#so hopefully it won't be too long

[skyward-floored]

The next part to that downfall IAU thing I posted a week or two or whenever it was about Twi's escape! He is... still on the run. Not having a good time.

The fic before this

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He’d made it outside.

He only half remembered getting there, but Twilight had made it outside.

Twilight wiped his nose, looking up at the sky. The day had started off a little cloudy, but at this point it was grey and bleak, clouds reducing the sun to nothing but a washed-out smear. It had started raining at some point, Twilight forgot when, but it dripped water down his face and soaked his hair and clothes. The whole world seemed grey, and Twilight shivered as he did his best to hurry down the street.

He stumbled on a puddle, nearly falling on his face, and Twilight leaned against a wall for a minute, trying to get himself to focus. He was... having trouble thinking. That last shock had been really bad.

Twilight squeezed his eyes shut, then shook his head and kept going. His ears were constantly swiveling as he walked, listening for threats or any sign of him being followed. Every time he heard a siren he jumped, and he had to duck into an alley more than once when another super or someone official went by. Luckily his hearing gave him plenty of warning, otherwise he probably wouldn’t have made it as far as he had. As it was he’d had way too many close calls, and nearly collapsed more than once.

He had to keep reminding himself what he was doing. He was struggling to remain on task, focusing nearly impossible. Dull throbs of pain buzzed through him, his whole body hurting, chest and head especially. Twilight debated on and off if transforming would be better, but he didn’t get anywhere with the thought.

Four legs would help with balance. A wolf would be much more visible. But they were looking for him either way, he wasn’t sure if it would even matter.

He didn’t know. His head hurt.

Twilight reached a street corner and paused, pressing a hand to his face and rubbing. Where was he even trying to go? He knew distance and safety was the goal. He remembered that. But where? Home?

A pang hit his chest at the thought, and Twilight frowned. That didn’t seem right. Hadn’t he thought it through and decided to go somewhere else? But where would he even go? He wanted to go home, more than just about anything at the moment. But home probably wasn’t safe.

Is anywhere safe?

Twilight breathed in shakily, and pushed himself off the wall he’d slumped against, trying to walk normally through the streets. He’d swiped a shirt and pants from a clothesline and ditched his sleep clothes, but he knew he was still recognizable by the people hunting him. Mask or no mask, they knew who he was.

At least the civilians didn’t. Nobody gave him much of a second glance, even when he did stumble, keeping their heads bowed against the rain. It was only a matter of time before his real face got released though, which meant Twilight needed to hurry.

Hurrying was... very hard, though.

His legs wobbled more the further he went, his vision smearing and thoughts scattering like dust in the wind. That same ache still radiated across his skin, and every step hurt, bruises aching, head pounding. He was nowhere near home, but Twilight was close to collapsing.

He would have to stop and rest. There was no getting around it.

Twilight slightly changed direction, heading in what he hoped was the right direction of the park. There were plenty of places there he could hide. And if he was a wolf, people would be even less inclined to bother him, probably assuming he was an unusually-sized stray dog.

He would just take a quick nap. Rest his aching body then get moving again.

Twilight blinked, green and orange swimming into his vision. The sound of the road and general city bustle was dimmed here, and he exhaled, fallen leaves crunching as he made for the stream that ran through the park. He’d made it.

Maybe he wasn’t quite as far gone as he’d feared.

The plants and trees were thicker by the water, and Twilight slipped into them, falling to his knees as he let his transformation ripple through him. It hurt way more than usual, and Twilight bit back a cry, biting the inside of his already abused mouth. He was collapsed in the mud by the time it finished, and Twilight swallowed, shakily getting to four paws. Now he just needed a good spot.

It didn’t take him long to find a nice thick bush, brambles around and over top it. It was right by the water, beside some trash somebody had left behind, and relief hit him as he studied it. Nobody would go over here unless they had to.

Twilight lost some fur slipping beneath the prickly branches, but it was worth the additional pain. Between the mud and garbage and thick thorny bush, he actually felt pretty safe.

Twilight had barely curled up before he passed out.

(...)

Footsteps.

Twilight woke in a dizzy haze, blinking in confusion at the darkness surrounding him. It had been mid-morning when he’d curled up here, how..?

