#Explanations

[sonadowwiki]

The Intimate Relationship Between Sonic and Shadow

In the ending scene for Sonic Adventure 2 in Japanese, Sonic sadly says on his own as he looks out to Earth from the ARK: "疲れた... きゅうきょくせいめいたいか?" Which translates to: "Worn-out... Ultimate Lifeform?"

疲れた = Worn-out

きゅうきょく = Ultimate

せいめいたい = Lifeform

Though there are no subtitles for this scene, if you listen closely, you can hear Sonic say: "tsukareta," which means worn-out like you're exhausted. Sonic asks this sadly to himself as he looks down before he is interrupted. After brushing his sorrow aside so that it's not seen by others, before Sonic leaves the ARK, he says: "Adiós, Shadow the Hedgehog..." which means good-bye in Spanish.

This scene doesn't get translated correctly in English and the true meaning of this scene was lost in translation.

If we think back to previous scenes in the game, when Sonic was shot out of the ARK in a capsule, he was able to use a fake Chaos Emerald to Chaos Control into the ARK before it exploded. How Sonic got back into the ARK after defeating the BioLizard could have been the same or he flew back with what little energy he had left. Before Sonic told Shadow about how he used a fake Emerald to Chaos Control out of the capsule, Shadow watched as the capsule exploded and said to himself that it ended up that Sonic was an ordinary hedgehog after all due to thinking he died in the explosion. After seeing Sonic again and he was told how he escaped the explosion, it surprised and intrigued Shadow.

This scene can be seen as a parallel to not only when Shadow was also shot out of a capsule by Maria, but also the ending credits when Sonic looked out of the ARK while he waited to see if Shadow would also do the same as him and Chaos Control into the ARK after the battle. Once he saw that he wasn't going to appear, Sonic became extremely saddened and realized that Shadow was too tired to Chaos Control back and make a surprise appearance. But even if Sonic knew that Shadow might have not made it beforehand when giving his limiter to Rouge, he still hung onto a small sliver of hope that he would make a surprising comeback like he did.

With this knowledge, the ending lines saying for heroes to rest easy makes more sense since Sonic states that Shadow was too tired/worn-out. An image of Shadow even appears after the phrase to show that the words were for Shadow.

Another scene to take into account is the time they both turned Super. When they turned Super, it can be assumed that the Chaos Emeralds connected the two in a way that can only be seen with one's heart. This can be assumed because it was only after they turned Super together that the two became extremely concerned for one another (in the battle with the Final Hazard), fought as one, were in sync, looked out for each other, saw each other in high regard, and believed/trusted in one another with all their heart. Perhaps at that moment they turned Super, their hearts were connected and they both saw each other as equals and for who they are inside. It's possible that their hearts were so connected that when Shadow heard Maria's voice while they were Super, Sonic could have heard her too through Shadow. This can be assumed due to the slight turn of Sonic's head as if he's listening and how he waited until she was done talking to tell Shadow that now was the moment to use Chaos Control together.

At that moment when Shadow decided to help, perhaps the Chaos Emeralds helped Sonic understand who and what type of person Shadow was because even if he was manipulated to destroy the world at first, Shadow was willing to sacrifice himself to save the very people he thought deserved to suffer. And with that, Sonic gained a newfound respect and care for Shadow since he saw what a pure and good person he was deep down. This was the case so much so that the Emeralds responded in kind with their miracles and accepted in making Shadow Super as well.

Another thing to take into account is how after this game, it makes more sense as to why Sonic constantly looks for Shadow or tries to get his attention. Because Sonic saw Shadow seemingly die once despite seeing how capable and strong he is by being an equal to him in Sonic Adventure 2, he looks out for Shadow to make sure that it doesn't happen again like it was mentioned in the Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story.

"Only the [moon] overlooking the bustling city seemed to be watching over that shadow forever and ever."

This can also explain why the two constantly rival each other at times since Sonic could be checking on Shadow's well-being, just like Shadow watches over Sonic's (Sonic Colors DS, Sonic Forces, Team Sonic Racing, Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story).

[Sonic Colors DS - Asteroid Coaster Mission 1]

[Sonic Colors DS - Asteroid Coaster Completing Mission 1]

[Sonic Colors DS - Shadow worried for Sonic's well-being after completing the mission]

[Sonic Colors DS - Asteroid Coaster Mission 2]

[Sonic Forces - Shadow Protects Sonic at Sunset Heights]

[Sonic Forces Episode Shadow - Shadow concerned for Sonic's safety]

[Team Sonic Racing - Shadow saw that Sonic was capable after racing him, so he says that he can join him in defeating Eggman]

[Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story - Shadow tests Sonic but also tries to get him away from joining him in his mission]

[Sonic doesn't listen or adhere to Shadow's wishes and goes to find what Shadow could be doing in order to help him]

[Both work together in sync to neutralize the bomb threat]

It has been stated and shown that Sonic and Shadow are the ones who understand each other the most. Though the both of them understand each other the most since their fight together as Supers in Sonic Adventure 2 and understand that they're capable, they both still look out for each other because of that understanding and care for one another. Perhaps it is due to the event of when they turned Super together, that they share an intimate relationship with each other as stated in the Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story. And from that event, also gained understanding, respect and care that formed from the events; from the Chaos Emeralds' miracle. At that moment, the Chaos Emeralds responded to Sonic and Shadow's wishes, which proves that both their thoughts, hopes and wishes were the same. Therefore, it is then that Sonic and Shadow knew for sure, that the other was like himself and that they both shared the same vision and beliefs. The Emeralds created a miracle and it is through that miracle their relationship was formed; their relationship is a miracle.

[Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story - Bottom Description]

[Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story]

[Explanation of the phrase "懐に入って来られる稀有（けう）な関係" used in the Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story Description that states their relationship is intimate]

After Shadow defeated the BioLizard with Sonic, in Japanese, Shadow asks if "this is enough" before falling to Earth and giving up/deciding to rest. Because Shadow ended up giving up and did not return to the ARK, along with Sonic being able to use a fake Chaos Emerald to do Chaos Control, perhaps that's why Shadow always thinks that he is below in capability to Sonic who never gives up and is capable of doing more than him, despite also knowing that they are equal in strength and speed.

