#though I has several ideas

[gumnut-logic]

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

Alan shivered as his big brother’s arms pulled him from his helpless swing back and forth above a height that wanted to kill him.

Virgil’s arms were ever so strong and they held him ever so tight as Alan struggled to breathe.

“You’re okay, Allie. I’ve got you.”

His breath was harsh in his throat.

“Is he okay?” Scott’s voice was ever so worried as he yelled down the small crevice. No doubt Alan had terrified both his brothers with his fall.

Virgil’s arms tightened again. “I’ve got him. Bit of a fright, but he’s okay.”

“I’m coming down.”

“Of course he is.” It was said under Virgil’s breath, but with no malice. Alan didn’t care, he just held onto Virgil with everything he had.

Alan was a thrill seeker. He loved to test the limits of…well, everything. But he had his own limits and honestly, falling off a mountain was wild in thought, but not so much in practise.

Because he had fallen with zero control and the sudden horrible fear that he was taking one or both of his brothers with him. For a split second, as he drew in a breath to scream, he thought he was going to lose more than he could bear.

Fortunately his brothers thought ahead.

Virgil in particular was the safety nut and it was that nuttiness that had stopped what could have been horrific and reduced it to a campfire story.

Once Alan could stop shaking.

He was vaguely aware of Virgil slapping an extra self-deploying piton into the rock face as they hung there, safety obviously still foremost on his mind. But while one arm let go for a moment, the other held Alan even tighter.

His ribs creaked.

But he didn’t care.

Nothing much more was said, though somehow Virgil still managed to yank out his first aid kit with one hand and flash a mediscanner all over Alan as if he didn’t believe he was okay.

Again, Alan didn’t care.

The scrape of rock and silicon leather announced the arrival of his biggest brother and a mutter between the two eldest saw Alan change clinging subjects. Scott was less massive, but he held him just as strong.

“I think we should call it a day.” Virgil’s voice was quiet but firm.

Alan let the air rush out of his lungs. “No, I want to do this.”

A negative rumble in Scott’s chest vibrated against his cheek.

Alan backed off a little and looked up at his big brother. “No. I have to do this.”

Virgil’s deep baritone was still negative from behind him. “Allie, you’ve got time. You don’t have to learn how to do this today.” An exasperated sigh. “We shouldn’t have brought you up here in the first place.”

No, no, no! Not this again. “Virgil, no, please, this is the first step, I need to do this!”

Scott turned Alan back to face him. “You’re too young. Give it a couple of years.”

Alan shook him off, pushing away to dangle by himself. Virgil instinctively reached for him before grabbing the rope above him instead and securing it as if he hadn’t welded it to the rock face moments before. His brothers were such worry warts they were going to stop him from getting anywhere anytime!

“I don’t have a couple of years! I want to help now!”

“You’re eleven! You should be in school.”

“I am in school, Scott. I’m learning what I need to learn - how to be a rescue operative - like you, like…Dad.”

At the mention of their father, Scott’s lips thinned. Losing Dad was raw and only months old. It hurt bad. Scott refused to believe he was gone. Virgil fretted that he was going to lose Scott because of that. There were loud arguments. His brothers needed help now.

Not in a couple of years’ time.

And basic training was where he needed to start.

Scott still hadn’t responded. It was like Alan had mentioned a forbidden word.

Virgil brushed his fingers along Alan’s arm, as if begging him to turn and see his point of view. “Allie, you can’t push this because of Dad.”

Alan glared at him. “Why not?”

But then he saw that poorly disguised fear in his brother’s brown eyes and realised he had only added to his worry.

“I can do this.”

Virgil’s voice was quiet. “I have no doubt you can.” He swallowed. “It is more a case of ‘should you?’”

A frown. “I have to.”

“No, you don’t.” This time the quiet voice was from his eldest brother and Alan was forced to turn and stare at Scott. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Yes, I do.” He straightened in his harness. “It’s what Dad would do.”

There was an exasperated sound from Virgil, but Alan ignored it and, instead, began pulling himself further up the side of Tracy Peak.

Scott growled. “Alan-“

“I’m gonna learn how to do this, and then I’m going to learn how to do the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing, and then I’m going to help you guys. Don’t try to stop me.” He pulled himself up past Scott.

His big brother reacted by launching himself into point position again. After all, he was Scotty, and he had to be first.

