#this is a rewritten version i guess

[kevinsdsy]

hiiiii! boys for the WIP game (i'm guessing the title is hippo campus? excellent choice u have gotten me to love that song fr)

[ WIP GAME ]

HII!! yes omg it is hehe IM SO HAPPY U NOTICED 🙂‍↕️

so since i've only recently gotten back into writing, everything is still in the early stages— but boys is supposed to be split in three acts (idk what to call it tbh so lets stick w that) i'm still working on the first act which is when both kevin and jean are ravens. after a final game against the trojans, jean manages to encounter jeremy alone (nothing major happens, they just talk, but idk i think it's fun to have a moment between jerejean before jean joins the trojans line-up).

i still have to figure out how much of raven!jean i want to include in this fic and if jerejean manages to encounter each other again (although i'm leaning into no, so they only have that one (1) real encounter of each other before jean joins the trojans, but like i said i'm still figuring it out) so yeahhh that's me ranting a bit about the fic the line

'hair in the wind. you'll blow right by me.' is what inspired me to add this first encounter to the fic:

He was about to turn around when he heard footsteps approaching. It was too late. He had been caught already, and he hadn’t even gotten the chance to walk around. He looked up and was surprised to see Jeremy Knox walking down the hallway instead of Kevin and Riko.

Jeremy seemed lost in thought. Jean could turn around, pretend he hadn’t noticed the way Jeremy’s sweaty hair stuck to his head, and hide away in the changing room until everyone was ready. Before Jean had the chance to act on his thoughts, though, Jeremy stopped walking, noticing Jean staring at him.

“Moreau,” Jeremy said, acknowledging him with a nod. Kevin and Jean had talked about Jeremy Knox on numerous occasions—Kevin had always liked how happy and nice Jeremy always was. However, it was noticeable that the loss of this game had affected Jeremy's mood somewhat.

Jean realized that he preferred this look on Jeremy rather than the extroverted person he had noticed a few months ago during the banquet. The absence of Jeremy’s big smile and cheerfulness made it easier for Jean to be alone with him right now, although Jean couldn’t help but notice Jeremy was still trying his best to appear as content and polite as he could.

Jean suddenly understood what Kevin had meant when he had whispered about the way the USC Trojans played Exy. How different it was from the way the Ravens played, but how it could be just as effective with a few adjustments made to their schedules. Jeremy was more than delighted to indulge in all Kevin's questions and comments at the time.

Jean had been annoyed about the fact Kevin couldn’t stop talking about his conversation with Jeremy and how glad he was to realize Jeremy was just as passionate about winning as Kevin himself was. Jean also remembered Kevin’s uncharacteristic guilt when he mentioned it was a shame to take another victory from Jeremy. He wondered if Kevin still remembered that conversations, now that he had seized yet another win from Jeremy.

“Knox,” Jean replied maintaining his composure. He noticed Jeremy twitch at the mention of his name, but neither of the guys commented on it. Jean was too focused on processing the situation to take a jab at Jeremy anyway.

Jeremy leaned against the wall, observing Jean’s panicked look, which Jeremy thought was interesting, given that Jean had just won the championship with the Ravens— a team not known for their politeness.

“You alright?” Jeremy asked.

“Fine,” Jean answered. He didn’t apologize for the Trojans’ loss, nor did he ask how Jeremy was doing in return. Silence stretched between them, but Jean didn’t mind much; he was used to keeping to himself whenever possible. Jeremy, on the other hand, couldn't help feeling uncomfortable as the silence between them stretched.

After a moment of hesitation, Jeremy nodded, unsure of what else to say, and then said: “Congratulations on the win. You guys played a good game.” His voice was steady—genuine, even. Jean desperately tried to find something in his words other than the politeness Jeremy had shown him on the court too. It struck Jean as unusual that he hadn’t been able to get under Jeremy’s skin.

“Thanks,” Jean said, aware it was the right thing to say. He almost wanted to point out it was obvious they’d win before they had even played, but instead he opted for a touch of kindness instead. After all, he enjoyed getting under their skin on the court, but there was no use for it off the court too. “You put up a good fight.”

Jeremy smiled faintly. “We try. Maybe next time we’ll give you a run for your money.” Jean couldn’t help himself—he didn’t have much practice at being kind or polite, and in return answered Jeremy with a huff. They stood in silence for a moment. Jean didn’t know what he was supposed to say anyways, and suddenly he remembered he shouldn’t have left the changing room in the first place.

“I should get back,” Jean said, his voice wavering slightly. He had the uncomfortable realization that he’d much rather let the minutes between them stretch in this hallway, but he couldn’t risk still standing here when Riko returned. Jeremy responded with a nod.

Jean was sure Jeremy was going to say something else, but before he had the chance, Jean slipped back inside the changing room. As he closed the door behind him, he felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment. Jean knew he couldn’t risk being seen outside the changing room by Riko, but he couldn’t help wishing he had gotten more time alone with Jeremy. There was something intriguing about seeing Jeremy’s deflated mood when Jean normally recognized him by his cheerful look.

[jq37]

I've been thinking about Descendants 4 again today and, having had more time to think about it, it's even more disappointing than I initially felt it was. Because it actually has all the ingredients to be my favorite of the four.

-Brandy coming back as Cinderella (along with her prince) is an inspired move (as a Black girl and theater kid in spirit, I obviously loved her as a kid). -I also love a Cinderella focus in general because she's one of my favorite princesses--in Disney and in general. My MFA thesis project is literally a Cinderella retelling. -I love a focus on platonic relationships and an interesting mother-daughter dynamic is one of my faves. -Likewise, as cliche is it is, I love two characters with almost violently opposite vibes being forced to work together and getting close along the way.

This movie has all these things that I love which makes it extra disappointing that the movie seems uninterested in basic tenets of storytelling.

The two main relationship rifts in this movie are between Cinderella and the Queen and Red and her Queen and neither of those relationships grow or develop in a way we can get invested in. They're just fixed by stealing a book. The Red Queen doesn't learn to be a better person. They just erase one bad thing that happened to her and it's all fine now I guess? Ella doesn't reconcile with her friend. Whatever caused their rift (which we never see or even are told about in any detail) is just poofed from the timeline. There's no emotional climax. There's no real action climax. Every time it seemed like something interesting was going to happen or be revealed, they hard pivoted to something else. The connective tissue in the movie is super weak and the foreshadowing leads to very little if anything.

I've really never seen a movie so bizarrely unfocused and disjointed. It has real first draft vibes.

[7thd00r]

🧼 ~jsbashirmd

[ Send 🧼 for your muse to walk in on mine trying to wash blood off their hands. ]

Not much earlier, the infirmary had been bustling, after the crew of a battered, malfunctioning ship had been beamed aboard, some with severe injuries due to equipment explosions, as far as they could gather.

Susuro had been the first one attending to a man with some kind of shrapnel lodged in his abdomen, and though the medical team managed to save him, it had been... harrowing.

He's proven fairly adept at pushing down much of the feelings that come with situations like these-- the panic, the stress, and the fear that he's not equipped to handle the necessary procedures. He's been set on this profession for several years now, been through the academy, and been serving in this capacity for enough time to know that he's capable. So he shoves his worries aside and focuses on the tasks at hand to get the job done right.

But now, as he's at the sink struggling to scrub the tacky, caked-on blood from the fine hairs that coat his hands... some of that energy is coming out in frustration. His tail is curled tightly around one leg, his eyebrows are deeply furrowed, and his teeth are clenched behind a frown. It's an unusual demeanor for this Ambystarian.

He almost doesn't notice Julian's presence, but his ears catch the footsteps. He straightens some, dutifully managing to relax his expression and posture as he continues scrubbing.

"Hi, sir," he greets, turning to offer him a habitual smile before turning his sights back to his hands. "Everyone is resting now, I presume?"

