#my sister and i have gone this path multiple times | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

topazy · 7 months ago

Text

Tomorrow's promise

Pairing: Daryl Dixon × reader, Rick Grimes × sister reader

Warnings: Minor blood/guts, swearing

Chapter: 4.02

The sun is already up when you wake, with cold sweat running down your spine and face. Slowly, you attempt to remove Daryl’s arm from your waist without waking him, but using his other arm, he pulls you closer. He brushes your hair to the side and kisses the back of your neck.

“It’s like four in the morning; where are you going at this time?” He whispers.

You stretch your aching body out in the little space that you have and say, “I was going to work on picking off some of those walkers that will have gathered overnight.”

“You’re clammy.”

“I know, I’m not feeling so good.” You move out of his grip and sit up. “I think I’m coming down with something.”

Daryl rubs circles on your lower back as you slide your shoes and jacket on. “You should stay in bed. I’ll cover for you on the field later. Beside, it’s really fucking early.”

“I’m hoping that the early morning air would help me, but thank you.” Despite sharing a bed with him, you resist the strong urge to kiss Daryl to try and avoid spreading your germs. “I’ll be back in a little bit to feed Jace and get him dressed.”

Grunting, he rolls onto his back and says, “It’s fine; if the kid wakes up before you’re back, I’ll get him up.”

“You sure?”

You glance into the cot and smile, seeing Jace cuddling his toy while sleeping. “Thanks; I’ll see you in a bit.”

—

You weren’t sure how long you’d been outside for, but since Carl and Rick were now outside feeding the pigs, you expected it to be around eight in the morning. Sweat was dripping from your forehead and into your eyes, causing them to nip. No matter how many walkers you kill, the cluster of them never seems to get smaller. You feared the fence wouldn’t last much longer.

Stepping on something squishy, you look down and squeal, seeing you’ve stepped on a half-eaten rat, and the weight of your foot has pushed the remains of its guts out of its body, causing the walkers to crash onto the one spot.

Rick runs over to the fence that decides the field from the pathway you are on. “Y/n, are you okay?”

“Yeah. Rick, have you seen me down here? I think someone has been feeding the walkers rats.”

“Rats?”

“There’s a dozen half-eaten ones in one spot. If someone is feeding them, I will explain why they are gathering.”

He goes to say something else, but multiple gunshots come from inside the prison. “Carl, go stay in the watchtower with Maggie; no argument. Y/n, stay on the walkers.”

“Hell no, my baby is in there.”

Sprinting up the path, you start to feel lightheaded, and a heaviness weighs down on your chest. You hear Sasha calling out that the shoots are coming from block D before you stumble and hit the ground.

—

Your eyes are too heavy to open, and you feel as if your jaw is wired shut with how painfully your body aches. You feel a slight dip in the bed beside you, and someone gently strokes your hair and then kisses your forehead. When footsteps approach, the weight beside you shifts and the person is gone, and you feel the sudden loss of warmth and comfort that comes from being someone you trust.

Daryl.

“How’s she doing?”

You recognize the voice as Maggie’s.

“She’s still burning up.” Daryl’s voice sounds strained. “I remember when we first met, I said I wasn’t a babysitter. I didn’t want to be around a screaming baby. Pft, I never thought I’d grow so attached to the kid.”

“I know it’s hard, but it’s the right thing to do. Jace is vulnerable, and you’ve been exposed. Beth will take good care of Jace and Judith,” Maggie says softly. “My dad and Carl will find the elderberries and make the tea. It should help until you get antibiotics.”

You hear a noise that sounds like someone tapping their fingers against the metal bars of the cell.

“How many of you are going?”

“Me, Michonne, Tyreese, and Bob. Our best chance is hitting the veterinarian college, and if not, we will start searching houses. If y/n wakes up before I’m back, let her know. Just let her know I won’t be gone long.”

#the walking dead #daryl dixon/you #daryl dixon fanfic #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon x you #tomorrow’s promise #daryl dixon x reader #tomorrow’s promise 4.02 #the walking dead fanfic #twd fanfiction #daryl dixon x y/n #daryl dixon fic #Daryl Dixon/reader

85 notes · View notes

theotherseapancakes · 10 months ago

Note

Psssst. You mentioned no one cares about Philemon, but now I'm curious if you have any thoughts about his role in the games after he disappeared. And for sillies sake, does he have anything to do with the Dance games?

I have been waiting my entire life for this. Anon do you realize how verbose I'm going to get. DO YOU REALIZE? I hope you like read mores. Let me preface this with I am aware and have seen some popular theories, so I'm going to sidestep a lot of them and present one I've built since... well, I became a Persona fan as a teenager. MAJOR PERSONA SERIES SPOILERS LIKE THE ENTIRE THING OK? OK. yes even royal.

The P2 PSP additional scenario is so incredibly important and I think everyone missed the point of it. THE PERSONA 2 PSP ADDITIONAL TATSUYA SCENARIO!!!! It's beyond important, because it reveals to us Philemon can have more than one Avatar we know about, just like Nyarly. (Casual reminder he's like half the shopkeeps in P2. Time Count, anyone? Why was the Time Count so hot. Anyway.) Disclaimer: I'm just a casual fan who has played a LOT of Persona and SMT. I haven't gotten around to all of them, but I've played/finished both paths of 1, 2, 3 (and p3p) as well as 4 and 5. Didn't manage to get my hands on Golden but I've seen enough of it. (It's funny you ask about the dance games, they're the only ones I don't have right now! But my roommate does, and will be gone for a few months soon, perhaps I will take the time to start with p4DAN. I'm atrocious at rhythm games though so more than likely I'll find a video. Anyway.) WHAT is Philemon? If we can't define that, we can't talk about The Positivity Guy Ever.

So let's talk about Phil. He's a fascinating character. His Persona is just a form of Himself, But Cooler. And he seems to HAVE no set shape, not unlike Nyarlathotep. People have various theories about Shadows and their origins etc., but Phil is more like that vote of confidence in people. I think, personally, that after the end of Innocent Sin, Phil's been pretty weak. We see in Eternal Punishment he's fading pretty roughly, and has a hard time talking to the party. Presumably ending Nyarly might to some degree fix things when Deja-vu Boy goes home, but... the problem is, we don't know how fixed they truly ended up being, or the full depth of how much he could/did expend!

In fact, the first time we even see Phil without the dumb mask is when Tatsuya decks him. Pay close attention to that fact. To the mask motifs here. I want you to really soak in Phil's everything. He's a leader. A kind soul. He's the good of people. He wants to believe the best.

Anyway, most of these things overlook what I find really interesting as we've gotten more games worth of lore: he and Nyarly aren't the only eldritch entities walking around like that. Yes, Nyx is one too. Yes, it's probable she may even be their 'mom'. It's possible they all came from Nyx initially, but it's also possible (and should be considered) they too may have been outsiders at one point. We need to ask ourselves how far the human collective unsconsciousness can go. Is that sea infinite? Could it affect other worlds? Think about Aion in Devil Summoner Soul Hackers 2. Yes, I am asking you to think about Soul Hackers 2. Deal with it, I don't care. They're sister series. They share many things. SO! Did the shape of the human mind change a bunch of eldritch creatures and make them interact with us even more after Nyx smacked the moon a gazillion years ago? Is there multiple worlds? Weird bullshit? Just the two? Hmm. Well... I, personally, think so. I think he was touched by humanity just like Nyarlathotep, but in the other way. The reason I bring this up is two-fold. The first is Nodens. Now, we don't know much about the actual Nodens, unfortunately, just some speculation. Which is a shame. (If anyone has more info I'd love to have it, ngl. As a pagan this shit fascinates me.) But what we do get on him in Lovecraftian lore can provide us some intriguing possibilities about Phil's everything, which the games love to keep really rather vague. (And this is putting aside that his human Persona is based off the obviously bogus Jungian Spirit Guide, but we love an old guy in a mask anyway. He probably felt that was more 'friendly' for humans, hah.) I believe that Nodens, and Phil by extension, are just as responsible for nurturing and keeping the collective unconsciousness alive and positive. We see the butterfly symbol everywhere. We see it with Lavenza, too. "This is truly an unjust game." So was the bet Phil made with Nyarly, a game he rigged. Phil made the mistake of thinking the Crawling Chaos wouldn't cheat, a mistake he is never making again, I assume, if he can help it. Shit, you could view his boss fight in P2EP as him trying to train the EP crew to beat the snot out of Nyarly, even. But off topic. If Nyarly is basically the father of all Shadows, and they and Personas are the same coin, it makes me wonder a lot of things. The two have always been portrayed as simultaneously diametrically opposed, but also not? They have identical halls in P2. They have similar powers and talents... I think after Persona 3, Phil's remnants sank into the Collective Unconsciousness, to attempt to rehabilitate humanity from what it lost, from what he himself lost. I think Igor took over the room, because he took a backseat to recover. It would go a long, long way towards explaining why only SOME characters have the tier of the Wild Card, which is similar to the 'original' Persona power. (Having multiple.) He was took weak to remain in his Spirit Guide (Philemon) form, and had to abandon it to return to the depths as Nodens... So. Let me go back to Nodens and make some notes about design.

Nodens, as seen here, sort of resembles an iron maiden. It really brings to mind the idea of maybe Tatsuya or someone's humanoid form sleeping within it, doesn't it? Fitting for an aspect of Philemon! ... You probably can see where I'm going with this, but let me pull up some screens to finish the point:

That's right! It's Azathoth, Baby! I believe that unlike mythology, he's yet another aspect of Philemon. Eldritch positivity, in too much force, could be used for accidental bad, too. (Reasons Maruki is my favorite Law Hero, haha.) Let me explain. I think Philemon always existed in... let's call it parts. Azathoth is said to be a dreaming god in whom's universe we all just happen to be alive inside, right? "Dream of butterfly" (Philemon) "Or is life a dream? Don't wanna wake up. Cuz I'm happy here." That sure is thematic to what Maki goes through in Persona 1, and what Maruki's beloved suffers, isn't it? ISN'T IT. The "true reality" he creates... would help Maruki create in the additional Semester--would be something most humans would never pass the muster to even try to control. But we have seen Phil test a few people and find them worth passing before! However, that seems like ages ago. Why has he been so quiet? I think because he was spending time conserving his energy. He believed in humanity enough to give Makoto a push when it was needed in p3 (or femc, if you play her), but otherwise trusted Igor while he restored what needed it. But in Persona 5 Royal, he hand-picked Maruki, didn't he? At first, when I played Persona 5 Royal, I really thought it was some part of Nyarly, but I no longer believe this to be the case. The coloration and symbolism in the background (the golds, the whole garden of eden themes, the way his Palace was laid out), the whole sea of soul motifs in P3Re later... mmm. I have a lot of thoughts about this, but this post is already way too long for one simple ask. So let's wrap up by going one step further and looking finally at Nodens' dialogue to the party in the Extra Scenario in Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (PSP). The following is a transcript, you can find a video here:

Nodens: This is the memory of the lost child whom you all seek. Nodens: Memory occasionally brings about much distress and suffering, but it is absolutely vital to distinguish oneself from others and manufacture one's own psyche. Nodens: Ever since it began, life's memory has accumulated unbroken, passing through individual experiences and spanning several generations. Nodens: And so it has given shape to Kadath and the Collective Unconsciousness, thereby becoming a foundation for the next generation. Nodens: Even if the roots of the world are directed by fear and anxiety, never forget that the true essence of life is brimming with joy. Nodens: You must not stop seeking the answer for why life was born in a cosmos progressing towards absurdity and chaos. Nodens: Life brims with joy, bringing about balance in a universe predestined to heat death, and that allows the world to live a long time.

