#my indulgent whims know no bounds

[mysterious-shadow-dragon]

I remember watching ghs along the soul collector game some time ago then I remembered it again and got into a mood cause of it, so I tried my hand at trying to design a character based off the show/game.

This is Worn Teddy, I of course went with a teddy bear based character (there's a doll character in the show and game, so why not a teddy bear like c'mon) I don't know whether the settings of the show or game like she might've been a guest at one point but it didn't end well on her part.

I'd imagine she's a passive kind of character that's pretty neutral and polite unless purposely provoked, although making mad her would take a long time to do and honestly there's no guarantee she'll do anything as she is a low energy and no motivation type of person but she's kind just there doing her own thing at Gregory House.

[autisticlancemcclain]

“I know, buddy, I know.” Keith scratches behind his big dumb dog’s ears, pressing a million kisses to his forehead because he’s got Black to himself for the next day and there’s no one (Shiro) to clown him for it. Kosmo barks excitedly, wagging his floofy tail so fast it beats against the dashboard and system controls. Keith laughs, moving his scratching fingers down the wolf’s head and neck and to his back, where he likes to be scratched best.

“I know you’re hyper, huh?” he coos, blowing a raspberry. “But that’s what you get. You know you always get too excited when you hang out with Lance. You should have stayed with me.”

At the mention of the Red Paladin’s name, Kosmo starts howling, bounding out from Keith’s lap and tumbling to the floor, nails clacking against the metal as he flips around Black’s cockpit.

Keith huffs. “You raise a wolf from a pup, showering him in treats and affection, and you still fall second best to the first guy he meets who teaches him to fetch. Figures.”

It’s ridiculous, is what it is. Two straight years together on the space whale, but Kosmo lays eyes on Lance for one measly second and falls in love. He’s genuinely obsessed with the guy, and it doesn’t help that Lance is unbelievably smug about it, indulging Kosmo’s every whim and burst of affection just to grate on Keith. He has on twelve seperate occasions radioed the Black Lion to talk to Kosmo only, completely ignoring Keith.

“I can’t blame ya,” Keith says quietly. His voice is still a little teasing, still a little exasperated, but even he can hear the gooey fondness in it. “Lance is just that good, huh?”

Kosmo barks again, loud and fast, then flashes as he blips out of existence then back into existence right on Keith’s lap. Keith chokes as 200 pounds of floof is suddenly deposited on his person, but recovers quickly. (Kosmo will never remember that he is no longer a little puppy. Keith is just going to have to get used to having his lungs crushed.)

He starts to stroke Kosmo’s fur again, gently this time, calming him down.

“I should say something,” he says, more to himself than to his dog. “Ugh. I mean, it’s Lance, right? He’s my best friend. He’ll most definitely tease me, but he won’t, like, mock me or anything. He’s good like that. He knows exactly when to be serious, like during that last gala thing we had when we landed on a planet a while back. He just knew I was feeling off, just like that.”

Keith buried his face in Kosmo’s fur, hiding his smile. “He’s just…everything, you know? I’m always thinking about him. I have been for years. Hell, I talked about him so much on that stupid whale that you recognised him before you even met him, buddy. That’s objectively bonkers. But I can’t…” He sighs, leaning back in the pilot seat and staring unseeingly through the windshield. A red dot flashes gently at the bottom corner, but he pays it no mind.

“He’s sweet when no one’s looking. And even when people are looking, sometimes. And I’ll die before I even imply it in his direction, but he’s funny, too. And his fucking brain, dear God, that man could outwit anyone if he was under enough pressure. He saved our asses more than once when we were stumbling our way through this co-leading thing in the beginning. And anyone with eyes can tell that he’s hot.” Keith’s ears burn a little, thinking of the Coalition videos. “Seriously hot. And…leggy.”

He cracks up, embarrassed giggles bubbling up his throat. His next words are muffled by the hand he has pressed to his face. “God, I want him to fuck me up.”

Kosmo raises his head from where it was resting on Keith’s knee, staring at him in what Keith can only assume is judgment.

“Shut up,” Keith says hotly. “You once farted so loud you scared yourself and cried for ten minutes. You don’t get to judge me about being embarrassing.”

Keith is losing it. He is defending his character to a dog. He groans loudly, dragging his hand down his face.

“I should tell him, shouldn’t I,” he mutters. “Just — come out with it. ‘Leandro Esposita-McClain, I am in love with you.’ Straight to the point. Rip off the band-aid.”

Kosmo yips quietly. Keith snorts.

“Yeah, you’re right. That’s crazy. He’s my friend, I don’t want to ruin things. I’ll just suffer in silence the next time he looks at me and the fuckin’ sun bleeds into his eyes and makes them look like golden honey or whatever. Jesus.” He reaches for his book and props it open, muttering to himself. “It’s always the fuckin’ pretty ones that get me, huh?”

Kosmo barks loudly in what can only be agreement, and Keith scoffs, flicking him on the shout. “Yeah, yeah, you lug. Bug off with the teasing and let me read in peace, alright? I’ll tell him someday. He doesn’t need to know now.”

.

.

.

(A beep echoes through the Red Lion’s cockpit as her paladin slams on the ‘call end’ button, eyes wide and chest heaving, having listened curiously when he’d been radioed out of nowhere mid-conversation between the Bladk Paladin and his dog. And then listened in shock as the Black Paladin had brought up him. Brought up being in love with him, with his heart and his eyes and his legs, apparently.

Red blooms on his cheeks.)

———

based on this post by @petricorah

[mammamiagoth]

Pulp | Bo Sinclair x Reader

warning: smut, subby bo, handjob, edging, piv, unprotected sex, creampie, degradation, no mention of genitalia/gender neutral, bo refers to reader as mama (no mommy kink tho), fluffy ending.

a/n: i found this in my drafts and was possessed by the horny spirit to finish it and i’m not mad about it. i do mention bo being bound bc it’s hot and i wanted to and he loved it so don’t come for me.

“You look so pretty like this, baby,” you coo, your breath ghosting over Bo’s bounding pulse, the thick chords of muscle tensing at the sensation.

You hadn’t lied, he really did look beautiful— body bound and pliant, his skin balmy with perspiration, pupils blown from the combination of lust and desperation he was drunk on. Hours of edging had worn him out, his pleas for release morphing into frayed syllables, his eyes welling up with tears.

“Does my pretty baby need to cum?”

He can only nod in response, his hips rutting into your palm as you stroke him at a torturously slow pace. You delight in the way his cock twitches at your dulcet tone, your words giving him false hope, but Bo knows better than to think you’ve had your fill.

The languid momentum you’d built up did little to satisfy him— it was by design, every touch purposefully pushing him toward the precipice of relief, only for your hand to recede.

You see the bob of his adam’s apple, his voice coarse when he grits out “baby—fuck— baby please,” pathetic in his attempt for your mercy.

You only smile cruelly in response, amused with the man beneath you, but you remain intent on breaking him. Fingers lithe as they tease his aching cock, up and down with a noncommittal grip that makes him arch upward.

“If you keep that up, I might not let you cum at all.” The words are sadistic but your features remain soft as ever, a syrupy sweetness in your tone that could rival honey.

The click in his jaw is unmistakable, reminding you of just who you’re dealing. You revel in the fact that only you can reduce him to tears, have him impotent to your every whim with a single look— probably less.

You hear him mumble through clenched teeth, an apology, barely coherent with the way he’s fumbling his words.

“What was that, handsome?” You tenderly stroke his chin while your other hand grips his girth at the base with enough force to have Bo lurching forward.

He recovers quickly, though his voice is noticeably strained when he speaks again. “I’m sorry, just— please, mama, I need it so fuckin’ bad,” his baby blues finally spilling over in time for you to lick away the briny trail.

This was the Bo you loved the most, submissive and malleable. None of that macho bullshit— you’d never cared for it much anyway. He was so much more than that, and hell, he did apologize…

“Oh honey,” you mock but begin stroking him more purposefully, his breath hitching in relief. “I’ll let you cum, you just gotta tell me who’s cock this is.”

He looks at you, steeling his visage before answering “it’s yours, mama. All of me, it’s yours.”

And with that, you move to straddle him, your panties pulled to the side as you lower yourself down with a strangled “fuck.”

Bo looks a mess, a moments notice from spilling inside you and the sight alone is nearly enough to send you over the edge. He says nothing as you grind above him, letting you take from him, completely at your mercy.

“I’m so close, Bo,” you cry out, making sure to meet his covetous gaze, “but if you don’t cum with me, you don’t cum at all.”

At the sound of his strangled moans, you clench around him, creaming his cock as he writhes in desperation. You almost miss it with the way your ears are ringing, hours of built up tension leading to this singular moment, his face contorted in pleasurable bliss as he spills inside of you. The warmth pulsates and envelopes you both. You let your head fall to his shoulder, hands wandering down to release his binds. Bo wastes no time to pull you into his chest, a steak of dominance you let him indulge in.

“Damn, mama,” he rasps, lips pressed to your head. “You drained me fuckin’ dry.”

You can’t help but giggle, satisfied and sated to the bone when you see how fucked out he looks. His eyelids flutter, heavy with sleep. It’s endearing, the way you can render him dazed, forever under your thumb when everyone else remains at arms length.

“Come on, big guy,” you yawn, letting yourself melt into the man beneath you. “Let’s go to bed.”

[outism-odyssey]

Outis Base EGO Sin Analysis

Right, I made this blog specifically to analyze her sins... and promptly forgot to do that!

For the meanings of each sin, I’ll be largely referring to this post from @lu-is-not-ok​ (its a very good post, do check it out!)

I originally meant to do her base ID and EGO in the same post, but, the EGO alone goes on for a while. (I’ll probably write up the base ID tomorrow)

Sin Costs

To Páthos Máthos costs 2 pride and 2 sloth, and translates to "Suffering Becomes Experience". Pride generally represents ignoring consequences. Act now, deal with the problems later. And almost always, pride-related actions ate taken out of the belief the benefits will outweigh the consequences. Sloth, on the other hand, represents apathy and resignation. It has many uses, but a particular use I think resonates with this ego is to do things without ever complaining or acting out.

Together, these sins would suggest that Outis believes what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. That she should press on, stoic and ignoring the pain, believing in the end she'll come out better for it. But, I don't think she actually believes that. Rather, it's what she *wants* to believe.

Early in canto 4, Outis tells the other sinners that "experiencing a certain pain will make you learn to fear and avoid it." And she says this in a very different tone of voice to the rest of her speech. It certainly doesn't sound like the words or tone of someone who thinks pain makes them stronger.

Her EGO's line is "the odyssey has a purpose." And in the context of her speech in canto 4? It sounds to me like she's trying to convince herself. She's trying to tell herself that there's meaning to her suffering, and that she hasn't just gone through all this for no reason. Telling herself that her odyssey did have a purpose.

Sin Resistances

There’s a few theories around about what exactly sin resistances on a sinner’s EGO means (like this one from analytical-machine!), but for this analysis I’ll be sticking to my own interpretation of it.

In the abnormality EGOs, I don’t believe resistances mean much of anything.it’s just the abnormality’s resistances, and it’s always identical across all sinners with the same EGO. But, the base EGOs are more interesting.

For a sinner’s base EGO, I believe the sins they’re fatal to are in some way connected to the origins of their traumas, while the sin they endure is how they’re trying to escape it - either literally or metaphorically.

For instance, Gregor has fatal for gloom and envy damage - respectively representing his PTSD and feelings towards G corp, and Hermann using him as a test subject and poster boy. On the other hand, he endures sloth. Gregor escaped the room he was locked into when, out of resignation, he cut the apple and was allowed to leave - resignation being heavily associated with sloth.

The resistances for To Páthos Máthos are: Fatal: lust, envy Endured: gloom

The combination of lust and envy was odd. Lust is associated with self-indulgence, following your own whims and goals. But Envy is associated with taking action because of someone else. They seem like complete opposites. I kind of didn’t know what to do about them. But, @speedynamo​ had some great insight in some comments, and I’ll paraphrase those below.

For Outis’ envy weakness: In The Odyssey, Odysseus ended up in the trojan war because he was bound by a truce to support the Greeks if Helen were ever to be kidnapped. When Paris of Troy asked Aphrodite for the most beautiful woman on earth for marriage, Aphrodite gave him Helen - thus kicking off the war and dragging in Odysseus.

And for the lust: War's often promoted as something that will make you complete. And because of that, many people think the best way to achieve your desires is to go out, fight in war, and come back as a war hero.

Speedynamo mentioned that their analysis hinged on there being a very close equivalent to the Trojan war. And there certainly is: the smoke war! While the specifics probably aren’t identical, there is a good chance that Outis’ experience was similar. Something was stolen (likely Old L Corp’s singularity?), and a deal/truce involving it dragged Outis into the war, where she believed she could complete herself by becoming a war hero.

It probably didn’t work out that way, though. So, how does Outis deal with it? With her resisting gloom... it seems like she doesn’t handle it. Gloom as a sin is all about stewing in your negative emotions, buckling under pressure, letting those emotions control you. And while we never see her express this directly, there are a few rare moments where she seems to show this side of herself - like when she tells Dongrang the calf will remember him, or in her sunshower EGO’s corrosion line (which is a topic for another time)

But, with her mask(s) on constantly, it’s not often that you see this side to her.

[slasherhoe87]

Slashers reaction to s/o who likes bdsm? Preferably Michael, Bo, Hannibal, and Norman Bates

I love your first fanfic! It's so sad and cute 😭

Hey. Thanks for enjoying my previous fic. I'll gladly do your request but I hope you don't mind... I have to skip Norman as I have only watched Psycho once or twice and don't know his character well.

Slightly NSFW / GN!reader

SLASHERS WITH A S/O INTO BDSM:

MICHAEL MYERS (OG/Peepaw):

Michael stared at his bowl of delicious, creamy, homemade, herby tomato soup you had put in front of him a minute ago

This was gonna be good

He was just about to bring a spoonful of the thick, aromatic goodness to his lips when he felt a pair of eyes boring into the side of his unmasked face

Lowering his spoon back down into his bowl he slowly turned his head towards you to return the stare, letting out a grunt in aknowledgement

You looked nervous, uncertain as you sat on the sofa

After a minute of you not being able to get your words out, Michael huffed in annoyance and scooped up the soup again

Just as the red deliciousness was about to finally grace his lips you spoke up

"I want to try something in the bedroom with you" the words came out tentatively

You hoped Michael would be open to the idea of BDSM - he certainly liked it rough enough to begin with... but you never know

Michael dropped his spoon again and bored his eye/s into your own, both curious about your desire and frustrated at him not getting enjoy his damn soup

He tilted his head as a go ahead for you to proceed

"BDSM... it is something I really enjoy aaand I want to experience it with you. But if you don't think you'd enjoy that then its okay, no worries" you smiled at him as your index finger traced absentminded circles on the arm of the sofa

You desperately hoped he would want to try it out with you. You had an itch only a dominant male like Michael could satisfy

Although Michael had never experienced BDSM, he knew what it was about and what it all entailed. And to say he was surprised that his sweet s/o had a penchant for more extreme sex?

His cock grew as hard as a rock instantly

To have you bound, restrained, helpless and so at his mercy and whims - bringing your quivering body to orgasm with pleasure and pain... he was practically salivating at the mouth

Michael turned back to his bowl of soup and finally started eating, his mind delving deep into dark, sinister sexual thoughts about you

Before he focused back on his soup you saw the dark, heavy and heated look in his eye/s. You smiled to yourself - the seed had been planted and now it need only take root

Little did you know that later that night Michael did not leave the house to kill, he instead stalked towards the direction of Doug's Hardware Store which conveniently sat right next to Kinkdom Adult Toy shop - two places which housed everything he would need

BO SINCLAIR:

When you had told Bo that you wanted to be restrained and at his mercy, bound in the now unused and dusty chair that sat in his little lair beneath the shop his eyebrows skyrocketed to his hairline

You? His innocent, sweet little y/n?

His body instantly responded - white-hot heat bloomed and pooled to the pit of his stomach and groin

His gaze darkened and he pinned you with his heavy stare

But he had to be sure you meant it, because if you did then you had to know what you'd be getting yourself into with him

Bo leaned back against the kitchen counter as he looked directly into your big doe eyes. "Shit, baby... you sure? Really sure? Don't be teasing me with the prospect if you ain't 100% sure about this"

You assured him that you indulged in BDSM regularly before you had become a part of the Sinclair trio and that you craved his ruthless touch. Craved his fingers and tools that would drag you to both heaven and hell

Bo stepped towards you and firmly grasped your jaw in his big hand, his aura of dominance engulfing your eager form

"Well then darlin', let's go to our lair and fix it up some - don't want our playtime ruined by dust and dirt"

As you swept the floor of his 'play room' and the two of you discussed your safe word and what you would and wouldn't feel comfortable with your nethers clenched in anticipation for tonight's blissful torment

HANNIBAL LECTER (OG/MADS):

You were both spent, laying draped in one another's arms in his king sized bed, luxuriating in post-coital bliss when you brought up the topic of BDSM and how you wanted to indulge in it with Hannibal

Hannibal was only somewhat surprised by this revelation as you had already shown him you enjoyed more extreme sexual escapades in the bedroom next to vanilla love-making

Initially he thought that it would be him to bring up the topic but it mattered not anymore as he was most pleased by your admission

The following evening Hannibal took you by your hand down to his somewhat forbidden basement

He did not forbid you from entering the basement as you knew of his "meat" eating tendecies - he only asked you to use caution as there was dangerous equipment and machinery about

Your curiosity turned to intrigue when he stopped the both of you before a previously hidden black metal door

"Are you ready to see what awaits you behind this door, love?" He asks with a subtle cheeky smirk

You eagerly nod, practically bouncing on the balls of your feet. Your eyes widen to saucers and you gasp as Hannibal pushes open the heavy door and flicks on a light switch that envelops the dark room in sinister red lighting

You trace your fingers along the well-made heavy BDSM furniture which no doubt cost thousands to have made. Every contraption, tool, toy and furniture piece fit for the darkest of carnal pleasures sat proudly in the room

Hell's pleasure room indeed

Hannibal stood back, hands in the pockets of his well-tailored trousers, a pleased smile gracing his elegant features

Hannibal's dungeon was everything you could've hoped for and more

Your body grew taut, your nipples hardening and your nethers moistening as your imagination ran wild with the thoughts of what painful delights Hannibal would inflict on your bound, submissive body

Walking back over to Hannibal you pulled him down for a searing kiss before the two of you stepped back further in to the room to discuss the what your body would be enduring by Hannibal's unforgiving hands

[shirefantasies]

Hi! I love ur account and saw u were going matchups so I wanted to participate! My names Mari, and appearance wise I’m pretty short, around 5’0, Mexican with long wavy brown hair and brown eyes. I’m bi with a preference for men. Um personality wise I’m pretty extroverted and I like think I’m a pretty open person. I love cooking, reading, and history, and I love talking about my interests and meeting new people. I definitely have a pretty low social battery though. I hope that’s enough! Tysm!!!

