my dumpster fire

i have no idea what i'm doing (does anyone?) all art is from pinterest, not my own

[collectorofstickers]

about me ✧ masterlist ✧ ao3 (you'll need a registered account to view)

fandoms: AoT, MILGRAM, Gnosia, FE3H, Omori, YTTD, Bustafellows, HSR

requests are open!

✧ please don't request nsfw, as I have no interest in writing it.

✧ DNI for any obvious reasons, including but not limited to homophobia, racism, and ableism. DNI especially if you support AI in any way.

all works belong to me, @collectorofstickers. do not upload to ai, repost without credit, or plagiarize my works on any platforms.

[moocar0n]

A sad girl's pleas

Live only for a breath and then they fade

[twasamonstermash]

ranking gnosia characters by how good they smell irl

discuss

[collectorofstickers]

rip remnan </3 but in all seriousness yes i agree with this, except maybe drop shigi down a tier lol

[lunaefreya]

caelus being a silly loser (lovingly)

wc: 1287 c/w: very fluffy, light angst if you squint hard enough, i yap a lot this was SUPPOSED to be a short oneshot why was this 4 pages long on the google doc </3 p.s: when reading, i recommend listening to "my homie" by atlus sound team, i pinky swear it adds to the silliness of it all </3

imagine caelus playing basketball or any sport and he quickly turns to you before making the shot, exclaiming to you with pure, unbridled excitement: “(name), this is for you!!” whilst beaming that adorable, boyish smile of his. his confidence was through the roof because of one, simple reason:

you’re watching. 

a baddie is watching.

and caelus?? he canNOT fumble this ‘once’ in a lifetime opportunity to impress you with everything he’s got, he’s that whipped for his lover. but, how can he not? not with how you’re currently looking at him with an endeared look in your eyes that makes him want to outperform every expectation you have of him.

and tonight? he’s more than confident he’d be able to outdo himself once more!

“bet you aren’t ready for this cool trick shot!!!!” he says, his back facing the hoop with the intent on throwing the basketball behind him and PRAY that the gods above would smile kindly upon him and his skill were enough to allow the ball to enter the hoop - with no bumps on the road.

“remember! don’t blink… or else you’ll miss it~”

oh how he’ll eat his words later.

caelus let a giggle escape his lips before he winks at you - but accidentally blinks with both eyes instead because this man does not know how to wink to save his life. and with that, he clutched the ball in his hands as if he were clutching his pearls before applying all the force he could muster, throwing the ball behind him.

please make it please make it please make it plea-

shaking his head, he places his hands on his hips proudly, allowing the corners of his lips to quirk up into a knowing, self-assured smirk. “see?? aren’t i such a basketball prodigy?!”

“basketball prodigy huh?” you shake your head with the same momentum as a parent coming to terms with their child’s silliness, allowing a quiet huff of laughter to slip through your lips. “that’s a new one, glad to know i’m with a esteemed man such as yourself-”

and before anyone could comment on what’s to come-

the sound of the basketball rim clattering echoed across the cold night of the dimly lit park, announcing caelus’ missed shot to the world, followed by the sound of the ball clashing against the back of caelus’ head without his permission.

at maximum velocity too? absolute generational fumble of the century.

he could’ve sworn he was seeing stars, the pain throbbing throughout the back of his head like a fresh wound coming in contact with salt - uncalled for and stupidly painful. there’s NO way he can financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually recover from such an embarrassing moment-

“caelus!!! are you okay??”

no response.

preventing a single thought from holding you back, you ran towards your eerily still boyfriend, probably from both shock and any form of movement inspired pain to course throughout his body without his permission. your brows knitting into a worried bunch, “hey… cae…” caelus blinked once, twice, golden eyes struggling to gather its bearings. “earth to caelus… hey..” your voice hushed, waving your hand in front of his face like a madman, pleading for some sort of response from the dizzy-eyed man before you.

any response.

“...ugh… me?” he groaned, wincing, a frown tugging the corners of his lips downward, almost pouty. “...didn’t mean to make a fool of myself…” he glanced up at you before averting his eyes down to the concrete ground, “ especially in front of you… didn’t want to look stupid… but… but I always manage to do so anyways…!” he lamented wearily, voice quivering with each syllable that rang out his mouth.

goodness, it’s rare to see your boyfriend in such a slump, specifically in a vulnerable state. so to hear caelus practically whine, seeing the way his waterline burned with tears refusing to make themselves known, felt as if all the wind knocked all the air out of your lungs.

it’s… jarring, to say the least, and most definitely a sight you never, ever want to see reoccur again.

