#oc: edward carmine

[simplegenius042]

Late Music Monday and Partners-In-Law Meme

Tagged by @imogenkol

Tagging @socially-awkward-skeleton @aceghosts @noodlecupcakes @direwombat @voidika @la-grosse-patate @inafieldofdaisies @cassietrn @adelaidedrubman @shellibisshe @josephseedismyfather @icecutioner @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @strangefable @rhettsabbott @josephslittledeputy @cloudofbutterflies92 @skoll-sun-eater @carlosoliveiraa @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @turbo-virgins @raresvtm @softtidesworld @starsandskies @ladyoriza @florbelles @minilev @yokobai @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink and @sledge-in-space + anyone who'd like to join.

Late Music Monday, songs for characters from The UnTitledverse, The Silver Chronicles and Life, Despair & Monsters. Not in that order though. Partners-In-Law Meme for my V, Judy and River. Songs and template below the cut:

Welp, here I go rambling about the parallels of Silva and Paul once more. Alright so, I think by now we've mostly gotten well-aware that Silva (and Paul) have not had good experiences in regards to religion. Most certainly due to the fact they were both born in a cult that abides by puritanism and fascist beliefs, which, by the time of Paul's birth, also gained a militaristic mindset with the introduction of the Enforcers when Adam took charge as their Prophet. The Congregation of Adam's Guard, on surface level, preaches and demands virtue and righteousness from its followers, to effectively become morally pure under their Prophet's watching eyes, especially if they wanted to see Paradise after the world falls to the Collapse when all seven Frozen Omens melt. To not adhere to or display any other qualities other than their "norm" was punished with extreme force, and by the time Adam came into charge, with death. Which explains why under the surface of the cult's message, is a foundation rooted in colonialism and xenophobia, tied up in a bow of hypocrisy that is used to justify all kinds of depraved and heinous actions the Congregation and their Prophet allows. Silva and Paul are both victims of the Congregations persecutions and discrimination. Both had been under the God-fearing foot of the Congregation, with Paul being amongst the segregated Tumultites and Silva enduring under Adam Omar's terror. Both Silva and Paul eventually reject the Congregation, (a) because the Congregation wants them dead, (b) long-term wise, especially under Adam's tyranny, the Congregation and the society it has built through fearmongering cannot survive the inevitable collapse from the insufficient resources that protects them from the environment and the spark of rebellion due to the less fortunate citizens living under the pressure of becoming "pure" and (c) the Congregation sucks. Silva and Paul instead adopt the Tumultite community's values and beliefs, especially of their first revolutionary leader, Jannah, who Paul especially aspires to be like. Finally, Paul and Silva, once in the modern world, while not believers in the predominant religions (especially in America), do not hold any ill-thought towards such groups; Silva rather admires some of the lessons spoken and wishes she could have the same comfort that their God gives to others, meanwhile Paul is only hostile to people who hide behind God to harm and oppress others... otherwise he's pretty agnostic to the whole thing. One things clear though; their experiences with the Congregation had irreversibly shattered their perceptions of being able to seek any kind of comfort under any deity, especially with the associated pain that haunts them to this day. The song below can fit either one of Silva or Paul or even both.

"First things first I'ma say all the words inside my head I'm fired up and tired of the way that things have been, oh-ooh The way that things have been, oh-ooh

Second things second Don't you tell me what you think that I could be I'm the one at the sail, I'm the master of my sea, oh-ooh The master of my sea, oh-ooh

I was broken from a young age Taking my sulking to the masses Writing my poems for the few That look at me, took to me, shook to me, feeling me Singing from heartache, from the pain Taking my message from the veins Speaking my lesson from the brain Seeing the beauty through the...

Pain! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer Pain! You break me down, you build me up, believer, believer Pain! Oh, let the bullets fly, oh, let them rain My life, my love, my drive, it came from... Pain! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer

Third things third Send a prayer to the ones up above All the hate that you've heard has turned your spirit to a dove, oh-ooh Your spirit up above, oh-ooh

I was choking in the crowd Building my rain up in the cloud Falling like ashes to the ground Hoping my feelings, they would drown But they never did, ever lived, ebbing and flowing Inhibited, limited till it broke open And rained down It rained down like...

Pain! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer Pain! You break me down, you build me up, believer, believer Pain! Oh, let the bullets fly, oh, let them rain My life, my love, my drive, it came from... Pain! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer

Last things last By the grace of the fire and the flames You're the face of the future, the blood in my veins, oh-ooh The blood in my veins, oh-ooh

But they never did, ever lived, ebbing and flowing Inhibited, limited till it broke open And rained down It rained down like...

Pain! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer Pain! You break me down, you build me up, believer, believer Pain! Oh, let the bullets fly, oh, let them rain My life, my love, my drive, it came from... Pain! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer!

Eden "Evie" Bloodleech, formerly known as Evie Jackson, was picked up and became an experiment for Sir Enigma Malvolio. Unfortunately, she survived the process and became one of his rare human successes, which was a mindset that was further encouraged by her apparent likeness for her "rebirth" and led him to continue his absurd quest to evolve humans to a level he sees as perfect for them, allowing Evie to officially join the Ruins of the Midnight Rise as both a valuable member and a prized success story. He sent her out in his stead for diplomatic purposes, allowing her to use her abilities to charm potential investors and allies to further his illicit research. Eventually she was sent back to her original universe in my An Invite To Wine And Dine WIP (set in The Invitation) to infiltrate the Alexander Family in order to dethrone Dracula and take the three families he held control under her wing... or rather tendril. And... she's rather a show-off (byproduct of being one of Malvolio's rare favorites I guess):

"There's only two types of people in the world The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe Well, baby, I'm a put-on-a-show kinda girl Don't like the backseat, gotta be first (Oh, oh) I'm like the ringleader, I call the shots (Call the shots) I'm like a firecracker, I make it hot

When I put on a show I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage Better be ready, hope that you feel the same

All eyes on me in the center of the ring Just like a circus When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip Just like a circus Don't stand there watching me, follow me Show me what you can do Everybody let go, we make a dance floor Just like a circus."

And finally, a I'm sure I've used before, but am gonna do it again because "I'm So Sorry" not only slaps, but fits the main antagonist of The UnTitledverse's first saga, Edward Carmine, quite well, if you squint. He's a menace to society and should not be in charge of any leadership roles, even as a CEO. Edward's the type of man to burn all his bridges and blame a child he manipulated for it. Diabolical man that just won't get the hint and stay dead. Extremely petty and arrogant, as antagonists like him should be. By far, amongst one of my favourite antagonist OCs (though that's probably because he's one of the first ones to be developed). Listen below:

"About time for anyone telling you off for all your deeds No sign the roaring thunder stopped in cold to read (No time) I get mine and make no excuses Waste of precious breath (No time) The sun shines on everyone Everyone, love yourself to death

So you gotta fire up, you gotta let go You'll never be loved till you've made your own You gotta face up, you gotta get yours You never know the top till you get too low

A son of a stepfather A son of a, I'm so sorry A son of a stepfather A son of a, I'm so sorry

No lies and no deceiving, man is what he loves I keep tryin' to conceive that death is from above (No time) I get mine and make no excuses Waste of precious breath (No time) The sun shines on everyone Everyone, love yourself to death

So you gotta fire up, you gotta let go You'll never be loved till you've made your own You gotta face up, you gotta get yours You never know the top till you get too low

A son of a stepfather A son of a, I'm so sorry A son of a stepfather A son of a, I'm so sorry

Life isn't always what you think it'd be Turn your head for one second and the tables turn And I know, I know that I did you wrong But will you trust me when I say that I'll make it up to you Somehow? Somehow?"

And lastly, a Partners-In-Law meme for my V (actual name Min-Ji "Vasilisa" Choi), her new partner Judy Álvarez and her amicable ex River Ward. [Note: I'm assuming affection refers to their feelings for their mutual partner. Also I never romanced River and am just taking taking whatever information I can recall or from the internet in regards to his preferences and sexuality and the information I've found (especially the wiki compared to everything else) is quite conflicting so I'm going with Bi-curious]:

[the-untitledverse-blog]

The UnTitledverse DND Alignment

Eleanor (The Perfect Storm, The Omniscient Rule & The Ender sagas and The Time Guard volumes) - A Knightess of the Light, Eleanor is one of the most moral characters in The UnTitledverse, repenting by serving good.

Leviticus (The Omniscient Rule & The Ender sagas, Jagged Instincts novelisation & The Time Guard volumes) - A lawyer of the Time Court, had a disdain towards Timekeeper but ultimately upholds honor and goodwill above all else.

Joaquin Cobalt (The Perfect Storm, The Omniscient Rule & The Ender sagas) - A young adolescent who got lost in the Multiverse before rising up to become a leading and respected member of the Omniscient Rule.

Leslie Who (The Perfect Storm & The Omniscient Rule sagas) - A doctor who lost his son to an old business partner, Leslie is on a mission of revenge against Edward Carmine and his crimes. However, he cannot stop himself from doing good in spite of the nature of his mission.

Benny the Révolutionnaire (The UnTitled Ventures & The Ender sagas) - The seventh-borne Eldritch, was made to assist Zachariah at Fate's Table, however was exiled to the Void. Not that it stopped him.

Calvin Dearing (The Perfect Storm saga) - A Dream Spirit and a former Cartoonist murdered by his boss, Terrence Carmine, Calvin was stuck in a repetitive cycle of purgatory rigged by Jester, but managed to get out. He became good friends with Joaquin Cobalt and Mario Emmet, when they were both lost in the Multiverse, he went out of his way to find them.

Allyson "Alice" Darling (The Omniscient Rule & The Ender saga) - Alice is the eldest Darling child, and was recommended by Malcrum during his leave from the Omniscient Rule to replace him.

Joaquin Lockwood (The UnTitled Ventures saga) - The previous incarnation of Joaquin Cobalt, Joaquin Lockwood was a former agent of the BSAA before becoming the mayor of the Village and then aiding Benny in his revolt against Zachariah.

Timekeeper (The Perfect Storm & The Omniscient Rule sagas) - A Time Lord droid created to overlook Time and utilize the Time Watch. Wishes to change the corruption he's noticed bleed inside the Time Bureau Authority.

Mario Emmet (The Perfect Storm & The Omniscient Rule sags and Mario: Mother's Boy) - A shapeshifting soul-type alien, Mario was taught by his mother Abigail, his first best friend Debra, his love interest Charlie, and his brother-figures Joaquin & Calvin to gain some better morality. Mario also adopted an appreciation for humanity just as his mother did.

H.O.S.T (The Time Guard volumes) - The warden of the Time Prism (a prison sub-dimension in Time), he joined the Time Guard on their adventures. He is unprepared for their unorthodox illegalities.

Elise Lockwood (The Ender saga) - She just wants to find out where her family is man.

Jerome Amber (The UnTitled Stories) - The Lord High Protector of Corona and the half-brother of Empress Cassandra. He feels only loyalty towards Cass... whether she was a knight or a usurper.

Mordecai Callaghan (The Omniscient Rule saga) - Also known as "The Huntsman", Mordecai only commits amoral acts (like bounty hunting) and immoral acts (like child trafficking) to survive and to earn his freedom from Madame Callaghan and C.Y.P.R.U.S.

Maddilyn Darling (The Perfect Storm and The Omniscient Rule sagas) - An outlaw apart of the Van Der Linde Gang, Maddilyn follows Dutch closely. However this does change later in 1899.

The Chairman (The Perfect Storm saga) - Dude eats people that go against existence, even if they're innocent.

Jeremiah (The Omniscient Rule saga and The Time Guard series) - A Time Agent who honestly doesn't give a fuck about the law, and just most fucks around and finds out. Jeremiah is apart of Khronos' corruption though.

Malcolm Darling (The Omniscient Rule saga) - A Darling twin taken into C.Y.P.R.U.S before failing a mission that resulted in him being bisected and set alight, he gets infected by the Cordyceps and manages to control it enough to remain conscious, setting out to eliminate his rival; Ellie Williams.

Jester (The Perfect Storm saga) - This guy is a scamming dealmaker who will screw over whoever is not the winning side.

K.I.L.L.J.O.Y (The Perfect Storm saga) - A virus/security drone of Edward Carmine's that becomes his most loyal servant.

Zachariah The Orchestrator (The UnTitled Ventures and The Ender saga) - The second-borne Eldritch and the Hand at Fate's Table, Zachariah has a disdainful view on humanity and wishes to control and punish them for their existence.

Edward Carmine (The Perfect Storm saga) - A petty industrialist and robotics expert, he craves power over everyone and believes himself to be the superior human. Edward also cannot let go of a grudge, going to insane lengths to settle the score (even if it puts his own life in danger).

Quintin the Unknown Evil (The Perfect Storm saga) - The Unknown Evil is the fifth-borne Eldritch that represents the concept of Evil and is the leader of the Wicked.

Madame Callaghan (The Omniscient Rule and The UnTitled Ventures sagas) - Madame Callaghan is the leader of C.Y.P.R.U.S who abuses her power and position, a result of her sanity degenerating on a horrific level.

