I said earlier that Fives' death was too early because no-one should die at that age, but it felt like a fitting conclusion to his story arc. Tech feels like he was killed off in the middle of his. Even Mayday's death has a greater impact on the overall story than I think Tech's does. Yes, we're more attached to Tech, but what does his sacrifice really mean in the grand scheme of things? It's not like they got any information because Tech died. They still have nothing.

I truly believe that Tech coming back has so much more story potential than him dying and that's why I don't think he's gone just yet.

#I'm not sure I'm happy with this #I'm trying to write it with a headache so I don't feel great #but I had to get this written down #I truly do not believe that tech is dead #because his death doesn't mean what it should here #sw may have a reputation for bringing characters back #but lot of character deaths do actually stick #and most revivals actually add something #some may be a bit of a stretch #but I think some characters benefit from being brought back #Steph rambles #the bad batch #the clone wars #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers

[ifidiedinadream]

Hi 🤍

I have a little (T) Error Twin request for you

👉👈

The boys are on tour and Joel gets some hate online (for whatever reason). He isolates himself in the bus, trying to deal with it on his own. But Joonas notices something is off and when he checks on him, he just pulls Joel into a hug and smooches his face.

thank you for this lovely prompt 🥰

Joel doesn’t know why he keeps doing it. 

Why he always tries to make his mood worse when it’s already awful, if it’s a punishment he thrusts upon himself for god knows what reason or if he’s actually just plain stupid. It’s probably the second option, all things considered.  

The last few days of tour have been terrible on their own; stressful, exhausting, nothing seems to ever go smoothly and the constant setbacks have been making him anxious. 

To make everything worse, the bus just broke down in the middle of nowhere between venues, and they don’t know if they’re gonna make it to the next city in time. And obviously, unable to dwell in the uncertainty calm and collected like Aleksi or Niko would do, Joel decided to go online for “distraction”. 

Instead of TikTok or Instagram he’s surfing Jodel, and Joel wishes he knew why he chose to do that, because it’s the place most likely to show him what he doesn’t want to see. Criticism. A lot of it. 

(Not that he cares. He’s used to criticism and usually it doesn’t get under his skin, not to this extent at least; but when his mood is already sour everything is heavier and Joel doesn’t feel half as strong as he usually does.) 

That’s how he ended up staring at his phone screen, on a broken down bus in the middle of nowhere running out of time, with tears prickling at the back of his eyes. It makes him feel even more pathetic, which only makes him want to cry more. He just can’t win. 

No one is around, everyone taking advantage of the broken down vehicle to stretch their legs and maybe go look for an actual toilet somewhere. However, the shame of being so stupid makes Joel want to hide nonetheless, so he goes in his bunk, draws the curtain, and lets those stupid, stupid tears fall, in the hopes they won’t bug him again once he lets them run freely for a couple of minutes. 

But it’s never only a couple of minutes, Joel should know by now; after the first tear rolls down his cheek it’s like a domino effect in reverse and they just don’t seem to stop. Joel hates it, he hates it so much. The tightening ache in his chest worsens with every breath he takes and he loathes himself for how useless, powerless he is. 

Can’t even handle some lazy, low-effort hate online. 

His sobs quieten when the boys come back. His plan is to pretend to be asleep. 

“Joel, our driver managed to fix the bus, we should be at the venue in time for the show,” Joonas announces loudly as soon as he steps inside. “Wait, where’s Joel?” 

The others don’t respond; Joel pictures them shrugging. He sighs in relief at the news but now he just wishes they all went away again so he could wallow in peace. 

However, the bus starts as soon as he finishes the thought. They’re back on the road. He keeps on pretending to be asleep when someone enters the bunk area, even when that someone pulls his curtain aside. 

“I knew you’d be here,” Joonas says and Joel is facing the wall on the opposite side. “What’s wrong?” 

Of course Joonas would ask what’s wrong, not whether something is wrong. He knows him so well and Joel is thankful for it, but still he wishes he could be left alone. He doesn’t feel like talking. 

He grumbles vaguely, hoping to convey the message to Joonas. Joonas, however, doesn’t seem to get the memo. He forces himself into Joel’s definitely too small bunk, hugging Joel vehemently and tightly before hastily grabbing his face in his hands and violently smooching his face. Joel can’t help but chuckle at Joonas’ aggressively affectionate ways, and when Joonas notices, he just kisses his face more, sending Joel into a straight up laughing fit. 

Joonas is holding him when he can breathe again. 

“Don’t let it get to you, okay?” Joonas says, breaking the silence. Ever so wisely; like he knew exactly what’s going on in Joel’s messy head. 

Joel nods, hugging him tighter.

#my writing #answered #blind channel rpf #blind channel fanfic #blind channel fanfiction #rpf #joel hokka x joonas porko #kinda

[clonecest-bin-account]

Catching you now when requests are open! Could I request some Rex/Fives/Echo when the twins are still fairly new after Rishi? The Captain is stressed after a battle or because of something the Dominoes did and they try to figure out how to relax him.

(Cuuuuute!)

“Maybe 79’s?” Fives suggests.

“I don’t think Rex’s the kind of guy for that…” Echo points out. Well, he’s right: they’ve known Rex for a short amount of time, that’s true, but they’ve never seen him at 79’s enjoying the night with his fellow clones. No, he mustn’t be too fond of that at all…

“That’s true,” Five mutters, scratching his chin, still deep in thought.

Here’s the thing: they’ve noticed that Rex is quite stressed, and they want to do something for him, but what? They don’t even know him that well, and Rex really isn’t one to talk about himself that much, so they’re quite stumped.

Sure, they could ask for someone else’s help, preferably someone who knows him better, but… as dumb as it may sound, they want to do this themselves.

After all, they still haven’t found a meaningful way to thank Rex for what he’s done for them after Rishi; they had nobody left, and Rex decided to take them with him, give them a new home, a new family. They’ll never forget it.

Not that they haven’t said thank you so many times, and not that they don’t do their best every day to repay him for the faith he’s expressed in them, but they still feel like it’s not enough. They need to do more.

So no, they can’t ask anybody else for help. They need to do it.

“Anything at all?” Fives asks, then, exasperated. It seems like everything they come up with would end up only causing Rex more stress, which is the exact opposite of what they want to do.

“Maybe we should just talk to him,” Echo suggests. It’s their only hope.

“Isn’t that cheap?” Fives counters, however. After all, they wanted to make it a surprise, something nice and special that could please their captain; asking him would quite defeat the purpose of this.

“Would you rather we do something and only stress him further?”

Well, when he puts it like that…

Fives sighs. “Fine. Let’s ask him.”

To say Rex is surprised when Fives and Echo barge into his office would be an understatement. He really was hoping to be left alone that day.

Then they open their mouths, and Rex doesn’t have it in himself to be mad anymore.

“Rex, we’ve noticed that you’ve been quite stressed these days, and…” Echo begins, but it doesn’t take long for Fives to take over.

“Well, we wanted to do something nice for you, something to unwind, but we were afraid if we did something, it would only end up stressing you out more, so…” he shrugs, and in the silence, Echo continues.

“Is there anything we can do for you? You’re very important to us, and we want to help.”

For a moment, Rex is speechless, surprised by their initiative.

“I… Thank you,” he says, truly touched, only for his expression then to sour. “But still, I need to finish reporting our losses…”

Figures that the captain would be too busy for… oh. This is why he’s so stressed!

It’s never easy having to deal with the loss of a brother, imagine having to report hundreds of them. No wonder Rex has been this weird recently.

Fives and Echo look at each other. It takes them only a brief gaze to understand that they’re both thinking the same thing.

They turn back to Rex.

“Would you like us to stay?”

“Huh?”

This is the second time they’ve surprised Rex in such a short amount of time. He was expecting them to tuck tail and leave, but instead…

“You know what? Yeah, I’d like that.”

It helps.

Sure, it’s not exactly a magic cure for everything bad, but it’s easier for Rex to file every report with the very tangible presences at his side. It’s grounding, it’s relaxing of sort.

He definitely feels less alone now.

Eventually, they move to the couch, which is tricky because it makes Rex want to drop his datapad and just take a nap, but he can’t, not when there’s still work to do.

To Echo and Fives’ credit, they’re well-behaved enough not to disturb him, even though at some point they begin talking to each other in hushed voices. Since Rex’s attention is elsewhere, he can’t really make out what they’re saying, but their voices create a nice background noise that helps him focus even more, and so he goes on, registering every designation, every name of the lives they have been lost during their last battle.

He’s so taken by his work that he notices that the voices have stopped only when he’s finished; as he rests the datapad on his lap, sighing of relief because it’s finally over, he looks at Fives first, then at Echo, and he realizes that they have fallen asleep, with their faces resting against his shoulders - it truly is a miracle that he hasn’t noticed anything.

What should’ve been a time of grief becomes something else, as a tenderness Rex hasn’t felt in a very long time resurfaces inside him, and he can’t help but to smile.

“Echo, Fives… Thank you.”

#clonecest #cloneshipping #recho5 #arc trooper echo #arc trooper fives #captain rex #my fics #bits and pieces #ct5306-peck

[acciojaeyun]

venus among the stars | fred weasley

pairing: fred weasley x gn!reader warnings: none, just fluff and babie freddie prompt: "you awfully know me so much for someone who doesn't talk to me," "that doesn't mean i don't observe you,"

a/n: i just realised after i wrote this that james phelps (fred weasley) is really an astronomer! this is coincidental and not really planned. i just can't help but associate sleeping at last's venus with fred. :>

summary: fred had been at the astronomy tower for some time now. he loved looking at the stars and planets, little did he know, he was already venus in somebody's eyes.

"Where are you heading off, Freddie?" George asked as he watched Fred stand up while messily putting all of his quills and parchment away. "The tower, I could pretty much use a breather right now. Umbridge's a pain in the arse." Fred muttered, not minding to listen to whatever George had to say in response - he was too clouded in his mind to do so, anyway.

Fred had been on the receiving end of the stress that was inherent to being a seventh year. He knew George had it too, but he was in awe of how he can easily manage it as if it were something not too much of a deal.

At some point, he envied how George seemed like he got everything sorted out. He had to give him the appreciation for that. Hey, George was always the one who assessed most of their pranks; from that, it wasn't new knowledge to Fred if George wasn't that stressed out over life in general.

That is why he had been in the Astronomy Tower more than usual. Looking at the constellations each night, reminiscing his second year in Hogwarts and how he was trying to memorise the name of constellations at the back of his head - something he took pride in himself, he was fascinated with Astronomy, that loud boy. He found calm within the stars and the planets.; and the occurrence of Umbridge made him find a significant purpose other than peace: sanity. That was why Fred had been in the Astronomy Tower regularly.

Little did he know or maybe not, someone was observing him for some quite time now. All along, Fred knew he was alone. The student lurking seated at the last step of the Astronomy Tower proved otherwise. Y/N had seen Fred one time in the Astronomy Tower one night they had been later than their usual time in visiting the tower.

To Y/N, Fred was beauty. They couldn't deny it. The night of the Yule Ball they had seen Fred in its wool vest and black coat with his hair falling perfectly as if it were like dominoes, he had never left Y/N's mind.

Now, Y/N had dedicated constellations to Fred more often than not. He had been something that had given them hope. His smiles and laughs had become Y/N's source of happiness as well; and as the year progressed and the arrival of Umbridge had manifested in Hogwarts, they couldn't help but notice the light in Fred's eyes diminish increasingly.

They had been debating over themselves about it for some quite time now. They had always been wanting to approach Fred, but they were too scared to do so. They had placed Fred in a pedestal, unwillingly, at that. But they couldn't help it, he was ethereal. A figure of magic and love rolled into one.

Tonight was one of those times. They had seen Fred in the Great Hall, writing in dinner tonight; which was very unusual of him. When Fred had gotten up to go to the Astronomy Tower - they presume - they had waited out a bit before following him in his tracks.

Which leads to tonight, with Y/N seated on the last steps of the stairs. They were looking at Fred's face lost in thought, arms leaning on the rails of the tower, moonlight illuminating the crevices of his face.

Y/N felt the unexplainable pull towards Fred. But even though they had been experiencing that for quite some time, they couldn't find any strength in them to actually approach them. He was too high, the Fred Weasley. And who were they? Y/N Y/L/N. To them, it was such a laughable concept.

"How long have you been here?" Fred asked as he towered over the seated figure, making Y/N choke on air and stand up rather messily. "Oh – about that, uh – I have been here for just like – like now?" they reasoned, hands instantly shaking and sweating up out of embarrassment and butterflies.

Fred looked at them and licked his lips. "Oh, were you going to the Tower?"

"I mean, I am technically at the Tower, anyway, so..." they trailed off, internally slapping themselves for such a response.

The ginger boy chuckled, "Oh, sorry. You're right. I'm leaving already, anyway. The tower is yours."

"Right," they answered quickly, earning yet another mental slap.

Fred smiled and excused himself, Y/N trying their best not to turn around to follow his trail.

"Oh, and," they heard Fred call after them.

Y/N turned their body towards the direction of his voice, they had terrible eyesight especially when it's dark. And it's not helping the situation as Fred was already at the bottom of the stairs.

"You are welcome to join me anytime." he smiled and turned away from Y/N's dumbfounded figure.

The stiff fellow then shook their head whilst smiling to themselves. They now went to replace Fred's then place, smiling at the clumps of stars at the pitch black sky.

Days passed and Y/N had been trying to catch Fred in the Astronomy Tower, but they had not been met with the familiar figure of the ginger-haired twin.

"Waiting for someone?"

Just as when Y/N almost gave up in trying to catch Fred, there goes the Weasley leaning at the frame just a few meters away from the staircase. "Yeah," Y/N smiled, "I was waiting for him for three days, actually."

Fred frowned, guilt consuming him instantly. "I'm sorry, I got caught up with my studies."

"Oh, don't be sorry. I was just kidding, Fred."

He let out a faux exhale, "I thought you were serious, Y/N."

"You know my name?"

The boy furrowed their eyebrows. "Should I not?"

"No, no. It's that we just - you don't talk to me that much..." they trailed off.

"Ah," Fred pushed himself from the doorframe, walking towards the side of Y/N who has been watching his every step. "We may not talk that much, but that doesn't mean I haven't noticed you."

Y/N looked bewildered, making Fred smile more. "I – uh, may I ask when, and how?"

"We've been going here for weeks now, Y/N."

"Yeah, and –"

"You like the moon, correct?"

"Yes?"

"Your favourite moon is Callisto."

"You awfully know me so much for someone who doesn't talk to me." Y/N chuckled. "That doesn't mean I don't observe you," Fred countered, meeting Y/N's curious eyes that he had been wanting to look into forever – much more often than the stars at the sky.

Y/N took a huge leap of faith, scooting closer towards Fred, leaning their head on his shoulder albeit strugglingly. "If I hadn't liked you for a long time, I would've been running off the staircase now." Y/N kid, as Fred laughed in response.

"I saw you here last week, actually," Fred started. "I wanted to look at the stars that night because they seem so serene, you know?"

Y/N hummed. "They're silent beauty."

"Just like yours," Fred whispered. "I never knew I'd find you in the midst of those beautiful constellations, Y/N."

As Fred was met with silence as a response, he took that opportunity to continue with what he's been dying to say since the moment he saw them. He leaned his head on top of Y/N's, "You found me, Y/N."

"What do you mean, Fred?"

"You pulled me into focus." he whispered back, as serenity found its way in Fred's whole being.

Maybe the year wasn't going to be so bad. Fred, being the lad who always had perfected executions of the things he found fascinating, had found Venus when he was experimenting with his calculations. An astronomer at best, Fred had found his whole universe, Y/N; who was beautiful as endless.

#Spotify #fred weasley x reader #fred weasley #fred weasley angst #fred weasley fluff #fred weasley smut #fred x y/n #fred x you #fanfiction #imagine #angst #smut #fluff #fred gideon weasley #masterlist #harry potter fanfiction #fred weasley fanfiction #fred weasley x you #fred weasley x y/n #harry potter #james phelps #hp fandom

[citydreamgrls]

they were roommates - part one

a weasley twins x fem!reader fic 

summary: she had nowhere to go, fleeing home to pursue something along the lines of freedom, so being welcomed into the entrepreneurial twins life was a whole world of new experiences waiting to happen. 

an: i would just like to point out that this isn’t a fic with a polyamorous relationship, sorry if that was what some people wanted, instead i wanted to keep which twin is the love interest a secret until the end. if u guys want to guess after reading this first part, feel free to do so, i would love to hear your guys’ reasons too !!  secondly, i would like to say a huge huge thank you to everyone for getting me to 600 followers, that’s absolutely mad like i’m blown away beyond compare, i love u all millions and billions i really am so grateful so thank you . hope you enjoy this first part, as always, <33

words: 5,790

warnings: swearing?

None of the nights seemed to turn into excitement, but this particular Tuesday evening in the Leaky Cauldron was passing slower than the rest had done. The paintings on the walls cast their weary eyes over the few lonely drinkers scattered across the dim room as even they contemplated calling it an early night. Y/n flicked through an old magazine and wondered if this place had ever seen much action, or whether the inn had become somewhere that paintings came to rest alongside grumpy travellers.

The girl hadn’t worked behind the bar long, only a handful of months now. But since then not a single bar fight had broken out, no one ordered anything out of the ordinary, and she struggled to remember seeing a single nice man pass through the doors. Besides the Weasley twins of course, who were running late for their weekly drink.

“Slow night?” Hannah came up behind her, carrying a stack of clean glasses and placing them under the counter. The girl swiped away her magazine and nodded, doing her best to hide the guilty blush that grew on her cheeks whenever she lied. It had always been a curse.

“I can do that if you want,” She offered, taking over and letting her boss stand up straight again. There was a strange air of awkwardness between the pair, despite the fact that they had grown close since she had started working as a barmaid.

“It’s been like this a lot lately, just… empty.” Hannah huffed, pulling up two stools and letting the younger girl sit beside her for a while.

“Yeah, makes the time pass a lot slower.”

“Neville’s getting worried,” The woman chewed her lip, gazing around at the lack of people. “He thinks it won’t be long before we need to do something drastic.”

“Should I be worried?” Y/n asked, knowing everything rode on this flimsy job.

Just as the girl posed her question the two front doors burst open, revealing the Weasley twins along with two others that she recognised from their past visits.

“I’ll talk to you later darling,” The boss stood, squeezing her shoulder and going to greet the regulars who she knew so well.

As Neville appeared from the back office to do the same she was called over to the far table by a man who she’d already brought too many drinks to. With a sigh, she obeyed his whines, and went over to see what he wanted.

“About time sweet cheeksh,” He slurred, his head propped up by a weary arm while the other gestured wildly as he spoke. “Another round darling-” She nodded, taking his money from the table and turning to leave, but he reached out for her hand.

She shivered beneath his touch, the stench of bile and alcohol filling her nose as she tried not to vomit on the spot. It was best to just ride out whatever he wanted, knowing better than to anger any kind of customer.

