#only mentioned though

[atokirinalover]

Is this what Grief feels like....?

Varang finding out her childhood friends and father figure died.

It was quiet....It always was, Quaritch usually got updates from, what was his name...? She never cared to remember, her headaches from that demon girl usually distracted her from listening, mostly Zari would update them as well, her excited demeanor ever since that other skyman have her a gun was slightly infectious...

But there was none today...No joyful voice...No Wukula on the glowing screen she is used to seeing, no Rakx reporting for useless things like an animal she tortured, and no Ka'sem calling her to tell her about the gifts he saved up like he always had....But she never got worried, a strong leader should not doubt on the warriors SHE picked....Her 4 heavy hitters, what Quaritch called them, but to her they were so much more....

She find her body starting to show signs of worry, her tail wanting to go under her, her ears pinned back, her fidgeting hands, it was embarrassing...She was supposed to be perfect, a perfect leader with no weaknesses....Yet here she was, shaking like an infant ikran without its mother....

Then she hears it, a screen clicking on, she has never ran faster in her life, who was it today, she thought briefly, was it Zari, excited due to a new kill?, was it Wukula being his serious self, a facade she only knew he had, he could be as un-serious as his baby sister with the right people....Was it Rakx showing an Ikrans dead body as Quaritch grimaces in disgust...Or was it what she hoped... Ka'sem only waiting for Varang to come into the screen to show her a new trinket he found for her...But only one voice ring out....

"Major Bukowski, a little banshee told me we're down 4 of Varangs heavy hitters...."

.... She paused...A pain in her chest feeling like an arrow in her heart....What...? Dead....All of them...All her actions slumped, her shoulders, ears, tail, she had waited for these few months after the demon girl made her a coward....She hadn't slept, her hair ripped out roughly in the now rough waves....She was crashing....And this was the final straw....

She could almost laugh to herself....Eywa finally shows herself...Gives her headaches...Nightmares and now took what she held most dear after the mountain....Killed by weak and small threats...

"I will meet your expectations Tsahik...."

She remembered Wukulas promise, all the ones he made, so confident....

"Oh do not be so serious...We are alone..."

She had said, smiling as she did when teasing him like she did as a small child, she nudges his shoulder, finally teasing him to a smile as they hug, she always loved his hugs, the best one was when they found eachother alive after the mountain

"Is there any gift you want me to find specific for you, little spark...?"

The voice shifted to Ka'sems, one that she truly smiled at, she had thought about it, then she remembered, some crystals by a dry edge of the frontier, opals with the light of fire, she remembered having some before her mother died...But they were destroyed after the fire, she had wanted them for a long time, but she decided to give the task to him...

"Those opals that I had....Crystals with the light of fire...Do you remember...?"

Ka'sem chuckles, rolling his eyes, remembering how excited his little girl was at showing him, her big yellow eyes, her sharp teeth shining brightly.

"How could I forget....Okay, I will ask this...Human if I can fly over there...."

He starts to walk away, but is stopped by a thump on her back, he turns around, to see Varang clinging to his back, hugging him, a rare soft moment, he turns around and hugs her back, his hand on the back of her head, minding her headress, he rests his face on the top of her head, hearing her words come out soft, a command, yet the softness of a little girl.

"Come back alive, sempu..."

He felt his old, wretched heart soften, realizing, she was always his little girl, having no mate nor child of his own, she filled the gap that he has never had, he was always there when her father was not, taught her how to fight....Shoot arrows when her mother was too busy doing her Tsahik duties...She was his daughter, and he treated her like one...

"I always will, little spark...."

Varang has never felt....Hopeless and weak in her entire life, she starts to breathe fast, her eyesight blurring, little whimpers of sadness coming out her mouth, she puts her hand on her forehead, the same headache she has been getting intensifying like none of the previous ones, she didn't even feel the tears sliding down her face, finally letting out hics....The Tsahik and Oloeykte of the Mangkwan, crying....Sobbing even...Quaritch hadn't even noticed, until he looked up...

Varang was in the Yurt, hearing everything he said, gripping the side of her head, her ash starting to wear off for how hard she was sobbing, the black circles around her eyes now dripping down her face like they were made of ink, she was sobbing like a child, coughing, snot, tears, eyes red, Quaritch has never gotten up so fast for anything...Or anyone, gripping her into an embrace as Varangs walls....Everything, clawing into her and bursting....

She lost half her warriors, almost lost the only mate she truly cared for, lost to a girl who made her run like a coward, and now...She has lost the 4 people she considered family...She wails loudly in Quaritch's arms, she didn't care if her clan heard her....They would know how much she has had enough...Her soul plunging deeper into the black abyss of the faithless life she turned to...

2 weeks after her breakdown, Quaritch had approached her with a pouch, it sounded like it had glass of some sort....Volcanic glass maybe?

"The major found this one the old birds Ikran before he died....Said it was for you..."

Quaritch said, handing it to her, Varang took it softly, her appearance much better after turning her grief into strength, she opens it as her walls she tried to build back up so bad come crashing down, she reaches down and takes out the glass she was hearing....

Opals With The Light Of Fire....

