#bringing this gem back now that I have the context

[warningsine]

[cries in Spanish]

#bringing this gem back now that I have the context #orange is the new black #maldita lisiada #Itatí Cantoral #Youtube

[gomzwrites]

Task force 141 found out about your soft spots | Part 2

Summary: Ever since they saw the softer part of you, the task force 141 has been trying to see more of them. a/n: This is a follow-up from the previous part! It can be read separately but part 1 gives more context :)  Also! The dividers were made by @gomzdraws (which is also me lol) apologies if I took too long! I'll have to admit I got a bit carried away with part :>

Tags: incorrect military terms, fluff, can be read as platonic or romantic, horrible attempt at Scottish accent(I gave up near the end xD), mention of dog bites, x gn!reader

PLEASE DO NOT RESHARE MY WORK ON OTHER PLATFORMS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION

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Captain John Price

The two of you returned to base after just recently completing the mission; the target was secured and handled, and you rested in the general area as you looked through your phone again, updating your to-do list as you had stumbled upon the photo of the cute latter art previously. You stop and lean on the counter as you smile. It's so freaking cute, you think to yourself before a nudge takes your attention.

"Come", was all the captain said before you quickly followed along without questions. You’re always eager to follow any instructions he gives; maybe he needed to discuss the upcoming mission. But it’s obvious it's not going to be that as you sit in his car. Where are we going?

You ask curiously as you fasten the seat belt. The Captain only gives you a smile as he presses the gas pedal. "Just getting something to eat", he replies as you nod and relax into the chair. Well, it's nearing evening, and you are, in fact, quite hungry, so a small bite before dinner doesn’t sound too bad. It wasn’t long before you finally reached your destination. It’s a quiet town that has a few stalls and shops, and you walk alongside the captain until you stop before a small cafe, tucked nicely at the end of the street.

You look through the window as you watch the few people and barista chilling inside. It looks warm and cosy; there were soft fairy lights lining the pale yellowish wall with brown pillars supporting the structure. The captain gently places his hand around your back as he guides you to enter the cafe. You follow along as you take in the fresh smell of coffee and pastries and the sight of the small place. Price let you wander around for a while before taking a seat near the stairs, and a waiter quickly came as he greeted him. 

"Ah John! It's been a while; I see you brought company." The older man then hands you both the menu as he chuckles and bumps the captain’s shoulder. Price nods back as he glances back at you and says, "Pick anything you want, it’s on me", You give him a surprised look before you nod and take a look. You smile as you look through the list on the menu; it has a lot of cute drinks and desserts, so he saw. You thought to yourself as you ordered a latte; it's apparently their best-selling drink with the 3D cat milk foam on top of the drink. The waiter nods as he looks at Price, to whom he orders tea and some apple strudels. The waiter takes down the order on his notepad before promptly returning to the counter and preparing the orders.

How did you find this place? You ask the captain as you take in the surroundings again; it's a hidden gem, that’s for sure, and the prices on the menu were not bad as well.

"I knew this place because Oliver, the man who took our order just now, used to go to the same college", you hum as a reply and nod.

It's a nice place, and I can’t wait to try the drink, you reply back with a smile as your eyes twinkle with excitement. The captain chuckles as he nods. 

"Well, I didn’t take you as someone who likes these kinds of things, but it's a pleasant surprise, don’t worry. So I figured I'd bring you here." 

He raised an eyebrow out of amusement as he watched you blush slightly. You huffed out a puff of air before you replied sheepishly, 

Ah well, I guess cute things are my weakness after all; who would’ve guessed? 

"Just don't let the enemy know, and you’ll be fine", the captain jokes back as your drink arrives, and you immediately close your mouth as you watch the foam wiggle around when it was placed gently on the table. 

Oh my god, you whisper to yourself as you gasp and take in the sight, quickly taking your phone out and taking a picture. You glance back at Price with sparkling eyes as you tilt your head, giving him a "are you seeing this?" look as he chuckles and nods. He can feel the joy radiating from your face as you go ahead and stare at the drink, and the way you carefully turn the cup around to see the whole thing? Precious.  

He watches you take a sip. You close your eyes and give a nod as you savour the taste. Not only was the drink cute, but the flavour was perfect as well. You can smell the coffee's aroma and see how smooth the drink is. You didn’t realise when you had a bit of foam below your nose as you smiled back at the captain. Price couldn't help but laugh slightly as he took a tissue and wiped off the foam from your face. "Guessing you like it then?", you nod as you place down the cup and cover your mouth slightly to hide the pink blush that’s creeping up to your cheek. 

Yeah, it's not too bitter, and it tastes pretty rich. I like it. You reply as you watch him hum and take his strudel and tea. 

"Good, we can come here again next time". He says this as he gives you a warm grin and a wink.

John Soap MacTavish 

It was another week of training with the two military dogs, specifically Max and Judy, two German Shepherds who have been quite fond of you as they follow the training. Over the course of the regimen, you are supposed to reinforce essential handling techniques and carry out a few conditioning exercises like generalised commands. You may not be a military dog handler, but the training has definitely improved your skills to be one. Soap has joined you on a few training sessions and watches on the side as you smoothly handle the dogs, carrying out the essential steps and watching as the dogs follow you obediently. He finds it inspiring to see you train with the professional dog handler, Sergeant Sam, who has been offering a lot of help and tips. 

Today, Sergeant Sam guides you through controlled aggression training for Max, something the dog has had some trouble with for the past few days. Max has shown a good level of precision when commanded to attack a target, but its restraint technique still needs more practice, as Max tends to move before you give your words. You coo and guide Max as you carry out the demonstration, pointing at the volunteer as Max growls. You hold onto the leash firmly when Max tries to run towards the target, and you speak with a steady, calm voice as you patiently coo at the dog. 

Alright Max, steady. Not yet. Stay. 

Your voice hushed Max as it reduced his growl and made him stand on the ground, no longer pulling on the leash, and wait for your next command.

Okay, good boy Max, you don't forget to praise it immediately. This is one of the many bits of advice given by Sergeant Sam, it is said to give the dog motivation and let it know it’s doing the right thing if you praise its action immediately. 

You finally gave the signal after a while, and Max immediately went to jump and bite on the protective coat the volunteer was wearing, growling and displaying its aggression as you guided the dog. Sergeant Sam and you continue to practise a few more times with Max to properly train him to improve his restraining skills. 

After a few hours, you were finally given a break as you sat on the floor, sweating as you gently rubbed Max’s head. 

There you are, good boy Max~ So proud of you!

 You whisper to Max as you feel something poke your back. You glance back and smile as you watch Judy (the other military dog) wagging its tail and giving your cheek a lick. 

Ah! Judy, did you miss me? Hey now, who’s a good boy~?

You immediately shower Judy with attention and pat its head as you glance up to watch Soap approaching you. You wave to him as he stands at a distance. You watch his nervousness show as he rubs his neck and taps his foot repeatedly on the ground. You then stand up and order Max and Judy to sit and remain still on the floor as you walk to Soap. 

Sergeant Soap, good to see you. You greeted him with a smile as he relaxed slightly and smiled back at you. 

"Aye, I saw da training todae; it seems yer gettin better at this!", he said as he nervously glanced back at Max and Judy before staring back at you again. You nodded appreciatively as you chuckled and spoke. 

Yeah, Max and Judy have been behaving well, and the training with them is running smoothly. They remind me of my own dog back home, you say fondly as you watch him glance back at you with a surprised grin. 

"Wut? You owned a German Shepherd? That’s perfect, then, actually", You watch as he shuffles around his pocket as he holds out a bag of snacks; it’s Milk-Bone dog biscuits! You smile widely as he hands you the snack. 

"Well, I wanted to give it to ya as a wae to say thanks since yer took the job for me; you seem close to dogs anyhow; I hope I bought the right thing". Soap says as he laughs and pats your shoulder, "What’s the name?", He asks before you take out your phone and proudly show him photos of your own German Shepherd. It's big, and it has a golden sable pattern that shines ever so slightly under the sun. 

Named it Meatball because he always managed to steal some from the kitchen. He is my little ball of sunshine, you explain with a soft giggle as you show him more pictures, swiping the gallery before stopping on one where you were carrying Meatball with a struggling look, face scrunched up with a frown with a grin, you chuckle as you look back at Soap, 

He’s almost 5 years old now and still jumps and expects me to carry him around like a baby, even when he's 60 pounds! 

Soap laughs along as he stares at the photo. You looked so happy and content, and he likes how cheerful and giddy you are when you start talking about your dog. He’s still scared of dogs, but he felt like with you, he might be able to overcome that fear a little as he listens to your stories. 

I'm sorry for babbling so much, by the way. You stop halfway when you realise you’ve been talking for the past 10 minutes about your own dog, but Soap quickly shakes his head as he rests his hand on your shoulder, giving you a reassuring look as he speaks,

"No, no, go on. I love hearing yer talk about Meatball. He’s really cute!", Soap says as he gives you a nudge. "might even visit the fella with how sweet he sounds". Your eyes beamed when he suggested that,

Really? I mean, I don't want to force you to meet him if you’re still uncomfortable and all

Soap nods again as he gives a chuckle. 

"Well, I think I'm still a bit nervous, but it's something I want to try again, ya know?", You nod in understanding before you think for a moment and give a reply as you glance back at the military dogs. 

How about you start by warming up to Judy? Max is a bit bigger and more intimidating, but Judy is smaller, and he’s more obedient. Do you want to try it? Soap sucks in a breath as he contemplates for a few minutes before finally sighing as he nods slowly. You smile as you rest your hand on his thigh to soothe his nerves. 

It's okay; you’re with me. It will be alright. You say gently as you call for Judy to come around. Soap watches as Judy slowly makes its way towards you and Soap, his legs shuffling a bit as his muscles tense up when Judy comes and sits in front of you.

Be good. Soap is going to touch you, okay? You coo at Judy as the dog gives a nod and rests its head on your knee. You glance back at Soap as you hold his hand and speak.

You’re going to be okay; Judy won't bite, I promise. Soap nods with a gulp as he lets you take his hand and guide it to Judy’s head. You watch as he retracts his hand a bit when Judy tilts its head to stare at Soap. 

"y-y/n…" Soap says nervously before you pause and rub his hand in small circles, 

It's alright; take it slow and don't worry. You speak patiently as you watch Soap nod and take a few deep breaths to calm himself down. You don’t move and continue holding his hand in the air, and wait to let him take the initiative to move, and not long after that, he starts running his finger along the head of Judy’s fur cautiously. Judy remains still as it closes its eyes and wags its tail slightly. You give a small chuckle as you whisper back to Soap,

You’re alright; look, Judy likes you. You say as Soap relaxes more as he watches in awe, smiling slightly when he watches the dog press its furry chin onto your knees and melt into his touches. It’s certainly a much different response to what he imagined, and the memories of dogs biting into his legs and arms still haunt him sometimes. He can feel those sharp teeth sinking into his skin and drawing blood in those nightmares, but now? This dog he's touching is peacefully laying on your knee, not moving an inch as he strokes his fur softly with his palm, it's unnerving to him still, like he still expects the dog to bite him if he lets down his guard. But slowly, he gets more comfortable when he sees no signs of that happening, he also knows that if you're here with him, he'll be alright.

Soap glanced back at you as he held his gaze. "Thank you...", he said with a tone full of appreciation as you smiled back at him and nodded. 

No worries, I'm happy you’re able to come this far, you say back with a soft tone as the both of you just continue like this, chatting idly back and forth as Soap slowly strokes Judy’s fur. By the end of the conversation, Judy was resting its head on Soap’s tight, and Soap was no longer trembling as he rests his hand on its head.

Kyle Gaz Garrick

Ever since Gaz dropped off the bear in your room, you’ve been trying to reach out to him. But many times that has not happened because of the busy schedules, and it also doesn’t help that you’re not often teamed up with him. 

However, when you do see him, you make sure to give him a nod and an appreciative stare as he returns the same. You’ll admit you were not as close to Gaz when compared to Ghost, but ever since the IKEA trip, both of you have been trying to change that, even if it’s just a bit. Sometimes he brews you a cup of tea in the morning; other times you’ll secretly take on his paperwork when you notice those tired eye bags in the morning. 

