#we are back to desertduo posting.

[abstractr]

love is in the air!

[isjasz]

The brainrot continues (Blame @vesperionnox and @cherrysherin we are dragging the whole server down with this au)

Part 1

[seriouslycalamitous]

LETS GO WEEKLY UPLOAD!! Chapter 2 of my God!Scar fic is now available to read!

Title: Be the Death of Me

30K+ Words

Multi-Chapter

Deity AU, DesertDuo

Link

[mcytblrconfessions]

people don’t talk about it enough but desertduo/scarian is inherently abusive and shouldn’t be shipped or platformed. Specifically Thirdlife is the biggest culprit but their dynamic in general is just. Toxic and bad.

But like in Thirdlife their relationship is incredibly abusive. The power imbalance between Grian and Scar makes it where the two of them CANNOT be shipped together without it being morally wrong. Grian’s life was in Scar’s hands that entire series, Scar could (and did) hold that over his head. Heck multiple people talked about “rescuing” Grian and it was framed almost as a hostage situation. None of Grian’s choices were his own and I do not think a ship based off of that could be moral and sound in any way. Scar even did kill Grian at the end over a piece of paper, showing how much he valued Grian’s life.

The cactus ring shouldn’t be framed as an end to a tragic love story, but as a victim taking power back and killing their abuser. Scarian fans genuinely should go touch grass and realize they shouldn’t be romanticizing this kind of thing.

we don't care make your own post

[tatertato]

life series smp winners playlists part 1

okay so i've been just absolutely brainrotting over this for like weeks now and its time to finally post it!

i've basically just been compiling songs that i think fit each of the life series winners, and they're either songs i've seen work really really well in animatics already or songs that would probably work really well, but are less popular or not associated with this fandom (yet)

i'll be linking+listing them here as well as providing little snippets of explanation for why i think the song fits, but i don't feel like making actual spotify playlists or smth, so if anyone else wants to do that, be my guest.

ofc i still had trouble finding good songs for some of them- if anyone seeing this has a good idea that i missed, lmk and i'll update these posts (no promises tho)

i was originally gonna put all of them into one post, but fortunately i have come to my senses, so this is part 1. here we go!

update:

pt 2 (LL!scott)

pt 3 (DL!pearl)

3rd Life: Grian

Eighth Wonder - Lemon Demon: this song gives major Watcher!Grian vibes imo

Extra clever Earth-bound spirit Ghost in the form Of a mongoose (watcher in the form of a player)

Hello, I'm here I'm living in the wall I know I might be small (common headcanons of short grian, also living surrounded by cactus walls!)

Jim, let me go I watch like Hell (self-explanatory)

2. A Big Day for Grimley - AJJ: this one is because of this animatic, and also the lyrics fit the characters almost too well

I went back to the desert, little Midwest in me And now I am colder than I used to be (it feels like him reflecting on his experiences in 3L)

I came back to the desert, and the desert came into me And now there’s a quietness, and it’s deafening (returned to the desert for the final duel, and now that he's the only one left, the absence of his partner is deafening)

i could go on much longer about this song, but i feel like the animatic sums it up really well so GO WATCH THAT GO GO GO

3. Take Me to War - The Crane Wives: i know that everyone and their mother has done desertduo crane wives, but i've yet to see anyone use this song, which is a shame since its one of my favorites!

I've earned myself a reputation That my bark is much worse than my bite But I keep snapping at Goliath's hands With all of my tiny might (technically, he's not red, and also his traps keep failing, so the threats are pretty empty, but that will not stop him from being a menace)

Take me to war Honey, I dare you I'll be the sweetest thing To ever scare you Give me a fight I can't resist Give me something to break with my fists Take me to war Honey, I dare you (same thing as the last one, but i had to put the chorus in this post, it's just too perfect)

So I will leave it where it's standing And instead I will find me a match I'll turn it all to kindling I'll burn it all down to ash (we love a bit of arson in this fandom)

4. Community Gardens - The Scary Jokes: this is watcher!grian again, sorry not sorry- i do have a really vivid image in my head of an animatic for this song tho (the brainrot goes deep, i cannot escape)

Full disclosure, I am a monster A creature of despair, not that that should be a cause for concern (its so watcher coded im gnawing on the walls)

You'll be fine, you honeycomb Who could ever hurt you? Who could be so cold? You'll be fine, oh, honey pie Who could ever hurt you? Who could be so unkind? (ok so remember when i said i had an animatic idea about two sentences ago? ya. so i imagine this part as watcher!grian going through and causing the final deaths of all the winners (except scar we'll get there i promise) for instance, smiting scott at the end of LL, severing pearl's soulmate string in DL, and checking the time left before killing martyn in LimL)

The culmination of man's mistakes came the day The sun ran so hot, it turned the desert to glass (this is the whole "hail mary" thing where they blew up the whole desert and still didn't kill anyone)

If there's something to be learned from all these losers It's that the price that you pay For arrogance and a false sense of immunity Is to face the wrath of a dying star (false sense of immunity is scar's no kill passes, reputation points, etc., which really didn't mean all that much in the end (see: Bdubs))

5. Passerine - The Oh Hellos: aside from the obvious bird symbolism (passerine are songbirds), the overall theme of this song fits the character pretty well! (i think it could also apply to DL jimmy if you squint)

You were the song that I'd always sing You were the light that the fire would bring But I can't shake this feeling that I was only Pushing the spear into your side again (3L typical desert/light/sun/fire imagery, with a bonus helping this time of 3L typical self doubt and/or survivor's guilt! you love to see it)

My palms and fingers still reek of gasoline From throwing fuel to the fire of that Greco-Roman dream Purifying the holy rock to melt the gilded seams It don't bring me relief, no it don't bring me nothing (more arson what can i say- also the hollow existentialism that comes with killing your friends)

When he comes a knocking at my door What am I to do, What am I to do, oh lord (ok i like to imagine this line as grian realizing that scar's SL win means he goes to hang out with the winners now, meaning uhoh reunion time! that's about to be awkward!)

