#// been trapped in zzz

[wise-innocence]

She has only returned to watch Tem (possibly) fight this random kid.

[chokulit]

I have been asked to highlight another campaign from someone who reached out to me. I'll keep it brief: 6 people trapped in Gaza need money to evacuate.

Their campaign has been up since April and they STILL have not raised enough money.

As of now, they are at €62,492/70,000, less than €8,000 away from their goal.

If you donate, you can message me to draw a character of your choice: x

I will post updates when I can.

tags under the cut (dm to remove tag):

@vakarians-babe @sar-soor @plomegranate @nabulsi @sayruq

@palipunk-blog @communistkenobi @queerstudiesnatural  @bluebellsinthedells @rizzyluke

@kordeliiius @self-hating-zionist  @raelyn-dreams @unfortunatelyuncreative @licencetokrill-blog

@jezebelgoldstone @ramelcandy @labutansa @sammywo  @autistwizard

@tortiefrancis @sparklinpixiedust @revcuse @golvio @leftismsideblog

@star-and-space-ace @rainbowywitch @marscodes @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @boyvander the-bastard-king

@ammonitetheseaserpent @girlinafairytale  @timetravellingkitty @appsa @applejupiter

@brutaliakhoa @malcriada @retvolution @deansmultitudes @devilofthepit

@heritageposts @wellwaterhysteria @dykesbat @gorbling  @half-empty-orbitals

@seasnipper @90-ghost @el-shab-hussein @fairuzfan @neptunerings

@marnota @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @vivisection-gf

@belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @animentality @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish

@violetlyra @the-bastard-king @tamaytka @northgazaupdates2  @skatehan

@awetistic-things @nightowlssleep @baby-girl-aaron-dessner @friendshapedplant

@mangocheesecakes  @commissions4aid-international @rwuffles @mogai-sunflowers 

@a-shade-of-blue @ibtisams @paper-mario-wiki @dlxxv-vetted-donations @writerqueenofjewels

@the-ballerina-battle @khanger @maoistyuri @acepumpkinpatrick @thetownwecallhome

@aria-ashryver  @bat-luun @staretes @yokohama-crackhouse @omiteo777 

@rhubarbspring @schoolhater @pcktknife @transmutationist @sawasawako

@aristotels @watermotif @stuckinapril @mavigator @lacecap

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@swagvo1d  @himejoshikaoru @rooh-tawaka-blog @deathlonging @briarhips

@mahoushojoe @mazzikah @bixlasagna @anetteva @timetravellingkitty

@battleofthegarys @nillabean @fromjannah  @ankle-beez @spindlesx

@squidie-tittie @shiskabubble @oursapphirestars @fitzfunnymoments @jonpertwee 

@buttercuparry @bloglikeanegyptian @visoremi  @olovelymoon-read-pinned-post @pinkhit-s

@purple-splattered-soul @papasmoke @one-time-i-dreamt  @operationladybug @undertastic-dork

@imjustheretotrytohelp @isa-ah @yesterdaysprint @tamarrud @themazziah

@resourcesmasterposts @raccoon-in-a-hoodie @ezrazone @emathyst9 @wolfythewitch

@queerdocumentary-blog @quecksilvereyes @anneemay @angelslough @averagenotnormal

@sleevesareforlosers @sinnamontrash @determinate-negation @dormimi-zzz

@fuckyeahanarchistposters @gerbildine  @generallyjl @good-old-gossip @heydreamchild

@jezior0 @komsomolka  @lesbianmaxevans

[palestinianmenna0]

🚨🚨🚨 You can save a life! Act now‼️‼️🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉

My name is Mena, I'm 19 years old from Gaza. On October 7th, we woke up to the sounds of rockets, bombing, and destruction. By October 10th, we were forced to leave our home with nothing—(no clothes, no belongings, nothing)—because our area became a dangerous war zone. A week later, we received the devastating news that our home had been completely destroyed😔😔💔💔💔.We are now displaced, with no place to call home. We have been forced to move 10 times over the past eleven months of this genocidal war. We currently live in a place barely suitable for three people, while our family of eight struggles to fit. My aunt and her one-year-old daughter were killed by the occupation. My grandfather died due to the lack of medication and the closure of hospitals because of insufficient resources. He was a heart patient who needed regular treatment, but it was cut off due to the blockade and lack of medical supplies.I was in my first week of university, finally enrolling in my dream college (medical school) after achieving one of the highest grades in my city (98.6% in the scientific branch). Now, I lost this academic year, and it seems the second year will be lost as well, with no way to change this dire situation. My elder sister, (Salwa), was supposed to be in her third year of university. She was the top of her class and aspired to participate in student exchange programs and pursue a master's degree. Now, her university is destroyed, and she is unable to do anything. My younger sister, (Abeer), was supposed to be in her final year of school, excelling academically and aiming for a high grade. Unfortunately, her school was destroyed, and she cannot continue her education. My younger siblings, Adel (13), Jana (12), and Ammar (8), also cannot continue their education. They are in crucial stages for their development and future, but everything has been shattered.Basic necessities are almost nonexistent in Gaza: cleaning supplies are scarce, feminine hygiene products are nearly impossible to find and extremely expensive, and essentials like (shampoo, soap, and laundry detergent) are either unavailable or exorbitantly priced. Diseases are spreading alarmingly, particularly skin diseases and, more recently, polio. We are terrified of infection as the health situation deteriorates severely💔💔.We urgently need a safe, healthy, and fear-free life for me, my siblings, and my family. Please help us by donating through the link and sharing our campaign 🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

@appsa @brutaliakhoa @turian @malcriada @neptunerings @thetownwecallhome

@timetravellingkitty @tiredguyswag @brokenbackmountain @imjustheretotrytohelp @sylvianritual

@magnus-rhymes-with-swagness @aces-and-angels @marnota @cenobutch @transmutationisms

@schoolhater @three-croissants @briarhips @kellkyy

@appsa @90-ghost @90-ghost @el-shab-hussein @nabulsi @sar-soor @sayruq @queerstudiesnatural @appsa @communistchilchuck @fairuzfan @neptunerings @just-browsing1222 @appsa @akajustmerry @feluka @marnota @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies

@gaza-evacuation-funds @nabulsi @irhabiya @bilal-salaho

@appsa @malcriada @gryficowa

@postanagramgenerator @bilal-salaho @son-of-gaza @somospoesia @buttercuparry @beserkerjewel @neptunerings @ot3 @schoolhater @officialspec @dormimi-zzz @violetellipse @good-old-gossip @apollo @prinnay @brutaliakhoa @prokopetz @turian

@heritageposts @magnus-rhymes-with

-swagness

@mangocheeseships

@communistchinaaesthetic

@northgazaupdates2 @nasa @triptrippy

@transmutationisms @kitty @khanger @pomodoko @shakira @determinate -negation @a-shade-of-blue @therealmsdarling @opencommunion

@kaereth

@90-ghost @irhabiya @appsa @gaza-life-goes-on-blog @sar-soor @nabilhellis @marxism-leninism-utenaism @rebeccamock @el-shango-drew-and-shot @el-secreto-que-guardo @plomegranate

@gaza-evacuation-funds

[billythesimp]

Hello, writer! Sorry to bother you. I really like your "x reader" works, they are amazing.. I really can't even find the words to describe my admiration.

(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄) Anyway, I have an idea. Can I request Anton and Lycaon (separately) with short reader? (preferably male, but gender neutral is also ok!) Reader has no physical strength , he is the "Brain of the team", and therefore in dangerous moments he need to be protected.

