#icecap blue

[skelekins]

Icecaps Violet and Blue - all grown up <3

I like to think they have little snowclouds that follow them to keep them chill

[ranticore]

pelagic spiral villages

It's not the prettiest diagram and might be hard to follow. First off, the spiral is a region in the south of the western continent of Siren

the spiral region is not limited to the actual physical structure of the land, where the characteristic ridges and valleys of Siren crumple up into a twisted shape, but also extends south as far as the icecaps, with the ridges continuing their spiral but underwater (on the map above, the visible spiral is only what extends above water)

It comprises all of the pale blue water in this map area, bordered by the darker deeper water and what is known as the Ice Wall in the south.

The most densely settled areas are within the tallest ridges at the middle of the spiral, as these ridges form physical walls and barriers which prevent many of the dangers of the open sea from entering villages without having to traverse what is quite frankly a labyrinth of narrow valleys beforehand. But at the edges of the spiral, nearer to the ice wall, lies the pelagic village of !uamaa. This is where Huarva comes from and what's pictured at the top.

it is populated by phocids and some selkies underwater and Ice Wall shortwings above water (they are similar to penguins). It consists of a huge three-tiered underwater hall with an air pocket trapped by a tethered tent-like cap made of transparent material derived from sipho scales. The bottom tier is stocked with oxygenating plants (i can only assume they are VERY productive). The middle tier is submerged and where the in habitants enter the hall (through the round openings pictured). Shelf-like beds attached to the sturdy woven walls provide platforms where a phocid can sit with their body submerged but their head out of the water, which is the most comfortable position for them as they do like to have water supporting their weight as much as possible.

The hall was built over a hot water vent in the seafloor. The vent water is directed up through a stone s-duct, which leaves a flat surface above the water which is constantly heated. This is used as a cooking stone; there is a pot of perpetual stew always bubbling here and every villager is expected to contribute something to it every day in return for being allowed to take as much stew as they like.

The other buildings are these balloon type structures which are anchored both to the sea floor and to the floating pontoons above. The balloons do not have oxygen generating plants, but must be manually raised and lowered to the surface to trap more air every day. The colour palette is overall a strongly contrasting black and white (fun fact, pelagic people are hypersensitive to the colour red out of the water, to the point where it might cause headaches)

What's life like in the village? Huarva is often asked this but he cannot truly answer, because he was never a villager. Living out here is extremely tough and demanding, and experience is valued above all else. The eldest and most experienced person in the village is called the All-Bearer and their word is law. The All-Bearer is a matchmaker among villagers, pairing those who are thought to work harmoniously together in arranged partnerships, similar to marriage. Huarva's parents were not arranged; in fact they were strictly forbidden from reproducing because they did not work harmoniously together. They fought and argued and struck sparks off one another, but were inseparable. The All-Bearer gave no blessing for them to have a child.

^the All-Bearer.

In these cases it's not uncommon for the pregnant parent to find a matched pair and attempt to convince them to claim the child. That way nobody is harmed. But it didn't work out in time, on this occasion, so the child - Huarva - was born and immediately outcast from the village as a potential troublemaker. A pretty rough start all things considered. Huarva was an outsider, not a villager. they could hang around the place, beg, speak to people, but never be granted the elders' wisdom lest it be misused by a child of intrinsically bad character. They basically grew up homeless and uneducated in their village.

And this is a major handicap because of how dangerous this region is. Children are sorted into same-age 'generations' which go through a strict and standardised education before being unleashed as leviathan hunters. A couple years of that, and (assuming they survive), that generation moves on to the next-most dangerous job, replaced by the generation below them. And so on and so forth until what remains is the oldest generation, who are finally granted a safe and comfortable life in return for sharing all the wisdom gathered over the years working different professions. Few will remain by then.

The culture is cold. Repressed. Quiet. Fighting is an exile-worthy offense and disagreements are stifled. The All-Bearer makes every final decision and you cannot question them because you do not have the requisite experience to contradict anything they say. If you must be upset, do it where nobody can see, and never openly express discontent.

Huarva survived to adulthood by choosing to stick around the shallows on top of the underwater ridges. They tried many times to earn the All-Bearer's favour enough to earn a place in the village to no avail. Until the All-Bearer finally had enough of them and sent them away on a fetch quest doomed to fail, because Huarva did not have the education to know how to spot the warning signs of a flow of aerated water. Finding themself trapped under it, they panicked, never having learned any methods to slow their heart and extend their usable breath, and almost drowned. Sheer luck saved them; a leviathan-sized giant sipho flying for the surface caught them between its scale plates. It didn't notice its new passenger and ended up dragging Huarva almost the entire way across the dark and to the spire before they got free.

[that-angry-noldo]

The winter is a quiet, menacing killer.

It does not kill them by blade or poison. It settles in their bones. It eats them from inside out. It makes them shake and tremble.

It is quiet.

The day is bright. The Sun is fair in the sky, though her light does not bring warmth. Around, as far as the sight reaches, is a plain, glimmering wasteland, ice and snow shining and sparkling under the rays of Arien like the most beautiful gems.

It is desolate. (It is not. It is deceiving, and treacherous, and deadly.)

The camp is tense.

People are cold, but they do not hide inside their tents, do not light a fire, do not huddle into their bedrolls. Some try to maintain the calm demeanor. They clean their weapons or hum under their nose; but still, their eyes dart over the white desert with a barely covered nervousness, and their hands shake, just barely noticable, and their pupils are blown wide. Soon enough, they fall silent. Soon enough, they clutch their weapon hard, and bite their lips, and stare into nothingness, their breath hard and shaken.

Someone takes a sharp breath, then bites their hand, teeth digging through the leather. The person sitting close to them shifts, and their attention is now on their fellow; their eyes are those of a hawk ready to grab their pray. The rest of the camp tenses.

The Sun plays on the silent icecaps, mocking in their beauty.

It is quiet, so incredibly quiet. They hear every breath, every movement against the snow. All senses are strained to the point of pain. Pupils blown wide, darting towards the wasteland; ears jerking at the slightest sound, slightest movement; body tense and shaking, ready to dart in any given moment, to attack, to protect, to survive.

Breath becomes ragged. Weapons are clutched more frequently, more tightly. Someone jerks in a sudden movement, alerted by a nonexistent (but so real, so real) threat and the person next to them darts to them, clutches their arms around their chest, muffles their startled yelp with their hand. The hearts beat faster, adrenaline rising to the brain and throbbing in the body, unreleased. The person breaths, jerking, eyes staring at the cold blue sky, tears falling from their eyes and freezing on their face. Their companion holds them tighter, staring at the ground, trying no to think, to think, to think.

The world is quiet. The wasteland is empty. The camp is tense, ready for an attack that does not come, that will come any given second. They tremble.

The scales of invisible beasts mingle with snow, glimmer under the sun, shine as the purest diamonds of the Noldor.

Someone trembles and bites their hand. They are crying.

They do not make a noise.

[solar-nightengale]

Finally, whichever prompt you want but you have to make one or more of your sillies interact with one or more of mine. Godspeed 💗

HELLO MY DEAREST!!! Sorry I know you started with a different one but all of these maaaaaay be getting completed in a different order NFBHR

Listen, I would say I weighed my options out but tbh the moment you said you weren't picky, this was my immediate pick LOL!! Though I DID have to weigh on who to have him interact with for a hot minute. Whether Chaos or >:) 😏😏

Either way I'm sorry to put your baby through the horrors once more, you know I adore him greatly, but also

1) Angst is my Life Blood

2) It's time to give him a different blue fairy as an example of how another really should have been acting until now :)

Idk how well your baby will be written so if his voice isn't working I'm very sorry

Hope you enjoy this uhhhh mess 💕💕💕💕 (sorry it got. Very long LOL)

shielding the other one with their body

To say she was surprised to feel something barrel into her was an understatement. Malvina was almost thrown off her feet at the strength of what caught her from behind, the blue-haired woman turning with a sharp retort waiting on her tongue. But that all quickly melted away the moment she realised it was not a something that shoved her; but a someone.

