#i do hope mew goes feral

[charles-edwin]

Leaked footage of Top, Mew & Boston in Only Friends The Series.

#a boss and a babe #our skyy 2 #a boss and a babe the series #our skyy x a boss and a babe #mjblr #i do hope mew goes feral #anyways. i can’t unsee this now

[bird-inacage]

Only Friends: Can Ray be Redeemed? Is Sand the Solution?

I know Ray has upset a lot of people in Episode 8. I do find it really fascinating how quickly the tide has turned on him, especially when you compare his actions to those of our villains of the first arc: Boston and Top. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I still choose to believe that Ray does care. He's hugely misguided but not heartless.

Let me firstly preface that none of what I'm about to say excuses Ray's behaviour but is an attempt to unpack why I still hold hope.

A child lost with no anchor

Ray is emotionally immature (which as cliché as it sounds, is a direct product of his upbringing - or lack thereof). He largely operates on basic needs, as a child would: 'I want. I need'. It's all based on serving the self. He seems wildly incapable of thinking very far beyond that. Like a child, he can barely take care of himself, let alone anyone else. He's pretty helpless on his own in a lot of respects. Most people grow out of this. Through knocks and hardship, we learn the world doesn't revolve around us and how to equip ourselves with healthy and appropriate means to navigate through life. Ray however, still seems to be stuck in his infantile box.

I often joke that Ray is a bit feral, but there is some truth to that. Ray's been left to his own devices for the majority of his life. So it's no surprise he's developed this 'me against the world' attitude which is volatile and defensive, but ultimately keeps him caged in said box.

These traits are abundantly apparent in his relationship with Mew. Ray is the vehicle for Mew's self-destruction, but all he sees is the exhilaration of having a 'partner in crime', someone to be in 'cahoots with'. Like a pair of naughty school kids getting into mischief, rather than an adult partnership. Ray is all about immediate gratification over long term fulfilment because (as children do), they don't possess the wisdom and experience to think ahead. Ray seems unable to grasp repercussions or consequences in his decision making. It's always act first, think second.

To put it simply, Ray hasn't been taught boundaries and how to respect them. He just gets criticised for crossing them which doesn’t help him learn. No one has had the patience to teach him why and how. To guide, to steer, to direct, to mentor. To educate rather than scold. Prevention rather than cure. As a result, everyone around Ray serves to clean up his messes rather than equip him with the ability to not create them in the first place. He falls into patterns of behaviour that no one has seriously attempted to break which has only amplified with adulthood. The longer those habits prevail, the harder they are to change.

Does Ray harbour ill-will or bad intent?

Is Ray the worst? In my opinion, no. (Not yet anyway - I might eat my words later, who knows). I've said this somewhere before but intent makes all the difference when judging someone's actions. Choosing to actively cause harm whilst being fully conscious of the impact versus triggering damage to occur as a symptom of your behaviour is vastly different. This is where Ray and Boston differ. Boston acts without remorse, he purposely and calculatingly makes choices that will cause the maximum degree of suffering. Whereas Ray's a loose cannon. He leaves a trail of destruction where he goes, due to a lack of control and means to channel how he feels in a constructive manner. Boston's victims are targets, whereas Ray's victims are collateral.

I don't think Ray means to purposely hurt or harm the people he cares about. Because in doing so, he'll push them away - which is precisely what he doesn't want. (Though saying that, Ray doesn't seem to give as much of a damn if it's people he isn't invested in, such as Top). Ray's world consists of what Ray needs. It's not that he doesn't care about a single person besides himself, he's just so wrapped up in his own needs to even gauge the bigger picture.

When others do point out to Ray that he's hurt them, he does tend to look guilty and taken aback, as if he's thinking, 'But I didn't know. No one told me. I had no idea my actions would cause you to be upset'. Painful levels of ignorance. But I also see a huge amount of internalised frustration. 'But why? Why didn't anyone explain this to me? How was I to know?'

Ray is capable of showing remorse, of displaying guilt. He's not cold-blooded. Anyone who can demonstrate compassion is capable of redemption. Ray is seen to be genuinely appreciative and grateful when people are good to him. He's fiercely protective over people he cares about. Ray was also willing to jump in when Sand gets a call from his mum being in trouble.

One thing I do have to stress is the difference in Ray's demeanour when he's severely drunk/high versus when he's sober. His addiction tends to amplify his most primal desires, his most 'childlike' traits. The uglier sides of Ray presented in their worst light, set to maximum. The raging tantrums, the absurd and unpredictable demands, an explosive and dangerous impulsiveness. People often refer to addiction as a form of sickness, which is worth noting when the person under scrutiny is effectively not well.

Learning by Example

Now let's talk about the huge importance of Sand in this equation.

Let me be clear - it's not Sand's responsibility to teach Ray how to grow up or behave more like a functioning adult. It's neither his duty to be a stand-in parent or caretaker. The unfortunate truth is that Ray doesn't have anyone in his life who plays that role. Who is the voice of reason. To keep him on the straight and narrow. In order to actually incite change, Ray needs to be receptive to whoever is trying to help him. We've seen he doesn't respond particularly well to the majority of people in his life. He's defensive with his father, his friends, deflective and pandering with Mew. The only person he's seen to show any signs of actually listening to and registering is Sand.

Whilst it's not fair on Sand, he might be the only person who has any real chance of encouraging healthy and positive growth in Ray. Because Sand loves Ray, he genuinely wants to see improvement for Ray's own good. I don't think it's a coincidence that we tend to see Ray's more endearing side when he's with Sand. His childlike qualities take on a sweeter, more harmless, playful tone.

