#or just something to base future asks/rp off of!

[prunes-potion-store]

Prune Juice Cookie sighs, looking at his notebook, the long, long list of potions he now had to spend time brewing.

He sighs, rubbing his face as he grabs another notebook and flicks it open to a blank page, grabbing his quill as he starts making a game plan, what Ingredients he needed to get, how much of them, and what order he needed to brew it all in.

"so.. these potions start the same.. meaning I can make a large batch of this... Split it when I need to add that.."

He muttered to himself, his quill scribbling against the page. Scratching slightly as he spent the rest of the day like this.

He'd count all the coins he had received later, at least he wouldn't have to worry about anything for the time being, his needs were met and then some, all the ingredients he'd need covered many times over.

This session of planning and preparing stretched long into the darkness of night, only being lit by a single lantern off to the side.

"I need coffee.." he forced himself to put his quill down when it was.. probably around 3am. Stretching out his tired body as he got up, grabbing a handful of coins from his ever growing pile, and left his small store, locking it up before he headed off to find anywhere open that would sell him caffeine.

[masterserris]

Submas Fic: “We Will Meet Again” CH.5

My friend @eusouomar (Ingo) and I (Emmet) have been working together on an rp timeline!

This timeline is based on the concepts of Yin (Ingo) and Yang (Emmet) reincarnating through the ages, much to the surprise of the twins, and how to move forward knowing this and getting their lives back to normal after bringing Ingo home from Hisui. Shenanigans and fluff and angst ensue. Let it be known a happy ending is always the goal and the inevitable future. Enjoy!

Notes: NO SHIPPING in this fic.

General Warnings for the fic as a whole: strong language, depictions of mental illness, addiction, grief, violence/gore, character death, self harm, suicide mentions

MASTERPOST (TBD)

START

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

NEXT CHAPTER

Happy Birthday!

Featuring art from @metrobound / @jugumpuppet !

Enjoy!

"Hmm, it's my birthday today." Ingo mused. He was doing training on another line with a depot agent. 

"Aw, happy birthday Boss! You two gonna do something special?" She asked.

 Ingo's heart nearly dropped in his chest. He had been in Hisui for nearly 30 years and had gotten used to spending it as a solitary person.

 "You okay, Black Boss?" The depot agent asked. 

"We. We have a birthday!" He pointed out. 

"Um, yeah. That's generally how twins work." She replied. 

"But I haven't gotten him anything! I've spent so much time in the past I forgot to buy Emmet a present!"

 "Oh is that all?" She laughed, "I know what you can get him." 

"Really? What?"

 "You of course!" 

Ingo frowned, "I am not a proper present." 

"Boss, I bet you $1,000 pokedollars that White Boss has wished for you for his birthday for the last five years."

Well, she was right of course. That much was verrrrrrry obvious. But it was a special day! Finally! He was back! Thankfully Ingo was on another train so Emmet could ditch out and get some things together. Ohhhh, it was hard planning something from your other half in secret, but it was so so sooo much fun! Decorations, hmm, food, yes. Presents? I had a few ideas. He giggled to himself at one of the ideas. Oh, the machinations of his mind were an enigma to be certain.

"I have to get him something." Ingo insisted. 

"WAiit. Wait. No. No, last time you left bad things happened." The depot agent pulled on his arm.

"I am in full control of my portals this time and I still have to get Emmet a present. I'd be a horrible brother if I didn't." He began to pull on his arms back.

"Let one of us get it. Just, stay here. We'll get a present, get it wrapped." She said.

Ingo shifted weight, "You can get him something tasteful?"

"Absolutely. It will be a hundred percent classy."

Ingo sighed and handed her quite a bit of money, "I expect change."

Silly Ingo. Well, Emmet had many surprises in store for Ingo later. It actually took a few hours to get everything and that was with him preordering and dashing around like a lunatic. But all the prep was done. He slipped back into Gear Station with less than an hour to spare before Ingo would get off of his training shift, so nothing looked too suspicious. 

"Here it is! Even wrapped as promised!" She presented it to Ingo.

"What is it?" Ingo asked, looking at the long rectangular box. It was wrapped in white wrapping paper with a black bow on it. The depot agent, who was only 5'1" had to get up on her tiptoes to whisper it to him, "Oh! That is very thoughtful. Thank you." Ingo nodded. She gave Ingo his left-over money.

"Try to have fun, Boss!" She waved when they parted ways in Gear Station. It left Ingo confused. He was having fun. Couldn't they tell? Shrugging he headed back to the office he and Emmet shared.

“Soooo, how’d it go today?” Emmet asked cheerfully, leaning back in his chair. “You know what today is, right?” 

"It went very well. It's coming back to me quickly now." Ingo nodded, "As a matter fact I do. Happy Birthday, Emmet." He presented the gift to his younger twin.

Emmet looked a little shocked, but smiled. “So you do remember!” He cheered. He looked at the gift and took it gratefully. “Thank you, Ingo. But you are already my gift. Your gift, however, is at home. Or should I say gifts?” 

It was a leftover from Hisui when they had so little that made Ingo blush at the fact that Emmet had given him gifts. Plural. "Oh, no. You don't have to get me anything." He told him, waving his hands.

“Bullshit, it’s been five years, that means five times the gifts. Now let’s go home!” He threw his coat back on and ruffled Ingo’s hair and hat playfully. “This isn’t optional.” 

He seemed to like ruffling his hair. Ingo returned the favor ruffling Emmet's hair and hat back.

"Birthdays were very simple in Hisui. Usually just a special meal with friends, maybe a gift of a tool or something useful. It wasn't like it is today."

“So? And?? Your point is?” Back at their condo when Emmet opened the door Ingo saw the whole place decorated. It was like a surprise party! On the table was a cake made at the best bakery in town with them and all of their Pokémon decorating it. Angel and devil food cake, of course with strawberry filling. But more than that. There were at least a dozen gift wrapped boxes all from Emmet addressed to Ingo. “Surprise!” He grinned. But that wasn’t all. Not yet at least. 

"I was just trying to make conversation and point out-" Ingo wasn't physically expressive so that should emphasize how surprised he was when his mouth dropped at seeing Emmet go all out. Most of this would've been beyond the dreams of most of the Pearl Clan. Maybe in the cities or the ultra-wealthy but none of this food had anything to do with survival. It was completely decadent and so touching. Holy shit there was more?

Emmet took Ingo’s hand and pulled him to the fire escape and onto the roof where everyone was waiting. Elesa, Drayden, some older depot agents, Drayton. It had been sooo sooo long since their last double birthday. Emmet had one last special present in a plain box. “Go on, open it.” Inside was an authentic Hisuian flute. “I found yours. It’s yours. From 200 years ago.” Sure enough, it had his initials carved on the back of it. The same flute he used to call Lady Sneasler that Irida had given him. 

Ingo clenched his brother's hand and followed him up onto the roof. What in the world-?

It seemed Emmet had managed to get everyone who was close to them. How long had it been? Well, it depended on who you asked. For Emmet it had been five years, for Ingo about thirty. He had almost forgotten what this felt like. Then Emmet gave him a plain box. Ingo's eyes widened as he saw the flute. No, there was no mistaking it, this was his flute. He knew every notch in it.

"How on Earth did you find this?" He asked Emmet. Even if his flute had survived, which it did, to the modern age Ingo would've sworn it would be in a museum. As for Emmet's gift that Ingo had gotten him, it contained a silver pocket watch. Part of the lid was concave so that Emmet could keep a photo in there if he wanted.

Emmet didn’t open his gift yet because he wasn’t done.

“One last gift,” he smiled. Palkia and Dialga peeled open a portal to the past. To see his old friends again one more time. So they knew he was okay. Irida waved and smiled. “So you found your man in white! I’m glad!” 

Adaman smiled with his arms crossed. “We missed you, but we are glad you are back where you belong.”

It must've been quite a shock to them to see Ingo so young again. It was certainly a shock for Ingo. 

"I did." He told them feeling himself tear up and gracing them with a full smile, "Thank you for understanding." Of course, he missed them but he didn't belong with them. He knew that then and he understood it now. The conductor in black turned to his twin to whisper his thanks. This might be one the best birthdays he had in a very, very long time.

“You take care of yourself, Warden Ingo. Lady Sneasler is well too. She is strong, like her old warden. And with a new litter of kittens too! In fact….” Adaman reached his arm cautiously across the space-time rift and handed Ingo an ancient pokeball. “She sends you her love.” 

A baby Hisuian shiny sneasel for him to raise. They all took some photos to always remember this day forever. Emmet would take it and put it in his pocket watch in the future. 

“Take care, Ingo! We love you!” Irida waved and the portal would close. Sneasel would be able to listen to the same tune and song from the same flute his mother listened to from the same Warden. It came with love. Everything stays, right where you left it. 200 years ago is now. 

Ingo was still smiling when he turned to Emmet, "This is the best birthday I've ever had."

He honestly meant it. It was bittersweet but in the best possible way. "I just...I know I must have said it a million times already but thank you. I can't begin to think how I can give you back as much as you gave me."

Emmet just pulled him into a warm hug and let them savor this moment. “We love you, Ingo. You’d do the same for me.” Everyone would go back inside to have cake and to open gifts. Everyone had gifts for Ingo of course. He had missed out on five years of it! Many from Emmet of course. Lots of his old favorites that he had missed out on. Entire shows he used to like that had since been completed. Model trains to build. A Hisuian replica of a pokeball making kit. It really worked! A cookbook on old Hisuian recipes. Elesa’s albums. Season tickets for the baseball park. Just… a lot of things that everyone wanted to give him but never could. Some presents were actually years old. But they never gave up hope that he would come back. Well, mostly due to Emmet’s insistence in keeping these things for such a day, but still. He was very loved. Finally, Emmet opened his gift from Ingo and saw the silver pocket watch! Ohhh he loved it! It looked so good on him too, with the chain attaching to his belt loop! Fitting too, being a “Time Keeper” of sorts, haha. “Thank you!! I love it!” 

God all of this and he only got Emmet a watch. He owed him about thirty years’ worth of presents.

"Good! Good. I can get you something else!" Ingo insisted, "Something more!"

“You are more than enough, you know.” Emmet gave him a wry smile as he cut the cake to give to everyone. He gave his brother his slice with Ingo’s own face on it. And Emmet took his. What would everyone else be doing right now? 

People were talking and eating cake, enjoying themselves. It was a much better party when what had been going on for the last five years. They even managed to witness Ingo smile, a smile perceptible to the human eye which was a feat all in itself, not to mention a literal portal opening in time-space.

"I know, I should know." Ingo nodded, "It's just after thirty years. Huh, I mean...wh-what did you do for your birthday while I was gone?"

Emmet stiffened slightly, but relaxed again. “We can talk about that later, for now, we enjoy the party, okay?” All of the Pokémon were having lots of fun. Even baby sneasel, who eventually wanted uppies to sit in Ingo’s lap. 

Ooof. He almost forgot but let it go. Gently Ingo picked up the little Sneasel kitten to sit on his lap and stroke her fur. It purred and snagged a piece of cake with its claw before taking a cat nap on his lap. 

“I always knew you’d make a great dad someday,” Emmet teased. “But in all honesty, I’m so happy for you. So glad to be here with everyone.” 

Ingo chuckled at its antics. It was going to be a handful, he could tell. "So am I. It was worth everything I've been through." He told Emmet. All the battles, and harsh cold conditions, even getting trapped in the Yin space. Hopefully it was the same for Emmet.

It most certainly was. Eventually the party had to end and they said their goodbyes to everyone, thanking them for making this day so verrrrrry special. Emmet glanced around. “Ah. Well, I suppose it’s time to clean up.” 

"At least let me help you clean up. It's your birthday as much as mine." Ingo insisted.

"Sure, we can get it done double fast!" And sure enough, they tidied things up real well. "Another win for the wonder twins. Well! I dunno about you, but I'm beat. I'm glad you enjoyed today. I worked hard to make it all come together." He sat on his bed and flopped over. "Whew. Tomorrow is another day!"

"I know! You did an excellent job! Conducted with real precision." Ingo toed off his shoes before laying carefully down on his own bed.

"Do you suppose it's later enough?"

“Hm. I suppose. Though if you want to go to sleep in a happier mood, I would leave it for tomorrow. It’s alright, Ingo, it’s all in the past.” 

He would be lying if he said he wasn't drowsy. Ingo nodded and climbed into some sleep clothes. Perhaps it was better just to end on a lighter note like this. He gave a yawn and curled up into his pillow, "H-Happy Birthday, Emmet." Yeah, after a full dinner and cake sleep sounded good now.

Emmet smiled to himself. Sleep was always a wise choice. Tomorrow was another day! They were 31 now! 

31 although Ingo supposed he was technically 61. But it didn't matter and while he was always curious to learn more about Emmet's life without him he wouldn't push his brother to tell more than what he was comfortable with.

They would sleep soundly and the morning light was bright. Emmet got ready for the day with a happy hum, putting his new watch on his belt loop and admiring it. He loved the little ticking sound it made and the intricate gears it had. It also made him feel really official, like the original train conductors. Thank you, Ingo. For everything, he thought to himself. 

Ingo had one of his little not-smiles at Emmet looking at his watch. He was glad he (well, one of the depot agents) could get something that Emmet liked in such a short time.

———————————————————————————

End of chapter 5

[mannatea]

Say It's Possible, a Rose of Versailles fanfic

Chapter 3/7 Words: 21,021 words (total) Summary: She died underneath the glow of the sun. Oscar remembers that when she wakes up—and everything else, too. Pairing/Characters: Oscar/André Warnings: None. Extra Info: This was inspired in part by ROE62865’s lovely art here. Rating: E, for future scenes. Genre: Romance, angst, tragedy, friendship.

Notes/"behind the scenes" footage below:

For such a long chapter (10,000 words), I can't help but feel a lot of this just feels like complete nothingsauce. Apologies if this chapter was a bit boring.

However, the hurdle of Oscar's admission of having time-traveled is pretty important for this story to progress in a meaningful way, so I had to get it over with. It's another thing I could have simply glossed over with a few paragraphs, but I don't think that's particularly fun to read, either.

Anyway, some brief thoughts.

The Bernard stuff is rather anticlimactic but don't worry, he'll be arriving before too long.

Any guesses on what short-haired André is or why he's here?

I said in my last chapter's notes that Oscar's been flying a little too close to the sun regarding her affection for André, and right at the beginning of this chapter we see that she's fooling no one—especially not him.

Writing about André being a Sweaty Guy is so fun to me idk what to say. Sorry. I love him enough to not give him heat stroke at least. In this story, anyway.

THE SWORDFIGHT.

I had no reference for this scene so I did my best to write something that was engaging to read and follow-able. Did I fail? Succeed? Let me know, because this type of writing is one of my weaknesses (but I would like to improve).

TBH I wanted to make the swordfight way hornier but I think Oscar can mostly behave herself at this point. Any fight scenes after this one, though? All bets are off.

André misunderstanding "back in time" and asking, "back in time for what?" is from the RP this is semi-based on. It's hilarious if I do say so myself.

More seriously, I wanted this scene to feel awkward. Oscar is being very earnest and honest, despite the fact that André isn't quite taking her seriously (or at least, waffles back and worth between finding the things she says concerning and wrestling with the fact that the concept in general sounds like absolute nonsense). He's not like "haha what a joke!" while still managing to come across like he doesn't really believe her—like he believes she's just describing an unsettling dream.

The fact that Oscar is SO earnest about this, and so emotionally moved by this "dream" (by her memories of the tragedies she's experienced very recently in her own mind) is more or less what moves André to consider taking it seriously, at least with regards for the assumption that even if it's nonsense, it must feel real to her.

He's a man that loves her so much he would go to hell for her, quite literally. I don't think he'd hesitate too long to follow her even if he was convinced she wasn't mentally stable, either. (And frankly, later in the canon, we know she's not mentally stable, either.)

I was also kind of going for Oscar just constantly trying to pull the conversation back to more serious topics every time André meandered off with it. I could have skipped him being vain or complaining about his hair, but I think those lines really help sell the way they're both a part of this conversation, and on completely different pages about it at the same time.

For the second part of their conversation, I really wanted to give André the space to think about what it would be like to be in Oscar's shoes, and how that might feel for him to have such a large secret and how awful it would feel to not be believed. It still doesn't make him believe her completely right away, but it opens up his mind to the possibility.

Really wanted to touch on the fact that when big awful things happen, OA just never talk about it. I like the idea that Oscar, with what she knows, might understand that it was what worked before, because it was easier for both of them, but that she's not sure it was really the right thing to do.

Oscar's question to André ("is there anything I can tell you that would make you believe me completely?") his answer ("tell me something you know that you shouldn't, that I also know"), and her response ("you love me") were all also pulled from the RP. I could have come up with something different but I didn't want to fix what wasn't broken.

I really do feel that sometimes André views Oscar's obliviousness as a blessing. He obviously wants her to realize that he loves her, per what he says to Rosalie, but I think there's also a part of him that was afraid for her to find out, in case it caused anything to change between them.

Oscar wasn't going to tell André that they slept together, but after talking about his love for her, it seems like more evidence to support her claim that this is all very real to her—and far too much to be just the remnants of a dream. Like, André is right: she's unlikely to dream something like that up with so many other things going on.

"She knows him; she knows him" is meant to mimic "You were there! You were there!" from the manga.

The split lip/blood from the post-barfight kiss scene is a reference to Knowing.

Thank you very much for reading. I'm truly honored to have received so much feedback on this story. It makes me want to work on it a little every day. <3

[ask-upshur]

{Murkoff Corporation Data System

Unauthorized use of this system is against the law.

