#down the rabbit hole to the emerald city

[luckycaricature]

I'm CRYINGGGGGG found some concept art while digging through some old files. Why does Alice look like that????

I was trying to draw Alice and Dorothy from [this story] and remember struggling with the designs a lot at the time, and just kinda. Gave up lol. I think they were based off the outfits they got in a different chapter but idk I have like Zero memories from a few years ago

Anyway the face cracked me up so much I tried to doodle the energy it gave off + a more normal looking one. I'm pretty sure I was just trying to give her a cheshire-grin at the time but she looks like she's murdered people before LMAO??

[foggyfanfic]

The Madrigal’s Indigenous Roots

Writing this down because I just got hit with the random urge to make sure my head canons aren’t implausible at 2am and it’s entirely likely I will forget it by morning. So! Assuming that the triplets are born 1900 and Alma is 19 at the time, that means she was born in 1881.

Rabbit hole and rambling under the cut. (Unedited too).

Apparently, according to Wikipedia, colonization of what we now call Colombia (and Panama) started when the Spanish arrived in 1499, and the country won independence from Spain in 1819. We’ll skate over the next few decades of governments, and skip straight to when Alma was alive, so when she’s born it was the United States of Colombia from 1863-1886 when it became the Republic of Colombia. Interestingly, when Encanto was established, Panama would have still been a part of Colombia since they didn’t secede until 1903, which means that for those who head canon that the Encanto is completely cut off from the world, as far as Alma knows, Panama is not a country.

(Vitally important that I make a note that research into the natural history of the land now called Colombia has shown there were once giant sloths there.)

From the art book we know that the family has indigenous roots, so let’s look up the pre-Columbian countries and tribes (since I’m seeing some mention of nomadic people and I don’t think you technically call those countries). When the Spanish started conquering, they conquered the “Chibchan Nations”, which seems to be nations that spoke the shared language of Chibcha, mainly the nations of Muisca and Tairona. Let me click the little links to get clarification if I’m reading that right.

Oh.

I don’t like the little links.

Ok, well that’s not great, it’s estimated that 80-90% of the population of pre-columbian Colombia was killed off due to the invading Spaniards. Partially due to direct conflict, partially due to disease. The city Bogota is named after the way the Spanish pronounced the name of a Muisca leader that tried to oust the invaders, Zipa (that’s his title not his first name) Tisquesusa. They referred to him as Bogota the Elder and he died with the name Facatativá and this article is not explaining to me what the whole name thing is about, other than the fact that his name is apparently debatable. But! If we assume the Encanto is near the city of Bogota, which is named after a Muisca leader, then it seems reasonable to head canon that the Madrigal’s indigenous roots are from the Muisca tribe. So let’s look into them a bit more.

Awesome, geography of this country looks right for what we see in the movie.

So the Muisca were supposedly organized into the Confederation of Muisca when the Spanish invaded, but that comes from Spanish scholars who were recording this history long after the invading had been going on for a long time. In other words, take this information with not just a grain of salt, but like an entire tablespoon of it. Reportedly, the Confederation was made up of a few different tribes led by Zipos, Zacques, priests, and assorted other leader type people. Since this information is coming from a slightly sketchy source I don’t feel too bad wondering if this is an oversimplification of their political system on the part of the Spanish scholars. Real people are never divided up into subgroups that neatly. They seemed to be a largely agricultural nation, although they were also known as “the salt people” because they had profitable salt mines.

(It would also be worth it to look up the Muzo tribe since they were “the emerald people” for similar reasons.)

Ah, here we go, can’t find dates for when Muisca reservations were established, but I can find dates for when they were dissolved, and it looks like the ones in the Bogota region would have still been in Muisca hands up into the 1900’s. So yes, I am going to operate under the assumption that Alma has family that lived on those reservations. Let’s say they lived on the Tocancipá one (dissolved in the mid twentieth century). We can even assume that her ties to the tribe are still relatively recent, if we assume the connection is as recent as her grandmother then we can put on our rose colored glasses and say her grandmother left the tribe for nonviolent reasons. Like true love or something.

Now I just need to find information on Muisca culture that’s as bias-free as possible. I know that some of the cultures in that area were what we would now consider to be liberal leaning, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Muisca tribe living in Tocancipá would be. But that can happen later, Imma stop here for now.

[krysanthii]

These are my personal headcanons of Olrox’s life as a human. I’ve seen many posts and read fics about what was Olrox’s life before becoming a vampire and I did a little research of life as an Aztec which send me into a rabbit hole.

Without a doubt I think Olrox worked as a government official. Olrox worked under the Emperor Montezuna II or what the Aztec word for emperor was “tlatoani.”

The tlatoani ruled the Capitol of Tenochtitlan and lived in incredible palaces with their family and advisors. Right below the tlatoani were the tecuhtli. The tecuhtli were men of importance and ruled the city-states. They lived in palaces and greatly supported by the people and kept the empire running smoothly.

They helped the production of fields, served as a local military commanders, represent the people of local villages and city states, ambassadors and distribute taxes.

The tecuhtli were very wealthy and had palaces within their cities. They were dressed lavishly wearing jewelry, feathers and gold because they were of the noble class. And wore purple because purple symbolizes nobility.

In which Olrox still wears to this day with gold and emerald earrings, he wears purple and the cuffs of his jacket that have golden braces or runes.

Olrox having been a tecuhtli rings home for me because of the way he carries himself with elegance and swagger. And as a tecuhtli he made contact with the conquistadors. Olrox was probably the only one spoke against Montezuma II to not let these Spanish men into their lands because Montezuma thought of the foreign Spanish men to be gods and wanted to hear them out bringing them into the city to get information from believing they can be allies.

Olrox not a believer gods and easily saw this men on who they were: petty power hungry thieves.

Olrox has an uncanny way of reading people just how he read Mizrak like a joke on a popsicle stick he knew these foreign men’s intention right from the get-go. His plea was over ruled by the tlatoani’s decision to letting these smelly and dirty thieves into their empire.

Olrox holds great resentment towards Montezuma II for letting these foreigners into their lands and slowly watch the erosion of the Aztec empire in a span of a year. Watched as Cortez brought the empire down to their knees through lies and treachery destabilizing the empire from within by targeting other rival tribes of the Aztecs to join him. Turning tlatoani into a puppet emperor and Olrox forced to take orders from a foreign invader through Montezuma II. Forced to bow and placate to these dirty thieves and watch the empire break into a civil war while Cortez orchestrated the breech from within.

Only for Olrox to succumb to small pox. Olrox didn’t die and was turned into a vampire in mid to late 30s. As the empire weakened by the plague Cortez managed to build an army from rival tribes and his own back home and brought in vampires along to the new world.

Olrox having turned to a vampire found he had divinity in his blood that he had Quetzalcoatl’s blood flowing in his veins. As he watch his empire crumble he’d seen others fall too from the Tainos to the Arawak, Mayans, the Aztec and the Incas in a span of a few years.

Olrox honed his powers and speaking with Quetzalcoatl to bring him strength. Worked with the priests and learned magic through their teachings and overtime he manages practice his powers and fought against the invaders. Olrox wasn’t the only human who were turned but many others who were turned into vampires and Olrox became a leader to the newly turned vampires and fought the invaders.

Olrox saw first hand what horrors the Old World has brought to his land and vowed to never make that mistake again. Olrox was invited to France and he knew this time he was ready and had no puppet emperor to get in his way of his resolve. He fully intended to screw over this vampire messiah and had played his cards right. Staying away from the chateaux so he can have a better viewpoint from a safe distance and seducing Mizrak because he was the closest proximity to the Abbot who was a forgemaster creating Night Creatures using the demon machine.

Olrox knows how to identify a megalomaniac when he sees one and Olrox had every intent to screw her over but failed to deduce thag Erzsebet Bathory was not only a megalomanic but she was a megalomanic with the powers of a primordial god to bring down the sun. Olrox over the long centuries he lived did not believe in gods and grandeur because he heard it all before of men’s delusion to be greater than they really are and thought Erzsebet was no different and he miscalculated severely!

Olrox had bowed to many delusional men who thought they were ordained by god or simply higher than other men or far more worthy. He had to placate to their demands, praise them and forced to worship these colonizers and give in to their wishes. Olrox had done that countless of times as a human to bite his tongue and to humble himself. Make himself meek to these colonizers. After he became a vampire he promised himself that he’ll never ever now before a colonizing European.

When Drolta told him to kneel Olrox did as she wishes to bow before Erzsebet— to give her his submission. Olrox had never bowed in almost 300 years and forced to bow again. And this time he promises this will be the last time he ever bowed to anyone again.

[winterpinetrees]

Nerd Behavior (The Gap Years Part 19) 

July 1st 2019

Coconino National Forest, AZ

Everyone is a nerd here. The road trip group gets a beach episode and talks about movies, the Mercurali play board games, and Amedi discovers what a Wikipedia rabbit hole is.

..............

“You know what I just realized about the Project Excalibur site?” 

Sierra Bracken is trying to distract the rest of the party from her current predicament. They’re back at high altitude, over seven thousand feet, and by the shores of a reservoir that looks more like a winding canyon. To be more specific, the so-called shores are rugged rock faces fifteen feet high, and Sierra is stuck at the bottom. It turns out that two elves, a man who climbs abandoned buildings for fun, and a tall varsity recruit are all outliers when it comes to scrambling up wet rocks. Sierra is five foot three on a good day and a little cursed at the moment. Also the sun is starting to set. 

“What did you realize?” Brian shouts down. He’s smiling, but it’s not exactly an encouraging smile.

“Excalibur is like, the reverse Area 51,” she says and clambers up, again, onto one of the huge brown stones. “They’re both in the Nevada Test Range, but one is where humans study aliens and one is where aliens study humans!” 

Clay has one arm inside of Marin’s fashionable messenger bag. He turns to him, “are you aliens? Also that’s not funny”. 

“Marin and I decided that elves count as aliens only when it’s funny. And it is”.

“We did do that,” Marin replies solemnly. He’s down on one knee drying out his long dreadlocks with a towel. Like Brian, he isn’t very concerned. 

Some time passes, not long, maybe two minutes, but they’re all eighteen and don’t really expect to reach September alive. Sierra does not succeed in getting any further up the rock face. 

Brian fakes a theatrical accent and crouches down. “I don’t suppose you could speed things up?”

“Don’t you dare quote The Princess Bride at me”. She pauses for a moment, half-way up a large rock. Sierra has a heavier build, but a lot of her upper body is muscle. It’s just the curse making her left shoulder sluggish causing this whole situation. Sierra rolls her eyes and gives Brian his response in the same fake voice. 

“If you’re so anxious to hurry things, you could lower a rope or a tree branch or find something useful to do!” Then she says something in Spanish that she knows Brian won’t understand. 

“Already on it!” Clay says quickly. He looks over the edge of the cliff, winks at Sierra, and tosses her the end of a rope he’s taken from the bag. Then he shoves Brian as hard as he can. 

“Not while I’m down here, idiot!” she yells back. Fortunately, or maybe not, the champion wrestler does not fall. She remembers too late that Brian has two older brothers (and they’re both not great guys) as he clamps a hand around Clay’s wrist and threatens to drag them both over the edge. They hang there in the golden sunset light before Clay throws himself backward. He slams into the dirt and Brian comes with him. Everyone is shouting now and Sierra is still at the bottom of the cliff.

Eventually they do make it back to their campsite. Zerada left the reservoir before them, and she sits alone, slowly feeding wood into a small fire. Her amber eyes reflect the flames, but Sierra doesn’t think they’re actually glowing with magic. She matches the scene well. In fact, Zerada doesn’t seem to own much that isn’t her family’s burnt orange. Marin only really wears emerald green when he has to be formal. Most of his outfits have been olive and tan. 

The humans pull folding chairs from the car and Marin sits down on a log. They’re in the dead center of Arizona, so far from city lights that there’s a state-of-the-art telescope twenty miles away. Despite that, they’ve chosen a real campsite instead of the side of a back road. That means they have the best of both worlds. Running water, and a location so deep in the woods that there’s no way they will be found tonight.

