#it's just messy. and i am not looking forward to actually writing the post about hands ive been making art for

[mollusc-era]

the usage of the words arms and tentacles to refer to two different types of limbs in irl living cephalopods is fine and not very confusing once you learn the difference but considering the fact that splatoon inkfish also have like... humanoid arms? really quickly becomes a headache

[elix8r]

PRADA SHOES + I LOVE YOUS TEASER

PAIRING: heeseung x fem!reader 

GENRE: smut, angst, crack, (some?) fluff, college!au, exes to lovers!au, enemies to lovers!au, socialite/richkid!au

SUMMARY: Life as a socialite wasn’t all champagnes and designer labels, especially not with the turn your reputation took due to a simple misunderstanding. Now, you were being painted by everyone as a big fat cheater who shattered her sweet boyfriend’s heart—a narrative that couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, it was him who had betrayed your trust. Frustrated and feeling deeply wronged, you returned to society and the new school year after a summer of cutting off contact with everyone and the drama. But just when you thought you were ready to face the world again, you were blindsided by something unexpected: the lingering effect Heeseung had on you. And who could blame you? Heeseung was way too hot for you to get over in just three short months and now, seeing him with the girl he once told you not to worry about all over him? Oh, it was on. 

You refused to be replaced, labeled as a crazy ex, or forgotten. No, you were going to make Lee Heeseung realize that you were the best motherfucking thing to had ever happened to him. 

WC: 1.3K for teaser (i'm thinking 20k+ for the actual fic)

WARNINGS (FOR THE TEASER): profanity + mentions of infidelity

RELEASE DATE: Unknown but I am aiming for before summer ends

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone!! lt's been so long since I've posted one of these so I decided to give you a really long teaser and also cause this is going to be a long one to write so you'll have to be a little more patient! But I hope you guys enjoy this and is excited for this fic cause I love writing it! Everyone is so messy (and lowkey kinda terrible) but it'll be a fun one so pls look forward to it!! Lmk if you wanna be on the taglist ☺️

Heeseung was going to fucking kill Jake Sim. 

When he woke up this morning, you were the last thing on his mind, something he seemed to have finally freed himself from. However, all the hard work he put into casting you away from his mind seemed to have been in vain, as now all he could think about was you and how you had returned after three months of radio silence with the guy you cheated on him with.

Livid didn’t even cover what he was feeling, and it was evident in the way he swung his club. Each hit seemed to be driven by a surge of pent-up frustration.

“What the hell, man? That’s the third time today you’ve been way off course. What’s going on?” Jay shot him an incredulous look as he tried to locate where the golf ball had landed.

Heeseung let out a frustrated groan as he ripped off his glove and shoved his driver back into his bag. “Y/N’s fucking back.”

That was all Jay needed to hear to understand what was going on with his friend. "Shit, I saw. I’m sorry dude, it’s fucked up."

Heeseung was in no mindset to be playing golf right now. All he wanted was to go back home and wallow miserably in his bed. Unfortunately, they were only on hole ten of eighteen, and judging by his performance today, Heeseung knew it was going to take awhile.

"Did you know?" Heeseung couldn't help but blurt out, his frustration evident in his voice as he watched Jay effortlessly swing a shot miles better than his own.

Confusion flickered across Jay's face as he turned to face his friend. "What do you mean?"

“Did you know that she was coming back with Jake?” Heeseung felt his jaw tense as he mentioned his ex-friend.

“I didn’t even know he was with her until today. Honestly, I thought he’d just fucked off somewhere and didn’t bother telling any of us, considering how things went down. You know me, I would’ve told you straight up if I had found out earlier.” Heeseung trusted Jay implicitly. He was as loyal as they came, but unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for everyone in their friend group.

"Do you think Sunghoon knew?" Heeseung's question elicited an audible groan from Jay.

If anyone in their friend group knew how Jake spent his summer, it would undoubtedly be Sunghoon. However, Sunghoon was notoriously tight-lipped, especially when it came to sensitive matters. Since the breakup, the entire friend group had undergone an incredibly awkward shift. It seemed that everyone had more or less chosen a side, and allegiances were clear.

"You know he wouldn't tell us anything if he did. It's getting ridiculous. The other day, I saw Gaeul and him having brunch or something at the clubhouse, and the moment she spotted me, she practically sprinted over to explain herself. She claimed she's still 'Switzerland' in the whole situation and hasn't chosen a side," Jay recounted, frustration evident in his voice. 

Heeseung almost snorted at the absurdity of it all. Their friend group had never been one to keep secrets or tiptoe around each other, but the last few months had been nothing but that. The betrayal by you and Jake had not only affected Heeseung's relationship with you but had also tainted the dynamic of their entire friend group.

“Literally, what is there to be ‘Switzerland’ about? I mean, this whole thing isn’t even complicated. Everyone saw them go into the bathroom together and come out literally holding hands. Trust me, I know what she looks like after giving head, and that's literally what she looked like in that video Beomgyu sent. Plus, Karina literally heard them.” Heeseung angrily got into the golf cart as Jay fished the keys out to start driving.

“Okay, well, no offense, but in all honesty, Karina’s probably not the most reliable source, cause she’s in an extremely biased position, but I guess that’s beside the point.” Jay’s words seemed to instantly bring a frown upon Heeseung’s face.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Heeseung’s tone sharply switched up in an almost defensive manner.

Jay, feeling this shift, nervously cleared his throat as he stammered, trying his best not to offend his already sensitive friend regarding an even more fragile situation. “I mean, uh, well. You know…”

“What?” The grip he had on the seat of the golf cart seemed to get tighter as he waited for his friend to elaborate.

“Dude, you can't be serious? You know Karina’s been trying to ride your dick for the past, what, give or take ten years? I mean, we all know that she’s never had a good relationship with Y/N, and I’m pretty sure most of that resentment stemmed from the fact that you’ve always been head over heels for Y/N.” Jay slowly parked the cart and turned off the engine as he explained.

Still not understanding Jay’s point, Heeseung furrowed his brows, shooting his friend another annoyed look before getting out of the golf cart. “What are you trying to get at?”

“Jesus fucking Christ, you’re dense. I mean, the last couple of months before Y/N cheated on you was the closest you seemed to have gotten with Karina because of that final project that you guys had or whatever. I mean, you were with her more times than you were with your own girlfriend, and knowing Karina, she seems like she could be delusional enough to have maybe taken that as a sign that you were interested in her? I mean, this is all speculation, but I’m just letting you know what we all saw.”

Jay cautiously treaded this topic. Heeseung was his best friend since they were babies, and he would always be on his side, but Karina was never anyone’s favorite with her extremely polarizing personality. He had no allegiance towards her, not to mention that she wasn’t actually even in their friend group and always only ever found lingering around wherever Heeseung was, so it was much easier for Jay to actually see through her. In fact, it seemed that all of their friends could pretty much catch on to Karina’s end goal except Heeseung.

“So you think it’s my fault that Y/N cheated on me?” The air got tense as Heeseung snapped at Jay while snatching his 7-iron out of the bag. “Just because I spent some time doing a stupid fucking school project with Karina doesn’t mean it gives her reason to go and suck off one of my best friends.”

Jay shook his head even before Heeseung was done with his sentence. Heeseung seemed to not be getting the point. “Fuck no, dude, that’s not what I’m saying. Karina has an incentive: you. If she gets rid of Y/N, then it means you’re up for grabs. Of course, Karina didn’t force Y/N to get on her knees for Sim, but she was the first one to come running, telling us what happened even before Beomgyu sent that video.” Heeseung was trying hard to focus on trying to get his ball on the green as he geared up to swing while listening to Jay.

“So you don’t think she should’ve warned me of what she heard?” He swung precisely, but it seemed that this whole course, to be precise, wasn’t going easy on him. He’d be lucky to get even a double bogey on the par-4.

Jay slightly grimaced at Heeseung’s shot. “No, it’s not that,” he let out a sigh as he walked over to Heeseung. “Look, you’ve been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and I know the past few months have been fucking hard because of what Y/N put you through, and I just want you to be careful. Karina’s always been kind of a conniving, spoiled bitch who finds a way to get what she wants. Just because she’s been warming your bed every night since Y/N fell off the fucking Earth doesn’t mean she should be someone you start trusting.”

There was nothing he could say back to his friend’s words and it seemed that what Jay had said clung on deep to Heeseung's thoughts throughout the day, casting a lingering shadow and leaving a bitter aftertaste in his mind.

[onlymingyus]

Juice (Patreon Exclusive)

pairing; kim mingyu x choi seungcheol x f reader

genre; smut (minors dni)

warnings; unprotected sex, some dom/sub dynamics, dom!seungcheol, dom!mingyu, sub!reader, brat!reader, impact play, hand on the throat, fingering, oral (f receiving), breeding kink, creampie, cum eating/cumplay, some mlm (depending on how you feel about what happens adding the warning just in case), strength kink, manhandling, reader is smaller than mingyu and seungcheol, reader works out, mingyu carries the reader, pinning down/against wall, bulge kink, big dick!mingyu and seungcheol, pet names/degrading names, teasing, aftercare, talks about polyamory 

w/c; 533 (this teaser) -- 7k and some change (full fic on Patreon)

requested; no

a/n; this one is a lot -- as you can see from the warnings -- but I had a lot of fun writing it. if you need someone to blame, you can put that blame on one choi seungcheol and his gym thirst traps. man doesn't even have to post actual pictures, just has to say im lifting 100 kg and my brain goes brrrr. also I am posting a day early this week due to my work schedule -- working overtime due to people being out, so I have no other choice. 

this fic is a Patreon Exclusive subscribe to my Patreon and click here

“So, you do pay attention to us?”

Looking down you feel the warmth rush over your cheeks at the man’s question and his friend’s lingering gaze. Seungcheol laughs, his fingers drumming against the bench under him for a moment before he sits up and leans forward like Mingyu to look at you more closely.

“Why are you being all shy? We aren’t going to bite you, sweetheart.”

When you take a deep breath, your eyes lifting to meet his eyes at his words, Seungcheol laughs once more with a tilt of his head. He could see the look in your eye. You were turned on. He had seen the look before when you were watching them work out. They had been watching you just as much as you had watched them. You weren’t nearly as inconspicuous as you thought you were.

“Mm, not unless you want us to.”

Mingyu sucks in a breath as his eyes drop to your thighs, watching you press them together. This was going better than he had expected it to. He had hoped that this would be the opening conversation that could lead to another conversation at a later date but now you were acting like a cat in heat, rubbing your thighs together. Mingyu couldn’t help the way his mind wandered to how you were probably wet right now.

Taking a deep breath, you meet Seungcheol’s eyes almost defiantly in an attempt to play it cool. You weren’t some cheap whore that could be so easily seduced, at least that was what you were trying to convince yourself of. It was just too bad that your body was betraying every sensible thought that was going through your brain as the men in front of you undressed you in their minds.

