#supports: perhaps fate will bring us together again

[dotpointping]

I was indifferent to Phainon at first but now when I look at him I have to resist the urge to write the most gut wrenching tragic love story for this man. Seriously, it's too easy to torture the men of Amphoreus.

Spoilers for 3.4 down below.

This is based entirely on my understanding of the leaks. That being said, I didn’t understand them very well because I only brushed over them lol. 

You were probably just a randomly coded npc made to fill the population of his hometown and just another kid he used to play with. But as the cycles went on, you grew more and more attached to him and subsequently he grew attached to you as well. Or maybe, you didn’t even originally exist in Amphoreus until Lygus determined Phainon was seriously too emotionally unstable and kept fucking up some of the earlier cycles due to his wrath and genuine disillusion with who he should be and what he’s fighting for. 

Either way, you were crafted to be Phainon’s. 

Phainon adores you. You have always been by his side and you have always supported him. You are who he fights for, you are who he returns to after war, you are the one who greets him warmly and kisses the crown of his head. You are the one to tell him that he is doing a wonderful job, that no matter what happens, you will stand by his side and support him. While he may bring about dawn to the world, you are the only one to embrace him when his dawn gives in to night. With you, he is not a hero, but a man. He is the son of a simple farmer and the son of Aedes Elysiae. With you, he does not bear the weight of the world, does not need to placate the people with smile and charm, and can cry as often as he needs. You are always there to hold him gently, caress his face, and kiss his tears away. 

You are the only one to call his name. Not the name he adorns as the Chrysos Heir, but the name his mother and father bestowed him years ago. The one he shed to ascend his role as hero. You say his name so sweetly, as though you were caressing every letter and breathing life into every drawn syllable, until it became unrecognizable from your lips. You beckon him with your gaze, and he can never say no when you bat your lashes at him so sweetly. 

“Rest, my sun,” You would say to him, kissing the curve of his nose, brow, and cheeks. But, never his lips. No, you always made sure to save his lips for last. Instead, you straddle his hips, and cradle his face gently in your hands. You whisper his name again and again, as though it was the only prayer you had ever been taught, as though he had already ascended Godhood and you were his patron worshiper, left behind on the altar as an offering. Perhaps you were— an offering, that is. He is unworthy of your love, unworthy of your warmth and affection, and unworthy of your loyalty. 

And I imagine the first time Era Nova is brought about, Phainon didn’t know everyone had to die. You are no exception— you may mean the world to him, but to this simulation you are no more pieces of code meant to ensure he will bring about the new world. He screamed and begged, cursed the Gods until his voice died and it was nothing more than a pathetic rasp. He had grown so used to fighting monsters and spilling his own golden blood, that he forgot the color of human death. What remains of you soaks his hair and smears across his skin, seeping deep into his pristine white armor. You are the final nail in the coffin that ensures he will destroy the current world, because if not for freeing the souls of his friends, then at the very least, finding a way to be with you.

In those thirty million cycles, he tries to flee his destiny. He takes you far away to the edge of Amphoreus borders, where you live peacefully together, untouched by the Black Tide and Fate. In this life, the floor creaks beneath your bare feet, the sheep bleat in the morning fog, and the cattle graze lazily while he clings to you as you hang the linen. The dogs will bark at every passing bird and the cats will curl like soft shadows in every sunlit corner. There is never silence in your small home, only laughter-- yours and the children's. He will give you as many as you ask for. They will cling to his legs, cry in the night, and tug on his cloak as he sharpens the scythe. You will hum as you work the soil, dirt underneath your nails and sweat on your brow, singing to the clouds until even the sirens fall quiet, greedy for a voice they'll never have. But of course, he should know that Heroes do not get happily ever afters. In these timelines, you always die young. Either you are killed by the Flame Reaver, the Black Tide, or even just Lygus trying to start the story, Phainon is unable to pursue this blissful existence with you. These deaths are the most horrific— where your body is mangled beyond recognition and carelessly tossed aside. Sometimes, he fails to find you at all. Even your children are not spared this gruesome fate, wretched from his hands and into the mouths of beasts.

The world mocks him for daring to dream of happiness.

No matter what he does, you will always part from him. Just as you cradle him to sleep every night, he must bid you farewell in a warm casket of your blood. Once you arrive in his arms, he knows that the dawning of the new world has come. What point is there in this world, when you no longer exist? Thirty million, sixty million, one-hundred million. He will traverse as many cycles as need be. In all timelines, you are his. You saved him from his never ending misery, you are the brightest light of his life, you are an angel sent from the heavens, you are the breath he takes at dawn to keep himself alive. You are his and he is yours.

He will stop at nothing until you are safe in his arms. One day, he will witness the hair on your head turn grey and your face adorned in wrinkles from all your laughter and joy. One day, he will take your hand into his own and he will never have to fear your warmth being taken from him. One day, he will awake in your shared bed as nothing more than your husband. 

But until then, he will continue to rebuild the world anew. He will take your corpse with him as he ascends to the skies, the smell of burning flesh accompanying him every step of the way. Even now, he cannot weep for you, for the tears die the moment they touch his body. He is the bearer of the world, the dawn that shines upon kingdoms and the light that they worship, but he is left behind, left to wander the darkness, searching for the dawn that once called his name. 

In all broken cycles, he will hold you close. From the foundations of your remains, he shall craft anew the world.

[swordsmanoftranquility]

a kiss after one muse has injured the other  //au. where seph wins, i think

Sephiran stands over the swordsman, the same false smile on his lips as he watches the light magic he wields do the damage it had long had no reason to deal.

Then, to add insult to injury, he kneels to make their eyes level and plants a kiss on the other man's forehead.