But you wanted to return the favour with more than just these small gestures. You’ve thought about a lot of options; the first thing was perhaps to buy him a game of sorts. You heard from Soap before that Gaz is a gamer himself and owns a Switch. The problem is that you’re not aware of what kind of games he’s into, and asking those questions will raise suspicions. You have a rough idea that he might like action role-playing and multiplayer games like Elden Ring and World of Warcraft; sometimes you know Soap and Gaz will play Mario Kart because of how loud their laughter can be in their room. But you don’t like guessing and would rather get him something you’re absolutely sure he will like. The other thing you wanted to get him was perhaps a hat or a scarf, seeing as he likes wearing those. But you learned that he is very attached to his scarf, so buying him a new one didn’t seem right to you. As for the hat, you actually found a blue beanie that might look good on him, but you decided to save it for his birthday. After many sleepless nights of trying to figure out what on earth to give him, the opportunity finally presented itself one day. You just finished a mission with the team, and as the crew made their way back to base, you noticed how Gaz’s gloves were damaged; the thumb side was burned off, most likely due to the explosion previously. Gaz took notice of your gaze and gave you a smile.

"It's alright; the rest of it is still fine I can live with it." 

You give a nod as he turns around and speaks to Soap again, back to their usual banter as Gaz elbows Soap for not warning him when the bomb goes off. You secretly thank Soap for his recklessness because now you know exactly what to get him.

You tip-toed around the base during the late hours, being quiet and stepping cautiously on the floorboard to avoid generating any noise. You rest your hand along the wall as you walk before finally reaching the door. You glance around once and finally bend down to put down the little green box with a cute yellow ribbon. You smile softly to yourself as you stand up, only to yelp slightly when Gaz taps on your shoulder from the back. 

"Hey, erm, what are you sneaking around for?-", he stops as you quickly glance back as you nervously stand before the gift, shuffling it behind your feet as you shake your head. Gaz watches your demeanour before he smiles as he looks down, noticing a small gift box. "I didn’t know it was my birthday today", he jokes with that charming smile of his, chuckling softly as he tilts his hand and leans closer.

"You don’t have to be so shy around me. Come on", He bends down to pick up the box as he opens the door. You were about to leave before he stops as he looks at you, motioning to enter his room. You gulp as you nod and follow along, deciding to sit on his bed beside him. You have never entered any member’s room at this point, and you’re surprised at how cosy his room is. A few blankets here and there; he even has a few plushies himself! You get distracted by his place without realising he has already pulled off the ribbon and taken out the gift. You turn around and face him when he lets out a gasp.

"YOU DID NOT-"

Gaz said excitedly as he held a pair of Moto gloves, navy in colour with a dash of blue camouflage, lined with hard leather that protects the knuckles. You watch as his eyes shine and he smiles so big that you can see his prominent canine teeth protruding, silently satisfied with yourself when he thanks you for the gift.

I've been wanting to return the favour since you got me the bear.

You say softly as he nods and tests out the glove. It’s a perfect fit as he feels the texture and size.

"This is amazing! I love it. Thank you so much", He thanks you again as he gives your head a pat. Both of you decided to stay for a while and chat idly after that.

Simon Ghost Riley

You were awake the entire night, blinking and shuffling around your bed as you sighed deeply. 

Another sleepless night 

You thought to yourself as you pressed a pillow to your own face. You usually have trouble sleeping sometimes—more than you would like to admit. Whether it's because of the stress that lingers after missions or because of nightmares, They plague your nights without mercy. 

You groan and sit up as you stare at the clock. 

It's about 5 a.m. already, and I still can’t sleep. 

You grumble to yourself as you stand and stretch, pissed that you can’t even enjoy a day off without getting a good night's sleep. You decided to run some laps around the field to tyre yourself out and nap afterwards. 

And you did just that, running around the field for the past half an hour already, yet somehow you can feel that you’re more awake than usual. You know you’re physically tired, but your mental state refuses to calm down and screams at you. You sat on the ground hopelessly before lying on it, staring up at the sky as you let out a long, defeated sigh as you let out a few more grumble.

"Good morning, y/n" comes a voice as you glance to your left, recognising it as you divert your gaze from his shoe to his mask.

Good morning, Lieutenant Ghost, You reply back as you sit up and frown, slightly embarrassed that he saw you like this. 

"Grabbing coffee for them, coming along?" He asks as he shakes the car key in his left hand, his other resting in the pocket of his black hoodie. You nod as you stand up by yourself and brush away the dust as both of you head to the jeep.

You’ve done this routine before with Ghost, sometimes doing it yourself. The group likes to take turns buying coffee and breakfast every weekend near the base; even the barista and workers have already recognised you guys at this point. 

"Ah, it's you, 3 black coffees and 2 Earl Greys as per usual, yes?" Ghost nods to the shorter barista as she promptly prepares the drinks. You stood beside Ghost as you glanced around when you waited for the order before catching your sight on the fridge that displayed pastries and other small bites. 

swiss roll!! 

You take notice of the delicacy as you step closer to the glass. They rarely have cakes, at least whenever you come to visit anyway; mostly they display croissants or sandwiches, and you have to admit that the swiss roll they sell looks pretty good and tempting. 

Matcha, strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate

You take a close look at all the options as you stare excitedly. Ghost watches as he stands closer and bumps your shoulder. 

"Chocolate is good."

He whispers into your ears as you blush slightly at the sudden closeness and glance back at him. You nod as you stare back at that specific swiss roll. It even has what you assume is chocolate whipped cream with a small cherry on top. You whisper back softly as you grab his sleeve timidly. 

Can I try the cake with you?

You know you can finish this cake yourself, but you wanted to share it with him since he suggested it in the first place. 

Ghost blinks before nodding as he pats your hand, ordering the chocolate swiss roll as you smile and happily take a seat in the corner of the cafe. You watch as he brings the plate and sets it on the table. He hands you a fork as he watches you poke through the cake and take a bite.

!!! 

Your eyes beam as your face lights up when you have a taste; the soft, spongy chocolate cake is perfect, and paired with the chocolate whipped cream? It tasted like heaven. Ghost chuckles as he watches you take another bite. 

"Told ya"

You nod as you glance back at him with a giddy smile. You were right. You say as you take a much bigger part of the cake and hand the fork to him, and he nods as he pulls his balaclava to eat the cake, making sure he watches you from the corner of his eyes as he eats it. He likes seeing you take in the sight of him shamelessly, even if it's just his jaw and lips. He liked how you always stare and trail along the faint scar he has around the chin; it's as if you’re mapping him out and memorising his features. He gives a hum of approval as he finishes the bite and hands you back the fork, urging you to take more as you shake your head. 

"It's okay, kid, I’ve tried this cake before already. Eat."

He says this as you frown slightly and nod along, then enjoy the cake again as your brows slowly relax. He smiles as he continues to watch you eat; he knows that you’re always eager and tend to be more compassionate than the other members, even if you don't show it. Gestures like how you always save a seat for him in the planes beside Soap, or how you silently wipe and clean Soap’s guns after missions, or how you always helped Gaz with reports, and you always brew a cup of coffee for Captain when he needs it, your actions doesn't go unnoticed by him. 

Do you have a sweet tooth? 

The question caught him off guard as he watch your eye. He took a few moments to ground himself before nodding. He watched the glint of amusement in your eyes as you smiled and leaned in to ask another question. 

Then what’s your favourite dessert? 

He smiles at your question as he leans in and rests his arm on the table as he stares back at you. 

"Chocolate, if that wasn’t obvious enough already."

You chuckle as you shake your head and slightly poke his muscular arm. 

Yeah, I have an idea, obviously, but you know, like, what kind? Like chocolate bars? Cocoa drinks? Chocolate brownies? You know what I mean, you list out the example as you bite on the fork. 

He chuckles as he goes on and answers back, then you shoot another question and the process repeats. They may be small and mundane questions, but moments like this make him feel human again, to remind him that he is not just a war machine in this world, that he too has cravings and such, plus it also feels like you get to know him better, and perhaps this friendship can flourish more.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= a/n: am I biased towards Gaz? yes, yes I am(and yeah the gloves are from CSGO lol), like and reposts are appreciated! Have a good day/night! <3

#cod #cod x reader #cod imagines #cod mwii #cod mw2 #mw2 imagine #mw2 x reader #mw2 fanfic #cod fanfic #call of duty x reader #john price x reader #captain price x reader #captain john price x reader #ghost x reader #simon ghost riley x reader #soap mactavish x reader #john mactavish x reader #kyle gaz garrick x reader #gaz x reader #gomzwrites

[novantinuum]

mmmmmmm. messy ass ramble thoughts ahead. this is not coherent, it is 1am, you have been warned.

so i've been thinking about that "i can fix anything! i can just keep messing up and fixing things forever, and you'll never have to know or think about any of it!" line during steven's lil manic panic moment in the ep everything's fine in the context of like... og SU episodes

this whole lil manic slip is one that's like... it seems a little extreme for him as a character at first, when one looks at the situation on surface.

but i think it really does shed a LOT of light onto one of his deepest fear. the same fear he's harbored for a good damn deal of the show.

"i didn't wanna hurt anyone!"

this moment comes just a few eps after the S3 finale 'reveal' of rose shattering pink diamond. in that final scene of the season, steven gets 'confirmation' from garnet that this happened, and seems to accept it for what it was- a difficult decision made amidst a treacherous war.

but also, he Doesn't.

because he's the legacy rose left behind. because each and every day he's growing more into his power. because now, with this reveal of rose's decision to shatter on the table, he's putting each and every decision he makes under a microscope.

he had no choice, he claims. she wouldn't let him help her.

he had no choice. it was self defense.

but is that true?

isn't that the same thing his mom probably told herself before ending a gem's life forever?

even though she poofed bismuth and holed her away for suggesting the very same idea??

rose became a hypocrite... so what if HE becomes the hypocrite, too?

see, with steven... i think it's really easy in the main show to sorta... observe all his actions on the mere surface without considering the deeper tickings of his psyche. like... take lars being brought back to life. from audience POV, that's a good deed. steven just saved someone with his magic! positive moment.

but genuinely... i think this was one of the worst moments of his entire life. i think he's still haunted by it- by the fact that he can just "fix" people in that way. and i think fixing jasper's shattered gem only made the specter of that day worse.

steven believes his role is to be the Shield.

the protector.

the one who is willing to do whatever it takes- even up to turning himself in for a crime he didn't commit- to protect his family and his friends.

and like, we all know that it's not steven's FAULT that lars died. BUT- he still died while under steven's protection.

and so the same way steven blames himself for "hurting" bismuth, jasper, and eyeball, he blames himself for killing lars. mentally, he Takes Responsibility for his death. yet another tick mark in the box of horrible "mistakes" he's made, yet another tick mark landing him just a little closer to the rose he's desperately trying not to become.

and worst of all... it's a mistake he "covers up."

because his tears are able to bring him back from the dead entirely.

and years later he realizes this is true for gems as well ;-;;;

so yeah, i absolutely think lars' death was also at the back of his mind when he said that line at the beginning

what steven saw in the depths of his mind as he was panicking there was him slipping down a slippery slope of violence that he couldn't escape from

first, causing harm to other gems and calling it self defense...

then, letting your friend die protecting YOU when you're the one who should be protecting him and facing NO consequence for this misgiving because you bring him back to life

then, expressing anger so visceral it can shatter floors, destroy whole rooms, flip vans. out of control. inexcusable.

then... outright shattering a gem in a duel while training to hone that anger. once again, facing NO consequence because you bring her right back.

then, that sudden, terrifying thought of "what if i shattered white diamond"

like, steven has absolutely no framework by which to separate his actions from genuine desire or just plain abstract thought.

he has no framework by which to understand the beautiful tool of adding a "man would it be fucked up or what-" to the beginning of those sorts of intimidating, dark musings.

he has no framework by which to understand the complexities of his trauma, and the way in which genuinely fighting back against someone he once called an enemy might feel empowering- instead, it would seem he's disgusted in retrospect with how deep he pressed into that fight, how much a part of him ENJOYED it, all because of the horrid destination it led to.

anyways at this point steven thinks he has now become the Hypocrite like his mom, and that he's just destined to hurt everyone around him forever but never be punished for it and Ouch

this post has no end, these were just ramble thoughts, the end. goodnight. i am sleepy and need to prepare to make Wig tomorrow bc OH boy i am con crunch.

yeehaw .