Perhaps what Shadow finds himself inferior with is from thinking that he is not as good of a person as Sonic since he has made mistakes or didn't have the same drive as him. Therefore, perhaps that is why Shadow always tries to test to see if Sonic is up to par or is strong enough to take care of himself so that he stays safe and continues being alive as that good person. This also explains why Shadow was so concerned for Sonic in Sonic Forces when Infinite was going to go hurt Sonic. If Shadow couldn't take Infinite on despite being Sonic's equal and knowing that, that's why Shadow got concerned for Sonic's safety. It can be assumed that perhaps one of Shadow's missions in life is keeping Sonic safe or alive since he is a good person and someone he cares about deep down.

[Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story]

[Sonic Colors DS - Shadow implies that he leaves it to Sonic since he believes that Sonic can do better, even if they are of equal strength and speed]

But despite always checking up on one another, they don't only test each other's strengths when meeting each other. Sometimes, they seem to also play, like in Team Sonic Racing. This can be implied since Shadow said to Sonic that he didn't have time to play with him/entertain him/have the spare time/to be concerned for his well-being at the time due to having an important mission to uphold with Emerl. But perhaps even when they play, they still test each other's strengths in a certain manner, like with their driving skills in Team Sonic Racing.

[Sonic Battle - English]

[Team Sonic Racing - Sonic went to talk to Shadow and when asked about him, he laughs a little as he implies that he got Shadow to play with him through racing (which was on his top priority to think of since he mentioned that before what he learned about Eggman)]

[Team Sonic Racing]

There are times that Shadow tries to steer Sonic into the right direction of defeating the main threat, but he still in a way, gives Sonic a choice and Sonic readily accepts like in Sonic Colors DS when he tells Sonic to go fight Eggman and in Team Sonic Racing when he reminds Sonic about the main objective in defeating Eggman. Sonic also does this for Shadow, such as in Shadow the Hedgehog 2005 where Sonic tries to steer Shadow onto the path of good when he lost his memories. Even at the end, Sonic was willing to protect Shadow and the world by asking for the Chaos Emeralds from Shadow, though Shadow ended up being able to defeat Black Doom on his own despite not remembering everything.

[Sonic Colors DS - Shadow reminds Sonic to take care of Eggman]

[Team Sonic Racing - Shadow reminds Sonic about the threat of Eggman, even if he wants to play]

The both of them make up a whole like two sides of the same coin. Sonic and Shadow know this, but it is Shadow who is not ready to close that gap between them since he still sees himself as inferior to Sonic. But even so, Sonic continues to watch over Shadow, talk to him and wait for him until Shadow also accepts that he is the same as himself, that they're equal and that they can be on the same level/stage together as one. This is also why Sonic hints to Shadow that he is already his equal and is also a good person too in the Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story. So when Shadow still tries to shy away or run away from being unable to accept that, Sonic gets disappointed, but he still continues to wait for him, watch over him and help him come to accept that he doesn't have to think of himself as an inferior to himself.

[pratchettquotes]

That was the thing about witches. They were, according to Granny Weatherwax, "people what looks up." She didn't explain. She seldom explained. She didn't mean people who looked at the sky; everyone did that. She probably meant that they looked up above the everyday chores and wondered, "What's all this about? How does it work? What should I do? What am I for?" And possibly even: "Is there anything worn under the kilt?"

Terry Pratchett, Wintersmith

[aseaofquotes]

Eowyn Ivey, The Snow Child

[infiglo]

Golden freddy explanation for my au wowie🤯

[fun-tray]

Hello humans!

This blog is a fun blog from which we might do things like polls and similar, all or most of it based around Jeremy Brett and Granada Holmes.

We mods are @amypihcs, @i-dont-talk-for-days-on-end and @tyrannosaurusnacks and we will sign our post.

Let's hope in some fun together and now believe me to be, my dear fellows, very sincerely yours

-mod amy

[serenefreakgeekao3]

Apricity

[Table of Contents]

CHAPTER TEN, Resultance

Day 33/34, Sunday night / Monday morning

The sun shines brilliantly off of Newt's golden hair, lighting the spot in the field that the man was grazing, pulling weeds and plucking something or other from the tops of the growing crops. He looked peaceful, standing there with a content smile, just going about his day as if farming wasn't the most boring thing in the entire world. The only reason you had even made it through one day was because you had picked play-fights with him, throwing random weeds and clumps of dirt at his apron, trying to make it into his front pocket like it was some sort of game. He had laughed- and by the creators that laugh- and deigned to throw some from his basket right back at you. He'd, of course, had more in his basket than yours. But you could tell he was going slower than normal to begin with, so he wouldn't speed ahead and leave you in his literal dust. 

Now, however, you were off work. You were working with Gally now, who was just too sweet no matter what anyone else said. You could see why Ben liked the man, he had a soft spot for people in need, even with his gruff exterior. You let your eyes scan the Glade lazily, looking for Ben through the throng of people. It wasn't until you scanned the whole Glade that you remembered he was a Runner, and his day off didn't coincide with yours. You saw him every time he was off, though. He would always visit Gally and follow him around like a little puppy dog, not working with him but watching him work. Considering Gally said you were 'still in training,' that meant he sat nearby you constantly as well. 

You were sitting atop one of the lunch tables, letting your feet dangle off of the side while leaning back on your hands behind you. You suddenly feel the wood under you begin to shake and rattle as someone jumps up onto the table, and you let your head fall backwards to lazily look at Thomas, his upside-down face smiling at you and leaning in awfully close. You can see the sun dance across his eyelashes, making his darker brown eyes alight enough that they seem to melt in swirls- although that could be because your head is rather inverted right now.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" He questions, and you laugh softly as you stare into his mesmerizing earthen eyes. You feel connected, in an odd way- in a way you would've never expected given that you're not from this universe. The thought always sends a jolt of panic through you, but you're tired and languid today, and the thought just coasts away just as easily as the fake, puffy clouds above do. 

"You." Your answer is plain and causes a scoff and an eye roll from Thomas.

"I meant, what were you looking at?" You lift your head back up, letting your eyes scan the Glade once more before they, inevitably, land back on Newt. You feel the wood underneath you shimmer and shake, and as you feel a tap on your right upper arm, you casually scoot over enough that Thomas can take a seat next to you, copying your position.

