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bvidzsoo · 5 months

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Love made me crazy...

❅Boyfriend!Jongho❅

TW: mentions of a panic attack, and just an overload of fluff and delulu lol

Word count: 2,5k

A/N: Uh...hi? I don't want to talk about it, okay? I don't know what's happening to me because I keep writing and writing when I have so many other things to do, it's maddening. But this is solely Jongho's fault: 1. he keeps bias wrecking me, and I love this man so much that I can barely contain myself at this point; 2. he just had to mention the first snow fall in Korea man...; 3. I love Choi Jongho. Anyways, this is a small scenario/drabble, I don't even know what to call it. I hope you all enjoy it and leave feedback, I really appreciate it! Happy reading!

There was something about winter time that you didn’t particularly like. Perhaps it was the sun going down too fast, coating the world into darkness at 5 pm already, or perhaps it was the cold which never seemed to go away, seeping into your bones, making it a constant reminder that you handled warmth and summer a lot better. But then there were also things you absolutely loved about winter: the cozy clothes you could wear, the hot chocolate with marshmallows you could frequently enjoy, the Christmas Carols which became annoying once the holiday was over, the joy and excitement you felt wrapping up presents and then opening yours, the possibility to go skating on a warmer day, the relief of entering a warm place after being out in the cold for too long, and the snow. The snow was your number one favorite. You couldn’t wait for it to finally fall, the first snow holding a deeper significance. If you were with your lover while the first snow fell, that meant eternal love and a lifetime spent together. The thought alone could make you giggle and you muffled your mouth with the paw of you thick sweater, having gotten off track while studying. The holidays were right around the corner and winter break would soon start, you wanted to get some homework done before you’d be on your merry way, and what better place to do that at other than your university’s library? The studious ambiance helped focusing on your task at hand, feeling determined to finish your assignment in cultural studies. It was a subject you weren’t fond of and found it hard to sit yourself down and proceed with the assignment, but after all of your friends have handed in theirs, you realized the deadline was dangerously nearing, and so, you finally committed yourself to doing it. If it weren’t for the library and all the other hard-working students, you probably would have given up after half an hour. But now, three hours later, you stood proudly, and admittedly quite tiredly, as you stretched in your seat, a grin on your lips. It was almost 7 pm, the library would be closing in just an hour. You only had to write the conclusion for your assignment, but that was something you could do in the comfort of your room too, so, you grabbed the two books you have used for research, and stood, turning to walk to place them back on their respective shelves. One section wasn’t far from your desk as you quickly found where the book belonged to, having memorized the shelf and two other books you have taken them from beside. Then came the last book, which was more towards the back of the library, where the lights were dimmer in order to save up some costs since no students sat around there. You turned to the left, walking down between two large bookcases, eyes narrowed at the titles of the books. Your vision was slightly blurry as your eyes hurt from having stared at your laptop for three hours without a break. You realized you had turned onto the wrong row, so you went to check out the next one, successfully finding the empty spot where your book belonged. You cheered very quietly, pushing the book back to its place, just as you felt hands on your waist, squeezing. You yelped loudly, grateful that you were in the back and not bothering anyone, as you quickly turned around, slightly terrified by who would sneak up on you like that, but your heartbeats slightly calmed at the familiar face of your boyfriend.

“Jongho!” You whisper-shouted as you lightly slapped your boyfriend’s chest, his lips pulling up into an adorable grin, cheeks puffing up and eyes twinkling with amusement, “You scared me!”

“I thought my girlfriend would be more aware of her surroundings,” Jongho teased as he ruffled your hair, making you pout, “Especially when a handsome man like myself was trailing her—”

“Ey, Jongho, now you’re just asking for—” You tsked as you narrowed your eyes at your boyfriend, who slightly stepped closer, making you walk into the shelves behind you.

“Asking for a what?” He asked cheekily, making your heartbeat pick up again. Jongho and you had been dating for two months now and you knew you should have gotten used to his antics, his shameless flirting and playfulness, but you could never quite do so. He always said something which took you off guard or made you a blushing and stuttering mess. Like right now, as he jut his lips out and made kissy faces, teasing you as you pretended to be annoyed, desperately trying not to giggle.

“Who’s the one asking for a kiss now?” You teased back, but only blushed more when Jongho smirked, leaning closer, your noses almost touching.

“I can’t help myself when my girlfriend is so cute.” You would’ve rolled your eyes but Jongho’s soft lips were pressed against yours, making your eyes close as your arms went around his shoulders, pulling him into yourself. Jongho’s hands wrapped around your middle, smiling into the kiss as your lips assaulted his eagerly, having missed him all day long. He had classes early in the morning and then he had to attend his swimming classes, his tournament was soon coming up, he had to train hard. You didn’t even agree to meet up today, but his presence was more than welcomed as you had been thinking about him all day. Your lips moved softly against each other, kisses drawn out and slow, Jongho taking his time in tasting you and the hot white chocolate you had drank not too long ago—you had to sneak that into the library, but what the librarian doesn’t know about won’t hurt her. You revealed in Jongho’s comforting arms, his honey like cologne sweet and familiar. He felt like home, like that cozy place you’d frequent because you grew to love it and made you feel safe, protected from the cold outside world. That’s how Jongho made you feel like, safe, and like you could conquer the whole world with him by your side. He was the sweetest person you had the luck of meeting and far the most loving person in your life. He was so easy to love, your heart felt full as your lips moved together, breathing in each other, wrapped up in your own world before Jongho slightly pulled back, seemingly breathless. It made you chuckle as you cradled his cheek and rubbed his flushed soft skin with your thumb, not even trying to fight off the huge smile on your lips.

“I missed you.” You couldn’t help but giggle as you allowed the confession to slip past your lips, and Jongho’s face lit up even more as his cheeks flushed a darker shade of red, lips pouting as he looked down embarrassed, but still nuzzled his face into your hand. Sometimes he made you wonder how you survived his cuteness without having a heart attack yet.

“I missed you too, how was your day?” Jongho asked as he raised his head up again, and kissed your cheeks slowly, slightly distracting you from what you were about to say.

“Way too long without you by my side, but—” You giggled as Jongho bit your cheek lightly, “I finally managed to do my social studies assignment!”

Jongho hummed and pulled away to be able to look into your eyes, “Finally, I thought I’d have to tie you to a chair myself and force you to do it.”

You snickered and lightly punched his shoulder, wrapping your arms around his neck again as you pressed a quick kiss against his cherry red lips, “And how was your day?”

“Productive and practical,” Jongho said confidently, eyes glinting with mischief, “I have mastered how to keep you out of my thoughts, you won’t be able to bother me anymore when you’re not with me.”

You gasped dramatically and tried to step away from Jongho, but his arms tightened around you as he grinned, fingers flexing against your sides, threatening to tickle you, “Don’t pout like that. If I keep thinking about you only I will lose in the tournament, and then I’ll be really sad.”

“You won’t lose, Jongho, you’re phenomenal, I’ve seen you compete before.” You encouraged him with a fond smile, having seen him competing before. It’s actually how you got to know of the existence of Choi Jongho. Your best friend had been a big swimmer until an awful injury, which led her to now enjoying going to swimming competitions, cheering for her once fellow teammates and rivals. Apparently, Jongho and her used to train under the same coach, so when she heard that Jongho went to the same university as the two of you while maintaining his swimmer career, she was exhilarated to go and see him compete. And, of course, she dragged you with herself, trying to convince you why you should also pick up a few swimming lessons as you couldn’t swim very well. The match seemed to be quite interesting, but you found yourself bored throughout the half of it, having to excuse yourself to the bathroom. On your way back is when you ran into Jongho, quite literally, as he came stumbling out of the men’s restroom. He seemed to have trouble breathing and when you noticed he couldn’t really form coherent sentences, it became obvious by his lack of breathing pattern that he was having a panic attack. Your best friend having those quite often, you were familiar with the process, and you managed in helping Jongho calm down, only to find out that he got proposed to join the national swimming team. Since he was already nervous from the current match, and that combined with the shocking news he had just gotten it lead to him feeling overwhelmed, which then lead to a breakdown. After you were sure he was feeling fine, the two of you parted ways and you went back to my best friend, explaining why you came back later than expected. And much to your surprise, after the event was over, your best friend forced you to wait with her for her long-time friend, only to introduce you to the guy you had helped with his panic attack, Choi Jongho. You seemed to run into each other quite frequently at university after that, and after a few in passing quick conversations, Jongho asked for your number, which you gladly gave to him. That was probably the best decision of your life.

“What would I do without your support…” Jongho mumbled to himself before he pecked your lips and stepped back, offering his hand for you to take, “Are you hungry? Want to grab some dinner on our way home?”

“I’m a bit tired, if you don’t mind, we could just hang out at my place instead of eating out.” You said as your fingers interlaced and the two of you took off towards your table. Jongho wore an ankle long dark brown coat, his black ripped jeans peeking through as he walked.

“That’s fine by me,” Jongho answered quietly with a smile, “how do you feel about some Chinese take-out?”

You grinned as you nodded your head at him, “That would be lovely.”

After gathering your things and placing them in your backpack, Jongho and you were off towards the Chinese take-out place, hands clasped together, and noses hidden behind your thick scarves. Jongho talked about his day, told you about meeting his new coach and instantly taking a liking to him. He mentioned how Hongjoong got the call too and would be joining their team, leaving Jongho ecstatic that his best friend would be once again by his side not just out of water, but in water too. He knew you wouldn’t see each other for a month as he’d be touring the country very soon, so very enthusiastically he showed you the calendar on his phone and what plans he had made for the two of you for the remaining days of the month, wanting to spend as much time with you as possible. You couldn’t help but tear up a bit at how attentive and caring he was, pecking his cheek lightly despite Jongho hating PDA; he didn’t exactly complain as he turned his head and stole a swift kiss, making you giggle. Just as you crossed the road, the Chinese restaurant a few steps in front of you, something wet fell on your cheek. Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked up, dreading the thought of rain as you hadn’t brought an umbrella with yourself, and by the looks of it, Jongho didn’t have one either. Jongho noticed how you had stopped moving and he turned around, eyebrows raised as he gazed at you curiously, your eyebrows furrowed as you stared up at the dark cloudy sky, white specks helter-skelter falling from the darkness above. Your eyes widened as more wet spots fell on your face and you raised your free hand up high, opening your palm to catch the small snowflakes. Jongho’s eyes wandered around in surprise as he took in the sudden snowfall, fingers tightening around yours. It was the first snowfall of the year. Upon realizing this, your lips pulled up into a huge grin and you beamed up at Jongho as his eyes found yours. That gummy smile which you loved so much was back on his face and he gently tugged on your joined hands, pulling you into his chest.

“Would you look at that,” He muttered with amusement; however his eyes were filled with fondness, “The first snowfall of the year.”

“Just when I was walking with my boyfriend, how convenient.” You chuckled as your nose scrunched up and you leaned in, kissing the corner of your boyfriend’s lips.

“You know what this means…” Jongho trailed off, grinning as the snow continued to fall around the two of you, wrapping the world into a white blanket.

“I do, Jongho.” You whispered, suddenly feeling shy as your boyfriend cooed at you.

“I suppose you’ll be stuck with me forever now.” He said quite smugly, shrugging nonchalantly as he made you laugh, content about the prospect of having to live his life with you by his side.

“Wouldn’t want to have it any other way,” You brought your joined hands inside your jacket’s pocket, fingers having frozen by now, “I love you, Jongho.”

“And I love you too, pookie.” The nickname made you burst into laughter, but you pulled Jongho into a hug, burying your head into the comfort of his neck, the inside of his scarf warm against your skin. Your nose was freezing and Jongho yelped when he felt it pressing against his hot skin, making you chuckle. But he didn’t pull away as he patted the snow out of your hair, feeling content.

“Let’s go inside before we turn into statues.” He mumbled close to your ear and you nodded, agreeing with him. The moment might’ve felt magical, but you fancied knowing your body wouldn’t freeze over. With your hands still intertwined, you hurried inside the Chinese take-out place, giggling as Jongho ruffled his hair, making it stick out in odd places.

Yes, perhaps there were no coincidences. You could totally imagine living your life with this one lovable human being.

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canon-transgender-virgil · 2 years

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SANDERS SIDES SPOILERS AHEAD, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

Hey yeah I'm overanalyzing their rooms now that we cANONICALLY KNOW WHAT EACH OF THEIR ROOMS LOOKS LIKE????? (if i miss anything while combing through these picture lmk!)

First up, Patton's room!

Lots of plushies! Lovely touch, not that surprised cuz it's, you know, Patton.

Cat statue! (lamp? I can't tell jdjsjsj)

And a cat poster right above his head!

I can't tell what picture that is on his desk :(

But I can tell that his glasses are on there, as well as a plate of two cookies (love that callback) and... A bible. Specifically the Bible Patton swore his oath on in SvS. Interesting touch...

And lastly, the card Virgil gave him during 12DOC (which I find interesting because, to me at least, this symbolizes that Patton still views Virgil as or believes Virgil to still be his best friend which is, uh... Not quite the case right now).

Also notably, Patton doesn't wear his onesie to sleep here?

Alright, next up is Roman!

Right off the bat, THAT IS A FACE MASK PEOPLE, ROMAN CANONICALLY HAS A SKINCARE ROUTINE ‼️

Next, his katana right next to his bed which I imagine he uses fairly often because if you'll look in the bottom left hand corner, you can see Remus stealing one of Roman's crocheted (knitted?) stars off of his desk

After that is his poster, which says Adventure Is Out There (maybe an Up poster? I can't find the exact one but knowing Roman it's probably that)

And speaking of Disney, I just noticed that he's sleeping in his Beauty and the Beast onesie oh my gosh

I love the amount of Roman toys he has in his room idjshshs

I can't tell what that bottle is right behind the Roman Youtooz, if anyone can, can you let me know?

[EDIT FOR ABOVE: People have told me that the bottle is pillow spray which, yeah, makes sense for Roman jdjdjsjs]

And finally, the bulletin board! Two pictures of himself, one of Leslie Odom Jr., and 3 Post-Its that read (from top to bottom): "TAKE DANCE CLASSES AGAIN", "YOU GOT THIS PAL", and "WWLOJD?" (which I realized far too late means "What Would Leslie Odom Jr. Do?" idjdjsjs)

Alright, Virgil's room now!!

It is. So dark. I had to turn my phone's brightness up to max to even be able to see half of it ksjsjsjsj

First off, Virgil wears a Green Day shirt and Thomas's black jacket to sleep! (If you don't remember, this is the same jacket Thomas wore during parts 1 and 2 of Accepting Anxiety and in Working Through Intrusive Thoughts!)

If you'll look right behind Virgil, there's a laptop open to... A YouTube lyric video. Dude listens to emo music without headphones to go to sleep, oh my God /pos

[EDIT ABOVE: According to Thomas, he's watching a Jack the Ripper conspiracy video, not a lyric video! Still, incredibly fitting for Virgil kdjdjsjs]

Now to the darker parts of the room:

He has a whiteboard that says "[Number (it's actually a pound sign but i don't want this to end up as a hashtag jdjsjsj)] of days since last total disaster", with 5 being the number of days. Does this mean that this video takes place five days after WTIT, or is it just an insignificant number?

I literally can't tell what all is on Virgil's desk so if anyone does please let me know, but what I can tell is that he's got an expo marker (for the whiteboard) and (presumably) melatonin, which (alongside the tossing and turning) I imagine confirms that Virgil has trouble sleeping

[EDIT FOR ABOVE: He also has a spider plush, a book of Grimm's Fairytale, fake candles(?) and Patton's card pinned underneath it! That's fascinating to me and I've taken it to mean that Virgil doesn't want to complete throw away his friendship with Patton but he's nowhere near "buddy buddy" with him anymore]

And finally, Logan!

