#somehow the kids turned out all right anyway XD

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Finally Watched Cinderella's Castle Digital Ticket (Twice) and I Gotta Get My Feelings Out Somewhere, Somehow (Part I)

Feel free to light up my DMs to chat about it!

And now, for my personal highlights/live reactions:

immediately I'm drawn in by Nick Lang's silly narrator voice and the way he warns us of what's coming. Especially the "muRrrDder!"

Jeff Blim cut his hair. JEFF BLIM CUT HIS HAIR. Not that I didn't like the long locks, but something about his Aladdin Era short hair gets me, man.

Jeff Blim literally getting to own the stage like the man was born to

Jeff Blim's slutty bard getup with the artfully messy hair and the heavy guyliner. That sinful bastard.

"Let's go." I'll follow you anyway, slutty bard.

Okay 80s rock jam! Hell yes.

idk why but I just love the line "There are tales in those walls, are they true or are they tall?"

THIS SET, THO. 80s vibes. Muppets vibes. Princess Bride vibes. Spooky, ethereal fairytale vibes. I love it! Props to the team who designed and built it.

prance, slutty bard boy, prance around that stage.

Jesus Fuck, I've only seen Joey's puppet but I'm already SOLD. Nick and Matt Lang and whoever else had a hand in making these puppets fucking OUTDID themselves! Did they use the Black Book and resurrect Jim Henson?

Throughout the show, the muppet vibes just absolutely amaze and delight me. Makes me feel like a little kid, spellbound by this fairytale. Except it's much darker, more gruesome, way more explicit, and extremely horny.

Oh look, it's Joey's Jingle/Jangle (whichever elf he was) voice from Black Friday.

Love me some o' dat non-binary representation from Ragweed. Starkid once again screaming GAY RIGHTS bitches.

I'm getting some of Jeff's Aragog from AVPS in this Narrator. Anyone else?

Stupid STUPID butcher!

Jon Matteson's accent. *giggles madly*

Angela IMMEDIATELY having to pause for applause before she finishes her first freaking line. The queen deserves it all, though.

The foreshadowing of the Stepmother cutting off Ella's feet. O_O

"It's furryyyyy and fouuuuul and full o' maGOTTTSSaaaaaggghhhh!"

Angela doing the little spinny finger thing in a guy's face to fluster them just like Max did to her character in Nerdy Prudes. I love these physical running gags. My fave being the Smoke Club, though.

OIIIINK oinkoinkoinkoinkoinkoink

Sir Preston asking for help from the audience. His "ELLAaaaaa....nooooo....."

The lighting in this entire show is SO COOL.

Again, Jeff just louging like a whore about the set like its his bitch. I live for it.

James' COSTUME. He looks SO FUCKING GOOD. Props to the costume folks...and to James' rockin' genes.

"But nothing compares to the juice and the hairs..." Oh no. Ohhhhh no I see where this is going. Don't say it, James, don't-- omg he said it.

er ee er ee er ee *window rolling down*

I thought the Prince drawing bewbies on the frosty window was funny already, and then he goes WAH WAH WAH and pretends to pinch them and I fucking lost it.

The Prince checkin' out DAT AZZZZZZ XD

"I'd wager she's wetter now than when I first found her bobbing in the river." OH MY GOD. PRINCE. THAT'S HER NOT-MOM.

If his highness has had every STD and beaten it, that's so fucked up but also damn, that boy's immune system is killin' it. Literally.

"Poor mad EllaAH"

"This is one thirsty FUCKING house." For real, omg.

"The offer stands firm. Come calling if you are!" *screams*

Jeff miming being crew and pulling the ropes for the curtains.

*audience member sneezes* "Bless you."

Angela's diction is next fucking level. PUNY. PINK. KIND.

The epic troll reveal! The puppets are SO GOOD.

THE FROG FUCKING TURNING AWAY AS SHE ASKED FOR IT TO DO SO SHE COULD KILL IT. CHRIST.

This bayou boogie song of Ella's is an absolute KILLER BOP. Holy shit. And it's SO perfect for Bryce's funky, sassy voice.

Speaking of which, BRYCE'S VOCALS. I'm gonna scream about them for forever and ever and ever. I love her voice SO FUCKING MUCH. I could listen to nothing else for the rest of my days and die a happy little gay.

"ohhhh woah woah waohhh" *flips the bird* She's such a queen for that.

"It needs oregano" WORK BITCH

Bryce's stage presence is fucking INSANE. I dunno how she's not on Broadway, but thank goodness we got her!

SIRE MANY TADPOLES!

GOD I love this absolutely depraved, horny little bastard of a prince.

It's amazing Tadeus hasn't murdered the prince yet. The man deserves a medal for the literal shit he's put up with.

Bugette?! I thought you choked on shit died and were consumed by the Hive Queen?

Rancilda being a typical troll and loving lurking under bridges and telling riddles.

Schuyler Sister vibes from the song with Justine and Lucy. So cute.

Justine and Lucy are SUCH real ones for IMMEDIATELY believing Ella about her family being trolls and for saying "fuck the ball, we're leaving NOW."

Shake dat ass, Mariah!

Lauren's physical comedy as Rancilda is NEXT LEVEL. I'm wheezing over here!

iSNn'tT it A BiiIItTcH?!

I LOOK GOOD IN THIS. What an absolute fucking BANGER. This song is gonna play in my head on repeat for the next decade. What a next level villain song.

Also this gives me some strongass Joan Jett vibes. "I love wearin' the skin of dead girls rock 'n' roll!"

and I hEEeaARr yoU'Re RiiiCCHhH

Seriously, is this the next Top Chart breakup revenge song? It should be.

"I really LIKE that song!" XD Putrice. I love how much of an absolute BIMBO she is.

Rancilda singing the song again. "SHUT UP STUPID BITCH, THE SONG'S OVER." "Okaaaaiiii"

Matt Dahan's ability to riff off the main songs and create motifs is otherworldly.

General MacNamara? Is that you?! Oh wait, nope. Still my slutty, slutty bard.

I LOOOOOOOVE this badass electric guitar intro, holy shit.

Kim Whalen, the queen, getting the bitchin' entrance she deserves.

Starkid is so, so good at their sound design to help immerse you in a scene without blowing a big budget or doing anything elaborate.

...Kim. My girl. Your arms must be tired.

She's just standing there, but Kim's stage presence is still so strong.

I can't get over how Jon's Sir Hops-A-Lot's voice is just a small...ahem. Hop, skip, and a jump away from Wiggly's.

JOEY. THAT ACCENT. You ABSOLUTE genius idiot. I love you for this stupidass voice.

Joey's bowl cut makes me giggle like mad.

I love these two puppets SO much.

GIT IT, KIM.

The call and response bit with Ella and the Goddess reminds me of Hamilton when Washington is dictating his Farewell Address. I know it's gotta be in other musicals, too, but that's the clearest comparison for this nerd at the moment.

Jeff sneaking in the "castle on a hill" song reference in this song.

Kim and Bryce dueting together is just Power incarnate. Holy cow. It's so good.

"You shall be as radiant and terrible as I." Ooooooh. Yes. Gimme.

The Narrator sneaking out from amidst the ensemble to finish off the song was really neat.

That fading spotlight before curtain for intermission with just Ella's face in view is so beautiful and haunting. What an epic close to Act I.

Also, it seems like this was also a strategic way to imply Ella's outfit being transformed there on stage during the song without actually having to do the tricky costume designing quick-change theater miracles of an ACTUAL outfit transformation. Which is really brilliant. Leave the audience to wonder until post-intermission about what Ella's starlight dress will look like.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

M6 and MC during a storm or other bad weather event? Can be as fluffy or as angsty as you please.

(Bonus: What kind of umbrella would each LI have, if any?)

The Arcana HCs: M6 during thunderstorms

~ the way my mind gets flooded with serotonin just thinking about thunderstorms XD I've added some pics of the kinds of umbrellas I think they'd use too ^.^ thanks for the prompt anon! - brainrot ~

TW for mentions of panic attacks in Julian's and Portia's sections and tooth rotting fluff in general

Julian

HATES thunderstorms

They take him right back to the night he lost his family, until he's a scared little boy holding his baby sister and waiting for his parents to come save them all over again

Just the sound of rain alone used to send him into panic attacks as a kid and young teen, but he's been an adult on his own for a long time at this point and it's rare for him to have that reaction now

That doesn't stop him from getting anxious though

He'll alternate between uncharacteristic silence and feverish chattering, making overly casual comments on the weather

He will also be laser focused on you. He knows it's irrational, but he's got a deap-seated fear that the storm will take you from him too and he will follow you like a shadow

He doesn't want to become a nuisance though, so he'll be fussing over you nonstop - layering you with blankets, insisting you eat or drink every thirty minutes, dosing you with vitamins, etc

Of course, you love him, so you find a way to make things bearable

The sound of thunder and sensation of cold rain bother him the most, so cuddling in bed where it's warm and dry and the blankets can muffle the sounds is ideal

The best is when you ask him to read out loud to you. He gets to be close to you, make himself useful, and stay distracted all at once. Just don't let him have coffee, the jitters will send his anxiety through the roof

(He rarely uses his umbrella, but it's as gothic as he is and has a raven head carved in the handle)

Asra

LOVES the rain

Their magic is water-affiliated as it is, and you're telling them that everything's being splashed with it? Well what are you waiting for, MC, it's clearly time to go outside!

Constant smiling and giggling

The streets are almost completely empty because everyone sane is staying inside, and he takes full advantage of that. It's the most childlike, playful, and hyper you'll ever see him

Tag, you're it!

They'll run and give chase for as long as you can manage it, and as soon as one of you slows down they're pulling you into their arms to dance. Don't worry about the music, they'll make it happen somehow

Kisses in the rain with his hair plastered to his face will never not be delightful. He won't hold still for very long though, if you hold him too close he'll take it as his invitation to tickle you and run

Puddle-jumping competitions for the biggest splash

If you're not in the city, oh boy, they're hunting for the biggest mud pit they can find and pulling you into a match

Does not have the healthy fear of lightning that he should. Will stand in the middle of a field or try to climb a tree for a better view, and you have heard him at his loudest when he shouts back at it

The foamiest hot bath when you get home, they'll spend the rest of the evening curled up with you in front of the fire with hot chocolate

(They don't like using their umbrella anyways, so it turned into a magical art project)

Nadia

Rain holds unusually fond family memories for her

For starters, it usually signaled a drop in temperature, which was a welcome break in the tropical Prakran climate

But back home in Prakra with six busy older siblings and royalty for parents, thunderstorms were when everybody took a break and spent the day together in the palace with games and tea

She doesn't have to think twice about continuing that tradition with you

She'll usually give everyone the afternoon off once basic Palace upkeep tasks are finished and spend it with you

She loves sitting on the veranda with you in the afternoon, commenting on the lightning and listening to the thunder and rain, drinking tea with you and telling you stories of her childhood

As soon as it starts to get dark she's taking you inside and putting together a dinner in the kitchens. You and the palace chefs know she doesn't really cook, so they'll leave some "ingredients" to find

"Ingredients" often being a cold roast bird of some kind, a freshly baked loaf of bread "hidden" in the cupboard, a bowl of greens with the dressing on a different table, and two "forgotten" plates of dessert

You don't know if she knows that kitchens aren't usually like that, and you have no intention of telling her otherwise

She'll retire with you to her chambers early, so she can lie in bed with the windows open and listen to your voice and the rain

(She has a collection of umbrellas for different outfits, mostly used for garden events)

Muriel

You didn't expect it, but Muriel feels supremely at peace when it rains

As a kid, it was one of the only times when the city would get quiet. He could go out in the rain, and just for once, walk as far as he wanted to without bumping into anyone or being looked at

He could stand in the middle of the widest street and hold as still and breathe as deeply as he wanted to without a single person yelling at him to move

And nobody wanted to attend the roofless Coliseum when it was raining

Out in the woods? It's even better

He takes a quiet pride in knowing that for once the forest is louder than the people are

And the cold doesn't bother him in the slightest

There's a part of the hut roof that juts out by several feet and he keeps a stool there. He'll lean back into the tree roots and stone wall, watching the curtain of rain an arm's length away with a contented smile

To him, rain sounds and smells like freedom and new beginnings

He'll never pressure you to join him, but he'll be so happy if you do

It's an atmosphere where he's the most at home in his own body, so you can expect him to initiate a lot more physical touch

He'll be comfortable enough to pull you into his lap and wrap a cloak around the two of you to keep you warm and dry

Gentle kisses against the cold stone, wrapped up in his warmth and a thick blanket while the earth smells fresh and the rain tap dances on the leaves all around you

(Asra got it for him as a gag gift and he unironically adores it and uses it all the time)

Portia

She gets super irritable when it rains

Do you know? What hair like hers likes to do? When it gets this humid? Do you know? How much time it takes? To clean up the bucketloads of mud? That Pepi tracks all over the floor?

Yeah, she didn't think so

She doesn't talk about it (and frankly, she's not the introspective type, so she might not even be aware of it) but the trauma of that shipwreck stays with her even if she can't remember it completely

So no, she doesn't get flashbacks or nightmares, but as soon as it starts thundering she's plagued with a sense of unease and danger that she just can't shake

She also associates it with watching her teenaged older brother panic and meltdown, which isn't the most positive memory

And of course, it doesn't help that rainy days mean keeping a very active person cooped up inside with nothing to do but keep house

She'll spend the first few hours obsessively getting her space in order - meal prepping, cleaning, organizing, list-writing

It's better not to get involved until there's nothing left for her to do

That's your cue to help her tie back her hair, brew some soothing tea (or something stronger, if she's really fidgety) and sit with her on the couch while she talks a mile a minute all about her week

It will take a few years, but eventually she'll come to associate rain with you so strongly that she might even come to love it

(She likes having the brightest, most distracting umbrella possible for such miserable weather)

Lucio

He doesn't like thunderstorms. At all

He's generally tougher than he acts - he grew up with Morga as a parent, after all - but his brand of bad weather as a kid was snowstorms and blizzards and fierce winds

Not all this business with metal-attracted bolts of sky electricity and sudden, loud noises and water that makes everything muddy and gets everywhere (especially on the dogs!)

Unless it's impossible, he's spending thunderstorms inside, no matter how tight your budget is

As soon as it becomes anything more than a light drizzle, he's cancelling all of today's plans and going off in search of affordable, effective shelter

If he had it his way, he'd do his best to sleep through the whole weather event hunkered down beneath a pile of quilts and blankets

The problem is with Mercedes and Melchior. They love the rain

There's mud! There's exciting new smells! Let them out, let them out to play!

And Lucio, of course, will let them out like the doting dog dad he is, and then they'll come back inside with their white fur drenched and matted with mud and shake it all over everything

The only thing all three of them agree on is that lightning and thunder = bad

The dogs of course have sensitive ears, and no matter how many times he hears it, it always makes Lucio jump (too unexpected)

Your cuddles will be desperately sought after and much appreciated

(The first umbrella is the one Lucio wanted to buy. The second is what he got, because it needs to fit in his traveling pack)

[sergeantsporks]

I honestly always thought that Lilith's resentment of Hunter stemmed from her being jealous of his "close" relationship with Belos.

Lilith was a frigging teenage girl when she joined the Emperor's Coven. She had an estranged relationship with both of her parents at that time. She was also isolated from them. Belos presents himself as an affable authority figure to the Isles.

If she didn't quickly start viewing Belos as some sort of pseudo father figure, I'd be seriously surprised.

And Belos, given that his whole "thing" was manipulation, had to have picked up on that. I'd be genuinely shocked if he didn't outright cultivate it!

Especially since doing so would've assured him of Lilith's loyalty (Until, you know), sowed discontent within the higher ranked members of the Emperor's Coven (Since they all want to be "close" to Belos), and presented an excellent opportunity to cause pain to the Clawthorne family. (And we all know that he's not wholly beyond being petty like that, lol.)

In addition to giving Lilith one damn good reason to hate Hunter's guts from the day he set foot in the Castle for the first time. LMAO.

This random kid appears out of nowhere and he's somehow the Emperor's nephew?!? So of course the expectation will be that Belos is going to dote on him and give the little tyke whatever he wants, up to and including a powerful position within the Coven. Likely without the kid having to lift a finger.

XD Poor Hunter could've literally spent his whole childhood worshiping the very ground Lilith walked on and she still would've despised the poor child. There was literally nothing that he could ever do that would be "right" in Lilith's eyes. Because his mere presence is an affront to her!

As it also is to all of the other Coven Heads.

Which is, naturally, exactly what Belos wanted. Can't let his little child solider have other trustworthy adults in his life. No, Belos needs to be the only person he can 100% always trust and thus, turn to in times of trouble.

:( Poor Lilith, poor Hunter.

