#once I'm on summer break.....
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last life au
in light of third life turning two years old today, I offer a wip I've had sitting in my google drive since february! if any of you remember this post I made a while back, all you need to know is that third life!grian has swapped places with last life!grian somehow. without further ado, here's my very unfinished and very rough last life au wip (pls don't judge it too harshly LOL)
happy two years to the series that changed me as a person! :D (edit: now posted on ao3! read here)
if you enjoyed, please reblog! reblogs do more than likes <3
To Grian, the desert was once a home.
It wasnât perfect, not really. Perfection is nearly impossible in a game of death, but what he and Scar had came close. The desert was the farthest thing from a good location, all things considered. The days were hot, far too hot, and the nights were so cold that it left Scar and Grian curling up close for warmth. There was nothing but sand for miles, which made gathering materials a constant challenge.Â
But they had their home. Their tower, their place of respite. Dogwarts was a constant threat barreling down their door, but together they made it work. Their home was far from perfect, but it was theirs and thatâs what Grian came to love about it.Â
Except now, as he stands in a ring of cacti, he has destroyed his home.Â
His home is filled with lava and craters, a reminder of what they did to survive. Their desert was ruined days ago in what they had hoped to be the final showdown with Dogwarts and The Red King. They blew up their desert for a win they never achieved.Â
Maybe that was the first sign that things were going wrong. Their desert, their home, their small temporary sanctuary in this hellish game was blown apart.Â
Ends justifies the means, no?
After all, to Grian, their home was more than just the desert. Their home was with each other. The desert never mattered much to him, not when he had Scar, and vice versa. The desert was a symbol, more than anything. Of Grianâs debt, his guilt. Heâll never admit it, but it felt a bit liberating to destroy it.Â
And maybe thatâs why things went oh so horribly wrong.Â
Maybe that is why his fists are shaking, knuckles raw and covered in blood. Maybe that is why he stares down at the bloodied corpse of what was once his partner, his other half. His insides twist and turn, creating a mangled mess of emotions within him. The sun beats down on him, sweat and blood mixing together as one. His hair is in his eyes, but he doesnât care much. His tank top feels like too much but also too little all at once.
His knuckles ache, his body is sore. Heâs hardly covered in bruises and scratches, and yet he still feels like heâs just been beaten half to death anyways.Â
He canât bear to look at Scar, to meet his gaze and see his own brightly shining eyes reflected in lifeless, empty ones.Â
âFor everything youâve done to keep me alive this long, you may slay me and take the enchanter.âÂ
Scarâs words ring in his head, accompanied by his laughter. Grian puts a bloodied hand up to his mouth as a wave of nausea rolls over him. He doesnât pay any mind to the copper twinge that fills his mouth. He tears his gaze away from anywhere remotely near Scar, instead turning and looking over the mountain.Â
Their home is in ruins. Their home is gone. The last of their home has been destroyed by his own two hands, killed for the sake of winning some pointless game.Â
His victory feels hollow. Empty.Â
He had wanted to win together. Winning without Scar felt⊠wrong. It feels wrong. After all theyâve been through, after establishing something between them, winning alone just⊠didnât look as appealing anymore.Â
âIâm getting you! Iâm getting you good!â âI donât think you are!âÂ
His hands ache. His chest feels tight, as if his ribs have been coiled tightly around his lungs to constrict his air flow. He takes a slow step back, as if trying to escape the scene of the crime. His legs shake from the weight of both his body and his actions. Grian takes a shaky breath.Â
âCan we win together?âÂ
He stumbles as he walks backwards, his world dipping and tilting.Â
Grian won alone.Â
He doesnât feel like a winner.Â
He doesnât even want that title.Â
The guilt is eating at him. Why? Why is he the one that survived? The point of all of this was so that Scar could win! Thatâs why Grian stayed with him!Â
(He wonât admit to himself that thereâs more to it than that. He wonât admit to himself that somewhere along the way his feelings changed. No longer was he staying by Scarâs side out of guilt or obligation. Without Grian even noticing, Scar grew on him. Scar broke through his walls with his ridiculous yet charming nature, and Grian found himself wanting to stay with Scar because he wanted to see him win. Because somehow, somewhere, Grianâs heart had been swayed and stolen. Somewhere, he had fallen in love.)Â
For a moment, heâs angry. Heâs angry at the blood lusting ghosts for demanding a final fight. Heâs angry at Scar for letting him win, for making him win. Frustrated, bitter words lay on his tongue as he turns around to admonish the man, emotions getting the better of him.Â
Only to turn and be met with his corpse. Blood pools around Scarâs body, bruises littering his face and chest. Grian had been throwing punches wildly.Â
His stomach lurches, and he covers his mouth again. Copper fills his nostrils, heavy and thick. âOh⊠I donât feel good,â he mumbles, but thereâs no one around to hear him.Â
He tears his gaze away, instead surveying the desert around him. His blood is rushing in his ears, making it hard to hear. His head swims as he stands still, looking over at the rivers of lava throughout the desert.Â
Grianâs eyes settle on the cliff face. Â
This desert isnât a home anymore. Itâs vacant, empty. Pointless. His home doesnât exist, not without Scar.Â
He walks toward the cliff.Â
âScar, Iâm so sorry!â
âIâm sorry too!â
The desert is unfamiliar, morphing and twisting into something dark and unwelcoming. It has become a monster of Grianâs own creation. It has become something that Grian has ripped apart with his own two hands. Something that once brought him warmth is now cold and barren. The desert is a shadow, a weak imitation of what it once was.Â
He stands on the ledge.Â
He wonders what was going through Scarâs mind during all of this. What was he thinking? Does he hate Grian for being the one to survive? Is he at peace, having been the one to die? Does he hate Grian for killing him? Does he hate Grian for ruining their home? Or is he happy with the way that things have gone? Grian supposes heâll never get to know.Â
He shuts his eyes and jumps.Â
-----------------
Muffled noises surround him.