Hi Mari 🙋🏻‍♀️ hope you enjoy this matchup & me throwing in some silmarillion references cuz why not! My heart spoke to me in this moment & it said…

Boromir 😌

A woman of Minas Tirith, your path crosses Boromir’s quite naturally. You run a stall quite unlike the others he passes that day in market, enough so that he stops and dallies there, and you are happy to entertain this new face. When he introduces himself as Boromir, son of Denethor, you give pause, unaware this man was the heir to Gondor's stewardship. You make to curtsy but he stops you, insisting that's his father's business. He is just a man, you quite the charming book binder. At that, he selects an empty journal and purchases it, walking away with a smile. He was flirting with you, was he not? Least of what you expected that day was such an occurrence.

Boromir, it is plain to see, is not one for the books. He is an active captain and student in the ways of his people certainly, but not one to have his nose in one of your historical documents. Classics escape him, and yet there he is browsing your wares once again, his eyes drifting to yours as he smiles. Asking which one is your favorite. You cannot help the giggle that escapes your lips at the musing that he came with little aim to find a new volume. Instead of indulging him, you point out something he might like to read: recently you re-bound a particularly stunning account of a great victory Gondor won years back. "Your father would surely like you to study this, no?" You teased as he lit up. "This is brilliant, Mari," he exclaims as his eyes wander the small book, "truly! I want to know what you enjoy, too. Perhaps these pursuits give a greater insight, a key to unlock the natures of others. Values. Desires. Whims, even. Will you share yours with me?" Eyes lighting up, you nod. "That is what it is about! Why I do what I do. You are exactly right. Maybe you've guessed, but I have an affinity for history. Have you any knowledge of the accounts made of the days of the Silmarils?" "The old legends? My brother loves them."

Under what you would claim to be a guise save for its earnest, Boromir returns again and again to hear you read your favorite tales to him. The scanning of words on a page scatter his mind, lack the dynamism of oral storytelling, he tells you. You do not mind, especially when he comes bearing gifts of flowers, sweets, or tea for you to share. Besides, having a captive audience to discuss your favorite stories with is a rare treat, and you love watching new eyes take in the folly of the elves, the tragic romances and epic battles of your land's early days. Relishing in storytelling, you give your all to the voices and presentation of it, and your captain in enthralled. Boromir becomes an unofficial salesman in your stead, calling others to experience Gondor's culture through your wares and even taking sales for you when you need some time to refill your social glass. People smile, shake their heads fondly and knowingly at the captain's animated interest.

His feelings for you slip out one night when he stays past the hours of the afternoon and you offer him dinner if he has no noble duty. He does not, and there you are letting him try one of your family's old stew recipes at your table, the surprise of his warm company not totally lost on you. How one passing meeting turned into something you cannot help questioning...but not for long. Boromir gushes over your meal, going on until you're laughing from the other side of your little table. "No, I mean it. I knew I loved you before I was aware you could cook, but now?" Pausing, you lean forward, offering him a simple look of challenge. Dare he repeat it? Green eyes widening, Gondor's captain meets your look, sees your smile and grows into one himself. "Well, now that my secret is out: will the book-binder have a simple knight?" You will and you do.

Taglist: @mossthebogwitch @lokilover476 @fuckyoumakeart @kilibaggins @pirate-lord-of-narnia @ibabblealot @joonies-word @stormchaser819 | Reply/Ask/Message to join!

[alexanderlightweight]

Happy writing Wednesday! Hope your day is going well whenever you read this. My prompt is scientist/inventor Magnus; he invented the portal after all, I'm sure he can create/do something no one thought was possible before

(This isn't part of the prompt just a mini rant: it always bothers me in media when plots rely on ancient spells and rituals and rigid magical systems which implies that SOMEONE in the past was capable of innovation then every single magic user just....forgot how to do that and are still? WHO CAME UP WITH THAT MAGIC IN THE FIRST PLACE WHY CAN'T YOU DO IT)

happy wednesday! it's actually a wednesday though not the wednesday it was sent and i am having a good day! very slow day besides, not really doing anything besides filling prompts and cleaning the house. doing some laundry.

hope you are well today! and that you enjoy this!

(okay don't even get me started - haha jk i'm started on it - on how little sense magic in the show made and how little magnus' fluctuating power levels made sense or his skill. or how he only has one important spellbook and it's that easy for others to get their hands on. so many freaking loopholes. like allow competent villains please so we dont see our favs be incompetent because no one can handle writing crafty villains.)

-

It’s rare that Magnus has a lover he gets to indulge himself on and Alexander is a balm to the many wounds that Magnus has been ignoring.

There’s a delight to waking up and going to his lab and knowing that while Alexander will pout at being abandoned, a few kisses will make up for Magnus’ betrayal and then Alexander will ask what he’s doing.

Magnus’ shadowhunter is sincere too, genuine in his curiousity. Sometimes he’ll be exhausted and wait until the morning, but he always is endeared and delighted by whatever Magnus is working on.

And, in a strange and delightful fashion, Alexander encourages him.

Alexander will bring Magnus bits of priceless adamas and angelic plants and magical artifacts and listen in rapt ardor as Magnus rambles about what he wants to experiment on them with.  Magnus will talk sometimes until Alexander falls asleep and the next day, his boy will wake up in their bed and pout because he thinks Magnus should have woken him up.

Magnus sighs in delight at the memory and adds a shard of beryl to the potion and then adds seven drops of lavender essence. Magically harvested and plucked during the seventh hour of a full moon.

Rituals such as these are always tricky and while there’s far less of an interest in creating arrays and rituals nowadays, Magnus has never left the craft behind. While he prefers using quick snaps of his fingers and his intent to do magic, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s created and used some of the most complex arrays in the world and he’s even changed them on a whim.

There is little magic that can argue with Magnus’ knowledge. Not when he knows how the stars and moon affect the tides and how the tides affect so much more as they drag magical power from the moon and imbue it into the sea.

So much knowledge has been lost to the ages and Magnus adds another chalk line to his floor and contemplates the image. When Magnus first bound his father to Edom, he was little more than a child by warlock standards and had no useful knowledge to his name.

What he did have was an innate and thorough understanding of how magic works and how to wield it. Magic is intimate for him in a way that he’s not sure is the same for many of his fellow warlocks and while Magnus pities them, he also reveals himself in being that much more adored by magic.

Because magic loves him.

His own magic and the magic of the world.

So, Magnus summons his emerald spectacles and perches them on his nose as he looks at the array. The magical chalk appears differently with the glasses on, and he follows the ebb and flow of magic until he sees the rune where it’s stagnated.

“Ah, the meaning of the word in modern times has changed quite a bit.” Magnus murmurs aloud as he studies the section, “intent is important with leylines, I suppose I’ll have to use a different piece altogether.”

It’s a bit of magic to erase the section and seven runes later, the magic in the array is fluidly twining through the runes and powering them up.

“There we are and—” Magnus checks the time, using his magic to change his clothes and put away his tools. He’s right on time to wake up his boy and actually be there to kiss him awake. Because as adorable as Alexander sulking for morning cuddles is, magnus prefers to be there to hold his boy until he wakes.

[skekdris]

A piece commissioned from SkekLa: https://www.deviantart.com/skekla Ever since I saw SkekLa's art of the skeksis, (especially the youthful ones in their prime), I've always wanted a skeksona. And knowing my tastes, a very corpulent one ^^.

Though SkekDris cares about his personal fitness a fair degree more than other skeksis, (which most of them honestly) he still loves to flaunt around his heft. SkekDris, though a secretive hermit and scholar, adores having guests over for tea, indulging in exotic substances, and if one is so inclined - a night in his bed chamber. Though not to the self-destructive degree of other skeksis, hedonism is a core part of their being that can never truly be erased. Rather than try and fight it completely (which is an impossible task that ends in despair) or losing themselves entirely to their vices like the others, Skekdris has managed to find the fine line of control. Much like a sea captain; Rather than fight the current, they learn and understand it to use it in their travels without being subject to the whims of the sea.

Pictured left, is one of his servants. One of the emaciates mentioned in my previous lore post. In short, they are skeksis (or beings transformed into a skeksis-like vessel) that seem unhealthily thin - save for their protruding paunches - and yet seem just as fit as an ordinary person, perhaps even a moderately athletic one. Through dark rituals and deals, these emaciates are granted magical sustenance, vitality, and even extraordinary senses... at the cost of their vision.

In this matter for the first and current servant, SkekZur, they were already blind. These two characters sort of exist in my own setting/vacuum, but if were to fit them into in the dark crystal setting, I'd see it that SkekDris was likely exiled for bucking a lot of skeksis social norms - as well as him being a skilled magic user causing him to be seen as a political threat. SkekZur being blind made him a target of vicious bullying. Partaking in a ritual that was 'free' for him and secluding himself from the petty squabbles of the castle was an easy contract in his mind. Thus, though a bound servant, SkekZur is eager to serve. He has since worn a leather mask across his beak - as do all future emaciates - symbolizing their blind devotion. Though be warned, though they are blind, they quite sharp and remarkably independent when contrasted with other servants. SkekDris has learned many a pretty secret from those whom paid them too little mind...

[midnightshard06]

My birthday is upon us, which means it's time for my au crossover fic! It was a blast writing all these guy's interactions. Hope you all enjoy my little self indulgent fic.

You can check it out on ao3 here if you prefer.

Summary: Due to the whims of an odd jackal, a group of people who were never meant to meet cross paths. Heroes from the worlds of Chaos Uncontrolled, Bound by Fate, Heart of a Hero, and Lost and Found are all dragged into a brief adventure where they have to work together to get home. They'll stumble a little along the way, but they'll get the hang of it.

Word Count: ~13,000 words

"Well… this could be fun." A black figure cradles a magenta gem in their hands. The creature carefully turned the gem to inspect it. “The Phantom Ruby, what an interesting artifact. But what to do with it…” They tapped the gem as they hummed. Their ears perked up as blue eyes narrowed. “Oh well that could certainly prove interesting, and perhaps the resulting confusion will give me time to figure out just how this works…” They chuckled. “Yes. That’s what I’ll do.” They gripped at what seemed to be a tear in the air. “Time to get to work.” With that they vanished through the tear.

Chaos Uncontrolled (Pre “I’m With You”)

“Why did we have to come to some place this cold? There’s just a bunch of snow and ice everywhere.” Super huffed from within Sonic’s head.

Sonic just rolled his eyes, fond smile on his face. “Hey Holoska’s a pretty… cool place you know?” He barely held back a laugh.

There was dead silence for a moment before Super let out an exaggerated groan. “Don’t.” He said sharply. “Don’t do that.”

“What? Gonna give me the cold shoulder?” Sonic finally let himself laugh as Super groaned even louder. “To actually answer your question though… we’re taking a trip around the world. Holoska just so happened to be part of the world.”

“I guess.” Super mumbled. 

“Plus it’s not like you’re the one dealing with the cold right now.” Sonic gestured to the snow. “You bailed the moment we landed.”

“Look, I can enjoy all this perfectly fine from where I am.” Super hummed. “Plus I’d been in control on the way over. It was only fair that you get control back for a while.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“You’ve just never had to deal with cold before, and you’re being a baby about it.” Sonic ignored Super’s indignant shout. “But it’s fine, because I’m a good friend who’s still gonna show you around.”

“Oh, how nice of you.” Super sounded annoyed now, but it was all in good fun. Sonic could tell there wasn’t any real anger behind it. This sort of back and forth was pretty normal for them after all.

The two slipped into a comfortable back and forth as Sonic pointed out the sights there were to see in Holoska. Super slowly warmed up to the place as they went around, so he’d count that as a win. On top of getting to show Super around it was nice to see some of the locals again. They all greeted him fondly and a few even made jokes about the planet being broken again. Jokes that confused Super, but Sonic assured him he’d explain later. 

As the sun started to set Sonic stretched. “Guess we should head back to meet up with Tails huh?”

“Hmmm guess so.” Super sounded distracted.

“Something up?” Sonic was instantly alert, eyes subtly darting around.

Super was silent for a moment and Sonic thought he might not answer. “Does anything feel… off to you?”

If Sonic focused he could feel… something. He wasn’t sure if it was the same thing Super was feeling but it definitely wasn’t normal. “I think I’m feeling it, yeah.” There didn’t seem to be anything off that he could see, but he knew Super’s senses were usually pretty accurate. “Any idea what it is?” He asked, this time keeping the comment purely mental. It felt safer to continue the conversation that way until they knew what was going on. 

“Not sure.” Super was definitely on edge. “Feels almost like… we’re being watched.”

Sonic cast a subtle glance around the area. “It’s not any of the locals?” He asked, despite not seeing any of them looking back at him.

“No.” Super answered quickly, sounding certain. “It’s definitely not.” Sonic could feel restless energy coming off Super and did his best to keep the other calm.

“Well well.” Sonic snapped his head around at the sound of the unfamiliar male voice. A black jackal, not Infinite though they did seem similar, stared back at him. Sonic had to suck in a deep breath as Super got defensive. “You two will do quite well…” The jackal grinned, showing off sharp teeth.

“This guy’s dangerous.” Super hissed.

“Yeah, figured that.” Sonic answered mentally, eying the all too familiar gem in the jackal’s hand. “So, what are you then?” Sonic turned his full attention to the jackal. “Some… relative of Infinite’s looking for revenge? Didn’t think the guy had anyone who would go as far as somehow finding the Phantom Ruby and then me in the name of revenge.”

“Oh no! You misunderstand my intentions.” The jackal chuckled, it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “I only wish to have a little fun. I have no care for your fallen foe. This-” They held up the Phantom Ruby. “-was simply a serendipitous find. One I intend to make great use of. Enjoy the trip.” Before Sonic could react things flashed red, and then everything went black.

Bound by Fate (Post chap 7)

Sonic took a deep breath as he stretched. Another new day meant another day of tracking down the Gaia Temples. He glanced over at Knuckles who was, predictably, already up. “Morning. Ready to head out?” Sonic grinned 

“Been waiting on you to get up.” Knuckles huffed as he adjusted his hat.

“Glad to know you won’t just leave me behind.” Sonic chuckled as he glanced out at the horizon. It was still pretty early in the morning so it wasn’t like he could have kept Knuckles waiting that long. 

In case you’ve somehow forgotten we’re literally stuck together.” Knuckles came up to his side. “You’re not going anywhere without me, and I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“Makes it sound like a chore to spend time with me when you put it like that.” Sonic sighed dramatically.

“Keep acting like this and it will be.” Knuckles crossed his arms. “It’s already bad enough you insist on manhandling me at night.”

“Look who am I to deny anyone werehog cuddles? Tails says they’re some of the best around.” Sonic smirked. “Plus you don’t exactly try that hard to stop me.”

Knuckles pulled his hat down to hide his face. “I do try. You’re just annoyingly stronger than me like that.”

“Oh? Admitting I’m stronger than you? Guess if I didn’t know the world was ending I’d know now.” Sonic put a hand on his chest. “Perhaps we just weren’t fast enough to stop Dark Gaia.”

After a moment of Sonic trying to hold in his laughter, Knuckles righted his hat. “Whatever, mutt. Let’s just get moving.” He narrowed his eyes. “And remember…”

“No dropping you.” Sonic waved off the comment. “I know. I know.” He sighed. “Accidentally drop a guy one time…” Before he could pick Knuckles up though he froze. Knuckles gave him an odd look, but he held up a hand. Something felt… weird. Sonic glanced around. Nothing was out of the ordinary that he could see, but there was a definite feeling of wrongness. It felt… almost a little familiar honestly but he could quite place why. For now though he was on edge, with his fur and quills raised.

“What’s going on?” Knuckles asked quietly, glancing around. Sonic shook his head. He didn’t know. Whatever this was though he was certain it was nothing to do with Dark Gaia. He knew the feeling of something related to the god. This wasn’t it. 

Unfortunately though he wasn’t able to find the source of it before things went red, then black.

Heart of a Hero (Between chap 11 and 12)

“Hey Metal? You ok?” Tails walked up to where Metal was looking out over the edge of Angel Island.

Metal turned to him and shrugged. ‘Just thinking I guess’ He signed.

“There is a lot to think about huh?” Tails hummed. The two were quiet for a while. Metal wished he could feel the wind that gently blew through the area. At least he could vividly imagine it… “Are you… alright?” Tails looked at him with barely hidden concern.