6. Do It All The Time - IDKHBTFM: yeah i know it doesn't seem like it fits at first, but i think parts of it captures the spontaneous silliness of 3L pretty well

No reason why I'm only doing anything I want to do Because I do it all the time We're taking over the world A little victim-less crime (making monopolies (or trying to) really just because)

Now we're so young But we're probably gonna die It's so fun We're so good at selling lies (this one's pretty on the nose, but you get the idea)

and that's all for grian! stay tuned for LL!scott next!

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

Propaganda masterpost for desertduo

They are two idiots thinking eachother's udeas are good and then somehow winning

They are two idiots thinking eachother's udeas are good and then somehow winning

They don’t have a single brain cell between them. They poked the goat to “see what would happen” and ended up getting their bases covered in duped ender dragon eggs.

Particularly in Hermitcraft, they are the most chaotic together. Chaotic in the most stupid of ways. Example: they blew up an intricate machine from one of the most "threatening" people on the server, stopped posting for a while, tried fixing it and failed, and tried apologizing with diamonds (Grian), theme park gifts (Scar), and by calling the victim "handsome" and "smart" and everything they could think of. And THEN, when Doc (the victim) retaliated with very intricate pranks that take a lot of skill and knowledge, they teamed up, went to the perimeter they were banned from as their alter egos as a loophole, and FILLED the ENTIRE PLACE (and it's a ginormous hole down to bedrock, many chunks wide) with CHICKENS. Just. A lot of chickens. Chickens everywhere. Oh my god. And another thing. Grian loves pressing buttons, like ADORES it (that's how the machine broke in the first place) and Scar... well. He gets confused easily and also breaks a lot of machines. So when people in the server build stuff, they have to both Grian-proof it (make sure an overexcited person who loves pressing buttons won't break the system) and Scar-safe it (make sure it's easily understandable and won't be broken like that). But now they also have to GRIAN-AND-SCAR-PROOF their stuff, because i swear, they multiply each other's dumbassery like by 100. And all that is just from the current arc of Hermitcraft season NINE. If we go back to season eight for a second, Grian decided to fake being AFK in all his friends' bases, and when he got to Scar's, Scar built him a ROLLERCOASTER RIDE to the BOAT TOTEM (boatem) HOLE THAT GOES BEYOND BEDROCK. People constantly fell there in the season and it was hell gearing themselves back up. But Scar was sure they were gonna land on the boatem and thought Grian was asleep because of time differences. But he failed and both died either way. And good fucking thing Grian was watching it all happen. Scar was SINGING him a SONG. You could even HEAR HIM COMING UP WITH IT BEFORE THE ACTUAL RIDE. Scar by FAR had the BEST reaction to the AFK experiment. And GODDD they're such idiots together. Unless they're in it for survival (aka the Life series) in which case Grian basically becomes his nanny let's be real. Scar is way too prone to die. He dies literally all the time and someone's gotta have him on a leash.

grian thinks that hes the responsible one in the dynamic but really hes just as much a chaos gremlin as scar is

they enable each other constantly. fellow builders to friends to enemies to friends to enemies to f

they share two braincells with each other and they do not work half the time. The number of things they fucked up is not even countable. One of them will be like "I'll save you!" and then both of them need someone to come and save them. They also are connected at the hip and love to annoy each other and other people so so much. they need help

They are so. so. Pesky british bird who loves explosions and has an attention span of 2 + catboy scammer who likes to lick magic and die badly. They are perfect for each other and their friendship is so precious to me. They are canonically soulmates. Currently theyre camping out on the edge of their enemy's giant hole because they accidentally exploded his machine together while Grian was procrastinating. The situation escalated because Grian likes war and Scar likes chaos so now theyre sitting directly in the path of their enemy's giant TNT-pooping goat mecha. Their plan? Build a buttercup-themed mecha to fight it because buttercups are poisonous to goats

They have caused a lot of chaos and destruction due to their lack of braincells /pos

Scar dragged Grian to the desert on a llama to monopolize on its sand, they blew up their friend’s tunnel bore, and rode a roller coaster together. They just bounce a braincell back and forth basically.

They ping pong a brian cell between each other and the few times it produces a thought the idea is always a bad one

they have two brain cells between them and they are not sure where they left them, they actively search for trouble and act sincerely shocked when it bites them on the ass, very orange cat coded if you ask me

Things only work out for them by pure luck. They both think they have the braincell and will be the one to pull each other through but they are both wrong. Tripping over their own feet and stumbling so hard and yet still coming out on top just because the others fall over harder

They get in a room together and its like all braincells disappear. They blew up their neighbors redstone, they filled his base with thousands of chickens, they die nonstop, they bully the other (in a friendly way) constantly and then do the exact same thing, theyre dunbasses ur honor

Theyre literally, just an echochamber of dumb. They actively lose braincells when around eachother. Grian seems smart and calculated but he can never get anything to work properly and scar is just an absolute hazard to himself and grian tries to keep him safe. They both die in minecraft so much. Grian also just has a habit of pressing every button lever or chest he ever sees. Even if its an obvious trap. He breaks stuff so easily. Grian WILL press the big button on top of the tnt block thats in plain sight. Especially right after scar says "i wonder what that does". Theyre duo can be summed up to trickster dumbass and dumbass with a heart of gold. They literally started a prank war by accidentally blowing up someones redstone. They are the unattended children on every server theyre in.

long live the science bros.

