#especially with... everything happening in this chapter

[cat-mermaid]

this is why I think that Pluey game about saving cats from the rain-

-is so fucking ominous

I think you hit the nail on the head with this, because it relates perfectly to this cut content from chaps 3 and 4:

I am 100% sure that is "the tail of hell" and I believe that its made up up an endless spiral of Castle Towns, as in endless save files of them. Remember in chapter 2 when you find out that the town is named after you, the name you input for yourself in the goner maker in chap 1?

Didn't that make you uncomfortable? Did that just feel foreboding as hell somehow?

I think each of those orbs are supposed to represent a single castle town save file, each by a different player aka SOUL aka ANGEL

"The Worlds" is so perfectly vague, because which worlds? "Be saved" can be interpreted so many ways, especially since in Undertale/Deltarune saving and loading are diegetic

What Ralsei knows and isn't telling Kris and Susie could be-

*slaps on theory hat*

-is that "Saving the world" might mean a party members death, but the world being saved is the Castle Town world. Thats why Ralsei has been working so hard to make rooms for the two of them and make his world so fun and enjoyable:

because it just might be Ralsei who is going to willingly sacrifice himself in order to save Kris and Susie and have them live in his dark world forever. In this scenario, he knows the heros aren't supposed to win the way they think they are, so everything from the start has all been him attempting to make his "Ark" as cozy and enjoyable as he can when the inevitable happens

*takes off theory hat*

so honesty I don't 100% think, from all of my researching and my own big theory, that its gonna go down like that but it might partially because of all the set up for it

When we get to that time, Ralsei might offer Kris and Susie that option or somthing in that vein, but I think that Kris is going to make another, far more depressing choice that we the player are going to have no say in and will only be able to watch as it goes down :(

i think the last prophecy has to be more than just "one of the heroes dies." we know that jevil knew the prophecy too, and seemingly so does seam -

and i feel like it would make the most sense for THIS be the forbidden knowledge that made jevil realize he can do anything, made seam become a nihilist, made spamton obsessed with escaping fate. occam's razor and all that - it's just simplest for this to be it, rather than for there to be TWO forbidden knowledges they all happen to know.

and "susie will die" just... doesn't fit that. like, i don't see why any of them would be so devastated to learn that one lightner dies that they go insane/give up on life.

the prophecy ends with "ONLY THEN, WILL THE WORLDS BE SAVED." which implies that this story does end with the worlds being saved...

bur seam says "One day soon... You too, will begin to realize the futility of your actions. Ha ha ha... At that time, feel free to come back here. I'll make you tea... And we can toast... to the end of the world!"

and ralsei's abridged version of the prophecy DOES say that the world will be saved AFTER a terrible calamity occurs, and "The EARTH [draws] her final breath," which implies the earth being destroyed.

now, there isn't just a light world and a dark world - there's multiple dark worlds. so, "THE WORLDS" being saved doesn't necessarily preclude any particular world from being destroyed.

it could be that the light world will be destroyed, leaving only the dark worlds saved.

it could be that all worlds except for the light world and castle town will be destroyed, hence why ralsei wants you to recruit everyone - for castle town to act as a sort of "ark" for darkners to survive.

i dunno!

[paxaz535]

CAMP PINE RIDGE - pazzi series

————

new series i’m starting! it’s something i’ve been thinking about ever since … well… since june i think. but now i’ve finally found the perfect way to write it out and i think it’s going pretty well.

basically a friends to lovers type deal… except azzi is crushing hard on paige but paige doesn’t realize until later on. way more to it but i don’t wanna spoil giving away too much details so just enjoy this chapter!

————

working at the camp your mother owns had its perks.

and azzi could tell you all about them.

–

one thing azzi did love was having her own personal cabin. no messy kids running around, no need to whisper at night or worry about someone’s music blasting too loud to sleep—it was just her. she treated it like her room back home, and honestly, it felt like her own private house tucked away in the woods.

katie was big on making sure her kids were comfortable. didn’t matter if they were just driving five minutes to the nearest store—she made sure everyone had everything they needed. and even though she was azzi’s mom, she still had to treat all the counselors the same. but since azzi had been coming to this camp basically since she was born, katie figured it was only fair her daughter had a cabin of her own—just like her.

katie’s cabin was massive. it sat farther back from the rest, tucked away in its own corner of the camp. everyone knew it was hers just by looking at it. azzi’s was next door, but not so close that you could see into one from the other. azzi always appreciated the space. her mom could’ve made her share with the other counselors—but she didn’t.

the counselor’s cabin was nicer than the kids’, more adult-feeling. each counselor had their own bed—no bunk beds in sight—and while they only had two bathrooms to share, they made it work. katie loved those counselors like they were her own. she made sure they felt appreciated. it was kind of cute, actually.

azzi had been a counselor for at least four years now, and she hadn’t gotten tired of it yet. over those years, she’d made friends, lost some, and picked up a few lessons along the way. she always saw her experiences as just that—experiences. you live and you learn. that was her motto.

and sure, she wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

but that didn’t bother azzi one bit.

she didn’t have to be.

she always told herself not to get too attached to the counselors. every year brought a new set of them. some found better jobs, some just didn’t want to spend half their summer wrangling kids—which was completely understandable.

during her first year as a counselor, azzi had a buddy named emma. the two hit it off right away. azzi never got any weird vibes from her and genuinely considered her a good friend.

but when the second year rolled around, emma was nowhere to be found.

azzi tried to reach out—texts, calls, even dms—but she was always sent straight to voicemail. it hurt, more than she expected. she’d really seen emma as one of her closest friends, and having her disappear like that made azzi look at things differently.

she learned her lesson: don’t get too close.

but something good happened that second year, too. a new group of counselors came in—a tight, solid crew. they were supportive, hilarious, and most of all, authentic. they ended up coming back the next two years alongside azzi, and for that, she was endlessly grateful.

kk was the first one she clicked with.

she was funny as hell, and her personality was magnetic. she was great with the kids—even though they got on her nerves sometimes. but really, what kid hasn’t driven an adult up the wall at least once? that’s just part of the game.

kk was outgoing and unapologetically herself. people loved her for that. the kids especially. she was the fun counselor. she’d let them stay up after curfew sometimes, sneak them out to roast marshmallows by the campfire. she played around a lot, but she also knew when to be serious, when to put a kid in their place.

then there was ice.

if kk was the wild card, ice was the anchor. she was more serious, but not in a killjoy way. she wasn’t about to let a kid disrespect her—and that was something azzi respected deeply. ice had fun too; she just knew when it was time to reel it back in.

she once told azzi that she couldn’t tolerate kk at first—too goofy, too chaotic—but over time, she warmed up to her. now they’re inseparable. walking into camp together every summer like a package deal. azzi found it adorable.

and then there was nika. the chill, smooth, effortlessly cool counselor.

nika was kind of like kk—but way more relaxed. sarcastic, smart, and easy to talk to, especially for the older kids. they loved her. probably because she didn’t try too hard to be liked. she was just…herself. that was enough.

nika always got assigned to the oldest age group. she vibed with them better than anyone else.

azzi adored her for that—

for her vibe, for how laid-back she was,

for the way she always seemed to take care of things. she knew how to handle things when they got too overwhelming. never asked for help, even when you could tell she probably needed it. she was independent, capable, and azzi couldn’t help but be inspired by that.

nika just got it.

then there were jana and caroline.

the sweetest people you could ever meet.

they came in as a duo too—always together, always in sync. from the moment they arrived at camp, it was obvious how much they cared about people. soft-spoken but never pushovers, they carried themselves with this calm, nurturing energy that made them easy to talk to, easy to trust.

kids loved them for how gentle they were. they never raised their voices, but still somehow commanded respect. it wasn’t about being the loudest or the strictest—it was about the way they made everyone feel safe.

azzi always thought they were the heart of the group. whenever things got too loud or messy, jana and caroline were the ones to bring it all back down to earth.

it was nice having people like that around.

but then katie told the curlyhead there’d be one more new person joining this year.

and azzi couldn’t help but feel a little excited.

katie said it’d be her first time ever doing something like this—no prior experience, just a willingness to try something new. and she expected azzi to be the one to help her ease in, make her feel welcome, show her the ropes.

“it can be a lot,” katie had told her. “some people quit by the end of the first week.”

and it was true. the early mornings, long days, constant noise, emotional energy—all of it added up fast. you had to really want to be here.

so azzi understood the responsibility.

this wasn’t just about being nice.

it was about making sure this new girl didn’t burn out before she even had a chance to enjoy herself.

and azzi was up for it.

————-

“do you have everything?”

azzi was in her room, halfway through packing and already frustrated. clothes were scattered across the bed and floor, her duffel bag only half-zipped. she kept picking things up, then putting them back down, completely forgetting what she was looking for in the first place.

she always lost track of where she put things. it was a habit she was getting real tired of.

katie leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed loosely as she watched her daughter make another lap around the room.

“you know the camp isn’t going anywhere,” she said lightly. “you’ve got time to breathe.”

azzi let out a groan, dragging a hand down her face. “i swear i just had my slides… now they’re gone.”

“bottom of your laundry basket,” katie offered, not even looking.

azzi paused, narrowed her eyes, then marched over to check. sure enough, they were buried under a crumpled pair of sweatpants.

“how do you do that?” she muttered, slipping them into her bag.

katie just smirked. “i’m your mother. i know everything.”

azzi chuckled before speaking, “you know everything, you say?”

katie shrugged, the corner of her mouth pulling into a proud little smile. “just about. especially when it comes to you.”

“mhmm,” azzi replied, stuffing a hoodie into the bag, “then what am i forgetting?”

katie tilted her head like she was thinking hard. “to bring that positive attitude. might need it this year.”

azzi rolled her eyes playfully. “mom…”

“i’m serious,” katie said, her voice softening. “we’ve got a new counselor coming in. this is her first time doing anything like this. no real experience. she’s gonna need someone to lean on a little.”

azzi looked over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow.

“and you want that someone to be me?”

“i know that someone will be you,” katie corrected, giving her a look that said she wasn’t really asking. “you’ve been at this long enough. you know how it goes.”

azzi let out a small sigh but nodded. “i got it.”

“good.”

katie started to turn, but paused before leaving.

“oh—and don’t be surprised if she’s a little… rough around the edges at first.”

azzi squinted. “rough how?”

but katie just gave a cryptic smile and backed out of the room.

“you’ll see.”

rough around the edges?

azzi was confused.

she honestly didn’t even know how to take that information.

what did that mean, exactly? was the girl cruel? evil? one of those super nonchalant, too-cool-for-everything types who acted like they didn’t want to be there?

katie could’ve at least elaborated. instead, she just dropped that cryptic little line and dipped like she didn’t just hand azzi a riddle to solve.

“rough around the edges,” azzi repeated under her breath, stuffing socks into the side pouch of her bag.

great. now she was going to spend the whole ride to camp wondering what kind of person she was about to be babysitting all summer.

because that’s what it felt like. babysitting.

she didn’t mind helping out—really, she didn’t—but something about being assigned to someone who might not even want to be there had her a little on edge.

what if she was lazy? or mean to the kids? or worse—just annoying?

azzi sighed, flopping onto the bed for a second.

“you’ll see,” her mom had said.

yeah.

she’d see, alright.

azzi stared at the ceiling for a moment, arms splayed out like she’d just been knocked down by the weight of pure confusion.

rough around the edges.

what did that even look like?

her mind started cycling through every possibility: maybe the girl didn’t smile much. maybe she cursed a lot. maybe she didn’t like kids—hell, maybe she hated the outdoors and got signed up for this on a whim, thinking it would be cute and easy.

azzi groaned, dragging a pillow over her face.

