#-and 'but for once could you pretty please not run out on me' AUGH

[auriidae]

i just thought this was an incredibly funny chain of events. the song is 'my hallelujah' by autoheart btw <3

also, a quick ramble about why i think this is. due to the nature of the life series specifically as, yknow, an entertainment-focused youtube improv roleplay series, most of the ccs aren't... deliberately acting out characters with fully-realized arcs, and especially not relationships between characters. i mean, they're not taking it entirely seriously! as they shouldn't! it's a lot of fun to watch these creators just mess around because they're all friends in real life. but because of that, when you take only what's shown on-screen and separate it from this piece of real-world context, you get some like pretty messed-up relationships lmao. it's super fun to analyze tho :3

[adams-angels]

can you do a story where Adam is drunk and he vents to you about how Lilith and Eve left for Lucifer and you end up cuddling? (not dating btw, just friends)

Oops I made I'm pathetic again lol 🎸

💖 Please send me requests! Send me your own headcanons! I will draw! I'm obsessed rn!💖

Vent

It was late... Really late... You were sound asleep when there was a thump at your door. And then another. And then more. You groaned yourself awake, slipping out of bed. You put your robe on as you make your way to the front door. You rub your eyes as you open the door to see Adam. Very intoxicated, hold either side of the door frame to keep himself upright. "Okay." You sighed. "Took you long enough, bItch." You slurred his words. You pinched the bridge of your nose before moving your hand up, running it through your hair. "What is it this time, Adam?" This was unfortunately a common occurrence. Adam wood come to your apartment drunk rant about work, the seraphim, the women who'd reject him, Lute basically anything that pissed him off that day. You wouldn't mind so much if he wasnt drunk! He'd always try and get it off with you, but you didn't like him like that and you're pretty he didn't like you like that either. It was tiring.

He stared at you. His eyes half lidded. A scowl covered his face. "Do you know how hard it is to be me?" "Here we go." You think. You keep your face expressionless. Not that he'd notice you rolling your eyes anyway. You step aside for him to enter your apartment and he stumbles in towards your couch. He dumps himself on to it with such force you could of sworn you heard a crack.

"like, you think I have it easy?!" He scoffs. "Well, I do.. BUT, I didn't!" You walk over to the couch and sit on the coffee table so your facing Adam. "I had Lilith, right. And she was beautiful, oh my god stunning! But the FUCKING BITCH LEFT ME! FUCKING, ME! FIR SOME FUCKIN' SHORT ASS MOTHER FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT ANGEL!!?! What?! What was it about him, huh? His wings???" He continued. "What? I'm too fuCKIN TALL FOR YOU BABE!!" He yelled into the void, like he was screaming at Lilith.

You couldn't believe it. He was talking about Lilith. Never had he mentioned her. Ever since you met him he never once spoke about his ex wife's. Did something happen? Why is this all coming out? You didn't get a chance to speak, although you never really did when he vents.

"I gOt wiiiinnggggs now!!! AM I STILL NOT-" He stopped himself. "AUGH!" His hands went for his mask, he took it off and stared at the face of it. "And then Eve.... Not as hot as Lilith but a good replacement I guess. And she.. did left me too... For him." He sighed. "Well... Basically... He already took one." His eyes meet yours. "Why did he need her too?" He asked you, he was asking questions that he new you didn't have the answers for. "Why did they leave me, Y/N? What is it about me that's so fuckin insufferable that they left?" His voice waivered. "Why didn't they love me?"

That was it you dived into his arms, holding him closely as he started weeping into the crook of your neck. "Why does no one love me?" He sobbed. "Oh, Adam. You are loved. By so many people." His arms wrapped around you, his clawed at the back of your robe as he continued to cry.

You moved yourself to sit beside him as he continued to cry, you make sure to keep your arms around him. "Why him? What makes him so special?" He continued, he was now cuddled into your chest as he vented. "Everyone just thinks I'm okay, but I'm not. I'm not fucking okay!" He would rant between his sobs. You ran your fingers through his hair eventually he fell asleep on your lap. There was no way you could move, so you accepted your fate a tried finding a comfortable position to sleep in.

When you woke up you saw Adam trying to sneak out. With your snacks. His stares at you like a deer in headlights. "Uh... What are you doing?" You ask. "What's it fuckin look like, bitch? Bye!" He practically ran out of you apartment not saying another word.

～⁠♡✧⁠｡ I really hope you enjoyed! I'm not a writer by any means but I appreciate any support I receive so thank you for reading! ｡✧⁠♡～⁠

[royal-songbird]

JUST FINISHED LISTENING TO THE NEW CRANE WIVES ALBUM. HOOOOOOLY SHIT. THAT WAS INCREDIBLE. time to ramble about each song because i can <3 lalalalala

(under a cut cause this got a little long)

Scars: Listened to this one the second it was officially released, so i've had some time to listen to it !!!and . ough. its so good. i love when the crane wives make angry songs <3 really REALLY happy that they've incorporated violin into their newer songs too. the subtle shriek halfway through, the buildup near the end....GRAH (and i know they did on past albums but tbh they did not include them Enough. i love the violin <3)

Bitter Medicine: another one that was released ahead of the full album! also very good. reminds me a lot of the queen of nothing, mainly because of "someone take my keys im in no shape for driving" vs "stop the car, i wanna get out". and the AH AH OH AH OH'S NEAR THE END. YES !!! THEYRE SO FUN TO SING ALONG WITH I LOVE THEM. and the instrumentals. GRAAAAAH !!! the electric guitar (?) at the end is AMAZING.

Higher Ground: right off the bat i loved the instruments. and then when they start singing? INCREDIBLE. the vocals for this one are so so so good. like im actually in love with them, especially the first "should i head for higher ground". and its also like. very upbeat and fun. it makes me want to run around and just get myself Moving somehow. AND THE SUBTLE STRINGS IN THE BACKGROUND AS THE SONG BUILDS UP!!! i love the plucking, it so. hrgahgrhahghr. and once again. THE VIOLIN. I LOVE THE VIOLIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Predator: i came into this song expecting something similar to the hand that feeds, so it was MUCH different than i anticipated! and honestly, i love it so much?? the guitar...? whatever funky instrument thats all wobbly is. sounds so fun. and i love the vocals so much they scratch at my brain. THE CLAPPING TOO. ITS SO FUN. another one that makes me want to get up and run around or dance <3

Say It: i was excited for this one! my friend heard it live and absolutely loved it, so i'd heard a lot about it going in. its a lot calmer than i was expecting but ohhh its so good. "please dont leave me in the dark, praying for a wayward spark" augh. ough. gruahgrh. "IF YOU COULD WOULD YOU ERASE ME. ERADICATE ME FROM YOUR MIND." RAAAAAAHHHH.

Mad Dog: another song i heard good things about! i was expecting something high energy and BOY did it not disappoint. obsessed with the pace of the beginning vocals, they sound like so much fun to sing i cant wait to learn the lyrics. AND THEN. THE CHORUS!!! OHHHH. THE ECHOES OF RUNNING AND COMING. IM GONNA EXPLODE. THEY SCRATCH MY BRAIN SO WELL. and the funky instrument in the back that i think is maybe a guitar but i cant tell....its so good and funky and oh my god i love the crane wives. honestly, this is probably one of my favorites of the album. its so good. i need to tear something apart with my teeth

Arcturus Beaming: i heard this song live back when i went to their concert in april, and oh my GOD. genuinely this song changed me i think. it rearranged my atoms. it means so much to me i literally love this song, even if the instrumentals arent my favorite out of the rest of the album i cannot put it any lower than my absolute favorite. THERES MORE TO LIFE THAN SUFFERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time Will Change You: and this song. right off the bat its INCREDIBLE. the steady beat in the back. the guitar. the vocals. and just . the general Vibes. AND THEN. AND THEN !!!! THE STRINGS. HOLY FUCKING SHIT THE STRINGSSS. THE SECOND I HEARD THEM I LOST MY MIND. they are SO pretty and THIS is exactly why i wanted the crane wives to use strings in their songs more. they include them SO well. AND AUGH. THE INSTRUMENTAL HALFWAY THROUGH....AND THE VOCALS BEHIND IT....AND AGAIN!!! THE STRINGS !!!! this is SUCH a pretty song and it blew me away the first time i listened to it

Black Hole Fantasy: i wasnt entirely sure what to expect going into this song so i was a bit surprised by the introduction- and then it just kept getting better. right off the bat it reminded me of arcturus beaming, and then the general story of the song.... just. the feeling of aching so desperately for a better life, but being afraid to take that first step because you dont want to face the risks that come with it..... i genuinely almost cried listening to it, especially as the song began to ramp up. the fantasy of taking that chance but still being afraid. AND THEN. AND THEN!!!!! "AND NOW SHES LAUGHING, AND ITS KILLING ME THAT I CANNOT SEE WHATS MAKING HER LAUGH FROM WHERE IM STANDING." AND THE SUBTLE BUILD UP OF STRINGS IN THE BACK AS THE SONG RAMPS UP FURTHER. AND YOU FINALLY TAKE THAT CHANCE, TAKE THAT FIRST STEP. AAUEUEUAGHHHH. GOD!!!!!!!!!!

Red Clay: going into this song, i was expecting something with the vibes of the icarus or keep you safe, and i wasnt disappointed!!! BUT BEFORE I COULD REALLY PROCESS THE BEGINNING, I GET COMPLETELY BLIND SIDED BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN EMILEE OR KATE SINGING. im not entirely sure who it is, my best guess is dan, but its so so good. something about red clay is so specifically nostalgic for me, and for it to play right after black hole fantasy just. completely destroyed me/pos this song is so so pretty. i love it so much.

River Rushing: AND IMMEDIATELY IM HOOKED. again, i expected something high energy/upbeat like sleeping giants- and while its not the exact same, its similar, and i LOVE IT. the vocals are probably my favorite part, especially the backing vocals. BUT OH MY GOD THOSE HIGH NOTES. THEYRE SO GOOD. a VERY strong ending for the album, which i absolutely adored

and thats every song!!!! god i love the crane wives. im going to listen to this album on loop until each song is burned into my brain okay bye

[kindheart525]

All this oracle nonsense was starting to get in Swift’s head. He tried not to let it get to him, but it did anyway. He was starting to wonder what fate could possibly have in store for him, if “fate” was even a thing. It was all hypothetical, of course. He didn’t really believe it.

Prophecy’s warning to him was something about being dispossessed, something with a fool’s gold bar. What could that possibly mean? An extreme weather event washing his home away? Losing money over some bad decisions?

No, it was impossible. There was nothing even remotely suspicious in the weather forecast, Swift had checked…not out of paranoia, of course. Plus, he was responsible with his money, unlike a certain coworker of his. She must have gotten his prediction mixed up with Lemon’s.

Not that Prophecy really had anything to do with it. Once again, it was an unlucky coincidence. It had to be.

Still, the whole thing consumed Swift’s thoughts more than he would have liked, so much that he couldn’t even get through a simple grocery trip without thinking of her—

“Augh!”

Swift found himself suddenly pushed back like he had run into a wall, as another voice cried out in frustration. In his paranoid state he hadn’t been watching where he was going; he quickly realized it was another pony he ran into. His vision was a blur as his fellow shopper went down with him, their paper bag crumbling between them, until he finally saw who it was.

Prophecy.

“Oy gevalt! My olives!”

She was the first to spring up, lamenting the jar of olives that had now spilled across the ground beyond hope of salvage.

Then she took notice of the stallion who did this.

“Hello, Swift Valor.”

Her tone was even and civil, but she was annoyed. Both that he had spilled all her groceries and because their last interaction had been so sour.

“Sorry, uh—let me help.”

Swift started hastily picking up her bagels as soon as he could get up, honestly feeling a little bad for being part of this mess. But he was also pissed that coincidence had brought him to this mare, once again.

“Thank you.”

Prophecy accepted his help, straightening out her bag and stuffing some more of her groceries into it.

She almost reached for a bagel herself, but she pulled away, not wanting to make any more physical contact with him after that run-in.

“Ugh, the olives are beyond saving. But I suppose I’m not surprised, I sensed something inconvenient would happen today.”

“What an unfortunate coincidence.”

Sorry for being such an inconvenience.

Swift thought sarcastically, taking her comment as a jab against himself. Out loud, he made sure to emphasize exactly what this was—a coincidence.

Probably.

“How are your friends doing? Golden Opportunity and Lemon Wedge?”

Of course she remembered.

“They’re not friends, they’re coworkers.”

The stallion corrected her in light of recent events driving them apart, summoning a sanitizing wipe with his magic to clean her food off. 

“And they’re just fine. Same as always.”

He lied, not wanting Prophecy to know what had really been happening.

“So they’ve been emotionally and financially stable?”

She already knew.

“Well, not exactly,” Swift admitted begrudgingly. “Golden’s pet died and Lemon lost a pretty big bet a while ago. Both very unfortunate incidents.”

“Ah. Just as I predicted,” Prophecy nodded to herself. “Please, send them my condolences.”

She was never happy to see her bad visions come to pass; she was merely a messenger for it all. So she meant it, but Swift saw a passive-aggressive smugness.

“This has nothing to do with your predictions!”

Swift finally blew his top.

“How can you really know it was more than two awful coincidences? That ferret was not young, and Lemon is terrible with money anyway. Anypony could have seen this coming, you know, with actual observation. Plus, nothing has happened to me, so you can’t say you’ve been proven right yet.”

“Yet.”

Prophecy emphasized, not being able to help from smirking a little.

“Wha—no, that’s not what I mean!”

Swift started to panic, realizing what he had said.

Damn it! She’s getting into my head!

“There’s still time for you.”

“Statistically unlikely, but okay.”

But then Swift stopped her.

“Wait! Ugh…let me at least make up for the olives. Sorry for snapping like that.”

He produced a clutch of bits out of guilt. Though he was convinced he was right in what he said, the attitude was still uncalled for. Even he knew this.

“I accept your apology.”

She took his bits and his words graciously, but didn’t leave him with the satisfaction of forgiveness. Especially not after he basically insulted her profession to her face, again. Instead she offered a warning.

“Hopefully you still have plenty for security. If you’re so convinced my vision won’t come to pass, you can make sure it doesn’t.”

But Swift brushed her off like always.

“Sure, Prophecy. I’ll see you around.”

And he went on with his day, feeling strangely vindicated by this encounter. He was right: she was just getting into his head. Now that they met again, he could see she was trying to mess with him.

Plus, if her visions really were true, then those olives had cost quite a bit. He would have to give up a couple of his more expensive groceries to make up for it; in a way he was already “dispossessed” just like she foretold. He could certainly make a solid argument for it.

That meant his prophecy had already come to pass, hypothetically. He was safe now. Right?

