#if they live at the end of the day elise can go to the shadow isles

[magicalgirlagency]

How do you feel about Sonic Real Time Fandubs?

They're absolutely asinine (affectionate). And Lythero's lives and Tio Gordo's Crash Bandicoot videos are on the same level, too.

Here are some of my favorite quotes/dialogues (the list's rather long, so stay for a li'l while):

[SILVER]: "Y'know, maybe things aren't so bad! I'm here, with a nice ocean breeze, alone with my thoughts..."

[...]

[BLAZE]: "Hey, Silver!"

[SILVER]: "GODDAMNIT--"

⭐

[MEPHILES]: "In the future, looks like you'll kiss seven girls! How lucky for you!"

[SHADOW]: "JOKES ON YOU! If you were a true copy of me, you'd know that I'm GAY!"

⭐

[SONIC]: "Shadow, you're an asshole, man."

[SHADOW]: "You are what you eat, Sonic!"

⭐

[STORM]: I can't see the end of the horizon-- HATSUNE MIKU?!?!? IS THAT YOU?!?!?!"

⭐

[MEPHILES]: "You silly feeble-minded little gay... I am so far beyond Fortnite!"

⭐

[DR. EGGMAN]: "I am going to kill you... and then, kill you again."

⭐

[AMY]: "SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!! I DID NOT GO TO FOUR YEARS OF MASTERS' SCHOOL TO GET TO BE CALLED A DUSTY BITCH!!"

[SONIC]: "Okay, what did you go for, though? 'Cause I can't tell."

⭐

[CHARMY]: "Yippieee! I can die happy tomorrow!"

⭐

[SONIC]: "Hahaha, ONE!"

⭐

[AMY]: "You... MOTHERFUCKER!! You just left me to DIE!!"

[SONIC]: "Top 30 Reasons Why Sonic Is Sorry (No. 5 Will Surprise You!)"

[AMY]: "Top 30 Anime Deaths! No. 1: YOUR ASS RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!"

⭐

[JET]: "I love stealin' shit! Great day!"

⭐

[SONIC]: "Woah, he's bisexual! I didn't know that!"

[DR. EGGMAN]: "Also, I'm bisexual, by the way--"

⭐

[DR. EGGMAN]: "The CAUCACITY of this bitch..."

⭐

[SHADOW]: "Well, you know what they say: If you kill someone, you get ALL of their Sin Points!"

[DR. EGGMAN]: "Well, DUH, you idiot! That's what I've just said!"

[SHADOW]: "Yes, I'm gonna kill YOU!"

[DR. EGGMAN]: "You fu-- What. Wait a minute, I don't-- I don't wanna die yet, wai--"

⭐

*Downloading: Weed.exe...*

[E-123 OMEGA]: "HOOOOLLLLYYY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII--"

⭐

[SHADOW]: "You forgot the number one sin, Devil: Thou shall not have any gods before ME!"

⭐

[SHADOW]: "So... King of Hell... President... I have all of this power at my fingertips..."

[...]

[BLACK DOOM]: "Heeeeeeeyyyy, whazzzuuuuuuppp? It's meeeeeeeeeee~!"

⭐

[SONIC]: "Hey, wanna join? You guys wanna start a polyamorous marriage?"

⭐

[SONIC]: "Okay, how fast do you wanna run? Too fast? Three fast? Twelve fast?"

⭐

[DR. EGGMAN]: "I'M BACK IN THE FUCKING BUILDING AGAIN!!!"

⭐

[MEPHILES]: "Welcome to my house. As you can see, I've knocked so many chairs over because I'm getting so TiLtEd At ThE tOwErS!"

⭐

[BLACK DOOM]: "It's real cute you're gonna defeat me with the PoWeR oF fRiEnDsHiP an' all, but again, I am The Devil, from, The Bible!"

⭐

[STORM]: "Ugh... I just remembered a traumatizing from my past; hang on, I have to stim and I'll feel better..."

⭐

[JET]: "I hear womanly emotions..."

[WAVE]: I'm NOT a girl, you idiot! I am a SWALLOW! Jesus! It's not that hard!"

⭐

[ELISE]: "It has been like, a week... I've lost track of time... I'm not sure if I'm a person..."

[AMY]: Hmmm, you won't be, in juuuuust a second!"

⭐

[SONIC]: "I'm gonna kill all of you!"

⭐

[SHADOW]: "Diamonds aren't green, dicknips."

⭐

[DR. EGGMAN]: "You have 13 seconds before the island fucking explodes, you Hot Topic-wannabe and you blue gumball son of a bitch! You have done nothing but destroy my life; I hope you both DIE."

⭐

[MARIA]: "I'm dying... because I'm so surprised..."

⭐

[BLACK DOOM]: "Errm, Bing-Bong! Uhh hey, what's up! You're doin' a bad job!"

[doubleddenden]

I genuinely am so excited for Sonic p-06. I have a lot of thoughts about taking a massacre and making it fun and my unironic love for the original 06.

Basically Sonic 06 was going to be this huge revolutionary game in the franchise, Basically the fabled "Sonic Adventure 3," and it had potential. Amazing music as usual, a pretty amazing concept for story, one of the darkest and most diabolical villains of the franchise ever- Lots of heart and soul was crammed into it.

Then... the assholes up top interfered. There's a few conflicting theories- Microsoft wanting it to be a 360 launch title, SEGA wanting it out BY CHRISTMAS- bottom line, corporate greed got in the way of artistic vision, and it was rushed before it could be completed to the detriment of EVERYONE.

What resulted is- as fans of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will know- a buggy mess of a game thats pretty much mostly known for it. Unlike SV though- even though you could tell they were really trying with the story- it still needed some revising to iron out plot holes. Unlike SV as well, it didn't reuse the same mechanics and models from previous games verbatim, and was coming during the time when everyone hated the franchise and thought it was cool to shit on it for every little thing, so the gameplay was definitely lacking and the reception was definitely not up for debate: it was an utter failure that still chars gaming history. Because it failed, we pretty entered a timeline where we weren't allowed serious games anymore, and that's actually the last time in a 3d game that someone other than Sonic or basically a Sonic Clone would be playable.

But the thing is, as shit as the original 06 is, it was one of my favorite games because I sort of identified with it on a meta level, even if I didn't realize why at the time. I could see the potential of this humongous plot that to this day still has the highest stakes out of Sonic's history. I mean, Generations is a close second for similar reasons, but 06 basically had time erasure, world ending, the whole Iblis Trigger bit, AND you had to fight a literal bonafide god.

Also confession, I liked how they looked in this game vs everyone being squished down in following games. I know stylistically speaking the newer models are probably more on brand and I'm not a fan of the 06 mouths, but I like that they're a little taller and... realistic? I guess?

The stories, while maybe not being completely in character, and a little confusing considering other games (Blaze still confuses me), still had some really charming and amazing moments. Shadow's interactions with Omega and Rouge are some peak Team Dark bonding, Mephiles is downright diabolical and is really fun (and Dan Green basically being an evil Yami Yugi but unhinged and turned to 11? Good lord, brilliant shit), and his brief team up with Silver was actually pretty cool. Silver is such a fun design and concept, and I really felt for him considering the predicaments he was forced to live through- I especially hated that such a cool character came from a bad game, pretty much ruining any chance to play as him again in something other than the psp exclusive Rivals games or as a side character in spinoffs. Not to mention, the moment Blaze sacrificed herself for Silver and allowed him to see the bright blue sky in his own future? Heart jerking. And Sonic and Elise?... okay, the kiss was a little much, but their interactions really brought the best out of each other, and while Sonic doesn't really change, you can see him influence her for the better- and their last goodbye? Heart breaking.

All of this to say that 06 was Potential incarnate and I always knew it. P-06 just proves it from a mechanical angle, from speed being tweaked to all characters to Shadow being an even bigger combat driven badass, to Silver's MASSIVE improvement to his speed and psychokinetic powers and just straight up amazing visual improvements, and even just reworking characters like Amy, Knuckles, Tails, and Rouge to actually be fun to play as.

And the thing is, they didn't stop there. They added small little cut scenes too, added lip flaps and small animations in certain spots- this really intrigues me and just really makes me want to see the team try their hand at attempting to fix the story as well. By fix, I mean just fill in some plot holes, maybe write in some character interactions, and- the biggest thing for me personally- making Blaze's inclusion and non interaction/willing hunting of Sonic WAY LESS confusing. Another big plot hole: right at the beginning, where Elise sees Silver in a flaming battle field as she sees Sonic, only for this to never really happen or for her to be conscious to meet him as a child.

They don't have to do that. Lord knows DBZ has way more plot holes and is still enjoyed to this day. But maybe, just maybe, if they could? Oh the potential to take the worst game and turn it into the best game is ridiculously high. Hell, they could even make a plot about the original 06 being an alternative timeline and give a completely new ending here.

Even if they don't though, what the team has accomplished is still amazing. I reckon they're still going to be ironing out bugs and making tweaks- maybe even sprucing up the Last Episode and all the boss fights. If they make new content, maybe some levels for Knuckles and Omega would be fun.

I hope to be able to play some day.

[sakuraswordly]

Punch: Thank you...I could never kill you. Goodbye.

Sonic: PUNCH! STOP!!!!!

Continue from this event. Punch sacrificed the last important thing about who she was to give Sonic to exist, the last piece of human life she had. She gave to Sonic to be able to live in this world and protect him from the darkness or Kujaku to destroy him. She sank into the darkness of the vortex. Sonic is very afraid of water. But in the end, he jumped to rescue Punch from the dark water vortex that was killing Punch. Sonic is paranoid and very afraid of losing his brother or his other self makes him forget his fear of water or underwater. After Sonic pulls Punch out of the water vortex, Punch is still unconscious and stops breathing making Sonic super worried about Punch. Even a non-human had a sigh of type of breathing.

Sonic: Punch.......why are you always protecting me? I never do anything for you as brother.....nothing.......why.....if you say you hate me.....why this Punch as a human........sacrifice for me......you too...."Punch".... Why in Babylon....you save me from that flood.....!! I know you sent Egghead to me.....Amy.....Shadow.....Tails.......what about yourself, King Gilgamesh? Why are you giving your friendship to me?! Why did you two leave me alone?!

*Flashback*

Punch: You know.....I can't let you die.....

Sonic: Because of Daniel?

Punch: Umm. Maybe this is the first time I'm worried and afraid to lose you because of me.

Sonic: You didn't do anything wrong! You're not the one who dragged Bête Noire to kill Daniel!

Punch: I made this path. I must be responsible or my actions......if one day I turned on you......please kill me if I go berserk. Or use your kindness to save me.

Sonic: My kindness? I'm not so kind as you think, Punch. I am a merciless one. I did once defeat fake King Arthur by my own hand without hesitation.

Punch: Maybe so but you're the kindness of them all. I mean you can bring me back....remind me who I was when I lost my way if you keep being arrive for me.

Sonic: You're kind more than you think, Punch.

*End of Flashback*

Sonic: I was the only one who could remind Punch who she was when she lost her way if I kept arriving for her! Just like she did to me. Because she's arrive. I can be able to remember Elise from that timeline that doesn't exist!

*Flashback*

Tsofph Season 11(Chapter2 Shadow Path)

Peter: That's your misunderstanding. Punch. Remember what you said? One can bear the burden of only one person's death in their lifetime. You value this! And you know the pain of murder more than anyone else! I know you won't kill anyone without a reason! You've been lucky? Don't make a joke on me! Such luck wouldn't go on this long! You always used your own will to suppress that urge. People have different preferences. Yours happened to be murder. That's all! You told me that time that your urge to kill wasn't as strong as you thought. Seeing you say and smile. I was convinced you'd never kill anyone without a reason! Even if you will lose yourself one day, I know you'll be able to resist!

Gilgamesh: What do you mean by "I know for sure"? HOW DO YOU KNOW SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW, PETER?!

Tsofph Season 7

Syaoran: Even this is just a short time we spent time together...I am not Tails but there is something I still know about you Sonic. You're kind.

Sonic: You never change, do you? My other self......my super form said I hate that part of you......!

Syaoran: Sonic......! Wait!

