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muffindaddystyles · 4 years

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𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.

Where Harry's five years old bubba gets lost in a park while playing hide and seek. You help her to find her daddy.

Warning: Emotional and whole lot of fluff <3

Pastel tutu frock, a lil bucket hat and shoes that makes 'puch.' 'puch.' noises when she waddles with her adorable toddler gait chasing her father.

It's still early in the morning less people more relieved Harry that he could spent some affectionate time with his lovin' little girl of four out in the park, as a single father he dresses her with more fashion indulgment than any mother could.

Cheeky smug He's. Kinda proud of it.

They were playing hide and seek a bit far from their picnic basket ontop of checkered blanket along her toys. She came all the way from their home to car and car to park sitting on her daddy's shoulders.

"Dawwy! That's cheatin'." She stomped her dainty feet into sodden lush grass underneath and Harry grinned booping her button nose just like his's, "cheeky bugger." He watched her in amusement when she caught his slender finger with her chubby ones, pouting cutely at him.

"Kay. lovie' we're gonna play, again." He assured her raising his palms in air taking two steps back at once, "this time no cheatin', promise." She bobbed her head enthusiasticly running to hide behind the nearest largest oak tree as her daddy told her not to go too far from him ever.

Harry was rounding her from other side when too impatient she went to found Harry on other side, "daw'wy!?" Her flight of run like a dove in sky was startled when she found her tall, curly head daddy nowhere in sight.

She toddled further away even though Harry has instructed her never to leave a certain place no matter what, her daddy would find her at the same spot if something happens.

"Bubba? love bug'?" He frowned as his daughter who just hid behind the same bark vanished. Not getting anxious he strided back to their spot but she wasn't there.

She has come so far away in search of her daddy at first she told herself that "she's daddy's big girl." . "she would get back to him and he'd give her alot of kisses." But then she got scared seeing alot of people here and there. Her ending point of bravery was when some little pal hit her with soft ball.

The pool of tears bursted like rainfall from her soft warm eyes, staining her coral chunky cheeks and she rubbed her glossy eyelids with the back of her hand with series of hiccups making her vision more blurry.

You were sitting under a shade reading a copy of Little Women. Eyes flickering when you poked your tongue out to collect some moist on your finger to turn the paper, right then your eyes fell over the cutest fuzz of a lil girlie crying with painful fat tears waddling her way lost towards the pond and with a loud gasp you left everything running towards her before she was too close to it.

"Hey. hey kiddo." You reached at the mean time quickly scooping her up in your arms and she sobbed out loudly, "dawwy!" You stroked her hair as she snoggled her snotty nose and moist face in the crook of your neck.

"Honey are you lost?" You tried to calm her down by rubbing soothing circles at her back and she nodded with incoherent blabbering.

"Lemme me help you, yeah? Do you know your parent's names." You asked her politely taking her back to where you were sitting under the large tree and she pulled her face out murmuring a tiny, "yesh." You beamed at her giving her a thumbs up.

"You're doing so good, darlin'." You tucked her loose curls under her ear and she tells you her father's name, "Hawwy. S'tyles." She doesn't have her way with 's and t's.' sounds so it was 'yles.' coming from her mouth and you had to comprehend it yourself.

"Honey you know his number?" She counts on her fingers as Harry made her learn his phone number in case of any emergency like this but she's so anxious she forgot, silent tears again spilling out from her struggle. "Sh. sh. lovie'. S'okay, you're okay. you're safe with me." You cooes at her softly wiping her tears and kissing her cheeks gently rocking her on your knees.

"B-but. dawwy!" She hiccups badly and you made her sip water, feeling pitiful for the poor bub.

"Bubs we're gonna find your daddy, yeah? you and me together are a whole power puff team!" You again rock her cheerfully standing up with her on your hip. Taking the challenge on yourself to find her daddy in no less time.

On the other hand Harry was loosing his mind. He pulled at his hair anxiously, worry drowning him into deep. Scared for his bubba. She's so little im this huge park. Harry never lets her dodge from under his wings and now he's on verge of getting a panic attack. He should have never came to park. He went from one person to another showing his petal's picture to them hands trembling as he did so.

"Sh-she's fou'. Little pink hat, tutu frock. Chocolate c-curls in specific." He gesticulated voice wavering and with everyone denying he went absolute crazy.

Tears glistening in his eyes and he's feeling as if he'd stop breathing. Putting his hand over where his heart is he took long strides of the whole park which's too big and in the end he fell on his knees with a thud onto grass when he couldn't find his only life, the piece of his heart nowhere. Sobbing loudly that made him bent outwards.

They live near by so he quickly dialed gemma. When she heard him sobbing onto speaker she abruptly stood up scaring Anne too, "Harry what happened?" She asked worriedly.

"Harry talk to me." She tried in a calming voice and he stuttered even causing Gemma to lost her breath, "d-dovie. lost her gem. fuckin' lost her. Couldn't find her." She was quick to act not telling Anne and assuring her she would in their car ride.

Harry was falling into his mum's embrace when they rushed to security department where Harry's at as the cops assured him that they'll find his daughter safe and unharmed.

He whimpered soaking her shirt. Whole body shaking, "can't lost her mum, she's the only one I've." She tried to calm him getting rid of her own tears.

"S'been two hours I've been searching her like a mad man. I'll fuckin' die if somethin' happens to her." At this Anne scolded him as gemma hugged him reassuring him. "It's m'fault. All m'fault." His tears and emotions were all where and he blamed himself.

"Shit father. never gonna forgive myself." Anne sighed shakily stroking his head. She has never seen her son crippling to this edge.

"She's fine. We'll find her."

Your back sweaty as the sun shines on you mercilessly while you hurriedly walked with Dove on your hip, her head on your shoulder resting sadly while you fanned her continuously with the paper fan and you breathed hunching a little seeing that some security department's few steps away from you. But, it's the one opposite from where Harry and his family are.

You immediately went to first table not waiting for your breaths to get back to normal, "hi. This's Dove Styles. Four. Lost." You informed them and they made you sit at the bench.

She was getting all tired and limpy from the crying. So you took her in your lap tucking her head under your armpit, "daddy's soon gonna come okay dove darlin'? Then he's gonna collect you fuzz baby in his arms." You took out a box of juice from your backpack tapping the straw against her rosy lips and you took in her features thinking how beautiful her daddy must be to her be this cute.

Even though her daddy has sternly taught her never to accept things from strangers but the poor babe's so exhausted she did.

Some cop came cop telling you they've found her daddy that he's at the other security building but you shook your head stubbornly squeezing her near to your chest. Because well you don't trust anybody not even the cops, most importantly not when it's a child.

"Tell her daddy to come take his child from here." The cop grunts at you. "Annoying lady." but you ignored him checking on dove cleaning her hands that were sticky from her drinking juice like how toddlers do.

You were hot on your feet when three panicked figures came rushing inside Dove on your hip and you asked her, "is that your da—" but you were cut off from her yearning cry.

"Dawwy!" It was like sky and ground meeting as Dove latched into Harry's arms, he was too ripped to shreds and with a loud whimper he feel stingingly onto tiled floor firm grip around his dovie's neck, forearm wrapped around her little body protectively. He clutched onto her for dear life, sponging endless kisses to her visible skin.

"Thought I lost ye' bubba...really thought–" He said in between wet kisses his tears smudging her cheeks and the duo's reunion infront of you made you sentimental too. "Never scare daddy like this dove. m'heart stopped." She muttered a 'sowwy.' At his anxious rambling.

"Forgive me, dovie. Daddy's bad." She shook her head. The four year old's too soft from heart to know what emotions are scowling at her daddy with her chubby palms pushing into his cheeks, "no dada." You smiled at her when she glanced back at you.

"Y/n helped mew. She say we were power puff girls." You chuckled that she still remembers ruffling her hair, "see? Told ya daddy was gonna find you." Harry rubs his nose wiping his tears standing up.

"Thank you so much, can't thank you enough." You found his voice so mellow even after hoarseness, "s'okay. She's safe that all matters." Anne and gem nodded while talking to Dove in baby voices telling her how worried they all got.

You were walking outside while talking to Harry, "and thank ye' fo' not trusting anybody you know...and no' lettin' her go." You assured him shaking his hand.

"No problem." You leaned down a little kissing her cheek, "and dove honey never go near to ponds, yeah?" She said a lil 'okie." wrapping herself tight around her father.

"Oh my god, dovie?" He asked her horrid at what could happen taking her chin but you quickly rambled not wanting to make him feel more panicked and anxious.

"She was crying and in haze that's why, she's okay now Mr. Styles."

"I owe you y/n. And please just call me, Harry." You nodded sheepishly now. Muttering a what the hell you fool at yourself and gemma quipped.

"Yes. Please have lunch with us?"

"Pwease?" You laughed out aloud at dove's innocent pleading deciding to let your English class go and bobbing your head at which Harry grinned, "perfect."

#harry styles #harry styles blurb #cute harry #fluff #harry angst #harry smut #hsh #imagines #harry #angst with a happy ending

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thelastspeecher · 3 years

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A Kiss From a Nixie

Here’s a follow-up to the ficlet I posted the other day, where, in a Mystery Trio-style AU, Stan meets a frog-lady and falls in love with her. In this ficlet, we learn about the origins of Stan’s frog-lady, as well as the proper term for her species. I’m very happy about this scenario and have been enjoying it a lot. Hopefully, y’all enjoy it, too~

——————————————————————————————

Stan and Angie stared silently at each other. Angie suddenly turned beet red.

“Stanley. I’m naked,” she whispered. Stan felt himself flush at the reminder. He spun around so that she could get dressed without him watching. “Thank you.”

“What- how-” Stan stammered, still with his back to Angie. He took a deep breath. “First question. Is Fiddlenerd a frog too?”

“No. He’s not.”

“Did the frog gene skip him?”

“I wasn’t born like this. It happened while I was at college.” A million more questions immediately formed on Stan’s tongue. “You can turn ‘round again.” Stan turned. Angie was now wearing a flannel top and some jeans. She pulled on a pair of boots. “And no, Fidds don’t know. Actually…” There was a beat. She looked up at Stan. “Yer the first person to know.”

“Wait. Really?” Stan asked. Angie nodded. “Geez.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I…I wasn’t expecting that. I mean, you and Fiddlenerd are annoyingly close.”

“You’ve known Fidds fer a lil while. How do ya think he would react to findin’ out his precious baby sister is sometimes a frog?” Angie asked dryly. Stan winced, already imagining the freakout. “That’s why.”

“Fair enough. How’d you turn into a…I dunno, merfrog?” Angie snorted.

“Merfrog. I like it.”

“I don’t know the real word for…” Stan gestured vaguely at Angie. “…whatever you are.”

“I don’t know it, either. The person what turned me didn’t exactly share that information.”

“Who turned you?”

“A full-time frog person what lived in the pond just off campus.” Angie scowled. “They befriended me, then offered to kiss me. That kiss was what did me in.”

“Why’d you agree to kiss a frog person?” Stan asked. Angie turned pink.

“I sometimes have poor impulse control,” she said quietly.

“Been there.” Stan frowned. “Hang on. A kiss from a frog person turned you into one?” Angie nodded. “I feel like it’s supposed to go the other way around. At least, according to fairy tales.”

“Well, I know the kiss was what did it, ‘cause immediately I started changin’, and the frog person told me that they were excited fer me to live with ‘em.” Angie sighed heavily. “I’ve been a frog ever since.”

“But you can turn human.”

“Yessir.”

“Huh.” Stan looked at Angie thoughtfully. “Y’know, Ford would have a field day with this.”

“Oh, hell no. I ain’t tellin’ yer weird brother. No offense.”

“None taken.” Stan walked over to Angie. “You got somethin’.” He pulled a clump of mud out of her hair. Angie turned bright red again. “Want me to give you a ride back to the house?”

“That would be great. Thank you.”

“No problem.” Stan headed back towards the Stanleymobile, Angie close behind. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

“I wasn’t expectin’ to be here very long. Certainly not long enough that I would have a reason to tell someone my secret. But, I don’t know, somethin’ ‘bout Gravity Falls makes me feel pretty content.” Stan glanced back. Angie was looking around, admiring the surrounding trees. “I might want to move up here, to be honest. I can do my research or even help Stanford with his. He was tellin’ me the other day that he wants to hire a biologist.”

“Gravity Falls is nicer than I expected,” Stan agreed. He cleared his throat. “Do you have to go to the pond every day or something?”

“Geez, yer full of questions, ain’t ya?”

“The frog-lady I’ve been chatting up for the last two weeks just turned into my brother’s partner’s little sister,” Stan said dryly. “Duh.” Angie chuckled softly.

“Fair enough.” They emerged from the trees and made a beeline for the Stanleymobile. “I have to shift into my frog form and submerge myself in water fer at least an hour every day. Ideally, I spend more time like that. That’s just the bare minimum to keep myself healthy.”

“Did the frog person who turned you tell you that?”

“Nope. Figured it out through trial and error. Since I got to Gravity Falls, I’ve been sneakin’ out of the house after everyone’s asleep and goin’ to the lake to sleep in there.” They came up to the car. Stan pulled out his key to unlock it. Angie got into the passenger seat, beaming. “I even made myself a nice little hole in the mud to sleep in.”

“You’re not worried about Fiddlenerd wondering where you are?” Stan asked, getting into the driver’s seat. Angie shook her head.

“I’m a deep sleeper with a specific sleep schedule. Fidds knows better ‘n to mess with that.”

“Makes sense.” Stan started the car. “So, you-” Angie sighed loudly.

“Look, I understand that ya have a lot of questions. I’ll answer all of ‘em at some point, but right now, I can only answer one more.”

“Fair.” Stan pulled out of the parking lot. He frowned thoughtfully. “Okay. I know what I wanna ask.”

“Hit me.”

“Did you eat my bait?” Stan asked. Angie looked away hurriedly, though Stan could see a flush spreading across her features, down to her neck. “When I opened my tacklebox after you returned it, the fresh bait was gone.” He held up a hand. “I’m not judging you for eating worms. You’re part frog. But I just wanna know if you ate them.” Angie stayed silent. “Come on, you said you’d answer my question.” After a long pause, she finally replied.

“No comment.”

-----

Angie giggled at Stan’s joke. He grinned proudly, warmth spreading across his cheeks. After spending the day moving Angie into her new house in Gravity Falls, he was happy to have quality time with his sort-of frog sort-of girlfriend. They were at the lake so that Angie could be in her frog form, though Fiddlenerd and Ford thought they were still at Angie’s house.

“Still can’t believe Stanford actually supported leaving us alone together,” Angie remarked. To Stan’s amusement, it wasn’t just the tone of her voice that changed in her frog form. Her thick southern accent was also nearly nonexistent. At first, he thought it was because she was disguising herself. But even after coming clean about who she was, she didn’t have an accent in frog form.

“Ford thinks that I’m more responsible and take better care of myself when I’m dating someone,” Stan said with a shrug. “I’m not surprised he’s encouraging me to ‘woo’ you.” Angie giggled again, a sound like a babbling brook. Stan dug around in the bag of snacks they’d picked up at the gas station on the way over. “Hungry?”

“Yes,” Angie said eagerly. Stan pulled out the container of live bait and set it on the wood of the dock. He lifted the lid. Angie reached out a webbed, frog-like hand and daintily grabbed one of the wriggling worms. Stan opened his bag of chips, smiling fondly at her.

A few days ago, Angie had finally confessed that, since becoming a merfrog, she had developed a taste for bugs and worms. Stan had already known, but he appreciated that Angie trusted him enough to tell him. After all, she was visibly embarrassed by her cravings for creepy-crawlies.

It’s probably ‘cause she was raised to be a proper southern lady or whatever. Angie popped a worm into her mouth. Good thing I don’t care about that.

“Stanley?” Stan looked over his shoulder. Ford was walking down the dock towards him. Angie gasped softly. There was a splash. Without looking, Stan knew she had gone underwater before Ford could see her up close. “What are you doing here, talking to a nixie? I thought you were helping Angie settle in.”

“Nixie?”

“Yes.” Ford sat next to Stan. “That was the creature you were speaking with.” His eyes widened. “Is she the frog-lady you were talking about a few months ago?”

“Duh.”

“I would have believed you if you told me she was a nixie!”

“Wh-” Stan scoffed. “Do I look like someone who knows what a nixie is?”

“Did she not tell you?”

“It’s racist to ask someone what they are, Sixer,” Stan said flatly. Ford let out a soft laugh. “Angie sent me out to grab some snacks, so I figured I stop by the lake to talk to Rana while I was out.”

“Her name is Rana?” Ford asked. Stan nodded. “Fascinating.” He stared at the spot where Angie had been. “Would you be willing to tell me more about her?”

“Nope.” Stan stood up. “You didn’t believe me when I first asked you, and now I’ve learned that she’s an actual person, not some weird ‘anomaly’ for you to study.” He pulled his car keys out of his pocket. “And Angie’s probably waiting for me at her place, so I better get going.”

“You’re forgetting something,” Ford said, pointing at the bait still sitting on the dock. A webbed hand quickly grabbed the bait and brought it underwater. Ford’s jaw dropped. “Remarkable.”

-----

It was yet another peaceful, misty morning at Lake Gravity Falls. Stan sighed.

“Enjoying the quiet?” Angie asked from her spot in the lake. Stan nodded. “Have the Fords been especially loud lately or something?”

“The Fords?”

“It’s shorter than saying their full names,” Angie said. Stan snorted in amusement.

“Nah, they’ve actually been quieter than usual. I don’t trust it. They’re up to something.” Angie snickered. “Have you finished the research Ford wanted you to do?”

“Oh, yeah.” Angie floated on her back, staring up at the dusty blue sky. “I finished it real quick. It’s pretty easy to get information from magical creatures when you’re one of ‘em.”

“Maybe you should give Ford a big smooch. Turn him into a frog. He’ll finish his research in record time,” Stan joked. The only response was a soft splash. Stan looked over. “Ang?” Angie was gone. “Something wrong?” Nothing happened. Stan sighed. “What did I say?” Angie slowly surfaced.

“I…” She took a shuddering breath. “I love you.” Stan’s heart stopped. “But I-” Angie covered her face with her large, webbed hands. “I can’t- I can’t act on any of my feelings.” Stan scooted closer, his legs dangling over the edge of the pier.

“What do you mean?” he asked quietly. Angie let out a sob.

“I want to kiss you more than- more than anything. But if I do, then you’ll- you’ll be like me. And I don’t want to turn you into a- into a frog!” she wailed.

“Hey.” Stan took one of Angie’s hands. She looked up at him. “That’s my decision to make, okay? If I wanna risk turning into a frog so that I can kiss you, I’ll do that.”

“R-really?” Angie asked in a tremulous voice.

“Remember how you said you kissed that nixie ‘cause you had poor impulse control?” Angie nodded. Stan grinned. “You’re not the only one.” He pulled Angie close. Just as his lips met Angie’s, there was a loud shout.

“Wait!”

-----

Further attempts to pry information out of Stan about the nixie he’d befriended had failed. So, Ford had to resort to collecting his own data. This translated into watching from afar as, every day at dawn, Stan sat on the dock and spoke with the nixie. Fortunately, Ford was skilled enough at camouflage by now that he wasn’t seen. Unfortunately, he was unable to get close without risking being spotted.

That morning, he wasn’t alone at the lake. He had dragged Fiddleford out of bed to come see the nixie for himself. Fiddleford wasn’t pleased.

“Stanford, yer lucky I ain’t the kind of sleeper my sister is,” Fiddleford groused as they hid in the bushes, watching Stan talk to the nixie. “Last time someone woke her up ‘fore she was ready, they got a broken nose fer their trouble.”

“Yes, yes, I’m very lucky,” Ford said. “Now, please, be quiet. It looks like they’re talking about something serious.”

“You won’t hear any of it, no matter how quiet I get. We’re too far away,” Fiddleford pointed out. Ford ignored the logical argument, focusing intently upon the conversation at the dock. The nixie seemed emotionally distraught over something. Stan leaned in, visibly affected by her distress. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. Then, to Ford’s horror, Stan kissed the nixie.

“Wait!” Ford shouted, bursting out of the bushes. Stan and the nixie jumped. Ford sprinted over to his brother and the magical creature, his heart pounding in his chest, his mind racing.

No. No. This isn’t good. Ford hadn’t had the chance to study a nixie properly yet, but he had read enough about them and other water sprites to know that even touching one could have serious consequences. Stanley, you idiot! Aren’t you dating Angie, anyways? I didn’t think you were the kind of person to cheat! Still frozen in shock, the nixie and Stan hadn’t moved by the time Ford arrived.

“Stanley, what was that about?” Ford demanded. “You shouldn’t just kiss random magical creatures!”

“She’s not random,” Stan said. His articulation was sloppier than usual, almost like he was slurring a bit. The nixie looked at him with sudden concern. “I know her.”

“Yes, but-” Ford ran his hands through his hair. “Kissing a nixie can have unforeseen side effects!”

“I know!” Stan’s speech was definitely slurred. He gestured drunkenly to the nixie. “That’s how she got stuck in this situation!” Ford looked at the nixie. His fingers itched for a pen and paper. Up close, she was just as eerily beautiful as she’d seemed from a distance. Her green, mottled skin glistened from lake water. Large, webbed ears poked out from her short, black hair. But most distinctive were her kind eyes, a soft shade of blue that Ford immediately recognized. He saw those eyes every time he looked at Fiddleford.

Everything clicked into place.

I was right. Stan would never cheat on Angie, even for a magical creature.

“Angie?” Ford croaked. Angie, for he was certain that the nixie was Angie, ignored him. She pulled herself onto the pier, revealing the same hourglass shape she had as a human, but lacking any mammalian features.

That makes me feel much more comfortable with the fact she’s unclothed.

“Stanley, are you all right?” she asked. Stan grinned at her. His eyes were unfocused.

“Yeah, babe.” He leaned closer to her. “I liked that kiss. Go ahead and give me another one, okay?”

“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“What?” Stan seemed blindsided. “Why not?”

“You’re acting either stoned or plastered and I’m not sure which one,” Angie said. Ford’s eyes widened.

“Your accent is gone!”

“I- yes- it- I don’t know why, maybe it’s ‘cause when I first turned frog, I was hiding my accent a lot. But that’s not important right now!” Angie snapped. “Something happened to Stan!”

“Well, you kissed him while in nixie form,” Ford pointed out. “If you’d kissed him in human form, I doubt there would have been any reaction at all.” Angie stared at him. “I’ve never heard of a nixie being able to switch between their native form and a human one.”

“I- my native form is human, you dingus! I wasn’t always part frog!”

“Fascinating,” Ford breathed. Angie groaned loudly. She took Stan’s hand.

“Stanley, sit down for me, okay?” she said. Stan sat down heavily. He grinned at her. “Oof. Uh. Your eyes are dilated something fierce, darling.”

“You’re fierce,” Stan slurred. He winked. Angie grimaced. Footsteps sounded on the deck. “Ang, you’re the prettiest frog in the world.” The footsteps stopped.

“Angie?!” Fiddleford shrieked. Angie immediately dove into the lake, disappearing into the depths. Stan leaned over the edge of the pier.

“Come back, Angie!” he called.

“I have to agree,” Fiddleford said, quickly catching up to Stan and Ford. “Banjolina Quinn McGucket, get back here!”

