#guys this thing is 5k

[kkshowtunes]

google citing ao3 as a source is so unhinged

[suprecorp]

*girls when it is literally eating away at their psyche* whatever

[terezis]

belos is the most villain of all time. i’m obsessed. who is doing it like that guy. “upstanding christian man” who becomes so twisted by delusions of grandeur that he becomes the literal devil and he still thinks he’s the good guy. he possessed the corpse of a god. he is made of goo. he carved and scarified magical glyphs into his own body. he bit raine. when he was defeated he tried to lie his way out of the loss by pretending the power of friendship saved him and then proceeded to get curb-stomped to death by an amputee, a non-binary band geek, and a raccoon. what a fucking mad lad

[happypeachsludgeflower]

I don’t always make Feng Xin suffer, but when I do? God do I make that man suffer. He’s just my little meow meow and I want to see him cry 🥸

[doodlejoltik]

grass knot

[~4.5k words, read it here or on Ao3. tagged with Volo and Lance since they appear as prominent characters; Rei-centric]

Why is it that even the thought of confiding in Akari, his closest friend, makes something constrict in his chest, choking out the words?

Rei, caught in the stirrings of a new arc, tries to rise to its call, but trips over the past at every turn.

A full rewrite of that Mysterious Stones chapter where Volo first shows up, from Rei’s POV, plus a bit more. Written mostly before the Arceus Arc began.

(Setting expectations: a lot of this fic is just Rei Thinking About Stuff haha. Love getting into his head! His characterisation is a little bit different/more nuanced compared to the other Rei oneshot I wrote; hopefully you'll still be along for the ride if you've read that one!)

-

“Show me thy bond.” It echoes inside Rei’s skull, down to the very bone, the same as in his earliest memories. He nearly buckles under its weight, but it's a welcome feeling.

After so long without direction, this is a relief. Arceus has finally spoken.

The words fit perfectly with the half-remembered fragments Rei had received some weeks ago in the middle of the night. Why hadn't they been intelligible then? What makes now different? The sync stones ultimate are one factor, of course. Maybe Arceus draws power from them, which is strange to say of a deity, but from what he knows of the Plates, it might not be so far-fetched.

Prince Lear disperses the murmuring crowd; so, the audience all heard it too, not just those on the arena floor. Professor Bellis congratulates Bettie. Cynthia, Lance and Steven whisper among themselves. And his mind still whirls with new theories as they gather together.

What does Arceus want? 

‘Seek out all Pokemon’ had meant completing the Pokedex. At least, that’s what he’d assumed. Now, this time, Arceus likely means for them to showcase bonds with their Pokemon, given the context. But what does that actually entail?

Cynthia’s words cut above everyone else's. “Rei. Was that voice…?”

All eyes are on him. He breathes deeply, steeling himself, as the familiar weight of it settles in. Things are moving, now. 

“Yes. I'm certain. That was —”

“Indeed! That was a message from Arceus!”

His words catch in his throat. Off-balance, suddenly, as all his thoughts fall away, replaced by a swooping feeling he can't quite identify —

He whirls around.

Volo is here.

He takes a few steps back, an involuntary half-stumble, before remembering himself. 

Those flashes of movement he's been seeing, the feeling of being watched, a Togepi, unattended: they’re all now terrifyingly validated. He'd half thought them a product of his overactive mind.

“Excuse-moi, pardon me… but who are you?” Professor Bellis ventures. 

“I'm Volo — a humble merchant who loves history and mythology!” With that, he flashes a winning smile. Rei could laugh at the sheer audacity of it all, but his thoughts are still strewn across the dusty ground, scattered, and they slip from his grasp as he tries to gather them up. Whatever sense of gravity he’d felt upon hearing Arceus’ voice has completely lifted.

“But more importantly!” Volo continues. “When the arena shone brightly, I also heard that voice.” He brings his hand up to point at the air with enthusiastic emphasis, a gesture still so terribly familiar. Rei clenches his fists, feeling the nails dig into his skin. Not really out of anger. More as a reminder.

The last time he’d seen Volo had been. Well. Memorable. But that isn’t the image that smiles back at him now, tripping him up. He's in Gingko uniform again, complete with ridiculous oversized backpack, which Rei had thought discarded, up there on the peak. Apparently not. Had Volo returned later, still seething, to collect his things? The concept is strangely hilarious.

“I wonder… these sync stones ultimate… might they be some sort of test from Arceus? If we could show him that ‘bond’ he desires —”

“Sorry, test? Arceus?” Cynthia interrupts with a frown, holding a hand out. “What makes you say that?”

“Why, it's quite simple. Arceus' presence was summoned by these stones, in this exhibition, and he requests us to further show our bond. What else could he desire?” Volo says, gesturing widely. 

Rei finally pulls himself upright — scrapes his thoughts together into something resembling coherence. The initial shock has drained away, settling into a distant sort of apprehension. He watches silently. Volo’s not really saying anything too unreasonable, but where is this leading? 