“no.. no.. don’t start… don’t ever say that about yourself,” without allowing caelus to utter another self-depricating word, you place your hands on top of his shoulders, gentle but firm, squeezing them in hopes to anchor him back to reality and reason. “you aren’t foolish for wanting to show me a cool trick, much less if it backfired,”

“in fact… seeing it backfire was quite…” you trailed off, your cheeks taking on a softer hue of red, “... adorable… some may call your clumsy luck… endearing, definitely made my heart flutter in ways i never thought were possible.”

eh? huh???

that’s a new one.

your words seemed to have done the trick with how quickly caelus snapped out of his self-deprecating stupor, looking at you - mouth agape, eyes wide, allowing genuine shock and… is that??? warmth?? swirling within the golden depths of his gaze that only, ever knew to look ahead. mistaking his genuine surprise and silence for offense, your stomach drops with how your boyfriend was looking at you as if you ate his last cup of his favorite pudding like stealing candy from a baby.

“uh… no..-” you cleared your throat, panic making itself known with how your voice trailed off into a weak cough, eyes averting side to side in a poor attempt to begin damage control, “...i most definitely didn’t mean it that way!! I just.. just… gods, that was so dumb of me to say when you’re so obviously distressed… i’m-”

then, caelus does the unexpected:

he grins, an actual, big ol’ grin that’s bright enough to rival the sun.

and suddenly, the pain and dizziness that refuses to ever leave caelus’ side, was nothing more than insignificant, little details that were easily squashed by your sincerity - albeit awkward, but sincere nonetheless.

“hm??? you reeeeeaaallllyyyyy think so??” he sounded out, inching his face closer to yours in order to gaze into your eyes - where he sees double due to his dizziness, but hey, double the beauty he sees right in front of him! “like… you mean it? sounds like you do~”

as if a heavy, invisible weight has been lifted off your chest, you let out a deep breath you didn’t know you held ever since caelus bonked his head minutes prior. “...well…” your voice trailed off into silence when your eyes met caelus’ expectant face - so sweet and earnest you couldn’t bring yourself to hide anything from him.

“you aren’t wrong… not that i could ever deceive you, really.” you chuckled awkwardly, allowing your head to nod slightly - a bit robotic with how awkward and stiff the movement was, but still charming all the same. “... even if your trick backfired on you or not, i’ll always think you’re the brightest star in all of the cosmos, clumsy or not.”

oh.

caelus’ could feel his blood pumping excessively, rushing straight to his ears and cheeks with how.. whipped and shy he got whenever you spoke such flowery words to him, especially when you don’t mean to!

makes it all the more rewarding and heartwarming, at least, that’s what he thinks.

he scratched the back of his head lightly, suddenly bashful. “how sweet… now i feel a bit better about a basketball boinking the back of my head!”

now it was your turn for your mouth to go agape.

he didn’t say much to disrupt the silence between you two, only allowing his actions to speak for himself, for how he allowed his body to lean against your warm hands (still) resting on his shoulders.

and with that, caelus knew he was in good hands, knows that yes, he’s the one for you.

a/n: guys are we proud i FINALLY wrote for another character other than hugo!!! yippee!!! a new character AND another hoyo game, may i add!!!

#characterdevelopment #finally #wowlunaefreyayouresocool

ok but seriously i had so much fun writing this one can you tell?? hopefully you can because i SWEARR all the words flew amazingly like i was genuinely in a flow state <3

side note i think this fic is longer than my two other hugo fics like wow can i actually lock in for hugo the hell </3 i swear i love him guys i pinky promise!!!

[collectorofstickers]

😭 caelus ily you silly man

[collectorofstickers]

day 30: rival

fandom: honkai star rail

pairing: dr. ratio x gn!reader

warnings: none!

author's note: another entry for @thedrabblecollective's may drabble challenge

You feel reddish-pink eyes glaring directly into your soul. You happily return the gesture.

