#it feels like i just randomly got punched in the gut

[akalikestodraw]

Period cramps go brrrr

Totally not dying rn 🥲👍

[spitgobbler]

I ♥︎ Daddy

here is todays shower thoughts blurb since i randomly thought of those ‘yes, daddy?’ panties(pls don’t let me be the only one who remembers them circulating at one point?!)😭 … enjoy my ted talk 🫶🏻

pairing: leon kennedy x fem reader

tags: daddy kink into slight ddlg, age gap, leon uses his fingers on you, dirty talk, clothed, aftercare, uhhh yeah!

It was always just a joke, a tease you did to Leon. A brief ‘yes, daddy’ falling from your lips whenever he asked if you ate that day or if you could grab him a beer from the fridge.

You never thought much of it but Leon had lots of thoughts about it. Always made him so fucking hard each time that damn name spilled from those sugary sweet lips of yours.

Had him manspreading even more on the worn couch of his apartment to hide his hard on while accepting the alcoholic drink with an appreciative kiss. He didn’t want you to think he was a creep.

Leon already had a few moments where he felt awkward from the looks the two of you sometimes received while out on dates. The misunderstandings of him being your dad. You never cared when it occurred, responding with an easy “No, he’s my boyfriend,” and moving on with the date without a care in the world.

At least that made him feel better, it reassured him. Leon didn’t exactly date you because you were so much younger. Well, it was a bit flattering he still managed to pull such a pretty young thing at his age but he also loved you for how smart and attentive you were. But he also loved how much you needed him, maybe it was a bit of a complex he developed from his line of work.

He knew another one of your jokes were about to take place when you pull away from his side, his strong thighs feeling empty without your smooth legs laying across them now, and yanking the front door open to retrieve a package.

“What’s got you in a hurry baby?” Leon sat up slightly on the couch with curious look.

Leon was met with a giggle and a mischievous smile, not any proper answer though as you opt to flee off into the bathroom. He’s left scratching his head at your typical silly behavior but he just remains seated back on the couch.

It’s not long before you come back, blocking his view of the TV. Arms crossed and a cute grin pulled up on your face.

He lets a brow raise, “And now you got this bratty look…”

Oh, but he’s quick to watch you as your hands grip the waistband of those adorable fuzzy hello kitty pajama pants you made him buy you.

“Hey, I’m not a brat!” You get caught up easily in protesting against his words, nothing in that sweet little head of yours except Leon and whether or not Mocha and Usahana would get a build-a-bear plush.

Leon simply just gives you a look, as if you’re foolish for trying to deny it. “Uh huh… just continue.”

And there it goes again, that saccharine voice saying ‘yes, daddy’ while you inch those pajama pants down your hips and legs.

Fuck, why is it like a sucker punch straight to the gut every time you call him that? He bites back a groan but his darkening eyes say everything when he sees those light pink panties on you. The words ‘I ♥︎ daddy’ printed in a darker pink right where the cotton fabric clothes your mound and on the back right on the swells of your bottom.

Leon tries to compose himself, he can’t handle these jokes anymore and frankly, it’s feeling like it isn’t a joke anymore.

“Sweetheart, what’s this about?” He asks.

You tilt your head at him, responding like it was no big deal. “Huh? S’just a joke Leon. Like how I tease you and call you daddy because you’re old enough to be my daddy?”

Head falling back against the couch, he groans and mumbles. “Just a joke? Just a joke.”

You’re left feeling confused. Usually he’ll laugh all sarcastic, sometimes even spank your butt in playful retaliation.

The older man lifts his head up, eyes boring into yours then down to those panties again. Before you know it, his strong calloused hand is pulling you onto his muscled thighs, chest against your back.

“Just a joke?” Leon repeats huskily against your neck, keeping your thighs open by resting your legs outside of his.

A shiver runs down your spine and heat invades your cheeks. You try to nod, “Y-Yeah, seen em’ online randomly.”

The rough fingertips of his right hand graze up and down your supple thighs. Back and forth, back and forth like waves. You feel it, that tingle in your core as he teases you. Maybe it’s what you deserve after torturing the poor man.

“You think a man at my age is stupid, baby?” Leon asks softly, his fingers finally touching your clothed cunt. “I may still use a flip phone but I know it wasn’t random, you got an algorithm.”

Your breath hitches at his touch and words. You kick yourself inwardly for being so damn obvious, attempting to whimper out a protest at his statement.

His padded fingers rub at your cunt, the cloth of those silly panties adding delicious friction. The soft pink gusset darkening as your arousal begins to taint them. Just how he wanted.

It’s hard to stay still as his fingers move upward to rub soft circles against your clit. Back pressing against his chest as you squirm in pleasure.

“S’Okay baby, I know dumb little girls like you need a man like me. A daddy to care for them and provide.” Leon cooed, letting himself indulge in the very thing he was at conflict with since it was very clear both of you were on the same page.

Your thighs instinctively try to clench together from pure arousal at his words but they are kept open by his legs. Mind turning mushy at this point and Leon just kept saying all the right things.

He rubs at your needy little cunt with more pressure, sending consistent pulses of heat to your tummy.

“And I’m so very happy to do that for you, doll.” Scratchy stubble brushes against your soft warm cheek as he kisses it. “Make you hold onto your plushie as I take you like a good girl.”

Your hips buck at that and a desperate moan spills out. The older man couldn’t hold back a groan of his own, fingers pressing and rubbing at your panties with fervor.

“Wonder you good you could color in the lines while I spoil your pretty little princess parts.” All of his dirty thoughts are spilling out as he plays with you and it’s sending both of you into a heated frenzy.

Rough messy circles on your clothed clit has you trembling and a lewd squeal rings out. “Daddy, daddy!” Is all you can manage to slur out and it just makes Leon’s cock ache even harder against you.

Leon doesn’t let up though, rubbing and rubbing at that bundle of nerves, spoiling it with his calloused fingers as he turns you into a mess. Showering your needy little pearl with affectionate caresses that set you ablaze on his lap, squirming and gasping as your heart pounds.

Leon allows himself to manspread even more, your legs pried open even wider. “If you love your daddy so much then you’ll be a good girl and show him how much you love him, won’t you?”

Several harsh rubs against your swollen clit has your back arching off his chest and your toes curling. Warmth and shivers flooding your body as you fall over the edge and cum.

“Thank you daddy, thank you.” You blabber out messily.

Panting as your hips buck from the intense waves of ecstasy course through your heated body. Leon guides you through your orgasm and stops before overstimulating you.

Almost instantly he closes his legs just slightly to help ease the strain and make you more comfortable. His affectionate cooing started right away, holding you closely to him as you come down from your high.

“So good for daddy,” Leon mumbled and pressed several kisses to your cheek. “Let’s get you comfy and clean.”

You nodded a bit sluggishly at his words, turning your head to try and kiss him properly which he laughs softly at. Leon lays you down gently on the couch and changes the tv to play something more your speed.

His hands reach for your soaked panties, pulling them down and off your legs, wordlessly pocketing them before making way into the kitchen. He’s not gone for long, coming back with some water and a wet rag.

“Drink this, baby.” The cup of water had a straw in it and he looks at you seriously but you had no problems obeying him.

Leon hums as he carefully cleans up your sensitive parts since he didn’t want you to get oversensitive and feel pain instead.

Now, with everything in order, he sat down and situated you so your head laid on his lap. His hands caressing and playing with your hair soothingly.

“I meant what I said, you know?” His voice a calm rumble. He gives you time to voice your disapproval but when you don’t, he continues. “Think about what you want as a reward for being so good for daddy, for now though, get some rest.”

You respond with a ‘yes, daddy’ and your daddy squeezes your cheeks playfully. The response reminding him of all your jokes but perhaps hints was a better word for it.

[ecoamerica]

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[aonungslvr]

he’s…what? II

pairing ; jealous! ao'nung x f!sully! reader

taggings ; 🪽⭐️

summary; you bring ao'nung back to the forest you grew up in, but he's not exactly getting the hang of things.

notes; this was a request but i lost it.. (you know who you are) i literally kicked my feet and giggled when i saw it. in response, of course you can have a part two! hope this is up to par with what you wanted <3

3k words - part one

after you had finally been reunited with your best friend of many years, you two spent a lot of time together. much to ao‘nungs dismay.

you and txäol had daily ikran rides, went hunting, attended clan gatherings, and explored the forest together. you two had done these things for countless years when you had been younger. however, a more than jealous metkayina had began tagging along from afar.

the point that txäol wasn’t interested in you had finally gotten across his mind, but he still didn’t like the fact you had spent all of your time with this boy when you could be hanging out with him.

he was new to the forest and had no clue what he was doing. he tripped over everything, ran from everything, and got mad at everything. all he wanted was his sweet mate to show him around and spend time with him. instead of him, you spent time with your best friend.

ao’nung understood why you were spending time with him, he had been there for you way longer than teal na’vi himself had. but that didn’t mean it made him any less upset.

he would randomly appear at your side, tugging on your arm or tail to ask you to go do something with him instead. you tried to dismiss him and get him to hang out with txäol but he always shut down the idea. that was until you had had enough of him messing around.

you had brought the metkayina and omatikaya boys together in a small area within the forest and began ordering them around.

“i don’t want to hear from either of you until you get it together, get along, and become friends someway, anyway!”

txäol didn’t mind getting to know your mate, in fact he wanted to! but to ao’nung, this was a punch in the gut. get along? with your boy best friend you spend every second with? he’d rather fend off an akula by himself.

for you, he stayed. he stayed standing in the same space after you left, not attempting to make any moves towards talking with txäol. eventually, he had thought of one thing he’d like to say.

“you need to-“

“if you ever raise a finger towards her or even speak to loud, so help me eywa, i will skin you like the fish you are.”

wow.

ao’nung backed up after that.

txäol was dead serious.

they didn’t end up bonding that day.

. . .

“(y/n) why don’t you come back with me to the reef! there’s too many trees here- it’s so hot! and those viperwolf things are terrifying! come on- you like the ocean!”

clearly, your mate wasn’t adapting like you had. it finally clicked in your brain that you and your family had been mentored by the natives of the reef, ao’nung was the only metkayina here and you weren’t teaching him anything.

that had to change.

you started by simply introducing the sea na’vi to the forest. you would tell ao’nung about different plants and animals that surrounded your childhood home and help him become more accustomed to them.

it started by simply showing him random vegetation such as loreyu, and telling him he needed to feel the forest inside of him just as he felt the ocean. eventually you moved forward, introducing him to a kxaylkxa. they were pretty docile animals and your mate didn’t seem to mind them, aside from the comments about how stupid they looked.

“this is seriously an animal-? this thing isn’t just fake-?” ao’nung commented as he tapped the animals head.

“be nice! she is beautiful, you are just mean.”

“come on (y/n) where are the cool animals-! these things just walk around all day, where’s the interesting th- HOLY SHIT.”

your mother was once named palulukan makto, given she rode a palulukan during one of the earlier battles against humans, before you were born. unfortunately, this creature died, but she left behind a baby of her own, who had now grown to adulthood with a keen liking to the sully’s.

“oh him-? he’s just a big baby.” you replied as you gave the palulukan a few pats to the head.

your mate wasn’t moving. either he was too scared to move and startle the, what he would call, beast, or he physically could not.

eventually, the palulukan went on his way, leaving two na’vi behind, one absolutely terrified and one rethinking her choice of bringing her scaredy cat mate home with her.

“(y/n)- i’m seriously starting to think the forest just isn’t for me. eywa knows i was meant to be in the sea for as long as i live.”

“oh come on- don’t talk like that! you’ll get used to it!”

“i seriously doubt it?? i mean- like look at these! stupid floaty things!” he said as he swatted away some sort of white jellyfish looking things.

“wel- ao’nung! no, no, no, kehe! stop that!”

you grabbed his hands and held them down at his sides, preventing him from hitting anymore as you admired the scene you saw before you.

“okay what’s ha-“

“atokirina!”

you watched as the seeds slowly surrounded ao’nung even though he looked like he was one touch away from throwing a fit. you recalled this scene from somewhere in your memories.

your mother told stories, stories of her and your father. when your dad had arrived from the sky people he was about to be killed by your mother before he was surrounded in atokirina, a sign from eywa.

“eywa speaks!” you yipped.

after getting your mate used to the forest and all it has to offer, it was time you started actually training him. he had been around for a few weeks and still couldn’t climb a tree.

given his body physically isn’t built to climb, you took it easy on him for a while, but if you could learn how to swim, he could learn how to climb.

it took hours out of your days but you still helped him learn. ewya knows no one else would’ve done it. besides, you did love him after all.

you had climbed up a pretty easy to climb tree and got to the midpoint within a few seconds before you paused and looked down, waiting for ao’nung to follow.

“come on! just put your feet on a branch and go up!”

“what..”

you weren’t the best teacher. it seemed like such common sense to you, you couldn’t fathom that a na’vi wouldn’t actually be able to climb. you hopped down from your spot perched on a branch and placed your hands on your mate to guide him along.

“like this- you place your first foot here, the the second higher.”

navi were only blue right? yeah well this one was red.

after doing your best to adapt him to climbing (he climbed up and down a tree in only 2 hours 26 minutes), you switched gears to hunting!

you stood behind ao’nung adjusting his arms ever so carefully as he held a bow and arrow in his four fingered hands.

“close your left eye, focus on your target.”

after you were happy with the position of his hands and arms you let go and instructed him to release. it wasn’t even a full second after he fired that you yipped and ducked while pulling the metkayina down with you as the arrow ricocheted the target and came launching back at you two.

“oops..”

so maybe hunting wasn’t his strong suit, next down on the list was bonding with a pa’li. they weren’t hostile animals and should be pretty easy to make tsaheylu with! ao’nung had bonded with an ilu so what was really the difference?

“ok, now gently mount him. slowly.”

you assisted him a tad and got him on the back of the horse-like animal, before instructing him on how to make tsaheylu without getting thrown off like your father first had when he learned your people’s way.

“when you bond, hold on to his neck tightly, but don’t choke him. he’ll want to run and you must stay on his back. just like an ilu!”

the clarification of it being as easy as ilu taming gave ao‘nung little comfort. the metkayina tame their companions as babies, and the bonds aren’t as strict as forest animals.

“just like an ilu..yeah..”

you held the pa’lis kuru steady as ao’nung brought his own down and the nerves intertwined. the animals pupils dilated and he quickly took off, pushing you behind. you tripped on a tree root sticking out but you were okay.

your mate, only seeing you fall to the ground after the animal he was riding kicked into you, was set off and his focus was instantly switched from the pa’li to you. he turned his body around to look at you and in turn fell off the back of his current lesson.

“(y/n)!”

“ao’nung you skxwang! you had it-!”

he got up and jogged to your side, helping you up as his pa’li ran around in circles before coming back and huffing.

“was worried about you- can you blame me?”

you slapped the back of his neck and yipped for the animal to calm down.

“i was fine. it’s just a little dirt. let’s try that again, yeah?”

after a few times (a lot of times) trying to keep ao’nung from falling off the pa’li he was finally able to ride the horse around in a small part of the forest.

over the next few weeks, you had one on one lessons with him teaching him all the things he needed to know to be successful in the forest. plants he needed to stay away from, herbs with medicinal properties, animals he probably shouldn’t approach, how to properly fire an arrow, climbing, and some traditional omatikayan weaving.

as much as he sucked in the beginning, he was a quick learner and managed to adapt in around the time it took you and your siblings too when you entered the sea.

if not now, it was never.

“ao’nung! time for you to get your ikran- come on!”

the majority of his training was all for this small purpose, tame an ikran and try not to die. naturally you hid this fact from him, given he wouldn’t even step a foot next to your ikran. however, whether he liked it or not, if he was going to learn your ways he had to complete this part of the forests rite of passage.

“yeah uh- what?”

“your ikran! your ready, come with me and i’ll take you to the mountains!”

“(y/n), my mate, my lover, my everything, respectfully, fuck no.”

“you’re going ao’nung te lepay tonowari’itan.”

“oh.”

after dragging a whining teen na’vi up the hallelujah mountains into ikran ridden territory, he looked like he was ready!

“see, they aren’t that bad! and taming them doesn’t even kill a lot of na’vi”

“well that sounds go- NA’VI DIE HERE??”

“well yeah obviously, it’s a rite of passage for a reason.”

“eywa please help me.”

“alright! let’s do this!”

you were putting on a cheerful facade to try and make ao’nung more comfortable but you obviously knew the risks. your brother lo’ak had broken a leg when he had first tried taming his ikran, and some na’vi had met worst fates.

you handed your mate a saddle meant for ikran as well as some rope. it’s easier to tame one once your tie their mouth shut, slide on the saddle, mount, and bond. you had explained how some of this worked before when you told the story of when you first got your own ikran, seyä, who was watching from afar.

