#It Might Not Just Be Burnout

[infinitethree]

hello, vio and helio! so, i was thinking - there are other servers in sanctuary’s world, and when vio arrived, their opinion of the then-smp was that it was a hellscape. what’s their current opinion of sanctuary? has it improved, and if so, how?

Helio’s eyes flick upwards from his keyboard, but he otherwise doesn’t react immediately.

Vio, on the other hand, groans and lifts his face out of the throw pillow it had been buried in. He’s slumped on his stomach on a long couch in Helio’s office. Judging by how it’s long enough for him to comfortably fit on, that's one of the primary reasons it’s there.

The alien complains, “Last world was shit, I’m not answering an essay question after that clusterfuck. I only really give advice and moral support now anyway, not that any of the actual team needs it.”

He faceplants into the pillow again, his tail flicking slightly. Some further mumble of discontent is said, but muffled too much to make out.

The other person in the room finally looks up from whatever he was working on. Helio leans back in his chair to consider the question.

"Vio never really leaves the server in that way, anyway. He doesn't like the crowds." "Outsiders are nosy! They ask too many questions about what I am, and then get pissy if I ask equally insulting ones right back!"

Helio points out, "You deliberately provoke them." "And they deserve it!" "I didn't say that they don't."

With a slight shrug, Helio continues, "So he's not a great resource on what the general public sentiment is. Honestly, nobody really…knows what's happened here. We prefer it that way. Sanctuary is a weird place with deeply traumatized residents. Even those who were here natively don't have many ties to outsiders. Pretty much all of us were invited explicitly because we didn't have much else."

As he speaks, Helio taps something out on his keyboard. A small holographic display opens up over his desk.

"Occasionally we get people nosing around, because names like Dream and Techno will probably always carry some weight. The fact that Dream basically became a recluse was weird even when I first joined the server. It's only gotten weirder that nobody has seen him since. This," he says, with a gesture towards the display, "is a list of fan sites, news outlets, and similar places who have dug into things too far."

It’s a long list, even just what’s on the screen. It seems to go well beyond that.

"Anyone who shows too much or the wrong kind of interest in a resident, the server, and methods to illegally enter a server are monitored. If anyone is caught sending or selling information about Sanctuary to outsiders, that'd be one of the few ways to get sent to one of our partner worlds. Too many people prying into our business risks the safety and sanity of everyone here. Other admins might take an interest in us. We don't know what that might mean, but probably nothing good," Vio adds.

Despite his grumbling, he seems genuinely uneasy at the thought of too much attention from borderline demigods. Sanctuary is pretty much a golden goose; everything from tech to mobs to blocks are brought back from other realities. Exploiting that fact would be very profitable.

It's why they would rather be safe than sorry about any potential threats. Someone might have benign intentions, but seeing the reality of what the Dream SMP has become could easily change that.

Any refugee or current resident is free to choose among several dozen other realities to live in, if they decide Sanctuary doesn't meet their needs. There are plenty where people can simply fuck off and never be seen again.

Thus far, they haven't had anyone they needed to force out. Those that leave do so willingly, and on at least somewhat decent terms.

It's part of the duties of the Welcome Wagon to prepare those people for the world they'll be living in. Supplies, learning basics of that world, and in some cases a cover identity are given.

They might have felt that entering Sanctuary was their only choice, but Sanctuary itself is only one of the many places that they might decide to live in. Hell– some former refugees end up helping acclimate others to their new world down the line.

Helio adds, "Sanctuary houses our people, and their safety is our top priority. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. Too many of us have lost too much." "I'm pretty sure Day would go on the warpath. Theo and probably quite a few others would join him. I've spent way too many hours in therapy recounting Doomsday to be interested in seeing them fully snap. I've spent too many hours seeing them fight to want to risk them going for blood," Vio agrees.

A long shudder visibly goes down both of their spines. Helio might have seen far less of what the Was-Taken family is capable of, but he knows enough.

Vio was, in no small part, inspired by fear to remain in what went on to become Sanctuary. Sure, Darkza wasn't great…but Day and Theo? Their presence was more than Vio wanted to deal with.

Hell, he refused to get close to saying negative things about Theo.

…And then Day and Theo showed up anyway. Helio still very vividly remembers how the purple tint to Vio's skin had gone sickly grey when he saw Day in the Dream SMP.

By now, Helio has seen and heard enough to believe that that had been a fully justified reaction. Day, for all that he is openly a doting father to six sons, is also terrifying.

One of the quieter rules of Sanctuary is not to push the immortal man too far. Some people can get away with more than others– Aster, for instance, has a fair bit of leeway because of his closeness with Theo and Lee. Others, like Lucid, are already on his bad side.

