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valkyrisffvii · 3 years

Text

Secrets

Setting: Mithra’s apartment in the Shinra Building, Midgar

POV: 3rd person

Summary: Mithra invites Sephiroth over to her home so the new couple can spend time together, and she reveals some of her deepest secrets.

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Mithra sat on one of the barstools in her kitchen area, mindlessly staring at her phone. She finished cleaning up her apartment earlier to make it look presentable, as Sephiroth was going to be spending the night with her. Apparently, her apartment was nicer than even the 1st class SOLDIER’s, as it was originally a suite for Shinra’s guests.

The two of them had been together for about a week now. Mithra still felt somewhat overwhelmed and in disbelief at the fact, but Sephiroth had reassured her that he loved her and wanted the relationship. Also, thankfully, there were no rules in SOLDIER that forbade dating among members. Additionally, the two of them had agreed that their relationship could become public, as doing such would prevent fangirls from causing problems.

There was a knock at her door, and Mithra quickly hurried over. She peered through the peephole and saw the tall, silver-haired First standing on the other side. Heart racing, she opened the door to let him in.

“Hello, my dear,” his smooth voice did nothing to calm her down. He placed his duffel bag down and pulled Mithra in for a hug. Normally, Sephiroth would never perform such a physical act, but Mithra somehow brought out this side in him. Mithra hugged him back, burying her face into his shoulder.

“Hello, love,” she mumbled into his coat. She leaned up to kiss him, which he gladly accepted. Mithra then led him into her living area.

“Your home is very nice,” he said. “I now understand why Zack and Cloud like to hang out here so much.”

“I do my best to accommodate. I made Zack his own jar of puppy food.”

Sephiroth could not help but crack a small grin; Mithra knew her friends too well. The living area had a television as well as a large couch and a coffee table. The kitchen was in the same room, with a nicely-sized kitchen island that sported several bar stools. Sephiroth spotted several of Angeal’s cookbooks perched on the countertop, showing that Mithra had been borrowing them and experimenting with new recipes.

Mithra opened one of the doors that led out of the living area to reveal the bedroom. Maroon sheets and pillowcases adorned the king-sized bed, and a matching comforter was draped over the foot. Each side had a nightstand with a pink salt lamp, and the nightstand on the left had a caddy with several small items. Opposite of the bed was a full-length window whose curtains were currently drawn.

“You can leave your bag there.” Mithra gestured to the dresser against the wall next to the door. “The left side of the bed is my side. I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the right side.” She paused, getting nervous again. “Unless you don’t feel comfortable sleeping next to me, then you could sleep-”

Sephiroth shushed her.

“Relax, love. I’ll be more than comfortable sharing a bed with you. I’m sure your bed will be much warmer with me in it.” He winked at her, inciting a giggle from the now-relaxed Second. As she helped him get settled, Mithra could not help but adore the way Sephiroth could both fluster her to the point of blushing and instantly relax her all in the same breath.

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The evening had consisted of the two talking about their lives and gossiping about their friends. Mithra cooked them dinner with the help of Angeal’s cookbooks, and, unlike the times she cooked with Zack, the kitchen stayed relatively clean. They also played chess, which Sephiroth won every single time. Mithra and Sephiroth only grew closer during that time. She had always known that they were more similar than she originally thought, having no clue who their parents were and being mostly solitary in their youth. It almost seemed like they were meant to be together.

It was 9 PM when they both decided to get ready for bed. Mithra showed Sephiroth to her luxurious bathroom, which sported separate shower, whirlpool spa, and toilet rooms that both connected to a vanity and sink area. Not even the prestigious 1st Class SOLDIERs had this amenity.

“I know that you’ll be taking a while with that hair of yours, so I’ll go and shower first.” Mithra gathered her clothes and went into the shower room, finishing her shower within five minutes. She changed into her preferred sleepwear which consisted of a sports bra and shorts, and she went back into the bedroom where Sephiroth was sitting on the bed.

“You look quite adorable,” he said playfully, which resulted in an equally playful punch in the arm. He pretended to be hurt and chuckled as he went into the bathroom to shower.

Ten minutes had passed, and knowing that her boyfriend would be taking a while, Mithra went to the bathroom and opened up the small skincare refrigerator that sat safely on a vanity away from the sinks. She applied her toner and creams, considering asking Sephiroth if he was interested in trying out one of her mud masks sometime. As she walked back to her bedroom, she failed to notice the large, slippery puddle that a certain someone had dripped in the middle of the floor.

“Fuuuck!” she cried as her feet slid up from underneath her. Luckily, before she could collapse on the floor, a strong pair of hands saved her by catching her under her arms. Instead of laying flat on her back on the floor, Mithra’s body was now propped up by her heels and her rescuer.

Mithra opened her eyes and looked up to see her silver-haired lover who currently sported the most smug face she’d ever seen. To add to her embarrassment, the only thing covering him was a white towel wrapped securely around his hips. She could feel the heat rising in her face as she gained her footing and looked away. Sephiroth stepped in front of her, smiling at how cute she looked. She looked up and was met face to face with a broad, naked chest, which she could not take her eyes off of. She was snapped out of her trance when she felt his velvety lips press against her forehead.

“Sephy! Why are you walking around and leaving puddles everywhere?” she cried. “Go dry yourself off and put on some clothes while I clean up the mess you made!”

“You know, I could use my towel to wipe the floor...”

“No!” Mithra practically shoved him back into the shower room and went to mop up the puddles, all while fighting the urge to peek in on him getting dressed.

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After she had wrung out her mop and left it out to dry, Mithra headed back to her bedroom and sat on her side of the bed. She laid back against the pillows as she doodled on her tablet with her prized stylus. Drawing proved itself to be a favorite pastime of hers. It helped her relax and unwind in between missions and long training sessions with Angeal. She had drawn portraits for all her friends, which they appreciated immensely.

Mithra was currently working on yet another sketch of Sephiroth. She knew that she was falling for him when she found herself drawing him over and over, constantly trying to get more and more accurate with her portrayal of the famous SOLDIER. Having spent plenty of time with him lately, she basically had his entire face memorized.

The bathroom door opened, and Mithra turned her head to see Sephiroth standing there. His hair still laid flat on his head with dampness, and he had slipped on a pair of black sweatpants, leaving his bare chest exposed. Mithra could not help but crack a small smile at him. He came over to sit next to her, peering at her tablet and the drawing she worked on.

“Drawing me again, aren’t you?” He asked teasingly. He looked more closely at Mithra’s work, his eyes sparkling.

“I’ll probably be drawing you a lot more, my dear,” Mithra responded, looking up at him and getting lost in his minty-green eyes. She noticed that his usual slit pupils had dilated slightly, now resembling ellipses. Before he had confessed his feelings towards her, Mithra had rarely seen him look at anything with the amount of love and adoration he currently exhibited. He was always so serious and dedicated to his work. He chuckled in response to her statement.

“If you ever want me to model for you, I’d be honored.”

