#vace's confidence

[dillypillars]

kaya! 20 he/him | marzipan apologist

i write image descriptions for iwatex posts! feel free to tag me or send me a post that needs a description. i'm also happy to provide a description for any images you plan on posting (like sending me your art, i send the description, you post your art with the description in the original post).

please read my carrd before following <3

[dillypillars]

Image description: A series of screenshots from The Onion article titled "Things To Never Say To Someone Who Just Came Out", edited so that the stock images instead depict various characters from I Was A Teenage Exocolonist. The first one says "A little on the nose to do it during Pride Month, no?" and includes an image of Vace. The image is captioned "Everyone is allowed to come to these decisions on their own timeline, even if it suspiciously lines up with an entire month celebrating the queer community". The next response is "Hi Gay, I'm Dad." and shows Geranium smiling. It is captioned, "Actually, this one is fine. Everyone loves a classic." The third response is "You still owe me $45." The image shows two people exchanging money with a semitransparent image of Tangent overlayed. It's captioned "They do, but give them a minute." The last response is "This has been so obvious ever since I started stalking you." The image shows Sym smiling and is captioned "Don't imply that their closeted sexuality was easily apparent to anyone who peered through their windows with binoculars every night." End image description.

Happy Pride Month

[anemones-loyalty]

on my hands and knees. how the hell do i get vaces confidence iii

[wanderingchronicle]

What was the first element of your OC that you remember considering (name, appearance, backstory, etc.)? (for any and all OC's - it seems fun to reflect on)

God, I have so many of those bastards.

When I'm making an OC for fanfic/writing purposes, I tend to design them to fill a niche or answer a question.

Patchouli, for example, answers the question of "Who is doing all the records/information management?" Initially, I made her just for lols (and was super surprised when people liked her so much) but it turns out she was the perfect person to play psychopomp to Vace in rather be six feet under than be lonely.

So I find a niche, and try to answer the question of who would fill that niche. Usually, things like names and appearances come later or are very lightly drawn/vibes-based.

Another example: Miles was named "Cam" initially (short for Chamomile) but "Miles" has a couple of extra layers of meaning -- Miles is a measure of distance, as opposed to a measure of time (Antecedent, lol) and Miles is also Latin for "soldier", and Miles is a character with a complicated relationship with masculinity, protection, and violence. His appearance was also decided by the canonical appearances of Anne, Kom, and Anemone -- I looked at their sprites, at the traits Anemone and Kom share with Anne, and made a guy who would be the missing factor physically.

Most of my OCs were made to play a narrative role or fill a niche! I also just try to make someone I hope people will enjoy reading about, or find interesting. I did not expect Grady to be so popular, but then again "clever and kindly transgender woman with confidence issues" describes like...half a dozen people I can think of immediately and know personally.

[xenobotany]

thinking abt sol and nem. in my run they were childhood friends to lovers and the classic fell first fell harder trope. wherever nem would go sol would follow! they were a two package deal growing up, and would follow kom around trying to be cool the way he was!

whats brutal about my run is that. when sol's feelings became less ambivalent and more clear, they were very transparent about liking nem. they didn't hide it (very easily) and would flirt openly with nem, who would flirt back. as a joke. kind of. but sol made it clear!!! they liked anemone romantically!!! (whatever that means). but even so She Liked Him More !!!!!!!

my sol HATES vace with a passion. HATES vace. hated that HE was so easily able to win her over when they were RIGHT there. they've done so many cool things! they literally defeated a faceless at age 11. they STOPPED the famine in the colony. not.. that their achievements defined who they were. but it was certainly disheartening.

when nem confides in sol and admits the abuse sol is so Angry beyond words. Not at nem of course. but so angry angry angry at the audacity to treat nem - or ANYONE - in such a way. i just know they want to beat them UP .

anywho. in my run sol and nem end up together after sol breaks them up and convinces nem that they're bad for each other. they also got matching sword and shield tattoos. they're soulmates through and through, aligned in the stars and lovers entwined.

actually. mangifera my oc is technically a canon divergence. sol and nem never settle down with children, they just settle down together. i think it's cute that their love never fades away. she becomes a sportsball champion like she always dreamed of.

[dillypillars]

[Image description: A screenshot of an illustration from the game I Was A Teenage Exocolonist, depicting the scene when Vace and Rex are arguing. Vace, on the right, grabs the front of Rex's shirt and lifts him off the ground, snarling at him. Rex angrily resists, grabbing at Vace's arms. Textboxes from a meme have been edited on top of the illustration, so that it looks like Vace is saying "you should be addicted to shutting the fuck up" and Rex responding "You wanna fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid". End image description.

[alienglowgarden]

crusty sol funfax idk

Tentative full name Solaris, as in Andrei Tarkovsky's film of the same name. Yes, this will come up.

Dopey easy-going slob persona. Reckless, confident, if a little strange. Frequently underestimated as a threat, but a good man in a storm. Sol is reliable when it comes to working for the colony. Always willing to cover somebody's shift. Very intelligent, they may not show it, but when they sit down to do the work, they really put their all into the sciences they're learning. Tangent is a close study buddy of theirs. Otherwise does a lot of exploration. V anthropology geared.

Under the facade, can be a bit of a mess. Spends all their kudos on easy-fixes and self-care hacks, leaving them to have to diy most of their clothing, from which originates their eclectic crustpunk style. They run themself ragged until it becomes absolutely necessary to rest.

started the trend of just eating sugarbugs whole. Its extra protein!

convinced their dad to believe in their future visions :3 This does not end well for them.

