witchnordemon

[witchnordemon]

Oh, a tourist destination? Well, Collie was technically a tourist in this world, and he did enjoy a good, solid place to look around and get answers about the realm he had found himself in (Bonesborough Historical Society being among the first to spark this interest). He grinned at the stranger's laughter, but blinked for a few seconds upon being asked if he'd like to be shown the way to this Shack of Mysteries.

They had just been admonishing themself for interacting more than strictly necessary. Heck, as fear-inducing as it was to consider, couldn't even this brief conversation be endangering the kind mortal offering to show them around, if Collie lingered too long?

... Nyehh. It was probably fine, right? There was no reason to turn down someone trying to do something nice for him.... right? King had briefly gone over stranger danger with him once, even though he was more than capable of handling himself, thank you very much, but...

This human seemed nice. No talking down to them, or being rude and callous, or yelling at them, so...

❝ …Okay, sure! ❞ They finally answered. ❝ I don't wanna get lost either, not before I get to know where your uncle's... Mysterious Shack of... oddities is. ❞

Siblings?

Well, they could be here with adult siblings. Very irresponsible adult siblings, but adult siblings.

If he and Mabel had younger siblings, he could see Mabel letting them run loose like this, even in a place as dangerous as Gravity Falls.

They don't, thankfully.

The least Dipper could do is show the kid the way to the Mystery Shack; it's really one of the safest places in town. The lab was moved out years ago, relocated to the bunker area and expanded, but he and Ford still live at the shack, and between the two of them and Stan ... the spooks of the town steer clear, leaving it just the fake kitschy stuff that Stan makes.

His Great Uncles are getting older, and Dipper worries a little about keeping it that way when it's just him. Though he expects, hopes, to have Pacifica's help by then. She insists she's coming back to Gravity Falls when she finishes college.

❝It's the premier tourist destination in Gravity Falls. The only place to go to for a guised tour of the Oddities and W-❞ Dipper can't get through Stan's whole spiel, breaking into snickers. ❝Sorry, sorry. My Great Uncle owns it; I could show you the way, if you'd like. It wouldn't do to get lost before you even actually get to the... shack full of mysteries.❞

#// the whole scenario is crazy like. this child has an adult come up to them asking if they'd like to see said adult's uncle's shack #and he's just like YEA SURE #no actual concept of stranger danger whatsoever. king's words (about tibbles & piniet) are in one ear out the otherrrr #im cryin laughing #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} a lot of growing up to do #pacexlikexaxghost

[witchnordemon]

❝ It's a mortal thing, right? ❞ They prompted again, swirling around Golden Guard slowly as they continued their tried and true method of just... moderately bull-in-a-china-shopping their way through a social situation. ❝ 'Cause I never saw a Collector do it. ❞

He'd seen a few of the littl'un Titans do this before, but never knew what it meant other than being unsatisfied, because either an older Titanling or Papa would come and do something to make them stop.

Hmm.

Hesitantly, they steeped their fingers, and raised an eyebrow.

❝ Does it... hurt? ❞

Valor startled when the Collector spoke, his cries immediately silencing. But his breath was still shuddering and his gaze darted around, trying to find the Collector - before startling again when he found him immediately in front of him on the floor and scrambled back a few feet.

"I-I, u-uh," he stammered.

#// [amethyst SU voice] WHY ARE YOU STANDING THERE ALL SAD LIKE THAAAA-AAT #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} trapped beneath these bones #goldenbeastkeeper #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {valor} first friend in forever

[witchnordemon]

@scientistredacted / @pacexlikexaxghost

the mental image of Collector developing a gemsona to LARP as would NOTTT leave my mind so here we are

#//im crying he shows up with their gemsona and just has a CONSIDERABLY more normal time than ever expected #idek what to tag this #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {ooc} out of this world

[witchnordemon]

The Collector continued his sulking, not responding as Golden Guard continued doing that kooky mortal choky-noise shaky thingy. He was prepared to just... wait it out, to sit back and let the Grimwalker in front of them finish his little thing, but... he didn't.

Anger and betrayal changed into annoyance, then to confusion, then to... curiosity? Slowly, ever so slowly, he moved from his place in front of the window and shifted his shadow until he was flush with the floor in front of Golden Guard. Puzzled, they tilted their head, trying to get a look up at the Grimwalker and figure out what was going on. He was still curled up on himself, hiding his face and making those noises.