If you don't like the request, then feel free to skip it! Take care of yourself, don't forget to rest :"3

[Grasping my chest while gritting my teeth, a faint pink on my skin]

I got a compliment- I fucken love you- 💞💞💖💖

[Is proceeded to get bonked with a shoe, an annoyed Bangboo staring at their sibling human in disbelief]

Ahem- thank you very much! hell works hard but ZZZ writers work faster.

Short Stuff

⋘ 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎…

Man, I love Anton. If I could I would marry him. So this can seem a little goof, goofy writing since I try to distinct the boys and the reader from time to time, hopefully it's to your liking!

Anton / Lycaon x Short-Male!Reader

𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡…⋙

tw: none?

✦ Being short has its pros, especially in the Hollows as you're usually a smaller target and can sneak around easier. Which is convenient since they’re not the strongest of the bunch, only really having enough to get them by the heavy lifting that is rarely called upon them to deal with. Really, he works in finances and research on the construction site, being another pair of eyes for Koleda to call upon should she need more supervision on their projects, how Anton caught their attention was beyond their understanding. Yet, Anton is always seeking them out personally before dragging them along into his little crew.

✦ Because of this, he loves to use them as an armrest for his arm or sometimes; his bro. Of course if you're a friend of Anton, you're a friend of his bro, and so far his bro really likes him, always roaring at the sight of him whenever they go out to find them. From the looks of it, he is ok with Anton’s bro, though there have been times where Anton’s bro has at least jumpscared him from behind when sneaking up on them. They both got a good scolding from him. 

✦ As mentioned before, he does go into the hollows with the crew from time to time, mainly as an observer and informant. They aren’t the strongest and so they can’t really help out a lot unless it’s along the lines of carrying files or pushing storage carts around. If Anton is ever with them, best believe that any heavy lifting is his work, never letting his ‘bro’ carry anything as he doesn’t want them to strain their muscles. Really it’s an excuse to be of help to them and have a casual conversation; As if they don’t do that enough. But combat- no, they aren’t fit for those kind of situations. 

✦ Hence when a sudden ethereal attack happens on the crew on site, everyone is at alarm before running for safety. At that moment, he’s not able to escape in time before getting trapped between cargo and boxes of shipment, tucked behind it as they hear the eerie distorted growls of the creatures lurking around the corners. But the roar of a powerful hand drill cuts through the air as Anton leaps into the fight, yelling for him to run to safety with a clear opening. Moving along in a hurry, the two regroup with the workers as another group is dispatched to clear the site once again so they could return to work. That is after everyone is taken back for a health inspection.

✦ Anton is by his side the entire time as they recount what resources were destroyed, workers on the roster and whatnot to Koleda, sticking to his side incase they suddenly feel faint after being exposed to ethereals at that close range. While he’s convinced it’s cuz he wants to make sure his bro is alright, in reality he was worried when he spotted them in the attack and leaped into action to protect them. Losing him would be like losing his bro, someone he cared dearly for. He would make sure he was safe no matter what, because that’s how much he meant to him.

✦ Working with Lycaon is like working with someone of equal stature. If you had to pick who the leading figures of Victorian Housekeeping are, they’d say you and Lycaon. The both of you work diligently with every commission and assignment, like clockwork with how they’re able to move in sync. Should Lycaon need someone to relay information regarding any subject, he’d turn to him. In a similar fashion, should you need someone to deal with our reconsense or transferring larger packages and items, Lycaon is more than willing to lead his strength.

✦ Admittedly, Lycaon has offered to help him grow some more muscle here and there, as well as develop a suitable fighting style. The times the two had gone to a gym to practice, Lycaon can’t help but put his hands on them. Of course, he’s only lending a hand in guiding them through their practices, but seeing how small and slim they are in some areas, he could only wonder if he’s taking good care of himself. This only leads him to wonder if he should monitor their diet as well to ensure they are getting the right amount of nutrients. 

✦ When Von needs help with anything, he’ll always go to them as he is confidence in their ability to complete any task with perfection. And anytime he thanks them or even praises Lycaon for a job well-done, he can’t help but twitch his ears and fluff up his tail a little out of pride. Lycaon makes an effort to help all his workers, as a boss it’s only right to look after them, however Rina has teased him for picking favorites. It’s not his fault you ask him for his height when they needed something on the top shelf. He swore those plates were never that high up. 

✦ Within the hollows should they dare venture in, he works more in the back as support. Comming any details within the area and alerting the group of any potential dangers. Also a technical genius, they are in charge of any computers and machinery, though Lycaon stands close by should anything go awry. He looms over them, sometimes asking them about how they are processing it or updating them on their surroundings. Should anything come up, he’d always request they take cover ‘just case’ before swiftly dealing with the issue. 

✦ The way he pulls them behind him, Lycaon will work like a monster to keep him safe. The thought of their smaller figure curled up beneath the enemy only motivating him to stay close and keep them in his line of sight. Von will not be having any close calls with his staff, let alone him. Every instance they enter a new layer of the hollow or step into a new room, he’ll always reach behind him to feel for their smaller hands, only satisfied once he can feel them trailing right behind him.

[trashcanlore]

A Crack Theory About Maze

Alternatively: Everyone in Natlan is dead and I can prove it with 3 easy tools I already have in my brain

*Record scratch* I bet you're wondering how we got here. Well, it all started when I was playing through Simulanka and saw the carpet on the floor of Constellation Metropole. The pattern reminded me of player piano scrolls, and since my brain needs to be studied in a lab, that then reminded me of Westworld. (Slight spoilers for season 1 follow)

Westworld is a sci-fi-ish TV show about a futuristic amusement park recreating the Wild West, featuring interactive storylines where guests can act out their hearts' darkest desires. The only ‘people’ hurt are the hosts, who are basically the android NPCs of the park. Hosts are part of greater park narratives, and individually operate within their story loops, unless disturbed by the outside forces of guests. At the end of each day, the hosts are reset/memory wiped/repaired (unless the narrative says differently) and return to experience the horrors anew. The player piano is used as a visual and narrative motif throughout Westworld to represent the cyclical and automated lives of the hosts; similarly, the clockwork in Constellation Metropole represents the strictly laid out paths of the toys while under the ‘protection’ of the Goddess of Prophecy. 

Convinced this carpet pattern was an intentional reference, and knowing that summer events foreshadow the new region, I flung myself headfirst into themes and narratives delulu (a season 1 rewatch) and during that rewatch I realized that a different Westworld plot point and visual motif might be what's actually foreshadowing for my mostly vibes-based theory: Everyone in Natlan is dead.

THE MAZE

The imagery of a humanoid figure in a maze is used throughout Westworld, explained within the narrative of the park as a Native American myth. According to the in-park mythology, the maze represents “the sum of a man’s life,” and the man in the center has been killed and resurrected many times, eventually building the maze around himself as protection. (Resurrection is a very common theme in Indigenous American mythology.) There is a human character who is trying to solve the maze, and for a time he believes the center of the maze is true death, something that does not exist in the park because the guests cannot be killed (by the hosts) and the hosts can always be repaired.

This myth is based on the real life creation myth of the Tohono O'odham people, where the Man in the Maze, I’itoi, created the world in an intense struggle and then retired to a labyrinthian cave on top of a mountain. In art, I’itoi is depicted above a maze, which represents the experiences and choices of a person throughout their lives. The middle of the maze represents their goals and dreams, and once they reach the center, they can look back and then pass into the next world.

