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imnotoverlyobsessive · 1 year ago

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Moodboard by @softhecreator

Don’t Blame My English Blood For This American Heartache

Chapter Five: Don’t Stop Me Now

AO3 info prologue one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve

All my work is 18+.

I feel I’m watered down whenever he’s around. I put on the crown of clowns and melt slowly to the ground.- MARINA, Hermit the Frog

Mid August, 1984

Diagon Alley

London, England

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Sera admitted, looking at the wand a very old man named Ollivander was offering her in his wand store.

“Nonsense, Miss Malfoy,” the old man assured her. “The wand chooses the witch.”

“I’ve never used a wand before,” she explained. “I learned magic without one.”

“You can’t go to Hogwarts without a wand,” Yarrow told her, fanning herself with a painted fan that looked like it had been made for Queen Victoria herself.

“Indeed, Miss Rosier,” Mr. Ollivander confirmed.

Hesitantly, Sera took the wand in hand.

“Now then,” Mr. Ollivander said pleasantly, “just give it a wave, if you please. Or, if you’d like, perform a simple spell.”

Sera waved the wand, imagining a small ball of harmless light emerging from the tip.

A ball of light did emerge from the tip. But it was not small, nor was it harmless.

It caused a moderately-sized explosion.

With a wave of his own wand, Mr. Ollivander cleaned up his store and offered Sera a second wand to try.

She did the same thing with the same results six times. It seemed that every wand Mr. Ollivander had made disliked Sera a great deal. It took awhile, but eventually, one of the wands she tried didn’t produce an explosion, but rather a large ball of light that closely resembled the sun. She had instinctively waved her free hand and put the light out, of course, but the three of them were momentarily blinded anyway.

“Well,” Yarrow said, mildly amused, “I suspect that’s as good as it’s going to get.”

“Perhaps we should try—“

“Thank you, Mr. Ollivander,” Sera cut him off with a polite smile. “I’ll take this one, if you don’t mind.”

“Yes, of course.” He seemed reluctant, but he did as she’d asked.

Sera figured she wouldn’t be using the wand, anyway.

What she was excited for was the cat she was allowed to bring to school with her, were she to be accepted. She’d found a tiny black kitten by the side of the road. She figured that since he was an orphan she found in Europe, she’d name him Beowulf, Beo for short.

“What on earth do you mean you don’t need a trunk?” Aunt Ursa asked, astonished.

“Well,” Sera said slowly, idly petting Beo, was perched on her shoulder at the moment, “we don’t have the money to buy one, and my suitcase will do just fine.”

“But everyone has a trunk.”

Sera shrugged, jostling Beo, who let out a small meow of protest. “Everyone enrolled as a first year, too. I’m enrolling as a seventh year.”

Aunt Ursa pursed her lips. “Very well, dear. As you please.”

Sera smiled. Her aunt had been very kind and accommodating. “I’m very grateful to you for all you’ve done for me, Aunt Ursa. Truly.”

Her aunt smiled back at her. “Of course, dear girl. Now come, we must get you to Hogwarts for the placement examinations.”

The tests were beyond exhausting.

It certainly didn’t help that Sera hadn’t bothered to attend in the Hogwarts uniform everyone else was wearing. That was probably why people were staring so much, actually: she wore a black and red plaid skirt with suspenders that went over the black Lick It Up sleeveless shirt she’d bought at a KISS concert when she was fifteen and the beat-up combat boots she’d had since she stopped growing at thirteen.

She didn’t always dress like a punk, but she had a few friends who were in college back at UCSC who were really into that kinda thing. Okay, so Doug was more the sort to wear jeans and plain t-shirts, but his girlfriend liked to drop acid at the Boardwalk, and his best friends consisted of a dude majoring in astrophysics and another dude who’d founded UCSC’s gay and lesbian organization, which Ta attended the meetings of despite not even being enrolled yet. In any case, some of her friends back home dressed the way she did, and she kept forgetting that nobody in the Wizarding World did.

Mid August, 1984

Hogwarts

Scotland

“I really think I should try it without a wand, ma’am,” Sera attempted to tell the transfiguration professor, whose name was McGonagall. Transfiguration was her first test with a practical section, and Sera knew it was essential she display her abilities there because Aunt Ursa’s explanations of English-style magic may not have been entirely adequate to get her a passing grade on their own, comprehensive though they were.

The older woman—who Sera thought she might like, actually; she was terribly excited to get to know other witches, especially teachers—pursed her lips. “We will try with a wand first, and then without a wand.”

Sera nodded, and was then presented with some sort of ball.

“Turn this into a balloon, if you please,” Ms. McGonagall said politely. “With your wand.”

Sera nodded, and, picturing the ball turning into a balloon, she flicked her wand at it.

The ball transformed into a balloon, which promptly exploded.

Ms. McGonagall blinked at the scorch marks on the stone floor, then looked up at Sera. “Let’s try without your wand, then.”

Sera put her wand down on the table carefully, as if it might bite her, which she half-thought was a possibility.

“Should I make a new ball?” she asked.

Ms. McGonagall raised her eyebrows. “Can you do it without making it explode?”

Sera grimaced, but nodded. “Yes.”

“Very well, then.” With that, the teacher stood back, presumably to avoid potential injury if another explosion were to occur.

Sera flicked her hand, and a ball identical to the one before popped into being.

Ms. McGonagall stared at her. “Wandless and nonverbal,” she observed quietly, taking notes on a pad of some sort. “The balloon, if you would.”

Sera nodded and flicked her hand again, and the ball became a balloon.

Ms. McGonagall pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Are you capable of human transfiguration?”

Sera nodded, sitting down at a desk chair. “I used to do this at the beach with a friend of mine,” she admitted a bit bashfully. The teacher raised her eyebrows expectantly, and then Sera gestured to her legs. Her pale skin became opalescent scales, and her legs merged into a tail.

“You can transform yourself into a mermaid,” the teacher observed dryly.

“Yes,” Sera confirmed, tapping her tail idly to turn it back into legs. “I can’t breathe underwater or anything, though.”

Ms. McGonagall’s lips twitched, and Sera thought she might’ve been trying not to smile. “Miss Malfoy, what happened when you used your wand, does that always happen?”

Sera shrugged. “I never used one before I came to Europe. I learned without one.”

“You learned magic without a wand?”

Sera nodded. “The people who taught me don’t use them, either. I didn’t know witches used wands until recently.”

Ms. McGonagall nodded once, scribbling down something on her notepad.

She had to do several other transfigurations before the practical was over, and the teacher was a very stoic woman, but Sera hoped she was at least a little bit impressed.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Sera addressed her, a bit nervous. Ms. McGonagall looked down at her, as expressionless as always. “Do you think… that is to say, do I have a chance? At— at getting in, I mean.”

The older woman looked at Sera consideringly. “I think, Miss Malfoy,” she said slowly, “that if you show the skill in your other examinations as you did in this one, I will be very pleased to have you in my class.”

Mid August, 1984

Malfoy Manor

Wiltshire, England

Upon her return to Malfoy Manor, she was most displeased to discover none other than Regulus Black waiting there for her.

“Eugh,” she said by way of greeting, curling her lip at him. “Go away. I am so not in the mood.” It was true; she was exhausted. Hours of testing made one very tired, and she was very interested in going to bed, despite the fact that it was barely past six and she hadn’t even had dinner.

Regulus smiled in a way that made him look deceptively good-natured. “I know you had your placement examinations today, and I thought you’d fancy could use a bit of a breather afterwards.”

“Yes, I would could,” she agreed immediately. “Which is why you should leave. I’m not in one of your fancy hundred-year-old dresses, anyway.”

He looked down at her outfit, his eyes widening as if he hadn’t noticed it before. “What on earth are you wearing?”

“Clothes,” she informed him flatly.

“Is… is that how Muggles dress?”

She put a hand on her hip. “People who can’t use magic, you mean? Yes, they sometimes dress like me.”

He licked his lips, his eyes fixed on her bare legs. “You… you wear this kind of thing oftena lot?”

“Sometimes.” She wanted to smack him until he actually left. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

His gaze flicked back up to her face. “I’d like it to be.”

Sera fixed him with a glare. “What I wear is never going to be any of your business.”

With that, she moved around him to the main hallway and made a right in the direction of the spiral staircase that led to the third floor she occupied.

“Where are you going?” Regulus asked, sounding like he was hurrying after her.

“My room. Not that that’s any of your business, either.” She turned into the tiny room with the staircase, hoping very much he would take the hint and leave her be.

“I thought we could have a cup of tea,” he told her.

“I’m American,” she snapped impatiently. “I don’t drink tea to wind down. I watch things, listen to music, and take naps.”

“Oh.” She rolled her eyes at his ridiculousness and didn’t respond, but he followed after her anyway.

“I might decide to turn the stairs into a slide,” she warned as she began to go up them.

“No, you won’t,” he deduced easily. “I remember those exams, and they’re an absolute nightmare. You won’t want to do magic like that for another few hours at least.”

She pursed her lips, annoyed. Especially about the fact that he was right.

“Why won’t you go away and leave me alone?” she demanded in exasperation as they reached the top of the stairs on the third floor.

“Because if I leave you alone, you’ll never fancy me, and that won’t do.”

“That won’t do,” she mimicked, dropping her voice down low in and faking a British accent in what she considered to be a spot-on impression of the dickhead. “I’ll never ‘fancy’ you either way, fancy boy.”

She strolled into her TV room, plopping down on the couch and grabbing the remote off the coffee table. “I’m confident you will, but— what’s that?” He pointed at the TV.

“It’s a TV,” she said flatly, clicking the power button. She had MASH queued up in the VCR already, so Hawkeye’s dreamy face immediately appeared onscreen.

Regulus flinched. “What on earth—“

“It plays videos,” she explained impatiently. “Recordings. Like a play you can watch. See?” She pressed play, and Hawkeye resumed badgering Frank Burns, the way he’d been doing when she’d turned it off last.

Regulus stepped closer to the TV as if it would bite him.

“Ugh,” she groaned when he stepped in front of the screen. “If you’re not gonna leave, at least get out of the way. Sit down or something.”

He did so wordlessly, watching the screen with wide, fascinated eyes. “This really happened?”

Sera grimaced. “Well… yes and no.” He looked at her in askance, and she paused it with a sigh. “The people, they’re actors. The characters aren’t real. But the place they’re in, Korea, is obviously real.” He nodded his understanding, and she continued, “And Americans really did send troops over there.”

“They’re not fighting anyone,” Regulus pointed out.

“That’s because they’re a MASH unit,” she said. At his blank face, she added, “Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. They’re doctors—healers, whatever—and they treat people who were wounded in the war.”

“Why would anyone choose to do that?” he asked, bewildered.

She snorted. “Oh, they didn’t choose it, most of them. They got drafted.” He looked confused again, so she elaborated, “You know, conscription? Picking random citizens to go fight?”

“That’s barbaric!” Regulus declared, horrified.

