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funkii4-blog · 13 days ago

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SMG34 In 2024: A Recap Essay

(all text, no images aside from cover below)

This is extremely long since we got fed pretty well this year, so be prepared to read 3000 words of pure insanity from my silly little brain :))

14x01: Mario Opens A Can Of Beans

Not much to begin with as 3 appears very little in this episode, but about two thirds of the way through he's seen stopping by the castle to ask 4 if he can borrow some sugar. Which is funny since he literally owns a cafe next door to the castle lol

14x02: You Used To Be Cool

Oh boy, this one was a real kicker for being so early in the year, specifically for its second half.

During the scene where 3 is attempting to torture Depresso, we get a short sequence of him thinking back on memories with his friends; playing Garry’s Mod with Mario, Meggy’s heart-to-heart with him in IGBP, and with 4... Snowtrapped?! This is of course the infamous episode from all the way back in 2016 in which the two got rather intimate with each other, so it’s wild that that is what he thought of with 4 first after everything they’ve been through together.

A little later, in an attempt to get 3 to show he’s still a villain (which he isn’t), Eggman tasks him with killing 4 as his final test. When 3 is told to do this, we can instantly see the unease and regret in 3’s reaction; and it’s made clear that he doesn’t want to do this. Over the last year's worth of episodes up to this point, 3 and 4’s bond had improved drastically; it’d been long established by this point that the two are friends now.

We then see him in his room holding the gun shakily, visibly terrified; he knows he can’t do this, but he also wants to prove himself to Eggman and is torn. He has another sequence of looking back on memories with 4; the moment he finally declared they were friends at the edge of the Demon Pit, their sweet moment under the sunrise (sunset? Idk I just say it’s the morning following the casino heist) as he drew the two of them in his notebook, and as far back as during the Cosmology saga when they only first started to bond.

He hits a practice target on his wall and starts boasting about how he “finally has a reason to kill that bozo”, but Eggdog is quick to confront what we already know: 3 cares about 4 and doesn’t actually want to hurt him. And while we can’t understand what Eggdog is saying, I think it’s pretty likely he was giving 3 a hard time about how he actually has a crush on 4, to which 3 ignores and leaves the room.

Cut to the next day when 3 goes to perform the act; he walks into the kitchen where 4 is, raising the gun and saying a dark monologue (presumably knowing Eggman is listening in). He apologizes for this (something I highly doubt he would have done just a year before), and we get a cut to the window being splattered. We of course know he didn’t actually do it, but they still pull this fakeout on us; 3 actually shot the tomato meme that 4 had on the counter to trick Eggman.

He says he was actually considering killing him “like usual” (which we know isn’t true anymore), to which 4 cries. Eggman then tries to attack the two of them; he initially aims at 3, who is unfazed by this. However, he switches his aim to 4, causing 3 to immediately panic and take down Eggman himself to avoid 4 getting hit.

The episode ends with 3 setting his hand on the back of the still-crying 4, who is mourning the death of his tomato meme, as he monologues again; this time it’s about how he’s realized he doesn't need to prove how evil he is and that he’s happy with the people around him.

14x03: CEO Of Rizz

4 doesn't appear in this episode, but I still wanted to note something in this one to come back to later. This episode is about 3 helping Boopkins with his televised date while trying to boost the cafe’s popularity, and there’s a scene early on where 3 goes over gift ideas. He ultimately settles on a creepy Mickey Mouse sculpture, claiming it to be a perfect gift to give a date.

14x06: Trash Friends

This one also has a lot to cover, so buckle up ;)

3 is currently under a lot of stress, as his recently opened cafe is having a rough start and seemingly failing. 4 runs to him, also upset about supposedly losing an important endorsement he received. When 3 is confused, 4 proceeds to grab him by the face and pull him close in order to use his powers & project a memory of him losing the endorsement onto 3. He begs 3 for his help, claiming it’s because they’re friends and friends help each other.

4 then urgently claims he needs this endorsement to become popular; we then see 3 getting an idea to take the endorsement for the cafe, but I also like to think he wanted to get it out of 4’s hands to keep him from growing power hungry over his popularity again. He did put a camera in 4’s room to make sure he didn’t go insane again after the whole perfect video fiasco, after all; he wants to look out for him and make sure there isn't a repeat of that.

Getting this idea, 3 gets 4 to warm up to him via the “buddy chum pal” bit (the exact same way 4 did to him all the way back in Are You Okay). The two of them along with Mario then go to the trash dump to retrieve the endorsement, and classic star trio chaos ensues.

The two guardians split up and spend hours trying to find Mario, having walkie-talkie conversations in between. 4 asks about the business, to which 3 lies and says thing are going well. When they join back up and 4 sees 3 trying to open a blocked door, 3 panics and says he’s just trying to open the door for him.

Something interesting happens after that: when 4 is talking, 3 dissociates and ends up imagining 4 belittling him in a way that expresses 3’s fears: specifically, his fears of being inferior to the other (“worse version of you”) and being forgotten. This isn’t confirmed, but I've seen it theorized that the only opinion that matters to 3 is 4’s (with vice versa also possible).

Once they find Mario, they fight over him as they both try to claim the drive with the endorsement on it, 3 avoiding telling 4 the truth as long as he can.

The fight eventually goes too far, with 4 calling 3 selfish since he doesn’t understand why 3 wants it so badly. This causes 3 to snap and have a breakdown, admitting his business is struggling severely and how he feels as if he’s the worse version of 4. This makes 4 realize that 3 is struggling a lot more emotionally than he let on, leading to him deciding to give 3 the endorsement willingly.

14x08: SMG4 And SMG3 Rank SMG4 Characters

And here we are, the first of the 3 & 4 improv episodes. I know it’s debated whether these can be considered, but since they consist of Luke & James (4 & 3’s VAs) having in-character improvised conversations, I still want to bring them up.

A general frequent aspect of these episodes is the two joking around and generally getting along better, which is nice to see. Usually aside from serious moments, we just see them bickering like the rivals they used to be to each other. We also can see loving glances exchanged from time to time in these episodes’ animation portions.

14x12: Once Upon An SMG4

I only have one note for this one and it won’t make sense unless you’ve watched The Cuphead Show since it’s a parallel to a scene in that, but I still want to talk about it.

After 3’s song at the beginning, he asks aloud “whoever shall be my sugar daddy?” (yes, that’s actually what he said word for word). There proceeds to immediately be a cut to 4 in his lair. This instantly reminded me of the scene in the Cuphead Show episode “Down & Out”, where King Dice claims there's just one thing missing from the revival of his career; there proceeds to be a camera pan downward to The Devil going about his business in hell. Another thing that likely won’t be known by non-Cuphead fans is that the ship between King Dice and The Devil (at least within the show, idk about the game) is semi-canon: They don’t get together in the media itself, but the team behind the show as well as the two’s voice actors have repeatedly expressed their support of the ship. And based on various events the ship between 3 and 4 can easily also be considered semi-canon... :3

S14 Movie: Puzzlevision

I think it’s safe to say all the good stuff from this chapter of the PV saga was reserved for this movie, because there’s once again a lot to cover here. So here we go!

The first of many parodies covered in this movie is of SpongeBob with, pretty fittingly to their characters, 4 as SpongeBob and 3 as Squidward. I know this was likely just done to fit the character roles, but you know I can’t help but note that the ship between SpongeBob and Squidward is also very popular within its own fandom.

Throughout the movie, the two are seen being notably defensive and protective of each other in the presence of Puzzles, moreso 3 of 4.

Once the gang is split up into different channels after the song, 3 and 4 are of course put together. The first parody they have to face is Rugrats. When 3 is grabbed, 4 doesn’t hesitate to spring into action and save him. 3 responds with a vulnerable “You saved me!” before going tsundere and calling 4 a baka (surprisingly the only time this running gag was used this year).

After escaping that channel, they land in a parody of the Titanic film. They spot the portal to the next channel high up in the air above the ship, but neither can reach it on their own. 4 suggests he lifts 3 up to reach it, which 3 hesitantly agrees. The two proceed to reenact one of the most well-known romance scenes in all of cinema, with 3 becoming entranced by the beauty of the view around them as he’s held up by 4, embracing the moment before 4 throws him into the portal.

14x15: SMG4 And SMG3 Design A Mascot Horror

When discussing game genres to implement, there’s a visual at around the 7:30 mark where 3 (dressed as their game’s mascot) pins 4 against a wall in a flirty manner.

A bit later when narrowing down mechanics to use, for a split second after 3 & 4 agree to keep the romance aspect, Mario holds up a sign that says “Hi Twitter”.

14x16: SMG4 Doesn't Meme For 1 Second

I’m not a fan of revisiting this episode, but I’ll do what I must in this case...

After 4 is sent away, 3 is one of the first to acknowledge that he misses the other’s antics, looking on fondly as he says it made the gang’s lives more exciting. He is also the one to initiate a plan to retrieve 4 from the facility, aggressively knocking on the door when they get there to reach Mr. Niceguy. Much like everyone else, 3 is horrified when he sees how different 4 is when they see him again, attempting to snap him out of it with memes,

14x19: SMG4 Simulator

In the fishing minigame scene, when 4 fishes up 3, it says 3 is worth –100 points; however, 3 has a gold & sparkly aura around him that’s typically reserved for the best items in those types of games; additionally, the 0:34 mark on the minigame timer is skipped. I’ve also seen it theorized that this moment could represent 4 pushing away potential romantic feelings he may have for 3.

Shortly after, 3 is seen sitting next to 4 as he grows sad over not having the reality from the ASMR video he’s listening to, telling him to do something productive before walking away. 4 contemplates briefly before deciding to listen to his advice.

Toward the end of the episode, he’s shown to have a bootleg plush of 3 in his inventory.

14x20: Mario's Plane Trip

3 doesn’t appear in this episode, but this is where my note from CEO of Rizz comes in!

When 4 is getting his luggage scanned, it can be seen that one of the items inside is the creepy Mickey sculpture from before, that 3 described as a great gift for a date. One of 3’s signature bombs is also inside the suitcase.

In a scene much later in the episode, 4 and Swag have a heart-to-heart about loved ones back home; in this conversation, Swag mentions his spouse. 4 then pulls a locket out and says he has someone waiting back home as well, but the scene is interrupted by Mario before we can see the picture inside. As you can imagine, a lot of people have theorized that 3’s picture is in that locket.

14x27: SMG4 And SMG3 Shop For Cursed Items

It’s a small visual detail but when settling on a gift for Tari, they do a cute high five.

14x28: Mario Gets Stuck as a GIF

When Mario loses control and starts to spin around the cafe, 3 quickly pulls 4 under the front counter with him to keep him from getting hurt.

When 4 is scanning data of 3 in the HQ computer, 3 takes note of how 4 makes the model of him (“Do I really look like that from the back?”), even checking himself out to compare after.

14x33: Mario Loses His Mustache

Before the competition, 3 and 4 attempt to conspire to rig it in Mario’s favor; however, this is quickly shut down by Puzzles.

14x34: SMG4 Theory

Barely worth noting, but 4 is seen imagining Snowtrapped as he asks if every episode is a dream.

14x35: SMG4 & SMG3 Come Up with an Episode

The episode begins with 4 bursting into 3’s room while he sleeps, asking if he’s ready to “make magic”. He then proceeds to ask afterward what he’s doing in 3’s bed (which, mind you, was an improvised line from Luke).

When 3 asks why 4 needs his help making an episode, 4 responds with telling him that his videos need spice that he thinks 3 can provide, even calling him the rosemary to his bread.

This is definitely purely coincidental since this line was also improvised, but the rosemary plant has represented love since ancient times, being believed to reveal a person's true love.

When 4 agrees that 3 should be a main part of the episode, the official sticker of 3 blushing is stuck onto his face.

The episode they come up with was eventually made, but no, I won't be covering it.

14x38: Welcome to Puzzle Park

When Mario is thrown back by the force of Leggy’s yells, it almost seems as if 3 and 4 are leaning on each other on the sofa.

When 3 sees Luigi get pulled into a portal and realizes something is wrong, his first instinct is to find 4 & Mario and tell them to run. He fails to reach them before getting taken himself, but texts 4 a warning in the last moments beforehand; it’s also seen they both have joke-insult nicknames for each other in their phones. Just a couple years prior 3 would never have taken time to warn anyone and would just have saved himself, showing how far his development has come.

On top of that, I've seen it guessed that the reason 3 looked so mortified when he saw Luigi get taken was because it gave him flashbacks to seeing 4 get pulled back into the castle in IGBP, hence his immediate action to help 4 get away.

14x42: Mario Gets Stuck In Traffic

Though they are seen bickering on their way, it’s commonly joked by fans in the shipping community that their trip together to the forklift convention could be seen as a date.

14x43: The Mario PC Virus

Okay, there’s only a couple notes for this one, but they’re big and important ones.

When the Crocker virus entities are scavenging through 4’s computer, one of them digs through a folder on his desktop titled ‘Super-Secret Spicy Memes’. It pulls one out, showing 3 traced over a Grimace meme with the text “what’s the matter smg4-kun"; it proceeds to scream the “I know what you are” line from the English dub of Chainsaw Man at 4 over it. It should be noted that that audio bit is commonly used as a joke to tell someone that you know that they’re queer. On top of the meme bring flirtatious in nature and being in a secretive folder, it’s entirely likely that this goofy five-second bit actually indirectly confirms 4’s already-suspected crush on 3.

When Bonzi’s power destroys the computer’s data, the video projections of 3 and 4 hug somberly as they’re erased; this is the first time that they've been seen emotionally hugging. It’s notably much more romantic in nature compared to a normal hug too, with their foreheads touching and one of each of their hands interlocked.

Ben, the show’s thumbnail artist, also followed up with a tweet saying “they gay fr :3"

Late addition, but in the merch sale community post video the day before 14x45, 4’s drawing could be seen taped to a page of 3’s notebook.

