#it really is so hard to pick just one

[kettlefire]

As Good as Good Gets (DP X DC Snippet)

Richard "Dick" Grayson is the golden child. In the eyes of the public, and in the eyes of the league. Dick is a sweet, caring son, a man who went from being a sidekick to being a hero. The pipeline from Robin to Nightwing had many people applauding his dedication to keeping Gotham safe.

No one knew the full story, not truly. No one but Bruce Wayne himself. And maybe a certain butler. Many don't know that Dick only became Robin to stop him from hunting down and killing the man who killed his parents.

No one really knows about the harsh fights and arguments he has had with Bruce. The times when Dick would find himself cut off from the Wayne name for a week or so. No one knows that the first person Dick warmed up to was Alfred. Having been bribed with cookies.

Things weren't always this good, trusting, happy relationship between Bruce and Dick. It had been a rough ride, a complicated one. But that was okay, because it got better.

Dick stopped being so moody and angsty. He grew up, he learned, and he changed. He became an older brother, found people that needed him. Needed him in a way that the citizens of Gotham didn't need him.

His brothers like to call him annoying. A goody two shoes who Bruce trusted more than everyone else. They couldn't fathom how someone like Dick could be so stupid and bubbly at all times.

All times, except when shit hits the fans. Despite the name calling, despite coining Dick as the stupid Wayne. They all knew better. They knew that when it mattered, Dick Grayson always pulled through. He was a force to be reckoned with when needed.

The whole Wayne family was a force to be reckoned with when called for. It didn't have to be under the guise of costumes and vigilante acts. Whether he was Officer Grayson or Nightwing, Dick was a man with his morals and values.

One night on patrol as Officer Grayson, Dick found someone who needed that force. A force willing to protect and care for the innocent. The hurt. The damaged, yet still good.

It started like any other night. A call of shots fired by an empty warehouse. There was no sighting or knowledge of any rouges being there, so Dick took the call. Told the team he'll contact them if it seems more than just a civilian incident.

The warehouse was dark, reeked of copper and oil. It didn't take long for Dick to find the trail. The liquid he found looked like the person had been dragged before walking. There was a clear struggle, even with the mess and emptiness that was the warehouse.

That wasn't Dick's biggest concern. The concern lay in just how much blood there was. Too much for any normal person to lose and still manage to stumble through the warehouse.

It wasn't just blood. It wasn't that much, but Dick could spot the strangeness in the liquid. The mixed in green that had an eerily similar color and glow as a certain pit.

Without thinking, Dick followed the trail. Barely remembering to make contact with his family. Give them an update on what he found. Words telling him to stay put for backup went in one ear and out the other.

Something in Dick's gut was telling him he couldn't wait. He needed to find the source. Whoever was currently bleeding out in this warehouse. He silenced the comm, moving further through the dimly lit building.

Then Dick found it. Or more so, he found him. It was just a boy. A boy that reminded Dick too much of the youngest Wayne. A boy sat against a wall, looking pale and weak.

Red and green coated the front of the boy's shirt, arms wrapped tightly around his middle. An attempt to stem the bleeding. A puddle had already started to form beneath the boy, and Dick moved without thinking once again.

He quickly found himself kneeling beside the boy, hands carefully reaching out. Before Dick even touched him, the boy flinched. Eyelids suddenly opened, wide and terrified blue eyes landed on Dick's.

In just that one look, Dick knew what he had to do. The haunting, terrified, and pained look in the boy's eyes told Dick everything he needed to know. The boy was in danger. Someone had hurt this kid, and it was clear it wasn't the first time.

The boy struggled weakly against Dick's touch, terrified whimpers, and barely coherent pleas spilled from the kid's lips. It had Dick's heart aching, clear as day the poor kid has been through hell and back.

It took a lot of reassurance, gentle touches, and promises of help before the kid let Dick take a look at the bleeding wound. A promise on Dick's soul had been the final thing that earned him any semblance of trust. A strange promise, but Dick was willing to make it.

