#ALRICK YOU STUPID

[niuniente]

Hii Wich of the DHD would use and/or abuse the booping feature?

(this is my excuse to interact with you <3, i love your comics, the desing are chef kiss)

(you can always interact with me! I don't get any more asks after updates or other messages so the inbox is rather quiet)

Miranda, Joon, Rena, Pearl come to my mind.

Algoth would probably annoy Grimm a bit with it, lol. Grimm would send paws only to Pearl and Algoth.

Miranda and Joon would have a competition between who sends most boops or who reaches the 1000 max boops sent first.

Alrick would send some boops for a close and selected people.

Dio likely just replies back if he sees a boop. At least Rena and Joon will send him one.

I have a feeling like Cure doesn't really have anyone to send a paw to, so she would probably hesitate to send one to Plague, who might ignore the whole fucking pawing system, this is stupid - but perhaps still return the paw later to Cure.

Ama and Awa would likely somehow manage to turn the paw booping into a marketing plot to underline vip customer status or something similar lol.

[bottle-full-of-wishes]

What if you drank all the potions at the same time?

“What did I say about stupid questions? I’m going to start charging.”

“Alrick!”

[the-sloth-woman]

S W E E T L I L L Y (I'm sorry I repeated letters, but I want you to answer all those questions!) ILY!!

OMG this is so clever!! :D Thank you Ari! ILY too!!

The fluff asks can be found here~ 

S: Support - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Lilly:  I will do absolutely anything to help Alrick achieve his goals.  I’ll give him everything that he needs to become the best demon king that he can be, even if it means stepping aside so he can pick a future queen... 

Alrick: I think Lilly’s “goal” in life is to protect me.  So by not dying yet, I’m already giving her what she needs~

W:  Wild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

A Wild Fluff appears! When Alrick and Lilly first started sleeping together, Alrick was so cold at night that Lilly needed to bring in an electric blanket.  She still uses it in the winter, but he is her personal air-conditioner in the summer. 

E:  Equal - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

Lilly is passive and Alrick is VERY dominant.  

T:  Thrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine

This was already answered here, so I’m going to give a different headcanon about thrills.  Lilly, believe it or not, LOVES rollercoasters.  She loves any kind of ride that takes her to extreme heights and then drops her.  It feels just like flying!

Alrick prefers the Ferris wheel. 

L:  Love Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

Lilly: Oh geez... Um.. *takes deep breath* Alrick... I’ve loved you since we were little kids.  Everything you do inspires me to be a better person, and nothing in this world would make me happier than knowing that you loved me back.  Everything I am and everything that I am belongs to you.  And you, Alrick Rosenfeld, are the most deserving person of love I’ve ever known. 

Lilly: Good thing I’ll never have to tell him that.. haha...

Alrick: Confession?  Lilly already knows how I feel about her. 

I:  Inspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems

YES. Being with Lilly has made Alrick into a kinder person, even if you can't quite tell.  She has also exposed him to the world of comics, and that alone is a big change. And Alrick gives Lilly some freedom to let herself be who she wants to be.  Before they got together, Lilly was always terrfied of sharing her interests with anyone (because Burai would hit her if she acted out).  But now she can show someone the things she likes, and she has the freedom to experience and try new things!  

Y:  Yearning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner

Alrick and Lilly don’t have many moments they spend apart unless they’re in a big fight.  When that happens, Alrick ignores the shit outta Lilly, and she tries not to show him how much it hurts her.  But sometimes she’ll break down and steal one of his shirts from the laundry. 

[againwiththeturtles]

Here’s ANOTHER thing we missed out on when HBO Max said “no gays in Infinity Train”:

During Book 4, Amelia has only just gotten on the train, and Alrick’s death is still fresh. We know that she isn’t dealing with his death well thirty years later, so imagine what she was feeling then. So, she’s going through it. But, you know, she’s coping. She’s doing this neat little internship with a robot/higher power, and at one point, they’re watching all these memory tapes about people’s bad choices, and what do you know! For some reason, two young men float down together, and at first she thinks the train is malfunctioning, but then they have the same tape... And as she’s watching this tape, there’s all these moments that remind her of her and Alrick. Maybe they’re not exactly the same, but it’s similar. She, too, fell in love with her childhood best friend, and besides, most things remind her of Alrick these days. But honestly? Thinking about Alrick and watching these two just stings. Don’t they know? Don’t they know that they could have everything taken from them in an instant? And they were stupid enough to walk away from each other for a while, and if it weren’t for the train, they would have done so again.

Instead of yelling at unconscious strangers, she turns around and says to One, “What’s this, some kind of soulmate rubbish?” And his answer about math, instead of enraging her further, brings her right back down to Earth. Love... can be quantified. Whatever strange coding this train runs on found these people because of the love they feel for each other that they’re not acting on. If the train can do that... maybe it can help her too.

[mmikmmik2]

The memories in Amelia's tape are warm, vibrant, and full of life. She and Alrick loved to do "fun bonding activities". They tried new things and explored new hobbies, they played with high-tech toys, they rode duck boats or bikes. They ate sweets and wore nice clothes and decorated their home with rugs and houseplants and little trinkets.

Amelia's life as conductor is austere and solely functional. This miserable, pathetic, barren workshop was her home for three decades, and as far as we know her only interesting or challenging or novel activities were building new cars or going on outings to support the steward, ripping up people's entire worlds to steal materials for her new cars.

Putting on a colorful shirt or adding a houseplant next to her bed or taking a walk in a nice restful nature-themed car wouldn't cure her depression or end her grief for her husband. Obviously! The idea is ridiculous.

But having absolutely nothing that makes her life comfortable or fun or pleasurable, and having no goals or engaging activities other than staying alive and hurting other people in pursuit of Alrick 2, for thirty-three straight years, would make it nigh-impossible for her to stop being depressed and grieving.

When we see her in season three, Amelia is still living spartan. Other than possible emotional implications of going back to the jumpsuit and still hanging on to Alrick's voice changer (which may have practical uses, though I'm inclined to think not, given that we see her give the steward somewhat complex orders nonverbally), her loadout and behavior are completely practical and goal-oriented.

I lose it every time I think about those stupid eggs in book three. I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it, maybe she scrounged up some giant snake eggs in that one car and was actually having fresh food. But the way she talked about "how many eggs" like she meant regular chicken eggs, and her making them for two breakfasts in a row, makes me think that it really is that a huge portion of her provisions are just comical quantities of powdered eggs. I mean, I know options are limited when you're packing for a long-term expedition like that and you can only carry so much weight, but it's so sad. She doesn't even like them, she says she's bad at cooking them!

Amelia was, and still is, choosing to live in terrible deprivation. I do think Amelia is very unhappy with herself and doesn't think of herself as truly redeemable, but I don't see this as deliberate self harm. "Don't you get it? I don't want a life without Alrick!" She can't move beyond her grief and misery, so she doesn't try to enjoy anything or create a new life rather than trying to rebuild her old one, so she can't move beyond her grief and misery. It's a vicious cycle she's actively perpetuating.

Extrapolating from this argument, I think even if Amelia is still dragging her heels and putting in the bare minimum after book three, she'll start to feel better and move on from Alrick whether she likes it or not. The things she's doing are making her talk to other people, and work on actual relationships like with Hazel and One-One even if she doesn't think of herself as having personal relationships with them, and focus on the present or even the future instead of the past, and think about problems that have actual solutions and don't inherently require her to be selfish and violent to make progress. Amelia no longer has the option to restrict her whole life to wallowing in grief. Big changes won't happen without her putting in hard work, but change is inevitable at this point.

[the-magnificent-otaku-draws]

On Our Own - The Hey Ho Whoa Car

Summary: Grace decides to finally come clean and let go

A/N: Might make a whole ask blog/AU out of this. What do you think?

Chapter: 1/?

Word Count: 2.8k

Warning: Slight gore (Accidental scratches/cuts via rocks)

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That scream

She had only heard it once yet it was enough to make her blood run cold. 

   The girl quickly turned,eyes growing wide. All that time she spent trying to hide the truth,all the lies she had let slip to her dear friend,all the questions that bubbled in her mind the longer she spent protecting her,it was all for nothing. 

     On the rocky floor was a six year old girl,a shell on her back and beak on her face. Tears fell down her scaly cheeks,soft whimpers escaping her as she looked to the one person who had known all along with a fearful gaze. 

     Grace caught a glance of her friend,his jaw close to dropping to the floor. He quickly turned to her,his expression begging for some sort of answer. She could only guess what he was thinking,a rare panic written on every feature of his face. 

"I...I can't believe it"

    That was what she instinctively thought of the second she met his eyes. Lie again,just as she had been doing this whole trip. She could keep up the charade a bit longer,right?

....

No

Neither of them deserved that. They never did. 

    She let out a deep breath before walking to the child and crouching down to meet her terrified gaze. "Hey, Hazel, its okay"

 "I-I'm sorry" Hazel sobbed,chest heaving with each shaky breath. "I-I didn't m-mean to"

"It's okay Hazel" Grace repeated for her sake. "Don't worry about it"

"But I promised to control it" She forced herself to say through sniffles. 

"You couldn't help it," The woman said softly. "Its my fault for making you hold it for so long"

"Are...Are you mad at me?" Hazel asked,each possibly answer concocted by her mind scarier than the last. 

"No,I'm not"

"You…You aren’t leaving me,are you?"

"Of course not" She opened her arms,a kind smile on her face. "You're still Hazel and that’s all that matters"

     Tears turned to waterfalls,the girl throwing herself into the other's embrace. Grace held her close,a hand running through her messy blonde hair. The only remnant of her past form,still just as tangled and fluffy as before. A finger landed on the hard shell that rest on her back,smile falling.

"We just won't tell Simon”

   Why did she ever think she could get away with this? It was only a matter of time before everything fell apart. Still,the possibility of what could have been was enough to keep her lips shut. The image of the baby faced girl hanging off the train's edge,fingers slipping off one by one until she vanished into the darkness below the bridge and into the deadly wheels...it was far more horrifying than any death she could have imagined for herself. 

"Grace,what is this?"

   She cringed at the familiar mix of confusion and anger. Hearing his tone she would normally play into their once shared fantasy,but this time was different. She couldn't afford to fall back now just for his sake.