He needs someone with an almost parental level of unconditional love to not give up on him, where others have thrown in the towel. Ray's character is essentially a personified cry for help. His mother was unable to cope. His father seems chronically exasperated and far too busy to actually be present. His friends have always seen him as bothersome and too much of a handful.

I personally don't want to write Ray off as a lost cause. Ironically, Sand may be the saviour he didn't ask for, but the one he really needs. Someone who can save him from himself.

#only friends #only friends the series #ofts #only friends meta #ray pakorn #ray x sand #sand x ray #raysan #sanray #khaofirst #firstkhao #khaotung thanawat #first kanaphan #ray is such a complex character that i could go on and on #khao just does such a great job of adding so many layers to him

[fangirlandtheories]

Ahh!! Your answers were so good. I LOVE THE FRIENDSHIP BRACELET ANSWER SO MUCH ;_; here are some more questions: Dream scene with Steve and Robin? What character,that he hasn't interacted much with, would you like Steve to have a scene with in s5? Whats something you REALLY hope doesn't happen to Steve in s5 (besides dying or a romantic relationship)? Can we get a vague hint at an upcoming plot point in They Built You A Temple And Locked You Away? (Like that game where you describe something poorly.) If Steve ever got a tattoo what would it be of, and where would it be placed? Steve gets a cat, how did he come by it and what does he name it? Do you think they should end the series with a where are they now segment like they used to do at the end of 80s movies, or would you rather they ended it on a fade to black sappy scene (though lets be real they'd probably end it on a WHAT IF ITS NOT OVER bad guy opening their eye thing)?

Bonus: Do you have a favorite stranger things meme? If so, lets see it!

Thank you!!!! I love these so much omg

Okay so this is like polar opposite of what I described with the last question and how I want scenes of emotional vulnerability, not just banter between the two, BUT there's this fic I read and I will link it here (please read the tags for possible tws as it's an intense fic but so wonderfully written) but essentially there is a moment where Steve is attacked (in the case of this fic he's assaulted) and Robin goes absolutely feral and I would pay so much money to see Maya Hawke kick some ass on screen instead of just making jokes about clumsiness. I want to see her launch herself, full claws out, jut to defend her best friend because he's fucking worth it.

Okay this one took me a few minutes of thought because I couldn't think of anyone that he hasn't interacted with at least a little, but then it hit me like a ton of bricks: Joyce and Hopper. Give the boy a set of loving, doting parents.

Okay well I reaaaally don't want to see him die but this sounds terrible but like I don't want to see him be okay right away. I thrive on angst and h/c and these people have been through serious trauma. I want to see him struggling but ultimately living with and coping with it in a healthy way. I don't want him to cope right away though, no one would be able to just move on, but I mostly don't want to see Steve end up with Nancy if I'm being honest. I have no qualms with Stancy shipper, to each their own, but for me it isn't it. I feel like as a couple it's a backslide for both of them in terms of character development and it also kinda feels a bit like lazy writing to just shove them back together instead of strengthening their bond as friends. They have hurt each other deeply and moved on without really fixing anything so it doesn't seem right to just pretend that it never happened.

What a fun and deviously interesting question. I hope I can answer it with as much devilish delight.

Steve's tattoo is a tricky one, I've never thought about it. He definitely keeps it hidden much to Eddie's delight, but I bet it's something sappy like the date of their wedding or a quote or something. Or maybe his baseball bat to match Eddie's arm bats. 100% Steve would find a stray cat, he's an adopt/rescue not shop kinda guy, look at all the children he's adopted inadvertently. He's going to name that cat either Dart or Mews 3 just to fuck with Dustin.

Listen I know it's cheesy but I'd be thrilled with either. I hope it'll be a happy ending and I'm sure that if they were to ever do a spinoff it would either be in the future with the kids of the main characters or it would be a prequel with Dr. Brenner about how the Upside Down really started but I do think there will be a "10 years later" segment and it will definitely be cheesy.

I don't have any specific memes that I love in particular, I tend to either reblog them if they're on here or just laugh and keep scrolling if they are on a different site, but I love all of the "Incorrect Quotes" posts because somehow they are always 10000000% accurate.

#steddie #my writing #steve harrington #stranger things #eddie munson #send me asks #request #send me anons #just for you anon

[hinamie]

hi hina! i hope you've been well 🩵 for the art asks: 5, 6, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23 🎨🖌️🖼️

Mariam !!! It's so good to hear from you I hope you've been well also <3 <3 <3 this will get long

5. Anything you haven’t drawn yet but want to?

oooooh I've had an idea in my head for an s/e piece inspired by visuals from the blood sweat and tears mv for like 5 years but no matter how hard I throw myself at it I can never get it to look right so i've just been waiting until i manage to catch lightning in a bottle i guess :< (((I also found a few notes in an old "to draw" folder from like 2 years ago that include but are not limited to: jjk band au with guitarist brothers yuuji+sukuna/bassist megu/drummer nobara; gojo in crocs. ))))

6. Which artists inspire you right now?

HHHHH its the same crowd as usual i am so hides face in hands bc they intimidate me /pos :'))))) vacuumchan, ohprcr, gloomyhome, trickywagon, meru90 to name a few ANYWAY RUNNING HIDING

15. Biggest artist pet peeve?

this is a tough one im such a hater and everything inconveniences me ,,, when the perfect csp brush costs money >:C,, when u cant find reference from this One Specific Angle >:C,, when u dont realize youve merged the wrong layer until you've been working for hours and all of a sudden your folders are out of order and its a mess >:C SPEAKING OF MERGING LAYERS hot take i think that they should invent a way to let u merge layer modes without converting them all to the same type. let me put my multiply with my glow dodge !!! cowards.

