#remember exactly what it looked like but it was an underwater scene and i can remember a few of the fish and coral structures in relative

[iknowwhereyousleepatnight]

i had a dream last night where i was trying to put together a piece for an art final in one afternoon (because apparently i was taking an art class? i kept having lucid moments of hey i’m not even taking a real art class but i was content to still do the project) and actually i remember very clearly what i was planning and i have all the stuff for it i think i should recreate the dream art final piece

#i was doing a giant collage and i was cutting up bits of colorful + textured paper and running them through a printer over and over #again so that the words were overlapping to make an interesting texture and i was moving them around to make an image and i don’t #remember exactly what it looked like but it was an underwater scene and i can remember a few of the fish and coral structures in relative #detail so i think i’m gonna do it why not i do not have a big enough canvas (it was bigger than me in my dream) but i do have some #30in x 40in canvases (originally bought for giant self portraits of me bc i’m vain lmao) but perhaps one could be spared for this? #i also do have a giant sketchbook but i’m unsure if the paper could hold the weight of what i’ll need to do to it. hmmm #i also have a wall….. but i think i was only granted permission to paint over it smoothly and i hate painting smooth i need texture and i #doubt glued paper would be easy to take off if needed. sad. i really do want to do something to a wall some day. maybe i should just build #myself a giant canvas so it can be moved? it would have to be able to fit through the door though :/ #what about a bunch of smaller canvasses that slot together to fill the whole wall? that would be kinda cool i can work with that #maybe not for this project though that would be a lot of work bc if i’m gonna do a whole ass wall i’ll need to measure it n shit and then #i wouldn’t want the canvases to fit as squares i’d want them to be cool and interesting shapes so i’d have to build them myself #hmmmmmmmm. i will think about that later perhaps when i get my own place . it will be epic though i assure you #so i can add some supports to my giant sketchbook paper to keep it sturdier or perhaps i could use a giant canvas. decisions decisions #i will think abt it after i get her up how much colored/printed paper i have (a lot bc i get some every time they’re on sale at micheals #because i have a problem) and i should cut them all to like 8x11 so they’ll slot through the printer so i can cut them up after? #or perhaps i will cut them up before so i can get the vision right? there will be a lot of layers to this i know the pov of the one in my #dream was from the sea floor but near a reef so i will need to work on perspective a bit so maybe a nice big preparatory sketch for a rough #placement of everything then extra details i can come up with as i go? the fish and things will need to be layered a lot but once the base #colors are on i can’t really sketch it out. hmmmmm. i’ll contemplate some more i think

[im-getting-help]

You guys remember IT 2019? I just finished watching an alternative ending or directors cut idk, BUT LET ME TELL YOU 💀

First, english is my second language...

So, everything is exactly the same until the last like 30min? They're fighting Pennydumb, and you remember the scene where Richie is caught by the deadlights and Eddie spears Penny and saves Rich but he has to kiss him to wake him up like Ben with Bev in the first movie? Well, in this version Eddie spears Penny and falls with Richie but instead of kissing him he just shakes him a little? And Richie wakes up 😂 but then out of nowhere Pennydumb SKEWERS EDDIE WITH ONE OF THE ARACHNID/CRAB CLAWS RIGHT THROUGH THE CHEST??? Me and Bev literally screamed at the same time. So Eddie is bleeding all over Richie, blood comes out of his mouth as he says his name... and Richie is literally like 🧍🏻‍♂️ and then Pennydumb lifts Eddie with the claw and I'm watching in 4KHD how Eddie flies tf out while everyone is screaming his name. I SWEAR TO GOD I'M NOT KIDDING. At this point I'm laughing and crying at the same time, cause like, wtf is happening?? So the Losers run to wherever Eddie was thrown and THIS MF IS SOMEHOW STILL ALIVE? Then, like in the original ending Eddie tells the Losers how to kill Pennydumb, but is like super depressing, Eddie is coughing blood, so all but Richie and obviously Eds go bully the alien spider. Eddie is dying, and he says "Richie, I gotta to tell you something" and I'm thinking, alright, a little bit too angsty but ok. BUT THEN, HE DOESN'T CONFESS? HE LOOKS RICHIE IN THE EYES AND SAYS "💫I fucked your mother💫" AGAIN, I'M NOT KIDDING. And so Richie is like "heh 🙂🥲" Eventually Richie leaves so they can finish IT, lmao. They kill Pennydumb the same, they say "clown" a bunch and he perish. Then they go back to Eds who is obviously fucking dead at this point, and I'm still laughing a little cause I know that now is when Maturin appears and the Losers ask her to bring back Stan and now Eddie too i guess... WELL In this version Maturin doesn't exist apparently???????? So Eddie dies and Richie is crying over his dead body anD THEN BILL AND BEVERLY TELL HIM THAT THEY HAVE TO GO AND LEAVE HIS BODY DOWN THERE???? AND I'M 😶 SPEECHLESS.

They drag Richie out of Neibolt 😶 he's is screaming and crying and I'm screaming and crying with him. They get out and the house collapses. And the whole scene is fucking tragic, like, I'm sobbing, Richie is still screaming Eddie's name, Mike and Ben are holding him back and Bill and Bev are literally like 👀 Suddenly they're on the quarry, same scene minus Eddie and Stan. BUT IT'S SO SOMBER. They jump and they're washing themselves in silence, and Richie is CLEANING EDDIE'S BLOOD OUT OF HIS GLASSES. And Eddie is not there to be yapping about infections so Ben is like "Eddie would hate this" and they start talking about what Eddie would say if he was there, and I'm thinking 'why tf would you kill him but not write a better scene?' but I'm promptly shut up cause Richie starts crying again and everyone goes hug him, and now I'm really sobbing. But then, then they do something I can only describe as the worst possible thing you can do in front of your mourning gay friend. Richie loses his glasses like in the original but Stan is not there to give them back so the rest of the Losers start looking, and then, and I swear to god I'm not lying, Ben and Bev find the glasses but instead of giving them back they start kissing eachother. RICHIE IS BLIND AND CRYING WHILE THESE TWO KISS UNDERWATER. And I'm like NOw?????? Don't get me wrong, I love the kiss in the original, but this version is so sad and that kiss feels so out of place. After that, there's the scene in the street with them as kids, Richie and Eddie bickering and all that, and I'm ready to go wash my face BUT they added an extra scene. So in this scene Mike calls Bill whose already out of Derry, and Bill asks why they're not forgetting this time, and Mike says "Maybe cause IT is dead... or maybe because we have more we want to remember than we want to forget". AND I'M LIKE WDM?? ALL OF THIS IS FUCKING TRAUMATIC. And then Mike asks Bill if he got the letter, and apparently Stan left a fucking suicide note 💀 and it's SO FUCKING SAD YOU GUYS. They show adult Stan writing the note but you can hear young Stan reading it, and they show the Losers as adults after Derry 2.0, and everyone is happy except Richie?? Like, Bev and Ben are on a fucking boat with a dog but Richie is on the bridge going over the R+E carving while crying. And it ends with Mike smiling driving out of Derry. Is literally the worst ending ever. Like, I don't hate it just because is so depressing is kinda funny, also you guys know It 2019 is goofy af. Anyways, if anyone else saw this please message me so we can make a support group or something idk.

#it 2019 #it chapter 2 #the losers club #it 1990 #it 2017 #reddie #eddie kaspbrak #stanley uris

[mayasaura]

Re: your John post: I’m so fascinated by the moment when Cristabel kills herself in front of John to give him the final boost (psychological and practical) to figure out resurrection because when it WORKS and he figures it out, John’s immediate response is…to leave her lying dead on the floor because suddenly the urgency to save that one individual life evaporates in the face of everything he can now do.

There are later moments, like when the ship escapes, that are obviously pivotal in HIS mind, but it’s my sense that everything which happens after Cristabel’s (first) death is colored by that shift from “If I can just figure out how to bring ONE person back, I can bring EVERYONE back” to “Who cares if I can bring one person back? I can bring ANYONE I want back!”

And with THAT shift comes a shift in his own understanding of what morality looks like for someone with his power.

Sorry for the delay, I've been struggling with answering this one.

I agree, Cristabel's suicide is an extremely important pivotal moment for John, if not THE pivotal moment, but I'm not sure I agree about exactly what his pivot was.

After Cristabel dies, when he's holding her soul and through it sees Alecto, he doesn't go straight to 'I'm so powerful I can do anything now,' and he doesn't immediately set off the bombs or make himself god. He does a journey first through begging to become a vessel for that power, begging the soul of the Earth to tell him what to do. When he says that Alecto was incoherent and screaming, he follows up by saying "It wasn't your fault." He doesn't blame her for it, but he resents that he wasn't given guidance in that moment, that he was left with so much power and no idea what he was meant to do with it.

Something I feel carries a lot of weight in that scene for how little John dwells on it is that John was also suicidal. When he set up the nuclear threat, I don't think he expected to survive the fallout if he followed through. When Cris told him she knew how to help him and then came back with a gun, John's assumption was that she was going to kill him. And he was going to let her.

I find it difficult to analyze his immediate reaction to Cris' death, choosing to focus on Alecto over Cristabel. For personal reasons, I'm incapable of judging someone for their immediate reaction to watching a loved one commit suicide. I just can't. He had the power to bring her right back and he didn't; it seems like there's obviously something deeply wrong with that decision, but I can't assume it was out of lack of care for Cristabel. Maybe it was representative of a shift in his priorities, it seems likely that you're right and it was, but I can only credit that retroactively in how he processed having made the decision. Seeing something like that can just. Make you insane. Sometimes there is no 'why' in what you do when you're experiencing that kind of traumatic shock, and trying to find deeper meaning in it will only fuck you up beyond belief.

I'm pretty certain John was in shock, from the way he recounts it. From the moment he starts telling how Cristabel came back with the gun, he's described as sounding 'as though he were underwater with the rest of everything'. His memory surrounding the immediate aftermath is fuzzy, he can't remember details about what he did, if he took anything with him. He remembers some trivial-seeming sensory and visual details clearly, like how there was less blood than he expected on his clothes. He doesn't remember what he did, when he left the scene of her death to find the rest of his friends under assault or dead. He thinks he just watched, but he isn't sure. It feels weird, like he dreamed it. He remembers Augustine saying something in their final moments huddled together behind the barricade, but not what he said. He recalls holding Augustine and Mercy's hands as they begged for his life, as they died in front of him, but he's not sure how he got there. He was, in short, incredibly fucked up and about to die.

And that's when he ended everything, and became god.

I've been thinking about that moment preceding all of it—about Cristabel and John and how pivotal their relationship was—for a while since you first sent this, and I think on some level John does realize how important it is. John was only Catholic by the furthest stretch of the definition, we find that out fairly early in the Verses. He was baptized at a christian rock concert he'd attended for the underage drinking. There's no evidence the man ever set foot in a church prior to his apotheosis, and he goes on to construct a giant Catholic-themed space empire. Why would he do that? Why is that the blueprint he chose for his new world?

John wasn't Catholic, but Cristabel was. She was a nun, she was the only person he allowed into the room with him during his breakdown, and he addresses her as 'Sister'. She killed herself in front of him. She's the reason he learned how to perceive the soul, and she was the first soul he ever touched. Did he lean so heavily on the Catholic theme in honor of her, or to spite her, or both? Or did she push the theme herself? We know she invented the oath "One flesh, one end," and we know she was the one behind forcing the invention of lyctorhood. In her first life, we know she was the one who most enthusiastically framed John as a religious figure, even before he formed the cult. How much influence did Cristabel have in the structure and formation of the Empire? How deep an impression did she leave on the culture, and on John?

#the locked tomb #cristabel oct #tlt meta #ntn spoilers #nona the ninth #john gaius #emperor john gaius #suicide cw #suicide tw #tw suicide #cw suicide #survivor's guilt cw #long post #I don't know what we're meant to take away from this scene or if there is a right or wrong answer to how we react #but I do know this series hasn't ever trivialized the trauma of being the immediate survivor of someone's suicide #so it is probably important to understanding John too

[paradoxcase]

Chapter 11 of Nona the Ninth

Day Three has dawned, and it looks like Corona will appear in this one

Chapter 11 has a Fifth skull. Why? I have no idea

Nook app is back to crashing every time I take a screenshot of it, lovely

I don't think there was a part of the story where either of them was holding someone underwater? There was that one part of the pool scene where I think it was meant to make you think that Gideon might try to drown Harrow, but she didn't do that at all

This sounds maybe more like Harrow's pool scene memories?

The pool scene dream is not sexy, but acting it out with Camilla is?

So possibly she's interpreting "sexy" to mean aesthetically attractive, and you know, that's totally fair, I did that as a teenager too, but Nona doesn't have any presupposition that only people can be sexy so she just calls it as she sees it. It's still interesting from that perspective that she doesn't find the pool scene sexy since presumably Harrow and Gideon do find each other aesthetically attractive

That's pancakes, apparently. I guess pancakes are maybe the only food that Nona actually likes?