#jen rambles #su #su future #steven universe #su meta #???? maybe??? #it's messy but it is Thoughts

[redstonedust]

wait im confused what is this kerilson lore you mentioned im apprently missing out on? Who/what is kerilson??

ok i'm gonna recap literally everything i can remember about kerilson because i'm not sure how much context you have. SO. INCOMING INFODUMP:

if you've been following the rest of hermitcraft season 9 you'd know that the majority of the active hermits went through the rift and got trapped on empires smp for a month. one of the only hermits left behind was xb, and he handled this... interestingly (badly)

so after showing footage of the hermits going through the rift via a security camera he apparently has set up in grians base, and then trying to claim the entire shopping district as his property (off to a good start) he opens his next episode proudly declaring that he's actually NOT alone, he has a friend, and that friend knows how to open the rift again!

enter kerilson:

i should clarify that kerilson is, first and foremost, a reference to the movie castaway. like. in that movie the protagonist is stuck on an island with nobody to talk to but a volleyball he's named wilson. so theres already precedent for kerilson being just xb going kind of stir crazy without his friends (especially keralis).

so according to xb, kerilson demands a diamond throne (which also includes concrete slabs, the first sign that something weird is going on) and then they reopen the rift. except the rift sends xb to previous hermitcraft seasons instead of empires, where kerilson is distracted by wanting to look at past keralis builds instead of helping xb find his friends. eventually xb DOES end up on empires, but its season 1, and he's completely alone.

he wanders through the server, finds the ocean, spends several days at sea, gets picked up by a flying kerilson themed boat, the scenery warps back into his base, he gets back into bed, and then is woken up by beef, who seems disturbed by the fact xb is even IN bed. bc, y'know, hermitcraft, sleep should be instant.

he concludes the whole thing was a dream, tho that doesnt explain how he's able to accurately dream of empires s1, but gem's empires lore establishes sleep based world hopping so...... put a pin in that.

anyways two episodes later kerilson can be spotted watching xb in the background of his base, but isnt acknoweldged. xb continues to be Totally Normal about his missing friends by building a giant keralis statue, except every time he looks back at it its head is replaced with kerilsons head. so he blows it up.

several months pass with v few kerilson hints, until xb starts teasing a makeship plushie of him and kerilson. in this weirdest way possible. ie. while building his base he mentions he's started hearing noises, and a low joepacity kerilson flashes on screen with scrambled keralis dialog in the background. (side note: xb heard similarly scrambled keralis dialog when keralis was coming back through the rift. unclear if this is related.)

aaand bringing it to now, xb gets a book inviting him to a TCG match, which turns out to be against kerilson. who is apparently real and able to hold TCG matches. except during the animation of the match kerilson never moves and keralis is shown to be helping him behind the scenes, implying kerilson was just an armor stand all along-- except for, you know, the whole established dream demon aspect.

and now he's a marketable plushie! :D

so yeah TLDR: he's an armor stand who has been simultaniously implied to be a figment of xb's imagination, a regular armor stand xb thinks is alive, a regular armor stand controlled by keralis, some kind of fragment of keralis, and an independent, dream controlling being. and also keralis has little to no involvement in any of these episodes.

and as a fun side note, this isnt the first time we've seen some kind of logic defying facsimile of keralis appear in somebody elses episode. when tango went to space to try and stop the moon crashing in season 8, he ran into keralis, who stated he'd been there for months, even tho this is not true in keralis' episodes.

both of these are also scenarios where the enviroment is implied to not be real (a dream / a simulation) and the keralis-a-like appears to help them as they try to leave the server. coincidence? absolutely. but i love to make lore out of nothing!

#asks #long post #listen if the ranchers fans can make a mountain out of tangos feris bueler reference. then im allowed to be insane about xbs castaway ref /

[quantumcartography]

Daniel and The Uninvited Guest

PALAMEDES     (As if reciting) “And her body was like the chrysolite, and her face as the appearance of lightning, and her eyes as a burning lamp: and her arms, and all downward even to the feet, like in appearance to glittering brass.”

I was writing about something else entirely when I dug into the context of this quote and it rocked my whole socks. Context for those who don’t remember it: in this scene, the Voice that Palamedes has been talking to finally reveals herself as Dulcinea. After admitting his love for her and promising to find her on the shores of the River, he asks to see her “for the first time and the last.” He then has a light shone on him and he recites this quote from Daniel 10:6. After that, she asks if she was cute and Pal responds “You’re perfect.”

I am, needless to say, obsessed with this scene.

Now, the book of Daniel is one of apocalyptic prophecy (apocalypse here meaning a truth being revealed to a person by way of a divine source.) At this point in the Bible, the Jews have been captured from Israel by the Babylonians and have been displaced into Babylonian territory. The book recounts the visions of prophet Daniel that allude to the eventual restoration of the Jewish people to their homelands under the reign of Cyrus the Great. In Daniel 10 specifically, Daniel is mourning for Israel by fasting for three weeks when he is visited by an angel who tells him that he is fighting to return him and his people to their homeland. Daniel 10:6 is a description of this angel, who in the passage isn’t called an angel but vaguely referred to as a “certain man.” Only Daniel can see this certain man but all the men around him are gripped by fear and run away and even Daniel was terrified throwing himself face down and trembling at the sight of this certain man.

As a quick aside, I learned something from the magnificent Dan McClellan, a biblical scholar who is very active on TikTok and YouTube, about angels in the Old Testament. He recently posted a video discussing this in detail but I will try and do it justice. The theory among biblical scholars is that many instances where angels are present in the Old Testament were originally instances of God themself appearing before a person. That’s why these excerpts have people seemingly talking directly to God and why these angels inspire such fear because it’s assumed the only time a person would see God is when they die.

So this quote in this context, is when Palamedes is stuck inside the body of Naberius Tern and fighting against Ianthe’s soul for control. The reason why he’s doing this is to hopefully find a safe place for the Sixth House after spending months being held by Blood of Eden as political captives. While in this fight with Ianthe, he’s helped and supported by the soul of Dulcinea who he describes looking like an angel. Not an angel in terms of beauty or grace, but as unassailably powerful, perfect and righteous as dawn's first light, a face made of precious gems that cannot be cut and a body made of brass like the finest armor. This is a form untouchable by flaw or fault.

The two narratives have clear parallels. They are stories about a people's restoration and salvation. And since this takes place in the middle of Nona the Ninth, the connotation is clear that he will live to see his people saved and returned home. And he does, he becomes Paul and they guide their people back to the Dominicus system. But this also underscores just how much he loves her. He loves Dulcinea like an angel. He loves her like a homecoming. He loves her like a vision of rapture in the wasted desert of his enemy. He loves her like the promised end of death itself. He loves her like the indelible weight that love brings on one's soul.

#tlt spoilers #nona the ninth #ntn spoilers #gtn spoilers #the uninvited guest #the uninvited guest spoilers #htn spoilers #palamedes sextus #palamedes the sixth #dulcinea septimus #dulcinea the seventh #the locked tomb #tlt meta #listen i love cam and pal #but his devotion to dulcinea is inspiring #i want to love as deeply as Pal loves Dulcie

[chrisrin]

What did bismuth Dirk make Hal FOR?

ALRIGHT! TIME FOR MY SECOND STORY DUMP! We need a bit of context before we get to Hal, so bear with me. (this is a long as fuck post)

SO! Dave and Dirk both come from Homeworld, as all gems do. I'm not super sure on the exacts, as the Alpha Kids are the first ones to leave together and they pick up the Beta Kids later but, we're kind of floating around the idea of Bro being Yellow Diamond or having some sort of equivalent power. Both Dirk and Dave are gems under Yellow, Dirk being a Bismuth and Dave being a Carnelian.

Plot stuff happens, Dirk escapes and at some point comes back to get Dave and now they have a whole squad and all that, yadda-yadda. However, during their escape from Homeworld, something Bad happens and causes Dave to get injured (don't know what it is yet but it's something)

Dave's gem gets cracked but everyone still makes it out okay. Due to whatever the circumstances are surrounding this, only Dave and Dirk know of the status of Dave's gem, Dave starts wearing actual clothing upon getting to Earth to hide his cracked gem, using the excuse that it's cool and he's trying to vibe with the style.

Dirk is a Bismuth, he's been trained his whole life to create weapons of war and things for destruction, and now, faced with one of the people he's come to care about most, it's the one time he can't fix a problem by putting a hammer to it. He can't help Dave, and Dirk blames himself for letting Dave get hurt in the first place, thinking he wasn't strong enough to protect him.

As time goes on, Dave gets worse, and especially after escaping Homeworld, Dave's cracked gem prevents him from spawning his weapon. This means Dave is filled with trauma on top of feeling deeply defenseless, coming from a place where having a weapon on you at all times was the only thing keeping you alive.

Dirk, watching Dave's deterioration, decides that enough is enough and he seeks out Pink Diamond. Upon finding Feferi, Dirk trades in something (A deal? A service?) in exchange for some of her healing material. He brings it to Dave and heals his gem.

So, you'd assume everything's fine and dandy now, right? Surely.

But no, it's Dirk, so it's not.

Dirk looks at this situation and says, "I'm never going to let this happen again" and concludes that the reason Dave got hurt was because he, Dirk, was not strong enough. So Dirk asks, "How do I get stronger?"

At some point during this time, the group is all out doing stuff together and Dirk watches Sollux save all their asses from something. Dirk realizes Sollux is statistically the stronger gem out of the whole group and puts two-and-two together (literally), concluding that what he needs to be powerful is...

Fusion. (do you see where this is heading?)

Will Dirk go and ask Sollux about this? Will he go and maybe ask Roxy, who he trusts? Will he talk to Dave and get his thoughts?

No, of course not. Because Dirk is a little stupid.

Dirk theorizes that if he can splinter his own gem and create an artificially copied fragment of himself, he'd be able to fuse with himself which would avoid having to rely on other people. So Dirk does the one thing he wasn't going to do to Dave. He takes the hammer to himself.

This, as you would imagine, goes fucking horribly wrong.

Dirk creates Hal, who is only a very small sliver of Bismuth. A corrupted gem that can't properly speak, seems to be intelligent, but also fucking hates Dirk.

Dirk, panicked, both because now his own gem is fucked up, but now because he has a little Dude running around his workshop, decides "oh fuck I need to fix this" and tries to fuse with Hal.

It doesn't work. Their fusion isn't stable. They can't fuse back together.

Dirk, having no idea what to do, decides to hide Hal away in his workshop and does his best to lie to everyone. Dave is suspicious, as Dirk starts to wear clothing that covers his gem, but Dave also isn't one for emotional vulnerability so he doesn't ask. Dirk continues to lie to most of everyone, even as his own state gets worse and worse.

Eventually, Sollux realizes what Dirk did. And he's fucking pissed. The lie gets uncovered and Sollux is ANGRY. Remember when Pearl lied to Garnet about the tower and the whole Sardonyx thing? It's like that, but both sides are angry at each other and refuse to apologize.

The rest of the group do their best to take care of Hal, they try to help Dirk fuse properly with him but it's not working, and Dirk keeps trying to force it but they aren't stable.

Eventually, something happens, and Dave gets poofed while they're out on an adventure (obviously Dave can recover, but it's a huge scare for Dirk). It's something Dirk could've easily protected Dave from, but now because he fragmented himself, he's even weaker than before. This is the final tipping stone for Dirk.

He goes to Sollux and apologizes, begging him to help him figure out fusion.

Sollux, resigned, sighs and agrees to help him. With time, Sollux slowly teaches Hal and Dirk how to work together and fuse, gradually helping them become more and more stable until finally they can fuse together and be like normal again.

Even after all of this, Hal and Dirk fused together aren't any more powerful than they were before. But Dirk grew in a different way, learning to trust others and see that not all his problems can be solved by just relying on himself.

Sollux, seeing Dirk & Hal's growth, who have now become a proper permafusion, offers to fuse with them if he wants to try it. Dirk smiles and shakes his head, and says that he'll be happy with where he is for right now, though he wouldn't mind taking it up in the future. Sollux is beaming back, satisfied that Dirk learned his lesson. (and then when shit goes down in the future we have this fucking awesome moment where Dirk and Sollux fuse together for the first time and theyre so fucking cool and i physicall explode)

ANYWAYS THAT'S MY STORY DUMP. LONG-ASS POST I KNOW BUT I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT THEM! HOPE THIS ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION!!

#chris talks #homestuck #gemstuck #dirk strider #hal strider #sollux captor #dave strider #i have an abnormal amount of feelings about them #this was mostly taken from a DM discussion i had with a friend where i infodumped this entire plotline to them over the course of like #an hour #long ass post im sorry

[my-name-is-jefferooni]

Have you ever even heard of…

BECAUSE OH MY GOD SEARCH FOR THE LOST IS SUCH AN UNDERRATED GEM OF A FAN-MADE SONIC SHOW

Okay, allow me to give you some additional context before just bombarding you with all the many reasons why you need to watch this show.