Look at his blue ass bed and matching pjs and sleep mask I freaking love him

He's got a periodic table poster over his bed!!!

Now let's check out his desk

He has all five plushies with him!!! Everyone else just had theirs but he has all five! (Angst writers come get your food pspspsps)

They're all sitting on a notebook (presumably the one Logan uses to write down when someone says something stupid?) which is on top of the fanfic Roman gave him for Christmas which i freaking love 😭

His solved Rubix cube is sitting on what looks to be a crossword of the day calendar sort of thing?

EMPTY CROFTERS JAR BEHIND EVERYTHING HE CANONICALLY EATS IT IN HIS ROOM

Oh my God that is the 10th Doctor Funko Pop right by the plushies

And his flashcards are under his glasses!

[EDIT FOR ABOVE: The notebook above the script is a Journal 3 notebook from Gravity Falls and he also has a TARDIS behind the plushies and a smart lamp! (Hence the clapping)]

Again, if i missed something someone let me know jdjdhs

#sanders sides #thomas sanders #ts logan #ts roman #ts virgil #ts patton #tss spoilers #ts spoilers

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alex-multiverse · 5 months

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Kh Worldbuilding headcanons: Destiny Islands Edition

No one ever talks about the original worlds in kh and i find that a travesty because these places are a really, REALLY good mine to play around with. (u can also use them or expand on them if you really like)

So im gonna share some HCs i have about the original kh worlds, starting with Destiny islands..... but before that some basics: also this is kinda long so under the read more it goes

In general:

Kh "worlds" arent really floating in space. the stylized icons we see in game are more akin to dimensional rifts rather than actual planets (seriously who thinks this is how the world looks fr)

Following on with the dimensional rift: as the "worlds" arent really pieces of the original world, they are something more akin as parallel dimensions or something along the lines of something like ff14 (mostly because i would rather die first than live in a world with 5 different versions of britain existing at the same time)

As much as dark road is cool, the explanation for the empty worlds is dumb and for the purposes of this exercise, instead ofthe worlds filling the people gradually after it is created, i consider that the worlds as they exist are the result of the surviving children of the war making their stories real in the fractured reality of the original world (it also follows the weird theme of reality/unreality that kh4 seems to go for) and it turning into a different version of earth as we know it, with some exceptions, such as monstropolis (which exists independently as a parallel land to earth in its canon) and Deep space (which is straight up NOT earth and was more like, the rift of lilo and stitch's world pointing at the high counselor's fleet BEFORE the actual movie started) and also the OG worlds who dont have something to be based on for reasons to be explained later.

the only world that exists in the ocean between as it is, is the Keyblade graveyard. because it was so majorly fucked up by the war it both shattered in the physical and dimensional way after it happened.

Now that that rant is out of the way, LETS GO TO THE MOST UNDERRATED WORLD IN THE SERIES:

Destiny islands is in fact, more than 2 islands, being a big archipelago with a bigger "main island" where our three protagonists live at. this one we have seen before in kh2

Destiny islands, is, by far, not the only chain of islands in the world. in fact, theres way more islands beyond the horizon.

We know the islands have a mayor, thus we know that they must have cordial diplomatic ties with different islands near them.

Due to FF characters existing here, i am very tempted to assure that some of the races from ff8 and ffX exist in this world (you are now imagining kimahri playing with a tiny kairi after diplomacy stuff with her dad just ended)

Due to DI being an original world, it is actually a shard of the original world that didnt really changed much compared to the other original ones. its major difference is that it is an ocean world like Wind waker hyrule or the Grand line from One piece

Magic is a real thing in the original worlds populace, you just really need to get good at it, learn it, be magical by default, or cheat and get a keyblade somehow

Religion in the og worlds strike me as something akin to the way people prayed to the aeons of yevon in ffx or the astrals of FF15. with people praying to the ff summons on a case by case basis and depending on their preference for patron gods. Ie: Leviathan being a goddess of the ocean and water who is prayed to by sailors or fishermen, while scholars prefer ifrit using an interpretation of the fire of knowledge. (you know. like a furry prometheus that doesnt get eaten by an eagle daily)

I'll probably go on more detail later, but for now, the summons that get prayed to the most in DI is probably Leviathan for the aforementioned reasons, Ramuh for nature and agriculture reasons, shiva for tradition and combat reasons (related to riku in my particular headcanon) And Titan for economical reasons, wow alex making the rock man into the economy guy i wonder where you have heard it before

Speaking of economy, DI currency totally has tiny paopu fruit symbols in its coins and bills, and its a legal course currency in its neighboring islands because they too dig the paopu fruit symbolism

Munny looks like malleable diamonds because it probably just morphs into the appropate currency depending on the world we're in, moogles only use them as they are because they are both the people doing synthing and also shady as hell. do not trust the pompom people.

Going back to the Paopu fruit: its quite a common tree fruit in the islands and in fact is industrially harvested in some islands both as an export and in-island use.

The paopu folk story is actually mostly just a misconception for an older tale. originally involving sailors and a promise to return home safe. it eventually turned into "sharing one will entwine your fates forever"

Paopu pastries are a common dessert, and paopu wine is used often in weddings.

Monsters ARE real in the islands and roam the most inhabited places. These are often hunt for game and for safety reasons

THAT MEANS, chocobos are also a thing people use in the most rural parts of the islands for fieldwork, transportation and sometimes food.

Blitzball is MAD popular and they Often do tournaments involving several islands. DI itself was almost a perpetual champion up until jecht retired, then they win every so often instead of always

Boating licenses are a thing, but kids can still use their little boats because they have to row them. think like, the difference between a bicicle and a motorbike.

There are bridges for tram systems between islands that are close to each other, usually reinforced for sea and storm reasons.

Legally speaking, equal marriage is a thing and even polyamorous ones because why being an ass about it.

Healthcare is mostly public, but there are Specialty care stuff in the main islands that costs money because of course it is

Because sora and riku are japanese names, i prefer the island to be something like a tropical japan, so most of the people in DI have japanese names.

That would be all for now. tune in next time when i tackle on Twilight town, who may or not be in perpetual twilight (is not)

#kingdom hearts #Kingdom hearts headcanons #shoutout to the sorikai server peeps for enabling this madness #Destiny islands #Sora #Riku #Kairi #worldbuilding #Headcanons #Alex rants about stuff #Alex plays kh #sorikai #that one is tangentially related

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huffle-dork · 1 month

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Swap Across the CrystalVerse Chapter 2: SepticHeroes Revisited

Read Swapboys | Crystal’s AUs | Read Septicheroes

Read SITCV | SITCV SepticHeroes Chapters | AO3 Link It sounds like your friend Bro showed up near Schneep and Marvin, JJ says. And now everyone is coming here to meet up.

“Oh good!” Dahlia says.

Jackie perks up from where he was resting against the wall. "Oh sick!" He grins.

“We should probably let Soren know so he doesn’t try to freeze them for intruding.” Dahlia says.

JJ raises an eyebrow. I thought you liked Soren.

“He could be worse. But he would definitely react badly to lookalikes suddenly showing up with your friends.”

Jackie tilts his head, "Freeze? Oh oh! Does Soren have ice powers??"

Dahlia laughs. “I meant that metaphorically. Like you know, when people freeze up with fear?”

"Oohhh sorry- I thought lots of people had powers here." Jackie replies with a timid smile.

“Oh no, you’re right, lots of people do,” Dahlia says. “I’ve fought three different ice villains over the years.”

I’ll go find him and let him know about all this, JJ says. Jackie, do you want to come? You know, meet him?

Jackie looks at JJ then grins, hopping up to his feet. "Yeah! I'd love to meet him!"

Dahlia leans back against the pillows. “Tell Soren I say hi.”

I will, JJ says, standing up. Follow me, Jackie.

They leave the room and enter a narrow upstairs hallway. All the doors up here are ajar so JJ only glances inside each—bedroom, bedroom, bathroom, closet—before heading down the stairs at the end of the hall. This whole house seems very generic, with single color walls and almost no decorations. Didn’t Bro and Alt mention some of the guys here were in hiding? This must be a place they’re staying, not anyone’s home.

Jackie observes the house with interest. He can definitely tell this is not a lived in house- he knows what a lived in house looks like. His kids have taught him that lesson over and over. This place seems wayyy too clean.

The first floor has an office, a bathroom, a living room, a dining room, and, finally, a kitchen. Which is the last place they look and the place where they finally find who they’re looking for. There a man crouches on the floor, looking through the cabinets.

JJ whistles and the man looks over at him.

“Hey Jem. Jackie.” He stands up. He’s wearing a dark red jacket over a white crop top with a purple heart in the middle. His hair is red, cut short on the right and longer on the left, and his eyes are—dark purple? Huh. He’s also taller than both Jackie and JJ. “I was just about to start—” And then the man stops. His eyes narrow at Jackie, and Jackie feels a little afraid all of a sudden. “Jameson, that’s not Jackie.”

No, I know, JJ says. He can be trusted.

Jackie stands stiff as they meet Soren- he's almost surprised he knew his name... before remembering he's technically a copy. He smiles timidly and raises a hand in greeting. "Yo...? You're.. not too far off. I am Jackie but... Jackie Mann. I'm... from another universe...?"

Soren blinks. Then he looks at JJ. "Wait, you were telling the truth about all that?"

Did you think I was messing with you? JJ asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually I thought you were delirious."

JJ looks like he wants to say something defensive, but then he sighs. That's fair. But yes, it's all true. We really met people from another world, and now they're back. More are coming here soon, along with everyone else.

"...huh." Soren leans back against the kitchen counter, contemplating that. Then he nods. "Alright. Nice to meet you, then, Jackie Mann." He looks at the shirt Jackie's wearing, the one that says 'Oh No Everyone's Hot' in the bi pride colors, and grins. "Heh. Mood." The fear Jackie felt briefly is gone now.

Jackie finds himself blushing- not only cuz this guy is attractive but... its not often he meets someone with the same eye color as his wife. A bit darker than hers but...mmmm. He looks down at his shirt and blushes more. "O-Oh uh.. y-yeah! Mood-" Oh god he's being cringe- where are the others??

It turns out, the others are right outside, as Alt glitches Jackie and Chase onto the path to the front door. Frosty shakes himself, fur floofing out like he's trying to shake off the glitches.

"Here we are!" Jackie says, making sure his mask is secure. He walks up to the front door and rings the doorbell.

Alt shakes off the glitches too, feeling momentarily dizzy but being able to push it off. He's fine- it's fine. He smiles and follows after Jackie towards the door.

JJ, Soren, and Jackieboy can hear that doorbell from the kitchen. Soren raises his eyebrow. "Is that them or should we ignore it?" he asks.

It might be some of them, JJ says. Alt can teleport people.

Jackie's phone chimes. A text from Alt: Yo nerd we're outside 😼

Jackie laughs and tilts his head towards the door. "It's them! Alt just texted me."

JJ giggles. Alright, let's go meet them, then.

"I'm coming with," Soren announces. "I want to meet the people coming into my house."

JJ laughs as the group leaves the kitchen. Let me and Jackie answer the door, at least.

"Yeah, sure." Soren leans against the entrance hall wall while JJ opens the door.

"Hey!" Jackie grins--and then grins wider when he sees his other self. "OH! HEY! HI!"

Jackie Mann’s eyes widen and then he grins super big, stimming slightly. "oh my god oh my god!! It's true! You really are a super hero!! Or youre like- totally yanking my chain and wearing a costume and this is all a joke and if it is imma kill Chase but AHHHH"

Alt bursts into laughter, "Jackie, breathe man! You're gonna pass out!"

“No no no, I really am! I—” Jackie glances around, then hurries through the doorway. “Check this out!” He jumps—and stays in the air, hovering a few inches over the floor.

Jackie's jaw drops and then he stims even more, practically vibrating, "THAT'S SO FUCKING COOL!!"

Alt glitches over and puts a hand on his Jackie's shoulder, "Inside voice, my guy-" He giggles.

Jackie lands, grinning and giggling. “It really is so cool! I forget about how cool it is sometimes.”

Chase walks in with Frosty. “I was so surprised the first time he showed me,” he says. “I didn’t even believe him until I saw the flying. Hey, other Jackie! I’m Chase.”

Jackie blinks and then beams at Chase, "Omg! Other Chase!! AND A PUPPY!!" He bends down to admire Frosty and almost pets him before seeing his vest. "OH! working pup- I see. Carry on good sir and/or ma'am!"

Chase grins. “This is Frosty! He’s my good boy. You can give him a couple pats, it’s okay.”

Jackie's eyes sparkle as he gets down and pats Frosty on the head, "oh! Hello Frosty!! Oh aren't you the best boy?? Damn- I should get a dog... maybe once Penny is older." He laughs.

JJ laughs silently. Hi Alt, it’s good to see you again.

Alt smiles, "Hey JJ! Good to see you too."

Bro isn’t here yet, apparently he and Marvin and Schneep had to take the train.

Alt tilts his head and frowns, "The train? huh... Guess the others didn't wanna get flown around... you know what? that's fair." He laughs.

In the background, Soren watches all this happen with visible curiosity.

Alt blinks at Soren and then waves a bit, "Uh hi! I'm Alt-"

Soren grins and raises a hand. "Hello. Call me Soren."

Alt smiles, "Hey, nice to meet you. I think I remember them mentioning you last time!"

"JJ's boyfriend," Chase says teasingly.

We're not officially dating, JJ says.

"Oh really?" Soren raises an eyebrow. "So what was it last night when we--"

I am going to make you shut up, I swear to god, JJ says hurriedly, a few strings appearing around his fingers.

Soren laughs.

Jackie looks back and forth between each other. "...wait a second, did you guys--"

Jackie springs up to his feet and rubs his hands together, "Oh!! I'm sensing drama and tea~??"

It's not what you think! JJ interrupts, his face turning very red.

"Aaaaanyway," Chase says. "Where's Dahlia?"

Jackie's face falls and his points dramatically at Chase, "Noooo! Don't change the subject!!"

Alt bonks him on the head, "Stop being weird, ya doof-"

Still upstairs, JJ says, relieved at the change of subject. Do you want to meet her, Alt?

Alt blinks at JJ and then smiles, "Oh yeah sure!"

Jackie grins, "I think you'll like her, Alt. She's real cool~"

She'd love to meet you, JJ says. I think she's love your powers.

Alt flushes but grins happily. "Neat, let's see her then."

Come on! He turns and hurries towards the stairs.

"I'm coming too, I wanna hang out with Dahlia," Jackie says excitedly.

"Fanboy," Chase whispers under his breath.

"Hey!"

"You guys have fun, I'll wait for your other friends down here," Soren says, waving the rest of them off as everyone heads upstairs.

Dahlia sits up straight when everyone returns to the bedroom. "Hey Jays. Jackie, Jackie, Chase, Frosty--and new guy, hello!" She waves.

Alt glitches a bit and tries not to get into his old habit of hiding his face in his mask. "Hi! I um-- I'm Alt. You're Dahlia, then?"

"Yep!" Dahlia says cheerfully. "Nice to meet you, love. You're the one who can turn into electricity, right?"

Alt blushes a bit more and grins, "Uh yeah- kinda? I'm... a magician so I do magic but... electricity is mostly it."

"He can do all sorts of shit," Jackie says. "Like glitching--that's how we got there."

"Nice, nice. Sorry there's not many spaces to sit in here. Chase, d'you need the chair?"

"No, I'd rather not, uh, change position too much," Chase says.

"Alright, in that case, it's a race to claim it," Dahlia chuckles.

Jackie and Alt glance at each other and seem to share a thought- and race towards the chair. Alt glitches into it though and grins. "Too slow~!"

