#so much editing 😅

[shrinkthisviolet]

Just leave me alone. It’ll be better for both of us. Barry— Don’t. Just don’t. ~i still love you (i promise) [Chp 7]

Taglist (send an ask or DM to be added or removed):

@arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @raith-way @vexic929 @ironverseocs

@thechaoticfanartist @goldheartedchaoticdisaster @negative-speedforce @starstruckpurpledragon @angst-is-love-angst-is-life

@miss-eli-starfleet

[iristial]

[catastrxblues]

EVERMORE by taylor swift (feat. bon iver) — “and i was catching my breath, floors of a cabin creaking under my step. and i couldn’t be sure, i had a feeling so peculiar, this pain wouldn’t be forevermore.”

my #swiftiegiftexchange2024 for @lovesickallovermybed!!!! 🫶🏽🫶🏽

[buildoblivion]

thinking about lord president fivey so have this

[teekalu]

mindy moody 🩷

[equestriagirl16]

Yes I speedran to make an actual edit for this-

[i-never-forgot]

reblog and tag prev as what pokémon you mentally associate with them, regardless of ‘sonas, and maybe explain why! :)

[il-predestinato]

Charles Leclerc chats with Max Verstappen during the team photo at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 🎥: Drive to Survive, Season 5 Episode 10, "End of the Road"

[cartoonwishes]

wirt and beatrice having a dynamic for nearly 2 minutes ✨

[outfoxt]

Another Käärijä Research Project

aka: käärijä style-shifting project

as a preface, here are my (non) qualifications for this project and the circumstances under which it happened:

I am a linguistics student, and this past semester I took a course on sociolinguistics. the goal of this project was to become familiar with the concept of and analyze style-shifting (it's more commonly known as code-switching online but theres a difference and this is style-shifting), specifically by analyzing the speech of one person. We had the option to study oprah or to have someone else approved by my prof, so you know I had to ask my prof if I could study jere. This project is solely my intellectual property; even though I had a tutor help me a lot, everything written in this paper and on this post was my work alone.

now, on to the actual findings! the full paper and transcripts will be linked at the end :D

the actual variables (words or sounds) that I studied were the pronunciation of r, and use of the word "the".

to make things a lot easier from the get-go, i'm going to introduce you all to one of my favorite websites, ipachart.com (the international phonetic alphabet [ipa] chart is a big chart with an entry for every sound that exists in a language. this handy dandy website has an audio recording for each one of those sounds).

go to this website, and then scroll down to the table. go to the column labeled "post alveolar" and then click on ɾ and ɹ. those are the sounds i studied in this paper! ɾ is the finnish r and ɹ is the american r :)

so basically what i did to find instances of my variable was i just looked up a bunch of esc interviews and listened out for use of the different r sounds. i also transcribed the entire dinner date live because i love torture apparently :) the specific interviews and lives/stories are in the bibliography of the paper :p

after i transcribed all the interviews and lives/stories i went through and highlighted every instance of the r sound. then i calculated the ratios of ɾ to ɹ based on the context they were spoken in. the two contexts i looked for were formal contexts (sit-down interviews) and informal contexts (literally anything else).

i found that jere uses ɹ WAY more often in formal contexts than he does in informal contexts, and the same in reverse with ɾ.

i then went back to the transcripts and looked for all instances of the word "the". i also looked for instances where i thought it should be present, but was omitted. i calculated the ratio of present vs omitted "the"s in formal vs informal contexts and made some charts.

the graph with the smaller black section is "use of 'the' in formal settings" and the one with the smaller green section is "use of 'the' in informal settings" (the images are transparent, sorry)

i found that jere uses "the" WAY more often when in formal settings! there were also some instances where he added a "the" where it was unnecessary, which is studied at length in this wonderful paper by @alien-girl-21

something i also noticed that i elected not to study because this paper took enough energy on its own was that in formal contexts, whenever the "or" sound came in the middle or at the end of a word, jere wouldn't pronounce the r. it stuck out to me mostly because i heard words like "performance" turning into "perfomance", which i thought was an interesting quirk.

unfortunately i was somewhat limited by both my brainpower and capacity to do more work on this paper in the relatively short timeframe i was given (2 weeks) and the fact that i was given a 5 page MAX for this paper (not including a bibliography). i had a lot of fun doing this though and am definitely planning on studying jere for for academic credit again in the future if given the chance!

also i would like it to be known that i spent an hour searching for that 5 second clip of the urheilucast where jere said that he used to sell kitchens and understands english better than he can speak it.

link to a google drive folder with the actual paper i wrote and the transcripts of the interviews with notation:

please feel free to send me asks and dms with questions or comments about this paper! i absolutely love rambling about linguistics :3!!