The boy stood up shakily, the woman wasting no time to hold her hands out and help him stand.

“Hey, you alright, dear? Are you hurt?” she asked quietly, stealing a breath at the clear skies staring back at her in the young boy's eyes. Though not the same, they were… similar, yes. And they held the same worry she would recognise from a mile away, already seeing the mounted apology brewing in his mind before he could even go to voice it.

“I-I'm so sorry I didn't mean to shove you, ma'am!"

Malvina shook her head, dusting the boy's shoulders. "Don't fret in the least bit, okay? No one was hurt, it's fine." She gave him another smile but it was quick to wane on seeing the still etched-in worry on the boy's face. Though she kept her tone light as she spoke to him. "Why the rush? In a hurry to reach somewhere?" She asked curiously, watching as the boy's eyes widened again.

"Um-!"

"Pinocchio!"

Oh that was a shrill voice she'd recognise from anywhere.

Sure enough she saw Reul Ghorm in the flesh, in clothes she'd never seen her in before and striding towards them with a purpose. The hand she still had on the boy could feel him growing stiff, Pinocchio ready to bolt at any moment and yet he seemed frozen as though a deer caught in headlights.

Malvina didn't need to know anything else to realise just who had caused him this much grief. She didn't need the whys or how's or what's. If she was any similar to what she knew in her own realm… Gods, is this someone he can never escape?

Her eyes narrowed her hand still on his shoulder as she straightened up, pulling the boy Immediately behind her the moment the brunette reached them.

"Can I help you, miss?" She asked with the coldness of a polar icecap, watching calmly as Blue finally reached them.

"I need to speak with him." The Blue Fairy stated, straightening up in the process.

Malvina, with her hand still held out behind her to keep the boy back, huffed quietly. "With a tone like that? I don't think so."

"Pinocchio, step out from behind the lady this instant." The Fairy asked, Malvina stiffening herself under the scrutiny she was showing.

Seems that hasn't changed around here.

"He will not. And you won't be issuing the demands here either." Malvina continued, as she stepped a touch closer. "Just what horror has a boy like this committed that you felt it was right to yell at him like this?

"That is none of your-"

"It becomes my business the moment it involves a child being in your particular company." Mavina interrupted, biting back a grin at the indiginant glare that took over what calm the fairy previously had on.

"How dare you-"

"Yes, how dare I indeed. May I remind you that it is your duty to guide the children of this world and not break them over every whim and wrong, Blue. Is this something you of all people needed to be told about?" Malvina continued, her words unwavering as solid oak, despite the growing flame in front of her.

"I don't know what story he's spun for you already but you have no reason to get involved." Blue proclaimed, Malvina allowing herself the desire to scoff.

"He doesn't need to tell me any story or half-truths even, it's always been issues with you in particular." She quipped, smirking at the fae's continued annoyance. "Has he already worked to make amends?"

"He-

"It's a simple yes or no question you don't need to give me more than a single word as an answer."

Blue bristled, glancing around at the boy still behind the other. "No. No he has not."

Malvina nodded glancing back down at the boy still behind her. "Prok-Pinocchio?" She corrected herself, seeing the boy look up. "What does one usually say when they've made a mistake?"

His eyes were on the ground again, Malvina watching with sympathy as he wrung his hands together. "I'm sorry. It was only an accident I-I didn't mean to break it."

"You should be well aware about how-"

"That's enough." Malvina whipped around and shot back.

"Miss, this boy-"

"I said back off, Reul Ghorm!" The Fae demanded a little louder, her lips forming a thing line as she glared up at the fairy. "You do not need to lecture him any further. Kindly take your leave."

The women stared off, one looming over the other. But Malvina couldn't bring herself to care. She was never bothered about her defiance, especially when this bitch was involved. So she stood, squared shoulders up and head raised higher, an unrelenting shield against whatever the woman may still try to throw their way. The Blue Fairy stepped back, the anger still prominent but lessening.

"Geppetto will be hearing of this. As well the Sheriff." She glared back at Malvina before walking away.

"And I'm sure both will be delighted to hear how you tried to take your emotions out on him so publicly." Malvina called back, uncaring about the look she was shot. She watched on until the fairy left, letting herself relax at last.

"I'm really sorry about this."

She looked down as Pinocchio spoke once more. The ocean was once more turbulent, a sight she was all too familiar with as she crouched down once more, giving the boy another smile once more.

"You don't have to apologise to me, dear. And I'm sure whatever it is that happened didn't warrant such a reaction from her."

"You don't really know that." He commented, the boy looking up at her.

"Well then, call it my intuition instead." She held the smile again as she spoke, her eyes warm and quiet. "And again, my intuition tells me that nothing warrants such hostility."

"It was some garden statue or something, but it was an accident, I-I swear!" He exclaimed.

"I believe you. And again, I tell you, it's okay." She tilted her head a touch, trying to catch the boy's gaze. "Chin up, little sunflower, there's nothing to be upset about. What's broken can still be fixed." She pointed out, her smile widening at the curious look the boy gave her. She waved her hand, watching the stardust form and fall. He looked on in wonder, eliciting a chuckle from the woman. "So how about you show me what it is that happened and we go do exactly that?"

[zahri-melitor]

I am FORGING ONWARDS, given I'm down to 3 more Holiday Specials to go, then getting back to this year's Santa story.

Next up is 'Tis the Season to be Freezin' (2021)

Window Shopping - Robin and Mr Freeze. I finally get a new Tim story in a Holiday Special and it has to be BTAS!Tim. Anyway Tim goes to buy Bruce's christmas present from a not-at-all suspicious shopkeeper who mysteriously has gifts nobody else does:

Interesting beard, sir, as is that Spock in command yellow holding a lightsaber.

Only to be interrupted by Mr Freeze freezing Old Gotham Square during an oncoming blizzard so he could reminisce about something good from his childhood. Tim talks Victor down and gets him back to Arkham, then we get to see the Christmas presents he's giving.

The Syphoning - Vixen and the Super-Pets. Fun Mari story! Penguin's captured the Super-Pets and is trying to steal their powers and mind control them to do his bidding.

I hate to say it, but this feels really fanficcy, down to Mari giving a speech to Cobblepot to go get some therapy.

Bizarro v Seasonal Depression: Dawn of Climate Change! - Bizarro.

Bizarro text gives me a headache, I'm sorry, particularly reading a story written wholly in it. In any case, this story is about a bunch of villains melting the 6 polar icecaps of Bizarro World and Bizarro getting the water vapour refrozen into a single icecap.

Stay Frosty - Firestorm and Killer Frost.

I liked this one! Killer Frost has reformed, but Firestorm is on monitor duty with her and doesn't quite trust that she has turned over a new leaf. Eventually he trusts her, after they take down the Royal Flush Gang together.

Snow Date - Polar Boy.

Firstly, Andrew Dalhouse deserves some praise here for the colouring job, which I really enjoyed.

Polar Boy and Comet Queen have a date while enjoying the ice sculptures of winter festival characters on different planets that Polar Boy made. Also they defeat Captain Freeze who wanted to steal Captain Cold's cold gun.

A Change of Heart - Harley Quinn and Blue Snowman. It's interesting when occasionally the pandemic gets a form of reference in comics. Here's it's a new lethal virus that causes pustules, which has infected Ivy. Harley tries to cure Ivy, first by getting the virus frozen (which freezes Ivy into a block of ice) then stealing an ancient healing rod to heal her.

Only this theft interrrupts a sting operation run by Hawkman and after some confusion, Harley and Blue Snowman team up with him.

Hawkman gets the rod, they heal Ivy with the power of friendship (okay 'heart, community, belief') and all is well.

Christmas: Cold and Fast - Flash and Captain Cold. This is essentially a sequel/rewrite of a A Flash Christmas Carol from 2016 - it hits all the same beats.

Captain Cold has dressed up as a donations Santa and is collecting to get toys to all the children of Central City. Barry suspects Snart's just doing it for Crimez reasons but gets talked into helping: Snart creates snow and an ice rink for the city, while Barry delivers all the presents while dressed up as Santa.