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous (for Swift): Spilled Salt Previous (for Prophecy): Gentle Sheen Next: Hanging Horseshoe

Background by BonesWolbach

[velvetnviolentviolets]

Get To Know The Author

name : Kay

pronouns :  she/her

preference of communication : Honestly I have a huge preference for discord. I don't trust tumblr IM to actually alert me. Ive recently learned tumblr has been eating my asks too. If I don't reply to an ask or DM me PLEAS reach out to me. I will NEVE outright ignore something. If I don't think something is going to work for our muses I will reach out to you. 

most active muse :  Kat is my loudest and most demanding. After that would be Her brother Kass, Feyre, and then our spotty maybe I'm here maybe I'm not - Emmett.  

experience / how many years : Ohhh boy. I've been doing the rp thing off and on since 2010. There was a five year chunk in recent years where I disappeared for a bit but the lovely @sharpayevcns pulled me back in a few months ago and I am so appreciative that she did. <3 

best experience : Discovering the people here that make me feel safe enough to obsess over threads. You guys have absolutely made my return to tumblr. If I were to delete my blog with nothing but my connection with you guys to show for it - Well I would be absolutely fine with that. You guys are amazing and will absolutely be tagged in this. 

rp pet peeves : I keep running into situations where I get heavily invested in plotting something (Drawing, writing head cannons, making playlists, planning cannon events. . .I literrally brushed up on a whole ass language for a plot) Only to have those people completely leave me on read. I am not a pushy partner in the least. I would be more than happy to wait a month for a reply. But I need communication. I need feedback if something doesn't sit right for you. I need reciprocated enthusiasm. You don't have to show It the same way I do but I need some show of enthusiasm otherwise it just feels uncomfortable and I feel annoying and restrained. That's not what I'm here for. I've honestly made the decision to start unfollowing people based on a three strikes basis. No hard feelings. I just don't want to follow anyone who doesn't bring the same energy I do. 

fluff, angst, or smut :ALL OF IT! While I'm becoming more and more selective about who I write smut with I LOVE writing smut ESPECIALLY if its born of post Angst fluff. Actually almost exclusively. There is nothing that gets my muses motor going like post Angst Fluff! 

plots or memes : Augh! Don't make me pick. I love Plotting but sometimes nothing really gets the juices flowing like memes do. I cant tell you how many times a simple meme interaction help set a pivotal point in a plot. ALSO- Memes are usually what help me forego my shy nature. While my muse outwardly gives NONE of the Ducks. . .I do . I give all of the Ducks so memes help  me loosen up. I'm not responsible for the haphazard neuroSpicy creature you meet once the shyness has fallen away. You've been warned.

long or short replies : It depends on my mood and attention span. There is a Adderall shortage right now so I have only been taking my Adderall on work days so Ive had a VERY hard time focusing o replies as of late. When Im on top of my Game I am LONGWINDED AF .Please don't ever feel like you have to match me because there are times where I will write you a novel and we were only supposed to be writing a sentence or two. It just happens and Im sorry.  time to write : Ha! um . . . Well I work Graveyard  Thursday- Saturday from 8PM-9:30ish AM (PST)  On slow nights I do write here and there but for the most part I can be found here pretty sporadically. If I have something going on during my weekend that I have to be a daytime person for then ill be up during the day time. OTHERWISE- Mostly evening and spooky hours . 

are you like your muses : I could draw some parallels with each of them but I dont think I am like any of them. 

tagged by: The Alluring  @wynterlanding ~<3

@grimmusings @sharpayevcns @godccmplex <3

[bapydemonprincess]

“ i just wish you’d notice me. " for sebmey please?? 😊

I hope you don't mind Anon, I got some fanTASTIC ideas for an AU to do this with my writing partner @grelleswife.. SO...

"I just wish you'd notice me," bemoaned Mey Rin, in one very lonely corner of the bookstore she now worked in, but continued on her journey of arranging and putting up new books on the shelves.

This whole job had been a dream come true, actually, and even if she had to work through even all of December, she wouldn't mind!

It was just..

Once again Mey Rin found herself running into a new crush, head on, no breaks in sight, and even KNOWING before trying anything.. it probably wasn't going to work at all.

This time the crush in question happened to be.. well, the very stereotypical tall, dark haired, quiet and likely brooding type.

God you need to stop bein' so predictable, Mey berated herself in her brain as she went on, day after day, trying to get to know this guy at least, trying to get something, ANYTHING out of him.

For some reason the most annoying PART was.. he didn't LOOK annoyed with her or brush her off openly. He looked RIGHT AT her when she tried to start a conversation, nodded and mumbled assessment or disagreements. His pretty, dark brown eyes actually staying focused on her and what she was saying.

But again, the whole TALKING thing...?

"So you um, live near by t'make it easier t'get here?"

"Mnn." Sounded kind of like "not really".

"Uh, have you worked here long?"

"...Hmn." Sounded like "yeah basically".

"W-what about this weather, huh? You.. do you like this time of year?"

"Mhm.." Sounded like "I don't mind"... Maybe. Or "I don't care".

AUGH, she was going to tear her HAIR out, he was SO DAMN CUTE and SO DAMN INTERESTING!!!

But he like so MANY dudes like him, probably thought she was a silly, peppy, boring girl and he probably was gay and he probably actually ranted online somewhere about girls like her and how annoying they were.

So, again, Mey was just so done.

She sighed as she finally took a break from bending and kneeling and reaching to just pull out her phone and check her tumblr dash real quick.

As usual some wacky memes were mostly getting reblogged, as well as gifsets of recent awesome shows Mey had no time to check out right NOW but she'd so get around to it on some off time, like the weekend. Probably would binge right through it.

She was just about to make a new post real quick to make a vague post about her current situation when--

"H-Hey, Mey Rin.."

The woman was frozen where she was squatting there in the corner, staring at nothing, not even her phone anymore.

Was that...

Was that who she thought it was???

"Uh.. I just... uh... is that... tumblr?"

Mey Rin wanted to scream. She didn't know if it was a good scream or a bad scream but just overall this predicament made her want to SHRIEK and cower or.. something!!

But she forced herself to get up, ignoring her face getting hotter and hotter as she stumbled up and shifted about, looking anywhere but.. but AT HIM...

"Oh uh, um, yeah, it's um, I.. I have an account an' have fer awhile, uh, just to stay up t'date on some things I like an' some friends I have and-"

"I, uh--" Sebastian suddenly was stepping up closer, practically tearing his own phone out of his pocket and, lifting it for her to see, "H-have one too."

His voice.

His voice his voice his VOICE...

Sebastian's voice was deep, sounded like it belonged to some guy MUCH older, was a bit cracked, though..

As if.. maybe he rarely used it, perhaps??

But..

Oh god his voice..

"M-Mey??" He suddenly broke through Mey Rin's little eargasm, and she beheld him staring at her in the BIGGEST concerned puppy look she'd ever seen on a guy.

"I'm.. I'm sorry, I.. did you uh, say somethin' 'bout tumblr??"

"Yeah, uh, just, I.. h-have one too, and uh.. w-we could follow each other and uh, we can also ch-chat on there, especially when we can't.. " He waved his arms about him and the area they were in.

Mey Rin held back the urge to squeal right there.

"OH, um, yeah!! That uh, s-sounds so good!! Uh- h-here, um, here's my tumblr--" She got carefully closer to hold her phone up and tapped through to her blog to show him.

Sebastian nodded and looked on with so much interest, and then quickly proceeded to go through finding it on his phone and following her, and then proceeded to awkwardly show her his blog.

Which was filled with tons of posts on elegant gothic fashion, black cats, Fall themed posts and Halloween themed posts, quotes from old literature, MORE CATS AND CAT MEMES IN GENERAL.. ect ect.

Mey Rin found herself awkwardly reblogging a few ten to twenty things from his blog in a row..

But found herself floored when she saw notifications that he was liking and reblogging some of HERS too!

And THEN in a few days, they were chatting on tumblr messenger.

And Sebastian.. was hilarious.

He had SO MUCH more to say in text, SO MUCH more to express!!

By the way, you asked some things early on when you'd first started working with us.

Yeah I did but you don't have to answer!! 💕

I know but I felt awful since then since you asked some pretty reasonable stuff and I was so cagey..🙈 I'm sorry by the way, being only online so much when I don't have to work has just degraded my ability to talk.. Though I guess I've always been a bit like this.

It's okay Seb, I get it!! The internet has so fried my brain too lmao 🤪🤪🤪

Ahahaha yesss .. But again, I want to like make it up to you now, seeing as I can answer everything much better on here!

Okay uh, it's been a while since then but uh I think I asked you like: Do you live near by the store??

Unfortunately not really, I live halfway across town 😒 It's hell getting here through traffic every day.

Oh damn, I'm so sorry!! I'm surprised you keep up with it though, you never have been late from what I've seen!!

Um well

Lately it's been even more easy to put up with it

Uh since you started working here!!

jdyttyfg UM thank you??? 🙈🙈🙈🙈

Um I also asked if you'd been working here long?? AGAIN you don't have to answer these silly snoopy questions!

It's okay! I don't mind really! I've worked here I think two years.. Two and a half, maybe? Yes, that's about it.

Oh man, you should just RUN it now!! XD

LOL haha no way, that would be overkill even for me. I might be a perfectionist but even we have limits! 😬

Oof yeah I get that XD

Ummm I think the last thing I asked was like if you liked the WEATHER lmao, it was like, the dumbest last resort question and I'm SO SORRY dytugihij I just really couldn't think of anything else at that point and like 🙈🙈🙈 You DEFINITELY don't have to answer that

Well, I think I have mixed feelings about Winter. Due to.. rough family stuff I'd rather not get into. But I mean, overall, I DO like it..

Aww oh man, it's okay dude, again I won't press you!! Happy you decided to humor me this far though XDD 💖💖💖

Well uh I wanna thank you for asking ME questions, actually. And making things so much more fun.

I have a feeling this Winter is going to be so much better this time around. 🖤

grsedrjyfygi I hope so too!! I mean, we can always like, plan to hang out if you want, after work!! Uh if thats too sudden I understand!!! 💖💖💖

Oh wow uh

I was going to ask you that myself! 🤷

OMG rgesjtdyktgi

We are one brain cell right now.

Hahaha I think I'm okay with that. 😌

[starswirly]

Info dump on Saucer, please!!!! Give me all the information you want!! I want to know more!!

FEED ME

Also, if you want to, you can also info dump on the ship with Nightmare and Saucer! I think it’s called Rotten Apples, right?

Anon my BELOVED holy moly of COURSE I WILL AUGH!!! (And yes their ships is Rotten Apples :3c)

URGH MY SILLIES- I have slight issues and may have accidentally decided to create an entire alternate Dreamtale so my silly oc and Nightmare could have a tragic childhood friends to lovers arc, I promise I’m so so normal- I really really want to write it out in fic format one day, so I don’t want to spoil it but hmmmmm

Saucer lore- quick facts! From Dreamtale, came to the village when they were ~8 (which, there’s a whole lot for the Lore of this alternate Dreamtale [I’ve convinced myself there a lot i don’t actually know-] but basically the incident happens when they Apple Twins are in their later teens, with a much minor [but still impactful] incident happening when they were 6.) they had run away from home on a quest to become a healer, and met Nightmare that way (ish. Again, details.) the two bond and grow pretty close! Saucer is outgoing and a bit mischievous, but also socially awkward given their upbringing-

which is its own thing- Their parents are a human and a nature elemental, and had lived a pretty secluded life. Naturally, while Saucer is a very curious child, they aren’t great with people at times because of that!

Jumping ahead a bit, when the actual incident occurs, they technically die- their body is left in a limbo state thanks to Dream’s stone imprisonment (which effects the functions of the entire world. It goes wonky and the world outside of the village sort a just… deletes itself. The things left are left in limbo, slowly decaying away until the multiverse’s positivity surges and Dream escapes- breaking this world out of its purgatory.) Saucer isn’t the only one to survive, and they end up teaming with Dream to NOT die immediately after waking up thanks to still-pissed-and-vengeful …villagers? Again, details getting fuzzy, but you get the idea.

getting out into the wider multiverse, Saucer is dead set on finding Nightmare and figuring out what happened to him- a lot of time had passed and they wanted to know what happened to their friend. Dream and them part ways, as Dream is responsible for the positivity in the multiverse and as much as he wants to find his brother he also knows that it wouldn’t be good for him. He’s got his whole thing- Saucer actually DOESNT think poorly of him, just a bit disappointed.

Saucer and NM have a whole reunion/run in- and while a more canon-adjacent NM might’ve killed them, I’m a sucker for self-indulgence, and Saucer just says ‘yeah no you aren’t getting rid of me.’

Hence them becoming the eventual gang’s healer. (They tend to be much more loyal to people rather than actions- you aren’t getting rid of them if they’ve decided they’re going to be around you.)

THE SHIP THOUGH-

Oh I love them. They’re just. So much history. An understanding of everything you are and who you have been and still being loyal and loving each other because- well, it’s what feels right. Like- Saucer pretty much defying death and trekking through the multiverse to find some shadow of someone they once knew, who had been grieving over someone who should have been dead for centuries and who he never got to say goodbye to. Nightmare never having to say goodbye again- because they survived and didn’t want to leave. Just. Incoherent now, sorry, my brain is rotting-

[delimeful]

to taste your beating heart (5)

warnings: blood, miscommunication, imprisonment, arguing

-

Logan met Virgil-- Anx’s eyes over Patton’s shoulder, and watched as his gaze went from bewildered to guarded in half a second.

In the next moment, Anx had shoved out sharply, pushing Patton away from him hard enough to make him stumble back a few steps-- just far enough to be outside the protective ward, Logan noted. 

As though to cover up the fact that he’d just stripped himself of a potential hostage, Anx stiffened up to his full height, fangs bared at them all.

“Careful!” Roman snapped in an eerie parody of Virgil’s normal catchphrase, rising to his feet as Patton narrowly avoided overbalancing.

“No, no,” Patton said, wiping at his eyes without any shame, “it’s my fault, I should have asked first. I always get kind of emotional after thralls break. My apawlegies, Anx.” He accented the words with a flap of his cat hoodie sleeve.

Logan had time to notice the way Anx’s face twisted-- a mix of confusion-amusement-wariness that was familiar from Virgil’s first weeks working with them-- before Roman cut in with a startled shout.

“The thrall is broken?!” he squawked, head whipping back and forth between Patton and Anx. “Since when?”

“None of your business,” snapped Anx.

“Pretty much as soon as I walked in!” cheered Patton, at the exact same time. He paused. “Whoops, sorry, Anx! Did you want that to be... confangdential?”

“Boo,” Roman called, instantly distracted by the bad wordplay, “That was a reach.”

Logan let his audible facepalm speak for itself. “Out of the way, please, Patton.”

Patton obligingly shuffled to the side, and with every step closer Logan took, Anx folded inwards like a snake rearing back to strike. Seeing Virgil’s body bracing for the worst at his approach made something in Logan’s chest pang oddly, but luckily he was well practiced at ignoring such things.

Once at the edge of the circle, he crouched and inspected the activation key. As expected, nothing was out of place. Logan doubted Anx had been awake long enough to even consider tampering with the circle, let alone attempt it.

Now that the ash had cooled, the spell would be vulnerable to outside influence. It wasn’t as big of a concern anymore, seeing as the thrall on Patton had been removed, but Logan wasn’t one to leave things half-done.

… Also, if left unattended, Patton would probably free the vampire without telling anyone even without being under thrall.

Logan set his palm on the activation key and nonverbally cast a warming spell, reactivating the part of the spell that singed any unauthorized fingers messing with his circle. He could add the warming charm into the circle’s layout later, when there wasn’t a twitchy vampire watching his every move.