That concern turned to pure anger the moment Dick managed to pull the sticky shirt away from the wound. The sight of a Y-incision cut perfectly into the skin, stitches tight on the skin, but blood still leaking heavily from the wound.

It didn't take long for Dick to realize why. Despite the perfect surgical care of the wound, a good couple of stitches had broken. Leaving gaping spots for that red and green liquid to pour out of.

The boy was deathly silent, tears streaking down his cheek as wide blue eyes stayed trained on Dick. In that moment, Dick knew he had to help. Had to get the kid to safety, patch him up, and find out what kind of monster would do this.

It didn't matter if the kid was human or not. It didn't matter if the kid had special abilities or not. No one, absolutely no one, deserved to be vivisected.

The kid was shrouded in mystery, but that mystery only seemed to grow and become clearer when Bruce had entered the scene. The boy had tensed, eyes flashing a bright glowing green.

Lazarus pit green.

It set a pit of dread in Dick's gut. His mind brings forward memories of Jason. Jason, after his revival, after his dip in that cursed pit. The same flash that his brother would get if he got too angry. Too emotional.

As much as Dick wanted to focus on finding who did this, if it had any connection to Ra's al Ghul. He couldn't. Not when the kid tried to get up, to pull away as Bruce and the others made their way closer.

Right now, Dick only cared about making sure the boy was okay. Fixing those stitches, getting him a meal, and a warm bed.

He needed to get this kid someplace where he felt safe and secure. Comfortable and protected. Dick wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the promise he had made, but he wasn't letting anyone get to the kid.

That included his family. As strange as it seemed, Dick put himself between the others and the kid. Shooting them all a glare that they had only ever seen a handful of times.

Dick lifted the poor boy up in his arms, cradling the crying child close as he led the way out of the warehouse. Ignoring the questions or confusion coming from Bruce and the others. As Dick walked, feeling the trembling boy clinging to him, he made a rather obvious realization.

Maybe the eldest son really was more like Bruce than he expected. Just a few short moments the the boy, a boy that Dick didn't know his name, and he was ready to pull out adoption papers. To give the boy a safety he so desperately needs.

Give him the chance that Bruce had given him all those years ago.

[itslilacokay]

gave the ava template a try, had WAY too much fun as a result

um. anyway so tagging according to fifth image

@thatonefishfriend @starry-907 @greenmcgee

@jaydendoesartstuff @starrypawu @leafeyrune

@tulipsempai @berryicet

(starrypawu's also the one that made the template btw)

[sergle]

I think I'm going to make a temperature blanket this year

[sieglinde-freud]

let it be known that i love prince inigo with my whole soul. however sometimes it is SO much fun to think about owain and his two most loyal-est knights you ever seen: worst guy in the world #1 and worst guy in the world #2. i love retainer inigo and severa so much. retainers who bully you and make fun of you and trash on you but they’d leave behind everyone and everything they ever knew to follow you and protect you in a whole new universe. they love you so much that they’d swear allegiance to total strangers but that loyalty pales in comparison to what they’d do for you. and they were all lovers!!!!!!!

[bread-is-my-life]

Winter stainmight, winter stainmight! ❄️

Plus a comic

A silly headcanon of mine that is 100% canon/j is that Stain always has some spare pair of gloves with him ONLY because Toshi always forgets his 😭 I think after a while it will just become an ordinary thing for them. Just a small moment of Stain caring for Toshi hehehfd :3

[icewindandboringhorror]

What would you choose? :0c

(note: original image is from HERE (link) - but I edited it to add a wider variety of options.. also added $3 extra to the total, even though I know that makes it more uneven lol, I thought if you're adding 10 whole extra items, the money to spend should at least be increased slightly, if that makes sense..)

[cybertron-after-dark]

Being constantly surrounded by the presence of a loving God sounds great until you realize you never know when his freaky fuckin eyes are gonna show up to check on you.

And man. They do it a LOT.