[cocoabubbelle-newblog]

SCOGUE-“Tember”

Day “5”: [🌊🪨🔥💨] Avatar: The Last Airbender

Cocoabubbelle ATLA wasn’t part of the prompt list yes it is [now] shush

[softer-sunny]

New Monsters

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Word Count: 3,505

Summary: Rex had his turn. Now the batch get to become the new tickle monsters.

Ao3 link: New Monsters

Part 2 of A Visit

This is a tickle fic

Echo was going to shrivel up from embarrassment before everyone was through messing with him. He wasn’t even entirely sure why he’d decided to try to hide in Hunter’s arms but he’d made his bed and now he had to lay in it. He was being loosely gripped by his sergeant who had decided to test the spot on his neck but he couldn’t even bother to try and get away yet. Not with Crosshair still trying to worm his way at his stomach - damn squads and their damn mischievousness. It was very probable they’d tickle him to death if he let them.

He peeked out past his hand - which was conveniently hiding his face - and caught the ridiculously smug look on Rex’s face. Traitor. This was all because Rex decided to pull out that ridiculous game they used to play. A visit. Who did Rex think he was, bringing that back up out of the blue like that? Still, despite how embarrassing it was he couldn’t help but feel lighter. The bastard knew it, too, from the look on his face. And now he was falling victim to whatever the batch was going to do to follow it up.

It wasn’t fair. Not with his skin already tingly and his limbs all shaky. The metaphorical dam had already burst when Rex attacked him and now he wasn’t going to be able to keep it in enough to save at least a little bit of his pride. Damn brothers. They always found a way to get under your skin.

Speaking of skin. If Hunter didn’t stop tracing his neck soon he was going to combust. The gentleness of it mixed with how scrunched he had to be to fend off incoming attacks from Crosshair was just making him wiggly. He hoped hiding his face partially in his own arms and Hunter’s would keep the embarrassing tittering from being too loud but by the way those two were continuing to prod at him he knew he wasn’t holding out well enough at all.

“Oh, come on, Echo.” Hunter dipped his head to try to get a look at Echo’s face but he burrowed deeper into what should have been his protective little cocoon. “Just lift your head up. Lift your head up and look at us and maybe we'll let you go.” No chance. There was no way in hell that dirty rotten trick would work on him. The second he lifted his head Crosshair would aim for a spot with accuracy so deadly he’d live up to his sniper name and then he’d be done for. Nope. Not a chance.

“We promise we’ll be niiice.” Crosshair drew the word out in something more sing-songey than his usual tone and that alone made the anticipation even worse. His hand did stop trying to wiggle into his protective ball, moving to sweep down Echo’s arm more in comfort than mischief. It was the most he’d been touched since before the Citadel and he knew he should just keep hiding until they got bored. They’d move on if they thought he needed them to, it wasn’t hard to figure that out, but a traitorous part of him didn’t necessarily want them to. The attention was more than he expected, sure, but it was a lot like how it was with the other dominos growing up. He fell victim to their moods more often than not and it seemed history was going to repeat itself.

Against at least half of his better judgment he lifted his head from the safe confines of the tangle of arms to meet their very close faces, oh Force. Echo tried not to swallow too loud, hoping not to give away any of the nervous energy building in his gut, but by the way their eyes narrowed he knew his goose was cooked. The wobbly smile planted on his face wasn’t helping his case either, nor was the way he knew his face was burning. His body never did help him in times like these. The more tickled he looked the more they’d want to do it.

Echo cleared his throat, clocking where each of their hands were. Hunter still had one arm wrapped around him, holding him by his shoulder, the other resting at the base of his neck, while Crosshair had paused his sweeping motion to rest one hand on his arm. The other was planted on the floor just next to his foot. They let him survey. He knew they were giving him a moment to make some decisions. If he pulled away they’d let him go. They’d stop, give him some space, try again another time. He could do that…

“I really doubt you two have the ability to be nice.” Echo even punctuated it with air quotes, getting their smiles to grow even more predatory. Okay, maybe he had a death wish. Maybe he was playing with fire a little too much and it would bite him in the ass.

