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coy-lee · 2 years

Text

DiVo is back already, and it's Moon's turn to have some fun, the little gremlin.

BIG OL' THANKS to @afloofwithmultipleinterests and @laughterfixs once again for writing this one with me! It was tons of fun X3

Description: It's been approximately 4 days since the bois encountered the darkness living the the daycare's shadows. Moon's been as serious as ever during the nighttime and is seems that after one of his patrols, diVo decides its a perfect time to fix that.

( lee!Moon, lee!Sun, ler!diVo)

WARNING: It's a tickie fic :3

Someone Else's Turn To Play

3:00 AM

...the third patrol of the night...

Moon swam through the air elegantly as always, searching for anything out of order. Aside from Gregory, Moon had never truly had an issue before. His job at night was rather easy. On the hour every hour, Moon would do a 5-10 minute sweep of the Pizza Plex when the power was diverted to the charging stations. The rest of the time, he often relaxed with Sun's sleeping form until his next patrol.

...

3:04 AM

It could get rather boring and lonely. Doing the same thing every night alone while his counterpart was charging... Pretty much everyone except the staff bots were asleep, making any and all encounters with other bots lackluster.

...

3:10 AM

The lights came back on

Ah, times up... Guess I better head back...

Moon wasn't actually that far from the daycare. He decided he may as well enjoy a casual walk back instead of flying, mostly because the shortest route was through the pirate cove. Unfortunately, the wire tracks in there needed oiling really badly, so Moon would just end up getting his wire stuck. No biggy, though. He had legs.

One light went out from above. Then another and another and more after that.

No popping, no sparks, just as if someone flipped the switch. It caught the security bot off guard for sure…and for a brief moment, it felt like he was being watched.

Moon had gotten himself prepared to attack a possible intruder. But said intruder had…other plans.

Long snake-like appendages wrapped around the animatronics wrists and spun him around to look right into the jagged mouth and white pinpricks of a familiar form…

“Hello Moon, my dear friend~” the deep voice greeted with a purr.

DiVo wore an insatiable look on his face as if he had been starving for hours, his tongue dangling down in temptation.

"It appears you're all alone after hours...and not long after our first official meeting either~ Hmhmhm, after playing with Sun, I haven't stopped wondering what such a delectable little moonpie you might taste like..."

With that glimmer in diVo's eyes, Moon knew what he was in for.

The night time bot began to struggle in the grip of the darkness. There was no way he was just going to let this thing take what he wanted without a fight. And this time, there was no deal to be made to make him behave either. Hopefully...

Moon wrenched his arms away only to find that the grip of the tendrils were just as strong as he remembered.

"I-I know what you're doing! Y-you're trying to i-intimidate me! Well you may as well stop tryin' cuz i-it's-" Moon made the mistake of looking into diVo's eyes again, "- n-n-not... g-gonna w-w-work…"

DiVo gave a low deep chuckle, as if entirely amused by the smaller bot’s rough and tough attitude. How easily it seemed to melt away.

“Oh why do you sound soooo frightened? I thought you knew by now I wouldn’t lay a single harmful claw on anyone~?”

No harm at all. Those claws were dangerous for other reasons…

"I- I- eeEEEEHEP!!"

DiVo barely teased one clawed digit across moon's torso, making the lunar animatronic struggle. As he tried to get away, he arched his back, leaving Divo to hold him in that position with a lone tendril.

"My, my... you're helping me? I've never had a little treat so.. willing to be eaten~"

" W-wa-waIT! I-is th-this really nehehecessaryeeeeeeeee!" Moon fought with the tendril keeping his back arched only to find it wouldn't budge. He started kicking his legs out as they were the only part of him left that had any semblance of freedom other than his head.

"L-LET ME GO, DAMNIT!" Moon's eyes turned red, his voice deep. Was he really trying to intimidate diVo? Did he actually think that would work? Perhaps he was so used to it working on everyone else, he didn't even think twice about using that tactic in such a situation. But it was likely a mistake…

The shadowy animatronics eyes narrowed, the tiny white dots in his eyes seeming to pierce right through Moon.

“Someone is quite the grump~ I did tell you before I would like to snack on you did I not?"

His tongue lapped at the neck joints which had caused Moon to flinch and stifle another laugh.

“Why don’t you relax and let me feast~? You may find yourself having as much fun as Sun~”

Moon shook his head in desperation, struggling to contain his giggles, leading him to internally gasp and snort.

"Oh, dear.. seems I was mistaken… it appears the pie is still in the oven… worry not little pie, let me crank up the heat for you~"

Divo swirled his tongue along the wires before traveling his way down to the hollow of his underarm.

"Any last words?~"

"PPPPFFFTTKHKHKHKHKH -*snort*-"

'Last words?' Moon practically choked at hearing those words aimed at him this time. Sun was always the one getting tickled. Even when the tables were turned, Sun was never a devious tickle monster. He was always tooth-rottingly sweet and fun... but diVo? He was like Moon... but even more devilish in his teases and tactics... Moon wasn't prepared to face his own kind.

Prepared or not, it was too late.

"IyeeEEEE! J-JUST HAHAng on a s-sehechkhkhkhkhkh!"

Hang on? Well DiVo wasn’t too keen on being patient. He was starving! He was going to waste away to nothing!

….

But at the same time it wouldn’t be a good meal if the smaller bot wasn’t having fun.

He slowed it down, just keeping it to little taps and scritches. “Hang on~? Whatever for~?”

Moon's breath started to come back to him as the tongue disappeared.. he could control his laughter for the moment.

Wait- the tongue's gone?

"MHm- wait why dihid-"

He paused himself. What was he SAYING!? Surely he wasn't this touch starved, right? Right!?

"You were saying?"

Got 'im.

DiVo mischievously smirked, slowly tapping his claws along Moon's tummy and hips. The nighttime Attendant tensed again, lightly wiggling in diVo's grasp.

"IhiIIIII..." Moon puffed his cheeks out as far as they could go to try and stop the giggles from coming... the longer he waited, and anticipated tickles.. the worse the gentle tapping got.

"Yyyyyyeeeeeeeeees?"

Tap TAP tippity Tap TAP,

Boop!

DiVo had lightly booped Moon's dent, popping the balloon that was his cheeks.

"PPFFAAAHAHAHAHAHA! N-NO WAIT!" Moon squeaked in protest after the sensation faded. Oh he was in for it. He was really, truly in for it. He was dealing with a master here and that knowledge was finally sinking in as Moon was forced to realize just how sensitive he could be... And he was sure to be surprised by that fact over and over again throughout the rest of this encounter.

"G-g... Hmmm..." Moon huffed in defeat. He didn't know what he wanted. Well he did, but he was still way too embarrassed to ever say such a thing to a guy he still barely knew…

DiVo smirked at Moon, starting up the light scritching on his sides, gliding to the arm joints and right back down.

“Oh? Are we not fighting back now? Isn’t that just the funniest thing! If I didn’t know any better moonpie…I’d say you were actually wanting this! But that can’t possibly be true…”

He grinned, leaning his mouth near Moon’s audio receptor and whispering in such a teasing tone that sent chills through the squirming bot’s endo.

“Or can it~?”

Moon's durability had been broken, so this time, he couldn't hold back the cackles he unleashed.

"NyOHohOhoHOooooOoo!!"

Moon squirmed as his tummy was arched slightly higher than before, showing off his midsection to the tickle monster before him.

DiVo nibbled lightly on Moon's neck before traveling down to his ribcage with those ticklish little pinchers.

DiVo raised up before starting to eat more of his meal.

"Oh, are you sure? I haven't heard a 'let me go' since I started teasing you~ why would that be, hmmm? There is no other reason other than you're terribly ticklish… and looooooove it... dare I say just as much as that squealing, snorting friend of yours~"

'Oh no. Nonono! Why'd he have to say that!?' Moon whined in his head as giggles kept slipping out of his voice box. There was a nervousness in his core that felt like fluttering butterflies tickling at his code. Sometimes Sun was able to get Moon's nerves on edge similarly, but not to this extent. He felt so giddy inside. He couldn't help it! A smile began to make itself at home on his face. He had been fighting it and had officially lost the battle.

He kicked his feet out as a way to release that inner tension and energy bubbling inside of him.

Gottem. Right where he wanted him~!

DiVo gave a victorious chuckle, his tendrils going to work to keep the smaller animatronic in a comfortable position and even pushed off the slippers.

“There we are…the big bad stalker of the night…too ticklish for his own good, isn’t he~?” DiVo purred, keeping his claws over Moon's belly and under an arm. “Poor thing trying to be so intimidating~”

"YEEEEKHKHKEEHEEE!! NAHAHAAAHA!!"

Moon tried to kick his feet, but he got no farther than wiggling those delectable little "tatertots" diVo was eyeing.

"SHUHUHUT UUUUUHUHUUP!!"

"Why~? Because you know it's all true, little blueberry muffin? So so tense you are… here, let me help ease your mindddd~"

Stray tendrils began to flutter and wiggle across Moon's sides, while two others twirled around his neck, and upper back, daring to touch one of his most exposed death spots..

The temptation was definitely there, but it wouldn't be as FUN for either of them for diVo's "meal" to be exhausted before he was full.

"NOHOHONONONOHONOOOHOHOHOHOHOOOO!" Moon practically screeched. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad if diVo would just stop with those teases of his! They made him feel so small and helpless and precious- 'NO! STOPPIT, MOON! DON'T THINK LIKE THAT! YOU'RE AN ANIMATRONIC DAMNIT!'

Moon cackled and laughed, squirming uselessly as he chided himself mentally. But perhaps he was truly seeing why Sun enjoyed this kind of play time so much.

DiVo could see Moon practically melting. Maybe the tough little thing was finally relaxing~

Good, he seemed to need it. Needed the affirmations and the fun. A new breath of air.

And diVo was feasting.

The tendrils wrapped around his ankles tightly to keep them from going anywhere, the tips of them finding their way to the toes…which fired up a bit of giddy panic in poor affection starved moon.

"NAHAHAAAHAAWT THEHEHERE NYAHAHAHAAHAT THEHEHEHEHAHAHA!!"

Moon's feet were one of the worst spots that he could remember... fazbear forbid his poor, defenseless piggies.

"Oh, not where... oh- here?"

The tendrils lightly swirled against his toes.

"BWAHAAHAHAAHAHAAAA!!"

The swirling stopped before he felt the equivalent of nails gently raking all of those sensitive wires, and ball joint from under one of his arms.

"Or did the little cupcake mean.. here? Oh- or here?~"

The other set of claws skittered ever so gently in a circle around his dent.

"NYAHOHOHOHOOOOO!!"

"No? OH! As in you can't decide??... I have a peeerfect resolution for that~"

He did all three at once, each spot at a different pace than the others.

He tickled slowly on and between Moon's toes, gingerly skittered over every inch of his tummy, avoiding the dent for now, and finally, practically vibrated the hand he had under moon's arm at a alarming rate.

"GYEE-AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! -SNORT- IHIHIHI EEHEEHEEHEE CAHAHAHAHAHAN'T!" Moon's cackling renewed tenfold and the pitch had risen, making him sound more like Sun at this point. He wiggled his toes and twisted in diVo's grip with desperation. This was unbearable. And those devious teases continued on top of everything. He was a blushing mess and felt a warmth in his chest he didn't expect someone like diVo to ever conjure. He felt... - 'Nonono Moon! F-focus!'

His subconscious continued to fight, but it was losing its grip on him fast.

Too bad for Moon, diVo seemed to see through it all. In fact, it was the reason he chose to visit Moon that night. After all, he'd had plenty to eat that day with the daycare being open again.

He lightened up the tickling to be quick and maddeningly light.

“Still going to act as though you don’t enjoy every second of this dear friend~?” he questioned, swirling both claws and tendrils.

Bubbles of giggles, snorts and cackles escaped the naptime animatronic.

“Whatever are you afraid of? Is it weakness? Joy? Is it really that bad if someone sees you laughing and enjoying yourself~?” DiVo challenged once again using his tongue to tease poor moon.

The tongue snuck back over to Moon's neck to lay stray tickles across it, the words finally sinking in, and the biggest smile stretching across Moon's face.

Hiccups and snorts followed as the last bit of hold Moon had on himself dissipated, he let the wall down and began to laugh himself silly.

"PLEeeHeheheAeeHAaaase!! AHahAhHAhHaahHahHa-"

Mirth collected in moon's eyes, just as diVo move his claw away from moon's belly, instead starting to nibble on his tum instead.

"Pleasth waht?~" diVo asked innocently, not raising his faceplate an inch, and lightly nomming away at the ticklish tum.

"B-G-GYAAAHAHA! N-NEEHEEheeheehee- NAHAHAT THAHAHAHAHA!" Moon cried out, shaking his head and clawing aimlessly at the air. He wriggled hard, but stayed firmly in diVo's clutches. Something about said shadow's muffled lisp was endearing to Moon in the back of his head. This big baddy never learned not to talk with his mouth full! If anything, it made his presence more relatable than scary.

Moon was unfortunately more prone to scaring kids with his red eyes and tall form in the dark, but found that being silly tended to break through that nightmare fueled perception and help show his true, playful self. It seems diVo was very much the same.

They really did have a lot in common. Maybe that's why Moon wasn't too keen on opening up to the guy. He already has enough trouble trusting himself, knowing what he's capable of, and if he sees too much of himself in someone, he's likely to not trust them as far as he can throw them.

But maybe... Maybe diVo being around would do both himself and Sun some good. Sun deserved all the care and attention and de-stressing playtime as he could handle, and Moon? He could learn to give himself the benefit of the doubt. It's harder to be negative about yourself when you clearly enjoy the company of someone with similar "flaws". And diVo would be more than happy to give Moon a delightful taste of his own medicine when he needed (or deserved) it.

Speaking of which:

Currently, Moon was squealing like a piggy as diVo continued the playful nibbles and tickles.

"NEEHEEheekhkhkh-WHYHYHYHYHYHY EEEEEEHEEHEEHEEEEEE!?"

The dark animatronic purred a bit making a few playful snarling noises as he “ate” which only seemed to prove just as effective as Moon let out a couple of shrieks.

He lifted his face plate and licked the jagged teeth before answering.

“Because I’m hungry~ now shhhh, just relaaaax~”

And out came the tongue again, lapping away at the poor dent like a dog at a bone.

"NYAAAAAHAHAHAHAA!! PFFFAAAAHAHAAHAHAAAAAAA!"

The tongue once again proved to be an incredibly effective tool against the little animatronics! diVo had been waiting SOOOOOOOO long to finally pay Moon's weakest points a visit, and it had all finally paid off.

Moon kicked his legs the best he could as the tendrils down there began to shift and scribble over his beans like a quill writing on parchment.

For the last assault to Moon's tummy, diVo tried a new method he had in the workings, as well as testing a particular spot on the security bot.

Before doing this however, diVo gave Moon a little breather.

Moon, nearly having his fill, turned his fans on to properly cool his processors for a brief moment, huffing at the lack of cold air.

"Hehe.. Eeeeeahaha... ehehe... yOhou.. hah.. stahahwped? Heheheaha..."

DiVo chuckled lightheartedly, shifting Moon up into a gravity defying motion with his tendrils, a couple three of them being free to roam...

"Not exactly, blueberry muffin. We are however... nearly there. Call this… a grand finale of sorts~"

A grand finale? Oh... OH no...

With the position Moon was in, all fours being held as if Moon were floating belly-down in the air with his arms out, this would be (fun) TERRIBLY ticklish.

"You have your breath prepared little moonpie? You're about to go straight into tickle town~"

Moon gulped, faceplate flushed... he made sure to catch his breath before he absolutely perished.

Unbeknownst to moon, behind him the tendrils lined his worst spots, the ball joints of his knees, his hips, his toes, his armpits, and, finally,

His poooooor poor back loop~

DiVo's faceplate drew near Moon's tummy again, but this time... the lunar animatronic thought he was prepared for what was about to happen... surely it would be his tongue again, or those DEVILISHLY ticklish fangs.

"I'm ... I'm readheehee..." The animatronic cued.

What he wasn't prepared for were the deep breath he heard, or the fluttering rays that touched his stomach to vibrate similar to a raspberry.

The attacks on his back were unleashed, on his toes, his ball joints, everywhere INCLUDING that delicious little "fruitloop" on Moon's back.

"AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! WAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAIHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEEEEE! OHOHO-HAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHANAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Moon screamed with ticklish laughter as the black hole tickled every last giggle and squeal and cackle out of him. His toes curled and spasmed uselessly. His hands were clenched into tight fists. His head switched from shaking rapidly to dropping down defeated over and over as giddy energy pulsed through him. The bell on his hat jingled with every movement. The small tinkling sound accompanied his high pitch laughter and squeals, creating the most adorable music to diVo's ears, or rather a deliciously sweet treat.

"NYAHAHAHAHOOO! PLEEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!"

DiVo was eating up every single millisecond of this, such an adorable bot~ so tough but melted like butter as soon as tickles were brought into the game.

The tickling began to lighten up, it was time to end this meal before he passed out from exhaustion. Though before diVo did so, the shuffling of bare animatronics feet padded into the abandoned pirates cove.

“M-moonie…? Are you ok…?!”

There stood Sun, sleepy and looking rather…nervous. More than likely from the dark.

"GYEEEHEHEEHEEEAHAHAHa...AHAHaHaaAhahAa... NehEhehver BEHETTERHEHRR... SkHkHkAhaHa..." Moon slurred, snorting and hiccuping as the tickling eventually slowed to a stop. Moon was DEFINITELY not in his right mind at the moment. Poor thing was actually rather groggy... similar to how Sun was after the first encounter with the tall, dark animatronic currently holding Moon.

Sun rubbed his eyes and squinted. Why was Moon giggling like that?... And so loopy too? And on the wire in here? Wasn't the wire track messed up in here? Why was he- Oh... Oh...

After blinking a few more times, Sun finally made out a black form in the darkened room. It was diVo.

"Oooooohohoho, ehehe! No wonder you're so giggly!" Sun laughed to himself after the situation became clear. He padded over to the two definitely not because it was dark and he wanted to be close to his friends so it wasn't so scary or anything.

"Ihihit's not... -*pant*- funny... -*pant*- ehehe..." Moon whined. That only made Sun giggle more.

"Awww, alright then. It's adorable, and about time you got a taste, heehee!" Sun looked up at diVo now cradling the lunar animatronic.

DiVo hummed in amusement before sneaking a tendril around to stroke the cheerier one’s side.

“Now now, Sunnybun~ that’s no way to talk to your friend is it?” he scolded playfully as Sun gave a squeak and tried to lean away from the tickly tendril.

“Eep! C'mahahaan!!”

Moon looked up at DiVo. Now he was defending him? …He really did care for all of them in the plaza it seemed…

"Hehehe... beheetter watch.. diVoho is quite literally a black hole... I'm sure he could go for a delicious little cinnamon-sun if he wanted~" Moon teased back, feeling a little less loopy than before.

Divo snorted before licking over those nommers as if he was prepared for seconds.

"It's true, unless.. you can behave yourself~" He jesterously remarked, giving the same side three pokes before slithering the offending appendage back into his cape.