14x46: Luigi Doesn’t Need Mario

In the scene where the gang is at the hospital, the angle at which they’re shown makes it look like 3 and 4 are holding hands at Mario’s bedside.

And that's everything! This year may have been a really rough one for the show, but I think it's safe to say the shippers were done a great service throughout. Hopefully the hints keep coming in 2025! (and possibly even them finally becoming canon? please?? it's clear the team loves to play with their dynamic in a romantic way, if they truly want to make it happen then just do it!!! /silly)

#smg4 #smg34 #smg3 #smg4 spoilers

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wooahaes · 8 months ago

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the (not-so-subtle) doting kind

pairing: non-idol!mark lee x fem!reader

genre: fluff. established relationship au.

warnings: food mentions. mark being a very doting bf on his gf's bday.

word count: 2.4k~ dont look at me when u compare this one to all the other bday fics

daisy's notes: what if i want him :(

For whatever reason, your birthday wasn’t a happy day for you… So Mark resolved to treat you normally. And if “normally” involves him doting on you the way he does when you have bad days, then so be it.

He tucked stray strands of hair away from your face when he saw you begin to stir. He’d say one thing to you, just to show you that he remembered. So he leaned in, lips pressing against your own. “Good morning. Happy birthday, baby,” he said, voice still a little hoarse from sleep. “Are we still going to get breakfast?”

“Mmhm.” You drew him back in for another sleepy kiss, only to draw him closer. You snuggled in, eyes fluttering shut as you dropped your head into his shoulder. “Morning…”

He giggled. Most mornings, he’d tease you a little with some sort of “my sleepy girl,” but he settled in instead. He peppered your skin with kisses, just to hear that slightly-annoyed groan as you finally opened your eyes. His lips pressed against yours one final time before drawing back.

“Good morning,” he said again, thumb grazing the apple of your cheek.

Despite the slight annoyance at being woken up fully now, you sat up and stifled a yawn. The moment you went to move out of bed, you felt Mark’s fingers poke into your sides. You let out a strangled grunt, playfully shoving away at his hands as he giggled. He came up behind you, pressing a long kiss against your neck before moving to search through the closet. It became obvious soon enough what he was doing, always trying to find a way to tease you to make you smile. Eventually you swatted him away from you, and he laughed that goofy laugh before getting dressed, too. He kept waiting around, watching you as you looked through your options before settling on something. Of course, it was one of the things you owned that Mark didn’t have something he could use to match with you… But he could improvise. He stood back, watching you (half-admiring, half-studying) before going into his side of your shared closet.

When he stepped out in a patterned shirt that mainly featured the same color as the shirt you were wearing, he saw the way you gave him a little once over before going back to packing your things into a bag. “You look cute.”

Mission accomplished. Mentally, he put a little sunglasses emoji guy right next to the thought.

After a quick breakfast out, the two of you ended up wandering around the mall for the day. He held your hand the entire time, always pointing out something cool or something he thought you’d look good in. Today was your day, which meant he couldn’t play. You wanted something? He was already getting his card out. He’d been saving specifically so that he could spoil you on your birthday, and he was intent on carrying that out.

“Don’t worry, baby,” he said with this cute smile, “I got you.”

It always earned some sort of playful eye roll or snort as you thanked him, always drawing out the words to tease him. He was obvious, but that was fine with him. What was the point of days like birthdays and holidays if he couldn’t spoil you a little? He carried your bags for you, too, ever the gentleman. Yet he was the one who slowed down, hand holding yours tight enough to tug you back, when the two of you were outside of a toy store. He pointed out two little lion plushies right next to one another.

“Babe. Baby.” He didn’t take his eyes off of them. “It’s us.”

You’d giggled a little over it. “Pretty sure those are two male lions, Mark.”

He turned back to you. “What?” Then he looked at them again, fully registering the bright orange manes that both of them wore. “Right. Still… We could still find a lioness. C’mon.” He tugged you toward the entrance, only to stop. “Unless you don’t wanna—”

“We can go places you wanna go, Mark,” you said, already making your way into the store. “Let’s go find a lioness.”

You’d been insistent on paying for and carrying that bag, and Mark let the issue drop. Gentlemanly as he was, his hand was getting a little tired carrying all your bags… and it’d be rude to turn it into an issue when it wasn’t. You did end up taking the bags from him when you stopped to get lunch, saying you would go get the table while he grabbed the food. When he asked you to pick a place, you’d just shrugged it off.

“You know what I’ll eat,” you said. “Just pick somewhere.”

Again, he’d almost pushed back on that. Today was your day, even though you weren’t treating it like anything special. But he knew how you felt, and he bit back any disagreement. He looked around the food court, picked two places, and asked you to pick from those under the guise of him being indecisive. You hummed to yourself, genuinely considering the two options before picking, and then left him standing there as you went to snag a table for the two of you. He went off to order your food, and soon enough he was sitting across from you, listening as you rambled on about something that happened at work the other day. Eventually, you pushed the conversation onto him as you nodded along to his own stories… all while sneaking little pictures of him. He smiled for them, and eventually got you to squeeze into frame so he could snap a picture of the two of you together.

The rest of the day was scaled toward him. You would push for him to pick places to go, things to do. The bookstore the two of you frequented became one of your stops, and he saw the quiet way you bought a book he put back alongside with another bookmark for him (sometimes he lost them, but he’d always take extra care when someone gave him one) without saying a word. A few other stores, too: you’d ended up buying him a few things, insistent on carrying his bags for him with this knowing smile that told him you knew exactly what he’d been doing all day.

Then when you were leaving, Mark saw it. The way you’d been walking a step ahead of him for a minute, talking about finding a place to sit for a few minutes before you actually went back to the car. You’d slowed to a stop outside this chocolate place the two of you had sampled forever ago, watching in the window as a tall, handsome man was making them in view of anyone passing by. The guy looked up, flashed you a smile, and then went back to his work. Mark slowly made his way over to you, watching the magic happen for himself.

“We should get a box,” he said after a moment. He looked at you, practically glowing with excitement. “We can split it, if you want?”

For a few seconds longer, you just watched the man on the other side of the glass continue to work. Then you met Mark’s gaze, genuinely smiling that same smile he fell in love with years ago, and nodded. “I’d love that.”

The two of you went into the shop, picking out flavors for your big box of chocolates. When Mark paid this time, you didn’t push back or question or tease him. You just leaned against him, still smiling that pretty smile, and thanked him in a soft voice that felt so genuine this time around. He tucked the box into one of the bags he was carrying, pressed a kiss against your cheek, and took your hand again as you left.

By the time the two of you got home and started sorting through everything you’d bought, it was late. When Mark looked up, asking if you felt like going back out for dinner, you’d shaken your head. You had sprawled out along the couch at that point, visibly sleepy from the long day as you abandoned the work of sorting out new clothes to be washed. He just crawled over to you, pressing his lips against yours.

“You wanna go take a bath? I’ll order dinner when we get out.” He pressed another kiss against your lips. “We can watch movies,” another kiss, “and then bust into those chocolates,” and another, “and it’ll be fuckin’ great, baby.”

You agreed to it all too easily. The two of you ended up snuggling in the hot water for a while, talking about whatever came to mind. By the time the two of you were cuddled up on the couch again, dressed in matching pajamas (“Because we’re cheesy like that, you know?” was what Mark said to you when he bought them forever ago), he’d decided to apparently kill you with a thousand more soft kisses. The jerk was giggling the entire time, too, squeezing you in his arms and he peppered said kisses alongside the side of your neck—right where you were tickling, he’d learned back when the two of you were first dating.

“Mark!” You’d squealed at one point, nose crinkling as he mumbled something about how cute he found you. “You can stop. I know what you were doing today.”

“What?” He played dumb. “Appreciated you? I’m always appreciating you, baby,” he giggled, kissing the spot where your neck met your jaw. “I’m lucky to have you, y’know?”

With a sigh, you pulled away from him. Ah. Shit. You’d been planning for a serious talk, then. “I mean it,” you said, taking one of his hands within your own. “I know what you were doing. And… I think it was really sweet.”

Wait, what? His voice grew softer now, heart racing in his chest. “So you aren’t mad?”

“I…” You trailed off, turning away. “I thought I would have been. But… I dunno. I think when you walked up to me and said something about buying that box of chocolates, it just kinda hit me that you weren’t just spoiling me today because it’s my birthday. You were doing it because you love me.” For a moment, you tried to blink back tears. “I mean… I know you love me. And I knew that on the birthdays before—but I always kinda pushed people away because I felt like I wasn’t worth it.”

“You are, though.” The words fell from his lips before he could even think twice. Maybe if he did, he would have apologized for interrupting you, but some things were just too vital to hold back. “You’ll always be worth it, y’know?”

The tears you’d been fighting finally ran down your cheeks, and you nodded. “You made me feel special,” you said. “And not just because it’s my birthday, but because you actually care.”

Something ached deep within his chest at that. Did that mean you had people who didn’t…? Yet he left the question unsaid. How long had he been dating you, and he still didn’t know everything he thought he should? Not because you were supposed to bare your soul to him—never that. But because he was your boyfriend, he felt that he should have noticed sooner. You told him that your birthday hadn’t been a happy day for you in a long time, and he’d accepted it at face value without pushing. If you wanted to tell him, you would, and he would listen the same way you always cared and listened to his problems. The same way you did today when you pushed him to open up, to talk, to share the day with you so it wasn’t just him doting on you endlessly.

“Hey…” He reached up, wiping your tears away. “I’m sorry I went behind your back to try and spoil you today.”

You stared at him. “Mark, it’s okay—”

He shook his head. “I should have asked you first,” he said. “But I like celebrating you. You know I was kind of a mess when we first met, but I wanted to be better for you. Chenle can tell you how bad this place used to be,” he chuckled, hoping that you would laugh or giggle or something too. “So I like getting the chance to celebrate how much I love you. You still make me wanna be a better guy, y’know?”

Sniffling, you dove forward to hide your face in his shoulder. He just laughed softly, rubbing circles onto your back as you cried. He loved you, and he knew how easily you could get emotional in vulnerable moments like this. Always diving forward and hiding your face because no matter how many times he told you it was okay, you’d be embarrassed that you were crying on him when you were supposed to be happy.

“We can have more days out like this, if you want,” he said, hand cradling the back of your head. He drew you back, just so he could see your face, watery eyes and all. “Today just needed to be perfect because I think you’re perfect, even with all the imperfections we both know we have, we’re kinda perfect together.” He paused, wondering if he’d talked himself in a circle again before settling on something simpler: “I just think you’re really cool.”

That had finally earned a laugh out of you, so endeared to him and the way he spoke. “Yeah?”

He nodded eagerly. “Yeah!” He smiled at you. “You’re pretty sick. I love being your boyfriend, y’know?”

You just drew him in for a quick kiss after wiping your face with your sleeve. When you pulled back, you just smiled at him. “You’re pretty cool, too, y’know.” With a clumsy kiss against the side of his mouth, you finally drew back and out of his lap. “Thank you for a really fun day, by the way.” Snuggling a little closer to him, you rested your head against his shoulder. “I had fun. I always do when I’m with you, but you know what I mean.”

He just chuckled, turning his head so that he could kiss the top of yours. “Yeah, of course. Happy birthday, baby.” He snuggled in for a cozy night with you, head resting against your own. “I love you a lot. Let’s do something cool next year, alright?”

You just let out a soft chuckle, too. “Alright.” You shut your eyes. “If it’s with you… I’ll always be happy.”

taglist: @twancingyunhao

#wooahaes.fic #nct x reader #nct dream x reader #nct 127 x reader #nct imagine #nct dream imagine #nct 127 imagine #mark lee x reader #mark lee imagine #mark lee fluff #wooahaes.24

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ninainthetardis · 3 months ago

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Given that it's completely beyond me how a character like Jason Grace can be hated by so many people within the fandom, I've decided to try and figure this absurd bullshit out. It turns out it's not just an unnecessary desire to boost Percy by diminishing Jason's character. A thing that I hate, because I think that diminishing/bashing some characters to appreciate others is quite the opposite of validation, as I believe a character can only be truly defined by their own actions/words/personality and hence, should be appreciated for those aspects, not by unnecessary/non sensical comparisons with other characters.

So I'm currently rereading HoH, and I've just noticed that, basically, all the Jason haters simply use Piper's words about him and take them for granted. Which speaks volumes and is also one of the reasons why I've never liked them together.

And no, it's not that "she knows him better than anyone else" because that is bullshit. She never even bothered to really get to know him. All she wanted was to make that Mist induced fairytale their reality, mainly because she thought he was hot, and strong and cool, and liked the Mist version of Jason. A version that was not even real. She knew that, yet she was constantly making comparisons between that and reality, and whining about it. And this in particular would be even fair if she wasn't the one out of the two of them who was completely obsessed with getting together for real in the first place, despite knowing he might have someone waiting for him at Camp Jupiter. A thing Jason constantly thought about in TLH.

We don't get to see how they really start their relationship. All we are shown is Piper threatening Drew - and by association anyone else in cabin 10 - and saying that "Jason was hers even if he didn't know it yet" (seriously, what would you think if their roles were reversed?).

But somehow, they got together later on. We don't know what made Jason change his mind about them. Piper gave a tantrum every time he mentioned Reyna (even when he was just talking about information that was useful for their quest and hence, you know, saving the world). And then we even get the "boys are so stupid" line when it's actually Piper who is being unreasonable here, letting her own insecurities put their mission to save the world at risk. Insecurities that are legit and prove she is aware that she pushed things between her and Jason when she should have just realised the damn memories she had were fake and let go. And that's on her, not on Jason. She was pushing from the very beginning. He was holding back because he wasn't sure it was the right thing to do, considering he didn't remember anything.

Again, think about all this as if their roles were reversed. Doesn't look good, uh?