16. What’s the most daunting part of your process?

rendering :') so much of it is trusting the process and there are so many ugly phases that make u wonder if u were ever good at art to begin with

17. What inspires you?

hdsj i mean im a fanartist so i think it goes without saying that I'm mainly inspired by the content I like ,, but i also am very inspired by fashion !!!! saw a guy walking the other day with a hoodie that said CASH FOR SOULS | COLD HARD CASH | CA$H4SOULZ.com and i had to take a picture of it like a creep bc tht + Sukuna ??? hello??? anyway yea ive got a pinterest board dedicated to insp-y clothes and a notes folder dedicated to jotting down cute outfits I see in public

18. Do you have any larger projects you’d like to pursue?

I've always wanted to do speedpaints ! but even more than that I want to do something aNYTHING with my ocverse but alas...time.....planning....plot.. so in the meantime they simply live in my head bouncing around like globs of wax in a lava lamp

19. Favourite character(s) to draw?

megumi jjk gojo jjk sukuna/yuuji jjk kotori love live rina love live ichigo tokyo mew mew + shiro n eden from My Brain ,,, im crying the duality of my fav chars is either feral shounen twink or idol/magical girl and eden is both simultaneously actually

22. When is your prime time to work on your art?

usually mid to late afternoon but it depends on the season because it gets so HOT in my room in the warm months which I dread >:( How it works is if I start in mid-late afternoon then I'm able to hit my stride and draw basically through the entire evening (also because of the aforementioned Heat I vastly prefer drawing in fall/winter because that means I don't have to evacuate my room at 4pm sdfhdgshd)

23. Do you listen to music or watch shows while you work? If so, what’s your favourite?

I have to have music or something on while I'm drawing or the fans in my cintiq will drive me insane . Sometimes i listen to music that matches/drastically contrasts the piece I'm working on but most of the time I can't be bothered and just throw on my youtube mix which consists embarassingly of mainly vocaloid and utau ,, though sometimes if a piece is kicking my ass and I need to just hunker down and get shit done then I'll put the entire discography of an artist I like on shuffle (some favs include 1D/waterparks/former vandal/harumaki gohan) and for some reason the Predictability activates intense productivity mode?? I cant explain it gdsj its like I have music on that I like but it's not jumping around between artists so I don't get too distracted or excited whenever the song changes

#kikuism #thank u so much for sending !!!! ily i wish u good things always <3 #ask meme

[catsvrsdogscatswin]

Higurashi Month 2019, Day 11: Where That Place Used to Be

Hinamizawa is quiet. Not even the cicadas are crying anymore.

Rika kicks her small, sandaled heel against the dirt in the ground, the fluffy, silky brown dust-dirt born from thousands of decayed leaves. A tiny part of her is surprised that a brown puff of dirt particles echos after the movement her heel, and not a slow, soggy welling of blood.

People appreciate the lush growth of Hinamizawa, the rural, bucolic Japanese countryside so beautifully showcased in a vibrant menagerie of green. Its all the tourists ever talk about, though Rika charitably supposes that really, there’s not much else in Hinamizawa that’s of even the faintest interest for idle conversation.

The tourists fail to appreciate how well plants grow in ground soaked with blood, how healthy it is for them.

Pop-pop-pop-pop.

The heavy silence of the summer night is abruptly broken as there’s a static, sporadic burst of pops in the distance. In happier times, Rika might mistake those sounds for fireworks, for celebration. But tonight, she simply hears the sound of gunfire and marvels quietly to herself that someone is still left alive to fight. She would’ve thought Rena and Keiichi had taken care of all that, certainly taken care of all the people with guns.

Then again, there are 2,000 citizens of Hinamizawa, and someone may have looted the corpses.

A soft, sultry breeze stirs her long midnight-blue hair as Rika walks along the dirt road, proving that the gunfire had been some distance away and the sound merely carried by the wind through the humid night air. She wonders if the others have escaped Hinamizawa yet. She hopes –no, she knows they have. It’s simply inconceivable that her friends would find an obstacle they were unable to face. The rest of Hinamizawa is a seething, uncoordinated mass of hornets, flying and stinging at random: her friends have a concrete goal and iron-clad wills, and, moreover, are well-used to working in concert. They can swat the hornets away with less effort than it takes Rika to do the dance offering.

She wonders where Hanyuu has gone, if she has truly given up for the final time.

Hinamizawa is Rika’s place, and it is her duty to witness this madness, the bubbling cauldron stirred up by meddling she darkly suspects is from Miyo Takano’s unknown backers. A fitting revenge for thwarting their efforts to take over Tokyo, or whatever the secret organization is called.

Rika needs to witness this.

She wishes she could feel something as she trails through Irie Clinic, sees the blood and the scattered bodies of defenders and patients alike. She wishes that she could feel some modicum of sympathy, of sorrow, as she looks on Irie where he’s slumped against the wall. It’s funny, how he has died in so many worlds (just as many as she had, Takano did not leave loose ends), but always due to sleeping pills slipped into his afternoon tea. To Rika’s knowledge, his death was always peaceful, unconscious, the powerful sedatives tugging him away into hazy slumber, leaving Irie unaware as death finally stole over him.