Finally speaking again from his place on (in?) the floor for the first time since the whole uncomfortable, foreign ordeal started, they hesitated to voice what they wanted to ask.

❝ ...What is that? What's going on? ❞

Valor stood in silence, his breath hitching as he cried, trying to come up with some reason for why they hadn't been outed yet. But if Belos could talk to the titan, he'd definitely want him to tell him if there was an intruder in the forbidden rooms, so if the titan at all cared about telling Belos of such things, why didn't he yet?

Valor had only been here once before, but the Collector had been here for ages. If the titan didn't tell Belos of them . . .

He had no response to the Collector's question. And the Collector was still . . . not quite actually in the way of the window but it felt like it, like he was being blocked, because it would require going near them.

So instead he just fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor, voice muffled by mask, arm, and cloak as he wailed.

#//[collector voice] WHATEVER IDEC anyways actually . What is that what are you doing #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} trapped beneath these bones #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {valor} first friend in forever

[witchnordemon]

Collie responded to the stranger with a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders. ❝ Eh, my siblings always let me do what I want. ❞ He replied, perhaps too nonchalantly for most mortal human's comfort, but... it wasn't an incorrect statement, by any means.

Again, he was prepared to trek off on his own, when the human they'd found themself briefly chatting with continued asking them questions. It... was rare for an adult human to not immediately come at them with overbearing concern or contempt, so... it couldn't hurt to keep talking a little bit, right?

And ...the Mystery Shack, eh? Interesting... maybe it was kinda like the Owl House?

❝ Oh! Yes, yes, I've heard good things, I do love a nice... uh, shack full of mysteries. ❞ They stumbled over their words, placing their hands on their hips in false confidence as he glanced about his surroundings, eyes darting around but not noticing any particularly mysterious shacks at the moment. ❝ ...Which, I, um... don't... think I'm going the right way towards? ❞

❝... Your parents let you wander the town... by yourself while they're settling in?❞

That disquiets him. In hindsight, it was extremely unwise for his parents to let him wander on his own all the time in Piedmont, a place where nothing happens. Not even haunted houses; he looked.

Why anyone was letting a 10-11 year old ghost hunt in the middle of the night is beyond him.

And this is not Piedmont. Gravity Falls is quite emphatically not a safe town where nothing happens. In his literal first week here, he and Mabel ended up in a fight with the Gnomes because they tried to kidnap Mabel and force her to be their Queen.

❝Are you in town to see the Mystery Shack?❞

#//'im so good at acting like a person' he says as he does the conversational equivalent of licking his eyeball constantly #pacexlikexaxghost #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} a lot of growing up to do

[witchnordemon]

Collie was solidly lost in their own head as they planned out their moves for the day - maybe go take a look around different shops, see if they had any cool snacks? Or... maybe secure a place to walk Laika without drawing too much attention to themself, she hated being on leashes, even illusion magic ones that did nothing in reality.

As such, he almost didn't notice when someone was suddenly in front of him... almost. Usually, he had more time before anyone acknowledged him, let alone tried to talk to him one-on-one. He stepped back a bit, getting a look at the person in front of him.

A regular, standard issue, run of the mill human... an adult human, too by the looks of it. Man, he had to play his cards right here - grown-ups could get weird about him sometimes.

Placing his hands into his overall pockets, they offered the person in front of them a polite, lopsided (and hopefully totally non-suspicious) smile. ❝ It's okay! I... wasn't paying attention either. ❞ He admitted, hoping that it was at least slightly reassuring.

He was fully prepared to leave it at that and go on his merry way - after all, he was there to observe, not to interact more than strictly necessary, when the person spoke up again, asking if they were lost.

❝ Uhm, not lost, just visiting! ❞ They offered, pulling their hands from their pockets and fidgeting with their nails. ❝ Trying to get a lay of the land first while... everyone else settles in. ❞

Dipper is pacing up and down on the sidewalk, clicking his pen in and out as he stares at the blank page of his journal.

The recent meteor shower has the creatures of Gravity Fall's forest agitated, and he's... worried that it might cause trouble. The town is growing pretty quickly as his Great Uncle Ford's research is starting to gain traction, and every young scientist wanting to make a name for themselves are jumping on it. But they aren't ready for it the way Dipper is.