“Are you going to climb back on that silly machine or would you rather leave and work on your cardio in another way?”

Scoffing at Seungcheol’s words, you open your water bottle to take another sip only to miss your mouth because of how flustered you actually are. Mingyu groans under his breath, watching the water trickle down your chin to your throat and finally your chest towards the top of your tank top. Seungcheol on the other hand just smirks before leaning forward to swipe his thumb under your bottom lip to wipe away some of the water before speaking again.

“Messy baby, answer me.”

Leaning into his touch, you find yourself nodding before you even realize it. Seungcheol smiles, nodding along with you, his thumb brushing over your bottom lip briefly before he pulls his hand away. Watching the interaction, Mingyu takes a breath and lets it out slowly. It was his turn to play it cool as he glanced around the gym thankful that the section you three were in was less crowded.

“Our place or yours, babe?”

Turning your head towards Mingyu, you finally take in a deep breath as you feel Seungcheol take your water bottle out of your hand. The question seems to confuse you for a moment, but a flash of his pretty smile, his sharp canines on display for you seems to bring you back into the moment.

“Mine.”

READ THE FULL FIC ON PATREON HERE

© onlymingyus - all rights reserved. Reposting/modifying of any fic, or pieces of original writings posted on this blog is not allowed. Translations not allowed.

[polyhexian]

Just saw your recent Darius posts and you've managed to put into words exactly how I feel about him. There is clear evidence of his heel turn in canon, and by the end of the series it is very apparent just how much he cares about Hunter. But before that he was Not Nice, he actively contriubuted to the heavy isolation that Hunter was under. You already described why the head chop scene was not as cute as it appeared at face value, but giving him a scroll and telling him to make connectins outside the castle was So Dangerous. He told a kid who was being violently abused to blatantly disgregard his abusers rules.

To be clear I do like Darius' character, he's screwed up badly and made phenominally bad choices, but so did Lilith, so did Gwen. Owl house is good about showing characters making bad mistakes and showing the steps they made to come back from them. With Darius I was looking forward to seeing the development of his and Hunter's bond, to show how damaging Darius' prior bevatior was and showing Darius working hard to make up for it. But then the show just kind of...didn't.

Again, I like Darius' character a lot, but I feel a ball was dropped when it came to writing his and Hunter's relationship.

I agree. Like I know I come across as a hate but I've written! Hundreds of thousands of words! At this point! About Darius and Darius self driven redemption and absolution! I am deeply invested in him! I write Lilith with similar baggage! And I write a WILDLY specific Raine! I'm not a hater. I love Darius. I just also love him knowing his a mean piece of shit who has some extremely serious flaws and actions he needs to apologize and make up for.

Darius and hunters relationship is such an odd one. Most major issues like this are because of season 3 getting shortened, like hunter didn't get his arc finished. Like he basically WAS done, he escaped and we were seeing him bloom away from that control. But then they decided to have the whole possession thing which ITSELF I think was fine and even like a sick ass scene. But also. That starts an entirely new era in his arc. Escaping his abuser did not end his trauma; abusers often reenter your life, or even when dead that trauma can well up within you and poison you later. And I like flapjacks death for FLAPJACKS character arc. But for hunter at that point it becomes messy because. That's the end of that arc basically. They try to... Do something? In for the future with Willow but. That's nothing tbh. We finish with hunter still retraumatized and paranoid and grieving with no... Like... Actually processing it? No end to that arc. So as much as I actually DO like the possession scene- if they couldnt finish that plotline, I don't think they should have started it.

But Darius and hunter??? That's season 2. And Darius was always going to be a puppet until the collector was turned and likely Belos defeated even with a full season. So even with that full season we probably wouldn't have had any more Darius and hunter interactions at all. Like again, the timeline immediately after labyrinth runners with hunter is a little unclear, and I think he was staying with Darius but ????? Who knows dude they don't even say. So like. Season 2 they had all the time they needed to plan out the arc of that relationship and ALSO it was never going to have any more meaningful screentime, so. Uh. Uh? The hell was that

[bullet-prooflove]

Meet The Writer! - Also a Year in Review

I don't usually do this but I thought I would throw up a meet the author post so you could get to know me a little more!

I think sometimes it's hard to remember that's actual people behind the usernames we see on our screens so I thought I'd pop up and say Hi.

So a few things about me:

I'm 36 heading towards 37.

I have a Master's in Creative Writing and run a very small, local social media company, which is more side hustle then income but I love my clients.

In April I came off my antidepressants for the first time in over a decade and it was like I could see the world in technicolour, music sounded richer to me and it completely changed my life.

I've struggled with mental health issues the majority of my life, the latest being August of this year when I had a breakdown which has led to a complete re-evalutation of my life. It made me very ill and I am still in recovery as we speak.

In August/Sept I started putting out my work for publication and have been published three times this year.

In Nov I quit my job working with teens in the care system due to a toxic workplace situation that caused my breakdown. This was truly terrifying as I am not entitled to any benefits because frankly the UK benefits system is a joke.

Doing this has given me the space to look at what I want to do moving forward. I signed up to a few places as a creative writing tutor and had my first client on 30th Dec. I honestly loved the experiance and have decided it's something all the time. So if you're looking for help with that pain in the ass manuscript hit me up!

I'm also developing a portfolio as a makeup artist and gel nail tech, things I wanted to explore when I was working full time but never had the chance to.

When I look back I can't believe how much has changed for me in the past year and I never envisioned that I'd be where I am now. There have been times when I've thought I wouldn't make it through the year but I did and I'm still here, still growing. I guess I hope that if there's anyone else out there, who has struggled or is struggling this resonates with you.

You're not alone, I've been there and so many other people have too. We are more than just names behind a keyboard and I thought it was just important to remember that.

Anyway I've rambled long enough!

Happy New Year to everyone who is trying to make it in this messy world.

[skyward-floored]

*burst through door* I AM HERE TO TALK

Let’s see…

What whumptober prompt are you most excited about?

If you could write a post-game adventure for any of the Zelda games you played, which would it be and what kind of vibe/premise would you go for?

Does Volga ever hug Link in hdw au? I know he’s a bit aloof

Speaking of hdw au I occasionally still laugh at the thought of Power and Warriors interacting lol, but I also keep forgetting that a lot of people, including your AU include Mask and Tune, so how do you think they would react to Power being there? For his part I think Power would be really weirded out and worried that Mask is there since the kid’s like 11, and mildly concerned but also low key impressed that Tune is 12-13 and an accomplished Hero. I’m a little shaky on how those two are characterized tho 😅

Hm, let’s see, what else… favorite IAU boy and favorite IAU segment that you’ve written!

Laslty, have a hug from me and puppy snuggles from Anakin ❤️

dangit Skye I'm gonna cry again hdbshbkdjsf thank you for the hug and puppy snuggles <3

Okay! So I'm very excited for days 10 and 18 which go together and are very dramatic and painful and have a big epic fight I will hopefully be able to write well hehe. I'm also excited for day 11, which has some fun things I'm looking forward to involving Mipha (who I've never really written much so it's been interesting working on!). I have some more ideas that don't really match any days yet, but I'm excited for those too. Basically all of them (except tomorrow's which has absolutely nothing for it yet heh).

Oooh that's an interesting question! I mean I technically have a fic that explores a bit of what happens after botw (largely written before totk and also an AU lol), and true form goes into a bit after tp (but again, an AU), but if I had unlimited writing time... I think a really big and long and in-depth post-skyward sword fic would be cooool. Spanning several years as Link and Zelda work through stuff that happened on their adventure and their relationship/family and building a settlement on the surface... it would be so cool.

I think at some point Volga does actually hug Link :) but not for a while though. He's got to go through all that messy "actually accepting you have a son and are maybe actually attached to him" stuff, probably brought on through some dramatic inciting incident. ANd when it does happen it's probably a quick "AGHH HOW DARE YOU COME SO CLOSE TO DYING" kind of thing where he just grabs him into a hug without thinking.

I think of that sometimes and laugh too XD For Mask and Tune, I think they'd sort of take it in stride? Like, what's one more Link in this disaster anyway? Though I think Mask looks at him and can kind of... tell this guy's adventure messed him up. Mask knows about that, even if it's not exactly the same. Tune can maybe tell too, but it's probably more "my older brother senses are tingling, I'm adopting him".

Favorite IAU boy?? That's like having to choose a favorite child, I like them all... :( okayyyyy well I'm very fond of Hyrule, I had a lot of fun with his backstory. Legend is always a blast to write too because he's so silly as a little kid, and having turning into a rabbit be part of his powers, it lends to some interesting things and dynamics. I seriously don't know about a favorite IAU thing I've written, I've written... too many things. Maybe that roadtrip one, that one is silly lol

[bengiyo]

Be My Favorite Ep 6 Stray Thoughts

Last week, this show put me on my back foot when it asked me to be kind. So much of last week was about people choosing to be kinder to one another and that choice paying forward for the recipient. Kawi is building a genuine friendship with Pear. Pisaeng went to a gay club for the first time and saw Max. Max read the baby gay for being self-centered, but then softened it with good advice. Kwan encouraged Not to give Kawi just a little bit of encouragement after asking him to sign the book she had already panned. They subverted the rooftop confession by having Kawi gently turn Pisaeng down. Kawi actually sang and now is part of a band. I’m actually invested in this show now. Was not expecting that.

Hey, Kawi’s smiles are starting to look genuine.

It’s sad that this is probably the first time Kawi ever expressed his worries about his dad.

I know we better save Kawi’s dad’s life. Kob Songsit is one of the most reliable BL dads.

I like that Max is a prickly queer. You gotta establish boundaries with baby gays because they can glomp on way too hard.

Oh. I see. Pisaeng’s family isn’t just rich, they’re “comfortable.” Curious how Max will feel about Pisaeng having a complicated relationship with his mom, or the reveal that anyone with that level of wealth is involved in crimes.

Pear’s house was used in Dark Blue Kiss and Bakery Boys I’m pretty sure.

I am having a lot of feelings about this scene with Pear asking her dad to help Kawi’s. I’m sick, and one of my friends reached out to his doctor parents to get me into care. I don’t think I’d be alive without their help.

Oh, Kawi. Now is the time to be strong and tank the embarrassment. It isn’t bad that Pear knew what you wanted to ask. It’s actually good that Pisaeng told her. She was there as an advocate with you. The mission is your dad’s health, not your ego.

Okay, I do like this show finally acknowledging that all these arguments people have are so loud that other people definitely know what they’re saying. I love Max.

Max is speaking my thoughts. I will let him write the rest of this post.

“I will not apologize for doing what I thought was best to help you with a serious problem. However you feel about it, I will accept it,” is really something I think we could use more of in the West. I feel like we as Americans are obsessed with ‘winning the conversation’ as a concept, and I think it makes us inherently combative.