Despite his efforts to make his spellcasting subtler than usual, Anx still seemed to go still and stiff like hunted prey when the change in the spell sent a mild warmth into the air around them. Those uncanny purple eyes flickered between all three of the hunters for a moment, and then seemed to settle for glaring at nothing.

“So, Draculame, what prompted the sudden change of heart?” Roman asked, arms crossed over his chest.

His tone wasn’t as accusatory as before, but Anx’s bristling only increased, likely at the nickname. It had taken a while for Virgil to realize Roman’s ruder habits weren’t mean-spirited. It seemed like Anx would have to relearn that.

Provided they got that far.

Shaking the rather grim thought away, Logan tilted his head at the vampire. “I’m admittedly curious as well.”

Anx hissed at them, which they probably should have expected. It probably said something about their friend that this had already been standard Virgil behavior before he’d been turned. It was almost nostalgic.

“Now, kiddos, let’s not vamptagonize him!” Patton cut in firmly, ignoring their groans. “It’s almost dawn, so how about we call it close enough to morning and have some breakfast? I’ll make pat-cakes!”

He swanned out of the room without waiting for an answer, nearly hip checking the doorframe as he went. For a moment, Logan half-expected to see Virgil fall in a half-step behind him, like a particularly emo shadow. The absence was jarring.

“He hasn’t slept tonight,” he finally said, capturing Roman’s attention. “Make sure he doesn’t use salt instead of sugar?”

“And meanwhile you will be…?” Roman prompted doubtfully. Logan rolled his eyes.

“Figuring out a way for Anx to safely move to the kitchen, as Patton no doubt wants him there,” he replied, raising a hand to forestall any protests. “I took precautions.”

Roman threw his hands up dramatically, shot Anx a warning glare, and then turned to leave.

“Ugh. There goes my appetite,” he grumbled as he stormed out the door.

Logan allowed himself a sigh and then turned to face Anx. The vampire was still staring at him oddly. “I will be placing a pair of enchanted cuffs on you. They have no chains and they will not hurt you, but if you move against any of us with malicious intent, they will freeze in place.”

“And what am I supposed to do if you move against me?” he challenged automatically, lip curling. “Stand there and take it?”

“The cuffs will not stop you from running or hiding,” Logan told him, “and you’ve proven yourself to be skilled at both of those things in the past 48 hours. None of us are planning on attacking you, but you will have options regardless.”

This wasn’t how he would have reassured Virgil, but this wasn’t the Virgil he knew, the one that trusted him. He couldn’t soothe Anx’s cognitive distortions, not when he was barely more than a stranger.

He retrieved the shiny black cuffs from a nearby cabinet. They hadn’t had a thrall aggressive enough to use them on in months. “If you’ll put your wrists forward, we can proceed. Otherwise, Patton will be bringing breakfast to you, and I’d prefer not to get syrup or blood all over this room.”

Anx eyed him warily for another few moments, but eventually Logan’s patience paid off, and he stuck his wrists out with a growl. Logan reached past the barrier without any trouble and clicked the first one into place. Before he could proceed with the second, Anx’s hand flipped around and grabbed onto Logan’s wrist tightly.

Logan’s head jerked up to meet Anx’s gaze, already shifting his weight to counter a pull, but the vampire didn’t move further, just stared at him intently. “I know what you are.”

He clearly expected some kind of dramatic reaction, but Logan wasn’t in the habit of those, particularly not for such vague accusations. “If you’ll specify?”

“You’re a witch,” Anx said. “I saw you tamper with the circle without any instruments. You have natural magic.”

Logan felt his stomach sink slightly. Logically, he knew that this wasn’t the Virgil he knew, but it still made something in him twist to think of any version of Virgil blackmailing him over his magical heritage. “And what of it?” he asked, as lightly as he could.

“You’re living in the same house as hunters. You’re doing magic right under their noses, you’re going to get yourself killed!” Anx scolded, sounding more like Virgil with every word. “Do you need help getting out?”

Logan wasn’t entirely sure what sort of face he made in response to this endearingly dense offer, but it was apparently enough to make Anx frown with uncertainty. He held a hand out for his other wrist and clicked the cuff on it without any problems, and then deactivated the circle with a simple gesture of his hand over the key.

Anx’s eyes flicked to the door, and Logan tried not to think about him darting out into the early morning sun. He turned and headed to the door.

“Follow me, and you’ll get your answer.”

While traversing the halls, Logan resisted the persistent urge to check behind him. Gone were the slight shuffled footsteps that had previously accompanied Virgil’s presence, replaced by Anx’s supernatural silence, as though he was gliding over the floor without even touching it.

He entered the kitchen, where Patton had evidently wrangled Roman into setting the table. Whether the four plates set out were out of habit or Roman reluctantly accepting Anx’s presence at the table, Logan wasn’t sure.

He cleared his throat, making both of them look up from attempting to draw funny faces with the pancake batter.

“Observe,” he instructed, and then drew a sigil in the air and lit a simple flame in his hand. Behind him, he could practically hear Anx go as stiff as a board.

“Are we showing off?” Roman asked, a bit excited but completely unsurprised. “Should I perform a monologue?”

“Great spell, Lo! No arson in the house, though,” Patton added in a bright chirp. “After all, I have enough ar-sons here already!”

Logan doused the flame by clenching a fist, giving Patton a Look that went blithely ignored. “You two are incorrigible. That was a simple demonstration.”

He turned to Anx, who looked a little shell shocked.

“As we’ve informed you, ‘hunter’ is a title that we use mostly for convenience and ease of access to jobs. We help magical beings just as often as average humans, if not more frequently.”

“We tried out ‘Protectors of the Innocent’ for a while, but it never really caught on for some reason,” Roman added, subtly sneaking a piece of bacon from the serving plate while Patton’s back was turned.

“Perhaps it would have worked better if someone hadn’t only put P.I. on all the business cards, resulting in us being mistaken for Private Investigators and all of our calls being about spousal infidelity for a solid two months,” Logan snarked back, moving past them to retrieve the orange juice from the fridge.

“The printing office charged by the letter!” Roman protested, and then recoiled from the countertop as his next attempt at sneaking ended with his fingers smacked mercilessly. “Augh! Forsaken by those dearest to me! What cruelty!”

“No sympathy for bacon thieves,” Patton chided, wielding his spatula like an instrument of mass destruction. “Go sit!”

Logan seated himself as well, and turned to Anx, who had been watching the banter play out from the doorway with a somewhat dazed expression. “You’re welcome to sit. Patton will likely insist on it, actually.”

“You people,” he enunciated slowly, “are crazy.”

“You get used to it,” Logan assured him with the certainty of someone who had heard this exact phrase from Virgil before. He checked his watch. “It has been some time since you last ate. I can retrieve some stored blood from our refrigerator.”

“Actually,” Patton set a plate stacked high with pancakes in the center of the table with a plonk, “I figured I could just be Anx’s donor for a while!”

Roman, who had just stolen a sip of Logan’s orange juice, did a movie-perfect spit take, and Patton slid the pancake stack swiftly out of range of the spray.

“It will be 55 days before you are viable for another blood donation,” Logan recited the fact automatically, but he was just as thrown off as Roman.

“Not if he drinks from me directly!” Patton retorted, a beacon of cheerful composure.

“What?” All three of them replied, at varying levels of screech.

Anx shot a wild-eyed look at the room at large and took a step back, as though physically distancing himself from the idea.

“Patton, you can’t be serious!” Roman pushed his chair back and stood, looking distraught. “Fangs For The Memories over here might look like Virgil, but he’s proven quite thoroughly that he’s not! We just got you un-thralled, clearly he can’t be trusted not to take advantage of you!”

Logan noticed Anx wince, though he couldn’t tell whether it was from the harsh assessment or Virgil’s name being spoken.

“Me not being thralled anymore is exactly why we can trust him not to hurt me,” Patton said, chin tilted up stubbornly. “He doesn’t know what he did wrong, but he fixed it anyway! That’s more than good enough in my book.”

“Well, maybe your book needs some copyediting!” Roman snapped back, exasperated. “So his unbeating heart isn’t as completely shriveled up as it originally seemed! So what? That doesn’t change the fact that he was the one who thralled you in the first place!”

Logan cut in, physically moving between them to break up the beginnings of a shouting match.

“I have to agree that this is a bad idea, for a multitude of reasons,” he started, raising a quelling hand before Patton could protest. “The matter of Anx’s trustworthiness aside, you shouldn’t be directly donating blood to any vampire. It is an unnecessary risk to your mental and emotional well being.”

“Thank you,” Roman said, apparently keen to seize allies where he could. He gestured expansively, looking at Patton with earnest eyes. “You’ve come so far, Pat. We don’t want to see any of your hard work undone. Virgil wouldn’t want that either; you know he’d fight this harder than any of us.”

Patton’s face had softened at their-- Roman’s sentimental worrying, but even bringing Virgil into it couldn’t sway his determined course.

“I know you guys just want me safe, but this is something I need to do. Even if it is a risk, I can’t be held down by this fear forever. And who better to help me than Anx!”

“Literally anyone who hasn’t threatened to kill everyone here in the last 48 hours,” Roman moaned, dragging his hands down his face.

“Besides,” Patton continued, undeterred, “this way we don’t have to worry about our emergency transfusion supply going low! It just makes sense.”

Logan had to begrudgingly agree. Between the hassle of trying to explain why they suddenly needed significantly more blood and the fact that a vampire drinking directly would replenish blood cells at a much higher rate than drawing blood, the best option really was to have a direct donor. He simply didn't want it to be Patton.

Unfortunately, his odds of actually being able to stop Patton were quite low.

“Nothing about any of this makes sense,” Anx grumbled, having retreated to the hall like a skittish feral cat.

The vampire seemed almost more unsettled by the idea than either of the other objecting parties, despite being the only one who directly benefited from the hypothetical arrangement. Nervous about their responses if he agreed, perhaps?

“We can at least give it a shot!” Patton insisted, coming a little closer to Anx and reaching out to gently pat his shoulder. It spoke volumes that the touch wasn't brushed off or rejected. “It could end up helping us both! And if it doesn’t, we’ll just find another way! You won’t be in trouble for messing up, okay?”

Anx blinked, slowly, still looking somewhat unconvinced that this was reality. Still, after a few moments of exposure to Patton’s encouraging smile, he dipped his head in a nod.

“Okay.”

[rosiehunterwolf]

little things

Prompts: Hugs and Crying

Word Count: 3,251

Characters: Lloyd and Kai

Timeline: Immediately after episode 18 (Child's Play)

Trigger Warnings: Trauma, Brief panic attacks

Summary: "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things."

-Kurt Vonnegut

Lloyd’s tired of being left behind. How is he meant to be the green ninja when he always has to work harder, train better, and wait longer to go on missions with his team? He wants nothing more than to be their equal.

At least, that’s what he thought he wanted.

Read on FFN.net

Read on Ao3

Tumblr work under the cut

The trip back to the Destiny’s Bounty that night was thick with tension. No one spoke, but Lloyd could feel Kai’s gaze boring into him.

He wished the fire ninja would look at something else. He didn’t want to think about what he was looking at.

It had been Lloyd’s choice, and he knew it. Not that his range of options had exactly been wide when a huge, ninja-eating monster had been looming over them, but he had made the choice nonetheless.

He just hadn’t expected it to be like this.

He had thought that not being a little boy anymore meant he got to become stronger, fight better, and, of course, accompany the ninja on their missions.

But he hadn’t thought about the way his legs would become so much longer suddenly, forcing him to concentrate so he wouldn’t trip. Or how his hair would dangle too-long in his face, or how the green gi, on which the sleeves and pant legs had been rolled up a ridiculous amount of times, now fit perfectly. Reminding him too much of who he was and what he was meant to do.

Most of all, though, he hadn’t expected the gaping ache in his chest, like someone had ripped out his heart. He didn’t understand where it came from or what it meant, only that the sparkling display racks in the windows of Doomsday Comix had never felt more distant than they did now.

Their arrival at the monastery couldn’t come soon enough, and Lloyd began to dart down the hall, anxious to get away from the prying eyes of the others. Before he could get far, however, a hand snatched his wrist, and he looked back to see Kai staring at him apprehensively.

“Hey, bud. We’re here for you. You don’t need to go running off on your own.”

Lloyd shook his head. “I’m not. I just wanna go take a shower.” The voice that came from his throat wasn’t his, it was too deep. He didn’t even recognize himself anymore.

Lloyd repressed a shiver of dread, realizing Kai was still looking at him expectantly. “I got… there was a lot of rubble and dust when the Grundle caved in the roof, I just wanna get clean. I’m fine.”

Kai stared at him for a long moment, and for once Lloyd couldn’t read the expression in his eyes. Relenting, he let out his breath, dropping Lloyd’s wrist. “You’re not. But whatever.”

Lloyd merely nodded, realizing that wasn’t the most reassuring answer he could give, but being reluctant to hear his own voice again.

Forcing himself to turn away, he headed down the hallway, passing the ninja’s cabin and heading towards his room a little way down.

Uncle Wu had cleared out the small storage room for him that first night he had stayed on the Bounty, and it had been his ever since. He had appreciated the gesture, to have his own space away from the others, and it had always been a comforting little place for him.

But now, as he gazed around at it, the room itself wasn’t the only thing that was small anymore. The bed in the corner was no longer large enough for him, the mirror mounted on the wall was too low down, the Starfarer comics piled on the nightstand were too juvenile and suddenly much less interesting.

Lloyd sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. There was no point lingering here. He might as well go take a shower like he had promised Kai.

But when he pulled open the drawer on his dresser, he paused, gazing down at the clothes.

Everything was too small. Of course it was.

Lloyd took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair as he tried to push down the bubbling panic in his chest.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

Letting out his breath again, he grabbed a pair of old, baggy pajama shorts that had always been too big on him anyway, and an undershirt from his gi.

Slipping through the halls, he made it to the bathroom at the end of the ship and quietly pulled the door shut behind him.

As he undressed, all he could focus on was his body, how it was bigger and older and different now. He forcibly shoved the thoughts out of his head before he had a breakdown and stepped into the shower.

Lloyd turned the shower as hot as it would go, barely even noticing as the water scalded his skin. He didn’t know how long he stood there, only that the water kept getting colder and colder until his teeth were chattering. Not even bothering to wash his hair, he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a bath towel, pressing his face into it.

He couldn’t do this. He had thought he could handle it, but he couldn’t. Lloyd was barely clutching on to the last threads of his sanity, and he needed to get out of here.

Quickly changing into the shorts and undershirt, he walked over to the window and carefully pushed it open. Stars twinkled at him from the dark sky, and he glanced down. The bathroom was at the top of the ship, just behind the bridge, so it was about a twenty-foot drop to the ground- easily enough to break a leg.

Biting his lip, he grabbed onto the window frame and pulled himself out, gripping onto the side of the ship as his feet found purchase on the windowsill. As he slowly stood, he accidentally caught sight of his face in the reflection in the window and nearly slipped, gasping sharply as he just barely caught himself from falling.

Get yourself together, Lloyd. You’re still yourself, just a little older. Stop being such a crybaby.