“Heh.” Stan giggled. “Banjo.” He leaned further. “Banjo!” He fell forward. Before Ford or Fiddleford could grab him, a webbed hand shot out of the water to nudge him back onto the pier. Angie emerged from the lake. Fiddleford fell to his knees.

“Oh, Lord,” he breathed. “I’d recognize that face anywhere. Angie, what happened? How did you become this?”

“I…” Angie swallowed. “Stan can tell you.” Stan leaned over the edge of the pier again.

“I heard my name,” he purred. Angie surfaced further until she and Stan were face-to-face. She stroked his cheek. “Hey, gorgeous.”

“I’m- I’m sorry I did this to you. Rest up.” She looked at Fiddleford. “Take care of him.”

“Angie, you can’t just leave without explainin’ anything!” Fiddleford protested. Angie closed her eyes.

“I need- I need a minute.” She sunk underwater.

“Angie, no!” Stan cried out. Ford and Fiddleford grabbed him before he could jump into the lake. “No!” Stan slumped back and began to sob. “She’s gone. Forever.”

“Stanley, once she’s had some time to collect herself, she’ll be back,” Ford said calmly. “Now, we should probably find some sort of antitoxin to counteract that kiss.” He pulled Stan to his feet. Stan immediately leaned against him. “Fiddleford, a little help?” Fiddleford was still staring at the lake. “Fiddleford?”

“Oh, yes.” Fiddleford came over. He looped one of Stan’s arms over his shoulders. “Don’t worry, Stan, Ford’s right. Angie will be back.” He scowled. “If I have to drain this whole godforsaken lake to find her.”

#there's a lot more developed for this Scenario #so.....if anyone is curious about it and has Questions....my inbox is open c:#Mystery Trio AU #Stanley Pines #Angie McGucket #Stanford Pines #Fiddleford McGucket #Stangie #ficlet #my writing #my stuff #speecher speaks #Nixie AU

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wrenhyperfixates · 4 years

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Doubt Comes In

Requested by anon: Hey!! Can you maybe right a fic where the reader is having a panic attack and Loki finds them and helps them or maybe where they’re having a panic attack and they go as Loki for help. Whichever you’re drawn to I’d love either. Thanks sm, sorry to bother. You’re amazing btw Pairing: Loki x reader Summary: When depression and anxiety get the better of you, Loki is there to help you through it. Warnings: Talk of self-harm, depression, and panic attacks, as well as a brief mention of suicide. If any of these things upset you, please do not read. A/N: This is the first request I’ve ever gotten, so thank you to the lovely anon that sent this in. Sorry that I added some things to your request, but I’d already started writing this and felt that they worked well together. Hopefully I still did your request justice :)

Disclaimer: Gif not mine

There were days where you just had to shut yourself away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world. The first time you did this, it alarmed the rest of the team who were used to you being one of the most social of the group. You seemed to have infinite patience for the people who stopped you on the street, both fans and media alike. During parties, you could be found with a large group of people, nodding along and adding your own thoughts where they seemed appropriate. Of course, if anyone bothered to look close enough, they would have seen that your smiles were just a little too bright, and your responses just a little too polite. No one ever did, though, so you suffered in silence.

On days like today when depressive thoughts claimed your mind, the whole act was too hard to put on. The team had come to know times like this as your sick day, though they were all suspicious of the flimsy excuses you made when you told them that’s all it was. Just a stomach bug, you’d say one time. Another, a minor headache supposedly plagued you. Nothing to worry over, you assured them. Out of respect to you and the space you obviously needed, they hardly ever questioned you any further.

You tried to calm the shakiness of your breaths as you made your way to the kitchen. Tony had taken the rest of the team out for mini-golfing, something you usually would have been ecstatic to take part in. Even if you had to force a smile for strangers, you were genuinely happy to do things with your friends. It was just the overwhelming feeling of worthlessness that kept you from joining them today. You did your best to ignore your feelings, which always left you on a hollow sort of auto-pilot. Staring blankly into the fridge you opened upon arriving in the kitchen, you tried to force yourself to find something you wanted to eat. You knew you needed some kind of sustenance, but somehow your brain always convinced itself you didn’t deserve to eat when in a mood like this. You grabbed a berry smoothie that you knew you probably wouldn’t finish and headed to a common room couch.

The view was much better here than from your room and you were glad that everyone else was out, allowing you to wallow anywhere in the Tower, not just your bedroom. You hated to be inside at all, let alone cooped up in your room, on a day as nice as this. Going out, though, meant you ran the risk of running into someone. So, you leaned back and felt the warm sun filtering in from the large windows wash over your skin, and opened the cap of your drink. You managed to take a few sips before setting it down on the table in front of you. That relentlessly chipper voice in your head told you that if you weren’t going to eat, you should at least finish the smoothie, but it was met with an even louder, more persistent voice telling you that you shouldn’t. You peered at the pinkish liquid and managed to take one more gulp before setting it back down. It was better than nothing, you figured.

Psychoanalyzing yourself never really ended well for you. You had a nice home, friends that were practically family, and pretty much anything you could ever want. So why the fuck were you so messed up? Deep down, you knew it was in a large part, if not wholly, due to your home life from before becoming an Avenger. Your parents would tell you to talk to them, to express your emotions, but the second you did, they told you it was wrong to feel that way. To just stop feeling like that without any clue as to how to do that. It left you drowning in emotions too difficult to repress, in a house filled with screaming matches between people who supposedly loved each other. Eventually those screams gave way to icy glares and clipped conversations. You quickly learned your place in a house like that: Listen to everyone else’s problems and deal with your own, on your own.

You were trembling now, just like days long past in your childhood home. You still remembered times you just collapsed into a ball on the floor behind closed doors, silent sobs racking your body. You weren’t so quiet now that you didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing. Hands trembling, you reached into your back pocket as you remembered the other way you used to deal with your emotions. You held the Swiss Army knife in your hands and stared at your red eyes reflected in the unforgiving metal. You weighed the pros and cons of what you were about to do, but right now you were only interested in the relief it could offer you. You’d deal with the guilt after.

Before you could bring the blade down to meet your tender flesh, a hesitant voice called your name. Your head whipped around to meet eyes just as raw and red as your own. It made the green of his irises pop.

“Loki,” you gasped, hastily standing up. His eyes flitted down to the knife still in your hand, and you quickly hid it behind your back. “I can leave if you want.”

“No. You stay, I will go. Unless, that is, you wouldn’t mind if I...if I joined you?”

You still didn’t particularly feel like talking to anyone, but staying alone now meant that you would hurt yourself. The part of you that desperately did not want to go back down that road beckoned Loki to sit next to you on the plush cushions. He didn’t press for any more information, and you both sat in the silence, sniffling for the next half hour. After a few deep breaths, you gently placed one of your hands on his.

“Are you alright?” your raw voice said, cutting through the stillness of the room.

Loki laughed, though not unkindly. Something flashed across his features, but you hadn’t spent enough time with him to know the nuances of his expressions. True, you’d been getting closer with him these past few months, and he ranted to you about some of his troubles such as disagreements with his brother, but you’d never seen him in a state quite like this.

“And why, my sweet mortal,” he said, picking up your hand and holding it in both of his own, “should you have to worry about that when you are so obviously distressed yourself?”

There was nothing you could do to stop the tears that burst forth from you. Slowly, Loki wrapped you in a hug and stroked your hair.

“It’s alright,” he cooed. “I am right here. You can trust me.”

“I’m just-just so worthless!” you shouted between hysterical sobs. “I can’t even deal with my feelings properly. Everyone would be better off if I was dead.”

“Do not say such things!” Loki said with a sudden fury, grabbing your shoulders and pulling your body away from his so he could bring his face level with yours. Not that you could see him through your tears and hands, which were rubbing your eyes in a desperate attempt to stop the deluge. “If you were to leave, you would be missed by anyone who has ever known you. Your family. Your friends. Me.”

Apologies fell from your lips, almost in a chant. He shushed you, returning to gently hugging you after his own emotional outburst. You stayed like that for the better part of an hour until your sobs subsided and turned to shaky breaths.

“Darling, look at me,” Loki said when he felt you’d calmed down enough. “You matter. You need to hear that. You deserve to hear it. You matter.”

You barely manage to stop another round of tears from taking over your body. “Thank you,” you croaked out. “I don’t think anyone’s ever let me know that before.”

Actually, you knew they hadn’t. For most of your life, people never even bother to check if you were ok. You’d been told that crying was wrong, and you’d never been allowed to weep into someone’s arms as Loki had just allowed you to.

“It is no problem, my dear. In fact,” Loki started, but trailed off, tears forming in his own eyes.

“Talk to me,” you said with rapt attention, ready to be his shoulder to cry on.

“I understand what you are feeling all too well. That feeling of worthlessness... It is all-consuming. And it is ok that you feel this way, but you must know that you can work past it.

“I don’t know how,” you whispered.

“Remember all the good you put into the world. And do not say that you you haven’t contributed anything; I know you have. Think of times when you have helped me. When you have saved the city. Even when you have held the door open for someone. It all counts, and it all matters.”

You contemplated his words and slowly nodded. After a whispered ok passed your lips, Loki lifted you and placed you on his lap. He rested his head on your shoulder and, in turn, you placed your head on his own.

“And,” he added, his breath tickling your ear, “if you cannot think of anything, come find me. But do not ever even think of harming yourself again.”

You nodded and snuggled in even closer to him, enjoying the peace for as long as you could. Soon, the rest of the Avengers returned to the Tower. You made some small talk with them before excusing yourself to your room. Loki was waiting for you in the hallway with a tray of food that he sheepishly passed to you when you reached him.

“How did you know?” you questioned the god, wide-eyed. Never before had someone noticed your poor eating habits when depression set in.

“I am the same way myself,” he responded with a distant look of sadness and resignation on his features.

You thanked him and stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, neither of you really knowing what to say. Finally, he took your hand and placed a gentlemanly kiss to your knuckles, and with a promise to check on you tomorrow, Loki took off down the hall.

You managed to finish the sandwich he brought you before collapsing on your mattress and falling into a restless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been months since you’d first opened up to Loki. After a little while, he finally confided in you, too. Most days, things were better for the both of you now that there was someone to talk to about it all. Despite your best efforts, you fell for him. Hard. You just couldn’t help it, not when he felt so safe. Not when he felt like home. That’s why you hastily agreed to a date when he asked you out after teary, late-night confessions of love.

Tonight was the night of your first date and you knew he had something amazing planned. You should have been over the moon, but some nasty voice in your head was keeping you from that feeling of elation. It kept telling you that you were going to screw things up and drive Loki away. You didn’t doubt that he cared about you, but you certainly didn’t understand why he did either. He was a god, for crying out loud, and you were just, well, you. Trying to still your shaking hands as you put on your shoes, you reminded yourself of all the tender words Loki whispered to you. Unfortunately, your mind was quick to warp those thoughts, telling you that they were probably lies. That’s what he was the god of, after all.

Suddenly, you realized what was happening to you. You’d experienced it once before; you recognized it in the uncontrollable shaking of your hands and shortness of breath. You attempted to calm yourself down before it got too bad but to no avail. Before you knew it, you were hyperventilating, tears streaming down your face. You wanted to call out for help, but the words wouldn’t come. Then came the crashing sensation of impending doom. Your mind was a jumbled mess, repeating over and over again desperate pleas for it to stop.

A knock sounded at your door, but you barely heard it over your own thoughts. So deep into this pit of despair, you couldn’t pull yourself out to answer whoever was there. Through bleary eyes, you saw a flash of green in your room, and soon you were caught in a loving embrace.

“Look at me, darling,” Loki said. “I am here now. Just breathe. It will all be ok.”

He continued to whisper calming things in your ear as you gasped for air, the panic attack subsiding. Slowly, the rest of the world came back into focus and you grounded yourself, staring straight ahead and concentrating on Loki’s soothing hands rubbing circles on your back. As you calmed down, you noticed he was softly singing in a language you didn’t recognize. Still, though, he sounded beautiful.

“It’s something my mother used to sing to me when I was a child,” he explained after finishing the song, the comforting melody still ringing in your ears.

“Will you sing it again, please?”

He obliged and this time you hummed along, a small smile playing at your lips. You were still shaking when he scooped you up and placed you on the bed. He pulled your back against his chest as he continued the Asgardian song.

“Our date,” you gasped, suddenly remembering your plans for the night. “I’m so sorry.”

“Do not apologize, my sweet. After all, I see no reason why we cannot still have our date.”

With a snap of his fingers, you were both in your pajamas, and pizza boxes were resting on your nightstand. You smiled at Loki as he stared in confusion at the TV remote. You giggled and helped him flip through the channels, before settling on The Wizard of Oz. You were glad to know that no matter how many times your mind was filled with doubt, Loki would help you through it. The safety you provided for each other was so precious to you that you wanted to stay in this moment forever.

“Hey Loki?” you said as the movie was finishing. “What did that song from earlier mean?”

And so he began to sing it again, this time in English so you could understand the words.

Don’t worry, sweet darling, do not cry Let me wipe those tears from your eyes Don’t fear, sweet darling, do not fight Let me hold you; everything’ll be all right

You gazed at him with admiration in your eyes. He looked away as a slight blush colored his pale cheeks, but you cupped his face and brought your lips to meet his in a sweet kiss.

“Rest now, my love,” he said after you had to break away for air.

The complete fatigue you felt made you follow his gentle command as he sang you off to sleep.

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the-beetle-and-the-shadow-offi · 3 years

Text

Season one: Episode one: The Castlemaster

Felicity breathed in deep as she hit the sand, inhaling the salt breeze. It was nice to get away from her hectic family, even if she temporarily had traded them for a busy beach.

She set down her beach bag and stretched. She wasn't far away from Granveston Main Street, and with thirty bucks and four hours, Felicity was ready to enjoy her day.

Screaming interrupted her dash for the waves, and she slipped to a stop, ankle deep in the waters. At first, all she noticed was that people were screaming and running. Then she noticed the growing mound of sand behind them.

Felicity started to back away, thinking that she needed to get out of the area and help some other people, when the most horrifying thing about the sand monster revealed itself.

The monster, who was shaped like a young girl on a moving sand throne, raised a fist and launched a beam of sand at a running passerby, turning them into a sand sculpture. They were then washed away by the ocean.

Felicity took off running, her water shoes digging into the sand. She left the waterfront and rounded a corner, where she found a group of cowering people huddled in front of a building.

"Why don't you go inside?" She asked, out of breath and confused.

Someone pointed to the door. "It's abandoned, and locked."

Felicity walked over and checked the lock, then checked around. "I don't normally do this, but everyone stand back."

Felicity took a step back, then kicked the locked knob off the door with a jump. She rubbed the back of her heel as the group of people filtered inside.

"Well, that was an impressive use of destruction," a raspy voice said from behind her.

Felicity spun around, panicking. When she didn't see anything right away, she looked around in confusion.

"Come to the alley, slow poke!" The voice called.

Felicity hesitated. Then she proceeded with caution.

She wasn't expecting a floating cat holding a ring to be the one who'd been calling her.

Diego Hart was not having a good day. First, his dad woke him up early on the last Saturday of the summer. Then, he was dragged out to the beach, where it was hot, scratchy, and all people did was scream and splash.

And then there was this monster thing.

That was unexpected, but also very inconvenient.

Or was it?

Diego had broken away from his family, equal parts intentionally and accidentally. He hadn't meant to separate, but when you get a chance to get away, well, he wasn't one to say no to fate.

Which put him here. Face to face with a large pinkish... bug? It was flying, so he guessed that was right, though he didn't see any wings.

"Hello, Chosen! I am Tikki, and I will be your Kwami and companion through this next stage of your life!"

"You're helping me get through my last two years of high school?" Diego asked, bewildered. "And what's with this 'Chosen' stuff? Being the chosen one never ends too well in books and movies."

The creature—the kwami—Tikki—blinked. "I chose you to wield my miraculous! The Miraculous of the Ladybug, of creation and healing!"

Diego scrunched his nose. "That sounds like a girl's power."

Tikki crossed her arms(fins???) and pouted. "There have been many male wielders of the Ladybug miraculous. You would be following a legacy, rich with creation and life, and it is not a 'girl's power'."

Diego shrugged. "Can I have an explanation for what exactly all this is?"

Tikki quickly explained the situation, the Miraculous, and his powers. She also told him he may have a partner.

"If Plagg found a suitable one, that is. The Black cat is a tricky one to hand out, and since we can't trust our Guardian.... Well, Plagg is in for some searching." Tikki turned back to him. "I was lucky to find you so quickly! Your use of the beach umbrella was very clever! I knew you were the one at that moment."

Diego felt his face heat up as he recalled the moment the kwami was speaking of. The monster, Castle Crasher, had almost caught up to him, so he had pulled a big beach umbrella out of the sand and used it as a shield. It wasn't something especially creative, but it had just made sense.

"That was just a use of resources," Diego attempted, but Tikki waved him off.

"We can't waste anymore time! Say 'spots on'!"

"Claws out?"

With a yelp and a flash of green light, Felicity was transformed into a black cat superheroine. As she examined her new look, she found that her hood covered all her hair, her mask covered all her recognizable features, and she could feel that she was more athletic than she already was.

"Wow," she breathed. A distant crashing brought her back to earth, and she slid her baton out from it's place on her thigh. Guided by a deep instinct, she swiped her thumb across the surface, and it opened like a slide phone.

Another swipe, and it closed. Her fingers found a button, and pushed it. She let out a yelp as it extended and speedily carried her upwards.

"S-stop!" she cried. The baton-staff thing stopped at her cry. She clung to the pole, trying to catch her breath, half wondering how the staff was balancing on it’s tiny surface.

The ground shook, and the staff fell forward. It hit a roof, and Felicity managed to roll forward on impact and get to her feet instantly.

“Woah.”

<Diego>

Diego skeptically examined the dark red magic fabric that now covered his arms.

“I guess it’s plenty tough,” he muttered. Then he pulled out his… weapon. “A yoyo…. I’ve never even touched one of these before… How does it work?”

He tentatively dropped the yoyo down and swung it back and forth a bit. As he got more comfortable with it, it felt more and more natural, and he executed more and more complicated maneuvers with the yoyo.

At the height of the activity, he threw the yoyo forward. When it wrapped around a building ornament and pulled him forward, he was jerked out of his reverie, and he realized just how absurd his situation was.

Felicity looked up from trying to track down the villain to see a red and black speck in the sky. She narrowed her eyes to see it was getting bigger. It was only when she heard a voice yelling “I’ve been kidnapped by a yoyo!” did she think maybe she should move.

She came to her conclusion too late, unfortunately, and before she could make a move, she was crushed under a warm, red and black weight.

“AGH!”

She pushed against the weight, unable to get a good look thanks to her hood. “Is this some part of the akuma’s powers? Because it’s dumb. Stupid sky debris.”

“I’m not dumb!”

Felicity’s eyes widened at the sound of a fellow teenager. A male one, specifically. With a burst of strength she hadn’t possessed before, she kicked him off and jumped to her feet.

<Diego>

Diego clutched his stomach, reeling from not just one, but two sudden impacts in thirty seconds. He finally peeled apart his eyes to see the cause of the second impact, or rather, who had so forcefully kicked him off.

He got it, it was rude to lay on top of people, but he hadn’t meant to!

He looked her over. On the small end of the average spectrum, or the large side of the petite spectrum, wearing a black suit with a hood over her head, white, and very angry. Or scared. He wasn’t sure which.

“Is there a word for someone both angry and scared?” he wondered, only realizing too late that he’d said it out loud. “I mean--! Uh…. You must be the Black Cat! Tikki told me about… your kwami, I guess. Are we allowed to talk about the kwamis?”

The cat let her guard down, just a little bit. “Plagg didn’t say anything about it. He didn’t tell me about another wielder, though. Who are you?”

He mentally stopped in his tracks.

Don’t say Diego, don’t say Diego, don’t say Diego!

“I’d prefer to go by Escarabajo, if that’s okay.”

“Ah, I figured you were Latino.”

Diego pouted. “I thought I masked it well….”

The cat looked at him. “It’s… a work in progress, Escarabajo.” She turned as a rumble went through the building. “Focus on the akuma, we’ll talk later.”

She took off on her staff, and Diego—no, Escarabajo—followed.

As long as no one asks me for a name, I’ll be perfect. If I’m given one, that’s different, but I won’t pick one for myself.

She stopped on top of a street lamp, marveling at the ease that she now balanced with. She scanned the streets, pointing out the street that had many sand figures.

“That’s where we need to go, Escarabajo.” She said, turning to see him hanging upside down, looking rather surprised by his new predicament.

He looked at her, his eyes wide. “I could be Spider-man….”

Felicity harrumphed and crossed her arms. “I’m no Mary Jane.”

<Diego>

In his haste to explain as quickly as possible that that wasn’t what he meant when he said that, he’d let go of the yoyo, and fell. Luckily he managed to land on his feet.

“Ow...” When he looked up again, the cat was offering a hand up, though she looked rather exasperated.

“Come on, you can play around later. Let’s deal with the sand castle monster.”

Escarabajo stood up and followed after her.

Following the sound of screaming and a trail of sandy figures, Escarabajo and the feline girl beside him soon caught up to the monster. The girl looked to him, and it slowly dawned on him that she was looking for him to direct her. He hastily thought out a plan and whispered it out to her.

“Can you sneak up on the monster? Tikki says there should be an object that, essentially, controls them and their powers. If we destroy it and capture the nasty butterfly--” Here he made a vague questioning noise before continuing “--We should be able to stop it. I’ll have to purify it. Haven’t quite figured out how.”

The Cat looked at him, her eyes narrowed. “Well, read your manual then. I’m gonna go find the object. I’d bet my tail it’s either the bucket or the shovel.” She leaped away, and Escarabajo nodded absently.

In light of her words, he took the yoyo off his belt, and thumbed it open. As if Tikki had overheard, which she probably had, the user’s manual was highlighted. As he skimmed over the most pertinent sections, he kept an eye on the Cat.

Felicity snuck up on the villain just fine. She had quietly jumped from one building to the next, to a streetlamp, to the ground, all without any real noise.

The catch was when, despite her best efforts, she disturbed the very edge of the sand. And that alerted the akuma to her presence.

As the akuma stilled, Felicity attempted something she’d never done before but had full confidence she could pull off in the suit. She did a back flip on to a small billboard, and jumped behind it. She held her breath as the villain rumbled closer and closer. The villain missed her by a hair, and continued on it’s rampage.

Felicity kicked into gear. Plagg had said that because of her age, she could use her special power three times, and she knew exactly what to use it on.

She ran parallel to the villain before leaping forward. “Cataclysm!”

She broke the chains holding up a large sign, causing it to fall down and cut off the path the villain was taking. She repeated the process two more times, then dove out of the way, waiting for Escarabajo to do his thing.

She peeked up, and spotted the shovel and pail. She risked glancing behind the villain, and saw Escarabajo coming up behind. She crouched down farther, waiting for the right time.

<Diego>

Escarabajo had watched the Cat’s movements with awe. She was so fluid and confident looking. He noticed, of course, the tenseness she held whenever she was a misstep from being turned to a sand pile, but the grace with which she threaded around the villain was astounding.

Then Diego reminded himself that he was graceful, too. One of the most graceful in his gymnastics class.

