#i had been waiting on lapis getting a song for Ages and also at the time i had just been convincing a friend to catch up to S5

[thatone-highlighter]

What’s ur favorite SU songs

The first song to come to mind is actually Be Wherever You Are. It seems like such a random song and def not one i see talked about much, im not even sure why i like it so much but its just one thats Stuck with me. I have such clear memories of singing it to myself every week when i walked to soccer training for at least a year. Its such a nice and and simple song with a lot of repetition, and while the repetition does make it s but hard to keep track of if you sing off the top of your head im never one to turn some down.

That said, while i would have to call Be Wherever You are my favourite there are still a good few that hold nice little places in my heart.

Love Like You has to get an acknowledgement, even to this day if im standing somewhere wasting time not listening to anything its the first song to pop into my head to hum, i have so many memories of walking around school, around shops, a soccer field, in a game and humming or singing it to myself. Around the time season 2 and maybe early season 3 i used to love to think about who the song could be sung by and sung at, because all the answers i could come up with none of them fit the lyrics perfectly.

Peace and Love because like, u mean come on its peace and love you can tell me anyone hates that song, it was also the first i learned to play fully on my ukulele. The song is lovely and it shows up in a nice place during peridots arc, whats there not to like. Oh yeah and because Steven actually plays his uke on screen at the start it was the song that made me realise they accurately animate his hands to the chords hes playing. I dont know guitar or piano chords well enough to be able to say anything about a few other songs where they diegetically play the instrument but i thought that was a nifty little detail

Tower Of Mistakes id like to mention as well. Il always a sucker for songs with amethyst in them, and ToM is actually Amethyst‘s only solo song, every other time she sings(on the run, extended intro, peace and love, for just one day, no matter what, happily ever after) theres st least one other person (usually steven) singing with her in the song as well

There are only a few songs on the SU soundtrack i dont really like (Sorry but the Sadie Killer and the Suspects songs arent really for me) but those ones id say are at the top of my list uwu

[lotusar]

𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗬, 𝗠𝗘!

ZHONGLI X READER, FLUFF TO ANGST

liyue and inazuma archon quest spoilers. in which you and zhongli catch up via letters for a time.

warnings ; implied death.

additional ; no this is not a song fic SOBS though i do plan on doing songfics at some point maybe?? depends on what you guys want <3

started at ; 9:50 AM (ROUGHLY) on MAY 23, 2022

dear rex lapis,

i miss you so much already. truthfully, we’ve only been separated by sea for a few centuries, but it has felt like an eternity.

eternity .. did you know that inazuma’s leaders follow the logic that nothing should change? if no one moves forward, how will a nation go on? no progress means no improvement.

not that i’m suggesting it surely won’t - in fact, i’d really prefer if it did improve no matter the circumstances. but, the inazuman’s know who their archon is - is that why no one is rebelling? they can’t match her power, i don’t think.

but enough about that, how have you been? surely, you’re well? if you ever need me, i’ll find a way to sail back to you in a heartbeat. feel free to send me letters whenever! you know i love speaking with you.

i love you so much, you know that, right? i’ll love you to the moon and back.

please write me back whenever you can! i love you, and hope to hear from you soon.

sincerely, y/n.

dearly beloved (y/n l/n),

i’m glad to see you are well, my dear. i miss you just as much as you do me, but i’m sure we will see each other soon. of course, if that’s what you want? you needn’t join me for a time if that’s not what you’d like to do.

ah, yes. i’ve heard about that. a nation that cannot strive forward .. it’s a bit of a stretch, if you ask me. though, i believe it is because of the loss of their original god. however, i cannot say for sure.

but, please stay safe while you are there. don’t do anything you may regret. i’d like to see and hear from you in one piece, after all.

i love you just as much, if not more. i miss your presence. the tea doesn’t quite taste the same without my lover by my side. in any case, i am more than willing to wait for you.

feel free to speak with me about your endeavors. i am happy to listen.

also, the people of liyue call me .. “zhongli” now. if you wouldn’t mind, in these letters, could you address me as such? of course, in person, any names are welcome. it is just so that the letters will be sent to me instead of thrown out.

sincerely, rex lapis.

dear zhongli,

i’m so sorry! it’s been such a long time since i’ve written to you .. i apologize for any and all worrying that you’ve done! it’s just .. recent events have really gotten to me.

the tenryou commission has started to seize visions. i had to get away from inazuma city, since that was where it was most prominent. i am now on watatsumi island, so that is why it may take longer to get to you.

i trust that you and liyue are well? i haven’t heard much about liyue recently .. but honestly, i haven’t heard much outside of the “mysterious blonde traveler” that has been roaming around mondstadt. their reputation precedes them.

besides that, i miss you and love you. please write back to me soon, love.

sincerely, y/n.

dearest y/n,

there’s no need to apologize. i am more or less aware of the situation there .. but i hope you’re able to stay safe. there’s also no need to worry about how long it will take to get here .. since i am happy to receive word from you whenever possible.

both me and liyue are well. though, i worry that .. perhaps my time leading liyue into the ages is over. i want to run some form of .. test. to see if liyue can strive on without their “god”. a nation that casts aside their god would be rather prosperous. the traveler from mondstadt has actually recently arrived. i believe all of the cards are aligned.

i love you too. please stay safe, and take care of yourself.

sincerely, zhongli.

dearest y/n,

greetings, it has been a while. you still have not written back to me from my last letter .. perhaps you did not receive it? in any case, i send this one in hopes of a response. of course, take your time.

how have you been? i hope you’re very safe and sound, and i hope to hear from you soon.

p.s , i adore you more than you will ever know.

sincerely, zhongli.

dearest y/n,

are you alright? you haven’t responded to my letters in a long time. of course, if you’re occupied, there’s no need to respond quickly - and by no means am i frustrated with you.

supposedly, the traveler and their friend, paimon, are making their way to inazuma with the crux fleet. perhaps, you will come across them? i’ve told both of them about you, and they said they will look for you when they get the chance.

please, get back to me soon. i love you.

sincerely, zhongli.

dearest y/n,

the traveler told me what happened. you won’t ever be able to see this because you are no longer in this world .. but, perhaps this should be my last letter to you. the letter to keep your memory pure. maybe, i’ll send more letters to your mailbox as the centuries go forward.

i wish i had been informed of your situation .. but of course, i doubt anyone could have told me anyway - at least, until now.

the traveler and their companion gave me a picture of where you are resting. i must say, sangonomiya kokomi and general gorou of the watatsumi island army have done well to honor your memory.

i miss you, but i will also love you eternally. wherever you may be, you will continue to shine like gold in my memories.

goodbye, my love. may you rest well.

sincerely, zhongli.

[sparrow-stunned]

In the series my overbearing dragon father since darling and Beisht are basically being each other's therapist they should invite azhdaha to the group of the few people Zhongli has affected that are still alive especially since Zhongli had the nerve to ask him about being sealed I can just imagine the drama about him they would all share with one another like

Azhdaha: you do know Morax asked me if being sealed was comfortable because he thought about sealing you away to protect his own delusional mind focusing in on the past

Darling: what 😀

Beisht: why is that not surprising at all

Darling: does he really not like the idea that I'm grown up now that much I mean I know he doesn't like the fact that me and Venti have the whole nature is our home thing going on either but really

Beisht: you are only living in nature because you're husband clearly can't even pay for his a bar tab let alone a house

Azhdaha: wait barbatos can't even pay for all the alcohol he gets

Darling: that's not the point guys

oh archons, can you just imagine the level of pettiness in the room between beisht and azhdaha?? just like the two of them shitting on your dear old dad, really, really meanspirited talk, while you're sitting there like 👁️👄👁️ "that's my dad guys"

also, they would totally be the type to bring up zhongli's dark history—and i'm not using the word dark in the way you think it is. it's not all of the sus things he's done throughout his reign as rex lapis, it's all the embarassing things you don't remember or haven't witnessed.

azhdaha: ugh, he's always on and on about stupid osmanthus wine, i wish i could drown him in it. "where are those who share the memories" hello??? i'm right here

beisht, just cackling: why does he like to act so old, we're the same age but it feels like he's the one with the ten types of arthritis?

azhdaha: also did you know zhongli's face gets all sour whenever i bring up guizhong, haha. i haven't even met her but he's soooo affected by it

beisht: oh yeah, i've seen osial taunt him about her, it's so funny. ugh like get over it already, it's been what, 4000 years? *eye roll*

darling: that's my mom you're talking about🙃

azhdaha/beisht: *deadpan stare* yeah, we know

also, whenever you bring up venti, azhdaha and beisht whisper to each other or give each other this look

darling: venti wrote a song for me yesterday, isn't he just so romantic? *sighs, all starry eyed*

azhdaha & beisht glancing at each other

azhdaha, whispering: didn't he write it while drunk?

beisht, also whispering: yeah, that's what i heard from ping while she came yesterday to gossip with me. do you think morax's spawn has been dropped too many times on their head as a baby? if so, i would have thought the rock-hard skull inherited from morax would have prevented their brain cells from dying.

azhdaha, shaking his head: like father, like child. look at morax—isn't he also like this? there's no cure for stupidity unfortunately.

[luna-paradoxz]

Time spent between an Eternity.

Summary - Ganyu and Xiao's little snippets as they spent time between there eternities. 

And if you want to support me you can donate on Ko-fi or commission me.

The first time she met him, she shrunk away in fear and hid behind the long tails of Guizhong's skirt. The kind goddess silently laughed as she put a gentle hand on top of her head and tried to coax her out, but she was trembling as she fixed herself tightly on her leg. Xiao had only scoffed and left, his golden eyes holding deep emotions that she only later understood in life. Later, she found out his name and the fact he is one of the Yaksha's that Rex lapis brought among them. She remembers Lady Guizhong's soft voice as she explains to her about Xiao,

"Ganyu, Xiao's eyes are scary but that is because he is a hurt soul. Even though his hands can kill anyone, he holds a kind heart. The heart that wishes to protect the weak and slay the evil.' She smiled gently at her, "Trust that boy Ganyu, he is someone you can trust.'

The second time they met was when she was playing around with Guizhong and other human kids in the glaze lillies fields. He walked in, clothes coated in blood as he panted slightly. From of him was Rex lapis, looking immaculate as he always did but she could smell the blood on him even with flowers surrounding them. She and the other kids had hidden behind the kind goddess as she got up and checked on the two of them. The adults talked in slow voices, words she couldn't understand as a child. The human kids had shrivelled up and stayed completely behind, away from there eyesight while Gnayu getting curious snuck a peek and meet Xiao's golden eyes again. She shrunk back but again glanced, curiosity filling her as she wondered what happened to the two of them. The boy looked hurt as he looked away, around the beautiful flower field and yet his eyes didn't reflect that beauty. Ganyu stared, her pink eyes staring at his whole image as she took a step forward but instead of encouragement Guizhong picked her up, her face pulled in a scary emotion. She tried to smile but the girl can see the trouble in her eyes.

"Ganyu why don't you take kids back to the town and head to Cloud retainer?" She asked gently, the girl tilted her head in confusion, "It is time for your training child." Her head was patted gently and that calmed her down as she nodded and then run away not noticing there troubling looks as the adults prepared for yet another battle.

The third time they met she saw a blood trail and followed it to find him, resting behind a huge tree, hiding from everyone, she was not aware of this so curious the little child went near him, noting his wounds and now completely worried. He was very bloody and was panting and sharply turned towards her when he noticed her. The lance was put down as he took her in and ignored her expecting her to run away as usual whenever she saw any of Yakshas, especially him. The girl instead stayed, staring at him with wide worried eyes but he can feel her fear as she stays grounded two feet away from him. He sighed, he needs to patch up his wounds, he doesn't have time to deal with a scared child. He was going to get up when she started suddenly running to him in a burst of energy, he was shocked as she tripped and barrelled down the small slope. He got up to watch as she got covered in yellow leaves, she got up sniffing slightly but instead of crying she again looked towards him, determined pink eyes as she ran back uphill and came to a screeching stop in front of him. He bent down, only a bit worried for her, he had seen Guizhong talk to her like this so he came to her eye level and waited. She pushed white Qingxin flowers in front of him, he took them too surprised to say something, she then gently but slightly shakingly put a hand on his bloody arm, her pearly white hands turning red as she took a step further in and he flinched slightly.

In a small voice she started singing and then said "Pain, pain go away," She looked up expectantly at him, he stared back confused. Her face fell as she pitifully explained, "Guizhong sings this song when I am in pain and Cloud retainer says eating food makes you healthy." Tears gather in her pure pink eyes "I was not able to make the pain go away."

He sighed in slight annoyance, but really he was not that annoyed actually. This is the first time some has done well something like this. He is not sure what all of this is though, another sigh. She is innocent, he remembers Rex lapis words, they are fighting this war to protect the weak people of Guizhong, he lets out a final sigh and in a slow gruff voice says, "My pain has gone away, it doesn't hurt." It is so embarrassing as he flushes slightly but looks at her hoping she stopped crying.

Her whole face brightens up as she glows in happiness, the kind he has never seen or experienced, she immediately let's go and starts patting him everywhere repeating the mantra, and he silently hisses hoping she won't notice. She is happy and excites and he can't believe one sentence can make someone so happy, mortals were really foolish. As he ruminated on these new feelings, Guizhong finally found him and glared at him when she approached him, his lance in his hand causing the little girl to stop and turn towards the kind goddess who immediately noticed her in surprised and then gleefully smiled as she came near her and patted her and crouched down too.

"Now, what have you been up to Ganyu?" She asked gently, by now the little girl was covered in blood-red as she pulled her hands next to her and happily explained what she did. The goddess laughed as she turned to him and he turned away flushing slightly. The goddess patted her horns as she praised her and then "Now, child run to Cloud retainer and clean yourself. I will handle getting Xiao back to the city." The child nodded and ran away. He saw her little finger now in white and red running away, he looked away something budding in him.

The goddess turned to him with a kind smile, "Thank you Xiao for protecting her kindness. This world is as harsh as it is." She looked pained as she twirled a little dust in her palm.

He huffed and only replied "Don't you dare utter a word to anyone else, Lady Guizhong." She laughed.

In a beautiful field of glaze Lillies, surrounded in their sweet smell as they all bloomed open in the moonlight, kind goodness laid in the hands of her Rex lapis still smiling kindly, blood oozed from her wounds but she seemed to not mind as she uttered her final words. The adepti stood several feet away unable to har her but didn't dare move further in, they knew their archon needed to hear her final words alone. Ganyu cried while on her knees, the only Adeptus who was crying as she grieved there dying goddess, a goddess they all loved. She wanted to run in her arms, to hug the beautiful Guizhogn one last time but Xiao had stopped her by shaking his head and stood beside her as they all saw her bod farewell to this world. She cried, her beautiful tears running down in her pale bloody hands as the watched the goddess turn into her beloved dust now flowing in the wind to Celestia. Ganyu and Xiao first time felt grief as a heavy painful emotion, and over the centuries lost more and more adepti as the archon war cam to close and the city of Liyue was established.

Rex Lapis formed contracts binding the alive adpetii for there life to the region of Liyue, Gnayu stood up as she pledged her contract and walked towards the there new beloved city of Liyue while adepti all took section in the sacred forests of Jeyuen Krast. A cyro vision appeared in her hands as she smiled in painful remembrance and planted the first glaze Lillies in the city of Liyue.

Xiao has been working for 6 centuries and he will probably work till eternity until the day someone kills him. Eternity was small for adeptii though and he too spent it working and overseeing Liyue as its guardian Yaksha, it was nothing new to his time just passing but it was not the same for the others especially a Half – Qilin who felt mortal emotional a bit too strongly. Ganyu was a workaholic in every sense of the world, whenever their paths crossed she was working, he never saw her take rest. The few times of rarity where he did catch her resting, it was mostly sleeping under a tree or spending time with cloud retainer. They also kept far and few between the decades spent in fulfilling their contract. Still, he was the last person to chastise her for working so hard, he too never took a rest after all. It was probably a year ago when e actually slept. Still, he does believe he takes a bit more rest than her. Since the years have passed and the land has started healing, his work has dwindled. The humans grow to prosper and the ages of gods are ending, with that so does the Karma decrease. So he has been resting more in these past decades, in turn, her work increases.

He sits on top of a cliff as he looks down to the newly constructed Yujing terrace, the smell of glaze lillies and silk flowers is the first thing that hits and he feels his mouth twitching in a half-smile. She has really not changed, he thinks as he nods toward madame Ping who smiles at him with the same family smile and turns around t look towards the blue hair maiden that instructs the humans on some mortal work. Things that don't make sense, if he remembers correctly she has been made the secretary of Yuhei pavilion, a body of mortals that overlook the mortal affairs in Liyue. He doesn't care how humans take care of there city as long as they don't trespass on their land or do something foolish that goes against Rex lapis's decree.

Just as he thought of him, the archon himself comes and stands beside him as always his gaze looking far away even when he takes in the Liyue of right now.

"I want her to take rest, Xiao. Even if she is an adeptus, it is far too much work for one person." Though a request for the yaksha, it was the same as an order. He nods but Rex lapis shakes his head, "I want her to do it on her own accord but the more I seem to say the more it backfires. I am out of options so I called you." Xiao looks up towards the golden eyes, Rex lapis let him stare in his eyes and look up towards him. He raises an eyebrow in question, neither of them were that close especially since she moved to live with the humans.

"She has a lot of respect for you so I believe she will listen to your advice and -" he sighs " - won't take it to mean something it is not." Xiao sighs and shakes his head. He doesn't know what happened but since the centuries passed Ganyu has been turning more and more human, just like when she was but a small child. He guesses it's the influence of those mortals. He shakes his head and then nods. He puts away his lance, with Rex lapis behind him, he can always rest. He gets up and jumps down towards her. She immediately smells him and dismisses the humans, who watch him in awe and fear as they disperse quickly, now the terrace is silent and that makes him happy. He hates the human's endless chatter in their hordes.

"Oh, Xiao what made you come here?" She knows his distaste of crowded places so she is quite surprised to see him in the middle of the city.

He nods towards where Rex lapis was and only says "You have been given a break." He doesn't give her a chance to say as he turns around and says "Let's go."

