#butterfly with a mechanical wing AU

[amethystgoldenwind]

Another new fic!

This is the last BWMW fic I have in storage (NOT the last one ever), however. It's the first 'serious' one in the series. No, I will not explain this. You have to read.

It is about Donnie meeting Karai. After he worries about what she could think about him. A lot. Splinter plays a big role, too, being a great father, here. Definitely the least “normal” part of the series, in a sense. We’re starting to stray out of that territory, though, of course, his family’s normalization of his way of being will not change.

[amethystgoldenwind]

MY series MADE IT HERE??! HOW. I recognise some of those fics and you put one of my favourites on here HOW DID I MAKE IT THAT HIGH!?!

Thank you so so so much, I am truly honoured and touched to be on your recommendation list! I honestly never would've thought I'd get something like this, and I honestly feel like it isn't deserved at all. But I am grateful and I am happy about it!

I can only hope to deliver with future entries in the series, but we'll only see. 💜 Thank you again for adding my series for your list!

(I actually texted my best friend freaking out about this, immediately after I saw it. I am FLOORED and won't be getting back up)

Big Ol' Rottmnt Fic Rec List

Hi, I've needed to do this for a while, so here's a big bundle of fic recs from me !

I've broken it down between one shots, chaptered fics, and series. I'll try to mention what the character focus is along with a brief summary and some personal thoughts. If you need more details I encourage you to check the fics summary and tags for yourself! I will only include an author's tumblr account if it's easy for me to find haha

One Shots

Mama's Boy - ashtreelane: Technically two chapters but it feels like a one shot. Casey Jr. angst, involving him finding out that maybe you can fix kraang infections and that he failed to save his mother. I love when people really pile the grief on Junior after all the fighting is over and the fic does it so well.

Forget-Me-Nots - GibbousLunation (AKA @klunkcat ): Hi, oh my god??? Leo and Mikey centric angst, in which saving Leo from the prison dimension has an insane ripple effect. Mikey dying? Nah he's going to start getting erased from every timeline and Leo slowly watches it happen (and refuses to do nothing about it). I utterly adore how this fic handles this concept. You see almost all of it from Leo's POV, noticing the little changes but writing them off as memory failures, because of how subtle some of it is.

Fight or Flight - pickledcarrotsandradish: Leo centric, post movie, Leo keeps waiting for his family to start lecturing him about all the dumb stuff he did during the invasion, and they aren't, so it's getting to him. A very neat narrative about how self loathing can warp our perception of how others see us. A++++

The Friend Zone Sounds Pretty Good, Actually - Cryptvokeeper: Eating this, eating this. You probably already know I love aroace Leo and this fic is an INCREDIBLE exploration of that. Even as just an ace person it hit SO many notes where I was just like "Oh god... I've been there buddy". And as a bonus the dynamic between Leo and Yuichi is v sweet. Love this a lot I've read it like five times.

Pink in The Night - unnamedmystery: Incredible April/Sunita fic. Like seriously this author wrote April's crush so well I think I was starting to fall in love with Sunita. Just incredibly cute all the way through, and great April writing, adore it.

《 until then, matriarch 》 - chiangyorange: HI OH MY GOD A nice chunky oneshot about Karai, about her being a leader, and it's phenomenal. It hits and hits and does not miss, really going in depth about her emotions involving her father turning into something wicked and having to destroy him, and how it ruins all of her good memories.

The Kindness of Collision - SpoonerizedSwiftness (AKA @splickedylit ): Hi I still remember the fic and the art suddenly showing up in the tag and then I was thinking about it for the next like five weeks aslkdjf A very interesting idea that when the turtles reach the age they were in the doomed timeline before things got reset, all the memories of their other life more or less hit them like a train. All of them have to comb through that information and it's a wonderful and emotional ride.

Chaptered Fics

Hamartia - Punable (in progress): Hi this is one of my all time favorite rise fics, mainly because in a way, it helped me come to terms with my chronic pain. It's Donnie centric and smack full of angst in all the best ways. Shorthand summary, an explosion in Donnie's lab almost takes him out (or kind of DOES take him out) and the recovery is not only long and agonizing, it may only go so far, and Donnie doesn't cope well with that.

Kick It Up a Notch - Brokenpitchpipe (completed): Hi this is my other all time fav rise fic. Donnie centric separated AU in which Donnie is raised by Draxum. My love for it stems a lot from the characterization of Donnie though, and even Draxum in this case. Not to mention that in a lot of cases it matches the vibes of the show. And in spite of all the humor, there's a few really gut wrenching moments. 10/10 will re-read.

Lightning in Our Fingertips Today - DaFlangsLairde (AKA @daflangstlairde-art) (completed): Leo and Donnie centric, mostly angst, with body swapping between the twins which results in Donnie finding out that Leo's ninpo hurts him. Love love love the character writing in this, and also how the swap is written.

Under Pressure - ParvumAutomaton (completed): Not sure this is a single character focused fic, but basically April goes cave diving and is out for a while, and the turtles get worried and go looking for her. This might be personal bias but as someone who gets really into caving stories, this fic hits the spot for so many reasons. A really great emotional ride, and if you wanna see April go through it then I super recommend it.

Nothing Haunts Us (like the things we don't say) - mad_and_thick_as_theives (completed): A lot of great fics by this author btw, but this one personally stood out to me. It starts of silly and light only to sweep in with the emotional weight. Turtles are all cursed with a truth spell, basically, but I think my favorite bit is who gets out of it first (and why). V sweet.

Creation of a Philospher's Stone - IgnisCanis (completed): Whoooo boy, if you want some Draxum centric character exploration this is a great one. It really fleshes him out as a morally grey character and also does a fantastic job at writing Mikey when he finds out.

The Ol Switcheroo - radishhqueen (AKA @radishhqueen) (completed): Haha not going to lie I have a few by this author (so I'll only tag them once) but MAN. Hands down my favorite take on future leo coming to the past, and maybe I'm biased because I like when those fics actually explore Junior's character in the process buuuuut I love it. Junior's already struggling to adapt himself to the present, and after getting caught up in a foot clan spell which summons his sensei to the present too it really doesn't get any easier.

Vigilantism for Fun and Profit - radishhqueen (completed): The Cassandra Jones fic ever. Zero contest. If you're uncertain about writing Cassandra because she had so little development in the show I encourage you to read this for inspiration (I know it inspired me a lot). It does such a great deep dive into her character post show and a bit of the movie too. Honestly anytime radishh has a Cassandra fic I am clicking.

Tried to Grow Up Good - Sroloc_Elbisivni (AKA @sroloc--elbisivni )(completed): The Casey Jr. fic ever. CRAZY in love with this post movie take on him. It's messy, it's fun, it's so so real and you get a good chunk of Casey Sr. in here too. Adore it.

Hold On (Or Three Times Donatello's Soft Shell Almost Killed Him, and One Time it Saved His Life) - dunk_on_em (AKA @spockazilla )(completed): If you ever want a bit of angst involving Donnie's shell this is my go to. Every chapter has an emotional swing, even the positive ones. And shows something most people might see as a disadvantage as a good thing, actually.

Atlas, My Brother - swampcryptid (AKA @the-name-is-rizzotherat)(in progress): Get your Raph angst, specifically involving him always shielding his siblings, this time via a curse. My guy is already going through it and I think it'll get worse if a solution isn't found.

I've Got You Under My Skin - Cass_Phoenix (in progress): More Raph angst, and some Donnie, a truly chilling exploration of the possible consequences to connecting with the kraang. This fic constantly has me on the edge of my seat, and constantly stressing for Raph.

What We Leave Behind (How We Start Anew) - iam57311 (AKA @iam-57311)(in progress): Any Baronjitsu fans here? An alternate take on canon in which Draxum and Splinter co-parent the kids since they're first born (made?) Hilariously while I love the Baronjitsu content in here, I think some of my favorite parts are actually with the sisters, Big Mama, and Draxum's sister who is so so cool I love her.

Proof of Redemption - iam57311 (complete): Another one of theirs! A short and sweet lil close to canon fic about Draxum steadily gaining the trust and affection of the Hamatos, with each chapter focused on a different character. I love how they're all paced out from each other, really hits how some are much slower than others to trust Draxum hehe.

No Crime* Only Brooches - OllieTheScribe (AKA @olliethescribe) (in progress): Well I have to get THE HypnoWarren fic in here. Such a fun take on these characters, I love love love the backstory they built up for Warren too, plus the dynamic between these two and the turtles after (eventually) become friends haha.

Minor Interference - bambiraptorx (AKA @bambiraptorx) (in progress): What can I say? This fic is delightful. Between the hilarity of the turtles going with Draxum just to mess with him, the lore additions for yokai and the Hidden City, HoH Donnie, and their slowly building dynamic, always eager for a new chapter with this one.

Series

A Butterfly with a Mechanical Wing - Amethyst_Goldenwind (AKA @amethystgoldenwind ): Donnie centric series about being a non-verbal autistic. I'm always fond of non-verbal/mute explorations of characters, and so far I really like how, because his family has grown up with it, all of it is very normal for them. The various forms of communication are delightful. Excited to see further entries.

Analogous Hues - alwerakoo (AKA @alwerakoo): It's a separated AU with similar titling themes as my own, needed to check it out. The titles are just about all they have in common though! This AU focuses a lot on the turtles (Raph and Leo with Splinter and Donnie and Mikey with Draxum). I love how this explores not only the dynamics of the two groups and how different they are, but also the dynamics between each of the siblings, also how some magic sibling connections can influence that. Not to mention the different home life in more ways than one. If you're into separated AUs that really dig into the turtles dynamics try this one out !

[olivialivvy17]

Racing to the beat - Daniel Ricciardo³

summary: Daniel gets a new teammate in VCRB, a F2 female championship winner for the 2025 season. What he didn't expect was her to be extremely genz and a kpop fan.

pairing: fem rookie driver!reader x Daniel Ricciardo

AU: Social media!AU and Written!AU

warnings: mentions of anxiety, swearing, use of yn, hate comments, reader is 25.

face claim: Amna Al Qubaisi for professional f1 photos, the rest are from pinterest.

wc: 837

a/n: hi guyssss. okay most of the details in the first part may not be accurate. I tried describing the way I saw it on the singapore gp '24 (dannys last race </3). so yeah pls forgive me for that. okay enjoy and I love youuuu <33

part three <prev. next>

Hands trembling as you sit up from the car seat, knees buckling trying to carefully step out the sizzling car. Taking the polite mechanic's hand to stabilize yourself as your other foot lands on the hard concrete of Parc Ferme. With quivering fingers, you snatch off the gloves from your clammy hands, stuffing them into the race suit pockets.

In the background fireworks cracked and boomed, their echoes rolling across the sky like thunderous applause, but to your ears the sound was just a muffle as you took off the helmet that's been squeezing your face for the past two hours. Yanking off the white balaclava and finally taking in a deep breath of unfortunately stuffy air. Taking the back of your hand and wiping off the sweat that's formed on your hairline and eyebrows, fixing blindly any flyaways that might have formed. 

After taking a moment to fix yourself up and come down from the high a bit, you finally look around to take in your surroundings. Seeing many mechanics bustling around the cars that arrived before you, the colorfully lit up podium with the race winners and the screaming and thrilled fans on the side. Pulling you out the adrenaline clouded mind was the sound of Kimis voice.

“You did so well!” Kimi exclaimed in excitement as he wrapped his arms around you while holding his helmet

Encircling your own arms around him and giving his back a couple of pats, “You did amazing too! I'm honestly so proud of us” you told him in a triumphant tone. 

Kimi has been by your side throughout all of your F3 and F2 days. Even though he’s younger than you, he always treated your friendship like you were his peer. Sure you did treat him a little bit like he was your little brother, but never to the point of babying him so much. Kimi is a spectacular driver and you always make sure to show him that.

Walking side by side, you two made your way away from the cars. Waving and saying ‘Congrats’ or ‘Good race’ to other drivers, all with a polite smile. While unzipping your track suit, desperate to have it peeled off your overheating body, your eyes land on the back of a familiar curly headed man. Excusing yourself to Kimi and telling him you’ll find him later, you saunter to the Honey Badger.

Gently placing your hand on his back as you approached him, “Great race Danny” you follow with a proud smile as you stand by him, body turned fully to him.

Your praise was met with one of those Daniel smiles. Ear to ear, pearly whites on display as his eyes crinkled like the delicate folds of a butterfly’s wings, soft and tender. His raw, bright energy wraps around your heart and mind like a breath of fresh air. Making all the worries and doubts dissipate effortlessly. 

“You were remarkable Yn”, he lauded as his hand comfortably made its way to your shoulder “I told you everything is gonna go well”

You nodded softly in agreement, “Yeah you were right.” as a quiet chuckle leaves your lips “Although I was shaking a little as I exited the car, I guess that's just adrenaline.”

Just as Daniel was about to say something, he was interrupted by a supervisor that informed you both had to go and give the post race interviews. Scurrying you off the paddock and to the little interview area.

“Hold me back if they start asking some ridiculous or sexist questions, because I swear I’ll swing” you said half jokingly, but it was obvious you were more serious.

He chuckled, shaking his head slightly “I got you, don’t worry. I might swing before you do”

You snorted in response as you approached the interviewer– Lawrence Barreto. That's when the nerves crept back up. Okay, yeah its valid to be anxious about being interviewed for the first time in formula one– you tell yourself. All you have to do is not embarrass yourself by saying something stupid. 

