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kirbybecomesastarwarrior · 8 months ago

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Lady Celestine: Navigator of the Constellations:

The Forgotten Hero of Yore

The Merlyn of the KBASW (AU) & the love of Arthur's life.

Just to be clear Merlyn & Celestine are the same person it's just her disguise when she goes out.

For: @kirbyoctournament

Character Overview/Personality: She's the combination of Merlin from Disney's Sword & the Stone, Queen Eclipsa from SVTFW, Willy Wonka from (Wonka 2023 ), and Merlin from (the 2008 TV series).

She's an optimist... many of her peers mistake it for being naivety but in reality she's well aware of the darkness in the world... she sees it every day with her powers. Since seeing so many terrible things in the future she treasures the present and is always grateful for the things she enjoys in the now. (Also there's another reason for this....)

And finds the joy in the darkest of times...

She likes to be overly prepared... And tend to keep (*hoard) things they might need... Often tends to hold things she doesn't really need. With Arthus side eying her "You really need to keep that."

"Don't look at me like that Wart... WE MAY NEED THIS HARPOON ONE DAY WHO KNOWS & YOU'LL THANK ME LATER !" *proceeds to carry bloody harpoon home... with Arthur facepalming himself*

They actually did end up using that harpoon 3 months later & Celestine rubbed it in Arthur's face for an entire week. This constant hoarding led her to the first iteration of the Dimensional Cape, which started as a dimensional bag to store all her stuff. (LMAO).

This brings me to Celestine's wisdom & sass: similar to Merlin (the series & Disney) is filled with cleverness & comebacks. When she's doing her diplomatic work and out and about she knows how to do it "gracefully."But when she transforms into Merlyn, she lets loose exactly how Merlin is when he becomes Dragoon. Has no filter and becomes a chaotic old man throwing shade left & right

She hates' cursing so as resulting in hilarious, nonsensical words to place them: Fiddle sticks, biscuits, sweet butter crumpets, etc ~

Her future sight has made her a very empathic person... knowing the suffering of others in her visions. Creating a very kind, caring individual who wants the best for everyone, for them to be happy.

Keep reading for extra content & lore: (Which include spoilers for KBASW so tread carefully!) Other than that please continue...

Lore related content: (If you just want a short read)

In Denial (Oldest lore)

What Kind of King's in My Blood (Background info)

Celestine is Merlyn: (Most Current lore)

And fair warning I low-key wrote a novel... but there's a special prize at the end if you read all of it. (Extended Lore)

Lady Celestine serves as a catalyst for the anime Kirby series...

Now Celestine can't predict the exact future... only show potential paths. But her powers can guide people to the outcome they want and the path that constantly changing.

Absolom made Celestine focus solely on her future vision and trained her personally... He tried to paint himself as this kind saintly father figure towards her... but in reality, wanted to monopolize her ability.

He tremendous amount of pressure on the poor girl...(Mother Gothel Style "Mother knows best) Believing the only thing that made her valuable was her future sight. And one more thing about Celestine... SHE HATED HER FUTURE VISION! She didn't just see the future... she experienced it! Feeling all the raw emotions of the scene.

However, Absolum would guilt-trip her: "Oh you don't want to let everyone down... you're the only one who can do this... you're so special... you can't disappoint everyone..:

Causing her to grit her teeth and bear with it... Absolum was like a father to her she couldn't say "No." Plus it's not like she could let them down... One day she had a terrible vision foreshadowing the demise of Shiver Star...

The people of Shiver Star were infected by Dark Matter's essence... Nightmare & his demons robbed them and stole all the planet's resources... while the people were possessed and had their life sources absorbed by Dark Matter.

Celestine immediately ran to the other Heroes of Yore & Absolum.... for this and assured the worried child they'd take care of this... "don't worry we'll use this information and take care of it."

And they didn't just take care of it... THEY MADE IT WORSE! Seeing an even more terrible vision appeared before her.

Celestine: Wait I thought you said you'd-

Absolum: Oh but my child we did you said that planet was a goner anyway... they were already possessed.... it would be so wasteful if all those resources would fall to Nightmare...

Sir Uther: We cleared out the planet before Nightmare did. And killed all of those who were going to be infected & spread it throughout the galaxy... we prevented the problem before it even happened...*gives a wicked smile*

Absolum: Yes we couldn't have done it without you *gives a wicked smile*

Celestine couldn't help but blame herself for the downfall of Shiver Star... A few hours later Celestine's warpstar cracked-

"No problem... I think," Absolum

To remedy the situation, Absolum tried to fame concern for her but in reality was keeping her in the temple to hide that she was "broken." She could still tell fortunes just at random, they just had to keep her near the temple and store them whenever they came to her.

Absolum was still reeling at how could this happen... he didn't want to expose his little mistake. (In truth he knew he was working too hard and put her to work earlier than most, because of her ability... CHILD LABOR AM I RIGHT?!.) It was still too valuable, they can't risk having her break some more...

Thus, Celestine became a caged bird.

Uther felt that she was a failure unbecoming of a Hero of Yore and not deserving of her title. She can no longer do the ability properly and with her body always hurting how was she going to fight on the battlefield!

Along with that thought she be too emotional anyway... always trying to steer them to the future... the least amount of damage... HE WANTED PROGRESS! Often opting for the method that would get him results not caring about the collateral damage!

Icarus shares in Uther's sentiments, with the added notion that she got away with lazying around doing nothing. Just got to sit there waiting for the next prediction to come around. He & Uther were doing all the heavy lifting and she was still being treasured by Absolum... (he wasn't jealous of the attention or anything...)

Thus resulting in Icarus having the brilliant idea of sticking Celestine with all the political fairs (the paperwork). Which seemed like a good idea at the time (a decision they would all come to regret).

Unbeknownst to them... they had given Celestine all the diplomatic power in the galactic court. Managing to win over the galactic council with her charm and grace. Uther had always used his power to intimidate his ideals.

However, Celestine had a softer approach and was seen as far more likable in the... (this was before the council was corrupt and this was due to Celestine's influence...) Often resulting in the members to come to her for their problems. Uther couldn't beat her in this arena... being reminded all too well this was a political battle as well.

For Icarus, you see there was a... certain deal he wanted to part take in... a deal with Halacandra. Where did the GSA partner up with and believe that he could easily impress with his inventions... with their queen?! ( Minerva Mim - Magolor's great aunt)

What happened... the king was supposed to be here whys he spent an entire month sucking up to him who was this queen...

The queen was not impressed & ended up showing technology far greater than his... for the first time, Icarus was forced to eat humble pie... "How could this have, surely this is some sort of mistake shouldn't the king be here-"

"Oh he's dead... and unlike him, I'm not to be won over by pretty words and flattery now you offend me... why would I ever want to do business with a lowlife with you!"

Madam made sure to inform the GSA they would not be doing business with them & Absolum desperately wanted to get that deal. Then Celestine volunteered to remedy the situation & suggested inviting her here.

Absolum agrees seeing there is nothing to lose, Uther believes this was just a desperate attempt to try to be useful while Icarus is excitedly waiting for her to fail.

Meeting arrives Celestine takes care of everything personally and at the end of the day. Queen Minerva is all smiles and arrives with a contract, "Alright I've changed my mind, and I'll do the deal as long as I'm working with her."

Minerva wasn't interested in Icarus' inventions but Celestine's alchemic formulas were revolutionary. And just had to have her on their team.

Absolum was shocked and relieved... (maybe this girl had more than one use after all...) and was constantly praising her. And because of her connections with Minerva... she'll need a bodyguard now when she leaves the GSA base but what the why it was worth it.

And Icarus oh how badly he wanted to be part of the mixing pot, but he had to go through Celestine. Who was more than happy to reject his proposal and experiments. (Icarus never forgave her for this.)

She was becoming too influential now ... This resulted in Icarus scheming with Uther... to get rid of her.

Thus beginning the creations of the Ancients & the Halcandrans, with Celestine & Minerva leading the helm. Alongside Dairus Drosselmeyer (Minerva's right-hand man & Daroach's great uncle)... they created many of the legendary treasures... that were now scattered about the galaxy.

(These were kept secret from the GSA... Minerva knew the truth of the situation... for you see during the meeting she had hidden away Kirby's prediction not of him just defeating Nightmare, but the reawakening of Void Termina & Doomsday... and showed it to the Queen and she understood... that's the other reason why she said yes to her)

Minerva helps Celestine create the Kabu's across the galaxy and presents them as "safe houses for star warriors" but in reality, they were all preset guides to Kirby's prophecy.

And helped her create Triple Star... Thus the creating the vigilante Merlyn.... Her work as Merlyn didn't go unnoticed and the people of the galaxy started to recognize the hypocrisy of the GSA. Which made the Ancients & the other's blood boil.

This resulted in having Uther send in his send three of his best soldiers: Sir Nonsurat, Dame Morgan, and last but not least (you guessed it WART... I mean Sir Arthur.)

Kirby's prophecy spoke of "a match" to start the spark that would flame of a new era of peace...

Arthur- Match/ Meta Knight - Spark/Kirby - Flame

At the time she didn't know who it was; the prophecy was incredibly vague with which one it was. But she wasn't going to pass her knowledge to any of them without being sure. (She didn't want another Shiver Star incident to happen... not again...)

But how would she determine which one it would be... they all seemed the most unlikely candidates as "the match." How could she weed out which one... A TRAIL, A TEST, A GAME!

So like in tales of old, Celestine did these little tests of character... and would secretly tag along during missions. Giving them all a chance to see which one it would participate in... Giving them little riddles of the monster Nightmare would do. But she always gave them a choice... (breadcrumbing) and "can't force anyone to change."

However, three of them all seem annoyed at this except for... Sir Arthur was the only one captivated and interested. It takes a while for Arthur to accept Merlyn's but only after the events of:

What Kind of King is in My Blood:

That makes him actively ask for Merlyn (Celestine to help him change) and pretty much becomes Celestine's partner in crime. And as to become a willing student... merely wishing not to become like his master (Sir Uther).

However, their little sparring match still happening, with the condition that he should win... Merlyn's not allowed to be called him Wart... (Needless to say she fought him twice as hard.)

(This post-Celestine is Merlyn:) It goes into more detail about their relationship here but... I added a few things.

Romantic feelings only start after that...

Basically, before they knew they were head-over-heals for each other their love could never be in reality. Not just because of their positions but something else...

After her warpstar broke... she received a terrible vision of her body eventually breaking and her disappearing into star dust. Foreseeing her early death...

She had initially accepted but after all the friends she made (and falling in love with Arthur) she did everything she could to stay longer for them... Celestine tried to keep herself together as long as she could, and managed to keep herself alive a little longer (than she was supposed to) but now she could feel it... she was running out of time.

How was she supposed to tell her everyone... Minerva would be devastated, who was going to help Darius (& Minerva) with his creations, who would protect her followers, and stop Uther & Icarus from making the galaxy into a wasteland...

And worst of all she'd leave Arthur all alone & heartbroken. Who's supposed to tease him now, make sure he doesn't do anything reckless, keep that ego in check, make sure he isn't a prat, to remind him to smile and enjoy life... to laugh... oh her poor little Wart...

No there must be another way...she couldn't tell any of her friends... she wasn't giving up yet... However, little did she know that was the least of her worries...

Celestine was always careful with hiding her connections with her alter-ego... and Arthur, but there was one person who did figure this out. Sir Nonsurat; after Arthur had saved "Merlyn" from his grasp he started to see a pattern.

Arthur had been an accomplice to Merlyn's along... "HOW DARE ARTHUR, I KNEW YOU NEVER DESERVED YOUR POSITION AND WITH THIS YOU WILL BE RUINED FOR SURE."

Thus, Celestine received numerous horrible visions (she got them all at once)... of Arthur being found guilty in a trial. And at the end of each, Arthur had refused to sell her out, remaining loyal to her, confessing his love for her, and dying. And then she saw her demise as well... her body finally breaking right after... poofing into stardust.

Being completely overwhelmed, she burst into tears. Desperately searching for a future where they could both live... (a future where she could be happy with him.) However, it was either that she & Arthur had escaped and her body would explode and Arthur would be captured (by the GSA) and executed right after for his desertion).

Celestine couldn't help but believe that she had destroyed Arthur's future all because she had gotten involved... (it was Shiver Star all over again.) Just like in the other futures... what could she possibly do...

Perhaps...she could solve one problem with another...

So, before the day Nonsurat was going to turn in his report of evidence... Celestine had stolen it away. And with the help of Darius, they manipulated the information to frame someone else...

Nonsurat was infuriated once he found his evidence to be stolen... But he didn't want to cause an uproar, so he demanded a completed search of every squadron. Under the pretext "there is a traitor among us, and they've stolen my documents..."

A complete search required every general to be accounted for. Nonsurat observed Arthur carefully only to find him especially giddy!?

Arthur: I do hope the search is finished soon... The sooner we finish here the sooner I can give Celestine this-

Kit Cosmo: Code red! Everyone needs to come to the Courtyard immediately! Were under attack!

Arthur: By who?!

Kit Cosmo: By... Lady Celestine...

(She had already known Icarus was trying to take her down... so using her Nonsurat's evidence, she had successfully framed herself... handing it in in the guise of one of Icarus' informants.)

With the information he had put together and received, Sir Icarus concocted a false trail that Celestine was leaking information and was secretly in cahoots... with Merlyn.

Since it was a trial that involved someone as high-ranking as her... she knew the trial would exclude a select few. And since she knew Nonsurat would warrant a search... she knew it would be the perfect thing to keep Arthur out of the trail.

Celestine: Well, if I am going to get locked away... I might as well make it worth the sentencing.

It was at this moment that Celestine unleashed her demonic owl (she had hidden away) and bit off his head Absolum; killing him instantly. (Madoka Magica style). Icarus tried to stop her but failed Celestine resulting in his wings being ripped off. And officially went on a rampage letting out all those years of unbridled rage & sorrow she had kept in.

Then she remembered quickly about Kirby's prediction... quickly she created her own army of Hydro Clones... to leave them all at bay.

She went into her lab and quarters and destroyed every piece of magical research and Alchemic formula. She wasn't going to let them benefit & use her research any longer and most importantly to keep Kirby's predictions... but one person who managed to get through the army... it was none other than Uther.

Uther: I always knew you were a little witch~

Celestine: That was a sham trial & you know it ... You forced my hand

Uther: You should; 've stayed in your place, someone weak as you, you are not worthy of your spot as a Hero of Yore-

Celestine: Well you are not worthy of your spot as leader! You never were and one day you'll fall you'll see *at that moment Celestine received another vision-*

At that moment Uther thought this was the perfect chance to lung at her but this backfired... he accidentally ended up seeing Celestine's vision too... And it visibly shook him to his core.

Being overwhelmed by the very visions that plague Celestine, (claiming before she was emotionally weak, was causing him to be paralyzed by fear...) It was a vision of his throne crumbling down& everything he built and it was being led by one astral... he couldn't make out the face... was... was it pink...

Celestine tried to pull away so he couldn't see the rest of the vision... and ended up striking his right eye to stop him... Uther was left frozen while Celestine could feel her body about to break and desperately made her escape... But as she stormed out...

Uther: Will make sure you're vision will not come to pass I will find that pink warrior if it's the last thing I do... And I'll- you'll die by my blade gah- *Still paralyzed because of the vision & couldn't get up

Celestine: Sorry Uther... but I'm afraid that honor won't go to you...*runs out to find Arthur* I've already selected my champion...

In the commotion, Arthur manages to find her, desperate he reaches, Celestine:

Arthur: We have to... you need to run-

Celestine: Graduation time Wart *sees a cast of other soldiers & on-looker watching* - Let's see what you're made of! Just treat it as one of our sparring matches and we'll be fine-

After all the losses in their sparing matches, Arthur finally manages to beat Celestine... "Well done, Arthur- you've finally done it, you've w-" * Visibly starts to break... and falls- and Arthur catches her

(Celestine pulls up a smokescreen so no one can see them... however, three people manage to sneak in)

Arthur: Celestine, what's happening to you-

Celestine: I've come to the end of my time- due to my condition my body was bound to break... I didn't mean to hide it... I really thought I could beat the odds... I'm sorry War- Oh I guess I can't call you Wart-

Arthur: NO! If that's the case you weren't in the best condition- *starts crying* I didn't really win-, you have to stay *sobs profusely* You have to stay and call me Wa-Wart!

Celestine: Figures *chuckles...* it takes you this long to finally admit you like the nickname ... Thank you Arthur you made my life short all the worthwhile... I hope you can forgive me

Arthur: There's nothing to forgive Cel- Celty, *cries* I love you, please there is always something... There's always, you told me that... You're the greatest mage in the galaxy... there's got to be...

Celestine: I surely hope that light of you doesn't get snuffed out *smiles warmly* it's going to be hard Wart but remember this...

Keep your eyes open and beware of the bad in the world... but also hold on to the good as well... you don't have to look, just know that it's there... it'll keep you from falling...

(the quote that Meta Knight said to Kirby originally came from Sir Arthur... that was told from Celestine...)

And even should you lose your way I know you'll find it again... you'll always be a worthy king to me. I love you too Arthur... and I always will.... (*they share one passionate kiss*)

It was a kiss Arthur had so longed for, but it was laced with so much sorrow and joy all at the same time...

Arthur: I don't wanna let you go-* Gets knocked out by Minerva...

She had informed Minerva before the trial (and of course was devastated but was willing to fulfill her last request). And who stood behind her were Darius & Kit the only three witnesses to what really happened. Kit realizes that Celestine is Merlyn... She then handed off and knocked out Arthur to Darius & Kit Cosmo.

And made sure they promised to paint Arthur as the hero who defeated her. And fled the scene and Minerva went to her best friend and hugged her one last time... and fled with the others.

When they had all left to safety... she lifted the smoke screen only to see a hoard of Ancients led by Uther try to arrest her. She flew into the air Celestine had her Gravity wicked moment... as her body finally was about to shatter into pieces.

Celestine: I curse you all, *putting one final spell cursing the Ancients* (basically she's the reason why they all disappeared)

As her body started to implode they mistook it to be a suicide bombing and she was planning to take them all down with her... thinking quick the Ancients Crystalized to prevent the explosion...

But in that moment she has one final vision of Arthur taking the seat as leader of the GSA. She smiles and says "I always you could do it Wart *starts cry* It's just too bad I'll never be able to see it in person".

Arthur woke up in the hospital wing hearing... Darius & Kit recount the story of the incident. With the way Kit & Darius spun it was Arthur who saved the day... (Arthur realized this was all part of Celestine's plan: to give him a title that would protect him even when she was gone...) Arthur * began to weep* with Kit trying to comfort him the best he could...

Making Arthur (to the Ancients) irreplaceable... being able to take down a Hero of Yore when they (Icarus & Uther) could not. Being extremely grateful (and needing a new holy figure), gave him the title of "Holy Knight," and said they owed him one favor...

(So basically he got credit for defeating the love of his life & took her place as the GSA's holy figure...)

So in summary:

Before being detained, she managed to rip off Icarus' wings, blind Uther in his right eye, and kill about 500 Ancients. She was trying to escape only to be stopped by Sir Arthur, who defeated her in battle. But tried to escape only to be cornered by the remaining soldiers... and seeing she had nowhere else to run...

Despite the efforts of the Ancients to paint her as wicked, people could not believe in the shame of a trial. Especially Minerva, when she heard this false slander on her best friend (she had enough of it)... she declared Halcandra's formal separation from the GSA. Cutting them from Halcandra's advanced technology caused an even bigger scandal. And had put her down to silence her as well... removing her...