This Kawi reveal about the source of his anger is giving, “I’m angry at myself.”

Not sure where I sit on Pear and Not as a pairing.

I get how repressed Kawi is and everything, but don’t kiss a man who has confessed to you while you’re drunk. There’s no turning back now. And then he falls asleep! This messy spaghetti ass boy!

Pisaeng going from an emotionally-complicated queer encounter directly into a closeted conversation with his mom as he has to figure out in the morning how to explain Kawi’s presence is giving me intense emotional flashbacks.

Okay, this show broke me. Pisaeng is not stupid. Pisaeng has always known who he is. His mother manipulated him deep into the closet when he was 15, and he knows it. His mom is using his own community against him. Some of you may be shocked that his mom has gay people turning on each other, but there is a long history of the police infiltrating gay spaces and threatening people convictions to turn them into informants. This is the sickest thing I think we’ve seen in a long time from GMMTV. I am deeply appalled. I will have to blog about this because this is so evil. The weaponization of our own community into surveilling and reporting on each other makes me so angry. That she is also publicly progressive enough that a person like Max admires her also infuriates me.

Nevermind. Fuck Not. Why is he speculating about Kawi’s sexuality to Pear? This is not how you flirt.

Ah, we’re back to the time travel portion of the plot. I’m curious what Pisaeng does with this knowledge.

I like Pisaeng. Despite everything going on, he’s still focused on the important thing: Kawi’s dad.

I do think it was important for Kawi to speak directly to Pear’s dad about getting help for his father, and not letting it just be a favor Pear begged for.

I’m so glad Kawi went to Pear as well to apologize for running out on her. She’s incredibly understanding and I hope she finds happiness and fulfillment.

I often talk a lot about the relationship with gay boys and their moms, but I also have strong feeling about boys and their fathers. Kawi admitting that he feels no need to improve himself if his dad won’t get to see it hits me to my core. I love my dad. He and I get along great. I need to call him later today once I watch Strange New Worlds. I get this.

I don’t mind Pisaeng letting Kawi know he’s willing to wait for him to sort his feelings.

I am going to have to write a separate post at some point this weekend. I am not in the read headspace now to talk about the rage flowing through my veins right now at a businesswoman with political ambitions gaslighting her own son into staying in the closet, and then using her own queer employees to surveil him. For those of you new to marginalized spaces, enforcement organizations have infiltrated our spaces forever and turned our own people against us. This was especially easy queer spaces because white men were threatened with losing access to whiteness. I cannot overstate how evil this is and how unexpected it is for me to have a GMMTV show NOT from Golf going directly into this.

[silverolivia-upsidedown]

Hello! Just me back and being a huge nerd about the Eliksni So, while we don't have an actual official conlang for them we do have a VIBE for how their language might be written out by the design team. And it's been under my nose this whole time!!! Join me for this journey and exploration <3

First off let's take a look at what I've been seeing most places.. like, 99% of all the language we see is basically given to us like this...

(Yes, I might have obsessively taken a screenshot every time I see the in-game language DONTJUDGEMEOKAYTHISISASAFEPLACEFORSPECIALINTERESTS >.< But what we see here are probably something like a single word, or a word/symbol that has a meaning like the way that the Chinese alphabet has meanings for each letter. It could also be a tagger's name, but then that brings up all sorts of wonderful questions like WHO IS TAGGING THIS SHIT xD which is really just a nothing burger as much as it's a wonderful idea. It could also very much be a sort of... Like... you know how when you get a rubbermaid bin and you write like... "Christmas ornaments" on it, but then end up get rid of what's in it and just write the new contents next to the old contents? I feel like that might be what a lot of these are. Like the OFFICIAL, clean looking one says like, "Ether Tanks: Medium". And then the new spray paint next to it says something like, "Short Term Produce" or whatever. Or maybe it's like, the shortform name of the crew that this belongs too for shipping and redistribution, ala a quarter master trying to keep track of everything. 🤷

But I'm digressing. Here are those formal script and then the messy next to it.

Anyway. So the other way we see the language in very small snippets is like below, where we see there is a strong (but with notable variance) inclination towards a horizontal writing style instead of vertical. We can also see the general vibe or, um.... flow of the text and individual letters and how they deferrer when they are basically typed out and printed nicely instead of freehanded on the side of a wall.

Okay.

We have our baseline. Let's get into the weeds.

First of all we should not take into consideration a few of these for the rule of vertical vs horizontal because many of these are actually just turned on their side. And in general (and really what this whole post is about) right now I am focusing on the way the design team has decided the language should feel when it's written out. So very briefly, I am going to go over some not in-game official bungie material with Eliksni script on it, since I feel like this I have too, even though I kinda feel like, unless they specifically say "this is how it looks", the in-game art design is always going to be more... official? I don't know. We press forward!

There's more, but I think you get the idea. And yes, I included the Cayde comic because I feel like there's some interesting things in there.

Anyway, moving right along. I want to bring attention to two thing in particular. The first is that I don't think we should dismiss certain small lines in the spray paint versions as drips. I think they are part of the form.

I think they have meaning like in Japanese or other languages where each character has a story or a meaning and changes the way a word is said and also how that word might be used or changed when interacting with other letters/symbols.

The second thing is that there is a lot of repeating/flipping of the decals and in-game assets. But even with that, that I think there is a definite flow with the way the letters are allowed to smoosh into one another, but on a design level, while I think there are some basic rules, I feel very strongly those rules went into making the original script/decals/assets that the devs now use, and that when they go to write something like this...

they are literally just copy/pasting or going "qwertyuiop[]\';lkjhgfdsa" on the keyboard. Now, on to the exceptions of which there are three (as far as I've seen). For this next part I humbly request that you forgive my waxing poetically and also indulge my theories, I promise they are actually based in reality xD The first, and most exciting, and the reason I even posted this, is that I finally noticed the flags on the skiffs! And they.... have a FONT... And actual in-game font... and I think it was a happy accident the devs rolled into some fun lore.

This...

is house of dusk... but the FONT that whateverthissays is in is ABOSLUTELY in the style of House of Winter.

Now, I have two thoughts about this. The first is the happy accident I was talking about before which is that the original skiffs were all done in the design for House of Devils... and House of Winter in D1. But then they needed House of Dusk, who are mostly all the house of winter peeps who scattered after The Final Attempt (battle of six fronts). So they just recolored the House of Winter stuff and BOOM, they can keep the old assets and just recolor them.

The second idea, and one that is a DEEP LORE thought, that I don't think bungie actually cares enough about their lore to connect the dots for: is that as mentioned in a lore tab where Variks and I believe Fikrul are talking, there is a mention of a second "High Speech". And to me, it would make a LOT of sense for there to be a written version of that High Speech that would be a bit more flowery and have different characters. I think it would also make a lot of sense for that more special text be what things like House symbols are made out of, and also what one might put on their flags... like on that skiff.

The second is this little guy... he's very new and I only saw it recently, and I'm nearly 99.99% sure it's eliksni, only because there is a break in the "C" in the center and that's VERY eliksni.

That and it's on a crashed ketch that was in a mission we played within the last year lol

But this is.... totally different from everything else we've seen, and I honestly am totally stumped. It might actually be a representation of the influence that humanity has on the Eliksni. And that many eliksni (especially those in house of dusk) feel disconnected from their heritage, and more connected to the ruminants of humanity's golden age, and earth in general.

The other interesting little thing is something I found on a ketch that I managed to get on top of before it despawned. (at least that's what the file name makes me think I was trying to convey >.< past me is a dumbass and says "Oh, I'll know what this means later" spoilers, I never ever know lol)

Again, this is... just completely different from what we've seen before. Even the letters are different. The way they are grouped is new. I just wish I had more of stuff like this.

But theory crafting aside, we can really get an impression for how one could replicate or imitate the flow of the language. That's it! Thank you for coming on this little meandering exploration of the in-game text ^^..^^

[nvuy]

Nvuy...how do people start posting on tumblr like... I do it and it always ends up looking messy! Any tips? Also I love your work!

Shushang 🦦🌷

oh boy i am the worst advice giver ever but here goes

if youre speaking from a graphic standpoint DONT ASK ME, graphic design is NOT my passion i am hopeless. but in all of my social media accounts i like to stick to a simple theme so maybe sticking to a consistent colour palette would work to tidy things up?

you have a sushang theme goin on so you can have fun with purples and golds & bc there complementary you can make some wacky and dramatic displays so go nuts.

typically tho i like when authors use some sort of indication to seperate the warnings and title from the actual writing, even if you just use a line like i do. just makes everything look about tidier and polished methinks.

ALSO if your works are super duper long please for the love of god use the ‘read more’ line breaker before i break ur spine

in terms of how to start posting, just do it.

whatever you got, lay it on the plate because im hungry. write what you want, because its your blog at the end of the day, and anyone that doesnt like it wont interact with it. theres always going to be SOMEONE out there who likes what you put out. one devoted follower who constantly interacts is better than one hundred random ghost follower lurkers.

it took me four months to get my first post out because i was so worried because tumblr scary and theres so many people here and i dont even go here & then i did it and two people commented and said they liked it and i kept going and now im here and about to miss deadlines at school but i also got noticed by blogs i used to avidly stalk with envy so theres that to look forward to

mind you i posted my first post in december and only actually got a consistent audience about two months ago. it takes a while, but if youre a familiar face in the tags people will flock to you and sing kumbaya when you post.

just post. no harm done.

[lokiinmediasideblog]

This is not drama. This is prompted by a tweet about someone saying they would write about how MCU!Loki works as a seamless late-autism diagnosis metaphor. But I totally agree! And I am looking forward to their essay.

Whereas the "inter-racial adoption" analogy has a lot of flaws on it, being that MCU Loki is played by a white actor (and other messy optics), the late-autism diagnosis analogy is FUCKING PERFECT. There's also a long tradition of autism analogies being about "different planets", "changelings", and "aliens", which Loki is in cannon.

And I think one of my first posts was a reblog on how he works perfectly as an analogy for the queer neurodivergent experience of feeling like you're unlovable for some elusive reason only you seem to be unaware of. But I am not sure if I should put it here because I am trying not to traumadump.

I know someone who was diagnosed as a toddler for autism but their parents were like "We won't tell them so that they're not hindered and don't feel different." That's basically Loki's whole ordeal.

Because people can somehow tell that you're different and they hate you for it. Your friends are never yours. They're the friends of whoever decided to tolerate you to make you into their little project only to toss you out once they get sick of you.

If you have neurotypical siblings, you constantly get compared to them because, 'Why can't you be like them!?" You feel like they are always expecting the worst from you.

You feel like you are actually a great liar, because you've had to pretend all your life. Everyone makes it clear that they can barely tolerate you. So you play it up to seem amusing and endearing and funny. This even works with Loki's skill set of illusions!

