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numberonetacostan · 1 month ago

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TACO'S (POTENTIAL) FRIENDSHIPS TIERLIST

Explanations for my placements! Placements in each row are in no particular order.

Disclaimer: I am a media enjoyer, not a media analyzer. These are just my thoughts, so nothing is objectively wrong, but if one of my takes is OOC or you disagree I’d be happy to hear why as long as you’re nice about it :).

Tier 1: Tacomic!!! <3

Mic: YURI YURI YURI YURI!!!! Their yuri can be un-toxic’d now and that makes me very happy :). Don’t get me wrong, I love toxic yuri, but I’m really glad to see them work things out!!! Mic can be more assertive, and Taco is trying to be better!! Anyways, I do think that they will start out as just friends as they rebuild their relationship and learn how to interact with each other in a healthier way without the competition in the way, and there will certainly be bumps in the road, but after some time I truly believe that we will have yuri. Taco is going to try calming down on the objectively bad stuff she does and work on apologizing when she does mess up!! And Mic can hold her more accountable while also being someone Taco can rely on to stay by her side. Especially with Soap helping out, making sure Taco apologizes rather than avoiding the issue and/or doubling down, and making sure Mic keeps up her established boundaries in terms of not immediately letting Taco off the hook, as she has a bad habit of doing. I love tacomic so so much, and I am 100000% sure that they can work towards and create a healthy and happy relationship that makes them both better people. If you don’t feel like yuri-ing today, you can see them as besties too, but regardless Mic takes the top spot!!!

Tier 2: Friendship is inevitable

Soap: As mentioned above, I think having Soap around will be really helpful for Taco! Someone who doesn’t hold ill-will towards her but is very willing to hold her accountable! A good balance. We saw Soap throwing away her cleaning supplies and telling Mic to listen to her heart, so she’s clearly got some good thoughts on self-improvement! Also Mic has clearly told her about all the non-competition related stuff that she and Taco did, lesbianing around and such, she’s got a pretty clear idea of who Taco is beyond the competition, which can’t be said for most of the cast. And since Taco will definitely be sticking by Mic’s side for the foreseeable future, she’ll get to know Soap pretty well too!! They can do karaoke together!!! Hooray!!!! :D.

Balloon: This one’s pretty obvious, eh? He had his whole redemption arc from when he was a jerk in season 1, and now he sees someone else who wants to start on that journey? He has the chance to help someone in the way Suitcase helped him? FUCK yeah they’re gonna be friends. He even struggled with giving a proper apology as seen in episode 9!! Just like Taco did!! (I love her, but that was the worst apology I’ve ever heard actually). He’s also quite the sensitive guy, which I think could pair well with Taco and her inability to emotion. [Maybe I should make that long post on why I think Taco is autistic. TLDR we have the same kind of autism.] But anyways! I think he could really help her with breaking out of those negative behavioral patterns and turning yourself around! The advice that OJ gave to him would probably work ever better for Taco. A new chance to meet new people who she didn’t do anything bad to! She hasn’t met most of the s2 or any of the s3 joiners, so she has a pretty clean slate with them, even if they’d heard of her misdeeds. I think she would initially think his poetry was stupid, and then find it really relatable and emotional, and then keep pretending she finds it stupid when anyone she isn’t very close to is around. They can talk about the crushing feeling of guilt, regret, and your sins!! They’ve both fucked up and found out, and now Taco is getting on the path to fixing it that Balloon took. Forgiving yourself is an important step to moving past your mistakes, and he could help her with that. Also, despite s3 going with a final 3 rather than a final 2, he did place second vote-wise, so he and Taco can be in the runner-up club together!!! They both enjoy classical music too, as a fun little bit, so they could parallel play (the best way to spend time with someone) together while listening to it!!

Suitcase: Our s2 winner!! And never giving up on anyone QUEEN. Can you tell I love Suitcase yet? Beyond Truth or Flare, they haven’t interacted much, but given the fact that Taco broke in front of her, her kindness, and the fact that she NEVER GIVES UP ON ANYONE (Can you tell I love Suitcase yet?) I think she and Taco could become friends! Girlies who can put things in their heads <3 <3. With Suitcase having become more assertive, in a similar vein to Mic there isn’t a risk for Taco to, for a lack of a better term, steamroll over her. And of course Taco is working to be better, so she would be trying to not to do that anyways! Suitcase is also so sweet and empathetic towards others, I think Taco could benefit from that example! Empathy doesn’t seem to come very naturally to Taco (see that one autistic taco post that I really need to make), but Suitcase could be a great person to learn from, in Mepad’s absence! (Rest in Peace King I Love You). And Suitcase could also work in a similar vein to Balloon and Mepad with getting Taco to be kind to herself. She has a lot of self-loathing after everything, and hasn’t experienced a lot of kindness from others having been alone in the woods for years. Suitcase’s resilience in staying kind despite other’s actions (but standing up for herself when necessary, of course), could be really good for Taco, in the evitable moment that she lashes out. Recovery and self-betterment isn’t linear, you know? And someone like Suitcase who can go to her in these moments still offering kindness, acceptance, and help is vital.

Baseball: The fumbler himself!! He would take Lightbulb’s advice about making sure he’s looking to heart!! And she told him where to look!! At Taco, who is drowning!! He was the lowest-ranked in season 1, so aside from three episodes and the Stupid Trailer, he wasn’t really around for her whole s1 act. He can get to know her as herself, which isn’t something that can be said for most of the other season 1 contestants. I’d also wager he feels partially responsible for her and Mic’s little alliance too, Mic’s own feelings of worthlessness and how he had constantly put her down being the core reasons why Taco chose her and was able to convince her to work together. He’d want to try and fix things with Mic too, and since Tacomic, he’d end up hanging out with Taco too. Besides, he already has a best friend who’s a short lil gremlin, he could definitely get along with Taco. And speaking of Baseball’s short lil gremlin…

Nickel: Hoo boy, I have plenty to say about a Taco and Nickel friendship!! Nickel fucked up his relationships with Suitcase and Balloon big time over not trusting that Balloon actually wanted to be better, and assuming that he couldn’t change. But he has learned his lesson!! Not only has he seen and acknowledged that Balloon changed, apologized to and befriended him, but Nickel changed too!! Hooray!! His ass would not want to make that mistake again. As well, we’ve heard from Brian recently that Nickel low-key admires what Taco pulled off in season 1. Not as much so after his character development, but still, he feels more positively about her true personality than her fake one!! That is not the general sentiment among the s1 cast!! They’re standing next to each other during the concert at the end of the finale, and he even sings backup for her during the reprise of “She Forgot”!. They have clearly already become friends, I’m not taking criticism on this one actually. They’re both sarcastic little shits trying to be better people! Nickel could empathize with the automatic-response-being-something-mean thing!! Also, since Suitcase does not want to see him (valid) he and Baseball should probably make some new friends anyways! Might as well chat with another mostly-alone object, yeah? Sigh. Two mean shorties against the world. On their own there might be a risk of them making each other worse but I think the people around them could keep that from happening. I really love Nico(?) friendship.

Marshmallow: Mepad mourning. They were both the players helped the most by Mepad, they’re mourning his loss the most (other than Toilet, more on him next ;)) and I think they could connect over that, especially with Taco trying to be more open and honest emotionally, just like Mepad was helping her to be, yeah? Her grief over Mepad is a good place to start. They were also some of the first two contestants to realize how bad the game was for those involved and their relationships. Even if it took Taco longer to get there, they end up sharing the same negative view towards the game before the others do! This was even mentioned in the pre-episode 17 stream!! They also both have a complicated relationship with Knife! We don’t get to see too much of how Marsh feels towards Knife after the whole heroic-sacrifice, but I don’t see her immediately being all buddy-buddy with him. And Taco, who is confirmed to care about his well-being don’t argue with me on this one, has the whole thing with him and Mic going, and he might even be more watchful of her as she and Mic continue to patch things up and work towards healthy yuri. Going back to Marsh not totally forgiving Knife, this could help Taco with better understanding how Pickle feels about her. Knife wronged Marsh pretty hard in the past, and even if he’s sorry and has changed, she can still feel hurt and not want to forgive him. And she could vent these feelings to Taco when they’re talking about Knife!! And this is so so similar to how Taco greatly wronged Pickle in the past, and even if she’s sorry and wants to change, he can still feel hurt and not want to forgive her. With lower empathy, it can be really helpful for someone to explain how they feel about something and why, so I think someone more willing to explain a similar situation to her (since Pickle will not be sitting down with her and explaining how he feels) could really help her out in learning to back off and let Pickle live his life even if that life doesn’t include her. Mepad is incredibly proud of both of them frfr Mepad said so in a cameo.

Toilet: Before I start this one I’d like to clarify I will also not be taking criticism here Toico friendship is so very inevitable you don’t even know. I got a cameo from @justin-chapmanswers right after the finale because I was so very sad about Mepad and they confirmed to me that Toilet and Taco could and would bond over missing Mepad. Toico friendship is “so incredibly important” AND I COULD NOT AGREE MORE. He was the only person that they had to care for them and that believed in them for a period of time each and now, even if Taco has Mic back, they’re both missing that bond they had with him because he’s dead (I am so MeSad). Toilet’s persistence with people would also be really important to their connection! Despite how Mephone constantly yelled at and belittled him, Toilet kept going and stayed kind and dutiful to him! And while that did make their relationship unhealthy, I think it could be beneficial to Toico friendship! Taco is trying to change and do better, but as I believe I said previously that’s not linear. She is going to lash out or fall back on old habits at some point, what matters is that she apologizes and keeps trying to be better. She’s not going to apologize to Toilet after years of this treatment like Mephone did, she will, in her process of growth, apologize to him when she knows she’s hurt him, and she will make sure to treat him better. And her doing this consistently when she messes up is key!!! Because Toilet is Toilet, we love Toilet in this house, and he’ll forgive her. And they will talk about how important Mepad was to them, and it will be healing and beautiful. Again I will be taking 0 criticism on this Toico friendship is everything to me actually. She can sit on his head like where he carried the spaghetti in episode 1. Oh no I’m listening to the cameo again and now I am crying /vpos.

Pepper: Yeah i ship tacopep too what are you gonna do about it i want taco to be loved. But more seriously, I think these two could make a really solid connection. Pepper is another one of the season 1 contestants that didn’t interact too much with the fake-Taco that competed in season 1, so there wasn’t much of a connection there to be spoiled. She probably jumped on the hate-train thanks to Salt, but maybe she should spend a bit less time with Salt anyways, yeah? Branch out some more. Which she could do with Taco! Take one look at Taco and tell me she doesn’t love to gossip. Taco and Pepper could probably gossip for hours, I mean, Taco has surely missed a lot of gossip having been outside of the hotel for so long. And Pepper gets to lead the conversation and talk!! Taco does try to take control of situations automatically, but hey, she’s trying to change for the better, and maybe not try to scheme and mastermind quite as much, yeah? And Pepper could do well being more assertive having been made to follow whatever Salt is doing. I think this friendship would need to pick up a bit later down the line for Taco to be in a place where she isn’t trying to take over so often and Pepper to be in a place where she’s not keeping herself attached to Salt, but I do think it could be a sweet and healthy friendship! Also I tend to think of them both as lesbians and sometimes you need a lesbian best friend to discuss Women with.

Candle: Would immediately be able to tell that Taco needs some serious therapy/help. And Candle loves to be needed for therapy/help! Perfect match! But really, Candle managed to tame both Yin-Yang and Silver over the course of a season, she could definitely help Taco out!! And it would be pretty difficult for Taco to keep her true feelings hidden from someone who can tell what’s happening just by looking at her! She would hate that at first but it would be helpful for her. I do think she would dislike Candle’s salt rock thingy though, it would probably just rile her up more. BUT really I think Candle could be a good help to Taco as she recovers. Candle will help everyone after all the stuff from the finale I think, which would not at all be a way to cope with everything. Keeping herself busy. Being needed in the way she was made to need. This isn’t a Candle analysis aaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Goo: My #1 and #3 must be friends, it’s mandatory (my #2 is Mepad, of course). Taco’s miserable and messy self could absolutely use a visit from the cheer factory, and I think she’d get one! I think Goo would be able to take the news of being created by Mephone better than you’d think, honestly. His best friend was created by Fan and Test Tube, so what if they’re created by Mephone, y’know? That just makes them more like his best buddy Bot!! Not being able to be recovered might make him anxious, but that’s just an unfortunate truth that they’re all going to need to get used to. (Unless whatever the Shimmers are giving them is a recovery device. Brian said it’s up to interpretation but i do not want to interpret i want answers!!). Okay, back to Gooco friendship. He’s such a positive, genuine, and sweet little fella it’s pretty hard for anyone not to like him, and that includes Taco!! Someone she not only doesn’t have baggage with, but she has never even met coming to cheer her up? She has had very few positive interactions with others over the years, this is meaningful to her!!! Being around a positive little thinker like Goo could be good for her, AND they are at perfect hugging height for one another. I don’t see Taco giving out too much physical affection but I can very much see her enjoying it even if she won’t admit it. AND AND having lived in the woods for so long, Taco would know the best place to find his beloved pinecones.

