#community server strikes again
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mangomoths · 6 months ago
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my stuff for koriweek
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farmersmarketmc · 7 months ago
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Are you looking for a chill & friendly survival Minecraft server?
Do you like fun events?
Welcome to the Farmers Market MC! We are a friendly LGBTQ+ Minecraft Server, looking for new members!
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⛏️ We offer a Vanilla+ Minecraft experience 💸 With jobs, shops, an economy, timber, and much more! 🌸 We are currently on 1.21, but you can join on most recent versions of Minecraft. ⚔️ Our server is crossplay, meaning you can join on both Java and Bedrock.
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💖 The Farmers Market MC is a close knit community, safe space, and chill hangout for anyone! 🎮 We have multiple events per month, including build competitions, movie nights on the discord, game nights, and much more! 💬 Join in on our awesome Discord community, which is connected to the server's Minecraft chat 🤝 We have a friendly staff team who are ready to help out at any moment! All staff action is handled in a fair and effective manner, on a case by case basis. Never worry about a 3-strike system again! 🛍️ We love our community's creativity! The Farmer's Market has two player-built shopping districts near spawn, maintained by staff! 🗺️ Our server map NEVER resets, so you don't have to worry about losing your progress! Our server map is 15k by 15k, there is PLENTY of space to explore and expand! Check out our website & our youtube channel for more info on us! We cannot WAIT to see you on the server! FarmersMarketMC.net
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citrus-blade · 10 months ago
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'Quackity probably didn't even know!'
It's his server. If he actually doesn't know, then that's a problem. It's neglect of the people who play on and work for this server. This dude can't constantly say how proud he is of his project and then not be involved enough to know what is happening behind the scenes.
People weren't allowed to talk about Wilbur or Forever because it was seen as CONTROVERSIES. That is actively protecting abusers from being deplatformed! That's also not controversies; those are actual abusers who hurt people and shouldn't be swept under the rug!
When you want to start a project that is about connecting people from different communities and in different languages, you can't make your admins sign an NDA! You can't force them to not talk to each other when it comes to said projects and therefore stop them from knowing about events soon enough.
This isn't some school project where someone puts zero work into it and then takes all the praise for it. This is about people who try to make a living out of this, and paying them minimum wage is vile. They do so much work! And the admins on Twitter who look for clips and make edits, etc., don't even get paid AT ALL. One admin drew a commission and never got paid for it!
Also targeting certain Eggs where the streamer will have the most emotional reaction just for content is disgusting. It gives off emotional manipulation vibes. Some streamers were actually in distress because of this and all for content!
One admin was afraid to talk about the 🍉 genocide (don't wanna get this into the tag cause it's more important to use it to spread awareness) because they feared getting fired! Don't you see how fucked up this is?
I just can't believe that Quackity wasn't aware of ANY of this stuff. And again, if he was, that's just as problematic!
I really hope that all admins will start a strike to finally get the payment they deserve. I hope the CCs playing on this server aren't aware of any of this (but considering how some said how tiring they felt from the egg stuff only for one day later to praise it, I doubt they don't know at least a bit). I hope Quackity finally has the fucking balls to talk about this. Just ONCE he should open his mouth and address this.
And if y'all don't see it the same way, then I have lost all hope in humanity.
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kadextra · 2 years ago
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Okay q!Bad is expanding so much on his plan for if he becomes president. I’ll break it down for y’all because it’s big brain
Basically, he would want to prevent having supreme power as an individual, bc it could lead to tyrant or dictatorship rule -> absolute power corrupts absolutely.
If q!Bad became president, he’d try to immediately dissolve his sole responsibility and enact a coalition government to maintain the server unity. Each language-group would send a representative to this coalition who will vote for decisions on the mods to add, mods to remove, and yes- the person to add to the server.
q!Bad said he’s even willing to give up adding Skeppy, because as a president he wouldn’t want to make any self-centered decisions and risk being corrupted by the power. all it would take is one. Plus, he realizes everyone wants a chance to add their friends. Leaving important decisions to a vote is really sweet actually
TLDR q!Bad as president would immediately try to unite the server, opposing the Federation’s likely intention to divide it. Would they allow that in their experiment? Would they try to control him? Who knows, but if he’s actually able to make this happen, that means the communication SMP would strike again >:D
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rabdoidal · 1 year ago
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(*before reading, please understand that going into the dropout discord to start the argument back up again is taking away from the poc this actually effects so dont start fights until people ask for support. this is about supporting palestine not taking away from serious discussions by spamming)
idk if you're all aware of whats happening on the dropout discord server but during the last few weeks since the war on gaza started, there has been both pro-zionist discussions and the silencing of pro-palestinian voices, leading to the banning of a person (grasstoucher666 on twitter) that spoke out against the zionism the mods didnt do anything about / mods were making the palestine conflict a personal issue - oomf squidias on twitter took screenshots of their announcement after people spoke out about it:
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which on one hand, is understandable from a cooperate standpoint, but on the other hand, dropout has been an explicitly politically minded company since its inception. theyve sold merch items promoting anarcho socialism and anti-capitalism, openly supported black lives matter, several lgbt charities, ecological conservations, union strikes, and voting awareness. they've talked about communal funding, workers rights, fair pay, socialism, and equal rights for 5 years through both company-driven posting and individual talents associated with dropout posting about political and social issues. many of the talent associated with dropout have openly been supporting palestine, so i dont fault them, but the mods and social media admin are certainly making a choice.
the fact that now, after all that, theyre taking an apolitical stance on palestine by actively and literally silencing people is frankly despicable. also by their own rules, a lot of their content technically cant be discussed on the discord (tweets by asswalock and justariotghoul)
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and lastly, on a personal note, real fucking bold of them to have a mug that says "the police are basically an occupying army" then not support a country that LITTERALLY HAS AN OCCUPYING ARMY ACTIVELY MURDERING AND TORTURING ITS CITIZENS
UPDATE 14/11/2023
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personally im still on the fence - as i understand it, its hard for palestinians to receive donations right now, but i hope when it is possible, dropout can do a pin of the month to raise money for support or something. at the very least statements from brennan and sam would be great, and im glad people can talk about politics again
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unboundndd · 1 year ago
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Hi everyone >:3
The Yone lover anon is here again!!!
OMG PARANOIA IS SO AGKSHSKABSHSHJSJSKS *convulses*
I have been analyzing every detail of the video clip and I have seen the statuses and tweets from the official platforms, it is always a pleasure to see our favorite swordsman interact <3
Well, getting to the point, I have already asked for this request but I wanted to see your execution cause, wow girl, I love your writing, it is exquisite :')
The request is this: Maybe a Yone x fangirl!reader?
Buuut, but but!! That their first face-to-face meeting was a surprise, I explain, she and Yone had met on Discord and had been interacting a little, when the two agreed to meet then she gets a BIG surprise, I hope I make myself understood
Sorry for the amount of text, I have expanded here
Anyway, I hope you take care of yourself and enjoy the new content that is coming out as much as I do
-🍄
Omg hi 🍄 anon!! ♡ Thank you so so much for your very inspirational Yone musings, I hope that me spacing out on the wordlbuilding a bit will not influence the pure fangirling that is going on in our heads!
In this universe Yone strikes me as someone who actually knows a lot about technology and i'm sorry... he produces music for rythm games. And yes he does those extremely complicated and highly detailed songs that are like the hardest charts in the game.
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·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- Yone's career as a producer and DJ has not been the easiest one, the genres that fascinated him the most were usually not appreciated by a wider audience. The busy notes of electronic samples overlapping one another weren't designed to appaise the need for easy listening music in convenience stores or to climb the charts by becoming viral on social media, in fact the most recognition Yone's music had gotten before heartsteel was in the small niche of rythm game players.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- It was never the big game developers that contacted him, they had collaborations with world renouned producers and famous idols that voiced their characters. On the other hand smaller studios would often ask him to make one or two tracks for their games, which Yone would gladly accept to do. Despite the limited reach the producer was still proud of his work, always buying a copy of the games where his music appeared and keeping in touch with the communities that formed around them with a discord account that would't reveal who he really was.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- You were just a casual player of one of those games, sometimes coming into its dedicated discord servers to chat with like minded people. When people asked you about your favorite songs in the game you would most likely reply with one of the songs Yone produced, often going into detail about what made them resonate with you so much and what made them so unique in your opinion.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- Under the guise of anonymity Yone would sometimes join the conversation, asking questions and indirectly getting some feedback from you, even finding it helpful with his writer's block sometimes. It was enough for the man to send you a DM to discuss more of your shared music tastes, hoping you'd reply.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- Your discussions quickly settled into a developing friendship, you knew the man had an extensive knowledge in music theory as he would sometimes ramble about it with you and he also told you that because of a new job offer he would become more and more busy as time went on. You'd still keep recommending songs to each other but the conversations would be less and less, you missed your friend but you knew that his work was more important than chatting about music.
·:¨༺ ♱���♱ ༻¨:·- That was until Heartsteel's debut was announced with a small teaser, showing all the members and a small snippet of their new single. You immediately recognized the familiar electronic sound of the songs that made you and Yone bond in the first place, the nostalgic feeling making you smile. You decided to send a link of the teaser to him, asking for thoughts and sharing the hype about the new band.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- Yone had never felt so guilty yet glad that he never revealed that he had produced those rythm game songs to you. You were so familiar with his style that you spotted it immediately, you could've uncovered that he was actually part of the band! He tried to stop himself from asking more of what you thought of the members, thought of him, but quickly surrendered to the fact that hearing you gush about how much you liked his music gave him even more reasons to keep going.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- When he asked who your favorite member was he almost spit water on his midi keyboard, causing Aphelios to turn around to see if he was alright. Yone composed himelf quickly, yet the message you wrote kept resonating in his mind. "Oh I'm totally in love with Yone, looking at him and his interactions on twitter he sounds like a bit of a band mom and I find it really endearing! He looks like a really calm person who surrounds himself with a ton of unhinged friends! Too bad he hasn't revealed his voice yet! "
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- Of course all of this didn't go past Aphelios, Kayn, Sett, K'Sante and even Alune. They realized he was spending more time than normal on his phone, reading your thoughts on the new promotional materials that were being posted. Kayn was the one who confronted him first and could not stop laughing when he realized Yone had started to develop some feelings for you, scrolling trough the messages the younger man could also see that you were starting to feel the same way for him.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- As much as the Kayn was amused at the absurdity of Yone falling for his online friend turned fangirl, he alsoknew he had to help his fellow bandmate, barging into the common room to tell everyone what was going on and fill Ezreal in as he was oblivous to the whole ordeal. It took all of them a good half hour to concoct a plan to make a meeting between you and Yone happen, then another half hour was needed to convince the producer that this was indeed a good idea and that you would not take it as badly as he imagined.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- When Yone said he wanted to voice chat with you out of the blue you were a bit confused but excited. You were happy to hear his voice after one year of being friends and made sure to reserve a few hours just for him, as you went about your day your mind started to wander a bit about what it would sound like and if your conversations would flow just as smoothly as they did via text.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- You were starting to feel a bit nervous when you picked up the call, timidly muttering a "hello?" and waiting for any sort of reply. "Oh Hello, it's nice to finally be able to associate a voice to the person." You could not help but squeal a little on the inside, who would have known that his voice sounded so rich and felt so mature? The two of you talked for a while about how long overdue your call was and how time had flown since you first met, it truly didn't feel like your first conversation at all.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- You finally gave into the curiosity and asked him if there was any particular reason for Yone to have wanted to voice chat now and his reply almost left you speechless. "So... I'm know that you're very excited about the debut of Heartsteel, one of my coworkers managed to get two VIP tickets and backstage access. The thing is that the person they bought the other ticket for cancelled last minute and they gave it to me." A carefully crafted lie exited Yone's lips, all to give you an excuse to go meet him.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- You couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy for how lucky your friend was but you wanted to be supportive and expressed your joy for him and how excited he must have been. "Wait, you've got it all wrong. I wasn't planning on keeping the ticket." You froze for a second, all sorts of possibilities racing trough your mind. Then you heard it the notification of a discord message from Yone, he had just sent you the ticket. "Wait... so you want me to go?" You heard him chuckle as you were slowly realizing what this would imply, your heart couldn't race more than this. "You deserve to go and see them, you've kept an eye on them for a long time now. I don't want to impose it onto you so think about it for a while and let me know, will you?" Useless to say that you spent a very long amount of time asking him if he was sure about it and then thanking him profusely, this truly was one of your dreams come true.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- During the day of the debut concert the Heartsteel's members grand plan was put into motion: security was well aware that as soon as your ticket number was checked in they would have been able to identify you. Security notified their manager Alune and gave her a detailed description of your looks, she too felt happy about what was going on in Yone's life and told him and the other boys to concentrate on the performance while she took care of things in the background and made sure to give you and the producer ample time to talk.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- You had the time of your life at the concert, seeing how much energy and stage presence Heartsteel had in real life made their music video pale in comparison. The stage felt electric and once it was over you couldn't help but feel dizzy and overloaded but also oh so happy, seeing Yone and Aphelios playing alongside the other members was the highlight of the concert for you.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- So many things were going to your mind when you were queued up for the small meet and greet that was beeing held backstage, you were one of the last people and when it was your turn you couldn't help but feel like Sett, Kayn and Ezreal were all treating you like they somehow knew you already... and they were all hiding something. You felt their gazes following you as you finally approached Yone and even he looked like something was amiss.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- You tried to ignore the feeling, you were about to meet the artist that managed to capture your attention so easily and always kept you wanting for more. You would not let this special occasion be ruined by your gut feeling! You took a few steps and prepared to greet him, hopefully having enough time to tell him how good his performance was and how much you enjoyed rooting for his success. Before you could even say a word he anticipated you and for a second you thought you had misheard everything he said.
