#beloved...... finally making some use of that capture card

[vindicia]

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD       ↳ Faron Woods

[neon-dynasty]

Guess I'm getting hyperfixated on MOTU again. Have some custom Magic cards!

I used Card Conjurer for these. The quality is so much better than Magic Set Editor, but it's going to take a lot of getting used to.

Prince Adam is beloved by all, so he gives a boost to his allies, even if he himself is a little wimpy. I had a hard time figuring out how to give him consistent access to the Sword of Power, and the first draft had him tutoring for it like Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar. Ultimately, it felt right to just put it in the Command Zone. To be honest, I still have no idea what it does.

He-Man shows up to save his friends! Whenever he arrives, his allies tend to relax a little, so they no longer get the +2/+2 boost. They do, however, get a nice shield of protection when he attacks.

As for the color identity, Adam/He-Man is very solidly white, being a caring prince and a protector of others. He's also fairly emotional (R), and is the champion of an ancient magic that flows through Eternia (G). I would have left it at that, but then I realized if I make more cards like this, how would Man-at-Arms fit into a Commander deck, or Orko, both incredibly blue characters? Eventually, I decided that the flavor was easy enough to justify as Adam wanting to improve himself, and He-Man relying on Adam's naturally clever mind to accomplish anything brute force couldn't.

I designed Skeletor first, being one of my favorite characters of all time. He's got an incredibly Wile E. Coyote thing going on, constantly failing, but never giving up. He doesn't get his hands dirty if he can help it, though, and often sends his minions to the front line to fight for him. Whenever they (or he) fail to accomplish a plan, he leaves his underlings to get captured while he escapes. His color identity should be obvious.

I've been thinking about designing two Commander decks, with these two as the primary face cards, and Adora/She-Ra and Hordak as the secondary ones. The themes would be Heroes, equipment/auras, and combat on the good side, and Minions, instants/sorceries, and sacrificing for power on the evil side. I'd also want to represent a variety of MOTU media, if I could find cool artwork and photographs. We'll see.

Adam's and He-Man's art are from the first episode of MOTU Revelations. Skeletor's is from a statue by Iron Studios, though they don't have the item up on their website (you can find the image at online toy stores). Finally, the set symbol was modified from the logo for a cancelled MOTU TTRPG called Legends of Grayskull.

[beej-machinations]

PBA Canon Character Fic Nominees

To help you choose your fave PBA '24 Best Portrayal of a Canon Character Fics, grouped by name!

I've written my own summaries, centred around the nominated character and which of their traits the story explored.

Voting Round ends April 21st (vote here x)

Card Games, Vampires, and a Very Late Letter by TheSailingRabbit Kinch enters the service while hiding a chronic illness; much later, Hogan has finally thought up a way to help him (It's very UnOrthodox). Kinch & Hogan friendship 👍👍🥲

Kinch in Mama Bear by PicassoPenguin 4+1 story of the times Kinch took care of the other bears. what's not to love? Kinch uses his skills in observation and subtlety to watch out for the crew in both direct and indirect ways.

Carter in A Brother's Bond by PicassoPenguin After the war, Little Deer misses his brothers from Barracks 14. He tells Brown Rabbit about them, how much he admires them, and about the first days when he joined the heroes ( !!! )

Carter in Exit, Pursued By A Bear by pronker Carter has questions. The extent to which the gang humors or suffers him is a delicate balance. I think the author captured his voice well :)

Hogan in Decoration Day by Abracadebra Hogan mourns, then honors, the men that have died under his command. He has to lie to Klink to do so, but that's only natural.

Hogan in Sergeant 'Don't You Sass Me, Hogan' Wilson by whatisthismandoinghere Doctors may make the worst patients, but Colonels come in at a close second.

LeBeau Hogan in Well and Truly Got by Cardinal Rose - (Hogan story, i think this was mislabelled in the poll) Hogan's luck runs out. He tries anyway, but the consequences are unavoidable.

Klink in Klink's Brother by Sam Worth Klink talks a little about his family, both real and imagined. Well captured voice and mannerisms

Klink in Yoga Session by Deepbluethinking Klink discovers that kowtowing to Burkhalter leads to kowtowing in a more literal way, to the dismay of his hamstrings.

Klink in Ashes by LightShiner14 Atypically, Klink goes to church. Childhood memories rise unbidden; and Klink reflects on the irony of attending church in the bloodied present day. There's also a question pressing at him: what does he find within himself? Does he dare examine it?

LeBeau in Operation Mother Hen by Tuttle4077 Lebeau is sick. He's miserable, prideful, and Not Happy with the fuss everyone is making - to the point of driving everyone crazy: until they recruit the best nurse (very cute)

LeBeau in Spring Flowers by Tuttle4077 a poetically evocative piece on how Lebeau witnesses the changes to his beloved Rhineland. For better, for worse, for better, for worse. for better? (the imagery is vivid, and Lebeau's love really shines through)

Uneasy Company by dust on the wind Stuck between a rock, a hard place, a Hochstetter, and more troubles on the way, Newkirk is stranded without any backup. We get to see how he thinks and performs under pressure when the crew isn't there. When he needs to use his lockpicking skills, how can he explain them to the paranoid Hochstetter?

Drop Bears by dust on the wind Newkirk makes a bet with an Australian POW, and ends up taking a different gamble and performing some last-minute acrobatics.

A Deserved Gift by Cardinal Rose Newkirk dreams up the perfect plot for springtime. Most of the crew beg off taking part, because its an unnecessary risk, but regardless the victory is sweet and enjoyed by all. (in wartime, even Petty Revenge requires Pro Revenge tactics)

Cracking the Vault by Sierra Sutherwind Reminded of his younger days, Newkirk gives himself an inconveniently timed challenge - much to the dismay of Hogan and Schultz. They support him, but tbh they had their hands tied, what else could they do? (bonus: Schultz and the OCs in this fic go through some interesting developments, but they arent the focus in this category)

Once Is Enough by Abracadebra Newkirk is recruited as the reluctant accomplice in Marya's latest wild scheme. He shows off his skills at bluffing, snarking, and griping >:) i like how the more stressed he gets the funnier he gets haha

Autumn Winds by Fear-Of-The-Cold Newkirk's attitude toward human connection over the years, as it is influenced by his family and the world. we get to see a pre-Heroes POW Newkirk

The Assassin by lonewolfette9846 Newkirk is given the most important job in the war. And he has to do it alone. He does his best to keep his cover, and in the little time he has strategises his next moves. A very tense story - and that tension takes its toll on Newkirk. I like how methodical and tactical Newkirk comes across in this, despite the mission not being remotely in his experience.

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(voting link again)

[expensivetinfoil]

"What's My Age Again?..."

2022 was a big, messy, mostly incomprehensible year. It feels weird to consider its ending when I have no memory of it ever beginning. But the calendar tells me that it did begin and that in a few hours it will end, so here we are.

I spent half of 2022 running around the city in a five-dollar mylar gold hoodie with my phone flailing out in front of me shooting a movie in an effort not to go insane. While I can make no claims on my sanity, a movie has been shot and I spent the second half of the year—after a needed break—starting to make sense of the footage that was lovingly captured with my friends.

In between the moviemaking, there was a mad flurry of change…

I started working for The Film Foundation and over the past 12 months helped launch the Restoration Screening Room—an online space that screens a TFF restoration for free once a month.

DUELLE published more podcasts and film criticism before Carolyn and I dove headfirst into movie-making, something we are both very excited about. There will be more from us soon about our projects and purpose.

I banned together with my fellow workers at Anthology Film Archives and fought for a better contract via a 1-day strike that brought our community out into the streets in a very inspiring and fun way.

I threw in the towel of my almost 20 years as a vegetarian and adopted a come-what-may diet that doesn’t fit into a box of any kind outside of my making an effort to eat locally and organically whenever possible. I still love vegetables and prioritize them but my god, pepperoni pizza and roasted chicken!

I went to Barclays with Marie and David to see THE CAVS IN A PLAY-IN GAME!! (before this new system they would have simply been in the playoffs but I digress....) Watching this team brought me so much joy this year.

Alongside some beloved friends and very special artists, I presented a few of my films at The Roxy Cinema—it was so great to share our vision of filmmaking with an audience of new faces at a truly fun movie theater.

I visited my dear friend Madeleine in Snow Creek, CA and she took me to Pioneer Town (Roy Rogers! Gene Autry!) and Joshua Tree, helping me to inexplicably usher in a new decade alongside some supportive bunnies. The day after my birthday I awoke at sunset in a yurt outside Joshua Tree and went outside to greet the day and found myself face to face with a coyote and ever since then I’ve been trying to channel that energy.

I left the Upper East Side (Goodbye Donohues!) for Ridgewood (Hello Pizzeria Panina!), majorly downsizing and in turn creating more time in which I can make work and read and walk and cook and see friends.

As soon as I had moved, I was on a plane to Greece, headed back to the Temenos after 10 years away. I ate so much good food and drank so much good wine and saw incredible images and hung out with dear friends who don’t live in NY, spent quality time with NY friends who I don’t see often enough, and met so many amazing people. On my way out of Europe, I rolled through Bologna to see some beautiful films and film-lovers.

I reunited with the beaches of New York City and my soul was (in those moments) at peace.

With Flo and Dan, I helped put together a new NYFF program of Revivals that I was deeply proud of and then was able to share the films with so many wonderful friends that came to town for the festival.

I shot the shit with Paul Schrader for an hour for a NYFF Talk. He complimented my boots and laughed at my jokes and it was perfect.

I watched the Guardians win many games despite no one expecting them to. In particular, I will always remember the final game of the Wild Card series on October 8th, which saw me starting the game in Ridgewood and ending it sitting outside of Lincoln Center next to Dorota and Sofia screaming as we finally got a run in the 15th inning.

We all said goodbye to Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Marie Straub…. Their passing continues to haunt me and to call into question how we make films, how we love films, and how we live as artists in the world. Also.... cigars <3

Related: I saw an insane amount of great movies! WOW! The programs that were nearest and dearest to me: Imageless Films @ Anthology, Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset @ Il Cinema Ritrovato, NYC’s Movie Renaissance @ Film Forum, Robert Downey @ Anthology, William Klein @ Anthology, Hugo Fregonese @ Il Cinema Ritrovato + MoMA, George Miller @ Anthology, Friedl Kubelka vom Gröller @ Anthology, Kinuyo Tanaka @ FilmLinc, Owen’s programs @ The Roxy + FilmLinc, Essential Cinema @ Anthology, Beth B & Scott B @ MoMA, + Everything @ Light Industry. + a special shout-out to Bradley Eros’s MAYA + COLOUR THEORY.

I took in the written word in a more piecemeal kind of way this year but the books I did actually finish have stuck with me: Sylvia by Leonard Michaels, Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin, Airships by Barry Hannah, What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt, The Other Emily by Dean Koontz, John Huston by Lillian Ross, & The American Cinematographer issue devoted to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Listening to Harold Budd, Cocteau Twins, Chihei Hatakeyama, Fred Again, Fleetwood Mac, Sinead O’Connor, Cleveland Orchestra, David Bowie, Mitsuko Uchida, Burial, Hercules & Love Affair, Blink 182, Lana Del Ray, Billie Eilish, Joan Baez, Smashing Pumpkins, and more got me through many a day.

I shared so many wonderful meals with wonderful people

I’m thankful to have seen shows featuring the work of Antonio Lopez, William Eggleston, Sharon Lockhart, Wolfgang Tillmans, and more + The American Folk Art Museum’s incredible MULTITUDES show.

I spent a bunch of time with a happy dog named Buddy and a beautiful fatty named Moonshine

I struggled with how to use social media and not go insane. In turn I started this tumblr LOL.

The past three years have, for me, functioned like a snow globe… In March of 2020 everything was uprooted, shaken up, and ever since has, ever-so-slowly, been finding its way back to the ground. If the pieces have finally landed, which it seems they mostly have, everything is still there but nothing is in the same place. It remains disorienting and at times, tbh, kind of like an unending hangover. I did a lot this year, but years are long and in-between the memorable moments above was a tremendous amount of uncertainty and anxiety. I continue to oscillate between excitement at the change and the possibility therein, sadness at the change and all that has been lost, and massive fear of the change, especially in the context of our world. It’s a motley mix that makes for strange times and I’m sure even stranger ones ahead.

But there are a lot of us on this godforsaken journey and even if I’m walking down the street crying, which I often am, I’m so deeply thankful for all the amazing people in my shit show of a life.  

Come and get me 2023!

[lizseyi]

Top 5 Tips That Will Enable You To Snap The Perfect ‘Diy’ Wedding Photos - Sweet Gibraltar Weddings

Ask many people who have tied the knot in Gibraltar weddings, and they will tell you that wedding photos are a crucial part of the whole experience. From the perfect dress and makeup to the right photographer, every detail should be taken into consideration when you are organising the “visual” aspect of your nuptials – but professional photographers can be pricey.

So, if you’re looking for a more affordable option and don’t mind getting a little creative, wedding photos on a slightly more “DIY” basis might just be the way for you and your beloved to go. 

Although, here at Sweet Gibraltar Weddings, we are certainly advocates for taking advantage of professional photography services – which we can help arrange for you as part of our wedding packages – it is also possible to take some great wedding photos without a “pro” being present. 

So, with that in mind, here are five tips to follow, so that you can come up with some truly excellent “DIY” wedding snaps. 

Get the right gear

Invest in quality camera equipment and lenses that are appropriate for wedding photography. Choose a camera with good low-light capability, as well as the right lenses for capturing wide-angle shots and close-up details. Make sure you bring extra batteries and memory cards to ensure you have enough power and storage space throughout your shoot.

Know the venue

Where possible, try and visit the venue ahead of time to become familiar with its layout and any potential lighting issues. Identify spots for good shots and scout out any areas where you would like to get creative. This will help you plan your day better and make sure you don’t miss any important photos.

Add some natural lighting

Try to make the most of natural lighting in your DIY wedding photography, since this can create a dreamy atmosphere. Consider shooting during golden hour (when the sun is low in the sky) for beautiful, warm photos, or use off-camera flashes to lighten up dark spots.

Don’t forget to take candid shots

While posed shots are important, candid shots of your guests will add vibrancy and personality to your album. Position yourself near the action and don’t be afraid to move around and get creative with angles.

Get creative

Play around with different perspectives and settings to create unique photos that capture the emotion of your day. Experimenting with shallow depth of field, long exposure shots, or using props can add an artistic touch to your photos.

Final thoughts

DIY wedding photos can be stunning, and with these tips, you can help ensure you achieve the perfect shots without breaking the bank. Don’t forget to have fun with it and enjoy snapping the special moments that make your day so unique, so that you can be sure of truly capturing the emotion and wonder of your wedding.