“when he chooses you, tie his mouth shut with this as you put on the saddle.”

“chooses me?”

“when an ikran locks eyes with you and screeches, it means he has chosen you.”

“yeah, chosen me to kill.”

you slapped the back of his neck before continuing.

“technically yes- but stop with all that! you are ready and you will do just fine. na’vi younger than you do this all the time.”

ao’nung sighed and looked as if he had accepted his death. he held onto the rope you gave him and entered the open area where all the ikran could clearly see him. the animals cocked their heads at him and were probably confused seeing a metkayina here.

one certain ikran, a teal male with some darker blue stripes, took an interest in him and grunted, before releasing a hellish scream. off on the side, you giggled at the ikran that had chosen him, they had the same coloring!

“alright than…you and me.”

ao’nung lunged first, aiming for the ikrans jaw to latch it shut. the animal played defense and offense at the same time and launched the na’vi back on the rocks using his nose. ao’nung got up and was clearly not happy. he had a cut on his elbow he quickly examined before turning and hissing at the monster.

you observed from the side and debated with yourself. if he couldn’t pull it off should you save him? na’vi are supposed to be left alone during this process. when your brother had gotten injured during his ikran taming your father didn’t even want him going back, which caused an argument with your mother. ‘this is our way’ is what she would say. sure it’s your way, but your way is also love and protection. what kind of mate would you be if you sat here and watched your partner die?

you didn’t have any more time to ponder on the thought because ao’nung fought back and had wrapped the rope around the throat of the ikran, sliding it up its neck to get to the mouth. he was tossed around by the flailing of the animals neck, but he held on and slipped the rope around its jaws, tying it off. the creature could no longer nip or bite, leaving its offense limited. the metkayina slid the saddle on and jumped on the back of the ikran as it shook and flapped its wings to kick him off. as ao’nung finally grabbed its kuru, the beast ran towards the edge of the floating mountains and dived off.

“ao’nung!”

you ran to the edge and looked down to try and find where they were, praying you didn’t see the ikran come back up alone.

“oh my eywa, oh my eywa, i killed my mate- i killed him-!”

just as you were about to call your own ikran over and dive down looking for him while planning your own funeral in your head, the teal ikran shot back up, this time, with a na’vi of the same color on its back.

“(y/n)! i did it-!”

“oh my e- thank you great mother- get down here! now!”

ao’nung tried his best to steer his new ikran back towards the mountains and eventually made it, being greeted with the most breathe-sucking hug from you.

“your hurt- come! we have to go to the tsahík.”

“wha- tsahík-? i don’t know- i think i’m fi-“

“now!”

your mate didn’t have the best ideas about meeting another clans tsahík given how his own mother reacted to the sully’s appearing on her beaches.

what he really wasn’t prepared for, was that tsahík being your grandmother.

mo’at spread healing pastes around the wound and wrapped a large leaf around the bend of ao’nungs elbow, almost creating some sort of cast, and sent him on his way.

“you’ll be fine boy, just don’t bend your elbow to much.”

“thank you mormor!”

“yeah, th- MORMOR?? SHES YOUR GRANDMOTHER?”

“yes? i forgot to mention? my mistake!”

the metkayina turned pink and turned to the tsahík, your grandmother, before thanking her profusely and apologizing if he was rude in any way.

you giggled but contained it to yourself. you knew you didn’t tell him, but it made for a funny interaction.

“yes yes, all is well, just go. out of the tent.”

“YES MA’AM.”

“and (y/n)? i hope to see you at the clan gathering tonight.”

ao’nung could’ve broken his other elbow by how fast he made his way out of the healing tent. he waited as far as he could until you came out before rushing over to you and blaming you for not warning him.

“(y/nnnn)!! you didn’t tell me! that was so embarrassing- she probably hates me now!”

“your so dramatic!”

later that day the teen na’vi was caught on his ikran trying to get him to fly back to the reef. (his ikran refused.)

later that night, your clan had a festival. the welcoming back of the former olo'eyktan and toruk makto, 3 tskarems, and the entire sully family, as well as a farewell to the humans.

during all your time home, you had been teaching ao’nung the way of the hunt, and how to succeed in the clan, but not your cultural values.

the omatikayans dance, songs, weaving, and food was all new to him, and he was quickly exposed to it as you brought him to the celebration.

everything was different than how things happened at the reef, but it wasn’t a bad kind of different.

ao’nung watched as you danced with your friends, txäol included, and you smiled, laughed, and sung along to whatever cultural song the singers had chosen to sing that night.

you were happy with the metkayina but it was nothing like this, being reunited with your childhood friends and the rest of your people.

ao’nung, as your mate, picked up on this. he saw your emotions and there was a chance he even felt them himself.

this was your home, and maybe it could be his too.

[dilutedconfusion]

A Moth to a Flame

Eustass Kid x F!Reader (Part 3)

UMMM SOOOO YA’LL ARE LIKE THE NICEST PEOPLE EVER. Kisses and hugs to everyone who gives a semi-shit about what I write. I wrote this BEHEMOTH of a chapter and I personally think plot wise its my best yet. So get out your forks and knifes cause we eatin good today!

Summary: Having just found out Kid is a super big time murder machine Y/N is left in shock whilst sitting at the bar. Kid and Y/N finally have a coherent and tangible conversation. Emotions arise but Kid is still a total grump. In a fit of stupidity and some grief Y/N does something that I would not advise doing if you’re not like a professional idiot or something.

Warnings: Gore, NSFW (nothing actually happen theres just some sweet innuendos and mentions of NSFW related things)

Word Count: 6.3K

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Tags: @st4rfevrr @archangelshavethetardis @likeeliterallywtf @tremendoushorsepatrolgoth @tulipps-maehem (At this point, if you comment something I’m smacking ya right in the tag lists. If you don’t want that just tell me! I’m totes fine with it.)

Kid took a sip of his rum. The cool yet bitter liquid burned his throat and swirled in the deep parts of his gut. Leaning back against the pleather booth he let out a little sigh. His arm was still throbbing like a bitch. Another sign that a strong wave of phantom pain would soon be coming on. But he tried not to think about it. Hoping his brain would stop the onslaught of pain if he got it drunk enough.

Killer was sitting across from him. Using a straw to take periodic sips of his beer. They had been sitting here for a good bit but hadn’t talked too much. A comfortable silence sat between them as it usually did. Kid’s stump randomly twitching now and then though he kept his eyes closed as he tried oh-so desperately to relax.

Watching him quietly Killer noticed the small twitching movement of his partners arm. “Is it hurting again?” He asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible despite his worry.

Trying to hold himself back from being a total asshole, Kid spoke. Opening one eye and letting out a dry sigh. “I lost a fucking arm. What do you think?”

Was that the nicest reply? No. But if anyone other than Killer would have asked that question Kid would’ve just punched them. So he was getting off easy in Kid's terms.

Killer stayed quiet for a moment, grimacing under the space of his mask. “Well, you look a little strained. Is the liquor helping or making it worse?”

Kid finally opened both his eyes, leaning forward and putting an elbow up on the table in front of him. “Helping. Now quit pestering me about this shit.” Kid grabbed his glass and took another long chug of his rum. Finishing out the last bottle he had asked the bartender to make him.

Letting out a hearty burp he felt his torso sway a bit as he sat. He wasn’t drunk but he could feel that warm goopy feeling building up in his brain. Staring blankly at the rest of the vacant and dimly lit room. Listening quietly to the sounds of people in the front room of the bar. The waiter who had taken his order was working the bar itself so he knew she was going to take a while to make an extra round.

“Want me to go get ya some more? I’ll order some food so you don’t crash as hard later.” Killer murmured out, already slightly sliding to the left to get on his feet.

That made Kid's red-painted lips scrunch up, waving his hand at Killer to stop. “Get your ass back on that seat. I got it.” Kid let out a grunt and started sliding off the booth to a stand. His body swayed just slightly but he stood up normally. His huge fur coat lay discarded on the booth seat.

Kid turned towards it and picked it up. His body felt stiff like an old piece of wood. Nearly groaning at even the slightest movement and it annoyed the shit out of him. Feeling light-headed he swung his coat over his shoulders. It was a bit difficult considering the lack of an arm but Kid has since gotten used to it. Making sure that his stump was at least halfway hidden by the fur of his coat. The bandages and torn scars running along his chest were mostly hidden, though he couldn’t hide the fresh scars on his face.

“Ya know…you don’t need to hide it. They are proof that you made it through something shitty after all.” Killer whispered to Kid, knowing it was a sensitive spot on his poor Captain's mind.

Kid’s face stayed sharp and demeaning but Killer's words had gotten to him even if just a little. Letting out a huff of air he responded, “Ya don’t think I know that? I just want everything to heal a bit more. Then I’ll show it off.” With that Kid started walking away from the table, leaving Killer in his lonesome.

He bounded past the other booths. His boots hitting the wooden floor below loudly as he made his way to the other part of the building. The sounds of casual conversation floating towards him along with the satisfying sound of taps being drawn while the bartender siphoned out beer.

Walking up the two small steps that separated the rooms he could feel the air around him get just a tiny bit warmer. The low crackling fire tracing the room with a rich wooden scent and faint smoke. Walking up to the bar he paid no mind to those around him. Leaning up against the wood as another much stronger wave of pain shot up through his stump.

Shit. He thought, gritting his teeth. He would give anything to start rubbing his arm. Soothing the muscles trying to avert whatever pain would come next. But as that same waiter came up to him he had no choice but to deal with it.

She had that same polite smile on her face. Standing on the other side of the bar, her hands filling up beer glasses as she talked. “Run out? Sorry, I didn’t make a round back there. We’re pretty short-staffed right now. What can I get ya?”

“More of the same. And…some fried chicken.” Kid mumbled out, settling down onto the barstool nearest to him. The woman looked him over for a moment. Glancing at his stump and bandages for only a second. Her face turned a bit contorted in what Kid could only assume was disgust before brightening up once again.

Never seen a guy with some wounds eh? Kid thought, almost wanting to say that out loud. If he wasn’t so tired and beat up he would’ve.

Well in truth if he wasn’t in pain he'd be drinking his ass off and winning bar fights. But he was in pain, his throbbing stump a reminder of that.

“Sounds good. I can walk it back there when it’s ready.” She said in that same sweet customer service tone.

Kid just rolled his eyes at her. “I sat down. I’ll stay here and wait. Can’t go back expecting you to remember to bring the damn food.”

The bartender cringed a bit at that but remained neutral regardless. “Sounds good. Let me go get that started for you.” She said awkwardly. Walking away from Kid in a bit of a rush and heading towards what he supposed was the kitchen door.

Kid eyes watched her as she disappeared, letting out a soft tongue click in annoyance. Eventually, his eyes just started drifting. His right hand once again itching to rub his poor stump but he held back. He looked down the line of the barstools absentmindedly to take note of the few people littering the room.

However, something made his eyes pause. They hovered over a girl. She was sitting at the other end of the bar, holding up a newspaper and looking it over as if it were the most important thing in the world.

Wait a fucking minute. I’ve seen her before.

It’s not like he didn’t expect it to some extent but a part of him had already forgotten what a weird little stalker you were. He glanced over your body, seeing the same clothes, jacket, and satchel he’d seen earlier.

Damn, it is the same chick.

He just kept staring at you wondering exactly when you were going to notice him. Your eyes were so glued to the newspaper your damn nose was nearly shoved in it. Even though Kid didn’t want to talk to anyone right now, he couldn’t help but rub your face in your obvious fuck-up.

“So you really-”

“WAH!” Your body jerked randomly hearing that deep voice once again. The newspaper crinkled as your fingers dug into it. Your whole body turned towards Kid at the other end of the bar but leaned away as if he was diseased. “Goddamn it! Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“What the fuck?” Kid mumbled out, brow furrowed in confusion as he stared at your beet-red face. Soft eyelashes blinking over and over at him again as if you couldn’t tell if he was real or not.

“What do you mean what the fuck? You snuck up on me!” You yelled, voice faltering a tiny bit as you realized just how LOUD you were being. Covering your mouth with one hand to almost suppress the sheer adrenaline running through your veins.

You hadn’t expected to be talking to him, especially since he was the one to initiate it. The mortifying news about him on the paper mixed with his sudden appearance and this lunging feeling in your gut was a lot to handle.

Kid narrowed his eyes at you, face more bemused than annoyed by what an idiot you were being. “I didn’t fucking sneak up on you. I’ve been sitting here for like 5 minutes just starin’ at your ugly ass and you didn’t even notice me.” He turned the barstool a bit more towards you, leaning his good arm against the bar gingerly.

Taking your hand off your mouth you leaned forward towards him. The multiple chairs between the two of you made the distance of the conversation a bit awkward but that wasn’t going to stop you from being an asshole. “Well if my ass is so ugly, why were you staring?”

Kid's lip twitched at that, his cheeks almost daring to blush red but he held it back. He didn’t like that you had taken his insult in that way. But before he could let it affect him he let the first thing he thought of slip past his tongue.“Cause it's so damn horrific I couldn’t look away. Plus you might as well have been licking that newspaper by the way you were holding it. Following my order like a good little puppy eh?”

Your eyes widened ever so slightly, still holding onto the newspaper rather tightly in one hand. Looking down at it for a moment like you should be ashamed before frowning at him. Kid watched and bathed in your reaction, a condescending smile on his lips. It made you reel with anger. Wanting to slap that shit-eating grin off him until he was black and blue.

“I ain’t looking at this 'cause you told me to! I wanted to do this because you wouldn’t tell me who you are. Just so happens that I know who you are now and if my calculations are correct, you’re a total asshole and a lunatic. Though I probably didn’t need the newspaper to figure that first one out.” You told him, voice quiet enough so the whole bar didn’t hear but your tone was condescendingly lethal.

Again Kid just stared at you for a moment. If anyone else would’ve given him even one-quarter of a verbal punch that you just gave him they would’ve been dead on the ground. But he was tired and though he would never admit it, your comeback was good. Letting out a strong puff of air through his sharp nose to calm his urges he decided to take the argument in a different route. One that would give him the advantage over someone who had just a tiny bit of bite to them.

“I get it, sweetcheeks. You’re desperate to know me. To get my attention. Thought you could read up on me so you could handle the real thing easier but clearly you can’t.” Kid said, raising his hand in the air so ‘matter of factly’ though his tone was anything but serious. The glint of his teeth as he smiled and the way his low voice rumbled just made you angrier by the second.

A small tint of red rising on your cheeks out of pure embarrassment. Making mouth go agape for just a moment before you concocted a comeback.

“Q-Quit acting like you're the shit, you glorified puffball. I figured out who you are and if you’re anything like how this newspaper is portraying you in real life, then I should go get a pitchfork and a torch to exile your ass.” You flipped open the newspaper and pointed it towards him. Showing him the two pictures of him committing crimes aplenty.

Hearing you call him a puffball made Kids lack of eyebrows raise in confusion, wondering why in the hell you thought he looked like a puffball. You could see the gears in his head turning as he looked down at his chest to notice the large fur coat he was wearing. Yet still, after another second of mental debriefing, he put two and two together.

“Hey don’t fucking call me a puffball!” Kid said in a slight snarl, a tiny bit of red gracing his cheeks at your comparison. Leaning forward he eye’d the pictures you were holding up. “And I look great there so I don’t know what you’re getting at. They got all my best angles. Even a good picture of me back in my start-up.”

This time it was your turn to be confused, pointing sharply at the pictures of him and even raising out your arm so he could see it better. “So we're just going to ignore all the murder. Ya know, like right here and here and here.” You pointed at the dead crucified bodies hanging limply on their crosses. Blood and splattered guts dripped out of the slightly blue and cold-looking bodies.

Kid rolled his eyes, looking at you as if you’d just said the earth was flat. He rubbed his chin almost to feign boredom as he spoke. “I don’t see what the problem is.”

And with that, you smacked yourself in the face with your palm. Rubbing a hand over your temple and scrunching your face in a mesh of lines that represented pure annoyed disbelief. Taking a deep breath you responded, “Look, I ain’t your mommy and I ain’t going to tell you what you can and cannot do. But, this is my island. You do this shit here and don’t think you’ll be leaving with all your vital organs intact.”

“Well by the sounds of it maybe I should do just that. Give me some entertainment with a good little fight.” Kid immediately quipped back, his face returning to that patronizing smile you oh-so hated.

At this point, it felt like maybe you were talking to a wall. One that was so caught up in having an argument with you he didn’t want to take you seriously. “You are just a complete fucking menace aren’t you?” That was all you could say, almost dumbfounded by his stupidity.

“I am and the people dig it. Can’t say a little danger doesn’t get ‘em all hot and bothered.” He remarked, his shit-eating grin growing even wider as he tilted his head and leaned towards you a bit more. Your face just went completely flat. Void of all emotion except annoyance and the painstaking wish he had said anything but that.