One owed the other a life debt for killing them with a creeper (it was just a prank, bro) and so they spent the season trying to monopolize all of the sand in a desert, and that's jusr scraping the surface of how stupid they are.

[thomewt]

tell me my dear partner in crime who is in the desertduo (is that the right name idk)

GRIAN AND SCAR HEGDHDHEBE

ok the reason they are called desert duo is because scar really wanted a monopoly on something. also the reason grian is with scar is because he accidentally blew him up with a creeper (it wasnt SUPPOSED to kill him, it was originally a prank) and so he swore his green life to scar. but back to scar wanting a monopoly, they wanted a monopoly on dark oak (i originally said sugarcane sugarcane is double life sorry i was like half asleepwhen i made this rant post) (failed because dark oak was just too big) and so scar was like "we should get one on SAND" but he overestimated how big the desert was. so they had the same problem again. and so that did not work. but it did kind of ?? because no one else lived there and were always spotted when entering and stuff but there was like. other sand in the server. and also not to mention people would just steal from them. so thats why they r desert duo

[thecranewivesrpf]

okay I don't think this song has NEARLY the amount of attention it deserves and I'm just here to spread my propaganda. It's so criminally, disgustingly underrated I physically cannot.

Desert Sand by Frankie!!

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/track/5rbTRvjgEh15O5AO7f5EBq?si=cDoiMrSPT92_1nFo_5CHpA&dd=1

YouTube - https://youtu.be/NZEzxoasa4M

Is absolutely one of the most beautiful masterpieces I have ever had bless my ears. I found this song in around December, and it's been on every single one of my playlists ever since no matter if that's lighthearted mcyt songs mostly by Gideon or my angsty desertduo playlists or general trafficship playlist, this thing has wormed it's way on there because it's so genuinely heart shattering and yet so beautiful that it makes me sick

Not to mention!! It's written in Scar's POV which is so rare he's my favorite and Grian gets so much fancontent, why not Scar's turn?

The entire song is so...bittersweet, like we all know what's coming but are treasuring what little time we have with them despite the inevitable end. It's so inexplicably 3rd life, and has some GORGEOUS lyrics.

Some of my favorites:

"Can your friendship be bought with flowers? They won't last long out here but neither will I" GOD this is so,, the way it quiets down when Scar is asking, and picks back up at "They won't last long out here but neither will I"

"When the clock strikes red, no friendship is strong enough" THIS LIKE MANAGES TO HIT A SOLID 3 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE. The clock strikes red, like the clock that Scar gave Bdubs and the constant symbolism of a "ticking clock" in the life series games, and that everyone has hit their red life and the watchers want them to kill.

The entire final verses. Are so heartbreaking, you're expecting it but oh my it's so painful.

Please,, if you take nothing else away from this post,, just listen to it ONCE. it may be almost 6 minutes long but it's such a masterpiece I need to spread my propaganda

[auriidae]

saw ur tags, please share your list of desert duo coded saint motel songs (if youre willing, if not ignore me lol) 👀

anon i am ALWAYS willing to share my ideas abt desertduo thank u for asking!! i have many thoughts so this is going to be v disjointed but here u go

(i actually made up a whole desertduo-centric au based entirely on the vibes of the songs in the original motion picture soundtrack a whiile ago o_o so almost all the songs from that album are linked with them in my mind,,,, but i won't go into that now haha. here's the list !)

first of all. old soul is the original desertduo song to me. "cause the more i get to know you / well the more i feel i knew you / in a lifetime a long time ago" but it's a post-3l au where everyone forgets except as the winners grian and scar start to remember.... (also i'm a mild watcher grian enjoyer so "i've seen heaven in the moonlight / blow it out / yeah, turn around" has a very clear mental image of, yknow, eyes in the moon and stuff. yeag)

also, make me feel like. there was a whole thing about scar and milkshakes and french fries in earlier hermitcraft that became like cemented in my mind as integral to his character for some reason so the first time i heard the "dipping your shake with the french fries" line the whole song became about him. "it started out like it always ends" oughhh that's such a line. 'there is no other end to this story' and all that. also "there's only so much that my heart can take / i get so close and then i hesitate / i don't want to die alone" and "don't let me down / give the run around / yeah you'll be my ticket to heaven" this is such a soulmate-coded song DO I NEED TO SAY ANYTHING MORE

SLOW DANCE AS WELL. i was listening to it the first time like "hey this is kind of them based just off the vibes" and then it went "i could be your best friend, i could be your centerpiece, i could be your soulmate, i could be your everything" and i lost my mind entirely. i'm not a purely romantic desertduo enjoyer so take that lyrical aspect of the song with a grain of salt but dude ough

a good song never dies is like very scar-coded in my mind it just has his vibes. i've never read the lyrics through but it puts me in mind of some charismatic charlatan and yeah that's him

bullet's "you don't stop a bullet that you set into motion / you don't stop a fire when you light an explosion / so then why are we fighting, already ignited / counting down, down, down, down" they are sooo self-destructive and this song's got that going for it so

and last but not least la2ny!!!!! "trying to get back / back to the place that we were / pure and dangerous / always just us versus the world" <that is literally. that is So double-life-desertduo-remembering-and-regretting-after-third-life core. "i had the damnedest day / you don't hear what i say / your head's up in the clouds" (soulbound to the man in the clouds by gideon anyone?). also "feel the distance, miles apart / in our beds" <me when i'm soulbound to this guy who i used to be closest to more than anyone else in the world but cannot understand why he's emotionally closed off for the life of me. this might be the most them-coded song here actually,, the rest are fun for vibes but this one's got the lyrics on point.

anyways saint motel's songs are the MOST FUN TO MAKE UP STORIES TO EVER and i love their stuff a lot. thank you very much for giving me an excuse to ramble about this ^-^//

[k-asternix]

ahh hiii

can you write a little watcher grian drabble/oneshot about how the watchers keep tormenting him and sending him nightmares about s@m and also about how he thinks they are going to try to invade/destroy hermitcraft soon and in the end he goes to scar for comfort because desertduo my beloveds

Your wish is my command! Thank you very much for this prompt! I had a blast writing it!