Security Privileges Required

USER: rtrager

PASSWORD: *******

$mail:send

System Mail:

FROM: r.trager@murkoffcorp.lu

TO: ******************

DATE: [EXPUNGED]

SUBJECT: I’m still here.

Trager is dead.

If you’re seeing this, it’s likely you already know who I am, and hopefully, whatever footage survived that hellhole of an Asylum can get uploaded soon. If Murkoff doesn’t manage to wipe it off the face of the earth before.

I’m on one of their old computers, it took me what felt like half a damn decade to even crack Trager’s password. For a preppy white boy, he sure wasn’t lacking in any computer knowledge.

Keep in touch.

God knows I need something to keep me sane. While I’m stuck here.

Loading . . .

» Delivered ✓

Hey, OP here! On here I’ll go by OP (she/her; adult), and this is just to set down a few ground rules for this ask blog.

- I do take NSFW asks, though I’d prefer that minors not interact with them. (Other than these asks, which will be tagged with a tw, I am completely fine with minors interacting!) Just don’t get too crazy (scat kink, extreme stuff, etc).

- I do take lore based questions. I have played every Outlast game fully through and know all the lore (though I’m fuzzy on the Outlast Trials comics). Miles doesn’t know anyone who he doesn’t canonically know, but that doesn’t mean he can’t in the future.

- Feel free to do ships, crack ships, anything.

- Feel free to DM me, though I don’t RP in DM’s. While on this note, tags will be OOC unless stated otherwise.

- This is a side blog, so unfortunately I can’t follow back on this blog, and though I doubt I’ll have to worry about it, I also may not get to asks as fast as I’d like to.

- I will be using my own tags (ask miles, etc) and not the fandom tags (excluding this post) as to not clog the fandom tags.

- You can claim an emoji as an anon to sign off with, which will be listed here :

- In this timeline, Miles (though now partly possessed by Walrider, aka Billy Hope) is in deep cover in [REDACTED], his only contact with society being a stolen computer from Murkoff.

I’ll add more as I see fit, but most importantly, have fun!

[ahollowgrave]

Friend, I know you did not reblog the 22 Dawntrail ask game! So I would like to humbly request more Selenite lore in the near future. Also, what do you think Odette and Selenite would think of each other?

(Teehee after they sent this I DID reblog the dawntrail ask game mentioned. Like a scamp.)

Man, Selenite is still so new she is truly just rolling right along in the rock tumbler! So while I have some ideas many of them are subject to change. Since her first appearance here I’ve already made some changes to her looks and more will probably come! And since S9 as a whole is still so new with limited lore I imagine bits and pieces of her will change as we play more of this expansion. Such is the life of an RP character, tbh, especially an AU version of an RP character!

I have another ask for how Selenite’s readings work, so I’ll save her work for that one.

Anyway:

Her full name is Selenite, friends call her Nite. Does she have a surname??? Probably. Not that you need to know it. 

She doesn’t wear a regulator anymore. Like many of her fellow citizens, Selenite wore a regulator from a young age. It wasn’t until the loss of her parent and the gnawing feeling of missing someone important -- and a few frank conversations -- that she removed it. She’ll never get the memories of her parent back but she hopes to honor them by feeling any fresh grief. 

Selenite’s parent was probably None’s S9 shard. Details pending. 

Unlike Odette, Nite is 100% alive! Wow! A normal heartbeat and body temperature!

She’s def had some augmentations done! Probably out of boredom. I imagine boredom is a big problem in S9.

The one I’m 100% sold on is her hair not being…. Fully hair anymore. To emulate Odette’s hair’s iridescent sheen, Selenite has fiber optic lights woven throughout that emit a low glow. Practical? No. Cool? Very. 

Also since I keep trimming Odette’s hair I think Selenite gets to have the long fantasy hair. You understand. 

The other one is her eyes. Odette can see souls/ghosts/spirits out of one eye and I think Nite could as well (this is from their shared ancient) but maybe had her eyes removed in favor of optics upgrades. IDK!! I just think…. Cool eyes. You underSTAND!!!

I hesitate about these only because she doesn’t wear a regulator and I feel like they are def tied to regulator usage, but this is why she’s in the rock tumbler. Maybe she got them before she took off the regulator and they still work just maybe… not as well. Much to think about!!

Nite makes a lot of her choices based on Boredom. It's not her greatest trait!!! but it's fine.

She sleeps a lot -- almost like she’s sleeping for two. Always tired. As a result, she’s always got an energy drink in her hand and she’s usually looking for additional stimulants. 

Personality wise she is just so chill. She’s too tired to be worked up, man. 

Another reason she’s on the very fringes of a lot of groups like Oblivian, she doesn’t have the passion to join something like that fully but she supports in ways she can. Like convincing people death isn’t that bad, isn’t that scary. 

Chill but also prone to pranks and jokes. Big fan of teeheeheeing over here. She loves a bit.

She’s only left S9 twice and nearly died both times, without her regulator, so she does NOT leave the city anymore. For all her talk about death not being scary it is very much very scary but that’s okay, she just doesn’t talk about those trips. No worries, haha!

Beautiful fat lesbian <3

I do not think she and Odette will ever meet. Maybe in the background of each other's shots or something, so to speak. That said I do love a what if!!!

I think they'd get along great. I think they'd fit together so well they were long lost twins. Not without hurdles, of course. Nite is freaked out by the ashkin thing, Odette is freaked out by Nite's freak out because are you serious? Mostly I think it's a lot of bickering. They'd change each other for good.

[aevumisles]

╰┈➤ AEVUM ISLES :: 1ST YEAR ANNIVERSARY ❂

Hello, All! It is with absolute pleasure that Aevum Isles Staff can finally announce Aevum Isle's first year anniversary! To celebrate, Staff has compiled a few OOC Goodies for members of the Isles, ranging from exclusive charms to a full Marketplace Sale! In-universe, the Guardians may be spotted around the Temporal Gardens. Echoes may ask them any question during any Inbox Run throughout the month!

A Foreword, from the Mods .

Even just one year ago, it could not be said that multi-fandom roleplay groups had much of a place in Tumblr's larger ecosystem. The larger roleplay community has seen plenty of fandoms rise and fall. New and old faces come and go, and as life goes on, things change within the larger RP scene, and Tumblr at large. When it comes to tumblr-based MFRPs, most often, groups start with great ambition, and grand ideas, only to find themselves doomed to fade out within four to six months of opening, if not less.

Aevum Isles is not that group. Nor will we be.

As the first year anniversary comes and goes, Nov. 13th marks a monumental occasion, not just for the Isles and our community, but for Tumblr MFRP as a whole. Despite everything, Aevum has made it through a year, and continues to go strong. It is not lost to us that it is entirely thanks to each and every one our members that Aevum Isles has been able to grow and thrive as a roleplay community.

Some of you have been with us from the beginning. Others have only joined recently. Some have passed through and gone again, and others have appeared from seemingly out of thin air! Regardless of how, when, or why, each and every member who has been a part of Aevum, past, present, and future is a big part of something wonderful. Our community wouldn't be what it is today (or here at all!) without all of you to be a part of it.

So from us to you: thank you.

— 🏵️ Creo & Leillis  🌸

NOTE: While this is not an event and will not count towards event participation, that does not mean that the Isles should not celebrate! All of the following are available for redemption and/or application from November 13th - November 30th!

Anniversary Charms.

The following charms are available for redemption at the Marketplace! To redeem one off the below charms, please send the following message to the Marketplace Inbox:

Hello! I'd like to redeem the [charm name here] for [muse name] [muse series]. Today's date is [date]. Thank you!

First Year Anniversary Charm

For every member who is present for the First Year Anniversary of Aevum Isles!

Ebenos and Ivurie Stats Page Charm

Light and Dark. Stillness and Motion. Energy and Mass. If you have ranked up, participated in an Festival or Blue Moon or redeemed an item or ability, this charm is for you!

Voucher User Charm

Sales! Sales! Sales! We see you coupon clippers out there. Decorate your Stats/Charms Page to let everyone know you're a shameless voucher user during our seasonal festivals!

Amity Celebration Charm

If you have participated in the Amity Celebration (April Festival), you are eligible to redeem this charm!

Hearth's Rising Charm

If you have participated in Hearths Rising (December Festival), you are eligible to redeem this charm!

Sunflower Festival Charm

If you have participated in the the Sunflower Festival (June Festival), you are eligible to redeem this charm!

Yestereve Harvest Charm

If you have participated in the Yestereve Harvest (October Festival), you are eligible to redeem this charm!

FIRST DAY FOUNDING MEMBERS will receive an exclusive pin from the Aevum Isles Masterlist Blog. Please be on the lookout for a private ask/submission from Staff with the pin by 8PM EST 11/16/2024. If you are a founding member and do not receive your pin by 8pm EST on 11/16, please send the Masterlist an ask to let us know that Tumblr ate it!

Marketplace Wares.

Marketplace Sweep!

For the month of November, every item (including ability and item unlocks) in the Aevum Marketplace is 50% off!

This does not need to be specified to be redeemed!

The normal Marketplace Item Form is still required to buy items from the Marketplace.

Aevum Isles Anniversary Voucher! | ITEM LIMIT: 1

The Anniversary Voucher may be used on ONE applicable item up to ONE MARKET TIER ABOVE your current rank!

The Anniversary Voucher CANNOT be used for:

Extra Character Slots

Homeworld Items

Ability Bulk Buy

Anniversary Exclusive Charms

Hello! I'd like to redeem the [marketplace item here] for [muse name] from [muse series]. using the Anniversary Voucher! Today's date is [date]. Thank you!

Aevum Magical Items | ITEM LIMIT: 3

The following items can be claimed throughout the Anniversary.

These items are FREE, and can be redeemed through the ask format below.

Aether Staves

Curved staves that, when used together, can locate pools of Ebenos (silver) and Ivurie (gold) Aether.

A specialty craft by the Ebenos Metal Arts Council, who once used them to siphon Aether into ancient magical tools and weapons.

The practice is no longer as prominent, but they are cool collectibles!

M.I.M.I. Hologram

M.I.M.I. is the well-known virtual assistant of all Kiwi Electronics. While she typically can only be heard, East Tower Company has manufactured a holographic version of the beloved A.I. Now anyone can have a mini M.I.M.I. of their own!

M.I.M.I. typically takes the appearance of a teal cat that follows nearby when she is activated. She cannot directly interact with the real world, but can interface with technology when instructed.

Aether Terrarium

A single-plant terrarium that will constantly monitor and maintain its environment in accordance to your plant's needs.

A glass cloche surrounds the plant, ensuring the correct amount of sunlight and moisture is maintained.

Designed by the West Tower Society for plant lovers who struggle with care... or have a finicky house plant!

Illusional Toys

These toys can be found at Buster Barns Toys in the Crystal Heights Mall. While these toys may seem ordinary, each of them is enchanted with minor effects to give them some extra pizzaz.

The toy can be anything, with one of the following effects:

Elemental Rune - This toy always matches the day and night cycles of the Isles.

Emotion Rune - This toy's color matches the mood of the owner.

Animation Rune - This toy can move on its own, or create minor effects such as sparkles or smoke clouds.

Illumination Rune- This toy can glow, and does not require charge from sunlight.

Deception Rune - This toy (typically game pieces) will always let you win.

Never-Ending Rune - When attached to a small container, will produce an infant amount of the item inside of the container. (e.g., if put on a cookie jar, it will always be full but not overflowing with cookies.)

Hello! I'd like to redeem the [item name here] with 'rune here (if applicable)] for [muse name] from [muse series]. Today's date is [date]. Thank you!

Coming Soon...!

Aevum Daily Updates

Aevum NPCs

Member-Run Events

Arcanus News Updates

EXPECTED: 11/20/2024

Aevum Isles Rules, Regulations, and Policies Updates

Challenge Submission Procedures and Policies

General Aevum Isles Guidelines (Update!)

Acceptable Characters (Update!)

EXPECTED: 11/16/2024

[theheadspacebubble]

“ HEY HEY HEY, PARTY PEOPLE!!! “

“ I’M MABEL, AND THIS IS MY BROTHER DIPPER!! “

“ …. “

“ .. He uh, doesn’t talk much. BUT THAT’S OKAY!! HE’S STILL THE BEST BRO-BRO EVER! “

Dipper smiles, ever so faintly.

“ WE WANTED TO SEE WHAT ALL THIS BLOG STUFF WAS ABOUT!! SO!!!! HERE WE ARE! “

….. It feels like SOMEONE is watching from afar.

[OOC!!]

It’s a me, Astral/Seren! (@astralphobia) Another day, another RP blog……. I’m starting to think this is a problem.

My other RP blogs are-

@aburningpinetree (Scape)

@abandonthestage (Future Scape)

@d1pp-3r-29-82 (Android Dipper)

@billthesoupwizard (Self explanatory)

~ ABOUT !!

ANYWAYS. You know the drill. Gravity Falls AU. BUT!! This time, it’s also based off of OMORI, another one of my hyperfixations.

To give a quick summary, Headspace is actually one big combined weirdness bubble that’s meant to keep Dipper and Mabel inside in this false reality filled with their family and friends.

When Bill won, one of the first things he did was kidnap Ford and Dipper(he was there for leverage. And because I can’t go five seconds without traumatising this poor child). He proceeded to torture Ford to get him to tell him the weirdness equation, and nearly starved Dipper to death. While Bill was torturing Ford, he seemingly went too far, and Ford was beyond repair, bleeding out on the floor. Dipper was forced to witness his Grunkle’s death, and Ford, thinking he’ll die, whispers the equation to Dipper, playing RIGHT into Bill’s hands. Everything goes black and white, Bill offers to revive Ford and fix things so Dipper can live with his sister if Dipper gives him the equation. Dipper, thinking his idol just fucking died in front of him, complies, and gets stuck in a bubble as well, then has his bubble merged with Mabel’s, resulting in Headspace.

Funny thing about Headspace. For all its cleverly built mechanisms, it was not designed to keep more than one person trapped. It only lasts for about 3-4 years before starting to break- And Mabel, who has no idea that the apocalypse is happening, since this place has wiped her memories of that fact and she’s been in the bubble almost this whole time, starts to realise something… Isn’t right. Something draws her to the Truth, and every time she reaches it, she’s sent to Blackspace (a place full of the twins’ combined insecurities and fears underneath Headspace) due to Dipper being deathly afraid of her finding out what he did- He still remembers (in a way), but she doesn’t. He blames himself for letting her get in danger in the first place and doesn’t want her to be hurt again- If she figures it out, she’ll leave, and Dipper knows she’ll get hurt out there. Soooo it kind of ends up in a perpetual cycle of Mabel almost finding out, Dipper sending her to Blackspace and ‘killing’ her (Their real bodies are hidden deep in the bubble somewhere, they actually pilot vessels sustained by the bubble) to reset Headspace so she and him are sent back to the beginning so she forgets.

Luckily, we have a third party here!! Stranger. He’s.. A shadowy version of Ford, basically. He also knows the Truth, but he knows more about it than Dipper does, or at least, he’s supposed to. He’s the one guiding Mabel to clues about what’s really going on, and he helps her navigate Blackspace and avoid Dipper too!

That’s kinda it for now. Don’t worry, they have a happy ending !!! I mean, it’s inevitable, considering Headspace is falling apart.

ANYWAYS. Wow that was a long summary…

Dipper will speak/act in normal text!

Mabel will speak/act in pink text!

Stranger will speak/act in red text!

~ TAGS !!

#RP

#Ask

#💫Mabel

#🔪Dipper

#💿Stranger

#OOC

~ REFERENCES !!

Dipper-

Mabel-

Stranger-

[isolaradiale]

GROUP ETIQUETTE REMINDERS

Hey everyone!

We just wanted to touch base on a few topics regarding etiquette in the group, whether it's on the dashboard or when communicating with the staff team! No one is in trouble, we're just addressing some concerns that have both been brought to us, and others we've noticed on our own!

GENERAL

Please try to branch out and write with characters outside of your cast and friend groups. Doing so goes a long way towards making the group feel more inclusive, and also helps better protect your character slot in the case where someone files a hoarding case against you!

RP ads are a tool for getting interactions but are not obligations. If someone doesn't make a starter for you then that's okay! In the same vein, try not to make an ad if it seems likely you won't be able to fulfill it, and on the opposite end try not to like someone else's RP ad if you don't think you'll be able to reply to the starter. I'm sure we've all been in a situation where we've made a starter that was never replied to and know that it doesn't feel great!

Remember to communicate with your fellow members if something is wrong! If there's something wrong with the starter someone made for you, or someone has done something to make you uncomfortable unknowingly, it's better to let them know than say nothing and let misunderstandings fester!

DASHBOARD

As a reminder: we only allow three OOC posts per hour on a single account (though we are more lenient on Meme Fridays). This includes things like shitposts and posts that border IC and OOC like musings or dash commentary posts that are not formatted as regular RP posts. The dash is shared between all members, and it can be intrusive for some to have a wall of posts from people on the dash that are not IC. If we find members are posting OOC too often, we may tighten this rule in the future.

Because the dashboard is a shared space, please generally keep in mind the accessibility and comfort of other members on the dash. Brightly coloured text or overly busy icons can be an accessibility issue or potentially jarring for some members depending.

That said, as we have received asks about these types of things in the past, we do not police things like writing flourishes or icon styles and have no plans on doing so unless the colors are too harsh or it contains things like flashing gifs.