There’s so much he doesn’t know. What has Volo been doing, all this time? How long has he been on Pasio? What does he hope to gain, approaching them like this?

He’ll let Volo continue, then. It's an opportunity for some of those questions to be answered.

(And it gives Rei time to think of what to say.)

“Well, put that way, that does make sense,” Steven nods along. “Should we organise for more trainers to try the stones, then?” 

“Oui, I would love to gather more data!” Professor Bellis answers. “However, the stones are still quite volatile. There is progress on this, yes, but for now, I would like to limit their use, capisci?” 

At this, Bettie speaks up. “Yeah, it was weird.” She runs a hand through her Pikachu’s fur, the mouse curled up lazily in her arms. Nobody in Hisui was quite that affectionate with their Pokemon. Certainly not Akari, though she'd grown closer with her own Pikachu over time. As for himself, Decidueye had been standoffish, averse to being carried even as a baby Rowlet. Well, actually — as his distracted mind digs deeper into memory, he recalls — there had been Volo and his Togepi. 

He casts that errant thought away, buries it deep once again. Bettie is still speaking.

“And it was like nothing was there, at first, and Pikachu and I had to concentrate really hard. And then — whoosh! Wow! Overwhelming,” she shifts Pikachu’s weight to one arm to gesture with emphasis, “and all at once.”

“And this is when Arceus spoke,” Lance asks. 

Bettie nods, now subdued. “It was a rush! I think you guys could handle it, but I dunno if everyone could.”

“If I may,” and all attention returns to Volo. “It seems the stones can currently be used by trainers with particularly powerful convictions, and bonds with their Pokemon,” he gestures with a smile to Bettie. She blushes. 

At the casual flattery, Rei can't help the small frown that twists onto his face. It seems innocent enough, but compliments and niceties can so easily mask true intent. 

Especially with Volo.

Volo continues. “Perhaps we might solve this by way of a tournament, of sorts. Allowing Arceus to witness our talent and dedication, with the victor bestowed the honour of using the stones! Of course, the winner of such a competition would have the fortitude necessary to handle such power.”

Well, taking that to its logical end… Volo wants to win, and be granted this ‘honour’ he so conveniently proposed. But why go to all this trouble? The stones appear out in the streets quite often — apparently, found even by preschoolers. Volo should have no trouble obtaining them.

Does he know something they don't?

“Bettie here led the first winning PML team, did she not?” At this, the girl in question smiles Mareepishly. “And that is why she was the one to demonstrate the stones, I presume,” Volo inclines his head towards the Champions.

Informed guess, or something more? He thinks back on half-seen, furtive movements, and wonders. 

“That's right,” Steven confirms. “Bettie is a shining example to us: a leader of the next generation. We decided there was no better choice.” 

“So you suggest we hold another tournament,” Lance says thoughtfully. “Well, there is precedent. Prince Lear,” he turns to the Prince, whom Rei had honestly half forgotten was there. “What do you think?”

Before Lear can reply, Volo reinserts himself into the conversation. “It would be a grand tournament, truly fitting of Pasio's reputation. Why, perhaps, the deity Arceus might even be compelled to descend —”

Ah. So that’s what he intends. “Aren't you getting ahead of yourself there?” Rei interrupts. He means to sound stern, but it comes out sounding more incredulous. Not at the idea itself, but at how brazenly it’s admitted.

“Perhaps,” Volo says with a careless shrug. He doesn’t acknowledge Rei any differently than the others, still maintaining their inadvertently shared ruse. “It's only speculation, of course, but it is exciting to think about!”

“Hmph! I believe I was the one being addressed,” Prince Lear declares, arms crossed. His red shades flash dangerously, eyes hidden under their glint. Directed at him, it's almost like the full glare of an Alpha Pokemon.

Rei’s face flushes with heat to the tips of his ears. Great time he picked to enter the discussion. He quietly ducks his head down; the Prince is in charge, here, after all. He'd rather not test his patience. 

Meanwhile, Volo just smiles, seemingly unfazed. 

There's a part of him that really wants to know how Volo does that. It's just — he's so confident. How can he be so sure that everything will work out in his favour?

“A grand tournament,” Prince Lear ponders, tapping his foot. “And what could be grander than the second Pokemon Masters League?”

“Indeed!” Volo beams. “I'm sure the audience would love to see the clash between a king and a deity, would they not?”

Lear's tapping stills. His guarded stance loosens; he's taken aback. Volo emphasised king, and oh, Lear's official title is Prince. Hm.

There's something more deliberate about it beyond just casual flattery. 

Lear uncrosses his arms and seems at a loss, for a moment, on where to put them before straightening up with his hands on hips. “Is that so?” He laughs. “I like the sound of that!” A pause, unnecessarily dramatic. Nobody breaks the silence, not even Volo. 