“You doubt us? That’s a shame. Isn’t it, Crosshair?” Hunter sighed, his hand at the back of Echo’s neck squeezing just slightly. It made Echo stiffen, having to bite his lip just to keep the nervous smile at bay a little longer. He’d not quite seen this side of Hunter yet. Sure, he knew it probably existed but he’d never actually witnessed it. He had a feeling he was about to get the full picture.

Crosshair put a hand to his chest like he was offended. “Such a shame. Maybe we should just live up to expectations.” The hand on his arm started to slide around to the underside, making him jump as fingers teased sensitive skin on his bicep. How the hell was he even ticklish there? The movement just made Crosshair more determined, slipping up towards his underarm with purpose - evil purpose. Oh, he was fucked. The second he uncurled his arm from around his legs Hunter would strike and he’d flail and they’d be able to get him out of this protective little ball he’d wound himself into. But Crosshair was so damn close to a spot that would get him to break and the closer he got, fingers on their purposeful path upwards, the more he knew he’d have to make a decision.

Turns out Crosshair knew that too. He sped through the last inch and very gently scratched at Echo’s underarm, throwing every expectation Echo had into motion. He flinched, arm coming down to cover himself, at the same moment that Hunter’s fingers got to work on the back of his neck. All it took was one more flail and Crosshair grabbed his knee, pulling him from the confines of Hunter’s arms and dislodging any real chance he had at protecting himself.

They let him scoot away but followed him regardless, hands headed for every sensitive area Rex had so helpfully pointed out to them. Now Rex was lounged back on one of their bunks, hands behind his head looking like he was taking a well deserved break - the bastard. Hunter grabbed his ankle and pulled to get him flat on the ground. In one smooth motion Echo rolled onto his stomach to try and crawl away but that move might very well have been his downfall. Hunter dragged him back and he felt Crosshair sit across his thighs to pin him down.

The stupid, embarrassing giggles that were spilling out had him hiding his face in his arms, twitching when he felt Hunter sit next to him and start petting his back in comfort. He knew better than to trust that but both of them were waiting for him to look at them, that constant sweeping motion continuing while he calmed a bit. When he did peer over his shoulder Hunter was smiling down at him, head tilted to gauge his reaction. Whatever Hunter saw on his face made his smile grow and then fingers were teasing at the space where his neck met his shoulder and sent shivery tingles down his spine. Giggles started up again and made embarrassment flare under his skin.

“Don’t worry, Echo, I’m ticklish there too.” Hunter said gently. It did make him feel a bit better about being so sensitive. Knowing he could get Hunter back was a bonus he wasn’t going to take for granted either. The fabric at his lower back was fussed over and the shifting of it alone made him squirm. However, nothing was quite as bad as when fingers started their slow crawl over his lower back. He couldn’t scrunch, couldn’t shift away, so instead he just barked a noise that was not a whine - thank you Tech - and hid further in his folded arms to cover up the bitten back laugh he couldn’t hold in.

“Aw,” Wrecker’s voice was a lot closer than he expected and that’s when he realized it was Wrecker who was tickling over his back in that maddening way. With one look over his shoulder he saw Crosshair sitting cross legged over his legs, chin propped in his palm as he waggled his fingers in a playful wave. “You really got all the ticklishness of your batch, huh?” Wrecker asked, using his other set of fingers to draw little figure eights around his spine which were like little electric lines wiggling into his nerve endings.

“No!” Echo yelled back in response. He twitched in place to do something. “Fihihihives was just as bahahad!

Rex snorted, the ass. “Yeah, he was.”

“You got me into this in the first place!” Echo complained. Rex turned, a big toothy grin showing just how sorry he was. He was going to throw back some insult, something to get under Rex’s skin while he could, but there was a poke at his opposite side, right at the base of his ribcage that made him yelp.

“Interesting.” Tech said, a small smile on his face. Echo groaned, elbows shooting down to try to protect some part of his torso. At least they had him on his front. There was only so much damage they could do with the spots available. “I’m going to investigate which of your ribs gets the best reaction.” Nevermind! Echo started to squirm but it didn’t do anything to stop Tech from prodding at the lower set of ribs, dragging his finger along between the bones before pinching one. That had no right to be so bad!