[dreadark]

bugs me a bit when people assume Ivan is some kind of genius or somehow naturally talented

he's really not at all. he just works ridiculously hard I mean we've seen his schedule what is this

literally anyone who put in this amount of work would end up getting good grades... if they didn't have a complete breakdown first guess you can consider that his "talent" can't break if you're already broken

Sua does actually seem like a natural genius though, she's tied with Ivan despite not doing... all that well she basically says as much

and she worked as a model (among other things) while attending Anakt Garden, so she managed being top of the class while also already having her career Ivan didn't do any of that, he only got popular after round 3 (idk what these rankings are out of, but if he's only 78th when Till was 5th...) despite being a top student I suppose Ivan didn't actually stand out much at first?

interesting how out of all of them, Ivan seems the least suited to singing on stage Sua's clearly talented, Till is a musical prodigy, and Mizi genuinely loves singing Luka is literally made for it, and Hyuna also loves singing and seems to have this natural stage presence

but all Ivan's good at is following orders

[melonisopod]

I love Don Quixote’s observation logs because she’s very goofy and almost always doing something funny but she’s also really observant too.

Yes she tried to eat raw chicken but she also noted a similarity between the Steam Engine’s self-repair ability and Dante’s healing, since both can “heal” damage by “undoing” or ‘turning back the clock’.

With Siltcurrent, she also realizes the glow sticks can be used both as breathing tools to keep the Sinners from drowning once the whale floods the arena, and also as barracades to lure in the whale to charge into.

And then her WHOLE deal with Distorted!Heathcliff. The more I read over it the more I realize how depressed she is having to write the log but is trying to stay positive about it, that’s part of why she makes a point to praise Heathcliff as a strong combatant and the ways he stands out from Hindley.

[lunarharp]

pretty & cute witch men

[imerian]

☆ Valentino Rossi collage ☆

*ﾟ*⁠.☆✷*ﾟ*⁠.⁠✧☆✷*ﾟ*⁠.☆⁠｡⁠•̀⁠✧*｡⁠*ﾟ*⁠.⁠✧

[feroluce]

Belobog was my fave main quest but a lot of it is so. Contradictory. It's like they had multiple groups doing different shit and none of them checked in with each other for consistency. And you see this so much in Gepard's profile.

So in the main quest, they made him unfailingly, unquestionably loyal to Cocolia. Gepard's character arc is him learning to question authority etc etc. And this isn't even a bad thing; that's a story worth telling! It makes good conflict between him and Serval! And I love that we got Gepard as a boss battle and I get to see him all the time in SU!

But then you look at his character stories and it's like. The complete opposite.

According to his profile, Gepard has already HAD this awakening, long before the Astral Express, and he'd already decided Cocolia sucks. Even outside of his stories, there's a pretty damning readable between him and Pela.

He even disobeyed direct orders right in front of her- he has been disobeying orders for a while now!

So I've decided I'm marrying the two different sides of this into a 1.5k fic-ish thingy, because I think there's some fun potential there with Gepard not trusting Cocolia, but still having to pretend to be a good obedient little soldier.

Anyway. I love to think of it as like. Gepard knows Cocolia has sunk into her apathy. He can see it in her eyes every time he looks at her. She doesn't care. Not about him, not about Pela, not about all his soldiers on the frontlines giving their lives to protect the citizens. And that's... It makes him bristle a bit, but ok. Gepard can deal with this. Even if Cocolia no longer cares, as long as she does her job then it's fine. Having compassion behind an action doesn't matter as much as the action itself. If Cocolia's heart is no longer swayed, then he'll just have to care twice as hard to pick up the slack. He considers it part of his duty as a captain of the guard anyway. It's fine. Gepard can deal with it.

And then, Cocolia starts coming down to the restricted zone. Issuing direct orders.

And Gepard realizes he is in way over his head.

Because Cocolia orders him to stay back and issue commands from the ramparts, away from all his comrades, away from where he can protect them.

Gepard had thought nothing could be as bad as watching a fellow guard die right next to him. But the first time he watches someone struck by a killing blow, so far away, it hurts. Every defensive scar across his arms itches, his fingers curl in want of a weapon, the cold cannot numb his hands enough as they desperately ache for his shield. It hurts.