Yeah, I know I've talked about Lilith being like "Finally, I'm going to get out of the shadow of my sister, I'm no longer going to be second-fiddle in the eyes of an authority figure to a prodigy, excellent" only for a new prodigy pop up and take the spotlight and all the attention of her top authority figure 20 or so years later. Like. She must have been screaming.

But honestly? I think you're right. I don't think Hunter did anything, not at first, anyway. We see in Thanks to Them that a lot of his posturing and pride/confidence literally comes on and off with his physical mask. Underneath, he's just... kind of a dork loser who's pretty adorable. Sure, he's not PERFECT, it's not TOTALLY a persona; the "golden guard" does bleed into Hunter and vice versa, but I can definitely imagine all the other coven heads (and ESPECIALLY Lilith, who's already predisposed to feel threatened by people whose seeming "natural" talents exceed her hard work) coming in already expecting him to be a nepotism brat.

Hunter is nothing if not someone who tries very hard to live up to people's expectations of him. So even if he wasn't some annoying little twerp at first and was just a genuinely curious and excited kid who wanted to hang out with The Cool Kids (coven heads) (especially considering we know he wasn't really allowed near the other scouts), I have no doubt that he started leaning into their expectations of "bratty kid who can do whatever he wants because he's the emperor's nephew" after the first few rejections. Which would only make their perception of him justified in their eyes, which would only make him worse, etc. etc. So even if he was a perfect angel at first and worshiped the ground the other coven heads walked on, like you said, he definitely became/acted like the brat they all thought he was by the end.

[pastel-peach-writes]

BAELOYYY YASSS!!! Would you be down to write some fluff👀 like aloy and fem!reader stumble upon a pretty lake or something and they're just messing around and maybe the reader get hit with a wave of mischief and pushes her in? Or!! Aloy teaches her how to override a little watcher to have a cute little buddy to keep them company and angjkwkw (can you tell that when i played the game i kept wishing that i could pet the watchers after i befriended them? lol) Thank youuu you're the best!! XD

Hiii! I'm so sorry I'm writing this late. I'm going to do both, but I'm really interested in a mischievous reader so i will do the first one. enjoy!

Cool Off | Aloy x Reader

╰┈➤ PLOT: It was supposed to be a relaxed day. After training for the Proving, you and Aloy decided it would be nice to have lunch by a secluded lake. Aloy isn't too fond of what follows.

╰┈➤ WARNINGS: No Use Of Y/n, Pre-Game One Discovery, Cursing

⍣ ೋ Enjoy!⍣ ೋ

The sun during high noon was nothing compared to the afternoon sun in the Sacred Lands. Though the sun wasn't exactly overhead, the closer it got to its sunset position, the brighter the sun shined. Its beams and rays on your skin made sweat beads appear on your forehead and roll down your face.

"Come on," Aloy's voice snapped you out of your misery. All you could hear was her items cling and clang against each other as you scaled a mountainside. The heavy swish of her leather and the smashing of the gravel underneath seemed familiar somehow. "It's not that far from here. You'll make it."

"Says you," you seethed. "Not all of us were blessed with an endurance only lions had. And not everyone has ridiculous leg muscles such as yours." You went on all fours to climb over a decent-sized rock, but its surface burned your skin. You winced and let go of the rock.

You lose your footing on the loose gravel and your heart sinks down to your stomach. You can't think of anything but your impending doom.

That is until there's a strong grip on your wrist.

Aloy pulled you up with a slight grunt. She shook her head with a teasing smile as she moved you beside her. "Hasn't anyone ever taught you not to talk shit while scaling a mountain?"

You narrowed your eyes. Of course, she would take this as a moment to mess with you. Despite the tensed jaw and urge to flick her ear, you're grateful for her fast reflexes.

Aloy was always the one to catch you before you fell or to get you out of trouble. You don't know how she does it.

It started when y'all were six.

She was training with Rost and you were with the grade-school kids. You wandered off, distracted by a butterfly and then the pretty flower it landed on. Engrossed in the beauty of nature, you didn't notice how far away you were from your group. Once you realized they were gone, it was too late.

Tears welled up in your eyes. The feeling of impending doom dawned upon you and you couldn't help but wail. You cried and cried as you sat flat on your tush.

Again, not aware of the things around you, you couldn't see that you were attracting the attention of a few watchers. How could you notice anyways? You were a kid who thought they lost their ticket home. You thought you were never going to see your family again.

Hell, you sure weren't as heavy footsteps of machinery quickly made their way toward you.

With tears clouding your eyesight, you turned around to see an alerted watcher running towards you. It was on a mission and you were its target.

You brought your arms up to block your face. Your heartbeat threatened to explode out of your chest and your tears were hysterical at this point.

You were never going to see your parents again. You were sure of it when the watcher came five feet within you.

But then all of a sudden, the watcher fell to its side. Almost as if it's been shot with something. You froze. This is what everyone saw before they died, right?

A small girl with red hair and a blue headpiece came running over to you.

At that moment, you couldn't decipher who she was or what she was saying. Everything was a blur and you felt as if you blacked out.

Eventually, an older man walked over and the three of you went to find your group. You were silent the whole time, but grateful. If it wasn't for that girl and her rocks, you would've been dead.

Since then, Aloy was always there to save you. You were sure it was exhausting for her. It was exhausting for you to get into trouble all the time. Eventually, you stopped getting yourself into danger less and less, but you never stopped seeing her. Even though she was shunned, you didn't care.

You two were attached by the hip.

Because Aloy was in tune with the constant danger that roamed the planet, you've always wanted to catch her off guard. Maybe you could do that now while the two of you are supposed to be "relaxing".

"Shut up, Aloy. Thank you for saving me." You let a smile show on your lips as you walked past her. At the top of wherever the hell Aloy wanted to take you was flat. There were bushes, rarely any trees, thin bushes, and a lake near the cliff edge.

The mountaintop wasn't a place for hiding, so there weren't any evil-ass robots trying to murder you either.

You sat at the edge of the lake. It was a beautiful deep blue and was surrounded by green florals. On occasion, there were some colorful flowers that peaked through the taller portions of the grass.

Aloy sat beside you, groaning like an old man as she did so. "Yeah, of course, but, you don't have to thank me. I appreciate it, but my saving you from the stupid danger you get yourself in is just something that comes with our friendship." With a small grin, she handed you a leather pouch full of food.

In a brief moment, your fingers grazed each other. Neither you nor Aloy flinched or shuddered from it. Finger grazing and long eye contact have been occurring a lot as of late. You didn't question it. You liked the butterflies the actions gave you or how your body felt warm all of sudden.

"Yeah, I know." You took a piece of bread out of the pouch and ripped off a bite.

You and Aloy sat at the lake eating for a while. There were moments of silence, moments of chewing, and moments of conversation. You two were happily laughing away with full bellies by the time you finished lunch.

Aloy sat crosslegged and rested back on her palms. You had your legs stretched out in front of you, crossed at the ankle. Mimicking her stance, you rested back on your palms.

"Ugh, it's so hot!" Aloy groaned. In her dramatics, she threw her head back. She closed her eyes shut as the sun beamed on her.

From the side, you could see she was sweating all the way from her hairline to the back of her neck. You couldn't blame her though. All the gear you had to wear got hot on the worst days and it's not like all the hair she had was keeping her cool either.

"You should cool down, Alo," you hummed. Your gaze remained on her as she shook her head like a toddler.

"I can't! It's too hot!" She fell onto her back. Exasperated, she wiggled her limbs around. "This grass is too itchy and my water isn't cold anymore!"

Laughter erupted from your stomach. You quickly cleaned up the remainder of your lunch. "You're so dramatic, Aloy. There are many ways you could cool down."

Aloy cricked her neck over to you with a pout on her lips. "How?"

"Well, as you mentioned, water." You shoved your trash into your pouch.

Aloy groaned. "You don't listen to me. I said my water isn't cold." Aloy stood from her place on the ground. She figured she should help you clean up instead of whining and rolling on the floor like a toddler.

The water in her flask wasn't the water you were talking about. For Gaia's sake, there's a whole ass lake in front of you two. A little dip in it won't hurt.

It took five minutes to clean up the trash and you would've been done quicker, but you kept messing with Aloy by throwing grass scraps at her or refusing to give her the pouch full of trash.

It was 5 pm now and the sun would be setting soon. Despite the cooler air that usually came around this time, Aloy was still hot. Her skin was sticky and dry, her face scratchy, and the clothes on her were giving her sensory nightmares.

She stood by the lake edge with her eyes closed. She tried to let the freshwater smell take her whole and calm her down, but just like her hair, her anger was firey.

You've been watching Aloy take deep breaths and trying everything she could to calm herself down.

For some reason, neither of you suggested going home.

You both liked the silence the mountaintop provided and the comfortability you two had away from other Noras. She could laugh and joke with you and you could be carefree and mindless with her. You both could be your authentic selves.

Aloy scowled, clenching her fists. You didn't have to see her know her nose was scrunched and her eyebrows furrowed together. You could also bet her lips tensed into a thin line. "Ugh, this sucks!"

"Relax, Aloy."

"I'm trying!" She whipped around to face you. "Can't you see that? This heat is unbearable. I physically can't calm or cool down."

Besides cutting off the oxygen, what was one way you could take out a fire?

Water.

As Aloy continued to ramble and yell about how she couldn't cool off and how unfair it is that she has a full stomach yet couldn't enjoy the feeling of being full, you charged forward.

She was too clouded by her fiery rage to notice.

In the middle of her rant, you pushed your firm hands on Aloy's abdomen. She screamed out your name, but it was drowned out by the enormous splash of the lake.

You hunched over, laughing and holding onto your stomach.

Aloy swam to the surface, her cheeks puffed up. Her freckled cheeks were red, but you couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. "What the fuck was that!"

Through your laughter, you reply, "You need some way to cool down, right? Why not go for a swim?"

Aloy smacked the water's surface. "This isn't funny! Stop laughing!"

Her water smack splashed some water your way, but you didn't mind. You weren't a typical fairytale witch. A bit of water won't kill you. "Oh, come on! You wanna laugh too," you leaned down with your hands on your thighs. "I can see it on your face."

No, what you saw on her face was the spark of a devious plan. Aloy reached out of the water and pulled you in. With another splash, Aloy erupted into laughter.

From beneath the water, you could hear her muffled laughter. Her laughter brought a natural smile to your face, but you had to pretend you were mad at her.

So, when you swam up to the surface, you feigned scowl. Aloy only laughed harder.

"Okay, I get it now!" the freckled girl said. "This is funny. Are you enjoying your swim?" Aloy taunted by sticking out her tongue. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a smile permanently plastered on her face.

If her pulling you into the lake is what it takes to get her to smile, so be it.

You responded with a shrug. A smile threatened its way through. "It could be better."

The golden light from the sun shined onto the water making it clear and crystal. Not to mention how the golden rays brightened up Aloy's hair and face. You never noticed how much darker her hair was when it was wet.

Because of the ethereal sight of Aloy, you couldn't help but admire her. Her green eyes stared back into yours with the same admiring glint.

She was having the same thoughts you were having about her skin, hair, and eyes. Staring into your eyes made time stop. She wouldn't dare to pass up the opportunity of being in forever with you. "You look really pretty," Aloy whispered.

You snickered. "Pretty? That's all you got?" You swam closer to her.

Aloy shrugged, a shy but amused smile on her face. "What am I supposed to call you? Beautiful? Handsome? Charming?" She swam closer to you.

A simple pen could be used to measure the distance between you two.

She snaked her arms around your waist and you put your own around her neck. "Those would suffice." Your voice was softer than before. You made a note to speak slower for clarity, emphasis, and mood.

Similar to her smile, Aloy grinned. She leaned in and you could feel her breath on your skin.

You weren't sure if you were dreaming or hallucinating. Maybe you hit your head as you were pulled into the lake. You closed your eyes to scan your body for any signs of pain, but there weren't any. When you opened your eyes again, you could see Aloy's gaze never left yours.

Your breath hitched. Finally, you leaned in too, threatening to close the gap between you two.

You closed your eyes again, but this time to prepare yourself for the spectacular kiss that was to be blessed upon your lips.

Aloy's lips barely ghosted yours when she stopped. You opened your eyes to find her smirking at you. She pulled away, giving your sides a teasing squeeze.

Now it was your turn to feel fire all over your face and body. Suddenly, the lake's water wasn't doing any justice. "Aloy, you tease!" You huffed as you shoved her shoulders.

Aloy laughed. She stumbled back from your shove. "Oh, what? Did I do something? Was there something you want from me?"

You didn't dare to reply. Instead, you huffed and swam out of the lake. It was all in good fun, you knew that. But damn, it was embarrassing to have your crush know you want to kiss them.

Aloy followed after you, giggles and laughs escaping past her lips. "Hey, hey," she grabbed your wrist. She pulled you to her body and yet again, her eyes didn't dare to leave yours. "Don't be embarrassed, okay? I like you too."

"Who said I like you?" you scoffed.

Aloy looked you up and down. Her smirk made an appearance. "Your body language when we were in the lake. No one leans in, closes their eyes, and holds on tight to someone they don't like."

All you could do was pull away with a slight smile. "You're an asshole."

"Meh, but you like me and I like you too." Aloy wiped some of the water off your face. "Don't worry, Splash, you'll get your kiss soon."

WC: 2,436

[blackjackkent]

what do you think wouldve happened in an alternate universe where hector let karlach become a mind flayer?

(A/N after writing this whole answer: whoops, this got out of hand, hope you're okay with an Unexpected Fic. XD Also maybe a smidge weird/dark at the end, although not a ton I hope? Certainly no more than the whole game is weird/dark. XD Anyway I hope you enjoy. <3 )

Ohhhhhhhhh.

Anon, I love you for asking me this question. <3 A very intriguing one!

And it is because I love you for asking me this question that I have braved looking up a video of Karlach actually becoming a mind flayer, which I had put off doing because I am a softheart and I knew it would hurt and also make Hector yell in my head. XD And when Hector yells in my head it's a whole thing because he does double Flurry of Blows against the inside of my skull for 140damage and it's rough enough in there already.

However! I have now watched it and done some thinks. (Hot damn, Lae'zel is MAD too, at least in the version of the scene I watched. The whole thing is very upsetting.)

Fundamentally it would be a tragedy, and not just for Karlach. Watching the way the scenes play out - there is just enough of Karlach in her speech that Hector would not want to disconnect from her. I think perhaps it touches on the same hope that kept him expecting a miracle for her heart right up until the end of the game - somehow, somehow we can make this work, somehow we will find a way...

But there is no way. This is who she is now, a creature of the Astral Sea with his love's voice and an empty place where her soul should be. And unlike the engine situation he can't even kiss her to make himself feel better because she looks like a squid.

-----

The one saving grace is, I suppose, she does seem happy enough. In the epilogue, she states that she has found a way to get brains to eat by consuming from terminally ill patients at a clinic in Baldur's Gate, people who have volunteered for the process because they are about to die anyway. And she talks about helping all of them live on by absorbing their memories and carrying them with her.

It's... sweet, in a way, Hector supposes.

He tries to keep busy. There's no battle in Avernus to occupy him in this timeline, so he primarily works with Jaheira and her kids on rebuilding. It's hard, physical work; it keeps his mind occupied. At first he sleeps at the Elfsong; later, after some nudging from Rion, Jaheira offers him lodging at her home, where he takes a hand in raising the latest crop of orphan children she is protecting. He sees Baldur's Gate start to bandage its wounds and begins to believe there was some purpose to all his struggle.

But his own wounds do not heal so easily.

He visits the clinic often. He and Karlach talk. Her voice is a slow near-monotone in her accent, unlike anything he ever heard from her before. Sometimes he can hear a twinge of her humor or a turn or phrase, and his heart leaps... but other times she speaks of things like destiny and infinite time in a way that reminds him more of the Emperor than the woman he loves.

She never laughs. She doesn't curse. There is never even the slightest mention of sex; though she still fully understands a double entendre when he makes one experimentally, she seems to take no interest in it. She seems to exist slightly beyond him, with a view of the world that is no longer of the Material Plane.

And yet... she does know him. She remembers everything - stories he told her of his childhood in the monastery, details of Selunite rituals she learned from him, quiet moments in camp he half-forgot himself. She still calls him Soldier, and sometimes Hec. She remembers her own parents; she remembers the city. There is just enough of her still in there... just enough for it to squeeze his heart.

----

One day she walks (well, floats) with him to the Singing Lute; she sits with him while he eats. They talk about the rebuilding; he points out from the balcony some of the new homes he has worked on. She is quiet for a long time. "It is good to see the place begin to live again," she says, in that strange cool slow voice that has replaced the old jocular drawl. "It's what it was all for."

He nods. "Do you regret it? Any of it?" Do you remember what we had? What we've lost?