Has a weird frenemies relationship w Vace borne of their mutual respect for eachother when they recognize the others self-imposed hero complex. Also maybe misguidedly trying to replace Dys with him... Bcus Dys fucks off after bombing Engineering.

Besties w pretty much everyone, including all the adults they've saved.

The honorary third doomed sibling to dys n tang <3 Romances rex n sym.

Absolutely trying to win over Noctilucent, too.

just a basic bitch that wants the best for everyone, forgets that includes themself.

[deusexlachina]

Cheeseage Exocolonist: Epilogue

For those wondering Where They Are Now in my perfect world.

Having achieved universal adoration, I get to see the epilogues of all my peers, making the epilogue so long that "The Child You Were," which is five and a half minutes long, ends about halfway into the ending, leaving me to read about my friends' fates in an eerie silence as I contemplate the cost of perfection.

I have given all my loved ones their dream lives, but I can no longer be fully part of those lives, because I lived too many others in search of the golden timeline.

As a high-rebellion governor, I Take The Colony In A New Direction, replacing Council members with younger people who are more in line with my kind of reforms, and the other departments fall in line because I have the security squads firmly on my side. I am quoting this verbatim because there is no way I can spin it to sound more colourfully tyrannical.

Having reconciled with her twin brother with the power of drugs, my power wife edits people's brains to make them resistant to Bad Thoughts, a marginally less sinister use for her medical expertise than engineering a plague.

Tangent is also the first person in the planet's history to realize we need a mental health expert who is not a barista. I'm proud of her.

As revenge for stealing her dream job, Marzipan steals my dream girl. Then Tangent dumps Marzipan, because nobody can constrain Tangent.

Thanks to my barista skills breaking up her and Vace, Anemone lives a happy life. She Tears Down This Wall.

Socks keeps growing, and Cal has to release her, having spent his entire childhood with the worm.

Marzipan is part second in command, part confidante and part nemesis, which is more glamorous than just assassinating me in my sleep.

Dys becomes an Animorph. Tangent celebrates this, having finally found common ground with her twin: wanting to leave humanity.

Rex mends his friendship with Vace, who becomes a better person and then proceeds to fly into a wormhole and is never seen again. Having dreamed of exploring space his whole life, he couldn't stand to be stuck on this planet, though he could've if I'd given him exactly five more cakes. I let him escape the wormhole, because I never can.

Tammy is finally confident, and advocates for the communal raising of children, presumably because she's grown up around Tang and Dys, who were not communally raised, and look what happened to them. Her epilogue reveals that Antecedent is still Chief Steward until her nineties. Given that I remove all authorities who don't bend to my will, Auntie must have gone along with My Kind of Reforms, which makes sense because she always knows which way the wind is blowing. The snake.

Nomi becomes a Magical Person who is popular at princess-themed events. With my help, they finish their video game. "Getting a lot of Animorphs vibes from this," thinks woman who read all of the Animorphs books.

My relationship with Tangent having inevitably fallen out, Sym becomes my annoying roommate.

My parents do well. My dad cultivates dizzyweed and hops, presumably inspired by his daughter's therapeutic drug empire.

Even I am impressed with myself, telling myself that "it's not easy to make someone put aside their ego and surrender to a greater power."

That greater power being me, of course.

Thanks for reading!

[creepyfruit]

Favorite Exocolonist characters? And maybe least favorites if you have any?

I'll give you my character tier list (I decided to include only the kids idk maybe I'll make a separate one for adults)

Answer under the cut ↓

My least fav is obviously Vace. I don't think I need to elaborate but to make it clear l, I haven't ever tried to befriend him so I don't know much about him other than his obsession with killing things, being abusive and a bully.

Next I'll have to put Nomi Nomi not because I don't like them but simply because I've never went out of my way to befriend them so I don't really have an opinion.

Cal was my best friend in my first play through so it hurts me to put him so low but he deserves it. Listen mate I love animals as much as the average gal but you're doing too much. The victim blaming as well?? I'm sorry that I was born on a spaceship set to colonize an alien planet, what did you want me to do? Swim through space and go back to earth? Also your girlfriend's dad died a horrid death and that's still all you have to say? Pacifism isn't a good look on an environment like this one.

Rex is a great dude, there's nothing I dislike about him, he's just simply not as interesting as the others.

Tammy is also kind of on the same boat. I did have a lot of hearts with her on my second play through and helping her be more confident was a very enjoyable journey, she is obviously very kind and empathetic and that makes her incredibly likable. I wish she had some flaws to make a bit more realistic.

This is where things get tough because all the next characters are kinda close but Nem will have to take this one. I romanced her in my most recent play through and she really is just the cutest... until Kom dies and she adopts the whole Helio package. She did become slightly annoying even though I understand her trauma. It's good that you can help her grow out of it, that gives her bonus points. A fun character with some nice character development.

And here comes everyone's fav boy Dys. It took a lot of trying to befriend him, he made it very hard for me and I liked that. I liked how they made him weird and antisocial, he wasn't the misunderstood boy that no one likes but rather it's actually the opposite. His relationship with Tang is so beautifully complex I love every part of it although I still haven't gotten them to reconcile (that damn bar will be the death of me). I would have put him much lower if it wasn't for the exploration buddies relationship that he had with Sol because the most unlikable thing about him (that I honestly never understood) is his obsession with the gardeners. Maybe it's my lack of understanding or the fact that I never really went down that road (making him a gardener/befriending Sym) because it creeps me out but I just don't like his views on the subject. And also I hate his relationship with Sym, nothing cute about a 100+ yo alien praying on a 16 yo boy.

