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whatsnewalycat · 7 months ago

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Passenger / Chapter 7

Pairing: Trucker!Din Djarin AU x OFC Charlie Wanderlust

Wyoming (Part Four)

[ Previous Chapter ][ Series Masterlist ]

Chapter Summary: Our heroes fuck around and find out.

Rating: Explicit (18+ only)

Word Count: 4.1k+

Content / Warnings: smuuuuuuuuut, dirty talk, inner conflict, outer conflict, jealousy, dog grogu, the mandalorian au, fascist propaganda, not beta read

Notes: Ayooo! This “day” is gonna be split into 2-3 parts, which will conclude the story arc for Wyoming, then I’m taking a small pause from writing this to finish another ongoing series (Designated Person). This series is going to be ginormous in terms of longevity (I have at least 20 more chapters plotted out and fully intend on completing them) so pls don’t worry, I am not abandoning them. Also I switched the POV from 2nd to 3rd person and will be updating the backlog of chapters to this POV.

—

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP—

Din feels around blindly for the alarm clock and presses the big SNOOZE button, releasing a sigh into the sudden silence.

Someone else’s body heat sticks to the edge of him. He shifts onto his side and tugs at the warmth, huddling closer. It mumbles something into his chest, but trails off, weight going slack against him.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP—

Din unravels to turn off the alarm clock, then rolls back over, letting his arm fall loose over the lump beside him. The warmth wiggles closer with a groggy hum.

Prying open heavy lids, he blinks until his eyes start to adjust to the dark motel room. His surroundings come into focus gradually. Stiff sheets and body heat and a nest of blonde hair.

He draws back to look at her face, studying her peaceful dozing features. The curve of her lips and the dip of her Cupid’s bow. From this distance, he can map out all the tiny freckled constellations smattered across her face.

He syncs his breath to her quiet snores and absorbs the steady rhythm of her pulse.

Just for a few more seconds, or a minute.

It might be the only time he gets to see her in this way, so defenseless in such close proximity. Mona Lisa without the protective glass, she is precious and vulnerable.

If that much is true, who is he? The thief sent to rip her from her frame? The night guard posted to protect her? Or both, or neither, or does it even matter? Because here she is, a real life enigma, and all he can manage to be is the awestruck witness who stumbled upon her.

She starts to stir, burrowing into the crook of his neck. He should wake her up. Separate himself, at least.

It feels wrong to hold her this way.

It is wrong to hold her this way.

‘Unprofessional,’ he reminds himself, as if that were the only reason and not just one of many.

She stirs again.

This time, a yawn expands her rib cage and puffs hot down his collar. He pretends to sleep, closing his eyes as her lashes flutter against his thudding pulse.

Shit.

He braces for impact. Waits for her to come to her senses. To shove him away or pull back.

But she doesn’t.

Instead, she nuzzles closer and yawns again. On the exhale, she relaxes into him.

Her weight and warmth melt through him, unclenching muscles he never knew he had. She curls and uncurls her fingers against his chest, a gentle affection that flickers up his spine. Her touch wanders to the elbow draped over her waist. It slowly roams up his arm, lulling him into a trance-like state as she skates along his bicep, then his tricep, rounding his shoulder to trace his collarbone.

When her fingertips graze his neck, heat swells at the very center of him and spills over the edges, reverberating through his body. A groan scrapes his vocal cords and his cock throbs against her belly.

Traitor.

Before panic can call him to action, Charlie arches towards him and releases this sweet, quiet gasp that empties his mind of reason.

He tightens his arm around her waist and rocks his hips, blood burning when she pushes back.

Rolling onto his back, he pulls her on top and they both moan at the weight of their hips settling together. She wastes no time working herself against him, huffing and whining in his open mouth.

He has enough sense not to kiss her, but not enough to keep his uncuffed hand from slipping beneath her shirt to explore her soft, warm skin.

“Oh fuuuck,“ she moans, body tensing as she speeds to a frantic pace.

His eyes roll back at the violent rush of stimulation. He finds the small of her back and pins her hips to his so all she can do is wriggle and whine with frustration.

“Slower,” he pants, grinding the damp fabric between their bodies, “Feel that? Just like that.”He softens his grip to guide her, nodding when she matches his indulgent momentum, “There you go. Fuck, that’s perfect.”

“So fucking good, holy shit—”

Sucking in air through gritted teeth, he starts to gather her hair in his fist. Her hand follows on its short leash, clinging to his handcuffed wrist as he pulls her hair taut. She moans and melts against him, but her hips never miss a beat.

“Such a good girl for me,” he murmurs, spurring her faster when she chokes out a guttural noise.

Every time she slides up and down his swollen cock, a hunger inside him deepens.

He wants to feel the heat of her in every conceivable way, to explore the aching need simmering between them. He wants to strip her bare and count her freckles and fuck her senseless. He feels her panting breath on his and desperately wants to kiss her. How pathetic. He wants and wants and wants, and yet, he knows there’s no time for all of that.

Not with the way she starts to sputter and shake, heating his blood with second-circle hellfire. When he tightens his grip to wield her body against his, assuming control, she doesn’t resist in the slightest.

“Din—fuck, it feels sofuckinggood, don’t stop. Don’t stop—oh my god don’t stop don’t stop—”

“Are you gonna come for me like a good girl?”

She whines and digs her nails into his wrist, nodding frantically, “Yes yes yes yes yes—”

All her muscles go tense and gasping steals her breath. It returns to her a moment later with a choked sob and shaking limbs while his heartbeat pounds through his body, thick and hot, growing louder and louder until it consumes him completely.

He groans, hips stuttering against her as the warmth of ecstasy washes over him.

They go slack-limbed in the moments that follow, liquefying into a throbbing, panting puddle on the mattress.

It’s what heaven must feel like, he thinks. Blissed out and serene, the weight of her ironing out every adversity he’d ever faced into a single flat line leading to this. Leading to her.

The saccharine thought sours on his tongue.

What the fuck am I doing?

—

What the fuck am I doing?

Charlie pokes at her half-eaten cheese omelette a few times before wrinkling her nose and pushing the plate aside.

As she folds her legs up in the squeaky wooden booth, she allows herself to glance across the table at Din, whose aviators are fixed on her. She doesn’t know that he’s looking at her but she does all the same. No proof except whatever gnaws at her stomach lining.

“Just like that… There you go. Fuck, that’s perfect.”

Heat rises to her face.

Averting her gaze, she searches for words to start idle chit chat, but comes up blank. Her mind keeps wandering back to the ghost of his touch.

“Are you gonna come for me like a good girl?”

She squirms a little, then buys herself some time by taking a slow sip of lukewarm, watered-down coffee.

This silence isn’t normal.

She needs to act normal.

Make conversation. Just don’t mention what happened, because it couldn’t have happened. There’s no way she would allow… that. This.

No. Not a chance. It didn’t happen.