"EEK-eeheeheehee! Oh! Ehehe I can behave! As a caretaker, I always must set a good example for the kiddos!... At least one of us has too..." Sun smirked.

Moon gasped in offense.

"Excuse you!? I-" Moon stopped, seeing that Sun was digging his own grave. May as well let 'im.

"What!? I' m just being honest! You can't fault me for telling the truth!" Sun defended, his words dripping with playfulness as he rocked on his heels.

DiVo’s gaze shifted between the two…well. Maybe he could go for seconds.

“Sundrop~” he sang, seeing the smaller animatronic flinch away from him."I do apologize for waking you up…but perhaps I can fix that and wear you out enough that you both can go back to sleep~”

Sun blinked before grinning nervously. “W-wear me out?”

"Yeeeeesss..." The cape slowly split into 8, devious tickle tools.

As Sun witnessed the transformation, he just KNEW he was going to get what he wanted.

"I seriously DOUBT you could wear me out~ I have waaaayy too much energy, and no bedtime! Now that I'm awake, it's going to take a loooooong time to get me back to sleep..."

One of the tendrils gently pulled Sun closer to the dark form, before taking each one of his limbs and holding him still.

"Oh REALLY now?… Is that a challenge?"

'Ohoho, Sun's reeeeally in for it,' Moon thought to himself. At the moment, he even had front row seats to the show too! DiVo really was such a nice guy~

"Ohoho, wait! WAIT! M-m-maybe I misspoke! I, umm, I-I..." Sun stuttered as he eyed the tendrils slithering lazily in the air just waiting the touch down on any number of his tickle spots. He squirmed instinctively, trying to cover them up, but diVo already had him in his grasp.

The funniest part of it all was diVo still cradling the tired but amused Moon…and the smirk on his counterpart's exhausted form somehow made Sun quiver more.

“Oh? Would you like one last chance to give in, my favorite little cinnamon Sunbun~?” diVo purred, the tendrils gently lifting Sun's arms up high and snaking inward toward the ever so sensitive ball joints.

“W-wait waaaaait!!”

“Bedtime or tickles, Sunny~?”

"I.... Uh... b-boy is it hot in here or... uh..." Sunny mutters something under his breath very quietly, his face a solid orange.

"Hmmmmmm....? I couldn't quite hear you little sweet-roll… could you repeat that?"

DiVo leaned in closer, cupping his hand to his audio receptor in a comical fashion.

Louder muttering was heard, vague mentions of doing something to him.

"Still too quieeeet~"

Playfully, diVo pokes a wiggling tendril under his arm for only a second to snap Sun out of his shyness.

"T-tIHIhickles p-p-please- eep!" Sun shut his mouth immediately after he realized he spit it out. His eyes were comparable to saucers in size, staring directly into the eyes of the black hole.

“All you had to do was ask~” diVo grinned, letting the tendrils go to town at the ball joints and wires.

He used a few others to hold Moon so he could focus on the giggly sunbeam more. Those tendrils practically held Moon like a hammock.

“Was it that hard my dear Sun~?” diVo chuckled, now using his claws on the wiggly thing's tummy and sides.

"WAAAAAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAAANnhnhnk- EEEEE!! NaHaAhAhwt thuhuhuh TUHUHUMMY!!" Sunny squealed, kicking what he could of his bound legs.

"Not the tummy? Oh but I thought you said it was your faaaavorite spot! It gets you all giggly, and makes your laughter taste sweeter than candy~ Mmmmmmm~ such yuuuuummy giggles~..."

Moving the claws to trace over the upper belly, and ribcage, diVo gently nuzzled and feasted on the poor, sensitive little tickle spot before him.

"NEEHEEHEEHEEHEE -*SNORT*- IHIHIHIT TIHIHIHIHICKUHUHUHUHULES!" Sun squeaked out. He tried to wiggle his tummy away, but diVo had all the advantages in the world. He was holding him after all, he could just pull him closer and nuzzle further into that open tummy as much as he wanted.

Being an observer was fun for Moon. Admittedly though, he was getting second hand flutters on his belly just watching diVo work his magic, remembering how it felt when he was the one being snacked on.

Sun's snorts made the corners of Moon's mouth turn up more and more with each one. DiVo seemed to have a similar reaction as he couldn't help but giggle into Sun's tummy every time a little snort found its way out of the cackling daycare attendant. Moon began to chuckle at the adorable noise out loud and eventually all three of them were laughing and enjoying the moment.

"LEEHEEHEE-*SNORT*- EEHEAVE MY PIHIHIHIHIGGY LAHAHAUGH-*SNORT*- ALOHOHOHOHONE! EEEEEK!" Sun protested, but his rays spun showing his clear amusement in contrast to his words.

“Ohohohoohh but it’s sooo adorable and deliciouuuus~” diVo laughed lightly, relishing this tender moment as much as the two daycare attendants.

“He’s not wrong, Sunny.” Moon snickered.

“YOU-YOU’RE NOHOHOHO BEHEHETTEEEEHEHEEEER!”

“Shhh~ no arguing now~ we’re having fuuuun~” diVo reminded, moving himself up to munch a bit on his neck and rays.

"NOOOOHOHOHOOO-EEEEEEEEHEHEHEEHEHEEEE!! NAHAT MUHYEE RAHAYS! PLEHEHEAAA -*SNORT!*- GOHO BAHACK TO MUH TUHUHUHUUUUMMYYYY!!"

DiVo chortled at the little piggy's plea as he nibbled and licked away at his neck joints, and rays. The laughs reverberated against the fins making Sun squeal, and snort more.

"Nibbully tickwish fauhn~" He continued, now nomming on the last, and coincidentally, most sensitive ray.

As Sun continued to squee with delight at the playful nibbling, Moon giggled at his plight. He couldn't help but bring up his observation from earlier now that he wasn't the one being tickled silly.

"Ehehehe, you tend to talk with your mouth full, huh?" Moon chuckled.

The shadow animatronic squinted a bit at the naptime counterpart. Oh so it was pick on diVo time was it?

“Careful moonpie~ I can give you another round tooooo~” he purred against Sun's rays, earning another squeal followed by a stream of giggles.

Moon let out a squeak, louder than he first initially felt it would be. His face burned a bright blue, shying away fast. Jeez... where did his boldness go!? He was as shaky as a leaf, and as hot as a volcano.

"AHahAh- N-NuhUhu!!" Moon responded, lightly kicking his feet like a child.

Was this how SUN felt most of the time? ...(spoilt, and lucky)...

DiVo snorted, heaving at the strong reaction, in turn making Sun squeal more.

Sun kicked and shook in ticklish joy.

"SohohOHohohOhomewhre EHEHELSE!! EEHEHEHEE!!" It sounded less like a plea of mercy on said spot, and more of a 'tickle me more!!'

Moon's bashfulness waned as his attention was brought back to his cackling counterpart.

"Somewhere else, eh? Well diVo hasn't paid your toes a visit yet~," Moon pointed out slyly. Oh that devious little-

"WAHAHAT?! NONONOHOhohohooOOO!" Sun whined, completely conflicted. He did want diVo to move elsewhere, and his toes were certainly elsewhere. Why oh why did he have to be programmed so ticklish?

The jagged grin on diVo's face grew wide at that suggestion.

“Oh yes~! I nearly forgot-”

Liar. As if he would ever forget something like that. A couple of tendrils lifted and straightened Sun's legs out, leaving those little tots on display, beans exposed to the dark.

“And soooo nice of you to leave your slippers behind, dear Sunny~”

Sun let out a shrill cry, waving his feet in the air as diVo's faceplate traveled down to them. Sun squirmed and tried to pull his feet away to no avail. DiVo knelt down, nibbling on the wiggly little toes before him.

"You didn't tell me you bought me food~ such delicious looking tatertots just for meee~"

"GYAAA!!! NOHONOHONAHANAHAONAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! KHKHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!! NAHAHAT MY TOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOES!!!" Sun begged. DiVo knew full well that nibbling was the most ticklish thing one could do to Sun's toes, and he loved taking advantage of that. The delectable squeals he could reap from Sun from such a silly tactic were like pure sugar to the phantom. And it was all too clear that Sun loved the playfulness of it all, only making the moment sweeter.

"My stars, Sun! All these tickles must be driving you crazy~" Moon smirked, giggling along with the cackling bot. Sun couldn't respond, far too engulfed in ticklish bliss.

DiVo certainly wasn’t playing too nicely either…well kind of. He was more so enjoying nipping lightly at the squishy little beans making sure his teeth scraped ever so gently on the edges.

He made a hum at moons egging on before the tendrils that held him started wiggling along his sides as a warning that diVo could and absolutely would start wrecking him again.

“Caaaaaaarephuuuuuul~”

Moon squealed again, arms shooting down to hug his sides as a silly smile stretched across his features.

"OkAHAHAY!! Aaahaaha... it's just fuhuhun~ Teasing Sun always raises such cute little reactions hehe..."

Divo wormed his shadow of a tongue between each wiggly toe, snaking through all ten, bringing Sun to tears at heightened sensitivity. His two claws lightly scratched and scribbled at the paw pads, drawing shapes and practicing his signature with playful intent.

"Naow... moom how woul' you teasth sun m' such a vulll-ner-able state such as this~? Id appearths m' mouf ish fuwhl.."

Moon lightly snorted at diVo and Sun's manic nature from diVo talking with the tots in his mouth.

"Coochie coochie coooo little ball of sunshine~ it doesn’t tickle, does it~?"

"AAAHAHAHA-NANANAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! PLEEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEEHEEHEEEHEHE-SNORT-G-GIHIHEEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!" Sun couldn't handle this kind of tag teaming. Even with it just being Moon's words and not his fingers, Sun was in too much of a sensitive state to tell the difference. He began feeling that limpness that came with his body surrendering completely and his mind swimming in a happy, drunken state. Man, diVo could get him there so fast it seemed.

DiVo chuckled at the pure glee that escaped the smaller bot.

“That’s a good ray of sunshine~” he praised with a purr before remembering the reason he was doing this (besides the whole getting a second helping thing)

His hands rubbed some of the tickles away.

“How’s that energy now, little sunbeam~? Feeling tired yet~?”

Sun heaved, still chortling from the tingles that lingered... "Hehehehe… aha... eeeehee… yehehess...aha... oho stahars… hehehehetihihihickles... heheahah…"

Sun continued to let the remaining giggles bubble out as his eyes fluttered closed.

"Hmhmhm, looks like it's someone's nap time..." Moon teased lovingly. He reached his arms out. It was in a rather childlike way signaling for diVo to give Sun to him.

DiVo looked toward moon….but gave a knowing smirk. It actually sent a chill up the naptime animatronics spine…until diVo lifted Sun himself and used his tendrils to carry moon.

“In my own humble opinion….I think you both could use a long rest,” the phantom chuckled walking toward the daycare with both bots in his hold.

"Mmmm.... fair point..."

Moon let out a trilled yawn, stretching out a tad, and relaxing in the hold of the tendrils.

Sun meanwhile already started to snore, snuggling up to the tickle-void as he carried them.

DiVo sighed, ensuring the lights were off before stepping into the Superstar Daycare. He was finally becoming more comfortable with the place… so long as the lights were out.

He never truly expected Moon to fall asleep in his tendrils of all places... Well, mayhaps it was because he was exhausted. DiVo gathered together a bunch of pillows and blankets, making a makeshift nap fortress that he could easily slip out of before they awoke... diVo felt as full as a human after Thanksgiving dinner. It wouldn't hurt for him to rest his stomach awhile...

The void gently tucked both Sun and Moon into the pillow bed, giving himself the foot of it to drape across as to not make them uncomfortable per his bony, and pointy body.

"You two rest. I'll take care of your patrols for the rest of the night, Moon," diVo assured.

"Mmm, but that's - *yawn*- my job..." Moon protested sleepily.

"Don't fret, little moonpie. I always watch the night even when you are on patrol. You sleep. I'll do the rest..."

With that, the phantom faded into the shadows of the room. Sun rolled onto his side, grappling for something to cuddle, his grasp finding Moon quite quickly. Moon obliged, opening his arms to return the cuddle. With his eyes closing Moon muttered one more thing:

"Thank you"

A sign of gratitude that didn't go unheard…

#sfw tickling community #fnaf security breach #fnaf moondrop #fnaf sundrop #fnaf tickles #moondrop #sundrop #lee!moon #lee!sun #ler!divo #lee!moondrop #lee!sundrop #fnaf divo #fnaf oc divo #tickle fanfiction

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blugnettabutterflies · 1 year

Text

Outcasts, Chapter 1

"I found him."

(Criminal Case: The Conspiracy Spoilers in general, mainly of Case 60, Blaze of Glory.)

TW: Heavy description of bruises and anatomy.

Beginning - Previous Ch - Next Ch - Ending

There are a lot of things a profiler can do. Usually, their job is to take every single detail they can grasp on their fingers of anyone he meets, even if it's a friend, and analyze their behavior coming from those objects, chats, and even by only looks and hand movements. It's both a blessing and a curse.

For example, one thing Gabriel knows now is that when Gloria is nervous, she drives fast. Very fast. Constantly ignoring every driving sign she could encounter.

But, given the context they are in, it's not like the driving signs even matter. And the reasoning is also on par, understandable and valid.

They just saw the Dome explode. And it was a powerful explosion, given that he still has a sensation of trembling in his ears from the sound of it, and the vision of the dust and fire going up is still as clear as day.

They weren't even that close to the Dome and still felt like they were a few blocks away.

And what's worse, they were informed just a few minutes ago that both of his teammates were in the position the explosion took place. That explains why Gloria was running the car as if her life depends on it. Maybe some lives do depend on this.

That also explains how he hasn't said a word ever since he got in the car, only looking through the window to see if the ambulance is following them.

It took less than half an hour to get to the epicenter of the explosion. The damn Dome. The same place that was full of mysteries, a whole Conspiracy going on, experiments and science, and many, many deaths and trouble for them, now is just reduced into rubble and debris, with a few structures still barely holding up.

- Here, let's start searching... they cannot be that far. - His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Gloria speaking and her door opening. That led him to do the same thing, almost automatically.

Before she departs, she indicates her whistle. Everyone has one, in case of an emergency. In this case, if they find any of the two.

Now, both have to be careful. Not only were they searching for their friends, but now they have to be on the lookout if any neohuman was nearby, ready to slit them open.

It's incredible how much those two individuals usually get themselves into trouble. Ever since this person who everyone calls as Player reappeared in the city, everything was turned upside down. And that apparently wasn't their first rodeo.

Either they have a magical intuition to let this happen, or it's just bad luck.

He just wants to think that it is a mere coincidence.

And lately, all the luck has been happening to his closest companion.

He thinks about this member for quite some time while searching. A lot has happened to this member. From finding and trying to ally old enemies of his that end up dead, to finding out that his girlfriend was without any memory, only to recover it with his help and murder someone. To then be killed.

He sighs. This member is prone to be explosive, no pun intended. His emotions are always extreme. Not that is a bad thing, but he thinks he never learned to keep an eye on them, and those can turn against him, as it did almost a week ago, almost ending with his own life.

Still to this day, he feels that he could have done something. Sure, now he looks better but the process is hard and emotionally draining, he knows that. Especially for someone like him. Maybe he could have made a little more in his journalism to find more stuff to address. Or maybe he could have found a way to...

No. Just find him now. That's your only objective. Find them both. Find them alive.

Both enter the hall and see fire. More fire than the normal they got already used. Debris everywhere, and tons of rubble around.

That was the epicenter.

They observe the place that has the most fire. An electric motor, or at least what remains of it, is destroyed into pieces.

- What on earth... - Gloria asks herself, with a very small volume. Gabriel can't give himself the answer even if he wanted to, he's just as shocked.

They keep advancing. He kept thinking about that as he kept going with a few paramedics near him. Still holding the whistle he was given so the rescue team could find him.

Suddenly, Gloria is the first to whistle.

- I found Player! - She exclaims, as she tries to take rocks that were from a supposed wall out of them. They were unconscious.

Aside from the bruises caused by the rubble, there weren't major injuries involved.

- C'mon hun, wake up. - Gloria says in a concerned tone as she tries to move Player in order to wake them up, with no positive results.

A few paramedics were already on the way to attend to them, so he didn't get closer.

"Alright, one found. One more to find." Was his train of thought as he kept on walking, almost running. He still can't find him.

- Hey! Is anyone there?!

No answer for the general call. He tries again. Maybe he just reacts to his name. Common reaction under shock.

- Hello?! J-

There is some debris going in one particular place that caught his eye. More than that, there was like an object, a lump of... something, that just fell out to the ground, prompting a sound loud enough to give some attention to it.

He approaches it, hoping it's not what he thinks it is. He even was telling himself to not think about it. It can't be.

"It can't be him. Don't let it be him." He thinks, almost prays.

But as he was approaching the lump, his suspicions were (unfortunately) getting more accurate. The lump was taking more form. He then noticed that the lump had arms.

And legs...

And a face.

A barely recognizable face.

The vision was almost nauseating. The clothes were ripped apart, with the exception of his jacket, which the back and part of his left arm took a bad hit. He can still see the ashes. The body had so many burns, he can't determine if they were second or third-degree... he can even see one part of the body not being in the right place. He can only explain to himself that he was the closest to the explosion.

His face took a major hit. This "lump" had a painful face, unconsciously feeling all that his body went through. Especially on his eyes.

They were bleeding (or at least one of them) as much as the top of his head.

The last time he saw that much blood in a body, was when he found Zoe Kusama in the psychiatric hospital.

"Oh no..."

And she was dead.

- GLORIA!!! - was all he could yell in the chaos that became his mind for a second. He didn't need the whistle, she came really fast. - Are you okay?! What happened?! - She asks while running to the position. - ... I found him.

She covers her mouth as soon as she gets to see the sight. He can tell that her mind became a fog, and honestly, his mind probably wanted to do that as well.

He blows the whistle to keep his brain from doing it. The sound keeps him on the ground.

They didn't even try to wake him up or move him. They just waited for instructions for the paramedics, who came running, applying everything they could apply to the lump of a human being that they call David Jeremiah Jones.

#criminal case #criminal case the conspiracy #criminal case game #david jeremiah jones #david jones #Gabriel Herrera #Gloria Hayes #writing #fanfic #fanfiction #fic #fanfiction writer #This is no perfect in any way #But i really wanted to make some answers and to be a second view from that case

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blue-kyber · 7 months

Text

I don't think AI is going to replace us completely.

(essay incoming under the break. Not a rant, but it's long. There is no TL;DR)

I've used AI image generators to get ideas, because NONE of them have been able to replicate what I see in my head, no matter how much I vary the description of what I want. Not once had I received an image that made me go, "That's it! Perfect. Cut. Print. Time to moving on." ("Time to moving on" is an inside voice acting joke. :) )

The closest was with Artbreeder. Even then, you take a base image, and then spend time as an amateur geneticist splicing genes together to create a specific, unique face. I've even had to take those images and tweak them slightly in photoshop to get what I want that none of the AI options could give me - eye color, hair color, complection, jaw shape, skin markings, minute details, ect. It could get close, but never exact.