“I love it when people lie through their teeth to my face.” You said so flat and lifeless a robot might as well have said it.

Kid's eyebrows scrunched up a tiny bit, not at all pleased he didn’t get the reaction out of you he wanted. He wasn’t flirting with you, or at least that's what he thought when he said it. In all honesty, Kid has the same flirting skills as goldfish. Just making bubbles and floating by expecting someone to get drawn in by how shiny his scales were. So when he said that he actually just wanted to see you embarrassed like you had made him feel. Little to say it was the first time he felt genuinely peeved by you.

“I ain’t lyin'. I’m a big-time pirate that’s big in more places than one. What more could someone want?” He clamored out, trying to lean into his more cocky attitude. Again his innuendo is less about stroking his ego and more about getting a reaction out of you. He didn’t need confirmation that his dick was big. But he wanted you to blush because he told you.

Your eyes twitched a bit when he said that. Not knowing exactly how to interpret why he was bragging to you and most definitely not taking it as flirting at all.

As if a cocky asshole like him would ever flirt with me, he just wants me to feel small and worthless doesn’t he?

Giving him a blank dead stare you spoke, “What more could a person want? Well…I don’t know, maybe literally anyone but you.”

Kid would never in a million fucking years admit it but that shit stung. He usually never lets people's opinions cloud his view of himself. They were nobody to him so why care?

Then why the fuck am I taking what she said seriously? He mulled over this thought for a moment feeling almost ashamed that he let anything you say get through his impenetrable skin.

But he beat himself out of that thought, scowling harder than ever before and clenching his one good hand until his knuckles turned white.

You noticed this despite the multiple barstools that took up the space between the two of you. Face once dead of emotion now alight in a wave of slight nervousness and even a bit of regret.

Why the fuck did I say that? To a murderer of all people? Do I want to get killed that badly?

Kid felt his stump throb in pain once again like a hammer cast in flames slamming into every single nerve. He grits his teeth hoping you didn’t notice before responding. “Like your opinion of me matters. Quit acting like you know me. You’re nothing compared to what I am.”

You watched him carefully, eyeing the way his muscles uncomfortably tensed underneath his fur coat. The slight sheen of sweat on his brow became a bit more noticeable in the low light. It made a strange feeling of guilt swirl deep in your core seeing him like that. He was a total douchebag but it felt wrong kicking him when he was down.

“I don’t know you but I’ve met people like you. More than I’d like to admit.” Your tone was soft as you spoke, not looking him in the eye as you held on to the newspaper in an almost delicate way. “I’m just saying I don’t trust you. And…if I’m right then I have every reason to be cautious. Reading this newspaper gives you a ‘I’ll kill everyone’ air.”

Kid watched you as you spoke. His amber eyes were sharp and clear as he noticed the change in tone. It didn’t bother him but in his opinion, it sounded like the most truthful thing you’ve said so far. “I don’t just kill everybody. I have some restraint ya know.”

“Well according to this newspaper, you kill pretty much anyone all the time. To the point that it's what you are known for. I mean, look at this headline, it says slaughtering right there.” You pointed to the headline once more, laying the newspaper flat on the bar before picking up your glass. The sight of rotting flesh in the pictures forcing your heart to lurch each time you even glance at it.

“Well, all of the people I kill fucking deserve it. Do you think I hand out mercy out of sympathy for worthless people? The motherfuckers get in my way so they deserve to be in the ground.”

Kid’s voice was harsh with conviction as he spoke. As if he's said this same thing nearly a thousand times. You took another quick sip of your daiquiri. Licking the sugar off your lips with a quick swipe before glancing back over at him.

“So…are you going to do that here? On this island? String me up by my belly and let my intestines slip out?” You asked him quietly, eyes boring into him with an intensity he hadn’t seen from you before. It felt raw and almost threatening. Like you were daring him to try because you knew he would lose.

He wanted to be annoyed and he wanted to punch you right in the jaw. Snap you out of whatever diluted sense of power you seemed to be feeling. But his stump was still soaring with pain. He was managing it sure but he knew if he started moving around too much he’d topple over. So instead he resorted to using his words, which was his least favorite thing to do. “Well…I’m thinking about it but…I’m not in the mood. It's too worthless to kill someone so weak. I have bigger fish to fry.”

Your eyes narrowed, reading into him for even a sliver of deception. You didn’t know what kind of man he was. Supposing he was a liar and cheat like most of the men who traveled the sea were. So you prodded him deeper, trying to find the root of his honesty. “Could your lack of motivation to kill me…have anything to do with those injuries of yours?”

You glanced at his stump and bandages running across his chest. The scabbed-over and healing scars on his face were still red and puffy from their recent affliction. Kid's eyes widened and he leaned back away from you ever so slightly. Hating the fact that you dare mention his injuries. Hating the fact that you thought they were making him weak. That they were holding him back.

That rage he had been holding in ever since it happened started to bubble up. The same rage that he felt for his crew members when they pitied him. The same rage he felt for himself. He had to look away, trying to regain himself. Control his overwhelming urges to not only split your face open but break every piece of furniture within ten feet of him.

He finally looked back at you, ready to scream his head off, “Don’t you dare-”, but he paused.

It was surprising to see your face like that.

It stopped him dead in his tracks, his once boiling rage now a soft simmer within only a second.

Kid didn’t know how to describe it. It was like you weren’t looking at him for who he was. For the scars he held. Those eyes of yours were looking at him for what he is. Deep somber orbs filled with nothing but…empathy?

No…that’s not the right word. It doesn’t feel…like it’s meant to be helpful or caring. Not an ounce of pity.

Familiarity. She knows how I feel.

Kid wasn’t good at reading people's emotions. He could barely understand his own emotions most of the time. So it was strange how he met you in the middle with just a glance.

Even though it didn’t last more than a few seconds.

“I have another pitcher of beer, a tall glass of rum, and that chicken you ordered.” Came the voice of the waiter. Walking through the swinging door with a large tray in hand carrying all the contents she mentioned.

Your face contorted to embarrassment as you watched the waiter stride up towards Kid. He had to force himself to look away from you, wanting to continue the conversation with you despite himself.

What the fuck has gotten into me?

Kid nearly rolled his eyes at himself. Feeling a pang of heat cross his cheeks he let out a grumbling cough to mask it. The waiter placed the tray carefully in front of Kid at the bar.

“Sorry for the wait but does everything look good?” She asked, sliding her body behind the bar and eyeing both Kid and you. Her eyes were bouncing between the two of you a bit, clearly wondering the origins of the tension floating in the air.

Oh god. She even knows I was researching him. You thought to yourself. Feeling like you’d been caught in the act of doing something reckless and stupid.

Kid stared down at the tray, his jaw tight as he let out a deep breath of air he’d been holding in. “It’s fine.” He grumbled, again that ache in his stump making his eye twitch.

Sliding his weight down onto the floor he stood up. His back cracked a bit as he rolled his shoulders trying to subside the ache. You watched him silently. Gliding your eyes gently across his wide shoulders. How the strong muscles there tensed and rolled as he moved. His smooth pale mounds of warm skin with bandages on every other inch lingering in your mind. His height was just as demeaning as you remember it though you still were a good ten feet away.

Always close enough to talk but not close enough to be considered next to him.

His hand tugged his coat around his shoulders a bit more, before he haphazardly tried to pick up the tray. His thick and lacquer-covered fingertips tried to dig under the tray without spilling anything. His one-handed skills at doing pretty much anything got in the way of even the simplest tasks of his life.

“You sure…you don’t need a little help?” The waiter softly asked. Watching Kid as she cleaned off the countertops with a rag.

“Say that again and don’t expect to be going home tonight with a tongue.” Kid spat back, his voice dripping with venom.

The waiter again nearly clammed up but backed off almost immediately. She was used to dealing with pirates but…this man was on a whole other level. Staying quiet and walking over towards your side of the bar instead.

She glanced at you but you didn’t pay much attention. Instead, you were trying to slyly watch as Kid finally wound his large hand underneath the tray. Holding it up easily on his palm at shoulder level before starting to walk away. Disappearing through a doorway without even a second glance towards you.

You let out a small displeased huff of air. At least expecting a glance or chance to continue that conversation. You felt like you were getting somewhere with that. Getting to know him a bit better. It was interesting beyond belief and if someone asked you if you’d rather stay at home in safety or talk to a scary pirate. Well…you would choose a scary pirate every time.

It felt nostalgic and it made your boring life more lively. That is until the waiter got in the way.

“You okay hun? He didn’t threaten you right?” She asked softly, giving you a sympathetic smile as she continued to wipe the bar.

You gave her a little quirk of a smile purely just for show. Not willing to give her a hard time for breaking up your conversation with that man. “Yeah, I’m fine. He did nothing wrong.”

“Well that I don’t believe. Seems to me like he's nothing but a walking pile of wrong.”

You stayed silent at first. Fiddling with your glass a tiny bit before finally picking it up to your lips and finishing the last of it off. Gulping it down and feeling the smooth taste of it run down to swirl in your gut.

“Well sometimes…a whole lotta wrong is just right.”

__________

No matter how much you wanted to, you couldn’t force yourself to stand up and walk into the back room of the bar. To go face that redhead again and his masked friend.

His name is not redhead, it's Kid. Eustass ‘Captain’ Kid. That thought dawned upon you as you thought over your conversation with him. You knew his name but hadn’t spoken it out loud even once. Even now his name stays within the confines of your mind. You had learned it while reading the newspaper along with the aforementioned Massacre Soldier, that blondie that’s with him.

Mulling over the idea of going and talking to them you tried to hype yourself up multiple times to gain the courage.

Come up with a catchy one-liner that would make you just a bit more likable. Maybe say nothing and sit down next to one of them like you own the place.

Assert dominance. Yeah….no.

You had no reason that wasn’t deathly embarrassing when explaining WHY you wanted to sit with them.

I’m just…bored, which would lead them to joke about my small, stupid, and uninteresting life. Maybe even lead Kid into bragging about how ‘important’ and ‘amazing’ he is compared to me.

Even thinking about that made your face sour. Rolling your eyes at nothing like you had just heard the worst joke imaginable.

I could…tell them that I have this strong gut feeling and it's dragging me towards them like a fish on a hook, which would lead to them being confused, taking it as flirting or calling me…ugh desperate.

That word crawled on your skin and sunk into your flesh. Like a tick taking root so one way or another you’d end up with Lyme disease or even worse, a bruised self-image.

You weren’t about to let that happen but this longing in your gut was almost incurable.

You even tried to calm down and look at your situation in a simpler light.

It’s just two men. Two pirates. You’ve dealt with pirates. You know how they work. You told yourself, hands feeling clammy as they gripped the edge of the bar. I already talked to one of them and it went…okay. Or maybe I’m just lying to myself and it went horribly.

You slouched in your chair and frowned. Nearly slamming your head down on the bar but you held back. Remembering you were indeed, still in public and if you wanted to wallow in your self-loathing you needed to go home for that.

I don’t need more people thinking I’m crazy.

You eventually stood up, walking to the point where you were just at the precipice of the doorway before panic struck you and you turned around just to walk straight out of the bar.

Red as a tomato and filled with shame you retreated into the night.

Did I even tell him my name?

You chewed your lips, the pleasant sounds of raindrops hitting the hood of your jacket and filling up your ears. It was a dark walk home. One that felt unmotivated to return home. You’d rather be out here, at night. The barren surroundings, whirring trees in the wind, and the rain pleasant yet cold. So you started meandering, walking as slow as you could despite the late hours.

Now and then the moon would peek through the clouds as if to say hello. A far-off lantern leaving a cool milky glow on your surroundings before being swallowed up by darkness once again.

Thank god my jacket is waterproof. You thought, watching the raindrops slip off the edge of your hood and in front of your face. It wasn’t a downpour just yet but it was not the best walking weather in most people's minds.

Yet even so you started making a detour.

What the fuck am I even doing?

At some point, while walking along the slightly muddy but managing trail to your home you made a hard 90-degree turn. Walking away from the direction of the little cabin your father had built when you were born, deep on the west side of the island.

It took about a half hour to walk through those woods to your house. Strong iron lanterns hung up on a few trees so you didn't get lost in the night. The animals are far too afraid to even step foot near your trail ever since your father claimed this portion of land.

So you were safe thankfully but what you weren’t safe from was yourself.

The trail you turned off onto led straight to the ocean. It was a bit muddier and more overgrown with thick roots and ferns but you have walked on this trial nearly half of your life. You knew it better than anyone because you were the one who made it.

Now and then you could hear the low rumble of lightning in the distance. Not too close but not entirely far off. The evergreens, birch and a few sparing oaks protecting you from the onslaught of the wind. As the wind cascaded through their branches it sounded like the raw howl of banshee. It creeped you out a bit but it was something you’ve heard before. This forest home even in the looming hours of the night.

Eventually, you breached the forest and reached the shoreline. The rain had died down a little, just a light pitter-patter against your jacket. The sand was wet but solid as you stepped down onto it. Your feet sunk in just a bit held against your weight regardless.

Looking out you noticed the ocean was in havoc. Waves nearly half your height would roll in and crash down like a bomb along the shore. The ocean tugged the water back in a greedy fashion as if it wanted to consume the land. Tall white-tipped waves stretching far out into the bay. The scent of salt, seaweed, and something oh-so comforting gliding in the space between you and the water.

Gosh if it's this bad here, I wonder what it’s like out on the open sea right now.

You looked down the shoreline, spotting the docks more towards the middle of the bay off to your left. There lay a few fishing ships, all bobbing up and down like pelicans in the water. But of course those weren’t the boats your eyes stayed glued to.

The contrast between those boats and the absolute behemoth that was the Kid Pirates ship was amazing. It was a good distance away, much bigger looking than it had originally been when you first spotted it. Squinting your eyes you could still make out a few shadows of people walking along its deck.

Your memory started floating into the forefront of your mind. Days on a deck like that. Nights spent harboring the seas as you tossed and turned in your bed. It felt like ages ago. That part of your life was now foreign to you the second the incident happened.

I wonder what he would’ve wanted for me.

Grief sunk deep into the root of your being. Covering the very base of who you are in a thick, oily, and dark substance. One that no matter how many times you tried to wash it off, it just wouldn’t go away.

“Goddamn it,” You muttered, trying to will yourself out of the feelings you held. You looked over at the sea once again, eyes trailing off towards your right. A long line of huge boulders stretched out into the waters. Built to elongate the bay and protect the land from bigger waves.

Without a thought, you walked towards it. The jetty calling your name as it has done a million times.

Climbing up onto the slick boulders you made sure to stay towards the shoreline side. The other side of the boulders, facing towards the open ocean, getting berated with large waves. You could barely hear yourself think with how loud it was. The light spritz of water landed on you periodically as you slowly and carefully traversed the boulders. Algae, kelp, starfish, and mussels littered around you. Wanting to trip you up whenever they could.

This is stupid, I can’t see shit. You thought, using your hands to steady yourself on any taller outcroppings of rock as your feet trembled underneath you. It wasn’t out of fear though, it was excitement. Excitement to do something dangerous. Excitement to try something so stupid.

Why am I like this? It’s cold and wet and I could fall into the ocean, get thrashed, and drown.

But you knew why you were like this. You knew exactly why and yet you still didn’t understand yourself. Feet moving without a thought. Your brain so focused on feeling something more than yourself that you don't care to stop.

At first, you didn’t even notice them. The pair of eyes watching you from a distance. Red-painted lips frowned in confusion as they eyed the familiar image of a girl seemingly trying to get herself killed.

In the cacophony of the waves and how they thrashed you heard another noise. A low deep whine of something in the distance. Your head perked up, blinking as if you had heard a ghost. As if the wind and waves were trying to talk to you. Thinking it was nothing you continued along until a second later you heard it again.

You looked out onto the sea towards your left, swallowing hard as you stared at the rocking waves just a few feet below you. You pressed your back up against a flat boulder at your side. Gripping onto it to keep your balance you finally glanced back at the shore.

What the-

An image of a man, a puffball-shaped man to be exact, standing at the edge of the shore right next to the jetty. You couldn’t make out his features but there was no denying who it was. His one intact arm waving and pointing toward something in your vicinity.

What the fuck?

The second you finished this thought something hit you.

Something dangerously cold and heavy enveloping you. Starting from the top of your head down to your toes. It burned your eyes as the cold sunk deep into your marrow.

Scraping your hands against the rock as you tried to stay upright, though the second it broke skin you were forced to let go. Your knees caving in under the insurmountable weight thrashed upon you.

One second you were standing and in the next you were getting sucked into the dark and desolate ocean below.