We also get a surprise last minute appearance of You Know Who.

Break the Ice - JLQ.

Solstice party for the Justice League Queer.

Oh hey, Ray Terrill! I haven't read any of your recent stuff.

This is...fine? The crew have to calm down Sigrid Nansen, Ice Maiden, who is having a breakdown about identity (and now wants to be Glacier). The themes. They are obvious.

[my-name-is-jefferooni]

Metal Sonic is such a deep character you guys

IT IS LATE IN THE NIGHT AND I HAVE SCHOOL IN THE MORNING BUT THE BRAINWORMS ARE BRAINWORMING SO I HAVE NI CHOICE BUT TO DUMP THIS SUPER DUPER ANALYSIS ON IDW METAL SONIC AKA THE PSYCHOLOGY OF A ROBOT. PLEASE ENJOY CUZ I AM VERY SLEEPY.

Okay, we all know who Metal is. If I have to explain who this adorkable little scrimblo is to you then why are you reading this? (Hope that didn’t sound mean I’m sorry) And he’s one of the most beloved Sonic characters in the fandom, at least from what I’ve heard, and it makes sense! The guy’s debut was fucking awesome! But even though I know a lot of you love the fact that the guy is just pure evil due to his software and his loyalty to Eggman and blah blah blah… I’m not too into that.

HECK YEAH BAYBEEEEEE IM GIVING YOU REASONS WHY METAL HAS A CHANCE AT REDEMPTION LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Now I will be covering everything that is strictly within the IDW timeline, which is still a bit unclear when it comes to past events. So, for simplicity’s sake, I’ll only be including all the mainstream Sonic games that take place before the comics, including the storybook games as they were referenced in the beginning of the Metal Virus saga. (And also including the OVA to some degree) Now then, with that out of the way, ENOUGH DILLY-DALLYING!! LET’S GET TO THE FUCCIN MEAT OF THIS BITCH!!

Metal was created way back when Sonic was still just a kid. Amy still had a crush on the guy, Tails was still gaining his sense of independence, and Knuckles was still an idiot. And compared to Sonic himself, Metal was the superior to all of them. He had speed, guts, glory, strength, smarts, wit, and a willpower that rivaled the original blue hedgehog! Compared to the rest, Metal was simply better in every way!

But when he went head-to-head against the organic blue idiot, something went wrong. Metal had completed his objective, tracked down Sonic and beat him to a pulp, but then without falter, the guy challenged him to a race… And he won.

How, though?? Metal is superior! He is the better version of whoever the heck this… This weird, fleshy, quillt monster is! He’s faster, stronger, smarter…! Everything about him just screams perfection! So how did he lose to the inferior shade of blue!? Why couldn’t he catch up!? Why was this amateur so much better than him!?

Why did he act like he was better than Metal…?

A few months later, Metal began studying the blue rodent via Robotnik’s hidden cameras all throughout Mobius. He began seeing things from his point of view, seeing how bright and disgusting his life was. But what really caught his attention was when Sonic bled. Red ooze dripped from his knee when he took a particularly dangerous tumble, the liquid from within staining the Mobian’s quills. He washed it out in the nearby river just a few moments later, but that moment always stuck with Metal. He tried many times to get himself to bleed red as well, tried everything from needles to dangerous tests to going out of his way to get beat up all over again! But no matter what he did, no red ooze trickled down his leg like Sonic the Hedgehog’s had.

This meant that Sonic was organic. He was born and raised where he stood, since according to classic Mobian biology, one had to go through many years of growth and development if they were to bleed. Sonic was one of those people, having grown and developed and changed and… Well. That could only mean one thing, could it? Metal had only been born a few months ago, but Sonic… He was probably years old at this point, meaning he had come first.

Metal was not the original.

After coming to this disappointing realization, Metal gained a few upgrades. No longer would he be bested in a race against that disgusting blue rodent, no! Now he was better, faster, stronger than he ever could’ve imagined! And with these new upgrades, Metal swept the floor with his organic counterpart on the icecaps, and didn’t leave any room for improvement on the other’s end.

AND I HAVE TO CUT IT THERE BECAUSE IM FUCKING TIRED AND IDK WHAT ELSE FO WRITE FOR NOW IM SORRY IM SORRY I HAVE TO IT IS 11:30 IN THE PM RIGHT NOW AND I HAVE SCHOOL AND I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO BED SOON OKAY IM SORRY BUT SLEEP IS MORE IMPIRTANT THAN CHARACTER ANALYSIS I KNOW I KNOW

I PROMISE I WILL CONTINUE THIS BECAUSE I LOVE METAL A TON SO YES THIS WILL CONTINUE HOPEFULLY TOMORROW

Thanks for reading and have a great day/night!

[severed-ties-uf]

Chapter Two: Desperation Awakens

This takes place two weeks after the previous chapter. Gaster, his oldest son Sans, and his newborn, Papyrus, are living in Snowdin. Today, Asriel has some royal business to attend to in the area, and agreed to bring along Chara. Prior to this, Chara and Sans had agreed to meet at a particular spot in Snowdin, on this day.

Chara and Asriel walked together into the heart of Snowdin town, side by side. Approaching the edge of town, they stop, and Asriel looks to Chara.

Asriel: “Alright, Chara, this is where we split off. I’m headed back into town to have a talk with the new mayor, and you can go see your friend. I won’t be too long, at very most an hour or two. When I’m done, I’ll come find you; and don’t go too far. Understood?

Chara: “Yes, your highness.”

Asriel: “Also, if anything bad happens, call for me as loud as you can, and I’ll be there as fast as possible. Got it?”

Chara: “Got it!”

Asriel gives them a warm smile, and playfully ruffles his hand through their hair. Chara giggles in response.

Asriel: “Take care of yourself, alright?”

Chara: “Yes, sir!”

They hug, briefly and then begin to head to their respective destinations.

Chara walks for a couple minutes before coming to the agreed upon spot in the woods, seeing Sans leaning up against a tree. They spot each other.

Chara: “Sans!”

Sans: “Chara!”

They run toward each other and hug for a couple seconds before parting.

Chara: “I missed you, I’m so glad that we’re able to see each other today!”

Sans: “I missed you too. I… I have a gift for you.”

Chara: “Really?!”

Sans reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a beautiful blue flower, and hands it to them.

Chara: *gasp* “It’s so pretty! Thank you, Sans! I love it!”

Sans: *blushing* “You’re welcome, Chara.”

Suddenly they hear the sounds of branches rustling and turn to face the sound. Out of the trees walks a young Snowdrake and Icecap (both roughly 11 years old).

Chara: “Hi! Nice to m-“

Chara gets cut off by the Snowdrake loudly speaking in a condescending tone.

Snowdrake: “Well, if it isn’t the Prince's personal Pet. Curious. What are you doing so far away from your master? Pieces of royal property such as yourself don’t typically get left unattended. Did you run away? Or has he possibly already gotten bored of you?”

Sans: “Hey! Don’t call them that!”

Snowdrake: “I wasn’t talking to you, filth!”

Chara pauses for a moment.

Chara: “His highness is in town right now, having a meeting with the mayor. He brought me along with him and has allowed me to come see my friend.”

Icecap: “You’re friends with the Royal scientist's son, eh?

Snowdrake and Icecap look at each other, and begin to laugh.

Sans: “Hey! What’s so funny?”

Icecap: “No wonder you’re friends, you two are an excellent pair, both equally as pathetic, and useless.” *laugh*

Snowdrake: “Now, now, they’re not entirely useless, after all, one of them has something incredibly useful to us. Something that can set us all free, but the royal family is too cowardly to do the job themselves.”

Icecap: “Right. The soul, the key to our freedom! Right in front of us. Since the royal family won’t do it, I think we should take things into our own hands. Agreed, Snowy?”

Snowdrake: *laugh* “Agreed.”

They both approach, Chara. Snowdrake summoning magic snowflakes, and Icecap summoning magic icicles. All aimed at Chara.