Marz is a character that I thought I was going to hate straight from my first play through. She seemed like the typical mean girl character, who's very pretty has a lot of money is obsessed with clothes and stuff and also bullies every one just because but she's not exactly like that. Sure she has kudos and status and loves her fashion but she has genuinely kind intentions behind her "bullying". She doesn't understand how words can hurt because due to her augument they can't hurt her, she thinks she's helping Dys fit in with her comments and she doesn't want him to be lonely. She's naturally a very commanding person and a true leader but she isn't looking for mindless sheep, she wants you to have self respect and a backbone and I love her for that. Also bonus points to our girl for helping us overthrow the government. I have to say though, all the above doesn't excuse the fact that she can be seriously mean sometimes, but we love her regardless.

My favourite girl, my sweet baby Tangent, who's gone through so much but no matter what you do she doesn't really get a happy ending. I had my eye on her the moment I saw her (her child sprite reminded me of Ino from Naruto that's why) and she was my first romance. Obviously that didn't end well cause my first ending turned out to be tangent's cure (I thought I was just helping my gf bro) and now I'm scared to even talk to her thinking I'll trigger it again but I love her non the less. She's such a complex character I could talk about her for days (special thanks to the person with the multiple tangent discussion posts) her relationship with Dys, the obviously toxic and abusive relationship with Instance, her importance to a whole colony at such a young age, the fact that she's held to adult standards which results in self harming habits and her loneliness, her struggle with mental illness and the death of her mother. I'm writing everything down in a synopsis pretty much because if I start I won't stop. I also love how this abusive relationship was handled compared to Nem and Vace. No matter what you say she won't see how bad Instance is for her and the product of all this abuse is ultimately horrible for her. It adds a realism that hurts to death but is necessary. I also adore her character because it gives us a reminder that not everyone gets a happy ending in life, sometimes the things people go through never really leave them, although admittedly I would kill to see my baby happy, she deserves it.

[dirtylilspawn]

Fɪʀsᴛ Vᴀʟᴇɴᴛɪɴᴇ's Wɪᴛʜ Tʜᴇ Bᴏʏs

Note: I hope you all like my OC boys and take interest! Happy Valentine's Day!

Synopsis: Spending your first Valentine's Day with your boyfriend

Warnings: Gn!Reader x OCs, Fluff, Mild Cursing

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ELIJAH MENDOZA

- Elijah saw nothing special about Valentine's Day. Just another holiday where hormonal couples swoon over each other. He would completely roll over the month by just working. But seeing how you had entered his environment, becoming his girlfriend, there's a lot a new things he wants to try out with you. A lot of things.

- Elijah is pretty awkward when it comes down to expressing his own emotions. The social constipation from all these years of being alone have done this boy real dirty. When he looks at you there are so many words that he wants to say to you, but they all come out lost. He was a quiet killer, not a romantic charmer. The man is more confident in his murdering abilities, than saying all these lovey dovey things. But he really really wants to. Especially for you, because you deserve everything and more.

- So how does he make up for it? By doing a silent, yet romantic surprises for you.

- Through the entire day, you'll start to see little notes hiding around your apartment. You trusted him enough to get a spare key for him. There will be awkward, cute little notes he wrote for you with sweet compliments. They hid under your pillow, in the bathroom, the closet, inside a book, in the fridge, your purse. They were everywhere.

- "Morning beautiful." "I like the way you smile." "You remind me of a meadow." "So beautiful." "Happy Valentine's Day."

- Okay, he may have gotten some little advice from a romance guidebook.

- You would also find many one solitary preserved flower with each note you find. Your favorite flower of course. And with each flower you find, it would slowly start to form into a big bouquet of flowers.

- Placing the big bouquet of flowers in a nice vace with water, admiring the beauty and sweet smell. The little notes would be collected and place in a small box, all just to keep as beautiful momentous. You were so happy from this gesture, knowing Elijah put so much effort to convey his feelings.

- You'll immediately be at his front door, tackling this man with a huge hug. Catching him off gaurd as you shout your affections for him.

- That love bomb will instantly be a huge motivator to definitely do this again next year. He thinks that to himself, as he wraps his arms around your waist tightly, not wanting this moment to end.

- At the end, both you and Elijah decided to have dinner night and a movie.

- The two of you cooking and eating together in each others presence. You talking gleefully about something while he listens you nonchalantly, though on the inside he's in bliss. By the end your both sitting on the couch as you watch some romantic comedy you picked out.

- Your both cuddled next to each other with a large blanket, all warm and cozy. Elijah's head burying into your soft hair, smelling your scent. His lips pressing a soft kiss on top of your head. His eyes aren't even focused on the movie but only you alone. He really can't find a word to describe the feeling he was soaking in. But he's damn sure he doesn't want it to end. Nor does he want to stop feelings these new emotions that filled his body.

- Elijah looked down at you with so much longing in his eyes. Lifting your chin up with his thumb and index finger, so you could face him property.

- "You make me feel so alive, I love you so much."

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RONIN CHOI

- Valentine's day to Ronin ment finding quick freaky link to a new or past lover. Just a fun yet short side piece to fill his appetite, before getting back to business. Getting to know and meet you made him change his mind about flings so fast. Dumping every last relationship just to be by your side.