Ian Graveheart (The Omniscient Rule saga) - The leader of the current chapter of the Occult, he is fully indoctrinated by the Occult's doctrine.

[traintrainingmontage]

Life's About the Journey

This is from an AU that I worked on with @edwards-exploit!! The basic gist is that Sodor is a hotbed of supernatural activity, some benign, and some distinctly not. This is also a modern AU!

Summary: Sir Handel is excited to help pull a Special, but his overconfidence leads to worry as he comes to realize the enormity of the responsibilities placed upon him and just what it means to gain experience.

Characters: Sir Handel, Skarloey, their drivers (OCs), brief cameos of other Skarloey Railway engines

Rating: T

Word Count: ~8,200 words

Relationships: Sir Handel & Skarloey, featuring a found family feelings fest

(CW: Mentions of blood, death [murder], and the supernatural)

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon as the island of Sodor began to slowly blink into wakefulness, the human and decidedly less so denizens all stirring as they prepared to greet the day. At the base of the hills, snug in their berths at Crovan's Gate, the engines of the Skarloey Railway were getting steamed up, the two flagship engines being the first to rise, as consistent as the early birds chirping outside.

"Tonight's going to be a full moon," Skarloey murmured to Rheneas, the other old engine looking over in unsurprised agreement.

"That's right. You're taking the Night Train this time, aren't you?" 

"I am. Although..."

The carmine engine's gaze quietly swept across the rest of the fleet, and as if reacting to his gaze, a few of the younger engines stirred from their slumber. One such engine was Sir Handel, who was parked next to Rheneas, and he gave his mentor a slightly begrudging look, as if blaming him for the misfortune of having to stick to a schedule.

Skarloey, whether oblivious or heedless of Sir Handel's feelings, decided to carry on with his musings. "I think that I may bring one of our younger engines with me this time."

At this, Sir Handel was startled into full wakefulness, and his gaze flicked over to Skarloey, anticipation written all over his face. Only Skarloey, Rheneas, and Duke were allowed to handle the Night Trains, and even then, it was usually Skarloey and Rheneas who pulled them, given the nature of their bonds with the naiads. Duke usually filled in for them in case of emergency, and whenever he did, Tabitha Sam would serve as the guard to help ensure that the ride was safe. Rumor also had it that Duke was ensorcelled with many a protective spell whenever he took the Night Train, just to prevent anything... unfortunate from happening. However, it was still a mystery as to what such a ride entailed; neither the engines nor their crews spoke of it, and not even all the coaxing the world could get them to spill the secrets.

Thus, Skarloey planning to bring one of them along was not just a special treat, but it was practically unheard of. In all of Sir Handel's hundred-plus years on Sodor, Skarloey and Rheneas had never proposed such a plan, and the thought of perhaps learning just a little bit more about the two eldest working engines on Sodor was a terribly enticing prospect. Sir Handel was loathe to admit this, but he found the older engines, Skarloey especially, to be... well, interesting sorts. He couldn't help but respect and admire Skarloey and the work that he did on the railway, both for the humans and the not-so-human. Besides... Sir Handel also had a rather adventurous streak to him, and he very much wanted to uncover more of the secrets that his railway held. 

"Well. If you're going to make such an offer," he replied loftily to Skarloey, "then I suppose that I'll just have to put my name out for consideration.”

At this, both of the older engines paused in surprise, and even some of his fellows, who had barely woken up enough to catch the thread of the conversation, blinked at him in shock. Sir Handel? Volunteering for an extra run? Was the world ending after all?

As if sensing the shed's collective disbelief, Sir Handel simply sniffed imperiously. "What? Isn't it only natural that an engine should want to help pull a Special?"

The other young engines' eyes now all snapped open, barely restraining themselves from speaking as they waited for Skarloey's explanation. The quiet was practically buzzing with excitement, every able-bodied engine eager for the prospect of a Special, even if it was to be double-headed.

Skarloey, now firmly at the center of everyone's attention, rolled his eyes good-naturedly and winked at Rheneas. "While I do appreciate the enthusiasm, Sir Handel, are you sure that you want to? The Night Train is, as I'm sure many of you have guessed, not one that services human passengers. There's a certain amount of danger to it, my engines, and even though I will be with you, there is still risk. Both for you and your crews. Not to mention that your knowledge and understanding of the supernatural will be tested.”

Sir Handel was about to reply in the affirmative when a quiet knock from inside his cab bade him to hold his tongue. Reese was looking down at him, worry written all over the driver's face. "Sorry, Sir Handel, but... I'm not sure we should do this. It's not that I'm afraid of supernatural things, but if something happens to me, then Tyrone will be..." He trailed off uncertainly, but Sir Handel simply sighed. 

"It will be fine, Reese. I'm sure they'll just have us observe things. Besides, we have Skarloey's protection to fall back on. I don't want to lose this chance, and you're going to be inside the cab the whole time. I promise: nothing will happen."

The driver hummed hesitantly, his eyes shifting to the floor of the shed as he considered Sir Handel’s words. After a moment, he clambered down from the cab, walking over to Skarloey. "Pardon, Skarloey, but could you tell us more about the run? What kind of risk will there be?"

At his question, Skarloey huffed thoughtfully, as though he wasn't quite sure how to answer. "It is difficult for me to say, Reese. Mostly because, as you know by now, the nature of the supernatural is such that the less it is spoken of, the better, and how one speaks of it is equally important. All I can say is that we will do our best to prepare you, but as always, when dealing with the supernatural, there is risk involved.”

The driver nodded, seemingly unsure, then headed back for his engine, who simply scoffed. "I knew he'd be like this. Skarloey's always cryptic about this sort of thing." His unsurprised yet slightly put-out expression then turned pleading as he gave Reese a strangely comical attempt at puppy dog eyes. "Trust me; it will be an adventure."

The driver grimaced in response, but sighed. Crystal wasn't in today, as she was home with the flu, but when it came to the narrow gauge engines, they didn't necessarily need both a driver and fireman, so Reese would be pulling double duty—and the decision would be entirely his own.

After a long, long moment, the driver finally sighed, unable to stand up to his engine's blatant desire to help pull the train. "Alright, alright. I'll see if Nanette is free to watch Tyrone tonight." 

"Yes!! Oh, thank you, Reese!" Sir Handel chirped, practically singing with delight. "It will be such fun! Much better than the boring old goods trains I've had to take lately!"

"Oi! Not so fast!" called Duncan, who'd apparently been having a similar discussion with his own crew. "I'm also interested in goin'! Skarloey never said ye were th' one picked!"

"Well, I'm sure he will, seeing as I was the first to volunteer!" 

"So what?! I also wanna go! So there!"

Naturally, the ensuing argument was rather uproarious, causing any lingering sentiments of going back to sleep to scatter to the winds. Peter Sam, Rusty, Fred, and Ivo Hugh, as well as a terribly amused Duke, who had apparently been awake the entire time, simply watched Duncan and Sir Handel bicker with unsurprised resignation. 

"You're not interested, Peter Sam?" Duke called over the din. "You'd be quite a good fit for this particular task."

"Not particularly," Peter Sam replied, wincing as he yelled his response. "I mean, you all take a Night Train every month, don't you? Maybe I'll help with next month's train... if Skarloey's still accepting help after this."

"HAHAHAHA!" Duke chortled, barely audible over the arguing. "That's true! I'm sure it'll be your turn soon enough. There's no rush."

Both Peter Sam and Duke were absolutely correct about the fact that this train was hardly a rare occurrence, but the two arguing engines were far from interested in facts. Their quarreling was only broken up by the arrival of the Thin Controller and Skarloey's grave pronouncement that if they carried on like this, nobody would get to help him pull the Night Train that evening. At last, Sir Handel and Duncan finally called one of their many unofficial truces, huffed at each other disdainfully, and got on with what was already shaping up to be a rather hectic day.

As it happened, Sir Handel was chosen to double-head the Night Train in the end. Duncan had managed to get something caught in his funnel during his daily run, meaning that he'd have to be inspected in the Steamworks overnight. Thus, he’d have to miss the train, much to his annoyance.

"I thought you hated the supernatural," Rusty remarked as the sun was just beginning to dip as it retreated below the horizon, caressing the land with its fingertips as it left to serve the rest of the world. 

"I do!" Duncan groused, disappointment written all over his face as Damian gave the inside of his funnel another careful inspection. "But I still wanted ta pull a Special! 'N who knows? Maybe we'd get ta see a real cryptid! Somethin' like Mothman!" 

"I thought that Mothman was a cryptid from the United States."

"Mebbe, but he could also show up here!"

Rusty just sighed in response and settled in as Duncan prepared to launch into another wild round of speculation about the ever-mysterious Mothman, complete with historical sightings, when–

Peep peep!

Fortunately, the little diesel was spared from their fifth time hearing this particular essay on this particular topic as the familiar echo of Skarloey's whistle caused both engines to look over as the older engine pulled into the station. 

"Hullo, you two," he smiled at the younger engines. "Is Sir Handel here? We need to get him ready for the run tonight."

Rusty's eyes flicked over in the direction of a siding. "I think Corinne took him to get 'painted up,' whatever that means."

This answer seemed to satisfy Skarloey, who looked in the direction of the siding for a long moment before having Tabitha turn him around so that he could finish his own preparations.

After about an hour or so, after the sun's light had finally, fully receded and only the full moon, the world's most perfect pearl, and her attending stars alit the night sky, Sir Handel finally made his way towards the platform. His expression absolutely oozed with pride, smug confidence practically bursting from his frames. As he pulled up behind the waiting train, Duncan just scoffed. "What's all this, then? They ain't done nothin' to 'im! He looks jus' th' same as he did!"

"No," Rusty murmured, their voice low and grave, causing Duncan to stare at them quizzically. The steamie's eyes then widened as he watched Rusty watch Sir Handel, for Rusty's eyes were glowing a rich silver, making them look almost like a blind seer of myth. "On the contrary, they've done him up properly. You probably can't see it because the paint's infused with magic, but there's a train's worth of protective spells that they've painted onto him. At this point, the only thing that could hurt him is how much he loves to talk."

Duncan could only hum in response, turning his attention back to Sir Handel and Skarloey. 

"Well, Skarloey?" Sir Handel beamed. "I can't see it myself, but Corinne said that I should be all in order!" 

Tabitha Sam alit from Skarloey's cab, walking over to Sir Handel and inspecting him closely. "Seems to be," the middle-aged witch remarked. "All the proper sigils are there. We should be set to go."

"Erm, Tabitha..." Reese's timid voice sounded from Sir Handel's cab, and the 20-something popped his head out, looking at his senior sheepishly. "Where's Mazel?"

"I sent her home. The less people involved, the better.”

"Corinne said that she'd be coming too. Is she...?" 

"She'll be our guard."

"But aside from Beatrice, we only have one coach...? Why Jemima? She's deaf."

"That's exactly why we need to bring her along," Tabitha replied grimly. "The less she hears, the better off she'll be. We want to keep the coaches out of this as much as possible; they can't defend themselves like we can.”

Reese seemed like he wanted to say something in regard to that last point, but shut his mouth for a moment, allowing a new thought to come forth instead. "Tabitha... if something happens to me, there'll be nobody to take care of Tyrone. It’s not that I don’t have faith in you all, but..."

Reese trailed off, unsure about quite where he was going with this, and the more experienced driver gave him a lopsided smile as she patted his shoulder. "It'll be alright, Reese. Just listen to me and Skarloey, and don’t leave Sir Handel’s cab. Do that, and you’ll be fine. We haven't had any major incidents in years."

"Oh-okay..." Reese murmured, nodding slowly before turning to get back into Sir Handel's cab. "Right. Let's go, then."

"Finally!" the blue saddletank groaned. "But, erm, Skarloey, I see you're coupled up to Jemima. Move so that I can get in position, won't you?"

"Oh, no," Skarloey smiled in response. "I'm not in front tonight. You are.”

Sir Handel blinked at the older engine like he'd lost his mind. "M-me?! In front?"

"What's the matter?" Skarloey asked, his voice and smile almost bewilderingly casual compared to the importance of his words. "Didn't you want to pull the Special?"

"I-I do!" Sir Handel sputtered. "Of course! But I... I..."

"Listen, Sir Handel," Skarloey murmured, his voice becoming more serious as he dropped the pretense. "This is intended to be a learning experience for you. You will need to know how to take and manage this train. Rheneas, Duke, and I, despite having plenty of life left in us yet, won't live forever. You are the eldest of your generation, so it's time to teach you about your responsibilities.”

Sir Handel tried to speak, but found that for once in his life, he had nothing to say. Instead, he swallowed the shapeless reply, staring at Skarloey with a flicker of understanding.

The older engine was preparing him to be a leader among the other three engines of his generation, as well as the two of the next. As the eldest, he'd have many responsibilities that he would have to know how to do and manage, both for the mundane and the magical. This appeared to be one of them, a burden that he’d have to shoulder someday, and Sir Handel could see the wisdom in having him learn the ropes while the older engines were still around and in good enough shape to teach him. He was very fortunate indeed to get to learn from the most experienced among their odd, yet closely knit family-in-arms.