“No shit,” she said dryly. “Now shut up; Hawk takes his shirt off in this one and I don’t want you distracting me from his hotness.”

“You— you find this man attractive?” he demanded, looking astonished.

Sera rolled her eyes. “Duh, look at him.”

“He’s got dark hair and light eyes,” Regulus observed. “He’s tall and rather thin— I am your type, then.” He settled back against the couch cushions, satisfied. “Lovely.”

“You are so not my type,” she said, like a liar.

After that, Regulus spent a great deal of time at Malfoy Manor bothering Sera.

She could admit to herself, however begrudgingly, that he was occasionally interesting to be around. He was intelligent and well-spoken, and he seemed to genuinely want to hear her thoughts on things.

Not that she’d ever tell him that, of course.

“We should go out to dinner,” he decided one afternoon.

Sera scowled at him from her place on the couch as she pet Beo, who was asleep in her lap. “Absolutely not.”

He frowned. “It’s a grand idea.”

“It most certainly is not a grand idea,” she said, mimicking his stupid fancy boy accent.

“Very well, then,” he acquiesced, plopping down next to her on the couch, far too close for her liking. “We can stay here.”

She scowled again. “Or, fun alternative,” she said slowly, “you could leave.”

“No,” he hummed thoughtfully. “No, I don’t think I will. Your family likes me.”

“They like you because you’re rich.”

Regulus shrugged. “The end result remains the same.”

“Whatever,” she scoffed.

It wasn’t until several hours later, when she fell asleep on his shoulder, that he carried her to bed; Beo trotting after them.

Very softly, he said something to her, and whatever it was made her smile and nuzzle into her pillow, but she drifted off before his words could register.

September, 1984

Hogwarts

Scotland

Before Sera knew it, she got her acceptance letter and was off to Hogwarts.

Everything happened so fast that it felt like a whirlwind; she was sorted into Ravenclaw with Yarrow, and they were to share a dorm room. Yarrow didn’t even mind that Sera had a kitten and wanted to put up a mezuzah on their door frame.

She was honestly very excited for almost all of her classes: Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, and—tragically—Potions. She was also taking two elective courses in Ancient Studies and Magical Theory, both of which sounded fascinating.

“Really, Miss Malfoy,” her Head of House, Mr. Flitwick, was saying, “Llumos Solem solem is not a terribly complex spell for a witch of your level. I trust that you will be able to perfect it with ease, based on your examination scores.”

“I can, yeah,” Sera agreed immediately. “The issue isn’t the spell or how difficult it is, sir, it’s the fact that me using a wand doesn’t go well.”

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine,” the teacher assured her.

Sera winced, glancing back at Yarrow, who was looking on with raised eyebrows and pursed lips.

“Remember, Miss Malfoy,” her teacher said, watching the way she held her wand closely, “lumos solem.”

Sera nodded, furrowing her brow in concentration and trying her damnedest to not put too much power behind the spell. Very softly, her voice almost a murmur, she said, “Lumos solem.”

A ball of light emerged from her wand, and it rather closely resembled the sun. It was hot, as if she were in an inferno, and the force of it knocked her onto her ass before she could put it out, but Mr. Flitwick quickly waved his own wand to disperse the bright, burning light.

“I think, Miss Malfoy,” Mr. Flitwick said after a tense moment of silence, “perhaps it would be best if you didn’t use a wand.”

She didn’t notice when several weeks had passed.

She did notice when an unfamiliar owl dropped a letter in her lap at breakfast one morning.

She looked at the front; the envelope was sealed in green wax, a weird, morbid-looking crest on the front. If she looked very closely, she could see that it had three ravens on it, a hand holding a dagger, what appeared to be a skull, and some French written on a weird scroll at the bottom. Bizarre.

She frowned, opened it curiously, and began to read.

Miss Malfoy,

I hope you’re settling in well. Your aunt tells me that you were Sorted into Ravenclaw. I must admit I’m disappointed you weren’t put in my own House, though I don’t doubt that you deserve a spot in the House of wit.

I would very much like to see you, perhaps during a Hogsmeade weekend. I assure you I am privy to all the best places to go and things to do in the village, so your time will be well-spent, even if you do not particularly enjoy my company just yet. Please let me know when would be best.

Yours,

R. A. Black

“Who’s that from?” Yarrow wanted to know, looking up from her vegetarian omelet.

“Lord Black,” Sera said mockingly. “He ‘would very much like to see me’, as he put it.” She made air quotes and rolled her eyes.

Yarrow’s eyes widened. “He really fancies you, doesn’t he?”

Sera scowled. “I hope not. He’s a jackass.”

Yarrow bit back a smile. “Is he now?”

“Don’t look at me like that!” Sera groaned miserably. “Just ‘cause he’s hot doesn’t mean I—“

“Oh, so he’s hot now, is he?” her friend tittered. “I thought he was a jackarse.”

“He is,” Sera insisted. “He’s just a very sexy jackass.”

Yarrow grinned. “You must write him back.”

Sera recoiled so much she damn near fell off the bench. “I’ll do no such thing!”

“Oh, honestly.” Her friend rolled her eyes. “He’s the most eligible bachelor in the country. I find him repulsive physically and even I’d marry him!”

“Dunno how you can find him repulsive,” Sera grumbled into her oatmeal. “Either way, he’s trying to ‘court’ me or whatever, and I’m not having it. No thank you to that.”

Yarrow dropped her fork, and it clattered onto her plate. “He wants to what?”

“Court me,” Sera said dully, taking a bite of her food. “Or so he says.”

“And you said no?”

“Doesn’t seem to have deterred him.” She shrugged. “Maybe my lack of response will do the trick.”

Her lack of response did not, in fact, deter Regulus. He sent her letters fairly regularly, and she always said she wouldn’t read them, but she ended up caving every time.

The letters usually contained things like him bemoaning the fact that she wouldn’t respond to him, stories about his life and schooling, things he wanted to know about her, and—more than a few times—how ‘utterly enchanting’ he found her. His words.

She would be nineteen at the end of October, on the 29th, which was a Monday. However, the following Wednesday was Halloween, and they were permitted to visit a nearby village called Hogsmeade starting after classes let out.

The morning of her birthday, yet another letter arrived from Regulus, except this one was… heavier than normal. She opened it and pulled the paper out, beginning to read.

Miss Malfoy,

I hope your birthday is as lovely as you are. Please accept this small token of my admiration. Your aunt has accepted an invitation to my family’s annual Christmas ball on your behalf, and I ask that you wear this gift for it.

I hope to see you soon.

Yours,

R. A. Black

Yarrow, who had snatched the envelope, pulled a necklace out. Sera’s mouth fell open when she saw it.

The necklace was a woven platinum snake with tiny emeralds amongst the diamonds covering the entire thing, and, astonishingly, a large emerald hanging from the mouth of the snake, as well as three more on either side of it, all the size of her thumb.

Sera could do nothing but stare.

Yarrow, however, laughed outright as she pulled out the pair of matching earrings. “Oh, this is just—“ She cut herself off, collapsing into giggles.

Sera took the necklace from her friend to inspect it, turning it over in her hands.

The emeralds had to be fake, right? They just had to be.

Apparently, she’d said that out loud, because Yarrow fought down more giggles and said, “Oh, no. Those aren’t fake. Emeralds and diamonds. Check the back of the center gemstone.”

Sera blinked in confusion but did as she’d been told.

To her absolute horror, the Black family crest was engraved into the setting.

“Their crest is there, then?” When Sera could only nod, speechless, Yarrow snorted in a rare moment of minor inelegance. “I thought as much. It’s called the Ophiuchus. He gave you a family heirloom, darling. Bloke must be hard as a rock for you.”

“What am I gonna do?” Sera breathed, dejected and at a loss.

Yarrow shrugged. “Marry him, of course.”

“I can’t do that!”

“You could do a hell of a lot worse.”

Sera wasn’t sure that that was true. Hopefully, she’d never have to find out.

Regulus is so fun to write lol

Big thanks, as always, to the lovely @lilmaymayy for betaing this for me 💗 and of course Sof’s fucking phenomenal moodboard, as per usual

Tag list:

@ellamaianderson @shika1200 @blackqueenstarseed1 @gatoenlaciudad @esmaada @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 @softhecreator @timolaurence @timmymyluv @oddlyenoughiamweird @leecrunchybones @s-we-e-t-t-ea @almostg @leespparker @bubblebuttwade @glizzymcguirex @starberry-cake @camille-1019 @lixzey @shycreationdreamland

To be added, please ask 💗

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ariesgamesandminis · 5 months ago

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More restocks are up from Iron Wind Metals for BattleTech!

20-232 Brigand LDT-1 20-269 Cossack C-SK1 20-277 Padilla Heavy Artillery Tank 20-396 Avatar AV1-O Prime 20-5038 Blood Reaper (Standard) 20-5183 Locust LCT-1V 20-5189 Catapult CPLT-C3 / C5 20-5212 UrbanMech UM-R60 / R60L / AIV 20-612 Dasher "Fire Moth" Prime (Old Sculpt) 20-625 Cerberus MR-V2 20-629 Ti Ts'ang TSG-9H 20-698 Buccaneer BCN-3R 20-789 Tarantula ZPH-1 20-820 Marshall MHL-XI 20-937 Beowulf BEO-12 20-987 Locust LCT-5M 20-999 Wasp WSP-3L 99-201 Large Flat Top Hex Base #1 99-202 Large Flat Top Hex Base #2 BT-004 Afreet Battle Armor BT-111 Riever Micro Fighter BT-133 Corona Battle Armor BT-200 Shedu Assault Battle Armor BT-221 Ceremonial Guard BT-246 Ironsides Mech Scale Fighter BT-288 Grand Titan T-IT-N14R "Vengeance" BT-299 Ares ARS-V1C Aphrodite BT-364 Gabriel Hovercraft BT-383 Longinus Battle Armor (3) BT-387 Gnome Battle Armor (3) BT-436 Buraq (Standard) Battle Armor CE-007 Scapha Hovertank Prime to H (9) FT-031 Rapier Mech Scale Fighter OP-109 XL Launcher Plates 20-431D Ocelot Arm Sprue 20-741C J-27 Thumper Tow Vehicle Cargo Bin 20-978B Chimera CMA-1S Waist 20-988D Phoenix Hawk Jump Jet Sprue

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dateinthelife · 2 years ago

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13 January 1967

The US record album for the Yellow Submarine film is released, without the words "Nothing is Real" on the cover but with the following nearly unreadable bio of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the back:

Somewhere during the hours between the years 700 and 750 (anno Domini), a brother from the Northumbrian monastery wrote a youthful thane of King Hygelac (King of the Geats) named Beowulf… a hero. A super-hero who arrived from far by sea to rescue Heorot… a feasting hall built by a benevolent old king called Hrothgar… a feasting hall that exuded the pleasures of food and music and perpetual celebration and all that was raison d’être… a feasting hall which for years had been ravaged by the villainy of an evil spirit named Grendel. Having already proven his metal as a good-guy combatant par excellence (by the conquering of a picturesque sea monster and a victory over Breca in a swimming match), Beowulf goes forth to rid the once beautiful Northumbrian landscape of destructive Grendel… a demon who indeed perishes when his arm is delicately dislodged from its socket by Mr. Wulf. The kingdom is saved (albeit after disposing of Grendel’s mother who took unkindly to the action) and Heorot restored with the pleasures of food and music and perpetual celebration and colorful beauty… a restoration which permits bigger and better glorias to be raised to the local gods addressed as Wryds.