Chara: “Now, now. There’s no need for violence! I won’t hurt you, I have no ill will towards you. I understand wanting to get out, I want that too, but this isn’t a good idea. Please, listen, if you hurt me, his highness will have you killed! Please don’t do this! Besides my soul will be harvested eventually, anyway, there’s no need for this!”

Snowdrake and Icecap stop, and stare at Chara, then begin to laugh.

Icecap: “You expect us to believe that?”

They continue their approach.

Sans: “Hey! Get away from them!”

Snowdrake: “Chill out dude, this doesn’t concern you.”

Sans: “I said, get away from them, now! Don’t take another step!”

Icecap: “Or what? What are you going to do about, science boy?”

They take another step. Sans grunts and sends a magic bone flying into Icecap.

Icecap -1 hp (39/40 remaining)

Icecap: “Really? One damage, that’s the best you can do?!”

They burst into laughter.

Snowdrake: “How could someone be so pathetic!?”

Sans sends five more bones flying into them. The first four doing only one damage, the fifth being blocked by Icecap. Snowdrake and Icecap turn their attention back to Chara.

Snowdrake: “Now, freeze!”

They both attack, sending magic icicles and snowflakes at Chara. Chara dodges most of them, but their arm gets clipped by an icicle, cutting them. Chara yelps in pain.

Chara -3 hp (17/20 left)

Sans: “How dare you hurt them!”

Sans sends more bones at the pair, some being blocked, others hitting for only one damage.

Icecap: “You’re really getting on my nerves here. Eat this!”

Icecap and Snowdrake fire their projectiles at Sans. Before they connect, Chara jumps in the way, getting hit by all of them. They begin to bleed from their injuries.

Chara -11 hp (6/20 left)

Sans: “Oh my God! Chara!”

Sans kneels down as they fall into his arms, pained, Chara begins to cry.

Chara (screaming): “Asriel!! Help!”

Snowdrake: “Sorry little worm, nobody can save you now. Time to die.”

They summon their projectiles, Sans holds up his arms in a blocking position, palms facing the duo.

Sans (yelling): “Get away!!”

Suddenly, Sans' left eye begins to flash orange and yellow; at the same time, Snowdrake and Icecap are sent flying violently in the opposite direction. Snowdrake violently collides with a tree and gets stabbed through the body by a branch, and Icecap hits his head on a rock. Both yelling in pain.

Icecap -20 hp (13/40 left)

Snowdrake -45 hp (16/68 left)

Chara wraps their arms around Sans in a tight hug. Icecap and Snowdrake get up, and stand.

Snowdrake: “You bastard! I’m gonna dust you for this!”

Icecap: “You’ve done it now!”

Sans quickly points his left arm downward; Icecap and Snowdrake are pulled down to the ground by Sans' gravity magic, inhibiting their movement. Sans summons 12 sharpened bones all pointed toward the pair.

Snowdrake: “We’re not scared of you, bastard!”

Chara: “Please, stop this!”

With all of his strength, Snowdrake lunges towards Sans and Chara but stops himself dead in his tracks, upon a tall, thin, wall of fire suddenly appearing between the two parties. Completely separating them. Asriel walks in behind Snowdrake and Icecap.

Asriel: *clears throat*

Snowdrake and Icecap freeze, breathing heavily and shaking in fear. They slowly turn to face Asriel.

Asriel: “So… I have a question for you two. What is the punishment for damaging and/or attacking royal property?”

Icecap: “… Y- y- y- your highness, I- I- we- w-“

Asriel: “Death. Death, is the punishment. And what have you two just done?”

Both Snowdrake and Icecap, both begin to silently cry. Snowdrake can be heard whimpering.

Asriel: “That’s right, attacked and damaged royal property… Now, I’m feeling pretty nice today, so instead of incinerating you two on the spot, I’m giving you an out: Get out of my sight at once, and if I ever see either of you anywhere near Chara again, I will kill you where you stand. Do I make myself clear?”

Snowdrake and Icecap quickly back off.

Snowdrake and icecap (in unison): “Yes, your highness!”

They both flee. Asriel looks over to see Chara in Sans' arms. Chara is still crying softly.

Chara (quietly): “Thank you, Sans.”

Sans (also quietly): “You’re welcome, Chara”

Asriel approaches the two, full of worry. He kneels down to see Chara in Sans' arms. Chara sits up to face their brother. Asriel begins to treat their wounds with healing magic.

In their emotional state and extreme comfort around Sans, Chara forgets to call Asriel by a title.

Chara: “Thank you, Azzy!”

Sans: “Yeah, thank you your highness, things would’ve gotten way worse if you hadn’t stepped in.”

Asriel: “All that matters is that you’re both alright.”

Sans: “Wait, Chara, did you just call him ‘Azzy’?”

Chara realizes their error, gasps, and quickly covers their mouth.

Chara: “Oh, no! I’m so sor-“

Asriel: *chuckle* “It’s okay, Chara. We’re alone with someone we trust.”

Sans: “Wait, what?”

Asriel: “Chara and I are very close, we see each other as siblings in fact; but due to them being a human, — and by extension legally being nothing but royal property —, they call me by my title in public. In private however, they call me whatever they like. I’ve tried to reason with my father into giving them the status of a citizen, but he wasn’t having it.”

Sans: “Why do you trust me, then?”

Chara: “Sans, you put your life on the line to protect me! Why wouldn’t he trust you?”

Asriel: “Yeah. You’ve proven to be someone I can trust with Chara, and I am very thankful for that, because it’s incredibly rare that I meet someone that fits that criteria.”

Asriel finishes healing Chara, pulling them to their feet. Chara offers their hand to Sans, he takes it and they help pull him up. Chara and Sans both embrace in a deep hug for a couple moments, both savoring it equally.

Asriel: “Alright, Chara, time to head home. Sans, we can walk you to your house, if you’d like.”

Chara: “Yeah, come with us, we’ll take you home!”

Sans: “Sure!”

Chara holds out their hand and Sans takes it, they all walk together out of the forest. Chara and Sans holding hands all the way. They stop upon reaching Sans' house. Him and Chara embrace in a hug once again. Sans then begins to walk to the door.

Chara: “See you soon, Sans! I can’t wait until we next meet!”

Sans: “See you soon, Chara!”

Sans begins to open the door but is interrupted by Asriel speaking.

Asriel: “Oh, and Sans.”

Sans: “Yes, your highness?”

Asriel: “I’m going to see if I can grant you VIP status, so you can visit the castle anytime you want.”

Sans: “Thank you, your highness!”

Asriel: “You’re welcome.”

Sans enters the house, and closes the door behind him. Walking in until he hears a familiar voice, the voice of his father.

Gaster: “Impressive, very impressive. It only took you 8 years of living to unlock your blue magic, by your standards, that’s a miracle. Your damage output, is still pathetic, but at least you’re not entirely useless.”

Sans backs up a bit, looking his father in the eyes.

Sans: “Wait… You watched, that whole thing?”

Gaster: “Yes, I did in fact, and I’ve gotta say, you put on one hell of a show, that’s for sure.”

Sans: “You… Watched that… all of that… and did NOTHING to help?!”

Gaster: “That would compromise things, I had to see how it would play out.”

Sans: “What if I had died?”

Gaster: “Then I would pray that Papyrus wouldn’t grow up to be as much of a disappointment.”

Sans stops talking, and walks upstairs.

Author's notes:

Asriel is still very much a good person, and has a good relationship with Chara (just like canon UF), but he’s not above a bit of violence. He puts his people before everything else, but won’t hesitate to act against those who attack/threaten him or the people he cares about.

Boss Monsters are the most powerful monsters in the underground, bar none.

Chara isn’t actually Asriel's “pet”, they’re just commonly seen as that by the people and it’s used as an insult against them commonly.

Next Chapter

Previous Chapter

[sonic06silver]

:DDDDD i do not believe i kno ur favorite gaming/sonic tracks!! Is it Ok if I ask for u to spare a few in these trying times?? ;;w;; (I'm listening to loud sonic music with my lil speaker LOL)

Yes!! Absolutely!! :D I have quite a few. I'm going to start off with some of the newer stuff that you might not be familiar with.

Sonic Mania's soundtrack (YouTube / Spotify ) is stellar all around.

