#and getting lost in the mineshafts

[angeart]

somehow this is what i ended up doing today

[wetthandss]

i have never and will never use rails and minecarts in minecraft because they are just so inefficient and expensive for such little gain. theyre incredibly slow unless you use a rare and expensive material thats difficult to find and much more so get in large amounts to make a small number of powered rails that you have to place pretty close to one another if you want to reach an actually useful speed, and if youre making a rail system that small whats the point you can just walk or run there. there are no other relevant blocks for rails except detectors. no bumpers or launchers or stations or anything, very little utility outside of complicated redstone machines for furnace, hopper and chest minecarts that most players arent concerned with. i think theyre a horribly underdeveloped feature but also one that has SO MUCH potential. here's what i would do to make this feature better and how i actually would use it if it was that way.

i would remove the need for powered rails to go at any useful speed. you could travel in the minecart at the speed you can with a powered rail in the game now just by holding the direction you wanna go. powered rails are still there, and you can use them to go even faster if you want. they're like a speed upgrade rather than a necessity for travel. secondly, you dont have to keep holding down the button to keep moving, the minecart wont lose speed as it goes unless it hits a powered rail, where it will decrease in speed similarly to how it does in the base game, but only down to normal speed and not to a snail pace or complete stop. if you push a minecart (without being in it) it will slow down quickly to a stop, because itd be pretty annoying watching it run away on you if you accidentally push it. but also that already happens when you have to place powered rails down every 10 blocks and if the minecart touches them it just runs away on you. in my ideal update, to push a minecart down a track without losing speed, you can either get in it and get out of it when you reach speed, or you can use a powered rail to get it going. ADDITIONALLY, powered rails just act like normal rails when inactive instead of stopping entirely. if you want a rail that automatically stops the minecart, keep reading cause i have a replacement for this usage.

i would allow diagonal rails to exist, including on slopes. this is something i wish for other blocks that connect to each other in minecraft too, like fences, walls, iron bars etc. the zigzagging pattern is very ugly in most use cases and requires you to use double the materials. this would also be useful for setting up proper train stations where a train can be pulled to the side of the track either to let another train pass or to be filled with passengers/items.

i would allow multiple rails to connect to one another, letting you have multiple paths. a redstone activated directional rail could control which path you go on while in a minecart, while the default is just continuing straight.

I would add rail signals with an associate redstone connected rail that can decide when a minecart is allowed to pass or be stopped, or set a precise timer that counts down before making a redstone signal. you can set it to repeat or to only start its timer when receiving a redstone signal. would this remove the need for other forms of redstone timers? yes because i think its such a simple thing that requires incredibly complicated setups to do precisely that are frankly unnecessary to the average player and would allow them to make redstone more useful to them without having to spend nearly as much time and energy fine tuning multiple different complicated timer setups. you can still use the complicated timers if you want. no one is stopping you. anyways, this would let you automate trains a lot easier or automate a round trip rail system with consistent schedules, or to send a minecart back to you after sending it away.

Minecarts will have an updated model with a clear front side and a back side. you can flip directions whenever you want if youre riding in it, its mostly just an aesthetic change, but ive run into situations where if i stop a minecart on an inactive powered rail and activate it again, it will start going back in the direction it came from rather than continuing forwards and that is REALLY ANNOYING. i get that thats useful for sending a minecart back and forth but my bumpers would solve that issue while the clear front/back side fixes the one i mentioned above at the same time, as well as just making it more predictable and visually clear.

I would also aesthetically change the chest minecart cause i think it looks really ugly, i would prefer the chest minecart to show the minecart filled up with the sprites of the items that are inside it. i think that would be way cuter than just having a big wooden chest inside a metal minecart.

finally have actual linkages to tie minecarts together. it can just be a lead idc.

maybe a minecart that can be filled with rails that it automatically places as it goes? idk about this one

another maybe is that detector rails could be configured to only activate one-way.

a third maybe is having "lazy rails" that let the minecart travel at the speeds that they do now, so people who would inevitably complain about these changes ruining their finetuned overly-complex redstone rail machines could have something to use.

And finally i would have a bumper rail that can bounce back a minecart at half its speed, or its full speed with no loss if powered with redstone.

so i would definitely use rails and minecarts WAY more if these features were in place, they would be actually efficient for long and short distance travel, more versatile and less rigid in how you can actually place them, you can use redstone and train linkages to create more complicated railway setups if you want, it would all LOOK better, and it could actually be useful for putting in mineshafts. as it stands now, you have to put powered rails all over the place (a full chest minecart can only move 16 blocks per single powered rail boost! and it will slow down heavily before reaching the next too), fill up your stupid looking chest minecart and push it down where you then have to have a big redstone setup to automatically send the cart back, timed with a redstone timer (either a massive repeater one or a smarter comparator/observer one) so that the cart has time to unload into the hopper below it before being sent off again where it can make its way back to you.

in my update, you can fill the (good looking) chest minecart and use a single powered rail to push it where it will continue to the end (slowly, but at a far more consistent and as a baseline FASTER pace) where it will reach a detector rail connected to a rail signal which will start its timer, stopping the minecart. the cart will unload into the hopper, the timer will finish, sending the minecart into a powered bumper rail on the end where it will flip directions and be sent back, it will pass through the rail signal (because the detector block is on the other side) as if it were a normal rail, and come all the way back to me.

[memecatwings]

i think the thing thats absolutely throwing me about the missing sub is that its a situation that feels like it could only have happened in a hypothetical. the fact that its actually real and actually happening feels astronomically improbable and yet it happened. a CEO really did build a rinky-dink submersible to visit the titanic wreckage with a playstation controler as a steering wheel and no emergency action plan and he invited a small group of wealthy guests to pay 250 thousand each for a ticket and then they all disappeared. he's quoted as saying he doesnt care about safety. it sounds like some sort of made up ethics scenario or a rejected scifi plot from the 1930s. this is not a tragedy that befalls any normal unsuspecting person hell this isnt even a normal corporate incompetence and capitalist greed tragedy. this is some loony toons jules verne bullshit. this is a rejected knives out movie script.

[intheholler]

what do you think of all of the people being scared of appalachia? i don't know if this is recent or not, but currently i've been seeing a ton of shit online like "never go to the appalachian mountains, it's so dangerous", and i just don't understand it. my family's lived in appalachia for forever, and none of us have experienced anything paranormal or endangering to us. you're one of my favorite blogs on here and i'd just like to hear your thoughts on it

first off, it means a lot that i'm one of your favorite blogs and im really happy i can contribute something to your experience here :') thanks so much for being here <333

but ok so.

my thoughts on it are many. it's been bothering me a long time and i've been meaning to get it off my chest. this will be long and probably ranty, so it won't hurt my feelings if anyone skims lol

lemme preface this little diatribe by saying the obvious: folklore is an integral part of any culture. the mythos of a place/people is tied directly to their histories and unique experiences and struggles and they are enriching. this is true of appalachia too.

oral folk traditions especially are incredibly historically appalachian.

i mentioned in a post i made yesterday about murder ballads, how the purpose of these was to warn kids away from doing dumb shit and getting lost in the hollers--falling down cliffs n mineshafts and shit at night. gettin got by wildlife.

it spooked us safe. they served a purpose, and once you got old enough to realize they're as real as the tooth fairy, they just become enjoyable and nostalgic. because they're you're culture.

probably every mountain kid has stories about haints n boogers that were told to them by their grandparents, and they grow up to tell them to their own kids, and so on. some of it stuck with me because i grew up with the folklore.

by that i mean, i'm a whole 31 year old woman and i still avoid looking out a dark window at night cause it gives me the shivers. i still get spooked when i hear a big cat yowling in the woods. but the difference is i know there's not really haints out there crying--it's just a product of my childhood. ghost stories are fun.

the problem comes in when someone outside the culture gets their hands on appalachian oral folk traditions. then, it becomes a familiar problem: outsiders cherry picking appalachia and harming us with the mess they make rifling through it all.

it's all about the surface level and the visuals. they all love a good aesthetic blog, run by some local from out west or some shit who's never stepped foot here.

but as soon as the spooky photo filters come off and the real life marginalized person is left standing there just out of frame, we go back to being disgusting examples of what not to be. decrepit churches n buildings are aesthetic and quirky until they stop being on a pinterest board, and then they just become damning images of an impoverished region who deserves to be laughed at.

now, not to holler 'splain you--this is more for anyone not from here who might read this: it's been a systemic issue for decades; there were literal government campaigns to demonize us to the rest of the nation so they could garner support to cut into our mountains and exploit our labor and resources.

well, they were fuckin successful, and we have been falsely made out to be this homogenous nightmare of a place--"welfare exploiting" maga country who deserves everything we get, and nothing we don't.

by going so far as to take appalachian folklore that we tell each other and picking out the "aesthetic" stuff--the haints and general paranormal--they are pruning what they like from our culture--the safe things, like ghost stories--for their own aesthetic use.

but not only that, they are using it to demonize us… yet again.