Gepard tries to find any reason to stay. Because surely... He knows Cocolia has lost her love for her people, but surely... She wouldn't...

One day, Cocolia orders for their gunners to advance 20 yards. There are no survivors. She almost looks like she smiles.

Gepard doesn't sleep that night.

Pela brings him the report at the end of the first month; and then the month after that, and the month after that. A significant uptick in losses, and all of it started on that first day Cocolia started overriding his authority and issuing her own orders. The ends of Gepard's pens have all been nearly chewed off. Pela outright calls Cocolia an idiot, and Gepard corrects her. Cocolia isn't an idiot. Gepard had known her through Serval, knew her through all her college years and then some, and he knows how intelligent she is. It's not that she's stupid, and it's not that she's inexperienced, it's nothing of the sort.

Cocolia knows exactly what she's doing.

She must, there's no way she could make such a horrible mess of things so badly by accident. And Pela, quick as a whip, sharp as a tack, always too smart for her own good, catches onto the meaning behind Gepard's correction without any further prompting. The tent goes deathly quiet, nothing but the wind howling outside.

"...She's trying to kill us," Pela whispers, her voice swiftly suffocated by the silence.

Gepard swallows. He can't bring himself to correct her this time. There is nothing he could say that he would actually mean.

His gaze drops, back down to his desk and the reports on it. The names aren't listed, just the numbers, but Gepard knows them, knew them, and there must be something wrong, something he's missing, because why, why would she-? What could this possibly accomplish-?

“Gepard! Focus!” Something snaps right under his nose, and Gepard startles, eyes instantly honing in on Pela's irritated face as she leans over his desk. She holds his gaze for a moment before she huffs and begins to pace, wedges a knuckle between her teeth and bites like Gepard hasn't seen her do since cadet school.

Pela angrily strides from one end of his tent to the other, words hissed between her grit teeth. “What are we going to do?” In the dim lighting, Gepard can just barely see the damp spot of blood weeping under her gloves. “We need a plan.”

“A plan?”

“Wh- Yes, a plan! Unless you want more people to die!” Pela rounds on him then, all the wrath of a blizzard, winds roaring and snow sharp enough to cut.

“We don't even know-”

“What does it matter?! She killed-!!” Pela cuts off with a garbled noise when Gepard leaps up from his desk, hastily shoves his hand over her mouth. The prosthetic, not the flesh one, because he knows better than to assume Pela won't seize the opportunity to leave teeth marks in his skin.

“You're right. I'm sorry, I'm sorry; you're right. But you need to keep quiet.” Pela quirks an eyebrow at him and Gepard can read the question in her face. “Because we both saw what she did to Serval,” he hisses.

It's amazing the snow plains haven't thawed out yet, the amount of heat Pela can put behind a glare. The mere mention of Serval, and the smoking ruins Cocolia had made of her life and career, have her bristling up like a riled cat. The sudden hot breath she takes fans fog across his metal skin, and Gepard wisely keeps it in place until Pela finally sighs and reaches up, taps her fingertips against the back of his hand.

The second she's free, Pela bats him away and then her knuckle is right back between her teeth again, Gepard leaning back against his desk with his arms crossed to watch her resume her pacing. “If we spread the word, she'll have us discharged and make sure we can't even touch the frontlines,” Pela's voice seethes like an open sore. Gepard nods but keeps his silence. He knows better than to get in her way.

“And if you and I are both out of the picture, Belobog is fucked.” A little harsher than how he would have put it, but there's no denying that they're both important to the city's survival. Pela has the restricted zone running as efficiently as ever, and Gepard had become the youngest captain on record for a reason. “We need to keep this tight under wraps, at least for now… It can't leak to anyone higher up the chain.” Another nod. “Serval might know other discontents…” Another n-

Gepard's head snaps up. “No.”

“No what?”

“No. We're not involving Serval in this.”

Somehow, even the same tone that leaves entire squadrons shaking in their boots has never worked on her. “You're not deciding that for her, Gepard.”