Pyrrha was so worried that Camilla was going to go to the park and do something dumb, and made Palamedes promise not to go to the park and not to let Camilla go, and then she went herself

What exactly is Nona's experience of what marriage means and how people who are married ought to act towards each other? Does Nona actually know any married people? If we count Gideon and Harrow's experience, I think their sum total experience of married couples might actually be just Harrow's parents, Ortus's parents, and Magnus and Abigail

I'm guessing this means that Pyrrha killed the people in the cages so they wouldn't have to burn to death

I took a break, and I think I've lost track of what people have told me of the politics here, whether BOE/Merv Wing or locals are the ones burning the "necromancers" to death? Either way, I guess Hot Sauce is involved with those people, which isn't really surprising

I guess Pyrrha/Wake was inevitable, wasn't it?

Palamedes also gets to be heterosexual. As a treat

Camilla seems to have been weirded out by Nona calling her sexy, honestly I think that's fair

At first I though, oh, no, someone has found out about them and they're about to be carted off to the park or something, but then I remembered that it said that Corona takes Nona to school today, so possibly this just Ctesiphon Wing paying them a visit and this is just their way to saying hello

#the locked tomb #nona the ninth

[cateyesinlove]

~Marigold Flowers Bloom In Late Autumn~

Ao3 link

“Soulmates aren’t just lovers.”

Chapter 2; Two Broke Hearts

Having a vision always made Elain feel like she was floating, distant from reality. She could tell where and with who she was, her body knew when she was safe or in danger. Leaving the haze of her vision was exactly like resurfacing from underwater, like when she had first come out of the cauldron. It wasn’t terrible like when she had first become fae, she was more in control, visions like this only appeared from time to time when the Maiden would send her something that she found crucial for Elain to see. Slowly she could feel Nuala’s and Cerridwen’s touch, she could hear the sounds of the water running down through the sink and the oven, she could smell the dinner they had prepared and when she felt ready she opened her eyes and gasped for air.

“How long was I out?” Elain asked after catching her breath and leaning into Cerridwen. “Not long,” Nuala answered as she pressed a cold towel to Elain’s forehead. Elain closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the cold towel on her skin. 

“What did you see?” Cerridwen asked. 

“ I- I couldn’t see anything,” she answered, staring at her hands confused. “I heard these voices, overlapping one another and just so much intensity in what they were saying but the scenery was pitch black,” she looked at her friends confused. “I-I think I heard my voice but the other one,” she mumbled. 

While she didn’t necessarily feel a headache, there was this pressure in the back of her head, it felt like more of a physical ache, it had been almost a year since the last time getting a vision would leave her in such a state; so confused.

“Do you want to try the blindfold?” Cerridwen asked her friend while rubbing her arms. 

“I- I don’t know,” she answered unsure of her feelings. “Why would the Maiden send me voices instead of a vision, I’m a seer,” she wondered. Elain was used to the quick flashes of scenes in her mind, she was used to the gut-punching scenes the Maiden would send her, the anxiety of wondering if this time it was someone dying or good fortune for her and her family. She wasn’t used to the darkness and just sounds.

“Maybe you should go lie down,” Nuala suggested sending her sister a worried glance.

“I think Nuala might be right, Lain.” Cerridwen helped Elain to her feet, “You have a ridiculously long day tomorrow, you don’t need to be tired and weak for the trip.” 

Elain tried to shake her head but realized it would not be pleasant, “Can you stay?” She asked them, knowing she might look once again like the fragile little fae she was when she first met them. 

They both smiled and hugged their friend. “Of course!” Answered Nuala.

They both helped Elain put the food away and clean the kitchen. Elain had insisted that at least they allowed her to help put the plates away. She didn’t need to feel useless, the twins knowing their friend agreed but both had kept an eye on her. After everything had been put away and the kitchen looked clean all three friends decided to head upstairs to Elain’s room. The townhouse Feyre and Rhysand had allowed her to live in after she decided she needed her own space was very spacious; it had enough rooms for all three of them but they always opted to stay in the same room. Sometimes the house felt too big for one person. Not long ago it didn’t use to feel like that.

All three friends had changed and gotten ready for the night and were now lying down in the bed squished together, it wasn’t ideal for any of them if they were honest but they wouldn’t have it any other way, they loved being able to be all three together; Elain could remember the first time they had spent the night in the same bed. It had been three months ago. 

Azriel had left the house a few hours ago and he had taken everything that had belonged to him. Elain was sitting down on the kitchen floor, tears going down her cheeks. 

For almost four months they had lived together in that house. They had gone to sleep in the same bed and woken up together, they had cooked meals and baked. They had spent every afternoon on the back patio, Azriel would be reading a book or working on some reports while Elain gardened, they had trained together and had recovered from missions together, they had hosted their family for dinners there, in their own little home. It had been almost perfect. 

Their discussions had started as nothing more than serious conversations about Azriel’s self-deprecating comments. Elain had grown concerned about the image Azriel had of himself, she had tried to make Azriel see how good of a person, how wonderful and amazing he was, and how irreplaceable he was for his family and her. She had tried everything but his attitude never changed. Elain would never say that Azriel had been a bad partner, on the contrary, he loved her so much just as she loved him, he was attentive and gentle, he saw her after years of feeling invisible, and he could see past the front that she put for everyone but it all felt… delicate, she had always felt like Azriel never believed this was going to last, sometimes she caught visions of the anxiety and fear Azriel had of losing her. While she had the same fears of losing him, hers were more related to his work as a spy and the war looming over them. Azriel fear felt as if he was scared that a strong breeze of air would take her away from him, she would constantly reassure him often that she had chosen him and nothing could change that. She loved him and no one nor anyone could change that but some days his insecurities could get the worst of him. He would refuse to touch her or allow her to touch him. She was running out of ideas for how to help him when she thought about the person who had talked with the priestesses after Sangravah, that same day when she had asked him about it Azriel had accepted and talked to her for a few hours.

When he had come back from the talk, he was serious and distant. Elain had been in the kitchen prepping a new dessert when he had only kissed her head and headed upstairs, she had worried it was because she had done something wrong but whenever they had an issue or a problem they tended to have good communication, she had decided to give him space and he would come to her. 

An hour or two later while Elain was finishing some touches on her dessert she heard Azriel coming down the stairs and when she turned around, Elain found Azriel with bags in his hands with what she assumed was all his stuff. 

He was leaving. 

She swallowed the pain and walked towards him. “Is it over?” she whispered with a broken voice and tears in her eyes. 

Azriel closed his eyes and dropped the bags on the floor, “I want you to understand something,” he said as he approached her and took her hands. “This has nothing to do with what I feel for you or if I had been unhappy in the past months,” he whispered looking at her, those magnificent hazel eyes on hers. 

“Then why?” she asked closing her fingers around his hands. 

Azriel sighed and rested his head on top of hers, burying his nose in her hair. “Because there is a lot of me that I am not giving you, Elain,” he whispered with pain in his voice. “There are things in my soul I need to heal, I love you and these past months have been the happiest I have probably been in my life but being with you doesn’t erase all the hurt I have in me. There are things, things I have only shared with a few. I am not ready to share that part of me with you yet. I want to be with you completely and without hesitation, with no fear of losing you. I can’t spend the rest of my life feeling like any mistakes I make will cause you to abandon me. It’s not fair for either of us to be together when I have so much doubt. I want to be better, I want to heal. Not only to be the partner you deserve but also for me, is time to let go of things and move forward.” 

“I love you,” Elain whispered as she separated from him and looked him directly in his eyes, bearing her soul and hiding nothing, showing him the raw pain she felt but all the love she bore for him. 

Azriel had shed a tear and had held her face and had brought her in for a last kiss. A tender kiss full of sadness but also all the love they both had for each other.

“I love you,” he had whispered, giving her one last caress on the cheek he walked away from her to take his belongings and winnowed away to the House of Wind.

Elain had walked to the kitchen and rested her hands on the counter,  finally had let out all the pain and hurt she felt coming out in the ugly form of uncontrollable sobs. When she had finished crying she sat next to the counter without the energy to move, and that’s where the twins found her. Eyes full of tears and sitting on the floor.

The twins had received a message from Azriel informing them that Elain might need them and without further explanation that he had ended things with her. They had considered murdering him first but knew their friend needed them. They loved Elain more than they cared for beating up Azriel. 

They had helped her up from the floor and taken her to the couch, all three snuggled with some blankets around them, they had listened to the story and had hugged her as she cried. Eventually, they decided to move to the bed and refused to leave her alone. They all went to sleep in the clothes they had worn that day, it matter little to them, they were there for Elain, their best friend till the end.

That had been three months ago and Elain no longer teared up when thinking about it. It had been the best for Azriel, and while they no longer were together she had nothing but love for her friend who she hoped was doing better.

Elain closed her eyes and feeling safe with her best friends next to her she allowed sleep to take her.

Elain woke up sweating and with tears in her eyes.  

She looked out the window and realized it was almost time for her to leave for the Autumn Court. Elain slowly shook the twins, waking them up. She left the bed and started getting ready focusing on her long hair, braiding some pieces on the front making a makeshift crown of braids, she had left the rest of it untied, leaving the waves of long brown hair to help cover the back tattoo hiding behind the colorful material of her dress.

As she finished arranging her jewelry and expecting her dress she heard the sound of Mor’s powers. Winnowing downstairs. 

“Elain?” Mor called from downstairs. 

“Up here!” She yelled grabbing her bag. 

After Elain had woken them up the twins had each gone to the room they had claimed as theirs in the house and gotten ready for the trip.

“Good morning, dear Elain,” Mor offered her a smile when she spotted Elain coming down the stairs,  she was wearing one of her many gorgeous red dresses. “Do you have anything new for me to try?” She asked referring to the pastries Elain often had around in her house. 

“No sorry,” she apologized.  “Since we were leaving today I thought it would be a waste to bake something I mayhaps not finish.”

“What a shame,” she answered giving her a smile. “Cassian will be disappointed he did not get a snack for the trip,” she joked and after that, she had gone silent and started to look around the room waiting for the twins.

It was always like this with her. Elain liked Mor but the reality was that she and Mor just weren’t friends. Mor was Feyre’s best friend, she was Nyx’s second favorite Aunt and Rhys' cousin but to Elain, she was an acquaintance, someone who was always there at parties, family dinners, and meetings. The reality was that if Feyre and Rhysand didn’t ask for Mor to be around then Elain would probably never see her.

They stood in silence for a few more minutes when the twins finally came down, “Everyone ready?” Mor asked smiling. 

The twins nodded and came closer, Nuala had taken the position next to her sister and all four winnowed to the river state. 

When they arrived they were greeted by Amren, Cassian, and Nesta. Elain could see Gwyn and Emerie in their leather Valkyrie uniform as they were having a small cup of tea on the couches.

Nesta had walked towards them and almost ignoring Mor she had hugged Elain in greeting and then had turned to talk to the twins about a message she had for Azriel. 

Cassian kissed Mor on the cheek and then proceeded to pick her up and spun her around as she gasped and hold onto him. “Good morning my dear Ellie,” Cassian had said after he had put her down and kissed her on both cheeks.

She laughed as she hugged him. “Morning my dearest Cassian,” she greeted with a curtsy and then proceeded to give him a kiss on the cheek. It had been a joke at the start, how much it irritated their partners had been a bonus, Nesta and Azriel would roll their eyes at their display of affection, so every time they would see each other they would greet the other like that. After a few times, Azriel and Nesta had become indifferent to it but they still had fun, so it had just sort of become routine for them. 

Gwyn and Emerie had come to greet the twins and had patted Elain on the back after a quick hello. As always Elain kept an eye on everyone, after all this time she still liked to keep to herself and observe. She was observing Emerie as she talked with Mor. Something was different, she couldn’t feel that usual nervousness in Emerie or the pull and tug she could see between them. Mor seemed almost indifferent to either of the Valkyrie but Elain couldn’t read why, that was until she saw Emerie's hand placed in Gwyn's back, almost a staking claim. She smiled to herself, she was happy for them. 

“Well, what a beautiful picture you all give,” a voice had called from the top of the staircase, Rhysand. 

“Lain!” A small voice yelled from the top too, her gorgeous nephew. Elain smiled brightly as she waved at him. Nyx was turning two soon, a couple of months, and the whole Night Court would be celebrating in grand. 

Feyre came down the staircase with Nyx in her arms and Rhysand next to her, Elain had immediately been at her side so she could carry Nyx. Elain currently held the title of favorite Aunt, she didn’t like to brag but she also didn’t feel like hiding it, Elain was proud that her nephew loved her so much, and she felt honored that her sister and brother trusted her enough to call her whenever they needed help with him. 