Veritas Ratio. The most insufferable man you've ever met. The two of you are unable to have a normal conversation without it devolving into an argument that even an Aeon would be scared to intervene in.

For some unknowable reason, everyone else in the Intelligentsia Guild thinks you two would make an amazing couple. You both disagree. There's no rivals to lovers arc happening here.

Little do you two know that everyone is just waiting for one of you to slip and make the first move.

all works belong to me, @collectorofstickers. do not upload to ai, repost without credit, or plagiarize my works on any platforms.

[collectorofstickers]

hi hiii! could i request some raqio x reader, something fluffy...? (raqio actually seems to like my player character with how they've collaborated with me a good few times!! like omggg my heart is racinggg)

Fools Can Leave; You Can Stay

pairing: raqio x gn!reader

summary: raqio may seem uninterested, but if you look a bit closer, you can tell they tolerate you more than most (AKA: raqio not realizing they're giving you special treatment compared to how they normally treat people)

wc: 414 words, no beta we die like sha-ming (no raqio slander in this post)

author's note: raqio reminds me a lot of dr. ratio from hsr. it's nice to write something that doesn't dunk on them for a change. it seems like they're the punching bag or the one voted out in almost everything i write, so they deserve some nice treatment too

You find yourself with some free time after the day's discussions. Your feet end up leading you to the lab. Why? You're not entirely sure, but you know that Raqio will probably be there. They've seemed kinder to you the past few loops, so maybe this loop's version will be nice to you too.

When you walk in, Raqio doesn't verbally acknowledge you. They simply glance over at you and nod slightly, going back to whatever they were doing. You elect to sit on the couch in the corner of the room, making yourself cozy. After around thirty minutes, you speak up.

"So, Raqio, what are you looking at?"

"I highly doubt you'd understand, but I guess I can show you. Come here."

With a grin, you stand up and walk towards them, glancing down at what seems to be quite complicated research.

"Wow, this looks really complicated. Do you mind explaining it to me?"

With a sigh, Raqio starts to break down what they're currently looking into. Something about biology, you think…? It all kind of flies over your head, but you continue to listen anyways. They look very radiant when they talk about things they're passionate about. Something about it makes your heart race. Raqio soon notices that you don't seem like you're paying attention, and the sound of fingers snapping brings you back to reality.

"Hello? If you're that bored, just say so." With a roll of their eyes, they go back to reading over their research. You stand as if to leave, clearly embarassed, only to be interrupted.

"I never said you had to leave, did I?" In Raqio speak, that was about as close as they could get to "I want you to stay. Please stay and keep me company."

With a grin, you go back to where you were standing. Raqio moves a bit closer as they grab another paper, and your arms end up brushing. They don't move away.

Little did either of you know, Remnan was standing outside the door, having accidentally heard and seen everything. He was going to ask Raqio a question, but he didn't want to interrupt the moment. He saw through Raqio in a heartbeat and noticed that they held you in a much higher regard than almost everyone else on the ship.

"I… I guess I'll just come back later… don't wanna ruin the moment," he mutters to himself, stepping away and leaving the two of you in your little bubble.

all works belong to me, @collectorofstickers. do not upload to ai, repost without credit, or plagiarize my works on any platforms.

[collectorofstickers]

I'd like to request some cuddles with setsu, just a nice comfy hangout moment before warping... i know they could use a good hug after a particularly stressful discussion

No One but Us and the Stars

pairing: setsu x gn!reader

summary: after quite an exhausting loop, you and setsu find comfort in each other under the stars

wc: 352 words, no beta we die like Raqio

author's note: we love cuddles! this was such a fun request to write and setsu deserves everything and so much more (also idk why both of my setsu fics have stars in the title but here we are lol)

You and Setsu breathed a sigh of relief once the last human was put to cold sleep. Having only the two of you as Gnosia on a full ship was exhausting, especially because you made the mistake of not getting rid of Raqio early on. That small error proved to be nearly fatal, as they cornered you in a lie. Setsu was barely able to sway enough people to vote Raqio out instead of you. Needless to say, it was a very stressful discussion.

"I'll go stick the remaining people in the cold sleep room, okay? Take a break, Setsu. You deserve it for saving my ass," you say with a smile as you walk away. You come back around ten minutes later to see that the hallway is empty. You walk up to the viewing lounge, where Setsu is sitting in the middle of the room, staring at the stars.