Pela hadn't seen the worst of it, though, back when his sister had just been banned from the Architects. Serval's pride hadn't allowed it. Pela wasn't the one to find her passed out bottle still in hand, hadn't been the one to wash the sick out of her hair or carry her to bed. 

Serval still has trouble thinking clearly when it comes to Cocolia, still can't quite bring herself to be objective. And Gepard maybe doesn't want her to be purely objective- but he would worry a lot less if she thought twice before she acted more often.

“At least let me be the one to bring it up to her.”

“Whatever, fine,” Pela gestures affirmatively at him as she paces past, and Gepard sighs. Good, at least that's one thing he can help.

From there, it's a lot of hemming and hawing and frustration. Cocolia has them under her boot, and Gepard and Pela both know it. Even with the way she's been cracking down on freedoms lately, Cocolia is still, overall, liked by the people. It's unlikely anyone would believe them. They don't even have solid proof, because most people don't know Cocolia as well as they do and won't see the clues in the same light. 

The Fragmentum has been ramping up in recent years, too. Everyone is struggling just to survive as is, they can't afford a fight on two fronts. Gepard is a damn good captain, one of the best for that matter. But they're at a massive disadvantage, his experience is narrowed to fighting a defensive battle against monsters, that's all he's ever done. That's all anyone there has ever done. He has no way of finding first-hand knowledge for taking the offensive against a human opponent, and if he goes at this blind, there's no way he'll get everyone out unscathed. He's going to lose people. He's going to lose a lot of people.

He'd never thought before that Cocolia would have it in her to have someone killed. And with this new knowledge, he has no guarantee she won't go after Serval or Lynx if she decides to retaliate.

Gepard has to remind himself to breathe when he realizes this.

Pela writes down every name the two of them can come up with. Lists and lists of names and groups and anyone they can think of who might be an ally in all of this. They memorize every bit of it, make their plans of who to talk to and when. Gepard watches the sparks reflect off Pela's glasses as they burn the evidence together.

Pela finally leaves, far too late to make it home, but says she wants to stay in the restricted zone anyway to investigate. Gepard watches her make her way in the direction of Dunn's tent, watches her back until she's out of his sight and squashes down the urge to follow and keep an eye on her. His tent feels empty.

In the morning, Gepard is up before the wake up bells. He drags himself out of bed, leads his soldiers through their morning training. The same people gravitate to each other everyday. Friend groups and training partners. There's an ongoing rivalry between a few squadrons that everyone bets on. Some of them have lockets around their necks, keepsakes, mementos. Some of them wear wedding rings.

Gepard is suddenly, painfully aware of something acidic clawing at the inside of his throat, of a heavy weight low in his chest that blooms, takes up room until it threatens to spread his ribs. His mouth tastes of bile and blood.

He rearranges the schedules. Puts himself down for every open patrol into the Fragmentum, makes sure he'll be on the frontlines every single time Cocolia visits.

He only hopes that it's enough.

[ancha-aus]

RealAgeAu Drabble - The Gang

Hello! I am back because I had an idea! And so I must WRITE! @spotaus Hope you ready friend :3

It is a feel good one! :D

First Drabble Prev Drabble Next Drabble

No edit or beta we just having fun!

*------------------*

Horror carefully grabs the bowls and moves them to the sink as Killer and Cross go off to continue clearing their new area. Dust should still be in their nest as it is his rest day today.

Crop joins him in cleaning up the table. Horror shoots him a look "You are a guest." and he gives him a pointed look.

Crop just grins back "Oh you know! Small town politeness!" and he grabs the towel, clearing appointing himself drying duty.

Horror grins as he turns slightly "What do you say Nightmare?"

Nightmare stands wiht his arms crossed by the table. trying his best to look angry but Horror just thinks he is pouting.

Nightmare huffs as he looks down and mutters "I am perfe-ctle able to help dry." he glares harder as he tripped slightly over his words.

Horror chuckles and gently nudges him out of the room "Or. You could go outside with your book? Enjoy the sun as you read and keep an socket on Killer and Cross."

Nightmare frowns at him. Horror knows he isn't exactle being subtle but they don't need to be. Nightmare needs to relax and enjoy his second chance at a childhood.

