#there are more gems along the panel

[ahhfear]

MY FINISHED ADOLIN COSPLAY FROM LAST YEAR!!

the leafy chain is to represent maya, in this picture it’s hard to see anyone but sureblood but i also had a galant charm and a sword maya charm. and of course my wedding ring.

these last two are mostly silly, i think it’s important you know w bought horse socks for this cosplay. and the last picture is of me proposing to a lovely shallan cosplayer with a ring pop. it was a very fun time

-

[IDs copied in alt text: 5 photos, IDs in order from right to left, top to bottom.

first ID: a photo of a cosplayer dressed as Adolin, shown from the thighs up. The photo was taken in a park, with trees and dappled sunlight in the background. The cosplayer is slim with pale skin and their curly hair in black and gold stripes has been pulled back in a low ponytail with curly bangs hanging over their forehead. They wear a modified Kholin uniform in shades of blue. They wear a medium blue, puffy sleeved shirt with tight cuffs, a darker blue vest with gold detailing, and navy blue pants. The vest has been sewn and altered extensively. It has gold trim along the edges. There’s a vibrant panel in the centre of the front, attached with two rows of gold buttons, and the Kholin glyphpair is embroidered along the panel in gold. There is a gold chain attached to the bottom two buttons on the vest, lined with green leaf charms, and a chain on the right side has an iridescent white horse charm. They are wearing jewellery as befitting a prince - necklaces, pins, and a ring. One necklace is a gold chain with coin-shaped charms hanging from it, and the other necklace has a shiny pendant. The pins are attached to the vest, both gold, both over the heart. One is circular with a blue gem in the centre, and the other has a pointed flower shape with a white gem. They stand confidently, their left hand resting on the hilt of the sheathed sword on their belt. That hand wears a gold ring with a diamond in the centre. In a final touch they also wear dashing gold sword earrings.

second ID: a further zoomed out picture of the same adolin cosplayer in the same pose, this time with a more neutral expression. their whole body is in frame and the background is not blurred. their shoes are brown heeled boots the same color at the belt hilt for the sword. one foot is up on a small ledge

third ID: the same cosplayer, pose and framing as the first picture. the only difference being they have a huge grin on their face, as if they were just told a very funny joke.

fourth ID: a photo taken in a different place, indoors, pointed down at the ground, showing a pair of feet in light blue socks covered in horses and their legs, as well as a hand wearing a gold ring with a diamond in the middle.

Fifth ID: a photo back in the park. the adolin cosplayer is on one knee in front of a shallan cosplayer, who has red ginger hair, a green long sleeved dress white pants, dark brown boots, a white glove and a brown bag. they are both holding a green ring pop that the adolin cosplayer is holding up. they are both smiling at each other. the adolin cosplayer has a blue ribbon tying their ponytail and the chain with the white horse also has a gold sword and a black horse, but the black horse is unclear against their dark pants. End IDs]

thank you to @cosmereplay for helping write the first ID and edit the others.

[dilatorywriting]

Monster Mayhem: Lion's Pride [PART 2]

Gender Neutral Reader x Leona Kingscholar Word Count: 4.3k

Summary: There is a Lion living in your chicken coop. This sounds like the setup for a really bad joke--you wish it was.

[PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 3]

There were wards carved into the wooden pillars of your small cottage that had existed long before you’d made your home here, and they had an ancient, cloying, sort of magic to them that always left you feeling swaddled in bubble-wrap comfort—safe and secure. Even against angry Skin Changers banging down your door.

“You won’t be able to cross the threshold unless you’re invited,” you called, hoping it might deter him from actually destroying your entire porch.

There was an irritated growl from the other side that sounded an awful lot like he was probably still going to wind up trying to put his claws through the paneling, so you pulled the door open once more and stepped aside with purpose.

“You are not welcome,” you said, cheerful, before gesturing for him to try and step inside.

The Lion Man sneered at you, his ears flattening pissilly atop his head as if such a fluffy show of irritation could ever be intimidating (even if he wasn’t drenched down the bone), and he moved to make his way into your home. But when his sandaled foot reached the threshold, he stopped. You watched as his brow furrowed and something darkly frustrated slithered across his handsome face. There was no great arcane barrier or explosion of magical prowess—just a gentle shudder you could see creep along his limbs as he tried to force himself to move and couldn’t.

“Was there something you needed?” you asked, after what was perhaps a too-long moment of watching him stew in a mucky mix of rainwater and his own burbling rage.

He scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning up against the well-beaten doorway like the slouch was supposed to be intentionally casual, and not because he literally couldn’t move anywhere else.

“I need your help,” he said—demanded. He stared down his nose at you like you were some sort of unpleasant looking bug crawling across the floor.

“Alright,” you shrugged. “And…?”

“And what?” he demanded.

You rolled your eyes towards the ceiling and mercifully gave him through a silent count-of-ten to try and figure his shit out. When all he did was curl his lip at you like a petulant noble in court, you sighed and turned back on him with a cheerful, customer-service, quality smile.

“Thank you for your inquiry,” you chirped. “But I’m afraid I’m all full up for the day. Good afternoon.” And closed the door in his face yet again, but this time with a polite, little, wiggle-wave of your fingers as you went.

The next morning arrived altogether uneventfully. The rain had stopped sometime during the evening, and the lingering moisture had left your little homestead shrouded in a lovely cloud of fine, glistening, mists. You headed out into the soft chill with a pleasant hum and armfuls of treats for all your critters.

And then you noticed that there was an extra animal making itself at home in your little farmyard—one that you’d assumed had eventually given up and stomped back whichever way he’d came.

The Lion Man was sleeping in your chicken coop—perfectly contentedly, too. Which you wouldn’t have expected from a near mythical creature dripping in precious gems and who spoke with all the haughty self-assuredness of someone who’d never been told ‘no’ in any way that mattered.

You glared at him for a moment or two, hoping the searing irritation in your frown would be enough to poke him awake. But the Lion Man just laid there, cozy as a clam in his bed of shredded hay.

“You’re scaring Penelope,” you huffed, loud, and tossed a handful of seed by his feet.

The birds squawked and hopped up to peck brainlessly at the treats—unbothered by the predator lounging in their nest. The rustling of their feathers and tap-tap-tap of their little beaks at least seemed to finally wake the lazy Lion Man, and he opened one glowing, emerald, eye to glare balefully at you.

“They don’t seem like they give a shit,” he rumbled at you, voice still thick and syrupy with sleep. And indeed they did not, bopping around without a care in the world. Your aforementioned Penelope had even shuffled herself into the Lion’s lap to reach some of the seed that had fallen into the folds of fabric pooling at his hips.

“Why are you in my chicken coop?” you asked, as polite as you could manage. It still sounded like you were giving yourself a root canal.

He stood with a languid stretch and your birds clucked at him irritably for a moment before settling into the warm spot he’d vacated.

“It was raining,” he complained. Like it was obvious.

You pinched the bridge of your nose and tried again. “Why are you still here?”

“I already told you, herbivore,” he yawned. His long, white, canines, glinted in the morning sunlight. “I need your help.”

You sighed a miserable sort of sigh and fought the urge to dig your thumbs into your eyes.

“Forgive me for not jumping at the opportunity to assist the person—or, sorry, whatever it is you are—who abandoned me to die in a hole,” you harumphed, turning pointedly to start trudging back to your cottage.

“You got out, didn’t you?” the Lion griped, slipping forward to dog at your heels.

“No thanks to you!” you accused, jabbing a finger in his direction. He rolled his eyes and you could practically feel the steam leaking from your ears. “I helped you once already,” you pointed out testily. “Twice, if you count all the rations you gobbled up. And you still left me behind without a second thought! Why should I bother doing anything else for you?”

His face twisted up into something sour. The grin he shot your way was all sharp teeth and vinegar.

“Ahh, that’s right. I should have remembered—humans are only willing to barter their aid if they’re going to be repaid in kind. So. Tell me. What do you want then, hmm?” He scoffed. “Wealth? Power? Protection?”

You stopped at the door to your home and spun on him, angry.

“This has nothing to do with being repaid,” you seethed. “This is about decency!”

He scoffed again and you fought the urge to just hurl the entire basket of seed into his smug face. Because you were clearly the adult in this situation and needed to act as such. Sure, Mister Lion Dude looked close enough to your age, and you knew well enough of Magic Beasts to understand he was probably decades your senior—if not entire generations—but clearly a wealth of time left no account for manners. So you were going to have to step up and be the mature one here, and not waste an entire week’s worth of grit on the petty urge to upend it all over his stupid head.

With a heavy sigh that was more a gust of incompressible cursing than anything else, you placed the basket aside and turned to him with a stubborn pout.

“Alright, then. A deal—as you’re so insistent that you know exactly what every one of us stupid humans wants. I’ll help you again. If—” you declared, “—you say you’re sorry.”

He frowned, that righteous loathing giving way to a heady mix of even more irritable confusion.

“I have nothing to apologize for,” he snipped, turning his nose up at you.

“Then I have nothing to help you with,” you smiled, barbed, and swiveled to retreat into the safety of your cottage. “Good afternoon, Mister Lion. And please don’t eat my chickens.”

The Lion did not, in fact, eat any of your chickens. Or your geese, or ducks, or even the little rabbits that lived in the walls. He’d passed out beneath one of the overburdened fruit trees that grew along the edge of the forest and slept there for the entire evening—sprawled out amidst the roots like the rough bark was as comfortable as any other luxurious bed. He was still there now, snoring softly beneath the gentle, yellow, warmth of the morning sun.

You watched him for a few quiet moments, throat catching on a curious little hum. You wondered how long he was planning to skulk about your little homestead. You wondered how he wasn’t cold and miserable every night. And surely he must have been ravenous by now. It’s not like you’d seen him eat anything.

So you raided your icebox for leftovers and heated them on the stove until your cottage was filled with the cozy smells of well-seasoned meats and sweet, berry, tarts. You packed up the meal into a neat, little, box, wrapped it all up in a tea towel to seal in the heat, and then dropped the thing in his lap hard enough to startle him awake.

The Lion glowered down at the mesh of checkered fabric in obvious distaste. But then the scent of what was tucked within said wrappings must have made its way to his nose, because some of that ire seemed to melt away and he sniffed curiously at the air.

“Thank you for not decimating my livestock population,” you said.

“You told me not to,” he snapped, tail whipping angrily at his rear. He reached out to pick at the folded edges of the parcel with a perplexed sort of expression twisting at his mouth.

“And you didn’t,” you responded with a shrug. “It’s appreciated.”

With that, you left to go about your daily business. Your garden needed tending, and one of the corners of the fence needed a new patch to keep it upright. You also hadn’t seen much of your foxes since Lord Lion had decided to make himself at home, and you wound up spending far too much time crawling around on your hands and knees—looking under bushes and into holes as you waved around a juicy chunk of roast beef in hopes of tempting them out.

There was the telltale crunch crunch of someone stepping through the dirt to stand at your side, and you glanced up to see the Lion Man looming over you with a heavy scowl—arms crossed loose over his chest.

“Is this what you do? Everyday?” he asked, sounded insultingly incredulous. His face was twisted up into a sneer that was entirely unimpressed. “Crawl through the muck like a worm?”

“Not every day,” you said after a moment of consideration. “And worms don’t have limbs. I’m more like a cockroach, maybe.”

He scoffed. “And you have the nerve to think that you’re too good to help me.”

“I never said that,” you frowned, sitting back on your heels and brushing some of the dust and grass from your pants. “I just said you needed to apologize first.”

“I’m not sorry for anything,” he said again, just as put out as before.

You waved a finger at him in a gentle tut-tut. “Ah, but we’re making progress. See, earlier you said there was nothing to apologize for at all. Now at least you’re recognizing that there is, in fact, an anything.”

You swayed your way back to your feet before he could launch into another rant about your mortal ridiculousness.

“A friend of mine hunted down a White Moor Stag last week,” you said, brushing the last of the grit from your knees. “It’s supposed to be delicious, and I’ve had some of the cuts marinating for a while now. You see, it’s this whole mess with orange zest, and molasses, and these little Red Eye chilies that I’ve been growing for ages now—”

The more you rambled, the more constipated he looked. So you cut yourself off and rubbed at the back of your neck, just toeing the wrong side of embarrassment.  

“R-Right. Anyways. I’m going to be cooking some of it up tonight to try. So—Well,” you waved your hand awkwardly around your head in a gesture that even you weren’t entirely sure made any kind of sense. “If you apologize before then, you’re more than welcome to come in and have dinner.”

He scoffed. “That’s not exactly a worthwhile offer when we both know you’ll just end up bringing me some tomorrow either way.”

You sighed.

“Probably,” you admitted. “Well. See you in the morning then if you’re still around, I guess.”

“You’re terribly accommodating to unwanted guests,” he sneered after you as you climbed the set of stairs that made up your teeny porch, and you waved him off with a grumble.

What was so wrong with being civil, huh?! You liked to think that your little cottage was homey and welcoming. You took in weird guests all the time! And you liked being known as that awkward but friendly recluse who could offer a wandering adventurer a fresh set of laundered clothes and a good meal. It was how you’d met all your other friends. Odd as they all were. In fact, if you were being perfectly honest, in comparison to some of your other compatriots, Mister Lion really probably was the most societally acceptable definition of ‘normal’ out of the bunch. Which was—not to rag on your dear friends or anything—but that was certainly… Uh…

You spent the afternoon shuffling about your kitchen, and then a long evening searing the meat to perfection. It tasted absolutely divine—totally ‘making noises not meant for polite company’ and ‘curling your toes under the table’ levels of yummy. You happily set aside some portions for your friends whenever they inevitably stopped by (with an extra-large and prettily packaged one for your Hunter), and then packed a small box of leftovers to set at the front of the icebox. Just as the Lion had said you would. Because unlike him, you were nice. And kind. And really didn’t want him to get hungry enough to start eyeing your chickens in earnest.

The next morning when you ventured beyond your front door, you noticed something a bit odd.

Your brow scrunched and you shifted the little box of meats into one hand so you could use the other to poke around your very neat looking garden.

“I don’t remember weeding this yesterday…”

Nor had you had time to fix the fence amidst all your fox chasing. Or prune the berry bushes. And normally your trimming was not quite so, err, ugly, lopsided, like the work of a toddler with safety scissors imperfect. More of a scorching, really, than any kind of clipping. There was a soft dusting of glittering, arcane, sand scattered along their roots.

The Lion snorted and snatched the food from your hands with a scowl. It was a weird, tiny, twisty expression—and way more performative than he’d probably intended it to be.

“Then you must be even stupider than I thought.”

“Huh,” you mused, plopping yourself down on one of the low-cut stumps and resting your chin in your palm. You tried to hide the amused tick of your lips behind your fingers. “I hadn’t thought that would be possible. What’s lower than a base zero?”

“Negative numbers exist,” he sneered and sat cross-legged in the grass across from you to devour his plundered meal.

You hummed and rifled around in your pockets. You unearthed another wrapped treat and passed it his way.

“Thank you for cleaning up,” you said.

He scoffed and took a too-large chomp out of his food, eyes averted towards the ground. “Whatever.”