Search for the Lost is a fan-made production created by Creative Planet Entertainment on YouTube. This shit has been around for 6 whole years, and it is such a good show! Made entirely out of g-mod screenshots/screen recordings and Sonic gameplay, Search for the Lost is a show about Silver the Hedgehog and his friends figuring out what Melhiles of all people is doing back in action, and why the fuck he’s working with Eggman of all people. Also, why is Infinite back… AND WHAT’S ALL THIS TALK ABOUT A PROPHECY!?

OH AND BLAZE IS HERE TOO!?!?

AND THERE’S THIS NEW GUY CALLED FORGE WHO IS LITERALLY THE BEST IN THE ENTIRE SHOW HANDS DOWN 100000P0/10 BEST BOI BEST ROBO BUDDY EVER HE’S SUCH AN IDIOT AND SUCH A HILARIOUS GUY HE’S LIKE THE ONLY ONE WHO MAKES GOOD JOKES HE IS LITERALLY THE BEST EVER I LOVE FORGE

Aight lemme just give a quick spoiler-free explanation about Forge because I know yall are looking at this like “Who tf is Forge?? Some kinda fan character or something??” Because… Yeah, he is a fan character, BUT A VERY GOOD ONE AND HIS DYNAMICS WITH EVERYONE WORK LIKE A CHARM I TELL YOU HE IS NOT JUST SOME RANDOM SONIC RECOLOR.

Cuz he’s a Metal Sonic recolor! 🤩 Haha, well to be fair, they literally call out Sonic recolors in the show with this fact. It’s in Forge’s story! Basically, Forge once worked with Silver in his bad timeline in Crisis City, but the ashes and the chemicals were too much for his small little itty bitty bird lungs. So, to keep himself from slowing everybody down, he managed to shove his consciousness into an old Metal Sonic model. A black-and-yellow one, kinda like the one from Archie except a lot less like Sonic personality-wise and a lot more like Sonic visually. With all these new robotic upgrades, Forge became a force to be reckoned with, and became one of Silver’s bestest friends after the whole Iblis thing. Oh, and he ships Silvaze like it’s nobody’s business, so that obviously gets an A+ from me lmao

I may have gotten carried away with that explanation and maybe there’s some spoilers in there but it’s late and I’m sleepy so you’ll only know if you watch the show~! ✨🙂

Seriously tho. This show is very underrated. I’ve been keeping tabs on it for years now, ever since episode 5 came out! Trust me, that’s a long time. They have their plates full when it comes to personal things and it’s a big project so episodes come out after a long time in production.

There are only 7 episodes so far, but each episode is jam-packed full of lore and giving us more questions on top of every answer! It brings back characters we haven’t seen for a long while, and it always provides a reasonable explanation as to why some of them have been gone and why some just like. Cut contact or something. There’s characters from previous games, from Sonic X, from Archie, from IDW, BRO WE GOT GAMMA IN HERE BAYBEEEEE IF THAT AINT FREE REAL ESTATE IDK WHAT IS.

AND DON’T FORGET HEAVY AND BOMB FROM KNUCKLES CHAOTIX. PLEASE. PLEASE DON’T FORGET ABOUT THEM THEY’RE HERE TOO AND THEY’RE LOVELY

So. Please. Please just watch this show. Please look at all the additional content with Forge on their channel too, it’s fucking hilarious! Just… I wanna talk to someone about this show who isn’t just my lil bro. Like I love getting to bombard him with bullshit about characters he’s never even heard about until watching this show but I gotta know I’m not the only one. Please. These people are working so hard on Search for the Lost and I’d really appreciate if you even saw just one or two episodes. The story is very intriguing, the characters are all so well-written, TEAM DARK IS THERE, FORGE GETS A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION, so I say it’s all totally worth it!

#PLEEEEEAAASSSSEDEEEE WARCH ITTTTTTT #WATCH IT WATCH IT WATCH IT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I WILL PAY YOU I WILL PAY YOU CASH MONEEEEEEEEEEE #(no I won’t I’m broke just like the lot of you. Why do u think I’m on tumblr) #WATCH SFTL YOU WILL NOT REGRET ITTTTTTTTT #sonic the hedgehog #silver the hedgehog #using default tags cuz ALL YOU BITCHES NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS SHIT #my shitty rambles #blog/ask stuff #idw sonic #BECAUSE THERE ARE IDW CHARACTERS IN HERE #whispangle #YES. YES YOU SAW THAT RIGHT. PRETEND I DIDNT SAY ANYTHING THO AND JUST WATCH THE DAMN SHOW. #YES THERE IS WHISPANGLE BUT PRETEND THERE ISNT #FORGET IT WHEN YOU’RE WATCHING THE SHOW. NO IT’S NOT A SPOILER. TRUST ME IT’S NOT SPOILERY. #…uhm. Uh. No. No spoilers here… #Aw shit. I fucked up. #Yes it’s a spoiler NOW KEEP MOVING. #Youtube

[inlocusmads]

[spoilers, long pissy rant ahead]

okay, i have some thoughts. Haven't finished the chapter yet, as of writing this post, but I still have some thoughts.

okay but like, I'm happy that MC was allowed to talk about their feelings but I just hate it that it's ALSO dismissed and condensed into a couple of dialogues, like EVERYONE, mc literally almost died so many times it physically hurts they didn't get more than just that one ONE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

I don't want to compare but think of all those times Nia, Tyril, Imtura and Mal were comforted and that too it was taken seriously with long-term payoffs at the very least or callbacks to those moments of healing and learning.

It doesn't make any sense! Where was this foreshadowing that MC was "about to break into pieces"? Where was this acknowledged in the narration, apart from a few moments of empathy extended to other characters? And yet, everyone else had "plenty of time" to confide in MC. (I know I'm being nitpicky here, but I'm so mad that the one person who attempted to patch together the group again at the start of Book 2 still got treated like shit. This reasoning doesn't make an ounce of sense at all, apart from MC wanting to spare their friends the additional guilt - if you want to take it in that context.)

MC! DID YOU NOT LEARN ANYTHING AT ALL? HOW IS IT THAT EVERYONE ELSE IN THE PARTY HAD SOME REFORMATION ARC GOING ON (albeit a swiftly written one) BUT YOU DON'T???

First off Valax? Girly she tried to steal your blood. I know there's a nice Valax/MC buddy-buddy situation going on/relationship going on but this is just extremely not okay of the writers to dismiss MC's own feelings and true thoughts. And what do you mean, "just a little blood, no scars"? "asleep for all of it"?? Like make it make sense! Either MC is referring to how Valax kidnapped her ("little blood" HA) or the fact that they walked unscathed, which is a huge understatement - like my child, you were almost fucking killed! Stop downplaying everything!

Honestly I would accept it if it were an internal characteristic of MC to go all Mal and be like 'yeah it's just a scratch' but in the other times when they're allowed to be open with their emotions and this time, they're robbed of the only opportunity to do so, I'm going FUCKING FERAL.

I dunno, I just feel like this is just a horridly rushed scene for no reason at all. They could have cut back on the Elf-recruitment scene to give MC a chance - give us a chance to talk about it, but nope. I don't know, I feel like it was STILL half-assed.

Blades, stop making fun of death and all those 'getting killed' jokes. It isn't funny anymore. It grew stale by the start of book 2 and now it's like PB can't write new humour material anymore without making it Mal's entire personality or the subject of Tyril's disappointment or Imtura's ammunition for one-liners or Nia's excuse to gape at it in horror. Stop. Please. I just feel like it's been overdone so much, we don't know if the characters are struggling or anything.

**

Angst is a good tool to use to highlight MC's motivations or be it any characters and yet IT IS KADE WHO SUPPLIES IT!

THIS HAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL TO BE A SUBJECT MATTER and yet of-fucking-course they have to paywall the social quest. fuck you pb. mental health's already expensive as it is.

The fact that MC has no intention to bring it up - bring up how much they missed their brother before Kade does is just the icing on the cake. Like come on, PB. For once, I want a non-paywalled scene that acknowledges this in writing - a proper conversation with Kade for once. Because paywalled scenes are usually up to the choice of the player to take and it is downright cruel for MC to not have any interaction with people until you shovel out gems. Without the social quests, everyone's personalities are so hollow. It actually hurts. Premium options used to be for collectibles, unlock bonus scenes, maybe even level up, etc, but to see characterisations - the very basic pillar of writing being paywalled is like reading an article on the internet only for the author to step out of your screen and beat your eyes with a bat so you can never read again.

Am I the only one in this?

MAYBE YOU CAN SHOW MORE AND TELL LESS PB, GOD. FOR ONCE, ACKNOWLEDGE MC'S EMOTIONS WITHOUT IT BEING ONE TEXT OF DIALOGUE IN THE NAME OF EVERYTHING HOLY. (I do remember an Ash Empress scene where MC gets -- possessed, for the lack of a right word, with a vision?? And that too at the last possible second for the Kade conversation to happen. Good job, PB)

The thing is PB can do this. They've acknowledged MC's part in stories before. From being able to "tell off" characters and having MC acknowledge their past traumatic instances and giving them a motivational tool to keep going forward. A recent example of this would be in Crimes Book 1, when MC suffers from PTSD and is shown to have some panic episodes-- I'm assuming? (Not showing my bias here, but I'm just pointing at it because it is within PB's reason) and yet the company shoots themselves at the leg with overstuffed stories and plot points it becomes harder and harder to be able to relate to characters.

*** I don't know. I haven't played the whole chapter and maybe this might come off as tone-deaf and I'm gonna look like an absolute clown; once it is up and maybe in a future scene, they do bring up their trauma but I'm posting this anyway because it's just -- arghhhhhhhh

#blades of light and shadow #choices book club #mads rants about stuff #tw caps

[sickandvomiting]

Could not get this bit of dialogue out of my head (and I don’t even know what characters it’s for, it was literally just the dialogue and a scenario) so I turned it into a mini-fic. It’s not even The Content™️, I’m just in a dacry mood recently. Forgive any mistakes, I didn’t proof it very much and it is Not Well Thought Out

———

He rests his over-warm forehead against the cool toilet seat in his grubby apartment bathroom and closes his eyes. The bout ended awhile ago, but he hasn’t yet found the strength to peel himself off the floor, nor does he feel steady enough to guarantee his legs won’t buckle underneath him as soon as he’s upright. On any other day he’d have someone with him, wiping the bile from his chin, the tears from his cheeks, rubbing his back as he choked up what must be the 100th mouthful of sick this hour (by his own biased estimation). But today? He is alone. Not that it is anything other than his own fault, mind, but that doesn’t make the absence hurt any less. He screws his eyes tighter shut, tears burning behind the closed lids, yet refuses to let them fall. Breathe in. Out. In. Out. Let it pass. I did this, he thinks. It’s been four days. Four days since the argument. Four days since she swept out of their apartment, stone-faced but barely holding back tears. Four days since he ruined everything. The release is not deserved, in his addled mind. Besides, even if he did permit himself a few shuddering sobs, or (god forbid) to actually cry, there’s no one there to help him through it, and he doesn’t think he can get through that kind of thing alone. And right now he is so very alone.

Minutes pass, or maybe hours. Could even be days, for all he knows. He almost begins to doze off when a familiar voice startles him bolt upright. A voice he didn’t expect to hear again anytime soon, or perhaps ever, if there was any justice.

“Come here often, stranger?”

Stranger. He knows she’s… well… “joking” isn’t the right word exactly, but he can hardly think of a better one. Still, it hits a sore spot in him, and he swallows before turning bleary eyes toward her. He can hardly stand to look at her face for more than a split second. Can’t even look her in the eye. Useless, is what he thinks, but says instead:

“Oh yeah. Hang out here like this all the time, sometimes multiple times a day, ‘specially for the last couple.” He tries to effect a bright tone, but the raspiness of his throat and the guilt in his chest make it fall flat. “I’m one of the regulars, you know.”

“Yeah? Nice place, is it?” she asks, her own voice similarly flat, but betraying none of the emotions it concealed.

“Oh, the best. One of the hidden gems in this part of the city.” The distance this scenario puts between them is welcome, allowing him to engage with her from an impersonal context. “Great atmosphere.” He gestures weakly to the water-stained walls, dingy floor, and sick-splattered toilet. “And the constant buzz of activity really makes a person feel a part of things when they’re going it alone,” he adds, nodding toward a mouse hole in the wall, behind which faint skittering can be heard in the momentary silence between them.

“I can see why you like it.” She doesn’t move from her place in the doorway. A pause. The air seems to fizzle with unspoken emotion, but clings heavy in his throat when he starts to open his mouth to fill the silence. She beats him to it, however.