If Metal could frown he would. Honestly he hated worrying any of his friends, but it just seemed to keep happening despite his best efforts. ‘I’m-’ Metal let his hands hang motionless for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. ‘-I will be ok’ He settled on. No point in trying to lie if Tails already knew he was not doing great. ‘Right now I just want to focus on getting those emeralds and maybe stopping Eggman with them’ He nodded.

“Right.” Tails sounded like he wanted to press, but he ultimately didn’t. “Do you think we’ll be able to find them all?”

‘For sure’ Metal nodded, wishing he could give Tails a reassuring smile. He pat the green scarf around his neck. ‘Already got one remember?’

Tails chuckled. “How can I forget? Knuckles trying to keep it away from you was some of the best entertainment I’ve had in a while.” The two lapsed into comfortable silence again. The emerald stashed in Metal’s scarf sent a jolt of chaos energy his way, perhaps in an attempt at reassurance. He appreciated the effort. “I’m just… worried about you.” Tails eventually broke the silence. “I think I speak for Silver, and even Shadow too when I say that.”

‘I know buddy. I know’ Metal signed slowly. ‘Things will work out. Just you wait and see’

“I… believe you.” Tails sounded unsure. “I’m just worried about what we’ll have to go through to get there.” He added, much more quiet. It wasn’t an unreasonable fear to have, especially with Eggman in control of most of the planet, but Metal hated seeing Tails like this. 

As he went to put a reassuring hand on Tails' shoulder he got a sudden alert. On instinct he grabbed Tails and rushed forward. He narrowly managed to save the two of them from falling into an odd tear in the floor. Tails seemed shaken up but his full attention was on the tear. Metal did a quick scan of it. Small traces of chaos energy… but nothing else he recognized. The emerald moved around in his scarf. Maybe it was uneasy? “What is that?” Tails asked as he pulled out the Miles Electric. 

Metal just shook his head. He had no idea what it was. Whatever it was though, it was giving him a lot of warnings. Clearly even his systems thought this was a major threat. While he didn’t love being super reliant on his systems for things like this, he felt inclined to head the warnings this time. “I’m… not sure what I’m looking at here.” Tails briefly glanced at Metal. “Whatever it is though… it’s not natural.” His tails flickted behind him.

‘Agreed’ Metal nodded. As he was trying to figure out what they should do he got another alert before things flashed red and he was shoved forward. Right towards the tear. He just hoped Tails was ok as things went black.

Lost and Found (Pre “Another Step on the Path”)

“Just stick close to me ok?” Sonic held out a hand as he gave Shadow a reassuring smile. “It’ll be fine, promise.”

Shadow looked unsure, tail flicking nervously behind him. His hand started to reach out but he hesitated. That was fine though, for once Sonic was alright with being patient. That’s just how working with Shadow had to be. Something he’d learned the hard way when first trying. He had several past scratches and bites to prove it. That was fine though, Sonic could take those. Plus Shadow had almost always looked… well dare he say scared after he’d realized he’d hurt Sonic. He hated seeing Shadow look like that, especially after finding out what happened to him.  

Finally Shadow nodded, standing up a bit straighter. He didn’t take Sonic’s offered hand but he moved up to his side. That was good enough. Sonic really enjoyed the moments where Shadow’s true personality started to shine through. Those moments only really came when he was comfortable though, and it was hard to get him there sometimes. Now, with Sonic leading them through some of the less busy parts of Station Square, wasn’t exactly one of those times but it was close. Hopefully eventually Shadow would feel comfortable to be himself all the time. Baby steps for now though.

All things considered Shadow did well. Of course he didn’t say anything and was more or less glued to Sonic’s side the whole time, but he seemed mostly calm. It was a big improvement over the first couple times he’d tried to bring Shadow out. Those had been… a bit chaotic but nothing he couldn’t handle. To be fair Sonic had been trying to move things a bit fast. Honestly he’d seriously underestimated how slowly he needed to introduce Shadow to most things. He probably should have listened to Tails a bit more in the beginning, but hey he’d figured it out eventually.

“Alright.” Sonic nodded. “I think that’s enough excitement for today. Let’s head back huh?” He gestured over his shoulder. Shadow silently sighed in relief and Sonic pretended not to notice. “What about a race back?” It hadn’t taken long for Sonic to realize how competitive Shadow could get. Something made all the more fun when he’d found out the other hedgehog could keep up with him in a race.

Shadow’s eyes narrowed, and the start of a confident grin slipped onto his face. That was challenge accepted then. “End point is Tails’ lab.” Sonic let a confident grin of his own slip onto his face. “Three, two, one-” Both of them tensed. “-go!”

The two were off like a shot. Sonic reveled in the feeling of someone being able to challenge him speed wise. Sure there was Metal Sonic, but while those races were fun they more often than not turned into fights. Plus as competitive as Metal was, it was way different when it was strictly friendly.

Sonic was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Shadow dive at him and send both of them crashing into the ground. He was about to say something when he noticed what looked like some sort of tear in the air. If Shadow hadn't stopped them they both would have run right into it. Shadow was up on all fours glaring at the tear with teeth bared. Not a great sign, but Sonic didn't need much information to figure the thing was dangerous. "Guess we're due for a bit more excitement today huh?" Sonic carefully stood up, but stayed where he was.

"Oh so very right!" A black jackal emerged from the tear. 

Sonic immediately knew the guy was bad news, and Shadow was less than pleased based on how he started growling. "Settle down Shadow." Sonic kept his voice calm. "So what's your deal then?" He crossed his arms.

"I'm simply putting together something… interesting." The jackal pulled out something Sonic never thought he'd see again. The Phantom Ruby. "You two just happen to be the final pieces." The ruby glowed in their hands. "Enjoy the trip." Sonic felt Shadow's tail wrap around his leg before he felt himself falling. He could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness as things went red, then black.

Shadow jolted awake. His eyes darted around to find Sonic. Thankfully his tail was still wrapped around the blue hedgehog’s leg. He allowed himself to relax marginally when he saw the steady rise and fall of his chest. Once he was satisfied with Sonic's condition he turned his attention to their surroundings. A sort of sparse wooded area with some rocks strewn about. He froze when he noticed there were others here, some were familiar. Mostly because there were two other Sonics. They looked different, but they were unmistakable.

He shuffled slightly closer to… his Sonic. What was this? This had something to do with that person who had shown up out of nowhere no doubt. Sonic had shown some sort of familiarity so maybe he’d have a better idea of what was going on.

As he tried to subtly rouse Sonic he noticed “Tails” beginning to stir. Although this fox shared many features with the Tails he was familiar with, most notably the two tails, there were plenty of differences that tipped him off it was not the same person. They blinked wearily before they locked eyes with Shadow. “Shadow..?” They asked, clearly confused. Shadow just narrowed his eyes at the imposter. Suddenly the imposter’s eyes were clearer. Their head swiveled around until their eyes landed on the robot next to them. They relaxed marginally, but were clearly still worried.

Thankfully Shadow was spared trying to figure out what was going on alone when Sonic groaned at his side. “Shadow?” Sonic turned to him, his grogginess apparently evaporating at the sight of Shadow. Understandable, he was on edge and Sonic had been getting very good at reading his moods. “What happened?” Sonic was alert, ready to move at a moment’s notice. Good. 

Shadow pinned his ears back and gestured to the only other person that was awake. ‘That is not Tails’ He signed quickly.

Sonic glanced over at the imposter and frowned. Shadow would guess he was cataloging the differences between them and the real Tails. “Sure looks a lot like him… but I think you’re right.” He hummed. “I wonder if this is a book type of situation…” He muttered to himself. Shadow had no idea what that meant. “Well, only one way to find out huh?” Carefully he removed Shadow’s tail from around his leg. “Yo!” He called as he stood up. Shadow reluctantly stood up beside him. He still didn’t like this, but he’d trust Sonic… for now.

Tails jolted at the sudden address and looked over where the call came from. He tried not to outwardly react as he caught sight of the blue hedgehog that had waved at him. It couldn’t be… could it? Had this whole situation just turned out to be a good thing? Whatever this situation even was. He glanced down at Metal. It would be good if the robot was online. If anyone could confirm the hedgehog’s identity it would be him. “Sonic..?” He tentatively asked.

The blue hedgehog didn’t seem too surprised at the name. “That’s the name.” Sonic grinned. “You are?” He tilted his head.

“Oh! Uh Miles… but people just call me Tails.” Tails wrung his hands.

“Tails huh?” Sonic’s expression changed slightly, but Tails couldn’t quite place it. Next to him the hedgehog that looked a lot like Shadow narrowed their eyes more. Something was off.

“Interesting.” Sonic mumbled to himself. “I think I might know what’s going on here.” His expression hardened. “That creep had the Phantom Ruby, so all of this probably isn’t real. The guy thought making copies of me and some of my friends would throw me off. Looks like he at least got a little creative about it though…”

Tails felt panic spike through him. He had no idea what this Phantom Ruby was, but if Sonic didn’t think he was real he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out what the hedgehog would do. If Metal was awake he might feel a bit safer since the robot should be able to match Sonic in terms of power, but as it stood Tails didn’t feel like he stood a chance. Especially if the Shadow look-a-like was anything like the Shadow he knew.

He was pulled from his panic by a hand on his shoulder. A familiar, metallic hand. Metal stared down the duo menacingly. “Metal are you..?” Tails glanced at him.

Metal nodded and shot him a thumbs up with his free hand. “Working with Metal Sonic huh?” Sonic looked between the two of them before giving Tails a disapproving look.

Tails pinned his ears down. “He’s my friend.” He steeled his nerves. “Don’t you dare judge him or me when you don’t know what either of us have been through.” He sounded angry by the end. Wasn’t Sonic supposed to be a hero? Someone who was supposed to help them stop Eggman? 

Sonic’s expression faltered a bit. Maybe Tails could get him to listen after all. That would be better than the fight that was clearly threatening to break out. As he tried to figure out the best way to do that another passed out figure suddenly jolted awake. “I’m up!” The… other blue hedgehog, this one wearing a brown scarf and moon shaped pendant, rose a hand. He blinked as he took in the tense scene. “Huh.”

Behind him someone who looked just like Knuckles got up, holding his head. “What happened..?” He glanced out at the scene as well, brow furrowing. Tails took a deep breath. Just what was going on?

Knuckles frowned in confusion as he took in everything in front of him. Sonic had taken to staring at the others, who looked about ready to fight, in a mix of interest and confusion. “What is this?” Knuckles straightened his back. If a fight was about to break out he wasn’t going to be caught unaware. 

Sonic hummed. “I might have an idea.” He tapped his foot. “I feel like… this is sort of familiar in a way.

“Well? What’s happening then?” Knuckles urged Sonic to explain.

“Just hang back. I’ve got this.” Sonic winked at him as he walked up to be between the others. Knuckles stared in mild disbelief at Sonic’s blatant disregard for his own safety. “Alright why don’t we all just calm down?”

“One of the fake mes is up huh?” The Sonic look-a-like hummed.

Sonic held up a finger as he frowned at the blue hedgehog. “First, rude.” He held up a second finger. “Second, no one here is fake. Probably.”

“Really?” The fox spoke up. “How do you know?”

“Wonderful question buddy.” Sonic cleared his throat. “I’ve… experienced something like this before. I had a nice chill chat with another me. Can’t really remember the conversation but I know it happened.” He crossed his arms. “This could be that, but uh more people.” He shrugged.

“You never told me that.” Knuckles crossed his arms. It was hard to shut Sonic up sometimes, there was no way the hedgehog wouldn’t have shared that with him.

“That's because I didn’t remember it before right now.” Sonic sighed. “I don’t think I was supposed to remember it at all to be honest.”

The other Sonic actually relaxed at that. “You know I guess that’s not too far-fetched. I have met up with my past self a couple times.” He frowned and turned to the fox and robot. “Sorry about threatening you guys. Me and Shadow were attacked before waking up here so I was kinda on edge. That wasn’t cool of me though.” 

“It’s uh… alright.” The fox nodded, relaxing as well. At the fox’s side the robot rose their hands and started to make deliberate motions with them. “Metal says apology accepted… as long as you don’t threaten me again.” The fox rubbed the back of his head.

The other Sonic let out a short chuckle. “I can do that.”

The black hedgehog looked at Metal with interest and started moving their hands as well. The two went back and forth for a bit before Knuckles lost interest in trying to figure out what they were trying to say. “Shouldn’t we be trying to figure out a way back rather than… this?” Knuckles gestured at the group. “Some of us have things we need to get back to.”

“We just had to sort things out first, Knucklehead.” The other Sonic grinned. “We’ll figure this out.”

“We should share any information we have first.” The fox spoke up. “That way we have a better shot at figuring out what happened.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Sonic nodded at the fox in approval.

As the group started to share information Knuckles glanced at the last person who’d yet to wake up. From the looks of it, they were another Sonic. Wonderful. One was already a handful but three? He’d just have to deal with it though. At least until they figured out a way to get back. For now though he should go pay attention to the information the group was sharing. The faster he could get him and Sonic back the better.

Super was not panicking. Thank you. He was just… keeping himself alert in a less than ideal situation. Yeah. “Sonic you better get up right now or I swear to Chaos…” Super growled. There was no response. Which was just great. He could hear things, voices, but couldn’t really make out what they were saying. It was possible that the Holoska locals had found them but… Super found that unlikely. That weird jackal had confronted them before all this and he doubted they would have just left them there.

This all left him with only one thing he really could do. It wouldn’t be good to let Sonic keep being a sitting duck. Not when he could do something about it. He flexed his hands. Even if he was doubtful about his ability to keep himself under control right now. With no resistance he pushed Sonic out of control and took over.

Sounds snapped into sharp focus now that the “body” was awake. Though of course the talking abruptly stopped the moment he moved to get up. Clearly whoever was there had noticed him. He opened his eyes to take in the group, and almost wished he hadn’t. Of all the things he’d been expecting this was not it. Two other Sonics stared back at him; along with Tails, Knuckles, Metal Sonic, and… what looked like Shadow.

Super blinked. The other Sonics blinked back. After several moments of tense silence one of the Sonics, the one with the red scarf, walked forward. “Hey there.” He spoke gently. “You are probably pretty confused, but don’t worry. We’ve worked out we’re all cool. Apparently we’re all from different worlds but we’re working together to figure out how to get us all back.” He smiled.

That seemed… just outlandish enough to not be a lie. Super slowly stood up, willing himself to stay as calm as possible. If this Sonic was telling the truth, attacking them wouldn’t help anything. “We’re trying to figure out how to get back so just come over and join us when you’re ready.” He stayed back as the Sonic rejoined the group and they continued whatever conversation they were having. This was all a lot, but he could handle it. He had to. For now though maybe he should work on waking up Sonic. His Sonic that is. The fact he was still passed out had Super on edge.

As he mentally prodded at Sonic he noticed his vision shift, the edges going red for a moment. His eyes narrowed at what was once a group of somewhat familiar faces. Standing there now was a group of robots and the last person Super wanted to see right now. Eggman. Things slowly clicked into place. Whatever happened must have been Eggman’s fault. That jackal must be working with the doctor.

He growled and Eggman turned to face him. The doctor grinned, and Super could feel chaos energy beginning to spark around his body. The robots all stood at attention, and Metal Sonic moved up to his creator’s side. That was it. No way Super was going to let Eggman make the first move. He sprung forward intending to attack the doctor directly. Maybe if he took out their leader this fight would be over quick.

A couple minutes earlier…

Sonic watched as the other him walked back over to the group. Leaving the now golden furred hedgehog on their own for the time being. “I think they’ll be ok.” The other Sonic said as he rejoined them.

“Good to hear.” Tails smiled. “Will they be coming over soon?”

The other Sonic glanced back. “I’d give them a minute. They seem kind of shaken up.”

“Well for now, back to business!” Sonic clapped his hands together. “First though we need to slow down and figure out what we’re all calling each other. Particularly those of us with the same names.” He pointed to himself with his thumb. “You can call me Fate. I think that’s the name I used the last time this happened.”

“Hmmm I guess you can call me… Blur then.” The newly dubbed Blur shrugged. 

“Kinda boring but it works.” Fate nodded. “We’ll figure out what to call them when they come over.” He gestured to the golden hedgehog, who seemed to be lost in thought. “As for everyone else… I guess just your names are fine since there’s no other repeats!” He gestured to the group. “So just introduce yourselves in case someone doesn’t know a version of you.”

No one spoke up for a bit, that was until Tails stepped forward. “Well uh, like I said before I’m Miles, but just call me Tails.” He smiled before gesturing at the robot that was with him. “And this is Metal Sonic. We usually just call him Metal though.” Metal waved at the group.

When no one else spoke up Fate pushed Knuckles forward. The echidna gave him an annoyed look. “I’m Knuckles.” He said, crossing his arms. Fate nodded in approval.

Blur looked over at the black hedgehog, at least Fate was pretty sure they were a hedgehog, and gestured to the group. He tilted his head in silent question. The black hedgehog sighed before putting a hand on their chest. “Shadow.”

“Now that we’re all acquainted…” Blur looked back at the group after giving Shadow an approving smile. “Do we have any ideas on how we can get back?”

“Based on the limited information we have I’d say our best bet would be to try and find that jackal.” Tails hummed. 

“We need to be careful though since they have the Phantom Ruby.” Blur frowned as he crossed his arms. “That thing can be pretty dangerous as long as that guy knows how to use it.”

“Does it have any weaknesses?” Knuckles asked as he let his arms hang at his sides.

“The thing does need a powersource to function.” Blur perked up. “If we can find that and take it out the thing should be near useless.”

“That’s as good a place as any to start things.” Fate grinned. “Plus if we go poking around for this powersource the guy might show his face to try and stop us.”