Piper also knew she was potentially putting an end to something that could be meaningful for Jason, yet she kept pushing anyway despite being pretty clear that she was just obsessed with the idea of him/having him as a boyfriend.

And then she just went and blamed Hera, saying she forced them together because of the Mist thing. Bfr.

She wanted that from the very beginning and during all the time they have been together. Her povs were almost all about that, for most of the time.

She never truly took into account Jason's feelings, or the difficulties he was going through due to his memory loss, completely disregarded his trauma and his insecurities, and she even influenced his thoughts and emotions with her powers because she was scared of his past life. As if him being in a vulnerable position when she did all she could to get together with him wasn't bad enough without her use of her charmspeaking abilities. And she admitted multiple times of using it on him and the other demigods on the Argo II, deliberately and unintentionally. Even Jason, in his own pov, suspected she used her powers on him, making her the only thing he could think of whenever he mentioned Reyna. This isn't normal. This isn't romantic. "He supposed it was not the worst sort of revenge". Boy, you shouldn't even be blamed for having a pre Piper life at all!!!

So yeah, she didn't know him. How could she, when he didn't even know himself?

It's also the way she describes him: boring, distant, rules centred, closed off, always serious. She even compares him to Percy, and their relationship to Percy and Annabeth's. A weird way to describe the guy you claim to love. A weird way to prove your love to someone, complaining about him "being distant" when you know damn well he's trying so hard to retrieve his memories. A way bigger, existential deal to cope with than romantic drama, don't you think? Hadn't she pushed so hard, I'm not sure he would have started their relationship at all.

Anyway, we then move back to Jason's pov and he claims that he doesn't like rules, that they actually annoy him, that he's always tried to change things a Camp Jupiter but had to take it slow due to the Romans' attachment to tradition, that he always does the opposite of what he is told/suggested (except, clearly, when it come to be summoned for a quest). And he claims all that on the basis of the few memories he got back. And he makes jokes, too. He has sarcastic comebacks, too. THIS IS THE REAL JASON, these are the elements that need to be taken into account when trying to figure out who he truly is, not Piper's biased perception of him. And people would know those things, if they had actually read his povs.

Also, I don't think that reading the rest of the books (ToA) will change my mind about any of this. Honestly, it is too much to get past to. And I don't even want to do that. I think it can only get worse, from the few things I know about ToA.

#they can never make me like you piper mclean #and for other reasons too #anti Piper Mclean #anti Jiper #pro Jason Grace #Jason Grace #heroes of olympus #I really hate double standards #and all the ships here suffer from that #rr crit #pjo fandom crit

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a-very-sparkly-nerd · 6 months ago

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Rayllum Month 2024! (3/13)

he's got hands that make hell seem cold

July 5th - Hands/Touch-starved

Callum had grown up affectionate. Hugs traded around like coins, so much love made plain and clear and simple just in the way he ruffled Ezran’s hair, how he tickled his sides, how Ezran would sometimes wordlessly plop into his brother’s lap with a dramatic sigh.

So, Rayla figured–hoped–it would continue. Hoped he wouldn’t mind her… clinginess.

She’d never been one to half-ass things; go big or go home. So she stretched out on the couch in Callum’s room as he sketched, picking up a book and kicking her legs up in his lap as nonchalantly as she could manage.

“Hey,” he said pleasantly, tossing her a gentle smile, and Rayla couldn’t decide whether she liked it or not.

“Hi.”

“How was your day?” As he spoke, Callum took her ankles and settled his arm over them to get more comfortable with his sketchbook, the simple motion sending tingles through Rayla’s legs and all the way up to her spine.

She shrugged, studying the book written in some old flowery tongue. Blech. “Boring.”

He smiled with amusement, lacing fingers through hers. “I would’ve thought your crazy-cool slish-slashing could never be boring.” He drew her closer, looping an arm around her shoulders and letting her head rest on his.

Yeah, it definitely continued. He’d definitely cuddle her, hug her, whatever she asked. Color rose to her cheeks, and Rayla hoped her voice didn’t wobble as she said, “It can get monotonous.”

He grinned. “Hey! You used my big word!”

Suddenly Rayla wasn’t sitting on his couch, but standing back on the Cursed Caldera two years ago with terror snapping her spine straight, cracking jokes and being dumb with him, Ezran, and Ellis and Ava. She smiled, too, carding a hand through his hair. “I figured you could use a win.”

Sketchbook abandoned, Callum turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow and huge, dorky smile. “I’m pretty sure I’m winning right now. A beautiful elf in my lap…”

“Oh, I disagree,” Rayla teased, heart beginning to pound in her chest, her throat, her wrists. “This isn’t in your lap. This”–she shifted so she sat on his lap, not straddling him but sitting sideways and praying she hadn’t gone too far–“is in your lap.”

He put an arm around her waist, head going to her shoulder. “My mistake, then. What are you up to now?”

She turned on the baby-adoraburr eyes, ones she remembered Callum never once being able to refuse in that too-brief time they’d had to be senseless idiots. “Cuddling you?”

Callum kissed her nose, his fingertips skirting under her shirt to hold her waist, so close to her hips that Rayla’s breath hitched. “You certainly are.”

“I missed you,” she decided to comment, hoping against hope it wouldn’t lead to Big Feelings Time. Gods knew they needed it, but she just wanted to sit here and be held by her prince–if he was even hers anymore–until long after she fell asleep– preferably for eternity.

He nodded somberly, twiddling a braid between his thumb and forefinger. “I missed you, too.” A hand found just above her knee, technically her thigh but not quite, not the way she would’ve welcomed. “What’s this about?”

“I just…” Rayla glanced down and shrugged. “Want to catch up on cuddles.”

Body flush against hers, Callum finagled her so her head rested against his chest, hugging and rubbing circles into her back. “Always. I’m always up for cuddles.”

Rayla sighed, settling and letting her weight fall on him. Letting him support her in more ways than one.

Read more on AO3!

#rayllum #rayllum month 2024 #fluff #rayllum month #tdp #the dragon prince #fanfic #fanfiction #my fic #tdp fanfic

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flamingo-writes · 2 years ago

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Can you imagine that by being exposed to Hobie's "radioactivity" for so long, the reader begins to have powers? for example of nature,like Poison Ivy. That would definitely be fun to read.

I had to break my head with this idea, but I think it has potential for future fics!

Daffodil — Hobie x Reader

Warnings: cursing, and ai believe that’s all.

Word count: 580 words.

I might do more of these actually.

In the beginning, while figuring out Hobie’s spider abilities was a wild ride. Although, being the two peas of a pod that you were, you helped him figure everything out. Being the only who knew his secret drew you even closer if that was even possible.

What you didn’t consider was the radioactivity. You had theorised what had happened with the spider and the abilities, and while you had brought up radioactivity, you forgot about the tiny detail that radioactivity tended to affect everyone who was close to it.

The amount of time you spent with Hobie and the amount of time you spent tending to your plants, you started noticing weird things.

At first it was as easy and as wonderful as magically bringing your plants back to health. And then you started noticing plants coming out of your fingers.

After you freaked out, it was now Hobie’s turn to help you calm down, just like you’d done it for him back when he was bitten.

The discussion opened again, now trying to theorise now why this was happening to you.

When you finally arrived to the conclusion that it was perhaps because of Hobie’s radioactivity and your plants, Hobie asked you if you wanted to join him, raising the city, helping people who needed it.

“You know how fucking cool would that be?” Hobie said pulling you by the hips, bringing you closer to him. “My spider abilities, your plant abilities…”

“What could I do? Give people skin rashes with poison ivy?” You chuckled.

“You laugh about it, but it’s actually a good idea. My webs, your poison ivy plants…Not only we immobilise them, but you torture them with an awful itch and skin rash…” He said with a cheeky smirk.

“And how exactly would I be called? Plant-Girl sounds lame. Makes me sound like a hippie motherfucker,” You giggled softly.

“We have time to think about that…” He sighed. “How about Daffodil?”

“Are you serious?”

“They’re beautiful flowers, but they are very poisonous if you ingest them…” Hobie said proudly as he caressed your cheek.

“Who’s gonna eat a daffodil?”

“You’d be surprised with how stupid can people really be…” He chuckled.

For the next few weeks, while you learned how to use your newfound abilities, Hobie helped you out. Sadly, the plant-based abilities didn’t give you the enhanced physical abilities Hobie’s spider abilities. So you had a slight disadvantage there. However, you learned that your abilities could be incredibly powerful. Making plants grow everywhere, any sort of plant. You could mimic Hobie’s web.

However you used your abilities for the most part for protests and even art shows.

Hobie loved how you managed to create art out of plants, he thought it was beautiful. The same plants that got out of control when someone tried to cut the down.

“Capitalism is destroying nature, now we have nature taking over,” Hobie said proudly, as he watched a couple of cops tangled in the branches of a tree. “How does it feel to be completely useless against a tree?” Hobie said, poking fun at the cops, his Spider-Man suit concealing his identity.

Eventually people started hearing of Daffodil. Always wrecking havoc along with Spider-Man, although Daffodil remained more hidden, and wasn’t swinging around like Spider-Man. However, Daffodil usually left flowers behind, as a signature. Some bad guy or some abusive cop, tangled and immobilised in plants, usually poison ivy’s.

Hobie was insanely proud of you. And patrolling the city became the times more fun.

#hobie brown x reader #hobie x reader #hobie brown #hobie x y/n #hobie fanfic #hobie brown fanfiction #astv hobie #hobie brown x y/n #hobie x you

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kaeddehara · 2 years ago

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I WISH YOU WERE MINE — NSFW

even though rin itoshi knows you’re not his, he can’t help but act like you are anyway <3

♱ warnings — smut but more fluffy + kinda ooc rin (i tried) + friends to lovers <3 + rin becomes very possessive of you

♱ a/n notes — hey sooo another rin fic…i promise i’m working on much larger works but school and work are killing me. please forgive me i’ll give you what you guys deserve but for now, take this. also, apologies for ignoring my inbox. i am still taking requests but please be patient with my slow responses !!

“hey, you feeling alright?”

rin stops to look you in your eyes, his almost same deadpan look he usually wears still on his face. you give a soft “yeah” before leaning back in to continue the make out session you were induced in before rin took his lips off yours to speak. rin backed away more though, making you surprised then disappointed? did he not want this?

“rin i…”

“do you really want this that’s what i’m asking”

“yes- of course i do!”

your eagerness did not catch rin off guard in the slightest. in fact, he expected you to be practicing begging for him by the time he’d removed his lips from yours. leaning back in fully, he caught your lips right back where he had them. kissing you with such deep motions and passion you could barley handle how quickly he moved. carding your fingers through his soft, dark hair as a means to keep him close to you.

he thinks you look so beautiful when you’re desperate for him.

he wishes he could see you like this more, but relationships aren’t so easy for rin. the kissing and the touching was all a distraction from what truly lied beneath both of your skin. knowing that neither of you were even close to being committed in a relationship like one should be when taking part in this. rin gave you no reason to believe it wasn’t because he didn’t want to kiss you, but because you guys were just friends. nothing more, up until now of course.

though, you preferred not to think about that. not when you felt his large, calloused hands begin to wrap around your waist, fitting to snugly in a way no one else could capture you in. even through his actions, he always found ways to claim you without even saying a word. it was something that always drew people in rin in general—you thought. in the moment though, nothing mattered more than that blissful feeling you’d be starved of.

watching rin carefully take his shirt off in a quick yet alluring manner. he never failed to surprise you with how toned and shaped rins body was and knew what an effect he had on you. your eyes never once leaving his bare torso as he leaned down yet again over you, letting his hot breath hit your chest and neck as he slipped a hand underneath your top. his cool touch soothing your nervous body as he cupped a hand around your pretty tits. a soft moan leaving your lips as rin continued to fondle your chest with a gently touch you’d never seen him give to anyone else.

the both of your gradually became more bare in front of each other and couldn’t wait a second longer. rin already had every inch of your body stuck in his head before he even slipped inside you. with just how dripping wet you were, preparation was easy and took no time at all. before you knew it, your legs were wrapped around rins torso and nails digging into his back as he pounded into you. using practically all his weight to make each thrust feel deeper and deeper inside you—making sure you were full. you could barley even think with the size rin was but on top of that, his powerful movements hindered you weak underneath him. it was then again he admired how beautiful you were—he’d admired you all night but this version of you was something he wanted no one else to see. only him. you were his.

“you’re mine you got that?”

rin mumbled, breathing staggered and heart pounding in his chest. a few shaky moans and a few more slow thrusts were all it took to get the answer out of you.

“y-yes i’m all yours rin”

as if on cue, so many feelings rippled inside of him non-stop and he had no choice but to prove his words true to you. that sweet and gently look in your eyes was soon lost as rin picked the pace back up. the sound of your skin meeting each other and the sounds you both made were almost too sinful for rin to handle. he couldn’t hide his shame anymore because he too was lost in the pleasure. more whines and whimpers came from his lips as he soon finished by pulling out and letting all his remains coat your pretty skin. your frantic breathing only made the scene even more sensual as all his hot cum dropped down your torso down to his sheets. both of you in awe at the remnants of the aftermath you both were experiencing in that moment. putting a hand up to rins cheeks, you admired his gorgeous features even more in the afterglow.

“god you’re so pretty”

you mumbled, barley noticing you actually said your thoughts aloud and rin couldn’t help but let a pleased smile make its way to his lips. even though he felt wrong before, he knew it was right. he belonged here with you and nothing was going to change that.

“you as well, sorry i got you all messy.”

the weary and slightly embarrassed tone in his voice gave away everything as his gaze turned away.

“nothing to apologize about, i like that way it looks on me anyway.”

you taunted at him in rasped tone. his gaze turned back to yours not before leaning back in for one final kiss of that evening. it was so deep and beautiful you felt as if another round with rin maybe wasn’t such a bad idea. it was only until you tried to move your body that you soon realized a second round would have to be put on hold so you could recover.