Sonic: What Eggman did tell me was true......What an optimistic person you are, Syaoran!

Tsofph Season 8(Story of Daily Life)

Danny: You told me you're a bad person. That's a lie. You'll never kill anyone without a reason both you and Punch. You never kill anyone even if you want to kill without a reason, you still can't unlike me. No matter if you wanted to.

Sonic: Why are you so sure that I won't turn on your back.

Danny: Asha once said to Punch. "Even though you are not human from the beginning, you still Punch the one our classmate the one who helped me back then. You accept me the way I am." I want to believe once again. Believe that both you and Punch are kind ones.

Sonic: .............................What an optimistic.

*End of Flashback*

Sonic uses his healing power to heal Punch and wait for her to wake. Sonic knew Punch planning to lose Sonic and even gave opportunities for Sonic to kill her that's why that time Punch asked Sonic "Why?! Could you please let me know why you're trying to hold me?! It's so painful to be near you! Because you were hurting me because of our existence. Both of us shouldn't be born in this cruel world. Because of you...I became so unstable and crazy." Maybe Sonic had an effect on her. But if Sonic doesn't exist, Punch may become an absolute murderer.

Tsofph Season 7

*Thud Thud*

Sonic: I'm alone.....I'm completely alone....

Punch: Ugh!!

Skuld: Punch?! Are you okay?!

Punch: ..................................You're wrong.....brother....That's right.....he thought he was alone from the beginning when he opened his eyes. He thought he didn't deserve to live in this world after what happened to Artorius. That's why he can't hear us or see us. Ugh! But....all of this... it's because I pulled away from you. Because I couldn't be by your side.....isn't that right, brother?

Tsofph season 9(final judgement)

Without Punch exist, Both Sonic and Gilgamesh would have fallen into the darkness that possessed them.

Sonic: Next time I will be the one who protects you as brother.....you give me hope then it's my turn to give my hope to you.

Punch: Sonic.......?

Sonic: Punch! You're okay! I'm glad you're alive!

Punch: I knew you would save me because I trust in you, my brother.

.

Princess Elise: The wind told me that he's alive. Sonic's not dead yet! He's just sleeping. The power of the collected emeralds should be enough to revive Sonic.

Sonic: And "Punch"......you are the one who saves my life......so many multi times....

.

[gojixyz69]

WHY DEATH BATTLE SHOULD DO Goku Black VS. Mephile (Dragon Ball VS. Sonic)

Now if you don't know I'm a fan of Death Battle it's one of my favorite online shows, today I'm going to explain why Death Battle should make this matchup into an episode, so let's get started.

1. But first I want to explain I personally want this matchup the most. It started last year when I saw Xeno Trunks VS. Archie Silver and how disagreed with the outcome since there were powerscalers that explained and showed why Trunks should have won, whitch remainded me of Goku Black VS. Reverse Flash and how they did Goku Black, his analasys was preety bad and not meantion Goku Black should have won whitch I plan on explaining one day, but overall Death Battle didn't do Goku Black justice and I really wanted him to return, but then the question was how was going to face off against Black if he did return, there were good opponents but the problem is the fact that I was interested in most of them and I didn't know most of them there were opponents that I know and one of them was Scourge that I really liked but in the end I felt like there was a matcup that I really wanted but didn't know what it was, but then a few weeks ago I watch videos about Mephiles and Goku Black and then thought about how simillar they were and that's when I got the idea and realized that Goku Black VS. Mephiles was the matchup that I was looking for, it's a matchup with a lot of connections and it's one with both villains being one of if not my favorite in there respective series.

2. With that sead let's talk about the connections. Deities that take on the appearance of famous hero’s from their world(Goku and Shadow). Both aim to bring destruction to the mortal world. They both have destroyed the future and end up meeting the hero’s of the past and the one they copied through time travel. During the battle they both end up being sealed but they escape. They both reveal a terrible revelation to the hero they stole their appearance from ( Goku Black tells Goku he killed Chichi and Goten and Mephiles tells Shadow that the world will betray him again). They both work together with their other self to bring their plans to reality. They both are at odds with a time traveling hero(Trunks and Silver). Both have killed world famous heroes(Goku/Bulma/Sonic). They both fuse with their other self to become a monsterous force of nature bringing all types of calamity throughout space and time in the universe. They both are defeated by being erased from all space and time. They also have the ability to time travel and make clones of themselves. Both of their stories are convoluted.

3. And let's talk about the animation and music potential of this matchup. First the music potential has the potential to be one of the greatest tracks, both Goku Black and Mephiles have excellent themes, imagine incorporating both off these caracters' music that would be wonderful. As for amimation there's a lot to talk about, these two have a lot of powers and abilities and not to meantion they can time travel so we can them using it and as for the death if Mephiles wins he's would be just stabing Black like he did to Sonic in Sonic 06, as for Goku Black there are two ways one being he just destroy Mephiles using he's ki since Mephiles is vulnerable to light or the second one being Goku Black travels back in time to erase Mephiles by doing what Sonic and Elise did. And as for the banter they could just throw insults at each other or they could impressed by the other since they are both gods.

4. Now how would win? Now this is tricky because of Mephiles' imortallity, now from what I heared Mephiles can't die whitch is a problem for Death Battle obviosly, but from my reserch it's possible that Mephiles can die and not to meantion that Iblis died and Iblis is Mephiles' other half, so it's possible that Mephiles can die and that imortallity means he can live long. If that's the case then I think Goku Black would win because Mephiles is weak light beased attacka and Black's aresenale is light based and not to meantion Goku Black at most low multiversal and Mephiles wile powerful was guned down by Omega and Shadow match Mephiles in his base form alone.

So yeah overall this matchup should happen and I would love if Death Battle did it.

[sanguiresse-a]

eciled replied to your post: “For them, the greatest terror would be for...

but also i really like the idea that there IS something that can put them to rest for good - makes them seem less invincible than they’d like to think themselves

I think that one of the major threats is not just Mordekaiser’s sheer power, but what he knows. The Black Rose is entirely based around secrets and keeping those secrets, but then here comes an ancient reanimated hunk of armor who has absolutely no interest in maintaining that smoke-and-mirror reputation of the people who betrayed him. And he knows their past. He knows who they once were, and subsequently, who they are now. 

So it’s not only that he’s going to slowly rip them limb from limb--- the Black Rose can handle that, it’s happened before--- but he’s also going to reveal every secret they’ve been keeping for centuries. And that’s the real scary part, and a consequence of what happens when you decide to keep immortal allies, even for a short period of time. They learn about you, and of course no one knows better than the Black Rose that knowledge is power. 

[trashcreatyre]

Pssst please give me more of your sonic 06 au

-goat

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA HELL YES!!!! SVDBFJFJ!!!! So last time I mostly talk about the general plot and lore, but I wanna talk about after math stuff.

So first of all the only people that remember the actual effects of 06 are the people who were directly involved (aka the actual characters from the game) and honestly they should probably all go to therapy.

Anyway! Like I said before after the actual events of 06 it's kind of just slice of life, like, very loosely. Cause it's mostly just an excuse for random fun what if scenarios, but also theres still some angst there bc I like angst.

I cant remember if ivw said this before but mephiles is technically Elise's brother, which does technically make him a prince, but only by title, he has zero claim to the throne whatsoever. Also they don't really trust eachother 100% after 06, which like, that feels fair, they didnt exactly leave off on a good note several years prior and then he murders her friend right infront of her??? Distrust feels warented,,,

Eventually they trust eachother,,, probably after awhile, cause mephiles dosent really seem to be trying anything fishy, hes just kinda generally an ass. And on his end!!! He saw all of time at once during the whole Solaris fight, so like!! He knows he doesn't really have to do anything, he knows he'll be with iblis again (granted after a super long time, like, after the heat death of the universe type shit, but eventually), so like, whatever y'know? Also he technically knows everything that ever will or has happened, but it's not always accessible, it's kind like, thinking about a certain thing that happens and he can know when its gonna happen or when it did, or he can think of a certain day or time or smth and can know anything major that happens.

As for other characters, sonic is honestly pretty much the same other than the scar from when he died, he still hangs out with Elise every now and then (as friends, theres zero romance between them in this au), shadow is super protective over him cause he doesnt trust mephiles (which is fair)

Silver is!!! A bit of a wreck honestly! I mean, yea their glad they dont live in a fire hellscape anymore, but like!!! Their best friend is still dead! Also they probably have a super bad fear of the dark now!

That's all I can think of to add atm but if you ever have any specific questions feel free to ask :)))

[ganymedesclock]

a thing about your headcanons that really intrigues me is that, much as Knuckles seems to have originally been done as a contrast or rival to Sonic back in the Genesis days, your take on them has a opposite approach to the responsibility they feel, but done in opposite ways. Sonic runs from responsibility and doesn't want to think about it, while Knuckles feels guilty about NOT being responsible to an extreme, and since people don't often deal with how they're similar, i really like this

Honestly, this is a thread that is not exclusive to Sonic and Knuckles, but actually ties in heavily to a major theme I'm considering and working in Worlds AU.

Basically, "freedom" has always at least nominally been a theme associated with Sonic. It's in his motifs, it's in his attitudes, it's the quality that people tend to envy when they compare themselves to him- whether that's Knuckles who feels bound by fate and obligation, Tails who feels like he might not be enough or can only keep up, Amy who dreads the drudgery of her ordinary life by comparison. Hell, one could say it's even in the many one-off characters who are introduced with Sonic blowing into their life, changing things, inspiring them to grow, and then leaving- Elise, Merlina, Chris Thorndyke, Chip, Shahra.

But it's a theme that's kind of been weakened in the direction that the games took.

In Sonic SatAM, the concept of freedom vs. tyranny was rife in the setting. Robotnik had his boot down on 90% of the world and the remaining pockets are either actively dwindling, or struggling along as best they can through limited resources. All characters are- at any time- in danger of losing specifically their freedom; not their minds, but control of their bodies. And it's a compelling hook.

But the gameverse has very long not been that, and since Sonic Adventure, the world of the games has been very metropolitan. There's a bunch of cities and countries and everybody's going about their daily lives and Eggman's still a wannabe conqueror but he's now become abstracted, a supervillain, who might have this big scheme or that, but- basically until Sonic Forces- we have never had Eggman really decisively in control. And in his absence, there are not really ever any consistent or clear threats to freedom except that, yeah, we guess if we let someone like Solaris or Perfect Chaos or Black Doom run wild long enough that would kill people and then nobody would be free, but... that's an abstract and inelegant way to speak to one of your main center themes.

(and I personally don't like Forces basically trying to reinstate- even if temporarily- the SatAM status quo, even if I think some people like the IDW comics have done interesting things with that, but that's my personal relationship with the character of gameverse Eggman and how I view him distinctly from SatAM Robotnik, as absolutely iconic as the latter is)

I don't think you need an encroaching dystopia per se to make a meaningful discussion out of freedom- I think using the modern gameverse's more colorful, populated world opens up a lot of possibilities for that. So, a major thematic thing I've landed on is that abject tyranny- while the easiest 'threat to freedom' to scan and oppose- and an important one!- is not remotely the only thing that challenges freedom.

A big thing is responsibility.

Responsibility is the thing that most of us sacrifice our freedom to on a daily basis. That may sound dramatic, but it's true; we may have other reasons for it, but we don't just run off somewhere else or go have an adventure or leave our job because we feel responsible to things. And responsibility isn't a bad thing- it's good to feel reliable or trustworthy. If you enjoy your job or your coworkers, you want to do well at it. Having a house is a responsibility, we take care of them. Having a relationship of any kind is a responsibility; so is having kids. If none of us were ever responsible, society would fall apart and we'd all live lonely lives. Moreover, we'd have very little power- ironically a lack of responsibility can lead to a lack of freedom in some regards.

But also, it's very easy to give too much of yourself away and not have any left. I mentioned before that many characters are consistently depicted, across many continuities, idealizing Sonic- because Sonic's free! Sonic doesn't buy groceries or pay taxes or do boring stuff, he certainly isn't stuck in a frustrating or isolating situation, and this can even tie into one of Sonic's major themes- he refuses to be talked into accepting lesser evils.