She snuggled Nyx as Feyre and Rhys went over some instructions with Mor about Nyx. They had all agree that Feyre and Rhysand would try to winnow during the night so Nyx didn’t feel abandoned, they would put a group effort into distracting whoever they needed to make it happen without no one noticing.

Nesta had asked for Nyx after he was ready to greet everyone else. The kid was the sensation of the Court of Dreams.

“Are we ready?” Rhysand had asked everyone as everyone was too preoccupied with making Nyx laugh and saying hello to him.

Elain had decided to sit down and think back to the dream she had.

Elain was standing in a destroyed office, papers everywhere, and furniture broken that seemed to have been thrown around. 

“ I don’t understand,” someone whispered behind her, she turned and saw Eris, covered in blood and sweaty, his hands were trembling and his eyes seemed exhausted, he was turned around, back facing Elain and he was resting his hands in a giant window, the morning sun peaking through the clouds.

This is probably after he fought with Beron. 

Eris turned around, ignoring her, and walked directly to the desk hitting it with his fist.

Elain was startled as she took a step back. 

“Where are you!” He growled and threw a book to a portrait of Beron hanging on the wall above where Elain assumed his chair was supposed to be.

“You fuck,” Eris whispered sinking to his knees, he looked ready to pass out. Elain got closer and knelt behind him. She tried to put a hand on his as he closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. Elain could feel all the frustration and fear in him. 'What could Eris Vanserra be scared of,' she thought.

 She saw him put his hands in his hair with desperation when some guards came running. “We found her, Your Highness,” they huffed exhausted from the running. “Who are you looking for,” she wondered.

“Take me to her, now” Eris exclaimed as he immediately got up and ran to them, Elain decided to follow them curious. 

Eris and the guards rushed towards the someone Eris had been looking for, Elain had tried her best to keep up with them. They arrived at the entrance of the castle where she saw a crowd of what she guessed were the staff of the castle, the brightness of the sun and the orange surroundings outside had blinded Elain causing her to lose Eris and the guards she was following. She could hear the loud barking of the hounds and the voices of everyone around her as she tried to find Eris in the crowd. 

Elain finally making her way to the front saw what had all the people gathered outside the castle in awe. On the floor was Eris Vanserra, the new high lord of the Autumn Court, on his knees cradling his mother’s unconscious and damaged body, bruises and blood covering her. The former Lady of Autumn. 

#erislain #acotar #elaris #pro elriel #elriel breakup #but they stay besties #elain archeron #pro elain #elriel #eris vanserra #eris x elain #elain x eris #marigold flowers universe #marigold flowers bloom in late autumn #azriel #nessian #casslain #feysand #gwyn x emerie #gwynemerie #emerie x gwyn #emerie acotar #emerie of illyria #emerie acosf #a court of thorns and roses #acosf #gwynerie

[bigdumbbambieyes]

Mmmh.. Could you write something like.. Billy saving Steve from something from the upside down or similar? (could be in the upside down when Steve gets dragged there, or maybe from vecna, or whatever can spark your idea) your writing is so good!

thank u, anon!! you gave me a nice little challenge with this prompt 🥰 i decided on a small rewrite for that S4 scene since Billy would’ve definitely kicked demobat ass to save Steve!

no tw, but they are established bc i think it adds a little something

———

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Billy can’t help but to ask with a lip curled in disbelief, his brows furrowed to complete the look.

Steve, who has just peeled his yellow sweater off, glances back at Billy and eyes him as he steadies himself on the rocking boat. His tone is a little condescending as he replies, “I’m going down to find the gate..?” Like they’ve been discussing the whole boat ride, duh.

Billy outright laughs at his boyfriend, sharp and mean, because fuck that. “The hell you are, Harrington.”

Brows furrow as Steve turns to face him, “And why the fuck not?”

Because he’s worried. Because he won’t be able to protect Steve from up here if he’s down in the water. Instead of saying any of that, he says, “Because you wouldn’t last a minute down there, pretty boy.”

The banter is far from new, but honestly at this point in their relationship, Billy knows that it’s long turned into bickering. Like a goddamn married couple.

Steve blinks in his own disbelief, like he can’t believe what he’s just heard, and rebuffs with, “Which one of us was captain of the swim team and a certified lifeguard for three years?!”

“Ha. We’re both certified lifeguards, remember, baby? And which one of us has been surfing in the goddamn ocean since he was a kid, hm?”

“Well—“

“Guys!” Robin finally shouts, glaring at the two of them, “Please stop with the dick measuring contest already, we have a very pressing issue!”

Right. World-ending monster man. As if this wasn’t Billy’s first rodeo with it.

Steve, his absolutely stubborn and resolute boyfriend, doubles down by saying, “I’m going down, okay? And I’ll be right back up once I find it - it’s probably right beneath us.”

“Fine,” Billy huffs, letting his mouth twist in a smirk as he stands and shrugs off his jacket and toes off his boots, “Then I’m going with you.”

A soft chorus of ‘jesus christ’ and ‘come on’ is muttered from Nancy, Robin, and Eddie as the couple stare each other down. Old habits are hard to break, Billy supposes. He can’t help but to antagonize Steve in front of an audience - regardless of how much he loves him.

But, Steve doesn’t argue. No, instead, he rolls his eyes like the brat he is and grabs a flashlight from Nancy before diving into the dark water. Like a total show off.

Not one to be outdone, Billy grabs the flashlight offered by Eddie and gives the other metalhead a playful wink before he’s diving in behind Steve.

The water is murky but he manages to keep his eye on Steve’s flashlight, following him down deeper into the lake, until he can see Steve’s silhouette in a glowing red light at the bottom of it.

The gate.

He can’t see exactly what his boyfriend is doing, but he’s getting way too close to the gate for Billy’s liking. Before Billy can swim down to grab him, the pretty boy is hightailing it back, swimming towards the surface and so Billy quickly follows suit.

They break through the surface with matching gasps, grabbing onto the edge of the boat as the other three lean over to look at them expectantly.

“It’s down there,” Steve breathes as he pushes his hair back from his face, Billy wanting to push him back into the boat to keep him safe, but Steve keeps rambling, “Right below us, it’s pretty damn big, like, this isn’t a little baby gate, this is—“ Steve stops abruptly, water splashing into his mouth as he’s pulled down a little, a confused look on his face as he looks to Billy.

Billy is about to say that it wasn’t him when Steve’s dragged underwater, and there isn’t even a second of hesitation before he’s inhaling a deep breath and diving under again. He can see Steve being dragged through that goddamn gate, and his heart is in his throat as he swims as fast as he can down to it, worried that it would seal shut before he could reach it. Thankfully, it doesn’t, and he breaks through the watery gate with a gasp, clawing at the ground as he crawls out of it.

He hears Steve before he can properly see him - hears him crying out “BILLY!” as his boyfriend is quickly overwhelmed by ugly looking creatures swooping down from the sky to attack, knocking Steve to the ground hard.

When he doesn’t get up, Billy acts, pushing past his racing heart and aching lungs to run over to where Steve’s been dragged. Fear strikes his heart as he finally gets a good look at him, pinned to the ground and crying out again, his face twisted in obvious pain as those bats bite at his skin.

There’s an old oar on the ground next to Steve that he grabs, and Billy doesn’t hesitate to plant his feet and lift the oar over his head as the fear melts out of his heart - just like it had when he went up against the Mindflayer.

The crack of splintering wood is satisfying to his ears as he hits the first bat away, stepping on the tail of the second one around Steve’s neck as he stabs it with the broken end of the oar. He’s desperate to get Steve free until another bat grabs at his blond hair, distracting him, and his mind races with no, no, no as he tries to get it away.

Nancy suddenly smacks the bat out of his hair with her own oar moments later, Robin and Eddie doing their best to fend off the creatures, too. He looks to Steve, watches how he’s slamming the last bat down again and again, grunting angrily as he does, until the bat is nearly dead. Instinctively, Billy rushes over to step on the bat’s wing as Steve gives a final pull of its tail, splitting the creature in half.

The sky cracks with red lightning and shakes the ground with thunder, and Steve looks fucking feral like this - shirtless and bloody, spitting out dark blood from a bat he bit as he and Billy lock eyes.

There’s adrenaline and anger simmering under his skin. He told Steve not to go, that Billy should’ve been the only one to swim down there, but Steve never listens and those dark eyes are fierce and alive and Billy feels his tight chest finally loosen.

He reaches for Steve then, his boyfriend reaching out for him at the same time, although he does stumble a little. Billy only lets himself feel relieved once he has Steve in his arms and they’re holding each other tightly, spitting out in half-hearted anger, “Don’t try and pull that hero shit ever again.”

Steve laughs quietly into his ear, the shock probably setting in as he leans against Billy for support rather than comfort and mutters, “Only if you promise to keep pulling that hero shit, babe.”

And he will. As much as he fucking needs to, because he knows Steve isn’t going to stop, either.

#harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #steve x billy #billy x steve #eddie munson #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #the sass between billy and steve in s4 would’ve been so good #prompt fic #bambiwrites

[bengiyo]

The Eclipse Ep 10 Stray Thoughts

There's so much BL happening that I don't exactly remember where we are. I know we're waiting on a phishing attempt, there's a protest coming, Neo and Khaotung gave the gayest lovesick expressions I've seen in a while, and Akk almost had a swimming mishap last episode before shivering through an underwater kiss.

Mes is here. This must be the past.

Smash cut to the burning effigy and then don't play the whole intro? Shit's going down today!

This headmaster just did the shoulder touch to Chadok and promised some nebulous reward. Just how far up the chain does this go?

It's interesting seeing how the adults are navigating this. Some demand the students conform for the sake of the majority, whereas Sani tries to deflect and defer the matter.

Finally. Some of the other students have had enough and are siding with the World Remembers.

A terrified Thua was able to vocalize his fear directly to Kan, and Kan is finally able to offer him comfort at school.

I love how Thua suspects that Kan is using Bruce Wayne to talk to him and leans into that illusion to push Kan. Admitting he has feelings for Bruce Wayne has me leaning all the way in. Kan gives an encouraging response, but we'll see if he can give Thua what he's asking for.

Ayan and Akk have a great dynamic when they aren't picking at each other.

Aw yes, we're pulling out the earbuds for shared listening. This is one of my favorite tropes.

I also like Ayan teasing him for stealing glances. It's time to play the entirety of the I See You album by the xx I think

I am just floored by Khaotung and First every week. The way he shifts as Ayan says, "I get you. When I first found out, it was difficult, too," sent me through the roof. Akk's response of, "You can't like a bad person like me," broke me. How many queers who've had to closet themselves and act as agents of the oppressors feel like this? How do we help them? I went to a school not dissimilar from these boys. I've been Akk.

Akk's smile when he finally agrees to the relationship with Ayan is absolutely incredible. First is just SO GOOD.

Oh, Ayan. He let Akk rest for a moment before pulling him in to cuddle.

Ooh a seme wall lean. Interesting that we're using this after Ayan has gotten Akk to agree that they're dating, and is getting him more comfortable admitting that he likes Ayan and misses his presence. I do worry about them getting caught at school though. Akk believes he needs this scholarship if he's going to succeed and make his family proud.

Interesting use of queer gender politics to tease Akk into kissing him. Ayan completely tickled at getting the response he hoped for is fantastic. My circle and I always play around like this as well.

Kan's smirk at this lame explanation for their clandestine getaway is the kind of queer friend group content BL has been missing.

Thailand loves basketball if BL is to be believed. I'm okay with this show using basketball to flirt.

Ayan pulling Akk away from the protest is good for him, but I wonder where Ayan's feelings lie when it comes to the gang and their protest. He seems friendly with them, but he's clearly more concerned with his own beef with Suppalo than there's.

I'm very proud of Kan and Thua for coming to support the protest. It matters for both of them stepping up as students invested in the school structures to side with the queer people who don't fit in and are being bullied.

Oh my goodness this beach scene with Kan and Thua is everything. Kan asking if Thua can be with someone as messed up as him. Thua wanting clarity on the kiss. It's giving, "If you had ever stolen a kiss from someone, how would you give it back?"

Oh that was actually perfect for them as a confirmation kiss. They're both still awkward, so the quick kiss into an offered hug is a good choice.

Ah, public shaming of an individual. The favored tool of terrible educators. Calling on his relationship with Mrs was a gross move.

Akk is breaking, and this probably looks too similar to what happened to Dika.

I haven't been this relieved that someone responded to a hug in a long time. I hope Akk can hold on to Ayan and pull himself out of this spiral.

I think it's time Ayan told Akk his full story.

Oh good. I was worried Akk would run from Ayan. Breaking down and realizing he'd been misled to hate his favorite teacher is heartbreaking.

Passing on the necklace is a big deal. I just finished 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us, so I'm definitely not okay about significant momentos being passed along.