It's just so perfect.

[pb-dot]

Wip Wednesday: Status Rapport

This week, I figured I'd use this slot to talk a little about where I'm at in the project that is The Clockwork Boy. The reason for this is twofold. For one, I'm nearing what I think is a very important threshold in the process and I'm excited to talk about that. For the other this week has been a Bad Brain Week so I haven't been able to come up with anything else to write.

So where am I at with The Clockwork Boy? Put plainly, I'm pretty close to done. Well, done might be an overstatement as I don't plan to consider the thing truly done until I hold a printed copy in my hands, but I'm rapidly approaching the "as done with it as I can get by my lonesome" point. Rewriting has gone slower than I had hoped for several reasons, chiefly some migraine problems that have been keeping me down lately.

Despite being a mite off schedule for this bit, though, I will say I am very happy with the work I've done. In addition to fixing messy grammar and some go-nowhere dialog, I have almost entirely rewritten some scenes that went from being aimless and kind of disposable to some of my favorite moments in the book. I still feel the mild to moderate distress that is recognizing my own writing, and I suspect I will do that as long as I still write, but I've come to the point that I realize it's a better version of the same. It's a start, at least.

Next up, I plan to do something about the "by myself" part of the equation by roping in some fools recruiting someone whose abilities and tastes I trust for a beta read. This is pretty scary to me, but I fully recognize that it is a necessary step in the process. For the duration of the rewrite I've felt like I'm missing something, but considering this darn thing has lived in my head for nigh on a year now, I can't be sure if that's a healthy hunch or just anxiety giving me the business. So, I hope some fresh eyes on the whole thing will help me either sate or quiet that voice.

After getting the beta reads back and doing any changes I feel it needs after that, the next step is, unfortunately, starting to query publishers and/or agents. I'm not looking forward to this bit, but considering how I do want the book actually published and don't feel capable of doing all that indie publishing requires of me, there's just no way around it.

I expect the whole query business will take some time, so I haven't planned much past that point. I plan on doing NaNoWriMo this year, and although I am considering starting work on the first Hearts In Clockwork sequel right away, I recognize that I need a bit of a break right now. Most people would, perhaps, not take a writing break that consists of getting lost in the sauce of another month-long writing sprint, but I rather like doing just that, so do that I shall.

I'm not sure which of my potential projects I'm going to do for NaNo this year, but I am considering one of my horror pitches, possibly The Artists or a hitherto untitled one dealing with a Norse variant of the living dead, the Draugr. Either way, I'm going to write a draft that is probably way too long and entirely too indulgent, and odds are good I'll have a blast.

So, not the most exciting WIP update from ol' Peebs today, but some days one just needs to be one's own project manager and talk dates and estimates and what have you. In the process of writing this, late enough that it felt weird to discard this in favor of it, of course, I came up with an interesting idea for next week's WIP Wednesday, so look forward to that.

Tag list

@ettawritesnstudies @mrbexwrites @teacupsandstarlight @anonymousfoz @wrenofthewords @sm-writes-chaos @dyrewrites @owlsandwich

If you want to be put on the Tag List for this project, please interact with my Tag List Post

[aaronstveit]

16, 65, 56, 17, 3, anddd 7 :)

hiiii coco thank you sm for asking 🫶🏻

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

define "nurturing" ...... right now i technically have several wips but the only one i'm spending any time on is deep end! here is an outline snippet just for you (i say like i don't bombard you with snippets every day) <333

It’s a bad question, he knows. Taboo. He has no right to ask, no right to know. He’s lucky that Grantaire is sharing any bit of this with him at all; who is he to ask for more? But as wrong as the question is, it feels like the right one. He thinks of his father, how the only person he has to talk about it with is Grantaire, and more importantly, how Grantaire would let him.

65. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

i am soooooooo excited to finish the deep end outline and get to work on actually drafting it like. i cannot express how excited i am for this actually. it's the only thing getting me through outlining tbh

56. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

first of all you're so evil for sending me this. second of all i always answer this the same way so i'm gonna try to come up with something else. ummmmmm. i really like the way i write emotion? it's kind of messy and jumbled but it feels realistic for me at least. i also get to try out all sorts of fun metaphors and similes so that's fun!

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

i walk away. sometimes famously for like 3 years. which is unfortunate. sometimes though if i'm not willing to walk away i'll cut the last few lines/paragraphs i wrote and try taking it in another direction and that actually works for me most of the time!

3. Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

oh god. for a standalone i basically come up with a vague premise and then just write whatever comes to mind until i'm tired of it. for a multi-chapter project there is.... so much more. i SUCK at outlining like genuinely so my "outline" is usually more of a zero draft because i cannot carry a plot without dialogue so i have to write tens of thousands of words of conversation just to figure out where the fic is going. i typically jump around a lot at this stage and then i have to force myself to go back and fill in the gaps and work out the unavoidable continuity errors that spring up when i write out of order. it's only when i finish my outline that i get to have my REAL fun! that's when i get to pull up the outline on one half the screen and the first draft on the other and start side-by-side writing which is my favorite way of doing it <3 and then i have to edit like 3 times and inevitably miss a dozen or so grammatical errors that i will catch after i've posted it. and of course during all of this i am sending you ten billion snippets.

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

basically i think about the premise of the fic and then think "which brand of unreliable narrator will work best for this?" because i only like to write unreliable narrators sorry <3

get to know your fic writer!

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Watchlist Tag Game!

Another unexpected tag game! This time from @waitmyturtles

Currently watching

A Boss and a Babe: Wasn't sure if I was going to watch this one because I'm not a huge fan of boss and subordinate as a positive romantic plot (looking at you GAP, sorry). But started watching it after seeing some of @respectthepetty's posts about Episode 4.

Bed Friend: If I were being accurate, I would have put this show down like four times in a row because I have rewatched all available episodes about four times, and honestly will probably watch the whole thing again. I love it so much, I do still think that Moonlight Chicken is my favorite show of the 2023 line up so far, but goddamn if I don't get overly attached to traumatized men.

Breaking Bad: Fun Fact! I have watched the first season of this show three times and never made it beyond that! So my friend set out to fix it and now we are trading one season of Breaking Bad for one show of my choice with a comparable number of episodes. Traded season one for Moonlight Chicken, and I'm trading season two and three for Word of Honor.

The Eclipse: Can't put my finger on why but for some reason I am obsessed with this show where the main character is a emotional repressed gay boy who has difficulty accepting himself and feels pressured to perform actions far outside what a teenager should be allowed to do because adults put pressure on him and because he doesn't want people to be disappointed in him...Anyway, with the Our Skyy 2 release date coming up how could I not rewatch this show I have already seen approximately six times?

The Eighth Sense: Have to thank @bengiyo for writing about The Eighth Sense, and everyone else that I follow that started watching this show immediately and started writing beautiful things about how queer it feels. It's my first Korean BL TV show (I did watch Wish You a few years back) and I am thoroughly enjoying my time so far!!

Unintentional Love Story: Don't have a lot to say about this show yet, I'm only two episodes in, but I think it's good so far!

Word of Honor: Rewatching this with my friend to try to get him to branch out of American television. I figured the costumes alone in this show would keep his interest, but let's be real, I was dying to see his reaction to my favorite little war criminal Wen Kexing who has done absolutely nothing wrong ever in his life, m'kay? This is my completely unbiased, objective opinion (do not look at my username).

Looking forward to watching soon

*ahem*

That is all...

...just kidding!

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: Somehow, my tumblr blog accidentally turned into a primarily BL based blog, probably but actually before I was introduced to Word of Honor and then rapidly and descended into the Thai BL world from there (I know WoH is a cdrama, but I found KinnPorsche through a masterpost of queer asian media that was on the woh tag) my hyperfixation and truest love is playing Dungeons and Dragons. I've been in a campaign for 6 years now and recently started another campaign with another group! I wanted to see this movie when it came out but I had COVID and only now am freed from my self isolation! Heard it was good and fun and worth seeing in theaters so I am hoping to go soon!

Our Skyy 2: I just miss my boys, okay? I'm only human.

Only Friends: If the fact that I have watched KinnPorsche 14 times is anything to go by I love messy bitches, and this seems like a show full of messy bitches! Any show that requires a fucking flow chart to know their relationships to one another? I'm in! Also, I listened to the playlist that Jojo posted on Spotify and I was sold. This is definitely my most anticipated of 2023.

Still deciding if I’m gonna watch

Succession: I follow at least one person who has been posting a lot about Succession as the fourth and final season airs, and it sounds really good! I was actually convinced to start the first episode but I kinda fell off of it pretty quick. I think I was tired and I know like with any show the pilot is not the episode to judge something on.

Beef: Only putting this on here because I felt compelled to look it up in the tumblr tags today just to put some feelers out.

and that's it lol, I finsihed Shadow and Bone Season 2 and The Owl House so I don't really have any other shows that I am thinking about watching at the moment. If anyone who reads these block paragraphs has suggestions I'm all ears.

Well, anyone I was going to tag has been tagged by wmt so uhhhh, if you wanna do this game, take this as me officially tagging you!

[namtanlovesfilm]

omg I saw your post about the jungle and I have to rant because I’m so conflicted! On the one hand it has some of my favs in it and so I want to adore it, but on the other hand the whole thing is just MESSY. And from what I’ve heard of the source material, they’ve stuck to it super closely including dedicating a chapter/episode to each character and I think it’s that (plus the really underwhelming production values) that’s bothering me the most. As far as I’m aware there’s no overarching storyline and so it comes across as a series of short stories set in the same place. I also do recognise though that the actor schedules were also apparently really difficult to work around, and that’s probably affected the series in regards to scenes with the full or most of the cast.

Having said all that, I’ve definitely seen A LOT worse from gmmtv even in recent years and I keep reminding myself that at least it’s messy in a fun, sexy way rather than completely bland (apart from leemook which broke my heart because I was looking forward to seeing them together again). For example if I go by series this year, UMG looked beautiful and was acted well but was horrifically boring, double savage almost tried to market itself as a pseudo bl with perth and ohm and was tedious to get through, I couldn’t get past the first episode of loneliness society and I wasn’t enamoured with 10yt except for view and off. And that’s not me even touching on some of the underwhelming bls.