“Remind me to bring my pen and tablet when we go to Costa Del Sol,” she laughed, placing her items down and scooting herself in between his legs with her back resting on his chest. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair. He then leaned back against the headboard and began to mindlessly fiddle with Mithra’s short brown locks, a stark contrast to his long silver mane.

As she shifted her head, he noticed something peculiar under her hair right behind her right ear. He pushed the hair aside to reveal a long, raised scar that marred her skin from right behind the tip of her ear to about halfway down her neck. He could not stop staring at it as his finger went to trace along it, causing Mithra to cease her movements.

“How did you get this scar?” He asked curiously. Mithra did not respond, as thoughts of how she’d explain its story swam in her head. Even though it had been so many years since that event, the memory was still fresh in her mind. It was one of the things that made her hate her life in the slums, and how glad she was to have been able to find a new life at Shinra.

“Mithra?” She turned slightly so she could look at Sephiroth from the corner of her eye, and her scar was still fully visible to him.

“I got it when I was sixteen. I was in the slums and I was leaving a bar because I had to return a stolen item to a client,” she explained. Sephiroth only stared at the mutilated skin, running his thumb along the length of the healed scar. “I was just outside the entrance when a man reeking of booze grabbed my arm and told me I looked pretty. He asked me if I was interested in having some fun with him; he was obviously trying to get me to sleep with him. I refused and tried to pull away, and he eventually got so mad that he slammed his half-empty bottle into my head. He aimed for the right side of my face, but I was quick, so it ended up hitting me behind the ear.” Her hand came up to meet his. “It still hurt like a bitch though. If I didn’t jerk my head I probably would’ve gotten glass in my eye and gone blind on that side.”

Sephiroth only looked at her in horror. How could someone do that, and to a sixteen year old no less? He concealed the anger and hatred he felt towards that man; Mithra was most likely safe from him for good now, but that wouldn’t stop Sephiroth from killing the offender if he dared to show his face. By now, Mithra had turned around to face him, her hands on his shoulders.

“I know what you’re thinking. I give you full permission to impale him with Masamune if you see him. I still vaguely remember what he looks like.” She paused to reach behind her ear and touch her scar.

“Experiences like that one are what taught me all the skills I’ve needed to survive. After I staggered from the pain, I ran for my life. It wasn’t until a year later that I had the courage to leave when I knew that I had had enough,” she sighed, looking down. “I had to hide from several people who were angered by my refusal to submit to them. That’s how I became so good at staying in the shadows and being undetectable. Well, my job as a thief helped me also.”

By now, she felt like she had said too much. Mithra hung her head, afraid to see her lover’s facial expression. His hand came under her chin and gently forced her to look at him, just like how it did when he kissed her a week ago. She stared into his eyes and swallowed thickly.

“Mithra,” he began, “I am so sorry that you had to experience that. I did not know that your skills were the results of such traumatic events.” He pulled her in for a tight hug, her head buried in his neck and his hand stroking her hair.

“You are such a strong person. I have seen the compassion you exhibit and the hard work you put into everything you do. You have overcome so much adversity, yet you still have a kind heart.” He pulled away slightly to caress her cheek, looking into her eyes yet again.

“I love you so much, Mithra, and I promise that I will do everything within my ability to protect you. If anyone tries to hurt you, they will have to go through me first.” By now, Mithra was blinking back tears of love and adoration. She slammed her lips against his in a long, passionate kiss, her arms wrapped around his neck and his arms around her waist. She knew he was the one for her, and he knew it too. They separated for air, resting their foreheads together.

“Sephy, you were the first man to catch my eye and the first man I fell in love with. I will always be by your side,” she said, her voice full of raw emotions. By now, there was an evident sleepiness in her voice, and, despite trying her best to look at him, her eyes were drooping. Sephiroth chuckled and kissed her nose in thanks.

“Someone is falling asleep. Why don’t we call it a night?” Mithra nodded eagerly, turning off the lamps. Sephiroth laid on his back, extending an arm to her. She happily nestled against him, her head on his bare chest. She could hear the calming rhythm of his heart beating. His arm came to wrap around her waist, and she tangled her legs with his. Peaceful slumber overcame her almost immediately, and her mouth was frozen in a small smile.

“Good night, my love,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head. He soon drifted off as well, looking forward to what the future held for the both of them.

#couple goals #ooc #fanfiction #mithra valkyris #sephiroth #mithroth #all seph really needs is a girlfriend #final fantasy vii #myriad of mithra #also just imagine sephy in a towel

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bluewritesbadly · 6 years

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Sun and Moon

In the town of Remial, there were two things that were always true: the wind lies, and Sun and Moon are inseparable. They are seen living together, dining together, and fighting together. Little is known about the two, but many people believe they have been in Remial since the creation of time.

The morning begins, as always, with Sonara starting a fire. The thin layer of snow coating the grass renders her furs useless against the cold. She crouches outside the cabin and kindles the flames.

By the time Desmund wakes, the fire is raging. He stumbles out of the cabin, his own furs wrapped around him to keep in the heat. He sits next to Sonara and puts his hands in front of the fire. The warmth returns to his fingers.

“What are we eating today?”

“Berries for breakfast,” she says. “Deer for dinner.”

Desmund groans. He hates picking berries. He would much rather enjoy the thrill of the hunt than forage.

Sonara ignores him. “Get ready.”

The sun is high above the trees when it happens. Sonara leans down to pick up her basket, and she hears a scream. Desmund clutches his chest. An arrow protrudes from between his fingers, an expression of surprise forever sketched into his features.

A long knife extends from the bracelets circling Sonara’s wrist. She turns and releases it. With a thud, it buries itself into the chest of the hunter who had shot her brother. He falls as Desmund’s body hits the ground.

She runs to her brother. Her knees hit the frozen earth below her, and she cradles his head in her hands. His light blue eyes are fixed on a place over her shoulder. His cheeks are pale. His chest doesn’t rise. The arrow breaks easily in Sonara’s grip. Anger rises in her chest, but she pushes it down. This can’t be the end. After all they’ve been through, they deserve a proper goodbye.

She carries him to the center of Remial, leaving their cabin on the edge of the village. She sets his body down onto the stone and throws a knife to hit the town bell, which lets out an ear-splitting ring.

“I need a healer,” she shouts.

She believes that he can be healed, but the broken looks on the villagers’ faces tell her otherwise. Sonara is dragged away as the Town Healer looks over Desmund’s body. She catches whispers of death, loss, and no hope. She runs.

Her feet take her to a small house, stone in material and covered in moss. She brushes past the gates and bangs on the door. The moment it opens, she is talking.

“A hunter shot him,” she says quickly. Her voice softens as two arms surround her in a hug. “Mom, he’s- he’s dead. Desmund’s dead.” No tears come to her eyes, but, as always, her mother does all the crying for her.

“I tried, but the Healer couldn’t save him. I failed.” She pulls away from the embrace. “I need to do something.”

“No,” her mother says, “you can’t do anything now. Let the Gods take the reins for once, and please don’t make me lose another child.”

Sonara looks away from her mother’s tear-soaked face. “He did so much for me; I need to do the same.”

“But that doesn’t mean you need to put yourself in danger, Sonara!”

