#pangos answers

[voraciouspangolin]

r u ok? u reblogged hot maori sniper 6 times

I need 2 see him shirtless wrinkled in the sun preparing various cuts of meat

[romanticallyghosting]

I know this is silly, and I probably already asked you this before and I just forgot, but have you watched team starkid?

some of it!!! npmd, black friday, and tgwdlm! i enjoyed them all but dont remember all the details off the top of my head, but yeah :)

i am also planning to watch AVPM. someday. because darren criss is in it if im not mistaken?? and i LOVE darren criss (i watched him on glee and saw him live once.. and his voice is also amazing)

[sailors-fightinginthedancehall]

If when Jagerman rises, blood will be his prize, and when Grace rises souls will be her prize... When YOU rise, what's YOUR prize?

You know I have never thought about that before, great question

Um…. Cup of tea. And a blanket

have you thought about your rising prize?

[victor-aguilar]

We aren’t that close of moots, and I wanna change that!

Heres a few questions I have! Feel free to answer as few or as many as you’d like!

1. Preferred name and pronouns?

2. Fav color?

3. Do you like fantasy stuff?

4. If so, for the last question, what’s your favorite creature type? I like werewolves, and other lycanthropes.

5. Do you prefer movies or musicals?

6. What’s your fav movie or musical?

7. What questions do you wanna ask me?

Thanks! I hope I don’t come off as weird. It’s just that I like getting to know my mutuals :D

omg hi pango id lov that too!

ali (or al) she/her except i do wtv i want sometimes

uhh black but it always changing bc i love colours yippee

yes

VAMPIRES count? wrrefloves ar eso yippee. also mermaids and fairies WITCHES AR EMY FAVOURITE YIPPEE

uhh movies

i am really bad at asking questions. uhhh

do you like dismey movies? if yeah whats your favourite :3

[riddlingabout]

Hi Finn!!!

Only answer this ask when you’ve slept.

Have a really nice day, ok?

awww hi pango ma main man-go!

how are ya!!!

been missing and thinking of you lately :D

you're so sweet, still sick so just taking it easy but it's always a really nice day when I hear from you :DDDD

[codenamehazard]

.:Ruffled Feathers:.

Chapter 11: Ruffled Feathers

Hey guys! This one was a trip to write, lots of redos and rewrites, but I think the end result is well worth trying to figure out where all the kinks in this hose were and fix them.

A big thank you goes out to @rogueshadeaux as always for her help! It means a lot to me and you deserve every bit of praise for your help, kindness and encouragement!

Without delay, let's jump in!

--------------

The sun is setting over the horizon as the jeep roars over the dust and dirt. Pangolin flooring the gas as we escape the now collapsing hell-mine and Kestrel laying back and covering her eyes with her arm. My head’s still throbbing from the botched Ionic Drain and the rough ride did nothing to alleviate it. Going at such high speeds made rocks and bumps feel like we were going over the surface of the goddamn Moon. I press my head into the back of the seat in pain, hoping the pressure will ease it some.

I think back to those… Things. Their broken bodies with swollen backs, their tainted energy that sickened me when I drain them. What were those things and more importantly, why the hell did none of the Misfits give me a straight answer on what they were? Especially since they were as big of a nightmare as they claimed to be? It made no sense, especially with Kestrel being a vague bitch. She of all of them should have been the one giving it to me straight. Another bump causes the seat to jolt up into my forehead, I curse in pain and hold my head as the impact worsens my headache.

I feel a sudden lurch as Pangolin stops by a long since abandoned gas-station and parks. I look up at him with a questioning look. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Kestrel sit up and give him the same questioning look I have.

“Why the hell did we stop?” I question with a bit of bite in my voice.

“We’ve lost a lot of daylight, guys.” He states. “I know you two are eager to sleep in the Conclave, but the hordes become really active at night and the nights are very dark. We need to camp out.” I groan in frustration. I wanted to get back to Droptown and get my gun made, but with that logic, I can’t argue. I don’t wanna go another round with those things, at least not right now. I let out an annoyed sigh through my nose, but I didn’t say anything. I watch the bitchy bird flop back into her seat and groan, but she seems to have the same sentiments as I.

With everyone seeming to be on the same page. I hop out and stretch my legs while Kestrel and Pangolin unload some tents, bedrolls and firewood.

The tents and bedrolls were distributed and I head off to set up mine. The air is thick with tension between the bird and I, she would shoot me seething glares and growl under her breath and I would just roll my eyes. Tch, what a bitch. I don’t care how much she hates me, she better get over herself in a hurry because I ain’t gonna let her out of my sight once she starts working on my weapon. Just to make sure she doesn’t screw me over like she tried to do in the mines.

After setting up my tent, I look to see Pangolin finishing up his. I head over so I can talk to him. I need to get my Amp back from him and to ask him a few questions about… Whatever the hell those things were. With a quick chat, we head back to the jeep with me giving him the pickaxe. Once there, he puts the mining tool in the trunk and hands over my treasured Amp. I look it over with a critical eye and to my satisfaction (and a hint of relief), no harm has come to it. At least I know there’s another person in that motley crew I can somewhat trust.

I nod to him and give him a quiet “Thanks” before we get back to talking again. Nothing important really, just shooting the shit until I can squeeze the question I really want to ask.

“Pangolin, those things in the mines. What were they?” With that question, Pango looks at me questioningly. I wasn’t gonna ask Kestrel because I know sure as shit she won’t tell me anything useful.

“Wait, you mean Kestrel didn’t tell you?” Pangolin questioned in kind, looking shocked.

“I wouldn’t be asking if she did. Only thing she told me is that whatever they were, they were dangerous and that was it.” That answer makes the Brick Spartan facepalm.

“Ooooh Kestrel… What am I going to do with you.” Pangolin mutters in the tone a disappointed older brother would take when talking about the latest stunt the younger sibling pulled. “Those things are essentially zombies made real. We call them “The Warped.” Nasty fuckers, they are.”