The Lion followed you around the rest of the day—always at a distance, and always with a perpetual cloud of scathing comments settled about him like a swarm of buzzing bees. You just hummed through the streams of pessimistic angst and continued your chores. Mostly he just watched you toil away. Occasionally you’d toss him a berry from a bush you were replanting, or share some bites of the granola you’d tucked into one of your pockets. He accepted each treat with an upturned nose and absolute indignity. But he ate each and every morsel, and you noticed him go back to swipe another berry when he thought you weren’t looking.

He still outright refused to apologize, so you took your dinners alone. But he did help you move some thorny branches, and didn’t even complain too much when Penelope the Chicken made herself a nice bed in his lap. You brought him one of your spare blankets—a big, old, fluffy thing that you’d once hoped would be a bit magical, as you’d spun it together from some enchanted wool. It was not, which was disappointing. But it was still warm and pretty, so that was fine.

The Lion scoffed at it, but you just left the folded-up mess of soft fluff by his side with a pointed pat-pat-pat before returning to your own cozy bed for the night.

When the sun rose the next day, you woke to a familiar, scraggly, redhead at your door. Ace smiled at you through a layer of grime thicker than the shirt on his back, and you immediately herded him out towards the backyard to dunk him in the pond.

“What did you even do?” you asked, upending another bucket of water over his head. “You look like someone tied you to the back of a horse and dragged you the entire way here.”

He shivered petulantly. “I didn’t do anything! I swear! And nothing happened!”

Splash went the next bucket.

“Nothing I didn’t deserve,” he corrected, and you handed him a towel as a reward for his vague attempt at honesty.

Eventually Ace managed to weasel his way out of the frigid pond and into a fresh set of clothes. He sighed, content, and set about lounging in the sun like a fat, lazy, tom cat. Which, speaking of lazy, lounging, cats…

You glanced around your little farm, but your new Lion companion wasn’t anywhere to be found. Huh. How strange. You retreated back into your home to collect some of your leftovers before returning to your friend. You carefully balanced one of the boxes atop the fence as you went, just in case the Lion did come around looking for a snack.

You handed the other to Ace, and his mouth nearly started watering at the sight.

“No Deuce this time?” you asked, peering back out towards the dirt road—half expecting to see the warrior sprawled out in a ditch or something just a few paces down the path.

“Nah,” Ace sighed, kicking up his feet and letting out a heaving sigh that sounded like it weighed more than the thick, traveler’s, pack usually strapped across his shoulders. “He stopped back in town to drop off a letter for his mom.”

Ace moved to dig into the food in earnest, and you lit up at his enthusiasm.

“This is from that Stag,” you beamed, and his face went a bit pale. “Remember? The one we could barely fit through the shed door even when we got all six of its antlers off? I finally got around to cooking it.”

“That Hunter brought this?” he asked, looking more and more uncomfortable by the second.

“I mean, who else could kill a White Moor Stag?” you laughed, and Ace’s expression was shifting into something that looked a bit too close to sea-sickness for someone sitting in a soft patch of grass in the heart of a landlocked prefecture.

You reached forward to pluck up a bit of one of the juicier steaks between your fingers and shoved it firmly into his mouth. The indignant spluttering that followed rapidly melted into near moaning, and whatever hesitance was brewing in that empty skull of his dissipated in the face of such a pure, culinary, masterpiece.

You leaned forward eagerly when he began to shovel the stuff into his mouth like a dying man inhaling his last meal. “How’s it taste? I tried using rinds this time in my marinade instead of just the orange pulp, and also tried whole ginger slices rather than the ground up kind, and—"

“Yeah, yeah,” Ace waved you off around a mouthful of half-chewed meat. “Food magic, and fancy things, and whatever. Can’t you just let me enjoy this stupid, terrifying, meal in peace—”

A clawed hand slammed down over the top of the makeshift lunch box with an echoing ­­thwack, and the redhead lurched backwards with a startled squawk.

“If you’re not going to bother listening, you don’t deserve to eat it,” the Lion huffed, snatching the portion for himself and gracefully folding his unfairly lithe limbs to plop down at your side.

“You’re one to talk,” you blinked, taken aback at his sudden appearance. And blatant hypocrisy. Like. Come on, dude.

He was close—far closer than he was normally willing to get to you and your human cooties. Practically slotted up against you from hip to shoulder. His tail curled up and around your wrist and you could feel the tip of it twitching irritably against the soft skin at the heart of your palm. That aloof, emerald, glower of his was fixed on Ace with just a touch too much ire to really be considered indifferent, and his ears were pressed down into stiff, flat, lines atop his head. You blinked again, wide eyed and a bit confused. Huh. Maybe he just wasn’t a fan of strangers.

“When have I ever interrupted one of your ridiculous tangents?” the Lion snipped at you, pointedly popping the thickest, juiciest, slice of the bunch into his mouth. It shredded like tissue paper between his canines and Ace audibly gulped.

“You make faces at me,” you argued petulantly, and immediately felt like a toddler.

“But I always listen,” he shot back, equally as bitchy. And also… surprisingly earnest. Even if he was being as miserable about that sincerity as he was about everything else.

His green eyes flicked down to meet yours for a moment—two, three, four—before swiveling back towards Ace and narrowing all over again. And yeah, you’d assumed that the Lion had looked irritated with you plenty of times before, but the sneer he was giving Ace was all sorts of unpleasant. Rivaled only perhaps by that open, spiteful, hatred when he’d turned to bear his fangs at the metal spike trap twining around his legs and keeping him trapped in that pit.

His lip twitched up, almost like a snarl, before he continued, “Even an herbivore like you deserves that at least.”

Then the Lion reached around you to snatch the checkered tea towel wrapping from its place discarded at your friend’s feet, jostling you ridiculously all the while and practically bullying you into his lap with his flailing elbows in the process. He idly wiped the mess of sauces and drippings from his fingers before tossing the fabric back into the dirt—this time at his feet. You rolled your eyes at the petty theatrics and shot Ace one of your patented ‘man, what a day, am I right?’ looks, that he responded to with an expression that looked more like someone had just punched him in the nuts and threatened to wear his skin as a suit than it did any sort of real life, rational, human, emotion.   

The Lion’s arm tightened from its place at your waist—where he’d lazily left it after that initial reach around. You settled back against him with a good natured, if exasperated, huff. At least he was warm. And honestly a much nicer seat than the damp ground.

“Uhm—” Ace choked. Cleared his throat. Tried again. Choked harder. “Who—Who’s this?”

“Oh,” you hummed, pensive. “Actually. That’s a very good question. I don’t really know.”

The Lion Man practically groaned into your neck. Ace looked like he wanted to put your head through a wall.

“This entire time,” the Lion hissed. You could feel the imprint of his canines bumping up against your skin as he grit his teeth. “You didn’t even know who I was?”

“No?” you frowned, confused. And then, rightfully indignant, “It’s not like you ever introduced yourself!”

He pulled himself back with a sigh that sounded like it was the only thing standing in between a gruesome murder and whatever fragile sanity he’d managed to wrangle together. He straightened—posture going rigid and regal. The claws at your waist flexed into the breezy fabric of your shirt and his tail tightened along your arm.

“I am Leona Kingscholar,” he declared, proud. “Second Son of the Sunset Savannas. Heir to the King's Roar.”

Ace started choking all over again, and let out what sounded vaguely like a strangled ‘holy fucking shit.’ You waited a moment, shifting through the catalogue of names and places in your head before drawing a complete blank. So you simply nodded as best as you could while squashed up so close against him and offered your own name politely in return.

Ace gawked at you. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

You frowned. “What are you talking about? I was just being polite!”

“This is—He’s—!” your redheaded friend just barely managed to splutter out past his obvious terror. “Leona Kingscholar is a Warlord. He’s an ancient terror—He’s—He’s a General, and a monster, and the fucking Changeling Prince whose family rules over this entire goddamn continent, you absolute fucking halfwit!”

Your brain seemed to evacuate the premises all at once, and you were left gaping like a fish out of water. Mouth opening and closing as if of its own devices. Just. Not a thought passing behind those wide, horrified, eyes of yours. Eventually you managed to tilt your gaze up and up until the back of your head thunked against your guest’s shoulder. You stared at him in outright consternation and he simply arched a handsome brow, entirely unimpressed by your apparently lackluster deductive reasoning.

“…is that all true?” you asked haltingly. He rolled his eyes at you.

“More or less.”

“… and you’ve been sleeping in my chicken coop.”

Leona snorted. “I have.”

You turned back to Ace, a creeping sort of dread slithering through your gut and clawing up your spine.

“Oh no,” you said. With feeling.

“Oh fucking no indeed,” he wailed, and dropped his head into his hands.

.

.

.

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[sage-nebula]

I've seen some people surprised that Kit feels murderous toward Tails in the newest issue, but honestly? I really think this tracks. Setting aside his original programming to kill Tails, let's look at their relationship in chronological order, shall we?

As we know, they met in Eggperial City, where Kit tried to do his job and kill Tails. Tails quickly set to work on talking Kit down, which he did mostly successfully (mostly, because it all went to pot the instant Tails suggested they find Sonic). The thing is, if he has taken the time to look back on it (and I'm sure he has for reasons I'll get to), I don't think Kit sees Tails as really being kind in retrospect. I think he sees Tails as having manipulated him.

And the thing is: he's right.

Look at Tails's smirk after Kit shows surprise that Tails likes his gear. That's a got him smirk if I've ever seen one. Tails has clued into a vulnerability of Kit's that he can use to his advantage.

He further tries to draw similarities between them ("I'm different too and people didn't like that either") and asks leading questions ("you don't get support huh?") to get the result he wants. We have further confirmation that this is deliberate manipulation on Tails's part by his internal monologue about Kit's emotional instability.

Now, none of this is to say Tails is a bad person. Kit was genuinely trying to murder him and Tails was trying to de-escalate the situation to save his own life, without physically harming Kit if possible. As funny as memes about Tails murdering the Kukku Army are, generally he tries to avoid hurting others if he can. He's a nice boy.

But what happened after this?

Well, more specifically: Tails mentioned wanting to find Sonic for help, Kit attacked again, Tails knocked Kit out, and then after Kit comes to and they all leave the city . . .

. . . he's told that Surge died.

Surge was his one reason for living thanks to Starline's programming, and she died while Kit was unconscious because Kit fell for Tails's manipulation and then was overpowered. We don't get a look inside his head during the time when he believes Surge has died, but there is a strong possibility that he blamed himself, because if he had drowned Tails right away like he was supposed to, he could have gone to help Surge. But he didn't, so he couldn't, so she's dead. That's mostly on him, but he could easily resent Tails for it, too.

And speaking of resentment:

Kit finds out Surge is alive, and of course his first instinct is to think Sonic lied so that he could kill Surge off for good. So he goes to get revenge, only to be blocked by Tails. And that's when we get that gem of a line: "Why would you bother with me? You already have him."

Remember that, when he thought Surge was dead, he figured he could be used by Sonic instead:

But while he of course doesn't want to serve Sonic now, he has also realized that if Surge HAD actually died, Sonic would still have no use for him, because Sonic already has Tails. Tails, who can break his water tails easily. Tails, who easily manipulated him in Eggperial City. Tails, who disabled his water pack and knocked him out.

So far, Tails has bested Kit at every turn, leaving Kit to feel inferior and worthless by comparison.

The next time they meet, it is a trap where Kit is again supposed to kill Tails. And once more Tails is able to manipulate Kit into temporarily backing down:

Tails thinks Kit has gone back to being, if not friendly, then reasonable. But he hasn't. Kit stops specifically when Tails says Surge is hurting herself, because he doesn't want Surge to be hurt. And I think Tails knows that, and that's why he said it. But Kit also knows that he is being manipulated here, and his silence is him watching for his opportunity. Such as here:

Peep Kit in the second panel. He watches as Tails dives after Sonic. Had Tails hit the water, he would have been fried right along Sonic. But did Kit care? No. He watched. Surge could have easily killed Tails just as she (temporarily) killed Sonic, and Kit would not have cared at all, because at this point he does not see Tails as a friend: he sees him as a manipulative enemy.

This is further cemented by what he says and does at the end of the issue.

He uses his water tails to grab Tails and move him out of the way in the very same way that he does to Sonic. And he says, "I'll bury you all here." All, including Tails. While the focus is put on Sonic's anger because he is the main character, that doesn't change the fact that he is including Tails when he says that he will bury them all. He sees Tails as no different from Sonic, Starline, or Eggman. Tails manipulated and used him, just as the rest did. He just pretended to be nice while he did it.

So when he finally comes back in this most recent issue, it comes as no surprise to me that this is his attitude:

His history with Tails is extremely personal, and not in a good way. It can be easy to miss because most of the focus on Kit has been on his codependent relationship with Surge, and he hasn't openly voiced how he feels about Tails until this particular issue. But when you piece together every step of their relationship (Tails manipulating him, Tails overpowering him, Kit saying Sonic has no use for him because he has Tails), it paints a very clear picture that Kit feels every bit as suffering in Tails's shadow as Surge does in Sonic's. The only reasons why Kit isn't more proactive about it is because of his programming as a support figure. Supporting Surge comes before all else, so if Surge is hurting herself it's best to hang back. And if Surge doesn't want to go after the Restoration because it's a losing battle with just the two of them, then he needs to follow her lead.

But those feelings of resentment are still boiling under his surface. And now that he has the opportunity to unleash them, he won't miss the chance to strike.

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Hi. I hope your day is being kind to you. 🙂

For the sentence Ask?

"My ears miss your heartbeat."

With Astarion x Evie (Ace!Tav) please? If you want.

Astarion x Evie (Ace!Tav) Masterlist

A/N: Sorry, this went well over an extra 5 sentences. I guess I really just needed to write.

Warning: Tooth rotting domestic fluff

Word Count: 1.1K

Astarion didn’t make a sound as he slipped through the front door, stilling the bell with his hand before it could alert anyone to his presence.

The shop was completely empty, which would not be unusual at this time of night were it any other shop in town. The owner kept odd hours, not opening until well after sunset, the exception being when his wife managed to stumble down the stairs past noon to take orders. An odd set up, but nobody could deny the craftsmanship and so there was little to grumble about.

Astarion moved through the space with practiced ease, not bothering to light a candle as he moved towards the back room and up a small flight of stairs. He did not so much glance at the rolls of golden thread, or dig around the drawers for where he knew a small fortune of gems and finery could be found and easily pocketed. Such treasures were far from his mind at that moment.

Jumping the last few steps, he easily avoided the small creak of the second to top panel before deftly maneuvering his way through the waiting door.

The barest breath of relief escaped his lips. The entryway was completely dark, only just illuminated by the street lanterns peaking through the barest sliver of heavy curtains. Once again his dark vision proved a blessing as he took a quick look around.

The room was empty of anything other than comfortable but undeniably stylish furniture and the lines of bookshelves full bear to bursting along the walls. He slipped off his boots, placing them gently near the door making it almost comical how silently he could move along the beautifully embroidered rug. It felt like cheating, but then again, since when was he above cheating.

One final door lay in front of him. At his feet he could see the smallest flicker of candle light peaking out from below the door frame. Somebody was still up.

With a grin, he turned the doorknob and slowly pushed the door open.

It was moments like these that cause Astarion to lament not having a more artistic hand. The being before him deserved to be preserved in oils and canvass, marble and stone.