[transienturl]

kind of sucks to work on a problem that

is hard,

doesn't have a great solution, and

isn't in high demand to be solved

I loaded SO much information into my head to enumerate every possible way I knew of to cleanly deal with modifying or sunsetting "new xkit" for the extension changes in chrome/edge/vivaldi/etc, and I'm probably like 75% of the way to proof-of-concept implementing them all.

when you do that kind of thing and are in that position it's hard to think about much of anything else, particularly when there isn't one good solution so there are pros and cons you can be weighing all the time. this is kind of fine when solving the problem is at least somewhat urgent and you want to devote that much mindspace to solving it in a timely fashion!

but, look, I'm gonna say it: the old version of xkit is fucking dead regardless of whether it vanishes suddenly off of every non-firefox browser one day or keeps working exactly as it does now or an intermediate thing I'm working on where the UI still functions so you can see your settings and export them to firefox.

whatever philosophical reasons people have for not killing it obviously haven't panned out, and I haven't seen any interest in my just fixing it, which I could have done years ago. the 5 or so things that still work in it continuing to work generate more user confusion and post corruption than value, nobody let me patch out everything else in it so you could at least find those 5 things, like 3 of them are just xkit rewritten features with different UI, one barely works and the other one is a cat. its unique feature is the ability to make custom scripts with its tooling, but its tooling hasn't worked for years so any user that would be doing that is copy-pasting xkit rewritten code into a userscript these days.

I could save the thing for sentimental value, in theory. I mean, I dunno, I could do a lot of things in theory. but if I'm not saving the thing because I recommend people use it at all or because it improves the user experience of modifying tumblr as a whole—which in my mind, in large part, means consolidating by cloning features to kill badly coded projects' mindshare—then I don't benefit much by doing anything besides putting a huge "move to firefox if you want to keep this" banner up. making the whole thing run on MV3 is for the most part a fun technical problem (that I solved; suck it, bitches). too bad I can't stop thinking about implementation details

[britishchick09]

i ordered a new copy of the rewrite right after fixing it, but then i realized that i'd probably get the old version, so i ordered another a few days later! 😅 they arrived today and...

they both have the extended map from the new version!! :o

but what's even more surprising is...

someone bought three copies of my book in germany!!! :o

[ganondoodle]

guys guys, its not meant to be 'meaningfully' linked to totk, its to make a sequel to botw, like totk was suppsed to be, while using the base structre of totk (like, the udnerground, the fact the master swords gone, sth happens to links arm, gan is taking a good ol goop bath idk how many kilometers below the earth etc.)

if you dont like it simply dont look my god, its not that serious and i promise you i have no influence on anything official so you can rest easy knowing it wont change canon :)

hey! hey hey!! hey lads if i did a mini "fake screenshot" series of a rewritten totk (mainly without time travel and zonau) … would you like that? (and is it worth the risk of pissing half the fandom off)

[merrinla]

Davrin vs Lucanis cut content. Actually, some of it was rewritten, but most of it was cut.

I guess this is a previous version of the dialogue after Weisshaupt.

Davrin: My problem is you've got a demon in you. That's enough to lock you away. But you're also very good at killing people. Davrin: Combine the two, and I don't know how we let you anywhere near this team. Lucanis: Because it wasn't your decision. (?): Lay off, Davrin. It's not your place to interrogate him. (?): Rook made the call. Rook: All right, all right. That's enough. Davrin: No, it isn't. Davrin: If this demon gets out of hand we're all in trouble. Rook: I'm not worried about Lucanis. Davrin: But you should be…. (?): But you were worried, Rook. Rook: Well, I'm not now. Rook: Everyone deserves a chance. Rook: I stand by my decision. Lucanis and his demon will behave. Davrin: But how can you know that? What if Spite attacks Assan? Lucanis: He'd win. Davrin: What? If anything happens to Assan— Lucanis: The Venatori were better at it. Davrin: Yeah? Well they had your number real good. Lucanis: And what about you, Warden? Don't all your kind have the blood of darkspawn in your veins? Davrin: What do you know about that? Lucanis: Adamant Fortress. The Wardens must have told stories about it. Everyone else did. Davrin: Are you seriously trying to pretend the tragedy at Adamant is the same as your demon? Lucanis: At least I know I'm a threat to everyone around me. You think a noble cause and a little honor make you safe. Lucanis: Prison warden… Grey Warden, what's the difference? Davrin: Let me get my blade and I'll show you— Option (Grey Warden origin): Hey, I'm a Grey Warden. Rook: Careful there, Lucanis. I'm a Grey Warden too. option: Both of you work this out. Rook: You're adults. You can settle how to work together yourselves. option: Davrin is right. Rook: Obviously, having a demon in the Lighthouse is dangerous. We can't pretend otherwise. Lucanis: You're no longer glad I'm here? Rook: I am. But Davrin's not wrong. Lucanis: And I thought we were getting along. Rook: I still need to be careful. option: Lucanis is right. Rook: Every single person on this team is dangerous. Nice, safe, regular people don't fight ancient gods. option: I'll be watching Lucanis. Rook: We're being careful. I'll be keeping an eye on Lucanis. Rook: Somebody has to. Lucanis: Such fine hospitality. Davrin: Just be grateful you're not back in the Ossuary.

The conversation with Varric after that.

Rook: Davrin and Lucanis hated each other on sight. And I just ticked off Lucanis. Again. The minute he got back. Rook: Davrin and Lucanis hated each other on sight, and now Lucanis is probably ticked at me. Rook: Davrin and Lucanis hated each other instantly. And now Davrin's ticked off at me. Rook: Davrin and Lucanis hated each other on sight. And now they're both ticked at me. Varric: Don't panic. Things always seem impossible. Just fight one battle at a time. option: I need to find the enemy. Rook: I can't fight any battles right now, Varric. We have no targets. Rook: Don't give me sage advice. Give me a target. option: I need a plan, not platitudes. Rook: I know you're trying to help. Rook: I appreciate the effort, Varric, but that doesn't exactly help when we don't know where to go next. Varric: Look around you. You've got all these people. Experts in all sorts of things. Rook: I just told you, the team— Varric: No, no. That's the problem. You have people. Not a team. They don't know each other, and they don't know you. Varric: Work on getting to know them. The better you understand your people, the closer you get to having a team. Rook: Understanding won't make them work together. Varric: No, you have to do that. Which means they all have to trust you. Even if they hate each other. Rook: That's not going to work. Varric: It's worth a try. Rook: How? I've never led people like these before. Varric: Ordinarily, I'd say you should get them all into a game of Wicked Grace, but I think you'll have to work up to that. Varric: Start with Lucanis and Davrin. Something else must be eating at them, to get them at each other's throats. Rook: I guess it can't hurt. Varric: That's the spirit.

Another squabble.

(?): The trail's gone cold. (?): We don't have any leads. Rook: Hey, what's— Davrin: You're the Crow! You're supposed to have eyes and ears everywhere! Or maybe the only voice you hear is Spite's! Rook: I said, Hey! Lucanis: You're the Grey Warden, the "expert" on all this blight! You're supposed to have answers! Lucanis: Maybe you're spending too much time playing with your flying cat! Rook: So the two of you decide to tear into each other? Knock it off. Rook: That's not anyone's fault. We just haven't caught a break yet. Lucanis: Tell him that. You said it yourself, Rook: Davrin's the problem. Davrin: Tell him that. You said it yourself, Rook: Lucanis is the problem. Rook: Seriously! You need to take all this anger and use it against Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain! Davrin: I'd love nothing more. Just as soon as Lucanis and his Crows do anything to find them. Lucanis: We're waiting for you and your Wardens to remember your job is to… What is it again? Oh, yes—destroy the blight. Rook: You think it makes me happy? I'm pissed off, too Davrin: You should be pissed at him. You said it yourself, Rook: Lucanis is a problem. Lucanis: You should be pissed at him. You said it yourself, Rook: Davrin is a problem. Lucanis: You should be pissed at him. I tried to warn you. Davrin: I tried to warn you about him, Rook. Davrin: If you'd listened to me about him, we wouldn't have this problem. Lucanis: You said it yourself, Rook: Davrin is a problem. Davrin: You said it yourself, Rook, Lucanis is a problem. Rook: The way you two are going, I'd rather spend my time talking with Solas. Rook: I wouldn't mind a little break from reality right about now. Can you guys knock this off? Rook: I know you're both doing your best. That doesn't mean you have to like each other. Rook: But it does mean you have to stop the constant fighting. Okay? Rook: I'm not tolerating this. You're both professionals and I expect you to act like it. Understood? Davrin: I hear you, Rook. But as a professional my duty is to keep an eye on him and Spite. Lucanis: And with darkspawn blood running through your veins, I'll be watching you. Professionally.

[thoughtfulfiction]

Scooters Suck!

Author’s Note: Another dad!Justin rewrite. I have a new request planned to write next and then I’ll go through my inbox on my main and get those written and posted but as always if you want to see an old fic rewritten let me know!

You weren't scared of your toddler. Really, you weren't. She just wasn't the nicest person in the world before 9am.

