#i wasn't planning to be back on tumblr at least for another week or two but this is so fucking bad

[momentomori24]

Me as a non-american watching there be an actual struggle voting between a black woman and a convicted felon found guilty on 34 charges who has a history of being a homophobic, misogynistic, transphobic, racist, predatory danger to anyone with a pulse that isn't a cishet white man and finding out that he's somehow in the lead 💀

I know most politicians are so evil that they outlive the average joe because they are propped up by the puppet strings of Satan himself, but I'm kinda hoping he dies before he can make any real damage (for legal reasons this is a joke).

Anger and unsurprised astonishment aside, stay safe, y'all. Really hoping you guys are gonna be Ok. I'm going to be fuming extra hard on your behalves.

[followthebluebell]

what were q's issues? i tried to search your blog but tumblr is tumblr

Oh, that's because I never really went public with the extent of his problems. I didn't want to deal with the potential 'just euth him' comments, especially since I genuinely don't think a compassionate euthanasia would have been wrong.

Anyway, his butthole didn't work.

That's the short version.

I'm gonna put a more full history under the cut because it's really gross. Like fair warning. There's a lot of discussion of this cat's butthole, poop, and health issues. If you just want to keep imagining him as a cute little fluffball, maybe go look at his pictures instead.

Specifically, his anal sphincter didn't seem to function. His anus was just open and loose. Whatever was wrong with him ALSO seemed to affect his scrotum. Cats tend to hold their testicles pretty high and tight but his were super loose. I'm genuinely not sure if there's an actual connection there, but it was weird enough that it made its way into my notes about him.

He also had loose stools so he was just kinda constantly dribbling all over himself, whoever was holding him, his bedding, the floor--- you get the idea. He required frequent baths: he'd get a bath at the start of my shift and at the end, at the very least. Most nights had an evening bath as well. That way, he could at least stay somewhat free of excrement. This was terrible for his skin, of course; that's an excessive number of baths. It was just one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations. Considering the alternative was letting him sit in his own waste, we decided that baths were better.

He also wasn't gaining any weight. He wasn't taking in ANY nutrition from his food at all. Whatever went into him seemed to come right back out within a few hours. He was being tube fed for two weeks; he didn't seem capable of eating without grinding his teeth terribly. I genuinely wasn't sure how much sensation he even HAD in his anus until I caught him on camera squatting in a box.

That gave me hope more than anything else did. It at least told me he had nerve endings back there. It was just the sphincter or maybe the last inch or so of his intestine that seemed defective. Since he was such a sweet kitten otherwise, we decided to give him a chance to grow. The plan was to get him to UC Davis or a similar teaching hospital in the hope that they could extend his good intestine and sort of construct an artificial sphincter.

And then he just got over it. I picked him up to give him his morning bath and his butthole was just SLIGHTLY puckered. Over the next few days, I took a series of the grossest pictures in my fucking life and confirmed that his sphincter was sphincting. He started eating voraciously on his own. He started growing. He also stopped tooth grinding-- again, I don't know if this is significant, but it's another thing that made it into my notes.

I have no idea what happened, but I'm glad he's healthy. He just needed time to grow into his butthole or something.

[beauty-and-passion]

Beau!! Hello! How have you been?

My dearest! I'm sorry for taking this long to reply, but things happened, which means one thing and one thing only: time for a life update post. This time, with healthy tips included ✨

_________________

Sleep is for the weak (and the not-weak)

Last week my mother had knee surgery. She had to do it something like 5 years ago, but hey, better late than never.

The problem wasn't the surgery per se: that went well and she's currently in a clinic for a rehabilitation period, so she can be followed by professionals.

The real problem arose right after the surgery: for the first three days, she was supposed to recover, sleep and start working out asap. But she couldn't do shit, because her roommate was an older lady, who:

had just recovered from Covid but was still suffering from heavy coughs

had dementia and talked by herself all the time

was half-deaf

And that means every goddamn night, that lady kept coughing, snoring and talking. For the entire night non-stop. Loudly.

My mother spent three days without being able to sleep. She managed to get 3/4 hours of sleep in total. With a throbbing, constant pain in the knee because of the surgery.

She asked to be moved elsewhere since day one, but no other room was available. She waited for three days, protesting and crying, until the doctors finally managed to find another room and moved her in immediately.

Now she's still suffering from the pain, but at least she can get some sleep. And the sleep did wonders already: she can bend her knee some more, stand up longer, and do more exercises at the gym. So the moral of the story is that if sleep is important for a healthy person, it becomes essential after such an invasive surgery - and even more if you're stuck in a bed because you can't go anywhere else.

_________________

There is never enough time

This year I finally entered the list of teachers in my area. Thanks to my degree (and the course I followed), I have been able to apply for two positions: German teacher and/or special educator. However, I am also working on getting enough credits to apply for English soon because... well, it's the language I use daily. Even now.

English aside, I know there are a ton of people on that list, so I didn't expect to get a call very soon. And yet, I got one last week and it was for German! Hence why, now (and for a month) I will replace a German teacher in two different schools.

I made something like 6 lessons for now and immediately learned a lot of things, like:

Every student has a different vibe: there's the 16yo who is overexcited, the 17yo who is full of personality and the 18yo who is interesting on a human level. There's the aloof student, the one who wants to learn and the one who looks at you with the happiness of a dead fish.

Speaking of grammar, I don't remember shit about German. Hence why my first "teaching days" have been a race against time of me trying to summarize all the rules of the German language on slides. Imagine putting down all the rules of a language on slides. Now imagine doing it in 3 days, with the nagging fear of "what I will say to the kids next week" and a mother who is constantly crying because she cannot sleep. The word "stress" doesn't convey enough of what I experienced, I was on a tightrope.

There is never enough time. I barely entered the school and immediately found out there are councils to attend and tests to do and students need grades and I should plan them too - but I should prepare the lessons as well and 24 hours are not enough for all this shit.

My need to get everything under control is becoming even more compulsive than usual: every free moment is made of planning, planning and more planning. And yes, that's the reason why I disappeared from Tumblr and from life in general. Only now I am slowly trying to get some of my life back, because after that huge peak of stress, I really need to relax a bit and do something for me and me only - like writing.

_________________

Being healthy can be fun

I've always had symptoms of gastrointestinal reflux, like stomach pains, slow digestion, late meals and being a fast eater in general. And, of course, a goddamn cough that keeps tormenting me for the entire winter, only to magically disappear as soon as spring comes.

Hence why last year I finally went to a gastroenterologist. He too thought I had all the symptoms, but I needed some medical checks to be sure.

Also, since I was bloated and overweight, he told me to follow the typical diet of someone with reflux. Which means:

No milk and dairy products (except very aged cheese), no red meat (i.e. beef, pig), no seafood, no bread, no pasta, no cookies/sweets, no legumes, no fruit (only apples, bananas and kiwis allowed), no drinks except for water, no fried stuff and no spicy/too seasoned stuff

Yes to white meat (poultry, rabbit), fish, vegetables, gluten-free pasta, rusks, eggs

That meant changing A LOT of things. Before that diet, I was eating healthy stuff overall, but I was also eating milk, dairy products, bread, pizza once a week, legumes and a ton of fruits with seeds. Heck, my breakfast was cookies and milk only, every day. Two of the things I couldn't eat anymore.

But hey, the doctor said it, so I followed his advice: I came back home, ate the last piece of my leftover pizza for dinner and gave all the stuff I couldn't eat to my mother. Then I went shopping the day after and got all the "allowed" foods.

I have been following this diet for one year and a half by now. And if the first day I was asking myself "will it work" and "what the heck can I eat", now this is how I live. And a lot of things changed.

First, my breakfast was boring and repetitive. Now I have a ton of options: any kind of vegetable milk, from oat to almond. But also soy yogurt, hummus, rusks, overnight porridge, fresh fruit, almonds and walnuts with honey, aged cheese, prosciutto, bresaola or eggs with vegetables. And always a cup of herbal tea.

Herbal teas are a blessing: almost no calories, but fill up nicely. And I can make them with stuff that grows in my garden, like laurel or mint leaves. Even apple peels are great!

I didn't always eat vegetables before. Now vegetables are on my table 24/7: as a salad, with couscous, with rice, with gluten-free pasta, in a soup, with eggs, together or by themselves.

Vegetables fill you up WAY more than junk foods, for less calories and for a longer time. That means I always eat a full plate of vegetables (sometimes even two plates) and be full for hours, while still losing weight.

Before, I ate too much processed food. It looked healthy (like premade rice, fishsticks, frozen minestrone and so on), but it was not. It never is. That's what made me gain so much weight and I realize it now.

I rediscovered the pleasure of cooking my own meals. Now I cook once a day (for dinner only) and double the amount, so I have the next day's lunch ready. And still, it doesn't take a lot of time: the stove or the oven does most of the job, all I do is cut stuff with a mandoline slicer and put it on a pot/on a pyrex. Also, it's cheaper than premade foods: if I buy the raw ingredients, I spend less money and can make more meals.

Before, my meals were too complicated and I used too many ingredients. Now my meals are much simpler - and that's not just great for my digestive system, but for me too, because I can enjoy the single ingredients more. Also, it takes less time to cook.

In conclusion: what I feared would've been an oppressive regime with limited choices was instead a way for me to discover foods I would've never eaten otherwise. Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, rice cakes, oatmeal, hummus and Greek yogurt: those are all part of my life now and oh boy, how delicious they are.

In addition to the new diet, I also added a more serious exercise regimen. I am too lazy to go to a gym and I hate having people around, so I brought a yoga mat, put the gym clothes in the same spot and set on a daily alarm. Also, searched for different apps to guide me throughout the exercises and make a training session in my place.

I started with 20-min yoga sessions almost every day. Then added more beginner's training. Then tried tabata, moved to HIIT, then pilates. I just kept raising the bar and made my sessions last longer, until it became a routine. And now my routine includes:

20 min HIIT training (I switch focus between cardio, abs and core, lower and upper body)

20 min pilates

20 min yoga

I follow it 3 to 5 times a week, but I also walk more, use the bicycle and take the stairs. This alone would be pointless, if I am not as active as possible the rest of the day.

The result? I am 153 cm (5ft) tall and before I started this new regime, I weighed 64 kg (141 lb). Now I weigh 46kg (101 lb). I lost 18 kg in total and it has been a constant, slow change. At first 2 kilos every month, then one, sometimes not even one.

And during all this time, I never had huge expectations. I didn't even step on the scale for a long time. I just kept following the diet and doing sport and enjoying it. My only goal was to not get the winter cough.

I didn't even notice real changes, until after a while. They came all together and one day, all my pants were too loose and clothes that were too tight before now fit me perfectly.

And now I still keep that chill attitude: I plan my meals at the beginning of every month, so I can be sure of what to eat every day (also, it makes me happy to know what tasty meal will wait for me). I keep doing my exercises, because they help me relax (especially in these last stressful days).

And yes, once in a while, I get a treat not included in my diet. I mean, a diet is supposed to be what you habitually eat, not a temporary thing: it's only fair there may be things you're not supposed to eat too - like sweet treats, seafood, some dairy stuff or a pizza. What matters is that I can control myself, so I know that I get this treat now, but the rest of the time I will stick to my diet.

And, honestly, most of the time I don't even crave these things. I can eat just some and be okay. I am far from starving, after all, especially if I get some nice food, like today's meal: basmati rice with peas, Brussels sprouts, zucchini and pepperoni for a total of 500 grams aka 2 full plates. As I said, starving is out of question :P

So the moral of the story is:

If you're trying to lose weight and you're doing everything right but still don't lose it, seek medical help. I had no idea what I was doing wrong, until I checked with an expert.

If you get a diet, stick with it religiously, especially at the beginning. Ran from all temptations, because they can be very strong - especially at the beginning. Then you can come back and face them, when you will be in control.

Do some sport, especially yoga. It doesn't just help you lose weight, but clears your mind and makes you feel better. And don't push yourself too much: you're supposed to do it more times a week, so just start slowly and build resistance. It's better to do a little every day, than give your full self one day and recover the next 2 weeks because you're too sore. Once you will get enough strength, you will be the first to realize you want to do more.

Have fun and chill. Results won't come the day after, just do your things, eat good food and do some good exercise. And enjoy life in general: it would be all pointless, otherwise.

[starrysilvalley]

🌟Spectrum Book 1: Onward🌟

✨Chapter 1 | Familiar (Full Text Below Line)✨

Word Count: 2,553

As said previously, I’ll try and post the chapters on both Tumblr and Ao3. On Ao3 the story is restricted to members only as of right now, but I may open it to all as time goes on. I try to update on Ao3 on Wednesdays, and I will post on Tumblr sometime afterwards (I currently have no specified date for Tumblr releases, so times may vary).

Series Note: This series was planned and written in the summer of 2024 based on the context of the Pokémon In-Game Universe at the time. This series includes spoilers for Pokémon games including Black & White, Black & White II, Legends Arceus, and Scarlet & Violet. Any changes to the overarching storyline or characters that occur within any following Pokémon game releases (i.e. Pokémon Legends ZA and beyond) are considered non-canon within the context of this series.

This series was written out of my love for Generation V and as if it is its game plot, but with a few small twists. I wanted to simply try and write my own alternative storyline for a hypothetical Unova Legends game. My attempt at a Legends plotline became a passion project I wanted to share with those who may be interested in such a story. While it is written to have a darker tone due to its inspirations, I try to keep the series at a PG13 rating for fantasy violence. There is no sexual or NSFW content. Pokémon was ultimately made for young viewers, and I wish to carry on a similar openness in my writing.

After around seven years of being dragged along by Fajra, Emmet learned two big don’ts— don’t let Fajra drive and don’t let Fajra handle negotiations solo as people. It wasn't like he did much better when it came to socializing. Most often a discussion would— unintentionally — end with a passive-aggressive remark. His blunt remarks weren’t good for business. Yet it was one thing for Emmet to provoke their clients, it was another for the clients to provoke Fajra. 

“You know the drill, just let me do the talkin’ here,” Fajra reminded her partner while her hand rested on the old battered door handle. “No weird greetings, don't point out whatever weird lil’ tattoo or mark you see on the guys’ face, or the ugly picture that's probably his mam or someon’— better yet, how about say nothin’ at all?”

She had shot him a look as if inviting him to protest, but instead he simply replied with a sly smile, “As you wish.”

“Nuh-uh, don’t smile like that. I’m serious, Em. We have an agreement, but you…”

Fajra held up her hand to Emmet’s face as if trying to grasp something with all her might before spitting out, “Keep your inside thoughts inside, that’s all I’m saying.”

That was all well and good— if only Fajra could do the same. Fajra excelled at misdirecting from her motives, but misdirecting her feelings was another. Now as the two stood before the grizzled manager of the dimly lit antique store, Emmet could already see Fajra’s facade slipping away as she tapped her fingers with great annoyance on the countertop. The manager glanced at her every so often as he inspected the items presented, but didn’t break under her pressure.    

“I’ll give ya… about a thousand for this one.”

The store manager tapped one of the TMs, only for Fajra to scoff and push Emmet aside from the counter. She slammed both hands on the table as she leered at the manager, “A thousand? Don’ get smart with me, I know you sold this for five thousand last week! At least pretend to play fair. Suppose you’ll say these ones are worth even less now?”

Fajra gestured to the other TMs they managed to collect. They weren’t exactly mint condition. Dusty and scratched, he suspected they hadn’t been touched in many decades. 

“We tested these ourselves,” Emmet offered, placing a firm hand on Fajra’s shoulder as if to pull her back. “They still work, if that’s your concern. They may not have the aesthetic appeal, but ultimately it's about their function.” 

The manager still had a frown on his face. His eyes seemed to linger around the old store filled with second-hand items. It was a dark and dreary store, as if all the memories that the items once left held haunted the place with a gloomy presence. Emmet noted that his gaze steadied on an only television set placed toward the door. 

“Look, I’ll shoot straight with ya,” the manager began at last with a heavy sigh, “One of my other suppliers brought me TMs and it turned out they were stolen from private League property. The authorities came knocking and I'm fortunate they didn't shut my whole business down. Haven’t seen the guy since then. I can give you a little money for the trouble, but unless you can prove these were legally acquired, I’m just going to treat them as damaged goods.” 

Before Fajra opened her mouth, Emmet quickly intervened, “Understandable— we’ll need a minute to discuss. Apologies for the delay.”

“It’s a load of Bouffalant crap!” Fajra spat immediately once Emmet pulled her away from the counter. “He’s trying to cheat us out of our items! I’ve seen it before, you can’t possibly think—“

“I can’t take that track with you, Fajra. What if he’s telling the truth? You and I both knowwhere those TMs came from. You know full well if we get caught, we will be in serious trouble. Una and I would be in serious trouble. Take the hush money.” 

He knew he screwed up when Fajra’s face became about as red as her flame colored hair. “I am not leaving with a measly thousand. Those blasted discs took too long to get to have such little reward! We need the money to fix that stupid handcar we busted just getting the loot here!”

“You busted the handcar. I’m a lot of things, but I’m at least a good driver.”

The front door jingled as someone entered the store, and both Emmet and Fajra immediately fell quiet. A young man and woman strided inside and their own eyes landed on the two other customers before heading to the counter. Their clothes were relatively ordinary of the scrawny Pokémon trainers in the area, although he noted that each wore a gold band around one of their ankles. Emmet tipped his head a little farther down over his face while Fajra shot a nasty glare back at the newcomers before whispering underneath her breath, “Great, just what we needed, an audience.” 

