#there was supposed to be a background and crows and maybe one day there will be

[owlithere]

Izuna and Tobirama as duo, in the capital, when someone thinks they can get away with lying to them or Uchiha ‘I know everything because I am the one behind all the gossip (crows are not only reliable spies but also interesting conversationalists)’ Izuna AND Senju ‘I know everything because your chakra tells me everything (moreover you or someone close to you owe me a favour - like the rest of this country)’ Tobirama

[nohva]

Zoro drunkenly (or while tipsy) confesses his love to Sanji one night but, in the same breath, tells him it’s okay—he knows Sanji is straight and is fine with them remaining "only" crewmates, he just had to get these feelings out of his system. And Sanji is overwhelmed because ???? Where is this even coming from? Why is the mosshead suddenly saying these things? This isn’t how their relationship is supposed to work. They don’t do the whole talking thing, especially not about serious topics?? When they have emotions to work through they fight each other, maybe throw in an insult or two. But this? This is unfamiliar territory for Sanji, so he’s really not sure how to react, much less respond.

So he doesn’t; he just stares at Zoro, his mouth opening and closing. Zoro takes that as his sign, gets up from the stairs he’d been sitting on, and leaves for the sleeping quarters. It is quite late, after all.

The next morning while preparing breakfast Sanji is oh so tense. He’s still mostly confused because there’s just no way the green-haired brute could harbor any such feelings toward another human being—least of all him—could he? And what if this does change things? Zoro said it wouldn’t, but who's to say?

And Zoro acts like nothing ever happened, he's just the same old moss ball that drinks too much Sake and takes way too many naps during the day and Sanji is so confused and he's getting angry now, because how can he act so nonchalant while the cook is over here losing his god damn mind over this? Does Zoro maybe not remember confessing? Had he been that drunk?

And obviously Zoro DOES remember, and he's NOT calm at all. He's freaking out internally every time he and Sanji are in the same room, but he'd rather lose his remaining eye than have anyone notice. So he does his best to play it cool. And yeah, maybe he takes a nap or two more than usual, and maybe he spends even more time working out in the crow's nest than is strictly necessary, but that is nobody’s business but his own, isn’t it?

Bla bla bla cue Sanji questioning the universe and his existence, freaking out over his sexuality, sloooowly coming to terms with it and then freaking out again about telling Zoro and what it means for the crew dynamic etc etc.

Also Robin being somewhere in the background of the story, smiling to herself, sipping on her tea, because of course she knows something is up, and she has a pretty good idea of what it is about, even if she doesn’t know the whole story, because she knows pretty much everything that’s going on on the sunny, cause she’s the responsible older sister™️.

————————————————————-

I have never attempted to write anything before, not even a rough draft like this, but Zosan has been living in my head rent free for the past few months now, and once the idea for a possible plot popped up in my mind I absolutely needed to note it down. Oh well, I hope I am not embarrassing myself too much by posting this.

Anyways, this is the most I can offer due to a lack of actual literary skills, but I still hope you enjoyed!

The obligatory English isn’t my first language speech: please excuse any spelling and grammar mistakes, I tried my best, I swear!

[dc-gotham-instincts-wild]

Of Skateboards and Robin Magic. (DC Fanfic)

Summary: Jason steals a skateboard. He gives it to Tim. Dick is looking for his brothers.

-------

Jason didn’t mean to steal a brand-new skateboard.

It just kinda… happened.

The Outlaw mission was supposed to be simple—some arms dealers, a couple of explosions, maybe a car chase that maybe had multiple driving laws broken..

Nothing that warranted a -technically- stolen skateboard.

But there it was, tucked under his arm as he made his way back into his Gotham apartment at dawn, still wearing his gear.

He found it occupied.

Tim was perched on his kitchen counter like a baby gremlin. His laptop was open beside him, and there was an empty coffee cup near his foot.

Breaking into each other's places was pretty normal for the Bats. Jason's seemed to be a favorite of Tim's, though, to be fair, the little gremlin had been spending more time with the second-eldest brother than Dick ever since the whole Bruce-in-the-time-stream incident. 

Jason had tried to pretend that he wasn't worried about Tim during those days, and right after he'd come back. He'd failed.  

 

Jason sighed. “Hey there, little crow.”

Tim looked up, tired ice-blue eyes locking onto the skateboard. “...That for me?”

Jason blinked at him. Looked at the board. Looked back at Tim. “…Yeah, I guess.” Tim beamed, hopping off the counter, giving the elder a quick squeeze before grabbing it from his hands.

“Sick.” He flipped it over, inspecting the design. “Where’d you get it?” Jason dropped into a chair, rubbing his face. “Some idiot tried to hit me with it after grabbing it from a store.”

Tim paused. “And you stole it?”

“I confiscated it, little one,” Jason corrected. “Kept it 'cause I heard your old one broke. You can paint it, too. It’s a crime-fighting skateboard now.”

Tim snorted. “That makes it better.” He set the board down and stepped on it, testing the wheels. “Man, I missed my old one. I think this one's better quality though...”

Jason leaned back, watching as Tim carefully rolled back and forth in the middle of the kitchen. He still looked exhausted—probably hadn’t slept at all—but there was a small, genuine smile on his face.

One Jason hadn't seen for too long. 

Jason huffed. “You better not break your neck.”

Tim grinned that gremlin grin of his.. “No promises, big brother.”

~~~~~~

Dick was getting real tired of this.

Jason and Tim had a habit of disappearing together lately, and it was weird.

Not bad, necessarily—just weird. He was glad that his little brothers were bonding, though.

Jason barely tolerated anyone on some days, and Tim was usually off doing his own thing, but for some reason, the two of them had been hanging out a lot. And by "a lot," he meant they were practically glued together when they weren’t working solo. '.....Must be a middle child thing.'

Dick had checked all the usual places: the Manor, Jason’s apartment, the Cave—nothing. Even Bruce had no idea where they’d gone, which was just insulting.

Finally, after way too much searching, he decided to do what he probably should’ve done first.

He called them.

Jason didn’t pick up, obviously. But Tim? Tim answered after three rings.

"Yeah?"

"Where are you?" Dick asked.

A pause. Sounds of.. wheels on concrete? Then, in the background, Jason’s voice:

"TIM, DON’T—"

A loud crash. A yell. Tim started laughing. It was a nice sound to Dick. Dick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tim. Timmy. Where are you?" Tim, still laughing, finally answered, "Uh. Nowhere?" "Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne." "Okay, okay, jeez. We’re at the skatepark." 

Dick blinked. "The—what."

"The skate park," Tim repeated.

".....I thought your old skateboard broke? Dad was planning to order a new one-" "Someone on Jason's Outlaw mission tried attacking him with a completely new and unused skateboard from a shop, so he, um....... took -I mean confiscated- it."

Dick took a second to process that. Then he sighed. "Stay there."

Tim snickered. "Sure, sure.”

In the background, Jason’s voice rang out: "I swear to God, if you hit me with that—"

Another crash. Laughter.

Dick started moving faster.

Crazy little brothers.

~~~~~~

They were indeed fooling around at the skatepark. 

Jason apparently was right about his Robin being magic, because this was the first time Dick had seen Tim this happy in a while. 

Jason was watching Tim with a half-amused smirk, sitting on a bench with his legs stretched out, arms crossed over his chest.

But it wasn’t the usual teasing smirk. There was something almost... fond, about it.

Tim did a little trick—a kickflip, of all things—and landed it without falling. He pumped his fist into the air, whooping as if he’d just won an Olympic gold medal. Jason’s laugh, deep and warm, followed.

Tim was darting around the park, expertly flipping off ramps and pulling off tricks like he was born on a skateboard. He was laughing, his eyes bright, his whole posture loose in a way Dick hadn’t seen in months—maybe longer.

It was the kind of happiness that had been mostly missing since they lost Bruce, the kind of joy that wasn’t tainted by duty or trauma or guilt. Tim had always been self-sufficient, always the one who buried his emotions under layers of work and responsibility, but this? 

This was something Dick hadn’t seen in a long, long time.

Jason caught sight of him first, raising a brow. “What?”

Dick didn’t answer at first, just stood there watching Tim, who was now expertly riding up and down the halfpipe with the same reckless energy he usually reserved for casework or missions. There was no hesitation in him.

He looked… free. Happy.

“He's never done this, in a while,” Dick murmured, a little caught off-guard by the sight. “Not this much. Not this carefree.”

Jason grinned, just a little smug. “Yeah, well. Maybe I’m a good influence.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “You’re a bad influence.”

“No, I’m a wild influence. Timmy needs to learn how to just... be for once. Relax. Even Robin gets a break.” Jason’s voice softened, but there was a hint of pride behind his words. 

Dick’s heart squeezed. “It’s good to see him like this.”

Jason gave him a pointed look. “Face it, Dick, I can be a big brother, too.”

Dick swallowed, his gaze never leaving Tim, who had just pulled off another trick and was now heading their way, grinning from ear to ear. His eyes were sparkling, bright with something that wasn’t there the last time they’d all been in the same room.

“Yeah,” Dick muttered, a little embarrassed. “I know. Just didn't think he'd take to you that much, considering how scared of you he was after the whole Titans Tower thing.”

Jason shrugged a hint of guilt in his eyes. "Took a while. I had to coax him out of hiding a lot. Got easier once I realized how much of an affection-starved little $hi# he was."

Tim skidded to a stop in front of them, breathless but laughing, hair wild and messed up from the wind. “You should try it, Dick. You’d be amazing.”

Jason gave him an exaggerated side-eye. “Yeah, sure, Dick. I’m sure you’d look real graceful on a skateboard. He's a circus boy after all.”

Tim snickered and pushed Jason lightly. “As if you could do better.”

Jason grinned, his eyes lighting up with that familiar mischievous spark. He jumped up, grabbing one of the spare boards that workers left on the side for people still learning. “You wanna bet, baby-bird?”

Tim immediately sensed his impending doom and bolted, kicking off hard and zipping down the slope of the park’s concrete incline. Jason didn’t hesitate—he followed, fast and fluid, not bad for someone who usually worked with guns and explosives instead of tricks on wheels.

Dick stood there, a smile tugging at his lips as he watched the two of them go.

Tim yelped when he noticed Jason gaining on him and booked it, kicking off hard and shooting down the slope of the park’s concrete incline.

Jason followed, crowing and gaining on the younger..

And Dick—Dick had to take a second because wow.

Both of his brothers were actually having a bit of fun like this. Usually their fun involved speeding on the road, jumping off building and grappling in the last second, dangerous vigilante-fun stuff.

But still, Dick smiled, his heart swelling a little as Tim’s eyes shone. 

This was the kid who could hack into any system in minutes, this was the kid who could plan a mission like nobody else. This was the kid that had saved their family more than once.

But now, here he was—just a kid, a little out of breath and laughing because he was having fun, like the weight of the world wasn’t on his shoulders for a moment.

This was so weird.

Not bad, though. Not bad at all.

It was awesome, actually.

Just—he’d never seen Tim -or Jason- this happy in a while.

Tim didn’t look as tired or overworked or too-grown-up as usual. He looked happy, just a kid doing kid things.

Jason didn’t seem angry or closed off. Hell, nowadays he even seemed to be working things out with Bruce. Right now he was just a big brother. 

Dick hadn’t realized how much he needed to see that.

The younger Robins had always carried their scars, but this was a side of them that Dick had almost forgotten. Seeing them together like this—light, carefree, alive—was a reminder that maybe, just maybe, there was a way forward. Even after everything.

Tim totally nailed another trick (While escaping Jason’s clutches) and looked up at Dick, ice-blue eyes sparkling with the kind of joy he hadn’t seen in far too long. “C’mon, Dick, try it! I promise you won’t break anything. Well... maybe just your pride.”

Dick’s smile widened, though his heart still felt a little tight. “You’re lucky I love you, kid.”