Her ability to sleep in was probably unheard of and uncommon when it came to kids, which is probably why she barely took naps anymore. But in the morning? Remi was practically a zombie. Think, a tiny version of the Incredible Hulk. Don't wake her up. It’s borderline dangerous when she's woken up too early.

With all that being said…you had to navigate this situation very delicately.

"Remi?" you whisper. "It's time to wake up sweets."

From her spot in the middle of her new toddler bed you hear her sigh, her little body moving up and down like asking her to get up is going to be the end of the world. Her sleepy groan sounded like an old man after a 50-hour workweek. "Shh mama, I'm still sleeping."

Justin had a habit of mumbling incoherent, gruff sounds instead of words when he felt it was too early, and it seemed Remi had inherited his dislike for mornings, complete with her own dramatic flair. He usually didn't even speak to you in the morning if he felt like it was too early to be awake.

You walked over to her half asleep form, running your fingers along her cheek and kissing her head.

"I guess daddy is going to leave for his game today without his special basket..." you trail off and she sits up abruptly in bed, her hair and eyes wild.

"Oh no! I forgot to finish his basket!" She was now miraculously fully alert, already using you to scoot herself out of bed to head out of the room.

"Remington, please go brush your teeth and get dressed before you go into the playroom. I'll help you grab your stuff and we can finish it together. But you have to go to the bathroom first, got it?"

She nods excitedly, tossing her blanket to the side and heading to the drawers to pick out some clothes. "Got it mama!"

You shook your head at the complete 180 in your daughter's aura as you stepped into the playroom to grab the basket she'd been working on. The Chargers were headed to Carolina this afternoon to play the Panthers and Remi took her pre-travel activities very seriously. She liked to call it her version of gameday preparations. Her job was to make sure her daddy had everything he needs to secure the win and more importantly…come home as soon as possible. The gifts would oftentimes be prepared ahead of time but for whatever reason Remi ran out of time yesterday and with Justin coming home in an hour, the two of you were on a time crunch.

This “special basket” started when Remi was two, as a way to distract her from the fact that Justin wouldn’t be home. The idea began with simple comforts like a favorite snack or a small toy, but her growing creativity and determination turned the baskets into heartfelt packages that meant as much to Justin as they did to her. Even if it was just for two days, that one night without him was hard on her. So you came up with an idea to have this “basket” ready for road games to keep everyone happy. You knew that leaving Remi was hard on Justin too. You could’ve sworn he cried a little the first time he had to leave for an away game when she was born, even if he denies it to this day.

Remi was running around the room, putting her finishing touches on the main items, then headed over to the kitchen, grabbing her step stool to look in the fridge for a couple Gatorades.

"Lellow? Or blue?" She said aloud to herself, holding both bottles up. She shrugged and closed the door, grabbing both of them and walking back to the playroom to carefully put them into the basket. You watched as she meticulously made sure everything was up to her toddler standards, stifling a laugh when she stepped back to examine her work, an adorably intense look on her face that seemed eerily familiar. She then asked you if she had any room to add one more gift.

Before you could answer, a voice sounded in the hallway.

“I thought I heard my two favorite girls in here.” Justin pokes his head in, kneeling down and opening his arms. Remi didn’t hesitate—she took off and jumped right into them. She kissed his cheek and clung to his neck as he stood, holding her securely in his arms.

“Hi daddy.”

“Hi mini. What are you up to?”

“Me and mama made you some stuff. Wanna see?”

He walks her over the table, gently setting her down so she can begin her presentation. She started with the Gatorades, pointing and naming each color. Showed him a “note” that she had finished and had you sign approximately three seconds before he came home, and a new Nike beanie because she claimed that the one he had been wearing was “yucky.” She had pointed it out a week ago, wrinkling her nose and saying, “daddy, it’s all fuzzy and gross!” before insisting that he needed a new one.

"Yucky" was one of her favorite words to get her point across.

Justin chuckled as he examined the basket. "This might be one of your best ones. I love it. Thank you both."

“I have one more suprise, wait right here daddy. Don’t leave.” Before he can give her a response she runs out of the room. She returns with her hands tucked behind her back, a mischievous grin on her face. “Ta-da!” She reveals her tiny stuffed panda. “You can take Baby Po with you. He’s my strongest stuffy, I promise. He can take care of you, like the o-line does, right?”

“You’re exactly right bub. Looks like watching film with dad has been paying off.” You hold out a hand, and Remi slaps it enthusiastically for a high five.

Justin grabs the basket and the panda and follows the two of you back into the living room to say goodbye. He gives Remi a long hug, spinning her around just to hear her laugh. “Good luck daddy, try your best okay?”

“I will try my very best. You’ll be good and listen to mama?” She giggles a little but says yes. “Pinky promise?” Justin asks and Remi nods solemnly.

“Pinky promise,” she repeats, holding out her tiny finger. Justin hooks his much larger pinky around hers, and they both kiss their joined hands to seal the promise.

“I love you, Mini. I’ll see you in two days.”

“Love you too. I’ll set a timer.” Remi responds, walking to her room and you can’t help but laugh a little listening to her humming a made up tune.

You can’t help but laugh. “She’s too much sometimes.”

Justin grins, watching her disappear. “She’s so smart, it’s honestly a little scary.”

“Tell me about it. Sometimes I forget she’s not even four yet. Never a dull moment with that one, that’s for sure. Anyway…” You gesture toward the counter. “You have everything?”

“Yeah, I’ve got it.” He exhales softly, his eyes meeting yours. “Guess this is it. I love you. I’ll call when I get to the hotel tonight.”

You hand him the basket and lean in for a quick kiss, your voice dropping to a playful whisper. “I love you more. Go kick some ass.”

Before Justin can respond, Remi comes running back into the room. “Wait! One more hug and kissy!”

He crouches down again, letting her wrap her tiny arms around him. She plants a big kiss on his forehead like he’s done to her a thousand, then pulls back with a giggle. “Okay, now you can go.”

Justin stands, shaking his head with a grin as he grabs his bag. “That kid, I swear…”

“She’s got you wrapped around her finger.” You smirk, giving him one last wave as he heads out the door.

After lunch and half of a movie, the two of you needed something new to do. “It’s such a nice day out. Do you wanna go to the park bub?”

“Yeah! I can bring my scooter!” Remi’s eyes lit up with excitement. This scooter had been the latest thing she loved. Every single day she wanted to take her scooter and go somewhere with it. Last week, she even asked if she could bring it to preschool.

“You can ride your scooter but you have to wear your helmet and wait for me to walk with you.”

"Okay mama!" She nods excitedly, already heading off to the mud room. “I need my shoes!”

A park outing usually consisted of Remi needing a snack, a bottle of water and potentially the stroller in case she was too tired to walk back home. You gathered all of your things while Remi waited for you. In the midst of gathering everything, a sudden crash that echoed from the garage, followed by a high-pitched scream has you frozen you in place. For a split second, your mind raced with worst-case scenarios. Then, instinct took over, and you bolted toward the door.

“Remi!” you called, your voice shaky as you threw the door open. The sight in front of you sent a jolt of panic through your chest.

She was crumpled on the floor, her scooter tipped awkwardly to the side. Her small body shook with sobs as she clutched her arm to her chest, her tear-streaked face looking up at you with pure fear.

“Oh, baby…what happened?” you asked, rushing to her side. Dropping to your knees, you carefully lifted the scooter off her and set it aside. “Did you fall off your scooter?”

She nodded wordlessly, her lip trembling, and reached out with her good arm. “Mama…” she whimpered, her voice breaking your heart in two.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart. It’s okay, I’m here.” Gently, you scooped her up, cradling her against you as her little fingers clung desperately to your shirt. Her sobs shook her tiny frame, each one twisting the knot of worry in your chest a little tighter.

As you carried her back inside, a thousand thoughts raced through your mind. Was it just a bad bruise, or something worse? Was she in unbearable pain? How could you have let this happen? You swallowed hard, forcing yourself to stay calm for her sake.

On the couch, you rocked her gently, whispering soothing words and brushing her hair out of her face. “Shh, it’s okay, baby. Mama’s got you. You’re so brave.”

It took a few minutes, but her cries eventually softened into sniffles. Her tear-drenched face pressed into your shoulder as you kissed the top of her head. “Let me see your arm, bub. I promise I’ll be really gentle.”

When she hesitated, you gave her an encouraging smile. “We’re just gonna look, okay? No touching.”