   She looked back to the boy,voice stern. "Simon,we...I've been hiding something"

"Obviously!" He motioned towards the child,a sneer on his face. "What the Hell is this?!"

   The eldest woman grew wide eyed at the realization. “Of course,the turtles!”  She ran a hand through her hair,memories flooding back to her like a broken dam. "It was just a stupid hankerchief"

    She turned her attention back towards the child,Hazel quick to bury her face in Grace’s chest. Her eyebrows furrowed before she got to her knees to examine closer. In every other car her attempts led to nothing but failure,a turtle that could hold a conversation while on a long stroll at the most. It was no easy feat but it was all child's play compared to this,an almost entirely human being. “I’ve gotten closer than I could ever imagine”

“What are you talking about?!” Simon asked yet again,frustration dripping through his words. 

“The child,she’s not a passenger. She's one of my failed attempts at making Alrick" Amelia explained,surprised by her own words. “She’s the anomaly I’ve been tracking”

“So...Hazel is a clone of your dead boyfriend?” In all her eighteen years Grace had seen many strange things but this...this was something even she couldn't imagine.

“No,not a clone” The woman clarified,arms crossed. “Something...Something else…”

"I'm Hazel!" The child cried through a cracked voice.

"Debatable" She thought for a moment,mind buzzing with a million thoughts and questions. There had to be some reason this little experiment took such a wildly different detour,so close to a want she had attempted to smother long ago. This time it wouldn't be for her own self interest,this time it would be for science or whatever justification she could come up with that didn't send her back to step one. 

"I’ll take things from here on" She finally decided. "The girl will need to be quarantined before the pulse returns"

     She reached out to grab a frail arm,Grace immediately turning to shield the trembling child. "I don't know why you think Hazel will make your boyfriend come back but I’m not letting you take her"

"I don't have time to argue with you" Amelia reached once more,the other jumping to her feet with Hazel in her arms. 

"You are not taking her with you"

"If the pulse passes through any car with her inside it will be ejected" The woman said,agitated by her defiance. “If you take her every car you go through will have to be dismantled from the ground up!”

"I'm not letting you take her," Grace repeated, stepping back. “Make new cars or just-just ignore her like you did before!”

“I wasn’t ignoring her” Amelia snapped “ I didn’t even know she existed”

“Then keep ignoring her!” The girl yelled out,her hold on the child tight. “You’ve done it for six years and you only want her now when you think she’s useful?”

“I don’t need her for anything! She is a danger to this train and everyone on it!” Amelia shouted,hands curled into fists. 

    The feeling of tears on her shirt returned,Grace looking back down to Hazel. “Don’t listen to her Hazel”

"Grace,let her go"

The girl looked to Simon,eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

“Just leave her with the old woman,we’ll go around the outside and get home” He said,as if they weren't in the middle of a heated spat. 

Her shoulders slumped,heart dropping to her stomach. “Simon…”

"It’s just a null," He said bluntly. "Why do you care about it so much?”

“Because…” What answer could she come up with to satisfy him? Nothing she could think of made sense,even to her.

   A sudden realization hit,the boy pointing to Hazel. “That's why your number's going down "

   She raised an eyebrow at the idea. "What are you talking about?"

"Think about it,your number has been going down ever since we met it" His tone grew more bitter with each word. "You've been changing ever since this whole mess started!"

"You know what..." She hesitated for a moment,mind clearing once she heard a soft whimper from her side. "Maybe I should change"

He tensed,anger morphing to confusion. "W...What?"

"Simon,she's still a kid," Grace said firmly. "She's just like any of the Apex. You would never wheel one of our kids because they did something you didn't like"

"She isn't one of our kids!" Simon shouted. "She's just some mistake made by the train,we don't need her and she doesn't need us!"

"We said she was part of the Apex,just like any of the other kids we rescued" She could still remember the excited smile that graced her face when the red,now meaningless, squiggle was drawn across the bridge of her nose. She had done it a thousand times before with pride yet now the memory left a sour taste in her mouth. 

"That was before I found out she was like this!"

"So you lied to her"

       The boy froze,breathing coming to a halt. No...N-No,he wasn't a liar. He told Hazel - no - the null, everything when they first met. She was going to be part of the Apex as long as she was brave and the human Hazel was brave in her own way. That was the one reason he kept pushing and pushing for them to hurry up this seemingly never ending journey,to get them all to the Apex. But they wheeled nulls and Hazel was a null but he promised she would join their little group. No,no,none of this made any sense. His mind kept running in endless circles,looking for something that proved her wrong. He would take something, ANYTHING, just please don't make everything he lived through in all his ten years on this stupid train mean nothing. 

   An annoyed sigh finally broke the silence. "I'm tired of this,I'm taking the child and that is final"

"I...I'm not going with you"

    Amelia looked to Hazel with disdain. "Don't be difficult,this is for the good of the passengers"

"I'm not going with you!" Hazel cried,tears now frustrated as she clung to Grace. 

"Simon,do something!" The girl begged,the other trying to catch his breath. Imagined claws tore at his lungs and through his insides,mind clouded with so many questions he was too terrified to answer. 

"You have until I count to three" 

   Grace looked to Amelia,her expression enough to send a shiver down her spine. 

"One..."

    Hazel attempted to calm herself,breathing harshly into Grace's shoulder. Relax,Grace would protect her,she promised and she wouldn't break her promises anymore...right?

"Two..."

    Grace's eyes darted back to Simon,the boy's stance unstable as his fingers dug into his arms. The straps of his grappling pack hung off his shoulders, only his elbows keeping them from hitting the ground. Did she truly have to do this? After so long and so many past promises...

"Three"

   She bit her lip,eyes shut tight as she dashed towards the woman. She ducked under her arm,hair barely missing the grip of her callused hands. A field of green pushed her forwards,the girl bouncing off and onto a heavy weight as they both skid across the ground. 

    The thump of his bag echoed through the car, Simon taking the full force as the cloth of his hoodie ripped at the shoulder. 

    Heavy pants escaped her,a tight grip on her sleeve keeping her conscious. "Y...You okay?"

     Hazel nodded,catching a glimpse of the bag. She attempted to stand,a rough hand grabbing her arm as she let out a shriek. 

"Simon!" Grace grabbed his own arm,free hand attempting to pry his fingers off the other's wrist. 

"Just let her go!" He demanded between grunts. 

"You don't have to do this!" She shouted over him. "I-I'll tell you everything!"

"LIAR!"

   A sharp beak clamped around his wrist,the boy letting out a scream. With contempt he reached for her face,Grace quick to knee his stomach. All air was knocked from his lungs,the boy folding over to clutch the soon to be torso sized bruise.  

     The girl scrambled to her feet,grabbing Hazel before making a mad dash to the bag. Its straps were hastily thrown over her shoulder,hands fumbling to find a good grasp on the dirtied rod. 

"GET BACK HERE!"

     Shit,no time to overcomplicate something like this. She looked over to Hazel,grip on her near deathly. "Hang on tight"

      With no thought she took her finger off the small button,watching nervously as the hook flew towards the other side of the cavern. 

      The elder grew closer by the second,Grace giving her one last fearful glance before running off of the cliff's edge and into the pit below.

      The first thing she felt was the wind in her face,body pushing past the whooping stones that fell from the car's roof. The occasional rock scratched her skin,the girl only able to wince as each edge dug deeper and deeper into her arms. Yet the entire time she heard the screams of the two she had left behind,one of anger and another close to a sob. No,forget Simon,he made his choice. Still,that cry...she had only heard it once before yet it still managed to drown her in guilt. 

"Grace!"

      A panicked voice yanked her from her thoughts,a gasp escaping her as she roughly landed onto the cavern's side. Knees aching she climbed up the hook's rope,finally collapsing onto the ground. 

"Grace...are you...?"

"I...I'm okay" She said through tired pants. She looked back to the girl,fighting back the urge to give into the fatigue that wracked her body. "W...What about you?"

"I'm okay," Hazel answered. 

"Good..."

"Um..." She pulled her knees to her chest,looking away in shame. "I'm sorry I bit Simon"

Grace let out a soft chuckle. "I can't believe you actually did that"

"I'm sorry..."

"It's fine Hazel" She reassured her. "You were pretty brave"

"But Tuba said we don't bite"

     Grace froze,slowly turning her attention back to her hand. Her gaze trailed from her palm,down her number ridden knuckles and dressing her arm until it finally stopped at her elbow. Two numbers had disappeared. It wasn't much yet looking at it,she couldn't help the melancholy that creeped upon her back. "You're right...but...this is an exception"

     Hazel reluctantly looked up,the other two barely visible from a distance. All she could see were their blurring silhouettes,one pacing as obscenities were spit from her mouth while another lay limp by the edge. "Is he dead?"

"No..." The Simon she knew could and had taken much worse.

"So...what now?"

     The girl thought for a moment,trying to process all that had happened in just a few short seconds. It seemed almost like a dream,the only thing disproving that being the still bleeding wounds on her limbs. Not enough to kill her but enough to leave behind a slight sting. "I don't know"

    Hazel looked to her own hand,number barely visible under her green scales. She couldn’t help the growing guilt that clung to her back. Did Tuba know? If so,why didn’t she tell her? If not...if they were somehow ever meet again,would Tuba still want her? 

     The sound of a far off clunk caught her attention,prying her away from her old thoughts and to the two on the other side. Her eyes grew wide,immediately jumping to shake the other awake. "Grace! Wake up!"

She let out a sigh,sitting up on her elbows. "What is it?"

       The noise grew louder before she could answer,Grace turning to find its source. Her pulse quickened,fatigue quickly turning to horror. 

       A few feet away were the two,Amelia and Simon,some sort of contraption now being used as a makeshift bridge. 

"No..." She sat up,body shaking violently. "No,no,no,no,no!"

     A small hand grasped at her arm,struggling to pull her up. Grace took hold of the other's hand,coming to her feet. Or at least attempting to. An agonizing pain rocked through her body,each wound feeling as if it was being split open. She let out a pained hiss,falling back onto the red wood. 

    Heavy pants escaped her,the girl struggling to look up. Though blurry vision she could see the child having pulled away. Hazel took a defensive stance,rocks in her arms as she aimed for the two. With frustrated grunts she threw them as far as her tiny body could,each hit barely making a dent. 