The Prince looks around with some satisfaction and continues. “Very well, then. The winning team of the second PML will be granted the honour of using the sync stones ultimate.” He grins, sharply, red shades flashing once again. “Which will include me, of course. Hahahahaha!”

“You have a real gift for making quick decisions!” Volo says cheerfully. The tension breaks. Chuckles arise from the rest of the group, and Rei can only stare in disbelief. That — that has to be mockery, right? But everyone else seems to take it as light teasing, even the quick-tempered Prince himself. 

Against his better judgement, his gaze catches Volo’s. 

He doesn't know what he expects to see: amusement? Satisfaction? Triumph? And there's some of that, but it's a wry, knowing sort of look, like a joke shared only between the two of them. 

Already the others are starting to animatedly discuss between themselves. Bettie makes a teasing comment to Lear, who scoffs. Professor Bellis says something about checking in on the sync stone technology. Cynthia, Lance and Steven form their own little group again, speaking in low tones, and he can't quite follow their discussion. 

It seems like he's the only one who notices Volo quietly slipping away, and he's got half a mind to do the same. 

Would it be incredibly ill-advised to follow him? Probably. But he still has questions. And it’s possible that Volo will let his guard down when they're alone. 

(Even to him, that seems incredibly optimistic. But there’s things between them that he himself would rather only unearth in private. Maybe Volo feels the same way. And even if not, perhaps he'll gloat, or tease playfully, and let on something of use hidden in the thorned barbs.)

It's not like he has much left to contribute here. Tournaments and competitions and organised displays are foreign to him. The Neo Champion Stadium had felt so different from the kind of battles he’s used to… which, in part, could be why he lost. 

He needs to train. If everything rests on the result of this tournament, he has to be ready. 

The group seems to be naturally dispersing, at least — Professor Bellis just excused herself — so he won't be missed. With some quick words, he, too, turns to leave. They can handle this part, and Rei will do his. 

Prince Lear had mentioned a winning team, and Pasio battles are generally three on three, from what he's seen. Who could he ask? There's Akari, of course. And the clan leaders, but it would feel strange to team up with only one and not the other. A little bit too reminiscent of another time. 

His steps carry him nearly to the edge of the arena.

Besides, he's getting ahead of himself. He still has to… well, he should explain everything to them. About Volo.

Even all these months later, it still aches. He had buried it all, hoping to let it rot away, to be free of that thorny mass of contradictory feelings that arose every time he dwelled on it. 

But the longer he waits, the more impossible it seems to explain — to explain not only the events of that fateful day, but also his own, confusing silence on the matter. Though he’s tried to plough the field, turn it all over and start anew, it still lies just beyond the surface, and a single misstep is all it takes to snarl him all over again. Why is it that even the thought of confiding in Akari, his closest friend, makes something constrict in his chest, choking out the words?

(Akari is unquestionably the one person he's closest to. But there was a time when that singular title wasn't so clear cut.)

There’s a sort of tunnel that leads out of the stadium, a long darkened archway that passes under the audience stands. He's about halfway through when he hears footsteps from behind, swift and purposeful strides. 

His breath catches, for a moment. But Volo left first, and the arena had been flat and wide, with no corners to lurk in. Besides, it's too loud. Clearly telegraphed.

Cynthia, maybe? 

He turns. The face that greets Rei is slightly less familiar. “Lance,” he acknowledges the Champion. 

“Rei,” Lance greets in turn, stopping a few paces away. Arms crossed, silhouetted against the light of the arena and framed by the tunnel’s dark, arching walls, his tall figure is — intimidating. 

He can’t help but wonder whether that's deliberate. 

“You left before I could ask,” Lance says, and there's a pause. “As someone who has prior experience with Arceus, what do you think of all this?”

A fair enough question. But the way it's said… sounds a little too carefully worded. Casual, but purposefully so.

What sort of answer does Lance expect? 

“It sounds reasonable enough,” he decides to say. As much as he hates to lend credence to Volo’s proposal, he can't think of anything better. It somehow seems to suit their needs perfectly, which he's sure is no accident. “Back in Hisui, I was told to seek out all Pokemon, so I helped with the Pokedex. In the same way, I guess this could help fulfil Arceus' new request.”

Lance nods along, but his brows furrow. “You sounded more sceptical, earlier,” he points out. 

Ah. Not really his intent, but… “That was about the more…” he casts about for the right word, “speculative part of it. I don't know if it would really call Arceus down, or anything like that.” Though honestly, he doesn't know that it won't.

“What do you think will happen, then?” Lance asks, with clear curiosity, and, well. He doesn't really have a good answer to that. 

“... I don't know,” he admits. “I never actually completed the Pokedex, so I'm not sure what happens after Arceus’ request is fulfilled.” He had been close, but there had still been so many minor tasks that needed finishing, things to busy himself with, to arrange and get in order before he had to face Giratina again. 