What I'll do for locations is search through AI images until I find some that can work in the context that I want, collect a ton of them, and then spend hours in photoshop morphing, recoloring, splitting, cutting, altering, and then gluing the shredded bits together to create what I see in my head.

The two projects that I did this past year both consist of 90+ layers. A lot of those layers are my lighting and art from scratch - from my hand (mouse) - to fill in the blanks of what I couldn't find. I can't draw. This is the only visual art tool I have.

In the end, AI is a tool to help artists create what they could otherwise not achieve. For those of us who can't draw, Artbreeder became the only way we were able to look into the eyes of our original characters. Without it, their faces exactly as we imagine them would remain locked in our minds. We can hire artists (and should), but an external source can't see exactly what we see. They will get close, but it won't be a reproduction of what we see.

Yes, AI will take over some aspects of creative jobs - and that is scary - but it will also give artists the ability to create more with their talent, skills, and training that AI can never replace.

What scares the sh*t out of me is how corporations will use it to get what they want without paying a human for the work. They can use AI to skip to the end product. At this point in AI development, it shows.

It's what happened with the WGA, and with the Christopher Paolini incident.

I was on the picket lines for a while until my restaurant job made me work during strike hours. While I was there, I heard the fears of the writers, directors, and actors. One of the writers said there is a real possibility that production companies will hire writers to write 3 scripts or so, train an AI to study the writing style, then fire the writers and have the AI "write" scripts from then on.

It's when corporations think they can erase a human from their ledger books for an AI that only needs to be maintained by a programmer.

They are willingly taking food from people's mouths. They are negatively impacting the livelihoods of living beings. They are shamefully throwing away the years of training these artists went through as though they were used sugar packets - drained of everything they have to offer, then tossed into the trash, never to be thought of again. They disregard the thousands of dollars in debt artists put themselves in to hone their skills.

Yes, even writers. This sh*ts not easy. And living with ADHD makes it harder.

In the case of Christopher Paolini's latest book, he used AI to create his cover art. That's fine if the AI isn't stealing from an artist. In this case, it did. The AI stole the image from a real artist, and recolored it with some slight changes. Put side by side, you can clearly see the altered image isn't much different from the original. What makes this even worse is that Paolini didn't credit the original artist whos work he blatantly stole. AND he's defending his actions.

I am a writer. I'll admit that I'll probably use AI to create my cover art. HOWEVER... I will not use existing art. If I do, the original artist will be credited, and paid with the same respect as if I'd hired them personally. I'd actually prefer to hire them personally rather than go through an AI and spend time fixing the AI problems in photoshop. You can collaborate with a person. You can't do that with an AI.

Being seen, being validated, and knowing your work has value is an INSANELY IMPORTANT aspect of the mental health of an artist. We create for ourselves, but no matter how much we say "my art is for me," we want our efforts to be noticed, shared, and to be told, "You're good. This is great! I love it." It makes us feel like we've used our gifts to contribute to society. It makes us feel like we've affected people. We've made them feel, we've taken them on adventures, we've given them something that they can hold onto as a life raft to get them through hard times when they can find nothing else. Art has kept people's souls alive.

Yes, we will also learn from our mistakes through feedback (not bullying or canceling) to better ourselves.

Artists are so integral to the mental health of humanity, it's nuts. When peoples lives were thrown into chaos by the pandemic, where did they turn to for relief?

Art.

In all forms.

We devoured videos on YT.

We took up painting, or drawing, or writing.

We buried ourselves in fan fiction, original works, movies, and sometimes just stared at a piece of art to let it absorb us away from everything for a while.

We sang musicals from our balconies when a lot of people had to stay at home.

We sang along to music by musicians we found on Spotify, or YT sharing their original works - songs we otherwise may not never heard.

We learned to dance to those songs, and made tiktok videos of it.

We latched onto sea shanties for a while.

We laughed at comedians who made us happy, and escaped into the world through sports using clothing and equipment designed...by artists.

That busker you passed by playing the guitar healed you a little with their chords.

For those of us who had to risk our lives everyday and still work - who didn't get quarantined because were were "essential workers" - escaping into someone's creation, and also creating art kept US sane.

Me, I worked in a restaurant. To stay sane, I started writing a book. I'm editing it now, and it's free to read until I publish it...maybe. I also took up roller skating for my physical health, which affects my mental health.

I probably wouldn't still be here if it wasn't for the lifeline of art. Even before the pandemic.

Artists are far more necessary than society wants to admit. We are far more important and essential than society wants to admit. We should be celebrated and given chances to succeed in what we are born to do, instead of having our natural gifts insulted, belittled by people calling it 'easy,' or 'hobbies,' and constantly telling us we've failed at life if we can't get "A Real Job."

For artists, society's idea of a "real job" is a soul-killer.

If scientists are the brain of humanity, tradesmen are the blood, and those in the medical field are the heart, then artists are humanity's soul.

Take away the soul, and you're left with a zombie shell.

AI can keep the shell going, but not matter how much it advances, it will never replace its heart, its brain, its blood, or it's Light.

What the production companies tried to do in the name of Greed, and what Paolini did to avoid paying an artist by stealing from them and insulting them at the same time is what makes the advancement of AI so terrifying.

AI in itself is not bad. In the end, it's just a tool.

It's how a consumer-based world will exploit it with their sights glued to a bottom line, and the cost being human life.

#AI #artists #the AI battle #long post #In this essay I actually WILL...

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uncloseted · 2 years

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job interview tips ??

Yes! I've been on the job hunt recently so I have a ton of tips.

The most important thing to remember is that the interviewer wants to hire you. Finding someone to fill the position they're advertising for makes their life a whole lot easier, and so they're hoping that you're the person they're looking for. Keeping that in mind takes some of the pressure off of the interviewing process.

During an interview, a potential employer is trying to determine if you're qualified for the position, if you "fit" with the organization, if you have any red flags in your background, how well you can express your potential contributions to the organization, what "transferable skills" you have, and your knowledge of the organization and level of interest in the position. But you're also trying to determine whether the company is the right place for you, and whether this position is one that you want. Ideally, you're interviewing the company, too. This also helps to take some of the pressure off of the situation because it's not a one-way street.

In terms of what to actually do:

Before the interview, spend around 45 minutes preparing. Look through the company's website, any LinkedIn profiles you can find for the company, Glassdoor reviews, their social media accounts, and search them on Google (Google News + "[company name]" and search "[company name] + competitors").

This will give you a sense of what type of company they are, what they're looking for in a potential employee, and alert you to red flags if there are any. Make a note of anything that resonates with you.

Look up your interviewer. If you know who you're going to interview with, it may help to look them up specifically to see if you have anything in common with them. If you went to the same school, share a hobby, etc., they'll be more likely to remember you and to like you.

Know your resume. Be ready to talk about anything that's on your resume. Employers may or may not have actually read it, so be prepared both for questions about your resume ("tell me more about your daily responsibilities at xyz job") and to walk them through your resume without them knowing what's on there. If you don't have work experience yet, they may ask you about your school activities or what you're studying at school.

Have a quick summary of your experience prepared. For example, "I went to [school] and studied [subject]. When I graduated, I joined [company] as a [job title], where I was tasked with [quick explanation of responsibilities]. In [year], I moved to [company] where I did [job title] and was tasked with [explanation of responsibilities]. Now I'm interested in [company you're interviewing with] because [why you're passionate about whatever they do]." Or "I'm currently attending [school] and studying [subject] because [link it to the job you're applying for]. Outside of my classes, I participate in [clubs/activities] as a [your title], which has taught me [skills that the job requires]."

Relate your resume to the job description. Read through the job description and look for places where you can connect your experiences to the position you're interviewing for. For example, if they say that they're looking for someone who has great customer service skills and you used to work in a customer service role, you can say, "in my role at [company], I interacted with 250 clients every day and provided them with friendly service that was responsive to their needs."

Numbers are great to have for interviews, so try to quantify your work if you can. If you have any stories of times you were praised or awarded, it's great to mention them as well- "three separate clients went out of their way to tell my boss how great my customer service was, which led to me getting employee of the month" or whatever.

Prepare for the most common interview questions. These might include things like, "tell me about yourself," "what are your strengths and weaknesses?" "why are you interested in working for [company]?" "where do you see yourself in five/ten years?" "why do you want to leave your current company?" "tell me about a time you made a mistake", "discuss your resume/educational background," "describe yourself," "tell me how you handled a difficult situation," "why should we hire you," etc.

Ideally, you would present the answers in a Situation-Action-Result-Conclusion format. What happened? What was the action that you took? What was the result of your action (again, with numbers, if possible). What did you learn from the situation? Use specific examples, do your best to stay on topic, and try to link it back to the job you're applying for.

For example, "In my previous role, my team was overwhelmed with calls, but we didn't have the budget to hire additional people. I was responsible for making sure the customer service team was able to resolve customer questions and concerns quickly and effectively and to ensure customers were always fully satisfied with their experience. To ease the workload, I created a more condensed version of our phone script to help my team address customers' needs faster. I was able to increase response time by 60% and increase customer satisfaction rates by 25%. Through this experience, I learned the importance of streamlining customer interactions, and now I apply this principle whenever we write a new phone script."

Prepare for negative questions. Interviewers might ask questions such as "tell me about a time you made a mistake". They're doing this to see how you handle challenges or tough situations. When answering, be honest in your answer and take accountability for mistakes that you've made. Focus on behaviors instead of personality traits and make sure to talk about how you're working to improve the weaknesses that you have.

For example, a good answer to this question might be something like, "when I first became [job title], I tried to take on everything myself. Because I was trying to do everything on my own, I was stretched too thin, and missed an important deadline. From that experience, I quickly learned how important it is to be realistic about my workload and to delegate tasks to other people when necessary. I haven't missed a deadline since, and have been praised by my supervisor on my time management skills."

Prepare questions to ask the employer. Like I mentioned above, you're interviewing the company, too. You can ask things like, "what do you like best about the company culture?/how would you describe the company culture?", and "what are the anticipated challenges of this role?"

Prepare questions to ask at the end of the interview. These might include things like, "Is there anything I clarify for you about my qualifications?" and "Is there anything I should have asked you about?"

Be enthusiastic. People who are enthusiastic, friendly, positive, and confident are more likely to be hired than people who aren't. Potential employers want to know that you'll be easy and enjoyable to work with and that you're excited about the position. It can be difficult to do when you're nervous, but try to keep your energy up, smile, and make eye contact.

Be professional. Confirm the location of the interview or the virtual link, arrive to the interview early (or make sure your internet is working if the interview is over Zoom), bring extra copies of your resume, turn off your phone before the interview begins, and dress professionally (slightly more formal than whatever is standard for the industry).

Send a thank you note. It's a good idea to send a thank you email to your interviewer within 24-48 hours of the interview. Show appreciation for the interviewer's time, reference key parts of your conversation, reiterate your interest, and invite requests for additional information.

This usually looks something like:

"Dear [name], Thank you for taking the time to meet with me yesterday to discuss my strong interest in [job]. I enjoyed learning about [topic of conversation] because [why it's interesting to you or important]. Our conversation further strengthened my interest in working for [company]. Please let me know if I can provide you with any additional information. Thank you again for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon."

Prepare for the salary conversation. It's a good idea to know your market value before going into an interview. You can look up salaries for your position on websites like Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, Comparably, and Fishbowl. Ideally, you won't be the first person to name a salary, even if they ask. I usually say something like, “salary is not number one for me. What’s more important is finding a good place where i’m learning and growing. I’d love to learn from your side, what’s the budget you have for this role? Does it align with the market?”

If you are offered the role and want to negotiate for a higher salary, you can say something like “I am so thrilled and honored to join your team. I’ve truly loved meeting everyone and speaking with my future manager. I’d love to see if there is any flexibility in your salary offer. Based on a few additional conversations I’m having, as well as my experience and what I can bring to the table, I’d love to see if we could potentially meet at [number].” The worst that happens is they say no.

Resources

I wanted to add some resources that I've found super helpful for the job application process in general.

The Sassy Guide to Job Applications: a guide particularly designed for Black and Brown women entering the tech industry. It has a really incredible job search checklist, email templates, and other resources that are valuable to anyone searching for a job.

The Harvard Office of Career Services: this is what Harvard University gives its students. It has information about resumes, CVs, Cover Letters, networking, interviewing, evaluating and negotiation offers, and more. This guide to interviewing is especially helpful.

Jobscan: a tool that helps you optimize your resume so that you get more interviews.

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tomreview · 10 months

Text

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affiliatesiddiqua · 1 year

Text

Get Paid To Do Simple Writing Jobs Online

There are a thousand and one ways to make money by writing. The most important thing will then be to choose your path and the direction of your career as a new web editor.

Writing for a living has a ton of benefits. Yes clearly. You gain a certain online reputation in your field, as long as you choose a specific area of expertise such as travel.

1. Write articles for blogs or magazines

Even if we talk about the crisis of the press or the death of the blog, know one thing: there will always be articles published. At least, in our lifetime, anyway.

A good advice that I would give you is also to specialize as soon as possible. For example, if you want to write about travel exclusively, focus on travel-related blogs and magazines first.

Although writing articles for popular blogs (like writing guest posts) is still generally unpaid, with most new authors trading their content for exposure (via a byline or author bio).

But, again, quickly switch to “paid” mode. Contact magazines and bloggers very quickly and expose your price, without detour.

2. Become a web writer for different writing agencies

Over the past five years, content marketing — that concept of creating great content to attract customers and build credibility and trust — has become in high demand.

The result? More and more companies are getting into content marketing. They are looking for content. Of course, they delegate this part. Typically, editorial agencies do this work.

And, so here is very clearly the second method: contact and work to work with editorial agencies that will outsource the ordering of articles to you.

No cycle, no manual search, everything is made easier in this sense. Some have a clear strategy, while others are just jumping on the bandwagon hoping it will pay off.

There are plenty of web editor jobs, you can go to indeed or Jobsora and type in “web editor”. You will certainly find a job as an editor.

3. Get paid to write by becoming a Kindle Bestselling Author

Well, it’s certainly more doable than it was back then, anyway. A decade ago, writing a bestseller was a distant dream for most writers, and self-publishing on Kindle was often seen as an exercise in vanity. Yes, almost narcissism.

But today, thanks in large part to Amazon and Kindle, the market for self-published books is gigantic and it is much more profitable to earn money by writing books on these platforms than by going through houses. classic editions. Unless of course you are an unrecognized genius writer.

One thing to remember in your quest to live from your pen. Remember that to publish and sell on Amazon, you will need to have an entrepreneurial mindset.

4 — Earn Money as a Luxury Copywriter: Being a Copywriter

In summary, the writing was designed for readers to take specific action.

Sales letters, video scripts, even product descriptions — they all need to be written by someone. We agree so far.

Copywriting may not seem fundamentally different from other forms of writing, but in practice it is a discipline of its own.

When writing is specifically related to sales, it is roughly called copywriting.

For example, there are marketers who manage to sell hundreds of training courses simply because they have killer sales pages.

The words are so well used that the guy who reads ends up buying the product half the time.

5. Write your own articles for your (niche) blog and make a living from affiliation

Ah! This is my favorite way! If you don’t know my story, then I’ll summarize it for you in a few words: I was a freelance writer for about 4 years before I started creating my blogs. So, I chose option 1 and 5 and I know what I’m talking about (without arrogance, eh).

I will be honest right away: it is difficult to create a blog that is popular. Really hard. It’s doable, sure, but difficult.

And once you have created your blog and it will have some success, you will certainly be surprised how little time you will actually spend doing what you love the most: writing.

What I mean is that in the beginning, when you start your blog and if you start it with the goal of making (lots) of money with it, then you will really only be an editor.

A blog has become a real business. So, creating a blog is really creating a business with different things to consider, other than writing.

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careeralley · 1 year

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6 Job Search Mistakes You Don't Want to Make

It goes without saying that just a few critical mistakes during the job search and interview process separate a successful job seeker from one that fails. These mistakes are so few and so small that we tend to ignore them. But remember, they can easily change the outcome of your job search. This article highlights some of those mistakes that are the most evident. Keep these in mind the next time you apply for a job. After all, we all learn things from our mistakes and sometimes from others. Focus your search and response to opportunities that closely align with your experience and skills. Use company career sites to post your resume in a way that will identify you for roles that meet your background Tweet This 1) You apply for Jobs that Don't Match Your Experience or Skills One critical factor that will decide your success during your job search process is how well you evaluate your experience and skills. Both underestimating and overestimating yourself can lead to failures. A great way to evaluate yourself is to research current industry standards and compare them with your skills. Compare your resume to those of your peers and job descriptions. Prior to negotiating salary and perks, research what other similarly placed individuals earn. And yes, you can always fix your worth when there is a shortage of talent or skill set that you possess. 7 skills to help you climb the career ladder $9.99 Buy from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 11/24/2022 12:30 am GMT 2) Never Show Your Desperation There is nothing more stressful than being unemployed but it is critical that you do not let stress come through as desperation during the interview process, no matter how badly you are in need of a job. You should come across as confident in your experience and as a disciplined decision-maker. Be prepared, understand the job description and be prepared to convince the interviewer that you are the best candidate for the job. Carry yourself in a balanced way, overconfidence could be dangerous as well. 3) Do Your Research Sending your resume/application to everybody without a hint about the company’s reputation, products and market is a sheer waste of time. There are tons of resources available to conduct research on both companies and interviewers. Study a company or seek help from friends, relatives, or recruiting agencies to ensure the company is a good fit. See How to Answer the 10 Most Challenging Interview Questions 4) Don’t Mass Mail or apply to Everything: It's so easy to send your resume to hundreds of companies and recruiters. It's also tempting to apply on job search sites to every job that is remotely associated with your experience. This will never work simply because companies receive so many emails on a routine basis and a common mail could be easily ignored. Instead, focus your search and response to those opportunities that closely align with your experience and skills. Use company career sites to post your resume in a way that will identify you for roles that meet your background. TopResume - Free Resume Review TopResume writes and analyzes more resumes and LinkedIn profiles than any other service in the world. Let our resume experts provide you with objective feedback and personalized recommendations to improve your resume and land the right job sooner. Get a free, confidential resume review from TopResume Get Your Killer Resume We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 5) Send Error Free Resumes and Cover Letters There is nothing that will get your resume discarded more quickly than errors. There is really no excuse these days for sending a resume (or any document for that matter) that has misspellings or grammatical errors. Spell check has been around forever and most word-processing programs include a grammar checker. Read your resume several times before sending it. The best piece of advice is to get someone to proofread it for you. 6) Keep the Salary Negotiation to the End If at all possible, try to keep the topic of compensation to when you actually get a job offer. If the topic comes up during the interview, indicate that you are looking to get fairly compensated with the potential for future increases in compensation. While there are many factors when considering a job offer, one of the key drivers is how much compensation you are offered. While your job title, responsibilities, and career track are also key considerations, you still need money to pay the bills and put food on the table. After you find your job, the one that really motivates you, the money comes next. And, if you are like most people, you want to be paid what you’re worth. While we are only worth what the market will pay, there are ways to maximize your compensation. Of course, if you don’t know what you are worth it’s hard to know. So what are you worth? Do you know? Well, you should know before you get the job offer. Salary guides and salary search tools are helpful. Like everything on the Internet these days, you could spend days (maybe weeks) researching salary. ZipRecruiter Never miss an opportunity. On ZipRecruiter, top companies reach out to you.There's no need to look anywhere else. With over 9 Million jobs, ZipRecruiter is the only site you'll ever need to find your next job. Get Recruited We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Read the full article

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craftywhispersperfection · 2 years

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Dating as a Short Man the Highs and Lows

Again, customer convenience and satisfaction as our major objectives when creating the Ladadate international dating website. But not a simple copy-p again, I "borrowed" from a friends diner conversation who almost take the full night because we all have our own view about it. Take the quiz to find out what type of dating personality you really have! A source told People that they were seen making out in the airport before they boarded their private jet. Experts are warning singles to steer clear of a new dating trend that sees people use “toxic” tactics to reel an uninterested partner back in. With cookie jarring, someone invests substantial time and energy into one person, giving them the impression that they are only dating them and are moving towards commitment, while also seeing other people. The online dating marketplace has undergone dramatic changes since we conducted our first study on this subject in 2005. In particular, many services now offer cell phone apps that allow users to update their profile, search the profiles of others, and find potential dates in their area using their mobile phone.9 For the first time in our 2013 survey we asked specifically about the use of these cell phone dating apps.