"Hey! No fair ya cheating bastard! I could run circles around you!" Jackie pouts.

"But why would i try that if I can just glitch~?" Alt laughs.

"Whoa!" Dahlia's eyes light up. "That's so cool! It's like--teleportation with an effect."

Jackie laughs at Jackieboy and Alt's interaction. "Isn't it? It's so cool! Last time, Alt went into my phone--I mean, that didn't really work out too well but it's because Anti was there."

"Ah yes, the hellspawn," Dahlia comments in response to Anti.

"H-hey, uh, be careful." Chase glances at Alt. "We, um... might... You know how weird other dimensions get?" If Alt really was another version of Anti, he doesn't want to indirectly insult him.

"Do you mean universes? Dimensions are different," Jackie says.

"Jackie's right," Dahlia says. "And I know, I studied physics."

You dropped out, JJ says, grinning.

"Hey! That's a family secret!"

Alt grins at Dahlia, "Hey no sweat- I never finished secondary school. So you got me beat!" He laughs.

"Also, Don't worry Chase- I've been to lots of universes now. Most Antis I meet fit the description of hellspawn. I was just born different~" He grins mischievously. He then glitches out of the chair, "By the way- I don't need this, I just wanted to beat Jackie~"

"Yer such a jerk," Jackie laughs.

Dahlia blinks. "Wait... you're an Anti? How?"

"It doesn't really make sense, does it?" Jackie says. "But apparently it's true. I guess there are infinite possibilities with other universes."

"Huh. I suppose that's right."

Alt hums, "The only reason I'm an Anti in my universe is cuz... I picked that name when I was little. Was better than my old name. But, now I just stick with Alt. Only Bro really still calls me Anti." He shrugs, "But, apparently, Antis have lots of similar... traits." He seems to shiver, sticking his hands in his pockets and bunching up some, his confidence shrinking a bit. "... Glitching is one of them," He pulls at his mask, rubbing up against his neck.

JJ claims the chair now that no one is moving for it. How many universes did you guys go through before you reached home again? he asks. It must have been a lot if you've met lots of versions of yourself.

Alt blinks up at JJ and then thinks, "Oh... um... yeah it was a lot." He mentally counts, "We've been to two of them twice before this one- i think it's been... 7 ish?"

"That's a lot of other worlds," Jackie says in awe.

Alt seems to shrink in more and rocks on his feet, looking away. "... Antis aren't... usually the greatest... in other places. Typically they're... bad guys. Freaky villains and..." He presses his lips shut and closes his eyes, trying to push back some thoughts. "...i... I'm not like them though. I'm trying my best not to be. Cuz... I'm more than just an Anti. I'm Alt."

Jackie gives Alt a gentle smile and pats his shoulder, looking at him proudly.

"Well, I can guarantee that you're nothing like the Anti here, Alt," Chase says. "Everyone is themselves, y'know? Not just like... a role to fill. Besides, we just said that the universes are, like, infinite, so there's probably more good Antis than you know. I bet there's some bad versions of us out there, too."

"Ha! I'll always be a hero," Jackie says, folding his arms. "No matter what world I'm in."

I don't think so, JJ says. Look at other Jackie here. I mean--I'm sure you're a good guy, other Jackie, but it sounds like Chase is the main hero in your world.

"...uhhhh... good point." Jackie blinks, at a loss for words.

Chase laughs at the blank look on Jackie's face. "Bro. We were just talking about how different everything is, and you come in like 'nah I'll always be the same.'"

"It's just--just hard for me to picture being evil, is what I mean!" Jackie stammers defensively.

Alt opens his mouth and then shuts it, not sure he wants to tell Jackie about the bad Jackies he's met. Like Sangira... or- well... that Jackie is getting better now. But still- He has killed people.

Jackie laughs, "Man! I wish I was a hero! But nah- I'm just a geek who's a dad and does parkour~" He grins, "Chase is our main hero. I'd love to help but- as our Dr. J says im 'injury prone'." He adds air quotes.

"You are injury prone-" Alt deadpans, "You're hiding a wrist brace right now!"

Jackie pulls down on his jacket sleeve, "No I'm not, you're a liar!"

Chase laughs. "Bro, I didn't even notice that!"

JJ also chuckles. I don't think anyone would have said anything if Alt didn't point it out.

"Hey look, I get you, man--Mann, haha." Chase laughs some more. "My balance sucks. Frosty helps out with that, along with some other stuff, but accidents still happen sometimes."

Jackie's ears turn red but he grins, "I mean... it sucks but- being clumsy is how I became best friends with my Chase. ... wouldn't change that for the world."

While this nice conversation is happening inside, outside, Marvin, Schneep, and Bro are walking down the street. "Why do we have to walk everywhere in this city?" Marvin grumbles.

"Learn how to drive," Schneep says, still invisible.

"No, I don't want to."

"Your loss, then."

"You don't drive, either, don't talk shit to me."

Bro laughs and hovers a bit in front of them, "Maybe you two just need to learn to fly~" He jokes before touching back down. He walks backwards grinning at them. "I don't drive either- but Jackie does! I try to avoid it though-"

Schneep is quiet for a moment. "Anyway, we are almost there." He flickers back into view long enough to point out a house. "That is it."

Bro blinks and then notices the house as Schneep points to it and grins. He hurries over to the door and knocks on it.

"Whoa whoa hey!" Marvin and Schneep rush after Bro. "I think it's best if we don't lead with the stranger. Soren's as paranoid as me."

Schneep walks through Bro and ends up in front of him, returning to visible view.

“Oh right-“ Bro starts to say and then shivers as Schneep passes through him. He backs up and pats the spot where he went. “…that was so weird woah-“

And then the door opens. Soren leans against the doorway and looks down at the three of them. "Marvin, Specter, good to see you." He smiles, then looks at Bro. "New guy. You look very heroic. Other Chase, I'm told. I'm Soren, Soren Moizone."

Bro blinks up at Soren and then grins. “that’s cuz I am! I’m called Bro Fantastic back at home! Nice to meet you, Soren!”

"Heh. Fun name." Soren grins and Bro feels immediately at ease. "Your friends are inside, talking upstairs. I was going to start making dinner in the meantime."

"It's like four in the afternoon," Marvin says.

"And? There's a lot of you. We need a lot of food."

"I'm not sure we have the time for that..." Schneep mutters. "Something has happened."

Soren's easy demeanor immediately shatters, replaced by a hard, serious look. "Get in, then." He steps aside so everyone can come in.

Bro’s smile drops and he looks sad for a second. Damn… if Mag hadn’t gotten here… they could have actually had a good time. He squeezes his eyes shut and pushes down his anger and walks in to find his friends. “…thanks, Soren.”

"Not a problem," Soren says. "I'll head on up with you."

They walk up the staircase. The door to Dahlia's room is ajar a bit. Schneep hurries over and pushes it fully open. "Hey, Hen!" Dahlia waves. "I was just about to bring up when you'd get here."

"Hey, other me!" Chase says. "Hi!"

Jackie waves furiously at Bro. "Hey! Good to see you again!"

Bro smiles as he walks into the room and waves, "Hey guys-"

Alt immedately straightens up, "...what's wrong?' He asks in a quiet voice.

"What? Huh- how did you-??"

"Please Chase- I know you." Alt says with a raised eyebrow.

Bro looks conflicted. But eventually he sighs, his shoulders dropping. "...Magnificent is here..."

"WHAT?!" Jackie and Alt shout almost in unison.

"I thought you guys were just visiting?!" Jackie gapes. The curtains flutter as a nervous breeze flies through the room. "Did he tag along somehow?"

"Whatever happened, it was not intentional," Schneep says. "Bro said that it may be something wrong with your TRVLR device."

"Magnificent is... a villain, right?" Dahlia says.

"A bad one?" Soren asks.

A bad one, JJ confirms.

Chase shudders. "Last time he was here he got in my head. I-it was freaky."

Alt starts to pace and glitch anxiously, tugging at his hoodie. "NO no! I... I was so careful! All that planning! The warding! The protection spells! It all meant nothing?!" He shouts at the end, the electronics in the room all flickering and shuddering from Alt's anger and panic.

"Hey hey lil bro, Breathe!" Bro says, coming over and holding his shoulders. "It wasn't your fault! he... it must be something with the TRVLR! Did anything seem weird about it??"

Alt shakes his head, "I.. I dunno- It seemed fine... just- why?!" He shouts, angry tears in his eyes. "Why is he here, again??"

Jackie looks at Chase with a sympathetic gaze before turning back to Dahlia, "Yeah he's... our main villain back home. A power hungry maniac corrupted by black magic... he wants to make people into his puppets or steal their power or... lots of other fucked up shit. He's a dangerous dude..."

"Where's Marvin?? He was with you guys, right?" Alt suddenly shouts, worry on his face, "Mag really hurt him last time- he didn't-?!"

"Alt please, try to calm down..." Bro whispers.

"I'm right here." Marvin steps forward. He'd hung back to take off Bro's spare clothes, which he then shoves at him. "Yeah, I still have the scars from him turning into a fucking tiger. But he clearly still wants to kill me."

Alt deflates a bit, less worried now that he knows Marvin is okay. Bro fumbles with the clothes then stuffs them back in his bag.

"Turning into a tiger...?" Soren repeats slowly.

"The powers from the other world are more varied than ours," Schneep says. "A 'magician' there can do many incredible things at once."

"Uhhhh okay," Dahlia says.

"At least, uh, h-he can't find us here," Chase says.

JJ frowns. Can he? How did he find your flat last time?

"Um... I-I don't know. I never really thought about that."

I think he had help, JJ says. He signs something: the letter A, and then smacking his hands together. A-virus. The meaning is clear.

Alt's eyes narrow and he growls, "That Anti fuck... he's probably gonna try to help him again! Fuck... fuck fuck fuck!" Alt shouts, looking like he's ready to hit something or explode- pixels coming off him as his body breaks in and out of being whole by his glitches.

Jackie Mann looks between everyone and tries to smile, "M-Maybe it wont be so bad! Maybe... this is actually hidden this time? Mag usually can't find shit without magic!"

"Uhhhhh..." Jackie bites his lip and stares at his other version. "How do I put this...? Anti can look through cameras. All our phones have cameras. We all have phones on us right now."

"We should have never started using them again!" Schneep curses.

"God damn it all!" Marvin punches the wall.

Soren rubs his eyes. "Yang and I only have so many safe houses in the city, you know," he says tiredly. "Why did you all start using computers again?"

"Well, we figured that now we know Anti can't reach us, we'd just have to be very careful what we said," Chase says slowly.

Clearly this was a mistake, JJ says. We have to get out of here.

Alt sighs and crosses his arms, "...trying to run might get innocents hurt. Knowing Mag and how hard we kicked his ass last time... he's not gonna be happy. He's gonna hunt all of us down..."

"If Magnificent is coming here, why don't we wait for him?" Jackie argues. "We could spring a trap!"

I'm not putting Dahlia in danger.

"I can handle danger," Dahlia mutters. "Even like this."

"I mean- yeah! We know he's coming so we can prepare! We got him really good last time!" Bro smiles,

JJ still looks reluctant, but he nods. Alright, I suppose we have to prepare for a fight, then.

"Great, we can put these to use." Soren walks over to the armchair, bends over, and opens a hidden compartment in one of the legs, pulling out a knife. JJ looks at this, surprised, and bursts into silent laughter. How long has that been there?!

"Since before you guys moved in. There are weapons in all the chairs and lamps, some of them with special features."

Chase leans closer to Jackie. "I told you," he whispers.

Alt blinks and then grins, "Fuck yeah that's metal!"

Bro looks worried. "Are the houses around all safehouses? Because our powers aren't necessarily... discrete?"

"And what about us powerless people huh?" Jackie says, pointing to himself. "I mean- save a face punch from me for Mag- but I'm also fragile!"

"Super fights happen all the time, don't worry," Jackie says. "I don't think any of us are destructive enough to level the neighborhood or anything." He hesitates. "Even so, I-I--I can go around and ask people to clear out. The citizens know me, they'll listen."

"And don't worry, other Jackie, I have all sorts of stuff," Soren says. "My powers aren't exactly combative so I have to make up for it. What are you, blades, guns, or blunt instruments? I'm sure I have some protective vests somewhere, too."

Jackie brightens up, "oh! I just learned how to use a knife better! Gimme!"

Soren grins. "Alright, here you are." He flips the knife over and holds it out to Jackie hilt-first.

Jackie grins and flips the knife, testing out the feel. “Sick- I’ll cut some new whiskers on Mag’s face!”

"I'll try and find those protective vests." And Soren stands up and leaves.

"I can try to cast some wards and stuff-" Alt says, digging out his spellbook. "He's a strong magician but I... I can probably keep him back for a bit..."

Go ahead and do your magic, Alt, JJ says. Any time you can buy us will be great. And he gets up. Dahlia?

"I'll be careful, Jays," Dahlia says. "Promise."

JJ nods, then goes out to follow Soren in the search for the protective vests.

Alt nods and starts flipping through the pages. His eyes burn with green blue light as he recites some words, going to trace some runes in the air above the walls.

Bro shifts nervously, "I could come with you if you need, Windstorm-"

Jackie looks at Bro. He nods. "That's a good idea. If we spot something suspicious while out, one of us can fly back and tell the others here. I think we should avoid texting for now."

Bro nods with a small smile and puts back on his mask, his hair flaring to green-yellow. “Right!”

"Alright." Jackie nods. "Let's go!"

Time passes as everyone prepares. Soren passes out weapons to everyone who doesn't have more combative powers. He also finds three protective vests--which are smaller and thinner than traditional bulletproof vests, but which he assure everyone is just as protective as Kevlar. JJ insists that Dahlia gets one, and the other two go to Chase and Jackieboy.

Outside, Jackie and Bro fly around, telling the neighbors that theere's going to be a fight happening soon and they need to either hunker down or leave. Nobody protests, understanding the gravity that comes with a Hero--and another hero--telling them directly.

Until, about half an hour later, Jackie nudges Bro. "Look," he says. "Do you see that?"

Bro narrows his eyes at where Jackie points and then frowns. “Uhhh… no? What am I looking at?”

Jackie glances at him, then back to where he was pointing. At a line of bushes in someone's front yard. Indeed the movement he saw there before is gone now—until it isn't.

Suddenly Jackie yells and tackles Bro to the side, just barely knocking him out of the way as a soccer-ball-sized metal sphere rockets towards the spot where Bro's head had been seconds before.

Bro yelps as he's pushed to the ground.

The sphere spins around midair and rushes at them again. Jackie raises a hand and a gust of powerful wind knocks it off course, sending it crashing to the sidewalk next to them. It's some sort of robot, mostly spherical with a tail-like peripherary. "That's a SAM," Jackie breathes. "Semi-Autonomous Machine. SepTech made them to help people but then Anti took control of most of them. I think it was spying on us."

Bro pants and then looks at Jackie with wide eyes. "If... if Anti took control of them- could he send them to the house??"

Jackie's eyes widen in turn. "Definitely."

The SAM's peripheral writhes, and it slowly hovers back into the air, pointing a camera lens in its center at the two heroes.

"We gotta warn the others then-!" Bro starts to say but freezes as the SAM gets airborne again.

Compartments on the side of the SAM open up, and out pop small devices--devices that then shoot a hail of sharp darts at the two of them.

Jackie dodges out of the way, a gust of wind pushing the darts away from him.

Bro yells in surprise as the darts are shot and crosses his arms in front of his face to try to block them. But, a few stick in his arm- one even breaking through his suit. "Ah- fuck!! What the fuck??" He pulls it out and looks at it then waves it at the SAM, "The fuck did you stick in me ya round orb bitch?!"