She gets flustered but Xiao would rather move out of the city now, he can feel all those pesky little stares of humans. He doesn't wait for her response and jumps in the wild wind. It takes a few minutes for her to get her wits before she too starts running behind him, without the use of anemo she is slower than him so he makes sure he is good ways from the city before stopping, crossing his hands and waiting for her. She appears in a huff, her face red and she pants as she looks up to him in confusion and a bit of anger. He silently smirks.

"Xiao please explain what is all this? Why did you take me out of the city?" She asks.

"You followed me." He points out, she pouts, he dismisses the voice that calls her cute and instead says, "Rex Lapis ordered me to get you to rest no matter what so that's what I am doing. If you didn't follow me I was just going to take you out of there."

She looks shocked as he straightens up, "I just cant suddenly leave my work. There is so much to do, the new year taxes, then the new implantation of mora as a trading tool and the new trading ports and –" her eyes start swirling and he rolls his eyes, he agrees with what Rex lapis said she is getting obsessed.

"Ugh come on. The city won't collapse just because you didn't show up for work one day." She tries to say something but he doesn't care, he picks up her and jumps. She almost screams before they reach the sky and she has to bit it back. His hands are warm she notes distractingly as he jumps toward Jeyuen Krast and she tries to say something but the wind absorbs her voice and all she can do is wait for them to touch solid ground again.

"Xiao I cant believe you would do that. What if I had moved around, you could have dropped me." He rolls his eyes, she is standing there with her arms crossed and a glare on her face. He is sure it's supposed to be threatening but well – it's not. She looks like a small animal trying to appear big, like a cat or hamster he thinks as he nods along with her scolding and they walk down the stream to Nantaimen. She stops when they reach the blue tree, she doesn't remember but he remembers the archon that was buried under there very well. She sighs, giving up, knowing he was not listening to a word and they make way to the big tree.

She smiles as she hears the rustle of the tress and feels the caress of the tress against her skin. She doesn't want to agree but they were right she was too tired. He sits against the bark of a tree, under the shade and pats the seat beside him. She nods and sits down, prim and proper while he pulls out his lance and rests it against his other shoulder. She takes a deep breathe and rest against the tree, she has heard stories about the tree and truly it still feels alive today, nonetheless, it's a majestic tree. The sum moves and shades fall on the plain, golden flowers come to life and she plucks one, she was not allowed to eat them and they don't smell but they are still beautiful. She holds one as she closes her eyes and takes rest.

He watches her fall into sleep, makes a mental note to wake her up in 5 hours and then to closes his eyes and leans against the tree of the archon they once defeated.

The Washung inn is not far from the harbour but it's a secluded place and that suits Xiao fine. She knows the Yaksha has dwelled in the inn since the very start, she accepts this. It will better comfort for him than the bark of a tree. Naturally, she sets up regular payments for the costs of his living, the owners try to refuse but Ganyu insists she knows how much business is important and she too must follow their rules. She also makes sure to hand the adeptii, especially him some mora every month so they can come down to the city and towns if they feel like it. So far only Xiao comes sometimes to eat his favourite almond tofu or sometimes other dishes that the yakshas once loved. He still honours them in his own little ways.

The inn faces the Dihua Marsh, the place where once a huge field of glaze Lillies bloomed but now centuries later it was a marsh where glaze lillies rarely grew. For a few centuries, she had refused to enter the area but now she frequents there to take care of the lilies that actually thrive there and pick some up and plan them in Yujing terrace. Today she walks under the moonlight, a smile on her face as she bends down to a bloomed lillie and sings a long-forgotten song. She is sure no mortal has ever heard of this song, but it is tradition even if no one observes it anymore. A long-forgotten habit of the goddess of dust. She feels sad as she remembers the kind smile of Guizhong. If only she was here then maybe she wouldn't feel so lonely. She takes a shuddering breathe when the wind bursts around her and she turns to the lone Yaksha standing there.

His face is a hard line as he looks at her with a disapproving glare, gone was the kind Xiao of centuries ago, the more his Karma grows, the more she sees him turning more hardened and pained. She wishes she could save him but she knows she doesn't have that kind of power. She bows a little as she explains,

"I was just pickup up some glaze lillies Xiao."

He shakes his head, "You know the karma of this land has been messed up since I have started living here. You shouldn't be wandering around her at night."

She sighs, she knows he thinks she has grown soft but Ganyu is still strong enough to take care of herself "I can take care of me, Xiao. I have my bow with me."

He doesn't look convinced and before she can argue he just says in finality "Finish picking them up, I'll drop you till the harbour then."

She stares at him and smiles sadly, looks like he is still as kind as he was once, somewhere deep down buried under his pain. She nods and the rest of the night they spent together and Xiao will never mention in but whenever she sang, the voices recced in his head, the night felt calmer than he has felt in ages.

Rex lapis has died and Ganyu wants to curl up and cry like she was a child, like nothing in the world existed anymore and only her grief was there. She couldn't do that though, her contract, her responsibilities won't allow that. She must fulfil her contract to Rex lapis no matter what even if he is gone, gone away from them just like Guizhong. She took a shuddering breath and got back to work. The rite of passing came though and she knew what she must go to say her farewells, she will only get one chance, while his soul remains here she must say her farewells. So Ganyu decides to get glaze lillies, she sighs, her voice breaking. She doesn't wanna say farewells but she continues picking them up and then runs into the traveller she feels a bit more stabilised. She was an adeptus, she could find strength in front of humans. Still, they leave and all that is left is her, only two glaze lilies in her hand and the painful solitude of Dihua marsh. The wind gently rustles against her as Xiao appears before her. His face is contorted in pain as he glares at her,

"Who killed him?" He growls out the question but Ganyu is not scared, she is breaking apart and she wishes he would just say her to shut up and do her work. He does not instead he waits for the answer that they will never know about.

"The fatui, most likely. Only harbingers possess such power." She answers, his lance glows green but Ganyu shakes her head. "You can't Xiao we don't know for sure."

"And what are you suggesting I sit down and talk to them like mortals. Don't be foolish."

She glares back "We are not sitting down, we are trying our best to bring them in but this is a humans affair we can't interfere."

"They killed Rex lapis and you still say it is a humans affair!"

She feels something break, as tears start flowing from her eyes, she hates this, she hates this so much. She too wanted to break her contract, she too wanted to kill that person and yet she can't. The contract binds them and they must follow it no matter what. "Do you think I didn't want to do that very thing? Do you think I don't want to kill the humans myself who dared to hurt Rex lapis but contracts must be followed! Our contract with Rex lapis must always be held onto no matter what!" She screams. That has been the only thing that has been keeping her sane these past few days, her contract, there contract, Guizhong wishes to always protect the fragile humans that she loved the most.

He stares at her, his glare softening as he takes a step near her and pulls her in, letting her cry out on his shoulder. "We will find him, Xiao, we will. We too, people of Liyue won't let them get away." He nods and looks at the moon illuminating the marsh, he remembers the words of the bygone goddess. A goddess that was too kind for there world,

'I want to protect those fragile creatures from everything. They can so easily be blown away, just like dust I want us to protect them.'

They must always uphold there contract with Rex lapis.

She smiled as she snuggles near him, he pulls her, his warm arms wrapped around her as she settles comfortably and falls to sleep. The tree is well hidden but when a certain funeral parlour consultant catches them Xiao smiles slightly and asks him to be silent. The man, now a mortal closes his eyes in peace and nods as he walks away from the scene. Xiao watches her sleep, today too he had all but kidnapped her away to make her rest for the day and he remembers seeing the little smirk on the Qixing who had only asked him to bring her back before 8.

He gruffs, they were not her parents.

He looks up at the green surrounding them and the sun. The eternity hasn't passed but it seems that it won't be so lonely as they had first thought.

A/N - Another one-shot for the lovely couple. I love them so much and I am sorry guys I am writing the other stories but I just need to write a few fics for them first.

If you like my writing and wish to support me in some way, please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-fi, /luna2572, or you can also commission me. You can dm me or visit my Tumblr to get the details.

Don't forget to review, favourite and/or follow.

Xoxoxo, Luna.

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 23: Mister Universe (originally published on August 16, 2021)

AN: Welcome back to the Tearjerking Three of Alternate Future Part 3, and for this installment we go from flashbacks about the budding relationship between Lapis & Peridot to flashbacks about the troubled one Greg has with his parents. Once again, get the tissue boxes out because we're in for a roller coaster.

Synopsis: Concerned for Steven's well-being, Greg takes him on a road trip to his childhood home.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Featuring Maurice LaMarche as Thomas DeMayo

Laura Post as Gloria DeMayo

Jemaine Clement as Kerry Moonbeam

And Ron Perlman as ?

--

"Here you go Scthu-ball, dinner is served." Greg declared to Steven at the beach house one day while preparing some ice cream with a slice of pie in it for him to eat. "Ice cream a la pie!"

"Thanks, Dad." Steven laughed as he took the bowl and ate its contents.

"Are you feeling any better?" Greg asked his son. "Looks like your swelling and glowing has been a no-show for the past few days." Just then, Steven stopped as he scooped up a spoonful of the dessert in front of him. "Y'know, that ice cream won't eat itself."

"Sorry Dad, just thinking about stuff." Steven said.

"What kind of stuff?" Greg asked.

"I've spent so long thinking about whether I really am Mom." Steven replied, trying his best to keep certain recent events from spilling. "Now that I know I've always been me, and also saved the universe by stopping Black Rutile, it's like I have no idea what to do or who me is. I wish I still knew what to do with myself."

"Well, I can relate to that." Greg sympathized with his son's plight. "When I was your age, I didn't know who I was or what I wanted to do with my life."

"So, you didn't always want to be a rock star?" Steven asked while processing this new information.

"No way!" Greg declared as he began to reminisce. "I didn't get my hands on a guitar until I was your age! Before I got the van, I had no idea what was out there beyond my old home, until I hit the road."

--

"Mom, Dad, I've got news for you." A younger Greg said to his mother and father long ago.

"Is it anything to do with your dropping out of the local community college?" Greg's father Thomas, who was as bald as his son would eventually become with glasses and a mustache, asked crossly.

"Or that van out by the garage?" Thomas's wife Gloria, a svelte middle-aged woman with brown hair in a bun, added curiously.

"Well, that's the thing, you guys." Greg stated. "I'm moving out. I wanna see the world, go out there and see what I can do along the way!"

"Are you serious Gregory?" Thomas raised an eyebrow. "You may be an independent young man now, but how can you possibly sustain yourself?"

"What do you mean independent?" Greg replied sternly to his father. "I mean, curfews and chaperones and all that, I'm not a little kid anymore! I'm 18 now, I can survive on my own without you breathing down my neck!"

Thomas looked about ready to yell at his son for talking back, but his mask of stoicism remained firmly attached before balling up his hands and letting out a loud deep breath, and putting a hand on Greg's shoulder. "Well, if you think you're independent enough my boy," he said. "then go on. Live your life, go out and see the universe or whatever." Thomas then turned and walked away from Greg. "Just be sure to write every so often."

"Wow, talk about less arguing than usual." Greg tilted his head in confusion when his mother took his hand. "Mom?"

"Your father's been trying to keep his temper from getting the better of him." Gloria stated before she started cupping her son's face. "Please Greg, no matter how strict and controlling we are, just remember that we're still your parents after all."

"Okay then." Greg sighed heavily before he picked up a backpack and headed for the front door. "Bye Mom, I love you."

"I love you too Greggy." Gloria smiled.

"Bye Dad." Greg then bid farewell to his father, but he received no answer. "Huh, of course." He groaned before walking out of his house for the last time and getting into his new van. After taking one last look at his front window, Greg pulled the van out of the driveway and set out for parts unknown. That day, Greg DeMayo left home, but maybe one day he could return as Greg Universe.

--

"You've seen other planets, but what about West Keystone or Charm City?" Greg said to Steven in the present day. "I've spent a lot of my formative years eating rest stop sandwiches and watching the trucks go by."

"So you're saying I just need a change in scenery?" Steven wondered.

"Exactly!" Greg declared and excitedly got up from the couch. "You're never gonna find yourself if you don't start looking! In fact, let's go right now!"

"Wait, really?" Steven asked hurriedly.

"No time, the road is calling!" a starry-eyed Greg announced before the father raced outside. "Can you hear it like I can?!"

"Yeah, I think I do!" Steven called for his dad as he raced after him with the ice cream in hand.

--

And so, the Universe duo left Beach City by van and set out on the open road, singing a familiar song along the way before they reached a Pepe's Burgers in Jersey.

"Dear old dad, remember when you would sing to me? We could do it again." Steven sang the same duet he and Greg shared from back after he had first met Lapis, albeit a bit shakier than previously. "Dear old dad, remember how I would sit on your shoulders? Well, how about now?"

As the trip continued, Greg continued relaying stories of his boyhood to Steven, awkwardness and all. "So that was the story of my first crush." Greg finished a story about the first girl he fell for at the gas station. "Things got really awkward between us as the years went on, but we decided to stay in the friendzone while she went off with that jock Tony. Hmph, cheerleaders, am I right? You met one during your trip with Spinel to Empire City, didn't you?"

"Yeah, Makoto's doing fine." Steven answered while looking at the Vipers' head cheerleader's social media profile before happening upon the selfie they all took together. "Before we left, she offered to introduce Spinel to the rest of the squad should she ever come back someday."

"Lucky girl!" Greg laughed before the two left the service station.

"Dear old dad, I was wondering why. As I got older, the days kept going on by." Steven continued the song. "Dear old dad, remember this too. In this whole wide world, there's no one like you-ooo-ooo-ooh."

"You-ooo-ooo-ooh." Greg began harmonizing with Steven. "You-ooo-ooo-ooh."

--

Eventually, Steven and Greg crossed over into a rather quiet neighborhood in Keystone when Greg pointed to a house nearby. "About two blocks away, that's where I played my first gig." He stated. "I wasn't even Mr. Universe yet back then, I was just a kid sneaking out after dark with a guitar to play."

"So where did the Mr. Universe name come from?" Steven asked quietly.

"You know what, how about I show you?" Greg suggested before he drove the van up to one of the houses they were driving along and got out with a determined look on his face. "Good, no one's home."

"Wait, what? Who's house is that?" Steven asked his dad as he seemingly committed a home invasion. "Dad!"

Greg still didn't listen as he jumped over the white picket fence and climbed up a tree with a branch pointing straight to a window, and Steven continued nervously following behind. When Greg opened the window on the end of the branch, he fell through before getting up and peeping out the other side. "This used to be way easier."

"You're rich Dad, it's not like you to steal." Steven cautioned Greg while continuing to follow him through the window into an empty room, where Greg was now looking through a box. "C'mon, let's get out of here before the owner comes home!"

"Just a sec, I'm looking for something." Greg stated.

"Well, what is it?" Steven asked.

"Oh, you'll see!" Greg replied before his son nervously left the room to explore more of the house, worry still present on his face.

"Is no one really home? Maybe I should write them a note." Steven wondered when he happened upon a picture of a mother, a father, and their curiously familiar son while walking down the stairs. "But what can I say?" he continued muttering as he reached the living room. "We're sorry that we have broken into your home, you must be very nice people with excellent taste."

As Steven sat down on the couch, he clutched a bowl of potpourri and gave it a big sniff. "And who enjoy potpourri." He added wistfully. "It's like a snack for your nose." Steven then got up to look at a collection of spoons and an assortment of glass goats beneath them. "Your fancy foreign spoon collection is very impressive, and so are your tiny glass goats." Soon, he finally walked up to a desk and picked up a pen before opening a drawer, hoping to find some paper. "Well, the pen is as good a start as any."

However, instead of paper, Steven discovered a neat stack of letters inside the drawer that seemed to have been sent by Greg. "Letters from Dad, and they're all unopened." Steven observed before looking at who they were sent to, and he made a startling realization.

Racing back to the stairs, Steven took another look at the photo and instantly recognized the nervous-looking son between his parents. "DAD?!"

--

While Greg continued searching through some boxes for whatever he's looking for, Steven suddenly burst back in with news of his discovery. "Dad, this was your house?!"

"Not exactly." Greg said. "This was my parents' house."

"Then this must be your room!" Steven declared happily. "I thought you said you grew up in a prison, but this place is beautiful!"

"I did kiddo." Greg replied somberly. "You have no idea what years of curfews, chaperones, and meatloaf were like."

"You didn't like meatloaf?" Steven inquired.

"Not every Thursday for twenty years." Greg groaned, sticking out his tongue in disgust. "I can still feel the taste. And did you know how old I was before I finally had my first taco?!"

"I also found these letters in a desk sent by you." Steven brought up the letters he found. "How come they weren't opened?"

"I can think of a few reasons why." Greg answered as he began picturing how his parents felt when he left home.

--

As Greg began leaving home in his new van, Gloria watched the vehicle drive off before sighing and sitting down with a book. Just then, her husband Thomas came back to the living room with a glass of whiskey in hand.

"You think maybe Gregory left because we were too controlling of him?" Thomas asked his wife as he sat down next to her. "He said he wanted to leave home without us "breathing down his neck" as the young people say."

"Possibly." Gloria nodded in affirmation. "The curfews were inevitable, but I believe the chaperones were a little much. But hey, at least I consider us better parents than mine were."

"That's because we never ended up hitting Greg." Thomas said in contemplation. "But still, maybe we were a different form of abusive towards him. Hopefully we can make it up to him someday."

"I'm not too sure." Gloria replied. "I don't even think he wants to think of us again."

Thomas just responded by bowing his head before taking another sip of whiskey.

--

"I'm sure it's fine. Besides, check out all your old things!" Steven said enthusiastically before he began to dig through another box and began taking out many of his dad's old things as he named them. "Is this your little hand?" he cooed excitedly while taking out a green handprint. "And your tiny baby boots!" he added as he took out some booties before moving onto a big trophy. "And a wrestling trophy! I didn't know you were a wrestler, maybe we could've been Tiger Millionaire and the King of the Pride."

"I didn't choose to wrestle." Greg stated before his son found a yearbook to look through. "My parents wanted me to be more active, so they kept making me do all these things." He could still remember how nervous he was in the ring and how he won by sheer dumb luck.

"A middle school yearbook!" Steven exclaimed while gazing at Greg's smiling face in the yearbook. "You had braces!" He then snapped a photo of the picture with his phone. "You looked a lot like me when I was younger, only more….human."

Steven looked a little down for a moment before he decided to look through the signatures in the yearbook. "So many people signed this." Steven commented. "Tim wants you to have a great summer, and who's Lauren Hecht? She sure wrote a lot."

