#tabi writing

[edible-emerald]

Ok so PVP civilization??? I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS???

Spoilers for episode 5 btw

So first off the REVEALS THIS EPISODE??? And the fact that most of them were to the viewer and not to Evbo???

The first reveal I want to talk about is PRINCEZAM REVIVING. HE CAN REVIVE TOO. This means WAY MORE THAN YOU MIGHT INITIALLY THINK.

Princezam's character, in nature, is selfish. He talks highly about how Evbo repeatedly dying is heroic, and while he may be subjecting himself to endless torture, he's saving so many lives, he's a hero, he's a good person. It's implied that Zam believes, if he were in Evbo's position, he would do the same; that he would let himself die to save others. But it's a lie. Because he IS in Evbo's position. HE CAN REVIVE TOO. But he kept it a better secret than Evbo, which is the only reason why he hasn't been endlessly farmed yet.

The second reveal Princezam gives that also shows more about his character and motives is that Evbo has a limited number of revives. He isn't immortal. He's on his last life. If he dies again, he'd be gone forever. And Zam knew this.

And I think something is really, really interesting about this. Because in episode 4, Zam's motive is to make Evbo die over and over indefinitely so he can keep increasing durability of the iron swords and increasing life span. Still an interesting character, but him KNOWING that this solution is temporary, and him KNOWING that Evbo will die permanently soon, changes everything. His motive wasn't to save the iron swords, I actually think he couldn't care less about them. His motive was to kill Evbo.

What else would it be? Why else would Zam KNOWINGLY make Evbo die over and over with every death coming closer to permanent death? Because for whatever reason, Zam wanted to get rid of Evbo. But why? Yes, it's true he was the chosen one. But that leads me into my next point:

Is he?

The only real thing that made Evbo special enough to be the chosen one is that he could revive himself after dying. But he isn't the only one who can. Zam can too; and I believe Tabi and a few other people can as well. So IS he the chosen one? Personally, I don't think he is. I think that someone else is the chosen one, but I'll get to who eventually. What possible motive could Zam have for wanting Evbo dead, if he isn't the chosen one?

Evbo was a diamond sword.

OKOKOK HEAR ME OUT

Evbo was a diamond sword who's memories were erased. He was threatening to like do something (maybe become a netherite sword?) that Zam and others didn't approve of and maybe he was working with Tabi, so both of them were killed and revived in the wooden sword level. But Evbo's memories were erased in the process so Tabi decided to manipulate him and get to the top without him this time. That brings me to the next point.

Tabi has history with some of the diamond swords. Specifically, Ferre. We don't know what yet, but I believe like I said above that she and Evbo were previously diamond swords, and were trying to do something and ended up being killed. Evbo's memories were erased but Tabi's weren't.

I think the reason the diamond swords were willing to let Evbo back in and not Tabi is because he lost all his memories. Maybe, he'll get some back and realize that the diamond layer is corrupt or evil in some way, and team up with Tabi to defeat them. But I don't think so. I think Tabi is evil and had either roped in Evbo, or worked with Evbo but losing his memories made him change.

Anyways, on the topic of reviving, I think it's also safe to say Zam was a diamond sword. First off, he seemed to know the diamond swords personally and disliked them, calling them 'bottom feeders' (which by the way is so fucking funny I giggled so much at that line) also we know he can revive as well so safe to say he was killed and revived there. Maybe he was in the plan (that may or may not exist idfk) with Tabi and Evbo and was killed as well. But I doubt it, considering how he treats Evbo, but then again, his character is very selfish and antagonistic. I think his ultimate motive is to rank up to a netherite sword (which may be godhood like in parkciv?? but we don't know) and he's trying to kill Evbo to take out the competition.

Also this is a minor thing but now we finally know why Zam kept his door closed in episode two, because he had an armor stand too and didn't want the secret to come out.

Now for the final reveal: Parrot has a backstory. And I think I know what it is.

Parrot is the real chosen one.

Ok my evidence for this is mostly speculation but also if Evbo isn't the chosen one than who?? Parrot is a really odd character, like every time he talks it just feels like there's something off about him. He talks a lot about the chosen one, but he acts. Weird. Around Evbo when he finds out that he's the chosen one. Also, for someone so devoted to the chosen one, he's still very much alive; and I point this out because he has a mansion AND a video journaling machine. That costs a lot of swings and I have a feeling he hasn't really ever paid respects to it. Even though he says he has. And why would he? BECAUSE HE'S THE CHOSEN ONE.