“Why don’t you join me when you get those drinks sorted- I haven’t got another chair but I’m sure my lap would do nicely.” He grinned, showing off the layer of yellow on his teeth.

Y/n gulped back her grunt and pretended to smile, sighing with relief when he let go of her and slumped against the wall beside him. The feeling of his hand lingered on her until she managed to distract her mind a little, smiling wider when the twins came up to the bar to order.

“Evening boys,” She sniffed back the nerves and greeted them with a polite welcome. “Not giving you trouble was he?” One of them asked, nodding over to the drunken mess.

“Nothing I can’t handle,”

“Well you let us know if not,” The other chimed, their charms always making her feel comfortable around them. Which was much more than could be said for most of the creeps who roamed the inn each night.

“That’s very good of you both, thank you-” Her smile never faltered, they always had noticed that, “What can I get for you then?”

“Two hog’s heads, one rum and I’ll have…”

“Come on Fred,” The other nudged his brother, the girl finally able to differentiate them, that was until the next day when she wouldn’t be able to recognise the clothes they chose.

“Firewhiskey would be great thanks y/n,” He smiled sweetly, leaning up against the bar as she rang up their orders on the till. He delved into the pockets of his trousers as George left to speak to Neville a bit longer, placing the money in her hand. “Keep the change too,” “A-are you sure?” She stuttered, looking down at the remaining 3 galleons in her hand.

“George never tips, so consider it his debt too.” The boy scoffed, leaving to join the rest of his group. The girl pocketed the money before anyone else could see her doing so and went to fix the drunken man his seventh drink of the night.

He grumbled about how much work he did that no one appreciated, as his eyes raked over her body in a queasily slow trance. The man didn’t stop at that, further pressing her to sit on his knee and let him feel her up. Crude remarks fell from his lips as if he’d relayed them to every woman he’d come across, as if it was second nature. All the while, she stood and let him ramble on, doing her best to ignore what he was saying and just nod along mindlessly. This wasn’t even the worst one, the girl sighed to herself, grimacing at the way his fingers toyed with the hems of her skirt as if he was going to try and slither inside it.

With perfect timing, Neville called her back to the bar, faking some questions about the menu so that she had an excuse to dismiss herself from the dog’s company and scurry off. She heard him call after her, but couldn’t make out what exactly it was he was saying. The girl prayed that he was too drunk to actually get up and walk over to the bar, or else he would become truly relentless.

-

No matter what, y/n always smiled, regardless of who was talking to her or at her. And when she wasn’t dealing with the unruly men of diagon alley, she was happy, she was lucky that she had a job and somewhere to stay. She had no reason to be unhappy.

Fred and George liked that about her. That in such a dimly lit, run down little place like the cauldron, such light could shine through with her presence. Both of them had mentioned it once on their drunken walk back home one night, that they wished they could afford to hire someone else at the shop because she would be perfect for it.

Y/n always smiled because most of the time she was a happy person, until there was no reason to be happy. She discovered that dreadful sinking feeling later that night once the pub closed and the girl was finishing up with her cleaning.

Neville and Hannah were speaking in hushed voices nearby, words that she couldn’t make out over the sound of her brush swishing over the stone ground. But they continued to glance over at her when they believed she wasn’t watching, which made her heart tighten with nervous anticipation.

“Y/n… darling.” Hannah’s sweet voice sounded through the empty room, startling her slightly. The girl stood up straight and smiled, a sight which made her boss want to cry on the spot. None of this was going to be easy. “Could you come into the office with me, please.”

She followed, her hands shaky as she left the broom leant up against a lone table. The door shut behind them with a finalising jolt as the woman sat down before her, prompting her own body to do the same.

The air became thick, and constricting as her knees locked together politely. Hannah seemed just as nervous as she, delaying the inevitable by shuffling paperwork around and shoving into nearby drawers. Finally the movement ceased and she had no choice but to bite the bullet.

“I know we already spoke today, about how the business is going here, and I promise that Neville and I have tried to do everything we can to get around this. But I’m afraid we’ve been left with no other choice y/n.”

The sound of her name felt like a stab, one short sound that cut through her skin and deep into the bone. The girl dwelled on that feeling, hoping that whatever followed would hurt less in contrast. It didn’t.

“We have to let you go y/n,” The knife plunged deeper, somehow splitting open all her organs on its way through her body. She froze, knowing that in this moment her world was falling apart all around her like dominoes.

“A-and the room? I’m supposing you need it?” Her voice was wavering, constantly on the edge as she confirmed all the priorities.

“I’m so sorry,” The gesture was appreciated, but it did nothing to help in the moment as the now homeless girl’s mind raced.

“Thank you anyway, for the past few months.” It was a sudden bravery that brought her to her feet as she announced how she would pack her things right away.

In truth, she needed to be alone, just for a few minutes. So she could let it all go, cast a muffliato and sob away her worries for a small amount of precious time. Hannah didn’t dare follow her, knowing nothing could fix it for the younger girl, instead she brought the bottle of gin from the bar into the office and took long, thoughtful sips until it was no longer the only thing playing through her mind.

-

When the girl gathered her things and apparated down to the front door with them, Neville was there with a sad smile upon his face. Only giving her a brief goodbye, before swiftly leaving to busy himself with yet another maintenance job around the building. He never was one for complex emotions, so she didn’t think bad of him for escaping an awkward situation.

Y/n opened the front doors, seeing the pouring rain before her and almost bursting into yet another round of tears. Not that her red raw eyes could take it much longer. Maybe it was because she had been standing up for the good part of eight hours, or maybe just the pitiful sight of the gloomy street before her was enough to make her knees shake. As if they were going to buckle beneath her and send her crumpling to the ground.

But she shuffled forward, her trunk following behind her and she had quietly charmed it to do so. Admittedly she didn’t have a lot, when she had decided to try and live alone it had become a rushed affair to say the least. So she only owned a number of outfits within that case, along with some books and other little items she had deemed important enough to bring alone. That, and her guitar case, which loomed over her shoulder like a stalking figure in the night. The one thing she definitely didn’t have, was a coat to shelter her from the oncoming rain.

The girl walked a few steps, round the side of the building, and found a pile of crates to rest on beneath a small dripping canopy. It was dry, for now, and it gave her a chance to think properly. She needed to figure something out fast.

But y/n’s mind was full of white noise, watching puddles form between the cobbled pathway before her and thinking how she used to love the rain as a child. It had been relaxing and beautiful from the safety of her childhood bedroom, the window facing her parent’s courtyard as she watched them leave for work each morning.

Back then they would both turn and wave, with a generous smile on their faces, always reminding the young girl how they wished to see her when they returned. They were always happy when she was a child, the three of them a cacophony of laughs and giggles. Until it stopped. Her parents worked together, but never left the house together, and neither of them stopped to wave her goodbye, no matter how many times she waited for them to do so. They just stopped being happy, and as y/n shifted her weight upon the damp crates she realised that maybe her once beloved parents were never happy at all.

They became distant. To one another and to her, even more so as she grew older and became her own person. They tried to oppress it, probably seeing her joyful exterior and constant smiles and not recognising where it had come from. Not either of them. It angered them further, seeing her be such a resilient person, because they wished for her to feel the same neverending hurt they had caused one another. Regardless of the fact that it wasn’t her emotion to own.

Y/n remembered the night she was handed a file by her father, feeling stunned to have been called into his study while he was working. Often he would go inside and not appear for days at a time, so she knew whatever it was, it had to be important.

She read over the words he’d laid out for her, detailing their plans for her, what they wanted for her future. It was a plan of her life, given to her by two people who couldn’t be bigger strangers. But it wasn’t hers, it felt nothing like hers. She wanted to be someone, and she wanted to do it for herself, not because her parents feel it’s financially best.

The words, writer… and prophet echoed constantly around the page as she tried to make sense of it all. Her father barely looked up from his work as she struggled to remain calm, her lungs losing all motor function as she felt her stomach twist and turn. That was when she realised she had to leave, do something for herself.

Rain had been such a comforting thing for y/n, when she was a child. Now it covered her like a plague, and drenched her down to the bone as she did all she could to forget about that life. It had been her home, her playground, her school. It had been her whole life, without much chance to be free in the rest of the world.

Now it was nothing. She wanted it to be nothing. There had to be something she could do, there had to be somewhere she could go. Because that place was no longer an option.

“Y/n?” A voice made her head whip up, the tears on her cheeks easily disguised as the rain if it wasn’t for the way she snivelled to herself. She hadn’t even felt herself begin to cry, yet here she was, and it was a pitiful sight to see.

The light was bad in the alley, but when the two tall figures got nearer she recognised them instantly. Her heart broke a little more to see the worry in the twins’ eyes as they quickly took in the sight of her cramped body amongst her belongings.

“Are you leaving town then?” She thinks it was George, asked, he had been the one wearing a black shirt when she’d seen them earlier. The girl was in a daze, her head taking in their words a lot slower than it should have been as she begged herself not to cry in front of them.

To them, she looked like she was in a dream. Her eyes glazed over even as she glanced their way, making it look like she wasn’t really there with them. George’s question caught her off guard a bit, the girl looking as though she had forgotten where she was as she looked around her with bewilderment. Then the look of confusion fell to one of despair when it clicked once again, she was all alone.

“I suppose I am.” Even the two men could hear how her voice begged to break as she spoke with an airy tone. This was the first time they had seen her anything but bright and smiley.

It broke their hearts, in all honesty.

“Do you need somewhere to stay the night?” Fred, this time, asked. He knelt down to meet her eye level, their tall forms always towering above her at the best of times.

“We have a particularly comfy couch at our place,” George added, following suit with the kneeling.

“It’s got five star reviews,”

“And probably a few galleons hidden down the back if you’re lucky.”

Their smiles made her giggle, and it was all they could have asked for in the moment.

“That’s very kind of you,” Her sweet tone was back, like she’d taken control of her head again, “But I couldn’t ask that of you two.” It was her default to be polite, not wanting to be a burden to anyone. It was the one thing her nanny had taught her before being let go when she was twelve, not to ask anything of anyone but yourself.

“Nonsense,” Fred stood up, taking her guitar case that was leant up against the brick wall and swinging it over his shoulder.

“Really, I’ll figure something o-out - it’s fine!” She tried to protest, but the twins had already decided her fate. George lifted her trunk with ease, and Fred held out a hand for her, prompting the girl to clumsily lift herself off the jumble of crates with his assistance.

“Come on then,” They said, starting off towards the brighter part of diagon alley.

She didn’t move, Fred having let go of her as soon as she steddied herself again. They looked back at her, both frowning with the same face as she tried not to laugh at how they were so similar they even acted like one another.

“Well you better come with us-” “Or else it’ll look like we’ve robbed you!”

The girl just looked down at her feet, feeling as though they were only doing this because they couldn’t leave her out in the rain. Which was true. But the twins knew that she was someone worth helping out.

“Do you have anywhere else to go?” George asked, shifting the case into his other hand nonchalantly as they waited for her to come along with them. Silently she shook her head, embarrassed to meet their eyes as she admitted defeat.

“Then what are you waiting for?” Fred chimed in, still wearing their signature smile.

Y/n couldn’t help but return the sentiment, she didn’t have to be alone for at least one night. That was something to smile about, so she smiled. Her feet surged her body forward, a small skip noticeable as she reached the two patient men.

“We do look like we’ve just mugged you.” George laughed as they all walked through the alley and towards their shop, her little life packed away and in their hands. The girl slotted between them, having to catch up with their longer strides every now and then, as both twins chatted away as if nothing was amiss.

-

“Here’s the palace itself,” “Our pride and joy!” They announced, ushering her into the shop lined with all the products an excited teenage wizard could wish for. The shelves seemed to be full to the brim, some things piled up as a display. As haphazard and chaotic as it looked, y/n couldn’t deny that the bright colours shimmering off everything she could see instilled a happiness inside her that she rarely felt as a child. This would have been her dream when she was younger.

The twins’ shop was well known in the alley, by almost everyone who visited the leaky cauldron. Yet she had never dared step inside it herself. Most days she would have been busy with jobs around the inn, and on the off chance that she ventured around any other establishments, it was purely for essentials.

The two men watched as she scanned all that she could see from the doorway, her eyes wide and inviting with each new discovery. They would see kids come in every single day with the same reaction, yet with her it seemed new. It was if she had never seen a toy before.

“Have you eaten yet?” Fred asked, weaving through some unopened boxes to reach the stairs. Even on them there was an endless supply of treats to be found.

“I’m not hungry… thank you.” She followed behind him, slowly, with George closing up the front doors and setting up security wards.

“That wasn’t the question silly,” He laughed, catching up. “Have you eaten tonight?”

“No- but I’m really fine without.”

Once they reached the very top of the long set of stairs, past the ‘staff only’ sign, a door was kicked open in front of her. The apartment inside was a sight for sore eyes, and also the furthest thing from what y/n had envisioned on the walk there.

From how high they had gotten inside the shop, the girl presumed that the flat above had to be pokey and a lot smaller than what she was seeing. It was like a large loft, with brick walls and two levels and these huge windows that looked well over diagon alley. She could see all the lights of muggle London shining amongst the dark sheeted sky.

“My rooms up there, and George is through there.” Fred explained, nodding towards the opening to a small hallway and setting down her things in the excess of open space they had. It was comfortable.

“And here’s your bed!” The other twin exclaimed, throwing himself onto the huge sofa that stretched beneath one of the windows and came out into the room in an L shape. They weren’t lying when they said it was comfortable, because she could tell it was even by looking at it.  

“Right! I, for one, am starving.” Fred announced, walking through to the open kitchen, his footsteps echoing on the floor as he went. “What about you y/n?”

The girl was too busy staring out the window to hear him. She’d never seen the city this way before. Her old house was well out in the country, and the alley didn’t give much of a chance for enchanting views. It seemed as though this was the exception.

“Just make her something, she’s busy.” George chuckled, watching her from the sofa. The girl turned and looked at him confused, but the man just shook his head with a smile. “Nothing important,” He whispered and let her go back to the hypnotising view.

-

As they sat down to eat together, George asked y/n many questions about her life, determined to learn all he could about her in one evening.

“Let her swallow first will you!” Fred huffed, passing her a glass of water so she didn’t choke in the process.

“I was homeschooled all my life, well- up until I moved really.” The girl smiled politely, trying not to go into too much detail with her answers. The two men were so kind, though, that it was hard not to tell them everything she’d been holding in. “So you didn’t finish it all?”

“I left before I got the chance to,”

They nodded in understanding, but she could see the cogs turning in their heads as they both took another bite of their food, all in unison. She snickered a little, enjoying the way they effortlessly put on a show with their mannerisms.

“Did you run away!” They both cried out, startling her as she sat across from them.

“W-well… I um- yes I d-did really.” A wry laugh sounded as she spoke, an out of place sound amongst the shock that displayed over Fred and George’s faces.

“Woah, did something bad happen?”

“George! You can’t just ask that- you don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to y/n.” Fred rolled his eyes at his brother, but the girl felt a sense of relief that they asked, it felt nice to have the chance to tell someone after keeping it to herself all this time. It felt more out of place to not tell them.

“It’s okay,” She chuckled at them both, “My parents weren’t very happy people, and they both kind of kept their lives centered around work. I had no problem with it, either than the lack of freedom I had at home, but it changed when they basically showed me a plan for my life.”

The twins listened intently, nodding along with her words and silently reacting accordingly. They both frowned with the last bit, never hearing of someone having their lives planned out for them before.

“They planned your life? Isn’t that a bit, you know-”

“Controlling,” Fred finished, a look of pity on his face.

“We had different ideas, they wanted me to be a writer at the prophet when I’d shown no interest in journalism or even writing before.”

“That’s mad,” George said in a hushed tone, not wanting to cut her off.

“It was then that I realised the only way I was going to do what I wanted, was if I left. So I just packed my things and came here, hoping to find somewhere to stay with what little money I had. Hannah was nice enough to take me in free of charge, so long as I worked behind the bar for it.”

“Both her and Neville really are saints.” “It’s so much better than I could have asked for, but now they can’t afford it. It’s all understandable, it’s just a pain that I can’t ask my parents for help.”

All the while that she recalled her story, the girl smiled, reminding the men that she was a lot stronger than people might assume. Given what she’d been through, it was amazing that she hadn’t broken down already.

“We’ll figure something out for you, all of us.” Fred smiled, glad to see colour in her cheeks now that she was in the warmth of their loft compared to the drizzly alleyway.

“It’s not the end of the world if your parents don’t support you either, there’s plenty more people in the world who will.” George reassured her, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“Oh godric yeah,” Fred joined in, “Our folks went bloody mental when they heard this was what we wanted to start up instead of finishing at hogwarts.”

“Do they like it now?” She asked cautiously, feeling a little better knowing that they too skipped out on their academic life.

“They have to, given how well we’ve done.” “It is hard to deny our success,” They chimed like songbirds, the passion they had for their self made business shining through their wide eyes.

It was no surprise that the three of them got on, but as the night progressed quicker than they thought, the new trio found themselves with no awkward silences. The clock above them looked as though it had been enchanted when George finally glanced up at it, amazed to see that they’d been chatting for four hours already.

Only when y/n yawned did the two twins decide it was maybe time to call it quits.

“It’s getting late,” Fred spoke up, not wanting to keep the girl from her much needed sleep. It must have been a long day for her. “I’ll grab you some blankets.”

As he disappeared up into his room to look for something to keep her cosy all night, the girl helped George clear away their mess from dinner.

“I feel awful,” She smiled politely, handing him more plates to place into the sink that was doing all the work for them.

“What for?” The man seemed genuinely surprised.

“We spent all that time talking, but we never decided on what to do with me.” She scoffed, feeling like a child needing their help. “I promise I won’t hang around much longer, I’ll sort something out.”

“Like what?” He didn’t mean to sound harsh, it was more to show her that they were her only option right then.

“I-I’m not sure… sorry.” “Don’t be sorry, we want to help you.”

The door to Fred’s bedroom opened again and they fell into silence, the girl slipping back into the mindset that she was growing into a burden for them. She couldn’t ask anymore of them, they’ve already done enough for her. Then and there, y/n decided she would leave in the morning.

“Bed’s ready!” The shout came from the living room, where blankets had been laid over the sofa beneath the window. “Thought you would enjoy the view here.” Fred added when she came out to see his masterpiece.

“That’s hardly a bed!” George scoffed, laughing at the copious amount of cushions he’d left for her head, all different colours and sizes.

“It’ll be perfect, thank you.” She smiled, her eyes sparkling under the city lights that spilled into the room. It didn’t even matter that they would reflect against the ceiling as she slept, it looked like stars.

“As long as you like it then,” George muttered, eyeing his brother who clung onto a smug grin.

“Goodnight y/n, sleep well.”

“Night y/n.” They both smiled, turning to head off to their respective rooms as she opened up her case to look for something to sleep in.

“Night Fred, night George… thank you again, for all of this.” They both nodded at her words and disappeared, leaving her to change in the dark loft, only a small lamp beside her lighting her way to the sofa.