She nodded reluctantly, and you peeled back her sleeve. Your stomach sank at the sight of the angry bruise already spreading across her tiny arm. You bit back a gasp, keeping your expression neutral. “You’re so tough, sweetheart. I think we need an ice pack to help make this feel better.”

Although you probably shouldn’t have, you got on Google to check for signs of a broken arm on your phone while Remi distracted herself with a show. You’d noticed some discoloration already which wasn’t good and she wasn’t really moving it away from her body and after 15 minutes, you took off the ice pack and handed her the remote. “Rem, can you hold this with your other hand?”

She tried but quickly dropped it, her face scrunching in frustration. “It hurts, Mama.”

You put your phone down and paused the tv, making your daughter stop and stare at you like she was offended. “Sweetie, I think we should take you to the doctor for your arm. So we’re gonna go on an adventure in the car and the doctors are going to look at your arm and make it feel soooo much better. And then we can come back home and finish the movie.”

“I have to see the doctor like uncle Mitch for my ouchie? Why?”

“Yes! Exactly like uncle Mitch. But we’re not going to see him, we’re gonna see someone else because they have special tools and everything that kids need. Some things that I don’t have for you here. So we have to go see them and they’ll make the ouchie feel a little better. Is that okay with you?��

She gave you a small nod, holding her good arm out. “Can I hold you?” Which was her version of asking to be carried. You picked her up again, mindful of her injured arm and she nestled against you, her small fingers gripping your shirt as you buckled her into the car seat.

The drive to the hospital felt endless. You kept glancing in the rearview mirror, watching her doze off in between small whimpers. Once you arrived, you texted Justin: Call me as soon as you can. It’s important.

Remi clung to you through it all until the nurse offered her some children’s ibuprofen and asked if she’d like to watch a movie while waiting for her cast. The distraction worked wonders—she was now enthralled by the screen, giggling quietly at the animated characters despite the disaster that was the last couple hours.

You stepped to the other side of the room when Justin's name flashed on the screen and you answered the call. “Hey," he started slowly, his voice already sounding tense. "What’s going on? Your text sounded like it was an emergency. Are you two alright?”

“I’m fine,” you sigh, “but Remi fell off her scooter and her arm was really swollen so I took her to the emergency room. It’s broken.”

“Oh my god.” His voice cracked slightly, the weight of those words hitting him hard. “Okay, um…What did the doctor say? Is she in pain? Did they—do they have to do surgery? What happens now? How—how did this even happen?” The questions came rapid-fire, his tone a mix of panic and guilt. You could almost hear him pacing on the other end of the line.

“Justin, slow down,” you said gently, though you couldn’t help but smile a little at how frantic he sounded. Usually he was the chill parent. “She’s okay. She’s a little trooper, honestly. She’s been so brave. They gave her pain meds, and we’re just waiting for her cast to be molded. No surgery needed, thank goodness. They even gave us a little cast cover for when she showers. She’s very excited about that.”

He exhaled, the sound heavy and strained. “I can’t believe I’m not there. I should be there.”

“Hey,” you said firmly, keeping your voice low but reassuring. “She’s fine, and you’re not a bad dad for being at work. You know that, right?”

“But I should be there,” he said again, more to himself than to you. “She probably cried, didn’t she? I hate that I wasn’t there to hold her.”

“She did, but only for a little while. She was scared, but we got through it. And now she’s sitting here laughing at a cartoon. Babe, she’s okay. She knows you love her.”

There was a long pause, and you could hear him taking a shaky breath. “Does she? Because I feel like I’ve been gone so much lately. What if she thinks I don’t care?”

You softened, your heart breaking a little for him. “Justin, stop. She knows. She’s been asking about you nonstop since we got here. In fact, she’s probably going to demand to talk to you as soon as I hang up.”

“She’s really okay?” he asked, his voice quieter now, almost hesitant.

“She’s better than okay. She’s handling this like a champ. Honestly, you should be proud of her—and yourself. She’s got that strength, and pain tolerance, from you, you know.”

“That’s my girl,” he said, and you could hear the faintest smile in his voice. “Can I talk to her?”

“Of course. Let me grab her.” You turned back toward the bed, where Remi was still glued to the movie, her uninjured hand clutching a Baby Po replacement. “Bub, guess who's on the phone? Do you wanna say hi?”

Her face lit up instantly, knowing exactly who it was before she reached for the phone. “Hi, Daddy! Guess what? I’m getting a blue cast, and the doctor gave me a sticker! But they didn’t have Paw Patrol stickers, so I picked a fishy one. It’s funny, right?”

You can hear him laugh on the other end, sounding much more relaxed after hearing her voice. “Very funny. I bet that fishy sticker is the coolest one they had. Can't wait to see it when I get home. And Remi? Thank you for being so strong today. I love you more than anything.”

“More than cookies?” Remi asked, her voice filled with wonder.

“Way more than cookies,” Justin replied with a chuckle. “Even the chocolate chip ones.”

Remi gasped dramatically, her eyes wide as she looked at you for confirmation. “Wow! That’s a super lot, Daddy. I love you more than my pink sparkly shoes!”

Justin laughed, his voice warm and steady over the phone. “That’s the super-est love there is, mini,” he said softly, the pride and love in his tone unmistakable.

He hadn't let her out of his sight since he came home Sunday night. After the win, they had an off day, which he gladly spent catering to her every need.

“You hungry mini?” Justin asks, feeling like he could use a snack himself.

“Yeah! Can we get ice cream? Pleeeease?” she sang, fluttering her lashes in a way that seemed suspiciously calculated.

Justin froze, then cleared his throat dramatically, turning his attention to you with exaggerated disbelief. “Do you see this? Look at her!”

“What? Why are you looking at me?” you asked, holding back a laugh.

“This is your fault,” he said, gesturing at Remi as if she’d just pulled off a master plan.

“My fault? What did I do?”

“She got that from you! Batting those eyelashes and giving me that little face—it's the same move you use when you want something. You both know I’m powerless against it.”

“My baby broke her arm okay? If she says she needs ice cream then we should get her some.” You try to reason with him.

Justin shook his head, though a grin tugged at his lips. “Her wrist is broken, Y/N. Ice cream isn’t exactly a medical treatment.”

From the couch, Remi giggled, her little voice ringing out as she piped up, “I need ice cream medicine, please!”

“Oh, really?” Justin raised an eyebrow, glancing back at her. Remi nodded vigorously, her eyes wide with innocent pleading.

You give him a pointed look. “And where did she get this ice cream obsession from?”

Justin sighed dramatically, giving in with a smile. “Fair point.” He stood up and headed toward the cabinet in search of a bowl, the pink one has been a crowd favorite this week.. “Remi... chocolate or vanilla?”

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, casting a glance at her injured arm resting on a pillow. You caught her gaze and gave her a small nod, as if to say “go ahead.”

“Both, please!” she said, her voice sweet and determined.

“Smart choice, kid,” You said, grinning. “Put daddy to work.”

Before you can hear Justin's response to your teasing, the doorbell rings and you get up to go answer it. On the other side of the door is three large men holding sparkly balloons, a giant teddy bear, a couple bags of candy and a huge bottle of bubbles.

"You guys, what is all this?" You step aside to let Simi, Cameron and Foster in. Remi is already in Cam's arms, showing off her cast by the time you get back to the living room.

“Tell me everything. How did it happen?” Cameron asked, looking at Remi with such tenderness that it made her giggle. He was her second favorite player, right after her dad, and he always made her feel like the most important person in the room.

The little girl sighed dramatically, resting her head on his shoulder, and began telling her version of the story from the beginning. She didn’t stop talking until she’d relayed every detail to Cameron, then she shifted her focus to Foster and Simi.

As Justin came back into the room from the kitchen, he stopped, taking in the scene with a shake of his head. He could hardly believe how spoiled Remi was—though he secretly loved every second of it.

The moment Remi saw him, she hopped off the couch, toddling over to him with a huge grin. “Thanks for the ice cream, daddy!” she said, her face lighting up.

Justin smiled, lifting her into his lap. “Anything for you, mini.”

Simi, Foster, and Cameron all took turns showing off the gifts they’d brought her. As each one came out, Remi’s eyes grew wider, and Justin’s heart swelled as he watched her in awe. The best part, though, was when they all gathered around to sign her cast.

When it was Justin’s turn, Remi asked him sweetly, “Can you sign my cast, but no ugly footballs, okay?”

He chuckled softly, his heart skipping a beat. “No ugly footballs, promise.” He focused, carefully drawing the best heart he could manage.

