#didnt get to use their names in the snippet

[aria0fgold]

Whumptober day 7 prompt: Alleyway | "Can you hear me?"

Characters: Marigold, Mel Ages: 28, 14

A young boy sat on the ground of what he can only guess as a narrow alleyway, leaning on the brick wall behind him, hunched over and barely breathing. He slipped in and out of consciousness, his stubbornness and determination the only things keeping him from fully succumbing to his injuries that he had grown numb to.

He doesn't know where he is now, he can hear cars passing by, can somewhat see some light at the corner of his one partially opened eye as the other remained close due to the blood that dripped down from his head. He doesn't know anything much anymore, brain too clouded, too foggy to think, there is only one thing that matters to the boy, to live.

He heard footsteps nearby him, at least, he hopes it was nearby, he wasn't sure about anything anymore now too, are the noises he hears truly there? Or is it just a hallucination? Is this how death feels? It's cold…

“Would you look at that…” A woman's voice, perhaps. “Can ya hear me, kid? You still alive there?”

He groaned, at least he hoped he did.

The woman whistled, “Barely hanging on. Want me to finish the job?”

The boy forced his hand to move, forced his head to look at the direction of the voice, forced out a louder groan, he isn't sure if any of his efforts bore fruit, he hoped it did. He doesn't want to die, not after all that he'd done… But what was it? He doesn't know and it didn't matter, he just wanted to live.

A chuckle, “Still got that fire in ya, huh? C'mere then, can't let that fire burn out after all, 'lil zombie.”

He felt someone put their arms under him, felt the ground disappear with nothing but air and the arms of a stranger underneath him. He heard the blaring sound of something familiar, along with more footsteps, and more voices.

“It's okay now, kid. You'll live, I guarantee it.”

That was the last thing the boy heard before his consciousness was swallowed by the darkness.

[larkwinged]

𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐒 𝐅. 、𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐊𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

PROFILE. a self-righteous knight who is too willing to throw their life away, and too eager to charge into battle. underneath their stubborn exterior, they are riddled with the pressure of upholding a family title that has long been lost to time.

FULL NAME. artemis elise fröhlich

PRONOUNS. they / them

GENDER. fem-presenting non-binary

AGE. early twenties

HEIGHT. 5”1

BIRTHDAY. november 12th

OCCUPATION. knight

AFFILIATION. knights of favonius

ELEMENT. pyro

CONSTELLATION. columba bellicosi

WEAPON TYPE. sword — “herald of the dawn”

Now stripped of its original purpose as a vessel to store all the memories of an ancient god king, this sword has been passed down in the Fröhlich family since the dawn of time.

Once wielded by the god of memories herself, this sword was blessed by the winds and presented as a gift to her youngest child upon the morn of their knighting ceremony.

“You, who represent the grace and bravery of humanity,” said the Queen, “take this and go. Become a pillar of hope to those wallowing in the darkness, and guide the lost onto a chivalrous path. You, the Dovewing Knight.”

And so, the first Dovewing Knight set out, protecting the people of Cairnfelle and standing tall as a beacon of hope, just as they were requested.

At the edge of the world, when the brilliance of Cairnfelle collapsed and the mountains crumbled, the sword found its way tumbling back into the hands of its previous owner to defend her honor, and upkeep her legacy until the final trumpet sang … announcing her defeat.

With no definite home, the sword lay in the ruins of its kin, preserved well by the Anemo Archon and his will — until the day it found its way into the waiting hands of the inheritor of an ancient title.

• demo music concepts. one two three

• ENG voice claim : keath òsk as cole seymour from yaelokre’s “meadowlark” project

• JP voice claim : marina inoue as armin arlert from attack on titan

CHARACTER STORY 1: eastward of eden

It is true that Artemis has long held resentment towards their older sister and past caretaker, Lilith. As a child, Artemis was refused of many things — including choosing their own clothes, partaking in certain activities, and having their own privacy. There wasn’t much they were allowed to do, and even the hobbies they enjoyed ended up ruined by Lilith’s excitement and pushy nature.

To this day, Lilith is unaware of the mental anguish she caused her siblings over the course of their entire childhood. However, in her own eyes, she has done no such thing, and has succeeded at being a “mother.”

Many citizens have told her, “My, you exercise much control over them,” and yet, she has failed to see the error in her ways. It is not entirely her fault, as she was forced into the role of a mother when she wasn’t ready for such a task. Even though she failed in many aspects of her parenting skills, there was one thing she has always truly succeeded at: caring deeply for her family.

However, no amount of love could undo the years of fighting and hurtful words thrown around between the siblings.

CHARACTER STORY 2: legacy

Long ago, in the days of yore, the archaic land of Mondstadt had been ruled by a monarch older than Decarabian. Her rule was rumored to last longer than his, and her birth is now nothing but scattered fragments along the wind.

When the Queen of the North Wind descended and claimed Mondstadt as her home, a mighty kingdom formed under her feet. Small huts grew to larger, firmer homes, and gargantuan cathedrals made of marble were erected in her honor. Trumpets blew, the wind howled, snow fell, and mountains as high as the heavens towered above humanity.

In later years, the prospering kingdom of Cairnfelle was officially born. Serving as a haven for travelers and poets alike, the kingdom sang with energy as it thrived under Queen Catalina’s guiding hand. The god of memories was exceptionally gentle, with a kind and compassionate heart that moved even the most stoic-faced men to tears. Her words were wise, her complexion glowing, and her promises true.

Cairnfelle, as much as it prospered, gained an enemy from a distant land. With no choice but to face the beast she prodded, the Queen set out to befriend the raging phoenix that had enough of her games. Ever the charming soul, the Queen did not have to do much to make the phoenix bow to her every whim, and before the citizens of Cairnfelle had the chance to acclimate to the visitor, the two were to be wed.

There is not much to say for the years in between the joining of two god kings and the fall of Cairnfelle, but this: Four inexplicably brave and virtuous souls were born from the two gods — four demigod knights who carved the way for the future of Mondstadt: The Four Archangels.

The Blair Family — the origin of the Fröhlichs, is no longer the raging flame of life it had once been, but a snuffed out ember of its former glory.

Only in passing on the titles of the Four Archangel Knights can the present day Fröhlich family hold tight to what was once a name feared and adored by all.

CHARACTER STORY 3: composition

Many questions have arisen over the years; all pertaining to a certain facet of Artemis’ composition.

“Is it a curse?” They’ve inquired, only to wind up receiving a simple, “I’m not even sure myself!”

However, that it is a small white lie they’ve grown to tell. In fact, Artemis is very much aware of the reason why they consistently find themselves on the brink of death and luckily make it out alive. It is because of the unique composition their ancestor, Lowen, was made of: pure and unbridled wrath.

The story goes as such: In the days of yore, when gods and monsters still yet walked the earth, a beast born of flame and rage took flight. They seared their enemies and allies alike, and roused the hearts of warriors all across Natlan. They utterly refused to lay their past life to rest. In doing so, they made a promise to their newfound family. The wrath that lived inside them was nothing but a blessing, and deserved to be passed on through their children, and future generations. And so, the endless wrath that boiled in their veins was passed on — consuming the lives of their children, and overtaking the brilliant flames that became their descendants.

To be a god’s descendant has always been an honor in the Fröhlich family line… Yet, Artemis — like the direct children of the god of wrath — see it as naught but a curse; For what blessing could bring about destruction and the devastation of any living being in one’s wake.

VISION STORY:

The blistering pyro vision attached to Artemis’ belt was said to be a gift from the gods, and maybe even a gift from the long gone god of wrath themselves.

What else are visions besides gifts from the gods? A tool to wield, and yet another curse Artemis must deal with.

At the young age of eleven, Artemis was sent out on their first escorting mission. It was their first mission given to them by Grand Master Varka, who was elated to test their strength and endurance. Not many were willing to accept an escort from a child — as was the case with the Fontainian aristocrat Artemis was talking their ear off to. However, the man said nothing, as the child’s directional skills were second to none. It was only when they hit a bump in the road that the man questioned Artemis’ capabilities as a knight.

“I should’ve known better than to trust a child!” He yelled, waving his fist in the air as he pushed them aside and ran off ahead by himself in the rain, leaving the young Artemis to fend for themselves amidst a hoard of abyssal monsters.

Although panic was steadily rising throughout their body, they forced themself forward — slashing at every monster with a shaky grip on their sword. The rain poured, sagging their clothes, and dragging their arms down to the dirt. The grip on their sword slipped, as did their footing, and they tumbled to the hard ground with a rough clash.

Their shoulder-piece scratched the bridge of their nose on the way down, and a thick line of blood began to spill from the open wound. A rifthound drew closer, baring its teeth and snapping its jaw as its claws outstretched, striking Artemis across the head. A clap of thunder sounded, and amidst the ringing in their ears, Artemis felt the weight of ten large wooden planks collapse on their back.

Even so, they shakily grabbed their sword, their nails digging into the wet earth, and began to stand. Their blood boiled as a wrath they were only warned about once crept up to the surface, prickling along their skin until it caved inwards, tugging at their ribcage and burning against their racing heart.

In a flash of white and gold, the hoard of rifthounds lay motionless on the grass, their bodies turning to dust as Artemis panted heavily. The wrath inside their veins bubbled, and their vision turned red. It was all consuming. It was destructive, and it was total annihilation. They struck down every monster seeping from an abyssal pylon until finally, they tore the pylon in half with nothing but their blade and their bare hands.

The rain continued to fall as they dropped their sword and collapsed to the ground in a heap of sore limbs and bloodied grass. Their eyes fell close for a moment — at least, what felt like a moment — and when they opened, a shining vision sat amongst the pool of blood left behind by their foes.

Indeed. The god of wrath, whose curse ran rampant in their veins, rewarded them with yet another “gift.”

𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀

• hobbies: When they are home in Dornman Port enjoying their days off, they like to wind down by practicing the art of crochet. Not only is it soothing to sit by a windowsill while the afternoon breeze filters into their bedroom, it is also a hobby their late mother held dear. By partaking in this hobby, they feel closer to their mother, and can preserve her memory longer. Another hobby is sports. Artemis can often be found playing with the kids in the port during vacations.

• beliefs: The Fröhlich family have always dedicated their lives to the protection of Mondstadt, and hold a firm worship to a god king who has long been dead. Although they have accepted Barbatos as their new savior, they still hold their original god close to their hearts. Artemis has naturally followed this belief and considers their worship of the god of memories their religion. During rough times, they find solace in a temple far north and meditate there for as long as they deem necessary. Once a month, they offer up a few of their most important memories— a ritual that has been passed down in the Fröhlich family for over 3000 years.

(This act of offering up memories is akin to the way some worshippers will offer animal sacrifices to the god they serve.)

• about — fate: Artemis is a firm believer that fate will guide the worthy and ultimately lead everyone onto the path they are destined to walk. However, they do not include the meddling of gods and higher beings into this equation. They believe that fate is its own entity and not dictated by the Archons nor Celestia. It acts of its own accord, and the gods are mere victims of fate, as well. Not even Celestia will be spared.

• about — death: Artemis believes that death is a stepping stone to a greater afterlife. Akin to their many family members, they believe that life is temporary, and death is eternal. When one dies, they are not truly dead; for they are shedding their mortal shell and accepting their true form, which is the soul. The soul will live on forever in the afterlife, while the physical body is nothing more than a temporary shell to house said soul. With this belief, the Fröhlich family does not fear death, but welcomes it with open arms— greeting it like an old friend.

[fuctacles]

If you saw the snippets where i fucked up the timeline no u didnt.

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"What's his name?" Steve asks, playing with the bunny's paw. The only time he let go of him since last night was to use the bathroom.

"Frankenbunny," Eddie answers, and smiles when Steve snorts after hearing it. "My grandma made him from fabric scraps grandpa would bring from work. I've made the vest, though." He stretches and blinks his eyes open properly, in time to see Steve's impressed expression.

"Really?"

"Well, Wayne helped," he added. "It's actually made from the same jacket I turned into my vest." 