He canât quite make out what the noises are, not when it feels like his head has been submerged under water. One by one, his senses return to him and huh, thatâs weird. Heâs dead, yet he can feel his body? That⊠shouldnât be normal. Granted, Grian has never been permanently dead before. Do most dead people still feel their body? Is that even possible?Â
The next thing he feels is something soft underneath him. Now Grian knows that isnât right. The last thing he remembers feeling is his body slamming into the hard ground below, shattering his bones. The pain had only lasted a few seconds before Grian fell unconscious, but it had been excruciating while he could still feel. Darkness had come to claim him quite swiftly.Â
But whatever heâs laying on⊠it feels nothing like the harsh sand. Itâs softer, almost silky. Plush. It only serves to confuse Grian more, seeing as once more, he isnât sure if feeling things still is normal for a dead person.Â
Ever so slowly, Grian slowly opens his eyes. His eyes are met with a stone ceiling, which⊠is that supposed to be there?Â
Grian had a few ideas of what the afterlife would be like â if he even has one. An empty void, or maybe the End. Perhaps heâd return to the wasteland that was once his home and haunt it as a ghost. (A kinder part of him had hoped that heâd reunite with his friends, and they could all cry and hug one another. And maybe he could see Scar again, and shake him around for making Grian kill him, and then hold onto the man so that heâd never lose him again.)
Experimentally, he wiggles a finger or two. Yup, thereâs still a body attached to him. Alright. Though to his surprise, he isnât in any sort of pain. Maybe that shouldnât be surprising, all things considered.Â
Something wet touches his hand then, and Grian leaps up with a shriek. He pulls his hand back and looks at whatever touched him, finding a dog sitting on the ground. âHuh?â He looks at the dog, seeing a red collar around its neck. âWhy is there a dog here?â The animal simply tilts its head to the side in response.Â
Itâs then that Grian actually takes the time to look around at where he is, and he pauses. The first thing he notices is that heâs laying in a white bed. Thereâs a chest and a crafting table in front of the bed, and there are dogs just about everywhere. Ah, so thatâs what all the noise was. A furnace is set on the floor against the wall, and Grian finds himself feeling very confused.Â
This is⊠definitely not the afterlife, thatâs for sure.Â
Did someone rescue him? How? Grian was the only one left on Third Life, everyone else wasâŠÂ
Lips curling in a frown, he moves to slide off of the bed. Just as his foot touches the ground, he pauses, recognizing the extra weight on his body. Looking down at himself, Grian finds iron armor on him, which only worsens his confusion. Why is he in armor?Â
Standing from the bed, he looks around at the room. Heâs certain that heâs underground, if the walls of stone and dirt are anything to go by. He watches as one of the dogs (a pup) clambers onto the bed and circles the pillow before curling up and laying down.Â
It leaves him feeling very confused.Â
He casts a glance around at the stone box heâs in, looking at each of the dogs. Some of them donât pay him any mind, and others are staring right at him. Whoâs dogs are these? And why are they here, wherever here is. They seem friendly with him at least, but Grian doesnât know if that makes him relaxed or more nervous. He remembers Joelâs pack of wolves.Â
While looking around, he spots a ladder tucked against the wall leading down. He doesnât go toward it, in case itâs trapped. Instead, he looks at the pickaxe he has on him and uses that to cautiously dig a little staircase up.Â
It takes him a few minutes to get to the surface, considering heâs trying to dig out and also listen to his surroundings. When he finally pops his head out from the dirt, he does so carefully, peeking out to look around him. Thereâs no one around him besides trees and mountains. He sighs softly in relief. Though he still has to remain vigilant.Â
Climbing out of the hole, he covers it back up with dirt (just in case if he was saved by someone, they wonât immediately notice heâs gone). Standing at full height, Grian takes a look around. The first thing he notices is how the landscape is completely different to Third Life. What is this place, he wonders. The terrain all looks different.
Lips dipping in a frown, he sets his hands on his hips, âDefinitely not in Kansas anymoreâŠâ he mumbles to himself. If this is the afterlife, itâs quite odd, thatâs for sure.Â
While looking around, he catches sight of something in the distance. It looks like some kind of cobblestone building with roofs of dark oak. From where he is, he can spot four of them. One is at the very top of a mountain, being the most visible.Â
The idea of approaching it leaves Grian hesitant, but maybe a little investigation wouldnât hurt. Heâs going to have to check it out if he wants any answers as to what this place is. So he makes a journey toward the direction of the towers. Trekking through the trees, he uses the branches for coverage.Â
And when he gets to the big entrance of the four towers, he pauses.Â
Grian stares at the front entrance, watching as pistons move up and down in front of him. Watching it, his eyes follow the movements curiously. Surrounding the entrance are walls of dark oak and cobble, wrapping around the base completely. He considers walking inside, maybe exploring whatever this new structure is. There was nothing inside the chest within the bunker for him.Â
His inventory is an assortment of different items, none of which Grian knows whatâs important and what isnât. By now heâs ascertained that heâs in fact not dead. Which is⊠confusing. How is he alive? And where is he?