Day has a hell of a lot of stress resting on his shoulders. He does not need anyone deciding it'd be funny to fuck with him.

There was once, and only once, that Helio got a glimpse of just how deep Day’s trauma ran.

It was years ago by now. They had still been working out snags in getting new residents set up. Orph had called out the previous two days, a fact which led to Helio going to consult with him in-person.

Summer Hills had been eerily quiet. The area usually had a fair bit of noise; people going to Atlas' store, TVs, music, one or more of the Was-Taken brothers screaming, the forge, redstone…but on that day, there was nothing.

Just the wind, some mobs, and the nether portal.

That silence, more than anything else, had been what spurred Helio to try to find someone. If there was something wrong, then he needed to try to help– or at the very least to sound the alarm.

Positioned at the top of the main residence in Summer Hills, itself on top of a hill, the lights being on in Day’s room meant it was easy to spot.

When he used his elytra to get close without alerting any potential threats, he was attacked the second he got near enough to see anything.

Dee and Orph had come out swinging– and with how little room was available to move in on the deck, Helio had been forced to retreat out onto the roof.

That had been how he got a split second glimpse of DayDream. His complexion was pale, eyes unfocused, wings limp.

But he was sitting up. He was watching Helio like he wasn't entirely present.

Like he was a distant spectator to a show halfway tuned out.

Orph had grabbed his shirt and said to leave. His eyes were wild enough that he reminded Helio of one of the last times he saw Arode before his much later revival. That had been all the reason Helio needed to disengage and flee.

Sometimes, that sight– of someone who brought down a god, someone without whom they would largely be dead, with all the liveliness of a doll– still haunts his nightmares.

He's seen plenty of fucked up things. But Day being so detached is…something in its own class.

Maybe it's because Helio is aware he played a hand, no matter how unknowing, in his mental health being that wrecked.

Even if he hadn’t known what Quackity was up to, he never bothered to see the lone prisoner of Pandora's Vault. It never even occurred to him to try.

Lucid was pretty fucked up when he got out– it took years before he was able to get anywhere close to his pre-Vault physical state.

Day, from tidbits he's said over the years, was in there long enough that his body would have never recovered.

"The Was-Taken family," he notes, "do not fuck around with threats to their loved ones. Sanctuary getting tangled up in a war because someone opened their mouths counts as a threat."

And that’s without considering the fact that, evidently, Lee could become an admin like Lucid.

If Lee can't leave, his family would defend him to the bitter end. It wouldn't matter what the cost to them was, because personal risk is secondary to their creed of family first.

And, you know, Helio has spent quite a few years in this server. He’s attached to it and its residents. He's not really interested in seeing how it would fare if Lee became an admin and lost members of his family.

Just the idea makes him feel a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck.

"I don't want to see how the Swords and Shields would react to a war. I don’t want to see how Aster would react to a war," Vio mutters. From the lashing of his tail, he's distressed by the thought.

Helio shudders in agreement. The group is far from small. In fact, they are arguably the largest group in Sanctuary.

It started small, and then Helio blinked and there were enough members to warrant Atlas making molds for the ear cuff components.

More join all the time. He can’t even argue it's presence is a bad thing; it serves at least a dozen purposes. Lee is really just a convenient banner to unite under. He gives the Swords and Shields a justifiable reason to learn to fight better, a group of peers, a hobby, a support group, and countless more little reasons.

Daz and Raine, the two who helm the Welcome Wagon, do a fair bit to encourage membership. Aster does as well, just…more subtly.

A lot of people see him as inspirational. He has clawed his way up to stand toe to toe with Theo through little more than spite and stubbornness.

If he can do that, a lot of people reason, surely they can get within spitting distance of them, too.

Helio…honestly, kind of doubts that. Aster is special in some way that he can’t really explain. Something about him makes him a kindred spirit of Theo’s. Theo was good enough to be a primary combatant in a fight with a fucking god.

It’s not like Helio is a slouch in a fight. He just knows the two of them are well beyond his skill level.

“Any conflict with outsiders,” Helio repeats, “would end badly for everyone.”chronotag

[umblrspectrum]

happy solvermas

[nobluesea]

A blow straight through the heart.

Fic so good it ended me my art slump

The image quality got messed up, click here for a better version

[aritany]

"do it scared" is all well and good but may i also put forth "do it exhausted" and "do it hurting"

where are my chronic pain baddies

[maudiemoods]

I told myself I wouldn't but my hand slipped

I was rewatching Steven universe and couldn't help myself aararraar

No full au djjwjd just doodles and ideas djsjjdsj

After leaving home world, they both change their appearance. Idk to what exactly because that last doodle is just casual wear but they definitely have a set outfit they like. Moon's hair changes into a shaggy cut! He likes a more scrappy look. He keeps his hat of course jejsjsj

[stargirl230]

Bond Forger appreciation post - aka my finished piece for the Starlight Anya Zine (2022)!

