#verses incoming eventually

[dlartistanon]

Shining and Nightingale: Connection, Plot Beats, and How Their Story Makes (Even) More Sense If You Read It As Romantic

Introduction

Belonging to the Followers faction, Shining and Nightingale were among the first 6* operators introduced at launch. With damage mitigation as their niche, Shining is a single-target medic who specializes in reducing incoming physical damage, while Nightingale is an AoE medic whose specialty lies in reducing incoming Arts damage. This post will delve into everything we know about them and how it's so gay, oh my god

Design Analysis

Upon first glance, you notice how they compare and contrast each other visually: Shining is dressed mostly in black, Nightingale in white. Shining has long, thin white horns that gently jut outwards, while Nightingale has thick, black horns that fold inwards. Shining keeps her hood on by default, giving her a mysterious and secretive appearance. She has dark brown eyes, Liz has light blue ones. Shining’s outfit is tattered and ragged, really giving off the vibe of a wanderer (a “roaming doctor”, as she puts it), in stark contrast to Nightingale’s clean and put-together attire. If you squint, Shining almost looks like a harbinger of death, whereas Nightingale is angelic. Both of them wear the insignia of the Followers, a Terran version of the Caduceus. Shining wears it on a necklace (and is the actual leader), while Nightingale has it etched onto her clothes. One of the black straps on Nightingale’s outfit also reads “The path to light is dark”.

The predominant colors in both their respective skins are the complementary blue and orange. Just as black and white are opposed, so is the contrast between blue and orange. Within Shining's Silent Night, there are flickers of red-orange accents in the form of crystals, while in Nightingale's Elegy, there is the vibrant blue of her bluebird and its wings/feather. Despite Shining’s skin being a summer/beach outfit, the overall atmosphere is foreboding, given the moonlit background, presence of crows/ravens, and color choices. The backdrop in Nightingale’s is very characteristic of Gothic settings.

The strongest theme tying both their designs (and stories) together is The Gothic, an atmosphere and aesthetic best exemplified and symbolized by moody, somber colors (often black) and the gnarled, twisted branches of dead trees found in both their designs, as well as pertinent cast. (We will discuss more on their narrative ties to The Gothic)

Nightingale is featured (alongside Myrrh) in the song “Spring’s Pulse”, while Shining’s song is called “Winter Absolution”. Spring and Winter are opposing seasons, different times in which life either flourishes or hibernates. Green and red (as well as blue and red) are contrasting colors, highlighting life and death. As well as white and black, often symbolic of purity and sin.

Additionally, one of the Latin verses in Shining's song translates to:

"Sing, my tongue, redemption. Of my flesh, the mystery sing. Of the blood, all price exceeding. Shed by my immortal being. Destined for the world's redemption. From a noble womb to spring."

Profiles/Voice Lines

For the longest time, the most we could gather from their past was that Nightingale was a victim, a prisoner, forced to heal others while captive and that Shining had rescued her before they came to Rhodes Island. She has a host of ailments that mere Oripathy can't be the sole cause for, including amnesia. Through other clues, we eventually learn that Shining had a connection to someone called "Confessarius" ("Confessarii" when referring to a group), something she is noticeably evasive and uncomfortable about.

Later, the mystery slowly began to unravel as many theorized that Shining herself was involved with Nightingale's imprisonment, evidenced by Liz drawing the similarities between Shining and her captors. A shared past dripping with intrigue.

It was these seeds that provided a tantalizing story of atonement, of redemption, from someone who had committed a terrible transgression against another, complacent in her pain and suffering, whom she eventually grew to care about--so much so that Shining decided to sever all ties to her former compatriots, slaughtering many and freeing Nightingale, running away together. Shining, disgusted with her actions, spending the rest of her life atoning for her sins, of which she feels she can never be forgiven for.

The juxtaposition of Shining, unyielding with her sword, covered in the blood of her once-fellow Confessarii, and her being exceedingly gentle with Nightingale as she leads her to someplace safe, away from that room, her captors, that tower, where they (she) can’t hurt Liz ever again. The fanon that Shining was complicit in what made Nightingale the way she is, and that she is currently atoning for those sins, was largely embraced by fans.

Nightingale’s Operator Record #1 - A Song and a Blue Feather

The Op Rec is a good showcase of the Followers dynamic (with Liz as the Lady and her two knights), but it also serves to show more of Liz's personality. We only get a very baseline interpretation of who she is as a person via her official file, but seeing her interact with Nearl and Shining gives us a clearer picture of just how strong-willed she is. She goes against Shining's warnings in order to soothe the pain of an Infected child, particularly because his father was inadvertently exacerbating his condition through what Liz calls "a cage of love" (foreshadowing?).

Throughout, we learn more about Liz's Arts, specifically that they give her empathic qualities and come with the drawback of shortening her lifespan every time she heals. The game-breaking ability to reverse Oripathy symptoms comes with equivalent exchange. Liz takes on the pain of others in order to make them feel better.

Near the end of the record, Liz asks if Shining is mad and to not blame Nearl for helping her. Shining's original call to avoid the town was born out of being concerned with Liz's health, but she admits that she should've respected Liz's decision. This is a stance that we then see get repeated in their future appearances in both side stories and the main plot--Shining prioritizing giving Liz agency, when she previously had none. Even when it results in Liz's condition worsening, something that Shining struggles with accepting at the same time, communicated through her asking Liz if her feeling more pain was necessary.

Nightingale’s Module #1 - Closed Hope

The module basically states outright that Nightingale views herself as a burden for having to rely on Shining and Nearl to help her navigate through life. This is another example of Liz's strong-willed personality peeking through.

"But for me, results speak loudest. Because I endured a little more pain, others can be born anew. This is very good. But… if I could be like ordinary people, without this physical pain, that spark of hope in my heart would surely shine a little bit brighter. Unfortunately, as I am now, I can only rely on others to survive. Like a light crystal in a lantern. Even if the lantern door is open, even if the light can bring warmth to others, the crystal itself is still fixed inside. It is fixed there, because it has no ability to move on its own. 'Nightingale, Nightingale––' I hope that one day, I will also be able to spread my wings and fly… just like the bird next to me. 'Nightingale, wake up already––' Until then, I must impose upon them yet more to take care of me.

...

'What's the matter, Shining?'"

In her Op Rec, she had even told Shining that if her legs had cooperated with her, she would not have asked Nearl for help, and that she would've gone out to heal that boy on her own. It's letting us know that she longs to be independent, and that she can't idly sit by as a passive observer when she has the ability to help others. Liz won't even let her own disabilities stop her from doing what she wants.

It's not a coincidence how Shining's presence in her module is represented by the analogy Liz uses to describe her predicament. Shining rescued her = the cage door is open. However, the crystal itself can't move = Liz's debilitating condition. Shining played her part in putting Liz in the cage to begin with. Shining is not only her savior, caretaker, and companion, there's a darker undercurrent as well.

Near Light

In Maria Nearl, Nightingale and Shining get a brief mention and cameo around the time Nearl crashes into the Major stadium. A connection can be made with Liz's Op Rec in which we evidently see that she and Nearl have a more physical (and arguably openly affectionate) dynamic compared to Liz and Shining. Before Nearl leaves to help her sister, we a get a brief look into her and Liz's parting conversation, in which Nearl assures Liz that she'll be okay and that Liz still has Shining with her.

In Near Light, where they get more screentime, we have the iconic Nearl and Nightingale slow dance underneath the streetlights. In the CG itself, Shining can be seen hanging back, sporting a smile. She calls Liz beautiful unprompted, which results in Liz getting a little bit flustered, already so from dancing with Nearl.

Beyond these instances fleshing out the NearLiz leg of the triangle, it's also a purposeful depiction of Shining intentionally distancing herself from Liz, presumably due to her guilt for her past actions. And how that can be extrapolated into Shining feeling as though she is unworthy to partake in that same kind of intimacy. This self-loathing mentality is once more reflected in Nearl the Radiant Knight's second Module--here's a rough translation:

"I suddenly felt a little regretful - after all, I have always hated my bloodline. I have never tasted the beauty of home and the meaning of family. She deserved to have it all, deserved to be noticed and blessed and I deserved not to be a part of it."

However, at the end of Near Light, we get the scene where Shining makes a decision to go back to Londinium with Nightingale, preparing us for their subplot with Confessarius. This exchange hangs over them like a cloud, as well as further cementing Shining's firm resolve to always remain by Liz's side, no matter her own misgivings about everything else. Even if the rest of the world is muddled in her eyes, the only thing that stays clear and in view, is Nightingale. Nothing else matters more.

Chapter 10-18

The depth of Shining’s feelings for Nightingale is truly something to take note of. "My place is always at your side" is practically a textbook subtextual/indirect confession. "I will always be at your side... for as long as you’ll have me." Because we must know that Liz has a choice. She will not impose her own wants onto Liz. Should the day arrive where Liz no longer wants her, Shining will honor it, as much as it hurts.

The way Shining navigates and conducts her feelings towards Liz in this manner is very reminiscent of the medieval concept of courtly love, which is essentially a kind of romantic love without ever imagining it to go any further. The lack of consummation is not only expected, but ideal. That the love existing in and of itself is satisfying.

The scenes where we see Shining holding back help supplement this reading. It also plays well into how the Followers are basically the "knight in shining armor" idea codified into three individuals with corresponding dynamics. For bonus points, courtly love has ties to spirituality, which coincides with another aspect of Shiningale's story with identity, fate, and their conflict with Confessarius.

The fact that Shining 's most immediate plans for the future all have to do with Nightingale is only the tip of her unending devotion. "I’ll stay with you, and go wherever you want to go, as long as you want me". And for Liz to quickly ask if Shining will come with her wherever she wants to go suggests that the love is reciprocated.

Chapter 11-10

Through a series of revelations, we discover that the current head of the Confessarii is Shining's father, who is possessing the body of her younger brother. And that Nightingale was an experimental subject whose physical body is a construct, making her the equivalent of an artificial human/homunculus.

The whole scene we see just how both Confessarius and Salus view Shining, Nightingale, and their relationship. As randmsapphic puts it, the method in which they talk about Liz as an object with a purpose and that Shining's attachment to her is nothing short of a phase speaks volumes as to how dismissive and strangely self-assured that Shining will come to her senses and do the right/rational thing and bring Liz back to help her. They entertain the notion of saving Liz by way of pushing Shining to return to them, because they are the only ones who can save her. Instead of immediately resorting to threats, they rely on manipulation, pulling the "family" card, preying on and weaponizing Shining's guilt and desire to help Liz. It's not subtle--this dynamic could very easily be seen as the reactions homophobic relatives would have.

In particular, Confessarius's fixation on bloodline purity is insanely creepy and not only comes off as very homophobic, but ableist as well. Him suggesting they can build Liz a new body is coercion to get Shining to obey him (which also implies that he thinks Shining's attraction to Liz is purely physical). Salus emotionally abusing Shining by saying that all of Liz's pain is Shining's fault. Attempting to shame Shining by claiming she abandoned her family for a stranger. Does it not have the vibes of homophobia saying that Shiningale's love/relationship isn't real and will never work?

Chapter 12-10

The way Shining utterly ties her sense of self-worth to Nightingale, literally describing herself as Liz’s sin… she will not refer to Liz with possessive pronouns, but will do it to herself for her. The longing, the guilt, the resolve, the codependency… is incredibly yuri. Back in Chapter 10, Shining has an exchange with the Nachzehrer King where she says the moment she was born, she had carried sin. After the dinner in Chapter 11, she tells a Confessarius soldier (before cutting him down) that she hates herself most of all.

Of all the ways to describe her relationship with Liz, Shining decides on "I am her sin". There is poetry in how she refrains from using any kind of possessive language about Liz. Shining belongs to Liz, but Liz belongs to no one. "I am hers, and she is everything to me". It goes back to how she somewhat keeps her distance despite the overwhelming devotion. "I cannot touch her with these sinful hands".

Shining truly exemplifies devotion. Whoever was responsible for writing Shining’s dialogue is pulling out all sorts of stops to have her express her love for Liz in every way without outright making her say the words "I love Liz".

Chapter 13-9 (unfortunately tumblr has an image limit so i can't cap the entire subchapter; you really should read it yourselves for that delicious Shiningale goodness)

Kal'tsit: The way you look at Nightingale isn't just with compassion. You're not just her doctor—she's healing your fears too. Her body has its issues, but she's a member of the 'Followers', as well as your companion, and not a delicate flower that needs your protection.

Nightingale: I'm fine, Shining. You don't have to look after me so meticulously.

More examples of Liz's strong character! A dynamic becomes even more interesting when the one you thought was less-dependent turns out to desperately need the other. By this point, you should know that Shining places Nightingale incredibly high up her list of priorities. The narrative makes it no secret. They continue to hammer home that, despite being her caretaker, just how much Shining is dependent on Liz. Liz has already internally talked about how she hates having to rely on Shining and Nearl because of her ailments. In her other appearances, she makes it even more apparent with her dialogue. While Shining mends Liz’s aching body, Liz is the one who soothes Shining’s hurting heart.

Confessarius: Poor 'Liz'. She think it's all her fault, because of the momentary kindness you showed her.

When you remember that Liz's Arts make her empathic to pain, it takes on another layer of meaning when she wants to take away Shining's suffering. It's reasonable to assume that Liz also had an attachment to Shining, even if you see it as such because Shining "brought her to life". But the vibe you get from her dialogue shows a strong affection and compassion for Shining. Arguably instinctive, considering the "nature" of who Liz originally was. A wandering spirit, a memory, a soul that was drawn to Shining because she felt her crushing pain and wanted to help her. An intangible presence given life by an achingly lonely and hurt individual.