"H-Hazel,stop"

"They're gonna get us!" She reached into her pile,hoping that at least one rock could leave a dent or buy the other some time to heal.

     A dizzy gaze drifted past the door frame and into the small space between them and the next car over. From the crack she could see the rail rumble,a strip of white light inching across the other car's roof. It looked like...

'A pulse'

    An idea came to mind,one that seemed crazy even to her. Still,it was either that or be forever torn from the child she swore to protect. 

     Grace pressed a hand on her last open wound,hoping the pressure was enough to stop the bleeding. "Hazel,can you give me a hand?"

   Hazel gave her a nod before setting down her remaining ammunition. With a hard shove she opened the door,the elder stumbling through the exit. She could do this,just think of what could happen if she messed this all up. 

    With a deep breath she pulled the child up and into her arms,the sound of footprints growing close making her brow sweat.  The bridge began to shake,the girl stepping back and watching it split down the middle. This was insane,even for the leader of the Apex. One wrong move,just one slip up and they would both be dead. Still,the single glimmer of hope was enough to push her no matter how foolish it all seemed. 

     She began to run,adrenaline drowning out the shocks of pain in her arms and leg. Dirtied tiles of the bridge began to flip towards them,the car disconnecting from the other and rolling itself into the air. Holding the child close she jumped,hand keeping the other's head pressed against her shoulder. Time seemed to slow,the only sound she could hear being her racing heart. The grip on her body tightened,tiny fingers digging into her sides for dear life.

"I'll leave when I want null!"

    If the Grace that could say something so cruel with only minor regrets saw this she would be outraged. Disgusted at how weak she was,angry at how easily she had destroyed the life she had made of this train and enraged that she had abandoned her one true friend. But if that was the Grace she could have become just to keep people by her side,a Grace that put others down for her own satisfaction,that was the Grace she wanted dead.

    It was then she felt something unexpected. Something that made her finally open her eyes. The dark green floors that lead into one of the train's many cars. She was here. She made it. She was alive. No,they were alive. 

    She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry,the excited rush running through her every bone. She did know one thing,the realization bringing a smile to her face. 

"Are...Are we okay?"

     Grace let out a happy sigh,holding her close. "We're okay Hazel,we're okay"

"GRACE!"

Well...almost okay.

     She turned to see the train car thousands of feet above her. A body rushed to the edge meeting her gaze for a split second. It slowly stepped back before running towards the edge,attempting to copy her daring escape. Only a tight grip kept him from the leap of faith,a hand grabbing his already scuffed up hood. A woman yanked him to her side,surely scolding him for even thinking someone could succeed at something so dangerous twice. 

    The boy pulled away,falling to his knees as he leaned over the edge. Even from far away she could see his face bright red,never ending globby tears falling from his down his cheeks until they landed on his fists. His eyes were filled with so many emotions,pain,anger,sadness,yet only one seemed to smother them all under its cloak. Agony. Pure,unfiltered agony. 

    He reached out for her,thousands of feet apart as he held back sobs through grit teeth. Guilt tugged at her heart,a part of her wanting to use the janky pack one last time. She instead raised her arm,giving him a weak wave. 

    Brown eyes grew wide,the clanging of the gears below meaning only one thing. He let out one last strangled scream,words barely breaking through his cries it faded off with the car. 

"GRAAAAAAAAAACE!"

In a flash they were gone,the train still chugging on without them.

    The girl slowly turned,opening the door in silence. Tired eyes looked around,catching sight of dotted paper folded into what resembled a tree. She made her way to it before setting down the child in her arms. She let herself collapse against the trunk,purple slips of paper falling off and to the ground. A heavy sigh escaped her,eyes focused on the sky. It was a mix of warm reds and oranges,the gold of the origami sun peaking through the swirls of dawn. If she squinted hard enough she could pretend it was yet another comforting sunset from her old home off the train. Few things in the train made her want to return to such an awful place,yet she couldn't help but wonder if the sunsets that now only her family could see looked the same. 'Simon would have liked this'

    She turned,expecting to find her friend staring off into the distance with a rare calm smile on his face. Instead she was greeted by Hazel looking to her with a nervous expression. 

"Grace?"

"Yeah?"

"Your sleeve ripped off"

     She looked to her shoulder,the orange sleeve ripped off leaving only thin strings behind. "Oh...I didn't notice"

 "And your arms..."

      Her eyes drifted towards her arm,a scar running from her shoulder,down the limb and leaking through the last row of numbers. The last digit was left flickering like a broken light,the girl pressing a thumb on it as if to keep it still. She let out a pained hiss,holding her arm out to avoid any more injuries. 

    The sound of ripping caught her attention,Grace finding Hazel tugging at a stray strip that hung from the paper tree's branch. Before she could question her the strip snapped,the child then handing it to her. "Here,it's so you don't bleed to death and die"

"Right" She took the strip from her tiny hands,starting from her elbow with a tired grin. "What would I do without you?"

"You'd be with Simon"

     Grace stopped,eyes full of worry as she looked to the child. She clutched the hem of her sweater vest,shifting from heel to heel. "You...You can go back if you want to"

"Hazel..."

"It's okay" She lied. "I-I can take care of myself. You can look for him and I'll go to the Apex. I promise I'll be safe and find it fast"

     The Apex. In this whole mess she had nearly forgotten about the rag tag group of children no older than sixteen at most. She glanced to her number,then to the child. In her eyes she was the same Hazel she had known since the jungle car,but to Simon with just one word she became an enemy. All it took was one moment to change everything. "Hazel...we can't go back to the Apex now"

"But what about the other kids?"

"Simon...Me and Simon taught them a lot of bad things" She finally admitted. "If we go there now..." In all truth she didn't know what would happen,children were unpredictable after all. What she did know was that if they went now,their second leader gone with a denizen in his place,it would end badly for both of them. 

    Hazel thought for a moment,returning to her seat by her side. She looked back to Grace,eyes focused on the few numbers she could see peeking out from her makeshift bandage. She did the same,her own number a dull grey. Permanent and unchanging. Even in the few similarities they had there was always something keeping her miles away from being one as close to her as she was before. Back when she thought she was human. "Do you miss Simon?"

    The girl traced the top row of her numbers with a thumb,imaging the other's sure to have grown exponentially by the time they met again. Was there even a chance of them meeting again on a train that seemed to go on for infinity? "I don't know yet"

"Its okay if you want to cry"

She looked to the child,eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

    Hazel pulled her knees to her chest,chin rested on them. "Simon was bad...really bad"

"That's a nice way to put it" In all honesty she expected a lot more animosity on her end. If she had to describe someone that killed her mother and hated her very existence something as simple as 'bad' would be the farthest word from her mind. 

"But he was still your friend," Hazel reminded her. "Even when he was bad you wanted him to come with you"

"I..." 

    She could still feel her feet planted to the rocky ground,close to frustrated tears as he stood what felt like miles away. 'JUST ANSWER ME!' Was what she wanted to scream or better yet just grab him by the hood and swing across the pit and onto the other side. They probably could have settled the whole denizen issue if they just had a moment to talk,right? Surely he could understand what she did if he just took the time to listen. But then again,if it wasn't what he wanted to hear,would he listen at all? "I guess I did..."

"Simon was like your Tuba"

     Grace froze at the sentiment. Tuba was someone so kind,so motherly,so generous, and Simon was so...well,he was a lot of things. Stubborn,clueless at times and yet far too blunt at others but at the same time he wasn't all bad. He wrote fantasy novels that were nothing short of comedic in their sincerity but she dare not ruin his dreams. He spent his heart and soul on miniatures and creating worlds he could never see out of junk collected from their many raids and he always found some excuse to be by her side at every other free moment. He was a dork plain and simple but a dork she had spent her most of her life on this train with. 

    Her eyes widened at the realization. Ten years. Ten years of spending cold nights on the train together,ten years of doing the dumbest things to get a laugh out of the other,ten years of being each other's shoulder to cry on each time they thought of their life before the train,and ten years sure that they would spend the rest of their lives on this stupid train together. 

     Tears pricked at the corner of their eyes,the girl quick to wipe them away. No,don't think about the past. It'll hurt less if you just ignore it and move on. Just move on from their mess and onto the next car as they had done before. 

      A pair of small arms wrapped around her waist,a now beakless face pressed against her side. Tears slowly fell down her cheeks,soaking the paper leaves that had collected around the two. For the first time in what felt like years she sobbed,cries loud and pained. She could already imagine her mother hovering over her,scolding her for grieving with no grace. "You're embarrassing yourself" 'You're embarrassing me' is what she truly meant,at least that's what she assumed for so long. Yet this time she didn't feel the shame that had once been forced upon her. Instead a new feeling slowly began to fill her. 

Relief

   Relieved to have escaped what was sure to be Hell if she hadn't taken Hazel in her arms and away from the remaining two passengers,relieved to be free from the shackles of holding so many secrets,and relieved that she could finally start over. No more Grace Monroe,leader of the Apex who tormented denizens for their own amusement. Now she was a new Grace,not one entirely figured out but one she was willing to find. She would figure out how to rescue the remaining children later,for now she lay in the origami car watching the sky turn to a gorgeous dark blue with sparkling paper stars.

"Grace?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

   A soft smile returned to her face,a gentle hand resting on the other's head. "Yeah,I'm okay"

"You're being honest,right?"

She let out a weak chuckle. "Yeah,no more lying"

"Okay...but what are we gonna do now?"

Grace thought for a moment,looking to the sky. "I don't know...but we'll find out together"

Hazel nodded in agreement before letting out a yawn. 

"You tired?"

Another nod from the young girl. 

"You can take a nap,you deserve a break" She released her from her hold,Hazel immediately flopping onto her lap. She couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. 

     Hazel hesitated for a moment before looking to her. "Are you gonna be gone when I wake up?"

"Of course not" Grace assured her. "I'm not leaving you,ever"

     Hazel hummed before turning back to rest on her thigh. Eyes shut tight she slowly drifted off until she was fast asleep. 

      Grace let out a sigh,her own eyes close to drooping shut. Where to next? The question lingered in her mind,not an answer in sight. Maybe they could focus on her number,try to get it to glow and drop to zero so they could both escape this nightmare. Or maybe she could reform the Apex,make it better and tell each and every child the truth or maybe...maybe she just needed to get some sleep. 