“Yeah, it’s just another gym class,” he muttered before jumping into action.

He swung on his yoyo, catching up to the Cat. He saw her trap the villain on three sides, then dive for cover. He threw his yoyo in the air as he got closer, yelling, “Lucky Charm!”

He grabbed the tiny box out of midair and kept running. He glanced around the area, and spotted a few items he thought he could use. He quickly grabbed a red can and a fallen branch with his yoyo. He slipped behind an advertising sign, and took a moment to look at the box in his hand, just to double check.

Yep. Matches.

He poured the liquid over the stick in his hand, and threw both the stick and the box over to where the Cat was, keeping a few matches for himself. He hoisted the can up, then swung forward. As he swung behind the villain, he poured the liquid out of the can, creating a line of gasoline behind the villain.

Then he struck and dropped the matches he was holding.

Felicity felt the air heat up, and knew she only had a short window. She struck the match, lit the branch, and jumped out of hiding. She swung the branch like a sword, cutting off the sand holding the shovel and pail.

She threw the pail to Escarabajo, and stomped on the shovel. Escarabajo threw his yoyo through the bucket, bursting straight through the bottom before pulling back.

Then he opened up his yoyo, and swung it at the black butterfly that left the broken bucket. The yoyo closed automatically over the insect, and Escarabjo brought it back to him.

He gently pushed the center dot on the yoyo.

<Diego> He watched the butterfly fly out, purified to a bright white. He speaks without even thinking.

“Bye, bye, little butterfly.”

Then he takes the empty matchbox that the Cat offers him, and throws it up into the air, yelling out the curing spell.

As magic ladybugs zip through the city, the Cat heroine walks up beside him, attentive and curious.

“So that’s how we avoid legal trouble. Nice.”

Escarabajo had to take that in, then he glanced at her. “I guess. It’s pretty and convenient.”

She snorted. “Well, was pretty decent working with you. See you around.” She made to leave, but Escarabajo shouted after her.

“Wait! What’s your name?”

She shrugged. “What do you want it to be?”

At his stunned expression, she turned around and leapt away.

Hearing the beeping coming from the studs attached to his wrists, Escarabajo followed her example, swinging up and running across rooftops before people came out to investigate. He made it to the beach and ducked behind the portable toilets before being blinded by pink light, and returning to his normal self.

Tikki flew out of the studs and into his hands. “You did a good job,” she whispered to him. “Now, I need someplace to hide.”

Diego offered her his beach bag.

Tikki hidden, and his Miraculous secured safely on a lanyard, Diego quickly returned to his family.

Felicity whispered “Claws in” not too far from where she’d cried “Claws out”. Despite not being tired at all, she decided to go home. After all, she could only be gone for so long after something like that before her parents found out and flipped.

Plus she had to get ready for school on Monday, and that was gonna be a pain.

#miraculous ladybug au #miraculous ladybug #the beetle and the shadow #felicity jameson #diego hart #season one #episode one #castlemaster #tikki #plagg

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ri-ahhh · 4 years

Note

what about drunk y/n bluntly saying all the things he wants to do to gray and he’s shocked bc she’s usually really shy. ( inspired by the first lines of pu$$y fairy by jhene) “ i like to suck when i’m drunk” “i like to fuck when i’m drunk”

Loud music thuds in every corner of the West Hollywood house you and Grayson walk into for a random party he had been invited to earlier that day. Ethan had chosen to stay at home, but you and Gray both needed to get out of the house, and while parties weren’t really his scene, socializing felt like a better alternative to Netflix tonight.

Grayson daps up his friend that’s throwing the party and introduces you to him. He seems nice enough, but you barely catch his name before he’s excusing himself to greet some other people that have just walked in.

You catch Grayson’s eye and lean close to shout in his ear so he can hear you over the YG song blasting through the speakers nearby. He smells even better this up close than he had in the car, clean and masculine with that woody undertone that’s just a permanent part of him now. “Do you see anyone else you know?”

He shakes his head, switching places with you so his mouth brushes your ear now. You’re sure he can feel the shiver his warm breath and too-close proximity elicits, but you’re glad it’s potentially dark enough for him not to see the goosebumps flaring across the skin left exposed by your simple bandeau top.

“Not yet!” he says, and his huge hand places itself on the small of your back as he lifts his head to inspect your surroundings. His long fingers radiate warmth and calm your nerves a bit as you also take in the features of the house you’re in. It’s big, but not a ridiculous mansion or anything, which makes you feel a little more comfortable about being somewhere that you know literally nobody else.

Until Grayson speaks again, that is. “Are you good by yourself long enough for me to go piss? I’ve been holding it since I got in the car.”

‘No!’ screams the petrified introvert inside you.

“Of course,” smiles the rational grown woman you pretend to be most of the time.

He grins back at you gratefully. “I’ll be like, five minutes tops,” he assures, moving his hand from your back to your hand and giving it a squeeze.

You cling to his fingers until they’re forced to drop away with the distance between you, and watch his broad body thread through a crowd of fellow partygoers as he follows the handwritten sign with an arrow labelled ‘bathroom -- you puke, you clean.’ It’s pathetic how much you miss his presence already, but it’s not like this is the first party you’ve ever been to; if there’s any safe place at a house party for the single person to go, it’s the kitchen.

You’ve only made it a handful of yards away from where Grayson left you when suddenly a large someone stumbles into you, his drink sloshing precariously in his solo cup.

“Woah!” he says, holding his drink up and away as he glances down at you, clearly tipsy. To your dismay, some of whatever is in his cup has spilled onto your jeans, but you try to just chalk it up as a party foul without getting too annoyed. “Sorry about that.”

“You’re good,” you offer with a polite smile, brushing off some of the droplets that cling to the denim stubbornly. At least now you have another excuse to get to the kitchen and preoccupy yourself with something until Grayson returns.

The guy blinks and looks you up and down unashamedly, and you fight not to roll your eyes. He can only be described as a Chad, looking every bit the frat daddy with his Supreme t-shirt, snapback backwards over his too-long hair, and alcohol-induced predatory gaze.

He offers you his hand, and out of instinct you take it, but instantly cringe at how clammy it is. Being too nice to douchebags is definitely one of your character flaws. “I’m Brad.”

You can’t help but laugh at the irony, because of course he is, but he must take it as a flirtatious giggle or something, because he smiles back at you. “What’s your name? I’ve never seen you at these things before.”

You tell him against your better judgement, and Brad does that thing where he pretends not to hear. He pulls you by the hand still clasped in his and brings you closer to him, as if to hear you better. This time, you can’t stop your annoyed eye-roll, telling him again with finality and pulling away quickly. If Grayson’s closeness that way made you shudder with desire, this guy makes you do it with disgust.

Really, you just want Grayson again. You need him.

You finally rip your hand out of his grasp and give him a tight smile. He starts to speak again, but you cut him off. “Well, it was nice to meet you. I’m gonna go find something to clean myself up with.”

Whether he’s just an idiot asshole or because of the alcohol flowing through him, Brad doesn’t take the hint. “Aw, beautiful, I said I’m sorry! Let me come with, and I’ll make you a drink to make up for it.”

“Dude, I literally just told you my name,” you say, unable to help yourself as this guy’s douche-meter hits record highs with that. “Thank you, but I’m good. Please leave me alone.”

You turn on the spot, but you can feel him following close behind. Luckily, the kitchen is only one room over, and even more in your favor, Grayson is already there, shining like the beautiful angel he is under the recessed lights.

He meets your eyes when you walk in, and you give him the bug-eyed ‘save me’ look that you hope translates to boy as well as it does to girl. He cocks an amused brow, but then his eyes fall behind you and see Brad trailing you like a lost, horny dog, and he frowns immediately.

“Hey,” he greets, opening his arms to you at once as soon as you wiggle through the other minglers between you. You fall into them and sigh in relief, so happy to see him that you stand on your tiptoes and plant a warm kiss to his stubbled cheek.

“Hey,” you return, pulling back and looking up at him with a smile. His eyes are still locked on Brad, who has stopped in his tracks but not walked away. “Brad here spilled some of his drink on me by accident but doesn’t seem to think I’m capable of cleaning up myself.”

“Nah, I was just gonna make you a drink, babe, remember?” he slurs, narrowing his beady blue eyes at Grayson, like there’s even an ounce of intimidation behind them.

Grayson scoffs, and shifts so he’s squared up with Brad. He keeps his arm slung over your shoulder to hold you against him protectively, and you hold onto the hand of that arm with one of yours while you wrap your other arm around his back. Both of you glare at him. “Okay Brad, first of all, don't fucking call her that. Second, what decade are you living in? What girl nowadays is gonna take a drink from a random, sketchy guy she doesn’t know? Walk away and leave us alone, please.”

“What, is she your girlfriend, bro?”

“Yeah, she is,” he retorts without hesitation. Your heart drops, and you look up at him with surprise. His jaw is set tight and it makes his profile even sexier than usual. “Go be creepy with your own friends now. And leave the other poor girls at this party alone.”

Grayson looks down at you and cups your cheek. This whole lie has caught you completely off-gaurd, but you’re catching on to what he’s doing. You nod nearly imperceptibly in consent, and Grayson dips down to capture your lips in his for the first time ever. They're warm, soft, pliant, and perfectly insistent against yours. If Grayson is capable of anything chaste, this is it, but there’s still a heat behind it you’re all-too familiar with. This isn’t a ploy kiss; there’s something there, and neither of you are able to stop now that you’ve started.

You trace the seam of his lips with your tongue to beg entry, and he opens willingly. His hand slips from your cheek to the back of your head, clutching a handful of your hair and tipping your head back to allow himself better access to your mouth as his tongue takes dominance, just how you imagined it would so many times late at night.

“Uh, Grayson?”

Both of you are startled apart, and jerk your heads to the female voice just a couple feet away that had interrupted you. Brad is gone, but a beautiful dark-skin girl with piercing eyes the color of cinnamon stands there with her arms crossed and a perfectly done brow arched high on her forehead. Clearly, you had interrupted them first.

“Nadia!” he exclaims in surprise, clearly having forgotten she was even there before he kissed you. His chest heaves as he fights to catch his breath and you blush when he swipes his thumb across a patch of your saliva clinging to his lower lip. “Sorry. I, uh --”

“You didn’t tell me you have a girlfriend.”

It hurts your heart to do it, but you look at Grayson and step away. Who knows how long he’s been talking to this girl before tonight; who are you to come between that right now?

“I’m sorry, I’m not his girlfriend. He was just helping me get rid of that gorilla that followed me in here. You know how some guys are. They respect a man’s ‘territory’ more than the girl just telling them no.”

Nadia’s pretty features soften some, and she sighs. “Yeah, tell me about it.” She looks at Grayson, standing there still somewhat sheepishly. “I have to go. Call me when you get...this sorted out.”

“I --”

“It’s okay, Gray. Trust me.” Her eyes linger back and forth over the two of you. “Figure it out, and call me.”

She leaves the two of you with a small but friendly smile that confuses you some. You heave out a sigh. The night has definitely taken a turn for the dramatic, that’s for sure.

You long for a stiff vodka soda to settle your mind, but there are too many external factors that make that a bad idea right now. You’re suddenly aware that there’s still many people in the kitchen, but they're all impervious to two random people making out next to them.

You snatch a couple cans of ginger ale off the huge collection of mixers on one of the countertops, and hand one to Grayson. He pops it open gratefully and chugs a huge swallow of it, burping into his hand. You can’t help but giggle, and take a more dainty sip of your own can. You still wish it had alcohol in it, but it’ll do.

It’s like he can read your mind, stuffing his free hand in his pocket. “You know, you can have a drink. I really don’t mind.”

You lean back against the counter and look up at him. He’s blushing, from embarrassment or arousal, you’re not sure. You know your heartbeat is still thumping in your panties at the lingering feel of his lips on yours and his hands trailing over your body. Something has inevitably shifted between the two of you, and Nadia was right: you need to figure it out.

You’re not the most outspoken person all the time, but if there’s one thing you hate more than putting yourself out there, it’s leaving heavy things up in the air. You take a deep breath and scoot a little closer to him.

“I know. I just...don’t trust myself to be even remotely tipsy around you right now.”

He looks at you, confused. “You don’t trust me?”

You suddenly remember his complete lack of experience with how alcohol can affect more than your motor movements and decision making. It’s endearing.

“I said I don’t trust myself,” you correct with a smile, reaching up to brush his flop of hair out of his eyes. “I liked that kiss. It made me want more.”

Grayson swallows. “Yeah?” he finally says, a little dumbly.

You giggle. “Yeah. Like, a lot more.”

A smirk tugs at the corner of his lips, and he shuffles even closer so you’re pretty much trapped against the counter and his thick, muscular body. Despite the fact that you’d have a harder time escaping this than you did back in the living room with Brad, you feel more free and confident than ever.

“Like what?” he asks, setting his can down behind you, planting his hand on the edge of the counter next to your hip.

You smile and allow your hand to rest on one defined pec through his thin shirt. You can feel his heart beating strong and fast, matching your own. It gives you the courage to put it all out there.

“Like... take you to the car and suck your dick; like, have you fuck me once we get home.” You look up at him through your lashes, pleased to see him sufficiently flushed and flustered by your words. “Like, go on a date?”

Your fingers have trailed over the hard ridges of his abs and settled on the edge of his belt, tugging on it playfully. Grayson gasps and looks at you with wide eyes and a disbelieving smile as he snatches it away in his own, bringing your fingers to his lips. “Easy. Wow, I can’t decide which of those I want to do most.” He looks back a little and narrows his eyes. “Are you sure you’re not drunk.”

You laugh and shake your head, taking your hand out of his and wrapping it around the back of his neck. “Nope, that’s all you baby. But who says we can’t do all of those, tonight?”

Grayson smiles brightly, and interlaces your fingers. Your ginger ales get abandoned on the counter as he starts to drag you through the throngs of people. “Let’s fucking go.”

#not exactly the ask but this is what came out of it lol #grayson dolan #grayson dolan fic #ethan dolan #dolan twins #blurb #g blurb

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stressisakiller · 3 years

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Little Sister

Bucky Barnes x Reader Soulmate AU

(Hello Sunflower Part 8)

Summary: Tony has some explaining to do

Warnings: References to murder referenced child abuse also cussing, but I feel like its warranted

Word Count: 2.6k

A/N: Lot of new information in this one as well. Let me know what you think and if you have any requests for future chapters! Thank yall for reading!

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When you were little, you had looked up to your father, what little girl didn’t believe that their father hung the moon? That quickly changed when you were five and your father took you with him to work. You had always wondered what kind of father could have done the things that your father did to you. Now you understood. A father who wasn’t your father at all.

Your eyes were wide as you stared at Tony, your thoughts going a million miles an hour, racing past in an almost unintelligible stream. Wait, he’s your brother? Not only your brother but your twin brother? That meant your father wasn’t actually your father. You weren’t related to that asshole at all! Fuck. fuck. You… you killed… how could you… how could he… no. no. no. There had to be a mistake, you couldn’t have. And yet.

All eyes were on you. Watching your emotions race across your face, watching as your eyes widened in understanding. Watching as your eyes glassed over and you broke.

The ground was hard, unforgiving under the weight of your body. Legs no longer willing to hold you as grief washed over you. A strange feeling of warmth brought you back. A hand sure and strong on your arm, a lifeline, pulling you out of the depths of your grief. Eyes focusing on the face of your soulmate crouching in front of you, concern etched in every line of his skin. Blinking the tears away you looked at him, the man you had saved, the only good thing you had ever done. His words rumbling in your ears as he murmured to you.

“Come back to me my love, the past no longer holds you, I am here.”

His voice pulling you firmly out of the abyss. Staring at his features just a moment longer before looking at the man who called himself your brother.

“How?” your voice sounded scratchy in your ears, “How are you my twin?”

Tony’s eyes were soft as he gazed at you, everyone else turned to him, waiting for the explanation.

“When I was young,” He began, taking a seat on the floor in front of you, “my parents told me that I was not meant to be an only child. I had a twin, a sister. My mother’s labor was long and arduous, we were not positioned in the best way for an easy birth. When I came out I was slightly blue, apparently, I wasn’t getting enough air while being born. The nurses took care of me, making sure that I suffered no lasting damage. When my sister was born, there was no crying, no sign of life. Mother said that the nurse seemed to be acting strange about it but that she was too medicated to do anything. The nurse pronounced the baby dead and took her from the room. My parents never saw her again, and they never truly recovered from it. When they first told me about it I thought nothing of it, but as I got older something about the story started to bug me.” He stood up at that, beginning to pace across the room,

“ I began to look into it, I searched for the records of my birth and found the hospital and the name of the nurse that had been in the room. I discovered that shortly after my birth she was found dead in an alley, a single gunshot wound to the head. That obviously piqued my curiosity and I searched deeper. I finally found that she had been given a large sum of money days prior to my birth. She was paid to steal one of Howard Starks’ babies. I found the proof in the police reports, they cataloged anything suspicious or strange at the nurse’s house. Specifically a note, she had written the day before she was killed, she said that she was sorry and that she had been forced. She didn’t give a name but in the corner, she drew an octopus.” He stopped, letting the information soak in. His body in front of your spot on the floor. Wide eyes looked up at him, your mouth parted in shock, realization flooding over you

“Hydra,” the name came from your lips little more than a breath. “Hydra paid her to steal me from my family.” Tony nodded slowly face solemn. “I could have been normal, I could have been raised by someone who loved me. My whole life is a lie.”

Anger and confusion began to bubble in your veins, thoughts of how much different your life could have been. Your fists clenching as the man you had called father flashed before your eyes. You stood quickly looking around at your friends, all of their eyes filled with pity save one. Bucky looked angry, pissed at the people that had done this to you. He caught your eyes and you motioned for him to follow you,

“I need a minute, I need to release some steam, or I will explode. I am going to the training room, I need to punch something and I’d rather it not be one of you.” Turning quickly you stalked to the practice rooms. Stripping out of your jacket and shoes, wrapping your hands before stepping onto the mats. Bucky mirrored your movements, knowing exactly what you needed. Stepping on the mat in front of you, he didn’t speak, he simply waited for you to make the first move. Stepping forward you struck, Buky blocking with one arm and throwing a punch with the other. Ducking you avoid his fist, bringing up your leg and kicking him in the stomach sending him back a couple of steps. And so you continued, falling into a steady rhythm, moving around each other in a violent dance. Years of training together are obvious in the knowledge you had of each other's bodies, knowing each other's weak points and yet choosing not to exploit them, at least not this time. Grabbing his arm during a punch and using your momentum to throw your legs over his shoulders you pull him to the ground in a chokehold. Both of you breathing hard as he taps out, your anger spent. You are ready to talk. Turning to leave the room, you are surprised to see Tony standing near the door watching.

“Hey,” you say, walking up to him.

“Hey, nice fighting there.” He said with a smirk.

“Yeah, well I’ve had a lot of practice,” you shrug, not knowing what else to say about it.

“Come on,” he said throwing his arm around your shoulder, “Let go talk, I know a great spot”

Tony leads you to the kitchen grabbing you water and a snack, and whiskey for himself, before leading you to the elevator. He presses a button that needs his fingerprint and you feel the elevator begin to rise. You end up on a roof terrace.

“This is my secret place, the place I go when the world and my lab get to be too much.” He gestures to the green space around you, a small couch and table in the middle surrounded by a multitude of plants. You can’t help but smile, it seems so opposite to the Tony you know to have a secret garden, and yet, it makes perfect sense. He leads you over to the couch, relaxing for a moment before speaking.

“I know that you’ve had a lot to take in today and it’s getting late but I really wanted to be able to talk with you before sleeping.” he seems nervous as he speaks as if he isn’t sure just how you will respond. To ease his nerves you give him a small smile.

“I would like that,” you state, turning on the couch so that you are facing him. “I still can’t believe that I’m your twin sister, especially considering that you’re now physically older than me. I hate that we didn’t get the chance to grow up together.” your brow furrowing as you speak, thinking about all the things that you missed out on.

“Hey,” He says softly placing his hand on yours, “it’s not your fault, and I’m just happy to get to spend time with you now, knowing that you are my sister.” Nodding, you try to swallow the lump in your throat.

“Can you forgive me?” your voice comes out as a broken whisper, “I killed our parents.” your head drops, and you feel the tears well up. “I murdered our father as he begged for our mom’s life, and at the time I felt no remorse. How could you ever forgive me? How can I ever forgive myself?” Your whole body trembled as you started to sob.

Tony pulls you into his arms holding you close as only an older brother can do, comforting you as the tears pour down your face.

“Oh little one,” his voice is soft, “How could I ever hate you? How could I not forgive you for something that you had no control over? There was nothing that you could do, the only one to blame for this is Hydra. Not you, not ever.” you pull back looking into his face, searching for any condemnation and yet finding none.

“I will admit that at first, I was furious, I couldn’t believe that someone I trusted could have done that to my parents. Then I walked away, and all I could hear was your broken voice saying that they did this to you when you were only 11. You were still a child and yet they did this to you.” He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before continuing,

“I met this kid a couple of years ago, his name is Harley, he helped me out when I needed it. I thought about how old you were when this happened and my mind saw him. How would I feel if this kid came up to me and told me the same thing that you just did? As soon as I saw him, my anger at you was gone. My anger at Hydra on the other hand is alive and well.” His lip tugged up for a moment before falling.

“You’re my sister, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know what it’s like to have a family that loves you.” He paused for a second before grinning, “Now about the Winter Soldier.” You smacking him lightly, chuckling through your tears.

“He’s my soulmate, so sucks for you, but he’s not going anywhere. I’ve worked too damn hard to get us free and safe to lose him now.” There was a ferocity in your voice as you spoke, Tony smiled to himself as he heard it, you had your spark back, he had been afraid that it was gone after everything that happened that day.

He raised his hands up in a placating manner,

“Alright, Alright the grizzly bear stays! Although I’m not sure how I feel about my little sister living in the same room as a boy.” The teasing sound of his voice and shit-eating grin causing you to laugh.

“Well tough, you may be my brother but that doesn’t mean you get to choose who I sleep with,” you said, grinning at the fake shock on his face at your words.

“Well I never,” His voice took on a thick fake southern accent, his hand dramatically clutching his heart, “That is no way for a young lady to speak!”

You giggled again leaning against him. You sat like that for a long while, just soaking in everything you learned today and how much your life had changed in the last two years. Stretching, you finally stood,

“I should go find Bucky,” you said looking at Tony, who was still seated. “I know he’s worried about me and we need to talk about everything.” Tony smiled,

“Well, I think I’ll just stay up here for a while and have a bit of a drink.” He raised the whiskey glass in his hand. “Let me know if you need anything and just ask Jarvis to lead you to your room if you need, it’s the same one as last time.” You nodded, giving him a small smile,

“Goodnight big brother,”

“Goodnight, little one.”

Walking into your room you were happy to see that it was mostly the same as last time, all of your stuff still on the walls. The main difference was the muscley man leaning against the headboard. His hair laid limp on his head, still wet from the shower, he must have taken. His eyes opened at the sound of you entering and he quickly stood and pulled you into a hug. You opened your mouth to speak, but stopped when you felt Bucky shake his head.

“Shh Sunflower, we don’t need to talk about it right now. You are still the same woman I fell in love with, we just know a little bit more about where you came from now.”