“Yes, it does! I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to bargain with the Soul Holder.” She hugs her mother one last time, not letting herself be persuaded against her cause. She ignores the thoughts in the back of her mind that tell her she’ll never succeed. She blocks it out and focuses on one thing. She won’t let her brother rot in the World of the Dead.

Sonara leaves with the promise to try to stay safe. The Healer greets her with a downcast look. The villagers offer pity, but she grits her teeth and brushes it off. She will succeed. She will bring her brother back.

Desmund’s body has been laid on the steps of the church. Various flowers clutter the ground around him, and a stone slab rests on his chest. The word Moon has been carved into it.

“I am going to the World of the Dead, and I will come back with my brother’s soul, with or without the Gods’ approval,” she shouts down to the people of Remial. The shocked faces staring back at her don’t faze her.

“Sun,” one says, “only one mortal has ever tried to cross the barriers of the worlds. He never came back.”

“I am no mortal.” Sonara lets two swords form from her bracelets. They glow gold. “I will come back.”

Silence meets her words. One man steps up. His robes are a pristine white, and his hair is pulled back into a braid. The symbol on his chest says he is the Town Mage.

“If you are set in your ways, then I will help you. I will return here with supplies for your journey.”

He leaves, the crowd parting for him like waves. He comes back with a brown haversack. Sonara takes it and nods gratefully; she shrugs it over her shoulder.

And like before, she runs. She knows how to leave the Mortal World, has known for centuries. Afterall, she’s done it before. She leaves the town, the forest, and reaches the water. The ocean before her crashes and turns, but she doesn’t let it stop her. She dives in. The waves push her around. The currents carry her. She kicks herself forward for hours until she sees the first hint of land. She travels over sand and into a dense jungle.

She stops where the earth splits; a deep crevice in the land that reaches down for miles. She knows what she has to do. This is the only way out of the Mortal World, but it’s still terrifying.

Sonara jumps.

The wind whips by her, and darkness consumes her body. The feeling of falling morphs into floating. She hovers in the dark. Her focus is on the World of the Dead, picturing the barren landscape and the red ocean. Something tugs at her consciousness, like a hook pulling her in one direction, but her body wants to go in another. They compromise, and her body falls.

The ground is surprisingly soft for a world with only rocky terrain. She expected something jagged, but her back hits a blanket of fresh snow. She guesses they have their own kind of winter. The snow is black, more like ash.

She sits and takes in her surroundings. Black snow covers all she can see. The tops of the mountains in the distance are obscured by a thick level of dark clouds, but no rain falls.

“Why are you here?”

Her eyes snap up to meet dark red ones. They look weathered and old, and there’s a sadness to them that doesn’t match the rest of the face. The creature looks more like a cat than human. Their pupils are slitted, and a few sharp teeth poke out of their mouth. A wild mane of tangled hair grows from their head to reach their back.

“Human,” they say, “what is your purpose traveling this far from home?”

“I have no home without my brother. I have never been a mortal, so why should I live in the Mortal World?”

The creature gives Sonara a once over. Their eyes linger on the gold sword that has been growing from her wrist ever so slowly.

“I see.”

“Tell me, where will I find the Soul Holder?”

“You seek the Goddess of Death? Why didn’t you lead with that? Her territory is everything behind that first mountain.” They point off in the distance. “Be careful of the Vultures though, they tend to be wary of visitors. Oh, and don’t eat the food.”

The creature smiles, showing off a sharp row of teeth, and disappears in a flash of light. Don’t eat the food? She wonders what they meant by that.

The sun, or what they call the sun in this world, glows an eerie red. It is forever set in its position on top of the highest mountain, a beacon of light that often leads to horrible death. Sonara is already close to the Soul Holder’s land, so she starts her journey.

Her bare feet pad along the snow, which gives off a smell that reminds her of rotting flesh. She travels across the flat plane and up the slight slant of the foothills. Her grip is strong as she climbs the mountain. Her muscles ache, but she pushes past that. This is her quest and she will succeed. The path levels out to a easy hike. Trees start to rise up from the rocks as she travels further.

A sound breaks her focus. Fallen branches crack as something heavy steps onto them. Sonara squares her shoulders and readies her blade. Her eyes scan her surroundings.

Two bright yellow eyes peer through the leaves of a rotted bush. The creature has black fur, like most others in this World. It’s body looks similar to a tiger’s, but the stripes are white and the main coloring is black. Its tail flicks behind it. It looks every bit like a predator, from the narrowed eyes to the sharp canines sticking out from its lips.

“Stay back if you know what’s good for you, beast,” she warns.

“That’s harsh,” he replies. His voice rings through her head. His mouth didn’t move to speak, but he transported his words into her mind. “You don’t even know me.”

“Then who are you?” She lowers her sword, somewhat hesitantly.

“The Vultures call me Soot Walker, but you may call me Soot. What is a spawn of the Gods doing in the World of the Dead? Don’t look so surprised, I can sense your magic.”

“I’m here to retrieve my brother’s soul from the Soul Holder.”

“Oh,” he says. If possible, his eyebrows raises. He walks leisurely out of the cover of the bush, and sits in front of Sonara. “And how do you plan on doing that? What will you offer the Goddess?”

“I will bargain with her. If she won’t rise to the challenge of a fight, I will give her my own soul.”

“Bold claims,” he tuts. “I want to see how this plays out. There’s not a lot of entertainment up here in the mountains, besides the Vultures that is.”

“You are welcome to accompany me, as long as you do not get in my way.”

“I promise.” He grins, baring his teeth.

In the next couple of hours of her journey, Sonara finds that Soot likes to talk, a lot. She learns that he is a cub in regards to the normal ages of his species, and that his family was nomadic and left him behind as a baby.

“You know,” he says, “I would have thought you would be smart enough to realise that you are carrying poison in your bag.”

Sonara stops. “What?”

“The food in your bag; it’s poisoned.” He makes a jabbing motion with a large paw.

She shrugs the bag off her shoulders and goes through it for the first time since leaving the Mortal World. She sniffs the wrapped food and recoils. Poison has a specific smell to those born under the magical influence, something akin to a sharp, metal tang. The food reeks with it. How had she not noticed before? She had been in such a hurry that she hadn’t checked.

Sonara takes the bag and throws it with all her strength towards the bottom of the mountain. It disappears into the ashy snow.

“Somebody gave me that pack,” she says to Soot. “I guess I shouldn’t have trusted him.”

“In this life, don’t trust anyone.”

They have made camp for the night, well, not night, more the dimming of the sky. Soot says that night is considered anytime that the Vultures come out from their territories. He could smell it in the air.

Sonara doesn’t want to ask know what the Vultures are, but she finds out as soon as the fire starts to blaze.

It starts with a scream. The scream sounds like a howl in the way that the red ball of light on the tallest mountain looks like the sun; only to an extent. It is a terrible scream, one that sends Sonara’s instincts into overdrive. Two swords appear in her hands, dripping gold light across the clearing. Soot lets out a roar.