"We were on mathletes together." Greg answered dejectedly. "Another one of the millions of things my parents made me do."

"Where are they anyways?" Steven asked his old man.

"Probably at their timeshare in Florida Island, they go there every winter." Greg stated. "They weren't too happy the first time I said I didn't want to go with them."

Just then, Steven dug up another picture of young Greg dressed in graduation attire, along with his hair being buzzed off all over and a dour frown on his face. "Your hair, it's so short!"

"Did you find my graduation photo?" Greg asked worriedly. "They made me cut it because we didn't have enough time, and it was right before a gig."

"Do you have any photos of you on stage?" Steven inquired while continuing to dig through his father's old things.

"Ha, are you kidding?! Everything music-related was off-limits!" Greg declared with a laugh. "Which is why I had to hide my stuff." Soon, he began thinking back to where he had hidden something long ago.

--

"There's a Starman waiting in the sky, he'd like to come and meet us!" a younger Greg sang along to a glam rock song. "But he thinks he'd blow our minds!"

"Greg, can you come out please?" the voice of Thomas asked while knocking on the door, sending his son into a panic as he hurriedly tried to shut down his music. "What is that you're listening to?"

"It's just a neighbor Dad!" Greg fibbed as he scrambled to take out his CD, but his father took it away just in time.

"Gregory DeMayo." Thomas shook his head in disgust. "Didn't we tell you that we don't allow music in our house, especially the ones all your friends are into? I mean, you know what the news said about what happened to Ozzy Cooper lately."

"I'm sorry Dad, I wasn't paying attention!" Greg apologized to his father.

"We can discuss this later." Thomas stated before handing the disc back to his son and walking out of his room. "Now wash up and come downstairs, it's meatloaf night."

"Again?" Greg muttered disdainfully as soon as his dad was far away enough for him to not overhear. Looking at his CD, Greg put it back in its case before sticking it back in a box with other CDs and hiding the box away in a ventilation shaft, where it would remain for years to come.

--

Back in the present day, the older Greg continued searching for where he had left that box while Steven had a question to ask. "Who's Ozzy Cooper?"

"Rock star from my day who's gotten in trouble for some less than wholesome things." Greg answered before letting out a mirthless chuckle. "Then again, who hasn't these days?" At last, he found the box and opened the ventilation grate, expressing relief that they haven't been found in the years since he had left. "Yes, this is it! We can get out of here!" he declared while pulling the box out of the shaft and heading for the window. "And leave that stuff behind."

As Steven put away his father's old stuff, Greg tried to leave his former bedroom the same way he came in, albeit with a bit more difficulty. "Okay, one leg at a time."

"Wouldn't it be easier to use the front door?" Steven suggested to his dad, who was already halfway out the window.

"Sorry Schtu-ball, force of habit." Greg sheepishly apologized before squeezing back through the window and walking out of the bedroom with his son. After taking one long, last look at his old room, the man formerly known as Greg DeMayo let out a sigh and closed the door on both the bedroom and his childhood.

--

The Universes left the house as night fell and when Steven was about to get into the passenger seat of Greg's van, Greg stopped him. "Hold on there Steven." Greg declared, spinning the car keys around his finger before handing them to his son. "This is your journey of self-discovery, so I think you should take the wheel, little buddy."

"But where are we headed next?" Steven asked as he decided to reluctantly get behind the wheel and started the engine.

"That's up to you." Greg answered before the van left the DeMayo household, leaving Greg's old hometown of Showne and making the long journey back to Beach City. "I get where you're coming from Steven. When I was little Gregory DeMayo, I was just going through the motions and doing what everyone else wanted me to do. Until one day, a friend in social studies passed me this." He then held up a CD featuring songs from the artist Kerry Moonbeam that he fished out of the box. "This CD has the song that made me who I am today, so hold onto your butt!"

As soon as Greg inserted the disc into the van radio, Kerry's music began to play. "Looking for your place in the universe, don't you know the universe is looking too?" the song started and Greg began to passionately sing along, but Steven was looking very unnerved. "Looking for its place in you, and now it's coming through."

"Hey-" Steven tried to speak up.

"Not now kiddo, you're gonna love this part!" Greg cut his son off while the song continued. "Welcome to the party Mr. Universe, we're so glad we're a part of you. Meet the rocks and flowers, the seconds and the hours. The splinters, winters, apples, chapels, teardrops, temples, cats and castles. Anything that you can be, the things that you cannot see, are Mr. Universe. Mr. Universe."

"Dad, is this where our name comes from?" Steven asked in a sudden moment of clarity.

"Yes, exactly!" Greg declared excitedly.

"You took it from a song?" Steven reiterated as he slowly started getting angry.

"Once I heard this, everything changed." Greg explained himself. "I suddenly realized that there was so much more that I've yet to discover that I haven't even dreamt about before! The whole world, the universe even, I wanted to get out there and see everything! So I drove off in the van on the open road and never once looked back at old Showne. I never would've known that years of couch surfing and the basement would've led me to your mother and you. But now it's your turn! Where does Mr. Universe make you want to do, Steven?"

"I-I don't know!" Steven exclaimed.

"Maybe you need to hear it again." Greg suggested and began replaying the song.

"Dad, this isn't helping!" Steven sternly declared and shut off the radio. Greg gave his son a frown and turned it back on, but Steven once again turned it off. The father and son duo then had a brief, wordless exchange of turning the radio on and off again, which got Steven angrier until he finally spoke up.

"I don't need this song," Steven declared furiously. "I need, I need what you had!"

"What do you mean?" Greg asked. "I understand if I offended you somehow and I'm sorry, but what's all this flying off the handle for!?"

"I wish I could've grown up in a house like yours!" Steven answered. "I wish I was just a normal human boy with a normal human life where the Gems never came to Earth to begin with!"

"No you don't!" Greg panicked when he realized something. "And where did this whole thing about wishing the Gems never discovered Earth come from?"

"Maybe your parents weren't so bad." Steven talked back, making his father gasp at such a comment. "Maybe they gave you curfews and chaperones and meatloaf for a reason!"

"Steven, you don't know what they were like!" Greg yelled in response.

"They can't be any worse than Mom's family!" Steven rolled his eyes irately. "I went to a different galaxy for them, and this was right here?!"

"Steven, you don't understand!" Greg tried to calm his son down. "I couldn't do anything I wanted growing up, they all saw what I liked or wanted as wrong! Trust me, you're better off than I was!"

"I can't believe I never realized until now." Steven declared while glowing pink yet again and tightening his grip on the steering wheel. "There's a reason Mom loved you! You're just like her!"

"But you grew up with actual freedom!" screamed Greg.

"I grew up in a stupid van!" Steven screamed back as his barely reasonable anger slowly got the better of him. "I never went to school, I didn't go to a doctor until a few days ago, my life is constantly at risk and barely anyone cares anymore!"

"You're a Gem Steven, you're not like other kids!" Greg exclaimed in terror of what could happen with Steven's fury clouding his mind. "Besides, if you were in school or went to a doctor, I'm just worried you'll attract the wrong kinds of attention!"

"I could've done all that stuff," Steven bellowed. "my problem isn't just that I'm a Gem, it's because I'M A UNIVERSE!" On that last word, Steven ripped the steering wheel from the dashboard while stomping on the brake as the van began to swerve out of control.

"STEVEN, WATCH OUT!" Greg's eyes widened in alarm before the vehicle tumbled across the road and crashed on its side on the dirt beside the road.

--

For the next few moments, Steven lied on the ground unconscious with only his thoughts taunting him about what he's done, along with the very faint voice of his dad coaxing him back to reality.

"She was right, you are a monster." A deep voice echoed within Steven's mind. "What boy would nearly murder his father for trying to talk to him?"

"No, it was an accident, I swear!" Steven responded to the voice.

"I know a liar when I see one." The voice replied. If it had a face, it would've certainly been smirking right now. "You'd rather live a life where the Gems never existed and you were an average human, right?"

Steven kept silent in response, pondering if what the voice said was right, until Greg's voice slowly became louder and louder.

"Steven, Steven!" Greg called out as Steven awakened on the ground to find his dad kneeling by his side. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright! You're lucky you're still in one piece! Me, I think I got a little concussion from the crash, but I think I'll recover."

"What did I do?" Steven groaned in pain from the crash that he caused. "Do you still love me?"

"You just started throwing a tantrum and caused the van to go outta control." Greg answered. "I already called a tow truck to bring us home, but that old hunk o' metal's been through worse. Everything will be okay, we'll get through this together. And, and I'm proud of you."

"What?!" Steven yelled with outrage as he got to his knees. "But I nearly got you killed! Why aren't you punishing me?! Please ground me for this, I'm begging you!"

"Whoa, never realized you were that kinda guy." Greg declared in a daze. "I don't care what you're into, I don't think I'm the one you should be revealing this to."

"That's the concussion talking, right?" Steven asked as the two sat down near the damaged van.

"Yeah, I think that might be mostly it." Greg answered. "But still, I don't think I was ever that brave enough to stand up to my old man like that! I'm glad you're more able to tell me anything because you're having a real hard time recently, I get it. Bismuth can help us get the van fixed when we get home, and-"

As Greg continued talking, Steven refused to listen and instead gazed at the photo of Greg's middle school yearbook picture on his phone. It took some much internal debating, but he then finally decided to delete the picture to express to himself how Greg was slowly becoming dead to him.

Unbeknownst to either father or son, a black, pill-shaped satellite with a white diamond symbol in the midsection hovered far above the highway and began transmitting the information it collected to a faraway cave in the forest outside Beach City.

--

And just like what we've been doing in some chapters, we end on a rather ominous note relating to a certain Rutile. What could she possibly do with the info the satellite gathered? Who is the Ron Perlman voice in Steven's head, and will he come back someday? At least a few of these questions will be answered in the earth-shattering conclusion to both the Tearjerking Three and Part 3, Fragments. Like I've forebodingly announced back in Enemy of my Enemy, you all know what's coming.

[luckycheesefoodie321]

I’M SORRY I KNOW KIPO AND THE AGE OF WONDERBEASTS HAS ONLY BEEN OUT LIKE A WEEK OR SO BUT WHERE IS SEASON 2 (mild spoilers)

That ending...THAT ENDING THE CLIFFHANGER THE BADASSERY YALL I NEED ANOTHER SEASON

So apparently there’s a rumour the people running the show went rogue and had a character just straight up (heh) say “I’m gay” and apparently you can’t do that and in animation it has to be all coded and implied... as a result Netflix and Dreamworks have done like no promotion and are trying to let it die...

(AGAIN: rumour rumour rumour but just in case!!!)

BUT WE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN ESPECIALLY FOR SUCH A STUPID REASON

lemme just reiterate... there is an upfront, canonical, nothing implied, nothing coded, fully realised gay character, who also is a person of colour...who literally said “I’m gay” IN THE SHOW...AND HAS A POTENTIAL LOVE STORYLINE... and neither Netflix nor Dreamworks are capitalising on what an incredible milestone that is because when has an animated children’s show EVER!!

To further bolster how amazing this show is: all the main human characters are people of colour:

Kipo: half Asian, half African-descent

Wolf/Jolene/Wolfatha Christie the Fourth: African-descent

Benson: possibly African-descent/unknown as yet ethnic background

Some other fun things to note

It’s got the worldbuilding and character building sense of ATLA: an already established world that you are slowly learning the rules for, and how every character and groups (ATLA: nations, KIPO: packs or “species”) interact with each other... its bright and colourful but set in a post-apocalyptic future where mutated animals called mutes rule the earth while humans are forced to live underground or struggle to survive as surface people... you can sense how the individual communities have developed lives without each other... so when someone fresh like Kipo is thrust into the world, there’s a glow of amazement that people who have lived on the surface (like Wolf and Benson) have kinda lost touch with, and watching that glow peel back with each episode is very reminiscent of Jurassic Park... you start with the amazement that WOW LOOK GIANT BUNNIES WITH A MILLION EARS but oh wait no very dangerous okay time to get outta here... like even in the first ten minutes, Kipo starts singing a song about her feelings and being alone in a scary place and you think ohhhh it’s that kind of show and settle in for a song BUT THEN SHE GETS CUT OFF IMMEDIATELY BY A MUTATED BIRD TRYING TO KILL HER and you’re like oh shit did not see that coming

like Aang who was thrust into a completely different world after coming out of the ice, Kipo is forced to the surface world after living her whole life underground AND BOTH OF THEM approach this world with curiosity and amazement and enthusiasm... both of them are confronted by the terrors and stark realities of this new world however, but that doesn’t stop them from trying to see the best in everything and everyone (albeit somewhat recklessly)... and to insert another animated show for reference, Kipo also has a Steven Universe vibe about her in that she quite successfully convinces a lot of people who would otherwise consider harming her/leaving her to help her out... through the power of friendship and song! Even while she’s got all sorts of crap going on with her... Very Steven...

Then you have your hardy, tough as nails character like Wolf, who serves as a perfect foil to the star-dazzled nerd that is Kipo Oak... she’s suspicious, withdrawn, bitter and angry who shows signs of awkwardness and social anxiety from raising herself without other humans...and lemme tell ya, her backstory... OOF... very Toph Beifong and some Lapis Lazuli in there...

Benson and Dave still find the lighter side of life but are no less skilled at taking care of themselves than Wolf... and they act like the comedic foils to the ever serious Wolf and the reckless Kipo, acting as a middle ground as surface survivors who can still enjoy themselves...

If I were to use other recent animated shows: General worldbuilding and main character vibe is very reminiscent of ATLA... the simplistic storytelling set within a more epic story, and songs they sing is very Steven Universe... I suppose stylistically, very Adventure Time...

Idk what else to say I lost my train of thought but y’all should go watch Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts on Netflix and then someone hit me up so we can talk about it because I know we got a fandom and I want a season 2!!! AND I WANT TO KNOW WOLF’S REAL NAME. AND TO GET BENSON THE BOYFRIEND HE DESERVES!!!!

[gildedink]

For @bettsican since I was mean and suggested the Anastasia AU.

The ballroom glittered with light. Though the snow was falling thickly outside, the horse-drawn carriages kept coming. After all, it was Princess Anastasia’s 9th birthday. Nobles form all over the Russian Empire, including a few foreign dignitaries, were in attendance. The little princess could be seen, dancing with her father. He lifted her up, laughing as the girl clapped in enjoyment. The dance continued, everyone knowing their movements in the display of human machination. The dignitary from China, Jin Xia, looked on with a smile, brown eyes warm at seeing such joy. It was a lavish display, meant to entice and warn; Russia would not topple easily to foreign invasion. The former Tsar, Alexander, sat to the side, gazing at his favorite granddaughter. The pair shared the same clear tanzanite eyes and unruly curls, though his were chestnut while hers were pale blond like winter sunlight.

The elder man beckoned the little girl and she disengaged from the dance to go to his side near the throne. “Having fun, shnezika?” he asked.

Anastasia nodded. “There are so many people! I didn’t think I was that important."

“Everyone always wants to celebrate a pretty girl’s birthday.” Alexander replied. “Now, here. My present to you, pretty one.” Out of his jacket pocket, Alexander revealed a golden thing; oval in shape, gilded and inlayed on top with lapis lazuli imported from the far west.

The girl’s eyes widened. “For me? Is it a jewelry box?”

“Something far more important.” Alexander reached under his shirt and pulled out a small pendant in the shape of a many-pointed star, golden and inlayed with lapis as well on a long gold chain. Taking the pendant, her slotted the tips of the star right to a small hole on the side of the box. He turned and Anastasia heard gears moving inside. When there had been enough turning, Alexander removed the pendant. The lapis top slowly opened as music spilled out with two figures slowly spinning. The figures were an exact replica of the Tsar and Tsaritsa in porcelain. The song softly singing among the din of the orchestra was the lullaby her grandfather had song to her since she had been in the crib.

“Oh…” Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes. “Dedushka… it’s our song!”

“It is. This way, even when you miss me while I’m away, you can pretend I’m right next to you, singing to you.” He placed the music box down on his lap and took off the long chain around his neck. He handed it to the birthday girl. “Read.”

Taking the necklace, Anastasia slowly brought it close to her face. Small leters circled around the center. Slowly turning it, she read. “ ‘Together.. in Paris.’ “ She looked up. “Really?!” Alexander nodded. “Dedushka! Thank you!”

The girl flung her arms around the man, hugging him tight. She could smell the mint oil he dabbed behind his ears. He hugged her back. “It’s just for the summer, little bird. But yes, you father feels you’re old enough to finally travel.”

Unknow to either royal, a little boy, only a few years older then Princess Anastasia, watched on. He was entranced by the lovely curls of the girl, her smile that could melt snow. She looked nothing like the people back home. No one did really, but she seemed to radiate effervescence and light. “Tern, it’s rude to stare.” The boy felt himself flush at his mother’s admonishment.

“…she’s pretty.” He said, glancing again at the girl with her grandfather.

His mother smiled slowly, an idea forming. “How about this then, Tern. I’m sure she’d appreciate a present from someone around her age then an adult. Why don’t you present her with our King’s gift?”

“Really?” His mother nodded and took the present from the maid by her side. It was wrapped in soft silk in a watercolor of jade green, moss green and a touch of pale blue.

She placed the gift in his hands. “Be careful. Don’t run and wait until they’re finished talking. Remember your manners.”

“Yes mother!” Tern spun around, seeing the princess hug her grandfather tight, a smile on her face and tears dotting her lashes like dew. He felt his heart warm; he hoped the present in his hands made her smile like that too. Swallowing, the boy went over to the girl. Alexander noticed the new company and gently nudged Anastasia. She turned to look at him. “A-ah, I-! Um!” Tern cleared his throat. “Princess Anastasia. I have been given the honor to… to present this gift to you from the King of the Joseon Kingdom. We hope to continue cor-cordul-“ The boy stumbled over the words. Alexander watched on with slight amusement as Anastasia waited patiently; she also stumbled on the some of the large, fancy words she had to use, speaking with people. She understood his discomfort. “Cordial! – cordial relations with the Russian Empire.”

The boy’s accent had been thick and heavy as he’d spoken in Russian but Anastasia appreciated the effort. “Thank you.” Anastasia curtsied and took the gift. “May I open it?” The boy nodded. “What is your name?”

“Tern. Tern Keo.” Tern bowed. “I am happy to meet you.”