Dipper has been entrenched in this since he was twelve years old. The strange and unusual is is idea of paradise. But since he's still in college, a lot of them are turning their nose up at him. Insufferable, elitist-

But man, annoying or not, he's worried that they're going to get themselves hurt, especially when the creatures are agitated like this.

And that's not even considering the tourists that have always been a problem.

Dipper stops just short of almost running into a child in his random pacing, jumping backward, and snapping the blue covered journal in his hands closed.

He looks at them for a long moment. What's this kid doing alone?

Tourist, probably, since he's never seen them here before, but where are their parents?

❝Sorry,❞ he says quickly. ❝I really should watch where I'm walking.❞ He pauses. ❝Are you lost?❞

Maybe it's hypocritical of him to be worrying about a child being alone; he certainly wasn't well supervised at twelve (or before that, back in Piedmont), but he got into some shit that he shouldn't have. He loves Gravity Falls, but he's still unpacking all that, a decade later.

#// 'everyone else' being his magical dog who's conked out in his backpack pocket dimension rn LOL #also 'grown-ups could be weird about him sometimes!' bc adults in their life are concerned and call CPS screammmm #also also them calling dipper a standard issue regular unassuming basic run of the mill human sounds so mean for no reason im cryinggg #pacexlikexaxghost #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} a lot of growing up to do

[witchnordemon]

// in light of current rp events,

#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {ooc} out of this world #bad and naughty star children sit in the cosmic take a break chair for timeout

[witchnordemon]

Collector didn't react much at all to Golden Guard putting his full uniform back on - even though, in their mind, it meant he was closing off and getting ready to leave for good. They trembled, frantically trying to think of something to say. They were so upset mad at the thought of (what they thought was) a friend to them leaving so abruptly, it was hard to even form thoughts.

... Normally, he hated fibbers. He hated white lies and circumventing the truth more than almost anything, but he wasn't thinking anywhere close to rationally in that moment. What could he say to make him stay?

❝ Yeah? Well, if he chose to talk to Belos 'bout this stuff, why hasn't he told him about me, huh? ❞ He posited, finally looking up. ❝ If he cared enough to choose to tell Belos, ❞ They began again, voice shaking once more ❝ He- He, don't- don't you think he would've tattled on us by now? ❞

The tears started falling and he made a shuddering gasp, and in an instant the mask of the Golden Guard was back on his face. He couldn't cry he couldn't cry he couldn't cry he'd get hurt he'd get derided he wasn't ever supposed to cry-

The mask provided safety, and even more so when he drew his hood back up as well. He was very much still panicking, but no one could see it anymore.

"I'm not using him as an excuse!" Valor's voice was thick with tears. "If he chooses to talk to Lord Belos then even if he doesn't care about us Lord Belos will and if Lord Belos asks him about us we're dead!"

#//yesss yess pre-W&D collector being a vindictive little squirt yessss how ive missed you #the usage of 'what' as opposed to 'who' in the first para. TIME OUT CHAIR #and the lie about belos not knowing about collector because /pops/ hasnt told him &^$%*&@^*@ #AAHHH belos knows because he's philip he's the one who found them! and theyre using the fact that valor doesnt know that to- BDFJHDSbdhfskj #sorry. i think im a touch diabolical #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {valor} first friend in forever #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} trapped beneath these bones #goldenbeastkeeper

[witchnordemon]

yes there's a hole in their head don't make fun of him guys 💔

[witchnordemon]

Collector himself continued hyperventilating as well, terrified and unfamiliar with the sensation, but felt momentary relief when Golden Guard halted and didn't just make a run for it. He was bewildered by what came out of the Grimwalker's mouth next, not connecting the dots on their friend's panic and what they had just revealed to him.

❝ ...What does he care? What does it matter? ❞ They cried, voice breaking, hating how much they sounded like the bratty, petulant child everyone always said he was. ❝ The Titan doesn't care about you! ❞ He gripped his arms, sinking down to the floor to mimic a seated position under the window. ❝ He doesn't care about me! He doesn't care about anyone but himself! ❞

They felt... almost a stinging sensation tugging at their face. They had felt that small sting once, when them and Marrow fell into a fire bee nest, but that didn't make any sense right now. They stared hard enough to bear a hole into the floor, refusing to look at Golden Guard, trying to figure out why they felt so... weird.