No shit; they’re zombies. I thought to myself before I nod my head at him. “Figured as much, but what exactly are they?” I ask.

“They used to be Conduits.” Pangolin sighs with sadness and… A touch of grief? Hmm… Must be some history there, but now’s not the time to ask. “There are a few ways that a Warped can come to be, but typically it’s from exposure to a newly discovered metal. The shit fucks up your powers, practically turns them into a cancer where they just eat your body from the inside out. If the corruption doesn’t kill ‘em, they become those things. The ones you fought? They’re typically called “Shamblers” or “Husks.” Barely alive and starving, so desperate to eat anything with any kind of energy that they’ll even eat raw Rayacite just to stay alive.”

I frown at this. A metal that can warp a Conduit’s powers so bad that it’ll parasitize the user? God, that sounds like Bertrand’s wet dream. Something that not only turns Conduits into…. That… But also has a chance to kill them to boot? Jesus Christ. Then there’s the fact that those I fought are literally eating rocks and metal just to cling to whatever life is left in their bodies.

“Husks have lost their ability to use their powers at all and are very weak and frail.” Pangolin continues. “However, they make up for this in ferocity, hunger and numbers. Many a scav have become Warped food because they underestimated them.”

Normally I would have taken that as a pointed comment, but with the matter-of-fact way he stated that nugget of information gives me the impression he is just laying out the facts and nothing more.

“Jesus Christ.” Is all I can utter as I process the information. With one question asked, Ten more have popped up in its place. He said they’re a few ways that those Warped things come to be, what were they? Is this contagious? Are humans affected? So many questions.

“Yeah, and it doesn’t help that they’re attra-”

“They’re attracted to RFE.” I turn my head sharply to see Kestrel walking over after loudly butting in. Her face curled in irritation and eyes glowing hot. “You know? The same kind of energy that Conduits naturally produce when using their powers? The same kind of energy you just slung around like a goddamn free-for-all that basically rang the dinner bell for every single Warped inside that damn warren?? Oh! And to add onto that, I don’t know what the fuck you did, but they were going extra crazy on your ass!!” Her voice drips with venom and I curl my lips into a teeth-baring snarl. Oh so the bitch wants to get her ass kicked, huh?

“HAH!!” She exclaims as she gets right into my face, baring her hyena teeth at me. “Like you would have believed me! Me! The bitch you have the biggest hate-boner for that you don’t trust to boot!” She snarls before walking back and starts dancing around like an utter child. 

“Tch!” I scoff loudly, sparking my arms up in irritation and readying myself for a fight. “Maybe if a certain feather-brained dumbass girl wasn’t being so fucking cryptic and actually told me what these things are, then maybe; juuuuuuust maybe… I would have taken your creepy ass warning more seriously!” I snap at her, a growl tinging my voice as I stare the bird-bitch down, but she doesn’t back down.

“Oh, don’t you be using your powers in these mines, mister! There’s spooky scary zombies that want to turn you into a goddamn power-filled human juice pouch!!” The absolutely infuriating child of a woman chides in a mocking tone as she continues to dance around like an idiot before getting in my face again. I growl deeply as the sparks popping off of my arms grow more intense. As much as I hate to admit it, she is right. I wouldn’t have believed her, but I wouldn’t dare say anything. Right now, her dumb ass is making my headache even worse and I just want to shut her up for good. I give her a good and hard shove before getting right in her face, see how she likes that.

“Like you have any room to lecture me about what I do with my powers when you left me for dead at the first sign of real danger.” I snarl in her face. She snarls back, trying to look big and scary. Oooh, I am shaking in my fucking boots.

“I came back, didn’t I?” She rebuts, smoke seeping from her mouth. “Came back to bail your greedy ass out before you got swarmed and turned into Warped chow when I could have easily just continued on without you and you’d have nobody to blame but your dumb ass for getting yourself killed!!” Without thinking, I grab at her shirt to pull her up to my face level, but as soon as I do, she bites my nose.

“AAGH!!” I yell out in pain before snarling. “You little bitch.” I growl out as I try to get my hands around her throat as she gets out her claws and starts scratching at me. What we couldn’t see was Pangolin pinching his nose in pure annoyance before walking over.

“ENOUGH!!!” Pangolin barks out in a voice reminiscent of the deep brass of a drill sergeant before he yanks the two of us apart violently, damn near tossing the smaller and lighter bird to the ground. Before either of us could recover and get back to throttling the other, two brick cages enclose both us as well as a literal brick block encasing our feet. I try to break the bricks, but no dice.

The look on Pangolin’s face is all too familiar to me, practically straight from my father’s face whenever he’d go on about something I did. I could feel my blood burn with anger as I watch those disappointed eyes scan Kestrel and I. That look infuriates me to no end as I know it always leads to some sort of lecture. If he thinks he can parent me, he has another thing coming.

“Now that you two aren’t trying to kill each-other… Let’s get this shit sorted out.” He sighs as he starts pacing. He looks at me. “Cole, from your expression and from what Mako has told me, you absolutely can’t stand being told what to do….” He looks to Kestrel next. “And the two of you hate each-other’s guts… But there are some serious issues that need to be addressed if there is going to be any hope of any future cooperation at all and yes, this is including the construction of your firearm, Cole.” My eye twitches and I let out a low growl. “First off, your unwillingness to listen to any of Kestrel’s warnings and your recklessness almost got both of you killed in that min-”

“And why should I listen to an unreliable and vague pigeon like that bitch?” I interrupt. “I don’t know if you were listening or your ears were too full of mortar to actually hear me when I said Kestrel was gonna leave me for dea-”

“I heard you, Cole.” He growls. “And once you were dead, who’s the one running around with several shards and a core in her backpack?” He looks over at Kestrel with a glare and she flinches. “Fact of the matter is that a lone Conduit in those mines is a dead Conduit, but that’s not the point. Point is that because of your greed, recklessness and unwillingness to cooperate. You caused a situation that could have gotten both of you killed as well as now because you both had to force a cave-in, we’ve lost a Rayacite source as well.” My thoughts chew on the information. He’s right. If I died, they would have come after her next and if what she’s saying about the RFE is true, they’d flock to her just as hard. Kestrel looks like she’s about to say something when Pangolin chucks a brick at her head and it hits with a satisfying tink and a yelp of pain from the girl.