·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- "Wait... how do you know my discord username?" You heard a few of Heartsteel's members chuckle, you did not realize how quiet the room had become as you were the last of their fans there, the laughter was interrupted by Yone speaking again. "Cut her some slack everyone, it's normal for her to be confused right now." Yone could see your eyes widen in realization you recognized his voice, he was your online friend! The one who would always listen to your rambles about the latest chart topping songs and give you his insight on what would make them so popular, the man who somehow knew your taste better than you at this point and was able to always give you spot on recommendations... ·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- The grounding touch of his hand on your shoulder snapped you back into reality, you blinked at him in disbelief and confusion... and then realized about how much you fangirled about him while being unaware of who you were talking to. "There must be many questions running trough your head right now and I don't blame you if you're angry at me for never revealing who I really was. If I hadn't been under such a strict NDA at the time maybe things could have been different..." ·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·- You gave the man a reassuring smile, you understood why he did what he did and suddenly him asking you what you thought of all the new trailers and promotional materials made sense. You were kind of honored to have been able to give feedback -although unknowingly- to a talented artist such as him. "Maybe I could clear some things up for you over dinner... I was too nervous to eat anything before the concert." You gave him a quick nod and he motioned you to follow him, you saw him gather his laptop and headphones and haistly put them in a sleek looking backpack and then taking out the keys to his car. The rest of your time spent backstage was a blur, his hand around your back was swiftly guiding you through the various areas and muttering to security guards that you were with him if they happened to enquire about you. Once in his car he could finally drop the persona and relax a bit more, the Yone you had met online was starting to show himself more and more. "Do you have any particular preferences for food?" He asked while making his way through the still packed streets of the city. "Mmh... I think I'll leave the choice to you, after all you just performend in front of thousands of people on an empty stomach." You replied, smiling at how kind he was being to you even though he must have been starving for hours. "Fine, I saw a ramen small ramen place on my way here before the concert. It will give us enough privacy for me to finally make things up to you."
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little-pondhead · 9 months ago
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The Folly of Men -
Chapter 3: #228B22
AO3 - MASTERPOST
[GENERAL TW: Swearing, lukewarm violence, lots of POV changes, and mild body horror.]
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Damian was still being watched. The summer storm had well and passed, but the eyes he felt on the back of his neck were persistent, following him no matter where he went. He drove himself mad, tearing his room and the rest of Wayne Manor apart for bugs, asked Oracle to scan the city while he patrolled, and even pulled in a favor with some magic users to ensure he wasn't being haunted. Nothing! It was concerning his family, but Damian didn't care. He kept himself surrounded by others at all times whenever he left the house. Something was out there, ready for him to be truly alone. He didn't want to give them the opportunity.
The day came when he was assigned to patrol with Orphan since Batman was with the League but was separated due to the Riddler's schemes. They had solved the riddle already, thankfully, but Damian was intercepted while on his way to their meet-up point.
Pru, a former League assassin, caught his attention from one of Gotham's rooftops, and he swung down to meet her.
“Assassin,” was his only greeting. Damian was not a fool. No matter what had happened between Pru and Drake, she was still dangerous. He drew his sword easily and pointed it at her neck, reminding her that he was still a threat as well.
Pru didn’t look too happy to see him either. “Don’t give me that shit, Robin,” she snarled. “I’m just here to pass on a message.”
“I believe you are loyal to my brother, not me,” Robin hissed. “Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?”
“Because it’s important!” Pru looked frustrated. “Eth Alth'eban is on lockdown, and I barely managed to get out. I can’t get in touch with Red Robin; every time I try, something happens and messages are re-routed or destroyed. Lightning strikes on the communication towers in Antarctica, the encrypted server that runs through Bolivia crashed from a fucking hurricane, even the goddamn carrier pigeon got drawn off course from high winds in Brazil! Do you have any idea how erratic the past two weeks have been? It’s like something is out to get me!”
“So why come to me? You’re in Gotham now.” He pointed out.
Pru threw her hands up, exasperated. “Because Nightwing told me Red Robin is out of the country to help with flooding in Qatar! Apparently, there’s a fucking tropical storm hitting it for the first time ever! You’re the one who really needs to hear this, anyway, so I gave up and found you. It seems Gotham won’t let me leave until I say my piece.”
Damian considered the situation. Pru really did look like she’d been through hell and back. She looked furious at something, and her clothes were still damp from rain. Except it hadn’t rained in Gotham for a while. Not since…the summer storm. The back of his neck tingled again, and he glanced around. Clouds were closing in. Fuck.
He sheathed his sword. Pieces from this puzzle were starting to fall into place, but he needed more information. “Say what you must,” he nodded to Pru while tapping his comms to alert Oracle to the conversation. He also activated his emergency tracker, hoping Orphan or Nightwing would find him in time. Their conversation would end quickly once the woman relayed her message, and Damian wasn't about to force Pru to stay because he was nervous about being alone.
“Finally,” Pru sighed and sat heavily on the rooftop, not minding the glass that dug into her hands and thighs. “Your grandfather has a new Heir.”
Damian blinked, pausing. He wasn’t quite expecting that.
“I only knew about this early because they killed my inside man in the medical department. I got a hold of his notes, and it looks like they were in the middle of treating an unknown entity, and the files all referred to it as the ‘Demon's Heir.’ I'm not Red, so I can't be sure, but the records don't start in a way that would suggest they made a test tube baby or another clone."
"And it is not my cousin they are treating? Perhaps grandfather has changed his mind and declared Mara his ideal Heir."
Pru stared at Gotham's roiling clouds, looking frustrated. She didn't seem to notice anything strange about them. "No. Mara al Ghul was in Kuwait until recently. She and the others from the Demon's Fist were doing something on orders from Mother Soul. It's above my pay grade, so I can't tell you much more than that other than they left suddenly without finishing their business. I'll take a guess that Mother Soul will be pissed about that. I do know that the medical records were updated two days ago to reflect a stab wound to the entity's chest. Their name was also updated: Phantom."
Damian considered Pru's words. He turned the clues over in his mind like stones, carefully examining anything that might hint at deceit. She was telling the truth, unfortunately. "So someone named Phantom has claimed the role of Demon's Heir, and my cousin most likely heard this news first and abandoned her post to attack the usurper," he summarized. "And my grandfather has closed off his city for one reason or another, presumably to either train or protect Phantom. Am I correct?"
Pru nodded. "That's pretty much it, birdie. Whatcha gonna do about it?"
He ignored the jab. "I will consider my options," he said stiffly. "Now that you've served your purpose, leave Gotham immediately." Orphan, where are you?
The former assassin laughed and hauled herself to her feet, brushing off the glass and dirt that stuck to her clothes. "I'll consider it. I've been running around for weeks; Red Robin won't mind if I crash at his, will he?"
"He will."
"Tough shit. See you around!" Pru jumped off the rooftop and into the alley below, not giving a shit about potential muggers as she waltzed into the night.
He was alone.
Damian watched her go before tapping his comms again. “Did you hear everything?” He asked Oracle, but no reply came except static. He expected this but cursed anyway. Thunder started to rumble overhead; he felt it deep in his bones. Whispers of electricity started crawling along the rooftop, following wires and coming dangerously close to touching him. He was forced to back into a corner on the rooftop and hoped his rubber-insulated boots were enough to prevent a shock. The feeling from earlier was stronger than ever. Someone was watching him. They knew he was finally alone. Obviously, Orphan nor Nightwing would get there in time, so Damian would have to deal with this himself.
He turned in a circle, straining his eyes to see through the cloud cover. He still couldn’t pinpoint their location, but he knew they were up there. “Reveal yourself!” He barked, hand on his weapon.
A moment passed. The air pressure changed, making his ears pop uncomfortably. His eyes were trained on the sky as rain started to fall. The clouds above the city gathered wildly, swirling together and reaching down toward him. The bolts of electricity that crawled over the rooftop raced together and rose up to meet it, becoming large bolts of lightning that could do real harm to the city if even one got loose. He stepped back into the corner even further, watching the mass of storm clouds finally get low enough to spread out across the building like a thick fog, revealing a figure in the vague shape of a man.
Great. Of course, it was something magical. He'd be having words with the magic users from earlier.
The man wasn’t touching the ground. In fact, Damian could hardly make out his legs as his broad form blurred from the wind, snatching bits of his green body away. Smaller rain clouds encircled his waist like a belt, and his hair looked more like jagged horns sitting against his brow. While he wore a well-loved weather vest and thick gloves, the rain around them would have soaked the man through by now. But he was perfectly dry. Damian was a little envious.
The man was smiling at him, but not the kind of smile that welcomed him into the conversation. No, this man of clouds and lightning was holding himself like someone was forcing him to be there. His red eyes looked like a swirling red cyclone, and his overall air was disinterested and tired.
Damian flinched as the man opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out except drawn-out screeches and clicks. It sounded like thunder was crashing right next to his ear or a tree getting struck by lightning. He didn't like it. The man frowned, realizing Damian couldn't understand him, and cleared his throat to try again.
“Hello, little Robin,” the man eventually tried, this time in Arabic. His voice was…strange. It sounded like he was gasping with every word, and the thundering sound was still there, muted and layered under the greeting. "I'm sorry, I forgot the people of this world are not natural speakers of the Realm's language."
“I am not little,” Damian snarled, likewise in Arabic.
“Of course not,” the man waved his hand. “A ghost’s size does not determine their power. I greet you nonetheless, little Robin.”
Damian had a feeling that speaking with this man was going to be infuriating. “Who are you?” He demanded. “And why are you in Gotham City?”
“You may call me the Navigator,” the man bowed a little, stiff in his back like he wasn’t used to the action. The Navigator, it seemed, was used to being in power. But by bowing to Damian, he showed his reluctant submission right off the bat, hoping to appease him and have a civil conversation. “And I believe you have a hunch as to why I’m here. You noticed me pretty quickly, after all.”
“So you are the one who’s been stalking me.”
“In plainer terms, yes.”
“I presume you’re the one who’s been messing with Pru as well?”
“You would presume correctly,” The Navigator's face scrunched and swirled like he was making a face of disgust. “I would rather have sent my sylphs to do it, but the Scepter insisted I do this part myself.”
More new information. If Damian remembered, sylphs were elemental wind spirits. So the Navigator was either a spirit himself or someone who could control them. But he said ‘ghost’ earlier. How did that fit in? He didn't look like the undead Damian knew of.
And ‘the Scepter’ was said with an inflection that suggested it was a name. Scepters were symbols of royalty, but Damian didn’t know anyone who actually used one or went by that name. It was no title he’d ever heard of. Whoever they were, they had to be more powerful than the Navigator if they had truly sent him after Robin.
“Aye, I can hear your brain working from here, little Robin.” The Navigator rolled his eyes, stretching the tiny cyclones. “You three are so similar that I’ll never find peace.”
“I don’t quite follow. State your business quickly; I’m losing my patience.”
The Navigator waved his hand, summoning a tablet out of nowhere. He tapped on it a few times clumsily, like he wasn't used to holding it, and then tossed it to Damian. The boy caught it easily and examined the thing. It looked like a normal tablet, similar to the ones Drake made and sold. It had a shield logo stamped on the back with Egyptian hieroglyphs engraved around the edge. It was warm to the touch, and Damian felt a little tingle as he turned it over in his hands. This was filled with magic.
The screen was made from something other than normal glass, that much he could tell as he scrolled away, trying his best to absorb the information quickly while keeping an eye on the stranger. It was a contract, he realized. The contract had been written on papyrus and then scanned in digitally. Half of it was written in a language he recognized but couldn't read. The other half contained details on limitations for the Navigator and instructions he was to follow regarding 'ghostlings,' 'The Guardian,' and...Damian Thomas al Ghul-Wayne.
Damian paled beneath the mask. His full name was in this contract. This was about him. The magical being before him knew who he was. He sped through the pages faster, frantically looking for answers.
...And as stated previously, the Navigator, Ancient of Storms, will grant Damian Thomas al Ghul-Wayne his blessing. This blessing will last the entirety of Damian's natural life until death returns him to the Realms. Upon completing the blessing, the Navigator will dispatch one guard to watch over Damian until the Scepter returns* but will not interfere with him personally.
During this period, the Guardian will fulfill the contract between the Gardener, Ancient of Growth, and one Ra's al Ghul. *The Scepter will enter The Guardian's time loop, and therefore, the Navigator may return to the Realms once the time loop is closed again. The runaway ghostlings will be promptly returned to their Lairs and Haunts in the correct dimensions.
As one last note, the Navigator will also refrain from fucking around with The Sword and The Shield unless he wants to find out what they can do. (I'm serious, too. The Shadow is busy, but I'll still find out if you try something, and I will kick your ass with no hesitation. The other two will be more than willing to punt your ass into Soup Time, as well.)
Upon completing this assignment, I release you from your bind, Ancient of Storms. Return to your Lair and rest with your sylphs. Thank you for your service.
Upon signing, all parties agree to abide by this contract until its terms are met. May the End take our souls if it is ever broken.
The Navigator, Ancient of Storms
Jasmine Nightingale, the Guardian's Scepter
At the bottom, under the signatures, Damian spotted a smaller note addressed to him.
