#still have a quite a bit to tweak with them yet but so far so good!

[talism4niac]

Giving Voltiac's model a little tlc starting with their textures. Switching to Substance Painter (left) from Blender's built-in texturing tools (right) and an additional year of practice sure does make a difference cause damn!

[sierrale8ne]

40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS CHAPTER SIX

thought i’d be lying if i said ‘i didn’t want you to myself.’ when you look me in my eyes and, tell me that it’s mine, i…

pairing wnba!paige bueckers x singer!oc

taglist @thaatdigitaldiary @ohbueckers @xxloveralways14 @patscorner @wbbgetsmewetter @rosemariiaa @tndaqlifwy @makethemhoesmad @authentic-girl03

warnings infidelity, some sexual content

kalena speakss 🪽! this is easily my favorite chapter so far (for reasons that will become obvious towards the end) don’t expect another back to back update bc it’s not happening 😭 maybe thursday or friday at the earliest, i still have priorities!

June 2025 — Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California 

“Paige, your shot wasn’t falling tonight like we are used to seeing from you. What was different tonight for you than either nights?”

It’s this that I’m not quite yet used to. The post lost pressers. It was different in college, where the team had way more wins for every one loss, but right now we’re at .500 and each time a loss follows a win and they ask me the same variation of the same question I get irritated.

But I’m media trained, which means I just answer the question no matter how dumb I feel it is. The real answer is that I played like shit tonight, forcing shots and getting into my head. Instead, I’m forced to say:

“We’re playing a team that has the reigning defensive player of the year and was just in the finals. It was gonna be a dog fight, for us to get settled against a defense like that, and they simply out performed us.” I look down at the stat sheet in front of me, I had 5 turnovers to my 4 assists, and I fucking hate turning the ball over. 

“Kayla McBride is a dog, she guarded me well tonight, forced me into some bad shots and got a few turnovers from me. But I gotta take all that and learn from it, it’s still too early in the season to stress out over things that are fixable.”

I'm the only one sitting at the podium tonight, Rickea and Dearica doing theirs together and Zia who had just gone before me. I knew what the gist of the questions would be, turnovers, defense, and the most gruesome: injuries.

“We saw you roll your ankle pretty bad tonight. Even though you finished the game, can you tell us a bit about the seriousness of it?” It’s a different reporter now, one that I recognize from our win the other night.

I shake my head. My ankle was fine up until he just mentioned it. Now, it stung bad. I had some extra tape around it, it was only sore, while I was sitting but walking and running full speed on the court made that shit hurt like no other. 

“It’s not serious.” I reply honestly. “We got two days off before the next game at home so I’m not worried. I’m gonna treat it like any other tweak and just follow what the trainers got for me, and hopefully we have a better night against Minnesota on Friday.”

It seems like that is a sufficient answer for the rest of the reporters in the room when I hear that wonderful “no more questions.” I stand up gingerly from my seat. They don’t miss my slight limp, but after a few steps the pain shakes off and it just feels uncomfortable. 

When I get back to the locker room it’s damn near empty except for Cameron and Rae. I give them both curt nods before heading over to my locker.

They don’t speak to me, which I’m silently grateful for because I might snap at them unintentionally. Losing is one thing, playing like dog shit is another, but my ankle really put the nail in the coffin.

I attempt to clean up my locker a bit, making life a little bit easier for the ladies who’re gonna come in and clean up when we leave. I throw my jersey and shorts in the growing pile of towels and warm ups and all other gear before reaching for my phone in the bag. 

just saw the injury on tv, pray it’s not too bad ❤️‍🩹

That’s the second most recent text in my phone, from about an hour ago from Maraye. It just briefly brings a smile to my face that I can’t even fight. It’s crazy to me that even when I’m at my grumpiest she finds a way to make me forget about it all.

I scroll through the rest of my notifications before tapping on her contact. I see that she texted me multiple times tonight throughout different parts of the game.

don’t fuck up my parlay tonight. jk good luck fav! 7:09pm

OKAY BLOCKKK GET UP THEN 7:20pm

omg the cross over??? don’t do her like that p 😮‍💨  8:03pm

I laugh fights through my lips, she told me in Atlanta she would start live texting me during games, I didn’t think she was serious. Nevertheless, I find it adorable. Maraye, throughout the busyness that is her schedule, turned on my game and watched the whole thing, keeping me posted on all her thoughts throughout the night.

I’m so beyond saving.

My thumb scrolls back down to the bottom of the thread. I can’t deny the way my heartbeat quickens in my chest at the choice of heart emoji. It’s not quite a red heart, but it’s enough to let me know she cares. I can’t believe that I’m sitting here like I’m in high school again, psycho analyzing her texts and gushing over them until my face is red.

“You headin’ out?” I look up and Cam is getting ready to leave. She’s going to be fully cleared to play this week, probably not playing with us until right before All-star. I’m excited for her, and I can tell that she is too because it’s practically beaming off of her.

I nod. “Yeah, inna minute. I’ll catch you in the morning.” Cameron takes that answer and walks out alongside Rae. I grab my back shortly after them, getting up and leaving the locker room. The arena is quiet, so is the parking garage as I make my way out there. The chirp of my car alerts me to it. I drop my bag in the trunk before sitting down in my seat.

The cushion practically eats me alive, I haven’t been this physically exhausted in months. 

Then I’m reminded that Maraye and I’d thread is still open on my phone. When I glance at the time I realize it’s not that late, I know that if I go home, I’ll just fall into the rabbit hole of watching film all night.

Instead I reach for the phone heavy in my sweatpants pocket. My thumbs begin typing away before sending Maraye a text back.

Nah it’s not all that bad 

You busy? Or can I slide?

I make sure my phone is connected to the speakers. When He’s Not There by Kehlani plays through the car while I get settled. Following that, I place my phone on its spot on the center console. It isn’t until Maraye’s name flashes on my carplay screen that I finally pull out of the parking garage.

yes please, come see meee

—

Paige sits comfortably to my left on my couch. Her leg propped on my coffee table with a bag of ice resting on her swollen ankle. 

It’s her first time at my apartment, but even then she navigates the place like she’s been here countless of times. It feels so similar to our friendship, just comfortable. 

Her arm is draped over my shoulder as I nestle into her side. When she first came over, I sat on the other side of the couch, so far away from her you would think we were fighting. And then she started talking, pulling me closer with her words until I sat right next to her. My body is leaning into her warmth.

An NBA finals game plays on the TV. Knicks versus the Thunder, it’s in the last few minutes of overtime, a high intensity game that Paige swore she couldn’t miss a second of.

“He’s so fine.” I chirp jokingly, Shai Gilgeous Alexander is on the screen, about to shoot game tying free throws.

Paige pulls her arm off of me, looking down at me incredulously before reaching for my remote. She lowers the volume on the TV, reducing Mike Breen’s commentating to a whisper.

“Who, Shai?”

“Yeah. You don’t think so?” I ask, looking up at her with a grin.

“I’m like a raging homosexual, but if you like it I love it?”

I laugh at that, pushing her hair away from my view. It cascades down her shoulders in soft bright strands that tickle my face. 

“You can never just laugh at my jokes.”

“Your jokes aren’t funny.” Paige says. The face she makes reacts to her own statement like it’s obvious, when we both know I could make her laugh until she cried if I wanted to. “And Shai isn’t your type.”

I move from my spot next to her, jumping up and turning my attention to her face, while hers are stuck to the game. The way she is seated briefly makes me forget my train of thought. Her legs are spread comfortably and she leans back on the couch with her arms against the back of the couch. She looks like a fuckboy, and in any other scenario I would make fun of her for it, but the TV glow shines on her face just right and her cologne in my nose nearly makes me go blind.

I cross my arms over my chest. “What’s my type then, Paige?”

A commercial cuts on and Paige finally draws her eyes away from the screen. “What, Julian’s lightskin ass wasn’t the giveaway?” She laughs at her own joke, it’s stupid, but I love that laugh. So uniquely her. “Or y’want me to say you like six foot blonde girls.”

I roll my eyes, and when my vision clears up again, Paige is grinning at me.

“C’mon it was funny!”

“I don’t like women, idiot.”

“You like me.”

“I do not. I don’t even know why I let you hang out around me.” My body turns and my back hits the couch with a soft thud. Just to annoy her I sit further away from her body.

“Yeah okay, ma. You keep tellin’ yourself that.” Paige’s voice is low, a deep and raspy tone that I have never heard from her before. With Julian that had always been a given— he’s a man with a deep voice, that’s obvious. But when I hear it from Paige, I don’t know. It’s different.

My body just barely reacts to the pet name, but it’s there. The glob of saliva that pushes down my dry throat. And my legs just slightly press together. Paige reaches for the pocket of my striped shorts, tugging me back to my original spot in the curve of her body. 

“You’ve really never done anything with a girl before?”

“Paige—”

“No, not to be annoying. I’m just wondering.” She shrugs. Her hand reaches over to flick the bag of ice off her ankle and brings her leg down to my carpet. She looks down at me slowly, a lick of her lips and scan of my face lets me know she’s listening, waiting for my response.

I return her gaze. “Yes, I’ve really never done anything with a girl before.”

“Why? We’re much better. Better than whatever Julian is doing for you, I can tell you that much.” Paige’s voice is smug, teasing almost. I don’t know if she’s trying to rile me up between my legs or in my heart so I defend Julian. Either way it’s working, my heartbeat quickening in my chest.

“You seem sure about that.”

She nods. “I am. I think you forget how often you complain to me about that guy.” She says with a laugh.

The game in front of us is dying down, a three point lead for the Knicks with 40 seconds left in overtime, Oklahoma just now calling a timeout. I know she’s into the game, way more than me, but still she looks at me with an intensity that makes it feel like we’re the only two things in the world.

“Doesn’t mean a girl could do it better.”

Her eyes darted from my eyes to my lips, I’m expecting them to move. To look back at my eyes or even at the TV but she doesn’t. Just me.

“Y’believe that?” Paige asks me.

“Uh huh.” 

I’m going to lose. Whatever is going on with Paige and I, what has been going on for the last few weeks. The banter, the tension, the constant touching, it’s all a fight. Her and I are going back and forth like a fucking tennis match and she’s about to win. She’s about to make me lose whatever is left of my composure and grab the collar of her Hopkins High School t-shirt and kiss her until there’s no more breath in my lungs.

“Yeah? Ion know, can’t knock it till you try it.” She says, leaning into me for all of 5 milliseconds before sitting back in her seat and looking at the screen. The volume raises on my TV the cheers and commentary bouncing off the walls of my home.

Paige has left me frozen. Stuck there, in the exact position that she left me in. My eyes staring into the side of her perfect skin, burning holes there if I had the capability. I need her. My thighs are damn near glued together to keep me from dripping down my couch. 

I adjust my position some, sitting uncomfortably on my heels but with the way Paige is manspreading, it gives me just enough to be an inch taller than her. She looks at me, eyes trailing from my thighs past my covered stomach and chest, suddenly I’m hyper aware of how close my tits are from falling out of my Skims top.

“There some’ you wanna tell me, angel?” She asks. I hate the way that nickname makes me feel. She’s the only one that calls me that, the only one who makes me feel so small with just a single word. “Or you jus’ gonna keep lookin’ at me?”

The words just barely die in the air before I’m leaning into her, pressing my lips to hers. 

It starts off soft, so soft. Her body hesitates, like she knows better than to kiss me back but she does so anyway, tilting her head further and deepening the kiss. Paige hums against me, her arms still pressed against the back of the couch as if she has to avoid touching me. As if the second her hands touch my body then it’s game over. 

She bites my bottom lip, making me moan against her. I further into the kiss, cupping her cheek and then it really is game over. Paige reaches for my hips, lifting my body onto her lap and settling my thighs on the outside of hers.

Her tongue is entering my mouth, warm and tasting like candy. They’re clashing, messy and sticky and so damn hot. Now that I’ve gotten a taste of her I’m not sure I want to give it up. 

Paige roams my body with fervor. Trailing just a bit further to grab at my ass, kneading it in her large and veiny hands. I pull back from her breathlessly. Her hair is messy, lips so swollen and pink. It leaves me soaked as a response.

“This is doin’ so much damage. Y’know that?” She asks. Her hand travel back up my body to the back of my neck. I know it’s wrong, but still I let her pull me back into her. 

“Mmm, Ion wanna— stop.” I speak against her lips, letting her kiss me as she pleases. Grope me as she pleases. Talk to me as nasty as she wants to. I miss it, the feeling of being so vulgar with another person. Paige is on a different level and I want so much more. More of her, more than anyone has ever given me but for whatever reason I know that she can.

My phone starts ringing. I try to pull back to answer it but she pulls me right back, navigating my mouth with her tongue.

“Don’t.” She mumbles.

“I gotta.” I tell her pulling back with such force that I’m almost falling off the couch. I need to. Because if I don’t stop, I’m gonna let her see me in my most vulnerable state and even I know how wrong that would be. 

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, swiping to answer the call before I can even see who it is.

“Hello?” My voice is wheezy, and I’m huffing and puffing into the speaker.

“Hey, baby. You home?” 

It’s Julian. Of course it is. Of course God would let this man call me in the middle of making out with Paige just to make me feel guilty. Like the asshole I so obviously am right now.

“N— yeah. Yeah, but I’m busy. Sorry.” I stutter. “Paige is over right now.” I tell him honestly. But still, my breath hitches at my mention of her name. She rubs my thighs while I speak, looking at me like I’m a piece of meat. 

Her hand travels to her mouth, holding up one finger to her lips with a snide glare. I reach to slap her hand away, barely listening to what Julian says to me on the other line. 