It was a dream, that’s all.

A really really hot dream.

Drawing a deep breath, she tries on this new version of truth and finds enough comfort to let her shoulders fall away from her ears.

RULE #5: Live in the now.

Onward and upward.

Today I will paint the sign and play a show and take every moment as it comes.

She digs the notebook from her rucksack and pulls the pen from its spine. Flipping to a blank page, she finally breaks the silence.

“How big would you say the Giddyup sign is, ten by five?”

Din takes a sip of coffee, then shrugs, “Ten by eight.”

“Ten by eight?” She frowns, visualizing both ratios on the paper, and concedes, “Ok, yeah. That seems about right. Thanks.”

Using her thumb as a benchmark, she sections off the page in a rough 5:4 grid. While outlining her design, she watches Din at the edge of her vision, who scans the cafe between sips of coffee.

“So after this, we pickup clothes from the laundromat, pick up the pup, and head over to Paul’s?”

“Yes.”

“My first set starts at eight. Figure I can get most of this done by… pfff, I dunno, five? Maybe six, depending. I’ll have to make myself presentable, eat something, then we can head over to Outlaw.”

He doesn’t respond.

“Got any song requests for me?”

She looks up at his silence and finds his aviators fixed on something across the room. Right in his crosshairs, the waitress jots down a bald man’s order.

Of course he’s enamored with the waitress. Why wouldn’t he be?

She has a kind, gentle way about her. She’s delicate and ladylike. She has long, shiny hair and a contagious smile. She probably showers every day. She probably reads the Bible and young adult novels between assigned texts for her nursing school program. She probably has childhood friends and a five-year plan and regular communication with her family.

Most people are into that sort of thing.

So sure, it makes sense that he perks up like a dog earning table scraps every time she stops by their table.

RULE #9: Do not get attached.

It doesn’t matter that he likes the waitress. Not in the big scheme of things, anyway. She should utilize his tongue-wagging, not detest it.

The logic is sound, but the feeling inside her doesn’t change.

Cloying and desperate.

So fucking stupid.

If she were traveling with him under her own volition, she would’ve parted ways with him before this had a chance to germinate.

Yesterday, probably.

This morning at the latest.

Right after she woke to find her body curled up against him, his arm draped over her side. His skin felt so warm and good on hers. Comfortable.

I should have killed him when I had the chance.

Din shifts.

She looks up from her gridlocked mountain range in time to see him pull his shoulders back and puff his chest out.

Predictably, the waitress approaches their table and begins picking dirty dishes off the table, “Can I get y’all anything else?”

“Just the check is fine,” Din answers.

“Excellent.” She props the stack of plates on her hip so she can pull the bill from her apron. Placing it face down on the table, she smiles at him, “No rush, just whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” he nods.

Charlie gives her a polite smile when she departs, then watches Din’s attention follow.

Red flares through her, a bull in a china shop.

Fuck. This.

She flips her notebook closed and tosses it in her rucksack, “You should invite her to the show.”

His focus snaps back to her. “Why would I do that?”

“I dunno,” she shrugs, taking out her wallet to evaluate its contents, “Seems like you’re sweet on her. Might as well give it a shot.”

He draws back and frowns, studying her too close for comfort.

She grabs the check, doing some quick math before teasing, “Wow, you’re a cheap date.”

“What are you doing?”

“Buying breakfast.“

“There’s no need—”

Waving him off, she wriggles out of the booth and swings her bag over her shoulder as she starts towards the cash register.

He catches up with enough time to hiss in her ear, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“All set?” The waitress smiles between them.

“All set.” Charlie hands her a stack of fives under the check, “The change is for you.”

“Oh, well thank you. I appreciate it,” she punches the total into the register.

“Yeah, of course. It was delicious. And the service was excellent, obviously. But, umm… Hey, you know, if you’re not busy tonight, I’m playing a few sets at Outlaw. You should come.”

Din’s glare burns a hole in the back of her head, lending her a sick sense of satisfaction.

The waitress blinks up at her, eyebrows jumping a little, “Oh, are you guys in a band?”

“No, just me and my guitar. He’s security,” she jerks her thumb over her shoulder at Din, but doesn’t dare turn around. “Anyway, no pressure or anything if you have plans already. But if you don’t, it’ll be a good time.” She leans in closer and drops her volume, “Between you and me, I think he would like it if you came.”

The waitress chuckles a little, glancing at Din before tucking a wave of hair behind her ear, “I have to check to make sure I don’t have plans, but… Yeah, maybe.”

“Perfect! Oh—My name is Charlie, by the way,” she nods over her shoulder, “The big guy is Din.”

“I’m Marla.”

“Marla,” Charlie repeats, trying to regulate her manufactured enthusiasm, “We’ll see you later, then, yeah?”

A coy smile spreads across Marla’s face, eyes flicking to Din before she nods, “I’ll see what I can do.”

—

In the swollen silence of the laundromat, Charlie plucks a freshly-toasted shirt off the clean clothes pile, glancing at Din’s sharp movements beside her as he does the same.

She swallows the frantic buzzing in her chest that urges her to smooth the tension.

It was the right thing to do. There needs to be enough distance between them for her to find the escape hatch.

Discomfort is temporary. This discomfort is necessary.

She cannot let it get to her.

RULE #3: Keep your wits—

Din chucks a balled-up shirt back into the pile and spits, “Are you taking this seriously?”

“The laundry?”

“I told you we need to keep a low profile.” He He faces her, all rigid and puffed up, “First it was the show, then the sign, now you’re trying to get us in with the locals—”

“Yeah, you’re welcome, by the way. I got you a deal with Paul and a date with Marla, plus I’ll get spending cash—”

“We shouldn’t even be in public, let alone keeping a social calendar. You don’t understand how dangerous it is for us to be visible.”

“Do you really think Marla from The Pantry Cafe is going to ping my location to all your buddies?” She scoffs, trading her folded shirt for her crumpled up pair of jeans. “I highly doubt anyone here gives a shit about me.”

“That’s not—” He sighs, propping a hand on his hip, “If someone from the guild picks up your trail, they will come for you.”

She rolls her eyes and tucks the folded jeans in her knapsack, muttering, “What then, you won’t get your finder’s fee?”

“It’s not about that, it’s about your safety.”

A voice at the back of her head reminds her she’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

She almost listens to it, too. Until Din opens his trap to drive his point home further.

“I know what these people are capable of—”

“Kidnapping and murder, I assume.”

“There are worse things.”

She turns to him and blinks, “Scare tactics, Din? Really?”

“Not a scare tactic. A reality check.”

“Oh my fucking—”

“You’re being reckless and you know it.” He squares his shoulders, jabbing her chest as he grinds out, “Tighten. Up.”

Swatting his hand away, she scowls up at her reflection in his aviators. Her fingers twitch with the impulse to rip them off and stomp them to pieces.