So to answer your question, I think he's taken a much subtler role. I think he's influencing people by pretending to be a Persona for Maruki, because he believes it will help them grow. I don't think he was intending a forever-control vice grip, but rather to prove a point. No matter what, the primordial chaos of humanity will rise up for chaotic good, lawful good, whatever "good" is needed. Azathoth is... interesting. Adam Kadmon is also interesting. But mostly I HIGHLY suspect we may see him again in Persona 6, or at least I'm hoping so. It's my personal pet theory by then he'll be less faded and come back to us in a new form of some kind. He's never had a set one, after all. Now for funsies about the dancing game, well, he's a positive guy, he wanted to just make sure everyone had their fitness regimen checked off. Obviously. (This is a joke.) Did the devs intend this? I'm honestly not sure? Like there's a lot of nods to older Personas in 5 and now 3RE especially, but it's definitely worth chewing on. I could go on and on about things I think he's connected to, but ultimately they have the final say lol. I'm just a crackpot conspiracy theorist on tumblr who really likes Philemon. He and the Room are my favorites. :) Ask me about attendants for additional dumb, sometime, I guess lol.

#persona #persona 1 #persona 2 #persona 3 #persona 4 #persona 5 #persona spoilers #p5r #philemon #persona 2 innocent sin #persona 2 eternal punishment #nodens #text #long post;#SORRY NOT SORRY THIS IS ONE OF MY ETERNAL BRAINROT QUESTIONS HERE #I live and breathe overthinking SMTPersona

71 notes · View notes

lilbabypanda-blog2 · 22 days ago

Text

Two sides of a Gem (Part9)

Aventurine x (stoneheart)reader

Part8

The sterile glow of multiple screens illuminated Ruby's sharp features, casting angular shadows across his face. His pale hands glided over the keyboard with mechanical precision, every movement deliberate, every keystroke efficient. Data streams scrolled across the monitors—encrypted files, fragmented records, and blurry images of a woman cloaked in Nihility.

Acheron.

Her presence on Penacony had been a disruption, a crack in the carefully laid plans and fragile balance. Ruby’s crimson eyes flickered as he scanned line after line, each piece of information revealing little and raising more questions. She was an Emanator of Nihility, a force of nature bound to chaos and decay. Yet her motives remained obscured, her presence a specter in the shadows of this dream-soaked city.

For most, this would have been just another anomaly to log into a report. But not for him—not when Y/N was there.

His hands froze mid-motion.

Her name stirred something deep within the artificial core of his being—something heavy and unfamiliar. It was not fear, nor was it attachment—it was something else entirely.

He was never supposed to feel—not like this.

In the early days of his creation, he had been nothing more than a project—Prototype-7A, a marvel of engineering and ambition. The lab had been cold, efficient, and indifferent, filled with researchers who viewed him as an achievement to be marketed and sold.

But then there was Y/N—a bright light in a sterile world. Her older brother, his creator, had been the architect of Ruby’s existence. But it was Y/N who gave him something more—a sense of self.

"I can’t just call you 'Prototype-7A' forever. That’s… boring. You need a real name. Something proper."

He could still picture her small frame sitting cross-legged on the cold lab floor, her expression scrunched in thought as she studied him like he was more than just wires and metal beneath pale skin.

"Elias. That suits you, doesn’t it?"

At the time, the name had meant nothing to him. It was just another designation, another label. But when he repeated it back to her in his monotonous voice, she had smiled so brightly it made the sterile lab feel warm.

"See? Perfect."

It wasn’t long after that everything fell apart.

Her brother was gone. The lab had descended into chaos. And when the other researchers had tried to force Y/N into compliance—to hand him over, to strip away whatever shred of autonomy he might have had—it was the first time Ruby acted of his own volition.

He had protected her.

Because she wasn’t just his creator’s sister. She was his person.

The faint memory buzzed at the edges of his mind as he stared at the screen. Acheron’s file glared back at him, full of fragmented information and ominous gaps.

If she posed a threat to Y/N…

Ruby’s jaw tightened. He wouldn’t allow it.

He hesitated for only a moment before pressing the call button. The line connected with a faint chime, and her voice came through, light and casual, but with a sharp edge underneath—a mask as flawless as the one he wore.

"Elias? Everything alright?"

He paused briefly. It had been some time since she’d called him that. Out in the open, she used Ruby—a title, a facade. But here, in the illusory safety of the Dreamscape, she could speak freely.

“…For now,” he replied, his voice steady despite the faint crackle of something unreadable in his tone.

Her voice carried through the connection, bright and lilting, yet sharp as a blade beneath velvet. He could picture her in Golden Hour, bathed in soft light, with those sharp eyes taking in every detail around her.

“You called because of Acheron, didn’t you?”

Ruby’s crimson eyes flickered. She always knew.

“Yes,” he said flatly. “She’s an Emanator of Nihility. Her path to Penacony was… destructive. There’s no indication of her true goal yet.”

Y/N hummed thoughtfully.

“She hasn’t shown her hand yet. But I’ll keep my eyes open.”

A brief silence stretched between them before Ruby spoke again, his voice firm.

“Keep the cornerstone on your person at all times. Don’t let it leave your sight.”

“I know, Elias. I’m not careless.”

Her voice was light, but he knew she took his words seriously.

There was another pause before her voice softened slightly.

Ruby’s expression remained stoic, but something subtle shifted in the sharp lines of his face.

“…Good.”

Y/N’s next words were playful, but her sincerity shone through.

“You worry too much, you know that? I’ve got this.”

Before he could respond, she continued with a teasing lilt.

“Besides, who else would keep you from brooding yourself into a corner?”

For a brief moment, the corner of Ruby’s lips twitched upward—almost a smile.

“…Stay sharp, Y/N.”

The line disconnected with a soft chime, and Ruby leaned back in his chair, crimson eyes lingering on the faint reflection of himself in the dark screen.

His worries hadn’t been eased. Acheron remained an enigma. The cornerstone was still a target. And Aventurine…

Ruby’s eyes narrowed faintly at the thought of the blonde-haired schemer. His feelings towards Aventurine were… complicated. He didn’t dislike him—not entirely. But he worried that Aventurine’s charisma and reckless games would pull Y/N into something dangerous.

His pale hand hovered over the keyboard once more, pulling up another set of files as he dove back into his research.

Because until every variable was accounted for, and every threat neutralized, he couldn’t stop.

______________

The Penacony Dream Hotel lobby was bathed in soft golden light filtering through the crystalline chandeliers. Morning—or at least what counted as morning in a place like this—brought a strange hush to the space. Guests shuffled by, some looking well-rested, others clearly shaken from whatever dreams they had ventured into.

At one of the plush seating areas in the corner, March 7th was sprawled across a velvet armchair, sipping a bright pink drink from a fancy glass topped with an umbrella. The Trailblazer sat on the carpet, cross-legged, flipping through what seemed to be a Dreamscape user manual. Across from them, Himeko and Mr. Yang sat side by side, both with steaming cups of coffee in hand.

The faint click of heels announced Y/N’s arrival. She approached with a graceful stride, her usual sunny smile in place, but sharp eyes flickered across each familiar face before she settled down into an empty chair.

“Morning, everyone! Did we all survive our little dream adventures, or did someone end up in an emotional horror show?”

March raised her drink dramatically. “Survived, but barely. Some guy tried to sell me a dream insurance policy mid-dream. I woke up feeling financially scammed.”

The Trailblazer looked up from their manual. “I got lost in a maze made of floating sandwiches. I didn’t want to leave.”

Y/N chuckled, leaning back in her chair. “Well, I guess I’m the lucky one. I just enjoyed the view from the Golden Hour. Very shiny, very mysterious. Felt like they were hiding something under all that glitter.”

Himeko took a sip from her cup before speaking. “That’s what I wanted to discuss. Did anyone else feel like… something wasn’t quite right in the Dreamscape? Almost like we were being guided to certain places, seeing only what they wanted us to see?”

Mr. Yang adjusted his glasses, nodding slightly. “I noticed the same thing. Certain areas were accessible, while others remained obscured or strangely off-limits. Almost as if we’re being corralled.”

March frowned, her usual playful demeanor dimming slightly. “So, it’s not just me then. It felt… staged. Like a show we didn’t sign up to be part of.”

The Trailblazer flipped the manual closed with a sigh. “If this place is hiding something, then whoever’s pulling the strings isn’t doing a very good job of covering up the cracks.”

Y/N crossed one leg over the other, her smile softening as her fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of her sleeve. “I had a little… run-in with Mr. Sunday before heading into the Dreamscape. Let’s just say he’s far more polished than he lets on. Every word feels rehearsed.”

Himeko’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Sunday is a showman, but you’re right—something about him feels off. Did he let anything slip?”

Y/N shook her head lightly. “Nothing obvious. But people who play a part that well usually have something to hide. I plan on poking around a little more next time I see him.”

March leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “And what about him? You know, Mr. ‘Friend’ Aventurine. He’s got ‘trouble’ written all over him.”

Y/N smirked slightly. “Oh, Aventurine? He’s as slippery as they come, but he’s smart—too smart. He’s sniffing around the same mysteries we are, but he’s keeping his cards close to his chest. He even tried to get me on his side. Invited me for drinks and everything.”

March threw her hands up. “See? That guy’s charm is like quicksand. Once you step in, you’re done for. Y/N, tell me you didn’t—”

“Relax, March. I’m not that easy to win over, even with expensive drinks and silver words.” Y/N winked, but her voice lowered slightly, tone sharper. “But I do think Aventurine knows more than he’s letting on. He’s playing the long game, and I’m not sure whose side he’s really on.”

Mr. Yang folded his hands together. “Be cautious around him. Opportunists like Aventurine don’t show their true intentions until the moment it benefits them the most.”

