#Thalassa responds

[assortedvillainvault]

hello fellow blitzwing self shipper, i love the way you write him and i am suffering from thoughts of HIM. If it's not too much trouble, could you do a scenario where Blitzwing meets an actual human witch who also has elemental powers and how does their eventual relationship develop? (reader is non-binary.)

Greetings brave comrade, and thank you kindly! We all suffer here, such is the way in the Blitzwing Simp Squad.

I’ve left this more of a cliffhanger on the start of the relationship because I couldn’t get this scene out of my head – this was a really fun one to do so ty for the ask!

Blitzwing x Witch!Reader

He blinked.

He blinked again, with a different face.

“Vhat the frag.”

His plating wasn’t even scratched, but there was no doubt – and yes he did reply his own memory like a broken record just to be sure – that you had just tried to set fire to his shins.

Frag this planet.

His optic twitches as Random hysterically chants ‘Same hat! Same Hat!’ from inside his helm, instead grinding his dentae and trying to stomp on the infuriating little squishy. Feeble jets of half frozen mushy ice splatter against his frame as you run away, clearly not well versed in your irritating fragging mimicry-

Is this a tech thing? A human thing? A freak run-in with the powers that be? Blitz has seen it all during the war but a tiny fleshling with his own powers was just a push too far.

He had to be torn apart and welded back together by a sadistic turncoat spider to get his outlier upgrades, you do NOT get to flaunt a barely passable mockery in his faces – now HOLD STILL-

Of course the Autobots pick you up before he can crush you. Of course you join the myriad weird aft costumed humans he can’t be bothered to pay attention to. Of course he thinks the pointy hat looks stupid. Random wants to pinch the top of it and twirl you like a spinny top.

Of course he finds you trying to sneak into the decepticon mines. Alone.

The two of you stare each-other down. Icy raises an eyeridge after 10 clicks of increasingly sweaty silence.

Eventually, predictably, you snap. “Take a picture 'Con- it’ll last longer.”

Blitzwing takes a moment to refrain from grinding you into paste. Instead, he tilts his head and smirks.

Your phone pings.

“You can’t be fucking serious-”

“Vhat? Like it’s hard?” he shrugs, taking a step forward and enjoying the way you fumble backwards, looking incredulously at the photo of you he sent over. “Do you not have cameras built into your optics?” he asks mockingly.

“Do you not have shit to do somewhere else?!”

He catches the way fire licks in one of your tiny hands. It already looks brighter and steadier than the last time he saw you. Frost glitters on the fingers holding the phone.

He grins and crouches as low as he can. “No.” he says sweetly. “Vant me to leave?”

Your eyes widen in alarm as you register just how much he still towers over you – all escape routes cut off, your phone signal suddenly dead. “Yeah, that’d be great.” you whisper hoarsely, feeling the flames you’ve managed to summon sputter.

His faces spin gleefully onto Random’s glowing, grinning features as both cannons swing down with a hiss of hydraulics and lock on your position.

“Aw, cute! Make me.”

[assortedvillainvault]

Ayyy thanks @cosmiconix for the tag!!

Last Song: w.a.m.s by Fall Out Boy, it's taken me over a decade to listen to their folie a deux album and this song in particular has me HOOKED.

Currently Reading: (Btw thank you for the lovely mention here Onix!!) Trying to get my skyscraper 'to-read' pile down a bit- I'm going through loads of smaller anthologies and small zines that have been piling up. Also Gathering Moss (fantastic read - nonfiction combining the authors scientific studies with native american perspective when discussing nature. And moss. So much moss.),

Currently Watching: kk I don't really watch anything atm, I have a bad habit of scrolling YT shorts, tho I keep meaning to watch Hazbin Hotel properly.

Currently Obsessed With: I can feel myself teetering between focuses right now, but the Horned King is my staple go to character for anything self indulgent these days!

Not tagging anyone specific - if anyone wants to give this a whirl feel free!

Get to know you game! Answer the questions and tag 9 people you want to know better.