And if you would appreciate some help and advice of a more direct kind from skilled and seasoned experts in the planning of Gibraltar weddings, why not enquire today to Sweet Gibraltar Weddings? We would be delighted to assist in making your dream sunshine destination nuptials come true. 

[orderofserviceforfuneralblog]

Get Through the Difficult Time with Printable Funeral Order of Service Template

Losing a loved one can make it seem as though time, place, and everyday concepts like work and time have no meaning. However, there are tasks that need to be done even in the middle of this emotional storm. Forms should be filled out officially and plan to make your own funeral order of service. It is necessary to make plans for either a cremation or a burial. Then there are all the preparations for the funeral or burial ceremony, the solemn occasion when you bid your loved ones who have passed on farewell on earth.

When the details of everything get overwhelming, it's time to seek for ways to streamline things and discover a way to achieve your goals without wasting a lot of time on pointless tasks. Using funeral order of service printing and printable funeral booklet is one method to go about this.

Everything during the memorial or funeral service for your loved one should be exquisite and expertly crafted in order to capture the splendour of their lovely life. You might not want to entrust strangers with making the preparations at this time because it is so deeply personal. However, now is not the time to labour on simple formatting for hours on end. With the help of printable template for funeral order of service, you can spend your time as it should be spent: honouring the life of your loved one by selecting a photo or writing down words that summarise it.

When you want to choose this path, you will search through a collection of downloadable order of service funeral templates to pick the one that most accurately captures your feelings regarding the person who has passed away and the way you wish to depict their life with others. After that, all you need to do is add the wording and attach the photo of your loved one. Everything else is taken care of for you, and a quick fill-in-the-blanks will result in a lovely item that will serve as a lasting reminder of this emotional time.

Your final document can be printed at home or at practically any office supply retailer. Office supply businesses will offer you a variety of paper styles and may assist you in professionally folding, cutting, and stapling it.

You can choose printable template funeral order of service which can help you commemorate the life of your loved one, whether you want to make a straightforward memorial card, a straightforward order of service, or a multi-page, full-color memorial booklet.

For financial reasons, some people select template order of service funeral. It isn't about being frugal, but maybe the money saved might be better used in other ways, such on a bouquet of white flowers or a memorial donation to your beloved one's preferred cause. The independence it allows you when making the arrangements for your beloved one from your own computer, in the comfort of your own home, is the major reason to use templates for funeral order of service. A final tribute designed specifically for you to show how much you cherish, respect, and love the person who is no more with you.

[miralnitro]

Intermission picture

#INTERMISSION PICTURE MOVIE#

#INTERMISSION PICTURE PS4#

#INTERMISSION PICTURE PROFESSIONAL#

The enhanced audio files are available for upload if requested. In some cases the audio track was separated and remixed in an audio editor to enhance the sound.

#INTERMISSION PICTURE PROFESSIONAL#

These clips are also louder than the originals. Browse 2,135 professional intermission images available royalty-free. Magenta tinted films were especially difficult. I've adjusted the brightness/contrast, and color correction to the best of my ability. Its Saturday, and that means its time for what has become one of the theatre communitys most beloved traditions- BroadwayWorlds Saturday Intermission Pics roundup In this weeks edition we. Picture Intermission Kawasaki Z H2 Design Sketches While youre waiting for my review of the new Kawasaki Z H2 to go live on Cycle News (UPDATE: heres that. They have been carefully cropped to remove excess black frame while preserving as much of the actual image as possible. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. This luxury vessels exterior design is the work of Burger and she was last refitted in 2018. Find the perfect intermission stock photo. her new EP The Intermission, being vulnerable and overcoming criticism. Her interior is styled by design house Brockschmidt & Coleman and she was completed in 1998. Despite things looking picture-perfect, however, Mimi hinted that their trip. The central image on the card shows Carole Hersee. Windrush) was built by Burger in the United States at their Manitowoc, Wisconsin shipyard. Off-air screen capture of BBC Test Card F, as seen on BBC1 between 17 February 1991 and 4 October 1997. High school students, parents invited to attend Virtual Preparing for College. PLEASE NOTE: These clips have been modified from the originals. The 30.78m/101 motor yacht Intermission (ex. Ben Narbuth Ribbon Cutting View All Photos. Most are color but there are a few black & whites because of their quality or uniqueness. I could remove the Completed part from the bottom or move it 8px. The current graphic crashes if its 320x200, but WinQuake doesnt give me that resolution normally.

#INTERMISSION PICTURE MOVIE#

This clip is from a compilation of drive-in intermission films found here on Internet Archives in the Drive-In Movie Ads section. it was taken in 320x240 mode, so everythings big and centered. She has a drastically different playstyle to the existing characters in FF7 Remake, and it will be interesting to see how she compares to Cloud and his friends on the battlefield if they eventually unite.Title: Intermission 2 (from Drive-In Movie Ads)ĭescription: Mix of animation, stop frame, narration and footage of snack bar food to remind viewers to stop by the drive-in refreshment stand. It's clear that Square Enix has put a lot of work into Yuffie's combat style, which suggests that she will have a major role in future FF7 Remake entries (otherwise her mechanics and animations would go to waste) and that she won't be relegated to optional party member status. Each text superimposed on humorous photograph, and the whole shown in a fancy carved frame. Positive paper print from lantern slide used in motion picture theaters as announcement.

#INTERMISSION PICTURE PS4#

Despite making previous owners of the game pay extra and leaving out PS4 players entirely, what Square has revealed so far about FF7R Episode INTERmission's story makes the DLC sound like a joyful exercise in fan service for Final Fantasy veterans. Intermission Summary Photo shows two cats on top of a barrel. Weiss was also introduced, but fans of Dirge of Cerberus will already know who he is. The contact between Avalanche and the Wutai government is Zhije, while the members of Avalanche Yuffie will be dealing with are Nayo, Billy Bob, and Polk. Further, information about the characters that will feature in the DLC has been shared, as well.

[warmblanketwhump]

unexpected (villain x sidekick)

inspired by this incredible prompt from @ive-got-whumperflies

“Target has been captured and is en route.”

Villain couldn’t help the smile that crept into their cheeks. Finally, finally, they’d be another step closer to taking down Hero. Get to their beloved Sidekick, rough them up a bit, and get all the intel they needed. They might even be able to lure Hero to their headquarters for a futile rescue attempt - oh, it was just too much to hope for.

“Target has arrived,” the muffled voice said over the comms system.

“Bring them up. I want to say a few words before sending them down.” Over the years, Villain had realized that there was nothing quite as wonderful as holding all the cards and seeing someone's face when they realized it.

The door buzzed, and a body was roughly shoved through the door and fell to the ground. Villain stood from their desk and came to where Sidekick lay on the ground. They had their speech all planned out: a hint at the torture that awaited them, a couple threatening jabs designed to really break their spirit, and then a last chance to turn on Hero and divulge their plans before–

But Villain's plans were shattered when Sidekick shot up from their prone position on the floor, wrapped their arms tightly around Villain's legs, and began weeping inconsolably. Villain could barely make out the words, but when they did, their jaw dropped.

thank you, thank you, oh god thank you –

This blubbering went on for a minute or so, and Villain marinated in the sheer awkwardness of...whatever this was, which was most certainly not what they'd planned for.

"Alright. Sidekick. Calm down." Villain patted their head stiffly and pried Sidekick's grateful arms off of their legs, now sore from how tightly Sidekick was clinging to them. They deposited their captive on a nearby chair, and there, Villain could size up who they were up against and what they could inflict.

But from the looks of things, Villain had - quite literally - been beaten to the punch.

Sidekick's face sported a black eye, a split lip, and several nasty-looking scrapes and gashes. Their usually spotless outfit was torn and dirty, and Villain could see bruises on their exposed skin. Sidekick clutched their left wrist to their chest and shook uncontrollably - whether from fear or the over-air conditioned room, Villain couldn’t tell.

"Did my associates do this to you?” Probably from the struggle of the capture - they made a mental note to berate their lackeys for disobeying them yet again. “I told them not to touch you before you had a chance to turn–"

Sidekick shook their head earnestly. Well. Not Henchman, then.

And there was more to this scene that unsettled Villain. The uniform hung loosely on Sidekick's thin frame, and Villain could see the hollowness in their drawn, pale face. And there was something about their demeanor – cowering in a chair, not quite meeting Villain's eyes, that was so different from the defiant fireball they'd met in their previous clashes with Hero. Villain frowned. Something wasn’t right.

"Then who did this to you?" Sidekick seemed frozen. They opened their mouth, but no words came out. "Is there another Villain I need to watch out for?"

Sidekick nodded - yes. Their eyes filled with fear, and Villain felt something in their heart clench. They were no saint, but they'd never seen someone so afraid. The truth was, they really only loved to torment the defiant ones, the arrogant ones who refused to admit that they could break like anyone else. But this one – this one was already broken. And there was just no joy to be found in that.

Villain knelt before Sidekick, whose tears began slipping from their eyes in earnest.

"Sidekick. Who did this?"

Sidekick released a shuddering sigh. "Hero," they whispered. voice cracking.

Villain's head spun. No....it couldn’t be.

Couldn't it?

Hero. The one who'd mocked them endlessly when they were children, making fun of their clothes, their hair, their unconventional ideas.

Hero. The one who cheated them out of the coveted top spot at the local training school all those years ago .

Hero. The bright, shining example that the city worshipped while Villain slunk in the shadows and did their business in a less...conventional manner.

Hero. The one that everyone trusted, loved, revered, when only Villain knew the truth.

“Hero did this to you?”

Sidekick nodded, and the tears came freely. They told their tale - how they’d accidentally come across some of Hero's shady dealings and thought it was a mistake. But when they’d confronted Hero, Hero had turned on them - told Sidekick they were being irrational, unfair, judgmental, that they didn’t understand what it took to have the weight of the city on their shoulders, all but confirming that it wasn’t a mistake at all. Sidekick had been heartbroken, and set out to redeem the mentor they idolized.

For months, they'd tried to help hide what Hero was doing. Siphoning money from dark places, putting their friends in power and defaming good, honest people who stood in their way. Hiding behind a perfect smile while manipulating everyone around them into perfect submission. Sidekick fought every day to try and redeem the good person they though they knew, but it was no use - that person didn't exist.

But the worst came when Sidekick tried to leave - and Hero wouldn't let them. Villain swallowed hard as Sidekick described what happened - nights, starving, alone, and locked in a cold cell. Dangerous missions where Hero forced Sidekick into danger, only to rescue them at the last possible moment. “Trainings” that lasted for hours and left them bloody and bruised. All from the person Sidekick had looked up to. And if they said a word, it was Sidekick's family who would pay the price.

Until Villain came, swooped in, and stole them from a situation that they couldn’t see any other way out of.

“So...now I’m here.” Sidekick met Villain’s eyes warily, cheeks slightly reddening with embarrassment. “And I guess...you’re gonna hurt me too. But I never would have gotten out of there without you. And at least now, my family's safe. So...thank you.”

Villain had never felt this before - the quiet gratitude of someone who’s life they’d accidentally made better. The ache of sympathy for the thin, shaky waif in front of him, who had nowhere else to turn. No, this was very new. And terrifying. And it felt...good.

"No."

Sidekick’s eyes clouded with confusion at Villain's sudden outburst. “What...what do you mean?”

“I’m not gonna hurt you.” Villain met Sidekick’s eyes, feeling like a fire was being stoked in their gut. "I'm gonna take Hero down. Once and for all. Will you help me?"

Sidekick met their eyes and nodded, a new understanding filling them with a light Villain never thought would return.

Villain buzzed their comms system, and Henchman answered with a grunt. “You want me to come in and get started?”

Villain cleared their throat. “There’s been a change in plans. I have some...new intel. Bring up some soup, a couple blankets, and a first aid kit. Sidekick and I have a few things to talk about.”

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High: The Seven Ep 1

Meet the Maidens

It is back to school baby, both for D20 and, funnily enough, myself as well (something I hope will give me more time to get the recaps out in a timely manner fingers crossed). 

As I’m sure you all know if you’re reading this, this season of D20 takes place in the world of Fantasy High but with a focus on Aguefort’s OTHER most badass adventuring party who we’ve so far only seen on the sidelines, the Seven Maidens! You’ll recall, they’re made up of the seven girls who were captured by Penelope and co. to fulfill the prophecy that would let Kalvaxus rule the world freshman year. And, in fact, we start with a flashback to freshman year so let’s just jump right in.

We find our seven soon-to-be heroines chained in the Red Waste in front of what we know and they will shortly learn in Kalvaxus’ lair--a crucial part of the prophecy that was the subject of season 1. The structure of this episode is sort of like 2 rounds of introductions--first here with the maidens meeting each other for the first time and then again at home with their families a la the first episode of Freshman Year so I’ll be glossing over certain things that we’ll get to later in their second intros.

Anyway, the first two to wake up are Danielle (aka Yelle: half-elf, druid) and Zelda (satyr, barbarian as we know). Zelda is her usual, adorably nervous self in contrast to Yelle who is no less sweet but in a super chill, granola girl, fuck the system kind of way. We actually learn that Penelope had her on board with the plan for a hot second when she thought it was just “overthrow the government” but didn’t know about the “install a just as bad if not worse evil dragon overlord” part. 

Ostentatia (dwarf, cleric) wakes up next and is, as Izzy--her player--describes her “Jersey Trash.”, all blinged up with jewelry that she secretly made herself and didn’t buy. She wakes up pissed and ready to bodyslam Aelwyn which are both extremely valid emotions as much as I love Aelwyn. By the way, all of the girls recognize each other as girls who go to their school but none of them are really friends though they very quickly start throwing the label around because that’s what you do when you wake up chained with 6 other people in front of a dragon’s lair in a place called the Red Waste. 

Katja (half-orc, fighter) wakes up and immediately cares about nothing more than the status of her beloved horse, Cinnamon and declares that if Cinnamon dies, she’ll die. This is a fantasy world so Ostentatia and Danielle are a little concerned that might literally be true via a soul bond or something but it’s more that Katja just really, really loves that horse. Danielle tries to cast a spell to locate the horse but can’t get the somatic components quite right with her hands manacled. 

They all get into a discussion about the fact that everyone for a fact knows they’re all virgins now (you know, the real issue here) and what exactly counts as “virginity” for the purposes of this prophecy (like, does second or third base count or only traditional home runs using the baseball analogy) when Penny wakes up and is, just so excited to be here gang! Penny (halfling, rogue), who is one of the girls who has been kidnapped the longest, is adorably and honestly a bit concerningly exuberant to be surrounded by all these new friends, totally disregarding  the fact that they are clearly in some deep shit. Zelda mentions that Riz, her old babysitee, knows they’re kidnapped and is trying to help and she lights up. 

Next up is Sam (water genasi, sorc/bard) who immediately starts thrashing to get out of her chains and, when she can’t get free, is devastated by the fact that her ex betrayed her (!?) Finally Antiope (human fighter/ranger) wakes up all out of sorts having started her growth spurt while in the crystal and also having needed to pee right before she went in which becomes a problem all over herself (which Sam helpfully cantrips away).