Jackie looks at Bro and pales. "Wait a minute." He plucks one of the darts that didn't pierce through Bro's suit from his arm. Inside the tiny glass compartment is a pale lavender liquid. "Shit! That's neutrinalin! It'll muffle your powers!"

Bro's eyes widen. "What?! Shit-!"

The SAM prepares for another volley of darts, aiming at Jackie this time. He barely dodges another round. "Go back to the house!" he shouts at Bro. "Quick, before it takes effect! Tell the others the SAMs are coming!"

Bro looks hesitant to leave Jackie but he quickly nods and takes back off into the air, hurrying back towards the house. He barrels through the door, nearly tripping into Alt who was prepping a seal against the door.

"What? Chase what's- dude what happened??" Alt asks. He's a bit pale and seems shaky but he's also half chewing on a snack bar Jackie brought.

Bro pants, wiping at his face. "That bitch Anti is sending machines this way! R-Round bitches that shoot out power nullifying shit! They look like eyes-"

Alt's eyes widen and he grabs Bro and pulls him in, "Where's Windstorm?"

"H-Hopefully right behind me!"

Schneep suddenly appears next to Alt. "You mean the SAMs?" he says. "The Semi-Autonomous Machines. They were made by SepTech to be helpful for people and Heroes.

"Yes! Those guys! Jackie said Anti-!"

“They should not be able to--what was it? Shoot power nullifying... you mean neutrinalin?"

"Yeah yeah that!”

JJ has arrived about halfway through the conversation. He frowns. Anti must have modified some of them. Did you get hit with the-- he makes a sign that the other-world visitors don't know, like JJ is pushing something down. It must be the sign for 'neutrinalin.'

Bro blinks and then nods to JJ, “uh... yeah i think so- I felt a prick-"

Then there's a distant screaming. It slowly gets closer--

Alt glitches and throws Bro and the others out of the way of the door.

—and then Jackie flies right through the doorway, still shouting, and crashes into the living room wall. "Oof!"

"Jackie!" Bro shouts, hurrying over to him. "Are you okay??"

Alt wastes no time in shutting the door and hurriedly chants another spell over it. He holds two hands over the wood and pours his magic in, sweat breaking out on his forehead. "A-Any sign of Mag??"

Jackie recovers surprisingly quickly, popping back up. "I'm okay!" he gasps. "No sign of Magnificent. But there's at least one SAM out there, and probably more coming, with--"

"Neutrinalin? Yes, Bro just told us," Schneep says. "He also said he might've been injected. Can you still access your powers, Bro? Will it even work on you?"

"I-if it will, it should be working by now," Jackie adds.

Bro blinks and then looks down at himself- for a second, he feels kinda dizzy. He shakes this off though and tries to see if he can hover in the air. He's able to for a second before he crashes down. His normally bright blue eyes under his mask seem a bit duller and he pales. "... f-fuck...!"

JJ looks at Alt. Do those wards block out any threats or just magical ones?

Alt grits his teeth and concentrates, trying to spread out his magic over more than just the door. "I... I started with just magic wards but- I-I'm trying to expand them to anything now that Bro and Windstorm are back! Hopefully they can hold for a bit... but if... if these machines are coming the wards I put over Dahila's room might not be enough...!"

Bro pushes himself up on shaky arms. "Alt- you're not draining yourself, are you??"

"I'm giving us a fighting chance!" Alt bites back. "We need every advantage we can get!"

"You know what would be giving us a chance? Having you ready to fight if they show up, Alt," Schneep points out.

Bro nods along with Schneep. "You're just as powerful as the rest of us Alt! We need you!"

Alt laughs at this, giving them a semi-pained look. "... Mag used me against you all last time- I dont want to give him that chance again. I'll be fine- but... I... I'll try to refuel." He backs up from the door, letting his hands slip off. The door and the walls/windows on that side of the house glimmer slightly with green- like the effect of looking at something under sunlight in water.

JJ pales a bit at Alt mentioning Dahlia. Do you think someone should stay with her? he worries. Maybe Chase? Or other Jackie?

Marvin appears just as he asks that. "You know your sister can take care of herself, right?"

Yes, but she was in a COMA until a couple weeks ago, so there's some difficulty there! JJ snaps, practically throwing his hands in Marvin's face.

"Whoa!" Marvin leans back. "Um... s-sorry. I didn't mean to... sorry."

Jackie peeks up from where he's been sitting on the stairs, nervously fiddling with the vest and the knife. He blinks at JJ and then smiles, "Hey- Jays- I can try to protect Dahlia if you want! Dunno how much use I'd be in the big fight but, I'm sure I can keep some metal fuckers away from her!"

JJ smiles at him. Thank you. But you said you were best at knife fighting, right? Knives won't be much use against robots.

Soren and Chase peek into the living room. "I can stay with Ti--with Dahlia, Jem," Soren offers. "I'm sure I can handle some drones." His weapon of choice is a metal bat, which he taps threateningly against his hands.

Jackie pouts slightly, "They're like- eyes right? Just- jab em in the pupil!" He tries to demonstrate, jabbing at the air.

Schneep laughs. "Their 'pupils' are their cameras, so that may actually work out. If there is no camera, they cannot see."

"But I also know... some martial arts! ... but I guess that'd hurt against a robot. Mannn what the hell! I hate being normal..." Jackie mutters.

Chase looks down at Jackieboy. "Yeah, I know how you feel, bro. Not sure how much I can do. All anyone would need to do to take me out is knock me down."

"If you guys want to get somewhere safe, we're not gonna stop you," Jackie says. "It's up to you." He peers out through the curtained windows.

Bro smiles at his friend with sympathy. "Well... looks like I'm in your boat too, Jackie..." He looks down at his hands and flexes them, as if willing his power to come back.

Alt sits down on the floor and grabs more things to eat, tiredly trying to get his energy back. He leans against the wall and tries to catch his breath, looking a bit pale and clammy.

Marvin nods. "Alright. Sounds like it's time to wait."

#SATCV #SATCV septicheroes #alt anti #bro fantastic #jackie mann #more introductions then!! trouble starts!! :O #i love dahila and soren so much ajhbak beans

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pasteloctoz · 11 months

Text

Day 2 of redacted "what ifs"

I know mermay is almost over but i can't stop thinking about who in redacted would be mermaids and how the romances would work. So here. I tried to stay as close as I could to the original tomance storylines as I could.

Damn crew first

Gavin and FL-

Gavin is a merman (specifically a siren) while FL is a shifter that just recently found out they can shift. When they met, Gavin was singing in a large cavern and FL wasn't drawn in by it even though they appeared human. They got to know eachother after a while and Gavin started looking for a way to shift to a human form so he could spend more time with FL. FL had started to meet other merfolk including Hux, Dames, Laz, and eventually Kody. For some reason they were drawn to FL (FL having some type of energy close to what lovely had before they were revealed to be a latent). Kody (shark merman cause predator), pulled FL into the ocean. FL had shown a fear of the ocean for a while up until that point and freaked the fuck out when Kody did this. Luckily, Hux was near and he scared Kody away. From there FL tries to deal with this while also still having a life as a human to. Eventually they ditch the human life and live with Gavin in the ocean city.

Freelancers, including Sam, would probably be able to shift to whatever kind of merfolk they'd want, though it'd take a toll on their magic if they do it too much. Which means that Sam would have a harder time shifting from one form to another.

Huxely and Damien-

Huxley is a whale shark merman because they can withstand high temperatures and those goofy ahh fish always remind me of gentle giants. Damien is some kind of magma merman just because. I love them both but there is not much to talk abt they're just gay/pos.

Lasko and Lasko's Listener-

Not sure what I have in mind for Lasko but he's tiny and his listener is Large. Thats all I have in mind for either of them, so far their story doesn't have much so i don't have much for them.

Shaw pack now. All shaw pack bois are Dogfish shark shifter merfolk 😌 (say that 10 times fast)

Ash and Baaabe-

This ones hard cause they met when the elevator in their apartment broke down with them in it. And Baabe is unempowered so for this one imma say that at the shaw pack bois live on land but for jobs they go into the ocean and do their thing. That makes the thought that Ash would shift to get out of going to the door for pizza 10 times funnier. Guy would just see him laying on the floor behind the couch and He'd just be used to it at that point. It also makes it way easier for Guy to find out abt magic which i think is funny.

David and Angel-

This one would also be really close to the og way they met. If it weren't for pack meetings and the security jobs David probably wouldn't even tell Angel. (Sorry this one was so dull-)

Milo and Sweetheart-

Sweetheart is a octopus shifter (octopus can camoflauge and squeeze through tiny spaces, closest i could get to a stealth). Their meeting a such would also be very similar to the og story. Though I personally think that when they move, they move into ocean city to be closer to work n stuff.

Last but not least, the vamp bois. All of the vampires are some kind of squid shifters. I'm not gonna say vampire squids specifically bc those thing are tiny and I can't think of Sam as a tiny mf next to large ass shark darlin'. Also its a little bit cliche. Maybe squid shifters are the only ones who can turn humans/ressurect (kinda) merfolk. I wouldn't think that turning a merfolk would change them from being a shark to a squid or something. But when a human is turned they can shift to a squid only.

Also the places where they all meet is no longer a carnival its apart of the beach thats cut off for safety reasons. (Like in steven universe)

Sam and Darlin'-

With the whole Quinn thing, I wouldn't want too change much. Darlin' used to live in the land city but sold it after the Quinn stuff happened. They did go back to washington ofc but when they came back, they bought an apartment in the ocean city and lived there for a while. Then they met Sam at the beach and things were pretty similar from there. When they moved in with Sam they moved to a house hidden and out of the city but still close. Im not gonna talk abt what type of fish quinn is bc he doesnt deserve it (neither does kody but i had to make the joke abt him being a predator since that is literally what he is).

Vincent and Lovely-

Similar story to how Gavin and FL's was except Kody is replaced by Adam, Hux in that situation is replaced by Vincent and Lovely is an Eel merfolk instead of Freelancer merfolk. Pretty self explanitory- Vincent is a squid guy bc he was a human before obv.

Bonus: Caelum is lil anglefish merfolk ♥️♥️♥️

And uh- yea not much to talk about other than that. Happy mermay!!!

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pareiwheeler · 1 year

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these are my byler fic recs because no one asked but i love them!!!!! all of these are on ao3

fall where i stand by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy)

In terms of plans, this might not be the worst one Mike's ever had. In terms of execution, well- there might be room for improvement.

rated T, no archive warnings apply, one shot

i LOVE this fic so much its so good and its like the perfect fake dating fic. this author is probably my favorite on ao3!

2. The Secret To Being Unlucky by lovetriangled

The end of the world is daunting and Will's not entirely sure he can handle it. Everybody else seems to think he can—sometimes, they think he's their fighting chance.

It wouldn't be so laughable if Will hadn't been born with rotten luck.

rated T, no archive warnings apply, one shot

one of my fav established byler fics! such an underrated author and features the amazing party dynamic and lucas being the best boy

3. oh can't you see you belong to me? by andiwriteordie

“The end is near, Michael,” One says again, but his voice sounds like Will’s this time. “You have already lost.”

“Get out, get out, get out!” Mike screams, sobbing roughly. His throat feels completely raw, and he covers his ears, desperate to block out the sound of Will’s screams mixed in with One’s distorted, maniacal laughter. “Get out of my head!”

Or: Two years after One's initial defeat, Mike has an encounter with the greatest evil of the Upside Down and learns far more about his plans for Hawkins, for the party, and for Will than he ever expected.

rated T, no archive warnings apply, one shot

so angsty!!! but one of my favorite s5 spec fics and will and mike are so cute

4. emotional motion sickness by delusional together (Whyyyyy)

And anyway, it's too late to back out now, with him lying on the single bed of their hotel room, Jonathan and Argyle sleeping on the other side of the wall. There's a tin cup on the floor that still holds half a joint in it and the whole room is hazy with smoke, and Mike's head is hanging off the end of the bed, upside-down and pink-cheeked, and Will can feel the slow rush of the drug flooding his system. Will's fault, Will's idea. His brother's stolen stash on the floor between them, Will's eyes already unfocused, Will's guilty, guilty love hanging in the air around him, refusing to fade away along with the smoke like he secretly hoped it might.

Oh, he thinks dimly, as his senses glitch, and his eyes lock on Mike's: this was a bad idea.

rated T, no archive warnings apply, oneshot

the byler getting high scene that we never got, also pretty angsty. they love each other so much.

5. i'll find a new place to be from by andiwriteordie

In the direct aftermath of his return to Hawkins, Mike and the Party find themselves in the midst of a war against One and the forces of the Upside Down. As life as he knows it changes, Mike must find a way to navigate his friendships, his relationship with Will, and most importantly, his understanding of himself.

rated T, creator chose not to use archive warnings, multi-chaptered

i will always be amazed by this authors writing and talent. its such an amazing fic with will having superpowers, mike and will pining and flirting terribly, and amazing s5 spec. SO GOOD!!!!!! gives me goosebumps

6. til' kingdom come by andiwriteordie

Will Byers' life has always been a little bit strange—at least since he was first kidnapped in 1983. But as it turns out, there's a little bit more to his life than meets the eye.

Namely... this isn't his first life.

rated T, creator chose not to use archive warnings, oneshot

BYLER MERLIN AU EVERYONE CHEERED also i may have an obsession with andiwriteordie's writing

7. make a move by astrobi

“You’re thinking,” Will says, skating a finger down the line of Mike’s nose, under his eye, over his cheekbone, then resting, finally, just at the corner of his lips– “about me.”

Oh, Jesus. Mike’s throat is very, very dry. “What?”

Will opens his eyes – slow, a little hesitant – and smiles. “You are,” he says, way, way too smug for Mike’s liking. “You’re turning red!”

“Shut up,” Mike mutters, and Will’s smile grows. “You– I’m just nervous!”

It should be illegal for someone to look this pleased with themselves.

“Yeah?” Will says quietly, index finger still hovering at the corner of Mike’s mouth, thumb pressed gently under his chin. “I make you nervous?”

Or: Mike thinks Will might be psychic. (Kind of.) Will is being very irritatingly vague about the whole thing.

rated T, no archive warnings apply, oneshot

SO FLUFFY AND CUTE!!!! byler flirting and mike overthinking = amazing fic. I LOVE ASTROBI!!!!

8. i'll find myself in the moonlight by beansie

He looks up at him, eyebrows drawn together. “Do you not love her?”

Mike shrinks back. “What?”

He hadn’t meant to say it. He wouldn’t have, if he’d stopped to think about it for half a second. But it’s too late to take it back, and he can’t breathe until he knows the answer, and he looks at him resolutely and says, “Do you only love her because of what I said?”

Something darkens on Mike’s face, twisting it into a shape Will’s never seen. “Get out.”

It’s not a no.

rated T, no archive warnings apply, oneshot

i love this sm!!!! angsty painting talks, nightmares, mutual pining, the works. very realistic and mike needs to get his act together 😭 def made me cry

9. irresistible by perexcri

Will knows what having a crush looks like. He’s known it for years. And lately, he's been seeing the signs on the face of one Mike Wheeler every time he looks at him. Maybe it’s always been there, but not to this degree.

In the last six months, though, the planets had aligned in some strange pattern, or the earth had been tilted on its axis by the hand of God, or something, because Will noticed it pretty quickly.

So, Will's finally decided to start testing the waters. For example: he has been flirting.

Well, okay…

rated T, creator chose not to use archive warnings, multi-chaptered

flirty byler and confident will yes please!!! also some very cute and funny hopper-will dynamic

10. we'd be great together by makeit_pink

"What are you thinking about?"

Will blinks himself back into the present, screeching his thoughts to a halt before they’re able to go any farther into dangerous territory. “Honestly?” Mike’s eyebrows tick up just a bit at Will’s tone, and he nods slowly. Will answers before he’s even allowed to think about it.

