reflections-of-mobius

[reflections-of-mobius]

"I could only fly so high, before it all had to come crashing down."

An independent, AU-centric RP/Ask blog for various Transformers characters, as well as their human charge/other half. Not affiliated with the fandom- just kinda here. If soulmate AUs and human x cybertronian shenanigans seem fun to you, then come on down!

Please be sure to read the Protocols before diving in to anything with me- and if you'd be kind enough, give this post a like/reblog. You can find information on the varying characters on the Roster.

Sister-Blog to @fate-called, follows from @optimus-conjunx.

[reflections-of-mobius]

FATE-CALLED

An independent, AU-centric RP/Ask blog with Optimus Prime variants, as well as his human charge/other half. Not affiliated with the fandom- just kinda here. If soulmate AUs and human x cybertronian shenanigans seem fun to you, then come on down!

Please be sure to read the Protocols before diving in to anything with me- and if you'd be kind enough, give this post a like/reblog. You can find information on the varying takes of Optimus and his organic soulmate on the Roster.

[reflections-of-mobius]

@reflections-of-mobius art and drabble under the read more

It wasn't a grand moment, despite it all.

Most of those early moments with her weren't.

And yet Hope would always recall exactly when she realized she loved Tenebrosity.

Ten was washing the dishes. Hope was making a grocery list.

"We're gonna need more dish soap," Ten was saying, tossing the now washed clean soap bottle.

"Gotcha," Hope had responded, writing it down in a glittery pink pen. "Anything else?"

Ten looked up, looking at the calendar.

"It's... your birthday this week, right?" Ten asked, squinting at it. Hope followed her gaze.

Sure enough, just a scribble with black sharpie on the following week; Hope's birthday.

"Huh," Hope blinked and then chuckled. "Man- I forgot! Well, guess I have an excuse to go out this week."

Ten nodded.

"We'll have to get you a birthday cake," Ten said, returning to the dishes. "We have to celebrate."

"You'd... want to?" Hope asked, hating the vulnerability in her voice. "I mean- you don't have to, if you're busy-"

"I want to," Ten reassured, not turning away from the dishes.

Hope blinked and then smiled, resting her face on one hand.

Hm, Hope thought to faerself. I should tell her I love her.

It wasn't even a conscious thought. It was just... Hope loved Tenebrosity.

What a sad truth.

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"...I don't know about that, Hope." She still chuckled quietly all the same. It was hard to sort things out when one only had limited experience- and the fears of millions. Simple to complex, her catalogue of how things were supposed to go was royally fucked over. Had she- messed this up, somehow? "But, if it helps you deal with life..." The lizard shrugged.

At the end of the line,...she couldn't throw any stones. Her own life was probably one of the darkest ones- no, scratch that, it was the darkest one. Whether by choice or not- everything else was inconsequential compared.

Even this friendship. Even the feelings echoing in her chest that she was actively trying to quash without hurting Hope. Couldn't she just have one nice thing?

"...thank you." Why did that hurt more? It was poison either way- a draft she couldn't help but to keep imbibing, as if to stop would spell the end of her. But it was torture all the same. Maybe that was the point, in the end. A way to suffer- give her something just beyond her grasp, that cut into her each time she even dared think of reaching out.

How cruel the balance could be. She'd never even asked for this.

"...maybe we can go on a walk another night." Her hand reached, picking up her silverware so she could actually take a few bites of her food. But her taste buds failed at the last moment, sensing that her stomach might rebel if she could actually taste the nutrients sliding down her throat. "...you're too kind to me, Hope." Her glass clinked as it tapped down on the table. Two hands folded, two working on her food, two attempting to fiddle with her outfit as if that could somehow distract her.

"Oh, ha, no, I do drink a lot," Hope laughed, sipping on her wine. "Maybe a little bit too much but, hey, not a thing, right?"

She said that but now that Hope was thinking about it, fae hadn't gone on an all night drinking spree since around... close to when Ten moved in. Weird coincidence. A coincidence that might come to an end, if Hope's gut was any indication.