The Vulture looks dead. Its jaw hangs limp, and its arms dangle at its sides. It would look fully human, but its eyes give it away. Where two should sit nestled inside the skull, one stares out unblinkingly.

Sonara lets her muscle memory take over as she kills the Vulture with a swing of her sword. The body disintegrates before it can reach the ground. She cocks her head in surprise.

“This is the World of the Dead, Sonara, everything that dies here is automatically given to the Soul Holder. The process is slower in the other worlds because of the World Barriers. Lots of paperwork.”

She gives Soot a curious look.

“Inside joke. I forget that your world works slower than ours; no paperwork yet. Anyway, you better get some sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

‘A busy day’ apparently entails a vertical climb up to the doors of the Goddess’ Hall. Sonara starts with a sigh.

“How are you going to get up?” she asks.

“Easy,” he says as she looks down. “I’ll fly.”

Two black wings unfold from Soot’s back. They stretch after being held in for so long against his skin. Sonara knows that they belonged to the stripes that cover his body. She has known creatures like that before. Their wings bind themselves to an image or coloring on the back of the creature, in this case, the stripes.

“Any chance you could carry me up?”

“None.”

The doors tower over Sonara. They are made of dark wood, with patterns and runes carved into the edges. She runs her hand over a specific symbol thoughtlessly, and the doors swing open.

Left with no other option, she steps in.

The first thing she notices about the Hall is the smell of… flowers. Instead of the rotting stench that she had expected, she is greeted with the nostalgic smell of an open field. It transports her back to a memory of her childhood. She feels grass under her feet and the sun on her face, everything that the Hall of the Dead is not.

Apprehension creeps into the memory. Is this real? Wasn’t she supposed to be doing something? She feels a flash of pain and falls to her knees, but the grass doesn’t catch her fall, instead the impact on the hard rock of the floor makes her cry out in surprise.

She hears a chuckle from above her.

“So, you’ve finally made it. We’ve been watching your journey since you entered our world.” A woman not much older than Sonara sits on a throne of silver. A group of figures stand behind it, all watching Sonara with a careful eye.

The woman’s black hair stands out against the silver. It catches Sonara’s eyes, and she has to avert her gaze before she is lost in the deep void of color.

“I am here to bargain.”

“Yes, we know. That’s what every young mortal wants when they come here. Or maybe not so mortal. Let me guess, you want your brother’s soul?”

She nods.

“I don’t know what you have heard of me, but I am not as cruel as the stories would lead you to believe. There is a balance to the universe, equal life and equal death. Your brother was shot, and you killed the attacker. This means that you are able to take a soul back from me. If a fight is what you wish, prepare yourself.”

Sonara summons her sword from her bracelet. She feels her vision focus and hearing sharpen.

“Soot Walker, you may help if need be,” the Soul Holder says with a grin. “I have a feeling that Sun will not need it. Now-” Her eyes glow red. “-I command Kaital to enter my Hall and fight for Desmund Moon’s soul!”

The floor splits, and a large man in steel armor, a sword strapped to his waist, pulls himself out of the gap. His features are covered by a helmet, but Sonara sees burn scars cover his visible skin. The ground seals itself behind him.

He raises his sword in a greeting, and Sonara does the same. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Soot sit at the Soul Holder’s feet. The Goddess strokes his fur with a smile.

The battle begins. Kaital strikes first, his sword cutting the air where Sonara’s head was just a moment ago. She ducks under the swing and dashes behind the warrior. Her own sword pierces his armor, leaving slash marks and hint traces of blood. He growls and swings back. His size makes him slow, and Sonara take full advantage of that. She dodges his blows. When he gets angry, he gets sloppy, so she sneaks into his weak points. She cuts and slashes without breaking a sweat.

But, Kaital gets lucky. He hits her in the head with the butt of his sword, and she falls. The crowd of unblinking spectators cheers. Kaital laughs. This is a game to him, just another fight.

Sonara feels her rage rise inside her, but this time she doesn’t push it away. She lets it control her. Her eyes glow gold. Her sword grows warmer. The ground beneath her back steams. They call her Sun for a reason, and the Hall of the Dead will now learn why.

Sunlight bursts forth from her sword. It blinds the warrior. She kneels and stabs him through the chest. The crowd goes crazy. Kaital’s body flakes away to ash and drifts toward the Soul Holder. The Goddess summons a jar and captures the ash. With a wave of her hand, it is gone.

“Well, that went as expected,” she says, still stroking Soot’s black fur.

“My brother’s soul?” Sonara demands. Her tone is tired, but the normal edge is still apparent.

“Oh, very well. I’ll be sad to see him leave; he’s been such a great member of my kingdom.” She produces a small, wooden box. “Don’t open this until you are right next to his body. If you set his soul free with nowhere to go, he’ll wander around forever in the World of the Lost. They have horrible taste in video games. Wait, sorry, wrong millenia, ignore that last thing. The point is, don’t lose him. There’s someone here who has taken a liking to him.”

Sonara tilts her head in question, but she takes the box anyway, stepping up to the silver throne. She gets distracted and falters. The Goddess’ eyes are dark brown, almost black, like her hair. She has high cheekbones and pale skin. She looks down at Sonara with a grin, like this is fun for her, like the death of her warrior didn’t faze her.

“Was Kaital already dead?” The words are out of her mouth before she realises it.

“Yes, all of us are, even me. Don’t you know the story?” She looks curious, one eyebrow raised.

“I’ve heard rumors and myths, but no, I don’t.”

“It started with my death. I was the youngest daughter of Wret, one of the main gods. My name was Nila. My father didn’t like the way I talked back to him, so he hired an assassin. Crazy, I know, but back in the day that was normal. As soon as my soul came to the Hall of the Dead, father regretted it. He said it was an “overreaction.” He begged my forgiveness, but he had me killed! How was I supposed to just let that go? So I asked for a kingdom, as any good demigod would do. And here I am.”

“What happened to the last Soul Holder?”

“He was ready to retire anyways, so father offered him a glorious afterlife in the fields of Draendi, the Golden City. He gladly took it. Now I rule these lands. Any other questions? No? Okay then.”

Sonara takes the hint, her sword dissipating. She walks to the doors and looks back to call to Soot.

“You coming, beast?” Her tone is teasing, but her hand grips the box like a lifeline, giving her away.

“No, I’m good here.” He turns to the Soul Holder. “Is there any way you can help get her back to the Mortal World?”

She looks thoughtful before she answers. “I mean, I could just teleport her through the Barriers, but where’s the fun in that? How about,” she snaps her fingers, “my friend Hector helps her down to the teleport circle.”

A thin, lanky man steps out of the crowd. He has soft eyes and two folded wings at his back.

“It would be my pleasure.”

Sonara takes Hector’s arm uneasily. The doors swing open. His wings unfold and stretch in their sockets.

“Oh, and Sonara?” the Goddess calls out from her throne. “Give me a call sometime. You know where to find me.”

Sonara flushes, thankful that her darker complexion hides most of it. Hector chuckles, and he dives from the mountain, Sonara clutching desperately at his arm with one hand, the box with the other. She grits her teeth and closes her eyes to stop the sting of the wind.