Blah blah blah I miss you blah blah blah needa start hanging out with me blah blah less Paige. It’s gibberish. And I don't care.

“Yeah, okay. Goodnight Ju.” I tell him, bothered by his continued talking and wanting to occupy myself with something else. Namely, the pink lips in front of me that look so fucking pretty and the gorgeous face just inches away from mine.

I toss my phone on the couch after Julian responds and hangs up.

“You fuckin’ like me.”

“And don’t.” Just when I’m about to hop off of her lap, the TV blares loudly.

“Bang! Bang! Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes us into double overtime!” Mike Breen’s cheers echo into my ears. Paige looks past me, obviously upset that she missed the shot.

“Damn. He’s good and fine?”

“Dont get fucked up, Raye.”

[so-i-did-this-thing]

Hello! Sorry to hop in your inbox without introducing myself, but I was hoping you might have some ideas or suggestions for a question I’ve been having. Do you know of or have suggestions for vintage clothing for us trans men who are…well, vertically challenged? I’ve scoured most of your asks and your recommendations for vintage clothes and they’re wonderful, but it seems like most of them would swallow me up at 5’1”. And I’ve found some sites for more modern wear, but very little for vintage styles.

It feels like there’s only so much a tailor could do. Are there options out there, or should I be moving figuring out a sewing machine up my list of things to do?

Heya!

Thomas Farthing's "made to order" suits are the same price as what's in stock. It's still off-the-rack sizing, but they go as small as a 32S for the coat, 32R for the waistcoat, and 28/28 for the trousers.

I find their cut to be a middle slider between vintage and modern (trousers sit a bit too low, waistcoats are a bit too long, overall a bit more ease than I'd expect), so check the measurements and see if they work for you.

Another option is to aggressively hunt for true vintage. I see small sizes quite often, as teens would be wearing suits in many situations. Gem.app is a search engine that scours second-hand sites.

The vintage menswear group on facebook has folks selling both true and new vintage from time to time. The group also has custom tailors that specialize in vintage fashion that regularly post, and many of their prices are very reasonable.

New vintage is also very popular in the Asian markets, so of my recommendations, do always check the size tables. Sites like Bronson and Olderbest, I often have to go up 1 or even 2 sizes.

As for alterations, your trousers are likely the best bet for getting them to fit, assuming it's mainly the length you need tweaked. Changing the fit of a suit coat is difficult when you're slight -- if the shoulders don't already fit, don't bother. You have a little wriggle room with the length, but not too much because of the pocket balance. Sleeves will likely be the easiest to shorten, though those again can only go so far before buttons get thrown off. Beyond all that, another option is a tailor that caters to the queer community. There are several out there (whose bread and butter is wedding suits), but I can't personally vouch for any or confirm if they do vintage cuts -- I'm hoping perhaps some of my followers might.

Also -- I'm not sure if you're on T, but if you aren't yet and are planning to start soonish, I'd discourage getting any nice clothes for at least a year, maybe even a bit longer. I'm still slight, but some of my sizing changed drastically, especially in the neck (went from a 13" to nearly a 15" in dress shirts) and shoulders (I have been fitting 38R coats more often, when I used to be a solid 36R).

Good luck!

[flowerwiththemachinegun]

Regional Music?

Slight Vincent x Ancient!Reader with no established relationship, just interest on Vince’s part. It’s just a headcanon, not an actual fic here but I enjoyed writing it. No smut here. Literally. For once.

This was an idea I had been sitting on for quite some time but not something I was going to turn into a big thing. But the regional music has me in a chokehold and wouldn’t it be cool if one could hear the planet in a far different manner? Maybe an Ancient who hears/feels negative and positive shifts in an area through the music thrumming faintly in the back of their head? The volume and sensation of the beat under your feet increases in battle or any disruptions within the region around you. This of course means you have a limited range and the regional music never overlaps. It can be helped to guide you in the right direction, or on occasion into some of the most grueling battles that would’ve been better off being avoided. Heightened emotions can also have an effect. Reader has a fighting style similar to Tifa’s. Materia use won’t be traditional for you either. Let’s take from the FF8 draw and junction system and tweak it a bit (simplify the shit out of it) and Yes I’m going to be lazy about when reader joins the party because my creativity isn’t sparking for backstory. 

****

Vincent had been quite a bit intrigued by you since the moment you joined the party. At first he was skeptical, as most were. Upon hearing your need to seek out Hojo and wipe him from existence, Vincent’s mind changed. He still hadn’t disclosed the full history between himself and the madman, what he learned from you seemed just as bad. There was no way to put on a scale had it the worst from Hojo, anyone that came in contact with him suffered a similar fate. Your capabilities were proven to be of no use to Shinra. Once rendered useless, you were cast into the shadows, only being taken care of enough to keep you alive as one of Hojo’s playthings. The years spent in his lab was a period filled with torture.

You seemed to be more of a loner than himself, another thing that gravitated him to you. Often scouting regions on your own, disappearing without a word only to come back with materials or bruised and bloody. In time he became the sole person to take care of you in the case you came back injured. Vincent easily was your go to for this, the fussing others would do over you was off putting and at times annoying. Getting hurt came with the territory, shouldn’t be a big deal. Only once Vincent made the mistake of chiding you for going out on your own to get into who knows what, immediately silencing himself as he was met with a glare. You were too injury prone for his liking. Knowing you were too hard headed to listen to anyone's advice, Vincent began going on these outings with you, training you along the way to reduce your chances of getting hurt. You were a great fighter, but you fought with so much energy you were a threat to yourself.

Speaking of fighting. The way you moved was like a dance to Vincent. Graceful yet powerful, pure raw energy exuding from you that was so contagious it boosted Vincent in battle. To say he loved the way you had no problem getting in the face of your opponent was an understatement. At times he felt as though he lived for it, you moved to your own beat at all times. Mesmerizing in his eyes with the way your intensity and style would change every now and then. Notably when they reached different areas of Gaia. 

Eventually Vincent felt inclined to ask why your fighting style is never consistent for very long. He knew you were an Ancient from what you told him of your past, but he hadn’t considered that one would be in tune with the planet in a vastly different way. Not in the form of music. He almost thought you were teetering on delusional had it not made perfect sense when he thought about your mannerisms on the field. Your uncanny sense of forewarning saved them many times.

“Even the towns have songs. They go along with the history, flora, fauna, and current residents of the town. The songs are created from energy held within the lands from things that have happened over time.” Vincent could hear you talk about this for the rest of his life, or well, the rest of your life. Everything about you was different, even the way you used materia. Instead drawing the power from it, the magic channeled through your hand to the rest of your body. It also happened by accident, holding any materia caused it to fuse with you, like you were a blackhole for magic. You never know exactly where it gets stored, just that you’re able to summon it as needed. The amount of power drawn from various materia increases the level of damage or healing you’re capable of. While you can use magic at any given time, the less materia you’ve stripped, the less effective your magic would be. Drawing was a necessity for you in order to keep up any worthwhile capabilities. This doesn't translate onto Summon materia.

Vincent wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a horrifying warning, but the presence of Sephiroth evoked a nerve racking tune. One of the most complex you’ve heard thus far, the only sound that riddled you with fear. “That is not human, whatever he is supposed to be, is one that should not exist.” Being in the presence of the robed men sent, what you had dubbed the, One Winged Angel, spiraling in your mind. It was blaring, menacing, it was a warning that nothing other than pure destruction was imminent. No person came with a song, the exception being Sephiroth. What kind of energy could one possess to have such an imposing theme, one that would make the strongest of people coward. It riddled you with anxiety, more or less shaking you to the core. There was something else to it, pain. The pain was evident as the music boomed in your head. Always loud, intense, making you want nothing more than to shut out the entire world until you were the only one left. Remember, you can get a feel of Sephiroth’s history through his song, the longer you hear it, the more you understand him. He’s hurt by this world, leading Sephiroth the being the shell of himself he once was, becoming the tormentor to the world for treating him so cruelly. 

You were an enigma alright, somehow getting Vincent to understand the wonders of the planet through music he wasn’t capable of hearing himself. How was he to keep himself from falling in love with you?

[deuxadeux-if]

ahem

hi hi hi

i have been reworking the outline and whatnot as i mentioned i would hopefully do in time. my goal is tentatively to have the outline solidified with beat-by-beat details structured nicely by the end of July. so far it’s looking good on that front, but i’m not rushing it terribly as i’d rather begin an actual draft again once i feel very secure in the plotting/planning than begin drafting before i feel confident in the story as a whole.

i dont really have anything else to share at this time but just in case anyone was wondering yes i have picked this back up (albeit slowly) once more. i will be redoing the prologue and chapter 1 (which is unforch and tragic), not because i truly desire a rewrite—i actually am not terribly dissatisfied with what i’d had written at first, and if i had written those drafts in line with the new changes i’ve made to the outline and general structure of the story, i would certainly have kept it. however, i have elected to make big changes, which fall roughly into one of the following two categories.

i am going to be stricter with my word count goals, and limit it a good amount so the project doesn’t become unwieldy. the plan is to have a short prologue, 8 chapters (each averaging about 50,000 words, i THINK—but this may change a little, not super sure yet), and a short epilogue. branches will go wide at some points, but aside from the endings (which will, necessarily, be somewhere between moderately and very different from one another) the story will come together after major branching until the very end. that is to say, there will be plot points serving as “anchors”/bottlenecks to keep things moving relatively in the same direction, despite any flag- or stat-based variations that branch things out differently at times.

the nitty-gritty of Deux à Deux has changed quite a bit in the name of keeping a more precise/purposeful storyline AND more manageable variables on my end. characters, settings, PC (to some extent), ROs, and general plot stuff has been tweaked significantly. the new/different things are roughly as follows:

NEW & DIFFERENT THINGS...

Erin and Theo are no longer ROs (sorry—i love them too but it’s a necessary evil i fear)

PC is no longer a boxer. this is mostly because it just was another variable/personality thing that i didn’t really need to be there, and combat isn’t going to be as big of a Thing as i initially dreamed of

There are new people & figures in the world of Deux that matter. not much more to say about this for the moment, but this is mostly a vague stand-in explanation that will make more sense relatively early in the story

R Burns is now Ronnie Burns for all genders. Ronnie is still gender-selectable by player. only thing with the name is if they’re a woman in your playthrough then Ronnie is short for Veronica—otherwise it’s just Ronnie all around!

M Nguyen is now Minh Nguyen for all genders. same situation as with Ronnie. really this is just because i do not want to deal with the name coding variations. also i really like the names Ronnie and Minh and want to leave them for all genders AHA

The reason the Lyonses and PC initially get drawn together is going to be a little different. not too much for me to say here, because luckily for me i didn’t end up releasing ch. 1 before the hiatus the past few months, but basically PC will have more agency here. or like…PC will be a standalone person, and will not be inherently reliant on the Lyonses in the sort of pseudo-sugar-baby-but-not-quite kinda way it was initially planned to be

so…yes! things will be different to how i initially sort of expected, in terms of plot but also a little bit in terms of tone and theme. but i like it a lot, and i think it’s getting pretty decent. we shall see, but regardless i hope we all have a great time on the journey AHAH (and i think we will!!)

i’m super excited to start drafting again with a real real real plan for the story, i think it will give me a lot more confidence to like. write well! lol. also—the patreon will not be returning because i don’t think it’s necessary for this project. any random drabbles/POVs/other stuff will be posted for free on here or somewhere else tbd. but the actual game will be like…basically my only concern.

so yes. a new demo is TBD, but the project is on again for sure. in the meantime, if anyone wants to check out the pinterest and whatnot there is some new stuff on there (some VERY new stuff, i might add….like. VERY new. intriguing and unfamiliar people, places, and things. ahem.) the boards aren’t like 100% polished on there, but i’ve kept this in drafts for like ages now and it’s starting to make me antsy so idgaf i’m posting anyways

talk soon<3 ray

[zombeebunnie]

Trembling Essence Devlog 7:💙Going through the cabin routes!💙

Hellloo hello and welcome new followers, HAPPY SUMMER BREAK WOOHOOO!!! It's been a whole month so here's how things are going! :]

I'm getting better at balancing out the game and it's routing BUT, I can't progress too far into the "Morning and Afternoon routes" until I bring the "6" choices up to code! :D

I'll try and avoid as much spoilers as I possibly can. I talked about this a while back about how these choices would progress story-wise but I didn't talk about what happens when you do pick them.

Small cabin update!:

This is a small summary but my play tester recently played through the updated version of the cabin where I adjusted Noah's sprites, dialog, the player(Y/N)'s dialog, CG's, etc. Here's what was improved:

There was some dialog I had to go back and redo as it gave away potential spoilers too early. Certain scenes were adjusted due to comments in the past that expressed that Noah reactions towards the player(Y/N) gave off the impression that he's blushing/flustered a lot. These parts were actually suppose to represent the moment just being awkward. When my play tester went through the updated segments, it was mentioned that Noah's reactions and expressions towards the player(Y/N)/choices came off a little too cold which wasn't my intentions. :,[ I think when I originally updated all of this, I didn't have as many sprites of Noah around that time compared to now so I cleaned up the areas once more. Everything should be good now! :,]

"Talk to Noah.":

I wrote up a different way for the story to progress but it'll take time for me to get used to this change so it'll probably have several adjustments over time.

In the [Extended Demo], there's a brief time skip that leads to Noah being asleep before the player(Y/N) finally decides to confront him and I think the dialog after this was a bit longer too before you get the "To be continued" screen.