His gentle giggles turned into a bright bark of laughter and still nothing he did to block it was working. He couldn’t even rock onto one side because the other one was open for Tech to take advantage of. They gave him a short reprieve, all of them disappearing at once like they’d planned it. No time to waste. Shakier than he expected he pushed himself up onto his knees and turned to face them. The entire batch was watching him with gleeful expressions that made him shrink back. Damn, they were worse than his own batch had been. Pinning him to the ground and forcing laughter out of him was one of their favorite activities and now, thank you Rex, it might become one of his new squad’s favorites too.

Wrecker made a move forward and Echo flinched away, forcing the bigger man to pause. “You alright if we keep going? Or is it too much?” He asked. For a moment Echo wasn’t sure he heard right. The batch didn’t seem particularly merciful but, then again, they hadn’t been going too hard on him. The longer he waited the more he expected a fake out - something to catch him off guard - but it never came. Patience wasn’t a virtue of theirs but they gave him time. Enough time that he got to make a decision even he was a little surprised by.

“N-no.” Echo shook his head but, as much as he tried not to let it show, his voice still had that nervous lilt to it. “It’s not t-too much. Just…” Echo thought about it then huffed. “Just try not to do it too hard, if you could.” He wasn’t sure how he would handle any aggressive digging. The light stuff was already making him react, more than he expected, there was no telling what would happen if they really dug in. Or if he could even handle it.

Wrecker’s smile turned bright as the other three dove for Echo, making him jump as they engaged him in a mock wrestling match. Each of them grabbed onto him but let him pull away if he tugged, attempting a fake pin before ultimately allowing him to escape. At first he wasn’t too sure what the game was but he wrapped his head around it pretty quick. He was going to have to give in and let them pin him. Great. Echo put up a front for a bit longer, pushing Tech over onto the floor but not getting much further before Hunter grabbed him and he decided it was time to give up.

“We’ll keep being gentle. Wouldn’t want to hurt you.” Wrecker assured as Echo was wrestled onto his back, this time very secure in knowing they’d stop if he got overwhelmed. It felt sillier somehow, knowing he’d given them permission to keep going, and that fluttery feeling swept through his stomach as they gathered around like little hungry nexu. Okay, maybe he would regret giving the OK but for now he was giving into their wide smiles and excited energy.

Crosshair hovered over him, by far the most mischievous looking of the bunch, and held up a single finger. “This is what I’m after.” He said, then dove for the hem of Echo’s shirt. Curious fingers crawled underneath the fabric, pushing it up to do the same damn thing Rex had. That alone sent a little jolt through his muscles but then Crosshair wiggled into his stomach in a way that somehow made his insides both flutter and jump at the same time. Echo clamped down over the hand attacking him but the fight was already lost. Someone on the base was going to hear him and come running thinking someone was being murdered only to find him laughing himself silly under the hands of his incredibly mean squadmates. Crosshair now had the perfect hold on his soft spot, wiggling his fingers into him while Echo held him in place. It was all he could do to throw his head back and laugh, feet stomping on the ground to try and make the energy disperse even a little bit. It didn’t last too long, fingers pausing the second Tech started to explore the spaces between his ribs again, but Crosshair’s hand stayed put. Always looming. Always a threat

His ribs weren’t too sensitive, not nearly as bad as other spots, but the way Tech prodded them like he was investigating his every move made him do something embarrassing: snort. The way Tech’s face lit up was the only warning he got before he used each of his index fingers to poke into that same spot and draw a bright, tittering, laughter out of him before lining up with pinpoint accuracy to scratch at what had to be a pressure point connected directly to a nerve. The scratching made him lurch to the side - held to the ground only by Crosshair’s hand still resting against his stomach - before he dissolved into a cocktail of snorts that just made his face burn worse.

“Bad spot?” Wrecker grinned down at him, sitting back on his heels to watch the scene with glee. Echo couldn't speak but he did nod, hiccuping. They seemed to take turns for the next bit of it. Tech got done with his ribs just for Wrecker to poke around his hip to see if the bone had any sensitivity - it did. Hunter got to go next, still focusing on that damn spot on his neck that got him giggling. If someone would’ve told him his squad would ever hear him giggle he would've thrown something at them. After Hunter was done they all backed off to let him suck in some air and Echo laid there, still clutching Crosshair’s hand to his stomach so it couldn’t move. If that hand moved he was done for.