So they talk. Marin was confused by their reference to The Princess Bride and by some oversight they didn’t bring a CD of it (but they do have every Star Wars movie, so that’s something), so the humans try their best to act out the story themselves. It turns out that Clay is a shockingly good pirate. Brian takes every character that is either blond or seven feet tall, leaving Sierra to pick up the role of a swordsman chasing revenge. However, revenge stories get a bit more complicated with elves around. It’s been exactly three (human) weeks since a coup killed both of their own fathers. The list of casualties made that very clear. Zerada’s father was killed by Arjuna Kotija Mercuralis, an assassin and illusionist who is also the husband of the new apex. Marin’s father was killed by an upstart noblewoman named Hebe from a less powerful genus. They talk like all of it’s normal. Their parents died fighting like all nobles should, and the humans shouldn’t worry, but even Sierra can tell that they aren’t being honest. Marin may be happy enough to follow Brian's instructions and pretend to be a Rodent Of Unusual Size for one of the scenes, but he’s an orphan now, and that’s got to leave something behind. 

Or at least how Sierra would feel. He hardly ever talks about his parents. His mother was the old apex, and she lived in the human world for decades. She doesn't know anything about his father at all. Maybe he's glad they're gone. When a person is so used to power, children can feel like just another thing to own. She's lucky to be close with both of her parents, but Brian and Clay aren't. Still, Sierra’s starting to wonder what they’ll do if this adventure lasts longer than the summer. They’re all taking a gap year, but they did have plans, and it’s not like they can be on the road forever. It’ll be a national scandal if they don’t come back for the big Christmas party. More than that, she doesn’t want to be off at college if the world ends. She’s thrilled to be going to MIT (meeting people with her interests who aren’t like 30!) but, well, her weird little family is close.  She’ll wreck the Audacity, the crazy passion project that she built with her mom, if she has to, but losing her family to a doomsday plague is just not an option. Not her parents, not her siblings, not even the two idiot boys beside her. 

By the time they finish the “movie”, the sunset is over and the light of one of the darkest skies in America glows through the ponderosa pines. After a week in Vegas, the silver arc of the galaxy stuns Sierra as though she’s never seen it before. Jupiter floats near the horizon with bright-red Antares, but most of the stars Sierra knows are lost in the clouds of light. She's used to the Summer Triangle being the only thing in the sky, not it being the three brightest dots in a sea of stars. Sierra rubs her hands together. It’s not cold, but they’ve started to shake again. Hopefully from the climb and the rope, and not the curse. She nearly jumps when she realizes that Zerada is standing beside her. Elves are too quiet for their own good. The noblewoman lifts a hand to point to the center of the stellar triangle. 

“Can you see those two stars?” she asks. Sierra’s a little confused. They haven’t talked much before.

“No". Well, that was rude! She tries again. “I mean, you’re pointing at the band of the Milky Way. There’s a lot of stars”.

Zerada scoffs. “First, that’s a stupid name. Your society should stop listening to the Ancient Greeks. Second, there is a constellation. Humans call it Vulpecula, "little fox’”. 

“So we should only listen to the ancient Greeks when they make you look good? Tiny little constellation anyways". Zerada gives her a very fox-like grin. Sierra sighs and sits back down. She’s had quite the evening, and has this headache, and would rather just be quiet.

………

“Ryn! Ishtar! I have an urgent question about wild human society!” Amedi Kebero bursts into the Apex's living quarters while the family play dice games that even a master tactician like Ryn can’t always win. The sky outside the wide windows is deep indigo between the clouds. They’re a good deal west of the pine forests, and the sun has only just set. 

“You should probably ask your seneschal unless it is about science fiction,” Arjuna explains. He’s a very serene man, despite his legendary kill count. 

“She’s busy wrangling the computers to track license plates,” Amedi replies breathlessly. They sit cross legged beside the low table.  Fen is stealing his sister's dice to make an even taller stack. “I know the general location of the humans- deep in a pine forest beside a lake, there’s only a few options- and I’ve already sent an update, but I have a question”.

“Then ask it, Councillor. We’re rather busy”. Even sitting down playing a board game, Ishtar Mercuralis is larger than life. She's physically strong in a way that high nobility never are, and there's a depth to her dark eyes. She smiles down at Amedi, but well, she’s still smiling down. 

“What in the worlds is The Princess Bride?”

Everyone looks at Ryn. He’s spent the most time in the human world by far. “A film, I believe?” 

Amedi’s shoulders sink. “The humans have been talking about it all evening. It is a film, but also some sort of European folktale? They’re obsessed”.

“You should ask the reference clerks to find out, if you are still curious,” Arjuna says.

“Or… you could go to the human world and search for it there!” Suen replies. She’s lived her entire life in the age of advanced human technology. When Amedi was born, humans hadn’t even discovered radiation. Now “human computer” means a thinking metal box instead of a human that computes. It’s kind of infuriating because magic makes it all glitch and break down.

“Thank you! Good night!” They untangle their limbs and dash for the door. The table shakes and Fen’s tower of dice scatters. Suen shouts goodbye back. The adults are laughing behind them. 

Not long after, Amedi all but kicks down the heavy door leading to one of the computing rooms. There are around thirty uniformed humans sitting at desks, even this late at night. All of them are working to manage the data that wild humans could handle with a few lines of code. They all look up and stare. There’s a separation between humans and elves. No one with a vambrace ever intrudes in an office like this, not when they have seneschals instead. Amedi calls out for Esther and one of the clerks points towards the supervisor's office. They tear that door open too. 

Amedi stands in the doorway like an outlaw back for revenge. Scars and a bioluminescent tattoo stand out on their dark brown skin, and they look built for a battlefield, not an office.  The two humans had been arguing, but they both fall utterly silent. 

“Esther?”

She turns, eyes wide. “Is something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing to worry about. I need your help in the human world. Tech stuff”.

“Oh! Of course. I’m very skilled with technology”. She is! Esther can hack. It’s really impressive.

“All I need are a pair of hands that won’t corrupt the stuff”. That’s an exaggeration. Nobles can use human technology, it's just unreliable and breaks down over time. The vambraces that all graduates of the Conservatory wear are at the limit of processing power before the magic of a high noble starts messing with the hardware. Fifty years ago, that limit could run programs that seemed like magic to wilders. Now it’s about as powerful as a fancy calculator. 

Amedi is already turning to leave. “Grab some clothes that look wild. We’re switching worlds”.

There’s no arguing with that. Esther ends her conversation and follows behind them as they walk back to their living quarters. She starts to say something, but hesitates. The girl doesn’t do that often. If anything, Esther is typically too honest. 

“What is it?” Amedi says. 

“There are ways to access the internet from the palace, but I assume you want to visit San Francisco anyway”.

“Unrestricted internet? That works?” 

“Well enough for us seneschals to stream workplace comedies, Dee”.

Amedi scoffs and moves to ruffle Esther’s hair, but they’re really just petting the top of her head like a dog. “So that’s where you disappear to! I’d been wondering if a raptor picked you up and flew away”.  

“I promise that none of Genus Tiercel are trying to abduct me, especially not with my family history”. She moves their hand away, “and I’m not that short”.

Esther leads Amedi through servant’s passages deep into the palace. The walls are solid concrete and they can recognize the lead lining around the door. 

“Isn’t this a bit far from seneschal quarters?” they ask.

Esther smiles and opens the door, “Callum would kill me if I shared our secrets. This is for the maintenance staff. What are you looking for anyway?” 

The room is… a lounge? It’s windowless and loud from fans, but the room is full of chairs and tables from a dozen different styles. Maybe two dozen humans watch television and play cards. They look at Amedi with clear reverence, but most glare at Esther. Amedi glares back. Their seneschal deserves respect.

“Marin’s companions keep talking about this movie called The Princess Bride?”

Esther starts typing into one of the unused computers. “I’ve heard of it”. She opens a search engine and finds her way to the Wikipedia page before leaving Amedi the chair. The elf sits and begins to read. Wild humans are so, so, strange…

And someone is shaking them by the shoulders. They turn and raise a jagged dagger of red magical light, and Esther flinches away with terror in her eyes. They’ve missed her neck by only an inch. 

“Councillor, I-” 

“Life and death, Esther! You know you can’t sneak up on me like that!”

She takes a breath only after Amedi lowers the knife. “Yes. I know better… but you’ve got to get some rest. It’s nearly midnight”. 

The room has no natural light, but the people have changed and the television is playing a different film. Oh not again. The computer screen glows with the wikipedia page for fixed-term elections in the United States Senate. How did they get here? Maybe it’s for the best that the elven world doesn’t have this sort of infrastructure. They’d never be able to get anything done. 

“Thank you, Essie,” they smile to try and relieve some of the tension. “Maybe Marin’s humans have the right idea. I’ve got to get outside more”. 

“We should both touch some grass,” she adds.

“What?”

“Wild human internet slang”.

Amedi stretches like a cat and laughs. “I’m going to tell Ishtar’s kids all about it”.

….….….….….

Every day is a good day to think about The Princess Bride.

Esther has a fully functional computer in her room (Part 15). No, she is not going to tell anyone. 

The phrase “touch grass” is a slight anachronism (it didn’t really become popular until COVID) but I think it's funny. 

[hedgeherbsandhearth]

Going down the RWBY rabbit hole again, pun absolutely intended.

Crown of Choice Relic. I don't think it's at the Beacon Vaults. A reddit thread I read over mentioned how Volume 1 had hints scattered throughout for other volumes and by the 7th rewatch, I have found multiple hints. One that's been nagging at me is the Crown of Choice location.

A few people think it's either at Patch Island with Taiyang or in the Emerald Forest. I think the Forest at the Abandoned Temple and here's my brief reasoning so far as to why.

RWBY and JNPR wreck the cliffside ruins fighting the Nevermore after they left to get their "relics" that Ozpin informs them to get. (Only Ozpin and Glynda know in the initiation group about the relics, so the word choice seemed interesting. )

If you look at the temple's flooring design, some parts are shaded more than others. Could be the art team. it could just be my tarot reading style of finding hidden things in imagery, but i felt drawn to it. Like the darker parts to me, almost take on the form of a crown that is then mirrored.

They had to choose a relic, and in Wizard of Oz, the Emerald City plays a big part. You could see Beacon and Vale as the Emerald City too, I suppose, but the fact that the temple did not get damaged in the initiation sequence said something to me.

The Crown in Indecisive King and King of Vale is the crown. However, when they designed the Vale symbol, they changed it to a laurel wreath crown with versus the OG style of points.

Take a look at my crude attempt and lend me your constructive thoughts.

[maguro13-2]

The Dark Picture REPAINT ~ Origins of the Ink Demon : Operation Drawcia Pt.2 ~

"2 years ago after Metal Sonic's defeat..."

Egg Pawn : Talk, damn you! Talk! *slams fist*

Metal Sonic : I did it. I had to do it.

Egg Pawn : Explain yourself! How in the world can you be so foolish!?

Egg Pawn #2 : Sir, no need to harsh things.

Egg Pawn #3 : After that rebellious act he pulled, this blue tin can one started his own empire and has committed for fraud, rebellion, and renegade. Ever since Eggman went nuts on the whole Gizoid thing, he took advantage on breaking the point that his own "creation" turned on him and caused significant damages that costs us millions for these crimes.

Metal Sonic : I don't know why I was put up into being guilty of my own reasons, I had to do it and to make sure to put it into my mind manipulation. Maybe I did really went overboard with the hole being a renegade villain. Partaking in my crimes against Robotnik, I haven't seen that Gizoid in one year. Don't know why, don't know when...But hey, I've seen a machine that goes overboard. Wonder what's gonna happen to Gemerl, Should that little rabbit keep him or just to be abandoned by his own creations?

*Door opening*

Solva : Alright, you. That's enough of you, Tin can. So you learn about the secrets of the Ancients and that Angel Chaos creature, right?