âOh, Grian!â Someoneâs calling his name, and the sound of someone elseâs voice makes him jump. He looks up, seeing a familiar blue and red jump suit and dirty blond hair.Â
Grianâs eyes widen, âTim..?â The name escapes him with a sharp breath. No longer does his skin look sickly and gray, instead healthy and free of blood. His hair is vibrant, as are his brown eyes. A diamond chest plate sits over his upper body, iron leggings and boots. Grian almost feels like heâs seeing a ghost. The last time he saw Jimmy, it had been in the desert. Right before he died.Â
It feels weird to see him again, considering he wasnât meant to die in that fight. He was meant to stay safe. With Scar.Â
Grief and regret crashes into him at once, nearly knocking him over. Images of that battle flicker in his mind, as well as the aftermath. They hadnât spent long at Jimmyâs grave.Â
(Grian paid Jimmyâs grave a visit late that night. He had been fully aware of the risks, knowing that anyone from Dogwarts could attack him. But Grian could bet with certainty they were too busy enjoying a perceived victory against the Desert.Â
Jimmyâs grave was nothing fancy. Extravagance was a privilege they didnât have there. Simple cobblestone walls and a poppy planted in the ground was all Scott could give him.Â
Grian sat down, and apologized. He hadnât even been there for Jimmyâs death. Jimmy wasnât supposed to die. And Grian hadnât even been there to help him. He apologized for that. He promised revenge. His death would not be in vain.Â
At some point, someone had joined him. A warmth slotted against his side, and the smell of sweat, burnt sand, and summer heat filled his senses. He relaxed.Â
Neither of them spoke for a while. Grian leaned against Scar, letting his thoughts wander.Â
âIâm sorry the trap got messed up.â Scar apologized with a low mutter.Â
Grian huffed quietly, gently knocking his head against his arm,âI donât care about that. I mean, I do since the only one it got was me, but â Iâm more thankful you survived.âÂ
ââŠIâm sorry you died,â was Scarâs response, âBut on the bright side, your debtâs been repaid! Youâre a free man!â Grian knew Scar well enough by then to know when he was forcing himself to act cheerful. He could hear the underlying sadness in his voice, the way he was holding something back. But most of all he could hear the fear.Â
To that, Grian only pressed himself more firmly against him. âThen my first act as a free man is to see this through with you until the end.âÂ
He heard Scar take a breath; shaky and rough. An arm wrapped around him, and he heard a murmured, âThank you.â)
Jimmy looks a little nervous as he stands on the other side of the pistons, âWhatâre you doing all the way over there for? Get in âere already!â he exclaims, gesturing for him to come in. âMumbo disabled the trap!âÂ
His body moves as if itâs on autopilot, legs carrying him toward the gate. He clumsily hops over the pistons and line of stone bricks, landing on the other side. His footing is a bit clumsy as he hits the ground, wobbling slightly. Jimmy laughs at him, and Grian tries to process the sound.Â
Jimmy isnât dead. Heâs alive.Â
What in the world is going on?Â
Grian goes over to him, staring at him with something akin to marvel. Jimmy turns to him, still looking nervous. âSo uh⊠Iâm not going to be kicked out, right? I know we had the vote and all yesterday but just wanted to triple check you didnât change your mind overnight,â he rambles to Grian, shifting back and forth on his feet.Â
âWhat?â Blinking in confusion, Grian looks at him. âWhy would I beââ
âOi, Tim! Give the man some space to breathe, would ya?â Another voice joins them, and Grian tenses at the familiarity. âHe only just got back last night. At least wait an extra five minutes before you start pestering âim.â
Glancing to his side, he spots The Red Kingâs right hand man approaching them. Heâs dressed in iron, a shield attached to his arm. The familiar black bandana peeks out from underneath his hair and his blue eyes are creased with amusement as he looks at the pair. âMartyn?!â The exclamation escapes him before he can stop it. He takes a small step in front of Jimmy, knowing that Scott would be crushed if he lost him a second time (The memory of Scott in his mind would be, anyways). He keeps himself on guard.Â
Martyn smiles at the pair, âGood morning to you too, fellow Southlander!â He grins. âHowâs it feel to be yellow again, eh Grian?â he questions, which makes Grian bristle slightly. He remembers Martyn taking his first life very clearly.
âIâmââ
âWatch out!â A voice calls out, followed by the sounds of feet hitting the ground. Grian jumps as someone barrels past himself and Martyn, cutting right through them in a blur of black. âHot lava bucket in my hands!âÂ
âI told you to wear gloves!â A second voice follows, and Grian catches a glimpse of yellow and black. He turns his head in the direction the two voices went, seeing them both by the entrance of the fort. Almost instantly, Grian recognizes Impulse from behind. But the one next to himâŠÂ
Grian feels his entire body freeze. His breath is punched out of him, eyes widening.Â
The man next to Impulse is setting the bucket of lava down with a large sigh, shoulders sagging in relief. He straightens up, taking a moment to glance around. His eyes lock with Grianâs, and Grian feels rooted to his spot. His throat feels dry, as if he hasnât drank anything in weeks. He swallows, but it does little to rid the feeling.Â
Oblivious to Grianâs freezing, the man smiles wide at him, hurrying over. âGrian!â he exclaims, âGlad you got here before I reset the trap, mate, â he greets cheerfully, but Grian feels too stunned to speak.Â
Why is Mumbo here? Why?Â
A multitude of emotions crash into Grianâs chest at the sight of his best friend. Relief, horror, guilt. They each roll over him, loud and vicious as they threaten to overwhelm him. He canât look away from the man, the feeling of confusion holding his head above water.Â
(âDo you think Mumbo would be proud?â The question had been half nonchalant as the pair ran through the desert, digging deep underground. The true meaning of the question was a secret, one between only himself and Scar.
Scar paused to consider it. He had lifted a finger to his chin as he thought, âOh! Mumbo would be crying from happiness!â
âBe honest with me.â Grian had said.Â
Scar hadnât been.)Â
Standing in front of the man, Grian does not share the thought. Not after the blood staining his hands. And isnât that ironic? In a game where your aim is to kill and survive, he feels guilty over killing. But maybe thatâs because of who his final kill was. Because of how it all ended. Grian had hoped heâd never have to face Mumbo after that, but apparently fate had other plans.Â
âSpeaking of getting here early,â Martynâs voice cuts through the fog of confusion settling over Grianâs mind, causing him to look over at the other. Grian forces his gaze away from Mumbo with a painful pang, meeting Martynâs eyes, âI see youâve gone and scored another life on your way back from Scarâs.â He wiggles his brows.