“Was that necessary?” she asks when he sets her gently in the teleportation circle.

“Yes.” And he’s already flying off in the other direction.

She sighs. Her hand hits the circle beneath her, and her vision goes black. She feels the familiar sensation of her body and mind being pulled in opposite directions, floating in an abyss of nothing. Then, she sees light. The bright yellow sun is above her, casting its radiance on everything around her.

Sonara recognizes the forest around her. With the box still in hand, she makes her way back to Remial. Something tugs at the back of her mind, something she had forgotten. The mage. He had tried to poison her.

With a grim smile, she steps into the town. The villagers gawk at her openly. They follow behind her as she marches up the steps to the church. Desmund’s body is covered in flowers and offerings to the Soul Holder. She holds back a chuckle at the thought of the Goddess receiving them. She kneels. She sets the box down next to him and gently pries it open.

A blue wisp hovers inside. It floats upward, spinning for direction on where to go. It stops, focused on Desmund’s body, then it dives in through his arrow wound.

Desmund blinks. His chest rises and falls with unsteady breaths. Color returns to his pale cheeks. His eyes find his sister.

“Sonara?”

She wraps him in a hug, using all her strength. He hugs back, but he seems unsure.

“What happened?”

She tells him the story of what she did to save him. He takes it all in with wide eyes.

“Wait, did you flirt with the Goddess of Souls?”

“That’s what you took out of it? Desmund, you died.”

“Yeah, I know. What happened to the mage?” He doesn’t seem too fazed with the fact of his death.

“I was thinking that we could take care of him together.”

They share a smile.

When the mage is found dead that night, the villagers don’t mention it. They bury him far away from the forest. The town puts out a notice for their need for a new Mage.

Sun and Moon live happily ever after, with some exceptions.

#I wrote a short story!#please read #my short story #writeblr short story #short story

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maiji · 7 years

Photo

Process and wip images for A House That Holds Long Limbs (Part 8)

Previous process and wip documentation: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Parts 6 and 7

Read the pages here: Part 8 (full complete version will be linked from YYH North Bound master post)

I personally love exploring character dynamics and character interaction! It's definitely what I tend to focus on in comics and stories. Plus you get to draw lots of closeups of people's faces and have a lot of fun with expressions. And that's what Part 8 is full of.

IN THIS EDITION, after the usual script and thumbnails, I'll take a bit of time to talk about expressions and characterization (my thoughts on Raizen and Hokushin specifically, but also some general thoughts on how I approach writing characters and character interactions). More details of some of the panels from part 8 so you can see the faces better!

Script and thumbnails

(If you look closely at the top of pg 2, you can see the page behind was where I started drawing my random dream sequence hahahah)

It’s always kind of funny to look back at the script and see my rushed typing (or texting on my phone, since I’m often doing this on mobile...) - odd typos and dangling/incomplete thoughts like ”my blodd” (lol).

Part 8 was one of the first sequences conceived in the development of this story. As a result, the script and the thumbnails both line up very closely to the final, because I’d already been thinking about it for so long and playing the scene out repeatedly in my head. I had a very concrete sense of how I wanted to direct it, unlike many of the action sequences from previous parts. The main areas I struggled with were historical details (the karaginu was originally labelled “tarp” in the script as a placeholder until I decided what it would be), and the biggest pagination change was probably moving Raizen’s “Maybe you just didn’t take enough off lol!” to the previous page so that Hokushin’s (literal) punchline would be at the beginning of the next.

Expressions

I have a huuuuge soft spot for subtle expressions - the kind where just a bit of extra line or texture around the eyes or the mouth, plus the dialogue or context of the scene, adds nuance to an expression. Especially ones that otherwise can read as relatively neutral. Even a very simple expression that’s just dots for eyes and straight lines for the upper/lower lids and eyebrows can have a lot of variation in how you interpret them, simply based on context and slight adjustments. Here are some examples with Raizen, where his face is super basic:

A: pretending nothing is wrong, calmly answering question

B: pleased with self for being smart - clearly a happer expression than A

C: similar to A, chillaxing and answering question

D: no big smiling mouth so he looks more like he’s focused on intensely sniffing the air

E: same as B basically, but a bigger smile of “everything’s fine!” (when you read the text)

F: extra thickness for his upper lid gives the sense that he’s in the middle of his casual sexy/chivalrous how ya doin’ expression

G: ... which changes in this panel to be more a realization (“oh shit I’m on fire”)

Actually, Raizen and Hokushin are both pretty difficult face types for me, being more “mature” looking male faces with stronger features/jawlines and narrower eyes. Hokushin especially has been challenging because his design has really low eyebrows which result in a default glare. Togashi still manages to make him fairly expressive and not look like he's glowering all the time. With my more limited art skill and lack of confidence, I tend to soften his expressions by really laying on the top line of his eye (this sounds like I'm putting mascara on him or something lmao), and also adjusting the size of his pupils (within reason or it starts to look even less like how I draw him normally, which is a big problem since his shaved head is a defining aspect of his series character design so he already looks pretty different). Here are some comparisons of his face - bearing in mind I had to keep his eyes wide open because of the seals in the story:

A: crying/relief

B: this one here is supposed to be a bit miserable/self-loathing because he really didn’t think Raizen was going to look for him

C: shock, unexpected

D: thinking + “ugh plan B”

E: worried/apologetic and then “OOF/URK”

F and G: a progression to show the differences in rendering the eye. First is a bit angry because he’s realizing where all the blood for the seals came from, then he notices Raizen’s hands, and G is that example of softened expression (more lines on the top eye, larger pupil) to show how bad he feels about Raizen’s injury.

One last thought on expressions. They can easily lose their nuance when inking (the slightest shift to a line can change the expression completely), and especially for someone like me who has unsteady hands it can be a bit of a nightmare. The nice thing about ballpoints is that they can retain a bit of the pencil sketch quality, which helped me freak out less when inking the last page with Hokushin’s glare. Here’s a comparison of the progress:

Though this particular expression isn’t that subtle, you can still see some differences as the drawing gets built up. When the pencil lines are gone and the drawing gets rendered in bw only, a lot of shading is lost. The messy lines can be interpreted more flexibly by your brain since they’re less defined and you haven’t “committed”, so the final version looks and feels less expressive. (This is why a lot of artists prefer their sketches to the finished piece, myself included...) Characterization This will get very specific to this comic, obviously, but hopefully my approach (and biases haha) will come through. With something like a fancomic, there are obviously existing expectations around the characters, but the benefit of working with these guys is that they’re not as prominent in the story or the fandom, so I feel more comfortable playing around and filling in the gaps. (This is probably why I like minor characters so much.)