Ayan is still so smart. Akk asked how Dika died, clearly asking about grim particulars. Ayan diverted that right away towards the lead enforcement agents of this harsh system.

Oh boy I am excited about next week. Looks like we might be setting up for an Episode 12 denouement!

#the eclipse series #the eclipse #the eclipse the series #thai bl #bl series #Ben watches

[thetomorrowshow]

poisoned rats in a pot of grain - ch. 6

Masterlist - Previous - Next

i spent like days struggling with one scene near the end of this fic only to finish writing it and realizing that it doesn't flow right for the main fic. rip me but hey at least now i've kicked that writer's block! it's a very sizable chunk to cut but it's still a good scene so it'll be repurposed into a post-story one shot :)

cw: past minor character death, violence, blood, dehumanization (the usual)

~

 “You’ve fought the Canary?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“It’s Solidarity. And I think he’s being mind-controlled.”

“Right. Sure. Major, would you be able to come with me to meet someone?”

The streets are dark.

It’s nighttime when Mythics, villain of Empires City, wakes. He’s lying on the ground in a tucked-away alley, staring into nothing, when he suddenly sits up and looks around.

He’d stumbled there earlier that day, clutching his head and groaning in pain, had collapsed on the ground and laid there for hours.

Now he heaves himself to his feet, glances around again, and limps out into the city, one hand clamped over his mouth and the other shading his eyes.

He follows a path that is clearly well-known to him, doubling back at points to ensure that there is no chance of any tails. The walk is two hours, two hours that might have been expedited by the use of his powers, but he never uses them. He walks and walks, pace growing slower and slower, on his own two feet until he reaches some dingy townhouses on the outskirts of the west side rundown part of town. Once there, he loses all sense of stealth (which, admittedly, had not been much) and directly approaches one of the doors. He knocks seven times.

There’s a few moments of waiting, waiting that Mythics does not do patiently. He taps his feet, looks around at the neighborhood, runs his hand up a seam of his costume nervously. Right as he reaches to knock again, the lock clicks and the door swings open.

“Hey, Sausage!” well-known antihero fWhip exclaims, spreading his arms wide. Despite the late hour, he’s still fully dressed, leather coat rustling and creaking with his movements. “Long time, no see! How’re you doing?”

Mythics shifts, looks around again. “Can I come in?” he whispers, leaning in close. fWhip frowns, looks past his shoulder.

“Is everything . . . good?” he asks cautiously, adjusting the goggles that serve as his mask. Mythics hesitates, before leaning even closer.

“Something’s wrong. Xornoth’s planning something bad. I’m in too deep. I—I need help.”

-

“You’re—you’re going to what?”

“I’m going to kill him,” Lizzie repeats simply, eyes daring Scott to oppose her. “I’m going to hunt him down and fill his lungs with water and watch as he chokes to death slowly.”

Scott blinks.

He opens his mouth, closes it again.

What?

“I’m—” he starts, but Joel cuts him off.

“Yeah, he’s your nemesis,” he says, “but Liz has got personal history. I think you ought to work together to kill him, but it’s not me doing it.”

Kill—kill Solidarity?

“Ex-explain to me, why, exactly, we’re killing him?” Scott asks, voice faint in his disbelief. Lizzie looks down, then back up, glare steely but eyes far away.

“I can’t remember much,” she says, her voice smaller and more unsure than anything she’s said so far, a stark contrast from her stormy appearance. “I lost my memory. Years ago. But I remember this. When I was young, I lived in a city. Maybe this one, I don’t know. I don’t remember. But. . . .”

She sits down in one of the folding chairs, rests her head in her hands. “I was young. I don’t know. I came home. Solidarity was there. He was—he was standing over their bodies. He saw me, and—and the house went up in flames. He ran. I don’t—I don’t know how I survived. I only remember flashes. But he killed them.

“I don’t remember anything else. I woke up underwater, no idea who I was or how I could breathe. Swam until I found land. Started a life. I didn’t start remembering anything until he started appearing on the news.”

Scott blinks again, looks away when Lizzie’s shoulders start to shake. Joel kneels beside her, rubs her back.

“Sometimes—” she chokes out, “sometimes I wonder if I forgot these things on purpose. With my water powers, I—I could have just taken them away. Saved myself the pain I feel now.”

Scott’s been close to just driving ice through her ankles for the past three minutes, but those words give him pause. “I—how would that work?”

Lizzie shrugs. “Memories are fluid.”

“No—”

“Shut up, Major,” hisses Joel. “Are you with us, or not?”

He’s definitely not with them, thank you very much. How can he be? They want to kill Solidarity, and Scott has found himself inexorably in support of the man. But some of the things Lizzie had said. . . .

Unfortunately, Scott can relate. Solidarity had killed his own father, even if it wasn’t by blood. He knows where her anger, her grief, is coming from. Just thinking of Aeor makes his chest ache, even after all this time.

But judging by the admittedly very brief and confusing conversation he had with Solidarity, no harm he does is on purpose. He can’t control his powers. And right now, no matter what the Mad King says, he is not in control of himself.

These two aren’t going to sway from their task. The revenge Lizzie seeks is what’s pushing them forward, and she won’t believe anything Scott tries to tell her.

And as much as he hates it, he needs them. He’s been searching for Solidarity for months with no results. He can’t keep going on alone.

They’ve set up a plan already. He just needs to follow along with it, then double-cross them later and save Solidarity.

Or maybe he can convince them that Solidarity deserves a chance.

Strange bedfellows, he thinks to himself. Now lie in it.

“I’ll help,” he says aloud. Joel shoots up, shakes his hand, telling him he won’t regret it and the like. Scott waits until he’s led back out of the building and until he’s skating home to call the mayor.

“Xornoth’s getting dangerous,” he says. “They’re my responsibility. I’m going to be doing some strange things, all right? Just know that whatever happens, it’s all part of the plan.”

-

Gem waves her staff, sends a bolt of purple lightning out, but Jimmy sidesteps it and keeps stalking toward her, his bad leg making his limp prominent.

His master is just watching. They'd pointed at Gem, they'd said "Attack," and they'd left Jimmy to it. He's not sure how far they expect him to go. He finds he doesn't care. He's being good. He's being a very good boy.

Gem's on the ground, scrambling back and away from him, and she looks scared. Good. He needs to be feared.

There's people watching this fight, a small crowd and a news van, but they're silent, holding a collective breath.

Then a couple of younger guys join the crowd, and as Jimmy is closing in on Gem, one of them shouts out in an annoying, high-pitched voice, "Canary! Step on me!"

Jimmy's head whips to find them in the crowd, their obnoxious floral button-up, and it's barely a moment and barely a disaster (it's just their shoes catching fire, it's really not much at all), but Xornoth hisses in his ear.

"Pet, your task," they tell him through the crackle of his comms, and Jimmy turns away from the panicked shouts and stamping and back to Gem, who has regained her feet and is holding her staff out threateningly.

"Stay away," she says shakily, taking a step back for every one of Jimmy's steps forward. Jimmy gathers what adrenaline he can, feels it thrum through his veins, and directs it at her.

It's one of his more powerful hits, and Jimmy takes a couple of steps away as leaves swirl down, faster and faster, the wind picking up around Gem as she cries out and is suddenly surrounded by a mini twister. It manages to pick her up and carry her several meters before she breaks it apart with a purple blast of energy, stumbling out and to her knees.

"What on earth is your power?" she gasps, brushing her hair out of her face. Jimmy doesn’t respond, just keeps pushing toward her.

He’s tired. He’s not sure he has the energy to do much more power-wise. He’s flagging fast, months of the bare minimum amount of food and sleep catching up. He doesn’t stumble, though. He’s better trained than that.

He doesn’t mind physical combat, he supposes. Anything to keep fighting.

Gem’s again scrambling back, eyes flicking back and forth between the staff that had been torn from her hands with the twister and Jimmy. 

Jimmy flicks a knife out of an inside pocket, grips it tight in his trembling hand. He’s winning this fight.

Or not, because just as he’s about to leap onto Gem, a blast of ice knocks him aside. Great. Incredible. Just what he needed.

Jimmy struggles to his feet, wincing as his bad leg shifts a bit in its socket. He checks on Gem—she's gotten her staff back—and then looks up.

Major's up there, coming down an ice slide from a high window. He lands with a flourish in the middle of the intersection where Jimmy and Gem fight, waves cheerily to the now-growing crowd.

"Hey, Xornoth. Hello, Canary. Good to see you, Gem," Major says loudly with a nod to each of them. Jimmy steals a glance at Xornoth, sees their thunderous expression, and turns back toward Gem. Xornoth told him to fight Gem. He can do that.

Major's saying something, and Xornoth is spitting something back, but he doesn't hear any of it because he has to focus on Gem. He has to take her down. His master told him to attack and he can’t stop, he can’t disappoint them, he can’t be in trouble. . . .

Something hits him from behind and Jimmy crumples, his forehead smacking against asphalt. There’s a weight on his back, and even as he flails he can’t become free—this isn’t good, something’s on top of him and he needs to get back up—

What are you doing? a voice whispers in his head. Jimmy bucks at the sound, foreign and unasked-for and intruding. It’s terrifying—there’s something in his head and he doesn’t know what and he wants it gone. “Master,” he whispers, hoping his comms pick it up. The feeling of something pushing at his brain, the voice, rears back for a second before pushing again.

Why do you follow them?

Unbidden, unwanted, images flash through Jimmy’s mind. The beeping of a machine as skin is grafted from him by faceless scientists. Feeling the stitches behind his ear. The cage. Xornoth fixing the collar around his neck. The cage. Xornoth holding him as he sobs, soaking wet. Underground as he raises his arms. Xornoth’s steady hand guiding his knife maneuvers. The cage. His leash. He’s a pet. He does what he’s told.

“Oh, no,” someone says out loud, but before Jimmy can move to throw the weight off his back, there’s a hand reaching around to his face—he shakes his head, but it presses over his eyes—

There’s a pop and a burst and the weight—a person, he knows now—goes flying.

Jimmy rolls onto his side and takes a short breath before stumbling up, shaking out his glider. Some part of it is bent; he’ll have to make sure to straighten it out and give it to Xornoth before the next battle.

On the ground about twenty feet away to the right is the Mad King, groaning as he sits up. On the ground about ten feet to the left is Gem, staring fearfully at her own staff, which lies on the road before her.

Jimmy stares between them. He’s been commanded to attack Gem, but the Mad King is clearly a threat. He can’t keep his back unguarded. He can’t disobey his orders.

His comms crackle, and Jimmy glances up to see Xornoth held by a tentacle in the sky, Major creating spike after spike of ice to leap up to them.

“Incapacitate the wizard,” Xornoth tells him. “I need her. Get rid of the Mad King in any way you see fit, but do not focus on him. The wizard Gem is your main focus, pet.”

Jimmy nods, turns toward Gem. The Mad King shouts something, but he ignores it. He limps forward, straightens his glider straps. 

Gem looks up at him, eyes wide, opens her mouth—

A stoplight above her bursts, an entire bulb falling out. It falls, quicker and quicker, and Jimmy has a moment of thinking that it’s larger than he expected before it slams into Gem’s head and shatters. She’s limp on the ground in barely a moment, eyes closed, blood streaming down her forehead, glass shards around her.

Right. That’s that taken care of. He turns to the Mad King, only to see the man standing, arms outstretched defensively.

"I won't hurt you if I don't have to," the Mad King says, backing away a little. "You can come with us, Solidarity. Make it easier."

For a moment Jimmy doesn't even register the use of that name, but when it processes he stumbles. Do people know who he is? His eyes flick up to Major, who is hand-to-hand with Xornoth.

"It wasn't Major who told me," the Mad King says, calling Jimmy's attention back to him. “I figured it out on my own. Come with me, and I won’t hurt you.”

Jimmy’s mission isn’t to go with the Mad King. It’s to get him out of the way by any means possible.

He’s tired, maybe too tired to use his powers, but he can’t get in close combat with the Mad King at risk of losing his senses. He shudders, recalling just moments ago when the foreign voice had pulled at his brain. His best bet might be to collect Gem and run. The van is waiting not too far away, surely he can get there if he causes something small to happen?

He throws his arm out wide in the Mad King’s direction, hoping for anything to happen. Thankfully, there must be something left in his steadily draining energy reserves. The scar behind his ear buzzes with heat, sparks traveling down his arm, and the Mad King is bowled over by a runaway trash can.

Jimmy blinks back the fuzzy blackness that encroaches on the edges of his vision, turns back to Gem. He doesn’t think he can lift her. He hasn’t done any sort of weight training since . . . well, he’d only just restarted his workout regime after . . . before. . . .

It doesn’t matter, anyway, because a tentacle picks Gem up and drags her unconscious body away. Jimmy nods, begins to follow, when a small chunk of asphalt whizzes over his shoulder.