“Kestrel Morrison.” His voice goes low as he walks over to her. “You. Know. Better.” Those three words cause the bird to flinch and shrink. “This whole plan. This was your idea. As such, the bulk of the responsibilities of making sure nothing goes wrong is on your shoulders.” I watch her continue to shrink as Pangolin circles her cage. Memories of my own father doing the same to me flicker in my mind as I watch Pangolin rip Kestrel a new asshole. Part of me revels in seeing her so miserable, yet… I can’t fully enjoy it because of the intruding memories.

“I-” Kestrel tries to speak up, but Pangolin gives her the knife-hand.

“Don’t.” He growls. “I do not want to hear any excuses. There is no excuse for your piss poor conduct. As de-facto leader of this little expedition, it is your responsibility to make sure that all important information is given in a clear and concise manner. Whether or not your teammates believe you is irrelevant because what they do with the information is up to them, but because of your failure to do so, your vagueness caused an avoidable situation.” She looks away and at the ground, looking so small and pitiful, but by the look on the Spartan's face, he was far from done.

“And that’s not the worst of it… Kestrel. You, you, out of ALL of us should know the importance of having your teammates’ back. YOU! And yet you were going to leave Cole, your teammate, to die in one of the worst ways imaginable.”

“But I came b-” The bird tries to interject again before Pangolin shuts her down again.

“I don’t care that you came back, you shouldn’t have left in the first place!” He roars in anger. “You left him to die, it doesn’t matter that you came back. What if you came back and it was too late? Did you think about that?!” He glares down at Kestrel hard, the girl is quiet. “Answer me!”

“N-no…” She responds pitifully.

“I didn’t think so.” He growls before sighing. “Look, I know you hate Cole’s guts, but you have been acting completely out of character for you ever since he showed up and I understand that saying you both have bad blood is an understatement, but whatever the hell has gotten into you, you need to knock it off. You of all people know how much of a slippery slope this behavior is and next time you let your anger and spite run you, you might hurt someone you care about. Understood?”

“Y-yes…” Kestrel says with a weak nod.

“I can’t even put into words how disappointed I am in you, Kestrel.” Pangolin states as he steps back. Looking at the girl’s face. She looks like shit. A pang of… Sadness… Echoes in my head as the memories flicker again. Memories of myself being torn down by my father. Memories of my brother experiencing the same… And the memories of Zeke when I tore into him about his own reckless behavior over the Alden incident. He is right, both of us were at fault for this mess, but Jesus Christ. I wasn’t expecting Pangolin to rip into his own so viciously.

There was a pregnant pause in the air as silence falls over the camp. Pangolin stares at us expectantly. I look over at Kestrel and she only glances over at me from her downward gaze. The brick Spartan lets out an exasperated sigh releasing the foot anchors. 

“Look you two, I will reiterate that I understand you both hate each-other, but that doesn’t excuse either of you of your actions and behaviors.” He states. “Both of you made the conscious choice to go in together as a team, as such, you two should have put your differences aside and acted like a team. Understood?” I let out an annoyed grumble, but I nod. Kestrel on the other hand? She barely moves her head in acknowledgement. There is another pause before he sighs once more.

“I suppose I’ve gotten all of that through your stubborn heads. I’ll let you both out.” I step forward, but the brick Spartan holds his hand up. “Under one condition.” I groan, of course there was a caveat.

“And what might that be?” I question. Pangolin gives me a pointed look.

“You drop the topic. Last thing I need is for you two to be holding this over each-other’s heads as an excuse to turn into rabid dogs, understood?” I groan and roll my eyes, but I nod in agreement, at the very least I can be let out of this stupid electricity proof cage. With a nod from Kestrel, Pangolin calls off the cages, setting us free. “Now, you two shake on it.” He gestures. Another eye-roll from me, but Kestrel and I walk over and we shake hands. Her grip is surprisingly firm despite her poor emotional state. Respectable.

With the shake sealing the deal, we were dismissed from our scolding to nurse our aching heads and pride.

—

The moon climbs the sky as the smell of fire waffs into my nose. Comforting and familiar.

With my tent set up and bedroll out, I follow the smell to the center of the camp to find the Kestrel made a campfire and is tending to it dutifully, her body language is listless, but her eyes is focused on the fire, almost entranced by the flickering flames. Pangolin has gone back to the jeep, probably to grab something. I sit down on the ground and stretch my legs before crossing them.

Pangolin returns with a few brown plastic bags with “MRE” printed on it. He passes one to me and then gives one to Kestrel, who he has to shake out of her thoughts… Whatever they are.

I look at the package to see what it is, some sort of rice and beans. I shrug and open it to tuck in, it’s better than those god-awful protein bars and it’s a step closer to actual food. As I eat my ration, I observe the others.

The meal is silent between us all, but instead of the tension-filled awkward silence that permeated the ride to the mine, it was a heavy, almost sad silence. Like grey clouds threatening to rain. Pangolin would glance over at the woman, but then sigh, sometimes muttering about if he went about it the right way before taking a bite of rice. It baffles me that he went so hard on Kestrel, one of his own, instead of laying into me. Someone who is an outsider. I might ask about this later, but I can see now is not the time.

I glance over at the bird in question and the sight I saw is just… Sad.