Do you like going on dates? Before writing this blog I looked up the online meaning of “chivalry is dead” and it is now used by women saying “It’s a phrase that many women cry out in frustration as they read crude messages on dating apps and recount first dates gone wrong.” It seems like dating apps are used by many different things who all have different plans for using them. You'll meet interesting and compatible Latino men and Latina women that you might not see on other Hispanic dating sites, since Match.com's responsible for more dates, relationships and marriages than any other site today. Women were actually slightly less likely to be scammed than men - but were far more likely to report and talk about it. The second guy I saw his wedding band in more of his photos and immediately unmatched and blocked. It has got me where I am over the last 40 years! • By entering dating chat, you agree to be at least 17 years of age or older. Although online dating sites are relatively common among a range of age cohorts, mobile dating apps are primarily popular with Americans in their mid-20s through mid-30s.

In terms of demographics, online dating is most common among Americans in their mid-20’s through mid-40’s. Most users don’t really provide enough explicit detail at-scale to generate paired matches, which is also the motivating factor behind modern dating apps restricting everybody to “1-5 pictures and a one sentence description” profile formats. The benefits that came with the “women first” marketing don’t exist. “It’s confusing to ask.” Also, you don’t want to need to do that kind of stuff for them, so… Sophisticated search engines. I’m already seeing search engine parameters that can match image features, so singles will soon be able to search cyberspace for their ideal partner, without the need to join any dating site. I’m not ugly and my standards are not sky high either but it feels like the odds of that happening are worse than winning the lottery. Keep it simple, keep it clean and say it like you mean it, not just because you are returning a compliment. נערות ליווי בהרצליה Looking separately at the two distinct elements that make up definition of an online dater, some 11% of internet users say that they have used an online dating site.

7% of cell phone apps users (representing 3% of all adults) say that they have used a dating app on their cell phone. One in every ten American adults has used an online dating site or a mobile dating app. Bumble developed an expansive network of brand ambassadors (typically college students) to promote the dating app on Instagram on their local campuses. Aside from that - I am a college graduate, have a good job that I enjoy, don't make a TON of money but am comfortable now, enjoy a variety of hobbies, and think I'd make a good partner to someone. I feel good about my financial future and have learned a lot from the experience. When is a good time to disclose this? My opening text was always related to her profiles but after time just copy-paste. Affleck mentioned using Raya in 2019, when he posted to Instagram "HA, you got me. I'm dating," before opening up about a cause he cared about. ‘Here’s my credit card, go crazy and make sure you get some cannoli,’ and he went back out and got in the back of the car.

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neptune-midheaven · 4 years

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💓 Astro Notes PT 3 ! 💓

+I’m definitelyy gonna do sign posts soon, like houses, planets, asteroids, and all, it’s all gonna have a theme to each topic yada yada yadaa, so look outtt+

>A bit of a long post here so have fun scrolling through it hehe :))

*All aries risings have sign/house synchronization because the house order doesn’t move or if it does move at all it hardly does, only shifting by a sign or two depending on how late the ascendant degree is, this is notorious of aries’ independence streak by wanting each sign to be in their native houses, to feel its house’s full power, aries rules 1st the house of identity so there’s the more symbolic way for this occurring. It’s pure energy here.

*Venus-saturn, especially conjunction, definitely carry a big daddy vibe. It’s more prominent if the two are placed in the angular houses.

*Taurus and libra are both rules by venus, but these energies are distributed between the two signs in different ways. A basic way to differ the two energy wise is taurus is the “masculine” side of venus, libra is far more “feminine”. Both are delicate but in different ways taurus is “heavier”, for it being an earth sign, contrasted with the airy and flighty libra.

*Libra sun is in fall in astrology, the fall meaning the behavior of the sign contradicts the traditional role of the planet, the role of the sun is to stand out from everyone else, its your radiance, what makes you special, it’s your ego and what you take pride in. But libra wants to be relatable to everyone, to NOT stand out, merge and meet and balance !! This is the opposite of aries, aries is independent, “what makes ME independent, me me me !!”, explaining its exaltation when the sun enters this sign, it’s not absolutely the same as leo sun or the suns energy overall but it’s a close fit, almost... perfect, that’s what the exaltation means represents here. Libra is focused on everyone else around them, everyone other than themselves, the people around them and how they can compromise to fit everyone’s needs. I mentioned before they don’t like to stand out, this is excluding fire placements in a libras chart which will create a person who relates well to others but still demands to stand out in whatever planet is in a fire sign.

*Whatever house leo is ruling is wherever your rising sign’s ego is being expressed in, ex: leo in 11th expresses their ego, creativity with friends, causes. This area of life is where you’ll likely take most pride in, excluding the suns placement in the chart.

*Neptune in 7th can attract a lot of partners in need of healing or help. This person is very healing and guiding in relationships, maybe they could even make a good guidance counselor, but I’m not so sure astrologically because I haven’t looked into it entirely, let me know if this is true.

*Neptune in 2nd is the type of person to browse a shop, find whatever they like but never end up buying it, they change their minds about it by putting it back right before they leave. They could’ve been talking about hooow much they want to get whatever they’re holding onto over and over again but never buy the thinggg.

*Aries mercury were always told to lower their voice or be quiet as kids I swear.

*Uranus in 12th feels they should hide their brilliance, these are veryy creative people they just keep it a secret.

*12th house feels like a never ending game of hide and seek, you find the planet sometimes but you’re always in a never ending loop, always searching for it.

*The moon in astrology, when looking into the mother, who’s ruled by the moon in astrology, describes your relationship with her, what she’s like, how she raised you etc...

*Ex: taurus moons, your mother gave you many gifts, she adored youu as taurus is ruled venus which rules gifts and appreciation, she was also very relaxed in your childhood, she still is now. This relationship is a very calm, steady one, moon is exalted in taurus meaning the role of the moon is comfortable in relaxed and comfy taurus.

*Ex: a moon in 8th, the house of intense and psychic scorpio, could have a psychic or even telepathic bond to the mother, this is a very strong connection overall and depending on its sign and aspects is where you’ll find the specifics of the relationship from, the details, how the relationship is flavored.

*Sun in 12th indicates an absent father figure. This placement is difficult, i’m so sorry if you have it because you can never feel like you can be yourself, it’s hidden from you. With any other placement in astrology, there’s a gorgeous, forgiving upside to it, you’re very healing and understanding of others, an empath or at least someone who sucks in the negative vibes out the environment, it can get quite exhausting !! so always need to seclude yourself now and then, you’re very loyal and caring of your loved ones, people love you for your sensitivity and empathy as this placement also makes you an old soul, someone overflowing with wisdom others rely on.

*5th house shows you what your child will be like, what traits they embody, what they will do and even how they act.

*Capricorn risings look elvish, they have high cheekbones a lot like a LOTR character and elvish, chiseled ears. It’s not OUT there but it’s subtle.

*Chiron in 9th has experienced religious trauma.

*A lot of 12th or 8th house placements carry a lot of karma.

*Mercury-pluto (especially negative) can become inconsiderate in arguments, they bring up a ton of shit to use against you, only as long as they can win.

*Scorpio suns are far more optimistic and light hearted than the moon sign.

*Mercury-ascendant aspects can make even an introverted rising sign more out-going, open, talkative (not that introverted risings can’t be talkative this is just what comes with this placement).

*You may be good at something without realizing it, take a peak at your 12th house or quintiles !! For quintiles, look up the trine form of whatever two planets are aspected for the general description since there’s not too much to find online sadly. 12th house is something you don’t really know or realize you’re good at, especially early in life, the secret talent pertaining to whichever sign or planet are ruling/in this house.

*Leo venus take pride in their loverss like damnnnn they literally treat their partners as royalty, king and queen, kissing the ground they walk on and everything, they’re so devoted in love, it’s adorable !! <33

*Pisces and leo moons, THE dreamiest, most romantic moon sign pairr, it’s well known pisces is the hopeless romantic of the zodiac, however to bring up the flamboyant, dramatic leo moon when describing a dreamy romantic you wonder, really ?? Yes this is extremely true ! Both signs, pisces and leo, are fairly alike, almost alike in fact, considering they both create a inconjunction in the natal chart, two signs who share some similarities while still contradicting one another in ways they express these similarities, both pisces and leo are creative, talented, have a love for the arts, film, music, loyal as friends and love to care for others, both are insanely idealistic. Leo rules the child remember !! so they’re a childlike sign with young idealism, an idealistic moon sign here. Both leo and pisces moons are children at heart, they’re so gooey and sweet.

*Sun in 10th can get any job they apply for, they could even be terrible at that job they want, the one they want to try out for, they would even have a breakdown over how terrible they were in an interview but still get the job like HOWW- WITCHCRAFTT.

*Aquarius mercuries were known as the smartest kid in class, the einstein’s of the class, everyone asked for their answers for the homework, they just carry this flair of intellectual superiority just like the sun sign haha.

*Your 12th house is what you unconsciously give off the vibe of, your ascendant and midheaven are noticeable layers, different types of layers of you !!but the subtle layers of the 12th house, sign or planet, can always be sensed unconsciously, 12th house energies are at a higher octave, a higher vibration than the other houses, even 11th, you can notice a person’s subtle 12th house energy but they’re still completely unaware of it as it’s ! hidden ! from them.

*Aquarius venus, and really all air venuses in general, are soo stereotyped UGHH, what I mean by stereotyped is the descriptions of each of these venus signs is literally like the same shit over and overrr again, they all get terrible reps in the astro community it seems almost close minded because it’s also such a hugee generalization. It’s only about how the air venus energy is used, manifested in the person, if its underdeveloped or not. If it’s underdeveloped it’s going to be chaotically afloat from material love affairs, which earth venuses don’ttt like, water too, fire can handle the floaty-ness but if the passion’s not there- BYE !! If you develop an air venus well enough, you can balance the material and intellectual realms in your relationships, this is kinda natural for earth heavy charts with one the air signs here, however fire or even more air could become a little tricky to ground yourself in relationships. Just let your partners know you deserve your space because you guys can really run out of mental power after a while, so it’s necessary for you to recharge !! just don’t ghost people completely when you do, it’s where this immortal stereotype comes from.

*Saturn dominant people are flawless beings.

*Saturn in 3rd, YOU GUYS ARE SOOOSOO SOOO SMART AHH. Their minds are always running at a fast pace like literal lightning, or they become too overwhelming (not in a bad sense ofcc, it’s just how it is) that the person’s speech rhythm is kinda forgotten about in a way, it feels like that their mouths aren’t always running in sync. The thought they’re going to express into words should come out but it’s so quick or even “heavy” it jumbles up a sentence or it causes the person to mix up a word or two. Their minds are fast fast fastt but they feel like their mouths are running in literal slow motion. There’s nothing wrong with this, this placement makes amazingly smart peoplee. Just relax, try letting yourself go in conversation, let all that big, brain energy freee !!

*Alsoo, as singers they would and definitely ALWAYSS get their notes right, they have actual PERFECT voices, they really should become writers or, like I said, singing would be perfect for them because they would never mess up lmaoo.

*Libra, computerized concern and sympathy...

*Pluto in 8th feel unbeatable, indestructible almost, they have above average regenerative abilities, they have the best survival tactics but they keep it a secret, it’s 8th house we’re talking about.

*Whatever saturn is in is the area where you’ll become flawless in, you’ll master that area throughout your life with time.

*There is a guiding planet in astrology, the planet that is closest behind the sun, it’s considered your “second” chart ruler, or basically has the energy of it because you can probably relate to it being one of the most prominent energies in your chart.

*Sagittarius//9th house mercury is soooo blunt, so blunt. Wait did I mention they’re SOOO SO BLUNT.

*Moon in 5th need to perform, they love to get out on stage and perform with their entire hearts, they’ll do amazing in the performing arts, theatre, and honestly they probably already aree. These people are so playful and generally so fun to be around, they’re natural hypemen as well !!

*Taurus venus love to be appreciated by their partners, the gifts, the kisses, the food and allll.

*Neptune in 3rd feel everything in their environment, they can sift through the energies and vibes, it’s second nature, no not second nature, FIRST nature, they’re one with everything around them. Their minds are like a hazy, cloudy ocean containing every drop, every thought of a place, a person.

*Moon in 11th, and 10th too, have a special ability to understand and sympathize with the public, they always know what the public wants and even how to give it to them. This can easily get them famous since they’re extremely understanding people, especially if moon is healthy in the chart.

*Someone with a lot of capricorn/10th house or aquarius/11th house energy is very extroverted, they enjoy socializing with others but suffer from social burn outs often, they often need to recharge.

*Scorpio risings have intense voices, like their tone radiates throughout your head and it can feel intense overall, even when they’re speaking casually. The specific flavor or tone doesn’t matter but how it sounds overall is piercing.

*In astrology, libra rising starts the house cusps with each houses sister signs ruling each cusps ex: pisces rules 6th house, the house of virgo in astrology. Symbolically, libra wants to balance out the houses by blending the energies with the sister signs together, by with what is (house number) and how it’s done (sign on each house cusp), for balanceee !!

*Moon conjunction uranus TRANSITSS can cause literal earthquakes on earth, shocking news or something shocking or groundbreaking will happen that day either around the world and in personal, daily life. Ex: this transit happened on halloween during the blue moon, so basically no one ever trick or treats in my neighborhood, like barely anyone comes out i mean, it’s always 5 houses apart where people typically hand out candy, some people are just hanging out, we always run out of houses to go to since it’s not very active, but this year EVERYONE was out trick or treating it was so crazy to see so many people out, it was quite literally shocking because that actually never happens also there’s a whole pandemic going on too lmaooo.

#astrologyobservations #astro notes #astrology

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twink-appreciation-posts · 4 years

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Simple Victimology (Spencer Reid x Reader)

chapter one of “all bets are off”

“An agent of the BAU is exactly the unsub's type. Pretty convenient, right? Well, turns out she's exactly Dr. Spencer Reid's type as well. All it took for him to admit it was a bit of... performative seduction.”

{notes: sorry if this was is bit too dialogue heavy! i just needed to get all the groundwork/backstory laid out lmao. anyway action and NSFW content is coming up next chapter.}

"So our unsub's victimology is quite clear, right? I mean, almost to an irrational degree. All the women he's attacked have been dressed similarly, with similar body types, similar makeup." Dr. Spencer Reid mused, his eyes scanning the photographs up on the wall. "And he just doesn't seem to strike women who are alone. He enjoys the thrill of stealing his victims away from other men."

You let out a sigh. The case you and the rest BAU had been working on was fairly straight cut: psychotic sexual sadist who abducts his victim from parties, tortures them for months, then dumps the bodies in the woods.

"But it just doesn't make sense. With such a specific MO, he must rarely find a target that's suitable for him to strike." You shook your head. "It's not a trait that lends itself well to a serial killer."

"That's probably why he spends so much time with each of his victims. An attempt to keep him satisfied between hunts." Derek agreed.

Rossi piped up next. "The specificity leads me to believe he's chasing after a very certain high.. trying to recreate a specific person or moment through his delusions." He continued. "Our best chance of drawing him out is to send out the perfect victim. He's the type who can't afford to pass up the opportunity when he sees one."

Silence. Everyone on the team knew what happened last time they had sent an agent out as bait. No one was sure they were ready to take that type of chance again.

Spencer's eyes continued to scan the pictures and then, suddenly, you felt the weight of his eyes on you. "Y/N looks pretty close to the unsubs type.." He said hesitantly.

"No," Hotch began "We're not sending our own agent out into the field of a sexual sadist as bait."

You stood up quickly. "No, it's okay." You spoke firmly, your own gaze fixated on the previous victims' images. "All we need to do is draw him out, right? You guys will be with me the whole time. I'm not a risk. I can do it."

Silence befell the room again, until Hotch broke it. "Alright. Reid, Prentiss, go over the victimology one more time. Make sure we get this right. We'll send Y/N out tonight."

"That still leaves the issue of the male companion, sir." Emily piped up.

"I'll do it." Morgan volunteered. "I feel at home on the dance floor anyway. Easy cover." He chuckled.

"No..." Rossi thought out loud. " We need someone who's not threatening. Someone who has zero chance of jeopardizing this mission. Zero chance of scaring our unsub off."

Everyone almost instantly turned to Reid. It was almost comical. He blinked a few times, processing the implications of everyone's stare. "Oh. Yeah. I guess I fit that description." He smiled weakly.

"So it's settled then. Get to work agents."

And without another word, you each followed Hotch's orders. You remained in the conference room with Spencer and Emily, psyching yourself up for your first mission as bait.

"The women that our unsub target are all dressed..." Spencer trailed off.

"Provocatively." You finished for him. "They're all wearing short dresses. Lots of skin exposed. And, from what we've gathered, they all seem to be a fan of the party life. Witnesses at the sight of the abduction told us that the girls don't shy away from the taboo. Drugs, drinking, dancing, you name it."

Emily nodded. "You up for that, Y/N?" She questioned half-jokingly.

"You should be asking Spencer if he's up for dealing with that side of me." You jested, glancing up at him. He gave you a reassuring shrug, one that could've been mistaken for a wince, and you shoved him gently. "Don't worry Spence. I won't go too wild. Anyway, I should probably get home and grab a change of clothes. They'll want to have as much time as possible to wire me." You turned on your heel, walking out of the conference room.

"I'll be back!" You announced to the rest of the team.

"Y/N, wait!" Spencer jogged up behind you. "I, uh, I should probably get changed too, right? I mean, I don't want to look too out of place."

You gave him the good ol' once over and pondered for a moment.

"Do you own anything that doesn't look like a TA would wear on his first day of class?" Derick teased from his desk.

"I have some dress shirts, at least." Spencer replied seriously.