A/N: SHIT IS GETTING REAL YA’LL. BAD THINGS ARE HAPPENING. I wrote this with my eyes comically wide the whole time. Sorry to leave ya’ll on like a cliffhanger but it makes for good story telling so have fun suffering. Quirky reminder but Kid can’t swim. So like….yeah shes fucked. I mean she did it to herself but still. RIP Y/N 🙏 or a least RIP until the next chapter.

[bltngames]

I Have Complicated Thoughts About Mother 3

Note: Patreon donors can listen to this article as a podcast narrated by me. Click to learn more.

Confined to a tiny room, I pulled out my off-brand retro portable and loaded up the fan translation of Mother 3. It had been on my list of "important games to play" for literal years at this point, if not more than a decade, and playing Mother 3 was bottle necking a lot of other stuff -- for example, I also wanted to play Undertale, but swore I'd need to finish Mother 3 first, despite being very graciously gifted Undertale only a few months after it came out on PC. 

Being something I wanted to play, that obviously meant avoiding spoilers. When the ability was added to places like Twitter or Tumblr to block specific keywords, often the first one I'd block was "Mother 3" alongside the names of a handful of characters I knew like Lucas, Claus, and Kumatora. 

I'd played a couple hours of Mother 3 once before, right when the translation patch first came out, so I knew what happened in the opening scenes of the game. I knew what a gut punch it was. It definitely worried me, because as I started the game back up, now in 2021, I silently thought about what it would be like playing a game that starts with your player character's mother dying, as I looked up at my own bed ridden mother. 

It was May of 2021 that she developed debilitating back pain. There was an easy enough explanation for that; we had just gone through a hellish (and potentially legally dubious) renovation forced upon us by the corporation that owned our gigantic apartment complex. Due to a scheduling error, we had less than a week to pack up our whole apartment so they could move us out, renovate the unit, and then move us back in. We attributed her back pain to that moving process -- lifting cardboard boxes and such.

But the back pain kept getting worse. They prescribed her stronger and stronger medication for what they claimed was sciatica, but it never seemed to help. After multiple trips to the emergency room, she was finally admitted to the hospital proper, where her femur randomly shattered during a routine procedure. The femur is the longest, strongest bone in your body, and typically only breaks during extremely violent impacts, like car crashes and stuff. For my mother, it broke as nurses were shifting her around to clean her bedding. Tests for bone cancer seemed to come back negative, so the doctors shrugged at us and considered it a freak accident and just the toll of old age.

There was no way she was making it back up the stairs to our apartment any time soon (if ever), so it was decided she'd have to heal from that broken leg at my brother's place, and since my brother and his wife both work day jobs, I volunteered to take care of my Mom while she got better. Hence why I was stuck in this tiny room, booting up Mother 3 in July or August of 2021.

My Mom never got better. It would be eight months before they told us they had somehow missed detecting her cancer, and by then, it had spread so viciously they weren't even sure where it originally started from. By the time they told us this, she had only days left.

Every step of the way in those 8 months, as she insisted over and over she was healing and told me about all the things she wanted to get back to doing, I believed her. But my Mom also taught me to always expect and brace for the worst. So as I watched Mother 3's Claus and Lucas bury their own deceased mom, there was an undeniable heaviness swelling in my heart. A feeling I could not shake. Though I didn't know yet, I knew something wasn't right, even if the doctors continued to shrug as more symptoms mounted. I could see myself in the same shoes as Claus and Lucas, and I didn't like it.

Once upon a time, I loved RPGs. I cut my teeth on Final Fantasy 2 for the SNES. Though to be honest, I don't remember my time with it very fondly. I didn't really understand the genre; I thought "hit points" referred to points on the body you could be struck at. Like, your elbow is a hit point. Your ear is a hit point. So on and so forth. When the game told me a monster like Scarmiliogne had "3,000 Hit Points", I figured that meant he was a giant, and thus had more surface area to strike at. I was not a very bright kid, but in my defense, nobody ever bothered to correct me, either. 

The first RPG to really stick out in my head was Earthbound (known in Japan as Mother 2). On the surface, Earthbound felt like a kitschy look at hometown Americana, as filtered through the lens of a Japanese writer. Though Earthbound sort of focused on contemporary America when it came out, to me, it's always carried this vibe of Norman Rockwell by way of The Peanuts gang. Though you chat it up with mohawk wearing punks, visit video arcades, and order pizza over the phone, something about its story feels deliberately retro and nostalgic, even in the mid-90's when it first came out. 

Earthbound is about leaving home for the first time, feeling sad about it, and calling your Mom at a payphone to cheer up. It's about taking on huge responsibilities while you're still just a kid swinging a baseball bat. It's about going from your house on a dirt road and traveling all the way up to the big city and beyond. It's about making best friends and bullies, and some of those story elements hit close to home for me. It's about finding an inner strength you didn't know was there, and to keep going, no matter what. It's about music and the secret song that plays in your soul. 

Earthbound is a warm, deeply heart-felt game that also happens to feature zombies, bubblegum chewing monkeys, time travel, secret civilizations full of unknown creatures, and a sequence where you beat up an entire police force one cop at a time. 

That is not the kind of game Mother 3 is. 

I suppose I wasn't really sure what I expected Mother 3 was going to be. All I'd really known was Earthbound, plus the 5 or so hours I'd played of the original NES game, retroactively renamed from "Mother" to "Earthbound Beginnings" in 2015. The retro Americana vibes I felt in Earthbound are even stronger in Beginnings. Though the story of Earthbound Beginnings claims it takes place in the 1980's, the visual identity rings much closer to the 50's or 60's. One of round vintage Cadillacs, greasers with big pompadours, and roaming hippies preaching peace and love. 

Mother 3 deliberately obscures when and where it's set, for reasons that will eventually become clear. You better get used to it too, because holding information back is kind of a running theme. 

Because if I'm being totally honest, I didn't like Mother 3. And at first, I was struggling to figure out why. Earlier when I said "I loved RPGs", that's because my life changed to a point where I felt like I didn't have room for them anymore. Games with lots of dialog meant they demanded my full, undivided attention. When I was sitting at a TV or a computer, I was often multitasking between multiple forms of output -- I'd be doing work while watching a Youtube video or listening to a podcast, and that slowly began to push out story-driven games like RPGs in favor of lighter, more replayable experiences I could engage with while I also did something else.

The one place that was not true was in the portable space. I didn't have a smartphone for the longest time, so I'd often find myself in a commute or on a lunch break at work with nothing to do but pull out something like my Nintendo DS and crank away at an RPG. I devoured games like Final Fantasy IV, Phantasy Star Zero and Bowser's Inside Story. Even games I did not particularly like, such as Kingdom Hearts re:Coded and Pokemon Pearl ended up getting a lot of play. 

At some point that changed, and it changed so gradually I didn't even realize it for the longest time. Over the last ten years I have tried and failed to enjoy portable versions of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI, and found neither game to my taste. FF5 felt far too boilerplate in terms of structure and I simply got bored of it halfway in. With FF6, hype had led me to believe it was some kind of life-changing RPG super-classic, and I came away extremely unimpressed with both its story and its pacing. 

Both FF5 and FF6 came at a time after I'd finally gotten a few Android devices of my own -- in fact, most of Final Fantasy V was played on a Samsung tablet while I was at work. By now, I was starting to question whether or not having breezy mobile games like Pac-Man 256 was hurting my ability to commit to longer RPGs, even in the last space where it felt like I could sit down and focus on them. 

This is sort of what spurred me to start Mother 3 at all: since I was at my brother's place, my desktop computer and most of my video games were on the other side of town. All I had with me was a 12 year old laptop that was only good as a word processor, and a handheld emulation device called an "Anbernic". As the weeks stretched into months, I needed something to do or I was going to go insane. It seemed like no better time to knock something off my bucket list, but now it was starting to feel like strike three with portable RPGs. 

My malaise only added fuel to the fire: am I now simply too distractible everywhere? Would I rather be playing simple, quick-hit arcade style games, forever? 

It seemed like the perfect scapegoat, too. Maybe the problem wasn't that Final Fantasy VI hasn't aged very well, and more just the fact that my tastes had changed. After all, Final Fantasy VI is deeply beloved and considered one of the best games in the series. Perhaps I was the problem. 

But that's not entirely true. The problem with FF6 is that its story simultaneously felt too complex and dead simple at the same time. By now, I was engaging with RPGs where I'd only play them for 20-30 minutes once a week, and I could never remember what was going on because the plot felt like it was over my head. But when a major event would happen, it was always conveyed in this rushed, shallow way. The reason I could never remember what was going on is because nothing ever felt important enough to leave a lasting impact on me. 

That was never true with Mother 3. Even though it took me close to three full years to finish it, it wasn't that hard to recall where I'd left off, even if "where I'd left off" was over four months ago. 

No, the further I got into Mother 3, the clearer it became that I was not vibing with the story. 

Whereas the first two Earthbound games seemed to be deeply mired in warm feelings of childhood nostalgia, Mother 3 is a bitter, angry game about how much growing up sucks. All three games are of children coming of age and taking their first shaky steps into adulthood, but whereas Earthbound wields rose-tinted sweetness, Mother 3 grabs you by the neck and lays out a cold, harsh reality. 

You play as Lucas, who has a twin brother named Claus, and a father, a cowboy named Flint. The death of their mother shatters their entire family; both Flint and Claus have emotional breakdowns, the latter of which ends in Claus running away from home and Flint leaving to go find him. Both of them vanish. That leaves you, as Lucas, in the care of your grandfather, Alec.

Unfortunately for Lucas, the accident that killed his mother was only the start of a dangerous chain of events, and he soon finds himself swept up in adventure in the way RPG protagonists generally do. Earthbound set itself apart from typical RPG tropes by getting away from fantastical elements and basing itself in real life (albeit a strange, exaggerated version of it). Places with bicycles, fast food, and ATMs.

Mother 3 generally avoids this. You're introduced to Tazmily Village, an isolated farming community of log cabins and dirt roads, buried deep within the heart of the Sunshine Forest.

It's not really known when or where Mother 3 is set. Compared to Earthbound's attachment to contemporary America, Sunshine Forest and the areas surrounding it feature strange creatures like dragons, and even old, dilapidated castles. And yet Mother 3 also seems to have more in common with the wild-west-era American frontier than it does anything else, but even that isn't quite right. 

Tazmily is presented as the ultimate in idyllic life. It's a place where everybody helps everybody, intrinsically, out of the goodness of their own hearts. Poke around at the start of the game and you'll find that though they do have a jail, it's never been used, because nobody has ever committed a crime. 

Until one day, a mysterious man named Fassad appears. He's quick to charm the residents of Tazmily, and introduces the village to the concept of money. He also introduces the concept of deception, as in the night, Fassad steals some of that same money, sowing the first seeds of greed and distrust in these simple people. This rapidly transforms Tazmily from a sleepy, easy-going community to a bustling town of paved roads, automobiles, and even, thanks to further gifts from Fassad, technological entertainment delivered by his "Happy Boxes" -- cubes with embedded, glowing screens that emit a hypnotic signal intended to make people feel good (and more willing to spend their newly acquired finances). 

As Lucas, you oppose all of this. Fassad is clearly an evil, scheming man, both establishing and sabotaging a structure of financial power for his own gain, and its changing Tazmily for the worse. Since Fassad has arrived, Tazmily has seen an increase in monster attacks, and eventually even freak lightning storms that destroy whole entire buildings -- which coincidentally always belong to people that oppose Fassad. 

Funny how that works.

After Lucas and his grandpa Alec accuse Fassad, he uses his foothold with the people of Tazmily to brand you as a traitor. The very people that once treated you like family now curse your name for daring to threaten their modernized way of life. Soon, the first mayor of Tazmily officially disowns you, your grandfather is locked up in the newly built elderly care center, and your house somehow ends up being the next thing obliterated by the mysterious lightning storm. 

It's a hell of a first impression. The dominating message Mother 3 sends in its opening chapters is that things used to be better. Back when it was just people helping people, before the days of television, and cars, and roads, and even money. When the only thing that mattered was the sweat on your brow, the food in your stomach, and where the sun was in the sky. 

It felt cynical to me. Jaded. Things were different in 2006 when Mother 3 first came out, but it's hard not to read that today as some extension of the tired complaints around having too many devices and too much convenience. Like that meme that simply blames all of society's problems on having a phone. And it's a well Mother 3 goes back to over and over and over again: that Fassad brings the corruption of money, the corruption of technology, and the corruption of modern civilization, turning the residents of Tazmily into rude, vapid, ignorant zombies who have grown complacent with the increasingly bad things happening around them. 

And that's not the only thing in the game that can be read as cynical, either. More than once Mother 3 presents us with scenarios where Lucas faces down adult responsibilities and uses this as a way to express something depressing or frustrating as just being the way the world works. Such as early on when Lucas has to enter a factory as a new employee, and we're told about the joys of child labor -- including the hard hours you're expected to work for minimal pay.

Or how about when you receive a fast travel vehicle halfway through the game. Not only will it become permanently unusable if you accidentally allow it to run out of fuel (pretty easy, considering there's no visible fuel gauge), but refueling it incorrectly will cause it to explode, also rendering the vehicle useless. After all, you're just a dumb kid, and complex machines like these are meant to be cared for properly. 

Some of this is definitely meant to be more funny than serious or soul crushing, but the whole game has this rough edge to it that wasn't there in the original Earthbound, where Lucas brushes up against some fact of adulthood and it serves as an uncomfortable lesson. I couldn't help but read it as the game imparting something about how much growing up sucks, and how much that's just a part of life. Your parents will die, your neighbors are ignorant, work sucks and you'll probably mess it up anyway. Get over it. 

I even got this impression coming from the game's own upgrade systems. Both Lucas and another party member Kumatora can learn PSI abilities, which are basically the game's magic spells. When Lucas or Kumatora gets strong enough to learn a new PSI ability, they break out in an uncontrollable fever, a status effect that limits your ability to do certain things like sprinting. Until that fever breaks, you have to slowly walk everywhere. 

It doesn't really add anything to the experience. It doesn't make the game more fun, or more exciting. It's just one of those annoying things you have to put up with, because again, that's life, kid. Sometimes you get sick and you just can't move very fast.

The overall vibe of cynicism gets even worse as you start encountering Mother 3's handful of references to Earthbound. Mother 3 may go out of its way to forge a narrative separate from Earthbound, but there are definitely more than a few scenes referencing special moments from that game, and at least to me, all of them felt extremely pandering. It was as if Mother 3 was beating me over the head, jumping up and down shouting, "It's that thing you remember! Do you remember? Remember Earthbound? Look, we can do that thing too!" 

The further you progress in the game, the more these references change from feeling pandering to almost being mocking. It's eventually revealed that the game's true antagonist, and the man giving orders to Fassad, is Porky, the mean little rich kid from Earthbound. Porky has now become a man who seemingly lives in the past, having constructed multiple shrines of mementos from his adventures battling Ness and friends in the previous game. The ultimate version of this is his monument to nostalgia, New Pork City, the final area of Mother 3. 

It's effectively one gigantic theme park patterned after the major locales of Earthbound, all focused around celebrating how great Porky was back then, and how great he apparently still is.

And again, it felt unnecessarily angry. Just like how Fassad conquered and spoiled the idyllic village of Tazmily, Porky had taken ownership over Earthbound nostalgia and made it feel dirty. It felt like Mother 3, a game that went out of its way to be so different from Earthbound, sometimes almost shockingly so, was now spitting directly in my face. Porky, the ultimate obnoxious loser who just won't go away, refuses to let go of Earthbound. And you don't want to be like Porky, do you? 

It started to feel insulting. Several times over the course of playing Mother 3, I was considering quitting the game and never looking back because it seemed to be going out of its way to twist the knife. Was Mother 3 somehow bitter about Earthbound's legacy? 

Again, I had done my absolute best to avoid spoilers. Blocking Mother-related tags on social media was just the first step. In general, when Mother 3 came up in casual conversations I was privy to, I would quietly excuse myself and find somewhere else to be until I was sure they had changed subjects.

There has been a degree of "spoiler culture" discourse in recent years. Some claim it's a marketing tactic. Marvel movies only make you care so much about spoilers because that's how they get butts in seats on opening weekend. I don't know about that -- I've cared about spoilers my entire life, and I know I'm not alone. The pilot episode of the seminal sitcom Seinfeld ends with Jerry trying to avoid spoilers for a Mets baseball game that he recorded. And that was 1989. It's been a valid concern for much longer than any notion of a summer blockbuster movie.

Simply put, surprises are better when they are surprising. That doesn't mean you necessarily have to like surprises, but I think you'd have to be a pretty sad sack to go out of your way to ruin a surprise for someone else. For people who aren't curmudgeons about it, there are few things better in life than a nice surprise. Something unexpected like that could make a person's whole day, if not their whole week.