She did not notice him come in. Her clear blue eyes were focused intensely on the page in front of her, her finger moving slowly under the words while her soft lips mouthed them in time. Her hair lay loose about her, a few strands tucked behind her ear. Astarion could just catch the barest hints of white hiding in the field of black, something she would no doubt deny the existence of if he pointed them out. Her dark olive skin seemed to glow in the firelight, but the final detail that make his unbeating heart stir was the fact she was dressed only in his shirt.

On second thought, maybe it was a good thing he wasn’t a painter. He didn’t much like the thought of anyone else gazing on this image but him.

“Hello darling,” he said, softly.

Evie’s head snapped up, her eyes going wide in alarm as her hand gripped the book in her hand as of to throw it. As soon as he caught the quick progression of fear to recognition to annoyance slip across her face he let out a laugh.

“Milil’s tongue Astarion,” she grumbled, snapping her book shut. “You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days.”

“Just be happy I’m the one doing it,” he teased, setting down his bag beside the door. “You’re getting slow my love.”

She gave a small pout, but still rolled onto her back, opening her arms to him.

He didn’t need further incentive, launching himself onto the bed causing them both to bounce and his love to laugh. Gods he missed that sound. However, he decided he missed her lips more, kissing her soundly as they both sunk into the too soft mattress.

“Good trip then?” she asked in between his attentions to her mouth.

“Tedious,” he corrected. “Better if you were there.”

“Well if it was so tedious I’m glad I skipped it.”

Astarion gave a huff of annoyance moving his lips across her face and jaw and down towards her neck. He took a deep breath in, the musk of her skin mixing with the perfume of her blood pulsing just below. He could drown in that scent.

“Hungry,” she asked, turning her neck slightly in invitation.

He shook his head pressing a kiss against the fading scars.

“No need darling, just enjoying being home.”

He didn’t need to look up to know she was smiling. He could feel it in the way her hands rubbed up and down his back and brushed the stray hairs at the back of his neck. All the same, he decided to look anyway.

This was his home. Even all these years later, he still had a hard time believing it. He and Evie had all but hung up their adventuring gear and settled in a town just big enough to justify a fine tailor shop. The occasional helpless damsel or bandit gang causing trouble could pull them from their daily routines, but little else. They were both getting older and ready for a place to call their own, something that was denied to them for so long. Even stranger and more wonderful still, Evie had agreed to marry him.

She brushed a stray hair back from his forehead, her fingers tracing down his face before teasing the edge of his ear.

“I missed you, too,” she said, her full love only just tempered by a hint of humor.

He didn’t have the strength to pull away from that perfect touch, and settled kissing her sternum in response.

“I did plenty more than just miss you darling,” he confessed. “There are too many parts of me that miss too many parts of you.”

“Oh?”

He nodded. “For example, my lips missed your lips quite a bit.”

“I gathered,” she said with a barely contained laugh. “What else?”

“My hair missed your fingers.”

The corners of her eyes crinkled in amusement as her hand moved slightly up, allowing her fingers to comb slowly through his hair.

Astarion sighed in contentment, settling his head to rest comfortably on her chest.

“Go on my love,” Evie encouraged. “Don’t stop now.”

“My arms missed your warmth,” he said, wrapping himself tighter around her for emphasis. “My nose missed your smell. But if I really had to name it, my ears missed your heart beat the most.”

“And you say you’re not a sentimental,” she teased.

“Exceptions are always made for you my heart.”

She hummed in acknowledgment settling into the sheets, her fingers still running soothingly through his hair.

Astarion feel asleep in her arms as he had done for countless nights and hopefully countless more; safe, loved and truly home.

[anon-e-miss]

Shaping You - Seen

Prowl was not eager to see Punch again but his originator in law was king of Polyhex and as long as Prowl lived in his court, interacting with him was unavoidable. He had made a bad impression on him, in more than one way and his title hunting procreators had made a worse one. It seemed that the king was no more eager to see Prowl than Prowl was to see him as he never once summoned Prowl nor Jazz to dine. It troubled Prowl that he was playing a role in estranging Prowl from his originator. Unlike Prowl, Jazz seemed to have always been close to his originator and it was terrible to be the cause of that bond breaking. As Jazz guided him to a carriage, Prowl hoped that this tour and the gift of his bridal armour to his citizens might ease some of his distaste.

Jazz had insisted they wait until Hotwire had completed his proper armour, though the mock up had served Prowl just fine, the final product was cut of thinner metal and painted the richest blank paint and the most perfect iridescent white Prowl had ever seen. It gave the effect of appearing as if it had been carved of crystal and not of metal. If Prowl had not known better he would have expected his chest plate to be transparent. This was armour sculpted by an artist, a striking contrast to the gaudy thing he had worn to his bonding. It in this Prowl felt like the consort of a prince, more than he had in his bridal armour.

“Hotwire smelted yer armour ‘n molded it into bricks,” Jazz explained as they set off, after she separated out the gems. “Got enough that ya don’t gotta worry ‘bout leavin’ anyone short.”

“Thank you,” Prowl replied. “That is easier than donating panel by panel, and less crass than handing my pelvic girdle to a school or museum.”

“Yeah, I didn’t dig that image,” Jazz replied. “Nothin’ crass ‘bout ya but don’t mean others ain’t ‘n I don’t want ya gettin’ anymore grief.”

“Never fear,” Prowl replied. “I will come to some manner of grief by my conduct alone.”

“Yer conduct is perfect,” Jazz assured him. It had not been but it was kind of Jazz to reassure him.

His new armour was snug over his belly. Dipole insisted on spoiling him by experimenting with Praxian cuisine and Prowl was indulging more than he ever had under his originator’s supervision. Beyond that, Jazz was diligent in doing his duty as a bridegroom and he flooded Prowl’s gestational tank at least twice a mega-cycle, if not thrice and thus Prowl’s belly was kept round with the proof of his virility. If Prowl did not kindle soon it was clearly a fault in his spark and not in Jazz’s efforts.

“Since we got a ways to go, why don’t we keep busy?” Jazz suggested.

“Oh?”

“Oh! Oh! Oh!” Prowl squealed.

His flaccid spike hung between his splayed legs. Jazz’s spike battered his transfluid duct, ringing his reservoirs dry. Prowl knew that medics routinely drained Praxian brides when they became… congested, this was most certainly not how it was done back home. A froth of transfluids and lubricants oozed from Prowl’s well fragged valve. His belly jiggled as Jazz fragged his aft and Prowl could not imagine would his originator would make of such a sight. Jazz had him wailing in overload and the thought vanished in the white burn of ecstasy.

He was the picture of the blushing bride as they stepped off the carriage. They had spent the entire journey making passionate love and Prowl could not keep the flush from his face as he walked along next to Jazz. His swollen folds and aft rim rubbed against the lining of his armour. This must have been why Dipole had put that absorbent lining in; she knew how Polyhexian grooms were expected to be, insatiable. Prowl thought the crowds gathered at each stop along the tour were surprised by his appearance. He was far more rotund than the photography from the ceremony and parade would have suggested but no one scorned him, at least not outwardly.

Polyhexians in Darkmount wept at their gift, they received the largest share of ununtrium as Jazz believed they had the most need and seeing the bombed out shells of buildings, Prowl agreed completely. They needed a medical centre, schools and every other government service returned. Prowl heard talk of Empties and insisted on going to the Dead End to see the situation. Victims of EMP weapons that had broken their processors and their frames, the Empties were shunned by their own framekin out of fear their madness could spread. No one entered the Dead End except to harass the poor wretches and as a result the shattered district was a restricted zone with armed guards at the gates. When Prowl entered the gates with guards grumbling at his back, he was struck dumb by the devastation. It was as if the district had been smelted where it stood. The buildings looked like they were melting even now. Many of the Empties had a similar appearance. Prowl saw one planting seeds in what must have once been a traffic circle. From the way the soil looked, Prowl did not believe anything would grow here again. He knelt next to the mech and planted seeds with him.

“Ratchet?” Jazz’s voice broke Prowl from his reverie. “Whatcha doin’ here.”

“I have a clinic here,” Ratchet explained. “I’m doing what I can to make them comfortable.”

“Hello Ratchet,” Prowl greeted the medic.

“You’re looking better,” Ratchet declared. “Much better.”

“I am pleased you approve,” Prowl replied. His own kin would not. “Is there any ununtrium left to donate to Ratchet’s clinic?” Prowl asked.

“Yep,” Jazz replied. He waved a servo and their escort left to fetch the donation from their carriage. “Consider us yer official patrons, Ratch.”

“Mecha will tell you that you should put your shanix to better use,” Ratchet replied.”

“‘N those mecha can kiss my aft,” Jazz replied.

Prowl prayed the weapon that had done this damage to the Dead End and its residents had been destroyed and its blueprints tossed in the smelter. It was so terrible, so terrible what it had done. War in general was terrible but the Empties had been damaged in such a hideous way. Even vorns after the weapon had detonated, the damage continued to spread in the frames and processors of the survivors. Empties who had appeared physically undamaged in the beginning had developed deformities. This was why their neighbours feared them. They feared it was contagious. Ratchet said it was not and Prowl believed him.

“Y’er perfection,” Jazz told him when they returned to the carriage.

“How do you mean?” Prowl asked.

“Their own kin shun ‘em,” Jazz said. Some o’ those sparks got livin’ kin ‘n they don’t claim them ‘cause o’ the Affliction ‘n ya planted seeds wit one. Ya didn’t argue it was a weird place to plant, ya just… joined ‘m. Ya saw ‘m.”

“They deserve to be seen,” Prowl replied. “The seeds will not sprout. The soil has been as devastated as the buildings, but perhaps in time it will be restored. I saw a tree growing out of the wall of a temple in Petrex. How it sprouted there, who could ever know, but it did and maybe something will sprout here again.”

“Perfection,” Jazz declared. “Y’re perfection.”

Pictures of Prowl planting seeds with an irradiated Empty replaced those of the bonding in the media. Prowl was uneasy, it was clearly socially unacceptable to interact with Empties and he had made enough missteps already. Dipole called him a saint when she showed him an article she had saved to memory glass. He did not feel like a saint. If anything, Prowl felt like a fool for acting without thinking. Though he did not regret gardening with the mech, Prowl feared what the king would think of him endangering his heir by abandoning the itinerary.

Trying to calm his battle computer, Prowl walked the palace’s haggard garden. It must have been splendid in its time but the vorns of civil war had not been kind to it. He saw an amethyst sapling leaning and looked about for something to use for stakes. Branches from the dead try that might have propagated the sapling remained on the ground nearby. Prowl used them to hold up the sapling. It would probably be pulled up whenever the palace hired gardeners again but for now it would hold.

“What would yer procreators think o’ that scene?” Punch asked. Prowl flinched. He should have seen the king coming. Stiffly, he turned around and prostrated himself as the Polyhexians did, lowering his crest to the ground.

“Which scene, Your Majesty?” Prowl asked. Punch scoffed and Prowl flinched again.

“The one all o’er the news,” Punch said when Prowl did not speak further.

“Where I gardened with the poor mech?” Prowl asked. “They would have been less than enthused.”

“Why?”

“The castes do not mix in Praxus,” Prowl said, never lifting his helm. Though they hope to climb above theirs, it would not be permitted to step below mine.”

“Hypocrites,” Punch grumbled. “Go on, get up.”

“Thank you,” Prowl said as he did as he was told. He gestured to the sapling. “I do not think to make a claim on it. I just thought that as long as it was here, it should have some support.”

“My great great great grandgeni planted this garden for his bride ‘cause he was homesick. The amethyst trees were the first thing he planted. It’s nice to see a part o’em lives.”

“I see,” Prowl replied. “That was considerate of him.”

“Ya ain’t a fool,” Punch said. “Y’re procreators bragged ‘bout yer test scores ‘n they were impressive. Ya didn’t do anythin’ wit’em.”

“They considered it unseemly for me to seek a true function,” Praxian brides may dabble but they do not work.”

“In that armour, how could they?” Punch asked. “I know what ya ‘n Jazz did, donatin’ that o’er priced scrap were it’s needed. That was yer idea, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Prowl replied. “I thought it could be put to better use.”

“‘M not inclined to like ya, mechlin’ but ya don’t make yerself easy to hate?”

“Oh?” Prowl asked before his processor caught up with his mouth. “It came easily enough to my caste mates.”

Punch laughed and Prowl flushed.

“I can see why Jazz ‘n Dipole o’ taken a shine to ya.”

[kojitheopossum]

Can you pretty please info dump on either Gem or Pearl or both in your siren song au?

Yes absolutely!!!!

Pearl first, she isn’t in this au as much as gem but she’s still close friends with the other employees. Her favorite activity while she waits for new visitors is watching people, paying close attention to who comes and goes. This helps her get along well with returning visitors, but also means she’s the first one to notice that as time goes on bdubs seems to get slightly worse for wear. Pearl also spends her time working on fun painted fliers and signs for outside the aquarium and leads groups on a walk to the shore nearby in the summer. She really enjoys the aquarium, even if she’s not the most knowledgeable about the fish. She has a neutral opinion on the leviathan (etho) since she’s never seen it. Her favorite exhibit is the moon jelly tank, honestly i didn’t even realize the moon connection until right now but that’s perfect. She also gets along really well with everyone there, and rlly doesn’t understand why everyone gives doc a hard time. Once, when a customer was being a dick to her, doc physically threw the man out of the building. When she found out bdubs was also an artist, the too bonded immediately. Pearl and gem are very close, gem constantly coming over to lovingly pester her at any opportunity. The two met at work, but like many people in this story they realized they had a few mutual friends (grian being one of them).

Gem LOVES her job, during her free time she’s either with pearl or wandering around saying hi to all the creatures. Her personal favorites are the bigger fish, like the nurse sharks, guitarfish, and giant isopod but she also adores the spotted garden eels and cuddle fish. Since she’s the general vet, she’s a lot more up close and personal with the fish and has secretly named most of them. It’s also her job to organize and prepare the diets for many of the animals. Gem instantly gets along rlly well with bdubs as well, and is the one who gives him his first tour of the aquarium. Although her and doc get along fine, she isn’t allowed to help with tours because she kept threatening to fight people. Like I said before, she has an interest in the bigger fish, and thinks the leviathan is really really cool, but is still wary of him. Gem and grian spend a lot of time together as well, and she’ll gladly join in on any shenanigans he’s up to whenever there’s a lull in customers. She’s also very fond of who she refers to as dad, impulse, but usually only sees him during lunch when the two catch up.

Bonus, a rough panel of gem, pearl, and grian in that order :P

[semi-imaginary-place]

1 more chapter to go then we will have all 108. Phos was turned into a perfect human, but all humans are imperfect, to be a perfect human is to be imperfect. The professor said to burn the bridge back to humanity so that the new inorganic lifeforms could begin a new society free of the taint of humanity and I begin to wonder if that was impossible from the start. Much in the way Adamant taught the gems with their incomplete knowledge of humanity and how to live, Phos and Brother have guided the Pebbles in creating language and culture and just like Adamant none of it was intentional or done with malice.

I like many others found the Phos death scene to be extremely emotionally evocative, beautiful in how those pages blend the literal dissolution of Phos' body by the plasma of the dying sun with the metaphorical stripping away the years of Phos' existence as we the audience reflect back on his journey.