“You know what? Fuck you.” Searching his face, she envisions barbed wire and life sentences. She hardens to stone and doesn’t dare fucking flinch as she speaks.

“You keep acting like you’re doing me some big favor because you’re not an absolute fucking ghoul to me. You fucking stand there and say it’s about my safety like you’re protecting me or something, but you’re not. You are protecting an investment. Din. The dollar sign attached to my head. You said it yourself, I am nothing to you but a payload.”

A bitter laugh escapes her, resentment bubbling up from an old crack in her heart, “You don’t give a shit about my well-being. My fucking safety? Fuck off. You’re delivering me to the same fucking slaughterhouse they would.”

Every visible sign of anger sloughs off him like dead weight, leaving him with this raw, deflated expression that undermines her certainty.

As she stares at him, bracing for a response, her own self-righteous fury withers up and dies in her chest. It turns to a plea.

Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me it’s not about the money.

Taking a step back, he turns and starts shoveling clothes into his backpack. “Let’s go. We’re already behind schedule.”

It shouldn’t feel like a punch in the gut, but it does.

She nods solemnly, then falls back into place helping him clear the folding table.

—

Din crosses the vacant road from Jackalope Motel to Giddyup Auto, holding Grogu’s leash taut at his side so he can’t wander.

Dawn begins to eat away at the night sky, dusty orange fading to light blue, leaving only a tiny sliver of dark over in the west. Daylight dyes wispy eastern clouds blood red and banishes morning fog, drying up the damp that collected overnight.

Ahead of him, Charlie’s dusty green knapsack sags from her squared shoulders, swaying back and forth like a pendulum with each purposeful stride. She keeps her spine straight and her eyes forward and an invisible yardstick between them, as she has since their spat in the laundromat.

The distance is necessary, though. For both of them.

Somewhere along the way, he allowed the line drawn between them to become blurred. He lost all definition. It never should have happened in the first place.

He should be grateful she had enough sense to pull the trigger this time.

Grogu perks up and lets out a small, “Boof.”

Din tears his eyes away from Charlie’s backpack to see Paul emerge from the shop, waving at Charlie, who walks up to greet him. They both look back at Din, then Paul tells her something that makes her snort with laughter. It’s strange, he thinks, how she can flip her demeanor at the drop of the hat.

As he draws closer to the conversation, his ears attune to her voice.

“… this is the easy part, honestly. I should be able to finish up before sundown.”

Paul grins, hooking his thumbs in the belt loops of his coveralls, “Seems we’re runnin’ on the same timeline then.”

“Oh. You mean…?” Charlie shuts her mouth and glances at Din when he comes to a stop within their circle of conversation.

“Well, good morning, sunshine,” Paul teases. “I was just telling Miss Charlie here that the rig should be finished up quick, long as I don’t find any surprises.”

Din frowns, “By tonight?”

“That’s what it’s lookin’ like.”

“I thought it would take longer.”

“Made good time,” Paul shrugs. “Figured y’all would be itching to get back on the road.”

Grogu starts whining at Charlie, who crouches down to pet him. The dog heels and pins his ears back, lapping at her hands as she gives him all her attention.

Din clears his throat and gives Paul a nod of appreciation, “How much do I owe you?”

“Lookin’ at twelve hundred, give or take. We can settle up later.”

“Hey Paul, can I grab your tall ladder?” Charlie gives Grogu a pat before rising to her feet, “Oh, and do you have an extra stereo I could I borrow for the day? I don’t want the big guy to chat my ear off.”

Paul cackles while she shoots Din a teasing look that makes his blood pressure spike.

“Come on, I’ll see if I can’t find one for ya.”

—

CEO Pushes City to ‘Clear Homeless from the Streets’ in Open Letter to Portland Mayor.

Amidst recent controversy surrounding the growing homeless population in Portland, one local businessman speaks out on behalf of property owners.

In an open letter to Mayor Ed Kneeler released this morning, Tom Bucheron, CEO of Empire Property Management, LLC, calls for the Mayor Kneeler to “take action against the epidemic of homelessness in Portland,” which, he goes on to claim, presents undue financial burden on Portland property owners.

Din follows the link to a PDF of the letter, looking up from his screen to observe Charlie as it loads.

On her perch at the top of the ladder, she paints while singing along to some 80’s power ballad on the radio. The blonde bun at the crown of her head, lops from one side to the other as she bops around to the beat.

With her constant squawking and beak of a nose, she sometimes resembles an ill-tempered bird. This only solidifies the likeness in his mind. A yellow cockatiel whose domesticity never took. She screams and nips at those who dare try closing her cage door.

She glances back over her shoulder, so he drops his eyes to the screen of his tablet.

Mayor Ed Kneeler:

I call upon you today to take action against the epidemic of homelessness in Portland.

In recent years, we have seen a dramatic rise in homelessness, drug-related and violent crimes, and overdoses. We have also seen property values plummet as of late. I have been residential property management and real estate investment for 34 years. I’ve seen property values ebb and flow with the market, and can say with certainty that our current state is unprecedented.

Homeless encampments are epicenters for crime and disease, sprouting up through the cracks of our beautiful city and spreading at a disastrous rate. Property values suffer. As such, the real Portland citizens suffer. Those of us who have families and homes here. The real Portland citizens, we invest in our community through fellowship and commonwealth. We are the lifeblood of this city and we are suffering dearly. Dually so are Portland property owners. Our property values plummet with the blight of homelessness. Not only that, but we also foot the bill for welfare and social programs with our taxes so that the City can enable the miscreants that come in droves to suck up our resources.

In a lineup of cities comparable in size and population density, Portland stands out for all the wrong reasons: low property values, high crime rates, high taxes, and an epidemic of homelessness. Cities that rigorously enforce vagrancy laws reap the benefits of higher property values and lower crime rates.

It couldn’t be clearer. The City should strive to eradicate homelessness in Portland, not enable it. Today I ask that you enact a citywide ban on vagrancy and start disbanding encampments.

The only reason I ask this of you in such a public forum, Mayor Kneeler, is because I question your motives for not addressing this matter sooner.

Do you act on behalf of the real citizens of Portland, or in your own self-interest? If your peers in the Democratic Party frown upon law and order, does that affect your decision-making? While pondering whether or not to act on this problem, what holds more weight? Potential backlash to your career, or the burdens suffered by real citizens of Portland?

Please do not let your pursuit of legacy destroy our beloved city. Step up and do what’s right.

Sincerely,

Tom.

Din saves the PDF and checks on Grogu, still curled up in a ball beneath his chair. He looks up at Charlie, who went quiet when the radio started warbling the weekend forecast.

As she rolls green acres onto the sign with quick, short strokes, her fluffed-up bun still bops back and forth like she’s dancing with just her head. Probably singing to herself.

Did she tell him the truth about what happened in Portland?

It shouldn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. Whether it’s true or not, she was right. He’s delivering her to the slaughterhouse.