"Alright," he said gravely. "I understand, Skarloey." 

The deference in his tone made the older engine smile, pleased that his message had been received. "There's a good engine. Go get up front, now."

"Right." 

Without further ado, Sir Handel maneuvered himself so that he was at the front of the train, Skarloey right behind him. "Alright, Sir Handel. Listen closely. Do not insult any of the passengers or complain. If they ask you questions, you must answer them. And most importantly... remember that when you need to move forward, the rails beneath your wheels always lead to home."

"Do you understand?"

There was a pause as Sir Handel digested this information. "...Yes. Yes, I understand. Don't worry, Skarloey. This train will go without a hitch!"

Skarloey simply chuckled at Sir Handel's enthusiasm, seeing some of the younger engine’s trademark confidence bubbling up to the surface. "Let us hope so. Now... if you're ready, we shall set off." 

Peep peep! 

Peep peep!

Two whistles blew as Reese checked with the stationmaster and Corinne, both of whom indicated that they were ready to go, and without further ado, the two engines set off into the moonlit night.

Thump thump. Thump thump. The engines pulled their currently empty train down the tracks in relative silence, although Sir Handel could vaguely hear the murmurs of Skarloey and his driver talking to each other. He couldn't make out the words, but if he had to guess, Tabitha Sam was questioning why Skarloey had taken second position, and Skarloey was reassuring her. That was generally how their relationship worked, after all. 

After trying and failing to parse their conversation, Sir Handel decided it would instead behoove him to tune them out, choosing to redirect his attention up at the moon. It was entrancing, really. Quite out of nowhere, the thought briefly bubbled up from the depths of the engine’s mind that even the word "lunacy" apparently originated from the moon; madness was once associated with some kind of "moon-induced sickness", thought to be caused by the moon's changing phases, that only outlandish treatments could cure. Naturally, that sounded incredibly foolish, but beneath a moon like this, so full and bright as to seem like a gemstone in the sky, the kind of enticing treasure that any siren would count as the pride of their jewelry box, perhaps he could bring himself to believe it.

"Slow down, Sir Handel." 

Reese's calm voice jerked the engine from his thoughts; were they about to reach Cros-ny-Cuirn already? "We're pulling in."

Somewhat disbelievingly, Sir Handel slowed his speed, preparing to reach the platform. 

Thump thump. Thump thump.

Once he'd safely pulled in and came to a stop, the engine finally took a breath, taking a quiet look back at some of the passengers. An assortment of figures milled about, causing Sir Handel to blink in surprise. Spirits, ghosts, and even one of the fey waited their turn for the train. “Greetings, esteemed passengers,” Skarloey greeted cordially, a wide smile on his face. 

“Erm… welcome,” Sir Handel managed, trying to keep his anticipation on track.

Most of the passengers gave them nods or quick greetings in return, a hint of acknowledgement as they boarded the coach. The fey was wearing some kind of amulet, and as the passengers all filed on, the fey seemed to wince slightly, but found a seat. Perhaps it worked because the Jemima was mostly made of wood, and the amulet protected against the metal. Still, every passenger got on with little fuss, and Sir Handel surprised even himself with the sigh of relief that slipped between his lips.

Once the signal was called, the engines continued their route, with both Sir Handel and Reese feeling oddly light as the moon continued to dangle above them. "I don't know what you were worrying about, Skarloey!" Sir Handel called back to the older engine. "This run is going swimmingly! We've nothing to worry about."

"You know better than to invite trouble like that," Skarloey replied solemnly. "Focus on getting to the next station. We have a long way to go before we get to Glennock.”

~~~~~~

Sir Handel was in high spirits as he and Skarloey prepared to make their return trip. The ride up had been uneventful, yet fun! He’d gotten to see all manner of strange creatures, including several fey, ghosts, and spirits, and many of them had greeted the engines warmly upon their arrival. At every stop, Skarloey had given perfunctory, albeit genuine greetings, and Sir Handel had done the same, watching carefully for any deviation from the norm. However, he had to admit that by the third stop, he was somewhat disappointed. After all, it was simple: arrive, give greetings, collect fares, and leave. Hardly different from normal service!

“Really, Skarloey!” the younger engine boasted as the train was reassembled for the return journey and passengers boarded. “Nothing horrible happened at all! What in the world were you so concerned about?” Skarloey sighed from his place behind the brassy engine, worry creeping into his tone. “Sir Handel, we’ve just completed the easy part of the trip. Don’t you know from the tales? It’s quite easy to pass into the realms governed by the Others, but much, much harder to leave.”

Sir Handel sneered, slightly offended by the older engine’s lack of faith. “Please, Skarloey! Just trust me! I got us this far already, didn’t I? No incidents at all!”

“It’s not about trust, Sir Handel! It’s just that–”

However, he had no more time to speak as Corinne blew her whistle, signaling that they were ready to depart once again. The moon was even brighter than before, less like a pearl and more like a plate, and Sir Handel’s eyes flicked up to it once more as he began to pull the train forward, marking the second leg of their journey. “It’ll be fine, Skarloey,” the blue engine murmured, his voice too low for anyone else to hear. 

“I can do this.”

~~~~~

Soon enough, the two engines and their train came upon Lakeside station. The beginning of the loop around the lake had been quiet; Skarloey hadn’t spoken a word, and neither had Sir Handel. Their drivers had been using the radio back and forth to discuss things, the static crackling on the edge of his consciousness sounding almost like voices in and of itself, something ethereal wanting to chime in.

Sir Handel couldn’t be bothered to listen in, however. His previously good mood had soured, and now he was eager to just complete the run and get back to the comfort of his shed. He also couldn’t quite place it, but he felt strangely itchy, like his paint was peeling, even though he’d received new paint just last month. Part of him wanted to blame the apparently magical paint he’d been bedecked in, but doing so would require poking at the weighty, uncomfortable silence that had descended, and somehow, that felt almost worse. Thus, he said nothing, and beneath the dark trees, pulled into Lakeside station. As he came to a stop and passengers boarded and alighted, one of the fey approached. “Hello,” they smiled, the greeting full of teeth, voice careful like it wasn’t quite used to shaping such meaty syllables. “That was quite the pleasant ride.”  

“Oh! Well, thank you!” Sir Handel beamed, perking up at the praise. “I do make an effort to pull my trains well, after all.” “Yes, yes,” the fey continued, both their ethereal eyes and their protective amulet gleaming in the moonlit night. “But I’m sure that working is such a chore sometimes. Why not stop and enjoy a break? It’s yours for the taking.”

Sir Handel smiled back. “Oh, well, I’d love—”

“Pardon me, but he’d love to keep pulling the train,” Tabitha Sam interjected, poking her head out from Skarloey’s cab. “We really must be on our way, but we thank you for riding with us.”

“Is that so? What a shame,” the fey sneered. “Very well. I look forward to the next outing.”

With that, the otherworldly passenger vanished into the gloom, leaving nary a trace of their passing behind. Suddenly, Corinne’s whistle resounded in the night, and after a beat of hesitation, Sir Handel pushed on. 

Thump thump. Thump thump. 

He couldn’t take the silence anymore.

“What was that about?!” Sir Handel finally snapped at Skarloey. 

Skarloey’s expression soured, clearly ready to deliver a sharp retort, but seemed to collect himself after a moment. His expression softened as he forced himself to relax, and when the words finally came forth, they were more grave than angry. “Sir Handel, think. Fey are beings born of temptation. They are creatures of rules and order, but also hedonism and giving in to desire. If you took what they were offering, you might get more than a break. You might break in a literal sense, too. There’s no telling what might have happened had Tabitha not intervened.”

“...Ah.”

Sir Handel was now well and truly embarrassed. Damn it, for all of his boasting and confidence, he’d almost fallen into a trap! Even worse, he’d made himself look like an absolute fool. Still, he reminded himself, this was merely a single setback. He’d do better next time. That’s all there was to it.

With newfound resolve in his heart, Sir Handel pulled into Rheneas station. The night had grown deeper yet, the shadows lengthening beneath the moon’s light. A pearl, then a plate, and now slightly overbearing, almost like an eye, staring down at them. The lamplight flickered, the stationmaster knowing better than to stick around the station tonight. “Take a breath, Sir Handel,” Skarloey advised, but the blue engine barely heard him. Thoughts about not making any more mistakes clattered around his smokebox, making it hard for him to concentrate. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a water spirit step off the train, its form almost jellylike in its consistency. 

The words slipped out before he could stop them.

“What is that, jelly? How disgusting. Jiggle away, you.”

The air itself seemed to still. Behind him, Skarloey took a sharp breath, but said nothing. 

Slowly, the creature rolled to a halt, then turned in on itself in the impression of turning around. It frothed its way over until it stood right beside Sir Handel’s face, curving and caving on itself until it hovered over him, stormy in its silence until finally, a voice emanated from the shape. “What did you say to me?”

Now, Sir Handel was well and truly trapped. Skarloey had instructed him not to insult any of the passengers. So much for that. However, Skarloey had also instructed him to answer any questions that the passengers posed. In this sort of situation, what was he to do?

The engine swallowed, saying nothing. In this moment, he could empathize with every human who had a tendency to sweat nervously, because should he have been able to, he was certain that he’d be doing so now. 

The silence was even more oppressive than before. 

Finally, Sir Handel took a breath. Anything was better than this horrid wait. “I said, ‘What is that, jelly? How disgusting. Jiggle away, you.’” 

“That’s what I thought,” the jelly spirit undulated, and with a sudden shove, assailed Sir Handel with a sudden, powerful burst of water. 

The tank engine’s eyes clenched shut as he braced himself for impact. A momentary worry for Reese sparked in his mind when suddenly, his entire body felt hot. Although he couldn’t see it, his form began to glow, silver script and swirls appearing as the wards painted upon him shimmered to life. A shield of painstakingly applied protection asserted itself, causing the water to splash harmlessly against Sir Handel’s side like a wave breaking upon stone. Not even a drop of the spirit’s anger managed to enter his cab, much to Reese’s relief, causing the jelly spirit to burble sullenly before squelching away without another word.

By this point, the platform was completely empty. Only the two engines, their drivers, the carriage, and the guard’s van remained. Hesitantly, Corinne blew the whistle, but Sir Handel didn’t move. 

“Can you go on?”

The question was gentle. There was no judgment, no disappointment, no worry or wariness. Simply a question, a question of his condition. 

“I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“You always have a choice.”

Two heartbeats of silence passed, and then, Sir Handel let out a peep peep! and began to move. 

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. 

“...I didn’t mean to say it,” SIr Handel murmured, unsure to what extent he wanted Skarloey to hear, but the wind made his decision for him, snatching his words and delivering them straight to the other. 

“I know,” Skarloey replied gently. “You were nervous, and spoke without thinking. It happens. That’s precisely why you were done up in the protective paint.”

“Mmmmm…” Sir Handel grunted, not particularly mollified by the crimson engine’s comforting comment. He felt like he was barely in control, mistakes happening one after another like he was a runaway train moving at a breakneck pace. Stress gnawed at his non-existent nerves; all of his earlier confidence had evaporated like a dream in morning’s light. 

“It’ll be alright, Sir Handel,” Reese comforted, hesitantly patting at his controls. “We’re almost there. And like you said, nothing’s really happened yet.” 