"You will change beyond all understanding, but something of you will remain." (The Memory - Fallen London)

"as different as they are now, some important things have not changed. this is hinted to us in 99, with the parallels it draws between the beginning of the story and where we are now (black panels with the same layout as the very first panels of the manga, and Phos lying in the grass, jobless, for who knows how long until someone calls out to them)... they still do not value their own existence and therefore take the message of “burn the bridge” to confirm their desire to erase their existence along with humanity’s. they fear making the pebbles "human" like them and bringing them the suffering that comes with that. however, i believe Phos has already given humanity to the pebbles. through their influence (both passive and intentional) the pebbles are intelligent, communicate with language, and create art- they make songs, dance, and tell stories. they are nothing but kind to Phos and each other, because Phos is nothing but kind to them. Phos is afraid of their human influence on the pebbles causing them harm, but their influence has brought everyone nothing but happiness, because they are "a kind child" who raised these other "children" to be kind as well, just as Pebble suggests in 106. this kindness and innocence inherent to Phos is contained within their gem heart." (flayote)

Unlike flayote, I agree more with CrashDunning in that I do not think Phos and the Pebbles have reached some glorious better life and have escaped the sufferings and evils of humanity, humans have not reached redemption because redemption is meaningless here. The gems and Lunarians chose the easy way out of being prayed to instead off passing on through their own efforts to better themselves like Shiro or the game board did.

The new planet is not some glorious heaven/pure land, it was always a part of the current universe. Things are the same as they were before. The world of flowers was not the Lunarians intended destination planet, Brother went off course, they were never suppose to land on that planet, that just happened to be the planet they ended up on. In ch 107 the gems in the flowers and the Pebbles likewise represent how the Lunarians and gems failed to achieve true enlightenment and are still stuck in the same universe being recycled over and over, but that is not such a bad thing, just how things are. There is both inescapable beauty and pain to existence. After a lot of imagery of failed enlightenment and an empty lotus pod, in ch 107 the lotus pod is finally filled with seeds, it has fulfilled it's lifecycle and will continue to be reborn.

So despite everything changing beyond recognition, Phos and sentient life itself, it all also remains the same.

[moddedmoor]

~ OFF-SCREEN POST ~

A good researcher knows when there’s an opportunity to further their knowledge, a great researcher knows when something is well above their level, and a researcher with a death wish wades into something way above their head. Jaycé knew this was not only a stupid idea, but one they were willing to throw caution into the wind on. Though the nerves screamed at them to turn back, they just tightly gripped the ancient looking pokeball at their hip, thumb gently rubbing over a small blue gem inlay. It did not matter to them that the pokeball was empty, instead it served as a reminder of just how stupid this plan was. 

A step forwards, a tug on a rope tightly wrapped around a large boulder, and the unwilling descent into the unknown darkness. A theory had to be proven, or even just entertained, as Jaycé rappelled themselves down into the untouched ruins of Geosenge. Beneath them in the dark, the low groan of support beams not yet collapsed echoed throughout the crater. Chills raced down their spine as they lowered themselves further and further down into the dark. Lower and lower they sank, eventually making contact with the ground and firmly planting themselves on the lowest level. A deep sigh escapes their shaking body as they quickly knelt down to the ground to calm themselves. They sat there for a bit until their nerves screamed at them to move.

In a quick motion, Jaycé stands and  flicks on the lamp hanging at their hip, illuminating the desolate ruins before them. Overhead, a loud rushing sound could be heard amongst the groaning metal and soft drip drip drop of water further off in the dark. Jaycé tugged at the rope hanging beside them before unhooking themselves and stepping out further. The lamp at their hip swayed with their steps, casting long shadows on the forgotten technology shattered before them. Jaycé knew this room well, with two broken pedestals and large industrial tubing draping the floor. A shudder ran down their spine, hand back at the ancient pokeball nervously. 

Further steps, echoing loudly. The only sound this place hasn’t heard in years. A soft crunch echoed in the dark, looking down, the plastic of a keyboard key shattered underneath Jaycé’s boots. More walking and soon before them, a doorway stood, the heavy metal door just barely ajar as they squeezed through into a control-room of sorts. Large panels of knobs and buttons scattered the floor, with some consoles crushed under large chunks of concrete and quickly rusting steel beams. Further along in the room, there’s a raised platform, a single console barely intact, with a small framed photo resting face down on the surface. Jaycé inhales sharply as they get closer, hand shaking slightly as they reach a gloved hand towards the frame. The broken glass from the frame falls to the floor with a soft clink. The photo, albeit folded and damaged from water around the edges, shows an absol wearing a pair of Flare uniform sunglasses. A small whimper escapes Jaycé’s lips as they hold the photo, hands now trembling. 

“Oh, Gelato. Did he have to turn you away?” Their words echo through the emptiness. They sigh and carefully pluck the photo out of the crumbling frame, tucking it away into a small pocket on their bag. Their curiosity gets the better of them as they push a chair away from the desk and kneel down to sort through the drawers. The bottom one is heavy and filled with water and molding paperwork, Jaycé holds their breath as they quickly close it. The second one is drier, but full of nothing interesting. The third, uppermost one, is mostly full of silly personal items. Jaycé bites their lower lip as they carefully sort through everything. Pulling out a few items to tuck away, until they freeze, hand hovering over a small familiar box. They shake their head and look away as they reach down and carefully pull the box out of the drawer. With a shaky breath, they look over at the item in hand. It’s a set of dice, a deep maroon color with black numbering and small white sakura blossoms with branches etched into the metal. Their thumb loosely wipes at the clear plastic encasing them, a deep sadness overwhelming them, before quietly tucking the box away.

They don’t linger any longer after unearthing the dice, instead they exit the room and dart around for any space with exposed earth. They came here for one reason, and by dist, were they going to quickly do it. It takes a while, with the light from above just barely reaching the depths, and the light at their hip only going so far. Eventually, they do stumble upon a wall with large claw marks, exposing the earth to them. Immediately they take note of this and the scattered and shattered stones on the ground below. All of them have an eerie red tint to them that shines in the dim light. They swallow nervously, throat suddenly dry as they reach out to touch the soft earth. It crumbles beneath their touch, almost dissolving, causing them to jerk their hand back in shock. They shake their head to dissipate the anxious thoughts swelling inside, then carefully unclip the light from their hip to hold it up to the earth. There’s no moisture in the exposed earth, so any glimmer shows proof of stones. 

“Oh thank dist, this wasn’t for nothing,” They sigh, interrupting the eerie ambiance of the emptiness around them. They clip the light back at their hip and carefully brush away the dirt surrounding the stones. They all have an aggressive red tint to them, with the ones closer to the surface having large cracks running along their surface. Horror sweeps over Jaycé, causing them to accidentally drop a cracked stone. They watch as it shatters on the ground, small sparks of red bursting out. They stand there, frozen as a realization overtakes them. Their body trembles as they manage to take a step back. They glance at the two tiny stones as they sit in their palm. Carefully, they bring their other hand over to cup the two, then gently shake their hands, causing the two stones to clink together. Small sparks and cracks erupt from the stones, with a spark shooting out towards their exposed arm. When it lands, it stings, causing them to jerk their hand back, dropping the stones again into a shattered mess of sparks. 

They shakily exhale, bringing them back into the moment at hand. They take a small mental note and go back to digging around for stones. Deeper into the earth is where they find stones more akin to the standard marble size. They have a lesser red tint to them and don’t spark when jostled about. They sigh in relief and pocket the stones. They work quickly, pulling only one small handful of “stable” stones. They have carefully inlaid the “unstable” stones back into the dirt and debate about bringing a few back. It’s risky, but they pocket a few, keeping them separate from each other and the usable stones. They look at the rest inlaid in the dirt and shiver, before grabbing them all and tossing them out into the depths. These stones should not be found, should not be mentioned, and should stay buried under the cold and unforgiving ruins of Geosenge. They watch the sparks illuminate the further darkness and stand there until an awful, whooshing groan echoes above. They’ve had enough of this place, the adrenaline now running thin, as they start towards the rope. They come across it again and quickly work to secure themselves and pull themself up. It’s a lot harder to ascend than descend, occasionally having to pause and catch their breath. They eventually reach a point where they can reach a flat surface to steady themselves on and make quicker work ascending. By the time they are above the ruins, their arms shake and go numb as they collapse onto the ground below. The world spins as they catch their breath, all fear and adrenaline gone as their body struggles to function. 

But still they persist. They pull themselves up slowly, trembling violently, and untie the rope securing them. From there they begin the trek towards the fence blocking off the ruins to the world. It’s a long trek to the fence, the sun now high in the sky by the time they arrive. They worm themselves out by crawling through a hole in the fence and stagger to their car. They climb in and sit at the wheel, barely alive as they slump and try to collect themself. 

“Fuck.” Is all they can whine as they gently bonk their head on the wheel. “Fuck.”

[slaymitchabernathy]

The Gem

“You have reached four miles,” the automated voice told her.

Soarynn wiped the sweat off her brow as she continued her steady pace on the treadmill. Most people would complain about having to run four miles, but Soaryn didn’t. She didn’t see how anyone could complain when this was her view.

Space.

Outer space, the new frontier, uncharted territory. Soarynn never got sick of it, never longed for Earth the way other people sometimes did. Soarynn continued to run as the spaceship approached another planet, this one was red with black spots on it. Soarynn admired its surface as they sailed past it, knowing it wasn’t the planet they were destined for.

“You have reached four and a half miles.”

Soarynn felt her legs beginning to grow sore, she would stop after five miles, stretch it out, and then change for dinner. Then the lights went out. Along with the treadmill.

Soarynn let out an aggravated sigh as she pushed the ‘start’ button on the treadmill’s console but to no avail. “What is it this time?” She muttered, stepping off the machine. Just as she began to walk towards the doors a loud groaning sound rang through her ears, as if the ship was being torn apart.

Then, a bang, and Soarynn flew onto the treadmill, almost falling onto the ground as she tightened her grip on the handles. She looked out the large windows to see they were spinning, spinning so fast she was beginning to grow dizzy. Soarynn gritted her teeth as she pushed herself back up and stumbled towards the doors, knowing she needed to get to the source of the problem.

The gymnasium doors slid open and she stepped into the hallway where the red emergency lights were now flashing, providing some illumination to the darkened hallway.

“Warning, Warning, Outside Collision, Outside Collison.”

Soarynn held her hands out to her sides, pressing her hands on the walls as she ran down the hall, doing her best to stay balanced as she felt the ship beginning to tilt. The doors to the helm were wide open, which meant they had been manually forced open since they always closed right after you entered the room.

“SEJANUS!” She yelled, running into the helm to see Sejanus Plinth frantically tapping at the console.

“It’s not my fault!” He said, not even bothering to look up at her as he grabbed the wheel and yanked it to the left. Soarynn grabbed onto the railing as she stood on the small platform that overlooked the helm, “Well then tell me why we have no power and why we’re spinning through space.”

Sejanus ran over to the control panel and flipped several switches, “Technically,” he held up a finger, “we aren’t entirely out of power because if we were then we would have stopped moving and the helm would be powered down.”

Soarynn raised an eyebrow as she walked down the steps towards him, “Okay, then why is a majority of the ship dark, and spinning on top of that?” Sejanus sighed, leaning against the wall as he watched the blinking lights on the control panel, “You know, they never mention this part in training. It’s all about the benefits, the adventure, the honor. It’s never about how everything will go to shit when you’re almost at the new homestead.”

Soarynn felt a small grin crawling onto her lips, “Well, there’s no glory without guts,” she reminded him, watching as one of the lights went from green to red.

“Ah! There we go, now let’s see what we can do about the power,” Sejanus said, smiling at the little red light. Soarynn followed him back to the center console where he tapped on the screen that displayed all the different rooms on the ship.

“If there’s no power anywhere else, how is there power in here?” Soarynn asked, looking around to see everything still up and running. Sejanus looked up at her and Soarynn knew she was in for an involuntary lesson about something science-related.

“Well, we are currently running off of our power reserve that the ship has. But everything else has been knocked out of calibration, which is why there’s no more electricity on the ship. We’ve just never experienced this type of problem before.”

Soarynn pursed her lips, “But you can get the power back on?”

Sejanus perked up then slouched back down into one of the command chairs, “Well yes and no.”

Soarynn sighed, rubbing her temples, “Sejanus, you’re giving me a headache. Please, just fix the ship.” Sejanus pressed one of the images on the screen and the lights began to flicker in the helm. Soarynn walked over to the gigantic window that served as the front windshield for the entire helm, giving them a panoramic view of space, and looked to see if any of the other parts of the ship had lit back up.

She felt her mood sour when she only saw more red flashing lights.

“Okay, what the hell just happened and why did my shower stop working?”

Soarynn turned to see Coriolanus Snow, a very wet Coriolanus Snow standing in a pair of sweatpants with his arms crossed. “We lost power,” she replied. Coriolanus rolled his eyes, “I can see that.”

Sejanus messed with the console once again and the entire ship shuddered before it came to a stop. “What was that?” Soarynn asked, her eyes nervously flitting around the room.

Sejanus cracked his knuckles, “We need to recalibrate the entire ship. We got hit by an asteroid, a small asteroid mind you. I just checked and it damaged one of the power blocks outside so I need to go out there and fix it.”

Coriolanus sauntered down the steps, his wet golden curls dripping onto the floor, “So why did you just recalibrate the entire ship? We haven’t done that since we left.” Sejanus stood up with a sigh that Soarynn had grown used to hearing, “I recalibrated the entire ship so I don’t get electrocuted while I’m out there fixing the ship and messing with all sorts of electrical wires.”

Coriolanus didn’t look too impressed but he nodded, “How far is this going to put us back Sejanus? We’re almost there,” Soarynn reminded him.

Sejanus held up his hands as if surrendering, “I know I’m the technical guy, but I can’t answer all of your questions while we’re aimlessly floating in space. The sooner I get out there, the sooner we start moving.” Soarynn bit her lip, “So no power until you fix it?”

Sejanus nodded, “Yes, no power except in here where power is essential. And to make sure we keep the power in here, I’ve diverted all the electricity to go into this room, which means none of the doors, lights, projectors, ovens, gym equipment, or anything else for that matter will work if it runs off electricity. So if you need to get into your rooms, you’ll have to do what I did,” he said, gesturing to the helm doors he had manually opened.

Coriolanus shrugged, “I just need a towel.”

Soarynn looked him up and down, “You’re dripping on my floor.” He sneered at her, “Thank you, I didn’t notice. Sejanus, get out there and fix this and get us moving again,” he said, turning on his heels and walking back towards the doors.

Soarynn couldn’t help but glare at the trail of water he was leaving, and he had no doubt dripped all over the ship, “I have towels in my room Coriolanus, you’ll just have to help me open the doors,” she said, watching Sejanus divert even more power to the helm.

“Be careful out there,” she said softly, resting a hand on Sejanus’s shoulder.

He gave her a small smile, “Just don’t press anything in here and I’ll be fine.”

Soarynn nodded, that was simple enough.

꧁ ꧂

Sejanus managed to turn off the annoying automated voice giving out a warning every five seconds, so it was a quiet walk to the wing of the ship that housed the crew’s quarters.

Soarynn remembered how confusing this ship had been when she first got on it. It felt like such a maze at the time, with so many hallways and corridors and an endless amount of rooms.