"Oh, that's so cool!" Steve turns the bunny around to take a better look at the details. The tiny vest even has frayed edges and Dio stitched on the back. "You guys match."

Eddie snorts. 

"Yeah, we're both full of stitches," he points out dryly. 

Steve hums, pressing the toy closer to his face. It's something he's done before sleep, too, but last night Eddie wrote it off as a drunken mirage.

"And both pretty handsome fellas," he says, face half-hidden behind the bunny. He opens one eye, looking from under his eyelashes shyly, trying to gauge Eddie's reaction. 

Which, Eddie would love to know and understand as well.

"Oh, I don't know," he shrugs, reaching out to poke at Frankenbunny's face. "He doesn't have the signature Munson dimples." When in doubt, joke, as the Denial Decalogue says. 

Steve hums. 

"Yeah, I guess he can't hold a candle to the real thing. Not as talkative, for one."

Eddie can't help but stare, still leaning over his friend as he processes what he's heard. 

"You like my constant yapping?" he asks in surprise. Even his uncle seems tired of it, at times. Only his players appreciate his word flow, but that's with benefit to them.

"Of course." Steve focuses his attention back on the toy. "When you talk, I don't have to, I can just listen. And that's good because I tend to say some stupid shit," he says, almost absentmindedly. "This way, I'm not the dumb one in the room for once."

The casual innocence of his voice makes the meaning of his words miss Eddie completely until the air waves hit his other ear. 

"Oh, you little..."

As Steve's cheeky smirk grows, he pounces. 

Frankenbunny falls away, the hands holding him now focused on guarding all the ticklish spots. 

"Eddie!" Steve laughs, trying to grasp his wrists and squirm away. "We need to be quiet." 

"Should have though of it before being a brat!" Eddie grins at him, doubling his efforts and moving to pin him in place. 

Steve makes a distressed sound and writhes under him, bending hard enough it dislodges Eddie off of him but also, off the bed. He falls down with a surprised squeak.

"Sorry!" Steve barely suppresses his laugh when he looks down at him. "You alright?"

"No," Eddie groans, splayed on the floor. "I got back-stabbed."

"The dramatics are intact, you'll be fine," he rolls his eyes and steps over him. Eddie makes an even more wounded sound, but Steve ignores him, choosing to look for something comfy to wear instead. He throws a tshirt that doesn't smell of barbecue at Eddie's face, mistakenly assuming that's it—they are going to leave his bedroom and start on breakfast for the others. 

Wrong.

As soon as he has a pick of clothes in his hand, and is trying to get to the bathroom, Eddie grabs his ankle. He makes an undignified yelp and lands on the other boy. Which, serves him well. 

They roll on his carpet in an impromptu wrestling match, grinning at each other and muffling their laughs, trying to get the upper hand. 

Until Steve snaps his teeth at Eddie.

They freeze, two pairs of wide eyes staring at the other in silence. 

Steve moves first, backing away and almost falling over Eddie's knees. 

"Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," he explains quickly, scrambling to get off his friend. Eddie doesn't stop him, just stares openly at the mesmerizing specimen in front of him.

"That was so fucking hot."

"I don't know why I did—what?" Steve sits back on his haunches, eyes even wider as he stares at Eddie. At his wild hair splayed around his head, at his flushed face. The sliver of skin visible where his shirt has ridden up while they were roughhousing. 

"What?" he parrots, licking his lips nervously. 

"What did you just say?" Steve presses, voice turning desperate, pressing. But Eddie seals his mouth into a tight line. Lead by a hunch, he looks for his answer down the line of his body.

"Hey!" Eddie protests, sitting up and pulling his shirt down. But it was too late, the tent in his pants has been seen. "What the fuck, man?!" he hisses, his face red and eyes wide in panic. 

"Sorry, I—" Steve bites his lip. "But I snapped at you? That's weird, right?"

"Well, I'm apparently into weird, so..." Eddie trails off, looking away. Pointedly avoiding Steve's searching eyes. 

"You're into it?" he prods, but all Eddie can give him is a shrug. It's too fresh of a feeling to properly explain. Hell, he hasn't full came to terms with it himself yet. 

"Is it like a... a sex thing?" Steve tries again. 

"Maybe? Probably? I don't know!" Eddie snaps defensively, folding in on himself to hide his thankfully wilting erection. 

Steve's silence is terrifying, and when he looks up, he finds his eyes still studying him.

"Quit staring, man," he mumbles, squeezing his thighs together. "I'm sorry."

"Don't." Steve shakes his head. "It's fine, it happens. But just... don't move for a second."

"It happens," Eddie is muttering mockingly, when the rest of his friend's words register in his brain. "What?" But Steve is already too close, and he can't escape. Not that he wants to. "Steve," he says quietly, between a warning and a plea, when warm breath hits his neck.

Steve is sniffing him. At the crook of his neck, where undoubtedly his embarrassment has gathered in a pool of sweat.

He's terrified in a way that has nothing to do with fear. Worried what Steve might smell on him, when his surprisingly cold nose brushes his skin. 

Or maybe it's him running hot with whatever has just transpired. 

Eddie flinches at the touch and Steve moves away, his eyes big and warm with something he can't read. 

"You're fine," he says, and it sounds more like a relief of his own than reassurance for Eddie. "I'm into weird too."

Eddie looks at him quizzically, until he realizes it's not Steve's face holding his answers. He trails his gaze down, and immediately aims it back upward, over-correcting towards the heavens, where maybe he'll get some guidance.

"Shit," he croaks out from his closed up throat. Steve is way too close to him too, from his impromptu sniffing session. Eddie coughs to clear his airways. "Why did you smell me? Is it that bad?" he jokes, but has a feeling Steve won't take the out. Not with the curious way he's looking at him. 

"You smell like want," he answers with painful honesty. "Embarrassment."

Eddie blushes at that one. Well, yeah. Popping a boner in front of your, uh, something, will do that to a man.

"But also joy, affection," Steve continues. "And no fear."

"Why would I fear you? We were just playing around. It's not like you're gonna bite me," he focuses on the safest option. He's not unpacking his feelings for Steve first thing in the morning. Maybe after a coffee. 

It's Steve's turn to go beet red. 

"Sometimes I want to."

"What?" 

He shuffles back sheepishly. 

"Sometimes I see you and I really, really wanna bite you."

Eddie stares at him.

"In like, a werewolf way?" he asks dumbly, earning himself a flat look.

"I think we've established this is not how werewolves are made. I meant in, like, a playful way," he explains. "Like, I'm so excited and happy I can't hold it in anymore, way."

He wants to ask if it's a pack thing, but bites his tongue, not sure if anyone has even taught Steve pack rituals. The guy is going through pure instincts alone, and should be supported in it, so really, there's only one thing he can say.

"Well, why won't you?"

They stare at each other in stunned silence, until a clatter comes from downstairs.

"Steeeeve! The express is doing it again!"

Eddie deflates with a groan, falling back onto the carpet. What the fuck did he just say? He won't survive this crush. Steve will be no help, as he's now hovering over his body.

"We'll get back to this," he says quietly, in a promise or a warning, before clambering upright and out of the room, yelling at Robin.

"Do not press the fucking button!"

Tags: @noodle-shenaniganery @jaytriesstrangerthings @imaginary-maggie-waggie @samsoble @croatoan-like-its-hot @dragonmama76 @storyranger @scoops-aboy86 @ollyxar @estrellami-1 @stevesworldxx @ajeff855 @live-laugh-love-dietrich @thelittleclare @wheneverfeasible @bumblebeecuttlefishes @blasvemous @phantomcat94 @n33dlew0rk @manliest-of-muppets @ravenfrog @dreamercec @tartarusknight  @eyehartart @ellietheasexylibrarian @im-sam-fucking-winchester

[seldomscilence16]

The Dream Au Gift Part 4!

This one is a little shorter cause I got super busy but wanted to give ya'll something! Which also means I didnt edit it so sorry in advance! Check out 'The dream au' tag for awesome art, snippets, and other amazing writers takes! And check out @hey-hey-j the creator and fantastically talented mind behind it all and more!

...

Floyd has been unconscious since he found him. Tossing and turning and sick, but never awake. He’s wary of leaving his side, but he knows he needs to talk to his kids, and the island has been so worried… 

“Ngh-” He’s trembling, trying to push himself up, it's the first sign of anything, and Bruce is quick to pull him close, to support his weak frame. 

“Floyd, hey-” he fights in his hold, hand gripping Bruce's shirt far tighter than he should be able to in his condition, “It's okay!” 

“Whe-” gasping breaths from a too thin frame, “Where are they?” His other hand reaches for his own hair, faltering and panicked. 

Bruce carefully plucks the egg from his hair, placing it gently against Floyd's chest, 

“Here, they’re here, they’re safe.” Pulling him closer, trying to calm his own heart in some sense of reassurance, “You’re safe.”

Floyd cradles the egg, all his strength going into the action as he slumps against Bruce. His half lidded eyes are focused only on the precious cargo, but whether he’s actually taking anything in or not, the elder has no clue. When fuchsia pupils are hidden once again, when fever and unconsciousness dig their claws deep into the younger, and quiet raspy breaths once again fill the silence, Bruce lets a tear fall. Only one, before he takes a shuddering breath and situates his brother again, wiping at his face and returning to his position at his side. 

He couldn’t say how much time passes before his wife joins him. Her head laid so gently beside him as she kneels at the bedside. They speak in soft tones, and he takes strength in her supportive presence, and while the idea of leaving this room, leaving his side, had his stomach twisting and heart clenching, there is no one he trusts more than the woman before him. 

.

John hears arguing. 

An accented voice and another with a raspy quality to it. He thinks there's a few others in the background, but he’s more focused on the tones. His hair stands on end, nerves wound tight as he takes a stake from his hair, rarely does he run into other friendlies on the road, especially so close to a giant colony. He crouched low, ears flickering to pinpoint the louder voice-

He lunges.

.

Branch sees the figure around the same time Dickory does, but it does nothing to allow either of them to react in time. Barb flails backwards, Viva has Poppy pushed behind her, Hickory is still too surprised to do more than hold the stake wielding arm at a distance. Clay actually reacts first, gripping Branch’s shoulder as he breathes out another haunting name, before shouting it again with his arms up and out to draw attention,

“John!” 

His head whips around, faltering just barely as he takes the two in,

“Stop! He's with us!”

“He’s Floyd's Boyfriend!” Branch adds, a little too off put to say much else, anything to shock him enough to stop attacking. 

“He’s Floyd’s what now!?” 

“What is happening…?” Barb has been helped up by Poppy, staring at the frozen scene with a perplexed look, like she had been ready to fight and halted too soon, stuck in the lurch as it were. 

“The dead are coming back to life left and right is what's happening.” Branch mutters, heart calming just enough for some of that bitterness to return. 

“Let him go John, before you get yourself killed.” Clay warns reluctantly, motioning to the shorter yodeler that looks a moment away from throttling the visor wearer. 

John looks from one to the other, slowly lowering his weapon and releasing Hickory, he does a 180 as he turns to Clay and Branch, 

“I can’t believe you guys are alive!” He throws his arms out, grin wide, and maybe Branch can see some genuine relief in his eyes, but it's still over 20 years too late.

When silence follows his exclamation and neither brother moves forward to greet him, an awkwardness and tension war to fill the air and Poppy is never one to let it linger,

“Okay! Um… Hi, I’m Poppy. My newly found sister Viva, Queen Barb of Rock, Hickory and Dickory, and I guess you already know those two… Uh,” her eyes flash around their group and surroundings for only a moment, “It's getting dark, why don't we make camp, and figure out our next move.” 

Everyone warily dispersed to do just that, Branch ignoring John's dejected look, as Poppy appears at his side with a worried tilt to her brow. He releases a quiet sigh, but takes her offered hand as they go to collect firewood. 

.

Viva had not expected her day to turn out like this. To meet other Trolls, to reunite with her sister- who wasn't dead!- to agree to leave the putt putt course and join her on this journey… 

She was kinda freaking out. 