Damian al Ghul, I look forward to our first meeting. Don't forget to bring your sword!
"You," he breathed heavily, glancing up at the mass of clouds. "Explain. What on earth is this?"
The Navigator cocked his head a little too far to the left. "I thought it was pretty self-explanatory," he said in a bored tone. "I was essentially sent on a ravenger hunt to find you and some escaped ghostlings. You shall receive my blessing whether I like it or not, and then I'll leave you to return to my Lair. Hopefully, I'll never have to grace these rotten clouds again!"
"It's 'scavenger hunt.'"
"Huh?"
"Never mind. You are useless at explaining. What is this 'Ancient of Storms' title you have? What are these Realms this contract speaks of? Why must you give me a blessing?"
"Ughhh," the Navigator rolled in the air, groaning. "I'm the embodiment of storms, isn't that obvious? I'd rather deal with Plasmius now than talk with a naive ghostling like you. What kind of ghostling speaks like this anyway? It's rude! I've been practicing my manners; the least you can do is humor me. At least Phantom can figure shit out on his own; I don't have to explain anything to him."
"Phantom?" The name caught Damian's attention. "You know Phantom? Who is he? What does he want with my grandfather?"
"Dunno, little Robin. That's between the Scepter and the Gardener. They had a contract in place decades before your grandfather was even born. And since I'm not allowed near Phantom for a while, all I know is that he's been handed over to Ra's al Ghul for a chance at recovery. He was involved in an incident recently. I don't know the details, but he's hurt so badly it's turning the Realms upside down. That's why I was sent away; I thrive off chaos."
"So, again, you are useless," Damian snarled. He turned away, which, in hindsight, was a stupid move, but he was so angry at the lack of answers that he didn't care. He buried himself back into the tablet, scanning through the contract again, looking for anything useful. Everything seemed so organized, yet the information he wanted felt just out of reach.
He vaguely heard the Navigator mutter in surprise. Something about freaky time visions being too accurate before a blinding white hot pain spread across his body. He dropped the tablet, falling to his knees. It felt like lightning was crawling under his skin, burning him from the inside out. He was distantly aware that he was screaming but didn't know how to stop it. Then the pain was gone in the next instant, and he was left collapsed on the roof, eyes screwed shut as shudders racked his body. He smelled burning flesh. A misty touch brushed away his damp bangs, cooling his brow.
"Yup, I'm pretty sure he's still alive," the Navigator murmured. "Well done, little Robin. Perhaps the Scepter knew what she was talking about when she said you could house my power. Either way, I've said my piece. The rest is up to you. Goodbye, and I hope to never see you again. Feel free to pass on those ghost rabies to the Gardener if you ever see him, though."
And with a rumble of thunder, the presence of the spirit disappeared, taking with him the gentle rain and green storm clouds. Damian lay on that roof for what felt like ages, staring into nothing and dazed from the pain. Nightwing eventually found him, however, with Orphan not far behind.
"Baby Bat!" His elder brother cried, sliding to a stop beside him and gathering Damian in his arms. Cass hovered next to them, unsure of what to do.
"Baba," he croaked in return. "The tablet..."
"Don't worry about that," Nightwing pushed his bangs back, just like the Navigator had. "Are you okay? You're shaking; Oracle lost contact with you over an hour ago and you never showed up to the rendezvous spot. What happened?"
Damian tried to tell him. A being made of storms came by, looking for me by name. He wanted to say. He cut off my comms and shared a contract with me. Then he struck me with lightning and left. We need to bring the tablet back to the Cave for analysis.
But his throat was too dry, and Damian's mind was in too much pain to form the words. As he curled up in Nightwing's arms, all he could mumble was the word 'baba' again and drop his head to the side. Nightwing cursed, instructed Orphan to grab the tablet, and swiftly made the trip back to the Cave with a sense of urgency. Damian groaned the whole way. His body was tender, and every jostle sent tiny shocks through his nerves.
He must have passed out at some point because he remembered skirting around Crime Alley one moment and Alfred checking his vitals the next. The butler gave him a gentle look and dabbed his forehead with a cool cloth. "Where's-" he tried to ask.
"Quiet, Master Damian. Master Dick will be here in a moment." Alfred soothed. Damian dropped it and settled back into the medical bed. When had he taken his clothes off? How long was he out?
A few minutes later, his siblings got the message that he'd awoken and stormed the med bay. "Baby Bat!" Cried Dick, sliding into the room and bolting to Damian's side. "Are you okay? Do you remember us?"
"Yes, baba." Damian croaked. Alfred held a glass of water to his lips, and he sipped carefully to soothe the burn in his throat.
"Dickie told me you got one hell of a shock," Jason, the second eldest, stood in the doorway, arms crossed and staring at them. Cass hung from his side, overwhelmed with anxiety. Steph was shuffling an exhausted Duke into one of the other medical beds, simply so the boy could feel included but still get some rest.
"I did," Damian confessed. Dick gripped his hand tightly, helping him sit up better. "I've been feeling a presence stalk me over the past few weeks, and tonight, I was finally confronted when Cain and I were separated." He left out the part with Pru for now but relayed everything the Navigator had told him, including the details he'd seen on the contract.
Everyone stayed silent as he spoke, but Dick looked like he was ready to bite someone by the end of the story.
"I'm calling everyone back to the Cave," he decided. "This is a Code Addams."
Jason shook his head immediately. "I'm all for punching storm cryptids," he said. "But you know this doesn't fall under Bruce's emergency plans."
"He's right, Dick," Steph frowned. She sat on the other side of Damian's bed, playing with his fingers lightly, and he didn't have the energy to move her. "We can put out a warning, but this sounds like League business to me. Most of us won't really be any help when it comes to al Ghul family drama."
"It's not 'drama,' Brown. Grandfather has taken a new, unknown Heir that has connections to several powerful entities if I'm not mistaken."
Steph nodded. "Yeah! Drama! And if that freaky storm demon shows up again, then we're even less equipped to deal with it. B's not even here right now to help, so we're on our own for this one."
"I'll even send Babs a copy of the contract; she'll probably be able to find something we can't." Jason started tapping away at his phone with one hand, updating the BatKids group chat on the situation and unloading the work onto Barbara.
Dick looked devastated. "But-"
"Hey, Dami?" Duke groaned, cutting everyone off. He was tangled in the thin sheets of the bed now, squinting at the youngest Wayne like he was staring at the sun. "I was kind of half-listening, but you said something about the lightning strike being a blessing, right?"
"Correct."
"Okay, um. Are you aware you glow now? Well, glow more than you used to?"
"...I was not aware. What do you see?"
Duke shuffled and threw an arm over his eyes. The lights of the med bay were giving him a migraine, but he refused to leave now. "You used to just look like a lamp. Now, you look like a bolt of lightning," he said. "There's electricity following your nerves. And your eyes are glowing green—just like Jason's when he's mad. Whatever you got hit with, it's definitely doing something to your body. I just don't know what."
Everyone paused at that.
"Well shit," Jason eventually broke the silence, bringing Cass even closer like a teddy bear. "Looks like we should get a hold of Talia and Bruce, at minimum. Demon Brat, you should probably go to Eth Alth'eban if you want answers."
Damian thumped his head against his thin pillow. "Fuck."
"Potty mouth!"
-
Danny was starting to get tired of waking up sore.
At least he recognized the room. It was the same one as before and actually decorated like a patient's room, not an underground bunker with his own blood splattered on the walls. He groaned, trying to shift his body. How much was he missing? His lungs were back, obviously. They felt raw in his chest. His vocal chords were also half-baked, but speaking wasn't really an issue right now.
What mattered was his pounding headache and the fire beneath his skin. He had started to sweat in his sleep, which is something he'd never done ever since he had died. Danny tried to glance down at this chest. (Had someone slipped his bones back into place?) The bandages were professional work but pulled away easily when he tugged on them. He hissed as they caught on fresh scabs and drew tiny amounts of blood.
His torso was a fucking mess. Danny was underground for ages, he knew. The GIW treated him like an immortal lab rat by tearing open his body every day to poke around and take samples. It was a miracle they didn't find his broken core, which was hidden deep behind his heart.
The cuts on his torso were being held together by surgical staples; no doubt any stitches or glue dissolved when in contact with his blood. His skin was flushed, puckered, and oozed green. The stab wound was fresher and looked nastier than what Lunch Lady could cook up. It was probably infected. He most likely would have scars even as a ghost. Frostbite once told him that wounds to the soul were the hardest to heal, and Danny didn't see himself getting over this anytime soon.
He laid his head back, staring at the smooth ceiling. A whine built in his throat. Why did everything have to hurt? He just wanted to go home.
But where was home?
His home was gone.
He had nothing to return to.
His parents pretty much disowned him the moment they sold him to the GIW.
The whine turned into a quiet sob, and he let himself sit there and shake. All he had ever done was try to be a good son to his parents, a good friend to Sam and Tucker, and a good brother to Dani and Jazz. Why did it have to be up to him to save others? Sure, it was kind of fun, but the stress of protecting both humans and ghosts got to Danny fast. The others didn't understand. No one understood. And now they never will because Danny was gone and had no home.
And there was that heavy pain again. His core became impossibly cold, uncomfortable against his human heart. It was pulling at his skin and at his bones. He gasped and cried, balling up the bandages in his fist. Was his chest caving in? His core felt like it was trying to turn him inside out and tear him apart.
Why was no one there to help him? Why wasn't he good enough to be saved? Was it because he couldn't save that little girl? Were his failures finally catching up to him? He'll do better, he promises...
Desiree must have heard his silent pleas. The door to his room opened, and a single man entered. It took a moment to recognize him through his tears, but Danny eventually saw that he was the same man who had soothed him to sleep previously.
"Ra's al Ghul," Danny managed. The man nodded to him, coming closer to stare at Danny while he writhed on the bed.
"You are having another panic attack."
"C-can't-"
"The doctors say you have lungs once more. Use them."
"It hurts-"
"Then let it hurt," Ra's didn't look away from Danny. He was cold but not disgusted. He expected Danny to be strong enough to handle this himself. "You are my Heir now; either embrace the pain or let go of what torments you. Become stronger."
"I can't!" Danny sobbed. His shoulders shook with the effort it took to speak. "They'll come back-"
Ra's firmly said, "They shall not."
"You don't know that! I'll be cut up again!"
"You are not from this world, Phantom. Whatever torments you cannot follow."
The words slowly sunk into his brain. The weight was lifted off his chest for a moment. Another world? He wasn't in his home dimension? The GIW didn't exist here? His parents weren't waiting around the corner with a bone saw and handcuffs?
That was great, but that also meant he truly was alone now.
There was no way for him to find his way back, was there?
The pressure from his core lessened, and his body stopped trying to eat itself. His chest expanded again, allowing him to breathe properly through choked sobs and broken groans. He clenched his teeth, trying to stop the tears. He really was useless.
"You are not useless, Phantom." Ra's had a hard light in his eyes. "As mentioned before, you are an al Ghul now, one of my grandsons, no matter what you were previously. You are very valuable to the League now, and I refuse to let you go."
Danny sniffed. "I can't offer you much," he said. "I remember that Undergrowth promised you power and knowledge, but I'm practically a high school dropout, and I'm so weak I can barely lift my head."
"So you shall regain your strength. I have lived a long time, grandson, and I shall live even longer. Your recovery will be swift when compared to the erosion of time."
"Mr. al Ghul..." Danny said defeatedly. His throat felt thick from all the crying. "I couldn't even keep my town safe. All I'm good for is killing kings and pissing people off. I don't want to bring you that kind of shame."
Ra did not show any signs of his satisfaction with Danny's words, but Danny could taste it in the air. "So you were a warrior, yes?"
"I-uh, sort of? I'm a ghost, and I died two years ago. Ghosts fight for every reason and no reason. I kinda had to learn on my feet or risk getting Ended."
"A warrior who cannot die. A man who has the will to act." Ra's appraised him like a prized cow. "Yes, I shall be able to use you, child. The al Ghul legacy shall never die out if you become the Demon's Head. Phantom al Ghul is a...fitting name, I suppose."
Danny wrinkled his nose. "I don't know what half of that means, but okay. And my name isn't really Phantom; that's just my title and hero name. My real name is Danny."
"Then, Daniel-"
"Danny!"
"Daniel, now that your tears have stopped, let me call for refreshments and fresh bandages. We must discuss the Gardener's contract and your usefulness in great detail."
Danny sighed. He was calmer, but now he had to do an Ancient's magic paperwork? He'd rather let his core swallow him whole.
At least someone needed him again.
-
The group followed Jazz’s decision without a second thought and stepped through the giant portal alongside her. Luckily, it led right to the edge of the In-Between, where Clockwork and a few others resided in their individual spaces. Jazz yelped as she realized there was no solid surface to land on and flipped around in the air uncontrollably. Sam and Tucker had the same fate. All of them kind of bobbed around like ducks in the water before Danielle sighed, gathered them all up with some rope from Tucker’s pack, and hauled them along in the vague direction of Clockwork’s tower.
For a space called Long Now, it didn't take very long to reach the tower, even with Dani hauling along three passengers. Everyone was pretty quiet during the ride, still processing what they had seen in the underground facility. It was a little strange. None of them felt disgust or fear at Danny's actions, but anger and sadness at what he was forced to endure. Not once did they consider abandoning him, even though others might have shied away from his monstrous outburst.
Jazz wondered what Clockwork could possibly say to them that would make the whole thing better. She just wanted to see Danny. She wanted to sit down with him and watch shitty kid's movies while they huddled under that one big quilt her parents had. The one that was gifted to them as a wedding gift and the one they added to when something important happened. She felt horrible thinking about it now.