Bright flowers of red are painted all over the front of his pristine labcoat, and even Rika’s iron stomach squirms a little as she looks closer and sees the gory orchid of his mouth, shattered teeth and torn throat and a hole in the back of his head. She remembers the hot blood flecking her face as she stood behind the window above him, now shattered, and little grainy bits that were probably part of Irie’s so-smart, so-caring brain. She chooses to believe that it was his own terminal symptoms surfacing that drove Irie to squeeze his eyes shut and jam that pistol inside his mouth, the gun that now lies along with his limp hand in his lap, choses to believe that this bright spark of hope and genius, who worked so hard to save so many and had that unnatural obsession with maids, did not give in so thoroughly to despair.

She wants to grieve, to miss him, to miss the kindness he showed her and how much he has helped her and Satoko. But just as she did when Irie blew his brains out before her, Rika can’t seem to stir any emotions through the leaden apathy that has blanketed her mind.

She blinks slowly and turns away, continuing her slow stroll through the clinic. A quick tap on the keypad and a swipe of the card she snatched from Irie’s bloody lapel gets her through the heavy metal door –they may have changed the codes, but Rika has gone through so many worlds, seen Irie tap out so many different little patterns on the keypad, that they couldn’t possibly have devised one she hadn’t memorized.

The door slides open, and Rika continues her slow, short-striding pace, her long curtain of hair waving softly over her back as she walks through the slightly cleaner portions of the clinic. Blood stains and smears show that bodies have been dragged away to places unknown, and Rika feels a tingle down her spine as she turns a corner, coming to a slow halt as her sandals clack against the floor.

“Mew, hello, Kasai.” she says calmly in her childish voice. Something clicks behind her, and although Rika knows nothing about guns, she knows enough to recognize the sound of the components shifting inside one. “Are Shi and Satoshi alright?”

“Are you alone?”

Fleetingly, Rika thinks of the fretful presence of Hanyuu, always hanging over her shoulders. But she is gone now, and the air is strangely cold and empty.

“Mew, yes sir. Everyone else is gone…”

“Or dead.” Kasai helpfully supplies the words for her when Rika trails off, deep voice professional and emotionless. “Mion-san?”

“She’s with Keiichi and Rena and Satoko and Keiichi’s parents. They’re escaping out through the old tunnels in the Sonozaki estate.”

Rika feels something cold and round press against the back of her head, cautious and slow. Wise Kasai, who was taking nothing to chance and nothing for granted, not even the apparent harmlessness of a small girl. “And you?”

“I have to stay, sir. I am the Furude miko, the reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama.” Rika answers simply. “I need to witness this.”

Kasai took the gun away, and Rika turned around to see the gleam of his sunglasses, cold and black.

“Shion-san and Hojo-san are in Hojo-san’s room.” the Sonozaki retainer answers gravely, not holstering the shotgun she realizes was formerly pressed against the back of her head, but letting it hang limply at his side. Rika nods in acknowledgment of this fact and goes to join them.

The backs of Shion’s green eyes flicker ferally, like a cat’s, like they did in the worlds where she loses faith in Satoshi’s return, like they do towards the end, when there are too many corpses decorating the underground Sonozaki chambers.

They’re red-rimmed too, as if she has been crying.

Shion jerks her head up as Rika enters, eyes wide and sharp and ready for an assault, slender hand darting towards the Kalashnikov leaning against the frame of Satoshi’s hospital bed. She recognizes Rika, recognizes the calm of her personal guard, and relaxes again, minutely.

Rika walks past her, and sees the unconscious Satoshi, the bear, the machines all beeping calmly away. Everything is as it was, as it has always been, before the world of Hinamizawa was ripped apart. Here, perhaps, she can learn to feel again, crack the stone that has coated her heart and weep for the destruction of her home. This lack of emotion may protect her, but it stings deep to know that she had not shed a tear despite the deaths of so many she had tried to protect.

“Mew, Shi, it’s good to see you two are alright.” she chirps gravely as she takes a seat on the other plastic chair, on the other side of Satoshi. “I’m here to help.”

Green eyes narrow, then relax, and the younger Sonozaki nods slowly, turning her head to look towards Satoshi. “We need to keep him asleep.” she says, voice hoarse as if from her weeping. “I –I don’t know how long the power will stay up.” Tears tremble on the edges of her long lashes. “I-I don’t know how to give him his medicine to keep him asleep.”

“I know how Irie and his people worked.” Rika says. “I know where their things are kept, and what they are. If Kasai can do something to keep the power up, we can definitely keep the clinic running for Satoshi as long as we need it to.”

Shion rubs her wrist over her eyes, opening them again as they brimmed with hope instead of tears. “Yes. And with all the other competitors gone, we’ll have no problem getting food and water. No one will attack you, you’re the reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama, so you can get as much as we need, and when we’re the only ones left, it won’t matter anymore.”

Rika smiles quietly.

Hinamizawa is no more. Onigafuchi has arisen from the depths of legend and ripped apart their peaceful country life in blood and gunfire, and she has no idea of how far the violence and chaos may spread. Perhaps it will cover all of Japan.

It doesn’t matter. The name of this place is meaningless. Her friends know the way, the way marked for them in blood and tears and pain, throughout a hundred lifetimes of suffering. Hinamizawa is in their bones, and the name and nature does not matter: they will always, always, find their way back.

Their home may be a burning shell of its former self, a crumbling husk, but, perhaps, now there may be something left over when the ashes blow away, something for her friends to come back to.

AN: In other news, finally got around to watching Outbreak, and that shit fucked me up. That OVA contains trivia about the Higurashi universe that no sane person should ever know. Hinamizawa Syndrome is actually only one of roughly 200 species of the same disease? Fun! 90% of the global population is infected by these viruses? Fun! The spread and diversity of world cultures and religions corresponds almost exactly to the spread and diversity of the separate strains of the virus? Fun! Every one of these 200 strains instigates aggression in the carrier against all the other strains? Fun! After the UN banned research and weaponization of these viruses at a special council, every single last country involved went home and started secret research projects in their own territory? Fun! (One can only imagine how the Cold War went.)