You smiled into his chest, heartwarming at his words. Of course, he understood, who could understand more? You thanked your lucky star that this wonderful man is your soulmate. He pulled back, quickly kissing your forehead,

“Ok doll, it’s been a day. Go on and take a hot shower, make it as long as you need, and then when you’re done we can lay down.” He gently pushed you towards the bathroom. Stepping away from his warmth you grabbed onto his hand, pulling him with you.

The heat from the water running over your shoulders caused you to sigh. You were leaning forward, forehead pressed against Bucky’s chest as he gently washed your hair. Gently massaging the knots in your shoulders, causing your eyes to shut in exhaustion. He finished helping you wash up and gently helped dry you off. The adrenaline from the day had faded, leaving you dead on your feet. Picking you up, bridal style, he walked you over to the bed and softly laid you down, turning off the lights before he finally joined you. You snuggled into his chest, basking in the feeling of his heartbeat. The last thing you heard before succumbing to sleep was bucky’s soft voice,

“Sleep my little sunflower, I’ve got you.”

#hello sunflower #winter solider fanfiction #winter solider x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky imagine #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #james buchanan barnes #james buchanan bucky barnes #soulmate #marvel imagine #avengers fanfiction #stark!reader

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maxismatchccworld · 4 years

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Welcome back to our latest - and last! - Deep Dive into the gameplay of The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. I’ve really enjoyed sharing the designs and development of this pack with you, and I hope to continue doing these sorts of posts in the future. It’s been a super cool experience, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these! In today’s post I’ll talk about the feature that is core to everything in this pack, Knitting! Once again, I have to remind you that we’re still in active development on the pack and so some things may change between now and the final game. Now, let’s talk about some nifty knits!

READ IT I PROMISE YOU GONNA LIKE IT!

In order to start knitting, you’ll need to purchase a Yarn Basket from the Build/Buy catalog. You probably remember voting on these baskets a while back. This was the winning design, presented to you now in all its colorful glory! Don’t like color? That’s okay, because we included a solid black and white variant.

We have one more knitting basket coming too! Remember this one?

The basket acts as the crafting catalyst(neat term, huh?) similar to the Easel or Woodworking Bench in The Sims 4 base game. But unlike those examples, the Yarn Basket is meant to live in a Sim’s inventory so that they can take their knitting anywhere they want to go. Knitting itself is relatively straightforward: click on the Yarn Basket in your inventory, OR, with the basket in your inventory, click on the chair you want to sit in while knitting (perhaps a rocking chair?) and select the Knit interaction. Your projects are saved to your Sim, so you can pause your progress at any time and resume later, and even juggle multiple projects at once. Starting a project costs a small amount of Simoleons for the cost of yarn, but nothing too outrageous.

(Children can knit too!) As a Sim levels up their knitting skill they’ll have access to new patterns. They’ll start with knitting socks and beanies, but as they grow more skilled they can tackle more challenging projects like sweaters and toys for kids. But if you only want to specialize in one thing - perhaps knitted mailbox cozies? - that's fine too! Just keep knitting anything and everything, and you’ll be level 10 before you know it. Speaking of knitting skill, sometimes your skill is reflected in your knitted work, or rather your lack of skill. Knitting projects can fail, and when they fail they can get weird. But it’s all subjective, and maybe you’ll end up accidentally knitting the cutest derpy companion, or the perfectly itchy sweater. No mistakes, only happy accidents!

(Just own it.) One of the niftiest parts of the knitting skill is unlocking the ability to Teach to Knit, where Sims sit down together and have a knitting pow-wow. We wanted this to feel special, so we got a really sweet animation for it (Thanks Haeju!). Now that you can infect other Sims with the knitting bug, no yarn ball will be safe!

(The knitting needles aren’t finished on the Teach To Knit interaction yet, but trust me it's SUPER CUTE.) So, what can you do with all these knitting projects? Lots of stuff! Not only can knitted objects be listed on Plopsy, but you can also Donate them to charity. If you want to surprise a loved one, try Gifting a knitted object too. If you want to destroy all traces of your knitted failures, you can Frog the object and start again! If it's a particularly nice Sweater that you made, consider Adding it to Wardrobe to make it available in Create-A-Sim to all family members.

(Everyone appreciates a nice gift!) We want Sims to be able to knit something for their whole family. Not only will Sims be able to knit Toddler Onesies, but Baby Onesies as well. So put your little grubworm in a handmade knitted outfit. I’m sure they’d thank us if they could! (And if they didn’t like it I’m sure they’d be polite about it.)

(Here’s a sneak peek at some of the concept art for new clothing for the littlest of Sims!) It also felt like a good idea to add an Aspiration to tie this passion for knitting all together. So if you want to master the fuzzy art of knitting, consider signing your Sim up for the Lord(or Lady) of the Knits Aspiration. With yarn running through your veins, there will be no knitting mountain too hard to conquer! Master the Aspiration and you’ll be rewarded with the Sacred Knitting Knowledge trait. What does it do? Lots of stuff! What does it unlock? Something special! Am I being vague? I am! Come on guys, I can’t share all the secrets quite yet.

As I’ve mentioned previously, we’re trying to get as much cross-pack functionality for knitting as we can. Cats can play with Yarn Baskets and Yarn Balls, there will be new Club rules for Knitting, new class electives at University, and knitting counts for Emotional Control, just to name a few. I’m hoping Knitting feels nice and snug alongside our other gameplay systems. Now let's have a chat with our lead Object Modeler, Beth Mohler! Conor: Can you tell us a little bit about what an Object Modeler does on The Sims 4? Beth: As an object modeler I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to make objects work in The Sims 4. This is actually a very involved process, and somewhat different from the wonderful work our environment team does. We work with designers, concept artists, engineers, animators, vfx artists (basically everyone!) to make sure that Sims can use an object properly in an animation, or that all of our objects will work with each other. Once we understand the design for a new object, we will create a rig, a block model (a very generic version of the object used to help us make more of the same object in the future), and a footprint (tells us where the object can go and how Sims move around it). Once those are tested by animators and other disciplines we can model the final version, create UVs, and add textures. We also hook up and test everything in the game to make sure it all looks good. There is a lot to think about when it comes to making objects because we know players can find so many interesting ways to place and use them in game. That makes it a very fun challenge to make them work with everything else we’ve built before. Conor: What feature are you most excited to work on in Nifty Knitting Stuff? Beth: I’d say I am most excited to work on the rocking chairs! I love that we are bringing them to the game and can’t wait to see them in some cozy living rooms or on porches. Conor: What are some of the challenges you are facing working on this pack? Beth: One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that the knitting itself looks good and is fun to watch! This is a challenge given that it needs to work for everything you can create. Figuring this out takes a lot of iteration between modeling, animation, engineering, design, and art direction so that we come to a conclusion that will work the best given our time and technical constraints. Another interesting “challenge” is the fact that I crochet as a hobby myself! When you are knowledgeable about something (yarn!) in real life, working on it in the game it can sometimes be hard to separate the things you know and may expect in reality from what is possible or best within a video game. I have to make sure to keep a balance and to conceptualize how we can best convert the knitting experience into The Sims 4. As someone who also generally enjoys interior design and architecture, this is actually one of my favorite challenges and one of the things I love about working on objects in The Sims 4. Conor: What is your favorite feature you have ever worked on in The Sims 4? Beth: I think it has to be a tie between the mini fridge or the robotics table in Discover University. That pack was the first time I got to really take an entire feature from start to finish. I’ve been with Maxis for a while, but I’m relatively new to The Sims 4. Both of these objects had some complex features we wanted that required a lot of iteration. I learned a ton about the technical aspects of our game during the process as well. I’ve also worked on a few very cool things between then and now, but those can’t be shared yet ; ) As a fan of The Sims since the very beginning I am so happy to be able to share a little about what I do on a daily basis on The Sims 4 with you! I haven’t been on The Sims 4 for quite as long overall, but some of you may also recognize me from my time on Sims Mobile where I shared some of our workflows on Twitter for making a juice bar. Thanks! Conor: You shared a screenshot of the In-Progress Rocking Chair in our Rocking Chair Deep Dive. Can you share an updated screenshot now that the Rocking Chair is further along? Beth: I would love to! I hope everyone has been enjoying seeing the progress on this object so far! Here it is a little further along. This program allows us to set the rules for the object materials, footprint size and rig it should use, as well as all the color variants and swatch colors you see in the catalog.

Thanks Beth! By the way, Beth is on Twitter @SimGuruBeth, so be sure to Follow her! And thanks to all of you Simmers for following this pack’s development, this has been a really fun project in a very crazy time. A big thank you to my Stuff Pack teammates, and especially SimGuruSarah who edited my inane ramblings and wrangled the miscellaneous bits for these posts. While this concludes my design Deep Dives, we still have more forum posts with development insights on the way! Keep checking the Community Stuff Pack forum and we’ll have more fun stuff to show off in the weeks to come. Until next time, SimGuruConor

Source: The Sims Forum

#s4cc #s4mm #ts4cc #ts4mm #maxis match #thesims4 #S4 news

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zoinkshaggy · 3 years

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BASIC QUESTIONS

First name? “Sha– uh, Norville.”

Surname? “Rogers.”

Middle names? “Matthew.”

Nicknames? “Shaggy.”

Date of birth? “November 4th, 1995.”

Age? “Twenty five.”

PHYSICAL / APPEARANCE

Height? “6′0.”

Weight? “150-ish.”

Build? “Uh, long.”

Hair color? “Brown.”

Hair style? “I had dreads for awhile, but now I keep my hair short. Not short. Medium length, I guess.”

Eye color? “Also brown.”

Eye Shape? “Like, normal?”

Glasses or contact lenses? “Neither.”

Distinguishing facial features? “I’d say probably my smile.”

Which facial feature is most prominent? “Smile.”

Which bodily feature is most prominent? “My legs and arms, ‘cause they’re, like, twenty feet long.”

Other distinguishing features? “That’s it.”

Skin? “Oilier than I’d like.”

Hands? “Callused.”

Make up? “I don’t wear any.”

Scars? “Nothing important.”

Birthmarks? “Nah.”

Tattoos? “No! Needles? No thank you!”

Physical handicaps? “None.”

Type of clothes? “I really like sweaters. Sweaters will always be my favorite. They feel safe. It’s a little too hot for that here, though.”

How do you wear your clothes? “How they come.”

What are your feet like? “Kind of big, I guess. Two left feet, that’s what my mom said ‘cause I’m such a klutz. Uh, I should buy some more socks and shoes. Some of my socks have toe holes and my shoes are kind of coming apart.”

Race / Ethnicity? “I don’t have my birth parents around to ask, but I know I’m Spanish.”

Mannerisms? “I have a habit of, like, playing with my necklace or hair or bracelet — my hands don’t always like being still.”

Are you in good health? “It’s alright, I think.”

Do you have any disabilities? “No.”

PERSONALITY

What words or phrases do you overuse? “Like. I use it, like, a lot.”

Do you have a catchphrase? “Zoinks.”

Are you more optimistic or pessimistic? “I definitely think I’m more optimistic, but I have my moments.”

Are you introverted or extroverted? “Introverted.”

Do you ever put on airs? “I… don’t know what that means.”

What bad habits do you have? “Overeating, not eating healthy. Sleeping in too late. Chewing my nails, only sometimes.”

What makes you laugh out loud? “Usually myself.”

How do you display affection? “My idea of affection is kind of, just, hanging around someone. Hugs can be nice too.”

Mental handicaps? “My anxiety.”

How do you want to be seen by others? “A person they came come to and trust.”

How do you see themselves? “Better than I used to be.”

How are you seen by others? “Probably… nervous.”

Strongest character trait? “My loyalty.”

Weakest character trait? “Getting stuck in my head.”

How competitive are you? “Not at all.”

Do you make snap judgements or take time to consider? “Like, I take too much time to consider.”

How do you react to praise? “I don’t know what to say. I guess I get kind of flustered, you know?”

How do you react to criticism? “Just kind of shrug it off.”

What is your greatest fear? “Ghosts, spiders, heights, bees, guns... losing Scooby.”

What are your biggest secrets? “I don’t really keep secrets.”

What is your philosophy of life? “We’re all just here for a little while, so we should make it easier on each other.”

When was the last time you cried? “It’s been a few months, actually.”

What haunts you? “Zoinks. Hopefully not any ghosts.”

What are your political views? “I don’t pay enough attention to politics to have any views, really. I’ll vote for whoever Velma votes for. She knows what she’s talking about.”

What will you stand up for? “I will always stand up for my friends.”

Who do you quote? “Usually if I’m quoting someone, I don’t even know who I’m quoting.”

Are you indoorsy or outdoorsy? “Indoors. I like walking Scoob and everything, but, like, there’s too many bugs outside.”

What is your sinful little habit? “Putting mustard on ice cream.”

What sense do you most rely on? “Taste. But also hearing.”

How do you treat people better than you? “The same.”

How do you treat people worse than you? “The same.”

What quality do you most value in a friend? “Kindness.”

What do you consider an overrated virtue? “I wanna say courage. Biased opinion.”

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? “I’d stop worrying about everything.”

What is your obsession? “Good food.”

What are your pet peeves? “When people are mean for no reason.”

What are your idiosyncrasies? “Gotta make sure I turn all the lights off before I leave.”

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Is your family big or small? Who does it consist of? “I guess it’s kind of small. I have my dad, my mom and my sister, Maggie. I haven’t seen my real parents since I was a kid.”

What is your perception of family? “I don’t think family has anything to do with blood, it’s how people treat you.”

Do you have siblings? Older or younger? “Maggie, she’s younger.”

Describe your best friend. “I’ve known her since, well... it feels like forever, but it’s only been, like, a decade and a half. She’s the best person I know. She’s so smart and funny, and she’s beautiful. She has a beautiful soul and... just... everything about her is beautiful. She makes me feel safe, it doesn’t matter what’s going on or how much my mind is racing, if I know she’s there it just feels like everything’s gonna be okay.”

Ideal best friend? “I’ve already got ‘em all.”

Describe your other friends. “They’re great. They’re all unique in their own ways, you know? Freddy’s headstrong and he’s the coolest guy you’ll meet, Daph is such a warm energy and she’s a great conversationalist, Buzz is genuine and he’s loyal. I know everyone thinks so, but I really do have the best friends.”

Describe your acquaintances. “I guess that would be the people I work with. Like, they’re okay.”

Do you have any pets? “Yeah, I have Scoob, but he’s more like my brother or something at this point.”

Who are your natural allies? “Probably the Mystery Inc gang.”

Who are your surprising allies? “I guess it’s surprising I’d fit in with them, huh?”

PAST AND FUTURE

What were you like as a baby? As a child? “I was happy. I can’t remember much from being that young, but I know I was traveling with my parents, I remember I felt like the world was so big and exciting. I felt so loved. I guess I kind of lost that feeling when I was adopted, suddenly the exciting stuff was just, like, scary. I was an anxious wreck as a child, that’s all, honestly.”

Did you grow up rich or poor? “The Rogers family is well off. I wouldn’t say rich, but, like, well off.”

Did you grow up nurtured or neglected? “I don’t wanna say they neglected me. I did feel that way a lot, but some of it was... me, I guess, myself worrying. Yeah.”

What is the most offensive thing you ever said? “I hope nothing.”

What is your greatest achievement? “Is it sad to say everything I’ve done in this last year? For awhile it felt like I was just getting by, but right now, I feel like I’m really living. I got a job, like, it’s not much but it’s a job, I’m doing better in school, I’ve got Velma now, really got her...”

What was your first kiss like? “It was with my favorite person. Kind of later than most people’s, I guess, but worth waiting for.”

What is the worst thing you did to someone you loved? “Come into my mom’s life, probably.”

What are your ambitions? “I’ve been thinking I might wanna go to culinary school.”

What advice would you give your younger self? “I would just tell him that nothing is wrong with him, it’s okay to go your own pace and, like, it’s all gonna be okay, little guy.”

What smells remind you of your childhood? “Corn dogs and pizza. Apple pie. Playground mulch. Hair spray and perfume. Dirt.”

What was your childhood ambition? “I just remember wanting to stop being so scared.”

What is your best childhood memory? “It’s so old it’s blurry, but I remember one of my birthdays, I guess it was my last before I was adopted. We were traveling, my parents were happy, I was happy. It was the last time everything felt okay for awhile.”

What is your worst childhood memory? “There’s a few. Most of them involved panic attacks alone in my bedroom.”

Did you have an imaginary childhood friend? “Not that I remember.”

When was the last time you were crushed with disappointment? “Sometime before I moved to Elias.”

What past act are you most ashamed of? “I’m ashamed that I let myself get separated from my parents, that I couldn’t figure out how to get in touch with them. Maybe shame isn’t the right word. I just wish I knew how my mom and dad were doing, my other mom and dad.”

What past act are you most proud of? “Taking whatever the first step was to stepping out of my shell.”

Has anyone ever saved their life? “I feel like Scooby Doo saved my life.”

Strongest childhood memory? “Another birthday. My first one with the Rogers family. I ended up crying in the bathroom. I was so confused and overwhelmed, I felt like the only person in the world. I just wanted to go home. I don’t think that feeling will ever leave me.”

LOVE

Do you believe in love at first sight? “Yes.”

Are you in a relationship? “I’m with Velma.”

How do you behave in a relationship? “I don’t really know what I’m doing, I’m just trying to make her happy.”

When did you last have sex? “I-- uh... that’s personal.”

What sort of sex do you have? “Like, w-why are you asking that?”

Have you ever been in love? “I am right now.”

Have you ever had your heart broken? “Yeah, but it wasn’t in a relationship.”

CONFLICT

How do you respond to a threat? “Run.”

Are you most likely to fight with your fists or your tongue? “Like, neither.”

What is your kryptonite? “All you can eat buffets.”

If you could only save one thing from your burning house, what would it be? “I assume Scooby and Velma don’t count, so I guess I’d probably grab my favorite shirt or something.”

How do you perceive strangers? “Scary.”

What do you love to hate? “I don’t hate anything... except maybe lima beans... and there is no love there, like, at all.”

What are your phobias? “There’s a lot of ‘em.”

What is your choice of weapon? “I’m more of a hider. If I had to use something, I’d probably grab whatever was blunt and close to me.”

What living person do you most despise? “I don’t despise anyone.”

Have you ever been bullied or teased? “Yeah.”

Where do you go when you’re angry? “I don’t get angry. When I’m sad, I just go home.”

Who are your enemies and why? “The bad guys the gang and I try to stop... because we’re trying to stop them...”

WORK, EDUCATION AND HOBBIES

What is your current job? “Right now I flip burgers.”

What do you think about your current job? “It’s not too bad. It pays the bills for now. Maybe one day I can get a real cooking job.”

What are some of your past jobs? “This is my first job.”

What are your hobbies? “Just chilling, mostly. Smoking, eating.”

Educational background? “I’m in college.”

Intelligence level? “I’m not the smartest guy you’ll meet, but I’m trying.”

Do you have any specialist training? “No.”

Do you have a natural talent for something? “I don’t know if it’s a talent, but I have a lot of knowledge on the supernatural. Weeding out what’s real and what’s not, though, that’s the hard part.”

Do you play a sport? Are you any good? “No, I’ve never been good at sports... I hated gym class.”

What is their socioeconomic status? “I recycle, but I should do more.”

FAVORITES

What is your favorite animal? “Dogs.”

Which animal do you dislike the most? “Anything that bites or stings.”

What place would you most like to visit? “I think Antarctica would be pretty cool. Ha, ba-dum-tss.”

What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? “I remember Topanga Canyon being so pretty...”

What is your favorite song? “Two Princes, Spin Doctors.”

Music, art, reading preferred? “Music.”

What is your favorite color? “Green.”

What is their password? “Scoobydoobydoo420 --- like, wait, why are you asking?”

Favorite food? “Like, that’s too hard!”

What is your favorite work of art? “Uh... Mona Lisa?”

Who is your favorite artist? “I don’t know artists that well.”

What is your favorite day of the week? “With my work schedule, it doesn’t really matter.”

POSSESSIONS

What is in your fridge? “What isn’t in my fridge? Let’s see, right now I know there’s barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, honey mustard, honey, shredded cheddar cheese, American cheese slices, a wheel of Gouda, ketchup, ranch, spicy barbeque, sour cream, strawberry and grape jelly, apple jam, butter, margarine, milk, chocolate milk, Almond milk, strawberry syrup, cherries, a half eaten Philly Cheesesteak, ham, turkey, black forest ham, broccoli, Reeses cups, water bottles, apple juice, leftover brown rice, at least one eggplant, eggs, one slice of buffalo chicken pizza, cabbage, few different Lunchables, green peppers, one red pepper, mild salsa, medium salsa, a microwaveable Calzone, strawberries, raspberries, cream cheese, a bowl of chili and... actually, I think that’s it. Don’t get me started on the freezer.”

What is on your bedside table? “My phone and an old water bottle, probably.”

What is in your car? “I don’t have a car.”

What is in your bin? “Candy wrappers, empty Chinese takeout boxes, probably some junk mail.”

What is in your purse or wallet? “My ID, debit card, a little bit of cash, Scoob’s service dog certificate, a picture of Velma.”

What is in your pockets? “Scooby snacks.”

What is your most treasured possession? “I’m not attached to any specific items, really, just people.”

SPIRITUALITY

Who or what is your guardian angel? “I don’t know, I’d just like to think I have one.”

Do you believe in the afterlife? “I’m not sure. When I think about it, I get a little freaked out.”

What are your religious views? “Uh, I- I don’t know.”

What do you think heaven is? “I think it would be this safe place on the clouds where everyone you love is waiting.”

What do you think hell is? “Bad.”

Are you superstitious? “I guess, yeah.”

What would you like to be reincarnated as? “I guess being a dog would be pretty fun... anything like that. I don’t think I’d wanna be a human again. It’s too much.”

How would you like to die? “Not... painfully...”

What is your spirit animal? “A sloth.”

What is your zodiac sign? “Scorpio.”

VALUES

What do you think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? “Breaking them down. Making them feel like they’re not important, they don’t matter, they have to change who they are to be loved.”

What is your view of ‘freedom’? “Having the chance to choose.”

When did you last lie? “Like, I don’t want to lie, but this guy at work asked me if I liked his new sunglasses, and I didn’t want to be rude and they were pretty expensive, so I said yeah, but... I really didn’t like them.”

What’s your view of lying? “I hate doing it, I don’t want to be lied to.”

When did you last make a promise? “Last week.”

Did you keep or break their last promise? “I keep my promises.”

DAILY LIFE

What are their eating habits? “Whatever I want when I want it.”

Do you have any allergies? “Not that I know of, but I bet I’m allergic to bees, I feel like if I got stung I’d die, so I try to avoid them.”

Describe your home. “It’s just a small apartment. It feels like home when Velma’s there, though.”

Are you a minimalist or a clutter hoarder? “Can I be both? I’m trying to do better about clutter, it’s usually just clothes and trash, I don’t have many belongings.”

What do you do first thing on a weekday morning? “Kiss Velma on the head. Get ready for work. If I’m off, I’ll cuddle a little longer, then we’ll have breakfast.

What do you do on a Sunday afternoon? “Take my shoes off, sit on the couch and watch some TV.”

What do you do on a Friday night? “Whatever Velma wants to do.”