If Parrot isn't the chosen one, either one of two things are probably true:

he was a diamond sword

he was a/the netherite sword

I don't really know how these would work in the story the same way the chosen one theory would, but yeah

Thank you for reading my ramblings :33 hopefully I didn't miss anything lmao

ALSO??? WEMMBU AND MINUTE IN A EVBO VIDEO???? HELLO???? IS THIS REAL LIFE????????

[alleyesony0u]

TW/CW: Discussion of murder, death, and violence

imagine if evbo has a family outside of pvp civilization. a home. and he had his parents. and then one day, their sweet baby boy vanished. their baby boy had been fourteen going on fifteen when he had disappeared, he had a smile that could blind the whole world, he was struggling with freshman algebra and his parents would sit down with him on the couch and try and scrounge up memories from their school days to help him.

now their baby boy is finally back after months, but he is not their baby boy anymore. he is fifteen and he looks at them like he is shoving his hand in that haystack to find the needle. his smile is not as bright as it once was and his eyes have lost that glimmer of joy and innocence. they are so tired, they look like they have seen war. maybe they have.

and then there are the scars. the healed up wounds that mark something had been stabbed through his palms. when he takes off his shirt there is scar tissue so deep, so horrible on the skin of his stomach and chest his parents wonder What happened and how did he survive? the mark of a knife sliced across the throat and the jagged scar stretching across his jaw. and more. so so much more.

and yet he smiles. he tells his parents he loves them, that he will remember them, that he is beginning to remember them. he tells them stories he remembers, reminisces on cherished moments. and all of this says, i am still your son deep down, but it will take some time to find him. he refuses to tell them anything about his disappearance. he's fine. he is okay. really, he truly is. yet he still wakes up at night screaming and pleading and crying. please don't kill me. i don't want to die. why do i need to die? it hurts it hurts it hurts. and what can his parents do but wake up in the middle of the night, sit by him as he is curled up in bed, and watch as their baby boy (fifteen, not fourteen) cries and cries and cries, and refuses a hug, refuses to be touched, because it hurts.

[itzharplikealways]

Tabi "I will kill for you"

and

Evbo "I will die for you"

will be the death of me one day.

[loneycorner]

Character death(?) Angst, blood tw

"A world without you is a world I'll never live in"

-a very short fic with pvp siblings-

Tabi looked let out a sigh, rubbing her face, her tone bored and frustrated as ever "my word Evbo, stop being so slow" she hissed, looking behind her only to notice the blonde boy wasn't there

"Evbo?"

Tabi asked to the air, furrowing her eyebrows, taking a step forward

"You better not being playing your stupid games again"

She grunted, getting a little more worried now, taking a few moments before rushing to the area they previously in

"You're scaring me you shithead"

And at the moment, she froze, finding the oh so familiar red stains on the ground, trailing towards a figure sitting on the grass against the hard concrete wall

Tabi didn't hesitate as she bolted towards the blonde, gently placing him into her embrace, looking down at boy in horror

"Evbo?"

She muttered, Evbo's closing eyes glanced over at her, his lips trembling

"Tabs?.. I-"

He whispered, his hand shakly holding onto the other's shirt going into a tight grip

"Hey.. Hey, it's alright, I'm here" Tabi quickly replied, holding Evbo's head up, her other arm around the boy's waist

Evbo eyes blurred slightly with tears, leaning against his "sister's" touch "I-i'm scared.. Tabi- I'm... Scared" he mumbled, voice breaking in the end

"Shh.. It's okay, you're going to be okay.. I'm here.. We'll get you food yeah? You'll be fine" the brunette whispered, pressing her lips against Evbo's forehead, feeling like she was reassuring herself more than she was doing to Evbo

"I don't wanna die.. I don't.. It's scary.." He said, his voice becoming softer, feeling his body giving out on him

And it made Tabi's heart ache

"You aren't going to die, not when I'm here you hear me? You aren't going to fucking die" She hissed, a teary grin on face, brushing away a strand of hair from Evbo's face

"You're.. Not dying"

[epicfranb]

Rewatching Kino's Journey and I'm like Kino is so non-binary coded. But then episode 4 comes around and it's such major honest to god non-binary coding, I'm not even sure if it's unintentional anymore. So here's my little essay about it, ig.