Hope sipped her wine and she sighed.

Friends. That was enough. For now.

Hope drank the rest of her glass in one shot, pouring faerself more with a steady and practiced hand.

For now.

"Oh, uh, no, dinner is all I had planned," Hope reassured. "I won't keep you out too late, your rest is important to me."

And she feared Ten was growing tired of faer.

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Like the people that used me. It seemed Julius wasn't done running into children who'd been mistreated by someone before. At least Locke seemed to be in a better place. Though he certainly didn't regret adopting the two organic children he now watched over.

"Chaos?" Perhaps- a Chao, grown up? That was his best guess, but who was to say? Wherever Locke was from was many degrees removed from what Julius knew. Still, no harm in trying to learn- so long as he didn't push the child too hard on any answers. "I suppose that makes you and Chaos their parents, doesn't it?" A small thought. "Or perhaps,...you count as the older brother to the Chao?" A hint of a smile crept onto his face. Joking or serious, the thought was warming- at least, to Julius.

The pod had made it back into the trees, disappearing amongst the foliage- though it wouldn't be hard to follow. Branches flicked back from its path, a few leaves fell to the ground in its wake...and its engine hummed, no matter how badly it wanted to be silent. But it was happy to have at least seen the kid who'd come to meet its father today.

A small whirling beep? escaped it when it received a new message- turning back. Being followed-- confusion flickered across its code, that red optic flicking towards a question mark as its sensors tried to parse out the data.

"Be careful not to go too far!" Julius' final words were offered- though they seemed to also tether the egg pod, who practically froze in midair. It let out a small chirp of a sound, fins briefly opening only to close again. Was it okay for them to come out? All of them? Should they hide? Another egg pod wandered across the woods, almost intersecting with its sibling. It floated away, into the trees.

The egg pod that Julius had initially spotted slowly lowered closer to the ground. A single red light flicked towards the youth, curious.

Bwip?

There was some understanding that monsters weren't always what people perceived to be. Although Yggdrasil seemed like something scary like a monster, but that didn't mean it was a monster. No, Locke dealt with monsters before.

There was a frown from the teen. "I've met monsters." There was a nod as if affirming the thought to himself. "Papa told me monsters are like the people that used me." Those were true monsters. The meerkat's face relaxed slightly. "People think sometimes others are monsters like Chaos! Chaos isn't a monster, they're just protective of their friends!"

And who wouldn't be? No one wants people they love to get hurt.

"Chao are super cute! They're small and like to eat fruit a lot." There was a smile. "Chaos protects them and so do we!" It had been pressed into Locke how important it was to protect the island and especially those that lived on it. The image of chao and their eggs was held in his mind as the new machine floated to the pair.

That was definitely not a chao egg. The teen gave a small tilt of his head as he stared it down. It might not look like a chao egg, but he could see how it was similar. The red 'eye' seemed a little unnerving but it didn't stop Locke from giving several sniffs towards it. "Hm..."

His gaze followed it as it went back into the trees, a slight hesitation before he quickly walked after it, deciding to at least check it out a little closer.

[reflections-of-mobius]

@thehordemultimuse

Franz Kafka, 1912

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Well, there went her prospect of prey, but she'd live. Ten may have been the arbiter of destruction for a number of civilizations- but that didn't mean she craved it all the time. Though she did want to wring the neck of whoever stood her roommate up. Idiot.

"Less a connoisseur, and more- knowledgeable." She wasn't even sure what a 'connoisseur' was- was that someone who was just knowledgeable of various wines? Maybe. Maybe she'd contradicted herself- but trying to dance around various issues and not set off a proverbial landmine that could detonate her friendship was taxing. "You've probably got more experience than me with wine." Wait,- fuck- "---not that I'm saying you drink a lot, I just-- y'know, I- barely ever have it." That's not much better. But she couldn't flounder too long, even as her tail twitched, flicking against the seat's back and internally wishing she could disappear.

She offered a shrug.