The best we can do is encourage unfollowing or blocking members that make your dashboard an unpleasant experience! It sucks to get blocked, but the only one who can curate your dashboard in the end is you! No one will ever get in trouble for unfollowing or blocking another member for personal comfort.

COMMUNICATION WITH STAFF

We do not reply to asks that are worded in a way that is aggressive or rude, especially if those asks are sent anonymously. This applies to asks directed at us and at your fellow group members, as we will not publish an ask that attacks anyone in the group either.

In general, we cannot respond to complaints or concerns that are sent anonymously if all relevant information isn't included in the ask. For example: if your complaint involves a dash habit that you think is an issue, we need examples of where to look, and specific reasons why you think its an issue. As a result, we encourage sending these types of asks off of anon instead.

-- the island stars.

[adanaac]

Could I ask about your OC's? Specifically Ophicucus and Tsuru, I love how majestic Ophi is drawn and Tsuru fascinates me both with the concept and also how lovely you have illustrated him.

I hope you are well, and thank you again for helping me with my questions o7.

Sincerely HMAD.

oh good i get to talk about my son!!

my blorbo my beloved my babygirl he means everything to me

i made him in 2017 so hes sort of grown up with me (or i've grown up and realised things about him that i couldn't have when i was younger. i have so many complicated feelings abt this that i made a short comic about it last year)

to preface this im not a great writer dont expect good writing from me lol all i have is my personal experience and stealing tropes from stories i like

(got a lot to say so its all going under the cut. also a lot of death mention)

So. who is this dude

Tsuru (not his real name in-story, i havent come up with one im happy with), 18 years old, a ghost

he has a little sister, Ori, 15, who was meant to be my sona but then i just drew him more and like drawing him more anyway

first 2 drawings i ever did of him. he was based off natori natsume yuujinchou at this point, i dont remember why or if i even liked natori that much, but i remember distinctly hes based off him

u may have noticed he sort of looks older in my older art. this is because first of all art style drift lol but also as ive gotten older ive figured out that 18 isnt actually that old.

theres also a black haired version of him (two actually) its basically something like this ⬇️

important to know that everything about this dude is a convoluted metaphor

i lovingly summarize white tsuru as "people pleaser" and black tsuru as "nihilist prick" in my head and those are the things consistent throughout all the AU versions of him

(important differences only to me) alive tsuru doesnt act like black tsuru at all thats just his warped self perception (he also doesnt act exactly like white tsuru either)

also alive tsuru has black eyes and the shortest hair, black tsuru has blue eyes and slightly longer hair (also white tsuru is slightly taller than both of them)

if they all existed at the same time they would hate each other on sight but fortunately (unfortunately?) he is just 1 dude with issues

the general vibe is white tsuru is the "yippee floaty trickster" brand of ghost and black tsuru is the sort of ghost in horror media that stands just outside your field of view in the darkness dripping with blood

for the longest time only white haired tsuru was a "character", "black haired tsuru" existed just as his corpse at most, a footnote

but over the past 2 years ive figured that hes actually really fun to draw and play with, and in a different way than white tsuru

(wait fuck isnt this just abe trio. i do always almost accidentally draw tsuru when im trying to draw haruaki.... fuck.....)

(ive had tsuru for long enough that i just keep tacking details from my fav characters onto him.....)

halls smp

so ive been on this minecraft roleplay server called halls smp with other artists for the past 2 years, theres a new season of it every few months with a different theme each time to keep things fresh and ive just been making AU versions of tsuru for it so ive had a lot of opportunity to think about him

season 1 - halloween - jiangshi tsuru

this one is almost entirely unchanged from his base characterization because i didnt want to rp too much and also didnt know there would be future seasons at this point (also basically after the first day i gave up on being called "tsuru" bc its too hard to pronounce and everyone called me canada anyway)

same basic story, guy dies and theres now a white haired version of him (actually this is the same for all the AUs). in fact im pretty sure the black haired version of this one is exactly base alivetsuru. basically what ive been interested in exploring is different kinds of death, the events leading up to it, and what kind of person he becomes afterwards (but also in equal amounts im interested in making fun designs and playing minecraft and fucking around)

(this feels like the start of the beginners guide...)

i associate him with doves and at the time, tarot card 18: the moon, but in retrospect i now think he's card 0: the fool.

season 2 - winter - ishmael

guy who died at sea and eaten by a interdimensional whale and got isekaied. loosely conceptually based off moby dick, although i havent actually read it LOL but i did spend a week reading up on drowning and hypothermia

strangely, his death didnt create a white haired version of him, perhaps because he didnt have anything in life to give up his identity and replace it with. (and also remember the hair color doesnt actually mean dead/alive)

im only calling him ishmael now in retrospect, at the time he was just tsuru/canada

while designing him i had the biggest crisis bc i didnt want him to look to much like this old old oc i had (pic 1) but then i sucked it up and went with it anyway

i never got around to drawing it but his fingers are black from frostbite thats why he wears gloves all the time.

hes one of my favorite iterations of tsuru he looks so mad or upset all the time it makes me want to tease him, and also i think the grey skin and eyebags are very cute

i associate him with whales and tarot card 18: the moon

season 3 - golden grove - fox tsuru

honestly i think this is my favorite design of him i kinda popped off. i think im just a lot more comfortable working with warm colors. and also i associate white tsuru with foxes anyway (black tsuru is totally a catboy btw) (why is he not associated with cranes if his name is tsuru you ask?? bc cranes are hard to draw next question. he did start out based off cranes tbf, thats where the white hair and the tallness comes from)

dead fox possessing his dead human friend's body (although thats only the most literal interpretation of events; in all these iterations there's only ever been 1 person) the white tsurus are mostly interested in "moving on", whatever that means to each of them

btw my banner on this blog is him

hes sort of a set with s2 tsuru to me, mostly bc theyre the ideals that "white tsuru" and "black tsuru" hold taken to the extremes, and also theyre on opposite ends of the "hates people hates talking" and "loves to talk and mess with people" scale

anyway. hes tarot card 10: wheel of fortune to me

season 4 - wild west - mirage

the desert dragon, mirage. this is the season i started giving them actual names that arent "tsuru" and putting actual thought into the story lol previously it was just vibes-based character design. i have a short thing written about him thats meant to be the script for a comic, but i never got around to drawing it.

a sandworm-esque dragon that got tired of being a dragon and took up a passing witch's offer to give him a human form. this is all a metaphor i think. he has longer hair bc i wanted to spice things up a little

(also i consider this a form of death bc he left behind a giant sandworm/dragon skeleton somewhere in the desert)

the mirage-dragon thing comes from the shen 蜃 (which is used in the chinese word for mirage, 海市蜃楼 haishi shenlou, literally translating to "ocean city and shen's castle"). it's a clam-like dragon that produces foam that creates mirages over the ocean.

if u read "even if you slit my mouth", this is what the "shinkiro" or "shin" in recent chapters is. (i had one of those "smug because i already know all about the mythological creature a story is referencing" moments, which i also had with the four gods in yohaji bc i used to translate a game that mentioned them too)

isnt it romantic in a way? that the two places mirages are most known for happening are the ocean and the desert.

i dont have too much art of him because around this time i was uhhh (checks calendar) got back into yohaji and got consumed by it for a couple months lol (can u even blame me. it was july to september that was when like chapter 91 came out lol)

an earlier version of his design that i didnt end up using but i still really like this art

hes tarot card 9: the hermit to me

season 5 - fairytales/medieval - ophiuchus

NO FUCKING WAY YOURE NEVER GOING TO BELIEVE THIS for this one i actually ironed out what kind of people the black haired and white haired versions of him are. and also specifically this one isnt black tsuru but alive tsuru

i have a short poem thing about him, to summarize its like so many other fairytales about grateful animals granting their saviors something, but it doesnt end well for anyone

hes based off ophiuchus and asclepius of course, but also a lot of other snake stories in general, like the lindwurm and baishezhuan

to reiterate, for none of these stories do i consider there to ever actually have been 2 separate people, its always just 1 fucked up guy

i also sort of consider him to be a set with mirage, for both being serpents, and also for being "black tsuru whose personality is like white tsuru" and "white tsuru whose personality is like black tsuru", thereby codifying for myself that to him, someone who's stuck in his own head a lot, what matters most to him is his ideals, what all his actions are in pursuit of

he's tarot card 12: the hanged man to me

bonus: dnd character - alba

i also have a version of him i play for dnd, named alba to match with my party who all have color themed names. a halfling ranger who's very small and very loud. except he has amnesia and cant remember anything from before he was 12 (hes around 18 now according to him), including that he's actually a changeling who just transformed into a halfling to seem older than he is to work at a bar and nearly died in a bar fight.

(if you spend as much time fretting over semantics as me, you may note that changelings are medium sized and cannot transform into halflings which are small sized, for which my explanation is that he's been in halfling form since he was a kid, and after the amnesia he thought he actually was a halfling. this is also why his hair is white btw bc changelings have white hair. pre-amnesia in his "actual" halfling transformation he had black hair. i care too much about semantics but hey isnt dnd the semantics game anyway?)

anyway congrats alba for being the only version of tsuru that hasn't outright "died"!! if only because dnd has actual rules and i can't pull my usual death-ghost nonsense as easily!!!

hes very ship of theseus to me, all versions of him are. what makes up a person? what defines them? is it their face, their appearance, their name? their personality, their memories, their ideals? if you slowly replace each of those, one at a time, with a copy thats very similar to the original, at what point are you a different person?

as thanks for reading all of this i'll reveal what some of the metaphors are, the core of who tsuru, as a character, is to me. maybe this is fairly obvious, but all the death and personality weirdness stuff is a convoluted metaphor for depression and autism, as well as the experience of reading the things you've written years ago, seeing old photos and others talking about who you were years ago and finding that person wholly unfamiliar, that you understand the thought process of that person no more than you would a stranger's, as a result of having taken apart your identity and replaced it piece by piece with things from people you like more than yourself.

im always scared of scrutinizing tsuru too hard because he's just a weird reflection of myself, and i think i'll only be able to write a version of him thats more of a "whole person" once i figure that out for myself. the only way you see your own reflection is through a mirror after all, a flattened 2D surface.

haha this got kinda weird and depressing and personal at the end (mostly bc ive been writing this in the middle of the night, its now 4am)

after seeing my soul laid bare like this, if theres one takeaway, i think its pretty obvious why i'm so enamored by the parts of yohaji that i talk about often (huh wasnt this a post about my oc why did it become about yohaji)

oh yeah i just realised u probably also wanted to hear more about my yohaji version of tsuru specifically. honestly theres not really more to it i just like drawing him in situations. like of course the same themes apply but i just like drawing this dude thats 90% the reason hes my sona. like heres a pokemon au of him i drew recently bc i wanted to draw them as kids and also as pokemon gijinkas

anyway thats all. not really bc i could go on and on about him but this is way too long and also way too personal at this point. i think about him a disproportionate amount, i only have 2 other ocs i remotely care about and the extent of my thoughts for those guys is "i think hes fun 👍"

this has probably also been like, the 3rd most comprehensive description of tsuru that ive made, 1st being the thoughts in my head and 2nd being the past 5 years worth of DMs with my friend who i talk about tsuru with

(why was this sort of structured like the beginners guide. if youve seen the beginners guide tell me if im right or delusional. if u havent, go watch a playthrough of it, have an existential crisis, and then afterwards tell me)

[northwest-cryptid]

I think 90% of people's problem with AI comes from our inability to get away from it being the new thing. Similarly to how when cellphones went from being bricks to being flip phones that made texting easier, and those who developed the tech kept insisting on moving from dial pads to touch screens; people really hated touch screens and texting in general.

I cannot tell you how many times growing up I'd hear people say stuff like

"why is everyone in the office texting each other? Just call me if you need something it takes 2 seconds! I don't know how to use this fancy touch screen shit, just ask me something in person!"

It's the same way I see people talking about AI, note that the use of highlighted words here is to sort of point out parts of the core message behind the words. Texting is a "bad thing" because there's an easier alternative, aka calling someone on the phone; something phones were originally designed for before even texting. Furthermore a lot of the frustration with texting came from the lack of understanding in how to use the new touch screens; with a lot of people feeling like you could just ask them something in person if it was so important.

Now I'm not trying to claim that you're mad about AI because you "don't know how to use it" rather I'm arguing that you're mad about AI the same way that people were mad about touch screens. Because everyone around you is insisting on using it. It's yet to be refined in a way that makes sense for most of the use cases. The result is that it feels like EVERYTHING needs to have AI now, your car needs AI, your house needs AI, your computer needs AI, your phone needs AI, AI for your dogs, AI for your trash bins. Because AI has become more of a buzzword than actually being what it is; a sort of umbrella term that literally just means "artificial intelligence" which... we've had for a while.

I ask you this, have you ever played a video game? Have you ever said "damn this AI is shit!" When you see an enemy running into a wall trying to find you, or your team member uses an attack that heals the enemy? That's a fair thing to say, because you are right; that IS an AI.

However it's not the same kind of AI that can generate images, or write paragraphs of text be it a documentation of something or an RP of your favorite fictional character... right?

Well, kinda?

See there's actually a few different kinds of AI which mostly get broke down into how they function. The AI that makes images and words is basically doing the same thing as the AI that decided to use Garu on that Wind based enemy and piss you off.

A lot of people seem to give AI entirely too much credit in trying to make sense of how they work. Even the words "Artificial Intelligence" is kind of a joke if you ask me, because it's basically no different than a game of chess when it comes to the decision making.

When you play chess there's hundreds of different moves you could make on your turn, but only so many of those moves actually make sense, on top of that; even less moves would actually be beneficial to you. So when you're deciding what piece to move and where to move it, you likely use some level of process of elimination based on the data you have available.

You survey the board to find what pieces your opponent has left, and where they have them placed; then you might look over your pieces and figure out where you could either take a piece, or at least move your piece safely to set up for future moves. What you're doing is essentially covering your bases from a priority list.

You want to ensure that none of your pieces are taken this turn, so you cover that first; make sure nothing is in danger and NEEDS to be covered or moved. Then you WANT to take the enemy pieces so you scan the board for any possible moves that might take their pieces, if you're still coming up empty the least you can do is make sure none of your pieces are going to possibly be in danger next turn while you set up to take their pieces.

This is more or less what an AI is doing when it's deciding if the word "And" or "But" comes next in a string. I'm trying not to get really technical with it, not because I don't think you could understand it or anything, but because I have found that when I do; people don't seem to understand it... so okay yea that's maybe part of it, but look it's not meant to be a put down. I am trying to write this in such a way that as many people as possible will understand it.

If 5 people read it and only 1 really understands it, that's not good. If 5 people read it and 4 of them understand it, with 3 of those people being comp sci students who would have understood even really technical statements, and one of those people being a person who thinks AI is actually sentient... well good hey 4 people understood!

So trust me I'm not looking down at YOU, I'm just trying to make this as easily understandable to as many people as possible. Now obviously the problem with that is that on a more technical level someone out there is going to look at this and say "hey that's not entirely correct" and that's fair. But run on sentences, and annoying tangents aside (see I'm self aware :P) I hope this is all making sense so far.

Basically, an AI generates text or images based on what it knows; it only knows what it is taught. AI cannot think for itself; similar to how we say humans can't have an original thought; AI cannot think period.

If I tell an AI that the words "I" "went" "to" "the" "store" "yesterday" exist, and nothing else. It's going to respond to any and all interaction with some jumble of "Yesterday store I to the went!" Because it literally just knows those words exist and it knows it should generate some kind of statement with them.

It doesn't know what they mean, how they're used, or why they should be used. It just knows they're words, and it's goal is to make sentences (strings of words) with words!

Now I feed it the sentence "I went to the store yesterday" and it knows that those words likely go in that order, because I told it that those words go in that order.

Now if I give it a bunch of other random words it will likely pair up things like "store" with things like "yesterday" so whenever you tell it about stores, it's going to tell you something about yesterday. You'll likely not know which store, because it will only know to pair the words "the" with the words "store" so it's always talking about "The Store" and likely that it went there yesterday.

Now, if we're asking if AI itself is "bad" we can honestly, objectively say no. AI in and of itself isn't a bad thing, it can't have any moral placement it's simply just a tool. It's not even a tool in the same way a gun is a tool.

I say this because I often hear people say:

"AI is like guns, guns aren't inherently bad but bad people use guns to hurt people! AI isn't inherently bad either but bad people use AI for the wrong reasons!"

The green here highlights the only part of this statement I agree with. Because simply put guns are made for the singular purpose of causing something else harm. Whether for self defense, or war. It's a tool designed specifically for something we would be much better off without. However, AI is simply being horribly misused and abused, where many MANY people have found extremely good uses for the technology as a whole.

I've heard people tell me as well that Generative AI is bad and that other forms of Analytical AI is actually the only good AI! Which I also fundamentally disagree with. Because again, without generative AI we wouldn't have AI in things like video games that make characters feel real. If you go back and play early Pokemon games; you can see how poorly trained the AI really was. It will always look for specific things which allows you as the one with a human brain to abuse and exploit that weakness. You can essentially use knowledge of which moves the opponent has; with your knowledge of the type chart to force them to use a specific move and then simply switch to a Pokemon who is strong against that attack type, until it no longer has the points left to use the attack against something that would be effective against it, but weak to the attack.