Reaching up for the edge of the roof of the bridge, he hauled himself up and crawled back from the edge a bit. Staring out over the trees, the soft glow of the city in the distance, he glanced down at his hands. Fingers too long, palms too rough.

He hadn’t known it was going to be like this. All he had done was age up a few years. It was a small sacrifice to make, seeing as the Grundle would’ve killed them all otherwise. It shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. Lloyd shouldn’t have been acting so selfishly.

He wrapped his arms around his legs, curling up into a ball.

For the first time that night, Lloyd let himself cry.

---

Kai paced back and forth across the hallway. “Ugh! Why do I let him leave? I know he always locks himself in his room and never comes back to talk to me!”

Zane frowned. “I know this is difficult and confusing for you, Kai- it is for all of us. But Lloyd’s always been much less straightforward than you. Perhaps we should try a less direct approach.”

“You’re saying I should just let him sulk alone for the rest of the night?”

“What I’m saying is that maybe we should just give him a little time to himself, time to process, before we all go barging in to speak to him.”

“Just because Lloyd thinks he wants to be alone doesn’t mean he should be. Isolation isn’t going to solve anything.”

“Kai,” Cole sighed, “that’s not what we’re saying at all. This is just a sensitive situation for Lloyd, and we don’t want to provoke him the wrong way.”

“A sensitive situation?” Kai barked. “Don’t you think I know that? But I’m telling you, he needs someone! Don’t you see? That’s what he does! He tells us he’s fine, but he’s not! Of course he’s not! And- and I want to help him, but I can’t. When he needs me most, I have no idea what to do. Augh, why did I let him come with us? I knew it was too dangerous!”

“Kai,” Zane put a cool hand on his shoulder. “Calm down. There’s nothing you could’ve done.”

“Nothing I could’ve done?” Kai blinked up at him through watery eyes. “I was supposed to protect him.”

Nya squeezed his hand. “You can’t blame yourself for this, Kai. You can’t.”

“I’m not trying to. It’s just… hard. This isn’t some small little mishap we can go back and fix. This is big.”

“I know, but he’s strong. He’s going to get through it. I think Zane’s right, we should tread lightly. Although,” she paused, her brow furrowing, “I am starting to get pretty worried about him. He’s been in there a long time.”

“Wait,” Jay frowned. “In his room?”

“No, the bathroom.”

Kai’s head snapped towards her. “Wait, what? Did he go in there again?”

Nya shook her head. “I’ve been watching the door. He never left after he went in the first time.”

Cole glanced between them. “How long has he been in there?”

Kai’s gaze darted anxiously towards the bathroom door. “He went in there to take a shower nearly an hour ago.”

Cole’s eyes darkened. “Yeah, that’s too long. Let’s go.”

They hurried over to the bathroom door and the others hovered anxiously behind as Cole rapped his knuckles on the wood, leaning his ear against it. “Lloyd, you okay in there?”

There was no answer.

Cole knocked harder, and Kai could feel the anxiety building. “Lloyd? Bud? We just wanna talk.”

“Okay,” Nya breathed after a moment, “Lloyd’s as stubborn as a mule, but he doesn’t purposely worry us like this. Something’s wrong.”

“Zane,” Cole said, the struggle to keep calm evident in his voice. “Can you pick up anything?”

Zane stilled for a moment. “My sensors don’t detect any sign of movement.”

Kai’s heart skipped a beat. “Get me in.” Shoving past the others, he lunged for the door handle, yanking on it- but it didn’t budge. “He locked it! Why would he lock it?”

“We need a lock pick!” Jay yelped. “Nya, do you have a bobby pin?”

“I can get one, I’ll be right back!”

“Lloyd!” Cole yelled, banging on the door. “Open the door! Don’t do anything dumb!”

“Talk to us, bud!” Kai cried. “Please!”

“I’m back,” Nya huffed, skidding across the floor and holding out the pin. Jay snatched it from her hand and jiggled it in the lock, gritting his teeth. The others waited apprehensively as the seconds ticked by.

Jay pulled back with a sigh. “It’s not working.”

“Lloyd,” Kai moaned, “Open up!”

Cole glanced at them. “Should I break the door?”

Zane hesitated, then nodded. “Do it. We can always replace it later. Lloyd is more important.”

Everyone except for Cole stepped away from the door. The earth ninja held up his fists, and they glowed amber, the light spreading down his forearms.

“Stand back, Lloyd! I’m coming in!” Cole lunged forward, punching in the door and sending splinters of wood flying.

Kai darted to his side and stared into the bathroom, his breath caught in his throat.

Jay stepped around them, pulling back the shower curtain. Empty.

Just like the rest of the room.

“He’s not here?” Cole asked. “I just destroyed the door for nothing?”

“That’s impossible!” Nya yelped. “I saw him go in, and he never left! I’m positive.”

Kai’s eyes lingered on the far wall. “I know where he went.”

The others followed his gaze towards the open window, and Jay’s eyes widened. “He went out the window? That fall could seriously injure him!”

Kai shook his head. “He didn’t go down, he went up.” Glancing back at the others, he added, “Perhaps Zane had a point about the whole subtlety thing. Let me go talk to him first.”

The others exchanged reluctant glances, but stepped back.

Kai pulled himself out the window, balancing carefully as his fingers found the edge of the roof’s shingles. A chilly breeze hit him in the face, but he ignored it, hauling himself the rest of the way up with a soft grunt.

Lloyd was sitting a few feet away, curled in on himself as he stared off into the distance. Kai slowly eased his way over to him and the two sat in silence for a while.

Kai forced himself to look at the boy and felt a tug on his heartstrings. The way he sat there, so quiet and still, was as unlike Lloyd as his new appearance.

Kai shook his head. He couldn’t allow himself to think like that. No doubt Lloyd already had enough of those thoughts going through his head. This was still the same person. He was still Lloyd. He was still his little brother.

Kai leaned closer, allowing his shoulder to lightly bump against Lloyd’s. The green ninja gasped suddenly, as if just realizing he was there, and quickly scrubbed at his eyes. The action made him seem more like the young child that had been left behind. That, and the fact that he was shivering.

“Dude, you’re freezing!” He glanced down to see Lloyd was only wearing a pair of baggy shorts and a light tank top. “Why aren’t you wearing any proper clothes?”

Lloyd’s cheeks flushed, and he dipped his head, muttering under his breath.

“What?”

“I don’t have any proper clothes, okay?” More quietly, he added, “Nothing fits me anymore.”

Oh, Lloyd. “Hey, why didn’t you come to me? Y’know I’ve got way more clothes than I’ll ever wear, me and the guys would be more than willing to share stuff with you. And we’ll take you shopping, too, so you can pick out some stuff of your own. How does that sound?”

Lloyd sniffed, wiping an arm across his face. “Yeah, that sounds… that sounds good.”

“Here.” Kai slipped his sweatshirt off and draped it over Lloyd’s shoulders. “It’s not exactly warm out. Don’t make yourself sick.”

“Thanks.” Lloyd pulled the sweatshirt tighter around his shoulders, and Kai felt a small swell of relief as he noticed it was still a little big on him. So his little brother hadn’t grown up completely yet.

“Bud,” he said gently, “it’s fine if you come up here, but tell us before you do next time, okay? We were worried about you.”

Lloyd looked down, still refusing to meet his gaze. “Sorry. I just… didn’t really want anyone to follow me.”

“I know, but you can’t be alone forever. It’s not going to fix anything.”

“Being together isn’t going to fix this, either.”

Kai winced. “Not physically, no. But we’ll be here for you emotionally. We’ll help you heal.”

“But I can’t-” Lloyd stopped, sighing. “Sorry. I’m being selfish.”

“Selfish? How is any of this selfish?”

“Because! You guys were risking your lives, and I made the decision that saved you, yet I’m regretting I did!” “First of all, you’re not regretting you saved us, you’re regretting the other consequences that came out of the choice. Second, it wasn’t much of a choice at all. The Grundle backed you into a corner- literally- and that was the only logical solution at the time. It’s not fair. It shouldn’t have been you. You shouldn’t have been there. You shouldn’t have been forced to make a decision like that. But you were. So you have every right to be upset, every right to complain. That is not selfish.”

Lloyd finally turned to look at him, a helpless, floundering expression on his face.

Kai took pity on him, putting an arm around him. “Lloyd, I’m here. Whether you wanna talk, or scream, or cry, or just need someone to lean on, I’m here.”

“I… I don’t know what to do, Kai. I don’t feel like myself anymore.”

“You are. You’re still the same Lloyd, still our friend, our little brother, our charge. This changes nothing between us. We’re gonna take care of you, okay?”

Lloyd sniffed, putting his hands over his face, and Kai elbowed him gently. “It’s okay to cry, y’know. No one’s gonna judge you for it.”

“But I… I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“So? Everyone cries! It’s natural, and it doesn’t matter how old you are! I’ve cried, I’ve seen Cole cry, Jay cry, I’ve definitely seen Nya cry, and Zane- well, actually, I haven’t seen Zane cry. But that’s only because he’s a nindroid and physically can’t cry. He still gets upset sometimes, though.”

“I know, but… I just feel like I should be able to handle things better.”

“Are you crazy? I’d go insane if I suddenly just aged several years in the span of seconds. Compared to me, you’re handling it like a champ.”

Lloyd didn’t look at him. “Not really. I feel like a wreck right now.” His last words caught on a sob, and Kai glanced over at him, apprehension budding in his chest.

“Are you okay?”

Lloyd blinked rapidly, trying and failing to stop the tears spilling from his eyes. “Not really.”

“Can I hug you?”

Lloyd hesitated but nodded, and Kai wasted no time in wrapping his arms around Lloyd’s shoulders, pulling him close.

Kai didn’t know how long they sat there, but it was a while before Lloyd broke the silence. “Do you think the Final Battle is coming sooner, now that I’m older?”

“I don’t know. But whenever it is, I’m gonna be there. Even if that means I have to kick Garmadon’s ass for you.” He bit his lip, grinning sheepishly. “Shoot, I didn’t mean to say that in front of you.”

Lloyd snorted. “I already know that word.”

“Wait, who taught you that? Was it Nya? I bet it was Nya.” “It wasn’t any of you. I grew up at Darkley’s, what do you expect? That isn’t the only choice word I know.”

Kai’s eyes widened. “Don’t you dare tell Zane, he’ll have a fit.”

A brief smile flickered across Lloyd’s face, the first once Kai had seen all night.

“Hey, if I’m grown up now, I should at least get to use some bad words once in a while.”

“Not happenin’, bro,” Kai grinned. “You’re not that grown up yet.”

“I could be fifty and you’d still say that.”

“What can I say, you’ve got a baby face,” Kai smirked, putting his hands on either side of Lloyd’s head.

“Stop that,” Lloyd grumbled, pushing him away. “‘M not a baby.”

“You are, and no dumb tea can change that.”

Lloyd bit his lip, trying to look away, but Kai forced his head to turn, looking him in the eye.

“Lloyd. It’s okay. You don’t have to pretend like it’s all fine. Let it out.”

Lloyd gasped, half falling into his lap, and Kai gripped him tight. It’s gonna be okay, he told himself. He’s going to be okay. We all are.

Lloyd’s path had been difficult from the beginning. It wasn’t fair that all this had been thrown on him- he was just a kid, even now. But it had been, and Kai had an awful feeling that this wouldn’t be the worst hardship his youngest teammate would have to endure.

But next time he would do better. He was one of the four elemental masters of the elements of creation. It was his job to protect Lloyd, to keep him safe.

It made his heart break to see Lloyd, usually so spunky, so unshakable, like this, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure it didn’t happen again.

But for now, he just hugged the green ninja.

He hoped, with time, it would be enough to heal him.

[moonmothmama]

i swear to christ i've fallen in love with Cain and Abel all over again every single time i've encountered them.

years ago when my brother recommended i read Swamp Thing, do you know what i came away from it with? i mean i enjoyed it. but what really burrowed into my brain were these two fuckin' guys from ONE scene, a dream sequence, and i knew there was more to them, i didn't know what it was referencing but i knew it was referencing something, and i had to find out what, i wanted more of them

and it's interesting because i had run into Cain and Abel before, briefly; in the tie-in comic book to Batman: the Animated Series. it was an issue about Scarecrow. on one page there was a sequence with two men talking to Professor Crane about a work release therapy thing. and it stuck out to me because, just like the Swamp Thing appearance later, i could tell it was a reference to something. i didn't understand the reference but i know how that shit goes. they were way too detailed and distinctive not to be someone. i couldn't look it up back then because like..... it was a long time ago. it's not like i could just google shit the way we can now.

anyway. i read Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing- which predates Sandman as i later found out- at my older brother's behest, and as i said, i walked away with a burning curiosity about two characters who had appeared once in a main character's dream.

so. typical me.

and when i looked into it, i found something that fucking delighted me: that their origins were in old horror comics. that shit was RIGHT up my alley. so i dove in, and fell in love with them again. for real, i love those comics. first off the art! AUGH the old comic book art, i live for that shit. older comic book art is so gorgeous. and i love horror! i don't care that they were a lil corny. i have some of the collected volumes of House of Secrets & House of Mystery and god i wish they were in color.

anyway there was no repetitive reenactment of the first murder going on between them until Swamp Thing. they had a pretty typical mildly antagonistic sibling relationship as far as i recall (i have to go digging for my books); Cain teased Abel, and they were a bit competitive with each other, but iirc that was about as far as it went, aside from maybe a few quick gags. although, idk, would they have been doing that back then if they could've gotten away with it? hmm. food for thought.

what was i saying? right right. falling in love with Cain and Abel for the third time: watching Sandman on Netflix. by the time i heard that was gonna be a thing i already had a deeply established affection for these guys, although i'd never encountered them in the Sandman comics (the only sandman things i can remember reading are Death: The High Cost of Living & Endless Nights. if there was something else i've forgotten it). all the same, though, i was creeping on the news about it because hell, what chance am i ever gonna get to see Cain and Abel onscreen again? i mean a gal can dream. (hah) and they were a huge deciding factor in me watching.

and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaa

they're so good i love them so much

particularly, watching this reminded me how much i enjoy Cain. is it weird that i feel a little guilty admitting that i favored Abel?? almost feel like i should apologize, lol (sorry Cain. mea culpa). but i love both of them. and i love them as a pair. and i am SO HYPED at the prospect of seeing more of them next season. PLEASE let there be more Cain and Abel next season.