Also I am trying to keep the faith and have hope because I feel there’s been a drastic improvement from episode 1 to episode 6 and that scene with the twins fighting each other in the parking lot in particular was so good and such an amazing performance from Nanon who apparently worked for 6 hours shooting it and I commend him going so hard for something as unserious as this

okay so first of all I agree with mostly everything you said in this post! I didn't even know the show was adapted from an original material, now the one episode per character makes much more sense! but yeah the lack of overarching material IS an issue, but on top of that the writing is so bad?? from the shows you've mentioned I've only seen 10yt & loneliness society, which I both liked enough & personally I think the writing for these shows is MILES better than for the jungle. I agree that ep 6 was the best episode so far, and it's down to nanon's AMAZING performance & also his great chemistry with mild, but all of that could not cover how SHIT the writing was this ep. nithan is DISAPPOINTED that naannam does a no show to her engagement ceremony EVEN THOUGH she now believes him to be a cheater and a MURDERER??? then he shows up & SHE'S HAPPY???? then the real naannam arrives & professes his love without clearing the air once & telling her the truth AND SHE STILL ACCEPTS TO BE WITH HIM?????? the twins make up OUT OF NOWHERE??? and say they love each other OUT OF NOWHERE???? in fact, I was so confused as to which twin was who until I watched this latest ep, and believe we shouldn't have known of naanfah existence at all until the reveal to punpun's character so WE'D BE SHOCKED TOO!!! yes that would've been a cliche plot twist, but at least there would have BEEN a plot twist! I just cannot, tbh. it's giving the three gentlebros level of writing but with even less screen time & I actually liked t3gb bc it was a silly surface level romcom whereas this does not want to be one but most absolutely is. the dichotomy is killing me I fucking hate it here 😭

xxx

[cryptids-lobelia-garden]

Lol sorry this is a day late I was honoring the April 1 strike for Palestine and then yesterday my internet was really slow and Tumblr draft edit wouldn’t work

Anyway.

Warnings: idk how these work please lemme know if I need to tag anything else but uh. Manipulative/kinda creepy whumper, a conditioned whumpee and his self destructive/self sacrificial tendencies, caretaker was hurt by whumpee in the past (not in a whump way just in a whumpee tried to destroy the world and caretaker had to stop him way) but he’s grown over the time they’ve been apart and come to understand the whumpee’s actions, uh. This is Pokémon and I’m going with a nuanced take of some of them are sapient and some aren’t and caretaker is very much a Pokémon, also whumpee is a canon character and might act OOC for. Reasons that will hopefully be revealed over the course of this month if I can get this challenge done :D oh also I follow canon VERY loosely bc there’s like three different canons and I’m here to have fun not to police my story writing so uh. Ye

Anyway, there’s also some mind control in there, some frostbite, some.. It’s like a chemical burn sort of, some dissociative panic attack flavored stuff, uh. Animal attack? Oh yeah and dismemberment lol- this one is. A little. Uh. Yeah

Oh and if you see these characters on another account ask that account if it’s me before getting upset bc uh. I have posted abt them on my main before

Anyway. Yeah. Enjoy this, uh. Please don’t judge me I can’t get these freaks out of my head hsjdjdjd