She didn’t look up much, just darting glances before looking away. Shoulders slumped and eyes glazed over. If I thought she looked pitiful after getting her ass chewed out by Mako, this just takes it to another level. She picks at her food, barely eating anything unless prompted by Pangolin. Absolutely listless. I hate to admit it, but I couldn’t help but to feel a little sorry for her. It is always a sad sight to see someone so bursting with energy and fire in such a lethargic state. Pain in my ass or not.

There is an odd feeling that I haven’t felt in a long time. It is actually… Nice… To share a meal with other people, even with the less than jovial situation. Damn, how long has it been since I’ve actually eaten in the company of others? Months? Years maybe? Who knows.

It made a small part of me feel… Like a person.

My thoughts were interrupted by Pangolin finishing his meal and tossing his trash into a rusted bin. Kestrel barely moves while I look.

“Don’t stay up too much longer, you two. We’re going to be up bright and early so we can get back to Droptown as soon as possible. The sooner we get back, the sooner we can get the project finished.” Pangolin states as he stretches his back. “I’m heading to bed, good night.”

Kestrel gives a grunt and a wave while I nod my head in confirmation. Pangolin gives one more worried glance at the bird before he crawls into his tent to turn in for the night.

Time passes in the same heavy silence, both of us staring at flickering embers that’s occasionally fed by Kestrel tossing some dry wood onto it. The way her glazed over eyes gaze into the flame, it’s like the fire would give her the answers to… Whatever’s going on in her head.

Maybe it might hold some answers for me too, I don’t know.

Among the chorus of night creatures and the crackling of flames, a tiny voice squeaks out.

“I’m sorry.”

I turn my head to look at the source of the sound and see it’s Kestrel, her eyes still staring into the fire.

“What?” I question as I stare. My mind racing as I process those two words that came out of her mouth. Did… Did she just… Apologize again?? I blink as I watch her. This time I know nobody put her up to this.

“I… I’m sorry for…” She starts before letting out a sad sigh. “I’m sorry for not being as clear as I should have been about the Warped… And for… Leaving you in the thick of the warren.” Her eyes glance over at me for a quick second, but she still doesn’t look me in the eye.

It takes a while for me to process the words, part of me still thinks she’s only doing this because she got in trouble again, but… That look in her eyes, the tone of her voice and the fact that it was completely and utterly unprompted… There is a sincerity that can’t be denied, hell, she even told me what it is for.. The apology, for the most part, is a genuine one. A genuine, honest to God, apology. But why?

Then again, did the world make sense anymore?

It didn’t make any sense. She’s supposed to hate me, right? Despise me, even. While yeah, she fucked me over and fucked up in general, I’m the last person she would want to own up to and apologize to, right? Right?? This isn’t making any sense, she doesn’t make sense!

I rub my temples and give an exhausted sigh, the headache is still lingering and the mind-fuck that Kestrel gave me isn’t helping any.

“I guess… I’m sorry too.” I mutter as I glance over to the burn-scarred woman, now it was her turn to look at me like a damn trout. I give another sigh before continuing. “Sorry for… Getting caught up in everything and stirring up the nest.” I mean, I guess I am sorry? I don’t necessarily feel bad for the chaos I caused and for the most part, I’m apologizing because my ass got chewed out, but I would be lying if the pitiful sight of the fire-cracker of a bird looking so... Broken… Didn’t pang my heart. It reminds me of Nix when she would be dealing with the thoughts of her loss. Didn’t matter, regardless of how genuine it is, Kestrel seems to accept with a nod of her head.

A still moment of watching the fire slowly dim passes when I find my tongue again.

“Hey, Kestrel.” I begin. The bird lifts her head to look at me. “You were one hell of a fighter back there… Thanks for the save.” Her eyes widen as I can see her brain misfiring. Looks like it’s her turn to be completely befuddled. I know I’m a selfish bastard and I delight in the misery of those I can’t stand, but I’m also an honest bastard. Regardless if I hate someone or not, if someone’s a good fighter, I tell them. Credit where credit is due.

Though if people were to mistake my honesty and willingness to give kudos as weakness, I would be more than happy to set them straight personally.

“Thanks…” Kestrel eeks out in a quiet mumble, her hands grasping and tugging at her cloak. Most likely to sooth her own nerves. “You… Gave them hell too.” I nod at the compliment, a silent sign of acceptance.

Not much else happens after that, but there is a noticeable change. Some of the heaviness lifts as we watch the fire die.

When all that’s left of the fire was nothing but a flicker, enough to keep the camp warm but not enough to burn everything, I decide to turn in for the night myself. I stand up and stretch before turning to head to my tent. I look back to see Kestrel slowly get up and turn back to her own before I continue on.

I crawl into my tent and flop onto my bedroll with a pained groan. Putting my hand to my head, I rub my forehead to try and deal with the dull ache that remained of my headache. My body feels heavy and drained now that I’m finally laying down. Those “Warped” really did a number on me. All I can really hope for is that whatever the fuck their energy did to me will wear off by tomorrow. Like how Sasha’s tar wore off. I curl up into the fetal position, using my arm to cover my eyes. I feel my eyelids growing heavier and heavier until they finally close. In my mind, I silently hope that this is the start of a restful slumber.

With everything that happened over the past 24 hours? I really, really need it.