Standout tracks:

Lights, Camera, Action! (Studiopolis Zone Act 1)

Hi-Spec Robo Go! (Hard Boiled Heavy Boss)

Rogues Gallery (Mirage Saloon Zone Act 2)

--

The vocal tracks from the newest game, Sonic Frontiers, were spot on for me. They perfectly encapsulate the vibe of the Sonic series for me. However, if you have any intention of playing Sonic Frontiers, I would hold off on listening to these until then.

I’m Here (feat. Merry Kirk-Holmes)

Undefeatable (feat. Kellin Quinn)

Break Through It All (feat. Kellin Quinn)

Find Your Flame (feat. Kellin Quinn & Tyler Smyth)

--

Sonic Generations (YouTube / Spotify) was Sonic's 20th anniversary game. Pretty good if you want to listen to some new takes on older tracks! There's also a 3DS version (YouTube / Spotify), which features entirely different levels than the console version. I enjoy the remixes they did for both games.

Personal favorites:

City Escape (Classic) - Sonic Generations

City Escape (Modern) - Sonic Generations

Collection Room (Door Into Summer) - Sonic Generations

Emerald Coast (Act 1) - Sonic Generations 3DS

Boss: Big Arm - Sonic Generations 3DS

Boss: Biolizard - Sonic Generations 3DS

--

Lots of great stuff in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)'s OST (YouTube):

His World (Theme of Sonic)

His World (Zebrahead Version)

White Acropolis (Snowy Peak)

Crisis City

Aquatic Base (Level 1)

Aquatic Base (Level 2)

Flame Core (Volcano)

--

I think you already know that I'm a big fan of the Sonic Adventure/Sonic Adventure 2 soundtracks. Both are easily my all-time favorite video game soundtracks. I'll list some of my favorites, anyway, though.

Sonic Adventure:

Azure Blue World (Emerald Coast)

Pleasure Castle (Twinkle Park)

At Dawn (Speed Highway)

The Dreamy Stage (Casinopolis)

Be Cool, Be Wild and Be Groovy (Icecap)

Leading Lights (Lost World)

Bad Taste Aquarium (Hot Shelter)

Crank the Heat Up!! (Final Egg)

Big Fishes at Emerald Coast - Sonic Adventure

Sonic Adventure 2:

Keys the Ruin (Pyramid Cave)

Soarin' Over the Space (Cosmic Wall)

Bright Sound (Dry Lagoon)

Masters of the Desert

Won't Stop, Just Go! (Green Forest)

That's the Way I Like It (Metal Harbor)

--

Miscellaneous tracks I enjoy:

High and Broken - Sonic and the Secret Rings

Catch Me If You Can - Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

Un-gravitify - Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

Door Into Summer - Knuckles' Chaotix

No Way Through - Sonic and the Secret Rings

Wrapped in Black - Sonic Rush

Iron Jungle - Shadow the Hedgehog

Lost Impact - Shadow the Hedgehog

--

Lastly, here are some non-Sonic game OSTs that I enjoy!

Blinx: The Time Sweeper

The Sims

The Sims 2

NiGHTS Into Dreams

Jet Set Radio

Jet Set Radio: Future

--

I have plenty of more songs that I could recommend, but this has already gotten really long, so I will leave it off at that. :] I hope you enjoy listening to some of these!

[thecpdiary]

A Farida Haque Poem

"I am chained to the wind.

I am bound to a tree and I hear sap buzzing

up and down, up and down.

It warms me, especially when it snows.

Who was it, I wonder who fettered my ankles?

How foolish, I thought, to never ask.

But when you’re happy, foolishness can be forgiven.

I am chained to a rock.

While songbirds spin a web of bright strains around me, reeds whistle and cataracts of butterflies go about their fragile business.

Laughter of children carries me about and my rock becomes a cloud.

It is love that chains me to a rock.

I said to it, keep me grounded.

And the rock loved me back.

Some days, I am not happy.

The wind sweeps me over calderas of war.

How can it expect me to disown blackened babies far below whose mothers lie still,

eyes turned to opals?

Weep I must, chained to humanity.

How can I disown distant sorrow and silences of death?

They grow into me they become me I exhale them as prayers I become nothing —

it is as it should be.

I am chained to humanity.

The wind smiles.

Generosity of time and hope —

a hoary alchemist whose hands dance to music we can never hear and make balms, which rest a while

on weary warriors then gently turn into vapors and are gone —

their work is done.

Who resets my hourglass when the last grain of sand sinks into oblivion?

I never think to ask,

for I know what comes in last can be the first to be reborn.

I begin to honor every life lost celebrate those yet to be

and that is how I reclaim a transformed heart.

The tree and I, we celebrate for it is a triumph of sorts to forget.

It is autumn and green-gold leaves drop like blessings.

It is time for sap to rest.

Too often we exhaust ourselves for what, I ask the tree.

Its answer is a weary sadness.

The vagabond wind ah, such capriciousness —

tugs me along.

I taste sweet waters of icecaps.

Air is shards of blue icicles which my breath turns liquid and it drips from my thirsty fingers.

The wind’s labors are written in stone.

Brother rock, sister wind.

It often drags me through fields upon fields of red and purple wildflowers

then gardens full of barbs and I say to myself, you are invincible!

You are invincible, Calderas of war forgotten.

When you’re happy, better to not question terrains…

Most days, fragrant light of colors walks with me.

And today,

I saw one sleepy folded flower.

I knew a whole galaxy swirled inside it.

How foolish, I thought to want to own it.

I waited for sunrise.

Imagine if you can, dewdrops in a panicked dance slowly become phantoms…

And together, the sun and I, we set the galaxy free."

Farida Haque

[activate-shadow-of-the-window]

I’m going to be participating in @/ink-ghoul’s Hermitober this year via writing little snippets of fanfic, because I do not trust myself to keep up with visual art whatsoever. These little spits will eventually string together to form one big spoopy story! They will all take place in my au, Horizon to Horizon, where the hermits (and fellows from Empires and Traffic and sometimes Evo) are rulers of nations and/or weirdos just kinda bouncing around a classic high-fantasy world.

(Also I have a full and proper fanfic in this au too (plug plug plug): Cracking like a dry branch in a westward wind)

-

Hermittober Day 1: Frost

-

Keralis, as a rule, doesn’t expect anyone to come knocking at his door after nine at night or before seven in the morning, and especially not during a snowstorm.

With one exception.

The single sharp rap told him exactly what and who to expect, so the mayor of Iceberg Metropolis got up and answered it without bothering to smooth out his collar.

“Ah, Iskall. What is it this time?”

The other canid smiled with a sigh and a twitch of his ears. “Am I really that predictable?”

“Yes. Now get inside; I don’t care how much training you did in the military, you’ll catch frostbite.”

“Alright. We need to go down for this one.”

“I see.”

The office building wasn’t lit at the moment, in accordance with Keralis’ own policy on use of redstone power, but both had enough night vision to see by the light of Iskall’s prosthetic. The two elected leaders silently walked through hallways of hard stone softened with the plentiful wool of icecap sheep, dyed in colors of blue and yellow and more blue.

The pair came to a door, though an outside observer would not be able to tell that they did, and Iskall sighed as he opened it. “Really sorry to drag you into another one of these, mate.”

“Oh, it’s no problem! After all, without you, the Metropolis would never have survived.”

“I could say the same of you.”

Both canids silently descended the staircase beyond the hidden door, and walked into the great room beyond. This place was lit extremely well, by eternal sea lanterns and chunks of glowstone. The furnishings were sparse: exactly fifteen chairs, exactly one table, and exactly five wall hangings, with one on each wall. On that single table was the namesake of the room; a map of the entire known world, updated every five years by the great census, and detailed down to the building.

Iskall leaned over the map, unholstering his arquebus and using it to point. “I suspect there to be a secret lab within the mountains here, near to the border with Dragon’s Spine. I have no proof that the fugitives are currently there, but evidence suggests that someone maintains it on at least a monthly basis with food and other provisions. It is completely possible for a pair to live there for six months without ever venturing into the outside world, perhaps as much as a year if they hunted and rationed strictly.”

