#and the thing is upon doing so w solar

[starzwithapen]

Oc rant because im NORMAL

Okay Solar's hair can't stretch since its been fried to a crisp so she gets into a LOT of accidents generally everytime she leaves the golf course . Solar starts noticing that he's been assigned on less and less scouting missions lately . Solar then starts noticing that he's not being assigned on any missions outside at ALL . Solar gets upset and asks Clay, who makes the lists, and he gets confused because her name IS supossed to be there. Solar's name is crossed out in glittery pink ink

[outerwilds-events]

(The full piece is on ao3, it ended up a little longer than expected!: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61783735)

(I applied for this gift exchange with my art blog @ria-starstruck, and got @lutiaskokopelli as a giftee! I had a lot of fun writing Hal and the hatchling and some timeloop shenanigans :D hope you enjoy!)

“What if…I was in a time loop, and I could bring you along. Would you want to be in it as well?”

Your best friend on the planet, in the solar system, in the whole entire universe, is currently all geared up and ready to go to space—somehow having gotten the launch codes from Hornfels without you noticing—and yet, they’re still on the ground, leaning on the little outcrop of dirt just outside the museum, next to you, speaking to you.

“Where in the universe would you even get yourself into such a situation?” You snort. “Don’t answer that. Of course you’d manage it, somehow.”

“Hey!” They shove you, lightly.

You lean back into their hand. “’Hey’ yourself. Would you want me to bail you out of your hypothetical time travel problems, too?”

“Since when do you ‘bail me out’ of anything? I’m usually the one bailing you out.”

“Yeah, and who was it that had to distract Mica the last time you got their model ship stuck in a tree?”

“And that was so nice of you to do, Hal.” They blink pleadingly at you.

But it’s rare that you get even close to having the upper hand in your little bouts of bantering. “I am so nice.”

“The nicest.” They tilt their head at you.

You rub the back of your neck. This is a fun change of pace, but you’re a little too unused to it. “What do you want?”

“What?”

“I mean, why are you still here? You could be…anywhere. Trying out the translator. Finally finding out what the Nomai have to say…”

Their ears twitch. “I wanted to find out if you’d want to get stuck in the same time loop as me.”

“You could ask me that any time though.” You turn to look them in the face, but they avoid your gaze. “You’re…not nervous about finally heading to space, are you?”

“No!” They cover up their sudden exclamation with a breezy laugh. “Done it a hundred times before.” They wink at you, and you roll your eyes at their obvious fib.

“Sure, sure, if you say so…” You sigh. “And…yeah, of course I’d want to be in the same time loop as you. I couldn’t figure that out without your help.” You nod at the translator. “How could you get out of some time loop without mine?”

They beam brightly at your response, but just as quickly, their ears droop and their grin disappears. “Hal, would you really want to be?”

You’d thought they were talking about some hypothetical situation before, but the lightness in their tone is gone entirely now. You don’t laugh as you answer in kind: “I really would.”

They sigh, and pat you on the shoulder once, heavily. “Good. That’s good to hear. Thank you, Hal.” Just as you’re about to ask them what’s going on, they smile again, the solemnity lifted. “So, I’ve been thinking of heading to Giant’s Deep and checking out those statues…”

It’s useless to try to pry things out of them before they’re ready to talk. So, you match their response, say something about the statues, about the one in the museum—you offer to go get Hornfels so you three could have a proper discussion, but your friend declines, says they just wanted to spend some time with you. You circle around the topic of their first launch a few times, but neither of you quite touch upon it.

And then, out of nowhere, so casually that at first you don’t parse the meaning of the words, they say, “Oh, and the sun’s going to go supernova in about five minutes.”

“Okay,” You say at first, and then it hits you. “Wait, what?”

“The sun,” your friend says patiently. “It’s going to explode. Supernova.”

You frown at them. They’re studying you with a careful sort of nonchalance—a little too careful.

Is this really a joke? You risk squinting directly at the sun with your lower eyes.

Wasn’t the sun once smaller? Was it always so red, so dim, with only its core glowing luminous white? Weren’t the stars once fainter during the day?

A sentence from the museum’s exhibit on a star’s life cycle drifts through your mind: the sun’s core has contracted, and its outer layers expanded. It’s a red giant now. Ultimately, it will collapse under its own gravity…

The exhibit feels inappropriately glib now.

“The sun looks…different.” You venture cautiously. This isn’t a prank. Right? No way. You rub at your eyes—it still looks the same. And that “same” is different than it’s looked for all your life. You think.

“Yep. So. Are you sure you’d wanna hop in on this time loop with me?”

You stare at them, stricken. “This is…real? You’re saying…in less than five minutes, we’ll all be…”

“…Yeah. But, time loop, remember. You’re not really dying.”

You lean heavily against the outcrop of dirt behind you, and slide down to the ground. Your friend joins you, squatting by your side.

You want to sink into silence, but…five minutes? Less than that? This couldn’t be a prank. It isn’t a prank. Your friend wouldn’t be looking at you with such a grave expression if that were the case. “Why…” You whisper. “Why is it happening? Why now? It’s your first launch day. We only just finished the translator…what about the Nomai?! How could we not have seen the sun starting to…”

“Oh, the sun exploding is because of them, I think! The supernova powers the technology they set up to create these time loops.”

“Wait—what? Why?!”

“It’s…a long story. And we have a lot less than five minutes now.”

Without you noticing, the sun has set, and night fallen with it.

“I’ll tell you everything once you’re in the loop with me—or! If you don’t want to join, I’ll tell you as much as I can now—or promise to tell you next loop—“

“I’m joining you,” You say firmly.

Your friend’s eyes gleam—with joy, with sorrow. “I didn’t know if you’d believe me,” They say hoarsely.

“Well, if you say it’s true…then I guess it is.” You respond. “Something…seems a little off with you, anyway.” From the minute they’d pulled you outside, actually, but you didn’t want to admit it. You look away and scuff at the ground with your shoe.

Your friend breathes out shortly. “That obvious, huh?” Their grin falls, their ears droop. “I don’t know how to stop the loop, how to stop the sun from exploding. I keep focusing on just…different things I don’t know…I keep reaching dead ends. There’s so much I’ve translated, so much I want to show you…I wish I could. I wish you could remember. And…” They inhale. “…And I miss you, Hal.”

You sniff. “I miss you too.”

Their laugh is watery. “From your point of view, you saw me just yesterday.”

“Sure, but…hearing the way you talk about it…I wish I could be there.”

“Well…I’ve got something new to focus on. Soon enough, you will be here with me.”

“Yeah…yeah.”

The trees and houses below the path from launch tower to museum are suddenly engulfed in pitch darkness, the kind you’ve never seen before. Rooms are this dark. Caves are this dark. Outside is never, never this dark, to the point where you can’t distinguish the horizon from the black of space. Only the little lanterns throughout Timber Hearth provide any light.

“It’s happening,” your friend says quietly, and you inhale. “It’ll be ok. It’s…the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

You swallow, throat thick, and hold tight to their arm, watching the place where the horizon should be.

You swear you hear something—an impossibly dense, impossibly loud, ever-so-faint whump. A current of faint blue ripples past you, through the sky, and some distant burning begins to flare, coming closer and closer. Your scales feel dry—or is it only your anticipation of some intense heat?

Then you see it, the foam of some blue-white fire, spraying up like a glowing geyser, followed by the entrails of the only sun you’ve ever known.

Sparks of blue light streak past you. Everything ahead is silhouetted and consumed in turn by that light. Your friend was right—it is beautiful, but you cry out and hold your friend close as it swells towards you. Your eyes water and smart.

“ARE YOU SURE?!” Your friend shouts to be heard above the roar of your dying sun.

The ground rumbles beneath your feet, from the force of a star’s death. “YES!” You pull them towards you, hug them tight, shouting again into the side of their helmet, and in response, your friend’s arms come up and wrap tight around your burning body as your world ends.

[anxious-lee-ler]

Giggle the Stress Away

Tooth rotting fluff with Solar×Spaniard×Sun?! Yes, yes it is!! They're my favorites-

Stress. That's all Solar could feel overwhelming him. It was the third day that he was attempting to fix something a kid broke in the theater, but it just kept falling apart. Over, and over, again. To put it simply, he was getting very pissed off at it.

He sighed and went to take a break, figuring that he could watch something on the theater computers, seeing as he was still waiting on a replacement projector. Just another thing to annoy him more.

Solar kicked off his boots and leaned back in his chair, propping his paws up onto the desk to eat a bag of Disappointment. That was until his video started to buffer longer than it should've. “Oh come ON!!” Solar shouted, sitting up and banging his fist on the counter. “Stupid damn internet is down. Of COURSE it is!!”

He grumbled to himself and shut everything down. “Fine. I'm going home. I'll fix this later.” Dropping a portal, he walked though.

— — — — —

Solar walked into his room and flopped onto his bed, not even bothering to comment on the dumbbells being in the way of the walkway, just screamed into his pillow in frustration.

A knock came from the door. Solar let out a muffled groan. “Come in…-” he turned his head.

Both Sun and Spaniard's heads popped through the doorway. “Hey, hon…” Spaniard worriedly greeted, his eyepiece glowing a deep blue.

“...You okay? W-we heard yelling…” Sun added next, fidgeting with the door a little bit.

“I'm fine,” Solar grunted, “Just had a long, long, day.”

Spaniard and Sun looked at each other and nodded. “I'll get the comfort items, you go ahead.” Spaniard whispered to Sun, his eyepiece glowing yellow, before leaving.

Sun walked over to Solar, who scooted over for Sun to sit down. “Hey dear…” He placed a hand on the slightly smaller one's back, rubbing it gently. “Wanna talk about it?”

While Solar vented to Sun, Spaniard gathered Solar's favorite flavored water, a few soft feathers, and a weighted blanket. He messaged Moon, telling him they were gonna spend time with Solar, so to make sure he gets Dazzle anything she needs; then continued on to Solar's room.

Spaniard floated over to the bed after shutting the door. “Got everything… Are we ready? Or do you want to wait a little longer?” He softly questioned, folding the blanket, then setting the feathers and water on the bedside table. “We're just going to be gentle tonight~” He reassured, wiggling his fingers teasingly before kissing Solar on the cheek.

Solar’s face lit up like a firework as he blushed. He covered his face, giggling already. “Ihehe- Yeah I'm reheady-”

Sun and Spaniard both smiled sweetly, then gently laid their flustered and giggly boyfriend down onto the soft pillows of the bed. Solar looked so cute like this, it made Sun's heart flutter, and Spaniard’s eye piece to glow pink as he lightly blushed.

“Now… just sit back and relax while we tickle, tickle, tickle you, okay?~” Sun teased, walking his fingers up Solar's ribs to keep him giggling, and kissing his tummy to make him quietly squeak. Solar nodded in return.

“And, we'll stop when you tell us too. Don't worry, sweetheart~” Spaniard teased back, taking one of the feathers and flicking it up and down his paws. This motion alone made Solar snort and squeal, turning slightly to the side and turtling himself to the best of his abilities, but trapping Sun’s hand under his arm in the process.

“Oh dear~ It seems my hand is stuck~ No matter, I'll trace this cute tummy of yours… all~ day~ long….~” Sun chuckled, fluttering his fingers in different spots with each word.

“I wonder if this cute tail of yours is ticklish, hmm~?” Spaniard purred, blowing a small raspberry onto the thinner end of the scarf, making Solar squeal and fall into a series of giggly snorts.

“Well that's certainly an adorable reaction~” Sun teased, “Let's keep those laughs going, hmhm~” he hummed, motioning for Spaniard to hand him a feather. Upon receiving on, Sun dragged it up and down Solar's back.

Solar kicked his legs happily, laughing and laughing as his loving partners tickled him. There was love in their wiggling fingers, their tickly kisses, and he was enjoying every bit of it, forgetting about the bad day he'd been having. Though, he started to get sleepy.

Upon being told to stop, Sun and Spaniard slowed to a halt. Sun immediately started rubbing the ticklish ghosts away while praising Solar for doing such a good job. Spaniard grabbed the bottle of water, and gently pulled Solar up to help him drink.

After all the aftercare, the three cuddled up. Spaniard switched off his yellow eye piece, and the lights. And the three slept peacefully in each other's arms.

[wuxiaphoenix]

Worldbuilding: Collapsing Empires

One of our classic stories is the band of Plucky Rebels against the Evil Empire. I will boldly go on record as saying I love these stories. Who doesn’t want to cheer on the rag-tag determined heroes fighting against overwhelming odds? (See Star Wars, The Last Starfighter, The Magnificent Seven, and so many others.)

On the other hand I also read history, and so there’s something I’ve noticed. While the urge to create an empire seems to be a human constant, individual empires always fall. Eventually.