    Head leaning back against the trunk she finally shut her eyes,each muscle slowly relaxing until she placed a protective arm over the sleeping child. Before she could fall asleep a soft song fell past her lips,ease settling over the two once they both sat fast asleep under the origami tree. 

"Don't be a worry baby

No need to hurry, baby

When you're with me"

[fictionkinfessions]

I think it's just because of this shift, I'm almost positive it is- But the phrase "There's an Alrick shaped hole in the universe" is really getting to me right now.

I miss him- God, I miss him. I have such vauge memories, but all of them were good. There's so much we missed. So much that could've been done if he hadn't died. It's stupid, but I just want him back. I want him to be here so we can be together and he can just,,, Hold me. I guess? He used to, and it was always lovely. It made me feel better so quickly. And now I'm just. Alone again. God,, Alrick, if you're out there, I love you, don't forget that.

-Amelia Hughes, Infinity Train

[sepublic]

Really, that whole speech by Mace is so horrifically existential, because...

It really brings up the question of how much is intended by the Infinity Train? Is there more to it? How much does it do and control? Is it secretly manufacturing fate itself by making passengers and inhabitants meet up and so forth?

That whole suggestion that MT only got her freedom because that was her role in Tulip’s story to become a better person is terrifying... And likewise, with the invisible force dragging her and Dracula back to the train, it makes you wonder if it’s the will of the train itself for MT to be sanded by the Mirror Police.

People like Marcel the Map dude, Perry the Parasite, or that one Concessions Booth that eats people... They’re BAD people, yeah, but are they only bad because the Train intended it that way? Were they made with the purpose of having passengers ‘overcome’ them? Was Perry made as a remorseless parasite who takes over other peoples’ bodies, all so Jesse could learn from dealing with him? Did the train make him specifically with Jesse in mind, giving him memories of an entire life beforehand (or more scarily, did it create Perry and his car years before Jesse’s actual arrival, because the Train might be able to see into the future)? Did it make Perry with people like Jesse’s issues in mind as a whole? Or did it... just MAKE Perry and a bunch of other inhabitants, with the idea that somebody is going to learn from dealing with him? Did it just create him and a bunch of other beings and set them up so that if it needed a specific situation to teach someone a lesson, the Train would just scoop them up and carry their car to the passenger?

Come to think of it, could the Infinity Train be controlling entire journeys down to the minute detail? Is every car a passenger goes through deliberately placed based on what they need to progress? While Tulip or Jesse or anyone is inside a car, does the Train analyze their development and then place a car they ‘need’ in front of them? Or is the wide selection of cars in such variety that inevitably, passengers will come across something that will help them learn?

For all we know, EVERYTHING that happens on the Infinity Train is meant to happen. It’s all part of the train’s plan for someone to ‘learn’... Even the Apex, even Amelia deposing One-One as the conductor (keep in mind that even the true conductor doesn’t appear to know everything about the train if the minisodes are any indication. Although it IS also possible that most of the stuff is also scripted as well...?) Is it ALL part of an over-arching, in-the-long-run journey the Infinity Train has set up, and does that mean that no matter how terrifying a journey someone may have, it was ultimately the fastest way for them to recover? (Meaning if I am right about Amelia’s whole arc being planned out by the train... That means her doing ALL THAT was actually the quickest possible way to teach her to move past Alrick’s death. Yeesh.)

As for the inhabitants, what does that mean for them? If it really IS all completely planned, can someone like Perry be blamed for being a jerk, if he really WAS made to be a jerk? It’s also possible that not everything everything is planned- The Concessions Booth’s dancing slaves say “Add one to our number”, indicating it has eaten actual passengers before, assuming they aren’t referring to just inhabitants. But if THAT was planned as well, does that mean that those who were eaten or died were deemed impossible to save by the Train?!?

Like, a part of me does want to step back and say, NO, it can’t go that deeply... After all, MT will probably get a happy ending of freedom. But on the other hand, maybe it DOES go that deep, and the Train simply lets anything happen to its creations after they serve their purpose, good or bad. Who knows? All I know is that episode is genuinely messing me up in a way even the Ball Pit Car didn’t.

(Also, anyone else appreciate how when Jesse was offered candy by Grace, he ate it and tried to lie about it tasting good to not hurt her feelings or whatnot... But then he realizes that, NO, that’s stupid, just tell the truth about it tasting like old pennies and he just does. Just a light-hearted, out-of-place observation I wanted to make amidst all of this heavy talk.)

[cattestfanciest]

Strawberries and Cream

This is a short piece that I wrote for @the-sloth-woman!

It is a Valentine’s Day au for her babs, Alrick and Lilly-

2549 Words 

WARNING NSFW

It was rare for Alrick to try this hard at anything- let alone seduction. His effortless charm and natural charisma was something that he couldn’t turn off if he wanted to. This was the problem with humans and their stupid holidays, at least once a year he had to think about what he was doing. 

He had sent Lilly out on an errand, which he knew was immediately the wrong thing to do- it was Valentine’s day, she obviously knew that he was up to something. He was smoother than that. He could have orchestrated some situation, demanding her attention. 

He grabbed another handful of rose petals and scattered them throughout the hall behind him. Alrick had seen this in several movies- a rose petal pathway leading to the romantic date spot. It seemed like the perfect combination of mystery and playfulness that Lilly would enjoy. He had a bunch of candles in the backyard, a thick comforter spread out on the ground, and a picnic basket full of sweet treats, fruit, and wine.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he had failed to notice that it was already growing dark outside. It wasn’t until he heard the engine of the car, and the crunch of gravel beneath its wheels that he knew that Lilly was home. 

“Fuck.” he muttered to himself. It was showtime, and he hadn’t even finished setting the stage. He ran towards the back door, dumping the rose petals as he ran. He let the door slam behind him- making him cringe internally. He knew that she would have heard that. Alrick dove for the comforter, trying to take up an effortless and sexy pose. He rolled up his sleeves- he knew that she would love that. 

Alrick found himself getting a bit stiff. He knew that Lilly had been right behind him, that’s why he had ran out of the back door in such a rush. Was she being held up by something? Was she punishing him for the obvious ruse? Was-  His heart stopped.

Was she mad at him for sending her out on Valentine’s day?

The idea was ridiculous, right? He was just psyching himself out. The whole “servant” thing was just a facade for his father, it had been months since he had acted like that to Lilly. The thought of her, crestfallen, thinking that they had taken a step backwards in their relationship was too much for him.

Alrick pushed himself to his feet, brushing off the grass and rose petals. He was going to set this straight, romance be damned.

“Alrick?” 

Alrick turned around, trying to keep the surprise from his face.

“Hey Lilly, did you get the groceries?” Inwardly he yelled at himself- The Groceries?! She’s right here, and that is your opening line?

“I did, I hope that I haven't been gone too long. We had to make an extra stop.” She looked at the spread behind Alrick and let a small grin over her face, “I hope that you haven’t been waiting too long.”

An eternity wouldn’t have been too long. 

“Not at all,” he said, “You are worth the wait.” He gestured towards the comforter. “I took the liberty of preparing dinner for us.”

“Dinner?” Lilly let out a small laugh, “All I see is a bit of fruit and cheese. If this is all that it takes to satisfy you, it looks like I’m about to be doing a lot less cooking.”

“I thought that it would be a good idea to stay out of the kitchen since the cake incident.” He pushed back his hair, some of his natural swagger returning, “Besides, I don’t want you to be too full for the main course.”

This was easier. The conversation was natural, and flowed from him without effort. He would crack a small joke, and she would giggle. Being with her felt like he had released a breath that he didn’t even realize that he was holding.

A dollop of whipped cream hit him squarely on the nose.

“Oops, looks like I missed.” Lilly grinned at him from under her red hair.

Alrick knew this game- he invented  this game.

“You know, this is very good whipped cream. I don’t break this out for just anyone.” He said teasingly, “And I can’t get this off myself. You’re just going to have to lick this off.”

She leaned forward, and licked his nose, her soft tongue tickling him slightly. Before she could pull away, he took a small handful of whipped cream and splat it against the side of her neck.

Lilly let out a small shriek.

“Alrick! You’re going to get me all sticky!” She said sternly. She wasn’t wrong either, the whipped cream was dripping down her neck onto her shirt- and worst of all, into her hair. Alrick smirked.

“Well, it looks like I have to lick it off of you now.” Alrick said with a devilish grin. He leaned forward with his tongue outstretched towards her delicate neck, only to be pushed back.

“No. You need to get me a wet towel.” She saw the protest in his eyes. “Please, Alrick? It’s in my hair.”

There was no fighting it. She had that look in her eye that he couldn’t resist. The way her face just looked so fucking cute. He rose to his feet, feeling slightly embarrassed, his grin slipping into a more sheepish grimace.

“I’ll be right back, Lilly.” He said, and was off. 

The hallways were dark, and with a passing thought he noticed that there were no rose petals by the back door. He stopped. He traced his way back to the main hallway where a small trail of rose petals ended in an abrupt pile, some blown in every direction.

Of course. He had forgotten that this was a stupid human tradition that he saw in a movie. If he had even thought for a moment he would have known that rose petals wouldn’t stay in place to form a neat path. And even worse, he had dumped the bucket in the hallway in his panic.

He shook his head and went to the kitchen to grab a towel, and moisten it with some water in the sink. Stupid human holidays.

Alrick absentmindedly opened the back door, thinking about what a flop this night had become, but froze stiff in his tracks.

Lilly laid effortlessly out on the comforter in a state of scandalous undress. His eyes wandered up her stockinged legs, up the thin trails of her garters. They followed the curve of her waist, her stomach, and up to the perfect pair of breasts, held in a cupless bra. She had been biting her lip softly, until she caught the expression on his face. 

She giggled, “It looks like it was worth the detour. I wasn’t sure if this was the right one, and it felt so awkward, like it barely counts as lingerie.”

Alrick slid over her in a moment, silencing her with a passionate kiss.

“Hey,” she teased, “I wasn’t done talking!” But the breathless tone of her voice, and the slight gleam of victory in her eyes said that this was exactly the response that she had hoped for.