(What happened to Darius... well that's a story for later)

Ruining their reputation even further... destroying the pristine image they had built up until now. And those who were at the trail were split in the middle... On one hand, it seemed like she had gone on a rampage because of her unfair judgment and merely reacted because she was pushed into the corner. On the other hand, she had always been hiding away her true nature & hatred for all of them, and once she had been found out... she unleashed all of it.

Were both true...

As a result, the Ancients tried to erase her from existence... from the galaxy, with only the remaining Ancients & the Heroes of Yore remembering her... Celestine had become forgotten.` Basically, she was described as (by the Ancients) the unspeakable third who tried to destroy them all & maliciously take them down with her. And she had to be erased...

However, this did not remedy the situation... Uther was still haunted by Celestine's vision he must hunt down the pink warrior... he will not have his reign end. Icarus was all too happy to take over the Halcandra projects... however, was always constantly reminded of being reduced to flightless astral and still hates her to this day.

While everyone had forgotten Celestine: they all remembered Merlyn. But even though, "Merlyn" had become a legend, many doubted the actual existence... of this supernatural being.

However, there was one person who managed to remember her... and that's where her story ends...

Or maybe not...

Her crystallization saved her preventing her from exploding... So she was still alive in there. They tried to hide her crystal in a cave and seal it off so no one would find her... Little did they know that the cave held one of the dark portals of Morpho accidentally ending up in the underworld...

And guess who ends up accidentally winds up there.

BTW they got married in the Underworld

I actually planned this out to be a tragedy, but I ended up making them have a happy ending... (that I can't reveal just yet how it happens in the story)

BUT BEST BELIEVE OUR GIRL GETS EVERYTHING SHE DESERVES AND SITS ON THE THRONE WITH HER KING WHERE SHE BELONGS!

And if you read this long thank you for reading! <3

#kirby #kbasw #lady celestine #kirby oc tournament #sir arthur kirby #kirby oc #kirbyoctournament #sorry for taking so long #hope I'm not too late #celarthur #merthur

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randomstar202 · 1 month ago

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I’ve seen ‘Ford joins Bill’ aus, and I have seen ‘Ford destroys 46’\ like Bill destroyed Euclidia’ aus, but what about… a combo! Enter Quantum Ford Au! Instead of missing and hitting Bill’s hat, Ford misses and hits the dimensional fabric by the rip, completely disintegrating the dimension! You can see the vision.

#gravity falls #gravity falls au #bill cipher #Quantum Ford Au #stanford pines #grunkle ford #dipper pines #mabel pines #eventually

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nephalem-da · 3 months ago

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Celestial Bonds AU

Prologue: The Shape Who Saw the Stars

(Bill Cipher x OC)

Synopsis: Celestial Bonds follows the intertwined destinies of Bill Cipher and Maeloraelis (Mae), two beings born with the rare ability to see beyond their two-dimensional world. Their connection shapes not only their personal lives but also the fabric of reality itself, taking them from their homeworld of Euclydia to the cosmic chaos of the multiverse, and ultimately, the pivotal events of Gravity Falls.

Masterlist || Next Chapter.

In a place where everything was flat, even the dreams, a young yellow triangle named Bill Cipher lived in the dimension known as Euclydia. It was a second-dimensional world, inhabited by shapes—triangles, squares, circles—moving along planes and edges, living out their lives in a perfectly two-dimensional existence. Euclydia was not a land of wonder, but a land of routine, of unchanging stillness. Here, the only perspective was linear, and all creatures thought in terms of flatness.

But not Bill. Bill was different.

He had been born with a rare mutation—an eye that saw beyond the boundaries of this flat prison. An eye that could perceive the stars, the endless depth of the third dimension, something the others in Euclydia could never imagine. To them, the idea of a third dimension was as absurd as seeing air or touching sound.

In the beginning, this difference made him special—almost revered. The inhabitants of Euclydia looked at him with curiosity, some even with awe. His talk of stars, of distant places beyond their understanding, at first seemed like the words of a visionary. But as time passed, and Bill's insistence on the existence of worlds beyond their own became stronger, they no longer looked at him with admiration. They looked at him with suspicion.

“Stars? Nonsense,” they would say, scoffing. “There’s nothing beyond what we can see. Nothing beyond what we know.”

The once respectful gazes turned into wary glances, then outright disgust. They whispered behind his back, mocked his visions, calling him a dreamer in the cruelest sense of the word. It didn’t take long for him to become an outcast among his peers. But Bill, small as he was, did not let it bother him. He was a boy with big dreams, far too big for the flat world he lived in. The mockery and disdain did not touch him; instead, it strengthened his resolve. He was going to show them the stars one day—the stars only he could see, the stars that only he could admire.

Even his parents, Scalene and Euclid, could not fully understand their son. Scalene, his mother, with her cool blue edges, worried about her son’s obsession. She had always wanted him to fit in, to be loved by their community. His father, Euclid, a sharp red triangle, had hoped for a boy that followed the rules of the world, the logic of their existence. And yet, Bill was always a step beyond them, dreaming, always dreaming. Even so, they loved him dearly, accepting the fact that their son was born different, though they often exchanged worried glances when they saw the faraway look in his eye.

It was the same every day. His bullies taunted him, throwing jeers at him from across the schoolyard, their voices flat and hollow like the world around them. His parents, while supportive, could not hide their concern whenever they saw him staring off into the distance, his gaze fixed on a part of the sky they couldn’t comprehend. And the neighbors—those insufferable neighbors—cast looks of disgust, whispering rumors about “the strange boy who talks to the sky.”

But none of it mattered to Bill. In his mind, he was already beyond them. He could see what they couldn’t—the stars, the galaxies, the infinite cosmos that spread out in all directions. He could see them all, and one day, they would see them too. He would show them. But for now, the stars were his.

Then one day, the routine changed. The whispers didn’t seem to reach him as much, the torment of the flat world faded into the background. His mother had been preparing for guests, a family of three coming to visit their home. The mother, an old friend of Scalene, a reunion long overdue. The father was a tall triangle with a dignified presence, a deep shade of purple that compliments his wife's bright pink, and a soft, kind shape with a warm smile. But it wasn’t the adults who caught Bill’s attention.

No, it was the shy figure hiding behind the mother’s side, a small pink triangle, peeking out from behind her mother’s shape. The moment their eyes met, Bill felt something strange, something he had never felt before.

She was like him.

Her eye, big and bright, was just like his—different. Not a normal Euclydian eye, but one that could see beyond. It was a connection that neither of them had ever experienced before, a silent understanding that passed between them in that instant.

The adults talked, exchanging hugs and handshakes, reminiscing about times long gone. But Bill and the girl—Maeloraelis, as her mother introduced her—stood in silence, staring at one another.

For the first time, Bill didn’t feel alone. He slowly raised a finger, pointing upwards, towards the nothingness the others saw as empty space. But to him, it wasn’t empty at all.

“Can you see them too?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid that speaking the words too loudly might shatter the fragile moment.

The girl blinked, her eye reflecting the curiosity in his. She nodded, her voice just as quiet, “Yes... I do too,.”

And in that moment, something shifted in Bill. For so long, he had been content to keep the stars to himself, to revel in the beauty of the universe that only he could see. But now, standing in front of someone who shared his vision, who saw what he saw, he realized something.

Maybe, just maybe, he didn’t have to be selfish anymore.

As the day went on, the adults continued their conversations, but Bill and Maeloraelis stayed in their own little world, a quiet understanding growing between them. They didn’t need to speak much; the connection they shared was deeper than words. In the vast emptiness of their two-dimensional lives, they had found something—someone—that made them feel whole.

For the first time in his life, Bill Cipher felt like he wasn’t alone.

And for the first time, he believed that maybe, just maybe, there was more to this flat world than he had ever imagined.

Because now, he had someone to share it with.

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owl-falls-au-gravity-falls · 3 months ago

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How will the talk between Stan and Ford go? Because I’m afraid that all I can see, is Ford wording everything terribly.

Because the topic of, him being not at all happy that Stan had attempted to find his way to get home, makes its sound like he had never wanted Stan to come back at all.

That, with the fact that he thinks that they shouldn’t try reopen any more portals, makes it also sound like that now he doesn’t want the Hexside kids to find a way back to their home either.

Also if the topic of him thinking that Stan is still irresponsible and an idiot, comes up, It’ll also make it seem that he hasn’t changed at all, and looks down on him, and really doesn’t know him at all.

And that is how Stan takes it, and so he’s now upset and angry at his brother, because in his mind, Ford had basically told him he had wanted gone or even dead. And is of course upset on the Hexside kid’s behalf, cause now he also thinks his brother, doesn’t want the children to get back home to their families.

And to make it worse, the children basically hear all this, and they are now divided, with the Hex Squad obviously being on Stan’s side. Dipper and Mabel being split, because on the one hand, them having had experiences with inter dimensional things, they somewhat understand the dangers and fears that Ford may have, however on the other, they want to help their new friends find their way home, no matter what it takes. And they’re upset at Ford for what they think is him saying that hadn’t ever wanted them to meet Stan or for Stan to even come back.

EN INGLÉS

How will the talk between Stan and Ford go?

Very good question, your observations are very good, but I have a way of answering your questions with the following draft that I have been saving for an occasion like this.

What happened to Ford all these years in this AU?

Most of us would agree that Ford wouldn't want to risk the universe just to save one person, that added to his resentment from the past, which is still present, and the last fight they had, would cause Ford to get the idea that Stan hated him, or worse, that he had died

Believing in his own lies, Ford would close the portal to prevent Bill from coming to this world, as a consequence, Bill would torture him with visions of his brother in his worst moments on the boiling islands, Ford would see how his brother lived much worse situations, how he had to fight against a curse that turned him into a monster, how sometimes he had nothing to eat, and he even saw that he was on the verge of death, what he never knew was if those visions were real or not

30 years later, Mabel and Dipper would arrive at Gravity Falls and meet their uncle Ford, someone paranoid and reserved, but who gets involved in hunting monsters for study, in this universe, their research would be taken into account but would go through a very long evaluation period

In this universe, Mabel would feel disconnected from her uncle and Dipper, since Ford would constantly separate them, this due to the fact that Mabel looked a lot like Stanley as a child

For most of the summer, the children manage to live more with Ford, Dipper admires Ford's discoveries and is excited to know more about him, when the government unexpectedly arrives at Gravity Falls due to a strange alteration of gravity, Ford realizes that possibly something is trying to open the portal

When Ford and the children arrive in the basement to find out what is happening, the portal opens long enough for Ford to see a ghostly version of Stanley

Ford would first be scared to see Stanley again, but when the shock was wearing off, Stan quickly tells him what he had experienced on the boiling islands

And the children were in shock and excited to meet another family member

To clarify, no, Ford has changed, but the fear of Bill coming back, plus the now fear of losing Dipper and Mabel made him do stupid things…

He loves his brother, he wants him back, but he's also terrified of the consequences

That doesn't mean he doesn't love Stan

And in fact, something interesting happens a few weeks after Stan and the Hex squad arrive in Gravity Falls

I'll do an individual post about it

Since the comic is still in progress, and I feel like my point will be better understood here, I'm going to show everyone the script for my comic. I'll keep working on the comic, but this will answer the main question about Ford.

Dialogues from the comic “a tale of two stans”

Mabel: Oh my god, oh my god! What’s your name?!

Stan: Oh, ah… I’m Stan… Stan Pines

Dipper: Pines? Wait does that mean you’re…?

Ford: Stanley… my brother…

Mabel: You had a twin brother all this time and you didn’t tell us?!

Ford: I-I… I…

Stan: I’ll pretend that doesn’t matter for now. I’m so happy to see you! Look at you, you’ve gotten so old!

Ford: How… How are you so young?

Stan: Oh, that… well Eda, a great friend, helped me with that, anyway, as I was saying, are you okay? What happened when I left? Who are these little kids?

Ford: I… ah, right… this is Dipper and Mabel

Stan: Dipper and Mabel… interesting… nice to meet you, kids… what are you exactly? My brother’s kids?

Dipper: ah… n-no, we’re your nephews… technically great-nephews, because our grandfather is Shermie

Stan: I have nephews and I… did I miss that? Did it really happen 30 years? … I’m sorry I got in touch with you so late… but I’m here! Almost…

Mabel: how exciting! we have another uncle! can I call you uncle stan?

Stan: sure, pumpkin

Mabel: you gave me a nickname! I love it!

Stan: hahaha, I like this girl, she’s weird

Dipper: how… how is it possible that you appeared out of nowhere? why do you look like a hologram?

Stan: A what?

Mabel: Like a ghost!

Stan: Oh, sure, maybe the magic of this place has something to do with it…

Dipper: Wait, did you say magic?

Stan: Yeah…

*Stan takes out a journal that he carries with him everywhere

Stan: Maybe if I find the right combination of glyphs, we can create a better portal back, for that I need more titan blood… it will be a complicated task, since there isn't much… but if I find enough, we can make the portal's magic work…

Mabel: Hehehe, wow, you sound just like Uncle Ford

Stan: Like a nerd? Yeah, that's the curse of being on the boiling islands… are you okay, kid?

Dipper: It's… it's incredible! Are you saying that magic exists?!

Stan: Well, there's not only magic, there's a whole world full of magic and other things

Dipper: This is- I can't even… Living in Gravity Falls… I never thought any of this could be possible!

Mabel: There are gnomes and minotaurs! Why did you think magic didn't exist?!

Dipper: I don't know! I thought the only weird place in the world was Gravity Falls!

Dipper looks at Stanley with excitement-

Dipper: I waited so long to meet someone like you! I don't know what to say! I have a lot of questions!

Ford: Dipper, I don't think-

Dipper: Tell me everything about yourself! What do you do?! What do you eat?! Is there a different language in that place?! How did you survive?! Do you breathe oxygen?! How do you do magic?!

Stan: Wow, wow! Easy, little one, one question at a time - he smiles - let's start with the basics, shall we?

Dipper: Oh, right, sorry, it's just that, I find it amazing how you managed to do… -waves his arms trying to make himself understood- this!

Stan: Well, not everyone can open the closest thing to a portal to talk to someone from their own dimension, but I did it so… yeah, I'm amazing

Dipper: Exactly! Now, what's the place you're in like?

Stan: The Boiling Isles are the complete opposite of a fantasy book and it's… great, there are witches, weird creatures, a magic system, super old-fashioned covens and we're on top of what would be called the corpse of a being called "the titan", not to mention that this is my Talifriend, Lupin

*Stan shows them a little phoenix on his shoulder

Mable: Aaaaaaah! How cute! Where did you get it? I want one!

Stan: These little guys can be created with a special wood, they serve as companions and as staffs, it has helped me learn magic, although I learned the basics with glyph magic

Dipper:…- shocked -… how can I get there? I need to know everything!

Stan: Well, I'm working on a way to open a portal, this is the closest, but it's a step forward! If I get enough materials, I think I'll be back in a few weeks, months at most

Dipper: A portal! What is it?! How do you build it?! Can you-?!

Ford: A portal?!…- terrified- You?! Don't make me laugh, you idiot! You're no good at that stuff! I'm the genius here! How are you going to create a portal?! Paper and cardboard?!

Stan: Th-that's right! I don't know much about these things but I'm doing it! This is the proof! - points to himself

Stan tries to touch something, But he blinks a little when he tries to touch a pen and it goes through him

Stan: Ah! Well, it'll take some time But, if I keep working on this, I can make it work! And I'll be back! And we can forget that everything that happened!

Ford: It's been 30 years Stanley! You better stay there! It's clear that you enjoy your stay there, besides, do you think that anyone here has missed you?! No, obviously not! Then, stop your nonsense and go bother somewhere else! Stan freezes at those words

Mabel: Uncle Ford! That's horrible! Why do you say things like that to him?!

Ford: Because it's the truth! Stanley hasn't done anything worthwhile with his life! What is he going to do now that he's an old man without a brain?! Not to mention the risks of opening that damn portal! For all I care, he can stay there and die of old age!

Ford regretted saying that last thing, one thing was to push Bill away, another thing was to completely hurt his brother, he really loved Stanley, but he couldn't risk the world for a silly thing, they weren't going to pay millions for one person, even if it hurt him

Stan: Ford…

Suddenly he feels a tug, he had agreed with Luz to wear a rope around his waist in case the portal was being dismantled on the other side

Stan: No, no, not yet! Not yet! - he pulls on the rope - I'm so close now! I can't give up!

Ford: Get out Stanley! And don't even think about coming back because here! No one is waiting for you!

Stan: … Ford… - he keeps being pulled, but he fights - Listen to me, Ford! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for everything! For the science project, for ruining your life! - between tears - All I wanted to do was come back here to tell you that I'm sorry! I'm sorry! For everything!

Ford feels his heart breaking at the desperation of his brother, his younger brother, his twin, but he knows that if he gives in, Stanley will try again and he can't take the risk, no matter how much he wants to tell his brother that he really has forgiven him.

Ford: … go now

Stan: … I'm sorry… - he says one last time while looking down -

Dipper and Mabel panic when they see Stan fading away

Mabel: No, you can't let him go! - she takes Ford and Stan by the hand

Dipper: He's your brother, you can't abandon him!

Ford: He was the one who ruined my life! Don't expect me to forgive that being so… so… DESPICABLE!

Dipper: … And to think I admired you… You are despicable! - approaches Stan -

Mabel: You still have something to come back for! We want to meet you! Please don't give up!

Ford: They say that because they don't know him!

Dipper: …-looks at Ford with hatred and then looks at Stan- let this not depend on him… you want to go back, right?, Stan…

Stan: I…

at first, Stan only wanted to see Ford again… But now that his hopes of recovering his old friendship were broken… He no longer has a reason to stay except…

except this pair of twins who do want to have him there, who want to meet him

Stan: … Yes, I want to go back…

Ford is not able to say anything, his heart wants to see him, to hug him, but his mind tells him that according to logic, that could cost the world everything

Stan: … I will return… I promise… And this time I will do things right

*Stan looks at both children

Stan: I can't wait to see them in person and hear their adventures

Both children smile

Ford no longer knows what to say so that Stan doesn't open the portal

Stan begins to fade

Stan: goodbye…

Stan fades away and disappears

...

and well, answering the other part of your question about Ford not being happy to have the Hex Squad helping Stan create a new portal, I mentioned that at first he wasn't happy that Stan didn't listen to his requests, that doesn't mean he's not happy to see his brother, in fact, after having warned him many times, he showed that he was actually happy to have his brother back

The only thing he couldn't stand is that Stan doesn't seem to hate him

this doesn't mean he's not angry with Ford, but he's not very happy with the fact that Ford chose to save and protect the universe over his brother, he understood that, but it was still painful to accept this situation

Stan and Ford don't talk much in the first few weeks, but as they babysit all the kids, Ford and Stan grow closer, even going to the lake for a quiet chat

Dipper and Mabel are more supportive of Stan, but they also come to understand Ford

Eventually, the Hex Squad would come to understand Ford as well, especially Luz, as she is also afraid that her actions will end up hurting everyone else

In another post, I will show Ford and Stan's conversation about the situation with the Hex Squad

Sorry if I went on too long in this post, I wanted to clarify some doubts :3

Thanks for asking

EN ESPAÑOL

¿Cómo será la conversación entre Stan y Ford?

Muy buena pregunta, tus observaciones son muy buenas, pero tengo una forma de responder a tus preguntas con el siguiente borrador que llevo guardando para una ocasión como esta.