She clicked it off, casting lumos and stumbling over the fluffy rug to curl beneath the many layers of covers that Fred had left her. The girl chuckled to herself, peeling one off and folding it in a neat pile on the floor. Two would be just fine for one night.

It didn’t take long for her to drift off to sleep, the whole day’s nonsense catching up on her and slipping her body into a mini-coma. Her mind ran and slowed all at once, memories of nights she would spend in her childhood bed, reading books for hours on end until she’d fall asleep with the pages sprawled open beside her.

Many nights she would hear her parents scream at one another, that harrowing wailing sound would echo for hours until both of them grew tired and they decided to sleep apart yet again. That’s when she knew she could relax, she could finally do all the things that she wouldn’t have time for in the day between her tutor’s classes and meaningless chores.

She had been a night owl, revelling in the time she got to be truly alone, when the house slept she would come alive. Now, she couldn’t stay awake even if she wanted to. She needed to sleep, and fast.

Y/n vaguely heard a door opening and closing, unsure whether it was real or her mind replaying memories all too vividly. Either way, her eyes were far too heavy to open themselves and check. It could wait.

-

Fred cursed himself for not catching his bedroom door behind him, the noise booming across the loft. He waited, frozen at the top of the steps, watching to see if the girl would rouse at the sound. But he was in luck, she didn’t move a muscle.

He padded down to the bottom, making sure each step was lighter than the last as he headed into the small corridor. George jolted awake the second his door was opened, reaching for his lamp to see who was intruding on his sleep.

“What the fuck!” He almost shouted.

“Shut up! She’s sleeping in there!” Fred hissed, walking over to the empty side of the bed and sitting down calmly.

“So was I you git- what the hell are you doing, since when did we start sleeping together?”

“Disgusting-”

“I didn’t mean that,” George rubbed his eyes with a grimace and reluctantly sat up, “What do you want then?” His voice finally hushed to match his brother’s.

“I have an idea,” Fred started.

“Yes,” “Well, I’ve been thinking about y/n-” “If this is you coming to tell me about another sex dream, I don’t wanna know, okay?”

“Will you just shut up and listen to me,”

“Fine, fine, go on.” He pulled the covers over his bare chest, feeling suddenly exposed to the cold night’s air.

“Well, we’ve been saying for ages that we need someone to work in the shop, except we can’t really afford it right now.” Fred explained, and George nodded along. “Look, y/n needs somewhere to stay, but she would never stay here without giving us some sort of payment, right?” The man’s head looked like it was on a spring as he took in the words. “So, why don’t we let y/n stay here with us and in return she can help out in the shop?”

“Do you think she’d agree to that?” “It was basically the same agreement she had with Neville and Hannah, except we have no reason to get rid of her.”

“I suppose so,” He didn't sound overly convinced.

“She needs somewhere to stay, we need someone to work, it’s a win-win situation!” Fred exclaimed, smiling like a mad man to try and convince his brother that their plan could work out.

“Okay, fine. We can ask her in the morning.”

“Great, I knew you’d say yes.” “Well it’s not like she’s the worst person to live with, it hardly took much to sway me.”

“Not the worst person? Come on George, she’s great!” Fred, admittedly, got a bit too excited at this. His voice ringing out louder than he’d wanted it to.

“You have had a sex dream haven’t you?” “Oh shut up!” “Was she in it,” George teased, prompting his brother to get up and head for the door. “So i’m taking that as a yes.” He turned the light off, hearing one last hiss from Fred before the door shut behind him.

“Aren’t you forgetting the time you had a sex dream about Mcgonnogall?” Fred quipped, leaving quickly as not to get a beating up from the other twin, who was mentalling cursing himself for ever revealing that fact when they were drunk one time.

#fred weasley #weasley #george weasley #weasley twins #ron weasley #george wealsey x reader #george weasley x reader #george weasley smut #fred and goerge weasley #fred x y/n #fred x reader #fred smut #fred weasley smut #fred weasley fanfiction #george and fred weasley #fred weasly x reader #the weasley family #weasley family #the weasleys #the weasley twins #the wealseys #the weasly twins #they were roommates #smut #weasley smut #harry potter smut #harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #hp #hp imagine

[magicman111]

A Moth to a Flame - Chapter Three

Plumes of thick smoke billowed above the guard tower, blotting out the dusk sky with an ugly, brown smog. Burning red embers danced and flickered in the air, a single stray spark singeing Sasha’s right cheek.

Two girls stood, a dirt clod’s throw apart from each other. They stared each other down. The squeaky toy and Grime were already engaging in a battle of their own, leaving the two former friends alone on that tower. It did little to make the tension any less palpable.

Anne held her sword firmly in both hands, and the rage-filled scowl etched on her face made it clear she was itching for an excuse to ream the blade through her ex bestie’s chest cavity. The sheer hatred boiling inside her veins could not be overstated. Sasha, however, was a different story. She remained cool and kept both open palms raised, a sign of her peaceful intentions. Already a hard sell considering less than an hour ago, she’d ordered her flunkies to lock her and her family up in the dungeon after using and backstabbing her for the fifteen thousandth time.

She knew perfectly well what was at stake here. She knew the consequences not for them, but for this entire world if she failed. Convincing Anne to believe her now was going to be an uphill battle and the rematch she’d spent months prior fantasising about now seemed inevitable.

The irony surrounding both those things was not lost on her.

“Anne, I need you to listen to me!” she shouted over the hot gusts of wind whipping her face. “There’s something wrong with this Andrias guy! We should—”

Anne was having absolutely none of it. “You expect me to believe you?!” she asked her incredulously. “After all the lying and manipulating you’ve done?!” Sliding the sword back into its sheath, she turned her back on her in disgust. “Sorry, Sasha, but you’re out of chances.”

Why didn’t she take a photo? This would’ve been so much easier if she’d just thought to take a stupid photo! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Or maybe if she’d given Anne any reason to trust her.

The gates were now drawing close to slamming completely shut as Anne resumed pushing the lever. If Sasha squandered any more precious time, their fast-approaching army would be locked outside the city. She felt her twin swords weigh heavily on her hips; the tips of fingers twitched.

Whelp, in for a penny, in for a pound. She took a deep breath.

“I think Marcy’s in on it.”

“Yeah yeah!” scoffed Anne. “Blah blah bla—what?”

It was a hail mary that paid off. Anne froze in place and glared back at Sasha as if she’d caught her in the act of stomping on Domino’s tail.

“What... what did you say?” she asked, her voice fittingly ice-cold.

“Anne, look... I get it, okay?” Sasha gutsily stepped forward, closing the gap between them. They still had a glimmer of hope in ending this without a fight, so she knew she had to cobble her thoughts together and choose her next words carefully. “You don’t trust me a-and I don’t blame you, but I swear I’m telling you the truth. Grime and I found these—these weird pictures hidden in the throne room. They... one of them was showing the king with the music box. Th-then there was also something about Marcy’s family, I... I don’t know exactly what it all means...”

Amazing how they’d spent the past months going on wild adventures, escaping dozens of near-death experiences with the many monsters infesting the place, yet this was the one thing she struggled to make sound plausible. Of all the times for that natural charisma and confidence to falter. The way Anne was looking at her like she’d sprouted a third arm out her forehead told her it was going about as well as expected.

“All I know is we shouldn’t be giving either of them the Box. Not right now.” She finally lowered her hands back to her sides, adding, “Just come back to the throne room with me and I promise I’ll show you everything.”

A silence fell over the guard tower, punctuated only by the th-thunk of hundreds of armoured boots rising in the distance.

Now the ball was back in Anne’s court. She’d been rendered speechless by everything she’d been told. All she could do was stare the other girl square in the eyes. Dumbstruck.

Relief washed over Sasha as the tension appeared to simmer down, to the point she felt confident enough to move in closer, stopping when they were only feet apart. Tentatively, she reached out and brushed her fingers against her friend’s knuckles.

“Anne. Please.”

This snapped Anne out of her stupor. Reacting as if she’d been touched by something filthy, she broke her hand away from hers. Her expression turned on a dime from bewilderment to one of unadulterated hatred.

“... how dare you.”

Instead of withdrawing herself, Anne shoved Sasha away so violently it nearly sent her off her feet.

“I cannot believe I almost fell for that again! I mean, wow! Seriously, Sasha?! You’re gonna try and save your skin by throwing Marcy under the bus?! HOW DARE YOU!!”

Another jab to the breastplate silenced Sasha before she could respond. Anne was advancing on her dangerously, every step she took forcing her to back up. The only other instance she’d legit felt intimidated by her was back when she’d stood up to her at Toad Tower and even then, a secret part of Sasha was also impressed.

Now she’d touched upon what was already a frayed, raw nerve and it was scary.

“Let me tell ya something, Sash!” yelled Anne. A third strike nearly caught Sasha in the throat. “Marcy’s been more of a friend to me than you ever have! Marcy hasn’t lied to me! She hasn’t pushed me around! And she definitely hasn’t tried to kill my family! Unlike YOU!” She gripped the hilt of her sword, the menace in her eyes daring her to give her a reason. “She’s not only a real friend, she’s my best friend! And so help me, if you ever talk about her like that again, I will personally stick this thing right in your—”

The sounds of stomping boots and clattering armour had grown so loud they became impossible to ignore. Anne looked to her left to witness the sea of helmeted toads congregating outside the city walls.

How could she have let herself get distracted? They were coming. They were practically here.

“You were right; I am better off without you.” She hissed at her with so much venom it practically poured over her lips. “We both are.”

With that parting diss, Anne sprinted back to the lever. She had a job to do and she’d wasted way too much time and oxygen on this cretin already.

Sasha was left standing there stricken, feet glued to the floor. Anne might as well have slapped her across the face to achieve the same effect.

A determined scowl of her own soon spread across her features. You can’t say she hadn’t tried.

She drew the twin swords from her belt and assumed her dueling position.

“Anne, I can’t let you close that gate!”

“Oh yeah...?”

Anne roared, leaping through the air, sword unsheathed and aimed at Sasha’s head.

“JUST TRY TO STOP ME!”

Any swordsman worth their salt should know better than to leave themselves exposed like Anne just did. Sasha had a clear open to cut her in two instead of blocking her strike with both swords if she had so chosen.

To Anne’s credit, she wasn’t nearly as foolhardy as she had been when she first arrived in Amphibia. Right now, however, as they flew around the tower and did battle with the ferocity of dueling birds of prey, Sasha could plainly see it was Anne’s anger guiding her sword.

Anne was hostile, her moves unpredictable. Toad Tower didn’t have nothin’ on this. She wasn’t an exceptionally skilled fighter, neither of them realistically could be when you consider they’d both only first taken up the sword months ago. Still, there was underlying talent between them, and in Anne’s case, hers was currently being amplified by a seemingly bottomless well of passionate fury, which encouraged every last nerve to screw her courage to the sticking place.

She was actively going for the kill.

Narrowly dodging a plunge from her sword and, holding both her own in one hand, Sasha reached the other between Anne’s arms to grip her by the shoulder.

“Anne, stop this!” she begged through gritted teeth. “Marcy—”

“SHUT YOUR LYING MOUTH!!”

Anne freed herself by kicking Sasha in the chest with her socked foot. The collision of her unprotected sole against the metal breastplate hurt like all get out, but she wasn’t going to allow a trivial thing like pain stop her from taking a fatal swing at her opponent’s golden head.

Cat-like reflexes were what saved Sasha from getting scalped. If there was any hope in her mind that Anne couldn still be reasoned with, it was surely dashed now.

None of the paths leading out of this graceful dance of death were great. Simply keeping up her defenses and waging a war of attrition until Anne’s wild attacks inevitably tired her out wasn’t going to work. Whatever it was fueling Anne’s rampage, she didn’t look to be running out of it any time soon. Every parry, thrust and dodge drained a little bit more of Sasha’s stamina. She couldn’t keep this up for much longer.

Frog knows she couldn’t rely on those toads to drag their warty butts through the stinking gate already!

Unless she was able to disarm Anne and fast, the only other option was to meet her viciousness in kind with expectedly grime results. Her training with Grime had taught her that every sword fight was already a potential life or death situation, regardless if you lacked the intent to harm, but however much they’d literally been at each other’s throats, Sasha was not prepared to have Anne’s blood on her hands.

An idea hit just as she arched her back away from a swing that easily could’ve taken her head off. Muscle tissue developed over years of cheerleader practice kicked into gear and in those vital seconds, Sasha flawlessly pulled off a handstand and kicked the sword out of Anne’s hand. The blade plummeted to the city streets below.

That should have been the end of it. With her opponent disarmed, Sasha felt the adrenaline rush sustaining her crash. Her lungs were on fire. Pink and Green suddenly felt ten times heavier in her damp palms. She truly couldn’t have gone on a moment longer.

Unfortunately, Anne was nowhere near spent. In an act of near superman-levels of varsity athleticism, slid behind Sasha, grabbed the hem of her cape and jumped over her head.

Before Sasha was able to register what in the ever-lovin’ Frog just happened, Anne had already tied the cape over her eyes. She barely even had a chance to flail like a dizzy ballerina when Anne’s fist smashed her in the face!

It was a blow powerful enough to send her spinning across the tower. She landed flat on her face, not an ounce of strength left in her muscles to pick herself back up. It was miraculous she didn’t black out then and there.

All that happened around her next was a mad din of noise. She made out the slam of what must have been Anne finally closing the gate. Then someone somewhere sounded a horn, followed by a voice she dreaded to hear more than anything else.

“Royal Newt Guard! Assemble!”

Oh Frog! They’d already freed the king! Anne must’ve sent the rest of her frog family or worse, Marcy to free him from his cell. She’d been so focused on stopping Anne, she didn’t even factor in what the others were doing.

Anne’s smug tone reached her ears, “End of the line, Sash.”

Sasha crawled up to the ledge on her belly. She tore the cape off her head, scattering it to the wind.

What she saw only confirmed her worst fears. Sprig standing atop a knocked out Grime on the roof below. Newt guards were rounding up her soldiers left and right; the tadpole’s giant robot was holding a bunch of them in its mechanical arms.

Then she saw her, a perky smile plastered on her face, shooting a ‘mission accomplished’ thumbs up at Anne.

“Oh no.”

#amphibia #Disney's Amphibia #Disney Amphibia #amphibia disney #amphibia au #quisling marcy #Quisling Marcy Au #A Moth to a Flame #fanfiction #amphibia fanfic #amphibia fanfiction #Marcy wu #evil marcy #sasha waybright #anne boonchuy #sprig plantar #captain grime #au #Amphibia true colors #true colors #amphibia sasha #amphibia anne #amphibia marcy #alternate universe #alternate timeline #king andrias #Frobo

[thefoundationproject]

Hii it's the anon again! Honoured that my word vomit could inspire something so wonderful!

I love the touch of what I'm guessing is Guinea Pig! Domino Twins and Tooka!Jesse witnessing the convo. Neyo snuggling with the Domino twins is adorable. Jesse collecting blackmail probs (Uhm getting the Bacara and Rex origin story? Human Jesse would never dream to be this lucky!). Someone else is probably trying to figure out how to decursify them, probably (Is it Kix? Or dear god Hardcase?!?) Neyo and Rex bonding the Neyo Way™️. Love to see it. Neyo used to be so terrible at socialising, but look at him now! Making CT friends left and right! They'll study his methods in sociology class I bet ya! He should teach.

Bacara and Rex having physical contact after so long apart is just amazing and heartbreaking. Bacara knowing goodbye is coming but he's leaving in such a good place compared to how he left, in all aspects, so it's best case scenario considering.

The fact that you got so much character development out of my braimworm is just !!!! Bacara the baby bean feeling guilty that Rex didn't tell his brothers. The line about how close he knows Rex is with the Shebse and not being able to see any other reason as to why he would hide it. Him thinking of Neyo as "people who are important to Bacara". Bacara knowing by the end of ARC training that Rex was it for him. Love all of it.

Also love how insightful Neyo is about other people's relationships yet watch him when he gets his own Sexy Sidearm. Though here it fits because Neyo knows what it's like to be alone and having/wanting to prove yourself on your own (ouch why did I hurt myself like that), so he saw Rex's reasoning. Him and Rex have some similarities in the needing to prove themselves regard that I've noticed over time.

Pointing out all the Shebse had something to prove because of 17 organising ARC training hadn't even crossed my mind, but so true! Though this brings into question if a certain Alpha-17 should be the first recipient of the 'who knew Rex'ika had a boyfriend and didn't tell Ponds' interrigation call.

Writing is amazing as always espescially when it involves Rex/Bacara, Neyo and Healthy Adult Communication. Inject it.

Thank you!!

Hello again! The idea had been a wee bit of an idea, but after your comment it went suddenly off the rails!

The guinea pig!Domino Twins jokeis one I’ve wanted to make for a long time (they were originally hamsters, and then fancy rats, before they were guinea pigs) and Neyo rolled in and presented the best possible reasoning. Are these truly Torrent ARCs shapeshifted? Has he ARC-napped Rex’s ARCs and is pretending some fluffy critters he’s borrowed from someone are them? Is that lettuce he sharpied ‘cursed’ actually cursed? The galaxy may never know. (If someone is working to decursify them, it’s probably a joint Hardcase-Anakin-Kix adventure. And boy wouldn’t that be a hecking adventure!!!!)

Rex is getting a crash-course in how to be mine-d by Neyo. Very different from his past experience being mine-d by Ponds and Cody (and Bly and Wolffe, but I’d love to see someone accuse them of being as mine-y as Ponds. Even if Wolffe totally raised Rex. (Ponds helped.)) Neyo’s bonding techniques are a wonder of the modern world. They should study his methods to try to see at what point they start to make any sense.

Bacara and Rex have a romance in the small things and I love it so much. It’s not really in the grand gestures, more in the little moments. The quiet touches, leaning against one another, little private smiles. And the important thing is that ‘knowing goodbye is coming’ doesn’t stop them from enjoying the now. They won’t let what-ifs control the present and that’s definitely something I admire. And Bacara! Being so cautious with his heart but falling fast and hard anyway, and Rex falling just as quickly just ah. I love them. (Also Neyo is definitely Bacara’s people, no argument at all).

Neyo’s incredibly observant! Just … he’s also Vode and vode have some certain genetic predispositions to flailing, romantic shenanigans and some shades of obliviousness. So Neyo is incredibly observant about others, and because I have A Brand he’s also very much going to be flailing along in his own relationship development because I find the Dramatique hilarious.

(Neyo probably knew every single possible detail about Rex before the end of that first tenday. Here was this little CT kid, running with the CCs. And what’s more, running with the best of them (not that Neyo is bragging (he’s absolutely bragging).) This little CT who clocked Bacara as interesting nearly instantly, who started following after him with heart-eyes and wriggling his way into Bacara’s orbit … yeah, Neyo darn well learned everything about this guy immediately. Bacara deserves something genuine and Neyo just … had to make sure. He probably did see a lot of himself in that guy too.)