Another post by randmsapphic suggests that Liz's "childhood memories" of her and Shining were in fact fabrications that Shining had imposed onto Liz, in some desperate attempt to have a connection with another person, which this scene confirms. Shining was so happy with Liz's creation that she quickly became attached to her. Is this a sort of twisted love/affection that was born out of Shining's self-loathing? Or her being born into a very dark and messed up lineage in which her fate is a doomed one, and so she latched onto Liz as a means of escape and a way to feel close to someone? It may have started off as such, but by the time we reach this point, the love grew to be genuine.

Remember in Liz's Op Rec, where she described the father hurting his son by keeping him in a cage of love?

The bluebird losing its strength the farther it travels away from home is a metaphor and reflection for how the Confessarii treat Liz, their experiment. This is the basis for her captivity. Combined with Shining's sudden shift into a cold demeanor when she had previously been warm to Liz, this only served to psychologically and emotionally damage Liz, as well as compound Shining's guilt for having continued to follow the wishes of her family.

At some point, prior to deserting, Shining had wiped Liz's memories, perhaps out of said guilty conscious, or a means to a fresh start, or even her own way to stop Liz from feeling any pain associated with those memories, but she was still afraid of what would happen should Liz recover them, which had been happening little by little. Shining had resigned herself to believing that Liz would hate her, would want nothing to do with her, if she ever found out the truth. She had to wrestle with the very real possibility that attempting to save Liz could mean losing her, or being separated from her. Shining never once saw Nightingale as a burden; she was only ever happy that Liz exists.

Credit to randmsapphic again: Every time Shining draws her sword, it's a viscerally unpleasant reminder of her eventual destiny. It's both the only way to truly free Liz, and is the bind that keeps her shackled to a doomed fate. When Confessarius offers her the sadistic choice between killing him (thus giving up her soul) or return Liz to captivity... what should she do? There is no choice here.

The way Confessarius keeps (creepily) phrasing it as Shining “giving birth” really does paint him to be a disgustingly vile patriarchal figure set on destroying not only Shining’s autonomy, but her life and relationship with Liz. How a woman is treated as an object, her worth limited to only serving as a breeding ground for the next generation. This read continues to make even more sense because remember the Confessarii dinner scene? The way they talked like they expect Shining to come home after having had her fun with Nightingale reeks of how society views lesbian relationships as not real/practice for men/just a phase. The proverbial Class S? Shiningale really is just Arknights-flavored Class S Yuri. If a Shining Alter has her pick up her sword again, it could very well symbolize her reclaiming her bodily autonomy and fighting for her love, and for the chance to have a life outside of what the patriarch(y) wants for her.

The more I read about the Shiningale in Chapter 13, the more I’m thinking that this can’t be anything else but yuri. Even the role Confessarius is playing as a villain/obstacle they have to overcome. A man getting between them by manipulating their feelings for nefarious purposes?

Liz telling Shining that she prefers her current name, how it encapsulates so much of who Shining is as a person; she's not just a means to an end for the Confessarii, she's more than what they've instilled in her since her birth. The Followers are all light-themed, and Shining is no exception. She broke Liz out of her cage and showed her the world. And Liz is the light of Shining's life, as was mentioned all the way back to her voiceline.

Liz telling Shining that she's always loved the name that she gave her... that she holds dear any and every part of Shining that's a part of her. Her gently chastising Shining for making the decision to sacrifice herself to save Liz... Don't give yourself up for me, especially without asking me. That's not what I want. For all the times that Shining made sure Liz knew she had a choice, this was the one time she didn't. Couldn't. And Liz won't have that. Whatever trials that await them, she wants to face them together with Shining.

The way Confessarius described Shining’s feelings towards Nightingale as “your rebellious love for her”. He knew that she would love Liz and factored that into his plan/manipulation of Shining. I don't know about you but… I don’t think there’s any other way to interpret that. No heterosexual explanation.

Realistically speaking, we know actual gay characters can’t make it past the censors unless it’s tragic (see Scavenger) or unrequited (see Tomimi). But Shiningale have like… playable immunity. It’s “implicit” enough to not trigger the censors but at the same time how can you not see it as romantic?

Their relationship is basically up there with Talulah/Alina. And I'd even go so far as to say that it's more explicit than Talulah/Alina. To my knowledge, they never used the word “love” to describe how Talulah felt about Alina. Just "friend". I know there's a point where subtext gets ridiculous enough to become maintext, but then that leads you to question why some get the "friends" label while others are allowed to use "love".

Could it be platonic love? Sure, of course you can love your friends. But would you pledge your entire life to a friend? What's so "rebellious" about loving a friend? (Interestingly, I think the JP translation calls it "immoral love", which is even more eyebrow-raising) Regardless, love exists between Shiningale. Confessarius knew it, and factored it into his schemes. He counted on Shining to love and cherish her. Shining loves Liz, that much is undeniable. And Liz loves her back, enough to stop Shining from sacrificing herself to save her. He's literally weaponizing the love they have for each other.

Shiningale and The Gothic

I had mentioned before that both characters' designs as well as the narrative beats of their story have Gothic literature elements. I want to make a list of the ones I could find that relate to them as characters and as a narrative:

A focus on medical conditions, doppelgangers (the "pure" Confessarii looking like each other), forbidden power/knowledge, the dichotomy between light and darkness, imprisonment, rebellion, isolation/seclusion, gloominess or a gloomy setting, the grotesque/macabre, terror/horror, justice vs revenge, good vs evil, fear and suspense, the supernatural/paranormal, female victims, prophecies/curses/omens, mystery and secrets, involvement of the clergy/religious figures (confessor/absolver of sin), the dead don’t stay dead/hauntings, romanticism

The Gothic hero is “weakened by love”, they either rescue their love interest or pine away in despair

Significance of blood (relations) and inheritance, the duality of giving and denying life

An examination of family structure, patriarchy, hereditary suffering

Dreams/nightmares, memories

Secrets, past sins, sins of the father, darkest deeds

Driven by love, duality of man (appearance)

Dwelling on the melancholy, of wistfulness and regret, but not overcoming kindness

Concept of “othering” from society (Shining split herself away from her blood family to be herself and with Liz, her chosen family

The protagonist’s passionate love is torn between his desire to achieve the beloved and the family’s disapproval, control, and choice. Gothic novels also tell the tales of love in vain. The lovers are parted due to the conspiracies of the people opposing them being together

Gothic sexuality is usually somewhat repressed—women are expected to be pure and somewhat helpless while men are expected to be quietly predatory. It's also patriarchal, with men making moves and women reacting to them

Homosexuality = the love that dares not speak its name. Repressed sexuality, forbidden desire

Female Gothic protagonists are often committed to justice, unwilling to compromise their values, loyal, respectful of others, curious, intelligent and devoted to their faith. Some are gentle, kind, likeable, clever, witty, quiet, supportive, thoughtful, hard-working, independent and strong. Others are courageous, witty, brave, determined, knowledgeable and socially competent. On the flip side, some are also strong-willed and outspoken to a fault. They’re often socially awkward, depressive, melancholy, brooding, solitary and selfish. Some are jealous, fiercely territorial, deceitful, powerless and deceptive. Others, like their male counterparts, are prone to violence

Male Gothic protagonists are often conflicted, solitary, tortured, brooding, and secretive, self-loathing, wracked with guilt, have a self-hate of their own existence

Female-centric Gothic stories often trend towards obscured/anticipated fears, focuses on persecuted women and the domestic space she risks entrapment within/disturbed spaces

Food for Thought

Ryuzakiichi has a knight original character. Tell me... this doesn’t just look like Shining without horns? THE RESEMBLENCE IS UNCANNY.

Knowing this, I'm convinced that he split the concept of a "knight in shining armor" into two characters: Nearl and Shining. Nearl embodies chivalry. Shining embodies devotion.

The followers dynamic can best be summarized as two knights swearing fealty to one lady, but what's interesting is that while Nearl is the most obvious depiction of a knight, it's actually Shining who serves the role even harder, because she is quite literally Liz's knight. Which tracks with how Shining looks nearly like a carbon copy of his OC. She's the one who rescued the princess from her tower, while simultaneously being the "wicked witch" who put her there in the first place. And just like a Gothic hero, is tormented and sees herself as a monster.

Comparison to the main plot of Shadow of the Colossus. The driving force is that Wander commits acts (largely agreed to be treasonous) in order to revive Mono. The relationship between Wander and Mono is left up to interpretation as to whether it's platonic, familial, or romantic, but most fans of the game seem to theorize that Mono is indeed Wander's love interest.

Normally I despise turning the Followers into a nuclear family unit in any direction (especially people saying Liz is a minor and infantilize her to be the designated "child"), but for a moment, seeing Shiningale looking at Nearl’s portrait, my brain interpreted them behaving like Nearl’s (substitute) parents being proud of her accomplishments.

This was not helped by stuff like Shining’s teasing ("Look at you, our knight acting snarky"), Liz asking if she and Shining were also Nearl’s family, and some apparent discussion about Mlynar being a "bad end" Margaret who lost his own light (his brother and sister-in-law, Margaret’s parents).

If Shining and Nightingale are to Nearl as Schnitz and Yolanta were to Mlynar, then that might also explain why he dropped his jerk behavior for one second just to compliment how the two Sarkaz were good for his niece. If Nearl had never met Shining and Nightingale, her own light might’ve gone out too...?

IN CONCLUSION

Shiningale are complementary in so many ways. It really feels like several aspects of their characters are tailor made to match; you can’t have one without the other, their development is tied together… soulmates. Hopefully this post helps encourage you to consider their story in a certain lens if you hadn't before.

To quote a CN post I saw on the matter after Chapter 13 was released (rough translation): "Shining's sword pieced Nightingale's heart, and Liz came alive. Liz's existence helped give Shining emotions. Liz became Shining's redemption. Shining renounced her old name and Liz cherishes hers, a transformation of two people choosing to fight and change their destiny. Although Liz is physically fragile, her spirit and will are very strong. Although Shining has excellent swordsmanship, her self-hate and inner turmoil weigh her down. They are truly complementary in every sense."

They each want to take away the other's pain. Shining doesn't want Liz to die. Liz doesn't want Shining to die for her. They are each other's mutual salvation.

[wood-white-writer]

"Didn't mean to make your heart Blue" || [4/...]

- OPLA!Buggy x F!Reader

"I think my brain is rotting in places, I think my heart is ready to die, I think my body's falling in pieces, I think my blood is passing me by."

— Mitski, "Brand New City"

Pairing: Buggy the Clown (Live action) x F!Reader

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Part 6

Summary: You were an apprentice of Gol D. Roger’s crew in your youth, long before his eventual demise. Along with the Red-Haired Shanks and Buggy, you were a formidable trio; the embodiment of a new generation of pirates yet to come. But times changed, and so did you and your friends. Years have passed since you last saw Buggy following the dispute that you thought ended your friendship. When you finally reunite with the blue-haired menace you once considered your closest friend, it’s under less than “friendly” circumstances.

Warnings: Canon typical violence, LA!Verse, Buggy is a lonely asshole, "Cross-Hairs"/reader is a lonely asshole too, flashbacks, semi-canon divergence, Reader is strong AF, a mixture of both the Reader's and Buggy's POVs, angst

A/N: This chapter is a little shorter than usual with only 2.2k words... Sorry.

Taglist:@kurinhimenezu, @carpinchootaku, @ay0nha, @teh-vampire-bunny, @lokiscure, @internationalsuper-spy, @detectivesparrow (If you want to be tagged for this story, just send me a message or leave a comment :))

You’re like a savage beast when you’re fighting, Buggy admits to himself in awe as he watches you tear through your opponents one by one with substantially more strength than anyone thought your body capable of.

But Buggy's not just anybody. He's always known that your body is of a special sort, an Iron Maiden encompassed by skin, flesh, veins, arteries, and ligaments; capable of bringing ruin to anyone and anything if only you have reason enough. Chains can't hold you, nor can any power on this earth.

He relishes in it.

You have your sword and your pistol both disposable at the belt on your hip, but you seem to have no interest in wielding them for the battle. No, your body is a weapon on its own; a blade cutting through people like grass straws on a narrow field.

It’s during times like these — when he gets to watch your strength from the front rows — that he wonders whether you’ve eaten a Devil Fruit of your own at some point, but that can't be. He’s seen you swim.

You, him, and Shanks had been simply traveling through the town where the Oro Jackson was docked, minding your own business when a group of rival pirates suddenly ambushed you. Thinking they easily could kidnap the apprentices of the famous Gol D. Roger and demand ransom, the shidiots would quickly come to realize that they made a mistake.

A very costly one at that. One they will be sure not to repeat.

Whereas he and Shanks stand partnered together against a few of the rival group, you are holding your own quite well from the other side of the fight. He swears he saw one of the men flying over him at some point, though it might’ve just been a trick of the adrenaline.

Kicking one of the larger pirates straight in the balls with his lower body severed from the rest, he turns his upper body to catch a glimpse of you in case you need help.

What he sees instead is a flash of the sun reflecting in your eyes as you pounce at your prey, casting a yellow line in the air that reminds him of lightning about to strike the ground. Everything around him seems to cease mid-motion save for you. There is no fighting going on, no shouting, no Shanks telling him to take cover from an incoming blow.

All he sees is you, and all he hears is his own voice telling him: "Gods, you’re fucking marvelous."

The last thing he hears is Shanks shouting his name before the world begins to darken around him, and the last thing he sees is lightning making its way toward him, destroying everything in its path to get to him.

He wonders drowsily if it's going to strike him too.