You caught Justin’s eye for a brief moment, and in that look, you both shared an unspoken feeling. There, on the couch, in the middle of all the laughter and excitement, was the perfect little girl that you two had created—a living, breathing testament to your love. A sassy three-year-old, full of life and energy, who couldn’t be tamed, but would always be adored beyond measure.

Justin wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world. As he held her close, he felt like he wanted to bottle up these moments, to keep them frozen in time forever.

[thewertsearch]

Alright, this looks fairly incredible.

Honestly, this is exactly my kind of humor. It's hilarious, seeing Dirk extract this modern style of comedy from something so twee - there's just something about the juxtaposition between these two cultural lenses that really tickles the funnybone.

...yeah, OK, so this is just a masterpiece.

[...] about halfway through the book, rather than see the gag through to the bitter end, Strider began pasting over entire pages of original text with his own completely rewritten version of the story, while keeping all the chapter titles. His revision is a tough, emotionally draining read. But it's cathartic, in all the worst ways possible.

My kingdom for a full transcript of this novel. That's probably what the Pony Pals fanfiction purports to be, so I can't wait to check it out.

The launcher's in fucking ~ATH?

That's just what we need - another Mobius Virus, ready to curse another team. It really would be the cherry on top of this whole clusterfuck.

Wait, is Roxy hacking into Jane's PC to stop her playing early?

Good work, I guess - but girlie, you were just talking about trust!

Wait, are we about to run another virus? The last one did blow up Karkat's computer, so...

I take it this is another assassination's attempt - but if so, how did Roxy the hacker not realize the file was boobytrapped? I refuse to believe she wouldn't verify the code, mistrustful of CrockerCorp as she is.

lmao, for a second I thought the GCat was holding up the couch by his tail.

[sanfezu]

How bored was I? Yes. Have this and do whatever I guess. I threw all logic out the window. If you find something that is canonically impossible… that is my bad, and I accept it 👍 Have a good one!

❗️This is a concept, and by that I mean that this is an idea that exists without big exploration of it. And it is OOC, especially with PVC, since he’s the only one who was changed. The concept exists just because I was bored and wanted some angst. Angst for the sake of angst, if you will. In the end, this concept will have a lot of flaws, but it is not meant to be an entire AU, with a whole story rewritten. It’s just a little idea, which was probably written by someone else before me, but I don’t know/don’t remember. ❗️ The changes were not made as a “redesign” of Pure Vanilla Cookie. The changes of Pure Vanilla Cookie here were made just for the idea, he is great the way he is in the canon. Thank you.

In general:

This is a more injured and broken version of Healer Cookie, and/or Pure Vanilla Cookie. Everything is the same, except for HC/PVC appearance and personality.

He has major head injury. Yet, he cannot heal it (he tried after Black Raisin Cookie asked him to, and after failing she never asked him to try it again, and he never tried again). Has no idea how he’s still alive (I don’t know as well👍)

He is blind, seeing only really blurry blobs of colours.

Before his memories come back:

He has problems feeling anything. And he has a big problem spacing out a lot. That does not mean he’s fully numb, he has his moments when he feels and a lot.

His Vanilla Orchid Staff is broken, and has a dangerous sharp end where the vanilla orchid once was, but he refuses to let other cookies fix it or get him a somewhat normal walking stick, having a strange connection with it, the feeling he cannot explain yet. The vanilla orchid itself is nowhere to be found (and they don’t know how the staff should look, so they never tried finding the other half of it)

Because Healer Cookie is blind, having such a dangerous staff, the Villagers of Abandoned Village decided to cover the staff where he holds it with bandages for him to feel where it’s okay to hold. They did try to get it fully wrapped, but the sharp end just rips the covers open. 

He has his hair gathered in a messy right-sided ponytail, with his hair being loose on his left side. His hair is also greenish on the ends and he has some grey hairs being here and there. 

He does not speak much. Yet, he is still gentle and polite just like OG Pure Vanilla Cookie.

Additional:

Black Raisin Cookie had a feeling she knew who he actually was, since his face is not covered showing his eye and half of the four-pointed star on his forehead, but she had her doubts since Pure Vanilla Cookie supposed to be dead, so she decided not to pry (not that he remembered himself anyway). 

GingerBrave and CO. also had a thought about Pure Vanilla Cookie when they saw Healer Cookie. They did ask him about it, yet, he said he didn’t really know what they’re talking about. All the things that were happening with Healer Cookie during their adventure were all noticed by the CO. proofing that the Healer Cookie might in fact be Pure Vanilla Cookie. 

Dark Enchantress Cookie was not happy seeing him, immediately recognising him. “You’re a no one cookie” conversation never happened.

After his memories come back:

He still has problems expressing himself, but he is getting a little bit better.

His Vanilla Orchid Staff was revived (how, you may ask… magic), so he can finally see through it.

Loosen his hair, yet they are still messy and greenish on the ends. Grey hairs never left. Sometimes gets them in the same ponytail as Healer cookie.

Speaks more, but gets tired while doing so now.

With time everything gets better and easier… until the jester dropped by.

During Beast Yeast:

Nothing really changes except for Pure Vanilla Cookie’s appearance and personality (a little bit, but that’s due to head injury that never got healed and the numbness he feels from now and then).

Truthless Recluse still happens.

As I said, nothing basically changes here or anywhere else, except for Pure Vanilla Cookie’s appearance and personality.

That’s basically it, do whatever, have fun.

[bluu-m0on]

Demigod!Brant (Hercules!AU) I’d like to thank @let-the-stars-guide for this idea, suggestions, and her feedback in making this fic come to life!

Synopsis: The city of Thebes has never been a place where peace was an option until a warrior: The Flaming Returned, rose up to the challenge and restored it himself. Amidst the praise and the reputation he garnered for himself, he always finds his way back to a humble tavern you work at.

Word count: ~2.3k

Author's notes and disclaimers: - I let this fic marinate in my drafts for a good while. I wanted to try something a little different with this one since I rewrote the setting to be a mix of ancient Greece and Solaris (right after the Mortefi fic too no less). I also used some terminology that might be unfamiliar. I've left the footnotes for the terminology at the end of this piece. - I don't speak or write much in English, even if I'm fluent in the language. Please be aware that my grammar and/or vocabulary might be faulty in some parts. I've revised this with @let-the-stars-guide a few times, but I'm confident that I didn't manage to correct every single mistake. - yes. I am ***horribly*** down bad for this man. Jesus Christ. The gist of the fic's setting is that: - The sentinels are about the same in-game, just seen as similarly as Greek gods. - Resonators are more or less seen as demigods. Where if someone managed to get a forte, it is said that the sentinel has "blessed" them in a way. I really didn't want to elaborate this much more in the fic since that's not the main focus, but I did use it for some context in writing. The setting is almost the same as the one in Disney's version with some rewrites: - "A hero comes to a crime-ridden town to improve the lives of the people in it to prove his worth." I kept this one in. - 'Meg' (as the reader), was rewritten differently compared to the source material so that this version of the character ('(name)') made sense in the setting. So no, this isn't a Meg!Reader fic. Not to my knowledge anyway.

*"I will face the world fearless, proud, and strong 'til I find my hero's welcome right where I belong."

God knows what you expected when you first met Brant. He was, to say the least, theatric, with how he carried himself around the *polis and among the people of Thebes, always with a confident gait and a smile that never seemed to leave his lips as the masses sang their praises of him as a hero: The Flaming Returned.

Surprisingly, you met him in one of the *apotheca, right by the *amphora where the town’s wine was being audited. He didn’t look like much then— a lot leaner and unkempt; truth be told, he looked more like one of the carry-boys for the old merchant who ran the inn right down the block. Yet, despite his frame and incompetence, he managed to save you from being dragged away and mugged by the thugs in broad daylight. He had no sword on him, but he fought them anyway. One punch after the other, he picked them off one at a time.

How a carry-boy like him managed to beat the crap out of a bunch of thugs like it was nothing is beyond you. Better to believe that it was the blessing of a god, nothing short of a miracle.

He offers you a hand— calloused, firm, but kind. “Are you alright?” He asks kindly as you pick yourself up and dust off the dirt on your clothes. “I’m alright.” You reply, just as concerned about him for any injuries. Seriously, how the hell did he manage to get out on top and unscathed?!

“Do you know those people by chance?”

“Not a clue. Thank you— by the way, for saving me.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I had my eye on those guys for a while. They’ve been hanging around here to steal what they can, I’m guessing.”

“Then you best be on your guard, then. Thebes is not exactly friendly— Or kind, for that matter.”