The store manager pushed aside the TMs and other trinkets Fajra provided while greeting the couple with a weary smile. “Ah, come to collect your purchase, I see? I’ve been holding it for some time—“

“Yes, yes,” the man began with a wave of his hand. “We appreciate you holding onto it. Mr. Stotle would’ve come to take it himself, but he couldn’t find the time.”

Something bumped against Emmet’s leg, and upon peering down he found Liepard brushing up beside him. Liepard often wandered around the establishment while Emmet and Fajra conducted business, watching for any signs of a threat. Her glowing eyes were now fixed on the woman, who immediately turned her stare away upon Liepard’s appearance. A light growl began to vibrate from the Pokémon’s throat.

“Fajra, I don't think you can win this,” Emmet whispered while placing a hand on Liepard’s head. “We’ll find another buyer, please—”

His voice was drowned as the store manager pulled out a small box and opened it for the couple while saying skeptically, “Here you are! Hopefully this will be sufficient for Mr. Sto—“

“It’s perfectly fine, sir,” the man interrupted as the manager hurriedly closed the box and pushed it under the counter. He was not fast enough, for Emmet caught a glimpse of a polished, spherical stone the color of obsidian. He managed to see the three indents pressed in the shape of a triangle before the box clamped shut. 

He couldn’t quite explain what happened next. His heart began to hammer against his chest at the sight of it. His surroundings became blurred, but his eyes could only focus on the stone. A numbing sensation of white noise engulfed his ears, leaving a ringing echoing to his very soul. Something stirred within him, dislodging images that had long since passed and buried. One stood out among the rest— a man adorning a black coat so similar to his own, his back facing Emmet. It wasn’t until the man turned that Emmet felt an ice pick stick through his heart. 

The man had his face. 

Before he could even begin to comprehend the sight, it was as if the world zoomed in beyond the man in black, revealing nothing but void— lonely and abyssal. Yet from the darkness shone two red lights, slowly dimming before a flash of electric blue light burst like a dying star.

“Em!”

A punch to the arm swiftly broke through his thoughts, causing him to recoil and jerk his hand to the spot Fajra hit. While Fajra still had her eyes narrowed in frustration, her lips formed a frown he had not seen in awhile. 

“You… you alrigh?” Fajra asked, the usual sharp edge in her voice dulled. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you sick or… somethin’?”

His heart beat rapidly against his chest before turning swiftly to Fajra and whispering, “What I’m about to ask you is a one time occurrence. No questions asked— not until afterwards.”

Fajra’s eyes widened, but her disapproving frown churned upward into a sly smile. “Consider my interest piqued.”

“I want to initiate Protocol Thirty-Eight.”

Any frustration Fajra had with her partner seemed to vanish, replaced with an unnatural grittiness. Her smile broadened as told Emmet with a slight flick of his shoulder, “Protocol thirty-eight? The Protocol Thirty-Eight? Does this, perhaps, mean that you’ve changed your mind about… unlawful acquisition?”

“No, but—“

“Never mind— you can spill the deets later. Let’s get the wheels moving.”

Fajra didn't miss a beat as she strolled back to the counter, a disapproving scowl reappearing on her face as she laid eyes on the manager. The pair with the stone had opened up a case to hold the box securely when Fajra spoke loudly, “You know what? Fine. We won't be doing business with you today. We’ll take our goods elsewhere. It's about time, really— you hike up your prices just so you can get rid of the crappy rip-offs for some sort of profit.”

She then turned to the woman and remarked snidely, “Might want to rethink shopping here. The guy will do anything to make a quick buck.”

The manager’s face grew red at Fajra’s words, giving the other customers a quick glance before remarking hurriedly, “Ma’am, I know you're frustrated and I hear ya, but—”

Fajra had already done her part. The seeds of doubt sank into their targets as the woman glanced down at the box within the case. Her partner didn’t seem as convinced by Fajra’s claims, but merely stopped to watch the spectacle. 

Emmet made a quick gesture to Liepard with his hands, signing to her in motions that only she would understand. Liepard gave a curt nod before brushing past her trainer and dipping behind the counter while the owner was distracted. 

Seizing his chance, Emmet moved to the side of the other customers and remarked in a cheery air, “She is right— best be careful what you get from the Thievul’s hole.”

He leaned in a little closer to the man and continued in a low voice, “Ever think where he gets these items? Just last week one of his sellers was arrested for selling League property. I would be verrrry cautious with your purchase.”

His eyes met with the man’s, and he seemed to falter under Emmet’s knowing smile. He could almost see the gears in his head turning while his gaze narrowed suspiciously. It didn't last as the manager slammed his hands on the counter and retorted with frustration. “That’s enough! Get out of my shop before I call security! And don't bother coming back here, you scavengers!”

Neither of them needed to be told a second time. Fajra exchanged a dirty look with the manager as she threw her arms around their items before storming to the door with an obnoxious whip of her fiery orange hair. Emmet waited for Liepard to slink back into view, brushing against his side with a low purr. 

The manager’s apologies were cut off as the door swung shut behind the two. Neither looked back as they were greeted by the streets of New Straiton City. There was no dark corner as the streets were ambushed with light from every screen, window, and billboard. It was late in the afternoon, and now the streets were swarming with men and women returning from work. 

“Sooo, don’ hold out on me,” Fajra began as Emmet withdrew the small withered box from his coat pocket. “What is it that made you throw away seven years worth of integrity?”

Emmet glanced around to make sure none of the passer-by or the kiosks’s Minccino mascot was within listening range, he opened it enough for Fajra to peer inside. The obsidian sphere that lay within proved true to Liepard’s skills at thievery. His heart began to pound faster at the sight of it and his hand shook as he took a hand and pressed his finger to one of the indents. He didn't have the same visions as before, but his body trembled now that he was so close.

“This better be some rock because if we just lost revenue for a cheap— Em?”

Fajra’s criticism faltered as she noticed his shaking hand. She snatched his hand away from the rock, and without warning, jerked his glove off. Her eyes widened at the touch.

“You really are sick, aren't you?” She questioned, but her voice turned soft and concerned. “How long have you felt off? My gosh, what if this is radioactive—”

“Get back!” Emmet snapped as Fajra reached out to take the box away. She immediately recoiled, but a new expression replaced her concern. He had never seen her look at him with such fear. Even Liepard backed up, pushing against Fajra as if trying to shield her from him. Even now, the trembling ceased as soon as she clamped the box shut. All his symptoms, even his rage, had snapped away like the stone from his sight.

Emmet stepped back, still gripping the box in his hand as if it were his lifeline. 

“I… am sorry,” he spoke earnestly. “I don't… I don't know why I did that. I don't know how to explain it…”

Fajra didn't speak. Her shoulders relaxed slightly as she took a step closer to Emmet. “Em, did you remember something?”

The question hadn’t been asked in years. Life had simply gone on, but now that his friend watched him with worry, he realized he had returned to the horrible darkness he had found himself in years before. Only this time, he had something to lose. 

“This may sound silly,” he admitted truthfully. “But… I know this stone. When I'm around it, I realize there has been something missing. A part of me that's gone… and with this stone, it’s in reach, but I can't…”

His words faltered as Fajra reached to take his hand again. She kept him in between hers and told him with a small, but truly genuine smile, “You, my friend, are silly… but just because you're silly doesn't mean your feelings are too. Your situation is odd, and I understand that.”

He looked back at Fajra. “Thank you… I just can’t let him be separated from me again.”

Him. Even Emmet couldn't quite understand why he chose to include that one simple word. Fajra’s eyebrow raised skeptically at the inclusion of the pronoun. It didn't seem to matter though as she pried her gaze from his to glance around at their surroundings. It was getting busier, and based on the overhead announcements flooding the street, a celebration was about to take place. 

“We can talk more later,” Fajra insisted, now pushing his hand back to his side. “Better to talk this out in a place that lacks a lotta ears. If you won't let me take the box, at least don’t open it again… for now. Whatever the rock is, your body is reacting to it, and I'm not ruling out radiation.”

She paused. “Do you need to go back to the handcar right away or—”

“No,” he replied promptly as he stuffed the box back in his pocket. “I’ll be fine. But I… I can acquire Una while you go on ahead. Where did you leave her again?”

[6anona9]

I keep forgetting I have a tumblr,,, anyways, here’s a batjokes fic.

Joker decides to catfish Bruce Wayne (for the money of course). There’s smut and it’s a bit aggressive (choking mostly)

Joker thought himself brilliant for the plan. Of course he was brilliant for it, after all, he's the Clown Prince of Crime.  What better crime than to catfish a playboy billionaire?

Harley had been against the idea at first. What if he got caught? His identity revealed? But when Joker started coming hone with pockets full of cash and expensive gifts, it was hard to hold him back.

The entire arrangement was a secret of course. Bruce Wayne couldn't be seen with any type of partner if he wanted to uphold his status as most eligible bachelor. It was perfect for both of them-Bruce gets to let off steam and Joker doesn't have to commit to anything other than a quick session. Tonight would be one such arrangement.

Joker had already lost track of how many "dates" it had been, though the two had been seeing one another for at least a few months by this point. "Jack Napier" was the name Joker had decided to go by for this little operation, after all, he was supposed to be playing the part of an ordinary man. Joker had taken every precaution he could think of to play "Jack." A bit of makeup, giving life to his skin. A bit of cheap dye, turning his green hair a light brown. As far as anyone could tell, this man was an ordinary Gothamite. And so here sat Jack, tucked off in the corner of a small bookstore.

It wasn't the type of place the Joker would be, but it was definitely a place for Jack. A place for Bruce Wayne. Second hand books with broken spines filled shelves, as well as encyclopedias thicker than Bruce Wayne's ass.

Of course the Joker had followed Bruce relentlessly, trying to find the type of place he'd like to be, the type of people he was into. Women would throw themselves at Bruce, attractive women, and he barely showed interest. It only made sense. After all, any man who's considered a "bachelor" for well over 10 years doesn't look at women.

As Jack waited in the bookstore, he ran through a few covers. There was never anything of interest, though maybe this time would be different. Then again, why would it be.

"Fancy meeting you here"

A familiar voice, familiar footsteps, and a familiar aura.

"Bruce fucking Wayne," Jack says in a teasing tone, not bothering to turn around. "Took you long enough." He pulled out a random book pretending to read. Something something ethics. Damn this was a stupid book.

"Aw, don't hold it against me. I was stuck at a meeting ~"

Jack finally turns around, dramatically rolling his eyes. "Damn rich people," he sighs.

Despite having all the money in the world, Bruce always dressed somewhat modestly, and today was no different. A plane black turtle neck, black dress pants, and black work shoes. In Jokers mind, Bruce and Batman were in a competition to see who had the most black clothing.

Bruce gave Jack a flirtatious smirk. "You love me anyways~" he says with confidence.

"Of course~" Jack never misses a beat. It was such an odd word to him. "Love." Harley used to say it to Joker all the time, and he said it back. Eventually she grew bored, saying it to Ivy instead. He never really understood stood that. A few weeks into seeing one another, Bruce said it too. It felt like a game more than anything else. A sortve verbal Simon Says. It was an unspoken rule of an unspoke game. When someone says "I love you," you have to say it back.

Bruce glanced around the decrepit bookstore for a moment, wary of prying eyes, though Bruce and Jack were the only ones present. Once his anxieties eased, he put a hand behinds Jacks back, pulling him close. "Fuck I've missed you" he whispered.

The first time Bruce had touched Jack, it neslry gave him whiplash. It was part of the plan; make Bruce fall in love, sleep with him, and give him money. What Jack never anticipated was how weirdly strong Bruce was. His grip was never aggressive, but always firmer than expected. Even now, even as Bruce pulled and their hips met, Jack could never get used to it.

The book Jack held was now on the ground, having dropped with a loud thud, though Bruce ignored it. Their lips were now locked together, and it took all of Jacks will power not the start laughing.

It only made sense that Bruce would act like this. As far as Jack was concerned, he was a spoiled rich brat. Of course Bruce would act selfishly and without restraint. Of course his hands would greedily grab and reach for Jack. Jack was a perfect little toy for Bruce until one of them grew bored.

Being his own plan, Jack was never against anything Bruce tried. Expensive dates and wandering hands were always part of the plan. Even now as his breath hitched and hands reached lower down to Jacks ass. He'll hold his breath, try not to laugh, and play along.

Jack pulled back for a moment, trying to catch his breath. "M-Maybe we should move this elsewhere~?" He and Harley had binged every porn film they could find, anything to help improve Jokers acting.

And it worked. "R-right." Then again, maybe Bruce was just too eager

Bruce would never be caught dead with someone in Wayne Manor. It only made sense that he made arrangements for nearby hotels, paying anyone and everyone to pretend they never saw. He was a spoiled brat, but the man knew how to evade tabloids.

Before he knew it, Jack was already being thrown on a bed, Bruce on top. Before he knew it, Jack was already topless, Bruce struggling with his belt. Before he knew it, Jack was already being sucked off by Bruce fucking Wayne.

As much as he hated to admit, there wasn't a second of this that Jack hated. Even a Clown Prince of Crime wasn't immune to the pleasures of the human body. But fuck was it embarrassing to let out a moan. Anytime Bruce did anything to his body, Jack had to cover his mouth, to hold back (despite his many crimes, the Joker still had SOME dignity).

In one swift motion, Bruce had already swallowed Jack whole, the entirety of his member deep in the playboys throat. It was almost pathetic seeing how hungry this rich boy was, the joke practically writing itself.

It was something the Joker couldn't quite explain, but it felt almost as if he'd done this before, an almost dejavú every time he came into contact with Bruce. There was the obvious, which was that they had, in fact, done this before, but that wasn't it. Of course he's had sex and head and all sorts of other debauchery, but that wasn't it either.

As Bruce continued to suck, Joker could already feel himself close to his edge, and it wasn't just an act. "Sh-shit, Bruce, wait-" his fingered laced through Bruce's hair, not wanting to be defeated so easily. A safe word had been arranged, but using it would be an admittance of submission, and the Joker wouldn't do that either.

A simple "wait" would not be enough, and Bruce decided now was the ideal time to keep going. He continues to swirl his tongue around the Jokers member, his hand now making its way towards Jacks entrance.

Jacks body now writhed in bed, finding it harder to hold back moans as Bruce shoved a finger inside, not bothering with lube or much prep work. If it were any other man, the sudden intrusion might have been painful, but to someone like the Joker, the pain was bliss.

A small sound escaped Joker as he bit his lower lip to stay quiet. It wasn't uncommon for the Joker to bite too hard, causing a few drops of blood to spill, and this was no exception. If Bruce didn't stop soon, he really might just burst.

Finally, the playboy decided to take the hint, though only temporality. A relief to take a break and yet excruciating all the same.

Though it was only temporary.

Bruce quickly flipped Jack onto his stomach, forcing the smaller man face down and ass up. Now would come the fun part for both parties.

Just as quickly as everything else, Bruce undead his belt, pulling his pants down only enough to expose his fully erect member, already dripping as Bruce stared at the meal before him. Not wasting anymore time, he thrust inside Jack, though only making it about halfway.

"A-ah, fuck~" even after all this time, Jack still couldn't get used the feeling. There could be a million reasons why this playboy was still a bachelor, though lack of skill was not one of those reasons. Ever since their first encounter, Bruce had managed to find all of Jacks weak spots faster than anyone had before. It was a confusing mix of frustration and pleasure, not knowing why he felt so weak to another person. The only other person that made him feel this insane was Batman himself.

"Baby you feel so good~" Bruce went deeper still, driving Jacks body into the mattress. Joker had done this mainly for the shits n giggles, as well as the money. Even though he refused to say it out loud, a good fucking was always a nice bonus. Bruce was a bit larger than what the Joker had been used to, but that small ounce of pain brought a smile to the sadistic clowns face, grinning madly as he kept his face buried in the sheet below him.

As Bruce continued to drill into Jack, he grabbed for Jacks hair, forgetting his own strength for a moment. Bruce's other hand gripped Jacks thigh, steadying the two men while simultaneously pulling Jacks hips closer to himself.

By this point in the relationship, Jack knew when Bruce was close to finishing. Bruce spoke surprisingly little, but his body spoke in his behalf. The closer to his edge, the more aggressive Bruce became. Slamming harder into Jack, his own breath labored, and his rhythm falling apart. It was in these moments, these small bursts of aggression that Jack truly felt his mind wander, slowly slipping away from his character. Of course this wasn't the first time he'd been used so aggressively by another man.

Joker could help it. Get fucked sideways really screwed up his already shitty brain. Here he was getting railed by a Gotham rich bitch and his mind goes to the only person he even slightly cares about. The adrenaline he felt getting his ass fucked by Bruce Wayne was no different than the adrenaline felt getting his ass kicked by Batman.

The more he thought about that stupid bat, the more he lost control of his own body. "S-Stop, Bruce, please, fuck-." As far as the Joker was concerned, Batman and Bruce Wayne were nearly the same. The only people that ever made him feel anything. Fuck that's confusing. "B-Bruce, I'll cum~"

The words were the only motivation needed for the playboy to continue, picking up his pace as he tried to find his rhythm once more, pulling at Jacks hair. Jack can't argue with good dick, but fuck it would feel better if there were a fight involved.

Bruce's hand slowly let go of Jacks thighs, tracing its way up his body and wrapping gently around his neck. It had been discussed ahead of time of course. It was the easiest way for Jack to get his kicks, but Bruce never did it right.

Bruce held Jacks neck tightly, though carefully. Pressure was applied on either side, but never interrupted the airflow. Joker would simply have to use his imagination.

Batman wouldn't screw up a simple chokehold. Joker nearly lost consciousness a few times from that grip. The Clown Prince knew Batman would never let him die, but the temptation was always there, and it was the most alive Joker ever felt.

