#i have more experience with humans so.... maria instead!

[buggygerm]

maria (explosion)

#i am a big team dark fan #i love shadow and ROUGGEEEEE #rouge <3 #one of my fav dynamics but i suck at drawing both of them at the moment #i have more experience with humans so.... maria instead! #shes so sweet i love her #tried to make her slightly more eggman-esque but still kept her core design p much #this is my first time drawing her #lots of fun!!!!! #maria robotnik #sonic the hedgehog #sonic fanart #wdym u dont like my bug art

[msrhaxoz]

The theory about Lies of P endings and why Pinocchio becomes alive only in Rise of P ending

SPOILERS WARNING Hello everyone! This post is my first experience with writing a post, because I usually post drawings. But since I have no one to share the happiness of the game with (and I reeeally liked this game) I decided to publish my thoughts about the endings of the game, specifically Rise of P and Real boy. So, let's get started!

In the middle of the game, the player finds a statue of a saint that can reset the player's level. And this statue is an obvious reference to Pieta mourning the death of Christ. The Madonna della Pietà - is a marble sculpture of Jesus and Mary at Mount Golgotha representing the "Sixth Sorrow" of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Michelangelo Buonarroti. I want to talk a little bit about the appearance of the pieta in the game. The very first thing we can notice is that the statue of the saint is holding a puppet. The original interpretation of the statue is that the Virgin Mary grieves over the death of her son, looking at his ribs and withered hands. The interpretation in the game is very similar to the idea of the statue of Pieta, but it is interesting that instead of a human corpse, she holds a puppet.. which, perhaps, can also be interpreted as a corpse.

And at the end, when Sophia becomes a puppet, discarding the human body, there is again a parallel with the statue of Mary, except for its complete opposite - the unalive maiden holds a living person in her hands, and holds it with her left hand. Why alive? Let's return to the interpretation of Michelangelo's statue - the Virgin Mary mourns the death of her son. The statue has a contrasting image between a living and non-living body, including many folds of fabric on Mary's body, creating a contrast with the cold dead body. With the right hand, nursing mothers usually hold babies when feeding, in Michelangelo's statue, this is the contrast between an infant and an adult son. Maria's left hand is free, symbolizing the senselessness of killing her son. But the statue in the game has a saint holding a mechanical heart.

Sophia is holding a boy with the same hand, whose heart is filled with a human soul, which means that he is alive. It's hard for me to say that Carlo is becoming alive. After all, despite the fact that the player can fulfill all the conditions for obtaining the Rise of P ending, Geppetto can still be given the heart of the main character. Moreover, if you follow the path of truth and do not give Sophia peace, giving your heart to Geppetto will be the only possible ending. Geppetto only made another puppet, but more insensitive and cruel (The nameless puppet was the first puppet made by the old man that was mounted with a P-Organ. Its Ergo efficiency was not just unremarkable, it was destructive; thus the nameless puppet was not chosen for the boy's body and sealed away.)

And I want to add that Carlo was probably resentful by his father. It is unlikely that he would be happy with such a family reunion. That's all! I am open to criticizing the theory, as well as to complementing your thoughts.

#lies of p #lop #lies of p pinocchio #liesofp #lies of p carlo #lies of p spoilers #sophia monad #Madonna della Pietà

[gasolinerainbowpuddles]

𝑭𝑬𝑹𝑨𝑳 𝑾𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑵 ║ Chapter 6 - I Clung To Your Hands So That Something Human Might Exist in the Chaos

| FERAL WOMAN | series masterlist | main masterlist | | PAIRING(s): Joel Miller x fem!OC/reader

| RATING: explicit material | 18+ | WORD COUNT: 5.7k | CHAPTER WARNINGS: PTSD/anxiety/grief related situations | CHAPTER SUMMARY: You are finally able to express your gratitude and affection for Susan. It’s a reminder of all the reward for placing your full trust in people again. When a distressing part of your history lays claim to you, it disrupts your delicate ability to put your faith in others. But what if you have no other choice?

║ＰＲＥＶＩＯＵＳ ║⋄── •✧• ──⋄║ ＮＥＸＴ ║

Please read with caution if you have difficulties with works concerning: SA, physical violence, torture, captivity, trauma, and similar topics as they are discussed throughout the series. All highly sensitive portions WILL BE MARKED with my sensitive material banner if you wish to skip the more challenging portions. The sensitive material banner looks like this:

✧⋄⋆•✧⋄⋄⋆⋅⋆✧•✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆•⋆⋄── •✧• ──⋄⋆•⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧•✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧•⋆⋄ ✧ “𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚊𝚏𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏, 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚙𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚍𝚘 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛? 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚐𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚖𝚎?” ― Jᴀᴍɪᴇ Oʟɪᴠᴇʀɪᴀ ✧⋄⋆•✧⋄⋄⋆⋅⋆✧•✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆•⋆⋄── •✧• ──⋄⋆•⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧•✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧•⋆⋄ ✧

Tommy and Maria’s baby girl was beautiful. She was the smallest thing you’d ever seen in your life. You had politely declined holding her as you had very little experience caring for tiny humans, and the last thing you wanted to do was accidentally hurt her. Thankfully Ellie was on the same wavelength as you, so you weren’t the only one rejecting Jackson’s newest bundle of joy, Gwendolyn Miller. It was a family name on Maria’s side, and Tommy agreed to it so long as he could pick the nickname.

“Hi, Gwen,” Ellie whispered, hovering behind the couch over Joel’s shoulder to get a better look. She was asleep, but her precious face was hard to ignore and drew almost constant cosseting and syrupy admiration.

“You can touch her, you know,” Joel says quietly. He gently nudged his side into yours.

You sat next to Joel with your hands neatly folded in your lap as you craned over Gwen’s head. Joel’s hand engulfed Gwen’s entire head, snug and soft against his chest. He’d done all this before, you had learned. He hadn’t told you much about it, but he had mentioned in passing a couple of times that he’d lost a young daughter during outbreak. You didn’t push him for any details. It was a sort of code you both honored where sharing snippets from your past was not a blanket invitation for exploration and questions, unless it was offered.

“But Maria said she had holes in her head,” you whisper. Although you were being completely serious, your solemn delivery only made Joel struggle to pull the line of his mouth straight.

“Just soft spots. She’s fine. Just don’t go pokin’ and you’ve got nothin’ to worry about,” he ribbed. 

You reluctantly graze the tip of your finger against her forehead and soft curls. It wasn’t as scary as you thought it would be. It was actually easy to get wrapped up in the little noises she let out and miniature flexes of muscle in her face as she slept.

“She’s so pretty,” you breathe. 

Joel murmured an agreement, although his eyes were locked on you instead of the little baby asleep in his arms.

The only tension around Tommy and Maria was from the beautiful chaos of having a newborn. A few hours of sleep logged here and there. Quick swipes of food when they remembered. Showers when they had the chance. There was no residual conflict from your celebration dinner, and, even if there had been, they both were way too busy being new parents to worry about something minor like that.

Susan stayed behind to help with a few household tasks while you, Joel, and Ellie left before you overstayed your welcome. On the way out the door, Maria reminded you to check with the trade and supply hub about new clothes. You thanked her, as if you could forget that you needed to exchange the garments you had first acquired in Jackson.

Ellie walked ahead, impatient to get back to her comic books and some alone time, while you and Joel ambled at your usual rhythm. Joel regularly walked you home from your patrol station work, and he didn’t forgo the trip even if he was off that day and had no reason to be there other than to accompany you. You knew it wasn’t just because he wanted to make sure you got home safely, and your heart erupted into a pitiful, beautiful river of mirth every time you remembered that he enjoyed your company.

“New clothes, huh?” he asks.

“Oh, yeah. Gonna trade in my stuff from when I got here,” you reply.

“Can’t imagine you woulda worn ‘em down already.” There’s a hint of a question in his tone that suggests he’s inquisitive about the topic but doesn’t want to pry.

“No, it’s not that. They’re not in bad condition or anything. I just need some bigger sizes, especially for my pants,” you explain. You absentmindedly look down at your attire for the day, smoothing a hand over the fitted fabric across your belly and hips.

“S’that right?” Joel made a contemplative noise. He was quick to tear his gaze away from your hand trailing against your midsection before you noticed.

“I mean, I guess I’ve gained some weight. Since I got here,” you clarify, thinking Joel didn’t understand.

“Good,” he says firmly. 

You peer up at him with a slight tilt of the head and scrunched face in expectation of some sort of comment on your figure. You hope he wouldn’t say anything, even if it was a flattering observation. You tried not to think about your outwards self too much. The less you were reminded of it, the better. The veiled mirrors in your house were as good a testament to that as any.

“Means you’re feelin’ safe enough to slow down a little bit and eat some square meals. Takes gettin’ used to, I know.”

Joel dawdled alongside you, hands resting comfortably in his pockets. He glanced down at the ground as he spoke, an atypical behavior for him. He peeked at you from the corner of his eye as though he was gauging if this was a permitted topic of conversation.

You bob your head in agreement. You relaxed a bit after it was clear he wasn’t going to treat your body as a public forum for thoughts and opinions. “Yeah. I have an appetite now. It’s so weird.”

“Good thing you got your own private reserves of jerky, I guess,” he teases.

“Again, your fault,” you laugh.

You playfully shouldered into his side and kept your eyes on the ground to help distract from the tingly, warm feeling in your belly. It was happening more and more often, and only when you were with Joel. You thought it couldn’t be much of a bad thing given how nice it made you feel.

Joel smiled quietly next to you and made sure you got in your door safely before heading off with a wave.

Susan returned from Tommy and Maria’s with a full rundown of just how perfect Gwen was. You couldn’t help but smile as she spoke with unbridled glee. She was one of those people who just seemed destined to always be a mother or at the very least the guardian of something precious she could pour all her love into.

You felt a pang of guilt when she mentioned how much she enjoyed visiting with Tommy and Maria. You had been spending a good portion of your time with Joel and Ellie, frequently hanging out at their house until dinnertime. Susan never guilt tripped you for it, but you still felt bad that you weren’t spending as much time with her as you used to. Like you should be.

“Listen, Susan. I’m-I’m sorry if I haven’t been, you know, around as much. It’s not that I don’t like being with you,” you start with a nervous lilt.

“Oh what on earth do you mean, Bug?” she tuts. Susan was even quicker than Joel to shut down any whiff of self-negativity from you.

“I mean, just my shifts at the patrol station. And, spending more time over at Joel and Ellie’s.”

You crinkle your pursed lips to the side. You weren’t really sure how to word these kinds of things. It was difficult enough to pick which feeling took priority or which one to present first if they all seemed to hold the same weight. Putting all the words in the correct order, in the right tone, with the right body language felt like a riddle straight out of Greek mythology.

“That’s what you’re supposed to be doing, Bug!” she insists. “It’s a good thing. It means I’m doing my part to make you feel comfortable here. In fact, I think I’d be rather upset with myself if you weren’t starting to put yourself out there a little bit.”

“Really? You mean that?” you press.

“Absolutely,” she promises.

“Thanks, Susan,” was all you could force past the lump collecting in your throat.

This woman was such a treasure to you. You felt sorry for the entirety of Jackson missing out on having Susan around whenever winter picked up. You got to have her to yourself every day, and it almost felt greedy keeping such a lovely thing for yourself. Then again, before you came into the picture, Susan had been patiently waiting for “the right roommate” to come along. You and Susan had really found one another when you needed each other the most.

When you sniffed back your mawkish ruminations, Susan mistook it for anxiety. “Now now, Bug. It’s alright. You can always take a minute if you’re feeling overwhelmed. You know that. You did perfectly fine just then. I knew just what you were saying and everything. Go on and take a break, and we can pick up our chat later when you’re ready.”

Deciding now was as good a time as any to continue “putting yourself out there,” you cleared your throat and demystified the antsy air clouding you. 

“Actually, Susan, it’s not really that. Not that sort of a thing. I just– I got a little emotional? I guess because of, because I was-I was thinking how I think everyone should have a Susan in their life. Everyone should have a Susan of their own. I’m- just- I’m really lucky.”

A diffuse, glistening glow cast over Susan’s eyes. “Oh, Bug. You’re such a sweet girl. I’m the lucky one.”

An idea flitted through your head so quickly you almost lost track of it. It was a stupid idea.

You shouldn’t do it. 

Yes, you should. 

Fuck it.

“Do you think that, maybe.. maybe if I could give you a hug?” you ask. “A small one?” you add hastily.

You really did want to hug Susan, but you didn’t entirely trust your negative reactions that seemed to spring up from nowhere at the worst times. A small hug would be a good starting place. Better safe than sorry.

Susan beamed ear to ear. “I think that sounds amazing.”

She held her arms out and waited for you to initiate. You ambled closer and slowly circled your arms around her middle. When you felt her light as air embrace around you, you let go of the breath you were vaguely aware you’d been holding. You weren’t sure what to do, but you could almost hear Joel’s voice in your head: Trust your instincts. Do what feels right. Don’t think too much about it.

You tucked your head against her shoulder, and that was the little gesture that emboldened Susan to gently run her palm down your hair. You trembled slightly at the enveloping comfort it all brought you.

“You’re doing so well, Bug. I’m so, so proud of you,” she whispered into your hair.

“I-I think I’m proud of me, too,” you confess.

You shared a nervous giggle together before releasing your holds. When you took a step back, the joy and pride on Susan’s face made you want to burst into tears.

If this was what being Susan’s roommate was like, you could only imagine the love this woman must have had for her daughter in all the years before her untimely passing. If Susan wanted to be your surrogate mother figure, you’d indulge her every damn day of the week for the rest of your life.

Ellie’s comics took up most of the kitchen table as she tried explaining the general plot of her favorite series to you. You had never really been into the science fiction kind of stuff, but you entertained her anyway. It was nice how she wanted to share one of her favorite things with you. Joel just seemed grateful that you were tackling it this time, giving him a much needed break from Ellie’s impassioned pitches about the absolute gem that was Savage Starlight.

You noticed one of the copies looked much less worn than the others. “This your newest one?” you ask, tapping the serial in question.

“Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I guess. I dunno.”

She shrugged and tucked her face lower. The swing of her mood in the complete opposite direction had you worried you’d done something to upset her.

You had been a little off today after a few nights of poor sleep. Something about the whole situation with Nathan had started a domino effect on your nerves and had made it more difficult to fall and stay asleep without any nasty dreams cropping up a few times a week. You were working through the feelings of anxiety that someone could still “get you” in Jackson, even though you knew you were safe. Joel would keep you safe.

Still, it was a difficult feeling to shake. You rejected the notion of being a victim, but you could admit that you felt like vulnerable prey, unaware of the lurking predator stalking you and waiting for you to put your guard down a little too much.

You practiced patience and understanding with yourself as much as possible, just like Joel had encouraged you to. A day at a time was all you could ask of yourself, as he frequently reminded you.

“Sorry if I said something. I’m just, I’m sort of tired, I guess. Didn’t sleep as much as I should’ve last night,” you offer in way of explanation and apology.

Joel busied himself with washing dishes at the sink, but you caught the swift, fluid turn of his head your direction at your remark. You pretend to not notice his concerned profile. You’d dealt with much worse than a few nights of bad sleep. He didn’t need to trouble himself with it. God knows he’d done plenty for you since you got here and continued to find ways to help you along. Something this small didn’t necessitate his concern.

Joel worried too much, sometimes, you thought. Between you, Ellie, and baby Gwen, he was never short on somebody to fuss over - of course with his best impression of an austere, stoic protector who wasn’t just a bleeding-heart over those dearest to him at the end of the day. It wasn’t something he’d vocalized to you, but it was something you’d felt from him enough times to know what sort of man he was deep down.

Ellie’s eyes hesitated over the serial before training her focus to another.

“No, it’s alright. It’s just from a… friend. We met them when we were traveling. But he, uh, he didn’t make it. My friend. He liked this comic, too,” she shares, idly pushing some of the comics around and avoiding your gaze. “It was his, though. The newer looking one. I took it after he… well, anyway. After he wasn’t around anymore, I took it with me.”

You nodded sympathetically. Joel was stiff as he washed the plate in his hands for what must have been the third time now. He seemed more on edge than usual. You hope he isn’t getting too worked up over you not getting all the rest you need.

“Yeah, I just guess I shouldn’t have taken it, maybe. I don’t know why I did. Like for a memory of him, maybe, or something,” Ellie mumbles, poking absentmindedly at various pieces in her collection. “No, I understand,” you reassure her. “It’s a nice way to-to keep his memory alive. Celebrating something he loved. And now you can share it with other people, too. Sharing it with me. I’m sure your friend would’ve wanted you to have it. I think it’s a nice way to remember someone.”

You felt the emotion of painful memories blooming before they came into your mind. Mae. You missed her. You wished so badly you had something of hers that you could’ve taken with you. Just something to hold, to have, to show that she existed. That she was real. That she was probably the best friend you’d ever had. 

The entirety of her existence was now limited to the scraps and flickers of memories you had of her. There were so, so many horrendous memories with her, but you felt guilty willing those away and only trying to preserve the good. It was like you were denying her existence by letting those times, however tormenting and grievous they were, slip away into a wash of nothingness in your mind. 