“got me sore already rin”

“it’s not my fault”

“it completely is you dummy”

“you better be grateful i gave you something, i could tell you’d been needing that huh?”

that deep, husky tone in his voice drove you insane but also how confident he sounded in himself. and judging from the huge mess rin made all over your pretty skin, it seemed like both of you had needed that <3.

#kaeddehara #rin itoshi smut #blue lock smut #rin smut #rin itoshi x reader #rin itoshi x you #bllk smut #rin itoshi #bllk x reader #rumi writing ^•ﻌ•^ฅ #☕️#🗡

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gunpowdercarousel · 1 year ago

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I feel like BG3 has some really interesting themes of emasculation

Throughout the game it's rare to find a major male character that's depicted as traditionally strong or even 'strong' in any way without having some crippling weakness or insecurity. Even just beyond the simple fact that all three male origin characters have EIGHT STRENGTH, there's deeper stuff.

Wyll: The legendary Blade of Frontiers, a folkloric hero and champion of the people, who is powerless before his master - a woman. She literally treats him like a dog - a puppy even - and is always there to drag him back down the instant he gets too confident in himself. His questline is mostly defined by his sense of powerlessness, especially in the face of the seemingly untouchable woman he serves.

Gale: Used to make love to a literal goddess, only for her to dump his ass. He nearly killed himself trying to figure out a way to win her back, only to be left with a curse that's basically ruined his life. And the first interaction between them we see in the game is her telling him via messenger to kill himself for her sake. And he is totally willing to do so.

Astarion: On the surface, he seems like a suave and confident flirt; a rake. He's full of himself, has a zest for life, loose morals, and overall just seems like a debaucherous playboy, when in reality he's deeply traumatized from two centuries of being tortured, abused, and used. He feels broken and powerless, and is so thoroughly desperate for some degree of power that he'll try reading the Necronomicon without a second thought just in hopes it'll help him.

Ketheric Thorm: A man defined by his relationship to the women in his life. He lost his mind when his wife died and somehow lost it AGAIN when his daughter died. He gave up everything he had - his own identity - to try and bring her back, only for her to hate and scorn him. And in the end, his skull is crushed to pulp by his daughter's girlfriend. The same woman who he drew his immortality from. His awesome power - his indestructability - was something he siphoned away from a woman.

Raphael: The scheming, suave, smooth-talking devil who seems untouchably powerful and impossibly smug throughout the entire game. And yet, when you finally infiltrate his House of Hope, you find out he's really completely terrible in bed, has low self-esteem, and is desperate to prove himself. In many ways he's pathetic. Impressive in the beginning, certainly, when you're utterly powerless before him, but by the time you actual visit his manor you see him for what he truly is: an angry, little man full of hot air.

Cazador: A victim of his own master, who's just desperate for power. Despite being a terrifyingly powerful vampire lord and one of the most powerful and influential people in the city, he just comes across as pathetic and whiny when you finally meet him in person.

Meanwhile, if you look at many of the women in the game - Vlaakith, Mystra, Zariel, Mizora, Shar - they're god-like in power, if not the most morally righteous people in the world, to say the least. Hell, the main villain of the game - the Absolute - is depicted with a feminine voice.

It's just kind of interesting to me how the game depicts so many men in the game as being weak, ineffectual, or pathetic. And yet for the Origin boys it doesn't do it in a scornful or negative way. It just depicts them as flawed people and victims, either of themselves or of circumstance. It doesn't try to show the male heroes being especially strong or cool, it's more than happy to depict them as soft and weak and vulnerable.

It's the seemingly impressive male villains that the game likes to tear down and expose for being pathetic weaklings, which - of course - I'm fine with xD

I'm sure I've missed some other characters, like Gortash or whatever, but these are the main ones that came to mind.

Anyway, just a random thought.

#baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #gale #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #wyll #wyll ravengard #wyll bg3 #bg3 astarion #astarion bg3 #astarion

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youandmedead · 4 months ago

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𝕽𝖊𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖜𝖊 𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖘𝖙 - 𝕬𝖉𝖆𝖒 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖝 𝕲𝕹 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗

Warnings: Swearing, heavy angst with no comfort, gory descriptions (it is saw, after all)

Notes: So this is chapter one of the Apprentice Adam fic. I decided to post it on here so I have a better chance at gaining feedback from people so I hope everyone enjoys it (this will also be posted on my A03 account @/Iliketomakeyousuffer as many people also wanted me to post this there, but I'm still trying to work out it's layout/set up)

Taglist: @ghustface737

Darkness shrouded the bloodied and germ ridden bathroom. The stench of bodies beginning to enter their decomposition stages and release their bowels, now that there was no use for them, lingered and entwined with the already nauseating stench that the trap had to offer. So many thoughts and emotions ran through Adam's already haywired brain. Was Lawrence going to survive? He was, right? He had to, he just had to! If he was going to make it, would he send help for him? Would he stick to his promise…after all Lawrence would never lie to Adam.

He said so himself.

With what little strength that Adam had possessed, he adjusted the position he currently resided in. He drew his knees up to his chest and hugged them, whilst trying to avoid further agitating the bullet wound around his right shoulder.

He sobbed helplessly - pain, sorrow, fear and anger all melded into one. The only thing stopping him from completely losing it and smashing an object then cutting his lifeout of existence, was the very thought of Lawrence's return or even the presence of another human being showing up, apart from that sick twisted psychopath that threw him in that god forsaken room and forced a man to completely saw his own foot off in order to prove his worthiness of life. As his mind flashed and flickered to the very moment when Lawrence sawed through the flesh, tissue and bone of his ankle in a mad fit of hysteria and rage, Adam's sons became more violent. His eyes hesitantly lingered over to the severed limb where Lawrence was once trapped - he gagged and his gaze hastily rushed back to his dirt covered knees.

The decreasing temperatures began to weave its way into the bathrooms foundations. Goosebumps prickled and littered Adam’s skin, his body began to shake and eventually began to feel a biting numb sensation in his feet, hands and the tips of his ear. He assessed the current conditions and assumed that it was night - he decided to try and keep track of the temperatures within the room to help assess what time of day it is, then from this he could potentially estimate how long he has spent in the desolate deathtrap.

The cuff and chain that restrained him to the massive network of pipes began to feel even more uncomfortable than before. The metal was digging into his skin and due to the cold, it burned his skin and thus irritated his ankle more. He attempted to slot his denim trousers in between the cool metal to ease off the sensation, however the material was wrapped around his ankle too tight to do so. He groaned in dissatisfaction and once again laid his forehead on his knees and hugged himself, hoping that someone would eventually come and save him.

Time passed at an agonising rate. On top of all of the traumatic events that Adam had been exposed to, the boredom played another factor in his torture. He found himself beginning to turn to hunger and thirst the longer the hours dragged on. Constant growls of starvation echoed throughout the desolate walls, no food was provided to him...except the rotting corpses laid out before him and the tiny bugs scavenging the floor. Would he grow so desperate for food to the point where he'd devour another's life? Well their time was up...

His body ached all over now and not just at the wound site. After crying, screaming and begging for hours on end, his voice grew hoarse and his throat now burned and he slowly began to feel his emotions drifting away from him. There was nothing left for him now. Despite his humanity and sanity still being intact, Adam wondered how long it would be before even those were stolen away from him. He knew that he wasn’t an angel and he knew that he didn’t have the most perfect track record when it came to people, but did he truly deserve this punishment? Was he not aware of how strenuous his sins and the paths he took in life were? The chains he forged in life were now being weighed down by all of his wrong doings and just like the key that was in that rusty, mucus filled bathtub it went down the drain and the possibility of it being retrieved were zero.

He reflected on himself, as a passenger of life and as a person in the lives of others who he cared for. Memories began showcasing in his mind like a presentation at a massive criminal court case - the bad were specifically provided to him in order to prove his guilt and define why he was in the position that he was stuck in now. He had done so many things that he regretted, things he wished he could travel back in time to prevent himself from saying…he should have really thought before he spoke when faced with a conundrum or a situation where someone’s tone seemed off. He always created enemies because of this and it eventually led to a solitary life. As a child, he was too, very much in the same state that he was in terms of a social life now - he only had one or two friends that he stuck to like glue, but he eventually screwed up and pushed them away, he would always misread a situation or go into defend mode when someone provided him with an act of kindness and drove them away through his stupidity and hot headed resolve. Many arguments that he had had with his parents, friends, past lovers and present lover invaded his fragile mind. With a deep sigh, Adam tried to think of some of the positive experiences he had in life. For example all of the memories he had shared with his partner y/n…they’ll be alone now that he’s gone. Will they believe he just randomly disappeared out of cowardice and despise him or will they search for him?

The night that Adam had been drugged and kidnapped, was the night that the two of them had a huge altercation…an argument that wouldn’t have occurred if Adam had just taken a moment to re-evaluate the situation and shut his mouth instead of adding more gasoline to the already blazing fire. A few tears collected and pooled in his eyes, he was such an asshole for leaving them there…and the fact that he was never able to apologise to them before he was led blindly to death's door will forever haunt him, even beyond the land of the living. They certainly were one of the best things that had ever happened in his life but he was such a fool for believing that his happy ending would be closer than he once believed. The two of them will never be able to sit down together and watch a cheesy B listed horror movie whilst taking a drink from a beer every time someone made a stupid decision or broke the rules that almost every horror movie abides by, they’ll never be able to sit on the local park’s bench during the autumn season drinking coffee, admiring and photographing the beautiful scenery filled with crimson, auburn and medallion hues, they’ll never be able to go see their favourite bands together and get absolutely wrecked in the mosh pits.

They’ll never be able to see each other again.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay,” he weakly muttered, “I'm going to get out of here…Lawrence will come, h-he’ll get me out of here. He’s alive, he’s alive and not dead. I’m going to get out. I have to get out.” The man began to rock backwards and forwards as he spoke to himself in a poor attempt to warm and soothe himself.

“Think of good stuff, don’t be dragged down by all of the bullshit, just think of the good.”

He squeezed his eyes closed, the pitch black that he saw was exactly the same as the bathroom’s brightness level - there was no difference whatsoever.

He searched long and hard in his memories until he stumbled upon a time where he was at his lowest as a child. He sat in the backyard of his family home with his beloved pet dog crying to him about how much he hated his life. He was absolutely devastated when he died. The first and only best friend he had was now gone forever. In a strange way, it helped him know what he wanted to do in his life. He wanted to help families and children have a longer time with their beloved pets:he wanted to repay animals for what they had done for him.

Suddenly Adam recalled telling Lawrence about it:

“Yep, I think I can safely say that it’s too late to become a vet”

“It’s never too late”

Adam then pointed to the bloodied corpse lying face down on the uninviting floor of the bathroom, with his brains splattered everywhere.

“Well he’s got fuck all chance of becoming a vet.”

Silence reigned through the room for a bit before Adam let out a chuckle and in turn Lawrence did the same till it died down and the two stared at each other.

Adam nodded and looked back at the photos of Lawrence's family, what was so wrong that he had done to end up in the same situation as a no good, pathetic waste of space?

Throughout his childhood, Adam was incredibly resilient. It felt as if everyone (including the world) were trying to knock him down to his lowest. As he sat there, he couldn’t help but think about how glad he was that he stayed in a weird sort of way. Yes he was still sick of all the assholes the world had to offer and yes he was still dealt with horrible cards, yet as pathetic as it may seem to some, he was glad he was able to find himself a person like Y/n. However he probably fucked up with them just like how he fucked up with his parents and everyone else.

His parents…

His mother left him a voicemail an hour or so before he was knocked out by a stranger in a pig mask and scarlett red cloak in his own home. “Adam, are you there? Please pick up if you are there. Your fathers not angry anymore. We just want to know if you’re alright. Please call honey…..goodbye.”

Adam’s breath hitched and exhaustion wracked through his body.

Perhaps some day he’ll be able to get out.

#saw #saw x reader #adam faulkner stanheight #adam stanheight x reader #lawrence gordon #saw fanfiction #saw fandom

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sinning-23 · 1 year ago

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My Latest crush is an alien car from space Pt.2

Okay so iwasnt expecting so many Mirage smps to like up my post but HEYYY welcome home yall lmao. Heres part two and let me know is yall want like a tag list for the next couple parts. ANywhoo there's some tension that forms this chapter so start getting ready for more flirty and spicyyyy interactions with old boy.

Heres the link to pt.1

Heres the link to pt.3 shawty

ANywho ENJOY!

Pt.2

Touch me softly

Mirage had allowed you to explore his anatomy, and he was more willing than you thought. You had managed to make a nice little sketch of his body and made 4 separate copies to try and get a placement in where everything was. Then you had 5 more separate sheets just in case there were some more internal systems you wanted to note. He watched as your eye brown pinched and formed a line on your forehead and your fingers guided the pencil to the paper.

“Wow, you drew me kinda sexy.” He jokes making you draw a breath trying to hold back a laugh.

It really wasn’t sexy, it was about the equivalent of the Vitruvian man drawing and basic anatomical positioning for a robot. He watches you stand, hair pulled back, yet a couple of braids still fall in front of your face. He’s quiet, looking at the way you focused so intensely on exploring him.

When you gestured for him to move his leg, he did so without complaint, the feeling of your soft, warm hands under his exteriors heating him up from the inside. Of course, you’d never know that unless you kept poking and prodding.

“Ok so compared to me, and well, other humans I’m sure your overall body parts are called different things. So let’s start from top to bottom, yeah?” You suggest, eager to learn.

Mirage kneels in front of you, giving you an opportunity to see better. You’re much smaller than him, but he could tell when you stood next to Noah you were definitely average human height. Small to him but normal to everyone else.

“Alright I hope you’re ready cause there’s a LOT.” He explains, clearing his throat as you move closer to his face just to see better, he blinks a bit, getting used to the feeling.