At the same time it's what allows games like Mabinogi to have enemies who can "think" about which skill to use in any given situation. The AI is pretty poor but it's there, enemies still get stuck on corners, they still don't understand not to hit you when you load Counter Attack; they are still going to spam windmill and smash. However, I'd rather the AI be poor than really really good because the same technology that tells Pokemon in Red and Blue to use fire against grass types; has evolved to be able to kick your ass at Mario Party and actually use strategy in games like Chess. I don't need Generation 30 to come and give us an enemy who can actually "understand" how skill combos works. I swear to god if they teach the enemies to combo Smash into an Assault Slash into a Windmill into another Smash into a Bash into- you get the point.

Hey remember what I said about making this understandable to as many people as possible... yea sorry I went off the autism rails with that last bit, but you hopefully understand what I'm saying here.

Generative AI has been around for a long time; normally only available to those who had the programming know-how or the money to really use it. However it recently was given to the people, to do with what they want. Problem is, a lot of people got really lazy about it and decided to never evolve it beyond just image generation, and of course if people can generate images, there's going to be people who want to generate GOOD images. So it kept getting developed further, while other less moral individuals began using it for everything from essentially photoshopping people's clothes off (bad) and stealing people's art by generating "finished" versions before artists could even begin to shade their WIP (also bad.)

This caused a big rift, understandably so. Because some people were literally using AI run on their own local machines, that was trained specifically on ethically sourced images, art, and material. All of which is, believe it or not; entirely fine. That's ethical as hell, no one is hurt in that at all. There's basically consent given on all sides to use the agreed upon material to train a specific model/checkpoint to be good at a specific thing. These models are actually capable of making some really high quality stuff you'd never know is AI because they were trained well and constantly improved upon. These people are not lazy, they have layers and layers of plug ins, they adjust the images, adding things by hand or correcting mistakes, then teaching the AI how to do better. They use different plug ins made by the very same community; specifically to give bones and references to the AIs images so it can better pose a character or make sure all their digits are in place correctly.

On the other side of things people were very up in arms because every big tech company, every website, everyone with any amount of text or images to sell; was suddenly selling out to these AI companies to train their big AI models. Models that produced horrible lazy results, that took no effort to just pump out by typing in "AniMe GiRL Big BoBieS!" in a prompt box and clicking the generate button like you're going for a "all manual clicks 1M cookies" cookie clicker speedrun. People didn't like this for a lot of reasons, and they were right for it. This isn't how AI should be trained, not only is it not at all ethical; it's arguably stealing (not in the legal sense, because anything we post on a social media website is given over to the website; and we don't actually own it. Though I suppose copyright might combat ToS on that a bit) and at the end of the day it's just wrong. It also produces absolutely horrible results though, we're talking absolute trash that you shouldn't have wasted the time or energy on. So it's a lose lose for everyone, but this is the internet and you're going to have dumb trolls everywhere who seek to make other people's lives worse. If they know they "trigger" you they're going to keep generating dumb AI shit on horrible websites with shit AI models.

I think a huge problem we're running into is that no one wants to get specific enough with it. They want to yell at "AI" as a whole, they see a cool image of a witch knight and go "ugh it was made with AI!" As if it's just as bad as the images coming out of things like NovelAI or Dall-E. There's no way for them to know what the model/checkpoint even was, if it was run on a local computer or hosted by some bigger company. There's no way for them to know if it was ethically sourced images, if it was trained and made in a manner that was actually okay. Hell they don't know how much additional work the generator put into making that image. For all we know they generated it, hated how it looked, and redid everything by hand. There are people out there who hate AI so much they'd still think it's bad and wrong and horrible even if it was ethically sourced, and 90% drawn by hand using ink made from a thousand year old tree.

People don't want to see the ways in which AI could help people, they don't want to see the ways in which AI has improved and has lead to many of the games and entertainment we enjoy being better. They don't want to see it for what it could be...

That last bit there? I was talking about companies, people who would shove AI in your face every second of the day, self driving cars, new forced AI on your phones and computers; AI on your TV to tell you what to watch.

The big reason I hate all of that is that it doesn't utilize AI in any real way, nothing useful comes of that. It's just a buzzword, it's just the newest thing that they NEED to have or else they won't be taken seriously in the tech world. It's bluetooth, it's touch screens, it's the newest thing. People are of course going to hate it, because we're not seeing what AI could do for us, we're not seeing the good that it could be, we're only seeing the bad, we're seeing how people abuse it; we're seeing how companies shove it into everything even where it doesn't belong.

I don't blame anyone for being annoyed by it's constant invasion, but I also believe we need to be more specific about our target when it comes to AI. Getting mad at AI as a whole is scapegoating the blame onto some invisible problem. It's taking the focus away from the companies who are actually a problem, and shirking it onto individuals who are breaching containment in their AI circles while using it (very possibly) ethically because they're producing results people don't know are AI made in the first place.

There's no way to know if someone is just hating on AI to hate on AI because AI is bad; or if this person is actually using AI in a way that is wrong. It's hard to know whether or not people are up in arms about this dude because they use badly trained AI that steals and produces lazy results; or because they're just using AI in the first place.

AI has been used in many fields, for many things, for many reasons, for many years now. It's not going to go away, but we could fight to actually make sure it's being used correctly and being used ethically.

You're fighting against bluetooth, you're fighting against touch screens, you're fighting against the new big thing that's being brought to the people and just like the boomers who came before you clutching their Nokia bricks saying "texting is pointless, it'll never catch on; it's such a pain! They're not going to make BIGGER keyboards on already huge phones just to make a secondary function more accessible!" You're going to find that technology is going to evolve to accommodate AI more and more whether we like it or not. What we CAN do however, is demand better; practical applications of it's use. We can set standards, boycott where it counts; and actually pin down the bad actors without allowing others to get scapegoated in the crossfire letting those abusers off the hook.

[masterserris]

Submas Fic: "We Will Meet Again" CH.1

Hello! My friend @eusouomar (Ingo) and I (Emmet) have been working together on an rp timeline and thought to make it available here and on ao3! I will be making a master post later for this, but for now! Here it is! We have... uhh... a few hundred pages to edit and process and it isn't even close to being done yet.

This timeline is based on the concepts of Yin (Ingo) and Yang (Emmet) reincarnating through the ages, much to the surprise of the twins, and how to move forward knowing this and getting their lives back to normal after bringing Ingo home from Hisui. Shenanigans and fluff and angst ensue. Let it be known a happy ending is always the goal and the inevitable future. Enjoy!

Notes: NO SHIPPING in this fic.

General Warnings for the fic as a whole: strong language, depictions of mental illness, addiction, grief, violence/gore, character death, self harm, suicide mentions

MASTERPOST (TBD)

START (HERE)

NEXT CHAPTER

Ingo hit the floor way too hard. The stone was cold and unforgiving and the wind was strong up here. Familiar. But that was soon replaced by the radiance of the sun on his back and a figure kneeling down to help him up. In the pure blue sky, when Ingo looked up he saw the tear filled eyes of his long beloved mirror image. His twin, Emmet.

Ingo shivered at the rush of ice in his veins. It took him a bit before he pushed himself up to a sitting position as someone bent down to help him. It was him! The man in white! Ingo had seen him in faint memories and dreams but here he was as clear as a photograph. "I...I know you." He told him. "You have my face."

“Yup! I sure do, Ingo! I am Emmet! Your twin! Don’t you remember?” He leaned in to embrace his dear brother and warmth flowed from his heart. His love, his joy, it was infectious. Never had his smile been this bright or this grateful to finally have his sibling back from beyond the expanses of time and space. He had finally done it! Take that, all you haters and deniers. Emmet never gave up and now everything was right in the world. Almost. “I suppose you did hit your head kinda hard when you landed, sorry Ingo.” He pulled back a bit to inspect his face and body. How old he had gotten! A beard! Tattered clothes! His pearl clan tunic! “It seems we have a lot to catch up on, yup!” He said sheepishly. 

Emmet. Being hugged by someone like he was precious made Ingo's heart swell. He had been so alone for so long. It was almost perfect. Still there was something wrong, deep inside of him. Something out of balance. "My twin." He repeated. How could he have forgotten? "You're my younger brother." He frowned, "But not that young. Something is wrong."

“Yeah, I’ll say! You’re old, Ingo! It’s only been 5 years, how come you look like you’re 60???” He pulled his hat off of his head and gasped. “AND YOU’RE BALD???” 

"Five??" Ingo asked shocked, "No, no. I arrived in Hisui thirty years ago." Ingo frowned at the removal of his hat. That was precious to him! "No! Return my possession at once!"

“30!!” He balked at that and handed back his hat, stunned into silence. T-there was no way! “H-hold on you mean you’re… no, no it can’t be!” He couldn’t be an old man already, he had just brought him back! He couldn’t lose him to the ravages of time again! “Dialga! Fix this mess, please!” Emmet tossed out a pokeball to summon the master of time. It gazed down at him with a calm demeanor. “Is.. is it true he has aged 30 years!? It can’t be! Please, Diagla, return his body to the same age as mine! I won’t lose my twin again! Not if we can help it!” The gem on its chest began to glow and Ingo felt the vigor of youth return to his body. He was 30 again. Right there with Emmet as a mirror image. His scars wouldn’t fade, but his hair grew back and his beard faded. “Muuuuch better! Thanks pal!” He beamed the god of time a bright smile and it huffed in amusement. 

Ingo put his hat back on with a huff. Really. "Lord Dialga!" Ingo knelt quickly in front of the pokemon. Did this mean that the Diamond clan was in the right all along? Was Dialga almighty Sinnoh? Then he felt his bones strengthen, his old stamina returning. Ingo was by no means a weak man at sixty, not when he was fighting for his survival and climbing cliffs but being back at thirty was a whole new feeling. And this man who claimed to be his twin spoke so familiarly to a literal god. Ingo remained kneeling.

Emmet stifled a laugh. He did his research and knew the Diamond and Pearl clans worshiped Palkia and Dialga, but to see it from his own brother was a little amusing. “It’s alright Ingo, Dialga is a friend.” He patted the pokemon’s shoulder lightly. “No need for that here. You are among friends. And here, this is actually for you.” He handed him a pokeball. Inside it was the lord of space, Palkia. He could feel it, the tug, the pull, the familiar essence that flowed through it. 

"For me." It was a modern pokeball, much different from the wooden ones he used. He could feel the pokemon inside of it, the strange pull that Ingo couldn't really describe. He got up to his feet still in his clan tunic and tattered clothes. "You said you were my brother?" He confirmed.

“Yuuup! I am Emmet! Emmet Kudari Gray! And you are Ingo! Ingo Nobori Gray! We are the Subway Bosses of Nimbasa City! Our uncle is Drayden Gray, gym leader of Opelucid City in Unova! Man, you must have a bad concussion to forget so much, maybe you should sit, it isn’t safe. Maybe we can ask Palkia to take us to a hospital and get you checked out.” He was a bit worried at these huge gaps in his brother’s memory and went to his side, his hand on his back gently. 

"Gray." He said reverently, "This whole time I never knew what my clan name was and it's Gray. Drayden, is he our clan leader then?" He asked Emmet. Ingo Nobori Gray. He finally had a last name and a middle name as well!

“Clan? Clan??? We don’t really use that word anymore, brother. We just say family. You are family.” He smiled and hugged him ruffling his hair as he did so like old times. “And I missed you so verrrrrry much! You’re my other half! It was impossible to live without you!” 

Ingo felt warmth bloom in his heart as Emmet ruffled his hair. It felt so familiar and comfortable. He really enjoyed being hugged as well. He was about to ask what a subway was when Emmet spoke again about missing him and...oh. That was right. Ingo remembered the hidden temple deep in the mountains and what he had found there. He was missing half of himself. Could Emmet be his other half? "Then...then you are Yang?" He asked him.

“Then I’m what?” He looked at his brother, puzzled. “What are you talking about? Oh dragons, we really should get you to the hospital. I hope your brain isn’t bleeding.” There was a worried expression to his smile as he plucked the pokeball out of Ingo’s hands to toss and reveal Palkia. “Hello friend! Uhm, I was wondering if you could please take us to Hearthome’s hospital! It seems he might have a bit of… brain damage…” 

Hmm, maybe not. Still after a hard landing like that perhaps he should see a doctor. Ingo gave a respectful bow to Palkia but for now would not give anyone any trouble.

Emmet smiled as Dialga returned to its pokeball and Palkia gently warped space to place them at the entrance of the hospital before also returning to its ball. Hearthome. A thriving city full of beauty and warmth at the foothills of Mount Coronet. Emmet took his hand and guided him inside to get checked in. Oh! He had to text Elesa that he had made it! This was great! She was asleep right now, but that was fine, she could find out in the morning. Emmet would remain by Ingo’s side the entire time, just glad to be with him. 

"So, let's start with what you do know." The doctor had told Ingo as he sat there, "What's your name?" "I am Warden Ingo of the Pearl Clan." Ooookay. The doctor wrote something down, "And how old are you?" "I think I'm..." Hmm, Dialga did take a few years off his age, "Thirty?" "You don't know?" "I don't know when my birthday is." Ingo confessed, "I like the summer season the best so that's when I celebrate but I think I'm around thirty years of age." "Huh, okay what do you do for work?" "I am the warden to Lady Sneasler." Oh yeah this was bad, "Any family?" "None that I recall." Ingo said not wanting to do this anymore. He was embarrassed by how little he remembered.

Emmet's smile was strained. He had told the doctor they were brothers, their names, their ages, it was all over the news after all these years about Ingo disappearing. Even here in Sinnoh, a simple web search would tell them all they needed to know. This was definitely Ingo Gray. And it hurt to know he had lost it all. Every last memory, gone. He said nothing, he didn’t want to interfere with the doctor’s work and influence Ingo’s answers. 

It wasn't to fill out paper work. It was to see how much of Ingo's memory was intact and the answer was not a lot. "Okay, we're going to let you rest a bit and I'm going to talk to your brother." The doctor told him kindly before taking Emmet to the hall.

Emmet gave Ingo a glance and a nod. “I’ll be back! Just rest please!” As he closed the door behind them he sighed sadly, already knowing how badly this was going. “Give it to me straight, doc.” 

"We're going to need to run some imaging tests. See if this is brain damage or a traumatic event. Does your brother or family have any history of neurological disorders?" The doctor asked.

“Nnnnot that I know of!” He thought about it some more. “Welllll… it is generations removed, but we are technically related to the Mad Liberator of old Unova. No one knew what was wrong with him, but he definitely wasn’t all there,” he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as the old portrait in the museum came to mind. He looked a lot like him. Both brothers did. 

"Okay well there's two possible options. If there is damage to his brain this might be a permanent condition. If it's an organic rather from trauma it will begin to worsen. If there is no damage to his brain this may be a psychological blocking than a medical problem which means that some of his memory may begin to return." The doctor told him giving it to him straight, "We can begin to do some memory training in that case. Has your brother been through any traumatic events?"

Emmet nodded numbly at his words; the truth of the matter stung him. “Well, you see it is a reaaaaaallly long story, but you know the myths about Palkia and Dialga? They are true. Ingo was lost in Sinnoh’s ancient past, about 200 years ago when it was still called Hisui. That’s why he’s wearing the Pearl clan tunic and talking about being a warden and all. Because he was.” He pulled out his phone and opened the article he had bookmarked. From a history book. And there Ingo was next to the rest of the Pearl clan. 

“I rescued him from the past with the help of Dialga and some friends. It might have scrambled his brain, but he seemed to remember some things when I spoke to him. I believe his memories are in there somewhere, I have to believe. I won’t give up on him. We can make him well again!” There was a determined look in his eyes as his aura flared to life. Burning bright, he would not give in, not when he had finally found his twin after everything they both had been through. 

It was a hard story to swallow but Emmet had the articles and facts to back him up. "Hmm, well we will still scan him just to be sure and maybe do a few cognitive tests. In the meantime I'll see about getting him a memory board. His memories may be still in there but he has trouble accessing them. You should talk to him about what he does remember, encourage him to recount his time in Sinnoh."

“Right right. And we have to get his death certificate revoked. I suppose I can do that when we go back to Unova, but in the meantime I don’t suppose you could get the ball rolling? With his blood work and fingerprints, that is. Birth and death certificates were a common thing at a hospital. But it wasn’t everyday one had to be revoked. He likely would have to take Ingo to the police station back home and do this again, but having extra verification couldn’t hurt! 

"We can do that after the tests." The doctor wanted to make sure that Ingo was okay first, "But after that we can begin his verification process yes. I'll be back a little later." He gave Emmet a nod and left him to his own devices.

Emmet sighed to collect himself, prepping his mask again and smiled. “Everybody smile!” He said to himself quietly before opening the door and returning to Ingo’s side. 

“Hello brother! They are just going to do a few more tests to make sure you are healthy! And see if your noggin’ is alright!” He patted Ingo’s head lightly with his gloved hand. “Some scans, some blood tests, some fingerprints, nothing too scary, right?” Emmet pulled up a chair to sit at his bedside and gave him a reassuring smile. 

“I suppose you are wondering how I even got you here aren’t you? It’s a long story, but I can keep it brief.” 

Perhaps it would be safe to let Emmet start talking. Maybe hearing him out would allow this to go smoother. "That thought did cross my mind." Ingo admitted, "How did you get me to the future? Was it with Master Dialga's help?"

“Well, yes and no! Let’s see, do you know this person?” Emmet pulled open his camera roll to show him the person who saved Hisui from disaster. The one who had calmed Palkia and Dialga at Spear Pillar and defeated Volo. 