¿que ha pasado con Ford todos estos años en este AU?

La mayoria de nosotros estara de acuerdo en que Ford no querria arriesgar el universo solo por salvar a una persona, eso sumado a su rencor del pasado, que sigue presente, y la ultima pelea que tuvieron, causaria que Ford se hiciera a la idea de que Stan lo odiaba, o peor aun, que habia muerto

Creyendo en sus propias mentiras, Ford cerraría el portal para evitar que Bill llegara a este mundo, como consecuencia, Bill lo torturaria con visiones de su hermano en sus peores momentos en las islas hirvientes, Ford veria como su hermano vivia situaciones mucho peores, como tenia que luchar contra una maldicion que lo convertia en un monstruo, como a veces no tenia nada de comer, e incluso veia que estaba al borde de la muerte, lo que nunca supo fue si esas visiones eran reales o no

30 años despues, Mabel y Dipper llegarian a gravity falls y conocerian a su tio Ford, alguien paranoico y reservado, pero que se involucra en la caceria de monstruos para su estudio, en este universo, sus investigaciones si serian tomadas en cuenta pero pasarian por un periodo de evaluacion muy largo

En este universo, Mabel se sentiria desconectada de su tio y de Dipper, ya que Ford los separaria constantemente, esto por el hecho de que Mabel se parecia mucho a Stanley de niño

Durante casi todo el verano, los niños logran convivir mas con Ford, dipper admira los descubrimientos de ford y le emociona saber mas de el, cuando el gobierno llega de imprevisto a gravity falls debido a una extraña alteracion de la gravedad, Ford se da cuenta de que posiblemente algo esta intentando abrir el portal

Cuando Ford y los niños llegan al sotano para averiguar que ocurre, el portal se abre el tiempo suficiente para que Ford pueda ver una version fantasmal de Stanley

Ford primero se asustaria de ver a Stanley de nuevo, pero cuando el shock se le estaba pasando, Stan le cuenta rapidamente lo que habia vivido en las islas hirvientes

Y los niños estaban en shock y emocionados por conocer a otro familiar

para aclarar, no, Ford si a cambiado, pero el miedo de que Bill regrese, mas el ahora miedo de perder a Dipper y a Mabel hizo que hiciera cosas estupidas…

ama a su hermano, lo quiere de vuelta, pero tambien le aterran las consecuencias

eso no quiere decir que no quiera a Stan

y De hecho, ocurre algo interesante unas semanas despues de que Stan y el Hex squad llegan a Gravity Falls

hare una publicacion individual al respecto

ya que el comic sigue en proceso, y siento que aqui se dara a entender mejor mi punto, voy a mostrarles a todos el guion de mi comic, seguire trabajando en el comic, pero esto respondera la pregunta principal sobre Ford

Dialogos del comic “a tale of two stans”

Mabel: ¡oh por dios, oh por dios! ¡¿como te llamas?!

Stan: oh, ah… soy Stan… Stan Pines

Dipper: ¿Pines? Espera ¿eso significa que tu eres…?

Ford: Stanley… mi hermano…

Mabel: ¡¿tenias un hermano gemelo todo este tiempo y no nos dijiste?!

Ford: y-yo… yo…

Stan: fingire que eso no importa por ahora ¡estoy tan feliz de verte! ¡mirate, te volviste tan viejo!

Ford: ¿como… como estas tan joven?

Stan: oh, eso… pues Eda, una gran amiga, me ayudo con eso, en fin, como decia ¿estas bien? ¿que paso cuando me fui? ¿quienes son estos pequeños niños?

Ford: yo… ah, claro… ellos son Dipper y Mabel

Stan: Dipper y Mabel… interesante… mucho gusto, niños… ¿que son exactamente? ¿los hijos de mi hermano?

Dipper: ah… n-no, somos tus sobrinos… tecnicamente sobrino-nietos, porque nuestro abuelo es Shermie

Stan: ¿tengo sobrinos y yo… me perdi eso? ¿realmente pasaron 30 años? … lamento haberme puesto en contacto con ustedes tan tarde… pero ya estoy aqui! Casi…

Mabel: ¡que emocion! ¡tenemos un tio mas! ¿puedo llamarte tio stan?

Stan: claro, calabazita

Mabel: ¡me pudiste un apodo! ¡me encanta!

Stan: jajaja, me agrada esta niña, ella es rara

Dipper: ¿como… como es posible que hayas aparecido de la nada? ¿porque te ves como un holograma?

Stan: ¿un que cosa?

Mabel: como un fantasma!

Stan: oh, claro, tal vez la magia de este lugar tenga algo que ver con eso…

Dipper: un momento ¿dijiste magia?

Stan: si…

*stan saca un diario que lleva consigo a todos lados

Stan: tal vez si encuentro la combinacion correcta de glifos, podamos crear un mejor portal de regreso, para eso necesito mas sangre de titan… sera una tarea complicada, ya que no hay mucha… pero si encuentro suficiente, podemos hacer que la magia del portal funcione…

Mabel: jejeje, vaya, suenas igual que el tío Ford

Stan: ¿como un nerd? Si, esa es la maldicion de estar en las islas hirvientes… ¿estas bien, niño?

Dipper: es… es increible! ¡¿estas diciendo que existe la magia?!

Stan: pues no solo existe la magia, existe todo un mundo lleno de magia y otras cosas

Dipper: ¡esto es- ni siquiera puedo… viviendo en Gravity Falls… ¡Jamás creí que nada de esto podía ser posible!

Mabel: ¡existen gnomos y minotauros! ¡¿por qué creías que la magia no existía?!

Dipper: ¡No lo se! ¡Pensé que el único lugar raro del mundo era gravity falls!

Dipper mira a Stanley con emocion-

Dipper: ¡espere tanto para conocer a alguien como tú! ¡No sé qué decir! ¡Tengo un montón de preguntas!

Ford: Dipper, no creo que-

Dipper: ¡Háblame de todo sobre ti! ¡¿qué haces?! ¡¿qué comes?! ¡¿hay un idioma diferente en ese lugar?! ¡¿cómo has sobrevivido?! ¡¿respiras oxígeno?! ¡¿cómo haces magia?!

Stan: ¡wow, wow! Tranquilo, pequeñín, una pregunta a la vez - sonríe - empecemos con lo básico, ¿Te parece?

Dipper: oh, claro, lo siento, es que, me parece sorprendente como has logrado hacer… - mueve sus brazos tratando de darse a entender- ¡esto!

Stan: Bueno, no cualquiera puede abrir lo más cercano a un portal para hablar con alguien de su propia dimensión, pero yo lo hice así que… sí, soy asombroso

Dipper: ¡exacto! Ahora, ¿cómo es el lugar donde estás?

Stan: Las islas hirvientes son todo lo contrario a un libro de fantasía y es… genial, hay brujas, Criaturas raras, un sistema de magia, aquelarres superanticuados y estamos encima de lo que se llamaría el cadáver de un ser llamado "el titán", sin mencionar que este es mi Taliamigo, Lupin

*Stan les muestra un pequeño fénix en su hombro

Mable: ¡aaaaaaah! ¡que tierno! ¡¿donde lo conseguiste? ¡quiero uno!

Stan: estos pequeños se pueden crear con una madera especial, sirven como compañeros y como bastones, me ha ayudado a aprender magia, aunque lo basico lo aprendi con la magia de glifos

Dipper:…- shokeado -… ¿cómo puedo ir para allá? ¡Necesito saberlo todo!

Stan: bueno, estoy trabajando en una forma de abrir un portal, esto es lo más cercano, Pero es un avance! Si consigo suficientes materiales, creo que estare de regreso en unas semanas, meses como maximo

Dipper: ¡un portal! ¡¿cómo es?! ¡¿cómo lo construyes?! ¡¿pue-?!

Ford: ¡¿un portal?!…-aterrado- ¡¿tu?! ¡no me hagas reír, cabeza hueca! ¡tu no sirves para esas cosas! ¡yo soy el genio aqui! ¡¿como vas a crear un portal?! ¡¿papel y cartón?!

Stan: ¡E-es cierto! ¡No sé mucho de estas cosas pero lo estoy logrando! ¡Está es la prueba! - se señala a si mismo

Stan intenta tocar algo, Pero parpadea un poco cuando trata de tocar un bolígrafo y lo traspasa

Stan: ah! Bueno, tomará algo de tiempo Pero, si sigo trabajando en esto, Puedo hacer que funcione! Y volvere! Y podremos olvidar que todo lo que paso!

Ford: ¡ya pasaron 30 años Stanley! ¡es mejor que te quedes ahi! Esta claro que disfrutas de tu estancia alli, ademas ¡¿tu crees que le has hecho falta a alguien aquí?! ¡no, obviamente no! ¡entonces, deja tus estupideces y vete a fastidiar a otra parte! Stan se congela ante esas palabras

Mabel: ¡Tío Ford! ¡Eso es horrible! ¡¿Por qué le dices esas cosas?!

Ford: ¡porque es la verdad! ¡Stanley no ha hecho nada con su vida que valga la pena! ¿¡qué va a hacer ahora que es un anciano sin cerebro?! Sin mencionar los riesgos de abrir ese dichoso portal ¡Por mí, que se quede en ese lugar y muera de vejez!

Ford se arrepintió de decir eso último, una cosa era alejar a Bill, otra cosa era dañar por completo a su hermano, en serio amaba a Stanley, pero no podía arriesgar el mundo por una tontería, por una persona no iban a pagar millones, aunque eso le doliese

Stan: Ford…

De repente siente un tirón, había acordado junto a Luz llevar una cuerda en la cintura en caso de que el portal se estuviera desmantelando en el otro lado

Stan: no, no, aún no ¡Aún no! - jala de la cuerda - ¡Estoy tan cerca ahora! ¡no puedo rendirme!

Ford: ¡lárgate Stanley! ¡y ni de te ocurra volver porque aquí! ¡nadie te esta esperando!

Stan: … Ford… - sigue siendo jalado, pero lucha - ¡Escuchame, Ford! ¡Lo siento! ¡Lo siento por todo! ¡Por el proyecto de ciencias, por arruinar tu vida! - entre lágrimas - ¡Todo lo que quería hacer era volver aquí para decirte que lo lamento! ¡Lo siento! ¡por todo!

Ford siente como se le rompe el corazón ante la desesperación de su hermano, su hermano menor, su gemelo, pero sabe que si cede, Stanley lo intentará de nuevo y no puede correr el riesgo, por más que le quiera decirle a su hermano que realmente ya lo perdono

Ford:… ya vete

Stan: … Lo siento… - dice una última vez mientras baja la mirada -

Dipper y Mabel entran en pánico al ver que Stan se desvanece

Mabel: ¡No, no puedes dejar que se vaya! - toma de la mano a Ford y a Stan

Dipper; ¡Es tu hermano, no puedes abandonarlo!

Ford: ¡él fue quien arruinó mi vida! ¡no esperen que perdone a ese ser tan… tan… ¡DESPRECIABLE!

Dipper: … Y pensar que te admiraba … ¡Tu eres despreciable! - se acerca a Stan -

Mabel: ¡Aún tienes algo por lo que volver! ¡Queremos conocerte! ¡Por favor, no te rindas!

Ford: ¡eso lo dicen porque no lo conocen!

Dipper:…-mira con odio a Ford para luego mirar a Stan- que esto no dependa de él…quieres volver ¿no?, Stan…

Stan: yo…

al principio, Stan solo quería volver a ver a Ford… Pero ahora que sus esperanzas de recuperar su antigua amistad se rompieron… Ya no tiene razón para quedarse excepto…

excepto este par de gemelos que si lo quieren tener ahí, que quieren conocerlo

Stan: … Si, quiero volver…

Ford no es capaz de decir nada, su corazón quiere verlo, abrazarlo, pero su mente le dice que según la lógica, eso podría costarle todo al mundo

Stan: … Volveré… Lo prometo… Y está vez haré las cosas bien

*Stan mira a ambos niños

Stan: no puedo esperar para verlos en persona y escuchar sus aventuras

Ambos niños sonríen

Ford ya no sabe que decir para que Stan no abra el portal

Stan se empieza a desvanecer

Stan: Nos vemos…

Dipper: … Y pensar que te admiraba … ¡Tu eres despreciable! - se acerca a Stan -

Mabel: ¡Aún tienes algo por lo que volver! ¡Queremos conocerte! ¡Por favor, no te rindas!

Ford: ¡eso lo dicen porque no lo conocen!

Dipper:…-mira con odio a Ford para luego mirar a Stan- que esto no dependa de él…quieres volver ¿no?, Stan…

Stan: yo…

al principio, Stan solo quería volver a ver a Ford… Pero ahora que sus esperanzas de recuperar su antigua amistad se rompieron… Ya no tiene razón para quedarse excepto…

excepto este par de gemelos que si lo quieren tener ahí, que quieren conocerlo

Stan: … Si, quiero volver…

Ford no es capaz de decir nada, su corazón quiere verlo, abrazarlo, pero su mente le dice que según la lógica, eso podría costarle todo al mundo

Stan: … Volveré… Lo prometo… Y está vez haré las cosas bien

*Stan mira a ambos niños

Stan: no puedo esperar para verlos en persona y escuchar sus aventuras

Ambos niños sonríen

Ford ya no sabe que decir para que Stan no abra el portal

Stan se empieza a desvanecer

Stan: Nos vemos…

Stan se desvanece y desaparece

...

y bueno, respondiendo a la otra parte de tu pregunta sobre que Ford no estaba feliz de tener al Hex Squad ayudando a Stan a crear un nuevo portal, mencione que al principio no estaba feliz de que Stan no escuchara sus peticiones, eso no significa que no este feliz de ver a su hermano, de hecho, después de haberle advertido muchas veces, mostró que en realidad estaba feliz de tener a su hermano de vuelta

Lo único que no podía soportar es que Stan parece no odiarlo

esto no significa que no esté enojado con Ford, pero no está muy contento con el hecho de que Ford eligió salvar y proteger al universo que a su hermano, lo entendía, pero seguía siendo doloroso aceptar esta situación

Stan y Ford no hablan mucho en las primeras semanas, pero mientras cuidan a todos los niños, Ford y Stan se hacen más cercanos, incluso van al lago para charlar con más calma

Dipper y Mabel apoyan más a Stan, pero también entienden a Ford

eventualmente, el Hex Squad también entendería a Ford, en especial Luz, ya que ella también tiene miedo de que sus acciones terminen perjudicando a todos los demás

En otra publicación, mostraré la conversación de Ford y Stan sobre la situación con el Hex Squad

Disculpa si me extendí demasiado en esta publicación, quería aclarar algunas dudas :3

Gracias por preguntar

#owl falls au #gravity falls au #stan pines #gravity falls #gravity falls x the owl house #the owl house #stanley pines #reverse portal au #crossover #gravity falls stanford #gravity falls stanley

22 notes · View notes

dynamic-k · 6 months ago

Note

AAAAAAA YOU FOLLOWED ME :O

anyway Question Time!! For SS AU.

What kind of powers do Dark and Chosen have? Like- I know they have fire, but can you give me a list?

What about Second? He has his green sparkly powers, but can he use the pen to make things come to life??? :O

wait what if yellow makes the pen that does that

I think Vic just has invisibility, and Primal just uses her energy to create weapons and stuff from nowhere.

HMMM What about the rest of the characters?

Like Kaori, Madame Pop-Up, Ballista and Hazard, Rum, Vodka, Whiskey and Mudd?

I know we know some of their powers, but I just wanted a description.

actually that's a lot of people so you don't have to make a description for all of them ;v;

:D COLOR GANG NEXT CHAPTER??? i saw dis in a comment

Have a lovely day!! :]

-R

:DD Yeeeeeeeeeee

Chosen has his enhanced strength, a light orangey-yellow fire [sometimes white if he's very focused and it gets significantly hotter], enhanced healing within a 30 hour span, laser vision, enhanced speed, and quick thinking reflexes.

[no weather boy for youuuuuuu, no ice eitherrrrrrr]

Dark has enhanced strength, an orangey-red fire because it's not quite as hot as Chosen's [from feet as well so he can propel himself while carrying a civilian to safety or somethin'], enhanced healing within a 24 hour span, button-bots + all their capabilities, enhanced speed, feral mode where everything goes into overdrive and he suddenly is about as scary and terrifying as an eldritch horror straight from an R-rated video game-, and quick thinking reflexes.

Second's power is a bit more electrically based. He can heal wounds completely [plus scarring that would otherwise be permanent], instant teleport [has not discovered this], levitate both living things and objects [and himself!], quickened enhanced speed even greater than Cho and Dark, zappy zap, protective barrier shielding, and several more abilities that will be revealed as time passes~

Yellow does not make a pen.

......Or at least I never planned on it originally. :I I change things sometimes~ XD

| I think Vic just has invisibility |

Uh-╭( ๐ _๐)╮

... ಠ⌣ಠ

... ↁ_ↁ

...yeaaaaahhp...

....N-nothing ellllllseeeeeeeeeeeee....

ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ teehee

[*really really loud cough of "I'm lyinngggggg"]

A-Anyway!!

Primal, yes. Can summon weaponry and other objects using her very body energy to create from thin air, but is limited by her energy levels, and the stone material that her summoned items take form in, raining down as chalky dust in the wind when shattered or released from existence.

Madame Pop-Up can create flat, near 2-Dimensional advertisements, of which she can move wherever she chooses at her will. She's much more powerful than anyone thinks, and has a naturally high energy stamina level to sustain using these powers for a long while. The advertisements can be an explosive weapon, a force to smack brutally upon an opponent, a tool for blinding someone, and a hovering platform for herself to glide over the skies upon.

The Alcoholic Twins, Vodka and Whiskey. Vodka does the high-pitched shrieking to stun and agonize his desired targets with a sense of dizziness and vertigo akin to symptoms of a hangover. Whiskey has the hallucination powers~ It's like the Nausea effect from Minecraft. Everything within the vision of the targetted individual suddenly wobbles and waves and makes it hard to stand properly.

[Chosen and Dark and Second all carry a slight resistance to these powers, but it's still an effective irritant and weapon]

Rum's powers are like a mixture of both, in a way. She can do both of those, but even more powerfully so because she combines both powers in a really effective manner. She's also able to enhance her sons' abilities by her mere presence alone, radiating absorb-able energy that only her sons can utilize. The twins are more like their mother than their father, in terms of superpowers.

SuperSticks!Jade, Jade the Pretzel: Powers are a surpriseeee~~ You Get One Little Tip: [as in I'm literally giving it away at this point] Don't think of the food pretzel. Think more of theeeee.... yoga position. U v U 👍

Mudd is... mud. Mudddy mud mudmud. Mud. Mudd. MUDDDDDDDDD. [*looks at Muk the pokemon-*]

Mudd has a cool arm canon for shooting the mud he can summon, but there's a nozzle on the gun that mixes his recently shot out mud with a toxic element that can burn through metal like some very powerful acids. He's dangerous, but also big and stupid. XD

Ballista's/BB-Gun's powers were covered already. So were Hazard's.

Arc One chapter 15 "An Agent" + Arc One chapter 23 "🎵TWO INTREPID FRIENDS, LED BY VIC, THEIR LEADER, VIIIIC🎵" explain Ballista's.

Arc One chapter 15 "An Agent" for Hazard's. A lot of info in there.

Now uh...

Kaori...

She- Uh- [*how do I explain this without major spoilerings-*]

Q w Q Let's just say, it's more than one~ Two, to be precise. Three if you count a little side ability related to one of the two powers.