“You’ve traveled far.” Alexander spoke up in the Joseon language. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

“No, everything was fine.” Tern insisted, remembering his teachers instructions; never complain and keep things vague.

Alexander opened his mouth to speak but stopped as all the candles and lamps within the large ballroom suddenly extinguished. His eyes widened as he stood. “Get behind me, children.” The former Tsar stood in front of the pair of children as the door slammed open with an unnatural wind. A tall, pale figure stood at the door. Anastasia and Tern peaked from behind Alexander’s robes, curious. People shrank back as the man entered, the moonlight coming in through the huge windows on the walls. Someone dropped a crystal glass. It shattered, spilling red wine like blood at the man’s feat. He crushed the glass’s remnants underfoot. “Get out.” The two words rang in the large, quiet room.

“’Get out’? How rude.” The man said. The planes of his face were sharp and cold. “I thought this was a celebration?”

“You were not invited.”

“But, I am your confidant!”

“Confidant? Hah!” Alexander glared daggers into the man in front of him. “You stopped being that long ago, when you got my wife killed. Now get out!”

“I just wanted to bring a gift to the little princess. Would you be so cruel to deny a child a gift?” the man countered, a sickeningly sweet smile on his face. “Where is the little one?” His eyes zeroed in on Anastasia. “Ah, there she is.”

Alexander spread his cloak out a bit, shielding the girl from view. “This is your last warning. Leave of your own will or be dragged out like a bitch kicked to the curb.

“She has your eyes Alexy. So lovely and clear, they skewer your soul.”

There was a murmured wave of disgust at the nickname. Everyone knew the rumors; Matvey, a con man, a witch, who had somehow fooled the former Tsar into letting him into the court. His reward was the death of his wife. It had been many years yet somehow age had not marred the cold face as it had lined Alexander’s. “GET OUT!” Alexander roared. The guards, still beset with nerves, sprung to life. The grabbed the man and began to drag him out. His skin felt like ice.

Matvey laughed. “She’ll be the last Alexy! She’ll be the last of your bloodline. You and her! And then I will take great pleasure in killing her slowly, right before your eyes.” He spat on the ground, resisting now. “You should have never betrayed me.”

“You betrayed me first when you killed Tsar Peter.”

There was a laughed, unhinged. “He got in our way. In my way. You always had unfaithful eyes.” He grinned. “I wonder how loud she’ll scream when I pluck them out.”

At this several nobles moved, standing between the royal family and the madman. Even a few dignitaries moved to protect the little princess, disgusted at the threats on an innocent child.

Anastasia felt tears running down her face in fear. Tern quickly did the first thing that came to mind; covered her ears. “Don’t listen.” He said. “Don’t.” Anastasia looked to Tern’s warm brown eyes, sniffing.

“The next time you come around, I will kill you personally.” Alexander hissed. Matvey laughed but stopped resisting as he was dragged away.

[myfandomrambles]

Steven Universe Familiar (5x26) Analysis

So I enjoyed it pretty well. I thought it was interesting and the talking walls and her little rock pets were interesting. I liked the environmental characterization of Pink honestly it’s the most honest stuff we get about her not filtered through unreliable narrators which was nice. I liked seeing more of homeworld and most of the visuals were pretty cool.

The animation of the Diamonds had their size bigger again which of course is inconsistent (as was Steven) but it did provide really good imagery with the size difference. The pool scene with blue seemed a bit off though. 

It actually made me wonder about the future too (in a not ugh kind of way)

I wonder if the eyes/status are watching for all of them or are they, white specific spies? 

And if Pinks’ room on homeworld works the same as Roses’ bedroom may be the temple was Pink’s home on earth even before she became Rose? 

Is the statue on the outside is Diamond tech, if so does it move too?

The song was also fine overall not my favourite.

Steven:

Honestly, I think him to some extent “accepting” being just like his mother follows his arc really well. He is using the power that being a Diamond has to his own ends, not even real change just his pet project which sadly makes sense with the latest Steven we have seen and is a lot like Rose. Healing the corruption is, of course, good, it’s “saving the earth” just like his mother but it’s not shifting the power structure to any large degree. He’s not trying to make real change and improvement. Not saving off colours, letting them treat Pearl as his possession, not raising an army. He’s not even trying to learn about the current functions/tech of the regime, how are the other gems working, what are all the differences of era 2, how big is Home Worlds empire now or anything like that. He’s making his incrementalist decisions, playing up is power level and social clout. Nothing about this screams I want to make a better world for everyone I’ve seen have their lives broken by the Diamonds. It’s just his pet project.

Steven adopts the option of trying to throw a party as Pink to try and mend family ties and by that heal the corrupted gems on earth. And honestly this is very Steven, and something Early seasons Steven would do to fix all the problems. This realization Pink was a lot like Steven when she was young (i realize gems don’t age physically but we have seen gems do grow up mentally) is interesting. It's like not even is Steven still trying to put together the pieces of a world and system his mom broke, but now he is doing it by her tactics, in her clothes, in her old room. It actually makes a lot of sense for Steven as who he is, but is still disappointing from a standpoint of who Steven could have been. The person Garnet, Connie and Bismuth saw he could be a leader and a fighter. The independent, funny, goofy kind person Greg, Amethyst and the town care about.

Steven’s is to CGs as Pink is to the Diamonds.

I’m tbh offended saying Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst were just like the Diamonds. Yeah they didn’t bring him on missions but he was what 13? and his powers were weak, they were protecting him. Totalitarian leaders not giving Pink her own colony isn’t the same as three (or four) traumatized refugees protecting their child/nephew figure from the war destruction left by those very leaders.

They did lie to him but Pearl had no other choice, Amethyst didn’t really know much and Garnet didn’t know the whole story and was bound by loyalty and her future vision to really see clearly.  The CG made some real fuck-ups, but it wasn’t all just by the patronization of Steven or an act of petty control of their world. It was a family torn apart and shaped by the mistakes thousands of years ago hanging over their heads trying to work. They didn’t always do the right thing by any means but none of them ended using chemical weapons on a whole planet.

Also Garnet loved Steven it blinded her but it was all a place of love and fear. Pearl is mentally fucked and made bad choices but from a place of lack of options not the same headspace or reality as the infinitely powerful Diamonds. Half the time Amethyst had no info to give, the power to change the situation and really treated Steven as being in charge of him. She was basically cool auntie Amethyst.

Yes from Steven’s perspective the CGs are the only frame of reference he had, so he sees Diamond’s broken love for Pink seem the same. But the Diamonds had options for how to treat Pink all the choice in the empire. Their fight was based on Pink wanting her own world to control and then fight over rather or not pink could go play on earth. All of these family disagreements escalated which eventually became a squabble to decide the right of a planet of people to survive. The CG’s mistakes never lead to them attempt mass murder and were really more emotionally complicated

When do you let a teenager fight disturbed dangerous people? How do you tell a child about a war they lost that killed millions broke their hearts and made those very creatures. How do you tell people of your life in a society that abused you? How do you tell a kid a whole planet wants him dead because his mother tore apart a world and didn’t even when freedom for anyone? It’s just not the same situation

Diamond Dynamics

So, they are for sure still trying to make me give a fuck that Pink’s death disrupted their lives huh? The Diamonds were talking about their armies, and gem production and keeping them in line. That’s some warlord oppressor shit. I don’t think the Diamonds should get to have pool parties! you attempt genocide and I say no fun for you!! The family trouble doesn’t resonate because nothing they have done has really humanized the Diamonds. Like I get they are sad, and they loved Pink but I care way more for the CGs, Peridot, Jasper, the off colours, Lapis and the corrupted to feel sympathy for people who have hurt them so much.

The Dynamic of the Diamonds does seem to be familial. White is a leader and in charge, her affection and is coveted by all of the others. So I assume a top military/governmental leader and a mother or older sister. Blue and Yellow I think viewed pink as their little sister. I never really got maternal from them and like I don’t need lesbian space fascists thanks. Another reason I go, sister, is that Pink thought, she should be equal to Yellow and Blue but was less powerful and smaller. Basically, she was made they never let her “play too”.

Yellow’s comments about searching for White’s approval and her paying attention to steven was insightful as showing not just structurally but interpersonally there is a slight fear of white but more than anything they want her attention back. Yellow seems slightly annoyed Pink gets attention by acting out and “falling” while her perfect execution of terrorizing innocent people doesn’t. Blue shows us they were at one time more close as a family but Pink dying caused this to stop. Blue and Yellow cared for and liked Pink. Pink never seemed to think about the social system as anything but one to be exploited and celebrated. This conversation and the drawing of them as a family I think adds to the fact that Rose couldn’t really fight to hurt the diamonds (though this seemed to apply less to the CG huh)

Though one interesting part of this was the change to Era 2 following earth’s collapse. That would be fun to explore more of how gem society has functioned over time.

Pearl

Like okay, are we sure we’re chill with what they did with Pearl? The character you’ve had declare her independence from the rooftops is doing exactly what she was made to do playing servant for a Diamond (Even if Steven isn’t a Whole diamond). She is taking care of Steven almost the same way she was expected to for Pink. She is filling the social role of a court Pearl. She is following him around everywhere, waiting at the bottom of the stairs, carrying his things, telling him stories, standing next to Yellow and Blue’s pearls, coming at the chimes, helping Steven function with the diamonds. She literally tries to cheer him up similar to how she did with Pink. She talks about his court the goes to get their friends, basically bringing his “court” to visit him. Something it seems she would have done with Pink back in the day. I mean it’s very in character for Pearl and everything to do those things, but it still hurts a bit. Like yeah, they had that “geesh” moment but they never really counteracted that idea.

It’s not the exact same dynamic as before. Pearl was more of a lady in waiting to Pink while with Steven it’s more like she is his nanny. But it’s still her falling back into her patterns as a Diamond's Pearl. I mean they aren’t even considering her threat and keeping her on the ship like the others. She obviously is just Steven’s/Pink’s caretaker and servant, she isn’t a rebel by her own choice (which I mean that's kinda true) she just falls back to playing her assigned role. Honestly, the Imagery in Legs From Here to Homeworld started this. She stood in the Pearl place on the ship, at Pinks/Steven’s screen surrounded on either side by the more powerful diamond. She already started following Steven around with his things, was next to him when talking about Nephrite and didn't push back at the Diamonds. The further continuation of this is depressing.

It makes sense for Pearl to slip back into this headspace it really does. In That Will Be, All she is annoyed and frustrated and hates being told to play Pearl. But these episodes we see her not really fight back, looking slightly annoyed but following the rules and doing all her work. I think this comes partially for safety as going against the orders would be dangerous we no option of leaving, then she is back in the exact same surroundings as before and being told by Diamonds not some third-rate Agate making it harder to not obey. I think also in a lot of ways Pearl never totally stopped viewing herself as less-than even if she no longer followed the old rules.   She learned to be smart, fight and live another way of life but her inferiority complex and conditioning are still in there making this experience I think was able to trigger those feelings in a more powerful way

Conclusion:

Well, it's not my least favourite. The story actually makes some sense that it progressed this way, and they're not OOC.  I hate this direction when they could have chosen a story healing and revolution but they didn't.

Another thing that sucks is at this point the narrative  is driven by two main factors, (none of those being animating themes or ideas):

Rose, The Gem War and Homeworld’s past mistakes. Everything happens in the wake of the destruction wrought thousands of years ago. All of the conflicts with space relates back to what a dead woman did, not our protagonists.

A lack of systemic understanding. Pearl only acted out of love and duty, she liked the more free world of course but it was never really her choice. Garnet has an understanding of the idea of revolution and change but never actually got to fight or win that. She knew what needed to be changed but never had the ability to make it a reality, living in a rose-tinted world, and Steven uses his playground morality that works with Peridot and Nephrite but not with tyrants. He never learned to view anything as bigger than interpersonal interactions.

[e350tb]

Steven Universe: Marooned Together - Chapter Thirty One

(with thanks to @real-fakedoors for proofreading)

On the first day, Stevonnie didn’t stir.

The weather remained perfect, as if mocking Lapis with its cheerful temperance. At any other time, they’d be outside, walking, exploring, even just talking; but today she didn’t leave the barn. Instead she sat, she paced, she fretted, and all for nothing.

She did try to clean Stevonnie’s face a bit - it was still covered in dried blood, and it had reached the point where she just had to wash it off. She also noticed the bristles of fur on their chin and cheeks, and wondered if it was appropriate to do something about it. She decided to wait, at least until tomorrow.

There was one bit of good news - she did manage to feed them. Sure, it was just crushed up fruit and a bit of water, and she wasn’t quite sure if they were swallowing or inhaling it (they didn’t seem to be choking), but it was a start.

Maybe things would improve soon.

Maybe.

The second day was perfect once more, and that was almost enraging.

Today, Lapis decided to attempt shaving. She still wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but it gave her the feeling that she was doing something useful, so she went ahead and did it. Besides, perhaps the sensation on their face would wake them up.

There was no such luck, but if she was honest, Lapis thought she’d done a pretty good job.

Otherwise, the day was spent reading in a failed attempt to calm down. She went through a hundred pages of a novel, looked up, and realised she hadn’t retained memory of a single page. She threw the book away in disgust and went back to fretting and pacing.

Still the sun shone.

The third day was again the picture of perfection, but Lapis could feel a sense of moisture on her skin. It was an unmistakable sign - rain was coming.

She wondered if she should warp to New Earth; if she should tell Peedles or the Hospital what was happening. She found herself sitting by the warp pad and staring at it for several minutes.

What if you go and they wake up?

What if you don’t go and they never wake up?

In the end, she didn’t, and the rest of the day passed in the same way the previous two had.

And yet, she could feel the deluge in the air - the sign of change. She wondered if that meant anything.

On the fourth day, the clouds rolled in, but the rain did not come. Lapis knew it was coming, but today it held off.

Now she was trying a new tactic - being loud. That normally woke humans, from her experience (and it certainly woke her), so she made a point to do everything as loudly and unsubtly as possible.

She picked up magazines and just about shouted out the articles. She sang random songs, not even sure if she was getting the words right. She made deliberately goofy noises as she walked or moved or shifted, just as she remembered Peridot doing long ago, when she needed cheering up.

Stevonnie didn’t so much as cough. All it did was exhaust her.

That night, Lapis slept for the first time in ages.

She found herself standing in a dimly lit room, small, gentle lights swaying around, illuminating a wooden floor. Above her was a banner - ‘BEACH CITY HIGH SCHOOL PROM’, and a year that Lapis knew had been about twenty-five years before. It was completely empty, but she couldn’t help but feel watched.

She looked down at herself. She was wearing a pink suit and necktie with shined dress shoes - since when did she wear shoes? Dimly she recognised that this must be a dream.

“Steven?”

She knew that wasn’t her name but turned around regardless.

Stevonnie stood there, dressed in a smart blue gown with a red ribbon around the waist, their arm outstretched as they blushed intensely.

“May I have this dance?” they asked nervously.

She felt herself blushing furiously as she raised her hand to take theirs. Slowly, they moved back and forth to the time of a slow, graceful song that Lapis did not recognise.

“You look amazing, Connie,” she heard herself whisper.

Stevonnie let out an anxious snort.

“That’s just you saying that,” they replied.

“No, I mean it,” she said, “You’re just… I can’t believe how lucky I am, you know? Like… aw, geez, Dad said I’d got this, but I really don’t…”

“Heh,” Stevonnie snorted again, “Neither do I. Maybe nobody’s ‘got this.’”

Lapis chuckled back.

“Yeah, maybe,” she replied, “But at least we can try, right? And for what it’s worth… there’s nobody I’d rather try with than you.”

Stevonnie’s eyes began to water, and Lapis felt hers well up in kind.

“I love you, Connie,” she said, her voice wavering.

Stevonnie smiled and leaned in. Nervously, as her heart fluttered at a million beats per minute, she moved in kind, closing her eyes…

BOOOOM.

Lapis woke with a start as the sound of thunder reverberated through the barn.

She lay on her hammock for some time, listening to the rain. That dream… it must have come from Stevonnie, right? It was one of their memories, which meant they were definitely still in there.

But why then -- why wouldn’t they wake up?

Day five.

Lapis stood over Stevonnie, dress and hair blown by the wind from the storm outside. She felt utterly exhausted, even though she’d done nothing but watch her friend for days.

Nothing had worked - nothing at all. And it was infuriating, because she knew, knew that they were still in there, so why wouldn’t they wake up? What could she do? There was so much she wanted to say with them, to do with them, and they just wouldn’t wake up.

Maybe this was how it all ended. Maybe they’d sleep forever. Maybe she’d never, ever get the chance to tell them…

She walked over to the door, looking out into the rain. Finally, the weather reflected her mood - it was as if her sorrow was weeping from the sky, threatening the flood the entire world. It was a swirling fog of rain and mist and despair, grey and sad. Normally Lapis liked the rain, loved it even, but now it only added to the hole in her heart. There was a strange sense of finality in the air - and while she told herself it couldn’t, couldn’t end like this, her hope was fading.

She closed her eyes, remembering the song sung at the Diamond’s Lament years ago.

“I… I wish you could swim…”

She opened her eyes once more, gazing out into the swirling rainstorm once more.

“...like dolphins… like dolphins can swim…”

She turned around, walking slowly towards her unconscious friend, her voice wavering as she sung on.

“Though nothing… nothing will keep us together…”

She sat down next to Stevonnie, still singing, still hoping against hope for them to open their eyes and join in.

“....we can beat them… forever and ever…”

She leaned over their face, gingerly placing a hand over their cheek.

“Oh, we can be heroes… just for one day…”

The well broke, and she began to cry, the emotions of the entire long ordeal breaking out. She dropped forward, her face falling onto their chest as she began to sob. This was it, she thought - it was done, it was over and she was alone once more.

“And I… I will be king.”

Lapis’ eyes widened as she heard the voice. Was it… could it be?

“...and you… you will be queen.”

Slowly, she lifted herself up, looking up at her friend’s face. Their eyes… they were open.

“Though nothing… will drive them away…” Stevonnie grunted as they pushed themself up, bringing themself level with the kneeling Lapis. She said nothing, her wide eyes still running with tears.

“...w-we can be heroes,” Lapis forced herself to sing back, voice still shaking, “Just for one day…”

Stevonnie smiled weakly.

“...we can be us… just for one day.”