Just hearing Scarâs name causes Grianâs stomach to curl with grief, âW-What?â he asks, the shock of Martynâs statement sending him back a small step.Â
âDonât you try and fool me, G, the last time we saw you you were on yellow life. And now youâre green!â Martyn points at his wrist, and naturally, Grianâs gaze follows.Â
His heart squeezes uncomfortably tight as he sees the familiar line of hearts down his wrist. Thereâs three hearts on his wrist, green, yellow, and red. Nausea rolls over him like a blanket, wrapping around him and tightening around his neck. He feels sick. Why? Why?! He thought he was done with all of this! Was killing Scar not enough? Was winning an empty, meaningless victory not enough?!Â
Is this his punishment? Or some sick kind of joke?!Â
He clenches his fists, watching the way they shake from how tightly he clenches them. Burning hot anger runs through him like lava, melting his insides. The warmth goes from top to bottom, engulfing him in an angry, vicious flame. He feels too much, yet too little all at once. He wants to scream. To cry. Maybe break something, or blow something up. Blood is pumping in his ears; his heart feels like itâs going to burst.Â
This isnât the afterlife. This is hell.Â
âGrian?â Mumboâs gentle, concerned voice breaks through the anger threatening to overtake him like a light. The sound of his voice snaps him from his spiraling thoughts, and he notices how his fingers dig uncomfortably into his skin. As if his nails can break the hearts on his wrist, shatter them. He lets go instantly, seeing angry red lines left behind.Â
Lifting his gaze, Grian sees four pairs of eyes watching him. Yet the only eyes he focuses on are Mumboâs, itâs been so long since heâs seen the man. His presence is normally a comfort for Grian, something grounding. But right now, all Grian feels is conflict. His grief and guilt is suffocating, and Mumboâs presence does little to help that feeling. Mumbo looks at him with nothing but concern and kindness, with the way his eyebrows dip and lower, a worried frown marring his face.
Mumbo takes a step closer, hand reaching out to him, âYou alright, mate?â Looking down, Grian sees the manâs wrist. Four hearts go down his wrist in a line. Two of them are already gone, looking faded and cracked. The sight of the hearts on his wrist sends his stomach dropping, heart lodging in his throat. Â
Grian recoils from his outstretched hand as if it were a weapon, and Mumbo freezes in place. He pulls his hand back. His face falls, and Grian pretends he doesnât see.Â
âIâm fine.â Grian hastily replies, ignoring the burst of pain in his chest. He scans the people around him. Mumbo, Impulse, Jimmy, and⊠Martyn. He takes a breath. So heâs stuck in another life game. Great. And it looks like these four are his⊠alliance.Â
A sudden thought strikes him. If those four are here then⊠who else is here?
His communicator pings, and he pulls it up, heart still firmly lodged in his throat.
<GoodTimeWithScar> oh team BEST~
<GoodTimeWithScar> A wizard *never* forgets his promise.
If seeing Mumbo made him sick, then seeing Scarâs message in chat plunges him into freezing cold water. Scarâs name is red (of course it is), and it sends nostalgia and grief tearing through him all at once. Everything suddenly feels like itâs too much, his head swimming. He stumbles slightly, nearly falling if it hadnât been for Jimmy taking hold of him. âSeriously, you alright?â Jimmy questions, and Grian⊠Grian doesnât know.Â
All he can think about is his final moments with Scar leading up to that stupid duel. The splashing of water below him as he jumped down to meet him in that shallow pond.Â
âBetrayer!â he had screamed.Â
Well look whoâs laughing now.Â
Grian had thought about it very briefly, in his final moments, what itâd be like if he ever met Scar again. He had wondered if Scar would scorn him, or if Scar would pull him into his arms and congratulate him on a battle well fought. He had also considered keeping his distance, as far away as possible, as to never hurt Scar again.Â
And yet, just as usual, his heart never listens to his brain.Â
Because as he looks at his communicator, watching the others reply in chat, his eyes only focus on Scarâs name. Thereâs a part of him, a very deep part within, that cries out for him. It sees Scarâs name, and it reaches. It reaches far and wide, and it doesnât concern itself with the logical side of Grianâs brain. No, it simply sees the fact that Scar is clearly alive and well and it wants to run right toward him.Â
Seeing Scarâs name makes Grianâs chest ache with a deep yearning that he knows can never be satisfied. There is an ache in him that he knows will only continue to eat away at himself, until he is rotting and reaching. His soul is crying, begging for Scar at his side, and though Grian knows that he will only be the catalyst to Scarâs ultimate demise, he is weak to the pull of his emotions.Â
Grianâs other half is alive! He is alive and that part of Grian feels incomplete without him. Empty. His heart aches at the thought of being with Scar again, of being able to give him the apology he deserves. Just the thought of being able to apologize to him is enough to break Grian down.Â
âS-Scar,â he stammers, completely forgetting that Jimmy even asked him a question. âHeâs â I have to get to him,â he says, turning to the others.Â
Heâs met with varying expressions of confusion, though itâs Impulse who says something, âDidnât you already bring him his stuff after he died?â he questions, and Grian quickly shakes his head.Â
âNo I just â where is he? I-I need to see him, Iââ he stammers, thoughts running far too quickly for him to actually think coherently.Â
âUp north dude, where he always is.â Martyn replies, though heâs looking at Grian with⊠something. If he werenât so distracted by the thought of Scar, heâd probably look closer into that. However, distraction is the card heâs been dealt, and he lets it play. He spins on his heel for the exit, walking briskly with purpose. âMake sure he doesnât kill you!â Martyn calls after him, âRemember the guyâs on red!"