More footsteps, slower and cautious now, and Twilight froze, only moving his ears. One pair of feet. Stepping lightly. Heading his direction.

Twilight swallowed back a whine and stayed low, breathing in to try and get the scent of whoever it was. Sometimes homeless people hung around down here, but none of them would be stepping with so much care. And the scent he was picking up...

“Twilight?” a voice whispered, and Twilight froze, the voice a familiar one.

...Warriors?

“Don’t come out,” the voice continued, still in a whisper so low Twilight could barely hear it. “If I don’t see you I can tell the truth more easily.”

Twilight felt himself begin to shake, not sure what to think. The rest had barely helped him, and his whole body still ached, head pounding, chest sore. His stomach felt hollow with hunger (when was the last time he’d eaten?), his bones ached with a damp chill, and Warriors... he hadn’t seen his uncle in ages. Could he trust him?

He wanted to. So badly.

He just didn’t know.

“You probably don’t trust me,” Warriors continued, keeping his voice so quiet only Twilight could hear it. “I wouldn’t trust me either. But I’m only here to warn you. Don’t go home. They’re expecting you there.”

Twilight stayed as still as he could with his trembling, rain drumming steadily on the leaves around him and landing on his nose. He didn’t know what to do.

“Nobody knows I’m here,” Warriors whispered with pain in his voice. “Or, well, if they do, they’ll think I just paused to stare at the water.” A bitter laugh went through the air. “Maybe I am. Maybe I’m just convincing myself you’re here somewhere and that my guess was right because I’ve already failed Time once today. I don’t know.”

Twilight heard a shuddery inhale through the rain.

“I brought you food. I’ll leave it here,” Warriors softly continued. “I wish I could do more, but I’m being watched, I’m... I’m so sorry. Don’t give up, Twi.”

Twilight heard something land on the mud and leaves close to where he was hiding, and then the footsteps trailed away, crossing over the bridge at the stream and fading into the distance until Twilight couldn’t hear them.

Twilight waited even longer, shivering with hunger and pain, and then cautiously crept out, fur snagging on thorns. A small bag sat a few feet away, and Twilight crawled towards it, ears still swiveling for any sign that this was a trap.

He gave it a rapid sniff for anything suspicious when he reached it, then snagged it in his teeth, withdrawing to the bush again. The zipper wouldn’t come open with his fangs, so Twilight transformed again, biting back the cry that tried to escape. The moment he could move again he quickly unzipped the bag, then began devouring the protein bars inside. There were only two along with a bottle of water, but it was enough.

Twilight actually felt a bit human again when he finished, and he searched the tiny bag more thoroughly for anything useful... or suspicious. The only thing he found was a flashlight, a few stray bandaids, and a tiny, barely legible note.

Twilight shoved everything in his pocket, then fished the note out and squinted, trying to keep it dry as he read. He may have had reasonable night vision, but it was still really dark out here, and Warriors had written so small it was almost impossible to read. Finally Twilight managed to puzzle it out, though when he did, it actually wasn’t very helpful.

Epona’s been bridled, but her fur is still pink.

Twilight stared, squinted, and read it again, beyond confused. Epona? What on earth could Warriors mean by mentioning Malon’s horse from... oh.

Oh Mom.

Twilight swallowed thickly, his stomach dropping out.

They must have gotten Mom.

Twilight squeezed his eyes shut, crumpling the note and curling back up on the ground. The food had helped, but he still felt exhausted, and the news of Mom was... it was too much right now. He should be using the darkness and terrible weather to his advantage, but the idea of getting up and moving felt suddenly overwhelming.

The second half of the message made it seem like Legend was still out there, at least that’s what Twilight hoped it meant, but...

Mom.

Twilight’s breath shuddered, and he fought against the way his mind tried to go back to when they’d lost Dad, some of the last words he’d ever heard from him ringing in his ears.

Take care of your mother and Legend.

“I’m trying,” he rasped, curling up tighter with his knees to his forehead. “I’m trying.”

He’d already failed on one of those counts.

Twilight’s breath shuddered, rain dripping on his head, his limbs aching and sore. He was exhausted. He was hurt. He had no clue if Legend or his mother or anyone was okay.