They walked past the mess hall and found it pitch black, the only source of light coming from Soarynn’s tablet she’d left on one of the tables this morning from breakfast. “It’s weird to see the Gem so quiet,” Coriolanus said, ruining the silence Soarynn had been enjoying. She nodded, “It certainly is.”

The Gem of Panem was a grand spaceship that had been sent into outer space to find another planet for humans to live on.

Soarynn had been in her final year at the Academy when the ship and its mission had been announced. The President said that they were looking for brave young men and women to volunteer to man the ship and venture out into the unknown.

Soarynn obviously volunteered, knowing she’d be an excellent candidate. Lots of other students volunteered and they were put through rigorous training exercises and classes, thinning out the weak. In the end, Soarynn Nightingale, Sejanus Plinth, and Coriolanus Snow had been selected to board the Gem of Panem.

What they didn’t know was that two other young adults had been selected and from the Districts of all places.

Coriolanus had loudly protested this decision, and let their superiors know about his distaste for the Districts. Soarynn couldn’t blame him, she too hated the Districts and preferred to keep their natural order. The order in which she landed on top.

But it had already been decided and their fellow shipmates arrived at the training center the next day. Jett Yearwood and Dorothea Mellark were both from District Twelve which surprised Soarynn. She thought they might have picked people from one of the higher Districts or District Three where they specialized in technology.

It had been a bumpy start, all things considered, all five of them had to learn to work together and put aside their differences. Soarynn was quick to notice a bit of a power struggle between Jett and Coriolanus. Both were good-looking boys who clearly wanted to be in charge.

In the end, Dr. Gaul—the head superior for this mission—assigned Soarynn and Coriolanus as the captains of the ship. Soarynn hadn’t been too happy about having to share her very important position with Coriolanus, but she had seen how aggressively he attacked any situation they came across in training. And she knew that she tended to look at things from a more logical, tactical level, taking a step back if need be.

Overall, they weren’t a bad pair.

Sejanus had been assigned as the ship’s technician due to his heavy knowledge of computer skills he displayed at the Academy. It was soon revealed to them that Jett and Dorothea would be leading the ground mission to find the new homestead that had been vaguely charted out for them.

They would have to go from planet to planet until they found the right one.

Soarynn then understood why they had been brought onto the mission because they were expendable. They were arguably doing the grunt work and the hardest part of the mission by risking their lives to explore uncharted planets. Losing two District astronauts was much better than losing Capitol astronauts.

The physical training had been the hardest in Soarynn’s opinion. They were put into spacesuits and literally floated around in zero-gravity chambers and learned how to fix every part of the ship from the outside. They learned all the safety protocols, repairs, and medical procedures.

The ship practically flew itself, so it was situations like this where their training came in handy.

Once they took off it felt so surreal, to see the stars right in front of them made all five young adults realize they had more in common than they realized. They were all kids who at the end of the day had large aspirations and were all so young and new to all of this.

They had been in space for two years now. No family, no trees, no going outside.

Nothing.

Jett and Dorothea had left six months ago in their own pod to explore the planets and now they were about to reunite with the Gem because they found it. A new earth, a new place to live and grow.

And now the fucking ship was broken.

So close yet so far, Soarynn thought bitterly as they walked into the wing where all their quarters were. It was strange to have it somewhat empty with Dorothea and Jett gone. Dorothea and Soarynn had become fast friends, and they tended to stick together since they were the only girls on the ship. Their quarters were vacant of life, most of their belongings untouched since they left.

“I hope Sejanus remembers his tether this time,” Coriolanus mumbled as they approached the doors to Soarynn’s quarters.

Sejanus was what you called “book-smart” and while he was a genius in Soarynn’s eyes, he often lacked common sense. So when he hopped off the ship with no tether attached to his suit, it was quite an exciting day. Coriolanus had been the one to get him back and he still never let Sejanus forget about it. Soarynn, Dorothea, and Jett had all cackled about it later once Coriolanus had gone to bed.

Soarynn missed Jett’s lighthearted jokes and Dorothea’s witty sense of humor. Coriolanus and Sejanus made good company, but she was slowly losing her mind being sandwiched between the two of them.

“I’ll let you handle this,” Soarynn said as they stopped in front of her doors. Coriolanus sighed as he began to pull on one of the doors, trying to force it open. Soarynn glanced down the hall to see he had already forced his own doors open.

“Take your time,” she said, her tone sounding bored as Coriolanus fought tooth and nail to open her quarter doors. He scoffed, “You’re a real pain, you know that?”

Soarynn smiled a smile so sweet it was sour, “I know.”

He struggled for another minute or two before he finally opened the doors. “There,” he panted, leaning against the wall, “after you.” Soarynn smirked as she strolled into her bedroom, an out-of-breath Coriolanus in tow. 

꧁ ꧂

All their quarters were minimalistic, as was the entire ship. How they chose to decorate their spaces was entirely up to them. Soarynn had brought quite a few things from home, simply because she didn’t know if there would be a home to return to.

Their quarters were lofts. With the bottom floor came a seating area and closet along with their bathrooms, and the upstairs platform held their bedroom spaces.  Soarynn’s seating area had several blankets and pillows from home, along with lots of little trinkets.

Some old photos of her parents before they died in the war. The war that had taken so much from everyone in some way. Coriolanus had lost both his parents as well. Another thing that they had in common.

Soarynn tried her best to stay out of his way, and his obvious ambition that trampled anyone who got in his way. But their paths seemed to be destined to cross and the stars aligned.

Dr. Gaul had given them an all too uncomfortable briefing about practicing safe sex while on board. The woman wasn’t an idiot which Soarynn appreciated. What she didn’t appreciate was the box of condoms they’d been given before the ship took off. It had been awkward, to say the least, and none of them seemed to jump at the idea of sex.

Not that Soarynn was opposed to the idea of sex, but she had partaken in a lot of that before shooting herself into space. And all three boys were very attractive, but they had a mission to focus on.

Soarynn spotted Coriolanus looking at a photo of her and her mom, Soarynn had been four in the photo, right before the war really began. “Do you miss your mom?” Soarynn asked him, vaguely remembering Mrs. Snow and how she always smelled of roses.

Coriolanus smelled like roses, the scent always lingered when he passed by.

Coriolanus nodded, tearing his eyes away from the photograph and landing them on Soarynn. “Every day,” he replied, his voice hoarse.

Soarynn normally felt at odds with Coriolanus and his rather brutish nature. He would often bark out orders to the crew and Soarynn would follow behind to soothe over his sharp tone. They made a good pair the two of them, perfectly contrasting with one another.

Soarynn couldn’t help but glance over his half-naked physique. Everyone on the crew used the gym, and the boys seemed to live there some days. Coriolanus was well sculpted, and Soarynn had seen how strong his arms could be. Strong enough to pry open the metal doors. And he was tall, so, so tall, with broad shoulders. His hair was probably the one thing that truly defined him as a Snow.

Soarynn remembered Crassus Snow sporting the same hair color before he died out on the battlefield. Soarynn’s hair was a platinum blonde, a slight contrast to his golden gurls, but they complimented each other nicely in her opinion.

Soarynn looked back up at his face to see him smirking, that arrogant look on his face as he shamelessly let his eyes rove over her own body.

Soarynn had been wearing a pair of form-fitting athletic shorts that accentuated her legs and stopped around mid-thigh. Her shirt wasn’t even a shirt, it was a sports bra with thin straps in the front that crisscrossed in the back. Soarynn had always been skinny, but with the diets they had all been put on, she’d filled out a little more after years of starving during the war. The Capitol made sure to bulk all of them up before the mission and Soarynn was now lean and limber.

“You have a staring problem,” she said, crossing her arms. Coriolanus only smiled wider, “You looked at me first,” he retorted.

Soarynn scoffed and turned to go into her bathroom where she had more than enough towels. “Oh there’s Sejanus, and he has a tether thank goodness,” Coriolanus said from outside. Soarynn poked her head out to see Sejanus had in fact made it outside the Gem and was floating past the window that made up the entire back wall to Soarynn’s quarters.

One thing Soarynn loved about their space station was how many windows there were, and she especially loved that all their quarters had an entire wall of glass so they could look out into space as they floated through it.

Sejanus gave them a wave as he drifted past them, the toolbox in hand. “Could never be me,” Coriolanus said, shaking his head as Sejanus drifted off towards the back of the ship. “You’re absolutely right, now here’s your towel,” Soarynn said, shoving it into his hands.

Coriolanus looked down at it, “Only one?” Soarynn rolled her eyes, “How many do you need?”

Coriolanus shrugged, scratching the back of his neck, “I don’t know. Maybe four?”

Soarynn’s eyes widened at such an outrageous request, “Four?! What are you doing in the shower that warrants the use of four towels?” Coriolanus didn’t even reply as he stalked towards her bathroom, brushing his shoulder against hers.

“None of your business,” he called over his shoulder, a cocky grin on his lips. Soaryn scowled, only Coriolanus Snow would take advantage of her generosity. So, she did the only logical thing she could think of from all her training. 

She tackled him.

”AH!” Coriolanus cried, falling onto the ground as Soarynn straddled his back, pressing him down with her elbows, “I tried to be nice, Coryo,” she tacked on the nickname, knowing how much it would piss him off. “But clearly you don’t deserve my generosity.”

Coriolanus let out what sounded like a strained growl of frustration as he tried to push Soarynn off his back but failed miserably. “Get off of me before I throw you into space,” he gritted out, glaring at her from over his shoulder.

Soarynn tilted her head as if considering his little threat, “Hmm, I don’t think so. What do you have to offer me?” Coriolanus gave her a look that sent shivers down her spine, a smile that made her feel that maybe tackling him was the wrong move.

It took about two seconds for the entire situation to be flipped on its back, Soarynn included. She gasped as her back hit the floor and her wrists were pinned above her head, Coriolanus’ face inches away from hers, “I could give you a good time,” he whispered, his lips hovering above hers, “I’ve seen the way you look at me Soarynn, and I know how long it’s been since you’ve been properly touched.”

Soarynn resisted the urge to spit in his eye as she struggled against his hold. She always considered herself a strong individual, but Coriolanus trumped her in size and strength.

“As if I’d ever be turned on by you,” she hissed, struggling in his hold. Coriolanus raised his eyebrows, “Oh let’s see then.” He didn’t even give Soarynn a moment to think before one of his hands was in between her legs. Soarynn gasped, clamping her thighs shut as Coriolanus fought to feel her clothed sex.

“Get off of me or so help you Coriolanus Snow I wi—“

“But notice how you didn’t tell me to stop touching you Soarynn, it’s like you haven’t had a man show you a good time in a long time. And isn’t it perfect timing that it’s just us on the ship?”

Soarynn went quiet as she looked around her quarters and into the empty dark hallway. Coriolanus leaned down until his lips were against her ear, “Let me make you feel good Soarynn, and then I’ll take my towels and a bit of your pride and dignity.”

Soarynn glared up at him, her blue-gray eyes boring into his blue ones as she brought her knee up to his crotch. Coriolanus let out a pained shout of surprise as he fell off of her and onto the ground.

“Fuck you,” she said, running her fingers through her hair as she sat up, looking down at a suffering Coriolanus Snow.

“So you do want to fuck me,” he croaked, rolling onto his back. Soarynn sighed, “You wouldn’t be able to handle me Coriolanus, I’m far too advanced compared to the other girls you’ve fucked.” Coriolanus furrowed his brow, “Hey, those girls served their purpose,” he defended.

Soarynn picked at her cuticle, growing bored of this conversation, “And what was that? To look pretty while on their knees for you?” He sat up next to her, “What’s wrong with that?” He asked with a shrug, looking her up and down.

Soarynn really wanted those lights to turn back on now.

“Nothings wrong with it,” she whispered, “but some girls like to have a little more control in their life.” Soarynn pulled her knees to her chest, thinking about how little control she had before she got on this ship.

Both parents dead, barely able to afford the Academy let alone University. This mission had been an opportunity to prove that the Nightingales were still a strong family, even if she was the only one left alive.

“I get that, trust me I get that,” Coriolanus said, bitterness tinging his voice. Soarynn looked over at him and realized she was practically starting at a mirror image of herself. And maybe that was why she kept her distance from him, tried to put up some sort of a barrier between them because goodness knows what would happen if she dropped her boundaries.

“But I’m not talking about life, I’m talking about the bedroom,” he said, a dark, sultry look in his eyes, “and I know I can show you a good time.”

Soarynn bit her lip, she shouldn’t, she couldn’t, she wouldn’t. “Let’s go upstairs.”

꧁ ꧂

Coriolanus Snow was a little too good at undressing her. Within five minutes he had her in nothing but her bra and underwear, lying on her bed. “Can’t believe it took me two years to see you naked,” Coriolanus murmured as he pressed kisses up and down her neck.

Soarynn gasped as he sucked hard at the junction on her neck, “‘I’m not naked yet,” she whispered, squeezing her thighs together. When they had all boarded the ship, Soarynn had no doubt that there was a little bit of pent-up energy inside of all of them.

Two years of no sex sounded like a nightmare, but Soarynn found her sex drive slowly going down to basically nothing after a good six months of being on board the ship. But right now she was very horny and didn’t have a lot of patience.

“Are you gonna fuck me or did you forget how to?” She snapped, suddenly growing very sexually frustrated. Coriolanus sat up, glaring down at her as his hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing it slightly.

“Be patient,” he warned, his eyes traveling down her body to the black pair of panties she was wearing. If Soarynn knew she’d be in this situation she would’ve put in more effort, but instead, she had come from the gym.

She was very good at making sure her personal hygiene was up to standard, but she probably looked disgusting compared to Coriolanus who had just got out of the shower. “Let’s take these off,” he said, his fingers slipping below the waistband.

Soarynn’s hips lifted off the bed while he slowly pulled her panties off, groaning when her cunt was finally on display for him. Coriolanus grabbed her thighs and spread them so wide it almost hurt. Soarynn had done all sorts of agility training before the mission to ensure she was as flexible as possible. But she still felt a slight burn as he held her apart.

“Fuck Soarynn,” he whispered, staring at her cunt. Soarynn squirmed in his hold, “Hurry up,” she said, knowing it was now or never. Coriolanus leaned in, his nose inches away from her cunt, “You smell so good.”

Soarynn furrowed her brows as she tried to look down at him, “Like vanilla,” he added before licking a strip up her cunt without warning.

Soarynn let out a moan of surprise as her hips bucked up, desperately chasing the pleasure. “You sound good too,” he mumbled, pressing a kiss to the inside of her thigh.

“Please,” Soarynn whispered, staring up at the ceiling. She felt his grip on her thighs tighten, “Please what Soarynn?” He asked, his voice slightly scratchy which pleased Soarynn. He was probably just as pent-up as she was, if not more.

“Please fuck me Coriolanus,” she said, looking up at him and batting her eyelashes. His expression turned dark as he tugged her under him and Soarynn let out a squeak, “Do I need to prep you, or are you gonna take it like a good girl?” He asked, pulling his sweatpants down

. Soarynn swallowed as she saw the imprint through his boxers, “I’ll be good,” she decided, wondering how good it would hurt once it was inside her. He nodded, glancing down at her before tugging down his boxers.

Soarynn had to refrain from letting her jaw drop when she saw the sheer size of him. No wonder he was so arrogant and cocky. “Where do you keep your condoms? I know they gave us about a million of them,” Coriolanus said, his hands resting on her waist.