Tea Kettle: She already has one little gremlin child in Nickel, what’s another one? Seriously!! I’m not sure if it would exactly be a friendship, probably the more motherly dynamic she has with Nickel, Balloon, and quite a few other characters, but new mom acquired is not a category so she goes here. Taco, who has been living in the woods for years needing to scavenge and steal for food, would enjoy some hors d'oeuvres!! And this would immediately endear her to Tea Kettle, since she loves it so much when people eat her food (adorable). She, like Candle, and probably everyone else at this point, would pretty easily be able to tell that Taco needs some extra TLC, and like the other s3 joiners, doesn’t have anything personal against Taco. Her motherly instincts would immediately kick in, and again such casual kindness and affection for Taco after all this time? Everything. Key to Taco’s recovery and self-betterment. Also, Taco loves tea!!! TK would refill her cup without even being asked <3.

Tier 3: Pleasant Acquaintances

Lightbulb: OKAY OKAY OKAY I KNOW. Lightbulb would be sweet and friendly and silly and herself and would absolutely 1000% consider herself friends with Taco! Them only being acquaintances is fully on Taco. It’s not because she has a personal problem with Lightbulb though! We have heard from the crew (questionnaire after one of the finale screenings, I believe) that Lightbulb reminds Taco a lot of how she used to act in season 1. The earlier she is in her recovery, the harder that would be for her, yeah? There’s also the fact that Lightbulb would have been her choice to partner up with had Mic been eliminated earlier. I like to interpret this as canon, not just on a meta level, that Taco actually had Lightbulb picked as her second choice. With Taco trying to be better, she’d probably feel guilty about that when interacting with Lightbulb, and especially seeing how close she is with her allies friends. They might be able to be actual friends in the future, but in general Lightbulb might be a bit much for Taco. Though I’ll reiterate that Lightbulb would consider her a friend!! And include her in activities and be kind to her!! Because Lightbulb is sweet and lovely like that, the silliest goose of them all <3.

Apple: They’d probably interact a bit because of Taco’s friendship with Marsh, but Apple isn’t someone I’d see her seeking out for companionship, due to her being a little dumb <3. It’s okay we still love her, but Taco might not. She would be nice to Apple, because if Apple is upset then Marsh is upset at whatever caused it, yeah? And because it’s the right thing to do and all, but this latter reason might take a bit longer to kick in as Taco changes for the better.^^ Also, whether or not Apple knows that Taco was acting and isn’t just an entirely different person is still a bit muddled, so that would be a bit weird, yeah?

The Floor: Honestly just a nice, chill guy, don’t think he’d have any issues with Taco. She would see his movement as reminiscent of Mepad’s teleporting, which would give her the blues, but that’s not really Floory’s fault. Another teleporting assistant… Ah, well, my conspiracy can wait for another day. I don’t have too much to say for this pair, to be honest. I think they’d get along okay and everything, I just don’t see them seeking each other out as much as they each would with some others. Oh, they would both like to go on picnics, so that’s definitely a setting in which they’d interact! I do think The Floor and Toilet could be good friends, so they might end up hanging out together if they’re both with Toilet.^^ Besides, I can’t imagine him staying on Inanimate Island instead of returning to Paradise, since it is his home, so he’d stay more connected with the other s3 players rather than the other casts.

Cabby: Honestly Taco would probably be a little jealous that Cabby won. Definitely impressed by her skillful observations of others, though! Taco is observant too, so they could discuss that if they are together, but I don’t think they’d actively seek each other out, like Taco and The Floor. Cabby is also more likely to return to Paradise since that is where her library was, and Taco’s history might make Cabby wary, since she struggled with being seen that way in season 3. I don’t think she’d hold it against Taco in a personal way, but it might dissuade her from really forming a bond with Taco. Overall, I love them both, they could be perfectly friendly with each other, but I don’t really see them forming a strong connection. Earlier season 3 Cabby, though? They could be the power duo of all time. Even post-canon a team up between them would be incredibly skilled and efficient, I just don’t see it as too likely to happen.

Silver Spoon: We already know what Silver thinks of Taco! He thinks she is a Queen and an Icon and he’s right! He would approach Taco the easiest out of the invitationals, and would very much want her approval. I do not think Taco would like him very much. She’d get annoyed by him pretty easily, I think. They’re both British, so that could be a point of interest for him to try and connect for her, but seeing as neither of them are actually from Britain and were just programmed to have a British accent (and like tea!) that might fizzle out. And again the fact that Taco would not be able to stand him. Silver would try to get on her good side by complimenting her act in season 1, which would Not Sit Well with her at all. She would storm away from him and he would be devastated. It might be easier for them to interact if Candle is around to mediate, but I don’t know if they’d get along too well, at least initially. He remains in pleasant acquaintances because he is very pleasant towards her in his own Silver Spoony way, and considers her a friend, but it is one-sided, he is lying to himself <3.

Bot: A split between Goo really liking Taco and Fan and Test Tube not being sure about her. She did shoot and kill Test Tube. And electrocuted Fan. In front of their first child. So yeah not sure their second child would be super keen on being friends with Taco, but they would still be amiable. As a part of the Cheer Factory, they’d join Goo in his cheering up quest, and they could strike up a conversation if they happened to be alone together, but this is another relationship I can’t see either party really seeking out. Their VA is British though, so Bot could probably do a fair impression of Taco. Not that Taco would like that, but y’know, it’s neat, yeah?

Blueberry: He doesn’t make many friends in general, and neither does Taco for that matter. I think combined they could be an absolutely killer duo, could dominate a competition together, but outside of that? I’d say more of a mutual sense of respect for being powerful shorties, but not much of an actual bond. He might be a welcome presence if Taco needs to stew in her negative emotions for a while, as one does, but if she wants to feel better she’d need to go to someone else. Honestly, they might be kept apart on purpose, because those little schemers could probably take over the island together if they really wanted to. But, Taco is trying to change and Mic certainly wouldn’t approve, so she wouldn’t want to. Jury’s still out on Blueberry though. Also, he’s another one I’d see returning to Paradise, less people there, yeah? So their interactions would be limited either way.

Lifering: Nice, friendly guy! He might interact with Taco through Tea Kettle, or through general check-ups. With his medical training, or rather the knowledge he was programmed with, he’d definitely interact with everyone on both islands at one point or another. I wouldn’t imagine Taco being a big fan of such medical check-ups though, with how private of a person she generally is, and that might play into how she views him. He’d definitely do his best not to frighten anyone including Taco, and she would appreciate his work, she just wouldn’t be able to shake the lingering unease surrounding him, and he’d be able to respect that and give her space as long as she needs it. If he found her crying, he’d give her a squeeze and then get someone better equipped to help her, that sort of thing. She might eventually get more comfortable with him, and maybe they could share a plate of hors d'oeuvres, even if I don’t see them forming a super deep connection :) I think they could get along after some time.

Tissues: I think they could have a sort of understanding in Mephone making things difficult for them. He was made to always be sick (fucked up) and she was made to manipulate and hurt people (fucked up). She might get annoyed with him, definitely, but she’d try not to. With the infinite tea generation I headcanon her having, she could pull out a nice warm cup from her shell and give it to him to soothe his sinuses and sore throat, and I think he’d really appreciate that. There’s also an advantage to the fact that they’re only meeting after the big reveal of all the contestants being made by Mephone and running the red line game, Taco’s never been annoyed, hateful, or mocking towards him about his sickness. Tissues is owed a lot of apologies from quite a few cast members, and Taco is actually not one of them! They can also both pull things out of their heads, which I think is cute. That wouldn’t really contribute to a relationship. I just like little guys who can pull things out of their heads!!!^^

Clover: Like Lightbulb, I think Clover would consider Taco a friend! She’d consider pretty much everyone a friend, the sweetheart she is. As Brian once posted, she would find Taco very funny! Taco is trying to change though, so wouldn’t want to be seeing Clover as useful. She might be interested in the luck stuff, but the happy-go-lucky attitude might be a bit much for Taco. Trying to plan for Clover’s luck would be insanely frustrating, since schemes aren’t the only thing Taco could plan(!), and that might turn Taco away from Clover. She’s yet another one I see returning to Paradise, so they wouldn’t interact much, which is probably for the better on Taco’s end. Taco would probably like the butterflies though, because who doesn’t like butterflies, yeah?

Tier 4: Neutral

Bomb: Didn’t really interact with Taco in the first season, despite having been in an alliance with her for a short time, but he is clearly good friends with Pickle, so he wouldn’t be reaching out to her any time soon. Not that I think Pickle would be explicitly telling anyone or even hinting to them not to be friends with Taco even if he himself doesn’t want to, he’s not that kind of guy, but I think Bomb would stick close to Pickle, which means not interacting with Taco much. Yeah, he wasn’t personally hurt by her betrayal or anything, but he mostly knows her as the person who hurt his bestie Pickle, so not exactly keen on her either. Taco would be pretty neutral on him right back, but would be glad that Pickle has made new friends and is being well taken-care of despite everything that went down between them.

Knife: Hoo boy, okay, he is in the neutral category, but feel free to read him as “it’s complicated.” He’s also close with Pickle, seeing firsthand and likely the most of how Taco’s betrayal impacted him, and he was watching over Mic during and after her alliance with Taco, so he isn’t exactly happy with her. But as was confirmed by Brian, so you can’t argue with me on this one, he does care for her well-being. He sees some of himself in Taco. As much as he accuses Taco of projecting onto him in Truth or Flare, they’re really both projecting onto each other. Taco also cares about his well-being!!! (this is also confirmed by brian) Whether or not it’s because he’s someone close to Pickle and Mic, she does care, even if she doesn’t show it. Knife is dead now, too. That might complicate things. Taco though she would be dead forever, and hell, she might have been if Knife hadn’t put pressure on Mephone with Mepad, while Knife spent most of his life thinking of death as meaningless and something that barely even applied to him. One of them survived, and one of them didn’t. They’re such an interesting duo, I really really want to know more of the plan for that body swap episode so so so bad!! Anyone wanna venmo me 30 bucks to get another cameo from Justin so I can fish for info? /j Anyways. Knife would be very wary of her reconciling with Mic and would be watchful to make sure she doesn’t bother Pickle, but he would be proud, in a sense, seeing how she improves. I can’t say he’d help much, as I’m not sure if his tough-love sort of help for people would be super beneficial for Taco, and they’re still not super friendly, but I think they could have a moment of getting along-ness every once in a while. Suitcase might rub off on Knife even more with her never-give-up-on-anyone philosophy, which would lead him to back off on keeping an eye on her a bit more. If anything were to happen to Mic, she would be well protected by these two. AAAAAAAA. Taco and Knife are such an interesting duo, I can’t emphasize this enough. Knife who has already changed, and Taco is who is starting to change. This one has gotten way too long, in short, it’s complicated but more positive than negative post-finale.

Paintbrush: As long as Taco isn’t mean to Lightbulb, I don’t think Painty would feel too strongly either way. Probably unhappy when they find out that Taco shot two of their friends but. They seemed pretty okay with Taco’s presence in act II of the movie, and weren’t incredibly harsh on Taco during the pre-act II stream (if I recall correctly, this one is a bit more blurry tbh) even if they weren’t very pro-Taco either. Didn’t have an extreme reaction to Lightbulb mentioning Taco when they showed up during Truth or Flare either, so that’s another point towards Painty being neutral towards Taco. Might even empathize with how quick-to-anger Taco can be, she could get invited to a painting lesson or something. But really, as long as Taco is civil with Lightbulb (and Baxter), and doesn’t murder Fan or Test Tube again, I think they can coexist without any malice or issues.

Yin-Yang: Yang would like Taco a lot! Yin would be kind of scared of her. Thus, neutral. Yang would admire her sabotage and trickery, which isn’t exactly what she wants to be liked for, but, well, it’s Yang so he’s gonna do what he wants. Yin would be pretty wary of her, and probably avoid her in fear of whatever mischief she and Yang could create with their powers combined. My partner once drew a cute illustration of Yin-Yang stealing and eating a topping out of her head, which I liked very much, and were that to happen I think Taco would dislike Yin-Yang. It would be very rude to eat one of her toppings, especially without asking first. My partner, who I regard as the resident Yin-Yang expert between us, also mentioned them both having a “that-could-have-been-me” sort of connection with OJ, in the sense of how Taco was so close to getting the win that OJ got, and Yin-Yang was so close to getting eliminated instead of OJ. Had it not been for the immunity votes, Yin-Yang would have been the first Thinker out. Had it not been for Bow and all the other chaos that was going down during season 1’s finale, Taco would have been the first winner of Inanimate Insanity. And we know that Yin-Yang and OJ clashed during their residence in the Hotel, and Taco just dislikes OJ after everything, so maybe they could have a little anti-OJ club to get their frustrations out, who knows. Suitcase is still a bit miffed about him eliminating her unfairly that one time, so maybe she could join a little complain-about-OJ session once in a while.