Silently, you walk up next to them and take a seat. After a moment's hesitation, Setsu gently puts their head onto your shoulder. You gently lay your cheek on their head, and the two of you move a little closer. No words are said - a silent agreement between you two to just stay like this for a little while longer. Eventually, they break the silence.

"I wish that we could just take a break, y'know? The constant loops and the fight to stay alive is so draining."

"I get it," you murmur, "you work so hard every single loop. You deserve time to relax and let your guard down."

Wordlessly, they nestle their face into your shoulder, and you encase them in your arms. It may not be much, but you can at least offer them this simple comfort until the two of you are forced to loop again. Maybe the Key understands that you two need a break, too, because it feels like it takes a little longer than normal for the loop to reset. In your respective loops, the two of you feel a little more at peace when you think about your memories of cuddling under the stars.

all works belong to me, @collectorofstickers. do not upload to ai, repost without credit, or plagiarize my works on any platforms.

[collectorofstickers]

If you're still taking these:

A scenario where Gnos spawns the Bug Yuri shortly before the warp on Day 0, in a ship with a full human crew... as a Gnosia.

Meaning they'd have to be the one to take out the human Yuri to prevent the paradox.

And being torn between their inhuman nature VS betraying Setsu's wishes and throwing everything away for "next time" being technically the morally correct option here.

(based on the game's "Lonely Battle" achievement)

A Choice No One Should Have to Make

summary: you are presented with a choice: eliminate the other 'you,' or send this universe to its untimely end.

wc: 639 words; no beta we die like Raqio

author's note: i think i was able to answer this prompt? if it wasn't what you were expecting, please don't hesitate to tell me! i left the ending somewhat ambiguous, so if anyone would like me to write an ending for either possibility, just let me know

The Silver Key must hate you.

That's the only explanation for what's going on. You configured the settings, sent yourself back a day earlier than normal to the world without Gnosia, only to discover that… you're the Gnosia. Why would the Key throw you into a loop where you're the sole Gnosia on a ship with the full crew? What information could you possibly gain from something like this? If you weren't stuck in a time loop, this situation would take years off your life. It makes absolutely no sense.

Everyone is partying on the ship, believing they had escaped the outbreak on Liu-An. SQ was probably drunk. Shigemichi was probably staring at Stella, planning to ask her out. Jonas was… doing whatever Jonas does. Everyone was happy and carefree except you.

Setsu noticed that you were acting a bit off. Of course they did. Nothing about you ever gets by them. They approached you and started talking about how they'd like to end the loop in this universe, but you weren't really paying attention. How could you, when your existence in this loop is going to ruin the lives of everyone else on this ship?

Yuriko's cold voice breaks you out of your thoughts by simply saying, "But… you have no future."

Setsu tries to rebute, but Stella gently stops them, adding on, "When we escaped Liu-An, you were badly injured in an accident. Since then, we've been providing treatment in the medical pod, but..."

Just then, LeVi started blaring the alarm, announcing to everyone that a Gnosia infectee had been discovered on the ship. Everyone froze. How could an infectee have slid under the radar for so long? Who could it be? The happy, social vibe from just moments before completely disappeared, replaced with suspicion. Everyone slowly disbanded to prepare before the meeting. You elected to go to the medical pod Stella was talking about earlier in order to figure out what was happening.

When you arrive, you see that the pod is still treating whoever is inside. You reach over to pause the treatment, and as the pod opens, your eyes widen in shock. It can't be. Another 'you' is laying unconscious in the pod.

No. No. No no no no no no no. This can't be happening. How can there be two of you? There's no way this loop will continue as intended if this other 'you' wakes up. What do you do? While you're pacing the room, sudden thoughts flash across your mind.

"Kill them. Your duty is to send more minds to me, anyways. Why does the identity of the person matter?"

"No…" you mutter, "no, I can't… I can't just destroy everything..."

"Ah, but if you don't, then who knows what'll happen?"

You freeze. The realization hits you like ice flowing through your veins. If you decide not to end this other 'you,' then you'll be damning this entire universe. All of the people on this ship in this timeline will suffer risk of erasure because of the unstable nature of this situation. You'd be going against Setsu's wishes if you decided to leave the pod alone. You'd be damning everyone on this ship. It may not mean much to you, since you have the Silver Key, but it means the end of the line for this timeline. On the other hand… having to eliminate yourself is a psychological burden that you're not sure you can handle. You have to make a choice, no matter how painful it may be. The clock is ticking. You don't have time to stop and think about all of the details.