You alone carried her story with you. No family. No friends. No one except you. You’d heard an expression once that hadn’t made much sense at the time but had come to be acutely within your comprehension:

We die twice. The first being when you draw your last breath. The second being the last time someone speaks your name.

You hadn’t spoken about Mae to anyone. You’d given her a grave in your thoughts, burying her life, not speaking her name and telling her story to anyone willing to listen. It was as though you were killing her this time. Giving her another death. Refusing her the only life you could offer, the one where her memory lived on through you and the narrative of her life as told by you.

Your eyes began to pinch. You shake your head and repeat yourself, hoping that it wasn’t too obvious you’d gone into a bit of a tailspin just now. “But, y-yeah, remembering people. It’s nice. To do that. Your comics.”

Joel wasn’t even pretending to wash the dishes anymore. He was angled towards you halfway. He’d probably picked up on your digression and stilted words. You needed to get yourself sorted, and quickly, before you made Joel worry for nothing. 

Ellie just sort of hummed a nonresponse, lost in her own thoughts just as you had been.

“Probably. Sam was sort of a little kid, though, so he probably wouldn’t have known any better how messed up it kinda is,” she ponders aloud, the guilt obvious in her voice. You wilted into a stony slump in your chair. A hard thumping noise rose in your ears. 

“But yeah, it’s cool to share it with people. Sam would’ve like that, I think,” she decides.

You were gripping your elbows so tight that your fingers were starting to tingle.

“Hello? You okay?” Ellie asks, suddenly cognizant of your changed composure. “M’fine,” you grit out in a whisper. Joel had turned around fully now and was rushing his hands through a towel to dry them off. “If it’s because Sam was just a kid, I don’t have to talk about it anymore if it’s upsetting to you,” Ellie offers, unsure of what she had done or said that had clearly set you off. “Stop,” you grit out again with a strangled effort. Your eyes screwed shut, and acid lapped at your throat.

Stop saying his name. Stop saying his name. Stop saying his name.

“Hey.” Joel’s soft voice came from behind you along with a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“NO!” you bellow, rocketing to your feet and knocking your chair over. You couldn’t stop yourself launching  a defensive swing in Joel’s direction, causing him to take a large step back.

The bouts of air you sharply gulped wracked through your chest in punctured, dry pulls, but you didn’t feel like you were getting enough oxygen. Your brain was screaming at you to fight, escape, protect yourself. You couldn’t find the threat, which meant that everything was a threat.

“Shit! Alright, I won’t say another word!” Ellie frantically vows, unsure what exactly she had done to spur this from you. She backed against the counter to put a wide space between the two of you. 

Her emphatic appeal and physical retreat hauled you back into reality where shame readily awaited your return.

You glanced between her wild eyed confusion and Joel’s knowing frown. Overcome with your embarrassing spectacle, you scurry to run from the room, only managing to stumble backwards over your fallen chair. A sickly thud echoed as all your weight fell on your right hand and wrist. The stinging, shooting pain was immediate, but you ignored it as you scrambled backwards, propelled by your heels and elbows.

“Jesus Christ, Joel, help her before she fuckin’ goes through a wall or something!” Ellie barks out. 

Your eyes darted skittishly to Joel who had his hands raised to his shoulders, palms out to demonstrate his nonthreatening advance.

“Sweetheart, can you hear me?”

He crouched slowly and winced at the demand it put on his knees. He rested a knee on the floor and extended a hand.

“Hey, right here, baby. Look at me.” Soft. Quiet. Helpful.

You wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. They felt trapped behind your eyes. Just a few moments ago you’d been willing them away, and now that you wished they’d just fall as they now swell and burn behind your vision. A sort of weak, shrill noise emanated from your throat. Your wrist was thumping in an undeniably afflicted rhythm, the fiery pulse of your blood rushing to the site.

“I’m gonna help you up. I’m gonna put my right arm behind you from your left side, and I’m gonna keep my left arm by my side completely, alright?”Joel’s eyes searched yours. You realize you had yet to answer him.

Ellie gawked at Joel as if he were on a LSD bender calling out bizarre Twister prompts to a party of equally strung out guests. “Dude, she doesn’t need a play by play!  Just fuckin’ help her up!”

But you did need a play by play, and Joel did just as he had told you. No surprises. No changes. Only what you had been told and what you hadn’t refused. Your left hand, the only one that was working properly at the moment, grabbed onto Joel’s side, not letting go even after he had steadied you to your feet. Following your lead, he didn’t let go either.

“Grab a bucket from the garage and go get some of the snow from the back corner where it still hasn’t melted and gets real icy,” he instructed over his shoulder to Ellie. Normally one to argue, Ellie did as she was asked without a word.

“Look at me.” Joel’s voice was low and calm. You looked up. “You okay now?”

You nodded meekly, unsure if it was the truth or not.

“You don’t have to be. I was just askin’,” he adds.

You blinked slowly a few times. You were on autopilot, going through whatever motions and words your mind was puppetting you through. “I-I need to s-s-sit. Sit w’me.”

“Alright. Where d’ya wanna sit?” he asks. Calm. Low. Slow. Gentle. Safe.

“Couch.”

Joel’s arm never left your back just as your hand never left his side. You weren’t woozy, you weren’t disoriented, you weren’t even unsteady on your feet. You were just holding on because it brought you comfort. Holding onto this man brought you a sense of comfort. It was still such an odd thing. You weren’t sure if you’d ever get used to it or if it would always feel a bit strange and unusual to be soothed by it. To feel secure instead of scared. Ellie came back in with the bucket of crunchy snow and plopped a handful of it into two stacked tea towels before winding it up into a ball at Joel’s instruction. Joel moved his arm from your back and held his hand out for you to offer your injured one. You presented it to him with slight hesitation, but it was out of apprehension for what the damage was rather than him touching you. Joel gingerly assessed your forearm, wrist, hand, fingers, all of it until he seemed content with his findings. Though he was gentle as could be, you still flinched and hissed at the pain when he moved your hand a certain way. “Just a sprain. Nothing too severe. Nothing broken or snapped, at least.” His words came so confidently and calmly that it actually distracted you a little from the throbbing pain. “Ellie, change out the towels with new snow if it starts ta’melt too much. M’gonna go ask Tommy for somethin’ to keep her swellin’ down.” “You’re leaving?” Your question sounded more frantic than you had intended. Joel lifted an eyebrow in surprise. “Only for a little bit,” he promised. “And th-then you’re coming back? Right back?” you plead, not really caring how stupid or weak you sounded. “I’m goin’ straight to Tommy’s a few doors down and then straight back here.” You nodded, and his gaze softened once you appeared calmed by this assurance to get back to you quickly. You didn’t mind Ellie’s company. In fact, you rather enjoyed spending time with her, but right now the only person you wanted to be with and look after you was Joel. 

You didn’t mull it over or question why exactly that was. Right now you were just allowing yourself to feel it and not have to have any explanation or reason for it other than it just was.

When Joel returned less than 10 minutes later, he had a small glass jar with a lid screwed on, housing noisy little tablets that rocked and jumped with his heavy steps. Ellie grabbed a glass of water for you at his request, which you gratefully accepted. Your mouth felt rather dry from all the humiliation.

You went to take the pill from Joel, not feeling the need to ask what it was, but were immediately reminded of your out-of-operations hand. Silently asking and subsequently receiving your look of permission, Joel pinched the tablet between his thumb and pointer finger and placed it on your tongue. You chased it down quickly with large gulps of water.

“Give us just a minute, Ellie. Head out to your room, and I’ll call you back in.” Ellie, ever agreeable today, went quietly without dispute, leaving you and Joel together on the couch. The floor creaked in the kitchen before the backdoor snapped shut and signaled you were alone.

“You’re gonna need to take this medicine a coupla times a day for the next few days. And ice your hand and wrist for the next 24 hours at least. Probably closer to 48 since I think it’s leanin’ a bit more moderate than mild. Not sure yet about a splint. You think Susan can help you with all that?”

You nod silently. “How’s it feel?” “It hurts, but..  it-it’s better.” You thoughtfully turned your wrist the smallest degree manageable to test your assertion and grimaced when a pain shot up through your elbow. “You’re gonna need ta’leave it be. Can’t be usin’ it or it’s not gonna get better any time soon,” Joel instructed. “Can you look at it again?” you ask.

Your imploring glance had an effect on Joel almost instantly.  He studied you for a moment, searching for something. An answer to a question that you didn’t even know how to formulate. Yet, here Joel was, trying his best to figure it out for the both of you.

You know it sounded ridiculous to ask him to look again. There wasn’t anything Joel was going to see that he hadn’t already come to discover, but you didn’t care. You wanted him to delicately hold your wrist in his large, warm hands while rendering such precise movements as to barely smart your sprain. You wanted him to take care of you, to be gentle with you, to fuss over you. Just a little while longer. He sighed and looked down at your wrist. A small shake of his head. It didn’t appear he’d conjured any appeasing response despite his best efforts.

“Honey, it’s sprained at the very least. Me lookin’ it over ain’t gonna change that,” he explains gently. “I know that,” your voice breaks. “Just look at it again.” Joel seemed to catch on that you weren’t asking for him to reevaluate his conclusion. “You want me to look at it again?” he echoes, hoping for you to elaborate. “Yeah. You know, just- maybe hold it and see if it’s really bad,” you specify clumsily in a half-hearted whisper. Your request was so jumbled and awkward that it could hardly qualify as being dishonest. You wanted to be forthright. You just didn’t know how to get the words out to convey it. You wanted Joel to comfort you. “Alright.”

Joel’s tone indicated he wasn’t entirely sure what he was supposed to be doing, only that whatever it might be was what you needed to feel comfortable. His fingertips brushed along your skin, his tender hold feeling like an anchor to him. Your eyes closed as you took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, Joel working over your sprain again in an unhurried mediation.

“Is it okay if I rest your arm here?” You open your eyes to see Joel is gesturing to his thigh. Your eyes flit to his, only a small part of you unsure. You nod firmly, showing certainty in your approval.

You watch curiously as he drapes your arm against his thigh, carefully separating your fingers into a fanned position across his knee. You tense slightly at the tight pulling feeling, and you can sense Joel pausing each time to check in on your face, your expression, your feelings, your thoughts. “Gonna feel pressure. Tell me if it hurts or if it’s too much.”

You chewed your bottom lip, working the worry and jitters through your teeth. Joel warning you of a possible unpleasant feeling and asking you to vocalize it to him so he can pull back or stop . . . it was overwhelming. You had never been warned. You had never been encouraged to vocalize your hurt and pain and cries for it to stop unless it was some fucked up power imbalance being enacted by some sadist. By Sam.

Joel pressed his palms with gradual force against your arm and wrist. It was a bittersweet feeling of sensitivity and appeasement. Ultimately it felt better than it hurt. 

“You okay? I know it doesn’t feel great. Probably need a splint for a few days just to keep it from too much motion.”  Joel isn’t sure if it’s his words or his movements that have you tensing and on the verge of tears. 

“Tell me to stop.” It’s a soft command, ordering you to tell him if you don’t want this. You shake your head back and forth in exaggerated movements and breathe around the tight feeling in your throat. 

“Well, if you aren’t gonna tell me to stop with words then I’m just gonna to take your silent cues ‘n stop,” he decides, carefully placing your hand onto your lap. The loss of his touch feels worse than the sting of your sprain. “It’s not that. Please. Don’t,” you choke out, holding Joel’s curious gaze. “Please. Can you sit? Very still? Just like you are. And-And don’t move?”

He nods, glancing you up and down as though he’s not sure what is coming next. You’re not even sure what’s coming next, but you feel yourself moving anyway. You lean forward enough to pick Joel’s hand up and bring it down over your head behind your back, guiding it to your hip. The freed curve of his side now open to you, you sidle closer into him.

You carefully grab his other hand and place it on top of your sprain before resting your uninjured one on top. You nuzzle the back of your head against his shoulder, sinking into the expanse of him. Joel remained still but pliable, careful to not be stiff to your arranging. 

“Just hold me here like this for a little bit,” you bid in a hush. Joel answers by way of tightening his grasp of you ever so slightly and rubbing circles with his thumb against you.

“Anything you need from me, you’ve got it.” His voice is soothing, modulated, familiar. Safe.

Your lashes flutter against your cheeks. You can feel the wet there now. You wonder when you started crying. You sniff a few times, but your streams just feel hotter and more eager to spill over.

“Tell me what I can do. Please. Anything.” Joel’s firm, steady voice that existed in perpetuity wavered slightly.

Your eyes drift up to meet his. He’s looking down at you, now the one who’s pleading for something. Wishing and willing for anything that could help you. His hand between yours twitches. You think back to the time the two of you first went to the market alone. The talk you had on the way. The tears you’d shed then. The way he’d hesitated and then pulled back when he wanted to wipe them away.

You reach for his hand and guide it to your cheek where hot rivulets trickle steadily all the way down your jaw and neck. Even with your prompting, he hesitates to touch your face. So, you lean into his open palm. Your eyes flutter shut and squeeze tight at the overwhelming repose and contentment it engulfs you in. You nuzzle against it shamelessly, soaking up all of these foreign comforts.

Your whimper of a sigh, resounding in the solace of the gesture, seems to be the compelling evidence of your resolute consent that he is at liberty to nurture and pacify your distress. His thumbs swipes gentle passes across the curves of your face, skimming the tears off where they’re still gathering.

“S’this okay?” Your lids lift with concerted effort. You can feel the lack of sleep creeping up on you even more rapidly now. 

“MMmhmmmmm,” you murmur back.

“How ‘bout you take a rest, sweetheart? I’ll wake you up in a little bit. Wouldn’t mind longer, but Ellie’ll get worked up if she ain’t called back soon.” Joel’s words already sound fuzzy.

“Righ’here?” you mumble.

You feel Joel’s chest vibrate with a chuckle. You could hear his heartbeat, steady and low. Were you laying on him? You jerked awake slightly and ebbed back into a lull when you realize you’d only slumped into his side where he’d cradled you tighter against him, legs drawn up slightly so you could dip into his middle all the more.

“Yeah, honey. Right here.” His breaths pull and press against your head where he’s resting his own. Joel had said you could have anything from him that you needed, and as you drift off you know with every fiber of your being that he could wholeheartedly deliver on that invitation.

If only we all had our very own Susan. 😣💞

The title of this chapter is a quote from Hélène Cixous.

Thank you for reading, commenting, and reblogging! Y'all are wonderful.

catch ya later, ♥Puddles♥

#fic: feral woman #FW #joel miller #joel miller x reader #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #tlou fic #the last of us

[yunomagic]

What if: sonic sacrifices himself in sonic the hedgehog 3 instead of shadow?

Okay so before we start this, a key thing i want ppl to remember is that movie sonic is incredibly selfless. Like, when tails got hurt for the first time he immediately jumped straight into danger and refused to accept help from his parents and was also willing to DIE for them in exchange for the safety. No questions asked. Hes rlly just too selfless for his own good, and i imagine that quality carries over to sonic the hedgehog 3

ALSO this is gonna be more based on headcanon cuz, the movie is in two years by the time yall are reading this so yeah dont take my word for it. Do what you will with the following scenario and information. Anyways here we go:

First of all, sonic and shadow are probably going to have an interesting dynamic in the third film. Mainly because of their experience with grief and familial loss. Sonic lost someone who was like a mother to him, shadow lost someone who was like a sister to him. They both failed to save the women that played an important part in their lives and were heavily traumatized by their deaths. How the two hedgehogs deal with their grief is where their paths diverge a little.

Sonic spent ten years living in isolation, being afraid of himself and what people will think of him if he revealed himself to the world. And possibly beat himself up so many times for failing to save longclaw, while trying to make her proud by becoming a hero on the streets. Shadow on the other hand suffered from manipulation under gerald robotnik, who forced him to become humanity’s final destruction, although he was created to help it. And instead of beating himself up, shadow became filled with rage and unspeakable hurt. He found it easier to blame humanity for the death of maria and uses his anger as a driving force for revenge. Which undoubtedly, is a more dangerous path of grief he chose to walk on.

Thus, the two hedgehogs are foils, two sides of the same coin. They arent too dissimilar to each other, especially in the roots of their pasts. They learn that there’s more to the other than just looking like each other. Unfortunately, due to drastic circumstances, one of them is going to relive through their trauma of losing someone all over again, and dealing with that same feeling of loss and self-blame.

Everyone knows how SA2 ends, shadow sacrifices himself to save humanity and dies while doing so. But if the film wants to do something different, (and give everyone a huge punch in the gut), they’re going to twist that fate in some way.

Its already in the title but i still propose it: what if sonic was the one who sacrifices himself instead?

Its the final hour, the bio lizard has been defeated, but the ark is still falling down to earth. Running out of time, shadow blurts out the idea that hes going to use the power of the chaos emeralds to push back the ark into orbit, maybe he can save humanity. Sonic, is dumbfounded, shadow is going to die and he knows it. Shadow knows it too, but what other options are there?

Panicking, sonic defaults to HIS way of solving problems. Talking it out. Fast.