According to some tellings of the myth, I’itoi was killed by the humans he created and taught. He then resurrected himself, invented the concept of war, and then brought the Tohono O’odham people to the surface of the earth to be his soldiers. 

Fun fact: This creation story is actually referenced in ZZZ, with the Papago hollow (Papago is an alternate name for the Tohono O’odham people).

In Westworld, the maze is actually a thought exercise and model developed by the programmer behind the park hosts. His theory of consciousness was that it was achieved through a journey inward, and when a host reached the center of the maze, they would achieve true consciousness and be ‘free.’ 

Maze iconography in the Americas is not unique to the Tohono O'odham people - another notable example is the Hopi Tapuat. This labyrinth (technically only has one path) represents the human life cycle and eventual (spiritual) rebirth.

While researching maze symbolism, I read a few articles that mentioned Mesoamerican mazes being used to trap the spirits of the dead, but unfortunately, I couldn't find any specific source for that information. However, it is possible to connect maze imagery to the Aztec and Mayan beliefs about the Underworld. Multiple archaeological excavations have uncovered huge networks of caves, tunnels, and rooms underground that may have been built to represent the journey to the underworld and/or provide a location for rituals associated with death. (You can read more about this here: 1 2 3)

As for the underworld itself, both the Aztec Mictlan and the Maya Xibalba are described as containing all kinds of traps and challenges for the dead passing through - and can’t forget the ballcourt (in Xibalba at least). Ball is life. While this isn’t exactly a maze, I will argue that for the sake of this crack theory, it’s close enough thematically. 

Smoke and Mirrors

You may have recognized the name Mictlan, because in Genshin, that’s one of the names for the Masters of the Night-Wind tribe, which can be alternatively translated as “Masters of the Mysterious Smoke.” This will be relevant later, I promise. 

The Natlan craftable sword, the Flute of Ezpitzal, is described as being a ritual instrument of this tribe, and the description tells the story of how humans and dragons came to a (local?) agreement to ensure their survival. The dragons had fled into dreams because of the fire of “ancient beacons,” and when the humans asked for their protection, they offered the following: 

"A labyrinth of mirrors and a fortress of mist, these shall we build to shield your tiny mortal tribes from the scourge of war." 

The theme continues with the name of the sword’s passive: “smoke-and-mirror mystery,” and the upcoming Archon Quest “Beyond the Smoke and Mirrors.” The phrase “smoke and mirrors” is an idiom for distracting from something unpleasant, but in the context of Natlan lore, it’s almost certainly referring to the smoking obsidian mirror iconography. 

Mirrors of all kinds were used throughout ancient Mesoamerica for divination and scrying-like rituals, including communication with otherworld entities. The most well known mirror material used was obsidian, which was also used for blades and tools - the black color of obsidian is probably what led to its association with smoke (also you can use mirrors to start fires). Obsidian mirrors were associated with additional imagery such as fire, the sun, eyes, butterflies, and caves as the entrance to the underworld. Mirrors were also compared to the surface of still water (a straightforward comparison) - one interesting example is Aztec writing that referred to Aztlan (mythical origin of Aztec people) as ‘the great water mirror that surrounds the great city.’ There was even a period of time where the mirror was used as a metaphor to represent the world itself. 

This is similar to what Mona says about Simulanka: fate in Simulanka is directly based on Teyvat’s, and that “the creator made this world inside a mirror, or a lake, and this world is the reflection.” 

Here’s where things start to get interesting: there is a Nahuatl glyph for the smoking obsidian mirror, specifically associated with a god who we’ll discuss later. The scroll-like shape used for the smoke is very similar to the symbol used for speech, singing, or breath.

This shape is also very similar to the older Mayan glyph for smoke - which happens to be basically identical to the symbol used for blood. You can see an example here in this famous carving from Yaxchilan:

The link between smoke and blood is actually explicitly referenced in the name of the Flute of Ezpitzal. Ezpitzal is a Nahuatl word meaning ‘gust of blood’ - eztli is blood and pitza is ‘to blow,’ as in playing a flute. Pitza is also sometimes translated “becoming inflamed with anger.” The ezpitzal symbol is made up of six streams of blood, ending in a precious stone, with a heart in the center:

The ezpitzal can be found flowing from the head of older depictions of Tezcatlipoca “smoking mirror,” the Lord of the Night. 

The Lord of the Night

Tezcatlipoca is one of the central Aztec gods, associated with the night sky, hurricanes, and conflict, and the calendar. He was typically depicted with a missing foot due to a monster attack and a smoking obsidian mirror somewhere on his body. The missing right foot is usually replaced with a smoking obsidian mirror, a snake, or a bone. Tezcatlipoca has similarities to the earlier Maya deities Tohil (god of fire and associated with sacrifice) and K’awiil (thunder god), who is depicted with a smoking obsidian knife in his forehead and one leg replaced with a snake. 

The smoking mirror glyph associated with Tezcatlipoca looks a little bit like the obsidian carvings in the Night Kingdom:

Besides for the title of Lord of the Night, Tezcatlipoca is Genshin lore relevant as the rival of Quetzalcoatl. In one version of the Five Suns Aztec creation myth, Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl are creation gods and take turns being suns and destroying each other’s work. Quetzalcoatl hasn’t been mentioned by name in Natlan yet, but his Maya equivalent, Kukulkan (“Plumed Serpent”), also known as Waxaklahun Ubah Kan (“War Serpent”) sure has. In Genshin, Waxaklahun Ubah Kan, or the Sage of the Stolen Flame, stole a seed of phlogiston from the dragons and taught the humans how to use it. He is shown alongside Xbalanque, the first Pyro Archon, on a mural, where they both appear to hold phlogiston. There’s something important missing here: How did the Genshin equivalent of Tezcatlipoca contribute to the ‘creation’ of humans?

In the 5.1 trailer, the Lord of the Night and the “protection of the rules” are mentioned. The only information we have about the Lord of the Night is that in the misleading Records of Hanan Pacha, he leads humans astray and is the enemy of Waxaklahun Ubah Kan, and that a cat in the Night Kingdom warns us against trusting the Sage.

The set of rules we know the most about are the ones created by Xbalanque, using borrowed power from the heavens (Ronova). These are the rules that allow humans to become Archons and inherit the memories of the land. 

The other, more mysterious set of rules, are those that allow Ancient Name bearers to resurrect through the Sacred Flame with the help of the Archon. The Sacred Flame is a conduit to the Night Kingdom and the Wayobs, and is fueled by Contending Fire produced by battles between Natlan people. Given that Tezcatlipoca is a god of conflict, I think these rules mentioned in the trailer are referring to the Sacred Flame system of resurrection. 

Therefore, at some point during Natlan’s history, the beef between the Sage and the Lord of the Night became so severe that the Lord of the Night’s contribution to the system of Natlan was intentionally covered up- which may be what Capitano is hinting at in the 5.1 trailer when he says Mavuika is withholding information from us. 

This was a bit of a tangent, but I promise it’s relevant to the thesis. At the conclusion of the Five Suns myth, Quetzalcoatl descends into Mictlan to find the bones of the humans he created under earlier suns, and who were destroyed by various god antics, including those of Tezcatlipoca. He then uses his own blood to bring the humans back to life. Maybe my insistence that everyone in Natlan is dead isn’t so vibe based after all. 