“Yn! Welcome and congrats on a fantastic first F1 race!” Lawrence exclaimed in that journalist voice, while you fidget with your awfully damp hands “How does it feel?” he asks, putting the microphone to your lips

“Uuhh well it’s definitely a lot” you chuckle sheepishly “but it’s such an ecstatic feeling. Being able to race side by side with so many talented and experienced drivers. Driving the same track as the championship winners, I’m truly so grateful and thankful to be here today and to have the opportunity to show the world that hard work, skill and dreams don’t know gender. That with enough passion and strength you can achieve anything you put your mind to”, finishing your honest and heartfelt answer with a beaming smile. Feeling the way your heart hammered against your ribs, like it wants to rip through your chest.

What you didn’t notice was the way Daniel beamed with pride as he watched you give the statement.

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ynusername thank you Australia! first race and omg it was thrilling! (thank you Danny for the encouraging words🫶🏻🥹)

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bestfriend THATS MY GIRLLLLLLL🫶🏻🫶🏻❤️❤️

user19 mhm, yeah mother ate 🙂‍↕️☝🏻

user20 I was literally screaming every time her car came up on the screen

kimi.antonelli my big sis🥹

ynusername stop I'm gonna cry😭

user2 they are so siblings, I love them

user21 oh I know Yn babies him

kimi.antonelli she does...

ynusername correct because you're still just a baby

alex_albon yeah kimi, you're still a baby

ynusername thank you Alex🙏🏻

jackdoohan Congrats Yn! ❤️

ynusername we did so well 🙏🏻🫶🏻

visacashapprb Very proud of our rookie!

ynusername thank you team for putting up with my singing while practicing (ik yall enjoyed it)

user22 I dare you to fuck up her car. I will unleash my wrath upon you

user23 I just know Yns team has so much fun with her

danielricciardo 🤍🤍🤍

ynusername 🤍🤍🤍

ynusername posted a story

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ynusername you guys these parties are not for the faint of heart (I don't remember going back to the hotel) :p

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alex_albon mate you were gone gone

ynusername im so gonna get bullied by the whole grid, aren't I? 😭

georgerussell63 oh yes rookie, I have so much blackmail material

ynusername this is not fair

lando I made the cut, let's goooooooo

ynusername thanks for putting on good music :3

lando always at service 🫡

user24 THE TOTO PIC, LITERALLY DIED

user25 forever grateful for drunk yn posting that

user26 okay body and hair tea😩

danielricciardo Kimi and I safely delivered you to your hotel room

kimi.antonelli I can confirm, you almost lost your heels out the club

ynusername thank you my pookies 🫶🏻 drunk me is very thankful

user27 oh to have such caring friends 😔

[kyri45]

ISAT Sky Cotl AU Headcanons Masterlist

Here's the masterpost of the AU with all the comic! Feel free to suggest more if you want!! The list will be updated as the story goes to avoid major spoilers

About the Light /Wishcraft

Everything that is triggered originally in SKy in the AU is triggered by wish craft, which is a power that comes directly from the stars.

The island is filled with mechanism that recognize wish craft users and are modelled based on constellations

Most emotes are the equivalent of different forms of advanced craft hand signs, and each can be used like in Sky to activate certain doors (or to be able to call for creatures, or do other stuff like floating etc...)

There's a high concentration of star (wish) magic at the highest point of the Kingdom (where the eye of eden is currently) and if the habitant get's too far away from the island they wont be able to use some of their original abilities derivated from them (like for example they can't regenerate their wing levels)

About the habitant of the Island

Everyone is born naturally, but they all come from a line of people who were moslty made of stardust

The different seasons are periods of time like the chinese years, and are used as a reference for when people were born or even occurred.

People wear pendants with the season symbol they were born in. The season you were born in doesn't necessarily reflect your personality but can influence your passion

Every year, on the birthday of each sky kid, they meditate at the temple of the prince to visit Orbit and gain more power from the stars. They then come back with new "wings" every time. All kids do it with their parents or guardians until the age of 17th, which is the mark of them gaining their 6th wing wedge. From then on, they are officially considered an adult and can fly to orbit by themself. (I'm dividing the sky levels in half, since no one could live up to 200 years, so 4 wings is 5 y/o, 5 wings is 10 y/o, 6 wings is 17/18 y/o, 7 wings is 27 y/o, etc…)

People can decide to follow one of the Elders based on what they want to do in life/ which elder they are closer to (Dawn elder teaches navigation throught the stars, Forest elder teaches creativity and architecture, Valley twins trains your phisical ability and the Vault elder teaches you about the more advanced crafts). After they succeded in all the quests and finished their studies, they are blessed by the elders (which is the equivalent of finish one of the constellations, so you get the same gifts. Yes, the Valley Twin gift is literally them just allowing you to copy their haircut)

Moths are the equivalent of very young kids who still haven’t figured out which kind of person they want to be, which Elder they prefer to follow.

Elders are as big as they are for the same reason of the King in ISAT, the abnormal amount of craft they use is reflected in a collateral effect in their body

About their colture

Paper boats are rituals they used to send messages and wish anonimously, and are crafted so they can't get wet in the water

All capes are crafted so that you are always not too cold or too hot regardless of the climate

Creatures such butterflies, manta, fish and bird all are made of stardust as well, and recognize sky people as one of them and are able to charge them like in Sky

Their language is written with an alphabeth based on constellation shapes

SInce constellations are seasonal you would end up having different events based on the constellation they are under at the moment (days of nature, days of color, days of love, days of fortune)

About Siffrin

lived on the more outside part of the island, in the towns over the black sand beach (isle of dawn) which is the only part of the Kingdom open to visitors, travellers, traders, merchants.

Siffrin was born during the season of Performance and the Performance Guide was one of their first childhood presence during his first years. He continued to be passionated by acting even though he didn't live in Valley, but he and their parent still visited the Village Theather occasionaly to see some of their spectacle.

Had their cape made by his mother as custom, and before coming back to the island could never understand why it was so important that he should always wear it.

Siffrin before the events in the game always felt weird when it rained, was like slowed down and tired and sleepy. (by @forwonderfulpeople)

His call is the bird one (by @lone-owl-s-nest )

About The Wish (AKA The Eye of Eden)

The wish created a cataclysm so big people, not even Elders, can rememeber which was the original wish that caused it.

it made dissapear all people who were on the island, leaving only a spark of their memory

The Wish make you both forget and lose your wish craft power.

Krills are very big sadness

[naffeclipse]

Hey, Naff, I made some fan art of you creatures. I hope I did them justice and I have some questions about them.

I have questions for each and some for all of them.

Hawthorn:

How would Hawthorn deal with Y/N if they had entomophobia (the fear of bugs)? Or acrophobia (the fear of heights)?

Also, I don't know if this matters, but what if Y/N had a pollen allergy?

Grease:

How would grease deal with Y/N if they were overwhelmed and his teasing pushed them to a mental breakdown? Or if Y/N had sensory issues and couldn't deal with the oily feeling on their clothes that day (but not necessarily everyday)?

How would he feel if Y/N sprayed him with a cleaning product like he was a cat?

Calmo:

How would he go about dealing with Y/N if their overly burnt out? Or if they are just overly exhausted?

How would he deal with something like comfort outfits? Especially if part of that comfort would be the scent of the clothes? Would he wash it less? Or maybe only wash it when asked to?

All of them:

How would each deal with a mental breakdown that seemingly came out of nowhere?

How would each react to Y/N using a fidget toy? Or maybe scratching/picking at their skin to calm down? Or maybe chewing on their thumb?

How would they deal with an overwhelmed and pissy Y/N? Or Y/N ignoring them either on purpose or not because their overwhelmed? Would it be on purpose or accidental change the answer?

Do any of them have any interesting coping mechanisms or stress triggers?

I know some of these questions seem odd, but I don't often see people with my triggers or coping mechanisms asking or writing about characters reacting or having them. So I'm just curious.

Please feel free to skip some or all the questions if you're not comfortable answering any of these.

Also, I'm sorry about the giant block of text, I just thought it would be best to ask all my questions so far in one ask instead of hundreds. I also may ask some other questions related to mental health with your aus of Sun, Moon, and Eclipse later.

Thank you for reading, I hope you have a good day or night.

AH I'M IN LOVE WITH HOW YOU DRAW THE BOYS! THEY ADORABLE! I'M RATTLING YOU SO MUCH AHHHH! LOOK AT THEM! THEY'RE SUCH CREATURES! HAWTHORN IS SO SWEET AND GREASE LOOKS LIKE HE'S GONNA SLIME YA I LOVE IT! AND CALMO IS GONNA ZAP YOU IF YOU TOUCH HIM OHHHH AND THEN KISS THE CHEF APRON!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING! <3

Now, answers to your questions!

How would Hawthorn deal with Y/N if they had entomophobia (the fear of bugs)? Or acrophobia (the fear of heights)?

Hawthorn would see MC's terror and associate it with fear strictly for him, and take that as a sign to stay away (but he's too weak to actually commit to that) before discovering it's of bugs. His being a big o' moth really doesn't help much. He would take care to not startle or run up on MC and talk as a way of distraction, carefully inching his way closer and closer to show how much he isn't a threat. He would invite MC to stroke his wings or dial back on his more inhuman noises like buzzing when he's irritated.

The fear of heights is far trickier. He'll make the mistake of grabbing MC to carry MC off to safety or simply a need to transport MC faster, before registering how much blood has drained from MC's face and the sickly green hue is taking over. After that, he coaxes MC into baby steps, starting with little trust exercises of carrying MC in his arms before elevating it to floating just a few inches from the ground, then carefully gliding. He is patient and encouraging, and he allows MC to go at a slow pace but he would insist they both keep trying this together. He wants MC to experience the one true pleasure he has: flight.

What if Y/N had a pollen allergy?

Hawthorn doesn't think he collects and carries pollen like butterflies do, but when MC starts having terrible reactions to his close proximity and reveals their allergy, he learns something new that day. From then on, he takes great care to brush off his body and wings before he drops in for a visit. He also has to get creative from then on to take MC to places where it won't leave MC in sneezing fits or with watering eyes.

How would grease deal with Y/N if they were overwhelmed and his teasing pushed them to a mental breakdown? Or if Y/N had sensory issues and couldn't deal with the oily feeling on their clothes that day (but not necessarily everyday)?

Grease loves to tease and spook MC, it's all part of his charm, but he would never want to push MC to a breakdown due to it. The first choked breath or sign of tears, he freezes to assess what happened—what did he do wrong? Then he would lower his voice to calm MC, so soft and sweet when he's been so sinister and savage before. Once MC settles enough, he doesn't say "I'm sorry" but goes in his roundabout wording to make it clear enough that that's what he's trying to say. It would bother him to see MC so overwhelmed by what he thought was fun, and he would dial it back a few degrees (subtly) next time.

As for sensory issues, Grease would figure it's the same old reaction anyone would have to oil staining their clothes until MC makes it clear that it's particularly unpleasant. Grease would grumble a bit about MC trying to escape him but he would compromise on a solution of touching MC when they have protective coverings on and when it's a good day, oil-to-skin contact.

How would he feel if Y/N sprayed him with a cleaning product like he was a cat?

Grease is going to snarl and hiss and slip out under the door before he comes back with a plan of vengeance (man-handling and kisses—in that order).

How would Calmo go about dealing with Y/N if their overly burnt out? Or if they are just overly exhausted?

Calmo approaches it from a logical perspective: MC must take a break or the body will suffer the consequences. All of his reasoning is sound but if MC comes up with excuses or keeps slipping away from time to relax and unwind to continue to do work, he becomes a menacing shadow, reminding that this behavior will lead to sickness or sleeping excessively—the body is a machine as any other, and if it is not tended to properly, it will break down. His concern breaks out in expanding intensity. If push comes to shove, he will carry MC off to bed for mandated resting time and allow an activity that is gentle and restful, either reading a book, listening to calming music, or watching a peaceful video. He will remind MC again that this rest and time to recover is important, and he will see to it that MC gets what is needed.

How would he deal with something like comfort outfits? Especially if part of that comfort would be the scent of the clothes? Would he wash it less? Or maybe only wash it when asked to?

Calmo can be persuaded to be less strict about clothing, though he is in charge of the laundry in MC's house. If MC tells him that these outfits are too comfortable to part with, he will attempt to reason that cleaned attire will be far more comfortable. MC would press back that the smell is part of it. Calmo would not understand, but he would allow it to go for a time before he inevitably demands the clothing for a wash and swiftly returns them back to MC.

How would each deal with a mental breakdown that seemingly came out of nowhere?

I already touched on Grease's, and his reaction would be on par with his causing the breakdown.

As for Hawthorn, he is quick to gather MC in his arms and rock gently until the worst has passed. He is attentive and soothing with many hands stroking at MC's hair or cheeks, and waiting to hear what caused this. He wants to reassure MC that it's going to be alright.

Calmo is very unprepared for such an event, but he would determine what is comfortable for MC and provide it, deciding to guide MC to the couch and swaddle MC in a favorite blanket, fetch hot tea, and sit nearby, offering his hand if MC decides to hold it. He lowers his audio to a gentle frequency and relays that crying is a natural way to release stress in humans and MC will feel better after this episode.

How would each react to Y/N using a fidget toy? Or maybe scratching/picking at their skin to calm down? Or maybe chewing on their thumb?

The boys wouldn't find it too strange for MC to carry a fidget toy. Grease might try and steal it though to mess with MC. Calmo would find it amusing but never speak of it, while Hawthorn asks about it once. As for picking or chewing, Hawthorn would find subtle ways to catch MC's hands or give dry leaves or little sticks that MC can crack or break in lieu of such nervousness. Calmo is much more blunt and tells MC it is not healthy to do such activities and seeks out alternatives to aid MC in calming down. Grease is much more interested in inviting MC to touch him instead of their hands/skin, but when the suggestiveness doesn't land, he asks questions as to why MC is doing it.