Keralis sparked a bit of magic into a pair of solid crystals, and floated them over the location his deputy mayor had indicated. “And is there any evidence of there being any more… entities there?”

Iskall shrugged. “Kinda. There’s tons of sculk, like literal tons, as well as probably stolen bottles-o-enchanting. Could mean they’re trying to summon, uh, one of those…”

“That wouldn’t be good. Would it be wise for me to know how you know all of this?”

”…probably not. But I will tell you that I got a tip from Hypno that put me on the right track.”

“Ah, okay. That’s deniable enough.”

[skelekins]

WIP of some silly icecaps who decided Im apparently making a painting of them

They're dating and made caps for each other's noses. (❤´艸｀❤)

[emzeciorrr]

Portrait of Greenland from Of Two Lands on Vimeo.

Last year in June, our travels took us to a very remote location north of the Arctic Circle : Greenland. We spent 4 days in Ilulissat, a town located on the western side whose name means 'Icebergs', and once we arrived it was easy to understand why the town was named after these white giants. Icebergs in the Disko Bay area are some of the biggest in the world, rising up to 100m above sea level (more than 300ft). 
(The one that sank the Titanic is thought to have come from here.) Apart from its gigantic icebergs, the town is known for the Ilulissat icefjord, a UNESCO World heritage site.  Covering an area as large as 66,000 football fields, it is made by icebergs that calve from Sermeq Kujalleq, the fastest moving glacier in the world. Our time exploring this beautiful and unique part of the world was filled with amazing and unforgettable experiences. 
From sailing under the midnight sun, hiking along the icefjord or whale spotting in the early morning, we feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to visit. Being so high up north there is no darkness in summer at all and the sun keeps circling around all day long. 
The contrast of the blue sky, against the white icebergs as well as the temperature difference between the shore and the ocean made our filming experience very unique. Crossing the Arctic Circle was a childhood dream and we are glad that we had the chance to document this place, as we know in the back of our minds that the Arctic is a fast-changing and very fragile environment, and due to human impact (in the form of over-tourism, mining or any other human exploits); it more than likely won’t be there forever, or at least not as we saw it. Greenland's ice sheet covers 1.8 million km2 and contains 10% of the world's reserves of fresh water. Every year the ice is losing more mass than is being created. 
If the entire ice sheet melted, the world's oceans would rise by 6 metres… Being there and actually flying over the icecap made us realise how important it really is to protect and care about this pure, fragile and beautiful place, and preserve it for future generations.

To see photos of the trip go to oftwolands.com | instagram.com/oftwolands

Footage available for licensing at filmsupply.com/collections/greenland/1938?page=1

To license footage go to : filmsupply.com/filmmakers/of-two-lands/180

Music : Tony Anderson - Dwell (Snowfall remix) (licence through The Music Bed) Filmed on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, Edited in Final Cut Pro X and Graded with FilmConvert.

[godigitalbuzzpro]

The Ethical Side of Diamonds: Transparency, Sustainability and Human Rights

Behind every shimmering diamond lies a story - one that is often marred by the unethical practices of the diamond industry. From conflict diamonds to exploitative labor, the journey of a diamond from mine to market can be riddled with ethical challenges. However, as consumers become increasingly conscious of their purchases, transparency, sustainability and human rights have emerged as critical issues for the industry's future. In this blog post, we delve into the ethical side of diamonds and explore how consumers can play a crucial role in promoting change.

What are Diamonds?

Diamonds are rare and valuable gemstones. They are mostly found in Africa, Asia, and the United States. Diamonds come from very small rocks called "icecaps." The diamonds are formed over many years. The process of diamond formation is very slow and takes millions of years for the diamond to form.

Diamonds have many colors, including yellow, brown, orange, green, blue, purple and pink. Diamonds can also be transparent or translucent. Diamonds have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, meaning other similar hardness minerals can only scratch them. Diamonds also have a long life expectancy because they do not rust or corrode- which is common with other gems.

Diamond Mining and its Impact on the Environment

The mining of diamonds takes a great toll on the environment. The De Beers Group has perpetuated this problem for years through its lack of transparency about the environmental damages caused by its diamond mines.

Diamond mining is a dirty business, and De Beers needs to do more to clean up its act if it wants people to start buying its diamonds again. Nowadays, lab grown diamonds Singapore is getting popular for being environmentally friendly.

The Evolution of Diamonds: From the Ground to the Cutting Room Floor

Diamonds are naturally occurring and have been used as jewelry and ornamentation since ancient civilizations. Over the years, they've become one of the most coveted gems in the world, with a value that has only grown. What is interesting about diamonds is their history. Diamonds come from the ground, but their journey to our hands is anything but simple.

The history of diamonds can be traced back to over 2 billion years ago when they formed inside meteorites. After crashing down to Earth, these small rocks were subjected to high pressure and heat and turned into what we now know as diamonds. Diamonds occur in different colors (red, yellow, blue, etc.), but their primary characteristic is that they have an even number of points on their surface (6).

From the ground to our fingertips, diamonds go through several phases before making it to market: exploration, development and production. Exploration happens when miners search for new deposits of diamonds; development refers to preparing these deposits for mining, and production deals with getting the diamonds out of the ground and onto shelves.

Production processes for diamond mines can involve dangerous practices such as pumping water at high pressure deep underground to break up rocks and extract treasure chests full of diamonds. Child labor in these mines is also common; children are often responsible for dangerous tasks like wearing heavy safety gear while working in extremely hot conditions.

In recent years there has been a lot of talk about the "diamond bubble," which refers to the idea that diamonds are becoming too expensive for the average person to afford. Many experts predict that the diamond market will significantly decline in the next few years, which could lead to a decline in diamond prices. It is important to remember that diamonds are a precious commodity, and their value can be affected by many factors.

Diamond Trading and its Impacts on Socioeconomic Development

Diamond trading fuels poverty and human rights violations in some of the world's poorest countries. The diamond trade negatively impacts social and economic development in these areas due to the concentration of wealth that often accompanies diamond trading.

Global demand for diamonds drives unsustainable mining operations that can damage natural resources, contribute to environmental degradation, and violate human rights. Many miners are forced to work in hazardous conditions with little pay and no benefits. Diamond companies have been accused of engaging in slavery-like practices by forcing laborers to live in inhumane conditions without safety measures or proper medical care.

The global diamond market is highly commercialized, exacerbating these negative consequences' impact. Policies that targeted the diamond trade alone would not be enough to solve these issues; instead, concerted efforts are needed to address broader issues such as poverty, inequality, and abusive labor practices.

Conclusion

When it comes to diamonds, there are many questions that consumers and investors alike have. Questions like where the diamonds were mined, who was paid in exchange for their labor, and whether those people were treated ethically come to mind. But even more pressing are ethical issues related to the diamond industry, such as transparency and human rights. With clearer ethics guidelines coming into play, businesses worldwide need to step up into man made diamonds UK more.

[justanotherindie]

Cortlandt Alley - Of Tough Youths [Synthwave, Chillwave]

Cortlandt Alley – Of Tough Youths [Synthwave, Chillwave]

Американские музыканты JP Anderson (из Rabbit Junk) и поэт, сонграйтер Drew Dillhunt из проекта Cortlandt Alley, любят мелодичную электронику и саундтреки к старым фильмам и в этом году плотно заняты работой над концептуальным альбомом “Icecap Bounce Fail”, отправной точкой для которого стала пластинка “Pacific Ocean Blue” Денниса Уилсона, выпущенная в 1977 году. На этой неделе ребята выпустили…

[ilikeantz]

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (1994) my favorite zone.

[star-archer]

No Exit [Chapter One]

Summary: Bucky hates snow, but a snowstorm on the way to his sister's memorial keeps him overnight at a mountain lookout rest area with a motley crew of strangers: a trucker, a businessman, some roadtrippers, and You, an apparent runaway full of secrets. When strange things start happening, a light-hearted lock-in turns dark and dangerous. (Loosely based on the 2022 film of the same title.)