“So, you’re going it alone then, stranger?”

Stranger. There it is again. The pang of guilt accompanies it once more. They may as well be. He wouldn’t blame her one bit if she considered them strangers after what he said, but these thoughts barely have time it form before she continues:

“What’s been happening these past few days that brings you to this quality establishment so often? You don’t look too good.” Her face remains unreadable as his eyes flit up to take in any expression, any hint at all of what she might be feeling before darting away again.

“Oh, the usual. Working my day job at a little shop near here. Taking in the local pub scene. Exploring the gourmet cuisine offerings. Wonderful nightlife, this place.” The mere thought of the cheap booze and dodgy food he’d been filling the void with the last few days almost sends him reeling back over the toilet, but he manages to bite it back, forcing a tired half-smile instead.

“Oh? Seems like a lovely couple days, by all accounts,” she says. “So what’s got you looking so rough, then, stranger?”

“Well…” he pauses, emotion tightening the back of his throat. A small breath. He composes himself. “I, uh…” his voice starts to catch again, but he presses on. “I lost my best friend.”

The last word comes out strangled and terrible, and for the first time he looks her in the eyes. She holds his gaze, eyes steady and unwavering, until he takes a shuddering breath and breaks away, rubbing his cheek against his shoulder to brush away a tear that spilled out there.

“Oh?” Her voice is gentler this time. “I’m sorry. That sounds difficult.” She’s giving him an opening to talk about what happened without having to confront her, and he takes the opportunity gratefully.

“Yeah,” he laughs wryly, but the sound sticks in his throat and comes out as half a sob. “Yeah, I, uh… I said some things—awful, terrible things—and the second the words left my mouth I wanted to take them back.” A shuddering breath. “But I couldn’t!” Another strangled chuckle, and he shrugs his shoulders a bit. “Because you can’t, ya know? Once they’re out there—“ he gestures vaguely to the empty space between the two of them (it feels so much greater than the meter or two it is in reality) “—there’s no reeling them back in.” Tears start to spill down his face in earnest. A long pause. “I think I really hurt her.” His voice breaks badly, and he looks up once again to meet her measured gaze, if only for a second before a choked sob wracks his frame and his eyes flick down to bore holes in the grimy floorboards.

She stands unmoving, unspeaking, allowing his emotion to fill the silence. When she doesn’t respond, he continues:

“I just—“ He tries to regain composure, and fails. “—just wish I could let her know how sorry I am, but it’s not the kind of sorry that words could ever hope to convey.” He focuses on the floor between them, and one of his hands grips his thigh so hard he’s certain it will leave a mark. Another broken laugh escapes him before he stills and, voice hardly more than a hoarse whisper, adds “But she’s gone now,” allowing himself to re-engage in the context of strangers meeting. “And I don’t know what to do. And I don’t know what to say. And I wouldn’t blame her if she never wanted to talk to me again, but I miss her and I’m just… so sorry.” Another pause as his breath comes in shallow gasps around stifled sobs. “I’m sorry.”

Finally, she moves. Not toward or away from him, but she adjusts her position in the doorframe, shifts her feet a bit, and as he looks up in response, it’s her turn to get to know the floorboards.

“I think,” she starts hesitantly, “that she probably knows. And I think that if she were here, she’d probably tell you that yeah, it hurt. A lot.” Her tone is even, measured, but her eyes betray the pain behind the words. “But I think she’d also say that she cares about you, and even though she needs a little more time, she forgives you.” And for a second, their eyes meet again. Neither of them breathes, neither of them moves, until he turns away to scrub a hand over his face as the tears spill down his cheeks, and coughs harshly when a wet sob catches in his throat. He spits the salty phlegm into the soiled toilet water once the fit ends, and wipes the tears from his eyes again with his sleeve, sniffling.

She closes the distance between them and flushes the toilet, which he had neglected to do after his earlier bout of sickness.

“You know, I think she’d also say to take better care of yourself.” She pulls a handful of tissues out of the box on the tank of the toilet, and presses them into his hand when he reaches up to take them, using her other hand to hold his in place for a moment before releasing it with the tissues. He stares at her for a beat, not processing the fact that tissues had been passed during the brief contact. “And to blow your damn nose,” she added when he remained motionless, shocked by the gentle touch.

He comes back to reality with a soft oh! and rustles the tissues around as she turns on her heel to leave, but stops when she pauses in the doorway. She hesitates for a second.

“I missed you, too,” she says softly. “Don’t do it again,” before leaving the room without a look back.

He hears gentle clattering around their apartment as she starts to pick up the pieces of their life together, and he listens in silence, staying in his place on the bathroom floor a while longer before finally allowing the tears to flow unhindered as he leans back against the wall and brings a shaking hand to his face. He must doze off there after a good long while, because when he awakens he’s still there, slumped awkwardly and painfully against the bathtub, but there’s a blanket around his shoulders, and the box of tissues is on the floor next to him.

#my writing #illness #kind of #what I do know is that this is not supposed to be a romantic pairing #g talks #dacry #angst

[ohdeer-23]

Scar, Survivors, and the Earth.

In the context of just recently (15 min ago) having finished Scar's final Secret Life Episode, and thinking about the "celestial" aspect that some people like to assign to the winners, Scar is, without a doubt, the Earth.

Let's go back to the beginning: - Scar fails his initial task. Grian, ever the Watcher enabler, allows him to re-roll, and allows people to help him with his task. - This never happens again. - His second task is still okay! He has to hype up Pearl, which he succeeds at. It's part of his marketing! Trader Scar's, the new and (mostly) honest plan. He will be better this season. He will make friends and it'll all be okay. - Again, this does not happen. - His next tasks are: take, ignore, hustle, corrupt, and destroy. It is obvious that Scar is not in the Watcher's favor. He broke the rules at the beginning, and he must prove himself to win. We've seen what happens to rulebreakers, but we've also seen what happens to winners: they never enjoy their win, and they always die. Scar breaks this last part. Everyone at the end of Secret Life is afraid, and ready for it to be over. There has been increasingly high tension in the past few sessions, and everyone knows that this is the final few hours. They will die, and many know that they are not the ones who will make it to the end. Weirdly enough, Scar does not fit into this. He doesn't think he'll win, sure, but he's not going to just give up! What would be the point in all the villainy if he gave up now? And so, in his words, he will blend in with everyone, not in any attempt to make friends, but just to survive a little longer.

The worst part about this is, that at the end, through the desperation of everyone else, Scar finally makes friends. He helps Joel and Bdubs. He works with Pearl after her original allies have died. Scott asks, betrayed, why Scar didn't join their group. Scar would have made friends if not for his tasks, which after Session 2, all required isolation. But in the end, at the final stand, Scar has more people on his side than he knows what to do with. He bounces between groups, unsure of where he should stick, or why he should stick anywhere at all. He is about survival. And that is why Scar wins.

Scar wins through a number of factors (Grian's TNT attack on Gem, Gem sacrificing herself for Scott, Pearl purposefully missing a few swings with her sword), but he wins. And, most importantly, after winning, he doesn't die. Standing in that ravine with the realization that he killed Pearl, that he won, he lets the zombie take him down to half a heart, but he lives. He towers up out of the ravine. He does not jump. He makes his way back to the Secret Keeper and says "I succeeded." Scar is the Earth in the way that he keeps going. Scar refuses, now, to lay down and die, to let these games keep ending with a final death. He is surprised that he's won, but he is satisfied that he felt it was fair, that he didn't take lives just for the sake of a win. He distributed them, helped others, wanted to make sure people knew that they were good at the game.

He says to Pearl, when she offers her life to him, "I genuinely don't want to win that much, to kill you for that." People see Scar as a liar, a hustler, and a betrayer - but in the end, Scar is, in a way, justice. He knows what it feels like to give up, and he's not doing that anymore. He refuses to win at the cost of others. He is the planet that supports life, the planet that gives and takes, and he is the ocean that supports and drowns and makes hurricanes and gentle waves. Scar is Earth, because behind the layers of the many facades, he helps. He will win, but not by bringing other people down. He is loyal, but not to a fault.

#gtws #secret life smp #secret life spoilers #trafficblr #deer blahs #god just. it KILLS me how he got down to half a heart. and then didn't die. I was just holding my breath waiting for it and it just didnt? #it never happened and that fucked with me a little bit #we all expected a final death #the last survivor always dies. obviously. #idk but. makes you think.

[mama-qwerty]

Lost and Found - Chap 1

Okay, so in the spirit of full transparency, this is entirely inspired by @appendingfic story Anywhere But Here, in which Tails is adopted by Wade. I’m feeling really self-indulgent lately, so I thought, “What if Knuckles were adopted by Callie instead of the Wachowskis?”