YEAAAAHHHH COLOR GANG NEXT CHAPTERRR

They're now done with some of the building, but Yellow will need to make a little trip somewhere to pick up some things.

And then that ties into my Dark angst incident lore branch.

I should stop talking now-

#Ask Scarlett #Scarlett Post #Super Sticks AU

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mxliv-oftheendless · 9 months ago

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How to Set Up Your Actors (Without Really Trying) (Barduil Month Week 1)

Actor AU: In which Thranduil and Bard are costars for a film and Bilbo is, as usual, rather confused on what's happening and very annoyed by everything.

It's Barduil Month! So I thought I'd participate and write some stories for a ship I love! This one was inspired by this Barduil comic drawn by the amazing @corndog-patrol ! Thanks so much for letting me write a story based on the comic! And thank you @bi-widower-dads for setting up this whole event! Hope you guys enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Bilbo’s phone vibrated the moment he sat down at his desk, it should have been a tip off of how the next hour would go. But since Bilbo was a very busy man (Valinor Talent Agency didn’t run itself, after all), who already had quite a lot to do, he elected at first to ignore it. Instead, he focused on opening his calendar and checking to make sure That Meeting was indeed today and he was ready for it. Sure enough, it was there, today at eleven o’clock, so in about twenty minutes.

He sighed and pulled out the drawer containing his emergency stash of headache medicine. He looked at it for a moment, contemplating whether he should be—

His phone vibrated again. He turned it over.

—whether he should be proactive and prepare for a potential headache. Anything was possible, especially when Bilbo didn’t feel awake and caffeinated enough for anything. Which usually ended up being all the time. Maybe he ought to see someone about that.

His phone vibrated yet again. Bilbo huffed and turned to pick up his phone and see what so desperately wanted his attention. What he found was a series of angry text messages from dear cousin Lobelia screaming in a flurry of poor grammar and an excessive use of capital letters. Nope. He was not dealing with that.

There was a series of smart, rapid knocks on the door. “Come on in,” he called as he set his phone down.

The door opened and Thranduil Oropherion swept into his office. Yes, that Thranduil Oropherion—professional stage and film actor, known for his cool professionalism, sharp wit, insightful intelligence, and fashionable dress. And also for his long blond hair that he refused to cut. Thranduil Oropherion also happened have one Bilbo Baggins as his talent agent.

Any lesser man may have been intimidated at the prospect of being the agent of such a high profile and equally high maintenance actor. But Bilbo Baggins was no ordinary man—even if he did often wonder why Thranduil refused to cut his hair when he was usually pretty reasonable about other things.

“Good morning, Bilbo,” Thranduil greeted as he sat down in the chair opposite the desk.

“Morning, Thranduil,” Bilbo returned. “Early as usual, I see.”

“I had to be,” Thranduil sniffed. “Have you seen the traffic this time of day?” He raised a hand to inspect his immaculately done nails. “Couldn’t this meeting have been scheduled at a different time?”

Bilbo sighed. Maybe he should’ve taken the headache medicine after all. “Well, it was the best time for everyone to meet,” he said. “Now, once your costar gets here, we’re going to take an hour or so for you both to get to know each other, then we’re going to the conference room for the Zoom call with the screenwriters to talk about the script—”

“And the director? Where is he in all of this?” Thranduil frowned. “I had hoped he would be here as well. I would like to discuss certain things about the script with him.”

Bilbo turned his phone facedown as it buzzed again. “The director had to call off. He’s meeting with the production company.”

Thranduil’s frown deepened fractionally. “Very well.”

He was sure he would regret asking, but Bilbo still ventured anyway, “What’s wrong with the script?”

“Well first of all, there is a clear lack of vision for the characters. Are my costar and I to be playing one-dimensional stereotypes? There is no buildup or suspense for what is supposed to be a horror plot line, and the horror relies solely on cheap jumpscares rather than any actual fear or dread.”

Now, listen, Bilbo wanted to be more annoyed at these critiques. He was sure any decent screenwriter or director would be. But personally, he just thought to himself that this was why Thranduil was such a professional and well-respected actor—he was knowledgeable not just on how to act but also on all other aspects of a production.

However, he did still think Thranduil was being a bit unfair. “I thought the script was good. Maybe it’s just a bit jarring to you since you haven’t played a protagonist like this one before.” From how Thranduil frowned but didn’t respond, he knew Thranduil knew he had a point. “Which is another reason why it’ll be good to meet with your costar and the screenwriters, since then you can get a better sense of what they want from the part you’re playing. And your costar has done more roles like yours, so he can give you some insight too.”

At the mention of his mysterious costar, Thranduil thankfully dropped the subject of the script. “Where is this costar, anyway?”

“On his way here, most likely.” Maybe that was why his phone kept vibrating, because the costar was calling him. But no, that was his personal phone that was buzzing…

“What is his name… Bard Bowman?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“What has he been in recently?”

“His last film was—hang on, you didn’t look into him at all?”

Thranduil sniffed. “Of course not. I’m a professional.”

From how long they’d known each other, Bilbo knew that meant Thranduil thought that would feel too weird and he didn’t want to seem strange for stalking his costar’s filmography. He went on. “Well, his last film was a part in some fantasy film—”

“You mean you don’t remember?” Thranduil quipped.

Bilbo just gave him a snarky smirk. “Of course not. I’m a professional.” He continued. “And then for the last year and a half he’s been on a break. Wanted to spend more time with his kids, his agent said.”

To his dismay, Thranduil’s frown appeared again. “His agent is from Dale Talent, isn’t he? Didn’t they come out of the complete cesspool of corruption that was Laketown Talent?”

Bilbo couldn’t help wincing at the name, and his phone buzzed again as if in agreement. That whole scandal had not been pretty. “They did. But Dale’s model is ethical, they pay their taxes on time, and none of their staff have evasion, public disturbance, or harassment charges. Plus their tea was pretty good.” He glanced at the clock. Five more minutes until eleven. “Right, he’ll probably be here soon. Be nice, alright?”

Thranduil gave him an indignant look. “I am always nice, Bilbo.”

“Not backhanded, passive-aggressive nice. Really nice. And that goes for when you’re meeting with the screenwriters, too.”

Honestly, sometimes he wondered if that scowl was just permanently attached to Thranduil’s face. “That will depend on what they have to say about their barely-passable-quality script.”

Bilbo could feel a headache coming on. Today was not the day to put up with all of this. “Thranduil, as your agent—” He decided to appeal to the actor’s more reasonable side. “—as your friend—I am really begging you to behave.”

Thankfully, it worked; Thranduil’s scowl softened marginally even as he scoffed and crossed his legs. “Please, Bilbo. I am an absolute joy to work with.”

Bilbo leveled him with a withering look. He amended himself. “Yes, I will be polite.”

Bilbo’s phone vibrated again as he sighed and nodded gratefully. “Good.” His phone buzzed again (what was going on?) but he ignored it and checked his agenda. “Now, he’ll be here any minute. So make sure to introduce yourself and find something you both can talk about. You’ll both be needing good chemistry anyway—”

“Why would we need good chemistry?”

Oops. He shouldn’t have said that. Bilbo maintained his cool as his phone buzzed again. “There’s going to be some romance—”

Thranduil’s eyes flashed. “The script did not call for a romance, Bilbo,” he said tensely, the sort of tense calm one would find in a very, very small eye of a hurricane.

Bilbo, however, was not intimidated. “Some things were reworked. You two are going to have a romance plot line. Did you not get the revised script?”

“No!” Thranduil leapt to his feet and paced angrily. “Unbelievable!” he ranted. “What is that hack director thinking, doing such a last minute change? Are we film students in graduate school? Is that what this is?” Bilbo’s phone vibrated again. “And where is that constant buzzing coming from?!”

“It’s my phone,” Bilbo grumbled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Look, I’m not the one who made the changes—”

“Obviously not, because you know better!” Thranduil whirled around on him in a mess of fury and blond hair. “A last minute change like this is unacceptable! Call that director! We need to discuss—”

Bilbo was seconds away from faceplanting on his desk, when there was a knock on his office door. “‘Scuse me?” someone called from outside.

Bilbo checked his wall clock. Eleven o’clock. He shot Thranduil a glare clearly meaning “Behave,” before saying aloud, “Yes? Come in.”

The door opened, and Bilbo’s headache throbbed a bit more when Bard Bowman politely entered the room. Just great. “Good morning,” Bard said politely. “Are you Mr. Baggins?”

Bilbo tried to arrange his face into a look that didn’t suggest he was one more inconvenience away from throwing something and nodded. “I am, yes.”

Bard’s face split into a grin. “Great!” He came over with an extended hand. “I’m Bard. Glad to finally meet you.”

In spite of the day, Bilbo returned the smile as he shook Bard’s hand. At least Bard’s friendly reputation was true. “And you. You’re right on time.” He turned to Thranduil, hoping at the very least that Thranduil still didn’t look like he’d nearly thrown a diva tantrum a second ago. “Thranduil, your co-star, Bard Bowman.”

To his surprise, Thranduil looked far from angry—he was staring at Bard with an almost… awestruck look on his face. The look reminded Bilbo of the look his nephew Frodo would get when he was staring at the anime characters he thought were especially hot.

Bard, on the other hand, didn’t seem to realize that was Thranduil’s look. He just smiled even wider and happily went to offer a handshake to Thranduil. “I can’t tell you how great it is to be working with you,” he said eagerly. “Your work is just amazing. Really, it’s an honor.”

And then Thranduil did the most unexpected thing: he smiled. And not just any smile, but the charming one he saved for interviews and red carpet reporters. “Please,” he replied, taking Bard’s hand, “the pleasure is mine.”

Really, if Bilbo didn’t have such a headache, he probably would have been flabbergasted by Thranduil’s rapid change of attitude. But as it was, the most he could give was a raised eyebrow. “So, Thranduil, do you still want to talk to—”

“No.”

“Alright then.” One less thing to do, at least. Although he probably would be having a word with the director about letting people know about last minute changes. But he could worry about that later, when he had gotten some coffee and ibuprofen tablets. “Well, how about we get started with—”

His phone vibrated yet again, and this time, it didn’t stop. Bilbo sighed in frustration. “Hold on.” He picked up his phone and looked to see who was calling. It wasn’t a number he remembered saving in his phone… But when he looked at the area code, he suddenly remembered when Drogo told him he’d put Bilbo down as one of Frodo’s emergency contacts at his middle school just in case.

He held up a finger to Bard and Thranduil and left his office to answer the phone. “Hello?”

“Hi, Uncle Bilbo.”

What the— “Frodo?” Why was his eleven-year-old nephew calling from his school's phone?

“Can you pick me up from school? Mum and Dad are both at work.”

Was that what all the texting had been about? “Why do you need to be picked up? What happened?”

“I, uh… got into a fight with Lotho…”

“YOU WHAT—” Bilbo glanced at his office door and lowered his voice. “You what?!”

“It wasn’t my fault! He was bullying Tom Cotton and—”

Bilbo’s headache throbbed and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Actually, Frodo, don’t. Explain it when I get there.” He checked his watch and calculated how long it would take to pick up Frodo and come back. Yes, he could manage it. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Do not do anything until I get there.”

“Thanks, Uncle Bilbo!”

“You’re welcome. Be there soon.”

Bilbo hung up and rubbed his forehead, then went back into his office. Bard and Thranduil had sat down on Bilbo’s couch, talking about something, with Thranduil sitting far closer than Bilbo had expected. “Excuse me,” he said.

The two actors looked up at him. “Everything all right?” Bard asked.

God, he wished. “Sorry about this, but my nephew called and I need to pick him up from school. His parents are both at work.”

Thranduil smirked, and Bilbo had no doubt he was wondering what Frodo, who was usually such a well-behaved child, had done to be sent home from school. He could not let Frodo tell him; Thranduil would probably buy him ice cream. Bard on the other hand nodded in understanding. “I understand. I can reschedule, if you like. My kids are in school too, so I’m pretty open most days.”

“Actually, it won’t take long, about twenty minutes, maybe, so why don’t you both get something to eat?”

Thranduil smoothly interjected. “I think that’s a fantastic idea,” he said, giving that charming smile to Bard again (and did Bard shift and smile a little back, or was that Bilbo’s headache muddling things?). “Have you been to the cafe downstairs? They serve excellent coffee.”

Bard smiled at him. “No, can’t say I have.”

“Well, that just will not do. We can eat and,” he smiled coyly, “get acquainted while Bilbo fetches his nephew.”

“Well, that sounds perfect.”

Bilbo wondered if he was supposed to feel like a third wheel right now. “Right, well,” he awkwardly went over to his desk to grab his keys. “Good. You two, get to know each other, and I’ll be back soon.”

As he left the two to… whatever was starting to happen between them… he looked at his phone again to see what all the vibrating earlier had been about. It turned to have been several more very angry text messages from dear cousin Lobelia, ranting and raving at him about how Drogo and Primula were raising a violent, wild child and he needed to stage an intervention so that Frodo wouldn’t attack her dear, sweet Lotho ever again. Ah, so that was what all that was. Frodo must have won that fight against Lotho.

Bilbo sighed and rubbed his forehead. He wasn’t sure what just happened or what he had just done for Thranduil and Bard back there in his office, but either way, he still had a feeling Thranduil would get Frodo ice cream for something today.

#barduil #barduil month 2024 #the hobbit #thranduil #bard the bowman #bilbo baggins #the hobbit fanfiction #actor au #idk how good my writing is but i thought this idea was really funny so #poor bilbo needs a vacation lol #also a cameo by frodo because i love him #if you guys were wondering what happened lotho tried to fight frodo and frodo beat the crap out of him lol #and inadvertently allowed for some romance to start developing lol #fanfiction #writing #my writing #lord of the rings #tolkien

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ohnoanalien · 1 year ago

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Headache

@journey-to-the-au has an awesome fake marriage AU, and as someone with PTSD this post really touched my heart in ways I can't explain. My writing's not as good obviously, but it's a little 'thank you' gift for giving us such great content! Enjoy!

TW: PTSD, flashbacks, phantom pain, panic attacks

It didn't take long for the Monkey King to notice something was wrong. As he walked through the halls of the Jade Emperor's palace, each fiber on soft carpet felt like long-dead grass.

The noblemen around him shot unwanted gazes. On the average day they buzzed like a swarm of gnats– annoying, but harmless. But all too suddenly, eyes pierced through the dark like cold spotlights. And the world blurred like a crude, two-dimensional set on a stage.

He fought the urge to cradle his head.

No. No no no, not now--

"Wukong!" The Great Sage blinked back a dizzy spell, a soft beacon of light cutting through the audience. Earth Reaching Willow greeted him with a soft smile, hanfu gliding across the snowy fiel-- the floor. He shot back a wide grin with a bit too much teeth, unsure if her presence was a saving grace or a terrible nightmare.

"How is Flower Fruit Mountain, darling?" Earth Reaching Willow's dark eyes flicked briefly to the immortals that surrounded them, staring openly.

Keep your composure. Don't look weak. You were-- will be fine.

"Are you alright?" Willow whispered, interrupting her husband's thoughts.

In return her husband smiled wider, wanting to die.

"'Course I am!" He rested his hands on his hips. Willow didn’t miss the way the Monkey King’s tail wrapped tight around his waist, itching to lash like a broken metronome. "What makes you think I'm not?"

It seemed like they were the stars of the banquet, hushed chatter muffled into wine glasses. But his ‘beloved’ persisted. "You just seem...what’s the word. A bit off-color?"

"Pfft! Off-color?" A seething pain rattled Wukong's skull, and his pained smirk reached his ears, "I'm alright! I'm alright! Nothing to worry about, Master!"

The voices went silent. The palace went still. The Great Sage felt his face warm, slapping a paw over his mouth.

The pain was unbearable. Colors and lights began to morph and shift, and the ground rocked beneath his feet. He allowed himself to be pulled by an unknown force, and marble hallways stretched into a dirt road. No, no they were by a snowbank. Or was it a monastery?

"Wukong?"

The chilly air did nothing to dull the pain, gasping for air as Tripitaka’s eyes continued to change color and shape. Dark to light, scared to angry. Over and over until his mind began to crumble, disorientation clouding his vision.

"Poor thing." A soothing voice called from the flashback, cleaving the delusion open like a knife on the butcher's table. "How are you feeling?"

"I was-- I'm-- I'll be--" Wukong scrambled to collect his pride before it could fall any further.

"It's alright, it's alright. Just calm down and--"

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" Wukong snarled. Rage snaked up his throat like a trapped beast. "I am the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, and I am no mere monkey!"

His eyes stung, desperately scraping at his head, searching to rip off a phantom crown. And ignoring the stinging, self-inflicted wounds that bloodied his claws. "I was the one who single-handedly took down the entirety of Heaven! I was the one who journeyed for years-- nnh! I-- I'm not-- I don't care about the pain!"

A muffled voice called above the panic.

"I don't care! I don’t care! So just make it stop!"

"Wukong!" A panicked voice called.

Earth Reaching Willow.

He cracked open an eye-- dammit, he was crying on the floor. His old friend kneeled on her knees, robes pooling around her like a waterfall. Delicate hands reached out, then pulled back. "Sun Wukong, Vengeful Fighting Buddha. Lovely monkey. Listen to me and listen well. You have to care."

For the first time in his long, long life, the Great Sage was speechless.

"You have to care." She repeated, tears spilling down her cheeks, "You have to because you're hurting yourself."

A terrible realization weighed on Wukong's heart, and he touched a shaking finger to his forehead. Blood seeped through a perfect, golden coat, and he breathed in the iron scent that burned his nose.

"I. I'm sorry for worrying you." He croaked. “I was lost.”

"No need to apologize, my friend." Earth Reaching Willow placed a hand to her chest, "I am no different. During my own panic attacks, my father would constantly tell me to 'calm down'. I'm ashamed I did the same to you."

"Willow--"

"But this isn't about me." A shaky, pale palm wiped at her cheeks. "Tell me how to help."

"Don't worry! Don't worry! I'm fine." Sun Wukong threw on a smirk, sewn in place with string and prayers.

Earth Reaching Willow shot back an unimpressed expression. "Wukong."

Mortification spread like wildfire across his face. Wordlessly, the stone monkey stared at her lap. And before he could open his mouth, Willow gently pushed him downward.

"Lovely monkey." She whispered, pressing a kiss to his temple-- worry unraveling as a relieved sigh brushed her ears. "You may have a position to uphold, and I may not always understand what you’re going through, but I promise you are safe with me. I will hold you if you need to cry. I will listen if you feel alone. I will give you your space when you ask for it. But please, for my sake, ask for help. Don’t try to hold up a century’s worth of pain and false pride by yourself. Let me keep you safe, as you have for me."

Gentle touches turned into strokes. And even when choking sobs wracked the walls, Earth Reaching Willow hummed softly, brushing aside the tears that soaked her fingers.

#@journey to the au #jttw #journey to the west #jttw fanfic

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indigosabyss · 1 year ago

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With over 400k words under my belt of purely crossover fanfiction (no really) I feel like I've dabbled enough in the genre to pinpoint three distinct types of Crossover Fanfiction Setups. With no one else to rant about this, and the hopes that this will be helpful to someone, here's you go:

A Breakdown on All Three Ways to Cross Fandoms Together

1- Fandom Fusion

My favorite type. This is where the worlds are happening on the same plane, simultaneously with one another. So, both stories are happening, or have happened, or will happen, without meshing with each other. Except they don't. Characters from each world meet, and get pulled into the other world's shenanigans. Very easy to do when both stories are both taking place in modern day Earth. Or in similar time periods of Earth.