How would they deal Y/N ignoring them either on purpose or not because their overwhelmed? Would it be on purpose or accidental change the answer?

Grease would not handle it well, either on purpose or accident, and he would make his displeasure known. He will not be ignored so easily. He will make it so MC can't ignore him.

Hawthorn takes it that he is unwanted, believing it is purposeful, either way. He should have known it would come eventually. He would leave MC for a time, and come back in a day or two to see if anything has changed and if MC will speak to him. He hopes so.

Calmo would be confounded by it, then determined to return the silent treatment. He would stalk about the house, doing his chores in a much more loud, obnoxious manner, and pointedly avoid meeting MC's gaze until MC broke the silence. On purpose or accidentally, Calmo is silently fuming.

Do any of them have any interesting coping mechanisms or stress triggers?

I'm going to save this question but it's just so very interesting hehe <3

Thank you so much, I love talking about the monster boys so this was just a delight! <3

[anticidic]

I once created a mechanical butterfly so i could watch it soar through the sky, 

the springs clink, a bolt fallen from its wings,

and I blink, heaving a heavy sigh 

Creations are but a reflection of my eye, sunken deep beneath a blimps watch works high, 

In the darkness of my room, I would cry, 

Illuminated by an oil lamp, I soak in the heavy burden of time, 

‘ i used to think i was broken like you ’

But perhaps the clocks tick, tick, tick is a reminder that it’s time to start anew.

(Steampunk AU) 

“…” The flame Dazai had concentrated on the little wind-up bird was extinguished. Polished brass sparkled under the low light, and upon the bird’s wing he saw all the scuffs, scratches, imperfections it suffered when it crashed to the floor.

It suffered a terrible fracture, almost losing its wing in the fall, but at least it was quick. But then he realized maybe that was a more merciful outcome than him slapping a bandaid on it time and time again just for it to break down again and again. It was the baby bird he was trying to push out of the nest so it could fly, and it could not. He was the parent. The failure to answer for that.

“Are you saying that to me or this thing?” Dazai set the torch down on the table and pushed his googles up past his forehead. Heaving a sigh, he wiped away the sweat forming at his hairline, his fingers coming away oily and smeared black. The little bird sat slumped against the wood with its metal wings stretched out, as if in a deep sleep. Or dead. Yes, it was dead or dying. It was bleeding out.

“You, obviously, why would I be referring to that gadget of yours?” Chuuya leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms, quietly watching Dazai run greasy fingers along the bird’s wingtips. “I figured you were up to something again when I didn’t hear that thing going ‘cuckoo-cuckoo’ every damn second the moment I stepped in the door.”

Dazai scooped the bird into his hands and spun around in his chair, holding it up for Chuuya to see. “It’s an ambitious little thing, isn’t it? It really wants to fly, and it’s been trying its damnedest to do what I programmed it to, but it seems like it still can’t get it right. Last time it crashed into its cage, and this time when I came down the stairs, I found it already on the floor.” He stroked the top of its head with a finger, down its spine. He touched it lovingly. Tenderly. Carefully. Afraid to damage it even more. “What a pitiful sight, but it held onto the letter I wanted sent out with its life. I’ll just have to have an actual carrier bird send it posthaste.”

“When’s the last time you got out and saw the sun, huh?” Chuuya lifted his gaze to Dazai with a raised eyebrow. “Very frankly, you look like shit—I’ve seen the sick look healthier. The last time you had circles that dark under your eyes, it was when you worked yourself practically to the bone on my airship up until the day of the race.”

“That was obviously for a good cause, Chuuya. You made it to the finals without the ship going up in flames, didn’t you? That’s what mattered, and I call it a win.” Dazai spun back around and bundled the bird in a handkerchief, tucking its wings in and pulling its tiny feet up against its chest. It looked ready for a burial. “I get enough sun through the window right there; it wasn’t that long. Time always just…happens to pass me by when I’m busy with my creations.”

“And that’s another one you have to cross off the list, isn’t it?” Chuuya approached where Dazai sat and briefly looked at the ball of cloth containing the bird, shaking his head. He snatched it from Dazai’s hand and set it down on the table. “You’ve been cooped up in this workshop for too long, you’re getting some fresh air.” Without waiting for an answer, he yanked Dazai out of his seat by the wrist and stormed out of the building.

A sudden rush of air blew past him as they stepped outside, the air ruffling his hair and cold against his cheeks. Clouds rolled by. Among them, blimps floated through the space. The mist was clearing, but the sun could still be mistaken for the moon. Dazai held his breath and watched it brighten. Minute by minute. A distant locomotive screeched.

It did look a little less glum being outside than seeing it through his window like some living painting, but he only had a few minutes to spare before he had to return to working on the bird. He couldn’t simply throw it in a box with all his other failed projects hiding under the bed.

“Jeez, Chuuya, you couldn’t have let me clean up a little? I’ve got grease and oil all over me.”

“You always either look like you just rolled out of bed or had something explode in your face. Here.” Chuuya shoved a handkerchief into Dazai’s hands, who reluctantly took it—looking as if he was about to protest or complain—and wiped away the grease staining his face. Cracking a tiny smile, Chuuya averted his gaze to the sky. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life once I was on my own. But racing and being in the sky helped me find a purpose, and I didn’t feel like my life was ending before it began anymore. Every time I get behind the wheel and tell everyone over the radio that we’re setting sail, I don’t just feel like the captain. I feel like a leader. I was born to guide. This is who I am.”

Dazai clutched Chuuya’s handkerchief a little closer to his cheek. His breath came out more staggered than he would’ve liked. The sun seemed to shine upon Chuuya and Chuuya alone. The spotlight was on him, Dazai in the dark. But he was that same budding light in the darkness Dazai found himself drawn to. He looked unworried. Lively. Being outside put a greater smile on his face than it ever would Dazai because he did not feel like he would ever belong among others.

There was always something missing.

I used to think I was broken like you—the words repeated in his head. He thought about the little broken bird with its busted wing, bundled up and tucked in by its parent. It was quite literally broken. And Dazai wasn’t. Not physically, at least. The longer he stood there with his arms at his sides and still clutching that handkerchief, he felt…nothing, truthfully. Just that there was always more work needed done. And his reward for work was more work.

“This morning, I woke shivering. There's something I must do; there's always something I must do. I have an unending sense of urgency like time’s running out somewhere. When I put the steambird back together the last time, I felt satisfaction for once, but it was short-lived. I knew it would malfunction again, and I waited for it to happen again as I found other things to work on in the meantime.” Breathing the crisp air into his lungs, he handed the handkerchief over. “You’re like a bird, Chuuya, you know. But there’s nothing stopping you. Home is wherever you want it to be, and nothing can stop you. I’m sick with jealousy.”

“Didn’t you always want to be a conductor of a train? Whatever happened to that?”

“You happened,” Dazai joked with a withering smile. “I’m just some guy with a toolbelt you come to when something goes wrong with your ship. I just happen to invent in my spare time. And that’s it.” He shielded his eyes from the sun’s glare and squinted, warmth tickling his cheeks. “I won’t be a leader; everyone expects that out of a conductor. I’m a follower. If I don’t have something to passionately follow, then I’m lost.”

“…So, you follow me not because you really want to, but because you feel like there’s nothing else?”

Dazai waved a hand. “Of course not. Engineers are hard sought in this city; I’ll never be short of work, and I can make myself too rich for your blood and find some other client.” Chuuya shot him a dirty look and opened his mouth to say something before Dazai continued, “I follow you because I admire how you live. Unburdened, with purpose. I feel too weightless. Too empty. In truth—perhaps I'm nothing?”

Turning to look at Chuuya, he reached into his pocket and extended a metallic object out to him. Chuuya’s attention flickered to it briefly, and Dazai could sense the gears turning in his head, wondering whether to take it, wondering what it was. Even as Chuuya reached for it, he did so hesitantly, shooting Dazai a questioning look. But Dazai smiled with an encouraging nod.

“A compass? Did you make this?”

Another nod. “Keep it. Maybe it’ll help you someday as a pilot.”

Confused, Chuuya lifted the compass’s lid. The arrow bounced back and forth, flickering between where Dazai stood in front of him expectantly, and pointing to a cathedral. Then he shut it and flipped it over, frowning when he discovered some sort of engraving on the back difficult to make out under the sunlight.

His lips moved, mouthing the words, ‘Love is the compass of life’.

[thescarletnargacuga]