❝ If you wanna leave, fine, ❞ He started, trying to take the moral high ground and act completely unbothered and not upset, as though his voice wasn't cracking and his shadowed form wasn't actively trembling against a wall. ❝ You don't gotta use him as an excuse- he doesn't- doesn't care about us, he... he chooses who to talk to, he won't- won't even talk even if I beg him to. ❞

Valor skidded to a stop as the Collector appeared in front of him. No no no no no- He needed to get OUT!

"I can't be here!" he exclaimed. "I'm disobeying Lord Belos! If the titan tells him I've been in forbidden rooms Lord Belos is going to KILL me. I can't- I can't let him find out, I can't-!" Valor took a step back, hyperventilating, and clutched at his hair as tears welled up in his eyes. Oh titan he was dead he was so so dead and if he wasn't dead then he'd at least be stripped of his rank and oh titan-

#//lollll them letting it slip there that /they/ beg papa titan to talk to them and answer them sometimes #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} trapped beneath these bones #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {valor} first friend in forever #goldenbeastkeeper

[witchnordemon]

It really wasn't often that Collector was this subdued. After being tuckered out by asking a million questions and going back and forth with a million answers on a million topics, though, they found themself entranced by the gentle serenity of the flying snakes visible from the window, counting them all as they went by.

Golden Guard had been a lot calmer recently, too. At least... they thought? He didn't seem agitated, or fearful, or panicked necessarily. Collector was still not an expert on mortal's emotions, but he was starting to develop and kindle the framework for it. He wasn't as talkative, but he wasn't dismissive... was he upset? He didn't appear super upset, so hopefully it was all okay.

But as such, this line of thought meant Collector was only caught off-guard a little when their friend spoke for the first time in a while that evening. It took a moment for Golden Guard's words to really hit them. What if Belos is wrong? It was a question they'd pondered themself, on and off throughout the years, but with increasing frequency as they'd met with and bonded with this specific Grimwalker. It... wasn't something he ever wanted to think, he didn't want to doubt his first ever friend since his imprisonment... more than anything, Collector wanted Philip to be truthful, and kind, and merciful, and always right about everything.

... But he wasn't, was he? Certainly not about Grimwalkers, they knew that. Collector had spent so long helping Philip find the ingredients to make Grimwalkers, and then being told that they were nothing more than toys to be disregarded and discarded as soon as they weren't of use. But Golden Guard... he was kind, and truthful as he could be, and merciful, and he wasn't always right about everything, but he tried. Other than the Titanlings? Golden Guard was the closest thing to a real friend they had maybe ever had. He wasn't just some toy to be broken, and in their mind, that meant Philip was absolutely wrong.

Ah, so this is what Golden Guard was a teeny bit upset about. Oh, Titan, how could they even respond? He had never vocalized his doubts in Ph- Belos before, not to them at least, and they weren't sure how to approach it. They elected not to turn in any way to make eye contact, uncomfortable with the sheer honesty and vulnerability of what he was about to say.

❝ I think... maybe he's wrong, sometimes... too. ❞

@witchnordemon

Quiet moments were rare, almost nonexistent, when Valor visited the Collector. Usually the Collector was talking a mile a minute, and when he wasn't, Valor was the one talking all about the Isles, his missions, and, especially, the beasts that called it their home. But right now? Now, for once, they were quiet, watching as a flock of flying snakes passed beneath them outside. Valor was kneeling at the window with his arms crossed on the sill and his head resting on them. He'd already spoken to the Collector all about their migration patterns and feeding habits and parental care and natural defenses, so for now he was content just to watch.

To watch, and to think.

There had been something . . . off about Valor in the past couple times he'd visited. Less excitable, more quiet . . . sadder? Dismissive of any questions about the missions he'd gone on since they last met. And today seemed even more so.