———

The fight that ensues reminds you of the battles you partook in during your years as Captain. The chaos in it all. The carnage. The general inability to think properly as you fight. Of course, your opponents back then lacked Buggy's uncanny ability to split up into multiple parts while still alive, but it doesn't stop you. 

Nothing on this earth can.

Blades are thrown, skin is cut, and by the time you get close enough to reach him, a number of props have scattered to pieces in the midst of your warfare. It seems like an endless battle trying to defeat him, just get him to fucking stay still.

Just as you reach for Buggy's chest with your nails reached out to claw at his vest, his midsection separates and all you're left with is air. Just empty air.

He cackles as he puts himself back a few good feet from where you're standing. "C'mon! Put your back into it! It's like you're not even tryin—!"

In a flash, your face is hairsbreadths away from his, and it feels like everything around him stops. 

At that moment, he realizes that the golden color of the sun has not left your eyes. Only to find that, upon closer inspection, it's not the color of the sun that he's met with.

It's thunder, and it strikes hard.

Before he has the chance to blink, the next thing he knows is the feeling of a boulder being pushed against his stomach. Not a sound leaves his throat save for a guttural groan, and he finds himself on the ground before he knows it with stars adorning the edges of his vision.

Gods, he thinks while in a state of both pain and exhausted satisfaction, your face a blurred canvas in his eyes. You’re so fucking marvelous.

By the time Nami and Zoro debut to join the battle, you have already pinned Buggy to the ground with your legs planted firmly on each side of his hips, and a bruising grip around his neck as you press your forearm down onto it. Not enough to cut his flow of oxygen, but enough so that he doesn't have the capacity to move unless he splits.

His face, the very same face you used to paint when you were younger, looks up at you with nothing short of manic glee. He doesn't even divide himself up to get free this time. It's almost like merely connecting to him, even during an act of violence such as this, is enough to keep him entertained. Happy, you dare think.

You find those sea-blue eyes looking up at you, and before you try and strike the finishing blow, you hesitate. You fuckinghesitate, because when it all comes down to it, you can't find it in yourself to kill him. 

The legendary Captain of the Cross-Haired Pirates, the executioner of a thousand marines and other pirates, can't kill something this time.

You can't kill him. You can't kill those ocean-blue eyes, even when your body yearns to see through with what you promised. You always stick to your promises, but for the first time in forever, you don't. You can't. 

Not him.

Never him.

Meanwhile, Buggy can't help examining you like you're the most fascinating creature he's ever laid his eyes on, because you are. Even after all this time, he's still as drawn to the fire in your eyes that as he was all those years ago. It's a feeling he can never hope to extinguish.

Nor does he want to.

Being the jester that he is, however, he takes the moment to his advantage. This one, vulnerable moment. It's not out of pettiness, but survival. Nothing personal.

He separates his femur and exploits the momentum to knock you off him. He can tell you're surprised as you position yourself on your knees and hands, yet it only takes you a ghost of a moment to recover.

The fire is back in your eyes, a thousand times brighter this time, and the fight continues. 

Now, neither of you holds back, and he becomes first-hand acquainted with just how ruthless truly you can be. When there is nothing keeping you down.

Truth be told, it excites him. Very much so. 

He has the Bounty Hunter and the Tangerine-haired girl hot on his tail, but he hardly provides them a medium of his attention. You're the only thing he can't take his eyes off.

"NAMI! THE CRATES!"

And that's where the entire play gradually comes to an end. Maybe it's what pisses him off the most?

You stalk after his separated body parts like a hunter after a flock of deer, throwing them into the crates as the rest of your companions follow suit. Whereas Nami and Zoro are strategic with their actions, complementing each other, you're acting on pure, unadulterated wrath. 

You do not have Luffy's stretchy capabilities, Zoro's precision, or Nami's diligence. 

What you have is something far, far deadlier.

It's twenty years of pent-up heartache.

Catching pieces of him is much easier than catching all of him.

This is what it's come to, with you and him fighting; with you and him having different goals. It's not the future you envisioned for yourself at all. In fact, it's the exact opposite. If you knew then what you know now, you would've ... 

Once, it was you and him together against the rest of the world. Now, it's you against him, against the rest of the world.

You can feel your eyes threaten to sting as you catch his femur and throw it in an open box that promptly shuts, but like with everything else, you push it down. You push it until all that remains is the vague ache. 

It doesn't matter, you tell yourself. This is what it will stay like. 

In the end, all of his body parts save for his head, hands, and feet are spared from the confinement of the containers, and when he melds them together to a pathetically small version of his usual self, you can't help but address the irony of the situation.

"What have you done to me?!" Buggy cries.

Luffy grins as he caresses his beloved hat, having suffered the most injuries. "Cut you down to size."

Buggy looks as small as you felt that day. Helpless. Pathetic. Reduced to almost nothing.

Still, it's not a moment that brings you any happiness. Not any victory, or satisfaction. You don't even have the urge to gloat. 

All it brings you, as you tower over him from the side, is nothingness. 

You're tempted to kick him, and you almost do. You take a step closer to him, a river of anger rushing through your veins. With nowhere else to go, it circles.

"The One Piece will never be yours!" Buggy yells and flaps his hands, too focused on Luffy to notice you calmly stalking toward him from the dark. "You're just a sad, lonely little boy, wearing another man's hat!" 

It’s Shanks’s hat, you want to scream. Our friend’s hat. Don’t you remember?

Luffy's words don't register with you as you kneel in front of the shortened clown, nor do Nami's questions or Zoro's inquisitive eyes. It all tunes out into the background as you raise your hand slowly to Buggy, and you think about how easy it will be. It will be so easy to end it now. He's weak, he's practically defenseless. There's nothing to stop you now.

Buggy simply stares when he notices you, his mouth slightly parted in what you can only perceive as surprise and ... disbelief? You take one final look at his face, the same face you used to paint long ago, and you briefly wonder how many layers of white, red, and blue separate this one from the touches you applied years ago. 

Is there still some residue left? Any fingerprint? Does anything from you still linger with him, or did he try to scrub your touches off his face the same way he tried to scrub you from his life altogether?

Buggy is completely still as your outstretched fingers close in on him, and he thinks that this is it. Now's the moment when you will make good on your threats, where you'll finally kill him. Truth be told, it's a less-than-satisfactory way to go, but surprisingly enough, it doesn't bother him half as much as he expected it would.

Maybe it's because, after all this time, it's still you until the end? You and him, like it was always meant to be.

He closes his eyes with a sigh and finds that the edge of his lip tilts a little up. "Go for it," he says, awaiting the moment when your calloused fingers grip him. He can anticipate your nails clawing at his scalp, tearing the skin of his cranium, digging until there is nothing left to tear at.

Devil Fruit or not, you're the only one he'll let end him like this.

Except, you don't.

All he feels are your fingertips gently grazing the sides of his cheek, so uncharacteristically soft against his thin stubbles that he could've mistaken it for air brushing his face.

The same hands he knows capable of such great feats of violence and brutality, the same ones who had just fought against him with enough strength to match a beast, are touching him like he's made of glass. 

He snaps his eyes open, and when he meets your gaze, he's surprised to find them ... empty. Hollow. 

The sun is gone, and so is the thunder. Now, there are only clouds in his view.

"Goodbye, Buggy." Your voice is so tranquil that he strains to hear it, and before he gets to, you stand up again and turn your back to him. "He's all yours, Luffy."

No, no! He tries to walk up to you, but his shortened sature won't let him. Don't look away, not yet! Look at me! If only to keep your fucking promise! Just fucking pleas—Please just look at me again!

"GUM-GUM—!"

"No, no, no!" Buggy, for the first time in his life, begs as the kid stretches his arms backward. Not like this. Not yet. He tries to search for you, only to discover that you've already left the circus tent. "Wait, wait, wait! Just wait!"

"— BAZOOKA!"

[syndrossi]

Halloween trick-or-treat prompts masterlist

For my own personal tracking, a semi-up-to-date list of the prompts and whether they've been filled for eventual treating on Halloween! Feel free to chime in in the replies with ones you'd particularly like to see filled if it's not getting love. I kinda picked the first one in the list and will otherwise do them as fancy strikes me.

Eventually I'll probably link these to their actual fills once published on Halloween.

What is trick-or-treat?

It's basically me sourcing a bunch of prompts for short fills (likely around 100-500 words apiece) in the Resonant 'verse that I can give out on Halloween as "treats" when people send me a "trick" ask!

Note that it's highly unlikely that I'll get to all of them, since there are over 60 of them, and I probably won't do more than 1 a day. Bold = complete, bold italics = up next.

Original post with prompts if anyone wants to comb through the replies to read the "fuller" prompts.

Missing Scenes

Caraxes POV of growing fond of the hatchlings

Laenor + Rhaenys + V boys discussing twins

Viserys POV of learning of boys

Random person's POV of the court discovering Rhea's treason/Daemon has trueborn twin sons

Erryk, Arryk or Harold's POV/thoughts on Jon and Rhaegar

Ser Willam's POV/thoughts on anything at all

Laenor POV when he found out about Daemon's twins

Laena's POV on being told that her betrothal is over and a match with Daemon might be incoming

Aemond’s POV about the twins, seeing his perspective of how wonderful Rhaegar is and his slow dawning resentment of Jon

More courtier reactions to Daemon and the boys

Jeyne’s reaction to Rheas confession and the arrival of Otto to the Vale

Ser Perkins' POV during the time the boys were "reborn"

Watercooler discussion of Daemon’s prodigy children

Alternate POVs of Canon Scenes

Caraxes POV of meeting the boys

Viserys POV of debrief scene

Rhaegar POV of first waking up/meeting Jon

Viserys POV when the twins take him to task and he’s left alone with the crown

The kidnappers’ POV 🚧

Rhaegar's POV when Jon gave him the bracelet

POV of Aegon/Aemond on the new family members

Ser Kelwyn arriving at the keep or POV on Daemon and the twins

Rhaegar from Daemon's vision reacting to him in his final moments

Halloween-themed Prompts

Qelebrys + apple cider round 2

Shadow + discovering a pumpkin

Twins + hatchlings + piles of colorful leaves

Cousins telling scary stories around a candle in the dark

Jon&Rhaegar discovering an old spooky room lost in the tunnels

Daemon + kids who swear they are not scared but also who can't seem to sleep because of Things That Go Bump In The Night

Rhaegar + singing and/or harp playing (bonus: if it's a ~haunting melody~)

Shadow (and Qelebrys) meeting a stray black cat

Jon and Rhaegar dressing up as Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk, bonus points if they convince Cargyll twins to play along

Jon and Rhaegar going to a costume party as Caraxes and Vhagar to echo Aemon and Baelon

Daemon dreams of Aemon and Baelon meeting the boys

What-ifs

What if Rhea didn't die?

What if Rhaegar was also 19 when the twins get Summerhalled?

What if Jon and Rhaegar’s pre-Summerhall ages were flipped?

Reversal!AU: Daemon's reaction to suddenly having eight-year-old twin little girls

What if the twins were born right after Rhea and Daemon's wedding? plus bonus Jaehaerys POV/reaction

What if Ghost is reborn in the Resonant 'verse and finds Jon?

What if the boys wake up at age 5 and Daemon finds them earlier?

Miscellaneous Prompts

Rhaenys rescues twins from Otto

Jon&Rhaegar + dancing

New Otto POV in which he schemes and/or thinks about how smart and gifted and annoyingly perfect Daemon's children are

Daemon POV wherein he thinks about how smart and gifted and perfect his babies are

Candle's POV on being dropped to the bottom of the ocean where it can only watch the fishes

Jon having another Little Lord Commander moment and/or punching someone who deserves it

Jon + Jace/Luke/Joffrey playing with his new wooden ship toys

Viserys + Jace/Luke besieging him with requests for Vermax/Arrax to be allowed in the Red Keep too

Jon + Rhaegar + Daemon + hugs, tears and manipulation tactics for nefarious purposes

Jon + getting his hair braided

Jon and/or Rhaegar getting sick + Daemon being traumatized by every sneeze/cough/etc

Jon + Rhaegar introducing Jace/Luke to the words "stick 'em with the pointy end"

Rhaegar + Alicent or Daemon with harp playing/singing

The boys foiling someone’s attempts to flirt with Daemon

Some funny scene related to Daemon's marriage hunt

A scene from Jon/Rhaegar's past lives, people reacting to their disappearance

POV of someone from the Kingsguard watching the children play 

Helaena, Jon and Rhaegar interactions? She deserves to have a twirl around the ballroom or play with the hatchlings again.

Someone “joking” that Otto is besotted with Daemon the way he keeps talking about him

Another sleepover? Daemon and/or Rhaegar catching Jon trying to get up early and just squishing him

Daemon learning what the twins gave each other for their last name day

Sassy and manipulative Rhaegar scene (destroying Viserys or random courtier)

Rhaegar singing to a larger audience and the reactions people give

Jon biting someone who’s keeping him and Rhaegar from their dad, bonus points if it’s a TG member

POV of someone thinking how similar the twins are to their father

Daemon accidentally overhearing the twins being sad, feeling destroyed, and trying his best to cheer them up

A meeting between Daemon and canon!Rhaegar in a vision

Daemon running on instinctive dad-mode rescues one of the Green kids from a minor peril

Daemon overhears an upsetting song

[mayashesfly]

Some thoughts I have about the differences of my Forgotten Radio AU and Canon. (Mostly focused on Vox since he's my favorite character despite this being a SilentStatic AU. Unfortunately I'm not well-versed at writing Alastor's character even if I wanted to :')

After calming down Valentino's tantrum just like in Canon, Val tried to rile up Vox by mentioning Alastor. However, since Vox has already wiped his memories and added some… preventive measures, he merely dismissed Val's comments.