I am still shook. It was some scary scary meta information, Do Not Like. Also, they just kinda ignored the very real questions of what happened to Shion and Satoshi in that mess, hence this little snippet here.

#Higurashi no Naku Koro ni #Higurashi When They Cry #Higurashi Month #Rika Furude #Shion Sonozaki #Satoshi Hojo #Satoshi Houjou #Higurashi Month 2019

[thethespacecoyote]

“Jack Loves Cats”

“You little jerk. You know exactly what you’re doing,” Jack grumbled as the cat licked its chops, staring innocently up at the A.I. It probably couldn’t even see him properly, no one but Rhys could see him unless he was plugged into Helios or some other system, but with the way the cat was looking at him Jack felt like it could sense he was there.

He swallowed and counted to three before he reached his hand out towards it. Digital fingers trembling softly as his palm slowly descended upon the top of the cat’s head—

—And immediately phased right through it.

Inspired by this picture, and my own headcanon that Helios is infested with stray cats c:

Helios had…mostly remained the same while Jack had been gone.

A couple of his statues needed dusting, and there were a few mutinous pricks that had tried to fill the power vacuum that had to be air-locked, but otherwise Jack had been able to slid effortlessly back into place atop Hyperion after giving Rhys a mollifying slice of the pie.

So things were mostly the same. In fact, Jack didn’t even notice any change until he had tagged alongside Rhys on a trip down to the Hub to patronize some chintzy little cafe that apparently had “the best ice cream in this arm of the galaxy.” Jack had been sourly floating in the chair across from Rhys, watching with thinly veiled jealously as the kid scarfed down a veritable tower of ice cream, when a tiny little noise sounded right behind him.

Jack furrowed his brow, picking at his ear. Was he getting some kind of weird feedback from the kid?

The noise sounded again, and this time Rhys perked up, setting down his spoon. Jack peered over the table as Rhys scooted out his chair, letting out a tiny gasp as he bent down.

“Hey there little guy, you lost?”

Jack curiously followed Rhys hand, his eyes widening as he saw what had been making the sounds.

It was…it was a cat.

“Wh….Why….Why is there a cat here?” Jack fumbled, staring in surprise as the cat rubbed its velvety ears against Rhys’ cybernetic fingers. It let out another mew, turning around to look up with big, bright blue eyes.

Jack gulped.

“Oh…” Rhys tilted his head. “I guess it did happen after you…while you were gone.” He quickly amended, scratching the cat’s head thoughtfully.

“Well, the rumor goes that someone accidentally brought two feral cats from Pandora and well they….kind of got out and started to breed.” Rhys shrugged. “So now….Helios has a little bit of a cat problem. Whoops?”

The cat was purring so loud that Jack could hear it. It was white with little spots of brown and grey that reminded Jack of blood splatter. He felt himself drifting inch by inch off of his chair, gravitating towards the cat before he realized what he was doing.

A smile played on Rhys’ lips that made Jack wanna punch it off. The young man quickly busied himself with his ice cream, practically licking his plate clean before rising to his feet.

“I’m gonna order myself a coffee to wash all that down, I’ll be right back!” And with that Rhys whisked away, leaving Jack alone with—with the cat.

The A.I. nobly resisted the urge for a scant few moments, before he flickered up off his chair with an acquiescing grunt.

Jack crouched next to the cat, eyebrows furrowed as he glared at it. It paid no mind to him, sitting back on its haunches as it licked it paw and rubbed at its muzzle. It wrinkled its little pink nose, whiskers fluttering.

Jack cursed at his own weakness as he intently watched the cat groom itself. He’d browsed plenty of videos of cats in his downtime, but it had been a long, long time since he’d ever been close to a real one.

“You little jerk. You know exactly what you’re doing,” Jack grumbled as the cat licked its chops, staring innocently up at the A.I. It probably couldn’t even see him properly, no one but Rhys could see him unless he was plugged into Helios or some other system, but with the way the cat was looking at him Jack felt like it could sense he was there.

He swallowed and counted to three before he reached his hand out towards it. Digital fingers trembling softly as his palm slowly descended upon the top of the cat’s head—

—And immediately phased right through it.

Jack stared, his mouth falling open. What else did you expect to happen? his rational brain needled at him, but frustration still growled up inside of him as he moved his hand through the cat’s body again and again, only to be rewarded with nothing more than affirmation of his own incorporeality.

“Ugh, this is frikkin’ stupid!” Jack roared, his voice cracking with feedback as he shot up to his feet. The cat bristled, letting out a concerned growl before scampering away. The CEO sneered, waving his arms angrily.

“Yeah that’s right, you better run! Stupid cat!” He snarled just as Rhys returned to the table with a steaming to-go cup in hand. One eyebrow raised at the CEO as Rhys took a sip.

“So…what was that about?”

“Nothing,” Jack scowled, firmly crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the cat weave between the legs of the Hub’s crowds.

“You done here, kiddo? Let’s get to work already.” Jack tore his glance away from the cat, determined to force it from his mind by throwing himself headlong into his duties for the day.

Pouring over work was fine for awhile, but by the time they’d both retired to Jack’s penthouse and Rhys had decided to take an early night the A.I.’s thoughts fluttered back to the cat. He stared at his hands, annoyed that he could see the folds of the bed through them. Rhys tossed besides him, sighing as he rolled onto his side to face the A.I.