"Well I'll give you a ride, then." You offered. "Your place is pretty close to mine." Spencer nodded and followed you out the door.

"Do I really dress like a TA?" He questioned, partially to himself.

"Maybe, but like a TA that all the freshman girls would have a crush on." You patted his shoulder reassuringly.

The car ride to Spencer's place was a relatively quiet one. You discussed the case, you asked Spencer if he thought the plan would work. He seemed pretty confident it would.

"If you want you can just wait here for a second. I really just need to grab the clothes and we can head to your place." He explained once you had parked.

"Go for it." You replied.

He came back, a couple of shirts and ties in hand, and shut the car door. You began driving once again.

"So, Y/N, did you um, used to party a lot back in college?" He asked you. You smiled.

"A bit. I had some fun, that's for sure. I was always pretty focused on my academics, though. Not as much as you were though, I'm sure. A few of my friends used to call me "the fortune teller". I had a habit of making guesses on what would happen at the parties we went to. Who would hook up with who, who would black out first, stuff like that." You reminisced.

"Profiling your fellow party-goers." Reid chuckled.

"I suppose so."

You escorted Reid up to your apartment when you arrived. He commented that it seemed like a nice place. You thanked him. Casual small-talk was made. You began to dig through your closet, searching for a dress that would entice the unsub. "What color shirts did you bring?" You asked.

He quickly shuffled through his options. "Black, grey, white.. why?"

"Just wanted to make sure we wouldn't clash. Can't have a red dress with a blue shirt, right? We're supposed to be going to this party together."

"Oh, smart."

You pulled out two dresses, both of which were from your younger days. You prayed they would still fit. "Which one do you think?" You held them up to Spencer.

"Well, they're both.. they're both pretty. I like them both." He replied, analyzing them.

"Well, yeah . But I mean, which one do you think the unsub would prefer?" You chuckled.

He flushed. "Right. I'd say the dark red one. It reminds me of the dress from the first victim."

You nodded. The dress crushed velvet. Tight. Short. Exposing. But oh well, you figured, this was your job. "I'm gonna change in the bathroom. Feel free to change out here."

You exited the bedroom, leaving him alone. When you had finished slipping on the dress, which fortunately had fit perfectly, you slipped back into the bedroom. Spencer was buttoning up the last few buttons of his shirt. Your eyes followed his fingers, the way they methodically worked, and when he was done he looked up at you.

You both took a beat.

"You look great, Y/N." He coughed a bit, eyeing you up and down. "Ready to catch our unsub." He added quickly.

"You too, Doctor." You grinned. "I think we'll make quite a convincing pair." You grabbed some heels from your closet and motioned for him to follow you back out of the apartment. "Back to work we go!" You sing-songed, starting up the engine.

Almost the instant you stepped into the door of the BAU offices you were bombarded by Hotch a few additional FBI agents. Hotch began to go over the plan meticulously:

Make it appear like you've been drinking. Reid will leave to "go to the bathroom". You go outside for a "smoke break". The unsub will follow you from inside the club. The rest of the team will be staked out in a car near by. Keep the unsub talking. He'll offer to buy you a drink. Accept. He'll go back inside and bring it to you. It's drugged. Do not drink it. Keep the cup as evidence. That's when the others will come to put the guy in cuffs. Reid will be just inside if things seem like they're going to go sideways.

"Jeez, Hotch, I may not have an eidetic memory, but I can remember this. I promise."

Once you were wired up, JJ and Emily began the proccess of your hair and makeup. For a moment, it was almost cute. It was like you were getting ready for a girls night. Except, you supposed, that it was all in the name of baiting a serial killer.

When the clock hit 9pm you and Reid were shuffled off back into your car and given directions to the bar that you would be staking out.

"We didn't have much time to talk in there, what with Hotch being up our asses about the plan. How are you feeling?" You asked.

Spencer didn't reply. Nerves, you figured. "Spence?"

He shook his head, almost as if he had snapped out of a trance. "Ah, yeah sorry. I feel pretty good. I mean, I'm confident we'll catch our unsub." A moment of hesitation. "JJ and Emily did a great job on your makeup. You look... great."

You felt your face heat up. Why was a compliment from Spencer Reid making you nervous? "Thanks."

At 10pm you were pulling into the parking lot of the bar. It was almost full. Tons of people must've been inside. Your unsub included. You took a moment of pause. "Time to get into character." You wiped your sweaty hands on the crushed velvet fabric of your dress.

"The rest of the team must be down the block." Reid nodded.

You looked towards him anxiously and stepped out of the car. He followed suit, coming around to the passenger side and grabbing your hand. You squeezed it gently, not sure if it was to calm your nerves or his, or just because you wanted to.

"Come on, babe!" You exclaimed, pulling him towards the entrance.

It must've caught him off gaurd, but he just chuckled. "I've been waiting for this night all week."

#spencer reid #spencer x reader #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid smut #criminal minds #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds smut #all bets are off

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ghostburs-blue · 4 years

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Peace Is Momentary

Summary: soulmate!au where your soulmate will appear to you in a time of need. Spencer’s gone 20 years without meeting his; so has y/n. What will happen when fate finally connects them together?

Warnings: angst if you squint, nothing else really

Word count: 2.2k

a/n: this might become a series if people like it enough!! we’ll see ;)

Spencer knows there’s a chance he’ll never meet his soulmate. He knows the statistics, he’s done the research. Yet, he always feels a little bit better at the thought that someone was made just for him, someone who’ll stay with him through it all.

Of course, he assumed he would have found his soulmate much earlier in life. Most people found theirs when they were as young as 16, though always in the same fashion. Spencer was turning 22, 6 years older than the average age of finding your one true love.

Your soulmate would come to you in a time when you need them the most; when your soul calls out to its other half in a cry for help.

Every time Spencer broke down or cried, whether it be over a case at work, his mother’s condition, or quite literally anything else, he prayed that his soulmate would magically appear in front of him. Alas, the cards simply haven’t been in his favor.

Unknown to Reid, about 20 minutes away, you were in the exact same predicament. All of your life, you had waited to find your soulmate. When your parents passed in your high school years, there was a small part of you that was hoping you would find your soulmate right then and there. That... didn’t exactly work out.

You had moved in with your aunt and uncle in a different city and had turned into the epitome of a rebellious child. You wore clothes your modest family would have a heart attack upon seeing, listened to music the church choir you were a part of would scoff at. However, if there was one thing you were good at, it was school.

You didn’t have a ton of money growing up, so you worked harder than anyone you knew to get scholarships to college. You juggled a full time job at your local coffee shop while still in school to get your engineering degree, and boy was it tiring.

“Excuse me lady? I’ve been waiting for 10 fucking minutes. What have I got to do to get a coffee already?” A man with a thick (Boston?) accent leered at you. You groaned internally, proceeding to plaster a much too bright smile on your face in an attempt to hide your obvious disdain for him.

“So sorry sir! Your cold brew will be coming right up,” you exclaimed cheerily, though you felt anything but. Turning away from him, you let your hands fly over the coffee machine to make a drink you’ve made a thousand times over. Your mind starts to wander as you brew the espresso. Did you even have a soulmate? What if they hate you? What if they’re dead? What if-

Your thoughts were cut short as the espresso machine beeps, jolting you back to reality. You quickly finish off the cup, gratefully sliding it across the bar to the rude man waiting close by. You turned around and caught your coworker’s bemused expression; you were too tired to complain.

Spencer frowned as he gazed at the crime scene photos. What wasn’t clicking?

He was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of Emily’s heels clacking on the linoleum floor. He turned with his chin resting on his hand to see her wearing a pitying look on her face. In one hand, she held a cup of coffee.

He reached out, pointing to the styrofoam cup. “Is that for me?” Spencer asked, secretly hoping it wasn’t so he could get some rest.

Thankfully, Emily shook her head. “No, Reid.” She sighed, looking back up at him sadly. “Listen, I know you really want to solve this case. Don’t get me wrong, we all do. But you’ve been awake for what? 30 hours straight? You might be a genius but even Einstein needed rest,” she finished. Before Reid could protest, she lifted a hand. “Go back to your hotel room and sleep. That’s a direct order from Hotch.”

Spencer frowned unhappily at the brunette in front of him, but he knew when the conversation was over. Grabbing some files he was fully planning to mull over on the comfort of his stiff hotel mattress, he brushed past Emily and headed towards his car.

After a long shift, you groaned as you pushed open the door to your tiny apartment. Immediately, you stripped off your clothes and headed straight for the shower in an attempt to scrub off the now nauseating scent of coffee.

Emerging 20 minutes later with bright red and freshly exfoliated skin, you felt like you were about to collapse at any second. You were asleep before your head hit the pillow.

Reid sat on the bed, papers and crime scene photos splayed out in front of him. The heels of his hands dug into his eyes as he tried to prevent tears from running down his unshaven cheeks.

You wake with a start, sweating slightly. Looking around, you frown. This isn’t your hotel room, you think to yourself, confused. You gasped when you noticed a man sitting on the bed, looking like he hadn’t slept in months. His clothes were misshapen, hair messy and clearly not brushed. He was boyishly handsome, you decided with a satisfied nod.

The gasp you let out caused him to look up; you both realized what was happening at the same moment.

“You’re my soulmate,” Spencer breathed out, at the same time you muttered “Oh my fucking god.”

For a few more moments, both stared at each other, unsure how to act and what to do.

Reid made the first move, awkwardly scooting over slightly and clearing his throat, patting the now empty space next to him.

You quietly shuffled over, perching politely on the edge of the bed.

“So um... where are you right now?” You offered, genuinely curious as to why he was in a hotel room in seemingly the middle of nowhere.

Spencer laughed. “I uh- I guess it’s a long story,” his voice trailed off slightly as he noticed the look you gave him, the one that said Really?. “I guess that was a stupid thing to say,” he mumbled.

You laughed, hitting his arm gently. “Don’t worry about it. For now, we have all the time in the world.”

And so the night progressed; Reid told you all about working at the BAU and you told him all about, well, working at a coffee shop. You quickly found out Spencer was a literal genius, and you, completely serious of course, asked if he would do all your homework for you. (Spoiler alert: he said no because it “goes against his morals”. What does that even mean???)

You could feel yourself fading as Spencer got happier and happier. You both seemed to realize you didn’t have much time left. You grabbed his hand, staring deep into his eyes. You could feel yourself leaning in, Reid too-

“Wait!” You exclaimed, and the two of you jumped apart. “What’s your name?” You asked breathlessly.

“Oh!” He replied, seemingly surprised that you two had never exchanged names. What he didn’t know, however, was that you were slipping away from him much faster than either of you could have realized. “It’s Sp-“

And just like that, you were gone. You woke up in your own bed to find it was morning, sunlight streaming through your windows. Racking your brain, you tried to remember what he said his name was. Unfortunately, all you could remember was the short 2 letters you heard before you vanished. He hadn’t even gotten your name! How was he supposed to find you now?

Across the country, Spencer woke up with his head pounding. Bleary eyed, he tried to make sense of what just happened. He met his soulmate, then lost her just as fast. He didn’t even get her name!, Reid kicked himself.

The next few days for the both of you seemed like hell. You found out it was practically impossible to find records of government employees, especially from divisions like the BAU. You grew increasingly frustrated while scouring through database after database.

Spencer had immediately called Garcia, but made her swear to keep it a secret. He attempted to give her an idea of what you looked like, only to hear the disappointed sound of Penelope’s voice letting him know that she had a list of about 10,000 people who fit the description. Of course, knowing Penelope, no secret ever stayed a secret for long. No more than a few hours later he was met with a chorus of congratulations from his fellow colleagues, including Morgan’s “I knew you had it in you!”, which was met with a sad frown as Spencer explained the unlucky situation.

Unfortunately, nothing much happened after that. You gave up your search on this mystery man, he did the same. Every day, however, you both woke up and hoped today would be that one special day where they found each other again. Every day, they were met with another heart wrenching disappointment, until one fateful afternoon.

Your back ached as you scrubbed down the counter for what felt like the thousandth time that day. It had been a few years since what you liked to call “the incident”, and you liked to keep it out of your head at this point. You were now in grad school, in a different city. You still worked at a coffee shop, though this one was much more busy and frankly much more stressful.

You stretched slightly, pulling your arms up in the air as you readjusted your torso. You turned when you heard your coworker call your name; he was going to take a break. You nodded at him, letting him know you would take over for him.

There was a lull in the customers in the shop, which made sense considering it was 2:00 on a Tuesday afternoon.

You decided to make the most of the break and started to clean the espresso machine in front of you. As you grabbed a dish cloth from the sink, you heard bells in the doorway tinkle slightly as the door was pushed open.

You looked up with your customer service grin automatically painted on, ready to greet the customer. The welcome died on your lips, however, as you realized who it was. It was him.

Your eyes widened in horror as you realized something else; he was kissing a girl who was definitely not you.

You forced yourself to walk over to the cash register, clearing your throat to break the intense lip-locking session apart. A faint look of annoyance crossed Spencer’s face as he looked up at who interrupted them.

His first reaction was exactly what you thought it would be. He froze slightly, then slowly walked up to the register with what looked like a death grip on his (girlfriend’s?) hand.

Though it was the girl who spoke, you found your attention kept flitting to the man next to her. You couldn’t tell if she was oblivious, or just didn’t care.

He had... changed to say the least. Stubble covered the bottom portion of his face, and his hair had grown out. His cheekbones looked more defined, and he walked with an aura of confidence that he didn’t have before. Still, you had to admit he looked very handsome.

You were shaken out of your stupor when you felt the gaze of the girl. She looked at you with, was that impatience? You asked for her payment and her name, Stacy, noting it down on both cups before you took her credit card.

You hurried around behind the bar in an attempt to give them the drinks as quickly as possible and get them to leave. How were you supposed to talk to him now? He literally has a girlfriend!

You finished making the two coffees and set them on the counter, calling out her name to let her know the drinks were ready.

“One nitro cold brew for you, and one iced vanilla latte for him,” you handed over the drinks directly to each of them, making a point to shift Spencer’s drink slightly, causing him to look down. He caught your drift as he noticed a little extra writing underneath Stacy’s name.

His girlfriend grabbed his hand, throwing a quick and insincere “thank you!” over her shoulder at you as they left the store. You slumped against the sink, grabbing the countertop with your hands. What in Gods’ green Earth was this?

Outside, Spencer finally got the chance to look at the cup. He smiled as he read what you had scribbled on there.

Underneath your phone number, you had written, “It’s a really long story but I hope you have the time. Let’s talk soon?”

It was nearing 9 pm when you were starting to lose all hope. What if you made a mistake, and that wasn’t actually your soulmate? You shoved a pillow over your face with irritation and groaned, collapsing onto the sofa next to your phone. As you lay in silence, you heard a noise. Your phone was vibrating.

Sitting up quickly, you picked up the phone.

“Hello?” You asked breathlessly.

A familiar amused chuckle rang on the other end of the line.

“Hi, soulmate.”

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stitch1830 · 3 years

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CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: KANTO

So this is a character description for the character Kanto that @precious-metal-girl and I created for AUs where he is in a loving and committed relationship with Toph Beifong. Part of this is to help me keep track of all of his features and personality traits, and if others are looking to write about Kanto but aren't sure about how to describe him, feel free to pick and choose characteristics that meet your AU needs! This will (hopefully) be a living document where characteristics are added and changed over time. If you are curious about our AUs or want to know about a particular trait/personality, feel free to ask us questions!

......

Born: ~88/89 AG (summer)

Residence: Republic City

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Green

Element: Earthbending/Metalbending

Occupation: Deputy for the Republic City Police Department, Metalbender Division

Nicknames: Hotshot, Dep (short for Deputy), Slick, Botany Boy, Pretty Boy, Metalbrain, Metalhead, Rockhead, K, My Rock

Relationship: Toph Beifong

Background:

Kanto grew up near one of the Fire Nation colonies close to what is Republic City today (part of the reason why his name has FN influence). His father took many different jobs and tried to avoid fighting in the war as long as possible so he could stay with his family, while his mother was a seamstress for the town. Often, he would help his mother sew clothes, and because of that he was pretty crafty and good with his hands. He lost his parents at age 7; old enough to remember them and his childhood, but all the memories are pretty blurry.

What he does remember is that his family was pretty poor, but they always had something to laugh about.

He loved learning new skills with his dad, and had his mom read the same two books they had every single night. And one thing he always remembers is eating together as a family.

His parents died either in an accident for rebelling against a FN rule (maybe the FN wanted to take Kanto away for being an earthbender), or from protecting Kanto in general.

Kanto was always pretty feisty as a boy, pushing people’s buttons and egging people on. It only got worse when his parents died because he pushed buttons out of anger now.

He also had a lot of friends, but after, he didn’t talk to anyone for a while because he ran away. Most of his fighting skills were learned while on the run, he never got any formal training until he went to the metalbending academy (maybe 17 or 18? Toph managed a different part of the academy so she didn’t know him. That or he went to a different academy branch entirely).

One thing he remembers is that he was happiest with his family, so he cherishes the idea of a happy family unit, and he constantly searched for something that made him feel close to that happiness.

Personality:

The first impression people get of Kanto is that he is a no-good, arrogant, bad boy. He acts as if he’s the coolest person in town and always has something sassy to say in response. More than half of the words that come out of Kanto’s mouth are flirtatious and sarcastic, a combination that initially drives Toph Beifong crazy.

But in reality, Kanto is an extremely loyal man who’s rather selfless, putting himself in harm’s way so no one else has to. His initial personality is a front to protect himself so that he doesn’t befriend anyone too much, because he knows what it’s like to love people and lose them. He hated how he felt when he was orphaned and never wanted to feel that way again.

When his facade finally cracks with Toph and she sees the real him, he’s actually… a dork.

He’s got a very goofy personality, he gets excited about little things, and his passions do not necessarily align with his looks and his first impression. When he loves people, he does so with his full heart, but again, he’s hesitant to do so with many… His family are essentially the only ones that see him this way.

Looks:

Kanto is most certainly a hunk. He’s got a similar skin complexion to Toph, thick and wavy (borderline curly) black hair (Toph loves playing with it), broad chest and shoulders (a fit and toned body overall), a mischievous, slightly crooked grin (left corner turns up higher than the right) that makes all the women of RC swoon, a crooked nose from being punched in the face one too many times, and classic earthbender green eyes. He’s also pretty tall, that’s where Lin gets her height from, well over a head taller than Toph And despite being an earthbender, his hands and fingers are actually rather long and nimble. Some popular fanart interpretations of Kanto can be found here and here and here and here and here.

Interests:

Kanto likes flowers, he often brings new ones home (especially when he’s with Toph) so he can teach her about its qualities and so they have a nice and natural floral scent in their home. He’s obsessed with pro bending like Toph, and often will attend matches with her. Astronomy and biology are also interests of his. Toph and Kanto also have a cool rock collection, both are trying to best each other to find the coolest one. Kanto reads science fiction novels to Toph in their downtime and he’ll play the guitar or pipa.