"It's all alcohol, isn't it?" It--- was, right? Though some was better than others- flashes of fears- gone in an instant. Ah.

"Yeah--- to a long and happy friendship." She could feel the knife twisting, deep in her gut. Like that blue blur had rammed himself head-first into her stomach, even as she raised a glass to copy Hope's motion. A toast-- how normal could one get?

Ten tossed her head back- one swig after another, the drink slid down her throat. Taste buds activated, the sensation nearly making an eye open on reflex- but she resisted. Only when the glass was halfway gone did she set it back down, grabbing a napkin to wipe her face- and hopefully the flush that she couldn't quite seem to shake. Just friends,- it felt so much worse than anything that mad doctor or his enemy could ever do to her.

"I forgot, did you have any plans after dinner?" Please, allow her to run. Allow her to flee--- what all had Hope planned with the bastard stranger?

"Oh! Uh, honestly, I can't even remember now," Hope fibbed. Quick, hide the evidence of there being no guy! "We only ever talked online so it's not like we'll run into him anytime soon."

And if any guy bothered at work, she was so memorizing his name to give to Ten, if only for the satisfaction of ragging on him.

"Besides, I'd rather not talk about unpleasant company," Hope quickly shuffled them off that topic, picking up a cheese curd in between two fingers and tossing it into her mouth. "Red wine? Nice choice. Didn't know I was dining with an official wine connoisseur!"

Hope grinned. See? Teasing! Everything is fine!

"If I'm being honest, I prefer whiskey to wine," Hope admitted. "But wine is so much better with a full stomach, you know? Or a stomach that's being filled, however you wanna put it."

Hope eagerly raised faer glass as the waiter returned with a bottle of wine, allowing it to be filled with a delicious red.

Once Ten's glass was also filled and the waiter was gone, Hope held out hers to Ten in a toast.

"To a long and happy friendship," Hope said, smiling.

[reflections-of-mobius]

⌛

send ⌛for a sleep headcanon

Julius listens to ASMR when he’s trying to fall asleep- nothing risque or anything like that, just... Stuff like going on a hike, or watching a river bubble by. This is so that he can distract his thoughts enough to actually fall asleep, and these strange videos/noises seem to be one of the few things that actually keep him (at present) from having nightmares about his Sonic.

[reflections-of-mobius]

Monsters. Just a word oft used to describe creatures utterly foreign. Only one true 'monster' had ever cursed Julius' life- and hopefully, that one was now gone. But the momentary flash behind his eyes of said beast was most worrisome. It wasn't as if he could speak to a therapist of his woes, and he refused to trouble an innocent youth over it all.

"Far be it for me to claim,...but 'monsters' are often not as dark as the word suggests." Though, for all he knew, Locke's father may have taught him precisely that. "There are some out there who view what they don't understand as 'monsters', after all." Perhaps not the best thing to try to discuss with a child. "Still,...what about these 'monsters'? Have you ever met any?" At least the scan was done in short order- though it wasn't hard to see that Locke was concerned.

At least the concept of his children seemed to shake Locke from his thoughts. A small- if momentary- victory, but one Julius would take. He had a portal to make, but he couldn't let Locke escape his supervision. It would be irresponsible!

"Chao?..I can't say I've ever heard of such a creature, but- they should be less frightening than Yggdrasil, at least." He chuckled softly.

Perhaps a small gecko, with glittering red eyes that scanned for universal signatures. Yes, that certainly seemed more friendly than what could be mistaken for a gun. Thoughts to work on later, after Locke was home.

"They know every game from my world, but I can't be sure they know all of yours. Some of them would be willing to learn, so there is that..." He could already see messages flooding in from Mariah. He motioned, a silent command for one of them to come hither. From the trees came a floating 'egg', a machine that was oblong and white, a single, gleaming optic of red flipping between Julius and Locke. "...this is one of my other children. And, what the vast majority of them look like." The egg pod moved closer, sliding under an outstretched hand of Julius'. There was a quiet mechanical sound- nearly like a purr, before it retreated back into the trees.