"Newt." Your answer is once again short and to the point. You catch Thomas giving you a quick glance from the corner of your eye, but he turns his head away just as fast before you even begin to consider looking back. Newt bends down, causing the sunlight to glint off of his head at a certain angle, and Thomas raises one hand to block the sun from his eyes before slapping the hand back down once again.

"That all?" Thomas mumbled, though you could hear a hint of something in his voice. You try to parse it out, but the time has passed and he's no longer saying anything else. Plus, you feel really rather tired at the current moment. You've had a long first couple of days of working for Gally, who seems ready to work you to the bone. You'd even thought about just heading over for a day of sleep, but the thought of watching Newt work peacefully felt more compelling at the time. 

"He's rather beautiful, isn't he?" Your voice is only a whisper as you say this, and you don't want to turn your head so you try to watch Thomas from the corner of your eye. He doesn't turn either, or act surprised that you had said as much. He almost seems contemplative, tilting his head back and forth before sighing and nodding slowly.

"Yeah." 

You don't expect to get anything else out of him, so you finally push yourself up from your straining arms. You turn on the table, lifting one leg on top so you can face Thomas fully. The man looks over at you with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, and with want of anything else to do, you raise a hand and poke at his muscled arm. "You're a different kind of beautiful, though." You pinch the edge of his sleeve between your fingers, feeling the thin, worn threads and wondering for how long he's been forced to wear this ratty thing. There were little moth-eaten holes along the edges of both his sleeves and the bottom hem, and you wonder whether the creators even care as much about this project anymore. It's been a lot longer than anyone would've expected by this point, you assumed. Especially since this current timeline was nothing like the actual books or movies.

"Yeah?" Thomas repeats himself, though with surprise instead of suppressed longing. You raise your gaze back up to his eyes, letting your hand drop away from his sleeve and land atop his closest hand. You feel his rough skin under your touch, letting your fingers gently graze along his scars and calluses. You nod slowly, staring into his now shadowed eyes as he tilts his head downward toward you- and you only just realize he's beginning to lean in closer. 

"Tommy," You begin, feeling the name like a weight on your tongue, like something only one person should be able to say yet here you were, copying Newt when it comes to Thomas, and copying Thomas when it comes to Newt. Who were you to get in the middle of them? "Do you think…" You trail off, letting your eyes unfocus and see through Thomas, your smile settling and numbing into a neutral expression on your face. "Do you think you could find yourself, find love, when you get out of here?" You blink yourself back into reality- this reality, anyway- and let your eyes meet with his confused ones. "Do you think you could let yourself?"

"What," Thomas leans forward even more, taking his free hand from the other side of him and pushing himself onto his side to face you, moving the hand to cup your cheek. "What do you mean? Let myself?" You bite your lip as you stare into his befuddled expression, leaning ever-so-slightly into his hand. 

"Tommy," Your whisper is even quieter now, but you can tell he can still hear you. If anything, the way he's so intensely focused on your lips could prove that he'd read them if the sound didn't quite reach his ears. "Let yourself fall. Let yourself have him. It'll make everything so much easier if you have someone to lean on." You raise your hand from its resting place on his own, brushing your fingers through his hair and trying to straighten it into something resembling order, although it was a fool's errand. "You're not alone. In here, or out there."

Thomas drops his hand suddenly, as if burned by your words. You watch him swallow roughly, then turn away and retake his leaned-back position, staring off into space. You continue your light grooming, brushing your fingers through his messy hair and combing it back out of his face. You figured if he wanted you to stop, he'd say so or stop your hand, so you continue on. It wasn't just calming for you, you come to realize, as his shoulders slowly fall from around his neck.

"You know what I did, don't you?" Thomas glances at you for a moment, but it seems like looking at you is too painful so he turns his gaze away once again, downcast.

"You didn't do anything they didn't force you to do."

"How could you even know that?"

You're silent for a few beats, waiting for him to realize. As he sucks in a breath, you believe he remembers your quiet talk from not too long ago, when you had told him you knew of Wicked. He blows his breath back out slowly, raising his shining gaze toward you. You drop your hand from his hair, rubbing a thumb across his cheek and swiping a tear away before anyone else can see it. You lean in close, wrapping your arms around him in a much-needed hug, turning your head to whisper into his ear.

"You're deserving of love, Tommy."

There's talking around you… Quiet whispers, like they're trying to be polite and maintain the status quo so you can stay restful. But- no, you can't. You can't quite remember why, but you need to get up. You need to be up, and- and running. You need to get away, it's not safe, it's not safe-

You groan, and finally something has happened. It's like you're trapped in your own body, but you're slowly gaining your senses back, your facilities back. You try to move your fingers, curl them into a ball, but it's hard. It's getting easier. You groan again, this time aloud, apparently. 

“I get that you don’t wanna sleep, but you don’t have to make all that racket, Tommy.” 

You try to wiggle your toes, and you feel that tingling sensation that comes when you've sat on your foot for too long and it needs to reawaken itself. You try to wince from the feeling but your face doesn't want to work. You're starting to get annoyed- this is your body, you should be able to move it. That's when it finally registers in your brain, the sound that you'd heard were words. They were Newt's words, Newt's voice- that meant he was here. You needed to see him, why was he in the maze?

"That wasn't me."

The maze! That's right, what happened in the maze? You groan again as images flood your mind's eyes, flashing too fast for you to comprehend, though you don't need to. You lived through it all, you remember. It's too much all at once, and you raise your arm, moving your hand to your face to rub your eyes roughly. When that doesn't stop the images, you open them slowly, blearily. You rest your elbow on the cot and begin to push yourself up to a lean, heavily enough on one side that you drop the other arm back down, leaning then on both elbows. You blink a few times, then look at your surroundings.

You were in the Medjack's hut- that much was for certain, you could tell that even in the dead of night. You'd been here before when it was just as dark before, though with different company. This time, however, your eyes land on Newt, sitting to your left in a rickety, can't-be-comfortable chair, a large book spread across a leg that was draped over the other's knee. His mouth was agape, his eyes hopeful, and it felt like too many emotions to deal with all at once. To your right, on top of another cot but sitting straight up as if ready to spring into action, was Thomas. He looked just as surprised, though not quite as hopeful. He almost looked… Angry? You glance back at Newt one last time before dropping your gaze to your lap, feeling ashamed.