If modern movie culture has done anything, it's made people unable to keep spoilers to themselves. Blocking social media terms will only get you so far. When an artist posts a piece of fan art or friends share memes and they don't include any text, then there's nothing for the blocking algorithm to detect. And when a conversation starts with spoilers, there's simply no time to avoid the landmine -- which, to be fair, was the final punchline Jerry suffered in the Seinfeld pilot, as his neighbor Kramer blurted out the results of the game before Jerry had a chance to protest.  

Many of Mother 3's biggest mysteries were spoiled well in advance of me ever actually playing the game. The biggest one being the reveal of the mastermind behind the game's Pigmask Army, the aforementioned Porky Minch. Mother 3 goes to great lengths to tease this mystery out across its entire 30 hour run time, dropping major hints as you pass the halfway point. 

And then Porky, in his Mother 3 form, cameos as an early boss battle in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, one of the ten best selling games on the Nintendo Wii. Thanks to director Masahiro Sakurai, more people know who the final boss of Mother 3 is than have actually played Mother 3 (or, let's be honest, will ever play Mother 3). 

This is why I freely mentioned Porky earlier, because if anyone knows anything about Mother 3 at this point, it's that Porky is the primary villain. The same goes for New Pork City, which was a prominent arena in Smash Bros.

In a roundabout way, Smash Bros. was also responsible for the other major Mother 3 spoiler I bore witness to; Mother 3 pixel artwork ended up being used in other Smash Bros. games over the years, including artwork of other characters with secret identities. That hasn't stopped a number of Smash Bros. fans from casually name-dropping the true, unmasked identity of this character online. I may have avoided conversations about Mother 3, but the tendrils of these spoilers extended far beyond its humble borders. Sometimes, you just can't escape it.

This is not me drumming up any sort of "woe is me" sympathy, mind you. But ultimately, it did have an effect on me. In most of Mother 3's cutscenes, I was waiting for the big reveals I knew were coming. Expectation is everything, and when you're watching every cutscene through a microscope, it changes how you see things. There's the old adage about being so focused on one tree that you miss seeing the rest of the forest, but imagine you're so zoomed in you can't even see the one tree, and you're just kind of... stuck there.

I often wondered if my general frustration with Mother 3's aggressive tone was related to the fact I knew some of its biggest late game emotional beats 30 hours in advance. 

Would its numerous Earthbound references still feel so patronizing if I didn't know what was coming? Or would all of its cute little surprises and shocking revelations make for a more enjoyable game over the long term?

Maybe the whole thing started off on the wrong foot in general. It's definitely a choice to play a game about characters processing the death of their mother while you yourself are processing the death of your mother. Characters in the game itself get bitter about this, so doesn't it make sense that I would be, too? Again, expectation is everything, and sometimes you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed. It could have just been a bad time in my life to experience this story.

And to some degree that's true, because the thing about Mother 3 is that I just didn't get it for the longest time.

Despite a big rant about spoiler culture just now, I can't talk about this without spoiling Mother 3's last big secret, because it turns out to be central to the game's entire theme. However, in my defense, I am giving you a big warning: If you've somehow read this far and still care about preserving the game's final mystery (and parts of the ending to Earthbound, too), this is your signal to turn back now. 

Okay. Ready?

So while the people of Tazmily are comfortable and protective of their newly developed suburban lifestyle, past the game's halfway point they all start talking about a far off land: the big city. It's a place where dreams are made, or so they're told. And as Mother 3 starts down its home stretch, Lucas and friends return to find Tazmily deserted. Everyone who's anyone has left for New Pork City. 

The reality of New Pork City is a lot more depressing than the dream, but then it always would be. The residents of Tazmily find it more trashy than cool. A lot of the theme park rides are broken, and those that still function are kind of dangerous. There's even open sewer vents leaking noxious gasses. And at the center of it all stands the massive Empire Porky Building.

Lucas and his friends are only allowed into the building when the time is right. Until then, you have to wander around New Pork City and explore. 

Those open vents turn out to be an invitation to enter the sewer when Lucas's dog, Boney, becomes lost. Reuniting with Boney leads you to discover a secret entrance to the less glamorous parts of New Pork City, and you find yourself in an old, run down apartment complex. Though the hall is strewn with trash and grime, at the very end you find an apartment belonging to a strange man named Leder. 

You initially meet Leder very early in the game. He's an older resident of Tazmily known for being unnaturally tall -- well over four times taller than most characters in the game. And to most people living in Tazmily, Leder is known to never speak. His only job is acting as a human watch tower, armed with a bell to be rung when there is danger. 

Leder's apartment in New Pork City is reasonably sized for a single person, with two floors, but for a man of his stature, Leder makes the space look tiny. However, by climbing up to the second floor, Lucas can now finally talk to Leder face to face for the first time. As it turns out, Leder can talk, but by being so tall, most people couldn't hear him. Not that it mattered much, given Leder had taken a vow of silence in order to protect the true origin of Tazmily Village. Given the circumstances, and considering Lucas is old enough now, Leder believes it is finally time to learn the truth.

The truth being that despite Mother 3's outward appearance of taking place in a fantasy land full of dragons and chimera, it is in fact a distant future earth. Or, well... what's left of it. 

According to Leder's retelling, after bracing itself for the apocalypse, humanity finally found itself at the end of the world as we know it. Facing mutually assured extinction, a select group of individuals boarded something known as "The White Ship" and traveled to the furthest, most secretive location on earth in order to escape destruction. Once they arrived at this mysterious island, those people used a device to erase the memories of their past lives. 

The idea was to start over from scratch, free from the bonds that lead to the destruction of the old world. And so, the simple farming village of Tazmily was born. It is very likely that Lucas is one of the first generation of people born and raised in Tazmily.

For years, Leder not only kept watch over Tazmily Village, but over its people, as well. Entrusted as one of the only people who knew the truth.

Tazmily Village was a success. Its people lived in peace and prosperity, free from greed and power. However, one day, a man named Porky appeared. Porky was not from this world -- not from the old world, and not a part of this new one, either. Using the Phase Distortion machine from the end of Earthbound, Porky had been carving a swath of chaos through all of time and space. Having been defeated and ejected from pretty much every other reality, Porky eventually found himself here: the last, most defenseless place on the timeline. 

With nobody around to tell him no, Porky set about treating the island like his own personal playground. He used the Phase Distortion Machine to pull in creatures from alternate dimensions, he used forbidden science to establish an army and build factories. And, once Porky became aware of Tazmily and the truth of "The White Ship", he made it one of his goals to restore their memories and further exploit their desires.

Leder's story recontextualizes all of Mother 3. It's not a game about people being corrupted by modern society; instead, it's a game about people being unable to escape it. That, despite their best efforts to run away from it, forget about it, and start over, who they are still catches up to them. When the residents of Tazmily brand Lucas as a traitor, they aren't doing it drunk on their shiny new toys, it's more that their old habits are re-asserting themselves. Not a people being corrupted, but a people who simply had their existing nature freed. Human beings acting like human beings.

This recontextualizes Porky's role in the story, too. More than being the harbinger of nostalgia, Porky takes advantage of Tazmily's amnesia to rewrite history to his benefit. His shrines to Earthbound memorabilia are less about making us remember what happened in the previous game and more about establishing his version of events, where he can refer to Ness, Paula, Jeff and Poo as his "precious friends" instead of what they actually were: the band of kids that stopped him from bringing about the eradication of the known universe. 

Instead of shunning the past, Mother 3 is telling us that not only is running away from our history impossible, but in trying to do so, we open ourselves up to an even worse and easily exploitable weakness where guys like Porky get to catalyze their twisted version of history. Only by moving forward, unafraid, with courage and the full knowledge of where we came from, can we create a truly better world. We cannot bury who we used to be; we must accept and grow beyond it. 

There is no stronger denouement to this ideal than the game's very, very end. 

All throughout the game, Lucas has dealt with two of Porky's highest ranking officers. The first one being Fassad, who brings commerce and greed to the people of Tazmily. The other one, someone I haven't really mentioned until now, is only known as "The Masked Man." Mother 3 pits The Masked Man against Lucas as sort of a rival -- he's one of the small handful of humans you meet able to use PSI abilities, and most of them are identical to what Lucas can do.

In the lead up to actually meeting Porky in the flesh for the first time, Lucas finally catches up with his dad, Flint. Lucas hasn't seen his father in years, not since the incident after their mother's funeral that broke up their family. And yet Mother 3 treats his reappearance as strangely casual. There's no big, emotional reunion. Flint and Lucas barely even acknowledge it. Flint is just here now, another NPC milling about with the residents of Tazmily.

On the way to the final showdown, Flint will suddenly ask you to stay behind. He plans to face Porky alone. 

And this is probably supposed to raise all kinds of strange questions. Could Flint be the Masked Man? After all, if Lucas has PSI abilities, maybe that's a trait that runs in the family. Maybe he inherited it from Flint, and that's why The Masked Man has all the same abilities. 

But just one or two rooms later, you find Flint completely laid out. He faced Porky and The Masked Man and came away defeated. It now falls on Lucas and his friends to stop them. Before Lucas leaves, Flint offers one more piece of information for us: The Masked Man, the rival Lucas has faced almost the entire game, is actually his twin brother, Claus. 

Once Porky is successfully dealt with, the final battle of Mother 3 comes down to brother versus brother. Claus, the boy who ran from his tragedy, and Lucas, the hero, the boy who became a stronger person by overcoming that tragedy.

That's it. That's everything Mother 3 is trying to say. It doesn't get much clearer than that.

Watching the credits roll, I couldn't help but think back to earlier in the game. There I was, having just arrived in New Pork City, and I was talking to my friends about how it had taken me close to three years to finish Mother 3. I'd only play the game in fits and starts because I didn't really like it, but I was forcing myself through it anyway. 

One friend told me, "If you haven't enjoyed the first 25 hours, then it's not like the last five or ten is going to change your mind." 

It really cannot be understated how talking to Leder completely rewrote my entire perspective on this game. But then you also have to wonder: how many more people were in the same boat I was and didn't keep going? People who got fed up with feeling like the game was bitter and patronizing and just gave up? 

I knew there must have been something special in this game. You have to figure that, given the circumstances (sequel to a 10+ year old RPG, only released in Japan), total lifetime sales figures for Mother 3 are probably under five million copies. Probably under two million, if I'm being honest. That's still in the realm of success, especially for 2006, but Nintendo is also a company that deals in games with 20 million, 40 million, even 60 and 80 million plus sales. Mother 3 is some very small potatoes for them. 

Despite such a comparatively modest success, Mother 3's influence feels hard to ignore. From fueling skits on Robot Chicken to Adventure Time and Undertale's whole... everything, Mother 3 (and the wider franchise as a whole) is extremely beloved by many, even if it doesn't do record breaking sales numbers. 

And that's before you figure in the whole fan translation angle, too. Everything about Mother 3 screams something that should be niche, and yet it's downright prolific.

It demanded more respect than giving up before seeing the credits roll. If I had quit upon reaching New Pork City, I would have missed this game's whole redemption arc. 

I suppose, then, that just makes this the chronicle of a long, difficult, emotional journey. One I originally felt like I needed to do more than I actually wanted to. That in itself is just another one of those many things adults just have to deal with, right? That's in keeping with the themes of the game.

And, ultimately, there is light at the end of this tunnel. I guess it's not really about charging forward with courage, it's more that as long as you hold on to yourself, everything will be okay. Everyone has their tragedies. But closing yourself off from tragedy or running away from it isn't going to fix you. Your love is what will save you. 

The love you share with family. The love you share with friends. The love you share with the world. 

Love meant Flint never gave up trying to save Claus, even as that same boy tried to kill him. 

Love led Kumatora, Duster and Boney to stay with Lucas no matter how strange or frightening things became. Together, they faced deadly mutants, the darkest hallucinations, and even had to contend with the possibility that all human life on their planet might cease to exist.

Love was Lucas never abandoning the people of Tazmily, even as they shunned him. 

Love will provide you with a strength beyond anything else in this universe. No matter how much adult life beats you down, love will always be the single greatest and most simple thing we all have. Rich or poor, old or young, love is the power that binds us all. It deserves to be cultivated, protected, and celebrated. Love heals all. Without it, we cease to be human. And believing in love is what takes the most courage.

But only through love can we find the way forward.

[ghost-bxrd]

How would Calvin react to meeting Jason when both his parents were still alive, assuming Willis is not that great of a father. Would he take Jason and run? Would he observe to see how Willis treats his kid? And what would Calvin think of Catherine?

If Calvin just randomly met him one day I don’t think he’d care too much. Having a home is more than some kids in Gotham can boast of, and little Jason didn’t look too worse for wear to truly register for the Talon.

But if for some reason Calvin got attached to Jason and decides to follow him home to make sure he’s well taken care of… well.

Let’s say Willis isn’t home initially, so for the first few hours Calvin only sees Jason come home to a mother hopped up on drugs (let’s assume it’s the later stage where the addiction was very bad already). And Calvin already feels that uneasy buzz in his gut because— someone like that cannot possibly provide for a small child. And little Jason is cleaning his mom up as best as he can and draping a blanket over her before he goes on the hunt for food in the cupboards. Only to come away with nothing but some canned peaches that he painstakingly pries open. And this is bad enough but— but at least he’s got a home. And food. It’s more than Calvin had with his dad. And there’s always the chance the woman will sober up and realize drugs aren’t as important as her sweet little kid. It’s not his place to intervene—

But then Willis comes home. Just when Calvin was about to leave. And for a moment it’s nothing to worry about, but then Willis starts yelling. And Jason cowers. And the uneasy feeling in Calvin’s gut turns into sickening dread.

And then Willis draws back his fist and—

Taking Jason is so much easier than it should be. The kid is too small for his age, too light. Willis goes down with little more than a solid punch to his throat, and Catherine doesn’t wake up at all. Too deep into her drug induced haze.

And Jason— Jason is scared. Terrified. But Calvin refuses to leave him in a place that’s bound to kill him eventually.

[angelsanarchy]

One Long Weekend: - Clyde/YN One-Shot Series CH 14

"What happened son?" "I met a girl."

Tagging: @roryculkinluvr @siriuslymooned @cc-luvr @crypticsewerslut @icarus-star @desert-springtime @shady-the-simp @izuoyarmin

SUNDAY, 9:00PM

Clyde stood at the laundromat for two hours doing his dirty laundry. He tried to keep his mind focused on anything but Y/N but he just couldn't stop looking at his phone. He realized he never got her phone number which made him feel like an idiot. Snow had texted him throughout the day asking if he had heard from her yet and by the afternoon time, he finally asked her to stop asking because it was bumming him out.

He kicked around the apartment for awhile, cleaning random things. His apartment had never looked so put together, even when he moved in. Johnny had stopped in to see if he wanted to go to a show tonight but when he saw the state of the apartment, he was worried.

"Dude...are you moving out or something?" Johnny ran his hand on the kitchenette counter and it wasn't sticky for a change.

"No I just...I can't stop thinking about Y/N and the possibility that I may have fucked up. I've been trying to stay busy all day but she hasn't called or texted...nothing." Johnny knew that Clyde wasn't someone who put himself out there romantically. He knew he was really into Y/N when he finally stepped up and asked her out because usually he would provide safe haven for people and let them drift off into the night whenever they wanted to. She was different. He could tell his best friend really cared about this girl.

"Did you ask Snow if maybe she's called her? I mean I know she's got her number because she sent pictures to her from the other night." Johnny tried and Clyde's eyes went wide.

"Snow has her number?! She didn't say that!" Clyde snatched his phone up and started texting Snow immediately. She apologized and sent him her number and the photos she had.

"Look, I don't want to leave you here like this man. Why not just come out for a little bit to take your mind off of things. She'll call. She was definitely into you. Beau was actually butthurt she turned him down for you." Clyde looked at Johnny.

"She did?" He asked almost desperately.

"Yeah man! You've gotta stop shitting on yourself. That's my job!" Johnny put him in a headlock and Clyde pinched his nipple.

"I'm good here man. I might take a drive later just to grab groceries but I'll hit you up. Thanks for having my back." Clyde held his hand out and Johnny dapped him up, pulling their hands to his chest in a side hug.

Clyde considered actually going to the grocery store just to restock in case Y/N just randomly showed up but first he tried to text, just to check in.

"Hey, it's Clyde. I was thinking about you and wanted to check in." Clyde sent the text, thumb shaking over the SEND button for a few moments before he let it fly. He sat on the couch, bouncing his knee up and down for about 10 minutes before pacing back and forth, biting his thumbnail.

"Jesus I'm fucking losing it." Clyde raked his hands through his hair and pocketed his phone. He walked out of the apartment, jumping in the van and batting the idea of doing a drive by around in his head. He had no idea what she drove so checking the lot for a car was pointless. He kept checking his phone but the message still went unanswered. He cruised past her apartment complex but there weren't any lights on.