But because the Princess of Hell was involved, Vox still brought more spy drones onto the Hazbin Hotel to monitor the happenings there in addition to the drone Valentino already sent in to inform him.

They didn't bring Sir Pentious or someone else to spy on the Hazbin Hotel for them because of this.

Sir Pentious takes some time recuperating after being Team Rocketed by Alastor before he'll eventually strike again on the hotel again.

Ever since Alastor's return and seeing the remnants of his partnership with Vox first things first since he returned (The Radio sHack in the Pilot), he was bidding his time for Vox to get wind of his return and react explosively in some way for his entertainment and to take advantage of.

However Vox didn't do anything of the sorts. Unlike how he would've reacted otherwise if he still retained his memories.

When Alastor caught sight of the painfully obvious Vox drones around the hotel, he purposefully posed in front of them a few times, hoping to finally gloat out the tv-headed demon from his hiding. Much to his growing annoyance and confusion though, nothing happened as the drones flew passed him due to the corrupting footage in order to clearly see what else was happening in the hotel.

He did this for a few times a day in slowly increasing frequency for the entire week before Sir Pentious attacked the hotel again and proceeded to get fucked over for ruining Alastor's coat. Alastor barely letting the poor demon alive thanks to Charlie's pleas.

Vox and Velvette discussed to one another who should be the one to attend the Overlord meeting. Valentino is forever banned from attending any of these things after a particular incident that the Vees would rather not repeat again.

It took some back and forth between the two of them before they agreed on Vox going to the meeting. But the only reason Vox's head wasn't ripped out like the torn up models Valentino so gracefully provided her is because she has a big fashion show incoming and those fucking models aren't going to dress themselves.

"Seriously Vox are you sure you don't have anything better to do? Like that bullshit Angelic Security of yours?" "Carmilla would be there. Which is all the more reason for me to go there myself" "Just don't forget the plan you flat-faced fuck, who knows what would happen if we screw this up?" "Well someone else could get screwed instead~"

Groan

"Shut up Valentino! I'm being serious!" "Who says I wasn't being serious too, Velvette~?"

"GUYS"

"You have nothing to worry about. I have this all handled, just trust me alright?" "Well you better keep your words Vox, cuz I have a show to run and no time for a shitshow to fix" "That's my boy~"

After Alastor's wonderful talk with Zestial, he finally meets Vox again outside of the meeting room. Being on time for the meeting unlike Velvette.

Vox introduced himself to Alastor, thinking he was a new Overlord because he never saw him before. Much to Alastor's slowly growing frustration and realization.

Thankfully, Rosie took note of Alastor's presence and promptly lead him away from Vox before he tore out the other's head before the meeting started. Being able to catch up with him and tell him to visit her in Cannibal Town sometime.

Upon taking his seat besides Rosie, Alastor makes a comment about his reappearance, hoping that it would distract him from whatever the fuck Vox was on. Unfortunately, just like in canon, Carmilla does not give a shit. Causing Alastor to steam in his frustration.

While whispering quietly, Rosie admits to Alastor that she doesn't exactly know what happened to Vox. But three years into his absence, something about Vox has changed when he was suddenly more active after three years of mostly being inactive.

It only makes Alastor's head swim in confusion and possibilities of what might've happened.

Unlike Velvette who instantly hijacked the meeting upon entering, Vox waited for the perfect opportunity to present the information he had about the Angel's death. He first showed the scene of the crime on the screen Carmilla was using in her presentation before bringing out the literal Angel's head once he was questioned about the credibility of his source.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't bring the entire body with me. But surely this is enough evidence to show you that what that screen is showing isn't faked?"

Alastor became curious and impressed by such information. It was a rather valuable information he could use for himself after all... Perhaps finally having something for the Princess...

Though it didn't completely ease the discomfort he had from Vox's strange behavior. Vox was barely glancing his way, if at all, during the entire meeting when used to feel those stolen glances from him, even after their partnership ended and he had teamed up with that disgusting pompous moth instead.

His gaze never failed to land on him one way or another before.

Unlike now.

Vox still pitches a similar idea to Velvette with a bit more professionalism, noticing the odd reaction Carmilla had upon seeing the golden blood stain the table. But saying nothing of it as a musical number rolled around.

The complete details and differences between this AU and Canon's Overlord Meeting eludes me since there's a lot of character dynamics at play. But the meeting does end up much shorter than usual as Vox tries to casually take his leave, if not a bit annoyed by the words thrown his way.

That was the very first time Alastor saw Vox fight someone else for once. Except for him.

But regardless of his feelings on the matter, he has a sneaking suspicion that Carmilla may know something even when Vox said nothing of the sorts.

Without Sir Pentious and thus the Egg Boiz in the picture, Alastor couldn't easily eavesdrop on Carmilla and Zestial without possibly outing himself as the eavesdropper.

And unfortunately for him, he couldn't hide in his shadows in Carmilla's office to hear the information straight from the Overlord's mouth.

Vox never said his suspicions about Carmilla's involvement during the meeting, however he did say it to the other Vees about his findings and suspicions. Perhaps that private meeting with Carmilla would yield more results than just for Angelic Securities after all.

Time passed and Alastor was utterly bored. There wasn't as much development between his thralls and Angel Dust's relationship ever since he joined the hotel. They have already tried "trust falls" and "show and tell with the group" and whatever else nonsense the Princess had thought about. But nothing of interesting was happening.

He never caught wind of the TV demon as well besides his usual drivel despite seeing the bumbling drones around the hotel.

It was strange, knowing that his rival didn't give him any mind unlike before. And it was just making him inch for a bloodcurdling fight to ease his boredom.

It was only during a traumatic experience in the middle of a turf war did his thralls and Angel Dust bond.

Much to Sir Pentious' misfortune, he just had to attack the hotel while Alastor was in a bad mood about Vox, the dear Princess nowhere in sight.

And well…. he still very clearly remembers Sir Pentious now after he ruined his best coat.

[petervintonjr]

"As black America approaches the 21st century, our capacity or our failure to build a solid bridge . . . of works will determine whether millions of young blacks already with us or yet unborn will cross over into the new century, or fall into the abyss."

Another name you almost certainly didn't know: M. (Moses) Carl Holman, civil rights activist, writer, and poet. Born in 1919 St. Louis, Holman showed an early gift for writing, and at the age of 19 won a scriptwriting award from a popular syndicated radio program. He graduated magna cum laude from Lincoln University and went on to acquire Master's degrees from the University of Chicago and from Yale. While at Yale he published his first collection of poems, and began regularly writing articles for various newspapers and magazines on income inequity, urban poverty, literacy, and other issues important to Black Americans. In 1962 he taught English at Clark College in Atlanta, giving him a front-row seat to key events in the earliest days of the civil rights movement. As some of his students participated in sit-ins and the Freedom Rides, he found himself appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, of which he eventually became deputy director in 1966.

In 1968 Ebony magazine named Holman as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans. That same year Holman published what is probably his best-known work: The Baptizin', a play which won first prize in the National Community Theater Festival. In addition to multiple collections of poems, Holman also published a definitive overview of the civil rights movement in the U.S., from 1965 to 1975.

Perhaps most significantly, in 1971 Holman was named Vice President of the National Urban Coalition. This organization had re-formed in 1967 in the wake of the so-called "long, hot summer" of racial strife and injustices. During this time Holman's singular talent for delivering quiet and polite, but still powerful, speeches came to the fore and he jumpstarted a great many local housing, education, job training, and economic development programs aimed at disadvantaged Black and Hispanic communities.

In his later years Holman forcefully addressed the issue of "dual literacy" for Black children --emphasizing that such students not only needed to be well-versed not only in the fundamentals such as reading, writing, and public speaking; but also in math, science, and technology. His 1988 obituary notes that Holman "had an uncanny ability to form a coalition out of the most diverse elements, and it was often said that the key to his ability to do this was the fact that he never appeared to have an agenda for himself."

(Teachers: Need some resources to engage your students this Black History Month? I'll send you a pile of these trading cards, no cost, no obligation. Just give me a mailing address and let me know how many students in your class. No strings attached, no censorship, no secret-relaying-of-names to Abbott or DeSantis or HuckaSanders.)

[witchofthesouls]

Curious question! How would you describe seeker kin using their sensors to detect energon and incoming bots? Like biology. I saw the snippet you did on seeker Lennox and Sarah. :0

In that verse, Energon detection is a unique skill to Seeker femmes as they're meant to manage flocks and balance a multitude of relations as an extensive network from their incredibly dense sparks, which naturally gives them a wide EM field range to encompass others. Think of it as a very keen sense of spatial awareness and territoriality as Cybertronian sparks are unique to each mecha like a set of human fingerprints.

Sarah is able to sense more adult sparks when she initially came to Diego Garcia, and the Seeker did not like it.

(It doesn't help Sarah is basically a newbuild, so her senses are sharp and agitated as she has yet to figure out or be taught by another how to filter out or dull input, and it's made aggressively worse because she has a protective streak over her sparkling. Plus, Optimus is there, and he is both a Prime and has enough coding in his lineage to read as another Seekerkin mech, so she's even more defensive of her space.)

Basically, large veins of crystal Energon capture their attention as it can mess their sparks' perception of the environment. The effects could manifest as very specific sensation-perception cues that varies from femme to femme: auditory, visual, scent, tactile, and even taste.

Those cues act as markers that grow stronger with proximity and are highly reliable and accurate tells that modern science has yet to replicate even half as well.

Sarah will eventually describe her cue as a sequence of clear, vocal demands that tug harder on her spark the closer she gets to vein, so hers is an auditory-tactile cue.

Surprisingly, the femmes of their grounded counterparts of Praxus and Polyhex don't have this Energon detection quirk. However, Seekerkin are still very attuned to the harmonics of crystal Energon to manipulate it. The immense variety of art from Praxus' famous crystal gardens and elegant tea ceremonies to Polyhex's unique pottery goods and architectural designs for navigating their wetlands stood as testament to it.

[roguejukebox]

okay but like

who wants to hear my zosan/lusopp inuyasha au?

read more undercut

Sanji and Usopp are from the modern age, in university instead of high school. Friends since middle school (dead mom club and all that), and so Sanji sometimes hangs out with Usopp at the temple shrine Usopp was raised in after Banchina's death, when Sanji's family becomes too much to deal with.

Usopp wandered a little farther ahead of Sanji, to aim his slingslot randomly at some plants, when he suddenly falls through the ground. Sanji waits around for Usopp to pop back up and complain like usual, only this time he doesn't. Panicked, Sanji rushes forwards to the covered well Usopp was standing on previously, only the wooden cover had rotted out and broke when Usopp stood on it. The well is very dark and very deep.

Sanji is debating heading down for his friend verses running back to the temple for more help when something tugs him into the well also.

On the otherside, Sanji doesn't find Usopp. He does find a demon in the form of Wanze and his ramen kenpo abilities. After getting stuck to the noodles and tossed around, he decided to make a run for it, eventually making his way to the tree that Zoro is stuck in, held in place by Wado Ichimonji.

He doesnt stop to think, just yanking the sword out (if it food, I can deal with it, Sanji thinks, he just needs the right tools).

He elects to ignore the flash of light behind him, instead focusing on chopping up the incoming ramen (and for once glad that he was made to spar against his brothers using swords instead of his preferred capoeira kick boxing fusion). Zoro rushes in, two sword style, and finishes the demon, before relieving Sanji of his precious sword.

They argue a bit, Zoro says he needs to head into town and begins to walk off. Sanji notices the smoke from some fires and yanks Zoro in the opposite direction. Zoro killed the monster, Sanji will show him to town to settle any debt owed due to that.

Meanwhile, Usopp had not run into any demons upon first entering, though he did wander away from the well, seeing something in the trees. After walking a bit, he starts to hear not so great singing. He follows it to a tree and freaks out when he sees a man tied to it using his own arms and legs. Luffy hears Usopp freak out, and begs him to release him from the tree. He's so hungry, please?

And Sanji had instilled in Usopp his No Man Goes Hungry morals. Usopp makes Luffy vow to not eat him if his does help untangle the limbs. Luffy, of couse, agrees with a serious face. Usopp is still convinced he will get bitten once the other is free, but helps anyway. As Usopp unwinds the other, Luffy explains why he got tied to a tree, how he needs to find his friend Zoro, and that he will be King of the Demons one day. Usopp freezes at that, but it too late, Luffy is free enough to finish unwinding himself.

Luffy drags Usopp against his will to the nearest place that smells like it has food, conveniently meeting up with their companions along the way before they enter the village. Usopp and Sanji dispair to each other when it seems that the village does not contain any modern amenities. The villagers agree to host them in a barn overnight if they agree to some manual labour in the morning.

Except, in the middle of the night, some more demons attack. These are more zombie like in appearance, and all three of our protagonists plus an an Usopp that doesnt want to fight but doesnt want to be left behind either, go to help the village. All the zombies are congregating towards the shrine, where a priestess Nami is stationed. She is whacking the demons off as best she can, and Sanji rushes off to help her once he sees that. They thin the hoard, but at the end, Nami gets nabbed by a bat like zombie. None of them can help except–Sanji calls out to Usopp, kicking to him a red marble that must have been dropped in the scuffle.

Usopp aims and fires it at the bat creature, only it turned to try and deflect the object with its claws. It smashed the supposed marble, causing a bigger explosion as the shards flung itself to the far corners of the world. Nami screamed as she was dropped, only to be caught by Zoro, as the bat creature flew away.