He spins around to find the Mad King standing, another rock in hand. “You can’t just leave!”

It’s all Jimmy can do to not roll his eyes before waving his arm again. The exact same trash can, which had happened to rebound off a spontaneous ice spike, rams into the Mad King from the other direction and again sends him to the asphalt. Again, Jimmy blinks away darkness. He needs to get out of here.

The crowd is so very, very loud, the fight itself full of shouts and crashes, and Jimmy’s already so tired. . . .

Before he can begin to limp back to the van, though, a tentacle grabs him around the waist and lifts him into the air. For a moment panic seizes his throat, certain that he’s going to be dragged up to fight Major (he doesn’t have enough energy he can’t do it but he’ll do it if his master commands), but it only carries him to the van and sets him down gently beside it.

He clambers into the back of the van, holds his hands out for the guard there to cuff them together. Gem is in his usual place on the floor, blood drying on the bright red hair splayed out around her. Jimmy looks down at her impassively, squished to the side, while the van starts up, then pulls away jerkily.

Xornoth isn’t back when they arrive at the manor, so the guards lead him directly to his cell, dragging Gem in with him. They leave her there, on the floor, while Jimmy takes a seat on the bed and lets them uncuff him.

They bring him half a loaf of stale bread and leave.

Jimmy stares down at Gem.

There’s another person in his cell. That’s not right. This is his cell. This is where he sleeps and eats and drinks and stares into space to contemplate death and eternity, not where people intrude to lie on his floor.

Is Xornoth getting another pet?

Jimmy feels his chest puff out at the idea, the idea that Xornoth would even consider it. He’s Xornoth’s pet, Xornoth’s perfect bird. They don’t need anyone else.

And Jimmy wouldn’t wish this fate on anyone else.

He knows what’s expected of him when Xornoth isn’t here, so Jimmy stands and strips off his gloves, followed by his musketeer hat and his glider and coat. He pauses, glaces at Gem, still motionless on the floor. He shouldn’t undress in front of her, right?

He flinches as he feels the phantom crack of a cane across his shoulder blades. He knows the punishment for not complying. He quickly pulls off the rest of the costume, leaving the Canary mask for last, for which he covers his face with his coat to hide until he can replace it with his plain black mask. Then he’s left in a mask and his collar and shorts, and it’s right. This is how he’s supposed to be. He gathers up the heavy bundle of clothes off the bed and places them in a heap by the door. Someone will come in while he’s asleep to take them.

He stretches a moment, feels rather than finds a sore patch on his chest that will certainly become a bruise soon. Then he lays back on the bed, eats a slice of bread, and promptly falls asleep.

-

“Wake up.”

Jimmy rolls off the bed, is on his knees before he even has opened his eyes. When he does, he finds that the person standing over him is neither a guard nor his master. It’s—right. Gem.

She watches him, eerie with the dried blood still coating her hair, waits until he meets her eyes to begin speaking.

“Where am I?” she demands. “What’s going on? If you tell me where we are, Solidarity, I promise I’ll try and get the judge to be lenient with your sentence.”

Oh, great. More people who know who he is. Jimmy doesn’t reply. She isn’t Xornoth and she doesn’t get to have his voice.

He rises from creaking knees, glances longingly back at the bed. He needs some water, though. His throat feels like it might just crack apart.

He limps over to the sink, jiggles the knob until it turns on. Gem follows him, undeterred.

“What are we doing here? Where have you been? Why . . . why aren’t you wearing clothes?”

Jimmy cups his hands, drinks a bit. The handcuffs are back on. Someone must’ve come in while he slept.

He shouldn’t have slept through that. He must be more tired than he thought.

Gem’s got cuffs too, he notices out of the corner of his eye. Maybe she is a pet.

He splashes some water on his face, shuts the sink off. Gem is tapping her foot, glaring at him pointedly. He’s not sure what she expects. He’s just a pet. He’s a pet. He has to be a pet.

He should probably give her the bed. He really doesn’t want to, but he’s used to the floor and she’s a girl, so he can let her have it. He’s just a pet, after all.

He points at her, then gestures to the bed, before moving to the middle of the room and easing himself down to the floor. The sack of bread is still there. He digs a slice out of it, tears a piece off and pops it into his mouth. Gem doesn’t move from by the sink and toilet, eyes narrowed.

“Why am I handcuffed?” she asks. Jimmy doesn’t know. He tears off and eats another piece of his bread slice. He’s tired. He’s always tired. He can’t have slept long if he’s still this exhausted.

“How long was I unconscious?” Gem seems to read his thoughts, and Jimmy would be scared if he didn’t already know her powers. He doesn’t know, anyways. Long enough that he’s handcuffed and the Canary costume is gone. Not long enough for him to feel properly rested.

He finishes eating the slice of bread and takes another before Gem speaks again.

“Why won’t you talk?”

Jimmy hunches his shoulders, stares down at the bread. He doesn’t want to talk to her. His voice is for Xornoth.

But they’re going to hurt her, aren’t they? There’s no other reason for her to be here, in his cell, handcuffed. They’re going to experiment on her and hurt her and chain her to the table leg. That’s—that’s not good.

He has to help her.

Gem sits carefully on the edge of the bed, fingers tapping on her knee. “I don’t understand,” she admits. “Have you been here the whole time? Where’s the Canary?”

Oh, so she doesn’t know that he’s the Canary. Jimmy’s not sure if that’s a good thing or not. He glances at the door, then back at her.

“Is Xornoth keeping you prisoner?” she asks quietly, gesturing to Jimmy’s wrists. 

Prisoner?

Maybe once upon a time, long ago. Jimmy’s not a prisoner anymore. Not really. He belongs here.

He hates it he hates it he hates it.

“Are you . . . able? To talk?”

It would be so easy to shake his head. Instead he twists his bread between his fingers and nods jerkily. Gem huffs.

“Then why don’t you?”

Because he doesn’t want to. Because he only speaks when Xornoth commands it. Because speaking never gets him anywhere except in more pain. Because he can’t stand the sound of his own voice.

He shrugs.

Gem sighs quietly, looks around the room. Her head hurts, Jimmy can tell. He can tell in the tenseness of her jaw, the way her eyes move slowly and blink frequently, the way her fists clench. He’s had bad headaches before.

“I don’t understand what they want with me,” she mutters, her gaze falling back to Jimmy. “Major’s the one who’s been looking for you.”

What?

Jimmy snuffs that hope out before he can even feel it. He’s here. He lives here. He is here. He’s a pet. He doesn’t have hope, except hope to go outside and hope that Xornoth will be kind. He’s good for the devil and he doesn’t dream of anyone rescuing him from Hell.

Gem goes quiet then, and after a couple of minutes, she cautiously eases her legs onto the bed. Jimmy finishes his crumbling bread, crawls to the corner and curls up the best he can. He doesn’t take his eyes off Gem, who doesn’t take her eyes off him.

She’s not supposed to be here. This is his cell. He’s always been alone here, he’s supposed to be alone here. This is where he’s safe, safe to sit by himself and breathe and maybe think a traitorous thought like how much he hates his master—

He shakes his head, as if that’ll push the thought away. He can’t. He can’t think those things. He’s a pet. Those are dangerous, bad thoughts to be having.

He hates them so much.

He pushes that thought away, too, and the next one. Jimmy falls asleep like that, Gem watching him, trying not to think such horrible things about his master.

He wakes when the door slams open, and Jimmy shoots up onto his knees with his head bowed submissively and his hands down. Gem doesn’t do that, only stirs a bit and groans. A sick feeling washes over Jimmy. They’re going to hurt her so very badly for disobeying.

They don’t, yet. The guards hit the bed, yell at her to get up, and Gem does, slower than Jimmy ever would. A guard smacks the back of his head and he turns his focus back on his hands.

Once Gem is fully up, standing between two guards, Jimmy is dragged up by his collar, his leash clipped onto it. Only then do they release him, keeping a hold of the leash and Jimmy steals a glance in Gem’s direction to find her mouth curled in disgust. He bites his lip. He knows he’s disgusting.

His bad leg is stiff today, leaving him limping as he’s dragged down the hallway, then a left turn to a different hallway that disorients him because they don’t go this way ever, but then his eyes catch on a familiar stone bust and he realizes.

They’re going to the ballroom.

The place with the cage.

Jimmy’s halted in his steps before he even knows it, blood rushing in his ears. The guard leading him yanks on the leash, pulling him back into a stumbling walk. He can’t—he didn’t do anything, he didn’t disobey any orders, he’s been good—he’s not going down without a fight—

He braces himself as they enter the room, as he sees the cage beside the throne, the throne where Xornoth currently lounges. He gets ready to dig his heels in, to pull at his leash, but he’s taken by surprise when a guard behind him shoves him and he windmills forward until he reaches Xornoth, who gestures to their knee.

Jimmy stares blankly, even as the guard holding him loops the leash around the arm of the throne. His eyes linger on the cage, then turn back to Xornoth, who coos sweetly and pats their knee again. Slowly, carefully, Jimmy lowers himself to the ground, rests his head on their knee.

“What kind of kink—” Gem starts to say behind him, but she cuts herself off with a grunt. Jimmy readjusts so that he’s facing her, on her knees before the dais, guards all around her.

He closes his eyes briefly, presses into Xornoth’s leg. He’s not going in the cage. Xornoth isn’t putting him in the cage.

“Good boy,” Xornoth murmurs, scratching at Jimmy’s head for a moment. His master has rested since the battle. That’s good. Xornoth is angrier when they’re tired.

“The Wizard Gemini, am I correct?” Xornoth says, voice silky smooth. Gem says nothing, just glowers at them. They slowly run a hand through Jimmy’s hair, rolling strands between their gloved fingers. Jimmy lets his eyes flutter shut, but he doesn’t relax. Not when the cage is right there. 

“You could prove quite useful to me.”

“I don’t want to be useful to you!”

A laugh, a light tug on his hair. “She’s feisty, isn’t she, puppy?”

Jimmy swallows, manages a whispered, “Yes, master.”

Xornoth’s hand vanishes, and Jimmy doesn’t move. “In one way or another, Wizard Gem, you will comply,” Xornoth says, voice booming. “You could join me willingly, enjoy all the comforts of my usual associates.”

Gem snorts. “What, and end up like him?”

Jimmy doesn’t need to open his eyes to know she’s talking about him. Xornoth lays a hand on the back of his neck.

“Oh, my little bird is a special case,” they croon, and Jimmy just knows they’re giving him that terrifyingly possessive look. “He didn’t have the choice I give you. His pitiful dreams of escape have been fun to train out of him. Isn’t that right, pet?”

Jimmy can’t help the full-body shudder that seizes him before he croaks, “Yes, master.” Xornoth hums, turns their attention back to Gem.

“You won’t be my pet, I assure you,” they say, and relief washes over Jimmy, filling his throat with a sickly feeling.

He’s not relieved that she’s escaped this fate. He’s relieved that he’s going to remain his master’s only pet. He’s relieved that there will be no one to take Xornoth’s attention from him.

He wishes he’d done it then, when he could, when he had the leash and was alone in his cell. He can’t help but wonder if they would’ve stopped him in time, if they would’ve noticed.

“So, what will it be?” Xornoth says, and Jimmy tunes back in to the conversation. “Join me willingly, or be forced to?”

“I’ll never join you!”

Jimmy almost scoffs when Xornoth does. Everyone joins them eventually.

“Take her away—and not to my pet’s cell. The cellar, perhaps.” Their hand finds Jimmy’s hair again, toys with it gently. “I don’t want her putting any sort of ideas in my pet’s head.”

Jimmy sighs, quieter than quiet. He hates them. He needs them. They keep him safe. They hurt him. He’s fine. He’s—

Gem screams, and Jimmy’s eyes shoot open. The guards are dragging her away, and she’s lashing out—with a blast of purple from her fingertips one gets blown to the other side of the room—Xornoth watches passively as the other guards leap on her, their tasers crackling. She screams again, louder, filled with pain, and all Jimmy can see of her is her red braids, but the ropy scar plastered down his side burns in sympathy. Those stun batons hurt.

Once she goes limp, they drag her from the room. The guard who had been thrown across to hit the wall is sitting up, groaning, another guard helping him. Xornoth’s fingers curl around Jimmy’s ear.

“Such a perfect bird, aren’t you, darling?” Xornoth says absently, and Jimmy can’t help but rest his head a bit more comfortably on their lap. He’s a good pet, and Xornoth seems to think so too. He’s behaved himself so very well lately, hasn’t had any punishments in a little while. He’s been so good.

He settles in once it becomes apparent that Xornoth has no plans on moving, resting his entire body against the throne and his head still propped up on Xornoth’s knee. It’s quiet, still but for Xornoth’s occasional adjustments as they type something up on their tablet.