Fears:

Kanto is afraid of bugs, he doesn’t care for large fires that can get out of control, and big animals make him nervous at first contact. When Lin’s in the picture, he freaks out when there are too many sharp corners in one place. He’s always afraid she’s gonna fall and hit her head. Kanto also doesn’t like those rip tides or currents in oceans/large bodies of water.

Some of his deeper level fears include losing his family. He cannot stand the idea of losing Lin or Toph, especially if the reason they are missing or gone is because of him. He’s lost his family before, and he’ll be damned if he loses them again.

Flaws:

A lot of his flaws stem from his stubbornness and confidence. He’s arrogant, overconfident, prideful, and impatient. He knows he’s good at his job and he’s not afraid to talk about his skills and talents, and unless he’s working specifically with Toph, he assumes he’s the best for the job.

He’s flirty, sarcastic, reckless, and a bit of a slob (just his home, he keeps a clean appearance). Kanto’s constantly ragging on coworkers, has comments for days, and it’s rare for him to speak in a serious tone while on the job. Just doesn’t happen.

He’s protective, reckless, a troublemaker, skeptical, and vengeful. When he actually finds love and has a family, he is extremely protective, to the point where if criminals threaten his family, he’s not afraid to take the law into his own hands to eradicate the problem. One of these would be his fatal flaw, maybe vengeful? His vengeful tendency could be from a need to retaliate to protect his family from a threat, and that ultimately may take him down.

His flaws mainly seem to come from his overconfident front that he gives to the world. He doesn’t let too many in, or, he lets people in, but they don’t see the real him. Kanto doesn’t trust people right away, but it’s easy to get along with everyone if you just have this confident and charismatic face on. But his ‘face’ seeped into his actual personality, so there are times when he shouldn’t blurt out the first stupid comment in his head, but he does.

Gaang First Impressions:

Aang: He’s always extremely happy and excited to meet new partners, so he was thrilled to meet Kanto. They definitely don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but Aang is great at being friends with everyone despite the differences, so there’s no animosity.

Katara: She’s skeptical at first, because Kanto acts like a douche and has a bad boy persona. Katara just doesn’t want to see Toph get hurt, so she interrogates the man a bit (a lot), but even though the things he says concern her, he’s a gentleman to Toph, very attentive to her needs. So, maybe he’s not so bad… Later on, she knows the bad boy look was all a facade and that Kanto is a sweetheart, and she grows to really like Kanto.

Zuko: He gives Kanto a very cold shoulder at first. He’s very protective of Toph because he thinks of her as a little sister. So, he crosses his arms, glares a bit, and Kanto glares back because that’s what he does at first. But then, they start going on double dates, and Zuko and Kanto turn out to have a lot more in common than they realize. They’re buddies now!

Sokka: Sokka’s attitude really depends on ship preference with him, but in most HC’s, he’s Toph’s best friend, so he would also be distant with Kanto. He wouldn’t like how cocky he is, or that he’s super tall and talented at many things… he’s not a fan. However, Toph is always super happy around Kanto, he makes her laugh, and no one is allowed to insult Toph without an ass whooping from both Kanto and Toph, so, he warms up to the guy. He’s been seen buying Kanto a beer after a long day of work as a truce, and he often goes to Kanto if he needs police paper signed and expedited (Kanto does the same with Sokka, it evens out).

Suki: Suki is pretty chill about it all. She’s pretty perceptive about personalities and whatnot, and she can detect a bit of a bad boy mask. So, she treats the introduction casually and is super cordial with Kanto. They never become best friends or anything, but she was one of his first “allies” in the Gaang, and for that he is forever grateful.

Other Facts:

His mannerisms are that he walks with a slow swagger. Often the slowest of the group, he takes his time whenever he walks places. But don’t let that fool you—he can sprint really fast. He leans back in almost all of his chairs, sometimes he leans too far back. Kanto was a notorious manspreader when he would sit down, but since being with Toph, she put a stop to that instantly. When he’s restless, he bounces his leg a lot, and usually only stops if Toph reminds him (usually a hand to his leg to calm him down). Kanto also runs his hand through his hair a ton to either push it off his face, or just on instinct. He fidgets with his hands, too, Toph does as well. Usually, the two will hold hands or play with each other’s fingers to ‘remedy’ their nervous tick. In extremely stressful situations (like an AU where Lin is kidnapped), Kanto usually throws up and doesn’t sleep at all.

Kanto’s voice is a mix of a rural and city accent, once Republic City becomes prominent. He uses slang in his speech often and mainly uses city words (he picked up a lot of city lingo when interacting with criminals and undercover work back in the day). There are a few words and phrases from his childhood that he uses that scream ‘rural kid’ and that is mainly when the distinction in his accent and speech is picked up. His voice is smooth and deep when he casually talks. When he yells, it becomes a bit gravelly and husky sounding. Oddly enough, when he whispers, the same thing happens.

Kanto smells like the earth or something with a forestry scent (cedar comes to mind). He wears cologne, and the scents he usually goes for are ones that smell like earth, wood, or resin. Kanto likes wearing cologne, but he can’t put too much on, otherwise it bothers Toph’s nose, and he typically checks to see which ones Toph likes, and he’ll purchase that cologne again because he knows she likes the smell. He naturally smells a bit like metal and dirt and a bit of smoke (he was a casual smoker before he had Lin). All these scents are not prominent, but by the end of the day, these are the scents that can usually be detected.

Some of his pet peeves include fake apologies, when people kick or shake the chair he is sitting in, any slightly insulting remark toward Toph, close talkers, people that interrupt frequently, and those that correct his grammar.

Kanto canonically only has one daughter, Lin. In this AU, he’s a loving and committed father who emphasizes putting his family first and protecting them. He doted and hovered over Toph while she was pregnant, cried tears of joy when Lin was born, and is very attentive and caring toward Lin. He’s the one that soothes her when she cries out at night, he’ll get up in the morning with her so Toph can sleep in, and when he comes home from work, he smothers her in kisses and gives her raspberries on the belly (affectionate). Even as a baby, Lin was a Daddy’s girl and Kanto spoiled her as much as possible.

In the relatively canon compliant AU, Kanto dies when Lin is about 6 months old. He left for work, had a run-in with a bloodbender (or an accident on the job), and never returned home. On the day of his death, Kanto planned on proposing to Toph, but never got the chance.

Lin knew about her father growing up, but he wasn’t talked about often because it is a touchy subject for Toph (and for most that knew him well). On her 13th birthday, Lin receives the engagement ring on a necklace, along with a handwritten letter from Kanto.

There are many AUs and headcanons related to where he lives, but those are very fluid and change all the time!

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softly-savage-mint-yoongi · 3 years

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Heat Seekers II Genre: Dark Cyberpunk AU Pairing: Chanyeol x f.reader Words: 8k Fic Warnings: Dead Dove: Do Not Eat. I’m serious people. If any of the chapter warnings are uncomfortable or triggering for you, please do not read this. Do so at your own discretion. Lots of angst and hurt, eventual smut. Chapter Warnings are below the cut. Author’s Note: There are some specific things in this fic that I’ve personally experienced, and some that I have not. Please understand my intention with this fic is a way of healing not just for myself but hopefully for others who unfortunately have experience with these types of situations. I did a lot of debating about whether or not I should even post this fic, and have spoken to a few individuals about it. Ultimately, with the intent of healing and moving past such trauma, it’s been decided OK to post. Please take my warnings seriously.

Chapter Warnings: panic, anxiety & triggers. Mentions of sex trafficking. Political injustice.