Himeko leaned back, swirling her coffee. “And yet, sometimes people like that are useful—as long as you know how to handle them. Y/N, you’re sharp enough to keep him at arm’s length, but don’t let your guard down.”

Y/N gave a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am. I’ve got it covered.”

March sat back with a sigh, her drink nearly empty. “This is all getting way too serious for a vacation. I wanted shopping, spa days, and maybe getting lost in a dream city—not espionage and mystery.”

The Trailblazer raised a hand. “I vote we investigate while pretending to have fun. Like spies in a movie.”

Y/N snapped her fingers, grinning. “Exactly! Think of it as a heist movie, March. You get to dress up, look fabulous, and occasionally outsmart villains. Isn’t that your dream scenario?”

March perked up slightly, her usual spark returning. “You know what? You’re right. Fine, I’m in. But only if I get a cool codename.”

Y/N tilted her head in thought. “How about… Agent Pink Snowflake?”

The group erupted in soft laughter, even Mr. Yang’s lips twitched into a smile.

Himeko finished her coffee, her expression turning serious once again. “All jokes aside, we need to keep our eyes open. Whatever’s happening here—it’s bigger than just some glittering dreamscapes. We stick together, share everything we find, and stay one step ahead. Agreed?”

Everyone nodded in unison.

Y/N’s smile softened as she glanced around the group. Despite the looming mysteries and the uneasy feeling in her chest, this crew—their camaraderie and trust—was a source of comfort.

“Alright, then. What’s next on the agenda? Shopping, investigating, or finding the Trailblazer another sandwich maze?”

The Trailblazer raised their hand again. “I vote for sandwiches.”

March giggled, and Himeko let out an amused sigh.

But then

March groaned dramatically, throwing herself back against her chair. “Can’t we have one festival where things aren’t suspicious? Just one? Is that too much to ask?”

Y/N chuckled softly. “Where’s the fun in that, March?”

The girl huffed but couldn’t fight the smile tugging at her lips.

Himeko set her cup down with a faint clink. “We need someone to dig deeper into this—someone who can move around without drawing too much attention. The Dreamscape holds the real secrets of Penacony.” Her gaze shifted meaningfully toward Y/N.

Y/N raised a brow, feigning innocence. “Oh, are we playing the ‘send the charming one into danger’ game again?”

March smirked. “You are pretty good at it.”

Welt interjected, his voice calm but firm. “This isn’t something we can approach lightly. The Dreamscape isn’t a simple dream—it’s layered, unpredictable, and far more dangerous the deeper you go.”

Y/N crossed her arms, her casual smile never faltering. “I’ve handled dangerous before, Mr. Yang. Besides, if we keep tiptoeing around, we’re never going to get any answers.”

Himeko leaned forward slightly. “You’re volunteering, then?”

There was a brief silence as all eyes turned to Y/N. She sighed softly but nodded. “I am. Someone has to do it, and let’s face it, I’m… adaptable.”

March’s brows knitted together in concern. “But what if something happens? What if you get lost down there?”

Y/N gave her an easy grin. “I’ll just follow the sound of your voice yelling at me to hurry up. Trust me, March—I’ll be fine.”

The Trailblazer finally spoke, their voice steady. “Be careful, Y/N.”

She gave them a reassuring nod. “Always.”

March pursed her lips and muttered, “You better. Or I’m dragging you out of there myself.”

Himeko’s expression softened slightly as she placed a hand on Y/N’s shoulder. “Remember, if anything feels off, don’t push too far. Retreat and regroup. We can’t afford to lose you.”

Y/N’s smile turned genuine, softer than her usual easy grin. “I’ll keep that in mind, Miss Himeko. Promise.”

Welt adjusted his glasses and gave her a brief nod. “We trust you, Y/N. Just… don’t take unnecessary risks.”

Y/N stood from her chair, stretching slightly. “I’ll check in regularly, don’t worry. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with glowing dream-liquid.”

March scrunched her nose. “That stuff looks so weird. Like fancy soup.”

Y/N laughed lightly. “Fancy soup that sends you to another reality. Delicious.”

As the group dispersed, March grabbed Y/N’s wrist for a moment. “Seriously, Y/N. Stay safe, okay?”

Y/N patted March’s hand gently. “I will, March. Promise.”

With that, Y/N turned and began walking towards the entrance to the Dreamscape chambers. The glow of the Dream’s Calling—a cascading blue liquid-like pool set into an elegant golden frame—reflected in her eyes as she approached.

Behind her, the crew lingered briefly, watching her figure disappear into the chamber.

Welt adjusted his glasses again. “Let’s hope the answers she finds are worth the risk.”

Himeko’s eyes followed Y/N until she was out of sight. “If anyone can handle it, it’s her.”

March mumbled, arms crossed. “She better come back with something cool…”

The Trailblazer simply nodded, their gaze lingering on the shimmering light ahead.

#aventurine x reader #aventurine fluff #honkai star rail #honkai star rail x reader #hsr aventurine #star rail aventurine #aventurine #hsr art #honkai star rail x you #oc x character #honkai x reader #x reader #aventurine x reader #x you #x y/n #self insert

21 notes · View notes

sufferu · 4 months ago

Note

It's always bugged me because yeah yeah Subaru and Flugel have some sort of connection sure but like there's just so many ways to do it without some boring and thematically disaonant au/timeloop sort of thing?

Reincarnation is literally and explicitly a thing, we have multiple characters who are already the reincarnation or spiritual successor to some big name important figure from the past and Subaru being another one of them but also refusing to let it define him and making his own path better fits with who he is and the story itself.

Reminds me on how way back before we really had anything about him beyond some suspicious similarities between Kararagi and Kansai that people thought that Hoshin had to have been some sort of AU Subaru as well.

I'd rather believe Flugel is an AU Kenichi or Subaru's maternal grandpa or whatever than Flugel is literally just Subaru and this is all just some greater part and plot of a ginormous timeloop.

I had never heard it before but I'm actually super into the idea of Al as Subaru's displaced younger older brother? Especially since we're now at Al's arc and everything.

Yeah imma be honest I hate basically all Subaru == Flugel theories, and all Subaru == Aldebaran theories, too (though really those are one and the same, because Aldebaran == Flugel seems pretty much canon at this point lmao: there are too many signs, and also they act so similar to one another that it really doesn’t feel like nearly as much of a stretch to say that they’re the same guy as it is to say that Subaru is either one of them). This includes timeloops, reincarnations, etc.: it’s just — “Oops, all Subaru” isn’t an ending that I am very partial to, and if that’s where this is going then Tappei is gonna have to sell it HARD in order to get me on board.

But my favorite theory is ABSOLUTELY the Younger/Older Brother Aldebaran theory.

Evidence:

Subaru is explicitly referred to by Kenichi as his “eldest son” in every translation of the First Trial, despite the fact that he doesn’t have any siblings. (Honestly even if this DOESN’T end up being canon I’m gonna go the rest of my life headcanoning that Naoko was pregnant when Subaru got Isekai’d just because of that line alone)

Subaru has gone out of his way to mention that he is afraid that his parents had more kids when he got spirited away, which sure smells like foreshadowing to me

In a side story, Aldebaran is mentioned to have had many of the same insecurities regarding his family members as Subaru. These family members are not named. (In the shadow of his perpetually missing older brother, perhaps?)

Garfiel talks about Al and Subaru smelling similar in the same volume where similar scents indicate a familial resemblance between him and his mom

The Pleiades Constellation references seven sisters, bringing the idea of siblings right front and center

In astronomy, Aldebaran is the Following Star, specifically following Subaru

Aldebaran has been literally calling Subaru “bro” every time he shows up, which is currently just a speech quirk but has the potential to get recharacterized HARD

Pros:

Keeps Subaru and Al connected without making them the Same Guy

Brings the focus of the story right back to the character-centric drama of the Natsuki Family and how Subaru left them behind, which I can basically guarantee has to come up again at some point anyway

All of Subaru and Aldebaran’s scenes become so much funnier if it’s revealed that they are actually siblings

We can get Subaru and Aldebaran fighting with one another over who gets to be the older brother

So many Cain Instinct memes

Cons:

Please. It would be so, SO good.

#natsuki aldebaran theory #aldebaran #natsuki subaru #my inbox

41 notes · View notes

whatitshouldvebeen · 1 year ago

Text

Angry Johnny

Part 1 | Part 2

This is the first of my two unfinished Johnny Slaughter longfics in which you are a private investigator in training, looking into Maria Flores's missing person case.

If either of them blow up, I'll see about finishing one or the other, but I don't expect it considering TCM is dying (thanks, devs! 🤪) Still, I hope you enjoy and please interact if you want more!

Warnings: none so far

Word count: 2.5k

27 May, 1973

Country Road 172 appeared no different from the countless other rural lanes, and yet, it seemed even less busy. Dry grass crackled beneath each step as you drew near the spot where Maria Flores's vehicle had been discovered and came to a stop.

The sun bore down on your back and the parched earth beneath your feet radiated a scorching heat. You wiped your brow and took a sip from your canteen for a brief reprieve from the oppressive Texan afternoon.

You surveyed your surroundings, hoping to find the missing piece of the puzzle the sheriff's department had overlooked. It had been two months since Maria's disappearance, and their efforts had been as useful as the lifeless armadillo lying a few feet away, its tiny feet pointed skyward. It was high time someone put genuine effort into finding the poor girl.

As an aspiring investigative journalist, your goal was to make a mark in the field, and what better way than to uncover the mystery of a missing person? The area's history of multiple disappearances had to have a perpetrator, and you were determined to uncover them.

You knelt down, your fingers gently sifting through the dirt as you surveyed the sun-drenched terrain. Flat land stretched out before you, with resilient plants still retaining their green hues under the relentless sun. Hours slipped by as you meticulously combed the area, the heat causing beads of sweat to trickle down your face and soak through your shirt.

During your search, a question lingered in your mind: where had Maria gone after her car broke down? A barbed wire fence marked one side of the dirt road, while a rusted yellow divider obstructed another path nearby. Beyond the divider, a sea of bluebonnet flowers swayed gently in the breeze.

Recalling Maria's purpose for the trip – to capture wildflower photos, as her sister had informed the sheriff – led you to consider whether she had ventured past the divider. A hunch urged you to explore further, yet a lingering sense that you were missing something held you back.

The metallic scent of dirt and dried grass hung in the air, and the sun gradually began its descent. Despite your dedicated efforts, you found nothing of interest. However, just as hope threatened to wane, a glimmer caught your eye. In one of the spots where your sweat had stained the dirt, a small pearl earring lay revealed. You retrieved it, then pulled out Maria's missing poster from your jeans pocket – it was a perfect match.