"How could I, Soldier? The city still lives. You still live." A long pause. The old Karlach might have laughed sardonically, but there is no humor. "Even I still live, and I have grown beyond myself. What is there to regret?"

It sits like a rock in his stomach. If she is content, what more can he ask for? And yet it hurts... it hurts...

-----

Jaheira notices that he begins to withdraw back into himself, that he is quieter and more serious. She mentions it to Gale, on one of his visits to the city from Waterdeep.

"You're not wrong there," Gale agrees. "You weren't around yet, when we knew him fresh off the nautiloid. He was much more careful, then. Very controlled. The very picture of monastic stoicism - in between the panicked realization that we were all undergoing a supreme nightmare that never ended, of course. He lightened up, over the months - certainly by the time you knew him."

Jaheira purses her lips. "And this... he is returning to his old ways, you believe?"

"I don't think it would be unreasonable to assume," Gale says, with a sort of bleak humor, "that Karlach is no longer providing the same amount of compensatory levity that she used to."

-----

In the end, almost two years later, Lae'zel is the only one who speaks to him of it directly, and she is brutal - but effective.

"You have been hollowed out, she'lak," she says bluntly, on one of her rare visits from the Astral Plane. "It is a lessening of you. Do you still trail after your ghaik as if bound to her by a lead?"

"I have done much in the city since you left," Hector says, somewhat defensively.

"Chk. I do not speak of your body's business, k'chakhi. I speak of your mind. Your heart. You have lost yourself. You live only for others."

"As I was raised to do. As I have always done."

"Hector." She rarely speaks his name directly, but she does now, and it makes him jump. "You know of what I speak, and I will not have you ignore it. Your work in the city is admirable. You have cause for pride and contentment. Yet you pine after Karlach as if you hope to find her in the shell wearing her voice."

"She's still in there, Lae'zel."

"You mislead yourself," she spits. "Was it not you who taught me the strength to look beyond mindless devotion?"

That stings, and unconsciously he stands up a little straighter. "This is not mindless. It has been earned," he objects.

"Tas'ki. She is ghaik," Lae'zel says flatly. "What remains of her will dwindle, day by day. You know this as well as I." A pause. Then her eyes soften, and her voice with it. "You do not honor her sacrifice by this emptiness, Hector. Nor do you honor yourself."

He says nothing. His lips draw into a tight line. He hears her, and he does not want to.

"Think on what I tell you," she says - for all the world, now, as if she is the wise mentor and he the student in need of guidance. "You are no fool. You know I speak truth. Do not discount it."

-----

It takes a long time, but he does eventually start to come back to himself. Ten years. Twenty years. He grows old, though he loses none of his strength, his training too ingrained to allow him to weaken with age. The city reforms, stronger than ever, and he slowly begins to learn what life is, outside of both monastery and war.

He teaches self-defense to the children Jaheira rescues and others in the Lower City. He learns to (very badly) play a lute at Alfira's school. He tries his hand as a woodworker after so much carpentry work in the rebuilding of the Gate; one day, with some pride, he gifts Halsin a raggedly carved owl in return for the duck. He travels with Shadowheart several times to the House of the Moon in Waterdeep, reaffirming his faith in the light that has guided him through so much darkness.

And he reads voraciously. Everything he can get his hands on, from every library in the city. There is far more knowledge in the world, he comes to learn, than the particular cache with which he grew up.

He visits Karlach less, over time. And Lae'zel was right - there is less and less left of her each time he sees her. She is drifting away from him. And slowly he comes to terms with that - that what they had was a wonderful thing and a fleeting thing that will never come back to him. He learns to live for them both, for the life she would have had with him, had there been time.

He does not love again, though. He lived his whole life devoid of romance before he knew her, and he has little interest in trying to find it again in the years that remain to him.

For the most part, he moves on, and eventually finds himself relatively happy. But there is one last concession to sentimentality and to everything he has lost.

-----

On one bright, cold afternoon in mid-autumn, many years after the Netherbrain has faded into a bleak memory, he goes to the clinic. She is there, much as she always is; she has not seemed to age much in all these years, though the tentacles are slightly longer, a bit more nuanced in their movement.

He, though, is old; the grey dappling in his hair and beard has faded to white. His body acts as strong as ever, but time is implacable; he knows, as she once did, that he has very little left. It is a strange thing - a weakness of spirit rather than flesh, old age's deeper destruction that even the most disciplined monk cannot stave off forever. He is not dying, but he would be dead soon, likely within a few tendays.

"Hector," she says, flat and cool and almost unrecognizable, and inclines her head at him slightly. "You have settled everything?"

"Everything," he says quietly.

"You are still certain it is time?"

"Yes."

"Then we will begin." She gestures him to a secluded corner of the clinic, with a comfortable chair set up for the purpose. He settles himself there and looks up at the clinic's cracked stone ceiling and waits.

"It has been a good life," he comments, as much to himself as to her, as he waits for her to approach. "Lae'zel was right, that I had to move on. I have done much, seen much. I am proud of what we achieved - all of us."

There's a long, expectant silence. Then he leans his head back, closes his eyes. "I never stopped loving you, you know," he adds softly.

"I know," she answers, and her jaws sink into his skull.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Against All Obstacles

A JSE Fanfic

SepticHeroes AU: Part 28

First Part | Previous Part | Read on AO3 at CrystalNinjaPhoenix

Hey, a fic on the shorter side for this story, that hasn't happened in a while XD Shorter for me, I mean, it's still 5600 words. Jackie turns in the video tape copy to the police, hoping it will help get Jameson out of prison. But this move causes Anti-Virus to retaliate, and Jackie has to get advice from the others. Meanwhile, JJ is still in prison, unfortunately fdhsjakh Anyway, enjoy reading! :D

===============

“So... you’re saying that this video tape has this special evidence on it?”

“Yes.” Jackie nodded. He looked back and forth between the two detectives. He was familiar with Ace and his usual gruff demeanor, but this other one—Michaelson, apparently—was new to him. He was younger than Ace, with slicked-back blonde hair and sharp facial features. “Don’t tell me the police station doesn’t have a VHS player.”

“No, I’m sure we can find one,” Detective Michaelson said. “But you’re sure this will change the Puppeteer case that much?”

Jackie nodded again. “As I just told you,”—He tried not to sound too annoyed—“I believe that the Puppeteer was being blackmailed into committing his crimes.”

“And you believe that because of this?” Michaelson asked.

“Yes.”

“Where’d you find this, kid?” Ace asked, turning the tape over in his hands.

“In the Puppeteer’s apartment,” Jackie said. “I asked to be able to search it. I’m sure that the League let you all know I was doing that. It was hidden in a locked room. And I found a way to copy the original video tape to a second one. This is that copy.”

“Hmm.” Michaelson hummed. “Alright. Thank you, Windstorm. If this evidence is really case-breaking like you say, we’ll get right on that.”

“What? Why not look at it now?” Jackie pushed. “You are the two detectives in charge of the case, right?”

“Well, we need to examine it, to be sure that it’s not somehow trapped,” Michaelson explained.

Jackie folded his arms. “I’ve had this in my possession since I copied it. How could it possibly be trapped? What, are you afraid that a girl’s gonna crawl out of the screen?”

“Calm down, Windstorm.” Ace raised a hand placatingly. “It’s not that we don’t trust you. This tape would be examined no matter how we found it. We can’t skip due process because you’re a Hero.”

Michaelson tilted his head. “Well... if you want, you can put in special override orders through the League.”

Jackie blinked. He remembered learning that Heroes could do something like that. It was part of the test on the Super Laws he had to take to get into the League in the first place. But he’d never used it. He’d never had an opportunity to until now. “Um...” And yet... did he even want to use those ‘special override orders’? Something about that... It felt wrong. The same way that villains not getting trials felt wrong. But he didn’t want JJ to be stuck in prison for too long! And who knew how much time the regular process would take?

He stood there for probably too long, staring at the two detectives. Then he slowly shook his head. “That’s... alright,” he said slowly. “I’d... rather... everything happen as it usually does.” And yet, saying that left a sinking feeling in his stomach. “How long will it take?”

“We can look at this today or tomorrow,” Ace said. “If this evidence is all you’re saying it is, we’ll be able to get started on the trial right away.” Michaelson looked a bit more doubtful, but Jackie appreciated Ace’s direct assertion. “We’ll have to find a public defender for the Puppeteer—I’m sure there are some villain specialty attorneys who can help. Then of course we’ll have to find a prosecutor willing to take on so much work—after all, it’s a lot of crimes. You’ll probably be called to testify. Are you okay with that?”

Jackie nodded. “Of course. I-I’ll get to the bottom of all this.” He pauses. “And... if the court rules that the Puppeteer was indeed being blackmailed, what will happen from there? We’ll have to find the mastermind, won’t we?”

“If that’s what the court rules, then yes,” Michaelson said slowly.

“And the Puppeteer will probably be transferred from Byrthon Vault to somewhere with less security,” Ace added.

“Still high security, mind you,” Michaelson quickly said. “A super with a power that dangerous will probably have a hard time getting free.”

Jackie was glad that his mask partially hid his face. Because otherwise his worry would show in his eyes. “Of course,” he said calmly. “Can I stick around to see you play the tape?”

Ace chuckled a little. “I just said we might get to it tomorrow. Are you sure you want to stick around for a full day?”

“Ah... no, you’re right. I have work to do.” Still, Jackie was reluctant to leave. He had to be sure that this would work. That the police would see Jameson’s message and start the process of finally having a trial. But... there wasn’t much he could do while just waiting around, was there? “I’ll be back tomorrow. At this same time.”

“We’ll look forward to it, kid.” Ace smiled. “Don’t worry.”

And though Jackie smiled back as he turned to leave, he couldn’t help the pit of anxiety that opened up in his stomach.

===============

Chase could tell that something was off when Jackie came home. So he immediately started bugging him. “Hey bro, you wanna try out a Smash round? I bet I could win with no items!” Jackie gratefully took the offer. The rest of the day, evening, and night passed with the two of them playing all sorts of video games. But then as night drew close and Chase moved to his room in preparation of eventually going to bed, Jackie was left on his own. And that anxiety wormed back in, chewing away at his insides. He watched YouTube videos until four in the morning, at which point his exhaustion finally caught up and he passed out.

Bring bring! Bring bring! Bring bring!

And then he woke up to the sound of the Red Line ringing. Jackie raised his head, momentarily confused. He reached out and fumbled for the Red Line, grabbing it and checking the screen. Lorelai’s ID number was on the screen. He took the call. “H’llo?”

“Jackie!” Lorelai shouted. “Are you okay?!”

“Huh? Y-yeah, I’m fine.” Jackie sat up, confused. “I just woke up. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“You just woke up? It’s noon!”

“I went to sleep late last night!” Jackie said defensively. “Now, why wouldn’t I be okay? What happened?!”

“It should be on the news if you want to check,” Lorelai said, “but—th-there was a massive data leak in the League.”

Jackie took a moment to process that. “...huh? A... data leak?”

“Yes! No Heroes, I think—but a lot of League workers had their identities leaked onto multiple websites.”

Jackie was immediately awake again. “What the fuck?!”

“Yeah! What the fuck?!” Lorelai shouted.

Jackie immediately rushed over to his laptop, booting it up. “What are the websites you’re talking about?!” Lorelai listed them out, and Jackie plugged each url into his browser as she said them. He also opened up a couple of his bookmarked local news sites. He scrolled wildly, reading headlines and snippets of articles. ‘Massive Leak Reveals Secret Identities’—‘Unprecedented League Hack’—“League representatives are already reassuring the public”—“affected employees are being pulled into protection”—“What the fuck?”

This had never happened before.

Never happened before.

Sure, villains had uncovered and revealed Hero’s identities before, even whole groups of Heroes. And all League employees had to hide their employment, because villains have, in the past, tried to get into the organization through all sorts of workers. But the sheer size of this leak—hundreds of people had been revealed as League employees. It wasn’t just their names that were revealed, but photos—the sort used for company IDs—and even addresses. Jackie’s only consolation was that the leak had concentrated on different counties, so the people he worked with wouldn’t be directly affected. Even so, just seeing this...

“This is a disaster,” he whispered.

And then his phone started to ring.

Not the Red Line—which he was still talking to Lorelai on. His phone.

Jackie slowly turned his swivel chair around and stared at where it was sitting on his dresser. He stood up, each step feeling heavy, and walked over. There was an Unknown number calling. He could guess who it was. “Uh... hey, this is all a lot for me,” he said to Lorelai. “I’m gonna... go. Do you mind?”

“Oh. No, of course not,” Lorelai said. “Call me later if you need to talk, okay?”

“I will. Goodbye.” And Jackie hung up. He picked up his phone instead. There was still a sticky note over its camera. He hesitated, half-wondering if he could just ignore the call. But he knew better. He picked it up and pressed the phone to his ear.

“Hello, Windstorm,” said a robotic voice.

“You.” Jackie knew it would be him. Anti-Virus. “What did you do?”

Anti-Virus laughed in that menacing way. “I told you, didn’t I? I said ‘I will show you what I’m capable of.’ And I just have.”

“So you did do this,” Jackie muttered. He knew it, but it was another thing entirely to have it confirmed. “How the fuck did you get into the League databases?! Those are the most well-protected servers in the world!”

“I am very good at what I do, Jackie.” The voice sounded smug despite its electronic tones.

“But—how?!” Jackie insisted. “You—your powers are based on spying!”

“I never said that,” Anti-Virus said calmly. “It is you who assumed that. I am perfectly capable of controlling technology in all sorts of ways. Including, as they say, hacking.”

“Even the League?” Jackie said quietly.

“Even the League. Which is why I must warn you, Windstorm. If you continue looking into me, if you continue trying to get Jameson Jackson out of prison, I will be forced to do something much worse. It would be easy enough to tell the world who you are. Or perhaps I could tell every single villain out there the identity of every single Hero.”

“Why the fuck are you doing this?!” Jackie suddenly shouted.

Anti-Virus laughed. “I don’t need to tell you anything, Jackie. But if I were to sum it up in a single word?” He paused. “Control, perhaps.” And then the line dropped.

Jackie stared at the phone. Chills passed down his spine. For a moment, he just stood there, eyes blankly looking at the screen.

Then— “Um... Jackie?” Chase’s voice came from across the hallway. The doorknob to Jackie’s door turned, and Frosty poked his nose inside, opening it up so that Chase could look at him from his room across the hall. “Everything okay?” Chase asked, looking worried.

Jackie looked over at Chase and shook his head. “No, I-I don’t think it is. We—we have to get everyone together. And I mean everyone. Fuck! How the hell are we gonna contact Marvin?! I have to go to his fucking work—” He groaned. “Okay, that’s fine, I can do that. I’ll go do that now. Can you contact Schneep?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, sure.” Chase nodded. “Now?”

“Now! No, wait. We need to figure out a spot to meet first, and Marvin’s gonna be hardest for that.” Jackie paused, biting his lip. “I’ll go see Marvin first, then call you about where we’re meeting up so you can call Schneep and get down there.”

“Why don’t I just come with you to meet Marvin and we can both call Schneep from there?” Chase asked.

“Whatever! We gotta go fast!”

“I can go fast!” Chase said, pushing his chair back. “Frosty!” He whistled, and Frosty walked over, helping him stand up. “Where’s Marvin’s work? Did you tell me?”

“No, I haven’t told you. Come on, I can explain on the way.”

===============

“You don’t look too good today.”

JJ sighed, looking up at the sky through the mesh net blocking in the courtyard. He shook his head slowly. He didn’t have a headache when he woke up. But he still felt weak, his thoughts cloudy. Like the start of a cold. Thanks for letting me know, he signed slowly. I had no idea.

Soren chuckled a little. “Sorry. It’s just... sad. It’s always sad to see.” His faint smile faded and he turned to look out at the rest of the courtyard.”

Dread pooled in JJ’s stomach. You always seem fine, he said.

“Trust me, I used to be much more handsome.” Soren tried for another smile.

JJ rolled his eyes. You know what I mean. I haven’t seen you be much affected by the neutrinalin. You seem alright.

“Well... it comes in waves for people.” Soren shrugged. “And you get used to it.”

Jameson looked down at his lap. I don’t... WANT to get used to it...

Soren looked at him sadly. “No one does,” he said quietly. “I’m... sorry.”

It’s not your fault.

“I don’t mean sorry in the way of an apology. I mean sorry in the way of sympathy. Or, empathy in this case. After all, I know what you’re going through.” Soren nodded vaguely at the courtyard. “We all do.”

Jameson stared out at the courtyard silently for a moment. Some people were going through motions on the exercise equipment. Most were sitting on the benches like he and Soren were. He saw a couple lying on the concrete ground. He pointed those out in particular. Do you think they’re okay?