“You can’t just throw away your life like it has no meaning! You— You don’t have to use all that power. You can stay with us back on Earth! You can— you can have a life there! Just like you and Maria would’ve wanted!”

Shadow of course is insistent that this is his destiny. His fate. If hes destined to be the last hope to save humanity, then itd be fitting if he were to die. Sonic is still frightened and restless, he’s getting a familiar itch in his throat and a familiar heaviness in his chest. The same feeling he felt years ago, when he was a small, helpless child.

No. Hes NOT going to lose someone to the same fate again.

“You made a promise to Maria, to keep everyone happy right?”

Shadow glances at sonic, eyes widened, knowingly.

“That includes you too shadow.”

“Are you crazy?! If you do that then—“

“I wont be able to go back home to my parents and my brothers, or the townspeople of Green Hills. I know. But they survived long enough even before i came into their life. They need someone who can keep them happy.”

Shadow too, gets the familiar itch in his throat, the familiar tightness in his chest. Fear. Panic. Memories resurfacing. A parallel of maria shines through sonic’s selfless attitude.

“…and that someone is you, shadow.”

“Sonic—“

Sonic shoves shadow away with as much force as he could. A wistful smile present on his muzzle, along with a sorrowful glaze in his eyes. Shadow, with a raised voice, stretches out his hand. Hes trying to reach for sonic.

The blue blur has more experience with the chaos emeralds than shadow does. Making this sacrifice should be easy. If it werent for the grief-stricken ebony hedgehog reaching out behind him. For one last send off, sonic and shadow’s eyes meet for the last time.

Its crazy how they thought so lowly of each other when they first met, and nearly tried to kill each other. But the more time they spent, the more did the hedgehogs realize how much the other is truly worth, and how much respect they hold for one another. Its a shame they wont get to spend more time together back on earth.

A damn shame. But humanity needed a fresh sacrifice.

One pair of eyes, plaintive yet noble, another pair of eyes, staggered and fearful, stare at each other, for one millisecond.

Sonic raises his hand, not to reach back out to shadow. But to wave. Wave goodbye.

“Please… keep them happy for me, okay? Promise me. You’ll protect my family.”

Shadow cant hold back his apprehension any longer. Fruitlessly calling out to sonic for him to come back. To not go away. To not throw HIS life away like it had no meaning. Of course, it falls on deaf ears, and two voices say at once:

“Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog…”

Followed by a yell of chaos control, a blinding light, a futile chase for a falling body, and no recollection of being sent back onto the ark. To be greeted by an array of faces. All grief-stricken, mournful, sullen, and unreadable.

Shadow, in spite of his own grief and his own recollection of his past trauma. Does his best to comfort sonic’s brothers. He’ll attempt to do the same to his parents back on earth.

A couple months have passed by then, and shadow has learned from his past mistakes. Right now, he wont go down the path of revenge and go guns blazing in the streets again. Right now, he has a promise to keep. A promise to her, and a promise to him. Of course, thered be times where he wonders and hopes that hes doing enough to keep humanity, the people of green hills, and sonic’s family happy. Hes trying his best, and he’ll keep on trying no matter what.

Shadow sometimes fantasizes about a scenario where sonic lived, and the blue blur shows him around green hills. Rambling non-stop with that annoying (yet kind of endearing) voice of his, maintaining that same charm. Cracking jokes shadow cant understand, showing him technology and culture shadow has to learn. It wouldve been… nice to still have him around. It really wouldve been. He wishes it so.

Tails and knuckles are starting to warm up to the ultimate life form, and the wachowski’s appreciate shadow’s efforts in helping humanity. Understanding that he has no intentions of replacing their son, and cherish everything the ebony hedgehog does to honor green hills’ fallen blue devil.

And even shadow knows that the world is filled with cruelty and sorrow. Yet it was the world that maria wanted to live in, and it was the world that sonic chose to fight for and protect. There’s a lot of awful, sad things in the world. But there are still things, people, worth protecting.

There’s a promise.

Shadow will remember it.

Shadow will never forget it.

And that is why…

He will keep fighting.

(If things are messy sorry ill edit it when i get back from canada which is tomorrow lol-)

#sonic #sonic movie #sonic the movie 2 #very angsty #ngl #almost forgot the tags #whoops #sonic movie 3 #sonic movie angst #headcanon #ish #sonadow #if you squint #movie sonadow #sonic adventure 2 #shadow the hedgehog #i spent so long on this #two hours actually #very worth it #i apologize for nothing #gay subtext #sonic x shadow #btw #theres a madoka magica ref in here #if you watched the anime #i think its kind of a reference anyway

[scribbleseas]

Beyond the Walls, Chapter 2: Mother Nature

Description: It's the year 850.

You are a renowned scientist who narrowly saved the world from impending famine and malnourishment with a myriad of agricultural advancements after Wall Maria fell, surrendering acres of farmland to titans. However, your innovations are not quite enough to be a permanent solution, given that their yield rate is nowhere near ideal. Many are still starving, costs for bread and vegetables are still high, and refugee rations remain low

Convinced that the only sustainable answers can come from the natural world outside the walls, you implore Survey Corps Commander Erwin Smith to allow you to join his company’s ranks for their next expedition. His only condition? You must be trained in omni-directional mobility gear under Humanity’s Strongest Soldier, Captain Levi Ackerman, to qualify for the expedition as a soldier. Despite having no demonstrated prowess outside your trusty greenhouse, you willingly accept Erwin’s terms, desperate to prove your hypothesis. However, during your time with the Captain, you soon learn that there is more to the stoic and strong soldier that meets the eye, and instead, you have much more in common that you would have guessed. Not even you, a certified genius in the horticulture field, could predict the blossoming romance between you.

Is your commitment to saving humanity enough for you to endure extensive training under the scrutinizing Captain? Or will it be your unexpected feelings for him that ultimately distract you from your original experiment?

Content Warnings: Violence, gore, death, swearing, eventual kissing, eventual smut, human-eating titans, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder

Author’s Note: Hi Everyone! This was sooooo overdue. That being said, though, please let me know how you feel about this one! Believe it or not, this is only my third time writing Captain Levi. I really hope he’s in character for you all. I’m probably going to try to post the next chapter of Straight Laced next, but since I started the Fall Semester at my university, I can’t give you a date estimate. Shit happens, unfortunately.

Another announcement, I know I said I was going to post a poll about my next Ciel story, but I actually the next one myself lol. But on the bright side, I know you’ll all like it.

Thank you so so much for reading and staying patient with my terrible date estimates. (I know I originally said September 3rd for this one…)

Well, as always, Happy Reading!

- Dan

“I can’t even begin to tell you how jazzed I was when Erwin said you’d be joining us,” Section Commander Hange Zoë’s grin was nothing but radiant, alight with hope. Their hand rested on your forearm amicably as you walked through the Survey Corps’ Headquarters. 

You and Hange were correspondents long before you started your first aeroponics prototype, about a decade ago. Hange was your colleague, watching your hypothesis about landless planting develop with rapt fascination. You studied together up until the moment they decided to join the Survey Corps and focus their scientific genius on understanding titans. Meanwhile, you decided to continue your studies, pursuing a certification as a medic and a focus on agronomy, the study and practice of soil and crop management. 

Even with the distance between your respective research, you kept well in touch. It was Hange’s frantic encouragement that inspired you to make your direct appeal to Erwin Smith. They referred to the Commander as a visionary before you ever had. 

Hange had met you at the main entrance and insisted that they were your tour guide for the day. At the same time, a team of cadets started to move your belongings, deaf to your protests. While most of your belongings were equipment for the greenhouse and your experiments, rather than personal items, there were still a great deal of heavy boxes that needed moving. You felt sorry for the cadets tasked with the activity— especially in this heat— but Hange seemed to think little of it, telling you to let the young kids get their energy out. 

They said it as if the two of you were approaching your fifties, rather than your thirties. 

The corner of your lips pulled upwards in an answering half-smile. “I know. I’ve missed you,” you admitted, taking in the expansive halls. The headquarters was an old regal castle in the countryside, the hallways lined with large windows that allowed the summer sun to stream in. Despite the antiquated architecture, the premises seemed to be extremely well taken care of, there was no hint of dust, nor one blade of unruly grass. In fact, it was so picturesque, that you suspected that no onlooker would think to assume it was a military headquarters and instead, assume it was a wealthy residence.

“Well, Y/n, as did I. That’s why I made sure Erwin made me your tour guide,” Hange exclaimed. “There are a few places I want to show you, some people I want you to meet…come this way!”

You walked with Hange obediently, content with following them around the base. The tour started with your private quarters (the cadets left all of your boxes on the floor next to your bed), continued to the base’s training areas, Hange’s office, your new greenhouse, and ended with the mess hall. As you walked, you shared greeting nods with soldiers who passed you around the base. Few people stopped to exchange words with you, sensing that you and Hange were in the middle of touring. Erwin likely debriefed his forces prior to your arrival, anyway. 

The mess hall was abuzz with soldiers in decently high spirits, much to your surprise. There was a monotone chatter around the room as soldiers ate their breakfast.

The Survey Corps served their meals cafeteria-style, the lines at the far side of the room long as everyone waited for their lightly salted oatmeal and a singular slice of bread. As you suspected, there wasn’t a piece of fruit or a vegetable in sight because the military insisted its men sacrificed their diets alongside their lives. While you doubted you could produce enough vegetation to give everyone a nutritional boost in such little time, some change was better than no change. The tables of soldiers you passed continued to track your movements with evident curiosity, sizing you up— wondering whether or not you were as great as your reputation imagined you were.

“Levi Squad, Miche, Moblit, this is my dear friend Y/n Y/l/n,” Hange announced proudly, stopping at a long table towards the far side of the mess hall— the furthest away from the line of hungry scouts. Populating the table were a number of men and one woman, each regarding you with varying levels of interest.

 “Y/n, this is the Levi Squad,” Hange gestured to the group of six soldiers— the Levi Squad consisted of soldiers Petra Ral, Oluo Bozado, Eld Gin, and Gunther Shultz. Miche Zacharius and Moblit Berner were also distinguished Survey Corps members; Miche was one of Hange’s fellow section commanders and Moblit was their research assistant. You were never one to enter a situation unprepared, so you took the liberty of reading through the Survey Corps’ major players. “Levi Squad: meet Y/n!”

“I’m Petra. It’s great to meet you,” Petra spoke first, quickly rising from her seat to give your hand a professional shake. “We’ve been reading about some of your work…not that we understand the technicalities of it, but…” she laughed, “for curiosity's sake, we try. We could never do what you do.”

I’m not sure I know how I do what I do, either, you wanted to admit. Your pride forced you to swallow the words down like a dry cracker. 

“The pleasure’s mine,” you responded, reciprocating the shake and the same greeting with Gunther and Eld.

“You both can sit next to me,” Petra offered, shifting to the end of the bench. Hange took the seat directly next to Petra. You took a seat between the section commander and the tall soldier you knew to be Miche. 

“Honestly, I don’t know how I’ll do what you all--” you started, cutting yourself off with a start as Miche took a long inhale, sniffing near the side of your neck. You hummed curiously, but he made no attempt to explain himself. Instead, Miche nodded to himself and turned his attention back to his breakfast. The questioning look you sent to Hange went mostly ignored. They seemed more interested in the thin bread portion on Petra’s plate, suggesting Miche’s sniffing habit was an idiosyncrasy of his that was to be expected. 

Oluo shook his head, unimpressed with your comment. He took a long drink out of a teacup, making no effort to shake your hand and introduce himself properly. “I, for one, have no idea why the Commander thinks you can become a soldier in only two months or less. You’ll be titan chow mere minutes after we—“

“That won’t happen because she’ll be riding with us,” Petra interjected pointedly before turning her attention back to you, her smile apologetic. “Ignore him. He thinks he’s the Captain,” she rolled her amber eyes, cuing you into her joke. 

“Speaking of Levi… where is he?” Hange asked, taking the opportunity to change the subject from your potential demise to the whereabouts of the absent Captain. Their ponderous expression suggested that Levi was rarely late to anything. From what little information you were about to glean about him— his superhuman battle prowess, neatly groomed appearance, and stern expression to match — you imagined that the man was also quite punctual. 

“Running late from his tea pick up,” Gunther answered, causing the group to share identical looks of worry and frustration. (Save for Oluo, he merely tutted and shook his head dismissively.)

“You know what that means,” Eld said, his thin lips pulling into a grim expression. 

Sensing your confusion, Hange started to answer. “It means they don’t have his— oh no,” Hange fell silent at the sight of the Captain quickly making his way towards the table. Despite being a handful of inches shorter than most of the soldiers around him, all standing scouts parted out of his way, eyes diverting from his stoic gaze. The way they scurried out of the way reminded you of anxious prey.

“We should tread carefully, you guys,” Petra suggested, “he’s empty handed.” She sent a warning look towards Oluo, who merely shook his head in response, his hazel eyes rolling. They acted like a married couple— an intimacy that only came from fighting at one another’s sides for years. It was strangely heartwarming that they were able to stay with one another for so long.    

“Morning, Levi!” Hange cheered, standing to greet him properly. They clapped him on the back, only to remove their hand in response to his continued silence and pointed glare. “Guess who’s sitting with us today?” they asked rhetorically, “Doctor Y/l/n! She just came this morning.”

You rose from your seat, unsure of how to proceed. Levi didn’t seem particularly interested in introducing himself to you. Instead, he regarded you, likely hypothesizing whether or not you could handle two months of intensive training under him and come out of it with maneuvering reliable enough to save your life. He was calculating any semblance of a chance you had at staying alive and carrying out your research. 

“You can call me Y/n,” you decided, extending your hand to him with a tentative smile. Levi made no attempt to return the expression, much less take you. Instead, he regarded the remnants of dirt on your palm, left behind after you took a soil sample from the front of the base upon your arrival— and hesitated. None of the soldiers seemed to mind, given that it was such a minimal shadow left from the soil. 

In fact, you doubted they noticed at all. 

You made a quick attempt to run your palm over your light green skirts, the linen material light enough for you to remain cool in the hot summer. You chuckled apologetically, “I took a sample from your soil here. To see if it needs any additional nutrients before I use it for my vertical trestles,” you explained, doubting he would understand what you were referring to. Your vertical trestles were long stands with dozens of small engravings to house plants. The beauty of your aeroponics system was that it could grow plants without needing a constant supply of water. All they needed was nutrient-dense soil, sprays of (nutrient-dense, of course) water every few days, and consistent sunlight. 

“It’s fine,” the Captain replied, his grave tone insinuating that it was anything but. Still, his calloused hand wrapped around yours, his palm surprisingly cold. His grip was firm and sure. “Given your line of work, you’re bound to drag filth around with you, Mother Nature.”

The derisive nickname caused your back to stiffen as your hand fell back to your side. You frowned, unsure of whether or not he was teasing you with it. But there was no sign of mockery in his face— only mild frustration and inconvenience. 

“Training is at noon. Don’t keep me waiting,” Levi ordered, turning swiftly on the heel of his boot to make his leave. He ignored Petra’s dismayed calls, asking where he was going and why he was skipping the meal. 

Hange noticed your expression as you reclaimed your seat. “It’s nothing personal. He’s always that grumpy.”

“Especially after that tea store under-watered the flowers again. The ones they need to make his black tea,” Petra sighed. You cringed, thinking about the type of lunacy that would drive someone to over-water camellia sinensis twice. 

“And I need to train with him later?” You asked, now mildly concerned for your well-being along with that plant. Commander Erwin said Levi was their best soldier, Humanity’s Strongest. But he didn’t specify whether or not Levi was their best teacher. Was there truly no one else to take on that burden? Someone nicer?

“You might think we’d have someone a bit more…patient, but no,” Petra said as if she read your mind. “All of us,” she nodded to the rest of the group with her chin, her red hair bobbing at the gesture, “need to be focused on Eren while Hange works with him. The other section commanders have to prepare our new cadets. That leaves, well, the Captain, as the most qualified to show you the ropes,” the more Petra explained Erwin’s decision, the tighter the knot in your stomach felt. All of Levi’s elite squad had to make sure Eren’s titan didn’t go berserk and ravage the military branch while their leader helped you, a full-time scientist, master notoriously complex equipment. 

“But you can do it!” Hange cheered. “If anyone I know can become a member of the scouts in exactly six weeks, it’s you!”

It was true. If Levi was Humanity’s Strongest Soldier, and the Eren Yeager kid was Humanity’s Last Hope, you were one of Humanity’s only obstacles standing between it and famine, which was just as dire. There was no reason to defeat the titans if most of the population was going to be malnourished and on the brink of starvation-caused extinction. Not to mention, it was too ironic: the titans are defeated only for their former prey to go extinct due to lack of food. 

You couldn’t watch that happen when you were so sure it was preventable. 

. . .

You had a doctorate in agronomy, a degree in horticulture, and a certification in medical care. And even after those years of hard schooling, long essays, and seemingly endless research projects, you still managed to suffer the worst of equipment malfunctions at the worst possible timing. 

But to be fair, who invented this gear?