Parts of it extended from old code that lead to an extremely different situation compared to now. I removed a seperate choice where you could "opt" out of knocking on his door or not, this was more of a quality of life decision to progress the story along and to avoid a continuity issue I discovered when I was testing everything. I wanted to be careful on file size/optimization and I originally thought about re-using a previous CG but I figured out better ways to save on space! I also came across a bizarre bug that caused one of Noah's sprites to disappear throughout the game. I somehow managed to fix it however.. I don't know what I did?? :,D Playtester's advice: So in really good news my play tester was able to play some of this and gave some pointers on what could be fixed for the progression of the story. Outside of a few grammar issues, etc. It looks as though its good to go! Other than that I can happily say that this choice now progress and no longer has a "To be continued." end screen! :,,]

"Go outside":

I was only able to tweak this choice a bit so I can't really give any details on what all was fixed just yet!

"Look around.":

I can't really give any details on what all was fixed just yet but I can say that I have some cool concepts planned in the future! :,]

"Sneak into Noah's room.":

I did go through and adjust this choice quite a lot. I was going through and balancing the variables and I'm not 100% sure if this is in the [Extended Demo] or not but the player(Y/N) actually loses so much closeness with Noah that If you 'made the wrong choice' once, you'd get auto-routed into a bad ending which wasn't suppose to happen. It's been fixed but I still need to do some more testing.

Another major change is this scene. Midway through December 2024 up until the start of March of this year, I went through the afternoon route and made adjustments to the choices, story-building, and overall pacing of the route to make the closeness build-up feel more rewarding given that I'm aiming for more of a slow-burn. Everything was about 95% done but I now have to go back and make sure that everything progresses correctly now that new content has been added that might conflict with this choice and it's progression into the story. I can't say much else because of spoilers but my play testers really liked it! :,]

"Continue to wait.":

In good news I have plans on how this choice progresses the story however, I can't really give any details just because I haven't gotten to it yet. :,]

"Go to sleep.":

In the [Extended Demo], the player(Y/N) finally decides to actually listen to Noah's advice and go to sleep which would then lead to the "To be continued" screen.

Due to spoilers I can't say what happens now but I do like the new outcome a lot more. :,P Playtester's advice: My play tester was able to play some of this and gave some pointers on what could be fixed but Other than that I can happily say that this choice now progress and no longer has a "To be continued." end screen! :,,]

A lot more has been completed behind the scenes but I think this game development post is long enough so I'll save it for later! I am happy that I'm getting closer to updating the [Extended demo]!! >:,]

If you like what I create, please consider supporting what I do on kofi [Here]! All donations and tips help tremendously while I continue to work on the game. Since the battery to my computer still dead I might open up chibi commissions through here BUT i need time to figure it out. Thank you to those that optionally bought the [Extended Demo] on itch.io. :,]

Q&A / Ask box is open:

Thank you to everyone that recently sent in asks! I see them and at some point I will respond, I appreciate the small influx of interest! :,D

To know and understand Noah through Asks and random posts about lore, they'll be under #Get to know: Noah ! :]

**Some asks won't be answered if it contains spoilers but I do appreciate what I receive. :]

If you have any questions about Trembling Essence/Noah feel free to ask here or on itch.io please. This makes it easier for me to see and answer accordingly! I enjoy hearing from you guys!

Thank you to everyone's continued support, especially those that have been here since the beginning, I appreciate it!! :,]

[rustedleopard]

What's your thought of The Last Amalgamate finale part by VyletBunni in general?

I thought it was sweet. It's nice to see people in fandom put so much effort into making projects like this; I have nothing but respect for the creator for putting so much effort into creating a multi-part fan animation, especially one that was packed full of love for the Undertale fan game fandom (while I haven't played it yet, I did recognize some of the TS!Underswap characters that were in there).

There were a few things that made me go "Hm, I don't quite agree with this characterization" or "I would tweak this a bit," but there wasn't anything egregious. I especially like that this animation showed that Ceroba's love for Kanako far outweighed any grudge or hatred she had for Alphys; Ceroba may not like the Royals but at the end of the day, she isn't going to let that disdain rule her. She wants her daughter alive more than she wants to yell at Alphys about making her an Amalgamate (a pattern that was carried out by all the other Amalgamate families. None of them seemed mad at Alphys for making the Amalgamates; in fact, they seemed pretty grateful to have their family back, even if they were a bit... Melty and fused together with other monsters). So, yeah. Happy ending for everyone (including Clover)!

Unfortunately, because I am not fond of Amalgamate Kanako designs/interpretations that have her just be melty but she's still mostly intact and herself (or it's just her and Integrity and it doesn't have her fused with other monsters), my opinion was always gonna be ambivalent at best. At the end of the day, you can't win everyone over 🤷

[not-kamenx]

Beyblade X Episode 49: Something Xtraordinary I CANT DO THIS WJATG TJEGRHRVWJEHEG CRH RTHEIS EPEJSODEE

I screamed fifteen times throughout this entire episode CHROME FUCKING RYUGU YOU CANNOT BE SHITTING ME RIGHT NOW CHROME WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IM GONNA CRY? IM GONNA QUIT BLADING? IM GONNA???? WHAT WAS THIS? WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THIS????

I. I have no words. And their battle isn’t even over yet. THERES ANOTHER FREAKING PART THE NEXT EPISODE AND THE PREVIEW AND THE TALKINF IM TWEAKING IM TWEAKING OKAY I need to actually talk about the episode BUT OH MY GOSH I ACTUALLY FREAKED OUT

So. Before the intro, we have a simple recap about how Sigrid won the battle, how Multi was sorry she lost, and all that stuff. Okay I know nothing new happens here, but I find it interesting that they placed emphasis on the part where Robin said “the three of us together make up Persona, right?” All three of them. Jaxon, Bird, and Multi. They’re all supposed to belong there. And it got me thinking for a moment about the similarities and differences between them all and how it truly is extraordinary how they managed to get together.

All three members came from previous teams. Jaxon from Pendragon, Robin from Albatross, and Multi from Rainbow. Then I thought of how they all joined. Jaxon battled Chrome once more (I don’t know if he lost, purposefully, or if he just left after winning when he won because of Chrome’s confusing dialogue in Episode 5) before running off to the amateur arena. Robin lost to Takumi, and eventually was found by Jaxon to form the team. Multi lost to Jaxon and joined Team Persona that way. Then I thought more about how far they’ve come and what pushed them.

Robin was abandoned by his teammates. Multi was abandoned by her sister. But Jaxon? He was the one who abandoned Chrome.

So I really wondered about them. They all belong to Persona, aren’t they supposed to? But what about Jaxon? Does he belong or does he just stay there because he wants to?

ANYWAYS WE CUT OFF TO THE INTRO (STICKS AND STONES WILL NEVER BREAK THESE BONESSSSS— oh, but apparently this episode can)

After Multi wipes away her tears and composes herself, she just speaks her mind and says she’s still worried, especially about Robin (no need to elaborate on that 😭 I’m sorry baby bird your losing streak is still very much present). Robin says to not worry and that he’ll figure something out. Reassuring? Not especially. I agree with Multi. Figuring something out JUST THEN at a title match is a bit of a risky move. I mean, if you got plot armor or you’re overpowered, you could pull it off but this anime has made it clear Robin has neither of those. WE STILL LOVE HIM THOUGH, YOU GO BABY BIRD!!!

then I was waiting patiently for the next matchup. Robin says he’ll probably go next. I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE CASE TOO. I thought the Robin vs Ciel match was gonna happen BEFORE Chrome vs Jaxon. Why? Because I just had a little tiny hope we’d get Robin to be able to snag a win for himself and y’know, save the day, kinda. And the fact while Ciel is talking to Sigrid (who’s warning him to not take Persona lightly), he seems pretty confident he’s gonna go up next. I mean, Ciel literally said last episode at the VERYYYYY end of the video “It’s my turn now, right? I’ll make them understand the power of Pendragon.” SO I WAS ASSUMING but my bad on that part. He also sounds so determined, and somewhat angry.

as I was saying, Ciel was GONNA go, going on a whole rant about how he’ll make sure Chrome understands he’s more fit to be in Pendragon more than anyone else. Makes me wanna bawl my eyes out, Ciel is still chasing for the approval of someone whose eyes are only on the original mask. BUT THEN, green highlighter over here FINALLY decides to get up and stop silently tweaking, and says “I’m going up 🙂🫱” BEFORE WALKING OFF AND IGNORING CIEL COMPLETELY WHO HAD A GENUINE GOOD POINT. WHY IS HE GOING RIGHT NOW??? Is it because he can’t control the urge to go fight Jaxon anymore? Or is it because he knows that Ciel could possibly defeat Robin and not give him a chance to battle Jaxon?

Honestly, poor Ciel, imagine thinking you’re finally getting your turn to finish Persona off and show you’re worthy of your spot and not just someone who needs to fill in the shoes of another before the person you’re showing off to is like “no!” then walks away

anyways, then Sigrid said Chrome didn’t hear him, and that he’s thinking about something else. My guy needs to tune back into the present, because if bro can’t hear his teammate shouting directly into his ear, he needs a checkup. Maybe Chrome got his air pods in /j No but for real, owie, even I heard Ciel yell, the hell is Chrome thinking to be in la la land?

Then Sigrid says “He just… can’t help himself.”

HE CAN’T? HOW BADLY IS THIS AFFECTING HIM? HOW MUCH FARTHER ARE WE GOING THAT CHROME IS NO LONGER RESPONDING TO HIS SURROUNDINGS OR ANYTHING THAT DOESN’T RELATE TO JAXON? How much worse, like, how worse can we get from what we’ve already seen??? CHROME RYUGU EXCUSE ME?

Right after Sigrid says that a dark purple-ish aura surrounds Chrome, and broski cranks his eye in the direction of Team Persona. But get this: look at where HE’S looking. At first, it seems like Chrome is looking at both Robin and Multi, and you don’t get much of a chance to see before he spots Jaxon. But the way his eyes moved, made me think of multiple different things. One that I’ll save like for a few paragraphs after this one.

The camera goes by quickly so I thought he was glancing at both Multi and Robin. But then I went back, and realized Chrome completely skipped over Multi, and his eyes went in Robin’s direction, before going over to Jaxon with this terrifying menacing look, as if Jaxon betrayed him 😭

Okay so, first, I thought: “Might Chrome finally be seeing things and realizing he’s not the only one close to Jaxon and who could possibly share a bond with him?” After all, Robin was the first person he battled as Blader Y, and it doesn’t take a genius to see that Jaxon’s rather clingy towards Robin. THEN, I THOUGHT: “wait, after his eyes went in Robin’s direction they slightly go a little to the right, then up” WHICH GOT ME THINKING, WAS HE JUST TRYING TO SPOT WHERE JAXON WAS? After all, Jaxon is usually either besides Robin, or in between Robin and Multi.

anyways, Chrome’s stare gets way too intense

But the viewer and Robin can see some sort of figure besides Chrome. Robin even rubbed his eyes, confused what the hell it was. And at this point, I didn’t even have to think twice before knowing who that figure was, or assuming who it was. That’s “X”. Or, the “X” that’s supposed to be, Jaxon Cross. I mean, it’s gotta be.

Multi then looks over at Robin like “bitch you’re not seriously thinking anymore about going up next, you wanna fight THAT? we gotta support our ace” and Robin is just like “we can believe… in our teammate.”

:( the way he paused for a moment also made me think. Is that just because of how scary Chrome is? Or is it because he’s hesitant to say teammate? Is he realizing he really has no idea how the heck Jaxon can face someone as terrifying as that, and how Jaxon and Chrome used to be former teammates?

Jaxon is them like “THIS IS THE MOMENT IVE BEEN WAITING FOR” and gets one hell of an epic intro. THE MYSTERIOUS BLADER WHO ARRIVED AT XENON CITY AND ROSE WITH HIS TEAM, UNDEFEATED WITH XTREME DASH AFTER XTREME DASH, IDENTITY NON IMPORTANT AFTER HE’S PROVEN HIS STRENGTH, IT’S THE ONE WHO WILL SHOW YOU SOMETHING XTRAORDINARY, BLADER X!!!!

then the theme gets menacing as Chrome gets introduced.

Number Zero says “the ability to overwhelm others…” then a few seconds afterwards, we see this

The dragon keychain that was given to him by Jaxon. The only Blader that Chrome wasn’t able to, or couldn’t overwhelm. That keychain, a part of Chrome’s appearance and identity now, then becomes blurry, the rest of Chrome now sharp and visible, before the screen goes black momentarily. It’s so… ominous? As if that keychain wasn’t as important anymore? Or maybe it is, and it’s meaning is saved for later?

ANYWAYS CHROME GETS THE REST OF HIS INTRO. But what I found weird and intriguing while it played out was that we didn’t see Chrome’s interview up and close like we did with Jaxon’s. It’s only being displayed. It’s far away. It’s supposed to be that way though, if you think about it. Anyone who doesn’t know Chrome personally just sees him on a screen, and while he’s close and shows no flaws, he’s still far away. Even while in person, he’s all the way down in the stadium, separated from anyone else but those who face him. Even his opponents are far away from him too, the stadium displaying how far out of reach Chrome’s power and alleged nobility is.

But, it’s not supposed to be this way, as a viewer.

Chrome has distanced himself from everyone. He thinks he’s become one with “X”, and that Jaxon Cross is with him, but really, they’ve just gotten separated even further. Nobody knows Chrome now, not even the viewer. Jaxon even said this Chrome is different from the Chrome he knew in some way.

ANYWAYS HAHA TEAM PENDRAGON’S CHROME RYUGUUUUUUUUU im terrified.