“They come from our time and were sent back to Hisui not unlike how you were. After returning to the present and releasing the four creation pokemon, they knew they had to help you come home too. They took me to the museum and told me everything. It was… quite the shock! But with a little help, the Azure flute and some directions, it led me to Spear Pillar. I guess it used to be the Temple of Sinnoh back in the day. Anyways, they asked Dialga to send a message to itself across time. When I played the flute at the temple, there was this… glowing stair leading into the sky. Arceus was there. The creator. I… I have to admit, this part is a little surreal and hazy. I forget what exactly it said to me, but I knew it asked me what my greatest wish was. It was you, brother! They brought you back! And Dialga brought itself and Palkia here! Dialga would stay with me and Palkia will guard you! We will be safe now, no more worries, no more tears! I woke up on the ground at the temple with both of them standing over me. They are verrrrrry nice you know! Really patient too! I’m sure you’ll get along just fine! It was shortly after that you fell out of the portal, heh. I’m sorry about that. About how hard you must have hit the ground. Whoops.” Dialga in the past had made arrangements to help Ingo leave Hisui. Not that there was anyone left to remember that. Ingo’s memories were scattered from both trips, poor man. 

"That person!" Ingo said recognizing the photo, "Yes, I know them well. Battling them was helping me start to remember things. A partner who wielded flames, a man in white. 'I like winning more than anything'." He sighed looking up at Emmet, "But you...you're not who I'm looking for, are you?"

“You mean Chandelure?” He handed Ingo her pokeball. “She was your first pokemon, all the way to a little Litwick, and yes, that is me! I sure am a man in white and do verrrrrry much like winning more than anything, yup! All true! But… I’m a little confused by what you mean if I am the one you are looking for. I’m your twin, your other half! We have always gone together! Explain, please!”

"Chandelure...yes! I had a Chandelure! She was my ace pokemon! My oldest and main partner." Little bit little it was coming back to him. Emmet had been so kind to him already. He deserved an explanation. 

"When I was in Hisui I was..." Hmm, maybe he shouldn't unload too much on Emmet, "I was sick. Lady Sneasler found me in the snow and took me to a warm place to recover. It was a temple deep in the mountain devoted to the concept of Yin and Yang. I found I could activate the Yin part. It was something no one else could do. I think...I think I have something to do with Yin and if that is so then I should go and find Yang. Perhaps that person will have the answers to the questions I have."

“Oh!! That old story! Yes, I have heard of it before but!” He stared at Ingo with renewed curiosity. “You are the vessel of Yin??? No way! That’s so cool! Does that mean I’m…?” 

Yang? The thought finally crossed Emmet’s mind and it filled him with a flood of good and horrible feelings. It was like getting sucker punched. Not now! No hallucinations now please! He fought back his mind, seeing Ingo in front of him helped with that. 

“Maybe! One way to find out! Do you remember where this temple is?” He fished into his pocket. “They also say Yin and Yang have these with them, but truthfully, they are old family heirlooms! After the whole crisis with Team Plasma and all stealing them from the museum, heh.” Held the Light Stone and Dark Orb out to show him. “The white one is yours!” 

"It is said that Yin and Yang are born as twins." Here Ingo frowned, "It's also said that they're destined to fight one and kill one another....are you alright? You seem pale." He blinked at the the light stone, "This...I remember this is associated with Reshiram." He took it from Emmet and felt a sort of warmth from the stone.

“And the black one is Zekrom! Yes, that’s right Ingo! But I’m afraid you have the legends wrong! You see, our ancestor stopped the nasty cycle of hatred! The Mad Liberator was said to be a bearer of Yang and had restored balance to Yin by placing it in his proper vessel! That’s what his memoirs said, but everyone thought he was just crazy! Looking back, well, I think there is merit to his words!! Yin and Yang aren’t bad or good! They are just opposites! Time, heat, light, the sun, land, creation, destruction, all are Yang! And Yin is water, space, the cold, darkness, emotion, and life! Unova has lots of legends on those, yup! Read lots about it when I was looking for you! Didn’t have anything to do with us, though, I thought, but I guess I might have been wrong! Yin and Yang were a perfect duo until Yin broke away from Yang! That’s when everything went to shit and history gets fuzzy with the details. I dunno how much of all of that is true. There might be a book that really explains things, but I haven’t really looked.” 

"Hmmm." He thought on that some more, "Do you believe it? That I am Yin and that you are Yang?"

He shrugged. “It could be true. Lots of weird things have happened to us, yup! Stuff that you can’t really explain! I uh.. Sometimes see things and I take medication for it, but it makes me wonder if it's maaaaagic.” He waved his fingers in a silly manner before becoming serious again. “No, but I’m not sure. I’m certainly willing to find out! But first, you need your tests and your rest. You have to maintain your engines and do your safety checks. And Ingo? Smile!” 

There was something blooming, on the edge of familiarity. "You smile a lot, don't you?" He asked Emmet.

“Yup! Always smile for the passengers! You always had a resting bitch face, though, haha! It scared some folks, but really you are the heart of the subway! Everyone missed you soo much, yup!” He poked Ingo’s cheeks with both fingers to make him force a grin.

“But everyone loves you so much! And they love your smile too, even if it is rare! They will be overjoyed to see you. I know it.” Emmet nodded and gave him a truly warm and happy smile. “And if we are Yin and Yang, it doesn’t change a darned thing! You’re still my brother and we Subway Bosses are still a set! Always! Forever!” He cheered. 

That flashed another memory though not one of his life in Unova. "I was battling that person." He told Emmet, "I swore I would interact with all pokemon until I found the place where I belonged. Our face match, our coat, our hat." He felt Emmet stretch his cheeks and found himself chuckling regardless, "Emmet cut it out."

 Ingo doubted he would've been comfortable with anyone else from Hisui touching his face like that. "It had been so long. I thought my clan had given up on me or exiled me."

“Haha, nope! Just a little lost! But you are found again! And we will go home and everyone will smile again! Elesa and Drayden and Peters and Stefan and Megumi and Isabelle and Drayton and… Well! Everyone!” He removed his hands from his brother’s face and clapped them together in glee. 

“It has been verrrrrry rough without you, brother, but now things will be great! Even if we have to jog your memories slowly back together. It might even be a little fun doing all of our old hobbies together! I can’t wait to take you to the ballpark with Elesa! Or back home to uncle!” 

"My home station." He had one now and people who had missed him. Those were a lot of people and he would have to learn who they were or re-remember them. His brother seemed so happy to see him again.

 "I missed you, you know." He told Emmet, "Even when I barely remember you, didn't know your name, I missed you deeply."

His heart melted a bit at that. “Aww Ingo…” Emmet pulled him into a soft hug. 

“You know how much that means to me. After all these years for both of us. I’m so verrrrrry glad to have you back! I would do anything for you, anything. I mean it.” He pulled back to smile happily. “I love you lots, yup! A matching set! Do not separate ever!” 

He ruffled his brother’s hair playfully. “Oh and we will get you new clothes, you have spare coats and hats back home, don’t worry.”

There was a knock on the door by a nurse. "Mr. Gray? It's time for your tests." 

It took Ingo a moment to realize she was speaking to him. After some testing he was back in his room with Emmet. 

"Okay." The nurse told him, "I have here a memory board that you're going to help fill out with your brother." 

"A memory board?" Ingo asked. 

"Yes, it has some of the basic facts of your life to help reaffirm information and hopefully trigger old memories. Let's fill it out and then you can rest for the night." Ingo nodded and looked down at the board. 

"So...my name."

“Ingo Nobori Gray,” Emmet nodded. 

He would be slow, keeping it at Ingo’s pace when he was comfortable to move to the next topic. He was a supportive brother, always there for him. Always wanting to help Ingo’s ideas succeed. Make his dreams real. He sat there next to him, a faint warmth and love emanating from him. Comfort. Support. Love. Understanding. Patience. This was a place of healing.

His real name. He was still Ingo inside but now it had more to it. Ingo wrote it down in his messy handwriting. 

"Age and birthday." Ingo frowned, "I...I think I am thirty but," He turned to Emmet, "I can't remember when I was born." Well since they were twins when they were born. He had wondered for thirty years what day was his birthday.

“August 8th,” Emmet said softly. We are 30 years old.”

So he was born in the summer and he was 30! Sort of. A little not-smile graced his lips at as he wrote on the board. He didn't have any memories coming back yet but writing all of this down was a major comfort. Ingo was finally getting answers. "Where do I live?"

“We have a condo in Nimbasa City. In the Unova region.” Emmet smiled patiently. It was summer right now, they would have their birthday in a few weeks. He would make sure that it was a good one. One to truly remember.

"My occupation. You said I'm a subway boss? What is a subway?" Ingo asked.

Oh dear. 

"W-well, hmm.... how to put it. You know what a wagon, a carriage is, right? Well imagine a huge one of those, bigger and longer than this room and made of metal with seats in it. And imagine a bunch of them all linked together in a line. And they all go on a path made of metal tracks on metal wheels. It moves with the power of electricity to transport people and pokemon and cargo from place to place, usually underground. Hence 'sub' and 'way' for path. We are the bosses who run them in Unova! These tracks lead to all of the other cities, but the main station is in Nimbasa. Gear station." He hoped he didn't confuse him too badly.

Ingo listened patiently to Emmet's explanation and something flashed in his mind. He and another little boy playing with a train set watching it go around. In Hisui train fever had already gripped the Galar region. "Are you talking about a locomotive? We run an underground locomotive? I love locomotives!"

“Yes! Yes exactly!!” He clapped his hands together. “The best! Perfect! That’s the brother I know! We have always loved trains since we were kids! Heh, one of our autistic hyperfixations. That and pokemon battles.” Emmet was grinning ear to ear. 

"That's why I spoke so strangely! I'm a train conductor!" Ingo said. It was like all of the pieces were coming together. "I love battling. Winning. One cannot know what happens after winning until winning. Those words though...what do they mean? Autistic hyperfixation?"

“O-oh! Haha, it’s kind of a medical term. Some people are born and act differently. Their brains work differently. We are like that! It was hard for us to pick up on certain social cues and..” He trailed off. Explaining his life was hard, you sort of just had to experience it. 

“It doesn’t matter. There are a lot of people like us. We are just odd compared to others. And a hyperfixation is like a special interest. It’s something you just reeeeeallly like and can’t stop thinking about. A hobby, but deeper, something that really hooks its claws in your brain and heart and demands your attention. And it brings you joy! That’s trains for us!” He tried to keep it light. He wasn’t a medical professional either. He only had his own experiences to go off of.

"And pokemon battling!" Ingo agreed, "Or, at least it is for me." He looked down at the board and wrote down his occupation, "Next item says marital status. Am I married?"

“Nnnno? Not here in the present. Did you get busy in the past? Do I have to worry about your great grandchildren running around??” Emmet teased him, it was clear that he wasn’t in any relationships by the way he asked that. 

"No. None. I never had any interest." Okay that was simple. Single. Only two more to go! "Next is...family. Well I have a twin brother! Do we have any other family?"

“Well, technically not any immediate family. Our parents died when we were verrrrry young. Those memories are rather distant. But! Uncle Drayden took us in! And we have a lot of cousins! Drayshon, Aris, Drayton, Lily..” Wow, that was a long list. He just kept going, huh?

He felt tears begin to form in his eyes. After so many years of being alone. Not only did he have a brother but a large family? "Do you think they will like me?"

“Oh Ingo…” His heart broke for his brother.

 “They love you, adore you. They were so upset, inconsolable without you! You should have seen how mad they were when….” His smile fell for the first time and the words died in his throat. He swallowed heavily before shoving his mask back into place. 

“I mean, once we get you checked out here we can go home and facetime them! They will be elated! We have to get you checked out of here first, though.” Emmet smiled pleasantly. It was a good plan. Not too much rushing but neither was it procrastinating. 

"How mad they were when what?" Ingo asked. But then Emmet switched subjects. "It would be nice to see my family. I wish I knew what they looked like. Facetime?"

“Oh sorry, it’s a way to communicate. Like a phone call but with video.” He pulled out his phone. “You’ll see. Basically it lets people talk face to face across great distances. The wonders of modern technology, right?? Heh. In the meantime, I can show you some pictures!” He pulled up a family photo, naming everyone and pointing them out. 

The nurse gave them some time alone as this may take a while. Ingo's not-smile began to grow into a real smile as Emmet reintroduced him to family. His family who loved him! He leaned against Emmet's side. He wasn't kidding when he said they had a lot of cousins! He was going to have to make a family tree to remember who was related to who! How recent were some of the photos?

They were from before Ingo disappeared. Emmet didn’t really take photos after he was gone, though there was one of him and Elesa celebrating their birthday together. Emmet looked very tired in that one. Worn out. There were pictures of exhibits and legends related to Sinnoh, and landscape photos from his traveling the world to find his brother. 

He stopped at a picture of Emmet with a woman. Emmet didn't look anything like he did now. This Emmet looked exhausted and worn out. "You've gone to many museums. You look different."

“I had to do my research! Lots of interesting things to learn about old stories, yup!” He glanced back at his own picture and quickly looked away. He couldn’t stand seeing himself. 

“That was a long day, I was verrrrrry tired.” It wasn’t a lie, but it clearly wasn’t the whole truth. He was glad he didn’t have any other pictures of himself from these past few years.

Hmmm, well Ingo could always ask later. "Now one last question. My pokemon. This is easy! Alakazam, Tangrowth, Probopass, Machamp, Magnezone, Gliscor, and Chandelure."

“Hehe, more than that, brother!” He pulled out his belt to show Ingo his pokeballs. “Crustle, Garbordor, Klinklang, Haxorus, Excadrill and last but not least, your newest edition: Palkia! Lot’s of friends, yup! All good partners to have!”

His old friends. Ingo took the belt reverently. His old friends. He looked down at the completed memory board. It was only a snap shot but it was more than what he had started with. "Thank you." The former warden looked up at Emmet. "I couldn't have done this without you."

Emmet snorted and ruffled his brother’s gray hair, fluffing it up. “This is nothing, brother. You’ll see. We complete each other. Make up for when the other is feeling down. Share the workload and take care of our home. The Subway Bosses are a set! Do not separate!” He made and X with his forearms and smiled. “Now, you should eat dinner. And sleep. Hopefully tomorrow we will be set to go onto our next destination.” 

He chuckled at having his hair ruffled again. They would share a dinner and settle down for the night. Ingo slept deeply even though he was in a strange new world. How did Emmet sleep?

Emmet wanted to keep watch over Ingo, worried that if he closed his eyes he would disappear again. But eventually he nodded off in his seat at Ingo’s bedside, completely knocked out. His hat pulled down over his eyes and his breathing soft and steady.

Ingo slept soundly through the night and woke up when the sun shone through the window. He stretched his arms and back before slipping out of the bed to stretch his legs.

Emmet strolled back into the room a hot cup of coffee in his hand full of cream and sugar. He could drink it black like Ingo often did, but his sweet tooth demanded something nice. "Gooooooood morning Ingo!!"

"Good morning!" Ingo greeted Emmet. He was much more used to tea than coffee bit he did recognize the drink. He got up from off the floor.

“Doing some stretches I see? The hospital floor isn’t the cleanest place to be doing that, brother.” He took his seat and crossed his legs, checking to see if Elesa was up yet and had responded to his texts. Hm, not yet. Ah well! She must be verrrrrry busy.

 “Before we go home, I’d like to stop by the church and then if you want I’m sure we can find that old temple you were talking about. Then our home destination! How does that sound?”

What did cleanliness have to do with it? "That sounds like a good route. We should refuel with some breakfast after our discharge." He nodded getting up and dusting his hands off. Surely he would be discharged soon.

“I saw some muffins in the lobby,” he said, standing again to go with him, “Oran berry flavored! You know, we have a lot to catch up on! I traveled verrrrrry far to get here, I even went to Johto once to look for Celebi to bring you home! She, ah, took one look at me and fled. That was not fun, yup. But hard work brought us together again! So I am glad! No hard feelings!” His smile was as bright as the morning sun as he took a sip of his coffee, letting it warm his insides. 

Oran berry! Why did that mean something to him? Still, he followed him to the lobby once he had signed himself out. A magazine on a coffee table caught his attention. "Did Nimbasa City Subway Master Kill His Own Twin? The Chilling Truth Behind Ingo Gray's Disappearance." That was him! His name, his city. With a frown he opened it to read.

Emmet hummed as he signed the papers for Ingo at the front desk, glad to be free. It was a brand new day, a brand new future! “Well Ingo! Ready to go??” He turned to him with a smile. 

Ingo looked up from the magazine. "Emmet, what is this?"

“That’s a magazine! They print the news in…. It….” He read the title and his stomach dropped. He snatched a copy off the table and read it furiously, his hands bunching into tight fists as he crinkled the paper. 

“Um! Excuse me brother! I have to make a phone call! Please wait here!” He marched outside to call Elesa. He was furious beyond measure. The sunlight grew intense in its morning rays, beating down on the land. 

“THEY CAN’T PRINT THIS, IT’S ILLEGAL! ELESA, LOOK AT THIS! KILLING HIS OWN TWIN? AGAIN, AFTER 5 YEARS THEY KEEP BRINGING THIS UP! LOOK AT THE PHOTOS I SENT YOU, HE’S BACK! I AM SUING EVERY LAST ONE OF THESE ARC-DAMNED MOTHER FUCKERS! JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE!”

 He paced around so very angrily, wanting to pull his hair out. He threw this hat on the ground and kept marching back and forth with a purpose, his eyes like daggers. He never acted out in front of people, but up here alone in the alley way was a different story. Oh, there would be hell to pay for this. He would come back home with Ingo, happy and triumphant. Vindicated. Exonerated. And he would make their lives hell for what they put him through all these years. All the police questionings. All the interviews. He was sick to his stomach thinking about all of it. So sick he couldn’t eat right now or he might throw it back up. He needed a good while to calm down before he could go back inside. His pokeballs wobbled a bit on his belt in worry, but he ignored them. He needed to vent.