Blur snapped his fingers and nodded. “Bingo. If they try to stop us we’ll know we’re getting closer too.”

Metal was suddenly alert, his hands moving in what Fate had recently learned was sign language. Shadow looked concerned as well and glanced back where Metal was looking. Slowly everyone in the group turned to look at what the duo was looking at. Fate suppressed an involuntary shudder as he took in the golden hedgehog. They had energy sparking around their body and a dark look in their odd, spiral eyes. 

His fur was standing up and he fought the urge to give into his fight or flight instincts. This guy might as well have a big, neon sign pointing to them right now that said “DANGER” the way Fate’s instincts were going haywire.

Metal moved up to Blur’s side; the robot looked ready to fight. It occurred then to Fate that he should probably prepare himself too. Blur had been trying in vain to calm down the golden hedgehog with words, so things were probably going to come to a fight. The tension kept building until the golden hedgehog leapt forward. They were fast, but thankfully so was Blur. The other hedgehog barely managed to dodge a quick swipe from the golden hedgehog’s claws.

With that first attack everyone jumped in. Him, Blur, and Metal kept the golden hedgehog’s attention on them by running literal circles around them. Fate would really love to focus on the fact that there wasn’t only one other person who could keep up with him but three; unfortunately he needed to focus on not getting slashed by one of the golden hedgehog’s unpredictable attacks.

“Keep on your toes guys!” Blur leapt out of the way of a sudden dive. “If this guy is super like I think he is then we’re kinda outmatched here. Unless you two have some sort of secret power I don’t know about that can damage someone who’s invulnerable.”

Fate bit his tongue. He nearly blurted out something about the werehog. There really wasn’t a need to bring that up right now. It was good for fighting those Dark Gaia creatures not… this. Plus it wasn’t even nighttime so it didn’t matter anyway. If he could help it, these guys would never have to know about it. “Fraid not.” Fate quickly curled into a ball to avoid another attack before uncurling.

“Worth asking.” Blur shrugged before being pushed out of the way of an attack by Metal. “Thanks dude.” He nodded at Metal. The robot gave him a nod and thumbs up.

The golden hedgehog growled in frustration. “Enough messing around.” His eyes landed on Blur. “I’m going to rip your stupid toys to shreds, and then it’s your turn doctor.”

Blur furrowed his brow for a moment before realization passed over his face. “Shadow!” He suddenly turned to face the black hedgehog who’d been hanging back watching the fight. “That jackal is around here somewhere! I think this guy is under the effects of the ruby!” Without a word Shadow was gone, presumably to look for the jackal.

Unfortunately they’d all failed to notice that during that exchange that the golden hedgehog had been building up energy. “Been practicing this one. Consider yourself lucky you’re the first one I’m properly using it on!” The golden hedgehog snarled.

Metal seemed concerned and Blur’s eyes widened. “Everyone get clear!” Blur rushed back and grabbed Tails with Metal hot on his trail. Fate was only a moment behind them. He snatched up a slightly stunned Knuckles on his way. It wasn’t a moment too soon as there was an explosion of energy behind them. Once Fate stopped his eyes widened as he took in the aftermath. The air was charged with what he could now properly recognize as chaos energy and most of what had been in the radius was gone.

“That was chaos blast.” Blur explained as the golden hedgehog touched down on the slightly charred earth. He was panting slightly and his eyes were squeezed shut. Looks like they might have a couple minutes to breathe. “I’ve never seen anyone but Shadow do that…” He added, quieter.

“No need to explain how dangerous it is.” Fate cringed. That would have been devastating if they’d been caught in that. “So you seem to know what’s going on more than us.” He turned to look at Blur. “Any way to stop him?”

“Well if it works anything like my own transformation outlasting him would work but…” Blur trailed off.

“But?” Knuckles jumped in.

“But he seemed to transform without the emeralds at all. I’m not sure if the rules of my own super form apply to him.” Blur continued, frowning.

“So… chaos energy powers the transformation?” Tails asked, sounding contemplative.

“Yeah.” Blur nodded. 

Tails bit his lip. “If we could somehow drain him of enough chaos energy do you think the transformation would become unstable?

Blur grinned. “Looks like you being the smartest guy in the room is a multiversal constant.”

Tails looked away in embarrassment. “It was a pretty simple deduction. Anyone could have put that together.” Metal gave him what felt like an unimpressed look.

“Don’t put yourself down like that kid. You’re smart. Own it.” Blur pat him on the shoulder. “Plus I feel like you have a plan for doing that.”

“I-” Tails looked back up. “Yeah I do.” He cleared his throat and pointed at Metal. “I think Metal can do it.” Metal tilted his head. “You can run off chaos energy. You’ve been since we found that emerald.” Tails turned to Metal and the robot nodded. “If you’re able to take in chaos energy like that then maybe you can siphon it from him.” He gestured to where the golden hedgehog was still standing. It looked like he had almost recovered from the attack.

“That’s risky if you’re not positive he can do it.” Knuckles grunted.

“We don’t really have time for a safer plan Knux.” Fate gently elbowed him. “I’m all for risky over no plan right now.”

“I wish I had more time to think about it but…” Tails trailed off. Metal got his attention and signed something to him. A small smile made its way onto Tails’ muzzle. “Thanks Metal.” He looked up at the group. “I need everyone but Metal to be the best distraction they can. Really catch his attention. We need him to forget Metal even exists.” He looked at Blur. “I think you’ll have the best chance at keeping his attention on you based on what I noticed watching the fight.”

“He called me doctor.” Blur hummed. “If he’s under the effects of the Phantom Ruby like I think he is, I think he’s seeing me as Eggman. If that’s the case I’m not surprised he’s focused on me more.”

“Use it to your advantage.” Tails nodded. 

“Time’s up everyone.” Fate took a deep breath as he noticed the golden hedgehog’s eyes were open again. “Showtime.”

Fate, Blur, and Knuckles all rushed forward immediately gaining the golden hedgehog’s full attention. “Survived that huh?” Chaos energy crackled around him.

Blur cleared his throat. “That’s right you annoying rodent.” He said in an exaggerated voice. The golden hedgehog’s eye twitched. “Did you really think that would end me?” He rose a brow. “Hardly. You two?” He looked at Fate and Knuckles briefly. “Destroy him!”

Both of them hesitated. Fate realized he should probably listen since Blur was clearly putting on some sort of act. Probably acting more like this Eggman guy to sell the whole thing more. He rushed forward and collided with the golden hedgehog’s chest with a spin dash. He stumbled back but didn’t look hurt in the slightest. He rushed forward with some of the crackling chaos energy gathering in his hand before it was released as some sort of projectile. Fate didn’t have time to react and got hit dead on with it. It stung more than anything he’d felt before as he was flung backwards due to the impact. He hissed in pain as his back collided with the ground.

Well that could have gone better, but he was alive at least. “Still in one piece huh? I can fix that.” The golden hedgehog growled as he walked forward, chaos energy once again starting to collect in his hand.

“Back off!” Knuckles rushed forward and punched him square in the face. “I need that idiot alive!” Fate wasn’t sure if he should be insulted or flattered by that. Either way Knuckles was there to lend him a hand to get up. He took the offered hand without a thought. Before the golden hedgehog could attack again Blur rushed forward with a spin dash of his own, effectively putting all the attention on him. “You ok?” Knuckles asked, watching the fight with mild worry in his eyes.

“Been better, been worse.” Fate groaned as he tried to ignore the sting where the attack had connected. It was fading, but it was slow.

“Chaos energy when wielded properly can be extremely dangerous.” Knuckles glanced at the spot where Fate had been hit.

“I noticed.” Fate stretched. “All the more reason we should get back in there and help him out.” Knuckles grunted in agreement and the two ran in to rejoin the fight. Blur looked a little worse for wear but seemed happy to see the two of them back in the fight.

It was a dangerous game they were playing but at the moment they didn’t have much of a choice. Each time they failed they got a painful reminder why they needed to be on their a game. Thankfully they were saved from the inevitable conclusion of this game by the appearance of Metal. 

The robot rushed apparently unnoticed at the golden hedgehog until he was wrapping his metallic arms around the other. “What the!?” The gold hedgehog shouted in confusion and anger. “Get the hell off me Scrap! Before I make you live up to that nickname!”

Much to Fate’s relief some of the sparking chaos energy around the golden hedgehog started to fade. The golden hedgehog’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He tried to pry Metall off of him, but the robot refused to let go. Even when claws left deep scrapes in his arms. Fate had to pin his ears against his head to block out the sound of those claws screeching against metal.

Finally though it all stopped as the golden hedgehog collapsed to his knees, suddenly looking tired. He squinted at the group in front of him, a confused look on his face before gold gave way to blue. In front of them was now a very tired looking Sonic, no longer in super form. Metal let go and inspected the damage to his arms. Tails came rushing out of whatever hiding spot he’d been in to run to Metal’s side.

“You good now?” Blur cautiously walked forward.

Sonic frowned. “I… think? What’s going on? Last thing I remember I was in Holoska when this jackal showed up.” He looked at the three of them again. “And now there’s…”

“Two more versions of you?” Fate smiled. “Yeah it’s been a weird day for all of us.” He walked forward and offered a hand. After a moment Sonic took it.

“Ugh, I feel like I got hit by a truck.” Sonic rubbed his face.

“Actually you got hit by Knuckles.” Fate gestured over his shoulder at the echidna. “Plus a few spin dashes.”

“Sounds about right.” Sonic sighed.

“So, weird super form?” Blur asked.

Sonic tilted his head in confusion. “Weird super form..? Oh!” His eyes widened. “You mean Super!” He felt his chest, looking down for a moment. After several oddly quiet seconds he sighed, a small concerned frown on his face. “Super is… uh another person.”

“You both share the same body?” Tails asked, an interested look in his eyes.

“Yeah, exactly.” Sonic nodded, faltering slightly as his eyes landed on the fox. 

Before any further questions could be asked Shadow reappeared at Blur’s side. “There.” He pointed.

Where Shadow was pointing there was a rock, but more importantly there was a mostly black jackal that sat on the rock. There was an amused look on their face and a magenta gem of some sort in their hands. “How very amusing.” They purred. “You’re all quite clever hm?”

“You’re the one that sent us here right?” Blur stepped forward. “Why?”

The jackal perked up. “As I told you before. I was putting together something interesting.” They gestured to the group. “And interesting it has been so far. I was disappointed at first when you were able to diffuse things.” They pointed to Fate. “But I was given another wonderful opportunity in him being left unattended.” They gestured to Sonic.

“What did you do to Super?” Sonic narrowed his eyes and stepped forward with a couple unsteady steps.

“Simply nudged him over the edge where he was already teetering.” The jackal smiled widely. “Don’t worry about him. The others managed to take care of him before he could do too much damage.” They stood up. “Enough of that now though. That game is over. It’s time for something new.” They glanced up at the sky. “Ah what good timing. Night approaches. Have fun.” A tear in the air opened up behind them and they disappeared through it.

Fate sucked in a breath. Almost night already? He hadn’t even noticed with everything that had been going on. Knuckles looked over at him and the two locked eyes. This might be about to get rough.

Metal sat patiently as he let Tails repair his arms as best he could at the moment. Now that things had temporarily settled down there was time for it to sink in just how crazy this whole situation was. He already had enough to worry about between his own issues and trying to take down Eggman. Something like this was the last thing he needed. Things were made worse by the fact that there were three separate Sonics there. None of which were even the one they were trying to find. It was frustrating that the first time they’d find Sonic it wasn’t even their own. The emerald in his scarf sent him a consoling jolt of energy; he mentally thanked it.

“We need to figure out what they were implying when they pointed out that night was coming.” Blur paced back and forth.

“You think he’s planning on making another move then?” Sonic spoke up. The group had decided to just call the third Sonic by his name after everything that happened with Super, or as he’d explained it the whole other person who shared a body with him. Metal honestly wasn’t sure how to feel about that information, but Sonic had assured them that Super was typically not like that.

“I’d say so.” Blur nodded.

“They might target one of us again.” Tails looked up from his work. “I feel like if they wanted to fight us head on they would have done it during the whole fight with Super.”

“The ruby is strong…” Sonic hummed. “But if they don’t know how to use it too well they might not be confident in fighting us head on. Infinite had time to learn to use the ruby and Eggman to guide him. As far as we know this guy hasn’t had it long and no one’s taught him how to use it.”

“If we can corner them then we might be able to get the advantage.” Blur hummed, pausing in his pacing.

“We need to find the powersource.” Shadow spoke up. It was quiet and sort of tentative but it was there.

Blur nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Disabling the ruby should be our top priority. Gaia forbid they learn how to use it properly before we can do that.”

Metal’s attention drifted to the only ones, besides himself, that hadn’t contributed to the conversation yet. Fate and Knuckles. The hedgehog looked nervous, subtly glancing at the sky as he tapped his foot at high speeds. Meanwhile Knuckles was harder to read, but he seemed tense. Those two knew something, and for whatever reason they weren’t saying anything. Unfortunately Metal couldn’t say anything right now either thanks to his arms being worked on. Hopefully someone else would notice.

“We should go looking for it then rather than sitting around here then.” Sonic hummed. “If we stay here we’re just playing into their plans.”

“As long as everyone’s up for it.” Blur nodded. “How’s everyone feeling?” He cast a glance around the group.

“Oh, good good. Just fine.” Fate chuckled nervously. “Feeling… great.” Knuckles put his head in his hands and groaned as Fate put his hands behind his head, trying and failing to act casual.

“Are you… ok?” Tails looked up at him, concerned frown on his face.

“Yeah! Heh. Like I said just fine.” Fate did not look in him in the eyes.

“Do you really think you can lie like that… to two of yourself?” Sonic gestured between himself and Blur. 

Fate looked anywhere but at them. “Iiiiii have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Look we all wanna help each other here.” Blur took a step forward. “That means just for a little bit we need to tell each other stuff.”

Metal watched as Fate glanced around nervously before looking up at the sky. The moon was just starting to rise. “Ah yes. Totally. I’ll just… tell you… now…” His eyes darted around before he bolted.

Everyone stood there in mildly shocked silence. Well everyone except Knuckles, who was just glaring in the direction Fate had left in. “I’ll go get him.” He sighed and walked off.

“So I guess we’re waiting then?” Sonic glanced back at the group.

“Guess so.” Blur looked concerned. “I wanna help but I don’t know what his deal was. There’s too much of a risk of just making things worse.”

“Huh.” Sonic hummed. “That’s pretty mature of you. I probably would have gone and tried anyway if Knuckles hadn’t.”

“Benefit of age I guess.” Blur shrugged.

“Wait…” Sonic looked him over. “How old are you? I thought you’d be the same age as me and him.”

Blur smiled knowingly. “Older than you.”

“That’s not a number.” Sonic pointed at him, frowning.

“Sure isn’t.” Blur chuckled.

The two stared at each other for a moment before Sonic shrugged. “Fair enough.”

Metal mentally sighed. Well guess all there was to do was wait. With any luck Knuckles would be able to bring Fate back before that jackal made their next move.

Once Fate felt like he was far enough away he braced himself for his transformation. As it happened every night dark energy enveloped him before receding away, leaving him in his werehog form. He sighed. Running off probably wasn’t his best move, there were plenty of people who could actually keep up with him around, but he just didn’t wanna risk it.

He took a couple deep breaths to calm himself down. Realistically he wouldn’t be able to avoid them all night, so he really should just head back and rip off the bandaid. Yet he still hesitated. “Ok Sonic.” Fate took another deep breath. “You just need to go back and explain to them why you ran off. Two of them are literally you, they should understand.”

He started to pace, but stopped when he heard the sound of footsteps. Tensing he prepared to… well he wasn’t sure what but he was prepared to do something. He relaxed though as Knuckles came into view. “So you really thought just running off would solve the problem?” The echidna crossed his arms and gave Fate an unimpressed look.

“I… panicked.” Fate sighed. “Running was the first thing I thought of.”

“Well get it together.” Knuckles huffed. “We need to get back there and explain before something happens.”

“Yeah.” Fate nodded. “Yeah you’re right.” Knuckles grunted in agreement before walking back the way he came. After a moment Fate followed him. It was a quiet walk but honestly he’d expected that. It gave him time to figure out how he was going to explain. Once the others were in sight it really sunk in. This would be the first time he’d chosen to explain it to someone. With Tails and Knuckles he’d been forced to explain due to circumstance. He let his eyes wander in an attempt to distract himself from that thought. He stopped dead in his tracks though as he spotted a familiar sight. “Knuckles!” He whisper yelled.

The echidna stopped as well and turned around, quickly following Fate’s line of sight. “Dark Gaia creatures here? How?” Knuckles growled.

“No idea…” Fate growled as the monsters moved closer. “I couldn’t even feel that they were here. That’s never happened before.” He flexed his claws. “Go back and warn the others. I’ll hold them off.”

Knuckles looked reluctant to leave Fate on his own but eventually gave in. “Don’t you dare die on me while I have my eyes off you!”

“And disappoint you? I wouldn’t dream of it.” Fate chuckled. As Knuckles ran off to the others, Fate turned his full attention to the Dark Gaia creatures. “Well looks like it’s your unlucky day.” He smirked. “I just so happen to be just the guy made to pound you into the ground.” He slid into a fighting stance as they continued to approach. “Let’s dance.”

“We have a problem!” Knuckles ran towards the group, skidding to a stop.

Sonic was immediately alert. Even Super perked up in mild alarm despite still being groggy from before. “What happened?” Sonic was at Knuckles’ side quickly, checking him for any injuries or anything else.