He'd never brought it up before. Never dared to vocally question his lord and uncle, the person that had raised him, the person that had given him everything, the person that hurt him whenever he took just a single step out of line. But the more he got outside on missions, the more encounters he had with witches and demons that weren't directly under Lord Belos' thumb - afraid, just as he was, to make a single slip lest retribution fall down upon them harshly - ones that were free to do their own things, whatever they wanted . . . then the more he found his staunch beliefs in their cause - in Belos' cause - starting to fade. Because "whatever they wanted" seemed to be . . . helping people. Being kind. Fixing up wounds and offering food and having fun. Being happy. Far happier than he'd seen anyone in the Lord's Coven. Far happier than he himself had ever been.

And he was so, so scared.

He was scared that he'd slipped too far. Scared that he'd been enchanted, that they were trying to lure him away, that the thing his uncle had always warned about was starting to happen to him. Scared that it was going to lead him to ruin.

But most of all? He was scared that it wasn't. That there was no enchantment, that this was just how witches and demons were when they didn't have the fear of an all powerful leader quashing them the moment they held any sort of defiance against his wishes. Because that meant they were nice. That meant they were good.

That meant he'd been branding perfectly innocent people for death for nothing other than existing.

It meant he'd dedicated his entire life to a horrible cause.

It meant he'd suffered and caused suffering for nothing.

And the kindness they'd shown was to him, yes, but it wasn't just to him. Far more often it was to their fellow witches and demons. And what reason would they have to enchant their own kind? They were supposed to all be in on it, right? They did it even when they didn't know he was there.

More than he'd like to admit, he found himself wishing he'd had a life as simple as theirs.

Valor's eyes slid over to look at the Collector. His first, and only, friend. He felt like that sometimes with them. Happy, unconcerned. Free.

How ironic. He felt most free in a room the Collector couldn't escape and under constant worry of Lord Belos or Philip returning and finding him there doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing.

He'd been too scared to broach the topic with them before. Too uncertain in these thoughts, too worried they'd tell on him. But . . . they'd made a pinky promise, right? They wouldn't tell Philip, and Lord Belos didn't know they even existed, so if they kept their promise then there was no way for it to get back to him.

But promises were so easily broken. He'd watched Lord Belos break several of them, after all. But the Collector had said pinky swears were . . . the extreme of the extreme kind of promise. They even had to do a physical gesture to complete it. He hadn't noticed anything at the time, but maybe there was some magical effect to it.

Regardless, he couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take the guilt of branding people with a death sentence, of hunting down wild witches and dragging them back to the Conformatorium, of watching Lord Belos strike them down before his eyes.

He had to talk to someone about it. To either confirm or deny his thoughts. Anyone else in the coven despised him enough to out him to Lord Belos the moment he expressed any form of doubt, but the Collector . . . Maybe the Collector wouldn't.

So he took a chance. One that could either send him to certain doom, or . . . well, he didn't know what. But not that. Just give him someone to talk to about it, maybe.

He looked away from the shadowed form on the wall, casting his gaze once again towards the flying snakes below them. The flock had mostly passed by now. And, quietly, he asked, "Collector? What if . . . What if Lord Belos is wrong?"

#//stumbling back into this thread after how many months?? goodness #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {valor} first friend in forever #goldenbeastkeeper #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} trapped beneath these bones

[witchnordemon]

Collector froze in surprise, not even sure how to react to Golden Guard's complete demeanor change for the first few seconds. He had been so excited to finally have someone to listen to him, to ask him things, to let him ask them things - and now here he was, with who he thought was his friend shoving all of his things in a bag and trying to flee - Golden Guard wanted to leave - he was going to be alone again.

❝ Wha- Huh- Why, what are you- WAIT! DON'T GO! ❞ They cried, voice breaking, shifting over to the window as fast as they could manage, extending his arms against the walls - like that could do anything to stop Golden Guard from leaving them once and for all. His eyes were wide as he futilely attempted to block the window with his shadow, hyperventilating as though such a thing should even be possible for them.

❝ I thought we were friends! What's going on? What happened- why are you- you can't leave, please don't leave! ❞ They pleaded, sounding far more panicked and desperate than they liked.

"Oh." Valor's voice cracked.

The Collector's questions were lost in a flurry of movement as Valor scrambled to gather together everything he'd brought and shoved it back into the bag.

"I should- I need to go- If Bel-" STUPID, use the title, you're being watched! "If Lord Belos can talk to the titan and the titan tells him about this he's going to kill me. I can't- I have to go."