Fair warning for potential spoilers under the cut! Before reading, I highly suggest watching this anime (it's really good) or just the episode in question. You don't really need any context for this, other than the basic premise of the show: Kino travels with a sentient motorcycle called Hermes. As for where to watch it, I always watch on aniwave.to. Again, this is episode 4, so go watch it!!

Since this is about the non-binary coding, I'm gonna keep the summaries short and to the point. The backstory starts with Kino saying she doesn't remember her past name anymore, but expresses the only thing she remembers about it being the bullying. This moment in itself doesn't have an obvious meaning, it is purely symbolic. The episode starts with her in a field of the flowers she was named after, long after she forgot her name; she is there later as a child, starting a new life with a new name; and it ends with her as an adult, which is the moment that leads to the scene in the beginning, nicely looping back in this circle-like narrative. This has more to do with the general ideas of freedom that the show has, rather than specifically to the topic of this essay. I just thought it was interesting how it explicitly shown that she did not like her birth name.

To avoid confusion from this point on, I'm going to refer to Kino the main character as "this girl". This is because she meets a traveler named Kino. The two spend a lot of time together, and the girl explains to the traveler the tradition of this country. This is that when children turn 12, they get an operation to "become an adult". Children are free to do whatever they like, while adults must work and nothing else, and, since this is such a big burden, they get an operation to always be happy despite it.

The girl asks if Kino has a job, and Kino says that traveling is his job. The girl then asks, "Do you hate your job?" and Kino says "No, I like it." and the girl says "Then it's not a job."

Kino realizes this is kind of fucked up and is visibly conflicted on whether he should leave the place as is, or help this girl he's made friends with somehow. He talks to this girl about the tradition, and this exchange happens:

In a world with such a clear distinction between a child and adult, it is unthinkable to the girl that someone could just be neither. This man is grown up, but he does what he likes. And he doesn't even have an answer for "what" he is. He's just "a man named Kino, that's all. And I'm on a journey."

"Doing what you like to do?" The girl asks.

"That's right, I like traveling." Kino says.

He asks the girl what she likes to do. She says she loves singing! He suggests she then should become a singer. She says she can't, because she has to grow up and take over her family's business. But it's fine, because it's about to be her operation and day and she "will be happy, even if she has to work at the inn".

The next day, the girl is conflicted. She asks her parents if it is necessary to have the operation. "Is there no other way that I can become an adult by just being myself?" Her parents are terrified and very mad at her, and the whole street gathers up to tell her off, calling her a "failure", "defective", "a waste of a girl", which are also common attitudes towards queer people in our world. They realize it was the traveler that planted the ideas in her head. The traveler agrees that each country has its own customs, and the people allow him to leave peacefully... Except the girl will be killed, for "defying her elders". Her father charges at her with a knife, but Kino shields her and dies. at this point, Hermes, the motorcycle, starts speaking to her.

This exhange continues the theme of "the secret third thing" and the freedom of choice outside of defined norms. Within the norms, it becomes clear in this scene that you either become "an adult" or you die; but, just like the traveler Kino was "a secret third thing", the girl can also run away and continue being herself. That is the third choice she gets here. And she takes it.

She rides away, Hermes giving her instructions on how to ride properly, she breaks the country gates and escapes to the grand outside. She stops and falls over on a field of flowers, the ones she was named after. She looks back and whispers "Kino..." but Hermes assumes it was her introducing herself to him. Surprised he referes to her as Kino, she throws away the last part of her past she had on her and accepts her new name.

Now that we're done with the summary, let's dissect this.

First off, Kino in her childhood looks very feminine. She has long hair, wears a pink dress and a pink headband with a cute bow. And, s we know her from the future, she looks very androgynous, her hair is short, her voice is much lower, she wears masculine clothing and an oversized coat that she got from the traveler.

She changes her looks, she changes her name, from one that she did not like to one that reflected her better, which is something that many trans and non-binary people go through. Here, I want to mention that even the traveler she met also looks sort of androgynous, which is also coding in itself, imo.