- As a Incubus, seduction and charming a person was pretty much his forte. He wouldn't have any problem wrapping a woman or a man around his finger. You were no exception to his tactics. Though he had to admit, in the beginning it took some time for you to trust him.

- So when you finally began dating him, he wanted to do things right. And make you have the most greatest, best Valentine's day you ever had.

- ...This nerd took you to an arcade...

- Which was a surprise to you, as you thought he'd go all out and take you to a fancy restaurant or something big. Not that you were complaining since you liked the arcade.

- It was honestly a fun side of him to see, outside his big hotshot CEO side. A more genuine side that tickled your heart, and that was exactly what Ronin wanted you to see.

- "Let's have some fun together, okay darling~!"

- So here you both were, roaming the large blinding lights of the arcade. Filled with many video games, and people of many age happily enjoying the environment. You two had a time, laughing, chatting, filling up on cheap snacks. Him viciously beating you at PACMAN, while you retaliate by winning in air-hockey. Teaming up when it came to shooting games, or Dance Dance Revolution. Seeing you smiling and joking around gave him so much butterflies. He wanted to be the only one to make you smile.

- When it came to claw machines, he was a natural pro. Skillfully using the joystick to align with the plush, before pressing the button and grabbing the toy. Although his powers made it more easier for him to succeed.

- You too tried your luck with the machine. And with ten tries, with Ronin's silly snide comments as fuel the fire, you finally managed to snag a plush toy yourself.

- He gotten himself cute octopus, while you had a cute raccoon. Of course he had to make fun, saying how a trash panda fit you perfectly. You obviously punched him on the shoulder jokingly; retort back with how an octopus fits his character. All because of his handsy behavior.

- Because it was true, his hands couldn't help but be on you. Whether it be on your shoulder, your waist, back, brushing your hair away from your face, or in your hands.

- You got him, and know he cant stop blushing, the tip of his ears with a red hue. Embarrassed, he laughs, saying how it's not his fault that, how you were just too adorable not to touch. He never gets this flustered from anybody, not even from his past lovers. So it's definitely a first for him, as he feels his heart hammer in his chest, as if he had ran a marathon.

- At the end, Ronin drove you back home in his car. Once you made it back, he kept stalling, not much wanting this day to end.

- You figured out his plan, but never minded it.

- The two of you switched plushies as a cute exchange to remind you of each other. Ronin had stealthly kissed you on the forehead with a smirk on his lips. Causing you to very much get flustered by his actions.

- "Is is even so bad, that I'm handsy with the person I love?"

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KAZIMIR PETROVIC

- The typical classic grouchy hater. A corporate holiday commercializing love, candy, couples and other nonsense that annoys him so deeply. He doesn't celebrate it, treating it as a normal day, while scorning every cringey couple that he passes by. And boy did it tick this man off when you changed his perspective.

- Now Kazimir receipt when it came down to romance was pretty limited, but he still has game. Though he likes to think of himself as a stud. Before you, all he had to do was flash money in front of the person he wanted to take, and that usually worked. Very blunt and to the point kind of love language, as he doesn't like bullshitting around.

- And it doesn't really much change when he's with you, well except for the fact that he actually cares about you. Though he'd never admit it in front of you.

- It all starts out with a early knock at your door. You open it of course, only to be confused by a big bodyguard man in a suit, handing you a big bouquet of roses, and your favorite breakfast meal. Behind him was another bodygaurd, standing near a medium sized black SUV limo.

- You immediately call Kaz, knowing he's the culprit to this surprise. And the only answer you got from him were.

- "Just get in the damn limo and enjoy your day."

- This wolf setup a whole schedule planned for you the entire day. The SUV taking you to pretty much get you prepped and dolled up. You went to the store, where he allowed you to handle his unlimited black card. Picking out nice dresses/suits, shoes, jewelry and more. You were then moved to a whole grand spa, getting pampered with massages and such. All before you went to a salon, to get your hair. Even a manicure and pedicure.

- You pick out one of the fancy outfits you bought, before being sent to him directly. All dripped out in tasteful accessories.

- And here he is, in a expensive suit, watching as you get out the limo. Hands in his pockets with a smug smirk. Commenting how pretty you are.

- He even gifted you a diamond necklace. One that he helped and personally placed upon you. Smoothly brushing your hair away, as he latched the necklace on. No before he gave you a smooth sweet kiss against your neck.

- Kazimir treats you to a night of dinner and dancing at a fancy clubhouse. Seeing you on the dance floor, as you both swayed together to the jazz music. One hand clasped to yours, as his other hand tightly held you to his chest. It was all so enchanting, you enchant him very much.

- You mention how you appreciate the whole self-care day he gave you. But it would of been more fun if he was there by your side just like tonight. You winked at him playfully.

- Your words ment everything to him. You could see his tough resolve start to slip, and a pink hue on his cheeks. He looks away for a bit, muttering something under his breath. Probably cursing, self-conscious about his blushing red face.

- You can even see his tail wag a bit, causing you to giggle. It was a cute scene to witness.

- It pisses him off how your able to affect him like this. But at the same time, it made him absolutely happy inside that he gets to feel this sensation. That he gets to lower is guard down around you, and not have to worry about life so much. And so, he faces you with a small smile of his own.

- "Alright then, next time I'll be with you. Just goes to show how much I love you."