You push your way through the heavy doors into Blue House, ticking your chin forward in greeting to the entertainers standing in the comforts of the lobby, familiar faces you once considered colleagues. The one you’re looking for is at the bar along the back wall, sleek black beneath your fingers, unable to help the way they fan and smooth across its surface as you address him. “Thanks for the tip,” you grin, pausing momentarily to chastise the man before you, “Can I have the info now? I know you were looking out for me by taking it to save, but don’t you think you should have a little more faith in me?” Chan, who is your sole confidant- grins right back. “We don’t believe in faith, remember?” he retorts, flourishing two fingers in front of him to awaken his Atlas, fuzzing to synthetic life between you. You laugh mirthlessly at his reminder because he is right. He flicks his fingers and turns his wrist in a smooth motion, then waits while you blink your own to life and accept the request for sync that takes up the main holo in front of you. He waits for you to collect the job from his inbox and read the description; watching you with a blank expression you don’t see. “In search of a female escort, early to mid-twenties for one night job. The escort must possess advanced skills with Atlas Tech, and hacking. Body measurements are required prior to the job. Deliver in-person to coordinates 94.0114” N 94.0412” E. Details to follow. Payment is dependent on job success. 1200c.” Admittedly, the job description is short but to the point. If anyone were desperate enough, which everyone is, anyone could have collected this job. Now you see why Chan called you for this. Even without the price tag, the requirements complement your skillset spot on. You notice the job expires in two days. Good thing you didn’t have any other plans tonight, you muse to yourself. “Thanks, Chan,” you say with a smile, disconnecting the sync between your Atlas drives. He gives you a warm, dimpled smile in return, “Don’t mention it, babygirl. Just don’t be a stranger, yeah? You know Blue House will always be here for you.” His affectionate pet name for you makes your stomach flutter, just the same as it always did, but you sigh and turn away with a nod, plugging coordinates into your H.I. Pulling up your GPS menu, your smart tech automatically asks you if you want to register the coordinates it recognizes from any recent files you opened. You tap the green ‘register’ button on your interface the moment you slide onto the smooth leather seat of your hyperbike. You pull the visor of your helmet down, giving your H.I a moment to complete the reaction and pop up in your helmet visor. When it does, you scan the map, telling your Atlas you wish to start your bike. The artificial chime of understanding is a comforting sound, as is the low humming purr of the engine starting within the metal between your knees. Intimate, like a heartbeat between a ribcage. The route isn’t terribly long, about thirty-six minutes through the city… if you go the speed limit. A ridiculous notion to still follow, if only out of principle for the older generations. Nobody uses the rule of it anymore, and most people who use the road these days consider it an insult to the growth of safe traveling anymore to have ‘limits’ on speed, and by extension, how well a vehicle moves. Why make such advancements if the restrictions placed on them refuse to evolve? You tick your head to the side with a slight scowl. The trip takes you two-tenths of a second longer than you initially gauged. To a tech hacker such as yourself, inaccuracy is a flaw you’re desperate to rid yourself of. It makes you green with envy of Artificial Intelligence. The coordinates take you to a jewelry store on the north side of the city, closer to the outskirts and the wilderness of the Old City beyond it. Despite the location, the street is lined with tons of high-end shops that glow in the night, open for business. Odd, considering the best shopping districts in the city are further toward the center, and none of them look as classy as this street. You enter the store, raising a brow at the large panel that reads ‘Cloak & Dagger’ in clean, bold lines in the window. A strange name for a jewelry boutique. It feels out of place for you to be here, but you march forward carefully regardless of the uncomfortable way the white polished floor shines back up into your eyes. “Hello?” you call, approaching the largest glass case- it appears to be the counter, with a small tablet resting on a stand in the center. A woman stands up from behind another case to your left, sliding the glass panel closed with her hand before she approaches you. “How can I help you?” Her accent is older, perhaps European, and she looks as if she could be in her sixties. Even at her apparent age, she is exemplary. Your eyes drift down to the items in the case, drawing out a hum because the contents of the case are not what you expected. Now the name makes perfect sense. The jewelry doesn’t just mean your typical rings and pendants. The case is full of self-defense jewelry. Defender rings, ring knives, and other small weapons that are worn. Without answering her, you round the case to the one she stood from, and notice an assortment of larger wearable weapons. From strings of magnetic senbon to actual daggers and piercing finger cuffs. “Find something you like?” she asks, trying to prompt you again. Part of you immediately dislikes the way she’s standing. She seems too proud of your reaction, and with her back straight and hands folded perfectly on top of the counter, she has an air of superiority. With narrowed eyes, you stand back to your full height, “I’m here about a job that’s due in two days.” Her face is unreadable, and she nods minutely, “Can you show me what you’re referring to, dear?” She makes a finger gun and points it directly toward you, tilting her fingers up with the motion of it going off. It sets your adrenaline running with panic until she smiles and her Atlas opens between you. Her motion for opening it is horrifying, and you’re bewildered as to how she came about making that her initiation sequence. You don’t want to close your eyes tightly for the full second it takes to open your own, but you hold you breath and do it anyway. She hums in approval and understanding when you twist your H.I toward her and show her the job posting on your personal assignment bulletin. “I see,” she says, letting her eyes rove you up and down. Nothing you’re not used to, having worked in a brothel for years. “Very well then.” She types something into her own H.I and motions for you to come back to the center of the shop floor. When you do, she presses a button on her interface that expands it around the room. Suddenly, you’re standing in the center of some program she’s running, and the security cameras in the shop come to life. A bright blue light beams from each, pointing at your feet as they scan up your form. Momentarily, you’re impressed with the way she’s made her tech work. Multiple programs running from the same cameras, she’s clever, and you like her a little more for it. Perhaps a bit unorthodox and fitting to her shop’s name, cloaked in mystery, but you’re interested in how she came to be in this moment. She stands in front of you, one hand on her hip while the other goes between touching her lips to touching her main holographic interface, or H.I for short. She’s mumbling to herself as she works, letting your now holographic form float into the space above you. Reaching out, she pulls you out of the center and away from your holoclone. “Fry, darling, give me measurements without her clothes, will you?” “Yes of course, dear,” a disembodied voice echos back. Albeit quite synthesized, it is distinctly male, with an American accent. “Pardon me for the intrusion, miss. Varian Fry, at your service.” the voice says to your holoclone. No clothing is actually removed from either you or your clone, but the AI brings up a separate holo screen for each piece of your clothing. It’s fascinating, to see how quickly he can tell everything about the items, from their thickness and fibers to how many millimeters they equate for in your initial measurements. “At your request, dear,” he says, and an upbeat chime rings on her main interface with your naked measurements. The woman looks at you over her reading glasses, smiling, “He’s impressive, isn’t he?” You realize she asked because you’re smiling at his handiwork. Simply, you nod at her. “Fry, take these into manufacturing. Rush order, number…” she trails off, pausing as she tilts her head at you, “seventy-two, please. In black and violet.” You have no idea what she means and part of you feels like this is some strange super-suit she’s making for you. “Right away, dear.” Fry says, and her H.I blinks into nonexistence. She sighs, glancing at you wistfully, “I think he’ll be most pleased.” You know you shouldn’t because it’s cliche and quite honestly, she shouldn’t tell you, but you ask anyway, “Who?” She laughs, “Your partner for the evening, of course. Don’t worry too much, he’s one of the good guys.” That’s all she tells you before she’s ushering you back toward the door. “Come by again tomorrow midday, it’ll be ready,” she assures you just as she lets the door shut between you. The encounter leaves you feeling a myriad of emotions, though most prominently was the anxiousness of such a mysterious job. You’ve only had a small share of jobs from outside sources, and none that appeared to have so much riding on them. Without anything else to do, you ride back toward Blue House, craving pizza. Smiling, you decide to stop for a quick payday and a free dinner at The Cave. It takes less time than usual to make your rounds of the arcade cabinets, easily earning enough credits to pay for a large pie to take back with you. Plain cheese, well done. Same as always. When you walk through the doors of the brothel with a smile and a pizza box, Chan knows, “Oh no, how many people’s day did you ruin?” “Just a few, I promise. I really just wanted the pizza.” you comment, admitting that a few extra coins in your pocket from beating out cheating gamers never hurt anyone. His eyes zero in on the box settled on your palm with a swallow, “Did you just bring that here to make my mouth water?” There’s a hopeful spark in his eyes, but you decide to enjoy the chance to tease anyway, “We both know this isn’t the kind of thing that makes your mouth water.” Your eyes float around the lobby with a grin. His smile slides off his face briefly, until you shake your head, “Come on. Got some time to spare?” Immediately, the guardian of Blue House morphs his stance- away from the imposing spread of his arms across the sleek counter to the boyish delight of the one person you’ve grown to trust in this world like a starry-eyed puppy. His childlike wonder brings a smile to your lips at the stark contrast of his nickname in the business, as the Wolf of Blue House. He doesn’t mind it, and most of his clientele pay top dollar to have the attention and affection of that persona. You know the way, and Chan follows you through the door on the right, ascending the stairs tucked narrowly between the lounges. The rose-colored light gives the cramped space an intimate feel, and part of you takes artificial comfort from this familiarity, and the memories of it you can feel permeate your consciousness. Of the way you grew up here, together with Chan. Of how thankful you are to him for teaching you and helping you survive. The embarrassment of teenage years made you closer, and you try not to smile, remembering once when you were drunk and nineteen, after your first official orgasm ever, at his hands, and the victory of such a thing made you so emotional you confessed that you loved him. Gently as ever, he brought you back down and reminded you that pleasure isn’t love. In the darkness of your personal room in this very building, your tears fell from the sudden fear of weightlessness that overtook you with such release, and he was there for every step of the way. Chan was there, keeping you grounded and guiding you on a path that would make you strong enough, smart enough, to stand on your own feet and never need anyone else. You could want to your heart’s content, but you would never need. That seems like a distant past, now. Somewhere after eating the whole pie with Chan on the rooftop, you fell asleep. You’re positive he carried you back down the stairs to his den and let you sleep in his bed. The only difference was your jacket had been removed, neatly folded over the open door of his armoire. You’ve woken up here before, sometimes alone, sometimes not when you needed to feel safe so you could sleep without screaming. Weeks or months between. Never more than 3 nights in a row. Today, only the familiar scent of Chan lingers in the room. When you rise, you notice he’s left you some of your old clothes, if you feel so inclined, and a fresh towel. The mirror of his bathroom has wispy remnants of condensation still, and the balmy humidity in the room feels relaxing. The warm water kickstarts your tired bones while you shower, giving you time to think against the white noise it provides. You wonder what time it is, but don’t bother with rushing the moment. As usual, you find Chan working in the office with his natural curls still damp atop his head. They’re unstyled, the dry strands a bit frizzy- mused from his fingers running through them no doubt. Even though you know he’s very busy, he looks comfortable. “I’m out.” you coo quietly from your position, leaning against the door frame with your jacket tucked over your folded arms. It’s a little awkward saying goodbye, knowing you’ll be back in a few weeks after you’ve rotated through your other caches. You can never stay in one place for too long. His head snaps up with the sound of your voice, and he gives you a dimpled grin, “Okay. Stay safe out there, babygirl.” It’s obvious your decision to even say goodbye makes him happy, although he has never judged you for disappearing without small talk. Neither of you owe each other anything. You remain as you both are, separately autonomous. The time you share together is a boon of respectful interest and allied friendship. It’s half past noon as you sling your backpack over your shoulder and head outside, inhaling a deep breath as your palm habitually runs across the leather seat of your bike. Mounting, you bring up the routes of your recent destinations and take in the swell of momentary bliss you get when the bike beneath you roars to life. The midday sun feels good, the heat of it through your clothes and on your hands warming you the moment you ride onto the city streets from the cool shade of the undercity. When you arrive at Cloak & Dagger, you’re whisked inside by the same older woman from yesterday, and she makes a lot of fuss over you. “We’ve got to get your nails and your hair done before you can wear that dress,” she’s muttering, pulling at your hair and your hands to see your fingernails. “Excuse me?” you ask. The job didn’t entail all of that fuss. Why is going to that extent necessary? She gives you a dazzling, perhaps a little overeager smile. “You’ve got to look the part, doll. You’re not bad,” she comments, standing back to assess you from head to toe with a twist to her lips, “but we’ve still got to even out your ends and do you up for the event.” You’re uncomfortable with this, but when she confirms it will cost you nothing, you remind yourself it’s all for the money. Plus, you haven’t had a haircut in a while. “Close the shop, dear, we’ve got important work to do!” she coos in excitement loudly to her AI. Fry’s voice answers her with amusement, “We never opened today, dear.” She laughs, “All’s well that ends well, then!” as she takes your hand and walks you back behind the counter and into a large space that appears to be a dressing room. Immediately, she guides you to a comfortable-looking chair stationed in front of an old-style makeup mirror and begins talking to her AI. “Mm, yes, I think this one will do.” she says as she flips through a couple of hairstyles from a menu you don’t recognize in her H.I. Two arms fold down from the center of the ceiling here, sleek and soundless as they move. Fry’s voice is directed at you, “This is happening to you, my dear. Which of these would you like? I can do either with the length your hair will be once I even it out.” A display appears on the mirror in front of you and four hairstyles are displayed. You’re still trying to wrap your head around this ordeal and all the fuss over you, but you blurt out “number two” anyway. “Excellent choice, my dear.” he says, gentlemanly as always in his American accent. The arms behind you start working immediately, folding out to comb your hair and part it, taking clips from a tray that’s been set up just behind the chair. It takes longer than you anticipated for the AI Varian Fry to cut your hair and style it into the selected choice, all while he comments how wonderful it looks on you. You’ve lost count of how many pins he’s put in by now. The quirky woman jabs often at you with small talk that you needn’t reply to, or she comments on the work Fry is doing while she tends to your nails. “I can do that, darling. No need to fret.” the AI says to her while she fusses over evening out your nails, but she waves him off. “No no, I want to. It makes me feel useful. We never get to have this kind of fun anymore.” Her words are cryptic and the way she says them tells you there’s a mountain of information behind the comment, but she says nothing else about it. Your nails aren’t something you get a choice with, as she layers gel onto them, building it up and evening the edges before she finishes. You watch, moving your fingers in all kinds of ways to get used to having longer nails, almond-shaped no less. Admittedly, you like the matte hue she chose as the color. Once she’s finished, she stands and walks to the left side of the room. There’s a long, rolling pole with clothes hangers adorning it, and a single garment is neatly folded in a black bag. She removes it and unzips it just as Varian Fry places the final bobby pin in your hair, covering your eyes with a metal visor briefly while hairspray plumes into a cloud over your head. “I can’t wait to see this on you,” the woman coos excitedly, “You might just be our best work yet.” When Varian finishes your hair, the arms spin your chair in the direction of the woman, and she’s holding up a black and violet dress, the heavy yet gentle shine of velvet catching light. Typically, you’re not the dress type, but again, money is money. At least it isn’t hideous, and the colors and style are gorgeous. There’s isn’t much you find that would annoy you with it, other than perhaps the inability to run if necessary. “We’ve only got your makeup left to do!” she chimes while she hangs the dress on a hook high off the floor, just beside the mirror. Another cart is wheeled over by one of Varian’s arms, full of high-end makeup brands you recognize from huge ads in the shopping districts of the city. She takes your hand with a laugh, “Up up up, come on now, let’s get you into this.” Ushering you into another room, you’re granted a moment of privacy to use the restroom and collect yourself before she’s knocking at the door and shamelessly stripping you of your outer clothes. Being naked in front of others stopped making you feel insecure a long time ago, and the benefit of it is the efficient speed of doing the task you needed to do instead of milling about in a flustered state of undress for longer than necessary. It doesn’t mean you enjoy being in the nude, but when duty calls you do what must be done. The older woman of Cloak & Dagger doesn’t seem to bat an eye either, assuming years of her dressing up others in her creations has kept the professional efficiency all the same. If she notices any of your battle scars, she doesn’t pause or comment on them. When you look at yourself in the mirror, you don’t recognize the woman staring back at you, except for her eyes and the color of her hair. The dress hugs your form like a thick and warm blanket, accentuating the lines of your body and appealing to the curve of your hips you hadn’t realized were so generous. You turn several directions, analyzing yourself. Perhaps it had been too long since you looked in the mirror at your body. You could appreciate the shape of your own ass, and the swell of your breasts, the gentle caress of line that was your own spine, clearly visible in the cutout back of this dress. Even the muscle of your own legs, visible from the mid-thigh down to the shiny black heels on your feet. For once, even with every sad story of the scars you know riddle your body, you couldn’t stop staring at yourself, liking the way you looked. Finished with fussing over yourself, the woman cracks a grin at you, cooing with excitement at the spectacle before her. “You look ravaging, darling.” She opens the door and takes your hand. Leading you back into the center of the prep room, she waits. Walking in heels is going to be the death of you- you’ve never worn any quite this high and pointy. In your mind, the only upside is the way you could stab someone with one if warranted. When Varian doesn’t respond and no movement is noticed from any of the things he can control, she asks, “Varian dear are you awake?” To which the hand-like ends of the limbs from the ceiling give her a single finger of silence, he whispers, “No, no please I need a moment to enjoy this absolute dream.” The woman barks a loud laugh, giggling to herself with pride. The joke does not go over your head, realizing with a smile that Varian was giving you a compliment. The entire ordeal has taken far longer than you think is appropriate, but if you try to think about your feelings, you can admit you enjoyed the pampering, and you feel good. You’ve never done anything like this, and there are small parts of you that had always wondered about why women fuss over their appearances so much. Now, you know. “The car has just arrived, dear.” Fry’s voice cuts in just as the woman finishes applying one more layer of lipstick to your face. She claps her hands together and smiles, “Right then! One last piece.” With a sway in her step, she leads you back out to the front of the shop and muses over the selection of handbags to her right briefly, deciding on a black leather clutch with a silver crossbody chain that she drapes over your body. You spy through the front window curiously, eyeing a man standing beside a car door wearing a black suit and tie with dark sunglasses. He’s not moving. “One more thing.” says the old woman, her finger raised in the air as she rounds the counter. She pulls a small 10mm pistol from somewhere below the register, checking it with a speed you find almost as alarming as the immediate panic that sets into your bones. You’re frozen as she checks the six spaces are all filled with bullets, snaps it shut and puts the safety lock on. Then, she’s standing in front of you, holding it out for you to take. Slowly, as if the gears of your body have been rusted still far too long, you shake your head. “What’s the matter dear, don’t know how to shoot? I don’t think you’ll need it, but just in case.” “No,” your voice quivers. She makes a sound of disbelief, misunderstanding you as she reaches for your bag, attempting to put the gun in it. “Get that thing away from me.” you command, wrenching the bag out of her fingers. She gives you a look, open-mouthed and taken aback a bit. When the pause between you grows too heavy, the man at the car breaks the silence by knocking on the door. The old woman blinks, “Oh, goodness okay okay, have it your way. Just be safe. I don’t want any idiots ruining this stunning creation.” she says to you with a wistful smile and a pat to your shoulder. Once she ushered you outside, you’re not sure why, but your head seemed to turn of its own volition, back to the front window of Cloak & Dagger, where you spied Varian’s metal arm whipping a handkerchief from an unknown place and offering it to his wife. The SUV in front of you is dark. Black paint, black trim and rims, and every window except the windshield looks deeply tinted. The man in front of you, painfully obvious with his secret and important aura, sticks out like a sore thumb. His only motion is opening the rear door for you. You’re desperate not to wobble or fall as you climb inside, already scowling at the heels on your feet. The inside of the SUV is more spacious than you gave credit for, with the seats rearranged in a way that opens the space like a lounge of sorts, complete with ice bucket and the glow of colored lights overhead. You perch yourself on the edge of an open section of the long seat across from the only other person in the back of the car, save for the sound of the man closing the door behind you and climbing into the driver’s seat of the SUV from the other side of a thick panel of black glass. The eyes of the person across from you are dancing along your skin, you can feel them, but it’s not in a way that raises the hair on the back of your neck. When you look ahead, you find a pair of dark eyes, crinkled at the outer corners and smiling at you, one hand extended in your direction. “Good evening, thank you for coming.” His voice is smooth. Neutral, with a hint of amusement. You say nothing, waiting for him to elaborate. He is handsome, you’ll admit, but in an almost too-pretty way. Hair swept up and to the side, in a full three piece suit that looked as if it cost an absurd amount of money to buy. His posture, with one knee over the other and his torso draped at an angle, with one arm over the back of the seat across from you. He raises his thick brows once when you say nothing, still analyzing him. “Right.” he chimes, placing the glass from his hand in the holder beside him. “I’m Suho, the one who posted the job.” he states matter of factually, in a calm and even tone. The first indicator that his request is legitimate, you think. His posture is too relaxed and he speaks too clearly to be afraid of being overheard by nothing more than an anxious or guilty conscience. He is not out to get you. “What is it exactly that you need my help with?” you ask, matching his tone. A small part of you relaxes into the seat at your back, adjusting to sit a little more comfortably. He smiles wistfully, “I’m glad you asked,” a pause, before he sits up and places his elbows on his knees, hands folded together in front of him so he can address you directly. “We’re headed to a Gala as we speak. The Medical Advancement Technologies Gala, to be precise. There’s a certain politician attending that must be dealt with, but there is information I need from him in order to deal with him appropriately.” Suho explains, skirting the details. Whether at your expense or not, it pisses you off. “You don’t need to sugarcoat it with me, just so you know. So what did he do and why do you care?” He blinks at you, then quickly collects himself with a smile, “Apologies.” There’s a brief moment where his brows knit together before he continues, “He is… someone who uses his political power to do unforgivable things. I care, because one of those things is sex trafficking.” You don’t flinch, you don’t move, you don’t blink. You want to ask why that’s what Suho cares about, but you remind yourself that’s not the most important line of questioning right now. It’s not about Suho, it’s about the politician. Nodding when you notice he’s waiting for your response, “How is it that you came to find out about it, and how do you know it is him? Does he use an alias?” Suho hums with agreement, “He does. I’ve been tracking his association with trafficking for months, and have done what I can to gather information, but it is that last missing piece he keeps locked up that I need help with.” He makes a distinct motion with his right hand, elegant and graceful, almost as if dancing, so subtle and strange you almost miss it. It takes you a moment to realize that was his initiation to awaken his own Atlas. He begins flicking his way through a series of locked programs and folders in his own archives. Bold of him to do so directly in front of you. He doesn’t know what you’re capable of, and although it isn’t easy to read some of his things both backwards and at a speed to see anything useful, it isn’t impossible to pick out the keywords ‘Olympus’ and ‘Tartarus’ from some of his files. “So you need someone to hack into his Atlas to retrieve the final key.” you assume of him, understanding now exactly why the job was so specific. The man in front of you motions for you to open your own, intending to share some files with you. Blinking it to life, you accept his immediate offer to link up after a brief moment of hesitation. You have plenty of safeguards on your own tech, and there should be virtually no way for anyone to hack and see anything of value since you are the sole creator and user of Ghost tech, but something else tells you this won’t be the last of Suho you’ll be seeing. Suho nods when you accept, “Yes. You’ll be with me all evening, and I’ll introduce you to him. I promise there will be no sexual favors or activities involved, whatsoever.” You tilt your head, puckering your lips for a moment. Your eyes trail him up and down through the glowing blue lines between you, gauging his reasoning for a woman rather than a man. “Why a woman then?” He blanches momentarily, before shrugging, “Just my personal preference I suppose.” He meets your stare but doesn’t express any other emotion, as far as you can tell. “Yet you wish for no acts of sexual service?” Suho nods, “That’s right. Just be my date. I won’t even kiss you.” Nothing here screams danger to you, no fight or flight instincts kick in, but you find yourself asking a question and playing a game regardless. A game your inner self loathes, and your survival self thrives on. The addiction of power that comes with winning in any form. You make a show of eyeing him from the dark hair atop his head, all the way down to the perfectly polished tips of his shoes. “That’s a pity.” Suho, who you barely know, blinks at you and surprise settles on his face, trying to hide the smile in the apples of his cheeks while he pretends to look out the window. You wait, openly watching him for any subtle signs of odd behavior. For any slip ups. This is where checkmate is called in the game. The part where your victory is certain but the game drags on. And yet, no such euphoric victory sweeps through your bloodstream. Instead, he murmur’s a simple phrase to flip the tables and lance you with the first striking blow of information. Information that is dangerous. “This is why it had to be you.” Quickly your dress seems to morph its shape into the most constricting piece of clothing you’ve ever worn. You can do nothing, sitting perfectly still. Suho takes a moment to realize your reaction was intense, a deep furrow in his brow when he understands. “You’ve got nothing to fear from me, though.” he attempts to pacify your anxiety, holding up his empty palms. “Explain. Now.” is all you can force from your throat. With a sadness to his expression, he tucks the corner of his mouth into his cheek and gives you a hard stare. Then, he sighs. He sags a little more along the bench seat across from you, letting his heavy head hang a little lower, shoulders a little looser. Relaxing his posture to appeal and seem less dangerous. “We need your help, Ms. Maneater.” he breathes at last, as if the face were plain as day. Your silence is heard everywhere like the command of a god in the small space of the SUV. “I’m one of the rare someone’s who gives more fucks to humanity than to money. I came from money, and lots of it. Until my humanity was handed over to a human trafficking trade by my own parent’s filthy hands.” For the first time in a full minute you take one small breath. Nothing in his posture or words or expression rings false. There is no tension in his throat, wrought tight with lies. “You could say I had my eyes opened. Today, I manage a team of others like me, with their own trauma and stories of how they’ve survived to rise from the ashes. Our scars are what keep us motivated to put bad people away in the deepest pits of hell forever.” He talks lowly now, just low enough to be more than a whisper. Your lips form a word, barely audible, “Tartarus.” This time, it is Suho’s turn to be taken aback with shock. “Where did you find that name?” His reaction gives you the strength to relax a fraction, fighting through the tension in your jaw to speak, “You’ve got nothing to fear from me.” He scoffs as you throw his own words back at him. “I just read it on your Atlas.” It takes him a moment to weigh your words, understanding how careful he should be. “I didn’t think that was possible, I moved through them so quickly.” You nod, folding your hands together, “Well, you did say it had to be me. I can only allude to that meaning of my technical abilities if you know my moniker.” His smile reappears, not too much, but just enough to curve his lips, “We need your help.” “How exactly am I supposed to trust you? You didn’t tell me how you knew it was me.” Suho pouts his lips, considering your question, “You’re not as stealthy as you think you are,” he begins. “Although we mostly went off of clues and a hunch, Mrs. Fry and her AI did their due diligence to confirm your identity through your Atlas.” You narrow your eyes at him, ready with a threat. “Varian is amazing, yes? There is so much he can do to go undetected if he only looks, but doesn’t touch.” Your rage is simmering, in part that you are impressed, “Why not have him do the hacking for you then?” Suho clicks his tongue, “AI are not allowed at the MAT Gala, and even if he were it would be incredibly suspicious to bring an AI for a companion to such an event.” “And you prefer women anyway.” you chide sarcastically. You sigh, “How did you know I would come?” At this question, he fixes you with a hard stare as if deciding what to say, “I didn’t, but I had hope that the price tag would catch the Wolf’s eye for you when I had Varian post it on the brothel’s board.” “Excuse me?” you growl, ready to whip off your heel and stab him if necessary. You push the shame down that you let your guard down with Chan. What if he is in danger because of you? Although no danger seems to come from Suho, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other targets on your back. You can only hope that Chan isn’t as stupid as you are. “Relax,” Suho says, “I’m not interested in that information, and I hope I’ve already established that I’m not in it for the money.” A tap on the black glass between you and the driver pulls Suho’s attention away briefly, “We’ve got about 20 minutes to talk about the job.” It takes you a moment to nod at him, “Fine. Tell me what I need to do.” He smiles at you, “Thank you.” It takes ten minutes for Suho to share the information he’s gathered with you so far, from pictures to audio recordings and statements of witnesses given to others and collateral information taken from various sources. All with the initials of CIG under something called ‘Project Zero’.

Suho gently tries to escape the horrific details that ‘Project Zero’ uses funds from taxpayers in order to feed, shelter and educate homeless persons and families in an effort to reduce the number to zero, and the fact that it more than likely means the funds are being used to eradicate or enslave them in the trafficking market.

In the last ten minutes, you think of how you’ll collect the piece of information Suho needs. An offshore account where his embezzled funds are kept and used, under the alias of one CIG. Suho shows you backdated statements of funds going to and coming from the account from another account, a tertiary, privately owned finance management company connected to ‘Project Zero’.

Suho has the login information for the accounts, and is certain the politician is the CEO of the finance company managing the whole thing. All you have to do is hack in and find the items necessary to link all three together.

The Gala is… impressive. Deciding to trust Suho for the evening, at least, you walk beside him, arm in arm down the velvety carpet rolled out between the street and the venue.

“How are you connected to all this?” you whisper to him as you pause, waiting your turn for the media and news outlets to take your photos. It makes you uncomfortable.

Suho hums beside you, smiling and patting your hand affectionately, “Do you know Guardian Hospitals?”

The name is not uncommon to anyone as a well-known chain of general hospitals across Korea and China.

He pulls you forward gently, walking to the center space between two glittering, fluorescent obelisks that frame the ‘MAT GALA’ backdrop for photos. Several cameras flash in succession, making you squint against the headache you receive by waving a hand and smiling, playing your part beside Suho.

“I own the Korean branch.” he says when you’ve passed the threshold into the venue, grinning from ear to ear at your expression.

You suppose that’s not too far-fetched an explanation. You know three things about Suho now, and although you don’t have time to consider the surely intricate way to link it, you idly wonder if his connection to the hospital chain is how he knew to find you. Once or twice you’ve had to go, for illness or injury and at Chan’s insistence.

He doesn’t freely give up any other personal details about himself or ask you any questions. Nor do you, and the fact that he is patient and doesn’t pry is something you accept with good grace.

There’s an excruciating amount of idle small talk fluttering around you and Suho where you’re seated. Other people of importance come to the assigned table and take their seats. Some leave and come back. The same conversation floats around the table over and over again, asking the same uncaring greeting questions.

Some, like yourself, are deep into their Atlas’s, reading articles or working to answer emails or draft important papers or speeches- even in the middle of an event like this, too preoccupied to leave their work alone.

You can’t say you blame them, considering you’re here doing the same thing, regardless of it being the sole purpose you’re wearing this ridiculous outfit in the middle of an uncomfortable situation.

Suho’s fingers gently caress the point of your elbow, subtle in the way he directs your shoulders to turn acutely to the right. His face leans close enough that only you will hear the words whispered at your ear, not that anyone else cares to listen.

“There, coming this way. Red suit.”