Oh titan oh titan oh titan he was SO dead- He darted to his feet and extended his staff, ready to leap out the window immediately.

#//ohhhhh brotherrrr #goldenbeastkeeper #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {valor} first friend in forever #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} trapped beneath these bones

[witchnordemon]

// literally ball is in kendalls court but i think just the concept of collector turning on his humansona disguise and going thru all the trouble to interact w/ 'mortals', only to find themself once again in the presence of other magical beings to be hilarious

#'well. now we both look dumb' #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {ooc} out of this world

[witchnordemon]

@pacexlikexaxghost His arrival to this world, like all others, was preceded by a celestial event. Whether it was a comet passing by, a meteor shower, or maybe something large-scale like an eclipse this time, he wasn't ever there to witness it. One thing at the moment was certain though, he felt giddy about getting to explore this new world.

He had taken a moment to settle in, out of the ways of civilization, summoning Laika and letting her run around to get all her puppy zoomy energy out before placing her back into his backpack to nap. He snapped his fingers, taking on his human-like appearance at once. A brief moment of consideration later, and he reached back into his hammerspace bag and pulled out a packet of cosmic brownies to snack on before he got on his way; into the town he had found himself on the outskirts of. He somehow always forgot just how much energy it took to keep a mortal-like form even semi-functioning. How in the cosmos was he already a little tired?

Slinging their star-adorned bag over their shoulders, they began the trek into town to hopefully do a quick survey of the area. On the way, they had to remind themself, as always, that they weren't here to interact. Interacting with mortals more than strictly necessary was dangerous for both of their kinds. They were just here to observe. Just to observe.

#//HIIIIII i tried to keep this super vague on purpose you can respond w/ literally any muse you want if it makes sense #you jumpscared me on the dash earlier i totally forgot you had a multimuse all thos years ago #anyways hope this is okay ive been DYING to do a proper growinguptodo verse thread #collector RPing as a Totally Normal human and the shenanigans that come w/ is really funny to me im sorry it get such a kick out of it #pacexlikexaxghost #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} a lot of growing up to do

[witchnordemon]

He paused, and briefly pursed his lips, feigning innocence. Getting called a "scamp" was certainly a new one, but... she was absolutely not wrong. He wasn't quite sure how Amity had heard, but the chaotic schemes and shenanigans him and King came up with were enough to raise Eda's eyebrows now and then.

They perked back up at Amity's validation, calling them and their progress great. Even after the things they had done, someone as cool as Amity still believed in them and the ability to become a better person... it made their chest feel all... fuzzy.

Having been shooed off from Amity's book, they only pouted slightly as Amity gave her reasons as to why he couldn't look, not fully content with the answer, but not wanting to push her to tell them something if it wasn't something he needed to know... he was still working on that one with King, he just loved knowing all sorts of stuff, he wanted to know everything all at once - even if it was just "small potatoes". Though, he did beam with pride at Amity calling them powerful.

They stood for a second, a hand brought up to their chin when Amity put the ball in their court to talk about star systems. Hmm, there were all sorts of cool ones he had learned about, and Amity was a smart girl, she probably already knew this all, but... ❝ Oh! Do you know that most solar systems are binary? ❞ He settled on that little tidbit, a fact he personally found to be super cool and interesting. ❝ Meaning, they usually got two stars, and the star pairs spin around each other. Most of the systems I've seen in my travels are like that, and some even have three stars! ❞ They grinned, lifting a finger ❝ Buuuut, a few systems here and there only have one star, so they're nonbinary, and one of these systems is the Boiling Isles', and get this - Luz once said the human realm's star is the same way, too! ❞

👻⊱ The smile from the star child caused a reactionary return smile from Amity.

“Well, after all, someone should be asking what you little scamps get up to!”

Amity winks at him! Maybe that was not the full story she was not sure for King, but all she cared about was keeping a smile on this young child’s face. She knew briefly from Luz that they had made a promise to her to keep being their best self. Her having spent a lot of time with kids in the library was all for it. Look at the changes Luz could make in someone’s life! She had to believe it was absolutely possible.

“Hey! That’s great! You are starting somewhere and you’re making progress.”

His little “Heyyy!” melted the stern but the hidden sweet center of her “sour lemon drop heart” -Luz once called it! Still, Amity keeps blocking her book with her entire body!