Metal Sonic : Angel Chaos? The lifeform that wields a scythe and contains the soul of a hero chao that was supposed a Grigori. I just realized that lifeform Angel Chaos was really the resurrected form of that Maka Albarn and it is clearly the mastermind behind the attack on the American Public and the city of Tokyo, I don't know or how that creature is related to Maka Albarn, this was some kind of mix-up between her and the "original", but despite all of my shenanigans, I did remember anything like I said, but who or what is responsible for the resurrection of Maka Albarn.

Solva : Hmm? You think so?

Metal Sonic : Of course, It's hardly to be that Maka Albarn has been resurrected into a lifeform by acquiring those Seven Chaos Emeralds, I knew something fishy from the Ohkuboverse would be hiding all of truth while the lies were being spread, those punks of the entire world of Soul Eater had the nerves to keep everything a secret and Maka's mother is the only one who can finally spread the truth.

Solva : Well, ain't that something? I guess you are a fast learner, but now you've finally come clean and ready to be on restrictions or probably ground yourself, I think it's time that we finally give you the proper instructions. Maybe this was Dr. Eggman's business to deal with impulsationg Blue Hedgehog, let's just hurry up and close the case. Alright, boys. Prepare for the kitch, we need to welcome for our guest, I sure hope those boys from Soul Eater doesn't get too cocky for being a shounen hero with a much development.

Egg Pawn : But...Fine. [To Metal Sonic] But listen you. If you ever tried to pull your mind manipulation tricks ever again, I will put you on restrictions and have you stripped of your duties. Next time, don't mess with us, you got that?

Metal Sonic : Hey, it's about these top secret disks, could you give them them to the Chaotix, I believe that Shadow's father is coming soon.

Egg Pawn : Sure. We'll must be continuing our research.

Solva : Hurry up, you three. Dinner's needed to be ready!

Egg Pawn : [To Metal Sonic] Alright then...You're free to go.

*leaves*

[Deep Thoughts by Sota Fujimori]

Metal Sonic : After all of that "Overlord" business for nothing, I still couldn't get the fact that I despised Shadow for getting in the way, I only wanted to take Sonic down so that I would become the ruler of the world, but he and his friends always ruin my plans, those meddlesome brats. Just you wait, Sonic and Shadow. Next time, when I get my hands on you two, you and your friends won't be the same without me! I swear that I am gonna get you two back for it!

"two years later"

Seto : Hey, Mr. Sonic.

Sonic : Hello there, blonde ribbon girl with a huge-butt sword.

Seto : It's Seto the Deathless by the way, but Solva and I were despite being called Needless, that's the name of the world that we used to live in. Hey, I remember you watching you fight a giant lizard and I want to thank you on stopping Metal Sonic for taking over the world as the "Ultimate Overlord". Who knew that Metal Sonic was easily going to get his revenge by turning against his own creator? I mean if you hit the switch at headquarters, you can tell the difference that Dr. Robotnik isn't the bad guy of heroes, it was Metal Sonic who was manipulating you the entire time and eventually got you and friends involved of this Mind Manipulation thing.

Sonic : And you know what else, I'm sorry that we destroyed your force by mistake and we realize that they are the peacekeeping forces that protects San Francisco and we apologize for accusations. Metal Sonic had been my rival for around the past 10 years. 10 years in the reaper's castle made him a--

*Seto covers his mouth with one finger*

Seto : Don't. Save it for Sega's newest star.

Sonic : "Newest star"?

Seto : Of course, Sega is making changes to the company when they decided to make a game about the Japanese Mafia of the Tokyo Underworld.

Sonic : I'd like to take it so hard that--WHEN DOES SEGA START MAKING GAMES ABOUT A JAPANESE MAFIA!?! the company doesn't know when this guy mad Monkey ball and F-Zero, but the producer that makes arcade games and one F-Zero Title, he decided that he starts making games about Japanese Mafia.

Seto : I know it, It's a successor to one of your company's other titles.

Sonic : I've seen that and now the Dreamcast Era is officiall6 coming to an end, it ended on one console, and that console was the "Game Boy Advance". So, ummm...Yeah, the Dreamcast Era is officially over and SEGA has left out the hardware businesss. Guess all that making console thing for Sega had no choice but to give it a go on the other consoles since the Playstation 2 beat us to the punch. Anyways, how's Shadow been doing? Is he doing fine?

Seto : Quite true, not after that Gizoid Incident that we had to pull through, but it's a great question that you decided that we're on a role, but this will be the last of finding himself that he's still wondering from amnesia.

Sonic : Amnesia? Why didn't Eggman told me that?

Seto : *eating a cup of noodles* Because he didn't die in that incident you were at when the Space Colony ARK was falling to the planet, he was rescued by the doctor's robots, which turned out to be Alpha Team.

*DBZ SFX : Surprise*

Sonic : YOU MUST BE KIDDING!!!

*Flashback to SA2*

[Echo Night - Beyond OST : Track 13]

"When you and shadow teamed up to save the world from the Space Colony ARK being on it's collision course, I realized what I saw from that moment we discovered that Solva and I saw you two fighting the prototype, the Biolizard, when it became one with the Space Colony ARK in attempt of Gerald's crazy omincide."

"But who knew that mad scientist would bring an end to your world? But after you two stopped the ARK from falling and killing the Biolizard, Shadow fell into the planet and was presumed dead during his fall. But eventually, he survived when Alpha Team founded him and needed for complete revival."

"However, his promise that he made for a little girl through all the pain and suffering was Gerald's fault. And oh, the Biolizard that you defeated in space, which turns out to be his older brother."

Sonic : What? You mean...we went all that trouble for an older sibling and nobody reported it? So if the truth about 50 years ago isn't about Shadow's tragedy and revenge, that's why, because he was frustrated and confused. So where's the real truth about 50 years ago since the truth about him and Gerald back about four years was really false?

Seto : Well...I'll explain it later to you.

Egg Pawn Butler : Deathless Girl Seto. Lord Grim would like to have a word with you. Please, report yourself and Solva to his throne room, immediately.

*cuts to the throne room*

Grim the Mobian Reaper : *Hmmm...

Seto : Oh, Hello, Master. Seto the Deathess reporting in.

Solva : and don't forget about me, Solva.

Grim : I heard that the pitiful Metal Sonic is finally done with the "Overlord" whatchamacallit. It's a shame that he wanted to get his hands on the ruling the world, but his plans were foiled by Sonic and co with his meddling ways thanks to the help of the Chaotix.

Solva : *nods* Mm. Yep, that scrap heap is finally put out of commission, he won't be seeing himself as a mechanical monstrosity with wings when he around in the stormy skies of the night. We finally got Alpha Team to survive and showed that blue tin-can what we're made of.

Seto : Heh. It was no sweat at all. We did save San Franciscio two years, we finally revealed who was attacking the American Public and of course Tokyo. I believe it was that "lifeform" called Angel Chaos is really the resurrected form of Maka Albarn, who has a deep connection with Shinra Kusakabe, the guy who created the world and story of Soul Eater. Now I understand why Maka Albarn herself wanted to be the hero of Real World or Soul World.

Solva : Yeah, that's all I ever wanted to hear from her. But most importantly, why are we upside down.

*They are on the ceiling and looking at each other*

Seto & Solva : WOAH!

*THUD!*

Seto : Ouch! Darn Gravitation! I don't know why the author of Needles or "NEEDLESS" gave me a superpower that allows me to control gravity. But needless to say, I don't want that stupid power system, I got a power system of my own.

Solva : Actually, that was the switch for the Zero Gravity chambers, some of those guys didn't listen when I told them not to play with the switches, it'll make the castle go upside down because those switches we put up are for Zero Gravity only. [To the Egg Pawns] I told you, be careful when hitting that switch!

Egg Pawn : Err-Sorry, I'll get those switches apart!

Solva : Anyways, we're all good here. What did you have in common?

Grim : This. *holds out a human soul*

Solva : Hey, that looks just like a human soul. Where did you find it?

Grim : It was fifty years ago...

"When I was contacting with my men at the original headquarters, we we're able to get a visit to the Space Colony ARK on some kind of "Business trip" To the amazing creation of Project Shadow, but since the Biolizard was encapsulated due to it's problems, I was doing sometime busy with the Researchers about finding ways about the Chaos Emeralds, they were going to find a new creation that holds the power of Chaos. Until one day, while Project Shadow was still on going...Gerald contacted an "Evil Leader" who I had been chasing down with for 2000 years at the ruins of the canyon."

Seto : That's what's responsible for these incidents in the 2000s from Sonic's world? The only reason that we revealed Shadow had all the pain and suffering that are the best teachers that he has gained from.

Solva : Despite of his promise to the late Maria Robotnik for revenge, it is revealed that the pain and suffering Shadow had earlier on Sonic's birthday, because...(whispers into Seto's ear) he has daddy issues.

Seto : YOU DON'T SAY!?

Solva : Sorry that you didn't say that our dear Shadow fella has "daddy issues".

Seto : Well, that's one way to solve one's problem. Just where did you think that shadow's problems like--

Maria's voice : Shadow, Help me.

All : !?

[Messages by Michiru Yamane]

Seto : Hold on, did that human soul spoke?

Solva : That could be the voice of the late Maria.

Maria's voice : Shadow, I beg of you. Give them a chance to be happy.

Seto : M-Master. Did you really hear it?

Grim : Yes. It was her human soul that I have been manipulating the entire time and in turned manipulated shadow.

Seto : So shadow has been manipulated by that human soul? You mean, he was manipulated by these things the entire time, but if you're manipulating the soul of Maria Robotnik, that means you manipulated the soul of Tikal, the Echidna who sealed away Chaos within the Master Emerald.

Solva : And of course the one who helped the players for hints and guides. Like this one.

Tikal's Soul : Jump on Panel number one, it will take you to panels 2 and 3. Jump as soon as you land on a panel or else--

Solva : WE GET IT ALREADY! Jeez!

Tikal's Soul : I'm sorry.

Seto : So...I see that his "daddy" is coming back from 50 years ago after all the pain and suffering he had gain from the attack of those G.U.N Geeks.

Solva : Precisely.

Seto : *flosses with a toothpick* I know that he's coming back for fifty years, I'm not threaten to be dispose by the likes of him.

*Throws away toothpick so hard*

Egg Pawn : AAAH! MY SHINS!

Seto : When I do, I'm gonna tear that father of an edgelord and show him some respect when I get my hands on the baddies who threw us away from the world of NEEDLESS!

Grim : Good. Well, now. You are hereby dismissed. So it's time for you two to get some rest for tomorrow's battle plan, but before you can do that, don't forget to brush your teeth every day and night.

Seto : Master, I'm not a little kid, anymore. I can take manage myself.

*later this night.*

Solva : *Reading a book* coming to bed, Seto?

Seto : Just a minute, I'm almost done with my personal looks.

*Seto is at the bathroom looking at the mirror*

Seto : I don't want to get my feelings wrapped up with Shadow's father. But he seems like a bad parent to me. Are you sure that I really want to face him in the end? Just to be sure that Shadow is stuck in some kind of cycle he was in. In fact, he was definitely in a story cycle loophole.

Solva : Oh yeah, that reminds me, Eve would never be so pleased when she sees you as the world's greatest shinigami of all time. Can't wait to be secretary of the Shinigami council.

Seto : You said it. Since we're ready enough to be for a sleepover with Maka Albarn, just to be sure that Inky Albarn "could be the original", but I wonder if we died from the world of Needless together, does that make us copies as well? Eh, it's their call.

*Seto gets into bed where Solva's in"

Seto : You know, Solva. I haven't seen much of DWMA's formidable adversaries since it's becoming a let down with the legacy they had been protecting for only a year. That legacy was so rare that it was the beginning of everything in Soul World. Well I don't play by the rules of a charlatan, but what do you think of it?

Solva : Beats me. Some things never changed do they? I do believe that's your call of saying we're not so dull and gullible enough to be fooled around as Fans of the DWMA. I'm sure the Mashimaverse will be fine without the Ohkuboverse getting in their way, but what to do on such terms that we don't understand is what's their problem of protecting the legacy.. Secrecy or not, there gonna fall so hard, the stock prices will crash any moment now.

Seto : We'll wait and see. I hope they'll never have a future without the DWMA, and without the legacy, the Ohkuboverse will be no more.