Nami proceeded to beat the shit out of Sanji and Usopp, a few smacks aimed at Luffy and Zorro for good measure, as she explained that what was destroyed was a map that would lead to the previous Demon King's treasure, one of a kind type maps.

Usopp frees himself from her wrath, as he picks s piece of shard up from the pebbles in the road and says it should be too hard to piece them together again cause they shine so bright.

Apparently, no one else can see the shine and Usopp feels like its going to be a long day.

[max-nico]

Songs to listen to for maximum Tails angst, as well as a run down of how I daydream to them

Enjoy, or don't, and feel free to add your own. I'm always looking for new music recommendations.

Multiple paragraph incoming, you have been warned

The Tornado, Owl City

Starting off with an absolute BANGER !!!!! I'm obsessed with Owl City so don't @ me about this lol. In this song Adam Young is telling a story about a young boy delivering papers on his bike, when a tornado hits. Miraculously, he survives.

To me, this song is about Tails gearing up to leave in the tornado. As he begins to fly over the ocean a storm hits, and eventually turns into a tornado. As the music crescendos the storm gets worse, and eventually the plane crashes into the ocean (specifically at 2:05, you can't tell me it doesn't sound like a Wii sports snorkeling mini game). By the time the lyrics come in he's grabbed the chaos emerald from the back of his plane and he's trying to get out of the water. At the line "the shadows slowly melted as I was hunkered down" Tails spots angel island and he flies up there and it's a happy ending yayyyy

I Was an Island, John-Allison Weiss

Honestly I don't have like a particular scene or daydream to this. This song just makes me feel things when I listen to it, and I think Tails would really relate. I think specifically NINE would relate actually, but any Tails variation will do tbh

"I can't do this alone anymore, I'm no good on my own anymore. What did I do to do deserve this? What did you do to me? Baby come back, you know I don't wanna be free." Is just something I feel like Nine would relate to idk

Bugbear, Chloe Moriondro

I don't have a particular daydream to this one either but this song is so Tails to me. This is so him. Y'all aren't listening she said "my brain is surrounded by school kids who all got their valedictorian course, while I couldn't care enough about my 3.8, no matter how hard I try I'm still not trying hard enough to be... Great." YOU'RE TELLING ME HE DOESN'T RELATE TO THAT ?!!?!!

Talk To Me, Cavetown

This is so Sonic talking to Tails to me. "You don't have to be a prodigy to be unique, you don't have to know what to say or what to think, you don't have to be anybody you can never be, that's alright, let it out, talk to me." Is something Sonic has said to Tails at least once and you can't convince me otherwise.

This song is just so comforting. Listening to this makes me warm with brotherly feels.

Vanilla Twilight, Owl City

I used to cry to this song, so tread lightly sympathetic criers lol.

This daydream takes place sometime after Sonic Frontiers when Tails decides to go his own way, leaving Sonic by himself. It switches between their POVs depending on the lyric. For example, one of Sonic's lyrics is "cause I'll doze off safe and soundly, but I'll miss your arms around me, I'll send a postcard to you dear, cause I wish you were here." And one of Tails' lyrics is "I'll find repose in new ways, though I haven't slept in 2 days, cause cold nostalgia chills me to the bone."

They'll reunite someday I swear

Overgrown Garden, Beetlebug

Ow ouch ffff-ouch ouchie owwwieeeeeee ಥ⁠_⁠ಥ sorry guys this one involves major character death lol

So the actual song is about an abusive relationship using flower metaphors and symbolism, but I didn't know that when I started listening so this daydream has nothing to do with that. With that being said...

Every chorus is Tails at a different age wondering if Sonic will abandon him, no matter how much Sonic reassures him the thought just sticks in the back of his mind even if he doesn't voice it. Things don't start to get juicy until the 3rd verse, "The rhododendrons crimson flame, set fire to the sleepy air, and lit the early morning haze, that glistened in your tangled hair." I understand that the flame is a metaphor and there's no actual flame but I don't care, in my daydream there's actual flames because Sonic and Tails are in the middle of a flower field that's been engulfed in them.

At the lyric "You place a crown of marigolds on my head, and then you said, as you tried to pull your bloody hands away" Sonic is laying against the only tree in sight, a big bloody wound in his abdomen with Tails trying to stop the bleeding. And then when the chorus comes in again, it's Sonic comforting Tails while he bleeds out on a battlefield. When Tails asked "I wonder if you'll leave me, behind someday, among the wildflowers and lilies, sleeping by the way" he meant like runaway and abandon him on an adventure, not die in a burning flower field you idiot ಥ⁠_⁠ಥ

Blue Hair, TV Girl

For maximum feels, listen to Vanilla Twilight directly after listening to this

I feel like a lot of y'all are already gonna know this one, and I respect that. I'm not super sure what this song is actually about but I like their funny words so it's okay lol

This is another song from Sonics POV to me. It's Sonic talking to his friends at different times about Tails growing up and not needing him anymore. In this case, Tails has to "cut her blue hair off" and Sonic is the blue hair if you couldn't tell lol like "and I tried, to hold her, but it didn't really last long, she's getting older. I guess she's gotta cut her blue hair off".

There's also the line right before that one "what seems so blue in the sunlight, by the night was a pale green" blue and green are literally their eye colors this song was meant for them.

This isn't all of them, we'd be here all day if I listed every single one lol. Don't be surprised if I follow up with more song rec posts bc I love talking about music, and please give me some recs as well

[thepoisonjackal]

Gave Fire Salamander a glow up! A mud/sky with firescales and fire resistance. She burns hot from the inside, and though she can be touched, her scales are very hot. They grow hotter when she gets angry. She usually keeps a tight lid on this anger, but some sore subjects can really set her off. Backstory below.

Born to a Skywing mother and a Mudwing father, Sally and her twin sister, Coal, were born in the sky kingdom. Her mother insisted she should stay far away from her father - he was just a fling, and he didn’t actually want to have kids. Sally was rebellious and curious, so she left behind her mother and sister, much to their dismay, to find her father. She did find him, eventually, but was disheartened to find that her mother was telling the truth and her father wanted nothing to do with her.

The Mudwing queen, Queen Swamp, caught wind of Fire Salamander’s presence. She sensed the incoming war between the Skywings and Seawings and wanted to use her as a weapon once she decided the Mudwings should join the war. Sally refused to help, so Swamp locked her in the dungeon until she... “changed her mind.”

Not long after, a fatal waterborne plague hit the Mudwing Kingdom. Swamp died from her sickness, leaving the Kingdom to her 5-year-old daughter Damselfly, but before she died she told her a cryptic message - Find the Living Furnace, and use it to win the world.

Damselfly had no idea what her mother was talking about, so it took a while to find out what she meant. She had to get assistance from the Rainwings to find a cure and preventative for the plague and clean up the ruins of the Mud Kingdom. Once she did descend into the dungeon and found Sally locked up, she was horrified by what her mom did and let Sally go immediately. It had been years since Sally had been locked up, and she was extremely distrusting of Damselfly and all Mudwings in general. Damselfly gave her plenty of space, wondering what other horrible deeds her mom had done without telling her.

Sally found work as a baker. She found that she was very good at cooking bread, and she has her own kitchen that she spends a lot of time in. Despite distrusting her, Sally didn’t want to go back to the family she abandoned, so she let herself stay near Mudwing palace. She is slowly warming up to trusting Damselfly, but she wouldn’t hesitate to cut and run if she ever considers using her for her own gain.

But there is trouble in the Icewing kingdom. An Icewing that can freeze at a single touch that has already wiped out the Icewing royal family and any other dragon that opposes him. Salamander is no weapon - but she might be the only answer. (All of this story is my own OC-verse, not connected to canon Wings of Fire at all!)

[valentine-cafe]

May I place an order of Turimaus and Strawberry shortcake for a female reader who is deeply scared of both thunderstorms and heights? Maybe a bit of bloodshed added for spice? Have a good day, you two ! XD I will stop spamming your inbox for now.

. ˚◞♡ 𝒏𝒐 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓  — 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕-𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚◞ ₊˚

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ᥫ᭡ 781 talisen, rishen, alessio x fem!reader ( sep. ) ꒱how they are with a reader who has a severe fear of thunder or heights, made worse by a severe situation.

˖ ࣪ ଓ content warnings◞ accidental knife wound ღ reader falling to their doom ღ kidnapping ღ violence mention ღ 0.7k

˖ ࣪ ଓ receipts◞ we love our 781 boys they're so so soft

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🍰 ꒱ links: m.list ღ guidelines ღ characters ღ lorebook ⊹ ۪ ࣪ 

  ˗ˏˋ꒰ 🧁 ꒱ 𝒛𝒉𝒂𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒏 ( reader accidently hurts herself due of thunder )

˖ ࣪ ଓ  talisen has always been careful with you and your fear of thunder. as someone who is easily affected by loud noises in general, he is particularly well-versed in these fields. he is able to calm you down easier. this includes him wrapping his arms around you should you be comfortable with it, nestling your head against his chest and singing softly to distract you from the loud crashes of thunder.

˖ ࣪ ଓ he always makes sure to be around you when he can see a storm incoming and even frequently checks the weather to prepare himself for possible thunderstorms.

˖ ࣪ ଓ hates not being with you during these times and has even left some voice notes on your phone that you can listen to should the time arise that he is not around while a storm is around 

˖ ࣪ ଓ on one occasion you had decided to surprise him after a long day of work and went into the dorm’s kitchen to make dinner for him when he returned. what you had not expected was the sudden collection of dark grey clouds — of which you barely even noticed with how busy cooking you were

˖ ࣪ ଓ the first crash of thunder had you jolting from your position of cutting up carrots. the action causing you to stumble with the blade and accidentally slice yourself across the arm. combined with the terror of your worst fear ringing in your ear and the pain running down your forearm, you let out a shriek fumble back into the counter

˖ ࣪ ଓ just as the cold metal hits the floor, so do you feel icy hands that wrap around you — strong arms immediately pulling you in and cocooning you. as though to shield you from the world as the thunder roars outside

˖ ࣪ ଓ “sshhh, sssh, baobei I’m right here, it’s okay, it’s alright,” the rushed, panicked whisper of talisen fills your ears as you crumble into his arms. one can only assume that he was on his way up and the sound of your scream prompted him to rush to your side immediately. so here he was, cradling your quivering form and and hushing you with his assuring voice

˖ ࣪ ଓ “breathe for me okay? one, two. . . one, two. . . there we go,” 

˖ ࣪ ଓ with both of you huddled up beneath the counter, he grabs the cloth that had been discarded on the floor and swiftly applies pressure to your wound. all while he brings your head to his chest and sings a song that he has composed for you. his free hand offering you squeezes and caresses as he manages both your state of terror and the new wound on your arm

˖ ࣪ ଓ he manages to eventually bring you down. opting for placing his noise cancelling headphones over your ears so that he can tend to your wound. always making sure to caress and squeeze at our other hand every now and then to remind you that he was right there. he stays with you throughout the storm and long after. cradling your crying form in his bed until you eventually fall asleep.

  ˗ˏˋ꒰ 🧁 ꒱ 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒐'𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂 ( reader is falling to her doom )

˖ ࣪ ଓ  the medic has always understood your fear of heights and has made his duty to ensure that you avoid it in every instance that it is possible, especially when it came to the several story buildings of your university along with the general layout of nueva york. whether that be holding your hand or covering your eyes and bringing your head to his chest when the two of you are in an elevator, making sure to walk along the side of the stair railing or in general keeping you away from areas that might make you grow anxious 

˖ ࣪ ଓ  he’s always scolding people when they try and convince you that there are ways of getting over this fear. while he acknowledges that there are, he also knows how severe it is in your case, and thus would rather you not be pressured into doing such 

˖ ࣪ ଓ  he often tends to pick you up into his arms when you grow uneasy in terms of this fear. holding you close and letting you know that he is right here and that he will protect you from anything and everything

˖ ࣪ ଓ  this is the very reason that rishen was beyond horrified when during a throw-down with a villain across the city, he saw the villain grabbing a hold of a civilian and tossing them across in an attempt to deter rishen. that civilian being you

˖ ࣪ ଓ  the realisation that his girlfriend was now falling to her doom combined with the reality of your fears — your screams tore straight through his heart and he waste no time before leaping into action and diving off the skyscraper to get to you

˖ ࣪ ଓ  his heart pounds within his eardrums when he sees your frightened face. when he hears your terror-filled cries and witnesses your tears that fly into the air as you scream as though it might be your last. which it very well might have been should rishen not get to you in time

˖ ࣪ ଓ  he zips along is webs and eventually manages to pull you to him, his warm arms encasing you within his tight hold and enveloping you altogether — before he swings off to a safe place where you immediately fall limp within his arms and sob your heart out

˖ ࣪ ଓ  “hey, hey — it’s okay. I’m right here okay? I-I’m right here baby - breathe for me querida.”

˖ ࣪ ଓ  his hands cup your face and his mask dissipates so that you can see his own face. so that he can press kisses along your head and show you that he is here. that he is upholding his promise to protect you despite it all 

˖ ࣪ ଓ  “I know, I know mi cielo. shhh, you’re okay. focus on my heart okay? that’s it,” he’d bring your head to his chest and cup the back of it with his hand, massaging your scalp and bringing you down from the fear

˖ ࣪ ଓ  he of course picks you up into his arms and allows you to cling onto him. whispering a hundred apologies and promises that it will not happen again and that he’ll keep your safe

  ˗ˏˋ꒰ 🧁 ꒱ 𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒔 ( reader is held captive and there is a storm )

˖ ࣪ ଓ alessio had been on a mission earlier in the day — one that had lasted until this very moment — tracking down talon members that had been reported of kidnapping people in the same area of nueva york that you lived in. he had the nervous suspicion you might’ve been taken away from your home against your own will, by talon agents that had discovered your connection to him. 