Jason, glancing over his shoulder from a ramp, shot Dick a cocky grin. “Face it, Grayson, me and Tim are too good for you. We know more than the basics, even if you’re a circus boy. It’s fun.”

“In a minute,” Dick called back with a shake of his head, but the fondness in his voice couldn’t be missed.

Jason laughed, then pushed off with a smooth motion, zooming down the incline after Tim. The two of them weaved together in perfect synchrony, grinning like they didn’t have a care in the world.

It had been so long since he’d seen them like this.

....

Maybe Robins were magic.

Jason had been right about that all along.

Maybe it just took two Robins together for that magic to show itself.

[possessedopossum]

The Veilguard: my full review [positive, long post, less about game mechanics and more about meta, spoilers]

The thing that makes Veilguard special to me is how self aware the game is. In every dialogue, plot twist or quest I can feel the presence of somebody who wanted to share something with me. Be it personal experience, message, pain or joy. As of 2024, many games have lost their creative spark. Video game industry is no longer a nerd only zone, it's a business no different than others. Many studios utilize AI to write their plots, chase after current trends or simply make decisions that would create the biggest audience possible at the expense of something people love the franchise for. Veilguard did well, because it showed me something I haven't seen in a very long time: the human soul.

Perhaps you have noticed it on your own. The world has gone completely nuts after the covid. Or maybe it has always been this way and I only noticed it now. It is not a surprise to me that players want their game to be darker, to have more aggressive dialogue and to have a morally grey or even evil protagonist. For the past few years I've been feeling like someone had turned the lights off. And the game gave me an impression that someone at bioware feels this way too.

Only negativity gives content creators views and money these days. Open any social media, read any post or watch any video. If something is on top, it's almost always a hate post. What was the last movie most reviewers enjoyed? The last game? Perhaps the one that was released 10 years ago? What was the last time, you, my dear reader, have smiled? Not bitterly or sardonically, but out of genuine joy?

It is extremely fitting that Rook's mentor figure is Varric. Varric is somebody who always sees the best in people. He grew up in one hell of a city but he still loves it. He can find something to laugh about no matter how dire the situation is. He is a people person who can build friendship with anybody. Varric is very charismatic and tends to avoid conflict. He is a chronic liar but that doesn't make him bad because he never lies with malicious intentions. And in some ways, Rook is similar to him.

Yes, Rook can't be a complete asshole. Because the game is not about being an asshole. One of our antagonists, Solas, considers the world to be sick. Modern Thedas is a grave mistake that haunts him. He can't forget and move on because even the elves themselves wear his mistakes on their faces. Many things that are normal to the player character aren't normal to Solas. The world is so wrong and disgusting to Solas that he is willing to sacrifice things and people who are dear to him just to make the twisted world better.

Rook is nice because they are supposed to represent what is good in modern Thedas. They are supposed to be somebody who thinks the world is worth fighting for. And to a certain extent, their factions as well. The crows are contract killers and the lords of fortune are thiefs. Grey wardens are very concerned with politics and all the secrets they refuse to share constantly get people killed. Mourn watch has their immoral power hungry politicians as well and veil jumpers are sometimes willing to trade people for ancient secrets. They all aren't without sin but that's not the point. The point is, even with all the ugliness and darkness, there is still a place for light. And the light in the darkness is the exact message bioware tried to convey. The crows not being comically evil is not bad writing. It is a conscious writing choice to give us a human face for something we consider ugly and not worth fighting for. The player is metaphorically Solas, who needs to be persuaded that the world is worth at least something. The writers didn't need to bare the souls of player factions in all their mistakes, imperfections and cruelty. Because they showed us the factions' humanity. Some cruelty is still there, on the background, but it doesn't overshadow what is good. The crows, no matter how terrible, are a family. Viago may call Rook an idiot and while Rook considers their training literal torture, they sure love Viago back.

In fact, familial love is one of the core themes of the Veilguard. We have Emmrich and Manfred, Davrin and Assan and uncle Endrin, Lucanis and Caterina and Illario, Taash and Shathann, Bellara and Cyrian. It's a bit less direct with Neve and Harding. Neve has a lot of love for her city which is almost like a person to her, and Harding...I'll explain with a quote. "You're Lace Harding! You're more than this rage! You believe that the world is beautiful! That people are good! Hold onto it, hold on to who you are!".

Even the evanuris share the theme of family. Rook can compare Elgar'nan and Solas to relatives who can't get along. Elgar'nan calls Ghilan'nain his sister. Both shards of Mythal consider modern elves her children. Different but no less beloved, as Morrigan puts it.

Veilguard shows family without rose-tinted glasses. It shows that sometimes to love your children is to sacrifice something else you love (Lichdom for Emmrich), that parents have their own problems that may harm their children no matter how much parents wish to protect them (Shathann understands she is not the best mother and has complicated relationships with the Qun that harmed Taash), that sometimes parents do not understand their children at all and it's only up to children themselves to close the gap in understanding (Mythal, Solas and Rook), that familial love and desire to protect your family may turn into something ugly (Caterina being cruel to her grandchildren to prepare them for harsh realities of the antivan crows).

There is conflict in Veilguard, of intergenerational nature. Companions and their families, Rook and their faction leader, elves ancient and modern. It's up to the player how to deal with the last one. Humans, dwarves and qunari may not share blood ties with ancient elves but they still live in the world ancient elves created. As Rook, you're allowed to lash out in anger at Mythal and Solas. You can call Mythal guilty of all modern problems and fight her. You can bind Solas to the veil by force, call him asshole and express your frustrations with him multiple times throughout the game. You can also express sympathy and forgive them both. Because forgiving is neither condoning nor condemning, it's understanding and letting go. Being understood and allowed to peacefully let go of his mistakes is the exact thing that Solas needs to change his mind.

I believe that the Veilguard companions are one of the very best I've ever seen in a video game. They may not have as many different fates as for example Alistair has but is goodness measured with the amount of ways a character can be killed? I love the Veilguard crew because they all feel very real. Their personal problems are universal and very close to the player. Taash's story is not about being non-binary. It's about growing up, finding your place in the world, separating from your family and learning to appreciate it despite the mistakes your parents did while parenting you.

It's hard to decide who is my favorite. Taash's story made me cry but so did Harding's and Bellara's. The last scenes of Lucanis romance made me feral. I can't stomach the scene where Davrin and Assan die. The consequences of destruction of Minrathous/Treviso were hard to look at. I felt guilt, and if a game makes me feel something, it's a good game. I laughed, I cried, I was afraid and I felt joy, I was angry, I felt shame, I felt love. The game made me feel alive, I played through Rook's story like it was my own, what not to love about it?

The double blight wreaking havoc in Southern Thedas is sad but beautifully symbolic. Almost like a love letter from a long lost lover, It felt like bioware's meta commentary to me. "Yes, a whole lot of time has passed. We are no longer as young as we used to be, and so are you, not only the player, but our treasured friend as well. We have changed, you have changed and so did the world around us. Gaming and the video game industry are not what they used to be. We will never be able to go back no matter how much we want it because the only path that is left is the path forward. It doesn't mean that we no longer remember our shared past, no. We may not be able to go back but we promise to remember it fondly. We are still capable of creating beauty and the past will serve as a foundation for something new. We still have hope, and so should you".

The Veilguard to me is about nostalgia as well. I don't want to feed my inner Solas who sees the current world as sick. I want to make space for my inner Rook who is hopeful about the world just enought to fight for its future.

[viceconnor21]

After two years I finally redesigned Grian's design in my AU. Turns out there is a horse in greek mythology with bird back legs. It was kinda perfect.

Tripwire Personality Traits (short version):

Gremlin energy

Hippalectryon

Extremely powerful but still learning to control it

God of Wisdom and Strategy (He doesn't know that)

Don't let him near buttons

Always coming up with new games for the town to play

Sad boi when he loses control of his power

Loves to be annoying

Defiant towards authority

Calls Darling Dozy anything but his actual name

Makes it his mission to be everyone else’s problem

No memory of early childhood

Raised by birds

Has been a drifter for as long as he can remember

Always felt like he was searching for something until he found his forever home in Hermit Valley

Partner: Terraform Best friend: Crimson Dust Mother: Soul Keeper Father: Crow Keeper Brothers: Day Shaker and Final Sonata

Story clip and Background:

Tripwire watched Terraform’s ears flick in his sleep. Tripwire could tell that he was dreaming, as he mumbled something about cats. Tripwire could only smile to himself in the darkness of the room. He was so lucky to find Hermit Valley. It had been several moons since he stumbled onto Terraform tangled in that tree. Tripwire was grateful for that day. The odd creature he had helped down from the tree had all but begged him to come back to town with him, eager to treat both to a well deserved meal. That was so long ago now, but he remembered it like it was yesterday. However, despite how much Tripwire loved his life in this current moment, sadness tugged at his heart. As he stared into the dark, he tried really hard to remember anything from his childhood. Today, just like any other day he was drawing a blank. He was such an odd creature, with his bird back legs, equine front legs, break, and four wings. He came from somewhere. Tripwire longed to remember his family, the people who he had no doubt loved him at one point. He could remember foggy voices with no real meaning. A kind sounding older male, singing him to sleep. His father maybe. He could also recall the strums of guitar, and a different male singing along. Trip didn’t know why but this voice frightened him a bit. Then there was a third voice; one still wrapped in adolescence. He also remembered a haze of green and black feathers engulfing him in a warm hug. Along with these muddled memories, he often dreams of the burry face of a soft purple mare with a golden horn. Through the mist of dreams, the mare radiates power, but he can’t help but feel as though she is watching over him. It is almost as if he can feel her love just beyond a veil.

Even with being as young as he was, Tripwire felt like he never fit in with the other creatures his brothers and his father associated with. In this wide land from home in the Burrow (Borough) to his brothers’ home of L’Maneberg, Tripwire never felt like this was where he was meant to be. Everybody seemed to view him as an oddity. Even his brothers seem to look at him with a peculiar mix of curiosity, love, and resentment. He knew why of course. His brothers were a fair bit older than him, and he was the only one of them who was a true biological son of their father. Tripwire also knew that the circumstances of his birth were a fair bit dubious at best, given that nobody outside the close-knit family knew who his mother was. That wasn’t his fault. He never viewed himself as any better than his siblings. He looked up to his siblings, and was alway ecstatic when they came to visit him and his father. They always visited him in the Burrow. He didn’t leave the Burrow and his father barely let him out of his sight. He was very young, only just beginning to fly. He had very little control of his powerful magic, but he supposed that was part of the problem. He was the son of a skilled hippogriff warrior and an ultra-powerful death goddess alicorn. He looked weird too. He took on his father’s traits for the most part, but his mother’s powerful genes just refused to be repressed. On top of that, his mother’s Divine blood decided to endow him with a second set of wings and a fierce amount of power that was sometimes hard to subdue. The god-like power wasn’t just for show either. Much like his draconequus uncle, was the walking god of war, and the solar sister was the goddess of the sun, Tripwire had a role to play in the strings of faith. Of course, at this point, the colt was too young to comprehend his true power, much less control it. While his mother was unable to walk the living dimension, his father did his best to raise the demigod. However, trouble was brewing. Tripwire could feel it on the wind, see it in the stress etched in his father’s face, in the way his brothers came home one day; wrapped in bandages and smelling of smoke. Tripwire was too young to understand what it was or what it meant. It came to a head when his father came home, wide-eyed and dirty. His feathers were singed and his eyes were red from crying. Without saying anything, he scooped Tripwire up in his arms, and continued to weep. All Tripwire could do was hold his father close. He did not know it at the time, but that would be his final night with his father, and the final night in his home.