Jazz would probably never see that quilt again. And if she did, she would probably burn it.
"We're here," Dani quietly announced, untethering the group from her body as they touched Clockwork's island. Long Now was a special place even in the In-Between. The tower's foundations were in varying stages of decay, and much like its owner, the building warped from looking good as new to 'about to fall over' kind of old right before their eyes. Everything felt so fragile.
They entered the lower entrance, climbing a spiral staircase past rows and rows of clocks lining the walls. Everything was ticking out of sync, which usually annoyed Jazz to no end. Right now, she couldn't care less.
Reaching the top had a lack of fanfare. One minute they were passing the biggest fucking grandfather clock they'd ever seen, and the next, they were in Clockwork's main room at the top of the tower, facing the old ghost himself.
Clockwork didn't even look at them. He seemed exhausted.
"We're here," Jazz announced. "Tell us what you know."
"No greetings, Jasmine? I thought you raised Danny to have manners, so where are yours?"
"Locked behind the walls of Fentonworks. Tell us what you know, Clockwork, or I'll break everything here." She snarled. It wasn't an empty threat, and everyone knew it.
"Please, Clockwork," Tucker added. "We saw your message. Where's Danny?"
Dani started crying into Sam's shoulder. "Where's my brother?" The ghost girl sobbed. "I want to see Danny!"
Clockwork sighed. He was aging rapidly, growing wrinkles as they watched. "Daniel is safe, for now. I hid him in another world. However, the flow of time has changed. New paths are being forged. If things continue as they are, Daniel will become something worse than Dan."
Danielle muffled another sob.
"Daniel did something I did not expect while having his rampage in Yellowstone. It will take a delicate hand to make sure his actions do not cause him to go down the wrong path."
"What did he do?"
Clockwork looked them each in the eye. His eyes were glassy and blank, like the face of a new watch, but his sincerity was enough to reach them. "He sealed off the Realms."
Tucker choked. "I'm sorry, he wHAT??"
"Daniel, in his explosion of sudden power, sealed off the Infinite Realms from your home world's influence. Only the power of an Ancient can break that barrier now. The only portal still open is the one located in Fentonworks, protected by the strongest shield your mortal world has to offer. Vortex had to be sent out to collect ghostlings who didn't return in time. By sealing off the Realms, Daniel effectively declared they were under his protection and claimed the title 'Guardian' since only Guardians have the right to seal off worlds."
Jazz's mind was spinning. "He...sealed off our world. Did he do it on purpose?"
Clockwork shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. This was a decision made by Fate alone. He was simply the strongest power source available that was also willing to defend the Realms to his End. The Realms responded in kind and claimed him as Guardian. That is a title and a burden he will share forever."
"Oh, god..." Jazz sat heavily on the floor, reeling from the shock. Dani left Sam's shoulder and crumpled into her lap, still crying. Tucker and Sam also offered each other comfort, leaning on each other as Clockwork's words sunk in. "So, what happens to him? Where is he now? What future do we have to avoid?"
Clockwork waved his staff, summoning a few large clocks with reflective surfaces. The clockfaces glitched and changed to show different pictures of Danny, all doing various things at different stages in his life. One had Danny laughing with a group of strangers. Another had him shaking hands with a green-skinned man. A third was him sitting in a hospital bed, getting stabbed in the chest. They cycled through different pictures and videos, and it was hard to look away.
"This is the future we must avoid." Clockwork motioned to the smallest clock, which showed a furious Danny screaming into the vacuum of space, tears pouring down his face. A large rip into the Realms tore open from his Wail, and the stars surrounding him started to get sucked in.
"If this future comes true, Daniel will destroy not only your home world but the Realms as a whole," The Ancient explained. "Because of his new link to the Realms, no one will be able to take the title of Guardian from him. He will become a destroyer and tear apart every universe and every timeline. Everything will just...End."
"That's horrible," Sam whispered. "What's the tipping point?"
Again, Clockwork looked them deep in their eyes. "Your betrayals."
"WHAT??" Danielle screeched, whipping around.
"You betray him by dying, Danielle. You melt in his arms and ask why he didn't save you. Samantha, you betray him by leaving him. Your home world is never unsealed and you can't stand not being able to see your grandmother again. Tucker, you betray him by lying to him. You say you're on his side but end up stabbing him in the back for a 'good cause.' Jasmine, you betray him by acting just like your parents." Jazz felt tears prick her eyes, but Clockwork kept going. "You see the monster he has become and can't look past it. The four of you betraying him would be his last straw, and Daniel would rather tear apart the universe than be reminded of you four ever again. And so he does."
Sam protested, "We would never!"
"You wouldn't." Clockwork agreed. "But you can, and in some ways, you already have. That is how time works. If you do not want to bring about this end, you must actively fight against this destiny like Daniel has fought against Dan."
Tucker whipped out his PDA, already taking notes. "What's the game plan, then? I would rather eat Dash's underwear than stab Danny in the back. If I have to throw hands with an evil version of myself from the future, I'm willing to do that, too."
Clockwork smiled at them for the first time since their arrival. "That was the right response," he told Tucker. "You're already taking a step away from that future. But for the best ending for everyone, all four of you will need to connect with the Realms as well."
"But we don't have the same power that Danny does."
"No, but your will is just as strong as his. Prove to the Realms that you're willing to fight, protect, and love just as much as Daniel. Become his support. Do it right, follow in his footsteps, and the Realms shall accept you with open arms. You will be bound together as a family for eternity."
The four looked at each other. Jazz gently wiped away the remainder of Dani's tears as they pondered over the ghost's words. Connecting with the Realms would probably mean giving up some amount of their humanity, especially if it truly was a forever thing. They might follow in Danny's footsteps a little too closely-but for their friend and brother? They would do anything.
"Fuck eternity!"
"Tell us what to do."
"We'll always be there for Danny."
"I don't plan on eating any underwear, but I will fight evil me if that's what it takes."
Clockwork shriveled up, folding in on himself several times before unfolding into a child, like a phoenix (but without the fire). He looked less exhausted now, less like the promise of the End was no longer hovering over his shoulder. "Become the Guardian's Shadow, Danielle. Take up his mantle while he is away and keep the peace in his stead. Be the Guardian's Sword, Samantha. Be at the front of each fight and kill when he cannot. The Guardian's Shield will be you, Tucker. Your wish to protect those around you will come true, and you will gain the power to shield them from harm. And Jasmine-"
Jazz held her breath.
"You will have the most difficult job. You will be the Guardian's Scepter. His symbol of power. You will work behind the scenes to stage events that shall work in his favor no matter what."
She released her breath, surprised. "A scepter? Like the symbol of royalty? But wasn't the position of King given to another?"
"In sorts. Daniel helped elect a council to rule the Realms and refused to be a part of it. However, you shall be his Scepter, only wielded in times of need. You will take the dark and harsher jobs that shouldn't be brought to life. You will pull the strings to ensure the timelines stay together, and he never strays from the path."
"How would I do that?"
"You need to become my apprentice."
-
After Jason's statement about coming to see Ra's in person, the whole Batfamily blew up. Words were said in person and over text, and Damian was too exhausted at the time to get a word in edgewise, so let Jason argue for him. Eventually, Bruce had to take a moment away from his League duties and settle the matter over a conference call. After debating, he allowed Damian to return to the League of Assassins, provided Dick went with him. The man was already on a leave of absence from his job to cover for Batman, and he could keep a level head when dealing with the Demon's Head.
So off they went as soon as Alfred gave Damian the all-clear. Strangely enough, he had no side effects from being struck by fucking lightning. Well, almost none. He did feel flush every once in a while, and his veins burned like there was liquid battery acid in them, but other than that, he was fine! No, he didn't need another cold press, Alfred! It was only a few hours by plane; he'd be fine!
And honestly, with the news that Eth Alth’eban was on lockdown, Damian thought it would be harder to enter the city. Undetected, at least. Sadly, they were found out immediately and had a group waiting for them as they touched down. As soon as he stepped off the Batplane onto the private airstrip in Yemen, he was quickly surrounded by the 'welcoming' entourage of assassins. They took his bags, herding him toward a black car as Dick jogged to keep up with them. Damian was glad they didn't do a pat-down in their rush; he'd hidden the tablet under his clothes just for this purpose.
"Hey!" his brother shouted. "How did you guys even know we were here?"
"This is a League matter, Nightwing." The head of the group, a one-eyed man named after the god Balor, whom Damian recognized as part of his grandfather's elite, barely turned to look at Grayson and dismissed him entirely.
“No, this is a family matter,” Dick leaned against the door of the car, preventing Balor from opening it and shoving Damian in. They stared at each other long and hard.
“You are not an al Ghul.”
“Damian was nearly killed by a storm demon and told there was a new Heir who is somehow connected to said storm demon. I’m not leaving him alone.”
Balor considered the options before him, glancing at Damian. His one good eye assessed him. The boy simply raised a brow. “I’d prefer it if my baba came with us.”
The assassin’s face twitched, which was the equivalent of a snort of disgust, but gave in to Dick’s demands and herded them both into the car. Two more assassins slid in on either side of them while Balor took the passenger seat. The driver barely glanced at the airport security as they drove the vehicle off the tarmac and into the middle of the desert.
The drive felt long. Damian held a stoic face whenever Balor looked at him and refused to engage in any conversation with Dick. Even when the AC was turned off, everyone started sweating, and his brother was threatening to sing show tunes until they turned it back on.
He ended up singing, of course. Damian just zoned out as his brother started warbling through the entire soundtrack of Hairspray. Truly, the man had questionable taste. For their credit, the assassins made it through the entire performance of Hairspray and halfway through High School Musical before the driver slowly leaned over, never taking their eyes off the desert landscape, and flicked the AC back on to blast. They lasted longer than Bruce would have.
Dick still finished the High School Musical soundtrack despite getting what he wanted. No one ever said he did things half-assed.
Finally, Damian spotted the maze of canyons that housed the Assassin City, Eth Alth’eban. Damian wasn’t sure if his elder brother had ever been there before, but the tight hold he had on his hand suggested that Dick either had very complicated memories of the place or was anxious about being in enemy territory. He wasn’t really interested in asking.
As they approached, the main gate was large and imposing. The sun was high in the sky now and beat down on them to reflect all the minute details that had been carved into the gates. They were gorgeous pieces of work, ones that Ra’s was no doubt very proud of. Guards were there to welcome them, examining the vehicle from top to bottom to ensure nothing strange was being brought in from the outside world. Damian glared at his brother when the man leaned forward to take the attention off of him and the hidden tablet, loudly asking the outside guards when they could go in yet.
One of them narrowed their eyes at Dick. “An extra?” They hissed in Arabic. “This was not approved by the Demon’s Head.”
Balor jerked a thumb at Damian. “His choice,” he responded simply. “The Bats are never alone. The Head is aware of this." Since when? They never called ahead. Damian felt the burn of lighting in his veins again. He caught Balor's eye in the rearview mirror and realized that the man's eye color was much lighter than it was supposed to be. It was shifting between gray and blue, like a cloud, and stared at him with unusual intensity.
Fuck. Of course, the secret guard that was mentioned in the contract. It must have gone into effect when the Navigator returned to wherever he came from. How did he know they would end up in the Eth Alth'eban?
Whatever was said next, Damian missed, but eventually, the gates opened, and the car was let through. Dick was quiet once more, staring at the lush city, probably trying to figure out how to do a backflip off the tall buildings. They headed straight for the palace that was past the training grounds. Most people were taking a noon daybreak, so the grounds were empty when the car pulled up next to the designated drop-off point.
Balor motioned for the group to leave the car, and the two assassins tugged on Dick’s arm painfully, practically dragging him along and not allowing any room for him to wander off. Damian wasn’t touched, but he was no less shuffled in the same direction. They went up the steps, through hallways lined with servants and fountains, following a path Damian recognized easily. They were headed to the medical wing.
His mind raced. Was he ready to meet this ‘Phantom’ fellow? Would he insist on fighting to the death to prove his worth? Had his mother gotten his message and made it here before him? So many questions ran through his head, yet this was not the time to ask them. Damian bit his tongue and instead played the part of the perfect al Ghul. Silent, deadly, and proud.
Balor was leading the way. He studied the older man's back carefully, looking for any other inconsistencies in his behavior. There were none, except for a single cloud symbol stamped into his neck that shimmered the same color as Vortex. Did this mean he was possessed? Was he another one of the Navigator's blessed? Did Damian also have the same symbol? No one else seemed to notice the mark, so Damian put it in the back of his mind. He'd have Dick check his neck later, just in case.
They'd reached the end of the medical wing now, where Damian knew the rooms were sealed off for quarantined patients.
Indeed, a pair of guards stood in front of the extra set of doors. Balor nodded to the guards and pushed through without stopping. The quarantined corridor was short, with only six rooms, three on each side. Five were marked with a little green flag by the door, indicating their vacancy. The sixth, the farthest on the left, had a little red flag displayed. Damian pushed his way to the front of the group and beelined for the door. This was it. Soon, he'd have some answers.
His grandfather opened the door before he could knock. The al Ghuls looked at each other, noting how much had changed since they had last seen each other. His grandfather looked…well. He was healthy, and there were no visible injuries. His clothes were immaculate but simpler than his usual ornate robes. It felt like Ra's was dressed for a close social visit, not for taking over the world and planning murder.