The Shebse’s Alpha is considered good enough to have his own elite training course. That means he’s at a certain level, and I’m sure there was the unspoken expectation that the Shebse would reflect that. So yeah, they would have thrown everything into ARC training, even if they didn’t have to. They all ended up in incredibly vital positions: they’re clearly excellent at their specialties. But it’s the principle of the thing.

(17 and Ponds I’m sure have many incredibly amusing conversations. I feel like Ponds might be the one who talks to 17 the most, given he has the most regular schedule of them all.)

Thank you very much! I’m prescribing HAC for everyone and then having to fill the prescriptions too but you know, that’s life sometimes.

Thank you!!!

[kaibacorpintern]

yuugi and kaiba... platonic... maybe a lil angst like kaiba doesnt know how to have friends and yuugi just accepts him as he is and kaiba can be a kid for once.. for the minific prompt pls? :) thank u.. luv ur blog btw

just thought you should know that when i read this prompt i instantly turned into this and wrote almost 5,000 words. it’s a little angsty and about friendship, but it’s also about loneliness and food and depression, with a few jokes peppered in here and there. DSOD didn’t happen but atem is alive, because i say so. i want kaiba and yuugi to be friends so freakin’ bad.

long story short: i went nuts. thanks for the prompt!!

***

Every day, little by little, Kaiba looked greyer. The lines of his shoulders slouched. The hollows under his eyes deepened, like holes being dug in the dirt, on hands and knees; a slow, miserable burying. To hear him speak was worse. Yuugi heard his voice from thousands of miles away, like he was on a different continent, a different planet, and the light of every thought was crossing the staggering empty silence of space. It terrified Yuugi, to think of Kaiba as fading, that someone who raged with all the thrill and fury of a storm could slow down like this. But he was fading. 

“Hey. Are you alright? You seem down lately,” Yuugi tried, on one of the rare mornings where he caught him alone in the elevator, on his way up to the game design department. With no one else around, he usually felt emboldened to drop the act: not an employee with his boss, maintaining proper deference, but someone who’d known Kaiba for a very long time, and knew him like few others did.

The glass-walled elevator whirred as it rose. Kaiba stood there with his arms crossed, impassive, his back to Domino. The city streets unfurled below them.

“The elevator’s going up, Yuugi,” he said, after a full seven seconds of silence. A weak dismissal, by his standards, made even weaker by a toneless delivery.

“Sure. But - ”

With a polite ding, the elevator opened onto the game design floor. 

“You’re running late,” Kaiba said, nodding him pointedly out the door.

“Bro, I’m fifteen minutes early,” Yuugi said.

“Don’t fucking ‘bro’ me, ” Kaiba snarled, with all the sudden, twitching ferocity of a nervous dog. Yuugi smiled and slowly backed out of the elevator, his palms turned out, long enough to make his point: he'd come in peace. Kaiba frowned at him, bristling, until the elevator doors started to close. The last Yuugi saw of him, before they touched together, were a pair of blue eyes, their fiery energy winking out like a popped spark, falling shut with a sigh.

At his desk, Yuugi toyed with his phone for a good ten minutes, ignoring emails and his coworkers’ good mornings, his thumb hovering over Mokuba’s contact info as he rehearsed in his head. Hey, how’s Stanford? You enjoying your classes so far? Making friends? Of course you are. Great. Well, so, I’m calling because I’m worried about your brother - 

A call like that would put Mokuba on a plane within an hour, honestly. But maybe Mokuba would want to know. Maybe he shouldn’t. Maybe if he left his first quarter of college and returned to Japan, just because his brother had a few bad nights or something, Kaiba would punt Yuugi off the top of the building. 

Maybe Atem? The only person Kaiba ever “talked” to about anything, if  pummeling each other with card game holograms could be called a conversation. Which they did.

YUUGI What’s eating Kaiba? Is he alright?

He stared at his phone a while longer until remembering it was the middle of the night in Egypt. He put his phone away, put Kaiba out of mind, and got to work.

***

Atem texted back mid-afternoon.

ATEM I don’t know. Go find out

YUUGI Okay but i’m not you lol he won’t tell me. even with a duel

ATEM GO

ATEM FIND

ATEM OUT

YUUGI OKAY I'LL DO MY BEST

ATEM And tell that stuck-up bastard to answer his fucking phone one of these days

Odd. Kaiba never ignored Atem.

YUUGI I’m on it

He finished work late, packed up his things, and headed downstairs to the lobby, moving quickly to catch his train. He had most of a mind to save the Kaiba question for later, go home, and flop face-down on his bed until he roused himself enough to pick at leftovers. The elevated metro station was awash in a crisp dusk light, the navy purple night descending on the day’s final line of gold. His train was coming in three minutes; the next on the same line in thirty-four. He'd just made it.

If he stood at the far end of the platform, craning his neck, he could see the long strip of windows at the top of the KaibaCorp tower. Dark. Kaiba had gone home early. Yuugi frowned, biting his lip, as his train arrived. 

He let it go, jostled and swaying in the flood of people flowing in and out of the carriages. The next train took him far from home, flying with sleek electric ease through the glittering glassy black monoliths of the city, and into the leafy, overgrown estates beyond the far edge of town.

***

Kaiba's estate was a brisk walk from the last station on the line, along the side of a road without sidewalks, and through a tunnel of trees that laced their branches together over the road. By the time Yuugi got to the gates, his feet aching in his sneakers, night had fallen. The trees were thick with shadow and wind, whispering to each other in fairy tale voices. It was the kind of night that urged people into their homes, with the doors locked, away from the ancient things that lurked in the undergrowth, wild and forgotten and stronger for it. He was relieved to reach the gates, on the edge of the illumination around Kaiba's mansion, held in the center of the light like a toy castle in a snow globe.

The gatehouse was empty. A security camera peered down at him from the top of a wall, nestled in a thick swell of vines. Ignoring its glossy little eye, Yuugi studied the door in the wall beside the gates, pushing more vines aside to find the keypad. If he called ahead, the chances of Kaiba buzzing him in were next to nothing. They were next to nothing on a good day.

YUUGI do you know the key code for the door?

ATEM 445241474F4E#

ATEM that took me literally years to get

ATEM go around the back. he won’t open the front door

YUUGI you're the best <3

He tapped in the code, carefully. What if he got it wrong? Would a trapdoor open up below his feet? With his back to the quiet road, and the dense, rustling woods on the other side, he swallowed his laugh. 

The door opened with a faint click. Yuugi slipped through and began the long walk up the drive to the mansion, sneakers crunching the gravel underfoot. On either side of the drive,  the lawns were pristine, every petal of every flower and every leaf on every hedge perfectly in place, holding the poses nature’s hand had fixed them in with effortless ease. Somewhere across the grass, shrouded in the night, came the distant murmur of a fountain. 

The mansion itself was an ugly, graceless brick of a building, so rigid and square in its design that its position in the center of this wooded estate seemed an oppressive intrusion. Per Atem’s instructions, Yuugi skirted the front, with its twin dragon statues and Roman columns and imposing front door, and went around to the back, padding silently through the grass. Like the top of the tower, the windows were dark. Every glance through the glass, checking for life, made him feel like he was looking into the bottom of a well, deep and cold and watery, a tomb for hopeless wishing. 

At the back of the house was a large patio, with a view of the sprawling grounds, which rolled downwards in a gentle slope, all the way to a line of trees. There, the grounds gave themselves back to the wild. Even on a shivering night like this, it was easy to imagine what the patio was like in the full splendor of high summer, drenched in sunlight and everything shimmering in golden-white heat.

A thin light cast a hazy cloud onto the patio through a pair of sliding glass doors. Yuugi stopped, halfway across the patio, questioning himself for the nth time that night. And if he was overreacting? So what if Kaiba was in a mood? Kaiba was always in a fucking mood. Yuugi had no doubt Kaiba would thunder at him for a while over the arrogance, the audacity of his presumptions or something, and then throw him out by the scruff of the neck. Oh, god. The embarrassment burned in his face already. 

Yuugi firmly shoved his own feelings aside. He was a gamer - a gambler - by nature, and he’d learned enough over the years to bet on his  own instincts. He gamed it out, in his head, shuddering into the warmth of his jacket as the breeze rolled through him:

He checks on Kaiba, and everything is fine: he goes home feeling awkward and Kaiba avoids him at work for the next three weeks. Acceptable outcome.

He does not check on Kaiba, and everything is fine: he goes home, and the whole night gets written off as a weird, secret little adventure. Acceptable outcome.

He checks on Kaiba, and everything is not fine: unacceptable, but now someone knows. Acceptable outcome. 

He does not check on Kaiba, and everything is not fine: Unacceptable outcome.

He stole towards the sliding glass doors. They led into a glossy modern kitchen, as pristine as the grounds, and full of clean, gleaming surfaces. It was completely free of clutter like mail, or keys, or coffee mugs, or any of the other odds and ends that usually piled up over the course of normal days. A bowl of flowers sat on a kitchen table in a breakfast nook, starting to wilt. At the end of the kitchen island was a bowl of fruit. A still-life painting split in two. 

Sitting at the island, perched on a bar stool, was Kaiba, his head resting in his folded arms atop the counter. His face was mostly hidden in the crook of his elbow; through the limp tangle of his bangs, Yuugi saw his eyes were closed. His black leather satchel leaned against the leg of the bar stool. The rise of his back as he breathed was slow and subtle, the only thing that convinced Yuugi Kaiba had not turned to stone in his seat. Asleep?

No. 

A small blue light rose up from Kaiba's phone, lying on the counter. One hand slowly unfolded, silenced the call, and refolded itself. A gesture that made less than a ripple across the still water of this tableau.

Awake.

Lifelessly, doing nothing. Not even staring into space, but retreating into the space behind his eyelids, a space Yuugi knew intimately well: shallow and lukewarm and wordless, a space for letting hours and days drift by, uncounted. It had been a long time since he’d visited - not since he’d solved the Puzzle - but it was a space he never wanted to revisit. It was a space that stayed with you for the rest of your life, once you’d been there, and yet a space more distant than the farthest star in the universe, beyond the boundaries of both light and love. A place of perfect solitude. 

Quietly, carefully, Yuugi tried the handle of the sliding glass door and found it unlocked. He slid it open. 

Kaiba startled, pulling himself upright as though yanked by a puppet string on his neck. He turned to Yuugi, still and alert, not quite comprehending. As he understood who stood there, the pieces clicking into place, his eyes hardened in his pallid face, speechless, furious. 

“Before you say anything,” Yuugi said, as Kaiba opened his mouth, “I have a story. Let me tell you, and then you can kick me out.”

“This is my fucking house. I can kick you out whenever I damn well please,” Kaiba snapped.

“It’s more of a puzzle, actually. I don’t think you’ve ever solved this one,” Yuugi said. 

Kaiba looked at him sideways, now more confused and suspicious than alarmed.

“And if I solve it?” he said, because ah, yes, of course, stakes. Nothing ever for the joy of it.

“Bragging rights.”

“If I don’t?”

“Nothing happens,” Yuugi said. 

They stared at each other. Yuugi ventured a smile. Did he dare walk in? He was still standing on the threshold. 

“Fine,” Kaiba said, a word more like a sigh. “Come in and tell me your stupid puzzle.”

***

Every house has its own particular smell, its character, its self-contained story about those who call it home. Yuugi took off his shoes, setting them beside the glass door, and frowned. Kaiba's smelled like clean linens, a touch of dust, cool air. A muted smell with no character. He didn't know what he expected. Something else, something thick and wet and heady, like oncoming thunder, or concrete after rain.

On this side of the glass doors, the kitchen was even more exquisite, temptingly so. He knew, from his lusty late-night Internet searches, that the knives in the wooden block alone cost more than several thousand dollars. Untouched! He refused to let them go to waste. Such things were more beautiful when they were held and used and loved, doing what they were made for. And despite the marbled silence, the thin white lighting, this was a house, not a museum. Yuugi dropped his backpack on the floor next to an empty bar stool and turned to Kaiba, who was sitting upright, hands atop his thighs, watching him.

“Uh - do you have anything to eat? I haven’t eaten since lunch,” he said, slinging his jacket over his backpack.

“No. Every night I just plug in and recharge,” Kaiba said dryly. “I believe that’s called a fridge. Those have human food.”

Yuugi bit his tongue, hiding his smile as he went around to the other side of the island. At least Kaiba was still capable of snark. He opened the massive fridge - sparse offerings, sparsely touched - and rooted around, not quite sure what he was looking for between the limp carrots and slabs of smoked salmon. Only the cheese drawer yielded interesting spoils, unspoiled and exotically European.

“The pantry?” he said, nodding at the door next to the fridge. 

“Presumably.”

Yuugi found a loaf of sourdough bread on a shelf in the walk-in pantry - a fucking walk-in pantry! - and returned to the counter with his haul: the bread, the butter, a wedge of Gruyere, and a brick of Emmental. “I’m making a grilled cheese. You want one?”

“If it makes you happy,” Kaiba muttered.

“It does, yeah,” Yuugi said, unsheathing one of those glorious, mirror-polished knives from the wooden block. He rolled up his sleeves and attacked the cheeses with relish. “So - the puzzle goes like this. You’re fifteen years old. You’re small for your age, underweight, painfully shy. You get shoved around a lot at school. Before school, after school. Whenever, honestly. No one really sticks up for you, although you try to stick up for them, when you can, and no one really talks to you, because you live in your own little world. Your head’s always in the clouds, and you get really excited over a lot of things no one else really cares about.”

As he spoke, he unearthed a frying pan and set it on the gas stove, slicing off several pats of butter. As they melted, soft and yellow-white, he carved several slices off the loaf, shuddering with secretive pleasure at the fresh crunch of the crust. 

“Next time, just bring me your high school diary,” Kaiba said. 

Yuugi snorted, buttering the slices and laying them carefully into the pan, where they began to sizzle. He draped the slices of cheese on top. “So you can read everything I wrote about you? No thanks. Anyway. You have one friend, but she’s not always around - her family travels a lot for work. So here you are, a bullied, lonely little oddball, and one day someone gives you a gift. A puzzle.”

“A puzzle in a puzzle.” 

“Right,” Yuugi said, pressing down on the slices of bread with a spatula. The butter crackled and spat; a thick, warm smell wafted through the kitchen. “And if you make a wish on the puzzle, it grants your wish when you solve it. So you make your wish, and you solve your puzzle. You know the rest.”

He turned back to Kaiba. “Now I’m here in your kitchen, making you a grilled cheese. So. What did I wish for?”

To his credit, Kaiba was taking it seriously, offering no snide comments about magic or wishing, leaning forward with his arms folded again on the counter. Yuugi let him study him, eyes narrowed and thoughtful, knowing he was running back through all eight years of their shared history, doing the math. 

“Well, no one shoves you around any more,” Kaiba said. “Not even me, judging by the fact that I can’t even get you to leave my house. I should’ve known better than to try.”

“Ooh, a compliment. Thanks, I’ll treasure it forever,” Yuugi said, grinning, flipping the sandwiches. Melted cheese oozed from the sides. The bottom slices had toasted to a golden brown. His mouth watered. “Plates?”

“Up and to your left.”  

Yuugi opened the cabinets and, standing on tiptoe, eased out two matte black stoneware plates. Fancy.

“You wished for strength,” Kaiba said. 

Yuugi slid the grilled cheeses onto the plates and severed them in half with the spatula. 

“Nope,” he said, leaning across the island counter to set the steaming grilled cheese in front of Kaiba. The semantic point that his friends and his strength were one and the same seemed irrelevant. He was speaking to Kaiba. He needed to speak in Kaiba’s language. “Strength wouldn’t have solved anything for me.”

“You just said you were getting shoved around  - ”

“I wished for friends, Kaiba,” Yuugi said. “Yeah, I was tired of getting shoved around. But I was even more tired of being alone.”

“I - “ Kaiba cut himself off, pressing a sigh through his nose with a tight, pinched expression. Within seconds his face soured. “You make a wish on your magical little trinket, and you get just what you always wanted. How fucking fantastic for you - ”

“Don’t do the aggressive-aggressive thing, it’s not cute,” Yuugi said. “And don’t test me, either. You and I are way past that. Just look me in the face and tell me, honestly, you want me to leave.”

Kaiba turned that ferocious blue gaze on him, silent.

Yuugi waited, holding his gaze. 

Thin, languid tendrils of steam rose from their melting grilled cheeses and folded away.

“Don’t tell me you think of me as one of your magic wish friends?” Kaiba said.

“There’s nothing magical about our friendship, no,” Yuugi said, and to his delight Kaiba snorted with amusement. “Now eat, before it gets cold.”

***

They ate, the evening quiet of the kitchen magnifying every fried, crunchy bite. Yuugi had hoisted himself onto the bar stool next to Kaiba, congratulating himself on a well-made grilled cheese. He would’ve made it work even without the expensive knives.

"Don't tell Mokuba," Kaiba said, dabbing at crumbs on his plate with a greasy scrap of bread, "or Atem."

"Don't tell them what?" Yuugi said.

"How you found me. On hour six of staring at a wall.”

"I won't," Yuugi said.

"They don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself," Kaiba insisted. 

"You can, but are you?" Yuugi said. 

"Mmh," Kaiba murmured, resting his elbows on the counter and his chin atop his laced hands. “Don’t tell them that, either.”

His eyes rolled sideways, his gaze drifting around the kitchen, through the arched doorway, through the rest of the house, where all the lights were off. Yuugi slid off his stool and selected two pears from the fruit bowl, heavy with ripeness, rinsing them in the sink.

“Did... something happen? Did you get in a fight?” he ventured. “Atem says you’re not answering his calls.”

“No. Nothing like that.”

“Then what?”

The kitchen swelled with silence.

"They left," Kaiba said finally, as Yuugi considered how to cut the pears. A basic wedge cut was too childish. "And I told them to go, enjoy it, make the most of it. They have their own lives to live. Mokuba must've asked me a thousand times if I'd be fine without him if he went to California, and I said yes, go, because I don't need him around. I'm fine. And there's no point in getting angry with someone for leaving if you don't need them in the first place."

The effort must've been massive, Yuugi realized, slicing into the pears, to keep the anger at bay. To dig into the wound and wrench the thing out whole, raw and throbbing, without duels or rubbled islands, and without the help of the people who loved him the most. No wonder he looked so exhausted, so limp; no wonder he was again sinking towards the counter, arms folding, his head dropping like there was a hand on the back of his neck, guiding him down with animal docility. 

“How long have you been feeling like this?” Yuugi said.

“What the hell do you know about it?” Kaiba said, semi-muffled by his elbow. 

“It feels like there’s this dark little pit in yourself that you can’t stop digging,” Yuugi said, “and when it’s deep enough, you’re gonna curl up and bury yourself at the bottom and sleep for a year. Right?”

Kaiba said nothing, heaving another sigh.