2- Portal Crossover

Breaking out the isekai trope here. It's a classic work, with a built in setup in stories where grand cosmic scale is introduced. I'm talking the Gate sending Edward Elric into another world, or jonmartin finding Somewhere Else to be another medium entirely. Or Amphibia's music box, or Owl House's Between Dimensions or- or- or- you get it.

It's easy to do, and people are generally willing to accept PORTAL happening esp in superhero media and the like. You dont have to figure out how to make the fandoms compatible either, and gives a good common goal for all parties to work towards (i.e. return the interloper home)

Doesn't have to be a trans dimensional portal. Could be a time travel thing. Or visions. Or whichever plot device you find fits most. I enjoy this a lot because it forces characters who would never normally meet to interact and we need that. The two fandoms being transported could easily be fictional in each other's universes. Or not. The possibilities are endless with this one, just on a surface level.

3- Scenery Change

Last, there is the Alternate Universe Setting. Or, as I prefer, the Scenery Change. This is where the characters from one fandom are taken wholesale and translated into another setting, never having experienced their Original World. You know which ones I'm talking about. The Percy Jackson AUs where characters from another fandom are given godly parents. The Hunger Game AUs. The fandom w four easily separated groups that we do not talk about anymore but is prolly still v prevalent.

There's a lot that can be done with this, ranging both from fluff oneshots to 100k plots, but I've found that this is most effective when unique characters are placed into a very structured setting from another media, where their unique perspectives and reactions will color the overdone situation and give it life. The appeal of these crossovers lie solely in this: "We've seen it happen before, but what would happen if these characters were here?"

And. It. Works.

--------

So, yeah, careful observation has made me categorize these three premises. Tell me if you think there are more. Probably might do some breakdowns on the themes and the possibilities each premise holds the best weight for, and what goes into a crossover AFTER the two fandoms meet.

#fanfic #crossover #ao3 #fandom #analysis #amphibia #the owl house #fullmetal alchimist brotherhood #edward elric #fullmetal alchemist #the magnus archives #percy jackon and the olympians #the hunger games

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deityoftherain · 11 months ago

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know that all my love will be your breath - Ranchers Traffic Life AU Fanfic

Rating: Teen

Relationship: M/M, Gen

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Status: Completed Oneshot

Word Count: 11,777

Summary:

The Nether and The Overworld rarely interact. All known portals connecting to the two were inactive and had faded from the populous' memory. Even though there have been tales of such a thing, most don’t seek out cross-dimensional travel so the portals that remained were left broken and unlit. There was a reason for that sort of thing; The Nether was a cruel and unkind place.

While Jimmy, Joel, and Grian were hanging out together, they found a ruined portal. They had the amazing idea of fixing it up, lighting it, and seeing what happened despite having no knowledge about what could be on the other side. Jimmy went through the portal, a ghast destroyed the portal's frame, and he was stranded in a place unfamiliar and strange. All hope seemed lost until a certain Nether resident offered his assistance in getting Jimmy home.

Written for @daisy-bugs through the @mcyt-valentines exchange event!

I have been blessed with fanart based on this fic! Go check them out, please! They are so so so good!

@snifsnoof on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/snifsnoof/743343266694561792/ranchers-based-on-this-fic-i-read-yesterday

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Going through an unknown purple portal had some side effects that he didn’t think about when he made the unwise choice to jump through it. Well, “choice” was a strong word in this context. It was more of a dare and a refusal to be seen as “chicken” but the result was still the same. His stomach whined as if it had been flipped upside down, inducing some feelings of nausea. All he could see were purple swirls for his vision was otherwise blurred.

The day had been chilly enough that it warranted Jimmy putting on a jacket when he left with Joel and Grian that morning. He regretted wearing it the moment he was spat out of the purple portal’s embrace for all he could feel was heat. Sweat started to form droplets on his skin and his whole body flushed a sunburnt red. Did the portal give him a fever or something similar? He blinked to try and focus his vision as an inhuman cry reached his ears. A flying fireball hurled itself straight toward him. Acting solely on instinct, Jimmy ducked out of the fireball’s path in time to not be scorched. The fireball hit the portal, instantly reducing it to pseudo-gravel. Jimmy’s eyes widened and his wings puffed out when he realized his only way back home had been destroyed.

Jimmy wasn’t given much time (or any time, to be honest) to process what just happened or to focus on that particular cause for distress because the huge, flying white creature (based on appearances, it was like a giant squid but much angrier and extremely dangerous) that shot a powerful fireball out of its mouth was still aggroed on him. Panic overtook him as he scrambled to get out of the way of another shot. Did he have a bow on him? Was it worth trying to fly up to it to stab it with his sword? Would running away and hiding be better in this situation?

As Jimmy fumbled in an attempt to not die in this strange dimension, he spotted another humanoid figure running toward him. Another creature being humanoid did not comfort him for zombies were humanoid and those things were terrifying- especially the babies! Adult zombies weren’t nearly this fast though. Could it be an enderman? No, endermen were taller than the figure. The figure was shorter than Jimmy so of course he would be shorter than an enderman!

Before Jimmy could string a sentence together, yellow metal (gold, probably) hit against one of the fireballs. The fireball had been redirected with the effort, shooting back toward the floating creature and killing it on impact.

“Woo!” The humanoid that had jumped in front of him cheered. “Ghasty boy must have been on low health.”

Jimmy’s heart felt as if it were beating out of his chest, mostly from not understanding what was going on. The humanoid spoke actual language and not just grunts or screeches! He also protected Jimmy from the “ghasty boy” and has yet to attack him so Jimmy allowed himself to lower his guard some. It was clear now that the other (whoever he was) was another intelligent life.

“Who are you?” Jimmy asked, breathlessly. He didn’t expect his voice to come out so airy and dry but it had. It would be more embarrassing if he hadn’t already proven his utter panic the second he entered this world.

Jimmy also wanted to ask “What are you?” but those words died in his throat. The one in front of him was handsome, even if the pure red eyes sparked unease within him. There weren’t many with eyes like his where he lived back home. The red eyes reminded him of spider eyes but nothing else about the other told him that he was a spider hybrid.

“My name’s Tango.” He grinned, showing all of his teeth. They were pointy and looked like they could tear through flesh easily but any intimidation factor they could have brought was neutralized with his otherwise friendly expression. “What’s yours?” “Jimmy.” His eyes wandered up to Tango’s hair, which was actively on fire. Did he not feel the burning on his head? Had one of the fireballs hit him and set his hair ablaze? Jimmy hesitated before pointing to the flame. “Uh, your hair is on fire.”

“Yeah? I’m blazeborn. It’s a common trait.” Tango tilted his head to the side, unbothered by Jimmy’s observation. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

“Is it that obvious?” Jimmy laughed flatly, diverting his gaze from Tango to the world around him. He didn’t get a chance to look around yet (it’s hard to do when one’s life is being threatened) but he hadn’t missed out on much. The landscape was mostly dead from what he could tell and it was vastly different than what he was used to.

“Very.” The fire on Tango’s hair died out, revealing unscorched blonde hair underneath. His hair was a few shades brighter than Jimmy’s hair was but it wasn’t as yellow as Jimmy’s feathers were. “If it makes you feel better, I’m not always on fire. The fire is an indicator of the energy I’m exerting, in a way? There are a few other details to it that we don’t need to get into but it’s useful when needing to fight off mobs but less useful during calm times.”

“Interesting.” Jimmy sucked in his lips, not adding anything more to the conversation. That left the two of them staring at each other, in which Jimmy promptly spun on his heel to walk back to the portal. Correction, back to the broken portal. Correction again, back to the pile of rubble. The fear that hadn’t had its time to process earlier was hitting him like one of Scar’s trains now. “Oh no. No, no, no! Please, no.” “Strange.” Tango had followed him the short distance from where they had been standing and the portal. “I don’t remember that being here before. What’s significant about it?” “It was the portal I used to get here and now it’s broken,” Jimmy explained, not taking his eyes off of what used to be an obsidian frame. It had multiple blocks shattered into unusable bits. Why did he think it was a good idea to follow through on the dare? He should have just backed off and let them tease him. It’s not like he wasn’t used to it. “I am trapped here with no way of getting home and I don’t even know where ‘here’ is!”

“I’ll help you.” Tango offered, the end of his tail curling and uncurling by his back. “We’ll find materials to fix it and build another one.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.” Jimmy rubbed at his temples, trying his best to accept the fate he had been handed. “I can do it myself.”

“You aren’t from The Nether.” Tango pointed out, partly offended that Jimmy dismissed his help so quickly. Is “The Nether” what this world was called? “How do you expect to get around without a guide? The Nether can be a dangerous place if you don’t know how it works.”

Jimmy hesitated, eyeing Tango up and down. Tango had done nothing but help him (a total stranger!) this whole time yet Jimmy was already making undeserved biases. He literally saved him from a ghast attack only a few minutes ago! Tango could have actually done nothing and left him to die yet he didn’t. Was he really ready to let his fear of the unknown stop him from getting help from an altruistic stranger? It was certainly going to try but he would work to combat those thoughts. “How do I know I can trust you?”

“General trust and faith in other people?” Tango’s words came out more like a question than a statement. He hummed softly as he turned his attention to his own body. His face lit up a split second before he unclasped one of the gold bands around his arm. The armband he removed was identical to the one still clasped around his upper right arm. Tango made eye contact with Jimmy once more as he held out the gold accessory. “Here, wear this. It’s called gold and gold will make you a piglin’s best friend.”

Well, if that wasn’t one of the most suspicious things Jimmy had ever heard. What even was a piglin? Is it another mob like the ghast? He doubted it would be docile like a pig was back home. What would a gold accessory do to make a piglin like him? Jimmy weighed his options and concluded that he would be better off with a guide who knew what he was doing than being off by himself. He may not become best friends with a piglin but if gold did something to help make them not hate him, he would wear it. It wasn’t like it would be negatively enchanted since Tango had been wearing it himself merely seconds ago.

Tango must have realized his unspoken questions for he started to explain unprompted. “Piglins hold a lot of power in this place. There’s a lot of them and their team loyalty is not something to mess with. They hoard resources and aren’t afraid to fight for them. They have a monopoly on a lot of things and it’s frustrating but there isn’t anything we can do about that. The gold just signifies that you’re not a threat to them and they will leave you alone as long as you don’t break its symbolic meaning.”

Jimmy took the armband from Tango and ran his fingers against the metal. It was rough around the outside but smooth on the inside. There were designs chipped into it and it looked nicer than what he expected to find in a place like this. He shifted to slip the armband on, using it as a bracelet instead. His jacket was taking up most of his arm’s real estate but it fit rather well as a bracelet so he preferred that orientation. “What do you gain?” “Are you usually this distrusting?” That question was complicated to answer but Jimmy usually wasn’t as uptight as he was acting. Jimmy was trying to be cautious but it felt weird and unnatural. That feeling could also come from side effects of the portal, the unbearable heat, or the reality of the situation setting in.

Jimmy could almost hear his friends whispering in his ear (and behind his back) and it only worsened his headache. They were telling him (and other people) all about how clumsy and gullible he was, as per usual. Jimmy knew they were only teasing and poking fun (and he found many of their jokes amusing so it wasn’t as if they were his tormentors) but he also wanted to prove himself capable. If he made it back from The Nether alive, maybe they would respect him then. He would have an interesting story to tell, anyway.

Tango’s next words pulled Jimmy out of his spiraling thoughts. “How about this: We do a trade.”

“A trade?” Jimmy asked, curious as to what sort of trades would interest a blazeborn. He didn’t have much in his inventory that would be considered valuable. “What kind of trade?” “I show you around The Nether,” Tango gestured to the too-red landscape (was it all like this?) before gesturing to Jimmy, “and you tell me all about your world! We can gather the supplies to get you back home on the way and we can have an adventure while doing it. What do you say?” Tango held out his arm to initiate a handshake. His hands were gloved (how is he wearing gloves in this heat?) but the claws he had were evident through them. He didn’t look to try and hide it but why would he? Tango was the normal one in this world. Jimmy was the outsider.

Jimmy reached out to accept Tango’s hand but he completely missed where his hand was. He squinted his eyes, trying to get his vision to focus enough to succeed in this mini-test of hand-eye coordination. He could hear someone speaking (presumingly Tango) but his consciousness felt as if it were folding in on itself as he fell forward. Jimmy didn’t remember anything else after that.

𓃔

Ugh… where was he?

It was hot but he felt less sick than before if he ignored the hunger that rumbled in his stomach. Jimmy groaned as he pushed himself up from his lying position. His surroundings were different than they were before (there were cyanish green trees instead of a mostly barren red landscape) but it was just as unfamiliar.

“Jimmy! You’re awake!” He made eye contact with Tango, who was crouched down by something cooking at the controlled fire. Tango leaned over to grab a bag he had sitting nearby before rising to his full height. “Are you feeling better?” “A bit. Still not feeling great though.” Jimmy admitted with a weak nod. He placed a hand against his forehead before letting it trail down so he could rub at his eye. “What happened?” “You fainted so I carried you here. It’s one of the safer biomes but don’t look the endermen in the eyes. They’re tall, skinny, black creatures with purple eyes. They’re peaceful unless you look at them. They get angry when you do for some reason. I think most of them have social anxiety and anger management issues but that’s just my theory.” Tango dug inside the bag before pulling a water bottle out of it. He handed it to Jimmy with a firm warning. “Be careful with it. Water is scarce here. I had to barter with a piglin for that and she was not in a good mood.”

Water! The mention of it made him realize how dehydrated he probably was. Jimmy eagerly accepted the bottle from Tango, downing the water without a second thought. It didn’t taste great (warm water rarely did) but taste was the last thing on his mind.

Tango chuckled at his enthusiasm toward the water before muttering something about bartering being worth it. Jimmy didn’t hear what he said exactly but he didn’t bother to ask. Tango would have said it louder if it was intended for him to hear.

Once he finished drinking the water, he gave the bottle back to him. Tango took it and placed it back in his bag. “I don’t have more water but we can try trading for more later if you need it. Based on the way you acted, I assume you need more water than I do to function so we’ll just have to find some more piglins. I made some food though so that should help you feel better. I’m not sure if anything is poisonous for you or if you have certain food preferences so I got a variety.”

Why was a stranger being so considerate of him? Tango had gone out of his way to make sure Jimmy was taken care of! Jimmy found himself staring without speaking for a few heartbeats too long for it to be normal. If it bothered Tango, he didn’t comment on it. Maybe long pauses were normal for Netherans? Many of the people he knew back home were known yappers so, if that was true, Tango would have a culture shock if he ever visited. “What kind of food is it?”

“I’m cooking pork and mushroom stew for myself since I didn’t know when you would wake up, but we can share.” Tango turned back to the pot over the fire and went to stir it. “I have all the ingredients separately too if you don’t like something in it. You can also sift through my bag for other food. I forgot what I grabbed. You’ve been out for a while and I didn’t want to leave your body unattended for too long.”

Did they have pigs here? Perhaps they had a version of a pig? They had piglins but Tango didn’t describe them as being like any pig he knew. They had endermen, which he knew about already from his home, so would it be that unlikely that they had pigs (actual pigs; not piglins) as well? There were likely many regional differences in the language (partly because their environments were so different) so Jimmy was trying to be careful to catch them. He pondered it for a moment before deciding The Nether’s pork couldn’t be that different from The Overworld’s pork. “I’ll have some of the stew if there is enough. Do you have a bowl or should I carve one out?”

“Don’t waste your time. I have an extra bowl.” Tango reassured him as he poured some of the stew into a green-blueish wooden bowl (did Tango recently carve it from the trees nearby?) and carefully served it to him. Jimmy accepted the stew and they ate their meal in relative silence. This was going to take some getting used to.𓃔

“Part of our deal was you tell me about The Overworld but you haven’t told me much.” Tango’s words were dripping with annoyance and frustration as they walked slowly through what Tango had called “soul sand valley” when he asked. They had been traveling the past few days and they had not made any progress!

Well, that wasn’t true. They had been gathering resources such as food and gold so they could live. Tango didn’t seem to mind the travel and scavenging lifestyle but Jimmy suspected Tango was used to living nomadically. Tango had not mentioned a permanent dwelling place the whole time they wandered much less another person. “There isn’t much to say. Just replace the lava with water, add a sky, and make it more green.” “That’s not- you know that isn’t- ugh.” Tango frowned at him, his nose scrunching up as it often did when he was in thought. It was cute when he was strategizing on how to take down various mobs (apparently hoglins were the source of pork here) but it was less cute when it was negatively directed at Jimmy. “I thought we were becoming friends.”

Jimmy bit his lip, diverting his gaze. They had been getting friendlier, that was true. They have had many conversations (there was only so much one could do when hiking) but he’s avoided a lot of details. Jimmy was just trying to keep his guard up! Was that so wrong? He was just trying to stay alive.

His friends back home always told him he was too rash and that he got himself into bad situations because he trusted too easily. He was trying to prove to them (and himself) that he was capable but that had just left his personality flip-flopping. Jimmy didn’t enjoy being cynical and distant. That wasn’t who he was at his core.

Tango didn’t deserve to see this facade he put on! Tango had been nothing but accommodating and good-natured the whole time they’d known each other. He had been going out of his way to make sure Jimmy stayed safe. At this point, Jimmy would rather put all his trust in Tango and risk getting burned than continue whatever this was any longer.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. Let’s start over.” Jimmy took a deep breath, put on one of his usual friendly smiles, and stuck his hand out for Tango. “Hi! I’m Jimmy. I’m new here and could use help getting home.”

Tango’s eyes widened, an infectious grin accompanying it. The smile reached Tango’s eyes and it made Jimmy smile wider himself. Those red eyes of his had grown on him and Jimmy admired how they sparkled with Tango’s joy. Tango took his hand and shook it enthusiastically. “Nice to meet you! I’m Tango and I can potalify you home, no problem.”

“I didn’t know you were an expert in portals.” Jimmy let go of his hand to continue walking. The soul sand made them incredibly slow so he didn’t want to stop moving unnecessarily. Besides, up ahead, he could see more nether wasteland. They were so close to being free from the slow effect.

“I’m not,” Tango shrugged, unbothered, “but you said it was just an obsidian frame and then fire, right? If you haven’t noticed by now, I am half of the solution.”

“True. The obsidian is the hard part.” Jimmy sighed, running a hand through his hair. Bartering only gave them enough water to keep Jimmy hydrated. They didn’t have enough water to spare to create their own obsidian out of lava. Even if they managed to create the obsidian themselves, Jimmy didn’t have a diamond pickaxe to mine it and neither did Tango. It would be a pointless venture and a waste of resources.

Diamonds weren’t commonplace here, apparently, which made their mission so much harder. Jimmy would give up some of his water supply if it meant going home quicker. Tango had mentioned that some were found in fortresses (on the rare occasion) but they had yet to locate a decent one. The Nether was larger than what Jimmy thought it would be. The fortresses housed a lot of mobs and Tango said it could be dangerous without gear, so they had been doing a lot of prep work.

They exited the soul sand valley and they both hunched their shoulders in relief. “I never thought I would be so grateful to be standing on red rocks again.” “There is something calming about it- ah!” Tango’s hair sparked as an indication of his startled state. He darted away from Jimmy without a word more but the screech of an enderman told him what happened. Tango had failed to heed the very warning he had given Jimmy for he looked an enderman in the eye.