Jacks breathing became moans, almost a scream as he finally came, staining the sheets beneath him. Bruce was close behind, finishing deep inside and both men suddenly became light headed, falling numb beside one another.

The Joker could hardly think, almost forgetting where he was. Bruce pulled the man in close to his chest. Joker thought for sure that he had died,  his mind confusing Bruce's arms for Batman. It would take no time at all for the two of them to fall asleep

~~~

The Joker was back in full swing, strutting along a building rooftop while his green hair shined in the moonlight. He walks over to the railing, looking over the city with that sadistic grin as the wind hits him. A familiar dark figure approaches.

"You've been awfully quiet lately" a gravely voice said.

Joker turns to face the figure as he leans against the railing. "What can I say, I'm a busy clown~

Batman steps closer to the clown, though still hidden in shadow. "A busy Joker only spells disaster... what have you been doing?"

Why not tell the truth? After all, Batman would never believe him. "I got a new fuck doll is all~" he says with a teasing grin

Even from beneath the cowl, Joker can just tell the Batman has an eyebrow raised. "You kidnapped a girl?"

A deep laugh finally escapes joker, echoing on the rooftop. "Not this time Batsy! I found a loser who actually wants to be around me. In my DMs 24/7, 365!" He does a dramatic twirl for emphasis.

The only response is an eye roll and a quite "tsk"

Joker approaches Batman with that that cocky grin, though the Bat hold his ground. "Don't worry Batsy," the clowns voice softens for a moment, but never loses that teasing tone, "no toy can ever replace you~"

Another eye roll. "I don't care what you do in your free time as long as you're not causing trouble. And frankly, I don't believe that you're not causing trouble."

"Oh don't worry Batsy, I'm too sleepy for that!" He turns, dramatically leaning his back against Batman's chest. The Bat doesn't move. This was one of the Jokers favorite acts. The one where Batman pretends to be scary and menacing but deep down, he actually gives a shit.

"Watch it. You're too close for comfort"

This was when the act really started to get good. Joker would say something in his teasing tone and Batman would get mad, putting Joker in a chokehold. And just like clockwork, that was exactly where the situation went, the clown now gasping for air.

Where Bruce Wayne was kindness, Batman was only frustration and anger. Even while being lifted off the ground, losing his life, Joker couldn't help but think just how pretty Batman was when he was angry.

Joker stutters out a broken phrase, but one he knows will get a laugh. "Y-your grip is getting s-stronger sport~"

The grip tightens further, and Jokers body gets excited once more. And now was his favorite part of this act. The part when Batman bends him over and fucks him into tomorrow.

The clothes stayed on, because it ALWAYS stays on. It's part of the act. Batman bends Joker over on the closest thing (in this case, a literal railing) and pulls Jokers pants down only enough to expose his ass. It was almost like a punishment game. The more aggressive Batman became, the better. 

"You're fucking sick," Batman says through gritted teeth, choking Joker as he thrusts deeper inside.

The more Joker tries to talk, the more it hurts, and the better his entire body feels. "S-Sick for you~" there was no reason to hold back when being fucked by Batman. About half the Rogue Gallery had received this type of "justice," though none as often as the Joker himself.

Once Batman had finally filled Joker, the clown was a shaking mess, saliva dripping down his chin as cum dripped out his ass. As far as the Joker was concerned, there wasn't a single person willing to make him feel as dangerously good as Batman.

In a few days, Joker would be healed good as new. After that; another session with Bruce Wayne.

[theteablogger]

Whatever happened to Andy’s posse that made him turn up with no friends or place to stay in LA back in 2018? I’m trying to track the timeline, but Chris C and CFC seem to have still been on his side at that point, and he’s married to Meg, right? It just seems really weird that he turned up completely alone after two decades of constant house-and roommate-sharing, including in CA, claiming he had a (permanent?) job there.

At least on tumblr it seemed like necromommycon stayed online defending him into the void through 2019 even when he wasn’t on the site anymore and most of the AA blogs were almost entirely quiet, but that’s not the same thing as a friendship.

I know others are not the subject of the blog, but I’m trying to figure out if he’d dumped people over or if the remnants of the second cult are still going.

Well, the second cult was really the DAYDians, and that's well and truly over with. Others' opinions may vary, but I believe the posse was just a group of friends. Most of them, as far as I know, are sill friends with Andy.

I don't think Andy's decision to go to LA in 2018 had anything to do with the posse; I think he just really wanted to get there and start networking in-person as soon as possible. Meeting the cast of Critical Role may also have been a goal.

Andy claimed that he had a job in LA for the whole summer. In reality, what he had was an arrangement for him to work for a shop on an "on-call" basis when the owner needed an extra hand. The owner did not consider him to be an employee. He also didn't have a place to stay for the whole summer. His then-friend Molly had only agreed to let him stay with her for a week, but he free-loaded off her for another week on top of that. She then said that he may as well stay until the end of the month, but she wasn't happy about it. That was shortly before one of Molly's friends recognized Andy from Lord of the Rings fandom and alerted her, leading to his unceremonious eviction.

Andy's original plan, according to what he told another of Molly's friends, was to stay with Molly until he got a costume commission in exchange for housing. He would then basically couch-hop while working on commissions and come back to Molly's in between as necessary. That was nothing like what they'd agreed to and I don't believe she would have allowed it.

Andy did end up finding a place to stay after he was kicked out, but I'm not sure with whom or what their arrangement was (nor did I try to find out). The posse all lived in Virginia, so they couldn't help him. Andy went back to Virginia at the end of the summer to finish college; then he and Megan moved to LA permanently in June 2019. They got married in 2020.

[guzsdaily]

Another attack, another change of plans

Day 179 - May 2nd, 12.024

So I almost had an anxiety attack today due to programming and my current plans besides "The System". "The System" is dead.

I started this project of automating my social media around 1 to 2 months ago, counting pretty much from the days I started my homelab, and it seems to be falling apart. In summary, the whole idea was to use scripts on the server/homelab, or nowadays, my computer, to post Twitter, Mastodon, Tumblr posts based on these daily blogs, however things started to crack this week. Yesterday I realized that AI is simply not feasible to create posts, running locally is impossible due to the computing power needed, and the [free] options that I have aren't good or give satisfying results. But I tried to then just, I don't know, use scripts for posting from Obsidian, manually really, and neither of it worked, handling authentication without a proper server is too much, and things like attachments need a lot of work to get done. So I give up.

When I started to realize this today, I have to admit that I started to feel an anxiety attack, and probably if it wasn't therapy, I probably would have gone down spiral into a full stop and just gave up on everything. Just imaging passing two months doing something which you believe can change your chances of getting a job, working every fucking day, dreaming of having somewhere to work so you can afford to see the person that you love, right after your family went through times which it could break everything apart, and this something simply doesn't work. And now almost half a year already passed and I can even put this project on my resume. I started to lose hope.

Thankfully, therapy really helped me come back somewhat fast from these attacks, and right when I started feeling it, I started to whisper to myself that everything would be okay and trying to create another plan. I almost felt like someone crazy for talking to myself and calming me down while I could stop breathing rapidly, but it worked. Everything will be okay Gustavo… You will be successful… You will be successful…

Now the plan is to just post manually for now, and focus on a project which is monetizable and something that I can show people easily. Not only that, but it is a project that I'm wanting to make for years, and have been wanting and preparing to do, instead of just doing it and learning and figuring out what I need on the way. It will consume some months of my life, but hopefully it will all pay out. And if it doesn't, at least I have a new tool to I use to help my own life and career.

And, even if I feel like I wasted months of my life, this month in specific, I learned Rust, I learned something new, and I created the prototype of another future project, so yea, at least it wasn't all for waste.

Today's artists & creative things Music: Måneskin - THE LONELIEST (Official Video) - by ManeskinVEVO

© 2024 Gustavo "Guz" L. de Mello. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

[ryhmus]

NOLI MEI OBLIVISCI [Tumblr Port]

Chapter 2:

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Rise and Shine!

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Faraway Town

{Better days ahead}

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A Month after the Truth reveal...

Sunny's friends watched the last of the moving vans pull out of the driveway of their friend's former home for the last time and drive off for the city where Sunny and his mother were. They stood there in silence for what seemed like an eternity until Hero finally spoke.

"Four years…four years we thought Mari had killed herself, and then Sunny tells us he pushed her down the stairs and killed her…four years of being lied to…I can't believe this…" he uttered to himself, letting a single tear fall from his eye.

When neither Aubrey or Kel responded he continued, shakily clenching his fist trying to hold back his emotions. "I…I always thought I had failed her somehow, that I missed something important before she...That's why I went to college to become a doctor instead of a chef, I could have helped her…I thought that I…I…dammit..."

He bit his lip fighting back the tears welling in his eyes until Kel placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Hey it's okay, we're still trying to understand all this too...I just want you guys to know that we're in this together now, no more splitting apart." Kel told him.

The news of the truth from Sunny had come as a complete and unexpected shock to everyone, including Hero, who had taken it the hardest out of the group given his close relationship with Mari before her death. Even after a month had passed he was still reeling from the news of what really happened to her but he had recovered significantly since then. At first upon hearing the Truth he hadn't taken it well, things seemed like were going to get ugly when he was almost about to strangle Sunny on the spot, demanding why he was alive and Mari wasn't. Fortunately, Aubrey had been the one to step before it could happen and console him. Afterwards, the rest of the trip back had been awkward with neither of the group speaking to one another the whole way...

...But Hero was getting better after his outburst at the hospital at least.

"Listen I know you might not be ready to fully forgive Sunny just yet, hell, I'm angry too…But, give him some time okay? he's been through a lot this past week, we've been through a lot." Aubrey added, giving him and Kel a look of sympathy. "We'll cross that bridge when we're ready."

Hero lowered his eyes to the ground and took a deep breath in and out to clear his mind. The two friends gave him some space while they discussed what to do now that Sunny had finally left. The past three days had left room for little else in their schedules or for anything else since it had all been about getting to be with Sunny for the last time. They made plans, moved things around and agreed to spend more time with one another, especially when Basil would be allowed to leave the hospital in a few days.

Aubrey checked her phone and realized how late it was getting, cursing under her breath. "Shit...Hey I gotta get home soon it's getting super late, you wanna hang out tomorrow or what?" she asked nonchalantly.

Kel's eyes lit up at her offer and he put on a big grin. "Yeah sure I'm game! but what do you wanna do? maybe go watch a movie or read some comics and play video games? or do you just want to do girl stuff like nail painting?" Kel listed off a few things, wrapping an arm around her and getting a light smack on the head in response.

"Hmm, well for starters..." Aubrey let a small smile slip onto her face and suddenly football tackled Kel onto the front lawn. "How about I get Kim to give you a makeover!" she teased and pulled his arms to the sides while he jokingly pleaded for her to stop. "How's that for 'girl stuff' huh?"

"Noooooo...not my face...Aubrey stooopp...mom will kill me if I come home with makeup on my face again!" Kel whined and tried to cover his face with his legs instead.

Hero watched from afar as the two friends make plans for tomorrow and couldn't help but chuckle to himself. They made it look so easy to move on didn't they? he secretly wished he could go back in time to speak to his younger self and tell him to never give up on the future, be more like his brother in a way...the thought was enough to give him some comfort as he witnessed the two friends play wrestling together, Aubrey pull Kel's head into a armlock and gave him a noogie until he licked her arm, forcing her to recoil in disgust while the athletic boy laughed and ran off when Aubrey threatened to clobber him. For once...Hero felt like he didn't need to intervene on this one, it reminded him of the old days as innocent kids when they used to play and have fun...so instead, he just stood back and let the two wear themselves out. Eventually leading to the both of them lying on the front lawn of Kel and Hero's house, panting and laughing with each other.

"Hey Kel, you got room for one more tomorrow? I still have plenty of free time before my break is over." Hero offered with a smile and joined Kel on the grass.

Kel beamed happily and tackled his brother into a big hug, getting grass all over him. "Of course you can! you're always welcome to join us tomorrow! maybe we'll even get to see Basil again soon after he's let out of the hospital!"

Aubrey and the two brothers sat on the lawn and eventually went their separate ways, as the sun set on another day.

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Faraway park, Hangout spot

{KEL; Far From Home...}

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A week later...

Somewhere in a secluded opening overlooking the small lake in Faraway Park. A young boy in rainbow checkered pajamas laid peacefully on a picnic blanket, fast asleep, his calm and serene expression was highlighted by the midday sun as it shined down on his sleeping body when suddenly his eyes fluttered open in sudden shock.

KEL gasped for air and he sat up quickly. "HERO!" he shouted out loud, his face covered in sweat as he tried to calm himself down.

When KEL'S initial shock subsided he got up from his sitting position to got a look around at his new surroundings. For some reason AUBREY AND MARI had vanished leaving him alone in some abandoned woodland area he'd never seen before. "Guys? hey where did you all go? AUBREY? MARI?" KEL wondered out loud, mild confusion and fear in his voice as he stepped off the blanket, feeling the wet grass on his bare feet.

Looking some more he saw a lake with an ancient statue in the center, the surrounding area was quite messy and looked like it hadn't been cared for in a long time. "Huh, guess I'm not in the PLAYGROUND anymore…" KEL mused to himself and looked down at the ground around him, taking note of the worn picnic blanket and pinwheels spinning idly in the distant corner of the opening. "Geez, what happened back there? it's like no one has been in here in forever."

KEL wasn't sure how he got here or why but that wouldn't stop him from finding his friends, they needed him now more than ever in this new strange place...

"Well, no matter where you are, there's no need to worry any longer guys, KEL is here to save the day once again!" he declared and bolted off in a random direction.

...

As KEL set out he happened look up, briefly being blinded by the sun in his face. "Hey what's up with the sky? why is it blue? and what are those puffy things?" he wondered, squinting at the clouds lazily floating through the sky.

The sky here was vastly different from what he was use to, he wasn't really sure what part of HEADSPACE this was...if this was still HEADSPACE, last KEL recalled, there were no places he knew that had a blue, cloud filled sky instead of the purple, constellation filled one he knew but it didn't bother him really. Upon leaving the lake area, KEL was shocked and then amazed at what he found on the other side of the trees. An entire park filled with people and buildings in the distance.

"Woah! this is so cool! it's so big out here! I've never been to this part of HEADSPACE before! But how am I gonna find HERO and everyone else?" he pondered to himself as he walked around eating some CANDY he had in his pocket from earlier, oblivious to the stares and comments he was getting from the people around him.

—

"Who's kid is that? why is he wearing pajamas in the middle of public?"

"Does that child look familiar to you? reminds me a little of-"

"Where are his parents? they ought to be ashamed leaving their child unattended to just be wandering around like that."

"What's up with that kid's hair? is it dyed? I wanna get purple hair too!"

"They shouldn't allow kids to wander around without shoes, the nerve of some people these days."

"His skin is so pale…is he sick or something? I hope it's not contagious!"

-

KEL was taken in awe by the sights and sounds all around him, as he left the park he passed by a vending machine. Curious, he looked closely at the drinks on display, and although he couldn't find any milk which was disappointing, one drink did catch his attention however, one last can of Orange Joe.

"Huh...I didn't know ORANGE JOE had his own soda brand, man this place gets weirder and weirder." he mused to himself as he pushed the button for the drink…

When nothing came out he pressed it again…and again…then he kicked the machine hurting his foot in the process.

[KEL took 1 damage].

Why wasn't anything coming out? usually when he and his friends used the vending machines the machine would eject it's contents on the press of a button and a meager offering of a few CLAMS, the currency they used back home.

While KEL was trying to decide whether to toss his ball at the machine to break it open he spotted a couple placing a small metal object into a slot on the machine and pressing the button, immediately a can dropped out of the slot at the bottom.

After some brainstorming, KEL had the bright idea of putting a CLAM into the machine's coin slot, but that idea was shot down as soon as he realized that one; HERO had most the group's CLAMS last he checked so he had nothing to put in and two; the slot was too small to take any CLAMS that he again, not did have.

"Ugh, forget it! I'm just going to find my friends, but I'll be back..." KEL mumbled giving the vending machine a glare.

KEL walked up to a random person standing on the sidewalk, an elderly lady and tapped their shoulder. "Scuse me, can you help me find my friends? they got purple hair like me, one of them has a bow that's a gross color and the other has striped pajamas, he's tall, handsome, and has spiky hair, that's my brother by the way, you seen either of em?"

"Oh I saw a handsome young man who had purple hair just like you and had striped pajamas just like you said, they were at the Othermart helping me with my groceries earlier." The elderly woman responded and pointed westward of the park. 

He headed left towards a large building marked with the words OtherMart plastered in big red letters above. That looked like the best place to begin looking for his friends. He jumped on top of a car making a pose and doing his best superhero impression that he learned from CAPT. SPACEBOY a long time ago.

[KEL used FLEX]

"That looks like a good place to start! no need to worry everyone, KEL is here!" he announced heroically, pointing at the store flexing his arms as much as he could.

An annoyed customer who was leaving the store shouted up at him and waved a fist. "Hey! get the hell off my car you stupid kid!"

KEL ignored the man's protests and leapt off of the car, rushing into the store. ("I'm coming guys don't worry, I won't give up just yet!")