What is your soft drink of choice? “Dr. Pepper.”

What is your alcoholic drink of choice? “I don’t drink much. Mike’s Lemonade is enough for me, and it tastes good.”

MISCELLANEOUS

What or who would you dress up as for Halloween? “I like dressing up as ghosts with Scoob. I think I was the Hamburglar last year. Maybe me, Scooby and and Velma can all do matching costumes this Halloween.”

Are you comfortable with technology? “I guess.”

If you could save one person, who would it be? “Velma.”

If you could call one person for help, who would it be? “Depends on the situation. Freddy, Daph or Velma.”

What is your greatest extravagance? “Food...”

What is your greatest regret? “I don’t think I have any.”

What is your perception of redemption? “Noticing that you need to do better, then striving to do it.”

What would you do if you won the lottery? “I’d pay off any bills my friends have. Put some funding into the Mystery Inc. I guess I’d save the rest.”

What is your favorite fairytale? “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”

What fairytale do you hate? “Like, Little Red Riding Hood makes me feel... weird...”

Do you believe in happy endings? “Yes.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness? “Being comfortable in your own skin and surrounding yourself with people that are good for you.”

What would you ask a fortune teller? “I’d ask how my birth parents are doing.”

If you could travel through time, where would you go? “I’d go back and spend another day with them.”

What sport do you excel at? “None, no sports.”

What sport do you suck at? “All of them. Especially baseball.”

If you could have a superpower, what would you choose? “I’d like to be able to turn invisible. Not to spy on people. Just to hide when everything got too overwhelming.”

#yes i did every single one #took me longer to figure out what's in his fridge than do the rest of this task + graphic #watask #tasks.

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somewhat-crazy · 3 years

Note

I would like to ask for a mash-up.

What I look like:

I have light-brown hair, that go about five inches over my chest, a bang and heaven-blue eyes.

Other facial features:

Thinn, frameless glasses, kept in the colors of black and white.

Body size:

As much as I hate to admit it, I am what people might call "fluffy".

Gender:

Female

Age:

21 years old. (Almost.)

Sexuality:

Straight with a thing for intelligence.

Personality type:

INFJ-T

Favorite music:

Classical music.

Favorite color/contrast:

White and blue.

Favorite animals:

My top three:

1. Spiders

2. Praying mantis

3. Dragonflies

Hobbys:

1. Drawing

2. Writing

3. Crafting

4. Occasionally sewing

5. Gardening

6. Singing

7. Acting

8. Studying

9. Hiking/Camping

10. Taking care of animals/Do researnch on animals in order to learn more about them

Things I like:

* Spiders/Bugs (No. Spiders are not bugs.), Peace and quiet, Intelligent people, Languages, Things being in order and going according to plan, Animals in general, The forest, Explaining things, that are exciting to me, science like physics, chemistry and biology, psychology, sociology, anatomy, music,

Things I dislike:

Rude people, loud people, dumb people, stress and fighting, techno music and any kind of rap music, my pencil order being messed up, chaos, Boredom

Things I hate with a burning passion:

Demons, anything hell-related, demons, My work being messed up, demons, being ripped out of my train of thought, demons, Misplacing my glasses, demons, being late, demons, people being late, demons, people, who torture animals, especially spiders, demons, fould soul-scents, demons, People who demand me to instantly open up to them, did I already mention that I hate demons with a burning passion ???

Backstory:

I had a rough and rather traumatizing childhood, which caused 14 years of full-blown panic attacks.

Luckily I got out of them by now, even if there are still a few triggers, where I have to be careful

Strengths:

1. I have a good eye for the minimal details.

2. I can focus on a task on hand for hours.

3. I am able to be independent.

4. I am intelligent/Creative.

5. I am determined to get something, if I want it.

6. I have no tendencies to get physically harmful and I have no tendency to get angry, since doing that, and also the emotion in itself is a waste of time and energy, that could be used to be productive.

7. I am always thirty for knowledge and I am a quick learner.

Flaws:

1. I take far too much time to open up.

2. I am often cold and distant.

3. I am a perfectionist

4. I am very mistrusting or shy.

5. I tend to not care for my "friendships" or about people in general, because I see people's flaws apon the first look or at least tend to do so.

6. I tend to take some things too personal or be overly sensitive sometimes.

7. I have insanely high expectations towards others and I build up my walls so high, that barely anyone can claim over them.

Personality:

How others describe me :

1. Polite.

2. Overly quiet.

3. Slow to anger.

4. Intelligent/Smartass/Nerd/Geek.

5. Patient.

6: Sweet.

7. Caring.

8. Different from the rest.

How I see myself:

1. You may laugh or say, that I am crazy, but due to something the bible calls "gift of telling the spirits apart" (Yes, I am a christian and I love it.) and my natural empathic, observing nature of an INFJ-personality type, I am able to often know things about people that I am not supposed to know and reading people is the most easiest thing for me to do. I may not necessarily say, that I have feelings of myself, but I am able to copy the feelings and expressions of others quite well.

For those, who know black butler, I know very well, what it means, if Sebastian is taling about the scent of souls, since I am capable of smelling it too.

2. I am a mix of the empath-INFJ and the sigma-INFJ.

Anger me and I may become a so called "dark empath", if you keep it up long enough.

(I've made one of my bullies cry her eyes out by just using a few simple words.)

3. I like to keep to myself and have plenty of alone-time, due to me being naturally introverted and quite preserved.

4. I am very analytical and tend to analyze just about everything that comes in front of my nose or in my sight. That is also caused by trust issues and a few traumatizing events in my past.

5. If a person earns the right of being let inside by me/the right to call themselves my friend, I tend to become warmer step by step/become rather caring and protective of that person.

That person gets my full attention and I dedicate a lot of time to them.

If they should hurt me though, I doorslam them and they never will get close to me again.

Since those things, I've written down here are very personal and usually very private information about myself, I have allowed myself to stay anonymous to grand myself a little bit to safety.

Thank you in advance for writing this.

Goodbye.

okay but can i just say that you sound really cool 🥺 also rq are closed rn but i really wanted to write this, so i did. since you gave me a lot of info, i was able to write this a bit longer ^^ at first i really thought you matched with EJ until i got to the demon part,,, then it was like oh well we can find someone else haha. also (ik this is a super long note), but you're the only person i've interacted thus far on my blog that's a christian, so hey! im not baptized or anything, but i try to keep my blog family and christian-friendly :3 since i wasn't sure what denomination you're from, i didn't talk about religion too much

I match you with: Helen / The Bloody Painter

(under the cut bc its pretty long)

im honestly really really intimidated by the two of you

you're both very private/reserved people, so most of the time you two spend time in more quiet and calm places

some people might not even know that you two were dating until you said it explicitly because you just never mentioned it before

he absolutely loves how much he understands you because of how similar the two of you are

it took quite a while for the two of you to warm up to each other, but once you did, it was pretty smooth sailing

he doesn't mind your religion whatsoever; he was raised Catholic and is loosely Christian, although isn't baptized and doesn't go to church much

he absolutely loves doing any sort of work with you; you guys work well together and get a lot done in short periods of time

honestly just finds you fascinating. the way you carry yourself, your preferences and hobbies, your creativity and diligence; every single day he learns something new about you, and he loves it

you two learn a lot together; many long nights of reading or pouring over new information, analyzing data and researching things

although he might never say it out loud, he actually thinks that you're really cute; he loves your eyes and gets lost in them a lot. if you ever call yourself "fluffy", get ready for a 20-minute lecture about how you're beautiful and perfect the way you are and that's that

loooves drawing with you and gets you a lot of art-related gifts (although he doesn't mind doing any of your other hobbies with you ^^)

he also likes insects/bugs and spiders, and is happy that finally he found someone else who isn't grossed out by them he actually has a pet tarantula named Ekii 👀 so hopefully you like tarantulas haha

won't ever force you to open up about things, especially if it's about your past or anything triggering for you

you'll probably have to get used to hanging out with Puppeteer a lot as well-- I promise, he sort of gets better the more you get to know him (emphasis on 'sort of')

he draws you a lot and would be really touched (although he wouldn't say so) if you did the same to him

he's really interested in your empath abilities and how that works. asks a lot of clarifying questions and soaks all of the new information up

since Helen is also a bit of a perfectionist, he understands and tries to get you to be a bit easier on yourself will literally force you to stop working and go take a walk if he needs to

speaking of which-- nature walks, hikes, camping, he loves the forest too!!

although he listens to a lot of different styles, he's glad that at least once person enjoys classical music as well; he likes turning it on quietly in the background while he works :3

to make a long story short; he absolutely loves and adores you, especially since he can understand you so well although he's not an empath, he understands your emotions very well and would do anything for you ^^ <3

#creepypasta #creepypasta matchups #helen otis #creepypasta x reader

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yuvon-writes-letters · 3 years

Note

Hey guys :)

Maybe I'm going chronological for one time, so I can sort my thoughts easier.

Yeah, Goldie's much mire active than I would've thought, too. But they did all those things to keep me alive and kind of save, since we still don't know who they are exactly working against. (I mean, we don't know who Goldie exactly is either, but you get my point)

Honestly, I am pretty sure the TSB timeline is continuing, at least if my theory that Goldie just set me back in an alternate timeline is true. In this case I feel sorry for TSB, though..Extremely sorry. He still was 'my' Jake back then, even though he acted weird in the end (maybe was manipulated by entities). I mean, if what he wrote was true he went with authorities. And in the end..this could've been his downfall.

And yeah, maybe I'm not exactly safe, but I just have to go back. If I go, and if I lose my job, I have some things to sort out. And Jake luckily agreed with me that clearing up my desk isn't the worst thing I can do before leaving. We're still thinking about a location, which I could luckily deside myself. Max agreed on that. Even though he still has some doubts. (I mean, of course...His cousin opened the door with bruises all over her face.) He did promise to not ask any questions until I feel ready, though. That gives myself and Jake some time to figure that out.

And also, Jake is right! We have three Jakes and three smart people. YUVON. And of course Goldie, like you said Yu :) And some information about the previous timeline. (And that was it with being chronological)

So yeah, like I said, Max and I'll go. And I also think we can be pretty certain now that the message came from Goldie not the MWAF (which is relieving). I saw the messages and they didn't make Jake the bad guy. I honestly just don't think I can quote them yet. (They're too good, but I probably start daydreaming if I do) But they talk about Jake being an important part of my life and my heart and Max protecting me when he cannot. My dear cousin jumped to conclusions when he saw my bruised face. About Max' phone...I'll probably throw it in a river or something if he brings it with him. I told him not to, also because of Jake (he's not only worried about the MWAF apparently...He didn't exactly say it out loud, but I think it's pretty obvious) but he loves this device.

And I emphasize with you about the being kidnapped thing, you'll manage it, I know it :) And if I need to jump dimensions and box some sense into your Crow-Crew xD

No but for real, you can do that. I know it :)

Jake, find a good point in time to talk to her. But do it :)

Otherwise, I still think the 'underlying desire' theory is a possibility! But, like always in the moment, we could be wrong.

As for my stasis, I really do not wish to talk to more people who think I've been kidnapped. And I am a bit scared that could somehow lead to either them or me being in more danger again. But for now we have to wait.

I for now will pack some important things and paper & pens xD I don't want to leave y'all behind :P

Liska🐾🔥

[A screenshot is glued to the back of the letter and the quick sentence "Jake wants to talk to Jake" is written above]

Hello Jake, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am not quite sure in which way Liska will handle giving you my message, but she promised me to not read it for now.

I don't know whether she told you before or not, but as far as I am concerned she realised I am not only worried about the MWAF chasing her.

With me breaking out of this stasis I am sure that my followers aren't that far behind. And I know you can't do anything from where you are, but cross checking way to protect her doesn't seem to bad to me. Especially since we are similar but still fairly different from each other. At least it seems like that from what I have read.

For my part, I recently improved and updated Nym-OS which allows me access to Liskas whereabouts. If Yuvon should read this, she knows and agrees to it.

Still I am yet stuck on one little detail: I am trying to help Nym-OS in counterattacking. So, even though I am sure you already knoe this yourself, Nym-OS gets the ability to access location of the people attacking Liskas phone. I am almost done with that, so we are able to see a bit easier if and where people are that could be a danger.

Do you have any other ideas for ways I could help? Or even improve what I am doing momentarily. I wouldn't normally ask this since I know and trust my skills, but I think that this is fairly different from a 'normal situation'.

~ Jake

Lis,

Um. I don't know if you've seen the newest person to send in a letter, but we now have an issue.

Jessy, if you're reading this, I was sort of trying to avoid talking about this right away but I'm sort of trapped in a weird place, and Jake's here too because I'm a dumbass. I did not, so you know, let him read your letter or my reply. I figured you wouldn't want that. Sorry for dancing around the issue earlier :/ But at least you can get a good sample of the complete insanity we go through on the regular now!

Yeah... you're getting thrown into the deep end right now, aren't you. Sorry. There's no way to ease into this. You should probably either stop reading these entirely or start reading the letters from the beginning, so this will all at least make some sense. The first letter should start with the words "To whoever reads this," just so you know you get the right one.

Back to you, Lis. Yeah, I feel pretty bad for TSB Jake too. I honestly can't imagine being in his position right now.

Alright. So, you can choose the place. Great! There's way less chance of you being caught that way...

Tragedies just seem to be happening to all us Duskwood detectives, recently, don't they? Rai is chronically overworked and barely has time to sleep, I'm stuck in this hellhole and I've been forgotten by most everyone, you were shot, and poor Matt died and... well.

I never knew him, but I feel really bad for him :(

You could give Max half the truth. Tell him you have a stalker, and he's starting to get physical. Jake has been trying to help you get away from the asshole. It's not even a lie, just... not the full truth. Because. You know. The whole truth is completely fucking insane.

Writing to Jessy just put into perspective how insane everything is, I think. Gimme a sec.

Oh, fuck. My Jessy just texted me. Great timing.

Jeez that whole thing with me leaving myself out was just a joke XD If I knew you and Jake would take it so seriously, I'd never have said anything. I'll steer clear from now on.

Yeah, okay, definitely Goldie. That makes way more sense. I don't think you have to be quite so drastic as destroying the phone. Just get him to leave it at home for the trip.

Ahaha, thanks. I don't think that's necessary, though. Actually, seeing future!Jessy's perspective has caused a bit of a paradigm shift. I think I might need to reconsider what all to tell and not to tell the Crow Crew. I just sort of default to keeping things secret, now, but you've seen how well that worked for me with you and Rai, and with Jake.

Again, you probably should wait for them to contact you first, but you WILL need to talk to them when that happens. What you say to them and what you don't is up to you.

Pack a couple different pens XD We're all a bit long-winded.

That's all from me :)

(The handwriting changes to Jake's.) Hallo, Lis.

Yuvon refuses to tell me what precisely she means about Jessica. Was she somehow contacted by an alternate version of Jessica? If so, how?

I am glad it was Goldie who contacted Max. Yuvon's suggestion for an excuse seems a good one, as there are far less things to remember that way. You simply need to oversimplify everything.

I do not, unfortunately, entirely believe that Yuvon was joking when she made that comment, based on previous comments and her ongoing guilt. I can't understand sometimes why she feels the need to lie so much. It is difficult for me to read people, much less her.

I will speak to her eventually. Early tomorrow, perhaps, if nothing else rears its head. Yuvon looks tired, and I am also admittedly not at my peak. I sincerely hope she does not wake up as early as she does every single day. It may get somewhat taxing, what with the lack of coffee here.

I think that is all from me to you, Lis. If you would kindly find a way to send the next section to my counterpart without looking at it, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you :)

—Jake and Yuvon

Jake,

It is a pleasure to meet you as well, despite the unusual circumstances.

That our pursuers may be freed from the stasis is a logical conclusion. Seeing as the last known location I had on them in my universe was approximately five hundred miles from Duskwood, they will likely be some of the first to free themselves from the stasis. I do not believe I need to warn you that time is of the essence.

It seems as if I am a small distance ahead of you in the development of countermeasures, perhaps because I have had more linear time to develop them. If you are where I think you are at in the development, you likely have or will soon hit a bug you cannot pin down that makes the pinpointing mechanism simply refuse to work at all. Presuming your and my version of NYM-0S are similar enough, the issue should lie in the public bool set in line 132 of the third part of the targeting script, the script that decides what constitutes a target; you have it defaulted to "false" where it should default to "true".

As for additional countermeasures: I was attempting to work on a rudimentary automated system of pattern detection when I was brought here. Essentially, its function would be such that it would be able to triangulate using the locator features already installed to find a rough estimate of where their headquarters might be. However, I have not found any way thus far to eliminate outliers, and as such the feature is currently next to useless. I am no longer able to work on the code, but perhaps you will have more luck than I did.

That is all I can think of for the moment on that subject. However, I have an odd theory on what may be part of the reason we vary so. If you have a moment to spare, please answer me this:

When I was very young, back when Mother was still around, she took me to a doctor for odd behaviors. This included not looking people in the eyes, but there was a list. I was given a diagnosis; if you had the same experience, you should likely know which one.

Did you have this experience? If so, please prove it by stating what the diagnosis was.

Do not worry if you do not know what I am talking about; I would rather you did not guess. Simply state that you don't know. It will confirm my theory.

Good luck with your pursuers.

—Jake

(The letter tucks itself in the paper clip with the others.)

#duskwood letter game #yuvon writes letters #duskwood #duskwood game #duskwood everbyte #duskwood jake #lis #this isn't precisely a puzzle #it's a genuine question on jake's end #you aren't expected to answer unless your jake is the same

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thesims4blogger · 4 years

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The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting: Knitting Deep Dive

SimGuruConnor has released a forum post providing details on The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting!

Welcome back to our latest – and last! – Deep Dive into the gameplay of The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. I’ve really enjoyed sharing the designs and development of this pack with you, and I hope to continue doing these sorts of posts in the future. It’s been a super cool experience, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these!

In today’s post I’ll talk about the feature that is core to everything in this pack, Knitting! Once again, I have to remind you that we’re still in active development on the pack and so some things may change between now and the final game.

Now, let’s talk about some nifty knits!

We have one more knitting basket coming too! Remember this one?

Your projects are saved to your Sim, so you can pause your progress at any time and resume later, and even juggle multiple projects at once. Starting a project costs a small amount of Simoleons for the cost of yarn, but nothing too outrageous.

(Children can knit too!)

As a Sim levels up their knitting skill they’ll have access to new patterns. They’ll start with knitting socks and beanies, but as they grow more skilled they can tackle more challenging projects like sweaters and toys for kids. But if you only want to specialize in one thing – perhaps knitted mailbox cozies? – that’s fine too! Just keep knitting anything and everything, and you’ll be level 10 before you know it.

Speaking of knitting skill, sometimes your skill is reflected in your knitted work, or rather your lack of skill. Knitting projects can fail, and when they fail they can get weird. But it’s all subjective, and maybe you’ll end up accidentally knitting the cutest derpy companion, or the perfectly itchy sweater. No mistakes, only happy accidents!

(Just own it.)

One of the niftiest parts of the knitting skill is unlocking the ability to Teach to Knit, where Sims sit down together and have a knitting pow-wow. We wanted this to feel special, so we got a really sweet animation for it (Thanks Haeju!). Now that you can infect other Sims with the knitting bug, no yarn ball will be safe!

(The knitting needles aren’t finished on the Teach To Knit interaction yet, but trust me it’s SUPER CUTE.)

So, what can you do with all these knitting projects? Lots of stuff!

Not only can knitted objects be listed on Plopsy, but you can also Donate them to charity. If you want to surprise a loved one, try Gifting a knitted object too. If you want to destroy all traces of your knitted failures, you can Frog the object and start again! If it’s a particularly nice Sweater that you made, consider Adding it to Wardrobe to make it available in Create-A-Sim to all family members.

(Everyone appreciates a nice gift!)

We want Sims to be able to knit something for their whole family. Not only will Sims be able to knit Toddler Onesies, but Baby Onesies as well. So put your little grubworm in a handmade knitted outfit. I’m sure they’d thank us if they could! (And if they didn’t like it I’m sure they’d be polite about it.)

(Here’s a sneak peek at some of the concept art for new clothing for the littlest of Sims!)

It also felt like a good idea to add an Aspiration to tie this passion for knitting all together. So if you want to master the fuzzy art of knitting, consider signing your Sim up for the Lord(or Lady) of the Knits Aspiration. With yarn running through your veins, there will be no knitting mountain too hard to conquer! Master the Aspiration and you’ll be rewarded with the Sacred Knitting Knowledge trait. What does it do? Lots of stuff! What does it unlock? Something special! Am I being vague? I am! Come on guys, I can’t share all the secrets quite yet.

Now let’s have a chat with our lead Object Modeler, Beth Mohler!

Conor: Can you tell us a little bit about what an Object Modeler does on The Sims 4?

Beth: As an object modeler I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to make objects work in The Sims 4. This is actually a very involved process, and somewhat different from the wonderful work our environment team does. We work with designers, concept artists, engineers, animators, vfx artists (basically everyone!) to make sure that Sims can use an object properly in an animation, or that all of our objects will work with each other. Once we understand the design for a new object, we will create a rig, a block model (a very generic version of the object used to help us make more of the same object in the future), and a footprint (tells us where the object can go and how Sims move around it). Once those are tested by animators and other disciplines we can model the final version, create UVs, and add textures. We also hook up and test everything in the game to make sure it all looks good. There is a lot to think about when it comes to making objects because we know players can find so many interesting ways to place and use them in game. That makes it a very fun challenge to make them work with everything else we’ve built before.

Conor: What feature are you most excited to work on in Nifty Knitting Stuff?

Beth: I’d say I am most excited to work on the rocking chairs! I love that we are bringing them to the game and can’t wait to see them in some cozy living rooms or on porches.

Conor: What are some of the challenges you are facing working on this pack?

Beth: One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that the knitting itself looks good and is fun to watch! This is a challenge given that it needs to work for everything you can create. Figuring this out takes a lot of iteration between modeling, animation, engineering, design, and art direction so that we come to a conclusion that will work the best given our time and technical constraints.

Another interesting “challenge” is the fact that I crochet as a hobby myself! When you are knowledgeable about something (yarn!) in real life, working on it in the game it can sometimes be hard to separate the things you know and may expect in reality from what is possible or best within a video game. I have to make sure to keep a balance and to conceptualize how we can best convert the knitting experience into The Sims 4. As someone who also generally enjoys interior design and architecture, this is actually one of my favorite challenges and one of the things I love about working on objects in The Sims 4.

Conor: What is your favorite feature you have ever worked on in The Sims 4?

Beth: I think it has to be a tie between the mini fridge or the robotics table in Discover University. That pack was the first time I got to really take an entire feature from start to finish. I’ve been with Maxis for a while, but I’m relatively new to The Sims 4. Both of these objects had some complex features we wanted that required a lot of iteration. I learned a ton about the technical aspects of our game during the process as well. I’ve also worked on a few very cool things between then and now, but those can’t be shared yet ; )

As a fan of The Sims since the very beginning I am so happy to be able to share a little about what I do on a daily basis on The Sims 4 with you! I haven’t been on The Sims 4 for quite as long overall, but some of you may also recognize me from my time on Sims Mobile where I shared some of our workflows on Twitter for making a juice bar. Thanks!