[enderwoah]

a short post about fundy that turned into a rant

the dreamsmp fandom on fundy only has two sides:

“wilbur neglected fundy and never gave him any attention!!!!! he never put him in any position of power, completely never paid attention to him, always focused on tommy and did nothing to help him EVER!! hence why he rebelled and ran for president!!”

or

“wilbur always paid attention to fundy and babied him constantly!!!! that’s partially why he rebelled so he could be in power, blah blah blahh, but it made tommy mad and!” etc etc

i feel like the second opinion tends to be the least accurate. wilbur did baby fundy, yeah, when he remmebered him! has anyone noticed (i might have said this before) that fundy was the only person that wasn’t in a position of power in l’manburg? like it was there, on the wiki. tubbo was like, secretary of state, tommy was the right hand man, wilbur was the prez, ofc, but fundy? citizen. WHAT? how do you make a FOUNDING FATHER a CITIZEN?!

augh.

fundy is my favortie character for the sole reason of his backstory. it’s like. everyone else’s character is deffo made for a roleplay -- basically a blank slate for things to happen to them. a self-insert. (except for wilbur’s ive talked about that before tho.) FUNDY. FUNDY is a book character. the son of the general/president, elisted into your father’s war and tossed aside in favor of his even younger right hand man, thinking that you’re not experienced enough to do anything important??? bruh.

i wrote something on discord about this once, under the cut

“and can we talk about fundy??? he (as a person, floris) wants to be on pogtopia's side, but honestly? fundy's in-rp character would be better off being like 'yeah, i wanna join my dad's side! because....you know...im supposed to.' but then we consider the fact that wilbur basically never paid any attention to fundy as a son -- have y'all EVER thought about the fact that fundy is the ONLY FOUNDING FATHER that ISNT mentioned in the anthem?? 'with wilbur, tommy, tubbo, not eret???' are you kidding me wilbur?? he was also the only person that wasnt in a postion of power. seriously?

schlatt actually put fundy into power, so i feel like it'd be more ic for him to originally be like yeah, i wanna be on wilbur's side before realizing that schlatt treats him better than wilbur ever did.”

look, i would have been SLAIN if fundy started out as someone who wanted to be on pogtopia’s side who slowly grew to accept schlatt because ‘woah...this guy actually let me be powerful? he let me DO THINGS, i’m...important??’

i totally get him staying there because genuinely, nobody irl wants to be on schlatts side (let me be with the funky roleplay man not the senile old guy who is also equally good at roleplaying and just as cool as wilbur and why doesn’t anyone want to be on schlatt’s side can someone pLEASE EXPLAIN??), but in terms of being in character, gosh, that’d be pretty funky.

my friend on the discord, mae, said it as follows

“It feels like Fundy wanted to show his father that he is strong, which would explain why he decided to run against Pog2020 in the election. It's clear that Fundy doesn't really want to be on Schlatt's side, however this is the first time that someone has given him this powerful position and he doesn't want to lose that by joining Pogtopia.

Just like you said when you talked about Fundy not being in the L'manburg anthem, Wilbur also said that Fundy was 'too young' and that 'he doesn't understand' when Schlatt said that he wanted to promote Fundy.“

AND OH ABSOLUTELY AMAZING YES YES I LOVE 100%!!!

ive written a couple of fics about wilbur and something that i really jump on is the fact that his character REALLY wants people to be dependent on him, so when fundy ran against him and then took it a step further and practically disowned him? direct punch in the gut to wilbur's villain desires.

wilbur wants power. he wants control. all of those things have to do with others. and if he cant have it then, in his own words, no one can, and him keeping fundy out of power is his way to keep control over him.

because who knows how fundy would have acted if he was in more control than wilbur? unpredictable, so dangerous.

thank you for coming to my TEDtalk.

[jessicanjpa]

So this got super long, but your tag about wanting more lil’ Edward in MS had me going “awwwww” and then my brain started going. I mean, sure, technically he wouldn’t be able to remember a lot from his human days after turning, and with him being almost a century old there really isn’t any human memories worth bringing up bc now it’s such a small part of his existence. BUT hear me out...

Little Edward was curious, focused, cunning, musical, and affectionate. Observant, too. He would put his plump little hand on his mother’s when he sensed she was sad, and she knew that somehow he knew (and then he’d get cuddled).

He was entranced with the sounds of a piano since he first heard his mother play. Little Edward wasn’t allowed to touch the magnificent instrument, but one day his parents caught him, feet dangling, green eyes studiously focused, plucking at the keys until they made nice sounds. Elizabeth cooed that he was a natural, and his father agreed on lessons.

Little Edward loved to run. He was the fastest on the playground. Whenever he played ‘Tag’ with the other kids he always had this big, goofy grin on his face, hair wild, cheeks pink as he caught his breath. And he never lost. Kids stopped asking him to play rather quickly, though. That’s when he got more into sports, where running wasn’t the only way to win but where it was still necessary. He didn’t always win as easily at these games, though, and that’s when his competitiveness began.

At school, Edward was generally well-liked by everyone. He was an avid reader (even with picture books), kept to himself a lot, and had only a couple best friends. He got into real trouble only once: when ‘the mean kid’ purposely threw a baseball into his best friend’s shoulder instead of to the catcher and 10-year-old Edward retaliated by pitching one directly into the bully’s nose in the next inning. Neither of his parents were amused, and although he apologized to the kid he was secretly rather pleased with himself for enacting “justice”. Young Edward liked things fair, and he didn’t see a problem with doing it himself. He figured someone had to, right?

In class, he was quiet, but not shy. Teacher’s loved him, but he would once in awhile get a scolding for ‘arguing’ with the teachers when they said something he didn’t quite agree with. He called it a discussion; his teachers called it a disturbance. This started at a young age, where he would delay lessons because he was asking too many skeptical questions.

His grades were naturally good, but when they slipped because he was too busy studying music rather than math his father would get mad, so growing up he made sure his grades were always top-of-the-class material so he could study his art without his father breathing down his neck. (They never agreed very much as he got older. But one thing that always brought the two Edwards together was baseball. His father was the one who taught him how to play, and tossing the ball back and forth was the only place they could form a companionable silence.)

Where Edward Sr. was too strict with little Edward, Elizabeth spoiled him. She was strong, and disciplined when she saw fit, but overall, her son was everything to her, and she couldn’t stay upset with him for long. When toddler Edward looked up at her with those wide green eyes that saw too much, through those long lashes above those chubby cheeks he got A LOT of cuddles (and a lot of freebies).

Little Edward loved going on outings with his mother. No matter what they were doing, he would find something to be curious about, to be entranced by. And he always wanted to help. He would proudly carry a single orange through town because that’s the grocery item his mother entrusted him with, and he was determined to help. Little Edward didn’t like letting anybody down, especially people he was close to.

He was a silly, passionate little guy with a kind heart and creative spirit, who mussed up his hair whenever his mother combed it too neat and didn’t really like to get too dirty and hated wearing caps and loved to stand outside in the wind and picked flowers for everyone even if his father never accepted them and got caught more than once starting up the family car when he could barely reach the pedals. (When an adult would race outside and cross their arms at him for the umpteenth time, his lightly freckled face would peek over the wheel and he would grace them with an angelic, crooked little grin that was missing a tooth. Esme would have adored it.)

AUGH I love every bit of this 💜💜💜💜 thank you so much and PLEASE will you draw that first time Edward was at the piano? Pretty please? 😢😢😢

[mimik-u]

“Homeworld Bound” Thoughts:

I wasn’t going to watch this one today, but then I realized that I really missed the Diamonds and wanted to consume novel content, so!

OOH, good on the show for taking us directly to the aftermath of “Fragments” instead of putting space between the episodes. That’s just... a really good choice narrative wise.

Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl’s expressions are so distressing here. He’s been gone for three days; they must’ve been so worried.

Jasper steps aside to reveal an absolutely ruined Steven.

He just technically killed a gem and then resurrected her. How intensely will that forever lie on his psyche? Oh my g od

NO, NOT JASPER PASSIVELY MAKING THE DIAMOND SIGN IN THE BACKGROUND AUGH

“You can’t just disappear for days without telling us!”

Steven silent walking up to the Observatory as the Gems continue to freak the fuck out is harrowing. And Dee Dee Magno Hall is killing it with her voice acting here. The simultaneous fear and anger and horror in her voice. Oh my g d

“You guys... I love you, but you can’t help me anymore. I’ve been avoiding the only people in the entire universe who can.” 🥺 This is sad, but I’m also, like, problematic grandmas time!!!!!

“Find something better to do with your life.” God, Jasper’s look of disbelief and sadness here. I didn’t really delve into this during my “Fragments” watch because I was just roridoodwrjfkrkeke reeling, but her reaction to being accidentally shattered is psychologically devastating???? I’d wager that she simultaneously respects the fact that she’s been subjugated by a being more powerful than her, that she’s grateful to Steven for being both subjugator and savior, and likely, she’s conflating this new loyalty with her former loyalty for Pink. This is a really complex psyche (a tragic one most of all).

Garnet: “Steven, remember, we’ll always be your family.” I’m so fucki n emo

AWHWHWH, HOMEWORLD IS SO BRIGHT AND COLORFUL NOW!!!

YO!! Homeworld has a democracy now!! The Zircons!!!!!!!

THE WALL GEM IS MOVING??????? KWOEOEIDJDKSJS

Can u imagine being a wall cursed with sentience. that is so funny on so many levels

But it’s also really interesting, too. If the Wall Gem is a gem in the way say Topazes are gems, which, judging by her mobility, she is—then her explicit purpose in Era 1-2, as molded by presumably Yellow, was to b a wall omg. (Or, arguably, I think it can be argued that the inanimate object Gems, like Comby, were probably accidental sentient creations, made in relationship to their proximity to the Diamonds during their various secretion rituals!!)

Anyway, I love thinking about Homeworld worldbuilding. It’s fascinating.

SQUARE PERIDOT

SPIIIIIINELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!

Her heart eyes!! She looks so happy!

Steven, angry af: “Spinel, what is wrong with you?” / Spinel: Oh, you know—the usual.” KEKDSKDK

Also, Steven really wanted to say fuck there. NEKDDKKSSKKS

“I was such a wreck then, but I am so much better now.” We stan character growth 😭😭

One thing I have loved the Crewniverse so much for doing is never taking away the physical signs of gems’ mental distress, even after they’ve gotten better: Blue’s eye bags, Volleyball’s eye, Spinel’s running mascara. That is so important.

YELLOW SITTING AT HER LIL VANITY!!

IT’S LIGHT INSIDE HER ROOM! THERE R FLOWERS! THRIVE, QUEEN, THRIVE.

YELLOW REVERSING HER GEM EXPERIMENTS OH MY G D

FUCKING QUEEN!!!!!!

(I’m sorry in advance. The rest of the live blog is just going to be screaming about the Diamonds.)

“I can permanently alter any physical form!” She’s so proud of herself. 😭😭😭 I fuckin’ love her.

Yellow laying down on the ground like that is SENDING ME SKSKSJSJ.

Ugh, and her being such a good mom to Spinel. I’m cry in f

“If anything’s out of proportion, it’s your temper. You can be big if you want to, or you can be small if you want to, but if you’re going to be upset no matter what, then this problem isn’t physical—it’s emotional. Go see Blue.”

I really like her advice here because it’s advice that comments so clearly on her own character arc. At her lowest, she was quick to anger, aggressive, and temperamental, which she diagnoses in Steven here. Additionally, she was the Diamond who was concerned largely with physical actions. She coped by maintaining the Empire through conquering planets and maintaining the minutiae of leadership; she thought the only way to receive justice for Pink was through the physical act of destruction. And in doing so, she pushed her own emotions deep, deep down until they manifested in anger, aggressiveness, and temperamental outbursts. This hurt the people she cared about, and it hurt herself most of all.

Also, “Go see Blue. That is her department.” Ejdoiddjdjjsjdjdks, “go see ur other grandma.”

BLUE FLOATING ON A CLOUD!!!!!

“Your powers have been causing you dramatic mood swings? That seems awfully troubling Steven.” God I love her

“You don’t seem troubled.” This is a really interesting line because it comments on how Blue’s emotions, especially her negatively charged ones, used to be so visible all over her; indeed, she both wittingly and actively used to project them on other Gems, forcing them to feel her suffering, too.

OH, SHE GOES ON TO SAY THE EXACT SAME THING EOEODODISSJJS. LISTEN, I REALLY VIBE WITH BLUE.

“Back before you came into my life, Steven, I wanted every one to feel the pain I felt. I realized I must make up for my awful behavior by bringing joy to others.”

Another thing I’ve appreciated about the writing in this episode: So far, both Blue and Yellow have used the adjective awful to describe their former actions. It’s the self-awareness and the refusal to try to excuse themselves that powerfully shows how much they’ve grown. And it’s their continuous endeavors to keep moving forward, to help the Gems that they’ve hurt, that indicates that they’re willing to constantly keep growing and atoning.

NFOFOFDKSSKSKSK, THESE CLOUDS ARE JUST HER VAPORIZED TEARS HELP.

Sick vape clouds, Blue

I’VE HEARD THE SONG BEFORE, BUT EVERY TIME SHE SINGS, I LOSE MY SHI T

LISA HANNNNIGAAAAAAAN

This is such a pretty line: “Cold palace walls, and endless empty halls, haunted by echoes of laughter.”

BLUE ASCENDING THROUGH THE CLOUDS AUSHAHHSHD

BLUE MAKING HEART CLOUDS FOR SPINEL!!

BLUE CALLING SPINEL N STEVEN HER LITTLE REASONS WHY.

“I’LL NEVER MAKE YOU CRY.” This line is particularly lovely because I think it plays well with Steven’s line to her in “CYM:” “How many times did you make her cry?”

BDJDJDJSJDJ, BLUE LAYING ON HER CLOUD LIKE YELLOW LAID ON THE FLOOR.

The way she sings the last “loving you.” 😭😭😭😭 I’m gonna weep. I love her so fucking much.

“I found happiness. If that's not something you think you deserve, then I suspect this is an issue of self worth. I suggest you go to White for assistance with such matters.” 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 And like Yellow did, Blue gets to the heart of her arc cleanly.

Before Steven and before her own emotional reckoning, she didn’t think it was her place to be happy: “I know my purpose isn’t to be happy.” But in learning to love others, Blue has found true, inner happiness, which she literally shares with others. Wow.

And I think there’s something powerful in her distinction between true happiness and self-worth. You can’t find one without espousing the other.

White’s room is so pretty. 🥺

THE FLASHING STROBE LIGJTS DDNJDFJDJDNF.

SPINEL WHITE DIAMOND?!/!:$;8;83&:&:

SHE FUCKING LETS OTHER GEMS CONTROL HE R HELP.

SPINEL MAKING WHITE TAP DANCE FICODODOFODJDNDJSJDJDJJDDJDJ

Steven’s horrified expression omg

“I’m scared I’m gonna hurt people; I guess I already have.” God.

And that’s another thing that this episode has called to mind. Blue, Yellow, and White alike once used their insane powers to hurt other Gems and to hurt themselves, and here, throughout this series, we see Steven discovering that same capacity for destruction and self-destruction. Along with the systematic oppressions they facilitated, a big part of the Diamonds’ modus operandi was that their powers were directly correlated to their mental states and their various inabilities to confront their own selves and effect inner change. The corrective wasn’t necessarily Steven; the corrective was him helping them to do that initial act of introspection and looking inwards. And so, too, will Steven have to do the same by the end of this series. But I presume that his family, all the people and gems who have loved and cared for him, will in effect be his Steven, just as he has always been for them.

“Half a Diamond, half a creature of Earth—in all the universe there's no one else that could know what you’re going through, so maybe it's time you talked to yourself.” This is so viscerally sad. White hits the nail on the head here. Steven’s human friends/family and his gem family and even the Diamonds, who come the closest to matching his own strength, can never fully understand him. It’s the tension that underscores a lot, if not the entire show.

White briefly touches Steven with her nail, and you can viscerally see the trauma on his face; he hasn’t forgotten her act above all, wrenching his gem out, nearly killing him.