Chrome and Jaxon walk up to each other and Chrome’s stare got even possibly worse. All the teams noticed. Jian was like D:, Blaze was… Blaze, Packun was like “REX YOU WANTED TO CHALLENGE THIS???”, and even Myoden was like “oh damn”

Multi told Robin to get a grip, who just could look at Chrome for the life of them and hoped Jaxon would be careful out there.

Well, the good news is that, he didn’t need to worry.

BECAUSE JAXON CANNOT READ A ROOM IF HIS LIFE DEPENDED ON IT.

“CHROMEEEE!!! Man it’s been ages!!!” 😭 WHY IS HE SO SILLY? JAXON CROSS, YOU ARE SO SILLY, YOU ARE A SILLY GOOSE. He’s being all dramatic, talking about how his hard work finally paid off and could not stand still. I mean, again, he’s been waiting for a while to do this. Actually, they climbed the X pretty quickly but for Jaxon’s standards it’s probably too slow.

Jaxon just goes on and on, and he even gets close to Chrome at one point, but Chrome just looks ahead, like he’s not even acknowledging Jaxon. Strange, isn’t it? You’d think after all that Chrome’s been doing and thinking, he’d at least be a tiny bit happy to see Jaxon… right? if you said that… you’re absolutely fucking incorrect and so was I to think Chrome would at least even shake his hand afterwards but no, BRO JUST SAID START THE BATTLE AND WENT TO HIS SIDE.

Jaxon isn’t even fazed. He just drops his hand, and this is the only time we see through his mask this episode, and he’s smiling. Is he just trying to pretend everything’s okay? Does he have no time to process the flurry of emotions at seeing THIS Chrome? Or is he really just unbothered?

Jaxon uses Buster Dran, and Chrome used Cobalt Drake. Multi voiced my thoughts and thought there might’ve been a chance to see a mirror match, but as the battle starts, there’s clearly no chance :( rip mirror match chance, you would’ve been FIREEE 🔥

but before the match starts, Chrome says something weird. He says, “I chased after your shadow, the one that appears cast across that bey. But at this point I… no longer… need it.”

haha excuse me, WHAT? HELLO? What does he mean by need? And that bey? Does he mean Buster Dran, or does he mean the original bey, Sword Dran? Does Buster Dran represent the current Jaxon Cross and how Chrome still wanted him back before he decided to become one with “X”? The Jaxon Cross in the past? I??? Does Chrome no longer needs a shadow because he will be the one casting it as they’re one?

everyone waits in anticipation as the first match starts. The beys clash powerfully, and Chrome clearly holds up more well against Jaxon than other Bladers when Jaxon goes haywire. That is, until Jaxon does an Xtreme Dash, and Buster Dran gets a burst finish.

Robin celebrates but Multi and the others feel uneasy. As if something else is going to happen. Something… unexpected.

Number Zero attempts to tell Chrome to pick up his bey again, to start the battle, then BACKS UP EVEN THOUGH HE’S JUST A HOLOGRAM WHILE CHROME BASICALLY TELLS HIM TO SHUT UP.

Chrome then says that was the Blader he was in the past. Aka, that battle wasn’t him taking it seriously. Then my guy WHIPS OUT THE SPIRALING EYES and is like “IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT BLADER X?” Like he’s disappointed in Jaxon. As if Jaxon’s “best” is a poor attempt, and a burst finish wasn’t good enough.

…so. I thought we couldn’t go further. But no, WE SOMEHOW FUCKING DID? Chrome went on a rant, and this is the most chilling thing I’ve literally heard him say. “It’s not about Blading. It’s something that only you and I can weave together. Yes, and that is… existence itself.”

if someone told me months ago Chrome would say this I would’ve laughed in your face and told you you’re dead wrong. Now? Haha. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA CHROME RYUGU WHAT THE FUCK. The launcher even fell during that pause. Like this series wasn’t just about Beyblade anymore. It was also about a bond between two people that one person is so strongly obsessed with. Chrome? EXISTENCE? WHAT DO YOU MEAN??? “Only you and I can weave together” THIS ISNT THE ADVENTURES OF CHROME AND JAXON THIS INVOLVES OTHER CHARACTERS LAST TIME I CHECKED YOU WERENT THE PROTAGONIST? I’m in disbelief.

then he goes even further. “You are here and I am here. And it’s because you are here that I am here.”

I was right then. THAT DAMN THING IS JAXON, I FUCKING KNEW IT. AND APPARENTLY OTHERS CAN’T SEE IT BUT ROBIN CAN. Which only brings me back to another thought: can Robin see this… figure? of (Jaxon?) because he too shares a bond strong enough with Jaxon?

Chrome then said the circumstances changed. So it got me thinking back to his other quote about him being there because Jaxon is there. Now this figure, this “X”, it’s there because Chrome is there. Full circle, or well, triangle kinda.

then Chrome hit us with the knowledge that he got rid of their shared memories and his feelings 😭 “And so now, Blader X… I don’t need, someone like you anymore!”

what a strange thing to say. and what a strange way to refer to Jaxon. Yes they’re in public, but with the way Chrome is so obsessed with Jaxon, you would’ve thought he might’ve slipped the name. Perhaps subconsciously he still cares enough for Jaxon that he won’t let the identity slip?

or is it because he severed the connection between Blader X and Jaxon Cross in his mind?

Does Chrome still deny the reality that Jaxon left Pendragon? Is Blader X the present version and representation of the current Jaxon, the one who’s with Team Persona and serves an ugly reminder to Chrome that their “bond” was slowly breaking apart? Is that why the figure is still past Pendragon? Because that’s the only Jaxon that Chrome wants to see?

I have so many questions not enough fucking answers. And what’s this about not needing Blader X anymore? Jaxon never asked to be needed in the first place. He wanted to battle you again, Chrome. Is Chrome projecting his feelings? IM BURNING WITH CURIOSITY I NEED THE NEXT EPISODE BEFORE I BURST INTO TEARS. Taisho speaks up and is like “is that any way to treat your ex teammate???”

even the audience is confused.

Jaxon though?

my guy starts maniacally laughing and is like “ALL BECAUSE WE’RE ON RIVAL TEAMS NOW” and I’m confused and concerned. On one hand, THANK YOU JAXON FOR BREAKING THE TENSION I WANT TO FLIP A CHAIR Chrome’s mere existence is starting to send chills down my spine. On the other, ARE YOU AWARE THAT CHROME IS NOT PRETENDING AND THIS ISN’T FOR THEATRICS???

then if this couldn’t get crazier, CHROME YANKS SOMETHING OUT

might I add, it’s near his heart. HE WHIPS OUT A NEW BEY, COBALT DRAGOON, WHICH LOOKS LIKE A MIX BETWEEN COBALT DRAKE AND SWORD DRAN? I dunno, any bey experts please help out here. But again, this guy kept it near his heart. AND HE WHIPS OUT A LAUNCHER TOO. Hello? HELLO? When in the world and how in the world did Chrome make or acquire this?

As if things couldn’t get more crazy, the bey spins COUNTERCLOCKWISE. THEN CHROME SAYS “this is our bey!”

At first I was like “damn not another figure of Jaxon” THEN I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. In his time with Pendragon, Jaxon wore a long black t-shirt, but it never went up his neck. However, the current Jaxon wears something similar to the shirt shown here, because it goes up his neck. Is Chrome trying to like, somehow rope in the current Jaxon into his idea of them being one?

Cobalt Dragoon isn’t an easy bey to beat either, it seems like. Because it’s heavier and quicker, almost more than Buster Dran. Multi is freaking out on the sidelines because if they clash with powerful attacks, then this stadium boutta burst like a bey. SOMETHING IS GONNA HAPPEN AND IT WON’T BE GOOD.

we then see Chrome thinking back on the picture (sidelining Sigrid again CHROME IM GOING TO SHOVE YOU INTO A PILE OF MUD), and he specifically focuses on a few memories of Jaxon. May I remind you, this dude really did tell the truth and say he forgot the joyous times, BRO DID NOT REMEMBER THE TIME JAXON CALLED HIM OR WAS EATING SUSHI WITH HIM AND SIGRID OR WHEN HE CHECKED UP TO SEE IF JAXON’S STOMACH WAS DOING ALRIGHT.

Chrome only thinks of (or remembers): the time he first met Jaxon and Jaxon told him he was super strong, the time Jaxon lent him Sword Dran, and when Jaxon said he was gonna quit Team Pendragon.

😭 CHROME CHOSE LIKE TWO MEMORIES THAT MADE HIM HAPPY THEN ONE THAT MADE HIM LOSE IT, LIKE HE’S TRYNA THINK IT’S ALL JAXON’S FAULT KIND OF?

then once again, he says, “I don’t need you… anymore.”

“…Because you’re right here.”

I THREW MY PILLOW I SCREAMED I LOST IT I LOST IT CHROME WHAT IN THE NAME OF CHEESE WAFFLE SUSHI, HOW ARE YOU MANIFESTING THIS ARE YOU HALLUCINATING OR WHAT THE HELL IS THIS I CANNOT EXCUSE ME? ANKACQ W OF G C W K CAKWVW OH AGE OF ACA KG CAJWCWKAVWJWVWJDVEJWVEJSVW EOSHR TMY TBFKDBEIWGSJW SNAHSFHOFMENWYREUFUYFEBQHENEBEIS CYATXHCB YOTURNRHRQHETEJENEBI XTAYXBD YO E EHXIROENWVEUEYEIWVE TYIEUEBWHHEEN. I XATTXXH TTCDYEIWHEN IWHEOUBWHEN I XTACJ YOU CHROME RYUGU WHENEVJEIN CATCHC YOUYYYCHROME

ALL THE NEGATIVITY SWOOPED OUT AS THE BGM PLAYED HAPPY MUSIC LIKE? CHROME’S FACE IS SO RELAXED, AS IF THIS IS HIS TRUTH AND HIS REALITY AND HE’S AT PEACE WITH IT.

then the figure disappears into Chrome, merging with him as Chrome says they’re together.

Robin is terrified because he can SEE this figure too and I’m over here screaming in my room at like 8 PM

Then the music fucking takes a full 180° AND CHROME SCREAMS AT JAXON “AND AS ONE HAVE SURPASSED YOU. THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME FOR YOU TO SHOW ME YOUR X! OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER, OUR DESTINY, SHOW THEM— COBALT DRAGOON!”

first of all, AYYY everyone has their own X. Which also means, this is Chrome’s X. This is what he sees. Or rather, what he chooses to see. Which is SCARY BECAUSE WHY DOES HE THINK AND SEE LIKE THIS? Then he says OUR journey like it���s some property that belongs to both of them. “OUR DESTINY” HELLO?

so Chrome has officially lost it AND IM SUPPOSED TO STAY CALM WHILE HE GOES ON AND ON ABOUT HOW HE AND JAXON HAVE A DESTINY TOGETHER? ???????????????????

then both of the beys Xtreme Dash! The 4X system cannot take it, especially because Buster Dran is a clockwise spinning bey and Cobalt Dragoon is a counterclockwise spinning bey.

then, after the smoke clears…

…Buster Dran is left with a crack, in the shape of a Y.

I’m going to burst into tears.

DOES THIS CRACK WITH A Y MEAN THAT THEIR BOND IS FINALLY ABOUT TO BREAK, OR IS IT TO SHOW THAT JAXON IS GOING TO FINALLY UNDERSTAND THAT CHROME IS BEING DEAD SERIOUS?

you know, the Y makes me question something. Like Y sounds like why? And X is like the unknown answer. They go together kinda like a problem and a solution. Except Chrome is the problem and he don’t got a solution to fix him unless Jaxon manages to reach him 😭 GAHHHHHHH

And now the preview! I’m gonna pretend like I didn’t see the scenes because I need the suspense. But what I did take note of was Chrome talking to the figure. Or well, as I dubbed him, (Jaxon?)

Chrome: You and I can do it.

Jaxon?: Everything we did was for this moment.

Chrome: That’s right, we walked a perilous road all this time.

Jaxon?: I’m sure you can do it, Chrome!

Chrome: Thank you. You give me the courage to.

Jaxon?: Together, we are one…!

Jaxon: Uh Chrome, who are you talking to?

Chrome: Bring it on, Blader X! This is the end of the road. This is where X and I, have finally arrived! 

Notice how this Jaxon is very encouraging of Chrome, agrees with him and adds onto his statement, and speaks words that Jaxon probably would never say. Like the “Together we are one” line. WHEN WOULD JAXON EVER SAY THAT?

this Jaxon is a Jaxon that has everything Chrome wants, or needs. That’s why he doesn’t need Blader X anymore. He’s done chasing reality and is more comfortable staying with the illusions he’s made.

Chrome SNAP OUT OF IT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WHAT WAS THIS EPISODE OF MY GOD ITS NEARLY MIDNIGHT IM GONNA GET GROUNDED CHROME WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS EPISODE YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY BE WORSE NEXT EPISODE AND IF YOU ARE I WILL CRY

Also some added thoughts because sjsgsjdgshdb the figure only ever seems to be clear or appear when it’s either touching Chrome or supposed to be one with him. So it really is there because Chrome is here, but Chrome is also here because Jaxon is there…

GAHHHHHHHH and it’s like the touch of the figure calms down Chrome. He smiles when he feels the hand on his shoulder, and he’s so relaxed when X hugs him.

I need the next episode out already WAHHHHH

[lowandlonesomelow]

•south park headcanons•

(or, rather, me rambling about this character and not proofreading afterwards.)

estella havisham

same as always. character may be read as aged up due to topics / timeline and whatnot, but no explicit age mentioned and nothing mdni.