"Okay if she's not home, why isn't she answering her phone?" Clyde said outloud to himself.

"Fuck it." He dialed the number and waited.

"The number you are trying to reach is currently not available."

Clyde felt like he had been punched in the gut. He tossed his phone on the seat and shook his head. This wasn't like him. He wasn't this guy and he hated that he was acting this crazy. He pulled away from her apartment and just started driving. He didn't want to go back to his apartment and he didn't want to be around anyone so he went to the last place anyone would look for him.

He knew it was late but he didn't see a car in the driveway which meant either no one was home or he was about to walk in and create chaos. He used the key and made sure to enter the code in the keypad before the alarm sounded but he jumped when his dad popped around the corner.

"Jesus Clyde! You scared the hell out of me. What are you doing here?" His dad was holding a carton of milk in one hand and his cellphone in the other.

"I...um...I don't know if Shelly is home or not but I was wondering if I could stay here tonight." Clyde tucked his hair behind his ear and his Dad knew something was wrong. Clyde never asked to do many things. He usually would just do things and try to charm people into not being pissed about it. Despite being kicked out of the home, Clyde had a decent relationship with his dad. He was always kind of a little shit to his step mom and shooting the dog didn't help but his dad was actually grateful. They both couldn't handle watching the dog suffer any longer.

"She's out of town so you can stand down." Clyde relaxed and followed his dad into the kitchen.

"Are you hungry? I was about to make some cereal." He grabbed Clyde a bowl knowing the boy stayed hungry but Clyde shook his head.

"Is everything okay? You never turn down food." His dad sat down at the table and Clyde stayed in the corner, arms crossed bouncing on his feet.

"Yeah I'm...I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind." Clyde didn't meet his dad's gaze until the screech of the chair legs across the floor sounded, his dad extending his arm inviting him to sit. Clyde did and started biting his thumb again.

"What happened son?" His dad was beginning to really worry.

"I met a girl." Clyde breathed.

"Oh God! Is she pregnant? Is she okay? How long-"

"No God no! Nothing like that. I just...I've never felt like this before and I keep thinking I already fucked it up or if I hadn't then I absolutely will." Clyde rambled.

"Oh...well that's good. Not that you think you'll fuck it up but that, you know...no babies...not yet anyway. You know I wouldn't mind being a grandpa just not...you know, right now." Clyde shook his head. It was times like this where he knew what traits he got from him and what he got from his mom, which wasn't much.

"You think you love her?" Clyde looked at him pained.

"Yeah...I'm pretty sure I do which is crazy. I mean we spent two days together and I can't stop thinking about her but I don't know! How do you know? I've never been in love before." Clyde racked his hands through his hair and his dad reached out to him.

"Son, you've got to take a breath. Love isn't something that should make you carry dread. You have a big heart so the idea of falling in love with someone can be scary but if the person truly has the same feelings, they'll never make you feel that dread." Clyde nodded at his dad.

"What if she doesn't realize I'm like this? What if she finds out I've been freaking out about her all day and she's too overwhelmed by it...by me?" His dad laughed.

"Clyde, if she spent even two hours with you, I'm sure she knows that you are a hurricane of chaos but in the best way. You've just got to let her meet you halfway." Clyde felt like that would be impossible. He was so anxious about the whole situation that he didn't know if he liked feeling like this if it was what love was.

His phone beeped in his pocket and his heart jumped. He pulled his phone from his pocket and frowned.

"Is it her?" His dad inquired.

"No just Snow." Clyde opened the message and saw it was a picture of him and Y/n from last night. She was sitting on his lap, arm around his neck and they were both laughing. She had her eyes on him and looked comfortable being so connected to him. He looked truly happy just being able to be in her presence.

"This is Y/N. Snow must have taken it the other night." Clyde didn't usually show his dad photos of his friends because he knew how all of them looked out on the town.

"She's very pretty. She seems to be pretty infatuated with you..unless she just likes to sit on everyone's lap and wrap her arms around them." Clyde chuckled.

"No actually. She's pretty good about her personal space." Clyde said making his dad laugh.

"Just not when it comes to you...I wonder why that might be? I think she might like you a little bit." Clyde rolled his eyes.

"You look like you need sleep kid. Go upstairs, get comfortable and if you head out early, please let your old man know. Things will work themselves out. You just have to let it fall into place." His dad gripped his shoulder and Clyde nodded. He didn't come to his dad too often for these sorts of talks but he could tell it meant a lot to him. Clyde climbed the stairs and flopped down on his bed unsure of how he was just supposed to sleep.

[bloombubs]

Adrian Chase x reader dating headcanons where reader had worked alongside Harcourt and John for years and was forced to relocate with them to since they also helped Task Force X defeat with Harcourt and John. Maybe here, reader has done gymnastics for years and incorporated their gymnastics skills into their fighting styles. And maybe they are pretty shy in the beginning, often times clinging to John or Harcourt (which they don’t mind) but once reader gets used to the new recruits (Adrian, peacemaker, Leona), they’re pretty energetic and bubbly and also an idiot

I'm going to apologize now and say I definitely did not hit the head of the nail with this one.

notes: ....idek. mentions sexual themes. 1kish words. thank you for being the first request <3

In the midst of the team's activities and occasional chaos, Adrian always noticed you. Your silence amidst the noise intrigued him, and he saw it as a challenge to get to know you. But you clung around Economos and Harcourt in the beginning.

Despite his boisterous nature, Adrian made a concerted effort to get to know you. He sensed a potential for humor and snark beneath the surface and was determined to uncover it. He had a gut feeling that you were full of funny comments, snarky replies. He always noted how you bit your lip, rolled your eyes, and shook your head. Some ideas caused your eyes to widen, whether it sounded exciting or completely stupid.

Not content with simply observing you, Adrian took his curiosity to Harcourt and Economos. His relentless questions about you, ranging from your music preferences to your quirks, often left them a little annoyed but entertained.

“So, do they like Taylor Swift?” “I don’t know, Vig, you ask them.”

“Do you think they’d go out to the bar?” “Are you going to ask them out on a date?” “What? No, what makes you say that?”

Adrian made it a habit to sit beside you whenever the opportunity presented itself. Whether it was during briefings, downtime, or meals, car rides, he strategically positioned himself next to you, ready to engage in conversation.

Your reactions became his focal point. Adrian would glance at you whenever something noteworthy happened, waiting for your response. Majority of the time when he spoke, it was directed at you–hoping to get a reaction.

Adrian’s jaw visibility hit the floor when he saw your style of fighting. You’re so flexible, so grateful on your feet. He didn’t know you were a gymnast, but it was a lovely surprise. You felt more confident in showing your ability, mostly prepping yourself with Chris would make a lewd comment about your flexibility and how it piqued his interest. It definitely piqued Adrian’s.

Adrian compared you to being the next version of Nightwing, which was far from the truth, but you found it flattering either way. “You’re no match for Judomaster,” “He knocked me out with the first punch, Vig.” “…Maybe it was a fair fight.”

Maybe it was the first time in the car that he saw you singing along to the song, nodding your head and smiling at everyone. Eagly perched in your lap once, you were petrified. Adrian saw the sight endearing and wholesome–a photo for him to take to add to the collection of his best friends.

He added you on Facebook randomly at three AM.

Eventually, he did invite you out to the bar. As well as the others because he was a bit nervous himself to be on a date with someone like you–he thinks you're the coolest, sweetest, talented, badass person he had ever met.

On this date, everyone took a hint and left you two alone, Harcourt and Economos giving you a look before they left.

The two talked about everything and anything–once you fully peeled back from your shell–with a few drinks to help–Adrian just couldn’t get you off his mind.

Somehow it spiraled to the two of you doing drunk karaoke.

He definitely didn’t drink as much to make sure you got back to where you were staying–he even took you for a ride in his Vigilante mobile.

The night finished and he asked for another date, but just him and you this time right off the bat. You agreed and kissed him on the cheek before ending the night.

Adrian definitely texted Chris all about it. You definitely texted Harcourt all about it as well.

Everyone just knew the two would wind up together at this point.

Leota and Chris placed a bet when Adrian would ask you out.

Chris said he would would be too chickened to ask you out.

Leota was convinced that he would wait at least two months–in the similar fate that Adrian just needed to build courage to ask you to be his significant other.

False.

Adrian never formally asked you to be his significant other. After a couple of months filled with constant dates, sleepovers, and quickies in the Vigilante mobile, both of you assumed exclusivity without the need for explicit conversations.

You would always support his decision on any choice of weapon. But you adamantly believed that Economos had the right to use a chainsaw, passionately advocating for his moment to shine.

Seeing you in action became one of Adrian's biggest turn-ons. Whether in a protective or provocative way, his eyes were always glued to you in the field, often causing distractions as he couldn't help but admire your skills.

One day you both come into the headquarters, covered in hickies. No one was surprised, but god they had a field trip making fun of you two.

The classic, did a vacuum cleaner suck on your neck?

Adrian would just claim that he was testing the limit of what his body could handle–turns out, he can endure a lot.

Chris just made a remark that you were claiming dominance over someone that never needed it in the first place.

But you two are safe, nothing could ever top seeing Leota’s wife’s nudes–unless Adrian would accidentally leak the homemade videos the two of you on a whim decided to make.

After missions, you two would watch whatever movie Adrian wanted to see, have a small dinner, hear him ramble about anything and everything.

He tries teaching you DND.

You scared Harcourt, Adebayo, and Economos once when they were needing to have an emergency meeting and you weren’t sleeping in your bed–but you were over at Adrian’s.

Chris would definitely try to convince Adrian for a threesome. A man’s gotta try.

Adrian would refuse to let you get hurt on the field and he would be damned if anyone was trying to harm you. He would not let you do anything alone–which didn’t necessarily mean you had to be paired with him, but you wouldn’t be alone.

[ereyies]

okay haiii these are my omam headcanons that i wrote a couple months ago and completely forgot about and found them on my ipad so uhh enjoy

Of Mice and Men character headcanons:

George suffers from Misophonia

George also had BPD and takes medication for it

Curley's wife's name is Sally. idk why but she's always been a Sally to me...

Despite all his apparent charm, Slim can’t flirt for the life of him and ends up just standing like 🧍‍♂️and somehow it always works

Whitt sleepwalks regularly. Slim gets up multiple times a week every night just to drag Whitt back to bed

Lennie has full blown conversations in his sleep. very loudly.

Crooks’s favourite food is liquorice or something 😭 old man food,,,

Candy will randomly just tell the most absurd, very obviously untrue facts every with a completely straight face just to see how gullible ppl one the ranch are. “yeah did you fellas know that there's a chance if you sneeze while you’re fulla whiskey your gut will burst? ‘ts true! saw it happen to a poor guy here on this very ranch!!”

Carlson has a bunch of weirdly specific and random skills that serve no practical use in his life whatsoever. stuff like he’s really good at ventriloquism, or knows an absurd amount of dances from around the world, or he’s an expert of handwriting analysis, or he can ride a unicycle. absolutely useless but mildly impressive talents.

Curley hurts himself in his outburst as much as he hurts others. not intentionally or because of his opponent, he just gets so mad he'll start bashing his head or something

+ Bronwyn and Curley headcanons

(For those who don't know, Bronwyn is my omam oc, you can find information about her here and here, but all you need to know for this is that she's Curley's younger sister.)

⚠️ CW for mention of neglect, abuse, and suicide ⚠️

Bronwyn walks very silently. Very conscious of her footsteps.

She suffers from undiagnosed psychosis (hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thinking, tangential thinking), attachment issues, occasionally seizures, anxiety issues, etc.

Inherited all her mental disorders from her mother's side. Her mother also suffered from various undiagnosed mental disorders and killed herself as a result of her condition rapidly worsening with no treatment

Bronwyn still thinks so highly of Curley despite how awfully he treats her as she only ever remembers when they were younger and when they were each other's best friends. When someone speaks badly about Curley, she'll always defend him. Curley believes that Bronwyn is a worthless burden who brings down his image and the reputation of the family, making him feel embarrassed and that he's weaker somehow for having a mentally ill sister.

Curley blames Bronwyn for their mother's death, believing that Bronwyn was born sick and that their mother 'caught' her illness.

Their mother was emotionally abusive, and their father, the boss of the ranch, is quite neglectful of them both. Neither Curley nor Bronwyn realise just how awful their mother treated them both, yet neither talk about her.

Curley secretly adored his mother. Bronwyn secretly resents her but can't put a finger on why. She tried to draw her mother once and the paper she used was just covered in nothing but dark scribbles.

When she and Curley get into fights they often get physical and violent. Bronwyn only learnt to fight from Curley because in the middle of fighting he'd be so pissed off that she couldn't fight properly and be like 'that's not how you throw a punch. quit embarrassing yourself, I'll show you how it's done. now you try.' and accidentally ended up teaching her to fight at his level.

When the boss would intervene with their fights, he'd observe and blame whoever caused the most damage. Curley often got the blame the most because he'd let his anger get the best of him.

[dokeythings]

| lethal secrets | (dokyeom)

*tw: mentions of suicide and depression

"y/n, please, i don't want to fight with you" he begs, his voice teetering on on the brink of a breakdown. he's trying to remain calm. trying to remain steady and responsible. 

"well i do! i want to fight with you! i'm tired of us pushing our problems to the side and pretending they don't exist!" you scream back, not matching his calm energy at all. you've had enough, and this evening was your breaking point. 

"we can talk about our problems without fighting" he answers hesitantly, hoping you don't continue to escalate things.

but you do. 

you're not sure why his calm, non urgent tone is bothering you so much, but it's making you feel like he doesn't care. and that's pissing you off.

"we clearly can't! because you never tell me what you're thinking! it's a battle everyday where i'm apparently supposed to just read your mind. where you get quiet and then disappear for schedule for hours on end and then we never talk about it. ever!" you yell, getting completely frustrated. you're going to be letting out things you've wanted to say for a long time now.

dokyeom looks down at the floor, your words not falling upon deaf ears. you hit a weak spot. he knows he's not good at sharing his feelings and thoughts with you. he knew you would get fed up with it eventually, despite his efforts to fix this bad habit. hearing you say it made it real. he's scared you won't have the patience for it anymore. you can tell that you got to him.

"i'm trying, y/n. i really am" he says quietly, wishing the confrontation would just end. but he knows he messed up.

"you're not dokyeom! sometimes i swear i don't know anything about  you" you say, as if you're punching him in the gut. you regret your words instantly. you wish you could shut your mouth.

he shakes his head sadly, "that's not true. you know everything about me. i've opened up to you" he says, trying to finally stand up for himself. 

"then why are you always sneaking off and disappearing everyday, for way longer than i know you have work. and why do i hear rumors of things going on in your life that you have never once told me? that you'd rather tell anyone but me? do you know how much that hurts me?" you say angrily, but the tears well up in your eyes, conveying an all too different emotion that you try to push to the background.

what dokyeom hasn't told you about is the extra hour a day he's been going to see a therapist. he hasn't told you about how he's been really struggling to get out of the shelter of the bed sheets for months now. or how he doesn't have the energy to fight with you. but how he wants to fight for you. how most days he only stays alive for you. he sees now that that hasn't been enough. 

all you want is to be there for him. you want to know what he's thinking all the time, and why he will randomly go quiet and get that far off look in his eyes. you want to be in on the secrets that everyone else is. you want for him to let you love him. you don't want it to have to be done this way, but you can't get through to him any other way. you feel your heart tearing apart with every word you yell at him. 

"i've been going through some stuff" he trails off, avoiding your eyes still. he looks defeated.

you quit the yelling. "some stuff? what does stuff mean?" you ask. you are still irritated, and feeling so utterly left out and helpless. you can't help him if he doesn't admit what he needs help with. 

he breaks down.

he hasn't cried in months. he hasn't been able to. his eyes have been dry and his body has been numb. but looking at you, seeing you get angry with him for something he's so desperately trying to fix for you, he loses it. he didn't want you to know. he didn't want to be the broken man who feels like he can't even keep himself alive. you fell in love with a happy, optimistic dokyeom who brightened up your day. he doesn't feel like that person anymore, and he couldn't bear to find out what would happen if you noticed. 

he's on the ground before you can even comprehend what's happening. he's sobbing into his hands, his knees dropped to the floor as if his body gave up on him. you are paralyzed. you've never seen him cry like this.

"dokyeom?" you ask quietly, softly this time. you think you went too far. you think you shouldn't have gotten the information out of him this way. you curse yourself for losing your temper. you can't lose him. not when he needs you most.

he doesn't answer. he doesn't even look up. you think he may have not even heard you over his crying and the hiccups. 