Grian knows he wonât.Â
-----------------
If Grian is being honest with himself, he probably should have put more thought into this. He didnât even come here with a plan! He had just heard that Scar was north, so north is where he went. He was moving too fast for his brain to actually catch up.Â
It was a bit of a journey, getting from the cobbled towers (the Southlanders, his mind supplies) to the big mountain in the north. But the second he saw the hut on top of the mountain, he knew exactly who lived there.Â
Maybe what made the journey so difficult was the thoughts that accompanied him.Â
Grian wonât say that he ran to Scarâs â because he didnât. Not really. He had walked. And his thoughts consumed him with every step.Â
Heâs stuck in another life game. Scar is here. Mumbo is here. He doesnât know what it means. This game isnât Third Life, he knows that much. His mind is scrambling, trying to come up with some kind of plan. A strategy. Heâs trying to lay out a safety net for himself but he shouldâve known from the start itâd be pointless.Â
There are no safety nets in a game of death. There are no âplansâ, despite how badly Grian may want to use one. He learned in Third Life that plans donât work, even the most carefully planned strategy blows up in his face. It wonât stop him though. A plan gives him something to fall back on, a faux comfort.Â
A plan keeps him from running headfirst into danger, a plan keeps him alive. Â
Which is why he probably shouldâve come up with a plan before going to Scar. He doesnât know what kind of state the man will be in. He isnât sure how to even approach a reunion with him. Itâs obvious that heâs in some kind of⊠who even knows where. Obviously his friends all know him here, but he isnât sure if they remember him. Who he is. What heâs done. What theyâve all done.Â
It doesnât help that heâs apparently been dropped right in the middle of this new game.Â
He doesnât know how to handle an approach to Scar. Hug him? Smack him? Ask him if he knows who he is? A no on that last one, Jimmy and the others have already answered that. Besides, Grian isnât sure if he could handle Scar looking at him like Grian was a stranger in every sense of the word except the literal one.Â
He settles on just seeing what happens. Sometimes no plan is the best plan!Â
But just â not in a death game.Â
His thoughts trail off as he approaches the bottom of the mountain, and he looks up. He grimaces as he gets a clearer view of the hut up top, sighing. âOf course Scar had to put his base in the most precarious spot ever,â he grumbles before beginning to make his way up the mountain. He makes sure to be careful with each step, keeping himself aware of where heâs stepping.Â
When he makes it to the top of the mountain, heâs rather out of breath, chest heaving from exertion. This mountain is a lot bigger than the one back in the desert. But he reaches the top, and is face to face with a hut made of wood and dark stone. The roof on top looks like a wizardâs hat, and Grian canât help his fond huff.Â
He focuses his gaze on the entryway, finding it wide open. This is it. Scar is beyond that doorway. Grianâs hands shake just at the thought of seeing him again. Anxiety runs through his blood like water, filling him completely. His heart picks up, beating against his ribcage. He swallows thickly.Â
A small part of him wants to run away. A small part of him wants to turn around and head right back down the mountain and forget that he even came here. A small part of him is afraid to look Scar in the eyes. It makes him feel like a coward.Â
And yet despite that small part of him, Grian walks forward.Â
He walks right into the hut, and promptly stops. Right in front of him is none other than Scar. Heâs digging around in a barrel, humming to himself. Grian isnât sure what the tune is, or where itâs from, but the scene feels familiar. His chest aches.Â
âScar?â he says, causing the man to yell out.Â
He jumps up in surprise, letting out the typical fearful scream he does whenever heâs snuck up on. It makes Grian smile softly, and god he misses this man. Scar spins around on his heels, turning to look at Grian. Grian gets a good look at his eyes, and he sees a dark red haze swirling in them. There is not a hint of warmth in his eyes, no kind of recollection or even joy at seeing him. Grian isnât sure what he sees in Scarâs eyes, but he knows that there is anger in them. Bloodlust.Â
(He thinks he might see hatred. And that is a thought that shakes him right to his core. He does not want to live in a world where Scar hates him, even if it is justified. Does that make him selfish?)Â
âOh, Grian,â Scar eventually says, and his voice is cold. Empty. He takes a step forward, something whimsical about his footing. Scar is dressed in dark robes, stark white hair peeking out from underneath. âIf youâre here to nab another life from me, Grian, Iâm afraid youâre out of luck,â he says, his voice low and dangerous. There is a promise of a threat in his voice.Â
Grian frowns at that, chest panging. âIâm not interested in your life, Scar,â he says matter of factly. Heâs already taken one (two, if his guilt counts the creeper), he doesnât want another one.Â
A laugh spills from Scar, something lacking any real humor. âOh, donât you play with me!â he exclaims, voice sharp and angular. The sound of it causes Grian to jolt in surprise. âYou can fool me once or twice! OrâŠâ he trails off, thinking. âThree times, whatever, it doesnât matter!âÂ
âScarâŠâ Grian says, and he quickly realizes that he probably shouldâve prepared himself a bit more. He lets the other approach him. Thereâs something different about him compared to Third Life. Something bitter, cynical. Grian isnât sure if itâs because of the nature of this new game, or if itâs simply because Scar is on red.Â
âNo, Grian!â Scar exclaims, reaching for his diamond sword. âYou know, I was planning on hitting Team BEST first, give âem a real good thrashing. Send a message and all that! Canât mess with olâ Scar! Not anymore, no sir!â He takes another step toward Grian.Â
Itâs the instinct of green life, Grian knows, that has him backing away slowly. He takes a few tiny steps backwards.Â
Scar looks at him, something angry and hurt in his gaze, âBut I think youâll make a good first message to the masses. You were the first to take advantage of me, after all.âÂ
Grianâs back slams into the wall behind him, crushing his wings. He cringes at the feeling, but he doesnât move. Scar is cornering him, holding the blade to his throat. He easily towers over Grian, putting just enough pressure on his sword to spill a bit of blood.Â
Looking at him, Grian doesnât see a hint of the Scar he once knew. He isnât quite sure whatâs going on here, what the Grian of this game has done to wrong Scar, but what he does know is this.Â
He killed Scar.Â
And the hatred in Scarâs eyes isnât misplaced or even misdirected.Â
He doesnât fight back against the blade on his throat, the blade that is spilling his blood. He simply stands there and meets Scarâs hazy red eyes. To Grian, he thinks this is good retribution for the cactus ring. He sees no point in fighting against Scar when this is something he believes he deserves.Â
Yet Scar thinks otherwise.Â
See, he had expected a lot out of today. Heâs on red now, and he had a goal in mind. He was going to make everyone on this forsaken server regret thinking they could just use Scar as they please. He was going to start with BEST, and then work his way to the others. But then Grian just came waltzing in like they were old buddies and Scar wasnât going to let a golden opportunity slip past him.Â
He has a whole separate issue with Grian, after all.Â
But as he stares into Grianâs eyes, he sees something odd. Firstly he stares up at Scar with blatant confusion and hurt. It makes him want to laugh. What does Grian possibly have to be hurt over?Â
Though that isnât what makes him pause. No, what makes him truly falter is the guilt he sees in Grianâs eyes.Â
He observes the green life in front of him (Wasnât Grian yellow? Did he swindle someone else out of a life?) and notices that thereâs no fight. Grian isnât pushing back against him. Heâs not arguing or drawing his own weapon. Not even as Scar draws blood and pushes the blade harder.Â
Suddenly the appeal of killing Grian leaves him. What fun is a kill that rolls over and exposes their weak point?Â
Scar scoffs at him before making up his mind and taking a step back. So much for that perfect message in chat. Looks like Team BEST is back as his number one target. He lowers his sword completely.Â
Grian watches him with confusion, âScar?âÂ
The red life meets his gaze, a deep frown settling on his lips. âWho are you?â
#scarian#trafficshipping#third life smp#last life smp#last life au#mochi writes#I really want to get back to writing this one omg#once I'm on summer break.....#anyways! third life my beloved#cannot believe it's two years old#I wasn't around at the start but I'm here now and AUGH
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so is anyone else thinking about Yoshiki having pictures he took of Hikaru (actual Hikaru, not "Hikaru") and being sad about that or is it just me.