"Sorry…"

"For what?"

"You better be."

They both spoke at the same time, though what surprised you the most was that it was Newt's voice indicating that you should be sorry. Thomas, with his angered expression, didn't seem to understand what you were apologizing for. You keep your eyes lowered as you hear Thomas begin to stammer, likely since Newt shot him a quick glare for his words. "I- I mean," Thomas starts, then just never finishes his sentence. You look up slowly, watching the boys stare at each other as if silently communicating something, before Newt slams his textbook closed, turning his full attention to you. He stands, walking closer to the head of your bed, laying the book down on your nightstand and leaning just slightly over the bed to get a better look at you.

"Are you alright?" You weren't quite expecting those words, at least not so soon following his last ones, and you struggled to keep up with where his mind might be at. You blink a few times, then take a deep breath and look down at your body. You wiggle your toes, watching them move, and raise a hand to feel at your stomach. Nothing hurts- not even your ankle, which you would've assumed would be even worse off than when you first injured it. Confused, you look back up to Newt.

"I- I think so."

"Good," Newt begins, then slaps the side of your arm roughly. You flinch away, staring up at him incredulously. You could hear aggravated cot springs to your right, and you figured Thomas was getting up to get closer to the both of you, but you didn't dare take your eyes off of Newt right now. He looked murderous. "How dare you do something like that to us! How- How dare you just run off into the maze without so much as a good-bye, and then-" He swallows, and you can hear the emotion in his voice, the tinge of anger and sadness and anxiety that you know you put there yourself. "And leave this- this stupid, bloody, shucking letter-" He pulls a square from his pocket, flinging it back and forth as if to unravel it quickly before throwing it down with force onto your bed. It was just a lightweight piece of parchment, however, so it didn't land with even a fraction of the force he used to throw it down with. He places both hands down on your cot, leaning over it and breathing heavily. "Saying you- what, you'd rather die than spend another day in the Glade with us?"

"No," You're quick to defend, shaking your head and widening your eyes, and you can feel tears spring to them but you try to blink them back. This isn't about your feelings, you did this to them- to him. What you feel doesn't matter right now. "No, of course not. I just couldn't bear another second of knowing how to get out of this stupid fucking hell-hole, watching you day by day just give up more and more. I know how to get you out, Newt. I wanted to help!"

"I don't want out if it's not with you!" He yells, and you suck in a breath, the tears blurring your vision until you blink them away, feeling the trails of warmth flow down your cheeks. Thomas has finally made his way around your cot at this point, encircling Newt's shoulders with one arm and pulling him in against his chest. Newt coughs out a sob, turning and burying his face into Thomas' chest. You can feel yourself gaping, your mouth opening and closing like a poor imitation of a fish on land, and you meet Thomas' eyes now that you can no longer see Newt's. He's not angry any longer, you can see in his eyes, but there are questions there that you know you'll have to answer at some point. Whether he's told Newt about Wicked or not- that'll be the deciding factor of whether it's now or later.

"Newt," You whisper, after waiting for his cries to quiet. When he doesn't turn, you can feel your heart twisting and ripping in your chest. "Newt, please." He slowly pulls away from Thomas, and you can see him raise his head enough- and in turn Thomas turns his gaze away from you finally- and their locked eyes must give him enough strength to carry on. He raises a hand to rub roughly at his face, wiping away his own tears before he finally turns back around to face you. He sighs out slowly, then lets his gaze travel over your form before resting on your face once again. He isn't meeting your eyes, rather letting his own eyes rest on your lips, but he reaches out and takes one of your hands into his own.

"Tell me your story, [Y/N]."

You bite your lip, glancing at Thomas and then around the room in search of something. In search of that blinking red light that revealed that Wicked was watching. Except- it's been so long now, hasn't it? They could've developed who-knows-what at this point, they could be watching right now. Was it safe to talk about? Would it ever be safe to talk about? You let your gaze wander back to Newt with a wince, then glance over to Thomas as if pleading with him to understand. Somehow, you think he does. He reaches forward, placing a hand on his forearm and leaning in even closer.

"Newt, I don't know if now is the time."

"Now is most certainly the time, Tommy. I'm not waiting another moment."

"You-" He stutters as Newt turns a sharp glare onto him, but presses forward regardless. "You might need to wait just one more moment. Long enough for us to know that they aren't listening." Newt's face relaxes in understanding, turning back to look at you with an appraising look. Thomas turns to look at you as well, and the way they both stare at you soothes the ache that had been there not but a moment before. Like you were their whole world, just laying there on a medical cot. 

"Is there anywhere we could do that?"

It's silent again between the three of you, and you wrack your brain for something- anything. And that's when it finally hits you. It might be a long shot, but as far as you knew Gally hadn't told hardly anyone else about that spot. 

"I think I know a place."

You move to get up, pulling the blanket aside and tossing your legs over the left side of your bed. You sit there for a moment, dizziness overtaking you, and you watch Newt reach forward as if to catch you when you wobble unsteadily. You blink a few times, waiting for your vision to return fully before glancing upward. Newt and Thomas took a few steps to the side, as if to give you space to stand, though before you have a chance your hand slips when your gaze lands on another body.

It could only be Chuck, with that body shape under the blanket, and that head of hair at the top. You swallow roughly, turning your head first toward the boys before letting your eyes finally separate from Chuck. You look at them questioningly, and Newt nods, Thomas speaking up quietly.

"He's alright. He woke up earlier, during the day. He's just resting more now, but he's perfectly fine. Something in that blue serum healed him- both of you, it seems, completely." You nod slowly, trying to ingrain his words into your mind so you can calm the worry that spiked from seeing him- from remembering. You push yourself to a stand, and you feel a hand on your shoulder from Newt, and another hand on your waist from Thomas who reaches past Newt to help as well. You can't help the smile that comes to your face from their attempt to help, and you want to lean into them but you need to see for yourself. 