However, for once, Sir Handel said nothing in reply.

~~~~~

At long last, the two engines pulled into Glennock. It was bright, perhaps absurdly so, just short of distracting in its brilliance. A spotlight, almost, casting those below under its soft yet fascinated scrutiny. 

More passengers got out. At this point, Sir Handel estimated, there couldn’t be more than a handful left. This time, a ghost, that of a woman, approached Sir Handel and Skarloey. “Thank you for the ride,” she intoned. There was a strange light to her, making her look particularly ethereal. The glow seemed to highlight her beauty, giving her a fairly alluring aura.

“You’re welcome,” Sir Handel remarked absently, and from his cab, Reese also turned to give her a smile. 

“Yes, you’re—”

Suddenly, his voice faltered. Sir Handel couldn’t see it, but his driver was fixing the ghost with a wild, wide-eyed look so different from the usual kind, anxious expressions he tended to wear, his face a mix of poignant grief and awestruck hope. 

“...Sylvia?” 

His voice, fraught and fragile, caused Sir Handel’s eyes to snap open in alarm. “Reese? What is it?”

“Sylvia…” Suddenly, Reese was moving toward the edge of the cab, hands clutching at the edges of the entrance. “Reese!” Sir Handel shouted. “What are you doing?!” 

“Sylvia,” Reese murmured quietly, heedless of his engine’s yelling. Tears beaded in the corners of his eyes. “I finally found you…”

The ghost smiled, her lips quirking into a gentle, loving smile. “Reese… I’ve missed you. And Tyrone, too.”

The driver swallowed, seemingly overwhelmed. “I missed you too, Syl… I’ve missed you so much…”

The ghost held out her hands, her smile unwavering. “Come here, Reese. Let your big sister give you a hug.” 

As if compelled by a force stronger than his own will, the driver stepped forth, about to get off the footplate. Tabitha and Skarloey were yelling, but their voices blended into the background, meaningless drivel in the face of being reunited with the sister he’d lost so suddenly. 

“Don’t do it, Reese!” Sir Handel called, desperation in his voice. He couldn’t place it, but deep in his soul, he had a strong sense of foreboding. Tabitha Sam’s warning sprang to mind, fueling the worry lacing his words. “Are you really going to abandon Tyrone?!”

The driver’s foot stilled in midair. The enthralled expression wavered, replaced by hesitation. “Tyrone…” 

“You need to get back to him!” Sir Handel pressed. “I promised you that nothing would happen, and I intend to keep that promise! If you leave now, you won’t be able to get back!”

“Come on, Reese,” the ghost urged. “It’s me. We’re finally reunited.”

The driver started to hyperventilate, seemingly at war with himself. “I… I…”

“Tabitha!” Skarloey’s voice rang out. “We need to go! NOW!” 

“I know!” his driver replied. “But we—” 

Fweet! 

The guard’s whistle rang out, causing both drivers to pause. “REESE!” Sir Handel yelled. “PULL THE BRAKE!”

Reese blinked, but out of habit, one hand grabbed tightly at the handles and the other reached back for the brake lever and pulled it free. Without another second to spare, Sir Handel lunged forward, causing Reese to stumble in surprise even as he kept his tight hold on the railing. 

“SYL!” the driver cried as the ghost wearing his sister’s soul stood somberly on the platform, the beguiling glow dimming slightly as she watched him leave. However, after a moment, she turned and walked away, and Reese dragged himself fully back inside Sir Handel’s cab, slumping against the wall. 

The radio crackled. “Reese!” Tabitha Sam’s voice called over the connection. “Are you alright?!”

After a moment, the driver swallowed, then got up and walked over to the radio. “...Yes. I’m fine. But Tabitha… that wasn’t Sylvia, was it?”

There was a long pause. Then, softly, “No. Probably not.”

“I see.”

Reese replaced the receiver and once again took hold of Sir Handel’s controls. “I’m sorry, Sir Handel. After all of the warnings we received, I almost made a terrible mistake myself.”

Under any other circumstance, Sir Handel might have said something along the lines of “Well, don’t do it again!” or “Obviously!” In fact, he’d originally intended to say just that. However, as if echoing earlier, what instead came out was:

“It’s alright, Reese. You’ve missed her terribly, haven't you?” 

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

The uncharacteristic gentleness in the engine’s tone made the driver pause. 

“...Yes.” The reply had a certain ache to it, an old wound, scarred over but never fully healed or forgotten.

“I’m sorry.”

Reese’s adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed back sobs, memories of his sister crawling up from the depths of his memory. A tear cascaded down his face as he patted Sir Handel’s window. “It’s alright. And in the end, you reminding me about Tyrone was what I needed to stay strong. I just can’t believe that I almost let myself go like that.”

The engine hummed. “Rheneas once said that the undead were beings of will and willpower. It’s not surprising that one tried to break your will with its own.”

Reese took a deep breath. “Perhaps you’re right. And… thank you, Sir Handel. I might not have made it back without you.” 

The genuine thanks made the small engine suddenly feel somewhat bashful, but he quickly hid it beneath his usual self-aggrandizing. “Well, you’re welcome! Obviously, it’s important for an engine to look out for his driver.”

Sir Handel’s boasting quickly came to a halt, however, as Skarloey called out to him. “Sir Handel! Listen to me!”

Overhead, the moon was the fullest and brightest it had been all night, mirror-like in its serenity. The tracks were illuminated, bright and clear, beckoning toward home.

“We’re coming up on the loneliest part of the line. It’s called that for a reason, and it’s something that I can’t really describe; you’ll just have to see it for yourself. Remember what I told you, and you’ll be fine!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Sir Handel called back. “Skarloey?!”

But just then, as if in response to the older engine’s words, the moon’s light became overwhelming in its intensity, and Sir Handel’s eyes reflexively clenched shut as the whole world went white.

~~~~~

When he opened his eyes again, Simon was greeted by the smell of cheap booze and dingy streets. His breath tasted like bile, and his eyelids felt like they’d been practically glued shut. His head hurt, his stomach ached, and in the cramped alley in which he found himself, a profound sense of loneliness gripped at him, shivering hands coming up to cradle his shaking shoulders. The moon was high, the stars glaring down upon him, and he reflexively tugged at his gaudy, overpriced clothes as if to hide himself from their celestial judgment.

“So, it was all a dream…” Simon murmured to himself, a long sigh escaping out into the wind. “Of course it was.”

How strange that while he’d been dreaming of being a steam locomotive, he’d so desperately wanted to be human again. Yet, now that he was, he somehow missed it. Certainly, wheels and a track could be stifling, but at least on the railway, he’d been taken care of, assured of a home and work, able to make an honest living and forgiven despite his flaws. 

At least on the railway, he had people who truly cared about him, who didn’t judge him based on his past.

Stray tears threatened to fall, and amidst his misery, Simon failed to notice the trio of men in elegant suits approaching him. One wrinkled his nose disdainfully as he approached Simon’s slouched form, while two others covered the exits of the alley. “Mr. Simon, we have been quite patient regarding the money that you owe us, but we are sorry to say that your time has run out.”

Simon struggled to lift his head, staring up into the man’s lifeless eyes. He looked like a doll in his clean, pressed suit and chiseled features, and Simon sighed; on some level, he felt like he should fight. Flee. Do something. But deep in his bones, he was tired. He’d spent so much time rubbing shoulders with the elites and hoity-toity people, trying his damndest to become one of them, but what had it gotten him, really? A whole lot of nothing, from the look of it. 

The men were saying something else, but their lips didn’t seem to match with what he was hearing. 

Do you regret it? 

Simon swallowed. He tried to think, but his thoughts seemed to move at the speed of molasses. Still, he finally managed an answer. “Yes.”

You’re going to die.

“I know that! I… don’t need you to tell me.”

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. 

This is all you amounted to. A pathetic little human trying to be more than he is. You should be ashamed.

Hot tears began to cascade down his cheeks, his face flushed. 

“I am… I wish… I could have done more… been better…”

Well, too bad. You abandoned your family for delusions of grandeur. You’ve had chances galore, and you’ve let them all slip through your fingers.

Simon’s head slumped, his chin resting against his chest. “I… you’re not wrong.”

Die, then.

Suddenly, his dream flashed through his mind. In the pit of his subconscious, he felt like he was on the cusp of returning there, to that odd little island that he called home. Where he had learned, where he had grown, where he had been sent once he’d been born anew. 

“...No.”

With a force of will that he didn’t realize he still had, Simon forced himself up, leaning awkwardly against the wall of the alley. With shaking steps, he forced himself to place one foot in front of the other, his heart beating wildly in his chest. 

Where are you going?

He wanted to go back. He wanted to be an engine. Some freedom was given up, but greater freedom was found. He had a home. He had a family. He had everything he’d never known he’d wanted. 

“Back to that island. The island in my dream.”

You can’t get there as a human.

“Then I’ll be an engine. I don’t care. There’s things waiting for me there. There’s a life. There’s a family. I… I can’t give those up again.”

Simon chanced a glance behind him, and the sight caused his heart to drop into his stomach. The men were stabbing him, steel spikes piercing his body, rivers of red joining the filth filling the alleyway.

Ah. That was him. That was how he’d died, wasn’t it?

Still.

He was not done yet.

Simon was dead… but perhaps Sir Handel could live.