Please note: This fic has been cross posted onto AO3

-

Grian is curled into a ball on the foot of his bed. His head is tilted upwards, he tries to keep his focus on the glittering night sky above him.

It's been…close to five days since he last had a proper night's rest. He knows he's going to have to fall asleep eventually. And it's going to be sooner rather than later if the foggy feeling in his head is anything to go by.

Grian digs his nails into his skin. A final, ditch effort to keep himself conscious.

It doesn't work.

Grian is running down the corridor of his old school. Sam is behind him. Sam has a knife.

Grian is losing air faster than he's able to regain it. His chest hurts. Badly. Grian keeps running, heaving with every breath.

Pain burns through Grian's body with each step.

His legs are going to give out on him. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.

The exit is so close, Grian can see it, it's right there. All he needs to do is reach the door—

Black spots fill his vision. He can't see, he can't move his legs. Sam is still behind him. His feet catch on themselves and Grian's body slams violently to the ground.

Sam's footsteps grow closer. Grian can't move. He can't breathe. His vision is still clouded with black spots. Grian writhes around, like a fly that's been caught in a spider web.

"You put up quite the fight, Gree-on."

Sam presses the tip of his knife to Grian's back. He yelps.

Sam laughs, his voice warps into something else, something deep and sadistic until it hardly sounds like Sam's voice at all "Did you really think you could escape? That's funny. You'll never escape."

Grian jolts awake. It's still dark out. Sam's words echo in his mind 'You'll never escape'. His whole body aches.

Only those weren't Sam's words, were they? Those words were fighting words, a threat that has yet to be acted on. A promise to Grian that nothing is ever over. Those words came from someone else. They came from the watchers.

The average person might not know how to tell the difference between a regular nightmare and a watcher-induced nightmare. Grian has become somewhat of an expert at it.

That one was watcher-induced. No doubt about it. He can practically taste their lingering aura.

It's been happening so often lately—they keep trying to send him messages. It's terrifying. No doubt they have some kind of plan.

The fact that he's been getting more and more of these dreams mean that they must want to take him again, they must be waiting to pounce, ready to invade Hermitcraft at a moment's notice.

Grian doesn't want to go back. He can't go back. He stands. His legs seem to move on their own, before his brain has the chance to think. He wanders, directionless, until he finds himself in Scarland. Grian hadn't consciously been seeking out the man but now that he's here, he really hopes to find Scar. He keeps waking, down main street.

"Scar!" He calls, between panicked breaths.

"Grian?" A tired voice answers back.

Grian turns. He spots Scar sitting on a nearby bench. Scar pats the spot next to him, inviting Grian to join him. Grian does.

"What are you doing wandering around so late?" Scar asks, clearly not comprehending the gravity of the situation.

"The watchers are coming back. They want to invade Hermitcraft—they keep sending me nightmares to warn me. Scar, we aren't safe!"

Scar is quiet for a moment. Then he speaks, his tone soft and cautious as if he were soothing a scared animal. Grian feels a bit like a scared animal.

"Are you sure that's true? Xisuma has a pretty good barrier set up around the server."

"But I saw them in my dreams! I felt their essence!"

"Hm. Grian I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"When did you join Hermitcraft?"

"Season six."

"And what season are we on now?"

"Season nine."

"So, don't you think that if the watchers were planning to invade Hermitcraft they would have done it already? Why would they waste their time taunting you about it? If they were going to invade wouldn't they just… do it?"

Grian sighs, long and hard. It isn't often that Scar acts as the voice of reason between the two of them but he's right in this case. The only way the watchers can hurt Grian is if Grian allows himself to be scared by them. They'll never be able to invade the server.

Grian wraps his arms around Scar, his breathing slows. He'll be okay, he just needed a reminder.

"Thanks Scar."

"Anytime, my friend!" Scar grins, a mischievous glint in his eyes "Now, that'll be ten diamonds!"

"Scar!" Grian shouts, barely holding back laughter.

[whereishoney]

I've been thinking about this post since I first saw it weeks ago and I've been agreeing with the bdubs sentiment but I couldn't quite wrap it around my head perfectly. until today. until I've been reading a homewreckers double life fic and in a general homewreckers mood lately.. and and. this song. is about bdubs and impulse. and who bdubs is and how he feels in relation to impulse. in my eyes of course...

verse 1:

I once loved a tailor who took eager care of me

Sewed together my loose ends with stitches neat and clean

But now my love is gone

And I am left unraveling

Unraveling

okay. okay. we could interpret this as their beginning, their good alliance which unraveled because of bdubs' growing suspicion of impulse's fidelity to the crastle. impulse was doing his best as a double agent and ultimately was betrayed because bdubs' suspicions boiled over, in addition to finding promise in an (albeit tenuous) alliance with desertduo for the final showdown. bdubs feels.. guilty?

verse 2:

I once loved a gardener with his dirt-smudged face and hands

Trimmed my weeds and gave me room to grow my flowers again

But now my love is gone

And I am left here withering

Withering

okay negligible number one, impulse just. gives gardener vibes if you think about it skdmfm he seems like he'd enjoy weeding carrots and replanting sprouts into fresh soil. anyway. impulse and bdubs were obviously not close at all in this season andd had no notable interactions that I can remember? I'm doing this on a whim rn, I really don't know, I'd have to go do research (rewatch lol). still!! impulse "gave [him] room to grow" and whatnot, both of them doing their own thing with their own people independent of each other — in theory, putting the betrayal behind them.