Some 465 years later (1215), an English king named King John signed a Magna Carta at a roost called Runnymede… an act of prodded royalty which liberated barons and bumpkins to roust with a greater degree of carefreedom.

Some 561 years later than that (1776), a Virginia gent named Jefferson quilled a Declaration of Independence in, of all places, Philadelphia and shipped it to a king called King George which hypothetically rid a small group of new-world colonies from crimson-flocked enforcers from a faraway land… taxations without representations vanished and the colonies flourished freely under a hero named after the colonies’ capital, Washington. (Ruffled feathers on both sides of the sea have since been plucked.)

And in 1968 – some 1,218 years anno Beo (A.B); 753 years anno Magna (A.M.); 192 years anno Declaration (A.D.) – bad people (Blue Meanies) still force their wills on good people (Pepperlanders) and demolish the human and physical landscape of beautiful pleasure domes (Pepperland). And Agnes – the inquisitive baby sitter next door in California, United States of America – will be pleased to know that there are still heros around of the calibres of Messrs. Wulf, John and Jefferson… there’s John, Paul, George and Ringo and their attending Lonely Hearts Club Band who sail from one place (Liverpool) at the invitation of a benevolent but old leader of another place (the Lord Mayor of Pepperland) to rescue the pleasures of food and music and perpetual celebration and colorful beauty from the villainous hands of less-than-beautiful people (Blue Meanies) who act under the supreme guidance of the most evil spirit (Chief Blue Meanie). The Beatles come by sea (through the Seas of Monsters, Time, Music, Science, Consumer Products, Nowhere, Green Phrenology and Holes – each puddle supporting a lively cast of characters) in a YELLOW SUBMARINE captained by Old Fred (also leader of Sgt. PLHCB) where they prove their heroic metal by outwitting a sea monster (Vacuum Man) and out-swimming competition (School of Whales) even before they reach the shores of the besieged undersea kingdom of Pepperland. Once arrived at target P., they triumph over the Chief Blue Meanie’s primary evil-tempered henchmen (par exemple: the lanky Apple Bonker who assaults his prey with Baldwin apples; the corpulent Hidden Persuader with a penchant for underhanded inscrupulence; the abdominal Snapping Turtle Turk who chomps at the slightest bit; the belligerent Butterfly Stompers who perform tasks that any evil butterfly stompers worth their soul would perform with supreme acuity). The good guys win… the hero-Beatles triumph once again and restore the pleasures of color and music and all that’s beautiful… a restoration which permits bigger and better glorias to be sung to the reigning god of Pepperland addressed as Love.

#1967 #13 january #yellow submarine #the beatles #today in the life

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salanaii · 11 months ago

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Learn Korean with me - Week 4/Day 2

Day 2: Vocab 101 - 221

Thin (duolingo/Papago) – 날씬 – nal ssin

Thin (google) – 얇은 – yal beun

Busy – 바쁘따 – ba ppeu da

Smart – 똑똑한 – ttog toog han

Nice/good – 적합한 – jeok hab han

Clever – 영리한 – yeong ri han

Strange/weird – 이산한 – I sang han

Children/ sons and daughter – 아이들/자녀 – a I deul / ja nyeo

Letter – 편지 – pyeon ji

A gift/a present/ the present – 선물 – seon mul

Teach/teaches – 가르칩니다 – ga reu chib ni da

Receive/get – 받아요/받습니다 – bad a yo/bad seub bi da

Send/sends – 보냅니다 – bo naeb ni da

Give/gives – 줍니다 – jub ni da

Exercise – 운동 – un dong

Exercises/ is exercising – 운동합니다 – un dong hab ni da

Study – 공부 – gong bu

Studies/ studying – 공부합니다 – gong bu hab ni da

Learn/learning – 배우고/배웁니다 – bae u go/bae ub ni da

Throw/throws/ is throwing – 던집니다 – deon jib ni da

Catch/ is catching/catches – 집습니다 – jib seub ni da

Do not study/ does not study – 공부하 (않습니다) – gong bu ha ji anh seub ni da

Do not learn/does not learn – 배우지 (않습니다) – bae u ji anh seub ni da

Does not catch – 집지 (않습니다) – jib ji anh seub ni da

Do not throw/ does not throw – 던지지 (않습니다) – deon ji ji anh seub ni da

Magazine – 집지 – jib ji

Dream – 꿈 - kkum

My – 저 – jeo

No, not me – 아니요, 저는아닙니다 – a ni you, jeo neun a nib ni da

It is awesome – 멋있습니다 – meos iss seub ni da

Awesome/cool – 대박 – dae bak

Is attractive / is charming – 매력이있습니다 – mae ryeok I iss seub ni da

Is not attractive / is not charming – 매력이없습니다 – mae ryeok I eobs seub ni da

Am/are drinking – 마십니다 – ma sib ni da

Is/am eating/eat – 먹습니다 – meok seub ni da

Reads/reading – 읽 습 니 다 – irk seub ni da

Writes/writing – 씁니다 – sseub ni da

Drinks/drinking – 마십니다 – ma sib ni da

Large/big/tall – 큰 – keun

Bad/mean – 나쁜 – na bbeun

Is/are long – 깁니다 – gib ni da

Short/shorter – 짧다/짧습니다 – jjard da/jjarb seub ni da

Olders/lots/(there) is many – 많아요/많습니다 – manh a yo/,anh seub ni da

Small/little/short – 적어요/작습니다 – jeok ro yo/jeok seub ni da

Say/speak – 말해요 – mal hae yo

Talk/conversation – 대화 – dae hwan

To talk/ to have a conversation – 대화합니다 – dae hwa hab ni da

Motors – 모터스 – mo teo seu

Cola – 콜라 – kol ra

Coffee – 커피 – keo pi

Party – 파티 – pa ti

Ice cream – 아이스크림 – a I seu keu rim

Apartment – 아 파트 – a pa teu

Woman – 여자 – yeo ja

Women – 여자들 – yeo ja deul

Man – 남자 – nam ja

Men – 남자들 – nam ja deul

Or/either – 또는 – tto neun

School – 학교- hag gyo

Apple – 사과 – sa gwa

Pencil – 연핀 – yeon pil

House/home – 집 – jib

Bread – 빵 – ppang

Book – 책 – cheag

Country – 나라 – na ra

More – 더 – deo

To divide – 나누다 – na nu da

Road – 도로/길 – do ra/jil

Person/People – 사람/사람들 – sa ram/sa ram deul

Cat – 가양이 – go yang I

Thing/object – 물건 – mul geon

Child – 아이 – a i

This – 이 – i

Milk – 우유 – u yu

Friendship – 우의 – u ui

Above/on – 위 – wi

Song – 노래 – no rae

Kiss – 뽀뽀 – ppo ppo

Ant – 개미 – gae mi

Tokyo – 도쿄 – do kyo

Seed/Mr./Mrs./Ms. - 씨 – ssi

Starbucks – 스타벅스 – seu ta beog seu

Hyundai – 핸대 – haen dae

Samsung – 삼상 – sam sang

Baskin Robbins – 배스킨라번스 – bae seu kin ra bin seu

McDonald’s – 맥도날드 – maeg do nal deu

Doughnut – 도넛 – do neos

Busan – 부산 – bu san

Washington – 워싱턴 – wo sing teon

Seoul – 서울- seo ul

Berlin – 베를린 – be reul rin

London – 런던 – reon deon

Paris – 파리 – pa ri

New York – 뉴욕 – nyu yok

United – 유나이드 – yu na I ti deu

나 NA i or me

너 NEO you

우리 U RI we or us

머리 MEO RI head

나비 NA BI butterfly

아기 A GI baby

오이 O I cucumber

커피 KEO PI coffee

소리 SO RI sound

소녀 SO NYEO girl

소년 SO NYEON boy

표 P YO ticket

유리 YU RI glass

나무 NA MU tree

피부 PI BU skin

가구 GA GU furniture

버스 BEO SEU bus

바지 BA JI pants

지구 JI GU earth

허리 HEO RI waist

여자 YEO JA woman

야구 YA GU baseball

기타 GI TA guitar

치마 CHI MA skirt

후추 HU CHU pepper

휴지 HYU JI tissue

2 notes · View notes

andrewmoocow · 1 year ago

Text

Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 8: The Cosmos Quiver (originally published on October 16, 2023)

AN: And so, everything begins falling into place. Steven has some leftover drama to resolve with the Diamonds, Black Rutile's redemption arc is on the horizon, and there's a giant snake monster about to wreak havoc and destroy the cosmos. And I still need to finish my notes on the remaining few chapters on my phone! How can Steven save the universe now when there's a monster of pure, unadulterated destruction on the horizon? Is there a chance he could receive some unexpected help from someone who is also in need of help herself? Stay tuned, folks, for everything begins coming to a head here.

Synopsis: Tensions are high on Serpentes when Nosiop announces his plans for conquest, while Black Rutile ponders if he really needs her.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl

Aurelio Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundr

Shirley Millner as Queen Constrictra Jormagundr

Cissy Jones as Princess Naja Jormagundr

Henry Rollins as Captain Boa

Jennifer Paz as Lapis, Laz, Zuli

Shelby Rabara as Peridot, Squaridot

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Grace Rolek as Connie

Ron Perlman as Inner Steven

Neil Flynn as Aescul

Alexia Khadime as Sardonyx

Billie Eilish as Turquoise

Sarah Stiles as Spinel

Nicole Sullivan as Sylvia Spectre

Kari Wahlgren as Envyrno, Pyrope

Wally Wingert as Rigby Starglow

Dominic Armato as Captain Gearfeet

JP Karliak as S-L1M3

Rob Paulsen as Monty the Moarchean

Steven Blum as Earthos, Deputy Edward

Beau Billingslea as Sheriff Spiegel

Britt Baron as Michelle Angelon

Julissa Aguirre as Lady Imagineer

Terrence C. Carson as The Decimator

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Gina Torres as Andesine

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid

Halsey as Tanzanite

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Jason Marsden as Prince Nosiop Jormagundr

Keith David as Pyth

Crispin Freeman as Mr. Manco

Sam Witwer as Torius Vosania

Featuring Ray Porter as Squamata

And Tim Curry as Velhallen Beo

Serpentes was in chaos. Just moments before halftime of the Contest of Champions ended and the competition could resume, Prince Nosiop abruptly stole his father's throne and claimed that he would now become ruler of Serpentes in place of Cobralan, for he believed that Cobralan was incapable of ruling. In addition, he proclaimed that there was an ancient evil Cobralan was hiding from the public for years, and Nosiop intended to fight it with an army of Gems to prove that the Slytherophidians were meant to conquer.