“Sit up. Eat this.” Yuugi thunked a plate of pear in front of Kaiba, each slice wafer-thin, almost translucent, dripping with light. Kaiba dutifully pulled himself up and removed several slices of pear, with jenga-like precision, careful not to damage Yuugi’s artful pinwheeling. “Well?”

“I always feel like this,” Kaiba said, a startling confession, all the more terrifying for the blithe, dismissive tone with which he confessed it. “So what if it’s a little worse than normal? I’ll find my way out of it.” 

Yuugi leaned over the counter, hands clasped atop it, business-like. 

“I have no doubt in your ability to get out of this,” he said. “But I don’t think you should do it alone. See, I don’t want you to leave, either.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yeah?” Yuugi said. “I challenge you to a duel. My deck’s in my backpack. I have some new strategies I’m dying to test, and you’re the only one who makes me really fight for it. How about it? Wanna duel?”

Kaiba exhaled, resting his elbow on the counter, his cheek against the back of his hand. He plucked out another pear slice, not eating it; instead just letting it dangle from his fingertips, watching a tiny pearl of water roll off the edge and break apart on the plate with monumental indifference. 

Watching him, Yuugi allowed himself a brief, private moment of grief, for Kaiba, knowing he wouldn’t want it, and he’d be insulted if he knew. To have your heart broken by what you love was one thing; to swing from love to hate was another; but to stand still and feel your love go, leaving nothing in the hollow it left behind, was the worst.

With a light flick, Kaiba released the slice of pear, his gaze drifting again. 

“No. I’m tired of fighting,” he said sullenly, so dull a sound that Yuugi sucked in a breath, two dueling thoughts colliding with concussive impact in his chest. Good, stop fighting, why don’t you finally get some rest, and the urge to grab him by the shoulders and shake him and shout no! keep fighting! I know you’re in there! 

Kaiba lifted his head, looking at Yuugi with an air of steeling himself. “Okay. What... what do you want from me?”

Yuugi almost laughed, but caught himself. No good things came from laughing in Kaiba’s face. 

“Other way around,” he said, drawing a circle in the air with his finger. “This is about what you want from me. Whatever you need. Whatever you want.”

Kaiba frowned, thinking.

“Do you seriously believe the magic of the Millennium Puzzle helped you make friends?” he said.

"Um. Well, it was more like a domino effect, you know? A chaos theory, butterfly hurricane kind of thing - “

“Magic had nothing to do with it. It was all you,” Kaiba said, with more heat and passion than he’d shown in weeks. “But you have to understand I’ll never be your ‘bro’ - ” couching the word in air quotes, a disdainful pair of twin finger twitches - “and I’m not one of your little pals, like Jounouchi, or whatever. That’s not who I am. That’s not how I do it.” 

“I know,” Yuugi said. “Listen - ”

“I don’t - ” Kaiba huffed and scowled at the counter, at his blurred, misty reflection. “I prefer to handle things on my own. I always have. I don’t - know how - ”

“Kaiba.” 

Kaiba looked up, shoulders stiffening, his face tight and stricken. 

“I know,” Yuugi said. He let that hang between them until Kaiba’s shoulders had eased out of their anxious coils. “Don’t worry. I’m not adding you to the group chat or anything. I don’t expect anything from you except the occasional bitchy comment, and maybe a good, boisterous laugh, from way deep down in your chest, like when you draw Blue-eyes in a duel. You know, the ‘I got you now, fucker’ laugh.”

Kaiba laughed - a laugh at half-power, lacking his usual trumpet blare of triumph, but a laugh nonetheless. “You are an oddball.”

“Birds of a feather,” Yuugi said smugly, and checked his phone. It was getting late. “Okay. I think I’ve bothered you enough for the night - ”

“You’re not bothering me. Are you taking the train back into the city?”

“Yeah.” 

“What line?”

“Red line,” Yuugi said, and was struck by an idea. "Why? Somewhere you wanna go?"

"I'm in the mood to get out of the house for a while," Kaiba said. "It's too fucking quiet in here without Mokuba."

Yuugi fixed him with a look. "Yeah, so one of the interns was telling me about a new arcade that just opened off the Ishibashi station. I was gonna go after work with the guys to check it out some time, but..."

He didn't even need to finish the thought. Despite his best effort to hide it, something hopeful had bloomed across Kaiba's face, rich and warm. It made Yuugi ache to see that look, and to wonder what he would've wished for at fifteen, freshly cast from the forge and still hard and brittle and white-hot with rage, burning everyone who touched him.

"Get your coat, let's go," Yuugi said, and Kaiba almost sprang off his bar stool. "Wait - finish the pear. I cut it fancy for you and everything."

Kaiba rapidly ate the pear. "The grilled cheese was excellent, by the way."

"Really?"

"Yes. If you come back and make me another, I'll make all the bitchy comments you want."

Yuugi laughed. "Deal."

***

ATEM did you talk to him? 

Yuugi leaned against the polished wooden edge of the pool table, his thoughts whirling in his head lazy and kaleidoscopic. He was halfway through his third beer. They'd gone through air hockey. The racing games. The shooting games. Foosball. Kaiba had spent fifteen minutes at the claw machine, winning a plush Kuriboh for a middle schooler and pressing it into her hands with a firm explanation of how the machines were rigged against her. 

Then they'd found the pool tables, in a dim little corner, the green felts shining like tropical islands in a shadowy red-brown sea under the hanging lights. Yuugi was still smarting from the whipping, which Kaiba had delivered with almost careless ease, drink in hand. 

"Yuugi. Look," he said, leaning over the table, aiming the pool cue at some bizarre constellation of pool balls, his long shadow falling across the felt. 

"Give me a sec," Yuugi said, and swiftly rescued Kaiba's sweating old-fashioned from the edge of the table.

YUUGI ya. now he's showing off

YUUGI trick shots at the pool table

ATEM so he's fine?

"You're not looking," Kaiba said, lifting his head. "Look."

"I'm looking," Yuugi said.

The cue moved smoothly between Kaiba's fingertips as he aligned his shot - sleek, frictionless, silent - with a quick, sharp thrust he sent the pool balls smashing into each other, cracking like lightning across the table and vanishing into the pockets. The last ball rolled towards the last pocket with slow, melodramatic flair, teetering over the lip, like it knew exactly who had struck it, and what kind of show it needed to put on. 

It dropped in, clattering into its fellows at the bottom of the pocket.

Kaiba laughed, triumphant, glowing with youthful glory, catching the victory by his hip with a yank of his fist.

YUUGI he will be

"Did you see?" Kaiba said, turning to Yuugi. The lines under his eyes were still there; the seams that held him together, pulling apart. Those would take some time to repair.

But for the moment he was radiating with energy, beaming, star-like in the dim electric gloom of the arcade. Not hidden in the blackness of space, but brighter for it. Despite it.

"I saw," Yuugi said.

#shark-platinum #fanfiction #rivalshipping #it's not romantic but it gets the tag because *ben wyatt voice* its about the dynamic

[shiny-jr]

❝ s ᴛ ɪ ᴄ ᴋ s   ᴀ ɴ ᴅ   s ᴛ ᴏ ɴ ᴇ s❞

Yandere!Kitsune x Reader x Yandere!Kitsune - Fumio and Himeyo

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, 

but words will never break me.”

Rain pelted down like bullets, stinging and splashing against the earth. The heavy rain clouds overhead blanketed the sky, making the entire area dark. The ground was muddy and damp, large trees and their branches shielded some of the earth from the rain. Lightning cracked overhead illuminating the sky momentarily, thunder echoing and making the ground tremble.

In the distance through the wave of droplets and darkness, a sizable cabin could be made out. Light shining from the windows, a sanctuary from this horrible storm. (Y/n) ran through the rain, hugging their soaked jacket close to their damp form. Jumping up the stairs of the wooden porch, their sneakers and legs were caked with mud and blades of grass. Scratches littered their arms and upper body from thorns and sharp branches, their clothing was absolutely soaked and their damp hair stuck to their skin.

Shivering as the cold wind hit them, nearly toppling them over. Keeping their balance, they gazed up at the dim light beside the door. Raising their fist, they knocked their knuckles against the wood.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

In just a moment, the door was opened rather quickly. Warmth and light flowing out from inside, there stood two figures. 

A male had opened the door, a very strange one. With a tall figure and porcelain-like skin. White locks as pure as snow. Attired in a simple white overcoat made of soft fabrics with a sash tied at his hip, a white mask painted with a bit of red crafted to have the appearance of a fox concealed his features. Peeking out beside him, was a female who held a similar odd appearance. Short with porcelain-like skin, white locks of hair cut short. Attired in a comfy white sweater coat that covered most of her form, white pants could be seen with simple boots, a black mask painted with a bit of red crafted to have the appearance of a fox concealed her features.

"Well, well... Who do we have here?" The male hummed, tone of voice fruity and modulated as he eyed the stranger at his doorstep. If he hadn't been wearing a mask, there was a good chance he was smiling.

"What's someone like you doing here?" The female practically demanded, standing her ground as she stood beside the male. Voice honeyed seemingly tremulous as she tilted her head as she awaited a response.

(Y/n) gulped, suddenly regretting knocking on the cabin's door. Who were these people and why were they wearing masks? "M-My name is (Y/n)..." They gripped their soaked jacket close, attempting to gain any warmth they could as they hesitantly continued with an explanation, "I was hiking with my friends and we got seperated..."

"You got lost in the forest?" The female inquired, perking up at their response. Watching as the stranger nodded in reply.

"My, my, poor little thing..." The male cooed, he too soon tilted his head as he analyzed the stranger with intense curiousity.

The black-masked stranger looked to the male, nudging him with her elbow before returning her attention back on the stranger. Knowing it was quite a walk from a nearby town. "You must've walked for a long time, huh? This place, our home, is in the middle of no where."

"Not to mention, we never recieve any visitors." The white-masked stranger interjected, musing aloud with a whimsical tone. "Don't worry. Only a monster, a beast, would cast aside someone so helpess and in need like you."

The female stepped onto the porch, peeking past, gazing up at the rain pelted down. Taking a step back, she shook her head to rid of the droplets of water. "It really is a bad storm..."

The male gazed at the female before looking back down at the stranger, stepping back and opening the door wide as he gestured for them to come in. "Please, let me invite you inside. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

Hey, domino

I am stopping you from falling 

"Look at yourself, you're covered in mud! If it weren't raining so hard, I'd tell you to play with me in the mud out there!" She exclaimed, tearing off the jacket from them and tossing it on a hook on the wall. Shaking her head, she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, "You're lucky you found us here or you wouldn't last another day out there!"

He seemed to reel back at her statement, irked at her words and impolite mannerisms. Escorting the guest to a sofa where he allowed them to plop down and rest their tired feet. Picking up a warm blanket, he carefully unfolded it as he sighed, "I’m sorry. Please, forgive my sister. As I mentioned before, we don’t receive guests that often so we’re both excited. In fact, we’ve never had anyone visit us before and I’m really interested in hu- I mean, in people.” Gently he placed the blanket on them, providing them a new source of warmth as he offered, “Here, let me cover you.”

“We haven’t seen anyone else in a veeerrrry long time!” She jumped on the sofa, taking a seat right beside the stranger. Smiling as she swung her feet back and forth, “And when you live with my nerd of a brother, things get super boring!” She leaned so close that her body heat was radiating off her, causing (Y/n) to warm up even faster but remained surprised at her close proximity. The girl seemed carefree and easy to befriend, as she swung an arm around the strangers shoulder and gazed directly at her brother with a grin, “Isn’t that right, brother?”

He slapped his sister’s hand with the back of a ruler, causing the girl to yelp and immediately retract her hand. “Please, refrain yourself from touching our guest.” He seethed at the girl before returning his gaze to (Y/n). “I’m deeply sorry... If you would please, allow me to introduce myself?”

“Yes, of course, go ahead...” (Y/n) nodded slowly, rubbing their shoulders underneath the blanket to continue to keep warm.

“I am Fumio-“

”I’m Himeyo!”

One, two, three-

Don’t you dare go down.

Fumio glared at his grinning sister before clearing his throat and continuing, “My sister and I are twins, and we live here in this cabin. It’s an honor to have you as our guest, (Y/n).” Bowing his head, he excused himself. “I’m sorry, please excuse me, I should be getting you some tea.” Before he could walk away into the kitchen, he subtly flicked his sister’s earlobe as a warning. “Give me a moment, please.”

When Fumio disappeared around the corner, Himeyo grinned eagerly as she began to happily converse with the guest. Firing question after question, rapid fire. “(Y/n), where are you from? How old are you? What do you do for a living? Do you live alone? What are your friends like? What do you like to do? What are you into? I wanna know!”

Their head spun from all the questions and the ever curious girl, holding their hands up in defense as they laughed lightly. “Please, one question at a time, Himeyo.” Not able to see Himeyo’s expression brighten once they laughed.

”It’s a relief I had some ingredients left.” Fumio returned, placing down a tray onto the table. Taking the teapot, he poured some of the steaming tea into a mug. Eyeing his sister through the mask, sensing she was irritated by his impeccable timing, interrupting her former conversation with the guest.

Hey, waterfall.

Oh, can you hear me calling? 

“Otherwise if we had run out, we’d have to wait until tomorrow to gather the ingredients from the garden... I hope it’s up to your tastes. Plenty of things grow around here and in our garden, so you get used to what you have.”

(Y/n) was carefully handed the tea, a small flag of steam rising up signaling it was still hot. Blowing lightly to help it cool down before they took a small sip, tasting the tea. Pleasantly surprised to find it tasted very good, better than any other they ever had. “Wow, this is really good! Thank you, Fumio.” Not able to see Fumio’s expression brighten once they smiled in delight. Before anyone could say another word, they decided to ask something. “Why would you two live up here? You both seem lonely...”

Three, two, one-

Don’t you dare touch the ground.

“Why live up here? Simple.” Himeyo lounged beside the guest. Gaze eyeing the floor before continuing to respond quietly. “My brother and I never grew up with people around us, so we get scared of crowds. As strange as it sounds, we wouldn’t really be... accepted out there.” Gaze traveling back up, her tone brightened as she added abruptly, “But its alright. Fumio and I made a promise when we were little, that we would stay until someone finally visited us for the first time.”

”Then it finally happened...! Um, excuse me if I sound too excited. I’m not leaving the best impression, am I? I'm sorry...” Fumio scratched his head and sighed, attempting to lower his loud tone, taking a seat on the other side of the guest. Gazing at them out of the corner of his eye. "This whole time I've lived here, I've been thinking of different ways this could have happened... What I should do, what I should say, would I be presentable enough?..."

"What he's trying to say is we practied and rehersed, even dreamed of finally getting a visitor! Everday me and my brother would talk about it, wonder what our visitor would be like and who they would be. It's best to be honest about these kinds of things, right?" Himeyo interjected, humming as she began to swing her feet back and forth again. Hands trembling in eagerness as she attempted to contain her energy and restrain herself, she didn't want to scare them off.

Sticks and stones will break your bones

And leave you lying in the mud 

The young man cleared his throat, clenching his fist in restraint as he added to his sister's statement. "We understand if we're scaring you..."

"No, not at all." (Y/n) assured, surprising the twins as she managed a light smile.

"We're not scaring you...?" The young woman inquired, having to ask for reassurance. It was shocking how they didn't express fear towards them, and the guest's smile was so bright and warm...

(Y/n) nodded, reassuring with their reply that they were not scared or frightened.

The twins looked to each other, relaxing as a wave of relief washed over them. Behind their masks they smiled, truly happy with the guest's presence. Happy for the first time in a very very long time. Although, one thing was concerning for both of them, one thing they would have to address privately later. But for now, they would remain content with (Y/n).

But you get scared when we're alone

Like I might suck your blood 

Thank god, really..." Himeyo smiled as her tone of voice brightened along with her expression, perking up as she was no longer tensely still. No longer having to worry about scaring her guest.

"That's a good thing..." Fumio released a pent-up sigh mixed with a low breathy laugh, his once tense shoulder's slumping in relief. No longer having to worry about frightening his guest. Hues traveling up, he observed the guest with a fond gaze while inquiring gently, "Is the tea warm enough? I didn't want it to be too hot... Is the blanket enough?"

"Yes, of course! I can't thank you enough for your kindness, both of you. Even though I'm just a stranger, you still let me inside your home and helped me. So thank you, thank you so much. You two saved me, Fumio, Himeyo, I probably would've been a goner without your help."

I could tell you a witch's spell

But it just might blow your top

Himeyo immedaitely beamed, grinning with newfound pride as her posture improved and she sat tall and proud. Those words truly hit her, she felt them in her heart and it fed her ego. Feeling her chest, her heart, stir, she was practically glowing. Patting (Y/n)'s right shoulder, "Aww, you're so cute! How could I just leave you out there? You look much better here smiling and warm, isn't it better than out there?"

Fumio gapped at the guest's kind honest words of thanks, a blush coating his cheeks as he snapped out of his daze and shook his head. Those words truly hit him, he felt them in his heart and it made it swell. Feeling his chest, his heart, stir, he was in euphoric bliss. Rubbing (Y/n)'s left shoulder, "When I saw you out there in the rain, you looked so sad and scared. I'm just glad you are content and safe here..."

”But I do have a question... Why are you two wearing masks?”

”Why the mask?” Fumio scratched his neck, musing lightly.

“I thought you would’ve asked something like that earlier!” Himeyo exclaimed, giggling lightly as she found it funny and ironic. “But, I guess it is a weird question to ask. I’d be kinda hesitant on asking why someone was randomly wearing a mask too!”

”Let me put it simply.” The young man offered, pointing to his face, the mask he was wearing concealing his features. “The mask hides everything, and there are some things better left hidden in the dark. Don’t you agree? And no, we aren’t hideous or something like that. We feel a comfort when it’s on.”

No words were said in response, only a stomach grumbling. (Y/n) blushed beet red in embaressment as they covered their stomach with the blanket, uttering quietly, "I-I'm sorry, I haven't eaten anything since the morning."

And you start to run just as I'm having fun

It's awfully hard to stop 

"I got it!" Both twins shouted in unison, rocketing up from their seats as they bolted for the kitchen. Shoving and pushing each other, attempting to dissuade the other in attempt to satisfy the guest. Arguing and bickering.

Fumio blocked the doorway, attempting to push back his sister who was equally as strong as him. Seething at the girl, "I said, I got it. Let me handle it!"

"Never!" Himeyo shot back, trying to yank him out of the way as she growled lowly at the boy, "Let me do it! I call dibs, I called it!"

Sun in the sky. I am stopping you from burning

All we need is stars and moon. 

(Y/n) watched in slight awkwardness yet a hint of amusement as the twins barreled into the kitchen, door swinging closed behind them leaving the guest in peaceful silence. Inside the kitchen was a completely different story. The brother wielding a torch. When he clicked on it, a large hot flame appeared at the metal tip ready to sear anything in his path. The sister wielding a knife. A large butcher's knife, blade sharpened to a fine point and ready to cut down anything in her path. Both twins held up weapons and stanced themselves as if ready to lunge at each other, growling lowly animalistically.