“Then you’re lucky enough to have met me then. The name’s Brant.”

“(Name).”

And thus, followed a camaraderie between the two that blossomed through chance encounters and unplanned run-ins at the *kapaleia, where you’d find out his penchant for wine, that you’d swear he would be a close companion of the god of wine himself.

Where you'd usually be behind the counter serving food and drinks, you find yourself resigned to keep him company for an hour, right in the middle of your shift no less.

It wasn't like the passed-out drunkards could order another cup. Right?

The tavern was lively with the bustle of drunks and patrons after a long day of work, as orders piled up quickly as the night wore on, with money to spend, and mead to drink; Yet you found yourself keeping Brant company across the bar top among the rest of the men and women who gaily lost their sense of time to the hands of lady liquor herself, inebriating even the strongest over a few kisses with just a few cups.

Not like he's immune to her temptation either, but thankfully his tolerance to alcohol is a little better.

No *amphora full of wine is safe around him. Not when he has coins to spend generously. You note one evening, right across him while he downs another cup eagerly.

Unlike the others, he’s got an ego but not enough to be a complete narcissist. He’s charming— charismatic enough to have any woman swoon over him at barely a glance, yet he never used it to his advantage— always carrying this air of honor around him.

One particular night was when you caught a glimpse of his humility.

"Why do you try even bringing peace to this place?" You ask, taking one mug cup after another off the tables to be washed before you clock off out of work. You think it was the liquid courage doing all the talking about heroism, chivalry, and honor, but you were only met with a far-off gaze cast down towards his drink and a wry smile as he swirls the amber liquid in his cup.

"... Because I have something to live for." The words fall from his lips in a soft mutter, half laced with wine and the other half... frustration? yearning? determination?

He's quiet for a moment before he chugs the liquid gold with an audible gulp, making his throat bob and somewhat easing his mind after downing the cup.

You don’t catch what he mutters under his breath right after.

He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand; and before you can apologize for bringing the topic up, he puts on a practiced smile once more to steel himself, yet his eyes never looked more lonelier until now.

A coin or two for his thoughts, bless him. It might be best to ask him more when he's sober.

With a renewed resolve, He pays for the drink and thanks you for your company, before getting up and leaving the tavern wordlessly; whistling a farmer’s tune into the night. You clocked off work not too long after.

Unbeknownst to you, he would face the Lernean Hydra the next day. the thing had been wreaking havoc in the countryside for a while now, rumored to have taken the children captive with no one to save them.

Who else was more fit for the job really? He thought.

A screech of a beast echoed across the grassfields before it went completely quiet. A man stands alone with a relentless fire in his hands amidst the several snake-like skulls rolling about around him, right before the monster's necks where each base had been cauterized.

The smell was foul, but meant that the fight was over.

Upon the last fall of the Hydra's head with a searing cut, the people let out a deafening cheer. His sword's embers are still somehow unflickering in the shade of the monster's cadaver right by the base of a hill, marking the first of many victories to come.

Brant had come out as the victor that fateful afternoon. Alone, but alive despite it all. The Flaming Returned had come to burn the strife with his own hands.

It's nothing short of a miracle that the city of Thebes finally has someone restoring order and peace once more among its people and managed to live to tell the tale. Finally, an unlikely hero.

The bells ring from a distance, and the captive children are freed.

Finally, peace. Finally, safety.

Lately, the criminal activity has gone down significantly ever since Brant stepped in to resolve most of it that ran rampant down the streets and in the corners of the darkest of alleyways, never the one to leave stones unturned and crannies unchecked; like flames that burned through the strife and the dust on the marble walls of the city, passing through the cracks, leaving no area unlit.

Rumors of a righteous warrior in Thebes spread like wildfire, lighting the darkest of Thebes as if he were a torchbearer, illuminating the way for those who found themselves in trouble to guide them back to safety, all the while keeping the city safe from the discord that loomed over the city outskirt’s horizon.

No doubt this was the same man who had saved you months ago— the same Byzantium eyes with a head crowned with cyan, and his sandalled feet strutting down the street with his head held high and a sheathed sword on his right, while his left hand swung with every confident step he took, donning that mile-wide grin that came so naturally to him, like wildflowers that bloomed wherever they pleased under a cloudless sky.

Unashamed, unshackled, unperturbed. He seems a lot more glorified these days.

Popular as he may seem, you don’t doubt his honor as a hero, nor do you doubt his kindness— not after the few rendezvous you've had with him, though these days it's been a hassle keeping it on the down-low with his reputation and infamy.

Despite the glory and adulation he gets from the crowd, he still returns to that bar seat across the counter where you work.

From running into him months back by chance, he's found a friend in you amidst the newfound infamy, always lending a hand and fending off the thieves from ransacking the mead before you can get them inside. You learn he was raised in the countryside - not too different from the one he freed from the Hydra's havoc, and was found by an elderly couple right by their hut. He was adopted and raised to be a good man, albeit blessed with a little more strength and power than the average man— much like those fabled resonators you’ve heard stories about growing up, heroes who received the blessing of the sentinel.

As for his real parents... he doesn’t say much, and you don’t bother to ask or pry him about it.

He's still the same guy that saved you months ago, just with a huge following, and maybe a prospect or two on his trail trying to get his attention; yet somehow, he still looks out and asks for you after everything. Compared to him, you’re stuck in a familiar routine over the few years you’ve worked behind the tavern counter, much like the trade winds against the ship’s sails. Barely changing, but comfortable enough to know where things are headed. God knows why he still comes around when you’re a server in the bar he frequents, stuck inside listening to tales of him from frequenters and drunks as if he was a Greek regalia.

"You're still working behind the counter? Come now (name), surely you've got something better to do with your time!”

“Brant, it's only been a few months since you took down that monster. It's not as if I've got any place to get a job. Besides, where else would you actually find me for drinks, hm?"

"Serving drinks and lending both your ears to woes that are worth three! All behind a counter no less! Had I known better, you're an unsung hero to many!”

He lifts his cup to toast to you, and your eyes meet his.

“For your quiet service, and to the truest camaraderie you’ve given to people like me.”

Your cheeks warm up over his sincerity as he chuckles boyishly, shining a toothy grin from across the bar top, head propped up on his hand and leaning slightly forward. You cough awkwardly, trying to offset the growing joy in your heart.

“Thank you.”

You glance down and eye the floor. Have the tiles always been this dull? You polish the cup a little firmer.

“Don’t mention it. Another of the house specialty please!”

And there it is again, that bright, mile-wide grin rivaling the sun itself. You roll your eyes and chuff.

His cheek hasn't changed at all.

“… There’s the guy I know.”

You start working on his order exchanging a few jokes and jabs while you busy yourself; missing the way his cheeks flush as you get back to fixing his order like clockwork. A Nectar of the Gods for the hero who sat patiently on the other side of the bar top— "Nectarwine", as he liked to call it personally, watching the amber flow down the new cup in your hands, already smelling the sugar-sweet concoction wafting in the air once you put the rest of the mead back with the rest of the batch on the shelf.

Amidst the glory and praise, he admittedly found comfort in this little routine with you, sharing his day with you at least once a week after a hard day defending the city from tacet discords and criminals.

No matter what had happened to him, he'd always find you preparing drinks with practiced ease, ready to lend an ear and let him tell his daily tales after he orders another cup.

All behind a counter… He thinks to himself.

A kind smile on your face, a chortle here and there from his jokes, and a gentle reminder from you to watch his intake right after you give him his cup. He can't help but respond in kind, softly:

"You know me too well already. I can handle it, don't worry."

It’s no stranger to you that he always orders multiple times as per usual, with the claim that you've given him a cup from a better batch. Another one for the road, and another just to maybe keep you around for a little longer. Maybe.

He looks up from his cup, drunk on the sugar and liquor, while he lays his head on the bar counter, thanking the sentinel that you're too busy to notice him looking at your back. The color of the mead you gave him never looked prettier against your skin as you poured it into a cup every time, and he swore you'd look good in gold, though he wouldn't admit it now.

Was it really the Nectarwine that tasted sweet? or was it the company you provided him without hesitation? No, he's not blushing; he's only red because of the mead.

It’s his turn to cough, yet he can't help the stuttering beat on his chest. Have you always looked this stunning under the oil lamp's firelight? or has the liquor gone to his head already?

“Say (name)?”

He can't help but feel bold. it's now or never. You turn around and face him, setting down a clean cup back on the shelf.

“Yes?”