In the country where she used to live, there were two ways to live: being a child and being an adult. One did not have any sort of choice in the matter, it was decided for you. This is, of course, similar to the way that we get assigned a gender at birth and are expected to pefectly perform that gender, with no option to switch or be something else.

But young Kino meets a person who defies everything she believed in her life. He's free to go and do whatever he likes, he doesn't fit in the binary of this country, and he grew up free to be himself. This is wild to Kino at first, but she keeps thinking about it and realizing she does want to keep doing things she likes. She doesn't want to get brainwashed into doing things she hates with an unchanging smile on her face. She wants to be herself, to be free. She doesn't get that choice, of course, not while she's still in the country. She admits that becoming an adult like them would be as bad as dying; because she would lose all her personality and individuality. That's when Hermes opens her eyes to this: she DOES have a choice. Actually, this is her only chance to take it. She runs away, and she's finally free, and she throws away her past and continues life under a new name.

Even if all this is unintentional, this episode's themes still speak to the ideas and beliefs of trans and non-binary people. It is an episode about freedom of choice, freedom to be yourself despite what your culture may impose on you. This is an episode about leaving your past behind for a better future. So, in a way, this episode IS about being non-binary.

Thank you for reading!! I hope there aren't any major mistakes in here. If there are, please let me know so I can fix it (kindly, please). Like, obviously I said words like "feminine/masculine/androgynous" which are labels which don't always fit everything they get assigned to. I hope that it's clear that I used them intentionally for the purposes of getting a point across. Hope you enjoyed, and I've convinced you to watch (or rewatch) this awesome anime!! Bye-bye ^_^

[little-paper-man]

Rythulian Train! Now in ~Color~!

Finally got around to coloring that doodle from a while back :]

also click for better quality it's gonna be scrunched otherwise /D

[alex-dontknow]

context for anyone curious of our old project :3

we started this in late 22 and forgot about it in early 23 ,,,, we have a whole plotline being written and tweaked as we go be prepared gang

@shippin-my-sanses @lightgriffinsect

[k1rameki]

WE ARE SO BACK YOU GUYS 💥💥💥💥

@alex-dontknow @beans2cheese

[leavingautumn13]

warmup sketches tonight are bits and pieces of an emerald fanfic i'm writing. i personally have always been a team magma fan so they show up a lot.

here are the redesigns i did for this fic featuring main characters and their starters

[i have commissions open now]

[taterswithranch]

13... but cursed dragon tabi? the recent one--

two years late i promise i didn't forget HFDSKJSK

13. "Hey, just look at me. Breathe."

The dragon hadn't moved from the corner in three days. He didn't drink any of the water or eat any of the food Garcello brought for him. Any time the green-haired man would try to approach would be met with a series of hisses and distressed whimpers. As much as Garcello wanted to respect the dragon's boundaries, he knew the poor thing would die without any assistance.

He was proven right at four in the morning. It was the loud crack of thunder that woke him up. It was the shattering of glass that had him rushing out of bed and into the kitchen. Broken pieces of the vase were scattered along the floor. The water inside had spilled, and the flowers lay limp on the floor. The table shivered and shuddered, and upon closer inspection, Garcello's unusual guest was the cause.

The dragon lay huddled underneath, gripping one of the legs like a lifeline as his trembling shook the table. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his chest heavily rose and fell in rapid succession. Garcello's mind raced as he racked his memory of how to deal with these situations, trying to remember what one of his close friends had taught him.

First, Garcello rushed for the broom he kept in the closet. Removing the danger was his first priority. He swept the broken glass into the dustpan and threw it away, using a wet paper towel to wipe down any possible remaining fragments. Once the floor was cleaned, he slowly and quietly moved the chairs away, careful not to startle the dragon. Next, Garcello slowly crouched down to the dragon's eye level, making sure to keep a fair distance.

"Hey. Hey, look at me," Garcello requested in a quiet, calm voice. He gently tapped the wooden floorboards, and the dragon's head shot up. Bright yellow eyes pierced Garcello's toned greys. Garcello offered a kind smile and slowly offered a hand. The dragon flinched away. "It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt ya," Garcello reassured him. He sat himself on the floor, mindful to keep his distance.

Another flash of lightning followed by an erupting boom and crack. The sounds of a tree splintering and falling screamed outside along with the rain. The dragon yelped, muscles poised and tense as if preparing to run. His breath only shortened, coming in faster gasps. Garcello tapped the floor again to regain the dragon's attention.