“Probably having a bad day,” Soren muttered. “Hm. Morgan Jansen, Jayce Waverly, Jason Storm, and Athena Raine. Otherwise known as Calamity Blade, DragonWing, Soundwave, and the Blight. They tend to hang out together, so it’s probably no mistake that they’re all lying down. Maybe they were exercising and are now exhausted. Have you heard of any of them?”

No, Jameson said. Do you know everyone stuck in here?

“A lot of them. There’s not much to do in here besides get to know each other.” Soren shrugged. “If you ever want me to introduce you to someone, I can do that.”

That might be a good idea. He couldn’t just cling to Soren the whole time. But... not yet. Not today. He shook his head.

Soren looked at him thoughtfully. “Alright. Some other time, then. Personally, I think you’d get along with Morgan.”

I’d get along with someone called Calamity Blade? JJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The name is the most intimidating part of him right now, I assure you.” Soren laughed a bit. “Besides... I’d think some people would react the same to ‘the Puppeteer.’”

I didn’t choose the name, JJ said, sulking a bit. 

“If you did choose your name, what would it have been?” Soren asked.

Oh. He didn’t think of that. JJ blinked, but his slow mind was coming up blank. He just shook his head. Something with more thought to it, at least. The puppet themes are obvious. But there could be something better than just ‘the Puppeteer.’ I’m sure there are at least five other villains in the world who call themselves something like that.

Soren laughed. “That’s probably true. Honestly, part of the reason I went with something like Pathos is because it’s very unlikely anyone else would choose that.”

It’s very fitting for you, JJ says.

“Thank you.”

A few moments passed in silence.

“You should probably try to do some exercise,” Soren suggested. “It’s good to stay in shape. You won’t always have the energy for it.”

JJ frowned. I don’t know if I feel well enough for that. He paused. But I suppose I could try. He knew his energy would just drain over time the longer he spent in here, the longer he was under the effects of neutrinalin. I’m not experienced with... gym... sort of... things.

Soren laughed. “Not familiar with exercise equipment?”

Not at all. Dahlia worked out a little, but she didn’t go to the gym. She mostly did it in her room or out in the park. JJ sighed, pushing that memory back for now. Do you want to try as well?

Soren blinked, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “Um... well...”

JJ sighed. You don’t have to, of course.

“No, if it will help you, I will,” Soren said.

Are you sure? JJ asked.

“Might as well. It’s been a while since I did some exercise myself.” Soren pushed himself up. “Let’s go.”

They walked over to the equipment in the center of the courtyard. Jameson looked it over, confused as to what some of this could even be for. He recognized the sports stuff, like basketball hoops and such, but most of that was taken by others. So... they were left with the more traditional exercise equipment. JJ stared at it, then slowly sat down on a chair-looking thing. He thought that he had to pull down on the handlebars hanging overhead. Slowly, he reached up and grabbed it, trying to pull. But the bars didn’t even move.

“I think you can adjust it,” Soren said, looking over the chair. “There has to be a dial or switch or something here. Ah.” He found something and turned it. “Try now.”

Jameson reached up again and pulled. It was difficult, but at least the bars moved a bit.

“Don’t know why this isn’t on the lowest setting by default,” Soren muttered, turning the adjustment dial again. “They have to know the state of their fucking prisoners. Try again.”

Jameson did. Slowly, he pulled the handlebars down. Then he let go. Maybe something else. He was already breathing heavily, almost gasping. God—he wasn’t that weak, was he? He was able to hold his own in a fight with Windstorm—Jackie. That neutrinalin was really doing a number on him already.

“Maybe the bikes, then.” Soren pointed at a pair of stationary bikes. “We can... try that together, then.”

JJ felt his heart flutter a bit, and he immediately pushed it away. It was too soon, and also, not a good person to do that with. He nodded and quickly stood up, walking over. After a moment, he sat down on the bike on the right.

Soren sat next to him on the left bike. “Alright... make sure... it’s adjusted,” he said, looking it over.

It’s by the pedals, JJ said, pointing it out to him.

“Ah. Right.” Soren put the bike on the lowest setting. “Well... let’s start.”

JJ nodded and looked away. He could ride a bike. It had been a while since he did it, but he remembered learning. And he didn’t have to worry about balancing it, or moving at all. He just had to move the pedals. It was... easier than that chair with its weird handlebars. Still difficult, but not nearly on the same level. Maybe something was wrong with the equipment. Maybe it wasn’t him. He closed his eyes for a moment, assessing his own body. That fatigue was still there, but he could push through it. He could.

A couple minutes passed before he became aware of the wheezing breaths next to him.

Jameson opened his eyes again and looked over at Soren. Though his bike was on a lower setting than JJ’s, he was gasping and sweating, already very pale. Suddenly panicking, Jameson reaches over and grabs Soren’s arm, grabbing his attention. Soren looks over at him with slightly dazed eyes. Soren, stop! JJ signed.

Soren blinked slowly, then stopped as soon as he finished processing JJ’s signs. He leaned heavily forward onto the bars of the bike, panting.

Are you okay?? JJ asked, worried.

There was a long pause. “...Pathetic, isn’t it?” Soren muttered.

JJ shook his head. It’s not your fault. It’s the neutrinalin, isn’t it? He paused. I told you... you didn’t have to exercise with me.

“I wanted to try,” Soren said. “See if anything had changed.” He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them up and sat up straight. He grinned. “Well... I guess I’ll wait for you and offer encouragement on the side.”

Are you sure you’re okay? JJ asked, surprised by this sudden change of attitude.

“Of course.” Soren stood up. Jameson couldn’t help but notice the way his arms shook as he pushed against the bike handles to help himself get up.

I think you should go back to your... room, Jameson said slowly, deliberately avoiding the word ‘cell.’ It still felt too harsh. I’ll be fine on my own.

“I don’t want to abandon you,” Soren said.

I’ll be fine on my own, JJ repeated insistently. Go... lie down.

Soren stared at him. Then he nodded slowly. “Alright. If you insist. I’ll head there now.” He hesitated. “You... good luck.”

JJ smiled at him. Thank you.

As Soren walked away, Jameson watched him thoughtfully. He’d thought that Soren had been handling the neutrinalin side effects well... but maybe he wasn’t. Maybe... he was just good at hiding things.

===============

Getting the whole group together was messy. Jackie and Chase had to take the train to the Channel 5 building to meet up with Marvin, then they had to discuss a meeting place, then they had to call Schneep to tell him about the meeting place, then they had to wait for Marvin’s shift to end before they all could take the train—by the time they were all together, almost two hours had passed.

The meeting place was a park. Neun Park, to be specific. It was a nice enough place, with a weird abstract concrete sculpture in the center and tall pine trees around the edges. Jackie paced across a short stretch of grass between a bench and a drinking fountain. Chase, Marvin, and Schneep stood nearby. Even though the bench was empty, no one made a move to sit. “You are sure?” Schneep asked, face drawn and worried.

“There’s no mistaking his fucking voice,” Jackie said. “Anti-Virus did this.”

“Maybe he was lying?” Chase suggested.

Marvin raised an eyebrow. “It’d be a huge coincidence that a massive leak happened the day after he threatened to show Jackie what he could do.”

“No, I don’t think he’s lying.” Jackie shook his head. “I’m sure that he did that. He really hacked the fucking League of Heroes. And they didn’t even catch him!”

“Has the League said anything to you about this leak?” Schneep asked.

“They sent out a generic message about keeping everyone safe,” Jackie said. That text had come through on the Red Line right before he and Chase left to find Marvin. “And that they were working to find the culprit. I don’t think they have any leads.” He paused. “I should tell them about what Anti-Virus said, right?”

“Uh... yeah?” Chase said. “They can’t catch him if they don’t know he didn’t do it.”

Marvin narrowed his eyes. “You’re worried that you’ll make things worse.”

Jackie raised his shoulders defensively. “What do you mean?”

“He told you to stop looking into him,” Marvin stated. “And if you tell the League he was behind the hack, that would count as ‘looking into him.’ You’re scared he might retaliate.”

“Not scared,” Jackie grumbled. “But... you’re otherwise right. I-if it was just me, if it was just my identity on the line, I might... I’d be willing to risk it. But if he can get into the League’s databases, that means countless Heroes are at risk of being exposed.” He looked directly at Marvin. “Say what you will about Heroes and the League, but there’s no doubt that there are a ton of villains out there who’d take advantage of an identity leak like that. Hell, there’s probably a lot of villains trying to take advantage of the leak that just happened! I... I can’t be... responsible for that.”

Chase stared at Jackie with a sad look in his eyes. “You’re not responsible for this leak, you know.”

Jackie looked over at him. He wanted to deny it, but found the denial got caught in his throat. “I... I could have...”

Schneep walked up to Jackie, putting his hands on his shoulders. “Do not blame yourself for what this monster has done,” he said fiercely. “If he could do this the whole time, there is nothing saying that he wouldn’t have done it anyway, regardless of if you turned the evidence over.”

“No, it... it’s not just that,” Jackie said quietly. “I... taunted him. I said that he couldn’t do anything, that he was limited to spying on people. That’s when he said he would show me what he could do. It... it wasn’t just about the evidence. It was that I goaded him into it.”

“No, Schneep is right,” Chase said. “If Anti-Virus can do this, he could do it whenever.”

Jackie laughed drily. “That isn’t actually encouraging. It just means that he’ll probably do it again even if I stop getting in his way.”

“So? That means you’re gonna give up, then?” Marvin laughed. “You didn’t strike me as the type, Windstorm.”

Jackie bristled. “That’s not—”

“Yeah, it is what you’re doing,” Marvin insisted. “You’re getting scared and giving up.”

“Shut the fuck up, you don’t know me!” Jackie snapped.

“But we do, Jackie,” Chase said. “And... yeah, it’s not like you to give up like that. You’re a hero, bro. And heroes do the right thing despite all obstacles.”

Jackie looked around at his friends. Well, his friends and Marvin. Though, at this point, did Marvin cross the line from acquaintance to friend? He wasn’t sure. The point being, they were all looking at him with similar expressions. Expressions that he couldn’t name. He sighed, and raised his hands to sign. Don’t speak out loud. Do you all have your phones?

Marvin and Schneep caught on immediately, nodding. Chase looked confused, then realized as well and also nodded. 

Put them all down on the bench, Jackie said. We’ll have to get out of earshot of the microphones. He took his phone out and set it down first. Marvin followed him, then Schneep, then Chase. They all walked to the side, away from the bench and towards the drinking fountain. Frosty, accompanying Chase as always, seemed to look at the humans with confusion. “Okay, I think this is far enough,” Jackie said quietly.

“Isn’t this a bit paranoid?” Chase asked.

“No, I don’t think so.” Jackie shook his head. “Yesterday, he was able to look through my phone camera. I was wearing my supersuit, and he pointed it out. So... there’s no reason why he shouldn’t also be able to hear through the speakers.”

Chase went a bit pale. “Well. That’s... freaky.”

“So, why do you want to be out of earshot, then?” Schneep said. “You want to say something that you do not want Anti-Virus to hear, yes?” His expression hardened a little. “You are going to take that bastard down, yes? You better be planning to say that.”

Jackie grinned. “Of course I am.” His smile fell. “But I’ll have to be careful. We’ll have to be careful. So fucking careful... I’m not going to risk other people’s identities. Anti-Virus can’t know that I’m looking into him.”

“That we’re looking into him,” Chase said. “I mean... I can’t do much to help with that, but I don’t want to be left behind!”

Jackie laughed. “Thanks, Chase.” He looked at Schneep and Marvin. “And I bet that you two want to do the same.”

“Of fucking course.” Schneep nodded firmly. “After what he has done to my cousins? He will not get away.”

“And that fucker made Jameson control me,” Marvin said. “He’s gonna pay.”

“Good. Cause... we’re gonna need some of your paranoia, Spitfire,” Jackie said.

“It’s not paranoia if I’m right,” Marvin insisted.

“That’s fair.” Jackie’s eyes darted around, looking at the others. “But my point is that we’re not going to say shit about the investigation while we’re anywhere near technology. Only in person.”

Schneep nodded. “What about when we need to meet up? We cannot do this runaround every time, it takes so long.”

“Uh... what if we always meet up here to do that?” Chase suggested. “So that if someone mentions Neun Park, we know that it has to do with Anti-Virus.”

“That’s a good idea, Chase,” Jackie nodded. “This is a great meeting place. It’s sort of midway between our apartment and Marvin’s work. It kind of sucks that Schneep lives farther away, though.”

“Ah, I can handle the travel,” Schneep said. “If I could not, I would not live out there.”

“We can always change the meeting place if we want to,” Marvin pointed out. “So. What’re we going to do about Anti-Virus, then?”

Jackie shook his head. “I’m not fully sure. I trust Ace—he’s, uh, a detective I know—I trust him enough to take care of the evidence I handed over. But... there’s more to do. I-I know there is. We have to figure out who Anti-Virus is.” He rubbed his eyes. While his vision is briefly covered, Marvin and Schneep exchange glances. “And we have to find Timekeeper.”

“Well, that first one will probably help with the second,” Chase said.

“You’re right.” Jackie lowered his hands and looked at Chase. “But it’s also possible that if we search for Timekeeper, it will give us a lead to Anti-Virus. We need to attack this from two angles.”

“I can help with finding Dahlia,” Schneep said. “JJ had told me she was at St. Ellen’s Hospital, and that she was injured in a super fight. I can perhaps pull some strings as a SDER doctor to find out what happened to her. If she was ever there in the first place.”

Jackie frowned. “You sure, doc? We don’t want to leave a paper trail—or, uh, electronic paper trail. You’ll have to go in person.”

Schneep blinked. “That will make it more difficult... Many hospital communications require emails or phone calls or filling out forms on websites...” He trailed off. “Ah, but you, as a Hero, can bypass all that.”

“I can?” Jackie blinked.

“Yes. If Dahlia really was being taken care of by St. Ellen’s SDER department, you, as a Hero, can know details,” Schneep explained. “It is the same with the SDER at Greenway. After all, there is always a possibility that super-related injuries will play a part in the super fights you normally take part in.”

“...that feels... sketchy,” Jackie said slowly. “Like, I know that makes sense on the surface, but... I don’t want to go in and demand her medical details.”

“Well, it seems you will have to, if you want to find her,” Schneep said. “The doctors will ask for proof that her details are related to something you are working on. Simply tell them that you are looking into Timekeeper. After all, Dahlia was injured in the same fight that the hero was last seen in. It will make sense.”

Jackie nodded slowly. “...Right. I... I can do that tomorrow.”

Next to him, Chase frowned, looking vaguely uneasy. “That was... the last fight Timekeeper was in? Really?”

Marvin nodded. “Yeah. I thought we established that at Jameson’s apartment when we found the tape.”

“Yeah... o-of course.” Chase shook his head. “Don’t mind me. I just... you know how my memory is, hah.”

Jackie and Schneep looked at Chase, concerned. But, ultimately, neither of them said anything, even though Jackie made a mental note to ask him about it later.

“We should probably put on a show for the phone microphones, just in case Anti-Virus really is listening,” Marvin said.

“Right.” Jackie nodded. “Everyone, act upset that I’m not going to investigate more when we walk over.” He turned around back towards the phone. The others followed.

“Are you sure?” Marvin said as he picked up his phone. “This really isn’t like you.”

“I’m not going to be responsible for it,” Jackie said, putting his effort into sounding convincing. “I-it’s too much of a risk.” And honestly... he was still nervous about that risk. He wasn’t going to let Anti-Virus get away with this, but... he was very aware of the possible consequences.

“I cannot believe you,” Schneep muttered, sounding so realistically angry that Jackie shrunk away for a moment. “That is my cousin, your friend, in prison.”

“I know,” Jackie said quietly. “Um... look, I-I already turned the evidence in, they’ve probably seen it by now. There’s no stopping that. But... I’m not going to help with the investigation.”

Schneep grumbled—and again, it sounded so real that Jackie wondered if Schneep was genuinely upset with him. But then Schneep’s expression softened and he smiled at Jackie, reassuring him. Jackie nodded back.

“Well... you two better hurry to catch the train, then,” Marvin said, looking at Chase and Jackie.

“Oh fuck, right.” Chase checked the time on his phone. “It’s coming in ten minutes, Jackie, we gotta go.”

“Shit! Yeah, yeah.” Jackie nodded. “Talk to you guys later.”

As he and Chase headed off, Schneep also started after them—but then Marvin grabbed his arm. “Hey. I want to talk.”

Schneep looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. “About the same thing you came to my office about?”

Marvin nodded.

“I am working on it,” Schneep said. “No specifics in a public place like this. If we want to talk about it, come to my apartment, yes? Your workplace may not be as safe as I thought. I will text you the address.”

“Is there anything you can say now?” Marvin asked in a low voice. “Even just the vaguest terms.”