but then impulse and grian plant a wither. in the snow fort. and bdubs is like the first person to charge it. he goes down!! he's WITHERING, PLEASE understand my insanity over this perfection. he's withering. verse 2. last life, season 2. oh my god its just perfect. and also bdubs is perhaps reminded of third life somewhere in the back of his mind, wondering if..maybe..maybe. impulse wasn't over it. and maybe grudges transcended seasons. and tango wasn't the only person on his tail. anyway..

verse 3:

I once loved a carpenter who carved a smile for me

Sanded my rough edges, crafted new and lovely things

But now my love is gone

And I can't help the fracturing

I never knew that I needed you

ya baby!! double life, they're soulmates, they're homewreckers and there's some slight tension they elect to pocket for another time because it's really not worth getting worked up over things when the other's burden is your pain. he carved a smile, so to speak..

on the other hand, impulse gives bdubs a clock first thing. a promise. double-ended. impulse will keep him safe, and in return, bdubs should keep impulse safe. a mutual thing. he carved it, you might say.

they work well together! do they bring out the best in each other? next question, but at least they keep each other safe, that's the least they can ask as each others' soulmates. things are good, really. homewreckers were one of the healthier couples in double life when it came to their own interpersonal relation. but of course it must come to an end, good times don't last forever, and this temporary devotion to one another isn't as definite looking forward, where there's no consequence for the other's pain.

verse 4:

I once loved a man who kissed me once before he left

Tied me up in knots and said he'd soon return again

But now my love is gone

And I am left unraveling

Unraveling

limited life!! remember the clock? a token of trust. then a promise of devotion and a reminder of solidarity : "we're in this together. your blood is my bruise." well, not anymore. other essays have talked about before but essentially the limited life clock impulse gave to bdubs was something made on a whim, with laughter during the exchange, but something back-handed and selfish in its making. it wasn't double-sided anymore. this time it was moreso an obstacle: "I gave you this clock, that means you can't hurt me, right?" not that it's something bdubs held himself up against, but the intention was of ensuring impulse's safety and freedom from attack from bdubs, with nothing to gain on bdubs' end. and that's only further emphasised when we later see TIES' hesitation in being friendly to him (there's more context there, the whole skizz thing, the fresher and more openly spoken about wound tango bore, poking fun at etho over bdubs, yada yada, but yknow!)

and really I don't think bdubs was ever fooled by this? I don't think he ever expected something genuine from this encounter, not really — impulse is quite cunning, he doesn't get enough credit for it. maybe it even stung a little. almost like a slap in the face, effectively pronouncing: "last season only happened because it had to. if things were different, you would've run away, wouldn't you have?" but impulse wouldn't put himself at stake over a grudge. because he's all about teams and alliances but at his core, and when it comes to it, when the shoe drops, impulse is in it for himself. and good for him!

bdubs just,, doesn't roll the dice that way. he's really the opposite. he's all for companionship, and truthfully those can get lost in the haze, it's what started this whole dynamic between them..but deep down he has his people he would never, ever go against, and people he'd put above teams, above himself. impulse is just not that person, and he knows it.

ANYWAY those were my thoughts about unraveling by the crane wives via bdubs and impulse, some of the pettiest in the life series who I love dearly. thank you

Lifers x Crane Wives

I saw someone comment on a life series TikTok or something to try and pair all of the lifers to a crane wives song, without repeating songs. so obviously I spent an hour doing it

Grian—Tongues & Teeth (self explanatory if you’ve EVER heard this song)

Scar—Steady, Steady (this whole song is about how their partner is walking out but they still want to be “wild and free” which is just SO Scar coded)

Tango—Ancient History (he keeps teaming up with Skizz and I feel like this song vibes with that, it also just feels very Tango)

Skizz—Icarus (this man always gives himself up for his teammates I swear, and he fuels them to keep going. It also says “oh brother, brother” which feels like Skizz talking to any of his teammates to me)

Impulse—Allies or Enemies (Impulse has been very iffy on a lot of his alliances throughout the seasons, especially in third life and with the amount of playing all sides that man has done this songs feels right)

Cleo—The Glacier House (this. this is literally just her leaving Fairy Fort. The song is talking to/about her from probably Lizzie’s perspective, but like the last line is 100% as if Cleo was speaking)

Bdubs—Unraveling (Bdubs relies so heavily on his teammates, and when he doesn’t have that stability *cough* Etho *cough* he just kinda doesn’t know what to do so this song fits)

Mumbo—Keep You Safe (this man is by no means an aggressive/reckless player [see: Joel or Martyn] and he feels like he’s just here for the vibes and honestly? Love that for him. This song is about fear not keeping you safe and watching your friends run high risks, which just is very accurate to how Mumbo plays this series. I also feel like he could fit Rockslide when he goes red cause he goes from standstill to “drop dead sprint” in terms of aggression)

Lizzie—Shallow River (another one I can’t explain but like. It has Lizzie vibes. Calm but this woman is a THREAT)

Jimmy—Canary in a Coal Mine (no further context needed, we all know Timmy)

Scott—Little Soldiers (this is very flower husbands, but also just feels like Scott looking back on the last seasons including Pearl, Jimmy, Martyn, all his reluctant exes. Also this man is the watchers’ like least favorite person ever and this gives that vibe)

Pearl—Ribs (i changed this from New Discovery because Ribs is entirely about somewhat angrily protecting and helping yourself because nobody else would, and it really strikes me as Pearl with the some things having been good (Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss) and some being bad (divorce quartet))

BigB—Not the Ghost (this man is so incredibly odd, he just constantly feels like he is being haunted by the watchers and just going about his life, he is the human personification of gaslight and we love that for him)