Normally he finds comfort in this ambivalence. This time it settles like lead in his belly, heavy and poisonous.

He digs the phone from his pocket and dials Karga.

“Din! Just the man I wanted to speak to.”

He frowns, “Why?”

“The client is looking for an update on the asset. You still have it, correct?”

“Yes.”

“When can they expect your arrival?”

His gaze wanders to Charlie, painting away without a care in the world. Guilt twists his stomach raw.

“What do they want with her?”

A beat goes by before Karga responds.

“They didn’t tell me and I didn’t ask. Neither should you, if you know what’s good for you.”

Din looks down at the gravel and nods. “I’ll have her there by Sunday at the latest.”

#din djarin #din djarin fanfiction #din djarin smut #din djarin x oc #din djarin x ofc #din djarin x original female character #the mandalorian fic #the mandalorian fanfiction #the mandalorian fanfic #pedro pascal character fanfic #pedro pascal fanfiction #passenger

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aswanlake · 3 months ago

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Crossed With Glass

• 0.2⠀( dogs don’t want, they beg , silly puppet . )⠀by aswanlake.

synopsis: waking up is the last thing Kyo thought would be possible after her accident. however now she doesn’t remember the last two years of her life and something is off. her body is put back together, skin repaired and injuries basically faded. how is this even possible? her only answer is a very short and awkward looking doctor, peering over her whenever she awoke.

content warnings: non canon timeline (season 1 now takes place in third year instead of first year), description of injury \ blood & death, fem!reader, 3rd person POV, cussing, villainous activity, murder, hurt / some comfort, canon violence, suggestive themes, angst, fighting, adult themes, language inaccuracies, medical inaccuracies, no use of y/n, non-sexual mentions of nudity (not real), degrading language / behavior, father-like kurogiri, implied grooming, dehumanization,

a/n: reader is referred to as “puppet” as a name, this being used to refer to the reader in a dehumanizing way, if you don’t like it then please ignore it. Reader has no canon name however I never use Y/N throughout the story, reader will always be referred to by a nickname of some sort. headers by @diviniyae

tags ; @graythecoffeebean @vikizzy @airinanami @naliarefira @vrtualvampy @nersukehiro @diorpar @sunonbody @jaebumblebee

wc : 4.8k

song of the chapter⠀⠀:⠀⠀briston by sydney rose .

There were vivid flashes of life. Memories that she didn’t remember to be her own, she had never been to such high class establishments or these back alleyways of Musutafu and yet her mind knew them as if a map had been implanted into her brain. There was a chill that ran over her body after each shattered memory, the shiver running up her spine before it all went blank again, completely white. She wasn’t allowed to keep these memories for long, as soon as her mouth remembered how to open and words could form, the memories were forgotten and she was back to the white room and ceiling with that chill making her body shiver. It wasn’t that cold in Japan and it was obvious that she was at least in a room so she shouldn’t have been that cold, there was no reason for her body to shiver and yet every time she got even a smidge of her eyes opening and any recollection of what happened the chill returned.

However this time it didn’t, her eyes opened adjusting to the dimly lit room, no windows, just white walls that added to the harshness that continued to nip at her body. Her body took a moment to remember how it worked, arms dragging her down with its weight before finally inching upwards towards the destination her brain had in mind, however her eyes noticed before her head did that her arm didn’t belong to her. It wasn’t her own, she wasn’t sure how she knew that but it was just a gut feeling, an inkling, her entire body felt brand new, nothing felt like it belonged to her. The skin on her body felt fake as if she was a mannequin who’s clothes had been rearranged, put in a display case for everyone to look upon her naked form.

Her sulking and questioning was interrupted by a man entering, he was short and lacking hair, clearly old and his coat forced the assumption that he was a doctor of some sort. His hand adjusted the eye glass he wore before an expiration of pure surprise and joy replaced it. “You’re awake. I thought you would be out at least a little bit longer, I went to go get lunch. Onigiri?” It was uncanny, why was he being so welcoming and nice to her? Where was she? Who was he? Who was she? Her mouth opened to respond but it was dry, lips cracked and rough so she simply shook her head, she wasn’t sure if she could stomach it right now. He still pushed one towards her, salmon, it’s easy on the stomach and good for her anyways. Next he passed a chapstick next to it, watching her curious expression as she attempted to figure out what it was, with a heart laugh he opened it for her, walking towards the table she laid upon. “Forgot that you don’t know how to use this, or what this is. This is chapstick, it’s for your lips that are chapped, that dry feeling.” She simply nodded her head at his explanation, reaching for it and cautiously applying it to her lips.

They almost instantly felt better, however the few pieces of dead skin ruined the completely smooth glide that she would have had. “Where am I?” Her mouth finally allowed words to leave and that was the only question she could ask, the others were jumbled in her brain refusing to give her a single answer. He nudged the onigiri closer towards her before walking towards a dimly lit tablet set up on a desk. It monitored her vitals, her heartbeat, blood sugar, but the weirdest thing was her brain waves showing up upon the small screen. She squinted her eyes to get a better look and the doctor gave a quick chuckle, pulling what looked to be a clip from a project and it rolled up into a little ball on the ceiling. Instead of the all white wall room she was used to, it was replaced by a huge monitor, the information that had just been on the tablet now showing up on the huge screen in a much clearer picture.

However the action only made her more uncomfortable, now being able to see things appear on the screen. Her mouth mindlessly nibbled on the onigiri in her hand while her eyes scanned the screen. “You’re home. Soon you’ll be able to leave.” She didn’t remember her home but this place did feel a little bit familiar, not much but a little bit. She didn’t nod or shake her head, no approval or denial, she wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or not. “In a little bit you aren't going to be yourself-” Her gaze finally flicked in his direction, unsure of what he was truly referring to. She felt like herself right now, hy would she not feel like herself in a little bit? How long is a little bit? “You’re not going to remember me telling you this, I should know. We’ve done this little routine plenty of times. How do you think I know salmon is your choice?” Slowly she placed the item of food down, assuming it to be drugged or perhaps worse but the man before her only laughed. “It’s not drugged sweetheart. We don’t need something like that after all we’ve done to you. I’m gonna say a few words and you won’t remember what happens but once you finish your mission everything will be good as new and I’ll bring you back.” Fear shot through her body for a reason she didn't understand, was he gonna hurt her? Were these words gonna hurt her? Her body tried to move away from him but it was fruitless, his mouth opened and words droned out, she barely heard him as everything started to hurt. Her head started to burn as if erasing her freewill before her eyes, any ties to independence were forgotten and co-dependency were the only things keeping her alive. The only word that stuck with her was “制御”, which meant control.