Day 1: Limp

Reunited Arc Part 1

~~~~~

It was supposed to just be a normal day off.

Cheri was headed to Celestic City to meet with a historian, to answer questions about Dialga and the Diamond Clan.

He’s taking the train, since he didn’t feel like walking all that way or making any of his Pokémon carry him.

It was supposed to be a normal day, but he sees a familiar face, and he has to do a double take.

Long blond hair, one eye covered, tied in its usual messy bun in the back. A shining silver eye, which is currently focused on a watch on their own wrist. Cheri would’ve guessed that was Cynthia, but he’s a guy, and he’s wearing a form-fitting black turtleneck tank top, a denim jacket over it.

The modern clothes on him are such a foreign sight.

But there’s no mistaking it.

Volo.

Cheri feels his blood freeze near instantly. A few people step away as the space around him begins to grow cold, a breeze of malice brushing through the air.

Volo hasn’t noticed him yet, and Cheri’s debating between just leaving and confronting the man.

Celestic Town is pretty close to Mount Coronet, but Cheri has prior arrangements. If he decides to go after Volo, he might not make it to the city on time, if at all. And someone guards the mountain now after Cyrus, right? So it’s not like Volo will be able to actually get there.

Unless he takes a path that isn’t through the caves. But even then, Arceus will be fine, they’re a god, it’s fine.

Maybe Cheri should just avoid all this and ride a bike to town. He left himself enough time to, after all.

But the train doors close, making Cheri’s choice for him. He can’t just say nothing.

So he steps forward.

“Hey.”

Volo looks up from his watch, eyes wide. “Hello- I’m sorry, am I in your way?” Who is this? He looks familiar..

Cheri shakes no. “You shouldn’t be here.”

Volo stops, staring at the stranger(?) for a moment. He knows me. Who is this? Usually, when people are angry at me in this time, it’s because they’ve mistaken me for Cynthia. But it seems like this one’s here for ME, not her-

His eyes widen. He goes pale. Takes a step back, his voice quiet enough that only the man in front of him hears it. “Cheri.” The one of the siblings I ESPECIALLY did NOT want to run into.

I don’t have time for this! Not now- of all the times I could have run into him, it had to be this last mission?

He pushes his thoughts aside, putting on a grin and trying to act like everything’s fine.

“Haha, it’s fancy seeing you here! What a coincidence!” I can’t do this right now! I’m on a time limit- this is THE WORST possible timing for this to happen, so of course it does.

“What a coincidence indeed,” Cheri says, voice low, taking another step forward as Volo takes a step back.

Volo’s smiling, that same pleasant grin Cheri remembers from all those years ago. But Cheri knows it’s a lie, can sense the fear coming off the man.

“Why are you headed to Mount Coronet? You and I both know you shouldn’t be there.”

“Listen, I can explain, but I don’t have much time- but I am not here for Arceus.” Cheri doesn’t seem convinced, so he keeps talking. “I’m here to protect Arceus, actually, from someone much worse than I am.”

“Hm. A likely story.” Cheri starts reading his emotions a little more.

“I swear on my life, that’s behind me.” Please, please, please please PLEASE believe me. I know you have every reason not to, after what I’ve done, but please just listen.

Cheri hums, thinking this over for a moment.

He doesn’t sense any lies from the man, strangely enough. He lets his magic push forward a little further, sensing for Volo’s intentions.

He doesn’t sense anything to do with Arceus at all, actually. No lies, no deceit.

Interesting..

Volo shivers as he feels a cold chill brushing through him, though the pleasant mask of a smile stays firmly in place. They reach their stop. I need to get away. He turns on his heel. “Well, I’ll be seeing you around-” Cheri’s hand is on his shoulder, and he tenses, breath catching in his throat. Please have mercy. Whatever you’re about to do, just don’t hurt me too badly.

Cheri’s voice is quiet, his expression grim. “You’re on a suicide mission, aren’t you.”

Shock, surprise. He shakes his head, smile growing strained. “Wh- how did you-” Volo clears his throat, turning back to smile at Cheri. “It doesn’t matter. No matter what happens, whether it’s him who dies or me, the problem will be over. And I’m probably not going to die anyway. Why?”

Cheri frowns, thinking that over for a few moments. Him? I’m assuming that’s who he’s saying he’s protecting Arceus from? If Volo dies, doesn’t that mean the problem isn’t technically over? Because we still have someone out there who’s willing to attack Arceus to further a goal. And if Volo, of all people, thinks this guy could KILL him, with Pokémon as powerful as his.. “..I’m coming with you.”

Why? What does he want out of this? “He is dangerous. You shouldn’t come with, he could kill you, and I am not worth it.” How much does he know? How did he know?

“Well, that’s all the more reason for me to come with.” If this guy really is as much of a threat as Volo says he is, I need to make sure this guy doesn’t get anywhere near the creation quartet. The two step off the train, and Cheri crosses his arms, head tilting to the side. “If you’re telling the truth, it sounds like this guy needs to be taken out.”

Volo looks up at Cheri for a second, opening his mouth to argue, and Cheri ignores his own annoyance, interrupting before Volo starts.

“I’ve fought gods. I’ve fought you. I’m sure I can take this guy out just fine.”

Volo frowns. “You should want me dead, you know-”

“No. Nope.” Cheri pinches the bridge of his nose. “Shut up with that, I’m not gonna listen to you talk about yourself like that.” Because as angry as I am at him for everything..

I can’t bring myself to hate him. Can’t bring myself to hate anyone, really, but ESPECIALLY not him.

We’re the same, after all.

Volo shuts his mouth, keeping the surprise off his face. I betrayed him and his siblings. Am I not just speaking truth? “..okay. ..I’ll explain while we walk, but we need to hurry.” I really am not worth it. But.. I doubt I’ll be able to talk him out of this. He always was stubborn, even more so than his sister at times..

What does he want, coming with me on this? Perhaps he’s just making sure I’m telling the truth about not being after Arceus, but then if he knows how dangerous this mission is..

..What should I tell him? What should I leave out? He needs to know at least some of the situation. Maybe if he knows it’s no real threat to anyone except me, he’ll leave the situation be? He knows I deserve this, after all, was on the receiving end of my worst mistake..

Cheri follows the man, who seems to be lost in thought, and he soon gets lost in his own. Who is “he”..? I could look into his fears and see.. no, that’s too invasive. Even for Volo.

..I really don't know much about him, Hisui was so long ago.. And even back then, he tried to avoid being around me as much as he could. He could tell I didn’t trust him. He hung out with Ana and Keyo much more often. But..

He looks up at Volo. Volo looks back, smiling that pleasant smile again. But it’s tense. Almost strained. Cheri gives as reassuring of a smile as he can, but it only seems to make the guy more tense, so Cheri looks away.

I’m pretty sure that this isn’t like him. He manipulated my siblings and I into helping him collect the Plates, avoiding the dangerous work for himself; it isn’t like him to do something so dangerous like this.

Cheri carefully looks at Volo out of the corner of his eye, studying Volo’s face for a moment. His eyes glow as he looks into Volo’s emotions, grimacing when he feels a wave of anxiety and self hatred and quickly stopping, pulling his magic away.

Whoa..

..He doesn’t feel the same. I don’t feel the sense of untrustworthiness I did back then.

I wish I had a hold on my powers then, because I don’t have any idea how different he truly is, I have no clue if that self hatred was there before, but I know for a FACT the anxiety wasn’t. I can see it even without my abilities.

Volo’s looking around at every face as they walk. It’s hard to notice the nerves behind the pleasant smile, but Cheri can tell from how tense he’s holding his shoulders, a tenseness that didn’t exist back in Hisui.

And his eyes are.. darker, somehow, and his breath hitches every so often as people look at him.

And he looks sick. He has eyebags dark enough they almost look like bruises. He’s pale- even more so than he was back then.

He’s still smiling, but something about the smile is even more fake than it used to be; at least in Hisui, the confidence was real.

What happened to take his confidence?

They’re around less people now, and Volo takes a breath, turning to look at the trail. “So!” Volo claps his hands together with a fake chipper attitude. “The man we’re going after.. His name is Eclipse.”

With the name, Cheri notices fear.

Memories.

He doesn’t look into them, that’s invasive, but he can tell they’re there. That’s not good.

“He’s..” Volo thinks for a moment. “..Not a good man.” Then he points into the air, finger wagging as he talks. “And he’s leading me straight into a trap! And he likely knows that I know that it’s a trap. And he also knows that I’m going to come anyway, whether I know it’s a trap or not. But!” Volo turns to Cheri suddenly, pointing at him with a smile. “If I walk into the trap, he’ll stop everything he’s doing. He only wants me. I mean, he also wants to take revenge on- well, that doesn’t matter, but he’ll stop if I give myself to him.”

“If you what?” Cheri’s staring to get genuinely worried, eyebrows furrowing. “Volo, who is this guy?”

“Someone who gave me what I deserve,” Volo says quickly, then he shakes his head. “It really doesn’t matter. Go home, this doesn’t concern you.”

“Arceus is part of it, and you are too, so uh. Yeah. It does concern me, actually.” Damnit, that wasn’t supposed to sound so pointed. I’m WORRIED, about HIM, not about Arceus.

Volo shakes his head. “Really, it’s fine. I’m not here to do anything to Arceus. No plates, no flute, you can check my bag if you want. I’m just here for Eclipse. I’m here to try to take him down, and if that doesn’t work, well.. The problem will be gone either way!”

There’s a sour taste in Cheri’s mouth. Something’s very, very wrong here. “So, what, you’re just gonna let this guy take you and do Arceus knows what?”

“It’s deserved.” Volo smiles at him again, though it’s more strained and looks much more like he’s pleading. “Please, just leave, this is not worth your safety.”

“Nope. No, not happening. I’m coming with you whether you like it or not, you’re not gonna talk me out of it now.” This whole situation.. Whatever’s going on, it really seems like it’s MUCH worse than he deserved. Prison maybe, I could see that. Maybe getting grabbed by a time traveler who could teach him about exactly why what he did was dangerous.

But something tells me someone went way too far.

Volo’s smile grows more strained. “..I was afraid of that,” he murmurs, then he shakes his head. “Well. Hm. ..okay. I.. suppose this might be a good thing. He probably thinks that I’m not coming with backup- I wasn’t planning to, so.” Volo shakes his head, smile fading entirely as he turns back to the trail up Mount Coronet. “Anyway.. He has been collecting legendary and mythical Pokémon from different times and places. We’re not sure what all he has- we know for sure he has Regiice, Azelf, and possibly the other two lake spirits, as well as the Red Chain.”

Who is “we”?? Wait. SHIT. Cheri’s neck snaps he turns to Volo so fast. “He has the red chain?”

Volo, fairly used to ghost-type shenanigans, barely bats an eye. He just nods, a grim look on his face. “And he’s going after Arceus with it.”

“That’s.. not good.” Cheri turns back to the trail, frowning down at it and kicking a few pebbles forward. “But if he takes you, the problem’s over? Why?”

Volo thinks for a moment. “He’s.. very angry with me, and it’s me specifically that he’s after, despite the situation,” he says. Cheri can tell Volo’s verbally stepping around details, so he stays quiet, waiting for Volo to explain. “..I caused him to lose everything he had.”

“..with the rift, or..?”

“Oh, no, not like that.” Volo quickly shakes his head, hands waving. “No, he just..” Volo grimaces, looking away, what Cheri would have been able to see of his face hidden behind his hair. “He.. Well. He did some pretty bad things to me. Which! That was deserved, really, you know I deserved them.” Cheri grimaces. He keeps saying that it’s deserved.. it’s putting a bad taste in my mouth. Before Cheri can say anything, Volo keeps talking. “But when Management saw what he did, they kicked him from-” He shakes his head. “You know, I actually don’t think I’m supposed to talk about that. Forget I said anything about Management.”

“Okay.” So, he was in some secret club or something, and this Eclipse guy hurt him and got kicked out over it. “..the hell you mean ‘it’s deserved’? What did he do?”

Volo’s lips press into a thin line for a moment, then he glances at his watch. “Oh, look at the time!” Volo grimaces as he looks at the cave through the mountain. “We should hurry, let’s leave the path and just climb it, this cave system must be new; I am unfamiliar with it.”

Okay, he’s avoiding the question. Cheri frowns, ignoring the annoyance stewing in his gut and following Volo off the path. Then Eclipse must have done something pretty bad.

Or maybe he’s just a very private person. He avoided questions a lot back in Hisui.

Then again, in Hisui, he had a lot of things to hide.

..What is this club he was in? Some sort of evil team? But if it is, why would they have sent him to PROTECT Arceus from this Eclipse guy?

Given our past, I’d think he was lying if I couldn’t tell. He is so incredibly lucky I have the ability to tell.

“..so. He’s got a bunch of legendaries. Why are they with him?”

“They’re not with him willingly,” Volo explains, finding a good spot on a cliffside to start climbing. “He has this device, it’s from the future- Ah! Did I mention he’s from the future? Anyway, he has this device, which is controlling them through technologically created psychic power. They don’t want this, so we need to try to avoid hurting them, so the hoppers can bring them home- they’re from different times, he’s been jumping through time to take them.”

Cheri blinks a few times, head tilting to the side in confusion. “Hoppers?? Jumping through time???” Holy shit, wait, was I accidentally right about a time traveler grabbing him?

I guess it makes sense how he’s here then.

