#nevadas greatest

[nevadasgreatest]

TOP TWO WILL MOVE ON INTO A FINAL BATTLE. BLOOD WILL BE SHED. MAY THE BEST PLUSHIE WIN.

[idyat]

Here' a little thingy for the Nevada's greatest tournament. I'll probably post other thingies in the future. I am very late, I know.

[blankiesmadcom]

This looks like shit but I had to draw this dude because MANS BEAT THE MAIN CHARACTER i dont even know what they were fighting over but still like WOOOH!!! THATS ONE HELL OF SN ACOMPLISHMENT!

I’ll learn more abt this dude soon probably, project nexus can’t escape my clutches much longer >:)

[cinnamonpatty]

Madcom AU Facts #1

Skinner contentt I confiscate his hat ahhashshash Okay, I don't want to repeat it all the time, but I will say it anyway so that people don't pick on me. That's MY AU, with MY rules and MY hcs'.

Also, I know I wrote POW instead of POV, I'm an idiot, I know

Gonna sometimes do drawings of my AU as this

[sewer-sermon]

since the polls about to go up in an hour heres my predictions for the first round

(sheriff wins on technicality and crackpot is disqualified for foul play)

[slimmestslime]

im throwing a tantrum im throwing a tantrum im throwing a .

AAAGGHGGAAA NOOOOOOOO

HE DIDN’T WIMBLE HARD ENOUGH :(

[anxious-chaos-art]

A foxy lady

Very loose sketches undercut+the rest of the foxes

All characters are from this episode of Drawfee!!!

[limelocked]

Like if you’re gonna make the moon landing a holiday I also think that perhaps we should observe atomic remembrance

[aothecat]

The Greatest Technician That's Ever Lived (in Nevada)

With his little raccoon-like fingers

[j2hoes]

A Twisted Romantic Fairytale (Wally Clark x Reader

Word Count: 3K

A tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers.

Warnings: Death

The homecoming game of 1983 was a tragic tale of two star crossed lovers perishing beside one another. It’s a story for the history books and one Split River High would remember in the years going forward. One that students remember as a devastating if not twisted romantic fairytale. Two young lovers bound together for eternity.

Homecoming Game - 1983.

Excitement runs rampant through the air as everybody floods into the stadium, eager chattering of students combined with the cheerful melodies of the marching band fill me with joy. It’s not as if I haven’t been here before, I’m no stranger to the blinding lights of Split River football stadium. In fact I’ve been cheering on the sidelines at every football game for the past four years or so, but tonight is different. I’m unsure of whether the electricity I can feel within the air has always been there and I have simply never noticed, or if it has something to do with the fact that this is my last homecoming game of my high school career. It’s the one night that counts. After all, it’s hard to miss the countless recruiters already situated within the stands.

“There you are! God, I’ve been looking all over for you!”

Upon hearing the familiar voice, I can’t help but smile. Turning my attention away from the water fountain where I had previously been filling my water bottle, to see the dark haired jock that makes my heart race.

Wally Clark. Where do I even begin to describe this boy? 

I first met Wally on the second day of senior year. My family had just moved to Split River from Amber, Nevada, following my father’s transfer within the police department. Having accepted a promotion, despite the fact it meant we had to uproot our entire lives and move almost two thousand miles away.

It’s fair to say that I had been a complete mess, struggling to find my feet in a town that was the complete opposite to everything I had been used to. Not to mention the constant arguing between my parents caused by the stress of the move. Feeling so overwhelmed by my entire life changing so quickly, I couldn’t bring myself to attend first period and instead found myself tucked away in the bleachers, smoking a cigarette with shaky hands.

It was at that moment that Wally had found me, with a warm smile on his face, he comforted me. Welcomed me to the strange new town of Split River. Offered to sit with me in the cafeteria at lunch despite being a total stranger. However, something about the way things took place felt incredibly natural. As though this was the way things were meant to be.

Wally and I became inseparable from that moment forward, he encouraged me to join the cheerleading team. Insisting that it was only because he knew it was a passion of mine and not because it meant I would be forced to go to the football games that he just so happened to play. And how could I say no to that charming grin?

Throughout the years, we both learnt a lot about one another. He listened and supported me as I discussed my turbulent homelife, detailing how my parents seemed to be getting closer and closer to divorce by the day and how in turn I became practically invisible to them. I was there for him following every argument he had with his mother, reminding him that his sole purpose in life was not just football. Ensuring he knew that he had other talents and qualities that were just as good if not better than his football skills.

We weren’t best friends, we were each other’s rock through thick and thin. So when he kissed me on the field, following yet another win for the team, I felt like I was floating on air. Unearthing all of the feelings I harbored for the jock, even if I had spent all that time trying to bury them.

Wally’s heart is so pure and full of love. Being on the receiving end of that love to the fullest extent is the greatest joy I will ever be able to experience. To have someone be such a bright light in your life is truly a blessing.

So if I had to describe Wally Clark? I’d say he was an angel brought down from heaven just for me.

“Excited for the big game my love?” Wally asks as he finally reaches me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and placing a soft kiss on my temple.

“More nervous than excited. Kristine’s had us practicing a new move and with all the recruiters, I’m just scared I’m going to let the nerves get to me and mess up.” I admit, reaching my own hand up to hold his that remains over my shoulder as we begin to stroll through the crowds towards the locker rooms.

“You’re a superstar!” Wally exclaims, to which I’m unable to contain my laughter. “I mean it! You’re gonna smash it, honestly. I’ve never seen someone make cheerleading look as mesmerizing as you do. It’s borderline hypnotic, I’m telling you.”