... I'm sorry, will you forgive me for this, lmao 😭, our girl is having a ROUGH TIME, looking worse than grieving Neytiri, right here in this fic, her hair is out her braids, ripped out due to another breakdown she had about Kiri, so I'll go more into her descent into insanity later.

Part 2!

[celestial-gremlin]

So.... what if Robotnik didn't die in the explosion? What if Robotnik actually had a contingency plan? He has an IQ of 300, so why wouldn't he have created an escape route?

So let's say he escaped the explosion and went into hiding.

Into hiding, alone.

Without his agent.

Why he would do that, you may ask?

Well, he decided on 2 reasons why this idea was far superior to any alternative.

Number 1: How the hell should he face Stone after he had left him behind, even though his agent had been right that Gerald really hadn't told him everything. How could he ever kit this relationship (friendship???) again, when he was the one to simply discard of the one person that truly cared about him so easily.

And number 2: Maybe it is better that way. Stone deserves to be free of the burden that is Ivo Robotnik. How often has Robotnik failed his agent. He knows he is hard to lov- care for. And still, his agent did care. For a long time. But everyone has their limits. Ivo doesn't want to find out if this limit was reached when he left stone behind. So it's better that Stone believes him to be dead so that his agent isn't burdened with having to care for him anymore.

Of course, every plan goes straight out of the window when Robotnik sets loose metal sonic, and Stone tracks him down in less than a day, ready to kill anybody impersonating his doctor

[leo-nite]

MY MUMS ABOUT TO TAKE MY BLOODS WITH BIG NEEDLE HELP ME

[aka-indulgence]

So... me and @llamagoddessofficial have been cooking up an au for a while... let me show you our hmf!Sans :> (Horror Mafiafell Sans)

You're a waitress working at a bar/restaurant, and a certain skeleton has been coming back again and again. You can't help but wonder... why?

---

“He’s all yours, babe.”

You look up from notes on the wall. You’d like to ask ‘who?’ but both you and Lisa know there was no use. You already knew who it was. You didn’t even have to look out the circular window to check. You just stare at Lisa helplessly.

“Really?” You try, “can’t you just… a bit longer?”

Your words come out a perfect mess. Lisa understands anyway.

“Look… I don’t know how to tell you this (Y/n),” She puts a hand on her hip, “you know I can’t go back out there to him.”

“But…!”

You bite your lip. You know she’s telling the truth. You wish you could tell her to suck it up and go back there, no matter how scared she was but… you’re not taking chances with the current patron sitting in the corner of the bar. No one would.

For Lisa’s… and everyone’s sake, you’re not going to see what he might do if you sent her out to tell him that you won’t be serving him tonight.

You sigh, and take a peek through the window. Though elusive nowadays, it was unmistakable who the man- the skeleton in question was.

Sans was built like a tank, his form hunched over the table. Even sitting on the wide, plush red sofa, he looked like a giant, dwarfing the table and chairs like they were playsets. Monsters were already bigger than humans in general but him… he grew bigger than he used to- at least from what you’ve heard. Not like you knew the mob boss years and years ago before he got his infamous skull injury, and the blown eye in his left socket that was soaked in the blood of those who had crossed him. His mouth was set in a frown, filled with razor sharp teeth- one of which was golden.

The same scary face you saw shrouded in shadows in the alleyway, a sharp bone gripped in his large hand, dripping red.

You fled that night, not quite believing what you’d saw. That you’d just saw a skeleton kill a guy in the back of the restaurant? That it was the mob boss Sans?! He didn’t chase you then, and you hoped that’d be the end of it but then… he showed up to the bar as a patron one night.

You were almost certain then, that he had come to kill you. Especially when your dear friend Lisa had so helpfully told you that he’d asked for you in particular.

“her…” his bony finger had pointed at you. She DID tried to save you, to err on mistake- which one did you mean sir?

But every time you moved, his phalange followed. There was no mistaking who he was asking for.

You remember her panicked voice.

“He asked for you! Specifically!”

“W… huh? Why’d he ask for me? Can… are you sure-”

“YES! And I don’t know WHY!”

As reluctant as you were, you still went to serve him. You asked for his order while your grip on your pencil and notepad got slippery as your palms got sweaty. He took his time ordering, perusing through the menu with great attention, while you were praying that your legs didn’t looks as shaky as they felt. You’d never rush him, of course, even if you hadn’t seen him towering over a dead body.

You took his order, served it (stuttering), and… then he left.

… And came back. Again, and again. Every time, he’d ask for you to serve him. He always stares when you weren’t at his table (and actually, when you were at his table too). You could feel that red eye staring a hole into your back from behind. It was unnerving.

It’s a wonder why a man of his infamy would choose a bar like this. You’ve seen your fair share of criminals in this job- it was an alright-sized bar, and not exactly in the best place in town. You’ve learnt to turn the other cheek whenever they were around (and you were sure you didn’t realize just how many of the patrons were gangsters), pretend you were blind to their… occupation.

None of them had been as scary as Sans, though. In fact, his presence alone was enough to drive away most petty criminals.

This place was nothing special. It’s a wonder why he’d choose this place out of all places, especially for a guy who doesn’t like being seen much.