'appalachia is scary. it's full of things that will kill you. don't look out the window at night cause a booger will get you.' only they don't call them boogers cause they ain't even from here. ask them what a haint is and they'll ask if u mispelled 'haunt.'

it gets even worse when you consider that so much of it has roots in native american culture, and how that continues to be exploited and misrepresented.

i'm not even innocent of that. a while back i had to check myself because i made a comment on here about ~spooky appalachia~ ignorant to the fact that what i was commenting on was actually a deeply important cultural and spiritual element to local indigenous tribes. my comments were harmful by my failure to educate myself and know better, thereby saying things carelessly.

my point being--i'm from the area. i should have known better.

when outsiders start saying the kind of shit they say about what they think they hear in the woods without even knowing where such an idea comes from, they're disrespecting a displaced, abused and exploited people, harming real cultures just for clicks without even knowing. that's on top of the damage they're doing to greater appalachia.

it's fuckin gross.

i think my favorite one i ever seen was this middle aged white lady going through her pristine mcmansion somewhere in suburbia, pulling the million curtains and locking the million doors, going "nighttime routine in appalachia!! 🤪🤪"

i could be wrong about this particular person--i didn't check their other tiktoks because im sick of them accounts and tired of giving them the benefit of the doubt--but it immediately came off as a transplant because:

1) mcmansion, 2) i dont know nobody here that locks their shit down like that (not locking up could even be argued as a part of my local culture, a reflection of our deep sense of community and trust in our neighbors).

and then the comments was all like "i don't know how you guys live there" and it actually broke my heart and pissed me off because even if--especially if--you're one of us, why the fuck are you harming us for likes? why are you turning people against us in a brand new way?

and to the transplants that do this--why?

you're not even from here, you moved here to this place you hate and made it worse just so your front porch would have a nice view, and are now benefiting socially from perpetuating bullshit about us?

you buy up all the land, land we often had no choice but to sell in the first place to survive instead of passing it on to our families, land we originally took from the indigenous peoples your content comes from.

you overdevelop it and turn it unrecognizable to make it more like the comfortable cities you come from. you gut a mountain town of its local businesses and cultures, you price people out of their homes...

...and then once you settle in all cozy like, you go tell everyone else how scary it is? how you can't trust the hills? like it's a cool paranormal bravery badge to wear? fuck off entirely.

so idk, in short my personal thoughts are: i personally enjoy a little myth as a treat, because the folklore is a part of the gothic, a part of our culture and a part of my childhood. i don't (intentionally) wield it as a weapon or use it as a pedestal to get the weird brand of attention that people like them are after.

and those who do this can get got by them haints for all i care.

[krypticcafe]

Happy Super Late Valentines </3

rating: PG-13/teen

pairing: harry warden/the miner x gn!reader

warning(s): reader had a boyfriend, brief mention of cheating, small mentions of blood, violence, and gore, and harry being scary, for j u s t a bit.

synopsis: you had a shitty valentines day, and harry comes to pick up the leftovers.

a/n: okay, I haven't written fanfic in years, so please excuse me if this comes off as an uber corny dumpster fire. I'm just trying to have fun :'))))

So what if it's Valentine's Day?

So what if you wanted to spend a peaceful time with your boyfriend at home with some baked cookies?

So what if you accidentally burnt those cookies?

So what if you were so paranoid that it felt like someone was watching you the entire time?

So what if your boyfriend pushed asked you to go with him and his friends in some spooky abandoned mineshaft?

So what if you were surrounded by couples making out in a cramped, dark, and cold nooks and crannies and one of them happened to be your best friend and your now ex-boyfriend?

So what if you lashed out, dumped him, stormed out of the cave only to get more lost due to the heat of your anger?

It's fine. It's whatever. Could be worse.

Or at least that's what you told yourself to cope with the shredding of your heart and the burning tears.

Oooooh, but that bastard! The audacity to cheat on you, with her of all people! And he was such an idiot to do so after inviting you to come! Did he not think for a fraction of a second that he'd get caught? Or did all the blood in his brain just go to his dic-

God, what were you thinking, coming here with those guys, giving him the time of day?

Looking back on things, you realized you dodged not a bullet, but a whole missile. But did it reslly have to be on Valentines Day of all days? The world really is just that cruel.

And it was about to get even more cruel.

Screams, maybe half a dozen of them, echoed and bounced off the walls of the cave, finding their way to you. At first, you assumed the group was messing with each other. Either way, you could care less.

Then they started growing more frequent and louder, and you scowled.

'In here after that fiasco? Really? Christ, I'm never going out with any of them ever aga-'

Then you heard a blood-curdling scream. Suddenly, you started to prefer the possibility of what you originally thought they were doing.

Your head whipped to the tunnel left of you as you heard a scream far too familiar, and your body began to curl in on itself as you sat in a ball in the corner.

Footsteps began beating from the same corridor where the scream originated.

Anticipating the worst, you wiped the blur from your eyes, took a deep breath, and braced your hand over a nearby stone that you deemed good enough to buy you some time.

The footsteps grew louder, but remained at a painstakingly steady pace, as if to tease your demise. There was a loud thunk! before the screech of metal scraping rock pierced your ears. You were half expecting to see the grim reaper at this point.

Instead, you were greeted with someone else who might as well be the same person. They were tall, broad, and clad in nothing but a full set of miner's gear. Not a single speck of skin peeked past any part of their clothing, and their mask even managed to hide their eyes behind the dark lens. With what little brightness there was provided by the dim cave lights, you just barely noticed the glistening of the blood on their uniform and the way it dripped down the tip of their pickaxe.

You recognized him as the man from the town's local urban legend. It always seemed cheesy and way too cliche to you but here you were, face to face with the man, the myth himself. Would he make you another one of his victims tonight? Would your death become just another story told at the campfire? The thought made your stomach turn.

The two of you stayed in silence, your hand still gripping the stone while you stared at the miner, searching for any movement that suggesting that you'd be the next one to eat metal. But all you could see was the way his chest heaved, rising and falling from what you understood as the cause of all those screams from earlier.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Clank!

To your surprise, he set down his pickaxe and approached you, kneeling down to your curled form. His head tilted slightly, as if to get a better look at you. A part of you wished you could see his eyes, wondered where he stared, why he stared. As embarrassing as it is to admit, you froze like a deer in headlights, squeezing your eyes shut when he lifted a hand and-

... wiped a tear on your cheek.

You didn't even remember the stone until he pried it from your hand and interlaced your fingers with his, pulling you up with him and into his embrace as he lightly petted your head.

Was he... comforting you?

It would've worked well if uh, he didn't reek of blood and dust.

Staying still as if your life depended on it (it probably did), you let him do as he pleased.

He pulled away from you but kept a gentle grip on your hand, nodding his head in the direction of the tunnels. You couldn't be bothered to question anything anymore, shock was the only thing that kept the fatigue from catching up.

He led you down countless tunnels and caverns, passing by bodies mangled beyond recognition, except for one. You were pretty sure that one was the cretin.

The entire time, the hold his hand had on yours was nothing short of soft and comforting, it almost warmed your heart. Almost.

Eventually, you found where he was taking you, back to the entrance of the mineshaft. He let go of your hand and urged you to the opening. Hesitantly stepping forward, you paused and looked back. He still stood there, though less menacing than he was before despite all the blood and dirt caked on him.

"I- uh... thank you."

Your voice was shaky from processing the events of the past few hours and you had no requirement to thank him, but you felt like you'd regret it if you didn't. The sentiment came across, and he nodded, reaching up again to trace a thumb on your cheek before giving it an affectionate pinch. You watched as he turned and left back into the abyss of the mines, disappearing into the cavern.

It was still dark outside, but you knew the way back from here. You were no longer shaking, nor seething, and the walk back home was oddly peaceful for it being so late in the night.

So what if you might want to see him again?

Bonus

The next morning, you woke up with your eyes feeling raw and your feet sore, but work calls and you had to get up nonetheless.

Nursing a cup of coffee, you checked your door for any mail, instead finding a bright red, heart-shaped box at your doorstep. Fortunately, it didn't contain any beating human heart as the urban legends told, but interestingly enough, a single wild rose and a card.

"Happy Valentines, won't you be mine? - Harry"

[seat-safety-switch]

Most of you have never driven a car that's got a supercharger on it. Despite mass-media's glorification of the humble Roots (and even the inferior screw-type,) production automobiles have, at best, a turbocharger. Aftermarket cars? Turbos are cheap as hell from AliExpress, slap 'em on there.

The humble supercharger is dying out, between "it costs more to make," "you actually have to maintain it," "belts are icky," and "it caused my fuel economy to poop off a cliff." I think this is a little disappointing. We've lost our heritage as far as Mad Max-style blower whine goes. And that's on gas cars, the exclusive province of "maybe this is a bad idea, but it makes a cool noise."

Even though the sound of an IGBT-stuffed inverter spooling up and getting its gallop on is certainly exciting, there's no way we can put a supercharger on top of an electric car. It will simply cease to exist, lost along with the internal-combustion engine in favour of effortless, abundant torque from any speed.

Don't worry, though. I've got a solution. Many people don't know this, but the Roots supercharger originates in mineshaft ventilation. Bossmen kept having their workers run out of oxygen and die deep underground. The solution? Build a giant machine that pumps compressed air down the mineshaft, and make those ungrateful labourers suck in fresh air whether they like it or not. Sure, a couple lungs were popped, and even the dumbest forum tuner will tell you that the increased air-fuel ratio forced a lot of miners to eat a bigger breakfast, but it worked out. And it can work out for ourselves in this great new modern era.

If there's one thing that electric cars don't currently have, it's good air conditioning. Keeping the humans inside comfortable is simply too much of a drag on current. By cutting a hole in the roof, and then welding a Roots-type supercharger onto that roof, we can easily ventilate the cabin enough to blow the windows out of the doors. Sure, it does mean quite a bit of parasitic loss (that's engineer for "it's kinda hard to push until it really gets going,") but I think it's worth it to preserve our culture. Also, you should really wear ear protection while you're sitting that close to it.