With all of them awake, the stones they’re chained to light up and some of Kalvaxus’ minions (the ones who tied them up) show up to do minion speechifying. Yelle does a horrifying Animorph style morph into a waterbear (a tardigrade if you wanna get all Bio 101) to get out of her bonds but then Sam who has a serious one track mind re: getting out of here (Correct) and has exactly zero patience for these guys casts Tidal Wave and just knocks them off the cliff. Yelle frees Ostentatia who frees everyone else with Animate Object on their chains. Hands free, Yelle also casts Locate Animal and tells a very pleased Katja that Cinnamon is doing a full Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron down the highway searching for her. 

The girls decide to explore the cave which has recently had most of its treasure moved (it’s currently in the gym for the Prompocolypse fight which is currently happening). Penny and Sam (who are in insanely different emotional places) find all these broken mirrors which Sam takes as a cue that they need to GTFO (which is what she was already doing) and Penny thinks would make a great material for friendship bracelet making which she starts doing as Sam physically pulls her away. Sam hears someone doing post-cry sniffles and is like, “Not today Satan,” still trying to leave. However, Penny sees that there is one mirror left and, inside, sees a ethereal looking human with flowing, preternatural, black hair who senses their presence and asks if Penny is someone named Anima. She asks for their names though she declines to give hers (hmm, feels very fae) and the girls give the fake names of Kelly and Cecelia which the figure says she will guard and not misuse. The figure says she is looking for her sisters (who she says when Penny asks are at Aguefort which...hmmmmm) and, all of a sudden, Sam and Penny are having a bad feeling about those mirror shards. 

They ask her a question about the mirror and she gets really aggro when it’s referred to as “her” mirror as she would very much like to be out of it. The woman really wants to get out and says she can give them lots of power if they help. Sam pulls out her compact Mirror of the Past (magic item that does basically what you’d expect--shows you info from something’s past though in a cryptic way usually) to try and get some info on this thing and just barely avoids losing her mind in the process because this thing is ancient. Like eons old. She also learns the woman’s name (or maybe title): The Ending of Things (will be calling her Ending for now).

Yikes!

Right around now the other girls come in and can see at the angle they’re looking at her at the woman in the mirror is Not Really A Person and Antiope points at her and reflexively casts a ranger sense spell to try and clock its weaknesses and stuff but Ending grabs the spell energy like a lasso and tries to drag her into the mirror. She does however find out that she’s stacked with hella resistances (total immunity to necrotic damage and non-maj weapons, resistance to most elemental damage, and more).

Sam briefly considers using Lightning Lure to pull Antiope back before deciding on a much less ouchy Counterspell. Unfortunately, it’s not strong enough and now she’s being pulled in by her spell energy too. Yelle casts Erupting Earth which has some pros and cons.

Pros: Antiope and Sam are saved! Yay!

Cons: The mirror breaks and whatever was in it is fully freed. Not yay!

Shortly after (but not before Penny gives everyone their new friendship bracelets), someone calls into the cave looking for them--it’s Fig’s mom, Sandra-Lynn (with new art)! She’s happy and impressed that everyone is OK (also, Katja and Sam both have little lines that foreshadow their ~parental issues~ for the season--Katja being very moved by the simple act of Sandra-Lynn showing up for them and Sam saying that in her experience moms can be very evil).

As they all leave the cave, they all do checks and get some info:

Ostentatia: The mirror was kinda like a palimpsest (the crystals they were trapped in) and whatever this thing is is ancient and powerful. 

Yelle: Gets the above info and the fact that when the thing left it wasn’t quite a bad vibe, just the vibe that something big and important is at play.

Penny: On an Arcana check she knows that what Danielle did 100% saved Antiope and Sam’s lives from whatever and wherever was on the either side of the mirror but the contact marked them in some way. 

Katja: With History she sees some Primordial writing which is the writing of elementals (one of the things Ending has resistances to which might be relevant; also Sam reads Primordial but doesn’t get to read what it says)

Antiope: She knows that she and Sam are connected to Ending now somehow but it’s a two way connection which means they can also use it to their advantage. 

Ostentatia casts Mending on the mirror shards which I think was to reconstruct the mirror but what it actually does is someone link their friendship bracelets. Cute!

And, with that, we cut to the present a year and a half later (which is Jr or Sr year for everyone). 

We hop from kid to kid as they get ready to head in to school and get glimpses into their homes lives! Let’s do a quick rundown for each girl:

Antiope Jones

We see that Antiope is the youngest of five in what is essentially a military family full of basically every kind of fighter (she says she basically lives in a “Crossfit box”). There’s an 8 year gap between her and her sister Corsica who is the second youngest so her parents are kind of already living like empty nesters. When she comes downstairs she is promptly handed a protein smoothie and told two pieces of info: (1) from Corsica she learns that she overheard at school --where she teaches--that Aguefort needs to talk to her for some reason but she won��t say why which annoys the crap out of Antiope and (2) her parents lined up an internship for her at the Ministry of Adventure. She and her mom verbally spar a bit about them being all up in her life and how stressed she is and how she likes what she has going now with the Seven but her mom wins ofc because she’s a Mom and also a master tactician with a deft hand for loving mom guilt. On the way to school her bros (who include a gunslinger and an eldritch knight cause they run the whole gamut of fighter classes) Facetime her like, “Yikes Ant, heard about what happened with Mom, this is why you don’t fight her lmao.”

Sam Nightingale

This is a heavy one so strap in. 

We check in with Sam who isn’t at her own family’s home but at Penelope’s family home which is off the bat eyebrow raising. It’s an upper middle class house and, on the way down, she has to pass Penelope’s bedroom which is conspicuously empty. Downstairs she’s greeted by Penelope’s human mom Rebecca who she learns is moving out soon because her elf husband is both cheating on her while away in Falinel and starting the divorce process. Sam clearly sees Penelope’s mom as a surrogate mom (for reasons we’ll learn in a second) and goes full ride or die assuring her that her ass is better than the ass of the woman he’s cheating with and offering to help burn his stuff even though drowning is more her specialty (she’s so cool). She also is a little stricken at the thought of Rebecca leaving her in the house alone but Rebecca says she can come with if she wants, she just didn’t want to disrupt her school life.

She also tells Rebecca that her bio-mom called recently which immediately sets Sam off. Through the convo we learn a couple of things:

Sam used to be an actor it seems.

And it seems like she was kicked out of the house after she transitioned or something similar which is why she lives with the Everpetals. 

Now that it’s more “fashionable” to to be trans (her mom’s words, not mine) she wants Sam to talk to her so they can get her back in the game.

Sam is having none of that and tells Rebecca to just delete her mom’s number. Then they have a cathartic session of burning her cheating husband’s shit before Sam leaves in Sebastian--her sentient, seafoam blue, self-driving car with a very hot male voice which I am extremely jealous of. She picks up Zelda on the way to school and they commiserate a little and have a heart to heart about adults and change and how much Zelda wants to body slam Sam’s mom. 

Penny Luckstone 

Penny’s house is a whirlwind of activity and her harried parents get her and her 19 young siblings ready for school (no wonder she’s such a good babysitter). We see where Penny gets her type-A ness from as her mom and dad both have this cheerful but overworked energy of “EVERYTHING IS FINE” like that Good Place sign. Her mom spares a second to tell her that she recently got a letter for The Society of Shadows which is like a super secret rogue college (which her parents assume is legit even though they haven’t heard of it cause they’re Mumple people and also, if you've heard of a rogue school, how good could it really be?) Penny is excited except that it would mean she’d have to move and leave her party. Her mom is like “hey it’s a full ride and there are 20 of you guys so just take that into consideration but it’s ultimately your decision” before she dashes away to get to work because it is always Go Go Go with the Luckstones. She texts Sam for a ride and Sam swings by to grab her. This is not plot relevant but she has a booster seat in the back of Sebastian with her name carved into it and it’s important to me that you know that. 

Katja Cleaver

Next up is Katja who lives in a Richie Rich style mansion and comes from very old money as she is descended from one of the first adventurers in Solace. She is in the barn with Cinnamon and the bugbear farrier they have employed (her name is Gertrude and a farrier is someone who does horseshoes). She eats the same breakfast as Cinnamon (hot dry oats and berries baybee) wo she loves so so dearly. Cinnamon is a magical horse--basically like a Find Steed spell that’s on all the time. She’s modeled the horse in her fave book series--the Babysitter’s Horse of course. Lockwood, the staff’s hobgoblin butler, is also there and they get a fantasy Zoom call from Katja’s dad who is in the middle of the insane 20th level adventurer stuff which he says might make him miss her graduation. She is extremely disappointed but just barely hides it from her dad (who seems to really care despite his not being around). She can’t hide it from the staff or Cinnamon however and Cinnamon offers to give her a ride to school via the scenic route. 

Note: We also learn two sad facts about Katja from the conversation with her dad.

Her mother is Disney Princess dead* and

She wears one half of a friendship necklace and it seems like she’s waiting for someone to give the other half to. It’s implied earlier that the way Penelope got her was by promising to be her best friend. Sad!

*Edit: Well, she’s gone and we’ll leave it at that until next recap. 

Ostentatia Wallace

Ostentatia wakes up and goes downstairs to have a very high energy in both directions interaction with her very fantasy-Italian mom and grandma. Her grandma is concerned her beard isn’t coming in--not knowing she shaves it on purpose which her mom is like, “Listen it’s fine but don’t tell grandma it’ll kill her.” She clocks very quickly that her dad isn’t there and his mithril working tools are gone. Her mom tries to play it off but she knows she’s being lied to and her mom relents. Her dad is at a meeting with the other workers of the shut down mithril factory and negotiations have ceased. It looks like he’s gonna be long term out of work. That explains where her dad is but not why the tools are missing. She decides to go do some investigating on her own and ambushes her dad in his car where, with the inaugural nat 20 of the season, she realizes he pawned his tools to get her 5 revivify diamonds. She's upset by this and he’s upset that she’s, in his eyes, questioning his ability to take care of his family. She’s like, alright, you did a thing for me, I’ll do a thing for you and she casts Animate Object to make his stuff steal itself back in a sequence that involves an animated crowbar using another crowbar which is just wild.

Danielle Barkstock

I’m gonna be real, Danielle’s life is exactly how you assume it is based on Who She Is As A Person so this one will be real short. Eco-friendly off the grid geodesic yurt. One super chill peace and love elf sorc mom and one rough and tough human ranger mom. She also knows and helps the Cubbies with their anarchist machinations because yeah, duh. She gets some messages from school on her crystal--one being a message from the principal saying that she and the rest of her party have first period off to meet with him and the other being a newsletter from the school showing, among other things, a photo of the Druid class doing a project but she’s not in it for some reason. She texts one of the other druids to see if she can figure out why she wasn’t invited but fully gets left on read. Brutal. Of course, she hasn’t messaged that person in 6-8 months so maybe that’s why.

Anyway, with that, all seven of our maidens make it to school and are all exuberant to see each other in a very teen girl way before getting to the principal’s office and learning that their party will be broken up at the year! 

Bad!

Superlatives 

I wanted to do something a little different for these recaps than the Bad Kid ones so instead of Honor Roll/Detention we are doing Superlatives and the inaugural one goes to...

Sam: Most Like To Survive a Horror Movie

Man she woke up chained in a ritual magic circle and she was Ready To Go Immediately. You will not catch this girl doing horror movie victim BS like exploring the spooky house or giving the creepy obvious ghost the time of day. She is hyper-competent and her goal is making it out alive and dragging her friends with her. Love her.  

Random Thoughts

The season immediately starts with a bang or I should say a bing with Izzy trying to say “bling bang” and accidentally saying, “bling bing” and immediately getting roasted by everyone. I love the authentic girl group vibes (which include everyone clowning on her then immediately hyping up Zelda to the max after being way more awkward). 

Handshake meme with Danielle and Moonshine from Naddpod. Also, Cinnamon and Horse from Centaurworld. 

I love that Rekha and Erika just straight up were like, “Our characters are Asian”. Like obviously, make your characters Asian coded in your fantasy world--all my D&D characters are black like me--but it’s funny that they completely disregarded the, “There’s no Asia in this world so I guess they’re this world’s equivalent to--” Nah just, “I’m a half-elf and I’m Asian.” You love to see it. 

I absolutely LOVE the choices the cast made to flesh out their characters based on the little info Brennan had about them, none moreso than rich horse girl Katja. Rekha is a genius. 

“I only want one thing and he’s working” KATJAAAAAAA

Man if I was in that flashback I would have been wilding out so much with my flashback plot armor. 

I appreciate that the first thing that Aabria has Antiope do is extremely uncool. I love it when players aren’t concerned about just being cool and on point all the time. Sometimes (read: often) that’s the less interesting choice. 

But on the exact opposite side, she’s a ranger and an arcane archer which I think is extremely cool. Lmao also I didn’t mention in the recap but she HATES dragons now which, understandable. I’m guessing they're her favored enemy. 

I can’t wait to see another group of kids interact w/ madman Aguefort. 

Also, as a known Aelwyn-stan, I am very excited for the possibility of the Seven interacting with her cause as much as I love her they are under no obligation to acknowledge her redemption arc and I would love to see them throw hands. 

I love the Greek myth naming scheme of Antiope’s extremely cool family as with her on the spot nickname “L-Cab” short for long caboose since she’s the youngest by a mile. 

Also this is out of character not in character but Sephie is an extremely cool nickname for Persephone. 

I wonder why Brennan didn’t let Sam read the Primordial in the cave. He just glossed right past her saying that she speaks it and she didn’t push it. Would it have solved his entire plot in the span of a flashback or was he just keeping things moving?

Sidenote, if I was married to an elf man and worried about aging like Rebecca, I would simply become a druid (or a monk or up my wizard levels so I could learn True Polymorph or Wish or something). 

I wonder what the deal with Ending is. She seemed relatively sincere in the mirror but that doesn’t mean anything. She could be sincere and also Very Bad News. 

There is an offhand comment by Brennan about how the dwarf forge god gives spells but doesn’t talk to his followers which I think means that Ostentatia is gonna be getting a direct god call soon enough. 

Also she mentions that her dad is doing some criminal activity on the side which seems like a Problem for later. Honestly all of the kids have some pretty rich parent drama happening which should be interesting to see explored. 

No nat 1s this ep and 1 nat 20 as I mention from Ostentatia. 

[wholesomemendes]

Birthday Boy

Summary: It’s Shawn’s 22nd Birthday and you’re celebrating with him before his big party.