He hadn't been ready, yet. Maybe Arceus had grown impatient, and brought him here to confront his problems directly. Maybe it cared. Maybe it didn't. 

(Seeing Giratina with Cynthia had felt a little like he was the punchline of some divine comedy.)

Lance purses his lips and looks off into the distance, out of the stadium, past Rei. He wishes he could read the man’s expressions better; as it is, the set of his brows calls to mind Kamado, and everything else tangled up with it. 

Finally, Lance’s gaze turns directly to Rei once again, and he speaks. “That Volo… you two know each other.” 

It’s not a question, but even then, the expression of unguarded surprise he can’t hold back might be answer enough.

Lance has one hand on his hip, the other, at rest, is framed by the drape of his cape. He looks down at Rei as he states plainly, “His clothes aren’t of modern make, so the logical assumption would be that he’s from Hisui. Cynthia confirmed my suspicion. And, historically, Hisuian communities were few and quite tightly knit. It’s more likely than not.” 

He tries to keep his expression carefully neutral, as logic digs deeper, dangerously close to things unexplainable. And the earth is already recently disturbed, soft, friable. He can’t offer much resistance. “I've seen him around,” he concedes.

“But why did neither of you acknowledge the other?” Lance looks confused; frustrated, even. “Even a passing acquaintance would be notable, with both of you being here in the future.”

And here — this is familiar. The accusations. The questions he can’t answer. But it’s different; it’s not that he doesn’t know the answers. He just can’t seem to put them in an order that would make sense, to anyone else.

(Does he really understand, himself?)

But eyes are on him, and he needs to explain, in whatever unsatisfactory way he can. “Volo and I… it's complicated,” he laughs weakly, tugging at his scarf. “He genuinely does love history and mythology, you know. I guess I wouldn't be that surprised if he was right about Arceus.” All those times they’d pored over ruins together, Volo excitedly babbling on about whatever legend this one related to — there had to have been the seed of something real, something genuine, in that. 

It’s not really an answer. Lance can obviously tell, because he crosses his arms. 

“Is he bad news?” he asks bluntly. 

There’s no twisting his way out of this one.

Some of the panic he’s feeling must bubble up onto his face, because Lance’s expression softens, just a bit. The man sighs. “Look, Rei, I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but us Champions need to have all the relevant information. This tournament, the stones,” he gestures around them, “affect everyone here on Pasio. So I’m sorry about involving myself in your business, but it's necessary. Should we be keeping an eye on Volo?” 

It’s obvious what the correct answer is. And every second he delays responding makes him seem all the more untrustworthy. He questions, a little hysterically, why this of all things is what he stubbornly roots himself for, risking this place he’s made for himself in another unfamiliar land. 

But his jaw works, and all that slips out of his throat, past the thorny tangle, is a “Maybe.” The most ground he can concede. “Volo’s… passionate about Arceus.” Which is perhaps the biggest understatement of both this century and the last. 

There's an expectant pause. He almost leaves it at that, but it seems it's too unfinished a sentiment for Lance. “He wants to be seen by it.”

“The same way you are?” Lance says sharply. Arceus, he picked up on that fast. Rei hopes he leaves it at that. A rivalry fallen apart, twisted into bitterness and jealousy, nothing more.

Nothing world-ending. 

It’s not like he doesn’t trust Cynthia, and by extension the other Champions. It’s just… he can deal with it himself. It’s what he was probably brought here to do, anyway. The thought of someone else turning him over, and finding him lacking — fighting his battles for him — makes him uneasy. 

“Yeah, something like that,” he answers, with a painful swallow. 

Besides, he hopes he can resolve this peacefully. He’d beaten Volo before, even after he’d flipped the rules of battle on their head. And this time Volo can’t upend the script; one good thing about tournaments, he supposes, is that the rules are rigorously upheld. A different sort of battleground.

He wants to laugh at that. Suppositions and wildly optimistic thoughts are his only foundation, and yet it’s enough for him to reject all possibility of outside help.

Then again, if he can’t even bring himself to tell Akari, what chance does he have of breaking that self-imposed silence, here, on less familiar ground?

Lance hums, assessing this. He uncrosses his arms. “If that friend of yours does anything drastic, tell us, alright?” he says. It’s said warmly, but there's something serious to it. An undertone. “Our job is to help out wherever we can, so don’t hesitate to reach out.”

Rei tries for a smile. “Understood.”  

Lance nods, and looks Rei up and down, though it's only a subtle flicker of his eyes. His gaze lingers on the scarf at Rei’s neck, which Rei realises he’s been fidgeting with unconsciously. He lets go with faint embarrassment, feeling caught out. 

The other man sighs. “You can go, you know?” There’s resignation in his voice. Maybe even something apologetic. In that moment, he seems more like Kamado than ever.