Nightmare glances at the sink for a moment before nodding and leaving the kitchen. Horror listens for a moment and hears more shuffles before the frontdoor closes.

Horror nods and turns back to the sink and sees Crop's looking curiously.

Horror raises a brow but joins his side and the two start on the chore. Horror starts with soaping up the dishes "Still think that as guest you should relax."

Crop shrugs as he waits his turn to dry "I like helping."

Horror chuckles "And we are still very thankful... let us know how to repay you."

Crop waves it off as he leans back against the counter. Horror shoots him a glance and sees that Crop seems to debate something with himself. Horror just continiues washing the dishes.

"I did... wonder something..."

Horror hums and tilts his skull as he waits.

Crop seems to consider how to ask it before turning to Horror "Nightmare is... very helpful."

Horror chuckles "That is the right word alright. Wants to help with everything." the little perfectionist. Of course it isn't that surprising.

Crop rubs his cheek "Well... I mean... I was wondering... Was he... like that... before? When he was still... big?"

Horror blinks as he looks at Crop for a moment before nodding "Well, yeah." and he continues washing the dishes.

Crop blinks and stares "seriously? But everyone always spoke about well... you know..."

Horror raises a brow at his friend and grins "That he is someone who spreads negativity and only cares about that?"

Crop cringes and shrugs "I didn't mean it like that..."

horror nods "I know."

Crop glares at him and hfufs "How any of them can think you are the most mature is beyond me."

Horror chuckles "Has a lot to do with how i was introduced." the original meeting with Crop had after all been much more chaotic and Horror ahd been actively hostile back then. Let his own mischievous side shine more through. Horror still loves jokes and pranks he just knows when to pick his moments, unlike some people.

Crop finishes drying the next few dishes before shooting him a look "Like... introduced? How did you end up working together with them?"

Horror shrugs as he finishes washing the last few things "Same as everyone. Nightmare hired me."

Crop pauses before snorting and laughing "I am sorry. Now whenever i hear nightmare i immediantly see that tiny six year old and they idea of him just standing before you and hiring you like that is real funny."

Horror chuckles and nods "It is rather amusing. Trust me. We did not miss the fact that technically we all agreed to work for a six year old." even when that same six year old was parading around in the adult version of his body. It did explain some of Nightmare curious habbits. The way he would get grumpy if tired or when he was low on magic and negative energy. The way things had to happen in a very specific way or he would just stare at the problem. just a lot of tiny things.

Crop chcukles and looks over "So... what? He realised you were very strong and decided to hire you as muscle?"

Horror grins "Ironically. My role hardly changed between when i was first hired and now."

Crop blinks confused "Waht?"

Horror chuckles and shrugs "I was originally hired to keep an eye on Dust and Killer. So you could say that I was already hired as babysitter to begin with." he snorts at the look Crop sends him.

Crop just gapes at him "seriously?! But... like.. .you are you!" and he waves at him "mega strong and amazing with tracking and traps!"

Horrro shrugs "Nightmare didn't specifically need those things at the time. At the time he needed someone steady to keep the chaos of Killer and dust a bit more contained."

Crop finishes his own task and crosses his arms "really?"

horror nods "It is true. I was surprised myself. But... well... Even if Nightmare had always been a god and while he wasn't used to mortal things and habits..." especially not after being in a fake adult body for 500 years powered by godpowered apples "He isn't afraid to admit he doesn't know things. At least to himself."

Crop just stares at him and Hroror rubs his own neck "Killer was the first one to be recruited. I know that story but it isn't my place to tell. All I can say is that Killer took his role of first follower very seriously. But... well... it isn't an easy job that Killer and Nightmare did and Nightmare was very quickly aware Killer is a mortal."

Crop blinks and gives aslow nod "so he got help?"

Horror nods "exactly. We once asked Nightmare why he picked Dust and Nightmare had just told us that Dust fit the requirements and was willing."

Horror sometimes wonders if Nightmare had asked others before hand. If others had said no and he had just disappeared form their lives. Or if he asked Dust first but had been prepared to just leave if he said no. He never ended up asking him.