Martyn—The Hand That Feeds (he HATES the watchers with every ounce of his being, and with Ren gone I think this guy’s only purpose is just to spite them)

Joel—Sleeping Giants (go listen to it. That’s all there is to it, it just feels very Joel-ish, this lad is absolutely fucking mental)

Ren—Once & for All (this song feels like war and being betrayed, and Ren has been betrayed so much so it just fits. I mean come on “my blood’s forever on your hands” tell me that isn’t 100% something Ren would say)

Gem—Show Your Fangs (Girlboss moment, we love Geminislay. This woman is not someone to be underestimated and this song very clearly says that so it’s very Gem in my head. She doesn’t have enough lore yet to make it angsty but ONE DAY)

Etho—Never Love An Anchor (I can’t explain it, this song just has Etho vibes. I mean “It’s a secret I keep tucked inside my chest” just seems very him, I can’t really tell you why)

[lovesick-x-prince]

My Fic Masterlist!

Hello! I’m generally known as Prince, my pronouns are she/her/any, I am queer, and I write a bunch of fanfiction. (◡‿◡✿)

You can find me on AO3 under the username LovesickPrince. I absolutely love talking about not only my stories but also the characters and fandoms in general, so please feel totally free to send in asks about any of those topics - I’d love to answer questions, or have conversations with you all!

This blog is multi-fandom. I am currently writing for: Hermitcraft/The Life Series, Dream SMP, and Batman. I also reblog Genshin Impact, MXTX’s danmei, Jujutsu Kaisen and other miscellaneous things. I have a queue that posts at least one a day!

Hermitcraft/Life Series

Nobody Feels Like You (WIP) -> Multi-chapter, 171K -> Third Life/Hermitcraft -> Grian/Scar -> Premise: After Third Life ends, Grian time travels back to the start of the series, and decides he’s going to make sure Scar wins this time.

my ever after / is holding you (Complete) -> One-shot, 18k -> Hermicraft/Evo, Third Life inspirations -> Grian/Scar -> Premise: Scar is the king, and Grian is his servant. Then someone decides kidnapping King Scar’s beloved servant was a good idea. It really wasn’t. (Cinderella inspired).

somewhere between the surface and the seabed (Complete) -> One-shot, 24K -> Hermitcraft -> Grian/Scar -> Premise: A mermay story. Grian is a siren and Scar is a sea witch. Miscommunication ensues. (The Little Mermaid inspired).

We Built This Town On Shaky Ground (Complete) -> One-shot, 1K -> Double Life -> Grian/Scar -> Premise: Grian kills BigB, and Scar is grateful. It saves him the trouble of having to do it himself.

And I'll Breathe, And It Goes (Coming in ???) -> Multi-chapter, ??? -> Hermitcraft, inspired by Desertduo Vigilante AU by kitsuneisi -> Grian/Scar -> Premise: Grian has three identities - the civilian Grian, the villain Watcher, and the vigilante CuteGuy. He manages to get hopelessly tangled up in both Scar’s and HotGuy’s lives in every single one of them. 

Dream SMP

Golden and Lustrous (WIP) -> Multi-chaptered, 29K so far -> DSMP, SMP Earth -> Dark SBI -> Premise: Tommy can turn straw into gold. The Antarctic Empire takes interest. (Rumpelstiltskin inspired). 

Out Like A Light (Complete) -> Multi-chaptered, 156K -> DSMP -> Dark SBI, Bench Trio -> Premise: Technoblade, Philza, and Wilbur are gods, and Tommy is the reincarnation of their missing piece. 

where’s the person that i know?/they must have left (Discontinued)  -> Multi-chaptered, 16k -> DSMP -> SBI -> Premise: After Tommy dies in prison, he begins falling through alternate universes.

Batman

I Would Like You To Love Me (WIP) -> Multi-chapter, 4K so far -> Batman -> Tim & Jason, Batfam, Tim-centric -> Premise: Tim is a young mer suddenly tossed into the ocean after being raised in a tank his entire life. Luckily, an older male with a red and golden tail named Jason is here to show him how to survive.

Sanders Sides

these sanders sides sure are doing things (Complete) -> Series of one-shots, 4K -> Sanders Sides -> Gen, LAMP, and Roman/Patton -> Premise: Four unconnected Sanders Sides one-shots, mostly fluff and character studies. 

Land of the Lustrous

To The Moon (Complete) -> One-shot, 4K -> Land of the Lustrous -> Padparadscha/Rutile -> Premise: Padparadscha tries to commit suicide via Lunarians, believing themselves a burden on their partner.

[lunarblazes]

this is a third life desertduo appreciation post because i cannot stop thinking about some of these moments (SPOILERS FOR SESSION 8 AHEAD! more based around the third life characters than the ccs, too, though i love them as well!!!)

-grian searching for scar constantly and getting incredibly worried every time scar is out of his sight, repeatedly mentioning that scar is on his last life

-“moral obligation” my ass grian you said you’d LEAVE on your yellow life. admit he’s your best friend.

-“is now where we show our true colors? our alliance to nobody but each other?”

-neither of them can kill big b so instead they wordlessly agree to ally with bdubs to use him to assassinate big b. i never said they weren’t stone-cold ruthless

-grian calling out on everything scar’s done with him as bdubs kills him

-scar still not giving up on grian even after taking his yellow life and being left alone with bdubs, instead whispering that he has a backup plan to grian

-despite grian seeming bitter and resigned to scar’s betrayal, as soon as he realizes that scar still cares about him, he suddenly can’t kill him and has to be egged on by the dead

-scar being ready to let grian kill him because of all he’s done for him the whole time..... i am in shambles

-for a moment, they thought they’d be able to go free, to live in peace, win together, if only for a moment

-the sins of the past catch up, however.