“I have been looking around the area,” Schneep said. “Getting my bearings, yes?” He was up late last night scouting out the North SepTech location.

Marvin nodded. “Alright. Text me your address. Let me know if there’s anything you... want to talk about.”

“I will,” Schneep promised. “Now... goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

The two of them part ways.

[twilightknight17]

"Guys, holy fuck" - Part 2

Hit the image limit on the other post so I broke it up so I could scream more. XD

So where were we?

Right, right, Shadow Toshiro.

Once the shadow goes down the first time, he goes one-winged angel and turns into a god damn horror monster version of Eri that is GIANT. And that, my dudes, was a fight. That thing had so much health. It was great. :D

Now for some info:

Okay, that makes sense.

Yep, all that, we’ve seen and understood already. Still good.

But why, though? What makes her different? Why can she switch forms? Why is she still basically a separate entity from him? Did you just not want to lose your new character? I almost feel like I’d rather have had a P4 boss fight that ended with Toshiro getting his persona, and have Erina just be his cognitive Eri, based on his memories. Because this is… confusing. Nothing has worked like this in the past, unless I seriously overlooked something.

Yeah, I know, Aki and Mai and Ideal Maki were a thing, but Maki was a Wild Card and also had the DEVA system bolstering her cognition. No one else’s persona has been able to turn into a person and just chill with everyone after their awakening. Erina is basically her own fully-formed person. Like… I don’t know. It’s weird. I’m having trouble wrapping my head around it.

All right, yeah, let’s go with that for now.

There’s like, a slight implication here that Toshiro’s shadow wasn’t actually his shadow, but just something pretending to be his shadow? Especially since he never like, reconciled with it. After the giant Eri, it just disappeared. But I only pinged that after the fact, because while we’re just standing here trying to figure out what the hell is going on with Erina, god shows up to yell at us.

“Be not afraid” and all.

I kid you not, I was internally screaming, “YALDABAOTH? IS HE POSSESSED BY THE REMNANTS OF YALDABAOTH TRYING TO SEIZE POWER AGAIN?” But no, doesn't have Yald's stupid feet. This is:

Who the fuck is you, and why does it look like your head exploded off your neck? Are you sure you’re not Yald?

Anyway, this bitch keeps calling us “children” and “lambs” and “pathetic” while it explains who the fuck it is.

I don’t like it, and it doesn’t like our persona abilities. It calls them a “mask of madness, one which will assuredly drive man to ruin.” So it offers a deal: It can remove our powers, and along with them, our memories of this whole horrible adventure, and in exchange, it will put us safely back in the real world. It’s nice like that, even though we’re “infidels who had the audacity to defy a god.”

Hey. You. Got some bad news about all the other gods I’ve met. Wanna know what happened to them? :3

But we shouldn’t answer now! We’re high off a lucky win and our emotions are compromised. We should think it over and tell it our answer when we’re ready. And then Salmael fucks off into the sky. Are we sure that’s not a weird misspelling of Samael? Are you connected to Shido somehow?

Toshiro gets like a thousand points for being completely chill about a god falling out of the sky to tell us we suck. Zenkichi was a lot less calm about the whole thing. XDDD The Thieves, Toshiro, and Erina agree that they’re not giving up their powers, so we’re gonna have to kill god again. But how? How do we follow god into the sky? Whatever shall we do?

Oh, guys. Do you hear that noise?

CHOO CHOO, MOTHERFUCKERS.

Lavenza is here in the Velvet Room Train to pick us up and take us to the sky. No, she doesn’t know why it’s like that all of a sudden. We DO NOT CARE. THIS IS GREAT. Toshiro almost manages to offend her, but we’ve got things to do, so we just put another pin in that.

And that is where I had to stop. It asked me if I wanted to save and I was like “yes, I cannot handle any more Epic right now.” My GOD. I’m so excited Lavenza gets to be more involved, because that’s how I tend to characterize her. She wants to be more hands-on than her siblings or Igor. And she’s not afraid to snark at the others. It’s nice to have the whole team in the Velvet Room again. ^_^

Never change, Yusuke. :P

Actually, isn't this a good thing? If Akira's Velvet Room is now manifesting as a train, maybe that symbolizes him moving forward into the future? Scramble put him back in prison, but this game hasn't. Maybe this is the Velvet Room's final form for him?

Next time: Into the goddamn abyss to once again dethrone god, I guess????

Final note: I’m constantly amused by the one-off poses the sprites have. One single use of the sprite where Makoto’s hugging Morgana. One of Toshiro holding Erina/Yuki. And now apparently one of Makoto throttling Ryuji so he can’t interrupt Futaba and Toshiro. X’D Wow. Pls stop picking on Ryuji, Atlus.

[totaleclipse573]

Hey! I would like to know more about Evelyn's amnesia because amnesiac characters fascinate me. :) Was it a traumatic brain injury? Was It related to the gravity gem? Does she ever get flashes of her old memories? What would have to happen for Evelyn to get all her memories back?

Yeah this took long I was overthinking 😅 Anyways

(Slams fist on table) YOU. YOU ASK FOR EVELYN LORE?? (Technically anyway.) I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT. I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO OC RANT. THIS IS SO SO GREAT. I’VE HAD THIS IN MIND SINCE SHE WAS BEING DRAWN. SHE WAS JUST TRYING TO GO AND HAVE FUN.

Bit of a long post warning bc it will basically be an Evelyn lore post, as her amnesia led to a BUNCH of things happening with her lore wise.

So, to set the scene and all that, I want to go to a little bit before THAT happened. Evelyn grew up in a multitude of places, due to both of her parents being archeologists who weren't around often, but still cared deeply for their two kids. It inspires Evelyn, who wants to go off and explore new places in the world that they’ve never been to before. And now that she’s old enough to do so, she’s waving her family goodbye. Kit doesn’t want to see her go!! :(

But she makes a promise to her little brother, that regardless of where she ends up, she’ll always come back to see him. She’d never forget about him! She and Kit were always really close, despite all their petty sibling arguments. Played around and joked a lot…he would miss that.

Her parents are all over the place about this. Does she know where she’s going??? Does she have a set plan?? Where will she stay? Did she pack everything she needed for this kind of thing? We’ve been traveling for a long time, you know, you know what you should be bringing right?? Oh god what if she gets lost??? What if she’s not happy where she ends up?? Of course they support her but it’s kinda risky when you think too much about it-

Evelyn ASSURES them that she’ll be fine XD She has a set first destination place, knows where she’ll be living, has a method of transportation she’ll need to get to, AND KNOWS HOW TO, DON’T WORRY, and she’s sure she’ll be very happy there. And don’t worry, she also has a set date to come back and visit (Kit is already marking his calendar.)

With that and a bit more being said, she’s finally off! Her family was currently in this really weird area…she thinks her parents were involved with some kind of cave exploration? And that’s why they moved near here? (Don’t ask how there is a house near this place. It’s for the plot. I haven’t thought about the logic of that specifically yet XD) Not seeing any caves around here smh…..

Turns out they were underground caves. Everything goes downhill from here :D

Slight misstep, the ground apparently wasn’t very solid at this point of the long journey just to get to transportation from this area, and it caused her to fall through. Upon impact with the ground after the long fall, she passed out, suffering a severe traumatic brain injury. (Not dead! Somehow. Plot.)

Much later, she woke up with no memories. No memory of why she was here, where this was, why she couldn’t think, why she felt so, SO dizzy, nauseous, why everything was blurry and confusing….why was she bleeding? Maybe if she could get up, she could find out why…?

Well that made everything feel so much worse.

Trying to walk was hard. She was all shaky and unbalanced. Something bugged her to keep going, though. She didn’t know what, but it was there. So she did, even if it felt awful. And, after what felt like an eternity…light? Light that hurt her eyes…everything else was dark. Maybe that was where she had to go. 

Soon enough, rocks. Many rocks. Beneath a pile of large ones,  she could see a faint glow. A bluish one? Maybe she should try and get it out…she can’t move the rocks, they’re far too heavy. That was a dumb idea. Obviously better one : there seems to be a crack in between these rocks where the glowy thing is glowing. Put the hand in. 

Confused and very much unable to think clearly, she made an attempt to reach in and grab whatever the source of the glow was. It only resulted in her hand remaining stuck in there. After a little while things seemed hopeless. She had just doomed herself in the stupidest way possible! Great work, Evelyn. (Where did that name come from…?)

Then, she had decided to give up struggling. 

There was soon a searing pain on the back of the hand trapped in the rock pile. She could do nothing but scream, it wouldn't stop, the light was becoming brighter by the second. Unknown to her, the glow had come from a strange gem that had, too, been stuck between the rocks. And it was forcibly attaching itself to her own hand. Burning away at her glove so that it could fuse onto her fur. The pain was eventually over, and the burning feeling stopped, but Evelyn felt far more drained then before. To this day she claims the gem "saved her" from what would have been an eternal prison. It had some kind of special power... like it could manipulate gravity itself. Both she and the rocks had floated, after all. What other explanation was there for that? After she escaped from the cave, she was found by Eggman, who took notice of these odd abilities she seemed to have. Although the cause of this was probably the gem on her hand, she could still be useful. Perhaps there would be some way to remove it and dispose of her later (there was not. There were attempts. She has scars to prove it. But she agreedto everything, so…)

Thus, Evelyn instead ended up joining the Eggman Empire, with no memory of her past other than the cave incident, and this. Its all she knows, and oftentimes she wonders why that is. Even so, she learns to adapt to her new life, gaining a newer, (annoyingly, to some) sassier personality. She once rivaled with Starline, but quit shortly after he was fired, realizing she wanted to do and find things out her own way, do whatever SHE chose to do, rather then just following Eggman around all the time.

As of now, she is on a team with Starline (ironically, although they still do despise one another.) and Doleon, which is called "Team Gem." She isn't around all the time, but even so is the most qualified to be called their "leader" of sorts. She's still very lost on her past, but tries to convince herself that if she hasn't been able to remember it for all this time now, then it probably wasn't worth remembering, and that she should focus more on the now. Whether or not that was for the best...she tries not to think to hard about that one.

Her parents and Kit had no idea what had happened to her. Was she lost? Had something bad happened to her? Had she gotten too caught up in her adventures and forgotten to pick up the phone? Every single time…? Had she lied when she said she would come back…? That doesn’t seem like her. They also notice how it’s affecting Kit, too. Look at him, his ears are droopy all the time now…clearly he wasn’t in a good state. They’d still try and look for Evelyn, but Kit needed a lot of comforting. He thinks he’s been abandoned by his own sister…

…Where did he go??

>:D

Now, as for the other two questions : 

She doesn’t exactly get flashes? More like feelings. Feelings that a certain thing or place or person might be familiar. Extreme deja vu. Never ends up going full circle into a revived memory though

I don’t know if she CAN get her old memories back tbh. Maybe a few, if something really big happened, but never all of them. She’ll never have her whole past back. But that’s okay, the present is pretty great for her, it seems. Why live in the past at all?

[queenharumiura]

[For the hell of it with mukuro i know he wont fit but xD why not. Yamamoto too if you want]

From template meme: [x] ||Accepting|| ((kekek so like- you're supposed to fill it out and then I have Haru react to it, but it feels so ic like this, so i'll do it anyways kekek))

I did it for Yams first bc I am biased.

Haru stares at the form being handed to her, "You know you were supposed to fill it out, right? Ohhhh you wanted me to fill it for you?" She thinks about it and giggles, "Okay, sure. Give me a moment." She brings out a highlighter pen and starts marking the form. "How about this?"

"So... before you say anything, i'm not saying you're not smart," but she is lowkey saying that he's certainly done very questionable things and the way he describes things is very... interesting. "Haru's definition of 'Dangerous charm is different from your vibe. You have more of a... soft and comfortable vibe?"

The fun thing was that 'Pretty eyes' and 'nice voice' was practically a 'free space' for everyone when it came to Haru. Perhaps she should've put down harder options, but it's true so-- she wrote them down.

"You have... 3 verticals, one horizontal, two diagonals, four corners, and postage stamp! That makes it a tally of 8-bingo!" Isn't that a bit funny. The irony of getting an 8 bingo when the shorthand of his name in fandom was 80.

"Yep! Yamamoto is Haru's type!" The best kind of friend!

-

MUKURO'S TURN!

Haru looks at the form over and brings out a different highlighter pen and starts marking it. She didn't really know Mukuro all that well so she wasn't sure how to mark some of the squares. Since she wasn't sure she left some of them blank, so there's a possibility she was missing some squares but... oh well! He can submit himself if she feels she did him wrong! "How is it?"

Somehow she couldn't see him having an adventurous spirit. She's not sure about whether or not he's picky with food, nor does she know if he's the passionate sort. FOR SURE HE'S NOT POLITE. He's so rude to her all the time, and for what?

He's NOT friendly. She somehow doubts he's good nor likes kids. She is more willing to bet he'd try to stab someone with a trident before they can lay a single finger on him.

"I don't know if you're a good listener or not, but you sure are good at talking and making some people mad." Haru comments.

As for Gap Moe... he looked like a shady guy who you probably should avoid for your health- and he was exactly that. Somehow, as luck would have it, there were no diagonals, no verticals, nor horizontals. She would've resented that if so. "Hahi? Ah- you got a four corners bingo..."

"I RESENT THIS! YOU AREN'T MY TYPE AT ALL!" Not as a friend or otherwise. Does this mean she hates him? No, but she's petty because he makes fun of her often.

[sc3n3kitt3h]

now. tell me about your ocs. like in general i mean

ok!!!!

this is tekz!!!!! she isnt really an OC but whatever. im stealing her. She came from an abandoned 4-part story on deviantart in 2009 called wolfs life!!!

you see!! my sibling collects vinyls and cassettes and cds and shit, right? they get them from bandcamp and he likes this one artist called OK glass!! Ok glass used to go by the name dictionary attack and one of his old, extremely obscure songs was called WOLFS LIFE 3. (it probably would have become lost media if he hadnt archived it lolz. this isnt particularly relevant i just think my sibling is really cool XD) anyways they showed it to me cuz the song and by extension the story was TOTALLY my kinda thing!!! and it WAS!!!! the song goes super hard. Its pretty much a narration of wolfs life 3... there arent any songs for the other parts. nobody knows how mr. john dictionary attack (idk his name LOL) found the story. Pretty much nobody cares about it except for my sibling and me. This song is a fucking treasure and both it and the story are such relics of their time that i cant help but absolutely ADORE how silly they are!!! Anyways the story itself is about a girl named Tannika, who goes by Tekz!! She has a crush on a boy who sits next to her in math class and a preppy best friend who ends up ALSO having a crush on the same kid which in 2009 translates to them being RIVALS!!! Anyways one day on a full moon tekz turns into a white wolf which is the rarest and presumably most magical type of wolf!!!! She turns into a wolf on full moons or when something romantic happens between her and her crush. Theres a reoccurring motif of one of them going "can i borrow a glue??" and them both going "red in the face". During math class. Anyways im OBSESSED with this story and the song. Wolfs life only ended up having 4 parts, one of which was never actually a part of the series itself for some reason!! And the story hasnt been updated since, yknow, 2009. So ive taken it upon myself to revamp it and make everyone emo!!! surprise user wildspiritwolve on deviantart!!!!

Anyways yeah. the song is so insane. i love it. Literally some 13 year old writes a really cliche self-insert story about wolves and uploads it to deviantart in 2009. 2 years later some random dude finds the 3rd part SOMEHOW and makes a song out of it that nobody cares about. in 2021 the song almost becomes lost media but luckily it doesnt because some random kid downloaded it. Said random kid shows it to their autistic sibling (ME!!!!). Said sibling becomes extremely attached to the song and its characters. Every part of this story is so obscure and weird!!!! My versions of the characters are pretty much my love letter to the internet, which allowed this chain of events to occur, much to everyones horror.

Heres Wolf's life 3 in all of its glory:

here are some links to the original story:

and this one is chapter 4!!:

sooo. thats just 1 of my ocs. the others dont have as much irl backstory to them but lmk if you wanna hear about them too!!! i hope you enjoy!!!