… Ok, that was a lie. Everyone working knew that he was here for you. But that didn’t explain the why.

It was clear to you now that he wasn’t coming here to kill you for witnessing… what you witnessed (Why was a man like Sans doing in that nothing alleyway anyway?). But if not for that then… why did he keep coming, to keep asking for you? Maybe he had… business around here and he liked the place enough to keep coming?

Whatever it was, he was here for a reason and you just… don’t get it.

You don’t get why he wants you to be the one serving him every time he was around, but you did anyway. It’s been a couple of nights now, but you can’t say you’ve become less nervous over time.

After a small inner pep talk to yourself and wringing your hands, you push open the door, walking into the dining area. There isn’t a lot of people inside, a common occurrence whenever Sans visited. Even if it had been busy before, some people would hurriedly finish up whatever they were doing, paying all at once and leaving. You’ve even seen someone stop before finishing their meal. The rest that stayed sat uncomfortably, trying their best to ignore the menacing air that the skeleton brought with him everywhere he’d go.

It didn’t work, of course. A presence like that wasn’t you could easily ignore.

(You wish you could ignore him.)

You smile awkwardly as you walk to his table, setting his drink down. At least you had a little bit of your work cut out for you, with Lisa taking his drink order. His eye zeroed in on you as soon as he noticed you, and though you’ve been taught it’s rude to not make eye contact, with him it felt like looking him in the eye would be the wrong thing to do.

“Is there anything else you’d like?” you ask, your voice sweet and soft as ever, hiding the sound of your beating heart.

He stares.

He always stares.

You see his pupil dilate a little, then he opens his mouth.

“want…”

Sans was a man of few words. He only said his order, and nothing else. It kept your meetings with him brief- even when it looked like he wanted to say something else, he wouldn’t.

This time, he spaces off for a moment, eye looking away from you. You watch his brows draw together, pinched as he concentrates on a thought. You wish you knew what he was thinking of, especially when his frown starts to peel back into a snarl, like he was angry.

You definitely weren’t expecting a hand around your waist, snatching you a second later.

You squeaked, notepad and pencil clattering to the floor, bumping against his sturdy chest. Everyone heard and turned to look, and as soon as they saw tiny you, sitting on the giant’s lap, practically all of them pointedly turned away. You wish they were still looking now- you were pleading with your eyes, help me I don’t think I’m supposed to be here!

He pushes you here and there, so that you’re sat more comfortably on his lap. Your mind goes blank, your body freezes. You could feel his chest expanding and contracting as he breathes. He sounds much calmer now that you were on his lap. Your breaths are shallow, and stop completely when you feel one arm wrap around your middle, like a restraint. His free hand raises, calling for Lisa, who you’ve just noticed is watching from the corner, clutching her apron, as clueless as you are. She approaches, trying to keep her eyes on the skeleton instead of you.

“... burgers.” he says, simply. She nods, and gives you a glance.

You furrow your brows, and you want to hiss Lisa help me! But as soon as she sees your expression she turns around, avoiding eye contact. You could almost hear her say sorry babe, can’t help you there!

You almost call out to her when a hand lands on your head. You go stiff, and after you take a quick peek at him, you look straight ahead. The monster’s phalanges start petting you, slowly, sinking into your hair, scratching your scalp. Sans let’s out a long breath, brushing your hair. A shiver runs down your neck.

… Well. I think I’ll be here for a while…

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

Sitting on the lap of a giant skeleton was certainly an experience. You tried distracting yourself, but it was impossible when you could feel every time Sans breathed. There was nothing you could do but sit there, playing with your apron until it was a crumpled mess, sweating a puddle onto your uniform… and maybe onto Sans’ expensive suit. You couldn’t relax, even though taking away big scary skeleton aside, he was comfortable to sit on, and he was warm… and smelled of rain and embers of a dying cigar.

He ate carefully, always leaning forward (squishing you against his chest) when he took a bite of his burger, making sure the crumbs wouldn’t fall on the top of your head, wiping his hands and his mouth before he leaned back. You could feel him sighing, and since he was the only thing you could notice, it felt like this was the most relaxed he’s ever been while in the bar, his breathing slow. Apparently he really liked your hair, with how his claws kept carding through it, even while he was eating. When his hands were clean, he’d let his hands wander all over you- but nothing untoward. You could feel him tilting his skull forward to look at you, while he thumbed your cheek, and his other hand roamed around your waist and belly. Though you were nervous, you could feel when he rubbed your thigh that it didn’t feel particularly… heated.

He sighs, and you feel the pressure of his skull on the top of your head. It took everything in you not to hunch over and avoid it. You screw your eyes shut when you feel him turn his skull, and it felt like he was… rubbing his cheek on you? Like he was snuggling you? Is… is that what he’s doing?

You’re not sure and your nerves are too frayed to call it that.

He didn’t stop after he finished either, his plate clean. He was still there- and subsequently, you stayed sitting on his lap- even after they closed the bar. It was just him now. Your coworkers kept the lights on just for him, and even most of them have gone.

He’s leaning back on the cushions, and he brought both his arms around you to pull you plush against his chest, almost tucked into his neck. You wondered if this was what a teddy bear would feel like, being hugged.