Rei doesn’t want to turn his back to him, but he wants to be here even less. So he nods, stiffly, and turns himself around, continuing the dark walk through the tunnel and out the stadium at a steady pace.

He doesn’t run.  

(But his hand hovers by his satchel, where Decidueye's Pokeball rests.)

It’s only when he’s walked for a good while, out into the harsh sunlight, through the town outskirts and to a more forested spot, that the tension drains from him. He sits at the base of a large tree, feeling a little lightheaded.

That was… an interrogation, to put it bluntly. And he can’t really fault Lance for it. To anyone, he's sure, his actions are confusing at best.

Unfortunately, he’s found that he’s less than clear headed when it comes to Volo. He turns over Lance’s final words. That friend of yours. It’s not surprising Lance phrased it that way; everything Rei had said had been carefully woven to lead him to that conclusion.

Except it hadn’t been misdirection, not fully. He does still think of Volo as his friend, despite everything.

He slumps backwards, against the trunk of the tree, feeling the rough bark dig against the base of his skull. 

What is he supposed to do with that?

Apparently, one of the worst days of his life isn’t enough to uproot over a year of growing camaraderie and budding friendship. Too many memories knot together, a stubborn tangle impossible to pick apart. He’s tried not to think about them too hard, but they tighten their hold once again, from where they lay dormant and buried.

Many of them have been forcibly recontextualised. He’s second guessed every helpful gift, every directly admiring word, every coincidental and fortunate appearance, as something deliberate and cultivated. But some of it, it seems, doesn't fit so neatly with that singular goal.

One day, they’d watched Togepi use Metronome for an hour, ostensibly for Rei’s surveying purposes. Important documentation of a seemingly random phenomenon, and all that. In actuality, they laughed the entire time, with no useful or coherent records to speak of, as the results became all the more improbable. 

They’d camped together, those last months, as the search for the Plates got wilder and more exciting. He knows Volo’s favoured way to build a camp-fire, and how he wakes up unreasonably early in the morning, and that he prefers sweet foods over savoury, unlike Rei himself. A hundred mundane familiarities shared, taking root in fallow ground.

Once, Volo had been his only friend in the entire world.

Is it surprising, then, that he can’t lay this friendship to rest so easily?

He wonders what it means, that the hand offered to him at his lowest point was the same one that always meant to drag him back down. And what it means that he still wants to reach for it.

Had any real feelings been sowed there, on Volo’s part? Or was the entire thing a carefully constructed weaving, an intricate field of grass knots laid around Rei, ready to catch him in their snare? 

He can’t quite strangle the hope that something of their friendship still exists, even if neglected and overgrown. And that’s the part that scares him.

He has Akari, and Adaman, and Irida. He has Professor Laventon and the Captain, though they’re far away. Then there’s the Wardens, more friendly faces: Mai, Sabi, Ingo, and all the others; there's Zisu and Pesselle and Beauregard and everyone else in Jubilife. New friends here on Pasio, too. 

He pulls out Decidueye’s Pokeball from his satchel, and rolls it around in his right hand. He has his beloved Starter.

He has friends. He has bonds.

Why can’t that be enough?

The Pokeball he’s holding isn't the original. He'd had to break that well-loved possession in two, and recapture Decidueye in this modern device. It's a distant echo of its predecessor, wooden grooves and clunky iron replaced by smooth metal and near imperceptible seams. The weight of it is all wrong. 

But despite that, it's still his partner, and that's what matters.

(The two broken halves sit in his satchel, too, carried on his person at all times. It's yet another thing he can't bring himself to let go of.)

He sighs, tracing formless shapes in the dirt. His hand finds one of the sparse clumps of grass that grow here, directly under this wide and mighty tree. Deprived of proper sun, it’s a miracle that there’s any at all. 

It seems more and more likely that he’ll end up looking for Volo on his own. To get answers: not only about the stones, and the tournament, and Volo’s intentions with Arceus, but also for his own ends. 

Maybe there’s still something there. A single glimpse of life in this scorched earth between them.

He doesn’t know what he’ll do then.

Where he sits, what little grass there is has grown long and ragged, as their leaves stretch and reach for the sun. He sets Decidueye’s ball down and plucks two long blades. With a few simple loops and twists, they’re deftly woven together into a knot. He considers it, looping it around his fingers; tightens it, pulling on both ends, until he can feel the entire construct threaten to snap from the force. He stops. 

The thing is, no matter if it was never meant to be real, deliberately sowed, intended ultimately for harvest — it’s all the same, to Rei. He wants to keep it alive. He’s hopeful. Naive. Selfish.

For a single, impossible moment, he wonders whether this is what Arceus meant by bonds all along. 

The knot goes in his satchel, where it will turn dry and brittle with time. But kept safe, unbroken, regardless. Maybe his future self will laugh at his sentimentality. Maybe, he won't remember why it’s there. 