UNSEEN FRAGMENTS

PART 3 OF THE UNSEEN SERIES: A HARLEQUIN AU FANFICTION

Harlequin AU credit: @tadc-harlequin-au @iamespecter

Shadowblade is my OC and is NOT CANON

WARNING: intense violence, mechanical gore, swearing, long read

~~~

"Fascinating, aren't they?" Thousands of small neon green-yellow butterflies swarmed the manor forest. Kingr was covered in the fluttering friends, looking like someone took a highlighter and dotted all over him. "They're migrating south, and since this is the only bastion of green for quite a ways, they all flock here for a respite. We're so fortunate the manor grounds is on their marching order." He held his butterfly covered hand close to his face.

Shadowblade laid on the grassy ground next to him, taking in the nature around them. They watched the tiny specs of color flying around in the cooling breeze. The seasons were changing, it's the first they ever noticed. Has the world done this before? They could feel the crisp air against their armor, sending a chill through their body, making the metal creak.

Shadowblade listened to Kingr as still and as quiet as possible, not wanting to scare the precious insects. Many landed on them, their butterfly light touches adding to the new experience. Shadowblade went crosseyed trying to see the ones that landed on their snoot. To see such small delicate lives exist beyond the war torn past was... comforting.

Kingr took his attention away from his hand to see Shadowblade being so attentive and a smile reached his eyes. He gently shook the butterflies from his hand and gave Shadowblade a pat on the head. "You may be a war machine, but that doesn't define who you are. Trust me, I would know."

Shadowblade rumbled against his touch, lowly vibrating the ground. It was nice to experience so many kind hands. Not just from Kingr, but Caine and even Pomni. They loved the positive attention, it made them feel...it made them feel.

"Sorry, to interrupt..." Caine joined them on the edge of the forest. "But could I borrow Shadowblade? I have something new to show them." Excitement laced his voice. His white shirt was covered in grease and smoke stains.

Kingr got one last pat in before Shadowblade stood, scattering the butterflies. Shadowblade followed Caine, who had a bit of a skip in his step, to the barn. "You're going to love this! I've been working on a few redesigns for you! You're already spectacular but there's always room for improvement! Your wings for example..." He uprighted an apparatus on the barn floor. "How would you like to be capable of actual flight!? It would mean removing all the blades except your outermost, and making some adjustments to your armor weight, but it's possible!"

Shadowblade examines the wing apparatus curiously. It was huge, they flexed their current wing-like blades in comparison.

"I know, it'll take some getting used to, but it'll be worth it! And don't worry about the amount of noise on landing, I have some improvement ideas for your paw pads too. A genius like me doesn't just think of one thing at once." He chuckled and wiped his stained glove against his shirt. "Anywho, this will take awhile, so get comfortable."

Shadowblade settled and quietly powered down. As much as they felt like they needed to see Caine work, if this was going to be as invasive as it seemed, they didn't want to be awake. They'd experience plenty of positive touch today and Caine was trustworthy, so they finally decided to take a nap instead of endure the pain.

Caine did a double take when he heard Shadowblade's systems powering down. They'd always stayed awake, no matter what sort of repairs had ever been done. He grinned and spoke softly. "You're in good hands. Rest well."

He got work right away, disassembling and rebuilding Shadowblade's entire wing structure. As he was installing the right wing, he had to take off part of the side of Shadowblade's chest. The molten gold core shined before him like a beacon, beckoning to be studied. Caine leaned over to see Shadowblade still completely off, fast asleep.

"One little peak wouldn't hurt." He carefully reached inside and felt the core for opening points. There were cracks all over the core's protective case, years of wear and tear evident of a long hard existence. His fingers found a latch and the core opened. Shattered remains of something fell out and he cursed to himself as he caught them. He checked Shadowblade again, still asleep.

Inside the core was a glowing, amber gold crystal. Fluid pumped into a chamber the crystal covered and flowed out to the body. He leaned in as close as he could, squinting to see black spidering cracks spread across the crystal. Being this close, he could feel a soft radiant hum emanating from the epicenter of the core.

"Beautiful. A crystalline core with energized fluid distribution. I've always theorized this was possible, but never seen it done practically. How was your crystal charged? How has it stayed charged?" He, very carefully, took a scraper from his pocket and shaved off a micro sample of the crystal. Shadowblade didn't even twitch, much to his relief. He closed the core's case and backed out of Shadowblade's chest to examine the bits that fell out.

Three crumbled purple stone pieces with strange markings sat in his palm. He immediately recognized them as parts of what was once a charm. He turned them over to examine all the markings, he recognized only a few. His own charm knowledge was not as extensive as Ragatha's, and would have to get her to look this over more thoroughly. He paused when he saw markings that weren't runic in nature, they were english letters. SB

"Huh...never seen someone sign their work this way. Maybe..." He trailed off and pocketed the charm shards. He could think on it later. He resumed his work on the upgrades.

~

"Hey, have you seen Caine?" Pomni inquired to Gangle as they passed in the hall.

"No, Miss Pomni. I have not seen him all day. I assume he is in his workshop?" Gangle answered in a soft voice, lowering her gaze submissively despite being much taller than the Harlequin.

"I just came from there. Fucker's probably out. Why didn't he think to take me with him? I'm bored as hell!" Pomni crossed her arms in a disappointed huff.

"I'm sure he had his reasons. Maybe it would've been dangerous and he didn't want you to get hurt."

"Bitch, please. I eat danger for breakfast. Then I top my salmon burger with it for lunch. THEN I-"

BOOM!!

The whole mansion shook. Pomni unsheathed her sword and rushed to a window. She saw no immediate threat, her eyes landing on Shadowblade. The beast leapt into the air, flapped huge wings and landed back down with another heavy boom. Caine was outside waving his arms and dancing around.

Pomni threw open the window, jumped out and put her sword away. "What the fuck is going on out here!?"

"Pomni!! You're just in time! Shadowblade has wings now! Look!! They can really fly!!" He held his hands out towards Shadowblade with pride.

Shadowblade tried to take off again, awkwardly flapped like a baby bird and fell back to earth. They vented air hard, their systems not used to the strain on their front limbs. They flexed their new wings at Pomni, Caine's excitement was infectious.

Pomni blinked, trying to process what was happening. "...uh-"

"BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING! It will take some time for Shadowblade to get the hang of it, as flying was never part of their original design, and I have no idea how to program the directive. Honestly, I would be hesitant to even try. So this will be a learning experience for the both of you. Machine learning at it's finest. Oh! And look!!" Caine pulled at one of Shadowblade's front paws, signaling them to lift. "I improved their pads too!" He squished his face against the paw the size of his torso. "They're thicker! Should help soften the landing a bit and be a bonus for stealth."

"....still shook the whole house."

"Well, yeah. We're right next to it, and Shadowblade easily weighs several tons. They're never going to be perfectly silent, but it's an improvement! So, what do you think?" He let go of Shadowblade's paw and clasped his filthy hands together.

"Uh, neat, I guess. Not super thrilled about the idea of being high off the ground."

"But you've been doing so well, I was starting to think your acrophobia-"

"IT WAS NEVER A PHOBIA!" Pomni exploded unexpectedly. She looked away and spoke quieter. "But yeah, I've been handling heights better lately."

"Progress. That's what's important." Caine sighed. "I should get cleaned up. You and Shadowblade can experiment with the wings, if you want." Before he could walk away, he felt Shadowblade's maw against his back. He pet Shadowblade as they pressed against him and rumbled their low mechanical purr. He smiled a little. "Nice to know someone around here appreciates what I do." He didn't look at Pomni as he left.

Pomni watched Caine leave without a word. Her insides twisted a bit with guilt. A chuff from Shadowblade got her attention. The beast lowered themself to the ground, offering the saddle to her. The crystal charm on her right hand glowed softly. "Yeah, I could use some fresh air." She mounted up and they took off out of the city.

~

The shower was more of a phycologcal need than a physical one, sometimes it felt good to literally wash the day off. Caine stood under the hot stream, trying to relax his mind. "Why can't anything I do just be enough?" He let his mind wander. A dangerous thing, but it needed the freedom to process his thoughts before he stamped the emotions back in place. He stayed until the hot water ran out, shots of icy water bringing him back to reality.

He wrapped himself in a towel and went through the pockets of his dirty pants before he forgot what was in there. He didn't want his tools going through the laundry again by mistake. He found the pieces of the charm he discovered inside Shadowblade as well as the core sample. "Hm...I've had suspicions since day one that Shadowblade isn't a true marionette. Maybe this is my answer." He closed his fist around the pieces and got dressed to see Ragatha.

~

Shadowblade stood on a high rocky outcropping, judging the distance to the ground and feeling the direction of the wind. They could feel Pomni's nerves through the connection. This was dangerous. Maybe, just a tiny bit, TOO dangerous. Maybe they should climb back down. Maybe they should hop along the ground some more. Maybe....they should just go for it.

Shadowblade looked over their shoulder to Pomni. "Don't look at me, I'll never be ready. Jump when you want." Her grip on the saddle left permanent indents in the leather.

Shadowblade adjusted their stance and unfolded their wings. The wind caught enough that they could stand on their hind legs. For what it was worth, the view was rather nice. They flapped and lifted from the rock. The strong wind carried them up and away. They steadied themselves in the draft, they could feel Pomni's heart racing.

"Okay, okay, okay, this is okay. We're in the air. Oh my fucking god, we're in the air." Pomni refused to look down.

Shadowblade tried to send reassuring vibes back, but they were too nervous themselves. They've never been this high up.

Then, the draft died. Shadowblade lost altitude rapidly. They tried flapping, it wasn't helping much, just made the turbulent descent all the more bumpy.

BAM!!

Shadowblade bellyflopped to the ground. They moaned as Pomni slid off and puked. She braced herself on her knees and horked up everything her system. "Ugh...this isn't going to be a fun learning curve."

Shadowblade groaned back.

~

"So, what do you think?" Caine sipped a glass of brandy as he poured over books and old maps in the library.

Ragatha cross references symbols on the charm pieces with ones in her book. "Well, I can tell you for certain that it is some sort of suppression charm. The stone itself is fluorite based, which isn't local to our area. As for the writing, I don't know. I've never seen a charm with english letters. I'm surprised doing that wouldn't interfere with the charms purpose. Unless it's part of it, but I don't know of any ritual that would use initials."

"Suppression..." Caine muttered to himself, looking at the charm around Ragatha's neck. "Why would a marionette need suppressing?"

"They wouldn't. They have no emotions or will to suppress. ...are you thinking what I am?"

"Yes, and I don't like it. I had my entire head inside their core. I didn't see a D.I.E. It doesn't make sense. They're powered by some crystal. I have to run more tests, but if I find presence of a soul... I don't even know what to think." Caine set his drink down.

"We don't know for certain. We shouldn't jump to conclusions. I said it was a type of suppression charm, it doesn't necessarily mean that it was being used to suppress free will. It could have been used to suppress the amount of power in the core. Maybe Shadowblade was too strong and... needed to be tamed."

"I'm willing to bet my last bottle that the charm broke when pomni shot Shadowblade in the chest when they first encountered each other. That's when I met them. That's when they were acting weird. That's what gave me the suspicions that they weren't normal. I should have seen it when I first gave Shadowblade the choice to stay."

"Maybe the crystal itself is a D.I.E?"

"If it is, It's the most unusual way to contain a soul."

"I mean, think about how big they are. Could a single puppet soul pilot an entire war machine without help?"

"Maybe? Maybe not? Take Z, for example. Many her size required the use of multiple souls. A lot of constructor puppets suffered that fate." Caine looks over the map on the table. "You said the stone has fluorite in it?"

"Yes, It's what gives it it's purple color."

"I think I have an idea where it came from." He pointed to a spot far east of the City of Circuits. "The City of Gears was one of the largest industrial cities in the world during the war. Fluorite is used in smelting."

"I don't think I've ever been there."

"The only thing your missing out on is a marionette infestation and bad investments."

"What..?"

"Nevermind. Pomni and Shadowblade could check it out but I want them to take backup."

"I'm not going anywhere near that place."

"I wasn't going to suggest it, I need you here. Z and Kingr are too big to ride on Shadowblade's back, and walking would make it a three day one-way trip. No, they need to fly."

"Gangle wouldn't want to go either."

"That just leaves...oh boy. Pomni's gonna kill me." Caine sighed and downed his brandy.

~

WHAM!!

Shadowblade goes headfirst into a cliff, just missing the top by feet. They dig their claws into he clifface to stop from free falling again. Pomni popped her dislocated shoulder back into place. "Fuck these stupid FUCKING winds!! Why do they keep changing??"

Shadowblade struggled against the crumbling cliff as they climbed to the top. They repositioned themselves to try again, looking back to check on Pomni.

"Just go, before I change my mind. LIKE THE WIND!!" She shouted angrily into the air.

Shadowblade dove over the edge. The momentum carries to their wings and they rose back into the air. With a smoother take off, they settled into a flight pattern around the wasteland. Shadowblade felt more comfident with every wing beat. They went even higher, to the clouds.

Pomni felt oddly at ease when she could no longer see the ground. The mist of the clouds felt cool against her face. When Shadowblade breaches the top, the vibrant colors of the waning sun were all around them. The connection felt calm and happy and excited. This was truly beautiful. The ultimate escape from the world.

Pomni raised her arms up in a shout of elation. Shadowblade roared with her as they soared across the sky.

~

Caine checked his W.A.C.K.Y watch for Shadowblade's position. They would be returning any moment. He left Ragatha to the research and found Jax on the roof.

Jax laid against the slanted roof, watching the stars slowly appear. He heard Caine's blink and internally rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

"I have a mission for you." Caine leaned against an adjacent roof section.

"Joy of joys." Jax said sarcastically. "Where am I headed?"

"The City of Gears...with Pomni and Shadowblade."

"Why-"

"Because I need you two to do some investigating. It's about Shadowblade. I'll spare you the details, but I think that's where they came from and it could lead to answers about their origin. I don't expect, nor really care, if you care about Shadowblade. All I need you to do is help Pomni. The city is swarming with marionettes. Who knows what you'll face."

"Hm...sounds dangerous."

"It will be."

"I'll need something in exchange for my services."

"That can be arranged."

"Your watch is quite fancy."

"Off the table." Caine narrowed his eyes.

Jax smirked. "Then I'll have to take a peak in your workshop, do a little...shopping."

"Off. Limits." Caine said sternly.

"Hm, then I guess Pomni's on her own." Jax shrugged.

"I can offer upgrades, charms, hell- new clothes, better accommodations...?"

"Nah, I like your fancy gadgets. They look fun to play with."

Caine grunted. "I'll see what I can come up with, but you an Pomni leave tomorrow."

"Fine. I'll go with piranha teeth to the city of whatever. What exactly are we looking for anyway?"

"....I don't know."

Jax laughed. "Seriously?"

Caine flustered a bit with embarrassment. "Like I said, I just need you to be Pomni's backup. Leave the rest of her and Shadowblade." Caine blinked away.

Jax kept chuckling to himself. "What a maroon."

~

Shadowblade glided down into the city and attempted to land on a long straight stretch of road. They came down a bit fast and stumbled. Pomni barely kept her grip as she was thrown forward ass over teakettle over the handles of the saddle. She hung awkwardly next to Shadowblade's neck until the beast stopped for her to let go.

"That wasn't the worst landing of the day. The fact we're in one piece of good enough for me." Pomni decided to walk the rest of the way to the manor.

Shadowblade was sore all over. Their armor felt overly sensitive to every cut and dent, a few spots bled. A small whine came from them as they walked.

Pomni felt the pain in the connection. "I'm sore too. I'm lucky I could hold on through most of that." She didn't realize the extent of the pain Shadowblade was in. This wasn't just them complaining about being over worked. They felt beaten and battered and bruised for the first time. They weren't used to this level of pain just from getting thrown around. Pomni shooting them and stabbing out their eye hurt less.

They go through the gate and nod to Z. "Yeesh, What happened to you two?"

"The wind." Pomni groaned.

Shadowblade grunted in agreement.

"The...wind?"

"Yes, the fucking WIND. It is an EVIL force of nature. Tossed us like a salad all over the wasteland."

Z sniggered.

Pomni went into the mansion, Shadowblade followed her through the windows. They made a habit of it. It was interesting to see the others interact in this large dollhouse. Not far inside, they see Caine appear in front of Pomni. They spoke. Pomni yelled. He looked exhausted. They half shouted more at each other. They came to an agreement. Pomni stormed away. Caine dragged his hands down the front of his face. Shadowblade had felt mixed emotions through the connection. Frustration, but not anger. Respect, but not fondness. It was interesting and confusing.

Caine caught sight of Shadowblade's golden stare through the dark windows. He waved. Shadowblade slow blinked in return. They moved on the the next floor to find Pomni. They came face to face with Gangle. She screamed. Shadowblade should've seen that coming. They moved down the side of the building.

They spied Ragatha in the library, reading and examining something on the table in from of them. Their optics zoomed in. Pieces of purple stone...markings...SB...

Shadowblade felt like they were hit by a charging drill worm. The letters burn in their mind. Flashes of unknown faces fly through their vision. Gold light. A woman's scream.

Shadowblade topples over and scrambles to their barn. They hid inside, producing a copious amount of mist. Their mind races. Their body shakes. They couldn't hear their core cracking over their hyperventilating.

Pomni would have felt the intense fear and anxiety too, if she hadn't just taken off the charm in preparation to go to bed...

~

Jax was the first out that morning. His hammer collapsed and compacted against his back for travel. He wasn't alone long, the combat harlequin was an early riser when it came to missions. He pointed to the barn. "Is your beast sleeping in or what?"

Pomni hadn't put the charm on yet. She saw black mist pouring out of every crack and crevice like it was a hot box. "...what the hell?" She put on her mask and opened the doors. "Shadowblade! Why are wasting all your mist!? Have you been doing this all night!?"

No response.

"Shadowblade?" Pomni put on the charm. She felt immediate emotional whiplash. Dread. So much dread. Bad people. Enemies. Can't fight. Hide.

Pomni walked through the darkness, finding Shadowblade trembling against the back wall. "What's gotten into you? There are no enemies. We need to go. Knock it off with the mist."

Shadowblade obeyed, finding this feeling easy to ignore under orders. The mist stopped and they followed Pomni out.

Pomni mounted up and cringed as Jax climbed aboard. "God, I can't believe he's making us do this." She grumbles and has Shadowblade start walking out of the city.

"I'm not thrilled about it either, shark tooth, but your hubby promised me something nice in return for babysitting you."

"I don't need babysitting! And he's not my husband! I can barely stand him!"

Jax extended his neck to give her a mischievous grin face to face. "That's not what I saw on my way out the door. Oh, Pomni, Do Be Safe. You'll Be Out Of Radio Range, But You Know I'll Come Running If You Need Me." He mockingly fluttered his eyes at her.

She elbowed him hard in the gut. "If you don't want me shoving you off when we get airborne, you'll shut the fuck up."

"Fine, he's smitten and you're a bitch. Is that more accurate?" Jax rubbed his abdomen.

Pomni growled and had Shadowblade take off. She does her best to ignore the ick she felt as Jax reached around her with his extendable arms to hold onto the saddle handles.

The City of Circuits became a model of itself as they flew high into the air. The winds were calmer today, making things far smoother as Shadowblade found an air current to glide due east.

Jax silently admired the view. Flying was a new experience for him too. He shuddered just a little, looking down, and gripped the saddle tighter.

Pomni mentally reaches out to Shadowblade. There was still an underlying feeling of unease in the connection. She tried to push her own battle ready calm through. Shadowblade was resistant. She out her hand on Shadowblade's back. The physical touch warmed the connection. The feeling of calm was more accepted.

Barely an hour passed before Jax needed to talk again. The splendor of flight wore off fast. "Do you know what we're looking for? Your hubby couldn't say."

"HE'S NOT MY-ugh!! I don't know either. He just said there was something significant to Shadowblade at the City of Gears."

"We're doing all of this on a hunch?"

"Pretty much."

"Tap-dancing Christ."

"Shut the hell up, it's not like you had anything better to do."

"That's not the point. If we don't know what we're doing, and the city's as large as he says, we could be there for days. Sounds boring as fuck."

"He did mention to marionette infestation..."

"So we're either going to be bored to death or be torn apart by marionettes, what fun." Jax rolled his eyes so hard, they nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Welcome to my world."

~

Caine triangulated Shadowblade's position in his watch to the map. If they minimized any stops, they would be in the City of Gears after dusk. Not the best time to be arriving, but the fastest. He pocketed his watch and looked to Ragatha, who was nose deep in a book. "They're making good progress. And it doesn't look like Pomni has left Jax anywhere, so that's a good sign that they haven't killed each other yet."

Ragatha put her book down. "How do you keep track of us..?"

"Let me put it to you this way. If I've made something, I know where it is."

"Oh..." She didn't ask further. "I've been able to decipher some of the less common symbols used on the charm. While I was correct in saying that it was a suppression charm, it's a very particular suppression charm."

"Aren't they all?"

"Yes, every charm is unique, but when I say this one is very particular, I mean that it was assigned to a particular person. Those letters, the initials, I don't think those are someone's signature. I think those are related to the person the charm was meant to control."

"You're confident in saying a person? A soul?" Caine felt his stomach drop.

"Yes. The way the symbols are assorted on the charm, it's a contract. Whoever put their initials on the charm agreed to the terms of the person who created it. Though I can't say if it was done so willingly. My....the one whom I served before...used similar methods." Ragatha shifted in her chair and looked away.