The Center 

It is time for me to confess something. In actuality, these 2k words were elaborate setup for a pun. 

Here it goes: At the conclusion of the K’iche’ Maya creation story, the Popul Vuh, the gods finally find the perfect material for creating humans who will worship them: maize. The hurricane god and the Quetzal serpent sculpt the first humans out of a maize paste, with water for blood. Conveniently, these two can be directly compared to Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca - further supporting the possibility of the latter’s important role in Natlan’s history. 

Earlier, I mentioned how water and mirrors were closely associated, and how the glyphs for blood and smoke look similar. The Flute of Ezpitzal name and lore reference the protection of humans with a ‘labyrinth of mirrors,’ smoking mirrors (weapon passive), and blood through the word ezpitzal. The ezpitzal is also closely linked to Tezcatlipoca, one of the Aztec creator deities. Using this symbolism, the smoke and mirrors represent the water, or blood, used to (re)create humans. Which then means of course that the second ingredient needed for humans is maze - I’m sorry, maize. 

And if the humans are made out of maze…well then they must be dead. 

Sabre’s Fun Fact Science Corner (with bonus Latam literature section just for Schwan):

The Genshin writers love the story of the Hero Twins defeating Seven Macaw and replacing his teeth with maize - they’ve referenced it at least three times so far. The weirdest is the flipped version where the human priest Maghan sacrifices himself and combines his blood with animal teeth and dirt to create grainfruit (maize). Autosacrifice of blood in particular was a very important Maya ritual. I appreciate their commitment to keeping the maize cannibalism implications going.  

The Narzissenkreuz Ordo associated lore has had multiple references to circular ruins and mirrors (which may simply just be the Alice in Wonderland reference) - however, we do know that one Ordo member went to Natlan looking for Something. “The Circular Ruins” is a short story by Jorge Luis Borges where a man tries to create another man through dreaming, with the help of a deity known as “Fire.” The story itself references Through the Looking-Glass as well. 

This one is full credit to Schwan but there’s a Mexican novel Pedro Páramo, which was very influential on other Latin American writers like Gabriel García Márquez. The plot is basically that this guy travels to the town where his father is from to meet him and then it turns out that everyone in the town is dead. It’s very core. 

It turns out Westworld season 1 is extremely HYV core - I just know some guy there saw the last episode and had their brain rewired, much like Dawei seeing Misato Evangelion for the first time

References: https://www.library.pima.gov/content/man-in-the-maze/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27itoi https://westworld.fandom.com/wiki/The_Maze

[xsubwooferz]

☆PONYSONA INTRODUCTION☆

ALRIGHT SO!! decided to pozt my ponysona?!?!?!!!!! i mostly post art on my insta BUT i wanna be more active here so!!!!1!! MEET STORMBERRY (Stormy) it's literally me as a pony. stormy studies the "natural" weather patterns of the everfree forest, and chases storms to get the perfect shot on its trusty (jank as fuck) camera. it got its cutie mark when it got lost in the everfree forest as a filly and got trapped in a nasty storm, getting struck by LIGHTNING and for magic reasons giving stormy a lightning bolt in its mane. the storm produced a huge and rain wrapped wedge tornado and stormy somehow lived????? and got its cutie mark!! WOA!! now it works for cloudsdale weather factory and is the only member of the everfree forest branch!!

stormy's story does take place in the mlp:fim timeline, being 14 years old at the coronation of twilight sparkle and currently being 19. follows my age alongside the runtime of the actual show lolz, and stormy has some buddies i have concepts for but havent designed yet!! _(:3 」∠)_

may post an art dump l8r as i do have some pieces (shitposts lolz) premade, but i dont have many recent arts as ive been busy sob (x .x) ~~zzZ

[the-s1lly-corner]

C, I, K, L Q and Z for Jax plz? 👀

Fluff Alphabet w/ Jax! (1)

as of writing this i only have this request and one more!! i didnt think i would be able to catch up them all when i woke up this morning, but ive been killin it today i guess! yahoo! Im still taking requests but after this and the next ill take another short break to stretch my legs and recharge my brain !!

CUDDLING- if you read the caine alphabet, i believe i mention that caine would wrap his arms and legs around you and trap you (at least i did, im p sure i did but im too tired to check)

well, jax does that to you, pretty much, but hes a lot more stubborn about letting you go and wants to see you squirm and fight for your freedom... so good luck if you had anything planned that day...! he looks like he would be soft, both because bunmy... but also like, stylistically he looks like he would be squishy.. pretty pleasant to cuddle in to!

IN HOUSE ADVENTURE- unless the adventure gives him some ammo and/or way to be a menace to others, i think he just skips them. or if he does stick around he just. doesnt help, instead kind of just not doing anything.. now whether or not you and jax share similar traits is up to you, but if you needed help and asked nicely he would help you with something but otherwise youre on your own sister (gender neutral)

KISS- lots of kisses, especially if you get flustered easily. sure, you get a bit of a break from his antics but not by much... and if he can make you turn red from simply kissing your cheek hes going to exploit that.. speaking of, a lot of the kisses he gives are quick and fleeting, usually short pecks while hes walking by

LOVE LANGUAGE- little harmless pranks that make you do a double take or mildly confuse you are how he shows his love. now this is different from his usual stuff, because what he does to you is like. he leaves you a note. aww hes telling you how cute he thinks you are..! you pull the note out and BOOM! theres now powder everywhere and the note says you're sweet (the powder, being sugar). shit like that. outside of that words of affirmations work for him to, giving and receiving.. gonna be real though, i think jax is one of the hardest characters for me to write for since hes an ass (no shade to everyone asking for him! i love a little challenge!)

QUIET TIME- does not like quiet calm moments, but thats because hes an enjoyer and bringer of chaos, so moments of true silence are very rare. but lets say you two both just sit down and just. exist. actually, ill do you one better and tie this into the cuddling segment, he would probably busy his hands with your hair or any accessory you have on you

ZZZ- assuming you guys can sleep if you so desired, and you somehow convince jax to sleep with you (i think he would be the type to need to be talked into it), he would steal all the blankets. and the pillows. regardless of if hes actually sleeping or not. if this were the real world, and you guys were normal people and you actually needed to sleep due to exhaustion he would ease up on you (if hes doing this while awake). most definitely the type to say something as youre trying to sleep

"first person protagonists in video games never blink" or something similar

[mdhwrites]

New Eridu is a Fictional Playground

TL:DR: ZZZ is written like a sitcom primarily and its looseness of world building and the looseness of the world reflects this. It discards things inconvenient for the vibe and mood it's going for with something because that's what sitcoms primarily do. However, this is for better and for worse as the setting does have rules that are treated like a big deal but then also given the same respect as the majority of elements and it causes friction in the details while the whole of it works in the broad strokes.

So let's first clarify what I mean when I say ZZZ is written like a Sitcom. I don't mean this in structure. We are not just playing an interactive version of something like Seinfeld. No, it's actually more based on something I heard the South Park creators talk about and that's how the town of South Park is entirely inconsistent because things will be where they need to be in order for the episode they're doing to work. One episode might portray Chef's house as being right next to Walmart. The next one might have them on opposite sides. That doesn't matter though because the story being told is what matters, not the firmness of the world.

The ultimate version of this for me with ZZZ is the Golden Bangboo City quest, both for its strengths and weaknesses. The quest is one of my favorite in the game. Optimize how to get over 500,000 gear coins, a number that sounds patently ABSURD. All while in this compelling Hollow that has a lot of fun mechanics. If you don't think about it and go by the rules of the mission alone, it's phenomenal.