The bartender was cleaning up in the kitchen. It was just you and him in the dining area.

You swallowed… wondering what he wants to do. It’s past closing, late at night, just the two of you, and his hands were still (gently) rubbing you. They haven’t gone anywhere private but- what if he wanted to? … What if he wasn’t here to kill you but.. wanted you to… you don’t know, service him or something? Did he have unsavory requests for you?

You think that thought might’ve scared you even more than the thought of him killing you.

You startle when he grunts eventually, like he’s addressing you. A giant hand cups your cheeks and against your will they turn pink. Even though you were frightened, even if his touches were unsexual they still felt… intimate.

You squeak for the second time that night when both his hands pick you up, and sets you down on the sofa. You feel a ball form in your throat when he stands up and turns to you, thoughts running with all sorts of ‘what-ifs’. He takes your hand, opening it up, and then…

And then he places a thick wad of cash in it.

“... thank you.” He says, quiet.

You stare at the stack of paper on top of your hand, blinking once, before turning to the skeleton, jumping in your seat.

He was gone, just like that.

He was always quiet, wasn’t he?

You sit there dumbfounded, for what felt like minutes, your lips parted, money still sitting innocently in your hand. You think no one can blame you when the only thing you said after you sat there in silence was a very emphatic “... Huh?”

[koibito-chan20147]

Finally a post from me after all those reblogs! Fun fact: I was actually gonna also post their twisted counterpart but I fucked it up for some reason and so I’m gonna probably finish it tomorrow or someday.

Idea from @honeydewandcake!

Well, enjoy the video!

[starsinabox]

So like over a month ago, I posted a little snippet/chapter of this rewritten fanfic I was working on, and idk, thought it might get some appreciation here because from my first month or two on tumblr I’ve learned a03 is a BIG thing on here.

Also, if anyone here is from a03 (btw, go check out my a03 account maybe, it’s Starsinabox, though most of my old fanfics kind of suck..) but anyway! If anyone found my account from a03, yes it is ‘Me Instead of Him’!! I’ve decided I’m going to be rewriting the fanfic, but I haven’t posted any of it because I’m scared to do so. I’ve already gave up on it in the past (though at that time I was in a pretty bad social situation) and I’m scared that it’ll happen again and just genuinely don’t want to let anyone down.

I’m trying to finish it before I post it, just to make sure I don’t go up and abandon it agian. Anyway, sorry for the whole fucking villain monologue I just went on, enjoy!!

————————————————————————

Summary:

“He was going to die. Die without ever seeing his brothers, Two-bit, or even Steve ever again.”

“He had to apologize to Darry. He realized. For being so stubborn. For not listening to him. Nothing like a life or death situation to make you realize your regrets huh, Ponyboy? The voice in the back of his head snickered at him, mocking him even in his final moments.”

“He would never get the chance to apologize though, as the darkness that had been slowly creeping up, finally consumed him.”

Or

What if Johnny was spared from the fire rather than Ponyboy?

————————————————————————-

Friday, September 24th, 1965, 3:24 PM

Ever since he had left Dairy Queen, all Ponyboy heard was arguing

Johnny was never one for fighting, one glance at the way he held himself and anyone could tell that. So, it was a new experience to hear Johnny talk the way he was, almost angry sounding. And out of all the people he could’ve been talking to like that, it was the Dallas Winston. Johnny's hero, his muse.

“Dal, you ain’t listening to me!” Johnny said, desperation creeping into his voice. “No, kid, you ain’t listening to me!” Dallas snapped at him, waving a hand in the air. Johnny winced, which caused Dallas to immediately backtrack. “Your parents ain’t care ‘bout you.” Dally’s tone was gentler, but his words were relentlessly cruel.

“To make it out in life, you gotta get over it! It ain’t how it should be, but you gotta!” That was the most emotional Ponyboy had ever seen Dallas’s. The unsteadiness of his voice, the glint in his eye. Honestly, it was scary.

“Well, what if I don’t want-“ Johnny began, but he was swiftly cut off by Dallas slamming on the break.

The thunderbird's tires screamed as they slid across the road, surely leaving tire marks. For a moment, it almost seemed like they were about to flip, but with the years of experience in drag races Dallas had, he was able to keep all four tires on the road.

Hardly having any time to react, Ponyboy’s face slammed into the passenger seat in front of him, causing pain to erupt from his nose, making his eyes water.

“Oh glory..” Johnny whispered, panic rising in his voice. Ponyboy picked his head from off the seat, rubbing his throbbing nose; what he saw through his teary vision sucked the air from his lungs. The church. Engulfed in flames. Plumes of thick, black smoke rose into the sky, reaching to the heavens like long fingers of death.

“How’d the hell that start?” Dallas said as he started up the car again, rolling up the church. Johnny glanced over his shoulder at Ponyboy, his eyebrows knotted up. Ponyboy swallowed thickly. “Me or Johnny must’a dropped a cigarette or somethin’.” He said.

“Oh golly, ‘course ya’ll did.” Dallas said, sounding exasperated. His grip on the wheel tightened.

As the church grew closer, the chaos erupting around it came into view. Little kids huddled up together, screaming and whimpering, hugging onto each other like their lives depended on it.