“Sure, yeah, whatever you say.” I reply, tone sarcastic, yet his words of encouragement do make me feel ten times better. “Anyway, what about my favorite player? Are you feeling okay?”

I don’t miss the pained look that flashes briefly crosses his face before returning to his usual winning beam. I’m sure he’s just ready to get the game over with, wanting to return to some sense of normality and let loose at the dance. No longer having to deal with the overwhelming amount of pressure that his mom places on him to be the best.

“I guess I’m a little worried. My knee has been playing up for the past few days and coach said I needed to rest it, which is what I’ve been trying to do. I don’t know, I just don’t want to let anyone down, especially not my mom. Or you.”

As Wally finishes speaking we reach the doors of the locker room and I remove myself from his embrace to stand in front of him. Taking his hands gently in mine as I gaze up at the sweet boy. Noticing the slight gleam of worry and shame hidden deep within his coffee brown eyes.

“Whatever happens out there, you won’t be letting anyone down, I promise.” My voice is soft as I speak to him, wanting him to truly understand how little his performance matters. “Your mom may be disappointed but she’ll get over it. As long as you’re happy, healthy and alive, that’s the most important thing. Just don’t push yourself too hard, I know how important it is to you that you make your mom proud but she’ll be proud of you no matter what. I mean, how could she not be? You’re amazing Wally Clark.”

The footballer smiles, wrapping his arms around me before pulling me into his body tightly. Resting my head against his chest, I close my eyes for a moment, allowing myself to relax in his embrace and breathing in deeply to take in the deep oaky scent that is Wally. He rests his head atop of mine and I can feel him squeeze me gently, hands scrunching up the fabric of my t-shirt as he does so.

“Wally Clark, better get yourself in that locker room right now! It’s almost showtime!” I hear the coach yell and my boyfriend sighs, slowly releasing me from his tight hold.

“Now go show everybody just how amazing you are.” I whisper, lovingly gazing up at him.

He nods as though in confirmation with my previous statement, before taking my face in his hands and slowly leaning down to interlock his lips with mine. Delicately and with the remaining hint of nerves racing through his body, his lips move gently with mine. My cheeks feel burning hot compared to the brisk coldness of his hands, caused by the icy fall winds, though I don’t seem to mind. Embracing the sweetness of Wally’s mouth and the tenderness of every move he makes.

It’s with much reluctance that we pull away from one another, however, after catching a glimpse of the coach’s disapproving look, I know the moment is over. Sending the jock to get himself ready with a swift peck to the cheek, him offering me a cheeky wink in return as we both slink off to our respective locker rooms.

The next time I see Wally is when the team makes their grand entrance onto the field. A big cheesy grin rests on my face as I hear the crowds' screams of support, waving flags and homemade banners to cheer on the team. With a few cheers of my own, a couple of the girls and I begin to hype up the crowd even more, jumping wildly and encouraging their yells.

As I shoot a quick glance over to the field, I’m able to spot my boyfriend easily, even with his helmet on. Smiling brightly at me even as he runs towards his team to discuss their play. My heart flutters knowing that he still makes an effort to look for me even as the game is about to begin.

“Alright girls, you know what to do!” Kristina shouts, alerting us to take up our positions and prepare for the first routine of the night.

Noticing the game is about to commence, I feel myself worrying less about messing up the performance, focusing solely on Wally and his uplifting words from moments earlier. Sharing gleeful smiles with my fellow cheerleaders, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement as the music roars through the stadium.

The next few minutes pass by in a blur, with the Split River football team taking an early victory and our routine flowing perfectly without a single fault or mistake. It’s almost too good to be true.

With our final move only seconds away, I feel the nerves return once more as I boost myself into the hands of the other girls. Their hands wrapped around my ankles and calves to ensure my safety and support whilst in the air. It’s only when I’m hoisted into the air that my stomach twists. Something doesn’t feel right but I’m unable to do anything. Everything happens in slow motion and as I catch sight of the ground looming towards me, I’m hit instantly by the fact that I’m not going to make my mark. I’m not going to land firmly in the hands of the girls beneath me.

I suppose the one good thing about all of this is that I only have a split second to panic before my body plummets to the hard asphalt below my feet. The thump my body makes as it slams against the ground is enough to make anybody squeal.

Cheerleaders scream. Music cuts off.

Then I simply feel nothing.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wally’s the first to notice the chaos unfolding at the side of the field. Distracted by whatever seems to be taking place, he doesn’t notice the opposing team's player bolting towards him. He lands with a grunt, knee buckling and sending a sharp shooting pain through the length of his leg.

As he rises to his feet, he hears the whistle blowing repeatedly, noticing the chaos begin to grow larger. With furrowed brows he finds himself jogging towards the crowd, even if it does cause him a significant amount of pain that he tries desperately to hide.

Pushing through the screaming group of footballers and cheerleaders, it’s at that moment that he sees her. Lay unmoving against the concrete, his heart stops momentarily. Feeling sick to his stomach at the sight of his beautiful girl lifeless, body contorted in ways he didn’t know physically possible. 

Wally drops to his knees, students stepping away from him as he does so. Not knowing how to comfort the poor boy in this time of need. The physical pain he is feeling in his leg is nothing compared to the emotional turmoil he is going through right now. Dragging her body on to his knees and cradling her delicately, in fear of breaking her anymore.