Author’s Note: Happy Birthday Shawn! Ok couple things: 1) I’m sorry I haven’t been as active recently I should be posting something next week 2) We’re going to pretend covid isn’t a thing in this fic because he’s going to a party 3) This is unedited and I had to rush the ending because I’m leaving for dance in 5 minutes and I haven’t eaten or done my hair yet 4) I don’t know what this picture is but it was all I decided on in my two seconds of searching. Anyways it’s 1.7k of fluff so I hope you enjoy! Feedback is always loved and appreciated!

The bright light of the sun began to peak its head into the cozy bedroom of the condo you shared with your boyfriend. You could feel his soft breath on your neck from where his head was cuddled into your neck, his arms wrapped tightly around you and your back flush against his chest. Your legs were tangled together and Shawn’s grip on your body wasn’t letting up anytime soon, but you managed to carefully maneuver your body so that you were able to face him comfortably. Being so close to him allowed you to take a moment to just appreciate the man in front of you, the one that loved you unconditionally every single day and owned your entire heart. His lashes fanned over his face, his cheeks tinted red from sleep, leading you to brush up a gentle hand to graze over his soft skin. You brought your hand up to his mop of curls that were perched on the top of his head, allowing yourself to run your fingers through them, taming the fluffy mess they became from sleep in the process. Shawn leaned his head further into your hand absentmindedly, enjoying the comforting feeling of your touch even in his sleep. You placed a soft kiss onto his cheek, smiling to yourself when a content smile formed on his face and he pulled your body impossibly closer to his. Breathing in his scent as you were pressed up to his chest, you left one last lingering kiss to his bare chest before attempting to wiggle your way out of his grasp without waking him. Even with his tight grip on you, you somehow managed to escape his hold, but just as you went to push yourself off of the bed, you heard a deep voice groaning behind you. “Baby?” Shawn spoke, his groggy morning voice making your head turn around to see his face as his arm searched for you, “Where’d you go?”

Your fingers found his on the mattress and he sighed contently, eyes still shut, mind half asleep, “I’m right here bubs, I didn’t go anywhere.”

“Come lay back down then,” he whined, trying to pull you down by your connected hands, “The bed’s cold without you.”

“I just sat up,” you laughed, but allowed him to sleepily pull you down anyways. He brought you to his chest once again, nuzzling his face into your shoulder and playfully biting on the soft skin he found from where the oversized shirt you had stolen from him had fallen off slightly from your actions. When you giggled in response he pulled back, slowly opening his eyes so that you were met with his bright brown eyes. There was still sleep evident in them, and the sleepy smile he gave you was only more proof, but he still lightly traced your face with his finger, only stopping once he pushed back a strand of hair behind your ear and rested his hand in front of you.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning,” you smiled, leaning up to press a kiss to his jaw, “Happy birthday, rockstar.”

“Mhm,” Shawn looked down at you, moving his body so that his face was level with you. He leaned down so his lips were ghosting yours, eyes boring into you, “Thank you, baby. You gonna give me a birthday kiss?”

“Maybe,” you teased, tongue coming out to wet your lips, the tip of it touching his lips in the process.

“Excuse me?” The raspiness in his voice and the cocky smirk on his lips ignited something in your lower stomach but you ignored it for the time being, focusing instead on the way his eyes were staring into yours, “You’re going to deny the birthday boy a kiss?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Well let me decide for you,” and with that he leaned forward that final inch, connect your lips in a gentle kiss that still held so much passion. He held your hand in his much larger one, placing it above his chest over his heart while his lips moved with yours, your hands feeling how fast his heart was beating for you while yours mimicked the same beat. “Can’t believe you were gonna leave me this morning.”

You let out a playful scoff at his words and rolled your eyes, earning a pinch to your side that you laughed through. “If you must know I was planning on making you a birthday breakfast in bed before someone rudely interrupted my plans.”

“Well excuse me for wanting some cuddles with my girl.”

“And excuse me for wanting to do something nice for my boyfriend on his birthday.”

“You already did something nice for me, you let me pull you back in bed,” he smiled, giving you a small peck on your lips again.

“Am I allowed to make you breakfast now?”

Shawn pretended to be lost in thought for a moment before shaking his head and in one swift motion, he had you laying on your back with his arms holding himself above you. He connected your lips softly, taking your bottom lip between his and sucking gently, causing you to arch into him to be ever so closer to his body. He released from you with a pop, trailing his kisses down your body until he reached your stomach, looking up at you through his lashes with those big brown eyes of his, “Think I want to have a little snack before breakfast if that’s ok with you.” ______________

“Is it bad that I just want to spend my birthday here with you all day?”

You look up from your breakfast of waffles (gluten free of course), sausage, eggs and fruit at your beloved boyfriend that is sitting next to you, his left hand rubbing light circles over your thigh he had placed on his own. “Usually I would love to hear you say you want to stay in, but unfortunately you’re a pretty popular person and there’s a lot of people that want to wish you happy birthday.”

His face turned into a childish pout and he leaned over the table to rest his head on your shoulder, “But I just want to spend my birthday with you! Preferably naked if possible.”

You swatted his shoulder playfully, earning a deep chuckle from him in response, “God you’re such a boy.”

“But I’m your boy.”

“Damn right you are.” ______________

“Baby, have you seen my floral shirt?” Shawn called from the bedroom as you stood in the bathroom doing the finishing touches on your hair.

“Yeah it’s hanging in the laundry room, I made sure it was clean before today.”

“Thank you!” You could hear the pitter patter of his footsteps leading out of the bedroom and you curled your last strand of hair, placing the curler down to fix them up with your hands. You were always very critical of your appearance when you went out with Shawn, especially to big social events like this, because you knew you would be all over fan accounts pages the second a clip of the two of you was released. The thought didn’t stress you out as much as it used to, it felt almost like second nature at this point, but you were still conscious of how you looked and what you were doing when there were extra eyes and cameras on you. “You ready babe?”

“Yeah, just give me one second!” You sprayed your hair with hairspray quickly before doing a final once over, seemingly satisfied with the outcome. Leaving the bathroom, you were immediately greeted with Shawn sitting on the edge of the bed with his phone in his hand, but his eyes lifted up at the sound of the door and his mouth dropped open.

“Wow,” he breathed out, standing up so that he could run his hands over the sides of your dress. It wasn’t anything flashy, just a black bodycon dress that hugged your curves just right and you knew would drive him crazy. You had chosen black as to not stand out as much in pictures and videos, but you made up for it by wearing a glittery pair of heels and taking extra time to do your hair and makeup. You felt good. Confident. And the way Shawn was looking you up and down like he wanted to take you right then and there only boosted your ego that much more. “God you’re gorgeous. How’d I get so lucky?”

“I should be asking you that question, I mean look at you, you’re looking dashing as ever.” Your hands smoothed down the fabric of his silk-like shirt, your fingers unbuttoning an extra button to expose his chest a little more.

“You want more of my chest showing?” he teased, hands coming to hold your wrists as you raked your fingers through his chest hair.

“Yeah, it’s hot when you unbutton it a little more than usual.”

“Then I’ll keep it like that. Gotta step up my game when you look like that.” You rolled your eyes at his compliments and he surged forward to capture your lips in his, a kiss you both smiled through.

“Wait! I want to give you your present before we go.” Shawn released you as you turned to your dresser where you had hidden the small box and card, watching with those curious eyes of his. “Sit.”

He followed your command before you handed him his present and this time your eyes were the curious ones, waiting for any new emotion to show on his face as he opened the card. His eyes scanned the page and he smiled at the paragraph you had written him, eyes brightening with love over what you had wrote. “Thank you, baby. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” You gave him a soft kiss on his lips then waited for him to open up the gift. He carefully teared the paper open, not wanting to accidentally ruin anything inside. A black box revealed itself to him and he looked at you curiously before opening up the lid. Inside was a solid gold ring with delicate floral engravings on the outside and the words Go Get ‘Em Rockstar <3 Y/n etched into the inside. Tears began to form in his eyes as he delicately lifted the ring out of its holder, eyeing the intricate detail of it. “You were saying how you wanted a ring that meant something to you that you could also wear all the time to even award shows so I thought maybe this would do the trick. It’s our tradition for me to say that to you before a show and stuff so I don’t know, I just thought….”

Shawn grabbed your face in his hands, passionately connecting your lips to his while still holding the ring between his fingers. The metal was cool on your cheeks, but it only made you feel as though he truly appreciated the thought. “I love it so much, just like I love you. Thank you so much, you always make my birthdays the happiest.”

“You haven’t even gone to your party yet…”

“I don’t care. You’re all I need for my birthday. I can never thank you enough.”

“You’re welcome bubs, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Happy Birthday Shawn.”

[spookyc]

i'm kind of interesting in your cryptid au - what type of monster is each character?

Glad you asked and I'll be happy to answer! I'll also try to explain why I chose each cryptid for each character.

Alright let's start with our protagonist, Hajime, this one is pretty simple, he is a shapeshifter. This is one is pretty self explanatory, as it's meant to represent Izuru possessing every talent where as here Izuru has the ability to possess the forms of his fellow freakshows. He is one of the most anticipated acts in the freakshow, but constantly transforming his body everyday for the audience does a number on his psyche, eventually bringing Izuru out.

Nagito: As I revealed in an earlier post, was a vampire. I chose this due to his general appearance and also his condition of being sickly. I also chose it to form an interesting dynamic for Nagito. See, as a vampire, Nagito needs to drink blood but a vampire's powers increase when they are hungry, so hope's peak intentionally starves him for his shows. So, nagito grows more unhinged from starvation, and starts thinking of feeding off the freakshows. But he still has his hope complex and worships the freakshows. So he's caught in a struggle of his body and his will.

Chiaki: Now she isn't exactly a cryptid but I like what I decided for her. So she's a TV head, which I chose due to her gaming fixation but also because she was an AI, which is sort of the same here, albeit more of a kiibo situation where she is an AI in a physical body. Her shows aren't as elaborate as the others, mostly consisting of her showing emotions through the swapping of channels and playing videos games in her mind which is portrayed on her TV screen. She doesn't have as severe issues as some of the others but she faces her own problems as an AI among humans.

Ultimate Imposter: Simple enough, he's a doppelganger. This is of course referring to him being the ultimate imposter, the only real change being that his true form is that of a gray amorphous blob. His shows consist of him copying the other freakshows, though it differs from Hajime tho, as UI can only morph into people and is restricted to morphing into those he knows whereas Hajime can shapeshift into anything, even things he has not seen.

Teruteru: So, quite an odd choice, but one I'm quite pleased with. So Teruteru is a basan, or a japanese fire-breathing chicken. As for a human form, he doesn't have one, he's just a fire-breathing chicken who's a great cook, the jokes make themselves. He's still a perve but less so simply due to most of the forms the freakshows take, only really having his eye on Peko and Sonia who are both very capable of killing him with a single strike so he keeps his cards to his chest as it were. His acts of course consist of feats of fire breathing and dual acts with akane.

Peko, my beloved: So Peko is a gorgon, in the sense that she has the bottom half of a snake. I chose this because Peko reminds of a snake in the best way possible. She's fierce and mysterious with piercing eyes that cut through your soul. As for abilities, she does possess the stone vision of gorgons, but she can control when she uses it, and she doesn't like having to use it. Just because she doesn't use her stone vision doesn't mean she should be underestimated tho, she still is a pro swordswoman and is arguably more adept than she would have been with legs. She has a dual act with Fuyuhiko, more specifically an arena type duel. Of course they don't fight to the death but any injury they sustain is fair game. Peko of course always objects to this but pushing hope's peaks buttons risks detainment for a freakshow, ultimately, she doesn't have a choice.

Mahiru: Okay so, she was really hard but I decided on making her a nymph. This is because I imagined that being able to blend with nature would be able to help capture people in their most natural state, in regards to her photography of course. Her acts are also not the most eventful, just her blending with different natural surroundings. That's honestly about it, wish I had more but Mahiru has always been a blank slate for me.

Ibuki: Ibuki! So, ibuki is a Siren, this is pretty obvious, as I chose this due to her being the ultimate musician. However, I do have an interesting dynamic with her and her ability. So, since sirens usually have melodious voices and show their victims what they desire most, I wanted to flip that on its head. So, since Ibuki doesn't exactly have a melodious voice, (a great voice, yes but not melodious nonetheless) her power doesn't show those what they desire but instead their deepest fears. This causes Ibuki to hide her singing, excluding her acts, and to grow self-conscious of her aspiration for music. Her acts consist mostly of water tricks and of course her singing, which audience members say they get a thrill and a since of comfort being able to face their deepest fear. Ibuki thinks differently, wanting her music to encourage and inspire people rather than send fear through them. And that is her central conflict throughout this au, which I'll end off here for sake of brevity.

Hiyoko: Pretty pleased with what I decided for her. So Hiyoko is a kitsune, I chose this because of her noble lineage and I think the kitsune is a pretty noble animal, despite having some cursed elements. She was still forced into the whole dancing thing, which she mixes between her human and fox form. But, her mischievous nature fits that of the kitsune as she's still her normal abrasive self. She tries staying out of her fox form as much as possible as it reminds her of her lineage that she hates but she of course has to transform into it for her acts. These consist of fire tricks as well as a showcase of mastery swapping between forms.

Mikan: Alright so Mikan's is kinda wild but stay with me. So Mikan is a lich and here's why. So I chose this for her because I know I wanted her to be undead, because she would constantly have to patch herself up. Decided on a lich to give an air to her that something isn't quite right, that she holds more power that she let's on and simply doesn't express it. Also I have some extremely dark reasons as to how she became a lich but I won't get into that here for brevity's sake.

Nekomaru: So Nekomaru's pretty fun, he's a minotaur mainly just because I think it fits him, and he definitely gives off jovial bull vibes. Despite his appearance he still has his joyful personality and still takes pride in his talent of team leader. His acts consist of feats of strength primarily, nothing much besides that.

Gundham: So Gundman is an imp, because he definitely deserves to be a demon but he's gonna be the lowest demon there is. Cause I still want to emphasize his whole "overlord complex" despite him just being an imp. He does still have his hamsters and he takes very good care of them, the four dark devas live a fulfilling life even if their master doesn't. Gundham can perform some lesser demon abilities like changing his appearance, in terms of pigment, small fire control, and flight. Of which he showcases in his acts. Even tho he's just an mere imp he is the Supreme Overlord of Ice and he will not accept any other titles.

Fuyuhiko: Finally! We have arrived at the boy, Fuyuhiko. So, Fuyuhiko is a werewolf, because he's an angsty boy and because I like werewolves. The story plays out much the same way as before, though Peko was assigned not just to protect Fuyuhiko but also to protect him from himself. His acts consist of arena battles with Peko, of which he always intentionally loses. He's able to transform each day to a drug they inject in him before every match that forces a transformation. These drugs make him agitated and irritable, more so than usual and also causes him extreme mood swings. Even if sometimes he wishes he could be detained, he stays for Peko. He knows she wouldn't forgive herself if he was taken away, regardless of her involvement, so he stays in this condition. It isn't all bad tho, spending time with Peko outside of the area isn't so bad. He also is often found hanging out with Kazuichi, who Fuyuhiko refers to as a "fucking moron" and yet still hangs out with him most days. They've formed an unlikely friendship that the two cherish even if Fuyuhiko won't admit it. He also has a pretty good relationship with Ibuki, her being Peko's girlfriend and all.