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ADONIS BASHAR

- Adonis lived for many years, and has known about Valentine's Day for a good chunk of his life. He studied it, watched other human participate in this holiday, watched how humans showed there love in many different forms. And with all that information, Adonis became a huge fan. One of the reasons he loved Valentine's Day was because of his many of followers. Showering them with so much love. It made him very happy.

- The God is very experienced when it comes to romance. Centuries long made him entirely a romantic at this point. So he can easily talk sweet to anybody. And when you came into picture, it was all he ever wanted to do. To shower you with so much love and affection, till the point your drowned in it.

- The man could stop gushing over you.

- You were the light of his life now, it didn't matter how many followers and admirers he had now. All that mattered was being in your eyes.

- So obviously he wanted to treat his special someone to an extravagant Valentine's day. Everything had to be perfect for his partner.

- So he decided to take you to the high point of a popular mountain trail. Taking you to his secret best secluded spot where he would visit and stargaze. Once up there, you'll see a romantic outside candle lit dinner. A wooden table that had a lacey pink cloth over it, while hot food and dessert surrounded on top. There were many red petals scattered across the ground. Some of the trees were wrapped with fairy lights, making everything so magical. The overpass and the night stars shined over the horizon making it the perfect view to dine.

- "I hope you like it angel, all of this is for you."

- You thank him, as he guided you to your seat before he sat down himself. Watching as you enjoyed your favorite mean, smiling so brightly. He couldn't help but compliment on how adorable you were. Non stop taking pictures of you. You had to stop him, which made him cutely pout, but he stopped for you.

- When it came to his gift exchange he was very excited to show you. He went into his pocket and pulled out a box, inside was a beautiful set of earrings that was your favorite gem stone.

- He immediately wanted you to wear it now. Adonis caressed your face, his face in awe as he watched the glittering jewelry compliment your features.

- But he was surprised when you to had your own gift for him. Being the dramatic queen they were, he was crying with joy. Bouncing with joy as you pulled a white jewelry body from your own purse. If there was one thing the God love was receiving gifts, especially from his angel.

- You showed him what was inside, which happened to be a emerald and gold hairpin.

- He hugs you tightly in his embrace, thanking you for the kind gift. Saying how he'll always use it. He the sits back down, cooing to you in a sweet voice if you could place the hair pin on him. And you definitely do it.

- You got behind him, combing his soft pretty white hair with your fingers. You then twisted and tied his hair into a neat enough bun, before placing the hairpin snug around the pin.

- It suited him very greatly, you thought as you admired your work. He was a very beautiful man.

- He doesn't even have to look at himself to know how pretty the pin looked on him. Adonis only turns to, taking you hand in his before kissing the back of your hand.

- At the end, you sat in his lap, watching the stars. The fairy lights dimmed so you you two could see the sky properly. His body gives off so much warmth, while his comforting words on interesting facts about space lulled you to light sleep. He could only chuckle, while cradling you in his arms and kissing your cheek affectionately.

- "Happy Valentine's Day, my love."

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[writingfandomsandthings]

Anemone felt blood pool and spark in her mouth and the Array writhed under her hands.

She was not disabling it. She was killing those motherfuckers even as it tore her apart.

(There was screaming as colors warped)

(It might have been her screaming)

But she was a child first, with a long, loud laugh and play in her heart.

She was a space kid, then a colony kid, and it was wonderful.

(Childhoods are so, so short)

The colony felt tense after Tammy's death, but while Anemone did not forget, she moved on...or tried to. The adults said it was an accident - and it was - and there were things to do.

She played in the dirt and with gravity and began watching the wall like her awesome brother Kom.

(She did not see what was coming, even as the other kids begin to see pieces click together)

The first raid of the farm during the Glow was violent.

A field was torn to shreds and Cal and another farmer salted the earth with their blood.

Anemone felt the unease, but she was confident it would not happen again when Rhett showed the watchers guns and taught those like her brother had to use them.

Kom could never fail her.

(Dys disappears into the wilderness after screaming at Sol that Sym needed them)

(Anemone never solved that mystery)

A famine comes and the Glow gets more violent.

(Adults fall, and die, brutally or quietly and Anemone clings harder to her brother)

And Kom...does fail her.

The battered colony is battered again on Glow night by a monster of monsters.

The creche is destroyed, the engine is damaged.

Governor Eudicot is dead.

Sol is dead, following their mother from famine.

Kom is broken against broken walls and he cannot hear Anemone scream.

(She never stops screaming on the inside, even when the tears stop)

Anemone shapes herself into something hard and sharp and full of bite when Helios lands and brings their heels onto Stratos' neck.

Anemone falls into line because they'll help her kill Kom's killer. The planet, all of Vertunna, Anemone is ready to bathe and drown in blood.

She sneers at the lighthearted dogboy and the frivolous Marz becoming sharper and glinted and just more as they grow older - Anemone misses the tightening of words, the shifted glances at Lum and his soldiers because they include her.

She is Helios reborn under the detested sun.

Anemone is shaken when Lum is trying to show off with bombs and guns and Rhett is furious and for damn good reason because there was a stray and -

Anemone's ears ring

and ring

and -

there's screaming again.

(The screaming is the beginning, the now, and the ending)

Anemone picks up patches of herself and hauls off.

Vace had been hunting something in the swamp and Anemone hunts in his lost shadow.

It is silent when it is just her bloodied boots in murky water.

She hunts and she hunts and she hunts until the largest collective of minds and sentience she could ever behold is within her grasp.

They die bleeding and screaming together.