And thus, here we are.

~~~~~

“Bring it in!”

“Yay, hugs!”

Knuckles watched from the side as the fox and hedgehog leaned in for a hug from the two humans. Each participant wore a happy smile, as relief from a positive ending flooded over them. Robotnik had been defeated, the giant robot destroyed. The chaos emeralds Sonic had used to stop the mad doctor were now dispersed to unknown locations across this strange planet.

The danger was over. The doctor gone. Lives had been saved.

And yet, he was not content.

A pull at the back of his mind made him turn, and he stared at the shattered remains of the Master Emerald. Tiny green shards of crystal lay in a heap near the battered hulk of the vehicle the humans had been driving as they rescued Sonic.

It was gone. His life’s quest. The only thing that gave him purpose. Gave him a reason to keep moving. Keep fighting. The one thing that was supposed to restore the honor of his fallen tribe. Gone. Shattered. Lost. It was lost.

He had lost.

The echidna turned back to the little group, and let out a long sigh through his nose. They laughed and exchanged more hugs, and the humans seemed especially relieved that Sonic was safe. A happy ending for them, it would seem.

Not so for him.

They didn’t even seem to notice him missing.

He supposed it was fitting. What was he to them, after all? An adversary? A reluctant ally? Something else? Even he wasn’t sure of his status to any of the others. His place in this world, or their lives. He was a warrior, proud and brave, and had been since his tribe fell. It was all he knew.

Yet, now, he felt embarrassed and ashamed. He was the one who had led the madman known as Robotnik back to this planet. To the Master Emerald. He was the cause of all that had happened. Had he simply left Robotnik on the mushroom planet, the Master Emerald would still be hidden and intact, and this town would not be partially destroyed.

His blind pursuit of that gem had caused so much trouble. Not just here, not just for the people of this town, this planet, but in his entire journey to get here. Finding the Emerald was all he had wanted. All that had mattered. Everything he’d done as he searched had been justified as necessary to complete his quest.

Now he wondered just how righteous his actions truly were.

The hedgehog and others separated now, and spoke quietly between themselves. Knuckles didn’t have to hear what they said to know the context. The danger was over, and now it was time to determine what’s next.

Sonic seemed to have a home here, with the humans. Knuckles didn’t know the fox, but had no doubt the others would see to his safety. He seemed a smart child, with much bravery. His distraction in the robot had been invaluable to allow Knuckles the chance to separate the Master Emerald from Robotnik.

Thought of the Emerald made Knuckles look back once more at the broken gem. There was still that feeling in the back of his mind, that pull, but he ignored it as nothing more than the fading remnant of his life-long quest. He’d spent so long looking for the Emerald, it was hard to believe it was gone. He’d never even had a chance to actually take it into his own hands.

His people’s legacy, their destiny. Gone. All because of him.

With another sigh, Knuckles turned and ran into the forest surrounding the town. He thought he heard the hedgehog calling his name, but ignored it. With no portal rings, Knuckles was stuck here. And he was sure he would not be welcomed, or comfortable, in the company of those he had attacked just hours before.

So Knuckles the Echidna ran. Into the forest, into the trees that reminded him so much of his home. Of his village. His tribe.

He had failed his heritage. Failed the single most important quest of his tribe. And in doing so, had brought even more dishonor to his people.

Tears burned his eyes, and he blinked them away as he ran faster.

~X~X~X~

“Where’s he going?” Sonic asked, taking a few steps in the direction Knuckles had gone. “I’m gonna go talk to him.”

He pulled back in preparation to run when a hand fell on his shoulder. Looking up, Sonic found Tom going to one knee next to him.

“Maybe you oughta let him go, bud,” the sheriff said, glancing in the direction the echidna had fled. “Maybe he needs some time alone.”

Sonic shook his head. “But he’s been alone all his life. Ever since that day back on my planet. He doesn’t have to be alone now. He shouldn’t be alone now.”

“He’s a warrior, Sonic,” Tails said, pulling his backpack from beneath some rubble. “Maybe he likes being alone. He’s been on his own for a long time, taking care of himself. Maybe . . . maybe he doesn’t really know how to be with others anymore.”

Sonic looked between the fox and Tom, before turning back to scan the trees for any sign of the echidna. He could see where they were coming from—he himself didn’t know Knuckles all that well in all honesty—and it was possible the older boy really didn’t want to ‘join the family’ so to speak. Maybe the echidna really was better off on his own. He’d been on the run for a long time, and going from ‘tough warrior fighting for his life’ to ‘family time’ might not be something he was capable of, or even interested in.

Still . . . something poked at the back of Sonic’s mind. The sadness he’d heard in Knuckles’ voice when he spoke of his father. The look on his face back on the island, after Robotnik had stolen the Emerald. The way he had eagerly joined Sonic and Tails and worked together to fight. It really felt to Sonic that Knuckles wanted that connection. That sense of belonging.

But if that were the case, why had he run away?

The hedgehog heaved a sigh, and shook his head. “I guess I can’t force him to stay if he doesn’t want to. I just hope he’ll be okay.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Tails said as he walked over to the pile of Emerald shards. He passed his electric device over them, and furrowed his brow. “These shards seem to still be emitting some chaos energy. Strange.”

“We can’t just leave them here, then,” Sonic said, hands on hips. “We’ll take them with us. Keep ‘em safe.”

“Right.” Tails carefully scooped the shards into his backpack, making sure to collect each and every one.

“Right!” Maddie called, clapping her hands together. “I think after all this excitement, we’re due some food and ice cream!”

“YES!” Sonic cried, pumping a fist into the air. “I’m starving!”

“Off we go then,” Tom said, herding his family toward town.

~X~X~X~

Knuckles sighed as he made another loop around the town, well-hidden within the trees of the forest surrounding it. He’d lost count of how many times he’d circled the place in the two days since the Robotnik fight. Getting his bearings. Watching from the shadows.

Many large black vehicles moved in and out of town, as a group of humans dressed in black uniforms disassembled and removed the giant robot Robotnik had created with the Master Emerald. He didn’t know who they were, but the feeling he got around town was even the other humans weren’t happy they were there. These new humans behaved a little like warriors, but seemed more interested in keeping secrets than protecting the weak.

Knuckles made sure to avoid them.

In his numerous circuits around town, he’d come to know what places to avoid. One property on the south side had a number of barking animals, who would growl and snap whenever he moved past. To the north was an old man, whose metal home was surrounded by traps of all kinds. Dealing with these two areas was more trouble than they were worth, so Knuckles simply gave each property a wide berth as he passed them.

To the west was the home of Sonic. The large hole Knuckles had caused in the back of the house, as well as the destroyed shed and fence, all dredged up feelings of guilt and embarrassment. What a fool he’d been. Not only for trusting some strange human he’d found on another planet, but also for attacking the hedgehog without warning. Hardly an honorable way for a warrior to behave. But he’d been so blinded by the possibility of his quest finally coming to an end, of finding the Master Emerald, he’d reacted without thinking. It seemed a trait he’d developed during his travels. A bad habit.

Now it would seem the humans taking care of Sonic had taken the fox in as well. He’d seen them outside, cleaning the damage he’d caused, during his numerous passes. His heart had clenched slightly at the sight. While Knuckles was glad the fox had found a safe place, the fact that he had no place to similarly call his was like a knife in his heart. He had no home, or way off this planet.

But then again, where would he go if he could leave? Back to his empty village? Return to roaming the galaxy, where any fighter eager to make a name for themselves would challenge him? He’d gained quite the reputation as the ‘most dangerous warrior in the galaxy’, and, for better or for worse, that would follow him wherever he went. Essentially paint a target on his back. He would never be able to lower his guard. Ever.

Being stuck on a backwater planet where no one knew him was actually preferable to a life of endless fighting. Especially now, when his reason for fighting was no more.

So he kept moving. Making countless circles around this isolated town.

On the east side of town sat a house that he found himself drawn back to, time and time again. The property itself wasn’t significant in any way—it looked to Knuckles like most other houses on the outskirts of town—but the occupant drew his attention. A woman with long red hair, nearly the same color as his own fur. He’d seen her outside in the evenings, humming to herself. He didn’t recognize the melody, but the feel of the song, as well as the serene surroundings he found himself in, reminded him of his childhood. Of the women of his village, singing as they performed the daily chores.

Sitting in the trees hugging his knees to his chest, watching as her red hair shone in the fading sunlight, hearing her soft hum as she moved around her garden or sat on her deck . . . it all made him terribly homesick. He missed his home. His family. His tribe. He hadn’t given himself the luxury of thinking about it in his travels, but now, when he had nothing but time on his hands, he realized how lonely he was.

Knuckles closed his eyes, letting her music wash over him.

Sometimes it helped him forget where he was. Sometimes, it made him feel like that child he once was, watching the warriors of his village train. Watching his father stand tall as he instructed the others. He remembered the feeling of pride, of excitement as he thought of when it would be his turn to join them. His turn to become a noble warrior of his tribe. He had been too young then. His father had told him that next planting would be his time to start his warrior’s journey. And Knuckles had been so impatient to start. To be like his papa.

And then they’d gotten word of the owl warrior’s location. Nearly the entire tribe had gone to do battle. None had returned. He’d gone to investigate when a full day had passed, and found evidence of a battle, but nothing else.

No one else.

He was the last. The absolute last of his kind. When he finally went to the Great Battlefield in the Sky, would anyone remember him? Miss him? Or would that simply mean the great echidna warriors his people had been would be regulated to a footnote in history? A subject of myth and legends. A people spoken about in passing, as though they were simply folklore and not real individuals who’d had dreams and lives of their own.

The thought saddened him. No one would remember. He’d made a name for himself in his short life as a warrior, the most dangerous in the galaxy. But was that truly how he wanted to be remembered? The echidna were an honorable and proud people. They fought for a purpose. Not for fun. For thrills. For notoriety. He’d done things he wasn’t proud of in the name of his people’s quest. Had he inadvertently tarnished the echidnas honor in his desire to finish the one quest they held most dear?

He huffed a breath through his nose and lowered his forehead to his knees. Too many thoughts. They were too big. Too powerful. It hurt his heart to think that the mighty echidna line would end with him. Dishonored. Forgotten. Alone.

With a soft grunt, Knuckles abruptly stood and moved through the trees. Sitting still let his mind wander and ruminate over things he couldn’t change. Couldn’t control.

But he could control his body. His focus. So he walked, starting yet another lap around the town.

~X~X~X~

The sound of something moving through the trees near her house drew Callie’s attention, and she turned, squinting into the darkness. Whatever it was sounded bigger than a squirrel, but not large enough to be a bear. (Thank goodness.) But still, it sounded . . . heavy. Solid. And its gait sounded bipedal. Like a person.

She’d heard this a few times over the past couple days, and in the beginning, it freaked her out a little bit. Living away from town was nice in some ways—it was quieter, and she could see the stars better—but in terms of safety, it was a toss up. She’d never had a problem with burglars or intruders, but the wildlife could be a bit . . . well, intrusive. One particular raccoon seemed to have crowned himself king of her deck and she’d had to give him a good swat of ‘encouragement’ to hit the bricks with the business end of her broom on numerous occasions.

But this newcomer was odd. It made no sound or calls that she could determine, and its bipedal nature was strange. She supposed it could be some person wandering through, but it had been a few days and it was still out there. And she didn’t exactly live in the heart of town—if it were some hitchhiker or backpacker, they would have had to take quite the detour off the main road to get to her property in the first place. And why stick around?

And there was something else.

She never really got a good look at whatever it was that was stalking

(no, don’t say stalking, that’s just too creepy)

visiting her, but she did manage to get a brief glimpse of the thing moving around. It appeared to stand upright, and had what looked like red fur. She caught a flash of white as well, which swung back and forth as the . . . well, whatever it was, moved.

Now Callie listened as the strange something moved away, the sound of snapping branches and crunching leaves fading into the distance. Despite the understandably off-putting feeling of being watched, she didn’t really feel like she was in any danger. If the thing wanted to hurt her, it would have by now.

Well, that was the theory she was going with, anyway. It seemed logical and left her mind at ease instead of running like a runaway train with visions of being torn limb from limb by some rabid mountain lion.

Uttering a thoughtful hum, the redhead headed back inside her house, thoughts of supper overtaking the curiosity of her strange visitor.

~X~X~X~

The next morning, Callie sat before her computer at the front desk of the Green Hills library. Her mind wandered back to her mysterious visitor, as it did more often as the days wore on. Something about it, and the very tiny glimpse she’d caught of it, poked at the back of her mind.

As if the universe were tossing her a bone, Sonic and Tails walked through the front doors then. The little fox carried the books he’d checked out just a few days ago, a little smile on his face.

“Hey, little man,” she greeted, leaning on the counter as the kit placed the books there. “You can’t be done with those already.”

“They were so interesting!” the boy cried, a wide smile on his muzzle. “C-can I look at some more?”

“Of course!” Callie said with a smile, waving him toward the science section. “They’re not here just to look pretty. Have at it, kiddo.”

The kit gave a happy squeal and zipped down the aisle. Sonic smiled and gave his head a little shake while following, before Callie held a hand out to him.

“Hang on, Sonic. Can I talk to you sec?”

The blue boy paused, a questioning look on his face. “Sure. What’s up?”

“You said you had help bringing down Robotnik? Another boy . . . what was his name?”

Sonic’s face fell slightly at that, and the redhead wondered if she’d hit a nerve somehow.

“Knuckles the Echidna. At first he was helping Robotnik, but only because Eggman had lied to him. When he found out he was tricked, he helped us get the Master Emerald away from Captain Crazypants and save the town.”