Box: New to the group, so probably doesn’t even find out about Taco’s past for some time, but at the same time she isn’t the most social tool on the shed. And neither is Taco. So I can’t see either one reaching out to the other for a friendship. Box might like that Taco never pretended their corpse was alive, even if it was possibly because she never had the opportunity to interact with Box in general. I might see Taco taking more of the Trophy stance in that she doesn’t see Box’s corpse as alive, which, since it was a corpse, is objectively correct. Albeit with less violence than Trophy handled Box with. They might talk due to both of them being around Suitcase from time to time, but I’d more view them as two relatively introverted people who simply don’t seek a connection with each other. [Also, putting a Box conspiracy here, but does anyone else think her inclusion specifically is why season 2 had an uneven amount of contestants in-canon. Like, the season 2 cast would have been developed before the whole MeLife twist, but on a non-meta level, it was probably Box being included in the cast that made the numbers wonky. 19 contestants? A prime number? What? 18 would make sense, or 20, but 19? Because Box was added in with the actual living contestants, because Mephone couldn’t bring himself to exclude her, which brought the number of players up to 19. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.]

Cherries: Probably a bit childish for Taco’s taste in friends. And for Cherries, them always wanting a reaction… Well if Taco was pranked, she would not react well, and they might be hard pressed to get her to laugh especially if she already dislikes them due to being pranked. She is quite the actor, so even if she does find a joke or two funny, she’s not gonna break. And then Cherries would get bored of trying to make her laugh, and move on to someone they can get a better reaction from. Unless they try roping Taco into their little schemes before they prank her, then I can see a more positive relationship forming. Either way, I don’t see them as consistently seeking each other out for companionship.

Fan: Taco electrocuted him that one time. So, not exactly a great start. Especially since it was while he was talking to the Shimmers. The Shimmers, one of which was his infant child… A really bad start, then. I don’t see Fan as a very hateful guy, honestly. Passionate, sure, but doesn’t strike me as the type to stay angry for very long. He wouldn’t be approaching Taco for friendship any time soon, and would probably tell Bot that they should be wary around her, but I also think he would respect Taco’s effort to change and let bygones be bygones in the end. Taco probably wouldn’t approach him either, other than apologizing for electrocuting him and shooting Test Tube (she should apologize for that, and Mic would make sure she does). Would probably want to know more about Taco’s strategy and experiences during the first season, but also has the self-restraint not to ask.

Test Tube: Less forgiving than Fan, but would follow his lead in not holding a huge grudge towards her. She wouldn’t trust Taco at all, but she wouldn’t fall into malicious territory like what ended up happening with Cabby. Taco would be wary of Test Tube too, especially after the other apology she gives Test Tube, for breaking into her “secret” lab and stealing things. Testy might actually take that one worse than the apology for murdering her. Despite that, I do see Test Tube letting Taco keep the white invisibow that Mepad was wearing when he was killed. This would probably happen before Taco confesses to murder, assault, breaking and entering, and theft anyways, but I see Test Tube letting her keep it. Random act of kindness while Taco is mourning him, yeah? She is the one who gave him the bow after all. Testy wouldn’t love Taco, and would also warn Bot to be careful around her and come to her right away if she has any problems, but could coexist with Taco.

Tier 5: No

Mephone: Yeah, this is an obvious one. Beyond the fact that he’s left to give the contestants space, at least for the time being, Taco would be pretty damn mad at him after everything. Whether he made them subconsciously or not, he made her to be manipulative and unpredictable and to betray the people she cares about. Thinking further on that, he also didn’t plan anything good for her, unlike other villainous characters. Balloon and Knife both got redemption arcs, Silver got a girlboss, but Taco? She got another “ally” to inevitably lose, years of homelessness and isolation, and not even a million squats. Not to mention his reaction to her during Truth or Flare. Sure, it is reasonable for him not to want to see her, especially with how she acts in the episode, but not wanting to recover her? That’s really fucked up. Seriously. Thank god for Mepad. I can and would very much argue that Taco is the most mistreated contestant by Mephone4. She would not want to see him ever again, and I think if she did see him and he tried to talk with her it would not go well. So, this one is a definite no.

OJ: She and OJ did interact relatively frequently in season 1, and while I’m not sure exactly how betrayed he would have felt by her revealing her true nature, he would not like having been fooled and would very much have not liked her trying to steal his prize. I can’t see them ever really getting along again. Even if Taco does apologize to him (and out of everyone she probably should apologize to, she would hate this one the most), I don’t see that doing much. OJ is another person that saw how her betrayal affected Pickle pretty closely, and he’d still hold at least a little grudge over that. Although, if you take the “built to win” line seriously like I do, (and Brian said in the 700k stream that it was up to interpretation- hah! Vindication! Kind of! Enough for me!!!) their dynamic can be a lot more interesting. And even though I don’t see them ever being friends again, I do see them at some point having a moment in which they both say something like “these guys are all so weird” and then looking at each other awkwardly and proceeding to ignore each other entirely for the next week or so. They’re both drama queens, yeah, but in comparison to some of the other characters they can be a bit more… reasonable? Doesn’t seem like quite the right word. Grounded? Doesn’t seem right either. Hopefully this is still comprehensible, but regardless, these two would not be friends.

Paper: My guy screeched in terror when she was seen in the hotel. I don’t think it’s gonna happen, especially if OJ isn’t befriending her in any way. He wouldn’t be happy about her trying to steal his boyfriend’s prize and is another who got to see Pickle growing depressed after her betrayal, so he’d keep his negative view on her. I don’t think he’d be as scared of her post-canon, especially seeing her trying to avoid violence by Mic’s demand, so I suppose that’s something. I am so very sorry, menu squad fans, I love them too, but I think that ship has long since sailed. I honestly don’t have very much to say for Paper, I feel like he’s a pretty obvious one, though they don’t actually interact that much. He doesn’t like her, and has a boyfriend who really doesn’t like her, so they’re not going to be connecting any time soon. I do think he would feel more sympathetic to her plights than OJ, as the more emotionally intelligent one between them, but would leave helping her to people closer to her.

Salt: Taco would find her annoying, mostly. Especially after she and Pepper become friends, and Pepper vents about some of her frustrations with Salt to Taco, Taco wouldn’t be a fan of hers. Salt wouldn’t like Taco because she tried to steal OJ’s prize, and Salt is all gross and very weird about OJ. There’s a reason why she got the least votes in the latest plushie poll. Even Taco, who doesn’t really like Paper or OJ, would want Salt to back off and tell her to do so even if she had to be a tad aggressive about it. It shouldn’t always have to fall on poor Pepper especially when she starts branching out towards new people and relationships. Taco wouldn't be payjay's biggest fan or anything, but she wouldn't be upset over them or anything. Taco herself is gay. WLW and MLM solidarity!!!!

Trophy: She would beat him in a bunch of stuff (some by cheating, some fairly) and he would hate her like the sore loser of all time he is. She would probably just find him annoying, like a less-tolerable version of Blueberry, maybe. I can see them both getting banned from game night, Trophy because he can’t take a loss and Taco for cheating, of course, and attempting to hang out together in protest. I suppose they could bond that way, but I’d lean more towards them either arguing or getting annoyed with each other and agreeing to never hang out again. Might casually flip each other off in the hallways, not from hatred but from mutual acknowledgment that the other is kind of an asshole sometimes. I think it’s beautiful <3.

Dough: She’d only have to see him when she’s in the mansion, which is definitely for the best. They wouldn’t seek each other out, ever. Taco would find him very annoying, and would hate any and all of his Bow imitating or discussion. She never met him, she does not care about him, and he’d probably feel the same way about her. Not much to say about this one, but I. Well. It’s Dough. I’m so sorry Dough fans but I have never had much to say about him.

Cheesy: Yeah Taco would find him annoying too. He and Mic are on better terms now, so they might sometimes find themselves in the same place, but Taco might soon have to leave that place because she is getting so annoyed with him. He probably wouldn’t dislike her or anything, but he wouldn’t really like her either, seeing as she wouldn’t be the best audience member for him. Poor guy is gonna have to find some new material again, seeing as none of them have mamas and bringing that up is definitely in poor taste at the moment. Yikers. But yeah, another one who will not be friends with Taco because they would be too much for her.

Bow: Taco’s least favorite person! Bow is the reason that Taco lost season 1, and I don’t think Taco is ever going to get over that. (Especially if you interpret the “built to win” line literally like I do~~~). Taco would avoid her like the plague, and probably regard her as a plague on the world too. Would very much not enjoy having to live in the same building as Bow, for however long it takes until they have another building established, since Taco would probably move out the second she could as long as Mic was down to move with her. Anything to get away from Bow. I can not emphasize enough how much Taco hates Bow. Despises her. Would rather stick her arms into a pothole full of piranhas than be in Bow’s presence. That plastic pink headgear is the absolute worst object on the planet to her. Bow doesn’t really care either way. Unless Taco is openly aggressive to her, she’s neutral. But Taco would probably antagonize her at one point or another, so Bow would probably end up disliking her too, just not as passionately.

Tier 6: Pickle

Pickle: Sigh. My fellow Taco lovers. It’s not gonna happen, guys. Pickle and Taco friendship is not going to happen ever again. I KNOW. Taco wants it!! You want it!! I want it too!!! I have been a fan since season 1 was airing, I of all people would love to see them be friends again. But Pickle doesn’t want that, so I’m going to respect it. Taco would probably try apologizing to him once or twice more before backing off, probably being able to do so and really start to move on with the help of Mic, Nickel, and/or Marsh. She does shake her head and move past things during the red line game! It’s a good start! Even if I think she would give it another shot (because in apologizing more she comes to realize how bad her first apology was. Yeesh. Girl I’m your biggest supporter, I am a certified Taco apologist, but damn). But! Regardless of the fact that they’re not going to be friends again, it’s not as though they’re going to be enemies! Taco wants to be better, especially towards Pickle. And as for Pickle, he just isn’t that sort of guy, yeah? He doesn’t want to be friends with Taco or give her another chance, which is fully fair and valid, but it’s not as though he wants her to suffer either!! If she like, fell and broke her leg or smth, he would willingly carry her to get help, yeah? If they both happen to be in the kitchen and she’s struggling to reach something on the top shelf, he’d grab it for her. He’s chill and especially after a longer period of time when he’s been able to heal further and be okay with seeing her around, they could just be… okay. Not friends, but okay. He would show up to the Tacomic wedding.

Tier 7: PLEASE COME BACK I MISS YOU SO MUCH

Mepad: PLEASE COME BACK KING I CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH YOU SUPPORTIVE ICON. HE IS IN TIER 7 BECAUSE HE IS DEAD AND THAT MAKES ME SO VERY SAD. I MISS YOU SO MUCH MEPAD MY BELOVED MEPAD. I MISS THE OLD SEASON 2 UPLOAD SCHEDULE I CAN’T HANDLE TACOPAD GETTING GIVEN TO US AND TAKEN AWAY WITHIN LIKE 4 MONTHS. GIVE US 4 YEARS AS GOD INTENDED /J. ANYWAYS MEPAD WOULD BE ON THE TIPPY TOP TIER IF HE WAS STILL ALIVE MY WONDERFUL MEPAD YOU WILL BE FOREVER IN MY HEART. ONCE I GET MY HANDS ON YOUR PLUSHIE I WILL MAKE YOU AND MY TACO PLUSH HUG IT IS MANDATORY.

Okay, 13 pages later and that’s everyone! If you’ve read every entry, wow!!! Thanks!!! That’s a lot of reading and a lot of rambles you saw!!! If you skipped to your favorites, that’s also fair!!! Thanks for reading either way!!!^^ I have so very many thoughts about Taco, so it’s nice to get some written out!! :3

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dandelionsresilience · 2 months ago

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Dandelion News - November 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles! (sorry it's slightly late, the links didn't wanna work and I couldn't figure it out all day)

1. Wyoming's abortion ban has been overturned, including its ban on abortion medication

“Wyoming is the second state to have its near-total abortion ban overturned this month[…. Seven other states] also approved amendments protecting the right to an abortion. A lawsuit seeking to challenge the [FDA]’s approval of abortion medication recently failed when the Supreme Court refused to hear it[….]”