“You know, it’s hard to get to sleep when you’re up….need to program you like…a night-mode or something…” Rhys murmured as he rubbed at his eyes, looking blearily up at the tense A.I.

“Wassup?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” Jack huffed. Rhys shot him a disbelieving look, hugging a pillow to his chest as he rolled over onto his belly.

“Are you. Still…mad about the cat?” A prickle of annoyance ran through Jack’s body. The A.I. threw up his hands and flopped back in the air.

“It’s just stupid! I can possess an entire space station, cut off oxygen in specific sectors, fire frikkin’ moonshots with my mind but I can’t pet a stupid cat!” The A.I. raged, kicking his feet into the air like a child having a tantrum.

Rhys tapped his lips, shivering as one of Jack’s flailing limbs phased right through his head.

“Okay…if I….help you pet a cat…will you calm down enough to let me go to bed?”

Jack paused in his anger, flipping onto his stomach and looking right at Rhys with abruptly wide, hopeful eyes.  

“You mean it? Really?”

“Yep. Long as you let me get some rest after, we can do it right now.” Rhys sat up, tossing the covers off of his body as he poked around for his slippers, Jack floating excitedly after him.

“Pumpkin. Kiddo. You’re getting a raise for this.”

“Uh huh.” Rhys would have started to nod off if the warm prickling of Jack in his subsystems wasn’t keeping him awake. Jack could tell he really wanted to be in bed, but he could hardly pay attention to what Rhys wanted when he had a fluffy auburn tabby purring and nuzzling against the cybernetic palm he was currently in control of.

“Heh. Little fighter, ain’t ya?” Jack cooed as the cat pawed at one of Rhys’ fingers, nibbling testingly at the nubby tip. It had taken them only a couple of minutes to find one of the stray cats, and only a couple minutes more to find one that wouldn’t scamper away and hiss at being approached. This one in particular was wildly affectionate, purring like a rattly hard-drive as it rubbed up against Rhys’ leg as Jack tittered and tickled under its chin.

“You better not get cat hair in the joints…” Rhys sighed, propping his chin up in his other hand, trying not to nod off as Jack use his arm to fawn all over the cat.

“I’m gonna take it home,” Jack stated, scooping up the animal as best as he could with one arm. Rhys spluttered, eyes going wide.

“What? Jack, no, it’s a stray!”

“So!” The A.I. growled as he used Rhys’ arm to cradle the cat against his chest. Rhys could feel the purring in his lungs, his nose twitching at the tickling hairs wafting up towards him.

“Loooook, kiddo, he loooooves you,” Jack cooed the cat nuzzled into Rhys’ chest. The young man grumbled, looking down at the cuddly animal that had latched itself onto him.

“I’m not getting any sleep tonight, am I?”

#spacetext #long post #fanfic #rhack #just fluff #tftbl

[the-tales-of-the-fold]

Welcome To The Jungle (Eliza 3)

After what felt like an eternity of flying, Eliza could finally see the pair of islands in the distance. Flying beside her, Puk made an excited sound, something like the yowl of a cat. There were no words in the statement, but Eliza understood the intention anyway. Puk was just as excited as she was to finally be reaching their destination.

Skogweald and Pluvaria. Two islands right next to each. Skogweald was a forested island, of the more temperate variety. It had conifers and deciduous trees, as well as mountains and the dragons adapted to live in that sort of climate. From her understanding, there were also a great deal of Elves. She growled a little; Mother had never been fond of Elves.

Pluvaria, on the other hand, was the tropical sort of island. It had rain forests and rivers, and even a vast mudflat. It was also the larger of the two, and more appealing to be her first stopping point. She would stay on Pluvaria for as long as she needed before heading to Skogweald, and from there she would go to Wyrmbergia.

It had seemed logical to her, the path she had charted. Wyrmbergia was the island with the most dragons, if any island in this world could be said to be lacking in dragons. But the twin islands were on her way, so she would pass by them, study what she could, then move on to Wyrmbergia. Past that, she would probably work her way in a circle, ending with the Sea.

(She knew she would need to visit the Weyr and Aeropolis eventually, but she had little desire to. She would save them for last, even beyond the sea.)

Puk yowled again, this time a more alarmed sound, and Eliza stalled, coming to a stop and hovering in the air, trying to see what had alarmed the Mew. She spotted it rather quickly, a quartet of dragons flying towards the island. There was a brown dragon, a black dragon, a green dragon, and a dragon that seemed pink one moment, then a rippling blue the next.

She knew these dragons, she realized. Not the individuals, of course, she had never met them before in her life. But she knew their kind, knew what they were. They were Pyrrhian, a MudWing, NightWing, SeaWing, and RainWing. She knew the tribes well enough to recognize them from a distance.

What she didn't know, however, was what they were all doing together. The MudWing, RainWing, and NightWing made sense at least; she knew they all lived in Pluvaria, but the SeaWing was a complete mystery. What was it doing so far from its watery home.

Puk gave a chattering sound, his teeth clicking as he gazed at the other dragons, before he let out a concerned mew, and looked over to her, as though he was trying to ask her what they were going to do.

Eliza considered her options, considered whether these dragons would be a threat or not, before she decided to fly towards them.

Puk, loyal since the moment he had hatched, followed her as she made her way towards the strange dragons, though he chirped nervously the entire time. Feral though he was, he was clever enough to know that larger dragons, and they were larger than even Eliza, could be dangerous.

Eliza herself would have been nervous, she was small enough for any of the dragons to devour in three to four bites, had she not been so familiar with their kind. RainWings she knew were largely herbivores, the rest had more preference towards meat, but they weren't cannibals, and would have little reason to eat another sapient dragon. And if they did attack, she was small enough to maneuver around them and escape.