"Hey, hey, look at me," Garcello repeated, never breaking eye contact. The dragon looked up at him with wide, scared eyes. "Hey, just look at me. Breathe." More lightning. The dragon flinched again, but he didn't look away. Garcello offered a reassuring smile. "Attaboy. Do you think you can breathe with me?" The dragon gave a small tilt of his head, displaying a subtle curiosity despite his terror.

Garcello inhaled slowly for three seconds, held his breath for three seconds, then breathed out for three seconds. He repeated the process a few more times, then gestured for the dragon to follow his lead. After a moment's hesitance, the dragon attempted to follow the breathing technique. His breath hiccuped and stuttered as he desperately tried to control his breathing. The first breath didn't even reach the full three seconds before he sputtered. The second breath was the same. The third was shaky, although the dragon managed to hold it for the full three seconds. Fourth. Fifth. By the sixth, the dragon's breath was consistent and stable.

Garcello sighed in relief for this small victory. "It's okay. You're safe here. I won't let anything hurt you." The dragon relaxed a little at his reassurance. With a soft whimper, the dragon took a few slow steps out of the table. Garcello held his breath, watching carefully as the dragon hesitantly crawled into his lap, curling up like a cat. Garcello huffed a small, relieved laugh and gently rested a hand on the dragon's back. The dragon flinched a little, but he relaxed with a soft whine, melting under the touch. While giving him a tender rub, Garcello asked quietly, "Do you have a name?"

The dragon looked up at him, and Garcello could see the cogs turning in the dragon's head, debating whether or not to respond. Then, in a small, timid voice, the dragon answered: "T-Tabi. It's Tabi."

"Tabi, huh?" Garcello smiled and carefully scooped Tabi up in his arms like a baby. Tabi squeaked in mild surprise and squirmed a little to readjust himself more comfortably. "Let's get you some food and water."

Tabi whimpered and nodded, snuggling into the man's warmth. Garcello walked into the kitchen to finally meet Tabi's needs.

[mad-aims]

It’s WIP Wednesday! Here’s my Japanese clothing Aziraphale and Crowley so far, with close ups. I’m going to draw a nightingale design on Aziraphale’s kimono or maybe his haori. I’m still undecided. This is going to look awesome in colour. 😍😍😍

[lightgriffinsect]

happy belated birfday to agoti andromeda

a very entity birhtday

(Friday Night Funkin')

Words: 1995

Summary:

Belated birthday fanfic for Agoti Andromeda, the coolest digidevil singer around! Especially in his brother's eyes. How kind of their friends to be there for them on Agoti's special day, Aldryx sighs. How lucky they are, to all be there, alive and okay.

this was very rushed i'm sorry if it sucks and sorry that it's late /lhj

Entity/Tabi taglist: @shippin-my-sanses, @hoodiehydra, @parrotsartstop, @flurriethefox, @alex-dontknow, @randomlysent, @onemothhwomann, @k1rameki, @irenefandomsfan

Let me know if you'd like to be added to/removed from the taglist!

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

“AGOTI.” Aldryx kicks open the door to the bedroom that his beloved baby brother hijacked last night. “WAKE UP IT IS TEN IN THE MORNING.”

“Hnnhhgnh…” Agoti mumbles, rolling over in bed and becoming enveloped in Aldryx’s dark comforter, like a fork entwined in spaghetti. “Five more minutes…”

“NO. Wake up, oh my God.” Aldryx grabs what, after careful assessment, he’s pretty sure might be an edge of the blanket, trying to unravel Agoti from his self-imposed prison like a toilet roll.

Nope. Too late. The blanket has neither beginning nor end.

“Don’ wanna…” Agoti grouses. He rolls over again, off the edge of the bed and onto the floor, taking the sheets with him. No reaction; he just sinks even deeper into the blanket. “I’m sleeeepyyyyyy…”

“That’s your own fault, staying up till two playing Minecraft.” Aldryx retorts, trying to decide how to explain to everyone that Agoti doesn’t care. Something in his stomach sinks.

How is he supposed to get this guy downstairs? Could he just…carry the whole bundle? Aldryx drops to one knee, sliding his arms beneath Agoti, blanket and all. Agoti yelps as the older scoops him up and leaves the room. “Pu’ me down!”