With clouded vision, he stares down at his love, body releasing wails and sobs he had never once made in his life. Blood stains his hands, his jersey, his trousers and yet he doesn’t care. Overwhelmed by his grief, watching the color drain from her skin. He doesn’t think anything could be more painful, nothing in his life could compare to the trauma of his girlfriend sprawled out in his arms.

Wally struggles with the ambulance crew as they begin to remove her body, his coach restraining him as they place her in the back of an ambulance. The jock barely acknowledges his coach telling him that he’s been benched as he watches with heartbreak as the ambulance drives away and in his distress all he can do is cry on the sidelines.

With his mom standing behind him, badgering him about winning a scholarship and needing him in the game, Wally feels nothing but rage. All his life, he’d done right by his mom, wanting her to be proud of him, wanting her to acknowledge his successes but right now, he wanted nothing more than to tell her to close her mouth.

Instead, he finds himself marching over to the coach, begging to be put back into the game, arguing that he needs something to take his mind off what he just witnessed and that he is in fact in the correct headspace to win. And somehow, his efforts pay off much to his surprise. Back in the game, Wally has more strength than ever. Fuelled by his rage and his grief.

Whilst he finds it distasteful and disrespectful that the game continues despite his sweet girl losing her life only moments before, he plays with the knowledge that she’d want him to win. She would want him to succeed and so he tries. He tries for her because if not for her, then he has no other reason to keep going. She was the one good thing in his life that kept him from going off the deep and without her, he doesn’t know how he will continue. So for now, he simply focuses on the game.

The sharp pain in his knee grows stronger and with every passing minute he struggles more and more. Trying desperately to ignore it, he claims the ball, running at full speed towards the touchline and yet as he runs directly towards an opposing player, he makes no effort to slow down. Not thinking about the potential consequences of his actions.

He hits the ground with a devastating blow. World shrouded in darkness almost immediately. However, he feels more at peace than he ever has.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I watch with bated breath as Wally tumbles aggressively to the floor, the crack ripples throughout the stadium and I can’t help but gasp. Throwing my hands across my mouth as I fixate on the footballers rushing to his aid. My mind races at one million thoughts per minute, why did he go back out onto the field? Why didn’t he move out of the way? How could he be so reckless?

I’m so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I almost miss the tall jock standing watching over his own body as people hopelessly attempt to resuscitate his cold body. Before I can even react, I’m slowly walking towards him, even with his back towards me I can tell he’s in pain. Hands in his hair, tugging slightly as he comes to the realization of what has happened.

My hands are shaking the closer I get, breath caught in my throat as I swallow the lump in my throat. I’m not entirely sure why I’m scared, perhaps simply afraid of what this means for us now?

“Wally.” My voice is small, timid. Hands clasped together over my chest as I anxiously await his reaction.

As though he doesn’t believe it, Wally’s body goes stiff. When he finally faces me, his mouth falls open in shock, eyes holding the same softness that they did in life and I smile hesitantly. He’s the first to break the tension, scooping me up in his arms and holding me tighter than he ever has before.

“I’m sorry Wally, I’m so sorry, I promise I didn’t mean for this to happen.” My voice breaks as I speak, tears staining my cheeks. “I should’ve tried harder and then this would never have happened. You’d still be alive. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Darling it’s okay. We’re together now, yeah?” Wally states, placing his arms on my shoulders as he fully takes me in, holding me at arm’s length as if he’s checking I’m okay. Not that it really matters now.

“What were you thinking? Going back out was so stupid and irresponsible and reck-”

“I didn’t want to let you down.” Wally whispers, eyes falling to his feet in shame. “I wanted to make it all worth it, I wanted you to be proud of me because I knew you’d be looking down on me.”

“Wally, I-”

“I don’t think I could live without you sweetheart. I don’t think I’d want to.” He admits, bringing one hand to my face, thumb stroking my cheek softly. “Seeing you there, all limp and lifeless, I didn’t just lose you. I lost something within myself too.”

“I’m so sorry.” I sob, allowing myself to release all the emotions built up inside of me.

“I still thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world.” Wally confesses, smiling adoringly at me. “I still do.”

A quiet giggle escapes my mouth, pulling the tall boy towards me and pressing my lips roughly to his. Wanting, no, needing to feel him against me. To feel the way his mouth dances with mine and the way his hands tenderly caress my waist. I just need him.

“So where do we go from here?” The jock questions, our foreheads restings against one another as we catch our breath

“I don’t know, but as long as you’re with me, I don’t really care.”

[lasnevadaslaborunion]

Okay, finally caught up on the full VOD and here are some messy thoughts

...

So. UHHH. On a gut emotional level, I fucking hated that lmao. Whole chapter of my life finished with a bang and a whimper. Las Nevadas Labor Union is over, y'all. The boss just deny, defend, deposed himself. Holy shit.

On an intellectual, thematic level... I... can't really... argue with that? Like, we didn't actually expect a character that cc!Q explicitly said was inspired by Walter White to receive a happy ending or a functional relationship, did we? We were really high on our copium supply, good grief.

I could, and still might, write a whole meta about how c!Quackity has been passively suicidal with a foreshortened sense of future for a very long time. As far back as Doomsday, he didn't care if he lost his life, as long as he got to watch those who hurt him go down first. He declared so many times that he would die with his country. He was incessantly compared to c!Wilbur, both by other characters and by the narrative itself. He was fucking terrified of being betrayed again, but he always expected it, and moreover did nothing to prevent it. He told c!Foolish and c!Purpled outright that they would have every right to kill him for what he did to them. Didn't even consider making himself immortal with the revival book, instead focusing on making sure c!Dream would no longer have it. Didn't fight back when Slime killed him. Doubled down on his mistakes, and in hindsight rationalized everything as inevitable. Wrested back control the only way he knew how, following another's model. Las Nevadas was a broken institution, built by a man who had given up on fixing anything. His story was always about the self-perpetuating cycle of power and abuse.