[pequenosol]

Alrightie, I was able to play more Violet today! :D

So, I followed Nemona and my mom said good-bye to me; apparently there’s dorms at the school, and I’m going to be living there :[ Mom gives me a sandwhich, then Nemona whisks me off on my way and she teaches me how to catch Pokémon-sort of. I actually didn’t catch any in the area because there were no ghosts or reptiles around XD TbH I was a little disappointed that when she shows you how, she doesn’t miff the Pokeball shot. Because it says on the official website that she SUCKS at throwing. So uh yeah that felt like a missed opportunity. But aside from that all went well, and I battled some Hoppip, Scatterbug, and Tarountula for that sweet sweet EXP before Nemona says that she wants to go over to a nearby lighthouse and show me the (supposedly) really good view. As we’re making our way there, she asks, “OKEY HOW MANY POKEMANS DO YOU HAVE? :D” and just before she notices I haven’t caught anything, we hear a very loud roar and rush to check it out-

And by that, I mean I go and check it out. Nemona just kind of stands there not doing anything. I go onto a cliff overlooking a beach, and, what’d ya know!! Miradon is there getting harassed by a pair of Houndour. Ey scare those evil pubbers off by roaring, which is good for em- butttt unfortunately for me, it makes me fall off the cliff and plummet to my death. Thankfully, my Rotom phone comes out of my pocket and I grab onto it, and somehow he is able to bear the weight of a smol 16 year old and it stops my fall in the knick of time. To express my heartfelt gratitude, I am going to make an oc of him (His name is now Earl, he/it pronouns c: The Game doesn’t let you nickname your phone, BUT SCREW IT I’m naming it anyways.). Anyways, I approach the Miradon, who is looking very low on energy, and I at first try to give em some Potions or a Revive, but it doesn’t work. SO, I

I gave up my lunch TuT

Miradon likes it and the sandwhich gives em some energy back, so they head into a cave and want me to follow them. And. Since I don’t have a way back up or anything, I do what any sensible, cocky idiot of a 16 year-old demiboy would do; follow the strange Pokémon I just met!!

Nemona is up on the cliffs and notices us in the cave. She yells, “OKEY GO AND TRY TO FIND A WAY OUT, AND MY POKÉMON CAN HELP YA REACH I- OH CRAP THAT POKÉMON LOOKS STRONG!!” And then proceeds to fawn over the Miradon as ey escort me through the cave and blasts away boulders. A whole freaking horde of Houndour tries to attack me, but thankfully, Miradon scares them away. We go a bit further in, and. A FREAKING LEVEL 40 HOUNDOOM COMES OUT OF NOWHERE AND FIGHTS ME. Cinnamon, being the sensible little Fuecoco they are, goes back into their Pokeball. Unfortunately for me, I get surrounded by a trio of Houndour, and a bunch more show up to surround Miradon. Thankfully, ey save the day again by freaking grabbing me and just. Flying me out of the hole up to Nemona. After all this, Miradon is tired and just. Kind of lays down.

Conveniently, we end up pretty close to the lighthouse. I think Miradon gets back up and follows us (I don’t remember for sure Lmao) and as we approach, who do we find- Arven! Nemona is like “OOOOH YOU’RE PROFESSOR TURO’S KID RIGHT?.? :0” and he is pretty pissed that Miradon is with us, tells Nemona her question isn’t important. Nemona then asks “HOW DO YOU HAVE THIS POKÉMON???” And Arven tells her that question isn’t important either. Then he challenges ME to a battle, and I’m a bit nervous at first but. Then he sends out a level 5 Skwovet (I’m level 8 or 9 at this point) and I win pretty easily. Arven is then like, “UGH you can take Miradon”, and gives me eir Pokeball before throwing a bit of a hissy fit and disappearing. Tbh I’m surprised he turned out to be the ‘emo, edgy boy rival’ trope, but whatever.

I can’t ride on or use Miradon in battle yet because ey are still pretty weak, but I’m choosing to nickname em anyways! I call them Oolong (ey/em pronouns!) and I climb the lighthouse with Nemona. She tells me about school and stuff and then I climb back down and continue on my way, fighting trainers and wild Pokémon.

One of the trainers I fought has a Chewtle, and I worry a bit because I only have Cinnamon at this point and I’m at a disadvantage. But, thankfully I’m a bit overleveled and Water Gun does like 3 damage X”D After the initial panic, I realize that I can catch Chewtle, as they are a turtle and turtles are reptiles!! So, I quickly look up where to find Chewtle and beeline right towards it. However, as I’m heading there, what Pokémon do I find? Oricorio, a Pokemon that has a Ghost type form. So, I catch her and name her Orchid (she/her) before reaching the lake with the Chewtle and catching Cardamom(he/him)!

And that is where I left off! Tomorrow I plan on training my two new additions up, and I am going to release art for them today (as well as Cinnamon and Oolong) so keep your eyes open! ^^

[skayafair]

Episode 40

Live reaction below

Silas the whole episode:

If they get out of it alive in the end, he should think of a therapist career. He'd make a fortune out of it :D

This episode is the first one after season 3 that made me listen to it smiling again, like the previous 2.5 seasons used to, I think ^_^

THEY ARE DISCUSSING THINGS CALMLY FOR ONCE YAAAY where's my champagne

That talk between Lizzy and Cass last episode really helped huh. Plus I thought Lizzy just wanted to put the blame onto someone, get at least some load off her chest by taking it out on Silas in previous episodes but turned out that OF COURSE she had a perfectly sensible reason (well, I believe it's both in equal measure BUT anyway) and Silas arrived to the same conclusion. And "the martians", you're kidding me XD Gods I love it when they get along, they make a very good dynamic duo. So now everyone's on pretty good terms, such a balm to my soul.

...aaaand there we go again, jinxed it :')))

Yep, Cass really did it this time.

...Alyx? O____O ok I DIDN'T expect this at all

oooof course they charge *head in hands*

Ok I like happy endings for everyone so I'm lowkey rooting for a polycule of three... in a way... I don't really care romantic, platonic/friendship, qpr or whatever, these three just make sense to me all together - not the same relationship for everyone, but they just. Ugh. Make sense. As a unit. The words aren't wording tonight because I've been awake for 16 hours by now but you get the gist I hope. So I also hope it gets across if I say how much I enjoy hearing Silas just. Asking Elizabeth to go after Cass instead of him. Trusting her with it. Just. (✧ω✧) Buddies route go-go! ☆\(≧▽≦)/☆

Niko is the perfect depiction of a fangirl i swear

Poor Alyx Q_Q She's really spiraling. It's the worst thing to get a confirmation that you're as bad as you thought you were, even if it's subjective, too.

oh wow SIlas snapping- O_O that's something

Noooo not running awaayyy

Poor Si(((((((((

Aaaand poor Cass :<

Erm- Might be a controversial opinion but I guess I see who Cass took after with their charisma- yes I like Nicholas Thatcher by the way he sounds there I said it

Why am I not surprised he likes Lizzy. Yeah, no surprises here  👍

Cassius is at loss of insults? What? Wow, impressive. The fact that they are still talking is even more impressive.

"HUGS AND KISSES" HELP HE'S HILARIOUS the best addition so far 😂

Poor Cassius [2] Somehow I can see the picture so clearly xD

"Ouch" Lizzy XD

"Like always, I was right-" LIZZY XDDD

Oh a heart to heart <333 Love seeing them getting along <333

WE'RE FINALLY FINDING OUT WHAT WAS UP WITH VAUX WHAAA-

LI-I-I-ZZY-Y-Y-Y you tease! I'm starving for the revelations here no less than Cassius!

"I listen to the sad story - I get a little treat, them's the rules" Cass is as adorable as ever :D

They're getting along they're getting along- ╰(✧ω✧)╯

The queen keeps queening <333

oooh someone's spiralling real good and to the deep end

C'mon Cass, how can you resist that "pleeease" :3

they both are insufferable XDDD

SILAS FINALLY

OH smooth (￢‿￢ )

they both are insufferable [2] and Lizzy deserves to be paid extra for putting up with them!

OH AND THERE'S MY FAVOURITE SLOGAN <333

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

I have to say seeing Cassius now (and Lizzy before) to royally fuck up like that feels... liberating. I really enjoy observing it.

Partly because it's a part of my "learning people aren't only good OR bad" curriculum (hello black and white thinking I've been unlearning, pretty sucessfully btw). Did they do something... REALLY bad? Oh yes. I mean - I understand attacking with words. Still bad but. Uh. More managable. Usually. But full on charging at a person, even if the reason is betrayal? The physical violence is a serious no-go in my book unless it's self-defence or... well, NOT on your friend anyway?! Not just by acting on emotions? So that made me pause.

I like complicated characters exactly because they make me rotate them in my mind and change opinion on them along with their developement, but... I thought I had a grip on Cass' personality more or less, and that attack of theirs was unexpected and honestly disappointing. I mean yes there was that one occasion with Vaux but that was different. Vaux was actually more of an enemy back then, she's been intentionally nagging Cassius for a long time, so it felt pretty natural that they'd blow up eventually. Charging on Alyx out of pure rage is not like that.

However - I think it's a lot like with John from Malevolent? He messes up regularly and just as royally but it's also very understandable, so I just can't judge him. Objectively, maybe, but not from the heart.

And probably what helped the most was the way Cass reacted to this recording. They didn't try to find excuses, didn't seem to be angry at Alyx anymore, they went straight up to "it was all my fault dammit!". They feel guilty and see their past reaction as a huge mistake, too. Looks like they cooled off soon enough even when the events were taking place.

I have a history of forgiving things that shouldn't have been forgiven to a person who wasn't very sorry about those things - or at least not because they actually saw those as bad. I feel disgusted with myself recalling that. So now I'm sort of sensitive to this whole thing and that's why making up my mind on how to feel about Cass' violence as clear as possible was important. Sure it's not real life, but close enough. A good exercise.

And I think their attitude to it was what made it clear. They see their anger burst as a huge mistake and regret it, but more than that - after listening to how they used to be they try to make up for it, like with Lizzy by telling her how they really appreciate her as a friend. This is important - not just to recognize "oh I fucked up again", but to genuinely do one's best to do better, to change. From the bettom of their heart.

So this is why, while it was a royal fuck up, it only added pieces to Cass' character, not shattered the picture. Hence why I enjoy following it. People are complicated, and that's a beautiful thing. And also upon some more thinking I can see how that outburst was building up for a long time. Once again this podcast brings perfectly grounded surprises <3

And another reason is that by observing others coping with their mistakes I learn to be easier on myself, too. Even if the others in question are fictional, they still reflect living people experiences one way or another.

I'm so glad Syntax is back <3

[ridiasfangirlings]

Have you heard of the theme “Majo Shuukai de Aimashou”(Let's Meet at The Witches' Gathering)? How about immortal witch Fushimi and Munakata/Mikoto that he took in and raised into adult?

Oh dear, is Fushimi in a place to be able to raise anybody, won’t this turn out bad XD Maybe Fushimi is a witch who lives all alone on the outskirts of a village, his father Niki was an evil witch who used to terrorize humans so Fushimi can’t show his face anywhere or else he’ll be mistaken for Niki and executed. One day he’s out in the woods picking herbs and complaining to himself about how the only thing to eat around here is gross vegetables when he hears the sound of voices.  Fushimi intends to keep walking by but then someone grabs his arm and says ‘hey, help us.’ Fushimi looks down and it’s this wild-looking red haired kid, without even waiting for an answer the kid drags Fushimi to the river where this other kid in glasses is stuck in the middle of the swollen river. Fushimi complains that what idiot would cross the river this time of year, the red haired kid shrugs and says they were running from the villagers. Fushimi sighs and uses magic to save the boy in glasses and then promptly says he’s leaving.

The kids start following him and Fushimi snaps at them to go away, he doesn’t want anything to do with other people. The glasses kid says that they should thank him for his help at least and offers to cook lunch, Fushimi hates cooking his own food so he’s like fine cook and then leave. The kids are named Mikoto and Munakata and say they’re like orphans who were being forced into manual labor for some rich guy in town before they escaped. Fushimi acts like he doesn’t care and this has nothing to do with him but somehow he can’t bring himself to kick the kids out either and they end up staying the night.

After that Fushimi becomes like a reluctant parent, he doesn’t really want to get close to these kids since they’re humans and he’s a witch and besides, who is he to parent anyone. Regardless though he finds himself protecting the kids and teaching them about medicines and herbs (well, teaching Munakata anyway, Mikoto is more interested in learning about punching things and napping). As they get older maybe the kids start to raise him in a way too, like as an immortal witch Fushimi’s time is ‘stopped’ in a sense and he’s always been this immature brat even though he’s older than most humans in the village. Munakata and Mikoto though keep finding ways to make Fushimi have to act mature, like he learns to cook and eat vegetables and even stop being rude to lost travelers who run across his house.

As Munakata and Mikoto get older though Fushimi gets more bitter because he knows these kids are just human and one day they’ll get old and die and leave him. Maybe this culminates in Fushimi kicking them out at last, being all cold to them and acting like he never cared because he can’t just sit here and become even more attached to something that won’t be permanent. But then a couple weeks later Fushimi’s house is suddenly attacked by witch hunters who mistake him for Niki and plan to cut off his head. Fushimi figures there’s no point in fighting this anymore, he may as well attack until he runs out of magic and then accept the inevitable, a witch can’t be among humans. But then at the last moment someone jumps between Fushimi and the soldiers, Munakata with his sword and Mikoto with his fists,  both grinning as Munakata notes that it seems Fushimi needs some backup.

[primofate]

2K Followers Event: Pancake and Waffle Cafe Masterlist

Nutella Waffles (overhearing and misunderstanding a conversation/situation) MODERN AU ANGST

Characters: Childe, Kazuha, Thoma, Albedo, Kaeya, Zhongli, fem!reader

Warnings: not proofread :D, cheating, fighting, insulting, misunderstanding (duh), pregnancy, sexual innuendos, implying sex, mentions of sex, still SFW though, of course I bent the lore since it’s an AU

Notes: I had trouble with this so I decided to make it a modern AU. That’s also why it took so long. I think my brain is starting to run dry XD I mean, there’s only so much situations/conversations I could think of that could be misunderstood. Still, enjoy!

Childe

"Ah, sorry, Y/N, I can’t walk you home today... Maybe tomorrow?” Childe smiled at you, scratching the back of his head, his school bag swung over his shoulder already. He looked like he was in a hurry. 

It’s been a few days like this and you really didn’t know what was happening. You asked him if he needed help with stuff at home or if he was having a hard time with his homework and if that’s why he was always rushing off. He would just give you the same smile and wave a hand. “It’s nothing like that,” and then off he’d go. 

The next day, as you walk towards his classroom during lunchtime you hear him and his friends talking before you even reach the classroom door. 

“Zoe is totally cute,” Childe says. The voice he uses is something that he’d never used on you before. You freeze in your tracks and try to listen in more. “Wow, she really is! Great job picking her!” one of his friends said and it sounded as if they’d hit Childe on the back as a congratulations. “Let me see, let me see,” another one says followed by a gasp. “Have you taken her out yet?” Childe laughs nervously and you know all too well without even looking at him that he’s probably scratching his head. “No, not yet,” 

“Does your girlfriend know yet?” Someone else asks.

And then you hear a laugh that’s all too mischievous. All too playful. All too heart-wrenching. “She doesn’t know!” and they continue to laugh.

You turn away and try your hardest not to let tears escape from your eyes. It felt as if you were being laughed at. Like everyone knew that he was cheating. Everyone except you. It doesn’t help that there was a Zoe in the other class too. The way his friends laughed made your cheeks heat up in embarrassment and the tears you were so desperately holding back to finally flow through.

You ended up staying in the washroom for the whole of lunch time, staying in a cubicle for an extra few minutes, late for the next class.

Somehow you didn’t expect Childe to still show up in your classroom to pick you up for the day and walk you home. You stare at him at the classroom door, your eyes had already gone back to their normal shade, but still glossy. He doesn’t notice, he has a big smile on his face that mocks you. Ridicules you. 

“Y/N! Let’s go together today!” Does he feel guilty? Is that why he finally agrees to walk home with you? Cause he’s had his fill of Zoe already? You don’t say a word and exit the classroom, going past him. Childe blinks, and turns to watch you walking away from him. “Y/N?”

He walks after you, and takes his place next to you. He touches the strap of your backpack, as usual, and says “I’ll take this--”

“I got it,” you reply curtly and move away from him. He’s dumbfounded, eyes still a little wide at your sudden coldness. Now he’s getting anxious. Did he do something wrong? “H-Hey...Y/N, are you mad because I didn’t walk home with you the past couple days? See, I was just--”

“I’m not that petty!” You nearly growl at him, holding his gaze for a few seconds before walking off again. Your eyes are starting to prickle with more tears. You just wanted to get home. As soon as you can. Away from him. You didn’t have the heart to break up with him face to face. You liked him too much, you knew you wouldn’t be able to do it while looking at his handsome face. 

Then, he snatches your wrist and pulls you back towards him. The school hallways are emptying out, there’s a few students walking by who ignore the two of you. “Then what’s the matter? I don’t like it when we fight. At least tell me what I did!” 

You wrench your wrist away from his and start sniffing. He stands there, shocked at where your tears are coming from. Until you start talking. “I heard you, during lunch time,” his eyebrows furrow. “Lunch...time?” He mumbles, not following. “When you were talking about your cute Zoe!” He doesn’t say anything for a moment and that only confirms your fears. 