Ingo was going to ask but then Emmet was out the door. He wanted to follow but also didn't want to lose the good will of the one brother he had. After a bit Emmet would get a phone call from Elesa.

He should have known better than to bother her right now. He sighed and answered. “Hello Elesa, sorry for bothering you.”

"You're not bothering me and even if you were that's not important. You found Ingo! I just got your voice message though so I haven't listened to it yet. How is he??"

“The doctors here in Hearthome checked him out. He is healthy but his memory is gone, Elesa. He remembers only bits and pieces but! There is hope! He seems to remember more and more as we talk, yup! He even smiled! This will be great, you’ll see! I will call our family when we get back to Unova. We are going to make a few pit stops but we should be back in Nimbasa today! Isn’t it great!?” His smile returned as he thought about their happy reunion.

"Thank the dragons. So you were right about him being in the past?" Given everything that Emmet had gone through. All the whispers, the vandalism, the hospitalizations. Elesa imagined that if she was in Emmet's shoes she would be deliriously happy. "After you tell your family we should let the media know. Clear your name."

“I’m going to sue the ever living fuck out of them, don’t worry dear Elesa. Also… don’t listen to that voicemail. They printed a new article today and I’m still trying to cool off. I’ve been doing so verrrrry well I don’t want to slip backwards. I’ve been taking my meds and I slept last night for most of it!!” In recent months, especially after that trainer gave him the Azure flute he had been keeping his spirits up, his hope renewed. Yang was the essence of determination, it wouldn’t let him quit. “I hope I don’t scare him…” he said in a quiet tone, his peppy smile dropping a bit.

"Oh hun." She sighed. Elesa would probably listen to it anyway but it helped that Emmet sounded more in control. "Don't make the mistake of pushing him away either. He's your brother. He's going to love you no matter your past."

“Hah. Doubt. He… he doesn’t remember when Plasma attacked or knows about my incidents yet, Elesa. T-that I… that day…” The day he was stabbed. Subconsciously, he rubbed at his scar in his chest. “Elesa,” he whined sadly, which was uncommon even for her to hear. “What if he is disgusted by me? After everything?” 

"I don't see Ingo becoming disgusted at you." Her voice was gentle and patient with him, "Maybe disappointed, worried, or upset on your behalf but not rejecting you. Even if he did, and he won't, you still have your family. And me."

The thought of Ingo being disappointed in him made his gut twist and his heart sink. But Elesa said she would be there for him. He had to stay brave. Everybody smile! 

“I don’t know what I would do without you, Elesa. You’re my best friend, yup. Couldn’t ask for better. Thank you. We will take things one step at a time down these tracks until we arrive at the destination called joy. I’ll see you soon in Nimbasa, okay?” 

"Okay, call me when you two are back okay?" She asked him, "Take care of him, and yourself." 

Ingo now poked his head out of the door looking at Emmet, "I saved you an Oran berry muffin." He told him.

“Will do, yup! See you soon!!” He hung up and was putting his mask back into place, a brave smile for his brother! He turned to march inside when he saw Ingo there.

 “A-ah! Brother! Sorry, I had to make a call! I hope I didn’t make you wait too long!” Stop being so nervous, would you? 

"It's okay. I was worried." Ingo told frowning, "You're upset." Somehow even with his smile he could tell that Emmet was very upset. This smile was a mask as if to protect himself. "Are you okay?"

“Yes, I am fine, brother. These… ‘journalists’ as they call themselves should be ashamed of writing such slander, it pisses me off.” He would give him that truth as he slammed the crumpled magazine into the dumpster without a second thought. Emmet walked over to Ingo, relenting in his bad mood. “Sometimes even words can hurt. They have, at least.”

"Do you want a hug?" He asked opening his arms to offer him one. Emmet looked like he needed one.

His knee jerk reaction was to say no, but his heartache said yes. Emmet walked over letting his mask fade and he pulled his brother into a warm hug, letting his shoulders finally sag with how emotionally burnt out he was. It was good to have Ingo back.

 “Heh, sorry for being a mess, I should be the one helping and comforting you in this strange new world you are in. It was just hard, ya know? Those y-years without you.” Don’t cry. Emmet sighed and let it out, his pent up emotions.

 “I’m just so verrrrrrry glad to have you back, Ingo. I was losing my mind without you.” It was no exaggeration, either. “Just glad to be a set again.” 

Ingo's strong arms wrapped around his brother and held him tight. It was in his nature to rock while hugging not only to soothe the person being hugged but also to self soothe. 

"That doesn't mean I can't comfort you too. So am I. It...makes me feel…," He paused looking for the right word. Only one phrase came to mind and it not made sense given his newly discovered profession, "makes me feel like we're finally a two-car train."

“We are, brother, we are. Let’s not become decoupled again, okay?” He patted his back warmly. “Heh, we still need to get you a new coat, this one has seen better days for sure. Let’s get back on track, shall we?” 

"Mm." Ingo nodded letting him go. "My coat? I can't give it up. They told me so many times that I should but it helped me feel powerful and safe."

“Oh, we can keep it, brother. Maybe we can even put it in a glass case at the museum, but I mean from day to day. You can’t be a Subway Boss in rags, you’ll be out of uniform!” 

He did have a point. It was something to consider. He presented the muffin. "I saved this for you."

“Oh!!! Thank you!” He accepted it gratefully. “It would be foolish not to refuel. Now, are you ready to go to the church of Sinnoh?” 

"The church in Sinnoh? What is in the church?" He asked crossing over to Emmet's left side. Despite all these years it felt instinctual. 

“You’ll see! It’s sorta like a modern day temple!” He led the way,. It wasn’t terribly far from the hospital. He tried to eat the muffin as they went, but he struggled, relying on forcing it down. Soon, though, they arrived. It was tall and beautiful, stained glass capturing the morning light. The creation trio welcomed patrons in. Inside were rows of pews and an altar to Arceus. Behind the altar was stained glass of the creation of the world, a shining light above Mount Coronet. It was not unlike the fracture in the sky above the mountain in the days of Hisui.

 “I’m not… exactly religious, but I did pray before going up to the summit. I can’t help but return here to give my gratitude.” Emmet kept his voice low to not disturb anyone else. 

The trio, the altar, Mount Coronet. Much of the temple was beautiful and peaceful. Then there was a flash, a memory, of a dark being with white eyes. Then a long dark serpentine thing with red eyes glowing in the dark. Ingo gasped and paled.

Emmet noticed and put his warm gloved hand on Ingo’s shoulder instinctually to comfort him. “Are you alright?? What’s wrong?” 

"I thought I saw... I'm sorry, I thought I saw something." Ingo shook his head. He walked a little bit forward looking at all the gorgeous art here.  

Emmet gave him a smile and let his brother explore. He held much awe himself when he was here, though he had been alone at the time.

 It was deserted when he arrived in Sinnoh, when he made his prayer here. His voice was hushed at the time, no mask needed here. He kneeled in the front row of pews before the altar and laced his fingers together in solemn reverence.

 “I am Emmet. I admit I have never really done this before, but perhaps that should change. I have never directly asked for help before, though I am sure you have heard my cries all these years. Thank you for guiding me here, for having that person give me the Azure flute. I-I’m not really sure what it is for, but it feels important. I have to follow this feeling, guiding me to the summit. Ah, I’m rambling…”

 He was quiet for a moment and thumbed his recently received Arc necklace with the symbols of the creation trio on it. It oddly gave him peace. He usually wore it under his shirt away from prying eyes. Emmet then gazed up at the painted mural on the ceiling of Arceus.

 “I haven’t asked for much, but please. Please let me find Ingo at Spear Pillar. I will give you anything, everything. Even my very soul.”

 The memory faded from Emmet's mind and he went to kneel again. He wouldn’t speak out loud, but his gratitude would be palpable. “Thank you,” he murmured. He had encountered followers of Arceus before, usually a quiet bunch, but always welcoming. Not a cult going banging on doors, but always had their doors open to those in need. He felt weird around them, like they all looked at him funny. Like they were watching him. Then there were the Sons of Yang. They were nice too, but more vocal and pressing on their beliefs that the light of the world was the true path. It didn’t seem like a wrong point of view, but much to their chagrin he steered clear of those types. He had a brother to find, not get hooked into a cult of light. After taking his moment to give his thanks he would rise and rejoin Ingo.

Ingo followed him to a pew and knelt with him. He was quiet offering his own little prayer of gratitude but letting his brother pray in peace. After they were done he asked Emmet in the pew, "Should there be another member of the creation trio?"

“There is, but it’s a tough story. Much of it was erased. Giratina was a child of Arceus that was banished for something awful it did, or so it is said. It was violent. No one knows what actually happened. I feel kinda bad for it. They say it is exiled in another dimension. Must be lonely there.” Maybe it could be forgiven, in time. 

Ingo nodded. "Shall we begin our departure?" They needed to start to head out to find the temple.

“Yup! But uh… Any idea where this temple was? Do you think Palkia can find it?” 

"I think I can find my way back." Ingo replied, "We need to start heading to Mount Coronet first."

Emmet shrugged as they headed outside. He held Dialga’s pokeball and spoke to it. “Hey pal, could you fly us over to the temple of Yin and Yang? Ingo says he remembers where it is.” 

Ingo stood by his with his hands behind his back. Would the steel dragon happen to know where it was?

Much to the surprise of the pedestrians, Diagla lazily emerged, yawning. “Awww, sleepy head! The god of time doesn’t like getting up early??” Emmet teased it lightly and the dragon blew its hot breath at him in a sigh of amusement. Silly human. It loafed down so the twins could climb onto its back. Emmet scrambled up and offered his hand to Ingo. 

Ingo took his hand and climbed up on his back. Riding the dragon god of time; if only Drayden could see them now! He hung on to Emmet afraid of sliding off.

It was a little nerve wracking, Emmet had never done this before either, but it felt familiar. Like riding a bike after letting it sit for years collecting dust. Dialga rose to its feet and with a lunge forward leapt into the air with majesty. Emmet held on tight to the spikes running down Dialga’s neck as Hearthome shrank below them. The wind in their hair, he had to hold his hat down to keep it from getting blown off. The dragon angled towards the mountain. It in fact remembered when the temple was built long ago. Of course it knew where it was. The view was gorgeous. From here they could even see to Sunnyshore City and the marshes of Pastoria City where the Diamond clan once lived. Glittering lake Valor between the two cities, having recovered from being blown up by Team Galactic those years ago. They disappeared from view as Dialga flew over Solaceon town and towards Celestic town. 

It was all still here and yet irrevocably different. The land and mountains were the same but the cities were new. Tears started to form in Ingo's eyes again and there was a profound sense of loss in his heart. The world he once knew no longer existed. He had a memory of him and another young boy. Something had happened he couldn't quite remember what. Maybe they had lost a toy. 

An older girl held them both and sang softly to them, "Let's go in the garden You'll find something waiting right there where you left it lying upside down. When you finally find it, you'll see how it's faded the underside is lighter when you turn it around. Everything stays right where you left it. Everything stays but it still changes ever so slightly, daily and nightly. In little ways, when everything stays." Ingo rested his chin on Emmet's shoulder contemplating this. 

The dragon and Emmet quietly listened to the man sing and the three of them together felt that pang in their heart of loss. Poor Ingo, all of his friends in the past were now gone. It must have hurt terribly for the man. His brother would silently offer his condolences. Emmet couldn’t place his own feelings, however, and he furrowed his brow trying to remember, but nothing was coming to him. He imagined a bunch of different places. A graveyard? A desert? A beautiful manor? A battlefield? As soon as these images popped up they vanished again, leaving him more desolate and confused. Dialga, however, knew. The eternal dragon remembered it all. 

It gave a low cry in its throat in sorrow and mourning before continuing onwards. The march of time only pressed forwards. Rigid as metal and unyielding. It took and destroyed and consumed all, and yet made room for new creation in the past’s place. The great cycle given form. Yang.

 Up here among the clouds the sun was pleasantly warm compared to the cool wind and so was the mighty heartbeat of the dragon. It carried them faithfully down to the outskirts of Celestic town and alighted on the ground with hardly a sound. It was gentle, despite its enormous size, as tall as a house. Dialga hummed and lowered itself so they could disembark and head inside. Emmet hugged its neck in thanks while it decided to nap in the sunshine. 

It had been hundreds of years but for Ingo only weeks. It was a place he often retreated to when he was at his lowest. He slid off the dragon and began to approach. He gently slid his fingers along the door.

Emmet followed him, not really recognizing anything about this place. He stuck close to his side and kept an eye out, his silvery eyes glinting in the darkness.

"This is it." Ingo told him opening the door. This place had long been abandoned. "This is where it all started." He pushed it open noting the faded carvings and peeling paint. In the center was a large carved stone of the Yin Yang symbol. Two opposing forces balanced, each containing the heart of the other. Ingo walked toward it silently.

Emmet had seen the symbol before of course. People knew about Yin and Yang worldwide. Still, he followed his brother over to the stone. “So, you were here in the past? You mentioned it before briefly.”

"Lady Sneasler brought me here one winter in Hisui." Ingo told him. "She wanted me to see this. It felt so familiar to me and it was so cold outside." He gently touched the stone watching as the half he touched turned into a deep black color. "They say Yin is cursed."

“Cursed? I thought it was the other way around. Yang was doomed to walk the world for a thousand years without its proper half. Anguish only followed until it found the proper vessel of yin.” He watched as it pushed that deep dark color and was mesmerized. Carefully, he put his own hand up to the stone on the other half. There was nothing at first. At first….

"Not that kind of cursed. The other kind. Yin is darkness, evil." He felt himself frown at the lack of response from the stone. Still, there was nothing he could do. He would have to move on.

“Darkness isn’t evil, brother. Winter is a time of rest as is night. Shadows are casted by the light. Even if you are yin, I still love you. I am still your twin and I will stay be your side. Forever! Promise!” He gave him a smile and the stone started to heat up under his hand. “Ah?”

With a blinding brilliant light the stone shown with the light of the sun, bathing the cavern in pure light. Emmet wouldn’t lie that it blinded him a bit, he shut his eyes and shielded his face with his other arm. “W-what is this?!”

It was like a flash bomb going off in his face. His own hand came up to protect his face waiting for the two energies to settle. The yang cooled from the power of yin and faded down to a nice glow. The two finally balanced and settled.

Ingo began to open his eyes carefully before seeing the gentle glow. Serene and balanced. It would stay that way until they both removed their hands. This was what he had been looking for. "Emmet, look!"

“Uh, yeah Ingo, I see it too. So… I would ask what this means but I think the writing is one the wall.” Literally. “We are the new incarnations of yin and Yang??”

"It appears so." He removed his hand and watched the light fade. "Then this is but one of many lifetimes. Is that why I ended up in Hisui in the first place? Did I serve some greater purpose? Should I have stayed there?"

“No!” Emmet yelled suddenly. “Nono, you are meant to come home with me!” He was adamant on that and clenched his fists in stress. Not anger, just fear of losing his brother again.

Seeing his brother's distress Ingo put up his hands in placation. "Shh, I did not mean to upset you. Whatever my purpose was my tracks have led me here. I will not desert you, Emmet."

He calmed his breathing, remembering his therapy sessions to deal with panic attacks. Deep and slow. In and out. Wheewwww. He let out one final breath and tried to smile for his brother. It didn’t really work. 

“I-I’m sorry, please don’t s-scare me like that… I’ve waited so long and worked so hard to see you again, I couldn’t stand for you to go.” It might just kill him, in fact. He wouldn’t say that, though. The thought of losing Ingo again was crippling. Again and again. Never again. 

“I’ve had too many nightmares of it. I don’t want to ever think about it again.” He shook his head. Some nightmares were more real than others. A guillotine came to mind. An arrow. Train tracks. Twisting visions near and far. He had to blot them out of his eyes one way or another. His meds help at least with the waking ones. Emmet held out his hand. 

“Let’s get out of here. I hope you feel better now, right? Found what you needed?”

His mask was slipping but the hurt behind it was real. Emmet sounded so fragile and vulnerable in that moment. There was an urge in Ingo to try and protect him from that hurt. He wanted to keep him safe and happy, even from himself.

 "Yes, it's confirmed some things I've suspected." He told Emmet and slipped his hand into his. Giving it a squeeze he asked, "What is our next destination?"

“Home, brother. Home.” Emmet blinked as he stepped into the daylight, his eyes adjusting. What he saw was Dialga staring down at him, no longer napping. It gazed at him with piercing eyes and spoke in his mind. “AT LAST. WE ARE BOUND AGAIN.” He clamped his hands around his ears at the booming voice but it was not vocal, it was mental. Telepathy. At the same time Palkia emerged and stood next to Dialga, speaking only to Ingo. “YIN. I AM GLAD TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN, OLD FRIEND. YANG AS WELL.” Its tail twitched in a suppressed bit of joy.

"You mean in Unova?" He stopped when the lords of time and space were suddenly before them. Ingo should be freaking out. It's not normal to be telepathically talking to legendary pokemon. Most people would give their right hand for this. And yet Ingo felt strangely okay with this, not overwhelmed at all. He looked to see how Emmet was handing this turn in events.