Pairing: Post FatWS!Bucky x amnesiac!Reader

Chapter Word Count: 3303

Warnings: violence and gore, memory loss, angst, brief mentions of drug abuse, weapons, torture, sexual content.

A/N: I started this in February and have been dying to get it out! Thanks, as always, for reading xo

Series Masterlist | star-archer masterlist

★★★

Bucky hated snow. It came down in flurries like ash after an explosion, and the cold triggered just about every post traumatic button in his body. Until this point, he’d managed to avoid it, arranging his travels down south for the winter and those two years in Wakanda. The only slip up had been an unfortunate encounter with Tony Stark in a holding station in Siberia. 

But now, now he drove into it. It was part of his past he couldn’t avoid, wouldn’t. His sister’s memorial service in the mountains. Why Becca spent her adulthood in the mountains was beyond him, but he wasn’t about to argue to an invitation from his only living relatives. Sure, it could have been a trap, he considered that, and Sam offered to go with, but maybe after 107 years, it was finally time for Bucky to grow up and face his own fear of rejection. So he gave Sam a detailed itinerary and coordinates and hopped in that old green pick up and made his way up the pass.

It wasn’t supposed to snow. Bucky couldn’t remember what the damn Groundhog had declared, but he hadn’t felt this storm in his bones like he had the others. It came out of nowhere, a gust from the tropics, something about the repopulation of the Earth sent the icecaps all out of whack. Torres had called about three hours in to warn him, but Bucky was too far to turn back and had never really been one to turn down a challenge.

Only, the challenge grew a little harder to face the deeper the snow and the more covered the roads, and he felt that familiar panic start to sink in like an old friend blanketing him in an icy hug. His knuckles were white, and he tried to focus his restraint on his vibranium side to prevent from snapping the steering wheel. 

He hadn’t seen another car for hours, not since the sun had set over the west side, and everything was illuminated in a thickening layer of white. The snow coming at his headlights reminded him of that movie his neighbor forced him to watch, the one about space and daddy issues. Phone service had cut out too, so he swung beneath the seat to pull out the comms and first aid kit, taking a little solace in knowing someone was reachable should this endless drive take a turn for the worse. 

He couldn’t help but feel he was making a mistake though. Sweat beaded his forehead, soaked into the collar of his shirt beneath his jacket, so he flicked off the heater. That made the windows fog. Cursing, he flicked the defrost back on and continued the climb, trying to push out images of a freight train on the Alps, of a sheer drop to a rocky fate below. His flesh hand shook against the wheel. 

Deep breaths, Buck. He could hear Steve in his head. Fucking Steve. Steve would have gone with him to this damn memorial. Hell, he went because he knew Steve would be disappointed if he didn’t. 

He remembered Becca’s first snowman, out in the yard in Indiana. Her blue eyes sparkled as he propped her on his hip to place the button nose. She giggled and adjusted their father’s pipe right side up in the giant snowball that made its head. 

He remembered catching Becca and Steve in a snowball fight near the river. He scolded them both, pulling Rogers by the ear up the steps to their house to warm up. Steve laughed his way through an asthma attack, and Becca’s blue eyes were apologetic as she helped Bucky cover the boy in quilts and hand-knits. Deep breaths, Stevie.

Flashing red and blue against the snowy skies snapped Bucky from his memories, and he leaned forward to peer through fogged glass at a parked Sheriff’s vehicle. Slowing to a stop himself, he cranked down the driver’s side window, and the officer approached with a blinding flashlight to his eyes. Bucky held both hands up, to shield his eyes and to present his innocence, though the adrenaline had been pumping for hours now. 

“Oh, shit. Sergeant Barnes?” 

Bucky sighed, shoulders slumped. “Evening,” he glanced at the badge on the man’s chest. “Deputy Sterling.” 

The Deputy was young, alert, fairly capable, but he looked like he might shit himself with glee or terror at the sight of someone Avengers adjacent. Bucky had seen it before, managed to hold back an eye roll through a clenched jaw. He wondered if he’d ever get used to it. “Sorry, sir, road’s closed up ahead due to the weather.” 

Bucky glanced around the bend and his head spun a little at the idea of swerving a little too hard around the corner. He nodded. 

“Can I help you get where you’re going though? There’s a visitor’s center up the road. We could drop your truck there, and I could take you back down the mountain for the night.” 

Bucky took a deep breath. Back down the mountain meant coming back up. The memorial was tomorrow. He chewed the inside of his cheek. “Visitor’s center?” 

“Yes, sir,” the deputy waved ahead. “There’s a restroom and a few cots. I just set up a few travelers for the night who weren’t interested in turning back.” 

Bucky nodded. “I’ll stay too.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, do me a favor. You have cell service?” 

The deputy shook his head. “Not this far up. It’s patchy until you reach the top. You’d think with wizards and alien technology, we’d be able to figure out signal, huh?” He chuckled, hand shoved into the pocket of a kevlar vest. 

Bucky blanched a fake smile and nodded. “Yeah well, when you get closer to town, phone my buddy Sam Wilson, let him know exactly where I am. If I don’t notify him when I’ve met my destination, he’s coming after all law enforcement in this area.” He didn’t mean for it to sound as threatening as it did. 

The deputy let out a nervous chuckle and saluted the soldier in the truck. “Yes, sir, will do. You sure you don’t want to catch a ride with me.” 

“I’m sure.” Bucky sighed, and he put the truck back into gear and slowly inched his way around the corner. 

—

The Timber Crest Lookout and Visitor’s Center wasn’t exactly a prime destination for a young woman such as yourself to campout for the night, but as the snow packed itself to your tires and your teeth began to chatter from the broken heater in the dash of your car, you figured it was better than hypothermia.

You were the first there, hoping to be the only until they started rolling in, one-by-one lining trucks and beaters up beside your own piece-of-shit car. Karla and Dorian were first, and having another woman, middle aged and seemingly middle classed, eased a bit of your worry. By the time they got there, you’d already scoped out your exits anyway, made notes of all the lightswitches and potential improvised weapons. You would get out of this snowstorm alive, and warm, and well-rested. 

Karla and Dorian were married. They arrived in an RV. Both of them had been Blipped and figured life was too short to waste, so they retired from blue collar jobs and took to the open road. Their destination was never ending, apparently, and they took pride in all of the friends they’ve made along the way. Or some other bullshit that made you sigh in relief the moment visitor number four arrived through those heavy glass doors. 

Kenneth was young, much younger than you, and his eyes were sunken beneath dark circles. His shoulders hunched, and his dark hair was pulled back into a long ponytail. He wasn’t much of a talker. Got here via truck, apparently on his way down the mountain. He was hoping for a truck stop on the way up, but must have missed his exit. It was one of his first trips and lost some chains along the way. 

Murphy was next, a businessman, dressed too sharp to be on the road. He cursed his way inside, stomping ruined leather loafers against the industrial floor mats, holding his cell phone way above his head to search for service. 

“No bars here, honey,” Karla tutted, shooting you an eye roll that was supposed to signify how stupid men could be. You nodded in solidarity, resisting an eye roll of your own. 

Murphy was on a business trip, if that wasn’t obvious. He’d flown out from England to meet a very important client. He dropped a name you all pretend to know. Seemingly satisfied, he graciously asked where he could find the pisser, and you all pointed to the extensive row of toilets to the left of the concourse.

You all made about your stations, adjusting cots to far corners where you could stash your backpacks and plug in your phones. You gathered loose change earlier from the center console of your car, and you pooled it into your hand to make for the three vending machines illuminating the darkness to the right of the concourse. Just beyond the machines, you could make out massive glass windows, a menagerie that looked out into the ravine below.

“Oh how rude of us,” Karla crowed, startling you from behind. “Where was it you were off to tonight?” 

You took a deep breath and shoved a few quarters into the slots. You heard the satisfying roll of mechanisms within and eyed the assortment of undoubtedly expired goods beyond. “Up. Visiting family.” 

You watched as the black coil curved around bright orange packaging to release a candy bar that thunked to the bottom of the machine. 

“Oh well that’s just lovely! So you’re familiar with this area?” 