Kazuichi: Okay, Kazuichi, so Kazuichi is a gargoyle and man how I got there is a story. So I wanted Kazuichi to be something constructed, something manmade in a way so that he could rebuild himself as well as other things. So orginally he was a golem but I just couldn't vibe with that so I ended up settling with a gargoyle. I do think it fits him in a way, not sure how, but it suits him imo. So he's got the standard gargoyle abilities, he's got wings and can fly and can also change into his stone form at will. He prefers to sleep in this form, and he often turns into this form when scared which is often. His acts consist flying around the stage and testing the endurance of his stone skin. He also has a close relationship with Fuyuhiko and of course Sonia, though he doesn't see her as often as he would like.

Sonia: So, Sonia's is very different but I really like it. So she is a basilisk, not the serpent one but the more giant chicken with a serpent tail. Her cryptid form is one that affects her in and out of her form, and both are just as deadly. So since she's a basilisk, she has lethal vision and this is active in and out of her form. So she walks around with a blindfold on, and she has yet to see any of the her fellow freakshow's faces. She also is kept within her enclosure at almost all times, she's only let out about twice a day and these outings don't last long. In her basilisk form she easily stands 20-feet tall, with a wingspan of 25 feet, her feets are huge and equipped with deadly talons. From her beak she leaks venom that is capable of causing a limb to be amputated with a single drop. Not as lethal as her vision, but enough would easily be able to cause death. She doesn't perform, merely has visitors come and visit her in her basilisk form. She's very lonely, wishing with every part of her that she wasn't cursed with her form, but she does appreciate the visitors she gets. Chiaki and Akane often come to visit her, Kazuichi also comes by often, Fuyuhiko having to drag him off when he's overstayed his welcome. She holds on to her friendships, as it's all she really has.

Lastly we have Akane, so I decided on making Akane a dragon. For one dragons are known to have a voracious appetite, and two, Nekomaru in the main story talks about Akane having untapped potential, which I think would fit her as a dragon. Yeah, so contrary to Hiyoko, Akane primarily stays in her dragon form, even when just walking around the freakshow traveling caravan. She's not a huge dragon as she still isn't fully grown, so she's only slightly bigger than the average person. This is partially her just preferring her dragon form, (doesn't have to wear clothes, can fly, can eat more), but it's also because if she's a dragon no one can objectify her. She doesn't have to deal with the male gaze if she's a dragon and she quite likes it that way. Her acts consist of typical dragon shit, flying, feats of strength and a dual act with teruteru for fire breathing, (she can't breathe fire herself so she places teruteru in her mouth like a mama croc does with her babies and he does all the work. Before you say anything, teruteru actually doesn't get any perseve enjoyment out of this, or at least he doesn't anymore, just gets an excuse to take a bath).

And that's about it! Had a lot of fun coming up with these guys and I do have a story in mind for them if you'd like to hear. I also will answer that ask about the talentswap, I know it's been a while and I apologize for that but I have an excuse to work on it now so I'll get to that. Thanks for the ask!

[cutegirlmayra]

Here's a fun AU idea. I was thinking instead of tarot card reading Amy has vivid visions of the future. However whenever she gets a good vision dizzy spell when she gets a bad vision terrible sometimes debilitating headaches and she doesn't control what she sees. This makes her a person of interest to Eggman, G.U.N., and other world governments so they constantly try to capture her and use her power for their own gain. If she tries to force a vision it hurts her. Sonic is very protective of Amy

*feels tired today, just re-reading prompts to get ideas -sometimes new- or get excited about who’s next in line*

Thinking in my head, ‘I’m just not feeling well today, but I do have some ideas.’ The very next thought to encourage me, ‘You write your best when you’re tired.’

Me, directly after that thought, ‘...Darn it, you’re right.’ *proceeds to write all and every emotion in vivid detail* (lololol)

I know myself too well.

PROMPTS ARE ON SHUTDOWN. No, you cannot beg nicely for me to take your prompt until they are open again, sorry love, them’s the rules. BI

Slightly gonna alter your request for the benefit of something I think may be a stronger storyline, I hope you still enjoy it, Precious Anon! \(:D)/

Prompt:

There was a rift in the chasm of space time, an unfathomable amount of power was being expelled and pulled, creating real and alternative timelines.

In order for Sonic and the gang to face these anomalies, Silver suggested that someone with the potential of mental abilities and the like should try and connect with the magnetizing force that keeps tugging and shoving on time, rewriting it and creating all these alternative realities continuously. Destroying and recreating decisions and parallel worlds would have a chaotic effect on the universe, but no one seemed to be able to connect to the unseen force, and Eggman didn’t seem to be anywhere in sight either.

Everyone was troubled... there was this silent fear that we’d be rewritten in seconds, that we’d cease to be who we really were in this very moment.

I stood by as my friends talked heatedly about their options, they each had tried but none had succeeded in connecting to that ‘force’.

I always felt I had magical properties to myself, if we could just connect to the dimension where this force started from, we may be able to help on our end.

I fidgeted, knowing Silver and Sonic were butting heads since Silver’s main priority was the future, while Sonic’s was the here and now.

Some found hope in this rewritten time, making Shadow and Eggman actually allies once again... Shadow hoping the past could be changed, and Eggman for his obvious reasons of defeating Sonic and taking over the world.

Both were absent and nowhere to be found.

As they continued to grow more and more harsh in how they spoke with one another, I felt the longing to end the conflict, and looked over to the Master Emerald.

It was the only thing that wasn’t being rewritten, some clue to connecting to the other dimensions...

Everyone had called out to it but nothing was working. I felt something swirl in me like an engine, seeing my beloved Sonic turning so angry and Silver ignoring him sent me into a rage myself, but I kept my lips in a fine line and held my fury back.

‘Friends shouldn’t talk to each other like this, or get in each other’s faces with such heavy glares...’ I knew in my heart that if I joined in, I wouldn’t part the two, but only get caught in their crossfire of differing ideals.

Both were stubborn, and both weren’t looking at the bigger picture.

Without a way to communicate with the alternative timelines, our decisions wouldn’t help us get any further to contacting the other dimension, and not just that... but we wouldn’t progress at all. We’d just be going around in circles...

“You can’t seriously think that sitting around waiting for some magical tether from the other dimensions is going to get us out of this time loop!” Sonic’s voice was full of presence and experience, he was a well-traveled hero, and knew the best options to weigh in moments like these... but Silver continued to fight back.

“If we advance unknowingly and without caution into the stream of time, we could easily be just as trapped in it’s nonsensical clutches as we were before! For some reason, the Master Emerald’s location is the only place in time where the effects of the rewritten world aren’t effected! If we give up this position, no one might be able to tell us what’s going on!” Silver swung an arm out, stepping up and going toe to toe with Sonic, refusing to back down from the argument. “I know you think charging into the time-stream might give us answers, but it’s a risk that holds so many unlimited possibilities that it’s fruitless to venture in! You’d just be trapped and the rest of us possibly waiting all eternity for you to choose the right path to even get out to another dimension!”

That part we knew was sound and right, that unless you pick the right choice every time, the time vortex would just pull you somewhere else. Without knowing the other dimension’s choices, we’d never be able to coordinate this... even Tails said something along the lines of a uniformed pathway that could get them all to the center of this strange force...

Otherwise, we’d be trapped... forever.

“You’re leaving us as sitting ducks to whatever’s happening! It’s going to put us all in danger!” Sonic was beyond listening to reason, however. My darling could never just sit by while we all feared for our lives and the world’s future.

The two stood so close, it looked as though their foreheads would touch, and I could tell Sonic was about to make a stand so great that Silver would be forced to let him go...

I couldn’t stand the thought of losing Sonic in a time-loop forever. In being stuck on Angel Island’s alter for the rest of eternity till someone figured out the correct choices...

I felt my whole being flood with tingles and expectations, with exactly what I was going to do and how my very soul wouldn’t allow me to watch as everyone would lose themselves diving into a puzzle that had no way of being solved without aid.

That was the last straw for me. Seeing Sonic pull himself away from Silver and walk over to the Master Emerald, “I’m done talking. Taking action is the only way we can succeed against this catastrophe.” He spoke so manner-of-factly... he was going to touch the Master Emerald and dive into the vortex... wasn’t he?

“No...” I held my hand out, seeing the Chaos Emeralds all glow as he was fusing with them to create the miracle known as Super Sonic... but I couldn’t- I couldn’t banish Sonic to an eternity of never-ending wandering through an unescapable maze!!!

“Soonniiccc!!!” I charged forward, making him flinch and pause a moment as he turned to look back at me, but by then, I had already reached forward and interfered with the Chaos Emeralds giving him power.

Instead of him turning Super, I felt my hand touch the Master Emerald, and all time seemed to freeze. I gripped the Master Emerald with my arms, widening the span of how far my arms could reach, and shook my head against it. “I can’t let everyone panic and waste away our precious friendships over this... this... whatever it is! Please, Master Emerald! Do I have the potential to set things right!?” I dipped my head down as the power overwhelmed me. Time slowly began again, as I was moving at normal speed, everyone around me started to move as though slowed considerably.

“Is this..?” I looked up to see Sonic’s hand slowly reaching for me, and his surprised expression at stopping him. “Chaos’s... power?”

I was shot back as my eye-sockets glowed a bright green, and through some vision or other, saw what looked like my younger self, also getting driven from the Master Emerald.

The original world... the first universe... Somehow, by the two of us acting and making a decision in unison, or maybe she had made it previously... I wasn’t sure, we were able to finally find a bond and connect in some magical way to where I could see that dimensions choices.

I felt my bare back slam against the graveled dirt of Angel Island and skid aggressively to a halt as it scratched my back and left me feeling weak.

Time returned to normal, I guess? As I heard my friends cry out my name and rush me.

I could numbly feel hands on me, shaking me as my eyes struggled to lift up, and were just waving open slightly.

My head hurt, I was dizzy and couldn’t see anything at first clearly. It was all a blur, before Silver’s and Sonic’s voices rang out the most.

“What happened!?” Sonic’s voice was full of authority, as though ready to take action if something need be done.

“She... I’m not sure, but the Master Emerald fused it’s time capabilities with her. You saw it, right? Her whole body was vibrating so quickly... like....” Silver was interrupted by Tails just then.

“Like she was merged into all the different dimensions... she was moving faster than the time strain!” Tails’s excitement meant only one thing...

“So... she had the potential then, out of all of us, to carry the connection.” Silver’s reserved tone must have meant that he felt validated in what he was so adamantly defending earlier. “Now that she can guide us through the time vortex, we might be able to reverse whatever’s happening, and return time and space to normal again.”

Sonic looked over at Silver, then down towards me as I still felt my breathing was low and drained, I couldn’t speak no matter how much my lips parted to try. It was like I was still adjusting to being in one dimension again, instead of flying through to see my other self’s choices.

“It didn’t need to come to this point...” Sonic spoke gravely, but it seemed to trigger and enrage Silver as he shot his head to look back at him, then stood up, defiantly.

“If you hadn’t acted the way you did, we may not have gotten this path. We have a real way to succeed and get through this now, Sonic! Why are you still so against me!?” He tightened his fists and thrust them forward, showing how much he was holding back his mixed emotions...

He was somewhat humble enough to admit that if Sonic didn’t rebel against him, that I wouldn’t have done what I did... but on the other hand, it still seemed like Sonic was opposed.

“I just meant that it didn’t need to be this way.” Sonic shook his head to Silver, remaining somewhat collected from his earlier clenched jaw demeanor. He put what felt like the warmest touch out of everyone’s onto my arm, and looked back to me, “It didn’t need to be so fueled...”

Somehow... I knew he was speaking to me.

He must have meant he wished it wasn’t so emotional to where I was put in a rough spot, choosing between losing the love of my life or sacrificing myself into the time vortex... I would have jumped, if Sonic jumped too... at least then, we could be trapped together. He wouldn’t have had to be alone in that endless maze...

Well, maybe he wouldn’t have thought those exact wordings of it, but... it did help to think he may have seen it as an act of true love.

I gained strength from his hand resting on my arm, and slowly began to wobble and lean myself up.

Everyone saw my arms gain strength again and push from under me, and immediately swarmed me again to help, perhaps unaware if I was conscious enough to have heard their discussion.

They called out to me, and I nodded, showing I was here and alert, but drained somewhat.

The pounding in my head subsided and I gripped it, “I... I saw her.” I stated, “I saw the original dimension this all happened in... I think I can do it again.”

Sadly, I couldn’t just ‘summon’ the answers. Something had to trigger it, which began another frustration as we all held one another’s hands and jumped into the void.

The first rewritten stories were perplexing. A shadowy figure that swarmed with dark matter looked strangely in the silhouette of Eggman, but instead of targeting Sonic like usual, he kept coming after me.

“U-wah!!” I leaped out of one of his dark matter missiles as everyone was getting scattered from me, as though this figure didn’t want me to receive any help.

“Amy!” Sonic called out, darting from the after-effects of the missiles, for when they landed and exploded, a space of black, glittering galaxy expanded out in a small radius and tried to suck us into another story to lose our progression.

He rolled and finally slid under the shadowy Eggman, confusing him as he pulled up on his Eggmobile and Sonic round-house kicked him away from me.

He reached to grab me, and as I went to reach for him as well, my eyes glowed again the color of the Master Emerald and I saw the other dimensional me.

She was young and looked like my younger years of first meeting Sonic. Sonic was younger too, and reached out in the same way Sonic was doing now. Was this... the corresponding choice?

Could I only see these moments when something unified happened? Were we making the same choices our other selves were or are making right this second?

I couldn’t tell, but I could see that after that Sonic and little me took the other’s hands, she summoned her hammer and spun to whack a younger looking Eggman away and send him flying, then everyone gathered and they took the right route... where it looked like the world was splitting apart and floating rapidly in a spinning and drifting away appearance.

When I came back, my head hurt and I looked to see that while unconscious, my friends were defending me from the shadowy figure of the Eggman lookalike.

“W-we have to take the right path!” I shouted out, my head pounding and debilitating me from summoning my hammer.

I had to though, if I didn’t, time would rewrite and we’d have to start with a new scenario and from scratch. Everyone was depending on me to guide them... I had to fight through the pain!

I struggled to lean up, feeling my body tense like cracking through uncooked spaghetti, but my arms finally cricked into position and I summoned my hammer.

“HAAA!!!” I grabbed Sonic’s hand which, when he noticed I was getting up, hurried to reach out to me again as I felt him pull me forward and swung my hammer into the momentum of his helpful pull.