˖ ࣪ ଓ and much to his dismay, he found his suspicions were all true when he stepped into your ruined apartment. sent into disarray, the flowers he had given you earlier completely scattered on the floor along with broken pieces of your favourite vase.

˖ ࣪ ଓ it made it ever the more gut wrenching to him when he heard the stirring of rumbles from the sky. a thunderstorm was in the making and he knew how much you hated thunderstorms. he knew how it would send you into states of panic when they came around and how you would need something to cling onto, so that you could calm down. he could almost hear your loud panicked squeaks and screams already every time a thunderstorm would start.

˖ ࣪ ଓ not long after he heard the first crash of thunder, he was headed out the door of your apartment. following the movements of the talon members he was looking for on his tracker. hoping but also dreading if you were with them or not. because what would they do to you? what had they done to you? his thoughts were loud and he hated it — how they deafened the thunderstorm — because he knew that if you were out here, your panic would be so much more worse than if you had been inside of your home.

˖ ࣪ ଓ “por favor, esté bien. por favor, no te atrevas a lastimarla” he’d utter, mind running laps.

˖ ࣪ ଓ the moment he spotted your face and the fear that it was wearing. the moment he saw the first flinch — he could almost hear the first hitch in your breath as you reacted to another crash of thunder.

˖ ࣪ ଓ he could feel his left eye twitch uncontrollably at the sight of the long cut that ran down your arm. feel the anger rise within at the sight of bruises that were still forming on your body and truly, it had not taken long before the talon member were gone. painting the street dark red, blood spreading across the road from the heavy rain that poured from the sky, the only light around the both of you being the lightning strikes that lit up the dark clouds every now and then before booming thunder surrounded the both of you.

˖ ࣪ ଓ you’d think that someone who had just killed an entire group of talon members would drag you to him with firm hands. however they were anything but. it was such a gentle and strong, reassuring, warm hold that he pulled you into. wiping away the blood on his suit before covering your ears and hushing you softly.

˖ ࣪ ଓ “c’mon baby, breathe, it’s alright. i’m gonna take you home and you’re gonna be alright, yeah?”

˖ ࣪ ଓ he’d take a hold of you and carry you home, making sure to hurry you home while assuring that you were breathing properly and that when thunder struck, your ears would be covered so that the shock that ran through your cold and wounded body wouldn’t enhance any feelings of faintness.

˖ ࣪ ଓ taglist◞ @eunoiaastralwings @gayeepy , wanna join the taglist? fill out this form

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[chocoqtelle]

୨ ୧  :  how would you be as an idol ?  pac

pile one pile two

pile three pile four

᧔♡᧓ : pile one

As an idol, you'd be a bit different from other idols. You'd have this unique way of doing things and a unique style. You might be a solo idol or you could be your own boss/manager as an idol. You understand that being an idol takes hard work and are willing to put in the work to get what you want/need as an idol. Because of how unique you are, you would get tons of fans once you put in all the work. I'm hearing that you'd get quite a bit of money as well. You would continue to be yourself and keep independent but still not be a cold person, which your fans would like about you. You would have tons of fans who are as dedicated to you as you are to your career. You probably would have a side-job. You need to find balance being an idol and yourself away from being an idol. You don't share much personal information with your fans and you don't back down on what's important to you, even if you're pressured by others. You probably wouldn't try to keep up with trends. You'd be your own boss and allow freedom but you would have to sacrifice some things to reach your dreams as an idol.

᧔♡᧓ : pile two

As an idol, you would treat your achievements like smaller than they really are. There's tons of money involved and your career would take of quickly but you'd be stuck comparing yourself to other idols. You probably would be in a group and would be the one making decisions on what's fair or not. Definitely could be the group's main leader or manager. You'd be known as that one confident member. Possibly like one of those kpop idol rappers who always has the best solo verses (like the rap in nude by g-idle). If you're thinking about writing lyrics but something is missing, learning new words for vocabulary would absolutely enhance your writing. Your group could be a small group of tightly knit friends. I'm getting that there isn't an insane amount of members but that makes you more memorable because the fans have less people to remember. The group has such good harmony and sounds perfect together but you're focused on the small imperfections. Looking at the small mistakes and imperfections could make the rest of the idols in the group upset and cause conflicts, so before getting into a group (if you aren't already) work on your perfectionism.

᧔♡᧓ : pile three

I'm getting that you're a fast learner. You could have been starting late to idol training but you still caught up just as fast or faster than the other idols. This is a new income and a new experience for you. You could have/ might quit your job to become a full-time idol. You're extremely harsh on yourself to catch up, when in reality you would catch up just as fast if you were more gentle on your self-discipline. You decided to just take a dive into this, regardless of what others want for you. This is a fresh new start for you and a way to release all that creative energy you've been storing. You might feel isolated even if you are in a group and like you're standing alone. It's possible that you could have been meant to be in one group but ended up in another group last minute and feel like you don't belong. As an idol, you're remaining authentic to who you are but also controlling yourself. You're overcoming your fears of stage fright or humiliation and learning that nobody cares as much about your slip-ups as you do. Eventually, all of your mistakes will be forgotten and you don't need to worry about getting canceled over something silly. You forget you still have fans that will stay with you even if you fail to do something or embarrass yourself and those fans will stand with you.

᧔♡᧓ : pile four

As an idol, you'd be like the young childlike bubbly one of the group. The type of idol people make "being cute and silly" compilations of. Your fans are die-hard and wanna keep you safe and protected. It's like jungkook vibes (not saying that cuz I'm a stan btw 😶 I barely listen to kpop). It's like chuu and jungkook mixed together and you were created. You have the choice to be living in luxury and make all this money without doing work (possible inheritance) but you would have chosen to be an idol instead because that's your true dream (if it actually is). Your main concern as an idol should be avoiding being/seeming fake. You don't have to pretend to be all cutesy, just show the cute side of you and your real cute aspects. Don't pretend you have a different personality than you do, just show off the good parts of your real personality. If you pretend to be something you're not, once you get tired and rest, people will notice that you weren't who you said you were. You being an idol would be something you planned for and would do long term. I feel like this pile in particular truly wants to be an idol. The only thing stopping you from being an idol is you limiting yourself.

[maple-seed]

Thrown - Chapter 29: Storm and Shelter

Summary: When a heavy storm approaches Loki worries for your safety.

Word Count: 3,810

Author's Note: There's just never enough furniture in fanfiction, is there?

Masterlist

A storm was coming.

It occupied nearly every conversation both in New Asgard and the human town. The humans were well versed in the preparation for this sort of storm. The Asgardians, on the other hand, had never encountered such weather before. Thor and Loki had been kept exhaustively busy ensuring that the Æsir were ready for their first blizzard. Food and water was distributed, homes that were suspect were inspected and reinforced as needed, citizens were appraised of what to expect.

Humans had come out in droves to ensure their Asgardian neighbors were prepped for the incoming snow. Many had arrived to donate and hand out supplies and dispense advice. It was no surprise, of course, that you were among them.

"And you, friend?" Thor was packing up after the last of the supplies had been passed out. "Are you prepared for the storm?" "Oh yeah, we're good." You handed him an empty box. "I'm just one person, it doesn't take much." "Is there anything you need? Would you like to stay with us?" You smiled and patted his arm. "I'll be fine. Thank you, though."

The storm was only hours away at this point. Loki felt the need to offer you some kind of assistance, but what did he have to give? You had the situation well in-hand, it seemed.

The remnants of the distribution were cleared away and everyone was scurrying off to their respective shelters. Valkyrie insisted on giving you and Ash a ride home which you eventually accepted. You bid the brothers goodbye, each with a hug and well wishes, and left.

**

Loki sat in an armchair beside the window, reading. Occasionally he looked up, peering at the crystals swirling in the air and gathering on the ground. Valkyrie was staying with them for the duration of the storm. She and Thor were watching television, some sporting event taking place somewhere that wasn't being assailed by ice. They drifted back and forth between the couch and kitchen, eating the sort of Midgardian food that even the humans deemed as "junk".

Loki went to make himself a cup of tea. Thor was waiting by the microwave, he checked his phone and frowned. Loki saw your name at the top of the screen. "What is it?" Thor looked up. "I'm sure it's nothing." He put the phone away. "I sent her a text asking how she was faring and she hasn't responded." Loki's brow furrowed. "How long ago?" "Not long." Thor retrieved his dish from the microwave. "Only an hour or so." He turned and began walking back to the living room. Loki followed, tea forgotten. "An hour? Does she usually take so long?" Thor shrugged. "Occasionally. If she's working or otherwise occupied." Loki glanced out the window at the torrent of snow. "She is certainly not working." "Maybe she's taking a nap." Valkyrie piped up from the couch. "She's probably exhausted, babysitting you two all the time." Loki scowled. This wasn't something to make light of. "I'm sure she's fine." Thor stated firmly as he sat down. "She'll respond later." Loki returned to his seat, unconvinced but outnumbered.

He tried to resume reading. At the very least he managed to keep up the appearance of reading. His attention was often pulled to the window by the gale outside. He was very aware any time Thor shifted in a way that hinted he may reach for his phone. His nerves gradually stretched taunt. Hours passed this way.

Thor looked at his phone again, his expression dissatisfied. Loki happened to be taking a break from his book at that same moment. "Any word?" "No. No response." He frowned. "That is unusual." Valkyrie seemed unconcerned. Thor was fiddling with his phone, presumably making sure it was working. Loki looked out the window at the onslaught of snow and wind. "What if something's wrong?" "I'm sure everything is fine." Thor responded, but Loki heard the uncertainty creeping into his voice. Loki frowned. "And if it isn't?" "We can go check on her when the storm clears." "That's hours still!" "Guys, she's fine!" Valkyrie hadn't left her reclined position on the end of the couch. "This isn't her first blizzard. She's stocked up. She's at home, I dropped her off myself." Loki snapped his book closed. "Then why isn't she answering?" Valkyrie shrugged. "Her phone's off? She's sleeping through the storm? She's sick of you guys pestering her?" Loki scowled. "None of those excuses are terribly convincing." "I think the third one's a winner, personally." His eyes narrowed. "Is this a joke to you?" She shrugged. "It's a little funny. You saw her earlier today. What, do you think she's frozen to death since then?" "That is not something to be laughed at!" Loki's voice had raised higher than he intended. Valkyrie raised her eyebrows and held up her hands in defense.

Silence stretched for a moment, then Thor spoke calmly. "When the storm clears, we will go to see her." "If something's wrong, that will be too late." Loki glowered. "Then we will have to hope nothing is wrong. Which is most likely the case, regardless." Thor stated firmly.

Loki glowered at the floor, drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair. The only other sound was the murmur of the television and the faint whisper of ice against the window. A particularly strong gust of wind pushed against the panes and Loki winced.

He stood abruptly. "I'm going." Thor's brow furrowed. "Going where?" "To make sure she's alright." They both stared at him incredulously. "Loki." Thor stood. "Be reasonable. Look out there." He gestured to the window. There wasn't much to see, the wind and snow obscured everything. Valkyrie scoffed. "Let him go. He can freeze his ass off if he wants." "No." Thor turned back to Loki. "Please, just stay until the storm clears." Loki straightened. "If you can tell me with complete certainty that you know she is safe and well, then I will stay." Thor slumped. "You know I cannot." He nodded. "Then I'm going." "The snowstorm-" "What? What will it do to me?" Loki asked pointedly. "It doesn't compare to the temperatures of Jotunheim, I'm sure." Thor frowned. "You could get lost. You can barely see out there." Loki pulled on his coat. "I'm very familiar with where I'm going. I'll use a wayfinding charm." Thor searched for another objection but found none in the face of Loki's determination. He sighed in defeat and held his phone out to Loki. "Take this with you." Loki looked down at the device with disdain. "Take it." Thor demanded. "If there's trouble, you can call Valkyrie's phone. When you find that there is none, you can let us know and ease our own worries." This seemed agreeable enough. Loki took the device and stowed it away. He gave the both of them a nod and stepped out the door, shutting it behind him. Thor sighed and sat back down on the couch. "He's completely mad." Valkyrie said. Thor leaned back and tried not to worry. "She is very dear to him."

**

The wind and cold immediately bit through Loki's coat. He squinted against the gale and ice, only just able to make out the shape of the surrounding buildings through the snowy gloom. Thor had been right, it would be easy to lose his way, even on a path as familiar to him as this one. He closed his eyes and centered his thoughts on his destination, then cast out a piece of his seiðr. When he opened his eyes a small ball of light hung in the air, waiting to lead him to you. He stepped forward to follow.

It was a bitter cold. There was no reprieve, it was relentless. The winds were cruel and sharp, they cut at his face and hands as he pushed through the drifts. It was worse once he was outside of town. Out in the open, without the meager shelter offered by the buildings to break the gusts, the tempest whipped the snow against him with an even more savage intensity. Loki had to hold his arm up to shield his eyes. There was very little he could see now, aside from the light of his wayfinding charm. He couldn't be sure he was on the road. This didn't matter, the effect on him was negligible. The possibility of you enduring these same conditions pushed him onward. He leaned into the wind and pressed forward through the ice.

Slowly and steadily he willed his limbs forward to follow the light. After what felt like hours, he saw a building appear in the flurry. Your studio. Your cottage then came into view. The guiding light vanished as he stepped onto your porch. The building was dark, your windows were shuttered against storm.