(And then she is born, bright eyed and keening)

(She is loved so very very much)

-

crossposted to ao3 and pillowfort

[jami-theunknown]

I Was Alone (Vace x Sol)

I Was Alone.

I was alone. Growing up on the ship my mother didn’t want me and my father hated me. The only people I had were my comrades in training, and even then I became someone for them to look up to, not their friend. I was their commander not too long after. No longer someone to play games with, I was not a child. I was never a child.

I was alone when we landed on Vertumna. Nem was a great, strong and reliable soldier. Then she was a good girlfriend, until we fought so much we couldn’t recognize each other. I lost myself so much during that relationship, if I could turn back time and undo the damage I did to her, turn back the hurt, I would.

I was alone, until I met Sol.

Sol, a great soldier, fast, strong, steadfast in the heat of battle, there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do. I was impressed, I’d finally met my match and it was someone I wasn’t expecting, one of the Stratos. Sol was someone who didn’t back down from a fight, didn’t turn their face when danger reared around and snapped in their face. They stood tall and never wavered. 

Sol was alone too. Their mother had passed not too long before we had landed and their father almost right after succumbed to the pollen. But, even though they were alone like me, they never stopped smiling. They never stopped joking around with the others their age and never stopped trying to bring the people around them up. 

I didn’t get it. 

How could someone alone be like that? Someone who didn’t need others to be happy just needed to bring the others around them up. I couldn’t understand it and it made me want to be better than them even more than I did before. I had a new goal, not to let Sol pass me up. 

I trained all the time. I didn’t have time for anything or anyone else. Until Sol came in and challenged me to spar and they won. I didn’t get it, they trained but I trained more. I waited for them to gloat and hold the victory over my head, like the others would on the ship. But it never came. I looked at them and they were holding a hand out for me to take, and a smile. 

“You did really well, I could have lost if I wasn’t careful. You’re really strong Vace.” 

I didn’t understand, were they mocking me? It didn’t sound like mocking, it didn’t sound like gloating or like they were tricking me. I stared at them until they reached down and took my hand, not waiting for me to take theirs anymore. I didn’t know how to react, I didn’t know so I pulled away. No one showed me kindness that often and when they did they wanted something from me. Lum taught me that very well. But, Sol just laughed. 

“You’re like a Hopeye that just got sprayed with water.” They giggled, before taking my hand again and pulled me up without waiting. The others would think I’m weak, but when I looked around no one was watching the fight anymore. 

They worked hard alongside me and Nem until we were adults. I confided everything to them, they knew my darkest times and my deepest secrets. I expected to be met with judgment or pity but, never once got either of those. Just a nod and a pat on the shoulder. They never said much, just showed that they were there. 

Until they came to me about Nem. 

I had never seen judgment so heavy in their eyes, and anger. I’d seen their anger before when the aliens had broken through and killed our men. I’d seen their anger when Dys destroyed the wall and endangered them and Nem. But it was never directed toward me before. 

“What did you do, Vace?” 

I’d never felt pain like I did that day. I knew what Nem and I had was bad, but I didn’t realize how bad it was until Sol came to me and was going to kill me if I didn’t answer correctly. And so, I answered truthfully. 

“I don’t know.”

“I didn’t want to be alone.”

Two sentences I never thought I would ever say out loud. But it was Sol, I couldn’t lie to Sol because they could see right through me. They could break me open and stare inside me, taking everything from within and bringing it out where even I had to see it. They knew me, just like I knew them. 

I left Nem after that, it was what was best for the both of us in the end. I couldn’t hurt her anymore and that’s what mattered. Sol came to see me more often and made sure that I was not spiraling into some sort of sad, weak state. I was fine, truthfully. I hadn’t been alone in a long time at that point and it was freeing, until it wasn’t. 

Sol came to me one night after a battle with the Gardeners. They were exhausted and it showed. Their armor was in shambles and their clothes clung to their body due to their sweat. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I did what they would do for me. I put a hand on their shoulder and helped them to the shower. I took their armor and waited for them to be done. 

I didn’t realize how little I knew of Sol’s past until they came out in a towel and had scars on their body in places I hadn’t seen them hurt before. They caught me looking and then sighed. They looked away from me, turning their back and pulling a shirt over their head. 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” They threw a half, weak smile in my direction, it faded quickly. 

“You aren’t though. When did you get those? How did you get those?” They froze at my question, as if they weren’t expecting me to ask. They turned to look at me, frozen in place. Their expression was something I couldn’t read. 

“You changed this time..” They trailed off a bit. 

“What do you mean ‘this time’?” I tilted my head a them a bit, narrowing my eyes. “Do you know something I don’t?” They shook their head at me. 

“It’s late, we should-” I cut them off.

“You should tell me what is going on. I thought I knew everything about you, Sol. What aren’t you telling me? What happened to you?” They didn’t answer me for a long time, their head hung low, their expression was somber. I expected them to leave or cry or something of the sort, but they smiled softly. 

“You wouldn’t believe me. I don’t want to ruin our friendship this time, Vace. Just take what I say and go to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow at training.” They kept their back to me and turned their head away fully now. They headed to the door, their hand reached for the holopad. I didn’t want to be alone and I didn’t want them to be alone either. I reacted before thinking and took their other hand in mine. 

“I would believe you if you told me this planet was orange and full of cotton candy. I would follow you to the end of the line. I would take on an army for you and then bring it’s leader’s head to you.” What was I saying? What was I doing? I turned them to face me, gently putting a finger under their chin and tilting their head up, to look me in the eyes. How long had they been holding things in for me? For everyone here?