The jump scare just now didn’t help, and the tension between so many members was making her nervous, only added to with their newest addition. There were so many questions, but just like herself, no one looked ready to talk about it just yet. 

Their newest member stood where he had been left, Dickory eyeing him where he was setting up their sleeping spaces. John looked lost, and sad. A million emotions in his eyes, one's she didn't know, and ones she did. For all of Dickory's suspicion, she had no doubts that he too recognized some. 

And with their current group… It likely wouldn’t be addressed quickly. 

She makes eye contact with the shorter Yodeler as she shuffles closer to John Dory, figuring for once that her speed wouldn’t be appreciated here. To his credit, John's ear twitches at her approach, obviously still aware. His face changes as he straightens up, turning to look at her with only a little strain to his smile, 

“Princess Viva, good to see you alive, or would it be Queen now?” His brow furrows at the thought, the passage of time a tricky thing to deal with. 

“Mm, Clay and I are Co leaders of the Putt Putt Trolls.” Viva offers with a shrug and a so-so gesture. 

John blinks a few times, and Viva can see his brain turning all the new info around, before he nods, eyes going to where his two brothers had gone- in different directions. She thinks she might see something click, and she's reminded of the Band she loved so much, and how different they all are now. 

How real they are. 

“What brings you out here?” She finally asks, breaking the tense silence. 

“Found some food!” 

Their eyes snap back to the designated camping area, where a fire has been started already and tents set up, a pot hanging over the flames. 

“We should help out.” 

Viva’s lips purse as John walks away, avoiding her question as his shoulders sag with whatever heavy weight he’s carrying. 

Dickory sits beside him as they eat, a silence hanging over them all as even Viva and Poppy fail to lighten the mood. Eventually, John wanders to the border of their little clearing, sitting against a tree, only then do conversations slowly pick up. 

It bugs her.

But she's not sure why.  

…

“There you are! Are you alright?” 

Hickory can’t draw his eyes away from the letter, reading over it once more, each swirly slightly crooked letter. 

“It's not his handwriting.” Admitting it out loud feels like a window shutting on his shoulders. 

“You think the brother’s telling the truth?” Dickory sits beside him, he can feel the worried eyes scanning his profile as a tear escapes his careful facade. 

“What other choice do I have?” His voice goes hoarse, the letter crinkling in his fists, he has to force his grip to lessen as not to tear the evidence. His brother is silent for a long moment,

“I'm sorry…” Rarely does Dickory’s voice sound like this, “I shouldn't have asked you to come with me.” The guilt… 

“It's not your fault.” Hickory has to swallow the lump in his throat, for all his anger and fear, he never means to hurt his brother.

“But if I hadn’t-”

“Stop it.” He finally turns to him fully, firm as he looks him in the eyes, “I’m the one who left. If it's anyone's fault-” his shoulders slump-

“Now you stop it.” Dickory’s hand is solid and warm on his shoulder.

And despite the despair and guilt, an understanding passes between them. 

They’d have each others backs, like they always did. 

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[emphasisonthehomo]

OOh, i like streamer au!

First question: how did Tommy begin to stream?

Second question: does tommy recognised Buck from the chat? Maybe he has an inkling given by an unique turn of phrase or a weird word he is the only one to use.

third question: how does Buck recognising him change their first meeting and their date?

Fourth question: which is your favourite part? What didnt make the cut but was an interesting concept?

Obviously, i love your writing, i'm always giddy when you post anew snippet and i don't even watch 911!

Omg thank you so much!!!

Twitch Streamer Tommy

ONE:

I think it started out as a joke tbh. Like one of his friends was visiting and saw Tommy's truly ridiculous set up for it, and was like "Dude you should stream this" and Tommy thought "Eh, fuck it" and did. And it picked up fast and does surprisingly well, so he just keeps doing it.

It's big enough that it's a little extra income, but not so huge that he's a Big Name re: gaming streamers or anything. He's got some friends in Europe or something that help him mod the chat. People keep telling him to make t shirts, but that sounds like too much work and he's already fucking busy, so he doesn't.

He does at one point get a 'remove before flight' t shirt at an air show, and wears it on a stream one time and takes it off before takeoff, and people go fucking nuts.

TWO:

I think Tommy would recognize Buck's handle as someone who is frequently in chat and is pretty active, but I don't know if he'd make the connection about the handle name actually being Evan, without Buck saying something. Tommy does interact with the chat a lot, but he is also actively flying while he streams. It's a lot of glancing over, seeing a question, and answering it. In Tommy's mind the chat is kind of it's own entity, instead of a bunch of individual people.

THREE:

Buck hasn't really conceptualized that what he has on Tommy is a crush. He just thinks Tommy's cool. And then he's suddenly being flown into a hurricane by the man, and it turns out Tommy actually flying is somehow hotter more interesting than Tommy playing a video game. Because this is real. This is actually life or death, and Tommy's a fucking excellent pilot and Buck is. He's just flustered. About it.

Buck's trying to find a delicate way to be like "ARE YOU REMOVEB4FLIGHT?" even though they're on the tail end of the cruise debacle, but Eddie beats him to it. Eddie just asks Tommy point blank "Do you play video games online? I think my son watches your show" and then Tommy gets flustered. Obviously pleased and surprised, because he's never been ~recognized IRL~ and the first time he has, it's by a peer because his kid watches. There's something really exciting about that.

I think it's Christopher that tells Tommy that Buck also watches the streams and how it's a Thing They Do Together. (Chris, of course, gets to learn how to play flight simulator on Tommy's ridiculous setup) And Tommy's like "huh" because Evan didn't say anything. Buck is stewing in jealousy because how come Eddie gets to hang out with the cool firefighter pilot and Chris, instead of him? Eddie doesn't even care about the streams >:(

I don't think Buck asks for a tour, he hears about the Vegas trip after the fact and is just green with envy. But I do think the basketball game still happens, and Tommy comes to Buck's apartment to clear the air. Because Tommy now knows that Buck is vaguely a fan, and Buck knows that Tommy knows, I don't think there'd be a smooch.

The added aspect of Entertainer and Fan would make it kind of weird, they're not necessarily on a level playing field (yet). Buck isn't starstruck per se, but he's also not just another firefighter Tommy met on a job. Tommy sticks to assuming that yes, Buck is jealous, but that it's a combination of Eddie being his bestie and Tommy having minor amounts of internet fame.

BUT THEN they do start hanging out, both with and without Eddie and/or Chris, and become friends. And Tommy starts to look at Evan and go "...is he?" and Buck is oblivious because he's hanging out with Tommy and Tommy's so cool and yeah he's got a good ass but it's not like Buck is staring at it a lot (he is) and Eddie is looking at the two of them dance around each other and going "HUH. INTERESTING."

FOUR:

I think it's just a fun concept in general, and I do love it when there's more of a slow burn when characters get together. Friends to lovers is *chef's kiss* and all that jazz.

I did think about including snippets of Tommy interacting w/ the chat, but ultimately scrapped those because it seemed like too much extra stuff. But I think at least once a stream, something like this happens:

Chat 1: so is there a Mrs. B4FLIGHT?

Tommy: *snorts and starts laughing*

Mod 1: no

Tommy: "I'm not interested in women."

Mod 2: dumb comments will result in getting blocked

Chat 2: you don't look gay

Mod 1: BLOCKED

Mod 2: BLOCKED

[dread-red-queen]

🚫Do Not Re-Upload/Edit My Shots/Art Without My Permission🚫

[Bluesky][Patreon][Instagram][Tumblr][AO3][Nexus][Ko-Fi[Discord]

Chapter 11 of En Garde is up on Ao3

Summary:

With the Foil competition just a day away, preparations were in full swing. The Diamond had been transformed, setting the stage for an opening ceremony that promised to be a grand spectacle. But beneath the excitement, there was apprehension, the Venatori were notorious for disrupting such grand events, their protests usually ending in violence, and in response, security measures were at their highest level. Amidst the chaos and stress of organizing such an event, Viago gives Lucanis the talk. And in the end, the Demon of Vyrantium and the White Rose finally put a name to what they were.

READ CHAPTER 11 HERE

Snippet:

"I was thinking perhaps you might like to have a meal in the sit in restaurant tonight." She smiles softly "Are you asking me on a date." He nods stepping closer "It's been a while." He purrs leaning down to kiss her.

She sighs sliding her hands up his chest as he tilts his head and deepens the kiss, he pulls back before they get carried away and looks at her. "The restaurant is formal dress only." She nods. "I have something I can wear." He glances around the room spotting a deep purple silk dress hanging in the wardrobe and smiles to himself wondering what she might look like in it. "I have a few more errands to run first, I shall book us a table." She smiles and leans up on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek.

He holds her in his arms reluctant to let her go, making her grin. "You won't finish those errands if you stay here." She teases and he pulls her closer. "I shall see you tonight." He kisses her deeply and then pulls away stepping back, he chuckles when she opens her eyes. "See you tonight." She smiles as he leaves her room.

She stares at the dress in the wardrobe and swallows thickly, was she brave enough to wear it, to have her scars on display, would seeing them put him off? It was something she feared whenever she had started a new relationship, as few as there had been before Lucanis, one had ghosted her once they had seen them.

She sat on the bed and shivered at the memories, the accident she barely remembered, only fragments but she remembered the looks she had got during her recovery, the pity in everyone's eyes as if she was more disfigured than she actually was, the scars were not even that bad, time and the fact she was so pale hid most of them, her back wasn't so bad, her hip and lower abdomen looked the worse but nowhere near as bad as when it had healed initially, the skin was raised and curled around her hip but it had faded alot.

She shook her head, Lucanis didnt strike her as shallow, he seemed to value connection before anything else, it had taken him time to even kiss her, Which was fine with her she wasn't interested in a fling, she wanted connection and she felt that with him, perhaps since the moment they met, there had just been something about him.

She would wear the dress, let him see that part of her and see what happened, she had a feeling he would surprise her, he always did. As soon as she thought she had him figured out he would do something unexpected.

READ FROM THE START HERE

[foodsies4me]

Just read the new dragon!alec fic and I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS!!!

Also Askel in AWG2!??!! An Askel pov?!!!!!! OMG I'm gonna die from this excitement 😍😍😍😍

For the WIP game, social media AU please? It sounds so intriguing!!!

I'm so glad you're liking it already! That fic is so much fun to write, I don't know why Izzy and Jace decided to be such gremlins in it, but it a lot of fun nontheless.

Yes! Askel appears in AWG! It is @kalalab's fault, so all complaints must be directed at her. 😂

Alright, so the social media AU, aka the Chairman Meow Instagram AU is a celebrity!Magnus and writer!Alec fic, starring the ever wonderfur Chairman Meow, who has his own Instagram account as is right and proper. The fic is kicking my butt something terrible (writing a mundane Magnus is not my forte) but it is a lot of fun. I also have been stealing a lot of people's usernames to use as fake Instagram URLs just because I can.

"Quit disparaging me to your cat," Ragnor deadpans on the other side of the line. "And while you're at it, quit googling your name and pick up your phone."

"You'll find that I did pick up my phone, my dear cabbage," Magnus counters, lifting his hand to inspect his nails again.

He should probably switch out his silver rings for gold ones. To match the flowers.

"Besides, how else am I supposed to learn of my third upcoming nuptials? Although a spring and winter wedding in the same year might be excessive even by my standards. Perhaps we should postpone the second one to next year."

"Finished?"

"Not at all," Magnus grins, stretching out the last vowel. "I still have to tell you Camille and I are expecting!"

"Congratulations," Ragnor deadpans. "Now if you're done with your theatrics, can we discuss what I called you for?"

and an extra snippet of the Chairman Instagram antics:

@chairman.meow.bane Tuna, o' tuna! Wherefore art thou tuna? Not in the cupboard.😔

@just-add-butter nooo, someone come help the poor baby find his tuna! 😭💜

@kalalab I have some tuna for you Chairman!

@abyssal-hellcat dammit I was already wanting to eat fish.