What did he have left?

An oddly warm drop of rain fell down his cheek, and Twilight buried his face in his arms.

(...)

When he woke up again it was still dark, but in a different way.

The rain had stopped, though Twilight was still wet and freezing where he lay under the bramble bush. His stomach felt empty again, only in a slightly less desperate way than it had before, and he groaned, grimacing at the taste in his mouth. He’d kill for some toothpaste.

Twilight licked his lips once, then carefully sat up as much as he could, hissing through his teeth at the ache in his body. All of him hurt, from his head to his feet. And the pain only got worse when he remembered what had happened earlier.

Mom...

Twilight breathed out shakily, trying to focus. He felt slightly more clearheaded, but he still felt stuck in a fog of dizziness and pain. Could he risk another few hours here to try and rest a bit longer?

Twilight screwed his eyes shut, then reopened them. No. He had to get moving. This bush wouldn’t be safe forever, especially if Warriors gave up his location. Purposely or not.

A lump settled in his throat. Had Warriors known? Did he try and help Mom? Was he waiting out of sight for Twilight to come out right now?

Too many questions.

Twilight bit back what he knew would end up being a pitiful sound, and took a deep breath. Then he braced himself as he transformed back into a wolf again. It felt terrible, exhaustion weighing him down, his emotions dragging at him, but Twilight pushed through it with a snarl. He had to lie down and catch his breath for several minutes, but once he did, he carefully stood, and nosed his way out of the bush.

He had to figure out where Legend was. That was his mission right now. Keep himself safe, and find his brother.

Easy.

Twilight held back a whine, and started to make his way out of the park, dodging puddles and piles of leaves. He could guess where Legend would hide if needed, but unfortunately they had more than one backup plan, and he didn’t know if Legend had made it home before the order had been issued. And that changed things.

Twilight paused at the park’s exit, and looked down the road, streetlights reflecting off of the pavement in smears of yellowish color. Where should he try first? Would it be better for him to—

A siren blared from somewhere, and Twilight dove for cover, headlights turning a corner and scraping past where he’d been standing mere seconds ago. Another siren joined the first, and when Twilight saw that both cars had slowed down, he bolted, running away from the lights and praying he wouldn’t be seen.

That hope was neatly dashed when headlights shone straight at him, and Twilight broke into a sprint, shouts ringing in his ears.

Bad luck? A set up?

Something whizzed past his ear, and despite Twilight’s exhaustion he began to serpentine as he ran, ducking behind bushes and cars, erratically changing direction.

His tongue lolled as he ran, paws pounding against the pavement. Little jolts of pain went up whenever his paws hit the ground, but Twilight pushed past them, pressing his body to move faster, ears pricked for more shouts, eyes roving for further lights.

He wasn’t going to get caught. Not now. Not ever.

He would make it. For Legend. For Zelda and Champion. For Wind and Four.

For Mom.

Twilight grit his teeth in a snarl and kept running, hearing the squeal of tires behind him and seeing flickers of light cast on nearby buildings.

For everyone.

[thebramblewood]

Settle in, folks. It's time for a little story.

Previous / Next

Helena: Do you ever sleep?

Caleb: [distractedly] Rarely. It’s the benefit of an all-plasma diet. Hunting expends more energy than anything else.

Helena: Is that why Lilith always threatens to rip our heads off if we interrupt her beauty sleep?

Caleb: Oh, she barely needs a reason to make threats. What’s keeping you awake?

Helena: Why didn’t you stop me from feeding on that man. You could’ve gotten in my head and told me not to.

Caleb: I can’t be your conscience, Helena. That sort of willpower has to come from within.

Helena: [mutters dejectedly] You say that like it’s easy.

Caleb: Of course it isn’t easy. But it is possible.

Helena: I nearly killed him. She wanted me to go all the way and I almost did.

Caleb: You restrained yourself in the end.

Helena: Only to sit back and watch her finish the job!

Caleb: You’re hardly alone in that regard.

Helena: She tried to push you too?

Caleb: [meditatively] There’s no such thing as a good vampire. You’ll make mistakes, which is why you shouldn't strive to be perfect, just better. The point of no return is to stop believing you can be better.