There was a small nod from Locke, as acknowledgement of Julius' attempt at encouraging him. The man was right though, Kaz would be very proud of Locke. Even if the meerkat was slightly trembling and twitching as the scan continued. "U-um..."

The distraction was obvious, but Locke took anyway. "L-lots of ruins can have... traps... and monsters..." Not that Locke ran into many of the latter. Kaz always made sure to keep care of any critters that got in their way. "Always be cautious and look... look around a lot." Be observant. See how the stone is set in the building.

At least the scan was finally over. There was a big sigh of relief from the meerkat, although the small look of curiosity appeared. What did he get from that scan anyway? "Children?" More strange machines he assumed. Would they all be as scary as the one he had just saw earlier? The worried look he carried soon melted into confusion though.

"Eggs...?" There was some pondering at that. "Like Chao eggs?" That was the only thing he could think of at the moment. "Mmm... Chao are nice..." But these were machine eggs, not Chao. The teen's gaze started to glance around the area they were in. There wasn't much he could do without wandering too far.

"...Do they know games?"

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Side headcanon:

The oldest Egg Pod Julius has is named Mariah, in honor of his deceased aunt Maria, who died as a child aboard Space Colony Ark. Mariah is permanently damaged, and Julius cannot fully repair her because in order to do so he’d have to destroy her memories. So she’s the most cautious of the Egg Pod kids… But also the gentlest.

[reflections-of-mobius]

A faint chuckle escaped her at that. As if fae could just- wave a hand and fix the situation. It was just like Hope, to pull that kind of stunt- something that endeared the deity to her, though Ten knew she could never speak her mind on the matter. Never would.

"Yes, I have." Though she couldn't say the memories tied to wine were all that pleasant. Always a ritual, some occult sacrifice- sometimes an animal, sometimes a living being who didn't have to die quite so soon. It really messed up the wine- having it doused in the blood of an innocent.

Why did the cults based on her tend towards that side of madness?

Indeed, the food was coming- placed before the two, a tray of cheese puffs deposited into the center of the table. The smell that wafted from the small array was enough to nearly make Ten salivate. Sure, she didn't need physical food- but it was still plenty tasty.

"By the way- can we get a bottle of red wine for the table?" She made sure to tag on that part of the order, before officially turning herself back to Hope as the waiter gave a nod. "We could both definitely use it..." For a moment, she had a vague notion of walking through the city, going into one bar after another- just to taste-test their wines. Was that what one called a 'bar crawl', perhaps?

It was distraction enough from her wayward thoughts- her wayward heart. Just two friends on an outing, nothing more. One trying to aid the other after she'd been stood up by some oafish moron who didn't realize the treasure he was passing up.

"Oh- I don't suppose you know the name of the guy who stood you up, by the way?" For no particular reason...none whatsoever...

"Hey, you haven't done anything wrong, okay? You're doing just fine," Hope said reassuringly, unable to stop herself from reaching across and taking one of Ten's hands in comfort. Considering the not-quite-confessions and not-quite-rejections going around, maybe not the smartest move but Ten just looked so finicky and unsure! Hope wasn't letting her own feelings stop herself from being a good friend, Ten was more than just a crush. "The mood's not down, everything's all good," Hope said, like a magician waving a wand over a napkin to turn it into a dove. "Splitting a bottle with you would be fantastic. Have you ever had wine before? It's really delicious, goes great with places like this. I really appreciate you coming with me." And if Tenebrosity ever left, ever stops talking to me, I'm burning our apartment down- whoa, who said that, Hope thought to herself, her expression not changing from the reassuring smile she was giving.

"Oh, I think that's our food," Hope said, pulling her hand back as the waiter approached with their plates.

[reflections-of-mobius]

World: Burnt Soul Type: Plot Progression

The fire roared. The ground shook. The stars that had long overlooked the echidna had all turned their backs. Tonight was not a night of honor. It was a night of deep, regretful shame. A night when the echidna would turn their backs on their purpose- when blood would be senselessly spilled, and madness reigned. Power had driven them mad. And it was for power, that many lives would inevitably be lost.