I’m sure there are many reasons for this. I’ll give you a few I’ve noticed; you can probably suggest more. The three I’ve got are environmental shifts, out of context problems, and the elite desire to stay in power at all costs.

Each of these can, of course, feed into the others. Here’s a few examples.

Environmental shifts are nasty. Some are from human land use - deforestation and gold or lead mining do numbers on large areas - but others are just the solar system giving you a Bad Era. To be very general, our climate tends to alternate between periods of warmer and more predictable weather, and cooler, less predictable weather patterns. (You can in fact have a scorching drought or a dozen in an Ice Age. It’s just on average cooler.)

Empires tend to get started and grow during the good times, to the point they’re right on the edges of their ecological limits as to how many people can make a living without starving. And then a bad spot hits. And things go sideways. As they say of bankruptcies, first slowly, then all at once. Famines usually start in some spots, and the empire handles it, getting ever more stressed - and then worse weather sparks floods and mudslides, and out of that ecological havoc you tend to get plagues, and between plague and famine you can’t feed or levy enough troops.... And then law and empires collapse as everyone scrambles madly to survive and people who were on the empire’s borders try to make out like a bandit. Pun fully intentional.

A “sudden” (usually over decades) climate change might be considered an out of context problem... but I had more direct and weirder things in mind. At one point, for example, we had archaeological evidence that the Luwian Kingdom might have been wiped out by a comet strike. Current archaeology thinks not, but the scenario still remains possible for fiction. Not to mention the scholarly wrangling over what really happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. It looks like the real-life cities were on a very oil-rich plain. So theoretically, if a meteor shower came down and punched a few holes....

But you don’t have to look to outer space. Cortez and other conquistadores showed up from across the Atlantic with a deep history of warfare that was an extremely out of context problem for the Aztecs, Incas, and many more. (Yes, diseases played a big role. But historically the conquistadores legit beat local armed forces high, wide, and handsome.) Joseon Korea and Tokugawa Japan had similar problems with the rest of the world. Anna and the King is a fictionalized version of the King of Siam trying to ease his kingdom into a soft landing in the modern world. I can only imagine the battles he must have had with his court over that.

Which leads to the third reason I see empires fall. If a ruler wants to keep ruling, and doesn’t trust his people, he has to make sure no one else is strong enough to oppose him. But keeping everyone too weak to fight you means that sooner or later, they’re too weak and corrupt to fight someone else.

And on the edges of an empire, there is always Someone Else.

Side note: This is one of many reasons I think a republic is the best government to create and maintain a nation. Ideally we have people in power getting overthrown all the time. We just do it on an agreed-upon regular basis. Unfortunately that was also supposed to apply to all bureaucracy....

Anyway. If you’re writing Plucky Rebels against the Evil Empire, go for it! But you might want to also poke some history and see if any of these real-world factors apply. Smart rebels take advantage of an existing crisis! Just ask Li Zicheng.

Though note what happened to him....

[thehomophobe]

Cash. 

You need it. I need it. We all need it. 

"Money can't buy you happiness" is a term of phrase you hated the most, with "Money doesn't grow on trees" being second place. Without it, how the hell are you supposed to sleep in a bed, or eat, or bathed and clothed yourself. "Money can't buy happiness", whoever coined that phrase should go fuck themselves. 

Your kvetch muttered around your mind, fogging it like a thick cloud of black smoke. You thought the alcohol would clear it out, but it only made it worse. It added a flood to your brain, rocking it like a boat on a stormy day. Great, another bad decision added to your huge pile. First you lost your job, then your spouse, then your house. And now your only friend is a bottle of beer.

Can you do anything right in you life?

You walked along the dark streets of the city, sad, drunk, alone and with a limp. Why were you limping you dumb fuck? The city lights illuminated your path to nowhereville; colorful neons and sensual moods aided your blurry eyes down the sidewalk. Trash bags with rats feasting better than you add salt to your financial wound. Homeless men and women, obese and reedy, fall slump with slumber and sweet rum in their veins, your fellow comrades. Life and the concrete jungle were really fucking you this time, and you don't know the safe word to save yourself. You might as well find a (crusty) comfy dumpster to crawl in to sleep.     

"There’s a place you gotta be

A thousand leagues beneath the sea

And it’s waitin' over here for you and me"

Huh? Where's that music coming from? You followed the sultry voice down the block, making sure you don't get hit by a car in the process, before tripping over a sewer grate and stumbling upon the biggest casino you've ever seen. Shimmering lights bedazzledu it like diamonds on a dress, neon signs signaling free drinks on tuesdays, ladies night on fridays, and winning big prizes. Dollars signs flashed in synchronized order, capturing your attention. The centerpiece was a giant orange sun with a wide (creepy) smile and rays spinning slowly like a clock. This place shined brighter than a star. 

"House of the Solar Eclipse." What a name. 

"Gonna take you for a ride

But first, you gotta come inside

Get ready for the party’s on tonight!"

You were never one for casinos. You tend to steer away from gambling as much as you can. While the thought of winning it big sounded exhilarating, there's also a chance of losing it all. The roll of a dice, the stroke of a lever, millions of dollars rewarding you for pushing some button. Life-changing, but incredibly risky.

In short terms, you hated leaving things to luck. 

...

Aw, the strobe lighting and cash register rings make you drool with desire. God are you desperate. You fiddled with your pocket, searching through hard balls of dust and crusty tissues. Until a starchy textures scratches your fingertips, you pull out the paper from your pocket. 

A single $1 bill.

George Washington's blank face stares at you, the crumples make him look more wrinkly than he is. Even he's displeased with your conundrum. Well you're not getting ridiculed by a old white man today, so you head inside with anxiety and a dollar bill.

So pack up, cash in

And get ready to begin

Toss the dice, once or twice

Baby, winning is no sin

So relax and just unwind

Leave your worries all behind

And get ready forthe party’s on tonight!

----------------------------

Bright ceiling lights, velvet rug flooring, chandeliers, ritzy dresses, fresh tuxedos and the smell of cologne, smoke and whiskey attack your senses. Boy, was this place big. You were overwhelmed by the sudden change in light that your eyes unblur in lightning speed, causing your brain to shut off for a bit and then wake up. The haze of your mind clears to take it all in. You're starstruck. And underdressed god what the hell were you wearing? Maybe keep to the back slots to avoid unwanted attention.

Walking through the casino, you spot multiple card tables and roulette wheels occupied by wealthy patrons gaggled together like ants on sugar. Chips stacked up and lined with the perimeters of the tables. Chunky dice rolled along the mellow green of the craps tables; the crowd roars and pats the back of the winner. Men and women crowded the bar area, they kept the bartenders busy with constant orders the house's very own cocktail, the 'Jenna Sweet'. A simple mixture of Pineapple juice, Cranberry juice, Diet Cola, a pinch of rum and decent amount of Bacardi. It may not have been an attractive recipe to you, but it goes down a treat, especially when it could win you a fine prize. You spot a stage with glittery curtains and a mic for the singers acting like surprised guests for the establishment. Below it was the jazz band, conveying the instrumental of the song, working meticulously through their suits. You bumped into a fellow drunkard, though his was dressed better than you did--tux in all. You didn't feel like getting into a bar fight tonight so you excused yourself and passed by him, his stupor mumbled an apology. Hey at least he was nice.

Finally managing to get pass though the glitz & glamour, you meandered your way through the rows upon rows upon small clusters of slot machines, each screaming with flashing lights and oversaturated colors that could make an epileptic spaz out, all advertising how "you can win big tonight!" 

"$10,000, $20,000, $50,000, $100,000; all yours if you just sit on my lap and grope my stick." Well gee who wouldn't love to do that?

You did.

You wanted to do that.

So you settled at a slot far away from the center, trying to not draw any attention to your homely self.  Looking at the screen, the prize was about $5,000. At least, that's what you think. With the one dollar bill past you must've bestowed you, you pressed your luck. The three reels spin in accelerated motion, each symbol passing by in a blur. You swear if you lose your money right no-

Oh 50 bucks not bad. Let's have another go.

You pull the lever, which felt stale as it needed both hands to tow down. The little jingle of the machine played as you watched the reels rolls, the colors swirl with the white. $75, great! 

Hm...let's make it $100. You crank the slot again. 

...

$20. Come on, another try.

...

Ok back to $50. Another roll won't hurt.

...

$75.

...

$95.

...

$170. You should really stop now, but the big prize made your drool. You want more...a little more...

As you slowly sink into the state of gambling (and your delusions of grandeur), your money rose and sank like tidal waves. Time slowed with each pull of a lever, anticipation killed you over and over again. Every dollar spent either mattered to you or didn't. 

Maybe this was why you don't like gambling. 

Maybe you had an addiction.

...

Wait.

Wait!

WAIT!

$ BIG WIN $1,000 $

It ain't the jackpot, but it's better than $50. You should really stop now...

But...that prize...what are the chances...and even if you didn't get it, you can still win more...

Just one more pull, you'll put $200 in this time. 

...darn, 20 bucks. You put more in to see if you can get it back. 

------------------------------

Time passed; it felt like molasses when really it was moving quickly. You sank into the cushion of the stool. God how long have you been here?  Whatever the time was, through the span of when you got here to now, you lost about $4,000. The closest you got to the big prize was that $1,000 you got before. And now you went from $1 to $0 in an instant. You rest your head onto the slot machine; the haze came back, along with a headache from all the flashing lights and colors. And it didn't help that you bought something to drink before you lost it all.

You didn't win big. You didn't win at all today. You should've left with that $1,000. Another bad decision, added to your collection.

"Poor dear...,"  A voice purred. "down on their luck..." Cool hands slither onto your shoulders, squeezing with slight pressure on your aches. "Looks like you need a pick-me-up." The hands press and massage the tender muscles of your aching back. Normally you wouldn't want a stranger touching you (and would bite back if someone had the balls to do so), but it felt so good...

You felt revitalized; revive and relieved from your headache. You stretch and moan in delight, god you needed that. The stranger kept going, seeming to be happy from your state. "That's it~. Feel that luck flowing in you." If luck means relief, you sure were feeling it. Their voice purrs, a siren's sonnet of sweet nothings slips through your ear. One hands slips from your shoulders, revealing a milky white arm with a cuff on their wrist. Their hand takes yours and places it on the lever.

"Come on, press your luck~."

Wait...? Are they bribing you to gamble? You don't have any money left. What the heck kind of scam is-

*Clink!*The jingle must've of played for 1 second before revealing a giant grinning face on screen.

 $ HUGE WIN $2,000 $

$2,000! How? Where? What?! The luck of the draw you guess. But you were sure you didn't have a dollar left. 

"My my~ what a surprise." The strange purred, their hand crawl back to you shoulders and continued kneading it. Their voice was silky and velvety like satin sheets on a luxurious bed. Utterly heavenly. "Keep going gorgeous~." You happily obliged to the stranger command as if they hypnotized you. The haze grew a little clearer, accompanied by the voice which acted like and dehumidifier and a motif for your gambling. You turned your head to look at the angel helping you but hand gently pushed you back to the screen. "Ah ah ah, eyes up front."

As the concubus deliciated you, you kept pulling the lever of the slot machine. The cash grew higher and higher. $2,500, $3,000, $4,750...

"CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU'RE A WINNER!!!"$5,000

Holy shit did you just win the jackpot?! Your eyes widen, the chips rolled out the slot with ease.

You won. You really won. 

You wanted to thank the nice stranger for helping; if it wasn't for them flipping your luck you wouldn't have won the big prize.

...

Hey where'd they go? Through the maze of slot machines, you couldn't see them. Weird, you didn't feel their hands slip from you when you won. First the luck boost, now they disappear. Was it God? Mother Nature? Lady Luck? (I think the alcohol's getting to your head). Whoever blessed you you thank them. you sat up from the stool, the sound of sweaty cloth peeling off the cushion disgusted you, and pocketed all your chips. You can cash it in at the corner.

*Moon's pov*

*A few minutes earlier

"My my~ what a surprise." Moon purred, his hands rub and cute patron's shoulders. A down-in-the-dumps homebody...with the lack of a true home and in need of some quick cash. Maybe he'll convince them to stay a while, if the pit boss doesn't catch him. He's surprised he stayed out here on the floor for so long. Hope Sun's keeping him entertained. Or at least busy.

Moon leaned closer to the patron's ear, hands soothingly rub against their upperback. "Keep going gorgeous." His vocal cords rumbled. With their drunken state (and probably high libido), the patron pulled the lever again. As the reels spin, Moon marveled the guest under his hypnosis, despite the raggedy clothes and awful scent of liquor, they looked lovely. A little freshing up would sure make a difference. Usually he would do this act on occasion like he's some children's mascot, which is not to far off from being the poster girl for the casino, but this guest was pretty cute. Weird thing to say to a potential hobo but still. The patron turned their head, wanting to face Moon, but he gently pushed a hand to stop them from peeing. "Ah ah ah, eyes up front." It's all part of the act after all, and Moon's giving the total package tonight.