“You’ll wake up at six for Tabi’s birthday but miss your own?” Aldryx says instead, raising a brow in return. 

“Birthday?” Agoti finally pokes his head out of the cocoon Aldryx can probably just dump on Tabs to untangle him out of. “‘S my birthday a’rready?”

“Yes . You wouldn’t shut up about it yesterday, it’s all you talked about. Have you forgotten?” Al rolls his eyes as exaggeratedly as he can, making sure Agoti can see.

“Eeeeeyyyup.” His little brother slumps back down, going limp. Bright, impish eyes watch him hopefully. “Didja get me the headset I wanted?”

“You’ll see.” At the bottom of the stairs, Aldryx lets him tumble to the floor. Agoti groans, kicking at the comforter until his tail and legs are free. He shoots to his feet with a wide grin, stretching his limbs like a cat. Al can’t help a small smile of his own. Agoti’s morning demeanor is something else.

“That means no.” Agoti sticks out his tongue. “Stop staring at me. Where is everyone?” His tail swishes energetically. His bright, eager gaze darts from the stairwell to the closet behind it, to the well-lit ground floor as he trails behind Aldryx down the hall to the living room. Like he used to when they were little and only had each other and wouldn’t have survived if everything had chosen to go to hell back then. 

Good thing it waited until they were both just barely adults with little understanding of what games the music industry liked to play. 

“Tabs and Aya are here too. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up since eight,” Aldryx half lies. They’re actually still decorating the place. Not that Agoti would care, so why not stretch it a bit?

“Really?” Agoti stops short, tail drooping. “Oh. I— I didn’t think…” He shrinks a little, face reddening, and Aldryx immediately regrets saying that. He shouldn’t have said that, he shouldn’t have forgotten. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Al hastily reassures him. Agoti’s anxiety never really went away. Even though he’d gotten better at dealing with it once the fame hit. He’d started healing at that time, letting his newfound confidence flourish. Letting himself feel better about his life.

Then the Dearests happened. Nikusa, the Void happened. Everything relapsed. And even though Agoti’s found it easier to manage his fears this time, with his family and friends and experience, Aldryx can’t imagine the kind of residual worries his little brother must still be carrying. No matter how good he’s gotten at not apologizing, not caring what everyone thinks. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m— I’m glad, actually. You need to sleep more anyway.” He rests a hand on Agoti’s shoulder. “Come on, Ayana and Tabi aren’t gonna mind. They’re excited to see you.”

“Wh’ ‘bout Mom ‘n Dad?” Agoti dropped that habit of halving his words long ago. He must be so nervous for it to have come back so suddenly. Aldryx gives Agoti’s shoulder a small squeeze.

“Well…” Aldryx lowers his voice, leaning in closer. “I’m technically not supposed to be saying anything, but…” He grins at Agoti’s huge eyes. “They’re out getting something for you.”

“What?” Agoti presses, tail swaying rapidly. “Is it the—”

“Can’t tell.” Aldryx pulls away, snickering. “It’s a surprise… ” He pulls his brother by the shoulder to the living room door, ignoring Agoti’s whine of dismay and also how obvious the surprise actually is. “Now come on!”

“Jerk,” Agoti huffs. But his eyes light up brighter than anything when the door swings open and Ayana and Tabi both yelp.

“We’re not done!” Aya shouts, shoving a throw pillow in Aldryx’s face. Al stumbles back. “Go! Shoo! Happy birthday! Get out!” Behind her, Tabi holds up his arms, tangled in a banner reading “HAPPY BIRHTDAY AGOTI” in bold red and green and blue letters, as if to shield himself. 

“Thanks, guys! Nice banner!” Agoti throws his arms around them both instead. “Can’t believe it’s my birhtday already!”

Ayana and Tabs freeze at that before laughing sheepishly. “We were hoping you wouldn’t notice…” Tabi says, letting the banner fall to the floor in a heap before trying to unravel it. “It was my mistake. I, uh, was distracted. By the cupcakes,” he mumbles under his breath. “Uhm. Sorry?”

“It’s fine,” Aldryx drops the pillow on the couch with a little smile, reaching over to help Tabs put up the banner. “You guys have done enough anyway.” How kind of them to help make today special for Agoti, when everything is still so uncertain and dangerous for all of them.