In Sonic and the Black Knight, Merlina tries to explain to him why she's using Excalibur's scabbard- why she's doing bad things, trying to justify it that she can't just let the kingdom end, even if that means needing to twist it into a horrible place to live- to which she at one point, in frustration, asks if Sonic understands, to which he responds, "No, and I don't want to."

While it's not exactly a perfect moral stance (those don't exist), there is something to be said powerfully for the idea that Sonic as a person has a certain rejection of responsibility as a chain to let bad things happen. He rejects loyalty to a thing that drives you into cruelty.

And this is really interesting, when we consider- specifically in the very first game that featured Shadow and featured him explicitly as a dark antithesis to Sonic- that is exactly what happens to Shadow.

Shadow is not, by default, an amoral person. Pre-trauma, we see that he doesn't want to hurt others, and frankly, as much as "ow the edge" circles (and is somewhat warranted), we can often see that he's standoffish but fairly civil; someone who is dealing with a lot of stresses and problems, but doesn't often relish hurting others unless he's already desperate, frustrated, or looking for an outlet or solution. And in adventure 2, Shadow is led into nearly ending the planet on account of loyalty; to the idea of Maria, to what he believes she asked him to do (and what he believes is owed to the people who killed her)

It's kind of conspicuous that if you think about it, most of Shadow's arcs in various games that focused on him are about questions of what's owed- to him, or to the world. Does he owe a debt to Eggman? Rouge? Black Doom? Gerald? Maria? Does the world owe him a debt of anger and pain to be paid back in vengeance, or, is he the one who owes the world a chance? Does he owe himself a chance? These are questions of Responsibility.

So to bring this back to Sonic and Knuckles, I think that's an interesting context to set them apart, because both of those two definitely have a special relationship with the Chaos Emeralds. Knuckles is the guardian of the shrine that doesn't just have positions for the Master Emerald, but all seven smaller ones as well; and Sonic... well, Sonic consistently and regularly does stuff with the chaos emeralds nobody else does. He transfers super forms to other people, or even awakens them in people who haven't done it before (as implied with Burning Blaze in Sonic Rush). And at least according to Sonic 3&K, his arrival (?) was foretold.

But Sonic... does not feel responsible about the chaos emeralds. If something's happening with them he wants to know but it's about curiosity. When the chaos emeralds are corrupted, tarnished, and lose power, Sonic... juggles them, while he's confused about his own (related) corruption. It's weird, it's concerning, but it's not an obligation. He gets distracted buying ice cream in the same scene.

By contrast, the only time Knuckles feels confident shattering the Master Emerald, it's as an obligation- he has to protect it from Eggman even if it creates more work for himself, and he later freaks out and nearly crashes the shuttle he and others are on when a near-miss scatters the master emerald pieces he's collected across the ARK. I can only imagine half of the plot of Sonic Unleashed would've given Knuckles an ulcer if he'd been around for it. You did what to the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic????

Basically, I think while freedom vs. tyranny is definitely Sonic's brand, you can have a lot more fun and shore up the thematic strength by also factoring in "responsibility" as a secondary theme and this strengthens or illuminates many characters and their arcs.

[drarryruinedme7]

Last year I made a post with all my fave Drarry fics from my first year of fandom. Have my second year wrap up! Listed by Rating and then length. 

RATING: TEEN AND UP AUDIENCES

Beautiful by @xx-thedarklord-xx​​ (2017; 8.9k)

Summary: With the second task looming closer, Harry escapes to the Black Lake to open the egg, in the hopes of avoiding Myrtle. The Mersong isn't just helpful in figuring out that Mermaids are real, it attracts his very own handsome Merman.

*I didn’t know I love merpeople AUs until I read this one. It was cute and sweet and I’m really glad I read it. 

Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by @waspabi​​ (2017; 93.3k)

Summary: 'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.

*What can I say. This is a masterpiece, it absolutely entered my heart to never leave it again. Best AU ever!!!

Away Childish Things by @letteredlettered​​ (2018; 153.8k)

Summary: Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

* This has been the turning point of my Drarry passion this year. First, I discovered Lettered (good Lord why hadn’t I before?!) and then, well. This fic brought out so many feelings in me and I’ve already re-read it something like 5 or 6 times in the span of a few months. Amazing.

RATING: MATURE

you’ve got the antidote for me by Kandakicksass (2018; 20.7k)

Summary: When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he's made it very clear he doesn't want.He's never been selfless before, but for Harry, he can try.

* The angst!! It’s usually not my cuppa, but this was bittersweet and just so well written, I couldn’t stop reading. Find the rec for this one at this post.

RATING: EXPLICIT

Give Me Sweet Oblivion by @tryslora​​ (2012; 4k)

Summary: Italy seems like a long way to go to keep a fetish secret. But the club is exclusive, and the far away location, and Muggle nature, promises anonymity from Wizarding Britain. The only problem is that sometimes, great minds think alike.

*Super hot, I love finding old gems like this one. Plus, Italy. Go, folks!

Shiny Things, Slightly Damaged by @lqtraintracks​​ (2020; 5.3k)

Summary: Harry may not ever have had to see it if McGonagall hadn’t decided it was a good idea to hold a ceremony on the grounds outside before the Sorting in the Hall. And by ‘it’ he’s referring to Draco Malfoy on a motorbike.

*jsklajdksajfa This one! THIS ONE! Slayed me. I read it feverishly and then like, fainted at Draco on a motorbike.... this fic surprised me and I 100% loved it.

A Ghost of Blissful Feelings by @alpha-exodus​​ (2020; 6k)

Summary: Harry hadn't expected to spend his eighth year fucking Draco Malfoy, but it's the only thing that helps him let go.

*Dunno guys, I’m amazed by how much this one hit me. You should read the tags before diving in, but it was darkish in the right way, Harry and Draco suffers and find peace in a ‘’special’’ way, but I stand by it. Hot and intense.

Tell Me (What you Need) by @keyflight790​​ (2019; 6k)

Summary: Even though Harry was paying for his Dom, there were limits; breaking points in which someone would refuse, no matter how many Galleons were pushed in their direction.

*Okay, I may be biased because this is a gift for me, but Chris never lets down with her amazing writing and this has everything I need and more: Dom!Rentboy!Draco and a perfectly sweet Harry with a Daddy!kink. I mean.

Dangerous by Faith Wood (2014; 6.3k)

Summary: Being trapped in a dungeon with Malfoy — who's a werewolf, a former Death Eater, and a giant git — is definitely dangerous. Harry has no reason to be excited. None at all.

*Y’all know Faith Wood is like my n.1 fave Drarry author. I have no idea why I had never read this one though!!! It’s actually phenomenal, scorching hot and just dsjkafjaks love this werewolf!Draco. OMG.

Scent and Sensibility by aidaninkling (2018; 7.5k)

Summary: [...] Draco's always known he'd be married off as a trophy omega, but suddenly his mother's trying to make him king by promising him to some stupidly good-looking alpha and she just won't stop smiling at him. Does fate's cruelty know no end?!

*This blew my mind. A/B/O AU so hot I melted while reading it and I loved it so much that I re-read it three times IN A ROW. No kidding. Read it. 

The Eighth Tale by @letteredlettered​​ (2012; 12k)

Summary: Draco Malfoy tries to fix the past, but instead mucks it up some more. For Harry, it all becomes quite clear.

*Back to Lettered. I love Time Travel fics, and this just delivered perfectly. The ending was also enigmatic enough to keep me wandering, which I always appreciate in these kind of stories. 

Sex, Lies and Veritaserum by @letteredlettered​​ (2011; 17.9k)

Summary: This entire fic is one long conversation about sex.

*LOL alright, I’ve developed a new obsession this year (clearly). This was ...gosh! Hot but it also gives away a certain level of intimacy and trust between Draco and Harry to be so open about their kinks... it was perfect.

On One’s Knees by pir8fancier (2008; 33.8k)

Summary: The war is over and to the victors go the spoils.

* The fic which made me fall in love with DownAndOut!Draco. 

The Pirate and the Prince by @nerdherderette​ (2019; 49.2k)

Summary: Draco can't believe that fate and circumstance have made him a stowaway on the Master of Death's ship. He doesn't know what's worse: the dread pirate's legendary vendetta against the aristocracy, or the fact that his captor is the most infuriating yet irrefutably fascinating man Draco has ever met.

*Okay y’all. Nerd is a great person and author. She is phenomenal. And this fic shows it so well. The pirate!AU the Drarry fandom both needed and deserved. Sublime.

Unhook the Stars by jad (2016; 70.5k)

Summary: [...] Seventy-thousand words of pornographic discourse between two boys-turned-men that still haven't learned how to communicate like normal people – with words. Guest appearances by Pansy Parkinson, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, Teddy Lupin, Gregory Goyle, the Weird Sisters, ex-wives, several Weasleys, a Boggart, and a Honey Badger.

*Again, Dom!Draco and such a beautiful sub!Harry. They stole my heart. In this fic they grow up together through the aftermath of the war and they just... they have this intense Dom/sub relationship, I can’t... explain how much I loved this. Scorpius also makes his appearance and it’s so real and cute!

Such Great Heights by aideomai (2015; 93.3k)

Summary: Draco Malfoy, wide-eyed and pale and in a decidedly ragged shirt, was crouched next to the pile of whatever the dragon had been eating. Harry threw himself to a halt and yelled, “Merlin, how many times do I have to save your life?”

*This is one of the last ones I’ve read. Find my rec for it here. Such a cool fic, with a shunned Draco who gets to be so happy in the end, it made me happy too.

Burn The Witch by @lettersbyelise​​ (2019; 95.8)

Summary: When Harry Potter is sent in to investigate Draco Malfoy’s successful potions company, posing as Draco’s bodyguard, he doesn’t know the case will launch a series of events that will change his life — and Draco’s. A story about choices, scars, Chopin piano pieces, and finding all kinds of love in the most unexpected places.

*I do not have the words to express what this fic means to me. First of all, it’s how I met Elise who’s an amazing person and who I’m glad to call friend. She’s the sweetest. And also incredibly talented. This fic will take your breath away from the first word to the last one. Smol!Scorpius is perfectly characterised and my absolute favourite bit of the fic. 

Who we are in the shadows by @quicksilvermaid​​ (2019; 99.7k)

Summary: What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

*Another incredible person who I got to know better thanks to her breathtaking storytelling and her sweetness for sharing it with me. Quick made something amazing with this fic and I urge you to read it. It was my first creature fic ever, first time I read about werewolves and I totally fell in love with it. Sheer perfection. 

Freedom to be by @quicksilvermaid​​  (2019; 169.5k)

Summary: Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. 12 years after the war, he's become the Boy Who Lived For Everyone Else. He has the perfect wife. The perfect house. The perfect job. The perfect friends. Only nothing feels perfect. Until one day he stumbles across a club called Release and begins a journey of self-discovery that takes him to a very different place.

*Well, could I just miss out on another one of Quick’s great works? With, again, Dom!Draco!??? No, I couldn’t! This is such a great exploration of BDSM and what it means and Harry’s path into it. 

19 Years and 5 Minutes Later by TheMightyFlynn (2015; 202.8k)

Summary: Five minutes after his happily-ever-after, Harry finds himself locked in the public loos with an angry Draco Malfoy and a need that he has denied for 19 years.

*Find my rec for this fic here. It’s really long and has Ginny bashing, but it’s totally worth it!! 

[avengerscompound]

The Tower: Family - 29

The Tower: Family An Avengers Fanfic

Series Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Pairing:  Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)

Word Count: 1858

Warnings:  Pregnancy, labor, delivery, medical proceedures

Synopsis: With new powers, Thor now living on Earth full time, a wedding to plan, and Natasha and Wanda expecting, a lot is changing for Elly and her large and rather unconventional family.  When Elise’s parents try to reestablish connections, Elly questions what being a family actually means.

Chapter 29: Becca

When Natasha went into labor it was about as dramatic as what you’d expect it to be for her.