More shoulder rubs and sweet nothings whispered into the ears of the patron, each moan arouses Moon and gently presses against the back of the stool with his lower half. The smooth black bunny suit felt tight and a little wet down on the crotch area, a small erection blooming from beneath. He tries to restraint himself from rutting the poor fool. How soft their curves would feel in his hands, how warm they would feel around his cock, how their voice would sound as they moaned his name...there were so many others and so many features of them all that Moon had used in his mind to please himself and ease his need over this week. He was tired of his boss, it's time to get a new--

"CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU'RE A WINNER!!!"$5,000

The wails and alarms of the slot machine snaps Moon from his sexual fantasies. Christ what has gotten into him? Was he drooling? Is there a wet spot on his suit? God he's sweating through this thing. How much time did he waste--

A firm hand grips his hip, latching tightly. A small and short exhale emitted from his lips, but he felt breathless.

"Shit!" Moon curse in his head. "I thought I had enough time to escape." The hand swiftly turns him around and walks him away from the patron, who current was in disbelief of their winnings. Moon looks back but that hand turned his sight away

."Naughty little bunny, leaving his little home when he's not supposed to." The voice tsked like a parent with their disobedient child. "I'd punished you properly, but your brother satisfied me enough." 

"What did you--?!"

"Let's get back to the loft, bunny."

Moon squirmed from their grasp, pulling away from their chest, "Get off--!" but they were stronger. An arm wrapped around his thin frame while its hand covered his mouth, muting him. The "lovely couple" waltz their way out of the floor and the upstairs to the loft.

------------------------

"Now you stay in there, I deal with you later." The pit boss hissed. Luckily for both of the brothers, Eclipse, the pit boss, has to deal with some "important business" with him, his goons, and the other mafias that decided to bombard him early tonight at the casino. Moon took off his heel and threw it at the door, sadly Eclipse closed it before the shoe hit him. Moon grumbled and huffed in defeat as he hobbled over to pick up his stiletto. It wasn't hard to move in the bunny suit, but it did chafe in areas he didn't want to get chafed. The fishnet stockings rise against the pallor of his thighs as his bent over; the slit creased. A lovely sight to see from behind. 

While Moon was busy with put his heel back on, Sun sat on the velvet couch quietly with a bottle in his hand, swirling the liquid inside. He must've wanted a nice drink before the chaos brewed into the lobby. He was always, as Eclipse says, the good twin: sweet, playful, obedient, dare to say pious despite the sinful attraction he brings upon the patrons of the pit. In both of the brothers minds, having Sun hold down the fort while Moon roamed around the casino for a bit was a good idea, even if it only lasted for a little while. His silence worried Moon; usually a casual remark would comment about the commotion right about now. What disgusting horrors fell upon his brother tonight?

"Did he--

""No, he didn't." Sun huffed "He wanted to, but he wanted the two-for-one special tonight. That's when he left. And I tried to stop him but...you know how he is." A leg crossed over the other, causing the fabric of the suit to bunch up again. In contrast to Moon's black bunny suit, Sun dressed himself in a ruby red bunny suit with no stockings to cover his thin legs. The ears were red and sticking upward, and a sparkly red bowtie contrasted Moon's black four-in-hand tie.

"Greedy fucker..." Moon hissed as he took a sit next to his brother. An open pack of cigarettes was laying on the table, lovely waiting for him like a temptress in erotic clothing. He took one and lit it with the convenient lighter next to the pack. A vice, but what else is he suppose to use to treat himself?

"Oh forget about, were they cute~?" Sun smiled cheekily.

"I didn't get the best look at them, but they looked so innocent and lonely." Moon took a drag before speaking again. "So I gave them a..."special" treatment tonight." 

"Lucky! They must've been drooling when they saw you." 

"They didn't. You know are whole act, if you look at the bunnies your luck will slip away."

"You sure that's not just Eclipse telling people to keep their eyes to themselves?"

"Oh no I'm positive about that." Moon took another drag from his cigarette. "What did he do to you?" He looked to his brother, who was currently pouring himself a glass. 

"He had guests over for a drink and wanted a plus one for tonight. I swear sometimes I think he's got a split personality. The moment he's got someone over he's the host with the most, but when they leave he's Al Capone without "his little friend"." Sun took the shot, the burning sensation pleasured him, more than anything Eclipse ever done. Any alcohol was better than what Eclipse could deliver. That pillow princess. "Say, where's the cutie now?"

"Don't know. Let's check." Moon got up from the couch--cigarette still in hand--and stepped toward the giant glass window behind them. The glass had just been clean a few days ago so the brothers can see the overview of the casino. 

They spot the willowy patron heading towards the exit, cash stash inside their long coat to avoid drawing any attention.

"There they go. Rich and pleased."

"Think they're gonna come back?"

"I'm sure of it."

[amomentxofhappiness]

Gwen, Tom & Laura Richardson (children to henry and Hera Richardson)

Gwen (jennifer morrison): Guinevere is the eldest of the Richardson clan, prone to fights and dares from a young age, she joined the Navy as soon as she turned 18, surprising no one. Quickly making a name for herself, she climbed ranks and completed the NAVY SEAL training, being deployed three times to the Middle East. She has now returned and has been tasked with training newcomers--no one really knows why but something big must’ve happened--though it’s all classified (the fact is, she was a POW for a few months and when rescued the army had her tested over and over to make sure she hadn’t been turned).

Gwen has never been able to relate much to her youngest sister Laura, mainly because they’re oil and water and doesn’t understand her motives for being so vocal about everything (equal rights, the environment, internalized patriarchy). She’s far closer to Tom.

NOTE: Gwen is very disassociated from sex right now even less so after her POW time.

[OLYMPUS V] During that time, she had also realized there was something different about her but believes it has to do with all the conditioning she suffered and maybe-just maybe-one of the many many things they tried on her upon her return.

Tom (Dylan O'Brien) - tw: sex.ual abuse. He is the oldest of thw twins by twenty minutes. He was a hit shot that had everything good going on for him and (sort of) the definition of nepo baby. He drank way too much and during one of laura's archery comptetions he took the drinking too far and hit on one of her friends. Memories of that night are blurry to say the least but the next day he was woken up by cops with charges for assa.ult against him. The case wasn't dismissed but there was no evidence against him and he got off easy, way to easy for everyone in the family (except for Gwen who'd defend his ass against literally anything and helped him decompose bod ies if he k**ed someone). He was expelled from campus and is not well loved by many--only by a selected few. At first he saw himself as a victim but now he's learning to accept his part of the blame.

He is backpacking and doesnt know what to do with his life. 25-27 like Laura and still living off his parents. Likes camping and probably will work as a lumberjack (getting Dext er vibes)

[Olympus verse only] Shared Powers: Energy Perception, Extrasensory Perception, Shapeshifting, Telekinesis and Teleportation (by Photoportation). Endurance, Senses, Regenerative Healing Factor

Unique Powers: Solar Manipulation. Stardust Manipulation, Gold Dust Manipulation, Elemental Divination

Laura (Kristen Stewart) - she was going to be a veterinarian but ended up a lawyer activist. Very gay. Did archery in her young years and competed but abandoned it after tom fucked up w one of her friends. She is close to Tom and loves him unconditionally but also cuts his crap in 0.2 seconds.

[Olympus verse] Super unaware of all she can do; started noticing odd things though but thinks it was the flowers she smoked (recreational marihuana and all).

[cartoonfanaticmonsterrobotalien]

Solar Opposites: The Rise of The New Order Ch. 5 (by @avaveevo)

The next morning, Korvo approaches a the New Order as he grins.

Korvo: Let’s do this.

Korvo opens the door and sits down.

Moran: Hey hey! Korvotron! What’s up! You doing good!

Korvo groans

Korvo: Seriously Moran? Do you have to be funny right now?

Moran: What? Just trying bring a little humor to lighten our day! *laughs*

Korvo rolls his eyes

Bee: Seriously?

Then, Tortus entered the room.

Tortus: Greetings New Order. You may now rise from your seats.

The New Order rises except for Gadget who is working on an invention

Tortus: Ahem! Gadget?

Gadget doesn’t hear Tortus

Tortus: Gadget? Gadget! *grows irritated* GADGET!

Gadget looks up

Gadget: *yelps a bit* Yes Tortus?

Tortus: STAND. UP!

Gadget angrily grumbles to himself but stands up

Gadget: Sorry geez. I was just working on an invention.

Tortus sighs and turns to Korvo

Tortus: Korvotron, it is an honor for you to be finally sitting with us.

Korvo: Heh. Thanks.

Tortus: Now, New Order. I have an assignment for each of you.

Bee: What is it, sir?

Tortus: Bee, you shall chronicle everything on Shlorp that must be kept safe at all cost.

Bee: Of course, sir.

Tortus: Gadget, keep inventing some more weapons of the New Order.

Gadget: Yes, sir.

Tortus: Moran, for heavens sake, just try do something more useful once in your life instead of being a prankster!

Moran: Can’t make any promises.

Tortus groans in annoyance. Xinna jumps on the table.

Xinna: And me, sir?

Tortus: You make to stay rough and guard any Shlorpian that me be harmed by predators and keep your team safe in line.

Bee: Yeah. And get off the table.

Xinna: Ugh! You don’t have to tell me twice, Bee.

Tortus: And Korvotron.

Korvo: Yes, sir?

Tortus: I have a very special assignment for you

Korvo: W-What is it?

Tortus: Come with me

Korvo nods and follows Tortus and then grows amazed by the chem lab.

Korvo: Woah. What is this place?

Tortus: Our lab. We know how much you love science and we believe it should be the perfect task for you

Korvo: *laughs* You know me too well.

Tortus: Of course. Korvotron, you think you can create something that could help our future generations of Shlorpians everywhere?

Korvo: But of course.

Tortus: Good it’s time to get started. Good luck.

Tortus leaves and Korvo smirks

Korvo: Oh this is gonna be fun!

Later, Korvo arrives home and Terry embraces him

Korvo: *laughs* Hey honey! *kisses Terry*

Terry giggles

Terry: So, how was your day?

Korvo: It was honestly very stressful.

Terry: Aw, I’m sorry honey. You don’t have to talk about it if you like.

Korvo: I don’t. For now, I just wanna-

Terry suddenly gets a phone call from his mother.

Terry: Yes mom?

Terry’s smile fades as he gasps

Terry: What? Oh my God… oh don’t worry mom. It’ll be okay. Love you.

Korvo: What happened?

Terry takes a deep breath.

Terry: My mom is starting to worry about Tortus.

Korvo: What do you mean?

Terry: She said there has been some suspicions about him lately.

Korvo sighs and decides to tell Terry what he learned about Tortus

Korvo: Terry, I believe you me be right.

Terry: Yeah.

Korvo: Terry, for years, Tortus’s father had a deadly thing called, execution, which means killing Shlorpians who refuse to obey the New Order.

Terry gasps

Terry: Oh my God… that’s terrible…

Terry starts crying as Korvo soothes him

Korvo: Shh… it’s okay my darling… you’re safe with me…

Terraformus: *offscreen* Son?

Terry gasp and turns around to see his parents

Terry: M-mom? D-dad?

Jessica: Hello, Terald.

Terry gasps as a flashback plays. Teraformus and Jessica are waiting for their Sproutling.

Shlorpian: Good news! Your Sproutling has been born!

Jessica gasps

Teraformus: Let’s go see our baby!

The two Shlorpians rushed in and gasped upon seeing baby Terry crying as he gets wrapped up in a blanket. The Shlorpians passed the baby over to Jessica’s arms as she and Teraformus cries tears of joy.

Teraformus: Hello, Terald.

Baby Terry: *crying*

Jessica kisses Baby Terry on the forehead. We then see an execution taking place with Teraformus and Jessica in the crowd while Jessica holds Baby Terry

Teraformus: Oh boy, this doesn’t look too good.

Jessica holds Baby Terry close. A group of Shlorpians were killed during the execution which made baby Terry cry louder.

Jessica: Sssh. It’s okay, sweetheart.

The flashback ends as Terry sobs

Terry: Mom! Dad!

Terry hugs Teraformus

Terry: *crying* I miss you…

Teraformus: Shh… it’s okay. Daddy’s here. Daddy’s got you. It’s my little boy. All grown up. You look just like me!

Terry smiles

Terry: Thanks dad. *hugs mom* Hello mom.

Jessica: Oh sweetheart. I missed you so much.

Terry: I miss you too. *tearfully smiles*

Korvo smiles

Teraformus: *smiles* It’s nice to finally meet you Korvo in person. Thank you for taking care of our son. He’s lucky to have a husband like you.