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Basil's House

{BASIL; A home for a Me}

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Polly stared out the window of Basil's room watching the afternoon pass by. She knew she should be preparing for her charge's return but since the fight between Basil and Sunny that resulted in both of them being rushed to the hospital, she had been no doubt worried sick about Basil since then but at the same time, the incident had opened her eyes a bit and made her wonder.

Has she really been doing her job if she let something like this happen?

Beside her, some of Basil's plants had started to wilt a little, although she had cared for Basil for two years, she did not have his green thumb. Her attempts to care for his plants while he was gone had been fruitless, no matter how much sunlight or water she gave them they still continued to fade and wither. Yesterday she received a call from the hospital that Basil would stay for at least another day or so before he could come back home which was tomorrow morning. Deciding that she need a distraction from her concerns, she went outside to find the watering can for the plants, it was the least she could do for him and he would appreciate it when he came home…

As soon as the door closed, BASIL appeared in the room out of thin air, stumbling backwards and knocking his head on the bedside table. "Ouch! my head…" he cried out and gingery rubbed his bruised noggin. Once he got his bearings, BASIL blinked in surprise at the oddly cheerful room he had suddenly found himself in.

"W-where am I now?" he whispered and cautiously dusted himself off, standing up to take in his new surroundings. "I don't remember seeing this part of HEADSPACE before, if that's even where I am...I hope I'm still not lost in the scary place..."

Looking down at his feet he spotted a old dusty camera sitting on the floor and picked it up, checking it for damages, before gently putting it back on the table where it had presumably been knocked off during his sudden unplanned entrance. "Something about this place seems awfully familiar…like I feel like I've been here..." he muttered to himself.

BASIL scratched his head and suddenly realized his flower crown was missing. "My flower crown! now where did it go?"

When he saw the wilting flowers on the drawer he gasped aloud. "Oh no! poor things…I'll help you get better real quick."

Reaching into one of his overall pockets he produced a packet of flower fertilizer and sprinkled a bit on each of the flowers. One by one the flowers perked up and started looking healthy again. The Flower Boy chuckled and stood back to admire his work. "There we go, all better, now about my flower crown...where did my-"

The sound of the door opening caused him to panic and look for a place to hide, eventually settling for underneath the bed, it took a bit to squeeze under it but he had made it just as the door opened to Polly carrying a heavy water pale into the room. She noticed the flowers were now standing straight. She held one of the plant's leaves in her fingers and felt a lively and well cared for flower instead of the dried up dying thing it had been a minute ago...

"Huh? when did these…who?" her voice trailed off as she wondered to herself. She continued to examine the now healthy plants, that had now somehow come back to life while she was gone.

"Did…someone water these plants while I was gone? It must be my stress acting up again making me imagine things…I need to go lay down."

Polly turned around to leave the room when her foot brushed against something soft, bending down she picked up a peculiar looking flower crown from under the bedside table, it's vibrant colors looking as fresh as the day it had been made.

"A...flower crown? When did Basil start making these again? it's been years since he made one of these…" she frowned when the thought of Basil came to mind, he was badly bruised and unconscious by the time the friend group had managed to break down the door, only to find Sunny and Basil lying in a heap after what looked like a fight, the flower boy's garden shears lying on the ground and Sunny's eye socket leaking fresh blood out of it. They had wasted no time rushing the two over to the nearest hospital while Polly had been sent home to wait for the news to come back about her charge's condition.

"Oh Basil...if only I knew how much you were hurting...if I could just talk to you one more time..." Polly pressed the crown against her chest and let out a sad sigh.

Carefully, she placed it on the bed and turned to leave the room when a small voice called out to her. "E-excuse me, can I have that back please? s-sorry about coming in uninvited, m-my name's BASIL, what's yours?"

Polly turned around and almost had a heart attack when BASIL crawled out from under the bed. Polly was so startled by the sudden appearance of the green haired flower boy that she momentarily lost her breath. "H-how long have you been under there!?" She held on to the door frame for support as the small boy timidly walked over with a shy expression on his face.

"I-I'm sorry if I scared you I didn't mean to. I was afraid that you might be mad if I showed up at your house out of nowhere." BASIL apologized meekly and raised his hands.

Polly stared at BASIL in disbelief, how? this child was the spitting image of Basil when he was younger, barring the green hair and pastel white skin of course, but other than that he looked exactly like Basil. "B-Basil is that you? but you're suppose to be in the hospital! and how did you get younger?" she sputtered, trying to make sense of the situation.

BASIL looked confused at these questions, tilting his head to the side. "Younger? but I've always been like this…and why would I be in a hospital?" he rubbed his head again and sighed. "Oh dear, I have no clue where I am right now."

Polly regained her normal composure and calmed down a bit once she saw this wasn't someone trying to rob them and decided to start a conversation with the odd green haired and pastel skinned child. "Did you water these plants?" she said pointing at the now healthy blooming flowers.

BASIL chuckled humbly and brought out his little bag of fertilizer from earlier. "Yes I did! I used some of my special fertilizer, you can have some if you want, it's homemade so I can always make more."

Polly cautiously took the bag and inspected it, it was a small paper bag with a childish crayon drawing of a flower on the front, the contents inside looked nothing out of the ordinary. "Er, thank you…um if I may, how did you get in here?" she asked and placed the pouch on top of the drawer.

BASIL adjusted his overalls while he thought of the best answer to give her. "I have no idea to be honest, one moment I'm in a very dark and scary place the next I end up here." Polly placed a hand to her chin. So this wasn't Basil, yet everything in her gut instinct said it was him. So who was this? May as well start with the first question to come to mind then.

"Alright…where did you come from?" she asked BASIL.

"The VAST FOREST!" he cheerily responded. "I live in a giant shoe and tend to my garden every day. I hope my plants will be okay without me…" BASIL murmured that last part with a tone of uncertainty.

Polly had so many questions, but every answer she got only led to even more questions. "I…don't recall there being a place called Vast Forest anywhere near Faraway…" she told, earning a head tilt from the Basil lookalike. "Faraway? is that somewhere new in HEADSPACE?" he asked.

"In HEADSPACE? what is HEADSPACE?" Polly responded to the question with one of her own. It was starting to become just a back and forth of questions for both of them at this rate.

The Green haired Flower Boy felt a frown starting to form on his face as he started to wonder. "It's my home? I don't understand…we should be there right?" BASIL spoke, confusion starting to become concern. It was Polly's turn to try and explain things. "This is…strange for me as well, but I think you might not be in this HEADSPACE anymore."

BASIL frowned and looked out the window at the unfamiliar sky, a horrible realization dawning on him. If Everything he had seen in BLACK SPACE was starting to make sense...The world above falling apart right down to that important message he needed to tell everyone being wiped from his mind...then that meant that everything he heard from those shadows were true...he may as well be the last survivor of his home...

"Oh…oh no…then that means everything I saw in that abyss…it's t-the end of the world..."

He placed his hands to his mouth and fell to his knees, tears forming in his eyes. "Everyone…KEL, HERO, AUBREY, OMORI...MARI...they're gone…all my friends they're…they're…" his voice cracked and he began to cry into his hands. Polly rushed over in concern and knelt by his side as the young boy sobbed his eyes out. "Oh BASIL...I'm so sorry about your friends and family, please don't cry." she reassured and rubbed his back.

BASIL sniffed and hugged her tightly. "I don't...I-I don't want to be a-alone...please..." he hiccuped, and gripped onto her dress tightly, refusing to let go.

It was horrible seeing this young boy break down in front of her, it reminded her too much of how Basil felt when his parents didn't show up for his fifth birthday, he cried all day when it happened, thankfully his grandma was there to comfort him when he needed it.

Polly sighed, and made the young flower boy face her. "I know I have no right to ask but you could be part of our family if you want." she quietly offered. BASIL wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at her with a hopeful face. "R-really? you would do t-that for me?"

Polly smiled warmly at him and brought him into a much needed hug. "I would be glad to call you family…and you would even have a older brother! (Although explaining that to Basil is going to be awkward, would she have to call them different names to tell the difference?)"

BASIL managed to smile back at her and return the hug. "Thank you…can I…I call you mom? I've never had a mom before."

Polly blushed violently and shook her head. "I'm not actually Basil's mom silly, I'm just a caretaker, my name is Polly." she chuckled softly.

The green haired child bowed at her. "It's nice to meet you Miss Polly, and thank you again..."

---

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OtherMart

{HERO; Employee of the Month}

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"Excuse me, can you help me young man?" A lady with a bag full of groceries asked a purple haired boy wearing a Othermart employee's apron over striped pajamas.

"Of course ma'am, let me get that for you." HERO mentally prepared himself as he lifted the heavy bag of groceries into the back of her car.

Everything blurred by so fast for him before he fully understood what was going on. One moment he was running towards MARI the others with KEL helping him while the world was falling apart around them, the next he slipped and felt himself falling for an eternity. The sounds of KEL and the others calling out for him as he fell into the endless pit. He blacked out at that time, his last thought he was TOAST for sure. Until he woke up to a hard feeling in his back. He seemed to be in some kind of store in what was presumably the watermelon stand, HERO normally was neutral when it came to the concept of an afterlife, but after the manager of the place had put him to work to pay for the damages, he confirmed to himself that this wasn't the afterlife at all but a whole new world...

...And apparently this new world did not take CLAMS as payment.

Wiping the sweat off of his brow and breathing heavily, he finished loading the groceries into the customer's car and went back inside. The store's loudspeaker suddenly made an announcement, to everyone.

"TO ALL EMPLOYEES WE HAVE A UNSUPERVISED CHILD IN AISLE 6, TO THE PARENTS OF THE LOST CHILD PLEASE RETRIEVE YOUR CHILD AT THE FRONT RECEPTION AREA."

HERO sighed and straightened out his work uniform it wasn't the first time he had worked for someone, but at least they promised to pay him this time…

...

one hour earlier

…

HERO'S world was spinning by the time he regained his senses, his back ached and he was covered in something red and sticky. All around him murmurs of shoppers whispered about the strange boy who fell from the ceiling. Carefully getting himself up he realized that he was sitting in what appeared to be watermelons, many of them smashed from his fall.

"Excuse me sir but I'm going to have to ask you to come with me…" An employee said, helping him up to his feet and escorting him away from the numerous eyes all on the strange boy who just appeared.

He was taken to a small office where a stout man with a beard sat at a small desk. "Mr. Stuart sir, this boy just fell out of nowhere and destroyed the watermelon stand, should we kick him out or-"

HERO raised his hands up "Wait! I'll pay for the damages!" He fished around in his pockets until he found what he was looking for, a large bag with a picture of a seashell painted on it. "Here, I have some CLAMS with me, hopefully that's enough to cover for it." He sighed in relief and placed the heavy bag on the manager's desk.

The manager leaned forward and inspected one of the tiny seashells inside before giving HERO an incredulous face. "Kid…did you hit your head? you're trying to pay us with worthless seashells for our destroyed watermelon stand…which if you're wondering was mostly 200 dollars of damage so it's no big deal honestly, but still! We're a grocery store chain that values honesty and and good work ethic, and I think that if you worked here for a bit to pay off for what you broke with 'Real' money...I think we'll be square."

Mr. Stuart raised his hand for a shake which HERO returned.

"Before I get started can I ask where I am, sir?" HERO asked.

The manager rubbed his chin and looked HERO up and down, He was over 170cm and wore striped pajamas, his hair was a pastel purplish color and his skin was unusually pale for a normal human being, despite strange appearances he was sure he would make a good intern. Something about him just radiated 'ideal worker'.

"Well for starters kid, my name is Mr. Stuart, I'm the manager for Othermart, the only grocery store in Faraway town, and your name?"

"HERO sir." The young man spoke.

Mr. Stuart rubbed his chin in a perplexed manner. "Hero? I thought you were supposed to be in college?" he inquired curiously.

"What? no I was in HEADSPACE with my friends!" HERO explained plainly.

College? he never recalled any place in HEADSPACE called College, otherwise he'd know if he'd ever been there before hand...just where exactly was he? and speaking of his friends, He sure hoped they would be able to find him soon...if they even knew where he was.

"Hoo boy, you must've hit your noggin harder than I thought, why don't you go lay down for a sec before you start working and we'll call a doctor to check you up."

"Well, I'm feeling fine right now, and I could definitely learn more about this place along the way."

"You sure? hmmm, you know what? who am I to turn down eager help? welcome aboard HERO! we hope you'll do well."

"Yes sir! I'll…try my best not to disappoint sir!" HERO gave a salute to which the manager chuckled.

"Hmm we'll see…you keep to your word and you might even overthrow Jeremy's employee of the month streak!" Mr. Stuart joked.

...

…That was one hour ago, since then workplace morale and productivity had increased by 50% since HERO had started working at the Othermart, whether it was because of his passionate outlook on domestic work that inspired the others or his charisma in helping customers. HERO was happy to help out. But now as he approached a crowd of shoppers and employees surrounding a shelf with a familiar checkered shirt kid standing on top of a shelf, he smacked a palm to his head in disbelief and shuffled through the crowd to get to his brother.

"Hey kid! get down from there! it's not safe up there!" An employee shouted at KEL from from below.

The young boy blew a raspberry at him and laughed. The crowd of people around murmured in concerned and angry tones amongst themselves.

"C'mon kid we aren't gonna hurt you just get down fro-" a fastball to the face knocked the employee out cold before he could reach out to grab the boy's leg.

KEL smirked as he spun another ball on his finger, a faint yellow outline glowing around him.

[KEL became HAPPY]

"You can't get me! you can't get me! ha ha!" he taunted at the crowd, blowing a raspberry at the people attempting to catch him.

The remaining employees were getting tired of this kid's attitude. One in particular, Jeremy the leading employee of the month tossed down his hat in a fit of rage. "Alright that's it! where's the ladder? I'm gonna give that brat a piece of my mind!" The disgruntled man stormed off, shoving past HERO who had finally made it through, his eyes widened in shock when he saw who was on the shelf.

"KEL!?" he went to the foot of the shelf and shouted up to his brother to get his attention.

The boy in the checkered shirt turned around once he heard that familiar voice, his currently good mood turning into pure excitement when he saw HERO.

"HERO! you're alive! I thought you were TOAST! I heard you were being forced to work here so I'm here to save you once again from the jaws of capitalism!"

HERO forced his way to the front of the crowd and called up to him "KEL! you need to get down from there! and what did you even do!? why is there an angry crowd?!"

KEL shrugged his shoulders "I dunno, came in here to look for you, saw some perfectly good watermelons sitting in a pile just asking to be smashed open!"

HERO gazed over at the watermelon display and saw surely enough, the melons were ruined…again. "Not again…Mr. Stuart is not going to be happy about this…" HERO groaned.

Meanwhile, KEL was still ranting on about his day. "…And there wasn't even anything inside of em! not even a single block of tofu, JACKS or orange soda, isn't that crazy? what kind of watermelons don't have stuff in them?!" He tossed his hands into the air to emphasize his outrage at the itemless fruits.

KEL's monologue was interrupted abruptly by the loud clash of a ladder slamming against the shelf. The angry employee from earlier climbed up the ladder and stood on top of the shelf with a belt in hand and a livid expression. "We tried being nice, we tried asking politely, but you know what? screw it! I'm gonna beat your hide good you little shi-"

A megaphone blared over the crowd making everyone to cover their ears, the manager shouted over the speaker. "Jeremy! you are breaking several store rules! put the belt down or you're fired!"

Jeremy muttered something under his breath about his job being shit and cracked the belt like a whip, everyone flinched at the sound. HERO had to do something before KEL got hurt, he shuffled his way through the crowd towards the ladder. When he reached the top Jeremy was holding KEL by his arm over the edge of the shelf, KEL was no longer smiling and looked like he was in a lot of pain, he had several bruises and a black eye from his brutal beating. HERO wasn't about to let anyone get away with hurting his little brother.

[HERO became ANGRY]

"Leave him alone Jeremy, put him down or else!" HERO shouted, readying his frying pan, a red glow surrounding him.

Jeremy turned around and gripped KEL'S arm tighter, making the boy yelp in pain. "Or what new guy? ever since you showed up everyone says you're gonna be the employee of the month!" He shook KEL a bit, causing the boy to whimper.

"I've worked here for years! every day, six hours straight! and you just come in here for an hour and take the promotion that belongs to me?! After I beat some manners into this stupid purple haired brat, I don't care if I get fired after this I'm gonna teach you a lesson on who's top dog around here!" Jeremy roared and charged. HERO raised his frying pan in front of him to brace himself.

Jeremy raised his fist and was about to strike HERO when a basketball from nowhere came flying through the air, hitting him directly in the face. Jeremy dropped KEL to grasp his now bleeding nose.

"Ohg fucgk…my fuhkink noss…i thigk my nos is brokgn!" He managed to blurt out and staggered over to the ladder and clambering down it to run towards the back rooms. HERO glanced around for where the projectile could have come from...

("That definitely wasn't KEL who did that...but then who?")

...

Meanwhile below outside the crowd, Kel and Hero had gone to the OtherMart to buy supplies for their parents and some baby food for Sally. They had noticed the commotion and went to check it out only to witness firsthand one of the employees brutally abusing a kid with a belt on top of the shelves and was about to hit another with his fist. Kel immediately sprang into action, ignoring Hero's warnings to deliver justice. Kel grinned to himself when he saw the basketball nail the guy in his face and drop the poor kid, Hero however was less enthused by his brother's actions.

"Oh my god Kel! you're going to get us in serious trouble! how are we suppose to explain to mom and dad that you assaulted someone at the grocery store?"

Kel crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Dude, you serious? That guy was hurting that poor kid! just what kind of lunatic does that anyways? what was I supposed to do, let it happen?"