Unknown to the young colt, a war was raging just outside the walls, and just passed the border of the Burrow. It was a long and drawn out war for justice and independence that was slowly shifting towards a struggle for control and power. The night his father came home in tears, was the night Trip’s oldest brother was killed in that struggle. However, that was not the end of the sorrow. While Crowkeeper tried very hard to keep Tripwire’s existence known to very few, rumors of his existence and more importantly his power began creeping among the ranks of power hungry legionnaires and mercenaries. Crowkeeper knew his son would soon be in danger. He knew his son had the capability to cause devastation. Creatures would try to use his son’s abilities to gain power in any way possible. Crowkeeper and Soul Keeper decided that for his own safety and the protection of others, Tripwire would be sent away. However, knowledge of his whereabouts in any sense could leave him open to danger. It was decided for his own good, his mother would wipe his memories and send him far away to a place not even Crowkeeper knew. Tripwire’s faith could not be left to chance.Tripwire could be a force of great creation or destruction. If left with the wrong people, Tripwire might never find his true purpose in this world. In addition, without the guidance and the protection of his father, Tripwire could be hurt or succumb to his own overwhelming power. Options were weighed. It was decided that Crowkeeper and Soul Keeper’s flock would care for and guide the colt. The mixed flock of different birds would keep the boy safe. They would find food and shelter for the child. They would teach and comfort the boy as he wandered the land looking for a place that he could truly call a home. As the boy grew into a teenager, then into a young adult, the intervention of his unknown protectors lessened. The flock shrunk as their charge grew and learned to care for himself. Finally, only one purple magpie was left, keeping an eye on the boy barely seen Trip as he went through his days of searching for something he really didn’t understand. He searched the land blindly, starting to believe that whatever he was looking for was a foal’s errand. That was until he met the creature known as Terraform. From the tallest limb of that apple tree, that purple and gold magpie watched as Terraform insisted that Tripwire should be properly thanked for his kindness. Finally, satisfied that she had led her son to a community that would help him thrive, she left him in the capable paws of the excitable Terraform. He brought him to the valley that Tripwire would instantly love and soon call home.

Tripwire is the hybrid offspring (Hippalectryon) of Crow Keeper and Soul Keeper. Tripwire is a chaos-loving young colt, who has a knack for traps and planning. (In reality, he has a knack for planning traps but not really seeing those traps to fruition.) With his partner in crime, Terraform, Tripwire has learned that he not only has the talent for planning but also executing those plans into elaborate works of art. While Tripwire originally believed his cutie mark was to represent his ability with traps, it actually symbolized his unique gift for organization, design, and strategy. With the help of his friends in the Settlement of Hermit, Tripwire would soon realize he was the god of Wisdom and Strategy. With this realization, is slowly unlocking his true power as a god.

However, not all is sunlight and the power of friendship. Tripwire was still born of mortal flesh. He is young and his power levels are still unstable. Tripwire can be capable of great feats of destruction when his emotions go unchecked. There are times, the power is too great for Tripwire to restrain and it can cause him physical and mental anguish. Strong emotions like fear and anger can trigger this intense state of being. His “god mode” comes with several pairs of extra wings and disembodied eyes. His eyes start to glow a deep purple as his power begins to overwhelm his physical form. Power beyond his control may rip and alter his body and mind to the point where he can no longer recognize those he calls friends. In his worst episodes, he loses all sense of himself. It is in times like these that he must rely on his friends to bring him back from the edge of madness.

[actuallyidontgiveadamn]

Just finished playing DAV and while I literally binged it with no rest for like 8h a day and enjoyed it a lot there's one thing that bothers and frustrates me about the game

spoilers I guess

Almost nothing matters in the game. Your background, your faction, even your race has almost zero impact. Even your choices doesn't matter much.

The plot that should be a real turmoil for the elves barely acknowledges there are any troubles. I heard ONE line on slavery in Tevinter, said by my Rook when they were commenting on something completely unrelated. I expected so much more drama and crisis in the elven society about the Solas' ritual which was supposed to bring elven former glory. Or about meeting their gods. But no, ritual bad, gods bad, moving on.

Background is literally the same for each and every faction. You saved the day but crossed some nobles and were sent away. Race isn't tied to backgrounds, leading to some very lore-wise questionable combos

Choosing what city to save seems to make the most impact on the game, but in the end still doesn't matter because you can bring every faction and every companion high enough to get the best ending

Absolutely every ending from worst to best is still basically doing the same thing

Choices you make for companions (why tf you're the one to decide is a separate question) also have no impact beyond a following conversation and maybe an outfit you get for the quest

No politics, societal problems, injustices that shaped the nations. Antivan Crows are a sweet found family now. Slavery in Tevinter doesn't matter. Alienages aren't mentioned. Dwarven society structure is irrelevant. The Veilguard team exists in a vacuum and just needs to kill a couple of gods.

So yes, I overall I enjoyed the game but it clearly doesn't want to talk about anything. No nuance, no societal problems, no political stances, no impact of your background or consequences for your choices, or your companions' choices

Also I really missed the big global picture (unless you read the Codex). No armies or governments exist, just factions and just Veilguard who are like eight people. DAI was way more realistic on dealing with a global crisis, and I can only hope that (based on their letters to Rook) Inquisitor was doing some real work in the South which I hope looked like what they did ten years before

[pinkaditty]

How have you been doing, pink?? Are you recovering well?

Also I saw your tags in that one thing we did abt things we could talk abt for an hour and I almost forgot to ask: how did you get into gyaru??

hihi aya i am recovering well!! not in much pain anymore besides my legs bc they were nearly crushed in the accident but im otherwise okay! my immune system is total dogshit though so i was immediately hit with a bad cold after most of my pain had left and im STILL recovering from that cold. im so tired of being ill

and please call me mal or malibu, ur a trusted moot atp

also i read ur tags on ur post 4 the same thing and im soso curious. please. what do u know about celtic mythology....

anyways. me yapping about how i discovered gyaru. sorry! tw 4 mention of racism.

im just gonna immediately dive in2 the gyaru thing: it started when i was in my first year of college. i hadn't learned of it earlier and almost every day i wish i had discovered it sooner but so be it! i think it was in a random twitter thread about j-fashion that caught my interest. iirc gyaru was the most interesting out of all of them so i decided 2 do some more research on that one.

relevant background: by this point in my life, as all late teenagers do, i was working on completing the mesh that was supposed 2 be my sense of self and i hadn't really decided on a style that was perfect 4 me. i had styles i liked and disliked but nothing that really felt "perfect". i had robbed myself of allowing myself 2 be girly in most of grade school out of the internal need 2 be "different" and simultaneously being depressed, so i was going through my fashion discovery phase a bit late.

anyway, upon going through threads abt gyaru, i found myself just wanting 2 try it out 4 fun. id found myself more attracted 2 girly things lately, so it was hime gyaru that caught my eye first. as cool as yamanba, tsuyome, and ganguro seemed, i just didn't think i quite fit the bill 4 those, so i half-heartedly settled on hime gyaru. the label of gyaru felt right, but being hime gyaru in specific didn't feel like the best-fitting glove 4 me. this is why 4 the first month or so of being in2 gyaru, i wasn't super emotionally invested, but i found myself wanting 2 start anyway. my wardrobe slowly shifted and began 2 include things along the lines of hime gyaru outfits, which were cute! but after a while grew old far quicker than id anticipated. at first, i was dissatisfied, thinking that maybe this was just a fashion phase. despite that, i still decided 2 stick with gyaru, because i liked it, but i still couldn't put my finger on what substyle suit me best.

i should probably clarify that the reason i wanted 2 stick with gyaru so badly was probably because of the history i had found behind it after some digging. gyaru was inspired by many, many things, but an important factor was the style of western african american women in the 70s-80s. bold makeup, long nails, showy clothing, and lots of accessories were in pretty strongly then, considering the surge of black pride after the jim crow era. as a black woman myself, i was immediately inspired. it can be hard 2 interpret when you've never experienced it firsthand, but an entire life of rejection, assumption, and limitation simply due 2 a feature about your skin that you cannot control really sucks, so i, at that point, was also learning how to take pride in my own skin after years and years of being subjected to questionable, at best, and abusive, at worst, treatment from my surroundings. i was totally in awe that something made by people i descended from had become so popular that it inspired one of the biggest J-fashion movements ever. plus, i liked the droop makeup. it was a cute twist. and something really filled my heart upon discovering that japanese women created this style 2 break free from limiting beauty standards. no more conforming. no more coloring in the lines. they wanted 2 escape, and that was admirable. i wanted 2 escape, too.

after a while, a switch flipped. im not sure how or when or why, but a switch flipped. suddenly the girly, frilly, cutesy vibe of hime, roma, and himekaji no longer attracted me. i wanted bold colors, bold nails, bold makeup, and a bold attitude. i wanted 2 do away with the classic girliness of hime and instead veer towards more crass, wild, and colorful styles. "get wild and be sexy" was all i thought about. i wanted 2 get wild and be sexy and stop conforming 2 whatever the white-dominated society of america deemed appropriate. and suddenly! my favorite substyles were yamanba, ganguro, banba, tsuyome, and onee! suddenly i wanted 2 tan my skin a bit more! suddenly i liked hibiscus flowers and plumerias and wanted them in my hair! suddenly my favorite braiding hair color was blonde! suddenly i had the confidence 2 wear bikinis! it was like a tidal wave of change. once the wave had cleared, it had left an entirely new beach in its wake, and that beach was me.

2 be honest, i think the switch was triggered by realizing i didn't have 2 conform 2 the girly standard if i didn't want 2. i could just. be me. and accept the truth that it didn't matter if people liked me or not. at least i was being me.

not much else 2 tell besides that! i changed my wardrobe, started getting long acrylics (i can't function now if they're not xtra long), practiced makeup, decorated my room, changed my attitude (this took some time), and changed the way i type! the whole reason i use "2" and "4" is 4 the sake of the 'textspeak' vibe and because it's cunt. that and i use a lot of gyaru language, but with my friends specifically. im working on integrating it in2 my general lifestyle.

i still have a lot of steps 2 take, but gyaru lives in my head at this point. its been 3 long years of self-discovery, and each step has been perfect. this style is perfect. even before i discovered gyaru, when i would do my makeup 4 fun, i would draw my eyeliner downturned and connect it 2 my eye, like a droop! in a way, it was meant 2 be.

anyways that's that. i promise there's more between the lines here but im tired and its late and i wanted 2 get this ask out b4 too long. just know that if there was a gyaru version of the scarlet rot that Melania from Elden Ring has, i would have it. if you want more details, feel free 2 ask, but they won't be answered immediately... still writing a romeo x reader fic in which he teaches u makeup and that's currently sucking up most of my commitment.

[akamikazae]

Im late af but!! I wanna know more about Natural born killers! Or Bokami! ♡

Ah! Thanks sm for asking Q ! ❤︎₊ ⊹ I shared a bit about Bokami here!

Natural Born Killers, Toji and Akami are my stinky lil dirtbags in this au. She’s just as done with jujutsu society as he is. She’s a ‘fixer’ of sorts. They meet at a dive bar one night, hookup, part ways, but they keep crossing paths. Sometimes they’ll work together, but for the most part they just pass the time until one of them wakes up in their seedy motel room to find the other gone, split town, some of the cash missing. Its a constant back and forth, until the day he dies. Both unwillingly to truly love again. I'm trying to write this one a lil different to fit the gritty, americana vibe I'm going for, so thats a fun challenge too!  

'Toji is a stoic man. The strong silent type. He only lives for the now, the money on his next job, the horse running the clock on the bet he just placed, the snarling snapping maw of the Doberman in the pit. There’s a weather worn look in his eyes, the crows feet and dimple beside his scar, a lifetime in those lines. Things they won’t talk about over a bottle of bourbon, sweet honey whiskey. Sat in his lap on the second floor balcony of the motel 6. Akami picking at a rust spot on the viridian paint of the iron wrought railing. Cigarette in her other hand, held to his lips so he can take a drag. They’re no good for each other but they’re plain rotten for anyone else.'