Crop gives a slow nod "Still doesn't explain your role."

Hroror grins "Dust and Killer hated one another."

Crop sputters "waht? No way! There is no way. Those two are like this!" he crosses his fingers "You all are!" and he waits.

Horror shrugs "took time. more important, took us all being honest and vulnerable." which none of them enjoyed being at the time. It had all felt too good to be true. Horror knew he sometimes worried that he would have woken up back in his universe, away from his new friends and his brother and world still slowly dying of starvation. Nightmare had offered him a solution in trade for his service, Horror had quickly accepted.

Crop frowns "Like... I know Killer annoys Dust a lot but i mean.. that is more like.. .you know... playground.... boys and girls..."

horror chuckles "you can call it flirting. THough Killer will die before admitting that, he will tell you he is teasing. big difference."

Crop groans as he rubs his face "but how did that came to be? If they hated one another?"

Horror shrugs "both of them reminded each other of themselves. They both hated that. Took a long time of me being there as supervisor and buffer before they started to interact without fighting." both a physical and a metaphorical buffer.

Crop seems to consider this before nodding "I guess that makes sense... And you had the same role when Cross joined?"

Horror shakes his skull "by that time I had already joined Nightmare's normal forces and took pretty much the same job as Dust and Killer had. but by that time we had all learned not to just judge a book by its cover and to respect some boundaries. It was easier when Cross joined because of that." Good to because Cross had been, and still was, a bundle of nerves and anxiety. self doubt if honestly the biggest thing holding him back. If only Cross could see that himself, then Horror doubts there is much in this multiverse that could stop Cross from doing what he wants.

Crop chuckles "All of you had to learn that? YOu seem perfectly fine with interactions."

horror raises a brow at him "First week i stayed in this universe."

Crop's winces and rubs his arm "Yeha okay fair."

horror shakes his skull "I made my own mistakes and am thankful that the others forgave me for. It was a learnign curve for all of us." to be coworkers. to rely on each other. to be friends. To be a team and unit. and now... a family...

Crop nods "well... I can say that you guys are doing great!" he grins "people in town were nervous but they all really like you!"

Horror chcukles "good to hear. and thank you for everything..."

Crop shrugs "don't worry about it." he checks the clock and grins "I will need to go back. need to milk the cows and Betty loves her schedule. If i am late she may come looking for me."

Horror sighs "please don't bring a cow to these grounds..." Hell knows that they all had been assholes enough to joke and prank Cross with those. Before they realised how bad the phobia was. Again, they can all be assholes.

Crop gives him an easy thumbs up "don't worry. I will make sure it doesn't happen." he glances around and whispers "there was... one thing i was wodnering... you guys are real close. Is it... you know?" and he grins widely.

Horror chuckles and shrugs "not specifically." he shoots a glance towards where he knows Dust is sleeping in the nest. Then he glances out of the window to see if he can spot either Killer or Cross "There is no hurry..."

Crop grins and nods "cool cool. just people asking me stuff."

Horror nudges him "don't gossip. It is a bad habit."

Crop sighs "come on. you guys wouldn't give me the details on yourr made backstory. can tell me this at least."

Horror shoots him an amused look "no." and he starts to lead Crop's out.

Crop huffs but joins his side. They walk towards the path that will lead Crop home before stopping and both saying their goodbyes.

Crop shoots hima look "You have a lot of patiences with this."

horror shrugs "there is no hurry" and if he learend one thing with his family is that sometimes things just took time. Especially things concerning emotions and feeling vulnerable. Which love is a part of.

Crop nods before smiling "I am sure you four will figure it out eventually."

horror shoots a tiny smile back "thanks. Have a safe trip."

Crop grins as he waves "you guys have a great day and thanks for breakfast!" he waves into the distance at the other skeletons before starting to make his track back home.

Just a matter of time and giving them time. Horror knows by now that it is better to let them come to their own conclusions and thoughts then trying to force them to see stuff they aren't ready to see.

Luckily they have their own home now and can actually take the time they need.