We do also all remember how the people there admit to having been trapped within the Hollow for a minimum of days, if not WEEKS, especially to accrue the debts they have? Or how about how the guy we need to get the gear coins for wants them... To pay for debts OUTSIDE of the Hollow, despite there literally being lines from characters about being sad that we can't do that and ALL impressions being that gear coins mean nothing in the wider world (even if it makes the gear coin locks confusing as hell). The latter is excusable but ether poisoning, the restrictions of Hollows, etc. like that are a BIG deal but even in main content, like with the thugs just sitting outside Red Fang safehouses, or Koleda's Agent Story where they admit to these raiders just sitting in the Hollow in a supposed 'safe' area and like... What are the rules here?

But you're not supposed to really ask. It's like how you don't question that Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother has all of his money. It's funnier not to have an explanation and for him to reveal his literal wall sized television. It's more entertaining that Homer can be this bumbling idiot at work and get into all sorts of shenanigans and never get fired for more than a week or never have to really worry about finances. On the other hand, these shows never go out of their way to try and make these principal, important parts of the show. Those stay fairly consistent and lead to some of the best moments of any of these works and that goes for ZZZ as well.

My favorite scene in the entire game so far goes to Koleda calling out the prototype's name. Is it more magic than scifi? Kind of. Is it over the top and kind of silly? Absolutely. Does it break what has come before?

...Only in that the prototype has not been corrupted by this much time spent in a Hollow, which is something I'm willing to overlook as it's questionable how much of its AI was actually online by then that could be corrupted. Otherwise? We've literally just fought three different mechs who were empowered by their emotional programming. We have seen how much these mechs mean to all of Belobog Industries and been explained Koleda's complex history with them, not helped by her sister being the one to continue championing them after her father's passing. All of these are played for laughs as much, if not more, than they are taken seriously and so Koleda embracing her heritage, figuring out the truth and believing in her father and the legacy he left behind has me tearing up to think about even now.

The best sitcoms always manage this. Where elements that used to be funny can then be shifted to hit like a punch to the gut. M.A.S.H. is the EASY one to call out for this with shit like Colonel Blake's death but I actually want to go to a different one because it's more iconic to me for how it works. See, the first time I ever heard the gag line "I'm not as think as you drunk I am," was in Scrubs. One of the doctors comes in drunk as a skunk and the others are mad at him. When put that way, it sounds silly and amusing. When you're told that it's their angry, condescending mentor figure, who is arguably the best doctor in the hospital, having breakdown because he just lost like four patients, including a cancer patient he thought he'd just saved (if I'm remembering right) from catastrophic failures outside of his control except for one mistake, one break in quarantine I believe... Suddenly, you're laughing but it also hurts to see him laid this low. The contrast makes the point hit harder than it would in a regular drama.

This is also why I think Chapter 3 of ZZZ so far is the weakest of the main chapters. It has no emotional core like Koleda or Nekomata that helps make the plot of the chapter work better and for you to ignore the breaks in logic. Instead, they go with tension... Which is also the part of the logic they break. After all, we're told that Pearlman's escape plan is going to only take like a couple of hours. However, canonically, our work with Victoria Housekeeping is over the course of multiple DAYS. At bare minimum, one night passes simply for the sake of interrogating the rebel forces that we pull out of the Ballet Twins. It is already hard to ignore this break in logic when we are mostly not interacting with the stakes, we're just enjoying the gags of Victoria Housekeeping, but it becomes even harder when you're also having to constantly think about the break in logic so as to be able to engage with the big question of the episode. I still managed to like it but it's part of why the anti-climax of Pearlman getting away was so dissatisfying for me because it didn't give a real payoff to what was already a pretty flimsy story. I would argue that for most of Big Bang Theory, the thing I think genuinely makes it not very good, this is its problem too. Even when the jokes are good and the energy is high, Victoria Housekeeping is a fun group to spend time with, you're lacking that real hook to bring it above just something to kill time with. Something to take away once the episode is over. The worst of ANYTHING that's just mid-tier, purely enjoyment based writing comes from this.

That is the for worst element of ZZZ being like a Sitcom. It is far more malleable for anyone to do as they want with than I would argue either Genshin or Star Rail because it leans into its own flexibility. However, that does mean it walks a fine line against potentially having the floor collapse out from under it because it is relying on more ephemeral things like raw charm and charisma, rather than a solid world you can invest in, for its core appeal.

For now, it's working but there's a reason a lot of Sitcoms get labeled with, "It was really good... Until Season X." And I hope Zenless can figure out how to avoid that or else it truly will fall out of its current zone and zero out. See you next tale.

======

Actually going to do a quick bit of additional notes here just because I feel like most people will see "X is like a Sitcom" and think I'm immediately being dismissive. That isn't the case. I love sitcoms. It's what I watched with my parents as a teenager and a young adult. I've seen almost the entirety of M.A.S.H TWICE with my brother (that final season deserves the reputation it has. sigh) Sitcoms are some of the most popular, beloved pieces of television ever for a reason. If you want some recs from me: Rules of Engagement genuinely has a lot to say about relationships, romantic and platonic, though with some wife guy humor from Patrick Warburton that is going to be up to your tastes. Scrubs is a classic, just stop when they try to swap the entire cast out, and while I know How I Met Your Mother gets given shit for its ending, the ride there is still good for most of the run. M.A.S.H... Just go watch M.A.S.H, PLEASE. It's old but it's not dated, nor is it offensive in really any way. Like the one person who wears drag isn't funny because he wears drag. It's because no one cares that he's wearing drag because he's only doing it to try and use prejudice to get discharged from the army and that doesn't make him special because none of them want to be there and that's about as insensitive as it gets as far as memory serves. It is one of the smartest things I have ever watched and has the weird paradox that most of the cast change outs actually IMPROVE the show for most of its running time, rather than diminish it and it starts at a pretty high bar so that's really saying something.

BUT the big thing I want to point out is that... ZZZ actually is using sitcoms for its groups. Belobog is a workplace comedy. The Cunning Hares are any of the billion broke bitch sitcoms out there. Soldier 11 is I think trying to capture some of M.A.S.H. with the absurdity of her quest but also being honest about her having done War Crimes. Even Victoria has that with, and I haven't watched any of this archtype so I might be wrong, being kind of based on shows like The Fresh Prince of Belair with Ellen being the low class person out of place amongst the group. If you're thinking that stuff like Friends or How I Met Your Mother are absent... I don't mean this in the way it's going to sound but Wise is Ross/his archtype and Belle is Rachel/her archtype. Not that they're in a relationship with each other but that they are the only nominally weird but mostly bland people in the group that grounds everyone else around them. The straight men comedically that bounce off everyone else.

And again: This is not a criticism. I could criticize how well each of these are done (Ellen suffers pretty badly from Wise being written as the milk toast guy that girls will just throw at themselves for no reason) but they are taking from good inspirations, at least in my opinion and I wanted to defend that. I feel like Sitcoms only really only ever get talked about negatively and I wanted to make it clear that that's not what I meant here and I even think it helps provide the unique vibe of ZZZ versus others around it.