"Just a little longer, and your fate- as well as all of mankinds, is decided. Have you anything to say?"

Kiss Meme // Accepting! (1/?)

AU: Alternate Ending, Tellius Spoilers

Zihark is only beorc, he cannot do anything to defy the power of Begnion's Prime Minister, especially not whatever power he was wielding right now.

Zihark takes a knee, sword slammed into the ground in front of him - moments away from breaking, but that didn't matter anymore. There was no longer a reason for his sword to stay intact. Because there was no longer a reason to fight.

The world was going to end, and if Ike couldn't do anything to stop it; how in the world could Zihark of all people?

As if he's taunting him, Sephiran lowers himself, their eyes meeting for but a split second, and presses a kiss to Zihark's forehead. Zihark can only grit his teeth, a hiss of pain escaping from between them.

The end... it was coming soon wasn't it? At the very least... can Zihark hope that the next world will be a better one?

"Fuck you," He manages to spit, a cough of blood escaping through his lips at the same time. He's going to die soon.

Ah yeah... he was going to...

...die...

........soon...

[swordsmanoftranquility]

Zihark smiles, watching the (not so young) girl go from shy and withdrawn to exuberant as she hopped around between the groups in the greenhouse.

He leans against the door, looking on fondly. It was always nice to see someone open up once they got into something that they were interested in. He imagined that he would be much the same, all bouncy and excited, if he got to talk about sword and armor care in such a way.

"See?" He lets out a small laugh, "Wasn't that hard, now was it? And now you've got a whole bunch of new friends waiting here for you whenever you decide to come back and join them again. Ain't that fun?"

"Oh---! uhm.. of course!! Im sorry it... a bit of a habit of mine..!" Ratatoskr admitted, an awkward smile on her face "father always taught us the manners are very important.. but as I interact with more people Ive realized not everyone really... like being called that!" she slows down as they drew closer to the greenhouse, greeting a student who stood at the door.

"Oh! Do the two of you wish to join?" The student asked ecstatically handing Ratatoskr and Zihark a form "You can give it to use next club meeting! Its like... a week from now! for now, just come on in!" They motion for the two to walk in. Ratatoskr took a quick glance at the paper given to her as she walks in.

She takes a look around the room, the different plant-life were so vast it excited her! Ratatoskr would jump from group to group learning everything she could from those who knew better about the worlds vegetation.

Stopping in her tracks for only a moment! she completely forgot about her pal! "thank you so much for-- for pushing me into coming.. I would've probably sulked about it in my office if I was allowed to walk off.."

[swordsmanoftranquility]

Maria had only met Zihark at the very beginning of it all, when their then-full team had just begun to settle into their cabins, happily meeting and greeting each other. They had gone to different islands at first, and he had never returned; now, it was her that joined her fellow fallen. But where was he?

"Oh!" At last! She throws an arm up into the air as she waves at him, exuberantly, before trotting over to him. "Hi, Zihark!" The cleric rocks onto her heels, hands clasped behind her back and a peal of giggles spilling from her lips. "My new friend Zihark!"

Feet shift in the sand; Maria lightly pivots to stand at his side instead, a curious attempt to peek at whatever he'd been doing before.

"Are you doing okay, Zihark?" Crimson brushes her shoulder as she tilts her head. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Zihark recognizes the girl from back on the original island, when everything had been bright and sunny, unlike the gloomy atmosphere of the so called "Sadland".

Maria. That was her name, if he remembered correctly.

He places a hand on her head as she comes to stand beside him, ruffling her soft bright red hair with a grin.

"I'm doing alright. I... I've gotten used to be eliminated. What about you though, kiddo? You just got here, I should be the one asking if you need anything," Her height beside him feels familiar in an odd way, almost like he's forgetting something, "you just tell me if you need something, and your pal Zihark will be by your side in an instant."

[swordsmanoftranquility]

they'd traded brooches at the ball—a bell for pearls, if she remembers correctly. zihark, he’d said his name was, but no other piece of information comes to mind. it had been a brief interaction at best, though cordial enough to recall fondly.

from where she stands, dorothea can make out a sword laid out on his bed. no, she corrects herself, several swords. four, to be exact.

...perhaps she stares a moment too long before remembering her manners.

"you’re not anticipating that much trouble out here, are you?" she gives him a friendly tap on the shoulder, then flashes a grin. "not with all of us weasels at your side, right?"

Zihark stares at his swords right along with Dorothea. Maybe he hadn't actually needed to bring four. Four was too many right? Like three was pushing it, two was reasonable, and one was definitely acceptable. But four???

What had he been thinking bringing four swords on this trip?! At least it would keep his hands busy if he ended up unable to sleep. Worst case scenario, he'll try to pawn one off on Edward to carry. Ah no, that would be rude; wouldn't it?

By the Goddess, he was a lost cause.

"Ah, hey, Dorothea," He smiles at her as she taps his shoulder. He can't help but to laugh, because he thinks it's ridiculous as well. There's no way he's going to encounter enough trouble at the beach where he would need to use four swords, especially not with not many of them there were. She was right, "Oh! And before you say it's strange that I remember you from our very short interaction last time, I never forget a face. Or the name attached to it!"

Was that a weird talent to have? He felt like that was a weird talent to have. AND he could do math? Woah, that was getting a little extreme for a mere mercenary.

"You're probably right. I doubt there's gonna be much trouble. But it never hurts to be safe! And it's uh... kind of a hobby, weapon maintenance. So if I have this many swords, I'll always have something to do that! That sounds reasonable; right?"

[plotthotrobin]

Happy Valentine’s Day! Just thinking about how Claudeleth is peak romance.