--depictions of this character may not be canon accurate or how others/media portrays them. it is merely how i saw this character in watching the show and/or how i personally interpret them.

{{--estella is a character based off of one from a book, not just southpark. however, i have not yet gotten around to reading said book. and until i end up reading great expectations, this is based off of what ive seen from the episode 'pip'. these may be edited/i might make a separate post with my corrected or tweaked headcanons as i read the book.}}

•as a child, she had a large dollhouse.

i personally see her as one to like order and tidiness in her home. due to the conditions ms havisham's home was in, she never got the cleanliness she wouldve liked. to her, her dollhouse was a home she could decorate and fix as she wished. i think she woudve had a few dolls to go along with it, and envy the fact they got to exist in a space as nice as her dollhouse, and estella got the home she had.

•not too rude.

alright. for this one i feel like its a bit odd and i really could see it either way, but every time i watch the pip episode i view estella as someone who truly is not as 'mean' as she lets off. i believe ms. havisham pushed that insulting, rude, heartbreaker personality on estella far too much. every time estella called pip a string of insults, she said it in a way i interpreted as a learned manner. as if it were just words she learned sound good together. i suppose it could also be seen as estella's insults being second nature to her, but i think there was no intent or meaning behind her words. just her trying to come off as mean. and, yes, i do think she is a mean person. i think her personality is naturally rude, but i do not think it is as rude as some media portrays her as. i dont think she would only say insults to people. i think she still would insult, yes, but i dont think she would yell insults at someone for saying hi to her. (i dont think she would be the most sociable person, so said person might get responded with dirty looks and bitter tone, but not full on insults just for walking up to her.) though, her rudeness is a major part of her character, and i am not taking it away from her. i like her because of how she acts in that episode.

•she was rude to pip in the episode as a way to defend him

in the pip episode where pip went to first meet ms havisham, estella calls him rude names all along the way to ms. havishams room. yet, i dont recall her insulting him as much as the episode progressed. i saw this as estella purposefully being as offputting as possible so pip would not want to stay for the job. i believe she thought that by being mean to him, he would not want to take the job. as, her 'anger' seems to have dissipated slightly as the episode progressed, i think she did not want pip to fall into ms havishams trap. i see estella as one to have hated the idea of the genesis device and the heartbreaking. in my mind she truly just wanted to be her own person.

•as a teenager, her room is filled with dolls, toys, &c.

i think, once she finally managed to escape from ms havisham, she would have toys. to live the childhood she may have wanted, but never got. she may not play with them, but i think she would have those antique porcelain dolls with the curled hair. the pretty ones. i think she would like pretty things, things similar to the dress she wore in the latter part of the movie. they help her 'heal' her inner child.

fin.

////thats all for this post. however, not all i have for this character. i just think ive written alot already and my hand is aching. though, within this and the last post, i may make the number four a reoccurring amount of 'headcanons' per post. {i quite like the number four, it is inbetween my two favorite numbers-2 and 8.} that is, if i continue to post and dont end up deleting these in a weeks time...

[odetoviscera]

I absolutely love your 3zun series!! I've reread it so many times. I'm excited for when you drop the final installation.

Hi! Wow, thank you, this is so nice to hear. I love when people let me know they reread, since I have no way to see that and it tells me people really are enjoying it enough to want to return to it.

I'm still working on the final fic! I had a bunch of things crash in my personal life, and this fic has been a beast all on its own-- lots of interwoven plots and characterization that needed to be desnarled and worked over. What I originally planned as about twenty chapters is now outlined at about forty (though of course it could still shrink again). I've got roughly a quarter of it written-- 30k words so far-- and I continue to pick away at it every day! I wish I could give you a timeline for when to expect it. All I can say right now is that it's in-progress and I'm excited about where it's going and what it's looking like. I hope you will be too!

... and if you want it, I'll give you a little taste. Spoilers below!

______________________________________________________________

The thing about keeping birds is that they want to be free.

Offer them all the safety and good food and clean water that you like. Pluck them straight from the jaws of foxes and shower them with beautiful things. It won’t matter a whit to the bird. Leave them alone, and they’ll dash themselves against the bars of the cage in screaming outrage. Give them companions of their own kind, and they will lash out at each other instead, pulling out feathers until they draw blood. They’ll drive themselves into mad frenzies, or huddle lifelessly in a corner, or starve themselves to death with food only a few paces away. They belong in skies, and it kills them to be caged. Their sweetness and song is a secret they keep, and trying to wrench it out of them will leave you with nothing but bloody fingers and broken feathers.

But you can woo a bird.

______________________________________________________________

“—just a few teeny tiny tweaks, I’m sure you’ll love it!”

“Of course, a-Sang,” Meng Yao says, with his soft amused smile.

Nie Huaisang extends a touch of qi to bring the wards down as he ushers Meng Yao into the pavilion, then lets them snap closed behind him like the jaws of a beautiful trap. Meng Yao’s shoulders shiver slightly, probably sensing the spiritual energy moving but not quite able to reconcile it without his memories of the way qi— his own, and others’— should feel. Before he can start dwelling on it, Nie Huaisang rushes forward, taking Meng Yao’s hand as he goes to lead him around.

Meng Yao reacts to everything Nie Huaisang shows him with mild approval and no real recognition— so about what Nie Huaisang had expected, although he still hopes that the feeling of familiarity will permeate— until they circle back to the main living space. Nie Huaisang had dragged San-ge through it quickly on the first pass, impatient to show him the little courtyard and all its delightful features, but this time he allows Meng Yao to pause and admire the fixtures. His new bamboo painting, made at Meng Yao’s request, hangs on the south wall. As he eyes it critically, wondering if perhaps he should have included another leaf to offset the balance of the composition a bit, Meng Yao’s hand tightens on his.

“Yao-ge?” he asks, but Meng Yao’s attention is fixed, and when Nie Huaisang follows his gaze it’s on the ancestor shrine, its door slightly ajar— he was a bit in a rush when he placed the tablet there, he must have neglected to close the cabinet properly. “Ah, that’s right! Yao-ge’s mother is here!”

A breath punches out of Meng Yao’s lungs as he takes a hesitant step closer to the shrine. Nie Huaisang, towed along by their joined hands, leans forward to open the cabinet door. Meng Shi’s wooden tablet rests alone on the shelves, an incense dish placed before it, though of course none is lit yet. The tablet itself is of poor quality— soft unvarnished wood that has clearly dried and cracked in changing climates, with the name carved simply and darkened with charcoal— the kind of thing a poor boy might be barely able to scrape together the money for. Jin Zixuan had sent it with a courier from Jinlintai a few days before, with the rest of Meng Yao’s meagre effects— a cream-coloured robe Nie Huaisang had perhaps vindictively burned, and the guan Nie Huaisang had given him.

Meng Yao traces his mother’s name with trembling fingers, but when Nie Huaisang glances sidelong at his face, there is for once a real smile there.

“Thank you, A-Sang,” he says, quiet. “For taking care of this one’s mother.”

______________________________________________________________

It is impossible, of course, for the bird to forget that it lives in a cage. It will never become blind to the bars; it will never stop yearning for the sky.

But this does not mean that it must be unhappy. And in happiness within the cage, the bird might find some kind of peace, Nie Huaisang imagines. Perhaps someday it even grows to fear the sky as much as its wings long to fly there again. There are so many dangerous things in the sky, after all— so many hawks, and storms, and clever traps.

Isn’t it so much safer, in the cage?

Isn’t it nice to stop struggling?

After all, the songs still sound sweet.

[pondering-my-rat]

Hey there, are you into games? Or being alone? Or maybe you're just bored? If you just let out an enthusiastic "Yes!!" and maybe clapped your hands a little, consider giving this post a quick read!

Right, this will be somewhat of an Introductory post, but I'll cut right to the chase- my name's Maple, and I make games. Not terribly great ones, although that might just be my perfectionism talking, as I often focus on the "wrong" things.

For me, a good game has always been more of a tool than a toy. Sure, I enjoy playing all kinds of games, but I strongly prefer it when this enjoyment comes from something ever so slightly deeper.

1. What will this Blog be about?

In short, I wish to present my game- it's mechanics and setting, as well as peeks into the process of making it, playing it, and perhaps even talking about other games like it. I'll do my best to post a few different posts in the next few days, just to show what I want this all to be about!

2. Right so, how is this game special?

Well, I have to confess- I made this game for me, and me alone. Despite having designed games for many different player counts, I always end up being practically the only one to play them. Perhaps besides my boyfriend, V.

So, the entire reason this project came to life was to quite simply be my one-stop dream game, one that I could tweak to have the exact elements I felt like enjoying in that moment. Since then, I decided there is no harm in sharing it with other people, and maaaaaaybe even taking their feedback, if it's very very good.

So, I will talk more about each of these and more in future posts, but for now, here's a few bullet points of "special stuff":

- Modularity, with a number of boardgame-like expansions to choose from in order to tailor it to your current wishes.

- Simplicity, as the only things you really need to play this are 6-sided dice and playing cards. Well, and paper. And a pencil... You get the gist. The base rules are extremely simple to grasp, yet still offering a lot of room for growth with subsequent expansions.

- No Commitment, as the system works just as well in a 15-minute session as a several-month-long campaign (or longer, probably! But I have yet to play it for longer than ~30h with the same character)

- Soft Dungeons, which is my term for a style of play where mapping isn't necessary. I do it some of the time, but if I don't have the energy to draw much, the game's still perfectly playable!

- Narrative Play, which might sound somewhat incompatible with other things I mentioned. I do assure you though, one of the (already finished) Expansions turns it into a full-on journaling game with no other mechanics necessary, and still compatible with every bit of rules I've written so far.

- Being Cool, since once I start posting some of my sessions here, you'll be able to keep up without a problem!

3. Final Words

Well, thanks for reading my first post! As mentioned before, I will be posting a lot more in the next week(s), as well as invading other blogs of similar topics.

EDIT: All posts can be seen under #skulltrove, see you there!

With that said, I hope you stick around, and I wish you a reaaaaally, really okay day. Like a really "fine" day. Nothing wrong, but probably nothing thrilling either? Just good enough so that you can't say 'Meh'.

- Maple <3

[creativity-deficient]

An essay on the Tweaks, how I view their relationship with their son, and what it means for their futures

Although I’m not the biggest fan of people who portray the Tweaks as loving parents, all things considered, I also don’t believe they are as evil and malicious as some make them out to be.

I have SUCH a love/hate relationship with those guys, and it’s because as shitty as they are, they’re also both WONDERFULLY complex characters who are just shrouded in mystery. They’ve been on the show for SO long and yet we know so little about them. To be fair, they could be interpreted in any way, as we don’t quite know their intentions, HOWEVER they do seem to love their son in a sense, so crummy as they may be, I do think that there’s a bit more to all of it.

Mr. Tweak is willing to do anything for his business, even at the expense of his morals. We see this exact plot in “Gnomes”, where he is willing to use small children as a manipulation tactic to get people to care about his business.

Tweek is going to inherit the shop one day, and Richard knows this. They BOTH know this. So he’s gotta prepare him in the exact same way HE was taught, to become ONE with Tweek Bros coffee and to ALWAYS put the business first, even if it’s not right. He loves Tweek in his own way, but ultimately he sees him as a business accessory first and a son second.

I’ve also mentioned in a previous post that I think Mr. Tweak sees a lot of his younger self in Tweek. It’s no secret that Mr. Tweak doesn’t seem to view his son very highly, referring to him as “nothing but a sp*z” so to speak, and if Tweek is going to take over the business one of these days, he needs to be sure of himself, not some “twitchy, tweaked out kid”. Richard knows this because HE was once like this. This was how HIS father raised him, and look how he turned out :)

Of course, by Tweek’s age, he was already had TWICE the work ethic, but no matter, just means he needs to push harder, right?

When Tweek turns 15, his father decides that he is finally old enough to learn the secret family recipe, as he and all the Tweak men before him did.

But it doesn’t go as expected, and Tweek has quite the opposite reaction that Richard hoped he would.

He feels appalled and betrayed, and why wouldn’t he? I mean his parents had both been drugging him his whole life, (as well as the whole town), essentially fucking him up for the foreseeable future. Even as an adult he still deals with twitches and tweaks. And they just expect him to be okay with it?? Tweek is a LOT more resilient than his predecessors, and he refuses to let this ruin his life.

But it’s not as easy as it looks. He’s been drinking his parents’ coffee for as long as he can remember, he doesn’t know how to be without it. He’s forced to spend a lot of high school in rehab, missing out on a lot of his teen years. Of course, Tweek has Craig by his side to make the process a lot easier, but it’s still a lot.

This definitely breaks the relationship he has with them, and Tweek finds that he can’t trust them any longer. Or course, his father just sees him as ungrateful. After all, he’s spent so long trying to shape him up into this hard working, young man, and THIS is the thanks he gets? Richard has always striked me as being someone who is nice until he’s no longer getting his way, and Tweek ultimately trying to break the cycle of abuse is exactly what hammers in the nail of their already strained relationship.

Mrs. Tweak is a different story. This isnt the first time she felt her husband has gone too far, we see her stand up for the kids in “gnomes”. I get the feeling that she’s always known what they were doing was wrong, yet she still went with it anyways. Why? Even she doesn’t know, in all honesty. Perhaps she had been manipulated into all of this as well, under the guise that it what was best, being brainwashed into this docile wife who just does as she’s told. Or perhaps it was always to her own accord, and she’s been in on it all along. We really don’t know enough to know for sure.

Her son refuses to talk to her, and she understands why. She’s always has wanted what was best for him, but they’ve gone too far, WAY too far, and things were never gonna be the same now.