@pocketofffeels Magnus get Chairman his tuna!#JusticeForChairman😤😤😤

@goldendreamgirl don't worry Chairman we'll get you your tuna! 😤#ChairmanDefenseSquad #JusticeForChairman #TunaForChairman

@foodsies yes #JusticeForChairman #TunaForChairman

@lillytalons #JusticeForChairman #TunaForChairman

@kalalab #JusticeForChairman #TunaForChairman

@dragonpix is that a Chairman Meow towel?

@colorful-warlock where???

@dragonpix on the sink

@colorful-warlock OMG IT IS. MAGNUS BANE THE GENIUS THAT YOU ARE

@lillytalons do you think we could get it as merch?

@pix-or-it-didnt-happen isn't tuna bad for cats?

@foodsies pretty sure that's sardines? And even then it's okay it it's unseasoned I think?

@banecourt4life soooo am I the only one to notice that cupboard looks a lot like the one from Camille's new apartment? 😁🤞

@pocketofffeels 👀👀👀

@abyssal-hellcat why because it's brown and has a handle?

@banecourtisreal can we not do this? I mean I really love Banecourt and hope they get back together but Camille already said how the media attention was the reason they broke up. If they're really dating again (which I'm pretty sure they are or at least I hope because they're the cutest couple ever and you could see how much they loved each other and ajflkqjdfkq but I digress) we should leave them their privacy until they want to go public again.

If anyone else wants to play

[fictionfixations]

Thoughts on Madoka Magica Magia Exedra

bear with me ive only seen the main anime though my memory is very rusty and like just yesterday I started getting into magia record (anime, idk how accurate it is) but im only like... halfway-ish there??

tbh i didnt think turn based games were for me because idk man strategy??? im too dumb for that

and then i got like REALLY into hsr 💀

i saw like snippets of this game being played during early access by someone who was into magia record and they said there wasnt really any point to playing when at the moment it was just redoing old story and i get that but also part of it for me is just i like watching characters battle

its why i played like the jjk gacha game and the solo leveling game i already knew the story i was just there for the combat, though i can also understand on the other hand repeating stuff youve already seen before getting very boring

'A-Q' huh? like Q-B if i think on how Kyubey (i think im butchering the pselling) is pronounced

i was wondering why he (?? is it a he?? or like an it?) was green

i feel like i suddenly just remembered this show has horror elements like not that ive seen anything rn im just like gonna be hella on edge over stuff thats prob not a big deal i just should not be playing this so late LMFAO

wish there was a log feature that let you reread dialogue because i read fast so i tap fast but then sometimes i want to reread it cause i miss something (i know this means i should slow down but patience? haha whats that)

this game has way too many moments where the screen turns white my eyes hate me

i find it stating what characters roles are nice

also im surprised at how unlaggy its been on my end though im worried itll only get worse as it updates more and more

i think im gonna skip the story (except for stuff ive never seen before)

HEYY ITS THE MAGIA RECORD PPL AYOOOO

MORE

my one thing is is that in battle its so pixelated (so as not to be such a drain on my phone) that i actually am struggling to read whats on the side of the character icons

so game plan on who i want on my team (usually based on whose my favorite even if the team doesnt fully work with each other)

uhh idk i like sana and homura? i might be misremembering names or something

can music during exploration not be so ominous 😭😭😭

OH YOU CAN PAUSE THE CUTSCENES thank you for making screnshots easier

madoka pov

oh i forgot to take a screenshot i was waiting if her hands would go up again but no

cause so madoka had her hands up and it appeared on the sides of the screen like we were seeing what madoka was seeing and i thought it was cool its just not as clear in a screenshot without

you can only pause cutscenes in the story it seems

oh my god i was so scared it was gonna suddenly crash one md uring the pulling it froze for one terrifying second

yipee fan girl

how pretty

you can choose now whether to play the story you unlock or to not

i like that if you defeat the boss the battle ends even if there are remaining enemies

theres no beating the boss then getting absolutely annihilated by the remaining enemies and having to redo the entire thing (listen yknow in hsr that enemy that duplicates itself if you hit it i hate it so much 😭😭)

IT CRASHED i.... 💀💀💀💀💀my phones hot but its not burning hot so thats new (usually when stuff crashes on me its like hella hot)

oh it started me back where i left off

it crashed while it was entering a boss fight btw lmfao

ult animations are cool i swear i want like a compilation of everyone's

OH DAMN THAT DID A LOT OF DAMAGE it just took off 1/4 of the boss hp all in one go wtf DAMNNNN

i mean i think it was because i was also using a lot of everyones ults right before like buffs and debuffs and stuff but like SHEESH

im like so tense every time that mami death scene boutta happen anytime now dude

the zoom when new floors unlock is so awkward 😭

i think im gonna stop here and continue playing over time (i was gonna say like play it offline but like ???? im not streaming LMFAO i think i just picked up the terminology)

i wanted to end when she died (or completed the picture) but im sleepy

[storyteller-trollfan]

Hi! If you open to sharing, I'm writing a few fanfics and trying to get some good backstories down for the brothers! I think I have everyone where I'd like excpet for Floyd... I didnt want to do the 'successful career, I lied to a 3 year old and left forever without a thought ha.' But its hard to find a balance. Do you have any favorite headcannons and/or personal ones for Floyd? Ones you want to see more of?

Thanks in advance, and have a lovely day!!

Hi! I do have some ideas for him

I like to think he either was successful for a while (long enough to give him hope) or he had a one hit wonder. Think about it this way...

A new name with a new sound to his music starting to make it outside in the world with tones and rhythms that they haven't heard before/in a long time. But he can't quite get it completely.

The steps that form his stair to fame can't be built quick enough for him to stay relevant.

And with either of these two there are a couple justifications you can use for him not going back home.

If you want it to be angsty but sympathetic you could say that he was desperately trying to be successful so he could secure a home to bring Branch and his Grandma to and enough money to raise Branch and let his grandma enjoy her golden years. But he can barely get enough for himself. How could he bring them here without being sure he'll be able to provide for them? (And maybe he's too ashamed to go back now)

Or if you want him to be a little less sympathetic you can say he got hyperfixated on recovering his initial fame. He got a taste and he wants it back, throwing multiple albums out hoping they stick, hoping the next one will be the one to solidify him as a celebrity. He's desperate to be more than "The sensible one", to prove that he's more than a cute guy with a cute voice. And in all of this, he forgot. (But he didn't, not really, but it's not like he can take the time to go. He gotta keep himself in the limelight or whatever fame he has will be gone. He'll visit when he can afford to take a break)

We've seen real celebrities get too caught up with fame, often forgetting what brought them into that world or what their initial goal was for their career, they get lost on it all.

And sometimes, failure is too shameful to confront, to accept, and so we give ourselves excuses not to.

And if you want to make Floyd go back but then leave believing they're death, well...

These are the ones I think about the most, I hope they help you get an idea of what direction you want to go with, whether you go with option 1, 2, snippets or combinations of them or none of them.

Have a lovely day too 💜

Edit: typo

[quodekash]

QUICK, GUYNAWA ARE HAVING A TENDER MOMENT, I NEED TO KEEP GOING

I love their flirting love language <3

the way he looks at him

THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HIM

yes, im crying because of them

oh that is so infuriating

they were facing the wrong way

I love these idiots so much but maybe if they'd seen the shooting star, they couldve had a magical moment and then kissed or something, idk

but no, they're such idiots that they didnt think to look in the other direction

I love them, but its infuriating sometimes

OKAY BUT GIVE US THE WHOLE STORY

THERES SO MANY GAPS

literally all we know about this so far:

1. evil boss guy wanted name to do one last thing for him before he could quit (presumably to rob the house)

2. name asked saifah for some help with some things he had to do

3. according to that one news report, a robbery probably happened?

4. saifah shot kong

5. name had "no idea saifah would do something like that"

so much is missing. what's the whole story here? I still believe that saifah is innocent. he might've accidentally shot him or something, I dont know

yeah, okay

but name is involved in the plot somehow

answer my questions bitch

okay, I love you saifah, but telling him to forget about you is really freaking selfish

it may seem self-sacrificing, like "he'll be happier without me on his plate" but it's not. it's downright selfish.

there are things at play here that you're not thinking about, and other things you're not aware of

such as, you dont know that sailom is now kind of hopeless. because of what you supposedly did, kang now hates sailom, so sailom can't tutor him, so sailom can't get the money to pay off yours and his debts.

as for the things you're not thinking off?

you forget, your parents are both dead. you are his only family left. he is your only family left. he wants to understand the situation so that he can get help for you to get out, so that he isn't utterly alone, and so that you can get out of the terrible environment that is jail. he can't just forget about you, because you are all he has.

and this is both not thinking of and not aware of, sailom doesn't like to accept help from people for free. he doesnt have kang's financial support anymore. and his friends are offering help, but he has no way to pay them back for that help, so he wont accept it. but he wants you back, deemed innocent, so that he can get his boyfriend back, his job back, his happiness back. he can't just forget about you. he needs you.

now anSWER MY QUESTIONS BITCH, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

HE CAN'T, THAT'S THE THING, THAT'S THE PROBLEM

IM GONNA REITERATE WHAT I SAID IN EPISODE FOUR: THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING A SEX WORKER, AN ESCORT, ANYTHING IN THAT LINE OF WORK

THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE FACT THAT SAILOM IS STILL A CHILD IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND THAT'S A FULL-ASS GROWN MAN ABOVE THE AGE OF 40

IT MAKES ME FEEL GROSS AND UNCOMFORTABLE

THAT IS ALL, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK

AND ONCE AGAIN, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH SEX WORK, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH A 40+ YEAR OLD MAN HOLDING A DRUGGED UNCONSCIOUS BOY AND SMILING LIKE THAT

thank goodness for that

CRAP THIS IS BAD AH FRICK

IM NOT TAKING SCREENSHOTS OF THIS PART I REFUSE

OH CRAP KANG PLS ARRIVE AND PUNCH HIM

AAAAA FRICK FRICK FRICK PUNCH HIM PUNCH HIM PUNCH HIM

OHTHANKGOODNESS THANK YOU KANG

I had to go through that entire scene without saying anything but man the line "to me you're nothing but money" really hit hard

I sat there for like 2 whole minutes not wanting to press play after that line because it was just validating all of kang's worst fears about how sailom values him

I am not even remotely okay

I hate the writers so much for this

on the bright side, they didnt do a soundwin and give us absolutely zero guynawa in episode 10 so I appreciate that

but uh. now im sad.

THE FREAKING FLASHBACKS THIS EPISODE HAVE BEEN THE WORST THEYVE EVER BEEN

THEY WERE MEANINGFUL FLASHBACKS

SHORT SNIPPETS OF THEIR PROGRESSION AND THE THINGS THEYVE GONE THROUGH

okay well that was. truly something.

this episode took me nearly 4 hours to watch which is a new personal record and im not sure if I should be proud of that or if I should start crying about how exhausted im going to be tomorrow

Im excited for next week and for this mess to be cleared up at least a little bit, but im also not excited for next week because itll be the second last episode and im not ready for this series to be over yet

anyway, have a good week folks. uh. yeah. keep calm and love guynawa way too much

[perfectlovevn]

hi boss! absolutely loved Perfect Love and you did such an amazing job with the entire game's execution! i loved how you were able to so clearly portray eris as f-ked up and the main instigator for everything, pulling the strings behind the scenes instead of the usual "i didnt do anything wrong" or "im just trying to survive" type of MC (which isnt bad at all, but im so happy with the freshness and utter depravity eris brings) i love your art and the intentionally messy style that highlights the disorganisation and chaos in both eris' and milo's mind, the recurring motifs of eyes, red, blue, god i can go on and on. really your vn is so well crafted with how intentional every creative decision taken seems, im going crazy with the amount of love, time and effort you put into perfect love.

ive read every single name easter egg you put and the references to other yandere vns/media (jd <3) AND went on to give us more with adding little quips later in the game depending on the nickname eris gives milo. i was literally going crazy with how i couldnt decode the 2nd type of cipher you scattered throughout the code until 2 days later when i was ready to give up and ask you hahaha

from there, if it isnt too spoilerish, is there reason you used the nihilist cipher that removed the letter J instead of the usual Z ? and ! i loved the snippets with the friendship gang, tysm for leaving in your writing process and brainstorming products in the game files i had so much fun <3 im so sorry for the rant and thank you so much for the game! 1000% looking forward to your next one if youre working on something!