2. Patches of wildflowers in cities can be just as good for insects as natural meadows – study

“This study confirmed that small areas of urban wildflowers have a high concentration of pollinating insects, and are as valuable to many pollinators as larger areas of natural meadow that you would typically find rurally.”

3. Paris could offer new parents anti-pollution baby 'gift bags' to combat 'forever chemicals'

“The bag includes a stainless steel baby cup, a wooden toy, reusable cotton wipes, and non-toxic cleaning supplies as part of a "green prescription". […] The city will also have 44 centres for protecting mothers and infants that will be without any pollutants[….]”

4. Indigenous guardians embark on a sacred pact to protect the lowland tapir in Colombia

“The tapir is now the focus of an Indigenous-led conservation project[… A proposed “biocultural corridor”] will protect not only the populations and movements of wildlife such as tapirs, but also the cultural traditions and spirituality of the Inga and other neighboring Indigenous peoples[….]”

5. Denmark will plant 1 billion trees and convert 10% of farmland into forest

“[…] 43 billion kroner ($6.1 billion) have been earmarked to acquire land from farmers over the next two decades[.… In addition,] livestock farmers will be taxed for the greenhouse gases emitted by their cows, sheep and pigs from 2030, the first country to do so[….]”

6. The biggest grid storage project using old batteries is online in Texas

“[Element operates “used EV battery packs” with software that can] fine-tune commands at the cell level, instead of treating all the batteries as a monolithic whole. This enables the system to get more use out of each cell without stressing any so much that they break down[….]””

7. Durable supramolecular plastic is fully ocean-degradable and doesn't generate microplastics

“The new material is as strong as conventional plastics and biodegradable, [… and] is therefore expected to help reduce harmful microplastic pollution that accumulates in oceans and soil and eventually enters the food chain.”

8. Big Oil Tax Could Boost Global Loss and Damage Fund by 2000%

“[… A] tax on fossil fuel extraction, which would increase each year, combined with additional taxes on excess profits would […] generate hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the decade to assist poor and vulnerable communities with the impact of the climate crisis[….]”

9. Rooftop solar meets 107.5 pct of South Australia’s demand, no emergency measures needed

“[T]he state was able to export around 658 MW of capacity to Victoria at the time[….] The export capacity is expected to increase significantly as the new transmission link to NSW[…] should be able to allow an extra 150 MW to be transferred in either direction by Christmas.”

10. Light-altering paint for greenhouses could help lengthen the fruit growing season in less sunny countries

“[Scientists] have developed a spray coating for greenhouses that could help UK farmers to produce more crops in the future using the same or less energy[… by optimising] the wavelength of light shining onto the plants, improving their growth and yield.”

November 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

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rowretro · 11 months ago

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꧁ＤＲＵＧＳ＆ＭＯＮＥＹ꧂

✧warnings: Yandere themes, toxic themes, drugs, drug addict reader, abuse

♤synopsis: Nishimura Riki. One of the most well feared mafia sons, is filthy rich, He was never really interested in dating, hating the idea of putting all his trust, love, blood sweat and tears into one person. Then he laid his eyes on you, a broken, barely appreciated, drug addict. (Riki's "I love you 3000" cover was playing in my head non stop while writing this- I need him in my life frfr)

✧♤✧♤✧♤𝕯𝕽𝖀𝕲𝕾 & 𝕸𝕺𝕹𝕰𝖄♤✧♤✧♤✧

Get up, get ready, clean up, go to school, get high and arrive at her apartment late as fuck. That was Y/ns daily routine. She's high 90% of the time, filling the massive hole her parents stabbed in her heart, with weed, Whiskey and pills. She had nothing to lose. Her parents always hated her, the reason never clear. So she moved out at 16, and got her own small apartment, a very decent one. Now she's yet to turn 18 in a few weeks, yet she's making bad decisions back and forth

She had fallen in love many times, but she always ended up getting hurt, or being a burden. So she'd turn to her fellow, Jack Daniels and Marijuana for some company. No one ever visited her... so she was beyond surprised when she heard her doorbell ring. High out of her mind, she answered it, not thinking of the potential dangers that may be lurking behind the door.

"Fuck- you got a first aid kit?" He asked, shutting the door and barricading it. Y/n pouted as she started to think "Clearly you're high. I'll go find it myself." He said, as he walked through the clean, plain hallways. Of course he found a brand new, unused first aid kit, however, what he didn't find was any photos of your family or at least parents. No sign of a boyfriend, or anyone else who might live there.

The strong stench of Cannabis filling his nostrils as he groaned. The male treated his own wounds that were barely painful to him. He walked into the living room only to find the girl lying on the ground, high out of her mind. Y/n had fallen asleep on the cold, marble floor despite being so high and having a fever, but she was used to it and she was too lazy to move.

Riki however, found it cute. He found her cute. God she's too cute, so short, so clueless, and so stupid. He really wanted to know what you were like when you were sober, but when examining all the munchies you had randomly scattered in the kitchen, he realized that may be a challenge. So he decided to stay until you wake up.

Never would he have ever found himself cleaning up a girl's home, picking up a girl's underwear and putting it in the laundry basket, carrying a girl to her bed and tucking her in. But I'll tell you one thing. He fucking loved it. He loves taking care of this girl, he only just practically met her but... he really wants her. He's a mafia he can have whatever the fuck he wants.

That's how Y/n found herself in a massive, luxurious mansion. Guards here and there, all her artwork in a big room with all the art supplies an artist could dream for. A perfect yet psychotic man who seems to be on a murder rampage on the daily. It has been 1 month since the male kidnapped her saying that he's in love with her and will even marry her. However the place was missing something she lived her whole life on...

"I CAN'T FUCKING DO IT FUCK SAKE RIKI! GIVE ME MY WEED FOR FUCKSAKE!" She screamed, crying and kicking her bedsheets, yanking at her hair as she screamed. The male slapped her painfully hard, pulling her to himself "FUCKING PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER Y/N!" he yelled as the girl just cried in his embrace "Y-you don't understand ki... it's hard! it hurts, I need them I really do- I'm fucking weak I can't- sobriety is so fucking overrated! please- im begging you please!" She cried as the male just hugged her closely.

With drawl is extremely hard, and for a teenager to have to go through something like that, without her parents to support her is extremely hard. But someone really loves her, a man who'd kill for her and is even willing to die for her. So she will put through it. Fighting with every last bit of energy she has. Riki would keep an eye on her when she does have alcohol, making sure she stays within a limit. He let her buy a vape, just to help her lay off of the drugs.

He knew that all this was all worth it. because when the struggle is over, Y/n will realize that he truly loves her, and no matter what crazy shit he does, she will always run into his arms, and yearn for his touch. "I love you Ki... I'm glad you kidnapped me you know?... I've never been love like this before..." She admitted, her head pressed against his chest, as her body was shielded by his loving arms.

Y/n melted in his embrace, closing her eyes with a smile when she felt his perfect, plush lips on her forehead. Those lips, the only drug she's addicted to and will never let herself get over. "I love you too my darling..." he said with a smile, cradling her in his arms, his head rested against hers, theirs eyes closed as they sat before the fireplace, comforted by the relaxing sounds of their heartbeats.

✧♤✧♤✧♤𝕯𝕽𝖀𝕲𝕾 & 𝕸𝕺𝕹𝕰𝖄♤✧♤✧♤✧

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magickkate · 3 months ago

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Hey there, magical beings! 🌟 Whether you're just starting out or have been on your witchy journey for a while, it's super important to keep safety at the forefront. Here's a comprehensive guide to ensure you brew your potions and cast your spells with care.

Know Your Ingredients Understanding what you’re working with is crucial. Always research every herb, oil, or component thoroughly. Some plants are toxic, especially when ingested or applied to the skin. For example, while belladonna is a classic ingredient in many historical potions, it’s highly toxic and should be avoided unless you have extensive knowledge and experience handling it. Recommendation: Create an ingredient list with detailed notes about each item’s properties, uses, and potential dangers. Use reputable sources and consider consulting an herbalist or experienced witch for guidance.

Proper Storage Proper storage isn't just about neatness; it's about safety. Keep your ingredients in labeled, airtight containers to maintain their potency and prevent contamination. Recommendation: Invest in dark glass jars, which protect contents from light and extend shelf life. Store your supplies in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, children, and pets. A well-organized storage system will save you time and prevent dangerous mix-ups.

Safe Mixing Practices Mixing potions and crafting spells should be done in a clean, dedicated space. Cross-contamination can ruin your preparations and pose health risks. Recommendation: Designate a specific area for your magical workings. Use tools and containers reserved exclusively for this purpose. Ensure your workspace is well-ventilated, particularly when dealing with strong-smelling or potentially hazardous substances. Protective gear, like gloves and aprons, can shield you from accidental spills or splashes.

Testing and Application Before you apply any potion to your body, always perform a patch test. This simple step can prevent serious allergic reactions. Recommendation: Apply a small amount of the potion to your inner wrist or elbow and wait 24 hours to check for any adverse reactions. For spells, ensure you understand the energy and intent behind them fully. Misapplied spells can lead to unintended consequences.

Disposal of Unused Potions Improper disposal of magical materials can harm the environment. Recommendation: Dispose of unused or expired potions in a way that respects the earth. Never pour them down the drain. Instead, dilute them significantly and pour them into a garden or yard if they are non-toxic. For toxic materials, follow local hazardous waste disposal guidelines.

Clear Intentions Being specific with your intentions is key to effective and safe spellcasting. Recommendation: Spend time meditating and focusing on what you truly want to achieve before starting any spell. Write down your intention clearly and revisit it throughout the process to stay aligned.

Protective Measures Creating a safe space for your magical work helps protect you from negative energies. Recommendation: Cast a protective circle before starting your spellwork. This can be done through visualization, drawing a physical circle, or using protective herbs and stones. After casting, ground yourself to release any excess energy. Visualization techniques or physical actions like touching the earth can help with this.

Ethical Practices The ethics of magic are personal but crucial. Avoid spells that harm others or infringe on their free will. Recommendation: Reflect on the ethical implications of your magic. If you’re unsure, err on the side of caution. Consider the potential impact of your actions not just on yourself but on others and the environment.

Keep Records Keeping detailed records helps track your progress and learn from your experiences. Recommendation: Maintain a Book of Shadows or a magical journal. Document each spell and potion with its date, ingredients, process, and outcomes. Reviewing these entries can provide insights and help refine your practice.

Understand Consequences Every action has a reaction. Recommendation: Be mindful of the energies you are working with. The principle of cause and effect is strong in magic. Reflect on the potential consequences of your actions before you begin, and be prepared to accept the outcomes.

Continuous Learning Magic is a lifelong learning journey. Recommendation: Stay curious and continually seek knowledge. Attend workshops, read widely, and engage with other practitioners. Sharing knowledge and experiences can greatly enhance your understanding and practice.

Respect Nature Nature is a key element in many magical practices, and respecting it is paramount. Recommendation: Practice sustainable magic. Use ethically sourced materials, avoid over-harvesting plants, and honor the earth. Being mindful of your environmental impact is an integral part of responsible witchcraft.

Seek Guidance Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Recommendation: Build a network of trusted mentors and peers. They can offer support, answer questions, and provide valuable feedback on your practice. Joining a magical community can be incredibly enriching.

Enjoy the Journey Embrace the magical journey with an open heart and a curious mind. Recommendation: Celebrate your successes and learn from your mistakes. Every spell and potion is an opportunity to grow and expand your understanding of the magical world.

#queue the magick #witchcraft #witch #magickkate #witchblr #reference #kitchen witch #sigils #green witch #witchy

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minniesmutt · 11 months ago

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☾ ━━━━━━ 𝐌𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐄: 𝐎𝐍𝐄

☾ ━━━ CONTENT: PARTIAL NON-SEXUALNUDITY, MENTION OF TATTOO GUNS, MENTION CHANGBIN TOUCHING READERS BOOBS, TALK ABOUT SEX, TOXIC MAN, CURSING, MENTION SOCIAL MEDIA STALKING, SLUT SHAMING ☾ ━━━ WC: 1.5K ☾ ━━━ 18+ work!! minors and ageless/blank blogs DNI! you will be blocked, put an indicator on your blog somewhere that you are 18+ before interacting with this work/blog ☾ ━━━ a repost from my old blog

It only took Changbin a couple of days to develop the design for his receptionist. He’d texted her the workup and got the approval. The two talked about a few other things regarding the tattoo, then it was just a matter of getting it done. The two decided to just get it done after closing one night.

So while she cleaned up the front end, he set up in his room, ensuring he had all his inks and supplies and everything. “Do you want me to close the register now Bin or wait?” Y/n called from the front

“You can close it now. Your tattoos on me tonight,” Bin called back

“You sure?” She asked

“Yes. Hurry up, I’m waiting for you.”