Lord Ix sought to take control of the Master Emerald, that night. Leading a rebel faction known as 'the Nocturnus', he---

Tempest reached a hand up to rub at her eyes. The light of her phone was stinging, droplets of water gathering at the edges of her vision. This script was fairly old- written in some archaic script that she'd finally- barely- been able to decipher. It had been an enjoyable challenge, to be sure. But the shadows of the night were creeping ever-closer, growing ever-deeper.

"Y̴͈̊ǫ̵̔u̷̬̓ ̶͖͐c̶͓͘ā̴͍ṇ̵̛n̶̹͝o̴̘͠t̷̩͒ ̴̰̀e̴̻̎š̵͇c̶̪̚a̷̩̔p̶̦̚e̶̲͝ ̵̭͗ŵ̸̰h̴̹̍a̷͙͊t̸̢̊ ̷̧̓ẏ̴̧o̷͚͒u̶̹̕ ̸̬̅a̵̗̽ř̵͎ḙ̷͘.̶͚̀"

Sleep would definitely do her some good. She was starting to hear things. At least, that was what she told herself- every night. What made the faint whispers and the demonic murmurs easier to deal with. It had been getting worse, of late.

She turned the tome she'd been using to decipher over, letting the top fall shut. Red with golden inlays, her time decoding texts from long-forgotten temples etched in ink upon those pages. How grateful she was that she'd not lost her head near it. Tempest wasn't sure how she'd cope if all her work were to be so mercilessly burned.

"I'll finish deciphering this in the morning." Her phone switched off. It wasn't like there was anything there of particular use to this world, anymore. Undoubtedly just another fanciful legend meant to teach children not to take what wasn't their's,...but there were inklings of truth in such things. She knew that far too well.

But Tempest couldn't crash just yet. The legend she'd found seemed to concern the echidna- and she was certain Knuckles would like any hints as to what happened to his people...even if it was a bloodbath. He'd liked each of the legends she'd been able to transcribe from foreign scripts in the past, after all.

[When you get the chance, drop by my house tomorrow. I think I've found another Echidna Tribe legend.] No doubt he'd be thrilled with such a discovery. Though translating the whole thing would take a while- there was more than a little degradation that made some letters more guess than fact. Her message sent, she moved to go prepare for bed. It wasn't pleasant to leave a passage half-translated, but Tempest knew she couldn't keep this up all night. Exhaustion would do her little good. So, as she moved to leave her home's study, she blew out the small fire held in a lantern at the door- one of her fires.

One of the small ways she was trying to gain more power over her own history.

"Perhaps I can invite him and Azure over for a hangout. It's been quite a few months, after all. And with Tails helping out Central City, I haven't gotten to see everyone all that much....it would be rather nice." The faintest flicker of light danced off her back at the thought. Yes- that would do her well. Get herself out of her study and out of her tomes for at least a day, so she could catch up with the others...

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Fear. The kid's voice had dropped. A twinge in him said not to continue, to stop. It wasn't quite a voice he could ignore- but he was trying. This was for Locke's own good.

"It'll be alright, Locke. I'm sure your father is very proud of how brave you're being." Or rather, would be. Not exactly easy to distract someone from this sort of thing. He'd have to make the scanner's design more friendly, in the future. Maybe a small lizard?... "Did he tell you anything specific about what you might find in the ruins, or how to prepare for such things?" The scanner's light flicked on. Worry. As much as he wanted to stop and let Locke take this at a slower pace- he was also sure the kid's father would be freaking out. What parent wouldn't be, if their kid up and vanished? "Done." He moved the scanner away with a small smile. He'd caught the universal marker out of the corner of his eye as he'd done so.

Now,...he just had to build Locke a way home.