“Umm… Collector. Abominations are kind of… more… Like puppets!”

She would not have him peeking into her book. She would not be responsible for scaring a kid for life because of Hexside’s poor censorship!

“Oh! This! Again like I said before… Uhh… Boring stuff! Really, really Boooring stuff. You probably wouldn’t want to know"little witch magic”. With all your infinite abilities and all… You know small potatoes compared to what You can do.“

They continued on answering her question with another question. She realized she was not clear about which star systems she wanted to know. Honestly, it was all a ploy to tear his eyes away from her textbook! She had to think of a counter!

"I’ll take any star systems you wish to share. I can tell you know of them.” She mystically twiddled her fingers and grinned at the nonbinary star child.

#//lol catch me reading the wiki page for the boiling isles to make sure im not crazy in asserting theres only one sun #amphibia has me confused on normal vs abnormal celestial bodies #SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TOO AHHH #lilmcttens #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {amity} star student #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} live long & watch things pass

[witchnordemon]

Once again, the Collector was reminded of how he had never been this fulfilled by a conversation in his long, cosmically unfathomable life. So many times, his siblings or those around him simply nodded along to what they were saying to get them to stop talking, or just outright told him they didn't care about his ramblings. But Golden Guard was so consistently interested in Collector's stories and all he had to say, it was incredible.

He was starting to feel like Philip was wronger than anything about Grimwalkers. Or maybe, he just hadn't played with one this nice, ever, but... still.

❝ Oh! They're aware of most stuff going on around them, ❞ Collector began, trying to choose their next words carefully, ❝ I've heard they're able to communicate in different ways, to like... people they think they can trust, or who really understand them. It's not always another Titan, but it usually is. ❞ He thought back to the few times he tagged along with Papa's crew to visit the Titan Catchers' Titan, and Papa and many of the littl'uns had been adamant about being able to talk to him and interpret him.

Though, no matter how hard they tried to focus, to use their admiration for Titans as a starting point, to really believe that it was possible to connect and reach out... Collector themself could never manage it, no matter how long he tried. It frustrated them then, and remembering it again, knowing that Philip could do it, frustrated them still.

The revelation of there being dormant Titans all over this mortal planet caused their resolve to deflate quite significantly. As much as they didn't want to think of it as true, Golden Guard had no reason to fib to him, right? So... that meant that it had well and truly been a very long time, and more than a few of his old friends were likely in a deep, deep sleep now. His expression fell, fidgeting with his hands. If he couldn't even connect and talk to the Catchers' Titan, could he ever hope to talk to his old buddies again? Would they even remember him after all this time? ... Would Philip be able to talk to them for him?

This new development upset him, but now that Golden Guard had confirmed his knowledge of other Titan landforms, they had no reason to hold back from the barrage of questions they had held their tongue on.

❝ So, you do know about dormant Titan lands - when did Belos tell you about them? And, and- exactly how many are there? ❞ He swirled around Golden Guard, sore about the prior subject matter but excited to get answers to things he wanted to know, from someone who outright told them it was more than okay to ask. Maybe, they could even find out which of his friends were sleeping now. ❝ Have you ever visited one? ❞

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked. "Learning all this about titans . . . It's fascinating."

. . . The thought of Belos' lies to the Isles being partially true, of the titan actually being able to hear them, was not a comfort to Valor. What things might he have heard, what muttered complaints or breakdowns in his room did the very ground beneath his feet know about? Was that actually able to relay that all to Belos? His uncle was the most powerful magic user Valor knew of. Could he actually speak with the titan? He'd confirmed to Valor, ages ago, when he was first learning to proselytize, that he couldn't, but . . . Belos had lied about plenty of things in the past. Could this be yet another?

Valor was not on board with whatever shenanigans the Collector might have wanted to cause. His voice took on an anxious tone as he asked, "The titans . . . when they're dormant . . . if they're aware of everything around them, can they- Can they communicate any of that to people living on them?"

They didn't know what happened after dormancy. There had been a titan already dormant with people living on it however long ago it was that the Collector had seen it, and there were certainly no skeletonized titans up and about right now. Titans lived ages ago, in another era. Surely there'd have been some that had come out of dormancy at some point, if dormancy wasn't death. Or at least tales of giant skeletons walking around, or countries destroyed by a titan awakening.