Yet, finding a single earring didn't necessarily imply anything significant. After all, people lose jewelry all the time, right?

As you contemplated this discovery, the sound of an approaching vehicle drew your attention. You brushed the dirt from your pants and turned toward the oncoming baby blue van, shielding your eyes with one hand. Without your signaling for it to stop, the van came to a halt nonetheless.

"Miss?" inquired a young woman from the passenger side, leaning out of the window. Her lengthy black hair was neatly pinned back with a single blue beret, complementing her floral blouse. "What are you doing here?"

You blinked. I could ask the same of you, you thought, but decided to tell her in case she could be of assistance. "I'm looking for clues related to the disappearance of Maria Flores. This was where her car was last seen."

The girl's face lit up with a wide, joyful smile, her dark brown eyes gleaming. "You're looking for my sister!" she exclaimed. "I thought the sheriff's department had given up."

"I'm not with the sheriff's department. I'm an investigative journalist." You paused, shifting in place. "Well, I'm on my way to becoming one, anyway. I hope to use this case to build credibility," you admitted.

"Oh," she responded, the light still dancing in her eyes. "I'm Ana. My friends and I are searching for her, too." She leaned aside, gesturing toward the driver, a young man with medium-length brown hair who waved. "This is Leland." She pointed toward the back of the van. "And back there are Connie, Julie, and Sonny. Hold on."

Ana rolled up the window, muffling the group's conversation inside the van. Then, she lowered it again.

"We could use an investigative journalist on our side. Would you like to join us?"

The idea of five additional pairs of eyes working on the case sounded promising. "I'd love to," you agreed, your excitement growing. "I parked my car a little further down the road. I'll need to get it."

"We can give you a ride back," Leland offered. "Open up the back, Sonny."

The van's rear door slid open, allowing you to climb inside. Sonny, a thin black teenager with a mustache to match, closed the door behind you.

"Hi, I'm Julie," greeted a girl with a long brown braid, dressed in a bright orange, low-cut top.

You told them your name, and a redhead wearing a pink collared shirt tied at her midriff introduced herself as Connie.

"Which way is your car?" Leland inquired, glancing at you in the rearview mirror.

"Just back up the road a bit," you replied. Leland nodded and turned the van around, retracing their route.

"Have you found any clues?" Connie asked, looking you over.

You held up the lone pearl earring, offering it to her. Connie accepted it, passing it along to the front seat.

"This is hers!" Ana exclaimed with excitement. "Our mother gave her these earrings as a gift when she got accepted to the University of Texas. She'll want this back."

You lowered your gaze, reluctant to let her know the statistical chance of finding her sister alive was fast approaching single digits. The best-case scenario now seemed to be that Maria had chosen to disappear and sever all ties. You silently hoped that was the case.

Ana pocketed the earring, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you. This gives me real hope."

You returned her smile as reassuringly as you could when Leland pulled up next to your car.

"Any idea where we should go next?" Leland asked, draping his arm over the back of Ana's seat, his warm brown eyes fixed on you.

You nodded. "Back where you picked me up there was a yellow road divider. I think Maria might have gotten side-tracked up that way photographing flowers."

Ana's enthusiasm surged. "That sounds just like Maria! Let's head in that direction!"

Leland looked at the dashboard with a worried frown. "We're almost out of gas. Let's find a gas station first so we don't end up stranded in the middle of the night."

"Come on, can't we just walk?" Ana pleaded.

"That really isn't a good idea," Sonny interjected. "If Ana went missing up that road, who's to say we won't go missing too?"

"He's right, Ana," Connie added. "Back on my family's farm, people showed up stranded more often than you'd think."

Julie reached over the seat to rest a hand on Ana's shoulder. "Babe, you know I'm all for finding your sister, but we have to take care of ourselves too."

Ana sighed reluctantly. "Alright, let's go."

You stepped out of the van and moved into your car, following behind the group as they continued along the route. This stretch of road led past a recently abandoned slaughterhouse, its eerie presence slowly receding into the distance, eventually guiding you to an equally forsaken-looking gas station bearing the ominous name "Last Chance Gas Station."

There was a single concrete slab beside the gas pump they parked their van on, so you parked your car on the uneven dirt. As you exited, you gazed up at the battered tin roof crowned with the bold, red letters proclaiming "We Slaughter & BARBEQUE," the rest of the group emerged from their vehicle.

An older man rose from a small green stool beneath the awning, his welcoming smile a stark contrast to the eerie surroundings.

"Well! Y'all ain't from around here, are ya?" He asked, his voice as warm as a southern breeze. A gas station attendant dragged a rolling bucket behind him and started sopping down the windshield.

"No, sir," Leland replied, refueling the van as the group exited.

"We're searching for my sister, Maria," Ana said, gesturing to the missing person poster affixed to one of the awning's posts. "Have you seen her?"

The man shook his head, and his graying, combed-over hair bobbed with the motion. "Did you try looking where they found her car?"

"Yeah. We have a lead we're planning to follow as soon as we refuel," Ana answered.

The man furrowed his dark brow, deep in thought. "It'll be nightfall soon. It can be unpredictable 'round these parts at night."

After a brief pause, he continued, "Best y'all set up camp down in the back beyond the mesquite thicket and carry on with your search at sunrise."

Sonny perked up. "That sounds like a great idea, mister-"

"Drayton," the man introduced himself with a toothy grin. "Drayton Sawyer."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Sawyer," Leland said as he replaced the pump and shook the man's hand.

"Don't mention it. Hey, can I interest any of you kids in some barbeque? I made some fresh last night."

Your stomach growled in response. "I'd love some, Mr. Sawyer." The other teenagers quickly agreed.

Drayton beamed and directed your attention toward a spit where meat glistened under a dark, smoky glaze, filling the air with a tantalizing aroma.

"We've got the finest selection of meats in all of Texas, y'all count on that. Let me grab you some plates, and y'all can eat at the table out back."

Drayton fetched some paper plates, and—though they protested—you insisted on covering the cost of the group's meal and gas since they were already dealing with their friend's disappearance. You and the others settled at a worn-out picnic table, the anticipation of a good meal adding to the sense of camaraderie.

Drayton came by to drop off some napkins before you all started into your meal. "Barbeque 's always messy. Y'all get some good rest tonight, you'll need it for tomorrow."

"Sure, thanks Mr. Sawyer," Ana said with a smile. Drayton returned it then slowly made his way back to the gas station.

"Nice of that guy to let us stay in the back," Sonny remarked as he opened a bottle of soda, the satisfying hiss of escaping gas punctuating his words.

"I dunno, I feel like something's off," Leland said, warily poking at his meat.

"Like what?" Julie asked, bumping against his shoulder.

"Just a feeling, I guess."

Sonny nodded. "I feel it too, man."

Connie took a bite of her meat and blinked rapidly. "Well, whatever's off, it certainly isn't this!"

Intrigued, you brought a glistening piece of meat to your lips and took a bite. It was tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. "This is incredible. I've never tasted pork this delicious before."

Before long, you and the others had devoured your meals, and by that point, the sun was beginning its descent below the horizon, casting shadows that stretched like fingers reaching out to pull the night over like a cool blanket.

"We should set up camp," Leland suggested as he made his way to the van.

"I'll help," you volunteered, standing and following him and Julie. Leland opened the back of the van and retrieved two tents.

"We didn't bring enough tents for another person," Leland remarked, a frown creasing his forehead as he looked at the bundle in his arms.

"It's okay. I can sleep in my car," you said.

"Aww, babe, you don't have to. You can try squeezing in with me and Connie!" Julie protested.

You smiled, gathering sleeping bags with Julie. "No, it's totally fine, I don't mind! I was already planning to anyway. Let me help you get those tents set up, though."

Julie pouted but followed you and Leland back to the table, where Ana, Connie, and Sonny were clearing it.

"Are you all set?" Leland asked as Sonny took one of the tents, lightening Leland's load, the prospect of the night ahead looming like a specter as fireflies began to light the dimming sky.

"Yeah, let's get this done," Ana agreed, leading the way to the rear of the gas station. Beyond the mesquite thicket, you reached a flat area under a tree, a sanctuary in the shadows.

They cleared a cozy spot beneath the tree as the sun dipped below the horizon. Setting up the campsite didn't take long with everyone pitching in. A welcoming fire took shape under Connie's watchful eye, casting their faces in a soothing, orange glow.

Julie slipped away briefly into the shadows, reemerging with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Leeeeland," she chimed playfully.

"What is it?" Leland responded, his dark eyes shifting to meet her gaze. He nonchalantly flipped his hair, its strands catching the faint firelight.

With a mischievous grin, Julie revealed a well-loved guitar case. "Could you play us a bedtime song?"

"Please, Leland," Ana chimed in, inviting Connie to join her by the fire. Their earnest expressions revealed a deep yearning for a moment of peace before the challenges of the next day.

Leland hesitated, his hand on the back of his neck. But the collective plea proved too compelling to resist, and his resolve began to crumble.

"Yeah, come on, Leland, she hasn't heard your beautiful singing voice yet," Sonny playfully teased.

With a resigned smile, Leland took the case from Julie, revealing the cherished guitar within. He gently cradled the instrument on his lap, its warm, wooden tones illuminated by the campfire's glow.

"Fine. One song, okay?" Leland agreed, glancing around at the expectant faces. "Any requests?"

"Just play whatever's in your heart, babe," Julie said, laying her head on Connie's lap.

"Right." Leland took a deep breath. "This is 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' by John Denver."

Leland began a bit shyly, but as the first notes filled the night and he sang, he surrendered to the music. It was easy to see how; he sang with such conviction you found yourself believing he really was leaving on a jet plane.

You looked around the campfire. Connie carded her fingers through Julie's hair, who closed her eyes contentedly. Sonny grooved to his own rhythm, and midway through the song, Ana joined in singing.

With this group of strangers turned friends, you felt a sense of belonging. The shared mission to rescue Maria had formed a bond you hoped would only grow stronger.

That night, the circle became a sanctuary of fleeting serenity. Little did you know just how fleeting it would turn out to be.

#johnny slaughter #tcm game #johnny slaughter x reader #texas chainsaw massacre #texas chainsaw massacre game #tcm

62 notes · View notes

tzigone · 8 months ago

Text

Bruce's general path in headcanon reboot

Any long running character has gone through multiple personalities and relationship dynamics. Some I like, some I don't. But for my headcanon reboot, I'm mapping out a general path for Bruce. Pick bits and pieces out of canon and put them into something that works for me.

So, two big point that are so different in the early days and the later days are Bruce's wealth level and Bruce's emotional health.

So, for this story, we start with Bruce as rich, but not a billionaire and as an emotionally healthy superhero. These will both change as the story progresses.