Wouldn't that be for the best?

He tucks Decidueye’s ball away, with care, then hauls himself up, both hands braced against the dusty ground. There’s dirt under his fingernails. From under the tree’s darkened canopy, he squints into the afternoon sunlight.

There’s a lot that needs to be done. He needs to train for this tournament, for one. Learn more about modern battling. Pull together a team. With that, ask Akari, and perhaps Adaman or Irida. Confront Volo, somewhere in all of this. 

After that? Only Arceus knows.

One step at a time. 

He finds his footing, around gnarled roots. The grass crunches underfoot. And he steps into the light.

(So maybe I was just snared by the grass knots you laid in my path. But if I wove my own, would you fall for it too?)

[eatyoursparkout]

PREVIEW TIME!! I almost decided not to participate as a writer in this year's @tf-bigbang, but @cerebrocentric-bullet's art prompt was so inspiring I couldn't help myself ✨ Here are the first few paragraphs from the fic.

Tragic friendships, blood and violence, cameos from scary jerks like Stalker- this one's got a little bit of everything for the LSOTW fans out there. It focuses on two background characters from the comic, and their desperate attempts to survive in the wake of Overlord's takeover.

Take a peek at Radio's art preview here!

Full image text under the cut:

[You’re dead.

The thought rings loud in Spin-Out’s head, deafening in its certainty. The force of it nearly knocks him back, nearly locks his brakes up and sends him skidding across the hard terrain, but he catches himself just in time. A bright flash of panic, a brief, wobbling swerve, and then he’s gunning his engine again, back on course.

Stupid, he berates himself. He can’t afford to be sloppy, not with Overlord’s lackeys riding his tires, not even running on a half-dry tank, his overtaxed motor whining at him, his frame rattling under the strain of the chase. He can’t afford to be distracted, not if he wants to retain any chance at all of keeping his promise.

Survive. He repeats it like a mantra as he hurtles toward the rock formation in the distance, weather-beaten peaks jutting up from the earth like gnarled fingers. If he can reach it in time, maybe he can find a place to hide—a place to breathe, and regroup. He’s had no time to think since they’d shoved him out into the wastes and told him to run, vicious laughter trailing him like exhaust. No time to make any kind of plan, just the cold, sharp knowledge that he needs to keep moving at any cost.

The sun on Elba is weak, and casts everything in its sickly red glow. He’d never thought a sky could feel malicious until he’d been stationed here, but now the colour presses in on him, squeezing the air from his rapidly cycling vents until the dread nearly overwhelms him. Can Overlord see him, wherever he is? He’s up there somewhere, keeping watch, his optics blazing the same hateful crimson.

Survive.]

[u5an5]

Of things obtained: Once Upon a Witchlight Ep. 3 | Let Them Eat Cake

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.

! Fair warning, this post contains SPOILERS. If you don't want to be spoiled, STOP READING !

.

Gricko

In possession from beginning:

Primal totems (gorilla, basilisk-esque creature; ep.1)

Alarm whistle (ep.1)

Glue dropper bottle

Eyedrops bottle

Items acquired:

Bag of 500 gold pieces (ep.1)

-3 for trying to make up making Red sad

Cloak of Displacement (ep.1)

1 ticket to Witchlight Carnival (ep.1) 5/8

Sycamore seed 4 (ep.2; +1d4 for ability check until dawn)

Clothes:

Comically too big cloth butterfly wings (ep.2; blue-red)

Really small Tentacle Chad T-shirt

Pacts/contracts:

Hootsie

Items acquired:

1 ticket to Witchlight Carnival (gained due Fey Pact; ep.2) 6/8

Clothes:

Cloth butterfly wings (pink; ep.2)

Pacts/contracts

Fey Pact 5: You must carry around a small pumpkin as though it were a precious egg (she holds it on her head). Once the Witchlight Monarch is crowned, all pacts made fade, and only then. (ep.2)

.

Gideon

In possession from beginning:

Items acquired:

3 letters from Mr. Roslov (ep.1)

1 ticket to Witchlight Carnival (ep.1) 5/8

Sycamore seed 5 (ep.2; +1d8 for ability check until next dawn)

x5 Magical Cupcakes for winning the Cake Eating Contest

Each cupcake works like an invisibility potion. You must consume the entire cupcake for it to work.

Clothes:

Comically too small cloth butterfly wings (ep.2; red with orange rinds)

Cake Chad T-shirt about six sizes too small

Pacts/contracts:

.