I got tagged by the lovely @pipistrellee (who i just realised i only followed a sideblog so hopefully now that's corrected lol) and i'm so excited to answer and get to know more people! ♥

Last song I listened to: Irene - Beach House ─ i prefer listening to albums instead of loose songs so that's the last one on the tracklist for BH's Bloom ₊˚⊹♡

Currently Reading: Crime and Prejudice by Dostoevsky, but I'm also always keeping up with manga/manwha that I follow on Bato lol i love everything josei/shoujo and GL as well - currently reading a completed GL manwha called Mage & Demon Queen and they are sooooo cute and dumb i love them sm

Currently Watching: Mad Men (with meals) and Cold Case (as bg noise when I'm cooking/cleaning)

Currently obsessed with: Always Inuyasha (me too pip!), Mad Men, Soul Eater, LOTR, D.Gray-man .𖥔 ݁ ˖

Tagging!:

@hahaalaine @bcbdrums @draculasbigcastle @fandom-ships @inkydeeeeeeew @lance-mtn-eyebrows @inussunflower @feathertayl @superpixie42

And anyone else who wants to do this! Consider yourself tagged. 💖

[valant-valiant]

Could I request a doodle of Thalassa and Zak both giving Valant a little smooch on the face?? Troupe Gramarye polycule my beloved

Here you are! Troupe Gramarye polycule our beloved <3

as a bonus, take this drawing of Val and Thal kissing Zak I drew last year :D

[surging-eyes-seeing-through]

Have you ever thought that you might have other relatives out there? If so, have you ever tried to... search for them? Reach them? Not like, your mother or father, but grandpa Justice! Or grandma Justice! Or an aunt! Maybe even a cousin, or a 2nd cousin, or your father's brother! A family goes beyond just your bio mother and father.

"Well, by the time I had the capability to search for stuff like that, I had stopped caring about my biological family entirely. So... no, I haven't really looked."

"Honestly, I'm a bit worried on what I'd find, so I'll... abstain from that, for now. Maybe one day."

[jinxedshapeshifter]

I wonder if different levels of tension have different effects on the Gramarye family. We know they tense in response to other people’s tension, but does how tense they get depend on how (physically) tense the other person is? I mean we only really see how it affects Apollo and Apollo's always tensing in response to minute amounts of tension, which is where his bracelet comes in. If someone was more tense than just "small nervous habits" would Apollo have an easier time detecting it?

For example, during the last Turnabout Succession trial. When Klavier was incredibly tense because he didn't want to believe Kristoph was behind Phoenix's disbarment, two murders, and an attempted murder. Do you think Apollo was just as tense as Klavier every time he looked at him as a result of his abilities as Thalassa's son? Do you think Apollo was struggling to relax himself, potentially making his job harder?

We're told that the Gramaryes' ability is like; their bodies respond to tension by very slightly reacting to tension, which is why Thalassa and Apollo wear bracelets that grow/shrink to fit the wearer's wrist; when their bodies react to tension in another person, that tension is in such a low amount that they can't detect it on their own. There's no indication on whether this is constant or not though (at least in Apollo Justice. I haven't played Dual Destinies or Spirit of Justice yet so if it's elaborated on in DD or SOJ I wouldn't know about it).

For all we know, Gramaryes could very well tense more intensely and just not realize it, writing it off as normal. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case, because sometimes you don't even realize you're tense (and this is indicated to apply to the Gramaryes too; it's implied the reason Apollo is so much better at perceiving than Trucy is because he has one of Thalassa's bracelets).

Anyway silly thoughts, sorry if this doesn't make sense lol. I'm mentally not doing great and coping with gay lawyers

[assortedvillainvault]

oooh Cheers for the tag @seaslugfanclub !!

Last Song: Nik Nocturnal's metal cover of In Da Club XD If there's a metal cover of a pop song (or really, any genre), I'll probably listen to it, and Nik's covers just hit a sweet spot every time.

Currently Reading: still getting though my zines, currently reading a nautical horror zine called Into the Sea, loving it so far. Also my eternal pile of scientific publications.

Currently Watching: having a rewatch of all my favourite artist youtubers atm - Minnie Small, Kiptoe, Kelloggsloops, Ten Hundred and Talia. Hoping all the inspiration will get me to start painting again.

Tagging anyone who's interested! I'd like to know more about peeps ^^

Get to Know Me Better game

Answer the questions and tag 9 people you want to know better. Thanks for the tag @deliciouskeys !

Last song I listened to: "Alive!" from Death Takes A Holiday. I've heard so-so things about the show as a whole, but I really enjoy the cast recording. The show also has a very "Phantom Fugue"-like song called "Death is in the House", which isn't too surprising since Maury Yeston wrote both this and Phantom.

Currently reading: Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney. Christmas present/recommendation from my dad.

Currently Watching: I learned The Gilded Age is a thing! About halfway through season 1 now.

Tagging with zero stress, but I'd like to know: @horrorgirl4life, @christinedaaeunofficial @starryknight565, @sunshine-for-serotonin, @waistcoatntails, @lilyrosegold, @ollifree, @kosmochlor

[askaceattorney]

Dear DS,

I apologize for not responding to you as soon as I received this. I was dealing with years long crisis.

I'm glad you took care of my son while I couldn't. I'm glad he's alive. Thank you.