#the summer hikaru died#hikaru ga shinda natsu#hgsn spoilers#I know Yoshiki's involvement in the photography club was literally mentioned once#But it came into my mind during my break at work and made me so sad.#Like bro I donât even think he clicked the camera when he was pointing it at âHikaruâ#He just looked sad#i'm just rambling#added a spoiler tag since itâs from a chapter that isnât officially translated yet#Iâm sorry in advance if Iâm clogging up the tag
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Ok so I found SUCH a good deal on a cruise to Italy but I still want to go to Prince Edward Island too ahhh my parents are helping me pay for it as a little treat for my mastersâ graduation and getting into Med school but I can go only certain dates til Med school orientation starts in June, and PEI wonât really open til late May. So Iâm thinking about picking the Italy deal but I really still want to go to PEI someday!! So hard to pick!
#What would you pick sos#i could probably pay my own way to PEI with no help. so i'm leaning towards italy. but.#and once med school starts you don't get traditional summer and spring breaks like u do in college#so it's really my Last Big Trip for Seven Years
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we talk softly in the kitchen and, in a way, it's everything I've ever wanted.
it's been a bad day. I'm reheating dinner when you walk in, not to grab anything, but just to talk to me because we haven't seen each other in a while.
you know things aren't going well but you don't immediately ask why I've been distant (i'm silently grateful for this small grace). instead we talk about this and that, and the microwave pings distantly in the background but I couldn't care less. you show me the tattoo that you got today, and I can't help but be excited at your excitement despite despite despite the raging black hole inside of me. I can't help but smile at your easy radiance.
I wasn't planning on it, but I make myself a cup of tea, just to have an excuse to stay here a little longer. to bathe in the fragile peace and bask in your presence.
I always did ache for your company.
you ask me how my day's been, eventually, and whether I want to talk about it. I laugh and say it wasn't great, and the light admission balks in comparison to the storm of the last week, but its an admission nonetheless. it's more than i thought i'd be able to give. its nothing compared to what i want to say but can't.
you see it anyway. in the way my hands shake and my smile is brittle around the edges, I meet your eyes and I know that you know.
and so we stand there, in the warm light of the kitchen nestled in a long, tight hug, and in a way, it's everything I ever wanted. there are a million battles raging in my heart and maybe nothing's okay at the moment, but you hold me close and tell me to take care of myself and for a moment I can breathe again, I can remember my own name.
there's a long way to go to get out of this mess, but when we softly say goodnight I carry the memory of your gentle smiles and warm embrace all the way to my bedroom and think maybe, just maybe, things will be okay.
in a way, it's everything I've ever wanted.
(you always were gentle with my heart.)
#queerplatonic yearning hours#I suppose this is a love letter of sorts#of all the things I want to say to you but can't#(but then again you've always been good at reading between my lines)#I know I went from posting near daily in anticipation of us moving in together to practically radio silence#and tbh I just haven't found the words to encompass the enormity (and gentle mundanity) of the past few months#that will probably change once they go away for winter break and I'm left with memories and timezone-delayed texts#maybe some calls if I'm lucky#I don't know where the time has gone#summer without them seemed to stretch so enormously long#but our time together has passed in a heartbeat leaving me breathless in the wake#and I know I'm being sappy but I hold onto moments like these#god knows they're my lifeline at times#queerplatonic#alterous attraction#squish#aromantic#cosmo rambles#aroace#yearning
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boyish - chapter 8 14.1k words | 75.7k words total | loscar
âGood,â Logan muses. He picks their hands up, lifting his head just so, enough to press a kiss to Oscarâs knuckles. âYouâre mine first, baby.â Oscar laughs again, inching a bit closer as Logan drops their hands. âObviously.â
hello. as promised... boyish chapter eight <3 for some reason it ended up being fucking. fourteen thousand words. which is a whole the red parts this time!! spiraling out of control welcome to hell ANYWAYS look at me posting before midnight my time?? that is crazy?? when it comes to me and this fic?? idk man enjoy several more thousand words of the idiots being idiots <3
+ here is a link to chapter one if you would prefer :)
#every chapter i get closer to what was once a 'maybe unrealistic goal'#it's 100k words. fyi#i'm gonna do it#i WILL be the 100k fic i yearn for in my fav rarepair tag#but for now. 75k word fic#we'll get there exclamation point#i see some scenes from ch9 so clearly in my head#summer break more like. kills self#boyish.miamis#f1 fic#f1 fanfic#f1 fic rec#loscar
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musicology comps are officially on my horizon. and it's apparently four back to back one hour exams đ©
#sasha speaks#taking me back to my high school days with those 4 hour ap tests#hopefully i get a fifteen minute snack break in between each test đ©#but they're pass fail and you get a second shot if you screw up once. you have to pass all of them to graduate though#and failing twice means you don't get the degree#i do get to pick which classes the exams cover though. on the other hand at least one of my choices my advisor is making for me...#well so it goes#i should get it done sooner rather than later. hopefully that means spring but if spring is kicking my ass i'll do summer instead#then it's just another year of libsci and i'm out....