You take a step away from their grasp, closer to Chuck's cot. You let yourself lean against it, leaning over Chuck's sleeping body to take a peek at his face. It's covered by his mounds of curled hair, so you reach over and gently pull it to the side. His face is peaceful at rest, something you've always found comforting every time you catch him napping during the day on his days off. You study his sleeping face for a few more moments, watching as his body rises and falls from his breath, before letting his hair drop right back out of your grasp. You turn toward the boys, giving them a soft but guilty smile. "Alright. I'm ready."

It was rather easy to find Gally's secret little hide-away bunker, considering it was at the very corner of the Glade inside the Deadheads. As you circle around what looks to be just a little hill, you come across the flat metal doors of the bunker you knew would be there. It's tied together by some sort of hempen rope, likely just to keep the door closed as it's not very hard to pull the rope out from between the handles. Gally was probably worried if he ever locked it then it would practically become useless when the time came. You drop the rope to the ground, taking one last look around.

You'd been keeping an eye out this whole time, and you thought at one point you saw a blinking flash of red, but it sped in the direction of the Medjack hut, and you hoped that Wicked was too tired and oblivious to notice the three of you heading into the woods. It didn't seem like the rest of the Glade noticed, anyway, considering the majority of them were asleep under their little overhang across the way. You don't notice any more blinking red lights, and your eyes land on Thomas who seems to be doing the same sort of sweep. Once his eyes land on you, and you receive a nod in affirmation that he didn't spot anything either, you pull open the doors and make your way down into the dark hole. While you still had enough light bouncing off of the giant walls into the hole, you located where Gally put the matches and lit a small lantern, just in time for Thomas to close the doors behind the three of you.

You hang the lantern along one of the ropes covering the ceiling, letting it sway above the three of you as you take a seat on a random box nearby. You only realize after you sit that it's the same box you had sat on before, back when Gally had shown you to this spot and became surprisingly vulnerable with you. You shake the memory away, looking up as Newt gingerly takes a seat, sitting on the edge of a box like he's ready to jump up at any moment, but also like he's trying to give you space to be able to speak freely. Thomas, predictably, is too restless to sit, but he does take a few steps away so he's not pacing between the two of you.

"Alright, so…" You begin, but you're not quite sure where to start. Luckily, Newt seems to pick up on that, and he digs out a square piece of folded parchment from his pocket- the letter he had thrown at you not too long ago. You must've missed when he picked it right back up and pocketed it once again. Thomas must've as well, from the surprised look he dons.

"Let's start with this." He tosses it onto the ground between you, and you bite your lip. Truthfully, you barely remember what you even wrote, considering you were in a rush to get it all out before the doors started to close. You blink down at it, then raise your gaze back up to Newt. He gestures toward it with a sigh. "You go ahead and read it, take it step by step. You don't have to read it aloud, I've memorized the words by now." That takes you by surprise, but you heed his advice and push yourself from the box you sit on just long enough to stretch and snatch it from the dirt-covered ground, brushing the stray pieces from the worn parchment. You glance back up at him, slowly unravelling it with a question on your lips.

"How long, exactly, was I out for?"

"Just an extra day. We found you the morning after you entered the maze, injected you with the serum almost immediately- as soon as Clint realized what you'd done to Chuck. Then it was all day and- well, partly into the night until you woke up." Thomas was the one who answered, still pacing back and forth while recounting the story as if in a daze. You swallow, then nod slowly. You finish spreading the paper out in front of you, looking down at the hastily scribbled words on the paper. 

'If you're reading this, then I'm dead.'

So much for that. You continue reading, then take a long breath as you try to compose what you would like to say in your head. They're patient- as patient as they can be when their entire life is on the line. Thomas continues to pace, and Newt just stares at the empty ground between you where the letter once lay. The first thing that comes to mind, though, starts with the second paragraph…

"I'm sorry I lied to you, Tommy."

He freezes in his steps, and as you glance over to watch him, you can see Newt react similarly in his seat. He freezes, then slowly looks up and looks between the two of you. You wait for Thomas to do something, to say something, but he stands there as if you've just given him grave news. Eventually, when it seems as if you won't elaborate, he sighs and roughly rubs his face with his hands. He turns toward you, crossing his arms with a stern expression. "For lying about working for them?"

"I never once said I worked for them," You counter, raising a hand. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I explicitly said I did not work for them." You watch as Thomas freezes, then pulls his brows together like he's trying to remember your conversation. He hesitates, slowly uncrossing his arms.

"You… You did say that, but…" He hesitates, then huffs a disapproving breath, shaking his head. "But how could you know so much without working for them? Surely you remember by now?"

"I-" You swallow roughly, then glance down. "That's what I'm sorry about. I lied about how I remember so much. I knew, at the time. It was just…" You close your eyes, then squeeze them together, raising your fists to cover them. "The truth sounds more far-fetched than working for Wicked, trust me."

"Wicked?" Newt questions, and as you release your hold on your eyes you finally let yourself look at him. He looks confused, and pissed off for being confused, and both you and Thomas realize at the same time that you should be including him in this. In all of it. It's Thomas who speaks first, clarifying.

"The creators. They're a- a company? Named Wicked. The letters that come up on the box, W C K D. It's an abbreviation for Wicked." Newt swallows roughly, then waves a hand as if messily saying to carry on. You turn your attention back toward Thomas, though it seems as though he's lost his fight now, moving to take a seat on a box near Newt, across from you. He leans forward, elbows on his knees, and takes a deep breath before looking up at you. "Fine. I understand you think it's not going to be believable. But starting with that is enough. You tell us the truth, and no matter what it is, we'll believe you."

You blink a few times, then wonder if he really means that. And you mean really means that, after he hears what you have to say. You didn't write it in your letter, technically. You'd hinted at it, sure, but the reality of the truth is so much heavier, so much harder to accept. You bite your lip, looking between the two boys you realize you have fallen in love with, and wonder how exactly they'll react. Perhaps they'll find you so unbelievable that they won't just leave you forever, but completely ignore your valid way of escaping out of this place. Although… Maybe they shouldn't leave… Nothing else could happen if they stay here, if they continue to live in this place that supplies them fresh food and water, that keeps them safe from the sickness.

But that's not fair, for you to choose for them.