Hero let out a heavy sigh and brought his fingers up to his temple, while attacking the man was the last thing he would have done, Kel was right. He would have done the same thing or something similar if it was his brother or someone in his family...he finally relented and slumped his shoulders.

"Yeah, okay that's a fair point…but first let's go see if those kids alright." Hero said and guided his brother to where he had seen the two go towards the pharmacy section.

...

Back on the ground, KEL ran into HERO'S arms and embraced him in a hug, seemingly unconcerned about his own injuries. "I…I thought I lost you when you fell into that big hole! I was so scared..." KEL sputtered and sniffled a bit while HERO gently hugged him back. HERO then let go to examine KEL'S arm and face more closely, both of which were red and bruised from the rough man's grip.

"You're hurt pretty bad, here let me cook up something for those wounds." HERO said and flipped out his frying pan to prepare his signature SKILL...

[HERO used COOK]

Instantly a cookie was summoned out of thin air into KEL'S hands. KEL took a bite out of it and the bruises immediately healed. "Thanks, I thought I was gonna to be TOAST for a second..." he spoke as he munched on the healing treat. "...Man oh man! your cookies are almost as good as MARI'S...no offense." he said with his mouth full.

Suddenly two figures rounded the corner both of them looking similar like them but older and in different clothes. "Hey you alright? do you need…Help?" the taller of the two began but stopped once he got a better look at them...

Both Heros and Kels stared at one another in silence, either side trying to comprehend who or what they were looking at...The small pastel Kel was the first to speak, his voice sounding exactly how the tall normal Kel did when he was twelve. "You look like a weird stretched out me!" He said and put on a goofy grin.

However, the other Hero was quick to chide his brother for his rudeness. "KEL! that's not a nice thing to say! especially to random strangers we've just met." He scolded, turning back to the real versions of themselves and giving them an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about my little brother's behavior, he gets really hyperactive sometimes." HERO glanced over at the commotion with a worried look. "I just hope I don't get fired on my first day for all this mess..."

Kel was looking over his younger self while the other him was doing the same and copying his actions, aside from the pastel colors he really looked like him when he was younger four years ago, it was like looking in a mirror.

The store owner walked up from behind them with a stern expression, but gave HERO a nod. "Good afternoon HERO, cleaning up I see? well, I have good news and bad news for you, I had to fire Jeremy for this little incident meaning that you'll be up next for a promotion to take his place as the day manager, that's the good news. The bad news is that we're going to be cutting everyone's pay to repair the damages that kid caused."

His gaze turned to KEL becoming to a furious glare. "Speaking of which…I want that kid out of my store now! he is banned from setting foot in here again! I want him gone!" he declared, pointing an accusing finger at KEL who stuck his tongue out at the man as he left.

The two real world brothers exchanged confused looks, This can't be a coincidence right? they would have much to talk about later...

...

…Several minutes later…and an extensive cleanup…

"Aw dang! I just wanted to see my bro again!" KEL pouted and kicked a can across the parking lot. He had been forced to sit outside on the sidewalk watching the cars go by while he waited for HERO to return. Kel sat next to him trying to wrap his head around this situation with his strange clone.

"So uh, what's your name little buddy?" Kel started a conversation, hopefully talking to the little guy will give him more answers to the questions he had.

The smaller Kel grinned at him and pointed a thumb at himself. "The name's KEL! what about you big me?"

the older boy was surprised to know that this clone also had the same name, even if it had been a bit obvious. "My name is also Kel, nice to meet you…small me…" he greeted back.

Soon Hero came outside and sat down next to Kel to tell him the news. "Well…I had a little talk with the other…Hero, and he said they has no home to go to, so we may have to make room for them at our house until we can resolve this."

Kel gave his brother a bewildered look, caught off guard by this sudden request. "Wait a minute, you're just going to let a couple of strangers that happen to look like us stay over at our house? just like that?" He asked skeptically, glancing over at his other self. He may not be the smartest or the best at reading the room at most times, he wasn't stupid, he knew the dangers of going on 'just a hunch' as he learned from with Aubrey and the church fight from a while ago and the lake incident that almost drowned Basil...

Hero rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. "I know, I know, but I had a long talk with the guy on his break and I asked him a bunch of questions…the kind only I would know and believe it or not, I think they're really us somehow."

Kel looked over at his younger self and then back at Hero with a raised eyebrow. "What are we gonna tell our parents then? That we suddenly have clones of our past selves staying over for who knows how long?"

Hero hesitated, he had not thought of that...either way, there wasn't going to be an easy way to explain this...

Meanwhile, HERO strolled the store with a couple of dollars and cents in hand and walked up to KEL. "Good news KEL, we're going to have a place to stay soon until we can find the others."

KEL whooped in excitement and ran towards his real world counterpart, hopping up and down excitedly. "Hey! hey big me! race you home! last one there is a rotten egg!" he grinned and crouched into a running position. Kel raised an eyebrow and grinned at the challenge, finally having a worthy adversary, this race would be legendary...

"Oh yeah? bring it on! prepare to eat dust mini me!" He retorted confidently and got into his own position next to KEL.

Before either Hero could stop either of them, both Kels had blasted off at full speed. With a sigh, the two made the long arduous trip home.

HERO looked over at his other self and put on a friendly smile. "Don't mind if I ask you a few questions myself?"

"Yeah go ahead…"

"What are these?" HERO held out the dollar bills and cents he had earned earlier.

"Huh? you don't know what money is?"

"Well, we do technically, it's just different here is all…I take CLAMS aren't usable in Faraway?" HERO reached into his pocket and brought out a rather large bag the size of a small pumpkin and reached inside to produce a tiny object which he handed over to his real world counterpart.

Hero blinked in confusion and tilted his head to the side at the small object in his hand. "CLAMS…like oysters or seashells?" he said slowly, wondering if he had heard right that these shells, no bigger than his fingernail were considered as currency from wherever these past versions of themselves had come from.

HERO shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Sort of…we use them like money to pay for things…" He causally responded and stuffed the bag back in his pocket. How someone managed to fit such a large object was beyond Hero's knowledge of physics.

"Where do you come from anyways?" he decided to ask. It was the most important question after all...

"THE VAST FOREST, though I'm not sure where we are exactly, I don't recall this place being anywhere in HEADSPACE."

"Can't say I've ever heard of VAST FOREST or HEADSPACE…is that somewhere out of state?" Hero inquired curiously, unsure about that unfamiliar name.

"N-no? sorry I don't quite understand all this myself...maybe when we get to your home we can talk a bit more..." HERO responded with an awkward chuckle.

Hero relented from his questioning for now, but he was going to get to the bottom of this eventually, but first he had to stop Kel's dream self from smashing a vending machine with his ball…

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Aubrey's House

{AUBREY; It's raining somewhere else...}

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AUBREY'S eyes fluttered open when the pungent smell of trash reached her nose. She sat upright scrunching her nose in disgust. "Ew! what is that smell? ugh this better not be another prank KEL. This time you've gone too…far..."

The words died in her mouth when she realized she was alone. She was in a small dingy attic bedroom, in one corner was a disheveled pink bed that looked recently used, above it was a surprisingly well preserved poster of CAPTAIN SPACEBOY, and next to the bed on a bedside table was a picture of a girl with pink hair with another girl wearing glasses. AUBREY thought the one with the pink hair was pretty. Sitting next to her, a small pen with a white bunny stared at AUBREY with it's beady red eyes. Though AUBREY was cautious despite how cute it looked, many bunnies in HEADSPACE were often hostile and attacked on sight.

Only a ladder leading downwards seemed like the only option for the young girl...

Carefully, AUBREY made her way down the ladder to find the rest of the house in a much more sorry state. Trash left everywhere and the horrid smell was even stronger this time, it took everything she had to not throw up on the spot. AUBREY made her way to a large room with a messy side kitchen and living room. Right on the far end of was the door leading outside, a way out of this dump of a home and fresh air, she wasn't sure how much more of this place she could handle without gagging.

"Hello? is anyone there?" she called out nervously, This place scared her, she didn't like it here.

As she crept quietly towards the door she felt a sharp pain in her foot and yelped. A piece of broken glass had stabbed her and now it was leaking some sort of red liquid. AUBREY fought back tears as she attempted to pull the splinter only to recoil when the pain became too great to bear. But before she could try again, a sudden sound made her jump in fright.

"The hell are you doing in my house? get out before I call the police!" A filthy raggedy woman suddenly shouted at her from behind.

AUBREY gulped and tried to be as polite as she could despite how scared she was of this unpleasant lady glaring at her. "E-excuse me? could you please tell me where I am? I need to find my friends-" AUBREY pleaded, but the woman flew into an absolute rage.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

AUBREY scrambled out the front door as fast as she could, narrowly avoiding a bottle flying past her and smashing on the wall next to the door.

"Good for nothing kids…all they do is disappoint you." The woman muttered and returned to watching the TV.

...

It was raining outside the house when AUBREY escaped that horrible place. The pain in her foot was getting worse by the second as more red fluid leaked out leaving a red trail behind her as she hobbled down the dark street. Tears welled up in her eyes despite her best efforts to contain them, how could anyone be so mean? what did she ever do to deserve that? Finding a corner behind a nearby house, she sat down next to the front door and looked at her foot, the glass had left a deep gash on her foot and it was starting to look really bad.

"I don't have anything to heal this…I'm I'm all alone…I wish OMORI was here…anyone…even stupid KEL..." AUBREY sniffled, tears beginning to stream down her face.

[AUBREY became SAD]

A dark blue aura glowed around AUBREY as she cried to herself all alone in a cruel cruel world...

"Are you okay little girl? you look hurt…" a new voice said in a concerned tone, shaking AUBREY out of her sadness.

When she looked up a kindly woman crouching in front of her, holding an umbrella to shield the both of them from the rain. AUBREY backed away a little before the woman raised her hands to show her she meant no harm.

"Hey, it's okay! I won't hurt you, I promise, just let me see your foot for a second." The lady carefully reached over to AUBREY and held her foot up to the light behind her. She mumbled something and carefully set it down as not to cause harm. "That injury looks really bad, what's a young girl doing without any shoes? You should come with me, I can get you something to eat and get out of the rain...you must be AUBREY, right?" The woman gently held out her hand, offering her to take it. Although hesitant at first, AUBREY wiped the tears out of her eyes and took the nice lady's hand. "How...how did you know my name?" she quietly asked after a bit of silence.

The woman rubbed the back of her head and gave her a warm comforting smile. "Your friend BASIL told me all about you and your friends, he described what all of you looked like and when I saw you sitting here by yourself I knew it was you. BASIL'S inside our home right now if you want to see him."

At the mention of BASIL, AUBREY'S eyes lit up with hope, so she wasn't alone after all and they finally found BASIL! if the others had made it to this strange place then it would mean that OMORI was here too! he would know what was going on. AUBREY tried to stand up but winced when her foot started hurting again. The woman caught her and helped AUBREY stand up on her good leg. "I can carry you inside if you want, we'd have to get that wound disinfected first, hopefully you don't mind if we visit the hospital tomorrow for a checkup?"

AUBREY'S eyes sparkled as if she had been saved by an angel. "Who are you?" she whispered in awe.

"The woman gently brushed the girl's hair aside with her hand and smiled down at her. "Ah, sorry I forgot to tell you my name, I'm Polly." she replied.

AUBREY nodded and let herself be picked up and carried inside, it was comforting to know she had someone she could trust in this place. A faint yellow glow enveloping her body as Polly held her close to her chest and carried her home.

...

BASIL was busy helping with cooking dinner while Polly went out to get groceries. While he was not as good as HERO when it came to cooking he was still decent at it. Polly returned carrying the groceries in one arm and a familiar girl in the other.

"AUBREY! is that you? I'm so happy to see you're here!" he exclaimed in joy and went over to her. His face contorting into concern when he saw the red fluid dripping from an ugly gash on the sole of her foot "Oh! what happened?!"

Polly let AUBREY sit on the couch while she went over to the bathroom to look for a first aid kit and some blankets, BASIL sat down next to her and filled her in on the details of their situation, when Polly got back she got to work on patching up the small girl's injury. AUBREY was having a hard time wrapping her head around all of the information her friend had told her, it honestly made her head hurt thinking about it. This place was called Faraway town and they were in the real world. Real world? was that some part of HEADSPACE she had never heard of? But she had watched the world fall apart, then everyone went to sleep for a really long time, afterwards, she couldn't remember much else.

AUBREY flinched as the alcohol was put on her wound. "Sorry I should have warned you that it might sting a little, but it should feel much better soon." Polly apologized.

By the time Polly had finished making the makeshift cast for AUBREY it was 8:46 at night. The caretaker frowned and turned to the two dream children sitting on the couch. "It's getting kind of late, AUBREY do you mind sleeping on the couch? I'm sorry if we don't have any room in Basil's bedroom for you to sleep in."

AUBREY politely nodded and swung her feet over the couch edge. Polly turned to BASIL. "BASIL? would you mind sleeping in…er…Basil's room?" This only got a confused look from the Green haired flower child as Polly cleared her throat to correct herself.

"I mean, real world Basil's room, it's a little odd having two children with the same name, sorry if I get you two mixed up."

BASIL thought about it for a second before nodding. "Thank you so much miss Polly, we really appreciate you helping us." he hopped off the couch and hugged the caretaker's leg.

[BASIL became HAPPY]

A yellow glow enveloped BASIL'S body just like AUBREY'S had a moment ago causing Polly to look concerned for a second but decided not to ask about it for the time being.

Soon the rain outside stopped and the clouds cleared revealing a full moon shining down over Faraway town.

Welcome to Faraway town!

Our Thoughts will follow you into reality…

---

Sunny's vision returned to him as he shook the sleep from his good eye, he was strapped to a chair in a dark room and he had a strange device strapped on his head.

Panic set in as he struggled against his restraints. "Careful, you might not want to move around too much, the equipment can be a bit unstable if messed with." a voice called out to him.

Three figures stood in the shadows watching him from a glass observation chamber from above while taking notes.

"W-who are you? what do you want w-with me?" Sunny shuddered as he attempted to steady his breathing.

"We want what's in your head...we want your special world...your HEADSPACE." The voice in the middle answered.

Sunny's eye widened and he shook his head. "H-HEADSPACE?! no! it's gone! I got rid of it when I..." Sunny decided to not say any further, he wasn't going to give information to absolute strangers he had never met before.

The figures said nothing, instead they flipped a couple of switches on the machine connected to Sunny. The woman's voice on the right leaned forward. "On the contrary, we did a little looking inside while you were sedated and found some lingering memories that remain of it, it's no use lying to us, so just sit still...close your eyes...and you'll be there soon-"

Sunny's vision faded back into black...

Tomorrow is another day

Good Night

[ravencincaide]

Summary of 2023 

I've seen a few blogs do it and decided, for myself, to sum up this Tumblr year. To gain a little bit of perspective on what I’ve done so far and where I might want to take this site next. Also to have a chance to look back at this post in one year and see how accurate it was and how much has changed. I encourage you to do the same!

A Writers Requiem started around 25th of August-23 after many many years of not writing anything and that was also the first post (a reblog) on the site. Since then it has developed very much into a Chuuya fanpage with a few Dazai and SKK posts here and there. In this just-over-four-month this blog has produced: 

8 request fics ( for 5 different requests) 

16 purely Chuuya x reader fics (8 SFW and 8 NSFW)

6 purely Dazai x reader fics ( 3 SFW and 3 NSFW)

6 SKK x reader fics ( 6SFW and 1 NSFW) 

Thus concluding the year with a total of : 36 fics. A lot of which I plan to re-write or tackle some of the prompts again which I wasn't 100 percent happy with. 

So that’s what’s been achieved in the past. Where are we now? 

There are still 13 Sweetober prompts left. 

There are still 20 Kinktober prompts left. 

There are still 5 requests gathering dust in my inbox (I’m so sorry!) 

Not to mention some requests for part two of certain fics. 

So easy to say I have a good half a year worth of prompts left if I intend to finish them all. The keyword being “if”. I’m looking at you, kinktober.  

So let’s talk a little bit about the future of this blog, shall we? 

First of all, A Writers Requiem is going on a two week vacation. 

As fun as this sounds, I’m only going to focus on studies and re-exams before the next term starts brutally kicking my ass. So puppy Chuuya, and horn-dog Dazai will just have to wait their turn. I will still be available through messages and inbox. Please don't hate me too much 

Secondly, this blog is going to move back a little from using others' prompts and go back to writing things or ideas that I’ve come up with myself and which bring me a little more joy to produce. At the end of the day I’m writing not for popularity or praise (even if those are a huge motivator!) but to get myself used to producing fictional works within a timely manner. Whether they are approved by the general audience is an entirely different issue. That I’ll tackle once I’m more comfortable and confident in myself as a writer.

Anyhow, the first set of prompts I’m gonna tackle is The art of Seduction for February, and the prompts for that are published on my second blog: A Writers Prompt.  Follow me there if you’d like a sneak peak of the kinds of things this blog will produce or the ideas I’m toying with. 

Another question I’ve gotten a few times is whether this blog will continue being purely BSD (Chuuya and Dazai) or if I’ll expand. For now that’s uncertain; at the very least I want to finish my Sweetober prompts the way they have been up until now before trying a new kind of blend. Fydor is definitely someone I’m considering to do a closer study on, once I’ve gotten through Dostojevsky that is… Also JJK and MHA are definitely fandoms I'm thinking of checking out.

Finally my goal for 2024 is to stick to my updates schedule on Wednesday and the weekend. Key word being goal which can change depending on how life is. 