One foot in front of the other. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Through the streets, he stumbled about until he finally saw them: train tracks, leading off into the unseen distance. For a moment, Simon took it all in, then, once more, one foot in front of the other, following the tracks into the twilit horizon. 

~~~~~

“HAAAAAH!” Sir Handel gasped, his eyes flying open. Wildly glancing around, his gaze settled on the recognizable landscapes of Cros-ny-Cuirn, then at his buffers. He… was back! He was back!

“HAHA!” The engine couldn’t help but laugh, loud and triumphant. “I… I did it!” Far above, the moon’s glaring light had retreated, once again naught but a pearl among the pillowy heavens.

“You did indeed,” came a warm voice from behind him. “You made it through quite well, Sir Handel. I’m proud of you.”

Sir Handel grinned widely, reveling in his victory. However, his enthusiasm was short-lived as the memory of what exactly he’d escaped from crept up into the back of his mind. The image of seeing his human body reduced to no more than a pincushion for a series of carmine-dyed knives stuck out strongly, and he hurriedly searched for something, anything, else to discuss. 

“Oh! Reese! How about you? Are you alright?” he tried desperately, and after a moment, he felt the pat of his driver’s hand. 

“Yes, I… I’m here.” The response was weak, weary even, but before the engine could press further, the procession pulled into the station at Cros-ny-Cuirn. Once the engines came to a stop, the last of the visitors exited the coach, and at long last, it was just the living… or perhaps the “living,” as it were, trundling slowly back toward Crovan’s Gate. Few words were spoken, engines and drivers immersed in their own thoughts, until finally, Sir Handel broke the silence.

“Skarloey, if it’s alright with you… could we… talk for a while? Alone. If… if that’s alright.”

“Of course,” the older replied, not missing a beat. “Once we pull into Crovan’s Gate, you and Reese should go find a siding that we can use for the night. It should be clear tonight, so we won’t need to worry about the weather.”

Sir Handel swallowed, emotions forming a lump in his throat at the immediacy of Skarloey’s response. “...Thank you.”

The next hour passed in a blur. Reese and Sir Handel were uncoupled from the train, and found an available siding while Tabitha Sam and Skarloey returned Beatrice and Jemima, taking care not to wake the others. As they waited, Reese finally began to speak, his voice so quiet that Sir Handel strained to hear him. 

“Sir Handel, did you happen to see anything on our way to Cros-ny-Cuirn?”

The blue engine hesitated for a moment. “Yes, I did. Did you?”

“...As if seeing something that might have been her ghost wasn't bad enough, I saw Sylvia’s death.”

“...”

Sir Handel found himself at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say to that? Still, he couldn’t just say nothing. The little blue engine searched desperately for a reply, but found himself at a loss. In the end, all that came out was:

“I’m so sorry, Reese. That must have been overwhelming.”

“...It was. I wasn’t there at the scene that day, but I had heard. It was even worse than I’d imagined it, and even though it’s been years now, I just…”

The driver trailed off. Another beat of silence passed. Then: “She must have cared about you a lot.”

A sharp breath, and a glassy voice. “What?”

“I said, she must have cared about you a lot. After all, she left her son to you. I have Granpuff, and Skarloey and Rheneas have become like brothers over the years. I can tell how much they care about me, even when… well.”

Sir Handel forced himself to let that thought go, refocusing on his earlier point. “You’ve always had nice things to say about her. I’m sure that if she didn’t care about you just as much, you wouldn’t feel the way you do. And I’m sure she wouldn’t have left her son with someone she didn’t trust to take care of him.”

A wet cough, and a fragile murmur. “Thanks, Sir Handel. That… means a lot to me.”

Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

They heard him before they saw him; despite not whistling, the sound of wheels along tracks was a familiar one as the crimson-clad engine pulled into view.

“Alright, Sir Handel,” Reese sighed. “I think I ought to get to sleep.”

“Will you be alright?”

“Yeah. Perhaps I’ll call my mother tomorrow. And seeing Tyrone will do me some good.”

“Alright. If you say so.”

Moments later, the older engine joined him on the siding, with Tabitha Sam and Reese doing a quick, bare-minimum check of the engines to settle them for the night. They chatted a little bit, but didn’t dawdle; after finishing the inspection, both drivers bade their engines good night, and headed for home. In the distance, the sky had already started to lighten, the dawn’s advance fast approaching. It was quite fortunate that both drivers and engines had been given the day off tomorrow.

“So,” Skarloey began, his tone light (almost carefully so). “What did you want to talk about?”

Sir Handel took a moment to organize his thoughts, trying desperately to keep his voice from shaking. “I… I didn’t do very well, did I?”

Skarloey blinked. “Didn’t do well at… what?”

“All of it!” Sir Handel exclaimed, quietly glad that this siding was a fair distance away from the sheds. It would have been awfully unseemly for anyone to have seen or heard him yelling like this!

“Everything! I couldn’t do anything right! Some ‘eldest of my generation’ I am! I… UGH!”

Frustration gripped every word, and if he’d still had hands, Sir Handel would have moved to cover his face, hiding himself from scrutiny. As it was, all he could do was pop out of the steel cage he called his body, moving to sit on his bufferbeam before Skarloey. 

Skarloey had seen poltergeist engines too many times for this sort of thing to bother him, but he still regarded Sir Handel with a quirked eyebrow. “I don’t know about that,” the older engine mused. “After all, the entire point of this exercise was for you to learn. Sure, you made mistakes. But all engines—and humans, for that matter—have to learn somehow.”

“But… I should have been able to do it,” Sir Handel moaned, staring down at the tracks. “I received simple directions! It was easy to ignore them and do what I wanted when I was younger, but now, even when I try, I can’t do it! I shouldn’t have volunteered to go…”

Just outside of Sir Handel’s view, Skarloey’s eyes brightened, like he finally understood something. “Sir Handel… was that why you were so headstrong when you were younger? You were afraid of failure?”

The ghost sniffled in response. “...Maybe.”

“Come here.”

At this, the ghost’s head perked up. “Huh?” 

“Come sit in my cab a while. My fire’s still a little warm too.”

A thousand protests rushed to Sir Handel’s tongue; it was improper, wasn’t it? He wasn’t a child! He didn’t need to be comforted! 

And yet, without voicing any of these thoughts, the ghost slowly hopped down from the bufferbeam and made his way inside Skarloey’s cab. It was oddly warm, and terribly cozy. Sir Handel took a seat by the firebox, laying his back against the cooling metal.

“There you are,” Skarloey’s voice resounded. It echoed around him, almost like a blanket of sound. “Now, Sir Handel, I think that you did a perfectly fine job today. There were some trouble spots, but you already know where you went wrong. You’ll do better next time—you usually do.”

The ghost didn’t speak for a while, but when he did, his voice was small. “Why are you so nice to me, Skarloey? I don’t deserve it. I’ve had so many chances to do well, but I keep messing up.”

The older engine paused, as if figuring out his next words. “Because you and I are family, Sir Handel. Brothers-in-arms. I wouldn’t call you that if I didn’t trust you as much as I trust Rheneas.”

This caused Sir Handel’s eyes to open wide, and he scrambled in his seat. “You can’t mean that. Don’t lie!” 

“I’m not lying. I care about you very much. You, Peter Sam, Rusty and Duncan, and Duke, Fred, and Ivo Hugh. All of you have become my family, and thus, I would trust you with my very life. It’s because of that trust that I know you are a good soul, Sir Handel.”

The ghost shivered, a full body sob coursing through him. “But I’m not! I… on our way to Cros-ny-Cuirn, I saw my own death! I deserved it! I—”

“HUSH!” Skarloey snapped. “Nobody ‘deserves’ to die! I don’t know what kind of person you were in your past life, but the Sir Handel I know now has come a long way from who he used to be, and even further from when he died! Don’t you disregard that effort!”

Another long moment of silence passed as Sir Handel gulped, trying to keep the sudden rush of emotion at bay, and Skarloey let out a long sigh, sensing that perhaps he’d been too forceful. “I’m sorry, Sir Handel. Just… please understand. I know that you’re judging yourself quite harshly right now, but you tried to work through most of your mistakes on this trip. You saved Reese from being lured away. You listened to my advice and overcame yourself. Those are all good signs, don’t you think?”

Sir Handel swallowed again, rubbing his eyes with his ethereal sleeve. “Maybe…” 

“I know they are,” Skarloey replied evenly. “You’re growing into the kind of engine I’ve long thought you could be. It took time and patience, but here you are.”

Inside the cab, Sir Handel carefully nodded. “I… I suppose so. I just… what if I keep failing?”

“Then you’ll just have to keep at it. Experience is the best teacher there is, and now that you’ve gotten a taste of it, you’re one step closer to being ready.”

“...Skarloey?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Sir Handel. After all… it’s what family’s for.”

[zekes-original-character-rambles]

Sup I’m Zeke this is the blog to talk about my ocs and keep it organized lol.

main is @monstrousmaws

I hope you enjoy nonsensical rambles about my little guys cause oh boy are you gonna get them

you can find all posts about a specific OC by going to their tag which is their full name

e.g “Abigail “Arachne” Spinner” or “Leon” or “Melanie Brooks”

alphabetical list of all my ocs below the cut

Abigail “Arachne” Spinner

Ace

Adam

Alex

Amelia Brown

Amethyst

Amnesia Torres

Anatomy “Ana”

Anglerfish “Angie”

Aster Hart

Arcadia “Arcade” Star

Avery Fitzgerald 

Bambi

Bianca

Black Brew

Bones Dumont

Briar

Bubbles Pierrot

Bunny O’Riley

Butterfly

Cade King

Candle Shine

Carnival “Val”

Cecil

Chance Angel

Charlie Lantern

Christopher “Chris” Otho

Chrysalis The Fae King

Clyde

Comet

Crow Dunn

Cryptid

Cyan Jones

Damien Hart

Dash Bloodwing

Echo

Edie Von Zarovich

Eio Carla Shara

Emily Brooks

Emmet Ward

Ethel

Evelyn Ward

Everything “Eve”

Featharchism “Feathery” 

Fern

Frigid

Galadriel

Ghost Edwards

Ginger “Gingi” Kindheart 

Green Hart

Hayley Gray

Hex

Hexadecimal 

Honey Vespidae

Izzy

Jane Doe

Jaqueline “Jack/Jackie” Lantern

Kane

Kirigu

Kit Crimson

Laika Roberts

Leela

Leon

Leona Murray

Lizard “Lizzie”

Malevolent “Mal”

Mallory Hart

Marionette “Mari” Graves

Maroon

Mausoleum “Lee” Terminus

Maya

Melanie Brooks

Michael

Michael “Mikey” Hallow

Millipede “Millie” Danger

Mistophelees 

Mold Infested Automaton “M.I.A”

Monster

Mordred Banneret

Morgan Asphodel 

Nana Watcher

Natalie/Nathan Skye

Nicky

Niko Watcher

Onyx Smith

Persephone Smith

Poppy Jackson

Poseidon

Rags

Random

Reynard

Robo

Ruby

Sabrine

Salem Green

Saskia Blight

Saturn

Scout Brown

Shapeshifter

Snail Rose

Sugar Bailey

Swallowtail

Tempest

Theodosia “Thunder” MacNamara

Tox Matthews

Valentine Carmine

Viola Kelly

Violet

Wither

Zanthe Brighton Shara

[paintedgrcve]

Quick Easy OC Mini Bios

Phantasia Yamiline Vendillo | Fanta Emily Nashton

The Vendillos are a German Family who moved to Italy, this is where Traz met his wife Veronica. They soon moved to England and had their family due to Traz needing to take care of a sick relative in London. He over took his cousins business, a Computer Security Corporation, and decided to expand into the US. Fanta was seven when this happened and was put into a private school to encourage her learning. During her teen years Fanta wanted to become an actress / model. Despite her father hating the idea as he wanted her to do better for herself such as become a doctor or lawyer. Fanta didn't really want that lifestyle, finding it to boring, the young girl just wanted to have fun. After graduating high school she went off to a school for acting & theater. Even incorporating dance, modeling, and singing as well. During her twenties Fanta became rather popular and well known as a model in Gotham. Even becoming the girlfriend of Bruce Wayne for a while before she'd left him due to gaining interest in Edward. She married Edward in her mid/late twenties.

◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦

Carter Alexander Nashton

Eldest son, Harvard Graduate, Doctor. Carter was born a year after Fanta & Edward married. He was the beloved child of both parents until his sister was born, becoming more loved by his mother which turned his relationship with his father & sister sour. Carter did everything to prove his smarts and wits. Only to be overshadowed by Kitty doing it because she was younger and always did it better..... He cut contact with his family after graduating high school, sometimes calling his mother but rather rarely. He now lives somewhere in California but its unknown where exactly. He visits Gotham to see Fanta and only her since she believed in him.

◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦

Adalinda Kathrine Veronica Nashton | Kitty Nashton