"Damian," His grandfather was as short as ever, however. "You are late."
"Good to see you too, old man," Dick snarked. Ra's ignored him, waving a hand to Balor, who promptly shut the door again before Dick could walk through after Damian. The two were to wait in the hallway, apparently.
Damian moved further past his grandfather, forgoing the greeting. His eyes were glued to the hospital bed. Draped in rich blankets and wrapped in soft cotton bandages, a boy around his age was sitting up and staring at him with green eyes similar to his own. He was holding a glass of Lazarus water, raised to his lips like he was about to drink it. Honestly, if it wasn't for his incredibly pale skin and wispy white hair, the boy could have been his-
"Holy shit, we look exactly the same!" The boy lowered the glass, staring at Damian in wonder. His voice was double-layered, like the Navigator's, and it grated on Damian's mind with the sounds of screaming and creaking ice. "Are you Mr. al Ghul's other grandson? This is so freaky!"
Ah, so this was Phantom.
-
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lovethatmakingcoffee · 10 months ago
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what am I? The devil's advocate?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE GIFT OF APPOLLO STRIKES AGAIN FOR ME SPECIFICALLY CAUSE I CALLED OUT THIS CANCELLATION THE MOMENT FOREVER GOT CANCELLED!!!!! Its just so easy! So simple! Of course a male musician is gonna get cancelled and so few listened to me cause you are dumb children because obviously its children who make up the majority audience of a Minecraft roleplay server!!! Ha! At this point its comical! I'm busting a nut on how funny and predictable this all is. Haha, ah sadge. Oh noooos! Are you all gonna burn your merch and delete your art cause you're afraid that u are supporting an abuser creep. Ah waaaahhhh. Like i havent heard that tune the past two months, sing another one. Bitches.
Pft, you all are so pathetic and funny, at this point there really just must be this shadow group or whatever that is trying to destroy the qsmp from the inside out. Like really? Two months, three major creators of the qsmp are targeted by cancellations, and there is plenty of drama in between. So obviously suspicious and coincidental. And it happened so fast and so many people just dogpiled on the accused, i would have to say its almost organized. And that there is just so many jumping the gun, ready to tell these creators to kill themselves, you guys certainly have numbers, holy shit. Ha! I wonder if Forever actually finds and sues that first anti, that he'll be able to figure out who these people are because isnt this also just so conveniently timed? Each cancellation one after another. There is so much drama clouding the qsmp community that how could it not be schemed out at this point? I already predicted that with Forever's downfall and now with attempts I. Cellbit and Wilbur, Im starting to have an inclination that someone approached these girls.
With cellbit's ex it would be easy to deflame him, but i wonder how they got to this sherby whatever. Maybe cause he chose his career over her like i've heard in her video. But being exs is already hot opportunity for scorn of any kind, so its quite easy to jump on one or the other when one of these two accused the other. So really the motive could be anything at this point. anything she said or not said or those requests she asked of him and he never fulfilled. And to me she never delved too deeply in to what those requests were either. Which ok then. Fine, keep your secrets.
But biting is so fucking weird to accuse someone as abuse. Especially physical. Like just biting? That's all. Not that if its true that's not bad, but it would make sense that he was physically violent in any other way at least once. Like hitting, strangling, anything. But no, biting is the best she could come up with when it comes to physical. Mental and emotional abuse is a tricky in cause its not visible and it will always boil down to a he said she said type of shit but if there is no physical text or people witnessing their conversations then good luck with that.
But firstly, if she wants the whole world on her side then physical evidence should be so easy in this scenario. Like as easy as pie! If he bit her so badly every day where he tore skin, or whatever, then damn weren't they in a relationship??? Did they not take couple pictures? Wouldn't these pictures show the obviously horrible bitemarks? That is the first actual physical evidence that she could show that would be so easy to solidify her stance, but no, just hearsay. And nothing like texts either! Maybe a text to a friend complaining about how bad the bitemarks are. But no, nothing. No slideshow of evidence at all, just saying it happened, because words are all she needs to win the internet nowadays.
And then there are her complaints about him financially taking advantage of her, like girl, receipts! Show the receipts at least please, god damn it! Or again, these supposed texts to your girlfriends that he is taking financial advantage of you!!! Anything at all. The male accused is always expected to provide evidence that he did not abuse his ex but the girl isn't expected to show physical evidence that he did it, come on!!!
And I mean the biting in itself is so strange too. Cause like- how did it even start? She says he did it out of nowhere and my brain cant even wrap around that there was no pinpointing starting point. Said that it was a normal affection thing that his parents said was normal. If his family actually said that at all. And that he just randomly introduced it to her like ... Huh? Nothing she could accurately point to and say then, thats when it began. No sexy time or sex or whenever. Just he walked up to her in the kitchen one day and took a bite, huh? Like as far as im aware, to me (and a mutual of mine who pointed this out more accurately) their situation just sounds like a bdsm thing that went south. These two were not on the same wavelength, realized that and went their separate ways. Maybe he didn't follow the safe word every time, maybe she was also mutually into it like Wilbur said. Maybe they just changed their minds on things. Who knows! Not us, that's for sure. Not that their love life should be any of our business, but she yelled abuse so...
And the fact that she acts like biting is such a weird foreign kink. It's tame is what it is. More tame then the feet kinks in my opinion. But if what Wilbur says it's true and it was mutual, 😮‍💨 then fuck, man.
And why would HIM leaking past conversation be power over her? Wouldn't any mutual conversation or evidence they have over each other, negatively effect him in a bad light? Would it not be good if one of these parties showcased a lick of evidence to evidentally prove her right??? Or would it be like Cellbit and explain thoroughly how not everything she said is the truth?
Who knows. There is probably some truth to what she said like he reiterated. About being a slob and that biting happened. But the invasiveness of the bites and the violence of it might not have been accurate. But he needs to absolutely admit it or she needs literally any physical evidence at all to give weight to her claims. But there is nothing because of course there isn't. She could so easily expose him if what she says is true... So why didn't she in her video? If that is what she wants? But then if it is just to bring awareness then she did so in a selfish manner that is only accusatory and not grounded. Ground me Shelby. Show me the bad boyfriend he is. SHOW ME.
But she won't. Will she? :/
Anyway. The qsmp. 👏👏👏👏👏
Like in the past two months, creators have been cancelled or dropped from the qsmp one by one and damn, quackity must be super evil or one unlucky son of a bitch to have hired all these secretly maliscious people. My goodness gravy gracious, how impressive!
I mean come on, really. Like really. Have we not overheard this tune by now? Male creator gets cancelled cause of something to do with a woman, is rushed to answer and is (luckily for cellbit he had an essay on why he was innocent so people are fifty fifty on him at least) then dogpiled by the people waiting to rip his apology or response apart. And then it doesn't matter what they do, anything they do will be seen in a bad light and no one will take into consideration on their stance at all and turn on the male creator. Its crazy how the pattern keeps repeating itself and keeps being successful because everyone is afraid that they are supporting an abuser pedo whatever and have all this time.
It actually makes me sickly relieved that no matter how Forever managed his initial response, he was doomed from the start.
And i mean these younger streamers certainly think they're smart by immediately turning on Wilbur's obviously curated damage control lawyer made response, but ha! That will bite them in the ass soon too. When its their turn. Because its going to be their turn. These cancellers don't care at this point who you are, they just want to see you fall, which is what i predicted and shouted to the heavens months ago! That they should have stayed as a community instead of turning on each other.
Like they think they are so smart responding this quickly, cause the quicker your response to injustice, the more innocent you are 😇. Because if they dont respond immediately (literally hours after the fact), then they will be treated like creators such as Phil and Tommy; be treated like shit and accused for supporting an abuser by the hysterical masses. Because that's who you are if you are against whatever the ex's name is or dont speak up about it at all. And like dont speak up immediately too. You have to have a quick response or there will literally be a ripple effect of cancellations cause if you dont say anything then you are a bad person too. And all i hear from the social media smucks are Wahhhhhh.wahhhhhhhh you're bad if you support so and so! But i already made my side so im a good person wahhhhhhhh
And no, im not even enteraining shit like this anymore when she goes "uwu, i'm finally coming out on social media to spread awareness that my famous ex boyfriend (and it is ALWAYS at the height of their popularity, remember that) used to abuse and bruise me." Like sure- the benefit of doubt for the female victim blah blah but she's like- "oh but this is based on my experience and I'm just here to spread awareness. Anyway, I'm going to hang out with my friends now after dumping that clusterfuck on the internet. Bye~." Like everyone in their collective minds won't go after him and demand answers then judge his response and then turn on him anyways cause lemme be honest, when has an internet open apology ever worked? It never has. And now she has put the spotlight on him, his pr team is scrambling for an escape, he's probably messaging her behind the scenes going what the hell, and his family and friends who wont actively denounce him will be sent death threats. Just like Forever. Forever mi amor. Ah. I miss you bibi.
Anyway, girlie knew she was setting the hounds on him and acted like she didnt. Like she was just going to say her piece and dip. Like the internet wasn't going to explode. Like what the fuck? Whatever her intentions were, whether she was abused or not, she wanted this. She didnt want to get him before he got famous or even during dsmp. She wanted to do this now. For some reason it had to be now. I guess in her mind the bigger they are...
It's always the same.... goes on social media. Verbally accused with no physical evidence. Leaves. The man is left flounder in the mob of social media. Repeat.
And damn, this really makes me doubt Cellbit's ex now like- im starting to really not believe any of them anymore. Cause these cancellations are just all so convientely timed!!! Forever at the height of his lore, Cellbit's weird ex comes out of nowhere with a heavy hitter accusation, but thankfully my guy predicts this and was able to deflect that one with his PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, and now Wilbur's ex is breaking out the easy 'he abused me~' song. Like why are you all still falling for this? Why? Why? Why? Why?!
And hell, i might be a hundred percent wrong, but you might be too, so might aimsey and ranboo and tubbo. This chick might be a sweet angel that didnt mean to release an innocent criminal accusation on her famous ex, oh no~ but like, i dont even care if im wrong and am acting like a jackass.
They cancelled Forever and my man was not a pedo. I stand by that. I'll stand by it until there is a literal mugshot of him commiting said crime. Or literally any lick or shroud of physical evidence! Anything instead of the basic she said he said nonsense. The Forever texts were gross but i've already determined what I have understood from that girl Sol's response. And I've explained it on my tumblr hear before. Right here :)
-https://www.tumblr.com/lovethatmakingcoffee/739974345599926272/part-1
And these remaining qsmp idiots can be cancelled for all i care at this point. For staying quiet and letting their friend fall into a pit of vipers. I think its hilarious if they all got cancelled. Ive already seperated art from the artist with all of them after what they did to Forever. The only one I didnt do that to WAS Forever.
But they let that shit happen, they let my man get labeled as a pedo, so they reap what they sow.
And yeah i may be a hypocrite and still post qsmp stuff, but like whatever :P. I lost my mind months ago cause of circumstances and Forever was one of the few things keeping me afloat. And i mean like- phaw, these content streamers are funny, what can i say. Even though i dont agree with literally any of the shit they pulled in the last couple of months, they get a hearty chuckle out of me and their character is fun and their lore is (less) interesting. I mean- they are likeable. Thats why they are content creators. Cause they got great personalities. Doesnt mean they are good people though.
And heh, the qsmp really will die soon, i mean really. Just look. Pacfit is cute but it barely holds much in the shipping department, the lore might as well be dead cause many have left or were cancelled or have to deal with the aftermath of their friends being cancelled or leaving. And just it looks like not many people are on and that quackity tried to commercialize it with purgatory 2. Bringing all these new people and having storylines abandoned left and right. Then forever got canceled and quackity chose to throw his friend under the bus (doesnt even matter if forever secretly asked him to) and protect his project which was his first mistake. Now all these creators are getting picked off one by one because of their past relationships. Insteading of standing unified together.
And i will laugh at all of you stupid fucks who whined and cried that ohhh noooo, my favorite creator is a bad person with little evidence, and just the one side talking about it. And it doesnt matter if Wilbur said that was a consensual kink they shared and they met on www.bitemynipple.org, he will be framed as the bad guy, with whatever she said. My god. The fact that everyone takes this shit at face value and dont question anything, and quickly announce that they hate the guy to prove that they are a good person is insane.
Like holy shit, tubbo, ranboo, aimsey, and others. You jumped on him so quickly and literally ranked and ripped apart his apology like it was supposed to win some literary award, the fuck? Why are you so weird?! It's obviously a PR curated response and you are treating it like it is his actual words! The fuck?!
And then y'know, i think there are people who never really were fans and are just part of that well orchestrated alleged anti group that took down Forever and are using what wilbur's ex said to fan the flames. Loudly announcing, 'IM DELETING MY STUFF AND YOU SHOULD TOO UNLESS YOU ARE A BAD PERSON!!!" you want to talk about manipulation? That certainly looks like manipulation to me. Pathetic. Guilting people before the final verdict. My braincells are dead on the floor cause of youm And then the rest of you all roll over, bend your back and just take it. Well lube up your stupid little holes.
But honestly, i called this shit so hard. I more so guessed a fan would damn him later, but its an ex girlfriend who felt like it was a great idea to air out their personal lives to the voyeuristic eye that is the internet. Just peachy. Like this is your own personal shit, and again if there aint even a police report talking about their domestic abuse, i wont take this seriously. It a photo or a screenshot of a text about it. ANYTHING!!!!! The fact she just discreetly brought it up out of nowhere to bring 'awareness'. She knew what she was doing. And if her intentions were to tear him down cause she was angry at him or get her noticed because of his popularity or to use him to lift her agenda of this so called awareness then ok, i guess??????