Akami grew up in a non-sorcerer family, she started seeing curses as a kid, she’d draw them in her coloring books over and over because they haunted her, her parents thought she was a monster-that something was wrong with her. They sent her to a boarding school in Kyoto. She ends ups finding out about jjk society and goes to school there for a bit. Kakashi is in this au, as a small unnamed background character bc he will always be her one true love! lol, He’s a distant relative of Satoru and they meet and fall in love, but the Gojo Clan doesn’t accept her as an outsider. I haven’t decided exactly why and how and all that, but on the day they’re supposed to marry he dies in her place. And she’s totally done with jjk society after that—which leads her to Toji.  

She didn’t plan to fall into this business. She had it made, fell in love. But she was no one, just another grade 1 from the sticks with no family name. Wasn’t enough for a distant relative of the kid with the six eyes. He had Snow White hair, no… silky silver… she doesn’t remember. He took her home for the Clan elders' blessing, hand in hand under the shinto shrine, but there was something in the sake cups. Akami doesn’t know if they planned to kill them both or only her; she spilled her cup when he convulsed, soaked between the ridges of the tatami. It was like battery acid in his lungs, smelled hot like a lightning strike. She can still taste his last breath. Made a widow on her wedding day. She could have been happy, but he’s gone, she is too. Or maybe she’s more herself than she's ever been. Only got to be someone else when she was with him, someone good, someone better. 

After Toji dies, Akami tries to put her life back together, moves to Shibuya, eventually gets stuck in the veil on Halloween Night. After being attacked by transfigured humans and running into Mahito she starts to fight back, and ends up aligning herself with Tokyo school. I do know that she see’s Toji again after he’s resurrected, but she’s not strong enough to hold his interest and he goes into Dagon’s domain instead.  —I toyed around with her and Kusakabe having a little thing during this time too, but I’m not sure. I do know that she dies in end, during the fight with Sukuna.

Thanks again for asking ! <3 wip ask game

[atopvisenyashill]

was gonna post my “sansa and serena institute absolute primogeniture in the north” timeline but then i remembered how many fucking sons and grandsons Beron has and at first i was like “fuck those guys i’m leaving them off” but now i’m like “shit maybe…..i should work them in anyway.” this is what i did instead of my job all day btw. anyways here are the sigils i made up, they are a rough draft because i am not an artist but god i wish i was:

ELAENA SORANO

The dragon is for her grandmother, Elaena Targaryen

The blue is for her grandfather, Alyn Velaryon, and the sigil of her brother and father’s house, House Longwaters

I wanted the darker color to be red like the Targaryens but i could NOT get the Kingsguard sigil to get to that bright red lmao. I also thought of making it gold like Elaena’s streak in her hair, but I haven’t tried that color yet. We’ll see how it works tomorrow.

I like to think the arms stick around amongst her descendants, the way Brienne finds Dunk’s arms. Robb calls his banners and there’s like three different Umbers using Elaena Sorano’s arms as a sort of “fuck you, we don’t even kneel to dragons why would we kneel to lions” kind of thing

HOUSE MORMONT MARTELL

Bear is for Janna Mormont, Ruling Lady of House Mormont

The orange and red is supposed to look like the sun of Dorne, for Olyvar Martell, Janna’s husband

I think it’s missing that ✨spark✨tho but i can’t figure out what

Sigil is made by a younger son of Janna and Olyvar, who establishes his own cadet house on Bear Island

Obviously their words have to be something metal like I WISH A BITCH WOULD bc it’s coming from a Martell AND a Mormont

HOUSE STARKWOOD

the crow and color is supposed to be indictative of the Blackwood sigil for its co-founder, Jason Blackwood

Now that i’m looking at it, there’s not enough Starkiness so I think i’m gonna change the red background to a white or grey one to fit the winterness

The Karstarks already have “the sun of winter” so i can’t use “the fire of winter” or “the daughter of winter” lol. i’ll figure something out but it’s honestly not important it’s not like the Blackwoods have words either lmao

[basket-of-cats-and-witches]

Tidbits Tuesdays

This is just stuff that I'm proud of but I'll probably never finish or post. For this particular one it's Love and Deepspace

Is it just my OC Kit and Sylus?

.... maybe.

No promises on context, but you're free to badger me in my inbox.

This will most likely become a regular occurrence that I do.

Kit collapses after a mission, and Sylus, her boss, is the one who's called to pick her up. Set maybe a few months after she's joined his team.

-

He sighed, standing up from her cot and holding out a cup. A familiar seawater smell accosted her nose. “Drink this before I do.”

Reluctantly, she did so. It was thick and slimy as it slid down her throat, making her gag and her eyes water.

Almost instantly, the herbal remedy did its trick, and she felt her body’s functions fully return to her.

“Where am I?” She asked, wiping her mouth.

The sawbones stepped forward, clearing his throat. “My lab. You collapsed here. I called Sylus.”

Kit’s eyes widened, her heart racing instantly. She looked around the room, and there he was, leaning in a far corner.

His expression was dark and inscrutable.

Something about it made her tremble, then shake violently. Sylus walked forward and reached his hand out.

She flinched, closing her eyes and covering her face. “I'm sorry,” she choked out. “I did the mission, I didn't even fuck it up this time, please don't-”

There was a moment of pause, and then a long sigh. His hand settled gently on top of her head. “I'm not going to hit you. I know you did the job well. However, when we get back, you will disclose everything to me.”

She nodded dumbly, looking down at the scratchy sheets. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she blinked them away in frustration.

His hand twitched. “Are you-”

“You've temporarily gone blind, boss,” she snapped.

He gave a low chuckle. “I suppose I have. Thank your friend before he leaves.”

- (cut from the same WIP, a little later) -

Two hours, a crow, and a cup of coffee later, Kit was curled up on Sylus's sofa.

It felt weird to be like this in her boss’s room, but he'd bullied her into it.

Every time she thought about protesting, his eye glinted, and the words died in her mouth.

She tapped her fingers on the outside of the cup, enjoying the fragrance and warmth.

There was still a sense of agitation under her skin, her instincts telling her she wasn't safe. The paranoia would pass in a few days, however.

It always did.

Sylus leaned against the bookshelf next to the fireplace, a beautifully cut crystal rocks glass in hand. It had barely a finger of whiskey in it.

Classical music played in the background softly, and Kit sighed. “At least let me change the music.”

He glanced at her. “Is it not to your liking?” The corner of his mouth quirked up, as if he were amused. “Far be it for me to disatisfy a guest.”

Kit scowled at him. “This is your depression vinyl. You listen to it when you're feeling dark and moody. And while I get why, sort of, it doesn't mean you should continue with it.”

He stood up fully, stalking over to her.

She swallowed hard as he placed the glass on the side table nearby, moving to stand in front of her.

Sylus leaned forward, palms on either side of her, caging her against the back of the couch. “And why exactly would I be feeling that way?”

Kit wanted to look away, but found that to be a herculean effort. “Um,” she said, swiping her tongue across her bottom lip nervously. His eyes followed the movement. “Because I didn't tell you about my condition?”

He smiled. It wasn't nice. “Go on.”

“And…” a flush crawled up her neck, warming her to her bones. “I didn't tell you I needed to resupply?”

“So close, kitten,” he purred. Whether it was accidental that he came close to her full name or not, she didn't know, but the nickname still made her jerk, startled.

Sylus grabbed her chin, keeping her attention on him. “You put yourself in danger by not telling me. If it had been anyone else but the doctor, or you hadn't made it in time before you collapsed, that would mean you were completely vulnerable. In the heart of the N109 Zone. My reach extends far, sweetie. It doesn't cover everywhere. Especially when my assassin is on an assignment that Mephisto can't see.”

She wilted, finally glancing away. The shame that curled in her gut made the flush worse, as if she were an errant child being scolded by a parent. “It won't happen again, sir.”

He clicked his tongue disapprovingly, and she looked back, wide-eyed. “What did I do wrong this time?” She whined. “I'm just agreeing with you and apologizing!”

He blinked. This new, petulant side to his assassin warmed him slightly, making him want to draw it out more.

He smirked, tapping her bottom lip with his thumb. “The only time anyone ever calls me sir is if they don't know me, or they're underneath me. Understood, sweetie?”

She flushed brilliantly, and he jerked his thumb away just before her teeth snapped around it. Kit scowled up at him. “Understood, boss,” she grumbled.

Sylus chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, I think that's enough scolding for today. Now.” He sat down besides her, holding out his hand. A blanket from the bed flew to him, and he plopped it over her lap. She looked bewildered, frozen in place like a cat wearing clothes. Sylus hid a smile. “Tell me about your condition. Everything. Leave nothing out.”

Kit went from feisty to miserable in an instant. If she'd had ears, they would have been pinned back. “Do I have to?”

He arched an eyebrow. “Do you want to keep working for me?”

She sighed. “....fine. But you're not going to believe me.”

Sylus leaned towards her. “Try me.”

[mytvd]

can they fly?? is there any other way she could have been yanked vertically like that??

the zooming of the credits sent me

"i predicted obama" "can we still say 'tr*nny mess'?"

the crow on the street signs. watching. observing. the video mentioned that the crow and fog get dropped right away which is already making me so sad.

kai confuses me -- is he really making fun of jeremy for wearing nail polish?? "pete wentz (derogatory)"?? offended at the mention of carson daly?? he and jeremy look equally threatening, is kai supposed to be scarier??

the dramatic sunglasses removal made me wonder if vampires can accidentally compel people by making eye contact. or was it just to look cool

the "chill yourself" clip has been stuck in my mind since i first watched that video and seeing it in context was just ...!

why is bonnie so menacing in that shot????

i'm uneasy seeing pretty much all of these people inside a high school. i have consumed ridiculous amounts of high school media but this is really pushing it

"HAWT-E" lmao

i haven't looked into anything about the production at all but this looks like a really high-budget episode for the first season of any show, especially a teen paranormal romance

that crow noise as she enters the cemetery LMAOOOOO

literally lol'd at [i assume damon] standing by that statue. whoever came up with that shot really ate that day

does elena think "hitchcock" is the movie title

the crow sounds keep startling my cat

there's no way she wouldn't have felt that injury lol

is this the same background music from pll??

matt looks old enough to be kai's dad at this restaurant. no offense to this actor irl -- he just looks tired and his skin looks very dehydrated (vs kai's v moisturized face). why didn't they oil up this man and try another take

"when's the last time you had sex with a puppy?"

i thought it was gonna turn out that elena was lying to jenna, she is dressed for a much different occasion than her friends are

"her mom and dad died" i wonder how many more times this will get stated in this episode (edit: even more than i thought)

it looks like stefan is on a date with all three of them

i had to rewatch this scene because of the background kate bush. i didn't want it to be a cover but wow. the hits!!!

i stan this wardrobe full of diaries!!!

why is this teacher such an asshole

i don't think i ever learned about this kind of hyperlocal town history in school at any point (i also went to a small town southern public high school). i realize it's there for our benefit but lol it seems weird. what actual class is this where on day 2 of school they are learning this information??

mr. tanner quickly became even more of an asshole jfc

why is the closeup of stefan's nose pores comforting to me? (it's bc everyone is airbrushed now)

i love how supportive elena is of bonnie's psychic abilities

elena is v committed to cradling that empty solo cup

where is this?? i know they said "the falls" and i assumed this pavilion in the woods was maybe someone's private property but the bridge with the lights?? where are they lol

holy shit vicki

this is a much fancier woods party spot than the woods party spot i went to in high school. or the cow pasture spot. there are so many coolers, cans, bottles, etc, but no visible litter. wild

how is nobody calling 911 lol like why are all these kids just standing around staring as if nothing has happened?? they would be, at the very least, milling about

the zooms are non-stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have never seen so many zooms. slow zooms. fast zooms. credit zooms.