“It looks like you still have some whipped cream here.” Alrick whispered into her ear as he traced her neck with his lips. He punctuated this with a small kiss- and a small bite. It wasn’t enough to break the skin- not even enough to really hurt, but he reveled in the small gasp that it brought from Lilly.

His hand traced over her stomach, following the lines to her hips, hooking his thumbs underneath the top of her underwear. Alrick peppered her collarbone with small kisses and nibbles, slowly working his way back up her neck and finding her mouth.

He sunk into a deep passionate kiss with her, their tongues lightly playing around each other, reveling in the taste of her. He bit her lip, eliciting another small yelp.

He pulled himself back to look into her eyes. She stared up at him in passion, in worship, and with complete desire. She wanted this as much as he did. He didn’t realize it, but she had unbuttoned his shirt while they had been locked in the kiss, and her hands were tracing lightly over his skin, every so often giving his shirt a needing tug.

He was going to take this slow- It’s Valentine's day after all-  he thought with a smirk.

He buried his face between her breasts. He could never articulate the feeling, so soft and warm, but he couldn’t linger, not just yet. He traced his hands downwards following with his mouth in a soft percussion of kisses. As he kissed lower and lower, Lilly’s gasps rose in intensity. When he was to her bellybutton, she was panting in desire. When he made it down to her thighs, she was lost in it. 

He slid a single finger into her, and her whole body stopped for a moment- as if a single breath would stop him.

Then the tension broke, as he plunged it deeper into her. Alrick caressed her thighs with his lips, slowly tracing back upwards to where they met. 

He could not resist. Her smooth thighs practically begged him to. So he did. He bit down into her left thigh, his fangs breaking through her delicate skin. 

“Alrick-” Lilly’s voice caught in her throat like a hiccup as a moan escaped her.

He drank her blood with fervour. It was sweeter than anything else that he could describe. Even if he had the use of all of his faculties, he would never be able to describe the taste, but to compare it to Ambrosia itself.

Alrick let his fangs slide free, keeping his hand moving in a constant motion, stroking her inner wall gently with every thrust. He kissed her gently, and then began working with his tongue.

Alrick lost himself in her, licking her. He flicked his tongue over her clit while continuing to tease her with his fingers. Every once in a while, he would pause to suck on it, long and hard, like he was passionately kissing her mouth. 

Lilly was softly panting his name, but seemed like she couldn’t get past the “Al-” part of it to save her life.Her hands twined and grasped into his hair, pushing his head downwards onto her.

Inside of Alrick, he felt a devilish grin. He knew what he was about to do to her.

Abruptly, he stopped.

“Ahhhh… Alrick?” Lilly whined up at him. Her eyes pleaded with him-

Don’t stop- for the love of EVERYTHING please don’t stop. They said.

Alrick freed himself of his pants, and the confusion left Lilly’s face, to be replaced with a look of- What was that? Smugness? Victory? Normally Alrick would have stopped just to win, but right now a raging storm pushed him forwards. He was physically incapable of stopping now.

He felt Lilly’s hands on his chest again, this time firmer- pushing him onto his back.

She was in control now- her head bobbing up and down on his cock. His shoulders rolled, and he felt tenser and more relaxed at the same time. 

Without even meaning to, a soft, “Fuuuuuuccck.” escaped his lips.

Lilly looked up at him, victory gleaming in her eyes. She slowly pulled her lips off of his shaft. She left her hand on his shaft, slowly rubbing its length, and pulled her lips right next to his ear.

“Is there something that you want, Master?”

It tore through him. One word- two syllables. It broke his resolve, leaving only raging tides of lust pulling him forward.

He grabbed Lilly by the hips, diving into her. Lilly’s weight pushed her down onto him, slowly enveloping him entirely.

“Ah-ahhhhhh.” A sigh of contentment and lust slipped from Lilly’s lips as their hips met.

Alrick never felt the cold, but he never felt as whole and as warm as he did when he was buried into Lilly entirely.

She began to slowly rock her hips, her hands planted firmly on his chest. She ground a steady rhythm, tightening and releasing as his cock slid in and out of her, sometimes coming dangerously close to leaving her warmth, but never quite coming out. His hips pulsed in time with hers, one hand clinging to her waist desperately, the other tracing up and down her body.

Alrick was intoxicated. With every thrust, his body felt a pulse run through him, as if every time their hips met it sent a heartbeat through his body. Every pulse wound him tighter, every time she settled down on his cock he felt his body grow tighter, and more sensitive.

Alrick gathered one hand on her waist, the other just below her shoulder, and sat up- pushing Lilly down further on his member. Her eyes widened in pleasure and surprise- her mouth making a soft, “Oh” shape.

All reserve gone, he pulled her to her back. He moved instinctually, knowing every curve of her body, every response she would have to every thrust. He felt his mind go blank as he kissed her, her breasts, her mouth, even the palms of her hands.

Alrick knew it was coming- he felt the tension in his hips, his chest, and in the way his thrusts grew more erratic. He knew Lilly was getting there too, in the way that she seemed to tighten around him. He wanted to pour into her, to see her filled with his thick, creamy-

She wrapped her legs around him suddenly, and he felt her tense underneath him.

“Oh fuck, Lilly” he moaned, letting go, arching his back and pouring himself into her, their bodies growing impossibly stiff as they panted in release to each other.

Lilly looked up at him, her breath shallow, sweat softly beading down her neck. Her arms wrapped gently around him. 

“I love you, Alrick.” she whispered. He felt a pull in his chest- it was sadness and warmth at the same time. If he had a heart- if he could love, he would have said it back. She was beautiful and perfect, he wouldn’t be able to help but love her. 

Instead of a response, he kissed her. It held the embers of the lust that had just taken them both, but it was still hot with their passion. He hoped that the kiss told her what he couldn’t say to her, and it seemed as though it did.

Alrick had let Lilly go to the bathroom, she needed to shower after their rendezvous. He had offered to join her, but she said that she actually needed to get clean- as if they couldn’t do both at once. He had already cleaned the comforter out back, and was sweeping the rose petals in the hallway. Normally he would have a familiar do it, but it felt nice to hold the broom, and to be doing something helpful. There were rose petals all over the foyer and hallway, and this would quickly become a chore. He chuckled to himself- if there was any day he was willing to put in some effort, it was Valentine’s day.

[mandareeboo]

I know Amelia was stuck in the middle of a whole grief meltdown thing, but this is just... really stupid?

No one can clone someone as that person. They can clone DNA, make another person out of that person- it’s been done to sheep. But you can’t just copy-paste that shit and get the human being you know. The closest to that found in the show is Reflected like Lake, and even then they’re wildly different people.

What were you gonna do, Grace? Raise Alrick 2.0. to adulthood? Then marry him again? Ew. The car made sense. This was just really fucking wackadoodle on her part.

[niuniente]

Hi Niu! I'm not sure if you participate in writeblr events, but I thought you'd get a kick out of this Story-telling Saturday question I came up with and figured I'd send it to you! No pressure to respond to it of course.

It's time to know about the thoughts that keep your oc(s) up at night; what cringey memory still haunts them to this day?

Love DHD and your art as always!

-HD

I don't participate in writerblr events but I don't mind about questions being send.

Though, having said that, for many questions - like this one - I have no answer because I don't know it. Yet, at least. They haven't told me. The closest would perhaps he how Alrick got his lip scar because I have a feeling it was something really stupid lol.

I'm terribly sorry for this answer, or the lack of it....

[blackhawkcomics]

" look... look at me. look at me! it's not your fault... "

Uh.... I don’t really know what happened with this reply lol. The prompt list said one thing, but as I was writing it, it turned into something completely different, and then it turned into a sort-of study on Lucia’s “no kill” policy, and then I just ran with it until it got way too long. I hope this is okay?

Anyway, here’s some angst:

Then—unidentified SHIELD base, office of Dr. Mellissa McCawley

“Do you think, if you had used lethal force on this mission, Mr. Alrick would still be alive?”

“I—I don’t know. Maybe?” Lucia squirms under the councilor’s penetrating gaze. It’s questions like this that make her hate dealing with psychiatrists. “But I’ve never—I can’t—It’s against SHIELD policy—”

That and her complete inability to form a coherent thought around them.

“True. But you weren’t always doing this as part of SHIELD.”

“I was a kid!” Lucia recoils at the implication.

“And now? If you weren’t a SHIELD agent, would you still refrain from killing?”

“Yes!”

“Why?”

“Because it’s wrong.” She sounds like a child, but she’s too incensed to care. “Are you trying to say I should have killed that man?”

“No,” says Dr. McCawley, “but there is a part of you that thinks you should have. Do you think other agents who have killed in the past are bad people?”

“Of course not.” Lucia shakes her head, not to disagree with her but to rid herself of the emotional whiplash from her words.

“Then why are you so adamant about never using lethal force yourself?”

“Because—because—I don’t know.”

Now—Operation: Magnetize

They’ve lured him into a forest: no metal for miles around. No metal on Lucia or Agent Martin. They’re not stupid enough to think there’s no metal on him, but that’s what Reyes is here for. She goes by Null. She’s on loan from the Raft, and she can suppress powers for a time. Up against an Omega Level Mutant like Magneto, that’s a very short time. And it’s already been too long.

Carbon fiber bow. Polyethylene string. Military-grade ceramic arrowheads. Lucia’s sights are aimed at a spot just below the point of his helmet. Agent Martin has given her his orders, but still Lucia hesitates.

She can’t look Magneto straight in the eye—a problem, considering where she’s aiming—and it isn’t just because she’s been ordered to kill him. There’s a primal rage, an all-consuming fury in those eyes that hurts to look at and hurts even more to know it’s pointed at her.

But that isn’t it either.

“Take the shot, Castillo!” Agent Martin barks, his ICER pistol trained on Null to keep her from running again, “What the hell are you doing? Take the shot!”

Null is on the verge of collapse. With every second Lucia wastes, the girl grows weaker, sliding further down the tree trunk she’s supporting herself against, her muscles straining with the physical pain of stretching her psychic abilities past the breaking point. Magneto could regain his powers at any moment, and they’d all be dead. But still Lucia hesitates.

Lucia has always hated Null’s involvement in this. Not because she’s a mutant—at least, not in that sense. No, there’s something perverse about using—because that’s what they’re doing, isn’t it? They’re using her—another mutant to take down Magneto. She wasn’t even given a choice in the matter, really. She’s on loan from the Raft, like a thing checked out from a library when convenient. It makes Lucia sick.