“why would mom do this to me,” she mumbled into the fabric.

she hated being blindsided. hated feeling like she was walking into something without the full picture. and now, instead of thinking about how good it would feel to be back at camp, back with her people, she was caught up thinking about some mystery girl who might ruin the whole vibe.

she wasn’t trying to sound dramatic—

but the group they had now was solid.

it worked. it flowed. no weird energy. no egos.

she didn’t want someone coming in and messing that up.

and yet… there was also a tiny part of her—one she didn’t want to admit was there—that liked the idea of someone new.

someone unexpected.

maybe she was weird. or loud. or had a wall up.

maybe she was the type azzi never really clicked with before.

maybe that was kind of exciting.

maybe.

azzi sat up again, her eyes landing on the packed bag at the foot of her bed.

you’ll see, her mom had said.

and now, she couldn’t stop wondering.

“come on, azzi! we gotta be there before twelve!” katie called from downstairs.

azzi let out a long sigh, forcing herself up from the bed. she grabbed her bags, did one last glance around her room, then flipped the light switch off and headed down.

“i’m taking my car,” she said, already jingling her keys in her hand.

katie didn’t argue. just held up a thumbs up as she passed by, suitcase in hand, already halfway out the door.

azzi followed, pausing at the bottom of the stairs to glance into the living room.

“see you guys!” she called.

her brothers barely looked up, eyes glued to the TV screen as they smacked buttons on their controllers. one mumbled a “later,” the others just lifted their hands in vague waves.

classic.

azzi rolled her eyes but smiled to herself.

it was go time.

[coconutjelly]

Put a Ring On It, Chapter 1-2

Part 2/10

Tumblr chrono link

Think Pink AU on AO3

So yeah, when the boyfriend who brought home the goodest good boy on this or any other planet gets a call from said boy, I’m paying attention to both my feels and the conversation.

Except that I can’t exactly walk away from the pasta sheets, or I risk the flour absorbing too much moisture and turning them into pasta logs. I do briefly consider taking the risk - I do have boxed spaghetti as a backup - but I take too much pride in my cooking, so I take in what I can as he paces back and forth past the kitchen door.

“Yeah, I was serious. I told you I can do…”

“...a couple days to dig up everything from…”

“Wait, why?” Ooh, that one's interesting. 

“...can probably use the summer house. I'll need…” 

Wait, do we have a summer house? I mean, I know son of Bruce Wayne and all, and it’s not like the Drakes were ever hurting for money, either. But Tim isn’t one for a lavish lifestyle, and he’s never mentioned a vacation home before.

I don’t particularly care either, like, on principle…it’s just that the weather's been crap this week, and if there's an island going unused somewhere warm and sunny, I'm gonna be hella cranky about it. I indulge in a very nice PG-ish fantasy of warm sand and a blurry array of freckles over Tim’s long, pale limbs as I start to slice the pasta sheets.

“...right here, I'll ask.” Tim pops his head around the corner to review the totally normal and not at all unreasonable color-coded calendar that takes up most of the wall behind the bar cart that serves as my fancy coffee station. “Are you free Saturday?”

“Yeah, why?” I don’t even glance at the calendar myself, both because I already know what the week looks like and because I could be scheduled to have dinner with the fucking President and I’d cancel if Tim’s good boy has finally had his impending sexuality crisis and is asking for a repeat weekend performance. 

He just smirks in a wicked way I don't see very often but have never once regretted encountering, and goes back to the call and the pacing. Holy shit, is that what’s happening? Are we on Post-Crisis Protocol here?

“We're in. Do you remember where the…”

My horny hope deflates just as quickly as it rose - Tim wouldn’t commit me to sex without any negotiation, especially after the conversations we’ve had so far around Kon. Double that especially considering the two-party threesome roleplay that we’ve engaged in a couple of times lately and the much greater level of prep, or at least, well, PrEP that would be needed for us to have that kind of play with Kon.

His voice projects from the living room a few moments later, “Kon says hi!”

I shake my head, because they really are such teenage boys, even now. Precious, precious teenage boys who didn’t get nearly enough childhood, and I’m not enough of a monster to deny them this adorableness. 

“Hi Kon!” I shout over my shoulder, even though he apparently doesn't need me to speak up at all to be able to hear me from anywhere on this side of the planet. I try not to think about that too much though, because there are limits to my exhibitionist streak and, again, threesome roleplay. 

[mortal-ethos]

Polytrix HCs

(I'm gonna try to not repeat some of the ones I have that are really common ones, like Zoey has AuDHD. Girl we know this, we knew this from the gecko, I don't need to say it again. You feel me?)

Zoey -

She always had a hard time making friends, feeling like not enough but too much at the same time we know this, but I KNOW that her local Hispanic community fucking loved her. She was absolutely invited to and asked to perform at her friends' quinceañeras. They love her energy, and I think she knows a lot of Spanish from them too. She also introduced the Selena movie and her music to the girls (they both sobbed, and Rumi became absolutely obsessed with Selena's music too)

She was a huge Naruto and Dragon Ball fan growing up, and still loves anime. She's seen all of One Piece multiple times (her ringtone is Blue Bird) she was also slightly obsessed with Vampire Knight and it's a guilty pleasure show now (there's a reason she's universally understood to be a freaky one in the fandom yk?)

Only child, really close with her grandparents in lieu of her own parents because of the divorce. She calls them nearly every day

If she wasn't in Huntr/x, she would be a marine biologist. She loves diving and takes the girls diving with her whenever they get the chance to be in California (Rumi is terrified until she actually gets in the water, Mira loves it the entire time and tries to convince Rumi to swim with sharks with her)

loves reading books but passes out nearly immediately, so either Mira or Rumi will read to her which is fine because then they all learn the story at the same time. Rumi is a really good speaker and perfectly reads the lines, and Mira does really really good voices and sound effects

she has endometriosis, and her menstrual cycle is really painful, so the girls who normally spoil her - spoil her even more when this happens. she has chronic pelvic pain so she'll often have a heating pad on her when they get home. The girls love to massage her hips, lower abdomen, lower back, to ease the pain. She has a crazy high pain tolerance too (tis but a flesh wound)

she also tends to get cold really easily (girl has no meat on her bones) so the heating pad is multi-purpose

has a nasty slouch that Mira corrects all the time

Is the only one that knows how to drive but drives like a grandma

Mira -

She's the older sister, she used to take the blame for everything to protect her younger brother who just ended up drinking the flavor-aid and judging her just like their parents did

Out of all of the girls, she is the biggest magical girl fan. She tries to keep it a secret but her ringtone is literally the Sailor Moon opening (Her favorite Sailor Scouts are Sailor Uranus and Sailor Jupiter, duh)

She's non-binary, doesn't give a shit about pronouns as long as you put respect on her name. She is THE Boyfriend Girlfriend TM, and fluctuates between more masc and femme vibes on a dime and the girls can tell, and get very flustered. (I don't personally HC her as transfemme necessarily but I do love it very very much. Love to see it)

Doesn't want to admit it but she loves romcoms and slice of life anime, and she reads the new manga chapters of her faves while in the car or during hair and makeup, basically whenever she has free time (her favorite ever is Nana)

Classically trained dancer obviously, but her favorite styles of dance are the Viennese Waltz and vogueing/posing/whacking (and you can actually see similar movements in the actual KPDH choreography that resemble posing which is why I thought of it)

She used to sneak out to go to queer clubs and watch underground drag performances, so she connects very strongly to her queer identity and actually has done drag. She still talks to her drag mother a lot who keeps her up to date with the tea she misses out on while touring

A walking heater, which is great because both Zoey and Rumi run cold so they are attached to her at the hip all the time but especially when cuddling at home. Once they start dating, she does not know what personal space is anymore

has a bad habit of using dance speak even in normal conversation "oh it's easy you just *motioning with her hands* boom boom, dun, klack." and then Zoey and Rumi just stare at her until she realizes and uses clearer words (they think it's really cute)

Rumi -

I know a lot of people think Rumi runs hot, but not me. After having to cover herself up for so long, she's built up a crazy high heat tolerance so she gets cold really easily. (I had the same thing happen to me, I will almost always be the coldest person in the room, so I know that once she starts to show more skin, she is SHIVERING.)

This also means that she likes to steal both Zoey's and Mira's hoodies, because she runs even colder than Zoey. Neither of them complain, and it's not uncommon for Mira to find even both of them somehow fit into one of her hoodies at the same time while cuddling.

She's a birder. Whenever she is out and about, if there's a bird call, she's the one searching her head all around to find it and picking out which bird it is (her favorite is the oriental magpie [pica serica] which is the bird I believe Sussie was based off of [also the national bird of South Korea, fun fact] it has a super pretty song)

Because I think her patterns are sensitive, I don't think she can sleep in clothes anymore. It's too overstimulating (and means she's more likely to cuddle with Zoey and Mira for warmth and neither of them are complaining about being closer to a nearly naked Rumi)

obsessed with tea. milk tea, fruit tea, herbal tea, Zoey blew her mind with USAmerican iced tea, Mira had to make a "water only" rule during dance practices

gets really really bad cuteness aggression. while Zoey is the "i want to live in your skin" kind of super affectionate, Rumi sometimes has to T pose to regulate or else she might crush one of them. She's literally shaking like a chihuahua from it

She has special unreleased recordings of her mom singing, as well as recorded messages from her mom and dad that she listens to often. She uses them to regulate during panic attacks or depressive episodes or just to help her sleep until post-movie, then she has Mira and Zoey to help her regulate and she listens to the recordings simply for the joy of them

She got her awkward smile from her dad but she doesn't know it. She doesn't know her mom fell in love with his goofiness the same way Zoey and Mira fell in love with hers.

Throuple HCs

they're that throuple that can say "can you get me the thing from the thing?" "it's not in the thing?" "no no the other thing." "ohhh yeah I'll get it."

They like small beds. They like being completely on top of each other so they think having a big bed is kind of pointless. They all fit on a queen/full size, they frequently take naps on the couch

They're also the throuple that can communicate with only facial expressions much to the befuddlement of their staff and Bobby

[cobaltperun]

Love Song Requiem (3) - Love Song Requiem

Mabel x Female Reader

Chapter summary: Your parents taught you only two things about this job. Don't get attached and that there's no right and wrong, only profit. Everything else you had to learn on your own. Funny how you went against both lessons at the same time.

Masterlist / First Part / Previous Part

Word Count: 3k

-This love will take my everything, one breath one touch will be the end of me-

There was so much irony in the situation she was in right now. She thought you were trouble, yet that ended up being as far from truth as possible, and instead of having a fling with you she ended up in this not quite friends not quite lovers zone as she sat on the balcony of your apartment with her feet on your lap and just lazily sipping wine after eating a dinner at your apartment. Weeks was ecstatic when she brought him another deal with you almost three months ago, but if he knew how close the two of you got over those months, he’d be pulling out his own hair.

“Oh no, you’re thinking,” you teased her, making Mabel roll her eyes. “What kind of trouble am I going to get into?” you asked, grinning behind a glass of wine.

“Haven’t figured it out yet,” and you’ve gotten into trouble, you were late to the meeting with your parents once, and she still remembered how exhausted you look when you came back from the scolding from hell you received. It was her fault, really, she made you watch a movie with her and then you got caught up discussing it.

Then there was a time when you nearly burnt down the kitchen, and the time when Charcoal, or Charlie as she’s been calling the cat for the past two months, took liking to her apartment and you had to basically beg him to come back to your own, and the time you were trying to catch or at least chase away the owl that flew into your apartment when she had the bright idea to leave the window open during a particularly hot night.

Yeah, she couldn’t really think of a boring day spent with you.

Charcoal jumped onto her lap and began to purr as she pet him. “Hey, Charlie,” she smirked when she saw you tighten your jaw, oh, you were so easy to tease.