Okay, I'm starting with Bruce becoming Batman as a 24 year old. He's studied and trained (and no one ever thought he was dead) and he's ready to get started on improving Gotham. His Uncle Philip Kane and Great Uncle Silas Wayne and some second cousins live in Gotham, while his Aunt Agatha is an out-of-town relative. Silas is the one running Wayne Enterprises at the time (though maybe not still doing the day-to-day) and owns 50% of Wayne Enterprises. Agatha (Thomas's sister) owns 25% and Bruce 25%. Agatha and Bruce have little to nothing to do with the business.

The Bruce we know then is social and generally pretty happy. Also a determined crimefighter. Superman's already on the scene and others heroes follow. Bruce does, like in the golden age, think of this as a phase in his life and something he'll retire from once he's accomplished his goals.

Gotham is certainly a city with crime and corruption, but it's not a cursed-from-birth-can-never-get-better kind of place. But well, while not nearly all the cops are on the take, there's enough of them that he can't leave that poor orphaned acrobat unprotected. He becomes Dick's guardian, and he trains the boy and lets him do the things he wished he could have done when his own parents were killed.

We'll see the early villains introduced now. While I'm spreading the golden age villains out a bit more than the compressed time of comics allowed for, the Joker and Catwoman still come at about the same time.

Things continue along that line for a while. Dick begins taking cases alone (Star-Spangled-Comics-like). Dick's in the phase of life where he's developing his own way of doing things, but he always defers to Bruce when they work together. They still have a healthy dynamic and Bruce is proud of him and seeing that he can trust Dick to handle things on his own.

Bruce joins the JL. He's worked with some of them before and he and Clark are friends. They have a good team dynamic and mutual respect, though that's not to say no one ever irritates another.

I haven't really worked out Talia. I'd like to use the dislike Dick had of her, but originally that was when he was a college student, but if we look at Damian's age, Dick'd be younger when Bruce and Talia met, and I'm not sure how I'm going to work that out because the dynamic doesn't work the same with a 14 year old Dick and grown Talia.

He and Selina have had their banter in the past, but she was a criminal and he a hero and nothing every really happened. She goes straight and he thinks they'll not be seeing each other again.

Then Silas dies. His own children were, like Thomas and Agatha, never interested in running the business. Bruce feels like he needs to step in and get involved in the company and show some oversight, since no one else is. He's deliberately exposing Dick to the business side of things, hoping Dick will want to take over after college and he'll be able to devote his full time to heroing again.

We'll see Dick (16) join the OG Teen Titans and Barbara become a hero around this time. As with the original story, Dick's more welcoming of Barbara as a hero than Bruce is. This is when we first start to see his desire to be in control of everything, though it's much toned down back in this day and he accepts her quickly enough. He does not train her - she was already an adult and already trained. She works with the two of them sometimes, but mostly alone.

Bruce is getting more and more involved with the company, but beginning to resent the pull it has on his time. Actually, as the 10th anniversary of him donning the cowl approaches, he's starting to feel dissatisfied with his life. He thought he'd have accomplished his goals and be retired and married by now. But there's so much left to do. It seems to him that Gotham has barely improved at all. That's completely false, but he didn't set any actual benchmarks back when he started and now he feels like he's not meeting them. He'll hire Lucius and sort of start off-loading a bit of his Wayne Enterprises load on to him (and getting more eager for the idea of Dick taking over after graduation - Dick's leaving for Hudson). He will date Silver, but that'll fall apart.

Dick becomes much more independent at University. He gets used to doing things his own way. And he starts working with Barbara some. And now it's not just the TT, but his partner he expects to treat him as a equal. He's capable of the schoolwork, but doesn't prioritize it. He and Bruce are both leaning into putting more time in the hero biz right now, and less into other things. And he decides to leave University and spend his time on heroism. This is problematic for Bruce for two reasons. First Dick was supposed to take up the slack so he could do that. But more than that, it really bothers him that Dick doesn't finish college. He considers that a baseline accomplishment for his kid. He's not living up to his potential, etc. Dick knows how much of sacrifice this could be for others and feels fortunate he has a trust fund that enables him to do this and he resents Bruce trying to control his decisions like he's still a kid and that Bruce is doing partially so that Bruce can spend his time doing what Dick wants to do with his time. Since Dick isn't going to be taking over the company, Bruce hands the day-to-day over Lucius, though he maintains overall oversight.

So, this is the beginning of some of their issues that will become more significant over time. Also, Bruce is getting more determined, more driven, more focused, more demanding and more controlling in general. As I said, he feels like he's gotta step it up to save Gotham. We'll seem him start to pull away from his JL buddies, too. He starts to see them as insufficiently focused. And while he's always been confident in his own decision-making, he's getting more into the mindset that his way is the only way.

Dick joins the NTT, and he and Bruce have quite a strained dynamic at the time. Selina become a vigilante and she and Bruce interact more, but it doesn't go anywhere. Though they continue to interact and lust and care.

Then Bruce meets Jason. He does love him and value him, but he's much harder on him than he was on Dick at that age. He doesn't give him leeway to do anything but obey when in costume. Out of costume, he's a pretty good dad. But he's spending less time out of costume than he used to.

Jason's death really messed him up even more. He pulls away even more from the relationships he had, and he doesn't want to form new ones. He's angry and taking it out crooks sometimes. He's barely ever out of the costume. His relationship with Dick continues to get rockier.

After Tim becomes Robin Bruce very deliberately doesn't cast himself as a father (of course, Tim has one). Tim would open up with an emotional discussion with Dick or Alfred long before he would with Bruce. But Tim and Bruce have a good working relationship. Tim looks up to Bruce as almost infallible at first (which isn't really healthy) and he obeys completely, which is something Bruce values.

For a while, Tim is a good bridge for Dick and Bruce. But eventually, after working on his own for a while, and working with others, Tim starts to have his own ideas to believe Bruce is wrong sometimes (see the late 90s and early 2000s when Bruce was awful, though he won't be nearly so bad here) and Bruce isolates himself more. Grandmother Kane dies and he inherits a fortune from her.

Then Damian comes along, and Jason is back and Bruce is terrible at relating to both of them and handles all of it poorly and then is lost in time (or similar).

This experience and the alone-ness and forced time away from being Batman give him too much time to think about his own thoughts, think about his own life and his successes and mistakes and what he wants.

But unlike canon, he decides what he wants is to prioritize the people and relationships in his life more. When he gets back, he starts off working on what's important (but still totally dons the cowl and saves the day, too). He works very hard to build a relationship with Damian (and Dick has made tremendous progress with him) and to repair his relationship with Jason (and Tim had done quite well with him) and to do better about treating Dick, Steph, Barbara, Cass, Clark, and so many others better than he did. And treating the adults like equals instead of thinking he should be the boss of them. And he decides to finally take real shot with Selina instead of back-burnering or being too afraid/pessimistic to try. It does work out. In time, they'll be married and he'll have a good dynamic with family and his old friends will be his friends again.

He'll eventually inherit Aunt Agatha's portion of WE (and a fortune from Uncle Philip) and he'll eventually retire the cape and cowl when he knows he's too old to keep doing the job effectively. But he will know he did good, and he will have faith in the younger generations that they have to and will continue to do so.

#Bruce Wayne #Dick Grayson #Jason Todd #Selina Kyle #Clark Kent #Batman #Robin #Nightwing #Catwoman

29 notes · View notes

mayzingly · 5 months ago

Text

all the s2 ep3 parts ruined with yapping

!!SPOILERS, IF YOU HAVENT WATCHED ANY OF THEM GO WATCH THEM!!

I haven’t seen an episode be split up in parts since s1 ep10, so either Brittany decided to do it in parts instead of all at once because she knew we would complain about it literally being three months since the last one, or THEYRE COOKING

^^^^^^^^

so the episode starts with them walking on a path, which means im allowed to assume that Pyrare and Ajacenus went in the forest and then got ajavex from somewhere.

first thing I notice right off the bat is how enthusiastic they are about beating their sister up😭😭 like y’all are forgetting that whatever injuries ajaceare gets, ajacent has to deal with. they just don’t fade once she becomes uncorrupted, do they

that’s all I had to say about the first part, since it was surprisingly more boring than I remember

^^^^^^^^

this is my favorite out of the prevs.

the episode starts with ajaceare running like she just got 500$ from her mom and was told she could spend it on anything. dub then asks her how collecting pieces has been going. she pulls out a BIG ASS BAG. if im correct there are 20 artists featured in jsab minus the ones that already gave their pieces and some of them are one timers (avenza, pegboard nerds (iirc), plesco, silva hound, nanobii, TECHNICALLY omnitica, etc etc) so like where did she get all them pieces???

there are multiple theories about who those people could be, but I choose to believe theyre 2/5 out of Shirobon because

THATS A TAIL. AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAS A TAIL? A FOX. AND YOU KNOW WHATS A SONG BY SHIROBON IN JSAB? FOX!!! TOTES DIDNT RUN ON ONE HOUR OF SLEEP LAST NIGHT😃😃😃😃

also, I hope this is just a transition because OTHERWISE HOW DID SHE NOT NOTICE THEM.

one sentence to describe this episode: tri-py.

anyways, onto the next one. you better get your popcorn ready cause im about to RANT.

*cracks knuckles*

and OF COURSE SHES ON A TREE.

why is literally every monster either corrupted or a pacifist in tpc. like YALL GOT FIGHTING SKILLS, USE EM “don’t you know we monsters never attack shapes??” That’s only for YOU, your SAILOR MOON HAVING ASS HAIR LOOKING ELDER SISTER, and “SAILOR MOON”’S BITCHASS BARRACUDA HAVING FRIEND.

girl. im sorry but if I was a monster id be throwing these hands left and right.

“How could you have gotten corrupted like this?” gee idk, maybe a corrupted person touched her!??? Shocking wow “You’re supposed to stay in the mountains like the rest of us!!” bro shes 1000, im pretty sure shes able to not be huddled under u all the time.

“Now give me your pieces!!”

again, this makes

NO.

FUCKING.

SENSE!!!

IF SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT PYRARE, SHE WOULDVE SAID “Give me HIS pieces!” But instead shes saying “Your”.

I don’t know WHY the hell Ajacenus and ajavex would even have pieces, because it’s clear that they don’t have the triangle symbol like every other group member, but even if they did, IT WOULD BE INCOMPLETE BECAUSE AJACENUS IS SUPPOSED TO BE WICKED - AVENZA AND AJAVEX IS DEADLOCKED - F-777!!! SEE HOW ITS TWO DIFFERENT ARTISTS???

AND PLUS, EVEN IF SHE DID JUST MEAN PYRARE, HE WOULDNT HAVE A SINGLE PIECE BECAUSE THEY HAVENT GONE TO THE LAND OF TRIANGLES YET!!!