Korvo: He sure is. *pulls Terry in for a kiss*

Terry: *chuckles* Yes I do.

Jessica: *smiles* Thank you so much for taking care our son! *hugs Korvo*

Korvo: Anytime. It’s an honor being his husband.

Teraformus and Jessica smiled. Then they notice Jesse and Yumyulack.

Teraformus: Oh and these must be our grand kids.

Jesse: Yep!

Jessica: Oh little Jessica. *hugs Jesse* Look how big you grown. We haven’t seen you since you were a sproutling.

Jesse: It’s Jesse actually.

Teraformus and Jessica: D’aw okay.

Yumyulack: Uh, hey.

Teraformus: And you must be our grandson. So nice to meet you Yumyulack.

Yumyulack smiles

Yumyulack: Thanks Teraformus and Jessica, or um can I call you Grandma and Grandpa?

Jessica laughs

Jessica: Of course.

The Replicants then hug their grandparents as they smile.

Korvo: But what about Tortus?

Teraformus: Don’t worry, we know what a tough Shlorpian you are. And trust us, he is just like his father and worst.

Korvo: *sighs*

Jessica: But just keep an eye on Tortus. Okay?

Korvo nods and smiles.

Korvo: Okay I will and don’t worry things will be a success. I promise!

[strikedenko]

The Two Nikos

Chapter 2: Across The Barrens

Summary: The two Nikos further explore the Barrens on their quest to restore the world's light.

(story under cut)

The messiah remained hesitant, though they could trust themselves! Right? They'd gone through this too, they'll know what to do. They forced a smile as the two Nikos approached the building near which Prophetbot stood.

Moving past the robot and into the building, they approach the box containing the solar battery and use the crowbar as leverage to lift the lid off the container. Inside was a hefty portable battery, though broken. Niko hands it to the messiah, setting the sun aside to accept it.

"We've got everything we need. Okay, the lens goes into the battery and then use the sun on it to charge," Niko hastily spoke, wanting to move quickly. The faster the two worked through this, the sooner they'd both be out of here.

The messiah though, wasn't quite following. "...Huh?" They tilted their head in confusion, dragging a sigh of subtle discontent out of Niko.

"...Okay, one thing at a time," They started again. "The battery's only missing a good lens, but we found a replacement, right?"

This prompted the messiah to take out the camera lens obtained earlier, before slotting it into the battery's lens compartment.

"Hey, it fits perfectly!" They exclaimed. "How do we charge it, though? There's no sunlight."

Niko tilts their head, raising an eyebrow. "Not outside, but..." They motion over to the bulb.

"Oh right, the sun! I never would've thought of that." Niko can't help but giggle in response. "...Wait, I suppose I did! Good thinking, me!" The two shared a laugh, before the messiah picked back up the sun and held it close to the lens of the battery.

Not even a second flew by before the battery reached full charge, much to the messiah's surprise as they pulled the lightbulb away.

"That was fast!"

Niko picks up the charged battery and glances over to the room opposite of the entrance. "I didn't see a generator in the back room... We should ask Prophetbot."

So, they do. Specifically, the messiah does. The robot continued to leave Niko's likeness to the messiah and their status as operator unacknowledged.

"Excuse me, is there a... generator missing a battery?"

Prophetbot took a few seconds to answer.

"The barrens do not have any generators, much less any lacking a power source." That's odd... What was this battery for, then? Niko couldn't really think of anything else.

.

.

.

"A-ha!" They've got it.

"Huh?" Unsurprisingly, the messiah didn't quite understand. "What're you thinking?"

"The rowbot, it might accept the battery."

The messiah returned an even more puzzled look. "What robot? We've only met two, and the rest are beyond repair."

"No, ROWbot, R-O-W bot. It's a boat robot that'll take us across the ocean towards the tower."

The messiah tilted their head, taking a few seconds for it to register.

"Oh, I get it!" They exclaimed, laughter escaping them upon realizing the pun.

"Prophetbot, where's the rowbot?" Niko inquired.

"I'm sorry, but my programming only allows me to answer to the messiah." Right, of course. Niko motioned for the messiah to ask the same question, thankfully receiving a better response. "A rowbot was stationed at the docks, though I can no longer receive a signal from them."

Niko grins, clapping their hands together eager to progress. "Right, let's go!"

"I wish you luck," Prophetbot spoke, before the two darted off towards the unpowered rowbot.

...A little too eagerly, perhaps, as the messiah was being pulled along by Niko.

"P-please! Slow down!"

"Oh, sorry!" Niko did slow, though it was clear they really wanted to reach the rowbot quickly. It wasn't long until they did, reaching the docks and noticing the boat-bound robot. Niko made haste, taking out the portable battery and inserting it into the perfectly sized power compartment.

. . .

"I AM FUNCTIONAL!" The rowbot flared back to life. "YOU! THANK YOU. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE?"

It seemed a little worse for wear compared to what Niko had remembered, though perhaps it was just the rust.

.

Oh right, the rust-

"...I CANNOT MOVE." 

It had briefly slipped Niko's mind that they had to clean off the metallic body as well, which entailed venturing into the vent zones to fill the bottle with gas. This also meant needing to find the gas mask, most likely in the safe on the cliffs.

...There's probably only one gas mask in there, too. Well, they'll hopefully figure something out.

"We'll clean you soon, don't worry," Niko affirmed, before glancing back to the messiah letting out a yawn.

"Niko... I'm tired, can I take a nap?"

They paused. Niko... did kinda force them around, like how Cameron had in both the World Machine and their first few weeks in the Multiverse Machine.

A mirroring yawn. "Yeah, that's a good idea. I think there's a bed nearby," Niko said, pointing to an abandoned train car. "Bye, rowbot!"

No response from the robot as the two walked over into the train car.

A copy of the bed from the starting room sat along the leftmost wall, undisturbed by the surrounding fallout. The messiah was quick to approach and press a hand into its mattress, testing its comfort.

...

['It seems your name was no mere coincidence, Niko.']

A strange voice invaded the former messiah's mind, catching them off guard. "Wh-who are you??" Though their audible reaction echoed around the disheveled space, this world's messiah appeared unbothered by Niko's surprise.

['Do you not remember? I reached out to you through your machine, informing you of what was at stake.']

It was the World Machine. Well, it was this World Machine, before it realized its tamed nature and worth.

['I don't understand how you were able to enter, nor why, but I hope it does not dissuade you from ensuring the safety of your other self.']

The voice subsides.

The ensuing silence is broken by a soft squeaking coming from the bed, the messiah laying down and clutching the sun close, not wanting to drop it. They seemed to notice their other self watching, adjusting their body to make eye contact more comfortable.

"Niko?" They spoke, frowning into the warm sun. "I'm scared..."

Of course, Niko's concern for this world's messiah urged them to try and comfort their fears. "What are you scared of?" They could think of a few things, but the number one rule for this seemed to be to never assume.

"This world... What you said earlier... There's a catch, isn't there...?" The messiah grew more somber. "I just want to go home..."

"Hey, hey..." Niko moved in closer to the messiah. "I promised you that you would," they cup the other's free cheek. "No matter what, I'll make sure that you get home."

The messiah let a smile creep up, Niko mirroring a soft grin shortly after.

"Think of home, dream of it. Tell yourself that you'll return, because you will regardless of how hard things might get," they continued. "You'll return to mama."

The smile formed fully on the tired Niko's face. "Thanks..." they cooed, starting to fall asleep. Niko offered to set the sun aside so the messiah could nap unburdened. And then, everything went dark.

. . .

"H-Hello?" Niko's voice echoed throughout the void they'd seemingly wound up in. "Niko? World Machine?" No sign of either, obviously worrying...

All they could discern through the darkness was their own form. There wasn't even any discernible difference between what felt like the floor and the air around them.

"...Anyone?"

Niko was growing increasingly paranoid. It felt like when they first woke up in the tower without being able to hear Cameron's voice.

...!

This subtle weight in their coat, going unnoticed until now... Could it be?

"Oh, hey!"

It was their cyberphone, dubbed the Pocket Machine. It was a gift from Cameron for use within the Multiverse Machine, but how did they have it now?

Well, they shouldn't pass up an opportunity to try and get out of... whatever this place was-

The moment they powered on the device though, the world roared back to life. The surrounding void faded to reveal that Niko never left, the world had simply unrendered. Niko breathed a sigh of relief as the messiah awoke and sat upright, yawning.

"I'm awake," they exclaimed, turning to Niko. "I had a dream just now, about home." They smiled, recounting the visions that had played through their mind. "I was in the big wheat field surrounding my village. It was bright and sunny!"

Niko beamed a warm smile to their other self. "That sounds really nice! I'm guessing your sun is a big ball of fire in the sky?"

"We have two suns, actually!"

...What?

"Two? How does that even work?" Niko inquired. Never have they heard of a binary star system before, so the concept was VERY intriguing.

"I don't really know, I never asked about it." The messiah shrugged, getting out of bed and back onto their feet, reclaiming the sun. "A-anyway, we should probably get going..."

"That's a good idea," Niko nodded, proceeding outside and gazing upon the tall spire once more, then back to the lightbulb that the messiah held.

"I wonder if there's a world machine with two suns..." They silently mused.

Right, what was next on the list? They had to clean the rust off of the rowbot, which required them to make the cleaning solution itself. Luckily, the Barrens contained all the necessary components, the two Nikos simply had to find everything.

Despite the bubbled pond being outside of a vent zone, Niko assumed they still needed to venture through the toxic fumes in order to obtain the syringe needed. There still remained the question of where exactly the syringe was, but perhaps they could ask Silver on the way.

Of course, to even step foot into a gaseous area, they needed the gas mask from the safe. Though, the code to open it remained a mystery. Niko knew there must be a trigger, but the lack of a computer in the outpost left them puzzled.

Well, it couldn't hurt to try the safe anyways. Perhaps the trigger was the container itself?

The two cautiously walked along the cliffs over to the locked safe, thankfully possessing a larger chunk of land beneath. The messiah allowed Niko to take a look.

"Six numbers. That's..." Briefly counting on their fingers. "...a lot of possible combinations." Niko reached a finger out to touch one of the scrolling digits.

ZAP

"Yow!" Niko instantly pulled away, covering the point of contact.

"Niko? What happened?!" The messiah took an instinctive step back, before taking a few steps towards their guide to check in on them.

"...I just got shocked. Some static, maybe?" It was a loose guess, though one that made sense. Well, now with it discharged, Niko could try again?

Nope, it happened once more. The guide pulled back and let out a disgruntled sigh, before turning back to the messiah.

"I think you need to be the one to do this..." Niko moved to the side, allowing the messiah a full view of the door and the combination lock.

"We haven't seen any codes, though. Not since the remote, anyway." The messiah leaned in to take a look, then suddenly froze on a dime. No movement even from their eyes.

['I see you two have made progress, Niko.']

The Entity roared back into Niko's mind, taking them by surprise. Was the messiah freezing because of this, because the spirit of the world wished to talk with the operator?

['But that stops here if you don't stop to consider this: The world is falling apart.']

They figured. The Barrens were, well, completely barren, even more so than Niko's recollection of events from their own World Machine.

['It's possible that the INFORMATION you seek no longer exists in this world.']

They had gathered. Niko's first thought was that it was to be found elsewhere on their computer, though being inside the world itself made that a little difficult. How would they go about that...

...!

There's a buzzing inside their coat, the Pocket Machine. Niko took it out to see a system message, reading: "You're quite lucky to have this." Nothing else.

['Start looking.']

The world around them unfroze as the voice vacated. As the messiah tinkered with the combination, Niko stood aside, thinking about how their possession of the Pocket Machine made them 'lucky.'

Then, it hit them. From what they recall of the village IT person's guidance, a program unrendered if the window it was viewed in was closed. They recall Cameron making reference to the world 'closing' on him, and the world, alongside the messiah, had woken once Niko turned on the device.

The Pocket Machine held external power over the world! That considered, it's possible it may grant Niko access to the rest of the computer outside!

Meanwhile, the messiah has just been trying incremental combinations starting from all zeros-

Niko starts looking, scouring the various menus of the Pocket Machine. The Entity put particular emphasis on the word INFORMATION, so that was the word to search for.

Eventually, entering a menu titled 'Documents,' they discover a file called 'INFORMATION' with the extension '.oneshot'.

Score.

"Niko, I've got it! I found the code!" The guide exclaimed, prompting the messiah to pull their focus from the combination. They were still on '000017,' so knowing the correct code was certainly preferable to brute-forcing their way in-

The file opened a screenful of text that appeared to be a letter all but lost, written by an unknown author. Most of the page was unintelligible, though the most important information was on the last line, untouched by the cruel sands of time.