“I’m... I’m a Diamond.” Steven, in looking at White Diamond, realizes that she’s a mirror of himself. Holy fucking shit

“I don’t want to be you! I don’t want to be anything like you!” HOLY FUCKING SHIT

“Don’t hurt me! She can’t hurt me! I’m controlling her...” And here, Steven doesn’t light upon the essential thing... in making White punch the wall, nearly knocking a huge rock into him, he’s the one hurting himself.

This show, oh my g o d

“She’s the one who should be afraid.” STEVEN?!!!!????!??!

“No, stop it! I don’t like this!” / “Please, you’re scaring me.” OH MY GO D

HE FUCKING MADE HER SLAM HER GEM AGAINST A PILLAR HOLY HE LL

“What... what was that?” Christine’s delivery here. Holy shit. 😭😭 And both of them are surrounded in the carnage of Steven’s wrath. Holy fucking shit.

This act is fundamentally different than him accidentally shattering Jasper in “Fragments”; this was an intentional attempt to hurt White, to crack her, to break her. Holy fucking shit

Spinel, Blue, and Yellow waiting for Steven outside of White’s door has my heart a little and a lot tender 🥺🥺🥺🥺

SPINEL SINGING I CAN MAKE A CHANGE SO DRAMATICALLY DJDIDJDJDJDJD. (But yeah, lmao, this will absolutely be the conclusion of Steven’s arc at the end of Future.)

“Steven! Let us help you, Steven!” The Diamonds are so concerned (mirroring the Gems back at home, too). 😭😭

He leaves a flip flop behind like Cinderella lmao

“Steven, let us help you!” / “We’re your family!” 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

And just as he implored the CGs, he tells the Diamonds not to follow him either.

Steven is completely and utterly alone.

Not by necessity.

But God, by choice.

Okay, this is my new favorite Future episode.

[wanderingchocolateeclair]

Edgejeanist fluff, with their daughter, just having a lovely adorable time!

Gonna tag @ohpleaseiwillendyou @theshisthings @kiriderp and @kure-san because idk, I wanna give you some fluff and thought you guys might wanna see this? ❤️

No warnings! It’s fluff for once, but it’s actually pretty long so ->

I haven’t written fluff for a while (since my edgeshot birthday ramble, I think) and I think that you guys deserve some. Also, it’s based off of the introduction to my angst I was writing, and I just felt that I’d give you an alternate plot and ending than the one in that 👀

——————————————————

Shinya blinked at the light that his phone was emitting as he checked the time.

6:59am- no, 7:00am. He let out a small sigh and turned over to face the sleeping figure beside him. Tsunagu’s face looked so calm and still, and Shinya couldn’t help but smile at how peaceful he seemed in that moment. His husband was always so tense and stressed out from work, but in these rare moments, it made him oh so happy to see him finally relax.

Watching as his partner’s chest moved up and down slowly, he sighed and leaned forward to place a very gentle kiss on his forehead, sweeping the other’s blond hair out of his face slightly as he did so.

Tsunagu instinctively went to hug this source of heat closer to his body and Shinya ended up having to try (but fail) to awkwardly pry himself out of his grasp, their cheeks smushed together as the lanky blond hugged him tighter. His breath brushed across Shinya’s ear, causing him to chuckle slightly. No matter how long they could’ve been together, Shinya still found himself blush a bit at the sight of his adorable lanky husband, who was now pouting due to the lack of things to cuddle...maybe he was just having a cuddly dream...

Shinya slid carefully out of the warmth of the duvets and Tsunagu’s comforting embrace and stood up, shivering as the cold morning air hit his skin. Wow it was chilly, and he noticed the other man curl up at the lack of warmth and huff in a sleepy dismay.

“Why do I have to go to work today?” Shinya grumbled to himself as he stumbled silently into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. “Surely, it didn’t have to be today....of all days? There’s no emergency calls so far, no urgent upcoming missions, Shinji and Yuu are both working today anyway.......and the only thing I’d be doing is patrol.....”

He trailed off, thinking as much as his fatigued brain would let him as he slipped out of his clothes and into the shower. ‘Maybe if I....’

———————————

Tsunagu woke up to the soft sound of his husband’s humming, masked ever so slightly by the sound of the running water of the shower. He blinked slowly as he tried to get his eyes to open, wincing at the sudden brightness of the room and pulling the bedsheets over his shoulders to warm himself up.

He glanced over at Shinya’s phone and watched as it buzzed across the table, showing the time and a couple of new unread messages.

‘7:30. Hm. It’s early.’ He thought as he reached out to move Shinya’s phone to the middle of the bedside table, to stop it from falling off from the constant stream of notifications. He turned back around to face the bathroom door and yawned loudly, listening out for the sudden silence and little taps of Shinya’s feet as he stops the shower and dries himself off.

The bathroom door opened with a little click and the silver haired man emerged from the now rather steamy room, wrapped in a long fluffy jumper and shorts. Toothbrush in hand, he ruffled his long wet hair with a small towel and turned to face the lanky figure that was now sitting up on the bed, smiling tiredly.

“Good morning!” Tsunagu called out brightly, well, as brightly as one could at 7:36 in the morning.

“Ah!” Shinya fumbled around for the toothbrush that slipped out of his hand in shock, startled by the blond man that was laughing at him from across the room. “You’re awake! Already? It’s so early, you didn’t need to be up! It’s....it’s, um, the time....”

“7:37am, dear.” Tsunagu interrupted informatively.

Shinya blinked, taking a second before he actually registered what the other had said, before trying to remember the point he was trying to make. “Yes! 7:37! Exactly. Early. Uh-huh, yes.”

Tsunagu chuckled and shook his head as he listened to his small husband try and rant about him waking up ‘too early’.

“Oi, don’ ‘augh ah ee!” (‘Oi, don’t laugh at me!’)Shinya huffed as he stood there brushing his teeth, putting off the fact that he needed to also get changed before work.

“Hm? I’m sorry, I didn’t get that. You might want to repeat that~” Tsunagu teased, his smile shifting into his usual characteristic smirk as he watched his partner glare at him with revenge in his eyes.

Shinya finished brushing his teeth and stood silently next to the older man, looming ominously as he decided his fate. Tsunagu realised his mistake and quickly regretted it when he noticed Shinya’s hands move very slowly out of his pockets.

Shinya gently but quickly jabbed the taller mans sides and smiled evilly at the harmless panic that he’d caused. He watched as his husband wriggled around,bursting out laughing at the sudden tickle attack.

“I said, don’t laugh at me. Or else you’ll pay the consequences.” He said in a mockingly formal manner.

“Okay- ahahokay, oka- okay! I get, ahaha, I get it! Please, stop- ahaha I’m sorry!!” Tsunagu barely managed to stutter out between laughs.

After surrendering to the tiny ninja, Tsunagu sighed and sat back up, shaking his head to move his hair out of his eyes. “Anyway, you got some messages. They might be important.”

“Oh, really? Who by?” Shinya moved to go and check his phone.

“I think you overestimate my eyesight and attention to detail at this time of day.”

“Oh come on, you could’ve at least read the name of- oh it’s Shinji.”

“Mhm. Anything important, or just a normal text before work?” Tsunagu inquired, pouting slightly at the idea of Shinya having to go to work today. Why couldn’t he just have the day off?

“Hm. Yeah.” Shinya briefly replied, taking in the message with a smile and feeling his shoulders relax a little bit more at the words that he’d just read. Well that was good, amazing even. What a brilliant idea!

Tsunagu looked at his husband blankly before giving a sarcastic reply. “Wow. Well that was informative....”

Shinya blinked at his phone before putting it down and changing into some clean clothes.

Tsunagu looked down at his phone as a slight hope for some explanation or context to what Shinya was so happy about, but shook his head as he yawned again. “Well, have you checked on Izumi? Is she awake yet?”

“Ah, no I haven’t. She is probably awake by now though.” Shinya replied, pulling a blue t-shirt over his head and giving his head a slight shake to get his hair out of it.

Tsunagu hummed in agreement and stretched his arms out, looking towards the open bedroom door in anticipation, and soon enough he heard exactly what he was waiting for.

Tiny but rapid footsteps could be heard thumping lightly against the carpet as they grew nearer to where the two tired pro heroes were, making them share a soft smile as they both turn towards the sound.

“Good morning, Papa!!!” The small bundle of energy yelled as she came bursting into the room and flew straight into Shinya’s open arms.

“Woah!! You’re up early today, petal! I thought you said you were gonna have a ‘nice sleepy morning’!” Shinya laughed as he spun Izumi around, making her giggle in excitement.

Izumi smiled innocently and leaned backwards in her father’s arms, her relatively short hair (that was a lighter shade of grey than Shinya’s) all ruffled and tangled.

“Well,” she pouted slightly, “I woke up and- and I was sleepy, and then I felt fidgety so...so I sat there for a little bit, because, cos I didn’t wanna wake you! But then I heard you and dad talking...and so, so you are awake!! So I wanted to see you before you go to work!!”

“Oh, oh I see! Well I guess we’re all awake now!” Shinya reacted in an over exaggerated manner, ruffling Izumi’s hair even more and placing her on the edge of the bed earning a few more giggles from the happy child.

Izumi looked down at her hands and thought for a moment.

“Papa?”

“Hm? What is it, petal?”

“Do...do you have to go to work today?”

Shinya looked up at Izumi and saw big teal eyes staring back at him. Ouch. He peeked over their daughter’s shoulder to share an awkward hesitant silence with his husband, who was still bundled up in half of the duvet cover, before taking Izumi’s hands in his own.

“Oh ‘zumi........I’m afraid so, petal, but I tell you what,” Shinya motioned for her to get closer and whispered a short message in her ear, causing her face to light up again and making her look excited.

“And,” he made the last part a little louder so that Tsunagu could hear him, “go tackle Dad for me, will ya? He won’t know what hit him!”

Tsunagu smiled in amusement and started to act dramatically in front of his daughter.

“Oh! How tragic! Not even a single ‘good morning’ for me, what sadness is this!” The dramatic blond paused momentarily to peek at his daughters reaction, watching as she snuck closer with a mischievous look on her face. “Have I become invisible?! My own daughter not even giving me a single cuddle- oh nO! I must have been forgotten! Oh poor old me, poor poor little me-”

The lanky noodle’s theatrical performance was interrupted by a enthusiastic hug and a rather loud “Good morning, dad!!!!” and a lot of laughter.

“Augh! Good morning, sunshine!! What a surprise!! You’ve caught me, oh nooooo...” Tsunagu rolled off the edge of the bed in defeat before pulling Izumi into a big hug.

“Ahaha yay!! I got you, I got you!!” The light haired girl exclaimed excitedly.

Tsunagu fixed his hair slightly with a small chuckle. “Yes you did!!! Good job, ‘zumi, how did you sleep?”

“Hm. Good! I had a funny dream, can I tell you?!”

“Of course, sunshine, but maybe after we’ve all woken up first!”

“Okay!”

They all headed downstairs, Tsunagu and Izumi both wrapped in matching fluffy pyjamas as they sat around the living room chatting and giggling. They just wanted to spend as much time as they could together. That’s all. They were just as happy as they could be, talking and playing around as they waited for it to be the time where Shinya had to go to work.

—————————

Their playful mood was cut short by the sound of Shinya’s phone beeping, signalling the time.

“Ah.”

Shinya looked down at the time. 8:00am. Time for work.

Sighing, he looked over to see his husband and daughter pouting with almost identical faces, looking sad and down. ‘And people wonder if they look alike, huh? No no...she is definitely his daughter! Just look at that face!’ He thought to himself, never getting over how much Izumi looked like them both, especially Tsunagu (in his eyes, that is)....and how adorable they both were.

“Well, I guess I better head off then...” Shinya said, trying his best not to dishearten the other two, who were staring up at him with big, round puppy eyes. “Don’t get into too much trouble!”

“Which one of us?” Tsunagu inquired curiously.

“You of course! You know our little petal is always innocent!” He poked his tongue out at his lanky husband and gave his daughter a small wink.

“Haha yeah, okay.”

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Shinya asked the small child that was now approaching him for a cuddle before he walked out the door. “I’m putting you in charge for today!”

He gently flicked her nose, making her giggle in surprise, before burying her head deeper into the softness of his mother’s - her grandmother’s - scarf.

Tsunagu walked over quietly, noticing a suspicious glint in his husbands eyes. Hm. That’s never a good sign, especially with Shinya’s pranking antics. He seemed way too happy to be ‘going to work’, not to mention the texts this morning and the fact that he wasn’t leaving in his uniform like usual....it wasn’t anything bad! His instincts reassured him for that part, but still, it was a hint at some mischief and he was unsure as to whether he’d like it.

But he dismissed these curiosities and went to embrace his tiny husband, who still had an excitable child wrapped around his neck.

“Have a good day....stay safe...” Tsunagu mumbled quietly to the other, planting a small kiss on his cheek and touching their foreheads together in a gentle, familiar manner.

“Of course.” Shinya replied distantly, thinking about what he had planned for the day. “See you in a bit!”

“Bye Papa!!” Izumi waved, holding onto Tsunagu’s leg as she swayed back and forth.

“See you later!” Tsunagu called out, placing his hand on his daughters head as they watched the ninja turn the comer and glide away.

After a short silence, Tsunagu decided that he should start their fun day off and entertain his tiny daughter to the best of his ability, without Shinya there to ruin his plans with his pranks.

“Hey, sunshine...” he slyly poked the top of his daughter’s head.

“Yes, Dad?” Izumi looked up curiously.

“....you wanna make some pancakes?”

Izumi’s face lit up and she expressed her joy through a vigorous little dance.

“PANCAKES!!!”

——————————

After about an hour of very messy pancake making, they finally managed to make a batch that didn’t taste like burnt oranges, or have the texture of an over cooked rubber duck. (He can cook, but it’s a bit difficult when you’re trying to cook with the daughter of a particular prankster of a ninja....)

Rubbing the back of his head, Tsunagu looked back at his daughter with a smile, watching as she swung her legs back and forwards in delight as she munched on her breakfast. Her hair was now bunched into two cute little pigtails (you don’t think, of all people, Best Jeanist would let his daughter have messy hair all day? Haha no way.) and she looked up at her dad briefly, making a silly face in return.

Tsunagu let out a small laugh. “You little ball of sunshine, you! Are they nice? Did your good ol’ dad do a good job this time? I sure hope they don’t still taste like smelly socks!” He joked around, poking his daughters cheek softly.

“Mhm! Of course they’re good!” Izumi replied, her mouth still very full with pancake and her eyes sparkling happily.

“Oh good, I’m glad!” Tsunagu ruffled her hair in response and headed to the kitchen to clean up everything. “Right...what a mess...”

Using his quirk to pull all of the clean mugs and utensils around using the threads that he wove around each of them, he swiftly began to tidy up - his mind drifting slightly, wondering about what his husband could be up to at the moment.

Meanwhile, Izumi had been a little distracted by a ‘mysterious shiny string’...leading her to wander around to find something....

——————————————

After dealing with the mess that was cluttering the kitchen, Tsunagu walked back into the living room to find that Izumi wasn’t sitting there.

“Sunshine?” He called out a couple of times, peeking round some of the doors to try and find his tiny daughter. “Sunshine, where’d you go?”