“Stop renaming my cat, yesterday he actually responded to that name,” you muttered, annoyed, but not actually angry at her, especially when she began cackling. “Tch, you even cackle like a witch,” yet you were smiling, teasing her back.

Mabel smirked at you. “What a charming nickname. You sweep me right off my feet with it.”

You stared at her with one eyebrow raised. “Well, your feet are right here,” you pointed at her feet, which were, in fact, not on the ground and still on your lap.

“You stole them, thief,” she replied without a moment of hesitation, making you roll your eyes. “By the way, I met a guy,” she watched you carefully, it wasn’t exactly obvious, but you were curious, though a bit tense. Definitely a tad bit jealous, not that you had a reason to be. She knew exactly what you felt, and she was sure you knew how she felt too. It wasn’t your feelings you were both conflicted about, it was this life.

“Yeah? Anything special about him?” you asked and looked at her, studying her carefully.

“No, not really. He’s kinda cute, but, frankly, not my type,” she, for once, didn’t tease you. You nodded, finishing your wine. “He is my second favorite Charlie though,” as she predicted, you choked on the wine, but luckily nothing happened and you recovered. Charcoal purred a bit louder, as if she was just talking about him. Damn, the cat really did accept that his name was also Charlie now. That was hilarious to her.

“You are never calling Charcoal by that name again,” you warned her, but she just stuck her tongue out at you. You rolled your eyes at that and set the empty glass onto the table.

Mabel watched you for a while, biting her lower lip and trying to ground herself by petting Charcoal. “Say, Y/N?” you hummed, letting her know you were listening to her. “Have you ever considered leaving this life behind?”

You slumped back into your chair. “I’m not exactly in the position to do it,” you said, though she could hear resignation in your voice and see longing in your eyes. She heard rumors before she met you, that you were a rebellious teen, once upon a time, seeing you now she guessed that need to rebel was broken.

“I wish I could go to college, start a new life,” she admitted softly.

“You can, you’re not that deep in this whole mess,” you told her, and she shook her head.

“Don’t have the money,” she argue, already guessing what you were going to say.

“That’s easy to fix,” but she once more shook her head.

“I don’t want to start my new life with drug money,” and she was firm in that idea, even if there was a high chance that would be the only money she’d ever have.

“It’s not, I made some money legally as a teen, back when I stupidly believed I could start over fresh, without this burden. If you’re serious about a new start, you can have it,” you told her and she looked at you, baffled by your desire to help her.

“You know I’d be out of your life if that happened, right?” she asked and you smiled, but it was bitter-sweet.

“If I have to choose between you being by my side and you having an actual chance at a life that makes you happy, well, that’s the easiest choice I could ever make, no matter how much it would hurt,” you were a dumbass, her ridiculous, lovely, dumbass.

She quickly wiped a tear that threatened to fall from her eyes. “You’re impossible,” she muttered, but you just kept smiling, as if telling her that this offer would always remain open.

~X~

About a week later you and Mabel were once again in your apartment, having just finished eating dinner. “How was your day?” you ask her, used to this routine by now. You had to admit you were a lot happier since Mabel became a part of your life. Still, there was something different about tonight.

Mabel seemed distracted, and she wasn’t as talkative as she usually was. “Say, Y/N, have you ever gotten someone involved in the business for a, let’s say, one-time deal?” your eyes widened when she said that.

“No, it’s too much of a risk for all sides involved,” you told her and watched as she bit her lower lip in frustration.

“Fuck,” she cursed softly as she went to the couch and buried her face in her hands.

“What happened?” you asked, getting up and sitting down next to her on the couch. You put your arm around her and pulled her close.

“Things happened and I got Charlie involved. And it’s a big job as well,” she said before leaning into your touch. “I messed up, didn’t I?”

“Probably. They are inexperienced, which makes them an easy target, but who knows, things might just work out,” you tried to be optimistic. “Just in case I’ll send some of my guys to make sure everything goes right,” you pulled out your phone, ready to text some of the people more loyal to you than to your parents.

“It’s happening tonight,” Mabel said, making you stop before you could send the text. Yeah, it was too late then.

You leaned back onto the couch, pulling Mabel along with you and sighing softly when she leaned down and rested her head against your chest. “Then we can only hope for the best,” you figured, and she nodded.

~X~

It absolutely went wrong, the morning after you were hearing all about it, a big operation failed, and everyone involved was pissed off. “Shit,” you cursed, calling Mabel for what felt like the hundredth time, even though it was probably more like tenth time or something. “Come on, pick up,” you pleaded as you paced around in your bedroom, even Charcoal was getting tense. Finally, after what felt like forever Mabel answered her phone.

“Hey, sorry I haven’t returned your calls,” Mabel said, and you could feel frustration in her voice, anger, and she sniffled, letting out a shaky breath.

“Are you crying?” you asked, panicking at the thought.

“It’s nothing,” she didn’t deny she was crying, and you swallowed the lump in your throat.

“Mabel, hey, talk to me,” you tried to get her to be honest. “Please, I heard what happened, I need to know you’re okay,” you pleaded, sitting down, tense, on edge, wanting nothing more than to be by her side right now. You knew too well how dangerous this could be, a lot of money was lost, and it wouldn’t take long for people to start accusing one another.

“Charlie and the rest of the guys think I set them up,” she eventually told you and you sighed, all things considered that wasn’t the worst-case scenario, though Mabel took a liking to Charlie, he was an okay guy, so this lack of trust stung her.

“Shit,” you sighed, contemplating whether or not you should just go and meet up with her, get out of town until this whole mess gets settled. That certainly sounded like the right choice, given everything you heard. “Let’s just leave for a week or two,” you suggested, knowing it wasn’t a permanent solution, knowing you’d both come back and go back to living the lives you both hated.

“Y/N, we can’t,” Mabel sighed. You couldn’t be touched, no one would dare to even point fingers at you, let alone try to do something, but you couldn’t extend that protection to Mabel. “They’ll just get more suspicious,” she told you, but before you could answer you heard a muffled gasp coming from her and her phone dropping onto the ground.

“Mabel!” you yelled, getting up. “Mabel!” you could hear the faint sound of car driving off and rushed to your living room, your heart pounding in your chest as you rushed to your car. It had to be Weeks, no one else could have been behind this. Before you could even consider your safety you grabbed a gun and opened your laptop, getting all the meeting locations you ever had with anyone from Weeks’ gang, looking for anywhere they could take Mabel.

Two places stood out, a storage unit close to the docks and a warehouse on the other side of the town. You had no idea where Mabel was, but you took a guess that she was closer to the docks, so, with gun in its holster, you ran toward your car, desperately hoping you guessed right, because you weren’t sure Mabel had the time if you didn’t.

~X~

Mabel woke up in what looked like a small room, though it was too dark to see where she was exactly. There was a small lamp on the ceiling, making it uncomfortable to open her eyes and she gritted her teeth when she realized she was tied to a chair. “Your mother will be very disappointed in you,” she heard Weeks’ voice as he came closer to her, he sounded furious.

Even in this predicament she laughed humorlessly. “She doesn’t care enough to feel anything for me. If she cared one bit she wouldn’t have made me work for you,” her tone was bitter as she glared at him.

“I used to like your defiance, Mabel, now it’s just pissing me off. Where are my drugs?” he demanded, and she could have guessed it from the start that this was why she was here.

“I didn’t do anything. I don’t know where your drugs are,” and she really didn’t know, she didn’t set anyone up, and she especially wouldn’t do it to Charlie, especially since this was supposed to be a one-time deal for him.

Weeks slapped her hard across her face, drawing blood from her lower lip and she cried out in shock and pain. “Liar! You think I didn’t notice you all over that L/N girl. You betrayed me and handed the drugs to her!”

She didn’t, she never would have done that. It crossed her mind that, if she was going to live this life then maybe she should just work for you. You refused every time, because unlike Weeks your criminal empire wasn’t involved in just drugs, it was almost interwoven in actual politics, and the corruption ran deep. No one who got involved with your family business directly ever got out, there were no one-time deals, no short-term plans, once in, getting out was almost impossible. And you wouldn’t let Mabel do that, not when she still had the chance to start over.

And then she heard doors swinging open and the lights turned on, making her blink a few times.

“Let her go, Weeks,” her heart skipped a beat when she heard your voice, carrying the authority she never heard from you before. Truly a ‘thief in charge’ as she jokingly called you.

“L/N,” Weeks raised his hands. “Let’s not be reckless now?” she noticed the gun in your hand, pointed right at Weeks’ forehead.

You then pulled out a thick, paper envelope. “This could cover your losses four times over,” you told him firmly and tossed the envelope toward him. He caught it, scrambling for the envelope almost pathetically as he and his men rushed out, not needing anything else, they didn’t care about how you found them, didn’t care why you came here, they got their money, four times as much as they should have and that was all that mattered to them. The stone-cold fierce mask of a crime boss vanished from your face the moment they were gone, and you rushed to Mabel’s side, untying her.

“Y/N,” she gasped, wrapping her arms tightly around you the moment her hands were free, and she melted into your touch when you put the gun back in its holster and hugged her, burying your face in the crook of her neck.

“Are you okay?” you asked, your voice filled with warmth and worry and she nodded.

“I am now,” she whispered, shaking slightly as the initial adrenaline vanished and the realization of what could have happened to her dawned upon her. “I want to leave,” Mabel mumbled, clutching onto the back of your shirt.

“I’ve got you,” you whispered, actually lifting her up and carrying her to your car. Unlike her, you could afford not paying as much attention to your surrounding. No one would be stupid enough to go after you.

~X~

Even hours later your body and muscles were still tense with adrenaline coursing through you. You’ve taken Mabel back to your apartment, helping her calm down and letting her, as she usually did when she came to your apartment, sleep in your bed. Only this time you didn’t take the couch, instead you were sitting on your bed, your back against the headboard as Mabel slept next to you.

She needed company, still affected by being kidnapped, and you needed time to think.

So, here you were, sitting in the darkness of your bedroom with Mabel sleeping peacefully next to you, it was one of those nights, when everything your parents taught you about this way of life felt wrong. Not that they taught you a lot of things, just two, really. Never get attached, and that there’s no right or wrong, only profit. That’s how your family kept growing the family ‘business’. No one ever got attached, not to their partners, not to their family. Ever your parents’ marriage was a marriage of convenience instead of love.

You looked at Mabel, realizing you’ve broken both rules for her. You thought back to the way you felt when you found her, tied to the chair, her bottom lip busted by a slap, the rage you felt was enough to make your final decision. You got up, picking up your phone at three in the morning and called Mark.

It rang for a while and then he finally picked up. “Damn, Y/N, do you have any idea what time it is?”

“I’ll testify, I’ll give you all the information, everything you need to bring this criminal empire down, but I need something in return.” you cut to the point and swore you could hear his jaw drop. You glanced back at Mabel, figuring that yes, this was worth it.

“Whatever you say,” he could promise you that, not because he himself could make it happen, but because he knew whatever you asked for would be worth the end result.

“Remember the girl I was with about three months ago?” you asked, trusting his good memory.

“Yes, Mabel. We ran into each other a few times. She’s not all that involved yet,” he replied, and you nodded, relieved to hear that.

“I need you to guarantee she’ll be safe, that she’ll get new identity and go to another state, as far from this mess as possible,” you explained.

You knew the man long enough to guess he nodded. “Consider it done. Come to the station tomorrow morning and we’ll start,” he said, and you nodded, even though he couldn’t see you. “It’ll be worth it, Y/N,” he assured you, not that he needed to. This, all of this, had gone on for far too long.

“See you in a few hours,” you said and hung up, not knowing Mabel heard everything and was trying to stop herself from crying.