-grian killed scar first and killed himself last, the first and last lives taken on the server, and both times he killed scar he never wanted to

-multiple times grian alludes to the fact that he’s only sticking with scar because he’s interesting, but. if that were the case, we wouldn’t be here, would we, with the two having to be forced to kill each other, even after a betrayal

-grian listing scott and scar as the only two people he truly trusts at the end of the day. desert alliance supremacy

-grian came BACK to fight ren and martyn with scar, he pearled out and then ran back to help scar even after nearly letting the rest of his “allies” die

-scar’s last words were an apology to grian. what the fuck

-they knew it would end like this and APOLOGIZED to each other.... why do you do this to me

-these two. they own my heart entirely. like Entirely. this was never going to end well for them, but it sure as hell ended poetically, symmetrically, and ruthlessly.

[lunarblazes]

i made a desertduo playlist and then decided to be a nerd and write explanations for all the songs! like a nerd!

playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ZGylutQpyTbgX7MY7Lrzz?si=t8_kBwBHSYG5kxTvZoIrTQ&dl_branch=1

QUICK DISCLAIMER: i am aware that a lot of these songs may have or imply romantic connotation! i would really really like it if these were not read as though those romantic connotations carry over to scar and grian. even if we’re just talking about the third life characters, i would prefer not to ship them or imply romance between them on this post. thank you so much and keep reading if you’d like to see the playlist analysis!

and now that that’s out of the way, PLAYLIST TIME!

•

passerine- the oh hellos

“you were the song that i’d always sing/you were the light that the fire would bring/but i can’t shake this feeling that i/was only pushing the spear into your side again”

this song really just... firstly, it’s one of my favorite songs, and the line i chose there pushes home the sort of terrified devotion i think the desert has. plus there’s a fun line about the cold wind blowing in from the north in the ending bits that i think very much fits their conflict with the red army, and a lot of legally obligated flight imagery that i need to have in every possible song because i’m a fuckin nerd.

•

no children- the mountain goats

“i hope that our few remaining friends/give up on trying to save us/i hope we come up with a failsafe plot to piss off the dumb few that forgave us”

i will admit that no children isn’t a perfect fit, but the general vibe of sort of defiant pessimism and betrayal fits very well with them! it’s very triumphant in its death, and i think that is very desertcore, because what’s more triumphantly dead than being the last duo left alive?

•

skulls- bastille

“when all of our friends are dead and just a memory/it’s always been just you and me/for all to see”

okay like this entire song is SO MUCH DESERT VIBES? LIKE SO MUCH. if i were to ever make an animatic for them i’d do it with this song. “a match is our only light, it’s day of the dead i’m indiana jones, yeah,” “i hope you can make me laugh six feet under when we’re bored of each other,” “i don’t want to rest in peace, i’d rather be the ghost that annoys you,” IT JUST KEEPS GOING. i think this song would work well with any third life duo, honestly, but these two in PARTICULAR just because of how it ended with them literally ‘buried’ next to each other, and again, the chaotic death vibes.

•

freaking out- mystery skulls

“i just keep out of my tongue/til all you want is done/and you just wanna leave me, oh yeah”

this song is a very third life grian song to me in particular! it could be my bias because of my little headcanon of grian burning on his red life, but seriously, this song is very reminiscent of the back and forth of loyalty that grian has with scar. the above line is sort of representative of the betrayal on red, and of course grian’s life debt.

•

night running- shin sakiura

(this song is in japanese! these lyrics are the rough english translation i found on google.) “someday we will stand at this place once again/for sure we will stand up again and again/we will watch it will the end/i want you to live freely”

this song is actually the ending theme for the anime bna, which i adore, and i just added it on a whim before looking at the translated lyrics. but um. holy hell the lyrics hurt me because they’re about running in search of someone, running for no reason, looking for something, and it just really hit, because the desert never really had a goal! they didn’t expect to survive, they were trying to survive, but what was their longterm goals? nothing. so that sort of endless search felt fitting for this. plus the song is a parallel for the two estranged best friends of the show so! perfect.

•

summer nights- siames

“it’s summertime/singing al green in your car/heading to a party/and the night air feels alive”

okay again, i will admit this song is mainly on here because i absolutely love it, but i also do think it fits well. it’s also about healing/estranged friendships, with a very distinct feeling of nostalgia for a happier time. maybe for a time when this was all a game, when there was no blood or betrayals on their hands. little canon divergent, but it’s fun for me, so into the playlist it goes!

allies or enemies- the crane wives

“are we allies or enemies/this will be the death of me, this will be the death of me/all’s fair in love and war but i can’t fight with you anymore”

. i just. points to that lyric. it literally led to both of their deaths. are they allies or enemies? it also fits with scar still wanting grian to be his friend even after he’s no longer indebted with the line “what happens now? do we have another go, do we bow out?” another very good animatic song that i’ve considered heavily. i listen to this playlist a lot

•

burn him down- kitsch club

“you must destroy, oh you must destroy, beyond all recognition/you gotta burn him down, you gotta burn him down, beyond all recognition”

this song just has a lot of fire and arson and high energy vibes. my little war criminals look at them go

•

rose- the oh hellos

“what's true is like a sickle/it'll cut you to the middle/your rose is without a thorn/but no, my mouth don't taste of metal/from the pot here to the kettle/i think we got a lot we gotta learn”

this one is like the exact opposite vibe of burn him down. the oh hellos are so poetic and this song just... feels like the healing potions after a battle. many of the metaphors here fit, i think

•

lone digger- caravan palace

“hey, brother, what you thinking/that good ol' sound is ringing/they don't know what they're missing/(they call it lonely diggin')”

okay this song is straight up just a dance song. i added it because i like it and also for some reason it feels ominous to me? i’ve got no idea why, it’s seriously just a club song, but it’s a banger and it’s in this playlist because i said so

•

feed the machine- poor man’s poison (suggested by my friend argonaughtkeene!)