But Agent Martin is the senior agent in charge of this operation. He’s the one giving orders, and she can’t disobey a direct order. Not if she wants to keep her place in SHIELD.

“Castillo!” There’s an echo of that all-consuming fury in Agent Martin’s eyes, and that’s when Lucia decides, whatever happens, she’s not ever following another of this man’s orders again. This operation has never been about bringing a killer to justice. Not for him. For him, it’s always been about fear, and prejudice, and primal rage. She wonders, if the mission hadn’t gone wrong to begin with—if Magneto hadn’t blocked most of his ceramic throwing knives, if Null hadn’t broken his hand when she tried to escape—would he still have given Lucia the kill order? She suspects she knows the answer.

Something in her eyes must betray her decision because Agent Martin narrows his own and flings away his ICER. Null falls to the ground. A tremor grows under their feet as Magneto raises his arms to unleash hell.

But Agent Martin has another gun out now, one Lucia is sure wasn’t listed on their supplies for this mission, but one she recognizes, nonetheless. It’s a special model designed for one thing only: delivering the mutant ‘cure’ with as much brutal efficiency as possible.

There isn’t time to decide anything. There isn’t time to aim. She brings her bow around and fires before Agent Martin can even touch the trigger.

For a moment, everything seems calm. Then Agent Martin’s body hits the ground, and Lucia’s actions catch up with her. She’s running toward him before she can think, praying to a God she only just regained her faith in that he isn’t dead, that she didn’t—

But God has only ever answered her prayers once, and she’s too good a shot to miss.

Her fingers fall away from the pulse point on his neck. He’s dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. DEAD. The word builds in her head like a massive wave crashing down on her, drowning her. She realizes the shaking in her hands isn’t coming from the ground anymore, and she’s rocking back and forth, muttering “No” over again and again as if denial will bring him back. As if it will undo what she’s done.

‘Then why are you so adamant about never using lethal force yourself?’

Because she isn’t sure she can survive it.

She’s never liked this man, not for an instant. Did some deeply buried part of her want him dead? Did she do this on purpose?

She thinks she’s going to be sick.

There’s someone speaking, and suddenly Magneto is there beside her, shaking her by the shoulders. “—Look at me!”

She does. Distantly, she realizes she should be terrified.

“It’s not your fault,” he says.

She should be beyond terrified.

“Yes, it is.”

[the-sloth-woman]

Is it just me or does Alrick give the aura of “How are you, fellow kids?” XD

Alrick: What the fuck is this supposed to mean??

Alrick: How are you, fellow kids?? Is this a vibe? Is this an aesthetic?? What?!

[spooner-the-trinity]

How Infinity Train pulled from Infinity War’s Playbook for Doctor Who’s final curtain

Funding for Shaffrilas is provided by: Skillshare, the sponsor of today’s video. Stay tuned for a train ride to discountkosh at the end of the video.

O hai, Tetsuya Nomura. That’s a nice hole you’re digging with your Kingdom Hearts, what do you wanna do with it? Keep digging? Why thou? O for a production company? That’s great, whacha gonna do with it? Name and develop the town the Toy Story flicks take place in? Yeah, alright. Add the goofy jock from Glee as a best friend for Andy that the Triceratops assumes is just a Dinosaur Toy down the street? What a funny joke idea! Nix the final playtime they’ve hoped to cap off the film with and save it for a later project? A tad disappointing, but alright. Make Sora a vessel for Xehanort? Whoa, that sounds hella har- A sexy Genie of the Rose who grants a wish for every petal on that collar-mounted rose of hers? Unique concept, but I smell some Hans Christian Anderson shi- The genie’s life force is bound to the Rose so she croaks when the last petal falls ala Beauty and the Beast? And there it is, Color me unsurpri- The Genie finds Andy and drags him into a sex scene to the tune of Aladdin’s Friend Like Me? I don’t think the parents would be okay with their kids watchi- Toonami’s airing this show? Wait, isn’t it on a competing networ- Lewis from Meet the Robinsons is Deleted by DOR-15 Ala the Nanobots from Jimmy Neutron? Mister Enter would be insulted on how you did his favorite Disney flick dirty like thi- Andy is shot into a wormhole and is mutated into a photosensitive Beast? Guys, It’s starting to look like a bad ide- The Genie is an aged-up Bonnie and she’s pregnant with Shantae!? Get me off this crazy tr-

Infinity Train Productions is one of the boldest associates Disney has in its corner right now, from wrestling away ownership of three Gainax originals to collaborating with competing animation company Dreamworks, the IT guys are pretty renowned for their kooky crossovers and kookier cinematic universe. And they’ve made sure to make their acquired goods count towards that universe instead of burn it to the ground LUCASFILM. Starting off by stating this is a universe where Second Impact prevented the assassination of JFK by means of tanging up 13% of the world’s population and weaved a few stitches of train tracks across the globe, naturally the space race escalates exponentially and they begin to develop new technologies and elect Walt Disney himself to be the President of the United States with Nixon as his running mate. That alone resulted in a Sequel Show to Brigadoon where a 24-year-old Marin Asagi boards the Challenger and ends up cast into the future with Melan, a retelling of the first arc of Gurren Lagann that featured Yui Ikari as a supporting character that saves Kamina from death, a twenty-six episode miniseries featuring Andy from the Toy Story gaining a magical genie bound to an enchanted rose, and that’s just the first half of its initial decade. I could go on about its repertoire of shows both original and acquired: Twelve Forever, Evangelion, both Arcadia trilogies with the elder of the two being started by the aformentioned show with that genie of the rose titled, erm… Genie of the Rose, but the one I’m aiming my sights on is the latest acquisition, one that they made in secret. Doctor Who and how they pulled from the playbook of Infinity War to bring the story to its last stop. 

Now, quick recap on how Infinity War makes a powerfully heartfelt mass market appeal joyride out of a thoroughly depressing story about failure. Where most Marvel Villains are merely obstacles for the characters to overcome, Thanos acts and reacts as a real person. Where most conflict have certain factors that tip the scales in the favor of who’s tipping them, the conflict is one where either side could come out victorious, where the Comedy of the Last Farcebender ended with the good guys laughing off their failure, Infinity War ended with a content smile from Thanos and our heroes dead silent save for a minor peep of: “Oh, god.” Where the bad decisions in Farcebender are made from genuine stupidity, Infinity War’s stem from worrying whether or not certain sacrifices are worth it. With that crash course out of the way, let’s dig in.

First thing’s first, is the villain a compelling character? Well, although Sacha Dhawan has the same unhinged energy expected out of any incarnation of longtime enemy, the Master, complete with moments of geniuine affection to his former best beff, he’s ultimately not the main baddie of this piece, that honor goes to Alrick. Believed to be dead after a dirtbike accident, it turns out that he had been picked up by the train and has spent a good three decades or so fucking with the systems to construct an empire starting with the crazy world of Elmore all the way to the Lanes Between and yes, he has shown himself to be a caring father figure to Grace and Simon throughout the second half of Cracked Reflections which leads into the episode, he’s concerned for his future as he’s clearly not as lively as he was when he first climbed aboard and even expresses hope for Jesse returning to the train after taking the exit and getting seperated from MT. And oh, look! He returns after the big moment, that’s nice. 

So yeah, compelling villain, that’s one tick. Is there equal opportunity for either side to win? Well, MT and early on Jesse before his aformentioned exit have the additional assistance of the Watterson family, Banana Joe, and seemingly Penny for a scene only to reveal her in a new shell complete with mind-control and reflective surface to sick the Po-Po on MT. But despite being the protagonist of his show of origin, she’s not the opposing side to Alrick this time around, it’s the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey biatch herself and man, does it set up a curious comparison. Alrick is focusing his will into projecting his consciousness into the Doctor’s heart, an alien with countless eons worth of memories under her belt compared to Alrick’s measly sixtysomeodd laps around the sun. Not only that, but the Doctor is able to expel regeneration energy to fry the shit out of him if he feels the need to get a little messy. But with her locked up in the Time Lord Matrix which the Master has already skimmed through, there’s nowhere for the Doctor to run or even hide from Alrick. Throw in the Master’s ability to have his mind occupy two hearts at the same time whilst he’s chatting it up with the Lone Cyberman and the Doctor’s pretty pinned but still has a chance to outfox Alrick at the end of it all.

Bad decisions, the Doctor doesn’t trade lives so she keeps asking about the Timeless Child, what it’s supposed to be and why it drove the Master into absolutely butchering Galifrey after all the hard work each incarnation of the Doctor had. It turns out that this Timeless Child was a Pheonix Denizen created by Alrick to create a perfect world but One-One cast it out in hard-light beam form, striking Takeru and Ryou from This Ugly Yet Beautiful World from 2018. From the clipped wings came Hikari and Akari respectively whilst the main body crashed out of a wormhole into the sights of Tecteun who adopted the kid in time for a spaceship of highly-evolved snake people to crash land due to Kate and Leopold rules of time travel causing their machinery to get mucked up by Time Police in an episode of Rick and Morty of all shows, causing the child to fall to its doom and promptly regenerate, making her the first to do so in Galifreyan history. One of the survivors offers the gift of Time Travel in exchange for the power of Regeneration and Tecteun, scientist and explorer, jumps at the chance by means of tearing out the child’s soul for every three days that elapse. Obviously, she’s a fucking monster and she eventually does crack the code and test it on herself and the results allow the gift of time travel to bestowed upon the newly minted Timelords by Omega. Wow, all of this from a formally great show, (Doofenshmertz: what are the odds.) The Doctor is obviously unsurprised that Omega dangled the keys to time travel over the heads of the Shobagan race, but what horrifies her is that the very thing she and every other Time Lord we’ve seen had taken for granted was pilfered from a denizen that she learns after the life of abuse was created by some dude who hijacked some Train Car manufacturing equipment to build a perfect world. And it’s here where we see the main lynchpin of Alrick’s character: Perfection.