He knocked on your door. No answer. He knocked again, louder this time. More silence. He pounded on your door and called your name, trying to raise his voice above the wind.

He stared at the motionless door. He was on the verge of breaking it down when it opened, just barely. A sliver of your confused face appeared in the crack, peering outside. He felt a wave of relief wash over him. Your eyes widened as you took in the sight. "LOKI!" You reached out and snatched him by the lapel, dragging him through the doorway and slamming it shut behind him. "What the HELL are you doing?"

You were fine. You were in your sleep clothes. Loki glanced around the room. It was dark, the only light in the room was that being cast by the fire in the fireplace and a small electric lantern in your hand. The couch and an armchair had been pulled close to the fireplace. The couch was covered in blankets. The armchair was occupied by Ash, who was sitting up and thumping his tail against the cushion in greeting.

You were waiting for an answer from him. His face was burning, likely from the sudden change in temperature. "I-I came to check on you." "In the middle of a blizzard? Are you out of your mind?" You held your lantern up, trying to get a better look at him. "The cold doesn't affect me-" "The hell it doesn't! Your hands are turning blue!" He looked down in alarm as you grabbed his hand and held it up to the light. It was tinged blue. Your touch was like fire. You were angry now. "Dry off!" It was a command, which he dutifully obeyed as you hurriedly pulled him across the room to the fire. He was completely dry by the time you reached the couch. He wouldn't dream of protesting when pushed him down to sit on the couch in front of the hearth. There a frantic energy about you. You knelt on the cushion beside him and threw a quilt around the both of you, then took his hands in yours in an attempt to warm them. This was unnecessary, but he did not feel the need to object.

You kept your eyes down, rubbing his hands. "Why would you do this?" Your voice was strained, it sounded as though you were struggling between anger and worry. He felt a slight brush of guilt. "We were concerned. Thor had messaged you, asking how you were, and you didn't respond." "The power is out." You now held his hands in your lap. "My phone died. I'm fine." He nodded. "Yes, I can see that now. At the time things seemed much more grave." You sighed, shoulders slumping. "You shouldn't have done this." He tried not to focus on how close you were. You were very close. "I apologize for causing you undue stress." You shook your head. "No, it's my fault too. I knew the power would probably go out, I should have paid more attention to my battery. I'm sorry you worried so much." You finally looked up at him. "Wait, do you guys still have power?" "New Asgard is fitted with Stark technology. Eventually it will be expanded to the mortal town. It's part of the deal in building our settlement here." He looked at you sidelong. "I'm not certain that unincorporated farms are on the docket, however." You smirked. "I think I've got a fair chance. I have friends in high places in New Asgard." "Hm. I'll have to object. Favoritism tarnishes the crown." You laughed, the tension in your face now gone.

You inspected his hand in the firelight. Satisfied with the color, you released his wrist, left him in the quilt and sat back on the couch, wrapping your own blanket around your shoulders. He did his best not to mourn the loss. "I can't believe you walked here in a blizzard. You're an idiot." "Yes, it does seem foolish now. Especially seeing my efforts met with so little gratitude." "You're just disappointed I didn't need saving." "I'm quite relieved, actually- oh." He drew the phone from his pocket and saw your eyebrows raise. "It's Thor's." He explained. "He insisted, so I could inform him and the Valkyrie of your fate." "You make it sound so dramatic." "It might have been." He quipped as he typed a message and hit send. You scoffed. After a moment the phone chimed in response. He looked at the message and rolled his eyes. You wore a smile as you watched. "What is it?" "Valkyrie requests confirmation that her 'boyfriend' is in good spirits." He didn't mention the "I told you so" he also received. You laughed and held out your hand. "Give it here."

He handed you the phone and you turned to Ash. You tucked his blue plaid blanket over his back then took a very charming photo of him in the firelight. You typed something and sent it off before handing the device back and settling back into your blanket. He noticed you were wearing the necklace again. The thrill it gave him was only slightly hampered by acknowledging you also had the blanket from Thor draped over your shoulders.

"I was going to make some tea." You nodded toward the kitchen. "Would you like a cup?" "I can think of no greater pleasure on a night like this."

You stood and walked with to the kitchen with the blanket still draped around you. The flame of the stove clicked to life, the kettle boiled, the tea steeped. You passed him a mug and returned to your seat. He wasn't surprised that you knew how he took it. The two of you sipped tea and spoke quietly in front of the fire. It felt conspiratorial, huddled here in the dark. The two of you sequestered away in safety while the world pounded and howled outside. Like some sort of spell wrapped this room in a bubble. The way your face creased with laughter, and the way the firelight moved across it, enhanced the feeling that magic was afoot.

Gradually he began to notice the usual signs. Your eyelids grew heavy, your silences grew longer, you had to prop your head against your hand or your knee or the back of the couch.

"You're tired." He stood. "I'll take my leave." Suddenly you were wide awake, sitting up straight. "What!?" He shrugged. "You need to sleep. I'll go." You stared in disbelief. "You're not going out there!" "Why not?" "You'll freeze!" He scoffed. "I've already made the trip once." You stood and pointed an angry finger at him. "You're not going back out there." He smirked. "Oh, you'll stop me?" "No." You cocked a brow and returned his smirk. "I'll follow you." He paused. That was difficult to counter. "Hah! Yeah, what then, tough guy?" You were grinning in your victory. He pursed his lips but could find no rebuttal. "Face it." You crossed your arms. "You're here for the night."

He looked around the darkened room. It was clear you were intending to sleep on the sofa in front of the fire. That left him with few options. "I suppose I could make do with one of the chairs." You rolled your eyes. "Loki, there are two ends to the couch." You took a pillow and tossed it against the far arm of the couch, then sat down on your end. "Come on. Take your shoes off."

You were so casual about it. You were inviting him to share your... well not your bed, but the equivalent. You offered it like it was the most natural thing in the world. As if he arrangement hadn't needed to be spoken at all. You were waiting expectantly, perhaps keeping a keen eye to ensure he didn't make for the door. He did as instructed and removed his shoes, as well as his coat. When he took his seat you turned and stretched your legs out across the couch, he did the same.

Satisfied, you stretched the blankets out between the two of you and settled down into your pillow. "I don't know why you have to make everything so difficult." The corner of his mouth turned up. "Just my nature, I suppose." "The God of Irritation." "Perhaps you were made in my image." You pinched his foot, he pulled it away with a chuckle.

Suddenly you sat up, as if remembering something. You unclasped the necklace and stretched to place it on the end table for safekeeping. You reached over and scritched Ash's neck then hunkered down again with a yawn.

You and Loki shared few more stories as he watched sleep pull you away. After you had drifted off he watched for a while still, your face at rest, peaceful in the dim light. He settled in for the night with the weight of you alongside him. He closed his eyes and listened to the crackle of the fire, your soft steady breaths, and the wind howling against the roof. He could not imagine a more perfect shelter.

**

Loki woke. It was still dark, which was to be expected with the windows shuttered, and terribly quiet. The storm must have passed. Ash was curled tightly with his blanket in the armchair. You were still sleeping. The fire had died down, and a chill had crept into the air. Loki, with great reluctance, extricated himself from under the blankets with care, then crept to the hearth to add more wood and stoke the fire. He was able to return to the couch without waking you. He enjoyed a few more minutes in the quiet before you stirred.

You groaned and stretched and blinked and the sight was so terribly endearing that Loki had to look away. He was watching the fire before you could turn his way and catch him staring.

"Good morning." You mumbled as you sat up. "Good morning. Slept well?" You nodded. "You?" "Very well." "Still mad I kept you from walking home in a blizzard?" "I've forgiven you." He watched, amused, as you squinted for focus. "Storm's gone?" "Yes, I believe so." You groaned. He cocked his head curiously. "Is that unfortunate?" "It means I need to go feed animals." You pulled a quilt up around your neck and whined. "But the blankets are warm." Loki narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Oh, do you need assistance?" Your eyes widened and you clutched the blanket. "No, I'll get up, just give me a minute." "Darling, I would be remiss if I didn't help you in this matter." He stood and gathered his end of the blankets in his hands. "The poor dears are starving out in the stable." "Loki I swear I'll get up! Please!" You desperately grasped at the quilt. "Just a couple minutes!" "I'm afraid I can't let you neglect your duties, you would be so disappointed in yourself." "I'll get-" You cut off in a squealing whine as he ripped the blankets away. You momentarily attempted to curl up on yourself to conserve heat, realized it was a fruitless endeavor, then let out a frustrated huff and stood. "Fine!" You stomped off to your bedroom, a very concerned Ash close on your heels. Loki smirked and began folding blankets.

You emerged a few minutes later, dressed. Loki was waiting in the kitchen with his coat on. You opened the back door and sighed when you found snow up to your waist. "Alright, I'll start-" "Please, allow me." He held out a hand and a swath of snow in front of you collapsed, revealing damp, bare ground. You stared, mouth slightly agape. He watched you for a moment with a smug smile, which he immediately dropped when you punched his arm. "What!?" "All winter," you muttered through gritted teeth, "All winter I've been shoveling paths in this field and you could have just magicked it away!? Why didn't you tell me?!" He rubbed his arm. "You never asked." You scowled. "This isn't exactly the reaction I expected." He sulked. You shook your head and crossed your arms. "No. I'm not doing the 'impressed human' thing, marveling at your prowess. Let's go, finish the path." You stepped outside. Ash shot Loki what he would swear was a sympathetic look and Loki followed, clearing the way for you as you went.

The stable was surprisingly warm. Breidr and Goat were each wearing something like a blanket across their backs. Goat was bleating incessantly until you poured his feed. Once they were taken care of, you brought Loki back to the kitchen and made the two of you breakfast. You had apparently granted him amnesty, your usual friendly conversation returning. When the meal was finished you returned the sofa, picking up your necklace and donning it again.

Loki stood by the hearth. "What now? You sit in the dark until power is restored?" You shrugged. "More or less." He looked around the dark room. "Why don't you come to New Asgard?" You looked unsure. "Why not? We have electricity." He smirked. "You could charge your devices, at the very least." You rolled your eyes. "I fine here, really. And I'll need to feed the animals." He shrugged. "So return later." He watched you consider it. "Am I such poor company?" You laughed. "Yes. You are the greatest source of my reluctance." "Please." He stepped closer and offered you his hand. "Do me the favor of allowing me to offer you hospitality, just for a little while." A smile crept across your face. "Alright, I guess you do owe me." You took his hand and stood.

You packed your things and prepped for the walk. When you and Ash were ready Loki held the door open and you stepped out onto your snow-swept porch. Loki walked ahead of you, clearing a path, and with no small amount of pride he led you to shelter.

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[luminalunii97]

Toomaj is an Iranian rapper whose songs targets the heart of the regime. He knew his life would end in execution if the regime captured him but he still stayed in Iran, participated in protests, and made burning anti regime songs. He's currently on the death row.

Soorakh Moosh which means Mouse Hole is his most famous song. Mouse in Persian literature stands for cowardice and buying a mouse hole means finding a place to hide because you must be scared. This song targets the regime and their supporters and suggest them to buy a mouse hole because their time is up and they should be scared of people. The song was released last year. Iranians have been in a revolution state of mind for years now.

Here is a fanvid remix based on the song. The pictures represents people toomaj is addressing in his song. They're famous figures who are either regime supporters or centralists. Bellow I posted the English translation plus some notes. Enjoy.

Toomaj - Soorakh Moosh (English Translation) Lyrics from Genius

Verse 1

If you saw

Peoples’ pain but turned a blind eye

Oppression of the innocent and walked right past by

If you cheated out of fear or self-interest

You too are a partner in crime of the tyrant, you too are a criminal

If you pretended to fall asleep while they were shedding blood

Caught up with your business while they were taking young lives

If you played centrist or stood in the middle and said “politics, what’s that?”

Just know that we don’t have blank votes, there is no neutrality in this war

If you put your hands over your eyes, you have blood on your hands

You are a traitor if you have a platform and your words smell fishy

You are far from the homeland but our binoculars aren’t short ranged

Remember, the filth behind clouds eventually get exposed

If you covered up murders, you’re equally guilty

To cover up crimes, you’re walking through blood

Just know that without apologists this system is incomplete

Iran has so many prisons that you would all fit in

Chorus

Hack journalist, cheap informant, courtier artist, buy a mouse hole

Agent, apologist, order taker

Forced executioner buy a mouse hole

Safety valve, involuntarily appointed

Windy party reformist, buy a mouse hole

Exported, NIAC, betrayer, inciter

Give all your dollars to buy a mouse hole

Verse 2

An artist who does not know about income loss

I piss on your Oscar if you are not on the people’s side

I pull apart your yarn ball so you can’t weave bullshit anymore

Whether you are government’s Shahab or Asghar Farhadi

Whether you are a state actor or a Keffiyeh appropriator

Whether you are an exported actor or the Elahe Hicks type

You sell yourselves for money, status hungry

Alack the leeches - ration eaters you are not of the living

Deadbeat, Karoon isn’t going to be filled with bottled mineral water

Khoozestan doesn’t need crumbs, it owns the whole table

Freedom is expensive? Fine then, the free will give with their lives

Remember only blood washes away blood

Shoot me in the back, kill the thirsty

Take pride in the murder of peaceful protest

Outside the borders, paint the crimes

Take it from me - the good news of tomorrow and retribution

Take from me the good news of tomorrow and retribution

Chorus

Hack journalist, cheap informant, courtier artist, buy a mouse hole

Agent, apologist, order taker

Forced executioner buy a mouse hole

Safety valve, involuntarily appointed

Windy party reformist, buy a mouse hole

Export, NIAC, betrayer, inciter

Give all your dollars to buy a mouse hole

Outro

Don’t wait for a saviour, there is nothing on the horizon

You are the rescuer, you are the hero

If you and I unite...we are boundless

We are the saviours of eternity, we are the Imām of Time [Imam al-Mahdi]

(A couple of notes about the lyrics:

Centrists are those who aren't on the regime's side but they're not on the people's side either. They're indifferent and only care about their own profit and comfort.