“You.”

And- great. That’s great. What the fuck?

rated T, creator chose not to use archive warnings, oneshot

all i can say about this is CUTIESSSSSSS the mutual pining is MUAH CHEFS KISS

thats all and i hope you enjoy!!!!!

#byler fic recs #byler #ao3 #will byers #mike wheeler

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numetalpuppygirl · 9 months

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what i'm listening to 8/5/2023 (SKAUGUST SPECIAL) (song notes under cut)

spot. link⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛yt link

bonjour tout la monde :3 i see you're all working on that first course...... perhaps you'd like another? :3c

now. this is no ordinary WILT. bc as i've mentioned i have been absolutely INFECTED by the skaucous skanking energy of SKAUGUST!!!! i might do a mini-WILT later in the month with some other stuff i've been listening to, but for now this is an ENTIRELY SKA playlist ^w^ well...... almost entirely. there is one exception, of course....

Laura Les - Skaunted: it's skaunted. by laura les. i really did try to find a ska cover for this but as far as i can tell there is none. get on that, people.

Streetlight Manifesto - Everything Went Numb: very likely my favorite ska song i've ever heard, this one's been with me for a good few years now. there's just such a drama to it, lots of storytelling gravitas rather than just a fun pop song. and the HOOKS they cram into this thing, good lord. the rapid-fire lyrics and layered horn section and difference in dynamics all work so well together.... i always find myself running through the part "i don't wanna hear, i don't wanna be near, i do what i gotta do, just to keep my nose clean" over and over and over again. that and the quiet part "a little something like this, na na na na na na, na na na na na na na" i've never heard a band that made na na na's work as well as these guys, and you can take that as an insult to whichever pop punk band you like if you really want, but one way or another this is a fucking golden track and you HAVE(!!!) to listen to it at least once okay?

No Doubt - Just A Girl: probably one of the most if not just the absolute most commercially and culturally successful moments that ska has had..... and it's not hard to see why. this song is a fucking ALL TIME crusher, it's got hooks for days, the little synth part is all crunchy, it's a bona fide feminist pop anthem, and, if we can all take a second to be real with ourselves here, gwen stefani is an excellent performer for stuff like this. i have no trouble imagining young teen girls in 1995 seeing this shit on mtv for the first time and having their lives and brain chemistries irreversibly changed. this and spiderwebs but there's only so much room in the playlist, folks

Madness - One Step Beyond: considering what we still have yet to get to in this list, it's a real testament to how much i instantly loved this one that it's placed so high. it's goofy as shit but it represents so many things i love about 2 tone. first of all, the just intrusively obvious british lameness of it is quite charming, and also just really interesting from a historical perspective. as we'll see, a lot of 2nd wave ska bands hailed from the uk, likely bc of the genre's connections with new wave, which began largely as a british export. and then with third wave ska, the usa became the new hub of ska music, but i feel like that british influence remained a crucial part of the way ska presented itself even then. very interesting, if you're as big a nerd as me. i feel like this is also a tune where you can hear some of ska's jazz influences, which is awesome to think how this revival movement for jamaican dance music not only preserved its basic rhythm structure but also some of its influences. i ALSO like that it hardly has any words - they were just like here's some of the tastiest fucking riffs you've ever heard and a guy yelling "ONE STEP BEYOND" what else do you need? and i was like nothing 😌 you've given me all i need you bunch of goofy suited skanksters

Catch 22 - 9mm and a Three Piece Suit: i see this one as sort of a companion to everything went numb, which makes sense bc streetlight manifesto actually covered the entirety of keasbey nights at one point. 9mm predates streetlight's stuff by a good number of years, and i do prefer the roughness of the original version. it's more of that very fast-paced storytelling type of songwriting, and i've had this song with me for several years as well. not really much i can say about it that wouldn't be repetitious, but definitely love this one to death as well

Choking Victim - Crack Rock Steady: coming from a background of hardcore heavier music, it makes me so happy that people saw the rise of ska punk and said yeah man we need a way to make this all heavy and nasty too. and we'll sing about killing cops. and they did! ^w^ and so enter the creators of a genre named after this very song (though by my understanding of its influences it could have easily been called "crust ska" - but that wouldn't have been a fun pun now would it?). i just love that you could easily get up and skank to this song, it's very upbeat and lively, but it is also VERY about killing cops. like there is no mistaking that this is cop killing song from first lyric to last. so that's dope. or i guess it's crack

The Specials - A Message to You Rudy: the specials cover an enduring jamaican ska classic... it's a tale as old as time. i love the arrangement on this soooo much, and the pretty and subtle harmonizations. this is almost kind of a dreamy song to me, the way it just floats through the air. that has more to do with the base melody itself, but i do like the dandy livingstone original a lot as well! once again, only so much room on the playlist. the specials join madness as the two bands that i would deem most prominent and influential in the second wave, but i think the specials were a little less new wave and had some more of the original ska spirit in them. not a dis on madness, of course, i've already expressed my enjoyment of them. just an interesting difference between the two

Rancid - Time Bomb: just a girl might be ska's big moment for a lot of people, but for ME, it was time bomb. i heard this one on the radio as a kid, and it was one of the first ska songs i was exposed to, and i LOVE IT. it's definitely a little basic but it just epitomizes the phrase "ska punk" to me. so guitar-forward and with super rough vocals but also so fun and real and bouncy with an absolutely endlessly repeatable chorus. i love you time bomb

We Are The Union - Morbid Obsessions: oh, i'm sorry. did you think i was gonna make a list of my current ska favorites and NOT include a selection from we are the union's 2021 album ordinary life which documents the lead singer's journey and self-discovery? well you thought fucking wrong, dumdum!!!!!!!!!!! this was such a big album for me when i was. uh. how old was i in 2021. when i was like seventeen. i would almost go so far as to say that this album was my "transgender dysphoria blues" if not for the fact that i was also listening to that album a lot around the same time. there were some discoveries happening. but anyways this is such a great little album, i really recommend the whole thing. chewy tasty indie pop with a delightful ska base. and the band even has jer (of skatune network fame) on trombone!! how cool is that!!!! also AGAIN i kept it to only one song but if you only check out one other track from this record, listen to the closer "december." that shit makes me cry

Smash Mouth - Walkin' On The Sun: I'LL ADMIT IT. THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL TIMES THAT I'M GOING TO CHEAT ON THIS WILT. in the sense that this isn't really a ska song - it's a song by a ska band, and has some ska flavor in there as an influence. can you evar forgive me 🥺 but also like. look. it's fuckin smash mouth, okay. and this song is Loaded with them fucking HOOKS babeyyyyy. and it really is interesting, how smash mouth managed to be so commercially successful that they really existed as a goofy corporate pop rock band that had a couple big all-quadrants hits. but like you can feel that they have background in "The Scene." you can practically smell the punk on these guys, the same way you can smell the nu metal on sugar ray. these are always bands that used to be Something Else and that Something Else is undeniably cooler than what they are now, but what they are now is definitely catchier. so. walkin' on the sun! i like this better than all star, for the record, but it could also be a matter of overplay on the latter's part

The Selecter - On My Radio: this and one other song we'll get to are like the epitome to me of how second wave ska had huge crossover with new wave. the first time i heard this one i was kinda like ehhh yeah it's cool i guess. and then after a couple more listens i realized how well constructed of a song it is, and how great the performances are. the lead vocalist here is a real treat, apparently some people call her the "queen of ska" which is fucking awesome. also i love a good song about a radio, especially in retrospect now where it's like eh yeah you darned kids had better learn about what's what on the radio bc back in my day-

Operation Ivy - Sound System: this is like, the birthplace of ska punk/third wave. okay maybe not this particular album, but you could certainly make an argument for that early op ivy ep! point is, they were on the ground floor, and sound system is definitely the catchiest song i've heard from them. and, not dissimilar to songs about radios, i can get behind a song about a sound system! love it! honestly, despite being rough and punky, this song's almost... cute? like aw :) the sound system is the one thing he can depend on. i'm glad he has that kind of relationship in his life!

Less Than Jake - Nervous In The Alley: LTJ is the first ska band that i really became a fan of, probably bc of how accessible they are, particularly to the typical pop punk or skate punk enjoyer. they have three songs in this playlist that i have enough history with to warrant including but i don't have much to say about any of them. the fast part of this song is the best part, obviously

The (English) Beat - Mirror In the Bathroom: it's so funny to me that they're called the english beat but only sometimes. sometimes it's just the beat. i understand why but it amuses me. anyways THIS is the total new wave song i mentioned, and like with on my radio i didn't really "get it" at first. but man, what a track. not only does it have great composition and a delightful balance of new wave polish and ska beat, it's also just kind of a unique concept for a pop song. self-obsession pushed to the point of madness, framed entirely through the listing of different common objects one can look at themselves in while carrying out everyday business. just an interesting little chune :3

Less Than Jake - Bomb Drop: honestly this one could probably go higher i fucking love bomb drop. but once again i don't have much to say about it. i will say that i didn't realize until watching the music video while making this list that this is apparently about like, cyberbullying? the video's kind of lame honestly, but the intentions are good. i've had this song so long i forgot how recent it is, but i guess it's a testament to how consistent LTJ has stayed, and perhaps as a consequence, how little they've changed. you could send this song back to 1998 and apart from the slightly slicker production nobody would bat an eye

Derrick Morgan - Tougher Than Tough (Rudie in Court): had to get at least one first wave song that wasn't a 2 tone cover in here, right? this is another classic that earns the title of "rude boy anthem." without getting too serious, i do think there's something to be said about rude boys' existence as a subculture and the way that blends with the punk ethos later but also how the term exists more in isolation in jamaican ska. as the title suggests, there's definitely an element of getting into trouble here - was that something that inspired the revival of ska at the hands of rock bands later on? i can't say. but i think about it

The Aquabats! - The Shark Fighter!: if i'm 100% honest i don't tend to really like the aquabats. i wish i did but i don't. but this song is sooooo catchy. i did watch the full episode of the super show that the song appears in (which is in the youtube playlist btw) and it was some campy fun but not anything that made me want to watch more. what i will say is that not long ago i was rewatching robbydude's vods of reel fishing: road trip adventure, a vod series that contained a lot of ska references (not the least of which relate to the title and the continued botching of it to instead say "reel big fishing"). but one of the bits was that every time he went to catch a hammerhead he would play this song. so now it's lodged in my head forever. go make the same happen for yourself

Less Than Jake - Goodbye in Gasoline: some b-side action for you. the video for this one that i have in the youtube playlist is so funny, it's from SUPER early youtube and it's just a bunch of stupid random pictures over a low-quality mp3 of the song. there's only two comments and they're both people being like "this is dumb why did you make this." as far as i'm concerned this may as well be the official music video for goodbye in gasoline

Rancid - Hooligans: HOOLIGANS! rancid! RUDE BOYS! rancid! HOOLIGANS! rancid! RUDE BOYS! rancid! on a loop forever in my mind

Lazy Town - We Are Number One: once again i am super cheating bc this shouldn't count as a bonus track really, it's just not on spotify anymore. so whatever there's 20 songs, sue me. i don't need to introduce you to this song but what i do have to say is MAN is this a banger or what?! like yeah it's a kid's song and yeah it's a meme, but i really do love it! i've never seen an episode of lazy town in my life! i remember a tomska & friends video where they did a meme review of the 2010s and tom (who, as you may guess, is a noted ska fan) picked this song for 2018 or whatever fuckin year this blew up, but he noted that while he didn't really have very strong feelings about it one way or another, he had to take the opportunity to be excited that a ska song had become popular online. i can respect that. rest in peace of course to the actor who played robbie rotten, he seemed like a nice man and i'm glad we all are preserving something he worked on so passionately :)

wouaghhh. so that was the skaugust special!!!! thanks for reading, i hope your love of ska is improved by the work we've done here :3 i feel the need to give thanks to the wonderful violet of the gec (hi :3), fellow musicgirl and the creator of skaugust, because. oh man. i have not felt this energized to listen to and talk about music in MONTHS. in case you were confused about the thing i said about a first course earlier, go check out vi's batch of songs for some more certified bangers. do it NOW. okay thankies see you next month ^w^

#for reference the way i do these is i collect all the songs and then i sit down for an hour or 2 straight and write the entire post #so at the end i'm always like wow. time to fucking. go to bed -w-#*char noises*#talking pop

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die-schwanenkoenigin · 5 months

Text

20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged by @lilolilyr 🥰💕❤️ thank you so much!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

85!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

409,668, more than half of which I've posted this year---210,056 words, to be exact, which is absolutely insane!!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently only Mirandy (Devil Wears Prada).

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Well, this is going to be embarrassing, lol:

bad things (487)

nightly encounter (469)

Too Soon, Not Soon Enough (434)

unexpected (410)

Stalling the Inevitable (377)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely! I respond to every single comment I receive. I love interacting with people, hearing their thoughts and ideas! Every time I get a comment, it reminds me of the fact that there are actual, real humans out there that read my writing??? And that's still so crazy to me, even after 6 years???? So I always feel the need to let them know how much I appreciate them!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

That would be two:

Thank you, baby (for loving me like you do)

unrequited

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Ohhhhh, I am SUCH a sucker for happy endings. You'll find that---taking away the two outliers from the previous question, obviously---all my works have happy endings!!

8. Do you get hate on fic?

I can't remember ever receiving any. That said, people do sometimes comment things like "hmmm this is weird" or whatever but, like, I pretty much just ignore that.

9. Do you write smut?

Oh, I am very much into writing smut, yes! In fact, I've currently got The Kink Series going on which... is exactly what it sounds like, lol. Smut, smut, and then some more smut; though, in this case, I'm actively trying to dive into things I haven't explored before.

Also, I've just noticed that out of the 16 works I've written/posted for the DWP fandom, 13 have been explicit. Whoops?

10. Do you write crossovers?

I haven't so far, no!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I had someone repost some of my works in a smut collection a few years back. They mentioned my username, but did not ask me beforehand---or even tag me properly. I ended up asking them to take it down, and they did. My finding it in the first place had been a complete fluke, though.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, though I've attempted to translate some of my own works. It didn't work. (I realized I suck at writing in German, lmao.)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope! But I've just recently talked about a potential collab with someone whose writing I really enjoy! So that's exciting!

And just in general, I'm very open to trying out new things---i.e. collaborating on fics.

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Well, I'm going to have to say Mirandy here. This ship really has me in its grip. I love the dynamics, and I thoroughly enjoy playing with their characters. There are so many things to explore!

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t?

Okay, so, I do have this one idea. And I've written... a tiny little amount. Maybe around 3k. I realized, however, while I was writing, that it would most likely take 20k+ words to make it anywhere near enjoyable. It just wouldn't flow otherwise, I don't think; plus, I wouldn't be able to properly explain everything. Unfortunately, I'm just not really one to write multi chapter fics, and so I've come to the conclusion that it'll probably just sit in my docs forever and collect dust.

Sorry @ Assignment WIP.

16. What are your writing strengths?

As soon as I've got a good sentence to get me started, I can usually just keep going and get all my ideas out in one or two sittings. I'm also an exceptionally fast typer, which means I can write things down as quickly as soon as they pass through my head. Very good, considering my memory is absolutely crap.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I have no organizational skills. So if I realize a fic idea would have to be explored in multiple chapters, I usually retreat and abandon the idea.