[ask-a-girl-and-a-bowgart]

wanted to make this a comic but I don't have the energy 💀

so have this instead- belated moments upon ye:

~~~~~

The winds were cold and dry, as one would most likely expect on Cold Island, snow hindering Blue's vision. He, along with Lily, were walking down a path to his sister's place.

But sweet Glaishur it was cold.

Lily kept complaining so.

"Blue, I'm cold."

"Keep moving, we're almost there."

"You said that last time."

Blue laughed. "I promise we're almost there."

Lily huffed a bit, but kept moving. No doubt wherever she came from in the Human World it wasn't nearly as cold, Blue thought.

the two approached a small house, with quaint windows and warm, cozy light pouring our through them. It was hard to tell in the snowstorm, but this house had an orange chimney; the signature feature of the house to distinguish it from the rest.

Cemilas home.

Blue walked up to the door, Lily tailing very closely behind.

"Alright Lily," Blue looked over at lily, her face half hidden in the scarf he bought for her, "we're here."

Lily not only gave a quick sigh of relief, but also became more visibly excited. Nervous? Perhaps both. She held the gift she was holding closer to her tiny body.

Blue knocked on the door three times, and heard shuffling inside.

"I'll get it!" A voice called from within.

The door opened a moment later revealing a short Pango as the one who answered.

Their fur was a deep purple, so purple it was nearly black, the light lavender fur on their complimenting their dark fur. They had matching scars on their chest, indicating some sort of top surgery that had happened years prior.

They smiled. "Wasn't expecting to see you here, Blue."

"It was very last minute," he smiled back, greeting the Pango.

"Well, uh, do come in," the Pango motioned for the Blue (and Lily) to come in.

"Oh! I'd like to introduce you," Blue turned to Lily, who was standing at his right hip. "Lily, this is Indigo, Cemilas partner," motioning to the Pango. "Indigo, this is Lily, the human child im taking care of."

"So the tales are true, I hear!!"

Indigo, Blue, and Lily all turned in the direction of a much lighter colored Bowgart, maybe cornflower blue, standing in the hallway leading to the living room, where the three of then were.

"And this is Cemila," Blue motioned to Cemila, still talking to Lily, "my older sister."

Cemila gave the biggest grin any monster could give, running up to Blue and giving him, well, a monster-sized hug. Blues feet were off the ground.

"Ah, it's so good to see you, B!!"

"The feelings mutual, sis," Blue was kind of gasping for air. Cemilas hugs were the best hugs, to be honest, but you always found yourself lacking oxygen.

Cemila put him down, and the height difference could be seen between the two. It wasn't much, but Cemila was taller by a couple of inches. If you subtract the horns, anyway.

Nonetheless, she turned her attention to Lily.

"And this must be the kid you're shelterin'," Cemila crouched down to Lilys level, "why, aren't cha just adorable?"

Lily, still in her snow coat and scarf, smiled and bounced a bit, throughly pleased at Cemilas compliment.

"This is for you, Cemila," Lily said, though muffled by her scarf. She handed the gift to Cemila somewhat bashfully, clearly a bit nervous.

Cemila gasped and accepted the gift. "Why, thank you!"

Blue couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the exchange. Indigo did too.

Cemila and Lily would be great friends, Blue could tell.

Indigo clapped their hands together. "So, I've got dinner made," they looked from Lily to Blue. "You two hungry?"

"I'm alright, but Lilys always hungry," Blue looked at Lily, who perked up at the sound of "dinner".

Indigo laughed. "I'll make Lily a plate,"

Cemila rose up, now hold the gift from Lily. "Why don't you two stay a while? Get settled in, the blizzards only gonna get worse!"

Lily looked up at Blue for a second, seemingly asking for permission, before unraveling her scarf and shedding her heavy coat.

Blue took off his hat, watching Lily run off to the kitchen.

"Mind your step, Lily!" Blue called out, hanging up his jacket.

"Sorry!" was her response. From the kitchen obviously.

Blue hung up his jacket and Lilys, making his way to the kitchen, sitting at the bar that was there. Cemila took a seat next to him.

"So, little brother of mine," cemila nudged him in the shoulder, "hows life?"

"Same old, same old."

"Aw, that's not exciting!"

"What is there that's exciting?"

"You tell me! That's why I asked!"

The two laughed. Blue would tell Cemila his current situation, but he didn't want Lily overhearing. Or at least, he didn't want her to accidently spreading his situation to others, even if that chance was slim.

"I'll tell you later," he nodded to Lily. "Don't want any stray ears listening in."

"I know whatcha mean," Cemila nodded, not pressing the issue any further.

The two sat in companionable silence for a moment, listening to the clattering of plates Indigo was dishing up in the kitchen.

Lily left the kitchen with a plate full of food. A fish filet with a side salad and potatoes.

"Well aren't you spoiled," Blue teased.

Lily smiled stuck out her tongue in response, being silly.

Indigo was carring two plates, obviously for themself and Cemila.

"You eating here or at the table?"

"Uh, I'll eat here."

Indigo set one of the plates down in front of Cemila.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Indigo asked Blue. "Do want something to drink?"

Blue shook his head "I'm alright, Indigo. Thank you."

They walked over to the table, where lily was already scarfing down her food. Indigo told her not to eat so fast, or she'll get sick.

Blue turned his attention from Lily to his sister, starting a conversation.

"How're the mines nowadays?"

Cemila shook her head. "A shithole to say the least." She said it quiet enough so Lily couldn't really hear.

"That sounds fun," Blue retorted.

Cemila gave a short, staccato "ha!" before continuing on.

"We just had one of our tunnels collapse on us two days ago. We're still trying to clear out any rubble, maybe find some bodies that were trapped. Luckily, from what I hear, there isn't a lot."

The siblings continued talking about the mines, before shifting topics to Blue's employment situation.

"Still haven't found one?" Cemila asked, worried. The food on her plate was nearly gone.

Blue shook his head, clearly exasperated.

"Nope... and the checks stopped coming in, so... no money."

Cemila looked down at her plate for a second before looking back up at Blue.

"There's an opening at the mines..."

"Lily wouldn't survive the cold. And I don't have anyone else to look after her if something were to happen."

"Don't you have Twig?"

"He's a damn plant, and sensitive to the cold. An autumn day on Plant Island is uncomfortable to him."

Cemila nodded, took a sip of her drink (water).

"There aren't any jobs at Plant Island?"

"Oh there are, it's just... I either have to go to school and get X Y and Z licenses or the job doesn't pay enough for who I'm supporting or the job downright sucks."

He put his head in his hands, his upper two ones at least. No job was suited for him, not on Plant Island.

Cemila put a hand on his back, providing some comfort and reassurance.

"If you ever need it, B, we can send money."

"It's fine, really." He didn't want to admit it, but he really didn't want to have to rely on Cemila for money. That's the last thing he wanted, was having to rely on someone else when he can just solve his own problems.

"Blue,"

He looked up, seeing Cemilas worried and unconvinced face.

"I'm serious."

"So am I," Blue sat up. "Where's the bathroom?"

Cemila let out a small sigh of mixed emotions. "Down the hall, second door on the left."

Blue got up and headed that way.

he got to the bathroom, closed the door. With a shaky sigh, he sat down on the floor, right up against the door.

The problems were mounting up, just like his anxiety about them.

Unemployment, child support, his feelings for Twig, losing everything he holds dear.

He didn't cry, but he damn well wanted to. The feeling behind his eyes was there.