Emmet clutched his head and feel to his knees. He squeezed his eyes shut to keep out all of the sights and sounds that kept rushing to mind. Familiar ones and distant ones alike. He had this problem before, sometimes even as a child. When the doctor asked if there was a family history of neurological disorders he totally forgot to mention his own. Surely if they peeked at his records they would balk. He screamed as it came rushing to him like a tidal wave crashing over his body. 

“HMM. TOO WEAK YET. HERE, ALLOW ME.” Dialga lowered its head and gently touched Emmet on the brow to lessen his pain. He couldn’t take it away completely, but the dragon could help. Gradually, his agony lessened into quiet sobs and he hushed down, hiccupping and trying to hold it together.

"EMMET!" Ingo was down with him as his brother screamed. Oh dragons, what was this? Ingo held him close but his mind was racing with thoughts of his own. It was like nothing he could do could fix this. Then Dialga worked his magic. Ingo remained unusually silent.

Emmet dry heaved and struggled to compose himself. He held onto Ingo for dear life, his body hot and flushed, but his brother was cool to the touch, soothing. He leaned his body into his arms and began to catch his breath. His heartbeat slowing and getting back under control.

He rubbed Emmet's back as he dry heaved. He felt so hot as if he were running a fever. Ingo pet his hair and began to rock again. His voice was very soft, people would think he was not capable of being this quiet, as he sang a song, "Dark for the sunrise, clouds for a blue sky, space for the traveling star. Strong from the inside, you're still my lifeline. I feel you wherever you are." It was a song that he had remember even in the highlands of Hisui. He didn't know where he had learned it, or from who, but it remained in his head along with his first name.

Emmet stilled as he heard the song. “We’ll meet again..” He knew that song too, somewhere deep in his soul. It soothed his ache, hearing it and Ingo holding him close. Yang knew peace and the world shifted with it back into balance, all thanks to Yin. “Thank you, brother.” he said softly.

Ingo tried to give him a shaky not-smile but he couldn't. He was so worried for Emmet. He had been fine since he touched the stone yin yang. "Perhaps we should get your engine checked out before we depart for home. Safety first."

"Nnnnnngh," He wanted to argue. Emmet wanted to go home. "But I promised Elesa we would be back today, nothing's wrong with me brother, I've had these before..." Not this severe, but it was true.

"You have?" Ingo said surprised. He didn't remember, no couldn't remember. He frowned at his own lack of memory. "So this wasn't caused by what we experienced in the temple?"

Emmet didn’t have his mask on. He had to be honest. 

“I see things, Ingo. I have since my youth, but it only got worse with age. It was mostly fine, though, just distracting. It was after you left that… that I started hallucinating a lot. I was seeing you over and over, but you weren’t really there.” He squeezed his brother’s shoulder for strength, “They put me in the hospital after some things happened. Put me on medication. I...I don’t know what that was just then, a flare up from what we just did?” 

Emmet shook his head. He didn’t know. “I’ll be alright. I just need to take it slow. We should go home, okay? Rest.” 

"What...what if it's me?" Ingo asked, "What if I'm the one making you sick. I'm parasitic to you!" It would bring to Emmet a memory. An ancient hurt that would lead only to the desert. 

"It's me! I'm the one making you sick! I'm parasitic to you!" 

“No! I need you! I need your power to calm these visions. I can see the future! We are supposed to be one!” 

"Brothers aren't supposed to hurt each other! They don't make each other sick. We're not bound by fate, but our choices."

Emmet felt a wave of queasiness come over him again from the memory being blasted into his brain. It made his nerves catch on fire and his muscles tense in fight or flight. 

“NO! You’re wrong!” He was almost as loud as Ingo got, unable to help himself. “Never say that! Don’t! It’s not true!” 

That life. That first life way back when. It kicked off the thousand years of pain. The true pain. It hollowed Yang out like nothing else. He shook his brother silly. 

“DON’T YOU DARE!!! YIN STAYS WITH YANG! YIN STAYS WITH YANG!!” Dialga growled in agreement and Palkia shifted uncomfortably. 

Ingo nearly jumped out of his skin at how loud Emmet became at that. He had no memory of that lifetime nor any idea how hurtful his word choice was. Then Emmet was shaking him yelling about how yin stays with yang as if the two could ever be separate from each other. 

"Em-Emmet!" Ingo tried to get in a word edge wise and place his hands on his twin's shoulders to keep from being shook so hard, "I'm just saying logically-"

“SHUT UP AND STOP IT!!” Emmet cried out in anguish. “Don’t go anywhere! Not you, not yin! None of it! Just stay!” 

He let go of Ingo, reeling back on himself from such a wild outburst. He was getting derailed and out of control. At this point, he was scaring himself. He felt his head swimming with his ugly thoughts that he worked so hard to keep under control all these years. He had made so much progress and it was all falling apart! Emmet needed to calm down. “L-let’s go home, brother. Please.” 

What on earth...? 

"Okay. Okay. Our next terminal will be home." Wherever that specifically was. Ingo turned to Palkia. "I would be grateful if you could set a course for Unova. My brother needs to rest." He told the lord of space.

Even Dialga looked scared, it quietly returned to its pokeball and Palkia nodded. It nuzzled Ingo in comfort before raising its claws together to warp space and bring them to the rooftop of their condo in Nimbasa. It was around 5am, just before the sun began to peak above the horizon. He huffed as he fell on his ass when they landed. Palkia cooed at Ingo softly in reassurance before returning to its pokeball.

 “T-this way, brother.” Emmet would lead Ingo down the stairs and unlock the door to their condo, showing his brother where his fresh clothes and bed was before flopping on his own and burying his face in the pillow. Hyoughhhhh… all the wind went right out of his sails. 

The nuzzling helped with his frayed nerves. For now, he silently followed Emmet down the stairs and oh. This was where he lived, they lived. A fresh set of clothes, including his old jackets. It was a good thing he owned several then! He had been worried about giving up his. When Emmet collapsed and pressed his face on the pillow Ingo slipped out of the room.

Their apartment was clean and neat as a whistle, just the way he left it with perhaps some more books. Just…. don’t look in the office. Emmet heard him walk off but tried to keep it calm. He wouldn’t leave the place…. right?

No. Right now Ingo was busy looking at their photos and mementos. Emmet could hear him walking around but never the door opening.

Emmet relaxed a bit, he was just. Exploring. It was natural. He hoped he kept the office door locked, though. His brother didn’t need to get blasted with all of…. that. Some fresh clothes, a shower, a little rest… it would do the both of them a lot of good. As for the photos there were plenty! Them on their first day of work together, family photos, pictures of them growing up with their pokemon, it was all very sweet. Elesa was there too! And Skyla! She had a crush on the boys, but given that they were aroace, she respected their boundaries. It was a nice place and clearly filled with love.

Hmmm, this door was locked. Wonder what was in there? Ingo kept moving on though because there was a lot to see here! Oh, there was him with Litwick and Emmet was holding a Tynamo. Maybe it had evolved like Litwick had. A black-haired woman and a red head...hmmm, more cousins? They didn't have family resemblance though like the other women in the photos so maybe they were girlfriends? Finally, there was silence in the condo but not because Ingo had left. It was because he was opening and closing the fridge door. Technology was a marvel. Bravo! 

Emmet heard him rustling around and a smile crept to his face. As long as he didn’t set the place on fire, it was fine. His amusement grew with how many times he opened the fridge. Silly!!! Silly man! 

It was cold! Cold without any ice! Imagine all of the food that could be preserved with such a device! He helped himself to a pecha berry before closing the door for a final time and beginning to move around the room again. 

There were various bags of pokemon food, train models, all sorts of things. Emmet’s extra set of keys were on the counter. What else did Ingo do?

Hmmm. He took the set of keys and opened the front door to their condo.

Emmet perked up at that, raising his head form the pillow and listening closely. Don't jump to conclusions. Wait. Don't be obsessive. Possessive. Don't lose it. But Ingo didn't remember anything, he can't wander out like this! Relax. Please relax. He isn't going anywhere; he is just looking around. You'll see. Emmet waited.

Ingo didn't want to head far. He knew how dangerous it was for people to get lost in the highlands and being lost in the city could be dangerous as well especially since he didn't recognize any of the landmarks. No, he would go down the street. Oh there was a corner store here! That was good to know although he didn't have any money on him. 

Then down the street in the opposite direction. Yes, this was a huge city. Very easy to get lost. He would have to be careful. Ingo walked back to their building and the door opened again signaling his return into the condo. Oh! There's a balcony. He hadn't noticed that until he was directly across from it. That would give him a good view of the city!

Emmet’s heart sank as Ingo’s footsteps faded. He leapt out of bed ready to dash after him, but he stopped himself. He had his pokemon with him. He had Palkia with him. And more importantly, he felt this tug in his chest. He knew Ingo was still close by. Breathe. Let him be. This was a new place for him. Relax.

 Emmet untensed his muscles with some effort and sighed. He went out to the balcony to smoke, man did he need it. He couldn’t do that at the hospital and so much had happened during their trip to the church and temple. Now he could finally rest. 

Oh! There was Ingo walking on the street! And then the other way! And right back home. Emmet tapped the pack of cigarettes for another for his third one that morning as Ingo came back inside, he turned his head as he saw him and smiled with the sunrise glowing behind him. “How was your little adventure?” 

"Quite informative and worrisome. I'm afraid I have a lot of relearning to do." Ingo admitted coming onto the balcony with him. His nose crinkled at the smell of cigarette smoke. He didn't remember his brother smoking. It was beautiful up here watching the sun rise up from the dark. "Are you feeling better?" Ingo asked him cautiously.

Emmet leaned back in his chair, blowing a cloud of smoke away. “Yes, I think so. Being home helps. You being here helps. It’s just been an emotional rollercoaster for me. A little bit of time getting back into a routine will help, I think. Big unplanned changes always did throw us off and make us panic. Autism can do that to you,” he replied with a soft smile.

"I always did prefer a schedule. I suppose now I will have to learn a new one." Ingo replied sitting in the other chair. "There was something you said earlier that I didn't quite understand about yin staying with yang."

“Hmm??? Oh… I.. I don’t know. A lot was flashing in my brain at the time. Maybe it was a past life trying to tell me something. That we shouldn’t be apart. It sure felt that way.” He shrugged. 

"That implies that Yin could separate from Yang. I wasn't aware that such a thing could be possible." Ingo pointed out.

Emmet shook his head. “I don’t know either. Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that I get this horrible… pang of hurt at the very idea of it. Whatever it is, I don’t like it. I want things to stay just as they are. No need to change it. We are a set. The best, perfect! Yup!” He took another drag.

Ingo nodded at that thinking about everything that had happened in the last two days. "Where can we get water to bathe?" He asked his brother. It might feel nice to have a proper bath to celebrate this new beginning.

“Ah, in the bathroom there is a shower.” He said nonchalantly. He waited as Ingo didn’t move. “.....you don’t know what that is.”

 Emmet pulled a long drag on his cigarette to finish it and put it out before heading back inside, beckoning his brother to follow him. He opened the bathroom to show him how things worked. 

“Alright, this is a sink. You lift this lever for water to come out, see? To the right is cold water, to the left is warm water. That is a toilet. You lift the lid and… relieve yourself in it. Then you push down this handle to flush it away. That roll of paper there is to clean yourself. That can be flushed away along with your waste. And this,” he pulled back the curtain. “Is a shower. It’s the same as the sink but for your whole body. Lift this and water will come out from that nozzle up at the top. Here are the towels to clean yourself off. This is shampoo, you lather it into your hair to clean it. If you want, you use this, which is conditioner. It goes in your hair after you rinse out the shampoo, it is to strengthen your hair and make it vibrant. And this is body wash. It’s basically soap for your whole body. Scrub good! Once you start the water, step inside and pull the curtain closed. I can put your clothes in the wash and bring you fresh ones.” 

"Ah, thank you." It was embarrassing how much he didn't know, how much he had forgotten. He titled his head down so that he wouldn't meet Emmet's eyes for this. "I'll be out momentarily."

“It’s alright, brother,” he said, reading his expression. “It’s alright to ask for help.” 

Emmet closed the door behind him and waited for the water to start and the curtain to close before yoinking his old clothes. Yeesh, they had been through a lot. He placed neatly folded fresh ones in their place and closed the door again. 

The hot water felt good on his sore muscles. It gave him a moment to just relax. Now it was around 6am, about the time that Drayden had been rising and getting ready for the day if Emmet wanted to call him.

Ohhh boy, would dad freak out? Was it too early for the poor man’s heart? Fuck it. He couldn’t in good conscience make him wait any longer. He put on facetime, hoping he would pick up. 

Drayden had just sat down with his morning coffee when he got the facetime call from Emmet. His nephew hadn't been well since Ingo's disappearance although he had been doing a lot better since two years ago. Still things never felt quite right between them since the funeral. Drayden wasn't going to abandon him though and answered the call. "Emmet."

“Heyyyyyy dad, I’m back from Sinnoh!” He said sheepishly, testing the waters. He was still scared of him. After getting into that fight, it was always stiff between them. And yeah, the funeral. Or lack thereof. 

"Glad to have you home." He told him. Truthfully he was, although the Dragon Master was still concerned about Emmet's inability to move on. He had always been worried about the boys codependency on each other but at the time had chucked it up to their experiences in the foster care system. Now those fears seemed to have come true. Maybe if he had insisted on separating them. "Did you have a good time?"

“Well, yes and no. I did bring back a souvenir! A reaaaaallly good one! Here’s a hint!” He held up Ingo’s tattered old hat. 

Dragons. It looked like a beat-up old subway hat like Ingo would wear. He was trying to be patient but he didn't really feel like guessing games, especially this early in the morning. "Emmet, just tell me what you got."

Emmet twirled it around on his finger with a grin. “C’mon, you’re no fun.” 

"Emmet, have you been speaking to your therapist about this?" Drayden asked with a sigh deciding to cut to the point.

Emmet cocked his head to the side. “I go every two weeks, dad, I haven’t been skipping out.” He stopped twirling the hat and held it steady. 

"Have you talked about your grief?" He asked him concerned. He didn't want to use the words 'moving on' because he knew how it upset his son but that was exactly what he was talking about.

“We talk about it all the time,” he said a little pointedly. “And you never did guess. Boo. Well, I’m happy to tell you I found him. I brought him back. Ingo.” 

He felt his heart break. Drayden didn't enjoy this at all. It broke his heart when Ingo disappeared and it kept rebreaking every time Emmet got sick. "Emmet, we talked about this."

“I’m serious, dad! I found him, see??” He pointed to the old hat. 

He could feel a migraine coming on. Drayden hated walking on eggshells like this. He was worried that something he did or say would set Emmet off and try to hurt himself again. Then he would have to bury two sons. "You found Ingo's old hat." He would concede that much. Ingo meanwhile was finishing up his shower. His skin was starting to get pruney so it was time to come out.

Emmet slammed his fist on the table. “Just give me a minute, would you!?” Calm! Calm. Calm yourself. “He’s just in the other room, you’ll see.” 

Drayden would wait. He was scared of what Emmet might do if he hung up since he was clearly already agitated. Maybe he was fighting the inevitable but Drayden never met a fight that he back down from in life. That fighting spirit was what kept him young. He gave Emmet a nod to signal that he would wait but to be honest he wasn't expecting much.

A few moments passed in uncomfortable silence. “Ingo, are you finishing up?? I have someone you’ll love to meet!” 

"Coming! One moment please!" Ingo called out still dressing. Finally he came out in sweat pants and a baggy shirt. Drayden felt his jaw drop.

 "Ingo?" 

Ingo blinked, "I'm sorry. I've seen your face in photos but...the doctors say I have memory problems. I'm sorry."

“Ingo, this is uncle Drayden. He raised us, so we call him dad. See? I told you I brought home a good souvenir!” He snickered to himself seeing his wide expression.

"I see." Ingo took a seat in the chair next to Emmet, "I'm pleased to meet you again." 

"Dragons, Ingo. Where have you been lad? We were so worried for you." Drayden said softly. It melted Ingo's heard to think about how he and Emmet must have been so worried about him. 

"I was in the past, in Hisui. I had no memory of where I had come from or how to get back home. I have only recently arrived at this station."

“Put it mildly dad… I reached across time and space to bring him home, just like I said I would.” Emmet spoke softly and tears glistened in his eyes. He wasn’t mad, he was right and now everything was where it needed to be. Home.

So much was going through his mind right now and to be fair it was a lot to take in. The boys had been like sons to him ever since his own younger brother died. Losing Ingo felt like losing Watson all over again except worse. There was no closure, no space to grieve between Emmet's bouts of madness and the lingering hope in his heart that maybe Ingo was still out there. "Emmet, I'm so sorry."

It was rare for his father to apologize. Even rarer to him. His voice was wavering, so unlike the dragon master it caught him off guard. 

“It’s okay, dad.. We’re back. We’re finally home. You should come visit soon. I need to take Ingo to the police station here today and maybe if he is feeling up to it, follow me around Gear Station. See Elesa again.” Emmet looked up at Ingo. “What do you think?” 

"How about we go tomorrow." Ingo suggested, "I think I need to rest for today. It has been a lot. I will feel ready to reroute tomorrow." 

"Just...take care of each other." Drayden said, "And please call. I'll call your cousins, let them know you're both home and okay."

“Alright, dad. Sounds good. We will be here, always.” Emmet looked up at Ingo with happy eyes. 

“Yes, a lazy day of rest would do us good. Hmm.” His eyes flicked around the apartment. “I suppose you have questions about your new surroundings!” 

Ingo gave a wave as Drayden hung up to allow them to rest. He needed to call his other children and grandchildren anyway. 