[mychlapci]

Sharing regular headcanons for celibacy week, Megatron naturally runs very cold.

All miner bots are actually really cold. The mineshafts typically were very warm and the constant exhausting labor made bots heat up fast, skewing the disposable laborers' cooling systems to always run high would keep them from overheating so fast and having to stop work, it just made sense in a functionalist world.

Cut to the lost light where Megatron is in space with a fairly small crew considering the size of the ship, he is fucking freezing all the time. Being the co captain is a lot more sitting around and piloting than hard labor and fighting, so he has nothing to overwork his body into heating at a consistent level. Victory lap timeline where we can all pal around, Megatron would love pulling Rodimus into his lap while he works, he's gotta steal all his body heat so his old man joints don't lock up, and everyone knows Rodimus formerly Hot Rod is practically a bonfire on legs, he'd probably get just as much satisfaction cozying up with someone so chilly. When he's laying in his berth for the night he likes when Minimus in his turbo fox alt curls up on his chest. It's something Ravage used to do that, while not providing a ton of warmth physically, warmed his spark at the closeness. Having his conjunx nestled against him instead of his amica was more than enough to bring heat to Megatron's poorly designed cold spark.

oh lord... Megatron using Minimus and Rodimus as his own little heaters is so gooood. When he gets comfortable around to admit to himself and everyone else that being freezing all the damn time is not Fun, he'll be snatching Roddy into his chair left and right, holding him close to get all that sweet, sweet bodyheat.

And Minimus loves sleeping on Megatron's huge, rumbling chest, especially when he knows that he's warming his spark for the night. Let Rodimus join in for one night and Megatron will never let either of them sleep alone now. They're his own heated blankets now.

[onyourowndaisymae]

hi!!!!!! can i request the minecraft post u did for the dateables but for the brothers? i love ur writing sm it's so cute <3333

obey me brothers playing minecraft with you

thank you so much for the love <33 this was actually a lot of fun to write because all of these men are so very ridiculous. cheers to my first ever request!

[dateables version]

content warnings: language, bullying the villagers, killing the animals, you know how minecraft is

prompt: you've somehow convinced these guys to play minecraft, a human world game, one night, just the two of you. but how exactly does that experience go?

{established relationship, obey me x reader with the brothers}

Lucifer

oh. oh peepaw.

you really have to coax this man into playing with you. he's perfect at everything, all the time-- to engage in activity like this one, in front of you of all people, wounds his ego more than he'd like to admit. he doesn't want you to see him be bad at something. what if you no longer respect him? what if his inability to comprehend the little block people's actions are enough to ruin your love for him? he's genuinely distressed about this (not that he'd let it show), but you seem interested, so he reluctantly agrees.

two key things are necessary when playing minecraft with lucifer: patience and teamwork.

leaving him to do any task alone is daunting. the perfectionism paralyzes him a bit in these moments. take him with you! collect wood together, mine in the same mineshaft, hunt monsters together-- all of it starts to ease his mind when you work together. he starts to focus not on his pride but his love for you and spending quality time by your side.

as time progresses, he does eventually get a grip in the controls and mechanics-- well, as much as you can expect a dinosaur like him to understand. you still do a lot of tasks together in-game, but it's more of camaraderie thing by that point. he just likes being by your side, okay? don't make him say it, or you'll be hunting monsters by yourself bestie.

lucifer is also a really big fan of the soundtrack. it's so simple yet well-composed, a stark different to that garish video game music levi listens to. please play with the sound up and let him enjoy the sound of the rain intermingling with the music; his relaxed face is very cute.

Mammon

what's that? you wanna play minecraft with the great mammon? of course you do! he's gonna be the best player you've ever seen, just ya wait-- what's that? no, he's never touched the game before, but he knows he'll be fantastic. watch and learn, baybee, cuz the great mammon is here to show up and show out.

what he lacks in skill, he makes up several times over in enthusiasm. this is important, because he absolutely lacks skill.

mammon is a dangerous combination of unobservant and overenthusiastic, leading to every stupid situation you can think of. he thinks he sees an important resource, so he leaves for juuust a second... boom. he's lost. he somehow manages to attract lava in every. single. cave. at this point, you have to ban him from carrying anything important.

one thing he is good at is monster hunting. he's made it his mission from day 1 to protect you, whether it be real life or in a video game. he'll face a monster-- enderman, creeper, sneaky skeleton, you name it-- without an ounce of fear if it means you'll live another in-game day (some might call this excessive, but you just call it cute).

like everything with mammon, sometimes his instinct to protect you goes overboard. he tries to ban you from entering the mines and going outside at night because what if a monster gets you, human?? fortunately for you, he never figured out how to run in-game, so just sprint past him and carry on.

on a completely unrelated note-- this greedy motherfucker (said with SO much affection) hordes all the treasures in-game like a dragon. his goal is to build you two a mansion of diamond and gold. this is very cute if you once again ignore the fact that he keeps FALLLING IN LAVA with all his vauables. y'all are never getting anywhere in this game.

Leviathan

levi is, hands down, the best person to play minecraft with. you don't have to teach him a thing-- in fact, he's probably the one that brought it up to you!

he's very pleased that you'd indulge in one of his hobbies like this, regardless of whether you actually play video games or not. just the thought of you there, sitting next to him, hanging out with him because you want to be around a shut-in otaku like him... the thought gives him butterflies.

... y'all can't actually share a house by the way. he gets too flustered. make a joke about putting your minecraft beds together and he's blushing. it does not matter how long you've been together, his reaction will always be the same.

he's one of the only ones that you can progress through the game with. bashful levi is amazing in the mines. he's got a system down pat that'll help you guys find your way back to the entry point, where he's set up a base camp with chests and resources so you won't have to resurface until you're done. smart, right?

y'all actually go to the nether and the end. he's very quick to pick up the game's mechanics and use his luck to to help you guys progress. every victory is shared; what's the fun of winning if you're not winning together?

levi will play with you basically any time you ask. he loves when you refer to it as "our minecraft world". better yet, praise him for all his hard work in making your world and watch him melt. he's just a sucker for your love, and the fact that he's actually good at this activity makes him all the more happy to do it with you.

Satan

satan doesn't really know much about this game that you're describing, but he's willing to play it with you if you're really that interested. he's always ready to learn more about things from the human world; when you tell him this is one of the most popular games up on earth, he wants to try it at least once.

satan is not the best in general at video games, but he's quick-witted and resourceful, so the two of you get by just fine. the problem mostly lies in the fact that satan's audacity gets you into trouble sometimes. there is no little voice in his head telling him not to do something potentially dangerous and stupid, especially if there's some reward to gain on the other side. he is fully convinced he can take on an iron golem with a stone sword and no armor, just you watch--

be carefully with letting him run around freely. there's lots of ways to die in this game, and each failure pokes at the embers of wrath below his cool exterior.

this intelligent lil guy figures out redstone pretty damn quick. he'll use this knowledge to create lots of little creations meant to make your camp better. whether or not this actually helps is an entirely different story... but look! a gate! aren't you so proud of him? (please praise him, he needs it so bad)

and you wouldn't be playing with satan if all progress didn't come to a stop the moment he spots an ocelot. when you tell him you can befriend them, he's overjoyed. look at how cute they are! one ocelot turns into two, then three, then four... suddenly there's a small army of ocelots in your house that he's caring for. y'all better make room in your joint minecraft bed or satan will feel like a bad cat dad. he's so ridiculous and i love him

Asmodeus

this man plays minecraft with his priorities straight-- he spends way too long creating a cute character skin to play with, then builds a cute house and decorates it to the nines, then focuses on finding himself the cutest armor and weapons... all before doing literally anything productive, btw.

do not expect asmodeus to be much help. he's mostly there for moral support. he cannot do things "for survival" like gathering food and resources or building a starter home. everything must be perfect, or it doesn't get done. asmo did not craft himself a bed until he was able to dye the wool pink and have a cute pink bed. he cannot bring himself to live in an ugly house, so you either need to help him or listen to him whine about getting rained on or attacked by monsters until he's done.

this is not to imply that playing with asmo is not fun!!

asmo is not a monster hunter, a miner, or any good at gathering resources. however, his experience with makeup makes him insanely creative. while you might not have a house for several days, the end result even gives barbatos' house a run for its money. his decor is always very cute and clean, soft even in the blocky 2D world. he'll make your whole base camp aesthetically pleasing if you let him (please let him-- his smile is worth it).

asmo often finds himself a damsel in distress. he'll fall in holes and get very confused, scream when he gets attacked, and generally need you to protect him at every turn. succeed, though, and he'll hail you as one of the most amazing people he's ever met. the game will be discarded as he throws his arms around you, kissing you all over the face and showering you in praises, all for saving his house from a stray creeper.

oh, and he'll definitely put your beds next to each other and smirk at you. what did you expect from the avatar of lust? cornball

Beelzebub

sweet, beloved baby beel. he's ready and willing to play with you whenever. if you want to make some actual progress, prepare lots of snacks and set a cozy atmosphere to keep him full and content. playing with the avatar of gluttony does require a little prep in that regard.

this (metaphorical) angel really has a hard time killing any of the livestock. he apologizes aloud anytime he has to slay one and explains to the poor creature why he's killing them. sorry, little sheep guy, but you two need to make beds. the cows make him feel especially bad because they remind him of belphie.

he's really big on making sure you guys have a secure, safe home to hide away in. sometimes, things get really overwhelming in the game, so he wants you to have a space where you feel safe and protected enough to calm down. this bunker is definitely a bit ugly, but we can't win them all.

play with him long enough and all the food will start looking really tasty to him. that bread looks a little too real, doesn't it, mc? and that cake is so life-like... redirect him to his snack horde, stat.

he also wants to do all of your tasks together. when he's there with you, he can make sure you're safe or offer you help when your struggling to complete a task on your own. he want to make sure you're having fun! let him help you, please, it makes him feel loved. he likes spending time with you.

definitely doesn't get the "putting your minecraft beds together" joke. you can either explain the to him and watch him blush, or let him live with the assumption that it's for extra cuddle room.