Just thinking about how Byleth woke up alone and afraid in the middle of a war they only remember the very beginning of, and how the first friendly face they saw was Claude’s. The way he was mostly unfazed when he turned around, because he knew they would fulfill their promise to return. And not only that - he was smiling. Really smiling. His faith in someone - as wavering as it must have been over the course of five years - was, for once, completely validated and solidified. And perhaps Byleth, if only for a moment, realized that Claude had deemed them worth waiting for despite everything. They smiled a little, too.

Just thinking about their S-Support in which Claude gently cradles his hopes and dreams into the calloused palms of Byleth’s hands. The way he entrusts them with not only the fate of Fódlan and its people, but also with half of the pieces required to build the future he has worked so long and hard for. The way Byleth takes this on with minimal hesitation, even when he explains that he is leaving for Almyra to ascend the throne there. He reassures them of his love for them, and he promises to return. He won’t lose them ever again. He can’t even kiss them, knowing he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to leave if he did. But to be honest, Byleth didn’t even need the reassurances or a kiss because damn it, he is worth waiting for, too.

Just thinking about Byleth fighting off the remnants of Adrestia and TWSITD Derdriu post-game, frantically pointing soldiers in various directions as they fight with all of their might to keep Fódlan united and to keep their beloved’s dreams afloat. About how many times Byleth must have used their Divine Pulse in a desperate effort to turn the battle in their favor. The little prayers on their bloodied lips as they strike down foe after foe. Thinking about King Khalid showing up at the opportune moment, the mighty Almyran army at his back and a twinkle in his eye as he turns the fate of the battle around. About the warmly spoken quip that must have effortlessly rolled off that silver tongue of his upon seeing the person he loves. The way Byleth likely smiled brighter than ever in the radiance of his joy.

Just thinking about the quiet moments that must have followed, with tender touches, bandaged wounds, and whispered promises of a future together. Because that’s what they’ve always done together, isn’t it? Take fate by the horns and wrench it in the direction they want it to go for everyone’s betterment? They’ll do it side by side, hand in hand, step by step. That’s the sort of beginning that is worth waiting for.

[swordsmanoftranquility]

"Thank you, milady," Zihark takes the feather gently from her, politely leaving a kiss on the back of her hand with a bow of his head. He almost forgets, but manages to pluck a pearl from the chain wrapped around his sword before she can run off, pressing into her hand in exchange.

"And this is for you. We have both earned it. That was delightful, thank you again."

[end]

Her prompt was a successful one, and the resulting pirouette, combined with the splaying skirts of her blush pink gown and the ethereal setting of the ballroom, made her feel like a fairy-tale princess.

"You certainly have," she said in approval as the last few notes of the song rang out throughout the hall. They held their final position until the echoes faded to nothing, and then Hilda stepped away with a coy smile.

"A reward well-deserved..." With one of her black feathers taken from her bundle, she extended her hand as though she was presenting the most esteemed medal of honour.

[spngi]

My tears ricochet | mafia!carlos sainz jr x reader

Prologue

part 1 | part 2

summary: Mr. and Mrs. Sainz lived in a dream for many years, now everything is falling apart and they need to deal with their feelings

warnings: Grammar mistakes, citation of violence, Carlos is an idiot, mentions of cheating

Carlos Sainz Jr was a true gentleman, a loyal and kind companion, a loving lover. A captivating man who won me over at first glance, with his chocolate-colored eyes and million-dollar smile. I didn't know who Carlos really was until I became deeply involved with him, until I realized I loved him so much that it wouldn't make any difference if he were a prince, a fisherman, or a mobster.

I met Carlos at the art gallery where I worked in Madrid; he was charming, affectionate, and too perfect to be true. He made efforts to create perfect dates and show all the affection he had for me; loving Carlos was as easy as breathing.

He was always very open about his feelings, his plans for the future, but he avoided revealing what his job was as much as possible. I tried to guess, after all, there aren't many job options in the market that could justify a huge mansion and the need for many security guards around him, but I never succeeded.

It took him a year to open up about his illicit activities to me, perhaps pressured by fate with subtle gestures. Before I could find out on my own, Carlos came clean.

I loved him deeply, but a woman has her limits and there are things I can't tolerate. I loved him infinitely, but thinking about all the things he did or was involved in made me sick. I had to overlook many things to be with him because, after all, I loved him, and that was what mattered, right?

"A monster is not a monster when you love it." This phrase was never more true. Carlos was never a monster to me, even after he told me all the terrible things he had done. I would still love him anyway.

Carlos loved me for five years, loved me while we timidly got to know each other, loved me when I tried to leave his life, loved me with all my mess when I moved into his house, loved me on our wedding day as we shared tears, loved me through three wedding anniversaries. But he didn't love me when I had to mature, when I realized that in the life we were living, you either bite or get bitten, when I realized that staying clean-handed would only bring me grief and sadness.

He began to distance himself gradually: the bed seemed too far away, he kept his hugs at bay, stayed late at the office to avoid sharing a bed, left early from our house to avoid breakfast together. I spared no effort to keep him close, planned dinners he would make excuses not to attend, tried to surprise him at the office only to be chased away. Then came the day he decided to move rooms. I was startled to enter the room we shared, where we had been so happy, now empty, without his clothes, without his pillow, without his bath products.

It hurt too much to see him so distant. He claimed he needed time to think, but there was no emotion in his words. We were both scared of what had happened in the previous months. After the incident where they tried to hurt me, I needed my husband's help. I wanted him to protect me, I needed his support, needed to be strong like him and not just his helpless wife.

Even after all my efforts to make him love me again, he never returned to our room. Then the girl came into the story. A woman's intuition is funny; I knew the moment he came home on a certain day that he had found another woman. Even with all the moments I tried to change Carlos's mind, using every possible means and humiliating myself more than I would allow at any other time, nothing stopped that moment from arriving.