“Oh Jerry— some of the kids! Some of the kids are missing!” A thin lady with short, curly hair ran up to the only other adult, which was a big fat man.

“Oh, I’m sure they’re around here somewhere.” The man, Jerry, said, looking around at the group of kids that were gathered around him. “Now you listen to me!” The woman snapped back, her voice raising. “I’m sure of it! They were just-” She suddenly fell quiet, deathly quiet.

Ponyboy strained his ears and held his breath, scared that if he even dared to breathe wrong everything could get impossibly worse. Then, he heard it. Barely, just barely, over the crackles snaps and of the flames, over the ruckus around them, he could hear it. Screams, Blood curdling screams. Ones that were coming from inside the church.

“Oh god, I told them not to play inside that church, I told them!” The woman screamed, clutching at her chest like she was about to have a heart attack.

Before Ponyboy could think about what he was doing, he was swinging the car door open, and his feet were landing on the grass. He started at a dead run to the old building, ignoring the curses and threats erupting from Dallas.

“Kid, wait, you can’t go in there!” Jerry called out to Ponyboy, grabbing ahold of his elbow, but he shook him off without a word, being too caught up in his own thoughts to heed the man’s warning. He and Johnny had started this. They had started this mess. They were the ones that had killed Bob, they were the ones that had been smoking inside the church, and now some random kids were going to pay for it.

The old steps creaked dangerously under Ponyboy, threatening to give way under his weight as he rushed up them. Orange flames had enveloped the old building's door, eating away hungrily at the wood.

“Watch it!” A voice suddenly shouted. Ponyboy jumped out of the way just in time, as a large rock came hurtling past him. It slammed into one of the windows, splintering the planks that boarded it up. Ponyboy swirled to look behind him, only to be met with Johnny's black eyes. He hadn’t even heard him follow along.

With nothing more than a glance, the two ran up and started prying the wood from the window. Ponyboy was the first to haul himself into the building, the black smoke immediately causing his eyes to water.

The church was nearly unrecognizable. Orange and red flames painted the walls, flickering wildly. The pews creaked and groaned as flames ate them up excitedly. Half of the floor had collapsed, leaving the ground slanted and uneven. Ash and debris floated down from the ceiling, coating anything that wasn't already on fire in a fine, gray dust. But no matter how much he looked, Ponyboy couldn’t see even one kid.

Johnny spoke his thoughts, having to yell to make himself heard over the flames. “Where are the kids?!” Ponyboy hesitated for a second, before he started off through the church, having to step over burning planks to do so. “Probably in the back!”

“Did that guy follow?” He continued, trying his best to swat the smoke away from his face, and failing miserably.

“Window stopped him.” Johnny answered.

“Too scared?”

“Nawh.. too fat..!”

Ponyboy would’ve laughed, but he knew if he did he’d inhale enough smoke to make him drop dead then and there.

They eventually made it to the back room of the church, which Ponyboy suspected used to be a storage room because of all the crates and empty bookshelves that were back there.

Even though he couldn’t see the kids, the eardrum shattering screams told Ponyboy that he and Johnny were getting close. “Anyone back here?!” Johnny yelled. “We’re here to get ya’ll out!”

Ponyboy stepped around a fallen bookcase, wiping the water that had pooled in his eyes. Through the thick smoke, in the back corner of the room, he saw a small huddle of pigtails, dresses and chubby faces.

Ponyboy motioned to Johnny, nodding his head to the corner. Johnny beat him over to the kids, while Ponyboy found where the window was.

Johnny picked up the first screaming ball of tears and snot, while Ponyboy worked on prying off the boards from the window. Once he was able to break through, he was surprised to find Dallas waiting for them on the other side.

“Dally!” He yelled, and for the first time ever, he could say he was happy to see Dallas Winston.

“Here Dal, take him!” Johnny shoved past Ponyboy, passing the little girl he was holding to the older boy. It was about a five foot drop to the ground, but Dallas was tall enough that he could take the kid from Johnny with relative ease.

Johnny leaned back into the church, looking at Ponyboy, grinning. For the first time since Johnny got jumped, Ponyboy didn’t see that glint of fear behind his dark eyes.

Johnny turned back and picked up another kid, which he then passed back to Ponyboy, who then dropped her to Dallas.

Before Johnny could pick up the next kid, there was a thunderous crash that came from behind them, causing the already unstable ground underneath them to tremble. If Ponyboy had to guess, the floor had just finished caving in on itself.

“Idiots! Forget them blasted kids, the church is about to come down, get outa there!” Dallas warned, Ponyboy could hardly hear him over the fire.

He was right, though. The roof above them was creaking worryingly loud, the beams bended underneath the roof's weight, threatening to snap.

Ponyboy cursed under his breath, and ran to the corner, passing Johnny as he did. He reached for another kid, his chest heaving sporadically as his lungs desperately screamed for fresh air, but all they got was the hot, muddled smoke.

“Owch!” He yelped as a shooting pain flashed through his hand; the little fucker had bit him! And he wasn’t letting up neither. Ponyboy picked up the kid awkwardly, not feeling the blood that ran down the side of his hand.