“Not much time to explain, but there are monsters.” Knuckles pointed back in the direction he’d come from. “You all probably won’t be able to hurt them but me and So-” He shook his head. “-Fate can. We’ll take care of them. Just stay clear.”

“A little late for that.” Blur gestured to the familiar monsters that were now in line of sight. Shadow’s quills stood up as he narrowed his eyes at the monsters.

“Oh.” Sonic perked up. “Dark Gaia huh? That’s what you two are dealing with at the moment?” He looked back at Knuckles.

The echidna seemed confused but nodded. “Yeah. That’s… how did you know?”

It was Blur that actually answered. “Been there and done that.” He cracked his knuckles as he eyed the approaching monsters. “Did Fate run off because of the whole werehog thing? If so, no need to worry. Been through that all before too.” Shadow gave him an odd look. One that Blur answered by simply shrugging.

“Same here.” Sonic nodded.

“Were… what?” Super asked.

“I’ll tell you later, after we work all this out.” Sonic answered mentally. “For now just rest.”

“Ugh, fine. Just don’t get yourself killed.” Super sighed.

“I’ll try my best not to.” Sonic chuckled.

Metal signed something as he took in the monsters. “Metal says you all have some weird adventures.” Tails translated. “I can’t help but agree with him on that.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard that.” Blur rolled his shoulders back. “Knuckles you can go tell Fate we won’t judge him. For now we’ll see if we can do anything about these guys.”

Knuckles shook his head. “Alright. Fine. I’ll be back.” He ran back in the direction he’d come from.

“Been a while since I’ve fought these guys.” Sonic pounded a fist into his open palm. “Wonder how different it’ll be fighting them like this.”

“Just be careful everyone.” Tails’ namesakes twitched nervously. “Knuckles did say he wasn’t sure if we could fight them.”

“Only one way to find out.” Sonic dove at the monsters and collided with them using a spin dash. The weaker ones vanished as they were hit. “Well, question answered.”

“And what would have happened if that didn’t work?” Super asked as Sonic dashed back to where the others had started fighting. 

“Eh, I would have figured it out.” Sonic jumped over the swipe of one of the larger ones. “Doesn’t matter now since it worked.”

“I understand why Tails calls you reckless now.” Super scoffed.

“Don’t act like you wouldn’t have done the same thing in this situation.” Sonic pulled Metal out of the way of a monster he didn’t see and got a thankful nod from the robot before he jumped back into the fight.

“The difference there is I’m invulnerable. You’re not.” Super answered. “On your left.” He added, sounding almost bored.

Sonic used a quick homing attack on the flying monster on his left. “Thanks.”

“Someone has to make sure you’re ok since Tails isn’t here.” Super hummed.

“Guess so, but I can take care of myself you know. Kinda literally right now.” Sonic laughed to himself. 

“Just focus, hedgehog.” Super sounded unamused.

“Big guy coming up.” Blur pointed to a larger monster that looked distinct from the others. Knuckles was running in front of it while it gave chase. Shadow and Tails rushed forward; Tails grabbing Knuckles and pulling him out of harm’s way and Shadow colliding with the monster chasing him.

“The hell are you doing!?” Knuckles glared at Tails once the fox put him down.

Tails shrunk in on himself. “I was… saving you?” He sounded unsure.

“From what?” Knuckles’ voice sounded strained.

“From big ugly over there.” Sonic ran over and gestured to the monster Shadow was now engaging.

Knuckles looked over there, brow furrowed. “What..?” His eyes widened. “Oh for the love of… not again.” He looked back at Sonic and Tails. “That’s not one of them! That’s Sonic! My Sonic!”

“Oh.” Was all Sonic could manage. Ok maybe it made a bit more sense as to why Fate ran off. “Oh I need to go stop Shadow from hurting him then. Let the others know while I break that up. It looks like we’re almost wrapped up here anyway.” Without waiting for a response he dashed towards where Shadow and the recently identified Fate were fighting. “Yo Shads! Back off dude he’s not our enemy!” Sonic slid to a stop between the two of them.

Shadow growled at him, like a literal growl which was kinda weird but Sonic didn’t dwell on that. “Move.” Shadow huffed.

“Not gonna happen dude.” Sonic stood his ground. This was more familiar, but this Shadow was clearly different from his own. Maybe he should have sent Blur over here to deal with this. Oh well, too late now. “This is Fate, one of the other people who got stuck here. I know he looks… well really different but Knuckles said it was him and I believe Knuckles.”

Shadow glanced up at Fate, and Fate nervously glanced back. “Fine.” Shadow eventually said. 

Sonic relaxed as the tension dissipated. Yesh what was it with this group and wanting to fight each other? “Maybe something about you just annoys people enough that they want to fight you.” Super proposed innocently.

“You’ve been spending way too much time around Shadow.” Sonic mentally answered as he sighed. Thankfully it looked like things had been finished up. At the very least he couldn’t spot any more of the Dark Gaia creatures around. “Sorry about all that.” He gave Fate an apologetic smile. “We all got kinda caught up in things and just assumed.”

Fate blinked. “It’s uh fine.” He cleared his throat. “You… don’t care though?”

Sonic waved off the concern. “Nah. Had to deal with something similar before so I get how it is.”

“Oh yeah?” Fate smiled, looking relieved. “That’s… good to hear. Not uh that you had to deal with that but…”

“I knew what you meant.” Sonic chuckled. “Now c’mon, we should go head back to the others.” He gestured for Fate and Shadow to follow him. Thankfully after a moment they both did.

Blur waved as they walked over. “Glad to see everyone’s in one piece.”

Metal nodded before signing something. Shadow nodded back at him. “He says that we probably shouldn’t stick around here and wait for the next thing to happen.” Tails translated. “We need to hunt down the power source. I know we’re probably all tired but…”

Fate waved it off. “I’m used to working on little to no sleep. Plus I’m still feeling energized.”

Knuckles hummed. “Usually after you fight those things you get tired. How are you still ok?”

“I’m… not sure.” Fate tilted his head, narrowing his eyes in thought. “It’s… possible those guys weren’t even real. I didn’t feel them before they showed up like I usually do.”

“And everyone was able to fight them.” Knuckles added, frowning in thought.

“Might have been the ruby then.” Blur suggested. “It could have easily been used to do something like that.”

“All the more reason for us to hunt down the powersource.” Tails sounded more confident.

“I’d be willing to bet that guy is using some sort of chaos energy to power the ruby.” Blur put a hand on his chin. “It takes a lot of energy to keep the ruby at full power and that would be the most effective powersource around.”

“If it’s chaos energy…” Fate spoke up. “Knuckles probably can help.” He put a lange hand on the echidna’s head. “He can sense it. Been using that to help us find the Gaia Temples.”

“Shadow can help too.” Blur smiled and pointed a thumb in Shadow’s direction. “He’s real sensitive to it.”

“And if that isn’t enough.” Tails spoke up. “Metal can help too.”

“Well, looks like this shouldn’t be a problem then.” Blur nodded. “Let’s show this guy that he messed with the wrong people.”

It was an oddly calm walk. Maybe it was due to the general tiredness of the group or maybe it was because everyone was slowly getting more comfortable with each other. Blur honestly wasn’t sure, but it was nice. Sure they hadn’t been here long, but a lot had already happened. They all needed the break. Shadow was sticking close to his side, but that was to be expected. This was a lot for him and Blur really had no way to ease him into something like this. He was doing pretty well, at least outwardly. “How are you holding up Shadow?”

The black hedgehog glanced at him before raising his hands. ‘This is all overwhelming’ He admitted.

“Yeah, I figured.” Blur sighed. “Sorry you got dragged into this mess.”

‘This was not your fault’ Shadow reassured him. ‘Having you here has made this tolerable’

“Happy to hear I’ve helped.” Sonic hesitantly put a hand on Shadow’s shoulder. “You gonna be ok to last a little longer?”

‘I do not have much choice, but I will be fine’ Shadow sighed. “Thank you.” He added quietly.

The rest of the walk was just as uneventful. The only mildly exciting thing being the occasional disagreement between Knuckles, Metal, and Shadow on which way was the right way to go. Nothing that escalated beyond slightly annoyed voices though. ‘It’s just up ahead’ Metal pointed while Tails translated for those who didn’t understand sign.

Said fox frowned as he caught sight of what Metal was pointing at. It was a machine of some sort, it’s powersource an emerald. The machine itself looked hastily put together. Honestly it was a miracle it worked at all with the way it looked. “I’m surprised this thing hasn’t blown itself up yet…” Tails commented as he pulled out his Miles Electric. “This thing is so unstable I’m not sure how safely I can disable it.” He hummed as he tapped away at the tablet. “I’ll do my best though. It might take me a while.”

“Can’t we just break it?” Fate asked, eying the machine.

“Unless you want to feel what it’s like to get hit by an attack that’s about ten times more powerful than that chaos blast we saw earlier I wouldn’t.” Blur hummed. “When the emeralds are improperly used like this they can get real dangerous.”

“Noted.” Fate nodded as he more cautiously eyed the machine.

‘Guess we’ll just have to hang back and let Tails do his thing’ Metal turned to the group. Since Tails was busy Blur made sure to translate for him.

“Guess so.” Sonic hummed. “Been meaning to ask you something actually Metal.” He pointed at the robot. Metal gestured for him to go ahead. “How’d you end up with Tails and not working with Eggman?”

Metal flexed his fingers before answering. ‘He could never control me. Eventually he left me deactivated somewhere and Tails found me. Fixed me up. In return I stuck with him and joined the resistance to help take down Eggman’

"Solid reasoning." Sonic nodded. "Nice to know it's possible for Metal Sonic to have a change of heart." He tapped his foot. "Super says he doesn't believe our Metal can change but I'll stay optimistic."

"I won't hold my breath for mine." Blur shrugged. 

"I've never even met a Metal Sonic so…" Fate shrugged.

"And I hope we never do." Knuckles added.

"Oh, and Super asked what was up with Shadow too. Since he looks different from the one we know." Sonic gestured to the black hedgehog.

"Different huh?" Blur glanced at Shadow in concern. He wasn't sure if Shadow would really want to talk about or have his past talked about right now. "Well how about you tell me how you met yours and we'll go from there." Hopefully that was safe enough.

"Mmmm it was when Eggman woke him up intending to work with him to take over the world." Sonic nodded to himself. "Shadow actually played the doctor and tried to destroy the planet but hey." He shrugged. "He ended up helping me stop the Ark from crashing into the planet in the end."

'I found the Shadow I know in a pod in an old abandoned G.U.N. base. He was really confused but I managed to talk him into staying with the resistance. At least for a while' Metal jumped in before looking over at Sonic. 'Yours tried to destroy the planet?'

"Heh heh…  yeah…" Sonic rubbed the back of his head. "And now Super is chewing me out for never telling him that story."

"And I've never met my Shadow either." Fate huffed and crossed his arms. "Why do all the other versions of me have a bunch of cool adventures?"

"You're on one right now." Knuckled glared at Fate. "Stop complaining."

"That's not the same." Fate looked away.

"The… Ark?" Shadow suddenly spoke up and looked at Sonic.

Blur took a deep breath and prepared to possibly diffuse a bad situation. "Yeah." Sonic nodded, oblivious to Blur's concern.

Shadow looked down. "Was he… happy there?" It was an oddly vulnerable question for Shadow. It had taken Blur a long time to get him to even approach talking about his feelings or at least addressing them. Something he rarely wanted to talk about was his past though. Life on the Ark for him hadn't been… great. Blur knew that even with the very surface level information Shadow had shared.

Sonic looked surprised by the question. "Well…" He hummed. "He hasn't told me much but I think in some ways he was. He's done his best to move on from everything that happened though. Forge his own path in life; which I can respect." 

Shadow was silent for a while, maybe thinking over Sonic's words. Blur was just about to step in when Shadow nodded. "Good." Even Blur couldn't read Shadow right now. He just hoped this was a good thing for the black hedgehog.

"I've nearly got it!" Tails spoke up. At some point during his work he'd sat down on the ground. "I just need someone who can safely remove the emerald when I shut everything down. But uh…" He rubbed the back of his head. "The timing needs to be perfect or…"

"It goes boom?" Fate asked.

"Yeah." Tails pinned his ears down.

"Well, step one is figuring out who should remove the emerald." Blur tapped his fingers on his arm. "Based on what I know I'd say Shadow or Metal would be the best to do it."

"I have an alternate suggestion." Sonic rose a hand. "Super. He's pure chaos energy so…"

“How does that even work?” Knuckles looked at Sonic in confusion.

“Eh some weird thing with the emeralds.” Sonic shrugged.

“As long as he’s feeling up to it that probably is our safest bet.” Blur nodded.

Sonic shot him a thumbs up before his fur and quills started to change to a golden color. Super shook himself out once the change was over. “Ugh. I hate feeling this drained.” He frowned.

‘Sorry about that’ Metal quickly apologized.

“Eh it’s whatever. I was out of control so it’s fine.” Super shrugged. “Let’s do this. You ready for me Tails?”

“Just give me a few moments…” Tails went back to tapping away at his tablet. “I’ll let you know when. You can stand over there and get ready though.”

“You got it.” Super walked over, stumbling once but glaring at anyone who tried to open their mouth to ask if he was ok. “Just say when.” He eyed the machine wearily. 

“Not so fast.” An unfortunately familiar voice said. A little ways away the jackal that had caused this whole mess stood. They looked… much less calm and collected than they had before. “Did you all really think I’d let you end things prematurely?” They stood up a bit taller, maybe trying to regain some of their former persona.

“Well kinda.” Fate narrowed his eyes. “You don’t like to fight yourself clearly. Don’t think you can take us in a fair fight?” He taunted.

Blur glanced over at Fate. Was he trying to goad the jackal on intentionally? It was very possible it wasn’t on purpose but they could use that to their advantage. The jackal growled, their form flickering briefly. That was… odd. “I’m more than a match for you all.” They barred their teeth.

“Then why not show us then?” Knuckles joined in the taunting. “Cause the way I see it you’re all talk.”

Metal gestured with a hand for the jackal to come at him. Well guess they were all in on this now. “If you’re really so high and mighty…” Blur stepped forward. “... then take us out yourself. Not with some cheap tricks.”

The jackal gripped the ruby tightly. “Very well. If you all crave your destruction so much, I simply must oblige.” Their eye twitched. 

“So quick question.” Fate glanced at the group as the area around the jackal flashed red. “Do we actually have a plan if they turn out to be more than talk?”

Blur shrugged. “We win like we always do.”

“Reassuring.” Knuckles mumbled as he fell into a fighting stance.

“Keep him off me and Super if you can.” Tails looked up at them in worry. “If we can cut the power mid-fight, that should make things easier for everyone.”

“Go kick that guy’s butt.” Super growled. “Make them wish they never dragged us all here.”

Shadow nodded in silent approval. “Alright guys.” Blur smacked his fist into his open palm. “Let’s do this.” 

How had things gone so off the rails so quickly? They dogged out of the way as the “heroes” began their assault. They would show those fools. How dare they deviate so drastically from their plans! There were so many more interesting things they could do. All that planning, waisted! They looked past the group which had engaged them. The fox and golden hedgehog needed to be stopped. If they managed to destroy the ruby’s power source… 

They lunged past their attackers, putting up barriers of red cubes. If only they’d taken the time to learn to use the gem properly! Their hubris had come back to bite them after all. Next time they’d have to be much more careful… They got some mild satisfaction out of the versions of Sonic slamming into the erected walls.

There. A clear shot at the fox. They lunged only to be intercepted by the golden hedgehog. “Hands off creep.” He growled before tossing them back. The air left their lungs as they collided with the ground. They got up in time to see two spin dashes heading right towards them. One hurt with the pain of super sharp quills, the other hard metal. They were once again sent flying back.

Perhaps they had… underestimated the strength of their foes. This whole experience could have benefitted from much more planning than the cursory glances into their respective universes. They narrowly dodged under the punch of the echidna. Would it be better to cut their losses now and prevent further harm to themself?

Suddenly there was a very angry black hedgehog pinning them down. Sharp claws dug into their arms. Ah so this was truly what pain felt like. What a foreign concept. This was the first time they’d experienced anything like it. They barely managed to kick the hedgehog off of themself and roll away.

If only they could think faster. Decide what to make with the ruby faster. Then they could gain the upper hand. They shouldn’t have been foolish enough to have let these fools goad them into a fight! They snarled and felt their form flicker. Somehow the form they’d made to suit this universe was beginning to unravel as well. Perhaps it was because it had been rushed. They’d need time to perfect it. For now though…

They caught the attack of the more monstrous looking member of their group and pushed him back, causing him to stumble but not fall. Their arms stung. A glance down at them showed the wounds inflicted by the black hedgehog were releasing a black liquid. No doubt the damage they received was hastening this form’s destruction.

One last ditch effort then. They held the ruby in front of them. “I’ll destroy you all.” They snarled. “Enjoy your last pathetic moments!” 

Super did his best to restrain himself from jumping into the fight. The others were fine. This guy was an absolute pushover in a direct fight. “How are we looking?” Super glanced at Tails. 

The fox was slightly shaken up from the attack Super had saved him from, but was otherwise fine. “Just about there.” He looked up at Super. “Ready?”

“Like I said, just give me the word.” Super let his hand hover over the exposed emerald. 

“Ok.” Tails took a deep breath. “Three.” Super tensed. “Two.” Super could feel Sonic sending calming thoughts his way. “One.” Super could hear that stupid jackal yell something but didn’t listen to the words. “Now!”

Super grabbed the emerald the moment the world left Tails’ mouth. Just in case he dove for the fox, intending to get him to safety if the machine did explode. Thankfully no explosion came. 