“Gotta give me my hand back.” Crosshair tugged on his hand, smile turning into a full grin when Echo startled and held tighter.

“Not a chance.” Echo gulped down some air and twitched as the fingers on his stomach shifted - only slightly, but enough to make him let out a jumpy huff.

“Come on. Lift up your arms. Let me free.” Crosshair giving directions felt like he was teasing which did not inspire confidence. Echo shook his head. Crosshair leveled him with a raised eyebrow. “Echo, don’t be stubborn. What’s the worst I could do?” Echo mimicked his look back to him, which only made the other man laugh. “Okay, noted. Still, lift up so I can have my hand back.”

“You’re just going to ti… try to harass me again.” Echo complained. He hoped he’d be shown a little mercy but by the way Crosshair’s face lit up he wasn’t getting it.

“Wait, what was that? What’ll happen?” Crosshair asked. The rest of his squad was far too amused by his predicament to help him out, watching and waiting for his answers.

“You know.” Asshole brothers.

Crosshair shrugged. “You have to say it.” For fucks sake. Echo groaned and let his head fall back against the floor. None of the rest of them were going to save him. Well… he was having fun. That didn’t mean he liked having to say the word in front of them. It made his cheeks burn just thinking about it. Regardless, he was never going to get out of this unless he gave in.

“You’re just going to tickle me, okay? Are you happy?” Echo said through gritted teeth. The blush on his cheeks just flushed deeper. Crosshair’s face brightened before something utterly evil passed through his eyes.

“Yes.” Crosshair said right before his arms were grabbed and pulled away so Crosshair could scribble mercilessly into his stomach. The way Echo’s body lurched was almost comical but Echo didn’t notice. Not while laughing so hard he was afraid he might break somebody’s eardrums.

“Must be his tickle tickle spot.” Hunter commented. He had one of his knees propped up, resting his chin against it while he watched, amused. Shut up. Shut up shut up shut up.

“If my calculations are right it’s actually right about here.” Tech held up one finger then prodded a very specific spot on his belly, just nearing the lower side, and scratched. It made something short circuit in his brain just feeling it but nothing compared to the next few seconds. All of them, all at once, grabbed to attack a different spot. They poked, and prodded, and scribbled, until all Echo could do was lay there and laugh.

They learned too much from Rex.

Echo couldn’t even babble properly anymore, words intertwining with the giggles he wasn’t even trying to keep inside anymore. He wasn’t sure why he expected that Crosshair of all people would protect him but it was worth a shot as he shoved directly into him, wrapping his arms around him tightly and burying his face in Crosshair’s chest. It nearly knocked the man back onto the floor. The man who was now laughing at him, which was rude and uncalled for. Crosshair’s arms wound around him and for a moment he thought there might be more coming, another chance to grab his sides and send him crashing to the floor, but he was just squeezed. Crosshair even pivoted them away from the rest of the batch so Echo’s back didn’t feel quite so exposed, tucking his head close to Echo’s while his breath calmed down. He could feel the amusement in Crosshair’s quiet laughter still rumbling in his chest. It would’ve felt like laughter at Echo’s expense if it wasn’t for how Crosshair kept rubbing his back to aid him in breathing normally again.

“Evil.” Echo’s voice was shaky. “All of you are so damn evil.” He knew they were laughing at him but his body was too tingly for him to care. All of that fuzzy energy was still dancing on his skin and it took everything in him not to just keep laughing.

“Told you, Echo.” Rex groaned as he rolled to sit on the edge of the bunk. “I just knew there was a pack of tickle monsters around here.” With a flourish Echo flipped him off but his arm flopped back down only seconds after. Too tired to think. Too warm to string together thoughts. Wrecker even moved to rub comforting circles on his back as he rested his head against Crosshair’s shoulder.

He could handle a few more monsters, Echo decided, as long as he eventually got to get them back.