Those of you who’ve seen the whole series of Cracked Reflections will know that Alrick is an obsessive perfectionist first and foremost hence the plan to transform every Denizen of Elmore into full-blooded humans with leftover energy from this same Timeless Child. But not many of us recognize that this is only part of Alrick’s shtick. A simple man with complicated motives, a futurist in the trade of nostalgia, a conservative obsessed with progress, a gentle mentor with an impatient temper. These are just a handful of the ways to describe Walt Disney that were used by Ben Bouqulet, Mic Graves, and Owen Dennis to depict Alrick over the course of the last two seasons of Gumball leading into Cracked Reflections and Garrick Hagon truly gives his all portraying all the various shades of this man especially here when he is sharing his story of how he created a literal god only for One-One to cast it aside upon regaining control of the train from the very woman he spent the past 33 years building a perfect world for, a woman he cherishes like his older sister cherished his girlhood friend, a woman that even now still believes him to be ‘One-One: Gone forever?’ That is some next level tragic shit right there. 

Of course, the Doctor is still concerned for this child and it’s here where a familiar face crashes the party to let the cat out of the bag, Morbius from the Fourth Doctor Adventure Brain of Morbius outing himself as the infamous Timeless Child as well as harboring his disembodied heart in the Doctor after his ill-fated Mindbending Battle. This swerve may have served to provide added tension towards his motives, is he really wanting to go back to his home and views traveling with the Doctor as his only way there, or is he biding his time, waiting for his chance to overwhelm the Doctor when she’s not looking. As we see more of Morby’s checkered past in excruciating detail, slavery to the Division with everything down to his personality programmed and dictated into a mind-melded Morby by an enigmatic cult dubbed ‘The Master Writers’ An organization build solely and specifically for Infinity Train Productions to use in their portfolio of works. And when they were done with their enslaved progenetor, the Division in which they served lined him up for an execution from the Fugitive Doctor, during the 2nd Doctor’s orientation. Then they promptly merc poor Ruthie to regenerate her into the 3rd Doctor, closing the gap between Troughton and Pertwee. So yeah, The Division, they’re run by total assholes and Numero Dos only agrees to work there if his first assistant is longtime companion Jamie McCrimmon. But look at his face, does this look like the face of concent and tolerance to you? ‘Joe (Help, I’m a Fish!): Of course not!’ Props to Sam the Man with a Plan Troughton for filling his father’s shoes in this emotionally tense scene. And this ain’t the chilling twist that shocked the fandom. 

Alrick: “Whoever harbors the heart of the child is the child in of itself.“

Doctor: “Wot?”

Alrick: “It means that I will have my prize whether you like it or not!” (Punches through the Doctor’s Chest, crushes the Smash Ball within, causing the Doctor to turn into a pheonix before dissipating into Alrick’s body with the Smash Ball. Alrick’s Number skyrockets as his body regresses to his prime, the man laughing maniacally as the Timeless Child’s ultimate power rushes into him)

So yeah, Morby’s been reconstituting his powers over the centuries the Doctor had lived hence the golden energy during the later regenerations. How we find this out is by the titular character of the BBC’s last remaining reason towards that sweet TV Licence Money getting outright merced by Alrick in front of a guy that deep down still admires his childhood friend. This closes out An Untimely Caviat, the final episode in Doctor Who’s revived series, and leads us right into the finale of Cracked Reflection where he goes full on Disney Villain. Mercing the Master to make him a conduit to gijinkafy the entirety of Elmore, Co-Opting his Cybermaster drones as a mechanical army, ludiccrous speed incubating a pocket-dimension frog to house the Train Cars his empire had conquered via that same energy he channeled through the aformentioned Master, yeah, this does not sound like the man Amelia planned to marry if not had already married outright. Well, that’s the point. He’s drunk with power, it’s more likely that this is his ambition talking. No doubt he’s relishing in his own arrogance much to Marnie’s horror. Oh, yeah, Old Marnie’s doing her astral projection thing to react to her younger brother’s madness and watches on as MT gets roughed up by Super Alrick in front of an audience of his adopted children.

Of course, MT does find some santuary in the Number Car and re-unites with Jesse, resulting in the now sempailess Agent Sieve phasing through the glass screen whilst the train is figuring out how to solve Jesse’s seemingly unsolvable problem of getting a denizen off the train. But that just gives the Fleck some time to witness the madness of this rumored Apex fella as he ankleholds MT and gijinkafies Gumball and Darwin to demonstrate his final offer, her response is to break out a Denizen Ex Machina by prompting Alan Dracula to slice the monkeyfigher in half, causing him to regenerate into a pair of innocent, mindless little babies that will never bother anyone ever again… The Crown grieve for their master, Sieve calls off the manhunt for the rouge slither, the companions go their seperate ways with Graham staying on Earth to deliver the bad news the two youngest raising the two babies up to the Doctor’s standard… or at least one of them due to Yaz getting arrested by a Judoon Platoon before she could legally adopt Zarc. The expression of the companions are grim, and rightfully so, the one guy-or-gal that has kept the 21st century from falling into tyranny is no longer around to do the job they enjoyed doing whenever there was a sitch to see through. But after the wide shot of Yaz getting locked up in Shada we cut to MT, off the train and safe with Jesse in Arizona. Jesse’s brother Nate comes up to find his older brother with the very Chrome Girl he met on a magical train, Nate asks for the girl’s name and her answer?

Jesse: Dracula 2?

MT: (looks to the Lake, concerned that the Flecks would come after her but eases up when its clear that there are no Flecks coming.) I’m Lake.

We get a nice little callback to close out the series as the song Kibō plays in the credits, indicating that Hope is still out there in the cosmos, Doctor or No Doctor. And that is a powerful message to send to the audience and I have a pretty good feeling that whether or not the Doctor ends up getting revived in Kingdom Hearts III alongside all the absent heroes that Infinity Train productions had raked in over the years doesn’t quite matter, the studio does not need Doctor Who and its universe does not need the Doctor. And I have a pretty good feeling that the Doc may end up giving up their ticket back into the land of the living, leaving the universe to all the other champions of the cosmos that Toonami has flaunted over the decades. The Doctor has overcome many frightening, haunting, tyrannical, violent and downright Orwellian things in life and man, oh, man have we got a whole plate of them to overcome even now. Would I go back to this expansive world for further analysis, sure, if the views get gud. But the impact of the Doctor’s Death is a pretty big deal that actually caught a bunch of us by surprise despite the minor hints scattered throughout. (One-One: All aboard for emotional maturation on the finest freighter in all of Trenzalore) The Destiny of the Doctor News heard around the world, and the outpour of memories and grief rivalling even Mr. Peanut but unlike the legendary legume, our favorite timelord will probably be gone for a lot longer than just a couple of weeks and the time it takes will show how deep the rabbit hole goes. It will also show who’s willing to step up and find ways to make a difference in the lives of others, and they’re going to need to learn a thing or two to do so. (Cletus from the Simpsons Movie with the Skillshare Logo slapped onto his face in post: My time to shine.)

[writingkeepsmewhole]

Ghost and Witches

This is part 10 of Vampire Princess. It’s pretty long, been forever since I posted I know I’m sorry but I’m trying to work things out and start getting things up and running again. Hope Yall like this.

Fic Summary: Octavia tries to help Bonnie with her new found haunting.

Damon x Oc Octavia

Warnings: Language maybe, “Witchcraft”.

Taglist. I’ll gladly add you: @problematicpastry @butifulsoul125 @tina8009 @panicatangelica @bcfangirlthatswhy @accidentallyoffensivesworld  @kpoplover1306-depressedgirl315​ @toxic-pineapple​ @captured-memory​

Part 1  Part 9

I was sitting in class when Bonnie and our new teacher walked in. Bonnie was hunched over her looking scared. I barely listened to the teacher turning to look at her sitting in the back.

“You okay?” I mouth. She shrugs making me worried. “Talk at lunch?” I mouth again. She nods. Smiling I turn back to the front. “You may want to pronounce it Al Rick but it’s Alr ick. But you can call me Rick.” The teacher says. Raising my hand half the class turns to look at me. “Yes?” He asks gestering to me. “Can I call you Alrick, it sounds cooler than Rick.” Smiling he chuckles softly. “Sure, and you are?” “Octavia.” “Well it’s nice to meet you Octavia.” He says moving around his desk. “So today we are going to be learning about…”