Alan grit his teeth.

No, that was unfair.

It was safety again. One brother ahead and one behind to catch the little kid in the middle should he fall.

Which he had.

Alan’s shoulders dropped and he paused just long enough for Virgil to catch up.

A hand landed on his arm. “Alan-“

He shook him off, no matter how much Alan missed those strong arms holding him tight. No matter how much the fall below was terrifying.

He was a Tracy.

This is what Tracys did.

They saved lives, did what had to be done, and they weren’t scared.

He could do this and he would.

Just like Scott. Just like Virgil and John.

Just like Dad.

He pulled himself up the rock face…and kept going.

When they made the peak, Alan stood up and stared down at the villa far below. Virgil was whispering something angry under his breath at Scott.

Scott was frowning, caught between paying attention to both of them.

Alan straightened. He may only be eleven years old, but he had lived a lifetime already. This was basic training.

The beginning of everything else.

-o-o-o-

[lunarharp]

What led to this (orufrey comic, cw an uncomfortable/creepy scene)

[winged-wheel]

Buddies trump the protocol!

[starlitflowers]

reading comics is a time because characters will go through The Horrors and as long as no one dies it will never be mentioned again anyway I just reread Action Comics #767

[monotone-artist]

[pls dont tag as ship]

i think amy is one of the few people shadow would actually tolerate being near him, let alone touching him

[id: digital drawing of shadow the hedgehog and amy rose. shadow is wearing an open leather jacket with a maroon shirt and jeans torn at the knees. he has a square-shaped notch in one ear. amy is wearing a dress with a striped skirt colored cream-white-black-blue-red, a blue shirt, and a striped blue shawl with a red ribbon on it. she also has an eyebrow piercing, a couple earrings, and an industrial piercing.

shadow is sitting cross-legged on the floor, a phone with a red case in his hand. however, even as he's facing forward his attention is on amy, who's sitting on a stool behind him, braiding his quills. he's got an eyebrow raised and is trying really hard to not smile as she animatedly talks, gesticulating with her free hand. text pointing to her reads, "gossiping about Sonic." end id]

[lucabyte]

hits chrome with the had braces as a child beam. also hits him with the no they didnt fix shit tbh beam

[dawnsies]

Since I've been jojoing it up lately, I figured I should bring my old Part 4 OC from 2020 back and revamp her

I first created her before CDDH was announced, so does that mean I technically predicted Hol Horse being in Morioh? ;P

[kinokoshoujoart]

silly devouring his salad

my twitter mutual drew a BUTCHER VANITY Rock and caused me to irreparably have a cannibalistic rock living in my head, this is but one escaped consequence of that

[ominous-feychild]

✦ OC Questionnaire Tag 3 ✦

Thanks for the tag, @illarian-rambling!

Characters from Sun and Shadow: Freya, Crow, and Valyarus Characters from the Arcane Rifts: Gene, Tazin, and Mislav Featuring tAR's children at ages 15, 17, and 17! (Aka mid book 2.)

Questions: - Do you have a tell when you're lying? - What other media genre would you do the worst in? - Are you confident in yourself? from @the-letterbox-archives

Do you have a tell when you're lying?

Freya: Um... not that I know of? I'm not really in the habit of lying? (*remembers that she does, in fact, lie a lot... but mostly through omission of the truth!*) Haha... yeah! ... ugh, okay, um. If I had to guess... (*shifts uncomfortably in place*) it would probably be that I struggle in what to say? Though I kinda do that anyway? Ugh, I don't really know. (A/N: the easiest sign to tell that she's "lying" is that she avoids the subject completely. She'll change the subject or "get distracted". She also fidgets more, but that's something she does a lot anyways because she's awkward.)

Crow: Of course not! I don't lie anyway, so how would I find out? 😉🥰 (psst... Crow...) What? (You're supposed to basically be under truth serum for these Questionnaire posts...) Okay. And? 😘 (So you're telling me that you, a detective, have never told a lie once?) ... (See the issue there?) Nope! 😄 (A/N: WHELP! Uncooperative Crow understandably won't tell you, so I will. They're a very good liar, so it's hard to tell when they do. The best indicator is that they'll stumble slightly in their speech when almost saying something "they shouldn't" or they'll hesitate while trying to come up with a lie. The falters are always subtle though.)