======+++++======

I know some of what I listed might not be technically considered sitcoms but I would argue for any of them that they're bare minimum close enough to the formula and concepts and priorities of sitcoms to be useful references.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[blacktycoon]

ok so pnat theory: the "power" that's "sleeping" in mayview is or was literally BL/sandman, and the true nature of her dream-manipulation power is full-on godlike reality warping that just so happens to be localized to dreams as long as she's by herself w/o a "host", because she's literally sleeping at the bottom of the lake in the waking world. the entire consortium is a cover she's created to try and prevent people from claiming her power bc she clearly feels awful about the incident (i think it's pretty safe to assume she's being genuine there- it wouldn't make sense to apologize to gwen after everybody else vamoosed otherwise, i don't think), and the incident 13 years ago was the result of the closest anyone ever got and may or may not have been some sort of Harmonic Convergence-esque event

...what i'm trying to piece together is if "13 years ago" lines up with when davy might have gained his own reality warping powers, and also when dimitri met peekaboo, bc i'd bet that the could both be "fragments" of BL/Sandman since they deal in such pure reality-warping and peekaboo is so weirdly mysterious

dimitri says he remembers meeting peekaboo right after preschool

preschool is around ages, like... 3-5, right? ten years ago, ed was 3, so he would have been just born when the incident happened

is dimitri the same age as max/ed/isabel? or isaac? idk if we know, but... its, like, a couple years off >:/c

i guess there's no reason to say that peekaboo couldn't have floated around for a while before finding a medium... or, well, hang on, maybe peekaboo was possessing dimitri for some time without dimitri awakening, like forge in johnny rn. i could see that, especially if dimitri was, like. an infant.

ooh, y'know, maybe that's why VP was so outraged that she didn't get a name from the sphinx of truth-- she needs to figure out who's holding the fragments in order to piece them together to claim the power

(maybe the freaky shadow spirit could be another fragment too? idk, shadow manipulation... it seems like kind of a stretch but it definitely appeared around the same time)

CH. 8 PG. 61 EDIT: OKAy okay the LOCKER.

"Indeed, he was drawing more and more power from it with each passing day" that's GOTTA be the source of his reality warping ability as seen in his encounter with Hijack

"Davy sympathized with the poor thing, really, having sprung free from a prison they once shared", also:

OKay okay OKAY, so. Sealed away to rot? The [grudge] that let him go? Like... "this grudge" that Gwen and BL have "nursed" for years? "Locked" it in nighmares? The locker has a sticky note with "ZZZ" on it. Sleeping.

Davy was part of the Consortium. He was trapped, the same way as Gwen. He escaped by cutting off part of the spirit that was holding him there... and the piece came with him.

Is it possible... hmm. Is it possible that the power might turn humans into Monsters? I wouldn't be that surprised honestly, like... we see with Isaac that mediums tend to take after their sprits physically in some manner. Prolonged contact with a (Great?) Wight might have even more dire consequences.

Also the locker's got vampire and werewolf stickers on it. So. Also a ghost! And... a bur--? WAIT A BURGER

THE LOCKER HAS A *B U R G E R* ON IT

[pizzadramon]

I cannot believe that the Peekaboo truthers were right all along!! That's like the 5th wacky theory that I completely dismissed out of hand that turned out to be true lmao. Never would've guessed that the PTA's big evil plan hinged entirely on manipulating a toddler.

That said, there's still a lot of room to speculate about the situation. Does the Peekaboo inside Dimitri have the same exact powers as the one inside the Dreamhub? What about the fragment of it that seems to be inside of Davy? Are they all fragments of one larger wight that was carved up 13 years ago, or somehow different instances of the same spirit? How many fragments are there in total? Is Davy responsible for it being in pieces to begin with? Does Spender's shadow spirit factor in here at all, or is it a piece of an unrelated puzzle? Why is Peekaboo's dream-room an old ship? Could his actual body be in a sunken ship at the bottom of the lake, like Davy Jones' Locker in his spirit trance?

The stickers on the locker in Davy's spirit world could be a hint about the different Peekaboo's locations.

a vampire (the piece Davy uses to distort space)

a ghost (possibly just a reference to Peekaboo himself? or something we don't know yet)

a ZZZ (Peekaboo in the Dreamhub)

a star (Starchman??)

a burger (possibly another piece trapped in/with the Burgers? or a reference to the fact that they trapped the main piece in sleep)

a werewolf (Shrike? Jean? Cody??)

Notably absent is any reference on the locker to the piece that Dimitri has, unless he's somehow represented by the star, ghost, or wolf. (The lack of an obvious link from the locker to Dimitri was my main point against the Peekaboo theory before. oops)

...Has Peekaboo been psychically calling other spirits to Mayview this whole time just because it wanted to play???

[im-probably-sleeping-rn]

˚₊‧꒰ა A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 .

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 .

˚₊‧꒰ა Introduction ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Z Z Z Z Oh! Shit sorry about that, it'll probably happen again. Names Gabriel, or Gabe for short. I've been uhh..at camp for coming class to three years now but I finally got my hands on one of those monster proof phones Leo's made. *Yawns* I'm a child of Hypnos if that's relevant and I spend most of my time napping or volunteering at the infirmary. Sometimes maybe if your lucky I'll appear in a dream or two... Z Z Z (character info under cut)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 .

˚₊‧꒰ა Character Info ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Name : Gabriel (Gabe) Garcia Age : 17 Sexuality : Bisexual (in denial) Gender : Nonbinary Pronouns: He/Him Godly parent : Hypnos zzz Legacy : Apollo Powers : ➶ Dream Walking: Gabriel can enter peoples dreams occasionally, it requires extreme focus in order to pull of. It can be quite dangerous as it runs the risk of getting trapped in a dream or slipping into a coma ➶ Minor Healing: Due to being a Legacy of Apollo Gabriel possesses minor healing powers that can heal most paper cuts and bumps. Anything beyond a stubbed toe requires an infirmary visit ➶ Aura of Sleep: True to most Hypnos kid. An aura of exhaustion surrounds Gabriel, demigods around him tend to get sleepy and feel the need to fall asleep. ➶ Nightmare Bestowal: Taking a darker turn, Gabe can give nightmares of varying intensity to people, trapping them inside until being released. It's a taxing power, as use often means Gabriel will fall asleep soon after Status (single/taken) : Single!

Backstory : Gabriel came to camp at 14 the same way many Halfbloods have. Escorted by a satyr through the woods until reaching the safety of the boarder. He had spent the previous two years carefully dodging monster attacks with his older sister Alanna. Why Hypnos visited his mother twice, Gabe never figured out but Hypnos sure as Hades never stuck around. Alanna never made it to the boarder of camp, taken out by a monster shortly before a satyr found the two of them, Gabriel trying desperately to wake her up and her long gone. He never did figure out what happened to his sister, whether or not she truly died or was stuck in some type of Purgatory, forever sleeping but Gabriel didn't see her again.

[sleepyselkiesims]

Part 9

Grim chose to enjoy his little break as long as possible.

Which was fair, 'cause he was going to be there for a whiiiile....

Tiana and Koji didn't particularly care about Flynn's reaping. It's not like they knew he'd been one of Rapunzel's potential partners.

Nononononono not another one!!! Aaaaaa!!

Great, Grim was gonna have work between levels now.

Might as well have Tiana take care of herself while she was trapped here.

Pick which floor to mourn ig. We got options.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Ok, fine, this place has dorm space anyway, Tiana can catch some Zzzs.

Grim is sure gonna get leg.... whisp day, going up and down those stairs.

Alright, one down, just one more to go...

The benevolent god didn't know how long they'd been trapped here when Grim finally reaped the final soul. A year perhaps?

Well. That sucked.