"baby" you say, a little louder this time. you take a few weary steps towards him until you're standing right above him.

you bend down slowly and place your hand on his shoulder. he looks up at the contact, wondering why you aren't yelling anymore. he doesn't even remember breaking down. he suddenly feels numb again. 

you stare back at him into his bloodshot eyes, finally seeing the secrets he's been hiding from you. he's broken. 

you sit down on the floor in front of him. if he's broken, you must be strong.

"my sweet boy. i'm sorry for yelling at you. i just want to help you. i need to know what's going on so i can help you" you say gently, keeping your distance and building up the conversation slowly. you've never seen him so fragile. you're terrified. but you have to stay strong. 

"sometimes i don't want to be alive" he says, cutting right to the point. he can't hide anymore. 

you suck in, your breath hitching at his words. salty tears of your own fall down your cheeks. you feel like you can't breathe. 

"baby" you choke out, reaching your hand out to him. you don't even know what to say. you don't know where to go from here.

he sees your tears. he sees your fear. this is what he was avoiding. there's no going back now. 

"i've been seeing a therapist. that's why i'm gone a lot. i've had to talk to the company a lot too. it's been a whole process" he continues, spilling it all.  "i'm in the middle of getting antidepressants. i still can barely admit it to myself. i didn't know how i could admit it to you" he chokes out. 

you hold his hand tightly.

"i don't feel like the same person you fell in love with. i'm scared you won't love who i am now" he breaths out, ending it with a sob. 

your heart shatters. of course you will still love him. of course you would! everything you fell in love with is still in there. it's all still in him, you see it everyday.

"please look at me" you encourage. 

he switches his gaze from the ground to you. the second you look into his eyes, you hate yourself. you should have been there. you should have been helping him. you should have known without him having to say a word.

"i love you, dokyeom" you say sternly, praying it gets through to him. you need it to get through to him. 

"i loved you the second i met you, i loved you yesterday, and i'll love you tomorrow" you continue, scooting even closer to him.

he sniffles.

"it's going to be okay. you're getting the help you need. you're doing everything right, baby" you say, your lip quivering as you try to be brave for him.

he doesn't say another word. he throws himself into you, wrapping his arms tightly around you in a hug thats been a long time coming. you hold onto him for everything its worth. you hold him like he's the most delicate thing in the world, who could break at any touch. but you also hold him like he's the bravest, strongest thing in the world, who you know without a doubt can get through this. 

"i'm so sorry i didn't tell you" he cries, not daring to let go of you. 

"please don't say sorry. none of that matters anymore. all that matters is that you get better" you say honestly, rubbing his back gently. 

you softly take his face in your hands and make him look at you again before you say this. 

"don't you fucking leave me baby. don't you dare go anywhere" you speak, the tears falling once more. your throat feels tight. you aren't doing so good at being strong for him. 

he knows exactly what you mean. he hears you. he looks into your eyes, noticing the sheer fear in them. a fear that he instilled. he decides right then and there that he's going to get better. that he has to get better. he knows without a doubt that you'll be there with him, holding his hand the whole time. for the first time in a long time, he feels a little stronger. he feels like there is light on the other side of the tunnel he's been trapped in.

[lonely-north-star]

randomly started thinking about the hero au again okay look away this is dumb but i need to get it out

"When will you learn?" Paula sighed as she dabbed a cloth over a wound on Mammon's torso.

"Tch. Tell your dumbass team to go easier on us." Mammon's words were clipped and strained, as he did his best to stay still.

"Hmm. We're not the ones who brought a ray gun, now are we?"

"How else was I meant to test my new device if not by bringing it to a fight?" Solomon spoke up, rummaging through a first aid box. You could almost hear the pout in his voice.

"You shouldn't have made the device at all. You shouldn't be doing this at all. What will it take for you both to stop?"

"Heroes won't let me experiment new ideas, not without restrictions." Solomon fiddled with the end of a gauze roll.

"You know, if you give me a minute, I'll wrap your bandages too."

"When are ya gonna leave those suckers? C'mon. Ya can't fight us forever, don'cha know?"

"I'll stop being a hero when you two stop being villains."

Paula stood up, taking the gauze from Solomon. She studied the wound on his arm. Lucifer had done that. She'd have to talk to him about going easier on her boyfriends. For now.

"So we'll never stop fighting, is that what you're saying? Really, you'd be so much happier with us. I bet you miss my designated monthly cooking-"

"Paula, just join us already! We've got everything we've ever wanted! Riches, a fancy hideout, henchmen! What else could we need?"

Paula didn't look up. She finished off bandaging the wound. Huh. She had gotten faster at this now. That meant less time with the two of them. She needed to get this over quick anyway. Maybe then it would hurt less.

"You have everything you want? You're really happy like this? Truly?"

She stepped back. Her voice was low, exhausted, broken. She had her own fair share of scratches and cuts. Her hair was falling out of it's braid.

Still. The two of them looked at her like she was the world. Maybe that's what she was to them. She didn't feel like it though. Not anymore. She couldn't remember what had changed. Why they had changed.

Or had they even changed? Had they always been like this? Was it just hiding?

So badly she had wanted to follow them.

But she didn't.

And now she was here. In a room with her two favorite people, in an apartment they used to share, but used by no one in months. Here, they pretended everything was fine. Normal. Almost. As much as it could get.

"All that's missing is you, y'know."

"Then we'd truly be happy."

Solomon studied her. Mammon had a wary expression. He didn't like the tone she was using.

"... Then I guess you'll never be happy, will you? And neither will I."

"We can be happy if you just hurried up and joined us already! Paula, c'mon. Please. Don't make the Great Mammon beg."

"We have a space set up for you. It's already been decorated. There's even a new outfit, so you can get rid of that hero one. Barbatos designed it himself."

"I'm telling you this now. And this will be the last time I tell you, because God knows it hasn't sunk in by now. I am not joining the villains. You've finally gone somewhere I can't follow."

Her voice cracked. It never cracked.

And why was she reaching for her chain? Solomon frowned, attempting to reach out for her. Mammon was having trouble standing up.

"Paula-"

"Don't! Don't. It's over. I'm tired. I've tried. If you haven't listened by now..."

She threw the necklace at Mammon. He scrambled to catch it, irritating his wound in the process. The one he got her for their anniversary. Solomon stared, a frown on his face, his body stiff. Fighting the urge to grab her. She had already begun walking to the door.

"Then who's to say you'll ever listen at all? I can't keep hurting myself trying to convince you both to change. This is it. This is the last time I'll be seeing you both until- if you ever change."

She looked back at them. A mistake on her part, for their expressions punched her gut. Almost made her change her mind. Almost.

Instead, she glared at them. True and angry, not the playful one that held love beneath it. The one they missed so much.

"It's okay though, right? Because you two have everything you've ever wanted."

A door was slammed.

And she was gone.

[termagax]

i dont think hogs self aware enough about his own issues either but i do think hes more on the level vis a vis "what makes this guy worth it". theyre funny. he owes it to them. hes tried everything to get them to leave and they just come back so hes kind of just stuck with them. theyre hot. theyre fun when they arent acting crazy. theyre kind of fun even when they are acting crazy. they like him a whole lot and the attention is flattering. they hate him a whole lot and that feels pretty good too.

the rest is UNDER A CUT BECAUSE I GOT CRAZYAYYY

on a more honest level i think hes got some sort of self flagellation going on here where he both abandons them and keeps them around because they remind him of the thing hes moping over. theyre like the physical manifestation of a bad choice that ruined the life of someone he cared about and changed everything so drastically forever that its impossible to even pretend to be normal about it. and the same way he does in wasted land he flip flops between "i ruined everything and i deserve nothing better than to mope in the ruins until i die because i BROKE it" and "everything has always been fucked and we were doomed from the start and its better to just bury it and move on and be someone else" hes got an avoidant cycle about it and again theyre a good physical manifestation for that issue that he can take it out on. it helps that neither of them really mind being the others punching bag and both on some level understand that it does make them feel better to rip into each other for a little bit. but from fishs pov it just seems like hes randomly hot and cold on them where one day hes choking you out and telling you you shouldve just laid down and died and the next day hes washing your hair and carrying you to bed and the next hes laughing like nothing ever happened and the next he wont even look at you and so on and so on. and it frustrates them because its all so wishy washy that it doesnt really scratch the itch and they feel like they cant make up their mind on how to feel about him because he cant make up his mind about if he fucking hates them or not and it makes it really hard to be mad at him or to love him or to forget about him. so while hes doing this whole lash out -> remember that you love this person and at some point cared about not hurting them -> freak out about how you cant touch anything without breaking it and you deserve to go rot in a hole forever -> just straight up leave because you dont have any way to resolve that feeling because you are a broken person 😀👍 theyre having their own erratic freakouts because they cant take any one thing for too long without feeling like its going to break so even when things are going okay they provoke him into lashing out again because its easier to hate him when hes treating them like that, yk? like its just easier. you get to hate his guts forever and get your rocks off too. and theyre scared when things are good because a)its only a matter of time before it isnt anymore and THEY want to be the one in control of when things fall apart this time and b)they hate how much they love him because again he just doesnt seem to be able to love them the way thwy want. they want 100% one way or the other and the back and forth up and down drives them CRAZYYYYYY. esp because again he is NOT self aware and he is NOT the kind of guy to talk about his feelings at all so its just this brick wall of a man who doesnt listen to anything you say and sometimes seemingly completely randomly decides that he wants nothing to do with you and you just knoooow hes going to break your stupid heart again and its your fault. so yeah sometimes they sit on top of him with a machete at his throat and wait until he wakes up just to see what he'll do because its EASIERRRRRRRR than being in love with him despite everythiiiing.

[nomsfaultau]

(Potentially) Daily ask №6

Music edition!

Have you got a Fault playlist? Or a playlist for any of your works for that matter?

If the fault crew were songs, which songs would they be?

What style of music would each character listen to? Despite the fact that they probably don't have much time for it on the run

Enemy (the arcane version) animatic of fault. Yes or no. I won't be able to make it just got the idea

Slowly pushes Welcome home, Honey, Revived, Injustice/Voices (I couldn't choose cause voices is more epic but it's not rly about him is it) and Doomsday towards the crew just to see the reactions (presumably while explaining the concept of alternate universes)

Also update on the whole being afraid of insects and reading fault. I might have accidentally stopped being afraid of bees- which I think is an amazing confusing side effect

I use randomly generated playlists on YouTube when doing anything, so not really.

Got this one down! In this post that (I'll probably also rb) I discuss the top 3 songs I have for each character. But for bonus, I also like Sugar Pills by idkhbtfm for Phil since it captures his confusion/obsession/spiraling in the amnestic arc; Envy Green by the Arcadian Wild for Wilbur and his relationship with humanity; Ghosts by Danny Schmidt for Tommy. Not so much the part about killing the guy cheating on his wife, but it absolutely captures that guilt and self loathing, plus the extra juice of Tommy being both the hangman and the gallows. "If you've never touched someone you love/It'll burn them if you try"; and a general Razzmatazz by idkhbtfm for the Hallway Massacre/Foundation in general. I think it's about fame but it's also about fascism so idk. I mean the Foundation notoriously doesn't have a dictator but it checks off basically everything else.

Philza is probably really deep into some genre that died centuries ago and is like 'oh yeah you've never heard of it....it's really underground..' and people think he's a music snob but literally an avalanche wiped out the one village doing it, erasing all records. Tubbos' is very hectic given the Hivemind. There's definitely Disney princess songs in there for Jasmine which everyone just grits their teeth (..bees?) and deals with. Some old stuff from the 50s. Tends towards lowkey stuff. Tubbo canonically is bad at singing. The Blade canonically is a Swiftie. Or will be once that part is out. He avoids violent music bc the voices will ensure he literally never gets it out of his head. Tommy feels like he mostly listens to pop hits that are all on the billboard 100 list. Wilbur goes for literally anything. His exposure to music is mostly like. Walmart shopping tunes while he's robbing the place, so he doesn't exactly have an understanding of just how much is out there. But it adores creating its own music, and sings to calm itself down and control the void. Phil discovered the love and nurtured it by helping Wilbur get and learn a variety of instruments. The first was a woodwind Phil carved from cane. Wilbur's last mentioned instrument was a guitar with everyone's names written on it. Well. Besides the stuff the Foundation did...

ohhhhhhh yes. I can deffo see pieces of it. "Your words up on the wall as you're praying for my fall/And the laughter in the halls and the names that I've been called" with a shot of all the dehuminizing language used on the anomalies smeared in Tommy's Red, "The road is long, so put the pedal into the floor The enemy on my trail, my energy unavailable" capturing their constant fleeing, and just that leaving with "I'll never be a saint". Mmmmm delicious.

Mmmm dangerous games you're playing here with void madness, but I'll allow it. Welcome Home: Tommy finds it crushingly relatable. The part about colors turning Grey is a gut punch to him. I mean what hahhaha that guy is so depressed, he clearly can't be me.

Honey: Tubbo is just like. Muffin this other Tubbo clearly has nothing going wrong in their life- his? huh ok. Wait he isn't a bee?? Why is he so obsessed with honey then???? That's thievery. We're gonna sue.

Revived: Wilbur: .....this guy sounds like an edgy lil muffin. (Phil in the distance: mate you are an edgy lil muffin!) Shut up. Why is he so mad about dying? Like kinda inevitable with my -our?- lifestyle. And does this imply I'm going to die soon? (Phil: NOT ON MY WATCH). Whatever. The part about everything being mine sounds nice tho.

Injustice: At first The Blade is like uhhh this guy sounds a LOT like The Blood God and is on way too good of terms with the voices, but the line about yearning for peace wins him over, reframing it as purposeful violence in his eyes. He's entranced with the idea of committing violence as himself, almost.

Voices: The Blade: man it's like having a double dose of madness! Guys why can't you be cool like these voices? You never harmonize! Get good! These are clearly the superior voices. Also...am I really a scrawny pink haired nerd in that world?? bruuuuuuuh...

Doomsday: Philza: is it justice? I don't really know the context, but- (gets smacked by Tubbo) -ah, murder is illegal, even if it's rather effective at solving most prob-(SMACK) Ow! Muffining hell mate...I thought you were the one preaching that violence isn't the answer.

[goddesspharo]

Sending the same back to you!: top five episodes of TV

[ask me my top five anythings!]

This was harder than I thought! Also my list makes it seem like I watch a lot more medical shows than I do (which is to say that I don't watch any anymore), but television used to be so good!

1. The X-Files, "Bad Blood" - I'm like Gillian Anderson that way. Not only is the episode hilarious, but it's the perfect episode to tell people who are not familiar with the show to watch (and often times the one I will recommend above all others). I think of Scully's cream cheese rant every time I eat a bagel, randomly say "he had big buck teeth?!?!?" whenever I see Luke Wilson in something, and have watched it a gazillion times without it ever getting old.

2. Alias, "Truth Be Told" - I truly believe that this is the greatest pilot of all time. Everything about it is brilliant! JJ puts his foot on the gas and never lets up! Jennifer Garner manages to be ALL THE THINGS in this in a way that you'd never expect Hanna from Felicity to be able to play. Just a brilliant hour of television.

3. House, "Three Stories" - Back in the day, I was obsessed with House. (But oh how the mighty fell - I don't think I even watched the last two seasons because it became such a mess.) I remember mainlining the entire first season in time for the agonizing wait before S2. It probably helped that I was in med school when the show was airing so I could lie to myself that watching the show was basically like studying. "Three Stories" was such a great episode because it gave you insight into why House was the way he was, why Cuddy had so much Catholic guilt that he got away with everything, and played fast and loose with perspective. I still remember "not this leg"/"not this leg either." What other show can boast that one of its best episodes has Carmen Electra playing herself in it?

4. Friday Night Lights, "Pilot" - I rewatched the pilot a few months ago and it still feels so palpable. Coach's ending speech about life being so very fragile while Explosions in the Sky plays is an all time banger. I still hold my breath every time right before Jason Street gets hit like doing that will change anything. Now that's what I call good television.

5. ER, "Be Still My Heart" - It's hard to explain to people who were not around or don't remember a time before spoilers, but the end of this episode delivers the kind of gut punch you would never be able to replicate today. When that camera pans across the room and you see Lucy from Carter's perspective? GOD. A masterpiece. The second part of this two-parter is just as good and if you don't get emotional over Romano stopping the code and then immediately trying to resuscitate again, you are stronger than I am. When ER was good, it was so good.

[some-pers0n]

Girl Fight!!

Fandom: WoF

Characters: Tourmaline, Scarlet

CW: Violence, gore, blood, fighting, all that

Summary: Tourmaline, after decades of being trapped as Ruby, finally is free. She's got some emotions she needs to work out, and Scarlet is looking like a mighty fine punching bag.