Hello! Thank you for your kind words!

Yeah, one of the main reasons I made Eris like that because because of how much I really wanted to see more evil MC in visual novels (or just yandere media in general). While there isn't anything wrong with having a yandere who is just there to survive, there is something very fun about being the one who causes the yandere to become worse than he initially was.

I'm glad that you found such meaning in the art style! Honestly the biggest reason I drew it like that was because I was trying to get it done for the 2023 yanjam and I didn't want to overwhelm myself so I just made mostly everything black and white. That and it's supposed to symbolize more of the darker aspects of the game. Did you know all my assets were drawn with one brush?

Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the details because I really did try to put as much as I could in there. Since I think it would be fun for people to see the neat details people put in the game (I know I sure do when I play visual novels), I tried to make everything very catered to what was going on in the story. It did take some extra work, but I think it's good for the game and my general learning experience. I'm also glad you enjoyed the easter eggs I put in for names and nicknames. I was very sleep deprived when I did it and I kept adding them in because I don't have good attention span (or at least, that's part of the reason).

For the cyphers inside of the code, I put a hint at the very top relating to each of the code. Each of the four types is represented of the three Milos with the one in English being from Eris. The Nhilist cypher is specifically for Manipulation and the key is in the second line based off of the capitalized letters.

Yeah! I'm glad you liked it. I'm still in the middle of writing the other ones (I'm working on the one with Poison in it, which recounts what Eris did to get Poison to fight Violent in his route). I always like leaving my drafts in there because I always find it fun to see people's thought progress in code and games.

No, no, I love your rant on it! I think it's really fun seeing what other people like, dislike and thought about the game in general! My next game will be a lot more light hearted, but still have a yandere character in it.

[teitpp]

Ooh what's the Upheaval Agathario fic about? 👀

It's set 3 years after the canon and it's gonna follow up the 4 canon divergence fics I wrote!

Evanora Harkness & Wanda Maximoff teaming up to get their erant children back. Although what Wanda will find out too late is that Evanora is not looking to make Agathas life better. Just as she will realize too late that taking her sons back is a lot more complicated than just erasing the years they spent without her. 😈

Here is a snippet from the rough draft. Still needs polishing

Wanda eyed the ancient looking witch warily. She had a vague sense that she should recognize her, by her sharp blue eyes. But the witch's face had been twisted by time or perhaps by whatever magic allowed her to live to such a shockingly advanced age. Her bones stood out prominently on her wisened face and her gnarled fingers curled around a sleek black and silver cane.

"Miss Maximoff," the mysterious witch lowered herself shakily into a chair as Wanda crossed her arms.

"How do you know my name?" Wanda asked. and she looked around the shack she'd been pulled to. "Where am I?"

"I summoned you, because I think we can help eachother." the elderly witch straightened in her chair. Looking more formidable than her frailty had made Wanda assume. "A favor, for a dying mother."

Wanda furrowed her brows. "You're dying?"

"I have a year left before the magic that made this body runs out," The witch said. "And I must achieve my goal before that happens."

Wanda relaxed a little. She had nothing to fear from such a frail old woman. "I will help you of course however i can." She said. "But I cannot stay here long. I'm--"

"You're looking for your sons." The witch said. "Billy and Tommy, isn't it? Their bodies were destroyed when your hex collapsed six years ago. But their souls were cast adrift. You can feel them in the multiverse but they are hidden from you."

Wanda gaped at her. "I. Yes-" and then her thoughts darkened. She curled her hands into fists. "But how do you know that?"

"Because your son brought me back to the living plane accidentally. First as a ghost. and then my coven were able to bring me into this body."

"Billy!"

"Youve been searching for both of their energy across all the realms. In actuality, they never left this one. They were tied to new bodies here, by my daughter, and unfortunately since then, they have been under her control."

"Your daughter?" Wanda suddenly put together who this witch reminded her of. Power surged into her hands. "You're Evanora Harkness!"

Evanora's eyes widened and darkened at the display of scarlet power. She used her cane to push herself to her feet and held out her hand. "I am here. to fix my mistakes before I go. to break my daughter free of the dark magic that corrupts her. But i do not have enough magic to perform a spell that would get through the dark magic that shrouds her location… you do." She smiled at Wanda. "If you help me save my daughter. I can reunite you with your sons."

Wanda eyed the offered hand with unease. "Why should I trust you"

"As a mother yourself, how can you not?" Evanora sighed and looked down, her face twisting in regret. "I failed Agatha as a mother. I was so focused on protecting our coven from the witch trials that I did not see until too late that she had fallen down a dark path. When I tried to set her straight I misjudged hoe far she'd fallen. She told towns folk about our coven to get back at me. She stole magic she had no right to. When she discovered that siphon ability oh, it went to her head. if i had known about it i would have helped her get it under control. She was just so fixated on being powerful. it was her weakness. and i didnt see it until too late. by the end i couldnt deny my coven - they needed protection from her. and then she used dark magic to enhance her power. she drained all of them at once. kept their children alive and cursed them to a dark magic existence. Tormented them. I was so ashamed. I was able to help those young girls at last. they were the ones who helped me come back to a body. now all i want is to use this last chance to get my daughter back. to get her on the right path… if you help me capture her, I will help you get back your sons. They've been with her all this time. Corrupted by her influence. But you can get them back. restore them to the age they should be. You can raise them the way you should have gotten the chance to."

Wanda wiped the tears from her eyes. "They'd never accept me after all this time"

"They will if you give them back the childhood stolen from them. I will help you. I know a spell that will reset their minds to the day the Hex fell. You can erase Agatha's influence from their minds. Erase the pain theyve suffered since you had to leave. You didnt have a coven before. No one with knowledge of the craft to advise you. Let me help you. Your sons will learn what you did for them one day and they will thank you for saving them from dark magic. For giving them a fresh start with their mother."

Wanda smiled.

"All I ask," Evanora said. "Is that you give me the chance to do the same for Agatha. Reset her mind to the end of the hex. The day she lost the darkhold and her magic. She has gotten back into dark magic since then. That time she had lost it will be the best opportunity for me to truly bring her back to the right path."

"I can do better" Wanda said. "I learned a lot the past few years. I can even remove her siphoning ability. That way she can never hurt anyone again."

Evanora's face twisted into a grin. "The whole of witchkind will be in your debt."

Wanda took her offered hand, threads of gray magic curled around her hand and wrist.

"We will make a pact" Evanora said. "To support one another. Do you swear to it? to form a coven with me. To get our children back. To always help the other. To share of our magic and our knowledge."

Scarlet threads twined around Evanora's hand and wrist, entertwining with her gray magic.

"I swear to it" Wanda said, exhilerated as the magic that connected them flared and faded, leaving an intricate silver pattern along her forearm.

Evanora hummed in satisfaction, studying the scarlet pattern along her own arm. "You will have everything you have wanted these past six years," She said. "And I will have what I have wanted since the day Agatha was born."

[writing-through-the-snow]

Diodeshipping pet shelter au final snippet

Since Clemont is forced to fulfill volunteer hours in order to graduate he is forced to spend a portion of his time after school every day volunteering at some lab named Professor Oak’s Ranch against his will. Along the way he becomes friends with Ash, the recent transfer student who got into Lumiose Prep on a track scholarship. Who also turns out to have the hobby of training animals to compete in obedience and agility competitions, and is trying his hardest to befriend the grumpiest, most destructive cat Clemont has ever seen, named Pikachu. This leads to Clemont gaining a group of friends, a new hobby, and maybe even a crush. 

____

It took a week of after school studying, either going straight to Clemont's house and studying until an hour or two before Clemont's father comes home. Or on the days Clemont has to go to the shelter to work, after his shift is over heading straight to Ash's house where they'll study until it's nearly time for dinner at Clemont's house, and Ash will walk Clemont home. 

Surprisingly, after the first day at the shelter there were only a couple questions about where Ash was. Apparently Brock, Tracey, and Misty, a friend from another shelter that used to work at this branch, thought Ash was dead if he didnt show up.

Which, well, fair. That would be Clemont's thought if Ash just suddenly stopped showing up to the shelter, but after Clemont explained Brock just rolled his eyes. 

“We always told him he should get his grades up, otherwise he'd be grounded from the shelter sooner or later.” Brock shakes his head with an eye roll. 

Clemont had explained that as long as Ash does well on the chemistry test on friday, he should be back to the shelter on monday. 

The shelter days were mostly fine, though a little more chaotic now that Ash isn't there to keep the animals in line. Clemont didn't realize half of the things Ash does to keep the shelter running, how has Ash not dropped from exhaustion by now? And Pikachu has been an absolute menace, in a perpetual bad mood when Ash isn't the one to step through the doors of the shelter. 

Pikachu has made more attempts to escape that week than any other week since Clemont has joined the shelter. There's been a few close calls with animal control nearly getting to Pikachu before they did, and Clemont may or may not have had to shove Pikachu into his backpack as he anxiously talked with the animal control people, Jessie and James, as they pestered him about where Pikachu was. 

Thankfully, Pikachu wasn't picked up by Rocket Animal Control. Ash was already stressed out of his mind about getting his chemistry grade up and not being able to go to the shelter to help. If he found out how close Pikachu has gotten to being picked up by animal control and shipped off to another shelter where he wouldn't be able to find Pikachu, he might have broken his grounding to race over to the shelter, more punishment be damned. 

But despite the slightly more stressful week, Ash was a bundle of nerves come Monday, as it was the day their test grades come back. If Ash gets at least an 85 his grade will be bumped up enough he can head back to the shelter on Tuesday, any lower and he's going to have to wait at least another two weeks for another chance. 

Clemont, to be honest, was just as anxious as Ash. He knew his grade was fine, chemistry isn't his favorite subject, but it's not as bad as foreign languages. But he definitely wanted to see Ash do his best and get to go back to the shelter. 

So he waits with bated breath, sneaking glances at Ash from across the room. Clemont got a 95, like he expected. But he watches as Ash's knee starts bouncing much faster as the teacher slowly makes his way to his side of the room. 

Clemont offers Ash a little reassuring smile when they lock eyes, Ash gives a shaky smile back, before the teacher gets to Ash and he straightens up. The teacher places his test on his desk and immediately Ash snatches it up, looking at the score. The teacher moves on and Clemont watches Ash's reaction, holding his breath. 

Ash's shoulders slump as he looks at Clemont sadly. Clemont;s own shoulders droop, Ash didn't make the cut. But thats okay, they can study extra hard for the next two weeks, maybe Clemont can make his lessons a little more visual, maybe make models- 

Clemonts thought process is cut off as Ash suddenly bursts into a grin, turning the test so Clemont can see the 89/100 marked in red ink on the corner of his paper. 

“What!?” Clemont squeaks, freezing as it comes out louder than he meant to and he directs eyes to him. He shrinks down a bit in his seat, bright red at the accidental shout, until he feels the eyes leave him, and he looks back at Ash. 

Ash is looking at him with incredibly bright eyes, a triumphant smile on his face. Clemont beams back at Ash, proud of him. Clemont doesn't get much done that class, frequently glancing over at Ash to look at that proud smile again and again. 

Oftentimes accidentally making eye contact with Ash, who looks like he's about to burst if the bell doesn't ring soon. 

When the bell eventually does ring, Ash actually jumps over his desk to get to Serena and Clemont's desk quicker. Earning Ash quite a harsh glare from their teacher but he pays it no mind. 

“I did it! I got an 89!” Ash grins victorious, showing Clemont and Serena his test. Which did say 89/100. 