Conor: You shared a screenshot of the In-Progress Rocking Chair in our Rocking Chair Deep Dive. Can you share an updated screenshot now that the Rocking Chair is further along?

Beth: I would love to! I hope everyone has been enjoying seeing the progress on this object so far! Here it is a little further along. This program allows us to set the rules for the object materials, footprint size and rig it should use, as well as all the color variants and swatch colors you see in the catalog.

While this concludes my design Deep Dives, we still have more forum posts with development insights on the way! Keep checking the Community Stuff Pack forum and we’ll have more fun stuff to show off in the weeks to come.

Until next time, SimGuruConor

#news #ts4 #sims 4 #the sims 4 #stuff pack

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sarcastic-space-gal · 4 years

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Cross Paths (Part 2)

Pairing: The Mandalorian x female Reader;

WordCount: 3k;

Warnings: Blood, violence, kinda slow burn?, fluff;

Summary: On Tatooine the Mandalorian is helped by a misterious woman.

A/N: This is part 2 of “Cross Paths” hope you enjoy it and thank you for the lovely comment on the previous part! Feedback is always appreciated. Love you all xoxo

Few months passed since you joined Mando on the Razor Crest as you two grew closer everyday. Even if he didn’t talk much, it was clear that your presence on his ship was refreshing, not only for him but for the Child too.

Life as a crew member was really busy and exhausting but you were really happy to be on board with them. And you weren’t the only one thinking so. Din’s life definitely changed since you joined him, from the smallest things to the bigger ones. Besides providing all the help he needed to fix the ship and keep the supplies well-stocked, you helped him with the baby. A woman instinct, you thought.

Many times Din had found you in the middle of the night with the baby cradled in your arms while humming a soft lullaby to soothe him. That was one of those nights. Din already knew that waking up and going down to the child’s sleeping quarters was unnecessary by now, because every time he would start crying you would quickly sprint to the crib and place him into your arms. But Din didn’t care. It became usual for him leaning on the door frame, enjoying the sound of your voice. Watching you while you weren’t aware of it always made him feel free, he could forget for a moment that he had sworn to the Creed, that he couldn’t took off his helmet in front of you, that you couldn’t see him. Then you smiled and giggled a little to the baby, and all his worries washed away. That lovely sound always made his legs weak and his heart falter.

“There you go, don’t cry little one” you whispered to his big ears. At the sound of your voice, the child immediately calmed down and continued with his usual gurgling sound.

With your messy hair, the sleepy and groggy expression drawn on your face due to the sudden awakening, Din could only think at how beautiful you were. Many times he found himself looking at you, how gracefully your hands moved while doing something, how your lips curved in a smile every morning, it almost made his heart ache. He could sense you warmth even from behind the cool beskar armor. That feeling was nothing he had never felt for someone and he couldn’t ignored it anymore.

Little he knew that you felt the same for him. You were not sure what to think about it but you knew that your bond was special and unique, full of gestures and short conversations, even if lately the situation was changing as he started talking to you more and more while still remaining quiet most of the time. Mando’s modulated voice was now familiar as much as the little cooing sounds that the child made throughout the day.

After flying around space for what seemed like months you had finally arrived to your next destination. Living with a bounty hunter meant being forced to relocate very often; the more you stood in one place more easily you were to find, but you didn’t mind at all.

“So what is our next destination?” you had just put the child to rest in his crib and took the seat next to Mando.

“Alkaris. It’s not ideal, but we need to resupply” he stated. The Razor Crest was still going in hyperdrive and in a matter of minutes you’d have reached the planet.

Alkaris was a small planet, sparsely inhabited, perfect to remain hidden from the bounty hunters that were still searching for both Mando and the child. “Alright, I’m gonna make sure everything is ready for the landing”

“I can help you” quickly typing on the controls he put the Razor Crest in autopilot and followed you down where you kept all the supplies. As you searched through the shelves you could feel his eyes on you, you weren’t sure of course because of the helmet, but you could swear it.

“Have you ever been on this planet before?” you asked to distract your thoughts.

“No, we’ll have to do an inspection after we land”

You hummed in response. “It will be fun”

Din stayed quiet for a few moments trying to calm down after hearing the teasing tone in your voice. The distract himself even more he started searching through the objects to put in the bag.

While he was trying to catch a charge from the shelf he absentmindedly reached for it and felt it was different than expected. When he looked up, he couldn’t hold back the heat that went up to his cheeks: your hand was under his and your head was now turned to him, as you blushed vigorously with wide, surprised eyes. At first, Din looked down to your hands and then up to your face.

“Uhm sorry” he stuttered a little.

“It’s okay” looking away quickly you hoped that he wouldn’t notice your face as it became more red as time went by, but you couldn’t hold back the tiny smile that emerged on your lips.

Physical contact was still something new for Din, but deep down he sensed the need, the desire to feel that sensation again.

“I’m gonna go up”

“Yeah sure, I’ll finish this and I’ll be right there”

All your bags where ready and you were already sitting back into your seat in the cockpit. After few minutes, Mando shut down the hyperdrive and the Razor Crest stopped right in front of your destination. Alkaris was full of vegetation from what you could tell from up above by the bright green color spread around its surface, and you were so glad to not stop by another barren, desert-like planet.

The landing was smooth and undisturbed until the child started making a strange noise, it almost sounded like a wailing. You immediately went to grab him “What is it little one?”

Din cocked his head to the side so that he could see you two.

“Maybe he is just a little nervous”

After the child had stopped lamenting, you put him in his crib and headed off with Mando to the hanger door.

“One of should stay here with the baby” you said “I can go”

“No” he immediately responded. Was he concerned? No, that was just your mind, making up things.

“What? Why? I can handle myself” you argued “If something come closer to the ship, the baby will need you more than me”

But I need you too, Din thought.

He sighed heavily, the main distinctive feature of the Mandalorian. “We don’t know what inhabits this planet”

“I’ll just do a quick inspection of our surroundings, I won’t wander off” you smiled softly.

Wordlessly, Din’s hands went to his belt and took out a blaster “Take this”

You felt a burst of excitement going through your body: he trusted you.

Taking the weapon and shoving it in the gun belt you pressed a button and the hanger door opened with a metallic sound. You were about to step down the ship when you felt a soft gloved hand on your upper arm.

“Just be careful y/n”

A soft breeze caressed your cheeks lightly as the trees started rustling around you, soft chirping sounds made their way to your ears while you walked down the path. This planet wasn’t so bad after all. You quite liked it actually. After all those month wandering around space was nice to just enjoy a little calm and peaceful place to stay. Not that you minded travel across the galaxy with your boys, but for once it was good for all of you to breathe some fresh air. While striding down the grass, your mind drifted back at what happened before. It was a small gesture but it meant a lot to you, you two had broken a wall that you didn’t even know was there. In some way, that hand on top of yours was a sign, a confirmation.

After few minutes of walking you reached the end of the forest and you could see a small city peeking through as some inhabitant could be seen wandering in and out his gates.

Noticing the sun was going down pretty fast you decided to head back to the Razor Crest.

Arriving to were you landed you spotted Mando waiting for you leaned on the door frame looking into your direction. As soon as he saw you he lifted from his previous position and watched you as you approached.

“There’s a small city just two miles away from here in that direction” you pointed with your hand from were you came “We can leave tomorrow morning”

He nodded and entered again in the ship.

The night was already dark as you cleaned up the table after having a light supper with Mando and the child who was now waving his hand trying to reach out to you. You thought you could melt after that look. You picked him up and started pacing while swinging your arms. When suddenly something caught the attention of the baby as he started cooing happily towards the window.

“What is it?”

Din had already cocked his head up and stood, slowly joining you two near the window.

“Mando look!”

Peeking outside the night was now less dark as small lights were now floating magically in the air. A swarm of fireflies was flying in an unknown destination.

“Come on let’s go” you said happily sprinting towards the hanger door, opening it immediately.

“Y/n wait!”

Too late, you were already outside staring up to the sky surrounded by those little luminous bugs. The child cooed while indicating the ground and you instantly knew he wanted to walk for a bit, so you placed him down and as soon as he touched the soil, he started bouncing around trying to catch the little innocent fireflies.

Giggling, you turned your head to find Mando looking down at you. What you couldn’t see was his expression under that helmet. You couldn’t see the bright smile he had now drawn on his face, you couldn’t feel how his heart filled with happiness, you couldn’t sense the pure joy he was feeling.

Din always thought that his family were the Mandalorians who saved him and made him become what it is know, he was immensely grateful for that. But since you entered in his life, everything changed. You were his family now.

He stepped down the ship and approached you. Surrounded by all those lights your eyes shined like stars in the darkest night: he was enraptured by you.

“It’s beautiful here”

“Yes”

“Not that I don’t like traveling across the galaxy, I like it, I’m happy to be your crew member”

“Thank you for joining me”

“I wish we could stay here forever” slowly you turned your head to face him “With you Mando” you whispered. Your heart was hammering in you chest.

He stood quiet and you instantly regret what you just said as your body stiffened a little.

“Din” he stated, but you could sense a hint of nervousness.

“Come again?”

“My name. My real name is Din”

“Din” you echoed. Hearing his name slipping through your lips was blissful.

Few weeks had passed since that night as you three started to get used to the peaceful environment. Also, you started to get used to call Din by his real name. You knew how important was for him his vow to the Creed and how much meant for him sharing his name with you. Knowing that he trusted you so much that he could share that kind of secret with you made your stomach fill with butterflies.

That morning was exactly like the others: you were just heading back to the ship after a brief visit to the city, which you had already visited many times by now. All seemed normal when suddenly Din stopped in his track cocking his head to the side.

With furrowed eyebrows you turned completely. It was feeble but you both heard it. A beeping sound. Before you couldn’t even realize it, blasters started firing at you from every direction.

“Get back inside!” Din had took out his weapon and he was already shooting mercilessly.

“I can fight, remember?” sprinting towards the hunters you started firing back.

In the meantime the hunters were approaching the ship quickly, revealing their faces to you two and followed by that tedious beeping sound.

You had already took down some men but you didn’t notice that man coming from behind you as he kicked you in the back. You stumbled and fell to the ground.

From the corner oh his eyes Din had seen you fall and he turned completely to see your body lying down.

“Y/n!” he shouted. Distracted, he didn’t see the man firing at him and hitting him in the arm where it was not covered by the beskar armor. But before he could shoot again at him he was already on the ground with a hole in his stomach.

When Din turned his head again, you were on you feet, shooting at the last man who fell to his knees right after. Out of breath you shoved you blaster back into the gun belt and glanced at Din who was running in your direction.

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” he demanded anxiously seeing your painful expression.

“That one kicked my in the back, coward” His jaw clenched, but you couldn’t see it.

Under his helmet, Din was fuming in rage, he had never felt such fury for someone, not until someone lied his finger on you.

“How did they know that we were here?”

“I don’t know”

Looking around still thinking there was someone hiding, Din’s glare landed on the ship and saw a little pulsating light. He quickly went to inspect it and found a tracking device attached to the right engine.

Even more furious he punched it, making him shatter in pieces.

“More will come, they know our position”

Din sighed heavily.

“You’re bleeding” a pretty long gash was down his arm, with blood slowly oozing out of it.

“It’s superficial”

“But it can get infected, come on let’s go inside”

You two walked inside and closed the door while Din went to the cockpit to engage security protocols. The child was safe in his crib and you left a relieved sigh when you saw him gurgling happily at you. As you tried to lean down to pet him your back ached, making you gasp a little.

“Tomorrow I’ll show off my new purple and red bruise for sure”

It’s gonna be a painful night, you thought.

At the sound of your gasp, Din appeared immediately.

“Let me help you” he stated

“There’s no need”

“I want to” he insisted.

Your head went up to meet his helmet and you smiled softly.

“Only if you let me help you” Sighing he nodded.

“You first” you said.

Down in his sleeping quarters, he sat down on his little bed, waiting for you to gather all the supplies you needed.

You sat in front of him and looked at the wound: in order to clean it up properly you needed to remove the fabric.

“I- uhm, need to cut this off” your eyes were searching for his under the helmet for approval. He nodded wordlessly. Gently you removed his glove, your movements controlled and soft as you felt his bare skin for the first time. You heart almost skipped a beat and the same did his.

Cutting the ripped fabric off you could see most of his strong arm. He had a muscular arm and a sun kissed skin that was now partially covered in crimson. You felt the heat rising to your cheeks so you turned immediately to take the gauze soaked in disinfectant.

“This is gonna sting a little”

At the touch of your soft hands on his bare skin he felt his heart hammering in his chest. Then, when your fingers met his palm he had to force his hand to be still and at the same time feeling the need to melt under you warm touch.

Disinfectant, bacta spray and gauze to cover it. Done. Cleaning up the blood-stained gauze you felt a stinging pain in your right shoulder. Turning your head you saw a little drop of blood coming through the fabric. Your head went up but Din had already saw it.

“I must have catch something when I fell”

“You turn” he said with a hint of playfulness at which you smirked.

The playfulness in his tone faded when you removed the fabric from your shoulder exposing your bare skin to him.

“Can I?” he asked, hesitant to touch you.

“Of course” smiling you tried to hide your red face from him. Vainly.

When the disinfectant touched your skin your features twitched in pain.

“There’s a piece of wood stuck inside”

“Make it quick” your eyes shut as your free hand was hooked into you knee.

“Hold onto me” Din suddenly said.

Opening your eyes you nodded a little before placing your hand on his leg.

Even without a medical training, Din was really good at it. The wooden piece was out in just a minute and your shoulder was already wrapped up, when a sound coming from the cockpit caught your ears as you quickly made your way up.

On hologram appeared from the controls. It was a man, you didn’t know who he was. But Din did.

“Din Djarin, Mandalorian, Mando. I think you have something that belongs to me. The asset. I would prefer to avoid any further violence and encourage a moment of consideration. I took control of Nevarro, and if you don’t come meet me, with the asset, I’ll send all my ships to come and get you. I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold Din Djarin. I await your arrival with optimism”

The ship fell silent again.

“Who is he?” you asked in utter confusion.

Din kept looking at were the hologram was and responded.

“Moff Gideon”

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#the mandalorian x reader #mandalorian x reader #din djarin #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian #pedro pascal #baby yoda #the mandalorian reader insert #the mandalorian x you #din djarin x you #din djarin reader insert

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darkestwolfx · 4 years

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Hyperspeed - Re-Review #51

So, Scott’s back! He’s obviously been making the most of that vacation time Virgil mentioned, or maybe sorting out things for Tracy Industries? Who knows, choose what you like, but he’s back in blue!

And it’s another high-speed, runaway train (of sorts). He get all the best jobs, doesn’t he?

And hello to you David Tennant (aka Tycho Reeves, billionaire inventor), thank you for joining us in this great episode of TAG looking very like yourself.

Is anyone else getting 10th Doctor vibes? All we need now are his 3D glasses and the look is complete. Really though, they even put him in blue!

So this is the Hypercar - it’s like the next addition to the monorail or the underground (evolved obviously, the underground is redundant by 2060). It’s even faster than FireFlash apparently. That’s saying something.

Now, let’s meet Gertie Bunson - the next annoying reporter to grace TAG with her presence. Really, let’s just stop writing in reporters hey? That’s an idea right there.

“An excited crowds awaits the arrival of the very first Hypercar, which should be here any minute now! Isn’t that right Tycho?”

“Less than a minute in fact. We’ll be pulling to Nightbridge Station in sixteen seconds. Hmm, that’s two seconds early.”

A whole two seconds? To most people, that would go completely unnoticed. Two minutes on the other hand, that we tend to notice. Two seconds? I’m not a clock watcher.

“Here they come now! This is where Tycho and his guest will be arriving- whoa! Wasn’t it supposed to stop?”

Well, if you hadn’t asked that, Gertie, we might never have guessed that was the intention - you know, always try and cover your mistakes.

And then - in very 10th Doctor fashion - Tycho starts rambling on (like all great scientists apparently do) about the size of bugs. Oh, but, did we mention they’re still speeding up? Oopps.

Time to make that call, I think.

John is clearly taking his turn for vacation time now as Grandma’s at the desk doing a spell of monitor duty. At least it keeps her out of the kitchen!

“If anybody can catch up to you it’s us!”

Yep! Now we get to see them try. Love high speed chases me.

“Boys, sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep with an early morning emergency, but these people need help.”

“Time to fly.”

“And I’ll try to work out what has gone wrong with this amazingly brilliant design!”

Sleepy? Wake up as quick as you like, Scott, but ideally before you pilot One, and ideally before the Hypercar crashes. Gosh, really, what has that boy been doing since ‘Long Haul’?

“Closing in on the Hypertube now. Any luck figuring out what’s gone wrong Brains? Brains?”

“Uh, I think your friend may be a tad... starstruck.”

A tad? Brains is literally frozen starting with blinky eyes.

“I’m your number one fan!”

“Well Brains, if you ever want to meet Tycho in person, we better to figure out how to stop his car.”

And then Brains does the sciency bit with a whole lot of praise thrown in. It’s like the opposite of an episode featuring Langstrom Fischler, no negative vibes here please.

“I’ll be able to rescue you after the hypercar makes a water landing.”

“No!

“Absolutely not! We’re travelling in a vacuum.”

“Hitting the atmosphere at mach eight would be like-”

“-slamming into a brick wall.”

Nice try, Scott, but it seems like you’re on delivery boy duty. I love Brains and Tycho finishing each other’s sentences.

I can’t believe this screenshot is like nowhere over the internet! Seriously Gertie being blown away by Thunderbird One’s landing due to her own stupidity is absolutely class entertainment.

“We’ve been told to evacuate the platform as Thunderbird One lands, but we’re not gonna miss a chance to bring you this thrilling live shot of- whoa! Let’s move back a bit shall we?”

It’s like Ned Cook (TOS) reincarnated. Or maybe he finally married, or had a sister we never knew about.

He looks so happy! Honestly though, I would too if I could have a friend like mini-MAX. I want one.

“If you check your sash, you’ll find a new tool of your own.”

“Thanks Brains, but what does it- Whoa!”

“Meet Mini-MAX.”

“Brains, you always surprise me.”

“Just one question. How do you expect your hypercar to catch up with Tycho’s?

“I don’t expect to catch them. I expect them to catch me.”

“I’ve begun to question the merits of this plan!”

You and me both Tycho. I know Scott lives for a bit of speed and danger but this is a new one.

“You must go faster Scott!”

“Kinda already knew that Brains.”

Tycho is a smart man. I would have strapped in as well.

“Good job! How did you make it go faster?”

“I’m not exactly sure.”

“I’ll try and figure out what you and Mini-MAX did. It may lead us to the problem.”

Now look at Mini-MAX holding on for dear life!

Good idea Brains! Let’s check in with Tycho and the others in their Hypercar, shall we?

“Bet you didn’t know you’d be getting a demonstration of our Collision Protection System, ey?”

“I feel like a balloon animal.”

Where as I saw this, and instantly my brain went;

It’s the Michelin Man!

No, seriously, it is, and he says hello;

And during these testing times, there’s something for everyone. You can join his lockdown running classes;

Or something steadier and calmer, like his yoga classes;

Feel the zen!

Or there’s even dancing classes!

P.S. Wait until we get to the end of the review, I swear this is where Brains gets his moves from. You’ll see, trust me. (And if you’re new to the Re-Review Series, my brains wonders a lot so... and if you’re not new to it, you should have expected to see this).

Right, back to impending doom;

“Tycho, so nice to finally meet you! Virtually at least.”

“Oh, impressive invention!”

It’s like Brains gets to achieve his dream meeting! That little mechanical hand is never getting washed.

Mini-MAX is great, really, I want one, but I’m with Scott here;

“Uh, guys, sorry to interrupt but uh, imminent doom?”

I called that!

“Right.”

“RAD.”

“Tycho’s design appears to be perfect. So the problem must have been a manufacturing error when the car was built.”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing. If the throttle is working, one of the plasma plugs must have machined improperly.

“Oh no.”

“Ah, a couple of bad plasma plugs should be pretty easy to fix.”

You obviously weren’t listening to Brains crucial “oh no” there Scott.

“Fixing them is the easy part, but reaching them is next to impossible.”

“The plasma plug assembly can only be accessed from outside the car. Specifically, underneath it.”

“Got ya.”

I love Mini-MAX clipping Scott to the train. I would trust Mini-MAX over my own self any day.

“Looks like a fun place to hang out.”

What is it with Scott and ‘hanging’ out? This does not look like my idea of fun, thank you very much. I would like to keep myself upright, and maybe in one of those comfy seats feeling like a balloon animal. That sounds appealing whilst the world falls apart... if you need me, I’ll be waiting out with the collision protection system and the Michelin Man.

Joke, I’ll be here working and writing the Re-Reviews! I would now like a balloon animal though...

“Dropping even a single bolt would be catastrophic!”

“I don’t think that’s going to be hard to remember Brains!”

At least we’ve graduated from ‘Runaway’ where Brains insisted Scott take notes. That would be a little impossible here, after all. The notepad would be blown away!

Borrowed just a few of Virgil’s power tools there, did you Scott? Best return them all in once piece or he might ruin your portrait too. I know he got Tycho’s from the control station, but I couldn’t resist the chance to reference ‘Inferno’ here. Whist we’re on the note of references, here’s another ’Brink of Death’ (TOS) situation.

I love our contest winners;

“That was Grandpa. He loves to go fast.”

“I do!”

“And you don’t?”

“Honestly, we’re just lucky I have thrown up yet.”

I’m with Tycho this time. Oh seems appropriate. I love that we’re breaking stereotypes here (something TAG have done pretty well at in general). You don’t have to be young to love a bit of speed.

“I probably want to replace these one at a time then huh?”

“Yes, and very carefully.”

Oh, uh, what were you saying about remembering? First the drill nearly went down and then- wait, down goes the plasma plug!

“Nice catch!”

Mini-MAX to the rescue.

“One more twist and we’ll finally be able to slow- down!”

Or not. You just had to say it.

I think Brains should have got on the phone to EOS - she knows all about hacking high-speed methods of transportation.

“Why would the speed increase at random like that! If the controls aren’t making the car go faster, then the only way it could be accelerating is... oh no! Tycho, one of your formulas has a small error.”

“Impossible! My calculations were perfect.”

“I thought so too.”

“No! That should be metres per second squared! Oh how could I be so foolish!”

“Even genius’ make mistakes.”

There goes that Scott Tracy trait of forgiveness and acceptance again. I do love it when they show moments like this. Of all the brothers, Scott is the best at staying calm and talking to people, reassuring them that things aren’t always black and white. These scenes were always building towards something, and we’re going to see the real test in the next episode. To do a job like this you have to be selfless, but Scott is almost self-sacrificing (well, the whole family is in a sense), but remember with Kat, for example, Scott had no reason to stay, but he did. It’s just him, and this is an excellent follow through.

“Yes, but my mistake is going to destroy us all! There’s no way for us to stop.”

“Let’s just take a breath and slow down so we can think this through.”

“Slow down...”

“Yeah, that’s the idea.”

“No, slow down! We don’t have to stop the car we just need to be in a slower vehicle that won’t vaporize when it’s hits the atmosphere! Oh, you’re a genius! Right the vehicle will need to be fast enough to reach us with enough thrust to slow down in time.”