Belphegor

you've got to coax belphie into playing with you for a few days, because honestly? that sounds like a lot of work. not only does he have to participate, but he's also got to learn, too? he's already yawning just talking about it all.

he'll eventually snuggle in with his back against your chest and your arms clumsily holding the controller in front of him. he doesn't particularly care that this position makes gaming difficult for you, not when you're cuddling him like this. it's really a win-win situation in his eyes: he'll play the little block game if you shower him in unconditional affection any time he wants. what a deal! his youngest child energy really shows in times like these.

belphie is heartless when it comes to raiding villages and collecting resources. what's that? you feel bad? they're not real, mc. they don't have feelings. they don't care that you're stealing from them. if it really makes you feel bad he'll stop, but he will complain about how much easier things could have been if you'd just robbed a village or two.

somehow, some way, he's also super lucky?? he'll stumble upon rare resources with little to no effort and snicker about how you're still scrambling for supplies. don't worry, he'll share. only if you beg, though. go on. he wants to hear it. maybe, maybe he'll be willing to give you the diamonds he found if you convince him. (what a fucking menace!)

he will, eventually, fall asleep while playing. the music is too soft and your arms around him are too warm for him to not drift off. that's okay. carefully take the controller away from him, save the game, shut down the system, and settle in for the night. he'll cuddle closer in his sleep, unconsciously touched by the gesture, and drag you into dreamland with him.

[ricecooka]

nosramus fluff to fuel an addiction

@twotruckschillinginahottub has a crush on a decrepit old man stalking the dungeons but he is so babygirl and I am an enabler<3

Time doesn't seem to flow the same down in the dungeons. The last time you saw daylight it was midday, the hot sun high in the sky. In stark difference, the dungeon air is cold and dry. You could've been down here for several hours...days...perhaps even a week.

In the present moment you are stumbling in dimly lit tunnels, you run your hand across the wall to find your way. You see movement in the darkness and freeze, you're certain that there can't be anything actually there. You must be seeing things.

"Are you lost?"

A voice lingers in the air, it steals your breath and your heart surges blood into your aching limbs.

The body of the voice comes closer, at first you believed it was another one of those eerie squid like beasts. But, after you squint you realize the figure is humanoid.

"How did you even find yourself down here? You don't even have a weapon...you must be lucky."

If your voice wasn't so weak you would've laughed.

On second look this stranger was the prettiest thing you've seen in the dungeons, a nice change of pace from the other horrors you've witnessed. Obviously they have been here for a long time, messy pale blonde hair hangs over the floor and obscures his smooth skin and sunken eyes. He wears a simple brown robe but what is so unique about it is that there is not a tear or stain on it. As if this garment was just made yesterday. You look down at your own worn down boots and blood soaked cloak and blush. In a large city this man would be quite ordinary, but here, down in what you assume is probably the fourth circle of hell disguised as a mineshaft, a well maintained man in simple clean clothes seems astonishing.

"My name is Nosramus. Would you like to follow me to my lab?"

The fleeting thought of this man strapping you to a desk and dissecting you doesn't prevent you from nodding your head. You follow him...out of desperation. Or at least that's how you justify it in your head. Desperation and nothing else.

You stumble about in the darkness again, this time following the blonde hair dragging along the floor. The both of you walk in the winding road of the dungeons for a while and stop at a heavy metal door.

You watch Nosramus pull a key from his sleeves and unlock the door. Immediately the door opens as if it were weightless. Light floods out and stings your eyes. Behind the door is a polished library of stone and other various contraptions used for science you assumed. Nothing sharp or pointy looking, that was a good sign.

"Take a seat. I can get you something to eat."

You sit on a wooden stool as he walks over to a stove. He grabs a kettle to pour himself a cup of yellowish tea.

He returns to you with a soup, it smells of pig fat and steamed vegetables. The bowl is slightly misshapen when you hold it, unable to contain your impulse you sip the broth until all that remains is the chunks of potato and carrot. Nosramus watches you with an amused smile.

"I assume you like it?" He says as you pick up the wet vegetables with your hands.

You look up at him and nod, suddenly embarrassed for eating with your hands.

"You don't seem to talk much...perhaps if you get some rest you will become more sociable?

In the lantern light of the library Nosramus emits an unnatural glow.

"It's probably rusty by now but I have a cot behind those shelves if you want to sleep there."

You reason with yourself, this man has let you into his residence, has fed you and is now asking you to nap in his room. In the absolute worst case scenario, the soup was drugged and after you pass out he will brutally murder you. You tilt your head in thought, despite how...peculiar he looks...his smile seems sincere. You've already gone this far trusting him so why stop now?

Warily you nod your head once again. His genuine smile appears once again and you feel a slight twitch in your chest and your ears turn red and warm.

He directs you to a corner where an old but clean cot lies against the wall. To your left you see a wide map of the known world carved into the wall.

"Rest well, understood? I'll be doing some reading...I hope you do not mind if you hear me reading aloud." He explains as he holds a thick book.

You sigh deeply as you relax into the cot...it creaks slightly. You face Nosramus once again before closing your eyes.

Minutes later you hear his voice again as you balance on the edge of sleep. He speaks in a language you do not know in hushed tones. You hear the sound of fluttering pages.

Somehow, you have never felt safer.

[aliteral-ghost]

This is a fic I wrote for the 100 minutes challenge! This one was themed around adventure, and I took inspiration from the prompts childhood and treasure! You can find it on ao3 here!

Ren and False reminisce about their first failed expedition after failing to find treasure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were not successful in their attempt to find the buried treasure. After looking for several hours, nearly digging up the entire beach, Ren and False decide to take a break before heading back to the ship, sitting on the knotted roots of a nearby mangrove tree. 

“We haven’t had an expedition this bad since we were kids, have we?” Ren muses, pulling at a loose twig and starting to snap it into tiny bits.

“No,” False says. She likes things to go right, and is pouting a bit because of it. The map said it was going to be at this spot, and it lied. She doesn’t like that. She doesn’t like uncertainty. 

“That time… it sure went badly, didn’t it?” Ren asks, laughing. “Didn’t we manage to get lost in a mineshaft and completely waste time and energy before we ran out of time and had to go home?”

False laughs as well, remembering the amount of dirt and cobwebs they were covered in. “And you-didn’t you nearly fall into a cave or something, and I had to pull you out?”

“The first of many, many times you’ve saved my ass.”

This is true. False and Ren are inseparable from each other, but they’re also inseparable from trouble. In their many years of exploring and collecting treasures, they’ve met challenges that would kill explorers with less conviction and experience. A massive kraken, hordes of other pirates, they’ve seen it all. But their first exploration didn’t go quite as well.

“We…” False pauses, trying to remember what had happened. “We heard about it from Bdubs, right? He was bragging about this treasure he had hidden one day and said that no one would ever be able to find it.”

Ren huffs a laugh. “You were so convinced we could find it, because we’re so much better than Bdubs, and I just wanted to do anything that you were doing.”

“You were like a sad puppy, always following me around,” False stares off into the horizon, where their ship is waiting, bobbing on the waves. “It was kind of cute, honestly.”

“You thought I was cute?” 

She looks over at him and sees that Ren’s eyes are the largest puppy dog eyes she’s ever seen. “You were so small!” False exclaims. “And you kept tripping all over yourself to keep up with me!”

“I was, wasn’t I?” Ren laughs. “It came in use in that adventure, though, we would have never gotten out if I hadn’t managed to squeeze through those fallen beams.”

“Sure. That’s the only reason.” It might have been, if she’s honest with herself, but False would never tell Ren about that. She’ll never give him a win like that. “We never found that treasure, though, did we? I can never remember.”

“Nope!” Ren claps his hands. “And we never told Bdubs that we even tried to, because we knew that he would hold it over us for the rest of our lives. We’re not gonna tell anyone that we haven’t found this one either, are we?”

“Absolutely not.”

Ren laughs. “That’s what I thought. Come on, the rest of the crew is gonna start worrying if we take much longer.”

They hop down from the tree roots, headed for the beached dinghy nearby. They may be older, but it feels like they’re kids again. As they’re walking, nearly at the waterline, Ren trips over something. It’s the edge of a gilded box, poking out of the wet sand. 

“No way. It was right here?” False throws her hands up in exasperation. The shovel she’s been holding goes flying, and nearly hits Ren in the head where he tripped and fell. Better the shovel than her sword. 

Ren stands up and pulls her away from the buried treasure. “Not a word of this to the crew,” he insists. “They cannot know about what an utter failure this has been.”

The crew knows full well that Ren has a proclivity for being clumsy, even though they won’t say it, but False just nods and laughs. “Of course, captain. Anything to protect your ego.”