“You got cupcakes!” Agoti gushes, darting over to the platter of food on the coffee table. “And— ooh, are those my presents?” His gaze snaps to the massive pile of gift wrapped boxes, gleaming in the morning sun as it filters through the bay window. “What’d you guys even get me?”

Ayana clears her throat. “That is classified.”

“Oh, come on!”

“Because…we still have to get through breakfast!” Tabi gestures quickly at the cupcakes and coffee, all jazz hands-like. “We got those caramel chocolate ones you were always saying—”

“Aw— you did?! You did! ” Agoti shoves past them, snatching up one of said cupcakes. It’s topped with chocolate frosting and drizzled in caramel sauce. “I’ve never had these ones! You guys— ” He flings an arm around Tabi, nearly crushing him in a hug.

Aldryx laughs, leaning over to pluck one of the plain red velvets. How sweet of Ayana and Tabi, to remember that he doesn’t like cream cheese frosting. “Thanks for picking these up.”

“Mm-hm!” Agoti nods eagerly through a mouthful of chocolate cake.

“It’s no problem,” Ayana chuckles softly. “It’s the least we could do.”

As the four of them are talking over coffee and more cupcakes than are probably healthy for them, the front door clicks open. “Good morning, kids!” Amora sings out. “I should hope you saved some breakfast for us?”

“Of course we did,” Tabi scoffs, opening the door to receive them and immediately getting enveloped in two warm blue hugs. “Morning.”

“Hi! Morning!” Agoti bolts over and barges his way into the huddle. 

“Morning, Sol! Amora!” Aldryx says cheerfully, rising to give his mother a peck on the cheek. “How’d it go?”

“Oh, it went swimmingly,” Amora practically gushes. “Agoti, you’re not going to believe what we finally—”

“That is classified,” Sol interrupts, giving her a meaningful look at the same time as Ayana. He passes a relatively small box to her. Like many of the others, it’s wrapped in bright paper with a sparkling stick-on bow. “Until we’ve gotten through all the other presents.” There are a lot of presents.

“You guys all suck,” Agoti grouses, folding his arms and dropping to the floor criss-cross applesauce.

Tabi does the same. “But you don’t care.”

“But I don’t care.” Agoti leans on him. Aldryx drops to his brother’s side and throws his arms around him. Agoti’s tail coils around all three of them. “Can we open my things now?”

“But of course,” Ayana snickers, scooping up an armful of boxes and dumping them in Agoti’s lap. 

“Oh, sweet!” Agoti grabs one wrapped in shiny red and gold, haphazardly tearing at the paper and carelessly tossing it aside as his family crowds around him. The pure glee in his smile is so contagious, Aldryx has to suppress his laugh, watching closely over his little brother’s shoulder, soaking up the warmth and cheer. 

Agoti hasn’t been so excited over anything in months, the way he’s excited over the new computer monitor he’s had his eye on for so long. He continues to ramble and praise everything else they got him, decorated in red and white and silver. The huge shark plush that’s probably going to take up what little space remains of his bed. The several hoodies, in more colors than just red, because he really needs to expand his wardrobe.

“These are from you,” Agoti grumbles to Aldryx, inspecting the deep blue of the cotton fabric.

“They are from me,” Al agrees with a grin, resting his chin on his brother’s shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

Agoti blows at his face. “Thanks anyway. It’s… I like the color.” His tone is still grumpy, but there’s a touch of sincerity to it.

“I’m glad.”

“And now,” Ayana pants, shoving aside the mass of empty, half-torn cardboard boxes and crumpled wrapping paper, “we have the last one!” She holds up the unremarkable box from earlier. From this angle, Aldryx realizes it reads “CLASSIFIED” on one side. Wow.

“Oh, yeah!” Agoti whoops, snatching it from her and enthusiastically ripping off the paper. “I think I know what this— I WAS RIGHT!” 

“You were right,” Tabi confirms, laughing softly as he tries to recover from the sudden volume increase. “Yeah. Happy birthday.”

“You actually got it for me!” Agoti is still gushing over the headset he’s been wanting since forever. He probably isn’t even listening to the rest of them right now. “OhmyGodI’vebeenwantingthisoneforsolongthankyousososomuchI’msohappyrightnow—”

“Agoti,” Sol speaks up gently, “take a moment to breathe. Relax.”