In the case of Raizen and Hokushin, we know these two have a close relationship and history only through assumption and insinuation. We never see them interacting directly in the series at all. Actually, we don't see Raizen interact with anyone except Yusuke in non-flashback sequences (aside from the kudakusushi. In the anime, more scenes were added with his estranged friends, mostly their fond memories of him beating them up lmao). But it's very clear that they're extremely important to each other. Hokushin obviously speaks of his king in an exceedingly respectful fashion. Meanwhile, Hokushin is actually the last name Raizen says before he dies - his second last line, to Yusuke, is "Take care of Hokushin and the others" - or in my Taiwanese edition, "I leave Hokushin and the others to you". (Lol “the others”. Also I need to draw a comic about this at some point.) Despite this zero actual interaction, it's still extremely easy to imagine it because their characters are so clearly defined. In fact, they're both such consistent archetypes with enough particular quirks that they practically write themselves. So it wasn't difficult to extrapolate and imagine much younger versions of them, and how they may have interacted if they had only just met, which is the foundation of North Bound. Archetypes and stereotypes walk a fine line together, but they do serve as really useful building blocks for sketching characters quickly. This is why I really enjoy symbolic systems like astrology (or some of the the modern incarnations - personality assessment frameworks) because of all the character sketching it helps you do really quickly. Astrology in particular because, without even caring about birth dates or charts or whether astrology is "real" or not, the basic idea of a sign and its bucket of traits and symbols is simply a great resource when you want fleshed out character archetypes to build off of. I talked a bit about this in my Lenormand post, but I think of zodiac signs as one of the many games humans have developed in our attempts to categorize our world into recognizable patterns, and since we've been at it for thousands of years, there's a wealth of reference material, scenarios, analyses not only of the individual archetypes, but for all sorts of combinations and relationships. Some of it very well-thought out, and some of it just lots of fun to read. For my purposes, applying this to North Bound, Raizen is basically a Leo. He's dramatic, positive, powerful, passionate, a straight-shooter. Not only does he embody its main traits, he's literally a king (or eventually one in this story, I guess). And he even has a mane, for crying out loud. Meanwhile, Hokushin is a solid depiction of a quintessential Virgo - hardworking, practical, analytical, stoic, kind - and literally the loyal servant that typifies the Virgo paradigm. The Leo/Virgo duo is a classic partnership, and at the point where we meet them in the series, the relationship we can see has stabilized to exactly that. At the same time, there's tons of potential for a hilarious dynamic as well, especially imagining how they got to that point. (If you wanna have a laugh, look up some analyses of Leo and Virgo relationships and you'll see what I mean.) His freakouts next to Raizen's "hahhaa everything's fine!" carry most of the humour (similar to how his freakout at Yusuke's vandalism of the rurimaru stones carried a ton of the humour in that episode lol). Obviously there are other things that further finetune their characters so that they're more than bland cookie cutter personalities (Raizen's deep thinking about the future of the Demon World, for example, and Hokushin's sense of humour and appreciation/enjoyment of fighting), but in broad brushstrokes, these archetypes work incredibly well, and make it so easy to come up with scenarios and write interaction to the point that I'm now ridiculously behind in actually turning them into comics ahhhhh...

#yu yu hakusho #raizen #hokushin #comics #fanart #process #wip #swearing #profanity #character analysis #character thoughts #expressions #art by Maiji/Mary Huang

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iceflowerglow · 7 years

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The Lion King: Character Design Similarities (fanart tutorial)

Click on images for full size!

I have once made a post that described which characters have similar design elements in the movies, but I figured that simple drawings would work better than a wordy post. I might have missed something or drawn something not as correctly as you’d see in a screencap (although, I used references). Maybe I’ll make another post using screencaps.

(Backgrounds are quick sketches I made based on the backgrounds from the movies).

Some more comments under the cut:

1) To be honest, I’m not entirely sure where some of Kiara’s features come from. I assumed that her cheeks are the same shape as Sarabi’s, but Sarabi has a broader face, while Kiara’s overall facial structure is more similar to Sarafina’s (except for the skull). What can be clearly seen is that Kiara’s whole eye area is the same as Simba’s, but Kiara’s eyes are bigger, and her eyelashes are a little thicker. She also has darker eyelids.

2) The second movie has an additional blue layer, so that might have thrown off some of the color comparisons. I had to adjust Kovu, Vitani and Nuka’s colors to get colors that I think would make the most sense (so that they could look the way they do in different lightings in the movie).

3) I’ve drawn Nuka and Vitani with what I believe are their ‘original’ eyebrow positions here, but I’m not sure what Kiara and Kovu’s ‘original’ eyebrow positions are.

4) Nuka has a few very specific design elements that don’t appear on any other TLK character, among them a very narrow chest. It’s not only narrower than a typical male design, but also than all of the female ones. That’s the reason why, even if Nuka had a ‘proper’ mane, it still wouldn’t look as ‘poofy’ as on the other TLK lions:

5) I’m not sure what these “lines” on Scar and Nuka’s paws/legs are. Maybe they’re visible because the characters are thin, or maybe they’re there because Scar and Nuka use their paws as hands more frequently, so these lines make their movements look more believable.

6) This is just a headcanon/theory – I think Kovu and Vitani’s features that they obviously didn’t get from Zira are likely from their (probably shared) father. Like shorter muzzles and green and blue eye color, respectively – their hypothetical father would have to have a shorter muzzle and blue or grey eyes.

Conclusion: by my “calculations” (which are not really precise assessments :), Kiara resembles Simba the most, Vitani looks a lot like Zira, and Nuka looks the most like Scar (but also has a lot of features inherited from Zira). Where Kovu got most of his looks is a mystery, but he does not exactly look like Scar, regardless of what the movie insists :) However, the exact design of his features makes him seem similar to Scar, which is more or less an illusion (I feel like this perfectly fits with Kovu’s story arc in the movie).

#the lion king #the lion king 2 #lion king 2 #kiara #kovu #nuka #vitani #fanart tutorial #art tutorials

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sonicasura · 7 years

Text

Bendy and the Crystal Gems Ch1

Welcome to my first Bendy au which is Bendy and the Crystal Gems! Following after the events of Bendy and the Ink Machine, Henry and Bendy move to Beach City to get away from the pain from their old life and the events of the game itself and to live with Henry’s brother Greg Universe and his two sons Steven and Skullzy but get wrapped up in the incredible life of living with the Crystal Gems! *contains some Bleach elements* Without further ado, enjoy!

Bendy and Henry belongs to @themeatly and Steven Universe belongs to @rebeccasugar. OCs belong to me.

Chapter 1: To Beach City!

Hey! My name is Bendy. You might have heard of me? Bendy the Dancing Demon or Bendy the Devil Darling! I used to be a sketch on paper until I was brought to life by a mysterious device known as the Ink Machine. I’m now living in the real world with my bud and old creator Henry. We’ve spent a lot of time together in an old abandoned cartoon studio but I don’t want to dwell on that. Guess what? We’re moving. We’ve been having troubles in Henry’s old town. The kids weren’t the problem in fact I miss them. It was the adults who were the problem and any involved with the church there.

Adults didn’t want me anywhere near their children even though I mean no harm to anyone and priests from the church were even worse. Henry had enough of how they treated me so he called up his brother and asked if we could stay with them. The answer was a definite yes as here we are now. Henry driving his old truck packed with our stuff and belongings to Beach City. It was also the same place where Aunt June lived closer to as well. Now let’s get back to my point. Henry was driving across the road as I looked out from the window. “So can you tell me about your brother Henry?” I asked looking at the 48 year old light tan skinned brown with white haired friend of mine.