And what's with this bullshit of not knowing that wilbur is manipulative? That is literally is one of his number one character traits. You can think of it negatively or positively, but unless you are new here, that dude is a manipulative hussy. Like this is a well known fact, how are any of you surprised at this? Its like saying the sky is blue. I mean- if by anything dsmp wilbur is the most manipulative lil bastard ever, obviously he is leaning into a character trait he already knows and has.
But go on, hm, cry. Write your little announcements that you always knew he was a bad person uwu and that you are deleting all your content of him. Go on and do it. Delete your art and fics that you worked so hard on just cause some drama is happening where there is no hard evidence so far except what she said and he said. Heh, I dont stan him. I aint saving this shit. If the art gets deleted, oh well! Too bad, so sad. Thats on all of you who wanted to panic, act out like toddlers and delete your art. Go on. Delete it. Feel sad. Boohoo. Waaaaaaaahhhh. Ask no questions and just side with the 'victim' who conveniently brings this up now.
Who knows. Maybe I'll act up too. Maybe i'll draw Wilbur getting eaten out and bitten and sensually gang banged. Maybe I'll draw art of tntduo chewing on each others' cocks. Bite bite bite. Maybe I'll just make a lot of wilbur biting art just to spite everyone. Who knows?!
Maybe i will also keep the wilbur soot tag alive, like i am doing with the forever, sugarduo, and the 4halo tag. Because you stupid ass bitches just squeal when these creators arent perfect when someone drops dirt on them. Well newsflash you dumb fucks, they all have dirt on them.
Also my next guess on who the cancel qsmp victim will be ... Fit. They havent got anything on Philza yet to my surprise. Maybe the man just surrounds himself with loyal people outside of minecraft server cause obvs those people aint loyal as shit 🤣. And i dont know much about fit outside of qsmp, like i feel a lot of us do. But he totally fits the qualifications. He's a man so he's an easy target. He's older so he has a 'past tm. And he is seen as otherwise good and another pillar of the qsmp. So if he is taken down, many shall follow. It would be another good shock to the community to destroy the server like these antis want. And yeah- i actually think this all stems around the qsmp. Aint no other Minecraft servers are having this level of drama right now, so why is it qsmp that are getting all these leaks and drama bombs at ... At the height of their popularity? I wonder. Or maybe i already know.
But all these pr disaster drama landmines, i even made a funny theory joke in my head that what if the ringleader to these alleged anti groups is actually a pr manager of one of these groups? And thats how they have been destroying everyone from the inside, collecting some OLD dirt, and being able to maybe connect or approach these exs. But that's just a funny theory i have. Like could you imagine???
Could you imagine?
And damn, i just wonder if there is a content creator policy that if one of them is being attacked than the rest have to dogpile on them no matter how they feel or what they think about the situation to save their own assets and finances? Do you think? You think that's in their contract? That would be absurd and hilarious. Imma piss myself from laughing. Look piss.
And no, i will not talk nicely about this. I never should have. You guys all deserve to be spat on and talked shit to. And i mean all. Im talking about everyone. All those that fall hook line and sinker. Dumbfucks
Will i respond to anything from this...? Mm maybe. Probably not. I don't really care what happens :P sucks to suck
(Also yeah this was barely edited, eat my ass)
(And I mean, damn if I'm wrong I'm wrong, but you fucks turn so quick when yeah- there is no physical evidence that she could easily provide)
(to reiterate for those who don't want to read the finer details. I totally think everything that has happened so far as been to rip apart the qsmp and think all these ex girlfriends as well are too conveniently timed. And whether or not they are telling the truth, there are and will always be antis lying in wait to shame and guilt everyone to damn the male accused while no physical evidence is brought forth and that they pressure people to delete their art and fics. Gross)
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txttabloid · 6 months ago
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Hiii wanted to ask about that au comic you made where Khan also dies and so Doll has to take care of the sobbing purple toddler
Is there more of it. Pretty please
Asking anonymously bc anxiety strikes again‼️
Oh you’re just in luck because I am in the process of rebooting it all 8 pages boarded out and refs made. Should be latest released by mid August but aiming for beginning of august because art fight.
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Here are some refs I use for this rebooted au. Same presence just have a little bit more things fleshed out this time. Thanks for the ask
Edit: Made the comic
Edit: discord server is now open here it is
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sniksnak-sad-blog · 2 months ago
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why not the most pressing topic
(be warned, armchair phycology inbound)
oh Pansear highlight of this community (past tense) they made amazing things, such as the kiss me kill me map, their comics period, and left an empty wasteland in their leave.
God what a fucking mess, they closed off there final message, leaving the rumors to run rampant only for the source to let the blame fall a step down the chain.
I dont blame Azriel, i find it hard to do that, they are just a minor, just like me. They take just as much responsibility as us, the spread it without fact checking, you know who else did that? And they had an excuse, mental health and a particular distain for our long gone friend. (Witch mind you in fact is totally justified, they where the one wronged by Pansear, its up to morals for us to forgive Pan, but Azriel is under no such obligation.) And hey, look at that, the internet beat the shit out of them, doing exactly as I expected and not thinking a single intelligent thought.
Speaking of which I need to real quick give some sympathy to those poor bastards I just insulted. excuse me if this might get long, but I find it eager to attempt an understanding for each party in this shit show:
You, a young teen, have looked up to a famous artist for making works that you personally relate to. You follow them religiously watch there every step and treat them like a king, their word is law. You have had their work lift you, help you though the days where it just doesn't feel like you can make it. You might even find someone who kept fighting on because of that work, it might have saved someone's life.
one day you wake up to find a post, something about how pansear is a pedophile, about how they support grooming, about how they are a bitch and deserve to rot in hell. Well, you might have seen that last part, I'm sure it was out there some where. Needless to say you were devastated, it was now dangerous to even support this person you loved, and had helped you though maybe even your darkest times.
It's a hit, but you survive, Pansear assures you of that. They continue to post, they seem pretty down, and you feel very down, the whole situation tugs on your mind, not all the time, but in the late hours of the night, where instead of sleeping, you think, you think about how it all could have gone better.
then tragedy strikes again, something far more conclusive, the claims previously put out now spread like open flame, lit by the gasoline of 4 screenshots.
it hurts, it hurts a fucking lot, you cry, you cry a fucking lot. Worse, Pansear isn't here to defend them self, they left, Pansear left. If it was harder to ignore, now its impossible, you cant focus, you cant even talk about it, then you would be "defending Pansear."
that would hurt, that would hurt a fucking lot. And you have not choice but to let this rage simmer for about 2 weeks, and after that time.
you find reason to let it boil over. Who could blame you, no where to put this stress, no where to put this anger, you go to whoever you can, and (for lack of a better term) beat the shit out of them.
excuse my writing, i got a habit of that. but i should clarify, i was not there, this is a prediction of how i would have reacted if i where a bit farther down the rabbit whole. I know Pansear was popular, it gives me reason to believe that this might be a common experience. Or perhaps it was different. Perhaps for some they had a server, a place to talk about there feelings without judgement, where they could prosses loss. (i know by way of my self that this might have been the first time someone truly lost someone else)
So take that story with a grain of salt, but i do find it rather important to ask you, why? Why did we have to be so cruel to each other, could we not have taken a step back and realize that name calling and death threats only made things worse.
There is a reason, even for the most extreme situations, that someone says "do not harass anyone." When did we forget that?
I should clarify, I'm not sure how the fandom as a whole responded, I'm not on twitter (GTFO of there if you are) and where I am on tumblr, it was not common mention. I've reason to believe that the story is not entirely of my mind alone, simply because with size it becomes harder and harder to not have one of each person.
i think this will be my first rant, i have only spoken on one of the things i want to talk about i have thought a lot about this, in the dead of night. i dont think ill forget this, but i will chose to remember this as something positive, what ever positivity i can get out of it.
to anyone out there reading this i think its important to let you know what i believe is the final message sent in Pansear's discord server, not the emote ones but the forest.
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to anyone struggling out there, remember, Pansear believed in you. i take solace in this message, you should too.
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devil-doll13 · 1 year ago
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Some House of Wax/Sinclair Brothers Headcanons I’ve had in my head that I’ve already shared w the server but… The rest of the world deserves to know.
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Related to gif, Vincent is the ‘medical expert’ of the house solely because he’s the one who knows the human body/first aid the best. I mean, in the movie we see him stitching up those wounds on what’s-his-face pretty neatly, right? This is also part of the reason why he automatically reaches for Bo during this scene.
Given his birth date was sniffed out by fans before me (1970) and this man looks like he’s a cosplayer sometimes, I truly believe Bo idolised Elvis Presley as a kid, and maybe a bit as an adult as well. He still enjoys listening to rock n’ roll from that era when he’s in a good mood. When he’s in a bad mood, or doing his business™️ in his sex dungeon/basement, that’s when the Marilyn Manson comes on.
All of them have had an alt phase of some sort. For Vincent it was goth, for Bo it was rivethead/industrial rock and for Lester it was grunge.
Les is also down bad fucking horrendous for alt people in general. Yes, he has magazines stuffed down his sofa, yes, they used to be Bo’s.
Bo is allergic to nuts. He also gets really nasty hay fever. I also think possibly him having sensory issues/picky eater could’ve led to meltdowns as we see in the opening. And really, it’s the 1970s/80s do you expect his parents to understand or sympathise?
In contrast, Lester has the constitution of a Greek god somehow and has probably eaten some absolutely vile shit as a kid.
I know most people interpret Vince as sweet and shy but… While I do think he’s more measured and withdrawn compared to Bo, I also think being the ‘favourite’ in terms of being Trudy’s little art prodigy contributed to a sort of spoilt brattiness esp as a kid. (Exhibit A: The ‘Bo Sux’ fridge art in the opening) As an adult, there’s still a sense of entitlement to him. What I’m saying is that he’s an insufferable art nerd lol. He definitely isn’t toothless and his arguments with Bo aren’t necessarily one-sided, he’s just capable of ignoring him when he wants to; he’s used to his twin, after all. While I do think he’s capable of being soft, don’t forget this man killed a woman in cold blood and recorded it. I also think he can get snippy enough during arguments to combat Bo’s generally sharp tongue.
Speaking of which, everyone in the (surviving) family knows ASL. It’s necessary when communicating with Vincent.
Again with how prolific a killer Vincent is, I suspect he may be the one who does the most murder out of all of them. Bo is the handsome ‘face’ of Ambrose, and Vincent is right under the seedy underbelly with a knife, ready to spill guts (and then sew it up again once he’s got them in the workshop). Lester is similar to Bo in that he mostly just guides people toward the town, but I do think he gets his own notions sometimes.
From a more x reader perspective, Bo strikes me as a man who’s most charming when he’s not trying to be. Of course he can put on an act for victims/tourists, but those are just empty words, y’know? Also, has a kinda cheesy side.
I know everyone has Jonesy as Lester’s dog but… I think she’s really Vincent’s. In the movie, she’s always seen with Vin or in the house of wax itself, it’s only when he dies that she goes to Lester. I actually think Les is a cat person (tell me he wouldn’t actually encourage their hunting habits for his own personal collection…) while Vin is a dog person. Also, hot take I think Bo loves snakes and reptiles.
Given that the House of Wax and Ambrose itself is a big ol’ art project, and we’ve seen the state of the church (permanently in the middle of dead ass crusty Trudy’s funeral) I think there may be a sort of difficulty letting go of their past in the brothers, maybe some hoarding as well (I mean we haven’t even seen some of the other houses in Ambrose but this is just speculation). We get the sense that Ambrose is a place where time stands still, forever, until its conservationists finally die. Idk I’m talking out my ass here
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shadowgast-recs-weekly · 7 months ago
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Dark Fics: A Shadowgast Rec List
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This week, we have nine fics that have some darker depictions of Shadowgast - dubcon, noncon, violence, and more. Mind the tags this week - and if you like them, comment and kudos!
Mirror-Colored by aboxthecolourofheartache (3668, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: There's no Shadowgast endgame. They care for each other, but we kind of see their chance for a deeper connection crash and burn (to their own despair).
From the tags: Emotional Manipulation, Trust Issues, it wouldn't hurt if it weren't real, two emotionally wounded sharks circling
Reccer says: The angst hurts so good! I found this through the Manipulation tag, and it hit my very specific narrative kink of characters using their genuine feelings in a manipulative, calculated way.
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Hard Mouth by road_rhythm (72167, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn
There's something in Caleb's dreams. It wants him to know that he's not alone. It wants him to know that he'll never be alone again. Elves don't dream, so all Essek can do is watch.
Reccer says: A classic for a reason - gripping and dark and tense, with amazing prose.
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fulcrum by saturdaysky (2317, Mature) Reccer's Content Notes: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Torture, Hurt No Comfort
Caleb does not make it free at the end of the Vergessen heist. Trent offers him a choice.