The Shadowy Eggman went flying, and though Silver thought the left looked more safe from the twisting rapidly pieces of land in the galaxy on the right side, I urged him to trust me.

Sonic and I... we were so amped up in the moment... we didn’t realize that we never let go of one another’s hand...

G.U.N was in this memory or story, whichever it was, and they were after a shadowy figure of Shadow The Hedgehog.

However, Shadow seemed to be targeting me, as though wanting to destroy me.

This continued to baffle Tails and Silver, but Sonic was more protective than I’ve ever seen before, unselfishly throwing himself in the rippling blackness of Shadow’s silhouette, but was defenseless against how much more powerful this Shadow appeared to be.

It was reminding us all of when Shadow first awakened, and Knuckles tag-teamed with Sonic to give me enough time to try and trigger my memory.

I tried to do various things and put myself into situations to see if anything would trigger the correct course’s vision, but nothing was working and I was growing frustrated with myself.

Face it, there was a lot of pressure, and I felt that every minute I wasted was another second Sonic and Knuckles had to suffer under the fake G.U.N shadowy forms and the Shadow look-a-like.

Finally, I hit my head with a rock as a last resort but was quickly pulled away by Tails, “Amy!”

“Stop it, that isn’t helping!” Silver quickly intercepted too, yanking the rock out of my hands.

“I... I don’t know what else to do...” I admitted, feeling I was losing grip of my faith in myself... I may have been able to spare Sonic before, but now..?

Was this completely out of my control?

“Anytime now, fellas!” Knuckles called out as we both turned to see Sonic and Knuckles shoving themselves against Shadow’s dark, rippling body that almost looked like wavy flames under a watery scope. He was taking steps forward, which caused their feet to grind against the earth in an attempt to hold him back.

Then G.U.N appeared behind us, and we were surrounded... When the bullets began to fire, my eyes widened and the light of the Master Emerald grew from my eyes.

My other self was rescued once more by Sonic, but he was hit by those odd galaxy alternating bullets. He fell by her side and twitched, making her get up and cry over him as the bullets expanded holes in his form, and as he looked up at her, the holes overtook him and he turned into a rewritten, shadowy figure that reached for her.

She gasped and was pulled away by another, younger Knuckles with a cowboy hat on, who said something I couldn’t hear as my visions didn’t have sound, and threw her to a smaller Tails, who caught her and flew with her into another portal as the two left the other Knuckles behind with the shadowy images of Sonic, G.U.N, and Shadow...

“NOOO!!!” I came out of the vision and turned to where Sonic was coming at me, already having jumped and about to reach me.

I knew if I didn’t let these events happen, we’d be trapped, but every part of me wanted to jump into Sonic’s arms and push him back, let myself be the one that was swallowed up in the rewritten darkness.

But by then, I knew it wasn’t--and shouldn’t--be called a rewritten reality.

It was erasing reality! There seemed to be a hive-mind I picked up on, the force was controlling my friends and Eggman, G.U.N even! 

Not just that, but I didn’t know if we’d be able to save Sonic. I thought nothing could overcome Sonic... I was so torn, but as I focused on his eyes... so determined to get me out of harm’s way... I couldn’t find it in my heart to move.

He was shot and rolled along the ground with me as he I held him, tears spraying from my eyes in an army of resistance. I clung to him, crying out his name as he flinched and tried to fight against the erasing darkness that would soon overwhelm his being and turn him into a mindless drone to whatever force was trying to take over time and our known reality.

“Noo!!!” I screamed out as Sonic told Knuckles to take me from him, and as he turned to fight Shadow, was fully overcome and went limp. “SOOONNICCC!!!”

Knuckles had ripped me from him and threw me to Tails, instructing him that he’d stay behind to look after Sonic while Tails and Silver got through to the next part or stage of this timeline.

Silver had to grip my head and take my line of sight off of Sonic’s shadowy form as it turned almost like a zombie towards me, tilting it’s head as the drones somehow knew I carried the Master Emerald’s power to connect to the other dimension.

“Amy! Listen to me!” Silver began, but I felt I had died inside. My voice escaped my lungs and there was nothing left in me. I... had become motionless... I didn’t stop Sonic... I... I didn’t deserve him...

What kind of woman, who claimed to love her hero so full-heartedly, would have froze up when the time to save him drew near?

“I don’t deserve him...” My headache couldn’t match the absolute obliteration of my soul and heart from within me. Like those rapidly twirling away pieces of the world we had journeyed through moments before. “I... Sonic...!” I didn’t deserve to call myself Sonic’s destined love... if I couldn’t even protect him when I knew what was about to happen.

“He was too fast, Amy, there’s nothing you could have done.” Tails held me closer to him, seeing my shaking eyes and the pain in trying to speak when I felt my entire ribcage had collapsed and took the compartments of my lungs and lifeforce with it.

“Amy, please, remember, this can all be rewritten.” Silver had placed his two hands to the sides of my face, seeing how broken I was and failing to grasp this reality.

My head twitched up, but I was hollow inside.

“You have to tell us what to do. What did you see? Where do we go?!” He urged, trying to be kind, but... “We can’t save him now! He’ll be alright, you have to trust in your vision! Please, Amy! The more time you spend silent the more time Sonic has to suffer!”

What was the point..? Without Sonic... Without him, I-... I had no meaning to my life anymore. Sonic was everything to me... he was my whole world... a reality without Sonic... in a universe where I couldn’t see him smiling... couldn’t hear his laughter and teasing expression... A world without his warm touch...

My mind went back to when Sonic had placed his hand to my arm, his words... “It didn’t need to come to this point... It didn’t need to be so fueled...”

My eyes blazed with a new purpose. I wasn’t just going to save my dimension. I was going to save my Sonic!

I cried out and struggled to get Silver’s hands off my face, then pointed Tails to the portal that was opening behind us. “There! Go! Now!”

I saw and witnessed first hand the torment the other dimensional, more tender, younger and naïve me struggle to gain the strength to continue forward, till her and her friends found sanctuary at the end.

By this time, I had spent all of what I felt was in me, and fell to my knees as I had fought the dark entity known as World Keeper, who was polluted by the filth of negativity in all the worlds... that hive mind was just swallowing the world in despair, and without ever being hit by it, I felt it more than ever too.

Then it slashed it, and I felt the darkness swallowing me as my color turned black with the light glimmer of inky stars within it’s slick obsidian...

I fell back and couldn’t feel myself hit the ground, I couldn’t feel anything anymore but emptiness...

As it overtook me, I wondered with my last, conscious thoughts if the other dimensional me had saved Sonic... was this the end of our universe? Or just the entrapment of one dimension?

Then...

“Don’t give up!”

S...Sonic?

“You have what it takes, use the power of the Chaos Emeralds!”

S...Shadow?

“I didn’t blast this stupid filth out of the sky only to be controlled into an everlasting misery by it!!!”

Eggman..?

“I’m not staying stuck in this feeling forever! Come on, Amy! You can do this-grraaahh!!!”

Knuckles...

Drifting into the blackness of the void, I suddenly felt four strong hands trying to force me upwards towards the light.

It slowed my decent, until Silver and Tails were able to reach out and grab me, and my last vision surfaced with the dizzy spell.

Rosy... she was also drifting into despair before Robotnik and Sonic reached through their own controlled misery by the World Keeper and used the last of their hope to push her out...

I tried to strain as best as I could through the dizzy, blurry vision and move my hand up towards them.

Her vision and mine suddenly conjoined, and I saw younger Tails flash continuously between Silver and my dimension’s Tails too.

I spoke out to her... “We can still save everyone...” I encouraged, “We... can’t give in... to hopelessness!”

I felt our hearts merge into one, felt our power soar as though we were evolving into a new creature that had it’s life sparked into existence again.

Newly hatched into this feeling of easiness, peace, and strength beyond my understanding... I grabbed Tails and Silver’s hands and swung out, the darkness that was once overcoming me suddenly burst with light and the seven Chaos Emeralds floated around us.

“Ah! She didn’t fuse with them!” Silver blurted out, seeing them swarm both him and Tails too.

“She... was storing them!” Tails exclaimed.

I guess I had become somewhat of their server and carrier... there power was just kept safe in me... through the Master Emerald and my unique connection to the other me.

We fought and as we did, I touched the ground and brought my friends and all the dimensions who had succumb to the negativity out from the inky blanket of darkness and restored their light and hope through the power being expelled from me.

No longer was I a guide.

I was a redeeming light now.

Sonic, Shadow, and Silver all burst into Super form, and together--with all the other worlds we loved so dearly too--we put an end to World Keeper and with me and my other self touching his chest as he was about to fall back into the his own making of the void, he immediately returned to a smaller form of another being.

Sonic suddenly cried out, “Chip!” and darted into the void after him.

I waited... weeks and weeks did I wait for him...

I clung to my chest as though clinging to my heart, refusing to let it break, and keeping it all together again.

I didn’t have visions anymore, but I could feel something... Something like the despair of the void was created from that feeling of loss and loneliness when Chip’s essence left the core of the earth and became free roaming in space...

Tails said he had a theory, that Chip’s body was still with Dark Gaia, but his power had escaped in longing to reunite with Sonic, his friend, again.

Traveling through space and time without a body, it became depressed, and expelled it’s world-bending powers to try and find Sonic... ending up losing itself and taking all worlds and dimensions it was searching through down with it.

A comet of bright golden light shot down through the cosmos, and I eagerly dropped everything to race out my door and pursue it, I knew from the green, red, and white lights that covered the world that Chip’s soul and powers returned to their slumber... and brought back Sonic safely to us as well!

“Sonic..!” My heart could barely contain it’s joy as I raced over the hills to follow his light... before having it sink and my hands fling up to the sides of my face when I saw him hit the water off in the distance of the sea. “No, Sonic!!! You can’t swim!!”

The distance was too far, but I swam anyway, feeling my exhaustion from having traveled miles and miles already on land before seeing him fall into the ocean.

He was covered in a light I assumed was Chip’s planet power, and I held my breath and swam down to him, heard a voice in my mind calling to me...

“Sorry for all the trouble I caused, Amy... Take good care of Sonic from now on. I won’t be lonely without him anymore... I know I may never see him again, especially when I wake up many, many years from now... but even still, the moments I had with him in the void of space and time, and with our time facing Dark Gaia, will always be in my heart... Thank you for letting me see him, one last time...”

The floating ball of light around him slowly brought Sonic up to me, and when I entered it, I took a deep breath and fell limply over his body, floating with him up to the surface.

He opened his eyes and smiled at me, winking without a word but it still gave me so much comfort and peace.

It was as though he was saying everything would be alright now... and Chip’s remaining spatial power set us down on the shoreline... as the waves met us as we took a much deserved rest on the cool sands... the sun rose up and the sounds of helicopters and people were surrounding us, but we remained sleeping soundly next to one another...

Sonic’s warm hand... laying gently over my stomach...

Mine upon his heart.

G.U.N’s windy interruption causing us both to sneeze as Silver appeared and held out both his hands to stop them from investigating, explaining as we drifted off into our dreams~

[mammoney-honey]

Summoning Circles: What to Offer the Brothers GN!MC

MC doesn’t need to set up anything to summon them since they have their pact but sometimes its just nice to add a bit of drama. It’s also a good way to get the brothers to accept Just Because gifts. So what would would MC lay out as an offering for their favorite demon in their pentagram?

Lucifer

Lucifer is hard to get gifts for because hes a man of few words and fewer guilty pleasures

MC does their best to keep an eye out for things he does like and finally sets things up when they feel that Luci needs a bit of a break

They mostly offer things that would make for a good date night but with one small exception: special gourmet dog treats 

He won’t admit it, he says Cerberus is just a well trained guard dog, but that big boy gets only the best and MC knows that Lucifer will appreciate the gesture

The rest is all about setting the mood so Lucifer couldn’t possibly say no to staying

The first thing to accomplish this is the finest bottle of hellfire aged wine, a special request put through to Diavolo for whatever he thought Lucifer would like most

And to accompany a good drink you need some good food as well. A charcuterie board supplied with recommendations from Barbatos and Luke. The little guy should be called a mouse rather than a dog with how much he loves cheese. It took a long time for him to stop talking about it

One of the things that MC looks most fondly on of their time with Lucifer was quiet nights in listening and dancing to new music. They didn’t always share the same tastes but they were always willing to give it a go

So MC would find a vinyl, the only thing Lucifer would listen to the purest that he is, of their most recent favorite song or band so that they could share it with him

The last thing offered is that which Lucifer would want above all else as his own, MC

They can think of nothing else that would gain Lucifer’s attention more than offering their full and complete self. His pride could never allow him to deny taking MC when they offer themselves so willingly

He appears in full demon form, he can’t think of who would be ballsy enough to try and summon him and he has to pull back on his full power once he sees its MC

“MC, my dearest love, the pageantry is appreciated but overall unneeded. All you ever have to do is call my name, all I wish is to hear my name on your lips. But now that I’m here lets make sure you are screaming it”

Mammon

He is another one who is hard to gift things to but for the opposite reason as Lucifer. He likes too many things, wants everything and so it makes it impossible to tell what would actually mean something to him

MC tries their best to lay out things that will show how much they love and appreciate their favorite demon

Money of course is the first thing that is set out but not just spare Grimm or human cash

No, MC will put gift cards out for Mammon’s favorite places or for a date that they can have together. It feels more personal that way and they hope it shows that they pay attention to the things he likes

Mammon has a wardrobe to rival Asmo’s but he insists that it all has to do with his job as a model. Gotta keep up appearances and all that yanno. Hes just a label whore though and everyone knows it

He also just melts at the idea that MC might be thinking of what he would look good in so if they put out a new outfit or accessory, even if its just new sunglasses or a belt, he just about explodes

He will scoff and say that hes not sure if human styles are really his thing but of course puts whatever it is on quickly

Next would be a very special edition of the TSL dvds, a directors cut that even Levi couldn’t get his hands on. He has watched it with MC so many times he could practically recite it but they were always borrowing from Levi so it was about time to start wearing out their own copy

The last two things are more personal, something that shows just how much MC thinks of and misses being with him

The first of that is MC’s favorite set of pictures they took with Mammon, a silly photo booth strip that captured their first kiss. MC had surprised him on the first snapshot and it showed a progression of him getting redder and redder before finally kissing them back

Lastly is a page from their diary, as intimate an offering as they can possibly give. Its from a day where the longing for Mammon was at its strongest and filled with sweet words of how much they miss their first man

Mammon is freaked out at first thinking he is being summoned by another witch and is confused to see MC before taking it all in

“H-hey you don’t have to go through all this. I mean of course The Great Mammon won’t say no to the the things he deserves but ... b-but you only ever need to say my name, there is no where I’d rather be than with you”

Levi

Levi has a bad habit of just buying whatever he wants but considering that he has so many fandom’s its not hard to find some piece or another he doesn’t have 

MC feels like his brothers don’t give much thought to his gifts though, just typing in a name they know and getting whatever they find. They want to give him something more personal and can’t just be bought and shipped in two days

MC starts to watch a lot of craft, cooking and cosplay YouTubers to try and put everything together themselves. It felt more genuine that way at least to them

MC tries to keep things diverse, hitting a couple of Levi’s favorites but mostly avoiding anything Ruri related since they are afraid of messing it up lmao

Instead they focus on the anime’s and games that they watched and played together. Almost like a collection of inside jokes that they are using to summon him

The first thing MC sets out is a prettily decorated plate of macrons, doing their best to replicate the colors and flavors described in the one bakery time management game they always played

MC also went through Levi’s super secret fanfiction accounts I will fight you he is totally a fic writer because he has so many self inserts and fix it fics  and wrote out comments for every single thing he had written. They printed them out not because they didn’t think he read them but to show that they were the ones that left them

Along with the comments MC also created art for Levi’s most beloved OC, creating cute enamel pins of them in chibi form with the cannon character he paired them with

 The last two things came as a sort of combo, a couples cosplay from the romance anime they had watched together. The protagonist had been a shut in otaku who had found his soulmate when they were reborn into his world and Levi had latched onto him immediately 

It had taken a lot of blood sweat and tears trying to get both of the outfits cannon perfect but damn it MC was not going to settle for anything less

At one point they forgot they were making it for Levi and just got caught up in the the drama that was finding the perfect buttons and trim color

Overall they were so proud of the sewing skills they just wanted to call on him the moment they were done so he could see but they got a hold of themselves so they could set up what they had planned

Levi was summoned into the circle still wearing his headset and fingers tapping at a controller that had been left behind

His demon side comes out at having been cost a serious match from the sounds of it but his anger turns to confusion at seeing MC and then into wide eyed amazement at all of the things in front of him

He started to gush about every single thing he saw before he realized that MC was there beaming at him 

“You went through all this trouble to prove that you aren’t a normie and yet you summon me this way?? J-just say my name like you’re supposed to! I kind of like hearing you say it anyway ...”