“Take 'em, Johnny, get him!” Ponyboy yelled desperately for Johnny, but he was having a coughing fit.. Ponyboy grunted and shoved past him and threw the kid to Dallas, who barely caught him.

Surprisingly though, the screaming didn’t stop. Ponyboy leaned his head back into church, looking quickly around the small room, but he couldn’t see anyone. He knew there was another kid. Even through the crackling and creaking, he could hear him clear as day, but where the hell was he?

“Pony— Pony, you gotta get out’a here!” Johnny yelled, but Ponyboy could hardly hear him. The roaring of the fire, the ringing in his ears, the horrific screaming, it was all too much. Maybe it was because he never used his head, or maybe it was a heat of the moment thing, but Ponyboy decided something that was unquestionably idiotic, something that could cost his life. He had to look for that kid.

Johnny wouldn’t make it another minute in the church though, Ponyboy knew that too, there was no point in them both dying, was there?

Ponyboy swirled around and grabbed Johnny by the waist, doing his best to pick him up, his knees buckling under him as he tried to support the weight of the other boy.

“What in all mighty hell do you think you’re doin’!?” Dallas screamed at him, sounding more surprised than anything.

Ponyboy struggled Johnny over to the window. “Shut up and catch him!” He yelled. He couldn’t believe he told Dallas Winston to shut up, and not just that, he actually listened. Dallas shut his trap, and dug his fingernails into his palm, scowling.

Ponyboy tossed Johnny out of the window, and thankfully, Dally caught him before he could hit the ground and break his neck. Without another word, Ponyboy disappeared back into the smoke.

The flames were only getting worse, beams above him were starting to fall, landing dangerously close. What would he do if the floor collapsed like the front of the church? Would he just have to accept his fate?

Ponyboy quickly shook the thought from his head. He couldn’t think about that, it would just make everything worse.

The room was small, a hardly larger than the size of a bathroom, the hell could this kid even be? “Is anyone else here?!” Ponyboy yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth to try and be heard. It was getting hard to breathe, very hard to breathe, in fact. He really, really had to get out of there, and soon.

“I’m here to help! You just gotta-“ Ponyboy was cut off by a vicious cough, which immediately sent him into a fit. Every time he breathed in it felt like a burning hot coal got dropped into his lungs, which only made him hack more. His chest rattled with each violent cough, and tears ran down his soot covered face. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t breathe. He was going to die here.

“Over here!” A squeaky voice yelled out, and Ponyboy barely had the strength to look up. A boy had crawled out from under one of the burning book shelves, holding another, slightly smaller boy by his hair. God, they just couldn’t come out sooner, could they?

Ponyboy reached over and grabbed the bigger kid by the back of his shirt, not noticing the flames that engulfed his hand. He pulled the kid up and shoved him over to the window, too caught up in his coughing fit to bring them out himself. The smoke engulfed the two, then they were gone.

Ponyboy didn’t see, or hear what happened to them, he just had to hope they got out. He tried to follow after them, but he couldn’t move.

He was doubled over, practically dry heaving. The church was collapsing, boards above him snapping loudly, blending into the crackles of the fire. This was going to the end of him, and he was the one who caused it.

He couldn’t die here. A voice rang in the back of his head, though he was barely conscious enough to hear it. He couldn’t die here, he had brothers waiting for him at home, even if one of them hated his guts.

Ponyboy forced his head up and peeled open his eyes, only to find that he couldn’t tell where he was. The smoke surrounded him, making it nearly impossible to see anything that wasn’t right in front of him, and it was only growing thicker. He held back a cough, and wiped his eyes, stumbling forward blindly, hoping, praying that he would find his way out.

And by some amazing miracle, as he continued through the flames, streaks of light started to penetrate through the dark smoke. He prayed that it was the light from outside, and not the light at the end of the tunnel.

Before he could find out, though, he heard a deafening snap above him, then followed by that was what sounded like a landslide.

Before he could look up, or even move, he felt something slam into the side of his head, yet, oddly enough it didn’t hurt. A sickening, deafening CRAAAAAACK! echoed through his head, through his body, making his bones vibrate.

It was the sound of his skull breaking. A board had broken in two above him, and with all that built up tension, it had slammed him right on the side of his head.

His body crashed to the ground, and the wooden boards bended under him, nearly snapping. He faded in and out of consciousness, hardly able to hear himself think.

He was going to die. Die without ever seeing his brothers, Two-bit, or even Steve ever again.

He had to apologize to Darry. He realized. For being so stubborn, for not listening to him. Nothing like a life or death situation to make you realize your regrets huh Ponyboy? The voice in the back of his head snickered at him, mocking him even in his final moments.

He would never get the chance to apologize though, as the darkness that had been slowly creeping up, finally consumed him.

————————————————————————

Sorry if this was ooc or didn’t accurately represent the characters, I tried my best! Any kind of comments are appreciated! I’m thinking of maybe posting updates as I keep writing the chapters! Anyway, have a good day :3

[3-2-whump]

The New Intern

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A shorter chapter, set three months after Escape Attempt Last

Heckin' big shoutout to @whumped-by-glitter for helping me talk out some plot points and develop my OCs' struggles a little better, you're awesome for that!