- Thalassa Gramarye

[queenoffishingandcookies]

Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss - Trying to Figure out the Timeline

The story is presumably set in the later months of 1905.

You play as Cam, an experienced deep sea diver who once served on the ship S.S Thalassa, alongside a crew with excellent capability.

Cam, in-game, has neither voice nor their own character picture profile as the others do when speaking. This can be a bit odd, however, as the other characters will respond as though Cam has said something.

Even in a group photo, Cam is always seen covered head-to-toe in standard diving dress - likely a bid for a person of any gender to be able to identify with them, and better submerge themselves in the story.

A BRIEF BACKGROUND OF STORY:

The S.S Thalassa, commissioned by a woman by the name of Isabel Greenwood, had a mission to recover relics from the Spanish Galleon her family once owned, known and named as the St. Catherine - and perhaps eventually raise her from the seabed, where it had laid for roughly three hundred years.

After the personal and traumatic loss of a close friend and teammate on a dive gone wrong in early May - due to an accident caused by the collapse of a faulty lift crane - Cam takes a leave of absence from the ship, plunging into a deep depression once the shock of the event clears.

This actually serves as the prologue of the game, and is considerably graphic as Alex - Cam’s friend and diving partner - drowns before the player on camera. After the crane fell, carrying in the net several heavy artifacts from the wreck, she was promptly trapped beneath the broken mast of the St.Catherine which punctured her dive suit - which filled with water.

Bailey Tulloch, the diving assistant aboard the S.S Thalassa, also took a leave of absence in order to keep an eye on Cam’s health, while an inquiry was opened as to the cause of the incident which took the late crewmate’s life.

It was this decision that saved both their lives.

A few weeks later after their departure, on what should have been a routine voyage to and from the St. Catherine’s diving site, the S.S Thalassa sends a distress call on July 8th, 1905... before sinking for an unknown reason, not a glimpse of the vessel to be seen by rescue ships upon arrival at the last known location. No lifeboards from the vessel are found, either.

All hands aboard her are deemed lost.

With a lack of investigation coming from the mainland, and the family of the presumed deceased crew needing answers, Bailey and Cam - the only ones left - head for the last known location of the S.S Thalassa after months of searching, with plans to dive, if possible, on where the wreck was believed to be.

To find out what caused the sinking, and what happened to their crew - and even, additionally, the presence of several others.

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE IMMEDIATE TIMELINE:

When I was reading reviews of the game out of curiosity, trying to find the characters surnames (because I really only know Bailey, Isabel, and Maria’s), one line in the review stated that several years had passed since the incident - which I didn’t think was possible.

- The game’s summary on steam states, without a doubt, that it is 1905. Meaning, the main game is 1905.

- In the game’s opening, even before Cam has been sent down in the water and has begun the trek to the S.S Thalassa’s wreck, Bailey mentions it has been months of Cam in a deep depression - drinking heavily, and not often cleaning up after themselves.

- In other words, months since Alex’s death, at the very least.

- S.S Thalassa last set sail from port-au-Prince in Haiti, on June 27th, 1905. According to a map on Bailey’s ship, it was roughly a seven day voyage to the St. Catherine site.

- We also see, pinned to a board, that the S.S Thalassa’s last message - an S.O.S call (which had originated first in Germany on April 1st, 1905, though only became international regulation in 1906) - was dated on July 8th, 1905.

- We can assume this is around when the ship went down, because when reaching the wreck of Thalassa, there is an S.O.S message response from another ship still attached to the telegraph machine.

- After Cam has entered the water and begun making their way to the wreck, Bailey specifically states that the news of the sinking came only a few weeks after they left following Alex’s death, or roughly a month when taken as a whole measurement.

- Meaning Alex may have died at some point in either very early June or mid-late May, or even early may, since I think ‘few’ most commonly is attributed to a span of two or three weeks, but it depends on the person and what’s being talked about - and again, it was at least seven days back to the nearest port, a week, if that was where they went.

- I don’t know where Alex lived, and it’s not mentioned in game where she was buried as far as I’m aware (don’t have the game, can’t open character screen though I know it exists, which is also why I know no one else’s surnames) - so it’s entirely possible that Cam and Bailey brought her body home from port-au-prince on another ship, and arranged her funeral while Thalassa eventually continued on - to her sinking.

- But still, without a doubt, that means both Alex’s death and the sinking of the S.S Thalassa still occurred in 1905, relatively closes together, May-June 1905 specifically.

- Later on in the game, when investigating the investigation into the crane incident, you do find purchase records of the crane parts dating back to May - which I think means they were replaced around then, implying the accident - again - occurred possibly mid-late May 1905.