“He didn’t happen to be red, did he?”

The hedgehog blinked, an eyebrow raising. “How did you know that?”

“I think he may be skulking around in my trees, for whatever reason.”

A combination of shock and excitement lit Sonic’s face. “He’s still here?? I thought he left!”

The librarian shrugged. “I’m not completely sure it’s him, but there’s some . . . thing wandering around in my part of the forest the past few days. If it is him, any idea what he’s doing?”

“Not a clue. He ran off right after the Robotnik fight.”

Callie gave a little hum as she absorbed this information, just as Tails came around the bookshelf, two new books in his arms, and his ears flicked back. The redhead cocked an eyebrow at him. She may not know a lot about these specific creatures, but she knew a look of anxiety when she saw one.

“What’s with the ears, kiddo? Something wrong?”

The kit flicked his eyes to Sonic, before ducking his head a little. “Knuckles can be dangerous. Be careful if he’s hanging around your house.”

“Dangerous?”

Sonic turned to the kit, his brows furrowed. “Tails, he helped us take down Robotnik. He’s not a bad guy.”

“He’s the most dangerous warrior in the galaxy, Sonic,” Tails said, returning the furrowed brow. “You don’t know the stories I’ve heard about him.”

The hedgehog waved a dismissive hand. “Oh those types of stories are usually 10% truth and 90% exaggeration. Trust me.”

Tails frowned, dropping his new books on the counter. “One story says he single-handedly took on an entire army and toppled a kingdom.”

Sonic rolled his eyes. “Oh come on. You really think that’s possible?”

“Another says he took down a giant monster, twenty times his size.”

“Meaning it was probably only about twice his size.”

The kit grit his teeth, obviously frustrated Sonic wasn’t taking this seriously. “He challenged the reigning champion in a gladiator type of death match and WON.”

Sonic paused. “Okay, that one’s probably true.”

Callie had been watching this back and forth like a tennis match, and now held up her hand. “Okay, hold on. Is this kid dangerous or not? I don’t want some aggressive space echidna wandering around my yard.”

The hedgehog pulled his lips tight, casting his eyes to the side as he thought. “I guess, if you wanna get technical, he has the potential of being dangerous. When Robotnik made him attack me, he punched me right through a couple walls of my house. He’s strong. Like, Incredible Hulk strong.”

“And angry,” Tails added, his namesakes curling around him. “He always looks like he’s angry.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that one,” Sonic said, nodding. “Dude’s one big ball of rage.”

“But he helped you when he realized he was on the wrong side, right?” Callie asked, crossing her arms before her. “When it was clear Robotnik used him?”

Sonic nodded. “He seemed really upset that Robotnik had lied to him. I think he blamed himself for leading Eggman to the Master Emerald.”

Tails tilted his head to the side. “He did seem pretty determined to get the Emerald away from Robotnik.”

Callie chewed her cheek as she thought about this. Assuming the mysterious being wandering her woods was this Knuckles kid, he sounded . . . unpredictable. He could be dangerous. He was incredibly strong. He may or may not have anger issues.

She wasn’t sure she liked what she was hearing.

“What’s his connection to this Master Emerald?” she asked, brow furrowed. “Seems like he was pretty intent on finding it. Why?”

Sonic sighed. “Long story short, a long time ago his people used the M.E. to cause trouble, and the Owl Warriors fought them to take it back. The owls hid it on Earth to keep it out of the echidna’s hands, and the echidna fought the owls for generations to find it. Knuckles said it was their ‘destiny’ to get it back and restore their honor.”

“Woof,” Callie said, cringing. “That’s a pretty big responsibility for a kid. Where’s the Emerald now?”

“It shattered during the fight,” Tails said with a shrug. “We’ve got the pieces at home, but . . .” He shrugged again. “It’s gone.”

“Double woof. That’s gotta hurt.”

“Can you call me next time you see him?” Sonic said, giving her puppy-dog eyes. “I really need to talk to him.”

Callie pulled her lips into a tight line. “I dunno, Sonic. I’d think if he wanted to talk to you he’d find you himself. This isn’t exactly a big town.”

“C’mon, please Cal? The guy’s all alone here. He needs a friend.”

The hedgehog’s pleading look didn’t normally work so effectively on her, but right now, when the well-being of another kid hung in the balance, it seemed more powerful. Callie gave a little sigh and rolled her eyes.

“Alright. I’ll let you know if I see him again.”

Sonic pumped a fist into the air before pulling it back to his chest. “Yes,” he hissed, and flashed her a wide smile. “I swear he’s not a bad guy. A little angry, a bit gullible, but overall he does what he thinks is right.”

“Uh huh. I’ll take that under advisement.” Callie turned to Tails. “You ready to check out, little floof?” The kit nodded, a small smile on his lips. “Okay then. Let’s get you on your way.”

Tails checked out his books, while Sonic programmed his number into Callie’s cell. The librarian wasn’t sure how her evening would go, but she anticipated a little confrontation with the echidna who may or may not be roaming around her trees.

#sonic fanfiction #knuckles the echidna #sonic the hedgehog #my writing #callie macpherson #knuckles macpherson #tails the fox #sonic movie 2

[x-is-bored]

I've neen thinking a lot about Steven Universe lately, so if you don't want to see any of that just keep on scrolling (This drags on for quite a while)

So what I'm about to type is mostly about Lapis and Peridot and their whole dynamic because I saw something that I can not stop thinking about. I was scrolling through TikTok (a horrible mistake I now realize) and I saw a Lapis and Peridot edit, and it wasn't bad, but the description of the video really got me thinking. It said that they (the original poster) couldn't believe that The Crystal Gems would leave Peridot in "an isolated area" with Lapis, who "hated her guts just a few seconds ago and then abruptly became all blushy" and that their relationship wasn't healthy because there was a "Power Dynamic" and Peridot apparently respects gems that have a higher authority then her on Homeworld (the example they used was the episode with Amethyst during Peri's big character arc). Now, for what ever reason, I have not been able to stop thinking about this and coming up with rebuttals to it in my head, so I thought why not let the internet hear these thoughts of mine.

Peridot is in an isolated area and can not leave

No??????? We are shown time and time again that the barn is very easily accesible to The Crystal Gems (Ex: Steven warping to the barn to stop Lapis from breaking Peridot's tablet when she thinks Steven is trapped inside of it) and we are also shown that Peridot is fully capable of using the warps (Ex: Beta). According to Peridot's Twitter she is fully aware of what a car is (Presumabley because she was hit by one). Now this seems like a very odd and random detail to bring up, until you realize there is likely no roads for miles at the barn, so she was in a situation where she was on a road away from the barn. Also, in the episode Too Short to Ride, the first shot is Peridot in Steven's house, without Lapis, So the idea that Peridot is trapped with our favorite water themed gem is just flat out wrong. Peridot also has full agency over her life and where she chooses live, if she wants to not be around Lapis she has the full ability to do so, but she doesn't, she wants to live with her in the barn. The show has told us multiple times now that she is very quick to assume that something is "a weapon" or out to get her in some way so if she feels safe, it's 90% likely that she is. Also the gems aren't stupid, if they feel like something will go wrong or that there is a problem they'll try their best to help both Lapis and Peridot in their whole Barnmate situation.

2. Lapis hated Peridot's guts a few seconds ago and is now all blushy

Now admittedly, yes it does appear like that with absolutley zero context of who Lapis is as a character. This is the kind of opinion someone would have if they turned on their TV while this episode was airing, watched the bit where Peridot is trying to win Lapis' affection, went to the bathroom after Lapis broke Peri's tape recorder and came back after Steven talked with Lapis. The reason Lapis asks Peridot "Are you okay?" isn't because she's some unstable gem that is constantlly flip-flopping between love and hate, she's trying to do what Steven asked her to do, get to know the Peridot that Steven knows, not the one Lapis met. ALSO she has an absolutley justifiable reason to "hate her guts". Lapis has spent thousands of years trapped in a mirror being used as some kind of informant, and then left alone and discarded, not able to move or do anything, the only thing she could do was watch the stars move. And when she's finally free and tries to fly back to her Homeworld she is taken captive AGAIN and used as an informant AGAIN. And after their plan goes awry, the other gem who kidnapped her fuses with her to harm the one person she actually cares about on this lousy gem-forsaken planet. And so, in a moment of deep panic and hurt she traps both her and her captor at the bottom of the ocean because she feels like if she doesn't, Steven will get hurt. And after months and months of back and forth in a horrifically damagingand draining power struggle, she's finally free and ready to live a life on Earth with Steven, and then all of a sudden your current best friend (the child) says that you're going to be living with one of the two gems who dragged you back to the planet you so desperatley tried to escape from? I'd be pretty peeved too. Lapis is a very emotional gem, she blushes at Peridot's smile because A: It's adorable, and B: She just realized that she asked if Peridot was okay and is embarassed that Peridot knows that she, in some level, for Steven's sake, is starting to care about Peridot. She isn't some unstable danger to everyone around her who's an irredeemable monster, she's a deeply traumatized PTSD ridden being who has made mistakes before, but is trying her best to find a little comfort in the life she's choosing to live.

3. Peridot has high respect for gems that are deemed higher then her by Homeworld standards and is in an unhealthy power dynamic with Lapis

The specific quote from the description is as follows "I swear, people forget the power dynamic these two have, Lapis is a high ranking gem, and we know how Peridot gets around people she deem as higher ranking (cough cough amethyst)". I have been trying to be as kind as possible while dissecting this description, if I let my emotions get in the way of the genuine facts this essay will become an all caps angry ramble session. But this is the stupidest thing I have ever read. Sure, in the episode Too Far (the episode the original poster is referring to with the Amethyst comment) and through most of her arc, Peridot is shown to have preexisting prejudices about gems and their values. And we do know for a fact that back on Homeworld Peridot's were deemed lower then Lapis Lazuli's, but this person is implying that the reason that Peridot is trying to impress Amethyst is because she's "Higher Ranking" back on Homeworld, when that simply isn't the case. She's trying to become Amethyst's friend, she thinks she's cool and has a genuine apprectiation for her. All too often I see people state that Peridot "is afraid of Lapis" when she isn't, she's trying her best to be considerate to her friend and Barnmate. During the time period when "Barnmates" takes place, Peridot has nearly fully wrapped up her character arc. She no longer has respect for someone just because of how highly they may be ranked on some stupid arbitrary ranking system, and there is one episode that perfectly demonstrates that fact. Season Two, Episode 24, "Message Recieved". In this episode Peridot has a direct line to Yellow Diamond, one of the four three Dictators of the planet and society she comes from, quite literally the top of the top. And when Peridot is directly speaking to her she gets into an argument with Yellow over the fate of the Earth, this all bubbles up to this exchange. Yellow Diamond: "What do you know about the Earth!?" Peridot: "Apparently more than you, you CLOD!" This one insult marks the completion of Peridot's character arc, she would never have even thought about saying this to Jasper when they first got to the Earth (who, by the way wasn't even higher ranking then her on their specific mission, she was an escort to Peridot). Now she's yelling at the Luminous Yellow Diamond and calling her a clod. Peridot could not care less about how high a gem may be ranked back on Homeworld. The statement from the description suggests that Peridot's whole arc never even happened, she's just a nice little green triangle who is constantly walking around eggshells when talking to literally anyone. Peridot is not trapped in some unhealthy relationship with a gem she can't escape from. She has a new found lease on life and wants to be friends with someone who she deems to be underestimating and assuming the worst of her. Lapis isn't some terrible abusive monster who is tricking the crystal gems into leaving her alone with Peridot. She now has no need to be scared and is ready to attempt a genuine connection with someone else, they've both done bad things in the past, but they're ready to move past those things to become better.

In conclusion, they are silly, great, and lovable. The end.

#Steven Universe #Peridot #Lapis Lazuli #Hoooo boy #That was much longer than I thought it would be

[lusi-raul]

session 2 secret life alliances when?? /nf

Omg soon soon… I haven’t watched all povs so I’m going off of context clues rn. I’ll post later after I’ve watched most if not all povs

As of now watching gem, pearl, cleo and martyn’s povs nothing has drastically changed in terms of alliances but we did confirm Joel to be part of the mounders

Bdubs has once again been adopted by his parents (more like forcibly moving back into and mooching off of his parents house) so Bdubs might be in two alliances

Jimmy and Martyn have been on very good terms even after Martyn tricking Jimmy into burning his house so maybe they’ll form an alliance very soon.

Joel started a cult of the mound with mumbo and martyn as followers (or maybe founded with mumbo i’ll have to watch his pov to know)

Idk what Grian’s been upto, he’s not appeared much on the povs I’ve watched

Scar has been too busy with kidnapping bringing people to pearl’s base on a camel but I’ll still have to watch his pov to see if he’s made some alliances

The Gem and the Scotts has got good alliance/relationship with the Heart Foundation and the Besties Etho&Cleo because of their greatest asset, their enchantment table

Cleo and the heart foundation officialize their breakup with scar as the witness

Right now the roommates duo has got a kill list for causing trouble for Cleo for sesssion 2 which is mumbo, grian, bigb (forgiven in exchange for the gifted heart), and of course the heart foundation.

That’s all I remember for now… I’ll make another post summarizing all session 2 alliances, formed or broken once I’ve watched session 2 from as many perspectives as I have time for lol

#life series #traffic life #secret life #mcyt

[izzythefox]

aftg x barbie (hear me out)

in honor of the barbie 2023 movie i’ve been marathoning the early/mid 2000’s classics (swan lake, princess & the pauper, iykyk) and naturally i started thinking, what if we made it aftg? O_o

now i cannot write for the life of me so this is just a collection of ideas and headcanons - if there are any other early barbie turned aftg fans, this one's for you

Magic of Pegasus AU

MoP is such an underrated film, its one of the only ones where the main couple doesn’t immediately fall for each other so all the banter and the sass is -immaculate-

the hardest part in casting this one was figuring out who’s gonna be the horse… like someone’s gotta do it. first i thought andrew & aaron as annika & brietta for the twinyard solidarity but neil gives me such annika vibes - i will elaborate - so kevin, sweet prince, its time for u to sprout some wings