Y/n chuckled at him closed up the register and put the money away in the safe. She grabbed her phone and her water before walking into his room. He still had his speaker on and his usual playlist still playing lowly in the background as she sat on the table.

Changbin smiled at her as he finished prepping the tattoo gun and laying it on the tray. “Ready?”

“Tell me what to do boss.”

“It’s a sternum so,” Changbin handed her a couple of nipple covers, “Just unhook your bra and put those on then roll up your shirt, then lay back on the table. Are you okay with me having to roll it up more if I have to?”

“Yeah.” Y/n agreed

Changbin turned his back to her to let her do what he asked while he double-checked everything again. Once she okayed him to turn around he got back to work, prepping the area and then applying the stencil and letting it still on the skin for a few minutes before carefully peeling it back, a temporary version of the design being left behind.

“I’ll do a quick line so you can get a feel for it.” Changbin turned the gun on and dipped it in the ink, “and if you need a break, let me know.”

He did a quick line and looked at her for confirmation. Y/n nodded and he went to work. Tracing the lines he’d laid out on her skin. “Why’d you choose sternum? It’s one of the more painful places.”

“I like how the placement looks mostly. Plus it’s easy to hide too.”

“Why are you planning to hide it?”

“Talking to a guy and he’s cute but isn’t super into tattoos.”

“Fuck him then.” Changbin chuckled

“Yeah. Cute is the only thing he has going for him.” Y/n sighed

“Tell me about him.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. We’re gonna be here a while, might as well talk.”

“You’re right,” Y/n agreed, “we met on Tinder and we’ve had one date so far and I didn’t feel anything. He’s been calling me pet names and shit since the date too.”

“You don’t sound too happy about it.”

“It was fine at first but I’m starting to think that he thinks we’re together. He asked for my location earlier today too.”

“You should stop seeing him in my opinion,” Bin said as he went for more ink before coming back. “He sounds very possessive of someone that’s not his.”

“I mean, some possessiveness is fine with me, but I just feel… uncomfortable with it.”

“What else has he done?” “Followed all my friends on social media, and requested to follow my family whom I barely talk to anyway. I’m sure he’s stalking mine. It was a hassle to even go on a date with him because he kept canceling the day off with bullshit.”

“Do you know the amount of red flags you just told me?” Changbin pulled the gun away from her skin and looked up at her

“That’s what my friends say,” Y/n sighed

“They are right,” Changbin went back to work, “Did you tell him about your tattoo.”

“Told him I was getting one. Didn’t say it was my boss.”

“Don’t think he would take it well that you’re male boss was giving you a tattoo.”

“Yeah, especially with my tits out.”

The two took a moment to chuckle before the comfortable silence came over them again and Changbin worked. Y/n listened to the music and the sound of the gun as he finished the center of the piece and moved to the ribs.

“Do you want a break before we go over the ribs?”

“Yes.” Changbin helped her sit up and handed her the water she brought in.

“Why’d you start talking to him.” as he leaned on his elbows against the table

“Bored and horny and he was the first person I matched with.”

“Valid reason I guess. Is he good in bed at least?”

“Hell no.” Y/n sipped on her water, “He didn’t even try to get me off. Nor did it even feel good.”

“Tell him it’s not working out and block him,” Changbin said before they got back to tattooing. Only for her phone to ring.

“Speak of the devil.” Y/n sighed after looking at the caller ID

“Put it on speaker.” Changbin smiled.

Y/n answered the phone call and put it on speaker, letting it rest on her chest, “Hey.” “Hey baby,” the man on the other end said making Y/n roll her eyes, “Are you done yet? Wanna come over?” There was hope in his voice and a hint of slyness Changbin caught on to

“Now you wanna hang out? When I have stuff going on?” Y/n asked

“It’s not like you need to tattoo. It’s just gonna make you look trashy.”

Changbin’s head shot up and looked at her. Was this guy serious?

“Why should I give a shit what you think about it? It’s on my body not yours.”

“I bet the girl who’s doing it has a shitty design anyways. Just stop the appointment and come over.”

“Y/n, are you okay if I move your breasts up more?” Was it evil of Changbin to speak? Maybe. But he’d heard this guy talk for less than five minutes and he was over him and his way of trashing his work.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” And he did need to move her boob out of the way for a couple of lines.

“Was that a guy? You’re letting a guy do your tattoo?! And why the hell is he having to touch your tits for it?”

“Because he’s my boss and he offered to do it and it’s a sternumn tattoo. The design goes under my boobs.”

“Wow. Didn’t realize you were such a whore Y/n. He probably chose the placement too. He’s probably trying to fuck you.”

“First of all, I chose the placement for my tattoo. Second—”

“So you are a whore. Am I not enough or something?”

“Actually, yeah. You’re barely anything for me quite honesty. And for you to just accuse me of being a whore for getting a tattoo in a certain place, says a lot about your character. So fuck you Yu-jun. Don’t fucking contact me again, asshole.” Y/n hung up the phone, “Sorry Bin.”

“No, I told you to put it on speaker. Don’t apologize.”

“Still feel bad for fighting with him in front of you.”

“Show me a picture of him so if he comes here I can punch him in the face for dissing my work.” The two laughed at the comment before continuing to work and just talking. Random topics came up and it took a few hours for Changbin to finish but by the end of the night, it was done and both were fairly satisfied with the design and its outcome.

“I still feel like I should give you something for the tattoo,” Y/n said as he cleaned up the studio and she waited with her things on a stool off the side

“How about a date then?” Changbin suggested as he tied up a trash bag

“Did you tell me to stop talking to Yu-jun just so you could ask me out?”

“No, he’s an actual piece of shit. But, I am an oppurtunist.”

Y/n smiled and giggled to herself a bit, “Alright. A date for a tattoo.”

“Let’s head home. It’s getting late.” Changbin smiled and the two quickly took the trash out before turning all the lights off and locking up for the night.

Since Changbin and Y/n were always the last to leave at night, they usually walked to their cars together. Changbin had offered it her first shift and they’d been doing it ever since. He went over a bit of the tattoo aftercare as he walked her over to her car before they turned to their usual conversations of whatever the hell popped into their head at that time, usually clients and walk-ins that came about and were pissed that the very busy tattoo shop didn’t have any openings and was by appointment only.

“Text me when you get home?” Bin asked as he opened her driver-side door for her

“I will. Thank you for, everything tonight.”

“You’re welcome.”

Y/n got in her car and Changbin closed the door and walked to his car, waving goodbye to her as she started her car.

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wizardsaur · 1 year ago

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Orange Abundance All-Purpose Household Cleaner

A useful potion for mundane cleaning purposes, designed to invoke happiness and abundance. This cleaner is safe for most surfaces, disinfects, is non-toxic, and even food surface safe. You'll want to get the supplies set aside soon for that New Year Clean

You Will Need: The peels off three oranges A large, glass mason jar Distilled white vinegar A glass spraybottle A sunny window 2 Clear quartz points Corresponding sigils & runes of your choice, inscribed on a piece of yellow paper Timing: New Moon to New Moon Rinse the orange peels well, and put them into the jar. Cover them entirely with the white vinegar, using enough to fill the jar.…

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cleaningitemsblogs · 25 days ago

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somepsychopomp · 1 year ago

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toxic yuri custody battle pt. 1

As promised, I'm trying to write a fic where bubblegum and marcy survive the fall at the end of The Star and Bonnie is stuck raising Finn.

This first chapter is just to set up the rest of the fic but in the future, I'd love for Bonnie to get intensely attached to Finn & for Marcy to constantly threaten to turn him just to get back at Bonnie (and maybe she likes them both despite them being prey...)

(There will also be lots of rage-filled toxic love/hate yuri)

Excerpt:

“...you could join me…”

All day, the only thing Bonnie could hear was The Star’s mocking tone echoing in her dome.

Her knuckles were bruised dark pink from punching vampires and, more than once, her own tank out of frustration. Repairs were going painfully slow, far longer than the original sixteen hours that Tank originally proposed. After all, she was working alone, was still recovering from her injuries, and had to handle attacks from stray vampires foolish enough to consider her easy prey.

And then there was the child.

Word count: 1822

+++

Bonnie only barely escaped with her life.

Her plan gone to shit, the fall, The Star…

In those moments of weightlessness, she was ready to accept her own death in exchange for The Star’s demise. When she was young, she had visions of rebuilding the world after the extinction of the vampires at her hand. A permanent home, perhaps even her own nation. Peace and prosperity under a blue sky.

But with the non-vampiric population crashing, with all plant life withering and dying out from the endless dark skies, Bonnie was willing to lay her dreams to rest along with every other ally she watched perish.

She was ready to put this all behind her.

But she didn’t die in the fall. And she couldn’t kill The Star, either.

The horde of vampires sent to save their princess pulled Marceline from Bonnie’s grip and left her to plummet to her death. Before she could think, her centuries of survival instincts kicked in and she unsheathed two of her stakes. Bonnie gouged them into the side of the vampire hive to slow her fall before making her escape into the decrepit tunnels and sewer system below.

The vampire drones chased her, of course. They sought vengeance for their princess and the approval of their king.

But even then, Bonnie refused to die. She returned to her tank with her clothes in tatters, none of her stakes or other weapons remaining. Covering in wounds oozing sugary syrup.

All she wanted was the armored safety of her tank. What she didn’t expect was that damned child.

“Ah, ma’am!” the Tank A.I. said, “Your heart rate is erratic and you are bearing at least five wounds that will require immediate-”

“Can it!” she said. Bonnie could feel her hands shaking. She walked past the baby playing on the floor, almost stepping on him. The interior of the tank was listing from side to side. Or was that her?

The panels within her mobile home slid open to reveal their stockpile of medical supplies. She sat herself in the little alcove and tried to focus on what to do next. Bonnie’s first instinct was to reach for the jet injector already primed with anesthetic.

She hesitated.

When she had a team, she could immediately dose herself with pain killers and trust that either Huntress or Martin would patch her up in her addled state. Now, she had no one.

Without a word, Bonnie grabbed one of the hundreds of stakes they had and clenched it between her teeth. She set to work cleaning and sewing her wounds herself. All the while, Tank kept talking to her. She was updated on the auto-repairs the tank was able to make on its own, primarily to internal systems. But the treads and other exterior damage would take at least two hands to fix. So on and so forth. She wasn’t really paying attention and Tank knew it, too. But it helped to have something fill the silence, something other than her labored breath.

When she was done, the stake she used as a bit was pockmarked with imprints from her teeth. She threw it to the ground, spat out some splinters, and finally allowed herself to reach for the anesthetic.

“Oh, ma’am.”

She snarled and clenched her fist. “What?”

“The baby!”

She looked. In between long and slow blinks, she saw the human child waddle across the floor. He was reaching for the stake. Bonnie didn’t think it was a big deal, she wielded a stake herself the moment she was big enough to hold one. But the pointed end was much sharper than the baby’s discarded toy sword, and because of her biting, the wood had splintered a bit.

Bonnie, unwilling to get up from her seat at the infirmary station, merely kicked the stake farther away. The baby paused and looked at her with bewilderment.

She narrowed her eyes and thought, If you start crying, I sweat to-

Then the child changed course and came right up to her. He put his hands on her bloodied boot and slowly raised himself to his feet. He smiled at her.

“Where… where’s the others?” Bonnie asked. She was beginning to slur her words. One way or another, she wasn’t going to keep awake for much longer. Her wounds and fresh stitches throbbed beneath their itchy bandages.

“What others, ma’am?” Tank asked.

Bonnie swore under her breath. Those strange outsiders from another world, they didn’t make it, then. And they left their fucking baby in her tank.

Tank said, “Please, you need to rest. I can keep watch over Finn.”

She blinked. “Finn?”

“My recordings indicate that at least once, our new friends referred to the child as Finn.”

“Oh,” she said, tired. Bonnie would have to decide how to handle the situation later. She finally injected herself with those blessed drugs and crawled into her sleeping tube. As she began to lose consciousness, Bonnie heard the hydraulic slide of her tube doors opening. She wanted to tell Tank to close them, but she could no longer find her voice.

What she did detect were two chubby hands feeling their way in the cool darkness of her tube, pawing at her dirty boots and ripped pants, before coming to rest near her hip.

Bonnie fell asleep to the sound of her guest’s shallow snoring.

+++

“...you could join me…”

All day, the only thing Bonnie could hear was The Star’s mocking tone echoing in her dome.

And then there was the child.

Against what would usually be her better judgment, Bonnie left the entrance to the tank open. She had to come in and out too frequently to keep it closed, but despite Tank’s best efforts to keep the child occupied, the baby was still determined to crawl outside and get himself killed.

There used to be a good few human settlements at a distance from the vampire hive. A handful with populations in the hundreds. One with a population in the thousands, well guarded and heavily armed. More than one would’ve been happy to take in the baby, to give him to some parent who’d lost their own child to disease or vampires.