“I would climb the tallest mountains and dig to depths uncharted for you. I would wrangle the sun closer to the planet if you were cold and fight the wormhole away when you are scared. I would tame the faceless and face down Noctilucent alone for you.” Their eyes held so much depth, fear and sadness mixed together, tears brimming the corners. “You aren’t alone, you will never be alone again so long as I’m here. I won’t let you be alone again.” I took them in my arms and held them to my chest. I don’t know what feelings were stirring in me to set me into such a place but, it felt right. 

“I couldn’t save them.. Again!” They finally cried out, sobbing into my chest. The person I had come to know to be so tough and strong, felt so small and weak in my arms. I held them tighter, afraid if I let go or showed any hesitance they would slip through my arms and fade away forever. “I couldn’t save Tonin or Kom,” They hit my chest, their fist clenched so tight they were starting to bleed. “Eudicot or Hal” They coughed a bit and I took one of their fists into my hand. “Or my parents!” They sobbed loudly as I took their other hand into mine and they hit their head on my chest. They took all the responsibility for those who had died? Why?

“How is that your fault? You were a kid in most of those instances. There wasn’t anything you could have done. They were doomed from the start, you had come to an alien plant in the middle of nowhere to start a new home, right? They knew the risks and came anyway. They knew they could die and-” It was their turn to cut me off. 

“You don’t get it Vace, I could have stopped it! I could have if I hadn’t ignored the visions and my dreams! If I would have listened and heeded the warnings of my past-” They hiccuped and coughed again. “If I would have tried harder-”

“You did the best you could with the circumstances presented to you.” I let one of their hands go to wipe the tears from their face. “I don’t really understand a lot of what you are talking about but, I know you. If you could have done something, you would have.” I put my forehead on theirs, putting my hand on the back of their neck. “I know you, as you are now.” 

They stared into my eyes, more tears spilled down their cheeks as they cried out and let the sobs wrack their body now. “But you don’t know my past-”

“I know you now. I know who you are now. You are Sol, the person who saved Nem, the person who fought a faceless on their own as a child, the person who pulled Cal out of danger and saved Tammy as a child, the person who..” I paused before sighing. “The person who saved me from becoming a monster like my own father. You wouldn’t let people die unless there was nothing you could have done.” I kept their head against mine and waited for them to catch their breath. “You are Sol, a good person who always does what is right. No matter how hard it is or who will get angry. You do what is right.” They continued to stare into my eyes, looking for something. Were they expecting something from me? When I raised my brow at them, they closed the distance between our lips. I didn’t hesitate to return their affections and closed my eyes, leaning down into them. I pulled them against me tighter and slid my tongue along their lower lip. 

I awoke in the morning, their head on my shoulder in my bed. I glanced down at them before lightly pulling them closer to me. I turned off the alarm that would have sounded for training. I didn’t need to go today, they wouldn’t need me. Sol needed me right now, and I needed them. I leaned over and planted a small kiss on their forehead before leaning my head back onto my pillow again. 

I was alone, until I met Sol.

[wilting-fl0wer]

i REALLY dislike them as couple

Their relationship always made me extremely uncomfortable, it always felt so forced and heteronormative to the point i genuinely feel irked whenever i see them mentioned as a couple and i genuinely feel bad for both of them.

Not to mention they're not even compatible as a couple, they both have extremely different moral and ethical values and wildly different parenting styles which people seem to not realize how important it is to share similar values with your partner in order for your relationship to work. And Cal being the stubborn, stuck-up radical pacifist that he is and Tammy losing confidence just by BRAIDING HER HAIR or by simply disagreeing with her, it's hard to believe their relationship would last longer than a year or two

Their whole lives they saw each other through rose colored glasses, believing their in this so called "fairytale romance". They're both really immature even in their later teens, and i wish the game handled their relationship differently, since to me, they're so much MUCH happier and as just friends, especially Tammy (as much as she gets on my fucking nerves she deserves better than a guy victim blaming her father for getting killed by a manticore)

side note: I'm genuinely tired of constantly seeing people acting like you're some sort of villain from preventing them for dating, going as far as being called "abusive" and "manipulative"??? idk to me some of y'all are exaggerating it to an unnecessary extreme considering this game is all about manipulating your time powers in order to get the outcomes you want

also, i saw a few people say that "it's hard to tear them up", to that i say that more people would realize that it's easier to prevent them from dating than to break Nem and Vace up. Cause all you have to do is get Cal to 80 hearts which you can do by age 12 and flirt with Tammy at her 20 heart event than that's that

Anyways, thanks for coming to my tedtalk *drops mic*

[anemones-loyalty]

how the HELL do i get vaces confidence 3. i have had max friendship with him for 2 YEARS GO TO THERAPY ALREADY

[hedgehogoftime]

I Was A Teenage Exocolonist quotes of debatable correctness

Sol: I really love Tangent but I wish she’d stop saying “This biological form is limiting,”, it’s really off-putting at parties.

-

*Cal is confiding to Sol about troubles with Tammy’s pregnancies*

Cal: I mean, I didn’t realize that Tammy COULD be crazy until now.

Sol: She’s pregnant, she gets to be crazy. It’s your job to be sane right now.

Cal: So I don’t get to be crazy again until after she has the baby?

Sol: No, then it’s the baby’s turn to be crazy.

Cal: So when do I get to be crazy again!?