CAUSE I KNOW DAMN WELL SHE DIDNT FORGET TO ANIMATE THE HAIR DETAILS. I DONT GET WHY THEYRE LEFT OUT OF THIS, THEY COULDVE USED THE SHIELD FROM HER DRESS INSTEAD!!

PYRARE, MOVE!!! QUIT BEING LAZY!!! MOVE YOUR FACE!! DUMBAS-

AND THEN YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO CLAP. BRO.

BROOOO🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

one sentence to describe this episode: BRITTANY COOKED BUT NOBODYS HUNGRY🔥🔥

last and definitely least, is the 4th part. now, the whole video was a bossfight so I don’t have much to say except SHE GOT PUFF PONYTAILS YAAAAAAAAA

I hope she isn’t batshit ugly or I might just remove s2 ep3 part 5 from my consciousness once it comes out

…yeah I had to remove it from my consciousness because WTH is this

“What happened to me?” Girl do you have the big D? (dementia)

HAHAHHH THE STUPID FACE HE MADE IN THE HALLOWEEN SHORT IS BACK, only thing I’m happy about. However…

“It isnt right for a male to hit a female” dude sybau. you throw hands all you want if you feel provoked. pussy.

anyways, onto dub. his section was the only entertaining part. Seeing him tweak like that genuinely made me go “😧” IRL

“Which caretaker is it!? I swear if it’s the anxious one…” made me BUST OUT laughing. Though I do wonder what he would’ve done if the flower lied to him and said it was “the anxious one” who I’m assuming is cube.

“So you decided to come out of retirement?” im curious about this, because… how does he even go into retirement in the first place?

though, I’m gonna talk about three things here.

1. I think (Altered) finally gives us an answer to what Circusic meant in episode 2. “The same way you are!” So we all saw him get revived by the reaper and turn into circubit, so when he says that I can only guess that Iris got revived that same way. You get revived, but with some perks, aka ALTERATIONS.

2. Every flower is infected? That means George is probably back.

3. Circusic is infected??? Either he doesn’t know that hes uncorrupted; or HES BAAAACK!!!!

#the pink corruption #brittcorruption #jsab:tpc #pink corruption #tpc #what is blud yapping about

12 notes · View notes

razorblade180 · 2 months ago

Note

You had a post a little bit ago about how cool Weiss is in TSF. Do you have anything like that for the others in their respective verses?

I don’t want to make this post extremely long so I’ll only focus on Ruby for now in Rosebud

The repair woman and modifier for her friends’ weapons since RNJR. It helped take her mind off things. Eventually she made Jaune an engagement sword.

Doubled down on being proficient in weapons. Even before things got serious, Ruby wasn’t a total stranger to holding other weapons. Nothing feels completely foreign to use, especially swords. She can actually use all of her friends’ weapons.

Beat Salem at age 17. Kinda a big deal. Her favorite part about it is it gave her time to learn normal hobbies afterwards. She’s an awesome skateboarder

Her team actually defended Atlas but in the end it costed Oscar completely turning into Ozpin; kicking off a new and more aggressive drive in Ruby specifically.

Went to Vacou alone pretty upset after Atlas. She also had a pretty big argument with her team. Ultimately it became the catalyst for growth. Ruby was ahead of them for few months, learning how to take care of herself.

Rallied Vacou citizens to defend against early attacks from Salem. Ruby got really good earning the local’s respect through gritting her teeth and countless hand to hand bar fights. Gone were the days of not throwing punches, and she only got more phenomenal after reuniting with her sister.

Is responsible for low crime rate in Vacou. Especially kidnappings. The kingdom is actually considered one of the safest places in comparison to the others, despite keeping its rowdy nature.

Ruby is actually a professor at Beacon. Her classes aren’t every semester and her student count is rather small since she prefers helping talented people without focus, and struggling students who need a bit more guidance. She thinks both groups basically lack the same thing and that’s a certain level of ambition. It’s unspoken she’s most likely the next headmaster.

Actually gained more in common with Weiss after beating Salem. Ruby found the time to take more pride in her appearance and bonded over a bit of fashion. Who would’ve thought both of them would’ve won “world’s my stunning Huntress” awards. Ruby was just trying to look good for her wedding day.

Vacou authorities work closely with Ruby on a variety of projects. Especially after her daughter technically joined the forces in order to not get in trouble solving active crimes.

Organized crime fears Ruby Rose. Saving the world wasn’t the height of her achievements. She was nowhere near done growing in skill. Went around cleaning up mob bosses.

Learned to improve her semblance enough to appear in multiple spots. She’s also gotten good at intense short bursts of speed. Individual limbs are a little tricky and she sparingly does full body at max power because it could blow people away and hurt ears.

Her crowning achievement power wise is figuring out how to create a storm of petals so dense it can trap someone inside or hide in the petals.

All of Maria’s cooking and wisdom lives on with her. The old legend hated the idea of having a statue, but Ruby thought it was important for people to know there’s been amazing legends long before she beat Salem. There’s an entire town outside of Vacou dedicated to that woman with her former house on the outskirts. It has the loveliest blue flowers in the region.

As popular as she is, Ruby makes it a point to be seen often doing normal things. She’ll stand in line for concert tickets as if nobody knows who she is. You can catch her making a midnight fast food run in lounge wear. In her eyes, nothing much has changed about her so it’s up to the world how they choose to react to her presence. In most cases, she’s like the world’s coolest neighbor.

There’s a Penny built after Beacon with no memories of anything prior. Ruby chose to let her be, allowing the girl to live a relatively normal life. Every so often they cross paths and Ruby makes it point to ask if they need anything or how their life is going. She even gave the an anonymous wedding gift.

Taught her family and friends how to garden. And also like to foot the bill on hobby projects. She helped Yang and Blake build a ranch for their kid and Weiss make a school in Mantle. She also Ren and Nora establish their orphanage in Anima.

Rosebud Ruby is just a pretty cool gal and fun mom that’s fluent in violence. Idle hands are her worst enemy but turns out being a mother not only prevents that, but softened some of her rougher edges that put a strain on her relationships growing up.

#rwby #ruby rose #rwby au #rwby rosebud #ask me stuff #rwby lancaster

13 notes · View notes

heathenvvitch · 9 months ago

Text

Betwixt, Middle, & In between

I have just come to e realization that I have been witnessing several synchronicities over the past several weeks but didn't put it all together until only about a half hour ago whilst reading "The Devils Dozen" by Gemma Gary. I'm going to take the time now, to info dump about all I learned and with that being said, I believe, I am finally on the correct road for me and my practice. I'm finding the crooked path to resonate very deeply with me and I'm finding the connection that I was lacking with wicca and other practices. Now, on to the post.

I have noticed that the song "Stuck In The Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel has been playing on random a lot when my vvitch sister and I are together. Furthermore, I've noticed that the word middle and the phrase "in between" has come up multiple times as well in our previous discussions and random statements I've heard from others around us.

In the craft, betwixt, middle, & in between verbiage is used quite a lot. The in between is the space between the "mundane" and the magical. In traditional/folk craft, the middle/in between are very prevalent. The stang is used to represent the witch father/horn god/bucca/etc. There is talk of the light betwixt the horns, which again represents the liminal space between the "mundane" and the "magical" worlds.

I have already preformed the first of "The Devils Dozen" rights and have been visited four times by the witch father. I first encountered hi during the invoking ritual. He didn't say anything directly but I could feel his presence and he was pleased with the the offerings I gave him. Directly after the ritual, I walked into my mud room and a horned figure was stood out my door that I just caught a glimpse of before turning on the light. I, naturally, was startled and shut the light off again but the figure was gone. However, I knew it was him.

The next encounter I had, was while i was doing chores around my home and suddenly was overcome by a heavy energy that scared me and swore I saw another figure on the corner of my eye while alone. However, I pulled out my tarot card and pendulum as calmly as I could and was given a pretty clear message from the witch father to continue my studies because I had been neglecting them. I believe he may have been irritated with me but he was pleased by reaction to his presence and deducing his message promptly. How do I know this? you may ask, well.... I cant really explain it. Its just a feeling, the energy suddenly lightened and the witch father's presence left shortly after the energy shifted.

There were two more encounters, one that happened right after the first rite and one that happened recently but I prefer to keep those to myself for now. However, I will say, that both these encounters happened while i was BETWIXT a sleeping and awake state. They were full deep energy that felt as though the air was electrified and warm. It was very surreal and the feeling itself was both intense and amazing.

The fact that, the in between keeps showing up in my life and the recent visit from the witch father, leads me to believe that I am not only on the right track, but a big break through is immanent. Even before writing this post, a phrase entered my thoughts. This phrase was "Comme Ci, Comme ca". This phrase is French for so-so or neither good nor bad. This can be seen as, yet another representation of the in between. As above, so bellow. I'll post some photos bellow of that show some representations of what I've spoke about here. Things are truly getting interesting.

25 notes · View notes

kittyundercover1 · 3 months ago

Text

List of Wild Kratts stories and AUs (featuring my WK OCs) that have been brewing in my mind for years:

1. Four Leaf Clover

My main Wild Kratts OC story! It’s uploaded on Wattpad and AO3.

The story follows a young botanist named Clover Hallows as she encounters the Wild Kratts followed by her silly little adventures with them. There’s action, adventure , romance, the perfect silly OC story for any silly OC fan.

2. Frozen AU

No surprise that it’s already been done in the fandom, but I just wanted to add my OCs into it.

Anna: Clover

Elsa: Iris

Olaf: Aster

Hans: Martin

Kristoff: Chris

Sven: Jimmy Z

Basically the story of Frozen, but with Clover, Iris, and Aster as Anna, Elsa, and Olaf.

I had no other thoughts to make Martin the bad guy (Hans) unless I have the role to Zach. Otherwise, Clover x Zach would have to be a ship to deal with—

Although I am always up for some potential Clover x Martin moments.

3. Multiple Swap AUs

At this point, I got a swap AU for a swap AU, so I’ll categorize them as simply as I possibly can

Clover and Aster 🔁 Chris and Martin

Clover, Iris, and Aster with swapped roles of each other (Iris as Aster, Clover as Iris, Aster as Clover, etc). There’s two versions of this

Clover, Iris, and Aster 🔁 Aviva, Koki, and Jimmy Z

4. Villain Clover AU

From what I’ve previously written down:

Clover becomes corrupted and turns into a villain. From an experiment gone wrong by Zach from him capturing her, she feeds into all her anger, struggles, and frustration in her life and almost overthrows Zach’s company.

She eventually has more power than him and even has a few robotic henchmen and gadgets of her own. All of which she makes Zach create. All she does is customize and design it with her signature flowery patterns and designs.