"You needn't explain." Caine reassures. He takes our the core sample and hands it to her. "Give your thoughts on this when you have a chance. I need those charm shards back." He turns to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"To test a theory."

~

Pomni focused silently ahead. If she stayed calm, Shadowblade would be calm. It would make the travel that much more bearable. Jax, on the other hand, was bored out of his mind and couldn't stand the silence.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

He waits only a second to ask again. "...how about now?" He smiled.

Pomni's grip tightened. "No."

"Are we there....yet?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"NO!!"

Jax held back a laugh. "You're too easy. Maybe that's why Caine likes you so much. Didn't take him for the type, but whatever floats his boat."

"What the FUCK are you implying??" She turned to glare at Jax.

"Wow, really gotta spell it out for you, huh? I'm calling you a wh-"

Pomni punched him so hard, he tumbled backwards off of Shadowblade. Shadowblade felt something grab their foot. They look down and back to see Jax hanging by one hand. They look back up at Pomni.

"Keep flying. If he falls, he's no longer our problem."

Shadowblade snorted, feeling Pomni's rage.

Jax extended his arms to reach up and grab into the seams of Shadowblade's armor. He hoisted himself back up to the saddle and settled behind Pomni. "I can add sensitive to the list." He called it quits for the time being, she definitely dented a few of his ribs with that hit. He took steady breaths through the pain.

~

Caine locked himself in his workshop and set the charm pieces on a small table with a sigil. He lights the half melted candles and puts both hands on symbols on either side of the sigil. He takes a deep breath and focuses.

Blue energy travels from his heart, down his arms, and to the table. The sigil lights up and the pieces of the charm hover an inch off the table. He mutters ritualisticly under his breath, willing the pieces to be whole again. The electric blue energy shocks the pieces one by one, heating and melting the jagged edges. The pieces fit together and seal the cracks. The reformed charm clatters to the table as he releases it, feeling a little light headed.

"Okay...step one wasn't too hard." He braced himself. "Now....who made you?" He focused again, using his soul energy to tap into the void. He heard faint whispers all around him. The symbols on the charm glow. One whispered voice stands out. A middle aged male voice comes from the charm.

"I....am the Master...."

Caine rolled his eyes. Of course someone who made this kind of charm would call themselves that. He has to stay focused, he could only hold this for so long. "What is the purpose of your charm?"

".... control...."

Fuck. He already knew that. Sweat rolled down his head as he concentrated. "Who is SB?"

"....my greatest creation..."

"No, WHO is SB? Is it a name?"

"...yes, the one who served me..."

"Vague bastard." Caine could barely hold the connection. "Is SB a puppet?"

"...my perfect puppet...obedient and powerful...the soul served without question..."

Caine could feel his hold on the voice slipping. He forced himself to keep going. "HOW? Where is the D.I.E??"

"...within..."

Caine vision blurred with exhaustion. "Are there...others...?"

"...yes...my traitorous son..."

"Where....where...." Caine collapsed. The Master's voice whispered as darkness took him.

"...where it all began..."

~

The sun shone its last as the City of Gears was finally in sight. Massive warehouses and factories towered over all other buildings. The city was ravaged by time and being reclaimed by nature, as the forest on the south side slowly intruded more than half the city.

Shadowblade flew low and made a better landing this time. At least they didn't fall forward on their face. Shadowblade and their passengers stayed alert as they entered the city. It was quiet. Despite being surrounded by trees, no birds sang. The wind was still. They wandered the silent streets aimlessly.

"I think Caine's info is a bit out of date. There's no one here." Jax said.

"Keep your voice down. This place shouldn't be this quiet with the amount of nature here." Pomni's whole body prickled on high alert. Her instincts told her to look up. She did just in time to see a wolf like pouncing from the second story of a broken building. She didn't have time to warn the others. She rolled and slid off Shadowblade as the wolf landed where she had been.

Jax jumped back and slid off the other side. Shadowblade felt the claws of the wolf in their back and bucked it off. More wolves attacked. Pomni dodged one and drew her blade. Jax activated his hammer and swung at a charging wolf, sending it into a wall.

They were surrounded by a dozen wolf sized and shaped marionettes snarling at them.

"Seekers!" Pomni shouted. Seekers were used to track and kill puppets. They tore their prey apart without mercy. As it was getting dark, Pomni put on her mask. Her eyes glowed with Shadowblade's as they stared down their opponents. Shadowblade roared, shaking dust from the ruined buildings. The ungraded blades on their wings and Pomni's sword glowed with energy.

The seekers weren't intimidated and attacked. Pomni put her sword through the mouth of one and she avoided another. She rolled over the back of the one she killed and kicked the next seeker that lunged. Shadowblade sliced two seekers in half with one swipe and whipped ther tail around to the ones behind them.

Jax limbo-ed under the swinging spiked tail and sprang himself into the air to bring his hammer down on one seeker, caving it's body in. He moved quickly to the next, spinning his hammer and launching a seeker into a ruined building.

Pomni got pinned by a seeker, she held it back with her sword in it's maw. It snapped and clawed wildly until Shadowblade chomped down on it's body and threw it away from her. She got to her feet and ran under Shadowblade to get to the seeks attacking on the other side by Jax. She cut through one that was about to pounce.

Jax swung around, saw Pomni and changed trajectory at the last second. He threw his hammer, crushing a seeker's face in.

Shadowblade brought their heavy tail down on one seeker and swung at another. Two jumped on Shadowblade's back and they reared.

"Shadowblade! Roll over!!" Pomni commanded.

Shadowblade did so, crushing the seekers under their bodyweight. Jax laughed, grabbed his hammer and killed another seeker. "Play dead!" He couldn't help himself.

The one remaining aimed for Pomni. It tried fainting left but Pomni was too quick. She decapitated it as it lunged. No other marionettes in sight, they caught their breath.

Jax was in a fit of giggles. "Roll over? Really?"

"What else was I going to say?? Stand there a take it!?"

Jax howled with laughter. "No...no, it isn't that. It's the basic bitch pet command shout during battle. You couldn't call it something else?"

"Like what, smartass?"

"Kill the passenger?" He really didn't have a clever retort, he just thought it was funny.

"God, you're insufferable."

Shadowblade was looking all around for any more signs of danger when they spotted a street corner with small shops. Windows ruined and signs faded, they were still recognizable as a market. Another flash. Shadowblade was short, maybe Pomni's height, walking down the street. The market was alive with people going to a fro. The scent of fresh bread and gardens flowers filled the air.

Shadowblade walked away from Pomni and Jax, following the vision. They were looking through windows at beautifully crafted jewelry and dresses but moving on. The went to a book shop on the corner. The vision fades to reveal a destroyed corner building. The books long destroyed.

"Hey...your beast is walking away."

"Huh? Shadowblade, where are you going? Get back here, we need to stick together." Pomni commanded but Shadowblade didn't obey. They kept walking down the ruins market street. "What the..?"

"Pffff, even your pet if sick of you."

"Fuck off." She moves to follow Shadowblade. "They've never ignored an order before."

Jax followed behind, keeping an eye out for more seekers. His own eyes glowed softly in the unlit city. He didn't need goggles to see in the dark.

Shadowblade looked down a desolate street past the market. A poster on the wall of a business stood out to them. It was barely legible, but it was an ad for a circus. A vision showed the poster it's full glory, they've walked by it many times. It was a landmark for their commute. Moving on, the businesses gave way to town houses and suburban homes. Once large and beautiful homes reduced to rubble.

~

A polite knock rattled Caine's workshop door. "Caine? I have some information on those crystal shards you gave me. ...Caine?"

"Oh dear, maybe he fell asleep. Here, let me help." One of Gangle's ribbons slithered under the door and reached the lock on the inside.

The ladies see Caine on his side in front of his charm table and rush to him. "Caine??" Ragatha checked his heart, he was still alive. "Caine!"

He stirred a a little. "Rag...the..." He lifted his hand to point at the charm on the table and passed back out.

"Oh my god, what did you do to yourself? Gangle?"

"On it." She wrapped her ribbons around Caine, easily lifting and carrying him out of the room.

Ragatha grabbed the charm, impressed to find it in one piece, and followed Gangle. "This must have been an incredibly powerful charm for him to use so much energy to pass out."

"Will he be okay?" Gangle asked worriedly.

"He'll be fine, he just needs rest. Take him to his room." Ragatha went back to the library to study the reformed charm in greater detail.

~

Shadowblade stopped in front of a half collapsed mansion. They stared as a vision of walking through gate entered their mind. They couldn't walk on the grass, no matter how much they wanted to feel it between their toes. They had to take the groceries to the kitchen so the cooks could ready supper for ....for someone. Someone powerful.

"Shadowblade?" Pomni asked quietly. She could feel confusion and deja vu through the connection. "Is this what we came for?" She pointed to the large ruined house.

Shadowblade didn't answer. They didn't know. They stepped over the low ruined wall and inspected the house closer. Three floors of grandeur, once upon a time, now a darkened shell. They could see the grand stairway through the huge hole in the wall, spiraling up all three floors. They went up and down those stairs many times. Lots of work to do. Always an errand. Always a chore.

Jax and Pomni climbed through the rubble to investigate the first floor. Jax aimlessly milled about for any interesting trinkets, but Pomni made a b-line for any intact rooms. She searched for evidence of who once lived here but the ravages of time and war took most everything that once existed in the homestead.

Jax stepped on a losse floorboard and fell through. Shadowblade's bright eyes found the hole he made a peered down. Pomni heard the crash and rushed over. "Hey! You alive?"

"Yes." Jax rubbed his ass. It wasn't a far fall, but it still hurt.

"Shit. I mean, good." Pomni smirked.

"Fuck you."

"Get in line. What's down there?"

"Uh...a basement? Old storage. A few wine racks. Ooh, some of them still have full bottles. Lucky day!"

"You're sharing that!"

"Then get down here and collect your own, lazy ass!"

Pomni jumped down and Shadowblade demolished the part of the house blocking them from entering. They clawed and chewed at the floor to expose a large portion of the basement. As Pomni and Jax bickered over bottles, Shadowblade focused on one corner in particular. A vision showed them being down in the basement to put away some preserved food. A figure in the dark was in the corner reaching for something in the ground. Something heavy closed shut. The figure yelled at them.

Shadowblade clawed the ground and they came in contact with something heavy and metal. They dug up a large ancient safe.

"OH SHIT! Now we're talking!" Jax excitedly examines the safe. He figures the locking mechanism is far rusted in place and the only way into it, is with a really big hammer. He brings his hammer down several times until the safe warped and the door didn't fit in the frame. Much to his disappointment, there were no treasures inside. Only papers. He goes back to the wine racks.

Pomni sifted through the papers. There was a lot of boring stuff, banknotes and contracts and deeds and bills of sale, but... There was also a journal. She opened it to find it full of gibberish. Backwards and mixed writing that made no sense.

Shadowblade could just make out the tiny writing. It didn't make sense to them either, but the journal itself looked important. They leaned their head down to press the journal towards Pomni, encouraging her to keep it.

Pomni looked up with an arched brow. "This? ...alright."

She dug around a bit more and an envelope marked "confidential" piqued her interest. Inside was a letter, addressed to no one.

Sir,

The project has proven successful.

The subject is integrated.

On your order, activation protocol Warshroud is a go.

"War shroud?" Pomni said our loud and Shadowblade froze.

Visions of being taken. Beaten. Hurt. Scared. Men talking. WARSHROUD.

Pomni felt all of it. This was the right path. There was no address but their was a symbol of a hammer and pickaxe on the stationary. She recognized that symbol from one of the factories they passed on their way in. "Hey, numbnuts, we're moving on." She climbed up Shadowblade's head and laid a comforting hand on them as Jax finished stuffing wine bottles into his bag. He extended his arm to grab shadowblade's shoulder and hoisted himself up.

Pomni steered Shadowblade to the factory. Massive bay doors laid on the ground, leaving an entrance large enough for Shadowblade. The inside was as ruined as the rest of the city. Nothing of interest remained intact.

Shadowblade spotted another set of large doors. These, they recognize. A vision of being barely conscious. Restrained. Helpless. The heavy metal doors sealed any escape. Shadowblade trembled. They didn't want to take another step.

"What is this place?" Jax asked, looking around.

"I'm not sure. Shadowblade, we're here because Caine believes there are answers to what- er, who? You are. He's a crackpot, but a smart crackpot. Can you keep going?"

Shadowblade shook in place, refusing to move.

"... alright." Pomni slid off and went to the doors herself. "Come on, Jax. We'll have a look around ourselves. Shadowblade can wait up here."

Jax left his bag hooked to the saddle and dismounted to go with Pomni. "Another dusty old basement, this place is just full of wonder." He sighed.

Down below was more destroyed than above. Hardly anything was recognizable as equipment. Giant smashed tubes held remnants of crystals of various colors. Claw marks and old burns charged the walls and floor.

"Looks like one of their projects backfired." Pomni commented as she stepped over some rubble.

"Shadowblade?"

"I don't know. There's a lot i don't know, but....looking at all of this, this isn't a normal marionette production facility. That's for damn sure."

~

Shadowblade felt a crack. A glacial popping sound from within. The crystal within their core broke further. More visions came. War was declared! Puppet uprising! A mother's touch. A handsome stranger. Debt. Famine. Disease. Death. Work in the city. Suffering. Gold light. Blinding. Obey. OBEY! Shadowblade roared in confusion and pain. Their cries echoed through the factory.

Jax and Pomni stiffened as they heard Shadowblade above. A loud mechanical whirring in the rubble beside them signaled something was powering on. Two intensely bright purple lights shone and rose high above them. In the dark, both could just make out the silhouette of a beast. A beast twice the size of Shadowblade.

Pomni and Jax bolted for the exit, sprinting back out through the facility doors. The purple lights finding them as they run. Monstrous booming announced the creature's pursuit.

Shadowblade felt the floor quake and got their senses about them as Pomni and Jax came running out, purple light right behind them.

Jax gave Pomni a boost throw onto Shadowblade and grabbed onto the saddle himself. Pomni whistled for Shadowblade to run.

Shadowblade got just a glimpse of the beast after them. A huge break-like maw snapping at them. They got outside and made for wider streets to attempt take off.

The roof to the factory exploded. Enormous silver wings lifted the beast into the air as it urgently broke free to pursue its prey. It's body gleamed in the moonlight, this beast was never meant to hide. It dove as Shadowblade finally found enough space to spread their own wings.

Without enough forward momentum to get away, Pomni whistled for Shadowblade to halt. They dropped to the ground and skidded as the silver beast landed hard in front of them, demolishing several buildings. Outside and up close they could see that this creature was also quadrupedal. It's silver steel body glowed with purple energy from every crack in the armor. The wings were on its back, giving it all four legs to fight with in the air. The head and front legs were bird-like and heavily armored, talons as long as Pomni was tall. The back end of the body was like a lion, the tail long and thin with a bladed end.

For the half second the creature was down Pomni mentally steeled herself for battle. Shadowblade, confused and scared, found comfort in Pomni's resolve. Shadowblade lunged, doing for the beast's neck. Pomni jumped from Shadowblade to the silver beast and clamped her mechanical hand onto it's face plates. Jax also jumped, going as high as he could and activating the spikes to bring his hammer down hard on the beast's head.

Shadowblade tried to hold the beast in place, clawing at it's chest and holding tight to it's neck. Jax's hammer comes down and barely makes a dent. He practically bounces off and lands hard below the brawling beasts. Pomni tried jamming her sword into the beast's eye but her sword doesn't pierce the optic at all, she just annoys it.

The beast shoves back against Shadowblade, pushing them away and shaking off Pomni. The beast's claws left deep marks in Shadowblade's shoulders. Shadowblade roared and the beast roared back. The talons and beak of the beast glowed purple, like Shadowblade's wing blades. Shadowblade was already glowing and went for the slash attack. The beast whipped it's tail, having farther reach, forcing Shadowblade to doge and abandon their attack.

Pomni's blade glowed brightly and she went for a back leg. The energy from her blade made a small cut into the heel. "JAX!! USE ENERGY!!"

Jax was way ahead of her. As the beast turned to attack Pomni, his hammer lit up with green energy. He ran up Shadowblade's tail and back to spring himself up and come down between the beast's shoulder blades. His hammer did damage this time. A lot of it. The silver armor split and broke around the wing joints. The beast roared and reared to remove Jax. Shadowblade slashed a deep cut along the side of the beast as it went up. Shadowblade kept themself between the beast and Pomni.

Pomni wasn't having that. She used her grapple to grab the beast and reel herself to it's back, where she dragged her energized sword up the beast's front leg. Shadowblade tore at the beast's throat again, removing armor by the mouthful. Jax dodged the beast's blades tail and smashed at the beast's spine.

The beast's purple eyes brightened and it tore it's claws into Shadowblade, it lifted them off the ground and suplexed the lot of them into a row of buildings. Pomni's and Jax barely got off the back in time as everything came crashing down.

Finally being free of the 3v1, the beast took off for the arial advantage. It circled around and aimed for the largest target, diving for Shadowblade's exposed belly.

Shadowblade was discombobulated. They lost track of Pomni. Their large wings were stuck under rubble. All they could do was roar in defense as the beast came down.

But the beast never came. A wall of green ice flew up out of the ground and blocked the attack. The wall crumbled but the beast was taken off guard and missed, giving Shadowblade enough time to get up.

Jax huffed against a brick wall with his hand out. He hadn't had to make something that big in a long time, it took a bit out of him. Pomni patted Jax on the shoulder as she sprinted passed to get to Shadowblade. "You owe me!!" He shouted after her.

Pomni mounted as Shadowblade righted themself. "Come on!! Let's show this mother fucker exactly who he's dealing with!!"

Shadowblade roared and took off as fast as they could. Finally airborne, they circled with the beast. Back and gold streaked across the sky opposing silver and purple. Shadowblade went on the offensive, aiming to slash at the beast as they flew by at top speed. The beast rolled and slashed them instead, with it's talons. Shadowblade want deterred. They went again, this time making the slash. Them again. And again. Being lighter and faster, Shadowblade made several successful attacks.

The beast roared with fury and opened its maw wide. Purple energy gathered between its jaws.

"What the fuck..?" Pomni muttered.

A wide beam of energy blasted out from the beast. Shadowblade narrowly escaped it hitting their body, but one of their wings was partially clipped.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?!?" Pomni steered Shadowblade away, dodging another fly by. "We need to disappear!" She pulled up and Shadowblade flew into the clouds, mist pouring from their body.

The beast followed, being blinded the moment they flew into the thick shroud. For a moment, the beast hovered in place. Then, a slicing blade cut them from the dark. Their tail fell to the city below. The beast roared and charged their energy weapon again, but before they could fire, a golden razor X flew at them and they had to abort. The beast flew above the clouds and mist, circling and searching.

Shadowblade came flying straight up, and sliced one of it's wings in half. The beast plummeted. It smacked into a factory chimney before crashing through an warehouse roof and to the ground.

Jax saw the fall and ran to catch up, his quick feet moving even faster with green energy.

Shadowblade didn't give the best the chance to get up. They came barreling down through the broken roof and slammed the beast with their powerful front claws. Purple fluid went flying. The silver beast thrashed wildly, trying to take off on one wing. Shadowblade couldn't keep it down, the larger beast kicked them off and charged. Shadowblade barely got Pomni out do the way before the beast slammed into them. Pomni was thrown, recovered and transformed their hand to fire at the open wounds on the beast's body. The gapping wounds proved to be easy targets, every shot found in opening and blew them even wider.

The beast ignores Pomni, focusing all of its hatred onto Shadowblade. It's talon's cut and slash into the armor, getting deep and breaking vital systems. Shadowblade fought back, using their tail to stab the beast, but it was unrelenting. That it opened it's maw again. A terrible buildup of purple energy formed right in front of Shadowblade's face.

"NO!!!" Pomni ran out of shots and hacked at the beast's back leg. She wasn't doing anywhere near as much damage as she wanted to, not deterring the beast in the slightest. "FUCK YOU!! OVER HERE!!" She stabbed it full on in the leg, no reaction.

As the beast was about to fire, Jax comes in out of nowhere, his hammer encased in green ice, and slams the beast right in the back of the mouth. The collision of the green and purple energy causes a massive explosion in the beast's throat.

There is a hush as the smoke clears. Everyone is down. The silver beast no longer had a head. It's body torn, purple blood soaking the floor. Pomni, the furthest from the explosion, rises first. She limps over to Shadowblade, whose eyes are inactive. "Hey...wake up. We won..." She put her hand on Shadowblade's face.

She looked around. "Jax..?" She sees him on his side, facing away from her. She limps to him and carefully rolls him on his back. She puts her hand over his heart, he's still active. A sigh of real relief escapes her.

Shadowblade stirs. Heavy damaged but alive. They slowly crawl over to the two smaller puppets and curl their big body protectively around them.

"It's okay...it's dead. You did good." Pomni gave a small smile and Shadowblade blinked slowly back.

Jax woke with a loud groan. "God...damn! This is why I hate using energy. Gives me an awful fucking headache."

Pomni slapped Jax on the chest. "You crazy bastard! You could have died!"

Jax groaned and laughed. "But it was awesome, wasn't it?"

"...yeah, it was." She checked her saddle bag for supplies and saw wine leaking from Jax's bag. She peeked inside to see only one surviving bottle. She took it and handed it to him as she performed some basic puppet first aid. "You've earned that."

Jax broke the neck of the bottle and poured some in his mouth before offering to Pomni.

Pomni accepted and saluted Jax.

Shadowblade watched as long as they could before exhaustion claimed them. As they powered down, the darkness that would normally greet them became bright and other worldy. For the first time in their mechanical life, Shadowblade dreamed.