Clock on the wall. I will keep your hands from turning

Or this night will end too soon. 

"(Y/n) is my mate, my soulmate!" Fumio bared his teeth, fearsome expression hidden by his mask. Holding up the torch as he threatened, "If you dare try to dirty them with your nasty habits, I'll burn you to ashes! It doesn't matter if your my sister, anyone who gets in my way will perish. I've waited too long for this, for them!"

"They're here for me, dumbass!" Himeyo smirked, sharp fangs concealed by her mask. Twirling the knife between her fingers as she snickered, "(Y/n) is mine! If you even think about claiming them as yours, I'll stab you without a second thought! Screw it if we're siblings! Mother said whoever walks through that door is mine!"

Fumio huffed, refusing to lower his guard. "I thought there would be two, not one." Clicking the torch again, the flame shifted to a dangerous searing blue. "But you're wrong, dear sister. Mother said those who walked through the door were our soulmates, but she never specified which one of us they would belong to. Either way, isn't it quite clear that (Y/n) is destined to be mine? Did you see how they smiled at me? They're so beautiful, so amazing, so perfect... (Y/n) is everything I ever dreamed of and wished for~" Tilting his head, he smiled and blushed at the thought of their warm smile. "It's quite obvious they have a prefrence for me. Who'd want a dirty pup like you?"

"Keep talking, uptight piece of crap." Himeyo spat, examining the blade that glinted in the light. Grinning as she mused, "Only one of us can have them, and that's gonna be me. Didn't you see the way I made them laugh? They're so so cute, I just want to eat them all up!" Placing a hand to her cheek, she blushed at the mere thought of their melidious laugh. "Mother used to tell us stories of how she met father and they married and had us. That one day, when we found our soulmates, we would love each other and marry like they did, we'd have a happily ever after together. That's exactly what I'm going to do with (Y/n). I'm gonna make them mine, and mine only, and you can't stop me!"

I call thee, beloved one.

To love me more than anyone. 

“Well, I’ll be the one to win their favor. Good luck making them happy when they’re on an empty stomach.” Fumio winked, sticking out his tongue as he picked up a plate of sandwiches, clicking the torch off and discarding to the side.

“You wouldn’t. I made those myself, not for you to take!” Himeyo snarled, pointing the knife at him. About to pounce on him and plunge the blade through his chest.

”Go ahead, stab me. But what’ll (Y/n) think of you then if she found my corpse here? I can scream and they'll run. You would be a monster in their eyes, a horrible murderer they’d never want to be with.” Grinning slyly, seeing his words get to her and cause her to consider the consequences of her actions. “We both know I’m the most charming of our duo, and you’re the most... incompetent. If you take that risk and harm me, they’d run from this place and you’d never see them again.”

Himeyo lowered the knife and glowered, placing the blade in her coat as she growled at her brother. I can’t risk having them run away, having them be scared of me. I can’t... I need them to stay. “You might be all gentleman-like, but at least I’m fun and know how to relax. If (Y/n) wanted to return home, I’d be better to take because I’m willing to live among their kind. You’re too hesitant, you’d prefer to stay here so you could keep them to yourself.”

”Hmm~” Fumio hummed, ignoring her statement, “Let’s strike a deal, shall we? In time, later on, we’ll reveal to (Y/n) who we truly are. We will explain to them the entire story and situation, and (Y/n) will get to chose. They will chose whichever one of us they believe is their soulmate, and whoever they chose will receive the honor and privilege of becoming their mate.”

”Thats it? That’s not nearly enough!” Himeyo interjected, immediately adding a result for whoever was not unlucky and not chosen. “The loser has to leave this forest, and if they even step foot in these woods again they get to die. Loser either gets banished or faces death. A fair punishment for even nearing what’s mine!” She crossed her arms over her chest and grinned, “Deal?”

Bind thy heart and soul to me.

As I do will, so let it be. 

Both twins decided it best to agree to the deal, although deep down they knew they would not abide by it for long. It would eventually shatter and come down to three main points: Who had the guest’s favor, intelligence with wits, and pure brute strength. In the end, they would fight over (Y/n), and it would not be a pretty sight.

“Deal.” Fumio hummed, refusing to shake her hand as he eyed her hand hidden in her coat. “Remember, let’s not get violent in front of our lovely guest. Act natural.” He chimed, stepping out alongside his sister.

“I know, I know. This’ll be a breeze for me, so might as well start packing, brother.” Himeyo waved off her brother, her ego and confidence gaining the best of her. Eyes glinting dangerously as she whispered, “Unless you want to die?”

Both siblings stopped in their tracks, breaths caught in their throats and eyes wide once they saw their guest was gone. The living room was empty, the small cup of tea placed on the table beside the teapot. Immediately the two forgot their quarreling and went their separate ways, in search of the guest.

Fumio felt his heart pound, hands quivering as he was nearly hyperventilating. Running down the halls, checking in each and every single room in a desperate search to find (Y/n). No! No!! No!!! I just found them, I can’t lose them already!! “(Y/n), come out! Please, come here!!-......” Going silent when he looked out a window and saw a silhouette, one of a stranger, not his guest. 

Himeyo was in a state just as bad, looking for any sign they left behind. Her eyes wide with fear and nails digging into her palm as she sniffed the air. There! She caught a whiff of their scent, (Y/n) was still nearby! Inhaling the aroma again, she followed it to the front door. Opening it, she was fearing the worst that they might have ran from them, but she had nothing to fear. There on the porch, sitting on the wood was their guest, attempting to fiddle and fumble with some strange device she had never seen before. Jogging over, she sat beside them and furrowed her eyebrows, “(Y/n)? What’s wrong? Why are you out here? You had me worried, you know!”

”Oh, I’m sorry! I was just trying to see if my phone would get any service out here. That way, I could try to contact my friends and see if they’re alright...” (Y/n) responded, lowering the device in their hands as it was fruitless. There was absolutely no service out here in the middle of no where. Staring ahead at the rain, it was softer now but still it would be dangerous to venture through the storm.

“Umm, what’s a phone?” She tilted her head, eyeing the small strange item on the guest’s hands. Pointing at it, asking with peaked interest, “How is that going to get your friends back?”

”You’ve never seen a phone?” (Y/n) was quite shocked and for good reason. Practically everyone had a phone or at least knew what it was, but Himeyo had no idea. Holding up the device with the glowing screen, they explained, “This phone can let me talk to people when in a certain area, take photos, play games, stuff like that. But it looks like I’m out of that area for it to work.”

”Wow, really!?” She was awed, examining the device with amazement. “This little thing can do all that-!?” 

A-ooooooo

(Y/n) froze, hair on the back of her neck and arms rising up. Frantically scanning the dark through the pelting rain, she was cautious and anxious after hearing that distant sound of an animal’s howl. “Was that a wolf...?”

Himeyo glared as she sensed the direction of the call was from somewhere behind the cabin. Of course, she’d recognize that particular howl anywhere, it was her brother. Placing an arm around the guest’s waist, she guided them back inside. Assuring with a careless and positive tone, “We’ll be safe as long as we’re inside, so come on! We wouldn’t want some mean old mutt to come around here and hurt you!”

”O-Okay...”

Not long after when the two returned inside, Fumio appeared from a hallway and quickly made a beeline towards the guest. Ignoring his sister’s glare and envy as he took (Y/n)’s hands in his own, voice concerned and gentle, “Ah, there you are! Please, don’t run off again. This cabin may look small, but on the contrary it’s large and I don’t want you to get lost. You had me very concerned, (Y/n), please don’t do that again.”

”I’m sorry, I just wanted to see if I could contact my friends.” (Y/n) bowed their head in apology, taking notice that his coat was replaced with a new white one. “What happened to your coat?”

”I accidentally dirtied it with some ketchup when I was preparing something for you to eat.” Gesturing to the sandwiches on the table, he lied smoothly. “So I went to go change before searching for you.”

”Oh, I see. I’m sorry for causing such trouble.” 

“No, no, it’s no issue. Go ahead and eat, I’m sure you’re famished at the moment.” Fumio rubbed their back soothingly, watching with content as his guest happily began to eat. Glancing over to his sister, he took the time and opportunity while (Y/n) was not looking. Lifting a single finger to his lips, he motioned for his twin to be silent. With that same free hand he picked a bloody piece of cloth from inside his coat, his occupied hand continuing to rub the guest’s back. Tucking it away. They were here to take my soulmate...

Himeyo didn’t blame him for committing murder against that stranger, she would have done the same thing if they were here to steal away her soulmate. Nodding understanding before pointing to the phone. We need to destroy that thing. (Y/n) can contact others with it.

The male rose an eyebrow, nodding slowly as he began to speak calmly, filling the silence in the room.

It’s now or never. 

“Here, (Y/n). I’d like you to be even more comfortable around me.” Fumio removed his mask, revealing a handsome young man with slightly long white locks and gentle crimson hues, a warm smile with white fox-like ears protruding from his head. “I’m still the same Fumio.” Shedding his white coat, leaving himself in a white wool sweater with simple gray pants, revealing two fluffy white tails poking out from his back.

Himeyo huffed, irritated as she decided she would take action to. Tugging off her black mask, revealing a beautiful young woman with short white locks tied up and fierce crimson hues, a confident grin with white fox-like ears protruding from her head. “I’m not some faceless freak, I’m attractive too so don’t keep looking at him! Look at me!” Tearing off her white coat leaving herself in a gray wool sweater with simple white pants, revealing two fluffy white tails poking from her back.

(Y/n) caught herself staring, mesmerized by their attractiveness and beauty. Unconsciously reaching out, their left hand to Fumio and right hand to Himeyo.

Left hand brushing and running it’s fingers through his soft bushy tail, causing him to purr at the gentle touch. Fumio felt confident, pleased with the attention as he hummed, “Well, is it soft? I take great pride and care in my fur. Touch as much as you want, your happiness is my happiness.”

Right hand scratching and thumb rubbing against her fox-like ear, causing her to close her eyes and nuzzle against their palm. Himeyo felt happy, delighted with the attention as she giggled, “You’re hand is so warm...! This really makes me happy you know. I just want to stay here, and keep basking in this sweet delicious attention!” 

"Is it real...?"

Himeyo gazed at them with admiration but surprise, tilting her head like a loveable puppy as she remarked, "Yes, they're completely real! I'm just really shocked that you aren't scared! We aren't human after all." Murmuring lowly, leaning closer as to inspect them properly now that her mask was removed. Grinning as they took in all of their features and got a proper clear whiff of their addicting scent. "I've never seen a human face before. In all honesty, I think you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life...! Oh, I mean and say thing because I have never seen another human before you! That's my true feelings, I think you're the most beautiful and want you to be mine!"

Fumio sent a glare to her, rubbing the guest's back soothingly as to comfort them and ease their confusion. Smiling down at them, he cooed to (Y/n), "There's no possible way I can argue with my sister about your beauty, because she speaks the truth. However, I can point out that I would prefer you to chose me instead of her. I know we just met today and all, I can understand if it sounds unreasonable." Hypnotized by their (e/c) hues that gazed directly at his crimson ones as he continued, "I'm not saying these words just because I'm lonely. Our mother told us at a very very young age, a long time ago, we needed to stay here in order to meet our soulmate. It's what every one of our kind goes through." Smiling as he carefully tucked a stray stand of hair behind their ear, "I've waited, and waited, for over two hundred years... and now you're here, in my arms where you were meant to be." 

"When you finally came to me, I really really couldn't hold back my excitement anymore!" Himeyo butted into the conversation, abruptly snatching their attention. Firm grip on their shoulders as she grinned eagerly, practically bouncing up and down from pure joy. "You gave me attention, it's so nice and it makes me happy! Your smile is as warm and bright as the sun! You're like a treasure I want to keep all to myself, one I can always play with and have company with! Hey, my lover, do you believe me? That's not all!" White fluffy tails wagging at an incredible speed as she pointed out, "Look, I have two tails which means I'm about two centuries years old! I'm not lying or overexaggerating when I mean I was waiting for over two-hundred years!"

"For you. I'll wait nine-hundred years, a thousand years, or even a million years. However, long it takes." Fumio countered, tail brushing against their arms and finger tracing a line across their cheek. Attempting to outdo his sister and win over who he believed his soulmate was. "It's the truth. My kind can live for a very very long time, and I wish to spend as much of that time as possible with you. Mother always told me, until I reached the age of twenty and she left, she always said that I was destined to stay here and wait for my lover to come one day. That day finally came." When (Y/n) attempted to stand, he used his tail to pull them back onto the couch as he hummed, "Sit back down, would you? I'm afraid we won't be leaving. It feels as though my heart will burst, like I'm under some love spell. I don't think I can stop, now that you're here." 

"Me and my brother made a deal, (Y/n). Pick one of us, and the other either gets to die or better run if they don't want to be hunted down." Himeyo smirked, reaching into her pocket with her free hand. Fingers curling around the handle of the blade as she prepared to pull it out if necessary, she would do whatever it took to claim what was hers.

"Whomever you chose, gets to remain by your side and claim title as your mate. Whomever you chose will be yours, you will be theirs, and you get to begin a life together." Fumio masked his malice with a gentle smile, reaching into his coat with his free hand. Fingers curling around the base of the torch as he prepared to pull it out if necessary, he would do whatever it took to keep his soulmate by his side.

Both twins glared at each other, ready to kill the other in dispute over who would rightfully become the mate of their guest. Each with one hand around (Y/n), the other hand on a weapon. "I'm the one you want!!"

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere x y/n #yandere x you #yandere author #yandere au #quotev author #yandere writing #yandere scenario #yandere oneshot #yandere male #yandere guy #yandere twin #yandere girl #shinyjr #shiny-jr

[my-brothers-corrupted]

He doesn't belong to you Chase. Henrik is his own person, and he is not to be treated like he's helpless just because he can't speak. Don't be possessive in that way, it too reminiscent of Anti.

Chase chews on his nails, staring at his brother. Henrik is putting the domino pieces together right, or at least in a way that makes sense. Matching colors and numbers. He's there, just... far away.

"Sorry, Blue," he calls through the door.

Blue snorts on the other side. "That was fast. You have a temper like a bunny rabbit. Go get Dapper some shoes."

Chase moves off to find the nearest pair of torn-up sneakers, tired of the day already. He hands them over to Blue and watches him help lace them onto Dapper's feet, sinking down onto the couch beside Henrik. He moves one of his dominoes and Henrik's eyes flicker up to him, slightly narrow in a way that makes Chase think maybe he knows he's being played with. He laughs weakly and touches his brother's cheek. Henrik gazes at him, blinking.

"I should never have left you alone, man," whispers Chase. "I wish you were here to forgive me. I just don't want you to be alone again when you come back."

Henrik stares at him. His glasses are a little crooked on his nose. A little broken and a little crooked. His twin.

Henrik reaches slowly out and wraps his arms around his neck, letting his head fall down onto Chase's shoulder. Chase feels a shaky breath escape from his chest. He tries to move slowly. Tries not to startle him. Can't break this.

He hugs his brother back slowly, his hands pressing into his back. They seem to fit just right.

[thelastspeecher]

Super hero/villain AU Angie doing one of her first solo crimes as a villain (idk where lute is or he can be there either way). Maybe it starts going wrong and she kicks it into high gear and pulls them throughm

All right, here’s the last Angie-centric prompt in celebration of Angie’s birthday.  Enjoy some Angie being a BAMF and also making a certain hero a bit flustered.

——————————————————————————————

              Angie walked into HQ, nerves fluttering in her stomach.  Despite being a villain for a couple years now, she had yet to come into work alone. But Lute was currently next to the toilet in their house, occasionally throwing up.  She headed for the secretary to pick up her assignment for the day.  The secretary looked up and raised an eyebrow.

              “Where’s your brother?”

              “Sick,” Angie said.

              Technically, it’s true.  Bein’ hungover definitely qualifies as bein’ ill.  You’d think a hydrokinetic would know to stay hydrated when doin’ a bar crawl.

              “Hmm.  Well, luckily, you should be able to handle today’s hit on your own.”  The secretary handed Angie a notecard.  “There’s some poorly guarded electronics that we could use. The ones that we don’t use, we can sell at a heavy markup.”  Angie scanned the notecard with a frown.  “And, like usual, you can pocket some for yourself.  They make great gifts for family.”

              “This is an Amazon warehouse,” Angie said.  The secretary nodded.  “Last time we hit up an Amazon warehouse, the employees were furloughed fer months while the building was rebuilt.  They had to choose between keepin’ their jobs but not gettin’ paid or tryin’ to find a new job.”  The secretary rolled her eyes.

              “Yes, yes, you’re someone who cares about that sort of thing,” she said in a tone that made it clear she didn’t.  Angie scowled at her.  The secretary cleared her throat.  “Since that last hit, legislation was passed that guarantees full pay to employees who cannot work due to villain or hero activity.  The workers at the warehouse will be fine.”

              “Hmm…”  Angie looked down at the notecard again.

              I do recall hearin’ somethin’ like that… She sighed.

              “Okay.  I’ll head on out.”

              “Call if you need backup.”

              “Nah.”  Angie shot a grin that was more confident than she felt.  “I can handle it.”

-----

              Angie landed on the surface of the Amazon warehouse. Thankfully, the building had a large skylight through which she could see the workers busily packing items into boxes.

              Easiest thing would be to break the skylight. But the poor workers have enough to deal with already.  Don’t need to add fallin’ glass to it.  Before Angie could go find a different way in, something incredibly heavy slammed into her, breaking through the skylight.  Angie gasped for breath, spots dancing in her vision.  She glared at the man who had tackled her.

              In Angie’s opinion, far too many heroes either didn’t pay attention to or didn’t care about collateral damage.  To be fair, most villains were in the same boat, but to be equally fair, most villains weren’t cut of the cloth that Angie’s family was.  Of the heroes who caused civilian injuries and more property damage than necessary, the man currently accosting her was one of the worst.

              Hopefully, it’s just ‘cause he’s a young hero. Maybe someday he’ll actually grow into his strength ‘n voice.  Angie abruptly remembered she was falling, surrounded by shards of glass. No, now’s not the time to be thoughtful, Angie.  There are innocent people who ‘re ‘bout to get showered in glass.  Angie summoned a wind to grab the shattered glass from the skylight, then directed it at the hero holding her.  When the glass began to cut him, he let out a yelp and let go, plummeting to the floor.  Picking up more breezes, Angie gently set herself on the floor.  She glared at the hero.

              “Manly Man,” she snarled.  Manly Man smirked.

              “That GLASS trick was DIRTY.”

              “No dirtier than what you just did, breaking glass all over all these poor, overworked souls,” Angie snapped, masking her southern accent.  Manly Man frowned.

              “Why would YOU care?  ANYWAY, they didn’t get hurt!”

              “Because-”  Angie huffed. “No, I’m not in the mood.”  A powerful gust of wind blew Manly Man’s shirt up, covering his face.  While his vision was obscured, Angie grabbed a scanner and hit him over the knees with it. Manly Man yelped, bending over in pain. Angie clubbed the back of his head, careful to hit just hard enough to knock him out.  He collapsed to the ground.  Angie huffed impatiently.  She looked over at the workers, who were gathered by one of the walls.