But she hopes that, perhaps, with time, there will be some healing.

[breyito]

Fear your sins, not your monsters: Part Three: Paths Converging

Continuation of Day 1 and 2 of @painlandweek

Part 1 Part 2 Chapters: 3/5 Fandom: Dead Boy Detectives (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence Relationships: Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne/Charles Rowland, Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne & Charles Rowland, Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne & Crystal Palace Characters: Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne, Charles Rowland (DCU) Additional Tags: Protective Edwin Paine | Edwin PayneUnhinged Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne, Violence, Torture, Hurt Charles Rowland (DCU), Sickfic, love language: acts of service, painlandweek, BAMF Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne, Angst with a Happy Ending

Here on AO3

A/N: Hello! I'm so, so sorry about the delay! My ADHD has been kicking my ass for the last couple of weeks and istg i feel like i can't do anything. Anyways. I had to split this chapter in half, cause it was getting ridiculously long again, and I wasnt going to finish the rest of it today. (I have this new app on my phone that is voice-to-text and it changed my life! All the dialogues i keep forgetting bc of lack of energy to write i can just *dictate* and it feels so good lol. It also lenghtened this quite a bit, tho.) No moodboard for this one either, not yet. I'll try to make one tomorrow (or in a few hours, as it is, once again, 5am). No beta and English is not my native language, so any mistakes please point them out. I hope you enjoy this one! I'm very curious about what you'll think of this one ;P Oh, WARNING:This contains violence, threats of rape towards Charles and other children's souls, etc.

Part Three: Paths Converging

They headed back to the office. On the way, Crystal with her phone in her ear, Edwin had explained the general gist of things to her. Mainly that the other ghost hadn’t known the location of the lair of the witch, but had visited a few times. To allow him to travel there via mirror, she had given him a token attuned to him and his energy. They could use the token, but not to travel with it more than once; and definitely not to escape the place. (Not to mention that Crystal would have never let Edwin go on his own alone, without even the possibility of helping him. She was glad, still, that the ghost boy had not even suggested that.)

“So how can we use it?” she asked, looking right at him, as she plopped down on the couch. They were inside the office now and nosy taxi drivers couldn’t watch her suspiciously anymore. Also, she was exhausted and couldn’t bother with more acting for a couple of hours.

Edwin had gone straight to the massive pile of books on top of every single flat surface, including boxes full of files. He had looked at the books covering the desk for a full thirty seconds and then sent a wave of the black smoke at them, and they actually began moving on their own towards the floor. Crystal was…ignoring that for now, for the sake of her sanity. (How many things was she already ignoring?)

“I think I can combine a couple of rituals to create a sort of…tether, between Charles and myself.” he replied to her, as he removed his outer layers. “This would, basically, allow us to communicate with him and follow his energy to the place where the witch has absconded him.”

“Don’t tethers usually need something more physical to work?” she questioned, curious. At least that’s what the book she had been reading before their last case went wildly off course had said. Maybe the black smoke allowed him to tweak the limits?

“I have something more physical of his.” Edwin said, touching Charles’ necklace still around his neck. ”And for me, well, some blood or the ghost equivalent should work.”  His eyes showed his mind went far, far away for a couple of moments. She said nothing, remembering the sudden rush of cold, dark, wet she had felt the last time she touched it. Edwin eventually shook off the melancholy and straightened his posture.

“I will need to compile the different arrays and rites I need to build this ritual. It will take me at least a few hours, so I suggest you rest up.” 

“Are you sure I can’t help you…?” she asked, despite knowing he probably wouldn’t let her. Building rituals from scratch was a whole new area and she had exactly zero experience with that.

“Crystal.” He sighed, already spreading an alarming amount of books on the now clean desk. “I don’t mean to be rude, but unless you have a working knowledge of any of the Celtic languages, Aramaic, Latin or Fuþorc Runes I’ll ask you to keep out of it.”

“Okay, okay.” she rolled her eyes. Kicking her shoes off, she got comfortable on the couch and covered herself with the blanket.  “But wake me up if you need to leave, alright?” she mumbled, half asleep already. “I don’t wanna panic if you’re not there when I wake up…”

Several hours later, Edwin shook her awake. Still woozy from sleep, she understood he needed a specific kind of knife he didn’t have but knew where to get. And that he had to travel by mirror to the place. She mumbled her understanding to him, and he left. 

It was only when she was about to drop back into a deep sleep that her brain actually zoned in to the important part. She sat up on the couch so suddenly she felt dizzy.

“ Esther Finch’s fucking house!?” she yelled at the flat mirror, frustrated beyond belief. “Are you shitting me , Edwin!?” she cursed at the empty office. She creamed into the pillow a bit more, then got up. At least this should give her time to shower.

—-- —-- —--

—-- —-- —--

Edwin really doesn’t want to go back to Port Townsend. The place was bleak, damp and filled with memories of suffering. Whether it is mental, emotional or physical; he’d experienced more pain in that little town in a single month than in the rest of the world in the last fifteen years. 

But Charles was missing. Taken by another witch with a penchant for sick, twisted games and children’s pain. The ritual he came up with was novel and needed every single element to work. The dagger was fundamental. Edwin could not risk wasting more time looking for another knife with the same qualities when he already knew the location of one.

So he travelled to Port Townsend via mirror. He landed in Crystal’s old room above Jenny’s shop, and walked up to the house in a disguise. It was better than trying to travel directly inside Finch’s house, which surely had enchantments against ghosts using her mirrors that way.

As soon as his feet landed inside a ten metre radius, he could feel the repellent wards telling him to go away. This magic felt different than Finch’s. Probably the Cat King, then. Or maybe Tragic Mick? He ignored the compulsion, and kept walking up the path into the porch. 

He took off his glasses before reaching the stairs, and became his true self again. A loud caw immediately greeted him. He paused and looked back,  and saw Monty in his true form on a tree branch. The pause allowed the crow to land in the handrail of the porch, exuding an air of disapproval. Edwin sighed. 

“I need to get something from inside this house.” he said, focusing on one of the crows’ eyes. “I’m not going to-” he paused before he promised something he couldn’t keep. Because he couldn’t promise not to hurt someone with what he took from inside. “I’m going to get something from inside this house.” He said instead. “And you are not going to stop me.”

Monty lifted into the air, agitated, cowing. His wings produced so much wind that Edwin took a step back, but then straightened up and pulled his notebook and held it open with one hand.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Monty.” he stated. “But I will if you try to stop me.” His other hand opened and a bright orange flame erupted, tinged with wisps of black. An alarmed cry made Edwin feel like garbage, but he held the flame on his palm. In control, but ready to attack.

The crow flew off then, shrill caws on his way. Edwin took a deep breath and extinguished the fire, wiping his hand on his coat. He pocketed his notebook and climbed the stairs. Fortunately, he went in as easily as he had done for Becky.

By the time Edwin had found the dagger, and snatched a book that looked like it had been involved in the creation of the ghastly machine that so much pain it had caused him; it was already too late. He felt a pulse of energy from outside, and cursed under his breath. He could try to undo the spells on the mirrors of the house, but that would take too long. So he sighed and marched outside. 

“Edwin, Edwin, Edwin. You don't write, you don't call…” the Cat King said with a fake moue. Edwin looked up and saw Monty flying in circles above their heads. Little snitch , he thought, resentful.

“Cat King.” he said, nodding in respect, trying to walk around him. “I'm just leaving.” But diplomacy never worked on him. 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” The other man clicked his tongue, stepping in Edwin’s path. The ghost boy stopped where he was, not willing to get closer.

“What do you think you are doing, entering the house of the Wicked Witch of the West?” The shapeshifter asked, sauntering around him. He was wearing heeled boots, and it added a little height difference that irked Edwin.  

“I already have what I came here looking for. Now, if you please, I'm in a hurry.” Edwin tried to give another step, but the Cat King walked closer again, forcing him to step back. He was not putting himself in reach again. Monty cowed, flying faster, agitated.

“No. I don't think I please.” he tilted his head. “Knowledge like Esther's is dangerous. And I just can't let you leave with something dangerous.” The trickster’s tone was still playful, and it was grating on Edwin’s nerves.

“Knowledge is just knowledge.” the detective said, exasperated. “And I'm not asking you for permission.” he countered, snappish, head held high. “You're wasting my time .” The Cat King’s eyes shone.

“You should always have time for me, dear.” he said, smile cutting. “I can always just trap you here again, Edwin.” He offered, the smile still on.

“...And I can always start killing your subjects until you let me leave. But we are not doing that, are we, Thomas? ” he smirked back, biting. There was something cold in those green eyes that made the shifter want to shiver. The faint wisps of black coming up from the ground were certainly unnerving. Monty screeched in alarm and abruptly landed on a branch several metres down. 

“You know my name.” the Cat King realised, stepping back. 

“I do. I know a lot of things about you now.” the ghost added, taking a step forward. “You like to play games . But I already knew that, from last time.” Edwin took another step closer. “The difference is, Charles is not with me right now. And I don't have a lot of patience for games when he is in danger.” he snarled. 

“So that is why you're doing this? For him? You came all the way to America, to the house where you were tortured in, just for him ?” Thomas asked, indignant.

“I would do many more things for him.” Edwin stated, staring right into those yellow eyes, daring. The shifter scoffed, leaning closer, looking down at the ghost.

“Like threatening me?” The man asked, incredulous.

“I'm not threatening you. I'm warning you.” Edwin said, looking up, teeth bared. It looked more like a show of aggression from a cornered animal than a smile. “You're either on my side, or standing in my fucking way. And I'll get through anything standing in my way to get to him.” Their faces were only a few centimetres apart now, noses almost touching.

Thomas knew, in that moment, that Edwin was being completely honest. He seemed not to care a single bit what could happen to him as long as he could leave to go help his little friend. Nor what enemies he could leave behind. The Cat King felt a bit peeved about it, quite hot under the collar, and a lot jealous. That kind of loyalty to another person, to the point of detriment to yourself? He’d never felt it nor had he had it. It was alluring , damn it.   

“Deathly little thing, aren’t you?” he whispered to this mysterious boy, unwillingly feeling more attracted to him still. The tension between them finally broke when Edwin’s lips formed a teasing smile and his eyes softened a little.

“Only when I have to.” he whispered back, before breaking his gaze and pressing the faintest of kisses on Thomas’ jaw, surprising him. He then sidestepped him and walked out of the yard. 

By the time the Cat King turned around, Edwin was already jumping into a puddle, travelling to where he needed to be. Monty cowed twice and Thomas felt the hidden amusement.

“Oh, shut it, bird-boy. Like you didn’t defy your witch for him, even after he rejected you.” he snapped. 

—-- —-- —--

—-- —-- —--

Charles woke up all at once, gasping. He was sopping wet and chained to the ceiling. The metal of the chains was iron, and they were burning every part of his body that touched them. He was still only wearing his trousers, felt his extremities numb with cold and some of his curls had crusted over with ice.

When his eyes got used to the dim room, he could see it was the same basement he had been trapped in since the beginning. The only real difference was that he wasn’t alone this time. There was a woman on the corner, deep in the shadows. For what he could see, she was pretty fit. Charles might have looked twice if he had seen her on the street.  But with her wild blonde hair, tight red dress and tall boots; she looked like she was wearing a halloween costume that couldn’t decide if it was vampire or witch. A large white spider, with its eyes closed, peacefully placed inside her hair didn’t help matters. He had almost missed it.

“You’re finally awake!” she cheered, getting closer. “Now we can finally get started .” her grin was dangerous and the boy felt a shiver go down his spine.

Taking advantage of the fact that his feet barely touch the ground, she spun him around, making him lose balance. His knee buckled under him and his whole weight was left suspended from his shoulders until he managed to find his footing again. He was trembling even worse  after that, and tears of frustration began leaking from his eyes.

“Are you crying? How cute .” she cooed, grabbing his face and licking the trail the drop had left on his cheek. ”I’d give you a comfort kiss, but I don’t snog anyone that’s not my man.”

“You. Are. Crazy.” Charles said, leaning away from her. The spider opened its eyes and winked with half of them, waving two of its legs. The shivers got worse.

“Don’t be like that, poppet. Everything I’m doing is for love.”

“ Love ?” he repeated, sceptical. 

“Yes! I’m gonna get the love of my life back, and you’re gonna help me.”

“I don’t know anything about love potions or spells; we don’t mess with that shite.” Charles explained, weary. The witch snorted, the spider wiggled, like it was laughing too. (Was this her familiar? Did it share the same amount of sentience as Monty? Somehow, that thought was terrifying).

“Pffff, I don’t mean like that . My boo and I were tragically separated when he was killed by the police and then he got dragged to Hell! ” she huffed. “Like, what even? I just want him back .” 

Usually, Charles was willing to give everyone a chance to explain themselves. It’s not like the system was flawless. Good souls could be sent to Hell, like it had happened with Edwin. 

However, since he was still shivering from the literal torture this woman had put him through (torture she implied her ‘boo’ would enjoy); he would go out on a limb an bet the bloke completely deserved his tenure in Hell.

“And why was he killed by the police?” he asked anyway, already tired of dealing with this. The chat was a step up from the freezing water, but the talk itself so far was three steps down from the earlier solitude.

“Because his stupid best friend and he decided to rob a bank!” she exclaimed, clearly miffed. This time, when she grabbed him to spin him around, her nails left deep scratches, burning and bleeding. This bitch had iron in her nail polish, apparently. “They were caught doing that. I mean, you have to give it to the pigs. They really messed up on that one.”she laughed. “They were caught and got done in as fucking robbers. They didn't even search their flat! They just killed them and left them at the morgue.  They never found out that we were the ones dropping the mangled bodies everywhere.”