They return to the ship, Ren complaining the whole way, and don’t say anything about it to the rest of the crew when they arrive. There are some adventures that don’t need to be shared.

[rising-volteccers]

Honestly after talking with some friends, this is the impression I get from them so have this silly meme. Oh and the what-if scene for HZ023, if you care.

All jokes aside, I genuinely had fun writing this! This is how I personally would love to see happen. I hope it'll be an enjoyable read haha!

Series: Pokemon Horizons

Characters: Friede, Amethio

Mild warning for description of character injury. And HZ022-HZ023 spoilers.

--

The loud screech that emanated deep within the mines stole his attention and halted the battle between them. Friede did say Amethio wouldn’t catch him looking away but his eyes automatically flickered to the source. What he saw emerging from the tunnel made his blood run cold.

Liko and Roy. Cap, badly wounded in Liko’s arms. Something big and angry chasing after them. 

“Charizard, Flamethrower!” Friede ordered almost immediately.

His trusted partner swiftly fired off a stream of fire from its mouth, hitting the Pokemon that looked like Moltres dead center. 

“Friede!” He heard Liko yell as the mine cart rapidly brought the kids and Cap away–hopefully towards safety. 

“Keep going! Take care of Cap!” 

Liko’s desperate scream of his name made his heart ache with guilt but Friede couldn’t afford to spare them any more attention, not when the flaming Pokemon turned its fury filled sights upon him. 

To his brief surprise, he zeroed in on the Ancient Pokeball grasped between its talons. So, this was one of Lucius’s Pokemon too? Like Rayquaza and Arboliva?

The Moltres lookalike once again screeched in fury, and Friede swore he saw fire-like aura emitting from it. All of them had to dodge the bevy of Air Slash crescents fired off from its wings, where some veered towards the tunnel where Liko and Roy escaped earlier. It swiftly caused that mineshaft to collapse. 

Ah, so more like Rayquaza than the gentle Arboliva then. Got it.

“Guess I made it mad,” he uttered, smirking nervously. While Friede enjoyed battling against strong opponents, even he knew better than to contend with multiple enemies at once. At least between the two in front of him, one could be reasoned with. Hopefully.

“Hey! Temporary truce?” Friede spoke to the still frozen Amethio. That snapped the teen out of whatever trance he’d been in.

“What? Why–”

“Look out! Flamethrower!” Friede ordered, to which his Charizard readily fired off another stream of flames towards the wave of dark purple energy targeting Amethio and Ceruledge. Chillingly, the Flamethrower passed through it so nothing stopped the attack from hitting Trainer and Pokemon head on. 

“Amethio! Charizard, go up close and use Dragon Claw!”

With a mighty flap of his wings, Charizard surged upwards with gleaming orange claws, rearing them back before striking at the furious Pokemon.

In the meantime, Friede rushed towards Amethio and Ceruledge. Both of them were flat on the ground, looking like they were struggling to get up. He didn’t spot any immediate visible wounds but their actions indicated that something was wrong still. 

“What’s wrong? Where are you hurt?” 

“Ngh… it’s like all my energy’s been sapped,” Amethio replied through gritted teeth. He had pushed himself onto his elbows, looking past Friede to stare at the Moltres currently engaged in an aerial battle with Charizard. 

An attack that sapped away at one’s stamina? If Friede looked closely, both Amethio and Ceruledge breathed out what appeared to be black wisps. Through his extensive knowledge of Pokemon and their moves, he was genuinely at a lost. He’d never seen an attack–outside of Ghost-type moves–that didn’t directly harm the user but drained their energy before. 

Charizard’s roar drew Friede’s attention to his flier. He saw Charizard swooped out of the way from that odd attack again but within the enclosed area, his room to fly around was pretty limited. The moment that Moltres get a good solid hit in, it was over. 

Friede swiftly checked his surroundings. Aside from the mineshaft that the kids emerged from and the one that collapsed behind him, there was one more that he vaguely recall Amethio coming out from. While he wasn’t keen on entering deeper into the mines, their priority right now was to get away. 

A small part of him bemoaned the loss of fighting against such a strong opponent but he couldn’t be selfish here. Not when he needed to get Amethio towards safety. He might be someone who stood against him but he too was painfully mortal, just like Friede was. It didn’t matter that they were enemies once that Moltres got its fury filled talons on their squishy bodies. 

“Right, we’re gonna head there. Return your Ceruledge and see if you can hold on,” Friede instructed, already in the process of looping one of Amethio’s arms across his shoulders.

“What are you–let go of me!” Right, why would this guy make things easy for him?

“Now’s not the time! Unless you want to take your chances with that thing, we’re getting out of here!” Friede hissed back, losing all traces of his playfully serious mood. From the corner of his eye, he saw how Charizard collided with the stone wall from one of its Air Slashes. His partner wouldn’t last that much longer.

Thankfully, Amethio finally took the hint. After returning Ceruledge, he quieted down even if Friede sensed the disgruntled air coming from him once he pulled the skinny teen to his feet, one of his arms looped around the other’s waist. Amethio did not walk unsteadily but it still took effort for Friede to support him without them swerving from the straight path towards the open mineshaft. 

Just as they reached it, a loud screech halted them. Friede risked a look behind, feeling his heart drop to his stomach upon seeing his downed Charizard. Now the Moltres had its furious sights on them again.

It curled its wings in, gaining an ominous sheen to it before the Moltres released another wave of Air Slashes towards them. Friede didn’t think much when he shoved Amethio inside the mineshaft while he rolled to the side. His ankle screamed at him when he scrambled to his feet, nearly buckling underneath his weight. The slashes barely missed him, though the ones that did connect started to cause the entrance to crumble. 

If he was to get stuck in here and get ripped to shreds, Friede wanted to at least return his Charizard to spare it that gruesome fate. 

Just as he raised his Pokeball to return Charizard, a purplish figure dashed out of the slowly collapsing entrance. Friede heard a call for “Phantom Force!” over the Moltres’s screech and the sound of his partner now safe in its Pokeball. 

Friede spotted Ceruledge emerging from its portal to slash at Moltres from above, effectively drawing its attention that he could stumble his way to the mineshaft, pushing through the fire that surged from his ankle. He just about avoid a fallen support beam, then fell past Amethio who quickly returned his Ceruledge. 

Another loud screech, then the entrance really started collapsing in earnest. Friede instinctively curled into a ball, arms going up to protect his head as earth and stone fell around him. After what felt like forever, it finally stopped.

It was quiet, the only sounds were his labored breaths, and the occasional creak of the settling wreckage. Friede tried to breathe slowly, to calm the rising panic within his chest but all he got was a mouthful of dust. He coughed and wished he had something to wash out the film lining his teeth.

Once his lungs settled down, Friede remembered that he wasn’t alone.

“You alive?”

“Unfortunately,” Amethio grumbled his response, coming somewhere from his left with a pain laced voice. Friede pushed himself up onto his elbows and tried to squint at the other through his still adjusting vision. He couldn’t see any visible wounds aside from the gash that sluggishly bled from Amethio’s forehead. At the very least it looked like he could move normally again.

Pushing through the sharp spike that came from his left leg, Friede army crawled a few feet away from the pile of rubble that temporarily separated them from that dangerous Pokemon still screeching in anger. Once he neared a tarp covered box, he used it as leverage to pull himself up into a sitting position, gasping from both exertion and pain.

With his legs spread out in front of him, Friede knew his left ankle was at least twisted, at worst outright broken. He supposed no good deed goes unpunished. 

“Why did you do that?” As if sensing his thoughts, Amethio hissed out. In the dim lighting, Friede just about made out his angry, somewhat confused scowl. “We would’ve made it. You foolishly got yourself hurt because you tried to play the hero.”

“A thank you would’ve been nice,” Friede replied, sporting a wry grin. He released a slow breath afterwards. “But to answer your question, don’t know. Body just reacted.”

He truly didn’t have an answer for it. Friede saw danger and his first reaction was to keep Amethio out of harm’s way. He’d likely do that for anyone, really. That was just his nature; to fiercely guard and protect those around him, which apparently included Amethio at that moment.

For a bit, no words passed between them. His silence was based on breathing through the pain while Amethio’s appeared cold, maybe contemplative even. The screeching had stopped for the time being so that Moltres probably gave up. Hopefully. Friede wondered if its rage would prompt it to cause the entire mine to collapse.

“...where are you hurt?” Amethio’s question caught him by surprise. Friede fought to mask it, instead raising an eyebrow at the cool gaze settling upon him.

“Left ankle. Probably twisted it,” he replied. Friede instinctively tensed up at Amethio’s approach, hand twitching to the Pokeball that held his injured Charizard. To his continued surprise, the teen crouched in front of his stretched out legs. 

“Hey, watch it!” Friede yelped at the initial touch on his boot, the slight jostle causing a flare up of pain. Amethio briefly paused, then continued to ease his boot out in a gentler manner. He didn’t think the other had it in him to be mindful honestly. 

Friede gritted his teeth through the careful probing. Even he could tell it felt swollen and tender, nevermind the pain that sparked up from the affected area. 

“This needs a splint,” Amethio spoke up after several minutes of silence. He stood up from his crouched position, making a brief sweep of his surroundings. “Those broken beams over there should suffice for now. The only thing left is some kind of cloth to wrap them around your leg and keep them in place.”