              “Are you- are you going to kill us?” one of the workers asked timidly.  Angie blinked.

              “What?  No! I’m just here to…relieve you of some of your inventory.”  She made a gust of wind blow open the front door.  “Feel free to leave now before more heroes show up.  Innocent bystanders sometimes get hurt during fights between masks.”  The workers looked cautiously at each other.  “Seriously.  I’m not going to do anything.”  One worker hesitantly made their way to the door.  Once they had left, the other workers sprinted out of the building, leaving Angie alone in the warehouse.

              Well.  Angie looked back at Manly Man, unconscious on the floor.  I ain’t fully alone.

-----

              By the time that Manly Man’s backup arrived, Angie had finished gathering all the electronics.  She didn’t even look up when Flamethrower landed a few feet away.

              “Hey there, hot lips,” she said casually.  She quickly looked over so that she wouldn’t miss his reaction.  Flamethrower had turned bright red behind his domino mask.  The last time Angie had gone up against him, she’d wound up kissing him.

              Why’d I do that, again?

              “Sirocco,” Flamethrower said, visibly struggling to stay professional.  Angie couldn’t help her grin.

              That’s why.  He’s so adorable when he’s flustered.  She hefted the bag of electronics over one shoulder.  Poor feller’s conflicted by his feelin’s fer a villain.

              “You’re happy to know my actual codename, aren’t you?” she asked.  During the same encounter where she’d kissed Flamethrower, she also told him her villain name was Sirocco, after he kept referring to her as “Twister Twin”. “Sounds good when you say it.” Flamethrower scowled.

              “Stop flirting.  Look, if you drop the loot now, I won’t arrest you.”

              “Wait, no attempt to get me to change sides?  No speech about how I’d be an amazing hero? I feel a bit insulted.”

              “Seriously.  There are more heroes coming.  It could get messy.”

              “Aw, you do care about me,” Angie crooned. Flamethrower huffed impatiently. “Sorry, buster, but I came here to do a job.”

              “What a coincidence,” a voice said behind her. She spun around.  Another hero had arrived while she was talking to Flamethrower. He walked out of the shadows. Angie swore.  “We came here to do a job, too,” Richter said.

              Great.  A geokinetic.  Richter idly tossed a rock in his hand, grinning viciously at Angie.  And not just any geokinetic, but a ruthless, bloodthirsty one.  Making matters worse, Manly Man sat up, groaning heavily.

              “You all right, man?” Flamethrower asked him. Manly Man nodded, standing up.  He glared at Angie.

              “Little Miss Windy KNOCKED me OUT,” he said angrily. He, Flamethrower, and Richter advanced on Angie.  Angie took a few steps back.

              “Now, now, boys,” she said in a pleasant voice. “I think we can handle this like adults.”

              “You’ll turn yourself in?” Richter asked.  Angie laughed airily.

              “I never said anything like that.”  Before the heroes could do anything or say anything else, she kicked up a massive sphere of wind with her in the center. The currents threw the heroes into the walls of the warehouse.  While they were getting back to their feet, Angie summoned breezes to carry her up, through the shattered skylight, and back to HQ.

#mm yes this was a v fun write to write #love me some Angie kicking ass #it was also fun to bring in a coupla heroes other than Stan for her to beat up #and v fun for me to make some Social Commentary about Amazon lmaoooo #Superhero/villain AU #Angie McGucket #my writing #my stuff #ficlet #ask #mythomagically-delicious

[evabellasworld]

Storm of the Republic

Chapter 1

AO3 Link | 1

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Summary:  When Tup murdered General Tiplar during a battle, Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex dispatched Ahsoka, Fives, and Yara to solve the mystery that was plaguing the Clone Army. Meanwhile, Senator Padme Amidala contacted Commander Fox, Commander Tori, Riyo Chuchi, and Dipper to help her continue investigating the death of Palpatine, suspecting that Dooku was behind the evil plot. But when Dooku send an ISB agent to stop them, the team had to race against time to search for the truth, which could alter the course of the galaxy.

————————————————————————————

With a rain of blaster bolts drenched from both sides of the battlefield, ARC Trooper Fives fired towards the Imperial battle droids together with his comrades, Yara and Tup, at the Ringo Vinda space station. The station once belonged to the Galactic Republic, but with their downfall, the Separatist Alliance, which transitioned into the Galactic Empire, managed to capture it. Ever since they outnumbered their forces on Coruscant, the planet fell into the hands of Dooku, who proclaimed himself as Emperor.

Despite that, the trio sticks together as they fight side-by-side on the battleground, looking out for one another. Both ARC Troopers’ bond went all the way back to Kamino, where they were part of the Domino Squad, along with Echo, Hevy, Cutup, and Droidbait, whom they lost along the way. Tup, on the other hand, became closer to them after the events on Umbara.

The battle happened a year ago, when the late Chancellor Palpatine had General Pong Krell took over the 501st Legion temporarily. None of them, including Captain Rex, enjoyed his presence. At one point, Fives and Yara, along with Jesse, were almost executed by the rogue Jedi General until he was shot to death by a rookie, Dogma.

There were days when Fives wondered what had happened to Dogma, though he felt it was best not to question it. The ARC Trooper in blue continued to attack the droids from behind as his real Jedi general, Anakin Skywalker and Padawan Ahsoka Tano, deflected their shots with their lightsaber.

He was aware that Anakin was popular with the ladies, especially Yara. He found it amusing, and when given the chance, Fives would tease her about how she loved him very much, making her cheeks flush. Taking a brief glimpse of his sister, Yara tilted her head towards the droids, leaving him to suppress his laughter.

“Push forward,” Fives heard Anakin’s orders, as they advanced towards their enemies.

“Yes, general,” Yara replied, continuing to bring down the battle droids in her surroundings.

“Stay to my left,” Tup barked towards his siblings-in-arms, when he noticed a fallen but intact battle droid aiming its blaster towards the ARC Trooper, prompting him to warn his brother. “Fives, watch out!”

Before he could answer him, he let out a grunt as Tup pushed him aside towards the wall and popped the droid with his weapon. Sighing in relief, Fives glanced at his younger brother, grateful that he had saved his life. “Thanks, brother. I owe you one.”

“You owe me a lot more than one,” joked Tup, pulling him back on his two feet. Fives nodded as he got back into action, much to Yara’s disapproval.

“You know, we should be focusing on not getting ourselves killed instead of slacking around, am I right?”

“My apologies, ma’am,” Fives snarked, wiggling his fingers. “I’ll do my best in my duty and take responsibility as an ARC Trooper next time.”

Yara held her tongue in annoyance as she inhaled, calming herself like how a Jedi would. One of these days, I feel like smoldering him with a pillow.

On the other side of the station, Jedi Masters Tiplee and Tiplar, who were fraternal twins, defended their men when commando droids were dispatched in the battlefield, killing their men as if they were flies. Forced to take evasive action, Tiplar, the yellow-skinned Mikkian, had no other choice but to give an order to her confidant, Commander Doom. “Tighten our flank!”

Commander Doom, who was clad in green armour from top to bottom, bobbed his head with acknowledgment as they began firing at the commando droids one-by-one, turning them into scraps. Before they were able to catch up with General Skywalker and Padawan Tano, however, he spotted droidekas rolling in their position from the right side of the station, grabbing his generals’ attention as well.

“Shields up!” Tiplar told her men, as she had done this a million times.

“Yes, sir,” her troops obeyed in unison, as they formed a straight line and shielded their soldiers from blaster fires. Reaching through the Force, she lifted the droids in the air, allowing her troops to roll out the droid poppers.

Releasing them from her grasps, it continued to blast towards them when the droid poppers crackled, rendering them into deactivation. Their soldiers lowered their shields as they paced forward and proceeded with the fight.

As the cavalry arrived at the command centre, all four Jedi took down the last Imperial droids as they laid down their weapons, signalling to their troops that the coast was clear, for now. “Don’t get too comfortable,” the brown-haired Jedi instructed, placing his hand on his Padawan’s shoulder. “This battle hasn’t been won yet.”

“Yes, master,” Ahsoka acknowledged. “We’ll discuss our next plan.”

The Republic remnant’s army gathered around as Captain Rex showed the hologram of their battle plan while the rest of them removed their helmets, revealing identical faces. The male clones have tan skin and black, curly hair, while the female clones have dark skin and frizzy hair.

“Master Skywalker, we must get to the command post,” Tiplee pointed out. “Admiral Trench has sent for reinforcements. We must take this post before they arrive.”

“I agree,” the Togruta Padawan crossed her arms. “They would overwhelm us soon enough if we don’t act now.”

Stroking his chin, Anakin contemplated his strategy for a short moment, before fixing his gaze on his troops. “It’s time for Phase 2,” he informed them, marking their location. “We’re at this position. Tiplar, you'll take your men down this passageway, Tiplee, you'll move along here, and Ahsoka, you’re with me.”

“As usual,” she muttered underneath her breath, rolling her eyes.

“They'll have to divide their forces to counter us, and when they do, Rex, Ahsoka, and I will press through the middle. If we time it right, we'll all converge on this spot at the same time, and the droids won't know what hit them.”

“Sounds like a good plan. Any objections?”

“If we're making a run, we'll need backup,” Commander Doom established. “My men are severely depleted.”

Anakin and Ahsoka turned to Fives, Yara, and Tup, ready to receive new commands from the general. “Fives, you, Yara and Tup take ten of your best men and support Master Tiplar.”

“We’re on it, sir,” Fives agreed as the debriefing ended, leaving the three of them alone in the dim room. As he put on his helmet, he noticed Tup’s eyes were twitching and his fingers rubbing between his temples, prodding him to ask. “Hey, you all right?”

“Yeah, I... I just…”

“Come on, this is a textbook battle,” interrupted Fives, slapping Tup’s shoulders lightly. “We've run through this a million times before in training.”

“Yeah, I know…” understood Tup, his head drumming. “I just...I don't feel like myself.”

“What do you mean?” Fives inquired, his tone tightened.

“Are you okay, Tup?” Yara expressed her concerns. “Do you want to see a medic or something? I could accompany you there if you want to.”

He gaped blankly at Master Tiplar, who directed some of her troops to follow her. “Jedi,” Tup uttered in a menacing voice.

“Tup? What's the matter with you?” Fives shook him back to reality. “Do you need to see the medic or something?”

“Uh, no... nothing, I'm fine,” he denied, as he readied his blaster. “Come on, guys. Don't want to be left behind.”

“If you insist,” Yara exhaled as she and Fives tailed him from behind, marching into the next battle. I hope nothing bad happens to Tup.

Meanwhile, Anakin and Ahsoka sliced their way through the droids as Captain Rex and the rest of the 501st blasted them into pieces, while Doom and his troops soon joined the party, along with Master Tiplar.

They continued to clash with the droids as they entered an enormous space, which was swarmed with battle droids. There was a huge glass pane that overlooked the battle outside the station, where Republic pilots were wrangling against the Imperial vulture droids.

At the Imperial command centre, stood Admiral Trench. With spider-like features and cybernetic parts, the admiral watched as his forces were battling against the Republic clone troopers and their Jedi Generals. “Increase our defenses,” he chittered to his tactical droid. “We must hold them here.”

As he observed the battle from above, Tiplar dodged their gunfire with her green lightsaber as Fives and Yara shot down a couple of droids, before turning to their remaining siblings behind them. “Don't fall back!” he shouted. “Push forward!”

He continued to bombard the enemies when he saw Tup standing there in the middle of the fight, rubbing his helmet.

“Tup, hey!” Fives caught his attention. “This is not the time to freeze up! Pull it together, we're almost to the finish line! Come on!”

He heard his brother and knocked himself as he sneaked behind a pole and pointed his blaster towards a spider droid, when he saw Tiplar stabbing it in the eye, causing him to lower his weapon. Spying from afar, Tup took off his helmet as he watched her evade the droids, making his brows furrowed. “Jedi…”

Realizing that she was distracted by the Imperials, the clone trooper with a teardrop tattoo took this opportunity and approached her silently. “Good soldiers follow orders,” he stated in an ominous tone.

Yara and Fives witnessed Tup walking towards the Jedi and called his name profusely, but to no avail. Tiplar warned her fellow soldiers about the droids from their right when she heard the gun cocking behind her.

Thinking that it was an Imperial droid, she peeked behind and faced him, her eyes narrowed. Before she could ask, Fives and Yara sprinted towards their brother to stop him, but it was too late.

#star wars #star wars oc #star wars fanfics #star wars fanfictions #star wars fics #star wars original characters #anakin skywalker #ahsoka tano #obi wan kenobi #arc trooper fives #clone ocs #clone trooper ocs #arc trooper yara #padme amidala #commander fox #riyo chuchi #commander tori #lenora doherty #clone trooper tup #palps is dead #star wars au #star wars alternate universe #count dooku #galactic empire

[acapelladitty]

Ties That Bind

Summary: A quick fix-it fic because I was ridiculously sad with the ending that Griffon and Shadow received and I want Vergil to be able to keep his favourite familiars.

A lifetime spent either on the offensive or in hiding from powers even more dangerous than himself had left Vergil with one invaluable rule; his instincts were always to be trusted. A rule which was currently placing him on high alert as a sense of danger pressed against his consciousness and forced him to place his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at a moment’s notice.

“You okay there, Verge?” Noticing the change in atmosphere, Dante eyed his twin with an easy gaze as he pulled his feet from the table and sat up to pay attention.

They were alone in the building as Lady and Trish were off working a job on their own and Nero was spending the weekend with Kyrie and the kids. The peace was nice, but both were itching for a fresh job to appear; that or there was a high chance that they would travel downwards and blow some steam off in one of the more populated areas of hell.

“Something is wrong.” Vergil answered, his trained eyes sweeping the room for any source of danger. “Can you feel that?”

“Nope.” Dante ran a hand through his hair, disturbing the mop of white as he strained both his human and demonic senses, “I’m not feeling anything, demon or otherwise. What do you think it is?”

Taking a deep breath as he focused his concentration, Vergil closed his eyes to pinpoint the feeling.

“It’s pain and panic,” his brow furrowed slightly as something odd came to light, “but it’s not here.”

“Not here? What do you me-“

“It’s in hell. Something is connected to me, calling to me.”

“What the hell could be wanti-“

“I don’t know,” Vergil cut him off again, rising from his seated position, “but I am going to find out.”

Drawing the yamato from its sheathe, two quick swipes were enough to open a portal, his instincts telling him that it would lead him straight to the source of the unwelcome feelings. Ready to leave, the pulsating energy within the portal enticed him forward, but his steps were halted by a sudden voice.

“I’ll join you.”

Turning to survey the eager grin on Dante’s expression, Vergil quirked a brow at him.

“I can handle this myself.”

“Whatever you say,” Dante answered with an obvious eyeroll as he strapped his devil sword to his back, ebony and ivory clearly holstered at his hips, “but I’m not coming to help your sorry ass, I’m coming because i’m bored.”

Vergil couldn’t argue with that.

“Fair.”

Stepping through the familiar energy of the portal, the first thing to grab Vergil’s attention was the heat- a natural product of the hellscape which manifested as an intense humidity- and the second was the utter chaos of the scene before him.

Around twenty lesser demons, their expressions twisted with fury and malice, were working in conjunction to attack something but through the mass of bodies and flurry of movement, neither Dante nor Vergil were able to make out exactly what.

“Let’s go!” Dante grinned, exclaiming loudly enough to grab the attention of the two demons closest to their position. Turning, they immediately went on the offensive as they swung the thin scythes which were gripped within their hands and Vergil took a stance as he allowed Dante to begin the slaughter.

It was hardly a battle; between his own precisely deadly style and the chaos of Dante’s attack the demons stood no chance, falling like dominoes before their combined wrath. Small bursts of electricity decorated the area as whatever had summoned Vergil continued its own battle on the other side of the demon hoard.

Demon after demon fell to his blade as he barely broke a sweat and it wasn’t until he felled a chainsaw-wielding beast that he caught his first glimpse of the source of his internal panic and the sight was enough to make him still for a moment.

There, against the flat of the ground, lay Shadow and the broken hilt of a scythe was visibly pierced through the side of the big cat. His demonic body harmed, he swiped and hissed at any demon who approached as he attempted to heal against the damage. The bolts of electricity they could see were from Griffon, his last line of defence, and were helping to keep the lesser demons at bay as the power singed and burned their skin.

Shaking himself back to action, he continued to pick off the demons in the area as he coordinated his attack with Dante, settling into their familiar pattern of assault until a summoned sword pierced the heart of the final demon; banishing it to the void.

“Hey!” Dante called out, finally spotting the two familiars. “It’s those guys!”

Pacing towards the pair of demons, Dante had barely a moment to dodge as Shadow swiped at his ankles; a weak hiss emitting from the panther’s chest as he registered the demonic presence.

“Woah, kitty,” Dante muttered, “these boots are new. Relax.”

“If it isn’t the Sparda twins,” Griffon spat over his shoulder, landing on the ground before Shadow and using his claws to pull free the hilt of the scythe, “ho-”

His words were cut off by a surprisingly loud growl as the open wound on Shadow’s chest sealed itself up and his body reverted to a rotating ball as his demonic core exposed itself to allow him to heal.

Eyeing the ball with a stoic expression, Vergil allowed Dante to ask the questions he knew they both had.

“What’s the deal, little chicken?” Dante asked, having not had the opportunity to use the amusing nickname for so long. “Why are these demons attacking their own? Don’t you have a union for this kind of thing?”

“Because of him!” Griffon flared his wings in irritation as his beady eyes fell on Vergil. “They know that we worked with V to help destroy the Quiphoth and they don’t care that we were his summons.” Extending his claws, Griffon flexed the razor-sharp edges and looked ready to make a move against Vergil. However- before he could make a move- Shadow reverted to his regular appearance, having fully healed, and the sight seemed to relax the demonic bird. “It’s open season on Shadow and me and we’ve been on the run since you,” his eyes darted back to Dante, “banished us back down here.”

A small tendril of guilt stroked at Vergil’s conscious as Griffon made his admission. His memories from his time split between V and Urizen were fractured at best but there was a warmth there for his familiars. Many nights had seen Shadow using his chest as a pillow as he rested while Griffon perched close by, both demons prepared to defend their master to the death as he fought to restore himself.

In the moments of silence, when reflection was at its peak, Vergil found that he did miss them.

“Sucks to be you, buddy.” Dante shrugged, leaning on his hilt of his sword as Shadow padded gently around the twins, his step limping slightly as he continued to recover. “Demons can’t live topside without help, you know that.”

“Yeah, we know, we already tried that, dipshit.”

“Hey, no need for insults.”

“You try being hunted down for weeks and see how you feel.”