"What is this?" I ask, not daring to touch the envelope in front of me.

"They're the divorce papers, y/n..." Carlos sighs, appearing for the first time in a long time for breakfast. "I tried to be as fair as possible, but you can look at them and then we'll negotiate."

"There will be no negotiation, Carlos! Because there will be no divorce," I reply, trying to stay firm. This day seemed close, but something in me still refused to believe it would come. Something in me refused to accept that I would have to divorce Carlos. This was just a phase, something that happens to any couple; we didn't need to be extremists.

"Y/n... please, be rational. We can't prolong this; it's the best way out for both of us," he tries to negotiate.

"And I disagree with your opinion. My God, Carlos! We're talking about our marriage! You didn't even try to give us a chance," I respond, frustrated.

"There's no solution anymore, y/n..." he murmurs to me, and that breaks me even more.

"I won't sign them, Carlos," I push the envelope away from me. The wedding ring gleams on my left hand with the movement, a simple touch of irony to the whole situation.

English is not my first language.

Leave your comments and opinions ❤️

[amonsteronmaplestreet]

Hi. My name's Seann. I'm writing this plea for myself, for my girlfriend Natalie, and for our guinea pig Edgar (full name Edgar Allen Pig).

Put simply, we are in debt. And at present, we can't get out of it. One these debts is Natalie's car payment, and if something isn't done about it immediately, we will be in serious danger of losing, well, everything.

Our Story

We moved in together about a year and a half ago. It was an exciting time. We love each other, and we were eagerly looking forward to truly starting our lives together. But a run of truly terrible bad luck started darkening our bright future.

First, and perhaps most dramatic, Natalie was trampled by a horse. She recovered, obviously, but the medical bills from her bruised and cracked ribs were a huge financial strain. Then more medical bills piled up less than just two months later: she was in a car accident. This left her car totaled beyond repair, and she ended up having to get a new one.

With her savings wiped out, we needed to work more to make to make up for it, but here's the catch: we both work with dogs. I'm an attendant at a doggie daycare and Natalie a groomer. The thing about grooming is that you need to utilize your upper body strength to lift up dogs and work with them, and with her injuries Natalie had temporarily slow down her work, which meant less money.

Still, we persisted. I ended up begging for money on Ko-Fi to make up the shortfall, but at last we got our apartment and the day of our move arrived. It was at this point, fate crapped all over us once again: when I walked out to my car that morning, it wouldn't start.

In fact, my car had completely broken down. I ended up unable to repair it. In the end, I had to scrap it and rely on the bus to take me to and from work. I have been doing this ever since we moved, and now a commute that should take twenty minutes takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, and requires me to walk a mile every time, leaving me tired and exhausted every day, with little time left over for anything else.

But we have each other. And we have Edgar. And even though it's been a struggle, we've managed to build a life together.

I love her. I love her so damn much. And it kills me that I don't have the money or resources to support her as much as I feel she deserves. No one ever got rich at a doggie daycare. My other source of income is writing, which is even less stable and less lucrative. I've tried. I've tried so hard. But once more I'm here, begging for the generosity of strangers online.

Our Car

My work is directly on the bus route. Natalie's is not. Her job is out in the more wooded part of our area, where public transportation options are few and far between. I may be able to get by without a car, but she absolutely cannot. Her ability to continue working rests on having one.

Like I said, it's been a struggle. But there's been a light at the end of the tunnel. Recently, the owner of Natalie's shop offered her the entire business. She is now, as of just six days ago, the owner of her own dog grooming salon. I'm so proud of her. This is huge!

But just like when we moved in together, some new problem has arisen.

When it comes to dog grooming, right now's the slow season. Natalie's doing her best, but even her most optimistic guesses don't have the business picking up until 2025. We're barely making rent right now, and we've had to take on some extra debt to get by, and in all the chaos and struggling, she fell behind on her car payments.

Now they're threatening to take the car away.

What We Need

So here we are. I'm going to take on more debt, via my Affirm card, to cover what she owes. Or rather, a chunk of what she owes. I'm close to the limit of what's approved for my account. But if Natalie loses that car, then she can't get to work, and her new business will be done for before it ever had a chance.

Which brings us to this. Which brings us to today.

I chose to set the goal for this campaign at $6000. I do not expect to reach it. There are people out there who need the money far more than we do, and I have nothing to offer to anyone who donates. But we'll take what we can get.

We owe $1400 on the car. That's the priority. If by some miracle we can raise that much, I'll be eternally grateful. The remaining $4600 would then go paying off our debts. My pie-in-the-sky is that we can at least get enough to put a dent in what we owe, and lower our monthly payments to something more manageable. By then, hopefully, business will have picked up, and we can devote ourselves to building our future together.

Writing this has not been easy. I feel like an incredible failure. I've failed in providing security to the one I love, and that's always going to weigh on me.

But if any of you reading this can find it in yourselves to ease our burden, then from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

[melkyt]

Red String of Fate LawLu soulmate au.

Law takes comfort in the taut and thick string stretching into the distance all his life. He has always taken comfort in it. When everyone was dying around him, talking of how their strings turned white, his stayed red and vibrant in a world of colorless gray.

He would spend days just twisting it around his fingers as he waited for the disease to take him. Always wondering what his fated one thought of having a dying love somewhere out there on the sea.

When Corazon met his end, and his own thread gained strength, he never even started looking. Law never believed that his soulmate would still hang on to such a weak soul as his. He had settled to never find love.