“Hhhokay,” Agoti gasps, eyes watering. Is his throat hurting from all the yelling he’s been doing? “I just…I wanted this forever and you finally got it for me and it’s so cool and you’re all here and you got me cupcakes and hoodies and another shark plushie even though I already have six…” Agoti trails off, looking down at his lap. His voice is watery too. The rest of them, as one, softly coo and crowd around him in a hug.

Aldryx rubs his back. “It’s all good, buddy.” You deserve the world, he wants to say, among so many other cheesy things that he can never bring himself to admit. “You do great. We wanted to do something great too. That’s all there is to it.”

“We love you,” Amora says, totally unabashed. Aldryx is sort of envious. She knows how to embody the warmth of a star better than any of them.

“You’re our best friend,” Ayana mumbles with a small smile, tears pricking her own eyes. “Of course we wanted to get you another shark plushie, man.” Tabi hugs him tighter in silent agreement.

Sol moves closer to him, visibly unsure, probably tongue-tied. He’s never been one for sappy verbal affection. Instead he just places a hand on Agoti’s head, combing his fingers through his tendrils. Agoti whines and leans into the touch. 

The six of them just sit there like that for a few minutes, huddled on the carpet around the life of their party. Occasionally one of them will mumble another awkwardly rephrased I love you, directed at Agoti but meant for all of them. 

For Aldryx, for the first time in a long, long time, it really does feel like it too.

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

my tumblr moot @shippin-my-sanses headcanons that Aldryx likes red velvet but dislikes the cream cheese frosting, and I really liked it so I mentioned it in this fic! go check out her blog she's a super sweet and fun person, with great takes on the Entity characters!

I promise I won't be late for Aldryx's birthday inshallah ^^;

[pvpcivilization]

and what if i started writing about pvpciv and parkciv. what then

[flurriethefox]

I wanna write something Entity gang central that I’m actually gonna finish but I have no ideas

help?

[tabikato]

Chapter 14, I am so sorry it took so long. Preview:  "What do you think you'll even achieve with that? You know where we are."

"True but it would make me feel better." A smug laugh bordering on condescension, she was looking at him as if he was a child waving around a toy. Annoying that he knows she's right, she's already dead, can't re-kill someone no matter how much he kind of wants to. Seeing as she hasn't moved to do anything to him, he slowly lowers the gun, letting out a huff. Room felt suffocating to him, dark and dungeon-like, with cells along the wall near where she stood. A test chamber, research lab, and a prison rolled all in one and it fit the owner perfectly; gruesome and without an ounce of mercy.

“I do wonder why now, you seem very intent on avoiding me this whole time.” Confusion coloured his face, racking his brain on when had she ever tried to contact him, to reach out. Then the memories flooded in, those damn images that made him sick to his stomach of how she experimented on the villagers, treating human beings like mere objects. Was she expecting some sort of camaraderie? Because they had both been hosts to this eldritch mess? That he would even agree with all she had done?! Resisting the urge to lift his gun again, he threw a glare her way, teeth grinding to bite back the words he truly wanted to spit out.

“Like you were going to leave me alone. I run this ship now so you won’t be fucking getting your way!” Okay, so that was a bit of a bluff, he wasn’t sure if he was actually running this thing or the mold was doing it through him. Either way he was the helm and there was no way in hell she was ever going to be in charge again. 

“Bold words for someone who probably never meant to come here, Mr. Winters.”

“Fuck you!” She didn’t look disturbed in the slightest by his words or his anger. In fact, she was sitting there like some patient mother indulging in a child’s tantrum. Why did he even bother to come here? There was nothing he could do or say that was going to change her and frankly, he could care less if she did. Rather he just wanted her to disappear and leave them all alone, eternity with mother dearest sitting in the back of the car wasn’t on the top of his list. Or even the bottom of it, for that matter. 

“Why even summon me? You know I’d just tell you to fuck off. You can’t even do anything to me.”

“So sure of that, are you?”

“I mean, I’d love to see you try. I still got a gun and your head is looking pretty shootable.”

[howmanyheartaches]

I wrote about "Shuna no Tabi" and "Gunsmith Cats" for all new ALFONZ!