“It’s a very long story.” One I am probably not allowed to tell you. Well.. I might be able to, considering the fact that technically, you’re a time traveler. One chosen by Arceus, no less. But.. I don’t want to drag you into this mess. Not any more than I already have, anyway. Volo shakes his head. “Anyway, we’re not sure what exactly he’s controlling them through, but we believe it’s his bracelet.”

“Gotcha.” Cheri frowns. “So, don’t hurt the legendaries, break his bracelet.”

“Exactly.” Getting to the top of the cliffside, Volo turns around to pull Cheri up, though Cheri waves him off, he doesn’t need the help. “And try not to get hurt yourself.”

Cheri nods, smirking. “Thanks, Sherlock.”

Volo blinks a few times in confusion. “..Sherlock..?”

“It’s a reference- there’s this book-” Cheri shakes his head. “Nevermind.” Noticing a sneasel sneaking up on him, he snarls at it, letting an illusion lash towards it. It squeaks in fear, running off. “Sorry, can’t risk it with dark types.”

“No, that’s fine.” I already knew he wasn’t human anyway, though it’s interesting to see him actually use his abilities.

However, it IS a little frightening.

Was that meant to be a show of power, or was he genuinely just scaring it off?

What exactly does he want with me?

Volo turns, and they keep walking, an uncomfortable silence falling between the two.

“..you know.. I have time.”

Volo looks over at him in confusion.

“For a long story I mean.”

“This isn’t one you want to hear,” Volo quickly says. Please don’t ask again.

Luckily for Volo, Cheri just looks at him for a moment, almost seeming to study him. Volo shudders at the way Cheri seems to be staring straight into his soul.

Then Cheri nods, turning to the next cliffside to climb in silence.

Volo watches him for a moment longer before turning back to climb. ..He doesn’t trust me. I can tell. He might never trust me again, and honestly, that would be warranted.

It’s really unfortunate timing, that this has happened now, of all times. Right now, when I’m doing something important. One last thing before there’s nothing left for me to do, nothing left that I can fix.

..I suppose if I survive this, I can let him and his siblings decide my fate afterwards. Those three were the ones most directly affected by my actions.. Then they’ll get the final decision, if it isn’t made here.

..for now, though.. I can, at the very least, try to give him closure.

“..I.. want to apologize,” Volo mutters.

Cheri turns to look at him, subconsciously checking his intentions, and oh, this is a genuine apology. “Hm?”

“For.. Not only the rift, and pulling you and your siblings from your home, but also for betraying the three of you. ..I hope you know it wasn’t just.. It wasn’t all just manipulation. You three were some of the few people I could genuinely consider friends, had I not been holding you all at arms length.” I might as well be genuine. Maybe in return, he’ll do the same..

No. I shouldn’t hope, I don’t get to hope, but..

It would be nice, if it was something I deserved.

Cheri blinks a few times as he feels the sincerity. Interesting.. “..They’re going to want apologies too, you know. ..thanks, by the way, that.. actually means a lot.” He looks up the mountain, thinking for a moment. “..You really have changed, haven’t you.”

Volo hums, making a so-so gesture. “I’d like to think so.”

“..I forgive you, you know.” Cheri shakes his head. “Honestly, I did a long time ago. What you did was fucked up, don’t get me wrong, and a LOT of people got hurt that shouldn’t have. But.. I dunno.” He shakes his head. “..I can understand your reasoning.” What I learned about him, about his people..

Volo stops, looking over at Cheri with confusion. He forgives me..? Why? It doesn’t make sense to me. What does he have to gain? I don’t know if I should trust this, that might be exactly what he’s aiming for. “Really?” Volo looks up to meet Cheri’s eyes.

Confusion, a hint of fear, and Cheri realizes he should explain. “I wouldn’t ever do the same thing you did, don’t get me wrong. But the world really is full of unnecessary suffering.” Cheri shakes his head. “And.. if I’m right about where you came from, you’ve dealt with a lot of it, right?”

How much does he know about me? And how does he know it? Why does he know it?

Volo doesn’t let his uneasiness show on his face, humming noncommittally. “It doesn’t excuse my actions. I ended up bringing harm to a lot of people.” I don’t deserve forgiveness. “..Thank you, though,” he murmurs.

Cheri studies him for a moment. So, the self loathing is probably from the rift and everything surrounding it, at least partially.. Not sure what the uneasiness is about, but he doesn’t like something about me. It might just be the whole zoroark thing, but it’s been growing, so maybe it’s something I’ve been saying or something? “Don’t mention it.” He looks up, getting to the top of the cliff they’re climbing and offering a hand to pull Volo up, which Volo takes.

They’re about halfway up the mountain now. The air’s growing colder- though Cheri can’t really feel the cold himself, Volo’s pulling his clothes a little tighter around himself.

..conversation topic.. Oh, the plan. “So.. About this Eclipse guy..”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Volo says quickly.

“No, I wasn’t asking what he did, don’t worry.” I don’t want to push him too much, he’s wary. “I just want to know, he’s trying to kill you, right? Do you want him alive, or? If you’re, uh.. taking him out, what’re we doing with him after? What’s the plan?”

“You don’t have to worry about that, he’ll be taken care of either way, and.. alive would be preferred, but if he dies, I.. don’t really care.” Maybe that’s a little harsh.. Well. Maybe I’m allowed to be a little harsh. Volo shakes his head. “However, I would like to be able to capture him and bring him in. I.. have some questions that I want to ask him, with prison bars separating him from me, of course.”

Cheri hums, studying Volo’s expression for a moment, sensing the emotions behind it. Is that.. Pain? Exhaustion?

Concern? ..Overthinking, maybe..?

“..What sorts of questions?”

Volo shakes his head. “..I just.. hm.”

I don’t know how to word this. I want to know why he did it. I want to know why, out of EVERYONE he could have chosen, every timespace criminal he had access to, he chose ME to hurt.

“..I want closure.”

Cheri hums, looking away. “..He might not give you that. Talking to him might make it worse, you know.”

Volo turns to Cheri with a glare, hissing “You know nothing about him, or my situation.”

Cheri’s a little surprised by the sudden anger in the air, though it’s understandable, he doesn’t blame Volo for it. After a moment of thought, trying to figure out what to say, he shrugs. “I might know next to nothing about the situation, but I know trauma when I see it.” He glances over at Volo, letting his eyes flash, a subtle reminder of his abilities. “He hurt you, yeah? On purpose, I’m guessing.”

..Just how much does he know..? And what is he trying to get out of knowing this about me?

He’s right, and it scares me. Does he know because of an ability? Did he look into my fears? Or did he figure it out on his own?

Volo turns away, the silence giving Cheri all the answer he needs.

Shit. It seems like trying to bridge the gap is just making things worse.. Honestly, I should’ve expected this, got too personal too fast.

Well. There’s no point in dropping the conversation at this point. He can try to make me leave, but it’s not gonna work, I need to make sure this Eclipse guy doesn’t fuck with Arceus. And besides..

I’m worried. About Volo, of all people. That’s saying something. “..And he’s trying to kill you even now.. I doubt he’ll give you closure.” Cheri turns away, frowning. “If anything, talking to him might make things worse.” It made it worse when I talked to Keyo’s bio parents, after all. Dickheads will be dickheads, it’ll always hurt to talk to em.

“Perhaps.” Volo shakes his head. My pain shouldn’t matter to you. You can’t actually care, especially not with everything I’ve done to you, so..

It must matter to you because you want me hurt.

“..Let’s talk about something else, shall we?” And if you do somehow care, you shouldn’t get attached to me anyway, you shouldn’t get attached to someone who deserves a bad fate. It’ll only hurt you.

“Hm.” ..yeah. He’s probably done talking now. Cheri looks up the mountain, squinting as the sun hits his eyes. “..Not much further now.”

Volo nods, checking his watch. “The readings said he will appear in the cave that leads to Cloudcap Pass.”

“Alright. So we get to the pass, then go to the cave from there?”

Volo nods. “And then we’ll wait until he arrives.”

“Right.”

They climb in silence until they reach the top, coming out near the destroyed temple. Cheri takes a deep breath, taking in the air.

This place feels as holy as it always did, the presence of the gods closer here than it is anywhere else in the region, and he feels the power of Arceus’s blessing within him shift.

They’re watching.

Volo glances over at the spear pillar, an unreadable expression on his face, and Cheri senses a spike of guilt. Then he turns away from it, wordlessly heading to the cave, a grim determination filling his gut as he lets his Pokémon out.

Cheri lets his own Pokémon out too. He hadn’t been expecting a battle today, but most of his Pokémon are pretty strong anyway, so it should be fine. He’s got Sprigs with him, and Sprigs doesn’t fight, so he was left in his ball. But Cheri has a few with him that do fight, some of the ones that he hasn’t spent much time with recently. Hydra, Eelectra, Zigzag, Tiktok, and Sylvie- his hydreigon, eelektross, linoone, galvantula, and sylveon, respectively- all can fight. And in the worst case scenario, he can fight too.

Recognition. Feeling a pulse of emotional energy towards him, he turns to look at Volo’s Lucario, who’s staring at him with confusion and a little bit of fear. Cheri takes a breath, summoning up feelings of forgiveness, knowing the other Pokémon can read them. After a moment, the Lucario nods, pushing another feeling towards him. Friendliness, a gesture of goodwill. That is SO much better than what I got from his trainer. Cheri smiles, letting the feeling rise in his chest and sending it back, then he looks over at Volo.

Volo looks normal on the outside, but Cheri can tell he’s terrified, can feel the feeling seeping off him even without reaching towards him with his abilities.

“Hey,” Cheri says, resting a hand on Volo’s shoulder.

He nearly pulls away when Volo flinches, but then Volo leans slightly into the kind touch, looking up at him with wide eyes.

He’s touching me. Why is he touching me. I..

Why am I.. not all that scared of it..?

“I’ve got your back. You’re gonna be okay,” Cheri mutters. If you’re gonna die, he’s gotta get through me first.

Volo stares at him for a moment, then nods, his smile becoming a bit more genuine, though there’s sadness in his eyes. Oh. This is genuine kindness?

I should have expected it from Arceus’s chosen.

..I really don’t deserve this. You shouldn’t get attached to me. He opens his mouth to speak, but then his watch starts to blare, an alarm that he quickly moves to silence, expression hardening. “He’s coming,” Volo says, pressing a button on his watch. A hologram pops up, indicating a specific location, and Volo turns it off and takes a step away from there, staring at it, getting low to the ground, ready to dodge at a moment’s notice. Okay. I can do this. All I need is to last long enough to break that bracelet. His Pokémon quickly surround him, protective. Cheri motions for his own to do the same, and they quickly get into battle-ready stances.

The group stands in silence, staring at the spot, waiting with bated breath.

And then a portal opens, and Volo’s garchomp snarls, dashing forward.

“Ah- Shark, wait-!”

But it’s too late. Shark is thrown into the nearest wall, a Mewtwo holding him there. He snarls, kicking at the walls, the ground, trying to escape the psychic grasp, but it’s no use. Should I recall him and let him back out? I don’t know if that would work, don’t know if I could move quickly enough-

“Well, hello there,” someone says.

The voice is unfamiliar to Cheri.

But Volo stiffens even further.

Goosebumps rise on his arms.

Cheri can feel the fear seeping off him as he turns to stare into the portal.

The strange man steps forwards, grinning. “That’s not the friendliest welcome.”

“Eclipse,” Volo mutters, shrinking back. Shrinking back.

What the hell did he do, to make Volo react like that? Cheri looks over to Eclipse, taking in the high-tech bracelets on his arms, the look in his eyes.

He’s immediately hit with the man’s aura as he reaches his powers out, a sense of complete malice washing over him, and his eyes narrow as he braces himself against it, subconsciously baring his teeth.

“I can’t let you near Arceus,” Volo says, taking a step forward despite his fear, his Pokémon moving with him.

Eclipse waves his right hand, and a few more legendaries appear.

Volo stops moving forward. The whole cave is at a standstill.

Cheri notices strange yellow wires around the legendaries’ forms, feels psychic energy coming off of them, and then his eyes narrow as he notices a small yellow bracelet on Eclipse’s wrist. It’s barely noticeable, but it matches the wires. That must be the one.

“You know what I want,” Eclipse says. Volo’s Pokémon growl, protectively moving between the two. “All you need to do is come quietly, and all this can end. You know you deserve what’ll happen to you. It’ll save the world, even; it’ll finally redeem you, to prevent the same thing you did from happening again.”

And his grin widens, the malice surrounding im grows stronger.

“Don’t you want that?”

The manipulation leaves a bad taste in Cheri’s mouth, but he looks over at Volo, waiting to see how the interaction plays out.

“..I..” I do deserve it, but I still have my Pokémon to take care of. I don’t want to leave them behind, but if this doesn’t work, if I attack him and it ends up being for nothing, will he hurt them as retaliation for my actions?

..If I just go with, I won’t have to worry. They will be at least a little safer. The land may be different in this time, but it’s still their home region, and I trust they’ll be able to take care of themselves if needed, but..

“Are you going to return the legendaries to where you got them if I do?”

Volo’s pokemon make sounds of protests, but he holds up a hand to keep them quiet.

“Of course. I only needed them for this, after all.”

Okay. Fuck this. Cheri steps forward suddenly. “He isn’t going anywhere with you,” Cheri spits, moving between the two himself.

“And who are you? His new toy?” Eclipse sneers. “He’ll only betray you, you know; he’s betrayed everyone he’s ever gotten close to. He’ll manipulate you and then throw you aside, like he always has.”