You smile slyly, placing your hand under his chin to guide his face,

“Let’s start with your face. Stick out your…tongue?”

He opens his mouth and lets the ‘flesh’ inside lol out before speaking

“Gloth-ah” he announces and you tilt your head in confusion, only for him to repeat.

“Glossa”

You nod prodding at what you soon learned was his helm and face plates. You brush over his vocalizer for a moment and he hums, high-pitched enough to be a moan but not loud enough for either of you to acknowledge it. You know what you heard though.

“Whoa- lets not touch that alright ma?” He asks.

Soon enough your trailing downward and when you do he announces each part for you to make a note of. This is the quietest he’s been since earlier today. He lets you work, touch, poke, pull, and press whatever you'd wanted. It’s not like it hurt really, but he’s never had something smaller than him want to examine at such close range and actually touch places he’d never been able to. In fact, it was kind of nice-

He yelps when you slide your hand down his chest plate and even farther under his chassis. You pull away, startled at the noise with wide eyes.

“OK, that’s enough exploring don’t you think?” The statement is rushed and you side-eye him when what sounded like cooling fans whirred from inside.

Had you gotten him worked up? Maybe those were sensitive spots that had never really been touched like that before? You nod, not wanting to pry and ruin this newfound friendship by being a perv. You collect the papers and paperclip them together as he begins to wind down. It's about 6am now, and the sun peeks in through the garage windows. Your dad should be awake about now and-

You gasp pushing Mirage back into the space he was originally parked in last night(even though he didn’t budge). Your dad couldn’t know about this! AT ALL! Knowing him he'd stress out and then his pressure would get too high and he’d have a heart attack and-

“Whoa hey, what the rush, mamas? Got something to hide?” Mirage questions, figuring out why you were trying to get him back into a corner.

Was he being clueless on purpose?!

“YES, YOU! Now go back to being a car! My dad can't know about you, it might just be the death of him.” You huff out, gripping your scalp and pacing back and forth. He gets the idea, chuckling a bit before right back to that beat-up Porsche.

You sneak out the garage, tiptoeing up the stairs and into your room. And the moment your head hit the pillow, not even a tornado could wake you.

__________

You'd be lying if you said you didn't sleep the rest of the day away. By the time you woke up it was already 3-4pm and sounded like your father was cleaning up the kitchen. You sigh, running yourself a shower considering you didn't get one the night before. Mirage was still in the garage as far as you knew and you were hellbent on getting the rest of those notes.

You step in, the water feeling soothing against your skin, steam filling up the bathroom as you sigh in relief. Thoughts of your apartment fill your head.

‘Maybe Mirage could help with the unpacking? Or maybe not. He could be spotted and then that’s more problems for us. Mirage…..Miraaaaageee….’

Your turn to face the water, soaping up your towel as suds slide down the drain.

‘I wonder if a car wash is the equivalent of a shower for him….does he stay a car or like…fully transformed….does he have a-‘

Shutting the water off you opt to pull your hair back today since youd being doing more exploring. The steam from the bathroom escapes when youleave and pad downstairs, catching a glimpse at the note you father let you on the kitchen counter

~Working late, leftovers in the fridge~

You smile to yourself, grabbing a bottle of water to try and beat the obvious heat outside and head to the garage. Sure enough, the Porsche is right where you left it. Mirage is right where you'd left him, and when you tap on the window, the doors unlock almost instantly. You flatten the back of your blue jean skirt and adjust the seat. Awfully quiet today?

“Well good afternoon to you too sunshine? You realize it’s almost 5 right?.” You joke, hearing him rev his engine and the radio humming to life with the sound of his voice.

“You had me up all night! Looking this good doesn’t happen on its own! But how tired can I be when a pretty girl in a miniskirt‘s got her thighs on my seat?” He shoots back, making you gasp.

“Drive you flirt, I got more notes to take. Wanna go to that garage you took me to yesterday?” You ask, using the garage clicker to leave.

It was hot, the sun beating down on you as Mirage insisted you keep the windows down instead of running the ac. The streets were somewhat empty on this fine Sunday morning and Mirage’s only response was to drive in what you assumed was the direction to the garage. You fidget with the radio nobs and glance at the aux cord below the cd player. Maybe he did have CDs in here? You open the armrest to find nothing but-

It was easy to be nosy and explore when Mirage could drive himself, youd put that together on your own last night. There was so little you knew about him but his demeanor overall made you feel comfortable enough to ask. He was…charming. You pull the blank CD case out the armrest, and dust it off.

“MIrage’s Mix (from-)”

The name was scratched off, well more smudged than anything. You crack the case open and slide the CD into the player, the wait for the music to start making you a bit nervous. Had he realized you'd put it in? Was it personal? You begin to regret your decision but before you could press the eject button, it began. N.W.A. blasted from the speakers, startling you for a moment but you're soon amused. What did he know about N.W.A?

________

It doesn't take much longer for you to arrive at the garage, most of the lot being empty while the two of you enter to complete more of your research. You set your purse down, taking the papers from yesterday out and trying to organize them as he peers over your shoulder.

“Still think you drew me sexy-”

You scoff playfully and push him a bit, not moving him in the slightest but still, but he still finds it amusing.

“Stop it, I need you to sit so I can finish. You got all squeamish on my last night.” You tease, sliding your hand down the back of his ‘leg’ and he freezes.

He kneels back down, watching your every move. Your fingers hover over his vocalizer, the warning from yesterday replaying in your mind. Right, don't touch. You skip his chest plate and chassis, watching his expression slightly change to disappointment for what seemed like only a second. Again, he announces each part of himself, the air slightly awkward and VERY quiet. Maybe now was the time to try and strike up some more conversation.

“Soooo, where are you really from?” You ask, writing down each part you trace over when he speaks.

“Cybertron actually. Not in your solar system lil mama.” He flirts, turning his palms slightly open when you tap them.

Servos

"Never been?" He jokes again, admiring how small your hand looked compare to his.

'Careful Mirage your size kink is showing' he thinks to himself, avoiding your gaze.

You shake your head in response, looking at the details of his hands, moving back to his torso, purposefully skipping over the plated area between his thighs. Boundaries were definitely not something you wanted to cross, trying not to make him uncomfortable. I mean, he was willingly letting you poke around, and he clears his throat when you skip that spot.

“You, you can look if you want. And touch…ask questions. It's all good babygirl.” He offers, almost melting when you look up from under your lashes at him.

He could practically feel his pump about to explode. Why did Earth girls look so damn pretty? Mirage couldn't wrap his head around it honestly, the feeling he got when he passes a pretty girl when Noah would take him for drives. How they would gasp if he revved loud enough to embarrass Noah a bit but also score him a couple numbers.

Talk about a damn good wingman. You were different though.

You were a softer kind of pretty…He'd seen you come into the garage so many times before you really met. The day your dad parked him in that spot, he watched you skip in with your little low-rise jeans, the piercing you sported shining in the sunlight.

You hugged your dad, eyes lighitn up at the new car with a gasp.

“A Porsche! Dad oh my gosh really?” You ask, seeing him nod. You squealed more, inspecting his paint job, it was just as beat up then as it was before you officially met.

You chatted on and on about how ‘cute’ he’d look when you finally got to paint him a nice shade of hot pink and added your glitter seat covers. Not so exciting for him considering pink wasn't particularly his favorite but god did you look adorable when you were excited.

And there was that same look. Pure, unbridled excitement, yet your eyes shone almost darker this time. That look is almost salacious. It makes him swallow hard, legs opening a bit more and you brush your hand over his thighs, sparing one more glance as if to ask, ‘Are you sure?’ He only nods.

“Mirage, you gonna keep telling me what everything is, or am I to assume on my own?” You question, tracing the skirt plate.

Ita hard to speak, his fans feelijg as if they were working overtime to keep him from overheating. Primus you looked so pretty between him and now he was wondering how would you look riding his-

You stop touching, whistling to get his attention. Damn, he kinda liked that.

“ ‘Rag, we good?” You questions and he swallows hard at his new nickname.

Where did all that slick talk go now?

“Yeah, y-yeah we’re good ma.” He responds finally, optics low when your light chuckle reaches his ears.

You slide your hands up and down his midsection plating, teasing at this point. How was he supposed to focus on helping you learn when you touch under his plates like that? When your fingers slide over his thighs and over the skirt plate over and over, the pace only makes him want to thrust into your touch.

He felt perverted sort of, getting off on you exploring him in the name of science. That was such bullshit. He looks down at you, watching you pinch your lip between your teeth. Oh….you liked this. Your thighs pressed together as your tongue darts out to lick your lips.

You look up at him again, smile mischievous. And before he could ask any questions you slid you hand right back to his chassis and vocalizer. Oh that was a moan without a doubt. You hum in satisfaction, you’re practically playing with him, his body. It wasn’t helping that he hadn’t been touched like this in so long either p.

“Wanna tell me what happens if I keep touching you like this?” You purr, seeing Mirage avoid eye contact.

“C’mon ma, don’t mess with me like this.” He breathes out, hollow.

You stop your ministries after hearing tires and revving come to a halt. With footsteps approaching you stand quickly, Mirage doing the same. He crosses his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall as if he’d been caught while you shove the papers into your bag and swallow hard. You’d never moved so fast in your life.

Noah enters, feeling as if he’s just interrupted something but panicking once he realizes the predicament you were about ot be in. Why were you two here? Did Mirage even think this through? Probably not. He glances back at the other 3 bots behind him, trying to find a quick solution to hide you. But, before he could get any sort of plan out, three other robots similar to Mirage walked in, and one of them, was not at all pleased.

“Primeee, i had no idea youd be back so soon!”

_______________________________________

Lemme know waht yall think in the comments lmao and let me know if you wanna be added to the taglist as well!

Mini Taglist: @gniteruirui @veggiepizzababy panty-h03

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randonauticrap · 7 months ago

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A Moment Under the Stars (Chevalier x F!Reader)

Pairing ~ Chevalier Michel x Female Reader

Word Count ~ 820

Author's Note ~ This fic is for @aquagirl1978 's Route Release Campaign event for the lovely Chevalier! 🩵

He sighed deeply, his platinum locks tickling his cheek as the air from the balcony whistled by. Becoming king had been like second nature to Chevalier; the decision-making, the paperwork, the politics. He had eased into the position with all the grace of the born leader he was - a genius in almost every right.

However, even the great Chevalier Michel had his struggles; namely that which stood before him now in the form of finely dressed nobles shaking in their specially tailored boots. Chevalier’s reputation preceded him, and though the severity of such talk had drastically waned since his marriage, many nobles still feared being pinned by his frigid blue gaze.

“A-As you know, Your Majesty, my territory s-suffers from very harsh winters, and last year, a-although we did our very be-”

“You wish for me to send a surplus of grain this year in advance of the colder months.” Chevalier remarked flatly and sighed when the man's eyes grew bulbous and exceedingly more fearful. The king's brows knitted together in frustration, but before the situation could get much worse, his savior came in the form of a woman in a billowing light blue gown with an elegant crown that matched his perched upon her head.

You.

It was as though you'd sensed his irritation from across the room. He smiled. His preternatural senses were rubbing off on you. “I'm sure we can come to an amicable agreement on how much extra is needed. Please schedule a formal audience with us this week via Sariel.” You interjected smoothly and with all the grace of the position you now held as queen by his side. A smile tugged at Chevalier’s lips, daring to match your own, and the nobles visibly relaxed.

“Thank you, Your Majesty's.” The man hastily bowed to you, then to Chevalier in turn. “You are ever gracious and kind.” He scurried away, leaving several others to talk amongst themselves as Chevalier drew his attention to you.

“You noticed.” He smirked, and you smiled.

“I did.”

“You're learning.”

“I have an excellent teacher.”

“Mm.”

You paused for a moment, letting out a breath and allowing yourself to relax momentarily. “Shall we-” but Chevalier had already begun to move, slipping your arm into his and leading you towards the open balcony. He plucked a glass of sparkling water from a tray on the way past and handed it to you once you both reached the cool night air.

“Drink.” He commanded. “You have exhausted yourself this evening. And remove those shoes.” Chevalier reached for the balcony door and closed it behind you, leaving the two of you at peace, alone.

“Yes, Your Highness.” You chuckled playfully and did as your husband said, knowing he was right. A relieved groan rumbled in your throat when you peeled your heels from your reddening feet and set them aside. “Oh, the cold stone feels incredible.” You said, the lines of tension on the bridge of your nose releasing at last. Chevalier smiled, a soft, warm thing only ever meant for you, and you answered it with a kiss, surging up to your tiptoes to press your lips to his.

His arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you close, and you giggled softly into his mouth, never quite losing that thrill of being held to him. Your husband, your world. He'd learned so much and taught you so much, but it was as though fate had threaded your hearts together from the very beginning: the weaving of a blanket of love that carried you through all the hardships that had passed, and would continue to carry you through those that were to come.

All at once, the music from the ballroom inside shifted to a slow waltz, and you smiled. You would recognize this music anywhere. It was your song; yours and Chevalier’s. It was the first song you'd ever danced to all those many nights ago when you thought he could never be yours, hummed softly into your ear by the prince once made of ice. Wordlessly, he slid the fingers of his right hand down your arm to find yours and link them together, and he pulled you gently into the steps.

You nestled your head onto his shoulder and smiled into the warm skin of his neck as he led you around the balcony to the pulse of the music that had brought you together for the first time. You giggled aloud, unbidden by the need to seem queenly, and let him twirl you around, your bare feet carrying you back to him as soon as they could.

When the waltz was over, the two of you stilled, his hands on your waist and yours linked behind his neck, and simply appreciated one another. You bumped your nose against his gently and he chuckled lowly.

“I love you, Chevalier.”

“And I, you.”

He kissed you sweetly under the stars, and you were reminded that sometimes, fairytales do come true.