“Brains, we need Thunderbird Four inside the Hypertube ASAP. And put it in there backwards.”

The man with a plan is on a roll again!

Cut back to Gertie Bunson reporting again, and a nice little reconstruction on Thunderbird Four’s traditional launch sequence, because Thunderbird Four has arrived! A submersible out of water.

And now we go from Scott Photo Central to squid screen time!

“Um, are we sure this is a good idea?”

Maybe not Gordon, but let’s launch before anyone answers you.

“Bad idea!”

And then you can answer yourself! Great times.

“You’re losing speed, Gordon!”

“Don’t worry, Brains. If I can see it, I can catch it.”

You know, I am jealous of how good an aim every member of this family has. I am rubbish at catch.

“Welcome aboard.”

Gordon steadying Scott is like brilliant. We need more moments of these two for sure.

“It’s working. We’re slowing down.”

“But will it be enough?”

And there go the hypercars... exploding.

“Virgil, they’re loading into Thunderbird Four, get ready to show them a way out.”

“FAB.”

And because you’ve got to get a daily dose of Virgil in there;

“Let’s hope you guys make a slower, gentler exit.”

“Hey, I’m nothing if not gentle! Brace for impact!”

We’ll ignore the oxymoron there.

“We made it! We didn’t burn up!”

Yeah, just give away to the poor civilians that you weren’t expecting to survive, Gordon. That’s really reassuring.

“Did you guys have a plan for how to land this thing?”

It’s Gordon and Virgil, Scott. There’s always a plan. Even if it’s a little improvised or thrown together at the last minute.

“Um, kinda.”

Just another mid-air catch of Thunderbird Four, nothing special to see here, folks.

Who am I kidding? Bring in the applause! We’ve seen this move in ‘Extraction’ and ‘Clean Sweep’ and Virgil never gets it wrong. Takes talent.

“Everyone ok?”

“Can we do that again!”

“No thanks.”

Yeah, I’m with Tycho again. Just watching it made my head spin.

“Big thanks to International Rescue for saving our lives.”

“And for the thrill of a lifetime.”

Nice to get a thank you in there for once.

More high fives! Is there a gif set of the TAG high fives yet? Keep them coming I like them. Nice happy moments, high fives. Brains has basically just got his dream come true!

Of this I have no wordable description, and it looks like Grandma doesn’t either.

Do you see?

Look at Mini-MAX! He’s like a robot version of a dog. I really want one, and I’m sad we never see him again! Bye Mini-MAX!

“I did - finally - get you to London.”

“Thanks, but um... how are we getting back to Tokyo?”

“Oh... yes, uh... Scott?”

Yeah, just turn to our ideas man. He’ll always come up with something. It’s a little like TOS ‘Cry Wolf’ here, where Scott lets Tony and Bob ride in Thunderbird One. He’s a crowd pleaser, this one.

“Want to go for a ride?”

“Wow!”

“Oh um, that would be great I guess.”

“Now, tell me about those engines.”

That smile of Tycho’s as they walk to Thunderbird One - goodness I love how much is contained in that single expression.

Oh, but don’t forget Gertie! Desperately trying to get her scoop - very Ned Cook. Maybe she’s his daughter? I don’t think I entertained that possibility earlier...

“Scott Tracy, any chance we can get a quick interview?”

*Engines start... deliberately*

“You know what? Nevermind. Another time. Maybe.”

What gave it away that he didn’t want to talk to you?

This ending scene is one of my favourite, little sweet moments. After an epic rescue like that, this was needed.

Well, let’s look to Monday for the final episode of Series 2! I can’t believe we’ve already made it this far. We can tell something is coming though - the end credit music had a slight variant to it. The musical score in this series really was on point.

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detroitwhatitmeanstobehuman · 4 years

Text

Chapter 11 - More Than Empathy

Part 11/17 of What it Means to be Human

Word Count: 9025

Warnings: Swearing.

Genre: Self-insert

Pairing: OC (Detective Rachel) X Connor

Rating: Mature

Summary: After potentially finding a lead, Lieutenant Hank Anderson lets Connor and Detective Rachel know that they’re going to see Elijah Kamski, the founder of CyberLife, to ask him questions regarding deviants. Their visit, however, takes a turn as Connor and Rachel, by what seemed to be sheer luck, finally realize their feelings for one another as the ending of the case draws nearer and nearer.

First Chapter | Previous Chapter

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

Waking up to Connor was beginning to be normal. I wasn’t even surprised when I woke up to him shaking me awake, his gentle brown eyes looking up at me. “Wake up, Rachel.”

“Mm?” I was not a morning person. Although, despite my rather prickly attitude, I didn’t usually snap at people in the mornings. Just kind of acknowledge and grumble at them a bit. But I couldn’t find it in me to be angry at Connor. Not really.

Not when he was giving me that face.

“What time is it?” I asked him, shifting so I could get up, Connor pushing himself off of me.

“It’s currently 8:31 AM.” Connor answered, following after me. “I’ve received a message from Lieutenant Anderson that he’s going to arrive in approximately 45 minutes to pick the both of us up.”

I groaned. “Ughhhhhh, and I gotta be ready.” I got up and stretched, letting out a yawn as the bones in my back cracked one after another. “Why the fuck is he wanting us to be ready so early?”

“We’re apparently going to visit the home of Elijah Kamski.” Connor clarified. “He seems to think it may uncover a potential lead in the investigation.”

“Elijah Kamski...” I repeated, the name familiar on my tongue. I pressed my thumb under my chin and curled my fingers underneath my nose in thought. “Why does that name ring a bell?”

“He was the founder of CyberLife.” Connor answered. “He was the CEO until 2028 when he resigned and disappeared from the public eye.”

I then turned around and faced Connor, my eyes narrowed. “Holy shit, when Hank said he was gonna make calls, I didn’t think he was gonna swing this hard!” I then scoffed, shrugging. “Colour me impressed, damn.”

Connor then got up and approached me, his posture straight and his hands folded neatly behind his back. “He’ll be here shortly.” The android reminded me. “Do you have a preference for breakfast?”

I was about to object to him making me breakfast again, but I also knew that it would take me a bit to get ready, and thus I would not be able to be ready and make breakfast in time. And I really didn’t want to make Hank wait.

Besides, I was actually craving something specific, and I was confident Connor could make it well. “A grilled cheese sandwich actually sounds really good right about now.”

Connor then nodded. “I’ll get started while you get ready.”

I then hugged him, savouring the comfortable feeling of him in a fuzzy robe. I was somewhat surprised at how quickly he put his arms around me, but I wasn’t about to complain. “Thank you, Connor! You’re a blessing.”

He detached himself from me and made his way downstairs, closing the bedroom door behind him. Once I was left alone, I ran a hand through my hair. First thing I did was step into the bathroom and comb my hair, sorting out the mess that was my bed head.

Then I let out a sigh. “Well, if we’re going to meet a fancy fucker like the former CEO of CyberLife, then I should probably put a little more effort into myself than usual.” Part of me actually thought that.

And the other was just curious as to what Connor’s reaction would be.

I stepped out of the bathroom and opened up my closet, filing through my clothes. “Hmmmm. Do I wanna dress more masculine? Or should I perhaps go with something more feminine?” I asked myself.

I flipped through my fancy dress jackets and then through my nice dresses. After looking through them, I shrugged, knowing what sort of day this was for me. “Eh, this feels like a dress day for me.”

--------

I stayed mostly quiet, as I tended to do. My anxiety didn’t even cross my mind. For once, Connor insisted on staying in the back with me rather than at the front with Hank, and I ended up leaning into him, his arm wrapped around me.

I ended up wearing my nice black pencil dress and my nice heels and a jacket. Of course, I didn’t go unarmed, even though it wasn’t necessary for me to be. After all, you couldn’t be too careful. I had my gun in my holster concealed under my jacket and a knife strapped to my thigh, of which I was pretty eager to show off.

I also may have indulged in some makeup for myself. Nothing that’s a lot, just some foundation, eye liner, and lipstain. I even did my hair up a bit, doing it in a small messy bun, but leaving the two big pieces at the front to frame my face. I considered them one of my most distinct and charming features, visually speaking.

Of which Connor seemed to really like. Though he didn’t say anything, I could see it on his face and the lovely red glow of his LED.

After a while traveling in the snow, I got a text from Bianca. Hey, did you see what happened on the news last night? - 9:56 AM

Deciding to take advantage of the signal, which was quickly fading, I messaged her back. Not really, I had to get up early to go somewhere with Hank and Connor. We might have a new lead in our case. Why?

It didn’t take long for the bubble with three dots to show up and for Bianca to respond back to me. Apparently five of the CyberLife stores in Detroit got raided last night at 2AM by deviants and one of them ended up with casualties.

I felt my heart drop to my stomach as I read that. Holy shit, what happened?

A moment. Police arrived at the scene at one of them and opened fire. No human casualties, but that’s still really fucking scary. I just wanted to let you know with everything that’s happening with deviants in the news. This is getting dangerous, and I’m worried about you getting caught in the middle of all of this.

I groaned, texting her back. This is the case I’m working, Bianca. I kind of have no choice but to be in the middle of it. And honestly, I’ve seen first-hand a lot of shit now. I can’t even really blame them, even if cops did end up dying.

Still, be careful. They didn’t get violent, but...you know how things have gone before with similar situations. This likely isn’t going to end cleanly. You know how people are.

I relaxed my expression as I responded. I know...but even if I wanted to back out, I can’t.

I’m just worried. Bianca messaged back. With you working law enforcement, you’re probably going to have to make some really hard choices. It might end up costing you your job, because I know you. You won’t want to try to stop them.

I sighed. I’ll be careful, Bianca.

You’d better. Just make sure you know what’s most important to you and do what you think is right. But please be careful! No matter how this goes, I have a feeling this is gonna get ugly.

I nodded to myself. I know. I replied. I’ll keep you posted, okay? I love you.

I love you, too.

I put my phone in my pocket and leaned further into Connor. “Is everything okay, Rachel?” The android asked, looking down at me.

“Yeah, just talking to Bianca.” I answered. “Apparently deviants organized a raid on the CyberLife stores in Detroit last night, and one of them ended in an altercation between deviants and law enforcement.”

“Shit...” I heard Hank groan under his breath. “This is getting out of hand.”

I shuffled a bit, trying to get more comfortable. “Sure seems that way, doesn’t it.”

We drove in silence for another moment until we finally arrived, Hank pulling up to the side of the road. Although, strangely, as soon as Hank parked the car, his phone started ringing. “Hang on, wait a second.” He then pulled it out and answered it. “Lieutenant Hank Anderson, who is this?” After a moment he shook his head and swore as he stepped out of the car. “Just sit tight, I’ll be right with you.” He said to us.

“Okay.”

“Okay, Lieutenant.”

Leaving us in the car alone, I watched Hank walk out into the snow, talking on the phone and pacing back and forth. I couldn’t help but feel my anxiety rise in anticipation of the call he was receiving. Nightmare scenarios were playing in my head as I tried to suffocate my low-key panic until I felt Connor squeeze my arm. “I’m sure everything is fine, Rachel.” The android reassured me, pulling me closer to him. “Whatever it is, I’m sure the lieutenant can handle it.”

I knew he was scanning me. Honestly, I was always aware of it, ever since the Eden Club. At first, it bugged me a little bit not being able to keep any sort of physical secrets from him. Save for my arm, but that was on him, not me. But now...I was just glad that he was always trying to make sure I was okay. I trusted and felt comfortable enough with Connor for it not to faze me anymore. It was just sort of something I was always aware that he was doing, just in the background.

And I felt a bit calmer, knowing I wasn’t alone and that he was trying to make me feel better. “Yeah, you’re right.” I agreed, letting out a sigh. “Hank’s got this covered.”

Hank then stopped pacing, and I wanted to get out into the snow. “We should go see what’s up.” I said, opening the door, letting Connor follow me out. The android closed the door behind me as I walked up to Hank, the lieutenant still not turning around to face us.

“Is everything okay, Lieutenant?” Connor asked, walking up and putting an arm around me.

Hank turned around to look at us, looking shaken and tentative. “Chris was on patrol last night. He was attacked by a bunch of deviants...” He said quietly, and I felt my gut lurch at the thought of the man getting hurt.

“Holy shit!” I exclaimed. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he's in shock but...he's alive...” Hank said, putting my mind at ease as I let out a sigh of relief. “He said he was saved by Markus himself...”

I looked up at Hank, pieces falling together in my head. “Markus.” I repeated, remembering the skinless android speaking on the screen of the Stratford Tower. “So that’s his name. The leader of the deviants.”

“Yeah...” Hank said, nodding as he started walking towards the house. “What the hell...”

As I took a good look at the house, I took note of the modern style to it. I’ve seen a few houses like that growing up, and while I admired the style, it always looked really out of place in my neighbourhoods back home. “Kamski left CyberLife ten years ago...” Connor pointed out, walking in stride with me, liking an arm around mine. Which was odd, because I didn’t tell him to do that and that was something I did. “Why did you wanna meet him?”

“This guy created the first android to pass the Turing test. And he's the founder of CyberLife.” Hank answered, making his way up the walkway to the front door. “If anybody can tell us about deviants, it's him...Which means you're about to meet your maker, Connor.” Hank pointed out, turning around to face the two of us. “How does it feel?”

Connor and I quickly caught up to him, standing under the cover of the awning. “I don't know...” Connor answered distantly. “I'll tell you when I see him.”

Hank scoffed at him. “Sometimes I wish I could meet my creator face to face...” He lamented, nodding his head and turning towards the door. “I'd have a couple of things I'd wanna tell him...”

I held in an uncomfortable breath and then let it out, understanding that feeling completely. “Yeah, I, uh...I get it.” I admitted. “There’s a reason I haven’t talked to my mom in years.”

Hank rang the doorbell and I sat there. I hadn’t really thought that hard about my mother in a while. I sort of cut myself off from her after the accident. She had problems before then. Problems that she was seemingly aware of, yet constantly denied and thus refused to do anything about.

And I just...after the accident, I just decided to cut her out of my life. I don’t know what made me do it, but I just...couldn’t take it anymore. Especially after dad died.

But I’d be lying if some part of me didn’t want to try talking to her again. After all, it was me who broke things off with her and...I know she’d want to see me again. It’s more a matter of not knowing if I’m ready to reach out or not.

But maybe one day.

My thoughts were then interrupted by the door being answered. And as soon as my eyes laid on her, I felt my heart stop and my breath escape from me.

A fair woman in a blue silk dress and blonde hair draped across her shoulder in a lazy ponytail answered the door. But I couldn’t help but feel as though I was in the presence of an angel. She had to be the most beautiful android I had ever seen in my life.

I couldn’t even control the shy schoolgirl giggle that escaped me. “Oh, uh. Hi! Um, we’re here to see Kamski.” I managed to stammer out. “U-u-uh, Elijah Kamski. Expecting us. He’s expecting us, cause...calls...and yep! That’s why we’re here!”

Hank shouldered past me, giving me a scathing look. “Lieutenant Hank Anderson, Detroit Police Department. I'm here to see Mr. Elijah Kamski.” He introduced. “And this is my partner, Detective Rachel.”

The woman gave us a pleasant smile and I swore I was going to faint right then and there. “Please, come in.” She said warmly, stepping to the side to allow us to enter the home.

Hank stepped in first, followed by Connor and I, as we walked into what could be assumed to be the waiting room of sorts. “I'll let Elijah know you're here. But please, make yourself comfortable.” She informed us.

I shyly waved at her. “I, uh.” I stammered again. “Thank you!”

She then left us alone in the room, and Hank gave me a light shove with his shoulder. I glared back at Hank as he shook his head, making his way to the nearby chair, taking a seat.

As Hank settled in, waiting for the android to come back, I noticed Connor staring at a picture on the wall. “Amanda...” I approached him and looked up at the picture he was looking at.

It was a photo of a young man and an older looking black woman. She had her curled hair done up in a messy bun and was wearing what looked like a knitted sweater. “Who’s that?” I asked Connor. “Someone you know?”

His LED was blinking red before it slowly started to flicker to yellow. “Someone...” He paused, looking away from me. “Someone...I thought I knew.”

He walked away towards a large photo of a younger Kamski, at least from what I guessed. Connor seemed so perturbed at the photo of...Amanda? I guess? It made me wonder who she was, but I decided not to ask. Perhaps one day, but right now it wasn’t my place to. I followed Connor and stood beside him, looking up at the large photo. “Nice girl...” Hank said.

“You’re right.” Connor agreed. Clearly the female android had us all whipped.

“She’s really pretty...” Connor and I said at the exact same time.

At that, we turned to look at each other, and I was looking at him completely perplexed. “Huh.”

“What?” Connor asked, a little confused.

“I...don’t think I’ve ever heard you give that kind of compliment before.” I commented. But then. Then I had a realization, and I couldn’t stop the smile that was forming on my face. “Wait! Ohhhhhhhh! Does someone have a little robo-crush on the pretty android?”

Connor just looked at me even more confused before he looked away.

Which only further fueled my smug sense of superiority. “Awwwww! That’s so fucking cute!” I said in a higher pitched excited voice, clutching my cheeks.

“It’s not like that.” Connor denied, which only made my resolve stronger.

“Oh?” I challenged him. “Why not? Is it ‘cause you’re embarrassed to admit you’re weak for a pretty face?”

“Because I’m just a machine.” He insisted, much to my bemusement. “Designed to accomplish my mission. I was not programmed to have feelings of the sort.”

“You also weren’t programmed to feel fear.” I pointed out to him. “And yet...here you stand.”

Connor then turned to fix me with his dark chocolate gaze, his LED spinning a pensive yellow. “In any case, I wouldn’t know what that would even be like. So I wouldn’t even be able to tell.”

“Same with fear.” I insisted again. “You didn’t understand it until you felt it. Maybe you feel it, but you don’t understand it.”

Then, he did something that I thought was rather endearing and charming. He stood up straighter, facing me and folding his arms behind his back and giving me a polite and patient smile. “Explain it to me then, Detective.”

Ah, that title. The one he only so far used when he was being playful. Giving him a smirk, I folded my arms and thought hard about how I wanted to explain it to him. “Well...when you have someone special...someone you consider special for whatever reason, they stand out to you.” I started explaining to him. “You don’t realize how special they are to you until they become so. And then you start to notice everything about them. From the big details to the small details, but you notice them all. The way they laugh, the way they smile, the way they hold a pencil or pronounce certain words. All the little things suddenly matter so much to you.

“And when they speak, you can’t help but listen to them and hang onto their every word like a prayer or a hymn.” I kept going, folding my arms as I reminisced on the memory of what it felt like to fall in love. Frank wasn’t my first, and they weren’t even my last. But that was never an issue for either of us. “And when you see them, you feel like everything around you just tunes itself out and you only see them. It feels like your whole body is collapsing in on yourself at the sight of them, but when you’re around them, you’re so comfortable with them. You feel like you can tell them and trust them with anything and it feels like you’ve known them your whole life. And whether you’re doing something or just sitting in comfortable silence with them, you feel like it’s where you belong.

“Everything they say matters so much to you because you’re so enraptured by their opinions and their point of view because it’s special and unique to you.” I went on, feeling wistful and nostalgic. I was starting to forget that I was trying to explain something and was just getting lost in the introspection. “And you don’t realize how much they mean to you until you start realizing how happy their happiness makes you. They start taking priority above everything else and they become your world. And you start to feel like you would do anything for them as long as it kept them safe and made them happy. And it’s to the point that you don’t even care what happens to you or if they return the feelings. All you care about is them and their wellbeing.

“They just...become everything to you. Just them being in your life makes you happy. Makes you feel...like you’re at home. That’s what it means to love someone.” I realized that I was rambling without paying attention to him and then looked up at him. Much to my surprise, he was staring seemingly into space, his LED slowly blinking red. “Connor?” I asked. There was no response. “Hey, Connor?”

No response. “Jesus, I think you might’ve short-circuited him.”

I was starting to get worried and snapped my fingers in his face twice to try and get his attention. “Yo! Xbox360, you good?”

That seemed to do the trick, as Connor blinked a couple of times as his LED was circling yellow now. Hank was having a good laugh on the chair in the corner of the room and Connor looked absolutely confounded. “What?”

I smiled at him. “Xbox360?” I asked. “Red ring of death?” I made a circling motion towards my temple where my proverbial LED would be if I had one, trying to illustrate my point. He still seemed confused so I gave up. “No? I thought it was funny.”

“I’m okay.” Connor said shakily. I was worried for a second, but he didn’t seem scared. Just...a little nervous. “It’s just...what you were describing...”

He didn’t continue, so I willed him on, gently grabbing him by the shoulder. “Yes?” I pressed tenderly.

“I-I...” He stammered. I had never seen him look so unsure. He wouldn’t even look me in the eye. “What you were explaining...I think...” He then focused his dark eyes on mine, boring into me with an intensity I had never seen in them before, and it made me aware of the breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. “I think I -”

“Elijah will see you now.” A voice said, interrupting us. I looked over to see the android in the doorway into the next room, looking at us.

Hank was already walking up to us when Connor nodded at me and walked into the next room.

But as he walked forward, I could feel my heart thumping in my chest to the point that I could hear it in my ears.

And then about a hundred realizations hit me at once. All the time we’ve spent, all the weirdness of our relationship, how comfortable we were, and all of Connor’s mannerisms and quirks that captured my attention...I felt like I was getting hit by a freight train.

“You alright there, kiddo?” Hank asked.

There was only one word that could possibly cross my lips. “Shhhhhhhhhhhit!” I spat, feeling like the Devil was dancing on my chest.

Hank let out a smug laugh. “Aaaaaaand you finally figured it out.”

“I will shove you into the fucking pool, Hank.” I practically snarled at him as we made our way into the next room. I’m a fucking idiot. How did I not realize? Why? Why did this have to happen? Of all the things that could’ve happened, why did I have to catch feelings for the walking ceiling fan?!

But as I caught a glimpse of the pool, the colour of the water briefly snapped me out of my angrily spiraling thoughts. Red? It seemed to just be the colour of the tiles, but I thought it was an interesting choice. He sure does have a pretty good sense of decorating. “Mister Kamski?” Hank called.

“Just a moment, please.” Called a man swimming in the pool. I then noticed that there were two more androids in the pool talking to each other, seemingly the same model as the one that brought us in.

Hank walked on ahead, leaving me with Connor, and now being near him felt like it was going to suffocate me. Why did I have to open my big dumb mouth? Why couldn’t I have just not said anything for once? But deep down, I knew that was a lie.

Dense? Sure, I definitely could be. Stupid? Sometimes. An idiot? I was not. I was just only now realizing just how much of an idiot I was. Who was I kidding? I was taken with Connor since I saw him, perhaps not in this way. But I found him intriguing. But it was hard not to be drawn to him when he was just so unique, charming, and honestly, he was really cute. Not just physically, but in all his quirks and mannerisms.

He was irresistible. It just took me way too long to realize to what extent, and now I was regretting every life choice I’ve ever made.

As we waited by the ladder that usually was in pools, I saw Kamski approaching. But he then hauled himself out of the water, and I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at his chiseled frame and his delicate face. Damn, he’s also very pretty. I couldn’t help but think.