Friede considered Amethio’s words. He didn’t expect this level of cooperation but he supposed desperate times called for desperate measures. He shouldn’t look a gift Rapidash in the mouth so he dipped a hand into his pocket, pulling out a small pocket knife.

“Here. Should be able to use this to cut strips from the tarp covering this box. You’d have an easier time doing it than me right now,” he explained, handing the item to Amethio.

Amethio didn’t reach out to grab it, not at first. Friede found himself at the other end of a slightly incredulous gaze.

“What? My arm’s getting sore.”

“You’d hand me a blade that I can point at you?”

Well, considering their usual dynamics, Friede supposed he understood his confusion. He wasn’t too keen about it himself but he banked on what he knew of Amethio’s character from the various times they clashed. 

“I mean, I don’t think you’re the sort who’d stab a guy when he’s down. Too easy of a win for you, no?”

For a moment, Friede wondered if he messed up at the sudden shift in Amethio’s expression. He looked downright annoyed now, his right eye twitching ever so slightly. Did he incite the teen to actually stab him?

Before Friede could store away the knife, Amethio swiped it from his grasp. He sidestepped him to yank at the tarp, pulling it off the box. 

“Hold onto this corner and keep it taut,” Amethio all but ordered. Deciding to not push his luck, Friede did as he was told. Soon, they had various haphazard strips that should fit their purposes. 

Amethio dropped the knife by Friede’s side instead of nicely handing it back to him. A tad rude but hey, definitely better than fending himself off from angry stabs. Amethio soon returned to his side with a couple of broken support beams, roughly in the size they needed to make a temporary splint. 

Friede remained still while Amethio set about in placing the planks on both sides of his left leg. He sort of tuned out the entire process, mostly thinking about where Amethio got this knowledge from. Did he get injured often? As strong as Amethio was in battles, Friede was aware that he didn’t look that much older than Liko and Roy. 

Why was someone as young as him a part of the Explorers? He’d entertain that thought from time to time, admittedly. Whose orders did he follow that he’d chase them from Kanto? Friede was certain that he faced off a different Explorer back in Paldea. It just wasn’t Amethio’s style to resort to trickery and subterfuge. He could have easily went after Liko and Roy when they were separated from him instead of opting to battle.

“...there. How does that feel?” Amethio’s question drew him back to the present. Friede blinked, eyes glancing down at the makeshift splint. 

“Doesn’t feel too tight. Thanks,” he replied after carefully moving his leg. That should help keep his leg stabilized until he gets his ankle properly treated. 

Friede leaned back against the box, took a few deep breaths before looking up at Amethio's quiet gaze. He extended a hand towards the other. "Help me up? Don't know about you but I'd like to find a way out of here."

Amethio eyed his hand like it was something foul but he did grasp it. After a bit of awkward maneuvering, Friede got to his feet, putting minimal pressure on his bad ankle by leaning his weight against Amethio. Instead of shoving him off, the teen simply mimicked his earlier position by wrapping an arm around his waist while one of Friede's arms was draped across Amethio's shoulders.

"Guess our only choice is to go down there and hope it'll lead to an exit," Friede stated, vaguely gesturing to the path that wasn't blocked off by debris and rubble. 

"It'll lead to an open chamber with multiple paths. One of them is an exit," Amethio replied, already making the first move to get him walking.

"Huh." Friede would've asked where his confidence came from but then he recalled Amethio coming out from this tunnel earlier. He couldn't help but wonder for just how long the Explorers kept an eye on them. The very moment they landed in Galar? Friede wanted to keep a low profile by traveling on foot but that seemed to be a bust since Amethio found him all the way here. 

Initially, it took them a few tries to find a way where the height difference and Friede's awkward gait didn't impede their pace. Once they found a rhythm, thus began a slow yet steady walk down the mostly dim tunnel. His eyes had since adjusted, and after a few minutes, he spotted a pinprick of light in the distance.

"Oh good, looks like we're close. Usually people say 'don't go into the light!' but in our case, it's a blessing, yeah?" Friede chattered on, having done so for the past minute since he didn't like how the silence settled on his skin. 

"A head injury would be preferable if it gets you to shut up." Amethio didn't give him a response before but it seemed that he was really getting on his nerves now.

"Oof, a lil' harsh." There might be a hint of a pout to his voice but Friede got the message. He didn't know whether Amethio was above just dropping him like a sack of potatoes so he kept his mouth shut until their claustrophobic surroundings opened up to a larger chamber.

It looked similar to the one they were fighting in before with the same tunnels that led to who knows where. Amethio led them down to the leftmost one, presumably the mineshaft he came in from before. 

Friede couldn't tell how much time had passed. His entire body slowly became one giant ache as he hobbled along, hating the stiffness from the makeshift splint. The edges rubbed against his leg in a way that was noticeable even through the fabric of his trousers. He kept reminding himself that this was necessary even if he wanted nothing more than to get it off. 

Had he been a lesser person, seeing the light at the end of this tunnel would've reduced him to tears. At last, fresh air once they properly exited the mines. Friede wasn't the claustrophobic sort usually but seeing greenery and open space around him, not to mention breathing in dust free air nearly made him crash in relief.

Amethio led him to a nearby tree. Once Friede had a hand on the trunk, the teen swiftly released him like he couldn't stand being pressed close for even a second longer. He watched Amethio dust himself off, futile as it was. Both of them looked like they just crawled out of the ground.

"Don't forget to get that treated," Friede found himself speaking up, tipping his head at the now dried blood that caked Amethio's upper brow. 

He received a blank stare for that. "Duly noted. Take your own unwanted advice."

Well, he supposed that since they were free, all false niceties were off the table. Not that Amethio put much effort in keeping his disdain hidden. They had to work together under unexpected circumstances. Now that the threat no longer loomed over their heads, they returned to their previous dynamic of being enemies.

"I'd love to continue our previous battle but–take a rain check for it, yeah? Promise I'll give it everything I got next time."

There will be a next time. So long as Amethio chased after the pendant, they will inevitably clash. Such was the nature for them who stood on opposite ends. 

(Sometimes Friede did wonder how it'd be like if Amethio had been an ally instead. Perhaps they'd get along better, or maybe even be friends).

Amethio didn't respond. Instead, he turned around and released his Corviknight. 

"Huh, forgot you had that mon," Friede mused. Seeing their fiery opponent (both figuratively and literally), he supposed Amethio didn't want to pit his Steel-type against it earlier.

Friede watched as the teen swiftly got onto his Corviknight. Before his flier took off, Amethio briefly glanced back at him.

"Prepare yourself," was all he said prior to the Corviknight becoming airborne. Friede stared at the pair until they flew out of sight. 

With a deep sigh, he allowed his shoulders to slump. Exhaustion and pain weighed him down in different measures. He made a quick swipe at his face, took in a measuring breath before releasing his Charizard.

His partner was quick to growl its worry. The time spent in its Pokeball allowed the Fire-type a bit of recovery room but they wouldn't be winning any battles until Charizard got properly treated. 

"Hey, sorry for worrying you. I'm fine–well, I will be," Friede quickly amended at Charizard's pointed look to his makeshift splint. He gave his starter a few good scratches underneath his chin.

"Do you think you can give me a lift back to Motostoke? I think the kids would bring Cap there. Just take it nice and easy."

Charizard easily accepted his request. It turned around and lowered itself to the ground, much more than usual to compensate for Friede's current state. He winced from all the jostling but soon, he sat as comfortably as he could on Charizard's back.

Slowly, as if testing his wings, Charizard gave a few flaps. It became stronger, and then they were airborne. 

As Friede settled down during their slow flight back to Motostoke, his mind went back to the Moltres back in the mines. Seeing that it was likely connected to the Lucius, they very well couldn't leave it alone. Liko and Roy wouldn't want to leave a mystery like this unsolved, nor did he. 

Well Friede didn't plan on facing it unprepared. He might come back on crutches but he was determined to have the upper hand next time. He fished out his Rotom Phone, dialing a number until it connected. 

"Friede? What is it?"

"Hey Dot. So, long story short, I need your help in looking into something for me…"

[illmetkismet]

I don't know why, but I felt the need to write a missing scene in the mines where Luis gives Leon a sweater:

----

"Feeling better?" Luis asks, flipping his lighter open and closed, lighting it, making the little flame dance between his fingers, hoping it doesn't give away how unnerving it had been to see Leon like that, black veins creeping up his arms and his neck, spidering up the sides of his jaw.

Leon is looking down at his hand, mindlessly flexing his fingers when he says, "Yeah, seems like it worked."

Leon should be overjoyed, Luis thinks, to be pulled back from that brink, but his voice sounds small and a strange sort of hollow, not helped by the echo that the mineshaft makes of his words. The lighter weaves between Luis' fingers, practiced motions that help take the edge off the reality of the situation. A Little trick. A show. Only Leon's not looking.

As Luis starts to explain - "Bad news?" - Leon picks up the remaining suppressant injector, staring down at it and then away, some kind of unreachable emptiness playing across his face. Undeterred, Luis goes on speaking, probably to himself. "All we've done is buy you some time. The suppressant's effects will wear off all too soon."

Still Leon doesn't look up, his fingers curling around the injector like it's something precious.

Luis watches him, takes in the purpling nailbeds of his blunt fingers, the gooseflesh prickling up his arms. His shirt is clinging to him in a way that seems moist and uncomfortable, body armour velcroed tightly against it. The straps of his elbow pads have rubbed red raw patches into the insides of his arms. His neck had felt clammy and cool when Luis injected the suppressant there earlier.