Kremy

Languages: Common, Draconic

In possession from beginning:

Tophat

Cane

2 gold pieces (ep.1)

at least 2 handkerchiefs

Items acquired:

1 ticket to Witchlight Carnival (ep.1; misplaced it)

1 ticket to Witchlight Carnival (gained due Fey Pact; ep.2) 5/8

Satchel with Carnival map and Three Rules of Feywild (ep.2)

Sycamore seed 1 (trait "I am easily amused" until dawn; ep.2)

Clothes:

Cloth butterfly wings (ep.2; purple)

Pacts/contracts:

Due possessing unspecified knowledge he didn't pay for when he "abandoned his station" has to deliver 100,000 gold pieces to Mr. Garou by the end of the month (in next 19 days) as recompensation. If he's no longer able to do so by dying, the rest of the Krew is obligated to pay it (ep.1)

Fey Pact 8: You must declare your love for unicorns at every opportunity. Once the Witchlight Monarch is crowned, all pacts made fade then, and only then (ep.2)

.

Frost

In possession from beginning:

Backpack (ep.2)

Glue (totally not related to horses)

Glue antidote (got all used up to remove glue from Gricko)

Tambourine

Water skin

Items acquired:

Letter to Zybilna by Madrik Roslov (ep.1)

Bag of Beans (ep.1)

1 ticket to Witchlight Carnival (ep.1) 5/8

Sycamore seed 7 (ep.2; it turns into:)

1 gold piece

Dandelion (ep.2; reward for catching Red's interest; blown away while making a wish)

Clothes:

Cloth butterfly wings (ep.2; jade with yellow eyes)

Pacts/contracts:

. .

Krew (The Party)

In possession from beginning:

2 gold pieces (ep.1)

Items acquired:

5 gold pieces (ep.2; for street-performing)

Pacts/contracts:

With Madrik Roslov: In exchange for checking if Zybilna is alright, and if true, giving her the letter he wrote, Party will get what is left from his possessions once he passes away (ep.1)

With Diana Cloppington - In exchange for riddle concerning Prismeer, with knowledge and information she was able to store about current state of it in it, Party promises to, at least, attempt to help her return to human and be reunited with Sir Cloppington; Not really Fey Pact but on their rules (ep.2)

Altered states:

Twist of Fate curses:

(Gricko) 12 - You are physically incapable of looking anyone directly in the eyes [1:40:48 - 1:57:00]

73 - You gain the beauty of the gods as long as you view yourself in a mirror. If not your beauty will corrupt into necrotic eldrich horror (failed) [1:50:40 - 1:57:00]

(Frost) 84 - All water tastes oily, including your saliva [1:40:50 - 2:02:41]

(Kremy) 9 98? - You are insatiably hungry and you eat and drink messily and noisily [2:02:25 -

To-do list:

Get the 100,00 gold pieces by the end of the month (ep.1)

Find out why Madrik Roslovs patron, Zybilna, stopped answering his calls for 15 years so he can die in peace, knowing her fate (ep.1)

Get to the Witchlight Carnival before it ends and find the only available entrance to Prismeer, Zybilnas domain (ep.1)

Try to become Witchlight Monarch (ep.1)

Find out who was the man that cut off Lexi Pott's wings, why he did that and what happened with them (ep.1)

Find a way to reunite Diana Cloppington with her with her horse, Sir Cloppington and return them to their previous forms (ep.2)

.

Time

3rd day of Campaign, less than 7 hours till Coronation - same day, some time later

9th of the month (19 days until The Debt deadline)

Happiness Meter

+1 - Party absolutely smashing competition in Cake Eating Contest

Total money: 505 gold pieces

Random Info

Man whose name Lexi Pott's was unable to say was going to "wake her" and was very scared for Party meeting him. When they mentioned name Zybilna, she said they "already were too deep" (ep.1)

After Lexi Pott died, Party was surounded by Fairy Ring made up from mushrooms (ep.1)

.

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[fruityumbrella]

just had the thought that it would be really cool to post my fic in smaller sections n see what people think...i know it sounds really weird and unusual, but has anyone ever thought of this before?

[rollercoasterwords]

anytime i see a post that's like "remus lupin's fashion" or "remus lupin aesthetic" i am reminded that there r people living on a different planet from me....like. u r speaking nonsense if u believe that man has any sense of fashion or aesthetic 2 speak of whatsoever....he is not dressing #dark academia #vintage #professorcore or whatever i'm sorry but regardless of whatever time period u put him in he is wearing the most low-effort least-fashionable zero-accessories outfit u can find. he owns like 3 ugly tshirts that he's had for 8 years and just keeps rotating them out...perhaps a stained gray hoodie in the mix or something...

[mister-eames]

Six Sentence Saturday/Sunday

Thank you to those that tagged me!!! This one comes from that damn IKEA fic that I will finish this year if my life depends on it!!

---

The alcohol has him maudlin, and he surveys his empty room with its generic furniture and its generic artwork, somehow mystified with the utter soullessness of every hotel room he’s ever had to live and work out of. How can a room that must have seen every sordid and tragic act still remain so lifeless, he wonders.  Before he can think better of it, he already has his phone out and has Arthur on dial. He winces when he sees the time and moves to hang up, but finds the call is already answered. “Eames?” Arthur's voice comes from the speaker, croaky with sleep. “Sorry, love," he slips a hand over his eyes, "didn’t mean to wake you. Didn’t realise the time.”