The idea of omni-directional mobility gear was to make humans as swiftly airborne as possible, giving them the ability to evade a titan’s jaws and provide lethal proximity to their vulnerable napes in milliseconds. However, human facilities were much more delicate than a titan’s— it didn’t take a doctor like you to understand that. To endure high-speed movement and mid-air contortion, the stress would need to be evenly distributed across the body at all times. That was why limp leather straps were dangling from various parts of your legs and torso while you desperately tried to buckle them in their rightful places. 

Hange demonstrated the process for you about three times before they left to work with the titan shifter, swearing that you would at least survive the first session with Levi. Now you were standing alone, using one of the many benches to the slide of the big green field where new scouts stretched with their section commanders, as leverage while you tried to buckle the gas exhaust around your lower back.

Several starstruck scouts attempted to ask you if you needed a hand, but your pride refused. You were an academic. You were having issues with…leather straps. Not only that, you couldn’t, in good conscience, let teenagers help you buckle your uniform. 

“Do you honestly think your equipment is going to hold you up like that, Mother Nature?” The Captain’s harsh voice asked, causing you to sheepishly turn to look at him, your cheeks reddening. Thankfully, they were already rather flushed from the heat. 

“I don’t understand how you all put this on so quickly,” you explained, gesturing to the pieces of uniform that you managed to construct. “It’s like a puzzle…” you mumbled before your face lit up with relief. 

“Oh--- there it is.” The buckle slipped through one of the adjustment holes, letting you pull the equipment around your abdomen snuggly. While you weren’t quite sure if this was the proper adjustment, you couldn’t help but nurse your satisfaction while you could. The compressed gas from the exhaust powered the wiring mechanism that worked like a grappling hook: the anchors on the edges of the wires were supposed to dig into any possible service and maintain your weight.

“The section commander was supposed to show you,” Captain Levi said.

“They had to run. Time-sensitive experiment with Eren. Something about sleep deprivation’s impact on titan shifting… It’s really fine, I know how important it is to be meticulous with your experiments’ timing. Maintaining consistent variables and all…” you were rambling. You cringed at yourself— your lack of social competence. But in all fairness, you spent most of your formative years in a laboratory, or your nose buried so deep within the pages of a book, that you could distinguish your textbooks from scent alone. Nothing— out of your vast libraries of literary knowledge— covered how to speak to a soldier of unimaginable strength (and with impossibly azure eyes to match.) It was no wonder the hottest part of a flame was its innermost blue. 

“Sounds like Hange,” Levi said noncommittally, but he didn’t seem angry. That told you he was more than accustomed to the scientist’s effervescent (and extremely capricious) nature. It suggested he expected it, at this point. Anyone close to Hange knew to expect some turbulence, at some point. You were relieved Hange managed to find someone in the Survey Corps to grow close to. They deserved it, and it seemed Levi could use Hange’s enigmatic scheming in his life. 

“Can you please just…” you looked at the equipment meaningfully. You managed to complete all of the straps that were a bit too personal to ask of him, but there were a few that ran behind your back and attached to said buckles that you couldn’t figure out how to stabilize without a mirror.

“I’m required to double check your equipment -- whether or not you proved incompetent with putting it on. You’re still a newbie, Plant Lady,” Levi said, already fixing the strap that fastened your gas exhaust-- the one you just fixed!

You huffed, dismayed by both your apparent failure and the new nickname. “I was growing attached to Mother Nature,” you smarted. 

“Just give me your right gearbox, and we might just manage to start training on time,” Levi ignored your quip. 

. . .

You were a puppet suspended in mid-air, only you weren’t lifeless, and somewhat in control of your facilities.

Every muscle in your body pleaded for help as you remained motionless, yet suspended in the air. Apparently, this was the first physical test the military put its cadets through. If you couldn’t strike a near-natural balance with the omni-directional mobility gear, then you were cut— sent to the fields to help with the harvest. Apparently, it would work the same for you. If you couldn’t exhibit the necessary physical prowess on your first day, what was the sense in the Survey Corps investing its time and resources into you?

You could feel sweat rolling down your neck, tracing an uncomfortable line down your back as you trembled with effort. You weren’t even wearing the full equipment. While Levi initially showed you how to put the whole ensemble together, you didn’t need all of it for your first day of training. All you currently were wearing was the various leather straps around your legs and feet, and the main belt around your waist that would have connected your gas exhaust and both gearboxes. According to your reading, those gearboxes held extra blades and gas canisters. Attached to those gearboxes were wooden handles that connected to the blades and anchors soldiers plunged into structures in order to move.

Your arms wanted to reach out and grab something, anything, to hold onto, but there was nothing in proximity. There were only two long bars that supported you on either side as if you were a swing. 

You tried to keep your gaze ahead of you, knowing that looking at the distance between your boot soles and the grass was too far for your liking. In fact, the thought of your elevation caused you to shudder, causing your body to sway. You weren’t proud of it, but you couldn’t suppress your worried shriek as your gaze slipped unintentionally downwards.

“Easy there. The more you panic, the less control you have. Put the most power into your core so your back straightens,” Levi watched you, observing your quivering body— in part from the physical strain that came with holding your back straight and core strong, but equally, your fear.

“Like…this?” You managed through gritted teeth. You blinked rapidly to try to keep the drops of sweat that cascaded from your hairline and past your eyebrows away from your eyes. “What if I-I….can’t do this any longer?” you asked, trying to come up with an estimate of how long you were balancing. Seven minutes? Eight minutes? The Idle Suspension Exercise was a minimum of ten straight minutes of steady balancing, excluding any time you spent thrashing. 

“Oh, you can just stop and---” the female scout to your side started to answer, only for the Captain to silence her with a single glance. Levi tasked her with turning the lever that hoisted you up and back down. “Nevermind,” she chuckled awkwardly, looking down at her muddy uniform boots. 

“Why did you tell Erwin you’d master this gear in two months when you knew you had basic stamina issues?” He asked flatly. There was a dichotomy between the Captain's blunt way of speaking and the way he regarded you closely-- curious to see if you could hold yourself up for a short while longer, or if you’d collapse. The tersely restrained energy in his physique suggested he was ready to spring into action if he so much as suspected the latter was about to occur. “Seems irresponsible, for a doctor.”

“I don’t have-- basic-- stamina--- issues!” You managed through labored breaths. He was essentially superhuman. He had no right to insinuate you had basic stamina issues when he’s had somewhere near a decade and a half to develop his skills in the Survey Corps. Compared to your single day, or half hour, of training rather. “And I’m not irresponsible!”

“I’ve seen first-day cadets perform better,” Levi’s arms crossed in front of his chest, his body relaxing. “Are you sure you gave this decision all of the thought it required, Mother Nature?”

“What?” Your head tilted indignantly, your eyes widening to immediately question the Captain’s words. Was he making fun of you? Questioning your sense of rational thinking? 

If you weren’t previously motivated to finish the exercise before, now you were deadset.

“Not everyone has what it takes to be a soldier,” Levi explained, unwithering against your enraged scowl.

“Some people are just more suited tending to flowers in a greenhouse than a battlefield. But I would say your attempt is…commendable,” he said. “Start letting her down, Sam,” Levi instructed the redheaded scout.

Your blood boiled, and it was from more than just the sun beating down on you. 

“Don’t you dare, Sam!” You demanded with an intensity you normally reserved for those goading you like the Captain, but you couldn’t control your tone during such immense physical and emotional stress. “I will finish this!” Now you had to. 

Sam’s eyebrows drew together as she hummed uncertainty, trying to decide whether she should obey the Captain when you were so clearly invested in beating the challenge. Her hand sat on the lever’s handle, unmoving. So she was going to listen to you. 

She sent a resolute nod to you. 

You’d dealt with numerous characters like Levi Ackerman. Stingy and sexist government officials and nobles who doubted your projects could produce anything of real scientific value…soldiers who didn’t want their wounds stitched up by someone they assumed was incompetent, based on the way you looked. Infuriated nobles who would threaten your life for making produce and food items more accessible when they’d been making fortunes by price gouging them. 

“Let me finish this, Captain,” you snapped, “I can do it!” 

“You already did,” Levi responded, taking a quick look at his watch. “You just passed twelve minutes. Let her down, now.” 

Before you could process what was happening, Sam obeyed, turning the lever around to set you back down on the ground. The second the bottoms of your boots reached the ground, your legs buckled, threatening to fully give into your weight. If you didn’t reach for the stand to your side, you probably would’ve fallen to the ground.

“You…did that…on purpose…didn’t you…” you panted to catch your breath once again, surprised you could string a coherent sentence together. You used the back of your hand to wipe sweat from your hairline and the rest of your face. You cringed at the pool of sweat that transferred from your skin, still hesitant to believe that you truly managed to go over the minimum requirement.

Because of Levi’s strategically-placed hostility. 

“Maybe,” Levi replied, something akin to reluctant respect on his face. “You’re dismissed for the day. “Meet me back here, same time tomorrow.”

“You’ll tell Commander Erwin I passed?” you asked hopefully, looking for your due praise--- even though it was obvious Levi wasn’t the type to commend his soldiers for a job well done. 

“It’s my responsibility to update the Commander as I see fit, Mother Nature.”

. . . 

“Do you have black tea in stock?” You asked the young girl working the counter at the bakery closest to the Survey Corps’ Headquarters. Even if it was the closest, it was still quite a ways on horseback-- about a half hour back into town. 

The girl blushed. “Um, no. We don’t. Our…newest hire…under-watered the plant,” she explained tentatively, her smile sheepish enough to suggest that she was the mentioned culprit. 

“It happens. Do you still have the plant?” you asked. 

“Yes, we do…?” she replied, unsure as to why you were asking for it. Her smile seemed a bit terse, irritated that you were looking for a plant that they were likely about to compost. 

“Can I buy it?” While over-watering typically caused a plant to wilt and rot, effectively killing it. However, under-watering was fixable in most cases. Especially if it was the summer sun--- while camelia flowers tended to prefer sunnier spots, they also required ample water to keep them nourished. It wasn’t unheard of for an amateur to be scared of overwatering the flowers.

“I think it’s about to die, so you can’t really use it for tea or anything,” she warned, expecting you to change your mind.

“Just name your price,” you smiled patiently, but you were sure it didn’t reach your eyes because of your impatience. But in a matter of mere minutes, you were walking to the public stable where you left your horse, Juniper, and you were on your way back to Headquarters to start your first official project as an Honorary Scout.

. . .

Tags:

#anime fanfiction #levi ackerman #captain levi #levi x reader smut #levi ackerman smut #levi attack on titan #levi ackerman fanfiction #aot levi #levi x reader #levi x you #levi ackerman x reader #snk levi #levi smut #attack on titan x reader #attack on titan fanfiction #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #shingeki no kyoujin x reader #attack on titan x female reader #levi ackerman x you #levi ackerman x female reader #captain levi x reader #captain levi x you #beyond the walls

[beevean]

i really have to lament that the standards for female characters in media are still so abysmal that people are happy to eat up #girlboss'd maria and annette in nocturne

when their character bios dropped these past few days, my mind immediately went to this iconic kate beaton comic panel:

and this was a parody of how mainstream media "solved" sexism by invariably making every female character a badass, take no prisoners Action Girl™ (aka the proto-#girlboss) from over a decade ago

Absolutely incredible :^)

What grinds my gears is that the adaptation is deliberately flattening characters who were distinct in the original games and could have been fleshed out in a proper story.

Annette doesn't do much in RoB, true. Her one significant scene is the one where she threatens to slit her own throat rather than join Dracula. Sure, why not expand on that? An average woman without powers or training, but armed with nothing bur bravery in the face of corruption: she may not be able to strike enemies physically, but she won't fall for their mind games, and she might also be rewritten to be intelligent and tactic-- nope she's a metalbender now!!!! she's also a swordswoman!!!!! and she will be politically motivated!!!!!!

Maria is a plucky 12 yo girl without much experience of the world, but who grows to care about Richter and wants to help her. She doesn't understand, nor care, about Dracula's speech about the evil of mankind, while the adult Richter falters: she is pure innocence. Still, her unique powers give her an edge when it comes to demon slaying, all without losing her upbeat attit-- nope she's a political leader now!!!! she's also a swordswoman!!!!!! and she's always serious!!!!!! and she will be politically motivated!!!!!!!

In the original NFCV, Sypha was the only one spared because her personality admittedly was a little more upbeat and warmer, even though she also fell in the trap of being the One Braincell Of The Group. But Greta and the woman St. Germain simped for picked up the slack for her, as they were both the exact shade of competent, no-nonsense tough lady fighter, complete with "good thing I'm here to run your life now" in the former's case.

And the female villains? Striga was the only original one, being the obvious muscle of the group, but she might as well have been a henchwoman. Carmilla? A self-proclaimed queen whose personality begins and ends at #girlboss, all sexy and seductive and manipulative and with a dash of radfem. Lenore? Not quite as girlbossish, but still meant to be seen as cool and sexy (and fucking how) and a great manipulator. Erszbet? So far she looks like Carmilla 2.0. Drolta is the one we know the least about so far, but it's interesting how she was turned from an old human witch to a young sexy vampire.

You see the pattern here?

Annette and Maria are also the latest examples of characters who have been changed for no good reason in an attempt to "fix" them. NFCV hates normal people, they all have to be heroes and magic users and proficient weapon users. Instead of keeping Annette with her role of "Richter's girlfriend and a normal girl", but giving her a more substantial personality, she was completely reworked to be something that she simply isn't, and that rewriting is being praised as being So Much Better Than The Games. As if her original role is so undefensible that she needs to be reworked from scratch.

It's lazy. There is a sore lack of variety in the female cast of these shows. And it pretends to be "progressive" about it. As if women are only worth being celebrated if they're physically active and have a tough attitude.

Meanwhile, I will forever be impressed by how Ayami Kojima and Kou Sasakura took Rosaly, a literal non-entity in CoD whose only narrative purpose was to be the fridged woman, and gave her enough personality, without straying far from the archetype of the kind normal girl, that I seriously grew attached to her, something I would have never expected at first.

#anti netflixvania

[fantomette22]

Could you share your thoughts on Logarius? Who do you think he was back in the day, and what of his relationship with the other characters?

Of course! 

I didn’t speak about him a lot it’s true, my mutuals who… appreciate a lot more the character, already said lot of things and that’s enough for me generally XD I share a few things here too. It was quite a while ago!  But I had a bit more ideas since then.

First have a lil drawing of him!

Now, I think he’s either a pthumerian or half ptumumerians or smt and many of the pthumerians like church servants, the giants in Yharnam etc originate from the same place. His ancestors realized that pthumerians crowning themself leaders instead of the great ones was not a great ideas and only death and suffering happened. Because of this so they decide go get the hell out from Pthumeru a bit before Queen Yharnam show up. (Or when she was here idk) And they didn’t all become crazy and died so cool 👍 

One day Laurence, Gehrman and Maria (maybe with other people but those 3 for sure) went to explore some old pthumerians labyrinth/ ruins somewhere in search of the antic « pthumerian pick weapon »(that will become the church pick yeah!) and found some not crazy pthumerians! And Logarius who tried to kick their ass at first XD he was concerned they were here to hurt his clan, he was their leader and defender but thankfully they weren’t there to harm them and managed to communicate.

The lil (and big) pthumerians were really intrigued with the hunters who got old blood in their veins + Gehrman’s burial blade, Laurence who’s a cleric who basically want to bring back the old religion of the great ones (the one they have). Maria’s share ancestors with them and is literally a pyromancer and they can feel it a bit so they were really intrigued (she read them stories too!).

Still, Logarius was a bit reluctant at first but ended up warming and opening up to them. And yes he’s the welder of the famous pick they were looking for! (And yeah basically Laurence evangelize him and his group)

So the young healing church took care of the pthumerians in question (& ended up experimenting on them later on but shhhh) but what changed not to long ago for my headcanon is Logarius relationship with Cainhurst!

In other term they wanted to get in touch with each other lost heritage and work together for a few years! 

He did his homework he know Cainhurst branch of the pthumerians line is quite out of the norm😅(or even heretical lmao)  but all these wars against both each others were a really long time ago and they share ancestors! So yeah Logarius hang out with them and it actually went well. He had good relationship with most of the noble and even Annalise! (But don’t speak about the Cainhurst’s chalice dungeon expedition where he joined the royal guards, that was a mess XD (it’s just Charles, Vledemyr and Logarius arguing all the time for everything🤣)

But then hm Cainhurst stole the forbidden blood for Byrgenwerth, Annalise got a consort and they decided to go a certain way with the corrupted blood that Logarius didn’t appreciate at all… too reminiscing of what happen with Queen Yharnam and the end of Pthumeru. So yeah he preferred to go with Laurence afterwards and stay with the church.