This... isn't shocking, unfortunately. If anything, it was too obvious an ending.

I won't go too deep into the OOC implications, because they will make me sound... way more parasocial than I want to be. But I don't think it's controversial to say that the DSMP holds a lot of complicated, difficult, bittersweet memories for many of its former members. It does not surprise me at all that the ending cc!Q chose for his arc was an unhappy one. There are several possible conclusions I would have greatly preferred, but none could have realistically happened without Certain People returning. I wonder how aware the creator was of that, and how much those emotions bled into the writing.

And while I'm... still not certain how I feel about c!Quackity blowing himself up even after being given a second chance (I will always prefer "live and try to do better" à la Bojack Horseman for characters like this), I see the in-universe logic behind it, and everything up to that point was completely in character. Right down to his denial of having ever done the deed, boasting that his enemies deemed him important enough to kill, while ironically taking hollow pride in denying them the chance to take the revenge he so desperately sought for himself, showing no mercy to who he maybe subconsciously believed was his greatest obstacle to true glory... ughhh, c!Quackity makes me so fucking SAD you guys-

Ahem. Anyway. Could he have forgiven himself? Would he have ever accepted the forgiveness of others? Perhaps, perhaps not. In two other lives, those he unknowingly gave a second chance to, he did. q!Quackity went on living for the sake of someone he loved, knowing he, too, was loved. k!Quackity went on living until he found justice, knowing he did not deserve to be wronged. c!Quackity... what other legacy would he have left? Does he know what he truly wanted, before all that fear and hunger for control tainted his heart? Was he content to know someone would remember him with a shred of fondness? That he left a single positive impact? That his life did have a purpose?What if he knew that even some of those with the most reason to hate him still wanted him to be better?

I suppose one might imagine an open-ended resolution, exchanging that last shot of c!Q's last life vanishing with him riding Boner/Ossium away from the explosion and into the sunset to build a better legacy. What would that new legacy look like? I have no idea. I don't think he knows yet, either. But we can pick our favorite based on the day. Time travel is real, and canon is made up. We can do what we want forever now. Enjoy.

...

He's not a fucking gringo, though. c!Quackity is Mexican, importantly so, full fucking stop. Stop infecting him with more Trump particles than he already had. "Oh great, a foreigner" honestly FUCK you Alex. 0/10 for that

[nevadasgreatest]

[idyat]

POV: You're throwing an adult temper tantrum because you lost on the first round of @nevadasgreatest

Between phobos's helmet and his weird belt things I definitely hope he suffers well in hell

(/j the helmet was actually kinda fun to draw)

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Here is the koi fish au I kinda typed up?

Pros to nothliting as koi:

1. CONTAINMENT - the yeerk and taxxon population becomes an inert non threat. Koi are basically powerless against humans, and it's not like they could manipulate people cuz what can Koi Esplin offer? And the greatest advantage is we can keep an eye on every single nothlit, because Koi Can't Escape, especially if we keep them in, like, Nevada or Siberia or something.

2. FAMILIAR but UPGRADED environment - a koi pond or an aquarium can be beautiful spaces. Much like a yeerk pool, yeerks natural environment, a koi pond or aquarium can house potentially hundreds of koi, and multiple can be hooked together. They could swim around, thought-speak, take visitors, even read books and use computers (depending on security level). It's a straight upgrade too, because koi experience all 5 senses and pass the mirror test, so even if you're just going from the yeerk pool to the koi pond directly, it's way better than being a yeerk OR a taxxon OR Any Wild Animal

3. COMMUNITY - yeerks, taxxons could live in community together. Humans would definitely bond with yeerks if the aquariums were visitable. Humanity is scarred by the yeerk invasion, but I believe that we could have a path forwards with our new Koi friends. Imagine this (https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/s/fdDEsPmZku) but giant talking goldfish are you kidding me??? I would go every day to talk to my new fish friends. Koi can also live long and fulfilling lives, unlike most wild animals.

4. Anaconda plan flaws - it wasn't clear to me why the yeerks were allowed to turn into apex predators and roam free in the first place. Seems. Likely that you'd get, oh idk, some renegade guerrilla warrior anacondas mixed in with the rest. Maybe even some who saw from precedence a whole bunch can be. If it wasn't completely clear by now, I completely disagree with Cassie on the amazon idea. You can't just loose a bunch of snakes in the amazon! You have no way of controlling the outcomes there. And nobody seems to be considering that they're all going to starve in a few months (sciencedirect com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/lotka-volterra-model). Why not put them in a zoo? Or y'know. A koi pond.

*john hammond voice* Somewhere where we have a bit more control

This is amazing and I love it.

[captainremmington-13]

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖋 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙

show!Luke Castellan x daughter of thanatos!reader

DISCLAIMER: I don’t own the image above or any of Rick Riordan’s characters/world-building.

⚠️Warnings⚠️: swearing, mentions of death, making out (not NSFW), a small argument, mention of a sexual joke but it’s not even actually said

A/N: this may be my favorite chapter so far

“I…I think you’ve got the hang of it, angel.”

“Yeah,” you laughed under your breath, wiping the sweat from your forehead. “Me too.”

You were standing in a clearing in the middle of the woods, at least a half-mile from any civilization. You were surrounded by shrubs, flowers, and grass, all of which you’d killed just by extending your hand and wiling it to die. 