He’d been looking at other girls, and probably wanting them.

“...Y/N, Zoe is...” Childe scratched his cheek, averting his eyes away. 

“I don’t wanna hear it,” you try to turn away, but he doesn’t let you and holds your shoulders with his hands, staring straight at you. “My dog,” You were crying at this point, and when you hear his next words your eyes narrow. “W-What?”

“Zoe is my new dog,” 

“B-But your friend asked if you took her out yet...”

“Yeah,” Childe tilted his head, “for a walk?” As you start to connect the dots he takes out his phone and shows you the picture of a cute miniature poodle, it had a collar and a silver tag on it that said “Zoe”. You thought that you might cry again at how cute she was but you just glare up at Childe. “Well, I didn’t tell you cause I was gunna surprise you. I’ve been going home early these days cause we had to go visit the pound a few times and finalize the papers and everything...” 

“I-Is that true? Is that all it is?” You sniff, now wiping your stupid tears away. Childe smiles down at you and takes your hands away from your face, replacing it with his, thumbing away the streaks of wetness. “Y/N, no one can ever replace you,” you sniff and let him dote on you. You’d been missing him for a while anyway. 

“...Well except Zoe, maybe Zoe can,” he’s clearly teasing you and you don’t hesitate to lift your fist and punch him on the shoulder, earning a small “Ow,” from him followed by a laugh. “I’m just kidding, how ‘bout you come over and visit her today? It’s only her second day home!”

Thoma

You’d made an appointment with your friend a long time ago. Just a quick lunch and catch up date. Thoma had graciously volunteered to drive you to the mall where you were meeting up with her.

“You sure you don’t need me to pick you up? It’s Saturday. I’m free,” he flashes you a smile, his eyes darting towards you only for a second before going back to the road. “I’ll be fine hun, I’ll take the bus home,” you reply to him.

Halfway through your journey he says that he needs to buy something from a convenience store, and so he parks the car properly and grabs his wallet. His phone is on the car phone stand and you pay no heed to it until a soft ‘ding’ makes you pick your head up to look at the screen. 

Your best friend’s name pops up, she’s messaged him and your blood runs cold.

“I’ll come over when Y/N’s gone,” the message read. Your heart is already at your throat, and you don’t know what to think. What is this make-believe situation that you’re suddenly in. Is this really happening? Your eyes dart upwards to look at the door of the convenience store. You could see Thoma was still looking at the shelves.

You gulp and you wonder what the right thing to do is. Invade his privacy and peek at his messages? Let it go? Confront him? Cry? Another ‘ding’ fills up the car.

“How long is she going to be out? The longer the better. So...” you couldn’t read the rest of the message, it being cut off but you were already spiraling down the hole of despair. How could he? Your sweet and loyal Thoma ended up going behind your back with your best friend. You thought you were going to be sick, you actually had to roll the windows of the car down to get some fresh air, just as Thoma came out of the convenience store door with a plastic bag. 

You couldn’t look at him. You couldn’t even be in the same space as him. You were going to cancel today with your friend, you didn’t think you’d be able to function properly. When he sat on the driver’s seat and saw you looking out the window, he didn’t think much of it and revved the engine up. “Ready hu--”

“Take me to my sister’s place,” Thoma blinked and turned to you, confused. “But, what about your lunch date today, dear?”

“I don’t feel like going. My sister’s place is nearby, just drop me off there,” Your hands were already typing a reply to the friend that you were about to stand up on, but you couldn’t even think of what to do or say. 

“Dear is everything okay?” He asked while backing the car up, arm outstretched to your side while he’s looking at the rear. He was appalled by your sudden mood change. You didn’t answer but he hears you sniff and he immediately stops the car again. “Y/N? What’s wrong?” He’s alarmed that you’re crying and he reaches to cup your chin and tilt it towards him but you move your face away from him. 

“Y/N?” he asked, the confusion in his voice is actually genuine and you can hear a bit of panic in it. “How long have you been seeing Aya?” you spit the words as if they’re poison and the car is quiet. You laugh bitterly. “I thought so, cat got your tongue, huh?” 

Thoma shook himself out of his confusion to say, “No, wait, I don’t know what you mean,” You scoff at him. You’re shocked at the amount of resentment you had, you trusted this man and yet this is what happens. “Yeah? Why is she sneaking into our house then?” You point at his phone, the screen is still lit up because of the messages and there were more coming in from your best friend. 

Thoma snatches the phone away from the stand and looks at it. Then, he deflates and slumps back on his seat. “Y/N, it’s not what you think,” You hate that line so much. You cross your arms and say, “Just drop me at my sister’s house,” 

“Y/N--”

“NOW!”

The drive was quiet. You didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to push you but didn’t want to drop you off to your sister’s without explaining as well. So, just before your sister’s block, he parks on the side and unbuckles his seat belt, then opens your side of the door. “Y/N, listen to me,” he’s rarely this assertive, but you still don’t listen. He’s blocking your escape path. 

“It’s your birthday today,” Thoma starts and you blink, completely forgetting about it. “Ayu is sneaking in our house while you’re gone because we were going to set up a surprise for you.” He says slowly, as if he’s talking to a child. Your eyes widen, and you relax in your seat. He gives you his phone and urges you, “Go on, Y/N, you know my passcode right? I don’t hide anything from you, you can read the rest,” 

You hesitate, but accept his offer and type it in. 

“How long is she going to be out? The longer the better. So we can set up the balloons,”

“I got the cake don’t forget the candles and lighter,”

Thoma picks up his other hand that had the white plastic bag from the convenience store, he picks up the two items from inside. Birthday candles. And a lighter. 

Your mouth opens, but you can’t say anything and you only bury your face in your hands out of shame. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry Thoma, I--” He manages to let out a laugh and kisses the top of your head. “I’m so stupid. I trust you, I really do, I just--” now you’re not sure if you’re crying out of relief or embarrassment. “I’m so sorry,” You can’t say anything else and he only kisses you on the forehead again.

“It’s alright, you can make it up to me by going on that lunch date, okay? You deserve the rest. You haven’t cancelled yet have you? Let’s freshen up at your sister’s place and I’ll send you to the mall,” 

You nod your head, small smile on your face. This was gunna be one story to tell in the future.

“Oh and it would help if you act surprised when you come home,” Thoma adds with a full laugh that you join in on. 

Kaeya

"So how are you and Y/N?”

It’d only been a couple of months of the two of you dating. Kaeya was handsome, gallant and he knew exactly what to say to people. It wasn’t a secret that he was quite popular in school. 

Little old you was just another girl in just another class.

“Good, I think,” Kaeya responds, you smile around the corner, hidden from sight, knowing that he was taking a juice box break with his friends. “It’s a little annoying though,” your smile drops and your head tilts sideways in question. “I can’t keep her away and she doesn’t even realize how annoying it is,” 

Keep me away? You think. Am I too clingy? You hear them exchange words a bit more, but none of the other words process in your head. Their laughter spurs you out of your thoughts and you return to your classroom dumbfounded. 

When the bell rang for dismissal you immediately packed and walked home by yourself. Kaeya was confused when he arrived at your classroom door, and found that you weren’t there anymore. “...Hey, did Y/N go home?” he asked one of your passing classmates. “Yeah, she went out pretty fast,”

Now he was worried. Did something happen at home? He takes his phone out as he’s out the school building, tapping your name and calling, only for the call to not even connect. His brows furrow but nonetheless, he goes home for today and types in a message for you.

“Hey, you okay? Talk to me if you need something,” 

The next day, when he usually waits outside your door for you to come out, he realizes that you’re a little late and further realizes that you weren’t going to come out. He wasn’t about to knock on your door, your parents didn’t know about him yet. 

He tries to call you again but he’s met with the same result as yesterday. He sighs and looks up at the sky while he’s walking. He hasn’t seen you for nearly a full day now, and he doesn’t realize how long a full day is until now. He just wants to see your smiling face again and he starts to wonder if he’d done something wrong. 

By lunchtime, he’s sprinting towards your classroom as soon as the bell rings, wondering if you were there. Indeed, finally, he spots you in your classroom and his shoulders slump in relief only to tense up again when he sees a guy in your class talking to you, and you, smiling happily. 

“Y/N,” he calls out to you, waving his hand. You look away from your conversation to him and he notices how your smile turns into a tight line on your face. His own smile drops, but you walk out of the classroom anyway and address him. “Yes?” He blinks down at your tone of voice. “U-Uh... Wanna have lunch together?” 

“...But it’s annoying that I’m clingy right?” The two of you unconsciously move away from the door to out in the hallway, so that you’re not blocking the way of people coming in and out. He narrows his eyes in confusion. Where is this coming from? “I--No, what do you mean? I never said that,” 

“Yesterday, you said you can’t keep me away and it’s annoying,” you averted your gaze, feeling your eyes start to water. Kaeya reels back a little, replaying things in his mind, trying to remember if he said something like that. And, with a light bulb moment, his face breaks into a grin and slight laughter. You glare up at him, “What? It’s funny?”

Kaeya places a hand on your shoulder and explains while smiling. “Y/N, you didn’t listen to the rest of the conversation, did you?”

---What really happened---

“It’s really annoying though. I can’t keep her away and she doesn’t even realize how annoying it is,” he sips on his juice box again.

One of his friends pipe up, “Dude that’s a little harsh,”

Kaeya blinks. Once, twice and thrice. Until it dawns on him. “Oh, no, I meant that I can’t keep her away from other people,” he grins and leans both his elbows on the windowsill. “She doesn’t realize that she’s super friendly, and other people like talking to her a lot. Whenever I go to her classroom she’s always talking to different people.”

His friends make a sound of understanding. “I wish I could just keep her to myself,” and continues sipping on his juice.

“That’s really cheesy, even for you, Kaeya,” one of his friends say and the lot of them starts laughing.

---That’s what really happened---

It was your turn to blink at him, confused. “S-So...”

Kaeya pats your head and smiles. “You can ask my friends if it makes you feel better,”

A small blush crosses your cheeks and you duck your head to hide it. It earns yet another chuckle from him. Your moment is interrupted by another guy who approaches the two of you. “Hey, Y/N, if you’re free, do you think you could help me out with this? I don’t really understand it,” 

Kaeya just looks at the guy and sighs, then turns to you again. “See what I mean?” to which you just goofily smile at. 

Kazuha 

“You saw what?”

Your hands freeze, holding the book you were reading open. The living room had gotten lively again, seeing as your little brother had come home from school. “I saw Kazuha with a girl,” 

You try to keep your face composed. It was a school day. You’d stayed home because you weren’t feeling too well. Your brother was saying it without a care in the world. He was just a grade schooler and telling you about the things he observed. He was looking through the fridge for something to drink. 

You didn’t ask more, but you were DYING to know more. Kazuha didn’t mention going anywhere today... You picked your phone up and wondered if you should ask him. Your phone had blown up this morning cause he didn’t see you at school and he was wondering if you were alright. 

But it seems that Kazuha himself was having a grand time too.

“So...T-The girl...Did they look close?”

Your little brother closes the fridge and looks at you while drinking from a milk carton. “Mm...They were holding each other...” You bit your lip as tingles run down your spine. They weren’t the good kind. It was the kind that you get when you watch horror movies and or a drama movie and a revelation had just happened. You were silent for a moment, but in your mind you were already thinking of how Kazuha looked with another girl. Holding each other? What did your brother mean? Like...hugging? Or...? But you couldn’t ask him about that, could you?!

You sighed out loud and slammed the book you were reading down on the table, just as your phone started ringing. “Kazuha,” you whispered under your breath and looked at your phone screen. Well...you believed in him, and you thought the best way to clear this up is to talk to him about it.

So, you grabbed your phone and retreated into your bedroom to talk to him. You picked up the call, “Kazu-kun?”

“Y/N,” he greeted. Even apart, his voice has this effect on you. Like he was really there and breathing into your ear, sending shivers down your spine. You were sure that you were blushing. “How are you? Are you feeling better?” His voice is smooth and calm and you melt into your bed. “Yeah, a little,”

“Could I come over later? I just want to check on you,” You smile into your phone and close your eyes. Kazuha could never do that to you, you think to yourself. But still, you really wanted to ask. “Of course, I don’t think my parents would mind...Hey,” you start, your fingers nervously drawing circles on your pillow. “My brother said he saw you...with a girl,”

There’s silence on the other line, and you can hear him shifting a little. “A...girl?” He repeats the question and you bite your lip. He sounds unsure and now you were unsure too. “Yeah, he said that you were holding on to each other...or something,” Again some silence, until he makes a sound of understanding.

“Ah, he must mean Sango,” there’s a little lilt to his voice, like he was happy and you were a little jealous. “Sango’s my cousin, she came to surprise me for my birthday week.” Kazuha laughs nervously and adds a little hesitantly. “She...uhm...would like to meet you actually, is it okay if I bring her over today?” 

Your heart sighs in relief, as do you and you don’t realize that you’ve done that out loud. In the next moment though, you smile and nod, even though he can’t see you. “Of course! Bring her over!” 

Albedo (More fluff than angst)

Cleaning at home was one of the things you did to get your mind off of things. Some people would call it tedious, but to you, it was sort of relaxing. It was something easy to do, you didn’t need much of your brain, just motor memory. Folding. Laundry. Ironing. Sweeping. Basic chores.

But when you clean up in the bedroom you shared with your boyfriend, and found a neatly wrapped present, red wrapping paper and blue ribbon tied on the top with a tag that said “To: Leila” you’re a little dumbfounded.

Who’s Leila? Is your first thought. Your second thought is, what’s inside? You hold the nicely wrapped box in your hand and turn it all over, trying to get some type of hint. A flash of doubt seeps into your mind but you shake it away. Albedo isn’t like that...Is he? He’s always so dedicated to his scientific research and sure he comes home late sometimes but he always makes it up to you on the weekends...

So who’s Leila? You ask yourself again. And why hasn’t he mentioned it to you? Why didn’t he ask YOU to wrap it? Menial tasks like these were usually passed on to you. You bite your thumb just thinking about it, but in the end just leave the present where you find it.

Later that night as you’re fixing dinner, you aren’t as bothered by the gift as when you first saw it. But it’s still there at the back of your mind and it resurfaces to the front when you hear the familiar keys rattle. Despite that, as he snakes his arms around your waist from behind you can’t help but smile and melt a little, pressing back against him as he leans over to kiss your cheek. “...Smells nice,” he simply mumbles and closes his eyes, enjoying the warmth of both you and your home.

“Welcome back,” you say, while closing the lid on the pot and turning around to give him a proper kiss on the lips. He hums into the kiss as a response and pulls you away from the stove. “How’s your day?” he asks you first and you smile, because your day is nearly the same time and time again. “Fine, I did find a little secret though...” you start and peek up at his beautiful eyes. 

He nods to ask you to continue. “A present, nicely wrapped. and it’s addressed to someone called Leila,” He looks down at you and you stare at him. A moment passes by before he takes his arms back and go into his thinking pose. “...Leila...?” he asks, eyes averting from your gaze. You wonder if he’s pretending. You wonder if he’s trying to make an excuse up. “...I don’t--” and then his eyebrows twitch. “Ah,” he says and drops his arms to his side.

“We were invited to a birthday party, remember? By a co-worker,” he tucks in strands of your hair as he talks. “It’s her daughter’s first birthday...I don’t care much for such things but you insisted it’d be alright to go.” he chuckles a little. “Her daughter’s name is Leila,” 

You make a sound of understanding. Suddenly your hesitant thoughts wither away. “Hmmm? You could’ve asked me to wrap the present,” Albedo pulls away from you and towards the fridge, wanting a glass of water. “The wrapping wasn’t done by me, it was the shop, free service,” and so it made more sense.

And although you want to ask more questions, like where he got it, when and what’s inside, you realize it’s such a trivial thing. It was not worth that much time. A gift is a gift, and you turn back to continue making dinner while making idle conversation with him. 

Zhongli (Warning: Suggestive) (but this is also my personal favourite... aha...)

“Zhongli?” You arrive home a little early today, dropping your keys at the front shelf. You don’t hear him anywhere and you shuffle around your living room for a while, looking at the letters for today. 

He was on a work from home arrangement today, and he would usually be in his office. You were quite sure that he would’ve come out to greet you though, if he heard you. He must be busy at the moment. 

You’d wanted to wash your hands as soon as you came home, and went for the guest washroom. When you open the door, your eyes land on something on the counter, next to the sink. This bathroom was always kept clean for visitors. You liked to host people once in a while, or just invite friends and you took pride in having them comfortable in your house.

Your eyes narrow as you go closer and your hands pick up a pregnancy test that was lying there. 

It was positive.

You put it back down and shudder a little. You don’t remember getting a pregnancy test. You bite your lip and look at yourself in the mirror. You’re already jumping to conclusions, and you can’t help it. Who the hell would leave a pregnancy test in YOUR guest bathroom? Zhongli didn’t mention anything...