The endpage doodles were a collab between me and my little sister :)

(no reposts; reblogs appreciated)

[buzdyganys]

can you guys get off the fucking road

[knockknockitsnickels]

God I don't want to be too harsh because I know nobody means any harm by it but the way people analyze the Voices drives me crazy sometimes. Not even in the sense that I disagree with what's being written, but more in the sense of how these analyses treat the Princess.

I feel like in a certain section of the fandom there's this reluctance to admit that the Voices aren't always "positive" (for lack of a better term) characters? You'll see people give lip service to the idea that "it's good for a character to have flaws!" and then turn around and try to excuse their worst moments (and it's like. You don't have to do that. You can still like them).

And one of the consequences of this type of analysis is that the way the player's and the voice's actions affect the Princess is downplayed. I have seen analyzes of Happily Ever After which barely even mention the Princess, because they're so fixated on defending Smitten. I've seen people write off entire chapters as "bad" just because they didn't like the way the Voices were acting (with, again, barely a mention of the Princess). The Greys and the Witch chapters are arguably where both the Player and the Voices are at their worst, but fans will still twist around to make the Princess the sole villain of the story.

I don't know. I hate making these kinda posts because I don't want to shame anyone from writing/drawing something they love. But as a big fan of the Princess it's really saddening to see her pushed aside in favor of the male characters.

[kathybluecaller]

finally drew my submission for @suave-hogan’s Martha March DTIYS :]

[vee-is-a-clown]

@orbit-si I'm your Secret Santa! Open your gift!

I hope you enjoy!

@klance-daydreams thank you for organizing the Secret Santa!!

[fennthetalkingdog]

Y'all I just watched Jaiden Animations' video about learning she has ADHD and man... some of that stuff just hit me hard. The having to tie yourself down to work, the being relatively okay in school until college, the wondering if a doctor would just say, "It's a you problem, go away"—geez that resonated. I'm glad she finally got a diagnosis and Adderall and learned how to work best with herself though! I hope things start to turn out better for her as time goes on

[palettepainter]

[doyouknowthemossinman]

me when i tr!sneeg

[littlemywashere]

[stargirl230]

it feels like a rite of passage to paint the ocean

(no reposts; reblogs appreciated)

[playertwotails]

Okay so this has been circling around in my head for like two weeks like a fly hitting windows in a sun-room.

So I'm back on my Tails kitsune AU bullshit and I've also recently gotten into Cult of the Lamb so now they've mashed in my brain into a hodgepodged gloop.

And it's all going below the cut if you wanna read my brain worms cause it's long

***Trigger warning for like blood and cults and kidnapping and drugging. Just to give people a heads up (nothing too graphic or detailed but just in case and let me know if you think I missed anything I might need to warn people about)****

Little side note before jumping into this: do not tag as shipping, there is no shipping here it's all platonic and familial. If I see a ship tag I will block you.

Starting off it doesn't matter if Tails is actually a kitsune or not (I personally prefer that yes he is just for the post situation of the gang all being like "okay so what species is Tails actually???" )

I've just had this idea in my head where some cult somewhere is started and they worship kitsune's as godlike entities. They then catch wind of Tails in the news or rumors and their target is now locked.

So this cults leader gets the 'big brain but head actually empty' idea to kidnap Tails like any sane cult leader would.

Now these people somehow stumble ass backwards into kidnapping Tails and keeping him contained. And by keeping him contained they're basically drugging Tails just enough he's conscious but nonreactive. And they basically dress him up and drag him to their ceremonies as more of object than a kid. Tails is hating it and actually scared cause what the hell is wrong with these people let him go home.

Meanwhile Sonic and the gang are all freaking out cause "WHERE IS HE??!!!!" Cause lets be honest kidnapped by a cult was not on any of their bingo cards and at this point they don't know that's what happened, they only know Tails is gone and none of the usual suspects have him.

Rouge starts going through her contacts on the side looking for any crumb of information and gets a lead. And in typical Rouge fashion splits off on her own to look into it. She then comes across the cult and infiltrates their compound.

During her snooping though she overhears the leader of the cult and his subordinates talking about "living forever through the blood of their god's mortal form", sees a statue of a multi-tailed fox and all the red flags are immediately up for her. Internal panic button is smashed. 2 + 2 = fucked up situation.