In the mean the radiance rune was discover etc Years pass mess happened, tension happened, propaganda happen and then Vilebloods & Church began to attack and kill each other. Not clear if it was a misunderstanding or who began. Cainhurst state that a Vileblood killed a blood drunk/ half transformed hunter but the church said that actually it was a perfectly normal human that the Vilebloods murder to get blood… so the executioners began to repressed the « wrong used » of the blood with quite extreme measures too. And well you see how that ended…

I still need to figure if Maria was still around when it happened but in my notes : I have a scene where she stand between knights and church members/executioners because they are to 🤏 this to throw hands (when she’s working at the research hall). A bit later on Maria’s death really didn’t helped on the matters and relationships between the church & Cainhurst declined even faster 💀

(Legit I imagined Cainhurst was like : the bastards they kill her! » and wanted to go send smn to kick some ass, even poor gehrman had to send a letter confirming she killed herself and they could talk about it if they needed more details & recover some of her stuff. Hell Lawrence write the « official letter » to them and he felt so horrible doing it… he really push himself because it would have been worst if the info was leak and if it was not him who informed them of it. He knew they wouldn’t take it well in all cases…it pained him at the time..)

But really I am conflicted with Logarius being either quite a crazy psycho at the point of the Cainhurst massacre (bro literally bath in Vilebloods blood depending the translation like wtf and could have killed children ahhhh) and actually « it’s for the greater good » but worst and than Laurence.

Basically Alfred loosing it but always calm and composed. So not like Alfred loosing it. But could maybe do the same thing (that mean crushing people. But not laughing like a maniac? Oh idk…)

Also the bastard! You see how Cainhurst seem to have been taken by surprised? (How did they get in it’s a freaking fortress?!) Well I don’t have the detailed yet but I guess they invited Logarius to reconcile/peace or they didn’t know he was the LEADER of the executioners but he went to found some secret paths for later or literally open the gates with a few infiltrated persons to everyone else 💀 yeah a total mess.

Also he killed my Cainhurst OCs!!!!! (Yes with his own hands!! Not telling who… for now T_T) Sorry I am emotional just thinking about it ;-; … 😭 hgifbfFHNIhfnvvir WHY

Ok sorry to have sidetrack now Logarius and his relationships with others 🤔 Sorry not gonna be super develop I didn’t thought about it too much.

Well first Logarius and Laurence. I guess he kinda simp- I mean he’s really devoted to Laurence even if our dear Vicar can’t really hold him back his impulsivity… still it’s hm useful at times. But yeah I guess it’s a strong relationship and besides the other executioners the one who mean a lot for Logarius.

Gehrman used to trained and teach stuff on the chalice dungeons to Logarius so they used to have a good relationship. Until after Maria’s death where Gehrman never really move on. Even if the old hunters didn’t agree with the all the Vilebloods ways of doing things he sure dislike more the stuff the executioners were doing. That create some tension and if Gehrman wasn’t « Laurence old friend » he would have been in serious trouble. Well he save lil bloody crow back in the day (the kid was wondering into town and went in front of some executioners or smt 🙄 yeah my friend inspire me for this) and you know he wouldn’t mind repairing Cainhurst weapons ahahah + know to make the difference between people… unlike some…

I guess Logarius & Ludwig had quite a camaraderie perhaps? Idk didn’t really thought of it.

Didn’t really though much of his relationship with Maria I guess it was mostly positive until he began to have a really close minded view on Cainhurst. Maria dislike many things on Cainhurst but she always hate when people can’t make the difference between people and insult every citizens of Cainhurst and her family/roots without distinctions.

Ans I supposed he meet Caryll and the scholars (Mico, Rom etc), for the runes yes but also how pthumerians were, to share history cultural stuff idk

I guess there’s his complicate relationships with Annalise and the rest of Cainhurst, Vilebloods & Maria family… really pass from « this people are my closet « relatives » I guess we could even become family! » To well freaking genocide them 💀

(Ok my friend inspire me again) yeah maybe 5 people/hundred wish he could besides be a good consort or smt lmao XD  Logarius : hm idk I will think of it but I wish to be devoted more to religious you see 🤔 and it’s a lot of responsibility too Annalise : not really thrilled by the idea

And to finish I guess his relationship with other pthumerians could be interesting too 🤔 but I didn’t thought of it much.

Oh he created the wheel weapons too. Why idk but pretty violent. It had similar magic to what the old family of executioners of Cainhurst used (see executioners gloves) The king consort family cough cough. (Yeah Logarius' clan is linked with their ancestry too).

And well that’s it for now. Hope that was ok! Logarius is quite interesting actually and it’s quite a shame we don’t know more. But hey my brain isn’t super fixated on him not like 2-3 of my mutuals lol XD so I don’t mind that much I guess. Plus with what he did euhhh yeah can���t really « like him » like I love some characters. 

But yeah cool boss fight XD I hate it at first he was so hard! (Really the way to go to him is so annoying why ahhhh) but on my ng+ 2 tries! So it’s ok now ^^

Leaving you on the great bloodborne quote :"Acts of goodness are not always wise, and acts of evil are not always foolish. But regardless. We shall always strive to be good."

#bloodborne #bloodborne headcanons #martyr logarius #my asks #anon asks #bloodborne logarius #yeah I had to speak about the timeline in globally oops #also my next ask on cainhurst king could be a bit complementary so cool! #my art #fantomette22art

[melishade]

Attack on Prime Peaceful Timeline: Beach Episode

Main Story  

Most Recent Episode of the Peaceful Timeline

For those who don’t know, instead of TFP Optimus being sent to the Trost Battle about becoming one with Primus, he gets sent to a time when Founder Ymir was still alive and a slave to King Fritz. Optimus saves her, thus making any and all events in Attack on Titan non-existent. Ymir lives her life peacefully. She still does end up pregnant with Maria, and Megatron does show up, but it’s a co-parenting situation.

Anyway, I discussed this topic with @justawannabearchaeologist @echoblaze5 and @legitconcrusher because this was something that I’ve been dying to do and a few ideas were thrown around. So roll it!

Optimus kept browsing through this world’s map on the screen before him, searching for any energon deposits that might be nearby. The closer they were to the cabin, the better. He and Megatron wouldn’t have to travel too far and leave Ymir and Maria alone. He didn’t want them being at a higher risk of danger. The Prime heard clatter followed by the sound of something crashing to the ground down the hall.

“Megatron?” Optimus called out.

“I’m fine!” Megatron yelled, “Just the slagging cables!”

Optimus hummed at that before returning to his task. He examined the map more closely and noticed something interesting. The coast...wasn’t that far away. It looked as though it was about three hours from the cabin. Optimus remembered Jack, Miko, and Rafael talking about the beach. He’s also done a few scouting missions around the area. It’s quite beautiful. The sand is warm, the water is blue, and the sunsets were breathtaking. 

“Thanks for your help, Prime,” Megatron called out sarcastically as he kicked one of the cables that were wrapped around his leg.

“You did not ask for help,” Optimus retorted without taking his optics off the screen. 

“Hmph,” Megatron huffed in response before looking at the computer screen, “Any energon deposits?”

“Not at the moment,” Optimus answered, “But...Maria’s birthday is coming up, correct?”

“She’ll be seven in human years.” Megatron nodded as he went to fetch himself a cube.

“The continent’s coast is only three hours away from here,” Optimus explained.

Megatron sighed as he opened the cube. “I’m not a fan of the ocean.”

“It is quite beautiful,” Optimus argued.

“And deep, and cold,” Megatron added.

“We will not go into the water,” Optimus insisted, “We will just be along the shoreline.”

“Is this something that is required of me?” Megatron demanded.

“Maria would want all of us to be there with her,” Optimus proclaimed, “She has never gone farther than the village. We have told her so much about this world and beyond, but we have never actually shown it to her. It would do her some good.”

“And what about Ymir?” Megatron asked, “She seems far more content living here in the mountains.”

Optimus thought it over as he turned off the monitor. “I do not believe that she has seen the beach either. I do believe that it would be a good experience for both of them.”

Megatron was quiet at that as he drank from his cube. He really didn’t want to go to the ocean.

“We can always ask Ymir to see how she feels,” Optimus said.

“I prefer we do that,” Megatron agreed.

===============

Later

Maria winced a little while kicking her legs to and fro on the chair. Her legs still couldn’t reach the ground and she hated that. It annoyed her, but her Mama wanted to fix her hair because she said that it was messy. Her Mama was combing all the knots out, but it stung. Her hair kept pulling at her scalp, but she did her best to stay still. She didn’t want to cause her too much trouble and say no more, but she had to be patient. Mama said that it was important that she looked nice and presentable, something that both of her Papas agreed to.

Maria let out a sigh of relief as her Mama stopped combing, and was ready to jump out the chair, but yelp when she put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back.

“Mama!” Maria whined. Ymir held out a finger to her daughter, telling her to wait a moment before splitting her hair into three sections. She remembered what the mothers taught her, and because to loop the hair. One section over the other from the base of her head to the ends of her hair. Ymir then used a string to tie the end of the braid so it wouldn’t come undone. When she finished, Maria quickly jumped out of the chair and pumped her fists in the air.

“Freedom!” she cheered. Ymir couldn’t help but smile at her daughter’s enthusiasm. She snatched her up and kissed her cheek, causing Maria to giggle.

“No! Mama!” Maria kept on laughing as Ymir peppered her cheek with kisses. Ymir stopped when she saw the door to the cabin open, and Optimus and Megatron stepped inside with their holoforms on. Ymir noticed that Optimus looked rather wet and was holding two fishes in his hands. Maria gasped with excitement and wiggled her way out of Ymir’s grip, running towards the two titans. Megatron quickly grabbed her before she could touch Optimus and raised her high in the air, causing her to laugh with delight.

“Meg! Put me down!” Maria giggled.

“Are you afraid of heights, Firelight?” Megatron smirked.

“No! I have to say hi to Pop!” Maria insisted.

“I do not want to ruin your hair, sparkling,” Optimus proclaimed as he walked over to the fireplace.

“I’ll never understand how it functions,” Megatron proclaimed as he lowered Maria down and held her at the hip.

“Mama did it!” Maria pointed at her mom.

“You did a wonderful job,” Optimus told Ymir, “It looks beautiful.”

“And practical for combat,” Megatron agreed.

“Does this mean I get to learn how to fight?” Maria asked excitedly.

“No,” Optimus answered as he pierced the fish in the side and place it over the fire.

Maria groaned. “Please?! I’m going to be seven soon!”

“Really? Cause to me, you look like you’re five,” Megatron teased.

“Hey!” Maria exclaimed.

“Four.” Megatron went lower. The former warlord careened his head back as Maria tried to grab his cheeks. Optimus smiled at the sight before feeling a tap on his shoulder. He turned his attention to Ymir, who was holding a towel out to him.

“Thank you, Ymir.” Optimus took the towel from her hands and began to dry himself off. When he finished, Ymir took the opportunity to hug him. Optimus responded by wrapping his arms around her abdomen.

“I am alright,” Optimus whispered, and Ymir responded by hugging him just a little bit tighter before letting him go.

“Did you get me something for my birthday?” Maria asked.

“It’s...still a work in progress,” Megatron answered.

“You didn’t get me one?!” Maria exclaimed.

“Did I say that, Firelight?” Megatron demanded with a hand on his hip.

“That is something that we wanted to discuss,” Optimus proclaimed as Ymir sat next to him on the floor, “We were hoping to take you somewhere for your birthday.”

“Where would we go?” Maria asked with curiosity.

“A place not too far,” Optimus answered, “We want to keep it a surprise.”

Maria grinned with delight, but Ymir seemed apprehensive.

“It is completely harmless,” Optimus insisted, “We would probably spend the entire day there, and it is a three-hour trip from here.”

Ymir reached over and grabbed her notebook from the small table and wrote something down before showing it to Optimus.

Is it safe?

“Yes,” Optimus answered her. Ymir was a little relieved at Optimus’ confidence, but...it was unlike him to keep a secret like this. Ymir looked over at Megatron for reassurance, but the other kept a neutral expression and shrugged.

“It’s your choice,” Megatron merely said.

“What’s it called?!” Maria asked excitedly.

“It’s a surprise,” Megatron answered.

“Can I guess?!” Maria asked.

“Guess all you want, I’m not giving you the answer,” Megatron declared.

“Give me a hint!” Maria pleaded. Maria yelped as Megatron slung the child over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Maria laughed at the change in position and kicked her legs.

“Papa, put me down!” Maria laughed.

���Why would I do that? This is quite amusing,” Megatron declared, “You’re just a sack of potatoes.”

Ymir watched Megatron keep Maria occupied before turning her attention to Optimus, still rather unconvinced.

“We can embark in a few days, and I will have Megatron investigate the area to ensure which spots are safe for us,” Optimus reassured, “I want this to be a pleasant experience for you. All I ask for now is your trust.”

Ymir scooted closer to Optimus before resting her head on his shoulder. There was nothing to prove. He had her complete trust no matter what. Ymir nodded her head against his shoulder, causing Optimus to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Ymir,” Optimus said, “And I promise that the two of you will love it.”

=================

A few days later

“Mama.” Ymir moaned and turned in her sleep, trying to ignore the sounds of her daughter calling out to her.

“Mama.” Ymir felt Maria tugging at her bed sheets and chose to ignore it. Maria sounded too excited and energetic, so she wasn’t sick. She could sleep for a few more minutes. Ymir’s eyes snapped open; however, when Maria gently slapped her cheek with an open palm. Ymir turned to Maria, and managed to see her excited smile as the smallest evidence of daybreak came in through the window.

“Hi Mama,” Maria greeted. Ymir replied by placing a hand on her daughter's cheek. She nuzzled into the open hand as Ymir stroked a thumb over her cheek.

“It’s my birthday,” Maria explained, “I’m seven.”

Ymir forced herself to sit up before pulling her daughter into a gentle hug. Maria wrapped her arms around her mother’s back and Ymir patted the back of her head. 

“Papa said that we have to pack for the whole day!” Maria exclaimed as she let her mother go and climbed down the bed, “I’m so excited! I wonder where we’ll go!”

Ymir wanted to crawl back to bed, but Maria had left the room in a hurry. Ymir knew that Maria was going to try and set up the items herself and make a mess, so she had no choice but to get out of bed and help her.

As the dawn continued to break, Optimus arrived at the cabin in his alt mode to the sight of Ymir carrying a bag of supplies for the day, while Maria ended up carrying one item: a jar full of dandelions.

“Papa!” Maria smiled and ran up to his alt mode. The Prime activated his holoform before kneeling down and hugging her tight.

“Happy Birthday, Maria,” Optimus said as he kissed her forehead.

“Thank you!” Maria looked up at him excitedly, “I can’t wait for the surprise! I woke up early, so I could get ready!”

“Is that so?” Optimus looked up at Ymir to get a confirmation, and the woman nodded her head, “I see. It will be a long drive. Did you go to the restroom?”

“Oh! I should!” Maria handed Optimus the jar of dandelions before running back inside. Optimus stood up with the jar and turned his attention to Ymir.

“Megatron surveyed the area and found a safe location for us to stay,” Optimus informed her. Ymir’s shoulders sagged with relief as Optimus opened the passenger door. She placed her bag in the backseat before noticing the blanket there. It always remained there in the event she had a nightmare and needed Optimus for comfort, and now more than ever, she was going to need it. This was the first time in almost eight years that she would be leaving the home that they found together, and it was daunting. Ymir ended up climbing over to the driver’s seat and grabbed the blanket from the back before sitting down and wrapping herself in the fabric.

“Ymir?” Optimus called out in concern, feeling the motion of Ymir’s movements. Before Ymir could come up with an answer, Maria burst through the front door before closing it behind her. 

“I’m ready!” Maria declared. Optimus picked Maria up with ease before sitting her down in the passenger seat. Maria giggled with delight as the seatbelt snaked around her body and locked in place at the buckle. She looked over at her Mama but was concerned with how tired she looked. 

“Mama?” Maria called out as she held out her hand. Ymir peered over and smiled before taking her hand and squeezing it, reassuring her that she was alright. Maria then decided to climb out of her seat.

“Um, Maria?” Maria didn’t listen to Optimus as she wedged herself into Ymir’s seat. Ymir could only stare while Maria gave a toothy grin. Ymir couldn’t help but quietly giggle before pulling Maria close and holding her tight.

“I suppose it is good traffic laws don’t excuse,” Optimus mumbled to himself as he began to drive away from the cabin. Maria was buzzing with excitement while Ymir rested her head against the glass. It was going to be okay. Optimus and Megatron would keep her and Maria safe.

Maria couldn’t help but marvel at the sights before her. She crawled over a little to peer out the window as they drove down the mountain. The plains and fields were open and green. The river water continued flowing down the stream as Optimus drove alongside it. She could see the deer galloping along the fields as they continued to drive further away from their home in the mountains. Everything was moving so fast for her. She wanted to stop and take it all in, but she was eager to get to the destination. What could possibly be more beautiful than this? Maria wanted to ask all these questions about the sights before her, but saw that Ymir looked tired and decided to let her Mama rest. 

The hours passed, and Optimus was surprised at how quiet Maria was. He had adjusted his side-view mirror a few times to see that she was distracted by all the new sights before her. At least it kept her occupied. He turned his attention to Ymir, who ultimately dosed off. Maybe that’s why Maria was so quiet. Optimus manage to catch Maria’s quiet gasps of wonder as they had passed through the desert. Optimus had sure to avoid the fallen cacti and tumbleweed in the area, but he almost got distracted a few times from Maria’s excited expressions. Primus, she was just going to beam with excitement at the sight of the ocean. 