Leon doesn't seem to have noticed that Luis stopped talking, or the way he's looking him up and down, brows knit together.

So Luis says, "But I have something else for you," with a click of his tongue, as though he just remembered, as though he hasn't been thinking of it the whole way here, to this cold and dusty subterranean place.

Leon does look up at that, expression turning quizzical. It makes Luis breathe out a little wisp of relief, this show of life on Leon's face, and he hums a bit tunelessly as he pushes off the girder he's been leaning against, picking up an old moth-eaten sweater, trying to discreetly shake as much filth out of it as he can before holding it up by the shoulders and announcing, "Ta-da!"

Leon looks skeptical.

"It's wool," Luis offers encouragingly. "Should keep you warm and dry. Well, warmer and dryer than that soaked through shirt of yours has been managing."

Leon continues to look skeptical, but only for a few seconds longer, and then he's reaching for the sweater with one hand, the other hand already busy undoing the fastenings of his body armour and then the too-tight straps of his chafing elbow pads.

"Itchy," he complains as he pulls it over his head, but Luis catches the grateful shudder that goes through him as the sweater covers some of the pale-cold-damp expanse of him. "Where'd you get this?"

It's a plain dark grey thing, the kind the fishermen of Valdelobos wore, with the high neck and the loose sleeves. Of course, the sleeves aren't loose around the muscle of Leon's arms - a fact that isn't lost on Luis and his not-so-furtive glances.

He tries not to look overlong. Says instead, "In the village."

Leon makes a thoughtful face as he straps all of his soggy gear back on over the sweater. "Guess no one's gonna be needing it anymore."

His comment is followed by silence, the only sounds between them the rustling and sliding of straps being adjusted. Luis doesn't think he means to be callous or cruel, but his usual easy smile falters all the same at the remark, and when Leon's gaze lifts back up to his face what he finds there makes his mouth tighten with something that might be the precursor to an apology.

"I suppose you are right," Luis is quick to offer, summoning up a lopsided smile, careful not to scare Leon off, not to offend with his own dangerous brush with offence. "The dead have no use for such things."

"Well. Thanks," Leon rasps out. "Lucky that you picked it up."

Yes, lucky, Luis thinks. Doesn't think about how, up close, back at the cabin, the corners of Leon's mouth looked tinged with blue. How his fist, where it brushed against the exposed skin of his chest when he pinned him back against the wall, felt ice cold. Doesn't think about Leon shivering, after - something he only caught out the corner of his eye, before Leon tightened his jaw and drew up his shoulders and breathed in slow through his nose to stop the involuntary motion.

It had been a risky search for the sweater, but Luis doesn't think about that either.

He just says, "Yes, lucky."

Leon shoots him a weak smile, and Luis' own answering smile feels a bit too lukewarm for his liking, the cold and the damp creeping into his bones. The blue tinge is still there at the corners of Leon's mouth-- Why is he looking at his mouth?

Leon looks like he's about to say something more, but Luis is already asking, "You ready to go?", anxious to get moving again, to break the chill of this moment.

He fixes Leon with one last appraising look, and Leon thins his bloodless lips for a second before he says, "Don't worry about me. Ashley is the priority." He punctuates his words with a distracted shake of his head, as though it's unthinkable that anyone should worry about him at all, and it makes something stir in Luis' chest, a writhing sort of ache he tries to ignore.

So he grins at Leon instead, taking the cue to shift focus to Ashley and away from whatever it had just been, says, "In that case, we know what we have to do," reaching for the pipe that is not a lance, reaching for a fiction, and off they go.

[ashtonisvibing]

"You have both of our lives in your hands!"

Fandom: Life Series/Double Life SMP

Alternate Universe: None (Canon Divergence)

Ship(s): Slight mention of Grian x GoodTimesWithScar

Character(s): Grian, GoodTimesWithScar

Warning(s): None

Originally Published: February 4th, 2024

Word Count: 1,601

Author's Notes:

seasons skirmish gift for dusty_daffodil on AO3

first time writing... anything for mcyt, let alone the desert duo. but i certainly tried! :D

if you liked what you read, consider giving this a reblog, please! it'll let more people see my work!

[plain text: if you liked what you read, consider giving this a reblog, please! it'll let more people see my work!]

Full Story:

The sound of a pickaxe whacking against stone was the only sound that carried through the tunnel Grian had started to make for himself. Nearly a month in and neither him nor Scar had any sort of diamond equipment, not even a measly hoe or shovel. And with how wreckless Scar was being, Grian was fed up with using only iron armor as protection. He had such a huge chance to not end up with one of the few people here who had no regard for their safety. How did he manage to luck out as badly as he did? Well, what’s done is done now. All he needed to focus on was making sure they didn’t lose their first life already.

“Damn it, where are the diamonds??” Grian huffed, resting his pickaxe on his shoulder as he looked back up at the makeshift stone stairs that was his mineshaft. He couldn’t see the outside with how deep he had gone. “I’m almost out of torches, too. I’m surprised I haven’t found much coal down here, either..” He looked back at the stone in front of him, gently fiddling at the red, yellow, and blue feathered wings where ears should have been. A forcive habit for whenever he was thinking. “I should probably get back to the sur- Gah-!”

The avian dropped down on one knee as he clutched his chest, using his pickaxe to prop himself up. A sharp, burning pain shot from his heart and spread around his chest. He was far too familiar with this pain by now, even if it was usually slightly dimmed down. The phantom pain of his soulbound partner taking damage. And judging by how impactful it was this time…

Grian tapped the glowing green heart on his chest, revealing his health and hunger bars. And he was suddenly down four hearts. Okay, maybe Scar just fell while dealing with his cats, nothing to- “Shit-!” Another wave of pain, another three hearts lost. What was his partner doing up there?! He quickly grabbed a piece of steak out of his side bag and ate it in hopes of keeping his hunger up. It must be night time right now, why else would the two be taking so much damage

And suddenly, after another bout of pain… One heart left. The avian was panicking now. His face was pale and breathing quickened, almost to a degree that it felt like he was choking on his own air. This was it, they’d be losing their first life. And then it wouldn’t be long until they were down to red, and then completely losing. He started to scramble out of his mine shaft. His hearts were slowly regenerating; Scar might have gotten a moment of peace and was eating. But that didn’t mean the danger was over. Since it was currently night time, he could get swarmed by zombies, or blown up by a creeper. He could simply fall off a cliff.

Grian just hoped he could find his partner in time before anything happened.

The avian decided to stop by their base first, calling out Scar’s name into the dark oak trees around him in the hopes that he’ll get a response. But he wasn’t getting anything. Scar could be on the other side of the area for all he knew. At the very least by now their hearts were almost full. Grian just had to hope that it would stay that way until he found his partner.

“Scar-!” He was quick to rush through the entrance of their base, eyes darting around frantically in the hopes he’d spot a glimpse of his friend. “Scar, are you here?!”

“Grian!”

Running through the entrance was the man himself. With that stupid without-a-care smile on his lips, his hand waving to his partner before stopping right in front of him. “Oh man, you’ll never bel-”

“Scar, we just almost died, what the hell were you thinking?!” Scar was used to Grian’s frustrated yelling by this point. There was no shortage of silly and, to everyone else, stupid ideas from the salesman, especially now that he had acquired those huge gray cats. And considering that yes, he almost got the two of them killed, he wasn’t surprised that the other was so upset.

“Oh Grian, you would not believe how many monsters can appear in the jungle!” Scar laughed a little as he headed over to the cat pit, pulling some bamboo sticks out of his backpack. Grian was quick to follow him. “I just wanted to grab some snacks for the kitties, and suddenly I’m getting swarmed by skeletons and spiders! Good thing you had some food on you, I completely forgot to grab some before I left.” He chuckled, about to jump right into the pit, before his partner grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Scar, I really don’t think you understand. We. Almost. Died. And for what, just because you wanted to feed your cats?? They don’t even need to eat!” He threw his hands up in the air to try and add more emphasis to the situation. His feathers were getting really ruffled trying to get the other to understand the situation.

“Well- I didn’t think you’d be so upset by this.” Scar huffed a little, deciding to just toss the bamboo sticks into the pit in the hopes that the felines would just eat them themselves. “Sure, we almost died because I got caught by monsters, I’ll admit to that. But guess what? We didn’t! So no harm done!” And there was that confident smile, one that could either quell the avian’s worries or just make him more annoyed by how sure Scar was in whatever he was saying. And unfortunately, it wasn’t the former.

Grian took a deep breath, through the nose and out through the mouth. He couldn’t let himself just blow up on his partner. His singed pants remembered the last time that happened. “Okay. I don’t think you quite understand the situation here. The two of us?” He punched Scar’s arm, hard enough to remove half a heart from their health. The other responded with a “Hey-!” as he rubbed where he was punched. “We’re linked! I wouldn’t be upset about you running off to who knows where at whatever time if we weren’t! But any damage you take, I take, so whenever you go off on your silly little adventures you’ve got both of our lives to worry about. I just-” The avian let out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why do you constantly put yourself in danger, hm? Is it just to prove some sort of point?”

Scar was completely taken aback by Grian’s words. He hadn’t even thought that his own little adventures would upset his friend so much. Sure, this wasn’t the first time he’d gotten them so close to death. But it’s not like he ever did it on purpose. Yet the avian was upset all the same. And when Scar gave it a second of thought, he was right to be upset. He could always be a little more careful, a little less reckless. He could try to not go out at night, or start fights with the other soulbound people here. He could try to be a better friend.