Then he meets Luffy, and their threads connect and fade. Law is silent, stunned. It is too hard to believe. Luffy just grins, taking Law's hands in his. "I'm glad you survived Traffy"

And that's it, despite Law's doubts and tendencies to run from commitment, Luffy does not leave him alone. Always finding him when the Straw Hat crew has time to relax. Law doesn't do as much as he can in avoiding them.

Then, they make their plan to take down Kaido. It is dangerous, and Law worries more than he has in a long time. He knows that fate loves taking everything that he loves. What if something happens to Luffy? His doubts never go away even if he pushes them down deep.

Luffy sees that Law worries and gets clingier than usual, promising that no matter what, they will all survive.

Law holds onto those words, and as Luffy leaves to fight Kaido, he keeps the red string wrapped around his fingers, so it is in view at all times.

This proves to be a mistake that breaks his fragile peace. The thread that has been the strong constant, present, thins and snaps. It disintegrates in a white mist.

Law drops his sword, his knees give out. Luffy's name falls from his lips in a gut-wrenching scream. Kidd is by his side, blocking big mom. He has no time to check on the warlord but understands well enough what happened.

He knew this would happen, why didn't he try harder to be there for Luffy? They couldn't avoid fighting Kaido, not with their honor at stake, but he should have been there on that roof, supporting his fated one.

Again, he has failed. Again, his cursed soul touched something beautiful and watched it fade away. They should have never met. He can't take this. Tears spill, leaving trails in the dirt and dust covering the pale patches left over from his disease.

"Focus, Trafalgar!" Kidd snaps. "We aren't done yet"

Big Mom laughs, raising her sword. Metal sparks with impact.

"Strawhat ain't dead, no way," he growls, putting as much conviction as he can into his words, even if he does not believe it. The sounds of battle from above have disappeared.

Law looks down at his hands, studying each finger, looking for any sign of the string. If he is alive, it has to be there. He digs at his palm, blood spilling. He wills it to come together into a string, he begs whatever fate, whatever god there is in this world to bring Luffy back. "You're not allowed to die, you promised," He hisses. "Please, Luffy, dont do this," he begs, doubling over. His hands shake. It's not too late to use his power. It can't be. Law gets up on unsteady legs. Not paying attention to Kidd, Big Mom, or Kaido's floating goading form. He needs to reach the roof.

The room gets hotter as Kaido readies an attack that will take them all out. Perhaps that is for the best. Law is so tired. He has his own promise to keep to Corazon, but how much longer can he keep going?

He looks up, ready for the fire to reach them. The glow dancing over tear stained cheeks. Law eyes flutter shut. He focuses on the memories he shared with Luffy. It is not enough. He had spent too much avoiding their connection that the few bright moments they shared feel lacking. Law wants more, it can't be over.

He faintly hears a rhythm past the roar of blood in his ears. It almost sounds like a heartbeat, not his own. His is much weaker, fluttering irregular thing. It feels familiar.

Law opens his eyes only to flinch away. The ruined castle is filled with light as bright as the sun. It is not the light of a fire. "Thank You..." he whispers before he fully understands what it means.

Law lifts his hands up to the sky. Clouds twist around his fingers as they solidify into a white soft thread. It wraps around his ring finger, its fibers pulsing with the same odd rhythm. "He's alive, alive." Law feels a weight he has been carrying for so long, lift, just with those simple words. "He kept his promise." Law swallows his feelings. Maybe he can go a little longer. If Luffy can defy death, then so can he.

-end scene-

After they beat Kaido, Law is the one who does not let Luffy go. Not leaving his soulmates' side for anything in the three days that Luffy sleeps.

[swordsmanoftranquility]

"That's the spirit!" Zihark tries to keep up a happy facade, smiling at the strange white haired woman, "There really isn't too much to see anyways, so it'd be a pretty quick tour."

Those jerks running this place had really left them with nothing; huh? Even a few scraps of something nicer would be better than this dour place. Sure it was called Sadland and all; but did that really mean that they had to be left without even a shred of hope?

"Not anything really. We were just dumped off here after we lost our games. At least I was. Assume that's the case for most everyone else too. I mean... kind of self explanatory. If Happyland is where those who succeed get to stay, then those who fail go to Sadland. Doesn't seem too complicated. Doesn't feel that good either though."

The end of another week of competition brings a new group of eliminated contestants to the so called "Sadland". Zihark still wasn't exactly happy with the situation himself, but best to make the most of a bad situation than to just sit around. (He'd gotten most of his moping out on the first few days here anywhere. He was over it. Mostly.)

And with that group, comes familiar faces. One, the most intriguing to him. Thrasir, that was her name, if he remembered correctly - and of course he did, he never forgot a name or the face attached to it once he learned them. It was a blessing, and a curse at times.

"Thrasir; right?" He asks as he walks over to her, just to be absolutely sure, "I know this place doesn't look like much, but I've been here a whole week already and it's not so bad. Just uh... not as nice as their Happyland. And there's not much to do. But if you need someone to show you around," What little there was to see, "then I'm your guy! Not sure if you remember me from the Weasels, but the name's Zihark. It's a pleasure."

Ever since Thrasir had arrived at this "Sadland", she couldn't seem to stop searching for some hidden trap. Surely there was something, after all. When approached though, Thrasir did have to pause. Zihark. She did vaguely remember him.

"I did take note of who my teammates where when we first got to Happyland," Thrasir hummed. "I see you did the same."

Someone who had been here for a week already, freely offering the lich free information? What was this place? No one ever offered her anything after she had become this monstrosity. Still, she wouldn't pass it up.

"I might take you up on that offer to be shown around," she commented blandly. "What do you know of this place anyway?"

Best not let this chance go to waste.