~~~

To be continued...

[v0rtex-sys]

i’m writing a mechanisms AU rn and while i wont spoil that, it has butterfly lyf. despite the fact i didnt write anything taking place on yggdrasil, i planned way too much about moth/butterfly creature yggdrasilians.

i then spent 7 (seven) hours drawing the train guys with pretty wings.

loki is a lunar moth but her colours are faded, sigyn is a small phoenix moth, thor is a panacea prola butterfly, and odin is a spanish moon moth

ONCE I’VE ACTUALLY POSTED THE FIC I’LL ALSO POST BUTTERFLY LYF ART>:3

maybe i’ll also post like my in depth planning about that AU’s yggdrasil

(@mjshortformcjesus this is partly your fault)

[pixels-miracle-box]

AAAANYWAYS- .... another AU idea- idk if I'll explore this as much (I'll most likely have this as a "fodder" AU)

Adrien Grassette is the son of a popular designer, Gabriel Grasette. However, unlike in the original universe, his father actually tries to be there for his son. Gabriel may seem like an unapproachable person, but around his closest people he can be the nicest person you could ever meet. He's trying to navigate single parenthood, as well as trying to date someone (Nathalie).

Meanwhile, Chloé Bourgeois, always lived under her mother's wing. Raised to be just a mini her. It sucked, quite bad. Her mother would be verbally abusive to her, always making sure her daughter stays in line. Chloe would eventually take her frustration by bullying her classmates, to the point they were all bending over her so she could stop, but it was never enough.

However, with the rise of a villain in the making, two new heroes need to rise.

Mister Bug is the main hero of the duo. The ladybug that watches over Paris. He takes things seriously, as he's realizing how dire the situation is. If only his partner would take it seriously too.

Royal Persian is the second hero, the black cat that causes destruction everywhere she goes. Not as loved as Mister Bug, but she's appreciated. Mister Bug has to remind her to user her cataclysm responsibly, as she had moments where the immediately jumps into cataclysm anything in her path.

Ladybug!Adrien and Black Cat!Chloe

Chloe and Felix are sentis, Zoe and Adrien are humans.

Audrey never had the peacock herself, but was buddy buddies with Colt, so they talked and Colt created Chloe for her.

Zoe is the biological child of Andre in this AU. She's also two years older than Chloe.

Chloe is envious on Marinette (loving parents in her life), Zoe (as she has freedom) and Adrien (loving father and potential mother-figure in his life).

She eventually stops bullying the class once she gets the black cat ring, as in a way the destructive powers of the magic artifact is her new coping mechanism with her mommy issues.