“How about we meet up some place else after your shift?”

“Oh? What for?”

"You look like you could use a break. Making and serving drinks on a daily must be awfully boring. What do you say?"

He grins, almost sheepishly. Brant, shy? That's new. You smile his way, chuckling over his sudden concern for your well-being. You cross your arms loosely and scoff lightly. For a moment, he's nervous.

Were you fond of him? He wonders. It's his eyes turn to flick up to yours, only to find that you're kinder than he thought.

"If there's anyone who needs a break, I think that would be you, Brant."

Terminology + Citations:

*"I will go the Distance (reprise)" - (sung by) Robert Bart, Hercules 1997.

Polis — greek city

Amphora | Amphorae — two-handled jar or vase, typically with a large oval body and a narrow cylindrical neck, used for storage and transport of liquids and solids like wine, oil, and grain.

Kapaleia — bars and taverns of ancient Greece.

Apotheca — storeroom for wine, herbs, and spices.

so uhh... part 2? Reblogs and hearts are always appreciated! Thank you for reading! ©bluu-mo0n. All rights reserved 2025.

[55adapertio]

(Alt Text: Tragibox Lore Resource Masterpost. Archives, official links, fan docs, etc...)

Guess who accidentally deleted it when they were going to edit something... yeah.

LAST UPDATED; 30/03/25

Thought this would be treasured by others as much as it is by me. Wherever my hyperfixation takes me to learn is for me to share!!!

If you have any additions, feel free to send them to me so I can add them! Also don't doubt about telling me if any of the links happen to be broken or if anything is incorrectly linked!

⚠️ Some things to keep in mind:

Tragibox Lore is currently being rewritten by the new owner of the project, Ruby Waters. Some things might get changed!

Breakthrough bonuses are fanmade.

Ruby has kindly asked to not ship characters within Tragibox, this includes Neester x Lilac. Screenshots of this boundary can be found on the Lore Archive Masterdoc linked below. DaveMack is excepted from this since it's a canon ship! Canon ships are allowed.

Official Orin Ayo Lore Doc (Wayback Machine Link): Might be a bit laggy on phone. Try not to touch the text too much because it sends you to refresh the page (HAPPENED MANY TIMES...). There's a missing picture of Acheture Blunt's appearance before death but I managed to dig around a little and find it! It's currently on the lore archive below.

Tragibox Lore Archive Masterdoc: A document by me. Archives the official lore doc, in-game profiles (in progress), discord lore questions answered and some other things. My directory basically!!! Don't request editing access. Note: When opening in a mobile browser, check "desktop size/browser view" to be able to see the images better, otherwise they will look blurry.

Official Tragibox Discord Server: Activity varies a lot but very fun! There is interesting lore material around and you can ask lore questions. Might serve to track the progress of the project in the future! Also good to interact with other Tragibox fans. Special shout-out to whoever sent me the invite link through strawpage when I asked for it, you're a real one sob sob...

Tragibox Archive by Smugg/Pk Freeze: HTML version of Tragibox games saved plus a bit of lore information screenshoted~

Orin Ayo Wiki: Take some of the things here as a grain of salt, information tends to be changed by users and is usually not backed by sources. Lore related note; don't take the info in character profiles in Orin Ayo as the 100% truth, as most of that information can be manipulated by cultists~

Extra to Orin Ayo Wiki: Paige's Wiki Page

Breakthrough Wiki: Same thing as the Orin Ayo Wiki. This time, character info can be trusted a little more, most of it is written directly by Sol but there are some cases of unknown characters or Dave writting them (Dave's logs have his signature)

Using this little space to add that I'm currently working on a document analysing some elements on Tragibox from a more scientific point of view~ For now it is just a very rough WIP bit will be added to this list once it is done.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hi :) Before I ask my question I just wanted to say that I love how you characterize the twst boys in your writing and always take the effort of digging deep into these extremely (sometimes almost mind blowingly) complicated characters.  

So I am one of those people who loves making and seeing art of the twst boys genderbent. As I sometimes do admittedly lament twisted wonderlands lack of female cast members at times (though I do understand that having an all male cast is part of the games genre!) 

Anyway I was just wondering if the twst cast members were girls, would that in any way change the character development and dynamic of Epel and Vil in book 5? Because a large part of Epel's character development centres around his narrow, traditional ideas of gender roles and his internal need to feel “tough and manly”. Then Vil teaches him that femininity does not necessarily mean weakness and blah blah we know the story. Long story short, if Epel was a girl would that change her views on strength in any way? Would she feel the same need to be super tough and manly like her male counterpart? Would this change rewrite Epel's character arc entirely? Just wanted to know what you think. 

Hello and thank you for the compliment ^^ I work hard on my posts but especially on the analysis ones so I'm always really happy to see such positive reception to those efforts!

I love seeing Twst genderbend AUs too :DD My favorite interpretations have to be by tribbutribby (aka bunnyshadeow), who has made a few zines (Twisted Bimboland) with that theme in mind. I love how they don't just draw "the Twst boys, but with boobs"; they thought through every character and how they would actually be as a woman, from the designs to the personalities. For example, their fem!Leona has short hair because female lions don't have manes and their fem!Jamil is described as a cool onee-san type, which totally fits with what we know about Jamil. I also love that they actually have a variety in body types! Fem!Riddle is short and flat, fem!Floyd is tall and lanky, fem! Azul is more plump, fem!Jack has thunder thighs, etc. Highly recommend their works, CANNOT RECOMMEND THEIR WORKS ENOUGH!!!

If NRC were an all-girls school, I think the conflict between Epel and Vil in book 5 would have to be considerably rewritten. We could still explore gender identity and expression, but it would have to be framed differently because of Epel and Vil, the main players, being women and not men. I guess it would still be possible to have Epel have outdated views on gender roles (tradwife!Epel?????????), but it doesn't make much sense since... Epel's technically at an elite school instead of preparing to be a wife or something. That might also lead to a very stereotypical message with Vil coming in and telling Epel "actually, you can girlboss too".

It might be interesting to see an interpretation in which Epel is forced to live by gender roles, but then she tries to rebel against it + disparages femininity by being a tomboy?? And then the lesson Vil ends up instilling in her is that femininity shouldn't be underestimated, it can be a strength too. That would be similar to the original message imparted onto Epel, and I think it would be more nuanced and less predictable than the girl power version.

[transienturl]

there has got to be a semi elegant way for me to hack "sync your blocked posts between browsers" into xkit rewritten. there's got to be! have I thought of one so far? no. but

[britishchick09]

rewrite christine in the ag girls lineup! ;D

[hyperfixate-on-ninjas]

You know what? Screw it Arin and Sora are the same Age as the Ninja…

This Shuffle AU has messed with my timeline enough they’re the same age. So they’re all 18-19 somewhat. (Except for Nya and Jay obviously…and Lloyd)

Anyways here are the designs and information post because rewriting 16+ Seasons is hard, especially since the First one on the list gives me a headache.

Here ya go @jay-the-walker-36 and @totallynotabuckybarnessimp enjoy your food

Order of the Shuffle:

Legacy of the Green Ninja

Secrets of Forbidden Spinjitsu

DR Season 2

Master of the Mountain

Possession

Prime Empire

Rebooted

Rise of the Snakes

Seabound

Skybound

DR Season 1

Hands of Time

Crystallized

Island of the Keepers

Tournament of Elements

March of the Oni

Sons of Garmadon

Hunted

Kai Jiang-Smith

Kai’s background is a little different here. He loses his sister in the Merge. He doesn’t leave right away because the Village (or at least some of the adults that hadn’t gotten lost in the Merge.) advised against it and instead just wait for her to come back.

When Kai gets older and business doesn’t do so well and he’s getting frustrated, he heads out in search of his sister. He does this to get at least a bit of closure as to what happened to her instead of wondering if she’s dead or not. However things come to shove and soon he runs out of money to get him by.

He goes into a crime life and gets a few odd jobs here and there. To the point that he leads a double life.

(This is where Ninjago Monstrosity comes in. I decided to let Kai go there willingly himself because if young Kai just landed there with no fighting experience he would’ve died tbh.)

Kai gets to the Land of Monsters and takes down a few monsters basically becoming the early version of Rogue. (Except I like to think his demand is higher than Rogue or maybe even equal to Rogue, not because of his skill but because he’s known as ‘The Expert on Monsters’) but eventually he gets into some trouble and meets Cole who ends up helping him find Nya and yada yada just check out this post for the Rewritten version of the Pilots.