"I think the easiest way to explain it- is that I'm from another universe." You give it a second, waiting for them to interrupt or berate you, to ask you to tell the truth. After they just stare at you, waiting for you to continue on and explain what you mean, you begin to feel a warmth fill your chest. It seems as if, for now, they're willing to believe whatever it is you say. "Everything here, all of this. You, both of you-" You hesitate at this part, taking a long breath in before blowing it back out, nodding. "This is all just a book series to me. Or- was. It all was a book series, until I woke up in that elevator."

"Did you remember everything right away?" Newt questions, his expression open and not-disbelieving. You blink for a moment, taken aback by his specific question, considering any other he could be asking. But, you assure yourself, if he's asking questions like this then that means he believes you- or at least, is trying to.

"Not right away. And," You glance between the both of them with a smile, "Not when I remembered my name either. It came slowly, over time. Dreams, and memories hit me out of nowhere. I didn't know what was happening at first until I had a dream, I think about a week in?"

"Oh," Thomas interrupts, sitting up straighter with a thoughtful look. "I- I think I remember that one. You had said something like," He huffs out a breath, staring unseeing at the ground as he tries to remember. "You asked me why I was still here? That I was supposed to get out by now?" You nod along, then tilt your head back and forth in contemplation before sighing.

"I think it was the night after that one, actually. That had been a flashback, a memory of the books but it hadn't been what alerted me to my situation. The next night, I woke up from a weird dream and knew then. But no one else had been up, and I took a little walk around." You sigh once again, shaking your head. "Not the point."

"What did you mean, then? If you remember?" Newt asks, unmoving from his current lean forward, his elbows on his knees as he studies you, hands clasped together. "When you asked Tommy why he was still here?" You suck in a breath, nodding. 

"Yeah, so, that's the thing. This is all pretty reminiscent of that book series, but it's not quite the same. In the books," You nod toward Thomas, growing worried about how he might react to this information. "When Tommy got sent up, he was pretty quickly after attacked by Ben."

"Ben?" Thomas questions, and you can understand the confusion between both boys. You nod along, taking a deep breath.

"So, Ben had been stung in the maze. No one knew how it had happened, or why. But he ended up- well, going crazy." The two of them nod, sharing glances as if they knew exactly what you were talking about. You supposed they would, at this point. "So, when he attacked you- and no one knew how to cure it- well…"

"He was banished." Newt completes your sentence as if this was obvious, nodding along. Thomas shuffles in his seat restlessly, leaning back and raising a hand to run it through his hair roughly. It's pretty obvious he doesn't enjoy this story so far, but you doubt he'd enjoy any of it, to be honest. 

"Yeah. That kinda kick-started the whole thing." The boys look confused, so you continue without prompting. "Alby and Minho went to go check around the maze, and they thought they came across a dead Griever. Apparently, it had only pretended to be dead, and stung Alby." You watched as Thomas leaned forward again quickly, paying close attention. "They escaped it, somehow, and Minho was helping Alby get back to the Glade but they were running late. They weren't going to make it. So," You look over to him, nodding, "Tommy ran in."

"Of course he would," Newt mutters under his breath, leaning back finally and slumping his shoulders in defeat. 

"The three of them got locked in the maze at night. That's how Tommy was able to kill a Griever for the first time. It was-" You stare off into space, images of your night in the maze flashing before your eyes. "You just use the maze against them. Let the stone crush them, or trick them into jumping off the edge of a cliff. Things like that."

"That's what you did, then?" Thomas asks, and you finally come to, looking up to meet his stern gaze. You nod again, agreeing, and watch him sigh out slowly.

"After you all escaped the maze and gave Alby the Grief serum-"

"The what?" Newt interrupts, his brows furrowing.

"The blue serum, the one that I gave Chuck?"

"Grief serum," Newt mutters to himself again, then takes a deep breath and nods to indicate you can continue.

"Minho and Tommy went back in. Found the dead Griever, pulled the stinger out-" You hesitate here, then look at them sharply. "Wait, where's my backpack? It had the stinger in there, right?" Newt nods, but Thomas is the one who speaks up with exhaustion.

"Minho took the bag, and the stinger. We read the letter out to him, so he began trying to solve that puzzle you mentioned immediately." You nod along, letting out a breath of relief.

"Good, that's good." You look back down at the letter, scanning it quickly to see if you were forgetting anything. You reach the bottom of the page, swallowing roughly at what you had written there. As if reading your thoughts, Newt's calm voice speaks up once again.

"There's still a few more questions I have about that letter." You nod, already knowing what he might ask. You hear it anyway; "Why did you warn us about Gally? To take the shot?" An ache begins in your chest, having written out that they shouldn't trust him. He's obviously different now than in the books… Was that Ben's doing? Was his exile the reason Gally had become so hard and distant in the books?

"I don't know why I wrote that," You whisper, but Newt interrupts just as quickly.

"We need to know, [Y/N]."

"In the books," You take a deep breath, placing the letter to your side on the box, looking back up at them with a guilty expression. "Look, you have to keep in mind that Ben was exiled, Tommy was made a runner almost immediately; his entire world was falling apart."

"[Y/N],"

"Gally didn't want to leave the Glade," You begin, letting your eyes fall back to the ground so you can try and remember things fully. "He tried to stay, and tried to convince others to stay with him. He was pretty successful, about half of what remained of the Glade stayed. But, they were all killed when the Grievers attacked again. At this point, the doors weren't closing at night-" You stop, raising your hands to rub your face roughly. "I don't know how I'm going to explain everything to you, it's all such a mess."

"It's okay," Thomas murmurs, his voice trying to be gentle. "Just try."

"Wicked didn't like that you found the stringer, or perhaps just didn't like that you were in the maze at all, Tommy. They sent Teresa in, said she was the last one ever. This wasn't but a week or two after you came up. After she was up, the doors stopped closing. It was a race to the exit, otherwise everyone would die at night when the Grievers attacked. Alby sacrificed himself that first night so that you all could survive." You let out a breath, raising your eyes to them. They were both understandably horrified, and you shrug with a humourless laugh. "I guess Gally making this bunker would've worked out better back then."

"And Gally still wanted to stay? After the doors didn't close?"

"He thought we'd- well, you had angered the 'creator's, and wanted to sacrifice Tommy to the maze. But he had too many friends, and a good bit of Gladers, including you, Newt, helped him out of his binds and escaped into the maze to leave. Some came with, some stayed behind with Gally." You sighed, leaning your head back on your shoulders. "So, Gladers that stayed behind died, Gally chased after you all. He had been stung, I think? Either that, or he was losing everything and had nothing left. He was pointing a gun at Tommy, trying to hold him accountable for everything that happened." 