[rahkshirock]

Hypognosis RPG

Hey yall, Name’s Lynn and this is the start of a series of posts I’m going to be writing about the game I’ve been making for a while now. The current draft is one that I’ve been doodling around with for 2 years, and now that it’s looking like it might be playable in some capacity in the next few months, I figured I’d do my best to spread the word and see if I can’t get some eyes on this.

So what is Hypognosis? It’s a game about character's limitations, blind spots and frustrations. it's a role-playing game born out of my love for and frustration at a lot of other fantasy rpgs that I’ve seen and played. It’s a project to try to replicate the sorts of tense situations and decisions I see in other kinds of fiction, that I really want to bring to the table and play out with my friends, but just haven’t been able to.

Put another way, when I see a great sword fight in a show or movie, it rarely looks like one that I play in an rpg. The points at which tension is built are different, the stakes are different. I can’t play out the tension of fencer’s footwork, of the sting of sweat dripping into my eyes as I attempt to gauge when my foe’s attention wavers. Now I could *role-play* those things for sure. After all, it's collaborative storytelling! You can *say* whatever you want and it’ll be the case! However the *games* themselves rarely have rules that support those sorts of things. And I needed to try my hand at it to see if I could.

Now let me quickly say that I’m not putting down the thousands of excellent games that’ve been made over the last decades, both by big publishers and by small-time hobbyists like myself. I’m under no illusions that I’m putting forward something revolutionary or that any one piece of this project hasn’t been done before and perhaps better in a multitude of games. But there is a creative spark within me that If I don’t exercise, it will burn me up from within. I adore role-playing games! And when I love something I inevitably want to try making my own, whether it be painting, music, video game or tabletop rpg. What I want most of all is to create, and to let other folks have fun with what I create in turn.

So, let's ask that question again: what is Hypognosis? It’s a game set in a dangerous and fractious world where people have very recently been given access to miracles and elemental magics. Players pick from a wide array of heritages and motivations born out of the history of the world and the conflicts that arise from it. Factions within the setting move to unearth ancient secrets, expand their power, or to invent new technologies. The world is moving, and the players will drive it and be driven by it, forced to act on their limited perspectives and ability.

On a more immediate level, this is a game about rolling dice. The GM sets the stakes and situation, and the players assemble a pool of dice of various shapes to try to affect it. Their characters’ skills and the circumstances of the action determine the size of the dice used, from the D4s used as penalties to D20s used for wildly powerful but unpredictable forces. Once the dice are cast, the players barter for re-rolls and trigger abilities until the effect resolves. Some players might add two dice together to count as one larger number, others tally up the numbers of doubles and triples to contribute to the number of successful dice. The act of rolling dice is shared among all players no matter the role they play, but the outcome of the same roll can vary dramatically depending on who rolls it according to their Fate, the closest thing in this game to a character class. 

Teamwork is not just encouraged with a simple bonus to rolls, but with the overlap of abilities between characters applying to the same roll, letting them debate and cooperate exactly how to finesse a bad roll into a narrow success. Simultaneously, drama between characters in the group intentionally drives wedges in carefully laid plans, causing strife in crucial moments… or in what should be simple tasks.

This brings us to combat, a (very fun and engaging) tragedy when groups clash over failed communication or clashing goals, and tension is at maximum. Movement and Positioning plays a crucial role, with characters dancing in and out of each other’s range. But this game doesn’t ask for a carefully drawn grid or measuring tape. Instead distance is measured in whether characters are Pressed against each other, Close within each other’s reach, circling each other’s Orbit, or Far enough that they aren’t concerned with each other at the moment. Moving away from an opponent is the most sure-fire way to protect yourself from harm, but also removes your ability to harm them in turn.

Focus is the main resource a character tracks, a measure of their all-too-finite attention in battle. Trying to get a grip on the flow of the battle farther than one’s own hands is a herculean task when you see a big guy in heavy armor bearing down with a hammer. Rather than simply bludgeoning your way past the opponent’s defense to drain their Life Force, instead leverage the time available to force the opponent to react to your tempo, wearing them down through a brutal flurry of well-practiced and efficient swings to deliver a mortal blow when their focus wavers and they’re too dazed to stop you.

Whether attacking one opponent or an absolute horde, whether working alone or as an entire group, dice rolls are quick and singular. The same roll that determines if a character’s blade strikes true will also determine the amount of strain it inflicts on the enemy and the wounds which may result. In the same way, a GM will make one collective roll for an entire army of opponent units attacking, assuming they’re all in the same group. Hopefully this will help to pare down on the length of combat in what is objectively a pretty complicated system.

All in all, this is a massive project with a broad scope and a broader fictional world that i want to breathe life into. It’s going to be a long time before it’s done, but I want to play it sooner than later, and maybe make enough money to feed myself while doing so. As such, while I’m writing more posts like this in the next few days, I’ll be working on my main focus this last year: a playable dungeon crawl in the universe with a prototype of my game’s engine. If you’d like to help me make this a reality, please donate even a tiny bit to my Ko-fi at https://ko-fi.com/rocketdog96. every little bit helps!

[masterjedilenawrites]

Hi! so i um read your “happily ever after” for the delta squad and i was wondering if you could do that for tbb and the bois? you’re such a good writer <3333

I haven't challenged myself to write individual headcanons in a while, and this sounded like the perfect prompt to do it with! Who doesn't want these precious boys to live happily ever after in their own special ways? 🥰 psst, I also threw in Gregor and Howzer as a little treat 🤭

Cody would actually fancy himself as some sort of a political advisor or ambassador. He imagines the clones will need some representation after the war, a place in the galaxy, and to have their voices heard. He could picture himself stepping up to that challenge and being happy with it. It would sure beat having to sit around with nothing to do...