So in short there’s a ton to do and a ton to look forward to in 2024. Hope you’ll stick with me <3 And with those words, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

[eldritchsurveys]

1187.

If you had $10,000 dollars right now what would you do with it? >> Pay 3 months of rent and then just keep the remaining for whatever I want or need until it runs out. When was the last time you consumed alcohol? >> I don't remember. A couple of weeks ago?

Have you ever broken a bone? >> I have not.

What type of perfume do you use the most? >> I have some roll-ons from Demeter that I use day-to-day, and I also have my Thierry Mugler Alien dupe.

What book are you reading, currently? >> I am an Executioner: Love Stories by Rajesh Parameswaran. I like it a lot but the first two stories definitely ripped my heart out.

Are you interested in creative writing of any sort? >> Sure.

Would you introduce the last person you kissed to your parents? .

Can a boy and girl be friends without having feeling for one another? .

Can you ever see yourself and your ex back together? . Are any of your friends virgins? .

Who did you last go out to eat with? >> Sparrow.

Is your ex a complete loser? >> I'm far out of the phase of disparaging people I used to be entangled with. What does the shirt you’re wearing look like? Where did you get it from? >> I'm just wearing an undershirt.

Who is the funniest person you know? .

Do you say sorry first? .

What do you look like right now? >> What do you mean, what do I look like? A person?

Who’s bed were you on last? >> Mine. Who was the last person you talked to before you went to bed last night? .

Do you like to cuddle? >> I love to cuddle in realmspace. Don't know if I'd like cuddling in meatspace -- first I'd have to find someone out here that I'd actually want to be that close to. That's hard enough.

Is sex on your mind more than 3 times a day? >> Oh, absolutely.

What were you doing an hour ago? >> I was pacing around my room to get some movement in whilst watching TikToks.

Do you like it up against the wall? >> Fucking? Are we talking about fucking? It's a great concept but in meatspace it can get a little uncomfortable, painful even, depending on exactly what kind of contact is happening.

Do you prefer girlfriend / boyfriend or friends with benefits? >> These particular dividing lines don't make any sense to me, so I can't say.

Are you smiling? >> I am not. But my face hurts because I was just smiling very goofily at a video of Matthew McConaughey making noises for three minutes straight that a tumblr mutual tagged me in. Why is he the way that he is 🖤

When did you last eat pizza? >> A couple of weeks ago? At least. Honestly, are things going the way you planned? >> What things? Not that it matters, I don't really plan in the first place.

Is the last person of the opposite sex you texted single? . Who did you spend your summer with last year? .

Did you wear what you are wearing today for a specific reason? >> The specific reason of it being comfortable, yeah. I chose these pants because I just got them yesterday at the thrift shop and I wanted to see how they fit. Which is perfectly, thank the gods. They're very soft, too, and they have pockets. Best five dollars I could have spent. What was the last thing you ate? >> Birds Eye brand veggie rotini (as in, the rotini is made from veggies) with marinara sauce. Put sundried tomatoes and bacon bits and crunchy onions in it too.

Are you taking this survey in a place other than your home? >> I am not.

Did you get ice cream from the ice cream truck when you were little? Do they still have an ice cream truck where you live? >> I wasn't allowed to, no. Ice cream trucks do exist where I currently live. One of them neighs, for some reason, and I'll always remember the time when I was in the middle of some ~play~ and that fucking neigh went off right outside my window. Definitely a mood shift...

What has been the most traumatic experience of your life? Does it still bother you? >> There's no way I can pick one event as Thee Most Traumatic. The "complex" in CPTSD is there for a reson.

What would happen if you had a baby with the last person you kissed? >> Of all the things we get up to in realmspace, having babies is not going to be one of them.

Don’t you hate it when your cell phone dies in the middle of a convo? . If you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today? .

Would you run down the street naked if it meant earning $15,000? >> Sure, as long as I'm granted immunity from the law. Having to blow that 15k on bail or lawyers or court fees would suck.

Where was the last place you got completely wasted? >> Either J. Gardella's Tavern (RIP) or my house. Have you ever changed the prices of items at a store? >> I haven't.

Would your parents disown you if you got pregnant? .

When was the last time you drank alcohol? What was it? >> This is probably one of those surveys that is actually 3 surveys shoved together into one. As stated, I don't remember exactly when, but I know it was a Pearsecco.

Do you like where you live? >> I don't much care for it.

Are you going to any concerts or festivals this summer? >> I don't know anything about this summer yet, it's only March.

Have you had sex with someone you weren’t married to? Someone you weren’t even dating? >> I have only had sex with people I wasn't married to. I have also had sex with plenty of people I wasn't dating. Are you under the age of 18? >> I am not.

Do you have a job? >> I do not.

Are you going to school still? Do you plan on going to college? >> I do not plan on going to college.

Are you overweight? >> I assume not.

Would you get married at 18? >> Well, I didn't.

Have you ever been so wasted, you couldn’t walk? >> I have not, strangely enough. I've been so high on dissociatives that I could barely walk, but I could walk. I just looked like a really fucked up robot.

What is the last thing that you got really excited over? . Any baby names you think you might name your future kids? .

When was the last time you had sex? >> In realmspace, a couple of days ago. In meatspace, uhh... 2017? The last time I had the kind of sex that actually involved like, taking clothes off and putting things in places was 2015.

Who did you last hang out with other then family? . Do you remember the last boy you texted? What was it about? .

If you could go back in time and change things, would you? .

Has anyone had their hand in your pants today? >> No.

Do you like your dad? How about your mom? .

Have you had a good day today or was yesterday better? >> Both today and yesterday were just regular old days. I mean, yesterday I did go to the thrift store, which was different, but otherwise it was just... a day.

Do you have anything that belongs to your boyfriend/girlfriend? .

Think back to your most important relationship, was it all your fault it’s over? .

Was your last kiss drunk or sober? >> Well, it certainly wasn't drunk.

What’s your favorite color? >> Yellow/gold. Do you drink? >> Infrequently.

Do you smoke? >> Not tobacco.

Ever had a black eye? >> I have not. I don't think.

When was the last time you slept in bed with a member of the opposite sex? Who was it? . Did your most recent kiss take place in/on a bed? .

Has anyone seen you naked in the last 6 months? >> Yeah, because I live with someone and I don't care about being unclothed around them. How would you describe your current relationship status? >> Well. My legal relationship status is married. I don't have much use for the concept of a "relationship status" otherwise.

Have you ever shared food/drink off the same plate/glass as someone you like? >> I mean, I've done that with several people, not because I was romantically interested in them but just because I'm cool with sharing food with people.

Have you ever had a valentine? .

Have your lips ever gone numb from kissing? >> This has not happened to me.

Last person to cuddle with? >> Can Calah, as usual.

[blue-eyed-author]

“POSSIBILITIES” (excerpt)

By @GenuineRoseW (on Wattpad)

(@blue-eyed-author on Tumblr)

Part One

Renna checked her makeup in her rear-view mirror before stepping out of the car. She wore a light pink dress that rested above her knees. The top of it fitted to her chest, flaring out at her waist. Her favourite pink heels matched perfectly which she had been excited about while strapping them up. She loves the short, thick heel that reduced the risk of an ankle roll, and the comfort of them.

Her light brown hair was styled in a simple half-up half-down style, the ends curled and the bottom half resting on her shoulders. She kept her make-up simple. A light, shimmery eyeshadow. Thin eyeliner. A bit of blush. And enough foundation and concealer to cover the freckles over her nose.

(🔻Read more🔻)

She grabbed her white handbag from the car and made her way up to Levi's apartment, locking the car as she walked.

While in the elevator, she checked her reflection one more time in the silver walls, and smiled to herself. She had been looking forward to this date since Levi planned it a week ago.

She had to restrain herself from skipping down the hallway to his door, and gave herself a few seconds to calm her excitement before knocking.

"It's open!" she heard from the other side.

Pushing the door open, she stepped into the darkened room. The blackout curtains blocked out the golden light from the setting sun. Two lamps set up in two opposite corners illuminated the small living area with a dull, warm light, while the TV projected a white light across the room. Renna had to squint to look at it; the brightness hurting her eyes.

Sat on the three-seater couch in front of the wall-mounted TV, Renna recognised Levi's fluffy black hair. Jensen's head beside him looked almost the same in the dark, but the TV light gave away the bright ocean blue colour of his hair.

From the back and in the dark, it's hard to tell but she's sure Levi still had yet to get ready. She sighed to herself, losing the excitement she possessed moments ago.

"Bro, quick," Jensen said. "Come back and heal me."

"Alright. On my way," Levi replied, oblivious to the disappointed girl behind him.

Renna stepped closer to stand behind him. "Levi."

He looked over his shoulder at her for just a second before turning his attention back to the game being played.

It showed two characters, the screen split in the middle. The character on the right laid on the ground, curled up, with the words 'waiting to be revived' beneath him.

"Hey baby," Levi said without another glance back. "What are you—" He cut himself off, looking back with wide eyes. "Shit! I'm so sorry. I'll get ready right now." Jumping up, he dropped the controller onto the couch and dashed towards his bedroom. "I'll be quick. Wait there."

A tiny smile played on her lips. At least I didn't have to tell him, she thought.

"Bro," said Jensen, throwing his arms up as he watched his roommate leave. "I'm dying." He looked back at the screen. "And now you're dying." As he reached for Levi's controller, the character collapsed to the floor and the game-over screen popped up. He dropped his arms in defeat. "And... we're dead." Turning to look at Renna, he said, "Thanks for that."

She rolled her eyes. "It wasn't my fault."

"Whatever," he mumbled, finding his way to the main menu. She watched him flick through options, selecting and changing things.

She hadn't liked him too much since the first time she met him two weeks prior. Levi introduced them both when he tagged along to their bowling date.

Renna thought she had been as nice as she could have been the entire time, but when Jensen ran to the bathroom, Levi let her know that Jensen hadn't liked her much. She didn't know what she could have done different. To her, it seemed as though they were getting along.

But Levi told her, "During your turn, he leaned over and whispered that I could do better than you and that you're kind of annoying."

It hurt her. Levi comforted her, saying, "I don't think that. You're so hot and amazing. Don't bother about him. He doesn't know what he's talking about." Her heart warmed with his words.

Since then, he treated her like dirt on his shoe. Or more like a fly that keeps circling his head. Bothersome. Refusing to go away. Always there. Pestering. Unwanted.

But Levi was her boyfriend, and it had nothing to do with Jensen, so she did her best to ignore him and his snide remarks.

"Jensen!" Levi called from the room. "What did you do with my leather jacket?!"

"I didn't touch it. Use your eyes and look for it." He selected single player mode and started a new game.

"That's helpful. Where is it?" Renna caught sight of Levi switching between rooms.

"I seriously don't know, man."

Levi returned seconds later, pulling the jacket on. He had calmed his wild hair as much as he could in the short amount of time. Under the blacker leather jacket, he wore a plain white t-shirt with black jeans and nice brown dress shoes. He kept on his black jewellery but it all matched perfectly. Two necklaces. One with a cross and the other with triangle, arrow head thing. His ear piercings. Two in one ear. Three in the other. His lip ring. And his silver and black rings.

He's very handsome, Renna thought to herself. If the annoying roommate hadn't been there, she might have said it out loud, but for now, she decided to keep it to herself.

"You've been dating her a month," Jensen said while fighting some zombie or something, "and you're already ditching your friend for her."

"Maybe if you had a beautiful girl to go on a date with, you would pick her too."

Renna turned away, grinning and blushing like an idiot. Warmth surrounded her heart.

"Shall we?" Levi asked, holding out his arm to her.

She took his arm. "Of course."

As they left the apartment, before they shut the door, they heard Jensen make a fake throw-up sound.

End of Part One.

Thank-you for reading! Let me know what you think. 💚 You can continue reading the rest of the story on Wattpad. Have a lovely day, you beautiful person.

[little-den]

A Tumblr exclusive! A little not so little description of the angsty Au/Scenario i have for Gin (OLBA MC) because i needed to share it somewhere ✨

It revived the itch to write it thanks to this poem i found in Tiktok

and it started with the time that Twt mentioned some OL reset Aus and this song a lot of time ago

A bit of context hahaha

Well in the moment i started this Au it was popular the reset theory, and what if we replayed and Cove remembers and such, but What if it was MC?

Also while playing the game there is a lot of mentions that how a couple of decisions could make it where some characters would never met.

In all of that there is two talks i like to focus, first one is in the moment Happines where Cove take us to see a play and how the MC and him would try to find each other if they have another chance in life or end up in another world.

The second one is in the Wedding DLC, Cliff talks about how his luckiest card was to move to Sunset Bird. So this raised the question "What if he wasn't that lucky and chosen other place instead?"

Now with my MC:

Gin is a wedding photographer, one of the main reasons she choose this path is beacause she highly values memories and she belives that they are an important part of what makes a person.

Finally to the point:

It's the night of Cove and Gin's wedding day and she is reflecting about the day until she falls sleep. She wakes up and see that she is in her moms house and they look younger, she is 8 years old again.

Everything she lived was a dream? No, it can't be it felt so real to be just a dream, she can remember it so clearly.

She notices is the same date that Cove and Cliff moved to Sunset Bird. She can see them again especially Cove. She goes about her day doing the closest thing to what she did the first time, planning to recreate all those moments that they had together.

The afternoon arrives and she is so excited going home hoping to see them aging just to arrive to no one in her front of her house. She thought "Maybe i just mixed up the dates, after all it was 15 years ago for me", so she repeated the same rutine all the week, just to go back and still nothing, just the same for sale sign.

She started to get worried and thought what she could do having the promise to find each other if they had another chance in life in the back of her head, until she remembered "Cliff's shop", if she could convince her moms to take her there.

But this idea had a lot of problems, first give her moms a good reason to take her there, if she could accomplish that, maybe Cove wouldn't be there, is was rare that him tagged along the first years, then what would her tell to Cliff so it wasn't weird and allowed to meet him. Worse case scenario the shop wasn't there at all.

It took her years to convince her moms to go around the area, thanks to her don't wanting to tell them about her past life, what if they don't believe her or tell her that it was just a dream, she couldn't bear the possibilities.

But she confirmed the shop existed but shyness got the better of her and couldn't talk with Cliff. Her best shot was wait for a day that Cove was there.

The way she could go more often to the store, was thanks to Elizabeth, if one of her outings with her friends was around the area, Gin would tag along and stay in the docks and Elizabeth would pick her up when she was done. This cost her obviously all of her desserts for at least one year, a small price to see Cove again.

The excuse she always used was that she liked to see the boats at the dock. Which was credible since she had a time in the past where she only wore sailor suits and nautical theme stuff.

Until one summer day when she was 15, it finally happend she encountered Cove and better yet Derek too. Two friends at the same time!, she can keep her promi It was easy to know that Derek would be the first to approach her.

She was fast friends with Derek, but it was a lot harder to aproach Cove, he acted different from what she remembered, it was a lot colder in contrast the warm boy she knew. Also it didn't help her case that she was acting as if she knew them all of their life and too friendly, so similar to his first encounter with Baxter in the past life, thing that she didn't noticed.

Derek convinced Cove somehow to spend more time with Gin, her neighborhood was more close to the beach that the one Cove was currently living and had a lot of less people around. So they started going to Sunset Bird more often.

Last point Gin's Cove is warm and between studious and mixed, and after the reset is cold and sporty.

But it's wasn't the same, Cove attitude was diferrent, as if he wasn't exactly the same person she knew, in the overall was the same but her discomfort was in the little details, how reacted in some situations, some of his likes were different, etc...

There were moments that she lived with him in her past life and in this life but the outcome was most of the time not as she remembered and wanted. Maybe with some time she could feel different and ignore these details.

With time passing the feelings of both of them slowly changed, he started to fell in love with her. He was comfortable in her presence, he felt that she knew him quite well, that she was someone he was meant to meet.

But her feelings only got worse, her memories of this time and the past started clashing. He wasn't the same guy she grew up with, the one she started dating that summer when they were 13, the one she proposed to as soon as they could legally get married.

Although they were both so similar, they were not the same person. She believes that the moments that one lives in one's life mark them. Both of them were different and it is something that weighed on Gin's mind. Also she noticed how this Cove loved her.

She liked this Cove a lot, but not to the point to love him or even to be romantically interested in him. She loved the one that was her husband, so it was a bit more painful the fact that she could not reciprocate his feelings but it was at lost of what she could do.

That's all, i even started writing it in super detail in the past but i just left it, is just like the mini introduccion

Also as a treat another OL ansgty mini story i writed and shared in twt but not here

[rosebury-archives]

CalmWriMo 2023 Wrap Up!

It is done! It has been done for like four days! IT IS DONE!

I have taken part in @winterandwords' CalmWriMo, here's my goals and how I did!

At the start of November, I sat on 81450 Words for my project To Put On An Act. My current word count is 111793 Words!!!!! WHAAAAT!!!!!! It's safe to say that I reached my writing goal! But what else did I do?

Get to Chapter 16 OR write 30k words - safe to say that I reached both of these goals! I'm currently working on Chapter 18, and I've written 30343 words. Yippie!

Plan later chapters post breakup - eh. I collected some ideas and have a rough plan but there's still some proper outlining missing. I do have a little bit of a better picture now though!

Post progess more frequently - This worked semi well? I would've loved to post more logs to be honest but. Oh well. I did post a couple logs though, and I want to try to make this a habit, maybe to at least yell on here once a week (if I do happen to write that week of course).