-----

[stevesbipanic]

B's 5k Celebration

Omg guys! 5000 of you like my stuff that's insane! To think only 7 months ago I started this blog just to get out some frustrations, which lead to headcanons which lead to drabbles to ficlets to full fledged fics is crazy! I'm honestly so thankful for all of you and every hilarious tag or comment of sobbing in my inbox or even just a like.

To celebrate I wanted to create a prompt list for you guys to send requests to me.

Rules:

Choose a prompt number(s)

Choose a vibe (fluff, angst, mixed, etc)

All fics will be Steddie based

You can request as many times as you like <3

Be patient with me getting to your request.

Follow the prompts with the hashtag #Bhits5k

Prompts

Dialogue Based

"Just give me a little time"

"What do you want?"/"I want you to choose me!"

"She's pretty"

"The only things worth doing in life are the things that scare us"

"Accidents happen....and everyone makes mistakes"

"Sorry, it's just that I get very nervous when someone else is driving."

"Go and live with her, then! See if I care."

"Am I supposed to be scared now?"

"A boy needs his father."

"You got a package for me?"

"Are you taking his side against me?"

"I miss moments like this more than anything."

"You had time to call the police. Why didn't you?"

"What do you remember about your mother?"

"For some reason, I'm attracted to you."

"You were always the loud one."

"I'm sorry if it upsets you, but I'm going to marry her."

"H-how long have you been standing there?"

"Quick, hide behind the sofa!"

"You embarrassed me this evening."

Situation Based

21. First Valentine's Day 22. Meet the Parents 23. Buying a House 24. Visiting a Grave 25. Break Up/Make Up 25 Part 2. Adopting a pet 26. Holiday abroad 27. Going to Pride 28. Scoops Visit 29. Birthday 30. Graduation

AU Based

31. Teacher 32. Famous 33. College 34. Vampires and/or Werewolves 35. Future 36. Single Parent 37. Different Season 38. Flower Shop and/or Tattoo Artist 39. Soulmates 40. Ghost

Big thank you to some of my friends I've made on here who helped me with some of the prompts and just in general being awesome and supporting me on here, I wouldn't write if it wasn't for you guys <3

@steveshairychest @stevethehairington @henderdads @strawberryspence @withacapitalp @unclewaynemunson @thefreakandthehair @thelastwalkingsoul @undreaming-fanfiction @corrodedcoughin @steddiealltheway @babyboymunson @yournowheregirl @steviesbicrisis @navnae and a bunch of people i've probably missed i love y'all

[jaggededges123]

i still have 1.5 fics left to write before starting htn... maybe i'll give daily updates lmfao

[professor-doc-emeritus]

I know this one guy who enjoys doing this singular menial labor task when they can set their own hours, only work to their personal standard, focus only on the aspects of the work they personally find fulfilling, only do the work either by themselves or exclusively with their close personal friends, only share the benefits of that work with either themselves or the people they personally care about, and quit whenever they stop enjoying it. This means that if we get rid of capitalism everyone would just sorta be cool about it and work the lithium mines.

[raekensarcher]

All About Control Chapter Ten

Summary: Liam blinks, the words cutting right to his core. Because, of course Theo fucking knows. God, of course Theo knows the way Liam spirals. He knows exactly what Liam is terrified of, has witnessed Liam tornado everything in his path when he is hurting. In all of his shame and rage induced spirals and convincing himself that Theo never gave a shit in the first place, he pushed out all logic and reason that defied those thoughts. Even tonight, everything about tonight has proved him wrong, every single thing Theo has done tonight has proved that he knows Liam so deeply it’s something he wouldn’t ever be able to forget.

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

hit 40k overall in sunless ground which is....... WILDDDD!!!! that took me 3 months for seventh virtue and it's now taken me just under two!!!

[siliconforbrains]

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive warning: Graphic Depiction Of Violence Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Major Character Undeath, kind of, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Implied/Referenced Character Death, for the future folks, Leonardo-centric (TMNT), Grief/Mourning, Self-Doubt, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Near Death Experiences, Self-Sacrifice, Identity Reveal, Reunions, Leonardo Needs a Hug (TMNT), Leonardo Angst (TMNT), Donatello and Leonardo are Twins (TMNT), Leonardo Acting as Casey Jones's Parental Figure (TMNT), Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hopeful Ending, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Prompt: Race Against The Clock

Summary:

Scorching, white-hot light surrounds him and just like that, Leonardo knows no more. Until he does. (Or, in which Michelangelo refuses to leave his brother to die, and Leonardo somehow ends up in the body of his 16-year-old self. This changes everything and nothing at the same time.)

For @badthingshappenbingo​, prompt “Race Against The Clock”