But as Bonnie said to The Star, the population was crashing. Had crashed, even. Those settlements were almost all gone now. All that remained in this wasteland were loners and tiny groups of survivors.

There was no one else who could take in the child.

And as much as Bonnie was concerned with the big picture -slaying The Star and the Vampire king, driving their kind to extinction- not even she could simply abandon an infant to the elements.

That still didn’t mean she was happy to have him around. Humans aged slowly, it’d take at least a decade before he’d be able to fight.

Bonnie grunted and heaved as she refitted the tank’s metal plates, ignoring the way the stitches in her side pulled and ached. It wasn’t pleasant, but it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as when she had to replace the treads or get the tank off its side.

A little voice in the back of her head asked her, what was ten or so years to the hundreds she already lived?

She had survived alone, in groups, as a child, and as an adult. Martin and Huntress and all the allies she had before were all born into this world, too. And they put up a good fight. She still never would’ve condoned bringing a child into this world, but he was already here now. And he was stuck with her as much as she was stuck with him.

A shrill voice giggled behind her. Speak of the devil.

Bonnie raced back to the entrance of the tank and caught the baby before he could tumble over himself. She set him back inside.

“Stay,” she said, as if he were a dog. As if there were any dogs left in this world.

But the baby only cooed at her. He brandished a small, wooden sword and waved it through the air. It looked like a stake that Huntress hadn’t finished whittling, but in the hands of a little kid it might as well have been a mighty blade. Bonnie hadn’t noticed it when she first returned, but her tank was littered with ripped up toys and more than one damaged A.I. sensor.

It seemed like the baby ran out of worthy opponents in the tank and sought a greater challenge elsewhere.

Or he was just restless and Bonnie was merely projecting on him.

The baby babbled his nonsense and seemed to ignore her. He slapped his sword against the floor of the tank as he gazed up at Bonnie.

Then he hiccuped and made a series of alarmed sounds.

Bonnie felt a shiver go down her spine and spun on her heel, stake already sailing through the air.

She missed the vampire that’d snuck up on her. It hissed and lunged, but killing was like second nature to her. Bonnie had another stake in her hand before she knew it and a moment later, the vampire was replaced by a cloud of dust.

“Excellent eye, young man,” Tank said.

Bonnie went to retrieve the stake she threw. “Hey, I was the one who got it.”

She sheathed her weapons and absentmindedly touched her eye-patch. Since losing her eye, she was loath to admit she lost some of her depth perception. Hitting targets at even a mild distance was a little more challenging than she was comfortable with.

So she made up for it by expanding her arsenal and improving her hand to hand combat.

Bonnie returned to the child and picked him up for the very first time, examining him.

He smiled at her, his free hand grabbing at the air. He seemed interested in her pink hair.

“Sugar’s bad for babies,” she said.

The child ignored her.

Bonnie sighed. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to rebuild her team again, get herself some more people she could rely on.

“Sorry you had to wind up in this world. But maybe…” she said, staring at his innocent eyes, “Maybe you’ll do alright.”

Bonnie would never call herself the nurturing type, but she liked the idea of having someone who could carry on her work if she were ever to bite the big one.

The Vampire King had his ward, maybe what she needed was one of her own.

Letting his fist close around her finger, Bonnie said, “Welcome aboard, Finn the human.”

#fionna and cake #fionna and cake spoilers #princess bubblegum #marceline the vampire queen #bonnibel bubblegum #marceline x bubblegum #bubbline #finn the human #apocalypse au

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mama-qwerty · 4 months ago

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There's Something About Scarlett

Okay, so, if you've missed it, I watched a little video series called There's Something About Knuckles on Youtube. (Content warning for language and body mutations and such, if you're sensitive to that kind of thing.)

Anyway, Scarlett, if you've missed that, is an oc of mine that acts as the stand in for when I really want to give Knuckles a bestie who can interact with him differently than the canon characters. For this piece, we'll pretend Scarlett was involved with the tragedy that happened in the series.

Okay, everyone up to speed? This series gave me kaiju brainrot for a while, and this fic popped into my head fairly complete.