That also means I just...do not plan fics. Ever. Not even my one shots. I'm 100% serious when I say I would not have the patience to plot out, say, a slow burn fic. They either get it on, or they don't. (And in my case, they pretty much always do. 😏)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I did this all the time when writing Mariana/Ana fanfic. Madre Solo Hay Dos was, like, my first fandom earlier this year; effectively letting me reconnect with fic writing; and it was right around the time when I was obsessed with learning Spanish. So I constantly included Spanish text conversations, as we all as---occasionally---dialogue. 10/10, would recommend and do again.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Camren (Fifth Harmony). That's what got me into writing back in 2017, and it stuck with me for quite a while.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Hmmm... that's really hard. I love soulmate AUs, and considering my obsession with Mirandy at the moment, I think I'd have to go for Too Soon, Not Soon Enough.

Though I did also very much enjoy writing Pretty, Dirty Girl as well as the other, kinkier fics, including, for example, Four Play. The latter was challenging at first, but ultimately a great exercise.

Thanks again, friend, for tagging me!!! ❤️

I'm going to go ahead and tag @harrytoad, @sporkmetender, @guardianrock, @awomanontheverge. None of you have to feel obligated to do this, though. 🥰

oh, and if any other writers see this post---you're welcome to do this as well!!

#aaaaaaaaaaa i loved doing this so much thank you!!!!!!#💗✨️❤️💕#fanfiction #myfanfic #tagged:sk

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zip-toonz · 1 year

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hi okay, this is probably gonna be a WALL of text but i am being haunted by these questions and this AU has me in a death grip /pos, and i am so curious to learn more about it, oughhhhh i am so sorry for how long this is probably gonna get askdajkdkjass also i am so sorry if you’ve already mentioned these somewhere before or have literally never even thought about them at all OKAY SO

1. okay so its mentioned before that Trevor overall can’t stray too far from Xerneas, and this is the main reason why Trevor can’t go into probably any large towns or cities in Kalos since Xerneas won’t go there, but does Xerneas stay away from ALL towns or do they sometimes go near the outskirts of any? I’m also curious, is Trevor basically following Xerneas around, or is it usually the other way, where if Trevor goes down a certain path in the woods Xerneas will follow him, like does Xerneas allow Trevor to take the lead sometimes or do they just do their own thing and Trevor overall just HAS to follow them or else?

2. What do Trevor’s friends think overall about all of this? So far, I assume they don’t KNOW he’s dead, but again I don’t know if you’ve talked about it or not. Do they know he’s a walking corpse roaming the woods with Xerneas? Or has everyone labeled him as missing and thus they’re all worried and still trying to find him? Do they ever go out and run into him? Is Trevor too scared to talk to them with what he is now? Like he stays in the shadows since he doesn’t want them to know?

3. Overall how does Trevor feel about Xerneas in this AU? He always seems like the type to be mega and heavily interested in Pokemon and learning about them and I feel like legendaries are no different. However, I imagine after dying and being brought back to life by a literal God of sorts would probably mess with his mind somewhat. Is Trevor somewhat fascinated by Xerneas and it’s ability to have brought him back to life? Or is he more terrified of them and the amount of power they seem to have? Is it a mixture of both? Where sometimes Trevor will be excited about being so close to a legendary but other times will be terrified of angering it??

4. is there a reason Xerneas brought Trevor back to life in the first place? Did they just feel sorry and guilty that he died so young and wanted him to live longer? Or did they just randomly decide to use part of their power to bring him back? OH OH also Idk if you’ve thought of this much but what about the other legendaries? Since Trevor died that would mean that Yveltal would use that to gather energy in a sort of way right? Did Xerneas bringing back Trevor upset a small balance of some kind that Yveltal and Zygarde dislike? Does Xerneas protect Trevor from any outside Pokemon like them and other wild Pokemon? Or does Xerneas just let Trevor protect himself?? OH its also mentioned Trevor CAN talk to Pokemon now, does this include Xerneas?? If so, has Trevor tried asking Xerneas themself why they brought him back, etc. etc.???

again i am so sorry for all this text omg,, its so much reading, but i am curious oughhhkjasjkkjs but ALSO i mean feel free to answer just what you can/what you want, you don’t have to answer them all or anything!!! KJSDNKJ

Hey! I'm happy to answer questions about the au! I'm honestly glad there's this much interest in the au! I don't believe I've talked too much in depth about the au so this is a great opportunity to do so!

For the sake of minimizing scrolling all responses will be under the read more

Ok here we go!

1a. Xerneas doesn't frequently venture near cities and towns. Like most legendaries and mythicals it prefers to remain elusive to humans. It doesn't actively avoid human settlements. Especially those close to forested areas. But it doesn't want to be seen. As such the only places Xerneas seriously makes an effort to avoid is Lumiose. Which does mean Trevor can't return to his home. It also never steps into the cities or towns itself, However Trevor does. Smaller towns like Santalune, Aquacord or Vaniville are small enough that Trevor can traverse them freely without leaving Xerneas' aura. Larger Towns have restrictions on how far he can go depending on where Xerneas currently is. 1b. Technically Trevor is allowed to go where he wants, But at the risk of losing consciousness or de-animating(?). As such Trevor tends to follow Xerneas. It sort of pong back and forth between who's leading. Most of the time it's Xerneas but Xerneas isn't unyeilding if Trevor wants to do something. Xerneas is no forcing him to follow him with force. But since Trevor still has some kind of desire to live he trails behind.

2a. Trevor's friend do know something is different about him when they do reunite. They don't exactly know he's dead but they can tell he's not exactly all there. They find it odd that he's not keeping in contact like he usually does. Tierno especially is worried about the lack of communication from him. 2b. At one point he was actually labeled missing. The gang (+Sycamore) put their own personal journeys on hold to help search for him. During those months everyone was fearing the worse and doing everything in their power to hunt him down in hopes he'd still be alive. 2c. They do run into him while out on their own journeys. Trevor does talk to them when they do and even attends events to keep up some sort of appearances. But most of the time he tends to lurk and avoid human contact. He's aware there's something weird going on with him and doesn't want to worry his friends nor does he want to be experimented on or put Xerneas in danger.

3. Trevor has very mixed feelings on Xerneas. He is the type to be heavily interested in Pokémon and learning all he can about them and you are right to assume legendaries are no different. Under normal circumstances he'd be ecstatic to be in such close proximity for as long as he has been. However this isn't the normal circumstances and a small part of him resents Xerneas for doing this to him and yet he feels guilty about it. Xerenas gave him a second chance and he's mad at it? There is no real fear towards Xerneas. Just confusion and fascination that have amalgamated into a weird bond he now has with this pokemon.

4a. The reason Xerenas brought Trevor back to life was in fact pity. It felt sorry for this kid having lost his life before it ever really began. As such it made a small sacrifice to give him that chance without realizing the repercussions that would follow. Think of it like a monkey paw situation. What was brought back was never going to be the original. 4b. As for the other legendaries and the order of things? There is (currently) hardly any disrupt with the order. Yveltal is upset at Xerneas for taking this matter into its own....Hooves? however. Death is suppose to be permanent. It should not be up to Xerneas to make a decision like this on a whim. However Trevors resurrection was not enough of a disruption that it had negative effects on anything besides him. So Yeveltal yeilds, making it know that it will be waiting for the day this hiccup is amended. 4b-cont. Xerneas does protect Trevor to some degree and vise versa. Xerneas knows that Trevor cannot always fend for himself even with the aide of pokemon and especially not against things like the elements. Its protection of him is more in the sense of helping him find shelter or fending off Pokémon much stronger than his own. And Trevor protects Xerneas from humans. He knows that if this incident where to slip Xerneas would be sought after by potentially nefarious individuals and exploited. 4c. He sure can talk to Xerneas! and he has indeed talked to it about why It brought him back. He knows Xerneas took pity on him, he knows it meant well. And yet there is still that little bit of resentment caused by him being stripped of living a normal life now.

Thank you for your questions by the way! it means a lot to me that you are this interested in what I've made! If you have anymore please feel free to send them my way!

#trevor pokemon #trainer trevor #toonie talks #revival au #long post

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paramnesiagirl · 8 months

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What Exactly Makes a 'Tumblr Sexyman'?

Or, diving into the deep intricacies of what people find attractive, and don't.

Neil Gaiman once said that there can only exist two types of people: tedious, and charming. No good, no evil, no grey, only compelling. And his word has become gospel in writing, but the same can hold true, for marketing.

Part 1: Measuring Success in Bones

I call upon the Apollyon class Tumblr Sexyman, Sans Undertale himself. The skeleton without any of the usual parts, that managed to capture the hearts of far too many people. Despite Toby Fox's Undertale releasing in 2015, I swear I still catch glimpse of at least one new soundtrack remix— featuring Sans, of course— everyday, on BiliBili's hot new song releases chart.

Undertale's success, while mostly due to its unique mechanics and meta-gameplay, can also be significantly attributed to this singular, titular, character. Polygon declared him one of the best video game characters of his decade, with his amazing boss fight and dialogue also being ranked highly by IGN. He's been added into Nintendo's official roster of Mii fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, his soundtrack 'Megalovania' was played in front of the pope, and of course, he was declared the "Ultimate Tumblr Sexyman" in the year of our lord, 2022.

What exactly is a 'Tumblr Sexyman'?

If you're new to this hellsite, it's to describe fictional characters that have captured the hearts— or other parts— of a large fanbase, despite not being conventionally attractive. They often range from understandable, like Mob Psycho's Arataka Reigen, to insane, like the floating triangle, BIll Cipher, from Gravity Falls.

Other than the Onceler (from the Lorax movie, and a cursed topic for another day), Sans is the only one on the wiki to have ever achieved 'Apolloyon' status. Which is described as, per the site itself, as a:

"Once-in-a-generation phenomena. The characters that you couldn't escape, no matter if you cared about (or even knew about) the media they're from. The characters who not only transcended their fandom, but created their own."

A media icon, a darling of the internet. This generation's Michael Jackson or Elvis Presely, albeit in skeletal form.

But unlike those two, there shouldn't be any reason why people would love Sans so much. Surely, even if a large swath of the internet are freaks, there shouldn't be this many weirdos, right?

Well, you're not entirely wrong.

The dear friends of mine that introduced me to their Undertale obsessions in the first place, probably wouldn't lay their hands on just any kind of bone, but I know that they'd make a special exception, just for him.

See, Sans is indicative of a larger trend. An evolution of the old school, and still widely utilised, marketing strategy of 'sex appeal'. Sexypedia (the Tumblr Sexyman wiki) attempts to categorise these characters based on a wide variety of tropes and standard features such as 'Perpetual Smiler', 'Distinctive Voice', 'Well-Dressed', and 'Egotistical', just to name a few. However, even they hold the opinion that there isn't any one thing that makes a character so interesting.

For example, other than 'Duality', Sans and the Onceler do not share any other matching tropes on their listed wikis. Odd, considering their near equal levels of success. They're from different franchises entirely, different media types, very different designs, etc. etc.

So... what gives?

Part 2 coming soon

#this is actually for a school project #I really hope my teacher reads this to completion #tumblr #tumblr sexyman #market analysis #character analysis #essay #in this essay i will #sans undertale #onceler #writers on tumblr

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sharkneto · 1 year

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The floor still has its ratty carpet, impossibly worn now and full of holes. She thinks it might have been green, once. In one corner, there’s a massive chalk board, filled with equations in Five’s familiar lefty-scrawl. The walls are covered in more math. A heavy wooden desk has been pushed against the wall and plastic bins full of clothes are stacked on top of it, off the ground and carefully taped where they’ve cracked to keep bugs out of them. In the far corner, there’s two honestly disgusting cushions, stained with stuffing sticking out. Another bin of what looks to be blankets sits next to it. That must be where Five sleeps, she realizes with a start.

I want to know everything about Five's little den at the end of the world. Gimme all those feels, Shark! *Jaws theme begins to play* (Crueler to Remember, chp 2)

I had so much fun thinking about Five's apocalypse set up in Crueler to Remember. The glimpse of his camp we get in S1 drives me nuts because it's so fucking impractical. Just a tent? And all those books sitting out in the open? It's been 45 years! They'd be little piles of mush. So, I had to figure out what I thought would be a practical camp for Five.

An important factor is that I think Five was insane enough (and sentimental enough) to stay in the same city for the entire time, so his base needs to be something that can last that long (aka: not a fucking tent). The destruction of the city seems rather absolute from the glimpses we get, so an already standing structure is out. He could build one, but probably not until he was older, so what did he find until that point (and then stick with because it worked and he's insane). He needs something sturdy and protected from the elements, somewhere cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Enter idea: Underground! Yes, delving underground in a city obviously ravaged by the equivalent of an earthquake is usually a terrible idea! But this is my fic, so Five gets to find a sturdy basement to turn into his survival bunker, at the library as a treat.

There are further logistical problems to living underground that I tried to think of, whether or not my solutions are actually practical. He's saved from getting snowed in and buried alive by the fact I have him down a hallway from exposed stairs, so snow tapers off in accumulation before it can reach his door. He can make a sandbag wall to block it off when it rains and save himself from bad flooding. The hall with an opening also gives him a place to have a fire near his door without giving himself carbon monoxide poisoning. There is no light, because underground, so he gets creative with mirrors to reflect some light back, and then there is a careful maintenance of solar lanterns for light as he needs it inside.

No light means that the space is for Survival, and his actual work happens outside (weather permitting). It is where he keeps food and supplies, where he can sleep, where he can keep Important Things safe from the elements (like physics books and notes and Umbrella Academy merchandise). He keeps his clothes and blankets in bins so bugs can't eat them. Food goes in a closet-turned-pantry that he's sealed as best he can against bugs. His bed is disgusting because I think all mattresses that survived the blast would be disgusting from bugs almost immediately and we're a decade in when we visit Five in this fic. Delores is a well-established habit (and newly wedded!) at this point in the fic, so she has her own bin of clothes and Spots Five puts her inside and outside.

Speaking of outside, that's more traditional. He's got his fire pit, he's got his wood storage, he's got his miscellaneous piles of shit that are weather-hardy. He's got his soon-to-be garden now that the sun is out consistently enough for plants to start growing, which is good timing because at a decade in, we're hitting the end of canned food being reliably edible (absolutely disgusting by this point, but only just starting to turn dangerous). Five has a diet of veggies and cockroaches for his foreseeable future.

I love thinking about Five's time in the apocalypse so much - the angst of it, of course, but also the logistics of it all. It's such a terrible, incredible puzzle. One day I'll share my fic on that - maybe before it's finished, even, because I love it so much and it feels a shame it just sits in my WIP folder. Five's life is just so goddamn tragic.

send me ~500 words from one of my fics for director's commentary

#i love thinking about end-of-the-world logistics #and the show's portrayal of what five did makes no goddamn sense for something that had to last four decades #so i built a better version (imo) as a treat #long post #ficblogging #ask game response #my arm could be easily twisted to share more of the apocalypse fic #five is just a lil guy and his life sucks so hard and i love dramatic irony for the angsty pain it can give

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angelcakesupreme · 1 year

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so bored so i’m going to do this

1. odd question regarding the true part but, yes my name is zaria.

2. december 1st

3. 5’4”

4. taken by a pumpkin 🙂

5. i really like to apply three cute words together to get a good url.

6. i personally can adore both but if i had to chose, dogs. bigger dogs though because i don’t feel fond of smaller dog breeds lol. older cats are really cool.

7. as far as live action, i really like indie movies or films that generally focus on the slice of life genre. also films exploring a character navigating growth or love. i’m open to a lot of animation too but i adore surrealism and similar genres as my live action preferences for that too.

8. i really do wish i read more. its pretty difficult with adhd/autism but i do find myself fascinated with early 1900s children’s book illustrations.

9. both of my ears are pierced and i don’t want anymore.