i know there are things like civil war flashbacks but i would love a 90s one of stefan in his "grunge look"

jenny called damon "an eyebrow heavy performance" and yeah

i can't believe jeremy is drinking a beer while there are cops in the frame???

i hope we find out more about the competition caroline believes she is in with elena

the fray. i'm time traveling

stefan wanted to "be someone new" so he returned to his small hometown, under his real name, to live in his family home??

i know that almost everyone in a movie/tv show playing a teen or young adult is older than their character but again this show is really pushing my suspension of disbelief re: damon making eye contact with caroline. in this shot just having him facing the camera instead of showing his profile and using less harsh lighting would have done wonders to not make me viscerally react to him flirting with a teenager.

elena in front of this giant un-curtained window in the dark on the cw is so pll

from the video i know the stefan is "seventeen" but i wonder if katherine was also seventeen?? or maybe katherine is older than the brothers, in apparrant age & actual age? i just had the thought, "if stefan is only here to check out elena, why couldn't he have waited until she graduated high school to meet her?" which made me think, "at what point in her physical development would it become clear that she is a doppleganger of katherine? like how young?" there is no enjoyment for me in trying to pick apart the age disparity ethics of vampire teens dating human teens so i am disregarding that for this entire show but the doppleganger thing is weird to me

just remembered from the vpd video that queen bianca lawson is on this show, just like she was on contemporary PLL and predecessor BTVS. the eternal teenager

i was committed to only watching one episode tonight but the next episode is called "the night of the comet." fuck

[diyaphanous]

{ bruna marquezine, 27, cis woman, she/her } We are so glad to see you safe, PRINCESS MÁRCIA ORTIZ of SPAIN ! It’s dangerous out in the world these days, but I hear that you are OBSERVANT and ADAPTABLE enough to handle it. Just don’t let your SCEPTICISM bring you down! Stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn’t want everyone to find out YOU'RE BLACKMAILING ROYALTY AND NOBILITY FOR MONEY .

birthday : june 10 orientation : bisexual title : princess of spain character inspo : inej ghafa ( six of crows ), mikasa (snk) , joel miller ( the last of us ) traits : languages : spanish, english, portuguese, french ( broken ) mbti : tba temperament : tba moral allignment : tba

background

your memories are faded, and sometimes blurry if you grant yourself the time to think about it.  but you do remember the cold, the way it etched into your palms, your bone. and it’d be only desperation that would allow you to replace it with another kind of bleakness. but there’s also a small hand holding onto you, wrapping around your finger and offering you the only warmth their freezing body could offer.  everyday you need to ask for your right to live. begging for food, money or sometimes just mercy of not being looked down on. but you keep going for the one you share your blood with. after all, you're their sister and you want to carry them home one day.  yet, it was only one day ( or a moment ) that would break that promise and eventually you. you return, a smile seeping through your tired features with the little money you got only to discover that they’re gone and you’d never return home again.  time passes, eroding seconds and your sanity. sometimes you wonder if your sibling ever existed at all. and even when you’re taken in by the ortiz you’d catch yourself if your life before was just a dream.  the first few months marcia wouldn’t speak at all. a silent rebellion against her new family or maybe her guilt of living a life her sibling would’ve deserved. eventually, she’d get used to it, even catching herself referring to them as their family until it’d soon slip so easily from her tongue as if she was always supposed to be a part of them.  however, the guilt would always linger everywhere, in every corner of her home, her bones and  in the way she’d find the part of her sibling in that of her family members. she knows that her mind would remain restless until she’d get the answers. but she doesn’t want to beg for money or help and instead would go down what some would call the wrong path. but what is right or wrong when you’re doing it for your sibling? it started with a secret, one she was never supposed to witness, a moment that would barely be significant in the chapter of her life at all. only when the other begged her not to say anything and offered her money, she’d found a way. but the money wasn’t enough to pay the people searching for her sibling and she slipped so easily into the business of exchanging secrets for money  and luckily she hadn’t been caught yet.

headcanons

// ever since the coup to ovethrow the bonapartes, marcia had become a little paranoid. however, it is not the people she's afraid of but the belief of what comes around goes around as she has always been one to belief in karma, gods and fate. although the situation is much more complex , she still believes that both parties were greedy ( which is bold from someone who blackmails others for money ), yet she'd never voice that opinion as she cherishes her family too much to say anything against them. //it was rarely the case that people would give her money back then when she was begging for it. hence, she'd developed a talent of sneaking up on people, moving without any sound and just disappearing or appearing. back then she'd use it to pickpocket but now she's using it to spy on people and find out something she can use against them. //she's currently developing an interest in herbs and how they might help and treat others for illnesses. this interest might purely the result of guilt of what she's doing to others and now she feels the need to somehow compensate by doing something good. yet, she also uses her knowledge to gain trust of others which might make them more open towards her. MORE TBA

connections

her sibling (if anyone wants to bring a new muse or it somehow works) for lots of angst and a dramatic reunion please !!! what happened to the sibling and why they disappeared is pretty much open ! it'd also be fun if they already know each other but don't know they're related

people she blackmailed/blackmails : it can be random people but maybe even someone she considers a friend or pretends to be a friend to them.

a wc based on this post with kinda enemies to lovers vibes ? maybe this person suspects them of being suspicious (eventually finding out about her secret). she might have blackmailed one of this muse's friends, hence your muse tries to find out who the blackmailer is etc. or marcia might even have tried to blackmail your muse or is doing it. lots of drama and angst ~

a dynamic based on this !!!

best friend : i'd love them to be someone who'd never suspect of marcia doing it and might be a person who makes marcia to be a better person but also for angst reason might indirectly remind her of her guilt of blackmailing others !

people she meets and goes collecting herbs with ! i'd love them to exchange some knowledge about herbs/apothecary knowledge

also the typical enemies, people who might judge her bc of the actions of her family, friends, exes, mentor etc. connections pls!!!!

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 48: Gaming Break

It seemed whenever they tried to take a break anymore, something happened. It was almost driving the group of toppats insane. From the discovery of what happened to the first Moonjumper, to Macbeth's potential future with the second coming, to Platinum getting close to getting fried, it just was building up in the background. They just needed a break. Get away from the station properly, away from Subcon. It wasn't exactly the forest's fault, but it just felt convenient with how everything happened there.

That was the main reason they were at Dead Bird Studios that day. The Conductor wanted Hat Girl to come out and play a secondary role alongside Mu for one of his future movies. She took the opportunity, and some of the others managed to sneak their way to getting invited to tag along. Offering to be extras in the background so it wasn't as strange, and so it wasn’t just these two characters that were human while the vast majority of the others were birds. It was easy to do once they got there, just pretend to do things once the camera rolled.

That was what Mu got from them anyway. She just agreed to show up because she was offered money, an opportunity she didn't get too often. The only member who had seemingly shown up just for the heck of it was some Blake person. She didn't speak to them, didn't have time. She just focused on getting her scenes done. It did feel nice to talk with Hat Girl again. It felt like forever since they saw each other. If she didn't know about what happened to her, she never would have known anything was wrong.

Eventually, it was the end of the day. The toppats were getting ready to leave and Mu wanted to get out of there as quickly as well. She didn't know exactly why, she did like being around the group. For a bunch of criminals, they treated her well. But she didn't want them noticing that. Maybe that was why she found herself in such a hurry. Maybe. She just headed to the door while everyone was talking, reaching for the handle, before pausing. Was that... rain she could hear outside? That didn't seem right.

She opened the door a little bit, and it sounded like hell. There was roaring winds and clashes of thunder, rain pouring onto the sand. She quickly closed the door. "You gotta be kidding me." She mumbled aloud, drawing the attention of the others. "Eye of Shinoloko." She explained, and immediately the Conductor facepalmed with a mumble. She didn't blame the guy for being frustrated, even if he could camp here all night, two of his grandkids were with him today. Who knows how their mother might feel.

"Eye of w'ot?" Right asked, going over and opening the door to get a look himself. He quickly closed the door after he got a look of the chaos that was happening outside. He seemed genuinely surprised for a second, before looking over at the natives of this planet. "Suppose t'is is somet'in' t'at just, 'appens now and again?" He asked, getting a nod from Mu. "Ya could 'ave at least warned us before we came out."

"Ye think if I knew it was happenin' again I would have Crow and Rosetta here? Or invited anyone?" Conductor snapped a bit, before shaking his head and mumbling. "The one day Grooves doesn't show up so he can deal with this too... This is some pecking natural event that happens once a year, normally. It happened a good month before yer ship crashed onto the planet, so we shouldn't have to worry about this until Spring." He glanced to the side. "Weather Penguins can't do their jobs.."

"Look, I don't understand half of what yo' saying right now." Macbeth sighed as he sat against the wall, taking off his hat and letting Alexsandera rest along his shoulder. "But it looks like we're going to be stuck here while, so let's just deal with it." He said, before shaking his head at his tone. "Sorry, I haven't been sleepin' well lately." He apologized before he started another quick fight.

Hat Girl was quiet for a moment. She allowed Rosetta to hold her hand, it was clear she got scared from the momment Mu first opened the door and they heard those winds. "Why don't we play a game or something. Just to past the time?" She asked, glancing at the others. Platinum gave a clear nod and the rest either didn't respond or just sorta shrugged. She then got an idea and turned to Blake. "Do you have extra phones with your mod on them?" She asked, Blake lighting up at the mention.

"Is now really the time for Among Us?" Van asked, jestering back at the door. Platinum gave a shrug and went to the edge of the hall, already pulling out his own phone. "...Wait, Blake, why do you carry multiple phones on you? I know you're a tech person but is that really necessary?" Blake began to sign with one hand while they got their backpack off with the other. "Y-You know I can't understand signs that quick..."

"Wait, is that the game Snatcher told me about the last time we were in the woods together?" Mu asked Hat Girl, who gave a nod. She paused when Blake tossed one of the spare phones over to her. She eventually sigh and booted up the app. She thought the game sounded dumb when she heard about it, but it wasn't like there was much else to do... She paused when she clicked through the inventory screen out of curiosity, seeing an outfit that looked like hers. "What in the-" She glanced at the others, confused.

"Oh, Blake’s been wanting to draw some outfits based on the people they've seen on this planet and add them into the game. Your one of the frist they finished." Hat Girl turned to Blake who signed to her, before turning back to Mu. "They hope you're not too weirded out by it." She added. Mu just looked at the screen. She was..a little. But, there was some weird, nice feeling about being considered for something like this. "Pops, Conductor, Macbeth. You guys going to play?"

Right let out a small sigh. He Agreed with Van that this didn't feel like the time for games. At the same time, he already had his phone out to text Reginald to let him know they'd be back late. And as much as he wanted to brute force his way through the storm, he had to remember he had limits. "Fine. But just for a bit. If this goes on all night I want to keep Reg updated..." He paused as the lights flicked for a moment, some going out while a few managed to stay on. "I guess that's normal too."

"Normally." Conductor said. "Although I could've sworn there was some blots of lightin' dancing around one of the bulbs, but even I know that's ridiculous. Either way, toss me that metal box." Blake tilted their head. "Yes, I am aware what a phone is, but I can make up slang." Blake rolled their eyes and toss one over... and for a second it looked like something zap from the light above into the phone before it fell on the floor. "...Ye think I would catch it after that?"

"Ok, so funny story-" A voice came from the phone, some of the group shouting from the surprised. Hat Girl and Platinum both looked at each other to see if they were thinking the same thing, before Hat Girl grabbed the phone. Hydratic adjusted his mask slightly before he glanced at her. "I left the ship just to get some fresh air, the storm cloud moved to far from the ship and the sea.." He shook his head. "Point is uh, do you mind me chilling here with you guys. The eye is too much for even me, believe it or not."