When she awoke or rather gained just a pinch of consciousness again, she was inside of a building that she didn’t remember, at this point she didn’t remember anything so that was a terrible analogy to show her discomfort. It was cold but not as cold as the lab she had woken up in, vials filled the area with unknown liquids and all the scientists that seemed as though they had been working on them now covered the floor. Some blood seeping into the soles of her shoe, did she kill him? Did she hurt them? She was never a violent person, she wasn’t sure why she would hurt these people out of nowhere. What did they do to her to deserve such a treatment? Her mind swirling questions were interrupted by the moaning from a man on the floor, crimson oozing out of his injury with every move he made. Her eyes glared at him, wide and wild, filled with a mix of fear and concern which were returned by him with nothing but terror.

“Please, please let me live. I won’t tell anyone I swear, just let me live.” He looked her dead in the eyes, maybe she should be wearing a hood or a mask for protection from things like this, now she had to kill him because he had seen her face. She had to kill him or someone else would. She had to kill him to put him out of his misery. She had to kill him because she would be the most merciful about it. The more she said it, the more it became true in her mind. Her body stalked back over to him consciousness running to hide in the back of her mind to accept its fate and escape the guilt. She didn’t want to kill him but she had to right? Why did she feel the need to hurt him? To kill him? To get rid of him? Why was she so worried about being caught? Didn’t she want to escape? The questions still ran rampant in her mind as her foot was on his throat, pressing deeply, harder and harder as if she was going to use him as a stepping stone. The crack of his skin was silent but the crushing of his veins sounded like the breaking of a saltine cracker or the shelling of a hard boiled egg. Then finally her foot went through, landing on the ground covered in a sticky substance, her eyes couldn’t look down to witness what she had done but she knew he stopped moving and that was enough to still her mind.

“Doctor. We have a problem.”

Reviewing the security footage from the incident at the science lab did not help with the investigation. There was absolutely nothing, as soon as even a small image of the person responsible showed up on screen the video began to blur and warp as if it was tampered with. Asking for interviews was useless, everyone on the scene was dead. The police suspected that it was a personal attack due to the treatment of one of the scientists, the others had been killed somewhat humanly, the actions mimicking that of a hunter and it’s way of killing animals but just one, his entire throat had been crushed, it took hours to even clean him up completely, it was disgusting. The more confusing thing was the fact that nothing was taken from the lab, not a single vial was touched, dangerous chemicals that any villain would have been happy to get its hands on were left in the same spot they were yesterday. They went through the entire catalog just to ensure nothing had been taken, even tested the materials to ensure they weren’t switched or changed with anything but everything was exactly where it should have been. This was odd, Aizawa knew it but there was nothing he could do about it rather than just keep asking questions that would never be answered so the police eventually had to let it go. It became a cold case in the matter of 48 hours. Despite having the culprit on video there was nothing they could do. Families were upset, rightfully so but there was nothing that could be done.

“Did I kill him?” She asked, sitting on the same table she was woken up on, munching on another packaged salmon onigiri that she had been given while her vitals were being measured. She was allowed to have a TV now, watching the news as if she was being punished by her actions by being forced to rewatch them. “I told you to. So of course you did.” It was uncanny, this sense of having no control over her body and the man next to her being so uncomfortably calm about it, however this was more freedom than she was expecting so that was somewhat a good thing but she still didn’t understand why she was here and what she was doing. “Are you just going to make me kill people? All the time? What if I don’t want to?” The doctor laughed at her, a hearty chuckle that came from his belly as if it was the first time he had ever heard “a joke”. “I don’t care if you don’t want to. You aren’t here to want. Dogs don’t want, they follow directions and they beg if they want something. Are you going to beg me to not kill someone?” He was clearly gauging what she was going to say and she wasn’t sure what the correct answer was but she was compelled to tell whatever truth would leave her lips. “If I have to. I’m not a killer.” She blinked at him, stone cold and unwavering as he shook his head, making a “tsk” sound with his mouth. “I guess you weren’t ready to come out yet. Who would have thought that he would have been right- of all people?” Fear, now she remembered what it felt like and she hated it, her body shaking uncontrollably, mind running relentlessly because her legs wouldn’t move no matter how hard she tried. She didn’t remember what she was running from but she knew it couldn’t be good. “Please don’t.”

She swallowed heavily as she stared at him with an expression of pure glee, he was sick. This was a man who was fucking sick, he didn’t love her or care about her, he cared about his investment in her. She wanted to crawl away, maybe crush his throat like she had the scientist but couldn’t move, not unless he told her that she could. “You talk too much, you know? I’ll fix that next time. Lay back.” Just like that her mouth zipped itself shut, lips sewn together with red thread and her body laid back, eyes staring helplessly at the ceiling, this felt familiar, from what she wasn’t sure but she knew that it was something she didn’t want to experience again. Her mouth only opened again whenever he waved a mouthpiece in front of her like a treat, like she was a dog. She wanted to scream out in fear but nothing came, beg for the life that he said he might give to her if she gave up her pride, her arms and feet were shackled but even without it she wouldn’t have moved, not without permission. “This will only hurt a little bit.. A lot a bit, but you can take it can’t you? You’re my prize, I made you so strong, so that you could take it.” She wanted to shake her head at him, disagree with his overestimation of her strength but there was nothing, the only thing that came were tears welling up her eyes, she looked pathetic and it was insufferable. She returned to her line of sight, placing what felt like stickers along her body, the same ones she had earlier to measure her heart rate and brain waves, was he really going to do this to her again? What was this? Why was she so afraid? Why couldn’t she stop the tears from falling? He shushed her tears, wiping them with his hand, disgust filling her senses as she tried to pull away from him. “Stay still, it will hurt less.” What a liar.

She didn’t think she’s ever screamed louder, the reason for restraints made a lot more sense as she fought against them with every sense of strength she had. Her legs kicked aimlessly at the table, arms flailing as they tried to escape their prison and her head twisting to find a break from the excruciating pain that came with no break. Her voice cracked but her sobs and screams never stopped, it was as if her limbs were being ripped from her body, slowly to ensure the most anguish. What made it worse is that she started to remember, her mind started to flash memories of a boy with blonde hair, an unruly temper but never raised his voice at her, soon it began to scratch itself from her mind, everything that had been etched into stone was wiped clean. It was unknown how long she had been going through this torture but it felt like forever, she was on fucking fire, her body wouldn’t still and her mind never knew calm, even small movements were met with pain until she was basically thrashing across the table, trying to escape this hell. The scientist she killed was erased, such a small insignificant detail and yet she still wasn’t allowed to hold onto it, anything her arms tried to keep close to her was ripped away and destroyed before her eyes. Until finally, it stopped. Her body falling limply onto the table, chest rising heavily up and down, her arms didn’t even twitch and her eyes opened, bracing for the white ceiling once again. The mouthpiece was removed and her body was tilted forward, the table moving without releasing her from her chains, just holding her up-right so she could look the doctor in the eye or rather below his eye level. She didn’t deserve to look him in the eye. “Puppet?” The air between them was silent for a moment as she caught her breath. Finally she looked up, not at him but at something behind him. “I await your word, Doctor.”