Eldest daughter, overachiever, minor villainess known as Echoline. Kitty was born when Carter turned four. She was always curious and loved to learn things. Reading at a young age, trying to play with objects that her father needed for one of his many projects, enjoying puzzles. All through out her school years she tried to become knowledgeable in ever subject. Often reading the whole textbook and then some before the school year even started. This set her up to skip a few grades, be in honors [ AP ] classes, and graduate early if she so wanted to. Once hitting high school she held herself back in order to be around her friends. As Echoline, she works under the Riddler, being a hacker and usually staying out of physical fights. Shes maybe had to get into a fight with the batfam a handful of times. Mostly because she went off to steal some blueprints or something cause she was getting money off a client she took on. Hey sometimes a girl wants some extra cash without asking mommy & daddy for it....so sometimes you gotta break into high tech lab and fight one of the Batfam members.

◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦

Willow Bianca Mariano | William Bernard Mariano | Will Nashton

Adopted son & twin of Kamilla. Found on the streets of Gotham by Fanta.

William is a rather shy and quiet child who has an interest in technology. He takes an extra computer class at Gotham Academy and will ask lots of questions about different machines as well as coding programs. Its not uncommon to locate Will in the library when he's out of school. He hasnt made friends yet but hopes to once hes more comfortable around his classmates.

◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿◉●•◦

Stefano Carmine Mariano | Stephanie Kamilla Mariano | Kam Nashton

Adopted daughter & twin of William. Found on the streets of Gotham by Fanta.

Kamilla is a loud mouth, hyperactive, and loves to get in peoples personal space. Very friendly girl who tries to befriend almost all of her classmates, even the bullies. She loves art and fashion. Always trying to be trendy but put her own spin on it to make it her own. Her favorite thing to do is sit on the roof top of her parents home and try to see if she can catch Gotham's heroes patrolling the city.

[b0wie-st4rdust]

Oh???? Another person with an AU and their own versions of the Rogues? Which ones you got because I want to know EVERYTHING about them.

OKAY SO I have a list of Rogues that are gonna be in my AU and the list is a bit Long, some of these character still need to be fully shaped, but Asking Question about them is probably gonna help, so feel free to ask about any of them (Also I'm trying to organise the whole thing)

Characters:

Leader of Crime Organizations and people attached to it:

The Penguin - Oswald Cobblepot

Flamingo - Edouardo Flamingo

Music Meister - Darius (Cobblepot) Chapel

Carmine "The Roman" Falcone (and his family)

Sal "The Boss" Maroni (and his family)

Black Mask

Talon and the Court of Owls

Ra's Al Ghul, Talia Al Ghul and the league of Assassin

Mother - Christian Cain

The Big Ones (Very Important to the General Plot):

Joker - ???

Harley Quinn - Harleen Quinzel

Riddler - Edward Nygma

Two Face - Harvey Dent / Harv'

Poison Ivy - Pamela Isley

The Scarecrow - Jonathan Crane

(AU OC) The Mania - Marlene McCree

(AU OC) The Mourning Dove - Bo Hawkins

Dr. Hugo Strange and Dr. Jeremiah Arkham

The Others (some Still important):

Catwoman - Selina Kyle

Magpie - Margaret Pye

(AU OC) Soda Can - Cheryl Lee (Later Cheryl Chapel Lee)

Punchline - Alexis Kaye

Jester - Duela Jones (Joker Daughter in comics)

Mad Hatter - Jervis Tetch

Victor Zsasz

(AU OC) Madame - Camilla Shelley

Jane Doe - ???

Professor Pyg - Lazlo Valentin

DollMaker+Dollhouse - Barton Mathis and Matilda Mathis

Mister Camera - Alexander Gillian

The Eraser - Leonardo Fiasco

Man-Bat - Dr. Kirk Langstrom

Killer Croc - Waylon Jones

Orca - Dr. Grace Balin

Bane - ???

Firefly - Garfield Lynns

Anarky - Lonnie Machin

Ratcatcher (s) - Otis Flanegan and Cleo Flanegan

Clayface - Basil Karlo

Calendar Girl - Paige Monroe

Roxy Rocket - Roxanne Sutton

Baby Doll - Mary Dahl

Cluemaster - Arthur Brown

Clock King - William Tockman

Calendar King - Julian Day

The Calculator - Noah Kuttler

Bookworm - A.S Scarlet

King Tut - William Yasser

Catman - Thomas Blake

Lord Death Man - Tetsuo Fujiwara

Kite Man - Charles "Chuck" Brown

Mister Bloom - ???

Solomon Grundy - Cyrus Gold

Ventriloquist - Arnold Wesker

Character that I want to add but need to do more research on them:

Professor Achilles Milo

White Rabbit - Jaina Hudson

The Carpenter - Jenna Duffy

Cornelius Stirk

Toymaker - Cosmo Krank

Crime Doctor - Bradform Thorne

D.A.V.E

The Designer - ???

Deadshot - Floyd Lawton

Doctor Phosphorus - Dr. Alexander Sartorius

Ten Eyed Man - Philip Reardon (The Spooky Version)

Spellbinder - Charles Dante

Lady Arkham - Victoria Arkham

Merrymaker - Dr. Byron Meredith 

Onomatopoeia

Polka Dot Man - Abner Krill

Killer Moth - Drury Walker

(and Captain Boomerang if I am peer pressured enough)

[endlessly-cursed]

Official OC Ships

FOUNDERS ERA

Brunhilda of Cologne x Mathilde Coventry [ @camillejeaneshphm ] x Lachlann Doherty [ @hphmmatthewluther ]

Henriette of Wessex x Frederick of Kent [ @that-scouse-wizard ]

Sancha Delgado x Betwixt, Monarch of the Changelings [ @hphmmatthewluther ]

Luxia Thorne x Evander Mountmorris [ @foundersofhogwartslegacy ]

next gen;

Dayana of Glasgow x Sam Doherty [ @camillejeaneshphm ]

Odalric the Red x Matilda of Essex

Akelda the Tragic x Edward the Valiant [ @cursedvaultss ]

THE RISING ERAS

Matteo Somerset x Sancia D'Este

Ipolytta Howard x Thomas Somerset x Drystan Gaunt [ @foundersofhogwartslegacy ]

HPHL

Primrose Gray x Malcolm Stolberg-Burke [ @gaygryffindorgal ] 

Cecilia Balinor x Lavinia Wakefield [ @gaygryffindorgal ] 

Jesse Seymour x Nadia Erbland [ @gcldensnitch ] 

Beatrice Brown x Orla Atkinson [ @nightmaresart ] 

Blanche Dubois x Lionel Astor [ @cursebreakerfarrier ] 

Ernest di Napoli x Abigail Bennett [ @mjs-oc-corner ] 

Adonis Demiurgos x Minerva Kennedy [ @unfortunate-arrow ] 

Marcellus Thorne x Victoria Montgomery [ @nightmaresart ] 

Nilufer Sultan x Simon Battersea [ @unfortunate-arrow ] 

Phineas Falcon x Hestia Herron [ @cursebreakerfarrier ] 

Emmeline Falcon x Abraham Alden [ @cursed-herbalist ] 

Sara Rosier x Carmine Elderberry [ @potionboy3 ] 

Lihuan Wei x Noelle Brenton [ @magicallymalted ] 

Lucie Cromwell x Thane Greenaway [ @potionboy3 ] 

Ambrose Cromwell x Melinda Ives [ @kathrynalicemc ] 

FBAWTFT 

Jude Dubois x Caspar Brokenshire [ @cursebreakerfarrier ] 

Vincent Somerset x Margaret Taylor [ @camillejeaneshphm ] 

Enya Thorne x Robert Astor 

Atticus Demiurgos-Kennedy x Iolanthe Arcano [ @kathrynalicemc ] 

Albert Rosier x Ruth Marchmont [ @potionboy3 ] 

RIDDLE ERA 

Elodie Dubois x Lyubomir Vulchanov [ @magicallymalted ] 

Lawrence Somerset x Millicent Abbott 

MARAUDER’S ERA 

Denise Shannon x Remus Lupin 

Delphine Vixen x Bessilyn Quinn [ @gaygryffindorgal ] 

Sybil Vixen x Valentina de Valerio [ @camillejeaneshphm ] 

Rue Selwyn x Regulus Black 

HPHM 

Isabelle Dubois x Penny Haywood 

Valentina Somerset x Caiden Solace [ @camillejeaneshphm ] 

Semele Thorne x Kaari Arcano [ @kathrynalicemc ] 

GOLDEN ERA 

Rocío Gallardo x Trinity Reynolds [ @hphmmatthewluther ] 

Almudena Gallardo x Neville Longbottom

Jimena Gallardo x Jebron Perphyra [ @nicos-oc-hell ] 

HPMA 

Mary Ann Von Deyne x Gabrielle Blanchet [ @nightmaresart ] 

Harry Seymour x Savannah Bradford [ @mjs-oc-corner ]

Lennox Arcano-Thorne x TBD [ @gcldensnitch ]

Diana Somerset x Tiberius Dormer

Shreya Battersea-Parsons x John Arthur [ @potionboy3 ] x Kevin Farrell

NON-HP OCS 

Lady Marie Beauchamp x Eloise Bridgerton 

Lisbeth Foy x Ada Thorne 

Esmeralda Yakovsdotter x Genya Safin 

[sleepyowlwrites]

I've got blorbos you haven't even seen | an oc masterpost

all my blorbos! in alphabetical order. literally for my own convenience, but maybe yours for ask games as well.

Current OC count: 182 (+13 floaters)

A:

Aiden Chase - Anxiety Story

Adelaide Rhiannon O'Shea - Anxiety Story

Amelia Kinsey - Inheritance Story

Alexander Gold - Magick Story

Ander Sage - Magick Story

Aristotle - Magick Story

Arthur - Princess Story

Abari - Hunter Story

Arin - College Story

Arkenji - Guild Story

Aline - Illusion Story

B:

Alinora Briarwood - Romance Story

Avery Williams - Watermelon Story

Ben Averis - Apocalypse Story

Breydan Yusai - Guild Story

Breeka - Thief Story

Beran Sunder - Pirate Story

Briar - Pirate Story

Berry - Pirate Story

C:

Corm - Magick Story

Callum Blakesley - Youth Story

Copper - City Story

Cam - City Story

Caden - Ghost Story

Caro - Thief Story

Carmine - Princess Story

D:

Cleo Harmon - Watermelon Story

Connor Williams - Watermelon Story

Christopher Williams - Watermelon Story

Dair Sin'Claybeak - Summon Story

Dahlia Starling - Magick Story

Daisy - Magick Story

(Lucas) Daniel Cardwin - Youth Story

Din/Dinah - Death Story

Darsh - Rain Story

Devin - College Story

Dreya - Thief Story

E:

Eric Heyward - Anxiety Story

Erin Da'Virya - Summon Story

Ernest Jackdaw - Magick Story

Edwin Rose - Magick Story

Eveline Veery - Youth Story

Edgar - Void Story

Emrik - Ghost Story

Eksal - Hunter Story

Eshku - Mercenary Story

Era - Portal Story

Edward Valant - Romance Story

F:

Fern - Magick Story

Fawn - City Story

Faroom - Space Story

Finnal Espris - Guild Story

Frin - Necromancy Story

G:

Ghand Sin'Blackstone - Summon Story

Grimes - Summon Story

Gareth - Princess Story

Gale - Summer Story

Greg - College Story

Garnet - Magick Story

Galinhad - Emporium Story

Gemna Hyacinth - Pirate Story

H:

Hadley James - Inheritance Story

Haezle - Emporium Story

Heidi Chorus - Magick Story

Holly - Magick Story

Hawk - City Story

I:

Imire Da'Hala - Summon Story

Isabelle Levette - Youth Story

Irina Kovalenko - Youth Story

Idrian Sarendor - Guild Story

Ivan - Thief Story

J:

Jaclyn Heyward - Anxiety Story

Jaf Ov'Beyn - Summon Story

Jessalyn Lark - Magick Story

Jaeyoung (James) Seo - Youth Story

Jet - City Story

Jalek - Space Story

Jaino - Rain Story

Jemmi - Rain Story

Jake - Summer Story

Jorand - Mercenary Story

Jack Sanderson - Romance Story

John Rusalo - Romance Story

Jorji - Emporium Story

Jaspera Ruse - Pirate Story

K:

Kyle Heron - Magick Story

Kena - Rain Story

Kyt - Rain Story

Katlan - Thief Story

Katharine Briarwood - Romance Story

Ketki Beetle - Pirate Story

L:

the Library - Magick Story

Lila - Magick Story

Lawrence Whitely - Death Story

Laisa - Hunter Story

Lin - Portal Story

Lunetta - Train Story

Lysandris Greylark - Pirate Story

M:

Marianna Heyward - Anxiety Story

Melissa O'Shea - Anxiety Story

Madi Ov'Ubaran - Summon Story

Martin Glass - Magick Story

Mark Isanz - Youth Story

Moss - City Story

Maidred - Emporium Story

Max - City Story

Mar - Death Story

Myr - Space Story

Mandy - College Story

Marz Abisos - Guild Story

Mareye Abisos - Guil Story

Martain Abisos - Guild Story

Marlin Abisos - Guild Story

Marisse Abisos - Guild Story

Marelli Abisos - Guild Story

Marden - Mercenary Story

Mirai - Mercenary Story

Margaret Canton - Romance Story

Mariyen [redacted] - Pirate Story

Maisy Beckett - Watermelon Story

N:

Nathaniel Moss - Magick Story

Natalie Birch - Magick Story

Nykolas Argyros - Youth Story

Naki - Mercenary Story

O:

Niyah - Necromancy Story

Noah Williams - Watermelon Story

Opar - Summon Story

Ondo - Guild Story

Ormand - Necromancy Story

P:

Petirik Ov'Rine (Masryune) - Summon Story

Persimmon - Magick Story

Pim - Death Story

Penn - College Story

Pellor - Guild Story

Poppy - Thief Story

Q:

Pascal Sanderson - Romance Story

Peter Williams - Watermelon Story

Qaz - Ghost Story

Quental Kathur - Guild Story

R:

Rhea Da'Yesul - Summon Story

Rasker Sin'Tinfinger - Summon Story

Roland Blakesley - Youth Story

Rune (Cloud) - City Story

Rowena - Princess Story

Ryland - Void Story

Rose - College Story

Reed - Thief Story

Ryu - Necromancy Story

S:

Rudy Bradford - Watermelon Story

Robbie Williams - Watermelon Story

Samuel Ledell - Anxiety Story

Shae Da'Mika - Summon Story

Savannah Li - Youth Story

Shadow - City Story

Sardha - Rain Story

Sharajai - Mercenary Story

Sebastian - Train Story

Sondran Basil - Pirate Story

Sybil Valant - Romance Story

Savro - Necromancy

T:

Theodore Heyward - Anxiety Story

Tims - Magick Story

Terence - Ghost Story

Tinmar - Hunter Story

Ty Carrow - Apocalypse Story

Toby - College Story

Teshek - Portal Story

Torash - Illusion Story

Tristaina - Necromancy

U:

Ubaran - Summon Story

Umber - Pirate Story

V:

Vivianne Oak - Magick Story

Viola Sage - Magick Story

Violet - Void Story

Vari - Space Story

Vern - Rain Story

Val - Death Story

Vyx - Emporium Story

W:

Wesley Burke - Anxiety Story

Wryn Ov'Kastek - Summon Story

Winnie - Void Story

W'yn - Space Story

William Leighton - Romance Story

X:

Xiyun Jinan - Guild Story

Xicato - Necromancy Story

Y:

Yarrow - City Story

Yendan - Rain Story

Yashel - Guild Story

Yadsmyn - Mercenary Story

Z:

Zan Ov'Opar - Summon Story

Zen Ashri - Pirate Story

Floaters:

Lexi Ayre

Sage

Lin Meili

Mireille Bellerose

Tiger

Kyra Roselle

Elsie Martin

Marion Song

Jess Rider

Tris

Kivarin Moonshade

Kirel Temir

Eira Iko

more to come, I'm sure.

[zigg--muses]

from: anonymous

9. who are some characters you ship your muse with? For Joker, Ruairí, Edward, and Terry?

ask meme: here.

Joker (@lethal--laughter)

My ships so far have been with mainly with Carmine Falcone (including @imperatore-falcone's version), Edward Nygma, and Harley Quinn. However, other ships I enjoy and would like to explore are of course BatJokes, LexJokes, and ScareJokes.

John is a character I'm also open to interesting ships with, including all above and their TellTale versions. I kinda want a toxic romance - someone to treat him badly.

Ruairí (@crimson--corvid)

Ruairi has been with many people over the century of unlife he's enjoyed. These include some other OCs I have, like Prince Novak of New Jersey, Lord Ewan, and scandalously, a werewolf named Yaniv Sands. However, I also ship him with a few canon VtM NPCs, including Nines Rodriguez, Beckett, Velvet Velour, and Isaac Abrams.

Eddie(@the--e--nygma)