You both knew what this would mean for you. No matter what you gave to the authorities you’d have to accept the punishment as well, at least several years in prison awaited you. At the same time you both knew fleeing wasn’t an option. Mabel could probably hide, start over, but they’d find you, maybe in a week, maybe in a month, or even in a few years, but they’d eventually find you.

There wasn’t any other choice.

A/N: Well, this was supposed to come out on Wednesday, but I had a long week, so this is coming out today and I'll start Burning Heart, for those interested, next week on Friday.

Taglist: @nwestra @imnotsocool @tejakabuttons

[eric-r-malice]

hi. deltarune predictions/analysis/hot takes, okay? okay. deltarune predictions/analysis/hot takes! (compiling a list of my Deltarune analysis/theories/whatever. keep in mind that a lot of this is speculative- though I do think some of it is objective... mainly, Susie being The Girl, and Mike not being relevant.)

Susie is, and was always meant to be, The Girl from Deltarune's prophecy (full post)

Rudy is not as sick as people think he is, and probably won't die

This theory reeks of something I'd write when I was 15 and that is not a good thing, I was obsessed with writing pointless angst back then

I know someone IRL who's bedridden like Rudy and has been for years, and she hasn't keeled over and died or anything

What would be the narrative purpose of Rudy just- dying? And why would he have to die? Could he just not remain ill?

Rudy dying would put a serious dampener on the ending of the game, since there's no way in hell anybody is getting over his death in, like, under 3 days, especially with everything else that's going to happen

My mostly baseless prediction for what'll happen to Rudy:

He gets worse in chapter 5, due to overexerting himself at the festival

His condition remains stable for the rest of the story, but the prospect of him dying looms over Noelle & Carol's heads for the rest of the story, serving as a motivation for whatever they wind up doing

During credits/post-credits scenes, he's seen to have recovered to at least an extent where he's back home with his family, standing around the house

Mike isn't and was never going to be relevant, the fandom just fooled themselves

Like... Seriously, guys.

Toby added an entire fucking sidequest for us to do where he basically just points at the screen and says "hey, guys, Mike wasn't actually a big deal, he was just a gimmicky side-character for Chapter 3, you all freaked out over nothing lol" and yet I still see people saying Mike's gonna be important... all of you are Matpip, istg.

"Mike is Spamton's mystery helper" That would be incredibly stupid because that means Tenna, who was after Spamton's secret to becoming a [[BIG SHOT]], has literally had the guy who made Spamton a [[BIG SHOT]] working for him this whole time?? like i can't be the only one who thinks that'd be fucking stupid right.

"Well Matpip says Mike changed after Spamton left, and Spamton talks about him a lot-" What if they were just pals?! What if they were just close, and they just miss eachother?! Mike might be a gimmicky side-character from chapter 3, yeah, but he's still a person with feelings and connections! It doesn't need to be a big lore thing, they can just be buddies... Avoiding the word "friend" because I know what people are like.

"Mike is DEVICE_FRIEND" Toby literally included Cat Mike as a jab at this idea. It's not canon. Mike and FRIEND are different people. And while I'm on this topic, Cowboy Mike exists as a jab at Friend Inside Me, and Small Mike also makes a joke about Friend Inside Me. I'd consider that an official debunk of that concept, too. Not that that'll stop this fandom from deluding themselves into believing it still has a chance...

Mike's just a Guy, dudes. He's just a fun, gimmicky side-character from Chapter 3. I'm convinced that Mike would've just been Chapter 3's Nubert if not for the fandom hysteria around him, in that he'd turn up in Castle Town only if you recruited everybody, and there'd be an interaction with a Pippins or Zapper or something that goes something like...

* Hey, everyone made it here! * Even Mike! (A spotlight flashes on and off again - Mike's way of confirming his presence.)

Like- seriously, if not for how much people freaked out about Mike, I'm convinced that would've been all we got of Mike beyond Chapter 3- because he isn't important going forwards!

The Prophecy's "final tragedy" is not sealing Castle Town's Grand Fountain (full post)

The Prophecy's "final tragedy" is the death or sacrifice of Ralsei

Susie emphasizes that Ralsei in particular wouldn't let the final tragedy come to pass

Ralsei seems especially upset about whatever the final tragedy is, having a full-on breakdown over it and over Susie seeing it

The blood splatter on his face screams foreshadowing

It'd explain his entire attitude toward Darkners and the Dark Worlds if he knew he was going to die, what with him trying to get Susie and Kris to not get attached and "make some real friends"

Susie will avert the "final tragedy", and do so without sacrificing herself (+ speculation on the game's themes)

The dialogue in Gerson's fight. I think it speaks for itself, really- "white pen of hope" and all that

Look I'm struggling to put it into exact words but the prophecy is clearly being set up to be subverted, especially that final tragedy- like, it hasn't changed yet, but it's going to be

I don't think Susie sacrificing herself to avoid the "final tragedy" would have much pay-off... like, the world was gonna be saved anyway. All that'd really do is trade one tragedy for another. That doesn't really... change anything.

I believe one of the themes of the main route of Deltarune will be letting the characters of this world manage their own fates, subverting the idea that the player is the most important character in a given game, the one that saves the world- "your choices don't matter", and all that. Your choices can't save the world and defy fate, but hers can!

That isn't to say that your choices don't actually matter, though- I think the message will be twofold! Sure, your choices might not be able to defy fate and save the world, but they're still important!

After all, it's your choices that can save Tenna and Jack, or doom them to death- your choices are what makes the difference between a full and empty Castle Town- and your choices can help Mettaton realise who he truly is, too. Is that not still worth something, even if your choices aren't what ultimately saves the world?

Also, sidenote, but Susie has the most "main character energy" out of anyone in the story. This is mildly relevant, because it's usually the Main Character that breaks fate and writes the better ending & all that shit, but it's not, like... a huge point. Just thought it was worth mentioning as an aside.

I believe the Knight is December Holiday

gonna preface this one by saying that, regardless of if it's carol or dess, i think it'll still make for a good story either way, and if it ends up being carol, cool! there's evidence for both of them. but i have my reasons to believe it's dess over carol, which are as follows:

A lot of hints for Carol Knight are placed right on the main path, right after the Knight fight in chapter 3- the katana, the person on the phone, Carol DEFINITELY being an antagonist- and to me, this just feels a bit too obvious if she was the Knight?

Meanwhile, basically every implication that Dess could be the knight is a lot more obscure than this- you have to go further out of your way to find clues towards Dess Knight- which makes me think Carol's gonna be a misdirect?

That isn't to say Carol won't be important to the dark world plot - she ABSOLUTELY will be, there's no way she isn't, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw her in a dark world at some point- I just don't think her role to play in the dark worlds is as the Roaring Knight. I think she's up to something else...

A counterpoint I hear a lot in regards to this is "oh if Carol's meant to be a misdirect then it isn't working because everyone thinks it's Dess" but I think that that argument fails to consider the intended experience of the game? It's an argument that I think comes from the position of people who're really deep in the fandom.

Like- we're not really meant to have years to speculate between chapters, Deltarune was all meant to release at once at some point, and Toby isn't really telling his story with these gaps between releases in mind- which is a good thing! He's telling his story in a way that can be digested all at once without any problem whatsoever.

(And before you bring up the times he's made nods to fandom jokes, yes, those exist, but that isn't the same as telling the game's story with the fact that fans of your game are going to be speculating on it for years between releases in mind... honestly, that doesn't sound look a good way to tell a story in general- y'know, basing it on the fact that people'll be speculating... it just sounds like a recipe for disaster.)

So with that in mind, think about a blind playthrough from that perspective- particularly one from somebody who doesn't go out of their way to dig for every little secret or spend time pondering between chapters.

They're gonna fight the Knight in chapter 3, probably lose, and then go into Chapter 4, enter the Holiday Home sequence, and get all these huge implications about Carol dropped on them, right after their first encounter with the Knight...

For a blind, full-game playthrough, Carol Knight is the obvious pick at this point in the story- Dess Knight might not even cross the mind of someone playing the game without speculation between chapters or involvement in the fandom.

And that's another reason why I think it's a misdirect- because, for a player going through the intended experience, it'd be a good, successful misdirect! It isn't completely out of left field- it's foreshadowed multiple times- but most of the Dess Knight hints are still out-of-the-way enough to be easily missable!

[obiwancreampie]

My top recs for SW fanfiction! This list will be slanted very heavily towards late republic era/prequels & clone wars. And lots of Obikin!

Every fic on this list is what I consider the best of the best. Only to avoid making this the longest post on tumblr, as I have read hundreds perhaps thousands of SW fics and I can't summarize them all.

🔒- Ao3 Restricted To Accounts Only, ⭐ - Especially memorable fics, LRE - late republic era, EE - empire era, 💎 - newly added

GEN OR MISC PAIRINGS

knock, knock, it's housekeeping by deniigiq ⭐

25k, complete, gen, crack/humour, LRE

This is possibly my favourite crack-taken-seriously fic in the entire fandom. Also Shmi is such an underrated character to utilise in fanfic and I love to see her focused on.

You Shall Become (Me) by jedipati (🔒)

24k, complete, anidala, crack/humour, happy ending, LRE

I love a crack concept written extremely seriously. In this fic Obi-Wan and Anakin become Sith, but no they do not turn to the dark side nor is this a dark or angsty fic. They are their usual selves. Shenanigans happens.

In Sacrifice, Peace by Artikka

5k, complete, gen, angst, canon divergence, LRE

Not a fix-it, more like a break it in a different way. What if Anakin didn't Fall? What if he didn't rush off to the Senate after the Council? What would happened if he's stayed in the Council chambers....It's a heartbreaking fic for sure. But great.

Fingertips by thalius

9k, complete, gen, angst with a happy ending, LRE

Oof. Anakin and Obi-Wan get trapped in a collapse. Anakin is extremely injured. They talk. This fic has an old fan concept for how the Force could work like an ocean you shouldn't wade too deep into. It's fun to see that mentioned & explored.

center stage by deniigiq

57k, ongoing oneshot series, gen, crack/humour, LRE

This series of oneshots focuses on the culture of the Jedi Order and the clones and such in a crack-y setting. I'm forever thinking about the chapter 1 and 7 oneshots personally.

These Things Happen by writehandman

38k, complete, codywan, crack/humour, fix-it, LRE

Want to see the clones (or perhaps just Cody) win the war in the funniest way possible? Well here's your fic! A Cody centric work with a hilarious premise.

Cautiously Un-Pessimistic by mrv3000

3k, complete, gen, humour, EE

A 'Vader and Leia interact in the OWK show' fic, but not an angsty one. This oneshot is very silly. Not strictly accurate characterisation for Vader but we're here to be entertained.

Care What It Cost by julomaiboulomai

8k, complete, gen, canon divergence, LRE

A fic that challenges the idea that if Qui-Gon lived he would have been a better Master to Anakin. Or perhaps, Obi-Wan will always put Anakin's wellbeing above other things, even in a universe where they are padawan brothers.

TIME TRAVEL

The Desert Storm by Blue_Sunshine (Series) (🔒) ⭐

1.1m, complete, gen, canon divergence, slow paced, LRE

I feel I must start with this series because it's so iconic for such good reasons. It's a highly influential fic series in this fandom and I fully understand why. Obi-Wan, living on Tatooine, travels back (physically) to when he was still an initiate. He changes the timeline drastically. Very slow pacing, read if you want to settle in for the long haul!

Don't Look Back by acuteneurosis (Series) ⭐

751k, ongoing, gen, slow paced, LRE

This fic series changed my brain chemistry! Leia travels back to several months before AotC. She forms a strong relationship with Shmi, who is also very important in this series. I really love that. Leia knows a lot about what went down, but not everything, and that creates difficulties when it comes to preventing the fall of the Republic.

Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Dust by Livsy ⭐

36k, complete, gen, fix-it, LRE

A 'character travels to the past to fix things told from someone else's POV' story. The stuff about Anakin & Obi-Wan connecting through their experiences on Tatooine/Tatooine culture is really good. Also the catharsis of the ending. Oof.

How to Save a Galactic Republic Without Really Trying by Sharp_Tongue ⭐

23k, complete, obikin (eventually), fix-it, LRE

This really stratches that time travel fix-it itch. It's very 'if only Obi-Wan had know to do this' fulfilling. Obi-Wan travels back far enough to course correct Anakin's training and change everything.

seismic by Laeveteinn ⭐

2k, complete, obikin, oneshot, LRE

A short oneshot that focuses on RotS Obi-Wan travelling to early in AotC. Anakin is his creepily intense self we see in that movie, but focusing his attention on Obi-Wan.

from this moment hangs eternity by EvanHart

21k, ongoing, anidala, fluff (kinda), LRE

A Luke from an alternate future time travels to mid clone wars. He has some revelations to share that might just stun Anakin more than finding out he has a son...

still much that is fair by RaineyDay

21k, complete, gen, angst, happy ending, LRE

Ouch. This fic gets into Obi-Wan's poor mental health when a Padawan Obi-Wan time travels into the future and lands in Anakin's speeder, literally, in the middle of the clone wars.

Brave Young Men by Imagined

31k, complete, gen, heartwarming, LRE

You ever thought that Obi-Wan really needed someone by his side after losing Qui-Gon? Well in this fic the Force delivered him an adult Anakin from the future. Anakin learns a lot about everything Obi-Wan did for him in those early days of his apprenticeship that he was too young to understand at the time.

A change of course (a second reckoning of sorts) by blueberrywizard

8k, complete, gen, character focused, LRE

Several versions of Obi-Wan travel to the same point in time when he was still a Padawan. They all sit down with Qui-Gon and talk. That's the fic! Lots of fun Obi-Wan characterisation through the different lived experiences of each version.

Take Seven by Bablefishmouse

70k, complete, obianidala, fix-it, LRE

Seven time travellers race their way through the last several months of the clone wars to stop Palpatine. All of them remember the fall of the Empire.

Multiples - Vaderkin in ROTS by CourtesyTrefflin

22k, complete, gen, fluff (kinda), ambiguous ending, LRE

Thanks to Force shenanigans Obi-Wan is left to deal with several versions of Anakin at the same time in the opening of RotS. Much angst and Thoughts on Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship ensues.

FIX-IT/FORCE VISIONS

stars sing my name, scars tell my story by independent_variables (🔒)

13k, complete, gen, character focused, angst, LRE

A fic about Anakin and slavery. Or perhaps, the story you'd write about Anakin if you understand what it means for him to have been a slave. A clone freedom fic.

Double Agent Vader by Fialleril (Series)

90k, ongoing, gen, not exactly a fix-it, EE

Vader turning double agent against the empire is a really great premise. And the reasoning/how it happened is just brilliant. Lots of focus on the Tatooine Slave Culture stuff.

Love Me Two Times by Threebea (🔒) ⭐

7k, complete, obianidala, amnesia, LRE

Anakin gets amnesia immediately before confronting Windu in Palpatine's office. It changes the outcome of that encounter just slightly....This is a great fix-it with a somewhat crack premise but is 100% serious canon divergence.

Bringing Him Home by Exonerin ⭐

50k, complete, obikin, happy ending, LRE (sorta)

After assisting in Windu's ejection from the office window and kneeling for Palpatine, Anakin baulks at being ordered to massacre the Jedi. He refuses, making a different choice. And then disappears without a trace. A few years later, Obi-Wan, still unable to let him go, searches for Anakin.

Face the Music by Crystalshard (🔒)

3k, complete, anidala, hopeful ending, LRE

Another kind of crack concept taken seriously. Anakin lowkey gets a soundtrack to his life, and Palpatine's theme is...a little concerning.

The Night Before the Fall by thiswildheart

12k, complete, anidala, vision, LRE

The Force intervenes to stop the coming tragedy by giving Anakin (and Obi-Wan) a vision just before Obi-Wan leaves for Utapau. Everything changes.

Visions in Red by likethesoda

16k, ongoing, anidala (& others), vision, LRE

A bunch of members of the Jedi Order have visions of their deaths before the end of the clone wars. They all try to figure out what to do next, with the knowledge of Order 66 and the fall of the Republic.

Slip-Up by occamsrazorblade

2k, complete, gen, oneshot, crack/humour, LRE

Palpatine's grip on Anakin's legs in the elevator shaft of the Invisible Hand slips, and Anakin's too focused on trying not to drop Obi-Wan to stop the inevitable from happening.

come to the jedi temple in the next ten minutes if you want an asskicking by destiny919

2k, complete, obikin, oneshot, LRE

Established Obikin saves the Republic because one of Palpatine's 'innocuous' little comments about their relationship sends up a very big red flag to Obi-Wan.

Advance Warning by fullarmorandahotfudgesundae 💎

32k, ongoing, anidala (briefly) & obikin (eventually), force ghosts, dyad, LRE

This one starts just before Padmé & Anakin marry. They do a ritual beforehand which results in Force apparitions from the future warning them off getting married/informing them about the darkness of the future.

Revelations by hopeforchange 💎

3k, complete, obikin, oneshot, master & padawan relationships, LRE

This one focuses on Ahsoka's perspective of her apprenticeship. And her growing awareness of how Anakin & Obi-Wan's relationship is nothing like that of a normal former Master-Padawan pair.

OBIKIN

DAUNTLESS by Exonerin ⭐

105k, complete, vaderwan, slowburn, EE, 18+

I've recced this before. Because this is the best slow burn fic I've read in a good while! We've got: post-owk show angst, Vader redemption, nyanakin, and everything else you could want!

burning edges and scars (hurl into the abyss) by thisissirius

36k, complete, obikin, fuck buddies to lovers, fix-it, LRE, 18+

Anakin and Obi-Wan are sleeping together during the clone wars. They love each other. They communicate. Maybe things end up a little better than canon.

a more perfect union by tennessoui ⭐

33k, complete, anidala & obikin, misunderstandings, LRE

Anakin is oblivious. Obi-Wan is heartbroken and acting like a bitch. Anidala is falling apart and we're popping bottles....Anakin tells the Council he's married and it doesn't go the way you would think at all. The conversation between Padmé and Anakin in the final chapter lives rent free in my mind.

Till Death Do Us Part by Exonerin

78k, complete, obikin, angst, happy ending, LRE, 18+

During the Hardeen mission feelings Anakin didn't know he had get revealed to the public. And then it turns out Obi-Wan isn't dead and the two of them have to navigate what this means for their relationship.

Conceal Me What I Am by Himboskywalker ⭐

108k, complete, obikin, omegaverse, senator au, LRE, 18+

The only Senator Obi-Wan fic I've ever read & it's very good. Anakin and Obi-Wan enter an arranged marriage. It's omegaverse and they're both pretending to be designations they are not. There is angst about Obi-Wan's relationship to the Jedi Order. It's got everything.

I Feel Like a God Right Now by amberlo133 ⭐

61k, complete, obikin, dark side, fix-it, LRE, 18+

A Sith artefact forces Obi-Wan to Fall, briefly. He's shamelessly drawn to Anakin all the while. Anakin's not as resistant to a compromised Obi-Wan as he'd like to be.

Avalon by Dafochka1701

13k, complete, obikin, dyad, hopeful ending, LRE

This is kind of the Definitive Obikin Dyad fic to me. It's what got the concept into my brain. I love this fic.

The Fall of the Master by belowtheprecipice

53k, complete, obikin, canon divergence, angst, LRE

A role reversal RotS AU. Anakin is not the one balancing on the precipice of Falling in RotS. Obi-Wan is. He'll do anything to stop the dreams of Anakin dying coming true.

Redolent of you by Himboskywalker ⭐

50k, complete, obikin, undercover, LRE, 18+

How can this fandom have good, serious and plot focused omegaverse? That's a unicorn! Obi-Wan & Anakin go undercover as an Alpha/Omega couple in pursuit of a Separatist money trail. Anakin's ignored his designation his whole life. Obi-Wan is concerned about his ability to act as this mission requires.

Epistolary by Dafochka1701

15k, complete, anidala (briefly), obikin (endgame), angst, dark side, LRE

Anakin Falls earlier and Palpatine manipulates him into doing a ritual. The ritual goes wrong and leaves Anakin stranded on Exegol. He sends messages to Obi-Wan & the two of them finally communicate with each other and clear the air.

Twenty Questions (and the Answer to all of them is You) by orphan_account

6k, complete, obikin, oneshot, fluff, LRE

A love confession oneshot that's really cute and sweet. An easy comfort fic to return to.

Twin Suns by MmeIrene

15k, complete, obikin, soulmates, LRE, 18+

A soulmate au spanning across Anakin's apprenticeship and then the Clone Wars. By the time Anakin is Knighted Obi-Wan's made an art of hiding the soul bond from him.

right there at my side by tideswept (🔒)

5k, complete, obikin, fluff, LRE

Others in the Order know. Quite possibly before either Obi-Wan or Anakin do. And encourage both of them to be happy, whatever form that may take.

wrap around, pull through by tennessoui

6k, complete, obikin, getting together, timeloop, LRE

Anakin is stuck in a timeloop on the day Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Order. It's slowly driving him to madness. Obi-Wan doesn't understand.

Gravity of You by Rachello344

7k, complete, vaderwan & obikin, time travel, fix-it, LRE, 18+

Vader time travels back to the Clone Wars. He and Obi-Wan talk and do other things. Vader tells Obi-Wan what Anakin really needs to hear from him to change the future.

permission to speak frankly by maragny (🔒)

2k, complete, obikin, getting together, LRE

Beware if you don't have a competent Anakin kink this fic might give you one. He's hot as fuck in this. Obi-Wan agrees.

Coruscant's Most Wanted by Petra (🔒)

34k, complete, obikin, cheating (on anidala), amnesia, angst, misscommunication, LRE, 18+

Fascinating concept. After Obi-Wan takes on the Hardeen mission he hits his head and loses his memory. Uh oh. Not to worry though, Anakin was informed about the mission and will look out for his Master while he's undercover! No miscommunication will come from this.

Insult & Injury by Exonerin ⭐

28k, complete, obikin, omegaverse, getting together, LRE, 18+

Another for the solid omegaverse fics! Some fun stuff with Alpha Anakin & Alpha Obi-Wan, which is a rarity!

on the other side of him by tennessoui ⭐

6k, complete, obikin, anidala (briefly), angst, seduction, LRE

Who likes some irate and posessive Obi-Wan? Well in this fic Obi-Wan in places right in the middle of anidala's secret wedding, and upon discovering it he's far from happy.

Gray Matter by unfortunate17 ⭐

16k, complete, obikin, curses, getting together, LRE, 18+

Anakin & Obi-Wan swap bodies thanks to an ancient artefact. It's weird for everyone involved. But maybe Anakin and Obi-Wan learn a few things about each other along the way.

Picking Up Strays by Exonerin

18k, complete, obikin, cat anakin, curses, fluff, LRE, 18+

Anakin has a curse placed on him by a Nightsister that transforms him into a cat. Obi-Wan is worried about his missing Padawan. He finds a cat and takes care of it.

Apartment Story by intermundia & whohatessand

10k, complete, angst, communication, LRE, 18+

Obi-Wan goes to a bar to get drunk after Anakin moves out of their shared quarters following the Hardeen mission. Anakin is sent to find drunk Obi-Wan and bring him back to the Temple. They talk about things.