~~~~~~~~

"Blue?" Cemila called through the door. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he sounded unconvincing.

"Well, we're having cake if you want any."

"I'll be out in a bit."

Cemilas footsteps could be heard walking to the living room with some hesitation, but she left.

Blue took several deep breaths to calm down and keep himself together. Soaking in a tub of anxiety isn't healthy, but neither is pretending everything is alright.

Hed just have to push through, for Lilys (and Dee's) sake.

he got up and left the bathroom, heading towards the living room.

On the table was a homemade cake, no doubt for Cemilas 30th birthday (in all technical terms, it's a hatching-day, but most monsters just use the term "birthday"). Lily was sitting across from Cemila (who was now wearing the velvet red scarf Blue and lily got for her loosely around her neck), and Indigo was lighting the candles.

"Oh good, you're just in time," Indigo looked up briefly to see Blue standing next to Cemila.

"Glad you could join us," Cemila looked at Blue with a smile. He nodded in response, trying to shake off his problems.

At least now he could forget about them, just for this moment.

Indigo blew out the match they were using, and set it down on the table.

"Ready?"

A unanimous "yeah" came from the table.

"Okay," Indigo gave a little chuckle. "One, and-a two, and-a-"

Indigo, Blue, and Lily sang "Happy Birthday" to Cemila, who was no doubt feeling bashful and silly.

30 years old and still a child at heart.

Once they were done, and Cemila had blown out the candles, she sliced up the cake and dished out a piece to everyone.

Blue was sitting at the kitchen bar with his small slice of cake. He wasn't that hungry, but it'd be sin to not have some cake to celebrate.

Cemila was once again sitting next to him, while Indigo and Lily sat at the table, talking away. The siblings, however, ate their cake in silence.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was well into the night, Lily asleep on a bed in the guest room. The storm had definitely gotten worse; the snow hammered at the walls and wind rattled the windows. But Cold Islands buildings were meant to withstand storms like these, so there wasn't much to fear.

The adult monsters in the room, exempt from Blue, now held some sort of alcoholic beverage. Indigo, a mild spritzer. Cemila, a glass of bourbon (she's manly like that, if you'd like to say so yourself). Blue held a bottle of soda. He never had a taste for alcohol; it also gave him a headache later, albeit he may have had one drink.

So, soda.

Indigo and Cemila were sitting next to each other on the sofa, Blue sitting in a lounge chair. The couple were talking about something, Blue merely listening in, providing commentary where needed. He wasn't one to actively engage in group conversation.

Then Twig crossed his mind. He always crossed Blue's mind.

But instead of pushing away the thought with all due diligence, he instead welcomed the thought, held onto it.

Twig... a tall, smug, rebellious bastard who always and Blue meant ALWAYS getting into some sort of trouble, whether that be a fight, or a fight.

But Blue saw past all that.

He saw a puddle of sweet sap with a tough side, no doubt. He saw a monster who fiercely stands by what he believes in, deeply caring though he won't admit to it.

As much as he hated to admit to it, Blue loved him, with all his heart.

"How did you two get together, exactly?" He blurted.

Indigo and Cemila stopped their conversation, slightly confused.

"Come again?" Indigo asked.

Blue swallowed, embarrassed at his interruption.

"How did you two get together?"

"Oh," Indigo looked at him with slight surprise, looking at Cemila, who was chuckling a bit.

"Funny you ask," Cemila nudged Indigo affectionately before going into the story.

"So, I accidentally ran into Indigo in town - and I mean quite literally ran into them - and, come to find out, they worked at a store I frequently visited, so we got to know each other better. We became friends, then partners."

"That's the short story," Indigo pointed out. "There was much more to it than that."

"Why do you ask?" Cemila looked at Blue with a knowing smirk. She already knew, but she wanted to hear it from Blue.

He shrugged. "Curiousity."

"Riiiiiight."

Cemila and Indigo exchanged a knowing look, then Indigo looked at Blue.

Blue sighed. "Okay, so I'm thinking about someone, big deal."

"Look, Blue," Indigo spoke, "you better tell this someone how you feel, because you may not get the chance to later."

They reached over, lightly touching Blue's hand

"Tomorrow isn't a promise, it's a possibility. And if that possibility never comes, you don't want to live with the words you never said."

Indigo withdrew their hand, giving Blue a small, reassuring smile.

"Damn babe, I didn't know you could get so philosophical!" Cemila praised, leaning into Indigo a bit.

"Well those words are based on an old Monster Proverb! Haven't you ever heard of it?"

"...we have proverbs??"

The two went back and forth, teasing one another.

Blue, however, heard those words echoing in his head.

Tomorrow isn't a promise, it's a possibility. And if that possibility never comes, you don't want to live with the words you never said.