It had been two days since you’d first discovered this new ability. You and Luke had made it to Nevada without many problems, only encountering a few weak monsters during the train ride. You were more concerned with figuring out the powers that had randomly appeared.

Luke had been nothing but supportive. He continued to prove himself as your greatest ally, and an incredible boyfriend. 

He had lead you to the quiet spot in the woods where you currently resided, doing his best to give you pointers regarding how to experiment with your powers. Neither of you had any idea what you were doing, but you assumed that if you were careful enough, you’d be fine. 

And you were. You’d successfully gotten a grip on your ability, which you’d nicknamed “the death thing”. You knew that you had to channel some form of extreme emotion for it to work, whether it was anger, fear, or hatred. 

If you could control those feelings, you could control your powers. 

Luke walked towards you, a small smile on his face. He gave you a quick kiss, and handed you a bottle of Gatorade. 

“I’m so proud of you, angel.” 

You grin, taking a big gulp of the energy drink. “Thanks. Honestly, I’m pretty proud of myself too. I almost passed out the first couple of times, but I realized that if I don’t overcompensate and channel more of my power than is required, I’ll be fine.”

Luke rubbed your back gently, and took the Gatorade bottle once you were done drinking. He finished it quickly, and placed it back in his backpack. “I’ll recycle this later,” he said, most likely to himself. It was an adorable habit he had, talking to himself to ensure that he remembered things.

“So,” you leaned down and grabbed your own backpack, along with your weapon. “Back to traveling?“

Luke nodded. “Yeah, but there’s no public transport that’s going directly to where we need to be. So…”

You smiled, linking arms with him. “Let me guess. You’re gonna steal us a car.” 

“Right as always, baby.”

You blushed, looking up at your boyfriend. Somehow he was cute and insanely fucking hot at the same time. You knew that he would tease you for getting flustered, but you didn’t mind. 

After all, when you did something he found attractive, he would get just as lovesick. 

So it all evened out eventually. 

.

.

.

Thanks to his knack for thievery, Luke managed to steal a nice Mercedes-Benz. You made yourself comfortable in the passengers seat, flipping your boyfriend off when he called you a passenger princess. 

“You’re the only one out of us two who can drive, Castellan,” you said snarkily, popping a piece of candy in your mouth. “Unless you wanna let me drive without having any practice, you’re gonna be the designated chauffeur.”

Luke rolled his eyes, but leaned over to give you a kiss. Thankfully, the light was red, or else you would’ve definitely ended up in a car wreck. 

“You’re lucky I love you so much, angel,” he said, giving your thigh an affectionate pat. “I wouldn’t let anyone else boss me around like that.”

You giggled, placing your hand over his, which still rested on your upper leg. “I’m honored to be the only person who can give you orders.” 

He smiled cockily. “You should be.”

It was your turn to roll your eyes. “You’re so arrogant sometimes, you know?“

“At leadt it’s warranted,” he replied, speeding up the vehicle slightly. “I mean, I am pretty fucking awesome.” 

“You sound like a dork.”

He snorted. “Okay, how else am I supposed to word it?”

“Maybe something more like ‘I’m an insanely good swordsman and a dangerously hot individual.�� It’s more obnoxious, but at least it’s not as awkward-sounding.”

Luke smirked, his lips curling upwards. “Dangerously hot, hm? I can imagine you drooling over me internally. I wouldn’t mind you doing it externally, though-“

“Castellan!” you shrieked, slapping him on the arm. “What the fuck has gotten into you?”

Your reaction only made his expression more smug. “I could make a very dirty joke, but I have a feeling you’d throw me out of the car if I did.”

You shook your head, avoiding his intense gaze to attempt to subdue the heat rushing to your cheeks. “You’re impossible.”

“You love me, though.”

“Yeah, I do, unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately?”

“I’m kidding, Castellan. You know that I love you, and only you.”

Luke’s grip on your thigh tightened slightly, sending a warm shock through your body.

“That’s much better.” 

________________________________________________

Several hours of driving later, you and Luke were sprawled out in the roomy trunk of the Mercedes-Benz. It was wide enough that both of you could lie down without feeling too cramped. A couple blankets covered you both, insulating the body heat you radiated.

“Luke?” you whispered softly. “You still awake?”

You heard him groan quietly, and roll over to face you. 

“Yeah, angel, what d’you need?” 

Maybe it was the sleepiness getting to you, but you practically melted at his caring words. “You’re not close enough to me.”

He let out a short laugh, and immediately placed a hand on the small of your back, pulling you flush against his chest. “That better?”

“Mhm,” you murmured, your body finally relaxing now that you were in his arms. 

“You ok?” he asked, stroking your hair softly. “I know today was a long day, I’m sure you’re exhausted.” 

“I am,” you replied. “But it was worth it. I can finally stop freaking out about the death thing. I’m just concerned that the other campers are gonna start seeing me as a monster again once they find out about it.”

“I doubt that your closer friends will,” Luke said reassuringly. “I know for sure that Annabeth and Chris will treat you the same.”

“I suppose,” you said. “I’m still gonna try to avoid using the death thing when I can. It’s pretty safe at camp, there should be no reason to use it.” 

“Makes sense. And if anyone gives you shit about it, let me know. I’ll mess them up real good, I promise.”