*-----------------*

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[sealpup9]

Ok Inertia came in swinging with a beat that slaps so hard I forgot to duck and was knocked on my ass by the force that is the last two verses.

[mohntilyet]

not to mention the entire antaam fleet like 😭 that was the PERFECT moment to show off what the lords could do!!! The antaam fucked over rivain, theyve been a thorn in the whole nations side for a long time now, they would not pass up a chance for payback via full scale naval warfare so that the veilguard can do what they need to!! Sure dreadnoughts are dangerous but at this point they probably have tricks up their sleeve, thats one of the few things they have!

also wouldn't it be personal because does solas not try to blow up kont-aar because he's trying to 5d chess tevinter and the qunari into destroying each other. like. i know technically this would not be incredible widespread news because the attack was stopped, but i don't think the wonderful citizens of kont-aar would have missed the tsunami that nearly hit them and the shockwave that actually hit them. rumors go around. and i assume irian/vadis tell varric. who i think would tell isabela. who would tell the group she leads. who would care because ofc, they LIVE IN RIVAIN, and now know that solas and his followers thinks they can trade rivaini lives* to further his plans.

*while i also think there's probably a divide between kont-aar and the rest of the nation, it's one that the rivaini love to jump across and back over. an interesting comparison to be made here with most of rivain having similar sentiments towards dairsmuid and the chantry. like this is the country specifically mentioned to have a lot of citizens who follow the qun/are non-andrastian + it being MUCH more multicultural and accepting than other nations. any attack on rivain, even if it's a qunari settlement, would fan a lot of flames that solas cannot put out so the idea of trying to him taking multiple steps back because he didn't realise how intensely the qun/rivaini/lords would react is very fun for me. it would have been soo interesting for rivain to be a hub for efforts against solas because of how it's not influenced by andrastianism, how he (or his agents) specifically fucked them over, and (maddeningly for solas) also part of this resistance has spirits who willingly guide them against him. this could have even been a plot device where the door goes both ways and solas finds out rook's plans because he manages to eavesdrop through a seer or something.

and on the spirits. all the stuff where the mourn watch regularly communicates with spirits could have been done with rivain as well, and with different takes on being 'friendly' with spirits. iirc there's a spirit in the hall of valor which is so interesting but it's literally just there for flavour text. THERE'S A SPIRIT IN THE HALL OF VALOR THAT DOES NOTHING BESIDES LIKE. SAY HI. ??? bioware i would have liked to see more spirits and seers and the matriarchal pantheists you have talked about please. and also the idea of the peaceful qunari settlement being pushed to protect the country they are part of and what that means for them as qunari vs. rivaini. taash's storyline could have contributed to this . so A LOT less about choosing a side, more about how kont-aar has developed, changed, how rivain has influenced it and what it means to be qunari. not the qunari agents and fighters that we have seen, but their 'civillian' way of life in kont-aar.

complete waste not seeing any of established lore reflected in the lords of fortune or rivain because i stupidly actually thought we were going to see some kind of settlement and be introduced to a very different cultural norms.. in my beautiful mind i like to think taash is a little taken aback by how badly mages/elves/etc are treated. like they understood it was different outside of rivain (they would have been young when the dairsmuid circle annulment happened right? so they don't 'remember' it themself, they likely heard others talking about it when they're old enough to understand) but until they actually saw what was happening first hand, they had a weird dissonance about it. but what we got was a deserted beach, ties to another faction (wardens are fine!! they are great !!!! the fourth blight is interesting!!!! yet they are not the faction with a lack of info about them!!!!!) and also the hall of valor that exists as flavor text with nothing meaningful behind it besides a pub used in a few cutscenes and a minigame.

[ecogirl2759]

Arpegius (Interstella 5555)

Istg I collected all of these for a reason okay hear me out--

All rights to this character and this character design goes to the creators of Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, a movie made by Toei Animation in conjunction with Daft Punk. I do not claim ownership of this character nor the source material, I am simply taking snapshots of the movie and sharing them with others. If at all curious, the movie in its entirety is available for free on YouTube.