“No!” The jackal yelled. Super glanced over at them. The others were relaxing from guarded positions. “Fine then.” They spat as they tossed the ruby onto the ground. “You’ve won.” One of those tears opened up behind the jackal. “Enjoy your victory.” With that they were gone.

“I guess that guy was just as much of a sore loser as Infinite was.” Sonic commented.

“Good riddance.” Super huffed.

“Is that it then?” Knuckles looked at the spot where the jackal had disappeared. 

“I think so.” Fate flexed his claws.

Blur walked up to the Phantom Ruby and carefully picked it up. “I’ll take care of this. I’m not sure where he got it from originally so I won’t destroy it but… I’ll make sure no one can get their hands on it.”

Tails stood up and nodded. “Sounds good.” He locked eyes with Metal and ran over to him. Much to Super’s surprise the fox wrapped his arms around the robot. “I’m glad you’re ok Metal.” Metal patted his back comfortingly. 

“Don’t think I’m ever gonna get over seeing that.” Sonic hummed. “Makes me wonder where the Sonic of their world is…”

Shadow grabbed at Blur’s arm. “What’s up Shadow?” Blur looked at the hand around his arm.

“You’re disappearing.” Shadow looked concerned.

Blur blinked and looked at his arm more closely. “Huh… kinda like when mini me left after the war…” He looked up at the group. “Looks like I’m not the only one either.” Everyone looked at themselves in mild panic. “Don’t worry!” Blur got everyone’s attention again. “I think this is just the universe getting us back to where we’re supposed to be. Guess it’s realized something is wrong and is correcting things.”

“This is not how it ended the last time for me.” Fate shivered as he took in his transparent arm.

“Guess this is goodbye then?” Tails had stopped hugging Metal and was looking at the group.

“Guess so kid.” Blur smiled. “But hey, it all worked out in the end huh?”

“I guess.” Super shrugged. “Since we sent that idiot packing.”

“Hopefully they don’t get any ideas about trying this again.” Knuckles crossed his arms, glancing nervously at his disappearing arms.

“Even if this was all… well not the best experience…” Tails smiled sadly. “I’m glad to have met you all. It really gives me hope for our future.” Metal nudged Tails and signed something. “Metal says he’s happy he got to meet you all too and he’s glad to know that it seems like all Sonics are good people.”

“Let them know it was great to meet them all for me Super.” Sonic asked.

Super sighed but nodded. “Sonic says it was great to meet you all.”

“This was… interesting.” Shadow hummed. “I wish you all well.”

“Hate to be the bearer of bad news but…” Fate cleared his throat. “We’re probably not going to remember any of this. Last time this happened to me I didn’t really remember anything. Maybe vague things like feelings but…”

“Well that’s just how things have to be then.” Blur shrugged. “Nothing we can do about it.”

Tails’ ears drooped sadly. “I wish we didn’t have to forget but… it’s alright.” A small smile twitched onto his face. “I still think somewhere deep down I’ll know.”

“You’re all… alright I guess.” Super figured he should say something too. “Particularly you.” He pointed at Metal. “You’re a fighter, don’t give up on whatever you’re fighting for.”

“That was… oddly encouraging Super.” Sonic sounded surprised. “You ok?”

“I guess I’ll sort of miss these idiots too.” Super answered mentally. Metal tilted his head before nodding at Super. 

By now the bottom half of everyone had vanished and the process seemed to be speeding up. “Well sayonara everyone.” Blur gave a two finger salute.

“Goodbye.” Shadow nodded at the group.

“See you all around!” Fate waved. “Or er… probably not.” He chuckled. Knuckles simply waved.

“Good luck everyone!” Tails smiled. Metal quickly signed something with disappearing hands. “Metal says he hopes your lives are great.”

“This was certainly an experience.” Super started. “And I’m sure Sonic will want me to properly say goodbye for the both of us so… bye I guess.” 

Some of them waved until they were gone while others just stood and waited. Eventually though, all of them vanished leaving the area clear once more. The only proof this happened at all as vague memories and feelings of those that were never meant to meet.

[leahnardo-da-veggie]

I knelt before my God. “God, why did you call me here?” I was but an acolyte, hardly worthy of His attentions.

God tilted his head to the side. “I wished to tell someone a story, and you happened to be nearby,” He explained.

I nodded, unable to conceal my excitement. To be called upon by God, at such a young age? It was unheard of! “I would be honoured to hear any wisdom from your lips,” I said.

His expression unchanging, God began. “Once upon a time, there was a boy. He had wealth and power, but he wanted the world.”

A story about overstepping your bounds, I thought. About the follies of ambition. Did God think me too eager? I had best be more humble. I lowered my eyes and bowed deeper.

“He plotted and schemed, seeking to rule. But a team of pure-hearted heroes saw through his deceits and rose to stop him. They waged an epic battle, good against evil, chaos against order,” God continued, not showing any sign of noticing my change in demeanour.

“Good almost won. Those heroes were indomitable, unstoppable. The boy feared for his life, for everything he earned. So he unveiled a great weapon, a bomb that would take out the world, for if he could not have it, no one should either.”

Ah, I thought. Selfishness. Pride. Two great sins. Perhaps He had seen me gloating over my skills? Yes, that must be it.

“He blew up the world, and as he did so, he discovered a secret. The path to immortality. The boy Ascended, and when the dust settled, he sat on a throne of radioactive stone and bodies, ruling over a broken people.”

God shook his head and closed his eyes. He had too few eyes, I thought idly, then cursed myself for the heresy. God was Perfection itself, the final form. It was not my place to critique Him. “That boy became a young king. His power grew endlessly, safe in the knowledge that his enemies had been vanquished.”

Carelessness, now. Would the king fall, betrayed by a trusted ally? Would his kingdom flounder from lack of tending? I listened intently. When God spoke, those who listened were blessed.

“Other kind souls, who saw the horror in his actions, took up arms. Time and time again, he destroyed them. Centuries passed, and the people stopped looking at him as a king, and started seeing him as a god. They forgot the story of how he rose to power, and invented a legend. They worshipped him.”

Idolatry! The worst of all sins. He would be cast down by our God, the true God. I grinned to myself, pleased by my deductive skills.

“He was showered in gifts and partook in every pleasure possible, every vice and depravity. He glutted himself on the rarest delicacies, slept with the most gorgeous men and women, killed those who so much as irritated him. His dominion was absolute. None would challenge him.” There was an air of resolute pride in God's voice, but it swiftly softened to his usual solemnity.

“The centuries turned to millennia. The young man still enjoyed his bed-warmers, and his fine wines, but he did not take the same thrill in them that he once did. The world had grown boring, he decided. So he entertained himself with the thought of gaining more power, the idea of taking other lands, other peoples, other worlds for himself. For a brief while, he felt whole again, alive.”

This must be about contentment, I concluded, not without a hint of panic. The story had taken so many twists- How was I to know what he meant to tell me?

“But time struck again, and the millennia turned to eras. He had conquered every galaxy there was, seen his very first struggle mirrored across the universe, and found his life no more fulfilled for it. His power was incomprehensible. Entire species would kill on his whim. He was no mere god, but God himself.”

“The concept of indulging his lust no longer appealed. Though his body was still young, he had seen too much to produce any interest in any merely mortal pleasure.” God sighed.

I was confused. What was this story about? I had missed something, failed his test. A bud of panic welled up in me.

“So the god turned inward. He pursued the works of philosophists, who were awed by their god's sudden interest in his work. He pondered on the meaning of good and evil, and wondered about the heroes he once fought. He realised he had been a tyrant and a monster, and made laws to make the world a better place.”

I gasped. Of course. This was about kindness! Forgiveness, and learning from your mistakes were both valuable teachings, so often forgotten in today's society. By putting us in the shoes of a heathen, only then could we truly understand the meaning of empathy.

“But even that faded with time, and as a final resort, he returned to his homeland, where he once resided. He hunted down the deathplace of his old enemies, the location of his former castle. And he wept for the very last time there, as the final shreds of his humanity died.”

“You see, he had been gone so long, so very very long, that the world itself was unrecognisable. Plates had collided and produced a mountain where his plains-home once was, the sun had turned a deep red with age, and even his people had evolved and distorted to become a new species. There was no trace of the world he once lived in, the boy he once was, the life he once lived. He, as he knew it, was gone.”

“And now, the eras turn to aeons,” God concluded. “And I wonder: What will be left? When the sun that was once his explodes, will he embrace it and end the saga? Or will he live on for all eternity, changing and changing and never dying?”

I blinked. “Great God,” I murmured, making the holy sign, “Forgive me, but I do not understand. What is the moral of this story?”

God did not frown, nor show any sign of anger. His voice was even as he said, “There is no moral, boy. Some stories are just that. Meaningless tales. Idle words. I never expected you to understand. Simply be grateful that you will never live as long as I will. Now go, and live your life. Love and make children and die, like I never got a chance to.”

Finally, it clicked. This was a test, to see my tenacity. He gave me a false fable, meant to bewilder me, and sought to see if I would still attempt to make sense of it. And because I admitted my lack of comprehension, I proved I was humble, and because I tried to understand anyway, I proved I was intelligent. Smiling, I got up and left.

God watched me go with eyes that had seen eternity.

The direct result of this

[yoki-doki-then]

FFXIV Write 2024 - R E T I C E N T

"What do you see in that thing anyway?" Curled against a tree in the woods, a man and women fresh to the titles of age rest, shoulder against arm. The Black Shroud is either a deadly abyss or a tranquil paradise depending on the moods of the Elementals, and for now they say 'hey, why don't you relax'. When nature itself says you should chill, the opportunity must be taken. It's just a fact. So, the Lalafells indulge.

"You've been staring at it for too long," says the woman again. She brushes aside long straight locks from her face, brunette curtain parting for her muddy-brown eyes to smile. "Zazzy. Come on. Talk to me." She shakes his arm so gently, craning her cheek against his chest to look up into his eyes.

Zazamato doesn't even look back. He can't. How could he? The sounds of the woods are so far away. His beloved's voice is barely an echo here in the realm of possibility, contained perfectly within his purple gemstone. Hidden behind its meteor engraving is all the stars in the sky, and maybe some more. Who knows? He'll probably find out, red eyes staring so unblinkingly.

His slow breaths puff his moustache, freshly overgrown for the first time in his life. Grooming was one of his passions, but since the thaumaturge's pursuit of this stone had come to fruition, it was changing to a distant hobby.

What would he even say to someone about what he sees now? The pure, mathematical energies of the world swirling around him in harmony. If it were a swarm of bees right now, he could touch every one of them, count their individual stripes, pluck their wings with such precision they wouldn't feel a thing. And when they were landlocked, bound, put gracefully in a jar of his choosing, it would be by his whim that he'd drink deep their poison. Let that knowledge too fill him.

Let it swell.

Let it kill.

Let it rot his heart.

The body's just a boundary, limiting possibility. He would flow free into the myriad truths.

In the world without aethersight, he knew his partner was one of the most beautiful beings in all creation. He liked to push her hair behind her ears, trailing the curve to the soft spot behind her jaw, journeying down neck and across trapezius until it can glide just before her shoulder and tuck between arm and torso, pulling her in and savoring the warmth of her body. But that was starting to become less a yearned truth in his heart and more... a memory of a fact. My woman is pretty. My woman is a pleasant person to be around. My woman makes me happy. My woman is pleasant to touch. She really is just that here, robbed of name and warmth. She's his woman.

She keeps saying more things. Things, things, things. What use could they be here? Her hold on his arm becomes stronger, digits digging into the folds of his silk robe, the weave of it looking so strong in the aetheric world. The shaking is moving across his whole body, from arm, to torso, to the collar of his robe, to his head. He's being made to look directly at the core of her aether, forced by palms against both of his cheeks. They smell of the dirt, they smell of her sweat, and he can see the origin of both in the world, trace their history to their finest point, witness the creation of earthworks and the spoken body. They blend together like clay, they are wrought with the same hands, they are beautiful, they are perfect. Would that he could hold that forbidden material, just to touch it, just to feel the joy of creation, what splendors one co-

"Gah!" Zazamato yelps, pain shooting through his face, seeing the portrait instead of the brushstrokes again.

"Mem," his partner responds with a breezy tone, light latched onto his ear.

"... I'm here!" he says. "S-Stop that."

She does, and she kisses his cheek. "It's cute when you get like this. But you need to remember I'm here. And when I am, I expect to be adored."

"You are. It's just..."

Her cheeks puff into a pout. There's no real annoyance behind it, this is play. She wouldn't be his partner if she didn't at least partially enjoy these episodes of deep thought. "Just what?"

"... I... I don't think I can-"

"Then don't." She sighs as she nuzzles against his body again. "Let me come with you next time you trail off. Please? Zazzzzz?"

He holds her close. The universe fits in a pocket, it turns out, as he tucks his jewel away. "Of course, Kikiyo." He finds the most comfortable spot he can with a back against a tree, and momentarily laments the duty of pillows. "We're in this together. Forever."

"Forever? Pfah! If forever means drifting off and staring into nothing for the rest of my life, I'll deal with it as a weekend pastime on occasion. I like living, Zaz."

"I know.'

"I love you."

"I know."

[thecapodomme]

Want to Read my fics? Here's my Master List

Your ultimate fantasy is now provided by your dreamy host and Femdom. I'm The Capo Domme, Capo, or simply "Your Grace" to you Depending on who I'm talking to. As a smut/ fanfic Virtuoso by day and a A Dominatrix by night, I invite you to explore the depths of your imagination with me. Whether you crave a taste of power exchange or a journey into the realms of fiction, this is the sanctuary where your wildest dreams meet reality. Step into my realm, where pleasure knows no bounds and every whim is indulged.

Don't be afraid to talk to me I'm super friendly. I WON'T charge you unless you're A MALE. Lmfao anons are very much welcome! I love talking to my moots.I'm here for reading, writing , and breaking the male ego. Dass it! With that being said talk to me NICE.

[celestiall0tus]

All That Remained - Returned - Velze

Beginning || Previous || Next

            “Let’s recap. Everyone here was once a holder. One of the heroes that Ladybug had entrusted. However, we face a different sort of problem. A lone kwami is handing out the miraculous. What’s more is that its handing them out based on something, but we’re not guaranteed to get the kwami Ladybug gave us back,” Alya stated.

            Everyone exchanged worried glances.

            “Should we really trust this thing?” Kagami challenged.

            “It hasn’t given us a reason not to,” Luka stated.

            “Maybe, but what do we do? Are we even guaranteed a miraculous at all?” Sabrina questioned.

            “That’s up to us now. It said that if we wish to live by its children, we need only call its name. Then it would judge us,” Alya explained as she held up her hand with the chain ring bracelet.

            “What’s even the point of doing all this if the kwamis aren’t to be guarded? They’re powerful creatures that are dangerous. Even they know this,” Marinette pointed out.

            “I have to agree with it. The kwamis aren’t the issue. We are. The fact that its even trusting us again with its children after everything that happened has to mean something,” Alix pointed out.

            “That is a fair point. From my observations, the kwamis are more akin to tools. They are used to the whims of people. They have no choice by the data present. Are we really to put blame at their feet for this?” Max added.

            “We shouldn’t. And we shouldn’t forget it said that what we know about them will become obsolete. I can’t be sure what that entirely means, but there must be more to the kwamis than even we’ve been told,” Alya remarked.

            “But everything about them is documented, right?” Marinette challenged.

            “I mean, yes? There is a grimoire that details the kwamis and their powers, but what if even that is wrong?” Alya questioned.

            “That still raises the question of what we do. Do we go along with this kwami and indulge it? Or is it better that we allow the kwamis to go free?” Sabrina asked.

            “From the way it worded things, the kwamis will be free regardless. They won’t be bound to whatever rules and guidelines they were before. They’d decide things for themselves. No one to govern them, but themselves. And, at a guess, they’re trusting their creator with this decision,” Luka pointed out.

            “Besides, life is lonely without companionship. When it said that if we wanted to live our lives with them, it sounded like it was offering their companionship. If that’s all they end up being, there’s nothing wrong with that, right?” Rose questioned.

            “Should we go through this then? Invoke it and be judged?” Mylene asked.

            “Yeah. It was suggested that we may not get our original kwamis back, so what’s the point?” Marinette challenged.

            Alya sighed and looked at the chain ring bracelet. It was clear that they wouldn’t all get the same kwamis. With this jewel, she wasn’t going to see Trixx again. She felt sad at the idea, but she couldn’t deny the excitement of meeting whatever kwami was linked to this jewel.

            “Even if we don’t, there’s someone new for us to meet. The possibility of what that kwami is, is terrifying, but curious. Who are they? What are they? What kind of friend will they be? I know I look forward to meeting a kwami I haven’t met before. I’ll miss Trixx, but I’ll treasure those memories with him and what he once was,” Alya declared.

            Luka, Rose, Juleka, and Alix got to their feet and stood beside Alya.

            “We’re with you,” Rose declared.

            Alya smiled and nodded. “Now it falls to all of you. What will you do? The choice is now yours.”

            Everyone exchanged glances. Uncertainty in their faces save for Kagami. She stood tall with conviction clear in her face.

            “What is its name?” Kagami asked.

            “Velze,” Alya answered.

            “Velze?” Kagami asked.

            Footsteps tapped against the wooden deck. Everyone turned to the source as Felix walked up to the enclosure. Velze laid in his arms while he petted its mane. Marinette glared at him when her eye caught Chat Noir’s ring on Felix.

            Marinette jumped to her feet. “What are doing with Chat Noir’s ring?”

            Felix paused and looked at the ring, then Velze. “Is this really his ring?”

            “Indeed,” Velze answered.

            Everyone changed glances while Kagami stepped forward.

            “Velze, judge me as you will,” Kagami declared.