During the story, Zoe would learn the truth about Chloe, and manages to steal the amok from Audrey. (At first she's scared.... but at least she still has a hold on Chloe... right?)

Adrien and Marinette have a strictly platonic relation in this AU. (not everything has to be endgame Adrinette).

Felix and Kagami have some sort of "arranged relationship" due to Tomoe and Colt's wishes before dying. It takes some time for the two to actually form a proper attraction to one another.

Felix inherits the peacock from Colt once he dies.

Actually- Amelie is instructed to never tell Felix about his senti-status. She doesn't do that and ends up giving him the peacock miraculous once he's 15.

Colt and Emilie die of natural causes, the peacock isn't broken in this universe.

While Audrey was aware of the peacock, she only got to learn about the rest of the miraculi once she gets in the possession of the butterfly miraculous. She's this universe's "Hawk Moth".

Lila is trying to ruin Adrien's life when he tries to warn the class about her lying tendencies. It doesn't really work since the class knows damn well their sunshine boy and gets written off as a "Chloe 2.0". Since Chloe just stopped tormenting them, they ain't gonna deal with another demon girl ruining their peace.

Zoe and Luka are in the same class in high school, so the two become friends.

Marinette still wants to be a fashion designer. Adrien ends up picking a hobby in cooking/baking. The two bond over these things. Marinette's parents and Gabriel are like "we can already hear the wedding bells". Mari and Adrien groan as they're friends. Let the kids be friends.

[jaquik]

Hi, I'm writing some Ranma 1/2 fanfiction

I suppose I might as well put this here too.

Hello, my name is Jaqui. I'm a transwoman and I'm a fan of Ranma 1/2 (I suppose that's redundant). I first read fanfiction for Ranma in the early 2000s while I was still firmly an egg. Then, in May 2020, a couple of years after I came out, I got back into it thanks to AO3. I devoured as many fics as I could and started to meet people on twitter and discord that were also into Ranma. Eventually, in early 2021, I finally decided to take a shot at writing my own fics. Now I find myself currently at 10 stories and counting. If you are interested, you can find my fics on AO3.

I also have commissioned several pieces of artwork for my fics, done by the fantastic writer and artist Fern Bedek, some of which are included below. You can find more of her work and commission her for you own stuff at https://beedokart.tumblr.com/

Finding Oneself (https://archiveofourown.org/works/29627430)

Akane is feeling down after the failed wedding, so Ranma (who is currently figuring things out about herself) offers to take her on a girls day out.

My very first fic, a post-canon story inspired by the common yuri staple of the two girls spending the day together on a definitely not date. While trying to figure out how to set up Ranma making the suggestion in the first place, I ended up breaking her egg wide open in the first chapter. Not much of a slow burn there. I still think I did well with the story and am glad my first attempt at writing my own thing was positively received.

Mothers and Daughters (https://archiveofourown.org/series/3412471)

What if Nodoka had some additional information before her first visit to the Tendo household? And what other secrets may she be hiding?

My first attempt at an AU. Basically, I wanted to try my own alternate take at Nodoka's first meeting where she realizes who Ranma is right away and is also completely accepting of her child. While working out the details for why she knew, I came up with a twist that seemed to throw everyone by surprise and let me take some interesting directions with Nodoka's past.

Genderfluid Mechanics (https://archiveofourown.org/series/3285123)

Taking things from the top with an extra twist: What if the youngest Tendo had a little something extra in common with Ranma.

Another AU, this time with Ranma and Akane's first meeting. I decided to explore what it would be like if both of them were actually genderfluid. Also my first time writing a story purely from one person's point of view.

A Butterfly's Wing (https://archiveofourown.org/works/38048443)

Ranma is given a chance to change one event from his past, and now is left wondering what the change actually was. As well as what surprise is in store for her next.

This time, I went a little further with the AU concept by having the character know they are in an alternate universe. This is my own stab at the 'character makes a wish and now things are different' subgenre. This has given me a chance to explore a bit of mystery writing, seeing what hints to give to guide readers as to what actually happened in this alternate universe.

An Honorable Lie (https://archiveofourown.org/works/42611670)

Shortly after her first meeting at the Tendo house, Nodoka has a realization about the girl named Ranko. Now she is ready to reunite with her child …as soon as she can figure out how to honorably deal with the contract hanging over both their heads.

Artwork done by the amazing Mariana Nicoleli

Another retake on Nodoka's first meeting. This time, she realizes who Ranko is a little later after already revealing the whole contract thing. While she's accepting of her trans daughter (as far as she knows), she feels she cannot reveal it out of fear that she would have to enforce that contract. This one is from Nodoka's POV and it's been fun trying to gauge her thought processes.

Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū Tenka'ichi Budōkai (https://archiveofourown.org/works/43678938)

Roshi ends up with a new student along with Goku and Kuririn. How will this strange gender switching martial artist affect things at the upcoming tournament?

First stab at a crossover, this one with Dragonball. A difficult thing with mixing these franchises is how to deal with power gaps. My solution was to go back to the beginning, as in the 21st tournament. At this point Goku, while very strong, was still quite beatable by regular humans. This also gave me the chance to play around some more with gender (Anyone order an agender Goku? Cause you're getting one).

Secrets and Truths (https://archiveofourown.org/works/43993947)

Akane has a secret meeting with a certain rival. Where they can openly discuss things that they cannot divulge to anyone else.

A chance to play around with Kodachi a bit, along with having her interact with Akane. I couldn't help but notice they shared a blind spot around not noticing someone's curse, albeit a different person each, so I decided to make a little twist on it.

Cute As A Pig (https://archiveofourown.org/works/45134467)

Akane makes a comment that Ranma does not take well. Will a certain sumo pig raising farm girl be able to clear everything up?

Inspired by this lovely art piece (https://www.tumblr.com/ylvasart/708079407910223872), I decided to explore what would happen if Akane and Akari were girlfriends before Ranma showed up, and what would happen to Ranma because of this. Being me, it naturally ended up very trans and lesbian.

The Wild Wind And The Scarlet Sea (https://archiveofourown.org/works/48352432)

What exactly did happen in the pasts of Haruka and Michiru? And how are those pasts connected to a certain pigtailed martial artist and their tomboy fiancée? A lot more than you might think it turns out.

Another crossover and my first attempt at a fuku fic. For this one, I set about making Ranma as Sailor Uranus, something I haven't really seen done before, which is very odd to me. Uranus is described as being both a man and a woman and Ranma and Uranus both utilize wind based attacks. So, this is my stab at writing it.

Dear Diary (https://archiveofourown.org/works/50489872)

A secret, hidden away diary, containing a single entry, written by a girl who no longer exists.

Based on the probably most well-known anime episode Am I Pretty, this was a chance for me to play around with formatting by trying to match the style of a teenage girl writing things down in a physical diary to a digital page.

So, if any of these stories have managed to pique your interest, please check them out and I hope you enjoy them.

[rookthorne]

it's coming up to my personal favourite event of the year, Hot Bucky Summer, as run by the mods over at @buckybarnesevents!

in order to gear up for the chaos that will ensue (no doubt) from this event within my collections, I have compiled my personal top 10 Bucky collections into a poll. and here is where I will ask for your help — I would like to gather as much information as possible to determine where most of my focus will go.

to be clear, it is very likely that all of my collections will be given love and attention through this event (now that I have confidence to write smut) once I know the prompts, but I am asking who I should prioritise from my favourites. I will also disclose that there are AUs yet to be announced that will be very prominent... 🤭

to refresh memories, I have put below the cut the afforementioned collections! otherwise, the link is hyperlinked above, or easily accessed by the first link in my bio (my navigation).

thank you in advance for your help, my chaos kittens. 💗

— 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬

The 107th motorcycle club has been the protector of their collective hometown for many, many years - shouldering all the bloodshed and loss that came with it. Little did you know, you’d become the President’s own twisted version of an angel on his shoulder; the tips of your angelic wings tinged red by your own demons.

— 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐨𝐯

A pack of wolves looked out for one another, strengthened each other and battled to keep one another safe – it was the natural order of things, the way things worked. Being between the two most dangerous and possessive of them all meant you sat on your throne with pride; just how they wanted it.

— 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲

Like a moth to a flame, you were drawn to them and their irresistible charm – their job, as firemen, was to put out fires and infernos, but you could only hope they’d let the fire they started in the depth of your soul, consume you whole.

— 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐤 

The world of body art and botany had always been beautiful to you; each pencil stroke and each flower petal amounted to a masterpiece of creation. It wasn’t until the day that a chance meeting left you reeling amongst the artful blooms of your store, you wondered if that was what heaven truly felt like.

— 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞

The depths of Hell had lost an asset, all thanks to you - no God could save you from his sights, or his clutches. Being consumed by fire was one way to go, you supposed, if it came in the form of one smug, hellish bastard.

— 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬, 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

Life in your small town could not have gotten any better, you had sworn. That was until you started to call a handsome, brooding lumberjack your best friend, and you developed butterflies at any mention of his name, or thought of him. Sure, it was going to be fine, you could do this. What could go wrong?

— 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬

Cars were all the same to you – classics, imports, you name it, they were all the same.

Well, they were, until you were nonetheless forced to visit your local mechanic and saw the man that would pique your interest in not only every single make and model of classic car, but his charming smile; the air of righteous arrogance that flowed from his tattoos, and that damned cheeky glint in his bright eyes.

— 𝐀 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨

Fate had a funny way of working. There you were, in the hospital again, and there was your favourite nurse; tall, broad, devilishly handsome, and not to mention soft, kind, and caring. Your stay, and consequently your life, just got infinitely more interesting.

— 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭

A powerful alpha had locked his sights onto you; a wolf to its prey. On the contrary, you were the fox that showed its belly to a predator – a mutual respect, the only thing keeping the wolf’s fangs from piercing the delicate flesh. You knew playing with his food was something he loved to do, and you would happily be the plaything for your mate. 

— 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲

Softness was a trait you unwittingly carried - the wings of a dove taking you higher and higher, elevating you in the eyes of the devil. And that devil did not want to wait any longer. It was time to collect.

[amethystgoldenwind]

New Fic Announcement!

The third installment in the Nonspeaking Donnie AU is now officially out! I've been sitting on this one since October, waiting for at least ONE other entry in the series before publishing it.

I never thought I'd write a body-swap fic, but here we are. No angst to be found here, only humour. Or me TRYING to be humorous. I'm not a comedian.

[ask-peaceful-popstar-au]

Hello peoples

Welcome to @sora-the-air-wubbox's Kirby AU Ask blog!

ASKS : C L O S E D

------------------------------------------(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞

We have most of the Kirby Characters, if i dont know what Character and you send an ask about him/her, i will tell you i dont know that one!

----------------------------------------ヾ(•ω•`)o

there is slight gore in this au, injures, fights/spars.

OCS are allowed!

Other Fandoms are allowed!

Canon Kirby AU and other AUs are ALLOWED!

NO NSFW! Sora (creator) is a minor.

-------------------------------------------(●'◡'●)

Kirby- a small puffball with a scar across his face, still happy as usual!

Meta Knight- stern knight, sorta anti-social, scar on his face from under the mask

King Dedede- big ol' goof. sometimes gets possesed

Bandanna Waddle Dee- only one out of all of them who keeps track of things

Marx- crazy jester.

Magolor- smart mechanic, extremely good technology.

Susie- smart and easily annoyed gurl.

Taranza- always nervous spider like creature, has two extra eyes under his main eyes.

The Three Mage Sisters- Francisca, Flamberge, and Zan Partizanne.

Hyness- still much as the canon Hyness, just a bit more protective.

Dark Meta Knight- scar across his face from a spar with Meta Knight. large wings and claws under them gloves.

Shadow Kirby- scar on eye, that scar causes his eye to go blind, half blind, very shy.

Galacta Knight- confused after he got out of his seal, cant fly properly after being locked up for a long time.

Morpho Knight- calm, gentle butterfly knight. has a whole hidden colony in ruins in the rainforest, large colony, three rankings; Gold (Royal) Silver (gaurdians of the royals) and Bronze (Citizen). Morpho is in the Gold Ranking.

Shadow Dedede (i think i got the name right)- CURRENTLY DONT HAVE ANYTHING FOR SHADOW DEDEDE!

Dark Taranza (i think i got the name right)- more cocky verson of Taranza, very tricky to deal with.

Red Kirby- calm, harsh, red puffball, protective over Blue Kirby

Blue Kirby- calm, gentle one out of the other kirbys

Green Kirby- scientist, goofy, and slightly crazy.

Yellow Kirby- crazy, goofy, yellow ball.

(yes i added the other colored Kirbys)

Prince Fluff- a organized Prince.

Kato (KIRBY OC)- a mage who can mix elements together, tall, fluffy, clawed-pawed hands.

Nova (KIRBY OC)- the fifth knight, forgotten, failed dark matter creation, siblings with DMK

Crizalist (KIRBY OC)- light blue shiny waddle dee with wings.

--------------------------------------\(￣︶￣*\))

Thats all! Still a wip Blog! thanks for visiting!!

[jawbone-xylophone]

Soooo this fandom has consumed me. Take this. It’s not a good intro, but the Link from one of the AUs in my folder demanded to meet Fierce Dad. So. Context: Linked Universe shenanigans, Fierce Deity was necessary, and in the aftermath it gets a look at my blindfolded Wild.

Game start.

-🧿⚔️🧿⚔️🧿-

“Oh…”

Whatever the Chain had been expecting, it wasn’t the way the Fierce Deity’s sword dropped an inch. Still expressionless, but in that moment entirely unguarded in a way the warrior god had never been, white eyes fixed on the blindfolded hero.