The doctor introduced her to “father”, a tall man with a mask for a face, who wore all black, a suit if she was correct. “You’re a gift for my son. You are to protect him no matter what, even if it costs you your life. Your life is insignificant compared to his. He is the next me, the new hope for the next generation without heroes.” She looked near him, never at him, she didn’t deserve to look him in the eye, father was gracious enough to keep her alive so she had to give him the respect he deserved. However he forced her gaze towards him with his finger, his hand was too big for her face, he probably would have crushed her skull if he grabbed her. “You are my doctor's greatest achievement, Nomu. The only one of your kind, the others are brainless and can’t speak, stuck in a trance but you obey without question because you want to.” Somehow it almost sounded real, almost as if she had a choice in the matter. “Nod.” She nodded without hesitation, eyes staring into the mask that only showed her expression. “See. Everything you do is because I tell you too but because you want to do it. You have the choice not to do it but we both know that won’t end well for you, isn’t that right?” This time he didn’t have to tell her to nod, she did it without question, he asked her a question directly so she could respond. He looked almost proud of her, there was no smile shown in the mask but she could feel it. She wanted him to be proud of her, if he was proud of her then maybe it would be worth it in the end.

‘Son’. Shigaraki Tomura technically, his official parents and family were labeled as dead in the police database. She spent hours going through it, storing everything in her head as if she was a computer, a storage compartment for any information he might need or need to know about her. He had a scratching tick, whenever nervous, upset or overwhelmed he would scratch at the skin on her neck as if he needed to rip it off to feel a sense of comfort. Had she been capable of moving without direction then she most likely would have developed it as well, however her hands only slightly twitched whenever he did it until “Kurogiri” gave her the command to stop him anytime he started. Kurogiri was another gift that father had given Shigaraki, he was weirdly compassionate with his gifts, he never threw things or hit them like the doctor did, however he also didn’t feed them or tell him jokes. Kurogiri had more control over his body than she did, basically human, so he took care of her whenever Shigaraki would forget to.

The routine was quite simple, staying in the abandoned bar and drafting up plans to destroy the heroes, she didn’t want to destroy anyone. Her body stood behind Tomura like a shadow, arms crossed behind her back, eyes scanning the board he’d (father) put together with red string with the perfect plan. “After that, we can kill All Might! He’ll be weak and all alone.” Tomura spoke, his scratchy voice unsoothing to her ears, Kurogiri wasn’t convinced that this plan was full proof, shaking his mist filled head at the board. “What if he has back up from someone with a long range quirk? Tomura you’re short range and won’t survive in a fight with someone with better endurance.” His question was answered with a childish groan from Shigaraki. “No one will be able to get in! That’s why we block the doors! Who even has a long range quirk anyways? Puppet! What heroes have long range quirks that could be a threat to me.” Her eyes glanced at the board and then back at Tomura. “Eraserhead, quirk Eraser. Present Mic, quirk Voice. Nejire-Chan, quirk Wave Motion. Endeavor, quirk Hellflame. Midnight, quirk-” He quickly cut her off, “Ok I get it!” She would have explained why they were people he should be concerned for but he never gave her the chance, she just went back to staring at the board without any more commentary but Kurogiri seemed to be happy with her input. “See. Even our puppet knows it, this could go quite badly.”

Tomura let out what seemed to be a mix between a groan of annoyance and a moan of pain, her body tensed up at his sound, eyes scanning him to ensure his safety. “He’s fine, puppet. Just annoyed.” She didn’t know that Kurogiri was aware of her watching but calmed her staring and went back to the board with a quick nod. “Puppet is basically a machine, she calculates everything based on percentage and statistics that she’s memorized. She doesn’t make space for things like chance or human error.” “You don’t make mistakes. There was no human error to account for.” Both men in the room stared at her, it was the first time she had ever spoken out of turn. Her head bowed to him immediately in an apology for speaking without even being talked to but he only laughed. “I don’t make mistakes. Only others do, their stupidity messing up father’s plans is insufferable.” They could both agree on that, she hated to see one of father’s plans messed up purely because of human error, despite being human she never felt like one, almost growing a distance to them in her mind– she didn’t have to account for human error because she was never wrong, she never made a mistake. Never. With her words being the last solidifying factor, Tomura was set on his plan and stormed away to his bedroom to converse with father. She rarely got to talk to father nowadays, it had been almost eight months since she had seen him face to face and two months since he’d actually talked to her, it was insufferable. She wasn’t sure why she was being deprived of his love, she didn’t recall doing anything wrong or being punished for something that Tomura didn’t like so it didn’t make sense. Even though she tried to hide it, Kurogiri could sense the longing in her eyes everytime they followed Tomura whenever he was planning to talk to father.

He hated it but there was nothing he could do about it, he had no true control over the situation. “Puppet-” Her body turned in his direction, eyes immediately returning contact. “Come sit.” His head nodded towards the bar, he was usually behind it, for a man with smoke for a body he was surprisingly a good bartender, or at least she assumed so, he didn't let her have alcohol. She sat on one of the crusty bar stools, hands laying flat on the table to show that she had no weapons on her. Usually if she held something she’d place it before her, the doctor said that any commander should be able to use whatever weapon on her without any stress or worry. Only if she deserved it. He passed her a glass of water but she didn’t even glance at it, looking at him directly. “Take a sip.” She hated words like that, ‘sip’, ‘handful’, ‘part’, they never had a definitive value and she was scared that she would overstep or disappoint purely because she didn’t understand what that meant.

Puppet grabbed the glass, the cold rushing a shiver over her body but she didn’t react, staying completely still and taking a gulpful of water, eyes watching to see if he wanted to stop but he never indicated that he wanted her too. She finished the cup, placing it down and if anything Kurogiri looked happy for some reason. “Do you drink water often or is your first cup of the week?” She didn’t know if he was seriously asking her how she got her nutrients, did he not know the answer? “I get my nutrients and water intake from an IV, delivered by the doctor. I am not dehydrated if that was your question.” She wasn’t sassing, just answering his question with the knowledge she knew. “Well that’s good to know. Are you ready to fight with Tomura tomorrow?” All of his questions felt rhetorical, he was asking how she felt as if she actually had a choice. “I am always prepared to fight to protect Tomura. Even if I have to-” He cut her off, this was the second time today, was she talking too much? “Give your life. I know but you won’t so don’t worry about that.” She was not worried, she did not worry. Why was he like this? He was aware of how her mind worked. “I don’t worry. I do not feel, Kurogiri.” He looked almost disappointed by her answer however she didn’t continue to speak instead waited to be dismissed so she could sleep for the night and prepare for tomorrow.