- I think most people assume it happened several years ago, due to a group photo Cam accidentally steps on upon first entering the wreck, which he states was taken two years prior (in 1903).

- Which wouldn’t be feasible, as at the time of Alex’s death there were actually at least two other members of the dive team - Llewellyn and Mathias - who aren’t in the picture, although they should have been, if the wreck occurred that long ago.

- This can be explained away by saying one of them took the picture, but i find it more likely that that maybe they joined the crew some time after the photograph was taken.

- Again, the wreck of the Thalassa is known to occur in 1905, and Alex’s death was also implied to have been in 1905, fairly recently - not 1903.

- As far as I’m aware though, Llewellyn and Mathias are never again mentioned after the prologue, where Mathias was badly injured by the fallen crane and all the debris or falling artifacts in the net it carried.

- When Cam dove, it looked like a broken leg, as you can see the two. Llewellyn made to bring him back to the surface, while Cam went to look for Alex whose’s equipment was damaged.

- Llewellyn was likely the one, also, to bring Alex’s body back as Cam was in shock having seen her drown, and Mathias was very badly injured.

- At the very least, they weren’t on the ship when it sank a few weeks later (as far as I’m aware).

- Mathias couldn’t be with his leg, and perhaps like Bailey, Llewellyn took a leave of absence to help him - or, simply quit due to the loss of life, because trauma can do that to people. Sometimes, even if you love a job, you can’t go back to it after losing a friend to it.

- Seriously, if anyone’s aware of what happened to those two, please tell me. I was wondering It maybe it was the surname of other crew members and they were aboard, but I don’t know. Help.

- News of the Sinking of the Thalassa broke on July 18th, according to the newspaper Cam had been looking at, prior to the dive. As Bailey heard the news over the telephone, we can assume that they heard of it from someone else sometime before.

- Unfortunately, I have no clue when exactly in 1905 that Cam dives on the Thalassa. Again, all we have in reference to that, was that months have passed since Alex’s death and the subsequent sinking of the wreck.

SO.

TIMELINE OF THE IMMEDIATE THALASSA STORY:

Essentially, not including all the other background stuff, like when the Thalassa was made or the St Catherine, etc etc.

May - June 1905: The Crane Incident / Alex’s Death

- On a routine dive to the wreck of St. Catherine, the crane of the S.S Thalassa breaks down under the weight of several recovered artifacts, including the large figurehead of the St. Catherine, which comes directly over the head of the three divers - Mathias, Llewellyn, and Alex - already in the water. Contact with the three is lost on the surface.

- Cam, who had been requested to check on the ship’s cradle to see if it was ready to lift the ship’s bow, which it was not, and so plans were just being made to instead look at other dig sites around the wreckage for other artifacts, was the only diver out of the water. As the crane collapsed, they were in the process of being suited up by Bailey, and immediately went to go down and see what had happened.

- Though Llewellyn seems uninjured, Mathias’ leg was badly broken by the fallen artifacts or debris from the ship. Llewellyn was to bring Mathias back to the ship as he could not do so himself, while Cam went to find Alex, who had been on the other side of the bow when the incident occurred.

- Cam would find Alex pinned beneath the broken mast of the St. Catherine, with a compromised diving suit. She stated she could not feel her leg, and that her suit was filling with water. Alex’s telephone system was damaged, she could neither send messages nor receive them, thereby reliant on signals alone.

- The mast was bound by thick rope, which made it difficult to free Alex’s leg. While Cam attempted to saw through the ropes with the diving knife, the movement aggravated the flooding of Alex’s dive suit while Llewellyn was on his way to their side.

- Cam was unable to cut the ropes before Alex’s suit flooded. Her suit flooded with water, and Cam was only able to watch as her helmet flooded, and she drowned in front of them.

- Cam subsequently went unresponsive to any calls through the telephone system, and would be found by Llewellyn hugging Alex to them, before Llewellyn pulled them away from her body and back to the ship.

- Presumably, Llewellyn would later dive to recover Alex’s body, before the weather turned and the S.S Thalassa was forced to return to port.

- It’s requested by several others that the crew have time to recover and heal from Alex’s death.

JUNE 27TH, 1905:

- The S.S Thalassa departs from port-au-prince in Haiti for a routine voyage to the St. Catherine digsite.

JULY 8TH, 1905:

- The S.S Thalassa sends out a distress signal, with its coordinates. These coordinates are later used to find the presumed wreck site.

- Presumably, the Thalassa sinks. A telegraph message is found in the machine, when Cam reaches the site, which implies messages were still being sent out and received.

July 10th, 1905:

- A rescue ship arrives at the last known location of the S.S Thalassa. No sight of the ship, or any lifeboats in the area.