“That's great!” Serena immediately says, standing to give Ash a hug immediately, her cheeks a little pink at the action. 

Ash is bouncing on his toes excitedly, making the hug Serena gave a little tough. Clemont thinks Ash's cheeks might split from how wide he's smiling. Though Clemont is sure he doesn't look much better. 

“We should do something to celebrate!” Serena suggests, “how about ice cream?” 

Clemont stands packing his bag to start walking to his next class as Ash enthusiastically agrees. 

“Clemont, you're gonna come too, right?” Ash asks, looking at Clemont with puppy dog eyes. 

“Well…” Clemont does want to, but he should probably be home in time for Bonnie to come home to make her a snack, even though his dad should be home in time to do it. 

And, Clemont glances over at Serena, who was smiling politely. Serena probably wants this to be a date. And Clemont doesn't want to intrude on that. 

But… how could Clemont say no to Ash's face, who was looking at him eagerly. 

“I don't know…” Clemont says, trying his hardest to turn it down, but when Ash frowns and tilts his head his resolve crumples completely. 

“I couldn't celebrate without you though…” Ash pouts, “I wouldn't have done it without you.” 

“Okay.” Clemont agrees, knowing he couldn't turn it down now, “I'll go.” 

Ash beams at him, and Clemont feels his ears grow a little warm. But soon Ash realizes that they were about to be late for their next class, and he runs out of the room, waving excitedly. 

“See you after school!” he says happily, and Clemont waves back with a fond chuckle. 

He finishes packing up his stuff, before he notices Serena staring at him with slightly narrowed eyes. 

“What?” Clemont blinks, a little uncomfortable. Was she mad at him for not turning down coming with them so Serena could go on a “date” with Ash?

Serena shakes her head, her smile coming back to her face. 

“It's nothing,” she says genuinely, and walks with him to their next class, which they happen to share. 

____

After school Clemont waits outside the gate for Serena and Ash, ignoring the weird looks he gets for holding some materials for a new invention. His engineering teacher let him bring some home, with the caveat that whatever he makes he has to bring back to school so his teacher could check out whatever he's made. His engineering teacher was always supportive of his inventions. His home is on the way to the ice cream parlor, so he can quickly pop in, drop off his stuff, and make Bonnie a snack, before heading to the ice cream parlor. 

He perks up as he sees Ash and Serena coming out of the school, Ash dragging Serena by the wrist as he runs out to catch up with Clemont. Serena laughs brightly as she runs behind Ash, trying to keep up with him while he's excited. 

Clemont laughs, shaking his head waving at Ash. When Ash makes it over to Clemont, Serena has to take a second to breath while Ash bounces excitedly. 

“I thought you ditched us!” Ash grins, Clemont shakes his head, a fond smile on his face. 

“Never.” he says, because him? Ditching Ash? That's just funny. 

“Do you mind if we stop by my house so I can drop off my stuff and make an afternoon snack for my sister?” he asks, and Ash of course nods happily. 

“Sure! I'd love to get to see Luxray again!” Ash agrees, and Serena nods next to him. 

“You have a pet too?” Serena asks, Clemont nods. 

“Yeah, a cat. Though at this rate I think if Ash keeps coming over Luxray will be Ash's pet more than mine.” Clemont nudges Ash's shoulder as they start walking to Clemont's home. 

“Nah, Pikachu would get too jealous,” Ash shrugs, and Serena looks over at Ash curiously. 

“Do you have any pets, Ash? Besides the ones at the shelter?” Serena asks and Clemont tilts his head. He doesnt think Ash has a pet, though Pikachu is basically his. 

“No, mom didn't want to take care of another living being when I was a kid and we could barely make ends meet, and I'm usually at the shelter anyway.” Ash shrugs, that explains why Ash hasn't adopted Pikachu yet. Ash adores that cat, and Clemont thinks that if it was up to Ash Pikachu would probably already be adopted by him.

“Man, I'm so pumped to go back to the shelter!” Ash grins happily, a pep in his step. 

“Yeah, a certain furry demon from hell has missed you.” Clemont laughs, continuing to fall into step with Ash and Serena. 

“Oh yeah, has Pikachu caused too much trouble this week?” it was the same question Ash has asked everyday for the past week, he was definitely missing Pikachu the most out of all of the animals Ash hasn't been able to see after being grounded from the shelter. 

“...Not too much chaos…” Clemont says softly, knowing it was a lie. But if he didnt Ash would have been redirecting them to go to the shelter right that second. 

He just hopes Pikachu isn't raising too much hell for Brock and Tracey right now. 

Oh who is he kidding, Pikachu has probably set off at least two electrical fires between the time they left school and now. 

But Ash doesn't need to know about that until after he gets to the shelter on tuesday. 

They make it to Clemont's house quickly, and he unlocks the front door, gesturing for Ash and Serena to come inside. He would feel awkward leaving them out when he might take a bit to make snacks for Bonnie. 

When he enters though, he realizes he may have made a mistake. Considering both Bonnie and his dad were home, and they immediately notice the two figures behind Clemont. 

“Ash is back!” Bonnie beams, running past Clemont to hug Ash. Who laughs happily and returns the hug. 

“Really feeling the love Bonnie,” Clemont rolls his eyes, stepping further into the house. Bonnie pulls back from the hug long enough to stick her tongue out at Clemont. 

“Hey,” Clemont waves to his dad. 

“I'm just gonna drop some materials out before going to get ice cream with Ash and Serena?” he phrases the last part as a question. Asking permission to go out. 

Clemont blanches as he sees his dad tear up again. 

“Dad…” Clemont whines, please don't embarrass him, he silently pleads. 

“Im fine, im fine.” Meyer says, wiping his eyes before he starts openly sobbing, “it's just- you're growing up so fast!” 

And he's sobbing. Clemont looks back to see Bonnie dragging Ash to watch cartoons with her as Serena stands a little awkwardly, but was smiling a little too wide at his fathers crying. 

Clemont goes to his room to drop off the materials and change out of his uniform, before heading back to the living room as quickly as he could. 

“Are you my brother's girlfriend?” he hears Bonnie ask, and Clemont quickens his pace. 

Ugh, please Bonnie wont start!

Despite his silent pleading, Bonnie doesn't hear it. And when Serena obviously corrects her, Bonnie sets her sights on Ash. Who somehow got roped into making Bonnie the animal shaped apple slices and comforting Meyer as he cries. 

“What about you Ash? Are you my brother's boy-” Bonnie doesn't get to finish the sentence as Clemont finally makes it to the living room and plucks her up from the couch. 

Holding her by her arms Clemont tries to redirect her, “and that's enough of that. Bonnie, why don't you show Serena Dedenne?” 

Bonnie's eyes widen as she gasps, she wiggles out of Clemont's grip to run out of the room, “good idea!” 

Good, now that Bonnie is distracted all they have to do is finish up the apple slices and Clemont can get out of there with limited embarrassment. 

Though Clemont can't help but think this was the reason Bonnie didn't embarrass him with Ash earlier, she was waiting to tag team with dad. 

They manage to make it back out of the house with only mild embarrassment on Clemont's part. Now that Bonnie was distracted from pestering Clemont and his friends about his love life, and his dad was mostly tear free. Ash managed to get Clemont's dad into a conversation about his work, and Ash listened eagerly. 

Ash has won over his entire family in only a week. Yeah that's about what Clemont expected from Ash. 

Serena was much quieter in comparison, but she entertained Bonnie. Bonnie and Serena played with Dedenne as Serena taught Bonnie who to make little bows for Dedenne and how to put it on the little mouse without hurting it. 

Bonnie loved her. And Clemont's dad quickly warmed up to Ash. Especially when Ash was open to learning something new about mechanics. It took all of Clemont's convincing to have his dad let Ash finish the snacks for Bonnie. And as soon as Ash was done he was practically dragging them out of his house. 

As much as he enjoyed seeing his family like his friends so much, if he let either of them get roped into doing anything else with one of them they wouldn't get to eat any ice cream. And Clemont is pretty sure his dad was three seconds away from busting out Clemont's baby photos to show Ash. Clemont is pretty sure that's something for at least the second time you meet the family. 

As soon as Clemont drags them out the door Serena bursts into giggles, while Ash stands there with a smile on his face. 

“That went well!” Ash chirps, “your dad is pretty cool!” 

Serena is still giggling, even as they finally start to walk towards the ice cream parlor. 

“Apparently according to your sister we would make the best couple!” Serena giggles harder as she says this, nearly doubled over. 

“Bonnie thinks that I should date any girl that comes within fifty feet of me.” Clemont deadpans, and Serena recovers from her giggling. 

“She was adorable!” Serena smiles brightly, and Clemont agrees. 

Clemont glances over at Ash, seeing him look forward with a small frown on his face. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Clemont asks, leaning forward to make eye contact with Ash. Ash smiles brightly at him. 

“Just thinking about what toppings I'm gonna put on my ice cream! Im thinking mints.” Ash says and Clemont eyes him. 

“You put mints on your ice cream?” he asks, definitely judging Ash. 

“What? It's good! Especially when its orange ice cream-” both Serena and Clemont cut him off. 

“Orange flavored ice cream with mints?” they both exclaim with horror. 

“If you want to eat toothpaste flavored ice cream just say that.” Clemont sticks his tongue out in disgust. 

“Think what you want, but don't knock until you try it.” Ash says indignantly. Sticking his nose in the air. 

“I don't need to when I know the chemical reason for why that taste shouldn't work.” Clemont laughs, shaking his head. 

“Serena, what's your favorite flavor?” Ash asks, and Serena hums, placing a finger on her cheek. 

“Probably strawberry.” Serena says. 

“oh figures.” both Ash and Clemont immediately say, making Serena squawk. 

“What's wrong with strawberry!?” she questions and Clemont just laughs. 

“Nothing, nothing. Just exactly what we expected from you.” Clemont shakes his head. Serena sputters. 

“Well at least I don’t like toothpaste flavored ice cream.” Serena defends, making Ash squawk. 

“You're right, we have a common enemy.” Clemont nods, turning back to make fun of Ash's taste in ice cream. 

Ash sticks his tongue out at them, and Clemont laughs brightly. 

They make it to the ice cream parlor and buy their ice cream. Clemont got a very respectable double chocolate chunk ice cream with cherry syrup on top. Ash did in fact get his orange ice cream with chocolate mints on top. While Serena got her strawberry ice cream, but she insisted on mixing it up this time, because of what they said. So she got whipped cream and chocolate syrup on top. 

When they got outside Ash made them put their ice cream together like a toast. 

Serena just giggled and went along with it. 

“To being ungrounded!” They cheer, putting their ice cream together before starting to eat. 

They sat outside to eat their ice cream, talking pleasantly about school and other topics. Serena was excitedly talking about her fashion class, where her main project has been the line of outfits she's made for the animals at the shelter. Her teacher has loved it so far, Serena has thought about challenging the beast, Pikachu. To try and at least make it a little bow. Ash grimaces at the idea, knowing how hard it would be to get Pikachu to tolerate it. But if Serena was really determined he would help. 

She's about to bust open her design book when her phone rings, she struggles to pick it up while holding her unfinished ice cream and holding her sketchbook. Ash plucks the sketchbook out of her hands to free up a hand for Serena to use. 

Serena steps away a few feet to pick up the phone, putting it to her phone. 

“Yes mom?” she says quietly. “But why mom? Can’t I- ugh fine!” 

When Serena is finished with the conversation she pops back over to them, pocketing her phone and taking her sketchbook from Ash's hands. 

“Mom needs me home, apparently her horse has made a mess and we need to wash it.” Serena pouts, Ash frowns. 

“Well that sucks.” Ash says, Clemont gives Serena a half smile. A little sorry. 

After all, he crashed her sorta date and then she had to leave early. 

But Serena simply sighs. 

“Well, I guess I'll see you two tomorrow.” Serena says, waving with her full hands as she starts to walk back, “enjoy your ice cream!” 

They sit in silence for a couple seconds, before Ash asks about the materials Clemont brought to his house and what he was planning on making with them, and Clemont went on to explain in great detail his next invention. 