Satan

Satan surprisingly doesn’t like being the center of attention and thus doesn’t really like surprises or receiving gifts. He also doubts that anyone understands him enough to give him what he wants cocky ass that he is

The idea for the things to set out in his summoning circle came to MC when discussing love potions with Satan and Solomon one day. They were talking about how smell plays such a strong part and Satan let slip some of the things he might smell after MC listed some of theirs

So while MC doesn’t have much, well any, experience in magic or potions they do want to try to stir up those feelings those smells produce in Satan

The first thing he had said came as a surprise to no one, the smell of parchment and ink

MC used each of them as their own separate offering on the pentagram. They used a fancy new calligraphy quill dipped in green ink that matched his eyes to write a long love note for him

The ink was still wet on the parchment that they set down and left the quill and remaining ink as the second gift

The next thing he mentioned was another one MC expected: tea leaves

So MC just walked into their local tea shop and let their nose lead the way. Anything that caught their attention or made them want to keep smelling they bought, creating their own special blend just for Satan

It wasn’t necessarily something that Satan would say for himself but MC had started to burn different candles in their room when he would come to rant when he was angry, trying to find a scent that he could associate with being calm when they helped him work through the anger

Whatever candle seemed to work the best is the candle that MC sets out for him. Probably something woodsy, pine or balsam or even sandalwood. It brings back good memories for MC, kissing all those worries of his away and hopes it does the same

The last item is one that made MC blush when they heard Satan admit it, he had liked the scent of their shampoo

He hadn’t said that specifically but he had closed his eyes and described a scent that he couldnt place but that he adored and when MC was taking their shower that night it clicked 

It might have been a little lame, leaving a bottle of shampoo out for Satan but MC knew that when he realized what that scent he loved so much was that he would get the cutest blush

They weren’t disappointed when they summoned Satan. He hid his shock of being summoned this way well, taking his time to walk around the circle and examine each offering. He immediately knew where they had gotten the inspiration and teased them about being such a sap

He stopped when he got to the shampoo though, not sure how that fit into the equation until he smelled it. It dawned on him and there was that blush that he tried to hide by turning his face away

“You always did like to make things difficult on yourself didn’t you? I’m only ever a call away for you kitten. Now come here and let me really breath you in, you’re simply intoxicating to me and I can’t stay away.”

Asmo

Asmo is never shy about when he doesn’t like gifts that people have given him but he has only ever cherished what MC has gotten him. Every small trinket and gift he has on full display in his room and he will wear something that MC got them when he misses them the most

He also will do it when he wants to bother his brothers and show off that MC simply lavished him in gifts (Mammon and Levi are the only ones who fall for it lmao)

So MC decides to offer Asmo things that will allow him to parade around their love for him, things to keep them close when MC isn’t there

The first thing that MC gets Asmo is new nail polish, a color that they agonized over finding because they wanted it to match his eyes perfectly

Asmo has a very organized planner, its how he keeps track of all the events he is invited to, when he has dates, who hes slept with, who hes going to sleep with and everything in between

MC commissions custom made stickers for him so he can decorate the pages of his planner even more. Specifically a whole sheet of cute stickers of them together he could use for when they planned date nights

The next thing was something for Asmo’s room which he was always changing and refreshing so it looked forever interesting for Devilgram pics

MC gets a large print of Asmo’s favorite picture of them together and puts it in a beautiful frame that perfectly matched his favorite decorating style. Perfect to show to the world that Asmo was their favorite demon and that they looked so good together

And so they can take even more pictures of themselves together MC buys a Polaroid camera for Asmo. His phone will always be his favorite thing to take pics on but this way they could have them printed instantly and it continues to let him be trendy

Lastly MC gets Asmo a necklace. A dainty rose gold chain that he can wear with practically everything and with a diamond accented heart shaped locket that could easily be tucked away if needed. It was an enchanted locket, thanks to the help of Solomon, and it warmed when MC was thinking of him

Its the first thing Asmo grabs and quickly puts on, showing it off for MC

“Oh MC you are simply the cutest thing I have ever seen~ I’m sorry I don’t have something to give you in return. I hope the fact that my heart beats only for you will make up for it, now come here I’ve been without kisses too long.”

Beel

Its SO hard not to just grab whatever is in the kitchen at the time and throw it in the summoning circle and call it a day for Beel

But he is more than just his hunger and MC is always striving to show him that they understand that 

It was harder than expected, just because asking anyone what Beel might want always got them food answers. They thought Belphie might be helpful but only got told “he probably just wants a nap ... its what I would want”

MC starts to think of all the most special moments they had with Beel, trying to think what about them made them so memorable and they knew for a fact that it wasn’t the food

The first thing they come up with is a banner that MC made to cheer him on at one of his games. It had gotten a little tattered and torn because it had rained that day but they just couldn’t let it go

Mostly because Beel after winning had ran up into the stands and kissed them for the first time. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t ever kissed but they had always been the one to make the first move but this time Beel had come to them. Of course in the biggest gesture possible

It was cheating a little bit offering a cookbook, it was still food related, but it felt better than putting in actual food 

This particular cookbook was special to MC too, they had spent several months trying to recreate one of the recipes from it down in the Devildom when MC didn’t have it. Even their D.D.D had been no help in finding the human world dish they were trying so hard to recreate

It had finally been Beel who had found someplace that sold the food they had been craving. He had even been able to bring it back completely untouched just so that they could have it all though he didn’t complain when they offered him several bites from their fork

MC pulls the next thing from their own shelves at home, a well read copy of Lord of the Flies. The spine cracked and little notes about their favorite parts scribbled in the margin

It was one of the human novels that Satan had and one of MCs favorites from school. Beel had caught them reading it and thought the title was ironic but the more he watched MC get engrossed in reading the more curious he got

He eventually asked MC to read it to him, he actually liked books even if most didn’t take him for the type it was just that he had a hard time actually reading himself. He always got distracted by food but audio books always worked well for him when he was working out, it turned out to be even better when MC read to him when he was eating

It was the best of both worlds for him and he found the story actually pretty funny, slightly worrying MC but they figured they couldn’t blame a demon for getting enjoyment out of a story like that. He did find their lack of food concerning though so at least there was that

One of the things that Beel often complained about when MC was living in the devildom was that when he went to go eat they weren’t always there. Sure Beel would ask them to tag along whenever possible but it didn’t always happen. He would call them from the kitchen at times and tell them that he missed them

MC was sure the other brothers would have something to say about it but knew that Beel would genuinely enjoy the next thing MC offered. Amagnet with his favorite picture of them. It was MC caught in a candid he took, mid bite in a dessert he had made them and his hand could just be seen wiping some whipped cream off MC’s cheek

It was a way that Beel could have MC with him at his favorite place every time

The last thing that MC laid out was something that was inspired by Beel. He had once given them a coupon for a free meal by him and they had thought it was just about the cutest thing ever

They made him a whole coupon book of favors ranging from cooking any meal he wanted to recording his workouts for him and of course lots of coupons for hugs and kisses

Beel isn’t used to being summoned at all so hes slightly disoriented when he finds himself suddenly in the human world. As soon as he sees MC though its nothing but smiles and he doesn’t even notice the gifts until after

“MC did you know I was thinking about you? Sometimes I just say your name and hope you will appear ... so if you ever think of me just say my name. I want to be here, even if its during dinner” 

Belphie

Belphie is not one to beat around the bush at all. He is a creature of habit and just wants more of the same things that he already has. Dont fix something if its not broke right?

So its fairly easy to fill his summoning circle with things that he loves, just adding to his ever growing collection of happy nap time things

That isn’t to say that MC just grabs whatever blanket or pillows they have laying around, they still want it to be special for him

So yes the first two things they offer to Belphie is a pillow and blanket, there was never going to be anything else but MC spent a long time putting their love into finding just the right ones for him ... and still couldn’t find what they wanted

MC used this as an excuse to create something themselves for their sleepy boy. They dived deep into youtube and pintrest and spent more money than they care to admit on materials until finally they made what they wanted

The first was a quilt large enough for three cause the twins like to make MC a sandwich in a cow print pattern that matched his pillow and demon form marks, lined with the softest fabric she could find that was the same purple as his eyes 

His pillow was another quilted design, this time of a cloudy night sky with a sleepy cow jumping over the moon. MC stitched his name in pretty gold thread on the back long with a sweet ‘I love you’

There was one last fluffy thing to give to him, this one MC knew he would probably scoff and tease them about but they couldn’t help it. They saw the angry looking cow plushie and just could not walk away 

They have actually been sleeping with it when they miss him most and even if he doesn’t like the plushie the fact they have slept with it so much will make him a bit fonder of it

Even though they were pretty sure that Belphie knew every star in the sky MC couldn’t help but get a book with stories about the constellations. He might already know them all but they thought that he might still enjoy hearing them read to him as he drifted to sleep

The last thing MC has to offer him is also star related. A star map of the day that they made their pact. It was the day that MC had fully forgiven everything that had happened before and their relationship had truly began

When Belphie was summoned he was half asleep but knew who it must be even in his sluggish state. He gave a big yawn and looked around at all the things around him 

“At least things are already set up for the perfect nap, including having you. MC next time just say my name alright? Its much more of a drag this way ... and I want to know when you are dreaming of me”

[megsironthrone]

Conflicted

Based on this request:  Can I request a Baratheon!readerx jon snow where the reader is the youngest sister of the Baratheon brothers and she goes with Stannis North and that’s how she met Jon. Fast forward to S8 time and Jon tells her he’s a Targaryen and she feels conflicted because all her life she’d been raised that Targaryens are evil but she still loves him? Thanks!!

Here you are, lovely! *Characters are NOT mine!*

Warnings: past prejudices against Targaryens. Angst? Fluff! It’s a little short

Pairings/Characters: Jon Snow x fem!Baratheon reader

War had a strange way of bringing people together. That was certainly what happened with you. It was during the War of the Five Kings that you met Jon Snow. He was merely the Lord Commander's steward when you met. Your brother had fought Wildlings just North of The Wall and took the credit for capturing Mance Rayder.

         When Jon let loose the arrow that killed Mance Rayder, you saw the kind of man he was. He was an honorable man. Not the kind of man who would allow someone to suffer unjustly, unlike your brother Robert. And he was kind to you. You shouldn't have been at the Wall, but they had made an exception for you and the Red Woman. Jon made it his mission to keep you protected while you were there. Over your time there, you fell in love with him. And when you left, you took your memories with you. You never thought you'd see the dark-haired young man again.

         You had been wrong. Here you were in Winterfell, staring at Jon like you'd seen a ghost. "A-Are you certain?" Jon frowned a little and nodded. "Yes. I'm not a bastard. I'm a Targaryen. The son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Bran has seen it and Sam confirmed it." The words hit you like a brick. A Targaryen. Jon, your beloved Jon, was a Targaryen.

         All your life, you'd been told that Targaryen's were vile, wicked people who wed their own siblings and cousins in order to keep the family pure. You had been raised to believe they were savages that would kill you as soon as look at you. Did Jon have some of that in him? Could he be the evil your brothers had always told you Targaryens were?

         "I see. I just remembered I told Sansa I would assist her with something.  Excuse me." You could feel Jon's eyes on your back as you walked out of the room. Your mind was racing. There was a part of you that knew you were being silly. This was Jon! Not some random person you didn't know. Jon. Still, your brothers' warnings bounced around your head.

         "Y/N, wait," you heard Jon just before he gently grabbed your wrist. You stopped moving. "This changes nothing between us, Y/N. I'm still me." You let yourself look at him. The look in his eyes nearly broke your heart. He looked like a single word from you could break him into a million pieces.

         "Please…" You nodded, allowing him to slowly lead you back into the room and close the door. For what felt like an eternity, neither of you spoke. You didn't mind. It gave you time to think. How likely was it that Jon would turn mad the way his ancestor had? After all, maybe there were stronger things than blood. And yet, blood was strong.

         If you were to take Daenerys as an example. She kept a face of calm and generosity yet you could see the madness boiling within her. You were certain that you could be the same if pushed the way she had been though. The Baratheon temper was volatile too. But you hadn't been raised the same way your brothers had. You weren't like them. Jon wasn't raised by Targaryens, but by Ned Stark. That made the difference. He was still Jon, no matter his blood.  

         "Are you afraid of me?" Jon finally asked. You faced him and gave him a small smile. Taking his hands in yours, you shook your head. How could you possibly be afraid of him? You loved him. "I'm not afraid of you, Jon. I've never been afraid of you. Yes, Stannis and Robert thought Targaryens were evil. They taught me that. But I know you. You are nothing like what they told me just as I am nothing like the others in my family. We're our own people."