It was a week before her due date, but well into the zone the doctor’s call full term.  She was uncomfortable and hating it but she still insisted that she be the one that walked the kids to and from school every day so that she could cloak them.  Because it was getting so close to her due date, Clint and Bucky had started to shadow her again.  That meant, rather than a random changing of the guard for the people doing the drop-off and pick-up, it was always Clint, Bucky, and Natasha.

They had been out for around half an hour when they returned.  I was sitting in the living room with Sam and Wanda while she nursed the babies.

Wanda had been such a star with breastfeeding.  With Riley and Pietro I’d ended up needing a bottle supplement which had turned to complete formula diets when they realized the bottle was a much easier way to get lots of milk.  I also remember struggling to feed them both at the same time.

Wanda had no such trouble.  I don’t know if it was just her and she would have been fine no matter what, or if it was the fact her powers pretty much allowed for anything - or a combination of the both - but she could feed both twins at once, never complained, and the babies were steadily gaining weight.

If there was a way for a person to burst through elevator doors, Natasha did it.  All three of us looked over startled as Nat hurried inside, beelining straight to the stairs.  There was a shadow of wetness on her maternity pants and a look of frustration on her face.  

“What’s going on?”  Sam asked his eyes flicking from Natasha who was already halfway up the stairs to Bucky and Clint who were following after her.

“Nat’s water broke while we were dropping the kids off at school.  She started getting contractions on the way back,” Clint explained.

Wanda gave an excited squeak that made Rose give her the dirtiest look a newborn can muster.

“Wow, alright,” Sam said.  “El, you go with them.  FRIDAY, let the others know it’s happening.  And tell Happy, Travis, and Amber that I need to see them.”

“Yes, sir,” FRIDAY replied.

I gave Sam a curious look.  “Well, the kids are going to need to be picked up, I figure if Happy drives one either Travis or Amber. And they’re both going to need to be extra hands-on, because I’m pretty sure Wanda’s going to want to come down and be with Nat too, right, honey?”

“Oh yes,” Wanda agreed.  “I’ll come up to feed these two, but I don’t want to miss that.”

“Alright, I’ll go check on Nat,” I said getting up.  “I’m sure we’re still many, many hours away.  She probably won’t come until tomorrow morning.”

“Wanna bet on the time?”  Sam asked. 

I smirked at him.  “Yeah, alright.  I think 3.30 am.”

“I’m gonna say 11 am.  Rebecca’s going to sleep in,” Sam said.

“Closest to it wins?  If it’s exactly in the middle it can be you,” I suggested.

“Sounds good,” he said, holding out his hand for me to shake.

“What’s the prize?” I asked.

Sam smirked at me.  “I’m sure we can think of something.”

I giggled and headed upstairs to check on Natasha.  I found her in the shower with Bucky, while Clint lazed on the bed.  “How are you doing there, Nat?” I asked.

“Completely mortified,” she said.  “I was talking to one of the other mothers and I just … exploded all over them.  Amniotic fluid went everywhere.  All over her pants legs.  And the floor.  The worst part was that I think the labor started this morning, but I thought it was those Braxton Hicks contractions so I ignored them.”

“That is very dramatic, Tasha,” I teased.  “Perfectly you.”

“I am really glad I have those powers, I tell you,” Natasha said.  “I would have to murder half the population of the planet if pap photos came out with me looking like I wet my pants.”

I smothered a laugh.  “No, we wouldn’t want that.”

“Careful, El,” Natasha warned.

“Yeah, El, don’t anger the assassin that’s in labor,” Bucky teased.

Natasha got out of the shower and I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her as Bucky turned off the water.

“What no towel for me?”  Bucky asked, stepping out onto the bath mat.

I grabbed another towel and threw it at him.  He caught it laughing and I giggled and turned my attention back to Natasha.  “Have you called the medbay?”

“Yes,” Natasha said.  “I called them on the way home.  They said to wait until five minutes apart and then come down.  I only had -” she looked at Bucky. “-two? Since my water broke, so I think we are a ways off yet.”

She wasn’t kidding.  Most of the rest of the day was spent just as normal.  Only every half hour, give-or-take, Natasha would have a contraction.  Happy and Travis went and collected the kids from school.  By dinner time Natasha was beginning to feel it and opted out of eating anything but she sat at the table with us.  She only winced once during the meal but tried not to let the kids see her discomfort.  Bruce even had time to read Riley and Pietro their bedtime stories before things started to get serious.

At around 11.30 Natasha was in serious pain and not able to hide it anymore.  Given her background and the super-serum her pain tolerance was higher than most, so it was difficult to see her struggling so much with it.

We took turns pacing with her, rubbing her back, and feeding her ice chips.  At around one I ran a bath for her and Steve sat on the edge of the tub and held the nozzle against her back.

By two she couldn’t take it anymore.  We went down to the medbay and Clint supported her while they put in an epidural.  When that kicked in, it was like Nat was a completely different person. She just kicked back in the hospital bed dozed through her contractions and we all spread out around the room doing the same.

We all awkwardly slept where we could, only waking when the nurses came in to check her progress.  At a little after three, they told us it was nearly time for Natasha to push.  They turned off the epidural and the pain of childbirth returned to her in full.  She hunched forward grabbing her knees and bared down.  Sweat clung to her skin and her face flush red.

“That’s it, Natasha,” Doctor Shroeder coached.  “Push.”

There was nothing beautiful or romantic about the way Natasha gave birth.  It wasn’t a magical moment where life miraculously entered the world.  It was messy and bloody and loud.  After half an hour of pushing, Rebecca began to crown, and right away we could see she was going to take after her biological mom more than her biological dad.  She had a little cap of pale red hair that was just visible.

“We can see her, Nat,” Sam said, excitedly.

“Not long now, Tasha,” Bucky added.

“It’s gotten to that freaky horror movie part, Nat,” Clint said.  “You want a mirror so you can see?”

Natasha nodded and Doctor Schroeder grabbed a mirror and held it up for her to see.  “There she is.  Your little redhead girl.”

Natasha smiled and started to sob.  She had gone past the point where she could speak it seemed and everything had gotten too much.  Bucky patted her forehead with a damp cloth.

“Alright, Natasha, next time you feel the urge again, push,” the doctor said.

Natasha bared down.  “I hate you so much, James Barnes,” she moaned as she pushed.

“I know, Tasha,” he said.  “I don’t blame you.”

“You’re doing so well, sweetheart,” Steve praised.

She shot him a look that screamed bloody murder.  “Shut your stupid, positive mouth.”

Tony tried to stifle a laugh as Steve’s cheeks flushed.

It was another two pushes until Rebecca’s head was clear, and only two more after that before she joined us screaming her head off.  “Here she is.  Your daughter has a lot to say.”

Natasha lay back exhausted but looking very pleased with herself.  I was ushered forward and cut the cord and the little squawling baby was put onto Natasha’s chest.  “Hey, Becca,” she croaked.  “You made it.”

Her cries began to settle and she lay staring up at all the faces peering down at her. “You did so well, Natasha,” Wanda praised.  “Look at that perfect little girl.”

“I can’t believe you did this with two and no drugs,” Natasha sighed, caressing Rebecca’s back.

“What time is it?”  Sam asked, reaching over and playing with Rebecca’s hand.

“Her official birth time is 4.23 in the morning,” Doctor Shroeder answered.

“Ha! I win,” I teased.

Sam smirked at me.  “Seems to me, we both win, princess.”

“Okay, okay, enough of that talk in front of the baby,” Bruce joked.

The medical staff fussed around Natasha, giving Rebecca her shots and a shot to Nat to help her deliver the placenta.  We were all too caught up in Rebecca’s presence to pay that much attention.  Though Bruce and I both looked over the placenta fascinated when it was out.

Eventually, the nurses took Rebecca off Natasha to clean her up a little and check her over.  Thor rubbed my back.  “Only one more to go,” he said.

“He can stay put for a little longer,” I said.  “Let him get fully cooked.”

Once Natasha had been taken to her room with Rebecca and she’d showered and changed into her pajamas it was just past breakfast time and Amber and Travis brought Riley, Pietro, Sarah, and Rose down.  It was funny, even though Sarah and Rose were almost three weeks older than Rebecca they were still a little smaller than her.  We once again got Riley and Pietro gifts from the newborn and they were much more interested in opening those than interacting with their new sibling.

“Alright kiddos, you better say goodbye to everyone, it’s time to get to school,” Amber said.

“Do we hafta?”  Riley asked.

Steve shrugged.  “You can stay if you want, but we’re all very tired and everyone will most likely be sleeping.”

Riley seemed to ponder the predicament for a moment and then nodded.  “Otay, we go.”

“Sounds good, bug,” I said and kissed them both goodbye.  “Are you going to say goodbye to all your sisters?”

“Otay,” Pietro said and the two went around kissing first all their parents and then the babies goodbye.

“Bye-bye!” They called as Amber led them from the room.

“Okay but that was really cute,” Clint said.

“Yeah,” I agreed.  “I have to say I am really glad we have FRIDAY recording things because I definitely want framed pictures of them kissing the babies goodbye.”

// NEXT

[omgkalyppso]

It's 1 AM — happy belated birthday Owain! I wrote some owainigo / laslodin ? Intended as being able to be read as an S support for Laslow and Odin. Written to recognize Inigo as bisexual and polyamorous and Owain as a trans man. Vague about Owain's sexuality because he currently has his sights on Inigo only.

.

It had been a long time since Laslow had felt like dancing; even recently, he’d wondered if he’d ever want to again, when they’d fallen into Valla and all hope had seemed lost. Yet when Xander had ordered he and Peri enjoy themselves this eve, he’d had a week for his dancer’s garb to be refitted — the clothes he’d arrived in — now matching a soldier’s girth and shoulders. He was not the spritely lad of years past, and wondered whether he looked like a fool.

In the least, the steps were as familiar as breathing, and the melody of the drums was known to his heart, even if the tune wasn’t the same.

His mother — his birth mother, whom he’d only known for such a short time, so much of her dancing was made for battle: relief in victory, love in anticipation, heart in loss. She remembered music of happier times, but those dances hadn’t translated into his tiny feet, so used to the sound of war drums.

He found his dancing riled the spirits of some, who watched or tapped a foot, mimicking a step or two, and Laslow felt further from them than he ever had before.

They were going home. He was going home.

This crowd would only be a memory.

.

He wondered where he would find himself: would it really be the world left in relative peace where Grima lay sleeping? Or would his intent send him spiraling far and away to the land of memory, nightmares and blight? Would Owain even wish to leave Nohr? It suited Odin Dark so naturally. He seemed happier as a mage, and through magic, his own and discovered, Owain had even managed to mold his chest into a form that brought him joy and comfort.

Inigo wondered whether Owain would hold any apprehension in sharing this version of himself with old friends and family.

Some would say Owain had no understanding of shame or embarrassment, but they’d never read his stories aloud, or seen him as a young bashful man who knew little and less of how to present himself. Still, Owain had grown, had carved himself and the world around him in ways that had secured their victories as of late.

Inigo knew that it was his own insecurities over returning that truly alarmed him.

Meanwhile Severa knew what she wanted. She always had. Her heart might be large enough to reserve pieces for all who showed her kindness and some manner of discipline, but she could never stay away from Morgan and her parents. Her home was known and waiting.

.

The song ended and he shared a soft laugh with his liege, a man whose trust and generosity he was on the cusp of betraying.

.

Public celebrations were a favorite of Owain’s. He had learned to handle a crowd, and could often find a group or three to regale with tales of victory, honor and suspense. There were jeers at times, but less when the people were joyous and relieved. Perhaps not all understood the challenges that had weighed upon their liege lords and borders, or their fabric of reality, but they knew strife, and wanted to believe it could be felled by a hero — why shouldn’t he be that.

He’d been shouting over the music for so long, that he’d nearly missed Elise’s voice marveling excitedly, “Hey! Did you know about this? He told me his dancing was a secret.”

While the Xander hushed his sister and they chittered on in silence, Odin Dark also fumbled in his tale, glancing, for a moment, to where Laslow spun daggered discs on his wrists. Owain might have trailed off entirely, and taken the time to watch as much of the performance as possible, whether to jeer or jest or compliment, but Odin had an audience, people who would think him missing or worse in the weeks to come, and so he dove back into an embellishment of the beasts they had defeated. He could watch Inigo dance again. He was sure of it.