Make some Moodboards - I did that! I've not posted them here yet but I did make some little moodboards for a bunch of the characters :)

Make an intro post for this account - did that as well! Yippiee!

Plan for another mysterious project - heheheheheheeheheheh >;)

Now the other, just as important part of CalmWriMo, the Calm. I was not as calm as I should've been. Let's see. What's the goals.

Get more sleep - ahahah. uuh. ahhahehheah. hm. well. let's move on.

Be less anxious/worried about What The World Thinks Of Me - hm. Well. Well? I mean I guess. I think it's fine. I still think every single person in the world is better than me but it's okayyyy I'm alive what more do I want.

KILLING THE CRINGE - happy to report that the cringe dies again every day

Read More - OOOOHHHH LOOK SOMETHING I DID!!! Listened to my audiobook in the beginning of November, however, I did not finish it. Oh well! Instead I did some reading of fellow writers on Wattpad. Some of these really are the most written stories of all time, but there are some real gems hidden in there that I can learn from. Also great for networking [wink]

Less Stress about posting - no stress at all I Am So Calm. I actually caught up to my posting schedule! I took it slow and posted every two weeks to give myself some time, and now I can go back to my regular weekly schedule! I think it's fine. i think I'm fine. I can post when I want and do what I want.

ALL IN ALL! THIS WAS GREAT!!! THIS WAS GENUINELY SO GREAT!!!! I'm really proud of myself and what I did this past month, I got a lot done, I feel motivated, I feel excited! I can't believe I've already hit over 100k words, and at this point I have no idea when this will end, but I'm just really excited to see what the future will hold for TPOAA.

Having a goal for the month really did help me to get a gentle kick in the ass and to sit down and write. I was writing an average of 2k words a day and I hope to kind of keep that even if I don't have a goal set for the month.

If it wasn't for my incredibly draining job, I probably would've been able to hit an even higher word goal, but I genuinely think this was the best I could do and I'm so genuinely proud of myself. Maybe next year I'll aim even higher? Who knows!

Great job to everyone else who took part in CalmWriMo/NaNoWriMo, no matter if you hit your goal, you did great and I'm so proud of you and I kiss you btw. Also thank you winter tumblr dot com for coming up with this idea and making my first steps into the world of November writing challenges a little easier!

remember that Alex and Youngbin love u all <3

[modernmonkeymind]

We all want to be entertained, distracted from our lives. There's nothing wrong with a Netflix or YouTube binge, but perhaps its not so great that its become the default for us, or at least for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some TV, but watching the crew of the Discovery getting themselves into trouble, or the Click (wholesome though he is) making jokes about goofy memes doesn’t actually accomplish anything, and it takes time that could be used in more fulfilling ways.

Social media can be a great resource, and a serious distraction. I decided to back away from social media almost entirely once I realized I was letting people I didn't know piss me off, especially when I wasn't going to change their mind (hello Dunning-Krueger, didn't see you over there).

To challenge myself and get my head on straight, I'm embracing Cal Newport's Digital Detox for March, eliminating social media and all streaming video. I'm letting myself have access to a limited number of sites, primarily 84000, Suttacentral, and the Storygraph. I'm also planning to post to Mastadon twice a day (a poem and 3 good things), and Tumblr. I'm not restricting podcasts, audio books or music. I'll be using Basecamp, Meetup, and Zoom for personal development and to keep commitments I've made. I'm planning to revert my phone to something akin to what Steve Jobs originally intended, a sort of smart dumb phone that can make calls, texts, access messaging apps, maps, the app for my smart scale, One Bus Away, Streaks, audio, YNAB & my bank, and thats about it. In other words I'm making my phone a tool again. The question of course, becomes what to do without access to technological pacifiers. The answer really is most anything that doesn’t require a computer or smartphone, but some of my favorites these days include:

Meditation: I've been practicing based on the teachings of the Nalandabodhi, and Shambhala lineages recently and plan to meditate for seven minutes in the morning and/or evening, in addition to short sessions sporadically throughout the day. I'll also be single tasking for the most part, using activities like reading, walking, reading/composing poetry, and painting, as meditative practices.

Yoga: I got into yoga asana because I was stiff and not very grounded, and I decided to train to teach for similar reasons, since yoga is so pigeon holed as something only bendy acrobats can do. I've not gotten on the mat in a few years at this point, but want to get back to it, inspired by my teacher starting to teach again earlier this week after an extended health crisis. I'm planning to just do a couple minutes to start, probably just Sun Salutations/playing around.

Walk: A great form of exercise most anyone can do, and it doesn’t have to cost a thing as long as you have a decent pair of shoes and appropriate clothes for the weather. I've been taking daily walks more regularly recently, but most of the time this is a bookstore circuit that leads to lots of temptation. Going forward I'm planning to walk more in nature and go to libraries instead. I'm setting a 12k goal in Streaks, and shooting for 20k. I've already been hitting in this range most days which has helped with some serious weight loss.

Read: I’ve always got a couple books going. At the moment the list includes a commentary on the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, and Donut Economics by Kate Raworth. Books are magical things. You can learn most anything you might be interested in (I highly recommend Raworth's book), you can learn about another person’s experience of life in their own words (Montaigne basically invented the personal blog before the internet or computers were a thing when he thought up the essay format). You can also exercise your imagination and relax with a good novel (the human imagination has one solid advantage over TV & movies in that it isn’t restricted by a budget!) The plan is to dial back and do my best to only read one or two books at a time instead of the four or five I've usually got going. I'm also planning to read more poetry after my interest was reignited by Sister Jina's wonderful collection, which leads to the next item.

Write: Mostly when I say write I'm thinking of journaling and composing poetry by hand. I'm shooting for spending some time every day writing, but not worrying about getting a polished poem at the end. Just fifteen minutes of concentrated work.

Paint: I've taken a couple classes on watercolor and messed around a bit with acrylics. I'd like to spend some time each day painting, actually focused on having something to show for it each time, though that could be childish goofing around. I'd like to take a shot at using acrylics to recreate ukiyoe, get inspired by Zen/Chan watercolors, and take a shot at Sumie, though I definitely want to take a class in the latter at some point sooner than later!

PLAYING WITH MY CAT: Do I need to explain?

NOTHING: Seriously, we've become so obsessed with "productivity" and "getting things done" that as a culture its as if we've forgotten what it is to be alive as a human being. I'm going to try to do this more often, whether standing in line, walking somewhere, or just having nothing in particular to do.

I'm not expecting March to be easy, but thats kind of the point. I'm getting rid of some things I enjoy , but the fact that something isn't easy just means its more worth doing. I'll be journaling about it, and plan to post here once a week.

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 1: Home is Where the Heart Is (originally posted on August 28, 2023)

AN: This is it, everyone. The end finally begins here. We are about to embark on the final installment of Steven Universe: Alternate Future, a grand finale three years in the making. But before we begin, a little history lesson. I intended to follow up Alternate Future with just one sequel, but because I just can't stop at just one story, it soon sprang up into the little shared universe you see before you. Afterwards, I got the idea of the Snake People after watching Planet Hulk on Netflix, which some of you may remember from an answer to an ask I got on my Tumblr, in addition to Thor Ragnarok and Ratchet Deadlocked. So, I slowly began planting the seeds for this epic conclusion throughout most of the previous stories, mainly in The Black Pearl Brigade, which I used as an outlet to expand on this version of Steven's universe and introduce new characters that would play a role in Snake Eyes. Now that we've set the stage, let us begin at last.

Synopsis: Steven returns home to Beach City, but the Gems have gone missing. When Black Rutile explains where the Gems have been taken, Steven goes on a rescue mission.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Grace Rolek as Connie

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Dee Bradley Baker as Lion

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball, Doc, Navy, Leggy, Army

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Awkwafina as Kyanite

Allison Janney as Pyrite

Kimberly Brooks as Dalmatian Jasper

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Lena Hall as Bloodstone

Jodie Whittaker as Xenotime

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid, Eyeball Demantoid

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald, Chest Emerald

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Halsey as Tanzanite

Idina Menzel as Amazonite

Mia Barron as Apatite

Jennifer Paz as Phoenix Lapis

Gina Torres as Andesine

Barbara Dunkelman as Amber

Kristen Schaal as Howlite

Olivia Olson as Citrine Twins

Neil Flynn as The Officer/Aescul

Chris Jai Alex as Sneople Soldier Leader

Henry Rollins as Captain Boa

--

"Another day, another minute spent in this hellhole." Black Rutile groaned to herself as she scratched another tally mark on the wall of her Revanche 666 prison cell before lying on her back. "A great man once said that a wise strategist gathers all his information before deciding on a course of action. Well, guess he wasn't talking about me when he said that."

Three weeks ago, by Black Rutile's estimate at least, she was taken to prison on Revanche 666 after the Crystal Gems finally had enough of her scheming to take over the universe and destroy them once and for all. She had everything all planned out too, she manipulated several Crystal Gems to her side, got the support of humans who shared her worldview, and expanded her army with previous allies and innocent Gems she brainwashed into joining her. But once again, thanks to a certain human whose last name she can never get right, Black Rutile's plans had been foiled and she was forced to face the consequences for it. Now all that she had left were the mindless conversations of her subordinates to keep her company.

"Come on, they have one female servicing a large group of males," Kyanite said while in a heated debate over the reproduction of a certain species. "That implies a species that lays eggs."

"Oh my Diamonds, you're crazy!" an irritated Bloodstone yelled. "They are so obviously mammals!"

"Please, she'd be in estrus 24/7 if she didn't lay eggs!" Kyanite objected to Bloodstone's point.

"But they don't lay eggs!" Bloodstone replied. "I don't have to keep telling you this!"

"You're both wrong." Howlite butted into the two's conversation. "They are beings who reproduce asexually, therefore they have no reproductive organs to procreate with."

"Dang Howlite, why you always gotta get so smart on us?" Kyanite asked Howlite.

"Can you nitwits shut up with your insane babbling?!" Aquamarine shrieked from her cell. "I am trying to plot our revenge here!"

"Hey, why are you the one making plans?" Cat's Eye asked Aquamarine while waking up from a cat nap. "Shouldn't Black Rutile be the one arranging everything and gathering forces like she always does?"

"Unfortunately, it seems Black Rutile is no longer fit to lead us," Aquamarine stated, cringing as she insulted the Rutile Rebels' grand leader. "Just look at her, she's become like a pathetic wet cat who's been left out in the rain for way too long."

"You know I can hear you, and I do not like what you're saying." Black Rutile snarled at her tiny second in command.

"But it's true!" Eyeball agreed with Aquamarine. "You've lost your touch, my Rutile! It was because you couldn't accept defeat that we're stuck here today, stripped of our rights and locked up like animals!"

"Yeah, I just wanted my family back!" Tanzanite yelled.

"You need to accept that we lost!" Holly Blue added.

"Yelling feels really cathartic right now!" Amber cheered, only wanting to join in as the other Rutile Rebels snapped at their leader with accusations, making Black Rutile's already low self-esteem worsen before they heard a knock.

"Hey, keep it down, all of you!" a Bismuth guard shouted. "Lights out everyone, see you all in 0800 hours!" However, lights out soon arrived earlier than expected as the imprisoned Gems heard a loud explosion from the entrance of the prison, followed by alarms blaring as a group of snakelike soldiers dressed in black and white armor marched into the prison with blasters at the ready.

"Wow, look at all these Gems!" the leader laughed in surprise. "It's like they had them all wrapped up for us as presents! Okay boys, move out. This should be easy pickings."

"No, not them!" Black Rutile cried in alarm as she instantly recognized these intruders' reptilian bodies. "It can't be!"

"Attention prisoners of Revanche 666, prepare to be enslaved in the name of the Jormagundr royal family of Serpentes!" the leader declared, striking a dramatic pose. "Everybody out of your cells, no need to make a ruckus." At the leader's command, the other snake soldiers released the Rutile Rebels from their cells and forced them into one large group.

"I gotta get out of here!" Black Rutile yelled before she stabbed a snake-man as soon as he freed her from her cell with her bowie knife and made a run for it.

"Hey, that black Gem is escaping! After her!" another soldier yelled as he helped his comrade to his feet and began firing at Black Rutile.

"If you want my soldiers, you're going to have to catch me first!" Black Rutile yelled as she turned her knife into a sword and began cutting down any snake people in her way while trying to find a way to escape.

"Where are you going?" Cinnabar asked Black Rutile. "You can't just leave us behind like this!"

"On the contrary, if you don't need me anymore, then I guess I don't need you anymore either." Black Rutile corrected Cinnabar. "In other words, adios turdnuggets!" After throwing out a few obscene hand gestures with a maniacal laugh, Black Rutile charged to the nearest escape shuttle and began taking off.

"So she's really ditching us, huh?" Emerald mourned as the Rutile Rebels watched their so-called commander escape like a coward. "I should've known it was going to happen soon enough."

"What are you going to do to us?" Pyrope asked while the snake-men busted out sets of handcuffs to put on their Gem prisoners.

"Our lord Cobralan Joramgundr has had his eyes on you for a while, and thanks to some informants, all of you are now ours for the taking." The snakes' leader stated while applying the cuffs to the Ruby squad. "Hope you like fighting for your lives."

"Finally, some action!" Dalmatian Jasper cried excitedly while the snakes tried to work around her lack of a left hand to put the cuffs on her. "Better than rotting in prison for the rest of eternity."

"Oh my sweet Jasper, you have no idea what you and your friends are getting into." The leader snake said forebodingly while applying the last of the handcuffs on Andesine. "Okay, that should be all of the prisoners! Any update on the personnel?"

"Presently restrained, sir." Another snake soldier replied as the Peridots, Bismuths, and Black Pearls were led away from their posts in a chain gang. "Preparing coordinates back to Serpentes. Our leader will be most pleased with our findings."

"Well, this could've turned out a lot worse," Amazonite muttered disdainfully while Phoenix Lapis tried to open her mouth. "And don't even ask how it could get even worse."

Meanwhile, Black Rutile was reclining back in her captain's chair as the shuttle she hijacked flew far away from Revanche 666. She had long dreaded the day that the Snake People would come for the Gems, but she didn't expect that to be today of all days. "It was only a matter of time before our ancient enemies came looking for us." She sighed in relief. "Now all I need is somewhere to hide until this all blows over." As it just so happens, she flew away so fast in her escape, that Black Rutile could see Earth in the far distance, just a little blue ball from her perspective. "Okay, not what I had planned, but maybe I can work with this."

With that, Black Rutile veered the ship towards Earth and began flying to the planet she despised so much, hoping that it would be the Hail Mary she was looking for.

--

To think it was only a year ago when Steven left Beach City to find himself. A year since he had a meltdown to end all meltdowns, nearly destroyed Beach City, was used by Black Rutile to try and destroy Earth, and finally got the recovery he was so desperate for. Now, after a year of touring the country, he decided it was time to visit his old friends, and it was a very special time too. Steven was going to turn 18 today, and he was eager to see all of his friends and family back home again. But as he pulled into Beach City and was warmly greeted by the excited townies, Steven couldn't help but ponder that something was missing.

"Gooood morning Beach City!" Steven cried as he pulled up to the Crystal Temple and burst out of the Dondai Supremo with a thunderous aplomb. "Everybody's favorite half-Diamond is back for the big One-wait." He stopped short once he realized what was missing. "Where are all the Gems?"

"Steven, is that you?" Steven could hear Greg's voice suddenly appearing behind him. "How you been, Schtu-Ball?"

"Dad!" Steven cried as he rushed up and hugged his father. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Glad to see you too, kiddo, and happy birthday!" Greg laughed jollily before letting his now adult son go. "Wow, eighteen. Funny how time flies, huh?"

"I still can't believe it either." Steven agreed. "Feels like only yesterday that I first discovered my powers and thought Cookie Cats were connected to them. But that's not important right now, because I have a problem. Have you seen the Crystal Gems anywhere?"

"Not since this morning." Greg nodded. "Pearl got a message from Little Homeworld saying something was wrong and they went off on the Warp Pad. And that was the last I saw of them."

"Something was wrong?" Steven said to himself before he made the first conclusion that came to his mind. "Black Rutile, of course. Come on Dad, we have to save them!"

"Right behind you, sport!" Greg saluted as the father and son took the Warp Pad to Little Homeworld, which was just as barren as the temple, if not even more so.

"I don't get it, where is everyone?" Steven asked as he looked around the empty Little Homeworld. What was once full of happy Gems finding their way in life was now home to a few tumbleweeds and worried pets. "They couldn't have just vanished overnight!"

"Maybe they're all putting on a really elaborate surprise party!" Greg replied with an awkward laugh before giving it to his son straight. "Okay, you got me. I have no idea what's going on." Just then, the two heard a nervous moan, followed by a little Flower Buddy scuttling towards Steven while shivering in fear. "Oh, hey little guy. Is something wrong?"

"Dad, this is Zuli's Flower Buddy!" Steven stated as he held the little creature in his arms. "What's wrong, you little cutie? What happened to your momma?" Unfortunately, the Flower Buddy nervously shook its head before leaping out of Steven's nurturing embrace and running away. "Wait, come back!"

"I guess it must be too scared to say anything," Greg concluded. "I mean, it's not like the great big answer to all of our questions is going to fall out of the sky!"

Just then, Steven noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Above them, a streak of light was falling to Earth, immediately answering Greg's question. "A shooting star in the middle of the day?" Steven wondered to himself as he tried to get a closer look. "Wait, is that star screaming?" Indeed, the star was shrieking loudly before it crashed into the woods nearby, creating a large explosion that could be seen from Little Homeworld. "This day just keeps getting weirder! Come on!"

The Universes then raced out of Little Homeworld and took a journey to the nearby forest, the air now polluted by smoke and fire as the trail of destruction led the duo to what was once Jasper's cave, now smashed to pieces by a crashed spaceship. The two watched as a familiar black hand burst from the wreckage and pulled Black Rutile from what could've been her tomb, haggard and frantic while glaring straight at Steven. "Steven Universe, we meet again at last."