Soarynn shook her head, “We don’t need one, I got a birth control implant before I came here.” Coriolanus looked surprised at her preparedness but didn’t argue as he lined up his cock with her entrance.

Soarynn felt her breath hitch as she watched him, “What does this make your body count Coriolanus? Fifty?”

Soarynn relished the way his face became angry as he glared down at her, “You’re just a little cunt at the end of the day, aren’t you Soarynn?” He hissed, squeezing her waist so tight he’d leave bruises.

Soarynn flashed him a smile because this was exactly what she wanted. If she wanted someone to make love to her then she’d go talk to Sejanus.

But she wanted someone to fuck her, and Coriolanus could do that.

“I am. Now fuck me like you hate me,” she ordered, grabbing his jaw. Coriolanus leaned down, his lips ghosting over hers, “Your wish is my command.”

Soarynn cried out as he thrust into her. It fucking hurt but in a good way. It hurt the way her muscles hurt after doing another workout, the lactic acid burning.

Soarynn’s lips crashed onto his, their teeth clashing as they made out and Coriolanus began to fuck into her. He held nothing back, setting a fast and hard pace, his hands traveling down to her ass and squeezing it.

“Never thought you were the type,” he panted, his hands squeezing her flesh so hard she winced. “The type to what?” She gasped, her back slightly bending as he thrust up against her sweet spot. Coriolanus chuckled, one of his hands going down to her clit and rubbing it in tight circles, smirking as Soarynn let out a moan.

“The type to be a total slut for me.”

That remark pulled Soarynn right out of her fantasy when she remembered who exactly was fucking her. So she wasted no time in sinking her nails into the skin of his forearm, “At least I’m the only girl worth remembering,” she shot back, dragging her nails down until she saw blood.

Coriolanus grabbed her hand and held it above her head as he leaned down to suck another bruise onto her neck, “That we can agree on,” he said with a groan, sinking in further and further to her cunt. Soarynn moaned as he began to attack her sweet spot, her eyes rolling to the back of her head with every thrust.

“Tell me you’re my little slut Soarynn,” he said, picking up the pace, “tell me your cunt belongs to me.” Soarynn couldn’t even think straight let alone speak a coherent thought, “I…I’m yours,” she croaked, gasping for air as he pinched her clit.

Coriolanus smirked as he sat back up, watching as Soarynn took everything he gave her, “Who’s cunt is this Soarynn? Answer me, baby.” Soarynn’s toes curled at the pet name, “It’s yours,” she cried, feeling herself getting closer and closer to her orgasm.

Coriolanus nodded, “Are you gonna cum for me? Gonna take my cock like a good girl?” Soarynn couldn’t even talk as she felt her walls tightening around his cock, finally tipping over the edge. Coriolanus pinched her clit so hard she saw stars as she came, letting out a scream as her back bent off the mattress.

Coriolanus was slamming into her now as she worked through her orgasm and his lips landed on hers. Soarynn kissed him back, her hands tangled in his gold curls as he came inside of her, filling her to the brim.

“Fuck,” Coriolanus panted, holding himself up with his arms, looking down at their conjoined bodies. Soarynn finally collected her bearings, the gravity of the situation finally hitting her.

“We can’t tell anyone about this,” she whispered, the lust fading from her eyes, “we can’t jeopardize the mission.”

She looked up to see Coriolanus wasn’t even looking at her. He was looking out the window that her headboard was pressed up against. “Too late for that,” he said.

Soarynn whipped her head towards the window and felt all the color drain from her face.

Coriolanus Snow had certainly taken some of her pride and dignity. Soarynn quickly realized that as she stared at Sejanus Plinth who was floating outside her bedroom, a horrified look on his face.

“Oh shit.” 

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

[sheeple]

Lady Strong | Chapter 3.5

PHOTO NOT MINE. THIS IS ALL FICTION. Genre(s): Strong!reader / Angst? Fandom(s): House of the Dragon (TV series) Pairing(s): Aemond Targaryan x Strong!reader / Jacaerys Velaryon x Strong!reader (platonic/siblings) Summary: It's not easy being a Strong; with a mother who committed suicide, a father who sired three children out of wedlock and then died for it, and a creepy uncle who has nefarious plans for his niece, it's hard to find people who truly mean the best for you. Luckily there are your brothers and your fiance... right? Warning(s): Drowning / fighting / holding someone hostage / mentions of murder / choking / blood [Masterlist] [Mini masterlist]

There is something inherently peaceful about your state of mind right now. It's like you're floating in an endless sea of nothingness, just floating among the push and pull of the water.

That is until a large wave crashes into you and pulls you under. Suddenly, everything's wild, you're thrown around under the water, crashing into the rocks at the bottom. Events flash before your eyes.

Visions of you and Luke running through Storm's End, both of you flying above the trashing seas, being chased by Aemond. Before finally being pushed off by Luke and seeing your brother get devoured before you crash into the water.

And at last; someone diving after you. Long, white hair floating in the water and a blue gem gleaming. Could this be The Stranger coming for you? To take you to be with your father, mother, and brother?

With a gasp, you open your eyes and sit up. Panic washes over you as you are in an unfamiliar room. It is a private chamber, as you are laying under dark green, silk bedding. Multiple walls are covered by tower-high bookshelves packed with books and scrolls. A large round table is filled with more books, scrolls, and quills. A fire crackles softly with two chairs in front of it.

Panicked you scramble out of the bed, limping towards the window. King's Landing... You're in the capital. Then it clicks. It was no stranger at all. It was Aemond diving after you.

You rush towards the door, trying to pry them open. But it is no use. Scanning the room, you search for something to pick the lock. A quill, a knife, anything.

But all of sudden, you remember when Ser Erryk helped you escape through a secret passage. Running your hands along the walls to search for a lever or a dent, you find it and push against the panel. It swings open and a gush of wind welcomes you, ruffling the silken dress you're wearing. Since when were you wearing that? It doesn't matter.

Running down the dust-covered stairs, you end up somewhere along the west wing in an alcove. Hiding behind a wall until guards have passed, you continue sneaking towards the exit.

When you escape, what then? Your horse is in Dragonstone. Does anyone even know that you're alive? Or do they think you've died with Luke?

Oh, Luke...

Halting in your steps, you lean against the cold stone wall and clasp a hand against your mouth, silent tears rolling down your cheeks. The poor boy was so young, being trusted in a war of a previous generation. And Jace. He must feel so guilty to have suggested going for themselves.

No, you have to continue to fight. Fight for Luke. Fight for the injustice of it all. Fight for the rightful ruler of the realm.

Pushing off the wall, you start to sprint. There is yelling behind you, ordering you to stop. The King’s guard has drawn their swords as they chase you. Turning a corner, you bump into someone and stumble a couple steps back. Two hands shoot out and hold onto your shoulders.

Before you can thank the person, you notice it’s Aemond. Shit. A smirk grows on his face as his grip on your shoulders tightens and he pulls you towards himself.

“And where were you thinking of going?”, he asks smugly.

You try to struggle out of his hold, but he’s way stronger than you. In an attempt to hit him where it hurts with your knee, he anticipated your move. Aemond wraps a hand around your thigh, effectively halting your shot to knee in the family jewels.

In one swift movement, Aemond lifts you up and throws you over his shoulder. You scream and trash against his hold, but his grip is made of iron and holds you tightly over his shoulder.

Once he reaches his chambers, Aemond throws you onto the bed, which you quickly scramble off.

You are the first to speak. Aemond's too busy raking his eye up and down your body. "How could you."

He takes one step closer to you, and you back away. Until you feel your body press against the cold stone of the wall and Aemond's just a hair away from your face. "Would you believe me if I said it was an accident? That it wasn't my intent to kill him? I just wanted to scare him, make him crash into to sea below."

His fingers trace the burn scar on your hand that leads up to your shoulder. His touch continues to the scar his mother inflicted upon you. While his eye holds both of yours captive, you don't notice his hand wrapping around your throat. A gasp leaves your lips as Aemond squeezes slightly and tilts your head upwards.

In a panic, you reach for the sapphire bejewelled dagger around his waist and hold it up to his throat. The corners of his lips turn upwards as he watches you with dark eyes.

"You always go on about justice for what Luke did to you. You always claim to want his eye. But what of a life? What do I get in return for you taking Lucerys Velaryon's life? Your brain? Your heart?"

Aemond grabs your hand that holds the dagger. He fiddles with the clasps of his cotton shirt and lays the tip of the blade on his bare chest. "Then do it, carve my heart out. You already own it, so take it as payment for your brother."

You are trembling, and silent tears roll over your cheeks. 

A mocking smirk replaces the smile. "Not so brave now, are we?"

You want to do it. You want to plunge the blade into his chest and take his hard. Throw it in front of the false king to see that they should not mess with you, with the Blacks. 

But no. You want to do it where an audience will be. You want the world to know that Lady (Y/n) Strong is the one who took the Aemond 'kinslayer' Targaryen's life in retribution for your brother, the Queen's son.

The point of the dagger pierces into Aemond's chest, drawing blood before you pull away and drop your arm. "For now, we are even."

Taglist: @jeyramarie |  @fuckinglittlekitten | @neenieweenie | @myspotofcraziness | @tired-ninfa | @yoshiplushie | @percyjacksonspeen | @lol-im-done | @manitskatrina | @myspotofcraziness |  @caspianobsessed | @hawsx3 | @green-lxght | @literischdegree99 | @bellameshipper | @greenowlfactif | @ksuumin | @hi-im-fan-trash | @bellameshipper | @hiatuswhore | @psychwardsiren ​

[chickenoptyrx]

Ok so here's the run down since I'm too lazy to ever draw everything out :U

goin off this comic

⬇️and down here cause I ramble too much 🙄⤵️

Ok so first the next few pages I had sketched out

Ok so things to note:

• trunks is sad and like very much thinkin bout gohan and his death.

• bulma has the control device thing for brolys headband, but can't figure out how to make it work

• this thing is basically a ki battery. And what imma ramble about.. The whole sub plot here being that 1 of the big drawbacks in the future is theres just not enough power for bulma to accomplish much. Ki as an energy source should work but it doesn't interact well w earths tech, its nearly impossible to store, and even when stored it doesn't then 'power up' in a predictable/usable way like electricity.

(As a side note I stopped at this page cause I kept wanting to redesign it to have 7 obvious apatures or idk something to coincide w the 7 Chakras cause like brolys jewelry stuff also has 7 gems. But. I did none of that :U )

So anyway we see in dbz that non-earthlings have tech that utilizes ki, and paragus' control device for broly obviously uses ki, but while this battery that her and gohan were able to sorta get to work can store ki, they never found a method for converting or using it. But now it can be used and the control device gives her something to reverse engineer from, which is 1 of the reasons for wanting broly around despite him being.. the way he is.

SO ANYWAYS

This was another panel I intended to use once 17 starts attacking broly, who at this point is still very zonked out and not reacting.

So. From trunks pov. Hes already A. thinkin bout what happened w gohan and B. primed to see 'saiyans' as good guys or heros or whatever. Even if hes heard every story about saiyans as a race being bad, hes grown up hearing about goku, seeing gohan, and yknow no ones really talkin too much heavy shit about his dead dad- and his mom loved him so like he was probably good too.. right??

Lol dumbass kid.

So yeah my poor dumb stupid baby boy here is gonna jump into a fight that he does not needta be involved in to protect someone who does not need his help and won't be grateful :D cause ⭐ Le Trauma ⭐

Meanwhile, bulmas testing out her new theory(s) about the control device A. being built to send out some kinda signal and B. Being powered by ki. She's got it set up to expand the reach of that signal so she can pick up that it is reaching something without using too much power and without necessarily alerting whatever its reaching. But broly was already in a weird spot w the headbands control so this lil ping along w everything else goin on is what like awakens him to the fight or whatever. As you can see I'm not a writer.

Big cool epic no holds fight scene that im not drawing starts up. Broly terrorizes the androids but also attacks trunks cause like tf does he care? He's havin fun :>

Bulma realizes how late for dinner she is, decides not to waste the energy in the battery since its all they have of it (also she doesn't wanna admit it but she knows its like the last thing they have of gohan) and now that she knows it won't blow up she can just ask trunks to help her run more tests on the control device later. Then she realizes her kids not home any more and 3 guesses where he went :U she planning on goin out after him guns blazing, realizes she has no idea where he actually is, YadaYada, if she increases the power and range, she can pin point what this devices signal is bouncing off of and thats probably where this new alien and therefore her kid are.

By this point in the fight the androids are aware this is not goin their way, and trunks, poor dumb baby that he is, has finally managed to draw his stupid sword thats way too big for him rn. This creates an opportunity for the androids to get tf outta dodge cause see. Here's the bit. Broly was stabbed by trunks grandad as a baby. So seeing someone pointing a big knife at his probably gets his undivided attention :D anyway, luckily bulma uses the last of gohans ki from the battery thing to send out another stronger signal that zonks broly right tf back out before he can kill trunks. He runs and meets his mom on her way to save him and uh.. yeah, they go home. Soooo gohan saved trunks again even after he's dead :U im sure that'll be fine. Maybe they have a sad fight about it, idk.

Anyway. Middle middle middle.

Paragus used broly for his power to fight his battles for him, so I dont see how this situation w the androids looks very different to broly. They have the control device for their own safety sure, but I mean that was paragus's reason at first too

Then too, broly doesn't know or really care to know how to actually apply any self control w his powers so ya kinda don't want him 'helping' destroy anything- dudes just gonna nuke the planet as collateral damage and move on.

So yeah, more middle middle middle and he's training trunks to fight and trunks is tryin to get him to learn basic self control and like.. morals. And uh theyre friends or whatever. Idk man I just wanted to draw them hanging out and hadta do a convoluted back story about it that I then never actually did :D

[heliosphere-underthesky]

I'm not sure if this a dumb question or if it has already been asked before but are the earthlings(humans,plants,animals etc) earth's children/offspring or do they just so happen to live on his surface? Also are the humans of this universe aware that the celestial objects are alive?

Howdy! Thanks for this question. Actually I've been working on that lore behind the scenes since it's frankly confusing, even to me, how the setting would work.

I think I have a more solid foundation now though; though this lore could change, give or take a few details, as I go along!

SOME LORE:

DISCLAIMER: I don't have actual terms for their forms yet, so I'll just call them "Human (planet name)" and "Globe (planet name)" haha

Summary: There are Human forms of planets, and they have Globes that hold their "souls"/reflect the reality we experience. They have these Globes fixed inside/outside of their houses and cannot be moved.

I always thought we have a Human Earth and the Globe Earth. Human Earth houses this Globe Earth in his home, where it is fixed in place as with other planets/stars.

Human Earth is like his projected self that allows him to interact with other planets without gravitational consequences (in real life, Earth and Moon being physically close would be a catastrophe).

This Globe Earth stays in his house, in a fixed orbit.

HOUSES: (I'm still deciding what their houses look like and if they're like floating islands in space, but their house sizes are proportional to their Globes. Sun lives in a castle, Earth lives in a house, Saturn lives in a mansion, etc.)

He takes care of the humans in this planet Earth, as if he was taking care of a terrarium! So to answer your question, the earthlings are like his pets.