“Oh Greg? He’s a really nice guy. He used to be a musician back in the day after he changed his last name to Universe. His music was pretty good. He stopped when he met his wife, they even had a kid. A young boy named Steven. Recently he told me he also adopted another kid. One that strangely goes by the name Skullzy. I told him about you. He’s actually waiting to meet you in person.” Henry explained as I smiled brightly. Then we noticed something coming to view. It was a small beach town with a huge cliff on the end of the beach but it looked like a pretty nice place and you could easily see the ocean there. There was a sign that said Beach City.

“Here we are. Beach City, it seems like a really nice place.” Henry spoke as I was excited. “It looks incredible and the ocean looks like pretty!” I stated as we got a look through the town. There were a variety of shops around and everything seemed nice and clean. Henry then stopped at a Carwash with a fancy designed van with the name Greg Universe across it. “This is his van alright…” Henry answered as we got out of the car and approached the van while he knocked on the van door. “Greg! You in there? It’s me Henry!” Henry shouted as we heard some rummaging coming from the van as someone came out.

It was a large man with tan lines who also seemed a bit out of shape, long brown hair except for the huge bald spot on his head, a beard and brown eyes wearing a white tank top, blue shorts and sandals. He looked similar to Henry but seemed to have it rough. “Henry? Is that you? Come here and give your brother a hug!” Greg stated as he hugged Henry and Henry hugged him back. “It’s been what… 30 years since we’ve last seen each other. You’ve grown. So where’s this Bendy little fellow you told me about?” Greg asked as I walked up to the big guy and waved hi. “So your Bendy? I never thought I meet one of my brother’s most favorite cartoon character. Little Shmootball would be ecstatic to meet you. I’m Greg.” Greg introduced as he didn’t look at me weirdly like any other adult.

“It’s nice to meet you Greg! I’m Bendy! So where are your sons anyway?” I asked as we shook hands. “Steven and Skullzy? They live at the beach house down on the beach by the cliff. They are looked over by friends of my wife… She passed away a long time ago…” Greg answered sadly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” Henry answered as Greg only patted his back. “It’s alright. By the way, this place gets a lot of weirdness going on so no one is going to judge you or Bendy. I told Skullzy the situation so he should have told Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl about you but Steven doesn’t know. It’s a surprise.” Greg explained as I chuckled.

“Alright. How do we know what Skullzy looks like?” Henry asked. “He carries a white horn around his head. You’ll know him when you see him.” Greg answered as we both shrugged and got into the car. “I wonder what Greg meant about his son Skullzy?” I asked curiously as Henry shrugged. It took a few minutes to arrive to the beach and when we got there we weren’t expecting what was on the front of the cliff. It looked like a colossal stone woman with multiple arms was the length of the cliff and one of the hands happened to hold a beach house. “Wow…! Look at that giant statue! It looks so cool!” I shouted excitedly as Henry looked at wonder.

“I’ve never seen anything like...this before! It looks really ancient yet still stable. I’ll ask Greg if he knows about it. But there’s the house. Let’s go ahead and take a look.” Henry explained as we nodded and headed towards the house only to be approached by a large...pink lion? It was a large pink lion with a light pink mane that stood between us and the house. “Whoa! Stay back Bendy!” Henry shouted as he stood in front of me and glared at the lion. “Why didn’t he mention there’s a lion here?! And are lions pink here!?” I asked as the lion merely looked at us and approached closer. It would until two voices rang out. “Lion!/ What are you doing you giant fur ball?!” A young boy’s voice and an teenage male voice shouted as two people came out of the house.

It was a small boy around 8 years old with black curly hair, brown eyes, and light peach skin wearing a salmon shirt with a yellow star on it, blue shorts and sandals but the other one got us completely shocked. The second person to come out was a teenage boy with spiky hair but his hair and skin were a complete white, his eyes were black with orange iris and he had a white slightly slanted devil like horn on the right side of his head wearing a black shirt with a white skull on it, blue jeans, sandals and there was a large sword the length of his body which was 5 ft 10 wrapped in bandages on his back. The two stopped at us and weren’t even fazed by the giant lion standing before them. “Lion! You know better than scaring people! That isn’t nice.” The young boy spoke as I recognized his appearance while the white teenager looked at me. “Wait… Do you happen to be Henry Ross by chance?” The white haired boy asked as there a slight animalistic feel to his voice.

“Yes.” Henry answered only to get hugged by the horned teenager. “So you must be Uncle Henry! The one Dad told me about. You seem to be in better shape though. I’m Skullzy and that’s my little bro Steven! Steven, say hi to your uncle!” Skullzy explained as Steven looked surprised. “WHAT?!!! You’re my uncle! You look so cool! I’m so sorry about Lion! And who's that?” Steven asked as he noticed me. “Bendy, come say hi.” Henry spoke as I walked in front of them so Steven and Skullzy got a good look at me. “Oh my gosh!! There’s a cartoon standing in front of me!! This is incredible! I’m Steven! Do you want to be my friend?!” Steven asked as his pupils turned into stars surprising me.

“Wow! Your eyes look like stars! That’s amazing and sure! My name is Bendy! It’s nice to meet you too!” I answered excitedly. “Can you explain the pink lion please?” Henry asked as the lion just looked at us. “That’s just Lion. He’s kind of like my brother’s pet. He doesn’t mean any harm. He was probably curious is all. Why he’s pink even I don’t know but he is friendly. Usually Lion does his own thing although my little brother should at least figure a better name for him but Pearl always knocks down my suggestions.” Skullzy answered scratching the back of his head.

“Huh. By the way, where is this Pearl anyway? Are they in the house?” I asked curiously. “No. She’s on a mission with Garnet and Amethyst. They’ll probably be back tomorrow. Come on! Let me show you the beach house!” Steven answered excitedly causing Henry to chuckle and we followed him inside. The inside of the Beach House seemed normal with wooden floors, fridge, 2 bunk beds, a couch, a small TV on the upper part of the room with some game stations and a flat screen TV in the main room with more game consoles and underneath them was a drawer containing games, DVDs and some books, really anything that was supposed to be in a normal house but the other side of the house was covered in crystalline like rock while there was a strange crystal pad on the center of the floor and a door with a star on it containing 5 circles in it.

I looked up at the door frame for some strange reason to a huge portrait hanging up there of a woman with light peach skin, a blissful face and huge long curly pink hair wearing a white dress. “Hey Steven and Skullzy, who's that woman up there? She’s really pretty.” I asked as their attention was drawn to the portrait. “That’s Rose, Steven’s mother. I’ve never met her before but the Gems and Steven told me she was a kind hearted person who cared about life and the planet itself. She died giving birth to Steven is what I’ve heard. I do know Lion has something to do with her but I don’t know what.” Skullzy explained. “I’m so sorry Steven. I didn’t know.” I answered but Steven just hugged me and told me it wasn’t my fault. “I understand my brother’s love for her. She’s beautiful and even though this is a portrait there’s this aura of peace and warmth around it.” Henry explained.