“You're sick.” Charles said, swallowing, as he found his rooting again. 

“Oh, baby, of course I am. Didn't I tell you already? I love making people break, playing with them.” She licked her lips, seductive. The ghost boy just felt nauseous. “What I love even more is watching my man do it for me. And that's why you're going to help me bring him back.”

“From Hell ?” He asked, incredulous. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn't help you. Edwin is the one with the knowledge of Hell and its paths, not me. You chose the wrong one of us to kidnap.”

“I don’t think I did. Word is, you are the one that I saved him from hell this time.” she smiled.  She put her extended arm on his shoulder and placed her weight on the claw-like nails sinking in the muscle there. He felt blood dripping down his back. The spider began walking down her shoulder and onto her arm. Leaning in until their faces almost touched, she looked him dead in the eyes, despite his efforts to keep the blasted thing in his line of sight. 

“I did, yeah.” He admitted. “But I had help. I had someone else, much more powerful than I or you ever could be. They opened a portal down to Hell and they kept it open until we got back. You can't do that.” He swallowed. “Can you?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking, now looking at the spider.

Cursing, she pushed him back and started roaming the room, hands wildly gesturing. The spider had quickly climbed up to her head again. Charles had lost his balance and was spinning again, but at least that beast was not near him. He took her cursing as a negative to his question. Charles wanted to believe this was good news (he dreaded the thought of that man anywhere but Hell), but you never knew how others were going to react when you didn’t give them the information they wanted. This woman? Completely bonkers. Hopefully she would just let him in here, until Edwin rescued him. Suddenly, she stopped in the middle of the basement.

“Hmm, maybe I can't open up a portal. But I can make a deal with a demon so that I can get into hell.” She was smiling again. “And you will help me find my way out.”

“A deal with a demon is a terrible idea. Besides, lady, even if I tell you all I know about hell, which I won’t do. The level Edwin was at? It was terrible, but it wasn't that deep. The level your boo must be in… it has to be one of the deepest and darkest ones, just based on what you describe me you two did, to people.”

“I can think of a few things I can offer the demon so that he helps me.” she countered, now pensive instead of agitated.

“Like what?”

“Like you, your soul. Essence, whatever. Or one of the others’.” Charles was almost afraid to ask.

“Others?”

“Oh, yeah. I've been collecting little souls as gifts for my boyfriend when he comes back. Since, you know, he won't be able to interact with the living now he is dead and will become a ghost.”

“... Little souls?” he asked again, disgusted. He tried leaning away, but she plunged her nails into his face to keep his eyes on her. 

“Yeah, the souls of little ones!” she smiled, and it was a terrible smile. A wild hunger seemed to seep from her feverish eyes. “He's not that much into kids. He prefers young people, teenagers, you know.” she winked at him, suggestive.

“So he's a paedophile, but not that much of a paedophile?” Charles mocked, deciding to ignore the implications. 

She let go of his face only to slap him hard, hard enough to leave deep gouges from the iron on the nails she wore.

“He hates that word!” she screamed, offended. “He just… really loves young people.” The sheer incredulity must have shown on his face, because she just continued. “Anyways, I was collecting these souls so he could play with them when he comes back, you know? I bet he will be in a foul mood, and I just thought 'well what better way to cheer him up than letting him blow off some steam on a couple souls he will find pleasing?’ ' I took great care in ensuring they were innocent, as well. The responses to all the pain and the bit of little pleasure here and there that we can teach them are always the best .” she sighed, dreamy. “And ghosts are so much more resilient! We can play with you and play with you and play with you until you break.” She said, eyes evaluating him up and down. “And then we can start all over again!” she laughed.

Charles puked all over the floor.

"You truly are," he said in disgusted awe " the most despicable person I've ever met. And a few months ago I was at the mercy of a witch that cannibalised little girls. "

“Oh, cannibalism.” she hummed. “That sounds fun, doesn’t it, Ari?” she cooed at her familiar, reaching for the thing. “You have to get me her number.” she said to him.

Charles spat at her. It barely touched her face before she shrieked and sent him crashing to the back of the room. The chains had fallen from the ceiling and onto his torso, burning him terribly.  

“And you need to learn some manners." She said as he screamed from the sudden agony. Then she turned her back on him and walked towards the door. "I guess I will just leave you to repeat the cycle until you have had enough."

Charles’ last coherent thought before he was dropped under the thick frozen layer of water of the lake instead of through the ice as always, was that Edwin and he would absolutely need to save those poor spirits.

—-- —-- —--

—-- —-- —--

“That took longer than you said it would.” Crystal said as soon as he stepped through the mirror into the office. “Did the house not let you in?” she asked, remembering how they had just phased through the walls last time.

“The house gave me no problem at all.” Edwin answered, placing the knife on the desk. “It was Monty, actually.” he explained, with a grimace. “I had an encounter with the Cat king,” Crystal’s eyebrow went up “but not much came out of it. He was very insistent about not letting any kind of knowledge leave that witch's house.” He took off his coat and his gloves and, uncharacteristically, threw them onto the couch. It was the only free surface, she supposed. “Which would normally be a good thing, but in these circumstances, I could not abide by it.”

“And did he give you any trouble?” she questioned, sceptical. 

“He tried to threaten me, so I just…threatened him back.” Edwin said, unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves, trying to play it off as unimpressive. Yeah, Crystal was not gonna let that one slide.

“ You threatened the Cat King?” she said, incredulous. “He left you trapped in Port Townsend for weeks!”

“Ah, but I didn't know anything about him back then.” He countered. “And I wasn't dabbling in anything more dangerous than usual. And perhaps the most important thing of all…” Edwin started, leafing through his notes.

“...It was you in danger, not Charles.” Crystal interrupted, finishing the idea.

“Exactly.” He said, pleased that she understood this about him by now.

As they began prepping the materials for this massive ritual, she managed to corroborate that it was far beyond anything they had shown her so far. The ritual seemed so complicated. Beyond the dagger that he had to pick up from the other side of the world, it required them to move every single piece of furniture against the walls, then grabbing the bathroom mirror for a later use. 

After that, they placed a bedsheet on the floor, drawing a big circle on it with black chalk, and drew a set of runes inside it, near the centre. Then Edwin grabbed Charles' backpack, and took out a bottle full of a viscous dark liquid. He then lit a dozen candles inside the marked circle, each one in its specific place. A wave of different smells assaulted Crystal’s nose. She supposed that ghosts weren’t bothered by it since they couldn't smell much. She tried very hard not to sneeze.

Edwin retrieved two different cups from a cupboard, one made from silver and one from crystal, and poured the liquid from the bottle inside the silver one. For the other, he took out Esther’s knife from his pocket and sliced his forearm with it. Blood tinted with ectoplasm began to pour inside the empty cup, and once it was three quarters full he removed the wound from it to avoid overspilling. He slid two fingers over the wound and the black smoke that was becoming familiar to Crystal ate up the blood and sealed the wound. Then, he reached for Charles' chain around his neck and took it off. Gently, he let it fall inside the cup that had his blood. He took a big piece of parchment paper, those old ones that you see only in movies, yellowed with age, thick, and coarse to the touch. 

With a grimace, he sank his fingers into the first cup. A low hum came from his throat, sounding almost like words but not really. He began writing symbols with the blood onto the parchment. With the other hand, he began tracing the same symbols again, on another blank sheet of parchment, on top of the first one. These symbols were mirrored, and written with his own blood from the second cup. Once he was done, a string of Latin came out of his lips, and the second set of symbols lifted up in the air, glowing golden light, and fused into the first set, on the first sheet of parchment. The other parchment disintegrated as soon as the last trace of blood left the paper. 

Edwin let out a breath Crystal hadn't noticed he was holding. Done, he took the parchment, and began ripping it in pieces, keeping each symbol inside its own square of paper, and placed the symbols inside the circle according to the instructions written down by his own hand. The bloody symbols then sank through the paper and sealed themselves to the linen fabric. Edwin waved his hand and all the blank pieces of paper flew from the array. Then he took the necklace from inside the second cup and put it into the first cup. 

He took the bathroom mirror, and placed it in the middle of the circle array spell, then took the necklace out of the cup and flicked it in the air where it remained still, frozen in place at about two metres high. The symbols on the bedsheet and the blood on the necklace pulsed with golden energy every couple of heartbeats.

“I need you,” he started to say, very clearly, “to not, for any reason, enter the circle.”

“All right” she said, heart beating like crazy. 

“Whatever I ask you to bring me, you will put it inside the circle without touching inside it.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.” Edwin repeated, breathing deep. He knelt beside the foggy mirror on the floor and began writing on it with his finger. At the same time, he spoke up, to keep her in the loop. “Charles? Are you there?”

Charles

are you there?

[thatsmzbitchtoyou]

Breaking the Class Ceiling Chapter 5

This is set in early 1900s U.S.A., during the Edwardian era with some style changes into the upcoming Art Nouveau period. I've changed history a bit for this. Pretending that America didn't have a full Civil War and trying to create a more optimistic outcome for the purposes of the story. I've also tried to research what the rules for society/socializing were back then, and tweaked some of them.

Warnings for upcoming chapters: minor character death, some sexual harassment/assault (but nothing too graphic or traumatic), smut

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He was on a train.  He’d never been on a full blown train before.  The trolley cars around New York, sure, but nothing as fast as this.  Bucky was one in a party of ten, five couples in all, traveling to St. Louis for a week at the World Fair.  He was literally being paid for his time, triple what he would normally make, which was a very strange arrangement, but you had made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.  Mr. Fury was upset but understanding when he quit as Bucky’s luck in life had drastically changed.  

Steve had come with Peggy Carter, the woman he was now engaged to.  You had thrown an engagement party in their honor the week before, crying for them as they recounted their love story.  Bucky loved how much you loved his friends and wanted the best for them.  He wasn’t sure when your time as a couple was yet for engagement, he hoped soon, but was worried about whether he should ask you or if you would ask him.  The ball was in your court, always had been, and it was something that he was still getting used to.  He couldn’t spoil you, spend lavishly on you, which you assured him was fine as long as he just accompanied you and made you happy in other ways.  He was so used to having to work for everything he had that any kind of gifts or inclusion into your daily life you provided him felt like he owed you something.  All he could give was his love and his mother’s ring, the most expensive and cherished thing he owned.  It wasn’t anything extravagant, but it was a beautiful older ring.  His father gave it to him weeks ago as your relationship progressed, and he brought it with him everywhere he went now, waiting to see if there was a right moment to ask you.  He wasn’t sure if he should talk to you about it first.  He’d never gotten this far into any courtship before.

He and the other men went to grab some lunches for everyone from one end of the dining car while you and the women talked on the other end.  

“So, when will you pop the question?” Peggy urged you, poking your shoulder.  “Or are you wanting him to do it?”

“I’m not sure, Peg, we haven’t talked about it,” you answered honestly.  “I have a sneaking suspicion he’s ready to ask but is looking for the right time.  I’m ready to ask him whenever, but I think he feels like he needs to ask me, since I asked him to court,” you said contemplating the relationship.

“You asked him to court you?” Wanda asked, her eyebrows shooting up her head.

“Yes, of course,” you said indignantly.  “I liked him from the moment I met him.  I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.  He makes me feel seen, heard, and understood.  He doesn’t expect me to be prim and proper at all times.  He…” you tapered off, watching him laugh at something one of the men said at the front of the car.  “He’s the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“And I’m sure it helps that he is one of the most handsome men in New York,” Maria added, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly.

You all laughed at that as the men came back with their hands full of food, looking at you all strangely.

The World Fair was a rounding success.  As tired as you all were from the constant walking and stuffing yourselves with fair food all week, the attractions had been amazing to see.  Bucky was particularly interested in the set about futuristic inventions and findings in space.  You made a mental note of that as he gazed at the replica of the known galaxy in the planetarium.

On the last night as you got dressed to meet everyone for dinner there was a knock on your door.  “Come in!” you invited them, slipping on your gloves.  Bucky walked through the door, his eyes glued to his cufflinks that he was struggling with. 

“Doll, could you help me with these blasted things?  I can’t seem to get it to connect and–” he stopped as he looked up at you.  You were wearing a long gold dress overlaid with a sheer black fabric skirt, a gold embroidery strip along the front and tassels along the skirt and the waist.  The neckline plunged down low on your chest, barely held up by metallic straps and sheer champagne colored, short, flowy sleeves.  A gold headpiece of flowers and leaves reached from one ear, around the back of your head to your other ear, with emeralds and small beaded dragonflies hanging into your hair which was pinned to your head in purposefully haphazard curls, some tendrils falling out methodically.  Your gloves were once again laced, this time black to match the black overlay skirt.  Your shoes were black velvet with embellished gold heels, reflecting the art nouveau theme with dragonfly accents again.  You held a black lace fan that was attached to your wrist with a ribbon.  You wore a little makeup to enhance your eyes and lips, a deep brownish black color making your eye color pop, and the dark rouge on your lips accentuating their shape.  Bucky could not seem to stop staring.  

“Love, you look…I have no words,” he was dumbfounded, his cufflinks long forgotten.  

“Do you like it?” you asked, giving him a spin, your dress flowing around you as you beamed at him.

“Yes, it’s so…you look like a goddess,” he complimented, “like the ones we saw at the exhibit about Ancient Greece.  Aphrodite personified, if she graced us with her divine.”