You shrugged, plonked a few coins into the soda machine. “It’s been a while.” The soda banged its way to the bottom, and you procured ice cold dented aluminum. Satisfied with your purchase, you handed Karla your change and sauntered back to the lobby. Hopefully your phone would charge and you could plug in your headphones and tune out the rest of them the next few hours until they fell asleep. You knew you wouldn’t be able to really rest until then anyway. 

“Got another live one!” Dorian called cheerfully from his perch near the front windows, and you followed his gaze to headlights pulling into the parking lot. An old green truck situated itself at the edge of the lot, closer to the exit than the rest of you. The driver turned off the ignition and lights and you watched a silhouette pull a duffle bag over their shoulder before trudging through the falling snow toward the wide double doors. 

“Perfect!” Karla cheered. “Now we have an even number if want to play any board games with teams! Oh, Dorian, we should get some from the RV.” 

You bit back another eye roll and stared at the approaching figure. She wasn’t wrong though, lucky number six. 

— 

The Timber Crest Lookout and Visitor’s Center had five vehicles in its parking lot. An eighteen-wheeler with Virginia plates, BMW from Jersey, a Winnebago from the 80s, Florida plates, and a the rustiest blue Pontiac Bucky had ever seen, Indiana plates. He parked his truck at the east entrance, easy getaway if need be, and he hauled his duffle over his shoulder toward the warm lights inside. 

The whole building was surrounded in glass, reminded him of Stark architecture if Stark were a cabin in the woods type. Although, Bucky supposed he was at the end. The doors, twice Bucky’s height and about four times his width, had weight to them, and they creaked open over black, industrial floor mats that squeaked and squelched under his boots. 

The linoleum just beyond opened on both sides with a large sign indicating restrooms to the left of the vestibule and the information center and lookout to the right. He peered down the left hallway first, seemingly empty save rows of restroom entrances on either side, and a handful of poster-sized flyers about the surrounding area. When he rounded the corner to the right, the room opened up to a wide array of dioramas and travel information. All of it was haphazardly surrounded with tables and chairs and cots and the things of the people staring at him expectantly. 

He stopped short, raised a hand in surrender, and gave them all a once over before he allowed his duffle to slump from his shoulder and his lips to mutter a hello. 

A middle aged couple were first to stand and greet him. Dorian was a large black man, kind hands and a broad smile, strong, sturdy, like he’d spent years working on his feet, durable. His wife, Karla, was sweet, too friendly, and round as though she fed him all of his meals after long days at work. Neither seemed particularly threatening, albeit a little grating. 

Another gentlemen harrumphed a hello from behind his laptop across the room, cursing under his breath, jamming fingers into the keys, and a third man, no, boy, was huddled into a corner. His eyes were wide when he made eye contact with the Winter Soldier, and Bucky sighed as recognition crossed the boy’s face. Karla introduced him as Kenneth. 

And finally, a young woman sat crossed legged on a cot near the entrance. She had a candy bar half-wrapped in one hand, and was sipping the bubbles from the rim of a soda can with the other, but she managed a half-hearted wave his direction. She was tucked under a knit cap and wrapped into a hooded sweatshirt that wasn’t fit for the weather outside. Out of everyone here, even including Murphy in his suit and tie, she looked the most lost, the most out of place. 

“What’s your name, handsome?” Karla cooed, hands clasped at her chest. 

Bucky blanched a half-hearted smile, though his gaze hadn’t shifted from the girl on her cot. She eyed him as well, pulling a headphone from her ear to hear his response. He wondered if she recognized him too. “James,” he offered. 

“Well, James, do you like board games? I was just telling the gang that you make an even number!” 

Bucky sucked his cheeks between his teeth and suddenly rethought the snowstorm raging outside. Maybe he preferred the panic. Instead, he thumbed behind him and mumbled something about needing the restroom. 

His boots squeaked against linoleum, and he pulled his comms unit from his pocket to shove into his ear, hearing the satisfying beep of it turning on. “Hey, Sam, it’s Bucky. Do you read me?” 

But he heard nothing in response, not even the white noise of connection. With a sigh, he stepped into one of the many doorways to the maze of a tiled men’s room. This was going to be a long fucking night. 

—

You’d relaxed at Karla and Dorian, at Kenneth’s meek stature, at Murphy’s indifference to the rest of you. You felt confident in yourself, in your abilities, in self-preservation. You felt your biggest hurdle from the night was whopping Karla’s ass at spoons. You had taken a bite of your chocolate at ease, and then that James guy came in and ruffled all of your feathers. 

It wasn’t just his hulking stature, the sheer girth of him in all black leather with combat boots and a duffle to top it off, but it was the way he looked at you. All clenched jaw, stubbled cheeks and hard stare, like he got you, like he could see right into your soul. It prickled the hair at the back of your neck, it churned your stomach.

He mumbled something about the restroom, and immediately your gaze fell to the bag he’d dumped beneath a chair near you. That was something else you’d noticed, he had just arrived and he was steps ahead of you. You’d watched his gaze flick about the room as yours had, searching for ways out, for improvised weapons, for the light switches. This guy had seen some shit, and you suddenly felt wildly unprepared. You wondered if Deputy Dipshit would come back and save you. Maybe you wouldn’t sleep tonight after all. 

“Holy shit,” Kenneth squeaked from the corner, and your head snapped to see his pale skin impossibly paler. You pulled your feet out from under you to sit more upright, more alert. 

“What?” You hissed. 

“That was the Winter freaking Soldier!” The boy practically shit himself. His eyes were bulging from his head, and his skinny arms flailed in the direction of the new stranger. 

“The who?” Karla asked.

“I’m sorry?” 

Murphy finally reacted to the group. “Was it really?” 

Your mind raced at the significance. The Winter Soldier? Where had you heard that name before? You racked your mind for any pre-Blip memories, anything that would allow themselves to surface. 

“You know, Captain America’s best friend?!” Kenneth leapt off his cot and began to pace. “A mother freaking Avenger. Holy shit, this is so cool. Tommy is going to flip out!” 

“An Avenger, really? How exciting!” Karla had begun to cheer, but your brain had slipped into the subspace and all noise was drowned out by the whirring of panic in your head and the pounding of your heart. Your eyes darted back down the hall, and you glanced back at the duffle at your feet. An Avenger was here? Up this mountain? Why did the Winter Soldier sound so familiar? All that came back to you were visions of newspaper stands, photos of Captain America with too wide of a smile and a giant disc strapped to his arm. Everything else was blank, a warped net of black whirring around in your skull. 

“Oh my God, sweetheart, you’re bleeding!” Karla called out, and it took a moment for you to realize she was gawking in your direction. 

You felt the trickle of damp warmth on your upper lip and licked away the coppery taste. Reaching for it, your fingertips became coated in the steady rush, and you stared at it as it slipped between your knuckles and dripped into your palm. 

Karla had already jumped into action, a clear mother hen. She found one of those travel tissues in her purse and was wading them up. A warm hand to the back of your neck tilted your head back, and she pressed the sterile smelling paper to your face. “Apply pressure here,” she offered, showing you how to hold it with your clean hand. You stared blankly at the ceiling a dozen feet above. 

“You poor dear,” she rambled on. “Must be the elevation. I remember when we first came up the mountains. Dorian, do you remember that? Oh my God, the nosebleeds I got!” 

“Is she okay?” The stranger snuck in, and you tilted your head to face him. His blue eyes looked from your face to your bloody hand and wrist, his robust chest rising and falling with each breath. 

“Elevation,” you managed. Your voice betrayed you, a croak of terror you desperately hoped he hadn’t picked up on, but your heart sank at the tilt of his head your direction. 

“Mr. Barnes, sir, this is probably going to sound so stupid, but can I get a selfie with you? Maybe a video? It’s cool if not, but like, my friend Tommy is going to shit himself when he finds out I’m with you.” Kenneth’s voice cracked, and you relaxed at the thankful distraction. 

The Winter Soldier gave you one more worried glance before turning to the kid, and you released a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding as you heard Karla pull more Kleenex from her pouch.