Jimmy gripped his iron sword’s hilt, pulling it from its sheath before running after Tango and the enderman. “Hold on! I got you!”

The enderman was tall, swift, and could teleport but Tango managed to avoid its rage long enough to defeat the creature. Jimmy had gotten several hits on it but so did Tango, once he managed to summon his gold sword from his inventory.

“Did it drop an ender pearl?” Jimmy put his sword away as he tried to catch his breath. “Are you okay?”

“I see where your priorities lie.” Tango teased but held up the ender pearl anyway. “I have the pearleporter right here. It might be useful later. How about you hold onto it in case you need it?”

“You made the final kill.” Jimmy shook his head, refusing. “It should be yours.”

“There is lava everywhere and the pearl might be the only way to escape without dying. You said avians would burn to death.” Tango grabbed Jimmy’s hand so he could press the pearl into his palm. “Blazeborn do not. I have natural fire resistance, remember?”

Jimmy stared at the ender pearl before placing it into his inventory. Tango was right. Jimmy was at a disadvantage in The Nether, especially since his wings were useless and underdeveloped. He couldn’t reliably fly with them (they worked better as a glider than functioning wings) and Tango knew that. He had explained it when Tango asked what they were. Did Tango pity him or think of him as weak? When Jimmy looked up at Tango, he did not see pity. He saw genuine care and worry. Jimmy would label it strange if he didn’t also find himself caring about Tango. He supposed spending the majority of their days together and going through trials side-by-side would do that to them. Jimmy knew he was being an utter fool when it came to his thoughts about Tango. Tango wouldn’t hurt him. He was too great of a guy to do that even when Jimmy had been acting the way he had.

“I’ll answer any questions you have about my home,” before Tango could start bombarding him, Jimmy added a clarifier, “but only after we set up camp. Walking through the soul sand valley and fighting off mobs has tired me out.”

“I still have leftovers in my inventory so we just need to dig out a little campsite in the side of the cliff.” Tango indirectly accepted his terms as he pulled out his pickaxe. He didn’t say more as he approached the cliff and started carving out a cave for them.

There was no sun here so sleeping and acknowledging the passage of time was difficult. Tango had no problem sleeping someplace so bright but he recognized that Jimmy slept better when it was darker. All the thoughts he had about Tango at the moment felt fond and soft. It was like a warm hug and Jimmy found himself longing for a hug from Tango himself.

Why did his face feel more flushed than usual? It was probably just the heat getting to him again. He should drink some more water before they settle down. His lips were starting to chap and he wanted to avoid them worsening.

𓃔

That was a successful trading session! Jimmy glowed with pride as he headed back to the camp he and Tango had set up. He had left camp with a sizable amount of gold (he and Tango had gone on a mining exploration at one point) in his inventory and he arrived with his inventory packed to the brim with items. Some of the items were not super useful (what would he need gravel for?) but there were some treasures among them. The piglins must have taken some sort of liking to him!

“Tango!” Jimmy called out loudly though he quieted his voice after that. He realized that Tango may still be sleeping and he didn’t want to wake him unnecessarily. “Are you awake?” “I am now.” Tango yawned loudly as he sprawled out into an X-shape to stretch. He relaxed his body and stared at the netherrack ceiling. Tango took an exaggerated breath before pushing himself upright. “Where did you go? Find anything interesting?”

“Yes, I did! I got many things but this is the most important of them.” Jimmy summoned an obsidian block to show it off. “I managed to get three of these today! The piglins have been so stingy that I didn’t think they would trade us anymore, let alone so many in one session!”

“Okay, so that’s five! Wow! How many do we need again?” Tango summoned the two they had managed to get when also trying to trade for water before tucking it away again. Piglins traded what they wanted, leaving them at the mercy of whatever the piglin’s whim was at the time. No amount of begging got them their desired trade sooner. “Fourteen total but I suspect we can skim on the corners so ten total. We only need five more- nine more if my theory is wrong- before we can attempt a portal! Good job!”

“Thanks.” Jimmy beamed at the praise but he didn’t stop there. It had been a productive trading session, after all! He also traded away the majority of their gold so he would be extremely upset if the four blocks were all he got. “I also got several bottles of water, some string, and some arrows. I can help with the ghasts once I grab some extra wood to make a bow.”

“I’ll make it real quick for you. I have some wood on me.” He beckoned for the sting and Jimmy gave it to him. While Tango crafted the bow, Jimmy took one of the bottles of water and drank it. He wasn’t going to deprive himself when the resource was available! Tango moved quickly because he finished crafting the bow right as Jimmy emptied the bottle. “I have successfully bowifyed the wood and string for you!”

“Appreciated.” Jimmy pretended as if he was going to use the bow but he didn’t retrieve one of his arrows to do so. He simply drew it back and let go. The string didn’t break nor did any part of it crack so he deemed it well made. He tucked it into his inventory for possible later use. “Let’s pack up camp and get moving.” “Will you tell me more about your world on the way?” Tango asked eagerly. They hadn’t gotten to talk about it much before Jimmy passed out of exhaustion last night. Part of him felt guilty for falling asleep so soon after he made that promise but he would rectify that wrong soon.

Had it been night then? Was it morning now? Jimmy dismissed the thoughts, deciding to continue timestamping the events with “night” and “morning” for his own sanity even though he had no clue what time of day it actually was. It was better that way even if it left a strange taste in his mouth.

When Jimmy showed his compliance with Tango’s request through a downward nod and a low-effort “mhm”, Tango found a sense of urgency. He increased the speed of his movements significantly compared to the other times they had prepared to leave a campsite. They packed everything away and stored some of the items scattered around them in their inventories. Some things (such as the excess of gravel Jimmy acquired) were not needed and took too much space in their inventories so they were left behind.

They started to wander on and Jimmy explained the basics of The Overworld. Jimmy told him all about the large oceans, the tall mountains, the deep ravines, and the lush landscapes. He described the way the wind felt blowing through his hair and how the sun felt shining against his skin. Jimmy informed him that the day wasn’t always day and that a night followed after. Tango asked if that is why he preferred sleeping in the dark and Jimmy confirmed his theory. He continued down the path of the sky so he could paint him a mental picture of the night’s beauty. The night brought with it stars that looked like glitter in the sky and a moon that changed shape in a looping cycle.

The concept of a sky fascinated Tango already but the idea of a changing sky engulfed his every thought for the next several minutes. He asked numerous questions about it and Jimmy answered the best he could. A lot of what Tango wanted to know was outside of Jimmy’s comprehension. Perhaps one of his friends would know or maybe they would have a book on it in one of their libraries. Jimmy may not know everything there is to know about skies but he wished he could show Tango the sky instead of only talking about it. Jimmy wanted to see that starstruck expression Tango wore so well when he saw the sky morph into the orangish hues of sunset.

If he ever saw the sky, anyway. Tango was blazeborn and a Netheran. He wouldn’t ever leave The Nether, would he? Would he want to? Jimmy wouldn’t have come here if he had the choice (if he knew what he was getting himself into) so why would he assume Tango would want to leave his home for a strange place? The Overworld was as foreign to Tango as The Nether was for Jimmy.

Jimmy would say he regretted going through that portal (and while that had been true at the start) but he didn’t find that to be true anymore. He still wanted to make it home, of course, but they were on track to meet that goal, and the journey it was taking to get there would make an interesting tale to tell his friends. Besides, he had met Tango. Their meeting had been under unconventional circumstances, sure, but what did that matter? Tango was proving to be one of the better people he knew and Jimmy was comfortable around him. At least he was when he wasn’t trying too hard or embarrassing himself. Jimmy liked to think he was improving on that front.

Tango listened keenly, hooked on every word that came out of Jimmy’s mouth. The astonished expression persistent on Tango’s features only encouraged Jimmy to speak more. His descriptions shifted from mere descriptions to tales of experiences he has had. He recalled the various places he had visited before and gave loose play-by-plays of adventures he had gone on with his friends.

Jimmy had rambled until it was time to sleep again. When they awoke, the cycle began anew. Tango asked more questions and Jimmy spun off on more tangents. They would stop to go mining, barter with piglins (they secured another obsidian block), explore the various biomes, and whatever other side quest they came across but it always ended with more discussions about their worlds and lives. Jimmy even managed to get some stories out of Tango!

He didn’t know how many days passed by in this timeless landscape but he didn’t care. Each moment he spent learning about Tango was a good moment. Each moment Tango took interest in him felt like bliss. That feeling only increased when he reminded himself that the wonders he spoke about were what he was working so hard to get back to.

Jimmy did make note of the sadness underneath Tango’s attentive intrigue. Jimmy bit his inner lip as he pieced the tidbits of information Tango had provided the last several days together. Tango seemed lonely. He never once mentioned other blazeborn (or other people in general that weren’t the piglin overlords) and Jimmy hadn’t seen any permanent settlements that weren’t overtaken by mobs. Jimmy had assumed Tango was nomadic, alone by choice, and had just taken pity on him but the hints Tango had unintentionally been giving him told him otherwise. If he hadn’t felt guilty before, he certainly did now.

“Tango?” Jimmy called for Tango’s attention once more. When he gave it, Jimmy continued, “What are you going to do once I go back home? Do you have people to go back to?” “Oh, uh,” Tango stopped walking for a heartbeat before upping his pace again, “I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’ll probably… Did you know that Nether Fortresses have these really scary mobs called ‘Wither Skeletons’? They can poisonify you really bad but if you can beheadacate them, you can use their skulls to summon a big bad boss called ‘The Wither’ and The Wither-” “Tango!” Jimmy scrunched his nose at Tango’s poor redirection. “First off, if that’s true, that is terrifying, but, secondly, why are you deflecting? Do you-? Did I-? You don’t have to answer but did I overstep? Did I do something? If it’s not me but the subject matter, you know I won’t judge you or whatever it is that you’re nervous about, right?” “It’s just a hard topic.” Tango curled his tail around his side so he could play with the tuft of hair at the end of it. “It’s not fun to account and I doubt it would be fun to hear so I don’t want to talk about it.” Jimmy nodded grimly, his imagination filling in the blanks for him. There are many possible explanations as to why Tango would be alone and why he wouldn’t want to talk about it. None of them were pleasant. The relaxed yet buzzing environment they had built with each other was mercilessly torn away by a few unnecessary questions. Jimmy had been too nosy and now he may have off-balanced their whole dynamic! Stupid, stupid, stupid…

His wings rustled behind him (a few yellow feathers decided to twirl to the ground with the motion) as he kept stealing glances at Tango. Tango refused to look in his direction. His gloved hand was gripped tightly around the hilt of his sword as if he thought a mob would spawn in front of them at any moment. In all fairness, there was a(n infinitesimal) chance of it happening with the existence of endermen and whatever other mobs that existed in The Nether that Jimmy hadn’t encountered yet. Even so, Tango hadn’t shown that level of anxious energy the whole time he’d known him. It was different now.

Jimmy hated that he triggered Tango’s grief, inwardly yelling at himself for acting like an utter fool. He cared about Tango too much to want to see him hurting. Hating himself came as easy as breathing (he was working to fix that habit) but thinking of ways to make it better did not. Jimmy racked his brain for too long before the most obvious answer popped into his brain. “You should live with me on the ranch.” “The what?” Tango raised his eyebrow, shooting him a questioning glance. He looked at him! That was a good sign. Perhaps that meant he wasn’t mad at him?

“Right, I didn’t mention that.” How did he forget to mention where he frequents the most? He forgot to mention his own house! Jimmy had been too caught up in daydreaming about the world he missed so much that he left out a significant aspect of his daily life. “A ranch is a large farm, by definition. There is a lot of land with crops and animals on it. I like to farm and take care of the animals. I’m not much of a builder- some of my friends are; you would like them- but I have a few structures on my land! They look good too, in my opinion. There is plenty of space for you to stay in the existing structures but you could also build on my land, if you would like. It’s warm there too. Not as warm as here, obviously, but it’s one of the warmer biomes so it hopefully wouldn’t be too shocking to your system.”

Tango’s eyes went wide, his hair started to spark, and his voice pitched up a few octaves. “You want me to come with you? To The Overworld? Together? Both of us?”

Oh, he was so cute when he got excited. Jimmy relaxed his muscles now that Tango’s troubles seemed to leave him. He couldn’t stop his face from flushing as he imagined living at his ranch together. It could become their ranch if Tango wanted to stick around. He hoped he would want to stay around. “You would like it there and I want to be the one to show you around The Overworld. Our home base would be the ranch but we could travel and visit people and see all the sights. Only if you want to! You also don’t have to live anywhere near me but, uh, yeah. Anyway, is that a-?” “Yes! Yes, yes.” Tango got a grip on Jimmy’s hands as he bounced on his heels. “How could I refuse? That sounds fantabulous! Oh, I’m so happy I could kiss you!”

Jimmy thought his face was flushed before but it was undeniably flushed now. He knew based on how red it was that he couldn’t blame it on simply the heat. His wings fluttered behind him and a chill ran up his spine. He wasn’t ready (was he?) to admit to himself let alone Tango how much he wanted to feel Tango’s lips against his.

He made the mistake of not replying to or redirecting the conversion. His lips stayed sealed shut, words dead in his throat. The silence called extra attention to Tango’s words (it was just an expression Jimmy was overreacting to!) and that allowed Tango to catch on to what he had said. His hair burst into a full flame and he stepped back away from Jimmy. A hand covered his mouth and his gaze was cast downwards. “Sorry, rancher. Jimmy. I’m sorry, Jimmy. That was too much and, ah!”

Rancher. It was a cute nickname and Jimmy found that he liked it yet Tango felt the need to “correct” himself. Jimmy’s heart pounded in his chest so harshly that he could feel its presence in his head. He stepped toward Tango in an attempt to close the growing gap between them. He flattened his wings against his back (imitating a hug) as a form of self-soothing comfort. “Don’t be sorry. There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

Tango didn’t raise his head but his gaze did travel from the ground up to meet his eyes. Jimmy swallowed back his hesitance with little success. Still, he persisted and stepped closer. The gap between them was noticeably narrowed.

Jimmy tilted Tango’s chin up so he was looking at him properly, surprising himself with his boldness. “Did you mean it?” “Mean what?” Tango replied coyly. His skin was pleasantly warm against his hand, even though his hair was an active flame. Was he purposely making sure he wasn’t too hot to touch or was he always like this?

There was barely any space separating them now. Jimmy could feel Tango’s breath on his face, to which his body responded by parting his lips. Tango smelled like the campfires Jimmy had gathered around with his friends back home and it was strangely addicting. The smell was usually his least favorite part (it would linger in his clothes no matter how many times he washed them) but Tango somehow managed to pull it off flawlessly. “Do you want to kiss me?”

Tango opened his mouth to respond with words but nothing intelligent came out. A string of high-pitched squeaks filled the air (it had a sort of charm to it) before he cut himself off. As a true response to Jimmy’s question, Tango leaned into him with their lips as the contact point. Tango’s tail curled around Jimmy as if he was staking his claim or signaling to others his unwavering protection of him. Needless to say, their kisses deepened and their hands found natural resting positions on the other’s body.

Jimmy led the kiss despite Tango technically being the one to initiate it. Jimmy had kissed other people in the past so he knew what he was doing. Based on the way Tango moved his mouth, he assumed that Tango had never kissed anyone else before. If Tango desired it, Jimmy wouldn’t mind giving him a few lessons.

He had been so invested in the kiss that he hadn’t noticed how lightheaded he had gotten. Jimmy had grown used to the headaches and occasional dizziness that came with the extreme heat and lack of water. He did his best not to complain to Tango for they both had been trying their best to tend to the other. Jimmy usually managed well enough but he could tell that he had grown too hot with not enough water in his system to cope. Between the tiresome physical activity he engaged in daily, his flusteredness, the lava pooled nearby, and the general Nether environment, his body was struggling to keep up.

When was the last time he had water? Hadn’t he just had some? It must not have been enough if he had. Did he finish the supply they had stored away? He wasn’t sure. The Nether’s lack of water supply and humid climate clashed harshly so it wasn’t as if he could afford to drink as much water as he normally would at once either way.

Jimmy slumped into Tango as his vision blurred and all sounds went distant. Tango’s lips left him and he whined in protest. If he was going to go down, he wanted to go down in a fun way. He didn’t want to leave Tango. He didn’t want to leave the most physical affection he had received since his last breakup until he absolutely had to. Jimmy wasn’t given much time to protest (not that anything he said was comprehensible) because his body gave into unconsciousness. The Nether was a cruel environment to him yet again.

𓃔

Fading in and out of sleep did not leave Jimmy’s memory the sharpest. There were snippets of events he could recall but it was all hazy. He struggled to tell the difference between what were dreams and what was reality. The clues he could gather from each dream-memory were minimal at best.

Assuming what he could remember was real, his body (as he suspected for a while) was not taking too kindly to the prolonged Nether environment. Tango was constantly talking to him though he couldn’t always make out what he was saying. Jimmy would respond on the occasion but the words were like blank spaces on shelves to him. Those words lived only in Tango’s mind now.

Even though the context of what was going on around him was rarely stored in his memory bank, the emotions connected to them felt real and raw. He knew that Tango was trying his best and every little thing made him fall for him more. There were moments where he had more clarity and Jimmy made sure to show his appreciation for Tango when he could.

Jimmy could hear Tango talk to him now as he awoke. He tried to tune into what he was saying but he only managed to catch the last of his words. “-to barter for another one. They're still mad at me after I blew up at them the other day but I somehow managed to convince them anyway. They must have decided to go easy on their favorite customer.” The bottle was set against his lips and his head was tilted back to slowly drain the liquid down his throat. Jimmy allowed him to do this until the bottle was done. “Mm… Tango…” Tango smiled weakly at him. He brushed his hair out of his face and pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead. He had started that bit of nonverbal affection when he thought Jimmy wasn’t awake but Jimmy managed to tell him he liked it. Tango was flustered (Jimmy remembered feeling happy then) but he continued doing it, much to Jimmy’s delight. “We’re going to get you home, rancher. I got the last piece of obsidian we needed. It took a while but we did it. We can make the portal.” The prospect of the portal home was like fuel to his brain. Jimmy sat up quickly, ignoring the extra disorientation that was brought with it. The sensation was nowhere near what he had been feeling recently so he was able to brush it off with ease.

“Don’t move so speedily,” Tango ordered though he could detect no scorn. If anything, he sounded relieved. Jimmy was relieved too. The Overworld’s climate was ideal for an avian’s body long term and The Overworld didn’t have its water supply locked behind greedy piglins! Jimmy was so positive that he would recover faster there that he would be willing to bet some of the diamonds he had in his ender chest back home. “I have to build it before we can portalify to The Overworld. Do you remember anything useful that has to do with making it?” Considering he knew close to nothing about The Nether before coming here, he did not. Jimmy was only here because he had stumbled onto a ruined portal with Joel and Grian. They had foolishly decided to repair it, light it, and dare Jimmy to go through it. Joel and Grian probably feel bad about it now. He hoped they were doing okay. “Four by… five. Four by five.” “Right.” Tango took a deep breath before turning away from him. He pulled out one of the pickaxes from his inventory that they made with the iron they got through bartering. “I’m going to build it into the wall.”

Jimmy watched as Tango got to work. He mined out a four-by-five section of the wall but he left blocks in the corners. He carefully filled in the gaps around the edge with the obsidian (if he misplaced a block, they had no way to pick it back up) before turning to look at Jimmy.