Platinum took the phone from his sister and showed it to Right and Macbeth. "This is the Hydratic guy we told you about from the cruise." Platinum said. A cheerful voice but a wink when he had said that. Macbeth slowly reached for his sleeve, he had that feeling again. The same one he got near Autiomaa and Legends. Right gave Platinum a knowing nod before Platinum placed the phone down. "I think it'll be fine. We were going to play a game... just don't cheat. I don't know how well your powers would allow you to do so, but trust me. No one likes cheating."

"Kid, do I seem like a cheater?" Hydratic asked, gesturing to himself.

"...I want you all to know all this has just sounded like gibberish." Crow said, earning a few chuckles from those in the room. "What, I'm serious! ...And also, what are we even playing?"

Mu shook her head slightly before she glanced back at the screen. She didn't remember the last time she got to play any sort of game... Maybe this will be fun.

-------

Once the rules were explained, they started the game. Mu sighed a bit in relief when she saw 'Crewmate' on her screen, being the impostor sounded exhausting. She picked her location on the map and took a look at her task. She saw she was right next to the vault and headed in to do the dress mannequin task. She was curious as she looked around the map. Sure, it wasn't the exact same, but she did hear that this was based heavily on where they lived before the station. Made her pictured how Hattie's early years with the toppats were..

She left records to go look around for her next task. She hadn't seen anyone around yet, and was a little confused about that. Sure this was a big map but it didn't seem too big. Surely she would have bumped into someone by now? She wasn't sure what to think about that... She let out a shout as the Body Report screen came up suddenly. "His body was in electrical." Macbeth said as he glanced around. Mu opened up the chat to see Blake asking if anyone was nearby.

"Electrical? I saw Van in there a minute ago." Right said, eyeing suspension at Van. The teenager paused and looked at him, as if surprised. "Didn't even look like they were near a task. Just was standing there." Van glanced at Platinum, who was looking down at the ground, tapping his hands against the floor. Van finally open their mouth to speak, but got cut off by the voting sound effect. "If ya had a case, ya would've made it by now." Mu gave a nod to that, Van did seem suspicious. 

"I-I haven't played in awhile, I-I'm not used to getting accused! I just left before Platinum even came in!" Van got out their words at last. But it seemed too late. Mu had already cast her vote in, and seemingly everyone alive was in a silent agreement. Van finally clicked to vote, one person voting to skip while everyone else voted the white crewmate out. "I didn't even do anything." They said as the screen confirmed they were not an imposter. "Just, be careful guys. Ok?"

Mu let out an annoyed sigh. Maybe she should have waited for a proper response. Sure they were still good on numbers for now, but who knows what would happen as the game went on... The conductor got killed not long later, Macbeth once again finding and reporting the body. Blake put in chat that they had last seen Crow with him, and Rosetta agreed. However, no one was as willing to jump into a mass vote over that after what happened to Van. The majority voted to skip, but there was a silent agreement to keep an eye out for that Cyan crewmate.

Mu let out a sigh as she finished putting the guns away, heading up and passing Hat Girl as she went into the engine room while the Rose crewmate went into cockpit. She walked through the main hall and began to pick up the towels on the floor. Mu really hope this was just for mechanics, and the toppats didn't actually just leave towels on the floor like this. She went into the proper shower section to grab the last one... and just barely caught the shape of the pod, before Hat Girl seemed to come from it. But she had just seen Hat Girl walk into cockpit.

"Shoot." She whispered before she quickly raced her character away before the impostor could react. She passed Hydartic's blue crewmate (himself??) and got onto the flying pad, panicking inside her mind until she could get up to the meeting room and press the emergency meeting. "Shapeshifter was on!" She blurted out, letting out a small sigh that no one had died that turn. "I saw Hattie in cockpit and then walked in on someone shapeshift into her. Didn't catch the color of the pod."

"Shapeshifter makes this a lot more risky. Thanks for the clear Mu." Hat Girl said, turning to her and smiling a bit. Mu smiled back, before looking eyes with Crow. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel him looking around the room nervously. She didn't know the Conductor's grandkids well, but she knew that wasn't like Crow in most situations. She cleared her throat. "We're already suspicious of Crow, I say let's get him out of here. Unless anyone was with him this past round."

"No one was.." Crow admitted, and the votes came in quickly. He threw his hand in the air when he was voted out. "I wasn't even in showers!" He said as the screen confirm his role. "...And Sorry about the kill, Grandpa.."

Mu had thought now that they had gotten one imposter out of the game, getting the other was only a matter of time... Yet the game kept going for a while. Lights got turned off for a good chunk of time, since it could be a hassle if more than one person tried to fix it. That allowed the living impostor to get multiple kills in each round, slowly lowering the comfortable distance between them and victory. And everytime Mu thought she had an idea who it was, they would be dead by the next meeting...

She was thinking about her latest suspicions when a new alarm sound started playing. She quickly checked the map and saw two points on it. She went to the closest point, but found Macbeth was already there. She cursed herself since the pad was on the left side of the screen, meaning she'd have to go the long way. Or have someone beat her there. She began to hurry as quickly as possible, and did make it to the end in time to input the code. Allowing a breath.. before Hat Girl's body was reported.

"Engine room." Right said, letting out a sigh. "Would 'ave been at t'e sabotage but I was lock be'ind so many doors."

"Wait, you were the one who got Van voted out in the beginning." Mu spoke as the thought came to her. "How do we know you weren't lying back then?" She asked, crossing her arms. Right just seemed to send her a glare while Macbeth glanced at them both. Everyone else in the room was either silently watching or, based on their typing, discussing what was happening in the ghost chat. "Macbeth, I saw you more than enough times. You would have killed me by now. I think Right self reported."

"'nd 'ow do we know ya didn't start the sabotage? Macbeth, it 'as to be 'er. Ya gotta vote 'er out." Right said  before casting his vote as soon as it started. Mu quickly cast her in relation, and waited. The votes came in, two votes for her. She held in a frustrated sigh as she watched herself get voted out... Only to have her eyes widen at the brown crewmate on the red screen. "Wait-" Right seemed just as surprised, before turning to Macbeth, who had a small smirk on

his face.

"Didn't expect me?" He asked. "I played it with the kids a hundred dozen times at least. I know the useful traps to avoid."

"Yea, as soon as I heard Pops and Mu access each other, I knew it was over." Platinum sighed as he led his head back against the wall. Hat Girl gave a small chuckle as he rolled his eyes. Mu shook her head, why did she fall into such a  trap? Now that she thought about it, she did catch a glimpse of the pod's color. It wasn't enough time for her brain to figure out what color it was, but it was far from purple. "Well, should we hop into the next round? I'd like to see if I can get payback on Crow."

"I was just playing my part of the game, if my teammate didn't report the bodies so often." Crow mumbled before glancing over at Macbeth, who gave a small shrug. Mu glanced at the ghost. She had this weird feeling about him. She didn't know exactly what, but there was just something that felt more.. divine about his presence. Not sure why it took him winning a game for her to notice. "But yea. Let's just get started, I don't think the storm is going away anytime soon. And not like we have someone who can control storms."

"Trust me, if I could call Anumand to clear this, I would." Hydartic's voice called from the phone. "They'd do a great job.."

After a few more minutes of talking just to settle down the nerves, the next round began. Mu thought she heard an annoyed sigh from somewhere in the room but didn't look up from her screen as she began to work on her next few tasks. She started to get the feeling of the layout in the back of her head, and that made it easier for her to relax. She only would tense up once she found herself in a room with some other players. Who knows when one of them could try to kill her after all. 

She got most of the task on the left side of the ship taken care of that she felt comfortable moving to the right side of the ship. It was a little longer than last time, no one must have died yet. Or if they had, no one had found their body. She learnt that the map had a few good spots for bodies to be hidden, even by accident. Blake must have designed it that way on purpose... She heard a sudden thud and while she had to remind herself not to look around, she figured she knew what that meant.

Sure enough, a small gasp came from Conductor and Blake's dead body appeared on screen. They were the only one who had died, and they looked annoyed about it. They crossed their arms and Mu shrugged when they made eye contact.

"I'm honestly surprised this is the first time any of us were murdered in the kitchen. Seems like the perfect killin' place if ye ask me." Conductor spoke as he leaned back. The rest of the group given him some glares and he seemed to pause a moment before he spoke again. "Oh, I didn't see anyone around. Believe me, I would have already accused someone if I did." The rest of the group sighed. "Let's just skip. It's just one death, we can take a few more before we need to vote."

"Why are you like this Grandpa?" Crow sighed as everyone skipped, not much more they could do. Mu picked records as her spawn location and went to take care of her task in the Lobby. Would have been nice to gotten more info but it didn't seem like anyone was going to trust any information the old bird gave anyway. She just needed some time to breathe... and she wanted to drop the phone when Platinum's dead body appeared on screen. It only been like, a minute or two? How was he already dead?

"I-I thought I saw someone but I didn't get a good look at them." Rosetta spoke as she placed her phone to the ground. "I haven't memorized everyone's color either.."

"Unless anyone's got any suspicions,  think it's best to save our voices and agree to skip." Mu sighed, and no one spoke up with anything. The only ones who were speaking were Blake and Platinum in the ghost chat. As the next round started, Mu would occasionally glance over at them. Wondering what was going through their minds as this all played out. She hadn't become a ghost yet... "Ok, this is getting ridiculous." Mu announced a minute later, once Crow had been found dead. "Let me guess, no one?"

"Actually, I think there's a chance the lass might be the impostor." The Conductor said as he pointed over at her, and she looked surprised. "I remembered seeing Crow with her last, and it wasn't that long ago." Hat Girl had typed out a message while he spoke, explaining she was with him but left a bit before the kill. "I thought we agreed Blake was going to be the only one using the text chat?" Hat Girl gave a shrug, Mu couldn't blame her. They took so long to talk sometimes. "We don't have to vote her now, I'm just pointing it out."

"I mean, you're just gonna make it harder for our team if you do." Hat Girl said. Only three people voted for her, so the game continued. Mu wasn't one of the people who voted her, but she had a small bit of suspicions. There was just something about the way Hattie said that final comment. It sounded like her normal tone on the surface but... There was a facepalm from across the room before the Conductor's body appeared on the screen. "Oh peck me." She said, Platinum breaking his silence to laugh.

"I-I saw her this time." Rosetta said, and Hat Girl just nodded. Mu couldn't help but hold in a small snort. Even Crow didn't make a mistake like that when they were playing. "Sorry.." Rosetta said to Hat Girl after a moment, but Blake shook their head from across the room. Platinum, the closest to the kid, quickly showed his screen that showed Blake saying it was just part of the game. "Still, she's so nice normally. I feel bad.." She said as the alien got voted out of the group.

"None of that matters in this game." Hydratic spoke. "It's all or nothing... But hopefully the game will be easier."

The game didn't get too much easier. It wasn't as bad as the massacre that was the last round, but there was still the occasional kill here and there from the Imposter. Mu had her suspicions for a while. She tried to be smarter about her guesses. She thought it could have been Macbeth, they seemed to have been bumping into each other a lot. But he was one of the impostor's last round, what were the odds the game would pick him again? He seemed to be in the right places for tasks as well.

She was suspicious of Hydratic for a while as well. He would run all over the map, and Mu was sure it was before he was trying to get a quick kill. During one of the past meetings, he said that he already got all his tasks done and was just running around to see if he could catch the impostor or find a body. Mu found it a bit strange that if he was doing that, why no bodies had shown up yet. But that wasn't enough evidence to make a proper accusation. And she didn't want the game to end with her making a mistake like that again.

The game started to feel like it was taking forever. The only reason she hadn't gotten her task done was the impostor kept setting up the crash sabotage what felt like every five seconds. She could swear Hattie giggled each and every time.