.

The tents were relatively empty when the witching hour came to pass. The masses had retreated to the castles and campgrounds, manor houses and taverns where guests and guards were making due. A flutist was speaking with Laslow, a dancer by his side, correcting his posture, of all things. Owain sat on the edge of a fountain, and watched until his friend noticed, as Laslow turned away, red in his cheeks and upon his neck. He stopped their performance swiftly, seemingly assuring the dancer that he would remember to practice. It put a pinch in Owain’s brow, mournful that he’d spurred his friend toward another broken promise.

“You were watching then?” asked Laslow, spinning a ribbing at his side through his hoops so that they would lay at his hip, jingling.

“Even those whose ears I captivated with tales from the saga of Odin Dark, could look nowhere else!” He chuckled as Laslow sat by his side, shifting slightly, as the costume left little protection against the cool damp stone of the fountain. “If only you’d told me, we might have coordinated our performance!”

“I’d make a poor archrival then,” Laslow teased. “If I weren’t stealing your audience.” He stretched, and Odin watched how the bulge of his belly and triceps marked Laslow for his latest manner of fighting — reserved, sturdy, and strong. “And still, not one enraptured lady to request an encore, nor a single suitor to waylay my evening with a flower or three.”

“Only me,” Odin said mournfully, shaking his head.

“Only you,” Laslow agreed, smirking, and he saw how tired Owain was then, and hoped it was his performance, regaling the public with magic and mystery, but he knew it was the war, the ever present ones they’d fought through. He wondered if he would ever feel so comfortable as to compliment his friend, the growing wrinkles at his eyes, the stubble of his beard, the mouthwatering line of muscle revealed by his boastful outfit. He licked his lips. “My vexatious tormentor. Are you headed to sleep?”

Owain saw that the question had two answers. The first was an affirmative, though he would go to his room and stare at the ceiling, perhaps retreat to the library and spend his last few hours in this realm reading more and more of foreign magic as their time grew short. The second was a negative, and perhaps he and Laslow could find somewhere that drink still flowed, and they could pretend to lose themselves in tankards while he made a show of failing to find them dates and he either made a friend of the barman or annoyed him until they were both ejected into the night. However, something inside him overflowed, and Owain found himself seeking to fight the beasts of trepidation and consideration — perhaps he had already won, and it was their blood that had filled him with their ferocious candor as he asked, “Do you know I’m in love with you?”

Laslow’s eyes blinked wide, lashes casting a flickering shadow across his cheekbones.

“Owa—Odin,” he objected. “You can’t—” He huffed, frustrated, taking to his feet. “We fight against each other with every step.” He hid his eyes in his hands and then slowly adjusted his head as he admitted aloud, “I fight against commitment with every breath.”

“When do we not fight towards a common goal — against the forces of darkness, together?” Owain asked with a small smile, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the insides of his spread knees. “My confession need not change anything between us, it certainly doesn’t mean to change anything about you. My affection has grown even as you’ve found joy and rejection with your strings of lovers. And I’ve found that I can love you — that I do,” he swallowed, “love you. I’m saying it too much now.”

“There is nothing consistent in our lives,” Inigo said, sad and distressed. He wrapped his right arm around himself, squeezing at a shoulder, too muscled to feel right going back into his old life, too scarred to hope that wherever they found themselves in two days time that there would be the peace and family he’d hoped for. “I have gone days feeling as though everything around me is temporary, and others believing that this is what is real and it is me who doesn’t belong. We nearly failed. We—”

He hesitated as Owain stood before him, reaching out carefully to take hold of either of his elbows.

“We didn’t,” Owain said, calm and sure.

Time passed. Neither man could say how much. Patiently, Owain did not force an embrace, but he did rest his temple against Inigo’s, rocking his face towards him as he whispered, “And you’ve had some consistencies in your life. And me in mine.”

He waited longer, breathing deeply while his friend calmed in his arms, and then Inigo was lifting his left hand up to Owain’s hip and the mage smiled, letting his hands creep around the small of Inigo’s back, locking them together. “If I declared that I would dedicate my life to you, very little would change … and I think that’s very telling.”

“I feel good, with you,” Inigo murmured, tucking his face into the curve of Owain’s neck, “but my trysts don’t last and you—” he bit his lips, and as they rolled back into place he felt them pout against Owain’s skin, almost a kiss, “you’re too important for me to risk in a bout of bad behavior.”

Owain snickered. “Are you asking me to make sure you don’t grow bored? I think no matter what awaits us after tomorrow, I can promise it will be interesting.” He tossed his head back, and smiled wider as Inigo admired him; it was a wonderfully new feeling. “Do you think Odin Dark would settle for less? That the tale of the Avengers of Righteous Justice would end here?”

“Avengers?” Inigo repeated, pulling away from the embrace.

“I don’t forget my friends,” Owain assured him, but Inigo continued.

“And, really, I rather hoped that my tale might end. In some manner of the word… I want to rest. I want to feel the relief that these people felt, that our parents felt when their journey was over. To find a stage to dance upon, perhaps a student to apprentice while I’m still young enough to perform.”

“Then we will find it,” Owain said with conviction, his hands on Inigo’s shoulders. “A place where Selena can be a tired old general, or an extension of nobility, where our friends are close, and our families closer still, and where I study all the magic that has ever beset us with worry — that of gods, and dragons, and travel between realms—”

“Is this why you sought to be a mage?” Inigo balked, holding the dips at Owain’s elbows.

“All to keep us safe,” Owain said cryptically, blue eyes flickering with withheld words. “I will work tirelessly to make that peaceful realm you dream of, friend.”

“I can’t expect you to vanquish evil on your own,” Inigo said, a measure of wonder on his face. A puff of air passed his lips, joy and shock and hope twisting his lips first in a frown and then in a smile. “Very well then. Together, this time. We’ll start this tale together, as we’ve always been.”

“Then—?” Owain prompted, hopeful.

“Of course,” Inigo assured him, pulling himself into Owain’s space again, this time to plant a kiss on his warm lips. “I’ve loved you too. You need only look to your side — if you truly wish to take me as I am … then you will always find me here.”

[thelittlesttimelord]

The Littlest Timelord: The Fall of the Eleventh Chapter 41

TITLE: The Littlest Timelord: The Fall of the Eleventh Chapter 41 PAIRING: No Pairing RATING: T CHAPTER: 41/? SUMMARY: Elise Smith is now a teenaged Timelord. In addition to losing the Ponds, the fields of Trenzalore are calling. But first they have to figure out exactly who Clara Oswald is.

[A/N - 50th Anniversary special is next! Trust me when I say that you are not ready for it. So many reveals and even more questions! Might start writing it later.]

The secret entrance led to catacombs.

“Where are we?” Clara asked.

“Catacombs,” the Doctor said.

“I hate catacombs. So how come I met your dead wife?”

“Oh well, you know how it is when you lose someone close to you. It helps to have a backup.”

One of the creatures appeared, following them.

“Clara, come on! Run, run!”

They burst through a steel door.

“Come on, quickly, we're in.”

One of the creatures grabbed Clara.

“Doctor!”

“Clara!”

Elise and the Doctor pulled her away and the Doctor slammed the door on its hand.

Eventually, it pulled its hand out of the door and the Doctor closed it. “Yowza.”

They headed up a set of metal stairs.

“Still a bit of a climb. I think I remember the way,” the Doctor told them.

Clara started to falter.

“Clara? Clara. Hey, it's okay. You're fine. The dimensioning forces this deep in the TARDIS, they can make you a bit giddy.”

Clara pulled away from him. “I know, I know. How do I know? How do I know that?”

“Clara, it's okay. You're fine.”

“Have we, have we done this before? We have. We have done this before. Climbing through a wrecked TARDIS. You said things, things I'm not supposed to remember.”

“We can't do this now. The TARDIS is a ruin. The telepathic circuits are awakening memories you shouldn't even have. Clara. Clara? Clara, what's wrong?”

“What do you mean, you keep meeting me? You said I died. How could I die?”

“That is not a conversation you should even remember.”

“What do you mean I died?”

“The girl who died he tried to save. She'll die again inside his grave.”

“Run. Run!”

They finally made it the entrance of the tomb.

Dr. Simeon was there with Madame Vastra, Strax, and Jenny. “The doors require a key. The key is a word. And the word is the Doctor's,” Simeon said.

“Here I am, late to my own funeral. Glad you could make it.”

“Open the door, Doctor. Speak, and open your tomb.”

“No.”

“Because you know what's in there?”

“I will not open those doors.”

“The key is a word lost to time. A secret hidden in the deepest shadow and know to you alone. The answer to a question.”

“I will not open my tomb.”

“Doctor, what is your name?” Simeon grabbed the Doctor’s face and the Doctor threw his hand off him. “The Doctor's friends and his precious daughter. Stop their hearts.”

The creatures around them hissed.

“Madam, boys, combat formation. They are unarmed,” Strax said.

“So are we!” Jenny yelled.

“Do not divulge our military secrets.”

“Stop this. Leave them alone,” the Doctor begged.

“Your name, Doctor. Answer me,” Simeon said.

“Doctor?” Clara asked.

Strax picked up a stick and hit one of the creatures. It cut through its body. “Do you want me to do that again?”

They watched as the hole closed up.

“Doctor who?” Simeon asked.

One of the creatures reached into Strax’s chest.

“Please, stop it,” the Doctor begged again.

“Doctor who?”

“Unhand me, sir,” Strax demanded.

“Leave him alone. Let him be.”

“Don't worry, sir. I think I've got him rattled.”

“Doctor who?” Simeon asked.

“Please!” the Doctor yelled.

One of the creatures was reaching toward Elise when the doors to the tomb opened.

“Why did you open the door, sir?” Strax asked, “I had them on the run.”

“I didn't do it. I didn't say my name,” the Doctor said, “Is everyone all right? Is everyone okay?” He rushed over to Elise. “Ellie? Are you okay?”

She hit him on the arm.

“Ow!”

“Never take that long again.”

“I'm sorry.” He turned to Simeon. “Now then, Doctor Simeon, or Mister G Intelligence, whatever I call you, do you know what's in there?”

“For me, peace at last. For you, pain everlasting. Won't you invite us in?”

The Doctor opened the doors further.

They walked into the console room, except there was nothing but pillars of the light. The cloister bell was ringing as they went up the steps.

Something was wrong here. Instead of one, there were 4 additional ones surrounding the one in the middle.

“What are they?” Clara asked.

“What were you expecting, a body? Bodies are boring. I've had loads of them. Nah, that's not what my tomb is for,” the Doctor said.

“But what is the light?” Vastra asked.

“It's beautiful,” Jenny commented.

“Should I destroy it?” Strax asked.

“Shut up, Strax,” Vastra told him.

“Doctor, explain. What are they?” Clara asked.

“The tracks of my tears.”

“Less poetry, Doctor. Just tell them,” Simeon said.

“Time travel is damage. It's like a tear in the fabric of reality. That is the scar tissue of my journey through the universe. My path through time and space from Gallifrey to Trenzalore.” He soniced it and voices came through.

“Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension?”

“Do I have the right?”

“Daleks, Cybermen, they're still in the nursery compared to us.”

“There are corners of the universe that have bred the most dangerous things.”

“You were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.”

“I'm the Doctor. I'm from Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous…” That voice Elise recognized as the Doctor who saved her. The one whose brown eyes had comforted her.

“Hello, Stonehenge!” And there was the voice of her father. She had been the most proud of him in that moment.

“My own personal time tunnel. All the days…”

“It was the daisiest daisy I'd ever seen.”

“Even the ones that I…uh…even the ones that I haven't lived yet.”

“But I don’t understand. Who do the other ones belong to?” Elise asked.

The Doctor walked up to up each of them. “This one is yours.” The Doctor approached the three smaller ones. “These are your children’s. Following in the family business.”

“But why are we here?”

“Because the universe recognizes you as mine. We may not be blood, but you’re my only family.” The Doctor suddenly collapsed.