You smiled, bring your face closer to his. He cupped your cheek, and pressed his lips with yours. The kiss was slow but heated, and you could feel the romantic tension rising rapidly. Luke’s hands, which were calloused and slightly rough from years of training, slipped under your tank top, rubbing circles on your back with his fingers. It felt so fucking good. The combination of his soothing touch and his soft lips, which were now placing kisses on your jawline and neck, was practically driving you insane. 

Luke let out a quiet sigh, moving his hands down to grip your waist gently. He pulled his mouth away from your neck to whisper, “Is this okay?”

You nodded quickly. “Please, please don’t stop.”

Luke immediately resumed kissing your neck, moving down to your collarbone. Your hand wandered towards his hair, running your fingers through his curls. 

For what seemed like hours, you and Luke exchanged kisses and loving touches. You swore that nothing, not even the Isle of the Blest, could make you this happy.

Finally, you felt your eyelids get heavy, and your mind become fuzzier and slower. When he noticed this, Luke removed his lips from your skin. They were slightly swollen, but as pretty as ever. 

“Time for sleep, angel,” he said lovingly, pulling the blanket tighter around your bodies. “If you have nightmares, don’t hesitate to wake me up, ok?”

You hummed in agreement. Snuggling closer to Luke, you closed your eyes and let out a deep sigh. 

“G’night, Luke. Love you.“

“Love you too, angel.”

________________________________________________

At the crack of dawn, you and Luke were on the road again. You only had about a day left of travel before you reached the Garden. 

As you finally crossed the California border, you decided it was time to start brainstorming a plan to steal a golden apple. Winging it would be a stupid idea, especially because of the fearsome guardian that protected the magical tree.

“We could create a diversion,” you suggested. “I’ll distract the dragon, and you get the apple. Then, we flee before we get our faces melted off.”

“No,” Luke said firmly. “You’re not putting yourself in that much danger by dealing with a full-grown dragon.” 

“Luke, I can handle it. Besides, I can fly, I can lead it away from-“

“You can’t out-fly Ladon. He’s incredibly fast, you’ll be killed within minutes.”

You huffed. “Why does everything in our lives have to be so damn complicated?”

Luke reached out to grasp your hand. “Angel, I understand where your frustration is coming from, trust me. But let’s try to focus on the task at hand, so we can come up with a rational plan.”

You averted your eyes from him, feeling slightly embarrassed at your small outburst. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok,” Luke said, keeping your hands entwined. “I think it would be best for me to be the distraction. I’ll deal with the Hesperides and Ladon. Try to have a friendly conversation with them, pretending to just be interested in admiring the tree. Then, as soon as I see that you have the apple, we’ll retreat.”

“That sounds like a decent idea,” you said. “But what if we can’t retreat fast enough?”

“Then we fight.”

“I don’t like our odds. Besides, it would make Zeus and Hera very angry.”

“Since when did you care about how they felt?”

“I don’t! I just don’t want their wrath to get us killed, that’s all.”

“Fair enough.“

There was silence for a few moments, as you both struggled to come up with a better solution.

Then, you spoke.

“I’ll teleport us out of there.”

Luke let out a short bark of laughter. “Good one, angel.“

“I’m not joking. I did some research a couple months back, and my fath-I mean Thanatos can teleport. That’s how he gets around the world so quickly to collect souls. I think that if I try hard enough, I can-“

“No!” Luke snapped, making you recoil slightly. His face softened immediately, his expression molding into one of guilt. “I’m sorry, angel, I didn’t mean to yell. I just…I don’t want you dying because of a quest Hermes sent us on. You deserve to live a full life, and if it got cut off because of me-“

“Okay, okay,” you cut him off, looking down at your feet. “I get it. Forget I mentioned it.”

Luke sighed. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to lash out like that.” 

“It’s fine. I know you just want me to be safe.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “But I’ll try to keep my temper under control. I don’t ever wanna take my anger out on you.”

“Me neither,” you admitted. “Especially since I know it can have some really dangerous consequences.” You rested a hand on his forearm, looking at him lovingly. “I promise I’ll try my best to avoid getting hurt, but you better keep yourself out of trouble too.” 

Luke laughed, giving you a teasing smile that made your heart flutter. “Is that a threat?”

“Maybe.”

“You don’t need to threaten me to get me to listen to you, baby.“

“Oh I know,” you replied, giving him a playful grin of your own. “All I have to do is bat my eyelashes and give you a pleading look, and I have you wrapped around my little finger.”

Luke’s cheeks turned a pale shade of pink, making you smile wider. “Where’d you learn that from?“

“Lola and Layla from the Aphrodite cabin. They’ve promised to teach me all their tricks eventually.”

He huffed. “You’re gonna be the death of me one day, you know that?”

You giggled, resting your head back against the headrest of the car seat. “At least you’ll die happy then.”

Luke chuckled, glancing at the sign overhead that read 300 miles to San Francisco. 

“Yeah, I’m sure I will.”

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Thank you for reading! Pls let me know what you think in the comments!!!

Ok so I decided against adding another monster fight in this chapter, I just REALLY wanted to write fluffy stuff instead💀💀I promise there will be more action in the next installment

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[tenebraevesper]

Knuckles - The Epilogue

''Ohh, oh, oh, oh, ohh! Who's the hunter, who's the game? I feel the beat, call your name! I hold you close in victory! I don't wanna tame your animal style! You won't be caged in the call of the wild! Shootin' at the walls of heartache! Bang, bang! I am the warrior! Well, I am the warrior, and heart to heart you'll win! If you survive the warrior! The warrior! Shootin' at the walls of heartache! Bang, bang! I am the warrior! Well, I am the warrior, and heart to heart you'll win! If you survive the warrior! The warrior!''