{{Hello!}} She called in rough Pyrrhian. She coughed a bit, her throat not used to it. The four dragons stopped, turned towards the noise, and saw her. They looked between one another for a moment, as if unsure what to do, or what to make of her. There was a chance they didn't know what kind she was, Eliza realized. Or, if they did, may not be on the best of terms with them.

{{We have no business with Talon!}} The SeaWing called back, looking a little nervous at the prospect. Eliza froze, then remembered what she was.

{{I'm unaffiliated with that organization,}} she assured them, finally getting close enough so that she no longer needed to shout. {{I may be their breed, but I am not working for them.}} She knew of Talon's doings on their own world, and didn't approve. And if she had to guess, they were probably doing more of the same here.

Which meant that, despite her better judgement, she would probably have to visit Aeropolis sooner rather than later, as she had planned. If Talon was doing what they usually did, she may find more dragons there than she'd originally guess. Hidden dragons. Disguised dragons. Dragons who walked among men, and played them to their own ends. It would seem appealing, if Talon cared about any dragon not their own. She made a note to ask this quartet later, but first she needed to finish introductions.

{{If you're not with Talon, why are you here?}} The RainWing asked, casting a look over towards his NightWing companion. This close, Eliza could see the twin silver of tear drop scales behind her eyes, marking the NightWing apart as at least a mind reader.

{{I'm here to study the world, its dragons, and how it works,}} Eliza said, seeing no reason to hide her mission. {{I arrived in the library, where I received Puk here,}} she motioned towards her Mew, who was flying around her anxiously, {{and then set off to Pluvaria and Skogweald. I figured they were on my way to Wyrmbergia, and would make for a good stop. Oh, but forgive me. I am Eliza.}}

{{I'm Fig,}} the RainWing said, before motioning towards his companions.

{{I'm Peacekeeper,}} the NightWing said. {{This is Fen,}} she pointed at the MudWing, who hadn't said a word yet, instead opting to watch from a distance. She was the largest of the group, and Eliza figured she was probably a BigWings.

{{And I am Mako,}} the SeaWing finished off, before flashing his lights to say the same thing in Aquatic.

{{Would you like to join us?}} Fen asked, finally speaking. {{You and your Beast can join us.}}

{{Beast?}} Eliza muttered, before realizing they must be talking about Puk. {{Ah, I see. I am used to calling them Ferals. But yes, thank you. We would love to join you.}}

------

The newly formed sextet continued on their way to the heart of the rainforest, where the RainWing and NightWing tribes lived together.

{{Do all Nightwings live with the RainWings?}} Eliza asked Peacekeeper.

{{Not all of us,}} the NightWing confessed. {{We are the largest tribe, but there is one located on Wyrmbergia, who did not wish to live among the RainWings. But worse than them are the NightWings who live in Muspell, who have wicked goals and who have thrown in their lot with the forces of Nightmare.}}

{{I have heard of that faction, but haven't yet met any,}} Eliza said. Puk, who had grown tired of the long flight, had taken his place on her back, riding between her wings as she flew. {{Aren't they the enemies of dragons?}}

{{They are,}} Mako said, coming over. {{But some dragons are willing to risk it, in the name of deals or power.}}

Eliza reflected on this for a moment, weighing Mako's words in her mind. It made sense, and from Mother's memories she knew that it was a pattern all too often repeated. Dragons would trade kinship for power, would sell out their own kind to make deals with all manner of creatures.

{{What sort of beings are aligned with Nightmare?}} Eliza asked, hoping to uncover a pattern.

{{Foul creatures, mostly,}} Fen said with a huff. {{Fellbeasts, and Wraiths, and Dementors.}} Foul creatures definitely seemed an appropriate way to describe most of those, except...

{{Why are Fellbeasts not considered dragons?}} Eliza asked. She knew why they weren't considered dragons in their own world, because there dragon had a very specific definition, referring only to one lineage of Morgoth's creations. But here, where many of the dragons shared little save the title, it struck her as an odd distinction to make. {{They are large creatures, reptilian in form, and flighted.}}

It seemed to catch the others unaware as well, because they paused, thinking it over.

{{They just aren't,}} Fen said at last, though she seemed unhappy with her own answer. {{No one ever calls them dragons, not even the dragons from their own world. But you do have a point, I suppose they are similar. Maybe they are Dragonkin, and we do not know it yet.}} A possibility, since the origins of both Dragons and Fellbeasts was a mystery. Some believed Fellbeasts were twisted Eagles, the way Orcs were twisted Elves, while others believed they were bred from the least members of the Cold Drake line.

{{I'll add it to my list of things to study,}} Eliza said. {{Though if they are aligned with Nightmare, I shall have to be careful with them.}} She glanced over at Fen, frowning as best as a dragon could, before speaking again. {{Fen, forgive me if this is too forward, or difficult to ask, but where are your sibs?}} Fen looked startled before laughing.

{{You're the first person to ever ask me that,}} she said. {{Most of the other tribes never bother to learn anything about MudWings, so no one knows that me being on my own is odd. My sibs are back with the tribe, probably sleeping or eating. It was decided to not send sibs groups on mixed Tribe diplomatic missions, otherwise the other tribes may think it's an invasion. Since I'm the Bigwings, I'm the one who goes. When it's just the MudWings going, though, my sibs come with me.}}

{{That's good to hear,}} Eliza said. {{I was worried you may have lost them.}}

{{What about you, Eliza?}} Fig asked, stalling a bit to fly alongside her. {{You said you were sent here to study this world, but who sent you?}}

{{A Goddess named Landilizandra,}} Eliza said. {{She is not of this world, but she is curious about it. But this world's magic is limiting, so she sent me instead. I am a small piece of her, you see, one she can shape as she sees fit. She made me a Talon Dragon so that I could travel between both Dragons and Men freely, depending on what my studies required of me.}} Fig seemed a bit put off by her answer, or perhaps he was just confused, and he looked towards Peacekeeper for assistance.