“Doctor!”

“Daddy!”

Clara and Elise rushed to his side.

“I shouldn't be here. The paradoxes. It's very bad,” he said.

Simeon stepped closer to the Doctor’s time stream.

“No. No. No. What are you doing? Somebody stop him!” the Doctor yelled.

“The Doctor's life is an open wound. And an open wound can be entered,” Simeon said.

“No, it would destroy you.”

“Not at all. It will kill me. It will destroy you. I can rewrite your every living moment. I can turn every one of you victories into defeats. Poison every friendship. Deliver pain to your every breath.”

“It will burn you up. Once you go through, you can't come back. You will be scattered along my timeline like confetti.”

“It matters not, Doctor. You thwarted me at every turn. Now you will give me peace, as I take my revenge on every second of your life. Goodbye. Goodbye, Doctor.” Simeon backed up into the time stream.

There was a big flash and the Doctor thrashed around.

“What's wrong with him? What's happening?” Clara cried.

“He's being rewritten,” Vastra told her, “Simeon is attacking his entire timeline. He's dying all at once. The Dalek Asylum. Androzani.”

Elise started to feel weird as she watched the time streams of her future children flicker out. Memories were disappearing. “Daddy, I’m scared.”

The Doctor managed to lift a hand to her face. “It’ll be okay”, he said, realizing what was happening.

Tears streamed down her face as the Doctor blinked. He was left holding only air.

Elise had disappeared before Clara’s eyes.

“No”, the Doctor breathed.

The one constant in his life was gone.

Forever.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the blink of an eye, Elise was back. She looked around.

The Doctor was standing up now, but someone was missing.

“Where’s Clara?”

“She jumped into the Doctor’s time stream, restoring you and everyone else,” Vastra explained.

“We are not all restored. I have to get her back,” the Doctor said.

“But how?” Jenny asked.

“Is she still alive? It killed Doctor Simeon,” Vastra said.

“Clara's got one advantage over the Great Intelligence,” the Doctor told them.

“Which is?”

“Me. Now, if I don't come back, and I might not…” The Doctor turned to Elise. “Go to the TARDIS. Make sure everyone gets home. And then travel and be amazing.” He kissed her forehead.

The Doctor suddenly spun around and grabbed at the air.

Elise watched as River appeared.

“How are you even doing that? I'm not really here,” she said.

“You are always here to me. And I always listen, and I can always see you,” he told her.

“Mum?” Elise asked.

“How can she see me?” River asked.

“I knocked down her mental barriers, allowing her to see you.”

“But if you could see me, then why didn't you speak to me?”

“Because I thought it would hurt too much.”

“I believe I could have coped.”

“No, I thought it would hurt me. And I was right.” The Doctor cupped River’s face in his hands and kissed her. “Since nobody else in this room can see you besides me and Elise, God knows how that looked.” He looked over at Jenny, Vastra, and Strax, who were looking at him oddly.

“There is a time to live and a time to sleep. You are an echo, River. Like Clara. Like all of us, in the end. She saved you, but you should've faded by now.”

“It's hard to leave when you haven't said goodbye.”

“Then tell me, because I don't know. How do I say it?”

“There's only one way I'd accept. If you ever loved me, say it like you're going to come back.”

“Well, then.” He stepped back from River. “See you around, Professor River Song.”

“Till the next time, Doctor.”

“Don't wait up.”

“Oh, there's one more thing.”

“Isn't there always?”

“I was mentally linked with Clara. If she's really dead, then how can I still be here?”

“Okay, how?”

“Spoilers. Goodbye, sweetie.” River turned to Elise. “Goodbye, litter star.”

The two Timelords watched her fade away.

The Doctor turned to Elise. “My brave, clever girl. Remember. Never cruel or cowardly. Laugh hard, run fast, and be kind.” Elise nodded and he stepped back into his own time stream.

A few minutes later, the Doctor walked out of his time stream, carrying Clara in his arms. “Let’s go home.”

“Is she okay?” Elise asked him.

“She will be.”

[strvngcrs]

『 adam brody. forty. cis male. he/him. 』 oh heavens, is that DANIEL ABRAMS from FAIR LANE i see roaming around mapleview? minnie may’s always calling them -BROODING & -EVASIVE. i happen to think they’re not that bad! they’re a pretty cool HORROR AUTHOR and every time i’ve seen them, they’ve always been +DEBONAIR & +ELOQUENT. i hope i see them around again! 

classically rolls in ridiculously late bc i forgot i had to work last night & then proceeded to sleep in today wooo !!  good afternoon ghouls, it’s ya girl maia, finally here to deliver the definition of hot mess with good intentions.

GENERAL

FULL NAME.    daniel elijah abrams.

NICKNAMES.    dan, danny.

AGE & BIRTHDATE.    40 years old ; may 4, 1980.

GENDER & PRONOUNS.    cis male ; he/him.

ORIENTATION.    heterosexual.

MARITAL STATUS.    estranged.

RELIGION.    jewish ( non-practicing ).

OCCUPATION.    horror author.

INSPIRATION.     bill denbrough ( it ), donnie darko ( donnie darko ), lucas scott ( one tree hill ), stephen king.

PHYSICAL

HAIR COLOUR.    black.

EYE COLOUR.    dark brown.

BUILD.    athletic.

MARKS.     freckles scarcely spread across his entire body.

TATTOOS.    none.

PIERCINGS.    none.

HEIGHT.    5'11".

FACECLAIM.    adam brody.

PERSONALITY

ZODIAC.    taurus.

ALIGNMENT.    chaotic neutral.

HOGWARTS.    ravenclaw.

LABEL.    the arcane.

POSITIVE TRAITS.    cheeky, debonair, driven, eloquent, resilient, solicitous.

NEGATIVE TRAITS.    brooding, evasive, inquisitive, sarcastic, stoic, stubborn.

HOBBIES.    smokes like a chimney while writing until he forgets what day of the week it is, dabbles in hunting & fishing (thanks @ his dad), labels all crime / thriller genres as ‘predictable’ but continues to watch them, obsesses over & relentlessly criticizes his own work, drinks heavily & passionately plays moonlight sonata or fur elise as if he’s betoven’s disciple.

BACKGROUND

PLACE OF BIRTH.    california.

CURRENT RESIDENCE.    mapleview, north carolina.

NATIONALITY.    american.

ETHNICITY.    ashkenazi jewish.

PARENTS.   judith miller & mr abrams.

SIBLINGS.    mia miller.

BIRTH ORDER.    eldest.

CHILDREN.    penelope abrams.

EDUCATION.     university of california, los angeles; bachelor of arts in english.

LANGUAGES.    english, some spanish & french.

HISTORY

EARLY LIFE.    born to THE judith miller and some newspaper editor, daniel was raised by the latter and notoriously abandoned by the former. well, not completely abandoned - there’s an old shoebox containing a few letters as proof - but that was the only source of communication in their otherwise absent relationship. while little danny boy didn’t fully understand why he couldn’t see his mother, he sought out an alternative solution by watching her movies. his father wasn’t aware, at first, and dan created this extravagant fantasy of the person he thought she was based on the roles she played. however, once papa abrams found out his son was watching these movies (which were probably not fit for children in the first place lmao oop), he begrudgingly revealed the bitter truth. being forced to come to terms with the fact that his own mother willingly abandoned him with his father, daniel didn’t fully understand what it meant; he couldn’t properly process why. the hurt of absent mother was expressed more out of anger, feeling as though there must have been something wrong with him. there were fewer and fewer letters sent to judith until he gave up altogether and thus, dan’s out of control behavior was born.

TEENAGE FEVER.    SUICIDE MENTION TW.  he struggled in school. his emotions betrayed him. instead of relishing a happy childhood, daniel found himself pushing everyone away, getting into fights, sneaking out late at night to run around the city streets with his friends and get into all sorts of trouble with them. he couldn’t count on his hands how many times the police picked him up and brought him to his dad’s doorstep. it only got worse once one of his best friends was found dead, written off as a suicide, though it didn’t add up in dan’s eyes and seemed so much more sinister. the young man was nearly deemed to be a lost cause, until he discovered his passion for writing. 

                                  language arts or literature was the last thing anyone would ever think to group with daniel abrams. but his english teacher noticed how well he could articulate his thoughts and feelings on paper, and submitted one of his pieces to a writing contest, which earned dan the win and a cash prize. bewildered by a talent he hadn’t even realized was in him, daniel embraced it. he started writing in a journal ( which he kept safely tucked away beneath the mattress of his bed ), documenting every feeling and thought as a way to express his emotions in a more productive manner. this talent earned him a full ride scholarship to ucla with a major in literature and plans of diving into some sort or creative writing career or perhaps becoming an english teacher, to follow in the footsteps of his high school teacher who he came to idolize.

                                  mere days into his freshman year, however, his high school sweetheart showed up in the middle of the night at his dorm with a positive pregnancy test. it was then the chaotic world as he knew it turned a new leaf, revealing a silver lining in the form of their daughter, penelope, who daniel hadn’t a clue, just yet, would save him. and so a shotgun wedding was quickly planned around the pair, both families either completely supportive or in utter disbelief. it was quick, it was cheap(ish), and it was stressful as all heck. but they were young, and in love, and were looking forward to starting a family together, despite it being a little earlier than initially planned.

“ADULT”HOOD.    fast forward five years, and they’re signing divorce papers. fortunately, it wasn’t messy. the two had simply grown apart as they matured in their respective ways, and remaining together was only causing a rift to develop between the two. the last thing they wanted, for the sake of their daughter, was built up resentment to tear the little family apart. his wife, who daniel initially thought to be the love of his life, blossomed into an absolute goddess; she was ambitious and knew exactly what she wanted. daniel, on the other hand, was still somewhat caught up in his ‘bad boy’ habits of drinking excessively and his career was still pretty up in the air. the two just didn’t compliment each others’ lifestyles anymore.

                                   daniel moved out but remained in california, settling for a bachelor’s apartment where he was able to have penelope every weekend. during this time, he finally cracked down and worked on finishing a novel he’d started years prior. within a year, he found a publisher who took interest in his grotesque works, and by the time daniel was twenty seven, his first bestseller hit the shelves, changing his life for the better with the ability to provide for his daughter without stress of landing another odd job ever again.

                                   as his fame increased, so did his desire to slink back into the shadows away from the limelight. at first, he enjoyed the wholesome book signings by day and grungy celebratory benders by night. but it grew old pretty fast and he certainly didn’t want to end up as another washed up shmuck. so, on a whim, daniel decided to move out of california completely, removing himself from the toxic lifestyle he’d grown accustomed to and shacking up on a beautiful piece of land in the rocky mountains of north carolina. the serenity and scenery certainly aided in his inspiration, as well as his unacknowledged lowkey addictions slowly being rehabilitated from his bloodstream.

OLD YELLER.    now, in his utmost prime at forty years old, he’s written numerous cult classics, a few of which have successful movie adaptations. he was lucky enough to land himself in a second marriage, though.... that one is now deteriorating as well because he literally doesn’t know how to maintain a healthy relationship. he received full custody of his daughter when she was sixteen, under the unfortunate circumstance of her mother’s untimely death. although they’d been separated for nearly twenty years, daniel was still very much affected by the loss, more so empathetically for penelope. he’s still hooked on the drink, though he’s definitely calmed down quite a bit from when he was a young buck. basically a messy, depressy old soul who uses sarcasm to deflect his true feelings.

CONNECTIONS

ESTRANGED WIFE.    first marriage was a bust, and the second is turning out to be no better. they haven’t hit rock bottom just yet, in his opinion (which would be finalizing a divorce lmao), and he’s unsure if they should work things out or not but also really.......doesn’t wanna go through the process of another divorce. plus he likes her and deep down adores their bickering. the reason(s) why things started falling apart between them can be discussed of course. lowkey debating on whippin this up as a big official wc but.... if anybody already here would like to snag it, i would 100% mclove it.

COLLABORATORS.    literally anyone he’s worked with over the years, whether they be fellow authors, publishers/publicists, journalists, screenplay writers, etc. yeehooo the possibilities are endless !!