Learn Your Place, Young One by RagnarLothcat (🔒) ⭐💎

8k, complete, oneshot, possessiveness, pwp, padawan kink, LRE, 18+

A hot oneshot where Obi-Wan gets extremely possessive of Anakin after their intial reunion with Padmé. He gets pissed that Anakin's attention is clearly straying to someone else and does something about it.

if thine is the glory, then mine must be the shame by kantele 💎

2k, complete, oneshot, during canon, possessiveness, LRE, 18+

Anakin reacts a different way to Palpatine's insinuations that Obi-Wan might be sleeping with a senator. He gets blind with jealousy and follows Obi-Wan across the galaxy to stake his claim.

Bereft of You by Lemon (lemon_sprinkles) 💎

12k, complete, getting together, knighting, LRE, 18+

A fic set in that awkward transition period of Anakin & Obi-Wan's relationship just after Anakin's been Knighted. We've got lots of Anakin being moody & unreasonable and Obi-Wan tiredly dealing with it as usual.

Eight of Cups by Exonerin ⭐💎

52k, complete, qui-gon returns, padawan kink, LRE, 18+

Another one by Exonerin I know! But I just read this for the first time and holy crap is it hot as hell! Anakin makes a wish to the Force and Qui-Gon is returned to the Temple whole & healthy just before Anakin is due to be Knighted. Turns out he's not quite the Master Anakin has always dreamed he would be. And Anakin is getting a fresh perspective on his apprenticeship with Obi-Wan...

[pandemonini]

Its 3am so its time to drop my hot take/short haphazardly-written character analysis

I've been talking about bllk a lot and I keep saying the "real Reo" but I realise I'm being a bit vague about it so I've decided to just rant a little. And yeah Nagi will be a big part of it but I mean you can't talk about Reo without bringing up Nagi.

Reo is petty.

At the start of the manga he's literally supposed to be a Regina George-type of character, a filthy rich young master who talks back to his parents who spoiled him rotten but never actually properly raised him. He talks about wanting to be independent, not like his parents, wanting to get something with his own hands, without even knowing what half of that means because of course he doesn't. He's 17 and rebellious and was raised to think he can get anything he wants and also that he'd be perfect at everything. He used daddy's money to gather an entire team of professionals+other resources to train for becoming a footballer without realising that was already sort of betraying the vision he had for himself.

In that sense, Nagi is very much the one and only thing Reo truly "found" and claimed for himself. And it's going to stay that way because unlike the World Cup which is an object that, again, Reo very much still relied on his parents to get to (not just in terms of the costs for his training, he also used their connections to gather the Hakuho team which is what led to him and Nagi being picked for the Blue Lock project), Nagi is a person who Reo insistently followed until Nagi grew to like him back and they became friends.

Except... did they?

The way Reo talks about Nagi very much implies a sense of objectification that's very hard for me to ignore. I think people have talked about this already, but the use of the term 宝物 (treasured object/possession) in reference to Nagi, when he could just use 宝 and have it sound less objectifying, is definitely a good point, but more so than that, there is the use of phrases like him "finding" Nagi (he didn't, he bumped into him and happened to witness Nagi's talent), or "stealing" him from Isagi (implying he doesn't believe Nagi had the mind or agency of making that choice for himself, it was a third party who made him do it).

In fact, Reo ignoring Nagi's agency is kind of a recurring thing. I know the beach conversation from the game was seen as cute by most people, and fair enough it was very funny, but the first half of it was honestly nightmarish because I think a lot of us have experience with that one person in our lives who literally doesn't even listen and tries to force their great ideas on us. Nagi told him "no" about the vacation not once, not twice, but three times and Reo pretended not to hear him each time.

Nagi isn't particularly observant or sensitive to how people treat him. The only times he is ever angered is when someone deliberately and repeatedly antagonises him (or when someone hurts Reo or talks badly about him). When he got snubbed at school for being from a small town and from an average background, he either didn't realise it for what is was or just kind of took it because they just weren't in his orbit enough for him to care (see again: the light novel). If he thought about not wanting to be Reo's toy, it's because Reo treated him in that kind of way enough that Nagi not only became aware of it, but felt angered by it.

Reo's behaviour towards Nagi being problematic, especially in the earlier chapter of their relationship, isn't indicative of some kind of abusive tendency on his part, or him actually deliberately wanting to harm Nagi in some way. I think it's very much a consequence of his upbringing, and in all fairness, he's still young. I think that in his mind, the lines between "treasured person" and "treasured object I own" are blurred to the extent that he doesn't understand the difference. But if Nagi is to be resented for one (1) instance of losing his temper, then it should be fair game to do the same about Reo and how he treated Nagi and the fact that he had no regard for boundaries, be it about Nagi's autonomy or his personal space.

I kind of resent the Additional Time bit for showing Chigiri being that understanding of Reo when that was never the vibe in the manga, not because I think Reo didn't deserve comfort but because it created a miconception of the events. There is a point to the confrontation scene in the baths and it wasn't just Reo's declaration of their rivalry but to show how Reo's reaction was very much extreme in comparison to Chigiri and Kunigami over, you know, the exact same thing.

Here are two groups of friends. One of them does appear upset over one of their group leaving, but he ultimately understands it because this is the kind of place they're in and they're all working towards the same goal. That, versus:

Chigiri and Kunigami are being competitive. They are upset. But they get it. They're still willing to talk to Isagi normally, to smile and laugh with him. Reo wasn't because Reo's issue wasn't being separated from his friend, it was losing his grip on something he believed he owned, and having the rug pulled out from underneath his feet because suddenly he realises he's not the best when he's so used to being perfect.

And none of that is Nagi's fault.

I don't feel like pulling up the actual screenshot because I don't have it saved, but Nagi thinks in his inner monologue that he's being selfish when he made the choice of temporarily separating from Reo to join Isagi and Bachira. Nagi was aware his decision would upset Reo. What he didn't foresee was the sheer extent to which Reo would be upset, because why would he? Again, Reo's reaction wasn't normal, and again I'm not saying he didn't deserve to be comforted, but as far as Nagi is concerned, he made the decision that Reo would be most approving of once he got over the initial sadness, and then they would both pick up their pace and move forward even if they're not on the same team.

Because it was Reo himself who said this to Nagi:

The reason Reo's self-esteem was shattered to that extent had everything to do with his own misconceptions about himself being challenged, Nagi's actions were just a catalyst. He thinks of himself as a "natural born emperor" (citation: light novel), and was the furthest from having anything resembling self-doubt when he originally set out to win the world cup, which, again, speaks to how much his privileged upbringing influences his way of thinking. It wasn't until he felt like he'd lost Nagi, and by extension his ticket to the WC, that he crash landed back on earth and suddenly reevaluated his entire life.

Nagi can't be expected to understand parts of Reo that he himself wasn't aware of. Nagi tried to reach out to him, and at every turn Reo projected his own self-deprecating thoughts onto him, until he drove him away.

So has anything changed? Debatable.

I think that Reo has certainly matured and has a much more realistic view of himself now than he did beforr. But to date, I think he still doesn't actually realise that how he thinks about/treats Nagi isn't what constitutes a normal friendship. Which, tbf, theirs wasn't ever meant to be one.

Reo's words in the Harajaku chapter are very revealing in terms of showing that he was at least very aware of the transactional nature of their relationship. I don't think Reo ever looked at Nagi as a whole person, his vision of him just changed from Nagi being a treasure he owns (beginning of their relationship) to Nagi being a prize he wants to win (post-separation) to Nagi being a delicate thing he needs to salvage (post-reunion), but never quite "Nagi my friend who is a three dimensional person".

We still haven't gotten Reo's perspective on why he blocked Nagi, but considering his thoughts in the chapter immediately before we find out he's blocked Nagi, as well as him his apology to Nagi when he got locked off, there are two options for why he did it:

1) He blocked Nagi in an effort to cut himself lose from him because he couldn't stop thinking about him, which kept him from focusing on his goals (which is very in-character for Reo.)

2) He blocked Nagi because he believed this is the best decision for him and Nagi should be "free" from him in order to grow and not be hurt by him anymore.

One of these is obviously more cold-hearted than the other, but hear me out: neither of them are justification nor do they address the crux of the issue which is Reo disregarding Nagi's agency. In the first case, his action comes across as him discarding Nagi when he no longer had use for him. In the second case, he once again prioritised his own idea of what's good for Nagi above what Nagi himself would want. In both cases, he didn't grace Nagi with a word of explanation, which, btw, Nagi actually did explain himself to Reo when he initially separated from him, even if he did so a bit awkwardly and vaguely. He told Reo, "we will be the best, that is a fact", letting him know he isn't discarding their promise. I'm only bringing this up because I've seen comparisons between the two cases, and no they're not comparable at all.

The thing is, Nagi isn't the only person who didn't move on from his previous bad place in their relationship. Reo didn't either. And in a sense, both of their unhealthy habits ended up feeding into each other's, culminating in their separation. Nagi's emotional dependence on Reo further validated Reo's sense of ownership over their relationship and gave him the idea that yeah, he does know what's best for them, Nagi enabled him to keep believing that.

To go back to my original point, while both Nagi and Reo are a result of their upbringing, there's a difference in their individual cases that imply more of an actual flaw of character to me in Reo. Nagi has a childlike nature that is commented on repeatedly throughout the manga. If he ends up emotionally hurting someone, he does it in the same way a child would, thoughtlessly saying something without understanding its implications or what it would do to someone. Innocence is not always a virtue... but it's innocence, at the end of the day. Nagi never truly meant to hurt Reo, much less for him to fail at his dream, whereas Reo very much wanted for Nagi to fail or fall at one point. The difference is the awareness of their actions. Reo knew that he set out to use Nagi for his talent, he was aware of his actions to that extent. That is why him lashing out the way he did at Nagi making a choice for himself was so bad, because he knew deep down that he's the one who set that idea out for Nagi that football is the only part of him he cares about.

Ultimately, I think the whole blocking fiasco isn't just for Nagi to believe he's lost Reo entirely, but for Reo to do the same. Whether Reo is consciously making a hard decision based on the desire to have Nagi claim his own autonomy remains to be seen, but I'm honestly not feeling that optimistic about that explanation because even in that final conversation, Reo doesn't listen to Nagi telling him point blank that he does love football. It wasn't Reo who told him to keep playing the game he loves, it was Isagi. And I think this is something important that the story will circle back to later. Not by way of making Isagi more important than Reo to Nagi, but by having Reo confronted with some the less than savoury parts of his own character.

Which, honestly? Good for him. I think having Reo confront himself now would be novel in its own way because he's not in that kind of place where he'd just beat himself down further upon realising he's failed in some kind of way. The Reo now is far more receptive to the idea of change and self-improvement than he was back when he believed the only thing he was lacking in was football skills, not maturity and emotional intelligence.

[the-fallen-daughter]

I have a pretty dark question.

How did she get pregnant exactly? Was it, non consensual..? or?

Apologies for the dark question

Keep up the amazing story :)

Don't worry about asking such a dark question—this story is built on dark themes anyway! 😂

If you're curious, you can actually find the answer in the very first chapter of the blog. Eleska already touched on it there, and the first two comic pages (The Start – Part 1 & 2) also give a clear explanation of where the child came from.

But just in case anyone missed it, I’m happy to explain it more directly here!🫡

Yes, Eleska’s pregnancy happened entirely under non-consensual circumstances, as shown in The Start, she was involved in a deeply unhealthy relationship with Markov, which led to her becoming pregnant, Markov had no intention of getting rid of the child, and Eleska ended up using the pregnancy as a tool to her advantage.