Will all the souls taken to another plane, Tiana could finally catch up with her old pal! How'd he been? Was work good?

Alas, the conversation got cut short, as Grim was summoned away to probably another mass death.

He'd sent plenty of messages claiming he wanted to hang out, only to leave when they finally got to meet up??

Tiana finally broke down in tears. Not because she was mourning, or suddenly afraid of death, noooo. It was cause she'd missed work.

Thanks, sims.

[mydictionary-yume]

A3! Event Story | A Year of Romance with You - Chapter 9

(Contains very minor spoilers for A3! Act 12)

Lucille: God, all that was tiring. 

Sakuya: Agreed, I’m exhausted. But at least the food was good, right?

Lucille: For realsies! It was probably better than the place I initially reserved!

Sakuya: Haha, maybe it was!

Lucille: Food always tastes better when you’re out of the house, though. And also when I’m with you, hehe.

Sakuya: Lu, quit! 

Lucille: Never! The cheesiness will consume me forever!!!!

Sakuya: You’re the worst.

Lucille: This isn’t even my final form! 

Sakuya: Nooooo!!!!

Lucille: Hahaha, you’ll never get the best of me!

Sakuya: Aagh! Get off of me, get off of me! 

Lucille: Never!! You’ve been caught in my trap! Enjoy spending forever on the fluffy hotel bed!

Sakuya: Oh, I will!

Lucille: What?!

Sakuya: I’ll gladly enjoy an eternity in a soft bed with the love of my life, you fool! 

Lucille: Noooo, my evil plan! 

Sakuya: That’s right! You’ll never defeat me, not even with the power of cheesiness! 

Lucille: Oh, whatever will I do?

Sakuya: You’ll have to succumb to the softness with me! You’ve been thwarted by your own trap!

Lucille: I’ve been outsmarted! 

Sakuya: …hah… ahaha…

Lucille: Hehe…

Sakuya: We should get to bed soon, huh?

Lucille: Aw, but this is fun!

Sakuya: We both know that we should sleep, though. It’s already past midnight, and we’ve got an early flight tomorrow.

Lucille: I almost forgot about that! This trip was really short.

Sakuya: It was worth it, though! 

Lucille: Totally! We both needed the break, and I’m not complaining about getting some alone time together.

Sakuya: I can’t say I am, either. But c’mon, let’s get ready.

Lucille: Ugh, fine…

Lucille: Good night, Saku. Love you.

Sakuya: Good night, Lu. I love you, too.

*click*

Lucille: …zzz

Sakuya: …

Sakuya: (It’s no good… why?)

Sakuya: Hmng..

Sakuya: …

Sakuya: (Still nothing.)

Lucille: …Saku?

Sakuya: I’m fine. Just sleep, love.

Lucille: Saku… no.

Sakuya: No?

Lucille: No…

*Sheets rustling*

Sakuya: ?!

Sakuya: (She’s clinging to me?!)

Lucille: Saku...

Sakuya: (Is she… dreaming?)

Sakuya: Lu, I’m okay. I’m here.

Lucille: Saku, baby, don’t leave…

Sakuya: (Leave?!)

Sakuya: I’m not going to, love. I’m right here… 

Sakuya: …snf.

Sakuya: (Huh? Why am I crying? It’s her nightmare, why am I-)

Lucille: Don’ leave… Stay… 

Sakuya: (I guess I should hold her here, right?)

Sakuya: I’m here. You’re good, I’ve gotcha.

Lucille: *Sob*

Sakuya: I’m not going anywhere. Promise. You’re here for me, I’m here for you. Remember?

Sakuya: (She stopped crying. That’s something.)

Sakuya: Shhh. I’m right here. I’m not leaving. 

Sakuya: *Chu*

Lucille: …zzz

Sakuya: (She’s back to sleep. That’s good, at least.)

Sakuya: *Yawn*

Sakuya: (And I probably should get some shuteye too.)

Sakuya: Good night, Lu.

<Previous  Next>

Event story masterlist

Divider credit

[comfymoth]

you NEED to tell us anout the selkie q + schlatt lore i am so interested in those two ,, schlatt has qs selkie seal skin so that means he's trapped with him and Oughhhhfhhghhhhghhz zzz Need more lore PLS!!!!!

i feel like i'm going to have to put this under a readmore because i just KNOW i'm gonna ramble, but selkie q and human schlatt is a dynamic that can just be sooo. wow. horrific!

see, all quackity wants to do is explore the mainland, and that's how he meets schlatt initially! he's too close to the shore, and maybe he runs into a net, maybe he just gets caught sneaking around like a dork, but either way-- schlatt's the first human to find him. and he's the first human that quackity's ever met! of course q's heard all the staries, all the warnings, and he starts off baring his teeth, but... schlatt seems to just find it funny. and quackity kind of likes his jokes, and his flattery, and before he knows it he's admitting all his little-mermaid-ass dreams of being where the people are out loud. and schlatt agrees to show him!

so, that's their deal, for a little while. every day, quackity meets up with schlatt at the beach, and schlatt plays tour guide for him on land. he also teaches q how to blend in while he's up there, shows him what humans eat, how they act, how they dress-- after all, he can't just walk around in that coat. why not borrow schlatt's clothes instead? he can leave the coat in his closet. and of course, that's the concession quackity's the most hesitant to make, insisting at first on keeping it on him at all times, but-- schlatt's a nice guy. right? they've been meeting like this for a while, and he's never been anything but trustworthy. if he wanted his coat, he would have taken it already, surely. so... eventually. quackity gives in. decides to just, hang it up in schlatt's closet while they spend the day out. and at the end of the day, sure enough-- he gets it back!

they keep up this arrangement for a while, until quackity's spending days, weeks, months at a time with schlatt, just hanging around his house. and it's fun! he's having fun, he swears, but there are... occasional fights. small ones. turns out schlatt drinks more than he thought. he's moodier, when quackity's observing him for these long stretches of time. and maybe it's one of these days, when the tensions are a bit higher, and nerves wearing a bit thinner, that quackity decides he's just going out for a quick swim, just to clear his head-- only to find his coat isn't in the closet. and that fight is probably the only part of this au i ever pictured fully clearly, maybe one day i'll actually write it down, but point is that's when it goes to hell. that's when quackity realizes he's fucked.

it takes a while longer to really reach this point, but with a bit of convincing from an old friend, wilbur, quackity will eventually decide he has one way out of here. if he can't steal his coat back without getting caught, then he's just going to have to kill his husband.

[sd-vtm]

a wild uzi appears. :]

There's a shuffling sound, and with a jerk V is suddenly infront of Uzi, on all fours with her mouth gapped open wide to show sharp teeth. Drool was oozing down her mouth and splattering onto the clawed floorboard. Her optics the large X of her hunters vision and her systems register a worker drone close by. The space around her was a mess, her living-room destroyed; the couch was knocked over and the coushins had been torn apart as fluff swirled and danced around the barn floor from the sudden breeze.

With a jerk; the other lunged for Uzi, only to eruptly be pulled back and slam on the floor with her jaw smacking the ground with a painful thud. V snarled and hisses with anger as she scrambled and snapped her teeth at Uzi, her tail was caught between a split wall post, keeping her a foot back from reaching Uzi..

V didn't seem to even recognize her, slipping in her own drool as she tried to get free, hissing and wiggling around like a trapped animal.

Then she let out a small whine.

She smacked her face before and gained a moment.. so, maybe?