FOLLOWERS.    anyone hooked on his books, whether devout fans from his early beginnings or people who newly discovered his fictional writings.

FORMER CLASSMATES.    could be from high school or university, but he was in california for the better part of his life aka not a mapleview native. former friends to foes & anything in between. dan’s that one kid who spiked the punch bowl at all the dances and years later probably snuck in party favors to snort off the bathroom sink during their high school reunion lmao whew !!

ANYTHING.    literally anything. i’m my groggy state of mind on my lack of creativity rn so please, i’m beggin. if daniel can enrich your characters’ lives in any way, shape, or form, hit me up and we’ll hatch a plan.

[imagine-that-one-thing]

“Just a little, okay?” 

The Sheer curtains sway across the marble flooring while a chilly breeze sweeps through the room, making it known that dusk is sinking into the night. Harry rises from his seated position at the piano and shuffles towards the floor to ceiling windows, he breathes in the fresh air and stares out into the abyss of the quietened city. A city that is usually busy but for now is quiet and twinkling with house lights beginning to turn on as the sky gets darker and darker. 

Harry glances over his shoulder as he overhears the door creak, he expected it to be his wife but is as equally as pleased to recognise his little boy peeking through the diminutive crack. 

Alex shy’s away and hides behind the door, forgetting that Harry can perceive his shadow and his little fingers gripping the edge, “Come in, mate.” Harry encourages, stepping away from the open window and watches his son peek his head back around the door. 

“Mummy says I’m not allowed in here if the windows are open.” Alex points out. 

Alex has been told many times about the room with the piano, mainly because Elise is petrified Alex will walk in while one of the windows is open. She has always loved the floor to ceiling windows and the natural light it brings, but ever since having Alex, the idea of floor to ceiling windows that open, scare her half to death. 

Harry nods and springs to close the window that was bringing in the only sense of clarity Harry has for the time being. He presses the window shut and adjusts the sheer curtains to fall nicely in their place. Harry has an idea on what Alex wants, Harry has been avoiding it the best he can, but he knows now there’s no more avoidance. The piano will be played more than it has ever been in the last few years. 

Alex wanders in and meets Harry at the piano, his eyes fixated on it as his little hand presses to the leather bench. Alex gazes up Harry with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his lips. 

Harry lifts Alex onto the bench and Harry relaxes beside him, one arm draped around him just in case he leans back. “Will you show me?” Alex questions, touching a finger to a random key and giggling as he presses carefully.

Harry acknowledged the day was coming where his quiet space would be invaded by his offspring, and he knew the day was coming where he’d have to bestow his love/hate relationship with music. 

Harry takes a breath and clears his throat, he has been in the room for roughly an hour and has only managed to play a few lines. He can sense the raging hunger to play again at the edge of his fingertips but there’s a tugging on his heartstrings that’s pushing him away. “I can try.” Harry informs Alex, “I can only try,” Harry trails off into a whisper before he leans down and caresses a kiss to Alex’s head. “Okay, put your hand up here and I’ll show you which ones to press,” Harry instructs, placing Alex’s hand on the keys and spreading his fingers. 

It doesn’t take long before Alex begins to understand a few basics Harry is showing him, but Harry wishes it would have taken longer. Not only because of his desire to abruptly walk out of the room and not touch the piano for another few months but because he’s starting to realise his little boy is getting bigger and bigger each day. Just yesterday he was learning to walk and talk and now he’s propped up at the piano, attempting to follow Harry’s lead. Alex just turned four a few weeks ago, but to Harry, he can already see the young man he’s going to become— and he couldn’t be prouder. 

There’s a profound awareness in Harry’s chest that soon enough, Alex won’t need him as much, he no longer needs guidance tying his shoes and eating dinner, he no longer needs help with the simple task of getting dressed in the mornings or getting down the stairs. Harry doesn’t know where the time went, but he wants it to slow down. He wants to feel needed— as selfish as that may sound— but there’s no greater joy in his life than his little family. 

“Daddy, will you play me something?” Alex questions with a soft voice in a moment of silence. 

Harry bites his lip for a moment, he senses his hand tremble and his airways feel as though they’re wanting to close up. Harry takes a deep breath and glances down at his son, attempting to shake his head and say ‘no,’ but he can’t. He can’t turn his son down more than he already has. 

“Just a little, okay?” 

Alex nods, his little legs kicking in front of him excitedly while he eagerly awaits to hear a melody play through his Daddy’s fingers. 

Alex gently nudges Harry and Harry can’t help but allow a small chuckle to escape his lips, giving him just enough confidence to begin. After a couple of keys, Harry begins humming softly to the melody he wrote years ago, a sweet song about the love of his life. Harry stops playing for a moment, stretching his left hand before continuing to play again, doing his best to finish the melody for Alex, Alex is in such awe and can’t stop smiling. 

Unfortunately, Harry lets him down, he can’t continue. Harry winces for a moment and lets out a small sigh and shakes his head in bitter disappointment. He has come a long way since the accident a few years ago, but he still isn’t at one-hundred per cent. There are still good days and bad days.

Alex reaches over and grabs Harry’s hand, “It okay, Daddy.” 

Harry glances over at Alex and gives him a small smile, he is the sweetest little boy, Harry isn’t sure how he got so lucky to have a sweet son. “I’m sorry, Alex.” 

“It okay, my fingers hurt sometimes, too. We try again tomorrow?” Alex grins up at Harry with bright eyes. Alex sees the world in Harry. 

“Thanks, mate. High-five for trying. Yeah, we can try tomorrow.” Harry agrees, holding his left hand out in front of Alex. 

Alex gives Harry a high-five before taking ahold of Harry’s palm, looking intently at it. “What happen?” Alex curiously asks, his little finger touching the scar Harry has on his hand. 

Harry takes his palm away instantly, closing his palm into a fist in an attempt to hide the scar of the past. “Daddy?” 

Harry opens his mouth to speak, but he can’t find the words. He has never thought about this moment before. 

How do you tell a four-year-old the true story behind something so terrible? 

“I love you, Alex, never forget that.” Harry informs Alex, “I need you to go find Mummy, go give her a hug and I will be down in a minute, okay?” Harry asks, offering a faked smile to his son who doesn’t understand that his question has stirred memories and emotions that Harry doesn’t want to face. 

Alex looks down and climbs off the bench with a saddened expression, “Hey, why are you sad? I’m not upset with you.” 

Alex lifts his shoulders into a small shrug, “Will you still love me just as much?” 

“Of course, I love you, what do you mean?” 

Alex grows quiet for a minute  and looks around the room, “You and Mummy said I would get a brother or a sister, will you still love me?” 

Harry wastes no time with standing up and picking Alex up into his arms, holding him close and securely. “Oh, mate,” Harry whispers, “We will love you just as much, is this why you wanted to come in here?” 

“You’ll still be my Daddy?” Alex questions softly.

Harry places Alex down and kneels down in front of him, “Alex, I will always be your Daddy, and I will always love you. Never forget it, I will always love you, no matter what.” Harry informs Alex, wasting no time with reminding him how much he is truly loved. 

There’s a part of Harry that insists on making it highly known how much Alex is loved because Harry wishes he had a father who would have reminded him that he would always be loved and would always have a father. “No matter how upset I get with you, no matter what you do in this life, I will always love, nothing will ever change that. I will always be here for you, whenever you need me.” 

Alex looks at Harry with a small smile, “Will you still check for the monsters under my bed?” 

Harry chuckles to himself and nods his head, “Always, I will always check your bed when you’re scared.” 

“Will you still make forts with me when the other baby gets here?” 

Harry nods his head, “I promise I will still build forts with you, I will still be your Dad.” 

“And you will be the baby’s Dad, too?” 

“Yes,” Harry nods his head, wishing he had the heart to tell his son that it isn’t just one baby that is going to change all their lives, but two. “Come here, give Daddy a big hug, I need it.” Harry opens his arms for Alex to fall into them. “I love you, Alex.” 

“I love you, too,” Alex whispers, nuzzling into Harry. 

Harry picks Alex up, “How about we go find Mummy together?” Harry offers, already beginning to wander out of the room and into the hallway where Harry sees Elise at the end of the hallway with a basket of clothes in her arms. 

She offers the two a small smile and Harry places Alex down, “I’ll take that,” Harry takes the basket of clothes while Alex sweetly wraps his arms around Elise’s legs, giving her a hug. 

“Alex, it’s almost bedtime. If you want, we can watch some tv in mine and Daddy’s bed until you fall asleep, how does that sound?” Elise sweetly offers.

Alex is quick to nod and hurry to the master bedroom, not wasting any time. “Heard you playing,” Elise softly mentions as she and Harry begin to make their way to their room. 

“I tried,” Harry responds, “Still can’t play for shit.” Harry mutters, not too pleased with himself, “But I think Alex is determined to make me play.” 

“Why?” 

“He wants to play. And since you are not musically gifted, I guess I will have to teach him,” Harry pokes fun at Elise with a small grin, nudging her gently. 

Elise rolls her eyes and shakes her head, “We can’t all be musically gifted,” Elise responds, stepping into the bedroom, “Just place the basket on the bed, I will fold them once he is asleep.” Elise gestures to the bed. 

Harry places a kiss to Elise’s cheek. “Get in bed, I’ll do the clothes, relax with him,” Harry gestures towards Alex who is already under the covers and handing Elise the remote. 

[childrenoflight-darkness-nothing]

Adelin held back a breath, her shoulders tensed as Elise held up her mother’s brooch. It was of simple design, a large smooth amethyst surrounded by smaller orbs of polished lava stone in a silver inlay. It had been one of the few things Adelin had taken, aside from clothing, when she left home; the other being the sword her father had carried before his death.

It was enchanted, as most jewelry tended to be. A simple charm of luck. Nothing that was meant to provide anything more than some added good fortune.

But it had been Lord Devon’s idea, before she’d left Dreyn, to claim it was enchanted against the unworldly powers of the Shadow Knight. So that she would have an excuse for why she could survive the knights power, should it be needed.

And she had needed it.

Had been grateful to offer it up as an explanation when it had begun to be called into question; her survival. When so many others she had traveled with had met their end from the knight. Adelin the sole remaining after each encounter.

It was unheard of. Someone surviving the Shadow Knight.

And Adelin had rightfully been questioned.

It had been easy to offer up the brooch. It was my mother’s, powerfully enchanted against the knights powers.

All as Devon had instructed.

But then the queen had asked if it might be examined, so that more might be made… That was when the claim had begun to unravel. And Adelin had scrambled for anything else. And had ultimately handed over the brooch for Elise, Queen Aliana’s most trusted mage, to study the brooch and try to replicate it.

She had had little other option. If she was to be trusted… than why not give Elise the brooch so that more might be crafter and lives saved. What reason would she have to refuse, aside from the brooch being little more than a paper weight. Useless for their desired purpose.

Adelin was a fly caught in a spider's web.

She had handed it over days ago, with a pointless hope that perhaps Elise would be unable to identify the magic used in the enchantments.

But as Elise sat before her now, Adelin knew there was no chance of that.

“Where did you get this?” xe questioned, setting the brooch down on the desk before xem and leaning back in xir chair.

It was easy to force the calmness over her features as Adelin leaned back against the doorframe. She crossed her arms neatly over her chest. “I told you, it was my mother’s.”

“It’s well crafted,” Elise said simply, xir fingers tracing delicately over the silver inlay. “An interesting piece. Old… Likely handed down through generations. The Magic’s archaic. But nothing I can’t decipher.”

Elise leveled her with a knowing gaze, and Adelin pushed herself off the wall; forcing a sigh. She tossed her shoulders and brushed a curl out of her face before glancing down at her nails; a perfect picture of boredom.

“Then why call me here?”

Elise knew about the brooch, yes. But maybe. Just maybe. Adelin could get by with insisting she had no knowledge of its true magic. That she had fully believed in its power to protect her.

“Can you replicate it or not?” she continued after a moment.

Elise smirked a little then. “I can replicate it.”

Adelin faltered. Her expression dipped for just a moment despite herself. She recovered quickly, deciding to go along with whatever game Elise was playing. “Then I’m not needed here,” she said, turning towards the door.