All planets have the power to come into this globe in their human form. Hence this panel, where Luna and Earth sit side by side in what appears to be Earth's habitat:

Earthlings don't seem to be aware that they're celestial bodies in human form, though! They only seem aware of the Globe forms, and it's the only things visible to them.

(The closest thing I can relate this to is probably the Serenitea Pot for Genshin Impact players out there.)

Now onto the effects:

When Human Planets get attacked in this form, they can still feel pain, even if it doesn't last too long or would not be permanent.

Thankfully, it's highly likely it won't affect us unless their homes/Globes get attacked.

That's why Earth is terrified in these panels:

I didn't think of the lore at the time so I wasn't able to draw it out, but he was probably in his home when this was happening.

He will feel the pain if that asteroid hit him, but he was more terrified of the asteroid hitting his home and Globe Earth. If that happens, it will deal lasting damage to him and his Earthlings!

Unlike if it only hits his Human Earth form, the pain will occur but it won't last very long since it's mostly a projection.

(The best I can describe this is like... Madoka Magica and their soul gems. Except they don't sign a contract. Maybe the gems and their projection from Steven Universe too. Except these globes are fixed on a place in/out of their homes.)

I hope that answers your question, anon! I'm still a little confused about the solid lore myself, but here's what I got so far. So it's like science dabbed with a little scifi and space magic.

[fractured-legacies]

Imprudent, Prologue

The machine breathed.

It should have been impossible, that this construct of cut gemstones and shaped pieces of metal the size of a building breathed like a living being of flesh and blood would… but it breathed nonetheless.

And Evdoksia was here to kill it.

Taking a deep breath of her own, she looked around the vast chamber in which the machine loomed, standing from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. This far underground, the summer sunshine was only a distant rumor, and what light there was came from the numerous cut crystals set into the machine and the walls. The sleepers below, who would operate the machine when they woke, lay on their padded cots, dim stones sitting next to them, ready for that moment of waking and their return from dreams.

Evdoksia didn’t envy them. Quite the opposite, actually, for she planned on them finding a nightmare when they awoke.

Moving in a crouch, she slipped over to the back frame of the machine, her padded feet making naught but a whisper on the wooden floorboards; while the machine’s breath was loud enough to keep the vast room, at least fifty feet deep and high, from being completely silent, she wasn’t taking any chances. Thankfully, the large sandy pit in the center of the chamber, near the sleepers, was easy enough to avoid.

Reaching down to her belt, she pulled out the keyring she’d stolen from her uncle only an hour before. Finding the correct key among the padding she’d folded around them to keep them from jingling, she slipped it into the lock and opened the panel.

The inside of the machine beckoned.

Taking a deep breath of her own, followed by a silent prayer to whichever gods would hear it, Evdoksia shimmied in and closed the panel behind her, just in case.

A maze of bronze gears greeted her, with the sound like that of a heartbeat.

She shivered; what her family had wrought was alive. A dreaming beast made of bellows and bladders, clockwork, and other more arcane devices, somehow summing to more than their parts. It slumbered around her, but its sleep was not innocent.

And for the sake of millions, the unending faces she saw in her dreams, she needed to kill it.

Swallowing, she crawled along the access space, deeper into the machine, past gears of bronze and glass etched and inked with arcane symbols and spools and spools of copper wire that seemed to glow in the dimness. Drafts from the bellows and the leather bladders teased her hair and whispered across her skin.

Time was of the essence. The guards would be changing soon, and her uncle would wake and find his keys gone when he went to use the machine. By then, she intended to be gone from the city; she had a smuggler with a boat ready to take her across the strait, and from there…

Well, she didn’t know what future would be waiting for her. But she had to do this.

She couldn’t live with herself otherwise, knowing the cost of their ambitions.

Space was cramped, and she had shifted from crawling to having to pull herself along through the passageway. With one final pull along the metal bars that supported the interior of the machine, she entered its heart. Above and around her, the machine’s appendages unfurled like the arms of a spider. There was the orrery that showed the world, the moon, the sun, the Night-Light, and the planets above. Then there were the mobile slats and bars along the chute. And then the pipes and tanks filled with flowing water, and more that she didn’t know the function of. But here…

Here was the heart of the machine.

Here was the six-sided clear gemstone which sat in its cradle of glass and copper and gems glowed with a muted brilliance of green and yellow. It was only the size of a couple of fingers pressed together. For a moment, Evdoksia considered the gem; for something so powerful and significant, it was smaller than it seemed it should be. Where it had come from, she didn’t know, but she did know that out of the entire machine it was the only part that couldn’t be replaced.

Bracing herself, she reached out and pulled it free. There was some resistance, but it smoothly slid free of the cradle in which it sat… and as soon as it was out, the machine faltered. The glowing lines of copper and glass that led to the cradle faded instantly, some of them even giving off little curls of smoke. Around her, she could hear some of the clockwork seize up, pumps and bellows stuttering and wavering.

Her eyes went wide; she hadn’t been expecting the reaction to be that noticeable!

Throwing the crystal into her belt pouch, she then hastened back out of the guts of the dying machine—and froze when she heard voices outside.

Including that of her uncle.

“Get the guards! Someone is inside—”

She bolted, scrambling on hands and knees for another exit.

A clang echoed up the access space and she felt the jolt as someone else entered.

“Saboteur! We have a saboteur in the Machine!” her uncle shouted from behind her, and she redoubled her pace, fear bringing speed to her limbs. The machine was his creation, and he knew his way around inside like none other.

Finding a ladder, she hauled herself upright and started climbing at speed, the wooden rungs round and slippery under her nervous fingers and padded feet. She needed to get out of here! There were plenty of exits from the chamber, but not that many, and she still had to get to the surface, hundreds of feet above, or all of this would be for nothing.

Below her, she felt her uncle reach the same ladder and begin climbing after her. “I’ve found the saboteur! Fifth access ladder, back quarter!” he bellowed, the sound echoing through the chamber. Around them, the machine was shuddering and shaking; gears were groaning with the sound of warping metal, and the clanging of other parts against each other was growing louder and louder. In front of her, visible through the ladder’s gaps and the open frames of the machine’s guts, she saw a pair of bellows burst open, as the cams that drove them flailed first in one direction, and then the other, ripping the leather and cloth from the wooden backings with the force of their blows.

“Who are you!?” her uncle demanded from below her, even as he climbed after her, closing the gap; all of the years he’d devoted to bringing the machine to life were apparently paying off in strength and familiarity that outstripped her youth.

She didn’t answer, instead focusing on reaching the top—only to yelp as a tank or pipe burst near her, showering her with warm water. The water rendered the ladder slippery under her fingers, but somehow, she managed to hold on, and another six rungs higher, she was free of the gushing water.

Below, her uncle continued in pursuit.

The last few rungs passed, and she emerged onto the catwalks at the very top of the machine. Around her, she saw gears being ripped from their mountings and going flying through the air. One of those nearly clipped her in the head, and she yelped and ducked.

“Saboteur!” came the shout behind her. “Do you know what you’ve done!? Do you know what it took to build this!?”

She scurried over to one of the doors that led to the catwalks, even as she heard marching footsteps moving at double-time towards the nearest door. She needed to get out of here now.

“It took us years to build—” Her uncle’s head emerged from the innards of the machine… and spotted her. “Evia?”

Reaching down, she found a broken bronze gear-shaft that had just flown out of the machine, and jammed it under the doorknob. With that blocked off, she jumped away from the catwalk to another. “Sorry, Uncle!”

“What are you doing!?” he demanded, hauling himself up onto the catwalk she’d first emerged onto.

“Saving lives—from you,” she screamed, even as she balanced herself on the new catwalk, which was tilting to alarming degree. “I know what you’re planning, Uncle.” She scrambled on all fours over to another door. “You and my parents and the rest of the family, and I have to stop you!” She tried the doorknob.

Locked.

She watched his expression twist from shock to fury. “Traitor!” he bellowed, and he snatched a metal wand from his belt.

Before he could do anything else, she pulled the keyring from her pouch, along with the heart-crystal she’d stolen. “I wouldn’t! If I fall, it’ll shatter!”

“That gem has survived far worse than a fall!” he said.

“Are you sure?” she said, holding it up in front of her with one hand, even as she scrambled to find the right key with her other hand. “Are you willing to risk your life’s work on that?”

He grimaced, shoved the wand back onto his belt, and started to run towards her across the pitching catwalks. Behind him, the door she’d blocked was shuddering, but the broken metal bar was holding it shut.

The third key on the ring was the right one, and she shoved it into the lock just as her uncle tried to tackle her, but his charge was upset by the catwalk moving under his feet. Instead of knocking her to the ground, he only caught her in a grapple, his hand on hers, the heart-crystal inside.

“How could you betray your own family—your own homeland!—like this!?” he demanded, his bared teeth inches from her face.

“Because I’ve seen the cost of your victory!” she panted, trying to push him off. “And the price for it was too high for anyone to pay!”

“You insolent, weak—”

His words were cut short when she twisted, using what leverage she had, and pulled him into a joint lock. He could have escaped if he’d relinquished his grip on her hand holding the heart-crystal, but he didn’t.

And then the catwalk fell from under them.

Already off balance from her joint-lock, her uncle fell into the guts of the machine he’d built, even as she caught herself on the ledge of the door.

The gears below showed no mercy for their creator.

She screamed—from seeing him die, from the pain in her shoulder as she dangled from it, from everything.

His mouth moved. She couldn’t hear his words over the sound of ripping metal… but, as she hauled herself up to the door, opened it, and fell into the stone passage beyond, she felt them nonetheless, as they settled into her soul.

<<<<>>>>

Chapter 1

AN: And there we go. The prologue for my original work. I hope that you find it interesting. Thank you for reading!

If you're interested in helping support me and my writing, you can find my Patreon here. Thank you so much!

[langefisharcade]

Snippet

Butcher smiled at the exhibit. Her long light brown curly hair flows behind her black skull mask wrapped together with spider silk with yellow lenses that leaves the back of her hair flowing. The mask obscures her bluish green eyes. The yellow lenses of her mask are durable, high-end swim goggles tinted to help filter out bright lights, with lenses from an old pair of her glasses sealed inside with silicon. The mask design features dull yellow lenses and sections of armor designed to imitate a bug’s mandibles. She wears a black-and-grey spider silk bodysuit with armor panels made out of insect shells, human bones and exoskeletons augmented with more spider silk. Each had "layers" resembling a pillbug. She wore spider silk crafted gloves with clawed fingertips which inched towards her utility belt. Her tools of choice lay in each patch alongside her material for her more… obscure power.

She knew in her very soul what each item was and what they were for. The data her mind compiled allowed her to identify each item worth her time. She activates the firefly lights to highlight to the Teeth each item she requires along with activating the invisible security. 

She inched her flashlight to the side of the wall. Within minutes, her true power activates within the flashlight. Layers of lights in the form of webs flash into life before the Cape. The rest of the Teeth stare in amazement. She nods and they put her training to work.

She smiled. Within seconds she instinctively danced through each layer like nothing. Unlike the rest of her gang, Butcher somehow obtained the experience to do that before she “trained them.” She gleefully notes, “Nothing like a task of poisonous spider webs to prepare oneself.” 

While she never did understand how she knew the training method. She gleefully enjoyed how effective it was. 

Flashback

“Just imagine the security lights as these poisonous webs.” The amnesiac pointed out to the group. The webs congested brutally in the path of the Teeth. On each web is a specialized venomous spider with orders to bite if the web is touched. Vex stared at her, “Seriously?””

“Yep. I want each of you to practice till no one is bit. Understand!” The leader of the Teeth ordered.

End Flashback

She looked at the glass. It was supposed to be a jackal-headed golden divine mask made of unknown material that temporarily released a flash of light after being put on, and it was the size of an average adult human skull with pointed ears, a half-discovered nose in the lower part, and a mustache from the level of the nose up down to the level of underbrush on either part, however, the part that covered the wearer's lips, underbrush, cheeks and ears was completely uncovered. It also possessed eyeholes with lines above them that resembled eyebrows, and a third-eye crater on its forehead where an unidentified gemstone that served as its power source was located. Unfortunately, the gem is not there. So the mask retained a more bronze look to it. She smiled thoughtfully, “Hello there, my old friend.”

But no matter, Butcher guessed where it was. She placed her hand on the case. “Do not worry, old boy. I will restore you to full power. Anubis will bless us both.”

By activating Butcher II’s power, she removes the last barrier to her goals. Within seconds she grabbed her prize. “Poor Gustav. He never did know what he had.”

She glanced over to the Teeth. Each managed to obtain the targeted items. She moved over to the Mesopotamian section. With a flick of the wrist she sprayed special Hieroglyphics she knew in her hearts proved true. Fuck Baal. With that, Butcher led her forces out the door and teleported away.

[dreamerwitches]

Madoka Manga comparisons

I had spare time so I wanted to compile most of the big differences in the original Madoka manga to the Reprint manga. Now this excludes obvious ones like outfit/witch/scenery changes. The designs are much more akin to the anime overall.

The comparisons certainly lessen as I go on because it got a little boring to explain the most minute of details but I swear I found as the manga went along more pages were just exactly the same as the original... I mention a few panel/layout pages in the earlier chapters but that dwindles as I go... sorry if you wanted that, I just got bored of it... I always mention the addition of full pages however

Anyway, please enjoy!

Chapter 1

The beginning shows a silhouette of Walpurgisnacht whereas she was absent/hidden before

An extra panel shows Homura falling

New Homura is falling while old Homura was just standing and was seemingly closer to madoka (less desperate it seems)

Old Homura is noticeably bleeding while silently calling out to Madoka

The position of the alarm clock is flipped (I just found that funny)

Old shows a panel of Tomohisa cooking whereas new adds more pages to breakfast (probably negating this)

Junko and Madoka are now in pjs first when in the bathroom

New makes note of the colours of the ribbons in special text (in english in the japanese ver, huh)

Madoka eats breakfast at the table whereas before she went straight out without visibly eating

New has an extra page of Madoka and Junko leaving

Hitomi coughs instead of just staring when Sayaka gets handsy with Madoka, more like the anime

Kazuko now picks on Nakazawa (I don't think he's ever in the original now i think about it...)