Reccer says: It's a thoroughly blended Caleb smoothie (and Essek is having a bad time too)
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Unwise by verynotokay (13521, Mature) Reccer's Content Notes: Dubcon/Consensual Non Consent
In which Caleb and Essek are constantly doing fake-out betrayals to each other because mortal danger is sexy
Reccer says: Lots of power exchange, lots of ill-advised and severely under-negotiated kink that they're both in to
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zwiefacher by VillainIHaveDoneThyMother (118171, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn, Rape/Non-con, Dubcon/Consensual Non Consent, Memory manipulation
Bren meets a drow that the martinet is keeping in his towers for the first time, without knowing they have met many times before
Reccer says: The memory manipulation and gaslighting from Bren's perspective is written beautifully, with the whole situation and Essek's view of it being so wonderfully messed up
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Lacking in outcomes by mariadperiad20 (41886, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-con
Caleb wakes up to Essek terrified of him and the nein hating him
Reccer says: Essek's actions are heartbreaking and so lovely and the twist had me so shocked in the best way
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You can have my absence of faith by Anonymous (87745, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Dubcon/Consensual Non Consent, Male Pregnancy
Caleb finds out about Essek's old fantasies of being forced to carry eggs by a half drider, they decide to roleplay it using polymorph
Reccer says: The mix of filth and tender domesticity really make this fic! The contrast between Caleb as the drider and as the farmer is so fun
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a moth-to-flame, helpless by Anonymous (3424, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Rape/Non-con, Omegaverse, Non-consentual drug use
Essek is an accomplished dunamancer and the most sought-after bachelor in the kingdom. Volstrucker Bren goes to extremes to extract his secrets.
Reccer says: Unfinished, but the first chapter is hot
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Used and Forgotten Goods by LessAttitudeMoreAltitude (25012, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Rape/Non-con, Dubcon/Consensual Non Consent
An AU where Trent gets to fuck Caleb up even more. And then Essek finds him while in hiding and tries to help him (with very mixed success)
Reccer says: It hits hard. It's a fucking YIKES but the characterization really strikes the chord of "everyone trying their best" and "miscommunication for the worst"
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Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week, we’ll be back with a little more comfort with the hurt/comfort: Tending to Each Other's Wounds!
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leafofkudzu · 2 years ago
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Slightly delayed posting this, but hello again! The first Saturday of a new month fast approaches, which means it’s soon time for yet another community art party hosted by [VS] Verdant Shield! Last week I ran our first ever location-selection poll, and the winner by just a teensy margin was The Grove, so let’s try out a new location in the same map!
For those not in the loop about what an art party is, they’re an idea carried over from Final Fantasy XIV - big (or small!) get-togethers for artists/writers/creatives of all kinds to hang out, chat, and create together! Get your most eye-catching outfit together, find someone else who strikes your fancy, and create! Afterwards, everyone shares their creations on social media (mostly here on Tumblr for us) using a party-specific tag (ours is #VSArtParty) so others can see and spread the love around via reblogs! The tl;dr is the same thing I’ve been saying every time I make these posts, and will continue to say ad infinitum: the ‘goal’ of an art party isn’t to be drawn, but to draw others, and share with the community!
General party details are in the image above, but a text version with some additional details such as /squadjoin information is under the cut!
Location Details:
The last time we were in the Grove we tried Dawngleam Pergola as a location, but it very quickly overflowed during the NA party and has as such been disqualified from future large-scale events (sorry!). The Omphalos Chamber (aka the place where you go to visit the Avatar of the Pale Tree) is also limited in size, but is easily spilled out of onto the main floor immediately below it should the need arise (which it very well may). The closest waypoint is Upper Commons Waypoint, and the easiest way up to the uninstanced Chamber would be via a mount such as a springer or skyscale, but you can also use a teleport-to-friend or just kinda yell in an upwards direction to summon a helpful portal-bearer should the need arise. The map looks a little weird when viewed from Chamber-level, but here’s a screenshot just in case you aren’t familiar. If you still aren’t sure, just go the middle of the top floor and look up!
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Time & Squad Details:
As always, the party will consist of two separate events, with an hour break in between (though technically people jump from one to the other immediately anyway so weee).
The first party will be on EU servers and begin at 9pm Central European Summer Time (aka 3pm Eastern Daylight Time or 5 hours before in-game reset). I’ll be hosting on my EU alt account, so to join either /squadjoin or whisper Aemryn of Dusk for an invite.
The second party will be on NA servers and begin at 7pm Eastern Daylight Time (aka 1am Central European Summer Time or 1 hour before in-game reset). This one I’ll be hosting on my main account, so to join either /squadjoin or whisper Kirslyn for an invite.
IMPORTANT NOTE (mostly for the NA party): If you join and the squad is at or above 45 members, please just taxi into the right map and then hop out of squad to allow others to do the same! Essentially all conversation now happens in say chat so you won’t miss out on anything by being outside of squad!
Closing Words:
For those who missed it, a week ago I posted a poll in the party tag where people could vote on one of the five main cities as a party location, with the promise that I’d select a location different from the previous party held in that map for whichever won. Going forward this will be the general format, with the poll going up 2 weeks before and the announcement 1 week before (yes I know this one is delayed I’m sorry D:). If you have suggestions for locations outside of the racial cities that are low/no combat and wouldn’t interfere with events/metas, feel free to DM me and I’ll scope them out for possible inclusion in future polls!
Anyway, that’s all for now! Sorry if I worried anyone by not having this posted back on Saturday - I had some irl stuff going on that delayed me a bit. Thank you so much to everyone who comes out to these and helps make them so memorable and fun, I can’t wait to see you all again soon! ♥
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alterchaos · 1 month ago
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A POINTLESS WAR
(cw: written blood/gore, intense violence, body horror)
Purpose...it's what drives us to do incredible things...but what happens when that purpose proves to be built on false assumptions? Maybe we aren't all so different after all...
PREVIOUS CHAPTER: ZELKOVA STRIKES BACK
NEXT CHAPTER: REGROUP
The fox and the Metarex lord stared each other down through their respective ship windows, neither willing to yield against the other.
“Chris.”
“Yeah?”
“Are they out of range?”
The scientist smiled, “They are now, captain.”
“And Zelkova didn’t see them leave?”
“No. It doesn’t look like it.”
“Good.”
The flight deck fell silent for a moment.
“Listen…if anyone else wants to go-”
Amy stood up from her console with a confident smile, “Not a chance! You’re stuck with me no matter what!”
Knuckles smiled as well, “Me too!”
Chris nodded, “We all know the risks. Besides…” He winked knowingly, “...this was to protect Sonic wasn’t it?”
Tails jolted, “Huh!? How did you-”
The human smiled, “Same as you. I had a feeling about where that message was going, which is why I blocked it when I did. If Sonic had heard that last part…”
The fox’s eyes grew worried, “Yeah…I know what you mean…”
Zelkova…he was out for revenge…
…revenge…against Sonic…
Though he didn’t want to think about it, he had a nagging suspicion about what really happened back on the evil scientist’s base. It made too much sense…the corrupted energy…Eve’s burns…
The ashes surrounding him…
There was no doubt in Tails’s mind that his brother would have offered himself up had he pieced those facts together. He was too broken mentally after everything that happened and wasn’t thinking straight. Nobody needed the IQ of a genius to know that much. Had it come to that, there would have been no stopping him.
That was why, even if it tore him apart inside, he had to send him away.
Even if it meant goodbye…
Forever…
Tails wiped his tears fully dry and pulled back one of his levers, forcing the thrusters to oppose the Metarex ship at maximum drive with newfound determination, “Enough of that! Knuckles, it’s all on you now!”
“Roger that, Little Brother!” With that, the echidna raced from the scene towards the engine chamber.
The fox pressed a few more buttons, “Chris, start launching our frontal attack! Amy, aim for the rear! On my signal, Chris, release the communications block. With his emotions high, we can maybe play Zelkova right into our hands and further distract him.”
“On your mark, Captain…”
The ship shook some more from the excessive force of the tractor beam.
The weapons were launched.
BOOM!
“NOW!!!”
beep
The golden Metarex lord appeared on the screen once more, shaking with rage as he stared down the young captain, “WHERE IS HE!!!??”
“...”
Zelkova slammed his fist down on the side of his control panel as a few more missiles hit, “WHERE IS THE BASTARD THAT KILLED NARCISSUS!!!??”
“Heh.” Tails grinned in a cocky manner, “Why don’t you tear this ship apart and find out for yourself?”
“RRRRRRRRGHHHHH!!!!!”
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
“Or is it that you’re too scared to face us head on again after that dent we gave you last time…”
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!!!!!” The vengeful warrior thrust his control stick to its maximum position, pushing the beam’s force to its limits and dragging the Blue Typhoon down further despite its resistance, “I’M NOT AFRAID OF ANY OF YOU!!!!!”
The ship continued to shake, creaking slightly from the strain.
BOOM!
“I WILL KILL HIM!!!! NO!!!! I WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!!!!”
The ship’s sirens began wailing once more as red lights began to flash. Tails began to sweat. Crap! The engine couldn’t take much more without tearing the ship apart! 
He tapped his wrist communicator to call Knuckles, “Hey!! Any time now!!”
The echidna raced up the steps of the makeshift emerald altar, “I’m working on it!!!” He reached the top, praying to chaos for extra strength in the fight at hand, “The servers are the seven chaos…”
The gem began to glow.
All systems’ outputs were boosted.
“DIVERT ALL POWER NOW!!!!”
The weapons stopped firing as the power canon roared to life.
Tails smiled.
“NOW YOU ALL WILL DIIIIEEEEEE!!!!”
vreeeeeeeeeee
Tails flicked open the hidden button’s cover atop his control stick.
“Sorry, Zelkova! This ends HERE!!!”
He clicked it.
shooooom!!!
CRASH!!!
BOOOOM!!!!
The energy from the laser blasted a giant hole through the Metarex ship’s center, destroying the engine and half of Zelkova’s controls in its wake.
His video feed grew staticy, “NO!!!! NONONONONOOOO!!!!” He tried to regain control but it was no use. The fiery planet’s gravitational force was too strong, and what was left of the ship began to be pulled in against his will. 
“Haha! We did it-WOOOAAAHHH!!!”
The Blue Typhoon continued to shake, being dragged down towards the planet as well. Despite half of his systems being offline, Zelkova maintained a solid pull on the ship within his tractor beam. 
Tails gritted his fangs, “WE’RE GOING DOWN!!! BRACE YOURSELVES EVERYONE!!!!”
BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEE-
CRASH!!!
BOOM!!!!
SKRRRTTT!!!!!
THUNK!!!
—----------------------------------------------------------
“N-Nnnngh…”
The young fox’s hand twitched a few times as his eyes slowly fluttered open. Everything was fuzzy, his head spinning from the force of the ship’s impact against the rocky surface. Thankfully, he’d managed to land them in a way that minimized damage to the infrastructure, though the same couldn’t exactly be said for the rest of them. He and Amy had flown from their seats, the latter currently unconscious against a far wall, hammer lying out next to her. Chris was still behind his control panel, though it appeared that he’d hit his head against the console and was knocked out as well. Knuckles was nowhere to be seen, having been with the Master Emerald throughout the entire endeavor. 
Tails coughed a couple times before pushing himself up onto shaky, stumbling legs. He tripped, falling forward onto his knees as he gazed out behind him, his eyes flying wide as he did. 
They’d managed to land safely…
However…
The fiery pits of lava beneath the rocky surface reflected against the cracked glass, illuminating the young fox’s terrified face. 
If…
If they’d landed only a few inches further…
He gulped, backing away frantically as he attempted to push himself onto his feet once more, “I…I-I have to…g-get the systems online…I h-have to-”
BANG!
BANG!
CRASH!!!
Tails gasped as the door to the flight deck flew off its track, Zelkova stepping through. His towering presence frightened the small fox, the terror he felt only heightened by the Metarex lord’s battered state. His armor was dented in various places now, small pieces of his helmet and armor shattered off, revealing a soft, green figure underneath. The exposed eye radiated fury and bloodlust, a stark reminder that the Metarex were, indeed, actual people beneath the suits. 
People with thoughts…
Histories…
Beliefs…
Dreams…
Goals…
Tails stumbled again as the Metarex lord slowly approached, “Z-Zelkova…please…w-we…we can talk this ou-MMPH!!!!”
The towering figure grabbed the fox by the face, lifting him high into the air as he kicked and squirmed. His hand could so easily crush him if he wanted, but no…
Zelkova had other plans.
“Go on…call for your supposed ‘hero’…” He produced a small seed from the palm of his hand, causing Tails to let out a muffled scream as he fought harder to escape, “I want him to watch helplessly as the light fades from your ey-”
“HEY, ZELKOVA!!!!”
The golden-clad Metarex lord turned to face the figure behind him, his exposed eye narrowing with hatred. The echidna marched through the busted doorframe, each stride leaving behind a distinct trail of glittering light. He pounded his fists together in righteous fury, the immense energy blasting off of his prismatic, glowing figure in a threatening gesture. His amethyst eyes danced with small flecks of gold, the echidna sparkling like the light caught in the eye of a rare diamond. He cracked his neck before fixing his eyes once more on the threat before him.
“That’s our captain you’re messing with.”
Zelkova trembled slightly, though he refused to let go of the young fox. He’d been expecting to face the might of the gathered emeralds…but this…this was…something more…
Something…beyond…
“Tsch! You’re not that same echidna I fought last time, are you?”
“That’s right, and I’m going to leave you with a lot more than a small dent and some hurt pride if you don’t let him go…now.”
“...” 
“...”
“...”
Zelkova lunged, ready to force the seed into the young fox’s face. 
Tails screamed.
SHAZAP!
BOOM!
“GUH-!!!”
Without a word, Knuckles teleported before the Metarex lord, blowing his arm clean from his shoulder in a single, controlled chaos blast. The free limb landed before the busted doorway, its golden blood splattering along the walls as it flew.
“GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”
Zelkova dropped the trembling fox as he clutched the bleeding stub where his arm had once been. In a matter of moments, an arrangement of yellow carnations blossomed from the open wound, halting the bleeding in a sort of scab. Tails’s eyes widened at the sight as he recalled his friend’s eye from before.
Zelkova…
The Metarex…
No…
It…It couldn’t be…
They…
They were-
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!! I’LL MAKE YOU PAAAAAY!!!!!” Zelkova pulled his lightning spear from his back, sparking it to life with the power from his armor. He lunged at the hyper-speed echidna, “I’LL MAKE YOU ALL PA-”
SHAZAP!
Knuckles grabbed Zelkova before teleporting him outside the ship and away from where they could cause harm to the others. Tails watched as they flew about the thundering skies of the fiery planet, fighting at speeds unmatched by even Super Sonic’s standards. Each clash shook the heavens, rocking the planet to its very core.
RRRRRRRUMBLEEEEE….
“-!!!??!?”
Tails fell to his stomach as the force of the distant attacks pushed the Blue Typhoon closer and closer towards the edge of the cliff they’d landed beside. The ground shattered underneath, causing the massive ship to start sliding forward towards its magma-infused end. Tails screamed once more, shielding his eyes in his helpless and shaken state.
SHAZAP!
Knuckles appeared at the nose of the ship, gently lifting it from the earth, as if it was no more than a mere feather, and teleporting it over to more stable ground. As he laid it down, he suddenly shook and fell to the ground, his light flickering slightly.
“D-Damn…c-chaos…o-overloa-”
WHAM!
In a single hit from his enemy’s spear, Knuckles was sent careening miles away. Zelkova floated down to the rocky surface, his face now fully visible thanks to his shattered helmet. He resembled Cosmo somewhat: the pale, green skin; the leafy hair; the blossoms for ears…
He held out a hand towards the ship, “N-Now…to…e-end this-”
c-crack
“GNH!!!??”
Zelkova lurched forward suddenly as the gem adorning his chest began to crack slightly. His eyes widened in horror as he dropped his staff, clutching it with everything he had to keep it from shattering.
“N-No…I…I-I can’t-”
SHAZAP!
WHAM!
THUD!
SKIIIID!
Zelkova rolled across the rocky terrain towards the cracked earth as Knuckles punched him once more, his light flickering a bit more erratically than before. The Metarex lord continued to hold his gem as he neared the edge, halting his momentum by digging his armored feet into the earth below. The golden metal cracked a bit more, revealing more of his leafy flesh beneath. He gritted his teeth, quickly producing another seed from the late scientist and throwing it up into the air before grabbing his gem once more. He leapt up, kicking his leg around him and launching the seed at the echidna as he approached.
Dodged.
Knuckles, with Zelkova’s spear in hand, raced up to the Metarex lord for one final confrontation. He deflected the warrior’s flurry of kicks with the weapon, eventually knocking him back hard enough to cause him to stagger. Knuckles then drove the spear into Zelkova’s cape, trapping him along the edge, unable to escape.
Knuckles released a few heavy breaths, “There…Now you can’t chase us anymore…”
The earth rumbled around them.
Zelkova smiled.
“Fine…i-if I can’t win…”
He sweeped his legs underneath Knuckles’s feet, knocking him over before locking his knees around his neck.
“...then none of you can.”
RRRUMBLE…
CRACK!
SHATTER!
Tails watched in horror from the distance as his brother disappeared with Zelkova beyond the rocky cliff.
“KNUCKLLEESSSS!!!!!”
The echidna screamed as he fell, he and Zelkova landing on a small foothold unreached by the surrounding lava. The Metarex lord laughed, a bit of golden, sap-like blood dripping from his lips. He smiled at Knuckles tiredly, still clutching his slowly cracking gem as he sat.
crack
“I…m-may not have taken down Sonic…b-but I hope this can be revenge e-enough…”
Knuckles stood up, the last remnants of the master emerald’s energy fading from his weak, tired figure.
crack
“...brother.”
“Huh?”
Knuckles paused, taking in what Zelkova just said.
“Brother?”
crack
The Metarex lord sighed. It wasn’t as if telling him would matter anyway at this point, “Yes…Narcissus…” He chuckled slightly though with a twinge of regret, “For…F-For all of his faults…he was…s-still my…l-little brother…”
“...” Knuckles’s eyes grew sad.
crack
This caused Zelkova to jolt in embarrassment before turning his face away, “W-Well…it isn’t as if animals like you c-could ever understand…w-what that kind of love t-truly means…”
Knuckles sighed, “...Is that what…Dark Oak told you?”
“W-What of…it?”
crack
Knuckles sat back down beside the Metarex lord, “...You know…that fox back there? He’s my little brother…”
“-!!!”
crack
“I…can’t imagine what it would be like…to lose him like that…” Knuckles looked at his hands, “Us older brothers…even though we want to see them grow…become their own person…it’s our duty to protect our siblings…They look up to us…sometimes even want to be us…and to fail them is just…”
crack
“...”
“It’s unspeakable…”
“...”
“...”
“...”
crack
“I’m sorry, Zelkova…I wish I’d been able to do something for him…for both of you…I really do.”
crack
The large seedrian remained quiet as he watched the lava bubble and slowly rise. Everything he’d just heard, everything Knuckles said, it all went against what he’d been taught.
To love someone like that…
A mere animal…
No.
crack
A person…
One who perhaps wasn’t so different from him after all…
And if that was true…then…
Well…
crack
The seedrian chuckled slightly, smiling tiredly as he leaned his head back, looking up into the starry sky beyond the fiery pits.
“This war…”
“Huh?”
Zelkova released his hand from his gem.
crack
crack
s h a t t e r
Knuckles jolted in fright as large branches began to emerge from the heart where the gem had been, though he was unable to run in his overloaded state. He froze as Zelkova grabbed his hand, smiling with warmth as he did.
“D-Don’t…w-worry…o-our branches…th-they don’t…spread…”
Knuckles’s demeanor softened, “Then…why would you-”
In response, the transforming Seedrian lifted Knuckles to the rocky wall behind him. His hands began to grow into thick, long branches, gently raising the echidna towards the cliff’s edge with care. The emerald guardian’s eyes widened as he reached back out below.
“NO!!! WAIT!!! ZELKOVA, TAKE MY HAND!!!!”
The seedrian slowly shook his head, a small creak from rapidly spreading bark escaping his figure. He looked back up at the echidna, smiling as he forced himself to stand with the last of his energy. He raised his arm higher as roots spread from his feet, planting him firmly on the rocky foothold.
“040…806…”
“What?”
“G-Give your…crreeaakk…b-brother those…cough cough…c-coordinates…crreeak…”
“Zelkova-!”
“G-Go…there…cough crreaakk…e-end this…p-pointless…creeaak…w-wa-r-”
Knuckles was almost at the surface.
“ZELKOVA!!!!”
The tree-like seedrian smiled once more as his voice gave out, a few small branches escaping his lips. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate with peace as he grew still.
Brother…maybe we can find happiness…together…in the next life…
Knuckles reached the cliff’s top, pulling himself to safety as he looked back down on his hands and knees at the fully grown tree below in distress. 
“ZELKOVA!!!!”
There was no response.
“H-Hang on, Zelkova!! I-I’ll get help!! Then we can find a way to turn you ba-”
FWOOSH!
Too late.
Knuckles watched in horror as the lava reached the foothold, the wood immediately catching fire throughout what was once the body of the great Metarex lord.
“ZELKOVAAAAAAA!!!!!!”
All he could do in that moment was watch helplessly as the lifeless tree burned like that of its former brother, he whose life was stolen by the warrior as free as the wind upon which its ashes now flew.
CHAPTER END
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fazball · 1 month ago
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I want to talk about fights in Unstable Universe! How they work both within the story and from the perspective of a group of people simply playing a part. Before I start I do want to note that despite being really into the game almost since release I am not exceptional at any aspect of the game and that includes things like PvP which I will be talking about in this post, so I may miss something or not fully understand something.
I want to start with the fact that when a fight happens they don't actually want to kill anyone who is not supposed to die, they are simply telling a story, but they are still using actual fighting strategies and their own personal skill is accounted for as well. They use potions, cobwebs, ender pearls, and many things that the average player (as in someone who is not a PvPer) would never even think of. When I first started watching I was baffled by the idea of holding onto stacks of XP bottles to heal your armor mid-fight. And when there is someone meant to be a powerful force they make sure to either choose someone who is exceptionally good at PvP (like Clown) or they have so many people dogpile the person they're fighting that it's almost impossible to win (like Zam or Ashswag). With Zam and Ash its not completely based on dogpiling as they do have higher ranked fighters, like Zam with FlameFrags and Ash with MinuteTech, but most of the time their teams are dependant on dogpiles.
So how do they determine a winner if not by death? It's all based on whose materials can last the longest and who has to run first. By materials I mean literally everything, totems, gapples, armor, pearls, sometimes even rockets. Of course with it being rp we don't fully know if the intent is actually to get someone so incredibly low multiple times OR if that just happens bc the fight is just supposed to last that long. I think my favorite example of this is in Parrot's "It's Impossible to Find this Player," specifically the fight with Boofser, Kier, and Dev. They so obviously lost, almost all of their armor had broken and they literally flew away multiple times just to come back then fly away again because their armor and gaps could not keep up with the damage. Another example I like is from Spoke's "I Got Hunted by the Minecraft Mafia" where he tries to fight the mafia with MinuteTech, realizes this is not a fight he can win and has fly off. Actually this is seen with all 3 POVs, a lot of the time they have to run instead of actually fighting so it simply becomes a situation where they fight, fly off to try and lose them, dig underground, and repeat. It goes differently in Wemmbu's "The Minecraft Empire War" where him and Zam both lost almost all their items, all their armor was breaking neither of them had anymore XP, they had both run out of rockets by then and I truly think the only reason one of them isn't dead is because of Clown stepping in.
Final notes and comments! I have such a terrible memory so i'm sorry if I got anything wrong, it's not my fault :(. When I was talking about XP bottles I used LifeSteal as an example since I don't watch any other PvP series or creators, but since i'm not caught up at all, nor do i interact with the community, i'm not sure if I should consider LS a reliable source for PvP info. I know it's become a rp-ish server as well, but as far as i'm aware they are actually intending to kill/get someone off the server during fights. If anyone would like to correct me on that feel free! And yes, I am aware that Zam had apologized to Wemmbu before Clown stepped in, but I truly don't think he meant it. Maybe he did in the moment, but I feel justified to think it wasn't 100% honest as once they got into the prison Zam immediately tried to kill Wemmbu again. You could try to excuse it with the fact that this was a dire situation and he was distressed, but not once has Wemmbu been the one to strike first. He is simply not a reliable person, especially in relation to Wemmbu. I'm not sure why I wrote this honestly, anyone who's watched UU probably knows this and anyone who hasn't seen UU probably doesn't want to. Maybe i'll send this to an oomf and lure them in.
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skaterfc · 9 months ago
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Ooo what’s Niki up to in your rewrite? Does she still join the syndicate?
How perfect to follow the Jack Manifold question!! :D
Yes, she still joins the Syndicate, and the Syndicate even has a bigger cast of members this time around! But eventually, in the epilogue of the story basically, she sort of retires from the syndicate and goes to live in Snowchester.
At first, in her Team Rocket mindset and her post-doomday mental heath crisis, joining the syndicate is great for her mental health. Having people to rely on and that listen to her is really important to her and really helps this first stage of her character growth! She is still working on her underground city underneath Kinoko Kingdom with the hopes that one day all her friends will come down to live there with her. (i especially wanna say that this is totally a metaphor, at least in my version, for her wishing that people could be there with her in her bad mental state she could have people to relate to. But as a consequence would have the other people's mental health suffering as well. the best thing for her would be to leave the underground, but she couldn't see herself doing that, leaving to live with the syndicate. After all, when you are in the depths of depression and mental health crisis, you can't see a world where you are ever out of it).
Niki DOES NOT help to free Dream from prison. In fact the syndicate has no involvement with Dream's prison breakout, thats all Punz and Enderwalk!Ranboo. Then once dream does break out, as I said in the last post, he gets up to some SHIT and the server decides to form a rebellion to strike back at him!
When the syndicate allies with the Rebellion to take down dream, she moves into the underground area the rebellion is stationed out of. A side effect of this being that now she is constantly around the people that she sort of hates and used to be her best friends back in L'manburg. But this tight nit community, being around these people constantly, actually is the next big step to her healing arc. Where she is reminded that what she was searching for all this time was the community and sense of belonging that L'manburg gave her. In fact, this experience of her reconnecting with Tommy, Tubbo, Fundy, Eret, and even cWilbur, encourages her to show some of the newer members who never got to see Golden-Age L'manburg what it was really like. This changes their perspectives becuase they always thought it was either like new L'manburg or worse and they never understood why these guys had so much devotion to it. But now they do! She also starts up a little bakery shop in this underground area and works to expand and decorate it to make it feel more home-y.
She's then later involved in 2 major battles against dream, as well as the final fight! And like I said, after the whole thing is said and done, She goes to live in snowchester with Tubbo, Jack and Puffy. (oh yeah, she's still dating puffy! though they prolly had some rocky moments with everything going on) To help once again foster that sense of community and be around people that care about her. She doesn't quit being apart of the syndicate though.
Thank you so much for the question!! Love getting to put my character knowledge to the works! If you think there is anything aggressively ooc in here, let me know! the rewrite is not technically finished yet and I want to make sure everything is sound as can be!
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