Tags for the Lovelies: N/A (no tags since I've been gone for so long. No clue who would want to be tagged in my stuff now or not. 😂)

#ikemen prince #ikepri #chevalier michel #ikepri chevalier #chevalier route release #aqua's events #chevalier michel x reader #chevalier michel x f!reader #ikepri chevalier x reader #ikepri chevalier x f!reader #Day 6: Dance #Route Release Campaign Chevalier

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authorofdragons · 2 years ago

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MINOR TOTK SPOILERS FOR THE BEGINNING + ZORA MSQ

in a rare turn of events i actually drew fanart for something- anyway this is my reimagining of Sidon and Link's reunion in the game (I see them as queerplatonic partners but romantic/platonic is good too! i just like them). My thought process is that Link is not only so done with world ending shit happening again and again, but BOTW told us he keeps silent to not be a burden to others/be strong for them. And now, with the world needing him all over again, trying to find Zelda to no avail, losing his arm, his sword, he finally breaks. Being the hero is too much.

And then this works well with Sidon's lil character arc of being afraid of losing people close to him again like with Mipha and even though the game didn't really say it, Im POSITIVE that Sidon finding out Link was missing/possibly dead made it worse. (side note, no Yona hate here!! she's cool!! I think she, link, and sidon would make a cute polycule and i have no issue with her she's sweet as hell BUT ANYWAY enjoy the comfort angst)

im still in the middle of the zora quest and have like 3 dragon tears so no spoilers beyond those please!! i know nothing and its gonna stay that way!! LSKDJFKJKJDF

also if you follow me for more sidlink content im so sorry but i rarely draw fanart for anything HOWEVER the main thing I do draw is my two aroace queerplatonic husbands being soft and goofy and they got a comic and everything so I mean. if you like this cuddly mlm shit you still might like my other stuff LMAO

#totk #totk sidon #loz sidon #sidon x link #queerplatonic #comfort ship #totk spoilers #totk fanart #totk link #tears of the kingdom #link x sidon #fuck dude idk how to tag fanart is this good enough LMAO

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superemeralds · 2 months ago

Note

Who is your oldest (like longest had) OC? When did you come up with them, or tell us what the inspiration was!

my oldest oldest OC is Diana, she's a sailor moon self-insert who's the princess of the entire galaxy (as opposed to usagi's pathetic reign over juuust the solar system lmao) and she was sailor star. To be fair thgouh, I did make her before i saw season 5 and that season ruined my entire lore and I kind of dropped sailor moon for a while after that akjfhkajsf but when i was 9 or 10 i started making this sailor moon season 6 comic where my oc was the main character obviously but i was also obsessed w like 5 other certoons and anime so it just all meshed together. also all the other characters wouldnt stop commenting on my character being sooo tomboyish and how she was seen as one of the boys and one conflict was her not wanting to be girly when she transforms... I WONDER WHAT THAT MEANT FOR ME.........🏳️‍⚧️

my oldest OC that i actually have like. well recorded inspo and history of (drew him lots, still use him sometimes) is saph.

he was my sonic self insert at first. in the very beginning he was sonic's long lost sister ♥ back then he used to work for eggman. also i only knew about sonic from sonic x and only the first 2 seasons existed in germany at the time i watched it, so i thought 1) shadow is one of eggmans minions 2) shadow is an ugly jerk and i hated him lol.

(the rest is under cut bc this came out suuuper long)

same story as last oc. at first trying hard to be girly, (also holy shit i found the poerfect img for this)

but that's uncomfortable so i'm making the oc edgy. (notice the "MALE NOSE!!!!") at this point the backstory was that he's a "clone" of sonic shadow and silver.

no wait even better. run around naked like the boy characters.

everyone always confusing the giiirl for a boooy and i genuinely got some hate for my character design bc i shipped him w shadow and wow u cant have a homo OCxCanon ship ewww lmao but oh well.

someone once dared me to do a genderbend and then i just changed the color from white to black and they were angry i didnt do a proper genderbend. while the anti version of the character was a proper girly girl with pink and sparkles and smiles and rainbows and skirts and frilly tops and stupid hairstyle. and ppl complained the anti looked more like a genderbend. (below is the "anti". i can't find the genderbend anymore)

for me it just was my first crack in the egg bc hey. i don't want to be preppy, i want to be emo. but im not allowed bc girls are not meant to be edgy. and im notally not projecting on the boy version of this character more than the girl one. nope.

with every year i reduced the hair pieces at the front lmao but ya after my egg cracked i focused more on making him cool andkeeping him gender neutral. Then i used him to prcess a lot of my ongoing hardships in life. the redesign also being bc of a big shift (well. yeah me transitioning socially lmao)

he's unfortunately associated a lot w that painful time so i don't use him a lot anymore

he came a long way though im proud of him. here's one of the most recent drawings together with his brother (also has lots of lore on how he happened but im not feeling like it rn to go on that tangent)

#fan lore #cheshire-castle-library #saph the hedgehog

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theflashdriver · 5 months ago

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Sandopolis Square (Chapter 3)

In mere seconds, things had gone from bad to worse. What started as mere splashes of sand had now built into colossal waves that were consistent to the point of being unobservable through the thick blue tint of his psychic barrier. The lashing were so consistent, so heavy, that Blaze couldn't begin to guess the scale of the storm that was swallowing them.

Silver was already looking haggard, his feet planted firm and flat on a thin psychic floor he had affixed to the sand itself for fear it might slip out from under them. He hadn't moved from his pose, his fingers spread and arms thrust wide as telekinetic force worked to maintain a truly impenetrable bubble. Blaze could feel his sweat on her back; as she stood frozen, heat was flagging from him. Her back was still pressed to his as she scanned for options, trying to find a way to help or solve this trap.

The space he'd secured wasn't small, but it wasn't big enough. The drone was outside of their influence, for better or for worse, but only one of their bags had ended up within the space. It was his, the one he'd hopefully used to store their equipment, but Blaze knew she couldn't dwell on that. Her eyes flickered in the opposite direction, catching sight of the canteen he'd dropped in rushing to her side.

Feeling the pressure to act, the princess finally pushed herself away from the time traveler. She swiped up the canteen, finding that he had managed to part fill it; a wet mark on the sand from where it had clearly dropped caused the cat to grimace. She rushed over to his backpack, incidently confirming the artefacts they'd plundered as she rummaged for the medical kit. Finding it, she drew out a washcloth before rushing back to his side; now no longer standing back to back with him, but leaning over his shoulder.

The cat gently wetted the compress, careful not to use all their water, before dabbing it to his forehead. She could feel him shaking; his power always took a tole on his body, but this was more serious than his usual response. While on the outside the effort looked to be simple, Blaze knew the reality. Not a single grain of sand had breached the space, his manifested floor was preserving their footing without fail.

Despite those thoughts, Blaze knew what to do. She brought the cloth down to wipe his muzzle, trying to both cool the psychic as she kept him comfortable. Using his power in short bursts was easy, she'd learned that truth years ago, but prolonged use, regardless of how intensive that use was, always took a tole on him. He was already running a temperature, already sweating. She recalled a time once when their home had caved in, how she had treated and fed him while he held up the ceiling for hours- slowly heaving to reposition things and allow their escape. There was food in his bag, but this strain seemed to sudden and intense.

She had to ask, "Ever dealt with something like this before?"

"No," He was panting, but vigour returned to his voice as he elaborated, "Closest I can remember was back when we were first together, surrounded by fire. Flames aren't heavy like this..."

"How much time do we have?" Blaze asked, keeping herself blunt.

"I could hold back the storm for an hour or so yet, but what I could do isn't the issue," He insisted, still wincing, "I'm having to keep this space as tightly sealed as I can. Air isn't getting in here," With that harsh truth spoken, he tried to be positive, "I might be able to briefly undo release and reactivate the shield, but it's so dense out there," But that positivity didn't last long, "I-It's getting heavier, I can feel it."

Blaze bit her lip, again trying to stare through the psychokinetic veil her companion was maintaining. She truly couldn't see anything at this point, moments ago she was certain she'd been able to make out shifting lines and alternate points of contact. Now though, his shield simply a darker shade of cyan than it had once been. It was as if-

Realisation struck the cat, no wonder she couldn't see through the storm, "It's piling up on us..."

"Burying us like it did the buildings, it feels that way," He agreed, "It wasn't this thick on the tower block we found. I can't tell the exact weight of the sandstorm but it's way more than it'd take to smother us if I couldn't keep this barrier up," Silver was beginning to pant, "It feels like its still gathering out there, still shifting. Every so often it gets lighter before suddenly getting heavier... like a weight being pressed down, then removed, then returned with extra."

"You can feel that though, can't you? The shift in the sand?" Blaze asked to confirm, making sure his understanding was more than visual.

"Yeah, over and over again," Silver half nodded, "But I'm holding on so tight, keeping things so sealed. If I let go then I'm not sure I'll manage to get hold again, not before it's back atop us at least."

"Could you walk us?" She offered as suggestion, "Push us in a direction and maintain the shield?"

"I could try to, but only for a moment. When the sand comes back down I think we'd be stuck in the new spot, at least until it shifts again" He relayed, half hypothesising, "Even if I did push us somewhere, the storm might follow and I'd need to maintain the seal... that, a-and I wouldn't be able to hold out for as long if I did move this. We might have less time than there is air to breathe here."

His eyes were now closed, his head bowed in focus. She didn't risk worrying him by mentioning the reality she'd discerned, that the other bag was either buried in the sands or lost to the gale outside. Regardless of how out of reach their things were however, the reality was that they needed to act. Considering their positioning, where they'd been stood on the ground, Blaze tried to plot a path. None of the directions pointed toward salvation however, they were just too exposed.

"C-Could you use the Sol Emerald? Just warp us out of here?" He stammered.

"No, the space is too cramped," The feline immediately responded, "The air would burn up before we could leave. All the sand weighing down on us would smother the flames if you undid the barrier."

She'd lied to him, though Blaze knew it was for the best. It would require him to maintain the shield and act as a sacrifice. The pyrokinetic could survive among the flames as they lit, generating the gateway, but it would mean leaving this world on her own once again. Blaze had others relying on her, a whole other world to defend, but she wouldn't dare think of them again until every other solution had been sought. She would not leave him behind again.

The thoughts that took the place of her kingdom were those of action. Immediately the cat rewetted the towel and wiped his brow once more, before spreading the cool compress across his neck and shoulder blades. She quickly stepped back from him, throwing her eyes around their tiny glowing space. Inevitably, they fell back upon their bag. Her toes curled and fists clenched.

She marched over to the rucksack and slung it over her shoulders, making sure it was stable, "We have to try moving, there's no other option."

The moment Blaze had returned to his side, her arms found their way around his body. Gently, but swiftly, the cat slipped one arm around his shoulders and another beneath his knee. The hedgehog's head was brought to the crook of his neck, his feet lifted from the ground, as Blaze began to carry him. Their eyes locked for a moment as the towel flopped from his back to draping across her arm; the once electric yellow orbs were fully lit by cyan energy. He was so lost in it, she couldn't see the hedgehog behind that might.

"Let's push forward, see what we can find," She instructed to him, just loud enough to be heard over the battering of winds and the thrumming of psychic power.

Silver nodded, Blaze felt the floor beneath them vibrate before sinking to mingle with the sands. As she stepped forward, still hearing the crackle of that power beneath her feet, the dome like walls surrounding them drew no closer. They made it three steps before she felt him shudder and tense in her grasp, burying his head into her shoulder. She could scarcely hear any change in their surroundings; his psychic buzzing was just too loud and there was no visual to match the change. She had to rely on him, just as he was relying on her.

Once he'd stopped shuddering and given a nod, the princess took another three steps forward. The ground beneath them wasn't flat, moving uphill wasn't helping either of them. The incline wasn't steep, but then that was probably because so much sand was being swept up with every passing wind. She felt him shudder and froze again, biding her time as the shakes rocked through him.

Blaze forced herself to think again, this wasn't working. They were moving at a fraction of a pace, even if the sandstorm wasn't moving it could take them hours to exit. If the sandstorm could move, their efforts would account for nothing. They'd still be stuck at the heart, the strain on him wouldn't have been-

"It's okay," His quiet words cut through his vibrations, "You can run, I can handle it."

The moment he calmed Blaze started to run. She didn't dare move as fast as she could, fretting over whether he could match her pace, but the feline did move faster than any wind she'd ever encountered. This effort though, despite how minor it was, now made Blaze's head feel light; it was undeniable, the air was growing thin!

Around a minute into running Blaze considered slowing, realising his vibrations hadn't returned. She was about to recommend that he tear down the barrier, only to come to a screeching halt as the wind roared over his psychic buzz. She braced herself around him, as if to protect him from some blast of flame, but the effort did no good. The sandstorm had chased them; not only that, it had caught up!

His was burning up, soaked from head to toe. Though his muscles weren't directly involved in the act of manipulating psychokinesis, it took such a mental tole that it was reflected physically. His muscles were seizing as if performing all manner of impossible actions, bearing the weight of the world or manually dragging continents. She could feel every ache wracking his bones and flesh alike, it was undeniable.

Her brow steeled as she glanced about the psychic dome, again finding herself entirely unable to see through the veil he was maintaining. Even when the sand was absent she could scarcely identify the difference, and now her head was starting to spin. If pushing forward meant he'd suffer more, that she'd pant and their oxygen supply would dwindle, then it was entirely pointless. There had to be a way out of this, one that didn't mean she'd leave him behind!

Her eyes flickered to the ground, the cyan mixed with sand. Could they burrow? If they were underground, would the sandstorm cease to follow them? Even if they could push themselves beneath the sands, what then? Silver clearly didn't have the strength to burrow them a tunnel- give them space to run unseen. Even if he did, the deep earth would offer no air. Searching for a cave or some building, especially now that they were outwith the city limits, was foolish.