"I wouldn't blame him," Thomas muttered under his breath, which caused both you and Newt to look at him sharply. Newt spoke up before you could, however.

"Don't say that." He lets out a slow breath, waiting for Thomas to meet his eyes before continuing. "Do not start blaming yourself for something that never even happened." Thomas blinks a few times, as if coming to this realization. This really hadn't happened, not in this timeline anyway. After Thomas takes another deep, calming breath, they both nod and turn their attention back to you.

"He shot the gun," You immediately say, watching Thomas flinch. This next part, even just the thought, hurts you to say. "But, Chuck jumped in front."

"That's why you said protect Chuck," Newt mutters once more, and you nod.

"He killed him. Chuck died trying to protect Tommy, and I just… I couldn't have that happen again." You let your eyes fall from them, staring at that spot on the ground once again that you've become so accustomed to so far through this conversation. "I said not to hesitate so maybe Chuck wouldn't get hurt. There's a spear, I think? Maybe- maybe Minho threw it? I can't quite remember, but it pierced Gally and everyone thought he was dead."

"Thought?" Newt asks softly, and you scoff out a laugh, shaking your head.

"That turns into a long story. But no, he didn't die." It's quiet again, and you don't quite blame them. It's a lot to take in, but even just trying to remember what happened in the books is getting harder and harder as you live through this life. You think perhaps they're trying to reconcile what you know versus what has actually happened in their lives. Maybe they were trying to figure out what happened along the way to stop all of these events from occurring. You knew you had always wondered, this whole time. It's a few minutes before Newt finally breaks the silence, his voice tired and grave.

"So why did you say Tommy is the cure?"

[unwelcome-ozian]

[schizosupport]

when you say “negative symptoms” , what do you mean by it?

So for the schizo spec and schizophrenia in particular, the symptoms are grouped into some categories. The most common categories used are positive, cognitive and negative symptoms.

Positive symptoms are things that we experience that others don't (hence "positive" as in being an addition), it's hallucinations, disorganisation and delusions.

Cognitive symptoms are difficulties with planning, learning, memory, reading faces etc, and may look similar to adhd and autism sometimes, depending.

Negative symptoms are things that we "lack" (it's "negative" as in it being a detraction). This often refers to a lack of motivation, energy, ability and desire to initiate actions - difficulties with basic self care like feeding, showering, brushing your teeth often arises. It can also involve isolating socially, pulling back, and not saying much.

I hope this helps!

[starclast]

🌟 Full Beta!Hagakure nicknames list:

Like a said previously, I kind headcanon beta!Hagakure to have a bit of a superiority complex. After all, who else can presume they can see the future? And that slightly shows in the way he calls people 🙃

In Japanese, the suffix -chan is normally used for children or young girls, and so, by shortening his classmates' surnames and adding -chan at the end, is like subtly calling them "Little kids". Of course, after some time passes, the nicknames become less of a teasing and more like an actual sign of affection for them (-chan it is also used to express familiarity/affection with the person it is used with, like a friend for example! 😌)

He purposely calls Leon "Wata-chan" because he hates it. One, because it frustrates him that it sounds so similar to Mondo's nickname, and two, because is like calling him "cotton candy" (*wataame).

P.S: Beta!Asahina is so, SO cute!! I like to draw her 🥺✨✨

[taintedsoul-if]

Hey author! How r u?

I just played the new demo!! And it was awesome author, I can't wait for the next update, truly! I need more of my darling Cadmus!

Buuut I have some things to ask. Sorry if it was already mentioned, but well I didn't find it. So here goes.

I played the route where mc goes to a surprise birthday party. I pretty much played all of the routes, but I found that to be the one with more choices, so Is the one I choose. But the choices there are irrelevant or something? Before mc dies, when talking to the doc there was the "motel" choice, where my still virgin mc could have had wild sex with them.

And and and, this is something before all that, when the "car accident or something" happened, and mc is on the couch, and Cadmus appears, is the third choice "One second, he’s across the room. The next, he’s standing right in front of you." Is this choice always blocked? Or I need to do something specific? Also later on, after mc transmigration, when they are talking about the bite with Nothingness, they mentioned that Cadmus said something about snapping Mc's scrawny, delicate neck. But Cadmus never did say that? Before he left he warned mc about their mother and it was that. And he was rather affectionate with the mc? I found the bite to be more intimate than rough and scary. But maybe I'm just weird..

And that's it author! I know it's too early on the demo, but just letting you know, and ofc you can just ignore everything I said! Your IF your rules

Hello, Anon! I’m doing wonderfully. 😆

Every single choice implemented in Tainted Souls isn’t just there for show, nor are they mere breaks from the info dump. These choices build up future choices. As you can see below, if you choose the 'Motel' option, this statement will flip to true.

This choice leads to the Original Host’s body no longer being pure, which means that if you slept with Doctor Simon, the Original Host also slept with either T, N, or S.

For the Cadmus option, there’s a specific sequence of choices. Choice 1 is to click on the 'To blow off some steam' option in the opening scene. This sets the true or false variation/statement to 'true.' Once that statement is true, you’ll then have access to Choice 2, where, one second, he’s across the room, and the next, he’s standing before you—because you've met Cadmus at the bar.

"As for your last statement, Cadmus did say, 'Look at you—so scrawny, so fragile. It would bring me great pleasure to snap that delicate neck of yours…'

I didn’t mention the last thing Cadmus said to the MC because, in my view, every scene created holds its own impactful moment. When this choice comes back to the readers in the future, I didn’t want them to be confused about the path they’d chosen—whether it was 'kiss,' 'bite,' 'bite' and 'prod chest'.

Maybe in the future, I'll tweak that specific scene a bit more. But we all need to remember that your MC comes from normal society. Nobody in their right mind would immediately tilt their head to the side and allow someone to drink their blood. As affectionate as Cadmus was, that scene was still scalp-numbing.

I think this covers all the points you've mentioned. Thank you for taking the time to read this update and for your feedback. I can’t wait to share the next update with everyone ❤️. Lastly, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and that Caddy has once again trapped another person under his spell .