As the Slytherophidians were sent into a frenzy, Nosiop sat confidently on his new throne while Black Rutile stood by his side. "Ah, this is what it means to take command." Nosiop grinned with his fangs out. "Watching all these worthless insects scurry about while begging for someone to give them orders. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, I agree very much, my friend." Black Rutile declared snidely when she felt someone tug on her cape, that someone being Aquamarine. "Oh, Aquamarine, fancy seeing you here. It feels like we haven't talked in a long while. What's up?"

"We have a question about that army of Gems that Nosiop mentioned." Eyeball said. "How are you going to acquire one, if I may ask? What, will we just make more Gems to serve us?"

"Ah yes, then I suppose it's time for a little history lesson." Black Rutile smirked as she played a holographic video of the Lapidarist's history lesson she spied on. "This is what is known as the Lapidarist. As the name should imply, this being is the mother of all Gems through her creation of what would eventually become the Great Diamond Authority. She possesses the power to create life, and I'm certain she also can reset all Gems to their base programming."

"Wait, what do you mean by base programming?" Holly Blue wondered alarmedly.

"This is going somewhere that I surely won't like." Cat's Eye added morosely.

"Oh, you're going to like what I have planned for her." Black Rutile declared. "Once I plead my case to the Lapidarist and she recognizes me as a poor unfortunate soul in pain and in need of help, she will answer my cries by wiping out all Gems across the universe and forcing them to return to the states from which they first originated, thus making them perfectly willing to follow my every command!"

"So, you're going to brainwash us all?!" Emerald shouted as she combed through the Rutile Rebels to confront Black Rutile. "You're simply plotting to erase everything about us, our personalities, our experiences, our lives, just to fulfill your selfish agenda?! I have done horrible things under both the Diamonds' and your command, but this is going too far!"

"Oh, come now, Emerald, you would probably do the same to make yourself more capable of getting rid of Lars." Black Rutile assured her advisor. "Really, you all should've expected that I'd do something this cruel and unusual towards others."

"Yes, like poofing us, for example?" Cinnabar, now fully reformed after being poofed earlier, declared as she and Cinnabar revealed themselves to Black Rutile. "All because we fancied ourselves better leaders than you?"

"Backstabbing two of your closest confidants was bad enough," Andesine added hotly. "but threatening to erase us all, who have pledged our lives to serve you and your goal of a brighter tomorrow for all Gems?"

"Now, everyone, I know this may seem a little rash, but I promise you all that this is for the greater good!" Black Rutile nervously said, lying through her teeth as she felt her subordinates would soon turn on her like everyone else did. "Please, you all have to listen to me!"

"We are done listening to you." Tanzanite declared fiercely. "White Topaz was right about you; you're a bad leader and a bad friend to all of us. You'd sooner throw one of us to the wolves to see if it was safe before running away at the first sight of danger than actually admit how flawed you are."

"I am not flawed!" Black Rutile shrieked angrily, tears forming in her eyes yet again. "Just please, somebody take my side for once!"

"I believe we all knew this was coming." Demantoid proclaimed harshly before turning to the other Rebels. "Come along, Rebels. Let us find somewhere else where we won't be abused."

"No, wait, please, come back!" Black Rutile yelled as she fruitlessly reached out to her now-former pawns. "You can't just leave me like this! You know the Crystal Gems wouldn't dare take you in!"

"We are well aware of that," Morganite replied coldly. "But at least they'd treat us better than you have."

"Honestly, why did I bother continuing to side with her?" Pyrope scoffed as the Rutile Rebels left their master in the dust for greener pastures, causing Black Rutile to tear up again.

"So, after all we've been through, this is how I'm treated?" Black Rutile groaned as she started crying and groveling on her knees. "What's even the point anymore?"

"To give people hope, dear Rutile," Nosiop said as he hugged his partner in crime. "So we can rip it away from them."

"Indeed, my girl." Pyth agreed with the insidious prince-turned-king. "Now come along. We'd like you to meet the rest of what we call the Serpent Society." As the two Slytherophidians led Black Rutile away from the Ouraborium, Nosiop gave Pyth a firm nod, to which Pyth replied with an evil smile.

Elsewhere in the stadium, Steven roamed the halls as he brooded to himself over what he had just learned from the Lapidarist and the Diamonds. Not only was White Diamond more like Pink Diamond than he realized, but the Diamonds were also hiding the fact that they did indeed commit genocide on a few planets that they had conquered. He needed time to process everything he learned, to the point where he barely realized that Nosiop had just announced his conquest of Serpentes.

"You see what sparing the Diamonds will lead you to?" Inner Steven coldly stated as Steven imagined the manifestation of his darker impulses walking alongside him. "You should've let me shatter White when I had the chance back on Homeworld. Then we wouldn't have had to suffer all of this!"

"You and I both know I would never take a life!" Steven shouted angrily at Inner Steven.

"Then what about Jasper?" Inner Steven retorted snidely.

"Okay, you raise a good point," Steven agreed. "but I'd never intentionally take a life."

"Even after my change of heart, I always found it annoying how you'd rather sit back like a coward because you think everyone deserves a second chance." Inner Steven stated. "Much like you, I never fully trusted the Diamonds and thought they would go back on their word to destroy us again at any moment. If that day ever comes, you must be ready for the worst possible scenario."

"Yes, it's true that I feel so utterly betrayed, but I don't think the Diamonds would ever go that far." Steven replied. "I just want to live my life where everyone isn't lying to me and keeping secrets that could destroy us all!"

"You know, on that note, heard the news lately?" Inner Steven added as he tapped his foot, and a voice rang out in Steven's mind-space.

"As of today, I shall now take my father's place as your ruler, for he is not fit to be a king or a Universal Lord. Let this be a wake-up call to you Slytherophidians, the Universal Lords, the Gem race, and the ignorant masses across the entire universe!" the voice of Prince Nosiop declared as a holographic image of him appeared before Steven. "I shall soon arrive with an entire army of loyal Gems at my side to face down an ancient foe my father has hidden from you for so long! We all must answer to the hand of fate, and fate has chosen me to conquer this world!"

"Who is that?" Steven asked his darker half in wonder at the prince before him.

"Prince Nosiop Jormagundr, son of Cobralan and self-proclaimed next in line to become king of Serpentes." Inner Steven revealed. "I'm sure you heard of him before. He and Black Rutile teamed up to conquer the planet and reboot the entire Gem race to turn into their slaves. Don't think you met him in person, though."

"So what, is he meant to be like the Slytherophidian equivalent to Black Rutile or something?" Steven asked.

"Close." Inner Steven answered. "I think he may share some qualities with you. But he's the answer to a very important question."

"What was the question?" Steven asked, not expecting a good answer.

"What if you were more like Pink Diamond growing up?" Inner Steven answered forebodingly. "Think of it. This boy clearly wanted to get everything he ever wanted even though he had everything handed to him on a silver platter, so he resorted to drastic measures when nobody paid attention to him. Remind you of anyone?"

"So what do I need to do?" Steven asked his inner self.

"It's quite simple, really." Inner Steven said with his figurative hands on Steven's shoulders. "You must stop history from repeating itself, or it will mean the universe's destruction and possibly beyond."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Cobralan roared as he slithered into the throne room upon hearing the news. "Nosiop, you better have a very good explanation of what you are doing because you are in big trouble, young man!"

"I see you've heard, my old friend." Pyth declared as he ominously snuck up behind Cobralan and grabbed him by the neck with a jagged knife in his scaly hands. "It seems your son will be getting his coronation early. But unfortunately, you won't live long enough to see him all grown up."

"Pyth, what is going on?" Cobralan asked his insidious advisor. "What is Nosiop doing? What are you doing? Answer me, blast you!"

"It's just a little something I've been working on for the past couple of years," Pyth revealed to his former king. "I notice that Nosiop wants to be seen for his great ideas, introduce him to Squamata, and then covertly guide him along as I use him to gain ultimate power." He slowly pressed the knife to Cobralan's throat. "Now then, tell me where Squamata's resting place is, and I promise you'll only come out of this with a few scars."

"I'll never tell you!" Cobralan yelled fiercely and tried spitting poison in Pyth's face, but the vizier barely reacted to the attack. "It's a secret that our family has kept for generations, and I refuse to give it up to the likes of you!"

"So that's the way it is, then." Pyth cruelly hissed as he prepared to stab the king in his throat with the knife. "Long live the king." However, his murder of the Slytherophidian king would have to wait as a loud crash was heard from above, followed by a hearty "OOOOO-HOHOHOHOHO!" that made him jump. "What was that?!"

"Good day, your majesty!" Sardonyx laughed as she smashed a hole in the throne room's ceiling to view Pyth's attempted assassination. "Am I interrupting anything?!"

"What is that thing?!" Pyth screamed in terror as Sardonyx reached into the throne room and grabbed Cobralan in her giant hand.

"Oh, pardon me for being so rude." Sardonyx giggled. "You may call me Sardonyx. I'm here with my lovely assistant, Turquoise, to rescue the fair king of Serpentes and put a stop to your dastardly schemes! Turquoise, please take care of Mr. Pyth, s'il vous plaît"

"Already on it," Turquoise replied as she conjured up some liquid metal that solidified into metallic restraints to keep Pyth imprisoned while the two fusions escaped. "Catch you on the flipside, Dorkus."

"Get back here, you two! Unhand me at once!" Pyth yelled furiously as he tried to escape his imprisonment. "Ugh, this is what happens when you've been spying on Gems for who knows how long. Eventually, they'll overpower you in every way imaginable. Now, can someone get me out of this thing?"

On the other side of the Ouraborium, the competitors of the Contest of Champions were trying their best to stay calm amid the chaos. Still, each had their own views about Nosiop's planned takeover of Serpentes.

"Yes, Chief, I'm already calling for backup." Sylvia Spectre said to her boss over her communication device. "Prince Nosiop will be brought to justice by sundown. What do you mean what will the king think?! Nosiop just stole his throne and said Cobralan was unfit to rule!"

"Hey Sylvie, can you talk a little faster so we can get out of here?" Envyrno complained impatiently while leaning back against the wall. "I wanna get the Abe Due Dumballa out of here and cause a little mischief already!"

"No, we cannot!" Sylvia declared sternly. "As an officer of the Coalition of Galaxies, it is my sworn duty to root out evil wherever it may lurk and bring them to justice, no matter the species. And that includes thugs like you, Envyrno."

"Oh geez, another busybody rule-follower." Envyrno groaned in dismay. "You should embrace your inner bad girl already. Let's go kill some horrible bosses together, get a purge going! Live a little! In fact, I know of this great place to hang out at a few star systems away. It's a new club that plays really great hardcore techno for a really hip young crowd."