{{She is telling the truth,}} Peacekeeper said, which seemed to appease the RainWing.

They continued to fly until they reached the RainWing and NightWing villages, though calling them as such implied they were separate. Eliza's understanding of the matter was that the two were just a tightly linked in this rain forest as they were on their native Pyrrhia, with this settlement of NightWings living under the RainWing queen. Which, the more she thought about it...

{{Glory isn't the queen here, is she?}} Eliza asked.

{{She isn't,}} Fig confirmed. {{None of the queens from Pyrrhia came here. We had to hold new challenges for Queen, and in the end, it was Queen Hoatzin who won. We're bringing you to her now. She'll want to hear about your mission.}}

The group flew through the village, past dragonets playing in the stream and RainWings laying out in the sun, until they reached a rather large building, built into the largest tree in the area.

{{Wait here,}} Fig said. {{We need to conclude our business first, then Queen Hoatzin will speak with you.}}

{{Alright,}} Eliza said, sitting back and waiting as the group went in to speak with the queen. As she waited, she pulled out her notebook, taking notes on what she had learned. She considered resuming her notes on Puk, how long the Mew could fly for before he began to tire, and how well he took to soaring for long periods of time (he wasn't, truthfully, and often ended up resting on her back just as much as he would try gliding on air currents), but instead she decided to note down what she saw around her.

The majority population was Rainwing, by a fair margin, but the Nightwings weren't under represented. And part of her wondered if the discrepancy in population couldn't be caused by the NightWings sleeping, since the Tribe was naturally nocturnal.

More more interesting than the population dynamics were the dragonets, and the fact that many of them appeared to be hybrids. Their features were varied; some had the bodies of NightWings, yet the colors of RainWings, while others had the builds and tails of RainWings yet the star pattern of NightWings. They were all different, and no pattern could be seen, but what could be seen, rather clearly, was that hybrid  dragonets did exist in this village, and in rather large numbers. More than just living together, the tribes were crossing frequently.

Eliza made a note of this before pausing to think, wondering if it would be rude of her to ask the dragonets what abilities they have inherited, and from which parent. Was it always one of the other, or could it be a mixture of the two? Could venom and fire mix, or did one cancel the other out? She made a note of these questions as well.

The others returning from their meeting with Queen Hoatzin brought her out of this line of thought, and she put her journal away before turning towards the others.

{{Queen Hoatzin will speak with you now,}} Fig said.

{{Alright,}} Eliza said, getting to her feet and lowering her wing down so that Puk could climb onto her back. If she was being honest, she was a bit nervous about meeting the queen. Objectively there was no reason to be, nothing she was doing would interfere with how this Tribe operated, and honestly she had no intention of staying in this area for longer than she had to.

But that didn't mean anything. Eliza knew nothing about the Queen, didn't know how the politics of this Tribe and the world around it worked. The travelers believed her when she said she wasn't a part of Talon; there was no reason to suspect that the Queen would. She could be more cautious, less trusting. Even with Peacekeeper's ability and words, she may think it better to play it safe rather than take the risk.

And even if she did believe Eliza, when she said she had no connections with Talon? That may not be the only issue. Queen Hoatzin may be loyal to the native gods alone, and not want the emissary of an outsider to come into play, to potentially upset the delicate balance. She may believe that Eliza was here to conquer, not to study.

In truth, any number of things could go wrong, which was exactly why Eliza was so anxious to meet the queen.

Queen Hoatzin was laying on a large bed of leaves, gathered from various trees throughout the jungle. She was a very large, very old dragon, with her scales currently a mixture or blue and pink, with some flecks of green here and there. On her back, between her wings, was a rather small baby sloth.

{{Fig tells me you're not with Talon,}} the queen said, looking Eliza over. {{Your tongue would suggest differently.}} Eliza flicked her tongue out, the arrowheaded tip giving away what she was.

{{I am of their kind,}} Eliza confessed, {{but I have no affiliation with their organization. My mother, the goddess who created me, gave me this form so that I could go between the worlds of dragons and humans with relative ease, instead of being restricted to only one.}} That, and Landilizandra wanted her to study what impact the human presence had on this world of dragons. Why a human presence was needed.

{{Who is your mother?}} Queen Hoatzin asked. {{Not Seiryu, surely?}}

{{No,}} Eliza confirmed. {{My mother is a goddess named Landilizandra, a dragon far from here. She made me as a small piece of herself, one she could send to worlds she either couldn't go to, or didn't have the time to go to. This world is restrictive, and she did not want to interfere with the deities who control it, so she altered and sent me instead. She wants me to learn everything I can about this place, then report what I have learned back to her. I am here for study, not to invade or to conquer. I came to your jungle first because it was close to the Library, and I thought it would be best to go in some sort of order.}} The queen regarded her for a moment, her talons tapping against the floor.

{{Peacekeeper has assured me you're telling the truth,}} she said at last. {{I may not understand why you want to study this place, but I won't stop you. You may use our home as a base, so that you have a place to sleep and to put your notes, and any records we have are open to you.}}

Eliza relaxed almost immediately. {{Thank you, my queen,}} she said. {{You won’t regret this.}}

#Story #Eliza