“You’re… You’re right.” He chuckled a little, fingers running through his hair. “I really haven’t been the greatest friend, huh..? But I’m gonna start doing way better. And I can start by- By getting rid of these pesky cats!” And like he did only a couple of minutes before he tried to jump into the cat pit. And like last time, Grian stopped him. But this time it was more out of confusion than anger.

“Wha- Scar, I didn’t- You are the most… Bullheaded person here, aren��t you?” Despite his words, there was a small smile trying to form on his lips. Oh, he was trying hard not to be amused by his friend’s antics that never made sense. It was certainly a tough task. And Scar’s laughter wasn’t helping in the slightest.

“And here I thought you hated the cats. Have you warmed up to them, my friend?” That cocky smirk was on his lips as he crouched down a little to meet Grian’s height.

Grian hated his friend’s cocky nature. He hated how he never thought things through, how quick he was to jump into anything. How he always made a bad situation seem good. And how his smirk could easily bring a red blush to the avian’s cheeks.

He was quick to turn his head away so that said cheeks wouldn’t be visible, trying to hide his fluster as he crossed his arms over his chest. “No, not at all! I just- You’ve cared for them since day one, it would be stupid to get rid of them so soon!”

Grian’s stubbornness to always be right was the funniest thing to Scar. And who was he to deny his friend’s needs? He chuckled as he put his hands up, surrendering to the avian in front of him. “Alright, alright, the cats are staying then! Now, for my first decision as the new and responsible Scar, I say we go to bed. That way the day will come and all the skeletons and zombies and such will burn away.” Despite his attempt to hold it back, the avian let out a little chuckle as he looked up at his friend. Always the one for the dramatics. Another thing he “hated”.

“That’s the greatest decision you’ve ever made.”

[theambivalentagender]

Valley Echoes Year One

SPRING

The Last Straw (1)

Awkward Introductions (3)

The Stardrop Saloon (1)

I Don't Know You, and I Don't Want To (3)

Meeting the Squad (2)

The Old Mineshaft (1)

I Don't Want Your Garbage (2)

Meeting Marnie/Grapefruit (2)

The Wizard (2)

A Joja Employee Found You Last Night (3)

Egg Painting With Emily (2)

Year One Egg Festival (1)

In the Cans (1)

Thanks, This is Nice (1)

No Matter What You Do, You're Gonna Fail (2)

Year One Flower Dance (3)

Maybe I Can Microwave Myself (1)

SUMMER

Summer Seeds (1)

Stolen Pizza and Dead Roses (5)

Seb the Programmer/Sam the Skater (2)

Apply Water to Hangover (4)

Year One Luau (1)

Emily's Movie Night (2)

A Train of Nightmares (3)

Zeke's Birthday (3)

Fucking Lewis (3)

Visiting the Mullners (3)

Emily's Secret (1)

Zeke and Shane in the Mines (5)

Shane's Mine Rescue (5)

Advice From a Cat and a Lesbian (4)

Year One Moonlight Jellies (2)

FALL

The Wind Took My Hat (1)

Chicken Adoption and the Winter Star Spirit? (3)

No Answers From the Wizard (2)

Clint's Many Problems (3)

Action Girl Abigail (3)

Zeke vs Pepper Poppers (1)

Shane Starts Having New Dreams (1)

Netflix and No Chill (2)

Don't Get Lost in the Woods (2) (TW: Abuse Mention)

Here Goes Nothing (1)

Stardew Valley Fair Year One (4) (TW: Violence)

Consequences (5)

Shane Makes a Decision (1)

WATCH OUT (1)

Cold Turkey (3)

The Accident (2)

A Day in the Life of Sam (1)

In Which Zeke is a Little Upset (1)

Too Small and Stupid (4) (TW: Suicide Mention)

Going to the City for Therapy (3)

Year One Spirit's Eve (3)

Childhood Memories (8)

Shane Chops Wood (1)

WINTER

Snow and Shadows (2)

Relatives in High Places (3)

In Which Abigail is Ignored for Her Guinea Pig (1)

Why Do You Have a Bomb?!? (3)

Gus Doesn't Fuck Around With Drinks (5)

Shane's Back Says Goodnight (3)

The Man With Stardrop Eyes (3)

Year One Ice Festival (6)

Purple Conversation (3)

Emily's Clothing Therapy (4)

Year One Night Market (5)

What is Rasmodius Hiding? (2)

Leah's Problem (2)

The Road Trip (3)

There Was Only One Bed, Said Emily (3)

The Dog Heist (3)

A Talk in the Desert (3)

Oh Shit Ghosts (2)

Zeke the Chicken Whisperer (1)

Year One Feast of the Winter Star (5)

[there-must-be-a-lock]

@stunudo sent me an ask a week or two ago challenging me to share my five favorite lines that I’ve ever written, so here goes!

To be fair, a lot of these are missing something without context; most of my favorite lines are the ones that call back to other moments in the fic and tie together imagery. BUT. Here.

From A Muscle the Size of Your Fist — this is a theme that runs through the whole story, and there are places where I think I captured parts of it more elegantly, but this is where it’s said most concisely:

“Punk has always been about the outcasts, the queer kids and the misfits and the marginalized, the black sheep… everybody who feels like they’re alone. Everybody who feels powerless.” Steve’s voice rings out, fills the space like a living presence, and Bucky gets chills when he continues: “But you’re not alone, and you never were. Look around you. Next time you feel like you’re alone, next time you feel like giving up, I want you to listen to this song and remember that there are people out there who are willing to fight for you. We’ll fight for you until you’re strong enough to stand up and join in. We’ll love you until you learn how to love yourself.”

From If It’s A Highway:

Jesus always seems so damn tired, up there on his cross, with his arms spread wide as if to welcome death, and maybe Bucky can relate. If he could just sleep for three days — doesn’t sound so bad, when he thinks about it like that. Three days isn’t that long.

He wonders whether Jesus knew what was coming. Whether he was surprised to find himself alive again. Whether he woke alone in the dark and screamed until his lungs gave out, or broke his knuckles beating his fists against the stone.

Also from Highway:

Bucky used to have an empty, sterile cage in his chest and an endless stygian labyrinth of caves in his skull, and as long as he didn’t look too close, he could ignore the buried remains of past lives under his skin. The darkness didn’t bother him until the walls started to crumble and let in the light.

Every tiny human act has been a hairline crack in his icy shell. Every moment of empathy and desire, gentle touch and sharp lust, coffee and cigarettes and food and sex; pebbles dropped in wells and flashlights shone down mineshafts, tremors that shook the foundations, coffin lids splintering. Miniscule fissures, microscopic landslides.

Just for the sake of switching up the vibe, here’s The One With The Pottery Barn Couch — probably the funniest fic I’ve ever written, and there were other lines I could’ve picked out, too, but I’m a big fan of this one:

When Dick wakes up, he’s being carried. He’s being cradled to a really absurdly muscled chest that’s covered in leather and smells like explosions, and carried in one goddamn arm, like Paris Hilton would carry her fucking chihuahua.

…

Maybe it’d be nice to be a rich lady’s spoiled chihuahua, Dick thinks, and then, holy painkillers, Batman, and then he is out for the count.

It was ridiculously difficult to choose this last one, not gonna lie. I re read this fic the other day and I really love this — it does tie into the rest (and, like, into canon) so YMMV, but. From Lost My Fear of Falling:

It took them both years to get here, to learn to let themselves be loved without doubting it, without looking down waiting for the self-fulfilling prophecy of an inevitable stumble. It was worth the work. There’s no doubt in his mind. But he misses the days when he never thought twice about all the open space under that tightrope.

Dick lets the tears come. Lets himself mourn the kid who thought love was as easy as gravity, and who’d never had any reason to be afraid of falling.

Tagging — @kangofu-cb @drgrlfriend @bittercape @sammialex @oliocelottafanfics you WILL compliment yourselves dammit! 🖤

[420technoblazeit]

i love that arthur's still fuckign sobbing with relief and john's like whuh. where the fuck are we. arthur stop crying i missed u too WHY ARE WE TRAPPED IN A MINESHAFT

ouuuuggghhhhh faroe's lullaby brought john back

im calling bullshit btw i htink john was in the dream lands and he remembers it and he just isnt telling arthur

man arthur's not doing too well huh. i love that arthur's application of his morality is really inconsistent at best. he's only so insistent on killing larson bc he knows that larson killed his daughter. he found out that the guy was in a cult and that wasnt enough to convince him that he needed to be gone, it was the murder of his daughter. that sense of self righteousness kind of comes from a place of selfishness really. im kind of curious to see how far that goes

oh he is deffo fucking lyign

i was really hoping theyd talk abt yellow. i feel like with all of their time together arthur's almost putting john on a pedestal and forgetting that he and yellow were aspects of the same being. and that mayb yellow only lashed out in the way he did bc he didnt have the time to discover his humanity like john did. it's true that arthur was kind of impatient with him, or at least less patient w him than he was with john and that probably affected his view on the world. there isnt a fundamental difference between them, yellow wasnt evil john or whatever. he was just another aspect of hte king in yellow who had different experiences and came out of it with a different perspective, that's all

im kind of interpreting arthur's eagerness to get out of here as both his desire for revenge on larson's daughter's behalf and heightened defensiveness from having lost john. it still sucks that he's so sure about leaving behind the cultists though