Rex also wants to be involved with supporting his clone brothers, but he has a much more domestic picture in mind. A partner, for starters. Someone to share life with who can be his best friend. And a house, any size, any location, with a door that's constantly opening for any weary or lost brother who needs a place to crash.

Wolffe has a very specific image in his mind. It may sound silly, but he wants to find a settlement somewhere for all of his brothers to live in. Like a little clone village, where they each play a part in keeping things humming. They can bring in partners if they'd like, procreate, that sort of thing... but for the most part it'd just be them, all living together until the end of their days.

Fox just wants a nap. A true, honest to goodness nap. Uninterrupted, no guilt or piling to-dos in the meantime. Free to fall asleep at his own pace and wake up naturally. Cushy pillows and all. If he got just one good sleep in, he'd be content with literally anything in his life. Heck, he'll dig holes in Tattooine forever. Just please give him this one little thing.

Fives absolutely wants kids. A whole brood of them. He can hold any kind of job, live anywhere in the galaxy, so long as he gets to be called dad. He'll embrace the dad jokes, read all the parenting books, tear up at every milestone. And if the fates allow, perhaps he'll live long enough to even be called a grandad, too.

Jesse would want to stay in the army as long as he can. He can't imagine what else he could do with his life outside of it. He'd be one of those clones crashing on Rex's sofa, needing his brother's help to get back on his feet and find meaning in his life. Eventually it would come as a handyman, keeping his hands busy with repairs in homes or ships, and of course flirting with the owners.

Kix would say he never wants to see another cut or broken bone again, but realistically, he would go out of his mind if he wasn't needed in that way. He wouldn't be able to help himself from volunteering at a hospital, or just starting his own medical practice in order to do things right. He'd especially love teaching his medical knowledge to an apprentice.

Tup wants a farm full of animals and crops. He currently knows little to nothing about how to run a farm, or how to keep things alive, but for him, happiness will be in the discovery. He'll start small, with a window ledge garden and a tooka in Coruscant. Over time, as he saves up enough money for some real land, he'll learn all the ins and outs of irrigation, breeding, and then like.

Hardcase wants to travel and experience all he can. Skydiving, snorkeling, white water rafting, pottery... you name it. His bucket list will grow as he goes; he'll cross one item off only to add two more ideas on. The galaxy is just so vast and full of so much. He knows he has a short life to live, so he intends to utilize every second of it doing something outrageously fun.

Dogma wants to remain a soldier, but not during an active war. He'd rather use his knowledge and skills to help keep the peace. He likes the feeling of being needed, of providing protection to others, but he knows wartime takes its tolls, so being a peacekeeper is a good compromise in his mind.

Echo would want to help his brothers, from a therapy standpoint. He believes there can be purpose for the clones outside of war, but that it will take a lifetime of support, encouragement, and restructuring to get them there. Whatever ear he can lend or advice he can impart to help as many clones find their happy ending, you can bet he'll do it.

Hunter pictures himself in a peaceful cabin in the woods. Living off the grid, hunting for his own food, building his own furniture, just really embracing that holistic, hippy lifestyle. He'd also prefer if the rest of the Batch was around, too. He really can't stand the thought of being alone, and while he does want a partner and kids, he'd be lying if he said his brothers weren't part of the picture also.

Wrecker wants to travel, specifically to discover and try as much food as possible. How is he affording this fantasy? Who cares. It's his dream, leave him alone. Yes, he wants the feeling of a full belly every day, but exploring different flavors and cuisines and how to prepare food is genuinely exciting to him. Maybe he'll even get a food vlog going along the way.

Crosshair isn't really concerned with whatever "happily ever after" means. So long as he can be useful, do the things he was created to do. If the war ended and he couldn't be a soldier, he'd become some kind of bounty hunter or gun for hire. True happiness would only come if he also had a partner by his side. He won't know that, though, until it happens.

Tech doesn't think about the future. Or happiness. He will go along with whatever options are available to him, so long as he gets to be himself. The easiest, and most logical in his opinion, choice is to keep the Batch together, utilizing their talents for the betterment of the galaxy. But perhaps pod racing wouldn't be such a bad gig, either.

Gregor would be happy as a teacher or coach. Anything where he could mentor the youth of whatever community he finds himself in. It wouldn't even matter much to him what he was teaching; he'd find a way to become an expert in it just to uphold his duty of education. Though physical activity, of course, ends up being his forte.

Howzer truly wants to fall in love and be married. "Happily ever after" for him looks like two old souls, holding hands as they rock on a porch swing and gaze off into the sunset. He knows relationships are work, but he's had some good examples to look up to so far in his life, so he's determined to put in the effort with the right person.

Everything Tag: @damerondala, @dangerousstrawberrypie, @fallingforthem, @harleyevanstan, @imabeautifulbutterfly, @justanothersadperson93, @misogirl828, @itsagrimm, @error6gendernotfound, @theroguesully, @clonesimp, @techie-bear

+Clone & Bad Batch Tags: @marvel-starwars-nerd, @pandora-the-halfling, @darkangel4121, @sobstea, @rintheemolion, @bowtiesandsandshoes, @dionysuskid21, @jesseeka, @hanbetired, @thatmultifandomdumbass, @sarahtanmarvel, @call-me-a-fool, @lackofhonor, @theclonesdeservebetter, @hannahhearttcw, @kaijusplotch, @salaminus, @arctrooper69, @katzs-current-obsession, @501st-rexster, @rebel-finn, @not-a-big-slay, @writing-positivelyexisting, @nekotaetae, @the-mom-friend-dot-com, @pickle-rick-y, @flowered-bicycles, @lucyysthings, @severalseashellsbytheseashore, @the-royal-petals, @droids-you-are-looking-for, @moon-wrecked

(Join my tag list here)

[swordsmanoftranquility]

"It's... bad enough," He doesn't elaborate, falling quiet as he continues to pick through the sand. Sure Daein is dear to some people, and it was his homeland, he held some affection towards it, but without the change he wished for, it was not a place he could ever call his home again. He loved it enough to fight for it, but only until its ideals conflicted with his own. Then he no longer could love the land of his birth.