"The answer is still no." Sylvia turned down Envyrno's offer. "Though that club does sound intriguing."

"Now you're speaking my language!" Envyrno gave a hearty chortle while putting a lava-covered arm around Sylvia's shoulder.

Meanwhile, Rigby Starglow stood up on a makeshift stage in the middle of the arena while tuning his guitar. "Good evening, folks, or whatever time it is on this planet. My name's Rigby Starglow. I'm the biggest rock star in the universe and today, I'm going to play you all a song to calm everybody down." He then began to strum on his guitar. "Breath, should I take a deep? Faith, should I take a leap?" Rigby started singing. "Taste, what a bittersweet. All my, all my life. Let me face, let me face, let me face my fears!"

Within the city of Alethinophidia, Captain Gearfeet was having the time of his life as he tipped over market stalls and broke into shops to engage in some looting. "Hee hee hee, this is the most fun I've had in ages!" he laughed happily while diving into a store window to steal its contents. "Come on, everybody, it's the end of the world. Let's get looting!"

"Stop right there, Gearfeet." Sheriff Spiegel declared as he pressed a laser pistol to the captain's nose. "We're gonna need you to hand over everything you stole so we can return them to their rightful owners."

"I dare you to try, copper." Gearfeet said as he protectively held onto his loot. "I'm not even sure who the original owners are anymore!"

"Everyone please, cease this conflict!" Michelle Angelon exclaimed as she flew down from above to get between the sheriff and the pirate. "I understand that you are on different sides of the law, but there are far more pressing matters at hand, my friends."

"Yeah, yeah, the giant space snake is a-coming, or whatever." Deputy Edward replied. "Man, haven't had a day this crazy since we fought those spice cultists back home, eh Sheriff?"

"You said it, Edward. I can still hear them now." Spiegel smirked. "He who controls the spice controls the universe!"

"Can we please get on with it?!" Gearfeet yelled. "I just wanna find a ship and go back to my crew already."

"You and us both, Captain." S-L1M3 said as he slithered to the four with Earthos, Lady Imagineer, Monty, and the Decimator behind him. "I just want to go home already. I didn't even get a chance to fight anybody!"

"I, for one, am still not satisfied with the hand I was dealt on this planet." The Decimator replied in his trademark deep, booming voice. "I demand the greatest fight these creatures could offer, yet time and again, I've been greeted with nothing but disappointment! Whatever this ancient foe Nosiop speaks of may be, it has got to give me a satisfactory challenge!"

"Whatever you say, big guy!" Monty said meekly before pulling out a photo of his wife and children back on his home planet. "Hold on, my family, I'll be home soon."

"That your fam there, Monty?" Earthos asked about the photo. "Not a bad lot, I'll say. Maybe I can visit sometime, be like the cool uncle to your kids."

"That would be so nice, Earthos." Monty replied sweetly before all the fighters gathered in Alethinophidia looked up at the sky to find that the clouds had changed. "Hey, what's that up there?"

"I believe it's a message." Lady Imagineer answered and began reading the message. "I think it says, 'Meet us at the castle at once. Signed, the Crystal Gems'."

"That just spells out B.U.T.T.," Monty said as he read the message in the sky himself. "How are you able to get all that?!"

"Call it a hunch." Imagineer smiled kindly in reply before she flew towards the castle. "Come on, everybody, follow me!"

"Hey, I think I can see people coming towards us!" Laz exclaimed as she, Lapis, and Zuli watched the Contest competitors race towards the castle. "Our message worked!"

"Good, but next time," Lapis said before turning to Zuli. "let's try and get straight to the point instead of just writing funny words in the sky. You're lucky this didn't end up like last time, Zuli!"

"Oh, come on, Lapis, you told me it was a good idea back in the day on Tritek!" Zuli tried shifting the blame to Lapis. "Those Gremlins didn't know what hit them!"

"Can you three please stop arguing and get back in here?!" Jasper bellowed for the three Lapides to come inside. "We need to think of a plan!"

The three terraformers hovered into the main hall of the castle, where the Crystal Gems have gathered the royal family of Serpentes, Captain Boa, Aescul, the Metals, the various contestants in the Contest of Champions, the Diamonds, Bialyoom and Meinerr, the Little Homeworld gems, the Universal Lords, and the Off-Colors together to form an alliance to save Serpentes and the universe.

"Good day to you all." Connie announced to the ragtag band of misfits. "As I'm sure you're all aware of what has been happening lately, about the announcement that Nosiop is plotting to conquer the planet with an army of Gems. Today, we have gathered you all to stop that for the good of everyone in the universe."

"I can't believe my son would do this to me." Cobralan muttered in shame and regret while looking down at his hands. "I've done so much for his happiness, and this is how he repays me? What have I done that would warrant such a reaction?"

"Do you want me to be honest with you or not?" Greg asked Cobralan.

"I'll take any answer at this point," Cobralan replied.

"To be frank, you're kind of a mediocre father," Greg admitted bluntly, much to Cobralan's shock. "What? You said you'd take any answer!"

"Don't fret, dear husband, I'm sure he's just joshing with you!" Constricta tried to cheer her husband up.

"No, I'm being serious!" Greg exclaimed. "I can definitely see you're a great & loving husband and a pretty darn good ruler to your people, but this whole contest has distanced you from your kids and their needs. I mean, Naja probably has serious self-doubt issues, and Nosiop speaks for himself."

"The human is right, father." Naja agreed with Greg. "Ever since you made me the Contest's master of ceremonies, I've had to deal with the fear of disappointing the masses, that I'd be unworthy of being a princess if I make just one mistake."

"Oh my dear, you'll never be a disappointment to me." Cobralan said as he comforted his daughter with a hug. "No matter what you do to impress the masses, you'll always be my little girl. Now, please, Naja, your mother and I urge you this one time. Please stand, stand by us."

"Okay, Father, I will," Naja replied with a sniffle. "And hopefully, we can bring Nosiop back to his senses too."

"So, what do we do now?" Amethyst asked. "The Lapidarist said we needed an ultimate fusion to stop this Squamata guy once and for all, but which one is it? Opal, Sugilite, Sardonyx, Alexandrite? Maybe even Malachite?"

"Hey, speaking of which, anybody seen Steven lately?" Pearl added. "I haven't seen him since the Lapidarist's history lesson, and I'm getting worried. Hopefully, he hasn't decided to leave Serpentes early."

"No way Steven would ever do that, not in a thousand different timelines I've examined." Garnet proclaimed. "He has to be here somewhere; we just need to know where."

"Probably still somewhere in the castle." Peridot answered. "Hopefully, he hasn't gone too far."

"I'll go search for him." Squaridot declared as she tried leaving the group, only to be stopped in her tracks when Peridot grabbed her stubby green arm.

"Oh no, you don't!" Peridot yelled. "I've known Steven longer; let me search for him!"

"No, I'll do it, you obnoxious nacho!" Squaridot argued with her triangular counterpart before the two hissed at each other and got into a slapfight.

"Spinel, you find Steven." Bismuth ordered Spinel, who gave a hearty salute and ran off.

"Hang on, Steve Summers, I'm coming for you!" Spinel yelled as she ran deeper into the castle.

"I hope Steven can find it in himself to forgive the Diamonds for lying to him." White Topaz said.

"Then again, he's just a very forgiving person in general." Aescul declared. "So this should be pretty easy for him."

"Finding this resting place is not easy at all!" Nosiop complained as he, Pyth, Black Rutile, and a few Slytherophidian soldiers ventured into the desert plains of Serpentes in search of Squamata's resting place. "We could've stabbed the location right out of Father, but then we had a couple of fusions ruining everything! No doubt the Crystal Gems are plotting against us as we speak!"

"Thank goodness you eventually got me out of those restraints, Black Rutile," Pyth said with a sinister smile at Black Rutile. "Now look alive. We got some friends on the other side on the horizon."

"Yes, that Serpent Society cult you told me about." Black Rutile replied. "Shouldn't there be more of us?"

"Unfortunately, most of our ranks have been lost to time, except for a few members still alive and kicking today," Pyth explained as a massive spaceship began descending upon Serpentes. Upon landing, its passengers revealed themselves to be a few faces that Black Rutile found familiar.

"Well well well, Torius Vosania." Black Rutile said upon recognizing the crime lord and estranged criminal brother of Batsputin Vosania. "Fancy meeting you here after you got brought to justice by those Pearls."

"Indeed, Black Rutile and I brought along a few new friends I met in prison." Torius declared as he revealed two more thugs by his side who had joined the brother of Batsputin in his revenge plot. One of them was Mr. Manco, the cybernetic menace of East Walleef from Sergione-29 who, much like Torius Vosania, also formed an alliance with Cinnabar in the past before the Black Pearl Brigade foiled his plans. However, the next villain was an even bigger shock to Black Rutile's core.

"No, that cannot be!" Black Rutile gasped in shock at the humanoid figure dressed in green armor with a foghat gray mask, blank red eyes, a purple cape, and a red V on his chest. "Velhallen Beo?! I thought Batsputin defeated you in the Battle of the Night! Were you in prison this whole time?"

"Indeed I was, Gem." Velhallen Beo replied with an arrogant sneer. "But now, thanks to Prince Nosiop, I can retake control of the Twilight Zone with the power of Squamata! Now tell us, where is he hiding?"

"Unfortunately, I was outsmarted by a few of the Crystal Gems before I could extort His Majesty for information," Pyth said regretfully. "Anyone else got any bright ideas?"

"Oh yes, I have one." Mr. Manco declared. "A rumor spread by a fellow prisoner named Titanius Anglesmith says that there is an ancient temple hidden beneath the surface of Serpentes, and only one may be sacrificed for the beast within to be unleashed."

"And I think we know just the sacrifice." Nosiop declared as all the members of the Serpent Society turned to Black Rutile with evil grins. "Black Rutile, would you care to help us unleash total death and destruction at the cost of your life?"

"What?! You can't just betray me like this when I've already been betrayed!" Black Rutile yelled in horror while Beo tried to grab her by the wrists. "Let go of me!"

"Don't try to fight it. You've been craving the sweet release of death, haven't you?" Beo hissed eagerly, stunning Black Rutile for a few moments before she regained her composure and tugged at Velhallen Beo's grip before tossing him over her head, causing the former Universal Lord to lose his grasp on the Gem terrorist. "What the?!"

"I have to warn Steven!" Black Rutile shouted the absolute last thing she ever wanted to say before making her escape.

"What are you waiting for, you nimrods?! After her!" Beo shouted when Nosiop put up a hand to block him.

"Leave her. She's going to bring Steven to us." Nosiop proclaimed. "Now then, anyone else care to be sacrificed? How about you, Maverick? Would you like to give up your life for my cause?"

"Uh, what?" Maverick muttered before Torius picked up the snake guard with his new and improved cybernetics and dragged him away. "I do not consent to this! I demand a two weeks' notice!"