I tried to summarize the series so you didn't need to see it to follow what was going on (I hope), but I recommend watching it anyway, because it's so good.

~~~~~

The manx cat roamed the wasteland of her dead world.

Ears tuned to any sound around her, she kept her eyes straight ahead. On the horizon. Always on the horizon. There was nothing much to see to her sides, anyway. Withered trees. Brown grass. Bones of those not lucky enough to have learned how to survive now that the world had gone to hell.

Although there were some days she wondered if they actually had been the lucky ones. Days when she wondered if she herself had been plunged into hell. Sent to roam a dry, twisted landscape, for no other reason than she didn’t have the sense to simply lie down and let it consume her, too.

And there were days when she wondered if she should just let it.

But still. In the end, she kept walking.

It hadn’t always been like this.

Years ago, when she was a little girl, it had been green and beautiful. The skies had been blue, the water clean. There had been one tree outside her window she loved to climb. She would spend many a day in the upper branches, watching the clouds pass above her.

She could barely remember that now. It seemed a dream.

Dust flared around her boots as she walked. There was nothing green now. Barely anything grew from the poisoned soil that seemed to spread farther with each passing day. And what did manage to grow was twisted and jagged—once beautiful flowers and plants turned sharp and unnatural.

She moved to stay ahead of it. To find food. To find any life left on this rotting world.

And she moved to kill any monsters she came across.

The metal gauntlet that covered her right arm swung heavily against her, and she thumbed the various controls at her fingertips inside it. The end was a three fingered ‘hand’, tethered to the rest by a long, hidden chain. Various mechanisms inside could send it out with force, to grab or deliver a strong punch to her target.

It was the only piece of Tails’ mech she’d kept. Its mechanisms were simple enough for her to repair herself, and left her free to maneuver quickly. When she’d first hefted it, she was clumsy, her aim off. Now it was practically a part of her.

It had to be. She never would have survived this long without it.

The faded bag that held her few meager possessions bumped against her hip. She traveled light, carrying only what came in useful. A hunting knife, sharpened to a razor’s edge. A journal in which she wrote of every monster she’d slain, every destroyed and decaying town or village or city she’d come across. A water bottle with a built-in filter to remove most of the toxic elements in what little water was left. Some first aid supplies, including healing ointment and a few rolls of bandages—dirty from multiple uses, but better than nothing. A map, old and tattered, hopelessly outdated now but useful in a different way. A compass.

And one more thing. The only non-essential thing she’d kept from her life before it all collapsed.

It was wrapped in the leftover bits of a colorful scarf she’d had since childhood. The cloth had been cut to pieces over the years, used for first aid or to mark safe places. Hardly any was left, just a square a few inches along each side. The item inside wasn’t useful for anything, just a bit of wood about as large as her fist. But she couldn’t bear to leave it behind.

It was the only thing left of her best friend.

She pushed that thought away. Couldn’t afford the luxury of falling into memories, painful or otherwise. The sun sank lower in the sky, stretching the shadows longer along the ground.

The world became much more dangerous at night.

Her ears flicked constantly, twisting and following any sounds surrounding her. The world in general was quieter now, with no birdsong or animal calls. As twilight moved in, no fireflies flickered to life. No crickets chirruped to greet the coming evening. The only sound that fell on her ears was her own footsteps. A rhythmic dull thud on the dry dirt.

She kept walking.

The sun set completely, and the stars above blinked into life. Some nights, she would crane her head back, looking up at the stars to pretend everything was still alive. That the world was whole. That her friends were still with her.

That he was still with her.

For the millionth time she cursed the baron for bringing such a blight to the world. For destroying everything good.

No one was sure where he’d come from. This odd looking creature whose sole focus was to conquer. He’d sent his metal machines out first. Loud, smelly things that attacked their city and destroyed everything they touched.

She and her friends had all banded together to stop him. She, Knuckles, Tails, Amy, Big, Cream, and Blaze, led, of course, by Sonic. To push the baron’s machines back, and keep him from taking one of the last cities left outside his rule. It was hard—the machines seemed to become stronger with each attack—but they’d managed.

But then the baron had sent a new foe. One of flesh and blood. A kaiju, a demon. One hellbent on taking the city down. Those battles were harder. Much harder. It had taken more to keep it at bay.

Tails had done well to arm them. Building mechs to turn away each attack. But every night the kaiju returned, bigger and stronger than before. Each battle was harder won than the last.

And then Sonic had gone off to face the baron alone. To try and end this once and for all.

It hadn’t gone well.

A sound to her right and she stopped, eyes dilating in the dim light as her ears flicked to hone in on the disturbance. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, and she took slow breaths to try and calm it so she could hear properly.

She stood stock still for a long few moments, eyes and ears flicking around her. Her fingers caressed the controls in her gauntlet. They’d been worn smooth from use.

The sound again. A kind of scrape, followed by a huff. Behind her, to the left. She spun, and raised the gauntlet just in time to block the sharp teeth of a smallish kaiju from tearing off her face. She threw the thing away from her, assuming a defensive stance as it reared back and roared.

It was hard to tell what it used to be. A squirrel maybe. Or a rabbit. The body was stretched and mutated, twisted beyond any sense of recognition, standing just a few inches taller than her. The front hands (paws?) curled into long, sharp claws. Serrated spines poked through the thing’s back, and its face was dominated by more teeth than what should have been possible in its gaping maw.

And where its eyes should have been, like most other ruined creatures, was a bright glow. One that fed and grew the hate and rage within these formerly innocent creatures. Turned them into monsters that only wanted to kill.

It made for her again, and she sidestepped to keep it off balance. She punched it as it passed her, connecting solidly with the thing’s chest, and hearing the snap of cracking ribs. It roared in pain, and staggered slightly as it took a few steps back.

She watched as the dent she’d made in its chest popped back out, issuing more cracks as the ribs healed.

It mutated slightly, spurred by the rage she’d brought out. Now it was taller, spikier, and much angrier than before.

Shit.

Taking a more offensive route, she sprinted forward, drawing the gauntlet back in what appeared to be another blow. The creature followed suit, running straight for her, raising its own claw for a deadly strike.

Just before they clashed, the cat shifted, going into a slide as if coming into home in a baseball game. Her momentum carried her beneath the kaiju, and she slammed her gauntlet against its left leg as she passed, shattering the thing’s calf and drawing out another screech.

But being in such close proximity left her open. It was a gamble, and she knew it.

The thing pivoted, its talons scratching gouges in the hard soil, while it brought a hand down to rake its claws across her right shoulder. She cried out, rolling and scrambling to put some distance between them. Pain flared down her arm, and her hand went numb inside her gauntlet.

Shit

She forced herself to her feet, her free hand going to the wound on her shoulder. The creature stumbled and staggered around to face her, its shattered leg mending itself already, a few new spikes pushing through where it healed.

ShitshitshitshitSHIT

She was just pissing it off at this point. This needed to end. Now.

Flicking the locking mechanism near her elbow, she unlatched the gauntlet from her right arm and shook it loose. Keeping her eyes on the thing across from her, she quickly shoved her left hand in, maneuvering it to access the controls inside as best she could. It was made to work on the right hand only. This was going to make things even harder.

The beast seemed to sense her vulnerability, and made a dash toward her. It roared in anger, its claws spread and ready to tear her to ribbons. As it neared she spun, bringing the gauntlet up to crash against its face, sending it sprawling to her left.

She didn’t give it a chance to regain its feet. Raising the gauntlet, she awkwardly hit the button to send the claw shooting forward on a long chain. It latched onto the creature’s face, and she lifted her arm, bringing it down with a sharp slashing motion. The momentum traveled along the chain, moving like a wave to whip the beast face first against the ground.

It fell with a bone jarring thud, and she heard the crunch when its jaw shattered.

The scream it released made the fur on the back of her neck stand on end, but she moved forward before it had a chance to right itself. Placing her heavy boot on the back of its neck, she retracted her claw hand, before plunging it into the thing’s eye socket. A quick yank and she removed the small glowing crystal that was embedded there.

The creature screamed again, and writhed beneath her foot. But without that shard, it was vulnerable. It could not heal, or mutate. It was mortal again. A quick shift of her foot snapped its neck, and it went still with one last little screech.

One threat dealt with.

The shard vibrated within her metal fist.

It sought a new host.

Moving quickly, she ran to find a softer patch of ground. A dead scrub of bush sat not far off, and she hurried there. Pulling her arm back, she punched the ground as she simultaneously hit the launch button, sending the closed claw deep into the dirt. The flick of a little switch and the fist opened, releasing the shard as she withdrew the claw. A hurried shoveling of soil with the claw turned impromptu shovel, and the crystal was safely buried.

Well. ‘Safe’ was a relative term. Something else could dig it up. Some other burrowing creature could find it and fall victim to its corruption.

But that was the future’s problem. She had a more pressing one right now, in the form of the three long slashes in her shoulder, and the fact that her entire arm had gone numb. If the thing’s claws had damaged anything important, she’d be in real trouble.

She spared one last look at the downed monster. It was still dead. Good. She was lucky it only had one small shard. The bigger the shard, the more powerful the kaiju.

Holding a hand on her bleeding shoulder, she turned to seek out some sort of shelter for the night.

~X~X~X~

After another twenty minutes of walking, she came upon a small grove of trees, and in the middle sat the corpse of the largest. It spanned five feet across easily, and she craned her neck back to see up into the higher branches. This big fella must have only died recently, because the top branches were still covered in leaves, brown as they may have been.

Perfect.

Using the gauntlet as a grappling hook, she launched it above her and latched onto a branch to haul herself up. It took some creative maneuvering to find a sturdy platform, but a few minutes later and she was nestled on a thick branch, her back against the trunk.

Tucking the gauntlet into the crook of a few branches above her, she began work to tend her injuries. Thankfully the gashes didn’t seem too deep, and she cleaned and bandaged them as well as she could. Her arm was starting to feel tingly, and she could move her fingers again, so it seemed she’d dodged the bullet on that, too.

Pulling the journal out of her bag, she scribbled a quick description of the creature she’d encountered. It had been one of the smaller ones she’d taken out, but had dealt her more damage than most others. She was getting sloppy.

She was getting tired.

Switching to the map, she approximated where she’d buried the crystal, and marked it with a little X.

There were a lot of little Xs.

How many more would there be? How many more until she made one wrong step, one wrong move, and she’d become nothing more than another tragic victim of the abominations roaming the world?

She sat still for a long while, staring at nothing in particular.

This wasn’t the way the world should be.

But it was.

And it was all the baron’s fault.

Tails had told them what happened. He’d followed Sonic when the hedgehog went on his own to try and stop the baron’s monster. He’d learned the truth.

Even though it shouldn’t have been possible, the baron had managed to find and crack a chaos emerald. Open it, somehow. It had unleashed all that energy, causing the baron himself to mutate and change into the kaiju that had been attacking the city. And Sonic, with his big heart, had offered to help the baron stop this painful change, to save him from the hell he’d put himself through.

But Sonic had been tricked.

Instead of saving the baron, eliminating the kaiju threat, it simply transferred the curse to Sonic. And so the hedgehog hero who’d been leading the charge to keep the city safe was how its newest danger. It’s biggest threat.

Knuckles had stepped up to lead the rest of them against this new kaiju. At the time they’d had no idea it was Sonic. Tails knew. But he didn’t say anything until it was nearly too late.

Until it was too late.

She blinked. Put away the map. Tucked the journal into her bag. Her hand bumped against the little wooden item wrapped in the last bit of her scarf, and she pulled it out, carefully unwrapping it.

It was a carving. A little totem, with rough cut features. A pointed snout. Long dread-like quills. A little crooked tail. Big round fists.

“Here,” Knuckles had said when he all but tossed it to her. “For luck.”

“Oh good,” she’d replied, giving him a smirk and some snark to match. “I needed a mini-Knux to bitch at me when I screw up.” She’d held it up, and deepened her voice to imitate his. “Nice shot, dipshit. I’m already carrying the world on my shoulders, do I gotta carry you, too?”

He’d laughed at that, making her smile. In truth, she’d been touched when he’d given it to her. Before the attacks started, Knuckles had been more creative. Carving little toys and things for the kids in the city. Helping with the gardens and farms. He’d been happier. More content.

But after Sonic had gone, when Knuckles had assumed control of the team, he’d developed headaches and a self-doubt she’d never seen from him before. She tried her best to keep him from spiraling too far into his own insecurities, but sometimes it was hard. He held himself responsible for each attack, and every death he couldn’t prevent.

“It’s all on my shoulders, Scar,” he’d said once, as they watched the city clean up after yet another attack. “Now that Blue’s gone . . . it’s all me. And I don’t know if I can do it.”

She’d never heard him so . . . so scared before. And it honestly scared her.

“It’s not all you, Knux. You got us. We’re here to help. You just have to lean on us a bit.”

He shook his head, before tilting it toward the large Sonic statue on the balcony of their meeting room. He often sat before it, telling it his fears. His doubts. “He didn’t.”

“Yeah,” she said, moving to block his view of the statue. “And look where that got him.”

At the time they’d thought Sonic was dead. But even when they learned he wasn’t, even when it was much, much worse than death, the point still stood.

She moved closer, pressing her forehead against his. “We’re here, Knux. I’m here. Stop trying to carry this all on your own. Lean on me. I’ve got you.”

He let out a long sigh, leaning a little more against her. “Sometimes . . . sometimes there’s a little voice in my head that tells me I’m not strong enough. That I’ll just get you all killed. And I’m . . . I’m scared it’s right.”

“Well, don’t listen to that voice, it doesn’t know what it’s talking about,” she said firmly. “Listen to my voice. You are strong enough, you are brave enough, and you are trying your very hardest to keep everyone safe. You’re just too damn stubborn to admit you need help sometimes.” She pulled back and flicked his nose. “So stop being a dick and just admit it.”

He snorted out a laugh. “You’re such a pain in my ass sometimes.”

She smiled. “Only sometimes? I’ll have to up my game.”

They shared a laugh at that, two life-long friends, trading barbs.

And two days later he was gone.

Now Scarlett stared at the little totem in her hand. Ran a thumb across its little muzzle. Followed the lines of the quills. He’d even carved his little white crescent moon mark onto the chest.

It was him. And it was all she had left.

Throat tightening and eyes burning, she brought the little wooden echidna to her forehead, and pressed it against her. She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears that stubbornly broke free anyway.

She could still hear his screams.

After Tails had confessed that the kaiju they’d been fighting was Sonic, Knuckles had taken off to try and free the hedgehog from the grasp of the broken chaos emerald. There were two large chunks of crystal in the kaiju’s eyes, and Tails theorized that if they were removed, they could save their friend.

So Knuckles had gone to face the monster in its lair. And the rest of them had followed.

It had been a massacre.

The kaiju had grown too powerful. They hit it with everything they had, and managed to remove one shard from its eyes. But it fought with a ferocity none of them had seen before. It killed Big. Shook off every attack. Knuckles went down. All seemed lost.

Amy had tried to get through to Sonic inside, and it seemed to work for a moment. But Knuckles had . . .

She squeezed her eyes tighter.

(“The only way! He dies, then I die! PROMISE ME!”)

Knuckles had sacrificed himself by using the removed shard to change himself into a kaiju powerful enough to take Sonic down. And he had. Just ripped the remaining shard straight out of the other kaiju’s face.

Sonic had been freed, but was a shell of his former self. Blind and battered. Weak. Dying.

The rest of them had unloaded everything into Knuckles. Into the killer kaiju he’d become. He was gravely injured from his battle with Sonic, and it seemed to work.

But it didn’t.

Tails. Amy. Sonic. All killed by the newly revived kaiju that was once Knuckles.

It held both the shards now. And the anger that had built inside Knuckles, the fear and the self-loathing and the doubt, all fueled it into a great rage that spelled the end of their world as they knew it.

The world burned.

Scarlett, Blaze, and Cream had managed to avoid the monster’s fury, and hid among some rocks until it passed. The ground shook with each footfall, and the beast roared in rage as it stalked toward the city.

The city that Knuckles had tried so very hard to protect, fell beneath his fists.

The three of them heard the screams from where they stood. Blaze tucked Cream against her chest, trying to shield the girl from the horror.

The screams didn’t last long.

The beast gave one last triumphant roar before heading west, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.

The three had eventually made their way back to the city, back to the carnage left behind. The stench of death hung thick in the air. There was nothing left. No one left.

They picked through the rubble, finding what would be useful. Blaze took Cream to the east, searching for others to gather together for safety. They wanted Scarlett to join them. There was nothing left here, if they headed toward the mountains, they could hide and survive.

She’d refused.

She headed west. Following the kaiju.

Following Knuckles.

But that’s what she’d always done, isn’t it? Follow this echidna who’d been her best friend since they could walk. The cat and the echidna. Thick as thieves, partners in crime, yin and yang. As close as siblings and twice as stubborn. Able to go from screaming at each other to working like a well oiled machine toward a common goal in a heartbeat.