"Stay back Dad, she looks dangerous!" Steven reflexively drew his shield to defend his father with as Black Rutile lurched towards the two. However, Steven slowly realized that maybe this time, Black Rutile wasn't here to hurt. In fact, she didn't seem to even have a weapon drawn and was instead futilely reaching out to him and Greg. "Wait, something's wrong."

"Help me Steven Universe, you're my only hope." Black Rutile wheezed before she fell flat on her face, seemingly passed out from the crash.

"I don't know about you Steven Seagel, but she looks like she's seen better days," Greg said while looking over at Black Rutile's struggling body. "Shouldn't she be pretending to twirl a mustache while going all 'MWAHAHA, I'm going to kick every puppy in the world and there's nothing you can do to stop me!'?"

"Something definitely isn't right here." Steven agreed with Greg while helping Black Rutile to her feet and waking her up. "Black Rutile, it's me, Steven!"

"Someone set us up the bomb." Black Rutile woozily said as she slowly regained consciousness and quickly realized she was in the right place. "Eureka, I arrived just in time!"

"Just in time for what?" Steven asked before Black Rutile frantically grabbed his shoulders.

"Just in time for their return!" Black Rutile manically shouted. "It's been eons since we last saw them, but they found us! They're hungry! AND THEY'RE COMING!"

"Who's coming?" Greg nervously asked, shocked at Black Rutile's sudden burst of insanity before the megalomaniacal Rutile ominously turned to face him.

"The Snake People." Black Rutile muttered fearfully before the three heard a rustling in the bushes.

"Did someone say Snake People?!" Ronaldo Fryman cried as he burst from the bushes at the mere mention of Black Rutile's enemies. "I totally knew they were out there!"

"Ronaldo, what are you doing out here?" Steven asked Ronaldo, confused about whether he'd been hiding there the whole time.

"Searching for Bigfoot. What else would a hunter of the supernatural like me be doing in the great outdoors?" Ronaldo answered. "So anyways, what's this I hear about snake people?"

"Who's this idiot and what does he think he knows about the snake people?" Black Rutile asked harshly.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I somehow managed to accurately predict a good portion of Gem society lore!" Ronaldo argued with Black Rutile, utterly offended at this jab at his intelligence before Steven broke them up.

"Okay you two, break it up!" Steven said as he put the two's argument to rest. "We have something much bigger to focus on here. Apparently, all the Gems on Earth have gone missing, and now Black Rutile comes crashing to Earth rambling about snake people or something."

"My point still stands." Black Rutile said firmly. "What do you know about snake people, you fool?"

"I am so glad you asked!" Ronaldo smirked before presenting a briefcase full of information he gathered on the snake people. "Behold, the truth!" However, all Black Rutile saw was a bunch of news articles and other miscellaneous objects that seemed to her like she was talking to a complete nutcase. "Snake people, or sneople, control our government at the highest level. Look." Ronaldo then brought out a dollar bill sign while gesturing to the snake and diamond symbols. "The snake represents their hold on our country, while the diamond represents their underground mines. Or their sharp teeth! The details aren't important!"

"How does he function?" Black Rutile muttered in silent alarm as Ronaldo continued his explanation.

"However, it seems that the creatures you encountered may be invading from their home planet," Ronaldo stated. "Perhaps they were abducting other races from across the universe to fulfill their evil deeds, like maybe creating a super-diverse army to conquer the entire universe with!"

"Okay, Ronaldo, was it?" Black Rutile bluntly interrupted Ronaldo. "I'm just going to be frank with you. You're a complete idiot. I mean, snake people secretly controlling our government and your only evidence is but a scrap of currency?" She then snatched the dollar bill from Ronaldo's briefcase and ripped it to shreds. "I care little about this planet's history, but even I know this is all the claptrap ramblings of a lunatic!"

"No, my proof!" Ronaldo wailed while trying to collect what remains of the dollar he could find on the ground.

"However, I'll have to give you this." Black Rutile added. "Your description of the Snake People abducting races and people from across the universe is actually quite accurate as I've come here from Revanche 666 to tell Steven that the Snake People have abducted my minions, and they've no doubt done the same to the Crystal Gems."

"So what are you proposing?" Steven asked his archnemesis.

"I'm proposing, and I can't believe I'm saying this, we join forces against a shared enemy." Black Rutile declared, trying not to cringe in agony from making that declaration. "Steven, I urge you to assemble any remaining allies within this area and meet me in that little town of yours. The crazy theorist and I have an announcement to make."

"I can't believe I'm saying this too, but you have my word Black Rutile," Steven replied. "Wait, this isn't another excuse to plot your revenge on me, isn't it?"

"You have my word, little one." Black Rutile promised Steven, crossing her fingers behind her back as the two very reluctantly shook hands.

--

"Attention organic idiots of Beach City, heed my warnings!" Black Rutile commanded the townies' attention as they all gathered around her, Steven, and Ronaldo. "You may not trust me, but I am here today to give you all a warning. All Gems on Earth have been abducted by their ancient enemies, the Snake People!"

"That is right, the Sneople have finally come for us and they're stripping us of our defenses to make it easier for them to conquer!" Ronaldo added before getting a slap on the back of his head.

"No, you twit, they don't want to conquer us as far as I know." Black Rutile grumbled before her visor gave a demonstration. "The Snake People, as you should know, is a primarily gladiatorial race that has thrived on abducting beings from across the universe to fight in their twisted games. Their king is one of what are known as the Universal Lords, who are among the most powerful beings in the known universe who all lay claim to approximately 36.3% of it compared to the Diamonds conquering 63.7%. Any questions?" Black Rutie then saw someone raise their hand. "You there, all the way in the back?"

"Yeah, I got a question." Connie's voice called out as she walked through the crowd to meet with Steven and company. "Why are you here and how did you break out of prison?"

"It was because the Snake People came for Revanche 666 and abducted all the Gems imprisoned there, except for Black Rutile," Steven explained to Connie. "And now she wants our help."

"Wait, seriously?" Connie asked while she tilted her head in confusion. "Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming." Much to her annoyance, however, Black Rutile did exactly that. "Ow! When I said someone pinch me, I didn't mean literally!"

"Well, I'm sorry Mecha-lecha-chimichanga-habba-hooga-swagger, I don't get your human sayings!" Black Rutile replied, making Connie facepalm as Black Rutile didn't even come close to getting her last name right, almost like she was doing it to make her mad. "Anyways, they reside on the planet Serpentes in the Ophidian Nebula, which is unfortunately a couple of galaxies away. We're going to need a really good spaceship to survive a trip there, otherwise, it'll take ages to even reach the planet!"

"I believe I can help!" another voice said as he emerged from the crowd. To Steven's surprise, it was that strange police officer he met back in Empire City. This officer seemed all friendly whenever they'd cross paths, but Steven had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to him than he seemed. "Now, apologies for the sudden intrusion everyone, so allow me to introduce myself. You may know me as just the Officer, but that's just another name for the man I am underneath." The Officer then closed his eyes and began audibly straining as he slowly transformed from a human policeman into a large rat snake wearing a police uniform. "Ooh, transforming still kinda hurts sometimes."

"Oh, my, god!" Ronaldo gasped in utter surprise and delight. "YOU'RE A SNAKE PERSON, I KNEW IT! A REAL LIVE SNAKE PERSON RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, IN BEACH CITY, ON EARTH!"

"Snake Person? I see you're using those old-fashioned derogatory terms for our people." The Officer laughed and patted Ronaldo on the head. "We're actually called Slytherophidians, thank you very much. It's pretty easy to get mixed up since, well, we look like the reptiles of your planet. Anyways, y'all can call me Aescul."

"Wait, there really are snake people, I mean, Slytherophidians, on Earth?" Steven asked Aescul. "I thought Ronaldo was just making up crazy conspiracy theories."

"See, I told you all they were real!" Ronaldo declared proudly before turning to Aescul. "Now then, would you care to answer a couple hundred thousand questions I have about your people?"

"Okay, I'll only answer a few, my boy," Aescul replied. "Now fire away."

"Mister, you have no idea what you just unleashed," Steven said as Ronaldo began with his questions.

"First off, do you control our government at the highest level?" Ronaldo asked.

"Yes, and no. We have several hidden agents not only on this world but several other worlds as well." Aescul answered. "However, any one of them being in charge is quite rare, but not completely impossible."

"Care to list any examples?" Ronaldo responded.

"No." Aescul declined.

"Alright, next question." Ronaldo continued. "Do you put us mammals against each other in things such as elections, sports, or even message boards for anime?"

"What? No! We don't do any of that!" Aescul exclaimed. "If anything, you humans are already very good at having conflicts with each other!"

"Hurtful, but true," Ronaldo said.

"If anything, we prefer peace and order," Aescul added. "Now then, you get one more question kiddo, so make it count."

"One last thing, do you recognize these symbols on our currency?" Ronaldo asked before presenting what was left of the dollar bill that he still had.

"Oh, it looks like our homage to our insignia! Although, ours is a bit more different." Aescul declared as he revealed a near-perfect replica of the snake on the dollar sign. "My theory is that of our earliest scouts of this planet played a role in the foundation of this country. You know, your national animal was going to be either a rattlesnake or a bald eagle, and we all know what they went with. But as for the diamond, well, I think it might be because our king was an old friend of the Gem you all idolize."

"You mean Pink Diamond?" Steven asked. "Honestly, after all we've learned about her over the past few years, I'm honestly not surprised."

"And what about those earliest scouts?" Connie added with a question of her own.

"Oh yeah, that guy," Aescul replied awkwardly. "Last I checked, one of them went under the name Christopher Columbus or something and did some pretty messed up stuff to the natives of this land. We don't like to talk about him much, no offense."

"That's okay, we don't like to talk about him much either." Connie accepted the Slytherophidian's apology. "So now that we know what we're up against, why have they been spying on Steven lately?"

"That's because we've been watching Steven for quite a while now because my superiors have been scouting Gems to bring to our games," Aescul revealed. "This was their way of getting your attention, by snatching up every Gem you know and taking them to Serpentes so that you'll eventually come to rescue them. And now, you've just about taken the bait."

"Then I guess we have no other choice." Steven declared firmly. "We're going to Serpentes."

"Uh, hey, quick question," Greg asked. "How do we get there again?"

"Allow me to offer my help!" Aescul declared as he hailed his police car, which transformed into a spaceship large enough to fit him and his new passengers on their journey to Serpentes. "Seatbelts, everyone!"

"Please tell me this is going to be a normal, non-life-threatening adventure." Steven prayed as he, Black Rutile, Connie, Greg, Ronaldo, and Lion boarded the disguised cop's ship.

"With you? No way!" Black Rutile laughed as the people of Beach City waved Steven goodbye. "Now snakeman, make it so!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Aescul obeyed the Rutile's command before he prepared the ship for takeoff. "Now then, any last words before we leave Earth?"

"I got some," Steven said as he peered out the window to face Beach City below them. "Don't worry everyone, I'll bring the Gems home safe and sound! You have my word!"

"And I'll bring evidence that'll make me famous too!" Ronaldo added eagerly, making Steven wonder how he invited himself on the journey before deciding that he already knew.

"Okay, here goes nothing," Aescul said as he prepared to blast off. "Booster fire! Full power!" he yelled before the ship left Earth behind and took off for the great beyond on what was possibly Steven's greatest adventure yet.

--

Elsewhere in space, a large freighter was sailing gently toward a distant planet, filled with alien species from across the universe locked away in prison cells. A hapless buglike Moarchean was banging desperately against his cell bars, crying to be returned to his family. A humanoid cyborg man with gears for fear dressed in pirate attire carved tally marks on his cell wall with the sword he had in place of a hand. An immaculately dressed galactic rockstar tried calming his nerves by performing his over-the-top dance moves. A massive, tattooed giant stood chained to the wall. An angelic woman prayed to her people that she'd be safe wherever she went. The space heroine Sylvia Spectre tried desperately to escape her confinement only to be obstructed by the collar restraining her powers, while her cellmate Envyrno has long since accepted her fate. A group of Metals waited patiently for what fate would await them. A flying woman resembling a jester played a mournful tune on an invisible flute.

But the most notable prisoners in the freighter were the massive amounts of Gems kept away in specialized cells to restrain their powers. Chief among them, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl stood resilient as they were face to face with Captain Boa of the Jormagundr Royal Family's personal guard. "We're almost there, Gems." Boa sneeringly announced to his prisoners. "Are you ready for the Contest?"

--

With that, the end begins here. What awaits Steven and the Crystal Gems on Serpentes? Are the royal family really out to get them, or are they more than they seem? Does Black Rutile have anything else planned once she reaches the Snake People? And where does that mysterious Lapidarist fit into all of this? All of these questions and more will be answered in the epic twelve-chapter finale to the Steven Universe: Alternate Future series.

[hurricanes-club-of-angels]

Writing Prompt

Wrote for number 5 from this list, was trying to reblog but Tumblr is the big dumb sometimes.

------------------------------- Truthfully, this wasn't in Meg's plans at all. She realized she liked Helio weeks ago, maybe months. Time got difficult when in the base, being so far underground. She had talked to Ollie off and on about it, but they still both agreed that it was best that no one but them knew Meg loved the Boss. It wasn't necessarily that it would cause problems, after all, an underground terrorist organization doesn't have HR, and Helio doesn't answer to a superior really. It was more personal issues. They knew the likelihood that they got caught was high, and something they could never really predict. If Helio had a girlfriend then Meg would be in a world of hurt if they got caught. So another day training together was supposed to be just that. Meg wasn't entirely sure why on Earth Helio was so insistent on training her, everyone else on the base was certain Meg could take most Alexandrians in a fight, let alone people in the Uppers or in London. However, Meg and Helio spent hours together training. Even if unnecessary, the rhythmic movements of boxing were meditative for Meg. She didn't need to think about much else. One, Two, Duck. Again. One, Two, Duck. Again. Meg bounced on her feet some as Helio paused. "Meg." "What? Sorry," Meg blinked. "You weren't listening," Helio said simply, "I needed to make sure you were still sentient." "Well, I haven't taken any shots to the head lately at least." "What are you thinking about so hard anyways?" Helio asked, and the two started moving again together. Meg shook her head, "It's nothing Boss." "Nothing? Meg, people are telling me you aren't sleeping, that isn't nothing," Helio said, "You look like you haven't been sleeping well either." Meg was used to this, Helio caring about her health. He cared for Ollie and Jet's health as well. Not so much for the other revoltees. Meg shook her head again, ducking under a swing from Helio, "Nothing, it's really nothing important Helio. I'd tell you if it was." "...Ollie knows what it is," Helio said. Meg froze, stepping back in surprise. "He didn't tell me but you and him keep giving each other looks when you think I'm not looking. Especially when Sassi was joking about wanting to sleep with you. Now I know it's not about Sassi, since Jet would've beat you if it involved his best friend." Meg sighed, standing and breathing some, "...It's nothing important." "Nothing important is not something you'd hide from me," Helio said simply, "You wouldn't hide things unimportant. You have told me plenty of unimportant things. Plenty of important things even. But the things you hide are always important." "I don't like you psychoanalyzing me like that Helio." "I only do it because I have to," Helio said. "What is it, Meg?" Meg sighed, "It's nothing I'm ever going to speak about in public." "Fine, let's go then," Helio said, putting the boxing stuff up. Meg froze, she forgot he was willing to do shit like that. After a sigh, knowing she can't just ignore Helio as he was annoyingly persistent. Meg put the gloves down to follow Helio.

They walked into debriefing room two. Meg didn't know why they always used room two when it was just them. She knew there was nothing special about any of the rooms in principal. Room One was the same as Room Two, which was the same as Room Three. But they only used Room Two. Meg sat on the table, still breathing after having been working out for a while. "Any chance you let this go and I walk away?" "About 5% of one," Helio said simply. Meg groaned, "Helio. Please please trust me, this isn't anything... dangerous? Nothing that is gunna get someone hurt, nothing that really changes anything- well... okay nothing that should change anything, I don't know how anything this changes could be safe-" "Meg, you are rambling to avoid telling me something again," Helio cut her off. Meg paused, feeling her gut twist at Helio knowing that about her. Ollie knew it too, but Helio knowing it felt touching. It almost made Meg feel like she was important. "Just tell me, it'll be okay." Meg sighed, "...Helio I'm in love with you." "What?" Helio paused, it was rare to catch him off guard. He often was prepared for most things, although Meg knew already that Helio wasn't great with emotions. Often expressing care in ways that felt dismissive almost. Meg didn't let the surprised "what" hurt her. She already had suspected this conversation to go like this if it ever happened. She also knew it wasn't an inherent rejection. It was pretty quick that she realized that her and Ollie were a special case to Helio. There was a way that he spoke to them, interacted with them, and smiled at them that was different from everyone else. Different from Sock, who Helio considered a child. Different from Rosemary, who might as well have been Helio's sister. Helio looked at them with a love that was unique for just them. "Realized it about a month back," Meg said, "Ollie found me, and we talked about it since I can't keep shit from him. We realized we were in some form special to you..." "How the hell did this happen?!" "Trust me, I'm also trying to understand how in the shit this happened," Meg said, "I don't know Helio. Somewhere something happened, and now I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you." Helio was quiet. Meg could tell this wasn't what he expected this secret to be. He was expecting to hear that Meg and Jet had a fight, or that Meg had learned something about his past or Rosemary's past, or even Ollie's past that was eating at her. He didn't expect to hear that she was in love with him. He also wasn't sure how to handle that situation, considering his own love for her was practically a death sentence if he ever acted on it. ================ That's all I got for now. This is for characters from an actual book I'm working on but whatever womp womp, here you go, have some writing.