“Oh Bucky, stop it,” you blushed, “but thank you.  You look as handsome as always.” You gave him an appreciative look, walking up and taking his arm to fix his cufflinks.  He was wearing a black suit, a satin black waistcoat that had velvet pieces sewn into it that reflected the gold embroidery you wore, a white dress shirt and a wash style tie that was black and sheer to match you.  Near the knot of the tie was nestled a gold brooch with a futuristic pattern embossed in the metal surrounding a prominent emerald.  He slicked his longer hair back, the top curling as the humidity was higher in St. Louis than New York, giving her an unadulterated view of his eyes.  

“I seem to have my own Adonis,” you praised him, straightening his tie and brushing down the lapels of his suit for any flyaway strands or dust.  “His own beauty personified, and looking very tempting.”

“Tempting am I?” He asked as he cocked an eyebrow at you.  “Maybe after dinner I can show you just how tempting I can be.”

“Hmm,” you hummed seductively back.  You had done a few things that would have made your uncle gasp at the impertinence, but had never fully lain with each other yet.  You had made it a point to not fully kiss him on the lips ever, supposedly saving it for a certain point, but also as a way to tease him relentlessly since he had done it to you earlier on in the relationship, making him chase your lips.  “Yes, you’ll have to.  I demand it.”

“Oh you demand it?” He sputtered at your brazenness.  

“Yes, I demand my pleasure, Bucky Barnes,” you got on your tiptoes and pressed a kiss too close to his lips.  He groaned.

“No more teasing, Y/N, please.  Why won’t you kiss me?”

“Don’t fret, darling, we’ll get there,” you promised him, scratching the beard hair on his chin then turning to grab your fur shawl and your clutch.  Inside held a ring box that you planned on giving him tonight during the firework show.  You had decided it was time, you didn’t want to spend another minute without the promise of this man as yours forever.

“Shall we darling?” You held your hand out to him.

“We shall,” he looped your hand around his arm, leading you out to dinner.

Everyone was dressed immaculately.  They indulged themselves on the last night of the trip, drinking the best wines and liquors and eating some of the best prepared food Bucky had ever been blessed to have in his mouth.  Afterwards they all lazily strolled to the center of the fair near the water fountain, stopping at stalls and exhibits they hadn’t had a chance to see along the way.  When the time came for the fireworks to begin you stealthily got the ring box out of your clutch, hiding it in your hand as Bucky stood next to you.  The lights darkened as the show was about to begin.  The first firework shot high into the air, disappearing momentarily before exploding a bright mix of pinks and blues.  Bucky was enthralled.  This week had been one of the best of his life, getting to enjoy and sight see without a care in the world.  And he was able to do it all because of you.  As much as this had all started as a physical attraction and an advantageous union, it was now something that he couldn’t dream of living without.

You watched him enjoy the fireworks for a few moments, loving the way his eyes lit up as each one exploded, his eyebrows shooting up at particularly large ones.  You switched the ring box to your other hand and slipped it into his hand as he was looking up.  

Bucky quickly looked down as you handed him something.  He opened his hand to reveal a sapphire blue velvet box.  His eyes snapped to you, and you gave him a soft, hopeful smile, gesturing to him to open it.  He looked back at the box, his fingers shaking as his other hand opened the top, revealing a platinum signet ring with a small aquamarine gem set in the middle that matched the color of his eyes and leaf filigree surrounding the band.  Bucky stared at it until he felt you pull him to face you.

You took the ring out of the box and held it in your fingers in front of him.  “I know we haven’t talked about engagement yet, but I couldn’t wait another minute before asking if you would be mine, for the rest of our lives and beyond death and time,” your voice shook with emotion as you held it in front of his face, looking him deep in his eyes.  “I love you.  I feel like I’ve loved you from the moment I met you.  Will you, James Buchanan Barnes, my Bucky, my darling, marry me?”

Bucky’s eyes began watering as he listened to you.  He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out an old and faded burgundy velvet ring box.  You watched him intently as he opened his box to reveal a gold ring with a round white diamond set in the middle with fine engraving on the band on either side.  “Yes, my pretty doll.  As long as you will wear my mother’s ring and promise to be mine forever,” he plucked the ring out and held it in his fingers in front of you.

You both silently chuckled through tears, exchanging the rings and placing them on each other’s left ring fingers.  Miraculously they both fit perfectly, and as you gazed at each other you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him down to your lips in what was your first kiss.

As you kissed him it felt like every fiber of his being was set aflame and life finally made sense, the pieces of a puzzle falling into place.  His heart leapt as he wound his arms around your waist and pulled you tight against him, picking you up and twirling you around as the fireworks celebrated you.

There was clapping and hollering that registered in your ears making you pull away from each other. The rest of the group were congratulating you, having watched your engagement.  Peggy and Steve were crying as they hugged you both, Bucky making Steve his best man on the spot.  

As you watched him smile widely and care free, you realized you had done it.  You had found the man to spend your life with, to share your fortune and hopefully someday soon create the family to pass on your empire.  He came back to you and held your face in his hands as he leaned down again and kissed your lips, soft but firm.  Now that he had had a taste he was like a man starved, taking every opportunity to experience your lips as much as you’d let him.

[hulknussen]

Sometimes I think about Kevin almost becoming teammates with Hulk his rookie year, and I don't know what to do with myself.

Kevin has admitted numerous times that he was a bit arrogant as younger driver. More cold and focused on proving himself against everyone. And if he had been teammates with Nico I'm unsure how that would have went. I don't know how much he would have respected him, but more so just seen him as a measuring stick.

And Hulk being slightly closed of as well, but coming off as maybe a bit more insecure and hesitant. However I could also see him always low key shading Kevin for every mistakes he makes, but framing it as a jokes.

I feel like the vibes would be kinda like Oscar and Lando, but more volatile and toxic.

What do you think?

this is so interesting to think about. the comparison to lando and oscar may not be too far fetched if you tweak it a bit (like you said volatile, that word is quite fitting to what I am imagining)

honestly, 2014 kevin and 2014 nico getting partnered seems like something that would end up quite 'subtextual'. it's a little bit hard to describe because obviously no one was writing anything, there's no subtext to something that just (or in this case didn't) happened irl; this might be where my vocab lacking comes to bite me in the ass. I'll try my best anyway. their 2023/2024 stint as teammates seemed pretty 'overt' in their dynamic. they're teammates, they work together. would even go so far as to say they had specific roles, nico as quali king, kev as the master of race starts and defending. all been said before. we could tell that they were working together well and got along. there never seemed to be anything lurking in the waters.

if you instead take them when they were younger, there's a lot of maturity lacking. they are in vastly different stages of their career. can definitely see nico falling into that trap of being the more experienced driver who always criticizes their better, less experienced teammate out of insecurity. independent of whether kev would be outperforming nico or not.

I'm having a harder time gauging what kevin would be like. fiercely competitive like you said, maybe even more than we might think considering nico is 'just' an F1 driver. nico's no WDC like jenson was; he isn't even a race winner or podium finisher. it might not be something kev ever says outright, but he just comes from a streak of winning. all the perspective he has gained from running eight seasons in the midfield or further back he doesn't have yet. I can definitely see him subconciously or secretly looking down on nico for it, to a degree. nothing crazy, you won't see him making fun of nico for it or anything. but that question of "should you actually be here?" and then consequently, nico picking up on it and trying to give the same energy back.

they would be pretty quiet about it, though. the sort of thing you might think is going to implode any moment but never actually boils over. lots of interesting photographs of them giving each other strange looks (not necessarily mean, just sort of observant. like they don't trust to keep their eyes off each other). and then still all to a degree where it's neatly kept under wraps and doesn't get noticed by the average watcher, you'll need to actually dig a bit to find it.

not sure if this is anything. definitely a lot more vibes based than anything else. thank you for this ask anon! good stuff

[hallucinateonpaperspines]

So, I was rereading Chapter 5 of OUAT, and it just registered to me what the statue meant. Like, I didn’t really pay much attention to it at first (because I was too excited for the update lol), but rereading it now, I just now see the messed up implications. Like, Cybertronians literally rewrote history. They made it seem as if both sides were protecting humans, specifically the three children, as if both sides were interested in preserving the native population, which is obviously not what happened. It was Megatron who wanted humanity gone, it was Megatron who wanted to claim Earth for his own and it was Megatron who ultimately destroyed it (as far as Cybertronians know.) So seeing him cradling the kids, as if he was also the one protecting them is just… so infuriating. It makes sense for Optimus to be depicted, because he was the one to truly care about the children, but Megatron being there is such a slap in the face. No wonder June almost snaps. Seeing someone, who held no regard or respect to your species and wanting to actively kill you, being depicted as a sort of hero is so…jajdfcvkh, I can’t put it into words! To add to this, Optimus was the one who built the Archival Project, so was he the one who made or commissioned the statue? It seems unlikely, but I saw in one of your posts mentioning that the bots don’t talk about Earth to others? Implying that they also don’t really talk about the true events that transpired there. So, were they the ones who fabricated the story in an attempt to bring the peace treaty between Decepticons and Autobots closer, or were these just speculations they let to cultivate? Either way, the whole statue scene is so messed up…

Yep, that statue was an important hint and existed in the first drafts of OUAT. Earth has done something similar, but instead of rewriting the truth it just isn't widely known. The information is there, but it takes a level of effort to get to it.

But you are 100% correct, history has been rewritten and the more concerning details of the truth have been tweaked for a more acceptable narrative. This will cause some confusion when the new Prime decides to lead some peace-keeping efforts.

It was a combination of speculations and white lies that caused the entire "propaganda" to form. Elements of the organic Earth remain via recorded media and some artifacts that were on the Nemesis (thanks to quite a few vehicons and KO). Those glimpses into a society so similar and yet so different from Cybertron sparked something in the war-torn generations. For some, that is the only taste of peace-time that they've ever had, for many, it's a reminder of what they lost.

When the treaty went into effect, for the first time in millennia, there was time to focus on something beyond the next battle. With that sudden shift away from warfare, there was be bit of a vacuum and sentimentality developed a deep anchor. Humanity's remnants became a way to channel that. (hence why Stunbolt knows some Japanese... the bot is a weeb).

But Cybertronians only know fragments of humanity, heavily edited fragments that were produced for entertainment purposes.

Of course, eventually, someone asks what happened to the humans. Are they still there? Why are they gone? Obviously, some of their species made it to the planet, so what happened?

And of course, no one bothers to answer the questions. They don't really care. They don't deserve to know.

So the Autobots hold the treaty's tributes tight and keep their mouths shut. The Decepticons don't say anything either, but their silence isn't as absolute.

Rumors spread. A word at a bar. A half-sparked muttering overheard. A sentence picked apart by obsessed fans that have nothing better to do than focus on this little mystery.

The world was destroyed.

It was an accident.

It was on purpose.

It was a disaster.

It was a force of nature.

The narrative pieces itself together. Sentiment winding with truth, blurring the lines between what was and what might have been. Eventually, the tale is so disjointed from reality that it is nothing more than fiction, a once upon a time that makes even the ones who know the truth feel a little less guilty about their part in it.

Earth is dead. It isn't coming back, so what is the harm in lying when no one can get hurt anymore?

When the Children finally die, the last tie to the truth is severed.

Team Prime has mixed feelings about it. Arcee finds it appalling, even as she keeps her silence. She hasn't visited the memorial in years, unable to step foot in the tomb housing her partner's preserved body when she is allowing his sacrifices to be erased. Bulkhead is similarly torn, the lies help to ease things, to create connections between sides and a middle ground. But he would be lying if he said he never wanted to pound a mech's face every time they started speaking of Earth. He and Jackie will change the conversation, and laugh it off before disappearing so Bulk can drown himself in high grade and Wheeljack can sharpen his sword. They don't talk about it. They don't talk about it or else they'd argue about visiting for the death-day anniversary. They have their own memorial, pictures set up instead of a body and that is enough. Bulkhead doesn't need to go traversing across the galaxy to pay respects when the memories of his sparkling are right there.

Bumblebee doesn't talk at all. It's not hard when he can barely vocalize properly anyway. He doesn't talk, but his optics scream murder. Ratchet is used to this. He remembers political machinations such as this from his days waiting on politicians during the Golden Age. If this sacrifice is what it takes to keep some semblance of order and peace, then he will bow his helm and remain silent. He still has a drawer in his personal quarters that he keeps locked. The equipment he built, too tiny for any use now, but once had brought comfort to the three ailing organics. He doesn't open the drawer, but he does visit the Archive every 360 earthen days on the anniversary of their return from Megatron. He apologizes and hopes that it might be enough. His spark knows it isn't.

Optimus is ashamed. The memorial site was constructed, and the statue was meant to depict the unification of their species through a shared love of the tributes, of the children, but it quickly turned into something out of hand. They had not dismissed the rumors of Earth's ending, and now, the Prime had all but confirmed that the loss of such a young and beautiful world had been a freak accident that both factions had come together over. Mourned together over. He does nothing but nod and approve the project. No one present knows him well enough to see the disgust and sorrow that mars his optics. No one but the mech seated across from him.

Megatron shares that disgust. He has his own feelings concerning his failings and the humans, but they are a complex mass that no fairy tale could hope to explain. He winces as Rodimus Prime launches into a speech about the asteroid attack and the value of preserving life. He does not contradict. He simply leaves.

Oh yes. Once upon a time, he would have felt nothing over humanity dying. He didn't care one way or another about the collateral damage between him and his ultimate prize, but now... Now the warlord was disgusted at himself for becoming a part of the same system he had dismantled to begin with. The same lies.

Rumors started with negligence. But the Archival Project is opened with falsehoods pouring out of the intake of a mech who could never know better.

Humanity would be rolling in their graves had they known.

Instead, they're digging their way out, and soon, they'll find out for themselves.