"The code to the safe is 426713," Niko read aloud, with the messiah returning to the code entry and inputting the combination. Miraculously, it works! The door of the safe opens to reveal... one gas mask.

"Oh, shoot..." The messiah sighed. "Looks like we'll have to share." They pocket the gas mask and investigate the journal stored within. It lacked a clover on the cover, being replaced by some text in an unknown language. Odd...

The messiah briefly flipped through its pages, though the content itself proved similar; An unknown language within, not to mention a lot of it. "Weird... do you know what this says?"

"I don't recognize that journal, no..." It may prove to fill a similar purpose to what Niko remembers, though even back then they never had a complete translation.

"Let's stop by Silver," they suggested, moving on ahead and waiting for the messiah to follow. As they walked out onto the thin path, though, the two faltered. They looked to the left to gaze upon a peculiar phenomenon, though one that the guide knew particularly well, and despised.

Square anomalies.

The staticky sound emanating from the corruption alone was enough to jumpstart Niko's fight or flight response. Though, all they could manage to do was freeze, anticipating the unpredictable spread of the corruption.

"...Niko," They eventually spoke. "We need to go. Now." The messiah was more mesmerized by the dancing particles, though managed to break the trance-induced stare when their guide addressed and urged them to come along. They do, of course, but curiosity was flooding their mind.

"What was that?" They asked, but Niko wasn't keen on answering so soon. They simply wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, pulling the messiah along once more. Their speed was noticeably slower than earlier, comparable to a fast walk, though their grip was firm around the end of the messiah's sleeve, warmed by the sun.

Escaping earshot of the corruption, Niko finally answered. "Bad. Those squares are the world tearing at the seams," They spoke, stern. "Stay the hell away from them."

"H-hey, that's a bad word!"

Niko stopped. They... really said that...

"I'm sorry..." They spoke after a pause. "I had some bad experiences with those things, and I guess the memories coming back caused me to say it..."

The messiah hesitantly nodded, understanding the use of the word though still taken aback.

"...Let's go see Silver."

The two return to the facility housing the head engineer. "Hello!" The messiah greeted.

"Hello, messiahs," Silver reciprocated. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yeah. We're trying to clean the rust off of a rowbot," Niko answered. "We've been trying to make the cleaning supplies ourselves, but we don't have all of the supplies..."

"Make it yourself? That's not something I would recommend," Silver spoke, glancing off to the side. "Though if you must, the atmosphere in the vent zone combats rust particularly well. If you manage to concentrate and contain it, mixing it with the rare form of liquid phosphor results in a strong cleaning solution."

Well, Niko knew that-

"We were on our way to the vent zone now, actually! We just can't find anything to get the rare phosphor..."

Silver thought for a second, before an idea sparks into her mind.

"I possess a kit of medical supplies in case of a human work accident, though since everyone left, it fell into disuse." She breathed a silent sigh. "Feel free to take anything you might need.

So THAT'S where the syringe was...

The two approached the box in the corner and scoured through it. Most of the tools were broken or rusted, but...

A-ha! A clean syringe! Niko can't help but wonder how it's stayed clean for so long.

The messiah pockets it, before the two bid farewell and head out.

"So, about the mask," Niko started, drawing the messiah's attention. "I've got a plan." Their plan was to split up, the messiah dawning the mask and venturing into the vent zone to collect some of the acidic fumes, whereas the guide was to head down to the bubbled pond and extract a sample of liquid phosphor, and they'd meet back up at the docks after they were done.

"How... would I contain the gas?" The messiah asked at the tailend of the plan.

"You take the bottle, hold it over a vent, and seal it up once it's been filled." It's a good thing they kept the cork from the starting house, then. "Good luck."

The messiah nodded, dawning the gas mask and heading into the nearby vent zone. Niko waved a temporary farewell before running the other way. Over the cliffs, through the dorms, back to the shrimp swamp, where it wasn't long before they arrived at the pond with the bubbled-over surface.

They waste no time jamming the needle into the jelly-like substance before pulling back on the plunger, extracting the liquid phosphor into the barrel. Once that was complete, Niko proceeded to the docks.

The messiah, meanwhile, took more time to find and grab their gas sample. Most vents were so tall, they couldn't even reach over the top on their tippy-toes! Soon, though, they were able to find one expelling gas from the ground, but removing the cork from the bottle took more effort than they'd like. Despite the prolonged struggle, the messiah was eventually able to wiggle it free and yank it out.

"Okay... Into the bottle," They muttered to themself, turning the top side over to catch the flowing gas inside. It didn't take much time, though the messiah made the mistake of moving it away from the smoke before sealing it off, causing the gas to escape. "Oh, shoot..."

They don't make the same mistake on attempt 2, sealing the smoke within and heading out to the docks, their guide just arriving there as well.

"All good?" Niko asked, the messiah raising the filled bottle in response before removing the gas mask. "Great!"

Niko began the procedure, injecting the liquid phosphor into the bottle through the cork, discarding the syringe before beginning to shake. The messiah put on the rubber gloves and prepared the sponge, allowing Niko to pour the solution onto it.

"There we go. Now all we need to do is clean the rowbot!" The messiah exclaimed, before approaching the robot with the sponge in hand. "Alright, hold still..."

"AS IF I HAD A CHOICE," The rowbot replied, dragging a chuckle out of Niko as the messiah rid the metal body of rust. Following a few minutes of wiping down the rowbot, it began to move!

"I FEEL BETTER ALREADY! I AM ABLE TO FOLLOW MY PROGRAMMING AGAIN."

The messiah grinned. "We're headed towards the spire. Can you take us there?"

"CLOSEST DESTINATION TO THE SPIRE IS... THE GLEN-"

The rowbot stutters. "MY BUILT-IN NAVIGATION CIRCUITS HAVE FRIED."

"Oh, shoot," Niko muttered, dismayed.

"IN THE EVENT OF AN ERROR, YOU SHOULD SPEAK WITH THE HEAD ENGINEER. SHE WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO."

Back to the mining facility and Silver, they suppose. Luckily, the walk this time around wasn't so bad. Quiet, a nice kind of quiet, knowing they were close to moving onto the next area. The two Nikos entered the facility to talk with the robot lady one more time.

"Excuse us again, miss," the messiah started. "We managed to clean the rowbot, but it said something about its navigation circuits being fried."

Silver thought for a moment. "If you give it something from the Glen, it ought to remember how to get there. It'll be rare to find anything like that here, though."

The messiah breathed a disappointed sigh, whilst Niko was counting down on their fingers until...

"Wait!" There we go-

"I have this." Silver removed her necklace, a charm hanging off the end containing a clover housed in amber.

"This contains amber from the Glen. The rowbot should be able to route back if you show it this."

The messiah gazed upon the charm, intrigued. "It's very pretty."

"But... I can't just give this away. It's special to me," Silver spoke, reminiscing. "Tell you what. I haven't played chess with someone else in years. Play a game with me, and I'll let you have it."

Niko doesn't remember Silver acting so... reluctant, though they suppose it's the least they could do. The messiah volunteers to play, with Niko acting as the judge, they guess. It ultimately mattered not, but it did spare them from having to play chess.

As Niko watched, they couldn't help but notice the messiah's human-like ears.

"Your ears... They're on the side of your head?" They inquired as Silver pondered which move to use.

"Yeah? Are yours not, Niko?" The guide then took off their hat, revealing a pair of purple cat ears. Silver caught a glance before briefly glancing away and snickering, much to Niko's bemusement.

"Everyone at home has eyes and ears like mine! So, you're a human?"

The messiah frowned. "Nuh-uh, humans have small eyes! Well, some of us have small eyes as well, but I'm still not human." Their denial was, frankly, quite amusing. Guess that's how others see Niko when they deny being a cat...

"Checkmate." Quite a short game, with Silver ending up winning. "Alright, guess I've kept you two long enough." The messiah stood out of their chair and reclaimed the sun as Silver reset the board, before handing over the necklace. "I hope you get home safely."

"Thank you, Silver. Goodbye!" The two bid farewell, leaving the facility and returning to the docks. Niko shows the charm to the rowbot, allowing them to analyze the amber.

"OH. THIS COIN. I... I REMEMBER NOW! SETTING COURSE..."

The two shared a smile.

"...ONE LAST THING. THIS BOAT IS OVER-CAPACITY." The smiles quickly dissipated from their faces. No doubt two of them would be considered 'over-capacity.' "YOU'LL NEED TO LEAVE BEHIND SOME OF YOUR POSSESSIONS."

Hastily, they took out anything that they weren't going to need in the next few areas. The crowbar, the gas mask, the hefty gloves... Would that be enough?

"THAT IS ACCEPTABLE."

Huh??

"...What do you mean 'acceptable?'" They shouldn't pass this up, though it was quite peculiar.

"CAPACITY IS SUFFICIENT. ONWARD."

Well, they aren't about to try and contest. The latch, keeping the boat from drifting off, detached, and the rowboat began to row. Despite the combined weight of the two cat-people, the boat ride was surprisingly steady. There was nothing to worry about.

Onward!

[thesungod]

i think it would've worked better if they'd done some more exposition w/ will? it seems to be a sun/light thing- orpheus (sometimes attested as a son of apollo) had no issue, nor does artemis: the only other god who can't enter is said to be helios, because the underworld is "never looked upon by the glowing sun". so this is presumably connected to will being a child of apollo's solar aspect. they could've just said that... he can go there physically due to his mortal side, but it slowly kills his godly side? smth like that. it's implied that any stretch of time away from the sun weakens will, but they outright say that the underworld was literally draining the life out of him.

(this is about this ask)

i can’t decide if will was too weakened in t*sats or too strong, honestly.

because like, he was downright useless and pathetic to the point fans got annoyed with him (lmao) but he also survived?? which is crazy, because tartarus should equal certain death even for most gods.

are you seriously telling me we were all worried about Percy and Annabeth being down there and wrote/read a million fics about their extensive trauma and the fact they’d never be the same just for Will fucking Solace to survive it too lmaooo

i agree that it was kind of dumb how even just the underworld was killing him. i remember at one point in the book he was on the ground shaking and i thought “they aren’t even in tartarus yet… wtf is he going to do there”

t*sats is so fucking stupid they couldn’t even stay consistent to the canon they’d made up just for the book😭

[ordon-shield]

Whumpril 2023 Masterpost

Link & Sheik

Link Makes Bad Decisions

Four Becomes One

Malice Infection AU

Shades of the Calamity

Runaway AU

Retrieved Communication Logs

F-1: Link? You’re near Lanayru-5 still, right?

L-1: Currently orbiting while the solar cells recharge, why?”

F-1: We’ve picked up a distress call from near its moon, and you’re the closest ship with the capacity to help.

-

Recovered communication logs between Central engineer Zelda Hyrule with her F-1 Class experimental fighter ship, and an L-1 Class scout ship (pilot unknown).

Sorely Needing Rest

Link just needed a horse, not an argument.

A Meeting in the Desert

Link gets left in the Haunted Wasteland to die.

-

His pale skin was already far past red, already peeling under the heat of the sun, and if he stayed out much longer he’d be willing to hand over the Master Sword to Ganondorf himself in exchange for a drink of water.

Blood and Stitches

Carelessly stepping into the next room, he found himself tripping over his own feet as his ears caught the whirl of one of the many traps found throughout the old mineshafts.

-

Link gets injured in the Cave of Flames and Ezlo helps him deal with it.

Minds and Malice

As it grew closer, Link realised what it was — a Hylian. He’d never seen a living one before, although he had a good idea of what they were like based on his resemblance to them. He knew he wasn’t one though— the word the monsters he’d met had used to describe meant something more like ‘harbinger’ or ‘herald’ from what he could understand.

Painless Potion

“Link, please just listen to me. I went to talk to that couple who runs the potion shop at the bazaar. They said you’re coming in near-daily for heart potions. They assumed you were just picking them up for the Academy, but I checked our stores and they’re the same as they’ve always been. Why do you need those potions Link?”

Under His Skin

Link is fine. The blood staining the front of his tunic might look bad, but the potion he took was able to heal the wound over once he was able to get to it, leaving only a thick scar across his chest. He was still cursing himself internally for making the mistake of forgetting to keep track of his injuries while using the painkilling potion.

Hope in Your Heart

Steeling herself, she stepped forward, calling upon her inherited magic, which took form in her hand as a bright orb of light.

“Vaati. Why have you come here?”

They turned to face her directly and smiled, the sides of their mouth stretching too far as they did so.

“Don’t worry Princess, I have no interest in you anymore.”

Evening Ambush

Link wasn’t panicking, not at all. He was just frozen in fear under the Yiga assassin who had found him while he was sleeping, and had pinned him down with their knee on his chest, waking him up with the feeling of something heavy constricting his breath, with the sharp blade of their sickle to his throat.

Snowpeak Snowboarding

Link is bad at snowboarding.