Word Count: 1.7K

A/N: I've actually wrote Scarlet's death scene once before, but this time it's from Tourmaline's perspective. I was kinda let down in the books from Tourmaline not really being...any more different than Ruby, so I decided to make their personalities a bit more distinct. Tourmaline is a bit silly and vengeful in this one. Love her <3

Hate wasn't a word that she liked tossing around. There were things that she greatly disliked. Pointless wars, diplomatic parties that dragged on deep into the night, obscene amounts of jewelry, anything. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to hate very many things.

Tourmaline hated Scarlet. She hated her mother. She hated her for locking her away. She hated her for simply wishing her out of existence. She hated her for turning her into Ruby.

Ruby was a spineless coward of a dragon who never wanted to threaten violence. She was terrified of being like Scarlet. Tourmaline wasn't like her. Ruby hated Scarlet no doubt, but it was nothing compared to her burning, flaming hatred for this dragon. Ruby had dreams and desires of Scarlet's death. Tourmaline had the guts to make them true.

Scarlet knew. She knew that she hated her. The most clever thing she ever did in her life was grab that lapdog of a dragon and use his scroll to imprison her. Sealing her and replacing her with quiet, agreeable Ruby; all with a simple earring.

Now, she stood in the pouring rain, thunder booming overhead as she stared into the cold, dead golden eye of the dragon she hated the most.

Scarlet stared blankly at her before turning her gaze to Peril. "Well...how did you figure that one out, you disgusting monster?"

Peril stepped away. "I- I only knew that Ruby was under a spell. That earring: it was like my necklace, I knew it. You had Chameleon enchant it so that she wouldn't win-"

"She did it to keep herself safe," Tourmaline spat. "She did it to make sure that she would have a safe, pitiful daughter. Not me. No. Oh, no, no, no... Little ol' Tourmaline was just far too dangerous to have around. Is that what you told everyone? I know." She tapped her talon on her head, a wicked smile forming. "I can feel her memories. Her thoughts. You claimed I was madder than a loon! Is that the story you wanted? You framing my disappearance as me randomly going off the wall?" She laughed. Oh, how she laughed. It echoed through the mountain range. All of these repressed emotions pouring all out at once.

She slowed down after a moment. "Hah ha! Hah!... Ohh..." She looked right at Scarlet. "You should've killed me when you had the chance." Her smile was crooked like a misshapen crack stretched across her snout.

"I don't understand," Peril said, turning her attention to Scarlet. "What have you done? What happened to Ruby?"

Scarlet grinned maliciously. "There had never been a Ruby. I never had a daughter like her. No..." She took a small, sharp inhale. "Tourmaline was one of those eleven princesses I had. None of them fitted my vision. All of them weren't fit for the title of queen, especially not you." She stared down Tourmaline. "I knew you were going to try to kill me. You were always so rash and bold like that. Reminds me of myself... But, that can't be. Only I must be queen. So, I contacted this little parasite and made him do a little spell for me."

Chameleon took a step back, avoiding eye contact.

"Well, speak up!" Tourmaline shouted. 

"It is true. Queen Scarlet did...ask me to make the earring," he quietly said.

"You disgusting, rotten, worthless pile of scales. Guards, seize him. I want him to suffer just as much as my mother."

After a second of hesitancy, the surrounding guards grabbed hold of him. Some struggling later, and they managed to pin him down. He was pathetic. Like a wet dog caught out in the snow. The look of despair in his eyes brought nothing more than glee to Tourmaline.

She turned her attention back to Scarlet. "Now then, where were we?" She playfully tapped her talon against her chin. "Oh right." 

Tourmaline pounced. She lunged towards Scarlet at a speed she had not been able to do in decades. It was like the weight of a mountain had rolled off her body and she could finally move. She toppled over Scarlet, holding her down. She slashed at her wings, tearing a chunk of the membrane with it.

Thunder boomed in the sky in time with Scarlet's shriek. It was a perfect harmony. A beautiful melody that sung to Tourmaline. Scarlet staggered and Tourmaline saw her chance. She dug her claws into her throat. She could feel her heartbeat through it all. It pulsated and beat against her talons. The smell of Scarlet's fear was sharp and heavenly. 

She was afraid. She should be afraid. This was the day she would die.

She was about to bite her neck when Scarlet swiped at her snout. It grazed her face, but it was close enough to her eye to startle her. She then pushed Tourmaline off, getting back up to her feet.

Scarlet let out a short, manic cackle. "Finally, a fight!" she screeched.

Her laughter was like claws on a chalkboard. Agonizing. She hated her voice. Every syllable and thrum in her voice made her ears bleed. Tourmaline wanted nothing more than to silence her. To never hear her say another word.

Tourmaline tried charging again but was tripped by Scarlet's tail. She fell to the ground but rolled over just before Scarlet could trap her. For the first time in ages, Tourmaline felt excitement and joy. It was thrilling to fight someone she hated so much. To know that she will stop at nothing to kill this dragon. To watch the life leave her eyes. To see her die.

 She clawed at Scarlet's arm while she rolled, taking the small window of opportunity to get back up. Blood poured down her neck and wounds. This dragon who prides herself on perfect beauty so much having her scales slashed and stained. Tourmaline smiled, basking in the bloodlust-filled glory of it all.

However, Scarlet got the advantage this time. She leapt onto Tourmaline, holding up her talons. "I'm going to gouge your eyes out, you little pest!" she snarled. She swiped down, but Tourmaline grabbed them, pushing back. It was a struggle. Tourmaline was strong, but Scarlet was equal in power. Her eyes scanned around looking for a weak spot, until she saw it.

"Not today." Tourmaline used her back legs and dug her claws into Scarlet's underbelly. She recoiled, lurching back on her hind legs. She let out a nasty scream, just as lightning struck the mountains overhead. She then fell onto her back.

Tourmaline saw her chance. She instantly leapt onto her, grabbing her by the horns. She leaned down and whispered in her mother's ear. She stared right into her eye as she said, "was this good enough for you now?"

Terror flashed in Scarlet's expression. She knew it was over. Tourmaline glanced back to her audience. They all stood in bated breath. She was their savour. After all of these years, she had her revenge, and she was being hailed for it.

"For the SkyWings!" she shouted. With one sharp motion, and one sharp crack that echoed through the whole valley, she snapped Scarlet's neck. Scarlet let out a disappointing, short wheeze before finally going limp. Tourmaline dropped her, letting her lifeless body fall.

The rain poured down from overhead. Only now did the pain from all of her cuts and scratches began to hurt as the water mixed with the open wounds. For one long moment, it was just her heavy breathing as she stared down Scarlet's corpse. She had won.

Finally, from the crowd, cheering began. "Long live Queen Ruby!!" one dragon yelled. Soon enough, they chanted. They chanted her name. Not Tourmaline, but that false puppet. That weak and miserable nobody. The dragon that never was. The dragon that replaced her.

"Shut up..." she whispered. She hated being called that name. That wasn't her. That was the dragon who was anything but her. 

She looked at her mother. Everything was her fault. Every single bad thing that had ever happened in her life was because of her. She wouldn't have to claim her throne after all these years if Scarlet had let her become queen.

She grabbed her by the throat and stared at her face. Her eyes rolled around as if they were only hanging on by a thread. It was bruised and bloody, but still intact. 

She slammed her head back into the ground with a deafening thud.

The crowd began to silence themselves, looking back to Tourmaline. She was not done. Scarlet was dead, but she deserved more. She did not her to even be recognizable by the end of it all.

She did it again. Lifting her head and then smashing it back into the ground. The sound of her skull splintering rang out in her ears. She did it again. Then again. More and more did the disgustingly perfect look of Scarlet become misshaped.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" she asked. "You wanted a dragon just like you. Powerful, cunning, and merciless. Isn't this what you wanted? Are you happy now?" she chuckled at the end of her sentence.

The skull was warped. Fractured in places and allowing for certain areas to distort. The jaw was unhinged, several teeth broken and fallen out. The horns were cracked with the ends of them laying on the ground. Her golden eye had streaks of red as blood broke in, filling it with that crimson hue.

She finally threw the body onto the ground. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth. In one blast of light, amber-coloured fire erupted from her jaws, blasting straight onto Scarlet. Tourmaline kept that fire on her, using up any energy in her until finally she ran out. 

Scarlet was mangled. A burning, blistered, bubbling corpse. Her scales were melting into one another. Pieces of bone stuck out of certain aspects. Her face was indescribable. It looked more like a puddle of sludge than the remains of a skull.

Nobody dared to speak. That air of triumph and victory was long gone now. Hundreds of eyes all stared at her, fearful.

Finally, one lone voice spoke up. "Mommy?..."

Tourmaline barred her teeth, looking around to find the source. She hissed, breathing intensely. Whoever it was they were going to be the next one ending up like Scarlet.

Until her eyes landed on a small, dark red dragonet. Uselessly standing there, scared and terrified. He was hiding behind Peril, cowering. He was afraid of her.

...but she didn't want to be scary to this dragonet.

A feeling, a small, annoying feeling bubbled up in her. She knew it wasn't her emotions. Along with her memories, Tourmaline could feel Ruby's thoughts in her. Ruby was drowned out in the chaos and commotion, but she could faintly feel a tug on her heart upon seeing this dragonet.

Maybe, just maybe, killing Scarlet like this wasn't a good idea. 

[606nox]

Savanaclaw x subnatica reader

Jack x subnatica reader

I feel like this is a good description of jack and Leona in ch 2 might just be me tho

Jack had seen you at the ceremony and saw the racket that was caused at first was judging you but he quickly realized that it wasn't your fault and in fact, you took care of the situation quickly and seemed to be annoyed by the whole situation but what he also noticed was that you didn't walk right you could move and run but something about how you walked and ran was just off he couldn't put his finger on it but just because you ran strange doesn't mean that you weren't fast you were so fast you that you ended the chase before it could go on any longer so he just chalked it up to the fact that you were in a coffin for a long time but after he saw you take care of the situation putting Riddle's and Azul's magic to shame he was impressed he could admire you for taking responsibility for a situation you didn't need to but other than that he never really got to talk to you but he heard that you were a janitor which he kinds felt back for you because the guys at the school weren't very nice and because you would have to clean up all that mess but he saw you clean and deal with the other teens despite being the same age you made sure they showed you respect but later that day he learned that you had became a student which he was honestly a bit happy for you even though he didn't know you he was still a little bit happy for you even if you didn't show it and honestly he was hoping that you would be sorted into a dorm so you could be in savanaclaw but he had heard that the old ramshakle form was now inhabited so he assumed it was you which made him furious because he knew that some dorms still had rooms and the headmaster put you in a rundown place but there wasn't anything he could do to help you he wasn't a dormleader and he couldn't get randomly involved and march up to the head master and demand that you get a better living place but he soon realized that wait why do I care so much about them I don't know them at all but he did dwell on it to much because he had other stuff to do and for a while he didn't hear anything about you but them he heard about Riddles overblot and he also heard that you had helped fight against him but that was super weird to him because you don't have magic but he decided that he would confront you later but for now he would leave you alone after all you just got done dealing with an overblot so you must be tired and you still had to go to school so he left you be but when he throught that it was time to confront you came to him talking about how someone was sabotaging the magical shift games but he brushed it off but you just said that you although you didn't want to compete you wanted to be fair because not only was finding the culprit beneficial to you but you also throught that whoever wins should win fairly and not by cheating mainly because cheating to win something so trivial compared to what you had to do which he didn't agree with but he did agree that whoever wins should win fairly but the compared to what you had to do sounded like a uncomfortable joke that was supposed to make him laugh but he was just confused and a little anxious what did you mean by that but you left and he forgot for the time being but everytime he saw you those words just kept resurfacing it bothered him but he wasn't going to ask you but not only that he noticed that you still walked weird eventually he decided to join you guys on your way to find the culprit even though he knew who it was and he was a bit a happy when you figured out that it was ruggie by yourself but the thing was that you still needed to find proof that he was the culprit because without proof the headmaster couldn't do anything about it even if he did believe you and the worst part of it was that ruggie knew that he knew that no one could do anything unless they got physical proof that ruggie did it which made things harder because ruggie was very diligent about his sabotage and made it look natural but you guys got a plan and it worked but at a cost leona overbloted and he had ruggie hostage

but not only that Jack was going to charge at leona but you caught jack and told him to stand down because not only could ruggie get hurt but he and everyone else could get hurt so he did stand down but he heard you mumble something like damn I wish I was in water which made jack a little angry you were talking about water when leona is overbloted and ruggie is being held hostage didn't you understand the severity of this situation but right now jack couldn't muster up the words to tell at you so he just looked at you and saw you reaching for your belt but the stranger part was that leona didn't notice you reach for your belt but even so he couldn't help but notice that you were just as shooken up as him you were shaking but not in a scared more like anticipation of what was to happen before jack could make another moves your arms sprang up and shot something at leona at first he thought it was a bullet but when it reached him he was stuck he couldn't move at all it was like he was paralyzed and the first thing you did start charging the gun looking thing in your hand and bolted at the paralyzed leona and grabbed ruggie who was also paralyzed up until you got him out of the sphere but before anyone knew it the spheres affect wore off but you quickly shot another what looked like an eclectic surge and paralyzed leona again and commanded them to attack and jack joined in attacking and you kept paralyzing leona but eventually people started to get tired and got angry you still ran weird but you looked no you felt different now you no longer were shaking instead it was replaced with a new type of weapon it looked heavy-duty like it was meant for combat but instead of shooting at leona you pointed it at him and a light appeared around him and leona began to struggle but you quickly slammed him into the ground which was enough to knock him out but his blot monster was still up and in response mixed in between the magic being shot at it you launched a bolder at it which made it disappear the blot subsited and leona was ok but jack was more concerned by the way you looked you seemed exited but in a violent like the other students in savanaclaw when someone tries to pick a fight with them he didn't know what to call it but you looked it but a concerning amount you looked almost blood hungry but you didn't act on it you calmed down but that's when jack realized that this wasn't blood hungry it was more of a survival instincts kicking and it just made you seem blood hungry after leona was safe jack went to question you about that cause that wasn't a normal thing to happen sure fight or flight just kicked but this was different no one gets that fight or flight that bad unless they have been throw something bad that made them that way jack got to hunting you down and found you sitting by the trees right at the end of the school field once jack got close enough to see you he saw you just observing the flora even just the grass and you plopped down on it almost like you were trying to hug it and after you fully got comfy you let out a sigh line you had been holding in your breath and closed your eyes but you had heard him walking towards you and lazily opened your eyes

Hey perfect can I ask you a question

Sure shoot I don't have anything else to do

First, do you mind if I sit next to you

Sure I don't mind

Right, so what was that back there you seemed different-

Maybe later jack when I know you better but for now, let's leave it unknown.

And with that, you got up from your comfy spot and left to get back to the ramshackle after that jack, and you began to hang out with him and he found out that he and you had quite a bit in common he liked plants and so did you that's what you guys first bonded over but jack also admired and respect you you had earned it but you notice that jack was trying to earn yours but here's the problem you didn't have anyone to respect for a long time because you were on an alien planet so respect didn't matter to you so it took you a long while to realize that jack was trying to gain your respect but to be honest you didn't care because you were enjoying your time with Jack but also knew that it would seem like you were taking advantage of him so you told him that he didn't need to try and earn your respect because you like him the way he is and you just want to be friends with the real him and jack couldn't hold it together that was too cute and all he could mutter out was right

You guys ended up in a relationship somehow and honestly, jack knew he had feelings but he never knew you had feelings for him everything about you just made jack flustered the way you were gentle and kind but still knew when to stand up for yourself jack and you just kind of hang out he has study dates with you a lot because school gets hard occasionally but one day jack offered to let you go on one of his daily jogs but you declined and he was ok with that but he did ask you why not

Why not I've seen how fast you can go even just at a walking pace you don't have to I'm just curious

Well honestly I'd rather forget that I can be that fast it's a bother

Normally jack would have just left it alone but your mood shifted so fast and not in a good way you seemed sad but bothered and mad just a whole bunch of emotions all at the same time so he sat down next to you

Hey you don't have to tell me but please if it's making you sad tell me I want to make sure your happy

I guess I could tell you but it's a little bit strange

You're from another world what else could be that strange

You let out a small laugh jack was just happy he could see you smile

Well you see I didn't have a choice I was stuck on an alien planet that's why I walk and talked so weirdly there were giant leviathan creatures and even the small ones were dangerous I also had to hunt on my own and scavenge for material because the ship I was on crashed luckily I had blueprints still and I could make weapons and the cherry on top I cured a disease that could have killed me and the whole planet

Wow I don't know what to say I'm sorry you had to go through that and I believe you

Yeah I don't expect you to know what to say but I'm happy that you believe me

Do you want me to stay I can always skip today if you want

Yeah could you I just kind of want to cuddle you I'm a bit sad remembering all this

Yeah I can I love you, please remember that

I love you too jack