You take a breath, and step forward, having made a decision in your mind. You don't hesitate; you don't look back. All you can do is accept the consequences of your actions and move forward.

all works belong to me, @collectorofstickers. do not upload to ai, repost without credit, or plagiarize my works on any platforms.

[tickled-p1nk]

Thinking of smart characters getting frustrated with their s/o because they won't drink water for their hiccups.

"JUST DRINK THE DAMN WATER"

"NO IM GONNA FIGHT THIS LIKE A MAN"

"I AM A MAN I SAY YOU DRINK WATER"

"I DONWANNA"

"IT WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE SO MUCH EASIER"

"IT'LL GO AWAY ON IT'S OWNNNN"

"HERE" *shoves water bottle to your mouth lovingly*

"NOOOOOOO" *gurgled sounds of dismay*

Al Haitham, Veritas Ratio, Kaveh, Kunikida, + your favs

[collectorofstickers]

Hello! Can I request Gnosia Comet somehow surviving and betraying Chipie? Feel free to deny :)

The Cost of Misplaced Trust

pairing: scenario with you, Comet, and Chipie

summary: betrayal comes when you least expect it, as Chipie comes to learn

wc: 352 words, no beta we die like Raqio

author's note: rip chipie my favorite character

Having Comet as a fellow Gnosia is… painful, to say the least. Her inability to lie makes it really hard to defend her and there have been many loops in the past where you've thrown her under the bus. You didn't think this loop would be any different, but you were quickly proven wrong on the first night when the two of you had a pretty deep conversation.

"You know... I wanted to venture through the universe. Planets no one's been to. Animals no one's seen. I wanna discover stuff like that. But... well, it's kinda hard, ya know? Killing off everyone on this ship."

You nod, and then add, "we could travel after we take over! Then you could explore the universe."

She hesitates, and then asks, "really? You'd help me?"

"Of course, Comet. It's a promise."

Having to cover for Comet was a lot harder than you thought. Raqio, Yuriko, and Setsu were ruthless in their attempts to get her voted out for lying. In any other situation, you'd throw her under the bus to save yourself, but you made a promise. The only saving grace you have is that Chipie also trusts Comet. He covers for her when you can't, and the two of you sucessfully protect her from being voted out until the end.

"Ok then, follow me! We're gonna take over this ship!" Comet exclaims, dragging you along. You two pause when you hear a voice behind you.

"Comet…? You're Gnosia?"

"Oh… yeah, I am. Honestly, how'd you not notice, Chipie?" She smiles and walks towards him, "I'm terrible at lying."

"I knew somethin' was off, but I wanted to trust you." Chipie sighs, "Y'know, since we knew each other before Liu-An."

"Yup. Anyways, guess I gotta eliminate you now."

Chipie's face pales, "wait, Comet, I saved you! I smuggled you off your planet! You wouldn't kill me, right? I-"

"Too late!" Comet reaches out to kill him, and the last thing you hear before you loop is Chipie stammering "wait-" before disappearing into thin air, never to be seen again. At least, not in this timeline.

all works belong to me, @collectorofstickers. do not upload to ai, repost without credit, or plagiarize my works on any platforms.

[collectorofstickers]

...just a friend...

May Drabble Challenge by @thedrabblecollective Day 21 - Friend

pairing: Raqio x Remnan

warning: Raqio unintentionally friendzones Remnan smh; slight spoilers for the end of Gnosia!

"…hey, Raqio?"

"Yes, Remnan?"

After escaping Liu-An and the Gnosia outbreak, the two found themselves on Gliese, Raqio's home. Raqio sauntered through like they owned the place, with Remnan cowering behind.

"Um… I…"

"Just spit it out, Remnan."

"S-sorry… I just… thank you."

"You're thanking me? Well, I deserve to be thanked all the time, but what for?"

"I… I'm grateful that you… brought me here with you…"

"Well, of course. We're friends, hm?"

A sudden pang passed through Remnan. He was glad Raqio saw him as a friend, but… he couldn't help but hope for more. Maybe one day…

all works belong to me, @collectorofstickers. do not upload to ai, repost without credit, or plagiarize my works on any platforms.