- Essentially means the Thalassa could have sunk at any time on the 8th, 9th, or 10th (prior to the other ship arriving)

JULY 18TH, 1905:

- News of the sinking of the Thalassa is published in newspapers. By this point, the belief is that every person aboard has died as no bodies, or lifeboats, were found.

- An investigation is launched into the missing, presumed sunken, ship.

UNKNOWN DATE, 1905:

- The investigation into the Thalassa’s sinking is called off, much to the frustration of others (ex: Bailey, who refers to them as the damn bureaucrats).

- Bailey begins looking into the sinking of the Thalassa, and at some point begins correspondence with Ethel Jackson, the fiancé of one of the lost crew members - Kaymar - who entreats for any information, for closure, as they have given up hope for the crew’s return.

- Cam and Bailey reach the S.S Thalassa’s last known location, and dive in hopes of finding the wreck. Bailey (when getting Cam up) and Cam (in the main hub of the Thalassa) both have mentioned that it has been months since Alex’s death and the wreck, by this point.

[solinvictvs]

thalassa gramarye if you read this im free on Thursday night and would like to hang out. Please respond to this and then hang out with me on Thursday night when I’m free.

[assortedvillainvault]

AaaaaAAAaahhHH?!? 'The' blog?? Nooooooo oh my god thats so lovely of you to say!! I just sit in my corner and write my stuff at a snails pace - I've always been appreciative (and bamboozled) of how quickly you can write and for how wide a range of characters! Plus also your nsfw stuff? Perfection - I'm still too nervous to even try!

Heyo! Wasn't sure to send this here or to your main but just wanted to drop by and say I hope you're doing well and to thank you for being. Like. A massive inspiration on here. When I'm down I reread through your blog and it's always delightful.

Have a lovely day! - Thalassa

YOU

W H A T?

💛💕💛💕💛💕 Thank you Thalassa!! ^^ That means so much to me, because I see your blog as like The Villain Writer Blog, the Queen Blog in the fandom (especially disney)!! XD I read your stuff and feel inspired ^^ <3

I am genuinely very glad my stuff can be a comfort when you're down 💕💕

This is such a lovely message, thank you so much!! (for this message and just being amazing ^^) I hope you have a wonderful day too ^^

[supersuperdupersecretnerd]

Started reading Sink Your Hookteeth, and just got to this panel (which, really cool setting!!! Like holy shit!!!)

[IMAGE ID START A drawing of a planet, moon, and sun on a black background with some bubbles floating around them. The planet has an arrow labeled Thalassa, the moon has an arrow labeled the moon, and the sun has an arrow labeled the sun. Said sun is held by a giant shrimp with a creepy face. There is some text on the the bottom right hand side. IMAGE ID END]

[TEXT ID START Worldbuilding Fact(s) Number 1 Thalassa. Only planet orbiting this sun. Floats in what is believed to be an endlessly-deep ocean called the SkySea (not in a vacuum). TEXT ID END]

So naturally I responded to a super cool thing by making this

[IMAGE ID START A close up of the scary shrimp's face with Thalassa on the right side. Text has been added to read W We have been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty. IMAGE ID END]

Silly sun guy

[assortedvillainvault]

I'm not sure if you're confident enough to write this character (and it's fine if you aren't) but I gotta shoot my shot, the obsession is strong.

TFA Shockwave with a captive human who gradually starts to feel bad for him

(And in case this one's not doable, I propose "NOS-4-A2 with a horror nerd s/o")

For you bestie I gave Shockwave a good go, I don't think I'll be adding him to my list anytime soon but I enjoyed getting to write for TFA Shockers for the first time!

TFA Shockwave x Captive!Reader

An overworked mecha-cryptid desk jocky wasn’t the worst captor, you suppose.

True: you lived on his desk in a giant bell jar, like some kind of overgrown hampster. It was a crippling lack of snacks, privacy, outside contact and certainty over your continued survival – but hey. At least you’re not at work.

Unlike the giant metal cyclops, whom you learned was called ‘Shockwave’ - eventually.

He seemed to never not be at work.

Which you supposed you should be grateful for. Your upkeep as a prisoner depended entirely on him remembering your existence in between reports and...whatever the hell else he did.

It involved a lot of calling another giant robot with a sinfully smooth voice, and sighing wistfully at the empty screen after it was finished.

Like. Dude. Down bad for your long distance boss is a certain kind of hell, that’s for sure. Which was only marginally less awkward to witness from basically under his chin.

One thing you come to realise, after maybe a month? Hard to say – was that all of the surrounding furniture was...small.