TW/CW: minor whump, pet whump, physical abuse towards a minor (mentioned)

“So, I come home today,” Thomas began, drinking and playing pool with his underboss, consigliere, and capos late at night. “Exhausted from negotiating with that upstart gang on the East Side, stressing about our loss of gambling revenue from our partners, and generally just on edge, and what do I come home to find?” The billiard balls clattered discordantly across the table, rolling around on their haphazard trajectories. “Khaled, that little shit, had left all the taps on! Every last one! My apartment, flooded!” He threw back another shot as he let Luca have a turn at the pool table. “And after I finished beating him black and blue, the only excuse the boy could give was ‘I was bored!’ Can you believe that? Bored?!” he complained.

The rest of the guys exchanged terse glances between themselves.

“Well,” the Boss snapped, “I know you want to say something, so say it! We’re all friends here, aren’t we?”

“Fine then, friend,” Consigliere Michael answered, “You’re an idiot if you didn’t see this coming!”

“I agree,” Jaime chimed as he threw back his shot. “The poor kid has been cooped up in your home, by himself, all day, for the past fifteen months; we’re all honestly surprised something like this hasn’t happen sooner!”

“Nobody would keep a dog in a cage all day,” Michael added, striking the cue ball into his intended targets. Thomas winced at the blunt comparison. He’s not wrong, though, he realized.

“Tom, buddy, we’ve known you your whole life, practically,” Luca appealed. “Some of us even knew you in those years, and we still stuck by you. We know you got him as a sort of penitence exercise, but we think you’re smart enough to know it is not enough for you to just keep him alive.” Meanwhile, Jaime chalked up the tip of his cue, then leaned over to make his shot. “The boy needs to see other people, to have structure, to be surrounded by English-speakers if his language proficiency is ever going to improve!”

Jaime sent the billiard balls clacking across the table. Thomas sighed, realizing (a little too late) that they were completely right. “Well, what do you suppose I do? It’s not like I can just bring him to work with me, right?”

-

“Gentlemen, this is Khal, my new intern. He is going to be working closely with me for the foreseeable future.”

Khaled bristled beside him, feeling uncomfortable in the stiffly pressed black dress shirt and black slacks. Every eye in his master’s conference room was on him. Those that knew who he was arched their brows as they gave their Boss sly smiles of approval. Those that did not know who he was pared him down with their scrutinizing glares. He gave a curt nod, acknowledging the crowd of high-ranking members of the Organization. He replayed the Rules in his head as he tuned out the rest of the meeting. Lucky for me, Master only has a few: one, when invited to sit, sit on the floor, preferably at Master’s feet. He briefly paused his recitation to wonder just how much Rule One would be enforced while at work, with other people watching. Two, speak only when spoken to, especially at work. Three, speak English only. And the new Rules, he remembered, made specifically for their new circumstances: only refer to Master as ‘Boss’ or ‘Sir’ while I’m at work with him, and tell no one what I truly am. As far as they know, I am his intern, I was hired through a temp agency, and that is all they need to know.

“Khal…Khaled!”

He snapped back into the present, only to see Master –Boss, he meant –staring at him expectantly. His heartbeat quickened as he realized he zoned out longer than he intended to. Of course, there was the ever-present unspoken Rule, the Rule above all other Rules:

‘Don’t embarrass me.’

He gulped down the dryness in his throat. “S-sir?”

“Come on, I need to show you the rest of the office,” Boss said. Khaled looked around the conference room; nearly everyone had filed out at this point, leaving him dumbly standing on the far end of the room as the Boss gestured impatiently out the door. Wordlessly, he offered a quick nod and hung his head as he followed him.

Le Tag List: @kabie-whump @rainydaywhump @whumped-by-glitter

[jacksdinonuggets]

I have not seen any little Lloyd from the ninjago movie so I made a fic! Also, Koko is a way better mom than misako ever will be.

Lloyd was not having a good day. He was on the verge of tears. Stupid kids at school, stupid dad, stupid class! His brain was not working properly either! Everything was fuzzy and he could barely think properly. His dysphoria was also coming back to him whenever he saw his reflection. His hair was getting too long and it looked…feminine.

When the school bell rang, signaling the kids to leave the school, Lloyd could not be happier. Luckily, his dad didn’t attack that day but it was still stressful. His friends checked up on him during the day but it didn’t change much. He was mostly silent or would just push them away.

But the day just decided to get worse. The bus decided to leave without him and he needed to walk home now. His mom, Koko, wouldn’t be home for another 20 minutes so he couldn’t even call her to pick him up. So he walked home. His ribs ached due to his tight binder and feet hurt because he decided to wear sandals. 

When he finally got home, he skipped getting a snack. He didn’t feel like he could even make one. He sat on the couch for a bit and watched the news but it made him feel worse. It was like he forgot how to read but at the same time, could make out words.he was so frustrated with the turnout of his day that he stomped into his bedroom. 

His bedroom was pretty small. It had a loft bed and a desk underneath. It was against the wall so there was plenty of space in the room.