Back at the Jormagundrs' castle, Steven was sitting on one of the castle battlements as he gazed up at the bright afternoon sun when he heard someone approaching him.

"Hey, Steven!" Spinel exclaimed while sitting down next to her best half-human friend. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Yeah, it's about the Diamonds." Steven said softly. "I thought I learned all I could ever learn about them, but then they whip out this whole coverup and make me even more justified in my paranoia! If it turns out someone who loved you was hiding a huge secret this whole time, how would you react?"

"You mean the whole Pink Diamond thing?" Spinel replied with a blunt expression on her face. "Yeah, I'm not sure how to react, considering she died and didn't even tell me because I was standing in the middle of the garden for thousands of years! But the point is, you can't just hold it against the Diamonds for as long as you live, especially since we got a crazy prince about to kill us all!"

"I have every right to hold it against them!" Steven argued with Spinel. "I have every right to be so wary of them, considering that they're acting like they didn't scar me for life, brainwashed my friends, and nearly killed me just because I'm family!"

"Wow, never knew you could hold a grudge, Steven," Spinel muttered in shock. "But hey, it's not like things could get any worse from here on out, right?" Just then, the ground beneath the two began shaking, almost like an earthquake had struck Serpentes. "Me and my big mouth!"

The skies began turning darker than the blackest void as a massive snake creature with green scales, a yellow underbelly, and ginormous sharp fangs emerged from afar and released a mighty roar. "I have turned hundreds upon thousands of worlds to dust in the name of darkness and devastation until I was robbed of my glory." Squamata, the fearsome god of Serpentes, roared for all to hear across the universe. "I will stride across the bones of my enemies and bask in the glow of pure evil, for all of existence shall be mine to consume!"

It turns out that forgiving the Diamonds for their past atrocities would be the least of Steven's worries.

The worst has finally come.

Yeah, you and your big mouth, Spinel. At long last, Squamata has been unleashed and is free to destroy all that he sees! At least until an army of Gems can bring him down for good, but it won't be the army that Nosiop desires. Plus, it'll only be a matter of time before Squamata goes out of control and betrays the Serpent Society to pursue his goal of destroying everything he sees. How can the Crystal Gems possibly survive against a creature that only knows and revels in such levels of destruction and chaos? We'll just have to wait and see.

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wren-beowulf · 10 days ago

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Don't you have any... friends? Or like, past friends? Or is your only social circle right now just your Brother and your Boyfriend?

First of all, ouch

Second of all, yes, smart ass

I used 't have a lotta friends, they don't tend 't stay 'round long in my line of work.

I didn't go 't school with my parents, pretty much only ever left the house 't do errands or sneak out at night, but I didn't meet anyone friend material.

But when my brother took me in and I went 't the academy when I was 12, there was a girl that was pretty nice 't me. Don't remember her name, and I dropped out after 6 months. Ain't seen her since. I skipped some grades so she was a little older than me, that's really all I remember.

When I ran away from that place, and lived on the streets, there were some other kids that were workin' with my old employer. Mr. Somethin' or other. I was the smallest and the sneakiest, so I was a real good thief, used 't go out in pairs so we didn't get caught. I had a couple kids I'd go out on raids with on the reg.

MarConi's has no friends.

But... there were some people that held a special place in my life, for better or worse. Maybe mostly for worse.

When I was still with MarConi, there were some people that helped me get out. Older guys who wanted 't help... mostly.

Alek was my fave, he was like that cool cousin at the family gatherin' that taught ya how 't do knife tricks and play video games. Ex-military, but you'd never know it. Taught me how 't use a gun, and the day I outshot him he started cryin'. He was super layed back, almost kinda lazy, used 't say he had a thing 'bout blood makin' him squeamish, but he'd beat the crap outta ya for talkin' shit. He and I would nerd out 'bout tech stuff all the time, drive the other two up the wall all the time.

Ryker was there too, he was the oldest. Super gruff guy who never smiled, but he cared in his own way. Real big guy too, used 't be a ring fighter, real good one too. He had connections with fuckin' everybody it was crazy, he introduced me 't some of Penguin's guys and got me in with them. He had tattoos too, think they were prison tats but he never talked 'bout it. He was a pretty good guy, we had a pretty good relationship... 'cept that one time when I was 18 we drank a whole bunch after robbin' what we thought was a undercover bank truck and was actually an undercover lichor truck, 'n we kinda got drunk 'n slept together that one time... we don't talk bout that.

Then there was Loyd.

Fuckin' Loyd, hope his face got punched every single for the rest of his life.

He was a smug manipulative bastard who nobody would miss. Smoked more than I did with that ratty ass denim jacked that was more patch than jacket. He would always make ya feel special 'n loved but he really just liked control, would throw a fit if he didn't get his way. Doesn't help that the guy was frustratingly smart and a Meta with teleportation. He always liked me for some reason, always called me his Beo. I used 't think he was cool because he was the best thief 'round, but he was just another manipulative jackass.

Alek and Ryker were cool. Loyd can go fuck himself.

Also Danny the dragon. I don't care if he ain't real, he's still my friend and ya can bite me.

#wren answers #dc rp #oc rp #dc rp blog #rp blog #dc oc rp #dc ocs #dc roleplay #oc #dc oc #oc roleplay

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bunny-hare · 4 months ago

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Silly Game Time: Okay, I've recently been put in charge of raising a black bear cub (don't ask), and I need some help coming up with a good name for it. What do you recommend?

Mr. Bearly of the Bearlingtons of Bearlington.

Beo for the homies.

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mueremeunpoco · 11 months ago

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berte

escucharte decir que

el vago del taxi tenía un tono raro

todo es al tiempo

escribir la frase en la mente

estructurar la idea e ir dándole forma

tu mirada filosa al frente

decirte no con la cabeza pero

escribiendo mentalmente todas las formas de hacerlo

Segunda ronda

el tiempo pasa y no lo vemos

una gota cayendo lentamente

llenando un pozo

viéndolo cómo se llena mientras la noche es la noche y nos vuelve de repente cercanos

berte

escribirlo asi porque esto puede ser otra cosa

te he visto antes me dices

bisto quizá

cuál es la forma correcta para bernos?

escribir en la mente

para luego escribirlo en las notas de keep

mi voz es mi instrumento dices

yo pienso en las frecuencias

las vibraciones

El flujo de onda y los colores que salen de tu boca

sinestesia pienso

ber lo que no es

tocar para saber

saberber berdaderamente

hablamos del fuego

y yo lo imagino saliendo

de tu boca en cada palabra

la figura

el lenguaje

el brindis

la noche

dibujas la luna en una tapa de mr tea

Tercera ronda

lees mi poema

yo pienso que es un poema más para la lista infinita de poemas

cuántas palabras más podrían caber en la mesa?

entonces la mirada

el fuego apretando suavemente desde adentro

tengo el puente

tú los pasos tímidos

haces el símbolo del nudo borromeo en el interior de la tapa del agua

y justamente el símbolo

porque lo real es esto que no veo

entones beo

y escribo en la mente todo lo que imagino

quizá adentro

dimensión de entropía

la luz sea la palabra

uno uno

uno tres

tu boca pronunciando mi nombre y quemándote la lengua

eso sí lo veo

tu mano con la mía mientras pienso la siguiente palabra porque mi boca también está ocupada conociéndote

lo real

lo imaginario

y lo simbólico

y a partir de ahí todo el miedo que te nace

el nudo

la noche yéndose

la calle sosteniéndonos

qué hora es

la incertidumbre de todo lo que bes e imaginas

bes o no

me escribes cuando llegues a tu casa dices

yo escribiéndote esto mientras tu hablas de un gato azul

demos el salto

yo también puedo tropezar y caer sentado

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pochaunnuswalker · 1 year ago

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Watch "Gucci Mane And Beo Lil Kenny LINK UP FOR VIDEO SHOOT 👀🔥‼️" on YouTube

Thank you Mr hmjr spidar is helping I was standing in the window watching the reason o was going so hard they got joaned on and made him rape me his mom roz rose and got a job at fiserv his dad is trying not to shot. Hisself trying. To figure dumb muthafucka e leaned on for help huh spidars grandma rose she's the reason I cat flp ppl anny cakes cause of is the one who is forgiving her for r sin not them that's how I rebuilt her theythat goddamn stupid hi

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motherteresacharitabletrust · 2 years ago

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Working together for a Noble Cause Hyundai Transys Lear Automotive Pvt. Ltd in association with Mother Teresa Charitable Trust supports rural schools. Our Corporate Partner under its CSR banner – • Renovated School building , constructed compound wall, supplied Computers & Invertor to Govt. High School, Vayalur, • Renovated the Anganvadi Building, Vayalur. • Constructed a fully furnished three class room School Building, renovated rest rooms and supplied computers & Invertor to P.U. Middle School, Anaikattaputhur.

The projects are completed and was officially handed over to the school authorities for usage on 16th February. Hyundai Delegates - Mr. T. Ganesan, Prod. Head, Mr. A. Venkatesh, HR-HOD, Mr. P.Venkatesan, GA-HOD, Mr. Rajendran, Mr.Babu, Mr.Narayana Pillai, Mr.Lakshmanan (Committee Members) participated. Dr.G.K.Dhas, Managing Trustee, MTCT, Mr.Balaji, School HM, Mrs. Concelia, School HM , Panchayat Union Chairman, Panchayat Presidents, School Education BEO and others participated in the grand ceremony - MTCT -

#public #CSR #hyundai #mtct #mtf #school

0 notes

andrewmoocow · 1 year ago

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Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 9: Let the Endgames Begin (originally published on October 23, 2023)

AN: We only have about three to four chapters left before I can finally close the book on Alternate Future once and for all and finally move onto other stories that I've left to collect dust for months to years on end. When last we left off, Squamata has been unleashed from his tomb and now plans to devastate the entire universe around him and beyond. Is there any way that the Crystal Gems can stop possibly their toughest foe yet? You'll just have to read on and find out as Alternate Future reaches its climax.

Synopsis: The race against time begins as the god of snakes Squamata breaks free from his prison and Steven rallies the royals & fighters to save reality.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl, Mega Black Pearl

Grace Rolek as Connie

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Atticus Shaffer as Peedee

Jennifer Paz as Lapis

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Patti LuPone as Yellow Diamond

Lisa Hannigan as Blue Diamond

Christine Ebersole as White Diamond

Aurelio Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundr

Shirley Millner as Queen Constricta Jormagundr

Ray Porter as Squamata

Samantha Newark as The Lapidarist

Jason Marsden as Prince Nosiop Jormagundr

Tim Curry as Velhallen Beo

Crispin Freeman as Mr. Manco

Sam Witwer as Torius Vosania

Anna Akana as Dionna of the Sands

Christopher Lloyd as Batsputin Vosania

Peter Stormare as Reximillian

Elizabeth Maxwell as Vigrid

James Earl Jones as Wobbla the Butt

Barrett Wilbert Weed as Ezlipsia

Anthony Stewart Head as Solaris Noctua

John Mulany as Flipso

AJ Michalka as Stevonnie

Ted Leo as Steg

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Gina Torres as Andesine

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid

Awkwafina as Kyanite

As the Lapidarist meditated within her chambers, she suddenly heard a noise, followed by an evil, bellowing laugh. "I have turned hundreds upon thousands of worlds to dust in the name of darkness and devastation until I was robbed of my glory." Squamata roared from outside the castle. "I will stride across the bones of my enemies and bask in the glow of pure evil, for all of existence shall be mine to consume!"