Still giant to you, duh. You doubt jumping off the table (if you ever got out of the jar) would lead to anything except broken ankles – but to Shockwave? He dwarfed the room. The stupid chair he sat in barely reached mid calf. He always had to scrunch his arms in and out over the console.

He was tall enough to scrape the ceiling with his horns if he wasn’t careful, and the first time he did so he swore in some garbled language of grating beeps like a fire alarm in a blender – staggering and clutching his head.

It’s clear the room wasn’t designed for him.

Sometimes he got voicemails from, presumably, other giant robots. They’re always speaking to someone called ‘Longarm’ - and Shockwave always rolls his eye and twitches, since the screens aren’t on. Those messages are grating.

Arrogant, presumptuous - demands for updates and schedules and ‘did you read my report?’ and not even waiting for an answer. It’s all the worst parts of a corporate family zoom meeting, and it’s a chaos of whiny security clearances and demands and policies enough to give you both too much and absolutely no information about what this Longarm guy does (did..?) Or why Shockwave is tapped in to his answer machine.

Shockwaves cold, unblinking stare doesn’t encourage questions.

[issybettyx]

Do you ever just sit and think about tntduo? Or is that just me?

Anyways short tntduo thingy cus they mean everything to me

Set in the dsmp universe during the burger van era - not everything is canonically accurate

-

Wilbur wasn’t sure when the lapping wave of the ocean became such a familiar sight. Every so often, when life became to much and the thoughts in his head became louder, he’d make his way down to the edge of the tide and listen to the soft sounds, to the rushing of water and the wind in his hair.

When he was a kid, he could remember cutting through the water and letting it soak the ends of his trouser legs, giggling as his dad kicked water over and over, only making him even more soaked. But he’d never cared about how wet his clothes got, or how cold he felt when the wind picked up, or the fact his brother was never involved as he read a book in the grassy sand-dunes. The sea was familiar, and yet when L’Manberg was founded, there wasn’t time to visit.

But here he sat, knees pulled up to his chest as he rested his chin on them, listening to the tide as it washed away the memories if only temporarily.

“- Foolish, man, this building needs to be built by next week,” Quackity’s voice cut through the calmness, and suddenly all the voices returned, involuntarily making ‘temporarily’ a little shorter than it was meant to be, “I don’t want to hear your excuses, you signed the contract-“ he paused, and Wilbur felt eyes on his back, deciding to actively ignore them as he listened to the birds chirping above in the trees. “I’ll talk to you later.”

The beach fell silent again, but this time Wilbur wasn’t so thankful for it, the gaze not straying from the back of his head no matter how long he willed it to.

“Take a picture it’ll last longer.” Wilbur scoffed, still not sparing the man a glance even when he didn’t respond. Eventually, the gaze left him, and Quackity’s soft footsteps could be heard as he walked across the grassy sand, before he grunted, taking a seat beside Wilbur and staring at the ocean ahead of them.

“It was once believed that the Oceans were controlled by a woman named Thalassa,” he started, and Wilbur only frowned further, “She controlled the seas and the downpour, and humans used to believe rain was a blessed thing before it was an inconvenience.” Quackity sighed, giving up with sitting and falling back, his long black hair landing in the sand. But the man didn’t seem to care, watching the evening sky with distant eyes. “I like the ocean.”

For a moment, Wilbur contemplated getting up and leaving, but he knew Tommy was back at the van and wasn’t too keen on hearing his rambles in that moment, deciding that dealing with whatever bullshit Quackity was spitting was better.

“My Dad used to explain how useful rain was,” Wilbur said without thinking, watching as the tide edged closer to the tips of his toes. “It made us appreciate it more, I guess.”

The two continued the silence, mainly because neither had a way to break it rather than preferring it to conversation.

But eventually, Quackity found a way to break it, as he always did.

“You’re a smart man, right?” He asked slowly, a considering tone to the way he spoke. So much so, it made Wilbur finally turn to him, seeing the man’s brown eyes staring right back at him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I’d like to say so.” Wilbur shot back with a small smile, earning an eye-roll in reply.

“Do you ever…” he drifted off, squinting his eyes on the horizon before sitting up, moving his legs so they were criss-crossed in front of him, resting his elbow on his knee and using his palm to support his chin. “Do you ever wonder where you went so wrong to hurt someone you loved more than anything?”

The question was worded strangely, likely because of a lack of any better words, but Wilbur understood it perfectly. He remembered the tremble in Tommy’s voice as he spoke about exile, the strange fear in his eyes as he looked at the glass over what was once L’Manberg, the way he held Friend so close as if the sheep would simply disappear.