10. i’ve always wanted to go to a safe meadow with flowers and sit under a large tree while letting a cute radio play 60s indie garage rock. my boyfriend and i will have a large quilted blanket out with a beautiful and classy packed picnic lunch with glassware and cute napkins. we have sandwiches, soup, iced tea, chocolates and a charcuterie board. different types of cheeses with honey and jams and meat for him. we laugh at weird jokes we make, play card games, maybe do arts and crafts together and watch the sunset. maybe watch the stars too. bonus to be near a river running quietly the whole time.

11. black iced coffee!

12. hard question to answer. i generally really dislike the idea that my passions have to intertwine with unhealthy capitalistic methods just to make ends meet. …i know there’s more optimistic ways to view that but i’m completely indifferent about pursuing a conventional idea of a career. i don’t have time or connections to do it but if possible something involving freelance art commissions or comics would be cool.

13. i don’t have this.

14. tofu pho easily! i can never get tired of it.

15. year of the tiger. tigers are cute but i wish it was rabbit!

16. i like knitting, baking and journaling.

17. i been to some pretty ordinary places really. i’ve been to quite a bit of the southern east coast of america and then to michigan and los angeles. thats about it.

18. i think i’d love to go to finland or japan.

19. japanese, french, finnish, russian and spanish.

20. just english, i can understand a considerable but small amount of spanish or japanese.

21. it’s hard to say… i really like all for different reasons but maybe spring at the moment.

22. i love stuffed animals. i own many like my melody, bunnies, an octopus cat, a teddy i had since 2005, and rilakkuma just to name a few.

23. i never had the former so tofu spaghetti for me.

24. being able to very easily recognize what year a piece of media came from.

25. i’ll go with a cute golden dagger with flowers and a bunny on it.

26. a rustic prep type of aesthetic i suppose. i definitely have it!

27. any kind of bunnies, giant african snail, puffins, panda bears, ducks, flamingos, frogs, and dogs.

28. right now i would probably say soap and sweat.

29. funny question, i don’t think i do. i very much value peace.

30. 4!

31. no!!!

32. i love both… so much… black coffee or cappuccino and green tea or chamomile… so lovely…

33. floral, strawberry, vanilla, warm apple, or coco butter.

34. don’t remind me… probably south park during 2010 to 2015.

35. 3rd, 7th, 10th, 16th, and my 23rd and 24th i suppose.

36. frankie foster!

37. ami from hi hi puffy amiyumi, frida suraez from el tigre, raggedy ann from raggedy ann and andy a musical adventure, and maybe lum from urusei yatsura and shantae.

38. i can’t answer this… ohhh ok i’ll try.

1. aguas de marco by elis regina

2. boranda by sergio mendes

3. l’elephant by tom tom club

4. sudden death by quelle chris

5. good days by sza

39. coffee, matcha and birthday batter!

40. my current wishlist is a customized cute stationery set, handheld vacuum, king sized bed set, more skirts, leggings, sweaters and crop tops, lotions, oils, dress shoes and sneakers, more cute socks and panties and some rugs and movie posters.

#memo

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pocket-luv101 · 2 years

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Together In London || Chapter 3

Fandom: Servamp Ship: KuroMahi Characters: Kuro, Fem Mahiru

Summary: After the mysterious death of the royal family, there are rumours that the princess Mahiru had survived. Her distant brother offers a reward for her safe return. Kuro meets a woman with a remarkable resemblance to the princess and he sees a chance to gain money for his poor family. (KuroMahi, Don Bluth’s Anastasia)

AO3 || Prologue || Ch.1 || Ch.2 || (Ch.3) || Ch.4

The cave they found kept them sheltered from the winter outside yet Mahiru wasn’t able to sleep. It wasn’t the hard ground or the cold that kept her awake though. She curled into a ball and she pulled her blanket tighter around her. During the train crash, adrenaline was rushing through her and she was too focused on escaping to fully process everything. Was it a sign that she shouldn’t leave Hanafield?

Her hope for finding her family in London was shaken after the disaster with the train. She thought of the cabin she lived in with Gear and Youtarou. While she had questions about her missing memories, she was safe in the forest and they were kind to her. She was so hopeful when she left and, now, she wondered if it was naïve of her.

However, in the end, she knew she couldn’t turn back. Mahiru needed to find her family and ask them who she was. She silently told herself to rest and closed her eyes. She was accustomed to sleeping with the sound of the forest around her and she tried to focus on that to lull her. Mahiru gently petted the cat sleeping next to her and listened to its purring.

She didn’t expect to hear humming amidst the soft crack of the fire and the wind outside. The song was soft and she almost didn’t hear it. The brothers should be asleep and she became concerned that someone was near their cave. The person could be a thief. Mahiru sat up and she turned towards the entrance of the cave to see who was humming.

Kuro sat against the stone and the moonlight reflected against something in his hands. She was too far away to see what it was though. As his singing trailed off, he placed the item into his pocket. Mahiru found the lullaby familiar and nostalgic yet she couldn’t say where she heard it before. She rose from her makeshift sleeping bag and walked to Kuro.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping, Kuro? We have to wake up early to board the ship in time and I don’t want you to complain about being tired tomorrow.” Mahiru stopped next to him. He wore a jacket but she knew he must’ve felt cold from how his nose was a little red. “If you’re going to sleep so close to the cave’s entrance, you should use this blanket. I’m already warm enough sleeping next to the fire with Ash.”

“Ash’s a lucky cat. He has fur and he doesn’t have to worry about the cold.” His first sentence sounded as if he was flirting with her and she blushed. Then, she realized that it was an innocent joke. Mahiru didn’t know whether she was disappointed she was wrong or embarrassed by her own thoughts. “I can’t take a blanket from a princess and leave her cold. Anyways, I’m sleeping here to keep guard.”

“Are you also worried that the incident with the train wasn’t merely an accident?” Mahiru admitted and she sat next to him. She placed the blanket over both of their legs so they would be warm. At first, she thought the fear she felt stemmed from the crash but she had felt that someone had been watching them since they left the castle.

“It’s probably nothing.” He said despite how he didn’t fully believe his own words. Kuro didn’t want to worry her when she already had enough to worry about. When he climbed to the engine room, the equipment appeared to be sabotaged. He couldn’t be certain that the person was targeting them or simply the train though. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

“You’ll be able to protect me better after you’ve rested. I can take over guard duty and I will wake you up if someone comes.” Mahiru told him. Even though he nodded in answer, she doubted that he intended to sleep. “Can I ask you about that lullaby you were singing earlier? It sounds familiar but the family who adopted me never sang that to me. Of course, I was already a teenager when they found me and too old for lullabies. That lullaby could be something from my past.”

“I’ve heard the lullaby a few times while working in the castle. I think it’s from Japan and the Queen would sing it to Princess Mahiru. It has been a long time since I heard it but I can still remember it. Must be how unique it was.” Kuro began to hum the song again.

“That song is beautiful.” Mahiru said. She intended to enjoy the song but she felt her heart tighten in her chest. A lullaby should’ve made her feel comforted and nostalgic yet those emotions were overshadowed by sadness. “The Queen was from Japan? It must’ve been difficult for her to live in another country after the marriage. Living in the royal court is already difficult.”

Her words caught Kuro’s attention. Most would assume that the royal family didn’t have many true problems caused by their status. Kuro saw how difficult being trapped in the castle was for the princess during the last few months. Did Mahiru also work in the castle? He couldn’t remember seeing her among the staff though. “The queen was a good mother and Mahiru was close with her.”

“The queen? If I’m truly the princess, she would be my mother and explain why the lullaby is so familiar to me.” Mahiru reasoned and her voice was filled with hope. She placed her hand over her heart and she could feel the locket beneath her shirt. “I should remember everything fully once I meet my brother in London. I can’t wait. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Kuro.”

“It’s the right thing to do.” He didn’t add that the reason he and Hyde wanted to take her to London was the reward money. A part of Kuro doubted that Mahiru was the princess after he saw her disappear that night. He felt guilty that he could be keeping her from discovering her real family in London. The royal family could provide her with riches but those pale to the memories she lost.

Kuro sighed and he closed his eyes. “I’m tired. Wake me up in a few hours.”

“Of course.” Mahiru whispered and she adjusted the blanket over his lap. He leaned back against the wall and she considered dragging him back into the cave where the fire would keep him warm. However, he would be too heavy. She decided to sit next to him and share their body heat beneath the blanket. She yawned and the exhaustion of the night caused her to drift off quickly. Mahiru rested her head against his shoulder and fell asleep soundly.

“Are you certain that we have time to teach me how to ride a horse? We have to reach the port before the ship leaves. Also, it’s impossible for someone to learn this within a few hours.” Mahiru sat on top of the horse and she gripped the reins tightly. The height was taller than she expected and she felt a little uneasy. While Kuro sat behind her to keep from falling, she was still nervous.

“This is to help bring back your memories.” Hyde told her. He rode a horse ahead of them and he waved for them to follow. His true plan was to help Mahiru feel more comfortable on a horse as it was expected of someone in the royal family. While they could use the excuse that the princess had lost her family, it was best to teach her as much as they could.

“There must be a safer way to help me remember. Did I ride often when I was a princess for this to be an important memory?” Mahiru’s shaky voice revealed the reason she didn’t want to ride the horse. Seeing her scared, Kuro wanted to help her down from the horse. On the other hand, he didn’t want the money Hyde used to rent the horses to go to waste.

He had planned to merely sit with her to keep her from falling and being hurt. Kuro decided to help her feel at ease on the horse. He reached around Mahiru and he wrapped his hands around hers on the reins. Slowly, he guided her hands and showed her how to lead the horse forward. “The horse is well trained so you don’t have to be scared it’ll throw you off its back. Sit straight and relax.”

Mahiru nodded and then she adjusted her posture. Her back was pressed against his strong chest and she relaxed in his arms. The way he lightly stroked his thumb over her fingers helped her relax further. The horse trotted through the field at a slow pace. She trusted that Kuro would lead the horse for her and she looked around the field. The scene around her was different from the forest.

“It’s a beautiful day. I’m excited to meet my family but I’m going to miss Hanafield.” Mahiru confessed. “This was my home. While I don’t remember anything from my time living in the castle, I read what happened to the royal family. They said that they died that night except for Tsurugi and Toru who were in London. Did they ever return to confirm that I was… Did they look for me? Wait, that’s a silly question since the world thought the princess died. They wouldn’t have a reason to.”

“The family was close and they cared for each other. The reason he didn’t come to search for you must be because it was difficult for them to handle your death.” He recalled how he saw Tsurugi sneak into the castle for Mahiru’s birthday. He overheard his promise to take her to London and he must’ve regretted that he wasn’t able to do so before the fire.

Kuro never told anyone about that night because the court would punish Tsurugi for breaking into the castle. Since Mahiru didn’t mention the last conversation the princess had with her brother, it furthered his belief that they weren’t related. “I hope you find your family in London. The royal family has enough money to fund trips back to Hanafield.”

“You and Hyde are the reason I’ll be reunited with them. In return, I’ll also take you back to Hanafield and visit your siblings whenever you want. I should be able to arrange that as a princess.” Mahiru promised. Kuro doubted she would smile at him if she knew that he was lying to her. “Though, people assume that the royal family is free to go wherever they wish. If only it was that simple. The freest I’ve ever felt was riding.”

He started to ask what she meant but then she flicked her wrist and she sent their horse galloping forward. Kuro quickly hugged her waist to keep himself from losing balance and falling. His hands weren’t on the reins anymore yet Mahiru was able to steer the horse. She threw her head back and laughed. Mahiru grinned up at him and he forgot his earlier questions. He could only focus on her beaming eyes.

“Riding is fun, I don’t know why I was so scared earlier.” Mahiru laughed.

“Don’t go off too far, you two!” Hyde called from behind them. She expertly pulled the horse to a stop so Hyde could reach them. “I was going to teach you about the royal family but then you ran off. You have to remember a few of their names to get an audience with Tsurugi.”

“Memorizing names is troublesome so you can’t really blame Mahiru for running away.” Kuro said and Mahiru giggled at his joke.

“Hyde is right though. I also want to know more about my family.” Mahiru said. “Please, tell me about my family.”

“This room is an upgrade from the cave even if we have to share this bunk bed. You can have the bed, Mahiru, and I’ll sleep on the ground. We’ll leave the room whenever you need to change.” Kuro told her as they settled into the room. He placed their bag on the ground and then he stretched his arms. “We’ll reach London in a week and you’ll have to bear with us for roommates in that time.”

“I trust you.” Mahiru said as she sat on the lumpy mattress. Gear had warned her to be wary of others but she decided to trust Kuro. They travelled together and he had the opportunity to hurt her if that was his intention. They didn’t know about her jewels and they never asked her for money so she assumed they decided to help her out of kindness alone.

“Can you two stop flirting for a minute? You’re making me feel lonely. You’ll have your chance to flirt during Mahiru’s ballroom dancing lesson.” Hyde had only intended to tease them with his words but then he noticed how they blushed. He never saw his brother appear flustered before. Kuro turned away from them and he left with the excuse of finding extra blankets for them.

“Hyde, you can’t say things like that. We met a few days ago but I like to consider us all friends. You made Kuro uncomfortable and I don’t want him to feel awkward with me for the rest of the trip.” Mahiru chastised him lightly.

“Kuro isn’t the type to be bothered by things like teasing and romance.” Hyde said and he brushed off her concern. His words should’ve made her relieved but her brows furrow instead. Her blush never left her cheeks and Hyde started to worry if there was something blossoming between Kuro and Mahiru. Their plan to take the reward for finding the princess would be more complicated if they fell in love.

Hyde knew how rare it was for Kuro to open himself up to others. He wanted to be supportive of his brother finding a lover but their family needed the money. However, he couldn’t dissuade them from becoming closer either. He shoved the worry aside to focus on the plan. He took out a long dress from his suitcase and held it out to Mahiru. She had never seen a dress with so many frills and layers before.

“Your clothes are simple but you need to learn how to dance in fancy dresses. I borrowed this dress from my friend so you can practise. After you’ve changed, meet me and Kuro on the deck.” Hyde held up the dress and found that it was longer than her. “I should’ve checked to see if the dress would fit before we left but we didn’t have much time.”

“It’s alright, Hyde. I learned how to knit and sew from the family who adopted me. I can make a few adjustments to the dress so it’ll fit me. May I also remove a few of the frills to make the dress simpler and suit me better?” Mahiru took the dress from him. “It shouldn’t take me long so you should wait for me on the dock like you said.”

Mahiru waited until Hyde left the room and then she laid the dress on the bed. She ran her hand over the beautiful fabric. She took out her sewing kit from her bag and she began to fold the skirt so it would be the proper length. A memory rose in her mind yet it never surfaced completely for her to remember. She pinched the corset between her fingers and she bit her lip in frustration.

You were wearing this dress when we found you. This dress is expensive and we assumed that you were the daughter of a merchant. Youtarou’s words echoed in her mind. She dropped the needle and she rushed to her bag. In a hidden pocket she had sewn into the suitcase was the dress she wore when Gear pulled her out of the water. Jewels had been sewn into the bodice’s lining.

Mahiru carefully held the dress in front of her and she struggled to remember why she would’ve adorned the inside with diamonds. More questions came to her such as why she was wearing an elegant dress in the middle of the night when most would be sleeping.

She placed the gown next to the one that Hyde had handed her. Mahiru had outgrown the gown but she could use fabric from it to improve the long dress. She couldn’t remember attending a ball yet Mahiru was able to picture the brilliant dresses of the dancers. She removed the diamonds from the corset and she hid them in her suitcase again. Then, she created a new gown from the two dresses in front of her.

“Mahiru is taking a while to change. Maybe I should go down and check on her. Something might have happened. The lock on the suite looked old and someone could force it open.” A part of Kuro knew it was unlikely because Guildenstern’s ship had a good reputation and it was safe. He couldn’t help but worry about Mahiru though. What worried him more was how often he was thinking of her.