It was supposed to be a machine that could test you on your flashcards. It would scan your note cards and read the side out loud. When you confirmed our answer it would either light up green or red and sort the cards into a correct or wrong pile. 

He talks all about the inner workings of the machine, and the coding he would have to do to detect the writing and register if a response was right or wrong. 

He doesn't even realize how long he's been talking until he glances over at Ash, who was staring at Clemont, a fond smile on his face. Which he quickly covers with his ice cream.

“Sorry, I'm talking too much!” Clemont says, shutting up as he turns away, his ears burning red. 

“No, it's fine!” Ash says quickly, “I think it's really cool!”

“You're really smart,” Ash smiles at Clemont, and Clemont doesn't bother to hide the smile that blooms on his face. 

When he catches a glimpse at the ice cream in Ash's hands he snorts without meaning to. 

“What?” Ash asks, leaning over to make eye contact with Clemont. 

“Just, orange ice cream? With mints?” Clemont laughs, shaking his head. 

Ash tsks, shaking his head. “You just don't get it.” 

Before Clemont could respond however, Ash's eyes widen with an idea. And Clemont quickly finds an ice cream cone in his face. 

“Huh?” Clemont blinks, and Ash grins at him. 

“Try it!” Ash urges, “if you are so convinced it's gonna be terrible,” 

Clemont looks down at the ice cream, his face flooding with color as he realizes what Ash wants him to do. 

He looks back at Ash, as if making sure Ash really wants him to taste his ice cream. When he sees a sure smile on Ash's face Clemont's shoulders jerk a little. 

“Alright,” Clemont says with a faux sigh, and leans forward to take a small bite from Ash's terrible flavor combination. Thankfully he doesn't get any mint off of it, and only tastes the orange flavor of the ice cream. 

It was actually pretty good, though Clemont attributes it to the fact he doesn't get any mint. He likes the citrus flavor, and he can't mask his enjoyment of the flavor quick enough. Because Ash was grinning triumphantly, almost smugly, making Clemont roll his eyes. 

“Fine, I guess it's okay.” Clemont huffs, Ash cheers. 

“Aha!” Ash cheers, and Clemont laughs at Ash's over the top reaction. Ash almost knocks the ice cream out of his cone from pumping his fist in the air, but he quickly saves it at the last second. Ash grins at Clemont from the side at having saved his ice cream. Clemont just smiles fondly at Ash. 

He looks down at his own ice cream, double chocolate chunk with cherry syrup. Before he looks away from Ash and tilts his ice cream towards Ash. 

“Wanna try mine?” Clemont asks, trying not to grow flustered. This feels like a date. 

“Okay!” Ash says and Clemont feels his arm dip as Ash bites a large chunk out of his ice cream. 

“Hey!” Clemont squawks, that was way bigger a bite then Clemont took out of Ash's!

Ash laughs, even with a mouthful of ice cream. Clemont grumbles at Ash, but it's half hearted at best. 

“It's good!” Ash grins at him cheekily, chocolate smudged on his cheeks. It reminds Clemont of how Bonnie always gets whenever she eats ice cream.  

Clemont rolls his eyes, grabbing a napkin and wiping the chocolate off of Ash's cheeks before he realizes what he's doing. It's the same thing he does with Bonnie, but Clemont is quickly reminded that this isn't Bonnie when he realizes how close he is to Ash. They were face to face as Clemont wipes the chocolate off of Ash's face. Ash had one eye closed as Clemont rubs the napkin under it, his open eye locked on Clemont. 

Clemont freezes, realizing what he did. But for once, he has the confidence to not pull away. 

Instead he continues to wipe the chocolate from Ash's face, their eyes locked. 

When Clemont is finished his hand stays pressed to the napkin for a few seconds, still touching Ash's cheek even as he grows still. Before he pulls back and looks away. 

“You had chocolate on your cheek.” Clemont explains, not daring to make eye contact again.  

“Ah!” Ash says, nodding and looking away. 

They sit there in silence for a few seconds, and Clemont internally groans. 

Way to make it awkward. 

“So, you were talking about how you were gonna code the new invention to detect handwriting?” Ash prompts, and Clemont eagerly takes the prompt to make it less awkward. 

Midway through Clemont's explanation Ash looks down the street with his brows furrowed, noticing something. Clemont looks over to where Ash was looking to see a yellow tabby running down the street. 

A very familiar yellow tabby. 

“Pikachu!?” they both shout as, no doubt about it, Pikachu runs past them. When Ash sees a familiar van drive around the corner he blanches. 

“Come on! We gotta go after it!” Ash shouts, grabbing Clemont by the arm to drag him after Pikachu. 

Their ice creams spill onto the concrete at the sudden running, but Clemont only spends a moment mourning the ice cream before he realizes why that van looks so familiar. It was Rocket Animal Control. And their eyes were currently set on Pikachu. 

“We gotta get Pikachu before they do!” Ash shouts, still dragging Clemont along by the arm, because he knows Clemont couldn't keep up with Ash. 

But Clemont was definitely slowing him down, Ash's pace was much slower then it would have been if Ash was running on his own.

“Ash! Go after Pikachu, I'll buy you some time with animal control.” Clemont says, making Ash look back at Clemont. Clemont can see how panicked Ash was, how worried about Pikachu he was. 

“It'll be fine!” Clemont reassures, and Ash nods, once, before letting go of Clemont's arm. Clemont stumbles a bit at the loss of momentum, but soon Ash disappears around a corner, and Clemont follows close enough to see Ash and Pikachu disappear left down the street. And he comes to pause to catch his breath in the middle of the street, only to jump as the rocket van comes skirting down the street and nearly runs him over. He only isn't because the driver turns the van sideways, barely coming to a stop before Clemont. 

Clemont braces for the hit, but when he isn't hit he opens his eyes and prepares for the confrontation he is about to have. 

“To capture the strays and enforce the law!” Jessie, if Clemont remembers correctly, jumps out of the van. 

“To tame the wild with precision and awe!” James jumps out from the driver's seat.

“To control the beasts that roam the land!” Jessie poses, Clemont just stares dumbly at them. 

“And keep them in line, as we command!” James poses with Jessie to form an R. 

“Team rocket, bringing order to chaos, one creature at a time!” Both Jessie and James say in unison. 

A cat climbs out of the van, sitting on the top of the van and meowing loudly. 

They are so weird. What kind of animal control is this?

“You're one of those twerps from the shelter!” James realizes, and Jessie mock vomits. 

“Ugh, the one that handles animals with love, and care.” Jessie rolls her eyes. 

“Like it should be.” Clemont deadpans. 

“Whatever, now where did that tabby go!” Jessie demands.

“It's time we finally catch it!” James agrees, nodding along to Jessie's demands. 

“They went to the left.” Clemont says, staring them in the eyes. 

James cheers victoriously, “aha! Now we'll get Pikachu!” 

Jessie glares at Clemont, and Clemont offers a smug smile to her. 

“He's lying James, why would he tell us the truth?” Jessie leans over to slap James upside the head. 

“Obviously he's trying to cover up where that cat actually went!” Jessie says with a smug grin, “if he says we go left, we go right!” 

“You're right jessie!” James gasps, they dive into their van and Clemont quickly gets out of the way as the van flies past him, nearly tipping onto its side as they swerve to turn right. 

Clemont snorts, he figured they wouldn't think to see if he was telling the truth. 

When he's sure Rocket Animal Control is far enough away, Clemont wanders down the street he watched Ash go down. Looking around for Ash and Pikachu now that he knows it's safe. 

He's not sure if it's safe yet to call out for Ash yet, so instead he looks around, scanning the street for Ash. He's about to give up and text Ash as he passes an alleyway before he feels the back of his shirt being grabbed and he's dragged into the alleyway. 

He almost thinks he's being jumped and he braces for a punch only for nothing to happen. He hesitantly opens his eyes to see Ash grinning sheepishly at him, Pikachu held tightly in his arms. 

“Hey.” Ash says, breathing heavily. He did just sprint quite a distance, even Ash would be a little out of breath. 

“Hey.” Clemont smiles back, “Jessie and James should be driving at high speeds the wrong direction,”

“Howd you get them off our trail?” Ash asks, tilting his head. 

“I told them the truth of where you went, they didn't expect that.” Clemont shrugs and Ash lets out a bark of a laugh. 

“We should probably hold out here for a bit though, until we're sure they don’t drive back here.” Ash says, and Clemont nods, pressing his back against the brick wall opposite of Ash. 

Ash looks down at Pikachu, a soft smile on his face as he pets Pikachu. Pikachu is purring contently in his arms, the first time Clemont has seen Pikachu happy all week. 

“How's Pikachu doing?” Clemont asks, and Ash looks up to smile. 

“He's doing fine now, a little spooked but fine.” Ash shakes his head. 

“Now why were you out here anyway?” Ash asks, holding up Pikachu. 

Pikachu cheekily meows, pressing its paw into Ash's cheek. 

Ash laughs, going back to holding Pikachu close. 

“I've missed you buddy.” Ash smiles, petting Pikachu. 

“I'll be coming back to the shelter tomorrow, you know” Ash says, “so we can get back to training you on that obstacle course for the adoption event soon.” 

Pikachu meows, though it's half hearted at best. 

“You have to get adopted at this adoption event.” Ash says, a frown forming on his face. 

“What's so special about this event in particular?” Clemont asks, frowning as he sees Ash's frown. 

Ash is silent for a few moments, petting Pikachu, before he sighs and looks away. 

“Pikachu is gonna be transferred to another shelter soon if it doesn't get adopted shortly after the event. To make room.” Ash says sadly, holding Pikachu tighter. 

“I don't want that to happen, what if the other shelter doesn't tolerate Pikachu's antics as much as we do? What if they don't search for Pikachu when it escapes and just lets it get shipped around from shelter to shelter until it ends up in a bad one? What if Pikachu doesnt like its new shelter?” Ash questions, his brows furrowed as he grows more and more upset the longer he goes on. 

“If Pikachu gets adopted before that happens, I can have a say in it. I can know if Pikachu is being taken care of. But if Pikachu gets shipped off…” Ash trails off, looking more upset then Clemont has ever seen him. 

Ash huffs, frowning.

Clemont blinks, unsure of what to say. But he finds that it's easier to act. For once in his life. 

He pushes off the wall to stand next to Ash, throwing an arm over Ash's shoulder. Ash takes the invitation and places his head on Clemont's shoulder. 

“You've been working really hard for the past few weeks. And Pikachu has been getting a lot better. I'm sure that Pikachu is gonna wow everyone at the event. And there will be a line of people signing up for the chance to adopt it.” Clemont says, leaning into Ash. 

Ash nods, still pressed into Clemont's shoulder. 

“I really hope so.” Ash says quietly, Clemont looks down to see Pikachu's ears are down, a sad look in its eyes. 

But it buries its face into Ash's arms, and they just stand there for a while. Clemont isn't sure how long, but he doesn't care to try and find out. He just lets himself soak in the moment, together with Ash. 

Before eventually Ash's phone starts to buzz, and Ash realizes it's his mom. He freezes, a startled look on his face, and glances at Clemont. 

“We've been out here for so long.” Ash grimaces, showing Clemont his phone to check the time. And sure enough, the entire time between school letting out and now was roughly four hours. Clemont looks up at the sky to see the setting sun. 

Ash picks up the phone to his mom, and quietly talks to her, Clemont can hear a very stern sounding woman lecturing Ash about staying out so late. Ash chuckles and calms his mom down, saying that he'll be home soon, and that no mom he's not at the shelter, you can ask Brock and Tracey-

“Do you think you could take Pikachu back to the shelter? Mom would kill me if I went there now.” Ash grins, and Clemont agrees without thinking. 

“Thank you!” Ash beams, he gently moves Pikachu into Clemont's arms. Pikachu lets out a protesting meow, and Ash pets Pikachu when it is put into Clemont's arms. Making it settle down a little, though Pikachu still looked a little perturbed. 