Slowly, Lapis started to lean in, her hand still on Stevonnie’s cheek. She didn’t know why, exactly, but it seemed right. She closed her eyes - don’t question it, don’t question it…

And so it was, in their small piece of shelter in a world consumed by wind and rain and raging oceans, a world that was alien and familiar and unquestionably thiers, that Stevonnie and Lapis Lazuli kissed for the first time - a short and somewhat awkward affair, tinged by nervousness and sweet relief, but a deeply personal and special moment nonetheless.

White Diamond was not smiling. She didn’t look specifically angry, but she didn’t need to - the absence of her standard smile was a statement enough. The newly regenerated Yellow Diamond dared not say a word.

“I expected this from Teardrop,” the bigger diamond said at last, “But not from you, Spark. We will need to talk thoroughly about where we go from here.”

Yellow Diamond swallowed but did not dare to protest.

“In the meantime,” continued White, “Those pirate raiders are aware of the existence of Project Chrysalis, which is a very unfortunate state of affairs. Production of the prototype must be increased - I want it deployed at the first possible opportunity against these organics.”

“Yes, White. It will be done.”

“Very good,” said White, “As your ship is destroyed, you will not be confined to Homeworld as Blue was - but I expect you only to leave to observe the Project. We can’t have you running around while you’re being punished, can we, Spark?”

“I… yes, White.”

“Very good. That will be all.” White clapped twice.

Yellow beat a very hasty retreat, leaving White alone once more. Slowly, ever so slowly, her smile returned.

“I do sometimes wish I could tell them who you are, Starlight,” she muttered to herself, “But I think that pain is best saved for the right moment - like when I deal with your little Lapis friend…”

[c-atm]

Snow day Prompt: Bittersweet meeting *p1*

“Looks like it'll be a big storm. Don't think the others are coming today.." The seventeen year old stated as he looked at the start of snowfall.

Part of him wanted to leave as well but his pride as club leader president wouldn't allow him, you never know who might need some assistance or help in this school, which is why he created the 'Crystal gems'.

From student counseling to school events to setting parlays between students, the Crystal gems goal is to make every Diamond high student as smooth as possible. Which is why they, for the most part, butt heads with student council every so often.

The SC feels that the CG overstep their boundaries at times. Though they cannot deny the good they have done. Even if their methods come off as questionable. It's less animosity and more of a rivalry between the two on whose better for the school. Still they get some funding from the treasury cause they are an official club, that get results.

“Universe..Shouldn't you be heading out?”  a gruff voice called out to him. He turned to see  three girls standing in the hall, looking in.He gave them a small smile before taking a seat on the club rooms sofa.

“Awe...You're worry about me Jasp, That's sweet of you cuz.”

The girl in question scoffed lightly as she hid her small smile under her orange scarf. Tall and muscular but also very feminine, with wild white hair, gold contacts and faded brown skin with white  stripes of vitiligo; which only made her more exotic.Her name’s Jasper, vice president of the student council and his younger cousin.

Behind her stood two others. A slender woman of average height and a swimmers build. Her ocean colored hair and dark sand colored skin, with striking eyes as blue as her namesake Lapis lazuli. She was the secretary of the  student council and scuba team Captain.

The last part of this trio was small and shapely, just braking five feet, five-three with her gravity defying, greenish-blonde hair, a natural light tan, her infamous goggles over some of the brightest green eyes you'd ever seen. The student council treasurer and fire cracker, Peridot.

all three were dress in the standard academy  uniform( White blazer, yellow blouse, pink tie and blue skirt) under their wool, leather  and down coats, respectively.

“Joking aside, she's right Steven..We're supposed to be getting a few feet through the night. It's best if you head home now, before it gets worst...We’d wait for you, if you want.”  The bluenette suggested with a small smile.

“Tempting, but I still have some work to finish, beside you never know who might need some advice.”  Lapis’s smiled faltered a bit at his refusal.

“Told you, he'd say no. Him and Boss are both the same.” Peridot sighed exasperatedly

“So, the President still here as well? That works in my favor, there something i wanted to discuss with her.”

The three girls looked as Steven to rub his chin and a small smirk appeared on his lips. While Peridot grinned, almost cackled; Jasper sent Lapis a apologetically knowing glance, who in responded in a slight wave. Jasper cleared her throat before walking up to Steven,her left hand open and free, her right held the keys to her car.

“Your keys, give’em here Steven.”

Steven would have argued a bit, but the fact that she used her ‘family’ tone and gave him the look she always did when she was worried about other, left him no resistance. He dug into the back of his slacks and produced a key to his motorcycle with a small pink lion plush on one of the chains.  The two exchanged keys, before Jasper headed to the locker in the far left and grabbed three helmets and some goggles from it. She passed the green one to Peridot, a blue to Lapis and kept a large orange one and the goggles for herself.

“Don’t stay too late Steven…”

“And you don’t go too fast on lion…”  He turned towards the other two “Make sure she don’t break 25, just because it’s not that bad yet and I had the tires redone for the season, dosen't mean your perfectly safe.”

Lapis and Peridot gave their word, despite Jasper protest of being a responsible driver. A protest that ended shortly after Steven admitted to trusting her with his ride, making her feel a bit smug.

“Alright guys, we should head home before we all have to load up in Jasper tuna can of a car.”  

Jasper growled at Peridot’s comment before giving her cousin a quick one armed hug, Not to be left out; Peridot gave the young man a quick friendly hug causing the tallest girl to roll her eyes and Steven to chuckle.  He blushed when he heard Peri whispered something into his stomach and the sly look on her face didn’t help. He shook his head as she broke the hug and basically skipped out of the room once again joking about Jasper car when she was a good ways away, causing Jasper to chase after her. Lapis  and Steven looked as the two took off, when they heard Peri yelled.

“MAKE SURE TO TAKE THE PRESIDENT HOME AS WELL, GOOO~OOD LUU~UUUCK!”

“I better go before she kills Peri.”

“Yeah,that’s a good idea. Get home safe, Lappie.”  Red face and head down, Lapis delivered a weak trembling punch to the boys stomach.

“You rejected me already, so save that charm for her...I’m rooting for you”

With a small kiss upon his cheek and a wipe of a tear, Lapis ran to catch up with Jasper and Peri. Steven shook his head with a sigh as he turned around and laid on the couch.  He watched as the snow lightly fell, with a peaceful look, dozing off as he did.

It was a melodic sound. A familiar one as well, he’d recognize it anywhere on earth. A simple feminine humming from his left. He turned towards it and saw a indian-american woman of his age sitting on the loveseat. Pad and pen in hand and headphones over her head; humming to a song on her mp4.

That natural walnut skin, shiny black eyes; long  curly brown hair that flowed like a waterfall that cute slightly pointed nose and those small yet full lips. She was a bit taller than lapis, curvier than Peridot; and strong...not Jasper strong, but a fencer and athletic build.  She sat, one leg over the other, in an alternative school outfit (pink blazer, yellow skirt,blue shirt, and pink tie). The Student President of Diamond Academy, tennis and fencer all star; Connie Maheswaran.

“That uniform fits you very well.”

“Why, thank you” Steven shocked and red face allowed Connie arched an eyebrow and smirk at CG leader. Steven sat up with a stretch and a crack of the neck.

“Time?”

“Only fifteen to five.”

“So..30 minutes, see you made yourself comfortable; Ms.President.”

“Was waiting for my best friend to wake.” Connie pulled her head phones down to her shoulder as she watch him get up and walk behind her and gave her a small hug, which she returned  by squeezing his left bicep.

“Tea?”

“ Green, please.”

Giving her a smile the seventeen year old released his hold, a bit reluctantly, before going to the mini fridge getting two bottle of spring water, four  tea bags from a nearby locker; and turning on the electric tea kettle that Pearl, one of the club members; brought for the room.

“So really what brings you to the room? And how long have  you been here?”

“No reason. Just making rounds saw you here in this nice warm room, decided to come in for a bit. I’ve only been here for about 10 minutes. Is that ok?”

“All are welcomed, but you get special privileges; like this tea.” Steven pointed to  the kettle with a smirk. Connie place three fingers on her blouse and gasp in exaggerated fashion.

“Talk about the V.I.P treatment.” She sent him a half smirk. “You wouldn't be trying to get something from me, Right Mr, Universe.”

he let use a low chuckle as he handed her a mug, and sat back on the couch. “Now whatever gave you that idea?”

“That chuckle for one, and the fact that you left a list of funds proposals on the table.”

“I swear they are all needed.” The pace of that statement caused the president to arched an eyebrow and pursed her lips.

“Uh-huh and what pray tell, does these items have to do with your club activities?”

“As you know, our club was main goal to ensure that our fellow students have a pleasant  school life...Which we have done very well.”

“Methods aside..Sure.”

“Negotiations doesn't always work with words alone..sometimes games need to be played, parlays need to be made-”

“Classrooms need to be close off, dances need to be unofficially hosted; disguises need to be worn.”

“We always brought the costumes back in pristine condition” Connie stone face made him sigh. “ok, working condition.”

“and the fighting?”

“Oh, like you never used your skills outside of an match.”

Connie shrugged, a small toothy grin on her face. “The S.C does double as a disciplinary committee.. You guys don't.”

“Fair enough,  but you can't argue that we have gotten results-”

“Steven,I'm not going to deny your proposal for these items... Though, I don't  know why you don't talk to the headmaster themselves..you are related after all.”

“No way. Last Thing I need is people thinking I am privileged.

“....Just choose some soon, ok?”

the spontaneity of the statement and tiredness of her voice aroused suspicion in him. He scooted over and patted the cushion  next to him. She took the lifeline quickly as she sat beside him, leaned on his shoulder and grasped his hand, he did nothing but intertwined  his fingers with hers.

“You doing ok, President?”

“Just tired of talking shop, is all. Been planning the winter formal and been dealing with disputes between clubs.”

“You could send some of those disputes over here.”

“and have Jasper be on my case..no thanks, I choose peace... but the dance we could use a little ---.” Connie growled mid sentence, facepalming as she did.“No.. No more talk of S.C. work.”

Steven looked on with a smirk at her antics. “Sorry..So how has things been with you, personally? Still dating that Jeff guy?”

“Wow...weeks since we really spoke and that the first thing you ask, wait... how did you know I was dating...ANYONE?”

“He did come to us for advice...Though I was sick for that week. Garnet took control of that one…”

“and…”

Steven looked at her and rubbed the back of his head. “ On my day back, I caught you two giggling and such afterschool..You wasn't were we usually meet up for our ride home. I saw you two and was quick to figure what was going on.”

“Oh… Steven, I'm so sorry I-”

“Hey, No problem you don't have to tell me everything..I mean he's your boyfriend… you have, nothing to be apologetic about. Heard he's a good guy…” Steven glared and his voice, chilling “He IS a good guy..right?”

“I guess? We were only together for a month before I broke it off.”

“Ooo..May I ask why?”

Connie shrugged with a sigh. “Wasn't actually  attracted to him, but I figure I'd give the guy a chance. He has good ambition, wanting to go into film and such a nice guy but...just no real spark between us.”

Steven nodded. “It's like that sometimes”

“True...I'm mad at you though.” Connie playful pokes called the bigger teen to laugh. “Six weeks and no hang out, no rides on lion; no games night” What started off as jovial and teasing, ended serious and cool. Connie frown was pronounced and her eyes sharp. “and why? cause some guy that didn't even last a whole month…”

Steven glared back just as hard. “You didn't  exactly try to talk to me too much either.”

Connie growled slightly at this before sighing..this was not what she wanted. “You're right..I wanted to talked to you, but something happened…other than jeff”

“Oh..and what was that?”

“You rejecting Lapis…”

[highland-gem-guardian]

The Price of Freedom

Prologue / Chapter One

2 years prior to the current day, a young Snapper couple experienced the happiest day of their lives months before an event that nobody could ever predict occurred. Word Count: 1771

Lore pinglist: @voidandstarlight @emordnilap-fr @fr-dew

The lighthearted bells of the small sanctuary rang in enthusiasm for the wedding about to take place.

Inside the small wooden chapel were at least a dozen of dragons of every size. They chattered excitedly about everything - from the great weather outside to the previous days goldmine of minerals mined to how adorable little Pelly looked as the ring bearer. The atmosphere was calm yet moving, as a day of passion and devotion should be.

The chattering was gradually hushed upon the appearance of an elderly Mirror to the crooked old organ in front of the rows of benches. With a quick stretch of his finned arms and a rather painfully loud crack of his fingers, he set to work waking up the tired instrument and forcing it to once again play the song of welcome, rejoice and love.

Smiling faces and well-meaning eyes moved over to the where the groom was now standing and awaiting his betrothed. The feminine folk of the service with their best silks and jewels whispered eagerly about his dashing outfit and his strong muscles. Meanwhile their more stout companions grinned at the groom from across the room, knowing all too well that a good night of mischief and partying lay ahead for most of them. His best man, a dark teal-coloured Guardian with a long but neatly tied up mane with a few straggled ends escaping down his face, also turned to smile softly at him. The best man leaned in and whispered quietly to the groom.

“Not long now until your freedom is gone, Hem.”

Hematite averted his gaze to his best man. He quickly flashed of look of warning to the Guardian as if to say “do not speak like that on my special day, I KNOW what I am doing” but on the outside he gave a forced hearty laugh and whispered back.

“Haha, I know man. She isn’t what you guys are used to. I know her for who she really is and that is the dragoness that I am marrying today. I would rather spend my life with her if it meant-”

His whisper was cut off by the sudden appearance of his soon-to-be wife down the aisle from where he stood. His mouth gaped in a mixture of awe and surprise, but he quickly regained himself and neatened up his posture for the ceremony ahead of him.

Meanwhile at the opposite end of the aisle, A timid young Snapper now hung around the door nervously as all eyes turned to her with soft gasps escaping from the lips of some of the silk-covered dragons. On her head was a fat, round desert frog. Everybody there knew she couldn’t do anything without the thing, but some people spoke lowly in disgust. The frog simply croaked.

Dressed in a fine guise of pale green silk, Emerald’s outfit of marriage was also adorned with beautiful yet simple copper jewelry. She knew of the psychic and healing abilities that came with the ore, and she hoped that it would put her soon-to-be-husbands worrisome mind at ease. As she began slowly making her way to her beloved with her dedicated friend Crag walking besides her slowly and an excited trio of Skydancer hatchlings skipping onwards in front with light giggles and flower petals all around, she felt a sudden surge filling the room from the bangles around her wrists. It felt like all had become calm and organised, like everything was in order and she was ready for anything that was to come up ahead. She was at peace. She only wished her partner was as well.

As she walked forwards, she heard the whispering of some of the guests. She took a deep breath as she attempted to keep the order from her heart in the room. Some of them still found a way to slip into her ears.

“She looks absolutely stunning! What a lucky man that Hematite is.”

“Pelly will be shouting out this news for the whole world to hear for the next year likely. Not entirely looking forward to it.”

“Such a lovely dress that is. I wonder who designed it?” A teenage pearly coloured Guardian draped in seashells gasped as her eyes gazed adoringly over the bride-to-be’s outfit.

“It’s such a shame they couldn’t be here to see this. They would have been absolutely delighted to see them two married at last. Let us hope they return soon.” She heard an unknown voice mutter from nearest to her, but never turned around to see who had said it or to realize it was meant directly for her.

Now joining Hematite at the altar was the officiant herself. The figure’s eyes were completely covered by a blessed veil of the Lightweaver Herself, yet she watched as the couple reunited and exchanged a few quiet words complimenting each others beauty before clearing her throat lightly and beginning the ceremony. The excitable Mirror at the organ finished his piece with a flourish and a big grin before slinking back to the side at the sudden stern look of the veiled Bogsneak.

“Friends, family and others who have gathered here today to witness the union of Emerald Turqvine and Hematite Phenaline below the skies and beneath the gaze of the Creators Eleven.” The figure, a soothsayer named Glainn, started the ceremony.

”You have been invited from near and far to offer your love and support to their union, and to allow them to begin their life of marriage surrounded by the support of those closest to them.”

Glainn took another moment to clear her throat again before continuing, her voice beginning to sound rather broken and hoarse.

“Emerald and Hematite thank you for your presence here today. They also wish for us to show remembrance for the loved ones who cannot be here to share this moment with them. To those people, may they be at peace in the Elevens service and care, they too hold dear in their hearts...”

Hematite noticed Emerald’s head droop slightly and knew who she must have been thinking of upon hearing those words. He quietly prayed to Tidelord for the wrinkly old soothsayer to hurry up and get to the vows.

“And now.” The croaky officiant had finally come round to the sharing of vows at long last. Hematite quietly sighed with relief, noting his partners giggle in front of him as she lovingly watched him.

“Hematite. Please take Emerald’s hand and repeat after me.” She spoke sternly to him after her speech of togetherness and devotion.

“Emerald, I take you as you are on this day as I love you for who you are and who you are yet to become. I am grateful to you for our love and for your life, I am to be patient with you and with myself, to fill our lives with adventure and our home with laughter, for our hatchlings to be birthed and grow blessed and healthy. To inspire you to grow as an individual and love you with my complete devotion. I pledge these before you in the company of our chosen friends and family.”

Hematite repeated after her with a sense of duty and happiness. He had wanted to tell Emerald all of these things for years now, but never had the words for it. Perhaps they got lost in his mind or his messy notebooks, or with the amount of stress on top of them both as they… No. Don’t think of that on your wedding day. Enjoy yourself.

“And Emerald.” Glainn garbled on. Both she and Emerald repeated after one another the vows. Finally the moment both of the young Snappers had been waiting for arrived.

“Hematite. Do you take Emerald to be your wife?”

“I do.” He spoke softly, his deep eyes never leaving the pale brown ones on the face of his almost-wife.

“And Emerald. Do you take Hematite to be your husband?”

“I do!” She squeaked a little from her nerves, causing a little giggle to escape from the audience that was quickly hushed.She blushed heavily and Hematite found his heart beating faster with absolute love for her.

“And now we shall present the rings.”

Finally little PelicanBill had his time to shine. He straddled over to the couple proudly, raising the eyebrows of the officiant and causing most of the audience to fall into a fit of giggles. He arrived at Glainn who promptly took the cushion where two beautiful rings lay and then proceeded to shoo little Pelly back to his corner with the rest of the children. He honked at her in petty annoyance before scooting back just in time to miss her hind foot.