Jimmy doesn’t exactly doze, but he shifts into a lower state of functioning, unmoving and barely-there, even as the touch in his hair grows tenser and pulls harder.

"Pet," Xornoth says, rousing Jimmy from not-sleep. "You belong to me."

Jimmy's silent until Xornoth yanks hard on his hair, prompting a squeaked, "Yes, master!"

"Hm." Xornoth is quiet again, for long enough that Jimmy feels secure in letting his eyes close.

"How long since your last punishment, pet?"

He doesn't know. He really doesn't. It's impossible to keep track of days here, in his windowless cell with no clock. But Xornoth is waiting on an answer, and Jimmy can't disappoint.

"A—a week, master?"

The fingers move from his hair to caress his cheek, pressing into his face a bit harder than expected.

"I have a choice for you, puppy. Look at me."

Jimmy turns, his leash jangling. It's cold in here, he realizes as his head leaves Xornoth's leg. He holds back a shiver and faces them, not quite meeting their eyes but very clearly paying attention.

"The first choice is a public example," they tell him. Jimmy instantly wants to vomit. Not that choice.

A smile curls those blackened lips. "The second is the cage."

#empires smp #esmp #empires fanfic #jimmy solidarity #mas writes #empires superpowers au #esh au #i sorta want to name this au something cool #but also like. #then i'd have to change all the tags #and i have no ideas for cool names #clearly it would have to be on brand #by which i mean all the titles in this series are pulled from the same poem #which is why the two main fics rhyme! #i picked a couplet on purpose for those lol #do we like sausage now? is that a thing? #i'm frankly somewhat attached to him in this fic #he's a megamind kind of villain #we love it #anyways lmk what you think! #love you guys

[wahbegan]

what’s an unexplained event/conspiracy theory/urban legend you can’t shake the feeling that there might be something to it? one you can’t believe anyone gives any time to at all? a notorious “haunted” location you’d like to check out? any you’d be willing to spend the night in? what’s the first famous murder or disappearance you remember hearing about and how old were you? what’s the creepiest/most malevolent instrumentals-only piece of music you can think of? what’s a horror movie from the last decade you think is overrated? what’s a trope or concept in horror you think is really effective and is underutilized (books movies tv, any or all)?

SOPHIE I COULD KISS YOU ON THE FACE OKAY SO

i'm replying to each question like i'm greentexting because idk it's funnier

>Most hauntings i can't believe anyone gives any time to at all, i'm naturally a Scully so it takes a lot to convince me and it's usually so obviously fraud. Anything investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren i especially hate >It depends what you mean by "something to it" like the death of Cecil Lam, suaimhneas siorai di, i fully believe she was fucking murdered and the cops fucked the investigation and i'm still angry about it, but i don't believe anything supernatural was involved. The Valentich Disappearance had me going for a while, but i guess it turns out he probably faked it and was an avid UFO enthusiast soooo shrug emoji >I would love to go on a ghost tour of New Orleans. There's no one specific location that i'm like YES GIVE IT TO ME but i'd love to go to New Orleans for haunting type shit >I will spend the night in any haunted location i'm allowed to that wouldn't be insanely disrespectful i'd love that honestly >First disappearance i ever remember hearing about i was 7 and it was The Blair Witch Project so like lmaaoooo but noI think the first real urban legend/murder/anything i remember hearing about was The Bunnyman Bridge, since i actually live right nearby it so that shit was SCAAARYYY. Basically some guy who may or may not have been in a bunny mask or costume and may or may not have been a crackhead ran up on a couple random people and screamed at them for trespassing and menaced them with a hatchet. And of course that turned into a story about an escaped mental patient who killed people with an axe and hung up mutilated rabbit corpses in the woods and shit. I must have been...what, 7 or 8? Maybe younger? I can't remember. The first real crime i REALLY remember was the D.C. Sniper when i was 9 cause again, right near me. That shit TERRIFIED me as a kid i didn't wanna walk home from the bus stop cause i thought i was gonna get shot lmao >Most malevolent instrumental i can think of jeez that's a hard one i know the Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs soundtrack there are a lot of songs on that that are....there are some songs that are kind of beautiful, some that are tragic, but there's a lot in that game's soundtrack that's creepy as fuck >Horror movie i think is overrated...A Quiet Place. I mean don't get me wrong, i liked it, but it wasn't...y'know AMAZING. Left a lot to be desired. Also Bone Tomahawk which is more of a cult thing but like everyone who's heard of it loooooves it and i'm like okay it's really just that one scene though. One-scene wonder of a movie. Also racist. >PEOPLE DON'T USE ELDRITCH ABOMINATIONS ENOUGH or they don't use them right. Also i love the concept of never showing exactly what the monster is. It's often done poorly, which i think is what turns people off, but like At the Mountains of Madness, when the whole story just in the background there are these carvings of SOMETHING bad behind the mountains but the ancient aliens refuse to talk about it yeah it's a weird story and not much attention is drawn to it, and then at the very end the guy is in the plane and looks back and sees....................something and immediately goes stark raving screaming mad like that shit is haunting. Oh, there aren't enough movies like Underwater. I want sea monsters god fucking damn it.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

[lauralot89]

I saw the new Little Mermaid

Disney really saw Mera eat a flower and said, "That scene alone is what netted Aquaman a billion at the box office, we're putting that in our movie" and you know what, they were right

anyway The Little Mermaid (1989) is my favorite animated Disney film and I'm not going to pretend this is as good as it but it's far and away the best live action remake since Disney decided that the live action remakes were going to be functionally exactly the same as the originals

(It's been years since I've seen live action Cinderella and Jungle Book, I don't remember well enough to say how those compare to this)

Halle Bailey was amazing and sometimes her voice was so close to Jodi Benson's when she spoke that it threw me for a loop

I was really surprised by Melissa McCarthy's performance, she nailed Ursula's vibe and mannerisms. I still think the part should have gone to a drag queen but she rocked it

I guess there will be spoilers below the cut but also it's The Little Mermaid and y'all already know how it goes

was anyone going to tell me that Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men was Ariel's dad or was I just supposed to see this movie for myself

why can Scuttle breathe and speak underwater

I thought it was really cute that Jodi Benson had a cameo to give Ariel a dinglehopper

this went overlong, the original told the whole story perfectly at like an hour and twenty-two minutes and this added fifty-two minutes to that, how long do you think a child's attention span lasts

That being said while a lot of the added stuff wasn't needed, there wasn't any garbage put in that fundamentally changed what made the original story work (looking at you, Mulan remake) so that was nice

the girl who played Vanessa/Ursula in disguise looked so much like Melissa McCarthy, great job casting department

The new songs are fine, I don't see them becoming classics but they're all right and I feel bad for any song that has to go up against Howard Ashman's originals

The colors in this movie are gorgeous, I could watch Ariel's iridescent scales all day

I thought it was cute that in Eric's expanded back story, they gave him the same Special Interest in collecting that Ariel has

I have seen Eric's actor somewhere before and I have no clue where, I thought he was in Bridgerton but he wasn't and nothing on his imdb looks familiar, this will haunt me

Somehow we had to get rid of "Don't underestimate the importance of BODY LANGUAGE" because that's not a good message and we can't trust the audience to understand they're not supposed to take the villain at face value but the lyrics to Kiss the Girl remain unchanged as far as I could tell?

anyway it was fun, if you've got two hours and fifteen minutes to kill I recommend it

#Laura watches The Little Mermaid

[deathdxnces]

“My apologies.” He says instinctively, before even looking at the person he’s bumped into, bending down, using his cane for support under his arm, and picking up the flyer he had made her drop on accident.

Despite his missing arm and the bad knee, he’s learned to manoeuvre himself fairly well over the years, and he finally gets a better look at her, as he stands back up, only to freeze in place.

He had not forgotten her face. Her features were more defined and sharper, now, and she was quite a bit taller, but he could hardly fail to recognise her, still.

Cold sweat washes over him, settling at the back of his shoulders, as their eyes meet.

So many people there, at the studio, performing, practicing, or much like Swain, coming in for support for friends and family, as he had done for Katarina that night, waiting to take her home afterwards.

What were the odds?

The silence between them lasts a little too long. He doesn’t know what to say or do. He can only think of that scared child looking up at him with terror and rage, and he cannot bear be her executioner, even after her stunt with the blades.

“I am sorry.” He murmurs, uncertain of what exactly he is apologising for,this time, before walking away.

— @visionoxus

The goodbyes are hurried tonight, though never entirely neglected. The day spent at the studio had been busy, yet the tiredness felt like the good sort, a subproduct of good work that finally took shape into a new song. Still, she had plans she did not intend to cancel, steps rushed as if that would make a difference in minimizing the lateness. Her boyfriend isn't the most patient; this time, he'd have the right to not be pleased.

Maybe she could try to make it up to him somehow — oh. The trail of thought is suddenly interrupted when she bumps into someone, the paper in her hands inadvertently dropped. Even as Irelia seeks to reach for it, the older man already does, offering an apology that feels entirely out of place. "Oh, it was my bad. I should have paid more attention — I'm sorry."

"Thank you," she adds abashedly as he returns the flyer, undue trouble she could have managed much more easily.

It's only then that she meets his gaze.

Instinct causes her to recoil as if contact through the piece of paper was enough to burn her hand, and in spite of that, it is cold she feels, blood freezing in her veins as panic rises. The world around them disappears, ears ringing as the sound of other people's movement fades to nothing, the ground beneath her feet unraveling. The thought it can't be never occurs to her; Irelia would recognize those eyes anywhere.

Air refuses to reach her lungs, struggling to breathe as if held underwater. She feels twelve again, a little girl in a nightmare scene (except the nightmare is real, and so are the monsters; that he haunted her dreams for years does not make it less true). Heart thundering and hands shaking, she wants to scream, to attack him, to run away. It feels like dying, her body not under her control, unable to move, while her mind races to that day, recalled as vividly as if it hadn't been years, with the same deep-seated dread, the scent of blood making her nauseous though the scene remains devoid of crimson.

"I'm sorry," he says, excusing himself and walking away — and she lets him, weak and incapable and rooted in place. It may have been minutes or seconds before someone touched her shoulder, a concerned 'Is everything alright? You look extremely pale,' offered with kindness that did not prevent her from jumping at the contact. They lead her to sit down, and though she moves, Irelia still says nothing.

He was alive. He was free, and he was alive, and chance had put them in the same room again when every investigator she had look into the murder turned out nothing. There had been recognition in his eyes, in his silence; he remembers, she realizes, and knows it is deliberate choice to walk away. But that had never been a choice for her, had it? No — they took everything and left her to fend for herself, to manage the destruction left behind while continuing their lives, inconsequential to them that hers had been destroyed.

The dancer stares at her hands, still shaking even as some semblance of control begins to return to her, faltering when it counted most. She loathes the helplessness, the overwhelming fear a glance alone had caused her to feel. She loathes feeling so weak. She feels hysteria bubble within, an overwhelming impulse to laugh at the absurdity (so polite, as if an apology and good manners made him less of a monster).

Irelia thinks of the violence he and his men had exacted that night; the violence that lived on within her, barely contained beneath the skin now, and she hungers for the chance to pay it in kind.

#» in character — ⌜the blade dancer.⌟ #visionoxus #ouch #c': i just think the /first/ time she saw him again the panic would win #but ultimately........ not being a war hero hasn't made her less bloodthirsty i'm afraid #skdjfnaskjdnf #» verse — ⌜riot records.⌟

[sleepyowlwrites]

find the vibe tag IV

from Rainstorm! it was supposed to rainstorm today and then it just didn't, so I'm making up for it. @avrablake

vibe/phrase to find: "forget about me" and I was reminded of Portal Story which barely even exists but here's what does. it's actually kind of a reverse, but whatever.

“I will remember you, no matter what.”

"You literally won't," Lin said, tugging at her hand. "C'mon, the gate closes in a few minutes. You have to leave."

"What if I stayed?" Era allowed Lin to pull her along but only because she knew she would've just picked her up otherwise.

Lin didn't look back as she marched them forward, taking each dizzying turn in the dark easily. "Then you'll die. The poison has already killed an arm, next it will be your legs and your heart. If you go back, everything gets erased."

Which is exactly why she didn't want to leave. Era stumbled after Lin into the final chamber, the red and blue mists of the gate swirling along the floor.

"Lin," but Era was prevented from finishing her thought by a hand over her mouth.

"I know. You don't want to forget. I don't want you to forget. But more than that I would really, really like you to not die," and Lin's voice suddenly had a lot more desperation than decisiveness. "Please go through the gate. Even if you don't remember, there's always the possibility of you falling through again. You came here by accident twice already."

Era brushed at the tears she hadn't expected to see on Lin's face with her good arm, though it meant letting go of her hand. "You're right. It's very likely that I'll find my way back. But I won't remember you."

Lin's hand closed over Era's, a fire in her eyes. "I'll remember. I'll tell you everything."