She let out an annoyed sigh as she finished the sabotage and then climbed up the ladder to dump out the trash. And she was done. She took a glance up at the progress bar, seeing it was close to completion. She tapped her hand on the screen as she waited for the inevitable next body to be reported... She thought she could hear a bit of muttering from nearby, but didn't look up... until a beep filled the room. "Alex!" Macbeth called, before the Crewmate victory screen played on everyone else's.

The room burst into a bit of laughter as the Dweller gently knocked the phone out of Macbeth's hands before resting in them. "Did they really just left the game for ye?" Conductor asked, Macbeth rolling his eyes but nodding as he patted the dweller on their head. Mu couldn't get the smile off her face. She felt robbed of a fairly earned victory, but there was just something about winning this way that felt a lot more funny. "Wait, I think the eye is claiming outside... at least a bit."

"T'ink yer right." Right spoke as he went up to the door and listened. "Still doesn’t seem safe to leave though."

"Could just be in the eye of the storm." Hattie said as Blake signed. Mu just sighed, she started to feel a bit tired. She should have been back in mafia town by now, or at least a decent bit away there. Hopefully she could get going again soon. But she was having a bit of fun here... why did her having fun have to feel so right? She should be focused on her sole duty. Yet... "Mu?" Hat Girl gently shook her shoulder, causing Mu to come back from the pit of her mind. "Are you alright?"

"Yea, just got a little worried for some people, that's all." It wasn't a very good excuse, she would have had names if it was a convincing sounding one. It was clear some people knew the truth about her statement, but didn't speak up about it. No point in risking starting a genuine fight after a bunch of light-hearted and playful ones. She glanced back at the screen of the phone she had. "Do you guys want to do something else... Or do more of this. I kinda wanna see if I can get lucky with the role I'm given." She gave a small smirk.

-------

They all slowly lost track of time as they played. Mu knew for sure she did. The longer she played, the more she enjoyed the game. Sure, she still thought it was a bit dumb, but dumb things can be fun sometimes. She did eventually get to be impostor, although she didn't get too many kills in before she was figured out. The role seemed a lot more stressful than she originally thought. Still, she enjoyed her time. It almost made her feel sad it would be over once the storm had cleared.

They started another round, finding herself as a crewmate once again. She spawned in the main hall, since that gave her the most access to the possible task she could do. She saw she had a few and started working on them. The game went on and Mu was expecting a body found screen at any moment. It almost made her feel uneasy that there wasn't one yet. Like she'd be the body that would end up being found. She wasn't the best at being patients during meetings, only able to keep her mouth shut by ranting her feelings in ghost chat. A lot of the others were similar.

The screen began to flash red and she sighed as she went to fix the sabotage. She didn't understand why everyone liked using this one so much, the lights seemed so much more effective... She got to the left first and quickly placed in the code and waited for the sight side to do the same... She heard a facepalm from somewhere in the room and by now that usually only meant one thing. Right Hand Man's dead body appeared on the screen. She looked up to see the man shaking his head.

"It's Crow!" Hydratic's voice came from the single phone laying on the floor. "He killed Right... hang on" there was a chuckle from the phone before he could finish, a bit of laughter in his voice. "He killed Right right in front of me." Crow just held up his hands in defeat. Mu shook her head a bit, holding in a chuckle as she sent in her vote. He could have at least tried pleading shapeshifter. "You think he would've picked up that being a bad idea." Hydartic said, before the votes came in.

"You know what, I think I prefer watching all this to playing it anyway." Crow said, leaning back as he adjusted his phone. Mu knew better than to expect good things from getting one impostor out by now. She glanced at her list of tasks and saw she only had the meeting room task to finish, and she was done. So she raced over to the room from her spawn location as fast as she could, and pulled down the lever. She let out a small sigh of relief as she knew she did her part.

She then shook her head and decided to focus. She might be able to figure out who the impostor was if she was careful. She began to slowly head around the map, watching everyone. If a room had two people in it, she would leave and wait, coming in to check if one of them had been killed. She was making a big loop around the orbital station, until she got to the security room. Right next to the cameras was Platinum's body. She couldn't help but feel bad, he had been through it a lot these games.

"Why did you do that?!" Hydearic called suddenly as she reported the body. "The impostor was shapeshifted as me and I was chasing them trying to make their timer run out!"

"Well I'm sorry, I wasn't aware." Mu said, rolling her eyes a bit. "Besides, I think I got an idea about who it is. Was anyone with Van at the last minute? Because I saw them with Platinum a lot this past round." Van seemed to freeze up as they tried to think of what to say. Mu chuckled a bit as she opened the in-game chat and saw Blake had put on a smirk. Soon the voting began. "You could’ve at least tried to defend yourself" Mu said once they were all casted.. only to sigh. "Are you kidding me?"

"I-I'm not good with these kinds of things, what did you expect?" Van asked, before sighing as they placed their phone down, likely done with their task as well. She rolled her eyes as she focused back on the game. Maybe it was the group's fault for being so quick to vote at first mention of who might be suspicious. But if half the people didn't freeze up or thought quicker they wouldn't be in those situations. "I'm stretching my legs. They've been on the urge of falling asleep, and I don't wanna deal with that when we leave." They said as they stood up, careful walking past Platinum.

Mu let out a sigh as she went back to her new routine of checking all the rooms, and seeing if she could catch any murders that took place. She was feeling tired, and not just because of her current gameplay cycle. It had been at least an hour, likely more, since they started playing. She wasn't keeping track of the time for once. She just wanted to go and lay her head down. She was thinking of after this round ends suggesting they just turn in for the night if the storm was still blowing outside.

She woke up a bit when Hat Girl's body appeared on screen. "I swear some people are faster than others, might have to look into that." Blake sent in the chat as Mu opened it. "Weapons. The upperpart near Burt's room. Just saw their Shadow." They typed out and Mu glanced over at them. She then glanced around, no one seemed to be acting guilty. "Mu, why have you been going in and out of rooms? You called Hydartic out on similar behavior earlier?"

"I'm a hypocrite and bored, what else do you expect from me?" She asked as she sighed. She knew Blake didn't have any useful info based on how they commented, so it was likely going to be a skip round, so why bother trying. They still had eight players left, so they were almost better off letting the impostor do the kills and try and catch them in the act. "Voting someone off will make it easier for whoever is impostor... we're at least able to travel in pairs now, that might help."

"Sure it would, lassie." The Conductor mumbled, sounding a bit annoyed as he skipped. Mu raised a brow at that, but didn't question it much. She saw Right nearby when she loaded in and started to follow him. For the next three or so minutes, everything was calm. Then suddenly, the Conductor mumbled "Oh peck this." Before the disconnect sound was played... and the crewmates won. There was a bit of quiet laughter from the teens as the bird crossed his arms. "It was impossible for me to get a kill!"

"You could have tried a little harder, Grandpa." Crow said, crossing his arms before pausing. "Hey, do you hear anything?I think the Storm's over."

"Wait, what- Hattie, take me to the door." Hydartic called out, a hint of what seemed to be panic in his voice. She nodded and picked up the phone, walking over and opening the door. It was still raining, and there were still winds with sand dancing about, but it was much calmer than before. Suddenly, a spark came from the phone, Hydratic appearing in the rain. A bit faded, but it was still him. "I'm sorry, but I need to go now. As much as I loved hanging with you, I rather get home myself and not make you do the work for me."

"Oh, it's no issue! Just be safe!" Hat Girl waved, before the strange figured disappeared, what seemed to be electricity bouncing between drops of rain into the sky. She let out a sigh as she turned off the phone he was in, her eyes widened slightly when she saw the time. Mu looked at the phone she used, and let out a small grone. Almost midnight?

Mu sighed as she got up. "I need to go." She said before she headed out.

Just like that. No dramatic leave. Just covering her eyes to shield them from the faint winds of sand and dust.

Life was like that sometimes.

[archivedbox]

Busy rustling through his things before making that surprised noise on seeing a familiar face, "Hey Ryder! It's been ages since our school days how ya been!" glad to see the other when seeing that shy fella named Ryder show up.

"Jasper! It has been a long time huh? How you been, I tried reaching out to Venus but maybe he's busy or something." Ryder be a bit peppy when around his close friends and he missed Jasper as did Leviathan who be quiet in his mind right now, "The others be taking their time in visiting but I figured to send out a message via our old group chat. I have the group chat been created since their school days and been used ever since then as a way to keep contact with each other." settling near Jasper with a smile and seeing his friend up to the usual thing but then again Jasper has a certain background so he didn't bother asking for details too much.

"I too been trying to get ahold of Venus too, especially when I got well... demons trying to bother me and kill me. Very scary that was..." looking down when worried of Venus and if similar things be happening to his friend, "Hey Ryder, you think that whatever or whoever killed us in our past life before this one would try to off us in our current one? I mean... we were demons in our previous life right? So... I dunno Mammon's been fussing like crazy of it honestly." looking nervous when hearing that crow caw in his head and sitting near Ryder when a bit shook up.

Pouting when hearing his friend having gone through that and hoping no one trying to bother him when alone while feeling scared himself, "Now you're scaring me and Levi with that, ahh... I still have nightmares from that life too..." shuddering when he be unnerved of those before talking more of things and sighing, "Mammon? Do you think we'll have a normal life again after all the craziness?" Leviathan be peeking through when he be talking a little when shaking and how Ryder be feeling the same while letting Levi have the reins.

"Likely not Levi, I mean seriously we be passengers this time and keepin' our humans safe is priority. Plus worryin' of Venus won't help and besides... Lucifer is handling it fine so try to not worry so much ha? Fucking hell I got nailed not long after Lucifer died we all started dying off like goddamn crazy after that... I'm sorry Levi..."

"Suppose you be right Mammon, hnn... it's really crazy when remembering my manga and anime of how reincarnation plots be but now? Didn't think it be possible to be honest, I still can enjoy the games and more thankfully with Ryder so... a perk I guess? I do wonder how everything is in Devildom after we died one after another like that... Lord Diavolo be quite broken of all of us gone, Lucifer especially since they were quite close in a way if noticing it."

[c4l4mityv4in]

The cute Witch boy flying outside my window (A Haikyuu fanfic)

Chapter 4: "I Love You, I'm Sorry"

Notes:

This Chapter was pretty difficult to write and while reading it you're probably going to realize how much I rushed the story but I also accidentally vented a lot at the start

SOOO...brace yourself? Idk just be warned

"Dear Diary,

Shoyo has been visiting less, like way less.

Maybe once or twice a month.

I go over at his tree at least once a week but most of the time I just find Woodpecker the crow, which is a confusing name what idiot decided to name a crow "Woodpecker"?

Shoyo's my favorite idiot tho.

I had to know what was on his mind, how am I supposed to help if I don't know what's upsetting him? I've never been good at this kind of stuff and this conversation was no different

"What's wrong with you lately", starting off strong right there Tobio

"I'm going to allow you to rephrase that question", Shoyo was clearly pissed off by the way that came out

"You've been sad lately, for a while actually, but lately you barely even smile, that smile of pure you-ness that makes you shine bright like the sun is gone", that last part was an accident, I thought out loud and I was totally corny af.

"You think I shine like the sun?", his smile came back for a few seconds bit this time that bright light that always felt like the sun was obscured by clouds.

(Just to clarify this is a metaphor not a witch thing)

"I do but don't you dare change the subject!", I said.

Shoyo sighed and grabbed himself tea he haf just made, it was disgusting but I wasn't going to yell him that in this state, "Ever since I found out my family is still out there and they didn't just not care after I disappeared...I feel like there is this giant rock sitting on my heart. It's weird to explain but it's like something between guilt, Fomo and something else"

"Well why don't we break it down? Why do you feel guilty?", I tried to quote my therapist as best as I could.

"I guess I feel guilty for leaving and making them worry", his eyes usually tried to look at mine every chance they got but this time they averted my gaze as much as possible.

I've never been a fan of eye contact but at that moment I wished to be able to stare at that shine he had in his eyes before he lost it that day.