Maria continued watching the scenery change around her, getting more and more excited at the surprise. She heard squawking from above, and careened her head upward to see white birds flying above them in the same direction that Optimus was going in.

“Mama,” Maria whispered as she shook her away. The woman slowly opened her eyes and followed her daughter’s gaze to the birds flying above them. Optimus then turned and they all began to travel down a rather jagged pathway of rock and stone. Optimus opened the window, and both were met with the sounds of rushing winds from how fast they were going. Maria’s nose crinkled a little when she was suddenly met with something that smelled awfully salty. “It smells funny.”

“You’ll get used to the smell,” Optimus reassured. When the Prime reached the end of the pathway, Maria gasped with sheer joy as she leaned against the wheel. Ymir peered over her daughter’s head, and gasped at the sight, of a large body of blue water that met the edge of the sky. Optimus continued driving along the shore, and Maria climbed back into the passenger seat to get a look at the body of water. The water rose and crashed into the edge of the earth, trying to climb higher, but ultimately receding back. The earth itself, looked like grinded powder that piled on top of itself like little hills. She still saw sights of jagged rocks and small mountains that lined the shore as they continued driving.

“Papa, it’s so big!” Maria screamed with delight. Ymir couldn’t help but agree with her daughter’s sentiment, but she couldn’t help but feel just a little bit overwhelmed. 

“Welcome to the beach, Firelight,” Optimus said, “This is our gift to you.”

“I love it! I love it! I love it so much!” Maria bounced in her seat, “Thank you!” 

Maria squealed in her seat while Optimus spotted Megatron’s bipedal mode standing on the sand waving at him. Optimus approached Megatron and slowed to a complete stop before opening his doors. Maria practically stumbled out and hit the sand face first. Ymir quickly jumped out and ran to see if Maria was alright, but the girl started laughing and rolling around in the sand, getting it in her hair and on her dress.

“And there she goes,” Megatron couldn’t help but chuckle.

Ymir watched nervously as Maria played in the sand, but her attention was then drawn to the ocean itself. It was...massive. And blue. She was having trouble determining where the water and sky met with how similar the colors are. She could hear the call of the birds in the air, and the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. She felt the wind kiss her skin and blow through her hair and could smell the salt coming from the water. It was...indescribable, what she was feeling in that moment.

“The ground is like flour!” Maria squealed as she stood up. She then kicked some of the sand up in the air but ended up getting some of it in her mouth. She ended up spitting it out before wiping her tongue of what remained. “It tastes terrible!”

“That’s because you're eating powdered dirt!” Megatron told her.

“It is called sand,” Optimus informed as he activated his holoform.

“So what’s that called?!” Maria pointed at the ocean before running towards it, before she even reached the water, she yelped at the change in texture and structure at the wet sand before running back up.

“She’s going to get herself hurt,” Megatron sighed before transforming and flying up to the sky.

“Maria, please come back up,” Optimus requested as Ymir reached for their bag of supplies.

“But I want to know what it is!” Maria yelped as Megatron suddenly snatched her up with his holoform before walking over to the water.

“Megatron!” Optimus warned.

“I’m not going to throw her in; I know she can’t swim,” Megatron called out. He hid his displeasure as the cold water reached his waist and focused his attention on Maria. He ignored the thought about the crushing weight and did everything he could to not think about it, “I’m going to drop you in the ocean-!”

“Is that what this is called?!” Maria asked excitedly.

“Yes, now, I’m going to drop you in and it’s going to be cold,” Megatron warned, “It’s better to just rip the sensation off instead of having it done slowly.”

“Is it?!” Maria asked.

“Yes, now hold your breath,” And with that, Megatron dropped Maria into the water. Maria held her breath and shut her eyes as the cold water enveloped her. She slowly opened her eyes and almost let out her breath as she saw what lingered in the water: sea foam, tiny animals with claws and pincers, a long green stalk of plant, odd looking colorful rocks. There was so much hidden under the surface. Suddenly, Maria felt something rush up from behind her causing her to spin out. The water spit her out, and she landed on her back on the wet sand, looking up at the clear, blue, sky. Her wet hair stuck to her face, and she could feel the grains of sand on her back. She took deep breaths and blinked, still trying to process what she saw.

Maria saw Megatron come into view and squat down, arms resting on his knees. “So what did you see?”

“...I saw the universe,” Maria answered, dumbstruck, earning a cackle out of the former warlord.

“Firelight, are you alright?!” Optimus called out as he slid next to the two.

“Can I do that again?” Maria asked in a state of wonder.

“Megatron, you know she can’t swim!” Optimus scolded, “We can’t swim!”

“Sure, but we’d be able to catch her,” Megatron shrugged.

“Do not do that again,” Optimus ordered.

“Aw!” Maria whined.

“But you are more than welcome to explore the shoreline with Megatron,” Optimus told her.

Maria immediately shot up to her feet, but almost lost her footing from how dizzy she was from the wave. “Let’s go!” The Cybertronians could only watch as Maria made a mad dash down the shoreline, every step she took caused sand to kick up behind her.

“Make sure she stays safe. She could get herself into trouble,” Optimus told her.

“She’s a child. She’s going to be naturally curious,” Megatron stood up and cracked his neck. He got into a running position before sprinting towards Maria.

“Be careful with what she touches!” Optimus called out. The Prime watched as Megatron picked up Maria and spun her around, causing her to scream out with delight. Optimus sighed before walking back up to his alt mode but was stunned when he didn’t see Ymir. The bag of supplies was on the ground, and her shoes right next to them, but the blanket from the back was missing. Optimus calmly assessed his surroundings before finding a trail of footprints in the sand. He saw Ymir’s head go around a small rock formation before walking after her. He glanced back to see Maria running once again, doing cartwheels in the sand while Megatron chased her with a smile on his face. 

‘They will be fine,’ Optimus thought as he went after Ymir.

=====================

Maria began to climb on top of the rock formations that blocked her way down the path along the beach. She did her best to find the proper footing but found herself stumbling a little bit. The new terrain was unfamiliar to her, compared to the trees and mountains of her home. Maria nearly slipped and quickly latched onto a rock formation for support. Maria could feel her heart race at the sight of waves crashing along the rocks. The ocean that brought her joy and excitement just moments ago now brought her fear in this moment. 

Maria yelped when Megatron walked past her and jumped along the jagged rock formations with ease. Maria watched in disbelief as Megatron turned around with his hands in his pockets and smirked.

“Cold feet, Firelight?” Megatron teased.

“No!” Maria shouted, but Megatron could tell that her wavering voice betrayed her.

“If this is too much, we can turn back around,” Megatron told her.

“No!” Maria yelled at him, “I want to keep going!” Megatron watched Maria shriek as another wave crashed against the rocks. She screwed her eyes shut and began to tremble. The former warlord kneeled down and took a look at the rocks that weren’t wet. 

“We can turn back around,” Megatron reasoned.

Marai shook her head and practically hugged the rock. “I want to! Please! It’s just...different from home! And what you usually teach me!”

“Then follow my steps,” Megatron advised her, “Follow my voice. Alright?”

Maria slowly opened her eyes to see Megatron looking at her with no fear. She thought about it for a moment and slowly nodded her head.

“Keep yourself calm and do not let your mind race. Look at the rocks,” Megatron instructed, “Look at the ones that are not wet and map out a path to me.”

Maria stared at the uneven ground before her. She noticed that the dry rocks were closer to the wall on her left. She realized that she could also use that uneven wall as support to get to Megatron. 

“Now walk along the dry rocks,” Megatron instructed, “Don’t rush this. Take your time. This is all new to you.”

Maria slowly but surely let go of the rock she clung to before jumping onto a dry rock. She waved her arms around to keep her balance and managed to find it before making another leap to the rock closest to the wall. Maria then used her hands to cling to the wall and walk along the dry rocks to get to Megatron. Maria froze when another wave crashed into the rocks.

“Don’t look at the waves. Look at me.” Megatron pointed to himself. 

Maria winced a little, feeling shameful for what she was about to confess. “I’m scared!”

“I know you are.” Megatron nodded, “You’re a child. Of course you’re scared, but you’re almost there. Just try to be brave.”

“Be brave,” Maria mumbled to herself as she continued scooting herself along the wall. She saw Megatron reach out to her with an open hand and got more eager. She began to move faster, jumping onto the rocks to reach him. However, Maria ended up stepping on a wet rock and slipping. Before she hit the ground, Megatron reached out and grabbed her arm before pulling her up and hugging her tight, not caring about the fact that the both of them were still wet. Maria clung to him and took deep breaths, relieved that moment was finally over. Megatron then let Maria go before examining her.

“Are you hurt?” Megatron asked.

“No,” Maria answered.

“Good,” Megatron sighed with relief, “You did well, despite how scared you were. But you were rushing it near the end.”

“It was scary,” Maria retorted, “I just wanted to get to you.”

“Hm.” Megatron stood up and held out his hand to her. Maria happily took it, and the two began to walk down the rocks together.

“How come you weren’t scared?” Maria asked.

“I’ve been through worse,” Megatron answered her, “This environment is child’s play to me.”

“Sometimes I wish I was strong like you,” Maria proclaimed.

“I’m an old bot,” Megatron reminded. Maria yelped before giggling as Megatron lifted her up with one hand over some rocks that were taller than her, “And you’re a child. You have no experience. I’ve been through everything you could possibly imagine and more. And personally, I wouldn’t want you to go through that.”

“But...what about what I want?” Maria asked, “I want to learn how to fight and be strong like you. You’re my hero, Papa.”

Megatron froze at that. Her...her hero? When was the last time...someone had ever called him that? A hero. Blood and energon stained his servos, yet this innocent, human, child looked at him like he was a protector. Someone important. Megatron chuckled, trying his best to cover up the fact that he was feeling emotional. “Awfully blunt, Little One.”

“Well, Pop says to be honest,” Maria retorted.

“I’m sure he did.” Megatron then spotted something interesting and kneeled down before pointing towards it. Maria followed his and stared in awe at the sight of tiny pools that was in the rock, full of small, colorful, interesting animals.

“C’mon!” Megatron felt Maria grab his hand tighter and pull him towards the pools.

===================

Ymir continued walking along the shoreline by herself. The cold winds kissed her face, and she wrapped the blanket around her body tighter. Ymir felt her feet dig into both dry and wet sand. The sensation of the grains clinging to her feet was odd, but not unwelcome. Every time the water climbed up the sand, she would make sure to move just a few steps to the right. She had to admit it; she was a little frightened at the sight of the water, especially how cold it was. However, she was still happy at the sensation of the sun on her skin. It was so warm and inviting. It calmed her down.

This was...this was really nice. She was so afraid of what she would see when she left that cabin. Left that village. Left that whole area. It’s been almost eight years since she and Optimus found that place to call home. Thirteen years since she had gotten her power. Fourteen since she had lost everything from her old life. She never imagined being here. Now. Never in a million years did she imagine having such a happy, peaceful, life. Enjoying this place and actually having her freedom once again. She had no idea who to actually thank for her good fortune. The gods above or someone else?

Ymir shivered and jumped back when the waves reached her ankles. She shook her ankles to get the water off but found that the sand was starting to cling to her. She grew a little annoyed when it started to become wedged in between her toes. Would it even come off?

“The beach can be quite an...untidy place.” Ymir snapped her head and turned around to see Optimus approaching her with a small smile, “But it is quite beautiful.”

Ymir couldn’t help but nod in agreement as she turned her attention to the ocean. Optimus noticed a look of apprehension on the woman’s face before deciding to try something. He phased off the boots of the holoform, letting his feet touch the sand. Ymir watched as he approached the ocean and held back a snort as Optimus shivered at the touch of the water. He took a deep breath and got used to the sensation before turning back to Ymir and offering his hand to her. Ymir thought about it for a moment, before deciding to put her faith in the Prime. She took his hand, and Optimus guided her next to him so that both could stand in the water. Ymir also shivered as the water rose and surrounded her ankles, getting the hem of her dress wet. Ymir watched as the water rose and receded along the shoreline and couldn’t help but marvel at how simple and beautiful it was. She dug her toes into the sand and giggled a little at the sensation of it. She rocked herself on her heels, and just allowed herself to be in the moment. Optimus couldn’t help but smile at the child like innocence on her face, grateful that Ymir is able to experience the simplicity of the world around her.

Ymir continued to enjoy the sights around her but was suddenly distracted by something out of the corner of her eye. She looked over behind Optimus and saw something digging its way out of the ground. Curiosity got the better of Ymir and she walked past Optimus to get a closer look. She was taken aback at the sight of a blue, little creature with flippers slowly crawling out of the sand. She could only watch in astonishment as more of these creatures crawled out from the same spot and made their way to the ocean. 

“Sea turtles.” Optimus could only marvel as he squatted down to watch them crawl, “I was not sure if they existed here.”

Ymir pointed at the sea creatures before pointing towards the ocean.

“I believe it is instinct,” Optimus explained, “They live in the ocean, so they go to where they are meant to be.”

Ymir used her finger to write one word in the sand. Mama?

“The mothers are not present as far as I know,” Optimus explained, “They bury their eggs in the sand and return to the ocean.”

Ymir looked horrified by that statement. They were abandoned?! Why were they abandoned?! They didn’t do anything wrong. She furiously wrote in the sand: Why?!

“It is how they act and survive,” Optimus answered, “It is their nature. They live isolated lives. Meanwhile, humans and Cybertronians are sociable creatures. We require interaction and each other in order to live.”

Ymir refused to accept that answer, and looked up to see that the white birds were circling the sea turtles and trying to snatch them up. She immediately ran over and kicked at the sand, scaring the birds away. Optimus was surprised to see this much passion come out of Ymir but didn’t bother to question it. In fact, he believed there was a way to help. 

“Ymir, may I see your blanket?” Optimus asked her.

Ymir took the blanket off her shoulders and handed it to Optimus. The Prime than gave her the other ends of the blanket before taking steps back to stretch it out. Ymir realized that Optimus’ actions were protecting the turtles and followed along. They walked in tandem along the path the turtles crawled, providing shade and protection from the eagles. One by one, they all made it to the ocean and Ymir was able to breathe a momentary sigh of relief. However, when she looked back at the ocean, she remembered how massive it was, and how these little creatures couldn’t survive on their own. What else was out there in the water?

“Now, we let life take its course,” Optimus proclaimed as he wrapped Ymir in her blanket once again. Ymir looked at Optimus with a pleading expression, wanting him to do something, but Optimus simply shrugged.

“There is nothing more that we can do,” Optimus declared as he stood by her side, “We did our best to guide and protect them. Now they must live out their lives and find their own place in the world. It is scary, I know, but...we have to trust that what we have done will be more than enough.”

Ymir felt this growing sense of...uncertainty in her gut. Is this...what will happen with Maria? Is there only so much that she can actually accomplish to protect her? Ymir reached out and took Optimus’ hand, staring at the ocean. Optimus squeezed her hand in reassurance, hopefully to let her know that things will work out.

============

Maria and Megatron stared intently at one of the creatures in the small beach pools. If they could call it that. It was a bright, pink, little tree, with tiny little branches surrounding the top of it, and a hole in the middle of those branches. They were certain that it wasn’t living, but the way that it moved made them reconsider.

“What is it?” Maria asked.

“I wish I knew,” Megatron admitted in disgust.

“I thought you were really smart!” Maria exclaimed.

“In Cybertronian knowledge, not whatever this world has to offer,” Megatron clarified, “I’d call Optimus over, but he’s probably with your mother right now.”

“...Is Mama okay?” Maria asked.

“This is probably all daunting for her, leaving that area after a long time,” Megatron explained, “Seven, eight years?”

“Really?” Maria was surprised, “How come?”

“Safety,” Megatron answered, “You remember seeing your mother’s power.”

“Yeah.” Maria swallowed as she remembered that day. She tried to find Optimus’ actual form without knowing it was him. She almost fell off a cliff and died, but her mother saved her using her power. But she looked so afraid and sorrowful when she did.

“Anyone with a power like that that doesn’t want to fight, would seek safety instead,” Megatron explained as he grabbed a tiny stick that washed up next to him, “The world that we’ve created for you and the world outside is not the same.”

“But it’s not all bad, is it?” Maria asked.

“Not always, Firelight,” Megatron answered, “But it may take some time to find the ones worth fighting for.”

Megatron poked the sea creature with a stick, and it tucked its tiny branches into itself. Megatron recoiled back while Maria laughed while saying ‘Ew!’

“It moved!” Maria exclaimed with a smile, “Can I touch it?”

“Absolutely not, we don’t know if its poisonous,” Megatron answered.

“What about that?” Maria pointed to a creature that had no face and five limbs, sticking to the rocks.

“I think that one is dead,” Megatron answered.

“What about that one?” Maria squealed as a creature inside a colorful rock continued scurrying along before hiding in the rock.

“That one seems more afraid of us,” Megatron answered.

“What about that?” Maria pointed at another creature that was in the pool. It was small, round, and purple. Spikes covered the creature’s round features.

“You want to pick up a creature covered in spikes?” Megatron questioned.

“It reminds me of you.” Maria smiled innocently, “It’s purple and spiky. Like a porcupine. It’s pretty!”