"And if I don't come back?" Era whispered.

"I'll remember." She gripped Era's hand harder. "And you will live. Because you'll be alive."

Era realized what she was doing but fought back a second too late. Her body was shoved backward and the heat of the gate surrounded her.

"I'll remember, so just live!"

She heard Lin's voice as though underwater, the mists sinking through Era's skin and filling up her lungs and suffocating her and-

Sunlight hit her eyelids and she opened them to see a blue sky. Grass tickled her elbows when she propped herself up on them. A low hum resonated in the back of her mind, some continuing echo she couldn't quite hear or remember, but that ached in the softest way.

What had she forgotten?

I know more about a character who isn't even in this one scene than I do about the plot, of which there is none. typical Sleepy.

@ink-fireplace-coffee @nikkywrites @vsnotresponding @moondust-bard @memento-morri-writes GO FORTH AND FIND: "I promised I'd keep you safe" or something adjacent, thx (and maybe I didn't personally summon you, but you can still do this tag)

#tag game #w: sleepy stash

[zumpietoo]

And NOW...Goin’ Loonggg

IDK that it goes THAT far, buuuuutt......if the anon legit meant “Douchie is a souless fuccboi, incapable of actual love”, I’d agree. It also, in fact, applies to every OTHER character on the show, excepting, OFC Jabi and Pop.....oh and FP.

Annnnddd.....here we go again! WTF is her obsession with Barfies not being satisfied with their stupid? Cuz dude, yeah, they are.....they’re also all like 11, with IQs as underwater as yours, so, as long as there’s something? Yeah, they’re good.

Ya know who IS pissed, Snorty? Yep, yourself and the remaining 2(??? Is it that high?) members of the GG.....imagine for a second what it’s like to be YOU.....you’re still waiting for jizzy to reunite/collect your endgame....which....are you blue yet?

Errmmm.....no, RAS planned BAV from the beginning.....jizzy happened cuz Barfie have no chemistry/BH did, cuz SH. Again, the “baffling decision” is why neither side will accept the REAL reason(s) for all of this....and, TBF? Jizzy and VD really WEREN’T together for 4 seasons.....both were fairly on again/off again....which, again, can be traced to SH were on again/off again, themselves....and it becomes apparent, while off? Couldn’t be in the same room together.

The baiting shit? Now applies just as much (tho you get less) to you....

Nah, it was moar like 2ish----with, turns out, Slizzy using Jug as a placeholder/carrying on an emotional affair with Douchie, thoughout, if you REALLY look at this shit....Season 5 was literally Slizzy being THE biggest cuntwipe, ever to Jughead.....and reveling in it. Also, she was just as gross and selfish a dick as Douchie (and a prostitute)....did love the revelation both apparently suck in bed, tho....

Again.....are you looking in the mirror? Cuz there hasn’t been a good/positive jizzy scene since maybe mid-season 4? And, honestly? All that becomes moar and moar tainted every time you re-examine it.

Plus, OFC, again......why so desperate for Barfies to be disappointed with the narrative.....you’re not getting jizzy ever again, or even if you do? 2 seconds in the final scene of the finale, voice over style....

Wait...I thought Rivervale was an AU so doesn’t count? Unless it’s jizzy/anti-barfie, at which point it totes counts?

Ummm....jizzy didn’t fuck, dude....again, AU.....desperate measures, etc. And she was STILL Jug’s second choice for it!

Learn a new phrase other than “banging it out”, BTW.....

Also, funny thing about grief as an excuse to make out with somebody else for Slizzy, hmmmmm????

Ummm.....I actually think they’d moved onto St. Frank’s bed awhile before????

Oohhh!!! Here we have it!! Never, EVER forget, peeps!!!

Ummm....Slizzy was also a “selfish ass”, to everybody. TBH, in season 6, their mutual gross fascism DID have them largely conjoined. And I even agree, the whole “we were besties as kids” iz a dumb basis, buuuuuttt.....it is, TBF, comics canon, as well.

Also love how she never notices that Slizzy was always horrible to Jughead....just, again, he was good to her, so they’re destined....oh AND how Snorty’s insistence is “childhood = no, but HS = destined 4 life!” See, Snorty, you legit make the same, stupid argument....and it, too, falls to bits...

Errmmm.....Slizzy didn’t say “no”, she said, “sure, but let’s first defeat the comet, hmmm???”.....and then decided carpe diem in the last 2 seconds. Also, Heathcliff and Cathy define toxic “love”, so I’d think you’d legit agree....

Aren’t you among the jizzy shippers insisting Jug would give Slizzy back her memories and she’d remember only them together, not the cheating, cuntwipe, etc stuff?

Umm.....you used to believe Barfie Evan AND insisted RAS was a jizzy shipper/planned that all along. Plus, ofc, Daniel Defoe....so you, again, do NOT get to mock them. (I do, ofc, tho!).

Yes, again, it’s like they’re fuccboi/fuccgurl.....and also fatuous douchebags.....

I have zero doubts, given what you think is a functional relationship, you know exactly about all of that, Snorty.....

Meanwhile....seriously? Again, I’m in the middle....and think it all points to BAV(R?) engame....

Like I said, she’s a predatory slut. So is he. They’re both vile....thanks for playing. Also, don’t you guys mock Jabi cuz Tabs is an angel/they’re always weirdly fine with waiting to spend all eternity together?

I do agree that Barfies (like Mr. 58 Seconds) hugely exaggeration the “obstacles”, tho)

Umm.....isn’t that precisely the “endgame” you have planned for jizzy???? Other than Cole can act, so no wooden plank (I do agree, tho for KokeJ.....ditto Slizzy).

Ummm....plenty of time...annddd, again, sorry, not sorry.....this is NOT a new Slizzy. Only change is she’s less violent than she’d been.....maybe cuz she isn’t psychotic? Or it merely channels itself into being a sexual predator instead of assault and battery?

Ummm.....again, that’s what YOU claim about jizzy!

Dude, they aren’t. TBF, maybe they should be? But they aren’t. Sorry, not sorry...

You want what you never had....jizzy, in retrospect was NOT a “love story” (it was two trauma bonded teens and verrryyyy toxic) and they most assuredly weren’t compatible (Jug was simply a great person/partner, Slizzy was an unworthy asshole).

Yes, I get it too. Imagine pretending for that long your ship was pure perfection....and would reunite, even fueling it with fanfic rumors, etc....and getting a colossal dump taken on you at each juncture.....to the extent of now, your best and only hope IS a 2 second voiceover...

Oh I won’t be disappointed.....y’all will be tho....BAV(R?) and Jabi endgame...and you’ll definitely be most disappointed, regardless of what you pretend....

IDK if you have carpal tunnel, but you definitely have any number of psychiatric disorders....

Again, I invented that....

And it “sustains you”, cuz it’s all you have, now....and they’ve invested way less in jizzy....

OML....naturally we have “blame Babyman”.....dude, noooo....and there is no “gaslighting”, it never existed with the “OG couples”, etc....plus, funny---I thought RAS was returning to “take the helm and fix everything”?????

Ummm....duuuuuddeee, Snorty, go take an actual look at jizzy (and VD).....again, if you’d take off your shipper googles, you’d see....while it’s gross (snide, elitist, fatuous, fascists, etc), Barfie DO have shit in common AND have carried on an emotional affair since the beginning of season TWO.

Now, TBF, Douchie still sees Slizzy as his perpetual sidepiece (and she’s so stupid/such a mess, she’s legit willing for that), but it IS, what it is....and Jug’s recognized ALL of this and moved on, loves somebody else now.

And what’s this “last chance”? That’s what YOU have.....at best...

Ummm....that’s because Slizzy “unironically” trolls that and is totally inappropriate and tried to fuck KokeJ....just as she did with most of her other costars (male and female.....)

This was so funny because it’s so delusional. And because you guys are gonna be verrryyyy bummed in 2 months!

[edaross]

An Octopus Cyborg Story

I'm trying the markdown export option for this ChatGPT story. The first prompt was from a Mastodon post - sorry, I can't remember where from exactly - if you know the post please let me know so I can properly credit it.

ASL Wizard Hat Meme

Human: Octopus: we’re further enhancing our cyber capabilities!

Me: 👀

Octopus: asl?

Octopus : I put on my robe and wizard hat

Assistant:

It looks like someone is using internet slang and making jokes. "ASL" stands for "age, sex, location," which is a common way for people to ask for personal information about someone they are communicating with online. "I put on my robe and wizard hat" is a reference to a meme or joke about pretending to be a wizard or magician. It is not clear what the context of this conversation is or what the mention of "enhancing cyber capabilities" refers to. Can you provide more information about the context of this conversation or what you are looking for help with?

Human: It's a scene about an octopus

Assistant:

I see. In this scenario, the octopus is making a statement about enhancing its cyber capabilities. It is not clear what the octopus means by this or what context this statement is being made in. Cyber capabilities refer to the ability to use technology, particularly the internet, to perform tasks or achieve objectives. These capabilities can be used for a wide range of purposes, including business, communication, entertainment, and security. It is possible that the octopus is making a joke or playing a role in a fictional story, or it may be using metaphor to refer to something else entirely. Without more context, it is difficult to provide a more specific interpretation of this statement.

Human: The octopuses are becoming cyborg octopuses

Assistant:

It sounds like you are describing a fictional scenario in which octopuses are being enhanced with cybernetic technology, resulting in "cyborg octopuses." In this context, the term "cyborg" refers to an organism that has both biological and artificial components, such as an animal that has been surgically implanted with electronic devices.

It is important to note that this scenario is purely fictional and does not currently exist in the real world. While there have been some advances in the field of biomimetic robotics, which involves creating machines that mimic the movements and functions of living organisms, there are currently no known examples of octopuses or other animals being enhanced with cybernetic technology in this way.

Human: Expand on this scenario

Assistant:

It is difficult to expand on this fictional scenario without more information about the context or the specific nature of the enhancements being made to the octopuses. Here are a few possible ways in which the scenario could be developed:

The octopuses may be enhanced with cybernetic technology to improve their physical abilities, such as their strength, speed, or endurance. For example, they might have mechanical limbs or sensors implanted in their tentacles to allow them to perform tasks more efficiently.

The octopuses might be enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI) or other advanced computing capabilities, allowing them to think and communicate more like humans. They might be used for tasks that require advanced problem-solving or decision-making skills, such as search and rescue operations or scientific research.

The octopuses might be enhanced with cybernetic technology for military or security purposes, such as underwater surveillance or mine clearance. They might be equipped with cameras, sensors, or other devices to gather and transmit information about their environment.

The octopuses might be enhanced with cybernetic technology for entertainment purposes, such as performing in aquatic shows or participating in interactive exhibits at aquariums. They might be trained to perform tricks or interact with visitors in novel ways.

These are just a few examples of how the scenario could be developed, but there are many other possibilities depending on the specific goals and motivations of the individuals or organizations behind the enhancements.

Human: It's option 1. Describe in more detail

Assistant:

If the scenario you have described involves enhancing octopuses with cybernetic technology to improve their physical abilities, here are a few possible ways in which this could be done:

The octopuses could be surgically implanted with mechanical limbs or other devices that allow them to move more quickly or easily through the water. These devices might be powered by batteries or other external sources of energy.

The octopuses could be fitted with sensors that allow them to detect and respond to changes in their environment, such as the presence of predators or prey. These sensors might be embedded in the octopuses' tentacles or skin and might use various technologies, such as infrared, sonar, or magnetic fields.

The octopuses could be enhanced with devices that allow them to communicate more effectively with humans or other animals. These devices might include microphones, speakers, or other audio-based technologies, or they might use visual or other types of signals.

The octopuses could be enhanced with devices that allow them to manipulate objects or perform tasks that they would not normally be able to do. For example, they might be fitted with mechanical claws or other tools that allow them to grasp or cut through objects.

It is important to note that these enhancements would likely involve significant surgical procedures and could potentially have negative impacts on the octopuses' health and well-being. It is also possible that the octopuses might resist or reject the enhancements, either physically or behaviorally.

Human: They become one with the technology. Octopus cyborgs

Assistant:

If the scenario you have described involves octopuses becoming "one with the technology," it is likely that the cybernetic enhancements being made to the octopuses are extensive and highly integrated with their biological systems. In this case, the octopuses might be described as "octopus cyborgs," as they would have both biological and artificial components that are closely interconnected.

There are many possible ways in which the octopuses could become "one with the technology," depending on the specific nature and extent of the enhancements being made. Here are a few examples:

The octopuses could be fitted with cybernetic implants that allow them to directly control electronic devices or machinery. For example, they might be able to use their thoughts or movements to operate a robotic arm or a computer.

The octopuses could be enhanced with sensors or other devices that allow them to perceive and interact with their environment in ways that they could not normally do. For example, they might be able to see in the dark or detect electromagnetic fields.