The aging Bogsneak steadied herself and turned back to face the amused couple. Holding the ring cushion she continued the ceremony. Soon after the rings - a gorgeous drop of glimmering Jade for her and a deep, soothing drop of Lapis for him - were blessed and on the nails of the two lovers. Finally the ceremony concluded and with a relieved grin, Glainn spoke out to the audience.

“Hematite and Emerald, you have come here today of your own free will and in the presence of family and friends, have declared your love and commitment to each other. You have given and received a ring as a symbol of your promises. By the power of your love and commitment to each other, and by the power vested in me by Her Radiance The Lightweaver, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now share your first kiss as husband and wife. Congratulations. Friends and family, I now present to you the newly married couple. Please give your congratulations for the newly weds!”

The chapel erupted in applause and cheers as the married couple leaned in and pressed their lips together. Despite the sudden disappearance of the founder and the near collapse of authority, they were now all here still with their jobs, their homes and at the wedding of the two who stood up to regain control. After most of the audience gave their personal congratulations and left, Hematite and Emerald were finally left alone together in the chapel. They both hugged each other, thankful that their wedding went smoothly, and then got back to discussing business and their town in wake of the after-party tonight.

If there was one mutual feeling shared in the celebrations today, it was the feeling that things were finally looking up to the better and their peaceful lives would could go on as usual.

Oh, how good those mutual feelings of ignorance where back then.

[dishonoredrpg]

Congratulations, MALIN! You’ve been accepted for the role of DEATH with the faclaim of ZOE KRAVITZ. Death’s hunger is one of my favorite aspects about their character -- but it can be easily overstated or understated in contrast to their humanity. You struck the perfect chord, and the song you wrote for me with Death was so well-written it made me weep. Zoya has the real potential to be a power-player, as you’ve shown, but her history and humanity gets in the way, and there’s so something undeniably poetic about it. The lore you sketched out for me at the start merely set the stage for a wonderful application that I enjoyed to no end (fantasy Lasik!). I’m fully prepared to serve Zoya a seven-course meal.

Please review the CHECKLIST and send your blog in within 24 hours.

ooc.

NAME: Malin PRONOUNS: she/hers & they/them AGE: 25 TIMEZONE & ACTIVITY LEVEL: GMT+1. Currently, I’m at about a 6-7 out of 10, I would say? I’m hoping for my own sake that I somehow nab a new job during summer sometime, which might push that activity down some – but I will still be here! ANYTHING ELSE? 1. i invented some in-game folklore. as a little treat. 2. listen, I gave a bitch haunted Lasik. 3. i did some MORE fuckshit regarding her body regenerating freakishly quick for a while after her resurrection (it has since gone away.) ALL OF THESE ARE DEFINITELY NEGOTIABLE if you feel it’s too much! but if you DON’T feel it’s Too Much though and you like it? ……………… let me do some fuckshit. 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

in character.

SKELETON: Death

NAME: Zoya Nathair, daughter of Duke Nathair, the Duke of Serpents – thus giving her the title of lady while at court. The hefty mouthful you’ll find on legal documents has her down as Zoya Casimira Lucem Zilvinas Nathair. Informal names given through the years include the moniker Prince of Snakes, as given to her by the people of Lowtown – an insult turned pet name with time, if you will – and the Gaunter of Hightown, a ghost story she accidentally caused in her youth.

FACECLAIM: Zoë Kravitz, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Crystal Reed, Keira Knightley, Jodie Comer  (would want to change the age depending on the backup FC!)

AGE: 31-32

DETAILS: Zoya is a collection of contradictions: she died once, yet she lives; she’s Hightown-born and yet has her hands in Lowtown dealings – and the face she puts on and whom most know is a mask.

Calculating, impulsive; ruthless, caring; selfish, loyal. She crafted a lie she could live, and now she’s caught in it – and yet she finds herself both relishing and resisting that lie. Her outspoken nature among the upper echelon began as a game, Zoya courting consequence for her own amusement – but the longer it’s gone on for, the truer it rings. But Koldam has been razed, and if there ever was a time to kill a king, it’s now.

At the start of the game, she is a woman considering all the choices that have led her to where she is, and she will need to reconcile the gnawing hunger within herself – the parts of her she sees as self-serving and ignoble – with the parts that recognize the injustice being done, the same parts she’s spent years drowning out.

CHARACTER DEATH: Yes, I’m comfortable with it! As a woman who has already died once, she knows it’s coming – just not how, or when. Considering she’s also out here being vocal about TREASON, it’s uhhhh [will wright voice] pretty likely, innit. I think her dying could be interesting, though I’d like it to have the right weight, storywise, and to have a hand in it myself, should it come down to it!

CONTENT WARNING – brief mentions of self-harm in the section “skins shed; lives lost, lives given”!

biography.

THE WOLF WHO BECAME DUKE OF SERPENTS.

A wolf saves an adder from the claws of a hawk; its snarling, hungry teeth scaring away the kestrel. With the hawk gone, the wolf advances on the adder, slobbering spit from its maw. “Do not eat me,” hisses the adder, “for I am little more to you than a morsel. Let me instead return the debt I owe you.”

Intrigued, the wolf agrees – for the snake is right; its sullen, sorry skin will hardly feed the wolf. And perhaps wolves are hungry creatures, and perhaps hunger is an ancient feeling – but there are more things in this world to be hungry for than meat, and wolves themselves are ancient.

And so it is that the two of them venture into the gleaming halls of the Serpent Queen, far below the earth. Her den of snakes have hollowed out the primordial passages, which coil and twist through stone and bedrock. Rivers of emerald and sapphire greet them as they enter her labyrinth; the air is suffused with the rich scent of loam and ferns that grow in the dark. It is there, in a cavern bled through with silver, that the Serpent Queen sits upon her throne, her glittering scales carved from obsidian and lapis lazuli, quartz and tiger's eye.

The hiss of her court is silenced as she speaks, her voice the whisper of wind through grass.  “What do you wish for?” she asks the wolf, and the wolf answers that he would like the comfort of a rich man’s life. “No more would I need to starve through winter,” he says. “No more would I need to roam the woods for meagre prey.”

“So it shall be,” the Serpent Queen says, and so it is. She grants him a name, for he has none; a title, for he does not have that either; enough wealth that he may buy land wherever he pleases. Finally, she grants him his new form: she teaches him the secret of snakes, how to shed his fur for skin – but once it is done, you may never go back.

And so it is that the wolves of House Nathair never again ran on all fours through the Volkan woods; rising instead on two to walk among men. That first wolf was named Zilvinas, and so they would all take the name in his honor. Their head of house is forever known as the Duke of Serpents, for it is to that scaled queen below the earth they owe their riches and land.

† † †

It’s a strange story, even among the varied gentry of Tyrholm; an odd fairytale from a long-gone era. As a child, she spent much time contemplating the skin and the claws and the fangs that were shed. Now, in her cups, she does much the same. Sober, she pretends she doesn’t. The crest of her family – a wolf’s head circled by a snake eating its own tail – is more entrenched in her mind than she wants to admit. But let her brothers be the wolves: she has shed her skin more than once, and she will do it again, and again, and again.

THE GAUNTER OF HIGHTOWN.

In Hightown, there is a certain manor. Its stonework is decked in reliefs of beasts ready to spring to life: wolves chase stags through marble woodlands, beautiful serpents hide in the leaves. Amidst well-lit streets and manicured gardens, it is easy to forget the ghosts that haunt Tyrholm – but as the saying goes, not all corpses sink in the Tear. No apparitions are ever gone for long. As servants from neighboring homes passed through the ginnels and alleyways near it, they would often feel as though they were being watched… and at odd hours of the day, they would look up and see a gaunt face staring back at them from the manor tower, before fading into darkness once more.

At dawn, one might catch her from the east, staring from between the hallway curtains, and some even said they saw her gazing down at them from the parapets after midnight – her bony hands curved across the stone, pin-prick eyes boring holes into them. The Gaunter, they called it, the strange creature that watched and waited.

They say if you aren't careful, the Gaunter will catch you - wrap its spider-fingers around your neck, and squeeze until you're as gaunt as it is. They say it caught a chambermaid, once, after dark. They found her by the bridge leading to the Isle of the Dead, her brown hair gone grey overnight, her cheeks hollowed out.

† † †

From birth, Zoya was an ill child – prone to spells of sickness that would leave her bedridden and housebound for weeks, even months, at a time. Tonics and ointments and even the occasional visit from a Vitalus got her back on her feet, for a while – but nothing ever healed her; not truly. From the windows, she would observe the world passing her by, and the sight of her sickly face peering out gave rise to a considerable number of ghost stories among gentry and servants alike.

Tenth-born and the only daughter; half-dead from her first breath – easily forgotten, among her pack of older brothers, too young and frail and fragile to be heard in all the noise. Another girl might have been cowed by her circumstances – but that girl was not Zoya. Forget the blood in her mouth and the way her limbs threatened to give out when she pushed herself too hard, too fast, too much – she was stubborn; clung to life like she had since birth.

She was tutored in much the same way as her brothers before her, but where they were strong enough in body to wield a sword, and healthy enough to leave the manor,  Zoya was decidedly not. It meant she was left to her own devices, and she divided those hours between books and the staff of servants, making friends with the scullery maids and stable hands. They told her stories and tall tales and gossip, explained the intricacies of Lowtown to her, taught her card games, how to spot a cheater and how to hide your nature as one – and if they ever pitied her, they had the good sense not to show it. (For that, she was forever grateful.)

When her health confined her to her room, she would read – voraciously so, head lost in tales of Faerûn’s fall and the glory of Hypatos, stories from beyond the Sahrnian Sea describing horror and wonder alike. And when she could, she would sneak out from her chambers to roam the hallways like a spectre. Under cover of darkness, she would make her way out and up, peering down at the Hightown streets; wondering what it might look like, should she ever get there.

The world continued passing her by, and though she grew older, she never got well. The year she turned fifteen, her health sharply declined for the worse. As spring began, Zoya was sent to the Nathair estate in the countryside to live out her last months – no doubt both because it would be a finer place to die, but also because she’s certain her parents wouldn’t want the stench of death to taint their Hightown manor.

As spring became summer, her family joined her for her living wake; Zoya’s body still warm, but not for long. Soon after, a flash flood rendered the nearby roads unusable, and the threat of summer storms meant travelers had to be wary. It wasn’t a surprise, then, that someone came knocking, invoking the law of hospitality – but their two missing fingers certainly were. A necromancer had come calling, and her father let them in.

† † †

Perhaps it was pity, or guilt, that made her parents leave her to her roaming. She’s certain that had they known where she went, they would have stopped her – but they didn’t.

She spent the fragile remainder of that summer in the furthest corner of the rose garden, and her company was largely silent, yet magnetically present. The necromancer would rarely speak, unless it was pressing, but they never chased her away. For hours, the two of them would sit there, one near death and the other beyond it, the roses slowly wilting. The sweet scent of rot permeated the air, fragrant and earthen, and it remains a strange, hazy memory on the periphery of her consciousness, even now.

Slowly – and then quick as a slap – she began to wilt, too.

The night she died is a haze, but she thinks she remembers the necromancer’s strange, quiet voice as they spoke to her father: “You have shown me kindness. Let me offer you mine.” She remembers the last breath she drew. She does not remember the face of her resurrector, but she swears she feels the touch of their hands, on occasion, phantom traces of memory.

It was as if she had been woken from the longest slumber. Her saviour was gone, like a ghost fleeing the dawn; had left right before sunrise. Already, she felt it – life. She had been a desert, and now she was a river: not until she could feel strength in her limbs for the first time did she understand just how parched she’d been.

She hobbled to the garden, and found a wasteland in its stead. The rosarium was rotting, that scent rising from the ruin left behind. And then, of course, there was the matter of her right eye.

Before, they had both been the shade of burnt umber, a lovely rich brown – but after she rose, her right eye was yellow as amber; her pupil no longer round, but a serpentine slit. It distressed her parents greatly: undeath is holy, but the flesh is weak. Her strange eye seemed fit as proof of some inner flaw, no matter the blessing bestowed. A sacrilege of a holy gift. It did not help matters that she began to see things, out of the corner of her eye – shadows and silhouettes, strange motes of light. Sometimes, she even swore she heard them whisper. Necromancy may be holy, but not all magic is, and whatever had been left behind in her – or woken up – was decidedly not holy. The eye drops were a compromise: her father wanted to have a Vitalus heal her eye, in the hopes that it might banish whatever ill fortune had befallen her, and Zoya staunchly refused. It was her mark, her scar, she would do with it as she pleased. But she could not deny that the strange visions bothered her, and in time, took to covering it with cloth. It made her realize that simply removing the sight from her right eye seemed to stem the problem – and so she agreed to her father’s solution. He commissioned eye drops brewed from belladonna and other strange components, and she has kept a vial of it on her at all times ever since.

† † †

SKINS SHED; LIVES LOST, LIVES GIVEN.

It was as if whatever force had eluded her in her first life had begun pouring out of her in her second. She took to fencing, took to the city, took to anything and everything she could get her hands on: I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive. It echoed in her, a fervor unlike anything else she’d ever felt. She could tell it almost frightened her family: it must have been uncanny, she knows, to see her spend fifteen years half-dead, only to lie there a corpse and then be brought back. To see her right eye become something else, something not-her, to see her be so viciously alive after what had transpired.

And so, when she scratched herself on the thorns of a bramble in their Hightown garden, and found the scar knitting itself together, she kept it from them.

For weeks, she tested the limits of her resurrection – with thorns and knives, even a red-hot poker. If they were simple cuts, they would heal within the day. But if she exceeded her body’s strange, nebulous limit, they would often be bloodless – like a desiccated body, despite the glow in her cheeks and the fact that she was conscious. That fervor – that hunger – began to scare Zoya, too. But she had always been stubborn, and she would be damned if she let go then, after years of clinging to a half-life. So, like always, she pushed forward. If she hungered, she would have it – she needn’t think about that nagging thought in the back of her head, so long as she kept going.

( Am I alive, or am I a corpse? She would slip her hands into leather gloves, and tell no one why; would steal her mother’s perfume and fasten flowers to her lapel in the hopes that it might cover up the rot she was so certain she could smell. )

These days, all scars stay, whatever errant magical remnants the necromancer left in her long-gone. She wears the first scar that stuck with pride – a nasty gash in her left thigh, an anchor to remind her that she’s a living, breathing person. ( But sometimes, it’s hard to remember. )

SKINS SHED; LIVES LOST, LIVES TAKEN.

At 25, Zoya won the Rosewood Maiden in a game of cards, and the previous owner has sorely regretted it since. Already, she had been entrenched in certain Lowtown dealings, but it was the Maiden that would truly cinch her presence there. It became her way in, after a handful of years spent on the periphery, slowly working her way in. It would be easy, to say she wanted power – but the truth of it is that in her mind, power goes hand in hand with freedom. (Funny, then, that she has tied herself so strongly to a place, despite her childhood dreams of seeing what lay beyond her windowsill. –– But she did spend those fifteen years dreaming of simply seeing Tyrholm, and while she’s still curious about the rest of the world, Tyrholm is hers.)

Her “purchase” of the brothel marked a turning point: no longer was she an outsider, peering at the commonfolk from her ivory tower – no, she was one of them, now, with real stakes in Lowtown dealings. It made it easier for them to accept her, and her nickname, once spoken as an insult, became something else. She was theirs, now, and she enjoyed the idea of it – belonging. A pack of her own.

She snuck her metaphorical hand into the metaphorical pockets of the upper echelon, and used that gold to fund an expansion of her business – and in time, someone wrote a little ditty, one she hums if only to unnerve when the occasion calls for it:

Duke of Serpents; Prince of Snakes, king of liars, thieves and rakes– ruby, diamond, pearl and stone: rob you blind of blood and bone.

The nobles can say whatever they like. She’ll take what she wants in due time.

miscellaneous.

The Rosewood Maiden Architecture and design Rather than two, I headcanon that the Rosewood Maiden has three official floors and one hidden one - the top floor, which hosts Zoya's office as well as some sundry guest rooms for hire and storage space; the entry level, which hosts the tavern proper; the brothel quarter below; and underneath the brothel, a cavernous passage into an old smuggler's route.

The tavern and brothel are lavishly decorated with carved serpents and roses - and the occasional wolf and unicorn stag.

Faith She keeps a shrine to the Undying, as well as a scattering of more "heathen" ones - the Serpent Queen among them, and I imagine what deities would pass for good luck, fortune, and thieves in this world.

Sight & eyedrops After she was raised from the dead, her right eye became serpentine: a physical mark of her resurrection. She keeps two small bottles of an alchemical solution at all times: one to cloud the eye over, leaving only the faintest trace of yellow right at the edge of her iris, and another to undo the first. I think she gets these from Wyrmwood's, primarily, but I think seeing her approach the Moon for it could be neat! something akin to the historical drops of belladonna used to enlargen pupils, but [tyra banks vc] make it fantasy.

In addition to the uncanny appearance of her eye, there is also the issue of what she sees with it. When left "untreated", whether by eye drops or eye patch, Zoya sees shadowy figures and strange lights - traces of something else, beyond mortal ken. I headcanon that it's maybe a mix of the sheer cost of resurrecting her for the necromancer – an especially noticeable chunk of magic was infused/intertwined with Zoya – and maybe there's a touch of something latent within her? Who Can Say. I enjoy leaving it ambiguous!

Underdogs She has a soft spot for underdogs and unlikely victors - she tells herself it's mostly narcissistic, as it's a simple fact that they mirror her – but truth is there's empathy involved, though she often elects to ignore it. (It’s easier, that way.)

Delusion As a result of her resurrection, and the curious circumstances surrounding it, Zoya has struggled with the occasional delusion / compulsive thought that she is dead – a walking, talking corpse. It's gotten better over the years, but she will wear gloves for comfort when it's at its worst, and is always wearing perfume - a light touch on good days, and a heavier layer on bad ones.

She has a love/hate relationship with the scent of rot: it can set her off, especially meat that's gone bad.

Scent & flowers Both as a result of her delusion, and simply because she likes it, Zoya has an extensive collection of perfume oils to wear - florals, amber, spice; scents that tickle and intrigue.

In addition, she always keeps a large amount of flower arrangements wherever she is staying, whether it's in the Rosewood Maiden, or her home. Again, it serves many purposes - she likes flowers; she feels the scent masks her own when she struggles with thinking that she's dead; she associates them with the necromancer that brought her back, and she feels it keeps other necromancers "at bay" – the flowers will wilt before she does, essentially. They serve as a measuring tool, in that sense, as well as passive lifeforce for the eventual necromancer.