‘Maybe she’s outside?’ He reassured himself. He’d always been the more paranoid person, and becoming a parent of a child with not only a very very tricky quirk, but also the daughter (and ‘apprentice’) of a very mischievous ninja, did not help at all.

As he went to check, he noticed a small piece of string poking out from the door and hesitantly picked it up, only to notice that it was attached to a small note...which was attached to a much longer piece of string...leading outside.

He read the note and wondered slightly at the familiarity of the handwriting, before following the string to wherever it led.

‘I know you are probably wondering where Izumi is. Don’t worry too much, just follow the string, I’m sure your hunch will tell you all you need to know.

P.s. she is very happy and excited, hurry up you lanky bean.’

Before long, the lanky french fry had reached a small field with a couple of trees dotted around the edges. ‘Oh, I know where this is! Shinya and I used to have little picnic dates here, how cute.’ Tsunagu reminisced happily, still worried as to where his daughter was.

“‘zumi? Izumi?? Hello~ Izumi Kamihara? Sunshine, where are you??” He called out, trying to mask his concern.

“Dad!” A small voice called out from behind a tree and was followed by a series of giggles as the small girl poked her head out to face her worried parent.

“Oh! There you are! I was worried!!” Tsunagu rushed over and scooped his daughter up into his own embrace, spinning her around slightly as he did so.

A light tap was felt on his shoulder and he turned his head rapidly to try and find out what it was, only to be very pleasantly surprised by the face that was hovering in front of his.

“Hello, love!” A certain silver-haired man greeted the confused noodle with his familiar smile. “Sorry for the little surprise!”

“Ah, wha...” Tsunagu started to question.

Shinya laughed, leaning in to peck Tsunagu’s nose, before cupping the puzzled man’s face and kissing him - still laughing at the other’s stumped expression.

“Haha! Oh that’s priceless, you should’ve seen your face! Did ya get that, petal? Wasn’t that funny?” Shinya turned towards Izumi, who had somehow gotten hold of multiple phones and had taken several pictures of her dad’s baffled face. Ah. Blackmail.

“Hahaha!! Papa was right, dad, your face is so funny ahaha!!” The lighter haired child snickered at Tsunagu’s dismay.

“Wh- what is going on? I’m so confused...” Tsunagu questioned as Shinya took his hand in his own and led him to a quiet spot by the river, swinging Izumi with his other arm.

“Well, Shinji messaged this morning, yes? And he said that, since we’ve got no urgent missions today, both him and Yuu decided to do patrol and take care of things by themselves.” Shinya explained, motioning for the other to watch his head on an overhanging branch. “And well....since both of you are off today....and we never get to spend time as a whole family...they just thought that it would be nice to, you know, take a day off.”

Tsunagu sighed as he watched his husband smile gently. He’d always been such a workaholic and never really liked to take days off, though it’s always been obvious when he needed one, and deep down wished for more time with his family.

It’s pretty self-explanatory, but Shinya always, always wanted as much time as he could get to spend with his loved ones, and having a family that was finally with him, and was always there for him to come home to....it was like a dream to him....a dream that he never ever wanted to wake from.

“I see. Well, how nice of them!”

Shinya hummed in agreement. “Yeah....how nice....I’m so glad, I get time to spend with you both.”

Izumi looked up and saw her parents smiling softly at each others words and smiled happily to herself. ‘So exciting!! Time with papa and dad!! We can all be happy and eat food and relax!’

As they reached their destination, Tsunagu gasped at what he saw. There was a small blanket spread across the leaves, sitting next to a stream. On top of the blanket, was multiple snacks and drinks and some little trinkets and items for Izumi to play with.

Izumi squealed happily and immediately ran over to sit on the blanket, picking up one of the small puzzle boxes and giving it a gentle shake. Shinya smiled at her excitement and turned around to face his husband, who looked just as relaxed as he was, for once.

“D’ya like it?”

Tsunagu looked to be deep in thought for a moment before rushing forward and sweeping Shinya off of his feet and taking him into his arms, spinning his tiny husband around and pressing their foreheads together as they both laughed.

“Oh I love it, darling! You a never fail to surprise me, even after all these years!” Tsunagu exclaimed, kissing the other blissfully before setting him back down. “Shinya Kamihara, the man who never fails to make his family happy and proud!”

Shinya blushed at the lanky blond’s flattering words and reached down to ruffle Izumi’s hair. “I-I just thought it would be a nice little surprise, y’know, that it would make you and Izumi happy.”

“Well that it definitely did!” Tsunagu chuckled and embraced the younger man yet again. “Although...I’m still a bit confused as to why you still left the house this morning?”

Shinya let out a small sigh and reached down to pick up a couple of bags that were resting on the picnic blanket. “I decided to get lunch! I knew that I didn’t have to go to work, so instead I went out and bought a few things.”

The taller man hummed inquisitively. “What did you get?”

“Well first I got some meat buns, because we haven’t had any for a while. I also got donuts for our little petal,” the ninja paused, looking down at their daughter’s even more cheerful face looking back up at them, before continuing, “I got noodles for me and some sushi from that shop around the corner that we like because you said the other day that you wanted sushi!”

Tsunagu looked ecstatic as he sat down next to his daughter and pulled his husband down with him into a massive hug. “Oh Shinya, love, you really are the best!”

“Yeah papa’s the best! Papa’s amazing!” Izumi chirped cheerfully.

“You are very right with that, sunshine” Tsunagu laughed.

“Oh you two....” Shinya bashfully looked down before giving them both a loving little shake. “Thank you, petal, you little sweetheart. And you, love, stop being so sappy - it’s almost as bad as your puns.”

“Hey! They’re not that bad!”

“Uh-huh, sure, keep telling yourself that.”

“....you’re lucky I love you...”

Shinya snorted and picked up a couple of meat buns, shoving one into Tsunagu’s face to stop him from talking and nibbling on the other himself. The tall blond pouted at this gesture but sighed as he saw how amused their tiny daughter was.

Looking at them both, he smiled and nuzzled his face into the tops of their heads lovingly. They were all so happy, and thats exactly how it should be.

“What a lovely day!”

[the-soupiest-artist]

The Legend of Zelda: Lost and Found

Chapter 1: Searching for the Missing Girl

In celebration of the 2 year anniversary of Song of the Healers, my webcomic, I decided to start a new journey!! Please be warned this trail of stories will have MAJOR SPOILERS for the comic, so if you want to stay pure I’d advise you to stay away....or stay....There are some pretty nice art pieces scatter throughout  this fic. ANYWAYS! Thank you all so much for your love towards my OCs in SOH! I hope you enjoy this new tale!

~ The Healer Palace was in a crisis. The tailors and servants alike were searching the palace high and low for someone of the utmost importance. Most people were searching by themselves but some chose to travel in groups as they covered as much of the palace ground as possible. One of the palace tailors, the head tailor to be precise, met up with one of the other frantic servants. Her jewelry jingled as she halted to a stop. 

“Azalea! Have you found her yet?!?!” The head tailor asked.

The servant shook her head, her eyes plastered with worry, “No Sister Iris!”

Sister Iris, the head tailor let out a groan, “Oh for Akane’s sake! Of all the days to go missing!” 

“Keep searching!” Iris shouted, turning on her heel and running in the opposite direction. 

Azalea continued on her path, running through the crowded inner courtyard of The Healer Palace. The round marble structure shielded the inhabitants of the palace from the hot evening sun. 

Running through the crowd Azalea spotted the familiar uniform of someone who might be of more help. 

Sprinting towards him Azalea called out towards the young soldier. “Link! Link! Thank the gods I’ve found you!” 

The young guard turned around and pushed some of his blonde hair from his eyes. “Azalea? What’s wrong?!”

Azalea halted to stop her words spilling from her as she explained the crisis that she and the palace staff were in, “we can’t find Mara anywhere! We were going to do her final fitting for her outfit! The Choosing is in less than twenty-four hours and if the tailors don’t get her fitted soon they won’t have time to make any alterations!” 

Link sighed and encouraged the frantic servant to sit down and rest a bit. “Are you sure it’s not just Mara being her classic self? She is late for quite a few things.” 

“That’s what we thought! But when Camilla showed up before her we knew something was wrong! Please help us Link! If anyone knows where she is it’s you!” Azalea exclaimed her tired eyes begging the guard for help. 

Link looked out beyond and to the outer courtyard of the palace. The orange glow of dusk teasing the white city. He stood up with a sigh.

“I know where she is.” 

The turquoise blue of the bay clashed with the orange glow of the setting sun. The water started to darken as the light of day fled the land. 

Letting out a sigh Mara stood in front of the divine statue of the goddess, Din. Who watched over the city in line with her sister gods, Nayru, who was in the heart of the city, and Farrore who watched over the ships that docked in the bay. 

It was a beautiful sight, just how small the city looked from here, Mara could see the entire capital. She looked out over the sea, she could see beyond the great thorn wall that protected the fisherman’s ships from the outside world. The sea beyond was still barren. No ships, no people, not even whales graced the waters. It was empty, just as it had been for the last well...however long her people had been in hiding. 

She looked up at the face of the goddess Din. It was hard to spot her eyes because of how tall she was. Still, they looked out onto the city, towards her sisters. Her power unwavering, just like the flame that’s held in her hand once the night falls. 

If she could just climb it. Maybe she would be able to see what lies beyond the great thorn wall towards the land. 

Her train of thought was cut short as a familiar voice broke the peaceful silence Mara was enjoying. 

“Don’t start...you know how it ends…” 

At the sound of Link’s voice, Mara jumped, a bush along with several hosts of white flowers erupted from the earth and landed gracefully in uniform on Mara’s head.

She turned to him with a frown. “LINK! You scared me!” 

He laughed, “I’m aware! But I’m glad I stopped you from doing something stupid….again….” 

“Again? There had never been an ‘again.’ The last time I tried to scale The Golden Goddess Din’s statue was when I was six!” Mara huffed. “And I distinctly remember a plucky little boy chasing after me in that great climb!”

Link gave her a knowing look, “Yet you were the one who broke your arm.” 

“Yeah…” Mara groaned with a defeated sigh, “I still remember Aunt Amarylis’s glare.”

She shivered, “It haunts me to this day.” 

“Speaking of your Aunts.” Link folded his arms across his chest, “You know everyone is in a panic looking for you. Apparently, someone is missing a very important fitting.”

Mara kicked a stray rock, “I know…”

She climbed up on top of the platform of Din’s statue, joining the space where the marble folds of the goddess’ gown dropped over the sides of the great platform. “But then I would miss the sunset.”

“Mara, I know you’ve heard this speech a thousand times already, and I know I’m the last person you want to hear this from, but The Choosing is tomorrow. This is what your aunts have been preparing for your whole life. A lot is riding on you being the next Leader.” Link climbed up with her, his legs dangling over the edge as dusk kept its hold on the city. “You could be chosen by the Goddesses themselves one day. You’re the hope of our people’s future.”

Mara laid back onto the platform, “Augh….I know I know...I’m not sure I’m ready...I just feel like well….Like I’m meant for more than this…”

Link gave her a puzzling look, “what do you mean by that?” 

Mara sat up and looked out to the sea beyond the wall, “I’ve been feeling this call.” 

“Like a voice?”

“No!...Maybe? I don’t know but it’s like….a yearning in my heart for….more.” Mara sighed. “Like there’s more beyond the confines of the great thorn walls. I can feel it...It’s like something beyond it is….calling for me…” 

Link looked back, towards where the land wall separated the city from the land beyond. “You want to go out?”

She nodded, “I know we’re not supposed to, and no one has ever tried since….ah…”

“My mother.” Link muttered, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. 

“Right….but I just keep feeling it in my blood..like I’m supposed to venture beyond it just….just once in my life...before I’m doomed to…” she gestured towards the city, “a life full of leading and social gatherings.” 

There was a long moment of silence between the two friends before Link got an idea. A wide smile appearing on his face.

“Hey Mara, remember at our Coming of Age Ceremony where I promised to take you on one more adventure before adulthood struck us for real?” Link’s eyes sparkled and Mara frowned.

“I believe you still owe me that trip.” Mara turned to him, her eyes softening. “Link, what are you planning?”

“I’m getting you over the wall.” Link stated standing up. 

“Wait...YOU ARE!?” Mara smiled and Link nodded.

“Should be easy enough, we’ve got the skills!” Link rested his hands on his hips, “and if we die we won’t have to face adulthood anymore.”

Mara laughed, “Let’s hope we don’t.”

“Well, throw a bead into the ocean.” Link laughed, “For luck.”

Mara jumped up and hugged him, “Thank you so much! Thank you, Link!”

Link hugged her back, “Ah it’s nothing for my best friend. However, you still gotta face your Aunt back at the palace.”

Mara pulled away and whistled for her horse Elias. The stallion whinnied in almost an annoyed tone. He was rudely interrupted from his peaceful grazing of mountain grasses and such. 

“Come on Elias we’re going back,” Mara shouted, running to him. The Horse huffed at her as she climbed the stallion’s back and rode off down the mountain trail. 

Mara indeed got a scolding from her Aunt Amaryllis, and the same speech about growing up and her being the next leader

Amaryllis was the second of Mara’s aunts, yet she was the leader of their people. Her icy stare was legendary and everyone feared her...in the best of ways.

Amaryllis’s younger sister, Camellia was the life of the party, she passed down her habit of always being late to things to her dearest niece, she belongs to no person but would rather float from person to person whenever the mood struck her. 

Lilija was the second eldest. She was a powerful Healer who focused much of her time on being a midwife and nursing injured Hylian’s back to health. 

Even though Amaryllis was their named leader, chosen by the Goddesses themselves, the sisters all considered themselves to be a council of rulers in their own rights. They were all still family and they all still loved the people their bloodline had been governing for thousands of years. They hoped Mara would take to heart the guidance and training the Aunts had given her...even in this unfortunate moment when Mara was getting an ear-full from the cold monotone voice of Leader Amaryllis. Mara looked back at Link as she was dragged away to fulfill the last-minute preparations that Mara had been working so hard to avoid. 

Link shook his head and returned to the guard room. The Head Guard, Atlas, smiling at him as he entered.

“Good work on finding Mara.” Atlas chuckled, setting his helmet on his armor stand. “It seems you two always know where to find each other.”

“You’re just now noticing this?” Link laughed, “Damn Atlas you must be getting old.”

Atlas smacked the boy across his back playfully. “This ‘old man’ is still able to beat you in a spar.” 

Link threw his hands up in surrender, “Aw come on Atlas! I was really close to beating you last time.” 

Atlas nodded, “no one likes a sore loser, boy.”

“Don’t you boy me!” Link grumbled, throwing his chest plate at him, with quick reflexes Atlas caught it and laughed. 

Hanging the armor on Link’s marked peg the rivalry dwindled.

“Are you looking forward to The Choosing tomorrow?” Atlas asked, his eyes gentle. 

“Yeah of course.” Link smiled, “I get to see my best friend take on what she’s been training for.” 

“Is Mara nervous at all?” Atlas asked

“Well, it’s Mara. She’s nervous about a lot of things but this….” Link let out a long sigh as he finally managed to free the last part of his uniform from his tired body. “I think she’s just scared of not doing a good job if and when The Goddesses chose her.”