Valyarus: (*snorts*) I would think not. Besides, I'm not in the habit of lying. There's too much magic that can force you into Truth-telling to be able to rely on it--no, best is operating in half-truths and implication. The best method of deception is allowing the one you wish to deceive to come up with the answers for themself. For example... (*slowly smirks, quirking an eyebrow*) I never said I don't lie just now... did I? (A/N: ahhh, our beloved douchebag faerie living up to his species's reputation. In other words: he's a fantastic "liar".)

Gene: I... don't know. I'd... like to think not. Maybe... maybe that I... (*takes a slow, deep breath, collecting himself*) ... I probably act more confident when I lie. I... I'm not confident. And probably don't... stutter as much. Or hesitate... So, speaking patterns? They--they change, I mean. My speaking patterns. When I lie.

Tazin: (*snarls*) I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about, you got me? I--I-- (*struggling to lie because of the whole "these questions are answered under basically-truth serum" thing*) FINE! I don't fucking lie because I can't, okay? I avoid the subject! Or I just--I don't know, I just fucking lie??? How am I supposed to fucking know if I have a "tell"??? Don't you think I'd fucking fix it if I knew??? (A/N: he gets avoidant of the subject and/or highly aggressive to dissuade the asker from continuing at the moment... or generally asking again.)

Mislav: Um... this is a weird question?... I guess I don't really--(*remembers he lies literally all the time*)--lie... (*lets out a slow, pained sigh, running his hands back through his hair in frustration*) I don't know? I just--try my best to bullshit it? Try to make people feel better, or avoid giving them the information they want? I don't know??? (A/N: best indication is that he answers too quickly. He usually practices/rehearses his lies before it comes time to actually tell them. Otherwise (if he didn't expect to have to lie/doesn't have one prepared), he freezes up, stutters, and smiles/jokes too much as he tries "appeasing" or distracting the questioner.)

What other media genre would you do the worst in?

(we're going to be implanting Forbidden Knowledge of our Real World genres and whatnot for them to be able to best answer this!)

Freya: The horror genre. (*shudders*) I cannot deal with scary stuff, okay? I think I would be the first to die. I'd scream, or cry, and break down--probably try hitting the monster or whatever over the head with a chair when it turns the corner and, well... that never goes well in those sorts of things, does it?

Crow: Fairy tales. I'd either be the "lesson"--"don't do this or look what happens to you! You'll become Crow!"--or I'd be whatever the horrifying monster or villain is. I mean... (*laughs awkwardly, looking away and rubbing their shoulder feathers*) when you're me... you get used to knowing you're what's wrong with the world. (*beat. They realize what they've just said--*) I mean, romance. I'd probably annoy my love interest to death. 😎

Valyarus: (*fake gags, then with disgust:*) Romance. My only "biological" child was through magic, and I would not step foot near anyone with that sort of intention. I don't understand how others do. Much less why my daughter is so interested in Freya. They just met! (note: he's aroace and is equally disgusted with romance and sex. Also, yes, I know that's not how all aroace people are. I have plenty of other characters everywhere else in the spectrum. This is just where Valyarus is.)

Gene: Um... probably romance. I...'m not interested in it... not really. Be-besides with Mislav, I mean... and I... I don't even know why he likes me? 😅😓 ... people think I'm creepy. They don't say it--not to my face--but I know they think it. And I... I struggle to talk with people a lot. I try to say one thing, but they think I mean another?... I don't understand why. It's hard. And I--... I don't think I'd do well in that kind of story.

Tazin: The kinda thing where I'd have to teach. I don't have that kind of fucking patience, are you fucking kidding me? I think I'd explode on them. Maybe even literally. (*He pauses, considering it... and grins darkly*) Actually, wait--I take it back. I want to try. (I want to tag in and say traditional horror/thriller. I think the degree to which he'd freak out or curse out the monster would be comical and/or break the immersion, haha.)

Mislav: I would not be able to participate in a talk show or be in the news. A talk show? (*scoff*) Regardless of the subject, it wouldn't take long for me to be driven mad by their endless talking and pretending they know everything. The news? Even worse. I think I'd snap their mic in half. And only because I'd be struggling not to snap other things. <.< (read: necks, limbs, etc.)

Are you confident in yourself?

Freya: Ha... no, not really. I act like I am, but... y'know, it's just that--an act.