Cheri feels the way Volo shrinks back, feels the guilt pooling off the man, and he snarls. Gods. Why does every powerful man I meet have to be SUCH a DICK? “Shut the fuck up. You think I don’t know the risks? I’m one of the guys he betrayed, and you’re still wrong for treating him like this.”

Eclipse raises an eyebrow, a spark of curiosity in his eye. “Oh really?” He tilts his head to the side. “Haven’t you noticed he’s better now? Haven’t you noticed he’s not going to try anything anymore? That change is because of me. Really, the world is better off with him in my hands-”

Cheri rushes forward. He’s reaching for the bracelet on Eclipse’s wrist, aiming to break it, and the other Pokémon in the cave rush forwards with him.

Within seconds, Mewtwo flings a bunch of their Pokémon out of the cave. Zigzag, Hydra, and Volo’s Spiritomb are frozen in a huge block of ice that Cheri narrowly avoids himself. Galarian Moltres flies past him as he dodges another blast of ice. There’s something glowing electric blue over there, but Cherry doesn’t see what it is before another ice blast blocks his vision.

Cheri can’t see Volo, but he knows Volo has Sylvie and his lucario with him, so he focuses on dodging Regiice’s attacks. With an angry scream, fire blasts from his throat, knocking Regiice out cold. One last blast of ice manages to catch his arm, and Cheri yelps as frostbite sets in-

Volo screams, a sound that reeks of agony, a bloodcurdling sound that makes Cheri’s heart drop, and he turns to Eclipse, letting his true form show, ten feet of pure protective rage aiming for Eclipse’s wrist-

Mesprit. Blast of emotion. Panic.

Frenzy.

Magic rushing in his ears. Time blurring together. Screaming, sounds so far away.

Blood flying through the air. An arm, mangled human arm, on the ground, blood pooling, blood in his mouth, between his teeth, on his hands, broken bracelet, mutilated flesh.

He tries to breathe. Everything sounds underwater, the world spinning, spinning, out of his control.

Out of control.

Out of control.

Out of control, he’s out of control-

Ribbon around his arm. A sense of calm pushes the panic away. He’s left on the ground, gasping, catching his breath, residual shakes leaving him exhausted, shifting back to his human form on instinct.

He looks up after a few moments, looking up at Sylvie, who’s staring at him with wide, terrified eyes.

“h.. Hey, buddy,” Cheri murmurs, gently scratching the top of Sylvie’s head. “You okay?”

Sylvie makes a sound, butting his head against Cheri’s chest before pulling away and dashing around the chunk of ice.

Cheri recalls the Pokémon who are still stuck in the ice, then stands on shaky legs, hurrying after Sylvie- Oh no.

Volo’s on the ground.

Cheri can’t tell if he’s conscious or not.

He rushes to Volo’s side, his uninjured hand hovering over the man, trying to figure out what’s wrong-

“Cheri,” a weak voice, and Cheri looks up at Volo’s face.

Contorted with agony. He reaches out with his magic to see where the pain is, burning blasts through his side. He pulls back.

“Is- is he gone?” Volo asks.

“Yeah, I- I think I got him, I think he’s gone,” Cheri mutters, rolling Volo over despite Volo’s cry of pain.

His shirt’s stained black in a large spot on his side. Cherry pulls it up to see a huge burn. It’s.. odd, though, it’s not a normal burn. The area around is stained black, but it isn’t charred, nothing is charred. It almost looks more like a poison than anything.

Cheri can feel the dark-type energy coming off it, sapping his own energy, and he takes a shaking breath through his mouth, trying to will away the feeling as he scoops Volo up. Volo lets out a pained sound at being moved. “Sorry,” Cheri mutters with a grimace, trying to ignore how hard it is to move his hand, how numb his arm is. Once he’s sure Volo is securely in his arms despite that, he gets Volo’s Spiritomb in its ball, then runs out of the cave.

“‘S fine, deserved,” Volo mutters, eyes slipping shut as he leans into Cheri. Cheri takes Volo’s pokeballs and recalls the injured Pokémon he finds scattered around the outside of the cave. “Can.. can you take care of them for me..?”

It’s all Cheri can do to not scream, shakes running through his entire body. “Shut up. Don’t do this shit, you’re not dying on me.” I came here to protect you, and by Arceus, I’m gonna do it.

Volo laughs, an exhausted, mirthless sound, even as a tear slips down his cheek. “It’s okay,” he whispers. “It’s okay. I deserve this. It’s okay.”

“Shut up!” Shit, I’m being a little harsh. Gods. Fuck. “Sorry, actually, don’t shut up. But stop that. You don’t deserve it.” As he talks, Cheri quickly recalls the rest of their pokemon, then he gets back to running down the mountain, not even bothering going through the caves, he knows where he’s going. He shifts back to his true form so he can jump down cliffs and land it, jumping over tree roots and fallen logs, trying his best not to jostle Volo too much.

Volo’s taking shuddering breaths, silent tears slipping down his cheeks, but he doesn’t complain at all. Self hatred, agony, and a sense of utter hopelessness is coming off of him, all of it is mixed with acceptance.

He genuinely believes he deserves this, Cheri realizes, a sick feeling building in his gut. Fucking hell.

“Why’re you doing this?” Volo murmurs, looking up into Cheri’s eyes. “You can’t seriously want to help me. What’s your motive? ”

“Is it so hard to believe I could genuinely like helping people?” Cheri spits.

He was aware of the way his voice echoes in this form, but Volo flinches at the sound.

And it reminds him that, yes, it is.

He isn’t human, after all. He isn’t even living.

He’s a vengeful spirit.

And sure, he chooses not to indulge that side of himself.

But how is Volo supposed to know that?

“Sorry, sorry,” Volo murmurs, breath hitching slightly as Cheri jumps down a cliff. Blood starts to drip down his side, and Cheri internally curses.

“It’s fine,” Cheri says, setting Volo down and tearing off pieces of his own shirt to start packing the wound and make a quick makeshift bandage. “Talk about something, anything, just.. Just keep talking.”

Volo winces in pain. “..You know the Pokémon that got me? Galarian Moltres?” He looks away, eyes unfocused. “Some say it burns your very spirit away.” He laughs, though the laugh turns into coughs. “I must be very lucky that mine’s still intact, ahaha- Ow!”

“Sorry.” Having tied the makeshift bandage tight, he quickly scoops Volo back up. “What else about galarian Moltres do you know? Any interesting legends? Anything?”

“G-galar was never really my focus,” he mutters, taking a few steadying breaths- they’re shallow, it hurts him to breathe. “I’m just..” He lets out a quiet wheeze, resting his head against Cheri’s shoulder.

There’s exhaustion radiating off him, Cheri realizes, and Cheri gets running again.

“Don’t go to sleep, I don’t know what happens if you do,” he mutters.

“Mmh..” Volo shakes his head. “Trying..”

“Good. Keep talking.” Cheri takes a shaky breath. “What about normal Moltres? Any cool legends?”

“..they’ll dive into volcanoes to heal themselves,” Volo mumbles. “And they.. bring an early spring, to cold places..” His eyes slip closed.

Cheri nods. “You know the Indigo League Flame is said to have been lit with their flames?”

“Oh yeah.. I.. I remember that.. s.. Sorry, I can’t..” Volo goes limp in his arms.

“Hey, Volo, keep talking! Volo!!” Not sensing anything from the guy at all, Cheri grimaces. “SHIT!!!” Cheri moves faster, shifting back as they get to the bottom of the mountain, not wanting to be seen by anyone who doesn’t already know in any form outside of a human one.

shit shit Shit SHIT SHIT!!! Cheri bursts out of the trees, running into Eterna City, dodging around people as he heads to the nearest hospital.

He rushes into the emergency room. “We need a doctor, now!” It comes out louder than he meant it, almost echoing, though for some reason, it’s hard to hear himself anyway.

Everything feels so far away as the emergency room suddenly turns into a rush, a stretcher coming out to take Volo away. People ask what happened, and he explains as best as he can, telling them Volo got hit with a powerful dark-type attack that sapped his energy, leaving out the legendaries and the reason for the blood staining his hands and teeth.

He.. doesn’t entirely know why that’s there. He has a faint idea, but he blocks that out on purpose.

He can process that later, he can process that he probably killed a man another day.

The doctors are concerned about it, though, so he tells them it’s from the one who attacked the two of them, and they accept that answer, bringing him back soon after for his frostbitten arm.

Time seems to stretch to forever as his injury is treated, but when he’s finally left alone, allowed to leave, it feels like no time’s passed at all. He leaves the hospital, heading straight for the Pokémon center to drop off his and Volo’s Pokémon.

Relax. Just breathe, Cheri. Just relax.

Breathe.

He takes deep breaths as he walks, wrapping his arms around himself and closing his eyes, sensing people’s feelings to determine where they are so he can avoid them.

Thankfully, he makes it to the Pokémon center without an issue, setting down the pokeballs on the nurse’s desk.

“Those six are unregistered, he- he made their balls himself,” he explains, trying to ignore the shake in his voice.

The nurse scans the pokeballs. “They look registered to me..”

Sure enough, they are registered, under a Volo Discere.

“Huh.. interesting,” Cheri mutters. Did he always have a last name? I know Volo means to want. What’s Discere..? “Okay, nevermind, then. Um- I’ve gotta go, he’s hurt. Can you take care of them while I’m gone?”

“Of course, but- Wait-!” She looks up in worry as he leaves, but he doesn’t have time to chat, making his way back to the hospital.

I need to see if he’s okay.

He heads to the nearest waiting room. Someone passes by in the hall, he recognizes her as the nurse who treated him.

“Hey!” He rushes over, catching her attention. “Volo, uh, Discere- is he okay?”

“Huh? Are.. you asking about the one you came in with?” She gives a weirdly strained smile. “They’re still fixing him up, but it’s looking like he’ll pull through.”

“Okay.. okay.” Cheri lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

She nods, rushing off, and he finally lets himself relax.

Okay.

Okay, we’re okay.

Not sure what she was freaking out about, but it should be fine..

..they’ll come to me if anything happens with him, right..? I’m probably not on his emergency contacts- he probably doesn’t have those, actually- but I AM the one who brought him here..

WOULD he have emergency contacts?? His Pokémon are registered, so maybe???

Cheri sighs, sitting in one of the chairs, leaning back with his hands clasped together behind his head. He lets his eyes slip closed, taking a few deep breaths.

Whatever the case, if he needs me, if he asks for me, I’ll be here.

After a few moments, the exhaustion of the day catches up to him.

And finally, he slips into sleep, all his day’s plans forgotten.

[feralkwe]

tell me more about "all the ways it isn't fair"

well, as i mentioned in the meme post, i have a few fics that are less an organized fic and more a fistful of one-shots that are connected by the source material and written out of chronological order.

there is nothing, imo, fair about being the warrior of light. it is a classic chosen one narrative in many ways, thrusting the main character into the cruel cycle of saving the world through ever-increasing stakes, but never losing grip of it's main theme of hope in all it's messy, ugly, and yes, beautiful iterations.

kit left her home to avoid being thrust into a life that was chosen for her only to become the chosen one of this story. despite her adventurer's heart, she often finds herself isolated, and "all the ways it isn't fair" is snaps and flashes of her grasping onto something she wants for herself while she marches forward, stalwart in her dedication to always do what will serve the greater good.

hilariously, what kit wants was very much not what i wanted, and that complicated both our lives in a way that has been fun to write. her love life, past and present, is a treasure trove of agonizing comedy for me.

have a very rough excerpt of a first draft i wrote back in august that may or may not make the final cut of the story:

"You look like you have something on your mind." As he was wont to do, Thancred surprised her on soundless steps, no small feat in the snow, startling her out of her reverie. He rubbed his hands up and down over her arms when he thought no one was watching. Kit shook her head. "It's nothing that can't wait." His eyes narrowed, disbelief clear on his face, but he didn't argue. "If you say so." He draped his arms lazily around her waist and leaned up just short of kissing her. "Consider me at your disposal should you change your mind." Kit stepped back. "I know you are, and I am grateful for it." It was tempting to try to explain, but Kit knew once she started talking about Elpis there would be no stopping until it was all out. It was still too raw, too recent despite being the distant past. In a way, her distant past. Even thinking about what she'd lost brought a sting to her eyes, even if it wasn't all hers to mourn. She knew Thancred, knew how he'd felt about Emet-Selch. He was nothing if not vocal about it. Despite how Thancred loved her, part of her was certain that he would just not accept or understand everything that now hid in her heart regarding the man she knew she must have loved some twelve thousand years in the past. The man whom she knew beyond a doubt she also loved when she'd very recently killed him. Or, maybe she wasn't giving Thancred enough credit. Despite his loud and even justifiable opinions on Ascians, perhaps he cared about her enough to try to offer her a modicum of empathy. "Actually," she started, bulling her way through her hesitation, "could we go somewhere more private?" He replied with the lift of an eyebrow, then nodded. "Of course." He gestured toward one of the structures that had been converted to a shelter. She took the lead, and was almost there when she caught sight of a flash of fur on a very short body. Stutter-stepping, she stopped, and turned in the direction she'd seen it. "Is that a Loporrit?" She jerked her chin in the direction she was now headed. Thancred followed her line of sight with his own, then frowned. "I believe so." They followed the tracks around the side of the shelter where a sizable group of the moon rabbits gathered. They were looking around excitedly, chattering away, their voices overlapping in their fervor. At their center, fielding their countless questions, was Urianger. What was complicated had just become more so.

reading this now, it's full of buck wild things even by final fantasy standards. i can only imagine how it reads out of that context. enjoy!