She’d never known life without him. And having him gone felt like a piece of herself was missing, too.

She wasn’t exactly sure why she was continuing to follow now. When he wasn’t him anymore.

Maybe it was because Amy had started getting through to Sonic, and she hoped she could do the same with Knuckles.

Maybe she hoped she could do something to put him out of his misery.

And maybe . . .

Maybe she was looking for him to put her out of hers.

She’d followed his trail for a while—it honestly wasn’t that hard—but then it just kind of . . . disappeared. As though he’d just vanished into thin air.

But she’d found other things.

Whatever the baron had done to open his chaos emerald had seemed to affect all the chaos emeralds scattered about the world. As near as she could tell, they all shattered, sending shards essentially leaking chaos energy out in all directions. Some were underground, thereby twisting and poisoning the ground and everything around them, but some were found by living beings. And when that happened, it changed their host into creatures only seen in nightmares.

The world ended five years ago.

Scarlett had been there.

And she’d been wandering ever since.

Searching.

And finding nothing but pain, despair, and death.

Tears ran silently down her cheeks, and she let out a shaky sigh as she leaned back against the tree. She hadn’t spoken since that day. Not that there was anyone to speak to. The only people she’d seen since leaving the ruined city were ones driven mad by the horrors they’d seen.

She held her little totem to her chest, eyes cast up through the dead leaves above her. The stars still looked the same. She envied them. No matter what happened down here, they remained. Fixed features in the night sky. Twinkling down on a slowly decaying world.

Her eyes grew heavy, and she hung her bag off a little stump of a branch to her left.

And as she did every night when she began to nod off, she wondered where Knuckles was. And wished she could have stopped him from using that damn shard all those years ago.

~X~X~X~

Oh God did her shoulder hurt.

Scarlett woke as morning light leaked into the world. Her head thumped in rhythm with her heartbeat, and her shoulder provided an accompanying throb. A soft grunt grumbled from her throat, and she stretched her back as well as she could while perched on the branch.

She reached up and scratched behind her ear when a thought occurred to her, making her eyes go wide.

Her hand was empty.

She froze, bringing both her hands into view, as though she needed to verify this sudden reality. Her right shoulder protested, sending a sharp stab of pain down her arm, but she ignored it.

Both her hands were empty.

No. Oh no no no no.

Turning toward her bag, she felt through the worn canvas for the hard shape of the little wooden totem.

Nothing.

NO!

She’d dropped it. Must have. Twisting sharply, and bringing another jolt from her hurt shoulder, she looked down below and could barely make out the little dark brown shape at the base of the tree.

Without thinking, she leapt off the branch, landing with a hard thud on the ground. Her shoulder screamed, bringing a deep grunt of pain from her, but she pushed it aside to almost lunge for the little totem.

Scooping it up, she squeezed it in her fist, bringing it to her chest and near her racing heart.

That was close. This little wooden echidna was the only thing keeping her sane now. If she’d lost it, she would have lost herself.

She’d been lucky.

A deep chested grunt behind her.

She froze, eyes wide.

Oh.

Oh shit.

She hadn’t checked around her before jumping down from the tree. Hadn’t made sure there weren’t any shard controlled creatures nearby.

Oh shit.

Slowly, painfully slowly, Scarlett turned toward the sound. Standing not ten feet away was a large . . . something, that had the very obvious signs of shard possession. Grotesque mutations, elongated features, spikes and scales and horns jutting through torn skin. A long tail, the tip split. A solid, square jaw, sporting sharp teeth. Sloping brow, with two long horns reaching backward and flat against the head. Long spiky growths framing the skull, each ending in a sharp point.

She had no idea what this thing used to be, back before the chaos emerald shard had gotten to it.

But what it used to be didn’t interest her. What it was, and the fact that it had caught her unawares, defenseless, and injured, did.

Swallowing hard, she shifted her stance, turning to face it fully. Heart racing, hand clutching tight around the wooden echidna, she weighed her options.

Option one – scramble back up the tree and try to retrieve her gauntlet, or the knife in her bag.

No good. Her right arm was all but useless to her right now, and she doubted she’d get more than a few feet up the trunk before this thing grabbed her to pull back down. It was easily twice her size, and looked strong.

Option two – run.

That one had potential. But there was a good chance it would catch her easily before she got more than a few yards away.

Option three – fight it hand-to-hand.

She nearly laughed out loud at that one. Even if she wasn’t injured, and even if she had her gauntlet, taking down something this big was a long shot. She hadn’t eaten for the better part of two days, and even now she shook with fear, weakness from her injury, and starvation.

So what did that leave?

As she stood there staring at it, it occurred to her that it hadn’t made a move toward her. It wasn’t growling. It wasn’t snarling. It wasn’t displaying any anger at all. That was strange.

It also wasn’t looking at her. Its eyes were closed. That was problematic, as in most cases the emerald shards migrated to the eye sockets when they possessed a creature. There were a few times when that hadn’t been the case, but those were few and far between.

When another moment passed with the creature not making a move, Scarlett decided to try option two. If she moved fast enough, maybe she could put enough distance between them to figure out her next move.

Moving slowly, she took a step to her right, her eyes still glued to the beast. It tilted its head, but didn’t move otherwise. Another step, and it still hadn’t made to come for her.

Okay. This was promising.

She took another step when a loud screech filled the air, making both her and the creature jerk in surprise. Whipping her head up, she found a large bird kaiju descending toward them, its wings stretched absurdly wide, beak full of teeth. On both heads.

Well.

Fuck.

Opting to pay more attention to the kaiju currently streaking toward her with the intent to kill, Scarlett turned and sprinted back into the little forested grove, moving deeper in. The idea was to block any attacks from above, forcing the bird monstrosity to land and try to move through the trees. It may get stuck—it was pretty big and the trees grew together fairly tightly.

She hunkered down between a few trees, listening and watching the bird pull back to hover over the grove. It screeched its annoyance at losing its prey, and Scarlett had a moment to give thanks for that.

And then the head on the right opened its beak and blew out a line of flame that set the trees alight.

Well, this morning was just getting better and better, wasn’t it?

Scarlett ran to her left, heading for the section of trees not currently on fire, when the bird switched tactics. It landed with a ground-shaking thud, and used its massive wings to fan the flames, spreading them faster and surrounding her as burning branches fell from above.

The other kaiju stood where she’d left it. The bird didn’t seem to pay it any attention.

Shockingly, she didn’t waste much time wondering about that.

Right now her options were to either be burned alive, or make a dash for the other end of the trees and hope the bird didn’t notice her missing until she was far enough away to formulate a plan.

She opted for the second.

The little wooden totem still held tightly in her fist, she brought her left arm up to cover her nose and mouth with her elbow as she made her way to the other side of the trees. As she passed the large tree she’d slept in, the wind from the bird’s wings must have jostled her bag and gauntlet loose, and they fell to the ground at the base.

Finally a bit of luck.

She snatched them up as she ran past, staunchly ignoring the pain in her injured shoulder, and shoved her right hand into the gauntlet. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she burst from the burning trees, and turned in time to see the bird take flight and head straight for her.

This close, she fully registered how huge the thing was. And there seemed to be two emerald pieces in its eyes, one in each head, that absolutely blinded her with the light they gave off.

Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh God.

This was bad.

With no other options, Scarlett lifted the gauntlet and sent the claw into the open beak of the left head. She latched onto the thing’s tongue, and gave a solid yank when it squawked in surprise. The tongue came free, raining bits of gore and blood down on her as the claw retracted, but it was enough to put the bird off kilter and send it in a crash landing to the ground.

The right head let out a rage-filled screech, and Scarlett flattened her ears to protect herself from going deaf. Its neighboring head shook and coughed out some blood as a new tongue mutated into existence, along with a new trick of it extending out like a long tentacle. It wrapped around her right arm and gave a yank, pulling Scarlett of her feet and dragging her toward the other head’s snapping mouth.

Nononononoshitshitshitshit

Scrambling in a panic, Scarlett managed to roll her body to dig her heels in the dirt, pulling back with all her strength to try and remove the thing’s tongue from her arm. It didn’t work. She was drawn closer, the wind from the right head’s snapping beak blowing across her face.

She held tighter to the wooden totem in her fist.

One chance.

As the distance closed, and the beak eagerly reached for her, she pulled her arm back and threw the little echidna straight down the gullet of the right head. It pulled back with a “GRK”, hacking and coughing in an attempt to dislodge the object from its throat.

The left head roared in anger, and whipped Scarlett around, tossing her like a rag doll into the grove. She collided with one of the trees on the edge, letting out a loud cry as pain flared in her side when her ribs cracked. The edges of her vision blackened, and she bit her tongue hard to try and keep from passing out.

After a moment, the right head seemed to have cleared its airway, and the giant monstrosity turned to her, both heads pegging her with a dark, murderous look.

She had no strength left to fight. Her shoulder wound had reopened—she could feel the blood leaking down her arm. It hurt to breathe.

Scarlett let out a soft exhale, before painfully moving herself into a sitting position, resting against the trunk. The fire hadn’t reached this part of the trees, yet. A few flicks of the latches and her gauntlet fell free from her arm, landing with a dull clang on the ground next to her.

She watched the bird stalk toward her, tears trickling down her cheeks.

“Time to stop running,” she whispered, and closed her eyes.

They snapped open a second later when the bird screeched in pain. The other kaiju, the one she had honestly kind of forgot about—what with all the fighting for her life thing happening—had moved forward and thrown itself at the larger creature. It punched and pounded on the bird, ripping great handfuls of feathers and guts out with each blow.

The larger kaiju writhed in its grasp, trying to get beak or talon on it to render a retaliatory strike. The smaller creature wouldn’t let it. It snapped the thing’s wings, and when the left head tried its tongue tentacle trick, the first kaiju tore it out.

The two rolled and fought for a long moment, with the bird getting not a single hit onto the smaller monster.

Finally, the first kaiju wrapped its large fists around each of the bird’s necks, and pulled. With a mighty roar, it ripped the bird in half.

Scarlett stared, eyes wide.

The bird parts twitched, the emerald pieces trying to repair the damage. The smaller kaiju dropped the limp necks, before plunging both hands into the eye sockets—one in each head—and removing the emerald pieces from each half. The bird thing twitched and jerked for a moment, before lying still, its blood soaking into the ground.

The remaining kaiju stood still for a moment, breathing hard. Then it jerked, as if waking from a doze, and walked to its left. With another roar, it plunged both hands into the ground, shoving them down until its chest came flat to the soil. A soft grunt, and then it withdrew its arms, filling the holes in as best it could.

Scarlett stared.

That . . .

Did it . . .

What??

Seemingly satisfied with what it had done, the thing now turned to her.

She swallowed.

It moved toward her, dirt caked into the blood still on its hands from the bird kaiju.

“Please,” she croaked, her voice not used to speaking. “Please.”

She wasn’t sure if she was begging for mercy, or a quick death.

It hunkered down to all fours and crawled toward her, lifting its snout as it sniffed the air. This close she could see that its face was scarred, especially around the eyes.

“Please,” she repeated, a desperate whine leaking into her voice. Tears slipped down her muzzle.

She was so tired.

Tired of running. Tired of fighting. Tired of being alone.

The thing stopped before her, kissing distance away. It sniffed again.

Her body trembled, and she turned her head to the side, hoping it would make it a quick, clean kill.

It leaned forward, pressing its nose against her neck. She gave a little whimper at the touch, but didn’t try to push it away. Another sniff. A sound rumbled in its chest, a kind of growly whine.

“Sscarrr . . .”

She froze.

“Wh-what . . .”

The thing made a little “grumph” sound, before tucking its snout under her chin.

It was nuzzling her.

“Scarrr . . .”

Its voice was rough, scratchy. As though speaking through a damaged voice box. Like one that had been used to roar and growl and give voice to anger and rage for a long time.

She held her breath.

It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.

“. . . Knuckles?”

A little whimper answered her, and the kaiju let itself flop down on top of her, tucking its face into her neck. Its arms wrapped around her middle, stilling for a moment when she flinched due to her broken ribs.

“Found . . . you . . .” it—he said, voice softer. “Finally.”

For a moment, Scarlett sat stunned. Frozen. This couldn’t be real, could it? Was she dreaming? Unconscious? Dead? This couldn’t be Knuckles. He’d been gone for years. Taken by the corrupted chaos emerald. Changed. And then . . . she didn’t know. Just gone.

“Is it really you?” she whispered, not daring to hope. Not moving to touch him any more than she was. “Knux?”

A sound like a chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Me.” A pause. “Dipshit.”

She blinked.

And then she laughed.

It hurt, and she hissed in pain, but then she laughed some more.

“You’re still a dick!” she said, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight, her injuries be damned. “But you’re back! You’re here! Oh my God, you’re here. You’re here.”

Her words tapered off into tears, and she held him tight as she sobbed into his shoulder, years of stress and worry and sorrow draining from her in an instant. It didn’t matter what he looked like, she didn’t give a shit about that. He was here. He was him. That’s all she cared about.

“What happened? Where did you go?”

A silent moment. “Somewhere else. Dunno. Just pain. Anger.” Another pause. “Monster.”

“No,” she said immediately, trying to lift his head to look him in the face. He reluctantly moved, bringing them nearly nose-to-nose. “That was those goddamn shards. They changed you. They . . .” Her eyes flicked to where his should be. To where the shards had been the last time she saw him. “What happened to them?”

“Gone.” He sounded angry. Bitter. “They . . . pulled ‘em out.”

“They?”

He shook his head. “Amy. Tails. Different. Horrible. Made me hurt people. Couldn’t . . . couldn’t stop . . .”

He shook in her arms, and she pulled him back to her, hugging tight.

“Shhh . . .” she soothed, running a hand down his back, feeling the different pieces the shards had made for him. When Sonic had been freed from his shards, he’d returned to mostly his true form, but still retained some markings of the kaiju—horns and spikes. He’d only been under the influence of the emerald shards for a few weeks.

But Knuckles had been under their control for years. It stood to reason that his transformation was more extreme.

“Came back. Looking for you. Hoping . . . hoping you were still alive.”

Hoping I didn’t kill you, she imagined he was also thinking, but not strong enough to say.

“Almost wasn’t,” she said, and gave him a gentle poke in the side. “You could have helped with the bird thing, you know.”

Another coarse chuckle. “Saved your ass, didn’t I?”

“Eventually.”

Silence settled over them for a moment, as they listened to the soft crackle of the fire in the trees behind them. Scarlett broke the quiet, her voice soft.

“I’ve been looking for you. I didn’t . . .” She swallowed. “I guess I didn’t want to admit to myself you were gone.”

He didn’t respond for a moment. “I was. For a long time. Wasn’t myself. They used me and when they didn’t need me anymore, they yanked the shards outta my head and dumped me back here.”

“Do you remember anything?”

A pause. “Bits and pieces.” His hands clenched tighter on her shirt. “I . . . I killed them, didn’t I? The others. Our friends.”

She didn’t want to answer. “Last I heard, Blaze and Cream headed out east, to the mountains.”

“Scar.”

“It wasn’t you. It was those shards. The kaiju it turned you into.”

“Tell me, damnit.”

She pulled her lips tight. “Yes. They’re gone. After you absorbed that second shard, you . . . the kaiju destroyed everything.”

He shuddered in her arms, and she held him tighter. What was there to say? The generic placation of ‘it’s okay’ seemed insensitive to the innocent lives lost to his kaiju form. His attacks had been the catalyst that brought about the end of the world. So much destruction. So many lives lost.

It wasn’t okay. Nothing about this was okay.

But she loved him and knew that he would never have hurt anyone if he could have helped it.

“What’s done is done. If you hadn’t stopped Sonic, he would have been the one to cause all this. Same tune, different lyrics.”

He didn’t respond.

She pat his back, leaning forward slightly to press her forehead on his.

“Hey, c’mon. It’s getting a little hot here, and my ribs and shoulder are really screaming at me. I’m gonna need a hand to find someplace to get patched up.”

Knuckles took a few deep breaths, pushing forward a bit against her. He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I gotcha.”

He moved back, before coming around to her side to gently, oh so gently, scoop her into his arms. She sucked in a quick breath when the movement jostled her ribs, but he held her carefully, cradling her against his chest.

Gathering her gauntlet and bag in his other hand, he stepped away from the trees, away from the corpse of the bird kaiju. She looked back at the bird, at the head she’d tossed her little totem into to save her life. Her heart clenched knowing she’d never see it again. She supposed she could have gone back to cut it out of the thing, but . . .

She looked up at the creature holding her so gently. So tenderly.

. . . but it just didn’t seem that important anymore.

“Still carrying me, I guess,” she said softly, a little snicker in her voice. He chuckled, his broad chest rumbling against her.

“Always.”

Knuckles held Scarlett to him as though she were the only lifeline keeping him tethered to this world. To his sanity. She heard his heartbeat within his chest. An odd rhythm, faster than before.

But it was his. He was here. A little different, but the same person she’d given the past five years of her life searching for.

She’d found him, they’d found each other, and suddenly the world didn’t look as bleak as it once had.

Scarlett guided him as they began their travels together. Seeking healing. Seeking a new life.

Seeking peace.

#there's something about knuckles #knuckles the echidna #scarlett the manx #sonic fanfiction

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