Here’s an extra bit of insight for you 😉:

Some of you might wonder if Eleska was traumatized by all this, the answer is… no, She doesn't see herself as a victim in the traditional sense.

Instead, she frames everything she’s endured as the “cost of failure.” She knew she had to sacrifice something, and she accepted that sacrifice, the most she expresses is irritation over the situation, but from her point of view, the child became a very useful tool, especially because as you've probably noticed, the child is a key weakness for Markov, and Eleska realized that early on.

[lexsssu]

Mercy (Roman Dimitri)

TAGS: Roman/F!reader, pregnancy, fluff, drabble Ao3 ver. | Ko-fi | Commissions (OPEN) ((I post early chapters in my Ko-fi page btw~))

“Roman!!!”

The small blur that seemingly came out of nowhere practically barrelled into Roman would have toppled over any normal man, but he stood firm even as he felt your tears soaking the front of his tunic.

“You…idiot! Why would you put yourself in danger like that?!” There was no fire in your voice despite the harsh scolding you attempted to give him, even through the tears that kept dripping.

You’re too busy wailing against his chest to notice the various emotions that appeared on his face before settling into one of resignation. When you feel his arm wrapping around your waist and his hand patting your head, your sobs steadily die down.

For a moment, it feels like you’re a child once more with your best friend, his mere presence serving as a balm to your soul. No matter how many mistakes he made or how many people kept spreading rumors about Roman, you will never stop caring about him. 

As for Roman himself, or at least the man who now called himself Roman, he could only wonder why this body of his instinctively wrapped around you. He wasn’t even thinking or intending to do anything when you appeared and started crying all of a sudden.

It’s only at night, once you’ve settled into the guest room his new mother apparently always gave you that was located across from his own room, that he’d heard the story straight from Hans.

Before Dimitri had even been elevated as a noble house, you had already been there as Roman’s one and only best friend. When Dimitri became a barony, your father found fortune as a merchant trading the superior products from here to other lands. And since both your fathers were already friends even before, it’s only natural for their two eldest children of similar ages to have grown up together and become thick as thieves.

As Roman lay on his bed that night, he felt an odd warmth in his chest that wasn’t there before as he thought of his childhood friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roman’s eyes glowed a hellish red in the darkness of night as he mulled over all the events that had recently transpired. The Kronos Empire had taken a step too far.

It was one thing to send assassins for him because that was to be expected. But to lay siege to Dimitri and put the lives of his subordinates, family, wife, and even unborn child on the line…

The empire deserved no mercy from him. 

He will raze the entire empire to the ground, and no one will stop him.

“Mmm…Rom…an…” 

As if snapping from a trance, Roman turns his attention back on your sleeping self, the stress from everything that had happened so far taking its toll on you, especially as a pregnant woman. 

Roman Dimitri’s enemies might see him as a demon from the depths of hell, and he doesn’t deny that he deserves the title. If anything, he’d shown a surprising amount of mercy by ending their lives as quickly as he did. But after the Kronos Empire dared harm what was his…

The former heavenly demon let out a deep exhale and placed all other thoughts aside from you at the back of his mind. By dawn, he will continue his mission and rain fire and death upon all those that sought to harm what was his.

But for now…

He settled himself behind you, one arm wrapping around your swollen midsection and burying his face at the top of your head. 

[telemna-hyelle]

What You Look At, You Change: Chapter 8 (Palace of the Four Sword AU)

listening to c'mon non stop for hours did it once again lads

Chapter Eight: Four’s Dream Isn’t Real, It Can’t Hurt You (Four’s Dream: _________)

Blue’s hands dropped numbly from Vio’s tunic, his face pale as ice. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His voice rose, brash and loud, but it could not hide the stutter that started the sentence.

“Lying isn’t your strongest point, Blue,” Vio said, his eyes narrowed and jaw set. “You can’t hide from yourself.”

Eyes blazed with blue fire, burning cold as ice. “I CAN TRY!”

“Are you saying our dreams were real?” Green said, his eyes narrowing, his fingers digging into the flesh of his arms.

“But—but that doesn’t make any sense.” Red was shaking, just slightly, his gaze bouncing back and forth between the other colors, his eyes wide and confused. “The dreams—they were just nightmares, right? They, they contradicted each other, so there’s no way they could be true!”

“They did.” Vio said, voice low. “They did contradict each other—but there were only three roads. As in…” His voice died off, and he swallowed. The chamber was quiet, even Blue was biting his lip, shaking in rage or sorrow or stress as he clenched his fists. Vio looked around slowly, at the other colors, and then… at the other heroes, standing there and watching in confusion.

Except for Twilight, who had a glimmer of understanding horror in his gaze. “Three.” He said quietly, his voice falling like stones into the temporary silence. “Three, as in three timelines.”

“Yes.” Vio said, and turned his head away. “Timelines that would not have been, had we never been sealed away.”

“And…” Twilight shoved a hand through his hair. “The succession crisis, the queen that died—that was, that was Dot, wasn’t it?”

Vio’s gaze dropped to the ground.

“But I don’t understand…” Sky said, tilting his head to one side. “Why would that cause a succession crisis? You left the little ones behind, right?”

Green flinched. Red let out a whimper. Blue ground his teeth. Vio didn’t move, only letting a long sigh slip free.

“The dream was hazy and confused, but with Dot and me gone, different groups tried to claim either Link or Zelda as the true heir, trying to get control of the throne.”

Green’s voice was quiet. “We dreamed of civil war. A war that ended, only… only for…”

“Ganondorf.” Blue’s growl dripped venom.

Wind’s eyes went wide. Hyrule’s eyes darted around the circle of hero’s, brows furrowed in confusion.

Sky’s expression was tight, a premonition of unease tugging the corners of his mouth down.

Legend’s arms were tightly folded across his chest as he scowled down at his boots.

Twilight wasn’t watching, for he’d closed his eyes, mind scrambling to remember what scattered facts of history had been passed down to him. The Veteran was right—Hyrule’s record keeping really was terrible.

“I… don’t know anything about your son, but that doesn’t really mean anything—hardly anything is remembered of that era outside of the key players. The siblings of the Queen or King are hardly ever mentioned, unless they did something really memorable.”

All four colors flinched.

Twilight saw it and gulped, galloping forward with the rest of his sentence, “S-so that means he probably was all right, e-especially because your daughter would be the Princess of that time period, and the Hero saved her from Ganondorf! So even though you were sealed away, there was still a Hero who protected—”

Red burst into tears.

Twilight’s mouth shut with a sharp click, his mind scrambling, trying to figure out just how he’d put his boot in his pie-hole.

Wind’s face was screwed up in obvious calculation, and Hyrule and Sky exchanged concerned looks.

Legend’s face slowly whitened, his fingers digging in his arms.

Blue was rigid as a rock, his eyes burning with a cerulean fire. Vio’s expression was pained, his head turned away, but Green reached out towards Red’s shoulder.

Red jerked away, crouching down and hugging himself miserably. His small frame shook with every gulping sound, his eyes squeezed tight as he sucked in painful gasps in between wet sobs.

“Red…” Sky said, gently, and Red flinched. Finally he dragged his gaze upward, tears spilling messily down his cheeks, his eyes the color of his namesake.

The words were garbled, barely understandable, squeezed out through a throat wet and tight.

“After… after everything,” There was a blank despair in his face, causing Sky’s stomach to drop down to his toes, “after all that he did.” The word came out a strangled sob, he gasped, choked, and hacked again and again until he could continue, and everyone watching could only stand there, a swamping feeling of dismay freezing them in place as firmly and dreadfully as a redead’s cry.

“Why did it always end with him…” he swallowed hard, and the final word was squeezed out in a whisper, almost unable to be heard at all.

“…alone?”

Blue shook once, a violent jerk almost frightening to look at, and then exploded with a yell. This time, his unfortunate victim was Green. Blue grabbed his shoulder and shook him, yelling loud enough as if he could hide the shake in his voice. “Purah promised she’d look after him! Impa and Purah were supposed to work together to protect them both! It shouldn’t—he shouldn’t—why’d it end up this way?”

Green didn’t even try to get out of Blue’s grip, his eyes burning into Green’s. “You know why.”

His voice hurt to hear, like ashes and rust. Blue faltered, but he didn’t let go. He tightened his grip on Green’s shoulder, jaw clenched, teeth gritted.

“I’m supposed to be the bearer of Courage,” Vio’s said from behind Blue, his voice almost unnaturally cold and hollow. “You know what the answer is. Don’t try to run from it, hero.”

Everything froze for a moment. Blue sucked in a sharp breath through his nose.

Then he turned and in one smooth movement, punched Vio in the face.

Everything erupted. Red cried louder, jumping up and trying to pull Blue off of Violet, who instead tried to knee Blue in the gut. Everyone else started yelling. Legend, Wind and Hyrule jumped on Blue, and Twilight and Sky seized Vio, tugging them apart.

Blue was spitting curses that were too mangled and angry to even be words anymore, and Vio glared back at him, blood trickling from a split lip.

“STOP IT!” Wind yelled, mainly into Blue’s ear, but somehow, it did the trick. Everyone froze, and in the sudden stillness and quiet, Green stepped forward.

He glared at both Blue and Vio, hands clenched into fists. “This isn’t helping anything.” He spat. “We’re supposed to be united, not tearing myself apart trying to avoid the answer we all know! We all dreamed the same thing.”

The heroes stared at Green, hardly daring to breathe. Green took in a deep, shuddering breath, and glared at the floor.

“It’s my fault. It’s all… my fault. If I had noticed Ganondorf was there, if I had been faster, stronger, good enough so that Zelda didn’t have to seal us away—if I had simply been there, NONE of it would have happened.”

He dragged his head up, and there was a depth of despair in his eyes that chilled to the bone. Green’s eyes locked onto Wind, who froze, still holding onto Blue. “My son never would have had to be a hero.”

He dragged his gaze over to Twilight, who stiffened, his grip reflexively tightening on Vio. “He never would have had to grow up alone.”

Green turned back to Legend, but the veteran met his gaze head on, a dark look in his eyes and tenseness to his shoulders.

Green swallowed, and blood welled between the fingers of his clenched fists.

His eyes burned as he squeezed the words past the dryness of his throat. “My son wouldn’t have died alone.”

Legend closed his eyes and sighed.

“I hate being right,” he muttered.

“Then—” Twilight swallowed hard. “Your son—was the hero that fought Ganondorf?”

Red let out a quiet sob.

Wind’s eyes were very, very wide. “Wait—that means—” Somehow they got even wider. “Your son was TIME?”

For a long moment, no one spoke. Blue had gone limp, glaring angrily at the floor with damp, reddened eyes. In the frozen lull, Red slowly stepped back from the huddle that had been holding Blue, arms wrapping around himself. “That… that was what they called him, in the dream.” His voice was quiet, desolate.

“Those that remembered him.” Vio added, the torchlight gleaming redly on the blood on his lip as his mouth twisted sardonically.

Twilight swallowed hard.

Then suddenly, Wind spoke. “We remembered him.”

The four Colors looked at him, and Wind met their gazes head on; his shoulders set, his chin raised, his eyes burning with determination. “We remembered the Hero of Time. We wanted to be like him!” He faltered for a second, shuffling a foot. “I don’t know about the other stuff, but—” he grabbed the fabric of his tunic, twisting it in his fist, remembering the green tunic he had once wore as he traveled across the sea. “But to us, even when we forgot Hyrule, we didn’t forget our hero.”

Vio let out a shuddering sigh, and covered his eyes with his hand. Green sucked in a deep breath and let it out. “…Thanks.” He said.

The words scraped like glass in his throat, but he meant them. The next moment, Red tackled Wind in a hug, and Blue shrugged himself free from Legend’s and Hyrule’s grip—but all he did was nod once at Wind.