Dreams of Past Lives

The place he’s in now is… odd. He stands on a thin layer of water in a realm that seems to be nothing more than a bright summers day, light shining down through the sparse white clouds without a sun in sight.

The Malice of a Stranger

As they got closer he realised they were moving oddly, injured perhaps? It was when they were nearing the end of the bridge, close enough for him to seen more clearly, that he saw familiar blond hair falling out from under their hood.

Below the Clouds

“Master Link, I would advise returning to the sky before your illness becomes any worse.”

Death in the Castle

She let out a sigh of relief when they reached the castle infirmary. She knew it wouldn’t be able to help much, but it made her feel better to know that Link was somewhere safe.

One Hundred Years Later

“I… I don’t think this is something you can help with. Ever since I woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection things have just been… different for me.”

Shades of Family

Oh. He remembered her now, fragments of memory forcing their way into the front of his mind. He remembers playing with her as a child, how she begged him not to leave after he drew the sword, how he’d brought her gifts from the different regions he travelled to alongside the princess.

Almost Giving Up

“What if I… what if I feel like I don’t want to exist anymore Fi?”

Unexpected Imprisonment

Link knew it was his fault. It had to be. Sheik could have escaped capture if only Link hadn’t been there, slowing him down.

Alone With A Shadow

He might not know how long it had been, his cell without any windows to see the passing of time through, but the dark stone of the walls that surrounded him gave him a clue — he was trapped in Ganondorf’s castle, that floating fortress that had terrified him so much when he first stepped back out of the Temple of Time with the Master Sword on his back.

No Longer Alone

He could feel his mind breaking apart bit by bit as time went on. He found himself forgetting names, forgetting faces. He screamed sometimes, as futile as it was, as if someone could come and save him.

Scars

Link has a body covered in scars.

Things Lost in the Desert

The ruins around him were clearly much older than the ruins of the Calamity, and it seemed as if a great city had once stood against the highlands but was destroyed or simply abandoned at some point in the distant past.

when the fires of battle still smoulder

“So,” said Link, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head where his hair poured out from under his helm, “do you need something to change into?”

Father and Son?

“Link, what have you done?!”

Thoughts of a Hero

Sometimes he wished he could just run away from it all… except he could, he realised with a start. He could just leave. Could they stop him?

A Hero in the Wild

He’d been wandering Hyrule for a few months now, mostly avoiding more populated areas. As far as the villages he passed through occasionally were concerned, he was just a travelling hunter, who had some talent with a blade.

A Captured Hero

He scowled up at the men holding him captive, his arms tied behind his back and held there by another one of the small group. He recognised their armour if not their faces — Hylian soldiers.

Sleeping in Malice

Each time he slept, it would come back, shouting at him and cursing at the other presence in his mind. He knew that one’s name now at least — Ganon, the one the monsters knew only as the King.

Hero’s Downfall

Link thought his plan had been flawed from the start. If Zelda hadn’t shown up after his capture, now months in the past, she never would. Ganondorf seemed to have realised the same thing, choosing to force Link into working for him rather than holding out for Zelda to reveal herself in a rescue attempt.

Returning the Favour

She’d done the same for him once, over a hundred years ago, so he supposed it was just returning the favour.

[heythere-mel]

Missing Piece

Frankie Morales x f!reader

W/C: 1.2K+

Warnings: pregnant reader (if that’s not your thing) mild language, husband!Frankie obviously comes with his own warning.

Summary: Your newest comfort activity sends your thoughts into overdrive.

A/N: This is purely based off what I am currently doing to decompress lately. I am not nor have ever been pregnant so I’m just writing off of what I’ve read about. Nothing is in crazy detail when it comes to that. Another little visual a/n at the end. Love of any kind is appreciated. Enjoy y’all. 🤍

——-

Your phone read 2:30AM.

Of course this would be the time your daughter decides she wants to practice her flips from within the warm confines of your swollen belly.

You were 8 months pregnant and any sleep these days seemed to be partially interrupted by your little bean either jumping on your bladder or with a foot in the rib. This instance being no different.

You turn to your left to see your husband Frankie completely dead to the world. He had been working longer hours lately in preparation for the baby’s arrival, so you could forgive him for the slight snoring and little nose whistles he made but totally denied doing. At least one of us is resting you thought, snickering when the aforementioned nose whistle chimed in. As if on cue, a kick to the side turned your focus back to your daughter as you decided to finally get out of bed. You knew lying there was going to make you start to overthink everything as usual, so you thought if you had to be awake you might as well make use of your time and be productive.

“Ven mija,” running your hand over your bump. “Let’s let daddy sleep.”

——-

Following a brief stop in the kitchen for a glass of water, you make your way over to your office where your current project sat. In the middle of the room was a large desk with the 2000 piece puzzle you had been working on. The picture of space and the solar system caught your eye during a recent shopping trip, telling Frankie it would be something to keep your mind sharp while also taking it off of the constant planning and worrying about the baby. You had made a pretty good dent in it over the past couple of weeks. Starting with creating the border, then slowly finding patterns and assembling from there. You even got Frankie and the boys in on it one particular afternoon, finding it quite humorous how competitive they ended up being while tackling the suns portion.

“There’s just so much goddamn red and orange!”

“Duh, it’s the sun pendejo!”

Pulling up your exercise ball to sit on, and with a final sip of your drink, you get started on the section you were pretty sure was Neptune, and let the worries of your upcoming arrival slip away, if even for a brief moment.

——-

Frankie turned over reaching for you only to be met with the coolness of the bed sheet. He sits up on his elbows, sleep ridden eyes scanning the room for you. The light in the bathroom is off, slightly concerning him.

“Hermosa?” he speaks out to the empty room.

He kicks the blanket off, bare feet softly hitting the hardwood floor. He moves quietly through the house when he comes upon the soft glow of light from your ajar office door. He doesn’t want to ruin your concentration so he simply watches you. He knows that you’ve been feeling more anxious getting closer to your due date, this being your place to retreat to. He has no clue why though. You were ready. All the books read, classes taken, motherly advice passed from his own mamá along with yours. Always teaching him new things in the process. In his eyes, you were already the best.

You had a few puzzle pieces in one hand, the paper with the image in the other, studying it while trying to match them in the correct place. The other assorted pieces scattered about in the other half of the box. Yet, you seemed lost in thought.

Wait…did I wash all those new clothes Frankie got from his coworkers? I’m sure I did. Speaking of which, I need to move that dresser. I don’t like it in that corner of the nursery. Nursery, nurse, oh shit I have my checkup tomorrow too.

You stare down to the pieces in your hand and back to the desk.

“Ughhhh! These don’t even fit here!” letting out a frustrated huff and Frankie couldn’t help but laugh, catching you off guard as you look toward the door.

“Fuck Francisco, you can’t just sneak in on me like that! You know I pee myself so easily now!”

“I’m sorry babe, you’re just so intense sometimes. What’s wrong?” pulling up your computer chair and having a seat next to you.

“I can’t find this piece. I have one piece left of whatever goddamn planet this is and I cannot find it. What if I never find it? And then there’s still so much of it left to do. What if we get to the very end and there’s still this one piece that’s just missing? This is the universe saying I’m not ready to finish this puzzle.”

Frankie let you rant. Knowing well that all of this wasn’t actually about the puzzle.

He takes the pieces from your hand gently and places them onto the desk.

“Come here baby,” as he extends his hands out to you, helping you up from the ball to sit in his lap.

“Frankie I’m too heavy right now.”

He shakes his head, chuckling at your disposition. “You are not! Siéntate mi amor.”

He wraps his arm around your waist, his other hand delicately splayed over your bump. He feels a slight kick from where his palm is resting and the two of you giggle.

“She knows it’s you.”

Frankie’s smile grows wide at your words. That dimple of his making your heart flutter with how cute he looks. Heaven help you if your daughter inherits that from him.

You both sit there for a moment. Enjoying the quiet of the early morning while you still could before Frankie breaks the silence.

“You know, that piece will show up soon. I mean, look how far you’ve already come with this. All these other parts came together. This one will too. And you know I’m always here if you need a fresh set of eyes,” sending a wink your way.

He always knew what to say.

“Thank you cariño.” bringing your hands up to caress the apples of his cheeks and leaning into him with a sweet kiss.

“Anytime mami. Now c’mon,” placing a quick peck to your forehead, “let’s get back to bed. We have your appointment in the morning.”

“I have to go to the bathroom first. I don’t know if it was that water or your sneaky ass scaring me but I’ll meet you back there in a minute.”

Frankie helps you up off his lap and grins at the little waddle you have in your step. He gets up, yawning while giving his limbs a good stretch when something on the floor catches his eye. He reaches under the desk to find a piece of the puzzle. About the same color as the area of the planet you were currently working on.

Hmmm, I wonder…

He picks it up, looming over the table as he places it in the center of the picture, stepping back to assess his contribution.

I’ll tell her in the morning. As he reaches for the switch to turn off the light and head to your bedroom.

His missing piece falling perfectly into place.

——-

A/N: So I am actually in the process of putting a 2K piece Pokémon puzzle together which spawned inspiration for this fic. It’s kind of a mess rn but LOOK YALL!! 😂

[axolotlinjammies]

I am running in excitedly with questions for more about the cigar smoking doodle and their companion 👀 mostly wanting to know more about the context, story, everything! - @clxckwork-sun-n-moon

Okay I wanna do a master post about this au but I will give you the basics!

Cyber Security

This au takes place in the future. With a cyberpunk aethsetic with hits of 1920s inspo we have our setting! A city mixed with anamatronics/robots and Humans alike.

Our cast!

Solar Eclipse- Cheif of Police- hard worker and a hard ass. He takes no shits and hands out orders.

Lunar Eclipse- Lieutenant- brothers in arms with Eclipse! They worked through the ranks together. He is the big softy w/ a huge heart!

Y/N- Detective- Did they chose this job or was it forced upon them? Hard to tell. All people can tell is that they are scruffy and the Lieutenant keeps an eye on them.

Sun/Moon- Theifs- They do what they have to to survive. Quick on their feet and kings of quips they keep law enforcement on their toes.

This is all I will give you for now (n3n)! Keep in mind this au wouldn't be a thing without the help of @darkwingswarrior & @feralmoonlight they have been doing so much to help me with the story! even coming up with stellar plot points I wouldn't have thought of!

[astraldrake]

sketch/wip/unfinished nonsense dump but there's context bcs why not under a cut because otherwise it'd be six miles long

these are some boss arena sketches for achilles the upper sketch is a rough map with a few specific symbols denoting the location of corpses and trees, as well as a few notes pointing to the starting location of the boss and the player entry of the arena. The lower sketch is a set of scenes taking place in different parts of the arena. The first depicts a character entering the arena, the second is the character approaching the boss, and the third is a shot of the boss, now awake. In this hypothetical setting (game? thing? i have no clue what to call this really), Achilles guards the path to felwinter peak, an optional area (although what is in said optional area i have yet to fully decide, i think he may just be guarding a friendly npc or something).

The idea is that you have to beat him to access the area beyond. The arena is full of the corpses of previous heroes who had challenged him. You find him stuck in a wall of ice that's blocking your path, but he wakes upon seeing you, and thus begins his bossfight. At half health he gets overtaken by corruption and switches from solar to stasis attacks.

boss design thing for darren. sticking with the theme for a moment. I figure even after you beat him he doesn't die, and after recovering somewhat actually ends up helping you out later on.

His thing in this setting is that he's essentially become so saturated with light that it's taken a toll on him (i toyed with giving him the title 'Light-lost' in reference to how his nature as a person has been 'lost' to the light. im being veeery subtle). It's eaten away at his memory and identity and when you initially start the fight he's amnesic and confused, he knows he has to kill you but can't remember why. Despite this he's still incredibly powerful, hurling bolts of lightning and and slashing at you with two massive swords. After you deplete his first healthbar, he self resurrects, beginning to remember more and more, and kicks off his phase 2. If you survive the hail of blades and fire, you knock him prone, at which point he recalls enough to switch tactics and will become friendly, offering his aid in exchange for you to stop trying to kill him.

Elden Ring, O Elden Ring. I just couldn't figure out what to do with the background on this one. Also, I was very disappointed to find out that there was nothing that let you get the bird wings the crucible knights have. I have decided my tarnished has them anyway because they look sick as hell. (also they match the scythe, so, yknow.)