[collectorofstickers]

Hello! I'm enjoying reading your work! Can I request someone stopping Setsu from killing Sha-Ming? Feel free to deny, Honestly, I also think it doesn't make sense lol. Thank you!

no murders pls

pairing: kind of a crackfic feat. sha-ming and setsu

summary: you must ensure setsu doesn't mess with your plans to take over the ship with your gnosia comrades

wc: 368 words, no beta we die like Raqio

author's note: i tried to make this funny lol, also the concept is great and i had fun writing this!

Ah yes, another lovely day as one of the Gnosia. The urge to kill all the losers on this ship is flowing through your veins faster than Raqio gets voted out. Your other two infectees should be Sha-Ming and Gina, but when you walk into the main console…

Sha-Ming is nowhere to be found. Where the hell is Sha-Ming?? Sure, he sucks, but he's one of the most powerful allies you could have as a Gnosia.

…come to think of it, where is Setsu? They never skip meetings. As you're thinking about where both of them could be, a memory from a previous loop flashes in your mind.

"Sorry... I couldn't hold back... I... did it..."

Oh hell no. There's no way in hell that you're doing this without Sha-Ming. You need him so that you can take over the ship. Without an explanation, you sprint out of the main console towards the game room.

You burst through the door to find Setsu currently shoving Sha-Ming into the airlock. They pause, and Sha-Ming takes the opportunity to push them back far enough to get out.

"Setsu," you pant, "don't kill him. He's an asshole, but killing him doesn't do anything."

"I know… I'm sorry, I just…"

You cut them off with a wave of your hand, "it's fine, I'm just glad I caught you before it happened." You walk over to Sha-Ming and help him off the ground, checking over him to make sure there are no injuries.

"You can go ahead, Setsu. I'll make sure he actually shows up to the meeting." With a nod, Setsu leaves.

"OWWW!!" Sha-Ming exclaims as you whack him on the head, hissing, "what the hell were you thinking? Why are you so focused on pissing them off??"

This scolding goes on for a bit until you realize that the meeting has definitely started. With a sigh, you grab his arm and drag him to the main console, only to be greeted with the voting results as you walk in. Two people have been voted to go into cold sleep. Everyone turns to look at the two of you.

"…fuck."

Looks like you won't be eradicating any of these morons after all.

all works belong to me, @collectorofstickers. do not upload to ai, repost without credit, or plagiarize my works on any platforms.

[limelloms]

gnosia photocards i drew recently :D i really love these four!

[kantah]

in honor of bustafellows going on sale and season 2 coming out in english soon, i present the cast w/ florida man headlines corresponding to their birthdays (or at least the closest date)

[collectorofstickers]

“dank gummies” always gets me lololol

[mawofthemagnetar]

What do you mean “chat” is now referring to ChatGPT and not twitch chat? What? What? What the fuck? No?

When I address chat I am speaking to a presumed Greek chorus of real human people shitposting on their lunch break, not a machine that devours lakes to covert electricity into slop.

[collectorofstickers]

Hi there :D! Can I request SQ getting comforted? SQ deserves nice treatment :) I love your writing, thank you!

That Signature Tattoo

pairing: platonic!SQ x gn!reader

summary: SQ lets her persona down after getting close with you and shares more about her past.

wc: 962 words, no beta we die like raqio

author's note: SQ you deserve the world <3

After the day's discussions, you find yourself aimlessly walking around the D.D.Q. in order to distract yourself. It was already Day 3, and you had no idea if you were on the right track to figure out who was Gnosia. A bit of time away from everything will do you some good.

While walking, you run into SQ, who immediately brightens at the sight of you and runs over.

"Heyyyyy!! Whatcha doing? Can little ol' SQ come along??"

"Oh, hey. I'm not really doing anything," you say as you continue walking, "but you can come along if you'd like. Just walking around."

"Yayyy! Let's go!!"

As you two stroll around the ship, SQ keeps on asking you questions and keeping light conversation. You entertained her for a bit, answering all of her random questions, but soon enough the topics got a bit… too flirtatious for your liking.

"SQ," you softly say, visibly uncomfortable with the flirting, "I think I'm gonna go back to my room now, alright?" Without waiting for an answer, you turn and leave.