Magpie She has certain magpie tendencies – she enjoys the spoils of wealth, the security of it, to be sure, but she has an eye for the strange. A favorite are supposedly enchanted or cursed objects – she still remembers the stories she read as a child, and she feels a certain kinship to them, in an odd way. (She, too, is a cursed thing.)

extras.

† character tag † playlist † pinterest

plot ideas.

connections.

THE CHARIOT Her relationship with the Chariot is two-fold: on one hand, she very much enjoys the little deal they’ve struck, though she’s well-aware she may need a contingency plan should they try to back out. On the other, she roots for underdogs, much as it pains her.

There is a part of her that sees herself mirrored in them – and perhaps the Chariot is nobler, or at least better at acting the part of someone with morals, but they are both of them still tied to that nebulous nothing, and she wonders what they would do if put on the throne.

I would like to see a certain tension, maybe a twisted understanding, between the two of them! She enjoys the idea of what she could do if only they #let her in, and I think she could provide an interesting counter to their more tragi-heroic energy.

THE LOVERS While Zoya spends a lot (a lot) of time adding to her tapestry of reputation at court, she can be both charming and kind in turns – when she wants to be. I think the Lovers maybe remind her of her childhood friendships, in a strange sense. I think she’s curious about their standing and relationship to the World, but there remains a simplicity to the kindness she displays around them, regardless – she isn’t only using them, but the cogs still turn in her head. I think this relationship could be a good fostering for a side of Zoya that few get to see, which excites me! I also very much enjoy the potential of the Lovers talking to her about their thoughts re: the king.

THE MOON Again, she enjoys the relative power she has over them – and I think a more cruel part of her maybe enjoys toying with them. They owe her a debt, and she won’t let them forget it: they have a little foothold in the castle, now, and one day, she might have use for it.

I think the intersection between Zoya, Armel and the Moon could be really fun, that’s it that’s the pitch. JK. I also have some #thoughts on her maybe commissioning them for eye drops, which could provide an interesting back-and-forth between Zoya and the Moon, especially if they feel that it levels the playing field some.

STRENGTH Strength is absolutely someone she enjoys toying with – and they make it so easy that it almost isn’t fun. (But only almost.)

I would like to expand upon their possible past dealings, concerning Strength’s mercenary company, and also I’m a sucker for the bear & wolf imagery, NGL.

THE TOWER She wonders deeply what exactly hides beneath the Tower’s exterior. The part of her that simply likes stoking chaos to see how far she can push it finds itself circling the Tower – as does the part of her that might in fact like to see justice done to the king.

I headcanon that depending on the timeline, she may not have been present for the Tower’s Incident at Court, but I think she’s definitely heard about it – most likely from one of her brothers. It’s fascinating to her – morbidly so – that the Tower now works for the king, despite what they’ve been through. Yet again, she wants to prod, as is her nature.

suggested connections.

THE STAR He is talented, and she appreciates as much - and he is utterly wasted on the court, who no more respect him than they appreciate him. WE LOVE A BARD JULIE. WE LOVE HIM. dark mirror to Armel re: stories!

wanted connections.

NECROMANCER the necromancer who brought her back Yolo

FENCING TUTOR idfk seems sensible

COMPATRIOTS Her little host of underbelly compatriots! Criminals who help her with her dealings, people loyal to her.

future plots.

CRIMINAL EXPANSION.

I have some headcanons about the Rosewood Maiden, and I also have some suggestions for future ventures for the good ol' Prince of Snakes - namely, fighting pits, betting rings, and potentially an underground tributary river and an old smugglers' cove right beneath the Rosewood Maiden.

– i just want criminal shit and could also see this working in the favour of the rebellion – smugglers route used to ferry supplies and people in and out of Tyrholm? hell yeah baby

– masquerade balls and Events. zoya got CASH she’s gonna host PARTIES and talk about KILLING THE KING (maybe)

– the initial focus is DEFFO on the rebellion but like listen i………. am simply a sucker for fantasy crime.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.

Internal-- I think that Zoya's internal arc will largely be a battle of her dual drives: her greed/gluttony versus the parts of her that see injustice being done. It's a moral conflict that I think has seeped into every aspect of her life – the things she has done and the lengths she is willing to go to, versus the part of her that knows it's morally reprehensible and even fucked up. Duality & paradox is an abstract concept that I return to for Zoya – she is both calculating and impulsive, which means she has the potential to do stupid shit despite knowing how stupid it is.

I think I'd like to push her in a direction of having to fight with her impulse to use people while caring for them – because the two cannot coexist for long, IMO! And I think that that particular internal conflict can get Juicy

writing sample.

IN WINTER, DEAD THINGS FREEZE. She wrapped her coat tight around herself, the fur-lined collar warm against her neck. Fresh snow lined the cobblestone streets of Hightown like a fine dusting of powdered sugar, little candied houses on parade with cream-tiled roofs. Bells tolled the hour in the distance, their chorus echoing across Tyrholm, midnight, midnight, midnight–

Midnight was a witching hour, or so the stories said. What was strange became stranger, and in dark woods, a traveler might strike a bargain with a hag. But there were few hags to be found, in Tyrholm proper, at least of the magical variety. (None that wished to be found, at least. She'd looked.)

The air smelled pleasant: it was the scent of cold, brilliant and ruthless; strangely sweet.

Her hands clenched into fists, leather gloves creaking.

She breathed in – rough, eyes fixed on the nearest torch. She could picture it in her mind’s eye – the rosarium, rotting; sweet and acrid all at once. Her boot dug down into the fresh layer of snow, crunching it beneath her heel. In winter, rot and death all froze, just like the Tear. Alive, alive, alive.

She curled her mouth into a smile.

IN SPRING, DEAD THINGS THAW. Ilarion Nathair was, unlike his sister, not a frivolous creature. Once, he came close – though his close-cropped head of black curls and the noble set of his shoulders might certainly convince passersby that he had never so much as stumbled upon a mischievous thought in his entire life, let alone acted on it.

But Zoya knew better. Zoya knew him.

"Ilya," she said, and as though they were weights levied by the same pulley, his brows swept into a frown as she grinned, wide and incorrigible.

[minijenn]

62. "Please Don't Cry." Dipper and Lapis post-Stonemason.

61: “Thisis all my fault” + 62: “Please don’t cry”

There were several promises Lapis had made to Dipper when shemanaged to convince him to stay at the barn for the night. Among these promiseswere the possibility for several calming flights through the night sky, thechance to stay up as late as he wanted, and just a general chance to relax andtake his mind off of everything. She had also promised him that Peridot wouldbe scarce, for obvious reasons, and for the most part she was amidst helpingFord with a project over at the shack. But above all else, Lapis had promisedthat there would be no mention of Homeworld, of Yellow Diamond, or most of all,of Stonemason, whatsoever. And this was a promise the blue Gem kept to theletter, refusing to so much as bring up anything even remotely related to the traumathat Dipper was still going through at the risk of upsetting him even more. Asfar as Lapis was concerned, their much-needed time together was going ratherwell; in fact, if she didn’t know any better, she would have thought thatDipper almost looked content, happy even.

Until, of course, the façade he had been trying so hard tokeep up finally crumbled completely.

They were sitting together on the roof, a brilliant, endlessarray of stars shining before them in a nightscape that reminded Lapis of thoseearly days over a year ago now, when their deep bond had first taken shape onthe cliffs overlooking the waterfall, when things had been so much simpler, whenneither of them were as scarred and broken as they were now. And never more wasthe reminder that things had profoundly and brutally changed more present forLapis than when she heard that first tight, almost inaudible cry coming fromthe boy sitting right beside her.

“Dipper?” the blue Gem’s pensive expression melted into oneof immense worry as she glanced over at him, only to find him sitting with hisface buried into his knees as he held his legs tight to his chest, his entireframe wracking with soft but steadily growing sobs. “Dipper!” She quickly hurriedover to steady him, placing herself behind him as she didn’t hesitate to wrapher arms around him in a supportive embrace. An embrace that Dipperfrantically, fearfully pulled himself out of the moment he felt it.

“Stop!” he cried, easily prying himself out of the blue Gem’shug as he stumbled forward a bit, his eyes wide with a terror that took him faraway from the present moment. His metallic arm light up, the circuits on hisface doing the same as it whirled with the energy from an emerging defensiveattack. “Don’t touch me-” Dipper succinctly cut himself off as he spun around,his panicked mind returning to the present as he noticed that only Lapis was standingbefore him as opposed to any Agates or Peridots or worst of all, Diamonds. Hetensed at this, his arm going back to its usual dull glow as his breathinghitched and his eyes welled up with oncoming tears once again, tears that, muchlike everything else, he was completely powerless to stop. “L-Lapis, I… I-I didn’t…I thought… I…”

For what seemed like ages, Lapis was completely frozen in placeas she watched with wide eyes and a broken heart as Dipper slowly collapsed tohis knees, choking on another sob as he refused to make eye contact with theblue Gem out of guilt, sorrow, and so many other feelings at once. When Lapisfinally did shake herself out of her revere, she was on her feet quickly beforekneeling down in front of him, making sure to give him plenty of space, thoughshe still extended a hand out to him, one that he didn’t take. “Dipper, I-I…You… you didn’t…” she stammered, having not even the faintest clue about whatto say to really comfort him at a time like this. “P-please… don’t cry.” Hervoice was a bit firmer, a bit more reassuring as she took his hand, andthankfully, he didn’t panic and pull it away, even if he did continue sobbingto himself, his metal hand shielding his face from her. “I-I know what you wentthrough was… i-it was a lot to handle, but it’s over now. You’re home. You’resafe. You’re free.”

“Over?” Dipper glanced up at her, his tone harsh, appalled,and most of all, tearful. “It’s over?!Are you serious, Lapis?! This will never be over! No matter how many timesyou, or Mabel, or Steven, or anyone else tries to tell me that things are oknow, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m stuck with this… this thing-” he pointed to his cyberneticarm, glaring at it disdainfully all the while. “As opposed to my real arm forthe rest of my life! It doesn’t change the fact that I nearly killed you allwithout a second thought! It doesn’t change the fact that all of this, everysingle part of it, is all my fault because I was too stupid to try and faceYellow Diamond on my own and too weak to stop her from using that dumb song ofhers to turn me into her own personal slave!But yeah, I guess you’re right. I amhome and I am safe. But I’m nowhereclose to being free…” His anger trailed off into tears once more, his eyes shuttightly as he held his arms tightly, his natural hand digging into his loathedmetal arm as much as it could. “And that’s what no one seems to understandaround here…”

“I do understand that, Dipper,” Lapis said, her tonesurprisingly steady, despite how shaken and distraught she was after hearinghim profess everything at once. “More than you know.”

Dipper flinched atthis, guilt filling his expression as he met the blue Gem’s gaze once more. “O-oh…Lapis, I-I’m sorry, I didn’t think about… I-I was just-”

“Angry, I know,” Lapis nodded in understanding. “So was Iwhen I was ‘freed’ from Malachite. That first time I saw Jasper again after weunfused, I was furious, because Ithought I had fooled myself into thinking that it was all over, that I was donewith her, and I was free. But then she came back and tried to fuse with meagain, a-and it was like nothing had changed, like I was still trapped with herat the bottom of the lake, fighting against her day in and day out for controland never seeming to win. And not only was I mad, I was scared. I was terrifiedthat the thought of being Malachite again existed anywhere in my mind, nomatter how small it was. I was so afraid that I would slip right back into her,that I would actually enjoy beingher, that I really was the monster Jasper said I was…”

“I-I… I think I feel kind of the same away about Stonemason…”Dipper mumbled, somewhat surprised that he was even admitting something likethat aloud. Still, if there was anyone he was comfortable talking to about atruth as uncomfortable and frightening as this, it was Lapis. “Mabel, Steven,and Connie saved me, yeah, b-but… I’m honestly really afraid that he mightstill be somewhere inside me, just waiting to hear that song again and takeover all over again. A-and then Yellow Diamond will have total control over me again, then I’ll be right back toattacking you all again, a-and I’llbe trapped inside my own head again,and… and I just… I can’t!”

Lapis was admittedly surprised as Dipper suddenly flunghimself into her arms, unabashedly crying all the while, even as she verygently returned his embrace. By now, tears were slipping down the blue Gem’scheeks too as she realized just how much painhe was in, in literally every sense of the word. “I-I know how you feel…”she sighed, trying to push her own year-old fears and regrets away for hissake. “And it’s the worst. But youknow what got me through it?” Dipper shook his head at this, his eyes still wetwith tears as he looked up at the blue Gem inquisitively. “You did,” she smiledwarmly, placing a motherly hand on top of his head. “You reminded me that Iwasn’t a prisoner anymore, that I wasn’t Malachite anymore, but that I was Lapis again. You helped me feel likemyself again; you helped me feel free. A-and while I’m probably not the best atthis sort of thing, I hope I can help you in the same way you helped me. I wantto help you feel like you’re not Yellow Diamond’s slave anymore, because you’renot. You never were. You’re notStonemason; you’re Dipper. And I knowit’s going to take a lot of time and a lot of work, but eventually, you willstart to feel like yourself again. You willfeel free again. Take it from someone who’s been there: I know.”

Dipper finally stilled as Lapis used a gentle hand to thumbone of his tears away, smiling down at him with the upmost empathy and comfortshe could provide. Some part of him, a part that was likely still somehow onHomeworld, still enduring all of the pain and torture he had been put throughthere, wanted to refute the blue Gem’s claims, to deny that he had any chanceof really feeling like anything other than a broken, mutilated slave everagain. But every other part of him overrode that denial as he met Lapis’reassuring smile, one that carried the hope that things would get better, thathe could move on, that he could feel free once more. And it was a hope that heonly needed one final confirmation of in order to truly believe it. “A-are yousure?”

Lapis’ smile widened somewhat at this, unable to refute that,even despite the tears, and the metal arm, and the still underlying terror inhis eyes, the Dipper she had truly befriended in that waterfall cave over ayear ago now was still very much there. And that was something she was certain,no matter how much Yellow Diamond, or Bill Cipher, or anyone else might try tobreak him apart and wipe him away, would never change. “Yes, I am,” shewhispered assumingly, looking up to the stars once more. “I promise.”

(Combined this one with @krissy-sprite‘s request, mostly because I thought it was fitting. But AUGHGHAGSDKHAGSDKHAGSD *dies on my keyboard* ANGST AND FLUFF FLUFF AND ANGST ALL TOGETHER AT LAST AND IT KILLS MEEEEEEEEEE Seriously though any moments between Dipper and Lapis following this whole Stonemason thing are going to WRECK MY LIFE BECAUSE WELL FUCK IT HURTS SO GOOD AUGHHGHGHGH THis was a fucking delight to write because as sad as it was it also filled me with warm fuzzies at the end and that’s GREAT!!! FOR REALS this prompt was one of my favorites yet because of how it turned out imo I’m so pleased) 

[todokori-kun]

Ok:

Luna, you’re the best. You’re smart, you’re talented, you’re dedicated, you’re creative and caring, a wonderful listener, so much fun to debate with, and the best friend anyone could ever ask for. I’m so grateful for everything you’ve helped me with ever since we started talking; I respect your resolve. You’re unique and amazing, and I’m so, so sorry this is happening to you.

I won’t go into detail because it’s a complicated story that’s also way too long, but I’ve sort of felt that way before too (thinking it might be better if I just disappeared/wishing I didn’t exist/feeling worthless). It sucks.

I don’t know if this’ll help, but just know that I’m always here to listen if you need it. You can Email me (though I guess that’s probably not an option lol) or just, like, I don’t know, maybe post something on the blog like ‘Evans can we talk’ and I’ll definitely see it and respond because I stalk this place 24/7 (Evans is a creep please don’t encourage her). I’ve also been considering finally getting a tumblr so maybe we’ll be able to PM each other sometime.

There’s absolutely nothing to apologize for. It’s really brave to talk about stuff like this (I never can). And if there’s any way I can help, please, let me know.

  (Also, funny story (it’s actually gross and is basically just Evans whining about stuff):

I know from experience that stomach-related sicknesses suck. When I first started taking swimming lessons I was an idiot with zero stamina who could barely swim halfway across the pool without coming up for air, so needless to say, I ended up gulping a ton of water (especially since my teacher didn’t go easy on me; mom told her not to because I’m a sloth and I usually won’t do any exercise on my own besides simple stretches and some walking/running). I mean, the water in swimming pools is usually a bit disgusting, and it’s even worse where I take lessons because it’s a pretty old place and I don’t think it gets cleaned that often… so not only did accidentally swallowing it trigger my clean-freak senses, I also ended up with a terrible stomachache. I thought it was fine, that it would pass. But then I got a fever and every other thing I ate made me feel like someone was twisting my intestines from the inside, I couldn’t even lie down and rest for a sec because whenever I moved or tried to change positions it got even worse ;p; (also my mom never let it go, she kept jokingly 'reminding’ me that water from a swimming pool is not something you should drink after I started swimming again. I guess I kinda deserved it, though. I was an idiot))

That sounds so lovely <3 I’d really love to go visit Norway myself sometime, though I’ll probably have to wait a few years (my mom has back problems that make it painful for her to stay in one position for too long, so long plane/car rides are a huge no). And oooh if you have any good pictures I’d love to see them :D

Thanks, I’m glad I managed to explain my shipping reasons (like it’s so hard to properly talk about why I ship stuff sometimes XD)! I would give anything to have you join me in Stoki hell so let me just recommend basically the entire Remember This Cold series (it’s angsty as heck so proceed with caution…there are bits of humor and fluff in there, though, and then some extremely rare (almost) pure fluff fics. Like the one where Steve wants to propose but is a nervous bean because Loki’s a PRINCE and he wants to make it perfect). I’ll also try to find some more good fics later becase I can’t remember any titles right now ^^;;

YES ANOTHER T'CHALLA FAN I adore this guy (also I feel like he has a really cool voice. Not really sure why, it just sounds so nice). I really respect him for his attitude towards Steve and Bucky after he figures out Bucky’s not the real murderer, and how he later stops letting his anger towards his father’s killer consume him.