“...I think we need to go over what you think is pretty.” Megatron quickly picked Maria up to distract himself of the implication of being called pretty.

“Can we go explore some more?!” Maria asked.

Megatron thought it over before putting Maria on her back to give her a piggyback ride. “I have one more thing to show you, and then we’ll head back. Sure you need to eat something soon.”

“Yeah! We brought bread and dandelions! Oh! Do you think that there’s fish here?! I’d like to eat some fish again!” Maria chattered on as he began to walk.

“Probably,” Megatron answered, glancing over at the ocean, “This place is massive.”

“Are there things that are bigger than fish?” Maria asked.

“Yes,” Megatron answered.

“Oh! Like what?!”

“Predatory animals that could swim for thousands of miles.”

“But what are their names?! What do they look like?!”

“All I know is that one of them have jagged teeth like mine.” Megatron pulled the holoform lips to show his teeth.

Maria laughed. “You mean on your actual form!”

“Same thing.” Megatron shrugged.

“Are the animals bigger than you?” Maria asked.

“I think a few of them are.” Megatron answered.

“Are they bigger than Mama?” Maria asked.

“Your mother is an outlier,” Megatron proclaimed, “I swear her form could rival cities.”

Maria was about to ask one more question but gasped at the sight of a large colony of animals waiting along the rocks. They were brown, with flippers for limbs and whiskers next to their noses. Their ears were so tiny and barely visible. Some of them were lazily sleeping and soaking in the sun, while others were practically honking at each other.

“Wow!” Maria stared in amazement.

“Make sure to keep your voice down. We can’t draw attention to ourselves,” Megatron instructed as he kneeled down to hide his position.

“What are they waiting for?” Maria whispered.

“Food, probably,” Megatron answered, “If there’s food, there are predators.”

“Are they friendly?” Maria asked.

“Hard to tell,” Megatron admitted.

“I just want to touch one,” Maria pleaded.

“No,” Megatron immediately shot down, earning a pout in response, “Firelight, I don’t know how these creatures will react.”

“But I haven’t been able to touch anything,” Maria whined.

“I know, but I don’t want you to get hurt,” Megatron reminded before smirking, “I have to protect you, right?”

“I know.” Maria slumped her head on his shoulder, “But I want to learn for myself.”

Megatron patted her head. “You will. I just don’t want that learning experience costing you your life.”

Before Maria could try to make her case, Megatron grew tense and remained absolutely still as one of the creatures stood on its flippers and waddled its way towards them. Maria hid behind Megatron while Megatron bared his teeth at the creature. Maria tightened her grip around his neck as Megatron did his best to shift into a running position. The creature stopped directly in front of them and there was an intense stare down. It lasted longer than Megatron would’ve liked, but the creature then blew his snout at both of them. Megatron instinctively shut his eyes and recoiled back while Maria flinched and stared in awe. The creature slumped its body against the rocks and shut its eyes to rest. Megatron was ready to leave but saw Maria reaching out her hand to touch it. Protocol and battle instinct were screaming at Megatron to run, but the eagerness in her eyes made him weak.

“Don’t speak of this to Optimus,” Megatron warned as he leaned forward to give Maria better reach. Maria extended her fingers and placed her palm on the head of the sleeping animal. Maria gasped in wonder with a wide smile, moving her fingers a little to feel the wet fur. Maria felt the animal stir and quickly snatched her hand back. Megatron saw this opportunity to stand up and run away from the colony of sea creatures to get back to Optimus.

===========

Ymir lay the blanket she wore around her body on the uneven ground before pulling out her and Maria’s supply of food. She pulled out the rolls of bread, the jar of dandelion heads, and the bag of water. She looked over to see Optimus grabbing one of the tiny creatures with pincers before walking back over and pinning them to the ground with some rocks. The Prime then gathered enough sticks from higher ground and set them onto a pile before rubbing one of them downward to start a fire. Once Optimus got the fire going. He pierced a stick through the creature and let it cook over the fire.

“To try,” Optimus explained as he gestured to the crab.

“Mama! Papa!” Maria called out. They looked over to see Megatron jogging towards them with Maria on his back.

“What happened? Optimus demanded.

“It was amazing!” Maria yelled with joy as Megatron set her down, “We climbed over some giant rocks, and I was real scared, but Meg was there to help me! And then we saw all these little creatures in the water! One was purple and spiky and another looked like a pink tree! Oh, and there was this giant colony of these flipper horses and one came up to us and blew its nose at us and-!”

“I think you need a minute to breathe.” Megatron placed a hand on her shoulder.

“But there’s so much I want to talk about!” Maria screeched.

Ymir gestured for her daughter to sit down with a bread roll in her hand. Maria sat down next to her mother with her legs crossed. Ymir handed Maria the bread roll, and the child devoured it with gusto. 

“So what did you two do?” Megatron could help but asked.

“We walked along the beach and helped some sea turtles reach the ocean,” Optimus answered.

“What’s a sea turtle?” Maria asked.

Ymir grabbed a stick and drew an image of the sea turtle in the sand to the best of her ability. Maria gasped at the sight, the flippers immediately reminding her of the large, brown, creature she saw.

“I think we saw it too!” Maria declared.

“Sea turtles are quite small, and do not rest on rocks,” Optimus retorted.

“Okay then it was big!” Maria explained, “And it was brown and had whiskers! And no ears!”

“I believe what you are describing is a sea lion,” Optimus explained.

“Oh cool!” Maria shot right back up to her feet and walked over to Optimus, “Can you tell me what the other animals I saw are?”

“Of course,” Optimus smiled. Maria sat down next to Optimus and began describing all the creatures that she saw to the Prime, keeping him occupied and invested in the girl’s way of learning. Meanwhile, Ymir scooted closer to Megatron before resting her head on his shoulder.

“Tired?” Megatron asked her. Ymir responded by pinching her fingers close together.

“You’ve done well,” Megatron praised, “You’ve also been brave today, stepping outside of your comfort zone.”

Ymir nodded her head at that, smiling a little. She wrote a quiet message in the sand and gestured for Megatron to look over.

Thank you for watching Maria.

“It’s not a problem,” Megatron shrugged nonchalantly, trying to hide his own happiness at the simple gesture.

“So there was one that looked like Meg!” Maria continued, “It was round and purple and spiky!”

“That would be a sea urchin,” Optimus explained, “Those creatures are actually edible. Quite a common delicacy back on Earth.”

“So I could’ve touched it?!” Maria yelled, “Ugh!”

“Well for now.” Optimus reached over to grab the cooked crab from the fire, “You can try this.”

Maria watched as Optimus cracked open the shell of the pincers to reveal white, cooked meat. Optimus offered it to Maria and eyed it with suspicion before taking a bite. Maria then smiled with delight before eating the rest of what Optimus offered her.

“Mama, it’s good!” she called out, “Try it!”

Optimus cracked open the other pincer and offered Ymir what was inside. Ymir ate her share and was delighted at how tender it was.

“Can you humans just eat anything?” Megatron questioned.

“I guess,” Maria shrugged as Optimus threw what remained of the now inedible crab to the seagulls nearby.

“I feel like what you eat is guesswork,” Megatron admitted.

“More of trial and error,” Optimus corrected.

“Oh, can we go see those turtles you were talking about?!” Maria asked excitedly.

“The turtles are gone now. They swam into the ocean,” Optimus explained.

“Oh.” Maria’s shoulders sagged in dejection, “Then can I go explore some more?”

“It would be better to let the food settle, but there is a fun beach activity you can do while we wait,” Optimus offered.

“Really?” Maria’s eyes perked up at that.

Megatron didn’t like the way that Optimus was looking at him. It looked like he was about to be petty. “Yes. Humans found it customary to bury their peers in the sand.”

Megatron flinched when Maria turned to him with a mischievous and excited look on her face. “No-!”

“Yes! I’m gonna bury you in the sand!” Maria ran over and grabbed him by the arm, “Where do we go?!”

“Prime, I am not doing this! Ymir, get your daughter!” But Ymir was quite amused by the situation.

“Oh, please?!” Maria begged, “I don’t want to bury myself! It might be a while before we come back here!”

“I-” Megatron froze at Maria’s pleading expression and grumbled in frustration, “You are lucky that I consider you my own, Firelight.”

Maria beamed with excitement as Megatron let Maria drag him along, but Megatron gave the Prime a nasty glare as he was being dragged away. Megatron nearly screamed when Optimus grinned and gave a simple wave goodbye. Optimus turned his attention to Ymir while Maria told Megatron to lay down in the sand. 

“How do you feel?” Optimus asked her.

Ymir wrote in the sand. Better. Thank you for this wonderful day.

“I am happy to be of service.” Optimus stood up and bowed, “Now, I am going to watch Megatron get buried alive by a seven-year-old. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Ymir smiled as Optimus walked over to the sight of Maria already piling sand on top of Megatron. Ymir leaned back and rested on her palms before looking up at the sky. Today was really a wonderful day.

===========

Later

Megatron glared holes in Optimus’ skull while Optimus was squatting down next to his visible head, giving an uncharacteristic sly grin. Meanwhile, Maria continued to pile sand on top of Megatron’s body. She had managed to cover almost everything except for his shoes and his head, and Maria was now working on his shoes.

“You are just loving this, aren’t you?” Megatron hissed.

“Possibly,” Optimus shrugged.

“This isn’t over, Optimus,” Megatron declared, “I will have my vengeance.”

“Sand people don’t talk!” Maria exclaimed.

“Listen to the rules, Megatron,” Optimus ordered.

“I’m getting up!” Megatron yelled.

“No! I’m not done yet! I still have to bury your feet!” Maria told him.

“And how long will that take before I go after you, Optimus?” Megatron demanded.

“Well, the humans on Earth also made something called sand cast-,”

“You shut your mouth!” Megatron yelled.

“Sand what?” Maria asked.

“Ignore him, Firelight! Go back to work!” Megatron ordered. Maria shrugged and continued to bury Megatron’s feet. Megatron then turned his gaze towards the sky and sighed to himself.

“Did you ever think that life would turn out like this for us?” Megatron asked in Cybertronian.

“No,” Optimus replied in kind, “But I’m not particularly bitter about the outcome of it.”

Maria kept her focus on digging up sand, but tried her best to understand what was said through context.

“What do you think Cybertron is doing right now?” Megatron couldn’t resist asking, “It’s been seven years. Something must’ve happened by now.”

“I do not know,” Optimus answered, “I do hope that it has entered an era of peace.”

“...Do you ever think about going back?” Megatron asked.

Maria grew tense when Optimus stared back at her before giving off a small smile. “No. My ties are here.”

A smile slowly formed on Maria’s face before she ran up to Optimus and hugged him.

“Cute, but are you done, Firelight?” Megatron deadpanned, “I need to get up.”

“Hm...,” Maria trailed off before turning to Optimus, “What else am I supposed to do?”

“Don’t you dare give her any idea,” Megatron warned before addressing Maria, “In fact, why don’t you bury him in the sand?”

“Can I?!” Maria asked eagerly. 

Optimus shrugged before lying down on Megatron’s left. “I don’t see why not.”

“Hooray!” Maria cheered before she got back to work and piled sand on top of Optimus.

“This should be agonizing for you,” Megatron remarked.

“I have no issue doing what Maria is curious about as long as it’s not dangerous,” Optimus shrugged, “I just enjoyed watching you squirm at the thought of doing something so ridiculous and child-like.”

Megatron looked at Optimus in fury. “This is your long-winded plot of revenge then, isn’t it?”

Optimus grinned. “Yes.”

“I miss when we were enemies,” Megatron proclaimed.

Optimus chuckled. “I don’t think you do.”

Megatron turned his head from Optimus. He was right. This was the most content he’s ever been. But he wasn’t going to give Optimus the satisfaction of knowing that!

Later on, Ymir had gotten up from her blanket and walked over to the sight before her. She blinked in disbelief at Optimus and Megatron’ whole bodies buried in the sand, excluding their heads. Ymir had to cover her mouth to prevent a snort from escaping as Maria grabbed some of that green, underwater, plant and slapped it on Megatron’s face.

“It would seem that Maria wanted to give Megatron a spa treatment,” Optimus teased.

“I will end all of you,” Megatron’s threat was muffled by the seaweed covering his mouth. Ymir felt a little bad and removed the seaweed covering Megatron’s face. Megatron could see that Ymir was trying her best not to break down and laugh, but he could still see that smile creeping up on her face.

“Thank you, Ymir,” Megatron said, “Alright, I need to deactivate the holoform!”

“Oh no! Please don’t!” Maria ran up to Megatron’s buried head. 

“I need to conserve energy; I can’t stay here forever,” Megatron reasoned.

“Aw...okay,” Maria relented rather solemnly. Megatron didn’t like to see Maria that upset before an idea sprang into is head.

“I shall exact my vengeance!” Megatron called out rather dramatically before kicking one of his legs out of the sand. Maria started laughing while Optimus shut his eyes at the sand flying in his direction. Megatron then freed his arms, causing more sand to fly everywhere. He rose out of the sand like a zombie from a grave before standing up fully.

“I am free!” Megatron shouted in the air, causing Maria to clench her side and laugh like a maniac. Megatron then pointed at the Prime’s head, “And as for you!”

“Megatron, don’t you dare-!” Megatron grabbed the seaweed that was still around his neck and threw it at Optimus’ face, causing Maria to laugh even harder and kick her legs in the air.

“Vengeance is mine!” Megatron declared.

“Yay!” Maria cheered in agreement. Megatron smiled at Maria before patting her on the head.

“Happy Birthday, Firelight,” Megatron said before deactivating the holoform. Meanwhile, Ymir worked to remove the seaweed from Optimus’ face. Optimus could see Ymir looking at him with an unimpressed look on her face and smiled back.

“I do not regret my decision,” Optimus declared.

“Can we do something together, Papa?” Maria asked Optimus.

“Of course,” Optimus answered.

“Can you do what Meg did with the sand?!” Maria asked eagerly.

“Unfortunately, I am not as dramatic as Megatron,” Optimus replied, “I can try.”

“Please!” Maria bounced on her heels a little.

Optimus grunted before punching his arm out of the sand. Maria giggled as Optimus pretended to struggle and kick both of his legs out the sand. The sand exploded as Optimus freed his legs. The Prime then used his body to flip back and free himself from the sand. Optimus then flapped the holoform shirt to get some of the sand off of him. “Now, what would you like to do?”

“Well, I wanted to touch some of the other animals I saw, but the rocks were pretty scary,” Maria admitted.

“It is alright to be scared,” Optimus reassured, “But we could do something right here.”

“Really?” Maria asked.

“Yes. We could collect some seashells to take home with us,” Optimus suggested.

“We can take some of the stuff here home with us?!” Maria exclaimed.

“As long as no other creature is calling it home,” Optimus stood up.

“Okay!” Maria started running along the beach and Optimus quickly followed close behind. Ymir walked back up to the blanket and sat down before opening the jar of dandelions and eating three of them. She felt the ground then shake before looking behind her to see Megatron’s bipedal mode sitting down in the sand close to her, staring out at the sea. The two didn’t say a word to one another. All they did was sit in silence, enjoying each other’s company.

“Oh this one’s pretty!” Maria marveled as she picked up a conch shell before peering inside, “And nothing’s in it!”

“Then it is something that we can take home,” Optimus explained before raising the conch shell to her ear, “And listen.”

Maria leaned her head closer to the opening of the conch shell and gasped in awe at the sounds rushing in. It...it sounded like the ocean. It sounded like the water was rushing towards her, yet it was nowhere near her. Maria removed the shell from her ear and smiled. “We’re keeping this.”

Optimus chuckled at her enthusiasm as the two continued to search for more items to take.

“So did something used to like in here?” Maria asked as she examined the conch.

“Sea snails usually,” Optimus explained.

“There are snails that live in the sea?” Maria asked.

“They are quite different from their land counterparts, but yes,” Optimus explained.

“Well, how come it doesn’t live in here anymore?” Maria asked.

“It probably grew too big for that shell and went to find another one to call home,” Optimus answered, “Shells provide protection from predators in the ocean.”

“What other creatures are in the ocean? Papa said that there are creatures as big as you.”

“Ah, those would be whales, and they are some of the largest mammals on the planet,” Optimus explained.

“Do you think we can see one today?” Maria asked.

“These creatures are quite massive and could strand themselves on land if they got too close.” Optimus pointed out to the open water, “They belong out there.”

Maria stared out into the open sea, clutching the conch shell close to her chest. “You and Meg have always told me about all these amazing places, but...it’s so different when I’m actually here.”

Optimus saw Maria’s face morph into one of determination. “I want to see all of it.”

Optimus patted Maria on the head. “One day, you will, Firelight. I want to be able to show you everything that I have possibly told you.”

Maria showed Optimus her shell. “Can we look for more?”

“Of course,” Optimus answered. The two continued searching for shells to take home. They up finding a multitude of smaller shells that Maria decided to place in the conch shell for safe keeping. Maria found two connected shells sticking out of the sand. When she went to pick it up, she shrieked with delight, seeing a tongue sticking out.