"I knew this day would come." The Lapidarist said fearfully before she vanished from her sanctuary in a blinding flash of light. When she reappeared on Serpentes's surface, the already-panicking Slytherophidians were confused at the giant glowing humanoid's sudden appearance, making them wonder if she would team up with Squamata to destroy their world. "I can see you, Squamata!" the Lapidarist yelled for the snake creature to hear her. "I've been guarding this planet where you've been sealed for eons, and I will not let you destroy it or any other world!"

"Ah, Rebeugar, the last of the Lapidarists, we meet at last," Squamata replied with a dreadful sneer. "Who would've guessed we would be laid to rest on the same planet? No matter. I will finish what I started all those years ago and eliminate you, the sole survivor of my creators. First Serpentes, then the universe, and then the multiverse, and possibly beyond." Just as Squamata had made his threat, he suddenly received an electric shock to the face courtesy of Yellow Diamond. "WHAT?!"

"Die, monster!" Yellow called as she stood firmly against the God of Snakes with Blue and White Diamond beside her. "You do not belong in this world."

"It is not by my hand that I am free to smite the universe as I did in days long past." Squamata declared while presenting his heralds, Prince Nosiop, Pyth, Velhallen Beo, Mr. Manco, and Torius Vosania. "I was released from my confinements by mortals who wished to pay me tribute in exchange for assisting them with their own plans."

"That is correct, Squamata." Nosiop proclaimed. "Now, enough talk! Fight us, grand Diamonds, and die for your sins!" Squamata and his heralds charged at the Lapidarist and the Diamonds, with Squamata assuming a different form that transformed him into a shadowy mass of fog with eyes all over his body.

The god of snakes lunged at the Lapidarist with a hiss and bit her with his neck, trying to poison her with the venom in his fangs. However, he was stopped at the last moment when Stevonnie came to the Lapidarist's rescue by slashing off one of Squamata's fangs.

"What is this human doing here?!" Squamata roared as he looked down on Stevonnie and Mega Black Pearl standing up to his tremendous fury. "Wait, that is no mere human."

"A fusion of a human and a Gem? Inconceivable!" the Lapidarist agreed in alarm.

"Stay back, everyone; Mega Black Pearl and I got this covered!" Stevonnie declared before turning to the other fusion. "Ready, MBP?"

"Always ready for a fight!" Mega Black Pearl responded with a grin.

"How does everyone keep moving so fast?" Blue wondered as Squamata realized who he was up against.

"The scion of the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds, it seems," Squamata smirked while looking down at Stevonnie. "We meet face to face at last. Though, I did not expect you to come out to me as a fusion, and especially with a human." He then looked down at his heralds. "Velhallen, Torius, Manco, you know what to do. The rest of us shall take care of these Diamonds."

"It shall be done, my lord." Velhallen Beo declared as he clashed his sharpened claws with Stevonnie's sword while Torius and Manco sought revenge on the Black Pearl Brigade. "I have heard so many stories about you and the Crystal Gems, but never would I live to see the day I'd face one myself!"

"Who even are you?" Stevonnie asked before taking a big swing at Beo's chest. "I don't think I ever heard of you before, or most of the other heralds, for that matter."

"I am but a humble ex-Universal Lord who was robbed of my royal birthright by the confounded Batsputin Vosania!" Velhallen revealed his backstory to his fused opponent. "After being locked away by the Coalition of Galaxies for my numerous crimes, I discovered the awesome power of Squamata and figured that with him by my side, I could take back my rightful place as ruler of the Twilight Zone!"

"Not on our watch!" Mega Black Pearl declared before mightily swinging at Beo with her spear. High above the fusions' battle with the heralds, the Lapidarist used her phenomenal cosmic powers to keep Squamata at bay. At the same time, the Diamonds fought back against Nosiop and Pyth, now cosmically empowered by their exposure to the godlike snake.

"You will be returned quietly to where you belong, Squamata." Yellow declared. "We heard about how you crave nothing but death and destruction to every being with a pulse."

"Then again, you aren't so different, Gem creatures." Squamata retorted with a sneer. "You claim you're trying your best to change your ways, but I feel it isn't enough. Perhaps you could throw all that away and join me as my heralds."

"We will never join you!" Blue yelled while firing a blast of pure emotion to bring Squamata to his figurative knees. Still, Squamata felt absolutely nothing at all before tackling Blue to the ground and trying to bite her, only to get blasted away by White.

"Ah-say-into-pie, oppa-maybe-uppen-die!" Squamata then turned his attention to White and breathed fire in her face, causing her to fall over in shock. "You have no hope of defeating me in my current state! I will only grow stronger by the minute unless this ultimate fusion appears and stops me once and for all."

"Squamata is right; I cannot hold him forever!" the Lapidarist exclaimed. "We need to retreat now!"

"Yes, run while you still can, fools!" Nosiop exclaimed. "But you'll still be leaving us to run amok across this wretched world and the rest of the cosmos soon!"

"Wow, he really is kind of like me." The Steven part of Stevonnie muttered to themselves as they, Mega Black Pearl, the Lapidarist, and the Diamonds, made their escape, contemplating what Inner Steven had said to Steven earlier.

Steven and Connie were un-fused when they reached the castle, where the Crystal Gems awaited them. "So, couldn't beat Squamata, huh?" Amethyst asked. "Kind of figured something like that would happen."

"Is there any way we can stop Squamata now?" Pearl wondered. "If not even the Lapidarist and the Diamonds are enough to overpower him, then what chance do we have?" Suddenly, the heroes heard a familiar voice panting loudly as she raced towards the castle, and when they turned around, Black Rutile was standing at the front doors, acting like she had just run five dozen marathons on her way there.

"Yes, I'm not too late!" Black Rutile gasped as she finally reached the Jormagundrs' castle. "Help me, Crystal Gems, you're my only hope!"

"Enough talk, Black Rutile; we know it was you." Garnet coldly declared, completely ignoring Black Rutile's cries for help.

"No, please, you simply must hear me out!" Black Rutile yelled while raising her hands in complete sincerity. "Nosiop betrayed me and nearly sacrificed me to release Squamata! Please, you have to believe me!"

"Yeah, how about no?" Jasper growled angrily while snatching Black Rutile by the neck and glaring daggers at the Rutile. "We've had enough of your lies for too long now. Make one more, and you can bet we'll shatter you on the spot."

"Wait, guys, let's hear Black Rutile out." Steven tried to calm everyone down. "I know firsthand just how she really feels. Let me talk to her, and we'll all start working together ASAP." Connie then grabbed Steven by the shoulder. "Need anything, Connie?"

"Steven, I hate to break it to you, but I think it's time you gave up on her," Connie responded bluntly. "Black Rutile has lied and used us so many times for her own selfish gain, so it's obviously no secret all those insecurities she yelled about were probably another lie to play with your sympathy."

"Oh, for crying out-seriously?!" Black Rutile yelled furiously. "You pride yourself on accepting everyone, even the ones you don't understand, yet I'm the outlier here?! I am in legitimate distress here, and you're just turning away from me just like that?!"

"Maybe come to us when you feel some form of remorse for your actions, you murder drone!" Peridot barked before turning away with her nose pointed to the ceiling. "Bismuth, Lapis, to me, please."

"Yeah, not sure how we can forgive you after you tried making me one of your team." Lapis added with a disdainful shrug before following Peridot.

"Ugh, once a corrupt uppercrust, always a corrupt uppercrust." Bismuth scoffed while turning to walk alongside her two best friends.

"White Topaz, you can believe me, right?" Black Rutile said to her former bodyguard. "You've been at my side for years. Surely, you can tell them I'm right!"

"Okay, I'm just going to give it to you straight." White Topaz declared. "Look, BR, I know you seem like you want the Crystal Gems to forgive you for your sins, but we all think you're a lost cause. You obviously made up your mind. Why don't you just cut your losses and get outta here for your own safety?"

"You wretched parasites!" Black Rutile shrieked as all the Crystal Gems left her alone in the castle. "If I did this earlier, I'd make you pay for showing me no sympathy!" But alas, Black Rutile's archenemies chose to ignore her as they walked away, the only one continuing to acknowledge her being Steven, who simply turned to Black Rutile with a disappointed sigh as if he knew that Black Rutile was being honest, but their past experiences together wanted to prove him otherwise.

Once again, Black Rutile was left with only crushing loneliness to keep her company. Her former minions had abandoned her to join the Crystal Gems for the sake of survival; Nosiop almost had her killed, and now, when she desperately needed help the most, the only ones who could refuse to believe her like she was a human boy crying wolf. All the mournful Rutile could do now was drop to her knees, gaze at her hands, and mutter to herself, "I'm the lowest of the low."

Outside the castle, the Universal Lords, Solaris Noctua, and a very reluctant Flipso stood together as they examined Squamata's rampage on Serpentes. Cobralan sighed in dismay as he looked down at his tail while contemplating Greg's critique of his parenting, feeling that for a human, he had every right to point out how the king's ignorance would lead to his son releasing an ancient god of destruction in a bid to prove that the Slytherophidians were meant to be conquerors. Perhaps if Nosiop were to survive this ordeal, father and son would have a long, hard chat with each other.

"I still can't believe it." Solaris declared in awe of the god of snakes. "Squamata has returned. I know my powers haven't been what they used to be ever since I graduated from Universal Lord to cosmic librarian, but even I believe our combined strength might be enough to at least knock him down for a spell."

"You're kidding me, aren't you, Larry?!" Flipso yelled in outrage. "That's Squamata, the god of snakes, devourer of worlds, bringer of death, the chaos bringer, the master of darkness, and wrecker of all our collective shit! I think it's time that we get on out of here; I know a great empty void a few dimensions down we can hide in until this all blows over!"

"Oh no, you don't, Flippy!" Dionna of the Sands exclaimed while grabbing the cosmic jester by his tiny ankle. "You're fighting with us, whether you like it or not!"

"Enough arguing, you two, allow me to take this." Wobbla the Butt declared as he slithered out of his dais and took a deep breath before bellowing, "IMMA FIRIN' MY LASER!" and spewing out a brightly colored laser beam from his mouth that struck Squamata in the eye.

"WHO DARES?!" Squamata roared while turning to face the Universal Lords, who all stood together as one united army to face the destroyer. "The Universal Lords! Your powers are indeed beyond comprehension, but they shall not be enough to face me!"