Homura is shown in silhouette behind the door instead of a neck down shot

Sayaka sits in front of Madoka whereas before she was behind

Madoka is shown in the panel before Homura looks at her

Homura looks the other way when staring at Madoka, probably to match with the desk layout from the anime

The classmates are now visibly shown talking to Homura (with text)

Madoka is sitting down instead of Hitomi (maybe to match with anime desk arrangements)

A panel is adding showing the girls down the corridor

The layout of Madoka walking with Homura and beginning to talk is the first distinct panel rearrangement

Same with the next page. In new, Homura seems far more serious and Madoka is less flustered

Madoka no longer responds when Homura says her name. When Homura is talking to her about what is precious, only Homura is seen, not both of them

Madoka no longer says Homura's name as she leaves

Madoka and Sayaka now visibly have their bags while shopping

Homura is more visibly seen clearing the smoke of Sayaka's fire extinguisher. Old homura is more visibly frustrated at the labyrinth's arrival

Mami is less visible as the Anthony approach. Unlike in the anime, they never have their nightmarish faces. A panel is added where Mami's soul gem is shown as well as when Mami falls in. The Anthony also take note of the flowers dropping from Mami's appearance

Mami arrives in her school uniform and transforms in front of the girls

It seems like there's added pages for Mami's attack which is more like the anime than the cannon from original

Homura is shown watching as soon as Mami defeats the anthony in the original

Homura approaches like in the anime in new whereas she leaves without approaching in the original

Mami detransforms in chapter 1 of the original. It seems like the original has a few more pages of the four of them talking that are taken up instead with the attack pages and talking to Homura in new

Chapter 2

Kyubey is on Madoka's shelf instead of in the bed. Madoka's angle is changed to accompany this

Mami's soul gem is no longer on a necklace/string. It is also shown retransforming from her ring in new

The girls look more shocked when Kyubey says they can grant any wish

The panel showing Mami's class number no longer appears, instead its a zoomed out shot of her class

Homura seems to no longer say 'Do you have a minute' when approaching the girls on the roof

An extra panel shows Kyubey's face (live kyubey reaction) as the girls talk

Homura is more visibly distraught in old when Madoka asks what her wish was

Hitomi is more sad about being left out in new compared to old, like in the anime

An extra set of panels are added showing the classroom girls asking Homura if she'd go out with them after class like in the anime

Mami and Sayaka's laughter at Madoka's drawings seem a little more lighthearted instead of cruel in the old one

The office woman's shoes are shown in new. Mami now catches her with a visible ribbon net rather than the magical spiral of old

The witch kiss now makes a sound effect

Mami summons a musket before they enter in old

Homura now watches over them in her school uniform instead of her magical girl outfit

Sayaka no longer hits an Adelbert with her bat

An extra page is added before they reach Gertrud featuring more Adelbert fighting and the door to the boss room

More panels are added for action and Mami doesn't reply when Sayaka exclaims she's missing. The two girls are also more visibly far away like in the anime

A few panels are added showing Adelbert approaching Mami

Two pages are added showing Mami binding and defeating Gertrud

The panels showing the labyrinth disappearing are now after Madoka and Sayaka's reaction instead of before

Mami throws Homura the grief seed like in the anime and has it thrown back. Homura is also still in her uniform

Chapter 3

Kyosuke's arm is now in wrappings whereas it was shown with visible injuries in old

Mami is on top of the lamp post ala the anime after killing Ulla

The central panels of the vehicle accident seems to almost be a 1 to 1 replica or trace of old

The panel showing Madoka's drawings is replaced with a zoom out shot of her house before showing her in bed

New adds two pages of the scene where Homura and Mami meet that night

Mami uses her ring to open Charlotte’s labyrinth instead of her gem

Mami no longer crouches to trap homura, she is instead standing and her ring glows. Ribbon like structures in the backgrounds kinda subtlely hint at what's to come

Homura is suspended in the ribbons instead of kneeling on the floor, more like the anime

Polina are no longer shown in the background waa but more of the labyrinth is shown off. Madoka is no longer shown sitting alone at her desk when talking about herself being weak

Instead of Madoka's visions of Mami being of her first appearance and saving the woman, it's now a single shot of her tiro volley from ch1

Mami begins to cry sooner in new

Mami seems to mention the wish for a marvellous feast in new whereas it was omitted before

Pages are added to show Mami fighting Pyotr and she doesn't transform so quickly.

The overall pacing of Charlotte's fight is a bit longer.

Charlotte emerges from a present which is very cute.

Mami shooting Charlotte and her emerging is over two pages instead of one.

Homura now transforms before she runs off

Charlotte eating Mami now has a more cartoony style. Mami's body is seen falling in her uniform whereas before it was already on the ground and still in her magical girl costume. The girls also now seem less shocked. 

The bikes outside the hospital are shown as the labyrinth fades

Sayaka is still holding Madoka in new as Homura finishes fighting Charlotte

Sayaka's expression is no longer shown when grabbing Homura

The two girls are shown more visibly crying but Sayaka no longer screams 'Dammit'

Chapter 4

New shows the Mami egg at breakfast

A page is adding showing the girls walking to school and being in class with no text

A page is added of the girls talking.

Sayaka hugs Madoka as she cries like the anime

Madoka now has her school bag when visiting Mami's apartment (and is seen taking her notepad out of her bag)

Mami's apartment is shown as Madoka and Homura are discussing her instead of her classroom seat. She is also shown in her uniform instead of her magical girl outfit

Homura's ring is shown instead of her gem when discussing magical girls

Homura seems less shocked when Madoka says she wont forget her.

She also seems more shaken when she says she couldn't possibly remember. However she appears less shaken up when walking away

A panel is added during Sayaka and Kyosuke's discussion

Kyosuke hurts his hand on the CD player instead of the stack of CDs (Kyosuke's face also looks kinda worse lol)

Kyosuke appears more in pain and less angry after what he did

Kyubey is no longer shown as Sayaka mentions miracles however his eye is, with them appearing in Sayaka's eye in the panel below.

The crowd of witch kissed victims are shown instead of Madoka's horrified face as they clap for Hitomi (I think original worked better imo)

Madoka appears more scared as she's already crying as she runs for the door

Daniyyel and Jennifer are shown before Elly appears more like the anime

A page is added before Sayaka appears where Elly masquerades as Mami

A page is added for more fighting

Homura is no longer seen running over and instead is watching from afar. A page is removed where she's running over

Its more visible that Kyosuke's hand is healed as he clenches it. He also appears more shocked

Chapter 5

The scene where Sayaka contracts is a lot more flowery (also, theres more flowers) but very pretty

Sayaka's ring is shown more focally as the girls are on the grass

Madoka used to look more upset as Sayaka monologued

Kyoko focuses more on Sayaka as she watches her through her binoculaurs. Kyubey no longer has a waffle of his own.

The begginning of madoka and homura's conversation about sayaka is no longer slightly comedic

Madoka no longer cries as Homura leaves

Sayaka's first transformation is fancier (more panels)

A page is added for action and to compensate for the longer transformation

Kyoko's spear repels sayaka's attack instead of a shield, like the anime

Anja is shown in an extra panel as the labyrinth disappears

Kyoko turns away after felling Sayaka for the first time whereas before she was still facing her

Kyoko now creates her barrier to block madoka out

A couple of pages are added for action

Homura's hand is now visible when she says 'that will not be necessary' as madoka begins to wish

There is now an explosion as Homura appears

Chapter 6

Homura doesn't seem as angry about telling madoka to not get involved and madoka appears less upset

Flashbacks of Kyoko and Mami are shown as Kyubey discusses magic

Sayaka appears more angry at homura for apparently letting mami die

A page is added for this conversation and Madoka is more upset as she begins to cry

A page is added for Madoka and Junko's conversation about Sayaka

Sayaka no longer looks bittersweetly happy as she turns away form Kyosuke's home with now a much sadder expression

Sayaka seemed more angry at Kyoko in old for suggesting hurting kyosuke

Sayaka holds out her soul gem instead of holding it up

A small panel is added as homura leaves to get sayaka's soul gem to show her 'teleporting' away

Kyoko is more noticeablely grabbing sayaka's neck

Madoka appears more distraught over sayaka

Kyoko is now visible in the panel where sayaka wakes up

Chapter 7

The tone of Sayaka and Kyubey's discussion about the truth about soul gems seems tonally more dire. Sayaka's face is overshadowed more and the room is darker

Kyoko's flashback is shown with a dark outline to show the different time

Kyoko looks far younger in the flashback and is no longer slapped by the apple salesman rather grabbed by her jacket hood

Gisela is added as kyoko describes making her contract

Sayaka's face is now hidden when Madoka asks if she can come with her on a witch hunt

When in Elsa Maria's labyrinth, Sayaka is at first being attacked by Mathieu instead of what look like vines from Elsa Maria

Sayaka slashes at Elsa Maria instead of stabbing her and there appears to be less blood

In new Sayaka appears more broken than manic when continuing to fight Elsa Maria/Sebastian

Chapter 8

Sayaka appears more blank when healing herself at the end where she seemed more out of breath before

Kyoko now appears more helpless against Sayaka instead of shocked/frustrated

Sayaka's text boxes when she's yelling at Madoka now have a special outline to them

The page of Sayaka witnessing hitomi confessing to kyosuke now goes straight into her fighting the Bartels

Sayaka now fights the Bartels instead of Uhrmann

Sayaka seems more deadpan when expressing to homura that she'd be okay with dying where before she looked more bittersweetly sad

Homura no longer smirks when saying 'You're... quite sharp...' when bringing out her soul gem. Her hand with her ring is also shown shaking instead of a full body shot of her

Homura's expression is more unreadable when attempting to kill sayaka whereas before she looked a bit more evil

The scene where Sayaka mocks the two men on the train is replaced from her with an evil look her a silhouetted version of her in a soul gem. She also no longer walks away with a bloody blade

After Homura grabs Madoka, a quick flashback of madoka's dream from the very beginning is shown

Homura now looks away as Kyubey eats their body/talks to her

Sayaka is holding her blackened Soul Gem when kyoko meets her at the station as opposed to the incorrect grief seed before

Kyoko appears more shocked than upset as Sayaka explains herself to her

Kyoko now reaches out as Sayaka transforms into Oktavia

Chapter 9

The clock imagery when Homura stops time is replaced with oktavia and her labyrinth

Kyubey is shown in an extra panel after kyoko asks if there's any way to get her soul gem back (probably to make it easier to understand who's speaking)

Kyoko now stops madoka before they reach the boss room (more like the anime iirc)

Holger are removed in Oktavia's room v-v sad...

Oktavia uses the wheels to attack more like the anime

Kyoko puts up her barrier to protect madoka more like the anime

Kyoko is now more visible as Oktavia stabs her (less silhouette and blood). The cross necklace is also replaced with her father's charm

Both Sayaka and Kyoko look more sad/melancholic in their extra scene

Chapter 10

Madoka and the class is shown after Kazuko explain's Homura's heart disease

Madoka is no longer shown being bashful after mami compliments her fighting

Walpurgisnacht is shown more clearly before madoka leaves to fight her

The ruined city is shown as Madoka bids homura farewell

Homura now puts on her glasses to see her soul gem

Mathieu are added to Patricia's labyrinth :) her ribbon paths are also used

It's more visible when Kyoko falls after mami shoots her soul gem now

When Homura heals her eyes they glow brightly instead of showing a reflection of her soul gem

Gotz are removed from Roberta's labyrinth v-v

Chapter 11

Flashbacks of Madoka's deaths are shown as Homura hugs Madoka, telling her how much she's watched her die like the anime

The picture of Madoka and Homura in the past and present are more apparent during Homura's monologue

The fight between Walpurgisnacht is more akin to the anime in general

An extra page is added where Walpurgis first explodes where Homura thinks she's won

The shadow magical girls are no longer Mami, Kyoko and Sayaka, now retaining their anime appearances

A page of fighting the shadow magical girls seems to be removed (probably moved to the walpurgis section instead)

Junko now grabs Madoka's hand instead of calling to her more like the anime

Chapter 12

Madoka is more visible as she first transforms into her magical girl form, her blooming bow being focused on in extra panels

The sailor suited magical girl is replaced with a girl with a cog theme. She is no longer holding her soul gem instead madoka heals the star shaped gem on her arm

The historical magical girls madoka sees are completely redrawn and presumably the cog magical girl's soul gem can be seen at the top of the page

Madoka and Homura are now in their anime-esque dresses when bidding farewell instead of madoka being nude and homura in her magical girl outfit

Madoka's hair is no longer down as she takes sayaka away, fits with the anime but makes more sense for her hair to be down since she just gave her ribbons away :P

Tatsuya now draws more of madoka's body instead of just her face, more akin to the anime but not a perfect match

Homura's ribbons now match the anime instead of bunches but she is still wearing a casual outfit (albeit a different one)

The scenes with Junko and Homura feel overall lighter with a less dark sky

The 'Don't forget' line is accompanied with Homura with her wings facing the wraiths more akin to the anime instead of the old ribbons and feathers

[night-heron-writes]

Spy X Family Chapter 76

~*~ Warning: Contains spoilers for Chapter 76 of the manga! Open at your own risk, agents! ~*~

First of all, a slight break from the crushing angst was nice. After a whole bunch of stressful chapters, a little bit of fluff was in order.

It was nice to see, as I expected, that Twilight was worried, in his own quiet, overthinking way. He's not at the point yet to just absolutely break down and show his emotional side, but he shows he cares with his repeated concern for Anya's mental health as well as her physical well-being. I also noticed that during their breakfast conversation, he didn't once think "for the mission". We're making progress, people!

Also, he drives her to school! I can't imagine him letting her back on a schoolbus for quite a while after that whole ordeal.

I found it interesting that Anya has picked up that something is weird with Damian's family. Of course, she doesn't quite understand the depth of it, she's six. But she's noticed that something doesn't quite add up, and it stuck with her.

And then Twilight, the poor sap, misunderstands her pensiveness as her being mad at him for not picking her up. He has a remarkable ability to feel guilty for situations he wasn't involved in or things he would have no way to change. (Shh it's the trauma)

And there we have our first "for the mission" of this chapter 😂. Interestingly enough, it's not about her Stellas, or even her friendship with Damian. He's thinking that if she's traumatized, then the mission is in danger. And he's not wrong, but it's nice to see the "for the mission" directed at her well-being and nothing else.

And then we get the discussion between Henderson and the tutor-in-residence, which feels like the set-up for a longer plotline. Especially this gem:

Henderson continues his trend of being a Loid Forger fanboy, but to me this seems like an excellent way for Endo to start giving more and more plot-relevant clients to Loid Forger. Perhaps even Melinda or Donovan Desmond at some point? One can only hope.

And then we have this panel:

I notice that Jeeves says "residence" instead of "rooms" or something similar. It looks like Melinda lives in a completely different house most of the time, then. An interesting window into the Desmond home life, and one I didn't quite expect. I wouldn't have thought that Donovan would allow such a thing. For a man so concerned with the Desmond family name he doesn't seem to care if people think familial relations are strained.

Poor kiddo, no wonder he seems happier in the dorms. I get that Melinda has her own stuff to deal with, but after last chapter's drama and how she went on about cooking for Damian, I expected her to at least eat with him. It's another comparison drawn between the Forger family and the Desmond family: the Forgers are all present at breakfast, and openly voice their concern for Anya, while Melinda straight up leaves the building and Damian only finds out she cooked from Jeeves.

The scenes with the other kids swooning over Damian, Becky, and Anya are cute, and of course getting another Stella goes to Anya's head a little bit. "Double Starlight Anya", really? 😂

This one made me chuckle out loud. And that little smirk on her face 😂

And Becky calling it like it is:

Also some of these rich Eden kiddos really need to touch grass once in a while. "Peasants" are people just like everyone else, and it's slightly appalling how these kids think that class makes a biological difference. As they get older, that can easily turn into bigotry.

The whiplash of Anya and Damian getting along somewhat to fighting to getting along again to fighting again is such an accurate depiction of little kids' friendships. Ten minutes is long enough to start and finish two separate wars.

And then we get this cute panel at the end, which sums all of that up nicely.

In conclusion, the fluff was strong in this chapter, but it wasn't a filler chapter, per se. The fluff was plot-relevant and moved the story along, as well as making a nice change from the last several chapters.

I do have a sneaking suspicion that this reprieve from the angst will be a brief one. My hunch is that either the next chapter or the one after that will take a hard left turn back into angst territory. See ya in two weeks!