"I do but after everything..." Ingo paused. Emmet would still be here when he woke. He could hold off for now, "I think I just want to take a nap." Hopefully his twin would not be offended.

Hardly. “Alright. But if you want to explore or need an explanation, just ask. There is no shame in asking for help, brother.” He gave him a warm smile. “And if you want something to eat, I will be more than happy to make it for you.” 

"Thank you." Ingo replied gratefully getting up. "My bed is the other correct?" He moved to rise and gave another stretch for his back.

“Yes, yours is the one with the black sheets. That whole half of the room is yours,” he called out from the table in the main room. When Ingo opened the door he found his pokemon waiting to snuggle. 

Oh! Ingo felt himself begin to smile when he beheld Chandelure again. His partner with the mastery of flames. 

"Hello, old friend. I'm sorry I kept you waiting." He held her face as she gave a happy cry. Haxorus bent down to lick his hair while Excadrill and Crustle pulled at his pant legs. "Goodness! Patience all of you! Let me lie down and rest and I promise you will then all receive your due!" He also let out the pokemon he had caught in Hisui. Hopefully the two will become friends soon. What was Emmet up to?

Emmet scrolled on his phone for the news and texted Elesa that they were back home safe and sound and were going to rest for the day. Tomorrow they would head to Gear Station. Emmet wondered what to do for food. Heck, they could even order something and have it delivered. Maybe they really just needed a lazy day. He went back out to the balcony to finish his pack of cigarettes, watching and listening to the sounds of the city as morning began to shine strong. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

End of chapter 1

[voxiiferous]

BUG'S RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: Bug

OOC Contact: Here in IMs or ask, on @singthesongsofsin, discord on request.

Who the heck is my muse anyway:

Vox is the Media Overlord in Hell. My particular version is hc based and canon divergent. In life he was Vincent Price, gameshow host, news desk presenter, devoted fan of swing music. In Hell, he's the icon of modernization (an endless point of contention between he and Alastor), and one of the Vees.

Points of interest:

Surprisingly moral for someone in Hell, and who's an Overlord. Vox is, at his core, an ambitious workaholic with a surprisingly strong sense of "I'm stuck here too, of course I want it to be a decent place to live." Right now he's also deeply depressed, so do with that what you will.

What they’ve been up to recently:

Generally running his company: business meetings, contract negotiations, putting out fires his employees set, press conferences, and a million other daily tasks. He's been working on building a subway system for years, so he continues to pluck away at that slowly.

Where to find them:

His tower (or district as a whole), with the other Vees, at the Overlord meetings. Or, pre-death, in New York City!

Current plans:

Every thread is its own verse, so nothing overarching, but probably something where I get to play around more with his funny moral compass. Contract lawyer Vox would be suitably amusing and not nearly as far off as you might think.

Desired interactions:

Anything with him helping to support the Hotel. Or oh, a swap-verse something! I have some vague ideas for one in which he swaps with Angel, and with Alastor. The world-building potential for a Vox who stays vintage compels me. Something with another Vox would be neat too.

Offered interactions:

Come yell at me in my DMs, I tend to do best with plotting, I'll be honest. Anything tossed in the wishlist tag is a pretty good idea too, or with Vincent. the squishy human is always fun to toss at people. Are you helping him find who he is? Are you someone making a deal with him? Forcing Vox to deal with other very powerful people is a good time-- Lucifers, other sins, some angels.

...Ohhhh someone asking Vox for help could be something interesting. It's not even a deal with the devil so much as with the silver screen-- congratulations you keep your soul, but what makes you so desperate to come to him?

Current open post/s:

The memes never have an end date, and (while a bit slow!) if you just tag me in something or send in a starter I'm pretty game to reply.

Anything else?:

Guidelines | Bio | wishlist

Tagged @obscurushydrae

[sorathecookie]

Lunar Rift Timeline AU: A Found Soul

Author's note: This story takes place before the events of Operation: Crescent Moon Chaos. Also some parts are based off of an RP between me and @sammywolfgirl

Moonkeeper Cookie was flying through a lunar time rift on her Moonstone Embroider, drifting through as if she were in the sea. In her hand was a folder she obtained from a future timeline for business purposes. In her mind, she was thinking about the Cookie she had encountered in that timeline, who called themselves TimeWrender Cookie. They were a rather odd Ruler, coming across as more of some sort of prankster compared to other existing Rulers. Suddenly, a rift opened in front of her, leading her into a forest. Within, she saw a bright, glowing light.

"Hmm?" Moonkeeper Cookie slowly hovered through the rift, the rift closing as she did so. She looked ahead, seeing the light. "What could that be?"

She floated to where the bright light was coming from, deeper and deeper into the forest, and before her was a small shard of light, just as she figured. But there was something about this light shard. It was warm, pleasant, and welcoming, like vanilla. She carefully grabbed the light and used the Moonstone Embroider go open a lunar time rift and went through it.

___

In the Director's office in the Time Balance Department, Moon Lily Cookie was looking through some papers, sighing sadly to herself. She thought about her friends from her now destroyed timeline, especially him...Pure Vanilla Cookie...

"Daydreaming again, are we?"

Moon Lily Cookie turned around and saw Moonkeeper Cookie behind her. "Oh, Moonkeeper Cookie! You scared me!" she said, fluttering her faerie wings in surprise. "I take it things went well in the timeline you went to?"

"My apologies, Moon Lily Cookie," Moonkeeper Cookie said. "And yes, things went well, though I did run into a little...shall we say, trouble, there."

"I saw. The one who called themselves TimeWrender..." A look of worry briefly appeared on Moon Lily Cookie's face. Then she looked at the light in Moonkeeper Cookie's hand. "What's that?"

"Hmm? Oh, you mean this?" Moonkeeper Cookie opened her hand, showing her the light shard she found. "I found it while returning here."

"May I...see it?" Moon Lily Cookie asked.

Moonkeeper Cookie gave her the light shard. Moon Lily Cookie carefully held the shard in her hand, and it started to gently float. "This light shard...it's so soft and warm. It reminds me of Pure Vanilla Cookie..." Then she realized. "...the Pure Vanilla Cookie...from my timeline...!"

"Hmm?"

"Moonkeeper Cookie, I think this light shard might be a piece of Pure Vanilla Cookie's soul!"

Moonkeeper Cookie's star filled eyes shrunk in shock. "Really now?"

Moon Lily Cookie nodded. "I know it is. The warmth emanating from his light is the same one I felt whenever I was around him. But...how? My timeline, everyone and everything there, was destroyed!"

"It may be possible that the Pure Vanilla Cookie from your timeline used a powerful spell to try to protect himself and the other Ancient Heroes, but instead, caused his soul to be scattered across time."

"So if Pure Vanilla Cookie's soul has been scattered across time...then that means...", Moon Lily Cookie gasped. "The souls of my friends must be scattered across time as well! And that means I can bring them back!"

"Shall I assist you on your quest?" Moonkeeper Cookie asked.

Moon Lily Cookie smiled and nodded. She used her Moon Lily staff to open a lunar time rift, and the duo went through.

[threeclans]

i know its not gonna be for awhile BUT i like to be prepared!! what do applications look like? do we apply with an oc/adoptable or is it just ✨vibes✨ (i.e background check, i know some rps only ask for socials and a writing sample instead of characters!)

Hi anon! It's always good to get prepared, and while there will be a lot that is subject to the individual opening — for example, character specifics that might depend on the lore established for our next opening — we can definitely provide you an outline and a look into the application process based on previous rounds! There are some things that stay generally consistent, as well as some things we can give insight to as far as the future.

First off, ThreeClans handles applications through creating an original character and applying with their information — along with some of your own, of course! We tend to use both character information and player information in tandem to provide us with the most comprehensive view of who we're letting into our server. Sometimes, depending on the application round, we have adoptable characters available for tryouts too, but this is highly dependent on the individual round of applications. In recent rounds, we've featured adoptables in Moving Mountains, which was an exclusively adoptable based opening, and in Next to Nowhere, which featured some adoptable characters as well as the ability to apply for original characters.

Below are some screenshot snippets of previous application forms, both from adoptable forms (the first provided screenshot) and original character forms (the second provided screenshot). These are a little preview of the general kind of questions that will be asked when we're digging into character information we'd like to see provided!

One big thing we look for in applications is submissions that fulfil the guidelines we've set forth. A lot of times we'll receive submissions that in some way miss our guidelines (submissions for cats who already have clan names — all cats who join ThreeClans are introduced as loners / rogues / kittypets who join the clans or the Trove in roleplay, as opposed to the idea of them having been warriors who were supposedly "always there" and retconned into the timeline, submissions that vastly fall below our ideal length of a paragraph minimum, etc.) and are therefore automatically disqualified.

We also do ask for roleplayer information on our forms. Below is a preview of some of the questions we ask in that regard!

We request a roleplay sample as well to get an idea of your writing style, though you're free to provide whatever you'd like for this — fresh writing, something done just for the application specifically, etc.

With regards to opening specifics, a lot of character customization and making them "fit" with an opening comes down to information that is provided during the promotion of an opening. After all, you can make a character work with just about any kind of lore or group if you really want to, but we will provide more information on just where your character will be coming from so that you know what sort of surrounding companions they might be associated with prior to joining the group, what sort of culture might have informed their upbringing should they be established as a solid part of their loner group, and things such as this! For example, in our last Trove opening, the loner group that became a part of their ranks was known as The Hunters and had customs that allowed them to "hunt" and communicate with ghosts or spirits. This came with specific rituals and lore documents, so any cat well established in the Hunters would be able to incorporate these elements into their backstory via application for a more established feeling if so desired!

The Trove itself is a unique group within ThreeClans that has customs that vary from a clan. Its ranking system follows the four seasons, with the season a cat is born during establishing the role they will play within the Trove. It also comes with its own unique naming system in which two part names are utilized and specific suffixes are kept limited to specific seasons — more information on the Trove can be found linked in our Carrd by following links regarding the Trove itself, but when the time comes, we'll be sure to dive into deeper details on the blog here too so everyone knows just what guidelines to follow regarding their rules and regulations.

This ended up a bit long, so apologies if I went overboard! If you have any more specific questions, I would be happy to answer them. <3

Mod Maya

[ask-that-weird-dog]

THE ARCHIVE:

??? // INTRO // 1 // TO BE CONTINUED...

THE (DOG) HOUSE RULES!

Read the following before you ask...

and don't make me tap the sign!

* no NSFW! this blog is intended to be 13+ so please don't send anything sexually explicit or excessively gory, thank you!

* please be patient! I draw all the responses, and that can take some time. I also may hold onto some asks for future pieces, too.

* the Kris of this blog goes by they/them only! please do not misgender them in asks or they will be eaten... I mean deleted.

* interactions with other ask blogs are perfectly welcome and encouraged! I'm always happy to meet another kindred spirit.

* this isn't a roleplay blog! I won't be doing threads here, just silly one-off doodles. I will, however, be making an ask-driven comic!

* treat the mod with respect! please don't come here stirring up drama or sending hate/harassment etc. you get the idea.

* the mod is an adult! please remember this when interacting.

EXTRA ASK INFO AND FAQ BELOW:

Please do:

* send asks directed to Kris! they can hear your text as a disembodied voice and will respond to you accordingly.

* offer Kris objects, either by text or as a submitted picture! accepted items will be added to their inventory.

* use asks to suggest ideas to Kris! if you want them to actually do it though, you'll have to be convincing!

* interact with Kris directly, to a degree! any physical contact will be experienced as a 'hand' that only they can see.

* send IC asks from other character blogs! they're just for fun and games though, and may not be considered canon.

* send asks to the mod if you have questions or concerns! I'll happily tag triggers, explain bits of the AU, or clarify rules as needed.

* send joke m!as for special events! I may be selective on them though, and they likely won't be canon to the main story here.

* tag this blog in any posts you'd like me to see! I'll happily check out anything you'd like to send my way, within reason.

Please do not:

* send asks to characters other than Kris! they can't hear you; if you want to send a message, you'll need to convince Kris to do it for you.

* send asks that alter their world, or force Kris or other characters to do something! you just don't have that much power in this world.

* send asks containing explicit 18+ language, slurs, gore, or sexual content. anything like that is getting deleted on sight, sorry folks.

* misgender Kris in asks; those are getting deleted too. also please don't interact IC if you're an RP/ask blog that genders the kids.

* try to rush the mod on replies. drawing takes time, and I might not get to every reply. you can ask off anon if it was deleted, though!

* send stuff unrelated to the AU to this blog. if you'd like to chatter about other stuff, I've got a main blog and I'd love to see you there!

* repost any of my art without permission! please ask before using my work elsewhere. reblogs, however, are always encouraged!

THE FAQ I'D HAVE IF THIS BLOG WASN'T LITERALLY BRAND NEW

Q: So, what AU is this for anyway? A: I've been calling it 'Deltarune Monsterswap,' mainly since there isn't already an AU named that as far as I can find, and it describes the concept fairly well! Basically; everyone who's a human is now a monster, and everyone who's a monster is now human. Think Overtale but for Deltarune, basically! There are some definite personality differences as a result, though Kris will be the most obvious upfront.

Q: What sort of monster is Kris? A: Kris is a monster based on el cadejo, a mythical dog spirit from Central America! Their dual nature of devil dog vs angel dog seemed like an interesting concept to work with, especially since I personally headcanon Kris to have some Central American ancestry and wanted to pick something local to the region. Plus, I dunno, they've always given me scruffy stray dog vibes. This kid absolutely eats food off the floor when nobody's looking and you can't tell me otherwise.

Q: My ask wasn't answered! What happened to it? A: If it didn't break any of the rules I've listed off and hasn't been answered yet, it's probably still in my inbox! I'm liable to hold onto asks that I find fun but haven't found a place for so that I can use them in the future, so don't give up hope. They still might appear in the future! I promise I appreciate every one, even if it can take me a bit to get some of them done.

Q: Can I ask about future events or for hints? A: You can try! If something is TOO spoilery I might keep my lips sealed, but I'm willing to give hints and ideas on occasion. If push comes to shove, the worst case scenario is me posting it with a little :)c to mildly menace you a bit. I mean hey, lots of 'Players' look up guides to find secrets, too. It's on theme.

Q: Will there be any ships involved? What ones? A: I'll be sticking to canon for the most part on these; characters that have crushes will still have them, but we're generally sticking to canon-compliant territory here and they won't be a major focus. The farthest I get out of the box is that the Kris of this blog BRIEFLY had a crush on Noelle when they were younger, but it went unnoticed and has long since faded. The most you'll really see of that is a bit of awkwardness on Kris's part. Noelle will still have a crush on Susie, but at least for now it's unrequited.

Q: So, who's the mod behind this thing anyway? A: I don't really talk about myself; I grew up in the era of 'don't share personal info online' and still kinda live by that in public! The most you'll get is: I go by Timey, use she/her pronouns, I'm 28, and my left thumb is hypermobile. That's about as personal as I get, sorry!

AND THAT'S IT! Thanks for reading, and here's hoping you'll enjoy bothering this ridiculous critter as much as I do.

[findroleplay]

Heyo! I usually do BTS roleplays but since I'm getting desperate for roleplays atm (my discord is getting so dry lmao), I'm willing to do a fandomless rp instead! Plus, I haven't done one in a while and I think it'll be fun!

I am seeking for a mxm roleplay in 3rd person point of view. I don't care if it's in present tense or past tense since I do both on my end. My writers usually consist of a couple (2-3) paragraphs but depending on the scene and my mood they can get pretty lengthy. While I do love, love, love longer replies on my partners end, that isn't a requirement. All I want is effort. Effort on your end can and will effect my writing skill. Therefore, when I receive a low-effort reply, that's what you'll be getting back.

Please be somewhat active as I lose interest the more I wait, no matter how good the plot is. However, I'm fairly patient and if something comes up just tell me and I'll be understanding! I also know that there is a life outside of rp and it can get pretty busy at times. All I'm asking is to get a heads-up when you won't be active and I'll do the same. 🤞

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I think that's everything I needed to go over so now we can get to the fun stuff!

I do pretty much every plot out there and will be down for trying anything new I haven't done! I love doing fluff, angst/drama (especially this), slice of life, and fantasy. I don't usually include smut into my rps but if it's a must for you, I wont mind.

I actually already have a plot in mind I've been craving to do. It's based off a story I'm currently reading and I'm loving it so much that I need to recreate it! It is based off a high-school roleplay which means the characters are intended to be under 18, but if you're uncomfortable with that just lmk and we can figure something out like having it as a college setting instead :) anyway I'll shut up nowbfjdjdjdjdj

Muse A is the male lead actor in this year's Fall theatre production. This is his senior year and is still unsure of what to do after High school. For now, he just focuses on his present, the future will come tomorrow, and tomorrow will come... well... tomorrow. Muse B is the school's quarterback. After transferring to Muse A's school, he quickly climbed the social ladder. Even though Muse B is high up in the food chain, he still keeps to himself and out of trouble. That is until trouble finds him. In a turn of events, Muse A gets dared by his arch nemesis to make Muse B fall in love with him and break his heart in order to be crowned as the best male actor in the group. Muse B is reluctant about Muse A at first, but he can improvise, and slowly gets Muse B to open up. Will Muse A be successful in completing his dare or will he begin to start catching real feelings for Muse B? Will Muse B find out that it was only a dare? Let's find out!!

And that's it! Thanks for reading my long ass post (if you're still here lol) and like this post and I'll reach out to you OR contact me at @angelicsunsets and I'll respond ASAP! ❤️

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