“The bathroom’s over there, there’s the kitchen and main living room. Usually I don’t sleep here that much unless I come back home late at night from my job. Usually I sleep in my room in the temple unless Steven asks me to.” Skullzy answered as Henry and I looked at him strangely. “Temple? You mean this place is part of a temple? That’ll explain the giant statue on the cliff outside and how do you even get into your door because there’s nothing on that big white door than a star.” I asked as Skullzy looked a bit annoyed. “Why do I get a feeling that my brother left something important out of our conversation?” Henry asked as Skullzy looked even more annoyed.

“Dang it Dad! Did he really forget to tell you guys about this place? Urgh! Sometimes he has a bad habit of leaving out important details.” Skullzy stated scratching his head angrily and you could see a couple of tick marks on his face. “Is he going to be okay?” I asked Steven who just shrugged. After Skullzy’s little upset, he looked back at us with ‘Really?’ expression. “I suggest you sit down. This going to be quite an explanation.” Skullzy stated as Henry and I looked at each other before we sat down at the couch. “How can I put this? Let’s start with Steven. Steven isn’t completely human. He’s half human and his mother was an alien.” Skullzy spoke as we both looked at him strangely.

Before any of us could say a word, Steven lift up his shirt revealing a pink crystal where his bellybutton should be. “What the?” Was all we could even muster seeing this turn of events. “Steven’s mother was an alien being known as a Gem. They are living sentient gemstones that portray their bodies through the use of light. Steven’s mother was part of a rebel force that charged themselves to protect the Earth. The other members of rebel army or what we call the Crystal Gems consists of Amethyst, Pearl and Garnet. Steven and I are also part of the group but I’m a very different part of the story.” Skullzy explained as he stood in front of us and took his shirt off causing Henry and I to look in shock but the last glance became horror.

There was a white diamond like jewel on Skullzy’s muscular stomach but that wasn’t the part of horror, it was the huge hole in his chest. It was perfectly shaped round hole that you could literally stick your hand inside but there was signs of flesh or organs but instead pure white skin. “There’s...a hole in your chest!” I answered surprised and terrified. “Who did this to you? Who would put a hole through my nephew!?” Henry asked angrily as Skullzy just chuckled.

“I’m glad for the concern but this is normal for me. I used to be apart of someone else. A human who contained mysterious spiritual power of two different beings manifested before you. A month ago, I entered this world wounded and confused. Steven found me that night and took me in giving me the name Skullzy. We were introduced to each other by morning and quickly became friends over time until an incident happened were the real part of me had to leave. I left behind a fragment of my horn as goodbye to Steven. Apparently Steven’s heart couldn’t take living without me…

.... His powers done by his heart reacted to my horn fragment remaking the fragment into this version of myself with an added bonus of a Gem. I’m merely hybrid clone of the original Skullzy. Part Hollow, a soul devouring spirit, part human, part Gem and part Soul Reaper, a Death God who sends spirits to the afterlife and eradicate Hollows. Major identity crisis I know. Now I’m also Steven’s adoptive brother. The hole in my chest is normal for Hollow like entities like myself.” Skullzy explained as our minds were blown. “This is...so much to take in. Normally I wouldn’t believe but from what I’ve seen in this crazy life there’s nothing I don’t believe in now. I feel like I stepped into some kind of action cartoon.” Henry stated as I chuckled. “No wonder why Uncle Greg said we’ll fit right in. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?” I asked interested.

“Nothing else except I can demonic Hollow like form but I only do that when the situation needs that power or when someone pisses me off to the brink of madness. No one really wants it to be the latter.” Skullzy explained as we noticed it was getting dark outside while he put his shirt back on. “Steven, will you do me a favor and help your uncle and cousin unpack? I’ll go ahead and start making dinner since Garnet won’t be here tonight.” Skullzy explained as Steven nodded with a smile and the white haired teenager placed an apron around his neck that read ‘Kiss the Cook” but with a skull on it,

I suddenly noticed something up with Skullzy’s sentence and looked at him as Henry and Steven went back to the car. “Cousin?” I asked surprised. “Yeah. I mean Henry treats you like a son so I think of you as a cousin and Steven does too. We don’t have to be related by blood to be cousins or family. Heck, I think of you as a brother more than anything. A little kid brother that needs guidance.” Skullzy explained as I looked at him and smiled brightly before hugging the pasty white teenager. “I think so too!” I shouted as the Devil Kid didn’t know how to react but just smile.

“Aww! You guys are so cute together! I’ve got it on camera though!” Steven shouted popping out with a camera in his hand. “Steven?! When did you get here?!” We asked in unison as I got off of Skullzy and chased after my childish cousin who took off like lightning. “For a kid who has seen hell through this eyes, he’s going to lighten this place up even more.” Skullzy spoke as he started working on dinner. It took us awhile to get our stuff inside and unpack when I could smell something delicious in the air.

“Heh. It smells like my nephew knows how to cook. Let me guess, Beef Stew?” Henry asked as Skullzy looked at him. “Yep. I help cook some of the meals whenever Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl are gone on missions. Garnet sometimes helps cook and so does Pearl. Amethyst I have to keep her away from the food or she’ll eat it all. The original me had a younger sister who knew how to cook and this is one of the things she cooked.” Skullzy explained adding spices to the stew. “Skullzy told me he still has the original’ memories so he remembers everything from square one. Some good memories and some really bad ones.” Steven explained as we looked at the hollowed teenager.s

“Of course, why would I go back to the original’s life? I rather be here with my childish 13 year old brother, his strange but enjoyable aunts, my slightly awkward dad and my uncle and our cousin who also helps me feel normal around this place. This is where I truly belong and Soul Society can go drown for all I care. This is what’s right for me. What I want to protect.” Skullzy explained as we all smiled from hearing those words from his mouth.

‘Just like Henry. Wait a minute…’ I thought as I realized something he mentioned about Steven’s age. “AAAAAAagh! You’re 13?! I thought you were 8!” I asked surprised as Henry noticed the initial shock as well. “What? I don’t look like a 13 year old?” Steven asked confused making the situation more like a gag than anything. “Gems don’t age but since Steven is half human, he ages way slower than normal humans. He’ll probably end up living longer than anyone you’ve ever known.” Skullzy explained as we looked at him.

After the barrage of questions about Gems from us, dinner ended up being down and it was delicious. Skullzy really knew how to cook. It was getting late so it was off to bed but Steven and Skullzy did say we’ll be doing something tomorrow. And I couldn’t wait but I wondered to myself. What kind of things will happen at our new home and what kind of people are the three Gems Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl were?

Meanwhile by the Fun Land Amusement park, in an abandoned tent… A small chest stood by the fallen chairs and cobweb covered table as a glowing red sheen came from it. The shine was followed by strange clown like laughter echoing throughout the chest as I struggled in my sleep. ‘LET ME OUT.’

#Bendy and the Crystal Gems #bendy and the ink machine #Crystal Gem!Bendy #Crystal Gem!Henry #steven universe #fanfic #OC

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