So we have Neil as the prince, master figure skater that i’ve now decided he is, goes into town where he’s propositioned by Riko, evil/bastard sorcerer, that if he doesn’t marry him in 3 days everyone in the kingdom is forever turned to stone. alas, he’s rescued by the mysterious stallion that is kevin (im so sorry to the kevin stans out there) to bring him to Cloud Kingdom as a refuge. like in the movie, we find out kevin was once offered the same deal from riko, only when he refused, he was turned into a horse :/

idk if allison or dan would be the cloud queen, they both could fit the role tbh, and maybe matt & renee are their knights? (i’m imagining renee as this valkyrie-type warrior, she’s just so cool)

Cloud Queen, let's say Allison, tells Neil about building the wand of light to break the spell and I can just imagine his face

Allison: Yeah, there’s this legend of a wand, we don’t know if it’s real, and you just have to find a measure of courage, ring of love, and gem of ice lit by hopes eternal flame :D

Neil: you want me to do what

but at his core, he wants to protect his people so ofc he’s gonna do it. Neil & Kevin set off for the Forbidden Forest where in comes Andrew as Aidan. when i tell you annika and aidan are so andreil-coded, like the script literally writes itself!!!

*for context, Neil & Kevin got caught in a rope trap*

Andrew: Tell me, who’s bright idea was it to come to here? Only fools come to the Forbidden Forest.

Neil: And yet, you’re here. :)))))

LIKE CMONNNN neil would absolutely antagonize the very person who clearly has the advantage, it just works.

the whole scene with neil in the giant’s hut outsmarting ollie by taunting him to chain himself to a tree and break free, it fits so well and just to see andrew’s reaction at the end, (”you’re braver than i thought…”) yessir

they recruit andrew, as he’s a blacksmith, to later put the wand together and the parallels in their relationship, the whole thing about needing a second chance to set things right - chef’s kiss.

we can skip over some of the middle plot, there’s a lot of traveling and banter that i could probably talk about all day but cut to the scene where they finally assemble the wand and reverse the spell on Kevin, can u picture for me:

Andrew: That looks good on you, Kevin.

Kevin: Shut up.

thank you.

it gets real juicy from here, once Neil & Kevin and Andrew dramatically part ways (he really doesn’t want to leave them on their own) Riko comes back around for the attack. they fall into the ravine, neil is fucking -pissed- bc no one hurts Kevin like that again and orders the wand to destroy Riko but, gasp, it doesnt work?? neil is desperate at this point, he says fine Riko i’ll marry you but Riko is all bitch you just tried to kill me, how about I just kill you…and buries him under an avalanche

the angst, the beautiful angst of Andrew coming back in on Kevin alone in the ravine because where is neil? this snarky prince who gets under his skin but is also so smart and understands him? they dig neil out from where riko trapped him under an avalanche and just.. “I never should’ve left you”. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

when they’re back in the cloud kingdom and neil is still unconscious:

Andrew, internally: Please wake up, please. I need you.

check me into the ward rn bc i am unheathily obsessed with this.

Neil wakes up, but lo and behold its sunset on the third day. Renee, matt, and dan try to prolong the sunset for neil bc now these are also his people and they’re not gonna let him suffer. We get a fun scene with neil and andrew ice skating their way through Riko’s big mountain, palace, thing.. even in the movie they just love one-upping each other.

we get to the climax where neil has recovered the ‘broken’ wand from Riko’s lair but the gem falls off the cliff (neil would never fumble like that but for the sake of plot, i digress). enter andrew with the second gem he secretly took earlier!! because he’s willing to give up his second chance to make sure neil gets his!!! they undo all of Riko’s spells and cue the very barbie-esque speech that the wand can only work out of love, never hate <3

Neil returns the wand to the Cloud Kingdom for safe keeping and u know, that blacksmith from earlier seems to be real fond of forever staying by his side~

This has gotten pretty long now that i go back thru it lol and this may be for a very niche audience- i’m not sure if i’ve seen any aftg MoP au’s but i just love the concept and merging my old hyperfixations with new ones has been super fun

i would share more of these with other barbie movies but i’m also kinda new to this so lmk which ones were ur favorite or what u think!

#aftg #aftg headcanon #andreil #aftg x barbie #part 1??

[cryptid-bird]

Reading An Old Fic

I'm reading an old Gorillaz fic that I wrote years ago, and it's so unintentionally funny in some parts. For context, 2D fucking. Dies. That's the plot. He's a ghost now. The story is mostly angst, so the random bits of humor is like getting smacked in the face. The story overall is not bad, it's just weird that I did that! If I had finished this, it could have been close to a novel length.

Highlights of the story:

The chapter names include such gems:

Drink To Forget Your Problems.

Great, This House Is Fuckin' Haunted.

Talking To Your Dead Friend Around Your Adopted Daughter Can Be Super Awkward

Play Video Games To Forget Your Crippling Depression.

Summon Satan To Help Deal With Your Problems Instead Of Facing Them Like An Adult.

Don’t Starve Shipwrecked Basically

I can sense a theme with some of these.

Murdoc gets in an elevator with a white suburban family. He has an inverted cross around his neck and blood on him (from an injury). It's awkward

2D uses his ghost powers to make Murdoc's shower ice cold.

After a very dramatic scene: “What’cha doin’?” Stuart asked. He sounded bored and alone. 

“Running from my problems.” Murdoc responded.

Taxi Driver: “My friends would be stoked to hear this, they’re big fans.” 

Murdoc: “I always love fans. Tell ‘em I said that my bed can always fit one more person.”

2D calls Murdoc a murderer for being partly responsible for his demise (even though it was unintentional). Murdoc denies being a murderer. 2D is like "I have a law degree!!", which is funny to me. Why does he have that

EMI Records calls Murdoc during an angsty scene and threatens to hold him hostage until he can tell them where 2D is. When he says he will get his lawyers involved, they tell him "We're a billion dollar company, we can do whatever we want"

2D meets a blind woman who can hear him. She doesn't know he is a ghost and doesn't get the memo. She's like "We all feel invisible sometimes. It's ok"

Russel: “I know you’re in there you green piece of shit”. 

Noodle is unable to ship her sword, but is somehow able to ship herself, a whole human, through FedEx. This is never addressed.

Murdoc plans to murder a child to bring 2D back from the dead. He can't bring himself to. He kills someone else instead by being bisexual at a club. This chapter is called: Murder For A Good Cause. The man he brings back is actually from the Black Cloud and attacks Murdoc first.

A line from the story, out of context: "It would just be plain awkward, like having sex with your best friend watching, except he and 2D weren't friends." 

(More under the cut)

Noodle: “Uhuh. Well, I’m going out to go get some dinner. If I come back and anything is wrong I won’t hesitate to harm you.” she threatened. 

Murdoc: “I know that! Enjoy your dinner!” he called as he dragged the corpse away to clear space. 

2D finds Murdoc drawing a pentagram next to a dead body and is like "WHAT THE FUCK"

“There’s a dead body on the floor-” Stu pointed out, but was interrupted by Murdoc.

“Stop pointing out the obvious.”

“So you slit his throat?” 

“What else did you expect me to do? Kindly show him the door?” 

This scene:

He pricked his finger, allowing a drop of blood to fall into the solution. He felt a strange tingling sensation, and the very next thing he knew he was standing in the oh so familiar underworld. 

He was in a building. The roof was high up and was supported by towering beams. On the beams were torches lit with hot flames. They were the only light in the room. 

A large demon paced back and forth. He seemed angry. “For the last time, I don’t want your car insurance! I don’t even have a car! How did you get this number?!” he paused, listening to what the person on the other line had to say. “At least I’m not going to have an early death! Have fun in Hell!” he swiftly hung up. It seemed he was unaware of his company until Murdoc cleared his throat.

And this:

“It’s you. You don’t remember our deal? You specifically asked for your band to never die. Your friend did, but because of our deal his soul remains. Well, ta-ta! I’m off to my meeting. Hell can’t run itself.”

If you want to read all of what I've written, let me know and I can upload the rest on ao3. I've already published some of it on there. I will not finish it, I'll just give you what I've already done.

#this story is emotional whiplash #gorillaz #2d gorillaz #murdoc niccals #stuart pot #russel hobbs #noodle gorillaz #fanfic #i speak

[luimagines]

Hello, never done this before but I think you're an awesome person, thank you for all of the wonderful scenarios and headcanons so far and I hope you're doing good today! ^^

Ah! And before I forget, may I raise an question? I saw that so far we have Demigod Reader, Hero of Farore Reader, Modern Reader, Percy Jackson Reader, Greek and Chinese Mythology Reader, Mulan Reader, Evil Reader, Fairy Tail Reader and now Persona Reader, I wanted to know your thoughts on Land of the Lustrous Gem Reader if you'd be willing to share?

Some context first of all, Land of the Lustrous is basically a series that would be like if you threw BOTW vibes with a good dose of existentialism like Nier Automata and cute/beautiful personified jewel beings called gems that are gender neutral in general, humanlike life is gone and now there's only them left on the world, they have hair and eyes that's literally like a jewel as well and are functionally immortal unless they're completely ground to dust as they don't really need to eat or anything, just stay in the sun for a while to get energy (hence why the gems are also called Lustrous), sure they can break, but if they find material that's compatible or their own parts with them they can just fix themselves by putting them back together either by themselves or with the help of their caretaker called Sensei or a Gem Doctor specialized in doing so, at best it's a minor inconvenience for them. Their lives are pretty peaceful in general, each one having their own job in accordance to how hard they are on the mohs scale (since gems lower on the scale usually shatter more easily, so they take on more supporting roles like sewing, making weapons etc) except they need to fight people that come from the moon that are attracted by their shine and steal them away to the moon, never to be seen again except as maybe jewelry or decoration the next time they attack to kidnap more gems, which the gems that can usually use as an opportunity to try and get their comrades and partners back, although the opportunity window between attacks can stretch from a few days to a few millennia so it's very rare for them to get all of the pieces back.

Anyway, I was thinking maybe this version of Reader (whose gem type can be up in the air, although I myself find it hysterical in a sad way if they're either Sunset Sapphire, whose color kind of looks like Midna's hair which would probably give Twilight all sorts of flashbacks since their eyes would probably match that scheme, any blue gem could remind Sky of Fi and Warriors of Lana, white haired gems could probably match Cia depending on which style they wear and any green gem could probably bring memories up of Saria to Time, it's a bit of a slippery slope) could probably have had the historian role after retiring from battling after possibly losing their gem partner, taking up mentorship of the other new gems and even finding one they particularly are protective of since they found them after forming first, kind of like a sibling relationship (this world's version of Little Link? Maybe he could be Amber). Until one day the moon people attack and in the confusion their little sibling gets shattered and almost taken by the moon people and Gem Reader is just Not Having It and, for the first time in years get their sword, fight in a way that's possitively ballistic against a moon person that looks suspiciously similar to Ganon design wise and managed to get their sibling back, but get shattered themselves and are thus taken to the moon in their place and Farore from wherever she is and looking at the Chain, then at the Reader, then back at the Chain, then back at Reader again decides "You know what, if Hylia could do it with the sentient sword then I get to do it too! Helps that this little fella is neat, the boys could use some spiteful and effective back up on The Quest." And just steals the Reader's pieces, put them back together, probably change a few things up so they can repair themselves in a new world and then throw them as nearby the Chain during a perilous situation as she can without waiting to hear anyone's opinion about it.

Fi, from within the sword and seeing the boys are in a bit of a bind and while she favors them some more than the others she doesn't want any of them to die or get grievously injured, suddenly feel this new presence that's like her and the Four Sword nearby and calls for help telepathically, which Reader Gem can listen to because they're similar enough in make up and it basically registers to them as another gem calling for help and they immediately freeze, remembering what almost happened to their little sibling and rush over, not even hesitating to just throw their sword at whoever enemy is nearest to any member of the chain or whoever is with Fi (preferably Dark Link) and join the fray even as their barely put together body start to crack and make some very concerning ringing noises, slashing with even their hair if it's long enough to thin the herd and, while the Chain is very confused (and maybe having some war flashbacks depending on which Gem Reader is), they mostly just roll with it for now since the new fella clearly ain't attacking them and is being helpful for the most part, after the battle is over though there is probably a minute or two of awkward silence, maybe Gem Reader whose arm literally broke off somewhere mid battle is retrieving it and making as if to put it back together, until someone breaks the silence:

"... You aren't Gems, I thought I heard a Gem calling me though, where is she? Where's my sibling? Who even are you people?-"

"Who are WE?! First of all who even are YOU-"

And then chaos and shenanigans abound, the train of thought kind of just decided to depart early before I could flesh this part out sadly and honestly this ask is as long as it is already even without rhe mini scenarios floating around my head, maybe I'll write them one day maybe, anyway, apologies for rambling, hope you have a good day/afternoon/night/whatever time it is for you, and once again thank you for all of your wonderful scenarios and headcanons! 😊🙂😊

-Just an Anon On a Stroll.

ANON!!!!

I WAS ON BOARD FOR A SECOND

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS BUT OH MY GOD

I thought it was a little bit like steven universe because of the gems and the light and fighting and how each of them have jobs and different hardnesses but then- but then-

LITTLE LINK!!!! LUCKY!!! MY BABY!!! MY SON!!!

................everything was fine until the moon people attacked...

I was waiting to be a position where I would be able to answer this clearly but oh my goodness, there's so much to take in.

The boys would be so confused and mildly terrified about having them lose and arm and just... put it back on...

I think that Fi would be glowing to an extant. Trying to let them know that it's cool and can be trusted.

No one gets the message, but they can tell that it's a special meeting.

That being said, Gem! reader is going to have to adjust quickly all while trying to not only find their way home, but also find their sibling and make sure they're ok.

#pinky replies #pinky is still screaming