  At lunch I met Bonnie and Elena at a picnic table outside. “What’s wrong Bon Bon?” I ask sitting next to her. “I think I’m being haunted.” She says making me do a double take. “Haunted?” “Yeah I’ve been having dreams about my ancestor Emily. I woke up in the middle of the woods this morning.” “You don’t remember going there?” Elena asks. “No that’s my point. I’m scared.” “What does your grandma say?” “She’ll just say it’s because I’m a witch. To embrace it I don’t want to embrace it. I want it to stop.” “It’s always Emily? Never anyone else?” “No, she wore this necklace before me and it’s like she is trying to communicate threw it.” “Well maybe you should listen.” I say Elena smacking my arm. “That’s not a good idea.” “Why? She is taking you to the woods for a reason it might be a good idea to listen.” “Well I don’t want to hear what she has to say. She’s dead.” Bonnie says standing up. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” “You didn’t. I just don’t wanna talk about this anymore. I’ll see you later.” She says walking off. “Good job.” Elena says standing up. “Don’t get mad at me. She has powers for a reason.” I say getting my stuff. “How would you like it if you found out you were different from everyone?” “I would be happy. I would do something in my life, not just be forgotten in a decade after I die.” “O…” “Relax Elena. I’m not mad I just… Don’t get mad at me for everything that comes out of my mouth.” I say walking away from her to my next class. After school I walked outside Bonnie offering to take me and Elena home so she could talk to us some more about her dreams. I stopped when I see Damon holding the door to Bonnie’s car open for her. I haven’t talked to him since he told me why he killed Lexi. Granted he didn’t really tell me why he killed her. He had a plan? That didn’t mean it was okay to kill someone. It got everyone off our back but I don’t think they were on our back to begin with. “Octavia.” He says smirking at me. Taking a breath I walk around him not wanting to talk to him. I didn’t know what to say. “Giving me the silent treatment?” I stop but don’t say anything. “Still mad about me killing Lexi?” “I’m not mad… I’m just..confused.” “Confused about what?” He asks standing in front of me, a smirk still on his face. Sighing I open the car door and get in the backseat. He grabs the door before I can close it. “Remember Octavia. I’m not the good guy here. You girls have a nice day.” He says winking at me then closing the door walking off. “What was that all about?” Bonnie asks her luckily not hearing him talk about killing Lexi. “Don’t ask.” I say huffing. It doesn't take long for Elena to get in the car her asking whats wrong after so long of silence. “Damon asked me for my necklace again.” Bonnie says. “Bonnie you need to stay away from him he is dangerous.” “Only when he wants to be.” I mumble Elena glaring at me. “What?” “I don’t see you hanging around him.” “She’s right. You seemed like you didn’t even want to look at him today. What happened?” Bonnie asks looking at me through the mirror. “He did something I didn’t think he would do. He explained why but -” “He explained why?” Elena asks looking angry. “Kinda? Sorta… I don’t know. That’s not the point. He just proved to be a different person then what I thought he was.” I say looking out the window. “Why do you think he wants my necklace so bad?” “There is no point in trying to understand him. Just stay away from him.” “He just keeps showing up.” “Well call me the next time he dose.” “I think I would have better luck with Octavia.” “Why me?” I ask looking at her. “He seems less dickish around you.” Snorting I roll my eyes and look out the window zoning out until Bonnie stops the car. “Umm whatcha doing?” “This necklace is the cause of all my problems. I’m getting rid of it.” Bonnie says getting out of the car. “Is she being serious?” I ask watching as she throws her necklace into a field. “Well that answers that question.” I say me and Elena shearing a look. Bonnie was crazy. When Bonnie got back into the car my phone went off it a text from Caroline. Her asking if we could hang out. I told her yeah not telling her Bonnie was going to be at my house. Them fighting over the witchy necklace needed to come to an end. I was in the kitchen Elena and Bonnie upstairs when the doorbell rang. I smiled opening it seeing Caroline there. “Hello gorgeous.” I say smiling at her accepting her hug. “I need to talk to you but you can’t tell Elena.” “Oh I can do that. Step into my office.” I say walking into the kitchen and picking up my phone. “What are you doing?” “Ordering take out. I can’t hear something juicy without takeout.” I say earning a laugh. “Okay fine.” She says smiling. I jump up on the counter after I hang up. “Alright spill.” “You know the party the other night.” She says making my heart race. What did she see? Does she remember Damon feeding off her? Am I gonna have to keep her from trying to kill him. “Matt took me home and well stayed the night.” “What?” I ask shocked a grin on my face. “You slept with Matt?” “No. I just we cuddled and he slept in my bed. Fully clothed.” She says holding her hands up on the last part. Laughing I nod my head. “Okay I get it no sex happened. Did something else happen?” “No that’s it but now I feel all confused.” She says starting to pace. “What do I do?” “Did you talk to him?” “Talk to who?” Elena asks walking into the kitchen. “Gym teacher. Caroline wants to add flips to the cheering but she doesn't know if the school will let her.” I say coming up with the first lie that popped into my head. I sometimes worried myself how I could lie so easily. “Oh I’m sure they would just ask.” Elena says getting water out of the fridge just as the doorbell rang. “Food!” I say smiling jumping off the counter and going to the front door. Coming back into the kitchen Bonnie walks out her and Caroline fighting. “What did you do?” I ask looking at her. “Nothing. She’s-.” I cut her off by holding my hand up. “I don’t care. Go fix it if you want it to be fixed. If it’s still about the necklace Damon gave you it’s not worth losing Bonnie.” “Hey where did you get this.” Elena says grabbing my wrist looking at the charm on my arm. “Damon gave it to me why?” I ask pulling my arm free getting the food out of the bag. “Why would he do that?” She asks Caroline going to talk to Bonnie. “To keep Stephan from compelling me.” “He wouldn’t do that.” “He would if you asked him to.” “If this is about Jeremy I’m sorry.” “Don’t be. He’s happy I’m not gonna be mad about that but if I want to forget something it’s gonna be my choice.” I say going to sit at the dining table food in hand. “I have an idea!” Caroline says sitting beside me Bonnie joining. “You made up?” “Yes! And even better, I'm gonna help Bonnie with her problem.” “How are you gonna do that?” Elena asks sitting across from me. “We are gonna have a seance.” “I’m not doing that.” Me and Bonnie say at the same time. “Come on, it'll be fun. If your being haunted I say we summon the bitch and ask her why.”

  “This is not a good idea.” I say us sitting in Elena’s room in a circle. It dark three candles lit in the middle. “Hush. Now hold hands and close your eyes.” Caroline says taking my hand. “I’ma kill you when this is over.” I say closing my eyes. “Take a breath and clear your mind.” Sighing I take breath but my mind is anything but clear. I was the only one who thought this to be a bad idea. “Bonnie call to her.” “Emily are you here?” She asks clearly a shiver running threw me. “See it’s stupid.” “Try again.” “Emily.” I jump when the door slams shut. “Oh no! I’m done!” I yell jumping. “Take it back I don’t want it!” Bonnie yells throwing her necklace in the floor. “What the hell was that?” I ask turning the lights on. “It wasn’t that bad.” Caroline says. “You asked a witch to summon a ghost!” I yell at her. “You don’t really believe she is a witch.” She says Elena and Bonnie walking to the bathroom. I spin around when the door slams again. Bonnie banging on it and screaming. With Elena’s help I try to get the door open. When Bonnie suddenly stops. The door opens showing her standing there. “Oh my gosh Bonnie you're full of shit. I’m going home.” Caroline says leaving. “Are you okay?” I asked walking up to her softly touching her. “I’m fine.” She says calmly moving past me. “I need to leave now.” She says picking up the necklace. “Bonnie are you sure your okay?” Elena asks. “I’m fine.” She says heading towards the steps. “Thank you for having me. I must go now.” She says starting down the steps. “Your not Bonnie are you?” I ask a weird feeling in my jut. She doesn't say anything continuing to walk. “Emily!” I call making her stop and look at me. “I have to stop him.” She says quickly leaving the house. “Call Stephan.” I say looking at Elena. “What why?” “Because the ghost of a witch is inside of Bonnie. Stephan and Damon knew her they can help.” I say grabbing my jacket. “Where are you going?” “I’m gonna go hunt me down a witch.” I say leaving the house hoping I find her before Bonnie gets hurt.

I get to the woods before Elena and Stephan. Her sending me a text on where Bonnie would be. Using a flashlight I walk thru the woods not to sure where I’m going until I hear a groan. I follow it seeing Damon pinned to a tree. “Oh my gosh Damon.” I say rushing at him and helping him down. It resulted in him landing on me. “Oh that hurts.” He groans rolling over. “Octavia.” Bonnie says drawing something in the ground with a stick. “Emily.” I say holding my hands up not knowing what she will do to me. “You can’t stop me.” “I’m not trying to stop you. I came here for Bonnie I-.” “You came here for him.” She says looking at Damon on the ground. “You care for him. You think there is good inside of him.” “There is good in everyone.” I say clenching my jaw. I didn’t like when people told me how I felt. “Stephan.” She says looking to the right slightly. I turned around to see him standing there. “Hello Emily.” He says making me glad I’m not the only one who knows what’s going on. “These people don’t deserve this. They should never have to know such evil.” She says going back to her drawing. “What evil?” I ask confused. “I won’t unleash them?” “Them?” Stephan asks Damon groaning behind me. I crouch down to him still on the ground gently touching his shoulder. “Emily tell me what you did.” Stephan calls to her. “To save her, I had to save them all.” “I don’t care about them.” Damon says pushing himself up to his feet Stephan next to us in an instant. “I only care about her.” “You did this for Katherine?” Stephan asks stopping Damon from moving. “She’s alive?” I ask my head started to spin. “This town killed 27 people and they deserve everything they get.” “They killed vampires Damon. Vampires!” “This isn’t about love for you. It’s about revenge and your playing innocent people for something that happened 145 years ago.” “It’ll happen again. They are already one to us and they'll burn her along with us.” He says pointing at Bonnie. “Things are different now.” Bonnie says dropping the stick. “I can’t free them and I won’t.” She says as flames grow around her. “Bonnie!” I yell trying to move closer but I get pushed back everything going black when my head smacks into a rock.

[mmikmmik2]

Grace & Simon headcanon that I have no one to share it with and I figure you’ll appreciate (gotta get this out there before B3 stuff is old news lmao)- assuming they boarded in 2011/2012, I love to imagine that all of their slang used to be VERY early internet. So like for their first 4-5 years on the train, conversations were spiced up with such gems such as YOLO, cray-cray, derp, the works. It’s not until after they start meeting new kids that they learn such terms are very un-cool now. (1/3)

Grace tries to play it off, like duh of COURSE I knew that, who even says s-m-h, it was stupid to begin with and I always knew it was dumb. Simon is embarrassed out of his mind and wants to melt into a puddle. Afterwards, Grace keeps a very close ear out for the Apex kids’ discussions so she can pick up on whatever popular slang is in. Gotta stay cool and hip with the kiddos. (2/3) 

Simon just drops slang altogether, too mortified to risk looking lame again. He starts to lose his playfulness around the kids, becoming more focused and serious (playing “super tough general guy”, leading navigations with the number/car tracker, writing Esmoroth). His more jokey side only peeks out around Grace now. (3/3) [PS: Happy Book 4 announcement!! so hype! :D) -🐝 

[PPS this headcanon was inspired by your childish post and my brain rot is fatal at this point] (4/3) -🐝 

“before B3 stuff is old news” listen do you see me posting multiple detailed character analyses of Tulip of all people? time is an illusion don’t worry about stuff like that. and yeah, VERY excited for book 4!

I'm not sure I agree that they would have old Internet slang (especially Grace, who grew up in a rich family with private tutors) but everything else about this I totally agree with! Grace and Simon losing their playful intimate habits to be more confident and untouchable as cult leaders, Grace refusing to visibly let influence flow from the kids to her but still being very careful to always look cool and up-to-date around them, Simon very badly not wanting to be laughed at, etc are all very true to how I see their characters.

also “derp” and 2011/2012 being referred to as “VERY early internet” lmao... I know what you mean, no worries, but VERY early internet was 1980′s! Alrick and Amelia could have been on the very early Internet!

I think the last ask is referring to this childish post or the preceding one on the same subject (which is harder to find in this blog’s archive because it’s not an ask so I’m not going to bother looking for it) in case anyone is wondering