Eddie is a whore (affectionate), there are few villains or vigilantes that he wouldn't have interest in, granted they're men. My favorite ships include Twiddler, RiddleBird(In a past-tense kind of way), RiddleCrow, and RiddleJokes. However, I'm open to pretty much anything!

Terry (@neo--knight)

I am a HUGE Terry/Melanie fan. I think their relationship is so cool and slick that it feels like the best kind of schlocky 90's movie romance. Outside of that, I haven't explored many ships, though I'm open to new ideas! He's so into the ladies, just never has enough time to balance his relationships out unless they're in the same line of work.

Terry (@nightmares--child)

Terry is a hard one to ship, since he's so niche, but there are a few canon characters I ship him with, given the player. Those are: MVP (Avengers: The Initiative), Jay Guthrie (Icarus, X-Men), and my OC Mal (@mad--mal). Outside of that, I am definitely open to exploring different ships!

[angel-selfshipper]

𝓕 /𝓞 𝓛𝓲𝓼𝓽

♱ Source... My Hero Academia

♱ Fictional Others... Mezo Shoji, Koji Koda, Rikido Sato, Tenya Iida, Hanta Sero, Shoto Todoroki, Momo Yaoyorozu, Katsuki Bakugou, Eijiro Kirishima, Mashirao Ojiro, Yuga Aoyama, Denki Kaminari, Izuku Midoriya, Mina Ashido, Fumikage Tokoyami, Ochaco Uraraka, Kyoku Jiro, Toru Hagakure, Tsuyu Asui, Hitoshi Shinsou, Shota Aizawa, Hizashi Yamada, Eri Aizawa, Katsuma Shimano, Mahoro Shimano, Kota Izumi, Tomura Shigaraki, Himiko Toga, Dabi, Twice, Spinner, Mr. Compress, Kurogiri

♱ Source... What in hell is bad?

♱ Fictional Others... Satan, Mammon, Leviathan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Asmodeus, Belphegor, Sitri, Leraye, Paimon, Belial, Astaroth, Zagan, Amy, Bimet, Eligos, Valefor, Foras, Glasyalabolas, Barbatos, Orias, Bael, Naberius, Amon, Stolas, Marbas, Morax, Buer, Gamigin, Dantalian, Phenix, Ronove, Beleth, Andrealphus, Gusion, Bathin, Agares, Vassago, Jegudiel, Armisael, Michael, Rashiel

♱ Source... Pokemon Universe

♱ Fictional Others... Ash, Goh, Pikachu, MimiKyu, Snorlax, Eevee, Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, Umbreon, Espeon, Leafeon, Glaceon and Sylveon, Non-Canon Eeveelutions (Crystal, Light, Nuclear, Energy, Tech, Chaos, Cosmic, Void, Cyber, Void, Cyber, Ground, Flying, Fighting, Rock, Dragon, Steel, Bug, Poison, Ghost)

♱ Source... Demon Slayer

♱ Fictional Others... Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, Nezuko Kamado, Mitsuri Kanroji, Giyu Tomioka, Kyōjurō Rengoku, Shinobu Kochō, Tengen Uzui, Muichiro Tokito, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Gyomei Himejima, Obanai Iguro, Makio, Suma, Hinatsuru, kokushibo, Akaza, Doma

♱ Source... The Camp HalfBlood Chronicles

♱ Fictional Others... Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Will Solace, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Leo Valdez, Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, Persephone, Hades, Satyr polycule (OC's)

♱ Source... Steven Universe

♱ Fictional Others... Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran, Garnet (Ruby and Sapphire), Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Peridot, Bismuth, Spinel, White Diamond, Blue Diamond, Yellow Diamond

♱ Source... Hazbin Hotel

♱ Fictional Others... Lucifer, Charlie, Vaggie, Angel Dust, Husk, Alastor, Rosie, Sir Pentious, Cherri Bomb, Vox, Vellvete, Valentino, Carmilla Carmine, Alastor, Emily, Adam

♱ Source... The Twilight Saga

♱ Fictional Others... Carlisle Cullen, Esme Cullen, Edward Cullen, Isabella Swan, Emmett Cullen, Rosalie Hale, Alice Cullen, Jasper Hale, Aro, Marcus, Caius, Jane, Alec, Felix

♱ Source... DuckTales

♱ Fictional Others... Lena Sabrewing, Violet Sabrewing, Webby Vanderquack, Huey Duck, Dewey Duck, Louie Duck, Donald Duck, Della Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Daisy

♱ Source... Stardew Valley

♱ Fictional Others... Harvey, Sam, Sebastian, Abigail, Leah, Shane, Haley, Alex, Elliott, Emily, Maru, Penny, Willy, Leo, Vincent

♱ Source... Marvel

♱ Fictional Others... Logan Howlett, Wade Wilson, Eddie Brock, Venom, Natasha Romanof, Yelena Belova, Wanda Maximoff, Loki

♱ Source... Helluva Boss

♱ Fictional Others... Asmodeus, Fizzaroli, Blitzø, Stolas, Moxxie, Millie, Lonna, Beelzebub, Vortex, Verosika, Sallie May, Emberlynn

♱ Source... FNAF Security Breach

♱ Fictional Others... Map Bot, Glamrock Freddy, Glamrock Monty, Glamrock Chica, Glamrock Roxy, Moon, Sun

♱ Source... Spy X Family

♱ Fictional Others... Loid Forger, Yor Forger, Yuri Briar, Anya Forger, Damian Desmond, Becky Blackbell

♱ Source... Call of duty: Modern Warfare

♱ Fictional Others... Simon "Ghost" Riley, Gary "Roach" Sanderson, könig

♱ Source... Spiderman Across The Spiderverse

♱ Fictional Others... Spider Noir, Miles, Gwen, Hobie, Pavitr, Miguel

♱ Source... Teen Titans (2003)

♱ Fictional Others... Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg

♱ Source... Animal Crossing

♱ Fictional Others... Tom Nook, Timmy Nook, Tommy Nook

♱ Source... Gravity Falls

♱ Fictional Others... Dipper Pines, Mabel Pines, Bill Cipher

♱ Source... Avatar the last Airbender

♱ Fictional Others... Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Toph

♱ Source... Shota Oni

♱ Fictional Others... Yuu, Tsubaki, Higa Tooru

♱ Source... Maximum Ride

♱ Fictional Others... Max, Fang, Iggy, Angel

♱ Source... Ramshackle (Pilot)

♱ Fictional Others... Vinnie, Skipp, Stone

♱ Source... The Coffin of Andy and Leyley

♱ Fictional Others... Andrew Graves, Ashley Graves

♱ Source... it (2017)

♱ Fictional Other... Pennywise

♱ Source... The Labyrinth

♱ Fictional Other... Jareth

𝓕 /𝓞 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽

♱ Full List... 339 fictional others

♱ Cannon count... 289 canon chachters

♱ OC Count... 50 original charachters

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Show Me How

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/SDBUCve by Yes_I_have_daddy_issues Loud beeping from my phone brought me back to life, 7:30 am. God… I had already slept through 5 alarms by this point, and only had time to get dressed and go to work. My vision blurred as I stumbled across my apartment, throwing a hat over my greasy hair, popping a mint in my mouth on the way out the door. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than nothing, I guess. Running to the transit was a lot more difficult on half asleep legs than you’d think honestly, and if I didn’t catch the 8 AM I’d end up late for work. Again. I squeezed just past the closing door, trying my best to catch my breath as I checked my phone 15% battery. Fuck… I was about to cry on this stupid train. I took a few deep breaths, pretending like I was still just trying to get air into my lungs, my eyes stinging from the unshed tears. Life had decided to kick my ass today… -- Rewrite of an old fic of mine I had to stop writing for personal reasons. It follows our protagonist Ace (which is you) getting himself into trouble frequently enough that The Batman himself decides it's time for some divine intervention. Words: 2883, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: The Batman (Movie 2022), Batman (Comics), Batman: Arkham (Video Games) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: M/M Characters: Bruce Wayne, Batman, Alfred Pennyworth, Selina Kyle, Catwoman, Edward Nygma, Edward Nashton, Jim Gordon, Carmine Falcone, Original Characters, Miss Lady (Cat) Relationships: Bruce Wayne/Reader, Bruce Wayne/Original Character(s) Additional Tags: Reader falls for Batman first, oc is kept ambiguous on some accounts so it still works as a /reader, Ace is back boys, Im sorry I deleted the old one, Sleep Deprivation, Author is no longer sleep deprived, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating, Bruce Wayne Needs a Hug, Comic References, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Canon-Typical Violence, Bruce Wayne Has OCD, Mental Health Issues, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Bruce Wayne Has PTSD, womp womp autism entered the chat, Trans Male Character, Transmasc, He/They Pronouns for Reader, Reader Has Top Surgery, Top Surgery Scars, impromptu stitches, Broken Bones, Alfred Pennyworth is a Saint, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Bruce Wayne is Bisexual, I've talked to my brother about batman too much, most of the details about the comics are from him, he recently realized he's pan as if his Jojo obsession in highschool wasn't proof enough, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Enthusiastic Consent, Explicit Consent, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, I might throw some fanart in here or something idk yet, References to Depression, Explicit Depression, Dissociation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/SDBUCve

[simplegenius042]

Music Monday

Tagging @inafieldofdaisies @voidika @icecutioner @socially-awkward-skeleton @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @direwombat @strangefable @rhettsabbott @josephseedismyfather @josephslittledeputy @imogenkol @cloudofbutterflies92 @skoll-sun-eater @cassietrn @carlosoliveiraa @adelaidedrubman @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @raresvtm @aceghosts @turbo-virgins @shellibisshe @deputy-morgan-malone @softtidesworld @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @florbelles @sleepyconfusedpotato @titiagls @minilev @yokobai @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink @thesingularityseries @nightwingshero and @noodlecupcakes

Songs for An Old Ballad Of Chance And Ember Hearts Trilogy, A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore and one specifically called "Dinosaur Escape" for the Jurassic World WIPs in The UnTitledverse, though the Jurassic World: Into The Eye Of The Storm WIP fits this one. You can listen to them below the cut:

The Trilogy of An Old Ballad Of Chance And Ember Hearts are a trio of original works about the first pair of human explorers of the Multiverse as they traverse through numerous and wonderful worlds that exist within it. It explores the beauty and darkness of the mesmerizing nature of life. "Dream Your Dream" I believe encapsulates the fantastical and ethereal tone, especially with its balance between the whimsical dream and a dreadful nightmare, which is emphasized through the lullaby-aesthetic of the song, as this trilogy is written as historical accounts of these two explorers' journeys from a time that has long since passed.

"The ticking clock breaks the spell with every beat Illusion or not, you are safe for now So dream, so dream your dream So dream your dream

So dream, dream, dream your dream 'Cause when you're awake your nightmare awaits So dream, dream, dream your dream 'Cause when you're awake the nightmare awaits It's a fantasy, they'll be seeing you soon Nowhere left to go, terrors keep breaking through So dream, dream, dream your dream 'Cause when you're awake The nightmare will become the truth."

Throughout all six of the fics I have for my Fallout series, A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore, I think the most grim and game-changing one would have to be the Fallout: New Vegas fic, The House On Top, not that this series isn't already written to be grimmer and darker than the games. Anywho, the song I believe sets the tone going forward during and post-FONV's fic would have to be "Game Of Survival".

"Who's in the shadows? Who's ready to play? Are we the hunters? Or are we the prey?

There's no surrender And there's no escape Are we the hunters? Or are we the prey?

This is a wild game of survival."

Of course "Dinosaur Escape" can just be for all my Jurassic World fics, however I think it's closest to my Jurassic World: Into The Eye Of The Storm WIP as that takes place during Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, especially with references to the Isla Nublar eruption and the Indoraptor himself. This specific fic focuses on Joaquin Cobalt, Edward Carmine and Indo (+ Diego & Phone) as they try to get off the island before they're consumed by molten ash of death. It's also the fic where Maisie gets introduced, and she plays an important part throughout The UnTitledverse entire series. The song's also a kind of Spoiler-ish free recap for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom if anyone wants to listen.

"On Isla Nublar So many dinosaurs are running wild Too many to count But Claire has got a list of names compiled I feel a rumble on the island and I start to think... We have to save the dinosaurs before they're all extinct

Start with the herbivores!

The Stegosaurus last was seen by the Cretaceous Cruise Triceratops was in the Gentle Giants petting zoo Pachycephalosaurus used to fight in Pachy Arena Ankylosaurus were around the Gyrospheres beside the forest

Oh! I feel a rumble coming from a volcano I see a stormy cloud I see a dark red glow So grab the gyrosphere and step on the gas We've got to go It's gonna blow 'Cause it's an eruption Eruption

Chaos is all around While Claire's embarking with a crew And Owen Grady joined the team to help them look for Blue Isla Nublar's falling and the population's on the brink They've got to save the dinosaurs before they're all extinct

Onto the carnivores!

Carnotaurus has two horns protruding from her head Ferocious Allosaurus broke from holoscape and fled Last remaining Tyrannosaurus Rex escaped her kingdom Baryonyx almost ate the crew inside the lava chamber

Oh! I feel a rumble coming from a volcano I see a stormy cloud I see a dark red glow So grab the gyrosphere and step on the gas We've got to go It's gonna blow 'Cause it's an eruption Eruption

The Indoraptor was created by Dr. Wu A hybrid dinosaur 2,000 pounds designed for war Half Velociraptor, half Indominus Rex And it's up to Blue to defeat him now

I feel a rumble, I feel a rumble I feel a rumble coming from a volcano I feel a rumble, I hear the sound We've got to go before Jurassic World comes falling down Yeah!

Eruption!"

[ao3feed-timdrake]

One Winter Knight

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2EDMFZk

by Marvel_Mockingjays

(Full Summary Inside)