We’ll fangirl over the Black Panther movie together when it comes out, won’t we *schwing*

(right after I wrote 'schwing’ I got this mental image of Hisoka having his glowing, expolsive schwing moments after seeing T'Challa. And then Hisoka schwinging in theater while watching MCU movie fight scenes. Why am I like this)

I can draw, but I don’t know how to animate so these memes will never be a thing ;-; it’s so sad, I’ve got everything planned out…everytime eyes are mentioned the screen zooms in on Illumi’s eyes (yes even when Illumi’s not in the song because he’s a Zoldyck assassin, you can’t keep him out) and the word 'eyes’ gets the weird treatment where all these high/low/metallic(?) voices get layered so it sounds like the creepiest thing ever

('History has its eyes on you but it’s actually Illumi’ is both the animatic I want to see the most and the animatic I hope will never be created)

Fun HxH facts I want to let you know about:

Kite (AKA Ging’s student and Gon’s big brother figure) is dead and has been brainwashed into being a weapon/punching bag for his captors. When sunshine angel Gon meets the new Kite he lets Kite beat him up and then hugs him, promising to save him (THE FEEEEEEELSS)

Forgot to mention this about Chrollo, but when Kurapika killed one of his troupe (a guy named Uvogin), Chrollo acted all cool and never really talked about Uvo…

but then he had the rest of the troupe murder 2000 mafiosi guarding a building they were trying to get into, and while watching the chaos from afar, listening to their enemy’s screams, he started waving his hands as if conducting an orchestra…

“Uvogin-san. Can you hear it? This requiem we’re dedicating to you.”

(jeez Chrollo we know you’re extra but you can’t just murder 2000 people and play a funeral march with their cries of horror every time you lose a subordinate)

Lastly: There’s a new character named Knuckle who’s like the HxH version of Metal Bat. He is the sweetest cinnamon roll. I love him. I’ll send you a pic later

So um did you hear the news about Hinami

(Queen Luna cosplaying Maka(? or any of the other three MCs)…omg that sounds so awesome)

*facepalm* ok WHOOPS I actually read about that on the SE wiki a while ago. How did I forget about it

Yep! It was so good <33 (Lizzy looks so graceful and pretty I can’t even) I actually found the whole movie on YT but just watched the parts I was really looking forward to seeing animated, like UT’s fight scene, Seb getting stabbed, the rest of the Midford family…(Francis’ hair shocked me. Idk how to feel about it. At first I thought it made her look like an old lady, but then, the more I look at it, the prettier it gets…like, it’s actually a really nice design, but I guess I got too used to manga!Francis lol)

Light is the trash GOD.

(hope you get to read the light novel! As far as I know it’s got a TON of L and Naomi in it so it might make you feel better :D)

Oh yeah, I get what you mean. Light’s reasoning/views on the justice system probably connects a lot to the culture and social issues of Japan at the time.

DN’s probably still one of the easier-to-adapt mangas out there, though, since the themes of justice and questioning the idea of 'greater good’ is something anyone can relate to (and they still botched it, I’m very salty about this and you can’t stop me ;-; even with how terrible Ryuk and Rem looked in them, the Japanese movies were WAY better, and it’s actually pretty rare that Japan makes a good live-action movie from a manga or anime. Apparently the TG movie that came out this year was pretty good too, though :D).

(I apparently somehow accidentally erased the part where I mentioned I actually read HCs/theories about Japanese-American Light on tumblr somewhere….that’s what got me thinking about it.

I agree though, seeing how different cultures would change Light’s character would be very interesting.)

The lack of potato chips doomed the entire Keikaku from the start.

I can see you being similar to Pearl too! I think I’m maybe a bit like Lapis…or possibly Connie. Or maybe Blue Diamond because I also cry way too much (but then again BD actually has a reason to be miserable so)

Those are both cool gems<3 and yeah, they’re both really pretty :D

I was talking about gem 'roles’ back on Homeworld, though ^^;; like, how Pearls are considered servants or pretty accessories, Diamonds are leaders, fusions like Garnet are outcasts, Rubies are 'dumb muscle’, Sapphires are valuable prophets, Peridots are tech experts, Jaspers are soldiers…sorry, I should’ve been more specific OTL

I’d probably be a Pearl lol. I could see myself being a Peridot and being scared to death without a Quartz soldier to guard me but I’m not good with any kind of technology so nah.

And sorry for asking weird questions, I forgot it’s been a while since you watched the show ^^;;

Hey, don’t feel bad about slow replies! Like I said before, I seriously don’t mind as long as you’re ok :D and I’m so glad I’ve managed to help.

('a friend I appreciate’ *ugly sobbing* thank you)

Did someone say suffering?

*'Remember That We Suffered’ plays in the background*

DID THE QUEEN JUST SAY 'Goals’ ABOUT SOMETHING I MADE OMG I’M FREAKING OUT TYSM

Ayyy I’m so glad you liked them! (The Hide pic was painted with the intent to kill)

(last thing:

I’m sorry, this is probably really creepy, but I ended up telling my mom about you because she asked who I was talking to (she knows I have internet friends and has seen me writing messages before). Since I’m only 13 she worries about the people I talk (she knows all my friends on ao3) so I told her some small things like your age, that you’re from Croatia, that you play the piano too and that you mentioned having a sister.

I’m really, really sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, mom just worries a lot and she likes to hear about my friends (like, she worries for my safety on the internet so she has to ask me some basic things about the people I talk with, and when she knows I have a good friend on the internet she sometimes wants to hear if my relationship with them is ok). I’d never tell her something really private but sometimes she wants to talk and I know she worries for me so I do tell her small, random details from our convos.

if you’re uncomfortable with that, though, I’ll stop. Again, I’m so sorry about this.)

And after two weeks of silence, the species finally shows some signs of life.  ;-;

I’m totally not crying.  I’ve said this so many times and you’re probably getting annoyed, but I have no idea what I did to deserve you in my life.  You’re actually the only person I’d told about my current mental state at that time, and I’m so glad you didn’t freak out or just write it away as me overreacting (like my mom did), and it means so so so much to me. Truly, thank you for being here for me. (And not giving up on me, considering how long my replies take ;-;)

I’m here for you as well, though, so if you’re ever feeling down, you can message me ^^ 

Oh, it’d be cool if you’d get a tumblr! I can guarantee my replies would be faster then, since the messages would show up in my notifications...

Also, to brighten things up a little, this is how I picture you at the beginning of the message:

Oh  god that sounds disgusting XD And perfectly describes why I don’t wanna do swimming as a sport. Are you still swimming? It’d be cool if you were, cause it’s a really beautiful sport imo. 

That’s unfortunate... Hopefully you’ll be able to visit it someday ^^

Tbh considering the shit I unironically ship sometimes, no ship is weird enough to be unexplainable. Name a single reason why you ship it, and it’s valid in my eyes. Heck, it can be ‘they look good together’ and I’ll say ‘makes sense’. Y’know why? Because I’m one of those ppl who will ship it if they so much as look at each other.

ok fun fact: I’ve loved T’Challa since I was like 8, because every summer, there would be a weekly publication of superhero comics, and Black Panther was almost always there, and I was a nerd even then, so I’d always buy them. Other than Spiderman, Black Panther was my favourite superhero. 

Lololol I need the HxH Cast watching MCU movies. Oh yeah, I found this a while ago and immediately thought of you:

Amazing... If you ever learn to animate, please send me a link, because I will pay money to see that. Just. I’m not even into HxH, but I’d give up a lot to see the crossover XD

Ouch, that seems like a lot of feels... Seriously I have no idea where you get the mental strength to read to many angsty moments...

um, yeah... i have actually... but um, she’s alive, right?

Turns out I gave my skirt I’d used to charity, so until i find a replacement, I can’t take any pics... well, at least i can grow my hair out to Maka’s length till that happens XD

I adore the movie, seriously, the animators did such an amazing job with it, especially the most important scenes. BUT HECK; WHEN WILL WE FIND OUT WHAT OUR CIEL’S NAME IS?? It’s been hinted that it’s quite unusual, BUT THAT MAKES IT EVEN HARDER HNNNGH

Oh yeah, I’m gonna find that novel even if it kills me, because I need the L. 

lol I still haven’t forgiven the movie adaptation of Avatar the Last Airbender. It was so bad that most people (including me are denying its existence). I might watch Death Note some time soon, so I can judge it for myself tbh... 

Of course, the chips were a vital part of the Keikaku... No wonder it didn’t succeed...

No worries! It’s not your fault! Tbh, i dont think id even reached that part when I was watching it, so it’s interesting to hear all the roles...  Aw, you’d be an adorable Peridot ^^

Tbh ‘friend that I appreciate’ doesn’t even begin to describe how precious you are to me. You’re the first online friend I made and the first person I told about my mental state, so honestly, you’re one of the people I feel closest to...

Nah, I don’t find it creepy at all!! Seriously, I sometimes tell my parents about people I talk to, so I’ve mentioned well ^^ It’s your choice what/who you’ll talk about ^^

[pearlroseteas-universe]

Lapidarist High

By Cherry Rose

Thanks to The_Scent_Of_Rain (archiveofourown), MALlG, narootos and many artists for the inspiration.

  The Lapidarist High’s gates unbolted early in the morn as the usual for the first day, and the typical crowd of the early birds came to chill out around the doors and hoped to find their classes. Some were freshmen who hoped to find the classes, to look better than the rest.

  The other half was the ones with bad home lives, troubled youth and bored teens. An almost dangerous combination, you could tell the troubled and bad home lives students quite easily.

  One delinquent, many assumed the leader, was over six foot, her white dyed hair ran past her back- many thought this was a weakness and tried to tug- only to regret it seconds later. Jasper Quartz was her name, and she was known for her fighting and crude nature.

  The gossips told of her being younger and much fragile, she had the skin disease Vitiligo from an early age, came from a clearly poor background and her mother had died in a car crash- leaving her with a distant aunt resulting to her becoming socially obstinate until becoming ferocious.

  Given a mostly male name, Jasper, to boot, she was often teased and bullied as a child until about the third grade where she broke one of her bully’s hands and then became completely isolated by everyone but two other people.

  At the side of Jasper, was a miniscule sophomore, who kept bringing her eyeglasses up the bridge of her nose. This girl, Peridot, was always seen with Jasper since grade fourth. Whenever they didn’t have a class, Jasper would usually skip- which she did otherwise- and sat in Peridot’s classes.

  Nonetheless they were a grade apart, and often didn’t have classes together.

  Besides the pack of troublemakers of the school, were the students with troubled childhoods and a destroyed home. One of the most known was Lapis, she was a calm girl- as in, she sat in the back of the class staring blankly. When called on, the teacher will soon realize she will go to the principal’s office than answer a question up in the front.

  She wore simple, yet good-looking clothes, with tattoos lining her forearm to her back, to the next forearm in a beautiful line. She loved her ink, and often took chances to show off her tattoos in crop tops, backless shirts, and whatever she could get away with within the school’s dress code.

  She often wore flip flops to slide them off, and would be seen barefoot regularly. The school stopped caring what the senior did at this point; she has exhausted the staff since freshman year and has yet to have her will bent by adults.

  Jasper’s yellow eyes roam to her, sucking in the cigarette feeling it in her lungs before exhaling once more. Jasper had kept it under wraps, but she always had her eyes on Lapis- and they had once had an almost nine month fling.

Lapis was cold, addictive and nihilistic- Jasper was passionate, angry, and scarred, the relationship ended in more than hurt words. Bruises, cigarette burns, pills popped and tore clothing.

  The world wanted to shine the light on Jasper, to be the abusive partner, yet, they both left with the marks, bruises- pain and hurt of the loss of someone they thought they connected with.

  Peridot was caught in the middle, even over the summer Lapis would break down at the thought of seeing Jasper in public as Jasper would stay in the cobalt haired girl’s hangouts wanting to see her face.

  Lapis stood there, alone as she stuffed the pack of cancer sticks in her blue lacy bra. She seemed completely content with being alone there, until her eyes caught something- someone, and brought a shine in her dark eyes people had never seen. Making Jasper shoot her head towards the opening of the gate, scowling as Peridot sank at the idea of the first school day beginning with drama.

                                                         ....

  “Come on Pearl! We’re going to be late!” Steven cried, he was bouncing beside the bathroom’s doorway as Pearl was contained inside. She brushed her platinum blonde hair, making it the perfect pixie haircut; she fixed her skirt, lacing her ballet shoes before stepping out with perfect posture and smiled.

  “Oh Steven- our morning routine when you were in middle school will work- we could probably shave off some time since you’ll walk with us for now on.”

  “Wouldn’t recommend it.” The booming, dark female voice rang in their ears, heads turned to take sight of Garnet.

  The only senior in the household- who was also the head of the household for her age and wise nature, she skimmed her shades downward, “We should go earlier- to show Steven around.”

  Pearl touched her jaw in a nervous manner- as she did whenever told she was false. “Oh- well- yes that would be better.”

  Garnet kept her smile; she was a full African American woman, age nineteen. She had a large almost square like dark brown afro- she was the darkest girl in the school but no one seemed to notice. She was known as the kindest senior to come to for relationship advice, domestic issues, and many more, even strangers would come to her and she never seemed to mind. She’d even go to the strangers sometimes.

  She was a leader like person, and one of the many Steven considered like a mother.

  “G-Squad! Think we gonna get something to eat before get there?” Called the voice of the last roommate, Amethyst, she was the second youngest in the household. Steven smiled seeing her; she was like a big sister or aunt to him. He happily ran to her side, as she did her stance holding her hip and cocking her head upward.

  She was a mixed race, overweight girl; she was in her sophomore year of the high school.

  Each person in the household was like a stepping stone for the grades, Garnet was the elder, senior year as stated before, Pearl was a junior, Amethyst was a grade lower than Pearl as Steven was a newly freshman.

  Amethyst lets out her iconic dry laugh, “You’re so gonna get dress coded in that!”

  Garnet observed her attire; she sported a long sleeved crop top with a yellow star, black leggings, and thick, golden bracelets. “I don’t see the problem.”

  Pearl spoke up, “I’ll bring a top for you.” She told, as Garnet beams at her.

  “C’mon P, she can take care of herself.” Amethyst amused herself with the white tank top strap as Steven spoke up.

  “Is the dress code that bad?” He tried to yank down his pink shirt; however Garnet raised her fingerless gloved hand.

  “Not to boys, you’ll be okay.” Garnet informed as Steven upstretched an eyebrow, wanting to question what that means before Pearl picks up two lunch boxes, one was a Cookie Cat, as the other was one of Connie’s favorite books- the Unfamiliar Familiar, well, up to a few weeks ago when they both read the last book’s ending.

  “I made your favorite; there is some tea in there.” She told him with a beam, as Steven grins at the lunch box, as he took an inhale to sing the entire Cookie Cat song before Garnet spoke up once more.

  “We should get going; we might be able to see Connie before lunch if we do.” She said with a smile before the group locked the door, going to leave.

  “Wait! I forgot to leave cat food for Lion!” He exclaims, it was a stray cat with a light redish- almost pink fur tint Steven had fallen in love with and begged to take in.

  “I did it this morning; I knew you’d be busy.” Pearl said matter of factly, and off they went to their school.

                                                         ....

Steven was the first to run up to the gate and enter the institute, he was excited, stars in his eyes before he saw Lapis. The two eyes’ met, as they both grin running in the direction of each other.

  “Hey Steven!” Lapis said with a cheerful tone, one most of the school inhabitants have yet to see. It seemed unnatural for her to smile, to look so happy.

  Jasper loathed it, she never seen Lapis look so happy, so bright even when while in the honeymoon stage. Peridot knew of the happiness shared between Steven and Lapis, they had a special bond as Peridot hoped to one day possess with her.

  Lapis stares to Garnet, the gang had been once used Lapis for their own gain, Lapis had a dulled expression when they met eyes. The look of complete neutral was often why they eluded eye contact with the girl.

  Steven held onto her long navy skirt, “You’ll have classes with Garnet! You guys will right?”

  Lapis cracked a small smile, “Just because we’re in the same grade doesn’t mean we’ll have the same classes.”

  Garnet touched her tinted lenses, “Oh, I think we might.” She assumed in her usual smile, as Pearl spoke up.

  “It depends on grades, testing, the pace you need to learn- it matters on so much.” Pearl describes as she went in her teacher mode alongside with her educator style hand gestures.

  The bell echoed through the courtyard, as the doors of the school unlocks. Lapis looks back, her hands going into her skirt’s pockets before looking back to Steven. “I gotta go, I’ll see you around, Steven.. Stay safe.” She leans, giving him a soft hug before walking off.

  Steven was the first reason she didn’t run away, Lapis was trapped in her own little world since she started seventh grade. Her step father was her sole care taker after the death of her divorced parents at different dates; her once kind and gentle almost second father became a plastered, distant man. He never mistreated her, but he was never there for her. She had to learn to cook, clean, and function for two. She didn’t have cash for clothes, hairstyles, or shoes. When she grew out of her clothes, she wore her mothers’ that bagged on her, she cut her own patchy hair, and had to shower with whatever her father bought.

  She soon became the target of many tormenters of either gender, with short, uneven cut hair, to the clothes that was blankets on her and the clear neglect was the recipe for mistreatment in school. She would have told her stepfather however whenever she was home he was by then passed out or too intoxicated to perform any action to help her.

  She was trapped, and felt alone. It was only until tenth year where she met both Steven, and later Jasper and Peridot, she would stay with Jasper most nights, and her father wasn’t any wiser. After the relationship was crashing down she bummed at the girls and Steven’s for a couple of weeks before Peridot and her mother let her in.

  She was going to run away, with the stash she stole off Jasper for their life to use for gas and to find a new place. But she didn’t know if she loved Steven as a friend, son, or brother, nonetheless she couldn’t leave him behind. She begged for him to come, and when he couldn’t she chose to stay.

  That summer seemed so much longer than three months; it felt like years; years’ worth of events occurred to forever change the households.

  “Peridot.” Jasper glances down to the smaller girl, who was quick to look up and make eye contact. “Follow that kid around.”

  Peridot breathed, “I don’t think they’re together.” She clarifies as Jasper glares.

  “Did I ask that? Just follow him.” Jasper then turned back to the others in the pack she stood in, as Peridot left within the school shadowing the group.

  Lapis observed Peridot rush into the school, rotating back to look at the tree. This would be an interesting year- at least it shouldn’t be as depressing as the rest of the school years. She told herself taking a final inhale of her smoke, dropped the stick and stomped on it once before joining the crowd shoveling into the school. 

-Cherry Rose

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