Solva : Yeah...The Ohkuboverse will be no more.

Seto : I know that. I am not pleased with any kinds of problem with them. *blows out torch lamp*

Solva : Gladly to hear to hear that, darling. *Blows out torch lamp*

[Echo Night - Beyond OST : Track 3]

Solva : Have a good night, Seto. *goes to sleep*

Seto : Yeah, you too. *lies down with her arms behind* Hmph.

*A vision of Angel Chaos is shown*

Seto : [v/o] Yeah, that resurrected lifeform was the Maka Albarn as we once knew it, the original must be somewhere around this world. And if I'm not mistaken, he Maka Albarn we knew can be it's copy created by you know who. How I wonder who's minding the creation of the "copies" to this world as we know it? I wonder...Like that's gonna ever happen.

"Meanwhile"

"SPACE COLONY ARK...4 YEARS AFTER SONIC ADVENTURE 2"

*DBZ : Rumbling+booming*

*scene changes+door opens*

Black Doom : After 50 years, I have returned to this place of our former glory. But...

[Echo Night - Beyond OST : Track 09]

Black Doom : The whole place is deserted and I'm still standing here finding out the professor's dead. But what's this? *Sees a red writing on the wall*

"Message : I WILL FIND YOU BLACK DOOM!"

Black Doom : Grim. It's been 2000 years since our last encounter. I see you have grudge against me. But on the contrary, I do believe that you won't see his face again when I get to meet shadow at day of reckoning.

*Looks at a photo of Gerald and Maria*

Black Doom : I shall give him the ultimate revenge that these humans deserved for their selfish greed. It is time that I will by give them the demands of their demise and despair.

*cuts outside where the Black Comet is shown*

Black Laugh : *laughing evilly*

~ Mission 1 : The Post-Dreamcast Era ~

[officialurban]

🚨Armageddon Programming Explained (Short)

In our last two episodes we built on our introduction to spell casting. First, by examining the first half of JD Salinger’s one hit wonder book “the Catcher in the Rye.” While it is true that we could have picked more modern examples, it is actually more important to build a base of understanding since today we have fallen so far down Alice’s rabbit hole that we have actually reached the Emerald City of the Queen of Hearts! Today we live in pastiche. While most modern bimbos and numb nuts don’t realize it, we have actually reached the final stages of pastiche from which nothing but a dangerous douse of reality can free us.

[choirofseventongues]

Jabberwocky.

everyone’s tripping on tower bricks and crystal candycanes. twin bruises girl, you know what i mean pain star, call upon your saint of choice...Im tired of your perverted crush

i opened up to your wind rush and rejoiced

such a long long time ago and turned my back when i saw your muddy body in an ocean grave post-you showing

to me your truest colors and stabbed yourself face-first.

i turned the other cheek too much i told you sorry but i'm not. you were vile little alice. and twice as fucking vain. you planted seeds of jealousy in your flying monkeys trying to saddle me with blame.

you’re not a wicked witch yknow, you no longer have to play the part, my little horned flame.

they try to look and act like different masks of mine because you can't seem to replace me.

so why whine? because you broke your own damn heart with expectations and competitive childlike flaunts and you know now you’ll never beat me, yet…

i never wanted this for us and never thought of you ill that way. i loved you dearly but not queerly so you chose to run away.

it's your turn for the qliphoth now.

i've seen god and before him, in the abyss you too shall bow. your soul will mush, decay and rot. but you too shall be reborn as a babalonian jackpot

i crossed the abyss some times and i hope you cross it 3 times harder. the dark night of the soul awaits you. a punishment for repeated betrayal. betrayed me and betrayed yourself, your truest will and so did your selfish pawns.

i only screwed him because you screwed mine first. your power drill nails etched your name into my heart because you hate me. because you need me, and i loved you in a way you didn't want.

i truly tried to be your friend. not your experiment or toy. not your sidepiece or gay twin flame. not your charity accessory left gaunt

bought drugs for you and cried with you, chauffeured you and played your maid. i never wanted to compete with you but you couldn't stand the beacon in my soul and sprayed it with acidic Raid.

im a black hole now so honey try not to get sucked into the tirade.

i turned the other cheek too much and lapped up all your tears, i never tore your spirit down because the truth falls on deaf ears.

plato's cave is where you stay with your army of social elites. you all remind me of billionaires, the way our backs ache from your pairs of trust fund feet.

are the dots starting to connect yet miss alice? i know you feel ashamed. you’re only sorry for me and my struggle now because you’ve been defamed.

i’ll say it once and i’ll say it again, cus The Whore has just rode in.

i turned the other cheek too much my dear and you really love to strike when i can’t see you.

my blood dries purple. you made a martyr of me. i wear the crown, of silver lilac lavender, my three eyes bleed blue rivers clean, and my severed neck bears pearls and golden faked aquamarine, my heart pumps out green lightning. my stomach a golden meadow

of carnage under the moon, my womb a flaming holy wound. my sex an aching rushing haze of red and amethyst.

royal chrisist crucifixion, i wear my scars from you.

I strike you down girl, cus you were never friend but foe, you. dug your talons in… and i lost everything… but in the end what did you gain?

sweet alice please don’t be so vain, your fanclub’s had enough! be wiser and behave like a woman grown… i think we’ve both had enough… check your heart and like a phoenix or scorpions tail, i hope youre fit to rise.

and you, the brainless scarecrow, you’ve made me stiff like hay.

i inherit emerald city and toss your memory like a can of tin. I wear the mark of the beast and white and blue for my future munchkins.

you, april rose… bear the hat of the fool. I’ll hide you from your rabbit hole just for preying on me in high school. i am the white rabbit; see, you have to stop chasing after me. wake up my loves it’s time to say goodbye to wonderland where you’re kings and queens of swords, illuminating hell with your deceptive fabric lies and attempting me and i, my kingdom, my jabberwocky. i the queen of hearts and dorthyann and mallory, see past your pixels, hear me: your tok is tikking girl. the doctors got your medicine, on tower pills you choke. heavenly mother will always be here, for you’re entitled to instructions.

we know his manhood's tiny... and id still cut the arms right of him; if he ever put a hand on you unprompted.

i warn you that the tunnels reek of illness and destruction.

i hope he gives you all you dream of because at the end of the day ye hath deserve it.

i seal this letter with a kiss and send you off and angels lift

their wings to take your sainthood and bless you with their crown.

one more thing you should know, the crows told me your rainbow aura’s looking brown regina george.

Thoths sandy crown is now my cross to split and bear and disperse upon ye. jesus was the mushroom you hurled.

Sleep tight and dont let the bedbugs bite. You'll meet the Giant in the White Lodge where the owls gorge the flesh of THE ARM 🎖🍸🪖👽🏔☮️🕊 Y LA ZEITGEIST!

[ibelieveinahappilyeverafter]

Idea for a TV Show: Modern Dorothy Gale and Alice Liddell are a pair of fourteen year old cousins who meet up one summer. Alice is a bit loony from her stay in a mental asylum, Dorothy's heartbroken bc she's finally realized that Kansas isn't home anymore. Both try to find a way back to their worlds.

Wow, so, I got carried away with this, but man did I have some great fun with it!

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                            Down the Rabbit Hole to the Emerald City

Dorothy Gale, at a safe and firmfourteen-years-old, felt like her life in Kansas where she was safe and settledon her Aunt and Uncle’s farm was starting to make sense in a way that she couldspend the rest of her life living peacefully and comfortably; this was not tobe the case. A peaceful day getting ready for the summer months had come to anabrupt and heartbreaking end when her Aunt had called her into the kitchen andsat her down with the words, “We need to talk.”

Similar to every child who had ever come beforeher, Dorothy knew that those words would lead to nothing good. She had beenright.

“You’re sending me away!” The question was moreof a cry of outrage, Dorothy unable to contain her emotions at realizing thatshe was being moved out of her home. “This is my home!”

Aunt Em sighed and fretted and fluttered aroundthe kitchen, Dorothy’s Uncle Henry much calmer as he rumbled out a soft, “We’renot sending you away, Dorothy. You’re going to visit your cousin for thesummer, is all.”

“That’s months away,” Dorothy pointed outquickly, looking between her Aunt and Uncle and feeling a frantic need toconvince them to let her stay claw at her. “Shouldn’t I stay here to helparound the farm? Summer is an important time, isn’t it?”

“Oh, Dorothy, we’re not doing this to punishyou,” Aunt Em sighed, heavy and sharp as she shook her head in a similarmotion. “You’re a young lady, now, though, and you need to learn that you can’tspend your entire life running around a farm like a child.”

Before Dorothy could argue that she was not achild and that she knew that well thank you very much, her Uncle wasspeaking up again. He was the unmovable mountain in contrast to her Aunt’ssharp, fiery nature. The slow and steady tone of his words had Dorothy calmingbefore she could stop herself.

“This isn’t us trying to punish you or force youto grow up, Dorothy, but instead it’s us trusting you,” Uncle Henry said, asmall smile hidden on his weathered face as if he knew his words would calm herlong enough to interest her. She hated that he was right.

Dorothy crossed her arms and tapped her foot,finally moving to sit in the kitchen chair across from her Uncle, Aunt Em stillbustling around the kitchen and looking to be starting on lunch. The familiarscene of the three of them in the kitchen had Dorothy relaxing and falling out ofher rage.

Gathering her thoughts, she finally asked asoft, “What do you mean trusting me?” Because she didn’t see how being sent offto live with a cousin she had never heard of was trusting her.

“Your cousin is your age and she’s been sick,”Uncle Henry explained, weight seeming to slide off his shoulders now thatDorothy was sitting. “She’s only just been released from a hospital where theywere helping her with night terrors that she’s had the last few years. We thinkhaving someone there that’s her age will help.”

Chewing on her bottom lip, Dorothy thought theinformation over. The reassurance that she wasn’t being sent away from her homewas reassuring, but the idea of spending months with a cousin she had nevereven heard about was… It wasn’t upsetting, but it wasn’t something she wasfully comfortable with. 

She liked her home in Kansas, after all. Sheloved running around empty fields that stretched on for days and she enjoyedrelaxing in the sun only to trudge back into a loving, dust-covered house thatwas full of warmth, good food, and wonderful company. She didn’t want to leavethe only home-like place she had left, not after leaving her true home,but…

This seemed important, and Dorothy knew thatonce she had a task, she didn’t stop until she completed it. Kansas may nothave been her true home, anymore, but she would still miss it dearly.

“You said her name was Alice?” Dorothy finallyasked, deciding that it might have been worth all the trouble just to see herAunt and Uncle light up at her decision.

“Alice Liddell,” Aunt Em confirmed quickly,tapping her ladle against a pot of boiling pasta with a cheerful hum. “She’syour age exactly.”

“I suppose that’s good,” Dorothy said weakly.Her heart hurt as she realized she wouldn’t see her house for months, but thewarm, proud smiles made it tolerable, at the very least. “Right. When do Ileave?”

Maybe a summer away from Kansas could be goodfor her. It would be nice to look behind her without scanning the sky, as ifjust waiting for the day she would once more seeing the towering buildings ofthe Emerald City that she could never forget.

It was possible her Aunt and Uncle were right,too. Alice could be good for her, former night terrors or not. Nightmares,after all, were something that Dorothy could understand.

That was what she thought, at least, butsomehow, Dorothy realized that nothing could have ever prepared her for meetingthe girl she was meant to spend an entire summer with.

Cousin Alice and her family lived in a beautifulcountryside that was full of thriving greenery, trees towering high andimmaculate gardens around every corner. It reminded her too much of the placethat had captured her heart, and Dorothy promised herself to spend as much timeinside as possible, already missing the familiar dusty plains of her home andher beloved Toto who hadn’t been allowed to travel with her.

Dorothy had smiled and greeted her extendedfamily that she was only just hearing about, though, putting on her bestbehavior. When she had been introduced to her cousin, however, Dorothy hadfound herself caught off guard.

She had expected someone like her, almost. Afourteen-year-old girl who liked dresses well enough, enjoyed wearing pants andloose clothing where possible, and curious about new things when given theopportunity to explore and learn.