Private investigator Evangeline Winter never thought she would end up in the middle of a bloody Gotham mob war, but after watching Salvatore Maroni gun down two kids of opposing crime families in an alley one night, unfortunately for her, that's precisely where she winds up.

Filled with crime, ass-kicking, deception, love and the dramatic flair of Gotham’s top drama queens – otherwise known as the infamous Rogue’s Gallery – ‘One Winter Knight’ tells a tale of Evangeline Winter unwittingly intertwining herself within the tendrils of Gotham’s criminal underworld, unintentionally catching the eyes of a certain rodent dressed vigilante and an ex-DA turned notorious crime lord whilst she's at it.

SLOW BURN

Batman/OC, Two Face/OC and a side Riddler/OC pairing.

Words: 19609, Chapters: 5/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham (Video Games)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M, Multi

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Batman, Harvey Dent, Edward Nygma, Jonathan Crane, Original Characters, Roman Sionis, Carmine Falcone, Salvatore Maroni, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon

Relationships: Bruce Wayne/Original Female Character(s), Batman/Original Female Character(s), Harvey Dent/Original Character(s), Edward Nygma/Original Female Character(s)

Additional Tags: Organized Crime, Crimes & Criminals, Romance, Slow Burn, Like a hella long slow burn, But not too long I think, Violence, Gotham City - Freeform, Arkham Asylum, Love Triangles, because why not, Private Investigators, Trust me she's a smart cookie, Explicit Language, AKA lots of swearing, Because Two Face, And eventually Jason Todd, Detectives, Slight AU for Arkham Games

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2EDMFZk

[dc-ocs-200x]

♡♡Tags♡♡

OCs:

Oliver Quinzel (tags: #oliver quinzel, #oliver wayne, #son of joker and harley, #son of joker, #son of harley, #son of harley quinn, #adopted son of bruce wayne, #mallet blonde (storyline tags: #dent era, #post wayne era))

Dedric Crane (tags: #dedric crane, #son of jonathan crane, #son of scarecrow, #hattercrow child, #protégé of fear)

Alcuin Nygma (tags: #alcuin nygma, #son of edward nygma, #son of riddler, #stepson of oswald cobblepot, #stepson of penguin, #son of penguin, #son of oswald cobblepot, #nygmobblepot child, #riddlebird child, #spoiled brat)

Alice Tetch (tags: #alice tetch, #daughter of jervis tetch, #adopted daughter of jervis tetch, #hattercrow child, #dearest alice)

Apollo (tags: #dc apollo, #joshua appoleese, #adopted child of maxie zues, #child of maxie zues, #golden heir)

Ezra Arkham (tags: #ezra arkham, #son of jeremiah arkham, #arkham heir (storyline tags: #arkham era, #insanity era))

Cornelius Elliot (tags: #cornelius elliot, #son of thomas elliot, #son of hush, #cloned son of joker and hush, #sanest man of arkham (storyline tags: #pre arkham tales))

Vincenzo Rizzo-Falcone (#vincenzo falcone, #vincenzo rizzo-falcone, #son of carmine falcone, #brother of alberto falcone, #raised by alberto falcone, #mob innocence)

Alexander Strange (tags: #alexander strange, #alexander lai, #adopted son of hugo strange, #son of hugo strange, #traitor)

Jeremy Loeb (tags: #jeremy loeb, #son of gillian loeb, #medical liar)

Jessie Diamos (tags: #jessie jones, #jessie diamos, #adopted child of waylon jones, #child of waylon jones, #adopted child of killer croc, #child of killer croc, #doe rae mi)

Lucias (tags: #wrath, #dc wrath, #lucias, #the it of inferno)

Lux (tags: #greed, #dc greed, #lux, #gold n green)

Darcey (tags: #lust, #dc lust, #darcy, #red wine and skirts)

Athena (tags: #pride, #dc pride, #athena, #I want to be a pretty girl)

Achilles (tags: #achilles, #dc violence, #violence, #dc ring of hell, #little sun)

[zekes-original-character-rambles]

My Ocs assigned TMA fears.

some of these dudes are canonically TMA avatars but shhhhh. Also some characters are listed under multiple fears because they would be marked by both.

The Buried

Bones Dumont

Sugar Bailey

The Corruption

Hex

Honey Vespidae

Mold Infested Automaton “M.I.A”

Millipede “Millie” Danger

Saskia Blight

Wither

Zanthe Brighton Shara

The Dark

Edie Von Zarovich

Eio Carla Shara

Monster

Sabrine

The Desolation

Avery Fitzgerald

Christopher “Chris” Otho

Dash Bloodwing

Galadriel

Ginger “Gingi” Kindheart

Natalie/Nathan

Rags

The End

Bunny O’Riley

Butterfly

Edie Von Zarovich

Emily Brooks

Ghost Edwards

Leela

Mausoleum “Lee” Terminus

Melanie Brooks

Morgan Asphodel

Snail Rose

Valentine Carmine

The Eye

Amethyst

Doctor Amnesia Torres

Bianca

Black Brew

Cade King

Hex

Kane

Nana Watcher

Niko Watcher

Robo

Salem Green

Scout Brown

The Flesh

Charlie Lantern

Evelyn Ward

Honey Vespidae

Jacquline “Jack/Jackie” Lantern

Kane

Leona Murray

Persephone Smith

The Hunt

Kit Crimson

Leon

Mordred Banneret

Nicky

Persephone Smith

Sugar Bailey

The Lonely

Crow Dunn

Frigid

Michael “Mikey” Hallow

The Slaughter

Bubbles Pierrot

Hayley Gray

Kirigu

Lizzie

Onyx Smith

Poppy Jackson

Viola Kelly

Violet

The Spiral

Everything “Eve”

Featharchism “Feathery”

Frigid

Karaxis

Michael

[REDACTED]

The Stranger

Anatomy “Ana”

Bubbles Pierrot

Carnival “Val”

Chance Angel

Christopher “Chris” Otho

Chrysalis The Fae King

Cryptid

DJ Cyan Jones

Damien Hart

Echo

Featharchism “Feathery”

Hexadecimal

Jane Doe

Marionette “Mari” Graves

Mistophelees

Nana Watcher

Shapeshifter

Tox Matthews

The Vast

Amelia Brown

Laika Roberts

Saturn

The Web

Abigail “Arachne” Spinner

Ace

Arcadia “Arcade” Star

Aster Hart

Green Hart

Leona Murray

Mallory Hart

Theodosia “Thunder” MacNamara

The Extinction

Emmett Ward

[simplegenius042]

What do your OCs carry on their person? + "What Kind Of Suffering Is Your OC?" Quiz

Tagged by @inafieldofdaisies @socially-awkward-skeleton and @deputy-morgan-malone for the former and tagged by @adelaidedrubman and @g0dspeeed for the latter.

Tagging @shallow-gravy @strangefable @jillvalentinesday @josephslittledeputy @derelictheretic @voidika @onehornedbeast @vampireninjabunnies-blog @minilev @neverthesameneveranother @nightbloodbix @wrathfulrook @direwombat @chazz-anova @cassietrn and @strafethesesinners

(I can't seem to tag @josephseedismyfather's blog, are they alright?)

The quiz can be found here.

Will do the main protagonists of my series (The UnTitledverse, Far Cry The Silver Chronicles, Life, Despair & Monsters and Wings And Horns).

Joaquin Cobalt (during Phase One, at least) -> Joaquin has got a short sword, a pocketknife, a revolver, ammo for the revolver, paperclips and bobby pins (for lockpicking), a notepad he uses to take notes of the universe he's stuck in, any deodorant, shampoo and conditioner he can find, testosterone prescriptions, rations, canteen of water, any spare clothes he can buy (or steal/scavenge... he is likely being hunted by the Chairman at this point in his life after all, and currency doesn't always stay the same in each universe), three polaroid pictures that all include himself with Lisa, Maisie and Mario & Calvin, respectively. He has a scarf, boots, an umbrella and goggles for extra protection from the environment. Also a mechanical contraption that allows him to travel to a different universe (he's trying to get back to his old original one). He also has specialized binoculars that can switch to nightvision when needed.

Sylvester Silva Omar -> On person Silva usually has a handgun, an ornate knife called the "Silver Dragon" (something she took from Paul), regular binoculars, two radios (one to coordinate with the Resistance and listen in on Eden's Gate, the other to call Kamski because her flip phone doesn't have any service, LOL), her now useless Nokia flip phone, her house key to Omar's Residence (where she spends her time alone and unbothered, having meals, showers and rest, as well as hiding from the Christmas snow), Elsa's lodge key, her deputy badge, cuffs (which she forgets she has on until much, much later), her golden locket (inside it is the only remaining picture that Elsa took of Silva with Irene and an infant Persephone), a small backpack (which usually holds extra clothes, a water bottle, medical supplies from Kamski as well as additional weapons and ammo), gas mask for when she eventually decides she's sick of the Bliss' bullshit (after being attacked by an angel or bear that she thought was a civilian for the umpteenth time). She did have prescribed medicine for her PTSD, but that has since run out, and the Hope County Clinic had either been pillaged by Eden's Gate or can't replenish their supplies since the county is on lockdown. She does have Joseph's Word for a while before giving it back to Faith. Eventually Silva also gets glasses between her time in the bunker after the Collapse and during Old Dusk (the New Dawn arc), as well as a crossbow (because I think she deserves one), not to mention the ring.

Haoyu Anabuki - Haoyu is the one with the least amount of shit. A wallet, phone (which has a screenshot of the Literature Club as the opening image which includes Haoyu themself, their sibling Monika, and both their friends Sayori, Yuri and Natsuki), antibiotics and reading glasses is the most you get from them. Anything else is stashed in their little pocket dimension. I'm sure the others here would be looking to kick Haoyu's ass for being the second person with the least amount of stuff to carry.

Archangel Metatron - Because first goes to Metatron, a literal archangel who's clothes are part of his disguise, and only really has a flaming sword to worry about.

BONUS Azriel - Poor girl doesn't have enough pockets to carry every shiny thing she sees. But to recap; in Azriel's years as an Angel of Death, she only carried around a hood, cloak and two sickles. Justified, she's technically dead and an immortal soul doing Death's deeds, so she's kind of omnipresent and omnipotent. But in her mortal years as a child, she tries to pocket and carry way too many things, sometimes her own creations, and has a bayonet pistol as well as several explosives she built or stole herself. As an adult, Azriel has heavier weapons (like a bayonet minigun) and better explosives, plus cogs and other doohickeys that she uses as accessories or utilizes for uses not for their initial purpose (like a hair tie). She also has hair dye just in case her dark hair starts showing again. And plenty of fake badges and ID card.

Now onwards to the suffering of the Antagonists! Since I just did the protagonists I thought it was only fair the antagonists got to shine.

First up!

Edward Carmine (The UnTitledverse, The Perfect Storm saga)

While I do agree that Edward is experiencing a kind of despair, he is too focused on his own superiority-complex to even consider that this isn't healthy. He is too ambitious to worry about trivial things like hope. He is too unsympathetic and without empathy towards his own downfalls to even reflect on his actions. Edward believes the world works a certain way, and he will have it focused on him whether it likes it or not.

Father Adam Omar (Far Cry The Silver Chronicles, Silva's Hope fic)

Adam Omar is the result of living up to the horrible expectations of a shitty society based on class (that he proceeds to make worse), groomed by the previous Prophet Omar and the Voice with words of importance and righteousness, as well as several unspecified disorders (plus biological factors) that the Congregation could care less about doing anything about. Though these do not at all justify any of the heinous shit he does to everyone, including his own children. Proceeding, "The Taker" most definitely describes Adam. Though I highly doubt Adam would ever change his mindset, especially when it has proven successful for him thus far.

Sir Enigma Malvolio (Life Despair & Monsters)

I'm unsure about this one. Malvolio really is the person who spreads despair on anyone he meets through his unethical "social experiments". He's a creature from an alternate dimension disguised as a human, I highly doubt he believes in concepts like "hope" and "religion". He is hooked entirely on the unethical side of science. He wants to help humans "evolve" but really he wants to satisfy his own "itch" and twisted curiosity (plus his Darwinist/dog-eat-dog ideology).

Xiang Ba'al (Wings And Horns, Original Work)

Xiang, a demon from the Sloth Ring of Hell, the last creature anyone, not even Metatron, would expect to go on a mission to dismantle the Soulmate System after he sees the consequences of it after finding the damned soul of a ten-year-old girl named Jezebel (that he adopts) wandering in Hell after a horrible confrontation in the mortal realm. Xiang believes he is giving humans an opportunity to remove their soulmarks (or soulbrands, which are arguably worse), which in his POV, is a curse that has plagued the mortal realms for far too long. Problem is (besides the extremism and forcing people to do so against their will) Xiang doesn't have a lot of runes nor the energy to power those runes (due to being a Sloth Demon) in order to successfully eradicate the soulmate system (leaving him to comprise a plan to make as much noise as possible to show the Gods that "hey, your system is broken beyond repair!"). While Jezebel dislikes the extremism, she finds Xiang caring enough for her to dismantle a system that completely fucked her over despite the consequences he could face is very touching. It's the thought that counts, in Jezebel's opinion.

And BONUS...

Urijah Callaghan (The UnTitledverse, The Omniscience Rule and The UnTitled Ventures sagas)

Urijah has an extremely nihilistic outlook in life, not helping that Madame Callaghan (his parental figure/kidnapper) pushes him further into this extreme form of nihilism. He did care at one point. He really did. But now to him, nothing matters. Except for his mission to wipe the multiverse and everyone in it from existence with a bomb he designed. Even his companions from Cognito, Inc. Including his closest companion, Reagan Ridley. He views it as a kind of mercy than living under Zachariah's cruel and callous hand.