He walked past us, his android dressing a robe over him as he walked over to adjust his hair. He then finally turned to address us, looking us over individually. Although I did notice the way he was looking me over, and kept my hands behind my back, and my posture neutral. If there were daggers in my eyes, I’m certain he would see them. As if to say I’m not here to pick a fight, but start one and you will lose.

“I'm Lieutenant Anderson.” Hank started. “This is Detective Rachel and Connor.”

Kamski shifted on his feet, folding his hands over each other. “What can I do for you, Lieutenant?” He asked, his eyes once again glancing over to me.

I couldn’t help but enjoy the pleasant warm tone Kamski’s voice harboured, but something about the attention he was clearly giving me made me uncomfortable. It made me want to shuffle closer to Connor and loop an arm around his, but I had the better sense not to. So I stood resolute, my eyes focused.

“Sir, we're investigating deviants.” Hank said plainly. “I know you left CyberLife years ago but, I was hoping you'd be able to tell us something we don't know...”

Kamski’s intense blue eyes drifted between the three of us before he finally spoke. “Deviants...” He said, as though he relished the word itself. “Fascinating, aren't they? Perfect beings with infinite intelligence, and now they have free will...” He looked over at the android standing next to him pointedly. “Machines are so superior to us, confrontation was inevitable...Humanity's greatest achievement threatens to be its downfall.” He let out only a ghost of a scof. “Isn't it ironic?”

“If a war breaks out between humans and deviants, millions could die, Mr. Kamski.” Connor said pointedly. “It's quite a serious matter.”

“All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics...” Kamski responded. “Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?”

I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes just to stay on his good side. Oh great, he’s a pretentious fuckwit. Whatever mild intrigue I had died near instantly and my walls of indifference immediately fortified to insulate myself from him.

“Listen, I didn't come here to talk philosophy. The machines you created may be planning a revolution.” Hank pressed annoyedly. “Either you can tell us something that'll be helpful, or we will be on our way.”

Kamski’s eyes were fixed on Connor and he began to approach the android. “What about you, Connor?” He asked, his growing proximity making my skin crawl and an angry flame light inside me. I didn’t like that he was getting so close to Connor, and my hand instinctively felt inclined to check for my weapons. “Whose side are you on?”

“It's not about me, Mr. Kamski” Connor answered bluntly. “All I want is to solve this case.”

Kamski then let out an amused snicker. “Well, that's what you're programmed to say...but you...” Kamski stepped even closer to Connor, and I couldn’t control the glare I was giving the man. I had to make considerable amounts of effort not to tell Kamski to back off. Call it a territorial instinct, but I didn’t like this pretentious bastard being so close to the android. Was it jealousy? Maybe, but I didn’t care. All I knew was I didn’t like it and I was starting not to like Kamski. “What do you really want?”

Connor seemed to hesitate for a moment before he replied. “What I want is not important.” He answered, but there was a sense of a faltering resolve in him. A dangerous feeling to betray to someone like Kamski.

Quickly turning away from Connor, he called for his android. “Chloe?” The android quickly obeyed, walking up to him. So that’s her name. I thought as I quietly observed.

He stepped away from Connor, much to my relief, as he approached Chloe. “I'm sure you're familiar with the Turing test. Mere formality, simple question of algorithms and computing capacity.” He explained as he positioned her standing up in front of him, facing Connor. “What interests me is whether machines are capable of empathy. I call it ‘the Kamski test,’ it's very simple, you'll see...”

He looked over at Chloe, his eyes fixed on her soft and delicate face while I rolled my eyes, sure that he wasn’t focusing on me. And he’s conceited. Go figure. “Magnificent, isn't it? One of the first intelligent models developed by CyberLife. Young and beautiful forever. A flower that will never wither...” He went on, gently caressing Chloe’s face, to which she showed no reaction whatsoever. I found myself disliking Kamski more and more with every moment.

“But what is it really? Piece of plastic imitating a human?” He asked as he turned around to the small nightstand behind him. “Or a living being...With a soul...?” He said, opening the drawer and pulling out a small handgun, lifting his hands to show he was armed and that he had it.

Then, in an action that made my blood run cold, Kamski put his hand on Chloe’s shoulder and gently pushed her to the ground, so she was on her knees before Connor. “It's up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor.” He said as he approached Connor and placed the gun in his hand. I stared in disbelief, feeling my heart beating against my ribcage as Kamski aimed Connor’s arm at Chloe’s head. “Destroy this machine and I'll tell you all I know. Or spare it, if you feel it's alive,” he was practically circling Connor like an expectant vulture and it made me want to grab the fucker by the throat and throw him into the pool. “But you'll leave here without having learnt anything from me.”

“Okay, I think we're done here. Come on, let's go.” Hank said, already walking towards the door, having had enough of this. “Sorry to get you outta your pool.”

“What's more important to you, Connor?” Kamski asked, ignoring Hank before he could finish speaking. “Your investigation, or the life of this android?” As I stared at Connor, I could see the turmoil in his soft eyes, his LED blinking yellow. “Decide who you are. An obedient machine...Or a living being endowed with free will...?”

“That's enough! Connor, we're leaving.” Hank tried again to get Connor to bail on this, but he wouldn’t move.

“Pull the trigger -”

“Connor!” Hank snapped. “Don’t...”

“- and I'll tell you what you wanna know.”

I felt a horrible feeling in my gut and I couldn’t even feel my hands. As I looked between Chloe and Connor, I couldn’t help but think of all the androids that may die. All the lives that may be lost. Perkins’s words echoed in my head. The FBI will take over this investigation and you’ll soon be off the case. I knew damn well that if we didn’t solve this, millions of people were going to be wiped out. There was no stopping what has been started, and the federal government had a track record for genocide.

We needed to save them.

“Do it, Connor.” I ordered.

Immediately, I felt eyes burning into my very soul. “WHAT?” Hank shouted at me.

Kamski chuckled as he looked at me. “So you do have a voice.” He said rather condescendingly.

“You can’t be fucking serious!” Hank started getting in my face, but I wasn’t going to back down.

“Hank, there are millions of innocent lives at stake!” I spat back at him. “That information is the difference between saving them and dooming them. One life will be a small price to pay for that!”

“You can’t just bet on someone else’s life, Rachel!” Hank shouted at me. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few!” I practically shoved him. “This isn’t about the empathy of a machine, this is about making a sacrifice for the greater good! If one android has to die in order to save her people, so be it!”

“Fuck you!” Hank spat at me. “I can’t believe you would even think about someone’s life like they’re just a fucking bartering chip!”

“If I was in her position and I knew that that information could save my people, I would want you to pull the damn trigger.” I growled, a snarl edging my voice.

Our little spat was interrupted by amused laughter from Kamski as he looked over at us. “Ah, humans.” He said, breathing out a sigh. “So passionate in their fervour. So much care you have for a bunch of machines, Rachel. And I do find that so fascinating.” I glared daggers at the man. “But this isn’t your choice to make. It’s Connor’s.”

I had had just about enough of this. “Step away from him.” I warned him.

“Go on, Connor.” He goaded the android. His LED was blinking between red and yellow now, the distress palpable on his face.

No, this didn’t have to be his choice. I would do it if it meant sparing him, but I doubted Kamski would accept that. No, this test was more important to him. As far as this bastard was concerned, this was just a game to him. “Back off, Kamski!” I warned him again.

“And I’ll give you what you want.”

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” I shouted, my voice reverberating off the walls of the lit room. I saw Connor’s eyes glance in my direction, catching my eyes and his LED was blinking red now.

Kamski seemed to find that interesting, as he untangled himself from this little game of wits and started approaching me. “Interesting.” He said, as he walked closer. I could feel the angry lump in my chest beat in my throat as he walked closer to me. “Perhaps machines are capable of more than just empathy.” He was almost touching me now, but I refused to move. I wasn’t afraid of him, and I wasn’t going to show fear in his presence. “Perhaps...you’re looking to trade the life of one android to spare another from having to take it.”

He reached out to touch my face as he had done to Chloe, and I wasted no time in grabbing his hand with my left and locking it in place. “Don’t. Fucking. Touch me.” I growled.

He simply snickered at me. “Even the most beautiful roses have thorns.”

“Step the fuck away from her, Kamski!” I looked in the direction the voice came from and widened my eyes in shock. Where I was looking, Connor was glaring hard at Kamski, the gun he was holding pointed directly at his head. I had never seen him show so much contempt and fury in his face. His lips were twisted into the faintest of snarls and his eyes were black voids of focused rage. His LED was slowly blinking a bright red.

And quickly I realized that that was Connor’s voice. He was threatening Kamski.

I was thoroughly unprepared and caught completely by surprise. Mostly because I had known Connor as a sweet, gentle, and sensitive man. But also because that was the first time I had ever heard him swear. For a while, I assumed he was programmed not to.

As Connor was staring his maker down, Kamski simply detached himself from me with an amused smile. “What a beautiful story unfolding here today. An android and a human falling in love. How thrilling.” He teased, a sentence that buried itself within my core and lit a fiery rage that threatened to consume everything. “But I didn’t want to test if an android could show empathy to humans. After all, androids are designed to cater to us. I want to know if machines can show empathy to other machines.” He once again approached Connor, seemingly unaffected by the android’s deathly glare as he took Connor’s arm and once again pointed it at Chloe. “So, Connor. What’s your verdict? Is it only a machine? Or is it alive?”

The silence and small sounds of the water gently sloshing in the pool behind us was nearly deafening. The sound of my heartbeat was drowning every other sound out as my eyes remained glued on Connor.

The android sent by CyberLife.

The android who was sent to act as Hank’s partner.

The android who was designed to hunt deviants.

And the android who had somehow wormed his way into my heart and soul the day he also became my partner.

After what felt like hours - painfully agonizing hours - Connor, with a gasp, surrendered the handgun to Kamski, his LED flickering red before returning to yellow as the smug man stared in awe at the android. “Fascinating...” Kamski breathed, taking the gun out of Connor’s hands. “CyberLife's last chance to save humanity...Is itself a deviant...”

That sentence sunk itself into me. What I had suspected was starting to make sense. Connor was, in essence, not much different than the deviants we had encountered. What could’ve been so easily chocked up to advanced social protocol and programming could’ve just as easily been a deviant falsely believing himself to be a machine with no free will.

“I’m...” Connor stopped, his gaze downcast. But then, he stared Kamski in the face and addressed him directly. “I’m not a deviant...”

A phrase said with no conviction. As though he knew deep down that it was true, but that he couldn’t believe it. As though he refused to believe it.

“You preferred to spare a machine rather than accomplish your mission.” Kamski said, contesting with Connor’s clear denial, helping Chloe back up to her feet. “You saw a living being in this android. You showed empathy.” Kamski wordlessly dismissed Chloe, the android walking away from us to an unknown destination in Kamski’s home. “A war is coming...you'll have to choose your side...Will you betray your own people or stand up against your creators? What could be worse than having to choose between two evils?”

An honest question Connor needed to ask himself, but...now wasn’t a good time to answer it.

Hank quickly reached his arm out to grab Connor, twisting him around and pushing him towards the exit. “Let's get outta here...” He grumbled, taking Connor with him.

I quickly began leading the way out of the room, not wanting to look at Kamski or even Hank any longer.

But as we were about to leave, Kamski called out. “By the way...” Connor and I stopped, but Hank continued forward, leaving the house. I still didn’t turn to look at Kamski. “I always leave an emergency exit in my programs...You never know...”

I quickly understood that that was meant for Connor, but I still decided to wait for the android.

As Connor strode up next to me, I looked over at him. He looked about as defeated as I felt.

We left the house, and were faced by Hank’s greyed face. I was expecting him to chew me out, but instead, he let us pass him. “Why didn't you shoot?” He asked, clearly that question was directed at Connor.

I stopped and stared at the both of them. Connor seemed so lost and confused as he turned around to face Hank. “I just saw that girl's eyes...and I couldn't, that's all...”

Connor looked away from Hank again, staring off into nothing. His LED was blinking red, and I was starting to realize how frequently I was seeing that colour on his temple. “You're always saying you would do anything to accomplish your mission. That was our chance to learn something, and you let it go...”

“Yeah, I know what I should've done! I told you I couldn't.” He snapped, stepping up to Hank. I couldn’t imagine how hard this must feel for him. This was a uniquely android dilemma that I could only imagine the struggle of. For once, I was only an outsider. “I'm sorry, okay?”

Hank was quiet for a moment, nodding to himself as though he was considering the circumstances. “Well, maybe you did the right thing.” He walked by Connor, casting a glare at me.

As much as I wanted to smack that look off his face, I could only let out an exhausted sigh in defeat. “I hope you’re right, Hank.” I conceded.

As I stood there in the snow, letting the cold crisp air seep into my lungs, Connor approached me and gently leaned into me. He seemed to be waiting for me to follow after Hank, looking into my eyes with an expression that I couldn’t quite read. Outwardly, it seemed pretty neutral, but there was a depth to it I couldn’t place.

Walking side-by-side, we followed Hank to the car, getting in. Once again, Connor seemed to want to sit in the back with me rather than in the front with Hank.

Hank didn’t start the car right away and the three of us ended up sitting in silence for a while. There was only one question left on my mind. “So what now?” I asked. “We’re at a dead end again. What do we do now?”

Hank let out a sigh as he did his seatbelt. “We head back to the station. And we figure out where to go from there.” He answered pragmatically. “That’s all we can do.”

I nodded. “Right...yeah, you’re right.”

As he started the car and turned back onto the road we were driving on to get to Kamski’s house, I found my attention focused on Connor.

His LED was yellow, and spinning steadily, his eyes focused on nothing in particular. His hands were laid at his sides in defeat. Indeed, it felt as though we had failed. I felt that weight heavy on my shoulders.

And that weight along with the hefty realizations that we were forced to confront today had completely drained my will for the day. For the both of us, it seemed, we had a great deal to come to terms with.

But what could I really say? Nothing. Even if I wanted to say something my brain kept my mouth forced closed. As much as I tried to will myself to say something - anything - there was nothing. I was helpless to my own crushing hesitation.

But...what I couldn’t say with my words, perhaps I could say with my actions instead.

Tentatively, I reached my hand across the seat and clasped it around Connor’s. He snapped his head in my direction, glancing first down at our hands, and then at my face. I locked eyes with him, coffee meeting chocolate, trying to convey with my face as best as I could what I wanted to tell him. I’m here for you, Connor. You’re not alone. We’re in this together.

I looked away from him, settling on just staring at my heels. I didn’t move my hand away from his, not wanting to lose the physical touch with him. Perhaps he didn’t understand the real meaning behind the gesture, but he didn’t pull his hand away from it either.

But I felt my heart skip a beat when I felt the unmistakable sensation of his fingers interlocking with mine. And when I glanced back towards him, my eyes first flicking to our hands, he fixed me with that look again.

That strange depth in his face that I couldn’t breach.

My lips tightened as I leaned against him, not breaking our grip. It was in that moment I knew I was in too deep to pull away. Somehow my heart which had been broken and shattered, a piece dead inside, was stolen by a man made of manufactured parts.

Somehow my heart had been taken by someone who wasn’t built with one.

And as I leaned into him, I felt my exhaustion catch up to me. I had a spare change of clothes in a spare bag as well as wipes to clean the makeup off my face, so I wasn’t worried about needing to go home, first. Settling into the comfort that I had cultivated from Connor, I nestled myself into his jacket, quickly falling asleep against his side.

--------

Date: November 9th, 2038 Time: 01:38 PM Rachel - P̵̰̍a̸͚̾ŗ̴̑t̵̰̊n̵̘̋e̵̻̔ṙ̸̬?̷̧̓ Hank - Friend Objective: Debrief at the Station

As they pulled up to the station, Connor felt Rachel stir as she woke up without the android having to tell her to.

Choosing a parking space, Hank parked the car and then turned off the transmission. He quickly got out of the car. Connor opened the door and stepped out, helping Rachel out as well before closing the door. Their hands were still clasped together.

When she put her hand on his and gave her the look she gave him, he somehow understood what she meant. She was offering comfort, support, and solidarity.

And even now, when she stood before him, her hand still in his, all his feelings he was questioning before had suddenly made sense. They were feelings he couldn’t deny. And perhaps, whether he realized it or not, he encouraged them to develop and he was helpless to this pull between them.

But he didn’t mind. To all his questions, she was his answer.

The hardest part now was having to part with her. If there was anything that was clear, it was that in CyberLife’s eyes, he was failing. Unless he could earn another chance at finding the deviants, he would be sent back and disassembled.

Software Instability ^ He would be destroyed. And the thought of leaving Rachel with another loss to grieve over made him feel unpleasant and uneasy and he wanted more than anything to prevent that from happening.

Hesitantly, Rachel extricated her hand from Connor’s and began to make her way towards the precinct. “We should probably head inside.” She said, though Connor could detect a reluctance in her tone, as if she’d rather prolong this as long as she could.

As he followed her, Connor realized that she stopped in front of the doors. She was lingering, clearly not wanting to enter the building. Connor stood beside her, feeling a certain hesitance tug at him. There was a lot he wanted to say, now that their feelings were out in the open.

Software Instability ^ And it would seem that she had the same idea, as she clasped his hand once again and tugged at him. “Connor, can we talk?” She asked, her voice strained. “Somewhere more private?”

He tilted his head at her. “Won’t Lieutenant Anderson notice?”

“He won’t care.” Rachel insisted. “Besides...even if he did, just this once he can deal with it, okay?”

Connor, not wanting to argue with her wishes, nodded. “Okay.”

--------

Finding a secluded area near the station, the two were alone. Once they had settled, Connor looked down on Rachel, the smaller woman occasionally glancing up at him. “So...we’re probably going to fail...aren’t we?” She asked him.

Optimistic

Realistic

Fatalistic

“We haven’t failed yet, but,” Connor began answering, noticing the further pained expression on Rachel’s face, “it’s probable that we will.”

She then looked up at him, meeting his eyes. “And if we do...you’re going back to CyberLife, right?” She said, palpable sorrow in her deep eyes that Connor could feel himself getting pulled into. “And they’ll destroy you, to find out why you failed. Won’t they?”

Truth

Lie

Software Instability ^ “Yes.” He answered, feeling his throat tighten even though he technically didn’t have one. “I’m sorry...”

“Fuck...” Her wide eyes began to well up as she then closed them, makeup running down her face. She pulled one of her wipes out of her bag and started wiping her face, swathes of makeup coming off of her face. “If...if I had known this since the start, maybe...” She hesitated for a moment as she continued wiping her face, quickly accumulating a small pile of used wipes. “Maybe I wouldn’t have let myself get so attached...or maybe I would’ve been more honest with myself since the start...”

[Confess]

[Do Not]

“Rachel?” Connor softly called to her, causing her to look up at him. Her face looked far more raw, now. Less delicate and maintained.

But in Connor’s eyes, no less beautiful.

“What?” She asked, weakly.

“Give me your hand.” He ordered gently. Tentatively, she did as she was asked, and he clasped his own around hers, staring her in the face as he did so.

Friends

Sincere

Frank

Character

Rachel - Partner ^ “I know it’s been incredibly difficult for you to get by without your spouse.” Connor said, trying to comfort you. “Living without them made you feel alone and isolated. But I’m sure if they knew what you were doing for yourself and how hard you fight every day, they would be proud of you.”

Rachel then let out a broken weep, smiling at the android. “Thank you, Connor...” She whispered. “That means so much to me...for you to say that.” Connor nodded, pulling his hand away from hers, revealing a silver coin in it. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at Connor. “Y-you’re giving me your quarter?”

“I won’t be needing it, if I’m going back to CyberLife.” He explained to her. “I’ve seen all the trinkets and personal items you keep. I know how important physical mementos are to you. It’s why you keep so many keepsakes from your loved ones. They have immense sentimental value to you. So I know you’ll keep this close to you...as a physical memory of me.”

Software Instability ^ She rolled the coin along her knuckles on her left hand almost as expertly as Connor could before clasping it in her hand and throwing herself into Connor’s arms. As she pressed herself into his chest, whimpering and trembling, Connor wrapped his arms around her. He had become practiced at sharing intimacy with her at this point that it had almost become second nature to the android.

“Do you have to go...?” She choked, holding onto him tightly.

Connor shook his head. “I don’t have a choice.” He told her. “If I don’t go, CyberLife will destroy me anyways. There’s nothing you can do to stop them.”

Software Instability ^ That only made her tremble harder. “Why can’t you stay?” She asked feebly. “You’re a great detective, and you...you’re part of the team. You’re our partner. You can’t go! Why can’t you still work here at the precinct with us?”

The android found it more and more difficult to answer her desperate pleas, his biocomponents almost creaking in protest. “I was designed to accomplish a mission.” He said simply. “Whether I fail or succeed, there’s no reason for CyberLife to keep me here for any longer than necessary.”

She held onto him even tighter, practically squeezing him against her. “I...I don’t wanna let you go...” She whimpered.

Comforting

Sympathetic

Say Nothing

[Leave]

Software Instability ^ Connor wrapped his arms tighter around Rachel, squeezing her flush against his body. One hand held her hip and the other was buried in her soft wavy hair, and he pressed his cheek into it, savouring the feeling of her soft locks against his skin. “I don’t either...”

He had never felt pain. Androids don’t feel pain. But then again, he had never felt fear before either. And yet, he felt fear. He had never felt empathy before, yet he felt it, despite his adamant denial of his growing deviancy.

Software Instability ^ And he had never felt love before. Yet here she stood, pouring broken sobs into his chest as he held her for dear life.

Software Instability ^ If he could feel pain, the feeling this bittersweet moment was leaving him would be what he imagined pain would feel like.

After a long moment of just holding one another, they broke apart from each other, one of the most difficult actions Connor ever had to execute. Wiping her eyes, Rachel gave him a weak smile. “Come on, we should go find Hank.” But as she tried to pull away from him, he clasped her hand, holding her there. She looked up at him, her mahogany eyes pooling with curiosity. “What is it?”

Software Instability ^ “I didn’t mention this before.” Connor said, looking into her eyes. “But...you’re beautiful. And I’ve thought that before I knew what that meant.”

Software Instability ^ The flush that formed on her cheeks that were bunched by a bitter smile was one of the sights that Connor couldn’t help but love about her. “Thank you...” She lingered for a moment before she pulled her hand away, walking away from Connor.

He would’ve followed her, but he was stuck in place perplexed by a strange input he did not remember bringing up. It was one of the advantages of his programming. Details didn’t escape him as he processed them as instantly as he saw them.

And he saw it, clear as day. An input he did not authorize that disappeared as soon as he saw it.

Software Instability ^

-̵̰̲̪̅̄̄͝Ķ̵̱̬͉̲͗͆̎̓̉̕͘͘͜í̷̙͕̟̬͕̃͋̾̚s̴̹̺͙͇̘͓̈́̏̉ͅš̵̨̞̱̳̟̄͂̌͒̂͌͜ ̴̧͔͒͐́̀̿̈́͝H̷̥̪̝̳̩̋̀͐͑è̶̜̥̄̐͊̅̄̇͠r̴̜͆̔͗̽̀̕?̵̮̜̭̥̀

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Next Chapter | Alternate Ending

#connor #connor dbh #dbh #dbh connor #detroit: become human #oc x connor dbh #self-insert x connor dbh #dbh what it means to be human #self-insert fic #self-insert #fanfic #hank anderson #elijah kamski #chloe dbh #rk800 #connor x reader #reader x connor

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