On the floor is where she sleeps, her body does not reject the bed however her mind does. she doesn’t deserve it, she isn’t human, not enough to deserve the comfort of a bed at least. she could not fall behind whenever it came to sleep or nutrition, it would affect her work ethic and that was unreasonable. Sleep wasn’t that important to her, it could be bypassed if she truly needed to, however it eased Kurogiri’s mind that she would sleep through the night even if it was a blank space, no dreams because she needed memories to be able to dream. Puppet however hated sleeping, it was tedious and uncomfortable, the rest of the world all slept at the same time and it would be the perfect time to plan or attack however there was a weird common courtesy amongst human beings to allow others to sleep through the night even if their world was ending. That was what made her human counterpart nonexistent, there was no courtesy that existed to her, slang made no sense and words with no true value or meaning were stupid, she was a calculated machine with no room for error. However tonight of all nights was the one where she couldn’t sleep, her body laid still on the floor with her eyes to the ceiling but nothing made her tired. She tried running through the database that was her mind of facts or details to tire herself out and even that wouldn’t work.

It was insufferable, she could count down the minutes of how long she had been awake, fingers lightly tapping her opposing hand to count each minute. “Can’t sleep?” The sound of Kurogiri’s voice shocked her body upwards, bowing at his presence before simply shaking her head. “I did not mean to neglect my sleeping pattern. Please forgive me.” She couldn’t even make it through the night without getting in trouble, what a terrible puppet she was but Kurogiri wasn’t angry with her, he never was. “You do not have to bow to me, nor do you have to be sorry. It was merely a question, I won’t punish you for not being able to sleep one night. I won’t tell the doctor about this little situation if you promise to answer a question for me.” He sounded sincere but she took it as mockery, she was forced to answer the question whether she wanted to or not, why even bother asking if she’ll answer it? “Of course Kurogiri.” He seemed to be soothed at the sound of her voice, despite it being the same monotone as normal it was calmer, quieter, to adapt to her surroundings. “Do you really think this plan will work?” He was asking for her opinion. She was inclined to always agree with what Shigiraki said, however he was asleep, wasn’t within ear shot and wasn’t the one asking her the question. She was being asked based off of statistics and what she knew of the heroes and her own handler. Puppet was ashamed to even answer the question but both of them knew the truth even if she didn’t say it. “No. We will fail tomorrow but we will not die.” Despite Kurogiri being nothing but smoke, his physical body was there somewhere and it helped him form what looked to be human expressions like the smiles that graced his face after her answer. “That is all. Goodnight puppet.” She wasn’t able to sleep before but after that, she fell right asleep.

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savebatsartedition · 3 months ago

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This Ain't A Scene - 3rd Life SMP Map Part

Youtube link

Map call here! Please consider joining!!

All designs and animation by me, ‪@savebatsfromscratch Program: Turbowarp Bitmap. Characters (all 3rd Life Members): Ren, Martyn, BigB, Skizzleman, ImpulseSV, Ethoslab, Smajor, SolidarityGaming, Goodtimeswithscar, Grian, Zombiecleo, Bdubs, Tangotek, and Smallishbeans Song: This Aint A Scene, It's A Goddamn Arms Race by Fall Out Boy

My animation commissions are open! Something this length would be 20 dollars.

#video #3rd life smp #fire #animation #rendog #inthelittlewood #bigbst4tz2 #skizzleman #impulsesv #ethoslab #smajor #solidaritygaming #goodtimeswithscar #grian #zombiecleo #bdubs #tangotek #smallishbeans #mcyt

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danievax · 9 months ago

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Let’s be fr, we are all still stuck in that desert!!

Howdy hey! I’m Dan! I’m helping co-host a dessert duo MAP by the great @oinkable !!!!

It’s MAMMA MIA Y’ALL!!

Currently 17/ 30 parts have been taken.

& MAX MAP parts have been upped to 3!!

If being in a desert duo map is up your alley come check it out! We also have back-up’s open and a thumbnail contest planned!!

Here’s the Application Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdooUDIWnilAAhBExoe0CRHejTqAs3JzC2m7y63LbmoCdfrjA/viewform

As here’s the Script , discord link, rules, designs and so on! UWU

We can’t wait to have you!!

#gtws #3rd life #open map #life series #grianmc #third life #grian #mcyt #animation #desert duo #mcytblr #trafficblr #traffic life series #life smp #lifesmp #goodtimeswithscar #you are not immune to the goodtimes #bdubs #omgggg

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elenauaurs · 1 year ago

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TWISTED WONDERLAND OC

bird boy

INFO

Name: Diaval Corvo

daiavaru koruvo (JP)

Grade/Class: Junior/Class D (No. 6)

Age: 167

Height: 173

Dominant hand: Left

Homeland: Briar Valley

Club: Board game

Best Subject: Flying/History of Magic

Hobbies: Read ancient writings

Pet Peeves: DOGS

Favorite food: Wagyu beef

Least favorite food: Rotten food

Likes: Malleus, food, big ruins

Dislike: Hunters, swim, thunder

Birthday: November 3rd

Talent: Draw maps

PERSONALITY

Diaval is a reserved and introverted individual, but also very careful and a kind person by nature.

With subjects that arouse his curiosity or interest, he can prove to be a talkative person and easy to talk to.

Diaval also has a great ability to command people in diverse situations (as a strategist) and is also a good diplomat. Due to being great observer, he can easily create useful strategies for difficult situations. However, upon realizing that the situation is out of control, Diaval may act more desperate, nervous AND TOTALLY RESTLESS, especially in cases where he knows from the beginning that everything will go wrong, which makes him a bit of a chatterbox until the situation is resolved.

Despite being a kind person, he also acts sarcastic as hell in situations where he wants to irritate someone or when he is irritated, and can also reveal a somewhat sadistic side, mocking and enjoying the pain of someone he doesn't like.

Overall, Diaval takes on a more parental/caregiving attitude towards those he cares about(even with humans, with whom he has more difficulty befriending with), being a big worrier if something dangerous happens.

FACTS

Diaval is based on Diablo from sleeping Beauty and a bit of... Diaval... from maleficent

Diaval is a raven/crow fae

Diaval is Malleus' closest servant, which is why he is known as "Malleus' wings" in Briar Valley. He has known Malleus since he was a child

For some reason, Diaval has maps of the entire NRC

Diaval is a person very well informed about what happens at school, he loves... gossip... and investigating the latest topics

For this reason (mentioned in the previous topic), he has a love-hate relationship with Azul, especially because in book 3 he prevented a large number of diasomnia students from being caught in contracts.

He definitely doesn't like participating in swimming lessons. According to him, his wings are too heavy to swim properly.

Diaval definitely doesn't like going near the Savanaclaw dorm, but why? Simple, there are a good number of beastmen with canine characteristics (like Jack) in Savanaclaw, and well... He doesn't like dogs very much…

At some point in his life, Diaval helped babysit Silver. The first thing little Silver called Diaval was "pretty little bird"

APPEARANCE

Diaval has short, very dark blue (almost black) hair, with a long fringe on the left that covers his eyepatch. His eyes are pink, he has a mole below his eye and on his neck (and other non-visible places on his body), he wears black earrings in both ears.