The Head Guard nodded, “all reasonable fears to have. She’ll be a fine Leader.”

“She will be. Once she learns to be on time for things.” Link chuckled and Atlas laughed with him. 

“I’ll stop keeping you.” Atlas waved as he headed towards the exit. “Your father’s probably expecting you, and you need rest. It’s a big day for us Healers.” 

“And for us Hylians.” Link remarked setting his satchel over his head. Atlas nodded in agreement as his dark brown dreadlocks disappeared down the hall. 

The nightlife of the Healer capital filled the streets as the gondoliers were tying up their boats for the night. Some counted their coins and others playing music softly for the people of the town.

Link arrived at his father’s bakery. The windows were closed and dark. The day was done and Learen was probably inside making him a delicious meal. He opened the heavy wooden door and called out to his father.

“Papa! I’m home!”

Learen’s head appeared from the kitchen, his hands scratching his blonde scruff, white from flour and age. “Ah! There he is my brave warrior!” 

Learen welcomes his son into his arms, patting his back each with wide smiles on their faces. 

“So did you save the world from ultimate destruction today?” Learen joked, pulling the lids off of the dinner he had made. 

“If you call saving Mara from the icy scolding of Leader Amaryllis saving the world.” Link sat down at the table. “Then yes, I absolutely saved the world from total annihilation.” 

Learen shivered serving some of the hearty stew to his son. “Gods Leader Amaryllis. That woman even scares me half to death with the mere flash of her eyes.” 

“You got that right Papa.” Link snickered, slicing himself a large portion of bread. 

“The Choosing is tomorrow.” Learen sighed, “the hopeful new leader of our people will be presented to the public.”

Link nodded, “I wish Mama were here to see it.” 

There were a few moments of silence between the father and his son as memories of one loved and lost filled their minds. 

“She’d be so proud of Mara.” Link sighed. 

Learen rested his hand on his son’s shoulder. “I know she would’ve been.” 

The two started to eat and Link entertained his father with stories from the palace. How he chased a stray cat from the kitchens, saved a young girl’s guardian familiar from drowning, and how he got to enjoy the sunset with Mara before returning her home. Shortly after dinner and a lovely little dessert. Laren and Link said their goodnights and went to bed. Both of them sharing the same feelings with the rest of the city. All of the city hardly slept, for the excitement of tomorrow’s gathering was near and the people were so looking forward to meeting their hopefully new leader. 

The following morning was met with the bells from the harbor ringing. Signaling that today was a day of celebration. Everyone filled the streets with much dancing and singing as they waited for the command to meet at the palace. So their chosen leader could be anointed in the eyes of her people. Today was The Choosing and the entire capital expressed their joy. 

Mara exited the chamber, her Auntie Camellia greeting her.

“Why the long face flower?” She asked with kind eyes.

Mara let out a deep sigh before answering her aunt, “I just got done bathing in olive oil and rosemary. I know it’s ceremonial and supposed to feel relaxing...but I just feel like a batch of focaccia bread ready to be thrown into the fiery depths of an oven.

Camellia hugged her niece, “Oh Lily complained about that too...it’s just nerves Mara”

Mara melted into her aunt’s embrace.

“The worst of it is almost over, flower. Then it’s just partying until the sun rises.” Camellia smiles and twirled Mara around. Mara laughing before linking her arm in her aunts as she was led to her room, Camellia shooed the rest of the servants out of her niece’s chambers. Mara looked at her aunt puzzlingly, but before she could speak Camellia answered for her. “This is a special moment for me personally. I designed every part of your garb for this day ever since your mother brought you to us. The design changed over time as you grew older and you changed.”

Helping Mara into the pure white dress, Camellia continued to explain, “I was going to ask Lily if I could help her dress you for The Choosing, but, now knowing that she won’t be here for it….I feel almost guilty.”  Picking up the gold and navy waist scarf, the gold metal coins jingled as Camellia fastened it around Mara’s waist, “she’s so proud of you. You know that I know that.”   Mara nodded and kept her head down, the anxiety of what was to come was getting to her, “ do you think I’ll be ready? If the Goddesses choose me?” 

Her Aunt rose back up onto her feet, cupping her niece’s face gently. “I know you will be. You will be the finest ruler our people have ever seen.” Camellia’s compassion-filled eyes sparkled with a bit of mischief, “you’ll be more kind and compassionate than Amaryllis that is for sure.”  The two softly laughed, lightening the mood of the serious conversation. 

“Now remember,” Camellia smiled as she went back to dressing Mara up for the ceremony. “When you enter the hall, don’t look at the people, stand tall, and pretend you know what you’re doing.” 

Mara scoffed, “you know you’re sounding more like Aunt Amaryllis the more this conversation carries on?” 

Camellia smacked her niece’s backside jokingly, “oi! This ceremony, believe it or not, is the only time ‘Serious Camellia’ is awakened. Once Akane’s Token hangs ‘round your neck, your Auntie will be dancing and drinking with the rest of our people.” She pinched Mara’s nose and shook her head gently the two bursting out into laughter.  

Camellia took her niece’s hand, twirling her around her room, the two of them singing a loud Healer tune. They both sounded like drunken fools, spinning and wobbling around the room as the two grew dizzy. The Aunt and her niece collapsing on Mara’s bed in a heap of laughter.

Once the laughter had died down, Camellia rolled over and kissed Mara’s cheek. 

“Flower you are so loved. I love you so very much Mara.” Mara hugged her aunt, “I love you too Auntie Camellia.” The two sat up and Camellia kissed Mara’s forehead, “you are going to make a wonderful leader. Our people are lucky to have you.” 

Mara smiled bright the two of them hugging tightly, “Come.” Camelia sighed, “it’s time. Remember, pick a spot on the back wall. Don’t look at the people and you won’t feel sick, or like running away.” “Thanks, Auntie Camelia,” Mara muttered

“Of course Flower.” Auntie Camelia sighed giving Mara one last peck on the forehead, for luck. 

~~~~~~~~

This fic couldn’t have happened without the wonderful help and guidance of @ridersoftheapocalypse Truly this story would’ve never happened without the beautiful work you and @s-kinnaly have made! Your universe is a huge inspiration to me and thank you so much for letting me take part in it!! It’s an honor!! Of course none of this would’ve ever happened without @figmentforms their comic, ATOTR was the reason I even started scripting SOH in the first place! And I honor their work by doing my own comic in greyscale as well! And it’s because of that comic I even fell in love with greyscale in the first place!!

All of you are huge inspirations to me! Thank you for your creations, and please keep making them!! They never fail to give me the truest of feels!!

There’s more to come from this story!! And I am excited for ALL of it!!

🌸Next Chapter🌸

[goodomensblog]

Afterward - Part 13

A Good Omens Choose Your Own Adventure Fic

Here’s how it works:

I’ll write a scene.

At the end of each scene, you’ll be presented with 2-3 options for what the characters will choose to do next.

Comment or reblog to vote for your choice. I’ll count all votes after the first 24 hours after each update is posted.

Read: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12

(Another landslide winner! #2 was the clear favorite. Thank you for voting!)

Afterward - - - Part 13

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

“If you want to keep that hand, demon, you’ll release me. Now.”

Crowley, despite very much wanting to keep said hand, does not let go.

When Gabriel reaches over his shoulder, pulling his Heavenly sword from the aether, Crowley twists out of the way. “Woah, woah, woah - hey! Hold on. Just wait.”

“Just wait?” Gabriel snaps, voice dripping with incredulity. “Heaven is under attack, and you want me to just wait?”

“What about Beelzebub?”

“What about them? Maybe - just maybe it’s a bunch of demons who are fighting my angels right now!”

“That thing, whatever it was we felt - that was not demonic, you know it as well as I do.”

“Then what the fuck are my angels fighting?” Gabriel asks, his knuckles going white around the sword pulled halfway into existence. 

From beyond the hall, the cries have grown louder, fiercer - more desperate. There is a static crackling in the air and the acrid, burnt smell of ozone.

Crowley, after risking a glance at the sword, releases Gabriel’s sleeve - and instead, grabs him by the wrist.

“Something,” Crowley hisses, “that was strong enough to bust into Heaven with one blow. Something that I’ve never encountered - and I once traveled all the universe hanging stars. Something that’s, by the sounds of it, carving through ranks of highly trained angelic warriors like butter.”

“That’s why,” Gabriel says, giving his arm a savage yank, “I need to-”

“That’s why you’re gonna want a bloody Lord of Hell in fighting shape!”

At that, Gabriel’s struggles momentarily cease. He blinks, scoffing, “You can’t seriously think-”

“I think that Beelzebub wants to live. And they - like Aziraphale and myself, are currently stuck in Heaven with you, a bunch of angels, and whatever the fuck that thing is. So be smart about this, you giant idiot. Save Beelzebub. Help us find out what they know. And maybe, just maybe we can all use Beelzebub, Lord of Hell, to help us get out of this god damned- er, blessed - augh - whatever! Predicament!” Crowley finishes, chest heaving.

It isn’t exactly a lie. While Crowley is certain Beelzebub, like a cornered cat, will indeed willingly fight whatever this thing is, he is not at all sure how battle ready old Beelzebub will be after just a handful of Hellfire. 

But Gabriel doesn’t need to know that.

White knuckled fingers loosen their hold on the sword’s gleaming hilt. Gabriel sinks back. Running a hand up and over his face, he mutters to himself, and sharp, ugly curses fill the spaces between his breaths. When his eyes open, his razor-edge gaze zeroes in on Crowley’s hand. “Seriously. Stop touching me.”

Crowley’s hand snaps open.

“I won’t abandon my soldiers. Not now. Not when they need me,” Gabriel says, yanking his jacket straight. “So you’ll have to retrieve the Hellfire.”

Crowley, who had realistically expected this conversation to end with one of them flipping the middle finger and the other attempting to administer a beheading, takes a moment to process this development.

“I - wait - you want me to-?”

“Yes. Obviously. Shut up.”

“Right. Okay,” Crowley says, and shakes his head. “Wait, where-”

“Do you remember where the records are stored?”

Crowley pauses at that. 

His memory of Heaven - it’s strange. In many ways, it blurs together, a mural of incandescent colors, textures, half-recalled musical notes, voices - that from up close, are nearly incomprehensible.  

But there are moments of clarity. As if he has, for a second, stepped back a pace, and sees just a glimpse of the full thing; an expansive mural that his mosaic memories press together to create. He knows he hung the stars. And he knows, from some forgotten space in him mind, where in these white marble halls the records are kept.

“Yes,” Crowley says, because he can picture the room in his mind now: those twin pillars on either side of that tall, golden door.

“It’s stored on the highest level, in the silver chest,” Gabriel says, curt.

“Got it,” Crowley says, already retreating - because now that Gabriel has given him the information he needs, Crowley doesn’t want to go and give the archangel a chance to change his mind. 

But Gabriel has already turned away. Black, polished shoes tapping smartly against white marble, the angel strolls down the hall and draws a gleaming sword out of the air.

Crowley is mentally mapping his route. He’ll need to take the first door on the right, then cross the atrium and - 

Gabriel’s shout catches him before he can leave.

“By the way, I’m not an idiot, demon. I do know that a single jar of expired Hellfire’s not exactly going to do any demonic miracles.” Gabriel stands at the end of the hall, violet eyes bright in the half light. “And I know Beelzebub’s not going to help anyone anytime soon.”

Crowley stops, turning fully back.

Gabriel lifts the sword, jabbing the blade in Crowley’s direction. “After all this is done, I will be in touch. I expect Beelzebub to share the information they promised me.”

Crowley stares, baffled. “What are you-”

“No - nuh - shush!” Gabriel snaps, waving the sword. “In my room, there’s a passageway out of Heaven. It’s behind the tapestry. After you heal Beelzebub, take them and go.”

“Ohh-kay,” Crowley says, trying to wrap his mind around this second surprising development. “You - that’s - uh - huh. You know, that’s actually pretty nice of you, Gabriel.”

“Yeah, no - zip it,” Gabriel bites out, shifting with obvious discomfiture. “The last thing I need is anyone finding a couple of demons and a bad angel in my private rooms. Take Beelzebub and get out.” And with a final jab in Crowley’s direction, Gabriel spins the sword with a flourish and disappears into a beam of screaming light.

“What a nutcase,” Crowley says to the empty hallway. 

He crosses the atrium at a sprint, keeping a careful eye out for angels - but the atrium and surrounding halls are empty. Heaven’s full forces have been mustered, then. It’s a sobering thought, and one that makes Crowley run just a little faster. 

 As he runs, he can’t help but think of Uriel and Gabriel’s conversation. God is….missing? Could it possibly be true? Crowley’s head tilts back, as if he might spy Her amongst the arched ceiling tiles stretching forlornly above.

She couldn’t be gone, right?

After all, where would She go?

The entrance to the Hall of Records is as abandoned as the rest of Heaven, and Crowley flings open it’s arched doors. The Records Room is - staggering. Crowley’s step slow as shelves and stairs rise up around him. His footsteps echo - from marble floors, between pillars, up winding stairs, and fading as they rise into the cavernous dome extending far, far above.

Crowley swears softly, and that echoes too.

As his shoe touches the first stair, he thinks of where he wants to be: the top floor; and when he reaches the second step, the domed ceiling is suddenly directly above him - and the top floor, bathed in gold, is before him, as though it had always been.

Crowley doesn’t have time for surprise or awe, so he focuses instead on the chest; which is sitting, unbothered, at the far side of the room. 

He half expects some kind of booby trap, so when the silver lid slides unhesitatingly open, Crowley can’t help but flinch back. 

Nothing happens. 

Brows lifted, Crowley peers tentatively over the chest’s edge. There, at its center, sits a black jar. Sniffing the air, Crowley can just make out the slightest hints of sulfur.

Tensing, he reaches a hand in - and is relieved when his fingers close over the lid of the jar. He draws it out - and breathes a grateful sigh when no traps spring and no alarms blare.

Kneeling before the chest, he cracks the jar’s lid. When roaring heat surges forth, he snaps the lid back.

“Yep, that’s the stuff,” he says, and screws the lid tight.

Crowley takes the stairs at a run. On the first step, he thinks of the ground floor, and on the second step, he steps confidently into - a room stacked with scrolls.

“Huh,” he says, craning his head back to look at rich oak shelves and the layers of pale scrolls artfully piled upon them. “You’re not what I wanted.”

Deciding to try again, Crowley is turning back to the stairs when faded paint catches his eye. 

He stops.

The mural is nearly entirely covered by shelves and scrolls. The visible section is a web of cracked paint and fading colors - a stark contrast to Heaven’s typically immaculate decor. But even faded as it is, Crowley can make out, clear as day, a Bentley - his Bentley, painted in peeling fresco. 

Crowley blinks. Rubs his eyes. Squints, and blinks again.

“That’s....weird.”

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

Rushing back with the Hellfire, Crowley has stumbled upon an impossible oddity in the Hall of Records. When faced with this strange omen, Crowley will…

Investigate. He doesn’t have much time to spare, but he can’t leave without uncovering the other side of this mysterious mural. 

Leave. The mural is strange, but time is of the essence. Crowley can’t risk the detour.

Please comment or reblog to vote! I can’t wait to see what you all choose :)

Part 14