“somethin’s goin” on, just look around/fear is on the rise, and there’s blood all over the ground/let’s all just blindfold the poor, we all know what’s in store/ we got ‘em now, just break ‘em down a little bit more”

this song is a VIBE for both desertduo members. there’s parts for both of them. it’s ruthless, gritty, very maniacal, perfect. listen to it and you’ll immediately understand why i added it.

•

sweet tooth- scott helman

“i hold hands with cosmic entities/i’ll take this two-ride if i please/i got this sweet tooth baby, yeah i got this sweet tooth baby/i exploit my opportunities/some broken hearts, some cavities”

sweet tooth is super upbeat and bright with these strangely dark lyrics? like i’m pretty sure it’s about addiction. in any case, i thought the “i hold hands with cosmic entities” very funnily fitting for both of the desert boys. it’s a banger!

•

necromancin’ dancin’- bear ghost

“when i’m necromancin’, everyone’s dancin’/nobody can stop me, i dare you to try/the dead are infused with insatiable groove and they’re coming for you, there’s nowhere to hide”

necromancin’ dancin’ just. bastard vibes. there’s not much more to say it’s just huge villain song vibes. i adore it.

•

crazy = genius- panic! at the disco

“if crazy equals genius/then i’m a fucking arsonist/i’m a rocket scientist/if crazy equals genius/you can set yourself on fire/but you’re never gonna burn, burn, burn”

i. yeah. y. yeah. more bastard vibes. also shoutout to an artist i saw (i think it was strifesolution?) who made a desertduo piece to this song because i have not stopped thinking about it ever

•

sweet bod- lemon demon

“i’m diggin’ up your coffin/and pouring out the contents/your sexy, sweet solution/is ripe for distribution”

you know how i said freaking out was a grian song? this one is a scar song. it’s my favorite lemon demon song and also it has the total macabre capitalism vibe that third life scar NAILED. more bastard vibes good for him <3

•

drunk- the living tombstone

“feel so much better than usual/i feel indisputable, oh/but now i’m feeling so beautiful/don’t wake me up from this spell i’m under, if i’m still breathing/i know that i will be ugly when i feel like myself again, oh/but right now i’m feelin’ so beautiful”

the descent of this song, starting off with a polite gathering and ending with a gasping drunk in the parking lot gazing at the stars that he can barely see? yes. yeah. mhm. i used a line from this song for a fic, actually, it fit so well.

•

oh no!- marina

“one track mind, one track heart/if i fail, i’ll fall apart/maybe it is all a test/cos i feel like i’m the worst so i always act like i’m the best”

bubbly pop track about false confidence, the ruthlessness of the pop industry, and the influence of the media? you know why this is here. it vibes. it rocks.

•

do it all the time- i don’t know how but they found me

“we’re taking over the world/a little victimless crime/and when i’m taking your innocence/i’ll be corrupting your mind/no need to cry i’m only doing everything i want to do because i do it all the time”

EVEN MORE BASTARD VIBES! SOMEHOW THERE IS MORE! this playlist is half villain songs and half heart-wrenching ballads and that’s the real desert experience i think.

•

the phoenix- fall out boy

“i’m gonna change you/like a remix/then i’ll raise you/like the phoenix”

BATTLE SONG BATTLE SONG! i’ll be honest i partially chose this song because i am a huge sucker for phoenix grian imagery in particular, but it’s also just a very good war song for them. villain song no 18372948 except this one originally had a hero vibe and now it’s changed specifically for them?? wild. their power

•

the other side- the greatest showman

“right here, right now/i’ll put the offer out/i don’t wanna chase you down, i know you see it/you run with me/and i can cut you free/out of the treachery/and all you keep in”

scar and grian’s desert monopoly conversation went exactly like this canonically because i said so fuck you <3

•

icicles- the scary jokes (suggested by my friend demizorua!)

“icicles don’t soften when they die/so why should i, why should i?/oh, icicles don’t soften when they die/they sharpen into sabers and they stab you in the eye”

this song actually has specific parts for both grian and scar! my cool epic friend mx demizorua pointed both of them out to me and i adored it so much. it’s a very spiteful song, just like the desert boys. also it feels vaguely murderous. perfect

•

problems- mother mother (suggested by my friend demizorua!)

“i’m a loser, a disgrace/you’re a beauty, a luminary, in my face”

literally this entire song fits them. particularly their relationship with the flower husbands, to me, honestly— the whole “when we meet at the pearly gates/you’ll get the green light/and i’ll get the boot in the face” reminds me a lot of them hdksjdks

•

tongues and teeth- the crane wives

“i know that you mean so well/but i am not a vessel for your good intent/i will only break your pretty things/i will only wring you dry of everything”

h. yeah. this song is literally gaslight gatekeep girlboss and i attribute it to the desert for that reason alone. songs to commit murder to!

•

you’re nobody til somebody wants you dead- saint motel

“you’re nobody til somebody wants you dead/and the list, it grows, and grows, and grows/it grows, and grows, and grows/and grows, and grows, and grows/until it’s everyone you’ve ever known”

this one is very self-explanatory. enemies pogchamp

•

curses- the crane wives

“there’s a fire in my brain and i’m burning, love/oh my, oh my/keep running to the sink, but the well is dry/oh my, oh my/every word i say is kindling/but the smoke clears when you’re around”

okay again! this one has two very specific parts for both of them. grian’s the first verse, which is above, and scar’s the second verse!! i really do like my fire imagery for these two don’t i? well, i blame them for having a fuck ton of tnt on them at all times and literally burning their enemy’s banners as a final act of defiance.