The Wild Kratts crew try their best to save Clover, but every time they intervene, they stray away from her. Iris and Aster eventually learn their sister is now evil and tries helping the Wild Kratts crew the best they can as an aspiring businesswoman and basketball player.

Seven is better than one.

Probably might end up changing the concept until it’s something I like.

I made a playlist on Spotify for it that’s a WIP.

5. Clover Dies AU (Major Character Death AU)

Aka my attempt at making an angst story:

After a fatal Creature Adventure leaves Clover dead, the Wild Kratts crew and her family grieve over her death.

I suppose each chapter or story dives into the crew and her family’s feelings. Plus I had an animatic idea for Aster’s chapter.

I also made a playlist for this on Spotify that’s also still a WIP

6. College AU

I don’t know HOW this is gonna work considering their ages, but imma try to make it make sense.

Clover:

- Freshman

- Majoring in botany. Minoring in chemistry

Iris:

- Senior

- Majoring in business management. Minoring in economics

Chris:

- Freshman

- Majoring in biology

Martin:

- Senior

- Majoring in zoology

Aviva:

- Sophomore

- Majoring in engineering

Koki:

- Sophomore

- Majoring in cybersecurity

Jimmy:

- Freshman

- Majoring in aviation

Aster:

- Sophomore (IN HIGH SCHOOL HA)

- Still wants to become a basketball star

I also like considering this an unofficial story to how Chris and Clover met, how the Wild Kratts would eventually form, etc.

7. The Fresh Beat Band x Wild Kratts AU

I absolutely loved watching The Fresh Beat Band when I was younger. If you never heard of them, it’s a show of a fictional band that aired on Nick Jr.

There’s also an animated spinoff called Fresh Beat Band of Spies, but I haven’t had the time to rewatched it yet. Once I do, I’ll probably add more onto the AU.

Anyways, I’m binging the original show and having multiple fixations at the same time (aka me on a normal Tuesday), I’m like “how can I make this about the Wild Kratts and my OCs?” And behold, this AU was born:

Jimmy Z - Twist (yellow guy)

Aster - Shout (orange guy)

Aviva - Kiki (pink girl)

Koki - Marina (blue girl)

Their roles fit SO well.

Final thoughts:

Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts about my Wild Kratts AUs. I’d love to expand on them someday and I just love rambling about my OCs and stories as a whole. My ask box and DMs are always open!

16 notes · View notes

pigeonwhumps · 5 months ago

Text

Guilt

Immortal Cannon Fodder masterlist

Taglist: @extrabitterbrain @wolfeyedwitch @fuckcapitalismasshole @ghost-whump @whump-tr0pes

@rainbowsandwhumperflies @painful-pooch @i-eat-worlds @a-funeral-romance @rainydaywhump

@augustofwhump

August of Whump bonus prompt: guilt

Aaron is refused permission to join the search for Phoenix when they're crucified, and they're declared dead. This is the next six months for Aaron.

First scene is canon, everything after that is set in the Gemma saves Phoenix AU, where Gemma saves Phoenix after they've been crucified continuously for 6 months.

2k words

CWs: immortal whumpee, presumed dead, guilt, grief, transphobia, ableism (both very brief), low self-worth

"I'm joining the search party for Phoenix Costello."

"No, you're not."

Aaron blinks and balls his fists. "What? They're on my team, they're my responsibility!"

Their boss, the head of the medical bay, sighs. "You're needed here. The rest of their team are capable of searching, and if they need a medic they'll bring them back here or you can join them in the field then. There's no use you being on the other side of the city when they're found."

There's multiple flaws there, and he catches the implications of the 'if'. They might be dead. They might be gone. They might just have left, although Aaron doesn't believe that at all. If they were just leaving they wouldn't have taken their tracker.

That's not important though.

"There's a gang of serial killers out there!" he yells, voice cracking.

"That's exactly why I need you to stay here. We're overloaded as it is, and I can't lose you. You're one of our best."

"But–"

"Look. They're immortal, right?" Aaron nods stiffly. "Chances are, they're just trapped. The rest of the team will find them, and they'll be back in no time, traumatised and injured possibly but alive. Let them search and do your job, okay?" He nods again, unsure what else he can do now, and his boss smiles wearily. "Thank you. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"

Aaron shakes their head. They don't know what else to do.

One week passes.

Two weeks.

A month.

Two.

Three months with no sign. No-one on the medical staff has had so much as a chance to breathe in that time. Due to how high the rate of injuries and deaths has been, and the presence of The Chosen Ones still out there, Phoenix is declared dead.

Probably dead.

Aaron is numb. He... he barely even knew Phoenix (he should have, he should have gotten to know them better), but they were his responsibility, on his team, the few times he has seen them... and he just can't believe that they're dead.

They're 18. Still a child, really.

Maybe they're not. It's always possible. Sure, nobody knows how their immortality works, if they really will resurrect forever, but again: nobody knows how their immortality works.

He does his duties as he should, but he can't feel anything. They're dead. His boss tries to give him time off but it doesn't work, he has to do something.

He just... how did he let it all go so wrong?

Phoenix's family's house is a terraced house on a quiet street. Three bedrooms at a guess. Nice, neat front lawn, nice neat painting. Boring. Not Phoenix.

Aaron glances at Aisling, who gestures for him to head down the path first. He needs to tell Phoenix's family about their death. Apparent death. He volunteered, and is very grateful that Aisling agreed to come with him because no-one else on Phoenix's team would.

They didn't seem very upset either.

Will Phoenix's parents be? Joseph told him of the campaign group they're in charge of, but he's not sure how extreme their views are. Whether they extend to their eldest child.

He rings the shiny doorbell. A few seconds, and then a teenager answers. They look very like Phoenix, although with shorter, curlier hair, and with a sinking sensation Aaron realises this is probably their sister.

"Are you Alicia?" She nods. "I'm Aaron, and this is Aisling. We're from HAL, and we need to talk to you about Phoenix. Can we come in?"

Alicia nods, leading them to the front room and gesturing for them to sit, before she holds up a finger and dashes upstairs. Aaron looks around. The place looks more like a showroom than anything. You'd never know a teenager lived here, and the only sign of children once having been here is the posed photo on the mantelpiece. Aaron isn't an expert, but he's pretty sure Alicia's smile is forced. There's no sign of Phoenix ever having existed.

Alicia returns with a tablet in hand and sits down on the sofa opposite, typing. "Sorry. What about Phoenix? Are they okay?"

Aaron swallows. "I– Phoenix– Alicia, I'm so sorry."

She shakes her head. "No."

"They were– it was–" They had a whole speech planned about what probably happened but they can't get it out. Not with Alicia watching them, eyes begging, pleading, for him not to say it. "We didn't find a body. But with the serial killers out there and deaths piling up, we don't think..."

Alicia's shaking her head fiercely now, and she drops her tablet, starting to rock. And she wails.

Aaron isn't sure what to do. He's not leaving, not now, he wouldn't even if he didn't need to wait for her parents. But he doesn't know what he can do except let her process.

"I'm sorry," Aisling whispers. "I'm so sorry."

Alicia covers her ears and continues to wail.

After a time, the lock rattles on the front door and it opens.

"Stop making that awful noise, Alicia," says a woman sharply. "I've told you before, if you can't stop– oh." She stops in the entrance to the living room. "Who do you think you are, sitting in our house and upsetting our daughter like this?"

They both stand, Aisling holding out a hand.

"Hello. I'm Aisling O'Connor, and this is Aaron Thomas, from HAL. We have some sad news about your child, Phoenix."

A man enters the room, raising an eyebrow. This must be Mr Costello. They're both very standoffish, which Aaron supposes is fair.

"Fiona? She's still going by that foolishness? What has she done now?"

So, they're transphobic as well as running a hate campaign.

"I'm afraid they're dead, Mr Costello. We believe they were killed by members of The Chosen Ones. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Yes. Well. Thank you." Both of the older Costellos look stunned, and Aaron could almost feel satisfied about that. Almost. In other circumstances. "We will, of course, inform your organisation of the funeral arrangements if you would like to send representatives. Will you leave us to grieve in private?"

"Of course." They both rise, and Aaron slips the piece of paper he's been scribbling on with both his and Aisling's phone numbers into Alicia's hand. Just in case she needs someone. "Apologies again for your loss."

And he walks out the door. He has, at least, resisted the urge to punch either member of the couple, so at least that's something.

He wonders if he'll be allowed to attend the funeral. He hopes so.

The funeral is held the next week. Thankfully there's no open casket with no body, but it's still a bit strange to him. Phoenix's parents are clearly very religious, where he never has been so much, and it makes him uncomfortable.

Not to mention the consistent misgendering. Even in death, Phoenix's parents won't respect them.

Aaron's never felt so grateful for their own family.

There's so many dry eyes here today. So much performance. Aaron gets the feeling that Abbie, Indigo and Segun didn't really care about Phoenix at all, and it makes them regret their lack of knowing Phoenix all the more.

Except Alicia's speech. That's beautiful, and heartbreaking, and she doesn't misgender her sibling once. She's been moving her belongings into Aisling's flat gradually for weeks, and Aaron can see that what she feared will likely come true – despite the shining eyes and crying throughout the audience, Alicia's father's face is turning puce.

(She explains, later, that it's not just the speech, or the respect for Phoenix, but the use of her AAC app at all, and Aaron has to use all of his strength not to turn around and murder her parents for that.)

"I hear you're thinking of quitting," is how Joseph announces himself at the table in the diner.

Aaron saw him coming, of course, they wouldn't sit with their back to the door, but they didn't register it. He sets the pizzas down on the table – one spicy vegetable, one sausage and pepperoni, and a little tub of mozzarella sticks to share.

"How do you know that?"

Joseph sighs. "You texted me last night. Drunk, I think. You don't usually drink and you're the last person I'd expect to quit. What's going on? Is this about Phoenix?"

Aaron nods, taking a large bite of pizza to hide their emotions. "What's the point of being a hero if I'm just going to obey orders that get people killed?"

"You didn't kill Phoenix."

Aaron shakes their head. "If I'd searched too, I might have found them, they might still be alive."

"Aaron. Listen to me. You didn't kill them. Or get them killed, for that matter. You saved people. You told me your boss didn't let you go because you're one of his best medics. It's true. Please, Aaron, think about this. Don't quit."

"I still got them killed. Heroes don't do that."

Joseph reaches across and squeezes their arm. "Nobody can be perfect all the time. It was their murderers who killed them, not you. You do so much good, and I, for one, would be devastated if you left because you made one mistake that might not even have led to anything."

"But they're still dead."

That's the crux of the matter. They're dead, they were on his team, and it's his fault. And he had to sit through a whole funeral service of them being misgendered, and he can't help thinking he should've gotten to know them, should've given them someone else who cared. God knows no-one else seems to.