Lloyd couldn’t even make it to his desk before he crumbled. His knees hit the floor as the waterfall started. Tears flowed freely down his face. The pressure of the city was constantly weighing on him, the kids harassing him, and the stress of school was all coming out. He sobbed loudly while curled up in a ball in the middle of his room. He felt different. Like he was younger. He’s heard about this coping mechanism before and always wanted to try it but was too scared to. But now, the weight of the world was finally getting off his shoulders as he fell deep into littlespace for the very first time.

__________________________

When Koko walked up the stairs of the apartment building, she couldn’t help but feel like something was wrong. As she got closer to her apartment, the faint sound of a little kid crying could be heard.

“I hope that kid is okay” Koko thought. However, it got louder as she came closer. 

When she opened her door, the sobbing was its loudest. Thats when she realized that the kid crying wasn’t just any kid. It was her kid.

She quickly closed the door and threw her purse and stuff onto the couch before rushing to Lloyd’s bedroom in worry. A million thoughts plagued her mind. She opened her son’s bedroom door and immediately felt a mixture of feelings. Here she saw her son crying on the floor, tucked into a ball. She was glad he didn’t seem physically hurt, but something was clearing bothering him.

“Oh Lloyd, honey,” Koko sighed in sympathy. She knelt down to him and right when he realized she was there, he jumped into her lap and hugged her tightly, crying into her shoulder.

“Mama!” he bawled into her shoulder, knowing that he had regressed and was being extremely vulnerable with his mother. He didn’t care though. He wanted his mama.

“Shh, shh, its okay,” Koko comforted him in a soothing voice and rubbed his back. The childish voice was concerning but she decided to bring it up later.

The crying was muffled by Koko’s shirt and shoulder. She was extremely worried as he hasn’t cried this hard in years. As he calmed down and his sobs turned into soft crying, Koko noticed him bring his thumb up to his mouth and began to suck on it. 

Once he calmed down, he decided his mom needed an explanation.

“Mommy-, i mean, Mom. I- I’m sorry… for acting weird and babyish,” he took his thumb out and instead fiddled with with fingers.

“No, no, its not weird. I think i know whats going on,” she said.

“You- you do?”

“Yeah, you’re regressing. I know what is and i support you no matter what,” Koko ran her fingers through her son’s hair.

“T-tank you…” he dug his head into her chest and hugged her. 

“So, how old do you feel, sweetie?” 

“T-woo,” 

“Aww, alright. You can tell me what caused you to slip later. Do you want to take a nap for now? you look so tired,” she asked, looking at him.

“Yesh p’ease..” Lloyd was changed into some jammies by his mom and helped up into his bed. Koko did her best to tuck him in while standing on the ladder. When she got him down to nap, she snuck out of his room and into the kitchen. She sat at the table and opened up her laptop. She was going to do the best research and shopping she’s ever done. And it’ll all be worth it for her kid.

Lloyd woke up about two hours later. He was still feeling young but a little bit older. About 3 years old. He really needed to pee but couldn’t get down from his bed.

“Mama!” he yelled for his caregiver. It wasn’t long before Koko came in.

“I need to go potty!” 

Koko quickly helped him down and just barely got him to the bathroom. As she waited outside the restroom door for him to finish up, she wondered if he would need any protection. It did take him a while to get fully potty trained when he was younger. She would ask him for his opinion later.

“Mama?” Lloyd called for her from behind the door.

“Yes, honey?”

“Cans you gets me..umm.. A new boxer?” he asked. His boxers he was wearing were a little damp since he didn’t exactly make it in time. He didn’t know why this was happening! He never really has bathroom issues! Maybe it was the regression?

“Of course, sweetie,” Koko said. She went to his room and got him a new pair. When Lloyd was done in the bathroom, his mom changed him into more casual clothes. She had already ordered him an adult pacifier but there was still a bunch of stuff she wanted to get him. But she would ask him before getting any type of protection, as it may make him uncomfortable.

“We’re gonna get you some little items, is that okay?” she said as she tied his shoes.

“Otay!” 

She held his hand as they walked to the car. She decided that they would go to the mall. That place had everything. When they got there, Koko made sure to get Lloyd’s opinion on the little items he wanted. He was excited to get all this new stuff and flapped his hands excitedly. They stopped by the clothing store and tried on a bunch of clothes. Lloyd seemed to really like the dinosaur, dragon, and space themed clothes. After that, he got to pick out his sippy cup and even a couple toys! Their final stop was a stuffed animal store. The employees didn’t really like the fact that he was there, but they still helped him out. Lloyd picked out a cuddly teddy bear. Koko was a little confused because the store had dragon stuffies and dino stuffies.

“I wike da texture better,” he explained when she asked. 

After he stuffed it, he picked out a dinosaur outfit for it. Even though Koko was a bit tight on money, she made an exception for him. Lloyd was always worried about their finances and the fact that he finally didn’t care about it, made Koko happy.

They stopped by a fast food place for dinner before going home. Lloyd ended up passing out on the car ride home while cuddling his new stuffy. So when they arrived back at the apartment, Koko carried him on her back and the bags from the mall in her hands. She was glad she still had the strength of lady iron dragon or else this would’ve been impossible. The sight of her Little finally getting the rest he deserved made her smile.