She's already pressing the "get your asses here" button on her communicator and tears off as quickly but quietly as she can looking for Tails. When she finds him he's in a locked room just laying in bed, all dressed up in a white outfit. Which strange for her to see him just laying there since normally he'd be out and gone long time ago She sees what they've been giving him next to the bed and she's now double pissed off. (I like to think it's at least been over a week Tails has been missing, but if you wanna get really angsty make about 6 months, just as long as Sonic was locked up in Forces).

As gently but quickly as she can she bundles up Tails and carries him cause at this point he's got so much in his system he can't walk or talk, blinking is kinda his only form of communication at the moment. To which Rouge doesn't know what's worse, for Tails to have been asleep for the whole time unaware or to be awake for the whole time and know what's happening.

Tails on the other hand is just so happy to see her and scared that he starts crying. Which is just breaking Rouge's heart to witness as she starts to backtrack out of there with him, with him just silently crying nonstop in her arms.

Unfortunately only about halfway to the exit they discover Tails is gone and the place starts going into lock down with cultist swarming the halls of the place. And even though Rouge is an excellent fighter, she's in close quarters with a kid who can't walk so she's quickly overrun by cultist who tie her up and take Tails back.

The leader then using all of his one brain cell figures she's already signaled to the other's where they are and he knows it's only a matter of time before the fastest thing on the planet busts their door down looking for his little brother.

The leader announces to the group they're moving up the ceremony to now much to Rouge's horror and they drag her along too kicking and screaming cause they don't have time to drop her off in a cell or anything.

Everyone is now in this big ceremony/chapel room that has a big stone table covered in white flowers, that suspiciously is the perfect size for an 8 year old fox to lay down on. And the leader does just that laying Tails on the table.

Rouge is throwing an absolute fit and cursing everyone out cause no way in hell is she gonna let this happen, it's to the point multiple people are having to hold her down even with her tied up cause she's kicking up such a storm of rage.

Meanwhile, Tails is mentally absolutely freaking out in a panic and is terrified out of his mind, especially when the leader brings out a large ornate knife and starts chanting something.

As the leader is finishing up and reeling back his hand with the knife Sonic busts in and sees all of this. Immediately rushing to the table just as the cult leader goes for the downswing.

Sonic just barely catches the knife about an inch from Tails' chest grabbing on to the blade of it and cutting his hand which drips onto Tails.

Now Sonic finally has a moment to process all of this and what exactly is happening and for obvious reasons he is beyond pissed off. He's probably not far off from turning into dark Sonic or it's creeping around the edges of him. And just as he's about to send the cult leader to meet his maker he glances at Tails' face and that's the only reason he doesn't kill the leader right then and there. Cause Sonic thought Tails was asleep but now he notices not only is Tails somewhat awake but tears are streaming down his face.

So Sonic does the next best thing in this situation, knocks out the leader in less than a second and just pulls Tails into a hug off the table and starts just sobbing with Tails in his lap curled up on the floor. Cause the horror of what about happened and the relief Tails is okay and he found him in time hits Sonic all at once.

The rest of the cultists are still frozen cause for Sonic, Tails and the leader all that happened in less than a minute and the group is still catching their bearings of everything that just happened. Which is a good thing cause in that moment everyone else catches up and runs into this whole scene.

From their perspective though they just see Sonic sobbing over a limp Tails with blood on his chest (from Sonic's hand but they don't know that), a guy knocked out (or possibly dead??) next to them, a big stone table that suspiciously looks like an alter also next to them, Rouge who is still cursing up a storm tied up in the corner and held down by like 5 people, and a room full of people in matching robes that look like the guy up near Sonic and Tails.

The rest of the group now splits off with Amy and Knuckles running over to Sonic and Tails, Shadow going for the leader on the ground, Omega going to help Rouge, and the rest of their friends they had helping them splitting off to take care of the rest of the cultists.

From here everything gets resolved, cultists and leader locked up, Tails getting what ever drugs they were giving him out of his system and going home and everyone somewhat going back to their lives. Sonic however does not leave Tails' side for a while and hovers around him which for the first few weeks Tails appreciates cause if he's honest he doesn't want Sonic to be far from him either after everything and really doesn't want to be alone for long. Tails get constant nightmares about the situation and is snuggling with his big brother almost every night. Which is great for Sonic cause he's also getting terrible nightmares from the ordeal and feels better when he wakes up and Tails is right there.

It does get to the point though where after a bit of recovery and time healing the mental scars Tails has to convince Sonic that he can be go back to running around and exploring without Tails right next to him. It takes a lot of convincing and scheduling regular check-ins (like 5x more than they previously had) but Sonic and Tails slowly get somewhat back to their normal lives.

If you wanna get angsty though have it so Sonic is just a second too slow in saving Tails and the fallout from that. (couldn't be me though I'm a hurt/comfort girly at heart, give me the angst but everyone's okayish in the end)