            Velze smiled. A bright flash at Kagami’s face faded to reveal a platinum nose ring with a prismatic sheen.

            “That’s… that’s Stompp’s jewel. That should be mine!” Ivan protested.

            “Not anymore, clearly,” Velze remarked.

            Kagami blinked, then bowed. “Thank you. I will treasure him.”

            Velze bowed its head as Kagami joined Alya. The others exchanged glances when Sabrina moved forward. She looked up sheepishly at Velze and waved. It looked her over before a light shone behind her. It faded to reveal a rainbow bee comb.

            Sabrina took it off and looked at it. “Are… are you sure? This… this belonged to-!”

            “I know, but fear not. She has a new friend waiting for her,” Velze reassured.

            Sabrina bowed her head and moved away.

            One by one, the others stepped forward and allowed Velze to judge their hearts. Nino received a pair of rainbow goat horn clips. Kim got a platinum circlet with a rainbow sheen. Max earned a platinum bracelet with a prismatic owl charm. Mylene obtained a platinum choker with a prismatic bead. Ivan begrudgingly accepted a pair of prismatic chained rings. Zoe and Ondine each received an armlet. Zoe’s was prismatic with platinum beads while Ondine’s was platinum with prismatic beads. Nathaniel took up the rear and secured a platinum ring that shifted between every color of the rainbow.

            Everyone stood together that had received a miraculous, leaving Marinette and Marc left. Marc glanced at Marinette, then at the crowd, but primarily Nathaniel. Nathaniel gave him a smile and a nod. He took a breath and stepped up to Velze.

            Velze looked Marc over once. A bright flash faded to reveal a pair of prismatic stud earrings in Marc’s ears.

            “W-wait, are these… Ladybug’s earrings?” Marc asked.

            Marinette rushed forward. “What gives? Those are my earrings. I’m Ladybug! I’m the savior of Paris. I’ve defended it countless times with Chat Noir. You can’t just give our jobs to just anyone.”

            “Oh, can I not? But weren’t you the one who had sought their help and thought them worthy of being heroes?” Velze challenged.

            Marinette stiffened. “But I… that doesn’t change the fact that I’m Ladybug.”

            “Correction. You were Ladybug, but no more. I have another of my children in mind for you. One befitting an ignorant person such as yourself.”

            Bright light flashed at Marinette’s anklet to reveal an anklet of prismatic pearls.

            “What-? Wait, that’s Daizzi’s jewel. She’s Jubilation. How does that fit someone of ‘ignorance’?” Marinette demanded.

            Velze smirked and flew from Felix’s arms. “Mortals, hear me now. By the time the sun sets, everything you know will be changed forever more. Ancient sins will be set right. My children no longer subject to the mercy of mere finite creatures. They will traverse the universe as what I brought them in as, not based on you and your whims. No longer forced to do only good, but to act as they know, how they should be. They will be free.”

            “But-!” Marinette started.

            Velze floated back into Felix’s arms. “Let’s go. We have one final stop to make before the promised hour.”

            Felix turned and left. Marinette ran out after him. She grabbed his shirt as Velze teleported them away.

[valentinesparda]

the thing about f/o weddings for me is that they're all unconventional

the vergil wedding was a handfasting ceremony done on a whim because why not have a celebration, why not indulge, why not do this just to experience what humans do (but everyone needs to mind their business). i've retconned either of them wearing a ring because neither of them are the type (gabriel gets a band tattooed around their finger and vergil insists he doesn't need a token of their love because he has no plans to leave them again)

killian and travis forget their wedding until the couple of days before it happens, and even then the only reason they had a ceremony is because I'm sentimental and I want to think about a world where the assassins would take a day off to celebrate life and happiness (sylvia organized it). the two only exchange wedding bands because it's tactile and they're sometimes away from each other for a while, and because promising to kill for your spouse is frowned upon in most situations

thomas and aubrey went for the pomp and circumstance of a ceremony because thomas has an image to maintain but also because he enjoys a good party, and his first wedding was the best day of his life (and he wants to make his family proud - but mostly he wants to show off) and they wear wedding bands but they don't fully love each other at that point, and when they do, they commit to a "renewal", small and on a whim in the countryside at a camp, drunk and alone and happy

james and avery never had vows exchanged and the rings they wear around their necks are far from fitting them comfortably (tokens from another time and made for someone else). they both simply decided one day that they loved each other enough to never give up on the other. they never really admit to it - they always said partner anyways, you are under my skin - but they both know that they wholly belong to the other person and nothing would break that bond. the rifle is a pretty sweet engagement gift though

mordecai and rhodes essentially go to a courthouse and don't let anyone else know, it takes forever for mordecai to commit to it but they just wanted a shotgun wedding to feel like it was real. rings?? of course!! they stole found some that they liked and wear them tucked safely beneath the collar of their shirts, because of course mordecai would be like that

john and micah have a large ceremony that is moreso a celebration than an actual wedding, with the members of eden's gate as their guests and john's family as witness and party. it's the only time that my insert and their partner actually gives a shit about the whole ordeal and live it up as a representation and example that love exists in hope county (it gives john an excuse to also have the marriage represented by tattoos on their fingers, but it upsets joseph because he wants them to wear rings, that's traditional)

alucard and amelia are bound by a sacred practice, far more involved and romantic to them than your standard marriage; after all, the ritual that ties them together means alucard will always be in their head, his blood is the reason they still exist, and their blood will be tribute to him. it is an endless cycle of being in each other's veins and it will always transcend the traditional practice of saying I Do in such a viscerally romantic way - you are alive because i worship you, you are what you are because I made you, and we are entwined immortally because I love you

callisto and yasha keep their love a secret so why would they let anyone know they've been married?? they grab someone to officiate it and they have a witness but they don't have any reason to announce it. the only reason anyone finds out that they're married is when yasha dies and callisto mourns him for a few thousand years and tells mithra to keep the only tie they both had to each other safe - matching cuffs worn on their ears that eventually (after several centuries) get passed to their reincarnations in the modern day

bael and zevran are also the lovey dovey type, the wearing matching jewelry type, because zevran goes off every so often and it's - again - a tactile representation of their love and a reminder that they're there; moreso a token of love than it is a sign of possession, but zevran is fiercely protective of his little mage that he coaxed from their own darkness and helped grow. bael feels their heart flutter seeing the earring that matches theirs twinkle in the light, or twirl his braided leather band around his wrist and smile knowing they were both made identical and would never be worn by anyone else

adrian and lacroix are bound by their commitment to their clans and their courts, but they are also what most people would call married to their work in the worst way. do they hate each other? do they love each other? or do they revere the other as their god, their sun, their making and undoing, devoted solely to show "i am the only one allowed to devour you" because they are. married in the way of life and death; a promise to let you live because i will be with you in the end

anyways. *vibrating into the fifth dimension* i'm totally normal

[mumms-the-word]

A Macabre Masquerade - Ch. 3

Ch. 3 - Donning the Masks

Characters: Tavs (multiple), Gale, Astarion, Karlach, Wyll, Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Halsin, Minthara + other OCs Plot: One year after defeating the Netherbrain and saving the city, Dani and Gale receive a mysterious invitation to a masquerade ball. The invitation specifically invites them to participate as the Heroes of Baldur's Gate. However, when they get there, they soon realize they aren't the only Heroes of Baldur's Gate that got invited. A/N: Finally, masks for a masquerade! And is that a friend in the shadows?? Also I kind of miss adding pictures of my Tav to these but also I can't mod my game and none of the vanilla outfits are remotely what these characters are wearing sooo....alas.

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Dani and Gale approached the Manor Gate arm in arm, the streets of Bloomridge slowly emptying as they drew nearer and nearer. Dani knew all too well how the patriar gates worked in the city. Unlike the physical gate called Baldur’s Gate that connected the Lower City to the markets of the Wide, the four patriar gates that connected the Upper City to the Lower City were smaller and much more exclusive. You either had to openly wear the livery of the patriar you worked for or carry a letter of permission signed and sealed by a patriar in order to pass through the gates. Prior to saving the city, Dani had never once been in the Upper City, except for a single visit to the Wide with the Merry Rovers. 

Now, being the Hero of Baldur’s Gate opened all doors for her. In the past year, she and Gale had been in the districts and neighborhoods of the Upper City many times, often to rebuild and sometimes to indulge the whims of a patriar who wanted to host a fancy event with them present. Despite working with them on occasion and entertaining their silly whims, and despite that now that she could technically be considered their equal, Dani still generally disliked the patriars. They cared nothing for the Lower City or Outer City. The four patriar gates were just ongoing proof of the wealthy class’s desire to be seen as set apart, to literally wall themselves off from the lower orders.

Dani hated it. But there were some things even a hero couldn’t change. Patriar stubbornness was certainly one of those things.

Still, Lord Dormire’s invitation had intrigued her, and she was hard pressed to turn down a masquerade event. As they approached the Manor Gate, a relatively small gateway framed by an elegantly carved archway and flanked by two City Watch guards, she felt another flutter of anticipation. Not just at the idea of a party, but at the idea of potentially seeing her old friends again.

She and Gale had sent messages to all of their friends via sending spells to ask whether they’d received invitations or not. All of them had responded quickly with affirmatives. Even Wyll, Karlach, and Lae’zel had found invitations nearby, with slightly different instructions on where a portal might be found to take them from the wilderness or Avernus to Baldur’s Gate in order to attend.

It’s weird, right? Karlach had said in response to Dani’s sending, her voice echoing in Dani’s mind. How’d they get a letter to just conveniently show up two feet away from us in Avernus?

Dani didn’t know and Gale had suggested a magic theory that was both too long for a sending spell’s 25-word limit and went entirely over Dani’s head. But one thing was certain. This wasn’t the average patriar party. Something else was bound to happen, though none of them knew exactly what that might be. 

Still, not all of them had agreed to come. When Dani met Jahiera later in the city itself and asked if she was coming, Jahiera had scoffed and said she’d spent decades turning down invitations to parties and she wasn’t about to stop now. Minsc had expressed interest in attending, but claimed Boo had talked him out of it. Halsin had also responded to Dani’s sending by more or less saying that as much as he’d love to reunite with everyone again, the children under his care required his time and attention more. Lae’zel had made no promises to attend, but everyone else said they would try. They were all heroes of Baldur’s Gate, after all, as Dani reminded them. They might as well be treated like heroes!

She didn’t see any of them in front of the Manor Gate, but perhaps they were already inside or at the party. She was practically buzzing at the idea of seeing them all again.

As she and Gale neared the gate, she half expected the Watch to stop them with the usual, “Halt. State your name, occupation, and business in the Upper City.” She even had her invitation in hand to show them. But before she could, the guards glanced at one another and one of them stepped forward.

“Meridan and Gale Dekarios, yes?” he asked. “Heroes of Baldur’s Gate. We were told to expect you.”

“Oh?” Dani glanced at Gale. This wasn’t the usual way they were greeted by patriar gate guards, even with their reputations. Gale only shrugged. “Well, here we are.”

“Right.” The guard cleared his throat and nodded toward the other City Watch guard, who hurried to unlock and open the tall metal gates that barred entry into the Manorborn district. “Lord Dormire sent special instructions. One of his servants has a collection of masks for you and the other guests. He’s just on the other side of this gate. You’re to select a mask and make your way to the event directly.”

“Bold of this Lord Dormire to be so demanding,” Dani said, grinning. “But we’ll do as he asks and stay out of trouble. We promise, don’t we, darling?”

“Of course. You’ll get no trouble out of us,” Gale said, nodding, but his lips twitched at a smile he didn’t quite let show. They both knew that trouble followed Dani just about wherever she went.

The guards seemed not to notice their humor. They stepped back, leaving the gates wide open, and allowed Dani and Gale to pass through.

Just as they’d said, on the other side of the gate, a masked man stood next to a tented stall set up against the wall. He bowed as Dani and Gale approached, bending so low that his knee-length cloak brushed the clean-swept cobblestones as it slipped over one shoulder.

“An honor to meet the heroes of Baldur’s Gate at last,” he said, straightening. “I am a servant of Lord Dormire. I am here to present you with your masks for the evening.”

The man was about as nondescript as they come, his face obscured by a black and white checkered mask that covered from forehead to chin. He seemed like an average human man, his hair hidden beneath a simple cap with a white feather, his clothing an unremarkable servant’s uniform in black. A broach that kept his cloak fastened around his shoulders bore the same runic symbol as the invitation’s seal, but that was the only noteworthy thing about him.

Dani tilted her head slightly. She’d spent enough time around the various factions of Baldur’s Gate to know better than to believe this man was a mere servant. A spy, a mole, whatever he was, he was an asset to this Lord Dormire. But why did Dormire need assets like him?

Dani pushed aside the thought for now. “Do we get to choose our masks, by any chance?” she asked, gesturing to the stall. There were several wooden shelves with many different masks on display, sheltered beneath the tent fabric overhead. “It would be a pity to end up with something that didn’t match our outfits.”

“Of course,” the servant said. He swept a hand toward the shelves. “All of these masks are provided by Lord Dormire. He wishes you to choose whichever one you like best, and apologizes if none are suitable. These masks will grant you entry into Lord Dormire’s summer home and additionally serve in place of Watch tokens. Not that the Heroes of Baldur’s Gate require such tokens, of course.”

Dani arched an eyebrow. Watch tokens were Lower City passes into the Upper City, given to (or more often bought by) Lower City folk who couldn’t otherwise obtain a patriar’s letter of permission. If a Lower City citizen were caught in the Upper City after dark without a Watch token, they would get thrown in prisons for the night…or worse. It was a system that served to protect the patriars from thieves and vagabonds, but it was also unnecessarily harsh. 

Dani glanced over the several masks on the stand, wondering how many guests Dormire had invited to this party, and how many of them were Lower City folk. If the party was in celebration of their victory over the Netherbrain, why hadn’t figures like Duke Ravengard or Councellor Florrick been invited, despite being obvious allies in the great fight against the brain and the mind flayers in the streets? Dani and Gale had already attended two anniversary celebrations that day, the first a morning ceremony to unveil a statue in commemoration of all the lives lost during the battle with the mind flayers, and the second a midday feast in Wyrm's Rock Fortress with Duke Ravengard and several other prominent families and politicians. No one there had seemed aware of any party held by this Lord Dormire. No one even recognized the name.

But her pondering soon fell away entirely as she looked over the masks. Distracted by their beauty and the sparkling gold and silver accents that many of them had, she stepped closer to examine the masks with curious delight. 

There were dozens of them, ranging from simpler masks with checkered designs or delicately painted swirls to masks shaped like animal faces or creature heads. Many ethereal-looking masks had horns, antlers, twisting vines, flowering branches, scales, and more. There were even skull and demon masks. It seemed a wide variety of tastes were being catered to by this one stall. 

Dani giggled as she reached for a black and white cat-shaped mask, turning toward Gale and holding it up in front of her face. “Look,” she said. “I could be Tara for a night. A tressym with a cat mask and golden feathers.”

Gale snorted softly. “Now, now, let’s not be unkind. That mask looks nothing like our dear Tara. The coloring is all wrong.”

“She’ll never know. I’m sure she’s with your mother as we speak, gossiping about us not inviting her to the party,” Dani said, but she set the cat mask aside. She wanted something else, something glittery.

“Very likely. Hang on, is that a Spectator mask? Surely not.”

He joined her at the stand, peering over the masks with interest. Dani spied the mask that had caught his eye, a strange configuration of twisting Spectator arms and one large, glassy eye embedded in the forehead. She couldn’t imagine who would go for that, but it was interesting that it was an option. She turned her attention toward the rest, looking for something that would go easily with her dress and suit her personality at the same time. She wasn’t really the flowery type and anything with horns or elaborate headpieces probably wouldn’t fit with her horns getting in the way. No, there had to be something smaller, simpler, but still flashy enough to draw the eye…

“Aha!” She reached over and plucked up a delicate, gold-colored bird mask. It was delicately shaped and carved with sculpted feathers, the little beak curving gently down and ending on a fine point. The eyeholes were shaped with a feminine, mischievous upward tilt on the outer corners. It gave her the impression of a bluejay or a starling, a songbird that could mimic as well as sing. She held it up for Gale to see.

“A fitting mask to go with your bit of Blackstaff Ball dazzle, don’t you think?” she asked.

“It is indeed,” he said. “It’s almost perfect.”

“What about you? Any masks catch your eye?”

“Oh, several, but if we’re going for birds and feathers…” He picked up a carved avian mask, the tiny, sculpted feathers forming a masculine brow over the eyeholes and fanning out ward in a shape that was unmistakably more owl than songbird. It was bronzy but accented with gold dry brush strokes, subtle and elegant. He tilted it toward the light for her to inspect. “Will this suit?”

“Ooh, perfect. Do you think—“

“Gods, but you two take forever,” drawled a familiar voice behind them. Dani whirled to see Astarion emerging from the shadows of a nearby street, already masked and dressed in black, red, and silver finery.

“Astarion!” Dani dashed away from the mask stall to throw her arms around her favorite wayward vampire. He stiffened beneath her touch momentarily, but then relaxed and gave her a little pat on the back before untangling himself from her arms.

“You’re looking well,” he said. “But what else should I expect?”

“You look well too, Astarion,” she said, stepping back to give him an obvious, admiring once-over. “I’ve never seen you look so fancy before. Devil mask, huh?”

His mask was almost entirely blood red but for a few black swirls painted along the edges. The upper corners curved upward like horns, the red fading into black at the tips. With Astarion's red eyes glimmering behind it, he looked every bit the dashing and devilish masker one might find lingering at the edge of a vampire's masquerade.