You sigh a breath out and close the bathroom door behind you, taking your phone out to text your best friend.

“There’s a positive pregnancy test in our guest bathroom,”

After a moment, there’s a reply.

“OMG Are you preggers?!”

“No, it’s not mine,”

The next reply takes a moment more. “Oh, maybe ask him?” and you know that your friend hadn’t known what to reply at that moment. Because a random positive pregnancy test in your guest bathroom was NOT a good sign. To top it off, you didn’t announce to Zhongli that you were coming home early today.

Your perk up when you hear noise from the other room. You open the bathroom door slightly, and hear the unmistakable low voice of your fiance, coupled with...the voice of another woman. You close the bathroom door again, not bothering to lock it, and sit on the closed toilet seat. You’re sitting there with nothing in your mind, unable to think.

A few minutes later the voices are louder, they’ve moved to the living room, right outside the bathroom you were in. You tense up, and your jaw tightens. You don’t want to see them. You don’t want to hear them. For a moment you wish that you didn’t come home early, and just pretend this didn’t happen, but the door to the bathroom door opens, leaving you eye to eye with a woman you recognize.

Luna was a beautiful woman. Long cascading brown hair, they’re wavy and stops right at her waist. Doll-like blue eyes and a slender body. She sees you sitting there and you feel stupid, but she just breaks into a grin. “Y/N!” she grabs you by the wrist and pulls you out of the bathroom before you could even say anything. You’re numb, so you don’t respond to anything around you.

Zhongli turns around wide-eyed to see you standing there meekly, not meeting his gaze. He still goes to you though and asks curiously. “When did you come in? I didn’t hear you,” he places a hand on your arm while Luna releases you, but you still don’t look up and he wonders if something happened at your workplace to make you come home so early. “Luna and Childe stopped by,” Zhongli says, in at attempt to cheer you up. You look up, and only then did you realize that Childe was there too, talking animatedly to Luna. You tilt your head sideways, “They came with a surprise. Ah, but it’s not mine to tell,” 

That’s right... Luna and Childe had been together for a while and then it hits you when Luna shows you the same positive pregnancy test you saw on the counter, and announces that she’s pregnant. Your eyes are wide. You can’t tell if you’re more relieved that it wasn’t what you thought or more happy for your friends. You feel horrible about it but you manage to crack a smile and went along with the festivities. The more time passed the more you were able to enjoy their happiness and by the time they left, that was the only time you sighed and let your shoulders slump, exhausted.

“Is something the matter?” Zhongli asked. He noticed how your smiles were a tad bit forced. How you seemed to enjoy everything but also seemed to be on edge. You turn to him and shook your head. “It’s...stupid. It’s my mistake,” but he holds on to your waist and urges you to tell him.

And you tell him. How you came home and saw what you saw in the guest bathroom, what you thought it was and how you felt. The only thing you can feel now is embarrassment and shame. You couldn’t even feel happy for your friend. Zhongli only smiles and combs his hand through your hair. “It’s the normal reaction,” he reassures you, again trying to make you feel better. You only respond with your own hug but his next sentence makes you flustered, all thoughts of earlier gone as he whispers into your ear.

“Would you like your own positive pregnancy test?”

Taglist: @larkspyrr @rim0na @sweeti-pie @l3mon-mxshroom @hai-q-haikyuu @tkshoki @kyquu @kimbapsana @leefletter @hentaje @tempehlust @rinnesy @hallohun @softlybeloved @volleybloop @ssalamanderr @ben6ett @rytszk @guilixi @reiluvbot @mondstadts-favourite-traveler @xxcrowfeatherxx @b-trld @mkazuyuh @shittyeditsofwhatiwant @ayra2452008 @simpingover @soft-like-sunshine @lnrchii @scheophi @multifandomgeeks @sacredmouche @risasblog01 @mai-m4i @foxxtrot-116 @maple-leaaf @lucy-roo @bluepinkpink @myday6-studies @thraiaiscrying @missbuwan @the-one-that-lurks @adeptitao @xibrokensunriseix @ilovemyleftboob @marblesphere @allinduetimethefirst @nortdreww @jjsjjsjsjsjjsjjs @how-simpy @loltartaglia @minyoustar @sesetiger @Ghost1y-demon @lqvl3y @cysperia @candyqueen10 @ichigo-no-tsumi @omoriq @saving-for-xiao @trashykawasmilkbread @jjkclub @pearstears @seiiblue @midnightangelfox @korinkuu @heesocks @bobaducky @normalisthenewnorm @atasi-luna @callariri @milkypompon @fadinganchornight @coldstonecrematorium @probablybethere @qingxinteaa @hanachan_2481 @plumpkie @Ghost1yd3mon @idk-imjusthere @amigenshin @spirlimpo @hadesaedes @tsim-tsim @dilucragnvindrsgf @gahisb @yunaholics @that-one-air-collecter @allinduetime @albe4ove @berryqueue @give-xiao-almond-tofu @leafcaller @ninqat @mintyayu @luvmedaily @kiyokoshii @jendytub @thegayrubberducky @chuewi @bitandbytes @alatusorrow @midnightistyping @duskdawn052 @ventislatte @fishclaymore @jahnvi-d @justpeaxchy @tremmblingbling

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[shanastoryteller]

Wow prompts fill so fast these days XD So this is sliding in a little late, please feel free to ignore, esp cause it's teen wolf prompt 😅 I've somehow fallen back into it and got really into the idea of Scott learning magic. After all, he worked with Deaton, I'm sure he picked up Something. Also, happy halloween! 🎃🔮👻

Stiles isn’t getting paid enough for this.

“Technically, you’re not being paid at all,” Scott says cheerfully.

Stiles shoots him a look. “Did you finally get the mind reading spell to work?”

“No,” he pouts. “Your face is just really expressive.”

Stiles scowls.

“No need to swear,” Scott says.

“You really don’t need to do this, you know,” Stiles sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “You have me and Lydia, and we can’t mostly sort of do most things between us. Besides, you’re an alpha. Wolves don’t do magic.”

“Peter does,” Scott says quietly and Stiles can feel his expression harden. “Peter has done several impossible things, from surviving the fire to coming back from the dead, and it’s probably because he’s both, because he’s a wolf and a witch.”

“None of us are witches,” Stiles says, but he does pull the spell book closer, trying to figure out what it is that they’re missing. “Lydia’s a banshee. I’m just – uh, handy.”

“Handy,” Scott repeats and Stiles punches him in the shoulder before he can make the obvious joke. He makes a show of rubbing his arm even though they both know that it hadn’t hurt. “Come on. Weird, freaky things keep trying to kill us, and the only way we’re going to keep winning is if we’re weirder and freakier than they are.”

“Wow,” Stiles says. “That depressingly sounds like something I would say.”

Scott rolls his eyes.

“Come on, again,” he says. “You’re a werewolf doing magic, but you have to stop thinking about this like you do your wolf abilities. Those are tied to emotions, right? What you feel?”

“Sort of,” he agrees.

“Well, magic isn’t,” he continues. “Not the kind I know how to do, anyway. It’s not based on anger or fear or anything you can quantify. You just have to have faith.”

This has to be a joke. “Have faith?”

Stiles shrugs. “It’s the only way I’ve done it that’s even sort of worked. Magic is about belief. It doesn’t exist until you think it does.”

“That’s nonsense,” he says mulishly even as he’s turning it over in his mind.

Stiles snaps his fingers and a flame appears above his open fingers. “If a tree fall in the forest and no one’s there to hear it, does it make a sound? To create magic is to be the ears hearing the falling tree. Magic only exists if you believe it does. A falling tree only makes a sound if you’re there to hear it. Now try it again.”

Scott sighs but closes his eyes. He remembers putting out matches with his bare fingers when he was a kid and he focuses on that sensation now, the quick, sharp pain and the lingering warmth in his burned skin. He holds the image of the candle flame in his mind, one barely bigger than his thumb, the soft yellow light of it.

He’s going to snap his fingers and the fire will be at his fingertips.

It’s so close he can almost taste the thin plume of smoke at the back of his throat.

Scott snaps his fingers and flames dance across his knuckles.

[patt-writes-stuff]

Beach Days with The Genshin Characters!

Wc: 1.7k+

Type: Headcanons

CW: umm nothing except mentions of alcohol and maybe people being creeps? (None of the chars or you tho it’s very brief)

A/N: HI IM BACK FROM THE DEAD! These were supposed to be a lot shorter but I got too excited. If you by any chance wanna see some for your fav character lmk! I know it says request are closed in my bio but since it’s just hcs it’s a lot less (and I really enjoyed writing these so ajdhdhdk)

🔥Diluc:

This man cannot swim. Tell me otherwise, I dare you.

Kaeya tried to jokingly push him off a lil diving cliff area when they were kids.

He almost drowned. Kaeya was in a lot of trouble.

So, good luck getting this man to actually get in the water. The most he’ll do is sit on the shore where it’s very shallow.

He usually prefers to just stay under an umbrella on the sand and keep an eye on you.

Calls you every two hours in advance and helps you reapply sunscreen.

He’s very pale so I feel like he burns pretty easily, meaning he needs to reapply super frequently otherwise he will become a tomato. He brings like three bottles of the good shit. Tch, rich boy.

If you ask him to build a sandcastle, he will pretend to be annoyed but do it anyways. Ends up finding it kind of enjoyable.

He has the maids prepare a nice picnic basket for the two of you!! It’s got all your favorite foods plus grape juice cuz y’know.

If any creepy peeps approach you, don’t worry. He brought his vision and his claymore.

Of course, he won’t have to resort to such violent lengths. Everyone in Mondstadt knows who Diluc is and they probably know you’re his s/o, so they’re usually smart enough to mind their own business.

If they don’t, don’t worry. Diluc’s glare is more than enough to scare them away.

All in all I definitely recommend a beach day with him! I’ll give it a solid 8/10 (-2 for not wearing floaties and getting in the water with you or letting you teach him how to swim.

🖌Albedo:

You guys definitely 100% take Klee out with you on a beach day.

You guys bring snacks, beach toys like buckets and shovels for optimal sandcastle building, a picnic blanket, etc.

Jean definitely packs a lot more stuff for you guys to take with you than you actually need.

It’s only cuz she’s worried for Klee and is nervous about not being able to go with you guys though! It’s very sweet really.

Klee tries to bomb the fish and cause havoc at the beach 😭

I think Albedo is a good swimmer and gets in with you and Klee so that he can help her (which is very cute omfg)

He’s set total workaholic, as we know, so it took a lot of convincing to get him to put down his experiments and accompany you to the beach (however, he’s particularly weak to yours and klee’s puppy dog eyes so he caved eventually)

Though, looking at you and Klee happily building sandcastles and decorating them with pretty seashells of all shapes and colors, he can’t really find it in himself to complain.

He, of course, takes this opportunity to take out his sketchbook and draw the waves, seagulls, you… Of course he won’t let you see the sketch book no sir. He’s a bit embarrassed to be honest, but an artist such as himself recognizes beauty when he sees it so he simply had to draw you. (God I love him so much)

If a creepy person approaches you,- well don’t worry. The sight of a small arsonist child blowing up fish is enough to scare them away 🥰

At the end of the day, all three of you are all ticketed out. Albedo has to carry Klee back to Mondstadt because the poor baby fell asleep the moment you started drying her hair with the beach towel. You’re, of course, carrying back Dodoco and your bags. (You also manage to sneak a peak at Albedo’s sketchbook and find some very pretty drawings of you and Klee with your sandcastle)

At the end of the day, you guys tuck Klee in and read her a bedtime story (she woke up and insisted). Afterwards Albedo takes you back home and thanks you for coming with you and Klee (which you ofc say wasn’t a problem because how could you not???)

All in all? I’ll give it a solid 10/10. You’ve got tasty food, fun times, your boyfriend and his cute kid adoptive sister (yes I am very biased idc)

🦋Xiao:

I think it would take a lot of convincing to get Xiao to go out on a beach date with you.

He’ll probably see it as a distraction getting in the way of his slaying of monsters and demons.

However, he also worships the grounds you walk on (hehe, simp XD), so I don’t think it’ll take that much convincing on your part (especially because it’s is self appointed duty to keep you safe so if you insist on going with or without him, he supposes he’ll have to go)

Is definitely a bit tense at first. He doesn’t know how to let loose and chill so while you’re sun tanning on a beach chair he’s like 🧍‍♂️ahdgshjsjd

Eventually calms down a bit though! You get him to relax and eat some almond tofu you brought along with you. It definitely gets him to perk up.

I don’t think he would mind getting into the water but I do think he’d rather walk along the shore and collect pretty seashells and sea glass.

He later gives the ones he deems pretties to you (he hands them over to you with a blush on his face and pretends it’s not a big deal and he definitely gets all pouty and grouchy when you coo at how adorable he is)

As for creeps, Xiao is both intimidating and well known in Liyue. No one is brave enough (or, let’s be honest, dumb enough) to approach you with any bad intentions.

Sure, Xiao has sworn never to harm a human/citizen of Liyue but that doesn’t mean he can’t scare the absolute shit out of them.

I think Xiao would definitely enjoy a beach day 🥺🥺. He’d find it very relaxing to go out with you and just hear the sound of waves and feel the sand under his feet.

He’d definitely hint at wanting to do it again later. Of course, he won’t tell you. No, that’s a foolish mortal activity and he has much better things to do.

Wait no, don't turn around, yes he will go with you next month.

All in all, I give Xiao a 9/10. It’s a very relaxing day (which he deserves 😤). And you get to see a whole new side of him.

💎Ningguang:

OK SO ORIGINALLY I WASN'T GONNA WRITE ONE FOR HER (at least not in this post) BUT THEN I THOUGHT OF LADY NINGGUANG TAKING YOU TO A WHOLE ASS PRIVATE BEACH

She knows you don’t care about how exclusive the beach you go to is (in fact, the fact that you don’t care about where you are or what you do is one of the things that make her fall more and more madly in love with you) but you deserve the best so she’s gonna go all out.

She’s a busy lady so days like this where the two of you get to go somewhere and be together are few and far between.

She knows it’s hard to be in a relationship with someone who is busy 24/7, so she appreciates how you remain by her side despite all hardships. (Y’all are a whole ass power couple istg)

The two of you spend your day relaxing. Sun bathing, drinking piña coladas, maybe taking a dip in the ocean. It’s all very pleasant!

Ningguang doesn’t quite feel like the type of person who would sit in the sand and make sandcastle, however you’re more than welcome to make some yourself. She finds it endearing <3

If you insist on her helping, she’ll eventually comply. She loves you too much to say no. I feel like she’ll either be terrible at it or like a total architect.

Sand is technically like tiny rocks right? So maybe she can use her vision to help her? If that’s the case, she’s making a replica of the Jade chamber out of sand.

If any creepy person comes up to you don’t worry. Ningguang will buy the whole beach and then use her right of admission as owner to permanently ban them from the beach you’re at.

The only downside to a day at the beach with Ningguang might be that there’s a big chance she’ll be called to tend urgent matters, seeing as she is the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing and all.

If that does happen, she’ll be sure to make it up to you somehow, whether it be rescheduling or taking care of the matter as soon as possible so that the two of you can get back to your day of relaxation and fun.

All in all?? Lady Ningguang will treat you like total royalty and the two of you will have an amazing time! I give her an 11/10 (she would literally buy a whole beach for you to be comfortable I mean c’mon)

🍃Venti:

BEACH DAYS WITH HIM ARE SO FUN!!

Swimming? Yeah, he’d love to! Sunbathing? Sure! He’ll ever conjure up a light breeze for the two of you. Sandcastle building? WELL OF COURSE WHY DO YOU THING HE BROUGHT ALL THESE BUCKETS AND SHOVELS?

No but seriously, he might be the best person out of everyone here to go to the beach with. He’s fun, free spirited, and he’s a traveling bard who’s been alive long enough to know where all the best beaches in Teyvat are. (He also knows a guy- er, well, dragon I suppose- who is willing to fly them to any place).

He’ll play some soft tunes while you doze under the sun.

HE PICKS PRETTY SHELLS AND GIFTS THEM TO YOU!!!

He will bring booze. I’m pretty sure this is a necessity. If you’re a little upset about it, he’ll probably “eheh~” his way out of it. That slick bastard.

If you really insist on him not drinking, he won’t consume much alcohol.

If some creepy person approaches you and tries to ruin you your day of beach time fun, all of their stuff will suddenly be blown away, causing them to scramble back to their spot and (almost embarrassingly) flail around trying to catch everything. What a shame…

At the end of the day, he’d be a little sad to leave. Definitely makes plans about tbe two of you going back soon.

I gotta give him a 10/10 he’s just so fun omg.