If movement by land wasn't an option, and they could not escape into the earth itself, then only one other option remained. Blaze looked to the ceiling of their protective bubble, the point in the barrier which was preserving them best. He'd worked so hard to keep it up, maintaining it without faltering, but the plan Blaze had just formed would see him rend it down. It may also end with them tumbling to the ground or torn to pieces, if even a single misstep was made.

Simply igniting the sandstorm around them had never been an option, it would have encased them in glass had the flames not died out before that. If she could get above the cloud of rock though, high enough that the gale would have to chase them, an explosion could render the dust too heavy to fly or even freeze it in place as glass. Getting up there would require both a barrier and flight, the likes of which she knew he could safely conjure if he was at the peak of his power.

But he was not at the peak of his power and she was set to face an unknown foe; just how much sand could these horrifying winds command? The whole desert? She didn't even know the source of the conjuring, she could only guess that it was the drone.

It'd only take the sands around them to prove too much, to reach up and tear them down. They'd run for hours in chase of the drone, now they'd toiled in here for some unknown length of time and lack of oxygen was whiting away at their strength. Even if she had the strength to conjure enough flames, how long could he hope to hold them above the ground? How high would he have to-

Something burned at her side. Blaze touched her long coat pocket only to feel the Sol Emerald she'd brought, resonating with a fiery heat. At first she thought it was warning her to flee, to abandon him again, but she quickly identified the truth. It was agreeing with her, pushing her forward, willing to lend its own strength to make up for that which thin air was depriving her of.

"Silver," She looked down at him, finding the aura still thick and unreachable around his face, "How high could you fly us?"

The hedgehog raised a hand toward her face, "I'm not sure, it would be difficult, but..." Breathlessness seemed to take him, "As long as we're together, we can manage anything," He swallowed, eyes finally visible again but only for a moment, "I'll give you all I have left, I promise. Will that be enough?"

"I think it'll have to be," Blaze professed, allowing herself to lapse and smile as she gave her orders, "I want you to take us straight up, as directly out of this cloud as possible. You'll have to shield us until you feel that we're free from the sands, then drop the shield and fly as quickly upward as you can. I'm going to try and put an end to this," Another realisation struck, heavy seriousness returned to her face, "You'll have to use the last of your strength to hold onto me, I need my hands free. Don't expend so much power that you'll fall."

"I'll do whatever it takes to get us out of there," He simply responded, half ignoring her insistence while still trying to spread hope. His arms came to wrap around her neck, fingers latching onto the bag at her back, "You're with me again, so I can't fail."

"You're still so naive," Blaze snorted, bettering her footing and feeling her head spin.

"Not this time," He disagreed, speaking louder than before, "I know what I'm saying. It cones from experience. As long as we're together, we won't lose."

"Then I think your memories are getting cloudy, we've eaten up to much of the oxygen in here," Blaze tutted, again feeling a wiry smile crease her lips, "Whenever you're ready, go ahead and prove me wrong."

Things grew quieter in the dome again, though the sounds of psychic static mixed with scraping wind still raged on. Blaze swore that, beneath the vernier of cyan, a smile had formed on his lips. She felt him move within her hold, his whole body tensing as if threatening to collapse in on itself. The moment that effort began, Blaze began to hear a great tumbling above the hum of his energy.

The space containing them shrank, the walls crumpled in until there was scarcely enough room for them to stand. Only then did a fresh psychic glow mount to shine around them, drifting from his cuffs to hang as phantasmal armour around their combined frames. Blaze immediately understood, he had formed two layers; an outer to protect them and maintain their oxygen, the inner to safely fly them upwards.

"We'll make it out," He insisted, an almost entirely exhausted smile upon his scarcely visible lips, "I can always tell when you've got a good plan; you look just a little bit unsure of yourself, like you're still searching for flaws or a better solution."

"That doesn't sound like a good sign," Blaze would have rolled her eyes, but she was indeed much too focused on evaluating their options.

"Yeah, well," His voice was cheery despite the strain being clear, "I know you."

With that, the coarseness of ground left Blaze's feet only to be replaced by smooth and psychokinesis. Though she was stood stationary and couldn't feel the brush of wind nor tear of sand, the cat knew that she was rocketing upward by Silver's shaking. She held on tight to him, knowing she could only grasp his body for a few moments longer, and began to steel her mind.

The small floor beneath them was growing lighter, more like the psychokinetic barriers she was used to seeing! She glanced to the ceiling only to find that the glow was entirely clear! The hedgehog in her grasp was still shaking, twitching and panting, but she feel tell that his discomfort was shrinking. Then again, it was possible that was more of a sign that the psychic was running out of energy.

Blaze bit her lip, beginning to allow her temperature to spike. She held on tighter to him with her left arm, lowering her right toward the floor of their psychic bubble. The interior of their cramped space was made to swelter, the sweat that had dug so deep into the hedgehog's fur began to drift as steam through the air, making her already limited vision even harder to harness. This was a necessity though; without preparation, her flames would either rage out of control or be cast much too light!

"We're out," He managed to gasp, his quaking calmed, "Any second now I'll have to drop the shield!"

The princess shut her eyes tight, taking a deep breath. Heat continued to swell, curling around her forearm before starting to roil at the centre of her palm. She couldn't ignite, not until the time was right- robbing him of oxygen would doom them both in an instant.

"I'm ready," She calmly insisted, before issuing another order, "Hold onto me."

He shifted in her hold, now both hands were tightly grasping across her shoulder blades. The psychic energy from his body hadn't faded, he was still holding them both aloft through his mental prowess, but that could slip at any moment. Her eyes reopened, she stared down at the featureless psychic barrier. They had one shot at this, he wouldn't be able to push them away or produce a new shield if this endeavour proved to be folly.

"I'll count you down," He gasped into her ear, "Three... two... one-

The blockade fell, the world beneath her was dark, night had fully fallen. Cold wind cut through her fur, immediately rending away the sweltering pressure and almost forcing her to blink. Feline eyes darted across a night lit by speckles of starlight and the small radius of his psychic glow- never finding their quarry. She didn't have time to simply light the night, she had to take a chance. She grasped her right wrist with her free hand, scarcely registering that Silver was holding on tight!

A burst of fire exploded from the centre of Blaze's right palm, so wide and bright that it immediately blinded her. The updraft was battling her, attempting to redirect her flames back toward them with its blustering force, but the guardian of the Sol Emeralds kept her might rushing toward the ground as a wide and explosive twister. Faith was burning red and golden, her belief that their coalition would succeed would keep them off the ground and their destroyer at bay! She just knew it would!

Her eyes finally adjusted to the dark and light, able now to see the brunt of her output and their own exact positioning. She'd fired straight down, between her legs as they hovered aloft at a distance she stood no chance of gauging. Similarly, she still couldn't see the soaring sands. With her flames taking up so much view, and the world around them dark, Blaze couldn't tell if she was on target or the dust had repositioned in order to swat them-

Something burst through the flames, fast enough that Blaze couldn't react. It caught the edge of her right ear, narrowly missing a direct strike with her head. Before she could process it another flew through, the parting of flames granted the cat just enough time to lean back and fully dodge the object. She watched it crest in the air, reflecting and refracting the starlight before it sunk back down to the flames below.

Glass, it was glass!

A smile broke onto the cat's face as she moved her left hand from the right's forearm to the back of her blasting hand. The flames became wilder as she pushed harder, certain of her target's position. Splinters continued to shoot through her blast, cutting like knives through the air or shadows through light! She couldn't dodge them all, they were essentially hanging stationary in the air, but those which did make contact either shattered or crumbled against their frames rather than slashing or piercing. As long as her temperature was maintained, they'd brittle before they could reach them.

The source of these winds was still unknown, be it tied to this location or the robot that'd brought them here, but it would surely burn beneath her. Spreading her fire so wide was draining, sending it to the earth like some great reaching spear, but it offered some certainty. Scorching all, even the earth, meant that nothing beneath them would go-

Blaze felt herself wobble in the air, her thoughts scattered, "S-Silver?"

No response sounded but she caught his eye, the once strong light was now flickering around his body. She could still feel his arms around her shoulders, he was still holding on tight, but his capacity to act as a harness holding her above the sands was fading. If she relied on that lift for any longer, his grasp would surely start to fail.

"It's okay," Blaze looked away from him, back to the fires beneath, "Just hold on tight," The cat brought her heels together allowing her eyes to shut again as she focused on the heat building across her body, "I can handle things from here."

Two more flares, both smaller than that she'd already conjured, now burned from the balls of her heels. She was the one shaking now, vibrated by the thrust she was outputting both to burn the sandstorm below and keep them aloft. Sweat was spiralling from her hands as ghastly ribbons that were vanishing into the sky above.

Flight wasn't her forte though. Her footing was solid, she could keep this up, but she couldn't maintain their elevation. By the shift of the stars alone, Blaze could tell that they were already slowly descending towards the ground and the potentially still active storm! Winching, Blaze quickly made another decision.

Rather than try harder to maintain their elevation, potentially weakening her greater flaming output, Blaze shifted her left hand from atop the right and set it shoot down flames of its own. This was the only way- to ensure the destruction of the danger beneath rather than prolong this blind battle against errant nature. If they were going to succeed then it had to be fast; it had to be now!

Faith reignited with righteous fury, generating fresh waves of heat that spiralled not simply down but fanned around them. If there were clouds about then they would have further evaporated, if there was anyone on the ground watching they'd see another sun shining in the depths of night- loosing a terrifying beam of light to scorch the earth. It was fortunate that, ignoring those poor cacti, there had been no signs of life among the sands.

Lower and lower she was drifting, muscles aching as the endless blast was expelled. Her focus held strong for minutes, the bombardment unending, but a sudden crunching noise did cause Blaze to flinch. Solid ground, she'd somehow found solid ground more than a hundred metres higher than it should surely be located. The cat tapped her foot, still spewing flames- though now the fire was bouncing and shifting, as if flitting around and over some unseen object. Realisation again struck, the shards had stopped flying toward her minutes ago.

Raising her hands from held at her waist, the cat set the fires to swirl around and roil over the shape rather than freely blast from her hands. Her senses refocused, the uncanny stillness of the air contrasted the gale she had experienced before. The fires she cast were now streaking their way down an object of frankly indescribable shape, so twisted and reaching and yet smooth in some many places. Eventually she began to sight the object's edges- flames tumbling both down far sides and slipping through what she could only guess were cracks in the shape.

Her ears were still pricked high, eyes scanning and body sensing for any brush of wind or drifting sand, but her attention did flicker to the glowing hedgehog clasping her shoulders. She dimmed her left hand, grasping to aid him. His eyes were shut, but not as tight as before. He almost looked to be asleep.

Gingerly, using the lingering embers to act as a path-setter and indicate the best route across this structure. Every step brought with it a crunch or cracking noise, not loud enough to be worrying but indicative of the rough structure beneath her feet. If that sound grew too great then her jets were ready, but that need never did arise.

She managed to find a slope and awkwardly slip her way down, kept from tripping by the rough grip offered by the structure. Eventually her feet met with a flatter mass; with starlight and her spread flames to aid, she couldn't see any other obscuring structures around... save for a series of long black stalks that she could only presume were once cacti. The feeling under-feet was still crunchy and hard, but certainly flatter than the structure she'd been standing on.

With a wave of her free hand, the flames gliding along the structure she'd landed upon all flowed toward the cracks and breaches that their ilk had found. Gradually a small bonfire manifested within the space, illuminating it and, in doing so, revealing the shape of this glass form. It almost looked like a flower made of glass with folded leaves surrounding them, some of its petals reaching far skyward while others were cracked and had tumbled. Shaped by the streaking winds of the sandstorm, a great work of glass had been solidified by her flames.

Near the top of the formation was a darker shape than that of the glass, sticking out at an odd shape. It took a moment and quite some staring, but soon she recognised its pill-shaped form as that of the drone; burned and caught in the glass. Assumedly, it had been the source of the storm all along. Well, what was most obvious was usually correct.

Blaze glanced down at her companion, just in time for the light to fully fade from his body. He slumped down like a tumbling branch high on a tree, fingers still scarcely attached to the rucksack straps around her shoulders. She only just managed to keep his knees from meeting with the brittle ground.

"Tired?" She asked, lethargy sweeping over her, just as it had him a while earlier.

A grunt sounded, no further response came but he tried to pull himself onto his feet.

"Well," She hummed as he ended up stumbling, glancing back to the glassy structure, "I think I've found us shelter for the night."

"Desert is cold at night," Blaze heard him mumble, as she tugged him back up and into her arms, "You're warm..."

"And you're naive," The cat tutted, beginning to carry him around the structure.

Eventually, the fire somewhat dying down within, she did manage to find an opening in the crystalline structure. Gently pushing inside, she found the ground to be thoroughly uncomfortable to walk on, made cramped by some of the glassy masses, but certainly safer than sleeping in an exposed position. Eventually he was pulled to the emptier heart of the space.

"You'll probably want to stand for a moment, I don't know how safe the ground is for lying," Blaze informed him, trying to position the hedgehog to stand.

With flickering cyan energy around his palms he managed to stand on shaky legs, "You okay?" He managed to mumble.

"Yes," The cat answered, shrugging the bag from her shoulders only to feel an ache at her shoulder, "Just need to get some rest."

As she swung down the bag between them the hedgehog went to open it, but her hand topped his before he could. They locked eyes for a moment, his sleepy gaze meeting her hopefully less tired look. He seemed to read her intent perfectly, her want made tension between them. Quickly he acquiesced, stumbling back to prop himself against the nearest of the interior's glass walls.

She quickly opened the bag, rummaging through the bag's contents; only just remembering the other that had surely been immolated. At least it wasn't the one containing the evidence. The phones and the newspaper had both thankfully survived the ordeal.

A thick bedroll was pulled from the front of the rucksack, a bundled sleeping bag was tugged from its depths. She unrolled the former before setting the latter upon it, then searching deeper. There was a large blanket within but nothing more, the ground was indeed as rough as she'd anticipated. They'd be sharing cramped quarters tonight. She gestured to the fire, still flickering near the heart of the space, and it rolled just a little closer.