Khoozestan owns the whole table is a great way to address favoritism in the Islamic Republic. Khoozestan is a province in south of Iran that the majority of Iran's oil and gas are centered there. It's also one of the poorest states in Iran because of the regime's neglect. So they're rich with resources and poor at the same time because the regime doesn't care about them.

Imam of time is referred to the 12th Imam in our shia muslim beliefs. He was rescued and hidden by God so that he can come back again one day and save the world from corruption. Sort of like the Jesus Christ savior story.)

[airxn]

Since it's swirling around in my brain, here's some headcanon snippets for Airin'd modern verse– a quiet song. Warning! It's extremely depressing, but I won't go into major detail.

General Plot Stuff.

Airin and Xavier's parents died when they were both extremely young. They were bounced around in many foster homes and never landed with a family of their own. They left the system at 18 and neither went to college.

Airin thought he might try to pursue a music career. He had some odd gigs here and there but had the opportunity to aim higher.

That's where he met his very abusive wife. She commits the same atrocities as she does in Airin's main verse, only in this one she destroys any and all chances he had at making a name for himself; and becomes an international popstar herself.

Their relationship lasted for 7 years, and when he finally was able to escape he admitted himself into an inpatient rehab with the encouragement of Xavier. He was in there for 4 years, yet the last 7 years are still completely blank to him due to the trauma.

He didn't finish out therapy like his rehab suggested, and has been trying to simply survive by making ends meet.

At first, he started as a bodyguard for hire for a man named Mathias, but the situation began to show all the red flags of his past relationship. It was tricky to get out of that situation, but eventually, he found himself in the position of being a bouncer for a woman dubbed Mama Bull and her bar The Gear Shift.

He's still hired out by Mama Bull to either be a bodyguard or a bouncer for other establishments, but he feels a lot safer under her employment.

Smaller Snippets.

Airin will only sing if he thinks no one is around to hear him. Even with his trauma it's still the one piece of him he feels belongs to him.

Airin and Xavier live in a low-income apartment. Airin can dress nice and fancy, but he doesn't live a life of luxury.

Airin is not as bubbly or outwardly quirky as he is in his main verse. He's in constant survival mode and can come off as uninterested, cold, or abrasive. Essentially, he's Airin actual personality. In his main verse, he's been able to develop a facade / mask as a coping mechanism, but this is Airin without his main coping mechanism.

Airin and his ex-wife are still legally married. They never got a divorce.

[2dumb2furious]

Very long post and a lot of across the Spiderverse spoilers incoming:

I finally watched across the spider-verse yesterday and I couldn’t stop thinking about the Miles & Gwen and Percy & Annabeth parallels in that movie.

Starting with Gwen and Annabeth because they are not as similar as Miles and Percy but there’s still things to talk about. Gwen being Spiderman ending with her friend dying and getting blamed for it by her dad making her run away reminded me a lot of Annabeth being a demigod ending with monsters attacking her family a lot and getting blamed for it by her dad making her run away. Running away to a place where people have special abilities like you and fitting in and learning about it, thinking you can never go back to where you came from. Both had one of their only friends die (Peter) or at least be dead-adjacent (Thalia) which made them closed off and felt guilty even though it wasn’t their fault. And on a lighter note how Gwen was talking to the Vulture that didn’t belong to her universe and then Miguel just screamed Annabeth to me, like her clear pride that she wasn’t confused actually and knew about the multiverses and was trying to show what she was made off was peak Annabeth to me. Personality wise I just feel like their confidence and maturity for their age due to their experiences are really really similar. Also both of them eventually going back to their dads who have learnt to accept them for their abilities and they decide to make another try.

Miles and Percy have a lot of differences, main ones being their upbringing, school-lives and also Mile’s artistic side and being a bit of a genius (Percy is still really smart though just in a different way). BUT COME ON THEYRE ALSO SUPER SIMILAR!! A kid from New York with got special abilities they can use to defeat monsters. Having to balance being a normal teenager and having to fight monsters with no control over when and where (the school meeting scene in the movie reminded me of Percy so much). Not being able to tell normal people about their abilities. Discovering that there are more people like them with these abilities shortly after discovering said abilities. Finding a new sense of belonging with these people like you but not quite being like them either. Being betrayed by one of the few people you felt close to (Aaron and Luke). Being one of the most powerful of the people like you but still treated like a kid and not being let known as much as you want to know. It turning out you’re actually not meant to be who you are at all (Miles being an anomaly and Percy being a child of a big three despite them having an oath to not have kids). Having a horrible destiny you’re told you can’t do anything about (Percy’s prophecy they thought meant he was going to die and Mile’s canon events). Their loyalty to the people closest to them and their family. Miles in the entire latter of half of the movie screamed Percy. AND THEIR SENSES OF HUMOR!!!! You could give Mile’s jokes to Percy and vice versa and it would sound perfectly in character and they both use it as a way to break the tension and shows the really quick-witted way they look at the world.

Now their dynamic together. They both got that sweet awkward teenagers that care a lot about each other and are clearly in love but won’t admit it. They miss each other a lot and understand each other in a way nobody else does. They trust each other with their lives. Gwen and Annabeth always trusting Miles and Percy despite being hurt and betrayed by others before. Gwen joining the spider-society before Miles and having to keep secrets just like Annabeth has been at camp half-blood for a lot longer than Percy and not being able to tell him everything. Both Gwen and Annabeth are therefore put in a position of more experience and trust from the leaders in juxtaposition to Miles and Percy who know the least out of everyone and is constantly trying to gain the trust Gwen/Annabeth already have. Annabeth and Gwen also know something about Percy and Miles they can’t tell him (Gwen knowing Miles is an anomaly and Annabeth knowing Percy’s prophecy that heavily implies he’s gonna die). Percy and Miles as someone with a good parent/parents talks to Annabeth/Gwen about their dads and they open up about it. The slight jealousy element with Hobie and Gwen reminded me of the jealousy elements within Percabeth, both a tiny bit with Luke but also Rachel if Rachel would’ve been Annabeth’s friend/potential love interest and not Percy’s (the Hobie thing is a bit less intense than the Rachel thing though but still the roles Hobie and Rachel fulfill in regards to the main relationship is similar in that also Rachel was someone for Percy to feel normal around and being in Hobie’s dimension was a place Gwen could stay that wasn’t just headquarters also Rachel and Hobie would get extremely well along you can’t change my mind).

I ALSO NEED TO POINT OUT BECAUSE I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT PERCY PRINTING OUT A PICTURE OF ANNABETH TO HAVE IN HIS NOTEBOOK BECAUSE HE MISSES HER IS THE NON-ARTIST EQUIVALENT OF MILES DRAWING A MILLION SKETCHES OF GWEN!!

[windsfavored]

MODERN  AU:  A  SUMMARY.  ... otherwise  known  as  the  verse  currently  taking  up  massive  amounts  of  my  brain  real  estate.

i've  always  liked  to  use  the  metaphor  that  irminsul  is  a  computer  —  or  really,  an  equivalent  of  wikipedia  where  the  information  currently  recorded  on  it  is  pages  is  reflected  in  the  memories  of  the  people  of  teyvat.  that  by  erasing  himself,  scaramouche  effectively  hacked  into  irminsul  and  deleted  his  page.  my  favorite  thing  about  coming  up  with  alternate  universes  for  muses  is  taking  what  foundation  canon  provides  us  and  seeing  how  i  can  translate  it  into  a  different  setting  —  so  for  the  purposes  of  modernverse,  ren  is  a  hacker.  specifically,  the  criminal  sort  (  black  hat,  no  pun  intended  )  specializing  in  identity  theft,  blackmail  and  so  on.  stealing  your  personal  information  and  selling  it  to  the  highest  bidder  —  and  that's  assuming  he  doesn't  have  an  ulterior  motive  to  extort  you  himself.  in  his  spare  time,  he  likes  to  code  ransomware,  make  programs  to  automate  sending  and  responding  to  spam  emails, etc etc.  (  passive  income.  )

his  upbringing  was  generally  quite  lonely.  his  mother  and  aunt  were  close  —  and  he  grew  up  close  with  his  cousin  in  turn,  but  the  majority  of  his  time  was  spent  being  left  largely  to  his  own  devices.  i  think  he  was  one  of  those  kids  who  were  raised  by  the  internet,  and  that's  generally  where  his  fascination  with  technology  first  began  to  take  root.  he  was  probably  the  sort  of  brat  who  would  hack  into  your  neopets  account  to  steal  all  of  your  neopoints  and  valuable  items.  relatively  innocent  crimes  in  the  grand  scheme  of  things,  but  it  certainly  compelled  him  to  begin  thinking  of  cybersecurity  in  a  very  particular  way  —  like  a  puzzle  he  could  solve  if  he  was  up  to  the  CHALLENGE.

around  the  same  time,  he  was  still  preoccupied  with  chasing  his  mother's  approval.  he  would  try  his  best  to  mold  himself  after  makoto  (  consciously  and  subconsciously  )  in  the  hopes  that  resembling  someone  he  knew  she  loved  would  compel  his  mother  to  love  him  as  a  result.  diligently  studying  dance,  growing  out  his  hair.  anything,  anything  to  win  her  validation.  it  didn't  work  —  ei  remained  as  distant  as  ever.  he never  understood  why  his  mother  always  kept  him  at  arm's  length,  but  the  older  he  grew,  the  less  he  could  stomach  it.

and  eventually,  he  reached  his  breaking  point.  dropping  dance,  cutting  his  hair  —  oh,  and  did  he  mention  he's  a  boy?  (  his  name  is  kunikuzushi.  )  shedding  the  proverbial  shackles  keeping  him  tethered  to  his  desperate  pursuit  of  ei's  approval,  kuni  delved  wholeheartedly  into  his  own  interests.  as  it  turned  out,  he  was  something  of  a  prodigy.  a  natural.  a  threat.  he  clung  to  his  talents  for  the  validation  he  wasn't  getting  at  home  —  they  made  him  feel  powerful,  important,  worth  something.  even  if  it  came  at  the  cost  of  taking  advantage  of  other  people.  that  was  just  the  way  this  world  worked,  wasn't  it?

he's  in  his  late  teens  when  aunt  makoto  dies  under  MYSTERIOUS  CIRCUMSTANCES.  his  entire  family  falls  apart,  unraveling  like  a  poorly  knit  sweater.  it's  not  too  long  after  that  kunikuzushi  receives  a  very  peculiar ...  job  offer,  so  to  speak.

the  fatui  are  a  dangerous  bunch.  though  they  maintain  a  relatively  cordial  public  image,  behind  the  scenes  they  are  downright  vicious  in  their  bids  for  power.  it's  a  very  poorly  kept  secret;  everyone  knows  they  have  ill  intentions  —  yet  no  one  can  seem  to  pin  their  criminal  activities  on  them  in  such  a  way  that  they  might  be  held  accountable.  kunikuzushi  quicky  becomes  an  invaluable  asset.  his  particular  skillset  allows  them  to  point  him  in  the  direction  of  any  prospective  threats  and  dig  up  any  information  that  could  potentially  be  used  as  blackmail.  sometimes  it's  simple;  evidence  of  infidelity,  skeletons  in  the  closet.  however,  not  everyone  kuni  targets  dabbles  in  sordid  affairs  behind  closed  doors  —  and  for  those  unfortunate  souls,  he  needs  to  get  a  little  more  creative.  cracking  into  bank  accounts,  collecting  social  security  numbers  and  other  pieces  of  personal  information.  if  all  else  fails,  he  isn't  opposed  to  deliberately  planting  evidence  the  fatui  can  threaten  to  leak.  he  viciously  ruins  countless  lives  over  the  next  few  years  —  but  he  doesn't  care,  because  he  feels  useful  and  powerful.  more  than  he  ever  has  before.

it  all  comes  crumbling  down  when  an  anonymous  message  nudges  him  to  look  into  his  employers.  that  they  aren't  being  entirely  HONEST  with  him.  kuni  regards  it  with  skepticism  at  first,  but  eventually  decides  to  humor  it  —  and  what  he  does  discover  changes  everything.

the  fatui  are  responsible  for  makoto's  death.

the  fatui  are  responsible  for  makoto's  death ...  and  they've  been  playing  him  for  a  FOOL  this  entire  time.

considering  the  hole  he's  dug  himself  into,  kunikuzushi  knows  he  can't  simply  quit.  even  if  he  were  to  run  away,  the  fatui  could  simply  target  his  family  members  out  of  spite  —  and  though  his  relationship  with  his  mother  is  rocky,  kaminari  is  someone  he  genuinely  cares  about  who  doesn't  deserve  to  be  dragged  down  by  his  stupid  mistakes.

so  kuni  decides  to  erase  himself.  he  fakes  his  own  death  —  an  electrical  fire  in  his  wire-filled  apartment.  a  corpse  too  burnt  to  retain  any  recognizable  details.  fortunately,  an  anonymous  tip  stops  the  flame  from  spreading  before  any  other  lives  are  claimed  by  the  blaze  —  but  kunikuzushi  is  declared  dead,  and  life  goes  on.

until  six  months  later,  when  a  familiar  face  shows  up  on  kaminari's  doorstep ...  calling  himself  ren.