If he'd known them, if he'd searched, would they still be alive? But instead he just followed orders and let them die.

He sobs.

Joseph comes around the table and pulls them into his arms.

"Give yourself a few months, 'kay? Don't make this decision on the spur of the moment, when you're so emotional. Wait until you can think again."

Aaron nods into Joseph's warm, soft arms. He can try.

Aaron is fetching a plate of biscuits from the kitchen when Gemma enters the flat.

He always feels a little uncomfortable with this team on his own. It's not his team, or his flat, he's intruding. It wasn't their idea to invite him. Sometimes Alicia comes too but not today, she doesn't feel up to meeting this new person that Gemma's saved and he doesn't blame her.

He's happy for them. Really. But Aaron can't help wishing he had done the same for Phoenix.

"Hi Gemma! And this must be Phoenix."

No. No, he must've misheard Kai, he must've... is this why they've all been giving him weird looks since he arrived? It has to be a different Phoenix, surely.

They step out of the kitchen, hands trembling, and feel the blood drain from their face. There's a shattering sound beneath their feet but they barely register it.

There, wringing their hands together, looking a little older and more traumatised but still recognisably them, is Phoenix.

"Phoenix? You're alive?"

Phoenix turns to look at them, the same shock mirrored on their face.

"Aaron?"

"I'm sorry," they whisper, "I'm sorry. They wouldn't let me on the search and rescue mission but I should have anyway, I'm so sorry. How did you– why are you–"

At some point they've moved forward, and Phoenix is within touching distance, looking startled, tears in their eyes.

"Can I give you a hug?"

Phoenix nods, almost falling into their arms. He hugs them tightly.

"I'm so, so fucking sorry."

"'s okay. I didn't deserve to be rescued anyway."

He squeezes them tighter. "That's bullshit, kid." Phoenix shakes their head. "Your sister misses you desperately."

"She, um, she does? Why?"

"Because she loves you."

"Oh."

Aaron has learned various things over the past six months about how they've been treated over their life, and their rock-bottom self-esteem shouldn't shock him but it does.

"People care about you, Phoenix. Don't ever forget that."

#augustofwhump2024 #augustofwhump #whump #whump writing #immortal cannon fodder #aaron oc #phoenix oc #aisling oc #alicia oc #joseph not my oc #hero whump #hero whumpee #hero caretaker #whumpee and caretaker

14 notes · View notes

the-girl-in-the-high-castle · 9 months ago

Text

Everyone who knows me in this fandom knows that I'm a sucker for mauraeyk and that they are the most important part of the show to me. Besides them, I also love Clémence and Jéromé, I've mentioned that before, too. These two ships, connections, are quite obvious. They are so obvious that it's impossible not to see them, even if you're not right in the head.

But, there are two characters whose subtle connection I love so much. It's barely noticeable until you see their last scene, but then you watch again and see it's always been right there. Tove and Franz. The two of them are also my favorite characters right after the main trio. I think they are way too underrated, especially Franz. Franz doesn't get the hype he deserves, but he's definitely one of the best characters in the show. He's too overlooked.

Anyway, I've seen a few people talk about these two, but definitely not enough. Many people, myself included, needed that last scene to realize the two have a very obvious connection, and I'm dying to know what kind of connection that is. When you re-watch the show and actually pay attention to their interactions, you realize it's always been there. I mean, look at Franz. Throughout the entire season, he's shown as a violent and cruel man. His very first scene is beating someone up. He has a bloody face all the time and is never nice to anyone. He questions Eyk's orders and decisions multiple times, unafraid of the consequences. He organizes a mutiny, as stated, punishable by death, yet he doesn't care. He believes he's doing the right thing, not from any selfish desire, but for the good of everyone on the ship. But who is the only person he's never been rude to? The only person he's ever been nice to and considerate with? Tove, of course.

You'd think, okay, maybe because she's pregnant. But I don't think so. I mean, it's not like he showed any politeness to children. His mutineers threw Elliot overboard. He didn't bet an eye, let alone try and stop it. He even encouraged it. He beat her brother and threw him down the stairs, calling him a rat or something like that. He's been violent and rude to everyone but her. Never her. She's a woman? It's not that either. Maura's a woman too, he didn't care.

When they find Ada's body, and they examine it in the morgue, Maura says she's met her: "There's a pregnant girl downstairs, this is her sister." In that very moment, the camera is on Franz, and it's obvious he has a certain reaction to Maura's words. But up until this moment, him and Tove haven't crossed paths if I'm not mistaken. No interaction between them yet. Why does he react like that at the mention of her? After that, when he decides he's had enough of Eyk's shit, he goes to the third class not going to Anker or Iben, or Krester. He goes to Tove. He takes her to Ada, all the while acting like a kicked puppy in her presence. As if he was afraid of her judgment. He offers her his help, and when she dismisses him, he acts like a kicked puppy even more. That is his last straw that drives him to riot. You can compare that scene and his scene with any other person on the ship. It would look like he was a different person.

When the mutiny starts, she's one of the first he gives a shotgun to, without hesitation. He doesn't think her fragile or incapable. When everyone starts jumping during the calling, the two of them tie each other up, together, and he helps her and Anker stop Iben from jumping. When the storm begins and Eyk and Sebastian are gone, Franz takes over, and they all split up in order to keep the ship afloat. The French stay together, Angel and Ramiro stay together, Ling Yi doesn't want to leave Olek, and Tove's first instinct is to go with Franz. I mean, she leaves her parents there while they're giving up on life because her father chooses to die with her mother over living with her. Yet, Franz doesn't hesitate for a second to take her with him when she asks. Which ultimately cost him his life. Would he have done it if she hadn't been there with him? Maybe, we don't know. But he commits the ultimate sacrifice in order to save her. You don't get further than that. Giving your life for someone, someone you've supposedly met just a few days ago.

"Promise me you'll live" is the last thing he says to her. He might have done it for the sake of everyone else on the ship, but he had done it first and foremost for her.

Up until that moment, Tove's always been the one keeping her family in check, in spite of being someone who actually needed them and their support. She was the one keeping them together in spite of everything that happened to her. Her father kept choosing her mother over his children, while everyone else was falling apart. But then she got to experience what it was like when someone put her first. Franz did that, and he did by giving his life for hers.

Now, I'm not sure how their connection feels to me, whether it is romantic or platonic. Honestly, I wouldn't mind either of those. The SanSan shipper in me kind of feels like it could be romantic (my fellow SanSan shippers would understand). The one thing that was weird to me is the age they're supposed to be. I refuse to believe Krester is older than Tove. That is simply impossible. And there is about twenty years of age difference between them if those articles were right, so it may seem weird to people.

Anyway, I love their story either way, and I would give blood to know what it was all about.

#1899 netflix #1899 #franz 1899 #tove 1899 #i love them your honor #bring them back to me!!#i need my boat show back #long post #because i can't shut up

17 notes · View notes

adleryoung · 6 months ago

Text

"My lord," Rebecca blinked in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

I nudged Burnside with my free hand, but she hung on tenaciously.

With a shrug and a sigh, I prepared myself for the unpleasant tale I would have to tell. "Rebecca… Bunkirk is gone."

"Gone?" she repeated. "What do you mean gone? Where did it go? Did you apport the entire village away?"

"That's purty dang impressive, even for you," Burnside sighed as she nuzzled against my neck.

I took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy. "Rebecca, something terrible happened … A vicious Unseelie lunatic burned it down."

"No, that can't be right," Rebecca insisted, shaking her head in disbelief. "That lunatic beaver firestarter died a long time ago after she burned her husband and sister alive."

"Remember how I was looking for an elf noblefemme?" I pressed on reluctantly. "I needed her to crown me so I could lift the geas that was keeping me imprisoned. Well, I found her… but she turned out to be an irredeemable criminal, multiple murderer, and a callous manipulator who treats people as mere pawns to use and throw away. My time with her showed me that she has no empathy for anyone, and cares only about herself. She even traded her soul to a demon in order to gain immortality!"

"That's … pretty hardcore," Rebecca murmured in awe.

"And to top it all off, she's a liar too! Her Elfmind is broken and she can't hear the Voice of the Forest! I was obliged to mate with this monster because I needed an elf of noble blood to free me. After that, maybe it was spousal instinct, or maybe it was some insidious Wile that got past my defenses, but I naively thought that I could tame her and turn her onto a better path. During our time together we became very close, and we conceived a child; a daughter. I didn't want this witch anywhere near our child until I was sure she could be trusted. While she was asleep, I placed my daughter in the care of a childless family in desperate need of some good fortune. When I returned to my bride, she accused me of being a child killer and stormed off, where she immediately ran afoul of the residents of Bunkirk. They thought she was a witch; coincidence? I think not… Nevertheless, at great personal risk, I donned a disguise and infiltrated the village in an effort to intervene on her behalf. The people of Bunkirk could have been convinced to let her go, but instead of helping her cause, the psychotic loon just hissed and snarled like some kind of feral animal. There was no saving her after that, and the townsfolk hanged her at a crossroads."

"Okay, but … why is Bunkirk gone?" Rebecca asked, perplexed.

"The story isn't over. Remember how I said she had made herself immortal? Well, hanging didn't stop her. It only made her cranky. Later that night, instead of simply leaving like a sane person, the sadistic wench stormed into Bunkirk and started indiscriminately murdering people."

"She sounds purty bad-ass," Burnside remarked.

"She killed EVERYONE," I continued. "It didn't matter if they had taken part in hanging her or not. She slaughtered mels, femmes, even innocent children. No amount of pleading or begging for mercy could slake her bloodlust. I witnessed the horror from my scrying tower, but there was nothing I could do. Before I could even process what I was witnessing, she had set the town alight. Bunkirk burned to the ground in a matter of hours. By morning it was a smoking ruin, and she had the gall to act as if the whole incident was my fault."

Rebecca swayed dizzily and dropped to her knees. To my surprise, Burnside let go of me and rushed to her side.

"Elves don't lie," Rebecca mumbled, seemingly in a daze. "Everyone in Bunkirk is dead? The town I grew up in .. burned down? I admit I've been out of touch with them for a long time, but I had relatives living in Bunkirk, the descendants of my siblings. The people there weren't evil, they were just misled by lying charlatans. They were getting better! In another generation or two I could've opened their hearts and minds to Fuma. I often dreamed of someday going back as a missionary of Fuma's word and leading Bunkirk into a new era. And now they're all gone."

"Who done this dreadful deed?" Burnside snarled, brandishing a large knife. "Tell me the varmint's name, and I promise she'll suffer tenfold for her crimes."

#furry #adventure #elves #story #plot #cartoon #tboay

5 notes · View notes