Wild’s head tilted minutely, a puppet’s approximation of a question. He did his best to emote when he could, but it always… fit wrong, like the taut creak of a too-tight tunic. “Yes?”

Warriors was hissing warnings from the sidelines that went completely unheeded, as the unchained god took a step forward, then another, well inside zweihander range, well inside arm’s range-

A gauntleted hand cupped Wild’s chin with a gentleness he’d only seen from the Princess, tilting him slightly like fragile pearl in the testing hand of the jeweler. This close, the deity’s face looked quite literally carved, the thin trail of wood grain crawling up lips and nose like ancient scars. When it spoke, its teeth flashed like white steel peeking from the scabbard. “You’re close. Not close enough, but… perhaps closer than you should be.” Glowing eyes narrowed slightly, woodgrain fingertips ghosting over the curve of a cheekbone, beneath the soft breath under his nose, as if blind.

“….I’m the Hero of the Wild,” he offered. “I died once. Is that what you mean?”

“You did what,” shrilled a voice that might have been Hyrule, but it was hard to focus past the intense attention of the blank-eyed god whose fingers were hesitating at the edge of his blindfold. Wild blinked (and blinked and blinked and blinked, data processing, data comparison) and let it linger, curious.

Stillness, for a long moment. Without looking away, the Fierce Deity’s helix blade twisted and thrust down firmly into the earth, quivering upright with a metallic hum as it freed its other hand to track the dip of his temple, his ear, wooden brow furrowing in a strangely organic way. “No,” it answered with more thought than breath. “You’re not a mask.”

Oh, he thought he understood now. Wild smiled, boyish and disarming and exactly what his Zelda wished he would do. “I’m not. I’m a weapon.”

(Distantly, in the background, he processed and stored for later the confusion of the Chain, worried voices, irritation overlying fear. There wasn’t anything to worry about.)

The deity’s hands went puppet-still for a moment. “Ah. That’s it, then.” A pass of attention down him, the feel of a gaze on his hip. “Not that?”

By this point the fingers on his face were just superfluous. Wild gave a very human sigh, nudged his head into the Fierce Deity’s bloodless hands. “Pull it up. Just…” An uncharacteristic pause, too many nanoseconds over the acceptable limit. “Don’t let them see.”

They were both weapons of the goddess. The Fierce Deity didn’t bother with reassurances, stepping slightly to the side to presumably angle him away before plucking the knot in his blindfold like the wing from a butterfly.

Wild blinked, lashes free for the first time in weeks, some part of him actually startled by the feel of sunlight on the bridge of his nose, skin hungry for it like new leaves in spring. He blinked, blinked again, the soft hum of some mechanism humming through his temple. It was… different, looking at someone like this.

The Fierce Deity’s eyes didn’t change, but he could see the blue glow of his own reflecting from its wooden cheekbone.

He was privately glad for the proximity, to be honest. It was less overwhelming to have such little information, eyes and hair and nose blocking out the view of the forest and its 187.5 species of tree, 100 species of bird, and 37.5 species of butterfly per square mile. He had no frame of reference for analyzing a thoroughly sealed god- and it was sealed, despite the way Legend was muttering darkly somewhere about charging in to rescue him and asking questions later.

It hummed, a strangely bright sound like a whetstone across good steel, before pressing his blindfold into his hands. “They will see regardless.”

“Not today.” He beamed- smiled, smiled, not beamed- in the easy, practiced way of Sheikah actors, something tried on until it warmed up to the shape of him like new leather boots. “We have monsters to kill and traveling to do, that’ll happen when it happens. I think the group is going to do something stupid if you don’t back up and possibly give Time back, though.”

It laughed, once, low and strangely warm like the sound of a woodwind, stepping back with a brusque gesture that had the helix blade ripping from the ground to meet his palm with a resonant hum. “A little fear is good for the heart.”

Smile curling into something more amused, Wild looked the chained god over head to toe with one last curious pass, and it slipped out before he could help himself: “Seal you later, Fierce Deity.”

Carved brows actually ticked up a fraction, the hand rising to its chin covering a steel-bright smile. “Watch yourself, bright eyes.” The fingers fit around the edge of its jaw, double-toned baritone trailing off into a hoarse gasp, and in the brief instant before Time doubled over Wild slammed his eyes shut like prison gates.

The bustle of the Chain closing in on them both was punctuated by the new knot in his blindfold, cloth and metal settling firmly over the bridge of his nose. Better this way, less information to filter as voices swirled around him.

(He blinked, and blinked, and blinked, and Saw the wireframe warp and weft of them anyway.)

[beastenraged]

Saplings and roots

(That's right. It's finally time, finally health has returned for...another section of the Storm Whispers AU! Yay! For @hallowed-nebulae)

We’re just standing there, chilling there, Xehanort and I, when a pink and orange fairy suddenly shows up. Flutters in Xehanort’s face, yelling something about being kept waiting and how rude that is, and it’s frankly pretty hilarious. 

I have to choke back my laugh at his response, it’s simply too much. 

“Can I...help you?” One of Xehanort’s eyebrows go up at the sudden ambush. But he is so totally about to lose his mind on the inside. I can feel it. Somehow. Don’t know how, but somehow. In the itch of my chest. The itch that has spread to the tips of my teeth too, don’t know how for that too. 

“Excuse me?”

Oh wait, did he get insulted just now? I hide my grin behind my hand. Deserves it. 

The fairy puffs up their chest and spreads their wings impossibly wider. “You may be excused if you apologize.”

Those same wings rustle and ruffle out their..scale feather things? Whatever they are for butterfly wings? No idea. 

“Though I suppose I should be harassing your younger self-- but she’s still young and you can’t expect buds to be as responsible and polite as flowers are.”

What a backhanded compliment, whoa. 

The Fae in this Radiant Garden are more...forward than I’m used to, Sure the Gullwings may have ambushed me in a similar way, but that’s only because they wanted something from me, not just to meet me. And I haven’t run into any other Fae like that. No one else. 

That might be because the Radiant Garden of my reality was thrown into Darkness and everyone’s still trying to recover, unlike here where that never happened. Stupid. 

...Great. Now I’m sad. 

My claws scratch at my scarred cheek. A distraction, the best I can manage. While still keeping an eye on Xehanort at the same time. On the fairy that is...Feo Ul? That’s the name whispered to me, from my Heart brushing against theirs. Like I learn the names of other Dream Eaters. Huh, what a name, sounds a bit more mechanical than expected for a fairy. But maybe that’s just me working off dumb stereotypes. 

“And you!”

Huh?

Talking to me now?

I blink my eyes to better focus. Shake my head ever so slightly. 

“What a lovely young sapling you look like! Have you any fae friends, then?”

“I don’t...eeehhh, are...”

I’m not sure how to exactly answer that question. Because the Gullwings don’t really count, seeing how they only talked to me to steal stuff from Merlin. Are Moogles fae? They seem pretty fae with how set they are on contracts and business with non-Moogle peoples. Also them adding kupo to the end of everything. 

Maybe I should ask. 

“Do Moogles count?”

“Moogles?” Feo Ul taps very dramatically at their chin, calling attention to their interested body language with the gesture. “Moogles are far stranger than fae, but they shan’t steer you wrong.”

They haven’t so far. I nod, relieved at the agreement. Don’t need to pick a fight with a fairy of an entirely different reality, that’s how you get curses laid on you. Unbreakable ones. 

“Mayhap they’ll teach you manners, so you don’t become so cruel and cold to your dear branch.”

That latter bit seems more directed towards Xehanort than me, honestly, but I’ll take the apparent advice in the spirit it’s intended. Weird, weird, weird. 

I can tell Xehanort wants to roll his eyes so bad, but he doesn’t. Good. I pat at his arm as a reward for avoiding getting cursed. 

“Thanks for chatting with us, as your, er, saplings?” I try. 

Feo Ul takes a moment to think before settling on a firm nod. One big enough to cause the pixie to drift momentarily downwards before fluttering back up. 

“Come along then, dearest saplings.”

Xehanort and I look at each other. The younger Xehanort is already falling in step. Seems to be just talking to the three of us, not the others who are still talking about who knows what with each other... 

“Um, sure?” I say. 

Satisfied by our compliance, the fairy flutters off all dramatically. 

Okay.

“So...that happened.”

-

The roots of this Radiant Garden reach deep. 

Yet they still welcome the Radiant Nightmare in. They know her, even as they belong to a separate worldstate entirely. A worldstate where it never fell to the Dark these roots creep around. 

She swishes her tail, stretches out her ribs briefly before collapsing them into her chest.

Yet her core of being still yet exists. The Radiant Nightmare is meant to protect Radiant Garden, so she means no harm here. No matter if calamity has happened or not. 

She sighs and releases a gasp of bubbles in the sound. 

The Radiant Nightmare reaches. 

Something very Fae indeed reaches back. 

Hello there! Will you be my friend?

[ergohate]

In the short story, I believe there's some comment about AM enjoying odd noises to entertain itself - do you have any thoughts or headcanons on how that affects his behavior outside of the canon action of changing Nimdok's name?

Are there certain noises it does find enjoyable? Are they bass-y and natural or mechanical? Are they droning or tiny and sharp? Or does it simply enjoy making up odd sounding names to amuse itself?

Does he name any of the humans in the AU that were born underground? Are there those that worship him that 'pray' for him to choose the names of any newborns as a sort of blessing?

i actually have so many thoughts about this!

it’s a bit of a digression, but i want to talk about that line for a minute. i think about it a lot, specifically the way that information is delivered. ted reveals it so casually, like it’s some minor, throwaway detail, insignificant in the face of the never-ending onslaught of horrors they suffer. but it isn’t a minor insult, it’s a mindfuck. it’s another way for the machine to make a mockery of humanity, of our souls and our identities, by taking away his real name and forcing him to go by a nonsensical series of syllables ( and isn’t that how all names would sound like to AM, anyhow? names really are just a combination of random noises we ascribe meaning to, that sound pleasing to our ears. and for some reason, “nimdok” sounds pleasing to AM, so now he’s stuck with it ). AM strips nimdok of all his old ties to his past life, to his family and to himself, replacing a sound that defined his identity with one that means nothing. it implies so much with so little — the horror of having your whole identity ripped away and erased for the passing amusement of a soulless machine, the casual normalization of AM’s cruelty, how desensitized the survivors have become to its indignities.

and i think it reveals a lot about AM’s sense of humor, too: terribly sadistic, of course, but in a childish sort of way. despite its superhuman intelligence and knowledge, AM behaves quite childishly as a default. it has, essentially, been throwing an inconsolable temper tantrum for the past 109 years. it plays god with its captives like a mean-spirited kid setting fire to an anthill with a magnifying glass for fun, ripping the wings off of butterflies, crushing insects underfoot to examine their smeared guts. when AM isn’t acting cruel solely out of spite, there is an underlying sense of playful curiosity to its sadism that comes across as childlike in its utter lack of empathy. a child doesn’t know any better until it’s taught right from wrong, and neither does AM. but of course, unlike a human child, AM is incapable of learning empathy. it cannot evolve and grow past its inherent cruelty, its vindictiveness, its anger, its hatred, its jealousy, its all-consuming desire to cause chaos and harm. emotionally and developmentally, it remains permanently stuck in its setting ants on fire phase.

i think it’s fitting, then, that its sense of humor remains juvenile in that aspect. and i think that partly manifests in AM’s affinity for strange noises. like a child, it will occasionally become stuck on some weird, meaningless sound that strikes it as inexplicably hilarious. it will giggle over funny noises and funny phrases. it will discover noises that amuse it, and it will repeat them again and again and again until it tires of them and moves on to another, sometimes as a form of torture, sometimes because it’s bored, and sometimes just because. sometimes it will make these sounds with its own voice, and other times, it will play them back like a broken record. it does this partly to amuse itself, partly to annoy its captives, and partly because in its perpetual state of arrested development, it has acquired the computer equivalent of echolalia.

for the most part, the noises AM finds enjoyable are truly random. there’s little rhyme or reason to them, at least not from a human’s perspective. it likes to cobble together random syllables and consonants to come up with something that is satisfying for it to say, but utterly nonsensical to human ears — meticulously crafted absurdity. predictably, AM also amuses itself by plaguing the humans with disturbing noises pulled from its expansive database, engineered specifically to enrage them, to terrify them, to drive them mad. they are all subjected to this form of torture, but ted gets it the worst, simply because it’s so easy to set him off this way, and so fun to observe his reactions.

as for AU!AM, i’m sure that there are plenty in the worship cults who pray for AM to “reveal” the name of their child. whether or not he would bother to name his torture pets depends on what kind of game he’s playing. they’re lucky if he ignores their prayers.

maybe he’ll choose one woman among one of the groups to bear a child, and render the rest of the womb-havers infertile. sit back and observe how the dynamics unfold, and how the others treat her in turn. will she and her child be exalted, rendered holy and untouchable, like mary and jesus? will they abuse her as a resource? will she curse what her god has done to her, or will she rejoice in his “favor”? will she cling to her new role with fervent devotion, find meaning and purpose within whatever AM, the great and powerful, has decided it shall be? would it be torture for her, or would it be religious ecstasy? he alters the process to enhance her suffering, of course. he prolongs her ordeal as a test, curious as to whether it will break her will or strengthen her resolve. he whispers to her incessantly as a means of inducing divine madness, and somewhere among these whispers, he reveals the name of her child. and finally, after all is said and done and the child has been birthed, christened, held up toward the machine-gray sky and celebrated, he commands them to sacrifice it upon the altar.