         Jon gently squeezed your hands. "Thank you. D-Do you still love me?" You laughed lightly as you stepped closer. "I have loved you for so long, Jon, that I cannot remember a time when I didn't love you. And I will continue to love you as long as you will let me." Jon let go of your hands in favor of wrapping his arms around you. He leaned in and rested his forehead on yours. You let your arms travel around his neck so you could card your fingers through the dark curls.

         "Does she know?" you asked after a little while, "Daenerys, I mean." Jon shook his head. "No and I don't want to tell her until I have to. I also don't want to talk about her right now. Right now, I want to stay here with you and forget everything."

         "I want that too. Let's go to my chambers. I want you to hold me. To love me. Kiss me. Make the rest of the world disappear for just a little while. Let it be just the two of us, Jon Snow." Jon smiled at you. "I never thought the name of a bastard would sound so appealing until I heard it from you." You kissed him. "To me, no matter what, you will always be Jon Snow, King in the North and the love of my life."

         Jon crushed you against him and brought his lips down to yours. You spent the rest of the day in your chambers, wrapped in each other's arms and dreaming of the future you hoped to have together. No longer were you conflicted. You loved Jon and he loved you. The rest of the world and your family names be damned.

(a/n: I hope you liked it! I struggled, I won’t lie)

Forever Tags: @fizzyxcustard​ @brewsthespirit-blog​ @littlemisscaptainfandom​ @etherealpotter​ @line-viper​ @frozenhuntress67​ @cd1242​ @gruffle1​ @smalltownbigheart​ @princessofthefandomrealm-deacti​ @igotmadskills​

Jon Snow Tags: @multi-fandom-imagines8​ @silversprings98​

[unlimitedfateimagines]

With You | Romani Archaman

Ask: Surprised by the lack of Dr. Roman requests - le gasp - So how bout some fluff for the overworked doctor

Sent by: Anon

A/N: waaaaah another rewrite from one of my very very first posts published back in 2017 ;;v;; recently, one of my friends has gotten in fgo and she has a huge huge crush on romani (@eorzean-savage) which i find really cute so i decided to polish up with very old fic (and made it very lengthy in comparison to the original)!! i hope it is to your liking, anon, if you’re still around to see this!!

Romani Archaman sighed, carding his gloved fingers through his strawberry blonde hair. His face was a frustrated one, eyes hurting from the obnoxiously bright light of his computer screen. Notebooks that threatened to fall piled up on both sides of him were filled with notes and events from each Singularity that Chaldea has managed to restore. How many times has he tried to paraphrase and rephrase this sentence for it to make sense and finally satisfy him? He had lost count by the third time already.

With a small lamp emitting an olden yellow light that allowed him to see his messily scribbled notes and arrows from the events of the E Pluribus Unum Singularity, the margins of his pages decorated with cute little doodles of Humanity’s and Chaldea’s last Master, the rest of his room was dark and silent. The occasional grumble from his lips, the typing on his keyboard, the rummaging through his papers as well as the quieted and hushed rants he let out to himself were the only times the peaceful yet almost eerie silence of his room was broken.

“Goodness, I should probably give more of this workload to Da Vinci next time, I’m really about to pull another all-nighter and have (Name) worry about me again,” he mumbled frustratedly. “Not even med school was this bad.”

He very much disliked the fact that he had to make his beloved significant other worry so much when they too had pressing matters to worry about as well as magus training to maintain their fragile circuits to survive through Singularities. He knew the next morning when he would head to the control room after having a very early breakfast, you would have your hands on your hips, scolding him because he has decided to sleep extremely late again, given the dark circles under his eyes and his unruly hair.

“I’m definitely not paid enough for all of this,” he laughed as he flipped through his notes before suddenly stopping at a page with a sketch of you drawn by Leonardo Da Vinci that one time she snagged his notebook to get him out of his working bubble and loosen up a bit when Christmas came along.

With a fond gaze, he took his time admiring your beauty that Da Vinci has perfectly captured. She had drawn you with a gentle smile, perfectly highlighting your cheekbones and jawline and your neck. Romani was never going to say it, but he greatly appreciated this little and sudden gift by his co-worker on Christmas.

A click and the sound of a door sliding open snapped him out of his little trance and he let out a squeal of surprise and closed his notebook shut before looking towards the door to see who was the intruder.

“Roman? You’re still awake?” you asked drowsily.

“Don’t ask me why I’m still awake! Why are you awake? You need to sleep!” he protested softly, standing up from his chair and walking towards the door, noticing you were holding two cups in your hand and he could make out the smell of coffee drifting further into the room.

“You’re telling me to sleep when it’s the dead of the night and you’re still working on your report,” you sighed, looking at his laptop that was clearly open on a document filled up with lines and handing him a cup of coffee. “I thought you might be up typing right now so I made you coffee.”

He sighed out your name in an almost exasperated tone before thanking you and taking his cup of coffee before inviting you to sit on his bed while he went back to his desk and spun around his office chair so that he was facing you.

“The thought is greatly appreciated but why are you up? Did you have a nightmare again?” he gently asked, scooting over and sliding his chair over to you, placing one of his hands reassuringly on your knee.

You laughed. He was always a worrier, not that you minded though. He was the one who treated all of your scars and cuts and gave you biweekly checkups to make sure you’re still in shape and healthy. “I’m fine tonight, Romani. I was just thirsty and needed to use the restroom.”

Romani sighed in relief before taking a sip from his coffee. “Well, if that’s—” “But…” you started shyly, cutting him off. “Is it alright… if I stay in your room tonight? I can’t help but feel like you’re oftentimes lonely during these late hours. And… I would like to watch you work.”

A tint of pink appeared on his face and he was so thankful that the room was very dim, the only light being the lamp and laptop on his desk across the room now. 

“S-Sure! Make yourself comfortable!” he flusteredly stuttered before going back to his desk and he swore he had you giggle and whispered a little “cute” and the bed sheets shuffling as you sat on the bed, back leaning against the white wall.

It felt awkward for the first dozen of minutes as he slowly got used to your presence behind him before he eased down and started working more comfortably. Switching between his notes to his laptop, sometimes taking a sip of his coffee, he enjoyed your calming presence by his side.

To his surprise, time flew by much quicker than he had expected and in a flash, he was almost finished typing up his report.

“Alright, I think I’ll stop here for now,” he sighed as he stood up and stretched, letting out a yawn as he looked over at you to see if you were awake.

Not very surprisingly, you were laying on his bed, your chest heaving slow with your eyes shut. Romani smiled and chuckled to himself as he walked over and shifted around the sheets, keeping in mind to try and not to wake you up, and covered you up so you wouldn’t be cold. He then removed his coat and draped it over you before sitting down on the floor, his chin in his arms as he rested them on the edge of the bed, staring at you fondly. His fingers gently played with your hair and brushed it aside, taking some time to admire your sleeping face.

He propped himself up and pressed his lips against your forehead before sitting back down on the floor. “Goodnight, (Name).”

[alirhi]

22

Title: Winter's Frost Chapter: 22/? Fandom: MCU Rating: R to be on the safe side Pairing: Loki/Bucky Summary: Loki never told anyone the real reason he became so obsessed with Midgard. Much better to let them think he wanted to hurt his brother than draw their attention to the one thing in the universe that makes the God of Mischief truly vulnerable. Notes: Due to massive levels of incoherent rage at the thought of what they did in Thor: Ragnarok, I have decided to pull from actual Norse mythology again. Everything after The Avengers has been erased in this fic, anyway, so fuck it. Hel and Fenrir are Loki's children as it always should be.

Loki sighed, head resting on Bucky's chest as he basked in the simple joy of hearing his beloved's heart still beating. "I hope you know that you're not allowed to ever die on me again."

"Technically, I haven't died yet at all."

He frowned, pinching Bucky's side and making him laugh. "I mourned you for nearly fifty years, James, and it almost destroyed me."

"Loki..." It was Bucky's turn to sigh as he pushed the Trickster off of him and they both sat up. "Serum or no serum, I'm still human. Eventually, I'm gonna grow old and die. That's just the way it works."

"I don't want you to." Feeling like a child, tears choking him that he refused to shed and Bucky's hands gripping his, Loki shook his head. "I can't lose you again."

With that sad smile he was so sick of looking at, Bucky squeezed his hands a little tighter. "You lived over a thousand years without me, Doll. You'll be okay. You've got Sigyn-"

"I hardly think that's relevant." Prying his hands loose, he wiped furiously at his eyes. "Especially since, if the oaf can't sway Odin, I'll likely never see her again, either. Or my other children."

It was truly beginning to sink in, just how much Loki had sacrificed in his mad scramble to rescue Bucky, and he could tell from the stricken look on his lover's face that it was hitting him, as well. A grown man – a God– and he'd behaved like a reckless child ever since he'd first discovered his soldier alive. He'd succeeded, at last, but at what cost? If his actions left him forever on the run from Asgard, he would never see his wife and sons again; his one consolation was that at least he had his daughters. Hel ruled her own realm and answered to no one, least of all Odin, and Eira... He would die before letting anyone take Eira away from him.

"Jesus, Loki..." Bucky winced, pulling him closer for a hug. "Nari, Fenrir... I'm sorry, I can't pronounce the snake's name-"

That got a half-hearted laugh out of the Trickster, and he laid his head on Bucky's broad shoulder. "Jormungandr. It's alright, love, I'm impressed you remember any of them."

"I get headaches," he admitted softly, "when I try to push too hard, but it's coming back." Arms tightening around the other man, he murmured, "There's a lot I'd rather never think about again, but I don't want to lose a single memory I have with you."

"Don't force it," Loki cautioned as gently as he could, bringing one hand up to tangle in that beautiful dark hair. "It will come back; a remarkable amount already has. Just be patient."

"...Nari," Bucky whispered, shaking his head. "Fenrir, Sleipnir, Jor...Jormun... Can I just call him Joey? I know that's not how the J is pronounced, but his name does start with a J, technically... Right?"

At that, Loki buried his face in Bucky's shoulder and laughed so hard he couldn't breathe. "I would pay to see the look on Jormungandr's face if he ever actually heard you call him Joey!"

"Loki, I'm being serious!"

"About 'Joey'?" He could hear the grin and the suppressed laughter in his beloved's voice, so he didn't feel bad for being unable to contain his hysterical laughter.

"About your kids." He didn't sound amused anymore. With a firm grip on Loki's shoulders, he pushed him back to look him in the eye, and the atmosphere instantly shifted. Expression pained, Bucky reminded him, "What you lost, for me... If you can't fix this, you'll lose your whole damn family. Did you think I was just reciting their names trying to remember them all for a fucking Christmas card or something? Eira's brothers, her sister, her step-mom... Your whole family, everything you built before we met... My God..."

"Yes." His attempt at a snarky, slightly cheesy retort fell flat even to his own ears, but Loki still tried. Prying one strong hand from his shoulder and cradling it between his own, he told him, "I am your God. As for my children... Sleipnir was already taken from me long ago. I'm not sure he even knows I'm his mother."

"Christ, Doll, that makes the rest of this worse!"

"I haven't 'lost' anything." Freyja, how he wished he believed what he was saying. All that mattered at the moment, though, was that Bucky believed it, and so he soldiered on. "Not yet. Odin is a stubborn old fool, but he is old. Worst case scenario, if I can't return home without ending up in chains while he lives, well... he'll die soon and Thor will take the throne despite my best efforts – I really had a lot on my plate when last the Sergeant and I met – and because he's sentimental and forgiving, I'll be welcomed back with open arms."

"'Home'?"

He blinked, confused. "What?"

For someone with such a remarkably expressive face, Bucky could, on occasion, be difficult to read. With the most curious look that Loki couldn't quite identify, he pointed out quietly, "You still call Asgard 'home.'"

He scoffed and shrugged. "Force of habit, I suppose. Best not to read too much into it, darling."

"Right." There was a brief moment of tense silence, and then Bucky, bless his strange mind, smiled and nudged him. "Look, thanks to the serum, I don't really get sick anymore. So as long as the purple menace doesn't lop my head off, you've still got decades before you have to worry about me croaking on you."

Though he appreciated the effort, Loki couldn't quite bring himself to share his love's optimism. After all, what were decades to a being who would live for millennia? Rather than point that out, though, he focused on the other troubling fact: "James, Thanos is dangerous."

"Why, because he kicked your skinny ass?" he teased. "Or, to be more accurate, his minions kicked your skinny ass. Did Thanos actually do anything? How do you know he wants anything nefarious with these magic doohickeys?"

"Because one man amassing ultimate power has never been for the benefit of others, no matter how they delude themselves for the sake of remaining the heroes in their own stories." Giving him a bland look, Loki grumbled, "One would think a World War II veteran would understand that better than most."

Still clinging desperately to his attempt at humor, Bucky shrugged. "Hey, I'm still holding out hope on the kitten theory. You can't deny the world would be a better place if everyone had their own adorable kitty to spoil."

Finally, finally Loki chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll tell you what, darling... Survive what's coming with sanity intact, and I'll get you a kitten myself."

Bucky snorted. "Oh, baby, the sanity ship has sailed. Are you kidding me?"

"The best you can manage, then," he amended with a soft, sad smile. "Just stay close to me, so I can keep you safe."

Watching the other man's expression crumble and all the humor immediately vanish as if it was never there at all, Loki wished he'd never spoken a word.

"No," Bucky told him quietly, but firmly. "I'm sick of constantly being rescued and protected."

"It's not that I think you're weak-"

"Do you remember what I told you when you wanted to stay and fight just so we could be together?"

He did, though he failed to see its relevance. Still, to prove to Bucky that he was paying attention, he dutifully recited his own words back to him. "'You're outside of all this and that's where I need you to stay.' But neither of us is 'outside' of this one-" He was interrupted by his lover snorting and rolling his eyes. "What?"

"Not that part." Shifting position slightly so that he and Loki were facing each other directly without either having to twist, he took the Trickster's soft hands in his own - one rough and callused, the other chilly and unyielding - and reminded him, "'You make me weak. If I see you out there, you'll get me killed.' Well, babe, this time neither of us gets to walk away, so we both need to be focused on the enemy, not each other. Don't waste energy trying to protect me. Having to protect Eira got you both captured. When the war comes, just fight it, and trust that I can look out for myself."

That was a terrifying proposition. Enhanced by mad science or not, Bucky was still only human. The thought of him standing alone and fighting Thanos or one of his psychotic minions with no powers was enough to make Loki sick to his stomach. Perhaps it would be best to leave Bucky in New Mexico with Darcy and Eira; after all, run-of-the-mill human dangers didn't simply vanish because a bigger threat loomed. They would need someone to look after them, as well, and Bucky could certainly handle some random thug looking to cause trouble.

He opened his mouth to suggest it, but his thoughts must have been showing on his face. A metal hand clamped over his mouth before he could utter a sound and Bucky snapped, "You're not sidelining me. Purple Space Hitler calls for all hands on deck, so deal with it."

With a sigh, Loki batted his hand away and shook his head. "You really are the most stubborn creature, James."

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