– The Warrior by Scandal (Knuckles)

xXxXxXx

Knuckles the Echidna held his head up high proudly as he was driving his newly acquired motorcycle on the road back to Green Hills. He briefly reached for the brown fedora with a black band and three gold stars in red with gold lining circles at the front of the band to flick it up, nodding his head along with the song that was playing on Wade Whipple's smartphone, The Warrior by Scandal. He had already decided that this song was his jam and was more than happy to let Wade play it on loop as they were driving back home.

Wade in turn, was keeping a tight grip on his new bowling trophy, cheering and singing to the song. Not only did he prove his worth by beating his father who had abandoned him at TJ Maxx, Pistol Pete Whipple, at the Bowling Tournament in Reno, Nevada, but also aiding Knuckles in defeating that old crazy man, The Buyer, or whoever he was, who had allied himself with the two rogue G.U.N. Agents to steal Knuckles' power. He truly became a warrior in his own right.

''Finally, we are back at home! I shall ask Maddie to prepare a feast in celebration of our victory and regale my tribe with the tales of our adventure,'' Knuckles said joyfully.

''I'm sure they'll be excited to hear what had happened!'' Wade shouted enthusiastically, having to admit that he was also quite excited to brag to Tom and Maddie about his accomplishment. Both of them were certain that they would be welcomed at Green Hills with open arms.

xXx

''I got it, I got it!'' Tails managed to catch the baseball Sonic had thrown, with the two playing catch in the backyard. He flew up, about to throw it back at Sonic, when both of them heard the sound of an engine and Tails saw who had just arrived. ''It's Knuckles! Knuckles is back!''

''What?'' Sonic was surprised, with Tails beckoning the blue hedgehog to follow him to the front driveway. Both of them were stunned to see the echidna riding on a motorcycle with Wade sitting behind him and holding a trophy. Sonic and Tails were happy to see the person who was basically their older brother at this point, with Sonic elbowing Tails, a wide smile on his expression. ''See? I told you he'd be fine! I guess Knuckles just needed… eh, a motorcycle and a hat?''

''I guess he was on some kind of road trip with Wade,'' Tails said, drawing conclusion from what he saw.

To be honest, neither of them had a clue where Knuckles had vanished to and they did search for him after realizing that he wasn't anymore at the attic, but Sonic was confident that Knuckles would be just fine. Tails was a bit worried about Knuckles, but he had to agree with Sonic that their older brother had been through worse and that he would be back eventually. They both concluded that he had probably gone on some kind of quest worthy of a warrior and they were curious what it was about.

''Knuckles, where were you?'' Sonic asked as Knuckles and Wade got off the motorcycle. ''Also, what's up with the hat and the motorcycle? Have you decided to join the Hells Angels?''

''I don't know any of these Angels that live in Hell, and no, I didn't join them. Instead, I had decided to take up the task of training Wade Whipple into becoming a proper warrior and defeat his greatest enemy on the battleground of Reno, Nevada,'' Knuckles replied, turning to Wade.

''Well, I don't want to brag too much…'' Wade started, only to show Sonic and Tails the trophy he had, ''…but I completely destroyed my old man in the bowling tournament! Ha! My dad never saw it coming! You should've seen me!''

''You have earned your title as a warrior. Your journey is complete,'' Knuckles said. Wade gave him a sincere smile.

''I wouldn't have managed to get so far without you Knuckles. Thank you,'' he replied. Knuckles tipped his head and nodded in acknowledgement, then turned towards Sonic.

''I also owe a 'Thank you' to you, Hedgehog. Your speech may have been confusing and your methods have not suited my ways, but you were right. Green Hills… No, Earth is now my home,'' Knuckles told him, with Sonic chuckling, being quite happy to hear that. He placed a hand on Knuckles' shoulder, giving him a wide smile.

''I knew you'd come around eventually. Your place is here, with us, and all it took was a road trip to Nevada to realize that. As a matter of fact, I also had to go on a road trip to realize that I wanted to stay on Earth instead of going to Mushroom Planet,'' Sonic said. Knuckles hummed in thought.

''You never told me that. Perhaps, going on a road trip is necessary ritual to accept Earth as your home.'' Knuckles then turned to Tails. ''Then, you are the next one to experience a road trip, Fox.''

''N-No, thanks… I've already been on a road trip with Sonic in Siberia. I don't think I need another one,'' Tails replied.

The group was about to go inside the house, when they suddenly heard loud steps coming from inside and saw Maddie approaching them. Sonic and Tails' eyes widened, as they realized that they kind of forgot about the aftermath of Knuckles' sudden disappearance. To say that the matriarch of the Wachowski family was furious was an understatement. It all started when Maddie went upstairs to deliver Knuckles the plate with his dinner, only to find out that the echidna was completely gone. Then, all Hell broke loose.

''Sonic, Tails? Where is Knuckles? Have you seen him?'' Maddie asked, her expression the epitome of serenity, but her eyes blazing with motherly rage. Sonic and Tails looked at each other nervously, having been playing video games in the living room.

''Uh, no? We've been here the whole day,'' Sonic replied. Maddie narrowed her eyes, with Sonic offering an anxious smile.

''Are you sure? You haven't heard anything or seen anything…?'' she asked again, with Sonic knowing that look. He knew that, if Maddie ever caught them lying about Knuckles' whereabouts, they were doomed. She may have been their motherly figure, but Sonic felt that he'd rather go against a Dr. Eggman powered up with the Master Emerald again than deal with a furious Maddie.