Character expression practice. I had a few more of these but I think these two turned out the best. (some of the other ones looked kinda unsettling and wrong) So many part of a face squish around when you emote, and if you miss something then the whole thing looks off.

been watching a bloodborne playthrough again. Had some very- shall we say self indulgent, ideas about universe hopping, and one particular adoptive grandchild of Aerrhiks. (that phrase is gonna mean nothing to anyone whose never heard of my ocs but eh) first sketch is some hunter armor, second is a design for a baby great one version of them.

should probably state here that my favorite way of doing crossovers (although i dont often share them) basically amounts to picking up one (or several) of my ocs and just plopping them down into the setting in question. Let chaos ensue and all that jazz. It's fun to see how the ocs will respond to their new setting, as well as thinking about how the setting might react to them in turn. (I also acknowledge that this method usually ends up breaking the narrative/setting/themes/etc at least a little if not a lot, and is by all accounts kind of a stupid and unintelligent way to interact w/ the source material, but have you considered? it's fun.) Anyways yeah, tldr for these is that I considered unleashing Ash on yharnam for enrichment purposes. (and then thought way too much on how that might end.)

And that's all I have for tonight! I might do another one of these at some point with some older things i never got around to sharing/finishing. We'll see.

[blue-pastel-cat]

Xiaobedo Fanfic Recommendation

Welcome to my personal “if you are new to xiaobedo peeps please read these” list. As said before this is my personal list so please feel free to reblog/comment/hit me for not including any gem here. I might miss a lot of them because I am drunk or blind. (mostly have them on my to read and then forgot as I am being assault by real life shit).

I would like to say first that so far there are 150+ Xiaobedo fics on Ao3. I can’t review all of them but I can say that I have read a majority of them. Most of them are just pure love and I would like nothing more than a thousands thank you for all the fic writers who spent their free time writting these gems for us to read for free. But these...these takes the cake as it finds a special landing spot in my heart that I would just thrust them into someone’s hand if they say “I am new to this ship can you recommend me?”

1. Orange dust by bobamilkteas (Wes)

In which Xiao learns to open himself up to the world a little more after the collapse of Rex lapis's contracts but it was not always easy for a soul doomed to eternal damnation. Meanwhile, Albedo liked to tempt fate where the extraordinary are concerned.

If only the traveler's comrades are made of saner bunch.

Comment: Long ago when I like both Albedo and Xiao as a character, I was wondering hmmm....will anyone actually even write about them lmao they never met each other. I am surprise to see this one as the 3rd fic in the whole 3 Xiaobedo fic on Ao3 (yeah back when there’s literally only 3 fic for this couple). I was like I’ll read it for the curiosity, I’ll probably won’t ship them. And that people is how I put my clown make up on my face upon finishing reading it. This ONE fic alone convert me into a devotee of Xiaobedo. Please consider joining me in this circus if you want to know what is Xiaobedo. I would put this as the first of my “Big 3″

Orange Dust also come with its compliation of short stories over the course of the game and a big sequel to it. Please also consider reading ALL OF THEM.

2. Solar Wind by birdpriestess (Sparrow)

For the yaksha, his duty was his life, and his life was his duty. No human could ever hope to understand the eternal war he fought out of sight and in silence.

So why, then, did he feel that Albedo would understand?

---

Finding himself at death's door once more, Xiao is saved by a surprising person, setting off the unlikeliest of adventures.

Comment: Do you like crying? Do you like the feeling of getting your heart ripped into pieces as the author destroy your emotions over the end of each chapter as the story picked up the climax? Yeah, this one is for you masochists. The action, the characterisation, the drama THE EMOTIONS OH WOW. I kid you not that it was so good I read this while workinng when I am not suppose to me. Also, this fic has my favourite characterisation of Gold ever. I love that dramatic queen Mad Alchemist. AND DAIN. I LOVE DAIN IN THIS FIC. Our dearest Sparrow manage to toy with our feelings like how I bully ruin guard for big numbers lmao. This is the secound of “Big 3″ of my Xiaobedo list.

Again, just like Orange Dust, Solar Wind comes with its own compliation of short stories of what came after that. Please also consider reading ALL OF THEM.

3. Castle of Glass by AlchemicalStardust (Morgie) 

A black shadow rises over Huaguang Stone Forest. Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Albedo flees the shaking ground and the crash of boulders tumbling form the sky. As the dust settles, Albedo finds a young man – an Adeptus – amidst the carnage. Despite the karmic agony ripping his body from the inside, Xiao’s only question is “How?” How did a human survive after witnessing his battle?

Comment: The last of the “Big 3″ of my Xiaobedo list. And it is still on going! Castle of Glass? More like I AM IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTIONS! Have you read a fic about 2 people yearning, longing, reaching out for each other so damn well that you just want to throw your phone in the air as they both had their impending doom coming down upon them? Yeah this is one of them. You will like want to be stuck in the moment they express how much they just yearn for each other’s love and care that you want to shake the author for what comes next. Like...everytime Morgie update I am expressing my gratitude at the end of the chapter by writing on Xiaobedo discord “MORGIE COME HERE AND LET ME BONK YOU WHY ARE YOU ENDING IT THERE”

trust me when you read you will def feel the same. With just Big 3 and their compliation alone that would give you like a LONG list of reading already LMAOOOOOOO

4. Find a place to call it home  by yamajiroo 

Our room, he said. Xiao’s brow twitches. Zhongli never said anything about this. But then again, perhaps he should anticipate this from the beginning...

Xiao looks over at Albedo, who is now tilting his head, his look as innocent as ever.

“Are you not okay with sharing a room?”

Comment: College AU for Xiaobedo! One thing that I love this is the slow burn and what made me LOVE LOVE LOVE this fic more is how cute Klee is in this fic. Their relationship in this one is very simple, but that simplicity highlight why their chemistry work. Xiao is someone who was just very gentle, who was largely misunderstood by his lonesome nature. Albedo was someone who like peace and quite in his introvert bubble. And how they respect that bubble that each other has actually made their relationship work. I love it when fic highlight this and this one captures it.

5. I Can't See Your Face From the Other Side of the Classroom by MissWeaver  

When Albedo and Xiao unexpectedly start eating lunch together, they begin to find that they have more in common than anyone would have realized. They both struggle in their own ways with blossoming feelings, too many assignments, and annoying classmates as they navigate a relationship for the first time.

Comment: I’ll be honest, I usually hate high school au just because its so cliche. I don’t even watch and drama/anime surrounds high school student anymore LMAOOO (unless it’s very good). So if there’s an high school AU that I actually keep come back and read after a couple of chapters, it means that the cliche that I hate wasn’t there or barely was there at all. The pinning in this fic makes me want to bang their head together sometimes LMAOOO The tag wasn’t kidding when they said both Xiao and Albedo are bad at feelings. Also that’s a lot of heart broken caused by these two idiots XD

6. new world, same me, same bullshit  by  bobamilkteas (Wes)

At the belly of Dragonspine, Albedo lost control to the festering corruption that permeated his senses and watched, from the recesses of his mind, as his devoured body turned his allies into enemies. Before his rampage reached its climax, he is sealed in a crystalized confinement by the last hand of Reindottir, where he then reawakens centuries after, in a rebooted Teyvat.

Comment: Yeah I know it was list in Orange Dust but here me out. This sets out in an entirely different universe. And if you like Polyamory, this one has Zhongli joining the duo and I love it because I also love ZhongXiao with my life. Time Travel is my biggest kink. Especially when I am the person who love it when people explore Archon War era/ Alatus!Xiao. So this one hits double of my kink. Of course it is still on going and I will bully Wes whenever I can to see that new chapter. Albedo is a total fucking badass in this story and I completely agree from using him in Abyss so often. Everyone should write badass Albedo.

7. misplaced heart of mine by  inkburn           

“If you are ill, then you should be resting at home. In Mondstadt.” He emphasized Mondstadt with a pointed look in his direction.

“I assure you I won’t be troublesome, Adeptus Xiao,” Albedo said, “You’ll find I’m a rather low-maintenance traveler.”

“Travel,” Xiao scoffed, “without airstep?”

Albedo looked him up and down. “Are your legs just for decoration?”

(albedo is sent to liyue on mandatory vacation. xiao is his unfortunate bodyguard.)

Comment: Most of the time you will see Albedo and Xiao starting their relationship with one of them taking interest in another. But this one took another approach, they starting off by make them hating each other’s guts LMAOOOO and I live for every second of it. There’s only 1 chapter so far but wow it was SOOO GOOD. I am really really excited for next chapter and is waiting patiently ;w;

8.  Blossom of Grace  by birdpriestess  

One day in Liyue Harbor, Albedo watches a street performance by an enigmatic dancer named Xiao. And he becomes completely obsessed.

Comment: Have you ever look at Xiao fight and thinking that he’s one of the most beautiful deadly thing ever? How it was like he was dancing around the battlefield? How about actual dancer Xiao being so absolutely beautiful and perfect and that slow burn of Albedo falling in love with that beauty with a touch of Modern AU and cute Ganyu as the Wing woman. Yes, Sparrow delivers yet again another beautiful slow burn and while it’s still ongoing it is worth the read.

9. i think we could make this work (could get used to this) by outspaced               

“Xiao? What are you doing out here?”

“I—”

“It’s raining,” Albedo says, as if it isn’t obvious. “You could get struck by lightning.”

“What are you doing out here then?” Xiao does the only thing he knows how to do, he challenges Albedo. “It’s raining.”

Albedo just hums. “If I get struck by lightning, it’s for science.”

Comment: A short one-shot where I read the summary and went “This is it... this is their relationship.” I am sold immediately. Oh god Albedo why are you like this.

10. Ephemeral by criedprinz        

“It’s not for your investigation, is it?” Aether asked mildly.

Albedo traced a finger around the sketchbook, considering the question. “No,” he admitted finally. “I... I just want to see them again.”

He opened the sketchbook to reveal the drawing he’d just finished. Aether nodded, clearly recognizing the sharp golden eyes.

“Xiao,” he said. “You were rescued by an adeptus.”

When a visit to Dragonspine goes horribly wrong, Albedo is rescued by an unknown stranger, wielding powers he's never heard of. Led on a search to find out who it is, he finds himself in the middle of an unforgettable encounter..

Comment: A really really well written one-shot that I love. The yearning oh godddd the yearning from Albedo side is just so so much that I have to put it here. (I think you can see the trend here lmao. I am a sucker for yearning). And the moment they get to meet each other again is just chef kiss. MWHAA

11. Idle Yaksha, Brilliant Yaksha by Pit0fTheEarth

Alatus didn’t have a lot of responsibilities to keep. He spent most of his days dancing across the sky and eating away all nightmares that plagued a person’s sleep.

But one fortunate encounter led to too many unfortunate ones, taking his carefree existence and plunging it in darkness. His wings, stripped from him. His gentle touch, replaced by an unforgiving grip of destruction.

There was a lot of blood on his hands. With each passing moment, it became harder for Alatus to recall the last time someone gently held him.

Comment: This is one of the ongoing fic where I am very very much excited on the take of Naberius. And the way the author portray Xiao when he’s still the innocent Alatus is just *clench fist*. Baby ;w; Baby why do you have to lose all that innocence. Also the fic has long LONG flashback to Xiao past and his relationship with Naberius. We are unwielding more what happened to both of them and why perhaps does this have to do with Albedo.

That’s it for now, might add more later! Thank you <3

[ofbloodandfaith]

Welsh New Year's Day traditions: British Goblins by Wirt Sikes

Glamorganshire - apple gift or New Year's gift: “...children, on and about New Year's Day, going from door to door of shops and houses, bearing an apple or an orange curiously tricked out. Three sticks in the form of a tripod are thrust into it to serve as a rest; it sides are smeared with flour or meal, and stuck over with oats or wheat, or bits of broken lucifer matches to represent oats; its top is covered with thyme or other sweet evergreen, and a skewer is inserted in one side as a handle to hold it by.

...takes the custom back to the Druidic days, and makes it a form of the solar myth... three supporting sticks of the apple... three rays of the sun, the mystic Name of the Creator; the apple is the round sun itself; the evergreens represent its perennial life; and the grains of wheat, or oats, Avagddu’s spears. Avagddu is the evil principle of darkness - hell, or the devil - with which the sun fights throughout the winter for the world's life.

Pembrokeshire: to rise early on New Year’s morning is considered luck-bringing... also deemed wise to bring a fresh loaf into the house. A rigid quarantine is also set up, to see that no female visitor cross the threshold first on New Year’s morning; that a male visitor shall be the first to do so is a lucky thing, and the reverse unlucky. As soon as it is light, children of the peasantry hasten to provide a small cup of pure spring water, just from the well, and go about sprinkling the faces of those they meet, with the aid of a sprig of evergreen. At the same time, they sing the following verses:

Here we bring new water from the well so clear,

For to worship God with, this happy new year;

Sing levy dew, sing levy dew, the water and the wine,

With seven bright gold wires, and bugles that do shine;

Sing reign of fair maid, with gold upon her toe;

Open you the west door and turn the old year go;

Sing reign of fair maid, with gold upon her chin;

Open you the est door and let the new year in!