Wind met it with a slightly tearful smile.

“Wait,” Hyrule said, screwing his face up in thought. “If—your son was Time, then that means Time’s Zelda—”

Sky’s eyes lit up. “Your daughter is Lullaby!”

The Colors stared at him.

Sky smiled sheepishly, the expression slightly awkward but earnest all the same. “We all have a Princess Zelda of our own—”

“I have two,” Hyrule said, sounding incredibly proud.

Sky rolled his eyes. “Yes, and Hyrule has two, which makes ten Princess Zeldas in all. We gave them all nicknames to keep them straight.” His smile strengthen and deepened, and he looked warmly at the pieces of Four.

“Your daughter’s nickname is Lullaby. She’s grown into a strong, lovely woman, and she rules Hyrule wisely and well as it’s Queen. She and Time are good friends.”

“And…” Legend added, slowly, shoving a hand through his bangs, “If Lullaby is your daughter that means…” his gaze darted to the side, his expression wondering, “That… I’m you’re descendant.”

Every head snapped to look at Legend. He crossed his arms. “What?”

Sky grinned. “I guess being vertically challenged runs in the family, huh?”

“WHAT?” Legend spat, face turning pink as his bunny form. He was distracted when Red tugged on his sleeve, eyes wide.

“You’re descended from Lullaby?”

Red’s eyes were wide and wet, desperate. Legend’s face was still bunny rabbit-pink, but his expression softened at the sight.

“Yeah,” he said, and even quirked a smile. “My house was founded by Sir Raven, your daughter’s younger child. He strove hard to be a knight worthy of your legacy.”

The Colors exchanged looks, something beginning to peak past the fog of despair in their gazes.

“Heck, guess I am, too,” Twilight said, a rueful grin blooming to life. “Time’s my ancestor.”

There were several loud gasps, all from the heroes who were not a piece of Four, and Twilight smirked at Legend. “Guess my line took all the tall genes, huh?”

Legend scowled back at him. “I’ll have you know Sir Raven was as tall as Time.”

“That’s a point,” Sky murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Why is Time so tall?”

“Well,” Hyrule piped up, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I got the short genes, then.”

Four gazes bounced to him, now. The traveller laughed sheepishly and shrugged. “Uh, I’m descended from Legend, apparently…?”

“Wait,” Wind said, propping his hands on his hips. “Am I the only one here that’s not descended from Four?”

“Well, I’m not,” Sky chuckled, and he, Twilight, and Legend exchanged a glance.

“Yeah,” Hyrule grinned at the chosen hero, “You’re just his great-grandpa-in-law,”

While Sky was sputtering to recover from that, Green, Red, and Vio exchanged a glance, too, and Vio stepped toward the sailor.

Vio smiled at him, and reached out, tapping the shield slung on his back. “Dot gave me this shield, a long time ago. I’m glad you’ve taken such good care of it.”

Wind stared at him for a long moment, mouth hanging open.

Then, Vio let out an oof as the sailor tackled him with a hug. Wind squeezed Vio as tight as he could, and Vio wrapped his arms around him in return.

“I’m sorry about everything,” Wind whispered into Vio’s ear, “but I’m glad we got to rescue you.”

*-/-*-/-*-/-*-/-*

Now, really and truly, the only thing left to do was rescue Zelda.

After… everything that had happened in the Chamber of the Blue Sword, no one felt much like talking. They quickly administered what red potion they had saved to everyone that had sustained injuries after Blue's... multiple outbursts, and were on their way (Vio got most of it). Then, they set out, be-lining for their final objective. Almost no words were spoken as they made their way through the last chambers of the dungeon as quickly as they could, disabling an electrified gate and sprinting across an invisible floor to the other side.

Finally, they stood in front of the boss’ chamber. One finally barrier between Four and his wife.

“What’s waiting for us?” Green asked, fingers tightening on the hilt of his sword.

Legend frowned, fingers fidgeting with the clasp of his pack, staring up at the door.  “I… don’t know,” he finally said, the words bitter in his mouth. “In my timeline, well…” his shoulders slumped. “the seal had been poisoned and cursed, and you… were long gone. You were the enemy I had to face.” Legend swallowed hard.

“I killed you.”

The colors exchanged grim looks. Legend stared down at the toes of his boots.

Then, red filled his vision, and warms wrapped around him. “It’s all right,” Red said, hugging Legend tightly. “We know how badly things went in your timeline. That’s our fault, not yours. We…. Must have suffered a lot in that timeline. There was no rescuing us.” He squeezed even tighter, his voice thick with tears. “Thank you, for setting us free.”

Legend let out a shuddering sigh, and slumped in Red’s arms. He stayed there for a long moment, before he finally slipped out of Red’s grip, swiping an arm quickly across his eyes. He cleared his throat and propped his hands on his hips, narrowing a glare at the door. “Long story short,” and he paused to clear his throat again. “I have no idea what’s on the other side of the door. It shouldn’t be you guys, because we freed you. Hopefully nothing, but this dungeon hates me, so I doubt that’s the case. Are you ready?”

The Heroes exchanged glances, each one finding determination writ on their brother’s faces. Green nodded.

“Lead the way.”

Legend sucked in a breath, let it out again, and stepped forward, and the great stone door lifted up.

Beyond was a vast room, tiled with stone, and a great mosaic of four swords in the center—red, green, blue, violet.

Wind peered into the room. “…it seems empty.”

Legend twirled the sword in his hand, expression tense. “Always seems like that, doesn’t it. I’ll believe it’s empty when we’ve made it through to the other side.” He cast a glance at the group. “Follow me.”

In a wary clump they followed him into the middle of the room. The chamber echoed with an eerie emptiness, and Twilight and Hyrule stiffened, shooting each other a glance.

“Do you feel that?” Hyrule whispered. Twilight nodded.

“There’s a strange magic in the air,” he said. Strange, but almost familiar, in a half-forgotten way. He cast his mind back to all the enemies he faced, trying to divine what the source could be—

Legened stepped into the very center of the chamber, and a figure appeared.

The heroes froze.

It was a diminutive figure, about the same height as their smith. It seemed like it could be mirroring the Color’s appearance, but it was hard to tell—the figure glowed gold, so brightly that making out any features was nearly impossible.

The only thing that was clear about the figure was his drawn sword, pointed at the ground.  

Eight heroes drew their swords, the sound ringing across the chamber, a bright song of battle.

The golden figure was unmoved, standing still as a statue.

“Stand back, Heroes of Hyrule.” The voice that rang out seemed to surround the heroes, as if it was coming from the chamber itself and not the figure before them. It was a strange sound, outwardly young, but strangely double-toned with an echo of an old, deep voice. “If you have found true courage, and you wish to wake the Sleeper from the horrors of her dreams—”

The sword moved with a flourish, pointing straight at Green’s chest. And as it did, the golden figure blurred, and suddenly three more figures split from its body and arrayed themselves in a line. “Come at me, Hero of Man!”

*-/-*-/-*-/-*-/-*

to be continued~

<Chapter 7

<<Chapter 1

[empty-blog-for-lurking]

TSV season 1 looks at the question "Why would anyone worship an evil god?" And answers "What other choice do we have?" What other choice do we have when the legacy of everyone we have ever loved and lost weigh heavy on our shoulders? What other choice do we have when there is some deep unfulfilled Want in us and this is the only thing that said it could complete us? What other choice do we have when this is our entire world from our home to our workplace to everything in between? What choice do we have when all we see is devastation from equally terrifying hungry beings that will surely kill us if our god doesn't protect us? What choice do we have when this is the only thing we have ever known?

And thing is even if you try to escape? This world won't let you. Most likely you are going to be dragged back kicking and screaming and turned into a grotesque monster against your will. Most likely someone with a gun to your head will keep you in check. And even if you do escape the god that has done nothing but taken from you and hurt you and destroyed you and killed you and broken you down and turned you into something horrid?

Well there's another one, just as hungry, just as wretched, just as evil, right behind you and waiting to eat embrace you.

[girlyliondragon]

Deltarune's Normal Route: The Player's choices don't matter, have faith in the story being told without your influence being too big a part of it.

Deltarune's Weird Route: But what if we Make them matter? EVEN IF AT THE COST OF A BETTER ENDING?

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Outdrawn

f/f contemporary romance

two cartoonist who’ve been rivals since uni, and now have competing webcomics online, have to work together on the relaunch of a cult classic at the comic press they both work at

they both struggle with art-related physical and mental health issues, and complicated families

[sprite-and-the-bunnydragons]

Something I have learned about myself when writing/posting a series or multichap fic: I cannot help myself from leaking little bitty spoilers when people leave me comments. I feel like a toddler showing someone her toys. “You like my teddy? I gots four, lemme show you.” And one of the teddys is just straight-up a living dog.

[hjemne]

I could go on for years and years about Knives in Trimax, but THIS makes me physically unwell. Knives was the one who was constantly worrying that humans weren't going to accept him or Vash, and he was the one who first raised the question of becoming friends with humans, not Vash. When he asks Conrad (the second human he's ever met) what he thinks of him and Vash, there is a genuine fear of being rejected and is so relieved by Conrad's answer he cries. Knives is the sensitive, emotional child who needs the support of Vash, Rem and other humans to feel like he has a place in the world.

Conrad says if they can love someone with their whole heart, they'll be able to work and live together, but then what happens immediately after?

Knives and Vash discover Tesla. She is the only other Independent like them, and humans treated her like a science specimen and experimented on her body fell apart and she died horribly. Knives is 1 year old, and he's having to process THIS, knowing he can no longer trust any adult around him. Knives - again, remember he's the sensitive one - faints and Vash says he wishes he had also been able to cut himself off from the agony of the realisation too.

I absolutely adore that bottom panel of Knives' hope that they can coexist being stripped away. The boy he was just is not compatible with the world he finds himself in and this is the foundation of his adult self we see throughout the rest of Trimax.

With Knives unconscious, the focus then shifts to Vash who has the chance to confront Rem. It's incredibly significant that Knives is not part of that conversation and never lets himself be emotionally vulnerable around Rem again to have a similar talk with her where he might have been able to process his feelings like Vash did.

Vash actually tries to stab himself with a knife (and there's metaphors in that for someone else to unpack) and Rem prevents him, injuring herself in the process. Vash then turns against Rem and tries to kill her, severely wounding her and saying he won't shed a single tear for her before suddenly becoming overwhelmed by remorse and rushing to save her. Vash, who had been refusing food, then finally starts to eat as Rem tells him he's got a blank ticket to the future and not to throw his life away because there are good people out there. Only after Rem and Vash have come to this truce / understanding does Knives wake up.

He has realised that Rem not only knew about Tesla, not only kept her a secret, but was also involved in her abuse. He goes from having a heart absolutely bursting with love and hope, to learning that even the person he loved was capable of unspeakable violence against his kind. His childhood, his dreams, his support is all taken from him, and when Vash seems to forgive and forget, he's also cut off from the one person who could fully understand him. He either genuinely forgets or (what I think is more likely) pretends to have no memory of the discovery. This is where Knives is separated from both Vash and humans, and this is the point where he starts on his path of no return.

KNIVES was the one who loved humans, who was deeply deeply upset at the thought of not being accepted by them. When he finds Tesla, he realises he and Vash can never be fully accepted or fully safe, and his actions are driven from this (justified) fear of what people will do to him if they find him. But he knows he is stronger and smarter than humans, he knows that he has the power and ability to protect himself, Vash and future Independents from suffering Tesla's fate. Knives was and is right about humans posing an existential threat to Plants, both dependent and independent, and his decision to crash the ships was not done out of malice but terror. Knives NEVER took the first shot. If Tesla hadn't been murdered, I really, really doubt he would have turned out the way he did.