''No, we didn't hear nor see anything. We would've seen Knuckles if he tried to get past us,'' Sonic replied.

''Maybe he escaped through the window?'' Tails suggested. Maddie sighed in frustration, grabbing her smartphone.

''I don't know, but he'll be in so much trouble when he gets home,'' she said, walking into the next room and calling Tom, followed by Wade, followed by every person she knew in Green Hills about Knuckles' whereabouts. Meanwhile, Tails turned back to Sonic with a worried look on his expression.

''Do you think that I should've used one of my holograms to pretend that Knuckles was still here?'' he asked.

''No, because if you did that, we'd be in huge trouble and trust me, you don't want to experience what happens when Maddie gets angry. We just have pretend that we didn't know that Knuckles went missing until now, and we'll be fine,'' Sonic assured him.

''Okay, but what about Knuckles? What if he's in danger? We should go search for him,'' Tails replied.

''You said it yourself, Knuckles is the greatest warrior in the galaxy, so I wouldn't worry about him getting into trouble. He probably had gone to do some soul-searching and will be back in no time,'' Sonic said in a confident tone. Tails went silent for a moment, then gave Sonic a look of concern, his eyes wide.

''Do you think that Knuckles may have decided that he doesn't want to stay here anymore, at Green Hills? With us?'' he asked. Sonic shook his head.

''Absolutely not! You know that Knuckles considers us his tribe and he wouldn't go back on his promise. We made a power bump and we're brothers at this point. He will return, I'm sure,'' Sonic said, with Tails nodding in acknowledgement. ''Besides, the Master Emerald is still hidden in our roon, and we both know he wouldn't go anywhere without it.''

Tails chuckled. ''Yeah, you're right about that.''

Back in the present moment, neither Tails nor Sonic felt like laughing when they saw a furious Maddie stomping over to Knuckles and Wade. Knuckles and Wade's proud grins immediately faded away when they realized that she wasn't as overjoyed to see them as they thought she would be. Maddie inhaled deeply, glaring daggers at both of them.

''Knuckles, where have you been? Do you know how worried I was?'' she asked.

''I was merely on a quest with Wade,'' Knuckles said, sensing the tension in the air. As for Wade, he realized that both he and Knuckles were in deep trouble, even though he technically didn't do anything to piss off Maddie. He was startled when she suddenly turned to him.

''Also, why haven't you called me and told me that Knuckles was with you the whole time?! I've been searching the whole town for him!'' she said furiously.

''Maddie, look… I think you should just calm down and let us explain…'' Wade said, slowly stepping back. Even if he was a warrior now, he knew how to pick his battles. Throwing bowling balls at a guy in a robot mecha while powered up with Knuckles' quills was nothing compared to an angry Maddie.

Maddie pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled. ''Fine, but you-'' she pointed at Knuckles ''-are still grounded. How long you'll be grounded depends on your reasons for leaving.''

''I will accept my grounding with honor,'' Knuckles responded, also being well aware that there were some battles he simply couldn't fight, no matter how much he wanted to. He also figured that he wouldn't be punished for leaving once Maddie hears and understands his reasons. The group then walked into the house, with Sonic giving Knuckles an amused smile.

''I guess thinks can't get worse now, do they?'' he said.

''Don't worry, Hedgehog, I'm confident that I will be able to defend my case,'' Knuckles replied.

''Heh, we'll see about that,'' Tails said.

xXx

Unknown to Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, the situation actually got worse. Sort of. Of course, they believed that Dr. Eggman was gone and that G.U.N. wouldn't be bothering them again, and there were certainly no new adversaries attacking Green Hills, but the reason for that was because their new foe was miles away from Montana.

Nobody really payed any attention to the black and red hedgehog walking through a casino in Reno, figuring that he was just some kind of mascot or a guy in a costume. The hedgehog, in turn, was content with the lack of attention, solely focused on his own task. He paused for a moment, closing his eyes and focusing on the strange sensation that he felt, turning on his heel and walking towards the source of this sensation. He had already made the mistake to not follow his senses and instead focused on his memories, only to end up at a familiar bowling alley. Scoffing, he returned back to the other part of the building, being guided by this sensation.

He then stopped in front of a glass case, which displayed a bunch of trophies and photographs of previous winners of the bowling tournament, along with a green diamond-shaped gem inside it. He smirked, and his body became enveloped in orange sparking energy. The glass suddenly shattered as he punched through it, grabbing the green jewel.

''It all starts with this… A jewel containing the ultimate power…'' Shadow the Hedgehog stated, lifting the green Chaos Emerald up. His ears flicked when he heard people shouting, with the security guards arriving at the scene.

''What are you doing?! You can't just break the glass and steal-'' Before the security guard could even finish his sentence, Shadow furrowed a brow, shooting him a glare. He then held out the Chaos Emerald. ''There's no time for games… Farewell! Chaos Control!''

The security guard was left baffled when the hedgehog suddenly vanished into thin air. He then shook his head, deciding that he wasn't payed enough for this weirdness.

xXx

High above on a cliff overlooking Green Hills, there was a flash of light, revealing a small figure appearing seemingly out of nowhere. The figure narrowed his golden eyes, his body enveloped in cyan sparking energy.

''I hope that I'm in the right time. I can't let the future get destroyed!'' Silver the Hedgehog stated. ''I need to find that person, the wielder of the Flames of Destruction!''

He then flew up, his body covered in cyan energy, and flew towards where he believed his foe waited, determined to make sure that the future wouldn't turn into a desolate wasteland covered in flames and ashes.

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