She had almost made it through, the door closed halfway behind her when Elise called out, her words sending a chill down her spine.

“Lord Devon sends his regards.

[silverandebony]

Hey can we talk about the endings of Mask of Shadows and Ruin of Stars for a minute? Specifically the way Sal talks about the fit of their masks?

I was doing a reread of both books, but before I started that I went and read the epilogue of RoS because I wanted a refresher on how it ends. Then I read MoS in a day, and noticed something that really stuck out to me: the difference in how Sal says their new mask fits, regarding the masks that belonged to someone else first. I’ve now reread the entirety of RoS, and I want to bring this up. 

In the ending of MoS, when Sal is dancing with Elise after being welcomed to the court as Opal, they mention that “My ill-fitting mask halved my vision” (chapt. 45), whereas in the ending of RoS when they’ve been welcomed as Ruby they say “Ruby’s mask let me see every bit of her face” (epilogue). Now, I feel it should be mentioned that both of these statements are being made in relation to how well Sal is able to see Elise’s face through their mask, and I think that’s incredibly sexy of them. But you’re probably wondering what this has to anything and why I got so caught up in something as simple as the way a mask fits enough to make an entire post about it.

See, to me the fit of these masks reads as an indicator of where Sal is in their personal journey.

By the end of MoS, Sal has learned that there’s so much about the destruction of their home that they didn’t know about, and so much that they still don’t know. They’ve had their belief in the leader of their current nation shattered, they’re deeply affected by all their trauma and are barely beginning to heal (lets face it, it’s less healing and more ‘forcefully repressing everything as much as possible except for what they need to become Opal’ at that particular point in time), they’re taking a role that effectively opposes their religious beliefs and never would have taken in a better world.... yeah. “And I was what I was--what Nacea had made me, what Erlend had made me, what Our Queen had made me.” (chapt. 49) Without the war, their life never would have been like this; they’ve chosen this path because the destruction in their past has pushed them to it, but it’s as ill-fitting as the mask from the previous Opal is. They’re in a bad place emotionally, mentality, and in their new role as Opal, and the mask reflects that. But they’re fucking going to do it, because they would find anything else unacceptable: 

“I could not let someone else, someone clean, someone who didn’t wake at night with a weight on their chest and no air in their lungs, the ghosts of all they’d killed clawing at their throat, know the terrible unease deep within my bones.

I would be Opal from now on till I died so no one else had to be.” (chapt. 49)

Now compare that to the epilogue of RoS. Sal has discovered that they’re not the last living remnant of Nacea, they’ve killed everyone on their list of those most responsible for the destruction of their home, the war with Erlend is over, they’re actually able to start healing from their lifetime of trauma, and, in accordance with the above quote, their old identity and self has died in a sense, burnt away by the flames that ultimately claimed Gaspar del Weylin, the last name on their list. It’s not that their past is gone, of course- Sal is still Sal, still what they have been made by others, still traumatized, still righteously angry over what was done to them and their people. But, they've finally reached a point where they’re going to be able to move forward, without the weight of their past forever dragging them down. Is it still there? Oh, one hundred percent! They will always have to live with the tragedy and the grief and the anger. But it’s no longer their driving force; “I had nothing now, no vengeance and names, and Ruby was all I was. A new name. A new job. A new chance to star cleaning the blood from my soul.” (epilogue). There’s still things they need to do to be able to feel at peace, as with when they say “I needed to repent, to make up for the death I’d wrought, and this was a start. “I made them pay, and now I’ve a debt.”” (epilogue), but now it’s possible in a way it never was before. 

The new mask they’ve donned fits them so much better, like their new role serving the Last Star of Nacea. It’s still not perfect--“Ruby’s old mask felt odd and uneven against my face--too cold, too sharp, too confining.” (epilogue)--but at least they can see through it this time without having to scrunch their face oddly. This time they are far more a guard than an assassin, and I think they’re going to be so much happier, for so many reasons. 

I just,,,, think it’s really neat, you know?

[sonicfanj]

A little while back I made a comment in regard to Sonic’s character not being understood and pointed out that he has the potential to be a “selfish hero”. Not surprisingly I was asked about what I meant so I’m going to tray and explain.

Before beginning though, I should note that I view Sonic as an adventurer first, and not a hero like most of his fans do. This creates completely different expectations out of his character and results in me seeing things very differently from others. For example, I disagree with the notion that Sonic lives to stop Eggman. To me, it’s simply something that happens and we see so much of it because those are the stories of his adventures that we are shown most commonly (I think Eggman has only missed one game that Sonic has been in so that kind of says something).

So, for my explanation I am going to try to stick to as few examples as possible, but I get a little long winded so apologies in advance.

To begin, let’s look at Sonic’s motivation to be a hero. Well, simply put he has none. That may seem a little short-sighted, especially in light of Sonic’s heroics, but the thing is, Sonic does not present himself as wanting to be a hero. If you ask Yuji Naka, Sonic’s favorite thing to do is run, and his running is spoiled if he doesn’t get a full eight hours of sleep. If you consider this Sonic’s constant lazing around makes sense as he’s trying to put himself in a mood to enjoy what he loves best. But for as hard as it seems for Sonic to get a good night’s sleep, which supposedly also makes him irritable, he still loves to adventure. When describing Amy’s character Hoshino has stated that Sonic’s mind is always on the next adventure or challenge. This is important as it tells us that Sonic is not thinking about who to help next. He is thinking about himself. In other words, he is being selfish, or he adventures to enjoy himself and his running, not to help people like most of his fans believe.

Naturally this raises the question of why does Sonic help people. That is a very easy question to answer, but it also reflects a bit on Sonic’s nature and his selfishness some more. Out of the gate, we are told that Sonic has a strong sense of judgement and a big heart. And we know how compassionate Sonic is. In case anyone has forgotten, though he bashed the poor guy in the brain a few times over, Sonic calmed a raging God of Destruction and desired to console it so it could live in peace. It takes a big heart to do that and Sonic has it. But he is also said to have a short temper (though it is rarely demonstrated) and that he can’t stand injustice and dislikes tears. At this point I would hope that a clearer picture of Sonic’s selfishness as a hero is starting to become clear, but as I’m explaining my viewpoint I’ll continue.

Making what will feel like a sudden jump, Sonic helps people on his adventures because seeing or knowing that people are in trouble ruins his adventure for him. The moment he knows people are in trouble he can’t enjoy himself no matter how much sleep he got. His big heart and distaste for injustice spur him into action. He’s acting on his own emotions to bring himself back peace of mind. This is a horribly selfish thing to do, but we see him do it quite a fair bit, sometimes even putting himself before those he is aiming to help. Obviously, I need some examples to back these claims up, so I’ll go ahead and get started with Sonic CD.

Now, a lot of people do not know this, but Sonic did not go to Little Planet to save it. It kind of happens as it stands due again to Sonic’s short temper and reaction to things he dislikes and can’t stand. The whole reason he actually goes if I remember correctly is that he already knew the legends of it and wanted to both see it and see if he could actually time travel using his speed. When he arrived Eggman being there was a total shock to him, and seeing what the good doctor had wrought spurred him into action. In other words, he was there for himself, and saves Little Planet only because his moral compass and own feelings happen to align with what appears to be heroic. But roughly, Eggman ruined his plans and Sonic responded in kind. It’s almost petty his actions at Little Planet if not for how it is painted due to Eggman being the rather destructive villain. But CD is far from the only example.

In Sonic Adventure he gets involved because he is involved by Tails and Eggman. Stopping Chaos 0 is a matter of his evening run being ruined by the clash between Chaos and the Cops. He can’t leave the cops to be slaughtered and jumps in restoring his peace of mind. A selfish action. It isn’t much better with Tails either. With his peace of mind restored we next join Sonic chilling at the pool until Tails appears and ruins his nap. Though not Tails’ intentions, Sonic’s shrug tells us a great deal about how he feels about the situation before going off to make sure the fox is alright. If Tails came first he would not have delayed or even shrugged. He simply would have taken action. He also is later on disparaging of Knuckles, dismissive of Amy when she is trying to ask for help until he actually sees the danger, and gets wrapped up in the thrill of chasing Eggman rather than making sure Tails and Amy get away alright. Most of the game he puts himself first and displays irritation when he is needed to be heroic. It doesn’t really paint him as a hero. He isn’t much better in Sonic Adventure 2 either where he really drives home his preference for doing things his way. Then in Sonic Heroes he only gets involved because it seems like fun. Despite the danger, Sonic puts himself first. It isn’t until Shadow where Sonic is really painted as heroic straight up, but that game takes place through Shadow POV, and in relation to himself Shadow does see Sonic as rather heroic.

In 06 though Sonic goes right back to his selfishness. Yet another seemingly lost detail, even though it is repeated at the end of the game, Sonic goes to Soleanna to see the Sun Festival. It is literally his only reason for being there. If not for Eggman arriving he would have never interacted with Elise and would have been gone the next day. Yet Eggman attacks and Sonic gets involved. And seeing the mess that Elise is Sonic can’t have any peace of mind until she has some and shares a lot of his philosophies with her until she finally stops being mopey and has the strength and resolve to do what she needs to. Then, sure enough, even with the subtle hints that Sonic remembers what happened, he heads right on out once he knows everything is fine, including Elise. He made himself a big part of her life and then leaves because that is who he is and he can enjoy his running again knowing that everything is resolved.

When we get to Unleashed, we see a slightly different side to Sonic’s selfishness as he puts himself before his charge of the game; Chip. When Sonic meets Chip he blames himself for the latter’s memory loss and offers to help him restore it. Yet when he can’t resolve it and is informed of the larger mess at hand by Tails he heads right off to solve the problem. Now yes, he brings Chip along, but he has no basis on which to base Chip regaining his memories in his company. Yet he gladly exposes him to danger while thrill riding on his own adventure, where Chips memory coming back becomes insignificant to him. Chip simply becomes a friend on the adventure and Sonic mostly enjoys himself. Again he is being selfish.

Like 06 before it, Black Knight is a game where Sonic is heavily doing things his own way and for his own enjoyment. Most of that breaks later on when facing Merlina, a friend he has to save as much as her world, and of course the Knight Trials. The Knight Trials are one of the more interesting examples of Sonic’s selfish heroism as he has been tasked with saving the world but will not refuse the child in need. Worse, the Lady of Lake knew Sonic’s abilities when she put the time limit on him and the trials which would assure that Sonic would fail should he deviate at all. But Sonic has a big heart, and he hates tears, and here is this child crying due to the dragon. There is no way Sonic can have the peace of mind to focus on his quest to save the world while this child suffers and chooses the child over the world. Kind of funny that Amy gets chewed out by the fandom for this but Sonic clears his Knight Trials with flying colors for the same thing. But I digress. While it worked out for Sonic here, it could have been disastrous, but in his selfishness, he prioritized his feelings and went against what was requested of him. I may sound heartless here, but when faced with the choice of saving the few or the many most “heroes” seek a way to accomplish both, but Sonic chooses to satisfy his feelings instead. It is a selfish action on his part regardless of the outcome.

Beyond the games though you can also find Sonic being selfish in the OVA where talking him into going to Eggmanland is to stop Tails from worrying. He has no desire to go and outright refuses. It is only when someone he cares about is expressing genuine concern that Sonic is prompted to act. Even then he is visibly irritated by the whole affair the entire time. He had to go against what he desired to do, and it frankly agitates him, which implies a very selfish nature. When he does agree, it is to address something which does bother him, which is anything but heroic.

So, I’ll admit that some of my readings may seem excessively extrapolative, but as I addressed at the beginning of this explanation, I look at Sonic in a different light than most and this paints my view of his character. That Sonic’s selfishness is never really called into question tells me that most people at SEGA also don’t understand it, or as Sonic is supposed to represent everything cool about SEGA it highlighting a negative trait would be seen as unfavorable to say the least. Regardless, Sonic’s selfishness slips in and paints the character in a very unique light, but if you don’t fall for the trap of him being a hero but rather an adventurer who lives for himself first, than it starts to not be a surprise. Or at least, that’s my view on it.