“I want to be with you.” Jimmy pushed himself to his feet. Home was so close; it was practically in his grasp! He couldn’t just sit idly now! Home didn’t have a lack of water. Home didn’t threaten to burn him alive by the temperature of the air alone. Home was cozy, safe, and familiar. The Nether had become home temporarily but that was only because Tango was here. Once Tango left here with him, The Nether would be one of the last things on his mind.

Tango wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him upright, careful not to bother his wings or hold him too tight. His skin had been flaking (he was going to need to moisturize a lot to get his skin healthy again) and it was starting to rub itself raw against his clothes. “The moment of truth.”

“Do it.” Jimmy breathed out. Tango obeyed, using the now-burning end of his tail to light the portal. The portal materialized in front of them. They watched it to ensure it had a stable connection and it never faltered. Tango glanced at Jimmy, expecting confirmation that they had done it correctly. Jimmy remembered that Tango never saw the portal before the ghast destroyed it so he was able to deliver the good news. “We did it. That’s the portal I remember.” Tango cheered, his shoulders relaxing and a shuttering laugh escaping his lips. He had been on the journey with Jimmy this whole time and they were both seeing the fruit of their labor. No more words were spoken between them as Tango helped him forward. Neither of them looked back.

𓃔

Jimmy remembered going through the portal but not much after that. The next time he opened his eyes, he knew his health had improved greatly. Jimmy hadn’t woken up so refreshed and rejuvenated in such a long time. He felt strong and his head was clearer than it had since he first entered The Nether. The air in the room was almost too cold compared to what he had grown used to.

He sat up but he took the blanket with him. It now lay loosely on his shoulders. “Hello? Where am I? Tango?”

“Timmy!” If the nickname didn’t make it obvious enough who it was, the voice was familiar enough to Jimmy that he was instantly able to place it. It was Grian. “You’re awake! That was faster than I thought it was going to be.”

“How long was I out?” Jimmy rubbed at his head as his eyes focused on the different atmosphere. Sun shined through the window and he preferred it to the light the lava gave off. He still needed a moment to adjust his eyes to it though. Has Tango been adjusting well? Jimmy shifted his position in the bed so he was facing Grian straight on. “Where’s Tango?” “Tango is the guy who came with you through the portal, right?” Grian didn’t wait for an answer to continue speaking. “Joel is interrogating him a few rooms over.” “Interrogating him?” Jimmy pulled the blankets off of him and practically jumped out of the bed. He was pleasantly surprised to find the action easy. They must have given him some strength and regeneration potions. “Why?”

“What do you mean why?” Grian stood up from his chair with him, his wings spreading out to block him from the door. “Isn’t he the one who overheated you? The one who broke the portal and trapped you there? We tried to relight it but it didn’t work so we assumed someone tampered with it.” “No? That was a ghast.” Jimmy hadn’t realized they might see it that way. All they would have known was that the portal broke and they were separated. “The other side of the portal is a really hot place called The Nether! They have lava lakes instead of oceans and they don’t have a sky. Tango didn’t do anything to me, I swear! Now let me through before Joel does something he shouldn’t.”

Grian’s eyes narrowed into slits as he considered Jimmy’s words. They both knew Joel could go overboard when he was on a mission or when he was trying to protect the people he cared about. His heart was in the right place but he didn’t always go about it in the best way. “Fine. Follow me.” Jimmy was grateful Grian had seen reason because Grian could be very persistent when he put his mind to it. He let Grian lead, the yelling he heard once they entered the hall only getting louder as they neared the room.

“I never hurt him!” Tango groaned, annoyed that he was (Jimmy guessed) repeating himself yet again. “If I wanted to hurt him, I could have, but I didn’t. I’m the reason he’s still alive!”

“You’re literally on fire! Fire equals heat! He fell flat on his face from blummin’ dehydration and heat stroke or whatever it was!” Joel exclaimed as Grian and Jimmy entered the room. He was going to say more but he noticed Jimmy in the doorway. “Jimmy! You’re awake!”

Jimmy allowed Joel to hug him and eagerly reciprocated the notion. He had missed him and Grian and his other friends dearly. Jimmy found that any ill will he felt toward them from before (he had been angry and blamed them early on) had dissipated. He buried his face into Joel’s shoulder as tears swelled in his eyes. “I missed you.” “I missed you too.” Joel rested his chin on Jimmy’s head, muttering into his hair. “I’m sorry. Grian and I were blummin’ fools for daring you to go into the portal. We shouldn’t have-” “It’s fine. I forgive you.” Jimmy pulled away from the hug to look him in the eyes. Their relationship was full of jokes and teasing but Jimmy wanted Joel to know he was serious. “I know you’re upset about what happened, I am too, but don’t take it out on Tango. He helped me get back here. I would be dead without him.” “I told you that,” Tango muttered, arms crossed as he angled himself away from the other three.

“Ah.” Joel sucked in a breath, a noise akin to a hiss sounding as he did so. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Leave it to Timmy to get trapped in another world and come out of it with a boyfriend.” Grian joked, saving everyone from the awkward and uncomfortable territory that had strayed into.

“At least it didn’t take me two years to tell him I liked him.” Jimmy shot back lightheartedly, unintentionally confirming to Grian that there was something romantic going on with him and Tango. Those close to Grian got to witness his pining over Scar (who had been oblivious to most of Grian’s half-attempted advances) firsthand so they had won the right long ago to poke fun at him for it.

“I win this argument” Joel puffed out his chest, pointing to himself with his thumb. He completely ignored that there wasn’t a competition to start with and, if there was, they knew he would “win” it so they would have never opted in. “I don’t have a boyfriend but I have a wife and a spouse. Beat that, losers.”

“You can do that?” Tango asked, his knowledge of the subject extremely limited. Jimmy had spent enough time with him now to recognize what he was feeling. Tango was hesitant to interrupt their conversation out of fear of them turning on him again but he was curious enough to voice his question. “How does that work? Is that normal here?”

“Not everyone gets in relationships of three but we did and I love them so much,” Joel explained, his voice gradually picking up speed as he spoke. “I’m the husband and Lizzie is our wife and Etho is our spouse. Etho would be okay with ‘husband�� too because they still enjoy masculinity sometimes but we thought it would be fun to all have separate terms. Now you may be wondering why-” “Here we go.” Grian rolled his eyes though he was thoroughly amused. Joel was going to keep Tango captive for a while while he explained everything he liked about his spouses and why polyamory is the best solution to any “love triangle” problem one might face. Many have tried to explain to Joel that some people are monogamous so that didn’t work for everyone but Joel chose to ignore them.

“At least they’re not fighting.” This was a good sign. Jimmy would rather have this than have two people he loved being at odds with each other. Love. Love. He did love Tango, didn’t he? His love for Tango was different from his love for Joel or for Grian or for anyone else he cared about.

The feeling of warmth in his chest was different from what he felt for his ex-boyfriend as well. Jimmy had loved Martyn, don’t get him wrong, but his love for Tango already felt more solid. It already felt like an unbreakable bond forged by shared experience and interest in one another. He and Martyn had fallen out of love, they broke up as a result, and they learned from it. They were never meant to be together in that sort of way but Jimmy still considered Martyn a close friend. Their relationship had gotten to the point where it felt silly that they ever tried to pursue each other.

Tango had become a constant in Jimmy’s desires for the future. He could effortlessly imagine what it would be like to be in a relationship with him long-term. It felt as natural as breathing and he hoped to never lose his supply of air.

If one were to truly reflect on life, one would conclude that life was simply a series of events that flowed around them. They forged their paths in the world and the world shifted to adapt. People would talk about how life always finds a way in the end. They say it always brings together those who were meant to be together and that it can happen in unusual ways. Now Jimmy had never been one to believe in the concept of “soulmates” but the bizarre circumstances that had to happen to get them to meet made him wonder if there was truth to some of the tales.

His love for Tango had come to be such a natural thought that he had never sat down and dissected it thoroughly until now. Jimmy wished to hold Tango and kiss him until there was no more breath in their lungs but that would have to be for another time.

With Joel distracting Tango, Grian started to prod him about his time in The Nether. Among his genuine questions about the world, he made a point to tease Jimmy about Tango. The accidental boyfriend confirmation had given Grian too much power. It would only be a matter of time before everyone else knew too.

Jimmy blushed at Grian’s teasing but he loved the idea of everyone knowing. He wanted to present Tango to his friends as his boyfriend. He wanted to show him off and gush about him until he lost his voice. Jimmy was positive they would come to like Tango as much as Jimmy found himself liking Tango the first few days they had spent together. Jimmy smiled at his boyfriend, who was nodding along to Joel and not looking in his direction.

He broke away from his conversation with Grian to grab Tango’s hand. Tango accepted the hand holding but he raised his eyebrow in question. “Are we going somewhere?”

“I told you I would show you around my world, didn’t I?” Jimmy responded, dragging Tango out the door. Tango didn’t resist, letting himself be guided with a joyful giggle.

“Hey, you devil!” Joel protested as Jimmy saved Tango from enduring that conversation any longer. “I wasn’t done with him yet!”

“He’s my boyfriend! Go find your own to ramble to; you have spouses for a reason!” Jimmy called over his shoulder, not slowing down. Their speed-walking turned into a run until they were able to burst through the doors.

The sun smiled down at them, kissing their skins like they were long-lost lovers. Jimmy thanked his body for instinctively turning to observe Tango’s expression when the sun directly hit his face for the first time. Who knew Tango would look so beautiful in sunlight? Did he really get so lucky that he could see him every day? It amazed him (sometimes felt like a dream) that Tango wanted to live life with him. Jimmy would fail to contain his content smile and delighted laughter if he tried so he didn’t bother, allowing himself to feel freely. He couldn’t wait to experience those days with Tango no matter how exciting or mundane the day’s events may be.

𓃔

“Tango! I finished harvesting the wheat!” Jimmy called as he entered their home through the backdoor. It had been about eight months since they traveled through the portal and announced their relationship status to those who were now both Jimmy and Tango’s friends. It would be an underreaction to say that these past several months had been some of the best months in Jimmy’s life. He would compare it to the months he spent exploring the Southlands with Grian, Martyn, Mumbo, and Impulse but the adrenaline he felt then was distinctly different from the care he felt here. “It’s all bundled and stored in the wheat shed!”

Tango had decided to live on the ranch with Jimmy instead of finding and building his own place but he had made modifications and added personal touches to the house. Jimmy let him and, honestly, Tango had made improvements Jimmy hadn’t even considered. Each modification and added detail made the ranch feel as if it was truly theirs instead of just his. At this point, it has been theirs for a while.

“Woo! Good job, rancher!” Tango peered his head around the corner to show he was in the kitchen before going back to what he was doing. He spoke loud enough that Jimmy could hear him from down the hallway and over the soft tune of a music disc. “Do you think we have enough bread revenue to finally get that horse Scar’s selling now?” “I’ll have to go talk to him again.” Jimmy took his boots off at the door (he wasn’t going to track in all of that mud!) and he hung his hat on its designated hook. “I just need to find a time where we are both free to negotiate with him again.” “Why don’t we invite some of the other couples over- well, the other couples and whatever the word is for Joel, Lizzie, and Etho’s relationship- and you can snag Scar’s attention and talk to him at some point during it?” Tango suggested once Jimmy entered the kitchen. He was cooking something and whatever it was smelled phenomenal. “I could make a full meal or we can even potluck it like we did at Martyn and Mumbo’s place for Martyn’s birthday party. I’ve been wanting to host again, anyway, so this would be a good excuse for me.”

Tango had tried his hand at “Overworld Cooking” after Skizz brought them (specifically Tango but Jimmy was included by association) angel food cake as a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” gift. Tango ended up unlocking a hidden talent that he would have never discovered if he had stayed in The Nether. The Nether was greatly lacking in terms of produce, meat, grains, spices, need he go on? It was a whole new world for Tango, figuratively and literally.

Jimmy was a decent cook (he’s managed this long!) but it wasn’t something that interested him or something that he was very amazing at so he was excited about Tango’s new hobby for many reasons. Tango’s cooking has spoiled him so much so quickly that Jimmy didn’t touch the kitchen unless he was cleaning it. If there was anything Tango wanted to try his hand at in cooking or baking, Jimmy would go and find the ingredients for him to do so.

Tango usually used cookbooks to guide him but, as of about two months ago, he started to experiment with his own recipes. He added another journal to his collection of journals (he had other projects he worked on and took detailed notes of) so he could keep track of his usually edible creations. There had been a few disasters but Jimmy was a more than willing test subject for Tango’s experiments.

“If you would like to, we can set that up.” Jimmy went behind his boyfriend, placing his hands on his shoulders to give him a gentle massage. Tango stopped moving besides the little flicking of his tail so Jimmy would continue. His reaction only caused Jimmy to smile wide enough that it could be heard in his voice. “We could host it outside on the long table I finished detailing last week. It’s been holding up well out there so I think it’s fine to serve a meal on.”

“Perfect.” Tango placed his right hand on Jimmy’s left before turning to face him. Their hands (not gloved) moved to link together as Tango rolled forward on his toes to give Jimmy a brief kiss. “It’s settled. What should I make? Would they want a casserole? We should serve some of the carrots we recently harvested. Martyn loves carrots, doesn’t he? Maybe I could make something with carrots for him. What is everyone else’s favorite food? I’m struggling to remember who likes what. I know Grian and Scar like pizza but that is more of a main ticket item for a casual hangout night on its own than a dinner party. It doesn’t really fit. If I figure out what everyone likes, I could maybe-”

“Whatever you make, they will love,” Jimmy reassured him, resting his arms on Tango’s shoulders. The music disc still played in the background, adding to the pleasant atmosphere. Jimmy struggled to place the tune enough to name it but Tango had found a good one to play.

“I know.” Tango sighed softly, his arms finding their place by Jimmy’s hips. They started to sway to the music together. Their swaying gradually moved them closer together until their chests practically touched. Tango set his chin on Jimmy’s shoulder and Jimmy rested his cheek against Tango’s hair. Jimmy trusted Tango enough to know he wouldn’t let his hair shift to fire when Jimmy was so close. “I just want them to like me.” “Tango, love, why would you think they won’t? Of course, they like you.” Jimmy frowned, straightening up to meet his boyfriend’s eyes. His care and compassion for him were clear on his features as he cupped Tango’s face and brushed his thumb against his cheek. “You’re wonderful, funny, amazing, and talented. They would be fools to not like you. Did one of them say something to you?” “No.” Tango gave him a weak smile, feeling silly for voicing the insecurity Jimmy constantly tried to prove wrong. “It’s just hard not to feel like an outsider at times. I am different from them.” “We’re all different from each other.” Jimmy slid his hand down from Tango’s cheek to his back. He rubbed a small circle pattern around his shoulder blade as a way to comfort him. He knew it was the right move when a soft rumbling akin to a purr built in Tango’s throat. “Some of us are avians, a few have elven or fae heritage, and a good majority of us are hybrids in some sort of way. ‘Normal’ doesn’t mean much around here. We all have our quirks and differences and yeah, we disagree from time to time, but they aren’t bad people. None of us are. They’re not going to reject you for being blazeborn. If they were going to, they would have done so already. We all live near each other because we get along and we have built a community. You have more than proven to be a part of that community.” “Etho did teach me to tie a tie when they realized I didn’t know how.” Tango offered up the counterpoint to his own insecurity. Jimmy pressed a kiss near his hairline and muttered soft encouragement after he did so. Tango took that encouragement as motivation to continue, each statement earning another kiss until his face was being peppered with kisses. “Lizzie and I built up that one carnival game for Joel’s Fairground Mound. That was fun. Skizz taught me how to make things spicy without making them too spicy for non-blazeborns. Mumbo-” Tango was going to continue that train of thought but Jimmy had given in to his desires. Jimmy didn’t wait for Tango to reassure himself to place a kiss against his skin. Instead, he showered him with kisses and soft touches without discrimination as to where. Tango’s giggling was what cut him off from speaking but Jimmy suspected it would have happened sooner than later. Some of the places Jimmy touched were places he knew were sensitive and ticklish.

“Feeling better?” Jimmy spoke into Tango’s neck before placing a kiss against his skin. He moved down to the crease between his neck and his shoulder, leaving a few more there.

“Y-yes.” Tango’s claws dug into the fabric of Jimmy’s shirt as he swallowed back a gasp. Jimmy nipped another sensitive spot, showing no mercy when it came to intimacy. “Jimmy, I still- still have food-”

Right, Tango had been cooking. Jimmy stopped his trail of affection on Tango’s body, only backing off enough for them to see each other’s full face. They otherwise stayed close together. “I'll freshen up, you finish up cooking, and we continue this later?”

A hand snaked its way to the back of Jimmy’s head, pulling him into a lip-locked kiss. Jimmy hadn’t expected it but he wasn’t going to deny his boyfriend what he also wanted. The kiss only lasted a few moments before Tango broke away and shoved him out of the kitchen. “Now shoo! You’re going to make me burn the food.” “Okay! Okay! I’m going.” Jimmy laughed, letting Tango push him toward the stairs. He placed his hand on the railing and started to walk up the steps to get to their bathroom. One of Jimmy’s quirks was that he loved showers and baths. It was nice to get all the filth from the outdoors off of him after a long day. It was usually a time when he could just relax and think about nothing for a little bit. It was safe to say he did not think about nothing this time around.

If you made it all the way down here, please reblog and leave a kudos/comment on my ao3! I'll appreciate it <3

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billycorn · 4 months ago

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Patchwork: Chapter 4 - Distance

An Explorers of Sky au following the Hero is Darkrai theory, but after the events at Temporal Tower Darkrai returns to Treasure Town in an effort to prevent his inevitable corruption. Read Previous Chapter Here!

This is the longest chapter by a fair margin, so buckle in!

Patch awoke bright and early the next morning. He yawned loudly and scratched at his chest, feeling the sun tickle his flesh. He looked slowly about, surprised to realise he was in the guild. Apparently, as an apprentice, he was given a room. It was at the end of the hall, and a spare bed was tucked to the side. 'Team Typhoon' was scratched onto the stone walls, amidst several other names.

With the arrival of Celebi and Grovyle, yesterday had turned into a long night at Spinda's. Introductions were made and Patch was sat still, forced to listen as Buia regaled him with the tale of how they had saved the world. Patch already knew the story, he'd been watching most of the time, lurking within Jasper's shadow. Still, he hung off Buia's every word. Now Patch had an excuse to know the story.

With that thought in mind, Patch headed excitedly for the door, when a flash of copper caught his eye. His explorers badge sat by the wall, glinting in the morning light. Picking it up, he studied his skewed reflection in the burnished surface, running his thumb across it.

That was when it happened. Patch's first dimensional scream.

A lancing pain through the skull drove Patch to his knees and he clutched at his head. His eye clenched shut, and the world fell away, replaced by something familiar.

Patch was sitting in the passenger seat of a car, the world rolling steadily by. A boy, perhaps seventeen years old, was in the driver's seat. The sight drove the wind from Patch's chest. This boy, this was how Patch had looked before becoming a monster. Then, was this a memory? A glimpse into his past life?

A quiet gasp tore Patch's attention away. Craning his neck to see behind him, he spotted a young girl, fast asleep despite the sun rising steadily higher overhead. Something lurched in Patch’s chest. He knew this girl; she was familiar. This was his sister.

The girl tossed and turned, hitting her head on the window and crying out. Then, she was bursting awake, her breath coming in quick gasps. Sobs overtook her and she began crying pitifully. She rubbed at her eyes, it was then that Patch saw the heavy bags there.