Somewhere along the way, Wilbur had done something to inflict the constant worry that sat in Tommy’s limbs, the hesitance to his actions and the calculation to his thoughts that was much too adult for the youth that was meant to be present on his scarred face.

Somewhere along the way, Wilbur had hurt one of the people he cared about most in the world, and he knew there was no way to patch up his mistakes completely.

“Yeah.” He replied, watching as Quackity picked the grass from beneath him, “Why?”

Quackity paused, looking at Wilbur with practically pleading eyes, and it made him pause too, furrowing his brows in confusion. “Do you think I’m a murderer, Wilbur Soot?”

The question was definitely out of the blue, but the desperation the words were spoken with made him want to reply genuinely instead of the witty remark that came to mind.

“Well, you’ve never murdered someone that I’m aware of,” there was a fuzzy memory that was clawing at the back of his mind, of someone trapped in a cage with an anvil dangling dangerously over their head, with Quackity stood right in front of it, a wicked smile on his face. “Well, attempted maybe.”

He earned a nudge for that one, grinning as Quackity rolled his eyes again.

“Butcher army doesn’t count, we had good reason.”

“Be glad I was dead, the butcher army would’ve been dust before you made it out of the forest.” Wilbur told him with a warm smile, not bothering to fight the comfortable feeling in his chest as Quackity scoffed, picking at his nails as he used the setting sun for guidance.

“I thought you hated Techno?” He commented with a smile, but the question behind it was genuine, and Wilbur shrugged, finding a flat stone in the sand and picking it up, brushing off the sand.

“He may have betrayed us, but he had good reason, and it wasn’t exactly like I was any better with my tnt and all.” He explained, throwing the stone at an angle and watching it jump across the waves. “Besides, he’s my brother, I could never hate him.” And then, the man’s first question returned to the forefront of his mind, and Wilbur found himself frowning again. “Why do you ask?”

And then, for what could’ve possibly been the first time since his revival, Wilbur watched as Quackity faltered, a brief moment of vulnerability that made him hold his breath, for a moment finding himself genuinely concerned for the man he considered an enemy.

“When someone you love forces you away accusing you of murder, it makes you question a few things I guess.” Quackity confessed, waiting a moment before shrugging, taking a deep breath. “Sorry, we should keep professional-“

He was cut off by two hands on his face, finding himself looking way too closely at Wilbur’s face; it was split down his left side, the smaller half being a faded green, the other pale beige. His brown eyes practically glistened, messy brown hair covering his forehead as a smile pried at his lips.

He was much less terrifying up close. And Quackity didn’t like that one bit. However, he didn’t pull away, and he wasn’t entirely sure why.

“If someone you love doesn’t trust you, they aren’t worth that piece of your heart,” he said, making sure he said each syllable clear enough for the man to hear him, “Sometimes it isn’t forever, and sometimes temporary is good enough.”

The silence dragged on, and Quackity found he couldn’t pull his gaze from Wilbur’s face; eventually, however, he shoved the man’s face away from his own, standing and brushing the sand off his clothes.

“Maybe you’re right, how- how are you always right?” Quackity managed out, scowling at the brunette who simply smiled back, standing and brushing the sand off himself. “Good day, Wilbur Soot.”

Wilbur grinned back, sending him a small salute. “Stay safe Alex Quackity.” He returned, earning a middle finger before the man disappeared back into the trees, leaving the beach silent once more.

But the silence was now too lonely, so Wilbur forced himself away from the waves, slowly making his way back to his brother.

—//—

Me when c!tntduo :0

I love them a lot, they mean everything to me

This one was shorter than usual cus the au I thought of today was too epic to not make a fic out of it :) also i have an ao3 and i’ve got a pirate fic coming soon, so maybe check out my fics if you want? :D @ issybettyx

Ily all :)

[jessread-s]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✩🏹❤️‍🔥Review:

Words cannot describe my love for this book!

“Pestilence” follow Sara Burns, a firefighter who sacrifices everything to shoot down one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Eager to make her suffer, he takes her prisoner, but the longer they’re together, the more uncertain their feelings for each other grow.

What drew me in right away was Thalassa’s unique undertaking of writing a romance novel for each of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. This was not something I had seen done before and I was immediately intrigued by the idea of the four beings abandoning their tasks only for the women that help them find their own humanity. In this book specifically, Thalassa characterizes Pestilence so well, personifying the plague he represents. She also goes to great lengths to demonstrate how unfamiliar he is with mankind’s way of life. Some of the most comedic moments sprung from Pestilence not knowing how to respond to Sara’s basic needs when he holds her captive. 