His dorm uniform are a little modified. He has a neck stole made of feathers and wears a 'scarf' around his neck instead of a tie, his black coat hangs below his shoulders, he has a gold claw ring on his fingers and some part of the back of his outfit is open to his wings.

. . .

#twst oc #twisted wonderland #twst #night raven college #malleus draconia #diaval corvo #disney twst #azul ashengrotto #diasomnia #diasomnia oc #sleeping beauty #diablo #maleficent #silver #silver twst

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oinkable · 10 months ago

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youtube

hey all im trying out map hosting :D its a beginner friendly map!

PLEASE NOTE this is NOT a ship map just a goofy little thing :3

its a desert duo focused map to the song “lay all your love one me” from mama mia

its scripted but the script is kinda loose

applications are open and will remain open until the map is full, backups are always open

ofc as a side note its my first time hosting a map so please be patient with me, im just a little guy trying her best

Script, rules, password and designs!

Application form (please only apply if you've read the Google doc and want a part, to be in the thumbnail contest or as a backup! :3)

#goodtimeswithscar fanart #my art #grian #gtws #digital art #life series #3rd life #open map #goodtimeswithscar #grian fanart #grianmc #gtwscar #third life #Youtube #mcyt #mcyt fanart #mcytblr #bdubs

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varyathevillain · 7 months ago

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Ancient Rome Sidequest Mapping

here's a post of something interesting I've found ages back, and posted on (X)Twitter, concerning the Ancient Rome Sidequest. needed to save this because I am nuking/closing my accounts there.

this is following Sasha and Grizzop's path step by step, and how, back then, the GM mastery made my jaw drop.

when describing the room (or more like a hall) in RQG126, it's mentioned being lit by braziers, and that Zop and Sasha fall down onto a mosaic floor, the same one which is broken in present time. the closest imagined restoration of the Ancient Rome including intricate mosaic? Domus Transitoria. It was Nero's first palace, which, according to Seutonius, spanned all the way from the Palatine to the Esquiline, and according to historians had floor and wall mosaics, and in these times mosaics were restricted to only being on walls and floors. when the palace was replaced by Domus Aurea, mosaics were instead placed onto the vaulted ceilings, changing the art of future and partially influencing future mosaic art. there is also a 'gardened avenue' towards temples, which fits the path Sasha and Grizzop take. not to mention that Templo di Apollo lies *very close* to Domus Transitoria (the previous statements are backed up by following articles, in Italian, because I couldn't find English ones that didn't butcher the things I wanted to show)

romanoimpero.com/2020/05/domus-transitoria-di-nerone.html https://romanoimpero.com/2010/09/tempio

they get into a temple district (temple of Diana and then down the Palatium towards Aventinus, with actual real life temples somewhat applicable to the ones we hear about in the podcast), and that's how they figure out that there are still corresponding gods in Rome. the distance between the temples described? that they 'don’t have any sort of distance between them, next to each other on the streets', unlike the modern ones; which makes sense as Palatine Hill is very... compact in the building placement, even in ancient times.

there isn't much left from the actual temples except from preserved ruins by Italian archelogists, but there are skilful, artful depictions of how temples could've looked like in ancient times, for example temples of Apollo and Cybele in Palatine:

then we get to see the untouched Servian wall, which is then magicked by whoever is in charge (I don't think we get to know if that's just the Mars people, or several sources, or something else) to protect the city.

(Servian wall is in black here)

Servian wall is the first defence of the city of Rome, constructed around it in the early 4th century BCE. later on it would be succeeded by superior Aurelian walls; but by that moment in history (late 3rd century AD) in RQG that city did NOT exist as a bastion anymore. then, after they visit the temples of 'Pluto' (meet Cicero) and Mars, all three of them through the districts with human population, which corresponds to the parts close to Forum Romanum, also where, coincidentally, real life Cicero resided for some time!

and then, Cicero takes Grizzop and Sasha down into the sewers, which makes perfect sense because that district is where the Cloaca Maxima goes through!! there are several historical suggestions about how the system was formed, from an open air canal into underground sewers. BUT! that isn't what is interesting to us! what is interesting is that the passage partially connects the temples, which makes sense, because in this case temples are also in need of water system for the non-godly treatment of their residents and patients.

and then the three of them move towards the underground part/inner workings of temple of Jupiter, which, in fact, completely corresponds with position of the temple of Jupiter Stator!

depicted here in yellow, information of it referenced per this article

per "Rambles in Rome", the temple of Jupiter Stator, vowed by Romulus when his army was fleeing before the Sabines, if Jupiter would stay their flight; hence the name. "Romulus built a temple to Jupiter near the Porta Mugonia" (Dionysius, ii. 30). It was restored by Scipio, A.U.C. 459 (Livy, x. 37). It was in this temple that Cicero made his first oration against Catiline (Plutarch). Cicero says that here the goods of Pompey were offered for sale.

Rambles in Rome, as referenced

and the temple of Jupiter Stator like a light walk away from where the Colosseum would stand. only there is no Colosseum. there is the domed hall in which the big Mars vs Jupiter battle happens, the other part of which they can't even see, being underground and so far away. then, as dragons escape and Sasha and Ciciero are free to go, they trace their steps back out the Cloaca Maxima until they reach dead end and have to reach outside to gatehouse near Pons Subilicus (the temporary bridge dated ~1AD), just outside Forum Boarium

and that's why when they get out of the sewers they can 1) see the destruction of the walls 2) see the destruction of the palace in which Grizzop and Sasha were dropped 3) be only steps away from going away from inner city, while also technically being on Rome territory.

they have also, in my opinion, crossed Tiber afterwards and started going Northwest, because after some time it's mentioned that people flocking to necropolis, which, at that point, were on Trans Tiberim/more North and closer to Vatican/Campus Vaticanus, ergo, on the other side of Tiber.

"The Vaticanum, or Campus Vaticanus was originally a level area between the Vaticanus Mons and the Tiber. During the Republican era, it was an unwholesome site frequented by the destitute. Caligula and Nero used the area for chariot exercises, and renewal was encouraged by the building of the Circus of Nero, also known as the Circus Vaticanus or simply the Vaticanum. The location of tombs near the Circus Vaticanus is mentioned in a few late sources."

I am not in any way shape or form the One and True source on this, and will gladly take critique from people more versed in the topic than I am; this was made originally for my personal use, and then I figured out hey, this is really interesting! and also I wanted to save this for everyone else who used this for their musings/fics.

#Rusty Quill Gaming #RQG #RQG Ancient Rome Sidequest #RQ Gaming #Sasha Rackett #Grizzop drik acht Amsterdam #Ancient Rome Sidequest #RQG Cicero #text post #Varya rambles #long post

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