Crow: What's not to be confident about? I'm the greatest, I've never made a mistake in my life, and every decision I make is the best one I possibly can! 😘

Valyarus: (*poised on a grand chair; sipping tea elegantly with one hand while the other hangs over the side of the armrest. A nail file magically hangs in the air and is filing his nails while he sips tea*) Hm? What did you say? Oh. (*chuckles*) Of course I'm confident in myself. My abilities, my character, my decisions--everything. 😉💅

Gene: Depends what you mean by "myself"... (*goes quiet, looks away, and debates*) ... I... I try my best to make the right decisions. The best ones... that I possibly can. I--as hard as it is to not question them, it's--it's not good to worry about past decisions. I do my best, and that's--that's all I can do. So... (*takes a deep breath, collecting his thoughts*) I'm not confident, but I try to be.

Tazin: (*snarls*) Of course I'm confident. I've gotten this far, haven't I? (*and slowly starting to smirk instead--*) I mean, look at me. (*leans back and gestures at himself with both hands*) I used to live on the streets with Gene. Now I have a girlfriend. People used to be terrified at my name--and they still would be if I didn't have to stop with the whole "Svarog" thing. (*oops, snarls again and leans in close; threateningly*) Look, I don't care what anyone else says, but Gene wasn't the only reason we were successful! He wouldn't have gotten anywhere without my strength, got it!?!? (Is actually less confident than he thinks he is--overcompensates for that by having convinced himself that he's the greatest. Hm... wonder if that fits the diagnosis criteria for anything?)

Mislav: Ha... not at all. (*swallows and looks down at his hands, fighting back tears*) I... one of these days, this curse is going to take over me. Will I even know when it does? Or will it be slow enough that I never even recognize that I've changed? I... (*looks back up at asker*) I worry, one of these days, I'll only know it when I've done something I can't come back from...

Your questions: - Same as the ones I answered!

Tagging (with no pressure) @yourpenpaldee @honeybewrites @fantasy-things-and-such @wyked-ao3 @the-golden-comet

@paeliae-occasionally @ath3alin @mysticstarlightduck @the-letterbox-archives + open tags!

Divider from @cafekitsune

[ygobattleroyale]

Left Side, Round 1:

Fubuki Tenjoin/Atticus Rhodes v.s. Yusaku Fujiki

[my-thoughts-and-junk]

thinking about superheroes unfortunately

[waywardsalt]

Returned to Starbound for a bit recently, and decided to make more homes in the rest of the major planet types!

Used a lot of generated structures again, but had to hand make some stuff for the arctic and lava planets (neither of those biomes have generated structures) and couldn't find anything particularly good on the savannah planet.

Original post with the other planet types here

[itspileofgoodthings]

and ANOTHER thing —sorry I’m almost done—the creation of that lust filled space also creates such an unempowered state for Kate to be in. there isn’t anything she can really do except sort of stand there doe-eyed and take it in. Also that’s so dark!

[bijoumikhawal]

The Shekhinah as queen is protector of her people, interceding with the Divine masculine as king, and also defending the Jews from attack. She is a regal warrior:

What shall I do for Her? Well look! My entire household is in Her hands. He issued a proclamation: "Henceforth all affairs of the King are entrusted to Matronita [the Lady/the Queen]." He placed in Her control all His weapons: lances, swords, bows, arrows, catapults, fortresses, stones... in front of Her would appear warriors, catapultiers, lancemen, swordsmen- since other camps were coming to wage war against Israel from above.

The Zohar depicts the Shekhinah with Kali like ferocity, saying: "We have learned that a thousand mighty mountains standing before her are just one bite for her. A thousand great rivers she swallows in one gulp." When a person is traveling, the Shekhinah stands by as a guardian.

Pg 141, the Hebrew Priestess

[sysig]

Giving nicknames, testing boundaries (Patreon)

[oh-meow-swirls]

was looking through old posts and i'm surprised to see that i seemingly didn't have any commentary on anything in 3 in chapter 7, 8 or 9, the posts related to 3's story go from "my first reaction when i saw yopple-bot was 'i love you. but also you are definitely the boss for this chapter-'" to "i have been in hell all day. hell being bada-bing tower." funny to me cuz those chapters are like, the best ones sdfkljsdfjfsdkjlfsdjkl-