Blue thought about Twig again, and how much it would hurt if he lost hi to someone else.

He wouldn't be able to live with it, at least comfortably.

"Thank you," he spoke softly.

The two were laughing

"Huh?" Cemila answered, between her laughs.

"Thank you," he said a little louder, standing up to leave. "I'll... I'll keep that in mind."

He gave Indigo a smile before heading to the guest room, throwing away the empty bottle on his way.

He opened the guest room door quietly, where lily was asleep. Her easy, soft breathing was barely audible, and she was cuddling with the Sox plush he had gotten for her birthday a month ago. She was at peace.

Blue sat on the other bed, on the other side of the room. It roughly the same in size, and Blue could tell that this room was meant to be a kids room in the future.

The future. He pondered that thought for a moment, looking at Lilys peaceful state.

Sure, she's from a different world. And yes, she's not a monster, but that didn't stop Blue from loving her.

Blue only had Dee until Lily came around. He didn't realize the joy those two gremlins brought him until Lily started to become more prominent in the household. And last time he checked, Lily didn't show any homesickness or interest going back to her own world anytime soon.

And Twig... well, he'd be an adventurous parent, that's for sure.

If he had the same feelings Blue felt for him. But that's beside the point.

He wasn't going to chicken out anymore.

He was going to tell Twig how he felt, mutual feelings or not.

-----

Next

[askthevolcano]

my favorite is pango, is ur fav also pango (only right answer is yes)

Sorry to disappoint, but I don't really have a favorite monster! I mean, I guess Glowl counts. She's my best friend!

OH! I do find the werdos interesting, though! Monsters with the ability to sing actual words! I think they're very pretty, too! Especially the Maggpi one. Those crystals and those green leaves.. so shiny.. hehehe

[wistfulenchantress]

Hey Witch, just curious: is there anything I could do rn to make you feel happier? Just wondering. I wanna make my moots happier!

Omg I'm answering this so late. Hi, Pango!

Honestly I'm happier bc you care. Been having a weird day full of intrusive thoughts and existential contemplation. But, I think I'm doing ok. Although, if you have any good knock knock jokes, I'd love a laugh.

[villainsally]

Aw, respond to my asks, Raine!

Pango. When I said spam my inbox I did not mean this. Thus I elected to ignore you for the time being. I'll answer your asks slowly when I wanna.

[biblionerdreflections]

Book Review - A Tempest of Tea

Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal, which was published back in February. I’d seen tons of buzz about this book, and the cover completely sucked me in at first sight. So, I snagged it during a pre-order sale. Did I love it as much as I expected? Read on to find out… The short answer is that it is already listed in my Pango shop to find a new home.…

[voraciouspangolin]

hey, i know you didn't mean harm and i don't want to incite discourse but i want you to be careful when headcanoning pyro as intersex because intersex folks are already heavily stigmatized against, and headcanoning the character of ambiguous gender who canonically gets dehumanized and treated as an other can contribute to that stigma.

Hey, I really appreciate how respectfully you worded all this.

And I totally understand where you're coming from- and I want to share why I headcanon pyro as intersex. It stems from my essay that I've been writing about pyro's character, which dives into the function that a faceless, voiceless, largely unknown character plays in a story, the potential for the viewer's ability to project whatever they want onto this character, as well as the absence of character as a character trait itself, and how such a character serves as allegory for any number of interpersonal struggles someone may have with their environment and society on a broader scale- most notably with themes of dehumanization, othering, and lack of personal agency.

In a lot of ways, my characterization of Pyro is an allegory for many things- being trans, being gay, being poor, or autistic, or an immigrant, or disabled, or looking Not Normal, etc, etc. And I think that that's fascinating. There's a lot of room for projection onto Pyro's character from many different points of view, and I think that that has to do with the fact that Pyro is dehumanized and belittled and treated as an Other by the people around him in tf2. The very scaffolding of Pyro's character as something that isn't understood, something that's feared and othered, something reduced to "that thing" or "it", or something that is to be spoken to in the same tone one would speak to toddlers, is so relevant to so many different walks of life. I feel it would feel weird of me to avoid headcanoning pyro as intersex because of the fact that intersex people face stigmatization and systemic oppression. Those experiences are a large part of the reason why I headcanon pyro as intersex.

Pyro's dehumanization via lack of agency towards their own identity (literally the most we see of pyro's body is his skeleton in the zombie version of their model, being voiceless, constantly having other people impose their own perceptions of what pyro is onto him) is something of an allegory for being intersex. Not exclusively so, but certainly there is a lot of substance to point to and draw parallels between

That all being said... I havent ever draw Pyro as explicitly intersex, despite my headcanon. I feel like it's none of my business to know exactly what pyros chromosomes are, what their body looks like, or what their Deal is. I feel that imposing my own ideas upon Pyro on what he should be ironically contributes to the lack of agency Pyro has over their own being. So I just draw Pyro in self indulgent ways, I.e. fat hairy butch. I draw Pyro as an extension of my own relation to my gender, as a projection of my love for myself, using him as a catalyst for self expression.

Sorry this got rambly. Any intersex people are very much free to chime in- I deeply enjoy broadening my own scope of knowledge when it comes to the human experience

[romanticallyghosting]

wonderful

they called me wonderful

so I said "wonderful"

if you insist

i will be wonderful

and they said "wonderful"

believe me, it's hard to resist!!!