“I'll be back at the shelter tomorrow Pikachu, be good okay?” Ash smiles at Pikachu in Clemont's arms. Pikachu huffs and looks away. Not a confirmation, but not a denial. 

Ash seems to take it anyway. 

“Thanks again Clemont!” Ash says, starting to run back home. 

Clemont smiles, waving at Ash as he flies down the street, proving why he deserves to be on the track team. 

He turns to walk down the street towards where the shelter is, pulling out his phone to quickly text his dad where he was going and that he would be home soon. 

Pikachu squirms in his arms, making it a struggle to keep Pikachu in his arms. 

“Come on Pikachu, don't you wanna be at the shelter so you can see Ash tomorrow?” Clemont tries to plead. 

Pikachu just complains in his arms, struggling harder. 

“You know how hard Ash is working to help you, if you got caught by animal control you wouldn't see Ash again.” Clemont says loudly to the cat, making Pikachu slowly stop struggling. And Clemont huffs, continuing to walk towards the shelter.

“Ash cares a lot about you, and he's trying his best to get you adopted.” Pikachu huffs grumpily at that. 

“If you don't get adopted you'll be taken to another shelter that won't be as kind to you.” Pikachu's ears droop, and Pikachu lets out a low purr. 

Clemont sighs, “I know we're not Ash, but everyone at that shelter just wants the best for you. Just work with us a little.” 

Pikachu closes its eyes, curling tighter in Clemont's arms, and Clemont smiles. He softly pets Pikachu. 

“Ash cares a lot about you, and he's been working hard for you,” a little too hard at times, Clemont is worried he's doing too much. “And I know you care about Ash.” 

Though, that brings an idea to Clemont. How could he help Ash so he's not doing so much?

Clemonts eyes widen as he starts to think of a new invention, two actually. 

He should have enough supplies for it, sorry study bot! This is more important! The entire walk to the shelter and back home is filled with Clemont thinking of the idea for these new inventions. And he's silent during dinner with his family. 

As soon as dinner was over Clemont clears his desk of any other ideas he had, and pulling out new blueprints for him to sketch on. 

He works all night, not even caring that by the time he was finally settling down to sleep it was 3am. But he got the inventions done. 

Say hello to the automatic ball thrower 2000 and the automatic feeder 3000!

It's perfect for the shelter! It could cut their day to day chores in half! And it would leave Ash with more time to train the animals. 

Clemont grins as he runs a hand over the automatic ball thrower, curling in bed with his blanket over his shoulders. 

Ash’ll love it. 

At least, Clemont hopes he will when he gives it to Ash tomorrow. 

You can read the rest of this on ao3 by Dashing_through_snow

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62767867

[ashmp3]

It's award season (unconfirmed)! Give some of your mutuals silly little awards.

awww okay sorry for answering late i wanted to sit down and Write It Down. Also sorry to everyone i didnt talk about i love you all for real and i appreciate you being part of ashmp3 nation. Now lets start!

@bewby best cousin award. Seven truly is like my little sister at this point like thats a sibling we just get eachother we followed eachother for such a long time like we went through our teenage years together in a way. love you my bunny girl!!!!! @kurapikasjudgementchain award for putting up with me and being my friend *curtsy*.

@sunuism mutual with the coolest fashion sense for SURE if u havent already u all need to be seated for Ri's fit checks.... @wantbytaemin i would say another cousin award bc sometimes it truly feel like we are so similar on so many levels it just makes me giggle like our grandmothers having the same names thats just insane to me. One of the longest mutuals award and Also best shawol award of course but thats given... @bourgeoix my smart girl mutual you know that post "i have ppl with phd on my dash" yes thats mel to me. when i see your posts talking about either your work or anything really im like THERE SHE ISS i love to see it truly adore it. Also dyke award *everyone cheers*

@seahavaen mutual with hottest sexiest seductive vibes period.

@diamondcrystals best exol award shared with @whitechocolate How are we feeling friends its getting real......

@10281 favorite mutual i made on this blog! hands down. i am grateful svt exists and made us cross paths

@smirnoffgrl my loveliest kaya award for being hottest sweetheart on the whole world and also someone i would love to party with the most out of everyone.. partygirl award

@polaroidlovemp3 friendliest mutual award!!! you are so sweet and cute and i love how we just send eachother posts and tag eachother out of the blue thats literally crucial part of blogging and you get it so well...

@shalalayong BEST TYONGF AWARD! no brainer of course... but i also love when u posts snippets from ur life its so cute Mwah @jeonwonwoo Best insane gifmaker (positive ofc) Zaynab you just get me and thats not an easy thing to do. Congratulations or sorry thats true.... @ayatou Best sweet normal gifmaker (also positive) Ngoc you and Zaynab come together in my mind same coin different sides etc. You are so sweet and friendly and i just love seeing your posts on my dash its an instant re-reblog ...

@mistarover and @jaebeomtual very recent mutuals that both made me feel like we have known eachother for a long time which is always such a nice feeling tbh you both are friendly and talkative and i love that

@pocji mutual with best music taste but also hag mutual (affectionately) we just get eachother I am truly so happy you are still on tumblr... I actually remember following you on my old blog in 2016 and we became mutuals years later and i was GEEKED

@egos and @kitschundschund and for the end my sisters cousins friends from high school etc the shiet we all went through together its just something IRL friends havent gone through LMFAO my favorite girls award !!!!!

[tigers1o1]

Hello FNC GUY!

I'm a big ol enjoyer of your works and was wondering if you had any tips on scene writing? I feel as though in my own writing I reuse names and pronouns too often, and I fear it makes my sentence structure redundant and boring. I've never done an ask before so I sure hope I'm doing this right! Anyways hope you have a good one, I look forward to seeing more of your works!! :D

I’m assuming you’re referring specifically to character interactions and dialogue to which i have a very good pointer actually!!!

So in my own writing, i tend to stick to the omnipotent limited (3rd person, but a specific kind) perspective. Which is basically to say i pick a character and the narrator knows everything going on inside that characters head and how that character is perceiving the world but its not 1st person and its not the characters’ thoughts directly. i think this is an important context to note for my pointer bc writing styles and the way you write character interactions can be very heavily dependent on your point of view/ perspective.

Now, one of the most common “beginner” techniques i usually see goes something like this

(Snippet from one of my wips)

Notice how little substance there is. It’s just dialogue and a couple actions. This gives your writing a really distant feel, like we arent actually in the scene with the characters, right? And what we want is substance and for the scene to contain life, instead of that sterile feeling.

And this is where the pov comes into play. For that snippet, I’ve chosen Lizzie as the main character (also note how that doesnt really show up). So to make that interaction have more depth, whag i do is i consider a few things

What is Lizzie feeling? What is her reaction to the words/interaction?

What specific details is Lizzie noticing about her surroundings and the actions of the other character? (If the main character doesnt notice something, don’t include it unless you’re using a different kind of pov bc in THIS, the narrator is omnipotent but they are limited, they only know what the character knows)

What is Lizzie doing?

I think getting into specifics can help, so long as you dont go overboard with them (but thats also dependent on your writing style)

So heres the actual snippet in the way i write usually

Lets break it down

P1- the setting is described, even if briefly. There is a descriptive quality accompanying the dialogue (rang out). Direct cause and effect, which ties the characters’ actions together making the scene feel more grounded in itself and connect than just a string of actions. Lizzie’s action is said, once again with a quality descriptor (laughed sharply)

P2- Lizzie is already the most recent subject, so using “she” here is less repetitive than her name again. I didnt say “she said” or “she replied” or anything to that effect because the reader KNOWS it was said, that’s indicated by the quotation marks; instead, try describing an action of the character speaking, or if its the main character, their reaction/feelings (which i did both here).

P3- “the other” is used to indicate that we’re talking about ava, but the subject (and main character) is still lizzie, which lets us use “she” again to refer to lizzie without getting overly repetitive or confusing the two “she”s in this context. Again, an action of the speaker is described to more realistically cement what is being said into the setting of the scene, and by describing the character’s action, it gives the dialogue itself more life than had it been the only focus of the paragraph.

So the big takeaways i guess are:

“She said” is redundant in most contexts, we KNOW she said something bc of the quotes. Instead, describe an action or emotion that accompanies the dialogue.

Make sure you know your narrator’s perspective /pov as well as tense, because the way you add detail will change

Pay attention to the way you interact with the world. What do you notice about your surroundings? How are you reacting to them emotionally? These introspections can help a LOT bc writing is a reflection of our own experiences, so if you’re noticing something about your environment, your characters probably would too

[eziojensenthe3rd]

Midnight Gaming: A tale of Horny Furries

So I played The Crown Of Leaves past midnight, checked socials to find... Silksong confirmed to NOT appear in tuesdays games onl.

So Geoff Keighley cleared the air on twitter, letting hollow knight fans know not to hold thier breath for silksong this tuesday.

I havent played hollow knight myself but im aware that a lot of people enjoyed it and were waiting for the dlc-that-got-changed-to-a-sequel game. Send a prayer and hug to any hollow knight fans you see, y'aint all back quite yet.

So heres a lil story, I started following an artist few years back when I first saw their artwork and it enchanted me. Thier artwork contained characters in scenes just looking fantastic, different little details that were enjoyable to search, you know the term a picture is worth a thousand words? Theirs were worth a whole novel each. All of it wrapped in a world that you only get a glimpse of with each picture, accompanied with a description that tells a very short story. You know how dark souls had a lot of its lore within item and weapon descriptions? Same vibe and I loved them. It was the kind of world I wished there was some media, like a book, an animation, a game perhaps, where I could explore that world more.

So I followed this artist for a while, got excited for every new bit of art they posted, and over time they changed some things. About their characters, about the world. It was gradual so I paid no mind at first but eventually it got to the point where I realised I enjoyed their art less than I did before. The art was still good, the quality was still fantastic, I just dont feel as interested in them as I did before. They changed their characters and world so much, it just didn't do it for me. I could show you two images of what looked like two characters and hear me explain to you that they're infact the same character, ones just a more recent characterisation.

Now let me make this clear here, this is purely my personal opinion here. If the artist is happy with thier changes, then thats fine, more power to them. Its their world and characters to do with, my thoughts do not override that. I am not demanding they revert those changes just to suit my taste, i'd rather they didnt do that and just do what appeals to them. To make art for themselves. And if you happen to figure out who I'm talking about, please keep it to yourself. I do not want this artist harrassed on my behalf so please dont, this is a me problem.

Now as I said, I loved the look of their world that I wanted something like a game to explore it. So one day as I browsed the steam store, I managed to stumble across this game that had me shook. The screenshots, the characters, the enviroments. It looked a tad similar to the artist I followed but it was an entirely different world, tho it carried the spirit of what drew me in with that previous artists work in the first place and I checked to be sure, that artist's name was nowhere in the credits so they werent involved at all in this. Needless to say I picked it up just on that principle alone and... didnt play it until last night. Funny how that works.

So The Crown Of Leaves is a visual novel/point and click hybrid with following different routes and talking to folks like a visual novel and collecting items, solving puzzles like a point and click. Your just following a simple day as roui, trying to get by until some weird shit happens. And thats all im gonna say on the story without spoiling it. Listen, when I started playing, it had me hooked. The art just gut punched me right in the very place I felt was missing. It drew me in like the art I used to study with that old artist. Clicking on various objects just to hear little snippets, grabbing lil pieces of lore about the world I was in, seeing the characters and hearing them talk, their personalities just fleshed out and fascinating. Man, I was practically in love all over again.

In fact, im just gonna fill the rest of this post with some of this games art just so you can see what I mean.

Now, I do recommend this game but there is one thing you should know. The game isnt done, so far theres only two chapters with chapter three in progress but bare in mind it is a small indie team so take my recommendation with a grain of salt. Regardless you should definatly pick it up.

Maybe 18th century furries that live in a fantasy world that have a sort of gothic/mystical vibe do be one of my favourite genders.

See you all tomorrow. Feel free to leave game suggestions and feedback. Anons are currently on.