The dystopian, post-apocalyptic world Thalassa creates after the arrival of the four horsemen was interesting in and of itself. Her world resembles our own, but with the horsemen’s destruction of technology, she cleverly avoids dating her book. Without technology, the population reverts to a more primitive way of life and more often than not resorts to violence when it comes to the existence of the horsemen, giving Thalassa a way to showcase the worst of humanity.

Sara is the only one to convince Pestilence that mankind is worth saving, sparking a romance that set my soul on fire. What I love most about this book is that it actually has the enemies to lovers trope woven into the plot. Sara’s hatred for Pestilence is real. Because he is holding her as his prisoner and his one true goal is to conquer humans, thereby ending the world, he can’t be anything more than her enemy. Yet, the two still manage to fall in love with each other after being forced to spend time together. Their dark, twisted, and forbidden love story is definitely not for the faint of heart, but I loved every page of it! 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

@laurathalassa

[xasha777]

In the year 2235, humanity had reached new frontiers in space exploration, but with these advancements came new threats. The galaxy was teeming with unknown dangers, and Earth needed a guardian to protect its interests in the cosmos. Thus, the Alliance of Galactic Nations (AGN) commissioned the creation of the Aegis, an amphibious warfare ship like no other.

The Aegis was not just a vessel of war; it was a symbol of hope and resilience. Capable of both space and underwater operations, the ship was a technological marvel, equipped with advanced weaponry, stealth capabilities, and a crew of elite soldiers trained in diverse combat scenarios. At the heart of the Aegis' command was Captain Elara Voss, a woman renowned for her strategic genius and unyielding determination.

One of the most mysterious and revered members of the Aegis' crew was Seraphina, an enigmatic figure who seemed to blend seamlessly with the ship itself. Her appearance was ethereal, almost otherworldly, with silver hair that flowed like liquid mercury and eyes that shone with an inner light. She was believed to be a product of bio-engineering, a perfect fusion of human and artificial intelligence, designed to interface directly with the ship's systems.

The crew often whispered about Seraphina, referring to her as the "Silent Guardian." She rarely spoke, but her presence was felt throughout the ship. She was the eyes and ears of the Aegis, able to detect the slightest anomalies in the vast expanse of space or the depths of alien oceans.

One fateful day, the Aegis received a distress signal from a remote colony on the oceanic planet of Thalassa. The colony, which had been established to harvest rare minerals from the ocean floor, was under attack by an unknown alien force. The Aegis was dispatched immediately, its crew ready to engage in a mission that would test their limits.

As the ship descended through the planet's atmosphere, it seamlessly transitioned from spacefaring mode to aquatic mode, its hull adapting to the crushing pressures of the ocean depths. Seraphina stood at the helm, her eyes closed in deep concentration as she interfaced with the ship, guiding it through the treacherous waters.

The alien attackers were unlike anything the crew had encountered before. They were biomechanical entities, capable of rapid regeneration and armed with energy weapons that could pierce the Aegis' defenses. The battle was fierce, with the crew fighting valiantly to protect the colony. The ship's amphibious capabilities were put to the test as it engaged the enemy both above and below the water's surface.

Captain Voss directed the battle with precision, her voice calm and authoritative. "All units, hold your positions. We cannot let them breach the colony's perimeter."

Seraphina's voice, soft and melodic, broke the silence. "Captain, I have detected a weak point in the enemy's formation. If we can target their central command unit, we may be able to disrupt their coordination."

"Understood. All units, focus your fire on the coordinates provided by Seraphina," Voss commanded.

The crew responded with unwavering resolve, their weapons converging on the designated target. Explosions rocked the alien forces as the Aegis' cannons unleashed a devastating barrage. The central command unit was destroyed, causing the biomechanical entities to falter and retreat.

With the immediate threat neutralized, the Aegis deployed its amphibious landing craft, sending ground troops to secure the colony and assist in recovery efforts. Seraphina continued to monitor the situation, her presence a reassuring constant for the crew.

As the dust settled and the colony began to rebuild, Captain Voss addressed her crew. "We have faced a formidable enemy today, but we have emerged victorious. Our mission is far from over, but with the Aegis and our Silent Guardian, we will continue to protect humanity's future."

Seraphina stood silently at the edge of the command deck, her eyes reflecting the determination of those around her. She was more than just a bio-engineered guardian; she was a beacon of hope, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, humanity's spirit could not be extinguished.

[surging-eyes-seeing-through]

Dude, Laimoir and Wright are spending a lot of time together. Isn’t that weird? Also she kinda looks like his daughter

"...They are?" (I didn't know about that...)

"I guess they look vaguely similar, but... not to a crazy degree. Thalassa Gramarye is dead, anyways, everyone knows that." (...Though, I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice how similar Thalassa and Lamiroir look...)