[starcrossedjedis]

Grace Yeung & James Medina in "Silenced"

"What are you doing here, Yeung?" - "I'm not sure." - "Shouldn't you and that fancy dress be at a party right now?" - "Yeah..." - "Yet here you are." - "Here I am."

tagged: @acabecca @akabluekat @arrthurpendragon @asirensrage @auxiliarydetective @bibaybe @bravelittleflower @chickensarentcheap @curious-kittens-ocs @darknightfrombeyond @darkwolf76 @daughter-of-melpomene @drbobbimorse @eddiemunscns @emilykaldwen @far-shores @foxesandmagic @fyoriginalstories @fyeahocsofcolor @harleyquinnzelz @if-you-onlyknew @jamezvaldes @jewishbarbies @katiekinswrites @kingsmakers @koiwrites @mabonetsamhain @margoshansons @mystic-scripture @ocappreciationtag @oneirataxia-girl @sgtbuckyybarnes @susiesamurai @stachedocs @thccraft @astarionbae

[ifindus]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. spread the self-love ❤

Thanks, Rae!! 🥰 I rarely write fics now, but it was fun to look back on what I've manage to produce in the last 10 years 😅 the quality I fear varies greatly

The Sky Pirates Ship: FrUK Words: 61 802 Published: 13. May 2018 Summary: Francis finds himself a prisoner of a group of sky pirates. He's forced to join their adventures and the people he meets along the way change how he looks at the world. It requires teamwork to get out of it alive, but Francis manages to make a mistake that will cost him dearly.

Change Ship: SuNor (unfortunately not very shippy tbh) Words: 2 515 Published: 23. December 2023 Summary: Norway is not happy with being traded around like a piece of property and he is certainly not happy with his new "boss" ; Sweden. Over the years, his opinion does not change, but their personal relationship just might.

All you have to do is ask Ship: ScotNor Words: 3 468 Published: 30. December 2022 Summary: Sigurd keeps inviting all his friends to a café just befoe the holidays. Why has he become so sociable all of a sudden? Must be the excellent coffee and nothing to do with the handsome barista.

What Love? Ship: FrUK Words: 32 296 Published: 25. July 2016 Summary: France and England have had a thing going on for quite a while, but never talked to each other about it. However, their thoughts keep nagging them and somehow they end up as neither of them could have foreseen.

Love Burns Ship: ScotNor Words: 2 649 Published: 15. October 2020 Summary: The second world war has begun and Norway had to flee his country with the Royal family. While they now are safe in England, he has taken the trip up to stay with Scotland as there is little he can do in London. Still, he longs to be back with his own people.

[inaris-mage-of-storms]

}{ I Found Love Where It Wasn't Supposed To Be }{ Part 3 }{

}{ first }{ prev }{

They kept the dragon in Xornoth's quarters for the first few days. Scott preferred a cooler room, often leaving his balcony door or windows ajar even in mid-winter, while Xornoth often had a fire lit even in the summer, making their room the obvious choice. Scott gathered the warmest, softest blankets he could find and and made a makeshift nest near the fireplace for the dragon. As uncomfortable as the heat could get and as busy as he was, every spare second he could find was spent right next to their new charge.

"You might have to translate for me when he wakes up," said Scott, tracing a finger over the dragon's snout. "I never could get the hang of dragonspeech."

Gem had tried her best to teach him. But dragonspeech was a form of mental communication rather than verbal, making use of emotions and abstract concepts rather than concrete words. It could be translated into verbal languages, but nuance was often lost on beginners. And for someone like Scott, who put a hard freeze on all but the shallowest of emotions long before he learned to control ice, it wasn't a form of communication that came naturally to him.

"It's really not that difficult." Xornoth's teasing tone bordered on mocking, and Scott pinned his ears in annoyance. Xornoth didn't apologize, but they hesitated, and their next words came in a kinder voice. "I'll translate what I can. But he's not likely to express anything terribly complicated."

Scott shrugged, gently scratching along the dragon's neck the way his favorite owl liked out of habit. "Still, having someone more fluent than I am to translate will make it easier to learn. Gem couldn't always find the right - oh! Hello there, little one."

There were a few sleepy blinks, then gleaming blue eyes peered up at him. Scott recognized the nudge of another consciousness at the edge of his own. Along with it came a sense of wary confusion, then recognition and the feeling of warmth. The dragon moved toward him, wobbling like a new kitten, then sank back down with his chin resting on Scott's knee.