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ayyy
#winter holidays ^^#i need this#i will finally have some time to do things i enjoy and see people again đ„č#normally i'm always a bit sad almost when uni ends because i'll miss it#the rhythm of it and all the classes there and people#not that i don't like the winter break#well this year i'm more glad than sad i still like uni but i'm just sick of telling people off bc i have no time#and also i miss some of the people i had classes with last year and also my sleep schedule is sooo bad#i'm so looking forward to sleeping like a normal person again#i will still have to study for exams (and also train) but i will try to fill my time with things i enjoy#like playing tennis đ i would play everyday honestly if i could#and i want to catch up with friends from uni i just hope they#*they're still in the city during the holidays bc often that happens that no one is there anymore đ
#but on monday i still have uni football but without the uni đ it will be a relaxing and fun day and i will buy some christmas gifts :))#altough now i'm on the way home to my parents and i will probably spend most of the time there#even though i like living in my uni city it can get lonely especially in winter and i realized i much prefer living with others#and right now my relationship with my parents is better than ever which makes me so happy đ„č because it was rough sometimes when i was young#and i especially want to catch up woth that good friend of mine who left uni unfortunately đ„Č i will text him if we want to meet#anyways i also think i will feel better during the holidays being active and nature usually helps in winter#aaand it's only 2 more months until february and the days will get longer so i will get through this#honestly kinda sad but hey one day i plan on moving to a place with longer days and warmer weather hopefully that will help đ
#like i was so happy in summer i still remember ... like once spring comes around i operate in a good mood again#nevermind#rant
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the way i've had so much longer to study for exams and yet i'm nowhere near ready for my first one (tomorrow) ... bit of a failure tbh
#not to tumblr rant#but it's 10pm and i still have half an exam paper to do#i'm so tired of it all#and i know i just have to do it#it is what it is etc#but i could have done better if i'd applied myself#and i did not. so i didn't get a summer break and i'm also not going to get the kind of grades i should have been able to achieve from it#i do have to remember that i postponed exams for a reason#but i should be a pro at this by now#and i'm once again barely scraping through (i think)#(that's what it feels like rn)#i had grand plans of spending a couple of months doing a little bit of work every day but i can't do it#i need someone to take control of it all fr#tell me what i have to do and what i don't#because it's the overwhelm that gets me#i'm so tired and it's only just started#tbh i've been tired for a year#and i don't know what to do to help myself stop
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.
#also. also. shes like âi hope i was a better friend once you reframed it as 'im upset because youve been a really shitty person towards mw#for months - before that i thought it was because you were sad i probably didnt have feelings for you#(in which case of course my actions would have been totally justified). anyway after that i became a totally good and reliable friendâ#when what she did since i framed it that way was (1) ghost me for 3 months (2) met up and immediately said she needed space (after one#conversation since the summer) (3) broke up with me under the most inconvenient conditions when im totally isolated from all of my friends#and during a long drive where im forced to be around her for hours to a camp where she is my only means of leaving#good friend behavior????#she always seems so thoughtful and phrases everything in a way that makes sense in the moment. but sometimes i wonder if she ever thinks#about other people at all#it feels like she wants all of these experiences and connections but only while theyre convenient and exciting and new. and what i thought#was a meaningful connection was maybe like a collectable trinket? or i dont know maybe. a fun experiment so she could learn more about#herself. framing every time she hurt me as a lesson she was learning about Relationships#ughhhhh I'm not a fucking educational tool#âi want to do all the same things exactly but not call it a relationship. and i have a crush on you but i dont like you enough. and i dont#want to ever date anyone and i dont want to be in relationships but of course im not going to break up with my boyfriendâ#im so fucking done
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can someone tell my brain we aren't waiting for anything and we can sit down and write in peace
#i'm laying in bed going oh i can't get this done i have something due. HONEY WE DO NOT WE'RE ON SUMMER BREAK#but of course then the probpem becomes oh i want to write 13 things at once so i will do nothing :3#i have a flash fic to finish that commission has been in my kofi since like september.....#i wanted to wrote pt.2 of pointed north but idk if that's happening anytime soon#i need to be possessed by the pjo hyperfixation again. maybe the show will make a miracle happen đ#đ i want to play dolls but idk with which dolls#pia.txt
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i might be a fucking lesbian!!!!!
#not even in the sense of me being a jj rocker simp#there's this ONE FUCKING GIRL in my grade i've had a crush on for like. a year and it's just gotten stronger#all of my other friends abandoned me but she's still here#and she's so fucking kind to me#like our first interaction wasn't even good. but she was being niceys to me later that year so i just played along since i wasn't in a good#i wasnt in a good mental state then#and here we are#she's a godsend man. i wish i was friends with her earlier#i wonder if i'll ever stumble across her this summer break. if i do i will go insane#once i buy that shake it cd i'll invite her to my house and infodump about it to her#and if i'm feeling brave then infodump about the treasure of legends and tell her about The Gay Cookiesâą#idk how she'll react to me shipping two male cookies but i'm sure she'll be like âthat's so coolâ#i mean i was able to talk to someone in my english class about cookie run so i'm off to a good start#but i dont think she'll react negatively about the lemoncino thing#okay yapping ends here
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I'm going to start fantasy high i am totally not scared of how long these episodes are i can do this
#i don't have to watch it at once#it's fine I'm going to be fine#these are my affirmations#if i put it off any longer I'll never start it and the summer break isn't actually that long so i really have to
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I genuinely don't know what's wrongn with me. I'm trying to fogure this our. First I thought I was wronged and now I feel ashamed of my horrible luck with people. People who call themseves my friends all seem to have out of sight out of mind attitude with me.