Dorothy had not been expected a quiet, dourlittle girl who looked years younger than Dorothy herself, and yet had eyesthat were years older than Dorothy herself. She had not been expectingCousin Alice to have features like that of a porcelain doll who had not beenproperly cared for, features smooth and round, but just a touch too gaunt, asif haunted by things she could never say.

Dorothy had not been expecting rabbit-quickfeet, mouse-quiet movements, or cat-like smiles that were unnerving, but onlyappeared half-seen, covered by hair and the downward tilt of her head.

All attempts at conversation were met withquiet, searching looks, or quick, short responses that made little to no sense.Dorothy was not sure what hospital Cousin Alice had been admitted to, but shehad a feeling it hadn’t been a good one for her, overall. 

Breakfast had ended when Dorothy had asked ifCousin Alice liked tea and the girl had looked ready to cry before giving asharp smile and a quick retort of, “One is never late for tea unless, ofcourse, Time is late himself.”

Lunch had gone a similar way when Dorothy hadasked her cousin if she enjoyed a certain kind of food in particular, only toget the odd response of, “I’m not sure, but I quite miss the tarts the RedQueen would give out upon occasion.”

In the hours before dinner, Dorothy had been exploringthe rather large estate when she found Cousin Alice sitting on a table in thelibrary with a stack of books around her. Dorothy hadn’t even been able to aska question before the girl was looking up at her with clear, clever eyes,asking a simple, “Do you know why a raven is like a writing desk?”

It had taken only a day, but Dorothy realizedthat she was not ready to know someone like Alice Liddell.

                                                       εїз εїз  εїз

Alice Liddell, at a terrifying and nebulousfourteen-years-old, felt like her life in her family home where she wasconstantly on edge and wary made little to no sense at all in a way that shecould spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder for the next wallmeant to come crumbling down; this was not to be the case. A stressful day ofgetting ready for the summer months had come to a startling and hopeful endwhen her mother had called her into the sitting room and sat her down with thewords, “We need to discuss something.”

A week later and a cousin her age who she had neverbefore met was now staying with them for the summer. Alice hadn’t quite been asexcited for this meant another person she would have to talk to and pretend shewas ‘okay’ around, but Dorothy Gale was, apparently, not someone she had beenready to know.

When Alice had been watching from her bedroomwindow as Dorothy first arrived, she noticed the girl had looked around thecountryside with a look that Alice could only call nostalgic sorrow for a homelong since snatched away from her. It was a look Alice knew well, and it was alook that she needed to understand more about - although she hadn’t expectedDorothy to be like she was, even after seeing that look.

Alice had expected someone like her sister,perhaps, only younger in age. A fourteen-year-old girl who liked to weardresses and act older than she was, ignoring the Truth that was sittingright in front of her that she wouldn’t see even if it were to be shoved in herface.

She had not expected a curious, calm young ladywho looked years older than Alice herself, and yet had eyes that burned with achild’s a curiosity. Alice had not been expecting Dorothy to have the look andgait of someone who had seen so much, and yet had learned to let it fallbetween the cracks before it drove her mad.

She had not been expecting a lion’s courage, asteel heart that was warm, a guileless intelligence, and the steady shouldersof a leader that only appeared half-seen, covered by quick smiles and evenquicker movements.

Alice knew that there was more to Dorothy thancould be seen, and their brief conversations together only proved so, Alicetesting Dorothy and getting puzzles pieces each and every time. Alice was notsure what part of Kansas Dorothy had come from, but she knew she had seen morethan where she had been.

Breakfast had been promising when Dorothy hadasked her about tea and Alice had promptly responded like the Hatter would haveexpected of her, Dorothy nodding her head and replying with, “Curious that Timecould ever be late when time never existed, don’t you think?”

Lunch had been even more promising when they hadbeen speaking of favorite foods, Dorothy admitting a quiet, almost unheard, “Imiss the food of the Munchkins. They were amazing cooks, you know.”

Hours before dinner, Dorothy had stumbled acrossher in the library, and when Alice had asked her the question that had alwaysbeen on the tip of her tongue, Dorothy had replied with a simple, “Because itcan produce a few notes, I’d expect.”

It was obvious that Dorothy was not just anothergirl who smiled and laughed and thought Alice was crazy. If anything, Alice hada feeling that some would think Dorothy crazy if she ever shared why shelooked so sad staring at the green hills and was so quiet when stories aboutlions and witches and fairies were brought up.

“I know that she’s seen something, too,” Alicesaid quietly, curled up in her favorite window seat with a blue butterflyresting on her finger, wings too brilliant a blue to ever be from her world.“Perhaps not my home, but she’s found one of her own, don’t you think?”

The wings flapped slowly and lazily without acare in the world, Alice humming and returning her stare to the moon that wasfull and heavy in the sky, lighting the world in a way that reminded her ofWonderland. It had been too long since she had been home.

“We need to go home, Absolem,” Alice saidsoftly, words near lost in the night. They would have been, had there not beenthe creak of footsteps only a few feet away.

“Alice? Who are you talking to?” There, in thedoorway, stood her cousin Dorothy, a light blue nightgown hanging loosely offher as she looked sleepily confused. “It’s the middle of the night.”

Looking down to the butterfly on her finger,Alice listened to the whispered words that floated up to her, soft and quietand so obvious.

“Yes, I suppose that’s all that’s left to do,”Alice said simply, letting Absolem fly up to rest on her shoulder before shewas standing and moving to meet Dorothy at the door. Her cousin looked worriedand cautious, something about her stance only solidifying Alice’s resolve andher assumptions. “What world did you visit?”

Dorothy startled, looking completely surprisedand caught off guard. Surprised, but not confused. That, more than anything,said it all. “I- I’m afraid I don’t know what you-”

“Mine was called Wonderland,” Alice said simply,meeting Dorothy’s gaze and refusing to look away. “My home is calledWonderland. It’s been two years since I left, and it’s been two years sinceI’ve been trying to get back. So, where was your home?”

Dorothy was silent for a long enough time thatAlice begun to fear that she had gotten it wrong. Instead, though, after aneternity, Dorothy breathed out a soft, incredulous, “Oz.” She sounded like shewas recalling a dream that she had forgotten. “My home is called Oz.”

Alice had been right, then. Taking Dorothy’shand after a moment of thought, Alice pulled the girl into her bedroom, closingthe door against wandering ears. Dorothy hardly seemed to notice, insteadlooking as if she had finally woken up.

“You… I’m not crazy, then?” Dorothy asked, voicehesitant and young before she was laughing, hands moving to cover hermouth for a moment before she was looking at Alice, overwhelmed. “Have I gonemad?”

The question had barely finished before Alicepulled her cousin into a tight hug, holding her close and patting at her backas she responded with, “I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers.”

A startled laugh tore its way out of Dorothy’sthroat, Alice continuing the words that she had been told a lifetime ago, wordsthat sounded cruel, but were told like… “But I’ll tell you a secret,” Alicealmost whispered, tightening her hug on Dorothy. “All the best peopleare.”

Alice wasn’t sure how long the two of them stoodthere in her room hugging, both clinging on to the only person who would everunderstand the truth that they had seen, but eventually Alice felt Dorothystart to pull back.

“You really found another world like mine?”Dorothy asked, tone wavering as if afraid asking would make it no longer true

Alice made sure to smile extra wide, just likethe Cheshire Cat taught her, before answering with a quick, “Of course! And ifI’m right, we may be able to help each other find our way home.”

Heartbeats passed and Alice saw the hope and needbloom to life in Dorothy’s eyes. Alice knew what that hope felt like, andshe was determined to not let it be lost like hers almost had been.

The two stood there, looking into eyes that hadseen worlds others knew nothing off, and Alice blinked bemusedly as Dorothytook a few steps away and then stuck out her hand, smiling softly as she spoke.

“Hello, Alice. My name is Dorothy Gale. My bestfriends are a lion who is more courageous than he knows, a tinman who has aheart of gold, a scarecrow who is clever as can be, and a man who’s not aslonely as he used to think. My home is the Emerald City in a land called Oz.It’s nice to meet you.”

Alice felt like she could cry from joy forthe first time in a long time, Absolem’s wing brushing against her cheeksoftly. “Hello, Dorothy,” Alice whispered. “My name is Alice Liddell. My bestfriends are a brave mouse, an anxious rabbit, a clever cat, a man who isabsolutely mad about tea, and a cantankerous old butterfly. My home is in aworld called Wonderland. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

Dorothy’s hands held hers tightly, beautifulsecrets shining in her eyes, and Alice knew, without a doubt, that they wereboth going to be alright.

They were both going to find their way backhome.

[clarislam]

Writing Progress as of July 15th, 2018:

Camp NaNoWriMo/“Finding The End” Writing progress:

...So...I might’ve caved and decided to work on this novel a bit more for Camp NaNoWriMo. I’m hoping to write another 25,000 words to have a total of 50,000 words by the end of the month!

In the meantime, you can read more info about my novel here!

Fanfiction Writing Progress:

1. I posted a new chapter of my Bravely Default/Second fanfic, “Down The Rabbit Hole” just yesterday!

2. I also recently posted a new chapter of my The Last Story fanfic, “Blood Warrior!” 

3. I’m hoping to post something new for the Emerald City/Yakitate!! Japan “Home” Continuum, most likely by Friday or Saturday! 

Also...I’m (still) officially writing an NBC “Hannibal”/Bravely Default crossover oneshot! It’s just taking a really long time...*flails*

It’s taking place within my “Things We Cannot Undo” Continuum, being a direct sequel to “Out For Blood.” I’m STILL reading through the scripts and watching clips when I can, on top of reading some fanfics to get the grasp of the characters. 

For those interested in which script I’m reading at the moment, I just finished reading Season 1, Episode 9 and I’m really intrigued by the series so far!

[duplicity-if]

Duplicity is a superhero story with comedy and drama etched into everything.

Setting: Celestial City

Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy, Action, and Superheroes.

Warning(s): This story will be rated 18+ for depictions of violence, strong language, sexual themes, alcohol consumption, blood, and horrible puns.

DEMO (TBA)

Celestial City— named after the Order of Superheroes that founded it— is rife with all walks of life; from the little bakery down on fifth to the shopping district that could put Rodeo Drive to shame.

Though nothing could ever stand against the HQ of the Celestial’s— the sleek building towering into the sky as a warning to all those that wished to do the city harm; powered and unpowered alike.

It was your dream to one day walk the halls of that very building; not as a teammate, you didn’t have any powers to speak of, but a member of the journalists that get to be part of history— documenting the Celestial’s and integrating into the team. A dream that few would ever get to actually live out, but one could hope.

For now, however, you were more than content with being a cub reporter at the biggest media conglomerate within Celestial City— Priestly Industries.

You just never expected what your newest assignment would bring you.

Play as an MC that’s just been given the biggest story of their life! Interviewing the biggest name in all of Celestial City— Tempest; the hero, and face, of the Celestial’s.

Customizable MC: name, gender, sexuality, appearance, hobbies (to some degree, and more that will crop up).

Will you fall down the rabbit hole of where your investigations take you? Or will you be able to pull yourself out before it’s too late?

Who can you trust in a city that boasts hidden identities?

Romance 1 of 5 options that will bring unique scenes and experiences to your play through.

Will you find out what’s really going on in Celestial City? Be the hero that you never anticipated being?

Or will everything crumble around you?

Julian/Juliette Danvers [M/F] - The Hero

29 [6’0” | Blue Green Eyes | Golden Brown Hair]

The Hero of Celestial City that has been on everyone’s lips for the last three years— since their debut. With a charismatic smile, a gentle heart, and compassionate nature it’s no wonder that so many people flock to be near them. When you’re given the assignment to interview them, you couldn’t believe your luck. Never knowing that you already knew them as the person that shared the same apartment with you; your roommate.