Have a good one, Anon! 😊

[sonadowwiki]

Many fans sonic say you hate Amy Because you gave Amy a bad reputation and also said that Sonic doesn't like Amy as well ، Is this true

Why do you ask this question in the first place right after trying to ask a question to debunk Sonadow? What is your purpose in asking these questions as someone who is obviously against Sonadow and someone who likes Amy and Sonamy? And to even use a burner account to do this and to even try to intimidate by claiming that "many fans" think like you or what you've said while believing that pressuring us with what people think is going to make us bend to your will.

There are two of us who handle this account, but I am aware of who you're referring to when falsely accusing that this account is one person or that only one is using this account. Which also proves that you are trying to target one of us with your interrogation disrespectfully.

I didn't say to others what I think of Amy, I only speak of the facts that I find about her and her relationship with Sonic throughout my research of the franchise because many constantly lie about her characterization, personality, relationship with Sonic and medias with Amy in it. I'm not "giving her a bad reputation," I am speaking about the facts about Amy.

It is a fact that she:

Demanded Sonic to go on dates with her, even to the point of forcing him to promise her (2021 Calendar Story)

Demanded (or "joked/asked" or assumed) for Sonic to marry her on multiple occasions (Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 manual, Sonic Battle with her saying she thought Sonic would propose to her to Knuckles and by enforcing herself to be Emerl's mother and Sonic the father, Sonic Colors DS, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes)

Has disregarded others in favor of trying to find Sonic or have others help her find him (Sonic Colors DS)

Is disrespectful towards Sonic because she self-proclaims herself to be his girlfriend even though he has said no to her in canon material several times

Sees Sonic as a form of entertainment to satisfy her boredom

Is obsessed and overly infatuated with Sonic to the point of thinking that Sonic can never do any wrong except refusing what she wants from him many times

Has followed Sonic around wherever he has gone for several games, whether he liked it or not

Is touchy with Sonic despite him not liking her touch and despite showing discomfort

She has become violent or "joked" about being violent towards Sonic if she doesn't get her way with him or he doesn't accept her advances/demands

That she is based off of being a Japanese woman as a character that is created in Japan with Japanese creators, who generally are seen in negative light from those who live in Japan because of their abusive personality and actions towards their husbands (and men) after trying to make themselves look good or seem good.

If others think that these facts make her have a bad reputation or look bad, then that's how her official actions in official materials look; that shows that her personality and actions are bad and look bad to others once knowing the official materials.

Does Sonic like Amy romantically? No. Many sources, not just once, already stated that.

Ian Flynn said that in the IDW comics, there is no romance. He said they are one-sided with Amy liking Sonic and that they are just friends.

But even one of her creators, Kazuyuki Hoshino, stated that it was always supposed to be an endless chase. Therefore, they were never meant to be together in the first place and it was always to be one-sided relationship with Amy being the one to like Sonic and Sonic not liking her back.

Other people who state this is how even in Sonic Boom, a writer for the series stated that Sonamy was always meant to be a joke in their series, therefore it never should have been taken seriously.

Sonic Team also uploaded a video of Sonic answering questions, and with that, Sonic said that he only sees Amy as a reliable friend; that there's nothing more between them.

And even with her profile on Sonic Channel, it still states that Amy is a self-proclaimed girlfriend, which means that Sonic doesn't return her "romantic" feelings back and doesn't see her that way to have her actually be a girlfriend, not just a self-proclaimed one.

Other than that, it is already obviously shown in several medias that Sonic is uncomfortable with Amy and that he doesn't want to be in a relationship with her. If this was any other series, no one would question whether Sonic likes Amy or not from just seeing the materials where he (excluding materials from recent corrupt employees that are inaccurate to the faithful materials/lore):

1. Tries to end meet-ups with her as soon as possible if possible (the 2021 Calendar Story)

2. How he doesn't want Amy touching him and tells her to get off of him (Sonic Unleashed and the cover image for the 2021 Calendar Story)

3. Where he leaves her in others care to get away from Amy when possible (Sonic Colors DS and Sonic Battle)

4. Where he even straight out says no to her advances or the thought of being together romantically (Sonic Advance 3)

5. Where he runs away from Amy or when knowing Amy is coming (Sonic Battle like in point 3)

[pratchettquotes]

"What made you decide to become a wizard?" [...]

"It's indoor work with no heavy lifting," said Cutwell. "And I suppose I wanted to learn how the world worked."

"Have you succeeded, then?"

"No."

Terry Pratchett, Mort

[phightingaus]

I might be like. minimally online from now on unfortunately guh. stuff just happened and I fear having a 10-day ao3 update sched happens to interfere with Mod duties so I'll put this here for the record salute emoji salute emoji 🫡🫡🫡🫡

[infiglo]

UPDATED VERSION i completely rewrote this bc there was a lot of stuff in the old version I wanted to update or change

[ucrh]

I swear, Digger's haters have 0 reading comprehension or media literacy like how could you get "he did that on purpose" from Blackest Night like what the FUCK man.

If they wanted to be like "He couldn't remember his son's name in Kill the Justice League" or "In the Wonder Woman comic where Diana brought Owen to Digger as a sorta bargain chip and it almost immediately became a fist fight" that's one fucking thing.

BUT USING DIGGER EATING OWEN??? I- I AM AT A LOSS FOR WORDS! THIS IS WORSE THAN JUST READING IDENTITY CRISIS AND ASSUMING DIGGER IS A MERCENARY BECAUSE AT LEAST IN THAT COMIC ALONE BY ITSELF THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SHORT RUN BUT THIS IS A WHOLE NEW LEVEL! THIS IS LOOKING AT A MINDLESS CORPSE AND SAYING THE MINDLESS CORPSE ATE HIS OWN SON ON PURPOSE! IT'S NOT EVEN REALLY HIDDEN THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY DIGGER!

Yeah, and it’s really unfortunate that those people don’t choose to put at least a little bit of research into it. Like Black Lantern Digger was honestly a simple thing to understand as Digger basically being zombified, and that anything that he does as a Black Lantern should not be taken as the character willingly doing it. But yeah, we can’t do much other then inform people or ignore them, people will be people after all.