[snackugaki-jestsjapesjokes]

... someone take heroforge from me, I was just curious, I swear I was! to see how close I could get to my iteration... the answer was respectably close but god at what cost

April wasn't too hard. Didn't quite have what I normally draw her hair like, the clothing options ...were so close but I just couldn't make it work so she's more punky than goth. 6/10

Irma... I've said it in a couple of my iteration lore posts but to me??? Irma was done dirty in 87. They just slapped a Jeanette the Chipette skin over 80s Trope Explicitly Less Desireable Best Friend of MC and she deserved better... which is why I shook Janine Melnitz and Nadia Vulvokov in a Pringles can and reconstituted what was left. I know HeroForge wasn't quiiiiite meant for this but it's pretty malleable tbh, unfortunate that some pieces are tied to others but serviceable, 8/10

At aking precious Keno, tignan mo siya napaka-astig noh???? tl;dr Ernie Reyes Jr. was the ninja of my childhood and one of the few identifiable filipino faces in american tv Don't think I addressed it in other lore dumps but one of the things I borrowed from Rise to season my iteration was the gender flip which the internet dice decided on Keno. Waffled on the outfit until just throwing the approximation of Keno's iconic movie outfit. the new facial feature editing on heroforge has been immensely helpful but god the nose smaller edits options still make my head hurt... probably gonna go back and edit some more because there's a specific pango I was going for and I hadn't figured it out yet. There wasn't a curly hair pixie option either. 5.4/10

This... fucking goober. Casey Arnaldo Goongala-ass Jones. My fault for using Elden Henson (iykyk) and Avan Jogia as face inspo when I was still learning how to use heroforge's new in-depth facial editor. It's.... close. Enough. Ish. 4.1/10

And then I got curious about my non-human cast....

Mikey's tucked in a sleeve don't worry about it because I could only get 3 turtles from the options available, technically I could have gotten in all four but then I'd have to take the staff out which I preferred not to because I'm more of the Teacher and Master Splinter than Father and Daddy Splinter. Couldn't get the two little tails mustache going which is a shame since I specifically gave my Splinter the Nicodemus cut. Saw I could slap a huge scroll on him and took the opportunity hahaaaa that isn't a stolen scroll from the Foot clan stronghold naaaah, Splinter didn't take it in petty vengeance for Yoshi's death on the grounds of this clan. Hhh I'd have preferred a ryuusui or a yagasuri pattern but they had a seigaiha pattern... good enough. 5.8/10

Then I tried to make turtles. Which there is a legitimate option for! Specific turtle head (singular choice), reptilian body... just I fucked up trying to see how close I could get to my actual drawings... and I saw into the abyss...

.......................... this felt illegal somehow. i had to stop. i couldn't do a front shot, it was horrifying. 1.4/10

Pretty happy I was able to give her the Chiaki Kuriyama nose and the snobby ojousan look using the face editor. Extremely tickled I figured out just the right shine for leather. The asymmetrical bob....... is as close as I could get to her actual side swept wispy pixie, tradeoffs I guess. 7/10

[yourmoonmomma]

Tysm for answering my asks abt A.L! I loveeee stardew valley and Animal crossing! Is the animal crossing you play new horizons? If it is, then me too 🥰🥰 who are your islanders? I have Alice and Cyd for now, hopefully more in the future 🥰!

1. Will AL make the first move on me or will I have to?

2. If AL make’s the first move, how will he?

3. Where will whoever makes the first move make the first move ?

4. How many relationships would AL have had prior to me and him dating?

5. Would I be AL’s first love, or last love, or none?

Hmm that last question makes me wonder for you, would you rather be someone’s first love of last love? A lot of people say first but I feel like last is better cause that’s ur LAST!! like you guys are most likely(?) together forever after that!! First and last love is the cutest tho imo but if I had to pick one, yk my answer 🤣. I also know that partners you have that aren’t either usually teach you good lessons, so I think those are important too 💓

It is, yes!! I haven't played in a long time though, I need to get back into it haha. I currently have Rizzo, Coach, Pango, Mira, Skye, Al, Rosie, Gayle, Chadder, and Maelle on my island!

You'll have to.

In Sagittarius - Near a fire or barn stable.

5, last love.

I'd definitely rather be someone's last love!! I don't mind who my partner has loved before me, but I'd consider myself quite lucky to be the last one they love <3

[nostraightheadcanons]

Who prefers coffee and who prefers tea?

This one also answers an anon asking about Mayday's reaction to coffee!

May: Neither, I think standard teas would be too boring for her and most coffees too bitter for her sweet tooth, unless she pours a bunch of sugar and cream in it. Not to mention, I hc her with ADHD, so she wouldn't be affected much by the caffeine. She'd be more of a hot cocoa or fruity drink enjoyer instead. Mod Celeste says that boba tea would probably strike her fancy! Zuke: A tea guy for sure, though he also enjoys coffee sometimes. Mod Nine thinks he'd like green tea! At least he doesn't have to worry about May stealing sips of his drinks like she does with bites of his food. DJSS: Everyone knows coffee is a scientist's best friend! I'm kidding, but I can totally see him watching the stars at night with a cup of strong coffee in hand; he wouldn't want to doze off and miss any shooting stars. How he drinks it is a mystery. Sayu's crew: They give me boba tea vibes! They would all make boba when they hang out together. And Sayu-brand pearls being manufactured for the stores just makes sense. Sweet honey bubbles, anyone? Yinu & Mama: I'm imagining them holding tea parties together and the cuteness is off the charts. Yinu would make little sandwiches and cookies for her stuffed animals too! Neon J: Does he eat/drink? If he does he seems more like a coffee guy to me. He bundles up with the occasional cup for those long nights in the workshop, or as a morning pick-me-up for NSR meetings. 1010: If they eat/drink like NJ, you can bet they would be all over those trendy Starbucks-style beverages. They probably promote new coffee flavors in exchange for free drinks! Eve: She might like latte art for its aesthetic, but I think taste-wise she'd definitely prefer tea, it helps her relax after stressful days. She likes to go to different tea shops around the city and taste different artisan blends. I could see her and Zuke bonding over various teas back in the day. Tatiana: Coffee, a constant stream of coffee. Running a city is tiring work! She drinks it scalding hot to help her wake up and get her embers flowing in the morning.

-Mod Pango (mostly!)