The words 'levy dew' are deemed an English version of Llef i Dduw (a cry to God).

Glamorganshire - welsh song sung by boys in chorus on New Year's Day, somewhat after the Christmas carol fashion:

Blwyddyn newydd dda i chwi,

Gwyliau llawen i chwi,

Meistr a meistres bob un trwy'r ty,

Gwyliau llawen i chwi,

Codwch yn foreu, a rheswch y tan,

A cherddwch i'r ffynon i ymofyn dwr glan.

A happy new year to you,

Merry be your holidays,

Master and mistress - everyone in the house;

Arise in the morning; bestir the fore,

And go to the well to fetch fresh water.

Everywhere in Wales - Twelfth Night Custom, Mari Lwyd: the Skeleton of a horse head adorned with 'favours' of pink, blue, yellow etc. Bottoms of two black bottles are inserted in the sockets of the skeleton head to serve as eyes. They carry this object about from house to house, with shouts and songs, and a general cultivation of noise and racket. A duet is sung in Welsh outside a door, the singers begging to be invited in. If the door is not opened the tap on it, and there is frequently quite a series of Awen sung , the parties within denying the outsiders admission and the outsiders urging the same. At last the door is opened, when in bounces the merry crown, among them the Mary Lwyd, borne by one personating a horse, who is led by another personating the groom. The horse chases the girls around the room, capering and neighing, while the groom cries, 'So ho, my boy - gently, poor fellow!' and the girls of course scream with merriment. A dance follows - a reel, performed by three young men, tricked out with ribbons.

Aberconwy in Caernarvonshire: The Penglog (a skull, a noodle) is a similar custom peculiar to Aberconwy, but in this case the horse's skull is an attention particularly bestowed upon prudes.

Pembrokeshire: Cutty Wren is a twelfth night tradition. A wren was placed in a little house of paper, with glass windows, and hoisted on four poles, on at each corner. Four men bore it about, singing a very long ballad:

O! where are you go-ing? says Mil-der to Mel-der, O! where are you go-ing? says the youn-ger to the el-der; O! I can-not tell, says Fes-tel to Fose; We're go-ing to the woods, said John the Red Nose, We're go-ing to the woods, said John the Red Nose!

The purpose of this right is to levy contributions. Another custom was 'tooling' and its purpose was beer. It consisted in calling at farmhouses and pretending to look for one's tools behind the beer cask. 'I've left my saw behind your beer cask.' a carpenter would say; 'my whip', a carter; and received the tool by proxy, in the shape of a cup of ale. The female portion of the poorer sort, on the other hand, practised what was called sowling, asking for 'sowl', and receiving, accordingly, any food eaten with bread, such as cheese, fish, or meat. The custom is still maintained, and 'sowling day' fills many a poor woman's bag. The phrase is supposed to be from the French soul, signifying one's fill.

[tu-mint]

Amendment

A/N: Sooo I’ve been meaning to share my Mortal Kombat stuff on here for a while, I wanted to wait for the movie to come out first 😅🤣

TW: mentions of torture & sexual assault

In which Shang Tsung and the Black Dragon are officially put down and Earthrealm's defenders are able to return home, but Raelynn is stuck in her thoughts, but one of the young Kombatants is able to help her reconsider the negativity in her mind. (Based around MK11 & Aftermath but w/ a twist?)

Raelynn knew this all too well. With her entity as a half god, a change in time would do nothing to erase the horrifying memory in her mind back in the Black Dragon's dungeon -- at least, that's what it felt like. Hours upon hours of nothing but brutal beatings, each kick, punch, and swing as harsh as the last. While it wouldn't have hurt too much being that she was stronger than the average mortal, the bindings fused with the dark power of Shinnok's amulet extracted much of her godlike strength and left her as a helpless bait to be shredded and mauled at by the jaws of vicious and starved predators, desperate to take a leap at the prey before them. It still seemed unbelievable how she was alive even after all the bruises and cuts and blood...but she managed. After all, those shallow wounds were all but nothing comapred to--

The demigoddess shivered involuntarily and inhaled sharply. Thankfully, everyone aboard was too immersed in their own activities to notice her sudden actions, but she knew she wasn't stable enough with where her thoughts were treading. Her eyes searched for her son who was currently speaking in a group of the younger Kombatants. A yellow strip of cloth with an intricate design she couldn't make out was fastened around his bicep, and she wondered where it had come from until her eyes peered at the young male he stood beside. Takeda, son to Kenshi and pupil under Grandmaster Hasashi, was missing the usual yellow band that adorned his head as a reminder to those that he was a member of the Shirai Ryu clan. His short onyx locks blew freely but he didn't seem to mind all that much, instead grinning down at Haru who wore the cloth proudly. Cassie and Jacqui mirrored the telepath's reaction, the blonde pulling out her phone and snapping a picture. The sight warmed her heart and she was thankful the young fighters didn't look upon her son with irritation, but rather genuine care and happiness. When Haru had told her of the adventures and stories spent with them, a pang of guilt struck her for the early misjudgement on her part, believing they were just frivolous juveniles that only gained their high positions due to the status of their families.

Wishing not to allow her brooding to draw unwanted attention, Raelynn slipped silently to the back of the ship. Her efforts did not go unnoticed by Raiden who stood near the hull of the ship, but he decided against speaking with her in that moment.

He recalled the time he had found her, bound like a dog and covered in welts and lacerations big and small. She was curled into a ball, shaking and burying her face into her knees. It was then Raiden became aware of the state of her clothing, torn and barely covering her form as if someone intentionally ripped and pulled at it to expose more of her. Immediately he slipped out of his own robe and pulled it across her trembling form, respectfully averting his eyes. As he helped Raelynn stand to her feet, his eyes widened as countless more bruises and marks made themselves visible, tiny splotches of smooth brown skin barely surviving. These people had clearly put her through a very long, thorough beating, and it was evident that they were in no means hoping to show mercy. No, they wanted her dead. Raiden had teleported into the SF ship and rushed her to the infirmary room. People cleared the way immediately and knew better than to question his sudden appearance as he brushed past them while carrying the barely conscious woman to a bed near the back. He knew the Kombatants would be able to handle themselves well, so he stayed and began the healing process.

It was during this time he realized that Raelynn was no mere mortal, but a half god created by the hands of Cetrion. While it was difficult at first for him to fully trust her said intentions due to her creator's betrayal upon the Elder Gods, he had seen her heart's purity during the mission. The thunder god knew that she was making the best of efforts to redeem herself of past mistakes, and Liu Kang recognized this as well. A twinge of concern fell upon him just then as he knew that she still had much she needed to recover from. Whether she would eventually open up to him or not didn't matter, he would be patient and assist her as best as he could.

Raelynn took a seat upon the thick wooden rail and swung her legs over to face the bloody depths of Netherrealm's ocean. She wasn't afraid of falling nor coming across any odd sea creatures knowing that she had flying abilities, but of course she also wasn't dumb enough to try and test her strength or reflexes. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she looked on at the overlapping waves, allowing her mind to space out and roam. Her fingers tapped on the rail in a rhythmic pattern, and she suddenly was reminded of something. Her hands came together and moved in a circular motion, stretching further until the form of her solar powers had become a guitar. She clutched the neck and hugged the body of the instrument under her other arm smiling to herself.

Upon visiting the islands of the Pacific in the past, she had learned about the aspect of music through vocals and tools that produced a pleasant audio. The demigoddess found that these brought her a sense of peace and tranquility, and immediately she wanted to learn the ways of this fascinating revelation. What came as an interest to her in the beauty of music was the endless techniques for a new sound, new sensations, new reactions, and day by day, there was always the creation or discovery of another. She allowed her fingers to delicately pluck and strum a mix of chords, a tingle settling in her chest at the euphoria beginning to wash over her. Her hands moved on their own accord, finding a steady tempo and following a pattern with an occasional switch. The nerves that built up in the pit of her stomach had eventually disappeared into wisps of nothingness. Her eyes began to slowly close and she hummed quietly wanting no attention to be drawn to the back of the ship. It seemed to work decently, until-

"Wow, you're part god and a singer? Gotta say I'm definitely jealous."

The woman’s fingers froze in place already in position to strum a new chord. She craned her neck just enough to glance over her shoulder at the intruder, already knowing it who it was. “My life is nothing to be envious of, Specialist Briggs.”

Raelynn heard footsteps tread closer and tapped on her guitar. The younger woman climbed onto the rail and threw a leg over the other. They sat for a moment in silence, staring off at the deep scarlet waters swishing and rolling about. “I owe you an apology, Specialist.”

Jacqui’s eyebrow quirked and her eyes fell upon the half god. Raelynn took her silence as a sign to continue. “I apologize for my behavior towards you and your friends throughout most of the mission. Even after I had caused harm upon your lives and nearly killed your fiancé, you still ensured trust in me. That I could never understand, but-"

"It wasn't easy." The half goddess shifted her attention to the soldier. Her face was impassive as she watched the waves. Raelynn couldn't tell if her expression was a good or bad thing, but she decided against trying to get her hopes up. A great deal (if not all) of her acts under Cetrion were cruel and groundless, and she held no anguish up until the time she had to come face to face with the truth of her doings. It tore her day and night, and meeting Hajoon had her convinced that she would be able to leave the life of corruption far behind and start fresh. Of course, the facts couldn't be hidden forever, and the half goddess found herself back in the deep hole of falsehood, surrounded with nothing but fabricated offers to a better life. She scoffed mentally. That opportunity was officially closed off to her. It seemed as though disaster was always a few steps away, eager to ruin her chances at something sound, and risking it a third time was nowhere near appealing.

"There were many instances where I questioned why the Chosen One defended you to such an extent, especially after it was SF that provided for your recovery." Jacqui's voice had brought her out of her thoughts. "Trust me, I was beyond ready to blast a hole or two through your head a hell lot of times." She paused. "But spending time with Haru and hearing your whole deal...I understood you." Raelynn's brows raised slightly, not expecting such a considerate response.

"I couldn't imagine a life finding out that the one who was supposed to be my caretaker, my protector, my safe haven, was actually the one who robbed me of all that. My mother..." Her words trailed off and she peered down into her lap. She tightened her jaw and bit her lip to keep from releasing the tears awaiting just behind her eyes. Raelynn almost reached her hand out in an effort of comfort but stopped, not wanting to ruin the intimacy in the moment. Jacqui lifted her head and continued. "Man, it would kill me if she'd ever done something like that...growing up believing that everything was all good and sweet, and everyone just hated her for doing what I thought was the right thing, thinkin' it was my own folks who were the crooks trynna steal me away and take my power from me..." She scoffed. "Seein' my dad as a revenant then manipulated by Kronika was betrayal enough, and it hurt like hell. Point is, I realized that you truly had no malice in you. You were just takin' orders and tryin' to keep your mother—uh, Cetrion, happy."

And it was true. Raelynn trusted completely in the virtue goddess as any child would their guardian. She worked vigorously in carrying out the Elder Goddess' wishes, longing to eventually gain any sort of praise or affection, but it was rare that those occurrences came to past. Most of her upbringing revolved around unanswered questions and the constant urge to do better, trying at all costs to win approval. But like a fool, she allowed her heart to get the best of her, put her through the worst of hells just to seek out a foolish desire that would never be anything close to genuine. That's what messed her up in the first place, and she couldn't—no, would not dare to do something as stupid as that again. It was only her and Haru. Nobody else.

"I am...appreciative of your understanding, Ms. Briggs," Raelynn spoke after a long moment of silence. "You and your comrades are owed a huge debt on my behalf."

Jacqui chuckled and shook her head, then turned to look at the demigoddess. "You're damn right we are!" The two women shared a laugh on the rail. "Actually, I believe there is a way to pay back this debt."

"How so?"

"Well, Takeda and I's wedding was put on pause due to this whole mission, and it cost a lot to find decent live music. Cassie offered, but we're trying to have a simple proper wedding, not a drunk karaoke session. And you have the voice of an angel—well, a god in your case. If you can strum a few chords and sing a few notes for a few hours, I'll consider you free of deficit."

Raelynn cocked her head and raised a brow. "That's...that's all?" She figured the woman would request of something more extravagant, like a prolonged lifespan or giving her supernatural abilities. Jaqui nodded and crossed her arms awaiting an answer.

"I...very well, Ms. Br-"

"Jacqui. That formality stuff is weird if it's not comin' from General Blade." The demigoddess was taken by surprise again. She gave a single nod and looked on at the waves which now fell into to a more mellow and calm pattern.

Perhaps it wasn't just Haru and her against the world. Every person aboard had their story, their differences, their fall outs, but they were able to cast it all aside at an effort for peace upon a world that did almost nothing for them in return. Some aspects of the Earthrealm were odd, she thought. It was going to take a lot of time to get used to these people, but maybe, just maybe...

There was a sense of hope.