Sol: Never. *begins laughing hysterically at him*

-

*Nem is stranded on a mission and Vace has volunteered to rescue her*

Vace: Alright, time for Plan... something something... I save Nem and she falls madly in love with me again and Sol dies of heartbreak.

Vace: ...I swear I had something for this.

-

Sol: I can fit the entire world in my hands!

Tangent: I swear if you try any adorable shit-

Sol: *cups Tangent’s face in their hands*

Tangent: I have a reputation...

-

Dys: Life is a meaningless drudgery of pointless misery, an endless spiral of death and decay from which there is no

*Sol walks in*

Dys: OMG, Sol!

-

Tammy: Hey Sol, what color are Marz’s eyes?

Sol: They’re neon pink with flashes of royal purple and sometimes red if the light is right.

Tammy: Uh, huh. And when was the last time Marz smiled?

Sol: Last night, at three minutes past nine when Rex made that terrible joke about chickens.

Tammy: Right. And when is my birthday?

Sol: ...

Tammy: When is my birthday, Sol?

-

Marz: As your new Governor, I hearby declare that everyone who has ever been mean to me shall be... executed.

[alienglowgarden]

not gonna finish that fic, so instead I'll just ramble abt it to myself

First thing I'll say is, damn longform stories are hard to write. I've really only roleplayed and written nanofiction, drabbles n the like( n one short story but its full of experimental prose so its pretty nonsequential stuff too) so the very basic act of stringing a bunch of events together and giving each enough attention was kind of a struggle. Plus I wanna start a philosophical tangent based on like every other paragraph y_y It went better than my first attempt at fic, but even this in retrospect is probably pretty bad, esp with the lack of response from anyone beyond a "well this convoluted sentence was kind of funny". Tho I'll say I still feel fairly confident in the first chapter v_v It was GOOD, OK??? Could ofc be flippant and blame it on the fact that its not shipping or smut n that thats all fandom cares about, but-

Next up, excerpts from the fic that I, PERSONALLY thought were super funny and great bits in general.

I thought I was SO clever for the customer service voice comparison. A real phenomena that affects millions of sufferers every day.

n honestly this whole paragraph right after I thought sounded like a delightful little montage. And its a sweet thought that Sol's wasting their rations on Sym just to include him in the ritual and to prolong the whole "playing house" bit. Similarly later on when Sol prattles on abt cooking up something special next time, again, even tho Sym doesn't really need to eat. He's noted by Dys to like sweets, but even when you give him a cake he just tastes the icing a bit n is like "well that was nice :-)"

I WAS BOILING IN MY SKIN I THOUGHT I WAS BEING SOOOOO FUNNY UGH AND NOBODY EVEN MENTIONED IT!!!! COME ONNN!!! Similarly Sol having trouble focusing on the english, needing subtitles cus they grew up on esperanto I thought was nice attention to detail from me.

Also I compared Seeq to Blackadder, where is my comedy emmy

this wouldve had a nice callback in the last chapter, of Sol similarly finding themself experiencing something totally new and unique, totally outside of the timeloops scope.

I also liked my little Sol & the Embrace Eternity ending during Syms death hiatus bit, that was something I had written as just a teensy drabble idea before the fic. Also liked injecting a slight divergence from known canon with Geranium believing Sols future vision. Wouldve later been called up again with both of them fussing over Flulu a lot n Ger kinda feeling like shit when/if Sol gets involuntarily operated upon.

Onto chapter 2:

Ok the sugarbug thing was really all I had going for it, I was gonna wax poetic abt Vace n Sols relationship more, but depended far too much on getting any positive feedback n motivation to keep going lol v_v Theres a lot you could weave together about their mutual self-inflicted need to be a hero, even at the cost of their own suffering, their own dreams. Of feeling alienated from others for seemingly knowing more, seeing the big picture. N similarly (my) Sol has a bit of that same bravado that masks the unseemly parts of them, the reasons that would make others worry if they knew Sol wasn't just messing around, that their achievements weren't just happy accidents, but things they'd meticulously planned for, sacrificed for.

But anyway the surgabug thread was meant to be a sign of the Gardeners still holding onto their feelings of both resentment and love for their creators. Just a single facet, there would be more, but the most obvious thread once Sol learns to spot it.

Noctilucent is just fun to write for :3 "Little weed" would also with time become a more affectionate nickname for Sol.

Once again, I THOUGHT I WAS SO FUNNY FOR THIS. Why is my genous so underappreciated.

...and again, the care all Gardeners share for their planet, for the garden their creators left them, largely explored through Noctilucent, for whom that would seem most unlikely, who would surprise the reader most. In future chapters, there would have been more scenes.

Most notably, Noct finds Sol after a devastating accident that leaves them with a concussion(possibly self inflicted in an attempt to reconnect those wormhole synapses in their brain again). Sol tries to blubber something about a deal the gardeners wont be able to resist. They realize Noct has taken measures to care for their wounds. Eventually, the agreement is struck. More lenience is extended. Noct hidden relationship meter goes a little bit up again.

The end would mark a secret place Noctilucent takes Sol, the New Experience they share in confidence, a new facet of understanding the puzzle and Sol's own place in it.

ok yea its referencing that rio romero song lmao. Sol feeling a spooky ooky similarity of their own fates within the timeloop to that of the sugarbug, as utilised by their own colony. A replenishable resource; no regard for its wellbeing. Or probably more likely seeing the danger of becoming that, by their own hand, permitting their life to be consumed by the colony's survival.