Ah! There was one! A little hermit crab, scuttling about with a bottle for a shell. Poor thing, must have been unable to find a proper shell that it fit into.

In an odd way, Zihark almost feels a sense of kinship with it.

"Looks like I found the first one," He says with a playful smirk, gently picking up the small crab and holding it delicately in his hands, "I'm sure there's another one around here somewhere. One fit for you. We just have to keep looking. And if we don't find one? Well, at least we were distracted for a little while, long enough to have some fun!"

welcome to sadland, how sad are ya?

happyland 2024---post-elimination

[doofnoof]

Okay so I have a theory.

I think Vanessa, Mike, and Garrett are Aftons. Their mom divorced William and took the kids but due to a traumatic event William blackmailed Vanessa into lying and saying she wanted to stay with William instead of her mom. I also think Vanessa may have accidentally killed Garrett, and William covered it up for her and used it to keep her loyal and obedient.

I don't think she knew Mike was her brother until that last scene where she's bandaging him and he asks her to save Abby with him, but she was definitely starting to figure it out by the time she throws his meds away. Her reaction to Abby being in danger is an intense one, because of the trauma she went through as a child for certain, but what if she knows Abby is her little sister? What if she reacted that way because she already lost her little brother, remembers him dying, and now she has the chance to protect her little sister from a similar fate?

I think she knows that William is capable of messing with their memories, and that's why she tells Mike that the dreaming thing doesn't work/isn't helpful, because she's seen first hand how he can change things to be different than what they really were. For instance, there was a yellow frisbee in the park mentioned again and again, as well as a scene where too much ketchup is put on a hamburger. I think Mike actually saw Vanessa killing Garrett and William changed his memories so he only saw Garrett being taken, not the actual incriminating act of William disposing of his body, nor of Vanessa actually accidentally killing Garrett.

I think they were all together having a fun day out as a family, with Mrs. Afton pregnant with Abby, and while playing Vanessa (or maybe even Mike) accidentally killed Garrett, and William came to see what happened when they didn't come eat when they were called. William saw what happened, realized this would look really bad, and possibly threaten his already shakey marriage with his wife, and decided to dispose of the body, maybe even teaching the kids how to do so along the way. Perhaps he even took Vanessa with him and left Michael to watch him drive away. Once he was done, he messed with their memories so that what really happened would be completely buried. Mike only remembers the airplane, Garrett in the car, the blood Ketchup, the yellow rabbit Frisbee, and his family not all of them sitting at the picnic table. This didn't bring the family closer together like William had hoped, his wife didn't lean on him for support while grieving and looking for their lost child, and eventually the Aftons divorced. William took Vanessa, because she asked to stay with him (because he told her to ask to stay with him, unless she wanted her mom to find out about Garrett) while Mike and Abby went with Mrs. Afton, who became Mrs. Schmidt. I wonder if he changed their names around while scrambling their memories one last time after the divorce, maybe Garrett was Evan at one point, and Mike (as he prefers to be called) was Michael, and Abby was going to be named Elizabeth.

Vanessa is given Garrett's plane as a trophy from William, and they continue luring children away from parties in the Pizzeria, while Mike does his best to take care of his mom and Abby. Years pass. The movie takes place.

I also think Garrett is haunting Abby. If she wasn't born yet when the Aftons went on that picnic, it would make sense that Garrett would attach himself to something or someone after a particularly traumatic death, right? Abby is seen talking to ghosts in the movie long before she visits Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, and one of her "imaginary friends" calls Mike a rude name after he sits on him. (It's gonna be so fun when Mike realized he said "at least I'm real" to his dead baby brother.) Afterwards, when Mike asks about what she remembers of Garrett disappearing, it seems like someone is telling her what to say for a second there. I think Garrett told her not to tell him anything, because he knew Mike would obsess over it and it would ruin their relationship. This was the moment Mike would have to choose Pizza or Spaghetti, because he can't have both, and the Pizza (Garrett) is already gone.

[swordsmanoftranquility]

[ Fireflies ] - Also known as lightning bugs. Get it? … Maybe you want to catch the show, or maybe you want to catch the bugs. It's strange though - are they a new, more resilient species, perhaps? It is the middle of winter after all...

Elffin has no desire to chase after the bugs, not when their light was so small and bright that he could guarantee that he would fall by merely making an attempt. So instead, he sits, content to enjoy the view while he could. 

There is another person in the garden, quiet, and Elffin only breaks the silence once he realizes that the man has been standing for quite some time.

“Excuse me,” He begins, “Do you want to sit?”

Then, with a smile, he continues, moving to allow the other man some space. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice you earlier- here. As an apology.”

He holds out one of his bells, for the taking.

"Nah, you're good. I was just... enjoying the atmosphere," Zihark says quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone else who might be wandering through the gardens and looking for a little peace and quiet.

He likes the quiet out here himself, the lightning bugs twinkling like stars brough down to earth against the backdrop of the garden. The small sparks twinkle against the flowers, and Zihark smiles softly to himself.

He wishes that he would be able to show this beauty to all those that he knew back in Tellius, and especially...

Someone who was long gone.

He takes the man small bell into his hand, the little gold thing jingling softly as he did so. He plucks a pearl from his strand, pressing it into the man's hand in return.

"Here, you can have that. I don't imagine I'll be needing them after tonight. The name's Zihark, by the way."