As you walk into your room, a wave of guilt washes over you. You know that SQ didn't mean anything by her flirting - that's just how she was. She wasn't trying to make you uncomfortable.

"Damn…" you mutter to yourself, "that was pretty cold of me. I'll have to apologize to her tomorrow."

The next day, after discussions, you go search for SQ. After a few minutes, you find her walking out of the shower room.

"SQ!" you call out, "can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Oh… yeah, what do you neeeed?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for stopping our conversation short yesterday," you say sincerely, "I know you didn't mean anything by your flirting, it just caught me a little bit off guard."

"Awwww, it's okayyy!" she laughs, "were you scared??" She continues to tease you for the rest of the night, but you can tell that she isn't offended by last night's events. You two laugh and make jokes until LeVi instructs you to go back to your rooms to prepare for warp.

The next day, something about SQ seems a little off during discussions. You try to approach her after they're done, but she immediately runs away towards her room. After a bit of hesitation, you follow her and hear sniffling behind the door.

"SQ?" you ask while softly knocking, "I'm just a bit worried about you. You seemed a little off during discussions, is everything okay?"

The door opens, and it's obvious that she's trying to look like she wasn't just crying.

"H-hey! I'm alright, don't worryyy!"

You just give her a knowing look, and she instantly deflates. She lets you in, and you two sit next to each other on her bed. She looks like she wants to speak, but hesitates. You silently sit, waiting for her to feel comfortable enough to speak.

Eventually, with a shaky voice, she starts to speak, "OK, so like... This is kinda like, heavy, but... I was actually, like... born as like, a vessel? For my mom to like, put her own consciousness into." She takes a shaky breath, and then continues, "Like a new body, so my mom could like, be young again. I'm her 511th spare body,"

Your eyes widen, and you realize that in alphabetical order, that would translate to

"511… SQ," you say quietly. She nods, and then continues,

"I'd been in an incubation pod like, since I was born. Spare bodies don't need like, personalities and stuff, you know? But like, when my mom tried to transfer her consciousness... For some reason, the spare like, developed its own consciousness, or whatever? So her transfer like, failed. The new consciousness inside the spare, and like, fragments of my mom's memory remained, all mixed up... and when those all got like, smashed together... that's how I was made."

She's silently crying, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she sobs, "the memories are super gory, and scary, and- and- just horrible!" She hiccups, "and I can't get them to go away, no matter what I do, and-"

You cut her off by giving her a hug, whispering, "just let it out. I'm here for you."

Her eyes fill with tears and she just sits there and cries. "I just want the pain to stop," she whispers, "it's too much. It hit really hard this morning."

You stayed with her until she calmed down. When LeVi instructs you to go back to your room, you smile at SQ and say, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Hang in there, you've got this." Giving her one last squeeze, you quietly get up and leave the room.

The next day, the last Gnosia is finally voted out. However, SQ once again runs out of the room, this time to the viewing lounge. You run after her, but when you walk in, a strange sight lays in front of you. Hundreds of pods are floating around, each with a clone of what you can only assume is SQ's mom. You walk throughout, and you see one clone with the cheek tattoo that SQ has.

You quietly walk up to it, and whisper "found you," to which the illusion immediately disappears and SQ is left standing in the room in disbelief.

"You were able to figure out which one is me?" she whispers, to which you nod.

She runs up and gives you a hug, and you hug her back, laughing "I'll always be there to find you. You're so much more than your mom's clone."

She just smiles, finally at ease. The SQ in this loop now knows how much she's valued and loved, no matter her origins or background.

all works belong to me, @collectorofstickers. do not upload to ai, repost without credit, or plagiarize my works on any platforms.

[collectorofstickers]

hello!! i've stumbled upon your oneshots compilation fic on ao3 and really enjoyed it, it's so good!! since you don't mind reqs, could i ask for something fluffy with setsu or sq? it'd be nice to see how you would characterize them! feel free to deny and thank you for the opportunity <3

Eyes That Shine Like Stars

pairing: setsu x gn!reader

summary: when you convince setsu to skip a discussion to take a break, you realize that they mean more to you than you originally thought

wc: 868 words, no beta we die like raqio

author's note: so sorry this took me literally 4 months to write! life was kinda insane but i'm hoping i can get back into writing. i tried to make this fluffy and sweet, and i'm hoping it can be seen as both platonic or romantic. any feedback is welcome! enjoy :)

Stark, bright lights greet you, accompanied by a blurry, all too familiar silhouette of pear colored hair. Sighing, you nod when Setsu asks if you understand everything and proceed to take their hand to sit up. The past few loops have been extremely mentally draining, and you're not entirely confident that you'll be able to keep up in the discussions this time around.