The boy glanced in the rear view mirror and reached back. He took the girl's hand in his own and rubbed his thumb slowly over it. "Another nightmare?"

The girl nodded, too busy fighting the tears to answer.

His brow furrowing, Patch turned back slowly, looking upon, well, himself? The boy lowered the radio's volume and whispered quiet reassurances. When the girl's tears stopped, he began singing softly. His voice was off-key, and grating. Yet, the girl quickly fell asleep again. The boy continued holding her hand, and driving.

As sudden as it came, the vision ended, and Patch was left stumbling about his room. He clawed at his sides, feeling something bounce painfully in his chest. Scrabbling for the window, Patch stuck his head out, sucking in deep lungfuls of air. Slowly, the pain in his head and chest subsided, but the memory refused to fade. It sat, burned in his mind.

Smiling. The boy looked so tired, but that whole time, he was smiling.

"OI, ROOKIE! GET UP OR - oh. Hurry up, morning briefing!" Loudred thundered.

Taking a few more breaths, Patch beat the memory back with a stick and locked it deep within him, where it wouldn't surface again (hopefully). After all, Patch had more important things to worry about.

Morning briefing was blessedly quick, though his ears pounded as the other apprentices screamed the morning cheers. After, Patch dragged himself up the ladder. Buia and Jasper were standing off to the side, by the job notice board. Buia was talking animatedly, all waving arms and twirling tails.

"Morning." Patch waved as he hovered nearer.

Buia's eyes widened when her gaze settled on him. "Patch! Great news, we've got our job for today!"

Jasper groaned. "Buia, we don't know what's there. We can't take a rookie."

"It'll be fine. He's got us!"

Patch's plume wavered curiously. "Hm? Where are we going?"

Jasper raised a wing. "We're not -"

"Sky peak!" Yelled Buia. "It's a big mountain, with a village of legendary Pokemon called Shaymin at the bottom! The path there was lost years ago, but it's just been found again. We heard it at Spinda's this morning."

"Spinda's. You went there for breakfast then?"

"More like we never left." Jasper's feathers were ruffled and unruly. His brows seemed to hang a little deeper than yesterday. "Forrest and Celebi are passed out at our place. Unfortunately for me, Buia promised you a-"

"dungeon dive! Cheer up, we'll pack extra chesto berries." Buia skipped toward the ladder.

Patch found himself almost smiling. Her enthusiasm seemed contagious, as the guild livened up around her. "She really didn't sleep last night?"

"Not a wink," answered Jasper. "Don't question it. She's in a league all her own."

Patch made a thoughtful noise, looking expectantly at Jasper. The Rufflet simply sighed and toddled after his partner. They whisked by Kangaskhan's, grabbed some stuff and were off in a flash.

The road to Shaymin village was a long one. Yet, Buia walked leisurely, arms folded behind her, gazing at the sights. Patch hovered alongside her, watching Jasper drift lazily on the winds overhead.

"Oh, Patch, I almost forgot." Buia fished around in the bag slung over her shoulder, yanking free a blue strip of cloth. "Here, this is a gift from Jasper and me."

Patch's brow furrowed. "A gift?"

Buia pressed it into his hand, closing his fingers around it. "Yep! It's a defense scarf. To help keep you safe. You know, just in case."

"Ah, thank you."

"Sure! You should wear it around your waist, really make your curves pop."

"What?!"

Buia giggled, swatting at his shoulder, and shaking her head. "I'm just messing with ya."

"Ah, I see." Patch ran his hands over the fabric, feeling it soft yet sturdy in his grip. "I suppose, I should go thank Jasper."

"Uh, I wouldn't. He gets awkward about that kind of thing. He's probably grumpy too. Hasn't been sleeping well, and last night certainly didn't help."

Patch's brow furrowed. "I see."

Thoughts drifted through Patch's mind like Jasper on the wind. Jasper is awkward about this kind of thing. What, giving gifts? Receiving thanks? Patch's mind flashed back to yesterday, to Celebi's warning: You put him in a new kind of hell.

If Celebi was right, if Jasper was now warped beyond recognition, this may be more difficult than Patch first thought. Not that anything seemed particularly wrong.

Well, only one way to find out for sure. Tying the defense scarf round his arm (much to Buia's disapproval), Patch flew steadily higher, pulling level with Jasper. The Rufflet didn't spare him so much as a sideways glance.

"Thank you for the scarf," Patch yelled over the wind.

Jasper didn't respond.

"And for taking me on as an apprentice."

Still no answer.

"I'll, uh, try to learn a lot from you. So, you can be proud of me."

At that, Jasper sighed. He banked closer to Patch, so he didn't have to shout. "Listen. Buia wanted to take you on. Be respectful of her, and don't bother me, and you can stay."

"Thanks, but I'd really appreciate it if-"

Jasper shot Patch a dry look, at which Patch fell silent. With a nod, Patch floated back down, his shoulders slumped.

Buia smiled sympathetically. "Didn't go how you hoped?"

"He’s friendly."

Buia barked a laugh. "He's like that with everyone at first. Well, not at first, so much as, always, but most people learn to look past it. Or at least -" Buia rambled for a while, and Patch just tuned her out. It seemed like she was talking more to herself anyways.

Shadows dancing under his fingertips, Patch pondered how best to win Jasper over. Should he just tell Jasper the truth? No, there’s no telling what Jasper would do. What if only guaranteed the very future Patch was trying to avoid? If that happened, then this was all for naught, and Patch would've failed Celebi again.

These thoughts running through his mind, Patch didn't notice Jasper swooping until Buia was being carried away in his talons, whooping with delight. Jasper climbed higher into the air and Patch hurried to catch up.

"Can you keep up?" Buia yelled, a smile splitting her face.

"What's happening?" Patch shouted back.

Buia jerked a paw at Jasper. "He's had enough brooding time. Now, we book it."

"You know," drawled Jasper. "I can drop you any time."

"Do it! I dare you."

Rolling his eyes, Jasper sighed and climbed higher again. Catching a strong wind, he shot away, soaring towards the mountains on the horizon. Patch flailed in the gale, trying to catch up. It didn't do him much good. Jasper and Buia were pulling quickly ahead. Still, Patch huffed and puffed and pushed himself after them.

Hours later, they finally arrived at the foothills of a mountain range, where the Shaymin village was huddled. Flower fields were scattered about the meadow. Small huts dotted the landscape. Fluffy green Pokemon scurried about, eagerly greeting the explorers already there.

Jasper circled overhead, looking for a place to land. Buia was fast asleep in his talons and for a moment Jasper considered folding his wings and plummeting, but that felt a little cruel. So, he flew in long, lazy arcs, slowly working his way down, until he could lay Buia gently in the grass. She mewled and stretched awake, taking a moment to roll in the warm sunlight.

Turning his gaze back to the sky, Jasper searched for Patch but couldn't see him anywhere. Jasper couldn't help a small satisfied grin.

"Hm, are we there yet?"

Jasper's grin fell. He turned, his head tilting at the scene before him. Patch was rubbing his eye and climbing out of Jasper's shadow. The Darkrai yawned loudly and looked about.

Thanks to the angle of the rising sun, Jasper’s shadow had lagged far behind, and Patch managed to slip inside before Jasper pulled too far ahead.

Buia's eyes widened, but her tone was still sleepy. "Dude, you can hide in people's shadows?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Neat little trick."

Jasper clicked his beak moodily. "On the way back, you're flying. Rookies don't get to slack off."

A little green Pokemon with flowers on its back came waddling over. It looked nervously between Patch and Jasper, took a breath and forced a smile. "Hello, I'm Shaymin. Welcome to our village! Are you explorers, here to climb Sky Peak?"

"Sure are!" Buia slapped her cheeks, steadily waking up.

"Great! We're glad to have you. Explorers normally go up with a Shaymin guide, but we weren't expecting so many visitors out of the blue. Everything's a bit crazy right now. Though, there's plenty of rest points, and a Shaymin at most of them. You can head up whenever you like! Any questions?"

"How strong are the ferals?" Asked Jasper.

"There are ten stations, with a rest area in between each one. The ferals start out easy but get stronger with each station. The species will change somewhat, too. Each station is only short. Though, if you need to turn around, there's no shame-in that."

Jasper's eyes narrowed on the mythical, but Shaymin only stared back, an innocent smile on its face. Buia doubled over laughing and Patch jumped in fright.

"What?" Asked Darkrai. "What did I miss?"

With a heavy sigh, Jasper stalked towards the dungeon. Buia followed quickly after, shouting thanks to the Shaymin. Patch waved goodbye; his brows still furrowed in confusion.

Team Typhoon followed a path, leading up the mountain. As they went, the path grew thinner, and the valley was left behind. Bundles of flowers huddled by the roadside, growing less frequent as the grass gave way to the mountain's rocky slope. That all changed when they entered the dungeon.

Soft vibrant grass rolled across the earth, stretching into high hedges bearing pockets of flowers which filled the air with the smell of spring. Pristine waters pooled around the edges of the dungeon. The air was fresh and pleasant. It was all so peaceful; you could almost forget you were in a dungeon; and that's the dangerous part.

All the beauty belied the dungeon's true nature and Patch found himself mindlessly comparing himself with the dungeon. So, he wasn't sure how to feel when Buia stepped on a self-destruct trap.

The trap didn't off immediately. As Buia stepped onto it, it made a small clicking sound. Her head tilting thoughtfully, Buia crouched carefully, and brushed away the grass at her feet.

"You good?" Asked Jasper.

Buia made a thoughtful noise. "Self-Destruct trap. Seems like it's got a pressure sensor. Come stand on it."

Without hesitation, Jasper stood on the trap. Buia jumped off and fiddled around with their treasure bag. After a moment, she produced several small tools and dug into the ground around the trap. Buia fiddled for several minutes, stepped back and nodded.

"Alright, should be safe now."

"Should be?" Yelped Patch.

Buia shrugged. "I give it a twenty percent chance of going boom."

Jasper stepped casually off the trap, and nothing happened. "Well done."

Buia planted her hands smugly on her hips. "I try."

After that, they moved steadily through the dungeon, encountering plenty of enemies. Buia and Jasper moved like a well-oiled machine, and they showed no fear or hesitation in dispatching large swathes of foes. Patch actually struggled to find chances to be useful.

In hindsight, this may have been a good thing. After all, it meant the few foes he did face, Patch could handle easily. Making him seem good, but not too good. If they saw his power and decided he didn't need their help, getting close to Jasper would be that much harder. Though, it's not like Patch was having much success on that front anyways.

In the dungeon, Patch stuck close behind Team Typhoon, covering their backs and making himself useful. At the stations, he chatted with Buia, but Jasper just would not engage. No matter how well Patch did, or how he casually started conversation, Jasper wasn't interested. The first couple times, Buia had offered reassurances, and promised that in time Jasper would come around. Well, if fighting well and being friendly weren't working, the next best thing was being terribly utterly incompetent.

Around the sixth station, Jasper and Buia were battling a Raticate and Torterra in a wide-open room. Patch stood behind them, waiting for an opportunity. He got it when a Flygon came tearing into the room from the corridor behind them.

Patch charged the Flygon, allowing himself to be clobbered by a dragon tail. The move sent him bouncing across the room, where he landed in a groaning heap. He pushed himself back up and fired a shadow ball, but the attack was slow and spiralled off course.

Flygon spun elegantly, a blue light beginning to shimmer off its scales. Performing the dragon dance, Flygon grew faster, stronger. It darted about, peppering Patch with attacks. He was being steadily forced back, throwing up weak defenses against the onslaught.

Just as Patch thought the attacks were actually starting to hurt, Team Typhoon came to his rescue. Jasper leapt on Buia's shoulders and pulled her into air. He flew a tight circle and flung Buia forwards, releasing her like a pellet from a slingshot.

Screaming with delight, Buia soared across the space, her fist outstretched and glowing an icy blue. Buia crashed into Flygon and released a barrage of ice punches. Flygon squealed and quickly fainted.

Climbing off the fainted dragon, Buia dug through their bag and offered Patch an oran berry. "You alright?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Buia's head tilted, but after a moment she shrugged, pressing the berry into his hands. "No worries. Let's keep going." With that, she headed for the nearest corridor. Jasper followed Buia's lead, not even sparing Patch a glance.

Groaning on the inside, Patch cursed his insufferable self and resisted the urge to throw shadow balls at the Rufflet. Sure, the move wouldn't hurt the normal type, but it would certainly make Patch feel better.

The higher the trio climbed, the less friendly faces they saw. Upon reaching the last station, there was no one else in sight. More than that, the grass wasn't growing here. Any flowers that had lived here had long since died off, and there was an awful smell on the air.

Jasper kicked some dirt into a firepit, where coals smoldered. "Something's not right."

Buia nodded. "Must be something funky ahead. Just once, I'd like an easy job."

"No, you wouldn't." Jasper glanced sidelong at his partner. "You're an adrenaline junkie."

Buia crossed her arms. "Maybe, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the slower parts of life."

"Alright, I'll volunteer us for sentry duty."

"That's totally different! Sorry I don't like standing in a pit, looking at strangers' feet all day!"

Leaving the rest area behind, Jasper continued towards the summit. "Then, what's an easy job you would like?"

Buia's tails twirled, and she looked to the sky, as if searching for answers in the clouds. "Oh, I know! Helping Chansey at the daycare would be nice!"

Before he could stop himself, Patch snorted. "You think kids are easy?"

"Aren't they?"

Jasper and Patch shared a look and laughed. While it wasn't as unrestrained as Patch's chortle, Jasper definitely laughed.

Jasper shook his head and, speaking to Patch, said, "Buia's the youngest child. She's got two older siblings."

Patch nodded knowingly. "That explains it then."

Muttering something under her breath, Buia turned her attention to the climb, but asked, "Patch, do you have any siblings?"

"I had a sister."

Buia's tails fell. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Patch's eye widened in surprise. He hadn't even registered he'd said anything, but apparently! "Don't be. It's, I actually don't remember her much. It was a long time ago."

Buia waited, but when Patch didn't say anything more, she offered him a kind smile. "Well, Jasper's had some experience with forgetting stuff. If you ever wanna talk, just let us know."

Patch tucked his chin behind his collar, hiding his smile. "Thank you. I'll think about it."

Patch had already decided he couldn't tell Jasper the truth, but he might be able to tell Buia. Even if she didn't believe him, Celebi could confirm the story. What's more, Buia probably stood the best chance of actually helping Jasper. Though, if Buia learned that it was Patch who caused the paralyzed future... She'd hate him for sure. Not that that bothered Patch. In the nicest way possible, Buia, Forrest, even Celebi, are all tools for his mission. The ends justify the means, right?

Patch toyed with the idea, not noticing as the land around them grew more desolate. A fog, thin at first, now hung thick and smelly around his head.

Buia knelt, running her paw through the dirt. "This isn't right. Jasper?"

"On it."

Taking the skies, Jasper broke free of the smog and took a deep breath, relishing the fresh air. With several mighty flaps of his wings, his defog cleared the air atop the mountain, revealing five Grimer and three Muk, all lurking nearby. Further up the path, a Shaymin, Breloom, Machoke, and Mawile all lay collapsed.

The Grimer and Muk groaned at the disappearance of the smog and turned angrily towards Buia and Patch.

Buia grinned, jumping on the spot and shaking her arms out. "Oh, you wanna go? Let's go."

She spun gracefully about and within moments, her rain dance had summoned a downpour. Dark clouds blocked out the sun and poured rain.

From above, Jasper circled round behind and blew a gale. Between Buia's swift swim ability and Jasper's tailwind, Buia was possibly the fastest Buizel to have ever lived. She darted about Sky Peak, her aqua jet glancing off foes and disorienting them.

"Hurry, while they distracted!" Yelled Jasper.

Rufflet began throwing air slashes and Patch hurriedly followed suit, sending a barrage of shadow balls. The Muks cried out and circled up. Waving their arms as one, they summoned a giant sludge wave, erupting from the ground behind them and sweeping down the mountain.

With a shout, Jasper leapt into the air. His little wings flapped mightily, sending a massive hurricane to collide with the sludge wave. The poisonous wave broke, spilling lamely across the ground, and the Muk were swept away by Jasper’s attack.

Patch threw his hands outwards, a shadowy energy rippling from him, crashing over the Grimer's and finishing the fight.

Buia stopped her aqua jet bullet train, coming to a smooth landing beside Patch. "So, what did you think of our combo attack?"

Patch scratched at his chin. "Is that why you're called Team Typhoon."

Buia's answer was disrupted by a quiet groaning from nearby. Remembering the collapsed Shaymin and friends, Buia hurried over, offering whatever aid and berries she could. Thankfully, their injuries were superficial, and they were all quickly back on their feet.

Breloom pulled himself slowly to his feet and shook hands with Buia. "Thanks for the save."

"No problem. Team Typhoon, at your service."

Shaymin sneezed several times and shook itself out, sending a spray of water every which way. Then, looking about, it gave a small sad whine.

Sky Peak was devastated. Pools of toxic sludge sat on the mountaintop. There was no grass nor flowers to speak of. It was almost hard to believe it was the same mountain they'd just climbed.

"This will not do! This will not do at all!" Cried Shaymin.

Breloom nodded. "Right, we'll begin clean-up at once."

Shaymin toddled to the centre of the peak, wearing a determined expression. "I will handle it stand. Stand back."

Squeezing its eyes shuts, Shaymin began yelling, and the buds on its back flowered. The little Pokemon began glowing as the last traces of the Grimer and Muk were pulled in towards it. All the pollution was pulled from the mountain and Shaymin glowed brighter. Then, with one final cry, Shaymin exploded. A cloud of green burst outwards from the mythical, sweeping across the summit and down the mountainside.

When the green haze cleared, and Buia opened her eyes again, her jaw dropped. Sky Peak had been totally transformed. Flower fields raced across the summit, dancing on luscious grass. Pristine ponds dotted the landscape. Ahead of them, the summit fell away, showing a stunning valley below, painted in all the colours of the meadow flowers. Countless smells were carried up on the winds and Buia breathed deeply before sneezing.

Shaymin nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you all very much! Welcome to the Sky Peak Summit!

Buia cheered in delight, and Patch couldn't help it, he joined in. Breloom and Machoke's whoops of joy joined moments after. Jasper just laughed: Looked out over the valley and laughed. Cheers, tears, those are fine offerings, but the truest way to thank the world for its beauty is laughter.

As the cheers died down, and the laughter stopped, Breloom's team and Shaymin went about setting things up to easily bring others to the summit. Meanwhile, Team Typhoon sat on the cliff edge. Jasper was settled in Buia's lap, his eyes fluttering closed and snapping open again as she dragged her paws through his feathers.

"You did good," she whispered.

A second later, he was fast asleep.

Patch smiled, but his heart ached. Buia. Forrest and Celebi. Everyone at the guild, and in Treasure Town. Jasper had so many people who loved him, but Patch knew, there was something in Jasper, in both of them. It had been there since the moment they first awoke in this world. A sense of something wrong; something that had been broken. Until that thing was fixed, this world wasn't safe. Jasper was a threat. One way or another, Patch would eliminate that threat.

Pushing the thought from his mind, Patch settled his gaze on the horizon and said something that surprised himself. "I wish my dad could see this."

Buia smiled. "Yeah? Well, we'll bring him next time."

Patch curled his fingers in the dirt. "I'd like that."

#patchwork au #chapter 4 #pokemon #pmd #pmd eos #pmd2 #pmd au #pmd ocs #pokemon mystery dungeon #billy's works #pmd fanfic

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