Helena: I need to understand her — and why you stay with her. Caleb, where did all this begin? I tried to ask how she became a vampire, but she only told me to talk to you.

Caleb: [cagily] I’m not sure it’s my story to tell.

Helena: But she never will, and doesn’t it involve you as much as her?

Caleb: [after a moment’s silence] Focus on my thoughts.

Helena: I’m still not very good at this.

Caleb: Come closer. Physical touch strengthens the bond. Relax, Helena. Close your eyes. Let me show you.

[royalarchivist]

I say this in the kindest way possible, but I think this style of prose is more appropriate for a personal account rather than an update account. I have no idea who's being talked about half the time. 🥲

[ Tumblr meme via @mikaikaika ]

[softpine]

well it clearly won't be ready for christmas BUT the frozen pines sims are being lovingly packaged right now and will soon be delivered to you 🎁

happy holidays everyone. i love you always

[roscoehamiltons]

something about this post that merc made bothered me initially and i have figured it out after some thought. when i first saw it on my feed, i legitimately thought it was damage control and i'm not sure if it was their intention (i'm inclined to think that it is after lewis posted on his stories this morning), but whatever their intentions, to me it reads as insincere and trite. it sounds nice in theory like oh we will make the best of what little time we have together, but at the end of the day it's an empty statement. like when i see the sentence 'our journey together started 12 years we couldn't have imagined where it would take us' i would think that were would be some kind of follow up about some of those accomplishments that happened in the past 12 years. instead all we got was 'we are going to give it everything in the next 6 races 💪' like ok?? lol. i would think that they would and should be giving it everything they have whether or not someone has been on their team for 1 year or 12 years.

i am not asking for merc to post an essay about lewis' accomplishments (yet 😉) but i am asking for some effort to be put in what they are posting about lewis. there has been a lack of effort put into what the team has been posting about lewis specifically in the past 3 years, and i would not be surprised if the next post that they post about his teammate has more thought and effort put into it than the post i'm talking about. it is this discrepancy that we are seeing that is bleeding into the perceptions of the team, and how they have handled things that have happened on track and off. i will say that merc have improved in the past couple months, but it should not have taken 3 years to finally take some initiative. they shouldn't need people to remind and harass them into posting about lewis' accomplishments and milestones. i should not be writing a rant about how i want more than a couple sentences written about lewis' last 6 races at mercedes. they should and need to do better. i would hope that no one would call me unfair or crazy by saying this or criticizing them. but at the end of the day, it is their job and they have failed at their job, and we are seeing the consequences of it now with how badly the relationship between the fans and the team has gotten.

[pestercide]

Was goin on a weird lil rant on Toyhouse about how I wasn't super satisfied with my older character designs which quickly spiraled into me realising I just wasn't happy with my art in general and probably need to take a break before I explode 😅

Welp, I will be cutting down that 'rant' then putting it up here as a way to officially say that I'll be taking a short hiatus cuz I need some time for myself whether I like it or not (I don't want to go on a hiatus at all but look if I don't I will explode and my passion for art will only dwindle further qwq)

[squarebracketsmileyface]

Hello everyone

i am writing the incredibly angsty chapter five of If It Ain't Broken, you know, the chapter that marks the true start of the end of Jaylex's fwb relationship.

these are Alex's thought's near the end of that Chapter, by the way

[pynkhues]

full disclosure: I don’t know how tumble works, really. I’m not a fandom person, but I DO respect your voice here. It’s a breath of fresh air in so many respects, and I find that I can engage with content in a way that feels contextualized and meaningful if that makes sense?

I find myself reading your blog not because of iwtv so much as reconnecting with a childhood love/hate relationship with Anne rice and kind of this personal journey of dealing with some past trauma through engaging with some literature. And I’ve felt quite at home reading your thoughts, analyses, and fics.

anyway, mostly just wanted to write you a note to let you know that I hope you’re doing okay! Much love and respect. I tend to lurk in the shadows and don’t even know if you’ll read this, but also didn’t want to anon myself because f that noise. You have support and folks who give a shit 💜.