..Without much thought for her own well-being; she began to slam her face into the floor a few times before slipping her face to the side, hissing out a sound that ended into a whine of agony. V then shifted, her claws dig into the floor and she locked herself in place. Now resting a cheek against the clawed up the floor. The X on her visor flickered on and off, before her optics online.

Their closed tight and she can't seem to open them.. V choked and coughed up a little oil as she struggled to gain consciousness and override her default settings. It makes her feel sick, and she began to wheeze and choke on her own saliva.

The same settings that made her mindless kill so many..

“U..Z—Zzz—Z—i…"

Static sizzles and pops her voice around as she coughed again.

"..S—S—Sta—y—zz—zZ—zz…b—back..P—Ple—zz—-se..”

[light-end-dragon]

Chapter 5

(Infirmary)

Mika: Zzz…..zzz……

Makoto: ?? He just randomly started snoring….?! I thought he woke up, but I don’t know any reason why he’d want to fake sleeping.

Yuuta: It’s a little bit contrived, though. Is he really asleep?

Mika: (Aah, it ain’t no use! They’re already on t’ me. Should I stop breathin’?)

Mika: (Wait, but I’d die if I stop breathin’! I can’t be dyin’ like this!!)

Mika: (I’m lookin’ forward to Valkyrie’s complete resurrection-and I can’t just be kickin’ the bucket before we make that dream come true. Valkyrie’s the strongest…!)

Makoto: N-now his limbs are starting to shake?! The infirmary’s air conditioning is working, so it can’t be because of the heat.

Makoto: Or maybe…now it’s too cold? Kagehira-kun, do you want me to get a blanket for you? 

Mika: (I c-can’t reply like this! They’ll know I’m fakin’......Calm your mind, calm your mind….) 

Mika: Zzz…..zzz…….

Makoto: (No…I’m pretty sure he’s awake, but I guess he just doesn’t want to talk to me? He looks really nervous…)

Nazuna: How’s Mika-chi…I mean, how is Kagehira doing? I’m sorry to keep you both waiting!

Makoto: Oh-Nito-senpai! Were you able to buy him something to eat?

Nazuna: Yeah, I have a sports drink, ice cream, candy, and some stuff….anything I thought he’d like.

Nazuna: Oh, right-and they were holding a sort of lottery that you could draw from if you bought enough, and I got this ticket for a free ice cream, any price!♪

Yuuta: Wow, that’s pretty amazing-you really cashed out on the luck today.

Nazuna: Yeah, it really feels like it. Anyway, is Sagami-sensei not here? 

Makoto: Not as far as we’ve been here. I would’ve thought he’d have come back soon since he didn’t leave a note, but where would he even go to take this long?

Nazuna: Ugh, if he were here, I could’ve left this with him. Why is the time he’s not here the exact time I really need him to be?? Now I’m in trouble.

Yuuta: Um…I’m very sorry, but I realized the warning bell is about to ring and I need to return to class. I’m still rather worried about him, but I feel a lot better about leaving him to rest in the infirmary….

Nazuna: No, go back, go back! You’ve helped more than enough-thank you! And don’t worry, I’ll figure something out from here.

Yuuta: Okay, then please excuse me-thank you! 

Mika: (This voice…that’s Nazuna-nii? There ain’t no mistakin’ it-its Nazuna-nii!)

Mika: (That…that means that nice person talkin’ to me jus’ now knows him!)

Mika: (If I’d a’known that, I’d not faked that I was sleepin’!!)

Mika: (Him soundin’ worried’s gotta be a trap too.)

Mika: (Right when I start trustin’ him, he’ll stab me in th’ back-I ain’t gonna let’em pull the wool over my eyes!)

Mika: (Gotta make a break for it when I can. Don’t got no strength left ‘cause I ain’t eaten, but I can’t just wait here. Who knows what he’ll do t’me!!)

Mika: (Oohhh, if I’d a’known it’d be like this, I’d’ve eaten lunch…)

Mika: (It’s the price I gotta pay for savin’ money, though. I gotta save for Valkyrie’s funds.)

Mika: (At least if I’d taken some candy, I’d’ve somethin’ to eat….nnn, wait, didn’t I put one in my pocket? Mmm~....mmm~.....)

Mika: (There-I jus’ felt it with my fingertip! Jus’ goin’ by the shape, but that’s definitely candy! Heaven’s lookin’ out fer me t’day~ehehe ♪)

Mika: (Mmm…the candy’s plumb stuck t’ the wrapper!! Did it melt in all this heat?!) 

Mika: (I wonder if I can jus’ rip it off if I put my back into it…might well give it a shot.) 

Mika: Nnn….hck…..naaaa?! 

Nazuna: Aaah-what was that?! W-what’s this on my face-quick, quick-Mako-chin, get it off!!

Makoto: Nito-senpai, please calm down! It’s just a piece of candy, though it seems like it got stuck there…..there’s a bathroom nearby; you should go use that to wash it all off.

Makoto: It’ll get all sticky if you use your hands. 

Nazuna: Y-yeah. I’m sorry, can I leave the rest to you and Anzu for now? I’m gonna come right back, so please just keep an eye on how Kagehira is doing.

Mika: (...Anzu? Anzu-chan came here with Nazuna-nii??)

Mika: (Nnnrrgh….that means she ain’t a friend either! I’m still gonna be surrounded by enemies..!)

Mika: (But I wasn’t expectin’ my candy t’ land on Nazuna-nii’s face like that. He-he might be an enemy, but I’ve gone and done a terrible thing to him….)

Mika: (No! Because of him, Valkyrie…t-that’s only fittin’ for someone who betrayed Oshi-san. So I ain’t gonna be sorry!!)

Makoto: Um, Kagehira-kun? How much do you remember? We found you passed out in the hallway and brought you here. Are you…um, thirsty? 

Makoto: I uh, got something here for you to drink…..You seem pretty hungry too. Do you…want some candy to eat?

Mika: ….D-don’t want none a’ that. Oshi-san’ll be right cross with me if I take stuff from other people. 

Makoto: Oshi…san? Are you talking about that person I see you around with? If I’m not mistaken, Kagehira-kun, you’re a member of Valkyrie, right? 

Mika: H-how d’ya know that?? You look all mild t’ throw people off that you’re a spy??

Makoto: N-no, no, you got it all wrong! I’m just really good with technology and smartphones, and I collect my own sort of database from the info I get at the academy. 

Makoto: It’s more like a hobby, I guess? That’s really the only reason I know you’re a member of Valkyrie.

Mika: Oh, that’s why? Now I feel real bad for misunderstandin’ ya….

Makoto: Ahaha, don’t worry about it. I did hear you muttering about candy in your sleep, though. Do you like sweet things, Kagehira-kun?

Mika: Eheh, I really love ‘em. I get real happy when I taste sweet stuff like that…♪ An’ I can get those candies awful cheap too.

Mika: It’s jus’ ‘bout 200 yen for a whole bag. It’s been my lifeline….♪

Makoto: I-I see….That is a pretty strict way of living ... Though I’d love for you to eat something proper; I think you’ll feel even better, then.

Makoto: See? Anzu-chan’s agreeing with me.

Mika: (Noo, I can’t do this! He’s friends with Nazuna-nii, and all close to Anzu-chan too…he has t’ be an enemy.)

Mika: (But he don’t seem like he’s lyin’ about his concern? Maybe he really is a good person…..)

Mika: (But then how does he know Anzu-chan? I gotta ask what unit he’s with…..)