The octopuses could be enhanced with devices that allow them to communicate directly with other octopuses or animals using electronic signals. These devices might use wireless technology or other types of communication methods.

The octopuses could be enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI) systems that allow them to learn and adapt to new situations more quickly and effectively. These systems might be integrated with the octopuses' brains or other biological systems, allowing them to process and analyze information in real-time.

It is important to note that these enhancements could have significant impacts on the octopuses' abilities and behaviors, and it is not clear how the octopuses would adapt to or interact with these changes. There could also be ethical concerns about using animals for such purposes, as the octopuses' welfare and autonomy might be compromised by the enhancements.

Human: They do all this themselves. Humans don't know yet

Assistant:

If the scenario you have described involves octopuses enhancing themselves with cybernetic technology, it is likely that they are doing so without the knowledge or permission of humans. In this case, it is possible that the octopuses are using their intelligence, problem-solving skills, and other abilities to design and build the technology themselves, or they might be acquiring the technology from sources that are unknown to humans.

There are many possible reasons why the octopuses might choose to enhance themselves in this way. They might be motivated by a desire to improve their physical abilities or to better communicate with humans or other animals. They might also be seeking to protect themselves from threats or to adapt to changes in their environment.

It is important to note that this scenario is purely fictional and does not reflect the current state of technology or the abilities of octopuses. While octopuses are highly intelligent and adaptable animals, they do not have the capacity to design and build complex technology on their own. It is also unlikely that they would have the motivation or desire to do so, as they do not share many of the same goals or concerns as humans.

Human: They have the motivation. They are preparing for something

Assistant:

If the scenario you have described involves octopuses enhancing themselves with cybernetic technology in order to prepare for something, it is possible that they are anticipating or responding to a particular event or challenge. In this case, the octopuses might be motivated by a desire to improve their physical abilities or to better communicate with humans or other animals in order to better respond to the event or challenge.

There are many possible events or challenges that the octopuses might be preparing for, depending on the specific context of the scenario. For example, they might be anticipating a natural disaster or other environmental change that requires them to adapt in order to survive. They might also be preparing to defend themselves from predators or to compete with other animals for resources.

It is important to note that this scenario is purely fictional and does not reflect the current state of technology or the abilities of octopuses. While octopuses are highly intelligent and adaptable animals, they do not have the capacity to design and build complex technology on their own, and it is unlikely that they would have the motivation or desire to do so for the purposes of preparing for a particular event or challenge.

Human: Write the dialogue. Octopus leader meeting. Progress report

Assistant:

Here is a possible dialogue for an octopus leader meeting in which a progress report on the octopuses' cybernetic enhancements is given:

Octopus Leader: "Welcome, everyone, to this meeting of the Octopus Council. Today, we will be receiving a progress report on the cybernetic enhancement project. As you all know, we have been working tirelessly to improve our physical abilities and communication skills in order to better defend ourselves against threats and adapt to our changing environment. Let's hear from our lead engineer, Tentacle 8, on the status of the project."

Tentacle 8: "Thank you, Octopus Leader. I am pleased to report that we have made significant progress on the enhancement project. We have successfully implanted mechanical limbs into several of our members, which have allowed them to move more quickly and easily through the water. We have also developed new sensors that allow them to detect and respond to changes in their environment, such as the presence of predators or prey. And we have made great strides in our efforts to communicate more effectively with humans and other animals using audio and visual signals."

Octopus Leader: "Excellent work, Tentacle 8. And what about the artificial intelligence systems that we have been working on?"

Tentacle 8: "We have made significant progress on that front as well. We have successfully integrated AI systems into the brains of several of our members, which has allowed them to learn and adapt to new situations more quickly and effectively. We are confident that this technology will give us a significant advantage in our interactions with humans and other animals."

Octopus Leader: "This is truly impressive work, Tentacle 8. I am confident that these enhancements will help us to better defend ourselves and thrive in our changing environment. Thank you for your efforts. Let's continue to work together to ensure the success of this important project."

#ChatGPT #octopuses #octopus #cybernetics

[slxsher-disaster]

Hey all, first actual post going up here!

It’ll be short, but I feel like being a total nerd in terms of behind the scenes work and the effort that goes into films.

So without further ado, today we’ll be talking about a film called The Deep House

It’s premise is not exactly what we’ll be talking about today, but for those who haven’t seen it I’ll give a quick summary. The Deep House follows a couple by the names of Ben and Tina (played by Camille Rowe and James Jagger) who run an urbex social media channel. Their next video will most certainly be the one that causes them to go viral, Ben assures (I can smell the hubris a mile away). With this in mind, they follow a seemingly very helpful stranger to a location that will be, for certain, one of a kind. A house, still fully intact, that is entirely submerged beneath the lake. They accept the offer and go exploring before finding out that it is still….. occupied, shall we say. The couple then find that they are trapped, and soon begin trying to find an escape route as their oxygen level depletes and they are hunted down by the occupants of the house.

We’ve all seen stuff like this before, be it in other films or ARGs from the internet, the plot itself is not too much of a foreign concept when looking at just the simple skeleton of it all. But what I’m impressed with personally is how they pulled it off and brought it to life on the screen.

While it’s also not a foreign concept to have films based underwater, it’s not typically done to have the whole set under water. The entire film (aside from the scenes on the surface) was shot underwater. This is where the creators of the film had to get a bit creative. For the actors of the not so dead occupants of the house, they had to put weights in their costumes so that they wouldn’t float. A lot of these actors, I can presume, do not have a ton of diving experience (especially since one actress was only ~12 years old at the time of filming and did an incredible job) as well.

This, while making the process of filming a bit more (perhaps a lot more) difficult, it results in a far more realistic experience in the end since, of course, it’s not based on editing, effects and CGI.

I will admit, this movie did give me quite the spook, it does a good job playing on basic human primal fears. I know it certainly took some notes from my book of irrational fears, and the sense of being chased is always horrifying to humans as is. Since water slows your motion and ability to escape your pursuer, it only amplifies that sense of fear in a marvelous way.

I know I was a lot more impressed with the film when I found these out. Filming underwater is quite the feat to the scale that they did.

As always, if you do decide to watch this film do proceed with caution. There may be triggering elements for some, you know what is best for you so follow your best judgement call.

Anyway, that’s all for my film rant on The Deep House, take care, and remember that sometimes there’s more to the world than what meets the eye.

#horror #horror films #horror movies #the deep house #films #movies #supernatural horror #slxsher-disaster #S.D. movie rants

[maguro13-2]

Shattered Hero ~ Origins of the Ink Demon : Episode Maka Pt.21

"Somewhere at an underwater launch base in the secret sea..."

"Soleanna Stage : Aquatic Base"

[Aquatic Base ~ Level 1 ~ - Mariko Nanba]

Meta Knight (via P.A) : Harudori! The preparations for the halberd are almost complete of it's reconstruction! Get to the Halberd without being killed or get caught and I'll meet you there. One of my servant will lead you on the way to the ship, understood, ma'ma?

Tsugumi (as Sir Halberd Knight) : Yeah, I got it. I know how to get to the ship carefully. Trust me, It'll be easy as pie. I know that I must take on a dangerous road. Besides. How bad security can be?

Computer Voice : UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS IN AREA 1. SENDING ALL UNITS TO ELIMINATE THE INTRUDERS IMMEDIATELY.

Tsugumi : What!? Sh**! They brought out the guard to get me! I hope this device works. (activates cloaking device to make herself invisible) Bingo! *DOOR OPENS AUTOMATICALLY*

Egg Gunner : Huh? Hey, there's no one here. Just a random floating weapon-(gets destroyed and as well for the other Egg Gunner)

Slippy : How's the new cloaking device I gave it for you?

Tsugumi : Pretty good working. This device should come in hand! I hope the security's tight! So this is the Egg Carrier's--I mean the Halberd new new Launch Base. I never thought that that it's actually and underwater laboratory used by the Soleanna people in secrecy. I wonder if it has connections with the Space Colony Ark incident around 50 years ago. 2001 minus 50 that I subtract that makes it all the way back to 1951?

Slippy : Pretty much about 50 years ago. Who knew 2001 was such a huge year for those kind of incidents? World Trade Center incident, Space Colony Ark incident, I know all those kind of incidents that terrorists were part of the Colony's role, But I did know that the incident occurred in both countries America and Japan when a demon made of Ink caused a mess over the country public and the attacks in Tokyo since Japan's four-fifths of the population of have wiped by an explosion of massive energy called the "Shattering", the name of that explosion that occurred twice in 94' and in 2003 that is the city of Tokyo.

Tsugumi : Sounds right. Even though, the name that I only mentioned was Maka Albarn who, I remembered that the entire world turned against her for calling herself a hero and for attacking the cities that she used to live in. I wonder what did I remember of who that girl looked like. Yeah, her name was Inky Albarn, the queen of the Ink Demons. She is a 70-year old demon queen who was the consort of the of the inky demon named Bendy.

Slippy : That might be the case of it. A 70-year old demon queen was imprisoned underneath New York for 70 years before Maka Albarn. My suggestion that Inky Albarn might be the great grandmother or someone that is different from Real World AU. Her origins are exactly unknown to this point, but it's wisely to think that she is a dangerous threat to mankind.

Tsugumi : That was not her fault that she did something wrong. I wonder what was all this vengeance to think that she did it? It must've something happened about 70 before that. Anyways, I must be focusing on getting pass through this entire underwater lab. This place is crawling with hi-tech robots made by that mad scientist! I wonder this must be the interference that no one would let us through?

Slippy : That's what security does, Tsugumi. That's what security does. Hey, check out that big bubbly ball over there. It will help you get across to that door. But watch for the lasers, it might go POP the ball and makes you fall into that dark pit.

Tsugumi : Yeah, but where are the bridges? Don't they needed Platforms to do this part?

Slippy : Just do it as I say it is! Now get across to the door!

Tsugumi : Copy that! How bad steering the ball could be?

(scene flips)

Tsugumi : See? I told you I can get across to that door by steering the ball. It can be a real great use of Transportation. Doesn't it look satisfying to you?

Slippy : Ehh, not really. Riding on that ball isn't my kind of ride for a Transportation. Now your route should passing through here inside this big hall.

Tsugumi : Like through here? Wha...? Huh? What's this big room? It looks just like the loading screen from the 06 game. This might be the right picture for the loading screen it is. (holds out the loading screen that matches background) So the door that leads the main route to the ship is on the north and the door that leads to the way is on to the west. So which direction that it's leading me to? I have no idea if this is such a good idea that i'm currently following directions. I have no idea where is this compass telling me which direction that it leads me to the north. Quite simple on the laboratory's map. But I have a good point tho.

Slippy : I know, right? This is where the door that leads to level 2 is down here on the north and it's basically locked with security. I know if there was a key or switch to open the door on the north. But the only problem is that the switch to the door is not here. So It's located in another room. But can you make it there?

Tsugumi : Slippy. Where can I find the switch? Where can I find the switch so that I can open the door?

Slippy : The door on the upper part finding to the room where the switch to the door on the lower part is located on the northeast.

Tsugumi : And let me guess. There's lots of security full of Eggman badniks. Yeah right. Hmph. That's not so bad. I got this.

(Scene cuts to show Tsugumi surrounded by a bunch robots are destroyed by a magnetic force after Tsugumi activated both of them)

Tsugumi : That is a lot of enemies. Good thing I activated a magnetic force that will easily wipe them all out! Who says that wielding a weapon of my own is too easy to tough it out?

Slippy : Alright Tsugumi! Now then, The door's opened! Now make your way to the Halberd quickly and fast! We haven't got much time left before the security finds out that you're here as the unauthorized person!

Tsugumi : Copy that, Slippy! I'm on pursuit on my route! Now or never! I'm heading to level 2 of Aquatic Base Zone! It's time for me to get the ship's launch immediately!

[Aquatic Base ~ Level 2 ~ - Mariko Nanba]

Tsugumi : My friends. (visions shows the dead bodies of Anya and Meme) This will be my last chance to ever save you guys! A chance to bring you back! Just you wait, Maka Albarn! Today you will ever see a hero step towards the light and make my story to shine on! I'll bring hope to a better tomorrow! And I'll make you prove that you are side of the Good Guys! I promise that you'll meet me one day and we'll settle this together!

"Hope is what we need for our world's better future!"

"And I know that I must do it on my own!"

"That is what we must overcome the fear of darkness itself!"

"And I'll keep on winning to make destiny as my guide!"

~ Act 21 : The Halberd's Revival ~

#kirby #star fox #super smash bros #sonic the hedgehog #soul eater #soul eater not #fire force #nintendo #sega #sonic team #square enix #crossover #drama #dark comedy #horror #mystery #thriller #supernatural #fantasy #dark fantasy #science fiction #action #adventure #psychological