"We can try." Ezlipsia replied before letting out a mighty hoot that caused darkness to fall on her, which she condensed into a massive array of familiars she ordered to assault Squamata's heralds. Meanwhile, Vigrid transformed into a new form resembling that of a harpy as she soared through the air and trapped Velhallen Beo in a headlock.

"Ah, Vigrid, it's been too long since we last saw each other, my love," Beo said lecherously to Vigrid, making the witch-like Universal Lord retch in disgust.

"I thought what we had was just a one-time fling!" Vigrid exclaimed. "I never knew you still had feelings for me!"

"So, it seems we are fated to face each other again, my brother," Torius said to Batsputin as the two prepared for battle. "Don't think this shall be like our last battle when you robbed me of my throne!"

"It seems we have no other choice, especially since you have aligned yourself with Squamata," Batsputin said before the brothers engaged in a rematch. Torius's improved cybernetics gave him an edge in battle.

"For our people, for our planets, let us fight on!" Dionna cried as she and her fellow Amazonian warriors formed an army to face off against the snake soldiers under Mr. Manco's control.

"To me, Flipso!" Solaris commanded before casting a spell to assist Vigrid in battle.

"Fine, but I'm only holding back to make things fair," Flipso said before snapping his fingers and making an army tank appear. "Besides, bringing in someone as powerful as me against that guy would be ridiculously unfair."

Reximillian let out a beastly roar as he began stomping all over snake guards and robot drones. "Ugh, this is such a waste of my time."

"Son, I know you're still in there." Cobralan tried to reach out to Nosiop during the clash between Squamata's heralds and the Universal Lords. "Please, my son, drop your weapon and allow me to be a better parent to you."

"Oh, so now you finally decide to be a father!" Nosiop yelled angrily. "Where was this apology when I needed it after all the times you ignored my ideas?!"

"Because they were going against our way of life!" Cobralan replied. "We do not conquer; we prefer peace with other species, barring the occasional accidental extinction, and I want it to stay that way. Perhaps if you walked a mile in my scales, maybe we can finally see things eye to eye."

"I swear, this is just Copper 9 all over again!" Nosiop complained. "I wanted to conquer that robot-infested wasteland because I thought they would make good servants for us, but you instead signed that Lerdwichagul Treaty to ensure we wouldn't turn them into slaves!"

"Now, son, no need to get all huffy just because you're not getting what you want." Constricta stepped in between her husband and son. "It's like some species say, you win some, you lose some. Do you want this to end up like the jockstrap incident? Hopefully, we can give Boa a break from digging all the holes this time."

"You must always make things so difficult, your Highnesses," Pyth said glowingly. "I've served your family for generations, hoping that Squamata would give our people the wake-up call they needed, and it turns out Nosiop wanted the same thing to the point where I'm more like a father to him now. Your son has always been like this. I just gave him the push he needed."

"If that must be the case," Cobralan said bravely while drawing his sword. "then I cannot let you corrupt my family any further." Pyth did the same as his former king and drew out a sword as well before the two began to clash.

"Man, the Universal Lords ain't no one's fool!" Amethyst said in amazement as the Lords went to war with Squamata. "Maybe we should go out there and help!"

"Not yet, Amethyst," Garnet replied firmly. "Once we can find an opening, then we can strike. Otherwise, we need to work on finding the ultimate fusion."

"Ooh, I know just the one!" White Topaz said eagerly before taking Jasper's hand and causing the two to fuse into Orange Moonstone.

"Calm down, guys, I'm not sure if that's the one," Pearl said to Orange Moonstone's disappointment as she un-fused back into Jasper and White Topaz. "Steven, why don't you go review fusing with your human friends to see if they can help?"

"Okay," Steven agreed. "but first, I think someone wants to talk to us." The Crystal Gems turned around to find the Rutile Rebels standing behind them, and they instinctively summoned their weapons to prepare for a fight.

"Hold on, everyone, no need to fight!" Aquamarine exclaimed as she stepped up in front of the Rebels. "We just have a little problem that needs solving."

"And what makes you think we'll believe you this time?" Connie growled while pointing her sword at the tiny blue Gem, who simply just held out her hand.

"Let's make a deal." Aquamarine declared. "We have reached a bit of a situation here."

"Situation is putting this lightly." Eyeball added. "Black Rutile has been working with Prince Nosiop to unleash Squamata, and if we don't work together, it will mean the end of the entire universe, including the both of us!"

"And we know this because Black Rutile straight up told us how she was plotting to use the Lapidarist to turn every Gem into her mindless slaves so that Nosiop can use them as an army!" Holly Blue stated. "Frankly, that was a terrible idea on her part."

"So we say this again." Cat's Eye concluded the Rebels' statement. "Let us make a deal. If you help us stop Squamata and Black Rutile, we'll return peacefully to Little Homeworld and coexist with you all in harmony." Cat put on big puppy dog eyes to emphasize that she was serious while holding her hat in her hands. "Pwetty pwease?!"

"You just had to whip out the puppy dog eyes." Bismuth sighed in annoyance. "You sure you won't just end up stabbing us in the back before flying off to plot your revenge, twirling your mustaches and saying "MWA-HA-HA" along the way?"

"No, we're being perfectly honest here!" Cinnabar exclaimed defensively. "Black Rutile almost threw us out before we decided to quit, and now we feel that if we have to survive and live another day, we have no choice but to join you in saving the universe from destruction. Now, will you accept us or not?"

"Please say yes, we're desperate." Andesine urged the Gems through gritted teeth.

"Okay, but only if you promise not to go back on your word." Garnet obliged and reluctantly shook Aquamarine's hand.

"Thank you for being so reasonable." Aquamarine sighed in relief. "You are a credit to your team." Garnet had no idea how to respond to that statement. "I'm just being nice."

"We all need to be nice if we must live." Pyrope proclaimed. "Now, I know it will be tough having to live with your greatest enemies now, suddenly acting all chummy and all."

"While I would like to hear you bluster all day about how we can make a change," Demantoid interrupted her fellow Garnet. "we literally have tons of different things to do, like solving our little Squamata problem."

"Yes, we'll need to discuss that," Emerald added. "Anyone got any ideas?"

"I have one!" Kyanite exclaimed. "My idea is that we sit Squamata down, look him dead in the eye, and tell him "Don't eat our planet." Everyone just stared at Kyanite in dead silence. "Trust me, he'd have to be awfully evil if it didn't work, and I'm not gonna lie, I like the cut of his jib."

"Sometimes I wonder why you still keep her around, Cinnabar." Andesine groaned to Cinnabar in disgust.

"She may not be competent, but she gets me results." Cinnabar proclaimed in her bodyguard's defense, causing Dalmatian Jasper, Zoisite, Pyrite, and Bloodstone to nod in agreement.

"So, what do you all think?" Steg, the fusion of Steven and Greg, asked while showing off his powers for the other humans. "I know it's not much, but it's the symbol of one heck of a father-son duo!"

"How big is that hair?!" Lars gasped while pointing at Steg's big pompadour. "Do you think maybe someone's compensating for something?" he whispered to Peedee, who just frowned in annoyance. "Come on! I was just making a joke!"

"Okay, anyone else wanna fuse with Steven?" Steg offered. "How about you, Lars? I wonder what your powers would do."

"Hey, before we review any more fusions, can I talk with Steven for a bit?" Peedee asked. "Recent events, particularly news about his family, have gotten me thinking about things."

"Wait, you don't mean!" Ronaldo gasped at his little brother while Steg un-fused. "Oooohhhhh noooooo."

"What are you guys talking about?" Steven asked awkwardly before the Frymans took him away from Greg, Connie, and Lars.

"So, you know how it was mostly just us and our dad running the fry shop back on Earth?" Peedee stated. "Well, I'm sure there's one question that must've been on the back of your mind."

"Is this about your mother?" Steven asked. "Come to think of it, while I did notice she was gone, I never really bothered to ask. What happened to her?"

"Yeah, I think it's time we finally came out," Peedee replied morosely. "She wasn't into the frying business like we were. She was more of the detective kind, so you can guess where Ronaldo got his love for mysteries from."

"And also kind of like me, she gets really absorbed in her work to the point where she starts isolating herself from others," Ronaldo replied. "But unlike me, it became a serious problem, and she would argue with Dad whenever she worked long nights. And then, one day, she just kind of vanished. I'm not even sure where she is right now. She didn't even say goodbye!"

"Wow, I guess I have a bit more in common with you guys than I thought," Steven said in realization before he started laughing. "Let's just hope she didn't run off to start a rebellion or something!"

"Yeah, like your mom!" Ronaldo started laughing as well, and then Peedee as well. At first, Steven thought that he couldn't relate much to other human beings due to his half-Gem upbringing, but now, he realized that there were people much closer to him than he realized. And he couldn't be happier.

"I must restore my strength." The Lapidarist muttered to herself as she healed her injuries sustained from the fight against Squamata. Rebeugar needed that ultimate fusion as soon as possible and couldn't be kept waiting. However, she soon heard a set of footsteps approaching her. "Who is there?"

It was Black Rutile, who had come to see the Lapidarist just as she had planned. This could be it, her chance to finally get the revenge on the Crystal Gems she had craved for so long by forcibly rejuvenating all Gems and turning them into her unstoppable army, thus forcing Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl to learn how much they made her suffer by forcing them to become her servants instead of the other way around. But instead, she had one simple question to ask.

"Lapidarist, my name is Black Rutile." Black Rutile introduced herself to the foremother of all Gemkind. "And I've been dealing with a little crisis lately. For the past couple of months or so, I've been coping with my loss of identity. I've been so bent on revenge on the Crystal Gems for years now that I've practically built my entire life around it. Yet now, without an army, any allies, or even enemies to take me seriously, I'm not even sure if I still have a purpose in the universe. Please tell me, grand Lapidarist, is it possible for me to find a new purpose now that Steven has stripped me of my old one?"

The Lapidarist knelt idly as she processed Black Rutile's question, meditating in place while hovering just a few inches off the ground. Then, she finally spoke. "Your time will come soon, Black Rutile." The Lapidarist ominously declared. "Your true destiny simply won't be realized until you are at peace. But for now, I believe certain individuals need your help."

The Lapidarist then conjured up a holographic image of Steven leading not just the Crystal Gems, the royal family of Serpentes, the Universal Lords, and the various Contest of Champions fighters into battle against Squamata but also the now former Rutile Rebels. And alongside Steven's motley army, standing right alongside the boy, in fact, was Black Rutile.

Yeah, as you can probably guess, this is where Black Rutile's redemption arc finally begins! But she won't just need Steven to forgive her because he's got enough issues as is, what she needs is to forgive herself for forcing her to become the Gem she is today and keep moving forward to a brighter tomorrow. How can Black Rutile process this? Will everyone else accept this madman's change of heart? Will Black Rutile finally say Connie's last name properly? All this and more will be answered in the coming chapters, same Gem time, same Gem channel!

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