While the both of you are walking to the main console, Setsu suddenly slows. You hurriedly slow down to match your steps with theirs, and they start to speak.

"I wonder if this loop will ever really end...? How many times have we gone through it so far?How many times have we fought Gnosia infectees?" They sigh softly, muttering, "I feel like I've gotten so old."

The look on Setsu's face breaks your heart a little - they've always been there for you, throughout your many loops. They're always the one person you can rely on, the one constant in this repeating cycle. Suddenly, an idea pops into your head, and you grab their hand with a big smile on your face.

"Let's play!"

As you start to drag them away, you can hear Setsu sputtering excuses about how you two should go to the meeting. You ignore them and continue to drag them to the viewing lounge to relax. Eventually, Setsu stops struggling and lets you drag them.

Once you walk into the viewing lounge, you turn around to face them with a smile.

"So… have you ever seen a movie?"

"A movie…?" Setsu repeats, "…no, I haven't."

"Perfect," you exclaim excitedly, "we can watch my favorite!" You instruct LeVi to make the viewing lounge into a movie theater, and you drag Setsu to sit in the middle row to get the best view.

"This is the best movie that's ever graced the universe," you babble on as the movie starts, "the cinematography is incredible, and I-"

"Shh," Setsu interrupts you, "I can't pay attention if you keep talking." You immediately close your mouth, cheeks flushing red. For some reason, the thought of looking like a fool in front of Setsu suddenly has you feeling nervous, and you can feel your palms start to sweat.

As the movie progresses, you turn slightly to watch Setsu. The light hits their face just enough to make their eyes sparkle more than usual, and it looks like the entire universe is reflected in their eyes. They look so majestic, sitting there like that. You open your mouth to say something, when suddenly, a third voice interrupts, "This is one of Earth's greatest masterpieces!"

You groan internally, cursing out Shigemichi under your breath as he continues to speak, "Man, I'm pretty impressed by your guys' choice! You nailed it!"

"Yeah," you mutter, "um-"

"Hang on, how come you guys aren't holdin' hands?? Movie-watching etiquite! You gotta hold hands with the person next to you!"

You feel a sweaty hand slide into yours, courtesy of Shigmechi. You sigh softly and turn to Setsu, starting to say, "you don't have to if you don't feel comfortable." Before you can finish your sentence, Setsu's hand slides quietly into yours, and your heartbeat increases even more.

You can't focus for the rest of the movie. All you can think about is how warm Setsu's hand is in yours, and how nice it is to hold hands with them.

However, that peace can never last, can it? Soon enough, the movie ends, and Shigemichi regretfully informs the two of you that you were both voted to cold sleep for missing the day's discussions.

As the two of you walk to the cold sleep chamber, Setsu stops, saying, "Hey… thank you. You invited me with you because you knew I was feeling down, right? Today was the first time in a long time I was able to really relax."

You start to say that they don't need to pay you back, that being able to spend time like this is enough for you, only for your brain to short circuit when they take your hand.

"If we're eventually able to get out of this loop..." they begin, tentitavely, "When that happens, I want everyone on this ship to be saved. I want to end the loop in such a way that nobody has to suffer."

They let go of your hand and walk into their cold sleep pod. You do the same. As the doors close, trapping you inside the pod, you make a vow to yourself. You'll do anything to help Setsu's wish come true. If today taught you anything, it's that there's a special connection between you two; one that you cherish more than words can say. You'll go to the ends of the universe for them in order to make their wishes come true.

Little did you know that in the pod right next to yours, Setsu was making the same wish to themselves; that they would follow you to the ends of the universe to keep you happy, because you're precious to them. They know that you are one of the most important people to them, and they cherish this time with you more than they'll ever admit out loud.

all works belong to me, @collectorofstickers. do not upload to ai, repost without credit, or plagiarize my works on any platforms.