Only one person fits the description, and you reach for your drink on the table, taking a small sip as you watch to fit in with the movement of people around you. An older man, average build with a suit that looks just as expensive as the rest of the people here, a dark and bloody red.

You watch, leaning back slowly into Suho’s grasp as he slings one arm over the back of your chair and curls himself toward your shoulder to talk. A tactic you know to create a more intimate space and make watchful eyes turn away with discomfort.

Suho’s talking in your ear again as the man approaches. A slight moment of unexpected anxiety raises your heartbeat a fraction, wondering if you’ll have to speak to him. The tension dissipates as he stops at the table directly behind yours and pulls out a chair, talking immediately with someone he knows at the table. The breath you didn’t know you’d been holding escapes from your throat in a long, quiet exhale.

Suho notices your anxiousness, taking your hand and patting it gently as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to touch you with such care. Somehow, the action quells you nerves.

You’ve hacked people before, but never someone who looked as powerful or important, and never in the presence of the public eye.

Your counterpart leans closer to your ear again with a smile, “Relax,” he says. “Nobody is paying you any attention.”

His words aren’t enough to hold back the wildness in your expression, and he chuckles softly, “Not that you trust me very much, but I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. For once, you have someone literally looking out for you.”

This time, his assurance cuts deeper, but not in a painful way. There’s a sincerity in his tone you can’t dispel, and it helps ground you.

You blink, slow and purposefully, and the soft and familiar blue glow of your Atlas casts a wave of color on your skin that washes over you like a comforting touch. It steadies you to dive deep into your world.

Part of you is weary about Suho watching, afraid he may somehow know about your Ghost tech. You briefly consider this a test to see how true to its name your self-made program is, and the part of your conscience that wins is curious to see if you pass.

Refusing to let it weigh you down, you get to work.

________________________________________

Fourteen hours later, you’re sitting at a window seat table sipping strawberry milk and fidgeting with the in-ear piece you just finished outfitting with the latest hologlass tech.

The rays of sunlight warm your arm where its closest to the window, and the chattering of the bustling cafe helps fight your drowsiness. There isn’t a crowd here, and the noise is just the slow side of steady that its easy to pick up the conversation of anyone around.

So, you listen. To an older couple talking about the vacation they are on, although you’re not sure why anyone would vacation in this city. You listen to the table of young people in the corner booth talking about homework and research papers as they simultaneously watch a single tablet with a lecture playing at the head of the table.

You listen, when the middle aged man closest to your table laughs. “What a deplorable monster.”

The sentence piques your interest. Stealing a glance, you notice he’s commenting on the news.

News that shows a headline of ‘Breaking News’, and a video clip of a politician being walked down the wide and pristine granite steps of the city judicial building. He’s handcuffed, and there are tons of reporters and cameras in his face that the police are shoving out of their way as they descend.

Your blood runs cold the moment you realize it’s the politician from last night. You freeze, with a mouthful of strawberry milk you refuse to swallow, and wait for the rest of the information.

“Choi In Gyong will go on trial for the undeniable and anonymously leaked evidence of embezzling funds from Project Zero- a campaign he sired to help the homeless- and participating in the purchase, acquisition and selling of people in an American sex trafficking cartel.” explains the newscaster. Her expression of disgust is plain for all to see.

Her AI counterpart, wearing a suit and tie, gives further details, “Jumbotrons all over the city, as well as the police headquarters were somehow hacked, but only to blast the evidence of his connection to such atrocities. Details on who or how the information was obtained and who hacked into these secure networks are still unknown. Many have speculated it was the work of Maneater, but one detail snufs out that option.”

The woman anchor smiles, turning to her co-host, “Oh? And what’s that, Yeoguk?”

Anchor Yeoguk cocks his head to one side, a quirk all his own, “The only indicator from whom the evidence was sent was the letter ‘O’.”

You jump as your phone rings, facedown on the table beside your forgotten milk. When you turn it over, you recognize the first two digits of it as a payphone number.

“Hello?”

A hum from the other end of the line, followed by a familiar voice, “Have you seen the news recently?”

You’re still a little shocked, but snort at the obvious excitement in his tone nonetheless while you stand and make your way out of the cafe.

“I just happened to catch the headlines.”

“And have you checked into your collections yet?”

You smile, “Not yet. Why, is there 1200c sitting prettily in there for me?”

Suho laughs from the other end of the line, “Yes, and more if you’re willing.”

The meaning of his statement catches you off guard, “What are you getting at?”

He hums again, but this time there’s no excitable tone to his voice, “I’d like to make you an offer, Ms. Maneater.”

You pause, pulling your phone away from your ear briefly to look at it questioningly.

“Last night’s job was… a test of sorts. We’ve had our eye on you for some time and last night proved you are just what we needed.”

“Am I supposed to be offended or impressed?” you ask through clenched teeth. You feel uneasy about this, you’ve never worked directly with anyone before on your hacking, and certainly not with such high risk and reward.

Suho laughs again at your reply, “Consider this the official, cordial invite to join Olympus.”

You scoff, of course he would call it that. However, you can’t deny that it is worth considering. After getting past the shock of your work having such a huge, direct effect, you feel… content.

Content that what you did was important to a lot of people like you. Content to know that there is a little bit of hope out there. Content to know that Suho wasn’t all bark and that perhaps, you can learn to trust him and his crew.

“I’ll give you some time to consider. It’ll be in your inbox.” Suho says. “Thanks for everything.”

“Wait!” you try, hoping to get some more information, “What will be in my inbox? How did you get my number? Hello? Hello…?” To your frustration, the dial tone is the only response you receive.

#heat seekers #chanyeol x reader #exo fanfiction #exo angst #exo smut #exo hurt #exo dystopian au #exo fanfic #chanyeol fanfiction #exo dark cyberpunk au

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princessshikky · 3 years

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In case there is another person here who for some reason wanted a TGCF/TUA fusion plotbunny... This is loosely inspired by the TGCF fanfic Nude Dinner by the incredible hoarder_of_stories (btw, I highly recommend to check out their other works: very sweet and comforting, also you can just feel that the author is enjoying their work, it's always cool when the text transfers that feeling).

So. Jun Wu is the eccentric billionaire who buys and adopts seven kids with superpowers and they grow up in a toxic environment.

Mu Qing and Feng Xin are number one and number two respectively. They are constantly arguing with each other and with everyone else around them except for Xie Lian. When Xie Lian left home to live on his own, fengqing left with him, but Mu Qing couldn't handle this life for long and wanted to come back home, which lead to his argument and subsequent breakup with Feng Xin and Xie Lian. Mu Qing also spent years trying to "make amends" for his "mistake" and win back Jun Wu's favor. He's the only one who stayed with Jun Wu until the end.

Feng Xin quickly started an affair with a girl his age (Jian Lang), she got pregnant, Jun Wu found out and tried to pay her to keep the baby, give it to Jun Wu and never see the child again (he wanted to see whether the second generation would inherit the special abilities). Jian Lang wanted nothing to do with it, had an abortion, confronted Feng Xin about the whole story and broke up with him. They never saw each other after that. In the present timeline Feng Xin works as a coach in a local gym, he also participates in fighting matches sometimes.

Yin Yu is number three. He constantly felt underappreciated and ignored, angry that Quan Yizhen was praised more than him. Eventually he got so angry he had a fight with Quan Yizhen and ran away. In the present he works for Hua Cheng (who wanted to be closer to Xie Lian and grabbed the chance to meet Xie Lian's sibling, that didn't go as planned).

Quan Yizhen is number four. He adored Yin Yu, so after Yin Yu left Quan Yizhen also didn't stay home for long. He became a successful and popular athlete with a ton of endorsements. He also doesn't hold any resentments against his siblings.

Shi Qingxuan is number five, he can speak with the souls of the deceased. His ability is pretty useless in combat, so he didn't go to the missions all that often. When Shi Qingxuan was still a teenager his biological older brother, Shi Wudu, started looking for him and demanded the right to see him (Shi Wudu could only do it once he was of legal age, which is why it took so long). Jun Wu refused, so Shi Wudu started a crusade, went to the papers, to the Committee for the Affairs of Minors and to court -- all to get Shi Qingxuan away from the abusive environment. He eventually succeeded. The rest of the siblings desperately envy Shi Qingxuan since they don't have loving biological family willing to go through hell for them. Nevertheless, Shi Qingxuan is such a likable person it's hard to resent him. He is another family members who doesn't hold any grudges against his siblings and loves them all equally (except for Shi Wudu, who is his absolute favorite).

He Xuan is number six (deceased). Shi Qingxuan is the only one able to see him and communicate with him. He Xuan absolutely despises Shi Wudu because of jealousy: he used to be closest to Shi Qingxuan and believes Shi Qingxuan doesn't pay him as much attention now.

Xie Lian is number seven and Jun Wu's favorite, which didn't win him any favors among the other siblings (actually Jun Wu made a conscious attempt to isolate Xie Lian from the rest of the family and make him dependent on Jun Wu's approval precisely because Xie Lian is really his favorite). Xie Lian didn't have super abilities but still wanted to be a superhero and save people like the rest of his siblings, which lead to him constatly arguing with Jun Wu. Eventually he was the first to leave the Academy. He lived with fengqing at first, then they broke up and went their own separate ways. The first year on his own was the most difficult, as Xie Lian couldn't find any job and barely had any food to eat. Officially it was because the whole family was homeschooled and Xie Lian lacked any certificate of education, but actually Jun Wu secretly did everything in his power to ensure no one would hire Xie Lian, hoping Xie Lian would "come to his senses" and come back home. However, Xie Lian was stubborn enough to survive and eventually get a stable job. He still doesn't have higher education because it's expensive and time-consuming, but his living conditions are better in the present.

At the start of the plot Jun Wu suddenly dies and the whole family (including Shi Wudu as Shi Qingxuan's moral support) comes to the funeral. Mu Qing tries to say that something about the death is suspicious (some of Jun Wu's documents are missing), but no one is willing to support him (to be fair, even if Jun Wu died from fifty knife wounds, the siblings would be like "eh, what a tragic accident, nothing suspicious here"). There are no timey-wimey shenanigans, just Mu Qing trying to investigate Jun Wu's death and the rest of the family reluctantly working with him or refusing to cooperate (i.e. Yin Yu doesn't tell where he spent the night of Jun Wu's death or where he works because he hasn't seen his siblings in years, they're practically strangers, and he doesn't want these strangers to come to his workplace or something, esp. since he works for a stalker obsessed with one of the aforementioned siblings). The family communicates, unearthes some old grudges and family secrets (fengqing spend two hours yelling at each other over a broken gameboy personally gifted by Jun Wu).

Xie Lian goes for a walk and accidentally meets a guy named San Lang (it was raining, Xie Lian didn't have an umbrella, so San Lang walked him to his apartment, Xie Lian invited him in and made him tea etc). They start dating. San Lang is very supportive of Xie Lian, spends a lot of time with him, makes him insanely personalised gifts. Fengqing are suspicious and try to convince Xie Lian that this guy is weird and his social network profiles seem fake. They even break into San Lang's appartment but find nothing out of the ordinary (they didn't have time to sneak into the attic and discover the Xie Lian Stalker Shrine).

Xie Lian starts seeing nightmares of a man in white clothes and white mask. He used to have these nightmares often in the past, when he was a child, then Jun Wu administered him some pills and the nightmares stopped. Xie Lian thinks this is his psyche's reaction to Jun Wu's death. When San Lang finds out, he offers to pay for the therapist sessions (Xie Lian refuses) and maybe adjust the dosage of the medicine (Xie Lian agrees to try). Soon Xie Lian runs out of the pills, forgets to get a new bottle, and San Lang convinces him to try to quit. Xie Lian feels better and also starts to suspect that he may have superpowers after all. San Lang and Xie Lian work together to try and develop Xie Lian's abilities. It doesn't really go anywhere until a tragic accident: Xie Lian and San Lang are attacked at the street, San Lang is injured (and looses his eye in the fight), Xie Lian uses his abilities to protect San Lang. San Lang now wears an eyepatch.

Fengqing still keep their investigation, find out that Yin Yu works for "San Lang" and that "San Lang"'s name is actually Hua Cheng. They come to Xie Lian with this information, but Xie Lian refuses to believe them. Fengqing and Xie Lian have a huge argument, remember every one of their old grudges, Xie Lian hotly says that San Lang is way better to him than his family and even helps him develop his abilities. Hua Cheng arrives in the middle of the argument, takes Xie Lian's side and throws fengqing out. In a conversation with Xie Lian he either denies the accusations or gives a rational explanation (i.e. "San Lang is my childhood nickname, I like it better than my name, that's why I never used my actual name with you").

The next day, once Mu Qing had a chance to calm down, he starts thinking: how come Xie Lian has abilities now? He decides Jun Wu must have known something and tries to look at Jun Wu's documents, finds evidence of Jun Wu knowing, but most of the information was in the documents that are missing. The other siblings deny having anything to do with it. Mu Qing turns to Ling Wen -- the AI developed by Jun Wu. Mu Qing, Ling Wen and Feng Xin manage to break into Jun Wu's computer, decode his files and access the security camera records.

Turns out, Jun Wu also had superpowers: he could get into other people's dreams and control their minds. He was the one who sent Xie Lian nightmares and made everyone forget Xie Lian had powers. He also documented everything and placed hidden cameras all over the house. Fengqing watch the records of the day Jun Wu died (there is only image but no sound) and see Hua Cheng break into Jun Wu's study room, find and read some of the documents. Jun Wu enters the room, it looks like he and Hua Cheng have an argument, Hua Cheng storms out taking the documents with him. After he leaves, Jun Wu clutches his chest and falls on the floor.

Fengqing go to speak to Xie Lian again, this time with the records. Xie Lian is shocked, but he believes them now. Together they search Hua Cheng's house, find Jun Wu's documents, which hold detailed descriptions of Xie Lian's abilities and how to access them. They also find the stalker shrine with paintings of Xie Lian, pictures of Xie Lian obviously taken without his knowledge, a couple of statues and some pornographic images of Xie Lian. Fengqing demand Xie Lian dumps "this creep" right this second, but Xie Lian still insists there must be a proper explanation. He even tries to call Hua Cheng. Eventually they reach a compromise: they need to go to Yin Yu and speak to him, since he works for Hua Cheng and must know something.

Yin Yu tells them the following: a long time ago, when Xie Lian was trying to be a superhero, he saved a young Hua Cheng. Ever since that time Hua Cheng became obsessed with Xie Lian, started gathering all available information about the Umbrella Academy, but there was nothing about Xie Lian there. After Shi Wudu's campain against Jun Wu the Academy's dirty laundry got into papers, Hua Cheng figured Xie Lian had been abused and it was Hua Cheng's turn to save him. However, by the time Hua Cheng finally had all the money and resources Xie Lian had long left the house and built himself a new life. Hua Cheng found him and started stalking him, taking pictures etc. He didn't try to meet Xie Lian in person because he was ashamed: he failed and didn't help Xie Lian when Xie Lian needed it most. Hua Cheng still employed Yin Yu and regularly questioned him about Xie Lian because he wanted to know every little detail. One of their conversations made him think of something he didn't share and start a secret project Yin Yu wasn't involved in. That's all he knows.

Fengqing are furious with Yin Yu for doing something like that to his sibling. Yin Yu yells at them, saying that even though Mu Qing, Feng Xin and Xie Lian had each other when they left they couldn't hold out long, and Yin Yu was completely on his own and Hua Cheng saved him. Fengqing don't know Hua Cheng, he's actually a good person, they shouldn't judge him by his hobbies. Xie Lian interferes saying they need to talk to Hua Cheng anyway, to question him about the circumstances of Jun Wu's death. Xie Lian calls Hua Cheng and invites him to the Academy mansion, fengqing gather the rest of their siblings. Together they interrogate Hua Cheng.

Hua Cheng doesn't deny the stalking but he denies being responsible for Jun Wu's death. According to him, his conversation with Yin Yu helped him guess Jun Wu was super shady, Hua Cheng managed to hack his computer, couldn't decypher the files but accessed the camera records and saw where Jun Wu kept his documents. He broke into Jun Wu's room, read his diaries, found out about Xie Lian's abilities and confronted Jun Wu about it, promising to disclose that information to Xie Lian. Hua Cheng "accidentally" ran into Xie Lian at the street, stole his medicine, hired some thugs to beat him in front of Xie Lian -- all to help Xie Lian unlock his powers.

Fengqing still believe Hua Cheng must be somehow responsible for Jun Wu's death. Yin Yu stands up for Hua Cheng and suggests Shi Qingxuan uses his ability to talk to Jun Wu's ghost and find out for certain. Shi Wudu is against that: he doesn't want Shi Qingxuan to talk to his abusive father, and it's hard for Shi Qingxuan to use his powers. However, Shi Qingxuan is willing to give it a try, mostly for Xie Lian's sake. He cannot summon Jun Wu's ghost, but he talks to the ghosts of Jun Wu's former friends, whom Jun Wu murdered and buried in the mansion's garden. The ghosts have haunted the mansion for a long time and have seen the confrontation with their own eyes. They confirm Hua Cheng's version of events.

Fengqing are still against Hua Cheng and don't want him anywhere near Xie Lian, but Xie Lian says he's not a child anymore, he won't let anyone else make decisions for him, and if fengqing want to stay in his life, they need to accept that. He's fine with having Hua Cheng as a partner, and his opinion is the only one that matters in this regard.

Hualian leave. A few days later Feng Xin comes to talk to Mu Qing: he believes Jun Wu died because he couldn't stand the thought of losing Xie Lian's love forever. Mu Qing has a different theory: Jun Wu deliberately stopped his own heart and killed himself, because he wanted Xie Lian to feel guilty for his death and to come back to the Academy because of that. Xie Lian personally thinks it doesn't matter: he has stopped looking for Jun Wu's approval a long time ago. Whatever Jun Wu's motives, he will not be able to ruin Xie Lian's life.

...

Cue the second season where the whole gang timetravels to 800 years ago, Xie Lian becomes an evil overlord with Hua Cheng being his right hand, Ling Wen tries to get a human body, Lang Qianqiu can copy other people's superabilities and Jun Wu turns out to be a literal alien.

Miscellaneous:

Mu Qing and Feng Xin are based on Luther and Diego, so their superpowers are superstrength and the ability to control projectiles respectively. Yin Yu can turn invisible, Quan Yizhen has superspeed, Shi Qingxuan speaks to the dead, He Xuan could summon tentacles, and Xie Lian is based on Vanya so he controls sound waves.

As a child, Xie Lian was closest to fengqing, Quan Yizhen adored Yin Yu (he still does), Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan were inseparable. In the present Shi Qingxuan is the only one in touch with all of the other siblings. Quan Yizhen is close to Xie Lian and constantly tries to give him money (he is also looking for Yin Yu). No one else is on speaking terms.

BTW, Xie Lian is trans, because a) why not, b) it was inspired by a fic with trans!Xie Lian and c) Xie Lian's plotline is based on Vanya's and Vanya is trans, fight me on this.

#tian guan ci fu #tgcf #the umbrella academy #tua #hualian #hualian's relationship is in no way healthy in this fic #they'll come to that point eventually #fusion/crossover

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