Cole Brookstone

Cole ends up in the Land of Lost Things like in canon and meets the Finders like in Canon. The only difference is that the Finders are more careful when they ‘Find’ things and learn to adapt and survive in an environment where they are constantly hunted for a while. (Considering Cole doesn’t have his powers anymore)

After Cole basically builds a life for himself, eventually he longs to return home to see what happened and even though he has a hard relationship with his Dad at the moment he still wonders if his Dad is even okay.

That’s when Wu appears to him and gives him a sign that he should leave. Cole says goodbye to the Finders and promises to come back one day so he heads out and ends up at the Monastery where he trains to be a Ninja. (Somehow, I haven’t actually…decided how he learns this?)

He ends up finding Kai and together they find the Golden Weapons and save Nya.

Nya Jiang-Smith

She ends up in the Realm of Madness like canon, except she doesn’t end up with the Craiglings. Instead she’s trying to survive on food. When Garmadon discovers that the Realm of Madness he instantly goes there to get his Four Arms, stumbling upon Nya in the process.

Due to the fact that Nya looks a lot like Maya he assumes she’s Maya and Ray’s kid (Million dollar guess for Garm right there) he ‘captures’ her and basically raises her as a captive. (Too dangerous to keep her close and too risky to let her go.)

(This actually causes Nya to sympathize more with Garm??? Like she actually gets to know him more than the evil dictator he claims himself to be.)

However due to the fact that there is a lack of food, and Skulkin barely need food and honestly they’d rather let Nya starve, she’s malnourished (Hence why the clothes look baggy on her) she gets saved the usual way the Pilots go because Garm finds out that Kai is her brother.

When they get saved, they decide that she might be the Blue Ninja much to Wu’s despair and they start training her because self-defense and stuff. Ultimately she replaces Jay as the inventor of the group. (Until…Jay joins them? I’m not really sure WHEN he joins them because I ultimately made DR Season 2 different and DR Season 3 part 1 isn’t even on this list and I decided not to add it because that’ll make things harder for myself, besides he joins them without DR S3 p1 so this is gonna be interesting)

Speaking of Jay….

Jay Walker

(My guy you look like a normal Joe why the heck did you decide that old hairstyle you look so normal it’s uncanny-)

Head of Realm Re-Assignment of course Jay ends up at the Administration. Which is probably…not a good thing.

He was raised in the Administration having been separated from his parents so it’s quite literally the only thing he knows until he becomes a fully-fledged Agent. Once he becomes Head of Realm Re-Assignment since that’s never changed.

The Ninja don’t really meet him until Prime Empire maybe. (Still trying to work out WHEN he leaves the Administration)

Jay doesn’t end up leaving with Ras because Jay isn’t an Elemental Master by the time DR S2 happens. Instead the EM fighting for Ras is Zane. But he does defect somewhere during Dr S2 p1. (Possibly had a self-reflection or whatever idk Maybe Wu fried his brain)

Zane (???)

Captain of the Claws of Imperium, Zane is in charge of the capture of dragons with Rapton being demoted to Second-In Command. (Rapton regains being captain when Zane ultimately leaves however)

Zane didn’t end up in a pod instead he ends up in Imperium where it was discovered he was a robot and he was violently reprogrammed to remain loyal to Imperium. (Sort of like a…Bucky Barnes situation)

However what they failed to realize that even with reprogramming Zane, he still has a will of his own. By the time DR S2 happens, Zane would have been discarded by Dr LaRow and work with Ras. Though eventually he will latch unto the Ninjas all because he’s been raised to perceive himself as ‘just a tool’ (Which sort of factors into his arc in Rebooted…goddamn I’m so mean to Zane)

Lloyd Garmadon

Lloyd was around 3 when the Merge happened, so poor baby had to see his uncle spiral to get his father back.

Garmadon visited him in shadow form up until the Merge. So Garm was partially aware of his brother’s suffering. After the Merge though, Garmadon stopped talking to Lloyd as things got hectic in The Underworld.

Lloyd ended up leaving the Monastery for food. And quickly he runs into Sora and Arin who take him in. By the time Cole arrives at the Monastery he’s fully living with Sora and Arin till he’s like… 8 Ig.

(So by that timeline…yeah it’s still 5 years since the Merge…but if he’s 9 in the canon show it’s probably like… 6???? This is why I’m frustrated about the Timeline, Lloyd is messing with my timeline holy moly.)

They meet the Ninja differently mostly because I placed DR S1 episode 1 as the first Episode of Legacy of the Green Ninja now. Yes I plan to add Riyu, but Idk how to draw a damn dragon okay?

Anyways they head back to the Monastery to keep Arin, Sora, Riyu and Lloyd safe and also help Sora get used to her powers. When Wu shows up Lloyd immediately recognizes and understands him and basically acts as a translator for the Ninja. (So…Wu isn’t fully silent the whole time but technically speaking he still can’t talk. And there’s only so much Lloyd can try to translate so Lloyd might summarize and say stuff out of context)

So they stay in the Monastery for a bit.

Lloyd’s Wings, Tail and Horns show up as a result of the Merge causing a huge spike in his powers causing him to realize his Dragon-Oni heritage (Thank god I didn’t add DR S3 yet because THAT would’ve been awkward and again, this story wouldn’t have made sense since err…Dr S2 spoilers)

He also learns Oni power…really early. Cause uhh…Angry child tantrums.

…Maybe a slice of learning he has the powers of Creation at his disposal…

Also his eyes are covered because people thought it looked too evil. So he asked Sora if he could hide it.

Sora

Her backstory is the same tbh, honestly not much of the show changes for her really, she’s really lucky she was born in Imperium cause I cannot change shit about her.

However, she and Lloyd have a much closer bond than in canon, she almost sees herself in Lloyd when they first meet. And seeing his insecurities on herself. So they bond very nicely. Ironically though, she is not Lloyd’s favorite person, that unfortunately goes to Arin.

Err…actually most of her arc is the same Ig???

So I don’t really have a change for her idk.

Arin Nived

The most changed character in this whole lineup. Mostly because the timeline now makes it so that Arin is not a fan of the Ninja. But is now a huge Crime Detective fan. (Not like Zane however but definitely somewhat like Dipper)

He still bakes pies and does his pie runs but on the side he helps solve mysteries and his top priority is finding his parents and finding Lloyd’s Dad.

He’s still a sweetheart who races with Sora every year and tries to win the pie competition but other than that he’s an active working investigator, trying to figure out why the Merge happened, where certain people are and the mysterious new worlds they have to explore.

He used to theorize what Lloyd was supposed to be before, Garmadon straight up tells them they were a mix of two powerful beings back in the day. But Arin had good theories. Like Lloyd being dragonian with a weird evolution or smth.

He’s the closest with Lloyd as he’s the only one able to calm him down when he has a tantrum. And mostly because Arin is a sweetheart that even Lloyd can’t bear to see upset or angry.

Changes in the Ninja’s Abilities:

Still working on whether or not I should add the Overlord, but ultimately his plan would flop since Rise of the Snakes happens like WAY after Legacy of the Green Ninja. So we have a problem with the Stone Army. Unless The Great Devourer somehow accidentally awakens in the Land of Monsters???? Idk how I’m gonna make the Overlord come back.

But anyways, here are some changes:

-Lloyd can now temporarily give the Elements to the Ninja. (Which is supposed to make it fair because I don’t think Master of the Mountain will go well without Cole’s Earth Powers, also everyone will be after Lloyd if he hoards the powers not to mention the Ninja will be way to dependent on him)

-Unless Lloyd does the ritual in the Temple of Light, the Ninja’s powers return to him if they have it for a prolonged period of time, having it for a long time will do damage to the body as the Element is currently being borrowed, not taken or transferred, borrowed. This will probably be showcased in DR S2 when Kai has his powers for an extended period of time.

-Lloyd probably also has Golden Power? But that depends on if I add the Overlord or not.

-Also he has better control of his Oni powers but is instructed not to use it unless absolutely necessary. Which to be fair he can follow that because he’s got 4 Elements at his disposal.

-Nya has Water Powers. At least very early on or Secrets of Forbidden Spinjitzu doesn’t make sense.

-By the end of Legacy of the Green Ninja, Arin can do the Wonky Spinjitzu. Which baffles Garmadon because usually people get it immediately. But Arin getting Wonky Spinjitzu is fine in this sense cause he doesn’t want to be a Ninja. Still he practices because he wants to protect Lloyd and Sora.

-Idk what else to say, they’re mostly the same though.