Asher/Astra Sinclair [M/F] - The Villain

29 [6’2” | Emerald Green Eyes | Raven Black Hair]

The infamous crime lord within all of Celestial City— an illusive individual that no one has ever truly seen; unless the brief snapshots during an altercation with the Hero of Celestial City counted. You’re not sure how evil they truly are, or what they’ve done, but you’re willing to figure it out. Never realizing that the very person you’re trying to find— that you want answers from— is your best friend in the entire world.

Lucian/Lucia Priestly [M/F] - The Boss

43 [5’11” | Crystalline Blue Eyes | Silvery White Hair]

Starting out in Priestly Industries as an assistant was a feat not many could say they’ve achieved— even less so if they’re able to make it out alive. Your boss, commonly known as the Devil, isn’t one to show praise or warmth to anyone ever. Few even believe that they have a heart underneath the carefully constructed walls. Will you be able to find out if that’s true or not? Will you finally find the person underneath the ice?

Oliver/Olivia Ward [M/F] - The Rival

28 [5’9” | Dark Brown Eyes | Onyx Black Hair]

You don’t know when exactly the rivalry had started— or why it hadn’t been stopped— but it was an ongoing entity within your time at Priestly Industries. With a flirtatious smile, a witty remark always poised at the tip of their tongue, and a habit of appearing exactly where you didn’t want them, they’re certainly someone to contend with. Will things change as you dive deeper and deeper into the story that will forever change your life?

Ross/Rose Pierce [M/F] - The Detective

30 [5’7” | Hazel Eyes | Dark Brown Hair]

A disgruntled employee of the CCPD that detests dealing with superheroes and all that they come with— unfortunately that memo doesn’t pass on to said individuals as they’re commonly the person that gets the most attention from the caped crusaders. It’s exactly for that reason that you ask for their help in your investigation— ignoring their grumpy attitude for the pursuit of the truth. Will you be able to see past their prickly exterior?

[focsle]

These journals lead me into taking so many obsessive little detours. Here's a 20 minute rabbit hole I went down instead of working on my comic.

[ID: Excerpt from an 1850s whaling journal kept by Albert Peck. Transcription follows.]

"We here spoke the ship Hibernia [Hibernia II] of N.B. She was commanded by one of those old sea tyrants who with their success in whaling have gained a wide spread fame for cruelty. This skippers name was Edwards, and his looks were a good index to his character. He had commanded a ship called the Geo.Washington some years before, and going into a South American port the crew set her on fire to get clear of her. This skipper like a great many others had been successful in his voyages and therefore was a saint, although it regularly took about half of his voyage to settle the lawsuits that were brought against him by the crew."

So then I go to the beloved whaleship database to find the George Washington. It's a popular ship name. But! We see that one was burned at Talcahuano, March 16th 1856

[ID: Image of a whaling database listing the above information. /end ID]

I wanna learn more about what happened, so it's time to peruse the whaleman's shipping list! The issue published on April 29th, 1856 is when the George Washington is most recently heard from. Its progress was reported via a letter the captain sent from Talcahuano on March 12th, 1856, stating that the ship was 'clean', meaning that it had taken no oil 5 months in.

[ID: Excerpt from the Whalemen's Shipping list with the above information.]

About a month later, the issue of the Whalemen's Shipping List published on May 20th contains an article about the George Washington's fate:

"A letter received in this city, from Capt. Munckley of ship Emerald, dated Talcahuano, March 19th, gives the following particulars of the loss of the ship George Washington, of this port:--

The G.W. arrived here some weeks since, and on Sunday last (16th), was set fire by some of the crew. The ship was immediately scuttled, and towed into shoal water, and every exertion made to extinguish the fire, but the ship did not fill before she grounded. Holes were cut in her deck, and water applied as long as it was considered any good. On Wednesday night following, the fire broke out anew, and soon the whole ship was enveloped in a blaze, and burnt to the water's edge.-- When I came on deck, this morning, at 5 1/2 o'clock, her foremast had fallen, and at 6 1/2 o'clock the main and mizzen masts went by the board. Nothing but the sails that were bent, were saved.

The article also goes on to state that she was valued at $60,000 and insured for only $11,000.

The July 8th issue says that Captain Edwards returned to New England via the ship President, which he was placed under command of for the return journey as the ship's former captain had abandoned it.

As for what became of the crew and the harshness that Albert alluded to, that's outlined in Dennis Wood's 1854-61 abstract of whaling voyages:

[ID: Excerpt from the abstract written in slanting script. Transcript follows. /end ID]

Ship Geo. Washington of New Bedford, J. Howland Jr. & Co, 609. "Pardon C Edwards Master sailed Oct 9th 1855 for South Pacific. Sld. from Fayal Nov. 4th Clean. At Pernambuco Jan 27th, 1856. Sailed on the 29th or 30th to cruise. A letter reports her at Talcahuano Mch 12. Clean. Reported to have been set on fire by some of the crew on the night of Mch. 16 in Talcahuano harbor and burnt to the water's edge. Nothing saved but her sails. A letter from Captain E stated that three men had been found guilty of setting fire to the ship and sentenced to 100 lashes and 30 years in the chain gang each. Burnt at Talcahuano on 1856."

Albert already shared all that information in his journal entry that sparked this and it wasn't at all necessary for me to plunge into it but STILL...I like putting together little history puzzles.

[swimmingleo]

MEEEEEEE RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE DARK SIDE OF THE RAINBOW

I KNOWWW. IT'S SOMETHING GOD. DYOU WANT MORE. I CAN RANT. I WILL.

at first you're indeed amused. sounds fun, here we go, then you're a lil bit mindblown but still skeptical then you're like STOP NO WAY and you faaaall down the rabbit hole like...

It's so coherent with their predominent themes? You got the cynical ''capitalism kills the dream'' when On The Run is playing for the entirety of Over The Rainbow (which btw... OTR...both of em), and so Dorothy is looking up the sky, daydreaming about rainbows but the sky is full of nightmare planes exploding and shit? Or when Dorothy/Judy takes her first step in technicolor and Money starts playing?? all the layers to that bit it's crazyYY

And then childhood, just like The Wall or anything Roger writes, the child is always the core, the child you kill, your inner child, the children you fight for. And the song which marks the end of childhood, Time, starts right when Almira Gulch first appears ? aka the character that makes Dorothy leave behind her home and insouciance ? AYOOO

And the thing that kills mEH is that DSOTM is officially openly unmistakenly inspired after Syd, the lil dude obsessed with fairy tales and children literature. so really… it’s.. the most logical thing that they would. Sync their first big concept album. With the most well known children movie. Where the lead actress. Became a martyr due to how terribly the entertainment industry treated her?

also yes I forgot but the inside of the gatefold sleeve is the rainbow with the green stripe highlighted, so it goes like this:

i mean sure the green stripe is the closer to the centre so it's just visually more pleasing but... from: No colour > Technicolor world and Emerald City > Back to no colour, yk

massive reaching but above is from DSOTM live visuals and they really had to single out the green wave and surround it with pink red dots like a poppy field huh

SRRY FOR THE THEORY DUMP but boi do i love conspiracies

[dizzymoods]

I was going down a rabbit hole researching Wakefield Poole and stumbled upon a youtube archive of the first gay public access television show called The Emerald City (77-79). One of the producers Gene Stavis was a professor of film at the SVA who linked up with Henri Lanlgois to create the SVA Theater, based on the cinematique francaise. Gene is also the apocryphal discoverer of Orson Welles' first film The Hearts of Ages which he made at 19yrs old.

Lee Culver (one of the actors in Poole's Boys in the Sand) was set to direct his own film but understandably backed out bc of the Harry Reems case where the Deep Throat actor was charged with transporting illicit materials cross state lines. Reems was represented by noted scumbag Alan Dershowitz.

Then there was an ad for Christopher Street magazine (The gay New Yorker) which ran from 76-95, where a young Scott Heim cut his teeth before writing Mysterious Skin.

so much history can be unearthed in 10 min 😭 it's really something.

[latin-dr-robotnik]

Hola Sebas! I saw that you really like the character of knuckles and amy rose, and I though...

Do you have some headcanons about them? 👀 I like to think that knuckles and amy can develop a sibling bond.

For example, knux being worried about her and even trying to protect in a sibling way during a battle.

And with amy, she would try to mock out knux in a friendly way like she did in the episode of sonic x where she was saying to him that it was obvious that knuckles was grateful for sonic's help but didn't wanted to say that to him but amy could read that in a spare of seconds

¡Hola anon!

Headcanons? Back at the start of this year I was actually working on an actual KnuxAmy oneshot lol. It was a bit of a personal experiment to try and branch out of regular ol' SonAmy content and into a different type of dynamic. A slower, more intimate one. Although it's still incomplete to this day, the main points were that after some years of relative peace in the world causing the Sonic cast to split up and do their own things, an older Amy decides to drop by Angel Island unannounced to visit the lone guardian of the Master Emerald, catch up on what they've been doing, and maybe remembering some old adventures they took part. It's meant to be a rather chill and intimate read in a post-Forces alternate continuity that takes the two of them around some beautiful vistas and secrets of Angel Island that no one but Knuckles (and maybe Sonic) knew of, while they slowly realize they might have more in common than they think. They're older, their way of understanding life is different, and so they might end up working better as "more than just friends", or at least that's what I was working toward before leaving the project sitting on my drafts haha.

As for actual headcanons, that "they might have more in common than they think" point is something I can stand by for any context, not just my self-indulgent fanfic. Alternate Sonic media like the comics have tried to develop quiet moments between them to strengthen their friendship, and it's something I can also see working as a general series headcanon. Knuckles in the main series is a bit of a wildcard, swinging between being the hot-headed Master Emerald guardian that wants to be left alone (but will chase you to the end of the world if you piss him off or steal the Emerald) in the Adventure days, and a bit of a dumb jerk as of recent games (Gens, Lost World, to some extent even Forces); and while I like both approaches, my ideal Knuckles (as I talked about him in a previous ask) has more of that SA2 Knuckles interacting with Rouge or Heroes Knuckles energy. (I like Heroes Knuckles a lot, he's as ready for adventure as he can be, and he's having lots of fun throughout.)

Anyway, yes, headcanons:

For grumpy Knuckles, the one who doesn't want to be bothered when he's on his floating island, I think Amy of all people is the one that can better connect with him; and while at first he won't let her delve too deep into his own thoughts and motivations, at the end of the day it helps him a lot to know he has a friend that understands him on a more personal level than the rest. That's not to say Sonic and Tails aren't close friends to him, but both of them are always around for adventures and kicking Eggman's ass. Sonic will never have a heart-to-heart conversation with Knuckles because that's not his style, because he understands Knuckles as is, and the only thing he want is for Knuckles to be fine and in shape for both punching shit and messing with each other. But Amy? Amy's empathy is the one key aspect that always carried her very far, and I believe she wouldn't let Knuckles walk away back to his island without talking about it, not because she wants to change him and force him to be more open, more friendly or just a completely different person, but because she wants to understand what's up with him, and reassure him that she'll always be there if he ever needs her. Of course, even if Knuckles denies it, it doesn't hurt to have someone you can chat with when the fate of the world isn't at stake. The M.E. is great and pretty shiny but I don't see it being too talkative (unless you turn it into a real character and... hooo boy that's a rabbit hole for another time.)

As for Knuckles as a jerk, yeah, I agree with both of them bantering a lot. We kinda saw that already with Sonic X, Sonic Generations and Sonic Lost World (Knuckles makes a funny comment about Sonic, Amy immediately retaliates, often with a strong shove involved lol), but I can headcanon Knuckles and Amy being complete jerks to each other. Over every other headcanon, I think this is the one with the biggest sibling energy: Knuckles is the big grumpy bro while Amy is the cheery little sister, and they both go ham having lots of fun mocking and teasing each other, laughing and then having some ice cream together or something before calling it a day. But that's exclusively their thing, do not attempt to make fun of any of them or the other one will tear you to pieces. That "knucklehead" you just mocked is Amy's big bro and if you don't apologize you'll meet her hammer head-on; and don't even get me started on what happens if you make Amy cry (heck, I can headcanon Knuckles threatening Sonic to break all his bones if he ever breaks Amy's heart lol like that "Are you playing with that girl's heart again, Sonic?" Heroes quote but now a lot more serious, haha.)