"Oh, you're a cutie pie," cooed Scott, stroking the top of his head with one hand and reaching into his pockets with the other. "I brought some mutton from the kitchens in case you woke up, I'm sure you're starving."

He was pleased to see the dragon eat eagerly despite the lingering weakness. "May we have the honor of knowing your name?" asked Xornoth, and the cautious respect in their voice surprised Scott. Though it made sense, he supposed, given their time bound by the Ender Dragon. They still felt guilty, they admitted to him once, about how cruelly they'd behaved toward her when she was only doing her duty, and about how callous they'd been about her death.

"Is - is he not answering that, or am I more out of practice than I thought?" asked Scott when he didn't hear anything at all in response, let alone anything that could be taken as a name. He doubted he simply missed it; dragon names were often long, made of words and phrases that described the subject's essence. He'd thought Gem's to be quite pretty, something along the lines of the amethyst crystal that resonates as magic flows through it.

"No, he didn't answer," said Xornoth.

Scott hummed and rubbed his fingers under the dragon's chin. He almost stopped when he felt a prick of annoyance that wasn't his own, but then the feeling disappeared and the dragon settled into the touch with a soft sigh.

"Can you tell us what happened, hm? Why were you all alone on top of the coldest mountain in Rivendell?" Scott murmured. For a moment it seemed the dragon was more interested in chin scratches than answering, then he felt a sense of irritated emptiness settle into his chest.

"He doesn't know," Xornoth translated. The dragon glanced up at the sound of their voice, as if only just remembering a second person was present. Then there was a flurry of fear, anger, and confusion as he stood, flaring out his wings and baring his teeth even as he struggled to keep his balance. For a moment it almost seemed like he was trying to put himself between Scott and Xornoth. But, Scott thought, surely he was mistaken about the sense of protectiveness he felt from the dragon. Why would this creature he'd only just met, who was so weak and vulnerable no less, prioritize the elf king's safety over his own?

To anyone else, Xornoth's face probably looked expressionless. But Scott could see the way they wilted ever so slightly, unhappy but resigned as the dragon bestowed upon them the same name Gem had. Hellfire creature, torturer and enjoyer of sorrow and suffering. The best translation into elvish was the same name everyone spat at them: Demon.

"That's not their name," Scott chided. He didn't know what exactly to replace it with, but that wasn't who their sibling was anymore.

"I haven't done anything to earn a better one," Xornoth countered. "Never will, probably. You saw what I was like under the Corruption's influence. How could I ever make up for all of those cruelties?" They bowed to the dragon, speaking aloud for Scott's sake at the same time as they spoke in dragonspeech. "But, I am remorseful for my actions, truly. My only aim is to repair as much of the damage I caused as I can, and I don't mean any harm to you or my brother."

The dragon stared them down, absorbing their statement. It was nearly impossible to lie to a dragon in their own tongue, Gem had explained to Scott once. The very nature of it made it difficult to fully mask any deception. It was how she knew he really hadn't meant to hurt her when his magic backfired.

After a moment the dragon accepted that Xornoth was being genuine, settling down into Scott's lap with a quiet trill of discomfort. Okay. Fine. It was getting easier for Scott to put words to what he was sensing from the dragon. You can be 'the purple one' for now, I guess.

Xornoth chuckled. "I can live with that. What will you call Scott? Does he get to be 'the blue one'?"

The dragon looked up at Scott, and his breath caught as Xornoth's translation confimed he hadn't misunderstood the name he was given: cold starlight that gleams off the blue snow, evoking divine awe and wonder at its sharp beauty.

Xornoth grinned as Scott's ears bloomed red. "Seems he thinks quite highly of you, Starlight. If he were a higher dragon I'd almost think he wanted to court you."

"Shut up," muttered Scott, but couldn't help but smile as he stroked the dragon's head. 'Starlight.' He rather liked it, actually. Fwhip had called him that once, teasingly. His throat tightened at the thought of his missing friend.

He traced a line over the dragon's back, looking at the crimson and black coloration. Fwhip was a blood dragon, too, with similar patterning, though he was much larger in his dragon form than this. Scott lifted the dragon and pressed a kiss to his snout, grinning at the flare of disgruntled surprise and the way he lashed his tail like an annoyed cat.

"Since you won't tell us a name," he decided, "I'm going to call you Fwhip. It's after a friend who I miss very much. Hopefully you don't mind."

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