As Griffon and Dante continued to bicker, Vergil instead focused his attention on Shadow. The big cat was watching him with a passive gaze, his wide dark eyes blinking slowly as he held Vergil’s gaze with an almost fond familiarity.

It was not until he realised that he was rubbing the tips of his fingers together gently that Vergil realised he was resisting the urge to reach out and stroke the panther. Dropping the pretence, he extended his had slightly, enough that if Shadow wished to reject him that the decision would go unnoticed by Dante and Griffon.

Shadow took a steady step forward and willingly dipped his head against Vergil’s hand, the actions sparking a slideshow of recollections within Vergil’s mind of the ease with which V showed affection to the large familiar. Following the curve of Shadow’s head, Vergil settled his hand across the back of his neck, rubbing the fur there almost absent-mindedly as he felt the demonic energy crackle against his fingertips.

“-and we are FUCKED!”

The loud voice of Griffon cut across his musings and Vergil once again focussed on the discussion between his twin and the demon bird.

“Can’t you go find another person to leech on to?” Dante asked, leaning on his hilt of his sword as he offered the solution.

“We were reborn and moulded from Vergil’s nightm- I mean V’s memories,” Griffon caught himself quickly but the near mention of his experiences was enough to make Vergil twitch slightly, “and we can’t be bound to anyone else.”

“Is that why you were able to call me here?” It was a question, but Vergil already knew the answer.

“Yeah. V bonded with us and that bond was never truly severed by him before he reformed. It’s why we’re still kicking even after Dante banished us here.”

Dante shrugged off the accusation.

“I play hard, little chicken.” He turned to face Vergil, “Hey, Verge, you want to bring these pets home? They did try to kill me but that just puts them on the same level as everyone else at work.”

Put on the backfoot by the sudden choice, Vergil peered hard at the pair of familiars. Griffon held his head high, ready for the rejection which he suspected was coming, while Shadow stood passively, his large and intelligent eyes flicking between both Dante and Vergil as he also awaited an answer.

As a human, he had formed a bond with these creatures, a companionship which he had rarely experienced across his life. As a demon, he had fought aside them, all agents of Mundus and forced to do his bidding.

They were powerful familiars; able to kill their own with ease and skilled enough to keep himself alive when he was little more than a decaying form. Loyal to him alone, they had been formed of his nightmares but soon worked to keep those nightmares at bay as they protected him.

At the very least, they had earned the right to live.

“If I recognise the bond then you are bound to me forever,” Vergil spoke quietly, “you know the process is irreversible. You should not have even survived the first separation.” His eyes landed on Shadow and he awaited a response.

Shadow gave another slow blink, showing his understanding of the statement and what it meant.

“And you?”

Griffon extended his wings.

“Better alive and bonded, than dead and hunted.”

“Can we get this show on the road?” Cutting into the discussion, Dante checked an imaginary watch as he glanced at and tapped his wrist. “These soppy reconciliations are too much for me.”

Despite the teasing tone, Vergil understood that Dante was trying to help. Emotional displays were not something either twin particularly enjoyed.

Placing a hand on Shadow’s head and the familiar weight of Griffon settled on his extended forearm, Vergil tugged on the residual feelings which had brought him to this area in the first place. Now understanding what it was, it was easy to find the thin tendrils of the bond which only loosely tied the two demons to his energy.

Summoning energy from within his demonic core, Vergil passed some of the energy into the tendrils strengthening them as he focused on the sensation of his connection to both familiars. The hair on his arms raised and a tingle danced along his skin for a moment as the magical contract formed around their forms and was sealed.

The two demons were now bound to him as familiars until his death; at which point their demonic energy would extinguish and they would perish at his side. As long as he drew breath, his familiars would exist across both the underworld and above.

“Well,” Dante muttered, “that wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. I was expecting fireworks.” Groaning as he extended his arms into a lazy stretch, his deceptively smart gaze landed on Vergil, “How’s it feel?”

Tilting his head as he smoothed out his coat, Vergil took stock of his mental state. It had been a while since he had to use his demonic energy for anything other than his devil trigger so it was interesting to have the sensation of electricity dancing through his nerves without the accompanying transformation. His senses were balanced and he could feel both Shadow and Griffon, almost like shades within his mind, and he was able to feel that not only were both in his immediate area but that they were also in good health.

It was strange, but it was not a negative feeling and he lowered his arm to allow Griffon to fly off.

“Acceptable.”

“Well, that was fun!” Griffon called out, swooping overhead, “Gotta say, I though Shadown and I were screwed there, V.”

V.

He was not V anymore.

Nor was he the demon king Urizen.

But as he stroked a hand along the ridges of Shadow’s spine and admired the surprisingly soft fur of the demon familiar, Vergil found that he did not have the energy to correct Griffon.

Not that the bird would ever listen to him.

AO3 Link

#devil may cry #devil may cry 5 #dmc #vergil sparda #Dante Sparda

[junepop45]

Just the Two of Us

Summary: JD receives their first check and wants to go bowling with their other friends. Mia’s the only one who’s busy, so the two decide to go alone.

JD had been working for a while. Day in and day out, they bagged groceries and stacked soup cans to make ends meet. After two weeks of nonstop effort, they received their first  paycheck of about $200. As they thought of how to spend the first of their earnings, they had an idea.

“Yo, Atlas, wanna go bowling with me and the gang?” JD asked excitedly. Atlas ruffled their hair before letting out a sigh.

“I’d love to tag along, Pup, but I’ve got my own plans tonight. Front-row seats to the Orion Nebula Cascade, only one night, you know how it is! Don’t worry,” he chuckled, “I’ll be sure to make it up to you!” JD pouted, but they understood. They decided to hit up the rest of the gang. All of them had plans like Atlas. River had a science project, GD had work, and Static wasn’t feeling sociable that night. 

They were hesitant to even call Mia. If no one else would go, would she even be comfortable hanging out with them solo? The last time they did that, it was relatively brief.There was a difference between two sleep deprived teens waiting for her 10 hour flight and two fully conscious teens enjoying the beginning of the weekend. Deep in though, they felt a buzz in their pocket.

“Sup JD!”

Speak of the devil, they thought. “Hey Mia! What’s shakin bacon?” They asked, attempting to keep calm.

“Woooow. First ‘princessa de ananas’ now ‘what’s shakin bacon.’ Any more rhymes you got under your ripped sleeves?” she teased.

“Nope! I’ll let you know when I get some new material though.” She laughed at JD’s remark.

“You’re such a dork, lobo. Anyway, I was calling cause GD said you were thinking about bowling.”

“Yea! I was but everyone is busy tonight,” they said, a tad disappointed.

“I’m not.” JD’s ears perked up at such a short sentence. 

“You.. You wouldn’t mind? Just the two of us?”

“Of course not, lobo. It’ll be fun”

“Oh-ok!” JD agreed excitedly. “Asistirámos a seis y media, princessa de ananas.”

“Sounds great. Nos vemos,” Mia promised

When JD hung up, their hair stood up on the back of their head. “Just the two of us,” they repeated to themselves. They rushed to the practice lounge and began getting ready. They hosed themself down outsideand washed their thick coarse hair. They put on their fancy black spiked collar, and a tuxedo T shirt they saved for special occasions. As they looked in the mirror they scowled at themself. Were they overthinking this? How would the night go anyway? They called Atlas, hoping that he wasn’t at the event yet. Fortunately for them, Atlas picked up.

“What can I do ya for, JD?” He asked nonchalantly with a ton of background noise. JD flinched, as it sounded like he was in the middle of an explosion, which was not pleasant to listen to.

“So, I am going out bowling. But only Mia’s going.”

“OOOOooooo! Sounds like a date” The half human flirted.

“It’s not!!!” JD said, flushed. “I just needed your opinion super quickly”

“I can do that!” he shouted as the noise got louder.

“DO YOU THINK WEARING MY SUIT T SHIRT IS TOO MUCH???” The wolf shouted.

“NOT AT ALL, IT LOOKS GREAT!”

“AIGHT COOL!” And with that JD hung up immediately. With a deep breath, they noticed it was six on the dot. Which gave them enough time to head to Mia’s.

Halfway there, they received a text from Atlas that said, “Make sure to impress her! Girls like a little competition ;).” JD racks their brain on how to impress Mia. Course they enjoyed hanging out together, but one on one time was rare. They decide to push out the doubt from their mind and continue heading to Mia and the Twin’s place.

They knocked on Mia’s door and her aunt appeared. “Buenas tardes, JD. Que tal?” She asked

“Yo estoy bien! Y usted?” “Bien tambien.” She gestured towards Mia’s room. “She’ll be ready in a sec. Girls am I right?” JD shrugged, giving Aunt Isabella a smile. After about five minutes of small talk, Mia finally stepped out, revealing that she was wearing a plain black shirt with a Medium length pink skirt. She kept on her iconic pineapple earrings along with the pineapple necklace JD got her their first christmas. They were a deer in headlights. Mia as well, but she could mask it better. 

JD was extremely impressed. “Oh, um… wow! ¡Muy elegante!” They gave a nervous thumbs-up and smiled, trying (and failing) to not blush. They were so busy trying to keep their composure, that they didn't even notice how Mia was currently having the same issue. Aunt Isabella smiled sweetly, her heart warmed by the whole interaction.

Mia decided to step up and walk over to JD. “So… you ready, lobo?” “Oh, heck yeah!” JD didn’t know what to do with their hands, so they just decided to give Mia a thumbs-up. “Let’s roll!” The two friends high-fived each other, before strolling out the door, Isabella waving them goodbye. “Be safe out there, you two!” Mia rolled her eyes, still grinning. “We will, Tía Isabella!” Since two had to walk quite a bit to get to the bowling alley, what better to do than to fill the air with some chit-chat? No other reason, just to pass the time. Definitely no other reason. Definitely not to listen to the sound of each other’s voices. It was just to catch up.

“How’ve you been doing?” JD asked, feeling much more confident now. They always felt a bit more outgoing whenever they talked to Mia. A bit weird, but hey, they weren’t complaining. “I’ve been doing great! How about yourself?” “Couldn’t be better!” They probably could be better, but JD wasn’t lying. They were doing pretty well; even better now that they got to do what could be described as the laziest sport in America with a good friend. “Awesome! And what about Atlas? I know he would’ve looooooooved to be a third wheel here.” She somehow sounded earnest and sarcastic at the same time. One of her many real talents for sure. “Well… He’s… somewhere?” JD shrugged confusedly. Mia got flashbacks to the time that he left for a month and a half. “Oh no, did he go radio-silent again? Hell no, I’m about to knock some sense into that pequeño puto right now!” “Nonononono!” JD frantically put their hands out, trying to calm her down. “He’s at some sorta weird intergalactic event. He just called me like. It was super noisy.” They chuckled a bit, remembering how badly the phone ringed in their ear. “But he doesn’t need smacking,” JD takes a dramatic pause. “Just yet.” Mia huffed. “Good. But, what did you mean by ‘intergalactic event’? Is he okay? Do I even want to know what’s going on over there?” Her face scrunched up half concerned, but half intrigued. “Not sure, I think so, and probably not.” Both of them had a good laugh at that. After a bit more walking and talking, they finally arrived at the bowling alley. It didn’t look very flashy from the outside. Colorless walls, a plain, flat red roof, two doors on either side, and one road sign that said “Titans Recreation Center.” “Well, looks like he owns a bowling alley too!” JD chuckled at Mia’s joke, the whole band having made comments like that on Atlas’ name at least once. Suddenly, JD had an idea. “Hey, princessa de ananas.” “Yeah?” “Bet you I could get more strikes than you.” They stuck their tongue out defiantly. “Heh, in your dreams, lobo!” Mia smirked. “You’re not getting that before I do!” “Oh, it’s on!” They both sprinted towards the front door, eager to best the other. When they opened the door, it was a complete 180 from what the outside looked like. Neon wallpaper, banging glam rock music, arcade cabinets, junk food, and of course; the coveted bowling lanes, complete with gaudy 90’s CGI tv screens. In other words: Heaven in a building.

Mia’s jewelry flashed in the building. Her yellow and green hair glowed as her skin remained a tan color. She stared at the venue with a calm smile, taking in the scenery. As she scoped the place she noticed JD staring a bit too intently at her.

“I got something on my back, lobo?” Mia joked. JD tried to stammer out some words, but not much came out. She grabbed their arm and dragged them over to the shoe rental spot. “Are you trying to stall or something?”

JD’s cheeks began burning “Of course not! I don’t need to. I was just…-” they fidgeted with their hands, clacking their own fingers to each other. “I’m giving you time to adjust is all.” JD grabs an 18 pound ball,  the heaviest one around. I don’t know about you, but I’m in my element.”

“Is that so?” Mia smirks while staring at them

“Definitely,” they grin back. “Watch and learn, princesa.” They carry the ball over to their lane. They went for the wind-up, rushed toward the pins, rolled the ball towards them, and slipped into the lane.

“Oh my God, JD!” Mia yelled as she rushed over to them.

“Did… Did I get a strike?” they asked in a hoarse voice.

Mia scratched the back of her neck, still holding on to her furry companion. “It’s a bit unorthodox, but it is technically a strike.”

“I told you I could get more strikes than you.”

Mia gave them a playful smirk. “Oh, lobo. The match has barely started.” She helped JD up and proceeded to get a ten pound pink ball.

“It matches your aesthetic!” they complimented.

“Thanks, but you might wanna worry ‘bout yourself, love.”

“Whaaaaa?” JD asked.

“Sorry, I meant lobo! You should worry about your shoes, lobo.” Mia shrugged a little. “Words; They kinda suck. What can I say?”

JD nodded in agreement, though their cheeks began to sting. They held onto Mia’s words a bit more than they should’ve.

With that behind them, Mia got ready to bowl. JD took small peeks at Mia as they put on their bowling shoes. As JD finished the last bunny loop on their right foot, they watched as her pink ball crashed into the first pin, creating a domino effect knocking down the rest.

“God, she’s good,” they muttered under their breath. JD’s second bowl wasn’t as lucky. They were able to knock down nine in total. Mia got them all down, but in two tries, making it a spare. After rounds of back and forths, they were once again tied up. Three strikes to three. Though Mia had a higher score cause she hit more pins. It was down to the final round.

“You ready to call me the best bowler in Garden Street?” JD taunted.

“Only in your dreams.”

“I’m gonna make you eat those words, princessa de ananas.”

JD prepared to pull the most pro gamer move of their life. They were gonna get three strikes in a row. The pins realigned themselves; JD realigned themself with the pins. They swung their bowling arm, getting a feel for the throw. Such concentration was rarely seen by them. Mia rolled her eyes at how goofy they were being, but they were serious. They were going to impress Mia so much she’d have to like them! One swift toss was all it needed, and the bowling ball came hurling through the pins. Some of them fly into the air, not reaching the ground for seconds. Mia’s jaw was agape at the sheer power they used. She knew they could lift her and Atlas at once but she never thought about how much that really was. JD turned around, giving Mia a little nod.

“There’s more where that came from, Torres.”

With their newly found confidence, the other two strikes were a breeze, one after the other. It was a shame they didn’t have any more rounds left. 

“I believe that’s what we call in the business, a turkey!” they gloated. They walked over to where Mia was sitting and rested their arm on her shoulder. “Think you can beat that? Or are you too chicken to do so?”

Mia playfully brushed them off their shoulder. “I gotta admit, JD. That was pretty cool. I actually thought the pins were gonna break.” She grabbed her pink bowling ball, doing her best to stay focused. Her first throw was a clean strike. The second strike, a few pins spun in a way where it didn’t look like they’d fall. She was down to her last throw; she could tie everything up. Tonight was the first time in years that JD and Mia were outwardly competing with each other. JD was a bit nervous that Mia wouldn’t be impressed if the game tied, but they couldn’t bring themself to wish Mia to mess up. They cared about Mia and they were having a good time as is! JD felt that whatever happened, happened, and that even if Mia didn’t see them as anything other than friends, if this was friendship, JD didn’t mind this. For once, they were at peace about their feelings for her.

“SON OF A DICK FART!” Mia cried. JD looked up and saw one pin was still spinning. Its movements slowed and calmed down until it stopped. So close yet so far from a strike.

“Heck yea!!! I won! “JD triumphantly declared.

“Hold on, Pup,” Mia argued. “I still won by points.”

“Yea, but I bet I could make more strikes than you. Which I did.” They stuck out their hand. “You did a really good job, Princessa de Ananas. I have trouble picking up spares, but you’re a natural!”

Mia smirked. “Sometimes you can't brute force your way through things. Sometimes you gotta plan out where you wanna roll it. Trajectory and all that stuff.” She accepted JD’s handshake. “I still call bullshit on that last one though.”

“Oh definitely,” JD agreed. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in their head. “Best 2 out of 3?” they asked.

“How will I ever beat the best bowler in Garden Street?” Mia dramatically asked.

“Fear not, m’lady. For I shall teach you my strategies for getting the perfect strike.” JD bowed down, furthering the bit.

The rest of the night was quite eventful for the two latinos. The alley was full of yelling, banging tables, cheering, and other noises of the like. The two headed out around midnight. There wasn’t a clear winner, as they both gained a new level of appreciation for the other. JD was a bit sad the others missed out, but they liked only hanging out with Mia. It was something that the two needed to do for a long time.

“Hey, Mia.”

“Yea, JD?”

“We should go out more.”

It was Mia’s turn to blush heavily. JD took their words back, fearing that they misspoke.

“We don’t always have to go bowling! But tonight was super fun. Atlas and I hang out one on one alot but it’s… it’s different with you! So wadda ya say? Wanna plan to hang out Next Friday? This time you can pick!”

“I’ll have to double check my schedule… but, sure! I’ll let you know.” She took a moment to grasp her words. “And… I had fun, too. Gracias, JD-” she gave them a bear hug, something they easily reciprocated. While JD walked back to The Rose Thorn Lounge, Atlas called.

“Sup Pupperoni! How was your date~” He asked.

“It wasn’t a date! We’ve been over this, Atlas.” JD clarified.

“Ah, whatever. But how was it?”

JD unintentionally began smiling, conspiring about what happened earlier. “We had a good time. You should’ve seen her; it was like she was a natural. There isn’t anything Mia can’t do.”

“Except confess her feelings for you.” Atlas retorted.

“She would never.”

“Dude, take it from me; it’s gonna happen. So when are you gonna thank me?”

“Why would I thank you?”

“Why do you think everyone else said no?”

“Cause they were busy-” JD began putting the pieces together. “Why would you do that????” they asked, almost demanding an answer. 

“Cause I’m the best wingman ever.” They could almost hear his smug little grin. “Now! The Supernova’s wrapping up, a new Solar System has been made, so I’ll be there in a sec. We can talk all about your little rendezvous when I get there.” And with the click of a button, JD was left to their own thoughts. Their flustered, embarrassing own thoughts.

Taglist: @aliensmoothie-gotta-blast​ @doodledream @irideseas​ @nerdqueenkat @no-need-to-apply @sunstar121 @pandapop2

#ert writes #Just the Two of Us #OCs #Atlas #JD #Mia