"Ok, let's remember that for later um..." I paused and hoped to have not said something stupid, "Why the Fomo?", I asked.

He grabbed his shirt, squeezed right wherehis heart was as if trying to stop it from beating out of his chest, oh how I know the feeling, "What happened after I left? I have a sister now and I didn't even fucking know! What else have I missed?"

"Alright, we can unpack that somehow gor sure", I started writing it down on a notepad nearby, "What is that thing you weren't sure of? Can you describe it to me?"

“...What if they forgot me?", his voice cracked, streamed down his face.

"I know the feeling of the fear of being forgotten tho it's probably a little different, I've not always struggled making friends and talking to people. I don't know when of happened but suddenly I was a friendless background character in my own story, with the fear of being remembered only as the

"Volleyball-freak" in middle school...but one thing kept me sane all this time."

"What?", he asked me

"I had someone by my side that never left me, no matter how much of an idiot 1 am sometimes, and I would love to be that person for you too", I put my hand on his cheek, for a moment he looked like he was about to say something but then he just huged me and started sobbing.

I wish I could have helped him more but at least he wasn't bottling up everything anymore.

Telling him "I Love You" in this situation wouldn't be right. I'll find another time to tell him, that's a promise"

"Dear Diary,

Shoyo talks to me more now, I'm glad he trusts me enough to tell me all the things that have been plaguing his mind all of these years.

He asked me on a date today and I didn't think anything of it at first, big mistake.

First of all we went inside the woods, it was weirdly mystical, there was a slight fog in the air, animals didn't flee but instead just looked at us, were they familiars just like Woodpecker?

We stopped next to a river at the feet of a waterfall, he had planned a picnic just like our first date but this time, it was just us.

He had a basket full of food he prepared, which was surprisingly delicious, which made me ask myself, What the fuck does he put in tea to make it taste so awful?

Every time he laughed at something, smiled, or simply looked at me made my heart go crazy, This was the right moment. I opened my mouth to speak and before I could say anything I was splashed with water.

"Jump in, Tobio!", he yelled at me

"I don't think swimming this close to the feet of a waterfall is safe, I yelled back so he could hear me over the waterfall

"It's fine, babe! I do this all the time!", he pulled me into the water and we started splashing each other, the whole thing turned into some sort of competition. When he got tired he jumped into my arms dramatically, I haven't seen him this happy in weeks.

This was the right moment, "I Love You, Shoyo" His face went red, "Uh...I..."

He stuttered a lot before just kissing me, I think that was a good enough of response.

To my surprise he and Woodpecker showed up at my window that night, he had a journal with him. "Do you mind if I stay here a little?", Shoyo asked me.

I said yes but couldn t help but thinking that something was up. He asked to watch "Mamma Mia!" again, fine by me.

Before he went home he asked me to talk, I. Was.

Terrified.

"Tobio, you're the best human I ever met.", he paused. I was petrified.

"And I want to be 100% honest with you, I...am going back to my family.", he looked at me expecting a response.

"Well, that's good isn't it?", I didn't understand the sadness in his voice.

"As a human...I'm going to forget you Tobio...that, was our last date in this timeline.", as the words flew out his mouth my heart felt like a glass shattering.

"W-What do you mean?"

"My time will be turned back, this may be the last time we ever see each other.", how was someone supposed to respond to that?

"I know you keep a diary," he handed me a golden chain and that journal he was holding earlier, "after you write your diary entry tonight, bind my diary and yours with this chain, once it turns rusty you re allowed to remove it, it will not save my memories but if you want to keep yours, that's the way to do it", you may have already been able to tell by the tears on these pages but I'm crying while writing this but I'd rather die than forget Shoyo. He took his broom and kissed my lips one last time, "There's one thing I never got to tell you," he paused before flying off, "I Love You, Tobio Kageyama...and I'm Sorry it had to end like this" and then he flew off"

Notes:

Author is in a period of mental instability, please be nice to Author, they're having a rough time with schoolwork and secretly hopes the school has to be shut down until fall vacation.

[solardick]

Card letter Xh. Seems it may be well suited to be the beggar. Which is laughable to what it means to the tarot. Being the sun card. A sun card depicting a woman and a man in each others company. Leaning to the ramantic and joyful. Everytime i came across a cloud Omen. As they all seem to be. As Omens and not portents. The X signified some sort of let down, or disappointment. A nullification. Even though ive come across the sun card manifestation in the literal sense as two children playing. A boy and a girl. It never leads to completion.

Coniferous, brushwood, hut. bad, evil, cherub, laughter, thin, lean, ill, art, choir, pretty, bachelor, cool, cold, cotton, invalid. Cunning, theft, predator, drunk, intoxication, christianity. Abuse, hooligan, maybe not the beggar.

Letter Xh. On overlay. The pronunciation. Doesn’t exist in english. It is described as a Kh. Being a close semblance to H. Is curious in itself as H is the lovers card. With cupid. A cherub. And X is the sun as lovers. Albeit. A difference form of love. More towards innocence than passion. The appearance of a cherub. Isn’t far from a scene of a chanting choir in the background. A poor weak single man. It mixes in elements from the marseille’s fool card.

A crow on one side, a dove on the other. Seems to fit in-between the etteilla death card and my revised priestess card. As it does also paint the image of a thief. In the scene of desperation. And wiilingness to do the crime in the name for better. So maybe a switching is is order. And a look into letter Ee.

But, what is a cherub? Biblically speaking the cherub isn’t what is considered an angel. It’s more of a guardian at the gate. And are inhuman. Present with some human qualities. Namely the head to be given the ability to speak. The Egyptian sphinx is a cherub. In that sense. Less a speaker of riddles and deeper truths. It is supposed to have the mixed qualities of the lion and the bull. Strength in the voice and sacrifice of the vessel. For those whom are born outside the garden of eden. Are to be one with god. And exclusively so to be. If this to be violated, then its the expulsion back to the land of man. To imperfect laws. And the horror of their ways. The cherub also has wings. Said to be wings of an eagle. It doesn’t specify that of the dove. The modern day form of cherub. Is taken as a baby. But there is nothing frightening in a baby. Its a story descending from the greek/roman pantheon of gods. Bridging venus and mars together as one to the god Eros of lust and love. In that order.

The story of card Xkh here, then takes on a dubious predicament for origin. For what story is there to tell. The cherub or the cupid in between of the virgin “goddess” figure standing in for the high priestess. The invite teasing the will forward away from the land of man’s twisted nazi cocksukr ways. To the promise of something beautiful and true. Sadly the scenes plays in for a mirage of satanic bs teasing the disease to extricate itself to champion its stance to loser and prey.

For in english the next letter is Y x isnt moving away from it it is moving towards it. And the world card to fallow overlaps something else. And she’s not what he seems.

In reality of the script overlay in its written form is, У X Y. They can play all they want on this regard but the difference is still there. It’s only noticed with a keener sense of sight. Parading itself to be something it’s not. And here flipping the journey forward back around to be traveling back in the same direction in which One comes. But the difference is seen. And which card is that? It’s W. the moon. A flipped mirrored image. In a prison cell one was born in. Always in the constant motion of perverting reality. I know this to be true. Its been 39 straight years of this. I didn’t ask to be born a russian. So to say.

But since i was robbed from heaven since i was 8. And the world has done nothing but harm me since before then. Wonder who my alpha male is gonna be. They’re trying to build me a sense of confidence now. But, it’s a failed endeavour. While my ass continues to hurt from whatever they dosed me with. It’ll be around my birthday next year.

Thinknim gonna give up doing rarot and go back to smoking dope and being an incompetent gamer. These last few years being run by other people is all the propf i need not to be rational. Guess ill

Never lnow what it is not being owned by someone.

No wonder i dont want to eat anymore. Mars is about food amd cleaning. Dont need one. Theres nothing to liok foreard to in life. Im going to go get hogh.

And….. we’re high. Hmm.

Cherub. Coniferous. Beggar or fool. Bundle of brushwood. Odd little cherub looking ugly thing.

Sexchems and abuse.

Love being an eight year old child surrounded by predators. Makes life grand. Always was an entourage of predators. Even back then. I know the mentality well. When a brother purposefully pretends not to see you in hide and seek. And gleams on being in that disposition of superiority. For a single example, have more. Just fallowing me from the grave to the grave. Haunted by evil. Its always been there. Ive seen it slither up to front. Smiling. With those dead eyes in joy. The make believe stances. Little ways they move. Little ways the speak. Tongue weaving as it hissles the senses. The kind complements. The vicious undertones.

Too bad the cherubim are invisible. Never seen one. Maybe. I am not sure. Wouln’t be one. No. Thats all the facade. Planned script. It’s not alive. Like the things ive seen. When life is in nothing but in the way things move, like the wind. Natural things. Wont try to explain it to a bunch of morons. Its best when it’s sense. In that state of distance. When the relationship is unbroken.

The peddler, to give it a name. Card preceding this one. Needs a quill and a list of paper. A snake. wrapped around a leg? The leg would imply the man. If it didn’t have a significance to apply the thee. And not a thee.

Card letter, trap! Х(kh). A little english justice in there. And not a love as harmony. And the warning for Adam. Is a nice touch. The X of the sun, crossing it out…. To the other side.

Rough draft

But to this script the kh is the chariot and the patriarch. Here from this perspective. There’s the added love as passion. As driven blending with the father. Compared to justice and love as harmony. K to the english latin is open to what temperance closes with an R. The X blends something resembling above to the lovers as in innocense to the sun. Because it’s a lunar deck. It doesn’t fallow the sun as production. It’s been left unspoken.

The cherub here depicted as four separate beings, brings to life ezekial’s prophecy. If one knows what that is. One may use it. But it gives breath to the aquarian form as being the leading role. This being the voice of the people. As centre image. The serpent willing it’s bs. Which isn’t true and mislead. And can’t really be fallowed through because it’s wrong. Erroneous, and shining the unrational side of a stinging Wring-worm.

Ok, shut up! Jesus.

I want to vomit. Where sherry when you need her.

Man i could have helped that girl. Thanks for ruining it. And here i am being forced to relive my childhood for eternity. In that same frame of being driven without conscious inflection. Overruling as a shadow for a demon. People want that. People are dumb.

Well guess the tarot journey is over. You’re welcome. I played. You suck. Son’t want to play anymore. And that fucken dictionary. All sources uh? Alright. Pot and video games it is. Just read through most of letter H. Its a giant fuck fest of slutty sexual conditioning. In, on , at. Pull, push. Back, on in at push floor naked, hang, rise. push pull. Out in. Whimper, plead , aisde unleash at from. Back naked, community, forced rape, violence, evil, push pull on in out, to the death.(forever)….etc. ok. Sure why not.

Drop the latin tarot script entirely. There’s no mixing in with. Won’t prevent them from running their own though.

And i’ll wait on another 0.3.3 degrees to pluto for another attack on my person. To force an eviction. Send out the deafening alarming sound. Of the tower overlaying the 4 of swords next to the final Judgement. Nazi’s taking everything by force. Burning theough till the resources are gone or overecumbered by the effort.

Trump is entertaining, though. Stand up comedy.

Have no choice. Come up with something unique. All these sources corrupted but, the idea behind them is brilliant. Creation of “archetype”. Use the russian Cyrillic as the blue print layout. I like how that works. All sources are corrupted can’t rely on anything. Very slow process. Because i don’t work. I don’t do anything. Like in supposed to.

Maybe take depression time off the end of winter beginning of spring. Round there. They’ll hit me at home for the transits anyway.

Who needs to develop a personality and charecter anyway. Do what im supposed to do and be a mute dont talk to anyone. About anything. The food ol’life. Hope they stoo raping me now. Or of they add in a fifth fucken decade. 40 yearsbof beimg tredded on my nazi fucken cocksukrs is getten lame. At least do the humane thing and fucken kill me ya bunch of fucken pussies.