Heck, take off the KnuxAmy component of my fic and it becomes a decent sibling headcanon: Amy will visit Knuckles over at Angel Island on occasion (don't ask how she gets up there... that's part of Amy's magic), and they may or may not end up spending the entire afternoon talking about Sonic. If Knuckles ever has to come down to Station Square, I'm sure the first person he visits is going to be Amy, maybe even stick around for a cup of tea! He doesn't understand tea, though, or even the concept of a city apartment, so Amy may need some extra patience to teach him how everything works. Sonic may even show up while Amy is teaching Knuckles how to make tea, and he'll make a funny comment about him, causing Knuckles to immediately drop everything and chase after the blue blur across the city only to kick his ass.

So, in conclusion: yes, I was working on getting into older!KnuxAmy and maybe take their dynamic one step further, but for actual headcanons I can see Amy being the only one Knuckles can actually and fully trust, since she can see right through him, leading to probably one of the most solid friendships in the entire series, on the same level as Sonic-Tails, the Chaotix or Shadow-Rouge (don't kill me, shadouge fans... haha... ha.) When Knuckles is in the jerk mood the sibling energy between them goes to the moon, and leads to incredibly fun moments when they playfully mess with each other, laugh a lot and maybe Knuckles gets the chance to learn a bit more of how the world works outside of Angel Island.

[itsclydebitches]

Until proven otherwise, my headcanon is that both Ironwood and Watts survived and are going to team up again out of necessity lmao.

HI, ANON. So let me tell you about how this simple, silly sentence sent me down a 4k writing rabbit hole. “Lol I’m going to write a little parody about that” I thought to myself and then somehow? It got serious?? I honestly don’t know what this fic is, but I’m chucking it at everyone anyway. 

Also, I changed the whole “Atlas and Mantle are immediately submerged in water” plot point because it’s my coping mechanism and I get to choose the canon we ignore. 

***

Once upon a time there were two villains having a Very Bad Day.

The first, Arthur Watts, had survived an explosion, being buried under rubble, and the threat of a ten-story drop only to find himself suffocating amidst a magically produced fire. A horrible way to go, all things considered. Painful, of course, but more importantly, no self-respecting man should die with soot on his clothes.

Or leave behind a charred corpse. 

In fact, Watts had just begun to acknowledge the full indignity of his death when the momentum he'd felt — just there on the periphery of his awareness — suddenly ceased, Atlas crashing into Mantle and throwing him with a squawk in the process. His head took a nasty hit against one of the desks, the smoky gray of the room growing darker, and by the time Watts had come to, the fire had been replaced by water.

Ice-cold water, lapping up to his knees.

"Well," he said, lifting a sodden boot. "I suppose this is an improvement."

***

Elsewhere, James Ironwood — former General of the now sinking Kingdom of Atlas — was lying facedown on the stone of the outer vault, contemplating his choices. Upon reflection, no, he didn't regret what he'd done, but it would have been nice if things had turned out...any way other than this.

"Fuck," he said to the empty hall, enjoying the reverberation. He deserved that much at least.

In time, Ironwood was able to pick himself up off the floor, supported as much by the fact that he'd been knocked out by his own blast as his shaky, barely-there aura. Up the elevator running on emergency dust reserves, through the corridors that groaned ominously under damaged supports. Ironwood headed towards the military headquarters purely out of habit and as he did the sound of water grew stronger, almost like waves, until there was an inch of it across the floor, more trickling in from the staircase. Ironwood had been watching his boots splash with each step, almost mesmerized, and didn't look up until another pair unexpectedly entered his view.

Watts froze in the act of wringing out his pantleg, eyes wide. His expression, the water, how the hallway tilted downward at a slight angle... it all felt like something out of a dream. Ironwood just watched as Watts watched him, until his eyes traveled to the gun clipped on his belt. Ironwood hadn't even realized he'd picked it up.

"Here to kill me, James?" Watts said.

"No." He knew it was true as soon as he'd said it. The mere thought of starting another fight right now was... exhausting. "Do you intend to kill me?"

"Oh really. Does it look as if I'm in a position to fight you? Do use your head for once. I have no weapon, no aura — damn fire ate it all up — I feel as if I've swallowed a hot coal, I am wet — "

Ironwood turned partway through the ramble, meandering back up the way he'd come. He'd passed through two checkpoints before realizing that Watts was not only still talking, but following him.

"What do you want?" he asked, more to shut the man up than out of real curiosity. If Watts was capable of reading the difference between the two, he didn't show it.

"Cinder."

"Cinder?"

"I don't make a habit of allowing people to try and murder me without consequence, James!"

"She's gone."

"Yes, thank you for that stunning bit of info! There's no possible way I could have realized that for myself. What's gotten into you? They left us, fool. Salem, Cinder, Neo, Emerald, even your so-called allies... they all deserve the worst that we can grant them. Though right now, I'd settle for wringing that idiot Pietro's neck. Ten years I gave to that research and he rendered it obsolete with a single report, all because he wanted to play father to some stupid hunk of metal. I never would have gone to Salem if — " Watts cut off, hands balled into fists.

Ironwood just blinked dazedly, coming to a halt. He searched his uniform, the scroll he'd stashed there miraculously whole. Dimly, he registered that he should be feeling some sort of emotion right now.

"I can do that," he murmured.

"What?"

But Ironwood was already keying in the code, the desire to complete a task, any task, taking hold. Watts looked on, mouth twisted in a deprecating sneer.

"I already took out communications, in case you failed to notice."

"But not the trackers I had installed in my top scientists." Ironwood held up the screen where a small, red dot was blinking. "Pietro's still here. Looks like he's out near the mine with a second aura signature. If you want to...?" He wasn't going to finish that sentence.

"I see," Watts said in a tone that heavily implied he didn't. "And you'd just give me this information out of the evilness of your heart?"

Ironwood considered that. "I killed a man yesterday, tried to kill two others, and was ready to bomb all of Mantle to keep the rest of my Kingdom safe. I don't care what you do with the man who betrayed me."

"...fair enough."

Except after five steps Ironwood realized that Watts wasn't following him. He was looking down at his arms, still as a hunted hare.

"You put trackers in all your scientists?" he asked.

"A requirement I implemented after you went missing."

"Ah! Ingenious. Lead the way then."

***

The way led to the tundra, an environment that neither of them were prepared for. Watts was wet from the waist down and Ironwood had long ago learned that snow and metal didn't mix. Neither had the aura for the kind of storm that was raging either. Luckily, the panic of Salem's invasion had left plenty of vehicles to purloin and soon they were speeding East with the heat on, the faint beeping on Ironwood's scroll growing stronger.

He'd felt the impact of his city crashing down and the two of them had clamored out of Atlas' husk, dropping into rubble and cracking ice. Still, the true destruction wasn't evident until they were moving away from it. Through the rearview mirror, Ironwood could see pillars of smoke from fires that the water hadn't yet smothered, dark shadows that could only be grimm, and Atlas itself, plunged halfway into Mantle. It wasn't noticeable from this distance, but all of it was sinking.

"I was lucky," Ironwood said, his voice hollow. His eyes flicked back to the expanse of snow ahead of them. "If Atlas had tipped the other way, the vault would have flooded. I'd have drowned."

Watts snorted. "I'm lucky. That damned water put out Cinder's fire. I'd have burned."

Neither felt particularly lucky and for fifteen more minutes, neither was keen to discuss it.

***

Once upon a time, two heroes were having a Very Bad Day.

"You've got to be shitting me."

Maria paused in the act of bandaging Pietro's leg, mechanical eyes narrowing at the two figures that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Watts sucked in a breath at the duo. Ironwood gave a small, awkward wave.

Then he nodded his head at the scene: one old, exhausted woman and a paraplegic currently bleeding into his chair. "So... going to kill him?"

Watts ground his teeth. "Well now that just feels like a fool's errand. Look at him. He's pathetic!"

Pietro was slumped at an uncomfortable angle, sporting a gash in his leg and an impressive display of bruises across his face. Maria, in contrast, seemed to have only lost her hair tie.

"Pathetic?" she spat. "Your lackey did this!"

"Who?"

"Angry girl with the creepy arm."

"Ah, it all comes back to Cinder." Watts pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, thank you for recognizing that I was her superior, but no, I didn't send her to kill the likes of you. Must have done it on her own, the little idiot. Don't believe me? I was in jail at the time, if I recall correctly. Isn't that right, James?"

"You were helping me hack Penny."

Maria let out a skin-crawling cackle. "Why do you think the girl was here? She blew a hole in the bottom of Amity! Penny tried to hold us up, but..." she swallowed, still pressing against Pietro's leg, but turned warily towards them. "You hacked her? You did that? What precisely do you think happens when a man who never learned to apply aura as a shield crash-lands in this hunk of junk!"

"I expect most men in that position perish," Watts said smoothly. "The fool is lucky to be alive, but he won't be for much longer if you keep trying to staunch the wound with your soiled gloves. Move aside."

"Get away from me!"

"Oh, put your stick down, you old bat. I'm trying to help."

"Why?" Ironwood hadn't realized he'd spoken until Watts was glaring daggers his way.

"So I can kill him later myself!"

Still surreal. Still dream-like in its absurdity. Ironwood listened to the bickering between Watts and... Mary? Maria? He wasn't even sure. He wandered away, content to gaze out through one of the windows at his Kingdom. Or what was left of it. He idly massaged his left arm, trying to rid himself of a pain that wasn't there, and when the howl of a grimm reached them across the snow, he shivered.

His unlikely companions screamed at each other loud enough to reverberate through the whole building. There were the sounds of two bodies trading blows, but only for a moment. Pietro, voice groggy and high-pitched with terror, demanded to know where his daughter was. 

"She's dead," Ironwood said. He didn't turn to see their expressions, didn't need to. "Winter she... she defeated me as the Winter Maiden. That can only mean one thing."

"One thing to you, perhaps." Ironwood did turn then, watching stoically as Pietro tried to right himself in his chair, Watts cursing as the leg continued to bleed. "Where is she? I want to see my little girl. I can heal her, fix her — " he broke off, doubling over with a cough that splattered more blood into his hands.

"Maybe you could have," Watts said, a cruel satisfaction in his voice. "If her little friends hadn't made her human."

Some of the pieces fell into place then. His Lamp, long missing, had apparently wound up in Neo's hands, then Salem's, before it was finally used by Cinder. Watts described — with immense pleasure — the plan the group had concocted and the wish they'd asked of Ambrosius. He'd been a bit preoccupied with bomb duty to learn the details, but he knew that Cinder lived and Ironwood, it seemed, knew that Penny had perished. What a tragedy. Do you know how to bring back the non-mechanical, Doctor?

Ironwood honestly thought the old woman was about to kill him, murderous intent put on hold only because Pietro collapsed then, curling in on himself as sobs wracked his frame. The only words that escaped the mess of tears were "Penny" and then "Maria," one hand reaching out blindly for comfort. Pietro found it, the two holding onto each other as Watts sat at their feet, grinning up at the display.

Ironwood thought only, So that is her name.

The other, crucial bit of info was that everyone was gone. Dead or evacuated, it didn't matter. As far as any of them knew, they were the last four in Atlas, with Salem on her way to destroy whatever kingdom next took her fancy. It was over. They'd lost. And despite the horror of it, the realization was oddly freeing too.

When Maria asked in a tone edging on hysteria what precisely they were going to do — because it seemed this was a "we" situation now — Ironwood suspected she meant in the short term. What were they going to do about their wounds? The grimm? Finding and reaching the others? But those were foolish concerns, the thinking of someone who'd never had a kingdom's life in their hands. Ironwood knew there was only one answer here, the same one he'd had from the start.

"You can do whatever you like," he said. The metal of Amity sparkled against the rising sun, leaving splotches of color behind his eyes. "I will defend Atlas."

Maria's mouth dropped open and Watts stared. Even Pietro ceased his crying long enough to suck in a breath.

"Defend it from what?" he asked.