Noone in rela life seems to remeber I exist. If it's not me trying to organize a meetup â they don't text me, they don't ask me to their houses or to have a coffee on a weekend. And if it is me tugging on them and suggesting things â in most cases they are Busy even if I text a month in advance or they are hanging out with Better Friends.
It's not even about getting set up for a date anymore. I'm genuinely freaking out that I'm secretly a horrible person that noone wants me unless it's work-related where most my acquaintances these days come from.
Is it me not being on social media? Is it me not being able to give them my insta where they could comment on my photo of a coffee I'm getting? Is it me being opinionated?
I'm doing fucking everything I ever heard as an advice on being personable charming agreeable people-person. I notice their interests, I smile and give compliments and give praise when warranted and make sure all proper people get proper credit for their achievements, I recommend things I know about and am curious about things they can recommend, I've had one person not believe me saying I'm a lonely introvert, I look at baby pictures and congratulate people sincerely on getting their house or having their wedding, I have colleague who shares stories about her teenager kids and I listen and I offer advice and symathy. I'm fat and have been fat as a child so I had to be a clown to be accepted so I can make people cry with my jokes and I know it's not faked and it doesn't matter.
And yet none of those people want me elsewhere. Even if we have each other on whatsapp and with some we are even in group chats, but if it's not me tugging and timidly asking if they'd like to go somewhere sometime, maybe check out that new coffee place â it's radio silence. I try to start a concersation on how Someone is â I get an answer that they're fine, busy, and nothing else, not even a question back, no details, no offer to discuss over a drink or even have a bloody phone call just to chat away.
Noone tugs on me, noone asks me out, noone wants to make plans, noone wants me at their houses or in their existing friend groups, noone even sends any memes or anything. Nothing that I was told would happen if I learned to make friends.
I don't understand what is so horrible about me or what am I doing wrong or not enough of. Do I need an instagram account to be considered easier to reach or what? What is the secret that I'm missing?
#and yes i do openly express my enthusiasm#oh you do rock climbing? i've never tried it but can I tag along sometime to try it?#or you're throwing axes today? well maybe next time i can come to try? let me know!#they never let me know#you go on walks on weekends? wish we could go now that the weather is nice. let me know if you want some company#i haven't been hiking since summer camp! sounds so fun I'd love to check out that track you've found!#when you're going to a play next time - let me know i love thatre#and nothing nothing nothing#tumblr mutuals from 749394737 miles away will send me a post at least once every few weeks#i don't get it#i'm willing to work hard and break myself into pieces and put myself back into a different person#i effectively did that at the start of my 20s#but it doesn't work#nothing works#i've smiled my face into hurting and it works just as good as my resting bitch face#what is the science behind it#someone tell me the steps and i'll take them#i'm going insane from loneliness and shame
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don't really have time at the minute but do feel like. it's perhaps worth at some point just kind of going into a little bit more detail for that stretch of 2015 between assen and phillip island because there's just some little bits of context here and there that are worth keeping in mind
#not prompted by. anything specific. like just in a sort of... I think it can be easy to get stuck on the headline drama#but there's a few things here and there... when the summer break falls and how it gave marc a chance to reset and cool his head post-assen#(but crucially not before sachsenring which means he's still not really helping his case in those pressers)#brno quali drama coming in the same week valentino lost his championship lead for the first time that season and the title was slipping#marc sitting on vale's rear tyre for half of silverstone. *gestures* misano. both races vale must have had SOME kind of problem w marc#marc's slightly. uh. ill-considered pre event aragon comments and the immense frustration of that race from valentino's pov#the fact that sepang was the last of a fly away triple header. the first of which was motegi (never a track he's liked) -#- after which vale was more exhausted than anyone has ever seen him. just completely wrung out physically headed into PI#I think there's maybe a bit... look. vale did not feel on top of the world during that season past maybe three races#there were several times at which everyone felt it was fairly likely lorenzo would run away with it. the rain bailed vale out#I'm putting this in the tags b/c this is not a complete post!! these are not complete thoughts!! it's just one of those things that. y'know#//#brr brr#I do also feel like it adds something. b/c the marc/jorge line in all in about 'well he only did that because he knew he was slower'#of course he did!! ofc he knew that!! I mean marc in his infinite tact repeatedly said as much with valentino sitting right next to him!#HE said it. he essentially said after brno he couldn't win the title if he was consistently slower than the other aliens#I think that's part of what makes those years so interesting. like the fall is more dramatic *because* vale is more understanding and -#- forgiving and humble towards his competitors Right Until That Very Moment when he isn't. the contrast creates the tragedy#vale kinda had to kill his ego to be able to fight for that 2015 title and at some point it just took one too many blows#god on the one hand you're back in Title Fight Mode but otoh the way you approach it is premised on the knowledge you can't win on pace#it becomes very Trust The Process but it means you have zero margin for error because the second you slip up once it's joever#so it's both the most humbling way & the most exhausting way to try and build a title campaign. nobody WANTS to win a title through podiums#idol tag
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we already discussed this in our dms but i'm like chomping at the bit knowing that my partner's favorite silent hill game WOULD be sh3.
#stormy shouts#goddddd once summer break finally fucking hits for me i'm GOING to install that game onto my computer#i neeeeeeeed to see her (heather* cheryl mason)
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my draft count is BELOW my queue count i call that VICTORY!!!!!!
#ooc#i'm so proud of myself#i even answered some rlly old drafts#like last year old LMAO#spaced out hazbin stuff with my other stuff too so like#not all hazbin stuff comes out at once and not all my other stuff comes out at once either#thank u all for baring with me <3#i go back to work next week so i'm back to being queue based (mostly) for the time being!#TWO MONTHS UNTIL SUMMER BREAK THO!!!
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