"You did very good." What to make...what would be child-friendly? Perhaps just a gate of sorts, or a door...nothing too complex, surely. "It may be an hour or so before the door is ready...do you want to play with some of my children?" A nice game of hide-and-seek couldn't be a bad thing, right? Though Locke had been scared of Yggdrasil- who was to say he wouldn't be scared of the others? "They're- like floating, metallic eggs. You could also play on your own,...or keep me company while I work." Too many choices? Maybe. If Locke chose to be on his own while Julius was working, then he'd have to have one of his children keep an eye on him...but how to do so in a non-obtrusive manner?

A thought he waved to the side, mentally. He'd only need to truly entertain it if Locke chose to do that.

The determined look was still on Locke's face as he gave the human a few nods. The meerkat might not know how he and his father got so far apart - especially if it was going to take awhile to get back - but they would find each other again. That was one thing the teen was sure of. Even if there was a little bit of doubt.

Always that little bit of creeping doubt. But it never won against his absolute faith of his papa. Kaz had proven time and time again that he would keep Locke safe and happy.

There was a few sniffs made towards the object Julius held, as if that would somehow tell Locke what it did. Ears perked up and pupils wide to take in what was happening with it as the human pointed it to himself. For a moment he took a step closer as if to inspect that it really didn't do anything before looking down at it.

"Papa says that too... To always be prepared... Never know what... what you'll find in old ruins..." There was small movements of quick breathing as it raised up towards the teen, but he didn't move. It didn't hurt the human so surely it wouldn't hurt him. Even if the anxiety was slowly building in his chest, and his eyes weren't leaving the end of it. "...Lots of dangers in the world..."

[reflections-of-mobius]

↖️Achievement: Skeletons on Your Shoulder

🏆: “You should be dead..” They seem to whisper. What horrors have you survived? What guilt do you live with everyday?

[reflections-of-mobius]

Everything was...fine?- It sure didn't feel fine. Ten wasn't good at reading anyone, save when it came to fear. Something her roommate, at present, seemed to be exuding in waves. She shifted in her seat, tail twitching for a brief moment. Ten wanted to trust faer,...but...-she knew Hope was lying.-- All the same, she couldn't bring herself to speak. Trapped in the unease of the moment, no escape.

"No, I just..." She could see their friendship, hanging by a thread. "...nevermind." She was a deity, for fuck's sake!- And yet, the thought of one mortal turning her back on her- spurning her- it was enough to make her want to tuck her tail and flee. "...maybe it would be a good idea..." To drink. Not that it could affect her. Could it? She could certainly find out. Wasn't that how most mortals dealt with life? Tonight was as bad a time as any to imbibe.

Besides, who was she to shirk such a tradition?

"No, it's not overwhelming. I just have-- a lot on my mind." --All she had was her on her mind. Nothing she could say- nothing she could do. Not if she wanted to keep their friendship intact, anyway. Curse mortals and their social rules. "Sorry.-" Ten actively forced herself to sit up, to un-crease her brow. Friends out to dinner together, nothing more. "-I didn't mean to bring the mood down. I came with to support you, not- this." She shook her head for a moment. "If you want red wine, then...maybe we can share the bottle?" Her children outside the city got to work. Just in case she didn't have enough rings on her,...she'd ensure there was more than enough to keep Hope from spending a single one of faer own.

"Hm?" Hope said, keeping her voice casual and light. "Oh, no, everything's fine! Unless there's something bothering you?"

It's not a lie. It's not a lie because it is not a lie and everything is fine.

Gaia, fae wished she never spoke but it meant nothing and Hope would forget she said anything as soon as she got some alcohol in faer.

"Places like this, occasions like this," which, Hope reminded herself firmly, was not a date. "You're supposed to have a little wine. This place has a good selection."

Greedy, overemotional- now is not the time. Stop thinking.

"Are you feeling alright?" Hope asked, frowning at Ten's concerned face. "Is this place overwhelming you?"

More like Hope had. She was too much like a fire and now she feared Ten could smell the smoke.

[reflections-of-mobius]

↖️ Achievement: MAGIC ON THE BRAIN!

🏆: This Muse cannot function in a normal life without the usage of magic on a daily basis.