“It has only been twenty minutes. Mahiru said that she wanted to fix the dress so it would fit her and that’s probably why she’s late. Neither of us can help her with that and we might get in the way.” Hyde sat across a chessboard from him. He moved his pawn even though he knew that Kuro had already forgotten about their game.

They heard footsteps approach them and Kuro looked up from the chessboard. Mahiru wore a beautiful, red gown and the sight left him breathless. She had removed the excess frills from the long skirt. Then, she used the gold fabric of her old dress to adorn the bodice. The dress was simple and it fell to her knees but it complimented her body well. The setting sun highlighted Mahiru in a warm glow.

She smiled shyly at Kuro. “Do I look strange?”

“No, you’re beauti—nice.” Kuro stumbled over his words. He wanted to compliment her but he stopped himself because he worried it would be too intimate for friends. The nervousness on her face became a soft smile and Kuro almost reached out to cup her face. “We planned to teach you how to dance but we don’t have music. I can go find Guildenstern and ask if they have a band.”

“I don’t want to cause Guil trouble just for a dance lesson. Thinking simply, we should be able to dance without music.” Mahiru suggested. She stepped forward until she was standing in front of him. Hyde instructed them on the steps but she was barely listening to him. Her focus was on Kuro and the excited butterflies in her stomach.

Kuro held out his hand to dance together and she lightly placed her fingers on his palm. She didn’t expect him to lift her hand to his lips and kiss her fingertips. While it was a customary gesture, Mahiru felt her face become pink. She hoped he would assume that it was the sunset that made her face appear flushed. He placed his hand on her hip and, with the light touch, Kuro guided Mahiru through the dance.

Even though Kuro rarely danced before, he did his best to follow Hyde’s instruction. He looked down at their feet, careful not to step on Mahiru. As he did so, he leaned closer to her and they were so close that she was able to feel his warm breath brush over her cheek. He noticed the details on her dress and the design was vaguely familiar.

“The dress is beautiful on you.” He said. Kuro began to hum and she recognized it as the lullaby he was singing last night. To her, his deep voice was better than a band. They stopped counting the steps of the dance and relaxed into the moment. The world faded away until he was left with the swaying of the ocean and Mahiru’s warmth in his arms.

“I think I’m remembering how to dance. My tutors gave me lessons. However, I don’t remember feeling dizzy like this.” Mahiru said and she licked her lips.

“It might be from all of this spinning.” Kuro’s feet slowed to a stop and he wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her balanced. Their gaze met and she became lost in his red eyes. Unconsciously, she rose onto her toes and he leaned down as well. “Are you still feeling dizzy?”

“A little.” Her voice was breathless as she answered him.

The moment ended when they heard Ash hiss. They both turned to the cat who was chasing a mouse across the dock. She let go of Kuro so she could pick up Ash and stop it from eating the mouse. “You shouldn’t cause trouble on the boat, Ash. I’ll give you a treat after I finish my dance lesson with Kuro as long as you behave yourself.”

“We should end it here for now.” Kuro said and Mahiru had to swallow her disappointment. She thought he had enjoyed dancing with her as well. She couldn’t read his expression before he turned away from her and walked back down the stairs.

“Mahiru, aren’t these beautiful flowers?” A tall woman sat in the center of a field of flowers. As Mahiru walked closer to her, she was able to see them clearer. The woman resembled herself but she was much older and her heart jumped. “My sweet daughter, why are you looking at me as if you’ve seen a ghost? Come here and help me collect flowers. We shall make flower crowns for you brother and father.”

“Mama.” Tears formed in Mahiru’s eyes and they blurred her vision. Each time she wiped away the tears, she thought the image of her mother changed to a haunting tree. The change only lasted for a moment so Mahiru assumed that it was a mistake. She ran forward to her mother and called out to her. “I’ve missed you so much, Mama!”

“That’s such a silly thing to say when I’ve only been in the garden for a few minutes. The view here is beautiful and there are so many flowers here. There’s an azalea at the top of the hill. Will you pick them for me?” Her mother asked and pointed to the top of the hill. She nodded and hiked up the steep incline of the hill.

The ground was uneven and it was difficult for Mahiru to walk despite how the field appeared perfect on the surface. She glanced over her shoulder to her mother and her brows furrowed when she saw that she had vanished. Thunder rang around her and the sound confused her. The sky was clear and there wasn’t rain to create thunder.

“Mahiru, keep walking.” Mahiru’s mother now stood at the top of the cliff surrounded by azaleas. Her voice was cold and something in her heart screamed for her to run away. Her eyes darted from her mother to the base of the hill. Then, her mother added: “There are so many memories I want to reminisce with you. We can do that while picking flowers.”

“Mama, do you remember my favourite flower?” Mahiru approached the woman carefully.

“The Shirotas are beautiful flowers with deadly thorns. I will burn away your legacy.” A different voice left her mother’s voice. Thunder struck down and its bright light forced her to close her eyes. When the light faded, a dead landscape had replaced the field. A tree stood where her mother did and its branches shot towards her. “This is the curse I placed upon the Shirota family.”

The storm made it difficult for Kuro to sleep. He was tethering on the edge of sleep when he was jerked awake by a paw slapping his nose. Kuro sat up with a groan and he glared down at Ash sitting on his pillow. He assumed that it fell off Mahiru’s bed and wanted him to carry it back to her. Her bed was empty and worry filled Kuro.

It was dangerous for her to leave their room at night and she would’ve told them if she needed to go outside. He didn’t bother to wake Hyde and asked him if he knew where Mahiru was or why she left. He immediately dashed out of the door and yelled her name down the hall. Ash leapt off his shoulder and he followed it up the stairs to the deck.

The storm outside almost pushed him back down the stairs when he opened the door. Kuro fought against the wind and he stepped into the pouring rain. His voice was drowned out and he didn’t know if Mahiru could hear him or if she was nearby. However, he couldn’t give up when she could be in danger.

“Help, Kuro!” Mahiru’s voice reached him through the loud cry of the storm. He ran to her and his heart was racing with each step. Kuro saw her standing on the rail. Her eyes were closed as if she had been walking in her sleep. He leapt forward and grabbed her hand. At first, Mahiru fought him as he pulled her away from the ledge.

“Mahiru, it’s me!” Kuro yelled. His feet slipped on the water pooling on the ground and he fell backwards. Mahiru landed on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her protectively. Her body shook against him and he didn’t know whether it was from the cold or the nightmare. He tenderly stroked her hair and comforted her. “It’s okay.”

“Kuro?” Mahiru whispered her name. She finally opened her eyes and she looked up at him. There were tears in the corner of her eyes and he tenderly wiped them away. The light touch overwhelmed her with relief and she threw herself into his arms. She hugged him tightly and she buried her face into his chest. “I was so scared. I had a nightmare but it felt so real. The curse…”

“Don’t think about that.” Kuro kissed the top of her head. “You’re safe.”

#servamp #kuromahi #sloth pair #servamp kuro #mahiru shirota #fanfiction #fem mahiru

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mitsdriveswhere · 2 years

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11 Adventures You Can (Probably) Do Nearby

If you're in the adventurous mood but your work schedule isn't, there's probably a lot of things that you can do to scratch that itch without having to spend 8 hours negotiating and promising your firstborn to get time off.

Camping Apparently people actually like camping. And honestly, I think I might like to try it again. Going with Red out into the not-really-wilderness kind of removed the fear factor of sleeping, you know, in the not-really-in-the-middle-of-nowhere. Be sure to pack for your climate, but have fun!

Skydiving If you're anywhere near a municipal airport, you probably have a company that provides planes and instructors for skydiving. It can be a one off holy-shit experience, or you can get your skydiving license.

Ziplining I didn't realize how many places offer ziplining until I started to look around for it. Really, there's a lot. Keep in mind your own personal fears when deciding. I've gone ziplining through the jungle but the idea of ziplining Royal Gorge is absolutely terrifying. I'm still gonna do it, but it looks terrifying.

Roller Coasters Just go to an old fashioned amusement park! There are a bunch of rides for you to try, and I promise you at least one amusement park near you has an oldest something something newest highest fastest something something ride on it.

Parasailing Got a boat? Got a fairly large bit of water? Got a parachute? Remarkable. If you have a healthy fear of death, parasailing is actually a great alternative to skydiving. It's surprisingly relaxing, like taking a leisurely swing - just a bit higher than usual.

Hang Gliding Same general idea as 2 and 5. Personally, I haven't gone hang gliding yet, but I do have the intention to do so, as there's a hang gliding company right down the road from my house, amazingly. Once I've gone, I'll let you know if it's worth it.

Hot Air Ballooning The one cavoite here is that you can only go hot air ballooning when it is genuinely frigid outside, which I am not a fan of because I am a big whining baby about the cold. I will, eventually, begrudgingly, go hot air ballooning. But I will continue to be a big baby about it and nobody can stop me.

White Water Rafting Holy shit, please go white water rafting. It is also cold as hell, which I would count as its one and only downside, but it is a great rush that gives you a sense of accomplishment and teamwork where you have to do about 0.5% human interaction. Someone will yell at you over the water and you do what they yell. It's *amazing*. Maybe this paragraph is a bad sell but trust me bro.

Fishing I know, I know, boring old man stuff. Let me be a boring old man okay?? It's as relaxing or fast pace as you like. I like to sit back in my camp chair and just have a nice day. Nice and quiet outside of the water and the non-existent fish. Someday I'll catch one, someday...

Local Museums If you haven't picked up by my general, um, everything, I happen to love museums. And a great way to see museums while simultaneously supporting your local community is to see the ones in your city, even the small ones. I have 3 museums within a 5 mile radius of my home, and I have been to 2 so far (the third one is new! pretty excited).

State or National Parks Unfortunately not all states have national parks (sorry Iowa, you're out of luck :|), but there are quite a few of them. If you are planning to go to more than 3, please also plan to buy a national park pass. It's 80$ but most national parks/monuments have a 30$ entrance fee.

There are actually a bunch of other things you can do, but a) I'm not going to recommend something I personally do no want to do and have no interest in doing and b) I'm not going to speak on the safety of those other things. Always, always practice due diligence and find out how safe your particular adventure is.

I mean, at least someone should ;)

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midnight-rein · 2 years

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Breaking down the MarkCU

So, I was thinking right? And I know he told us not to care BUT there's a reason I follow Mathew Pathew and this is gonna be long. Was gonna post this into the Member's discord first, but realized quickly I needed more space to draft this out.

Rein's actual attempt at piecing together the Lore, for real this time. Regarding the Paradox, Space, and all things MCU. Heavy Spoilers, and keep in mind I haven't completed Heist, but did go to Dark and Warf for research.

First things first timeline. Space runs parallel with all times at all times, it's just a matter of distance from Space's time. Engi at the end, and Warf's *whole* encounter both confirm this in Pt 2.

Now that we've confirmed that, let's talk about what we learned in Space regarding the characters we see. - Some characters Mark play are the same person, but not all of them, and there are several "Core" Marks that take different personalities, Engi, Warf, and Damien. Now Mark if you see this this is a small point I'm making I don't really care which order the characters are in, don't be disappointed in me dad -We can *safely* assume that the DA, Y/N, and Cap'n are all the same person, because of how Mark spoke in the breakdown stream- We each, individually are our own version of all 3 characters, thus they are all the same.

Mark's "Actor isn't Engi, but Engi could be Actor actually makes a lot more sense with this information, and it ultimately completes the timeloop. We saw thru Pt2 that some of Mark's alternates forget about his being Engi Mark, until Cap'n reminds him of what's going on. It seems to be related to distance traveled, and, we know Cap'n forgets some of this too. How? Well, let's start at ground zero, the ending of Space, just before the choice. Mark mentions a fake hand, which means Cap'n has let go at least once, because Old Mark has a fake hand at the end of Pt 1. Cap'n on the Inv 2 has already forgotten everything that happened, and continues to forget everything until they have the determination and task to focus on. When we meet Cap'n, they're already very divorced from their own reality. Camp Mark seems to be the start of Mark being goal-oriented on stopping the Cap'n and rebuilding the Core.

Cool. How does this relate to Actor? Actor is *likely* within the first or second Let Go attempt. How do we know this? His suicide attempts. Engi Mark has gotten familiar with the idea of offing himself to reset- but has not yet grasped the idea of the consequences of a thousand new universes. He landed in a time and place that wouldn't be useful to that goal- not good enough tech for deep-space travel. First attempt he comes back to the same dimension, which means that some version of the Warp Core must be near by- likely hidden in the Mannor. Very likely the Entity. Mark doesn't understand how he's coming back to life, but not going back to the Invincible, so he keeps trying, while also maintaining some sort of relationship with the alternate versions of his friends who have no idea what's going on. The depression and Celine's betrayal likely just rolls into the attempts and the plan, and all of a sudden, who rolls into town? Cap'n. DA. Actor at this point is not very far at all from his initial landing zone, and probably recognizes what's going on far more than we do. So he starts his plan to escape from the loop and stop the Cap'n by way of WKM. WKM ends with DA/Cap'n trapped in a mirror, and Dark loose on the streets, with a heart for vengeance and a passion for chaos. I generally like to think that Damien happens as the neck crack happens, and Damien takes up the role of Villain. Here's the thing, right? I'm inclined to think that Dark gained DA's memories at this point, recalling Old Mark's "The Hero! Versus the Villain!" back on Inv 1, sets about finding the thing that'll take him straight to Mark- the Warp Core and its crystal. He traps DA in the Mirror because DA/Y/N/Cap'n is the only one who can stop him. Cue Heist, we've gotten a new body and a Mark to get the crystal with. We have no idea what's going on, but Actor is trying desperately to use our skills as Cap'n to help him get to the crystal to get to the Invincible, or rebuild the Warp Core. We meet Dark, who ends up with the box and does the whole speech, and now owns the one thing that he needs to persist his existence. He has become the antagonist Engi Mark thought there was, and Actor wanted so badly.

Dark likely uses the crystal to go back in time, and taint the Manor, effectively trapping Actor in an infinite loop. Actor, after probably dying again and being sent to his own respawn point, realizes that time isn't moving around Y/N, and starts working behind the scenes to get space travel moving, dying of old age again and again and again, coming back to center and getting closer to reaching the advances for deepspace travel.

Dark gets the second crystal from the timeloop, and anonymously donates or somehow gets it into the hands of Actor's space program. Now Old Mark gets everything together, hires him-young-self (who who knows, might be one of his descendants because of the throw-away line in Date, if Celine took the kids), tells himself to trust who he chooses as Cap'n unconditionally. Tells New Engi Mark2 all of the stories that Actor has put us through. Space happens, Cap'n holds on this time, and yeets the crystal right into Dark's hands. We've saved Engi and our colonists! In the most round-about way possible, and have absolutely doomed Actor to an infinite run-around with Dark. Our Warf gradually begins to figure out what is happening to and around his home, steadily coming to realize he and his friends are trapped in a loop, and the whole unraveling story between Actor and Dark are opened to him as he travels through time himself and meets Cap'n and all our other parts, completely out of order. He tries to fix things himself- Dark's only threat is the wildcard who's hopping around and murdering important people for Actor's progress into Space. But there's always someone else to push forward. Warf fairly easily breaks out of the loop since he grew up in the house and is used to navigating the timey-wimey nonsense. On onehand, Warf knows what can fix things, on the other hand, he'll loose one if not both of his best friends if he actually defeats Dark and stops the loop outside the loop. So he lets Cap'n yeet the gem, lets us keep going about our round-trip through Space, until he or we can find a solution, or Dark slips up.

#Markiplier #iswm part 1 #iswm part 2 #iswm spoilers #darkiplier #actor mark #wkm #youtube #Idk this was an essay and a half but I think it makes sense

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