The guardian took a seat near the foot of the mat, waving the hedgehog closer, "Come on."

Wobbling more than a little, he managed to cross the small gap between them. Rather than lie down, as she'd half suggested, the hedgehog sat right next to her and allowed his head to rest on her shoulder. As his arm came to wrap around her, Blaze felt her tail curl around his backside.

"It's been a weird day," Silver commented.

"It has," Blaze quietly agreed.

"We've made it through worse before though," He groaned, arcing his back in a stretch, "I wasn't worried."

"No?" A tired smirk twinged at her lips.

"It's exactly like I said," He lectured, "As long as we're together, we can't lose."

"Are your memories still that clouded? I think you need to lie down," Blaze tutted.

"You admitted you need rest, I don't think I have yet," The psychic quickly countered, stretching again.

"You haven't verbally, no, but physically?" She leaned into him and, like a domino, he tumbled onto his side,"The truth is rather obvious."

Blaze tossed the blanket over him, he struggled to pull it from atop his head, "Perhaps, but if I'd done that to you, you'd have ended up on the glassy ground," He grumbled, repositioning himself before throwing another look his way, "Are you going to join me?"

"In a moment, you just make yourself comfortable," She insisted, turning from him and back to the fire.

Thoughts were slipping through her mind, undoubtedly constructed from the adrenaline of what had past and her tiredness catching up to her. Though she didn't dare glance back down to him, not wanting to stoke any further embarrassment, the hedgehog lingered in her mind's eye. There was still a place for her by his side, she had been blind not to see it. No matter how much wiser he grew, no matter how much stronger, she would always be there to look after him. Come sandstorm or eruption or endless hail, she'd be there to help guide his path.

Things weren't as they had been, the state of this world was proof enough of that, but that didn't mean it they were bad. He wasn't the same floundering fluff-ball she'd once knew, but that drive at his heart was standing out more than ever. She wouldn't always be the one to lead, not anymore, but that didn't mean she never would. They were just rebalanced, matching each other in different ways.

Whenever she fell he'd pick him up and the same could be said of her for him. His skills had flourished in her absence, he'd learned so much that had once been her domain and exceeded her in a handful of those. That same was true for her though; the instinct that had once been key to his survival now burned hot within Blaze. She'd been the one to first notice and leap after the drone, she'd got them out of that last trap. Of course, atop that, both of them had picked up brand new skills along the way.

A yawn broke beyond her lips and Blaze took it as a sign, shifting to his side and slipping beneath the cover. With only the sleeping bag and mat to act as their mattress, only a small slither of place was protecting them from the coarseness of the sands and glass. She tugged his arm around her back; moving her own hands to rest on his should blades. Seemingly in his sleep, the hedgehog tugged her close.

Now close, she felt some rough protuberances in the depths of his fur. After plying through for a handful of seconds she managed to untangle a series of dark shards from his fluff, none of them having pierced him but one likely causing a bruise. Blaze heaved a sigh as she tossed those masses away, dispelling the bonfire by their side with a secondary wave of her throwing hand. With their frames so closely locked, there was no way he'd freeze.

More than anything, this was her place; beside his side, holding him as he held her. Despite the ways he'd grown, physically and mentally, he still needed someone to watch over him. There was still far too much weight on those shoulders of his; though, it was probably ironic that she of all people had come to that conclusion.

The feline swore to herself that she'd sleep soon, tomorrow they'd have even more to do, but she wanted to lie with him for just a little longer. She kept finding another thing to consider, another thing worth mending. Her thoughts turned and attention to his quills, so wildly tossed, before gently working down to detangle his chest fur. Undoubtedly, assuming he woke up first, he'd do the same to her; the cat couldn't begin to imagine the soot and glass spread throughout her fur. Yawns would break through every so often, interrupting her quiet musings, but they could never break the one truth she held so close to her heart.

He needed her, just as she needed him. All along, she'd had nothing to worry about. Neither of them could ever leave the other behind.

#silvaze #silver the hedgehog #blaze the cat #sonic #sonic the hedgehog

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manic-maniac-man · 1 month ago

Text

SPUR MAN SS15

GET BACK, TO PARIS

Takahiro Miyashita speaks in Paris.

"The intro has just started playing."

After five years, he presented his collection again in Paris, a place that holds many memories for him.

Through the interview, we will once again look into the essence and appeal of his creations.

TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist.

"It just came down to the fact that I ended up with the instruments I needed to have even when I went solo."

Takahiro Miyashita has returned to Pari. It has been five years since he launched Takahiro Miyashita The Soloist. The news that he is presenting his creations again in the same place where his former designer, Number Nine, held his show has brought a positive surprise and a sense of elation to the men's fashion world that has not been felt for a long time. We had the opportunity to speak to Takahiro Miyashita himself at the exhibition of his 2015-'16 Autumn/Winter collection held during Paris Men's Fashion Week last January. He spoke slowly and thoughtfully about this collection and his own path.

--It's been exactly five years since you started The Soloist. First of all, please tell us your honest thoughts about coming back to Paris at this time.

"I think it was only quite recently that I actually started thinking about Paris. There wasn't any particular trigger. It just felt like I was returning to where I belonged. I simply started to feel suffocated being in Japan all this time. I felt like it was getting boring to just keep quiet. To give an example, the theme of this exhibition is John Lennon's "Double Fantasy," and just like him, I've just ended my five-year life as a househusband, or maybe I've just gotten bored of it."

-What kind of thoughts are put into the collection?

"It's become something extremely personal, isn't it?" - Black and white. The monochrome collection is very chic, but the materials used and the detailed work give the impression of reflecting Miyashita's more private sensibility than ever before.

"I think that's how it is. But some things don't change. The person who imagines and creates is always the same. John Lennon continued to play rock 'n' roll, and even when he went solo he didn't switch guitars to something else. In the same way, I just naturally have the instrument that I'm meant to have."

-Miyashita-san has been deeply and sensitively inspired by various movies and music, so I cannot help but feel that it was inevitable and had special meaning for him to choose John Lennon.

"All the pictures that came to my mind were in black and white. Of course I saw them in color, but when I printed them out they were in black and white. I felt that this reminded me of the atmosphere of John Lennon's final performance in 1980. I had John Lennon in mind, and a lot of the songs in Double Fantasy came out of that. I don't know why. I didn't set out to do that from the beginning. It just happened naturally."

-It will be exciting to see what kind of impact Miyashita's personal wardrobe will have on the global fashion scene in the future.

"I'm just feeling anxious and nervous (laughs). It's still just the intro."

--Now, I'd like to take a closer look at your roots. What first drew you to fashion?

"By the time I was old enough to understand, I had already been brainwashed by the appeal of clothing. At that time, I didn't yet think of fashion as a part of my daily life, but even at that young age, I think I realized just how important clothing was to life."

――Why do you feel that way about clothes?

"I wonder, maybe it's because I've seen a lot of cool people, and also people who weren't cool. It's not just adults, there were cool people even as children. Also, I imagined fictional characters. I had a lot of opportunities to come into contact with music, so I naturally imagined cool people from that. I probably haven't progressed at all since then (laughs). I'm still the same now."

What kind of clothes did you actually like to wear back then?

"When I was in elementary school, my mother had a big influence on me. She bought me a J.PRESS Madras check shirt, and I liked it and wore it a lot. I didn't like candy stripe shirts very much, though. So, when my mother bought me something every once in a while, I naturally chose the one I liked from the selection. That's when I started choosing things for myself."

---So even back then, did you have any desire to work in the clothing industry in the future? "Not at all. I just wanted to live in America from a young age. The first things I was exposed to were American products, and I learned that there are no borders when it comes to clothing. I liked what I liked even if it wasn't made in America, and I didn't think that American things had to be a certain way, and I didn't care about the period value of vintage clothing. If it was clothing that I thought was cool, that was fine, because I was the one wearing it. So it's not like I was rebelling against the vintage clothing boom or any such trends, but I naturally tried not to be tied down by them. Or rather, I don't think I ever felt that way."

"I haven't written a single song yet, and I don't even have the lyrics."

The latest collection is filled with black, as if to echo the monochrome worldview of John Lennon's final work "Double Fantasy." The wardrobe is lavishly decorated with handmade metal parts, conchos and braids with western details, and leather masks that look like art pieces, all of which are full of craft-like items. The model for the lookbook is actor Uki Murakami, who is also Miyashita's old friend.

"Like John, I wanted to put an end to my five-year life as a househusband."

"The '90s was a time when a lot of people just passed by."

Takahiro Miyashita The Soloist's clothing continues to breathe new life into men's basic wardrobe by combining roughness and delicate beauty with bold decoration. The first Pari exhibition, held after five years of tuning, was visited by a constant stream of Japanese fashion professionals, as well as overseas buyers and journalists, proving once again how much attention it has drawn. The 2015-'16 Autumn/Winter collection will be launched this summer.

"Clothes are not just products. They have a heart."

-In that sense, buying at Nepenthes and planning to produce obi were truly rewarding for Miyashita-san.

"I started when I was 15, and the shop where I made my clothes was called Propeller in Tokyo. I met a lot of American people there, and learned about both the good and the bad. After that, at Nepenthes, I feel like I learned more from Mizumi (the president of Nepenthes) and Dai-san (the designer of Engineered Garments). It was a time when my ideas about Western fashion changed. I didn't think it would be like that, but I think my sense of fashion grew even stronger. However, I never imagined that I would become a fashion designer. I thought that kind of thing was something that people who had studied Western fashion at school did, so I'm not sure if I'm still doing it. There's still a lot I don't know, and I'm still learning."

--And six years later, Number Nine was born. At the same time as the brand was launched, an exclusive shop was also opened. It was a truly unprecedented start.

"It was the first album as Pando. Rather than steadily building it up piece by piece and saying how much effort I put into it, I thought it would be better to do it all at once, and if it didn't work out, just accept that I don't have the talent. There's no point in talking about how much effort you put into a few minutes. If you're going to do it, then just do it, and if you make a mistake, it's your own fault. Of course effort is necessary, but I didn't like being told that it was a struggle. That's a very natural way of thinking for me."

--We are also involved in the creation of clothes that reflect the inspirations of various people and groups every season, and sometimes we look back on those cultures. The introspective collection (2002-03 "NOWHERE MAN") that paid homage to George Harrison is memorable, and Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses (2006 Spring/Summer "WELCOME TO THE SHADOW". The jacket, shorts and pandana on the skin were striking) was also very impressive.

"To tell the truth, I didn't do that with Axl Rose. Before that, there was a man called Stephen Sprouse (an artist who had a huge influence on the 1980s counterculture. Released in 2004), and I wanted to express what a cool person he was. One of those people was Axl Rose. So I wanted to make people laugh, and to convey how cool Sprouse was. But not many people knew about him in the first place. So at the time, I said, 'Yes, that's right, the theme is Axl Rose.'"

--I see. As you said earlier, whether they are real or fictional, a "cool" human image is very important in your creations.

"That's true. And it's also true that cool people are always surrounded by people who make them cool. I think it's like a mathematical formula that can't be explained by logic. Even John Lennon couldn't have written "Mind Games" without Harry Nilsson. There are times when there is more than one person in a group, and there are times when there is only one person in a group.

--The 90s, the time you spent with Nepenthes and Number Nine, seemed to be filled with a lot of cool people, both young and old. Now, the 90s is once again in the spotlight in the fashion scene. What does that mean to you, Miyashita?

Was it the era?

"There were a lot of people who were going too far. It was like people were going too far in everything, and yet there were a lot of people who had a unique energy. It was very naive, but there was a unique energy. I don't know why that has stayed with us to this day, but it may have been the 1990s. It seems like there was nothing groundbreaking happening, but maybe that's what the '90s was all about.

--I think there were different things that changed for different people in the '90s, but I feel that there was a lot of difference.

"That was the time in the 90s. I think it was a good time to show myself, carrying deep feelings and such. I think there were a lot of naive people. However, I myself changed at a tremendous speed, so it may have been a time when something exploded, and there was a period when I changed, but I don't remember it very well (I bought it). It's probably the same for people who ran through the 60s and those who ran through the 70s, and I don't think there is anyone who knows how fast they ran at that time. Today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow is better than today. It's difficult to predict the future, so I'm not good at it, but it's easier to think about tomorrow than looking back on yesterday."

-Are there cool people in this generation?

"I think there are still about the same number of them.

--Let me tell you about The Soloist. The collection that was presented in Paris this time was titled "INTRO," and this summer's season is titled "uNiNg."

"Tuning is something I have to do every day, so I think it's going to be a keyword that will stay with me for a while."

--So it's towards a certain goal?

"No, things don't have a shape. Everyone has their own way of tuning to a certain direction, and new tunings are born from that. If something is completed, there's nothing left to do. Words like "finished form" or "ideal" no longer exist after me."

--What does that mean to you, Miyashita? "I think clothes are a part of myself. The value of things varies from person to person, so for me, clothes just happen to be something I need to breathe. Reading and music are also important tools for me to imagine myself as a cool person. It's all for the sake of clothes.

--It is not a product that will be like that.

"That's right. Clothes are not just products. They have a soul. They are alive."

--This may be an overstatement, but the clothes that you make are very tight and tense, yet when I put them on I feel a gentle embrace, or rather, I get a mysterious sense of comfort when I wear them.

"That's probably because I'm no longer in a band. There's a chance I might want to get back into a band in the future, but I'm not sure what will happen, but my next album will definitely be a solo one. I haven't finished a single song or the lyrics yet. The "INTRO" has just started playing, though.

-Will we see you on the runway again in the future?

"That's right. After I make an album, I want to do a live show."

#my scans #fashion #archive fashion #avantgarde #japanese fashion #2010s fashion #takahiro miyashita #takahiromiyashita the soloist #john lennon

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