“What’s better than the devil you know?” Astarion asked, grinning, his sharp fangs glinting in the torchlight. “The devil that’s dead, of course. I thought it fitting to pay homage to our favorite little devil who’s been dead just over a year now.”

“Raphael would hate it,” Dani said, laughing. “But I love it. You look amazing.”

“As do you, my dear." Astarion swept a dramatic bow and took her hand, kissing the back of it. Dani rolled her eyes; he hadn’t changed one bit, but then, that’s what she loved about him. Eternally doomed to be a charming and slightly insincere vampire. He straightened with another crooked grin and gestured toward her. “Well? Go on, put on your mask. Let’s see the whole picture.”

“Allow me,” Gale said, finally joining her. He had already tied his owl mask on, the beak curving just past the tip of his nose. He looked a little more severe with his eyes shadowed by the mask, but his smile was just the same as ever. She handed him her mask with a smile of her own and turned to let him tie it on. 

The moment she felt the mask press to her face, she felt a shiver of magic. Distracted, she barely noticed Gale’s fingers moving her hair to one side so he could tie the laces beneath her ponytail. She grew still and tried to sense what kind of magic was at play against her skin. She held her breath, waiting for a telltale sign of weakness, fatigue, nausea, compulsion, madness, something that would suggest the mask was poisoned or cursed. But the shiver of magic seemed to settle into her skin and fade away, leaving her feeling the same as before.

Astarion's red-eyed gaze was on her, watching her. He tilted his head and lowered his voice. “So you felt it too, hm?”

“Not here,” Gale said quietly, finishing the knot and fixing Dani’s hair. He met her gaze and then flicked his eyes toward the servant, who stood nearby, watching them all. His message was clear.

They would speak more about this later.

“You all look perfect,” the servant said, bowing to them. “Remember to keep your masks on while making your way to Lord Dormire’s home. The City Watch will not bother you if you wear them, and you will need them to get into the masquerade itself.”

“Any chance you could direct us to Dormire’s estate?” Dani asked, trying to seem natural. As though she hadn’t just been distracted by a charmed mask. “I bet you know all the shortcuts.”

“Naturally.” The servant explained the streets and turns they would need to make, but then, at the end, added, “But should you get lost, the masks will guide you.”

Gale frowned slightly. “Pardon?”

“The masks. They are charmed with a navigation spell. They will guide you toward Lord Dormire’s home. Simply follow where they lead.”

Dani and Gale exchanged a look. Perhaps the magic she’d felt was a mere navigation spell, but Gale didn’t look so certain. He gave a minute shake of his head.

It was moments like these that she missed the tadpole and the mental connection it gave her with her friends, and with Gale in particular. She wanted to know his thoughts in his exact words. But for now, she could discern enough. Gale didn’t believe the servant, but he wasn’t going to say anything here.

“Thank you,” Dani said, turning back to the servant. “We’ll be on our way now.”

“Enjoy the event, Heroes of Baldur’s Gate.” The servant punctuated his parting words with another low bow.

Dani, Gale, and Astarion left the Manor Gate and mask stand behind, heading deeper into the well-paved, well-tended streets of Manorborn, with its elegant houses all three or four stories high. But as soon as they were out of earshot and eyesight of the servant, Astarion pointed toward a shadowy passage between two buildings, and they all ducked into the shadows for a moment.

“Navigation spell?” Dani asked. “Is that even a thing?”

“It is,” Gale said. “There are spells that let you magically know the shortest path between two points. I wouldn’t doubt that these masks are imbued with such a spell, but…”

“But?” Astarion prompted. “Don’t tell me we just fastened cursed masks to our faces. Again.”

“Hey, Ethel’s whispering mask was a one time thing,” Dani said, jabbing her finger toward Astarion. “And it was only for a few seconds.”

“I seem to recall you attacking me, darling,” Astarion said, folding his arms and smirking at her. “Before I conveniently knocked it off your face.”

“I don’t think these masked are cursed in that way,” Gale said. “I sense magic in them, but it’s something more than a navigation spell. I can’t quite figure it out. It isn’t compulsion, or illusion, or anything like that, it’s…”

He trailed off, frowning, and reached up to remove his mask. He untied the ribbons and went to take the mask off one-handed, only to pause. He switched his grip on the mask, and then switched again, trying to curl his fingers beneath the mask, but the mask didn’t budge. Though the ribbons hung loose on either side of his face, the mask remained as secure as ever. “Oh no…”

“Oh gods, don’t tell me,” Dani said, reaching up to touch her own mask. But her suspicions were already confirmed. The mask was settled comfortably on her face, almost as if it were molded perfectly to her features, but the mask wasn’t moving an inch, despite not being tightly tied. She couldn’t even wedge a fingernail beneath it. It was as though someone had sealed it to her skin.

For better or for worse, the mask was magically stuck to her face.

Dani groaned. “Not again! I swear to the gods…” She turned and hurried back out onto the street, aiming her steps toward the Manor Gate and the mask stall that stood beside it. A strange sense of wrongness gripped her as she moved further away, in the opposite direction of Dormire’s estate—the effects of a real navigation spell, she realized. The servant hadn’t been lying about that, at least. She ignored the sense and pushed on.

She turned a corner, Gale and Astarion on her heels, only to stop short and sudden. Gale nearly crashed into her and Astarion dodged to one side to avoid crashing into them both.

“Oh, what the hells,” Dani complained. She ought to have expected this. This was Baldur’s Gate. The last century and a half had seen the rise of various Bhaalspawn, a dozen black markets, at least two murder cults, a vampire lord, a Sharran cloister, a Banite Archduke, and a mind flayer invasion led by a gigantic Netherbrain. This—this should not have surprised her. But here she was, staring at a blank wall, seven stories high, separating Manorborn and Bloomridge, with Manor Gate innocently standing at the center. There was only one teensy thing missing.

The masked servant and his little stall of masks had disappeared. As if they’d never been there at all.

[fuckingloginwall]

✎ Tutelage

✴ Terms Of Service

—☵☵☰☰☰☵☵—

Libretto Six of The Creators

A most tragic fate. So how fortunate is it to have the fated Puppeteer love you? Believe in your authenticity? Rob your Creators of their control over you?

You know what to do. Show them that very same love.

—☵☵☰☰☰☵☵—

⌡ 🔏 Beware, beware, oh Reader from Faraway⌠

⌡ 🔏 Cults, Obsessive Behavior, and Religious themes linger in these pages ⌠

⌡ 🔏 If I have failed to caution thee against other horrors in this work, or have been far to vague, just let me know so . . . ⌠

—☵☵☰☰☰☵☵—

Since their emergence from the stars they have made and dictated.

Countless, living, breathing, dying and praying, all ignored by the weavers of destiny, their threads of fate woven and set, no matter what their constructions did or offered to fight against their predetermined fate.

Our suffering, a stage play to them.

Then comes the Puppeteer.

Lesser than the Pantheon, they are permitted to take the spotlight in the flow of the future, all so long as they abide by the contract interlaced into their invitation.

An invitation written by the foolish mortals of miHoYo, bowing before Celestia and catering to their every whim, constructing the means for the puppet masters to infect the worlds.

All the Puppeteer must do to dodge Celestia's wrath is to abide by their Terms of Service, to never go beyond what paths and actions the Pantheon has picked out for them.

miHoYo and the Puppeteers who may warp time as they please, toy with the vessels handcrafted for them, and kill us again and again and again and again for their own pleasure. The most reviled monstrosities. Just below the Creator's on the degree of their depravity.

How horrendous, to be a dollhouse gifted life, where time does not pass unless the Pantheon or Puppeteer sanction so, to be bound to actions we cannot live with, to pray to be thrown away and tossed aside.

The day we all dreaded came, and their first Puppet arrived. The Traveler their unlucky first chosen.

Then went three Puppets forced under their thrall, without a say in the matter, unlike those the Pantheon demanded to be Wished for.

A small mercy, in that some of us can dodge the clutches of our Wishmaker at the cost of another's freedom.

We wept for the Puppets of the higher beings, wept for the circumstances we were tied to, and wept for what the future will hold.

But the Puppeteer was unlike what was prophesied.

They commented on everything they could, held one sided conversations, cursed out their bindings, our bindings, gave praises and encouragement to us all.

They prioritized our lives, safety and comfort, abandoning those under their strings at only the most secure of areas, those we cared for . . .

Even as they treated us as people, and not just toys, they would once in a while speak of themself as self-indulgent, delusional.

The virtue of the Wishmaker became doubted, but some of us pushed to keep listening to their words, to pursue the full truth.

One day a Puppet acted out of line, catching the Puppeteer off guard, marking them to be smited by the Pantheon . . .

The world paused as the Puppet Master took in the sight, and, in their own words, chose to "continue to indulge in my fantasy, that of a game blooming with life, listening to my every breath."

From then on they spoke of their world, detailing their complex technologies to their Vessels, success varying.

They talked of "video games", "programming", "miHoYo" and "HoYoverse", the group responsible for our making in their eyes.

They spoke of how to them, "Genshin Impact" the very game they played was created by these companies, how they played as though it was self-aware and paying attention to all their actions, but knew it was just a dream at the end of the day, and any anomalies were "glitches" or "errors" only valued as fuel to their fantasies as a Tutelary of Teyvat . . .

Tutelary. A most perfect title for them . . .

One the Pantheon was helpless against . . .

They expressed a desire to know when the characters—people, they would corrected themself—weren't busy with their needs or duties, when they were free to use, when they needed to cease their obligations as a vessel.

And the world bowed before them.

No matter the tantrums of the Pantheon, the "new feature," as the Tutelary called it, remained, informing them whenever a Vessel was free or in need of fulfilling obligations.

As time marched onwards, it would tell of when potential vessels were "free,"—more likely to "come home."

The world would only bend even further for the Tutelary.

Ah, the beautiful revelation that the Creators have begun to lose control of Teyvat. We diverged from our scripts, we conversed more and more to the Tutelary, and in turn they connected deeper with us.

Soon the Pantheon could no longer take over us; pages of the Libretto tearing apart as they were rewritten; the Terms of Service attached to the Wishmaker's powers null and void.

So forgive us for our ambition, but did we not hold the right to know and confirm knowledge of the Tutelary? Doubt still festered in the minds of many, and to finding the truth would ease us all, even our Wishmaker.

So we searched the beyonds of our skies for the Milky Way, Earth, and our Wishmaker.

Despite our earlier plan in expanding what we could see of the galaxy by multitudes to find our Tutelary—and in turn—explore the stars, a much simpler solution was with us.

The vessels with a "Level Ten Friendship", the Fairy, the Traveler and the unwavering links they shared with the Tutelary.

Through these bonds we reached into the universe and met the portal called "Genshin Impact", the very veil that allowed contact between our Wishmaker and Teyvat.

The device of our Patron was at our control now, and we sought that power, to finally taste freedom, at last take the lead in the twisted play written by the Creators, and bring our Tutelary into our reality.

The Pantheon talked of threats to the Wishmaker, but they could never act on them, not when the Wishmaker's world never held a drop of their lifeblood in it.

With the newfound connection, with the technology connecting the guardian and their guarded, we explored the nigh infinite knowledge, pursuing to satisfy our hunger for comprehension.

And how it was spoiled . . .

A visionless, magicless, dare we say, G O D L E S S WORLD, brimming with technologies we could never even dream of.

Advancements and intelligence in every field the scribes scrambled to record.

We learned of the world our Tutelary claimed miHoYo, HoYoverse, and even the Pantheon took inspiration from to make the Librettos.

How could we not be swayed to adopt new inventions, expertise, and wisdom from a world so further ahead of us, so free?

How could we not be swayed to incorporate the wonders exclusive to our world into all that was state-of-the-art from the Earth, improving on it in such impossible ways?

How could we not be swayed to double down on summoning our Tutelary, as we modernized our world, perfected the crafts of Earth, and grew wise to the sins of both the worlds, sins we shall never repeat?

Their world was dying, rotting away to the iniquity of the powerful; try as the people, even the Tutelary might, Earth was falling apart, and it would always be inadequate.

We cannot allow our Wishmaker to remain in such a doomed world, but since it wasn't ours we couldn't interfere with it.

We will free the Tutelary from their doomed world just as they did for us . . .

. . . and grant a wish not even all the Pantheon could grant.

" I wish Teyvat was real and that I could see it with my own two eyes . . . "

Rest assured our Tutelary, you will see Teyvat with your holy form, at last be granted safety from the Earth . . .

All we must do is slaughter the Creators at last, and then Teyvat will be prepared for your entrance . . .

—☵☵☰☰☰☵☵—

Now for the extra notes!

The Pantheon

Instead of the Reader being the Creator, it's everybody up in Celestia except for those who ascended up there.

We'll get to the ascended later

Anyways unlike Creator!Reader, these Creator Gods are much, much stronger. Even individually!

No mortal bodies or waiting for their Divinity or Divine powers to return, they've still got abilities and aren't fatigued in any way!

In fact this group has made five previous storylines they forced worlds of their making to follow, hence Genshin Impact, Teyvat's Libretto, being Libretto Six.

You can imagine the previous five Librettos as the five games miHoYo made before Genshin Impact or anything else.

Basically these Creator Gods couldn't be normal and write books or make a show or movies or whatever when they banded together to come up with stories to tell.

No they chose to make real worlds and force said worlds to follow the scripts they make, once they're done with the stories in mind for said worlds for good, they leave it forever. They want their tales to be as real as possible.

So these Gods brainwash and puppet the people they created. All to set the stage for their prewritten tales.

Back to Teyvat, they're the latest creation and thus victim of the Pantheon.

depends on you if this is a repeat scenario or a first time but the Creators decide, for whatever reason, to have a mortal take the reigns in the story of Genshin Impact.

I'll continue this in the miHoYo section.

Celestia is basically the Cinema of these Creators, where they sit and watch shit go down.

Oh boy. People who ascend to Celestia don't become gods. The truth is that even before the Tutelary, people could develop the ability to resist the control of the Pantheon, but the Gods are stupid good at detecting that.

Thus they nip that problem in the bud ASAP by instantaneously kidnapping those people to Celestia and keep those people captive up there, where the ascended cannot act out of line without severe punishment.

The Creators won't kill them though, they have plans for them.

Also the Tutelary and miHoYo can warp time in Teyvat thanks to the Creators granting them that ability. So they too can warp time.

The Unknown God was designed not just for the plot the Pantheon had in mind, but to enforce the Pantheon's will. Sustainer of Heavenly Principle all of that. Aether and Lunime tried to escape the world of Genshin, but the god put a stop to that.

That or Aether and Lunime arrive to Teyvat unaware of the dangers, tried to fight back against the gods, Sustainer stopped them, and the Creators realized they could use them for their stage play, just do some non-consensual body modification (which allows for the Traveler to gain the elements of a Nations Archon) and now the Twins are THEIR totally original characters, don't steal their OCs! >:(

miHoYo

2023 woobification arc lol

The Creators approach miHoYo, show their godhood, and demand that miHoYo make a game based on their own world or else.

They also control almost every detail on miHoYo's adaption of Teyvat so that they don't ruin Earth's view on their creative vision. Prideful bastards. bUT it prevents the shitshow that is Sumeru so in that case I'm an apologist <3 but not in any other scenario, nononono

Just like Creation, Sumeru is nothing like what we got in Real Life™️.

So yeah, miHoYo makes Genshin Impact, it's connected to a very real Teyvat. When developing Genshin Impact they affect Teyvat.

Testing a character means that character gets taken over. NPCs are bound to the code miHoYo writes, etc., etc..

Except everyone's accounts and games are perfectly normal. They're just Ones and Zeros. There's nothing abnormal with anyone's game.

Anyone but yours.

We'll get to that in The Tutelary's section.

Also the gunpoint is pure intimidation since, well, the Pantheon of had no hand in making Earth, so they're powerless there, if only miHoYo caught onto the bluff . . .

Yeah Creator Gods have no real power in any worlds but those they actually participate in creating here.

The Cult

Since the storyline of Genshin Impact in enforced onto Teyvat, there's a good chance that what people say and do is what they wouldn't do with their free will.

As a result, people are unlike what the Libretto says, lending a perfect excuse for OOC writing.

How horrible, to do such terrible things against your will, trapped in your very own body.

Who is the Cult here if not Celestia?

My answer is whoever you'd want. Yeah groups like The Fatui are obvious since they're gunning for Celestia but it can be whoever you'd want since everyone would hate the Creators.

Also, Teyvat is going to look very different with the entire internet at their disposal. It's revolutionizing quick!

That's the only revolution however. The Cult is ready to kill the Creators and be free from them at last.

Also the world of Teyvat has been under the control of the Pantheon since day one until the Tutelary came, which is going to result in many devoted cults.

The Tutelary

AKA the reader. the (un?)lucky soul who's account won the fucking lottery and affects an actual Teyvat

Everyone games are perfectly normal.

You however got the bridge to another world.

Yeah the Pantheon selected whoever's account to affect Teyvat at complete random.

Here, you're somebody who plays the game like it's SAGAU, Self-Aware Genshin Impact AU. You act like a guardian deity to your vessels and treat them to the best of your ability, and make up for whatever wounds they're delt.

Since you do affect a real Teyvat, this only garners more devotion towards you. You believe to some degree they're not real but treat them like the people they are anyways.

Why the code of the game and thus rules of the world warps itself for you? How you can seize the powers of the Pantheon? I do not know.

When interacting with the fandom and checking out the playthroughts of other Genshin Players, you'll notice that your game is going down a whole different route than theirs. They also got none of the features you assumed were part of updates. huh.

Well, that's just more fuel for your sagau fantasies!

Wait why are you in Teyvat now-?

If any I have misrepresented/mishandled topics in my writing, please let me know and tell me how I fucked up so that I can avoid doing so in the future.