Thank you, it honestly does mean a lot 💖💖

[throughpatchesofviolet]

I brought in some homemade peanut butter fudge for my coworkers, today, as well as some ornaments as little holiday gifts, and everyone who saw me expressed appreciation ... it felt really nice, I won't lie. Just ... to do something small for others like this. And I've been noticing that whenever I reach out and try to help or comfort or offer something to someone else, it makes me feel a bit better.

I think sending out tree messages yesterday had a similar effect, and helping the kiddos on Thursday with building gingerbread houses and making shakers for their sing-a-long. It's hard to put into words, but it feels like I'm finally coming out of the funk I've been in, and it's because I'm choosing to be kind in spite of everything I'm going through.

[lailosh]

[I'm alive!]

I've been really obsessed with the chainsaw man manga/anime lately and I'm literally in love with all the characters! so here have this messy sketch of my girl power as my first drawing of the new year.

[ask-the-totally-real-peppino]

Hey Peppino! How have things been after the tower falling?

"Rewot eht edistuo..."

"Meht fo erom gnidnif dna gnirolpxe ysub peek I! Ereh sgniht ecin fo tol a era ereht!"

"Meht diova ot drah… Oot sgniht ecin os ton… Osla s'ereht tub…"

"Tol a si hcihw... Hcum oot si ereht nehw edih ot evah... Ereh tuo tol a s'ereht... S'ereht..."

[sysig]

Physical media is forever (Patreon)

[an-ruraiocht]

the post i reblogged about fast fashion just reminded me that

a) i have had my raincoat since 2016

b) my raincoat is significantly past its best in ways that cannot be solved with additional waterproofing spray, and also doesn't fit me very well anymore

c) my winter coat, while reasonably warm, is not waterproof, and also doesn't fit very well in a completely different way, and is black which is not good when you are a cycle commuter cos they can't see you

d) all of these combine to mean i keep looking covetously at waterproof insulated coats in tesco even though they are definitely unsustainably produced and also not that good bc that's where my substandard winter coat is from

concluded i should thoughtfully invest in a new, warmer raincoat before i get tempted into buying another shit coat or spend the whole winter cold and wet

went to passenger bc i bought a fleece and trousers from them a few months back and have basically not worn anything else all summer (and thy seem to have reasonably good sustainability credentials, as far as is possible with mostly-synthetic outdoor clothing). found an insulated raincoat in their outlet section discounted 60% to make it almost affordable. and it's partially ORANGE

remembered my rucksack also sucks because it's too small, black, and not waterproof (and doesn't have side pockets for my cane or my water bottle), and my old one that was not too small or black but also not waterproof has well and truly fallen apart after serving me faithfully since i was about 16. well, since i'm here... oh look they have a rucksack in the outlet section as well. AND IT'S ORANGE

god i love it when i can get things that are orange

anyway that's my clothing/accessory purchases for the rest of the year. i hope they're good.

[spiderrcakezzz]

Must be nice to be an adult right abt now,,... . (/hj /hj)

(this is abt Sparklecare Btw)

[kuromi-hoemie]

i am once again thinking about The Boy

not the movie lol

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

YOOOOOOOOO KIARA/VITANI???? That was like one of my first baby ships holy shit you just punted me back into my childhood

My first unknowing shipper experience was probably me going

"OMG Kiara smiled at Vitani!! OHHH AAAHHHH VITANI SAID KIARA'S NAME AAAGHGHGHHGHGHGHGHG"

that was it. that was all I needed. Now here I am decades later, still wandering over to youtube and hopefully scrounging for any possibly new kiara/vintai amvs. I'll never be free <3

something something the daughters of leaders of two prides at war, both trained from childhood to follow in their parent's paw prints but they're the only two lions here who seem to see the bigger picture and CARE about it more than the personal stuff, more than their safety or their own happiness. One of them reaches out to offer peace, and the other one (who is the MOST warlike) hears her, and risks everything by reaching back

"But they-"

"Them? Us. Look at them, they are us. What difference do you see?"

.....

"Vitani! NOW!"

"No, mother! ....Kiara's right. Enough."

oh wow i wonder why little kid me kept kicking their heels over this tiny bit of dialogue hmmm it's a complete (coughGAYcoughcough) mystery~

also bloodthirsty warrior lady + dorky wise princess is a huge GAY mood for me apparently. amazing