If their hearts were still beating and they were still aware, but none came back up . . . Maybe it wasn't so much dormancy as a very, very slow death.

He'd already begun shaking his head at his question, but then the Collector changed it to a different one, and he had to actually explain his answer. "No fuzzy moving ones, no. Only dea- . . . dormant ones." He was not going to risk making him mad again. "But yeah, there are titan skeletons all over the world, usually with people living on them. I mean, I haven't seen any of them, personally. But I know what countries are made of them." Squint. "I think there's at least one mountain on the continent nearest us that's also a titan."

#//duude im thinking like. you know how root systems of large forests connect and can communicate? what if dormant/dying titans are like that #that'd be siiiick #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} trapped beneath these bones #goldenbeastkeeper #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {valor} first friend in forever #OH also also #collector letting their anger towards papa titan color their interpretation of belos interpreting him #theyre mad at papa so if belos does detrimental things to him so be it #and also they desperately want to believe its possible for a non-titan to communicate directly with a dormant titan! #and the idea of their 'friend' being able to do it comforts him in a roundabout way

[witchnordemon]

❝ Well yeah, but I've never gotten to talk and think all about Titans this long! I like to think about Titans when they're all tiny and furry and friendly, not old and bonely and lonely. Besides, ❞ Collector half-shrugged, ❝ I didn't think you'd think about it too much! ❞ They retorted, almost too nonchalantly, far too enthralled with this new puzzle piece to even dwell on this accepted truth; that very few ever considered the implications of things he said. ❝ Ooh, so if Papa's dormant, I wonder if he hears us right now, ❞ They proposed, breezing past the prior thought as they cupped a hand to the side of their head, ❝ disturbing his sleep. ❞

He drew out the last syllable and flashed a mischievous grin, fully prepared to launch into shenanigans, when Golden Guard posed another question - a good one... that, well, Collector once more didn't have the answer to.

❝ I, uh... I'm not sure. ❞ They confessed, puffing non-existent air into their non-corporeal cheeks. ❝ I never met a Titan that old to know what happens way after they lay down. I mean, I did see one before who was almost all bony, but mortal lifeforms were... ❞ He trailed off, not finishing the sentence aloud. Also living on it; the Titan Catchers. They lived on a dormant Titan, too. At that, Collector paused. Golden Guard had never seen another Titan, right? Surely, the Catchers' Titan wasn't that far away that Philip wouldn't bring the Grimwalkers or tell them about it, right? Oh no, were they even supposed to tell him about that? They would have started panicking a bit about letting something like that slip, but... considering the idea actually gave Collector some hope. That if Golden Guard didn't know about dormant Titans at all... maybe they were really rare. Maybe... all of the other Titans were simply archived away. It would be a lot, but they had to have been. There wasn't another option - they got so big, and if it had been so long, all of the Titans would probably be dormant now too - but Golden Guard made it sound like there certainly weren't big sleeping Titans everywhere. ❝ ...You said you'd never seen a Titan, right? ❞ They attempted to distract redirect, uncertain but hopeful. But... Golden Guard knew a lot of things, he was real smart for a Grimwalker. He'd probably know this. ❝ Um, y'know... awake? Fuzzy and running around and playing? So what about other sleeping Titans? Are there any other Titans like... him? ❞

He . . . He didn't even realize that that was a possibility for what could have happened? "I mean . . . You just said that titans become skeletonized when they're dormant, and we live on the skeleton of a titan, so if they don't die then it only makes sense that that's what happened?"

Although. If the titan of the isles was just dormant . . . And they were living on it- him, apparently, according to the Collector . . . "What uh. What happens . . . after dormancy? When it ends?" To be dormant was to pause, rest, with the potential to start back up again. If there was a cycle of titan life where they moved around while skeletonized . . .

Well, that spoke danger for everything currently living on it.

#// oh another HC from my noggin - titan trappers initially called themselves 'titan catchers' to collector to not freak him out as much #also them wanting valor to tell them there arent other dormant/landmass titans so they can justify their archived titan headcanon. oh buddy #Also also 'i dont know what happens after dormancy' Ohhhh bud #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} trapped beneath these bones #goldenbeastkeeper #☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {valor} first friend in forever