Ironwood shrugged. "The grimm. Salem. I don't know. I don't care. To quote a former friend, I have never wavered in defending the Kingdom of Atlas against its enemies and I don't intend to start now. This is my city and I won't leave it."

"It's sinking!" Watts cried, overlapping with Maria's, "We need to help" and though so much softer, quieter, more innocent than the spittle Watts was scattering across the floor... that single word sank its teeth into Ironwood. The woman may as well have stabbed him.

"Help?" he said. "Help? I tried to help! Everything that I have done in the last two days — the last two years — my life! — has been to help not just Atlas, but everyone I feasible could. Don't talk to me about help when you and Ms. Rose did everything you could to stop me. I had planned to help the world and you all lied. You betrayed. You set your weapons against me and kept me from saving what parts of my Kingdom I could. Tell me again: what precisely did you do to help?"

He'd crossed the distance, one hand on his holstered gun and the other leaning against Pietro's chair, using it to leverage himself down into Maria's space. Ironwood didn't need to see her eyes to know the emotion they held.

"I," she spit, "didn't try to bomb a city."

And just like that the fight in him was gone. It had barely existed in the first place. Ironwood straightened, swaying slightly on the balls of his feet. "No. You didn't. So it's as I said, go help if you want. If you can." His gaze slid to Watts. "You were one of her men. That says it all." Pietro. "You helped them reveal Salem to the world. Will she have time to destroy the other kingdoms before the grimm do it first?" Maria. "And I don't know you, but you don't earn a prize like that without seeing combat." Ironwood lifted his metal finger, tapping it against Maria's goggles. She flinched away. "Can you honestly say you haven't made mistakes?"

"You and I are nothing alike!"

"I didn't say we were."

Ironwood turned and walked away, as steady as he could manage as the world grew a little darker, despite the sunrise. Behind him Watts' voice rang out like a shot.

"So that's it then? The captain goes down with his ship? You idiot!"

He paused. "Not quite. It turns out I'm not the only idiot around these parts. Ms. Rose left the vault open." One last turn to savor their shocked expressions. "That's where I'm going. There are still plenty of airships if you'd like to leave, but just remember: they abandoned you too."

Perhaps he should have been surprised that by the time his boots hit the snow, three more footsteps were sounding behind him. Frankly, in fourteen hours time Ironwood would barely remember their conversation, let alone everything that came after it. One of them drove back to the sinking city. Someone tested the ice before they cautiously crossed it. Someone else dispatched the stray grimm foolish enough to get in their way. Ironwood saw and heard none of it. He walked with the determination of a wind-up toy, wobbling now that he'd reached the end of his string. Cool blues, a shining gold, and then beautiful, miraculous grass. Ironwood ignored the murmurs of amazement behind him, dropping directly to his knees.

When his palms hit the ground, only one was capable of feeling how soft it was.

I need to update my arm, he thought, even as he curled into a ball and passed out.

***

When he woke they were already running out of time.

For the first two days Ironwood barely spoke to the others and thus he never quite figured out why they'd stayed. Had it been hopelessness? Spite? The all consuming thought that there was nowhere else to go? That Atlas, for all its rubble and slowly rising water, wasn't any different from what the rest of Remnant would look like soon?

Why not here then?

Especially when the vault, filled with wildflowers and an endless sun, made for such an enticing retreat.

"Soil's farmable," Maria said, running some of it through her fingers. It was a statement of fact, nothing more, and the three of them stubbornly ignored the implications of it.

"There's — " Pietro coughed, self-consciously clearing his throat. "There's plenty to salvage. Machinery to pull water from the humidity in here. First aid supplies. We could section off an area for our wa — "

Watts seethed. "If you finish that thought I will — "

"What?" Maria arched a brow. "Kill him? Like you've been saying for the last day?"

Day? Ironwood blinked. How long had he been out?

"I will!"

"Like you'd be able to. Just try it, beanpole."

They argued, and they threatened, but none raised their hands to one another again, and when they finally dispersed across the kingdom to collect what they could, none of the acknowledged what it was for.

Ironwood waded through the remnants of his home and didn't think about building another. Because the idea alone was absurd.

"Don't let the door slam shut," he'd said when they’d first left, nodding to the stone slab that had appeared after Penny had first arrived. Ironwood watched the three exchange glances, unsure if he was joking.

Fuck if he knew.

***

Those four days — or five, if Ironwood counted the one he'd lost — were conducted in a strange state of frenzy. None of them were in a position to be working on such a project, but when had the world ever cared for their needs? Pietro stayed behind in the vault, cataloguing what they'd found and making lists for what was still needed. His chair, while dynamic, wasn't meant for the sort of terrain Atlas had become and his wound was still healing.

He also seemed to appreciate the privacy, frequently mourning his daughter with an honesty that made them all uncomfortable. 

Maria went off to do the Gods only knew what, disappearing for hours at a time, then coming back wet, cold, and carrying little. Though she always had information. Which parts of the city were too grimm invested to traverse, which were now completely underwater, which were too unstable as Atlas tilted like a ship, disappearing beneath the waves. It gave them all focus and, surprisingly, something like hope. Whatever else she carried was usually small, such as the seeds filched from the bio laboratories.

"Couldn't take them all," she said, critically surveying the land, "what with so many of the labels getting lost in the crash. Don't want to eat something your lot has experimented on."

"You should. If we're lucky you'll mutate into someone bearable." Watts, taking stock of the clothing they'd gathered, didn't seem to realize that Maria was flipping him off.

He went on a deep dives (sometimes literally) for salvageable tech, most of it of a practical nature, but other pieces... not. Nothing had shifted Ironwood's world view quiet like day two, walking in on Watts looming over Pietro, assuming there was another fight brewing... only to overhear them exchanging theories, the conversation filled with as many insults as legitimate claims. Still, the seeds of camaraderie were there, and were perhaps easier to grow than originally thought. After all, Watts had once been one of them and Pietro, for all his heroics, had once entered Ironwood's office with a manic gleam in his eye, rambling about giving an aura to a machine. Defense technology at its finest!

 What was it Glynda had said? Ah yes, agreeing with young Ms. Nikos about how "wrong" it all was. But desperate times, desperate measures and all that.

They'd had that discussion, of course. Soon after Ironwood awoke, talk of Amity began again, this time about whether it was possible to send another message. With enough time and effort, not to mention luck... a short one, perhaps, and only sent to an individual scroll.  But what was the point? Who would they call? When no one could — or would — answer that question, the idea was dropped.

In the days since, Ironwood had fantasized about messaging Glynda. One of the few who'd ever been a true friend, perhaps the only one left alive who might care that he was still among the living... if Ms. Rose's message hadn't killed that too. Not that it mattered. Even if Amity wasn't a hunk of metal gathering ice, Ironwood hadn't a clue what he might say to her.

Dear Glynda,

Thank you. Sorry. Good luck.

Sincerely,

General James Ironwood

P.S. If things had ended differently, I would have asked for a second dance.

How ridiculous.

So he walked the broken streets of Mantle and climbed the streets of Atlas, more and more of it disappearing every day. Their hoard grew though, born of not just military property, but personal belongings as well. It wasn't as if anyone was coming to claim them. Unless more magic was at work, both cities would be miles beneath the ice before anyone crossed the border again. Still, Ironwood would always pause before packing away what he found in the hastily abandoned houses. Bedding. Utensils. The literal shirt off someone's back. He'd changed into jeans and a thick sweater the second day, taken from a collection of civilian clothes he'd placed into a locker years ago and promptly forgot about. The uniform felt... obsolete now, no matter that his goals remained the same.

He'd encountered Maria on one of those trips, admiring a basket of yarn in some nameless Atlesian's living room. Her shoulders had tensed at his approach, but she just snorted at the sight of him.

"You knit?" he asked, unsure of what else to say.

"No."

"Crochet?"

"No."

Ironwood didn't know any other crafts that involved yarn. "Then why are you taking it?"

Maria hummed. "Just a thought. That I might, someday, try to learn." She shook a book she’d pulled from the basket: Knitting For Beginners.

A stray thought indeed. The thing they still didn't talk about. The closest they got was on the fifth night when an explosion sounded outside, massive enough to unsteady them even deep within the vault. By the time all four of them had made it out and onto one of the roofs, the sky had turned a sickly yellow, followed by black tendrils that raced, turning, back and around on each other until everything went dark. The only light came from what little electricity they had running on generators and a red aura, pulsing from the West.

From Vacuo.

Realistically, it might have meant that they'd won. It wasn't as if Ironwood had any idea what the death of an immortal witch looked like. But the night wore on and they had no idea because that unnatural, starless black never receded. In time, Pietro wandered off and returned with two bottles he'd pilfered from somewhere, cracking the tops off on the side of his chair and passing them around.

They still didn't say it aloud, though the sky and the alcohol said enough already. Ironwood kept his eyes on the watch his mother gave him, hours ticking by until sunrise was long overdue. Atlas felt even colder now and that red, seeming to inch closer, sent a different kind of chill down his spine. The grimm that still prowled below had taken off hours ago, summoned by some unheard call.

Ironwood downed the dregs of his bottle and threw it into the city.

"Come on," he said. Ordered maybe, or asked. He wasn't sure he knew the difference anymore.

Blankets. Glasses. As many non-perishables as they could find. Generators. Tool kits. The building blocks of renewable energy. Clothing. Decorations. Wood to build small, individual dwellings.

Watts hoarded laptops and a small mountain of batteries, never showing them what he was working on, intensely protective.

Maria grew obsessed with entertainment, snagging every book, game, and video until there was a veritable library piled on the grass. She kept muttering about deserving a real retirement.

Pietro built a shrine to Penny, a simple stone monument to the left of the doorway. He tended to organize their supplies there, occasionally reaching out a hand to brush the code he'd inscribed with a laser. Whatever meaning it held, Ironwood couldn't read it within the ones and zeros.

And he... he found a cat. His last day, picking his way across dwindling islands until his eyes found the small, electrical fire just out of the water's reach. The cat had wedged herself into the rubble above it, trying desperately to keep warm.

She was as black as the sky above them and Ironwood was sure, when he reached out, that she'd run, terrified of his prosthetic hands. They certainly weren't any warmer, but she weakly crawled into them nonetheless. Ironwood held her securely against his left side, where his heart and flesh were, and thought with an absurd, internal laugh that he'd at least saved one.

There was so much left to do still, but their time was gone. That evening, eating what little they had the stomach for, water began to pour from the vault's elevator. First a trickle, then a deluge, until there was a sizable waterfall to admire. Ironwood sat on the steps with his unnamed cat on his shoulder, watching inevitability creep towards him.

He could still lie though.

"There's still time," he said, addressing the three behind him. "If you head up the elevator shaft and down the west hall, you can still break the surface. Find one of the remaining airships. Fly away."

Watts scowled, avoiding his gaze. He remained leaning against the doorway though. 

Maria and Pietro exchanged glances.

"I'd carry you," Ironwood offered to Pietro. They both knew it would be a death sentence with their combined deadweight, but he'd do it anyway.

"No," he said softly. "I did all I could already."

Maria. She was harder to read with those goggles, but it wasn't peace on her face. Guilt, more likely, but that had never stopped any of them before.

"It's damn cold out here," she muttered and marched back to the grass. Pietro followed her, Watts trailing not far behind. He turned back though.

"You coming?"

Ironwood didn't answer and eventually Watts left, heading into the meadow that stretched until you lost sight of where you'd been — and then reappeared there. A tiny pocket dimension, born of a magic now lost to this world. Ironwood figured that a bit of water and ice couldn't break it.

Probably.

He watched the flood cover the floor of the vault, then lap upwards, one stair at a time. There was a part of him, a part unimaginably tired, that thought he might just sit there. Keep rooted until the water was so high it was too late to do anything. That would be easy. Fitting, even. Shouldn't he go with his kingdom?

But then the cat — his cat — dug nails into his shoulder and Watts said something that made Maria screech. Ironwood sighed.

There were still things to protect, simple as that had become.

He turned his back on Remnant, now encased in an eternal night, and walked to the three who remained, cowering in an eternal day.

Ironwood allowed them one last choice and when they all nodded, he kicked the vault door shut.