“We should put that one back,” Optimus advised as he took the clam from her and placed it on the sand. 

“Whoa!” Maria marveled as it used its tongue to burrow back into the sand, “The world is amazing.”

“It is.” Optimus agreed. Maria then noticed something round sticking out of the sand. She walked over and kneeled down before pulling it out. It was a small, white, orb that glistened in the sun. “Pretty.” She showed it to Optimus. “Papa, what’s this?”

Optimus was surprised to see it and took it from her hands. “It is a pearl. They are produced by the clams and oysters that reside here, but they would usually be inside the creature.”

“I think that Mama would love it,” Maria declared.

Optimus smiled as he picked Maria up and rested her on his hip. “I believe she would.”

Optimus walked back to their site with Maria holding the small pearl in her hand. Maria waved to her Mama and Megatron, causing Megatron to give a small salute in response. Optimus then set Maria on the ground, causing her to run up to the blanket and set all of her stuff down.

“Look at all this stuff we get to keep!” Maria dumped the smaller shells out of the larger conch, surprising the mother. She couldn’t help but admire the beauty of it, but she didn’t expect this much stuff. “And this is for you!” Maria placed the pearl in her mother’s hand, and Ymir remembered seeing something like this before. In the Eldian Empire...when they conquered a village and it had an item just like this. Ymir had watched the king give it to one of the other women that was in his harem. God, she really felt stupid for not seeing the signs before.

“Mama?” Ymir turned her attention to her daughter who was waiting for a response, a positive one if anything. Ymir kissed her daughter’s forehead in response, causing her to giggle. Ymir then offered her daughter the jar of dandelions, and Maria urgently took a few and chewed on them.

“I need to deactivate my holoform as well,” Optimus informed.

“Okay, Papa,” Maria nodded as the human form dispersed into sparks. Optimus then transformed into his bipedal form before walking over to sit next to Megatron. Optimus smiled as Maria showed all of their findings to her mother. She put the conch shell up to her mother’s ear so that she could also hear the sounds of the ocean.

“I suppose the decision to come here was...satisfactory,” Megatron spoke up.

“Was it?” Optimus smirked.

“Don’t get too cocky, Optimus,” Megatron warned.

Optimus turned back to the ocean. “Perhaps this could become an annual event.”

“We come here every year?” Megatron questioned.

“Here, maybe somewhere else in the world,” Optimus listed, “We could make a beach house for an overnight stay.”

“Building a home is work,” Megatron retorted.

“But you do have the knowledge to make one,” Optimus said, “I just think it would be good for us as a family to go on these adventures together.”

Megatron snorted. “A family? Is that what we are?”

“You don’t seem to be denying it,” Optimus observed.

“Well, if we are a family, we’re a pretty unconventional one.” Megatron declared, “Two four-million-year-old war veterans from another world helping a human mother raise her offspring.”

Optimus chuckled at that. “I suppose you're right, but I cannot help but be glad that Primus brought me here.”

Megatron was quiet at that. “You still don’t know the answer to that question, do you?”

“What question?” Optimus asked.

“Why you were even brought here in the first place,” Megatron explained, “A definitive answer, I mean.”

“I do not care what the initial answer was.” Optimus watched Ymir smile at Maria, “I know where my place is now.”

Maria continued giggling and talking to her mother, eating a few more dandelions and another roll of bread. Time continued to pass, and the four continued to sit and enjoy the moment together. But as time stretched on, Ymir noticed something...different in the sky. The sun was beginning to set, it started to make the sky fade into orange. She turned her attention to the ocean and saw the sunlight reflecting off of the water. Oh, it was such a marvelous sight. Maria followed her mother’s gaze, gasping at how pretty the water looked.

“Looks like we’ll have to leave soon,” Megatron remarked, “The drive back will take a while, right?”

“Three hours,” Optimus explained.

“Wait! Can we play some more?!” Maria quickly stood up, “Please! A small race across the sand!”

“I need to conserve my energy,” Optimus reasoned.

“I was running around with you all day,” Megatron retorted.

Maria quickly grabbed her mother’s hands. “Can you race with me really quick?! Please?!”

Ymir seemed hesitant at the idea, but Maria’s pleading face, and the fact that this was no doubt a once-in-a-lifetime experience, caused her to stand up, surprising both titans. Maria pulled her mother by the hand towards her left, to the edge of the jagged rocks she and Megatron ventured across together.

“...she called me her hero,” Megatron spoke, “Maria.”

“That is a good thing, is it not?” Optimus questioned, “She looks up to you and loves you.”

“...would she love me and see me as a hero once she knows of my crimes?” Megatron asked, “One day, we will have to tell her about us. She’s too curious for her own good. And I’m certain, that her perception of me will change for the worse.”

“She saw your titan form and looked up at you with the same love and admiration she did before,” Optimus reminded.

“There’s a difference between appearance and actions,” Megatron shot back.

Optimus hesitated for a moment, but then placed a servo on Megatron’s shoulder. “We will tell her little by little, when the time comes. And yes, her perception about both of us might change, but I do believe that her love will not.”

“...I hope you are right,” Megatron mumbled.

“Alright! The first one over there!” Maria pointed to the rock on the far end of the beach, the one that Ymir and Optimus had walked past, “Is the winner!”

Ymir nodded her head, 

“Ready! Set! Go!” Ymir let her daughter run on ahead for a few seconds before deciding to jog behind Maria. As Ymir began to jog, she felt herself being taken back to that forest where she was blindly running for her life. The fear of that moment caused her to pick up the pace.

“Well done, my slave Ymir,”

The phrased caused Ymir to grow angry and caused her to run faster.

"I will not caste you out! I swear you will never be alone again! Whatever act you make from now on will be your own! But please let me protect you! Please let me save you!"

The hope in those words caused her to sprint and run past Maria. 

“Mama?” Maria slowed to a stop in confusion while Optimus and Megatron watched Ymir running in disbelief. But the woman tuned everything out. She ignored her heavy breathing, the smell of the sea, and the wind now scratching her skin. Her feet dug into the wet sand and the wind blew into her hair and she just kept on running! No matter how heavy her lungs got and how out of breath she felt, she was just going to keep on running! Running on this free and beautiful world on her feet! She was no longer a slave! She was free! She was always free! And she wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from her!

Ymir slammed into the rock Maria told her to stop at and was finally able to catch her breath. She could feel how cold, wet, and lumpy this rock was. She turned her attention to the beautiful sunset before her before straightening herself out. She felt a smile creep up onto her face and did something that shook everyone to their core: she screamed. She let out a loud and deafening scream that scared the birds in the area and caused them to fly away. Maria had to cover her ears from the noise while the two titans stared on. They both recognized that scream. It wasn’t one of fear or anger, but one of vindication and liberation.

Maria grew scared when Ymir stopped screaming and fell backwards into the sand. She ran over to her mother and kneeled down. “Mama?!” Maria then yelped when Ymir grabbed her, and they rolled around in the sand together. Maria began laughing with joy as Ymir peppered her face with kisses. Ymir then pulled Maria close and whispered in her ear.

“Happy...Birthday...my beloved.”

The simple gesture made Maria start crying tears of joy. Part of her was so worried she wasn’t going to hear it from her Mama. She didn’t talk much, she knew why, but to hear her mother say those words was the best gift she could’ve received today. She hugged her mother back and wiped her tears. “Thank you, Mama.”

“Seemed liberating enough.” Both humans looked up to see the titans staring down at them. Optimus looked a little worried, but Megatron seemed almost proud at what Ymir did.

“Are you alright?” Ymir nodded her head at Optimus’ question.

“Would you like to stay a little longer?” Ymir sat up and looked back at the ocean and the beauty of it all. She turned her attention to Optimus and wrote a simple message in the sand.

Home.

=============

The drive home was quite silent. Ymir and Maria did their best to clean themselves up of the sand all over their bodies. They packed up their supplies and souvenirs and started the long journey home. Optimus was expecting some conversation from Maria at least, but Maria had fallen asleep next to her mother. Ymir, meanwhile, continued to admire the sunset for the next hour before falling asleep. 

When Optimus arrived at the cabin at night, Megatron was waiting there in his holoform. Optimus opened his doors to reveal the sleeping humans. Megatron very easily carried both Ymir and Maria in his arms. They didn’t stir much as Megatron walked inside the cabin. Optimus ended up using his holoform to get the supplies and bring them inside. Megatron entered Ymir’s room and placed Ymir on the bed. He was going to take Maria to her room, but the child began to stir. Megatron decided to place Maria next to Ymir. Maria rolled over and hugged her mother, resting her head on her chest.

“Will you return to the ship?” Optimus asked in a hushed tone.

“I need to. It’s been a long day,” Megatron whispered, “Let me know if you need anything.”

Optimus nodded as Megatron deactivated the holoform and left. Optimus turned his attention to Ymir and Maria and smiled. 

“Goodnight,” Optimus whispered in the dark before deactivating the holoform and remaining by the cabin.

(I was listening to this song a lot for this little fun thing):

(The orchestral version of it with Cody Fry is also quite lovely):

#attack on prime #transformers prime #tfp #attack on titan #snk #aot #shingeki no kyojin #ao3 #tfp optimus #tfp optimus prime #optimus prime #megatron #tfp megatron #attack on titan ymir #ymir fritz #ymir snk #ymir #ymir the founder #what if optimus appeared during founder ymir's time aka the peaceful timeline #founder ymir #maria fritz #fanfic #fanfiction #macadam #maccadam #transformers #tf

[teecupangel]

Have you ever considered - Desmond survives and gets to be(mentally) transported in time to some Isu temple. Except the eye doesn't have human genome templates, only Isu (thanks, Juno). New body is made wholly based on the Isu part of Desmond's genome. How hard would it be for Desmond to hide in plain sight, being at least a head taller than anyone around him?

Oh god. I read this and the brain immediately went "HEY LISTEN" so have this longass answer hahaha. Off the top of my head, I can think of three main ideas that incorporate this plot.

1 Desmond gets traveled back in time in an Isu body during the rise of the Isu civilization (or maybe even before the time 'everyone is scrambling to try not die from the sun, the prequel')

In this setup, I think Desmond's main problem would be trying to pretend that he's an actual Isu so that the other Isus won't think he's some kind of experiment gone rogue. He'll also be alone without any allies (Desmond would even be suspicious of Minerva because of how she acted in the Grand Temple and he only heard Tinia once so he doesn't know who Tinia is as a person). In this kind of plot, I think it would be fun for Desmond to be in the following scenarios:

Desmond accidentally helps Eve revolt and help the humans (... what if he was Adam??? Nah, it won't work. For one, Adam is a human and this plot gives Desmond an Isu body). Oh, oh, oh. What if Desmond (as an Isu) is the one to give Eve the Apple of Eden and this gets translated as him as the snake/devil giving Eve the apple hahahaha

Have some kind of tense alliance with Aletheia in her time as the Dikastes of Atlantis (maybe his body is one of Juno and Aita's secret pet projects)

Get in the middle of a war between the Asgardian Isus and the other Isus. Just imagine him awkwardly trying not to listen to Minerva and Odin having sex when all he wanted to do was check if there's any Isu bs that can help him in this supposed vault or whatever, why are they even having sex here, come on! Then Odin catches sight of him when he's trying to find the mead, maybe Desmond grabs the mead before he does because it's glowing hella gold in his Eagle Vision and Desmond sees shiny and thinks 'shiny? important? shiny!' and now Odin is chasing him all over the nine realms while Desmond just wants to find a way back to his goddamn time

2 Desmond gets traveled back in time in an Isu body before the 21st century

Alright, this spans all the (main) games' non-modern day plot but here's some of the key points I can think of:

In general, religious people might see him as either a god or a divine being sent by god (since Isu tend to wear glowing outfits). His height might even count him as a nephilim instead as they're usually described as giants with great power. This would get him in trouble or might get him out of trouble if he can, you know, pretend to act godly and stuff (it's Desmond though so my bet is awkward 'fear not for thou, uh, hast, uuuhhh...'). The idea that he's god would most definitely be the case for the three mcs of the Layla Trilogy and maybe even Ezio (but, let's be honest, Ezio is a special case).

Honestly, I think he has the best chance of hiding and figuring shit out with Bayek because Bayek would see him and go 'oh, he's in trouble. as a medjay and a good person, I will help him.' while the misthios (Kassandra or Alexios) would be like "A god! Or a demi-god! Must be one of Zeus' children, poor boy. Come! Join my crew and let's fuck shit up!" and Eivor would be more of "You must be a Jotun... Our clan is open to all! Even a Jotun like you. How do you feel about burning churches?"

Kicking him to the time of the Third Crusades will be hilarious. On one hand, the Templars definitely want him because holy shit (and I can just imagine Maria actually pledging to be his knight because she absolutely believes that Desmond is a divine being, if not her god then one of his divine messengers), the Assassins want him because also holy shit (and it would be funny if one of those who truly believe Desmond is some kind of god is Abbas, just the awkwardness and blatant hostility turning to confusion and mild annoyance in the same vein of 'please stop talking, abbas' 'of course, my lord' will be priceless) and the people who are left being 'sus, absolutely sus' are probably going to be Altaïr (who is an atheist in canon) and Malik (who saw the power of the POE in canon and went 'yeah, sounds like tech we don't understand yet') so they have this awkward possibly powerful being trying to hide behind the two of them because Desmond saw them not looking at him with any reverence and went 'yes, these two. These two will protect me while I have my silent freakout' but that only makes everyone believe that Altaïr and Malik have been chosen by 'god' and now Malik, being the more 'cordial' of the two (and the last time Altaïr spoke for them, he sounded so arrogant and full of himself (this is set before the start of AC1) that they could see the metaphorical pitchforks getting ready) have to speak for Desmond because it's clear that Desmond has no idea what to do and is freaking out but pretending not to be. This, in turn, makes Malik the unofficial spokesperson (prophet) of Desmond while Altaïr gets called his knight when all he's trying to do is keep Desmond from running away and building a fucking grape farm of all things (Desmond wasn't serious, he was rambling, but Altaïr didn't know that). Kadar (hell yeah, he lives) gets roped in as well and he actually believes all this Desmond-is-god crap so now Desmond has a very enthusiastic 'butler/acolyte' on top of everything.

Renaissance period depends on when Desmond gets kicked out of his timeline. If he gets kicked out before Ezio heard Minerva's message, Ezio would probably look at him with suspicion and maybe even be a bit hostile with him considering he's still hurting and wishing for revenge. If it was after Minerva's message (Brotherhood), Ezio would definitely help him, maybe try to learn from him, and may even think of him as an actual divine being because of his religious background which makes Desmond feel awkward and creates some kind of wall between the two of them. Desmond just wants to help Ezio and be treated normally (or as equals) but Ezio can't help but see Desmond as some kind of god or angel that has been sent to help them in exchange for his loyalty and servitude. (Insert angst here with bonus points for religious themes and imagery that will send my soul deeper to hell) Revelations-timeline Ezio already has enough and wants out. He would see Desmond as someone in a similar position as him and they'll have a peaceful life tending a countryside farm with Sofia and their children because THESE TWO DESERVE PEACE.

I think Haytham and the other characters during Rogue would look at Desmond and think 'holy shit, Isu' and try to capture him. Both Templars and Assassins want to capture him because he's some stranger who may or may not be an Isu and that means knowledge and power that the other organization should not have. The Templars would definitely send Shay (if this is after Lisbon) while the Assassins would send Liam or maybe Adéwalé or Kesegowaase. Desmond is sus of both of them because Templars are Templars in his eyes and he saw how Hope's Assassins are pretty much governing the criminal underworld of New York which is pretty bad, all things considered, so he's iffy about going to the Assassins. So who does he turn to? Ziio. Ziio with baby Ratonhnhaké:ton and fuck whatever is happening to him and what this means in the timeline, he's gonna hide in Ziio's village forever and be Ratonhnhaké:ton's favorite uncle. You don't have to hide in plain sight if you're staying in a village that thinks you're some kind of spirit or something and that's cool. So while the Assassins and Templars are scrambling to find him, he's just chilling and babysitting for Ziio. By the time they find him in Ziio's village, Ratonhnhaké:ton is old enough to think Desmond is his dad (but he's BFF with Ziio, not in a romantic relationship) so Haytham has to deal with a bad breakup, a son he didn't even know existed and a powerful being who may or may not have adopted his son.

Desmond would have a stressful time in the Carribeans, dodging pirates and everybody else. And he can't find any Assassins for some reason so he tries to take a breather by chilling on some uninhabited island. Cue Captain Edward Kenway who was just there because it was on some weird old map he found and he sees his big dude and thought "sure, let's make him part of our crew" while Desmond agrees because he has a hidden blade so he might be an Assassin (he's not) and his name is Kenway so he might be Ratonhnhaké:ton's grandpa (he is) and Desmond needs a break. Chilling with pirates sounds like fun (it's not)

I think Desmond would spend most of his time during the French Revolution trying to find a way to America because that's where Ratonhnhaké:ton is and he believes Ratonhnhaké:ton will believe him (at the very least, won't turn him away anyway) but he'll get roped into this because something inside him is telling him there's someone in Paris that is bad juju. His Isu body is reacting to Aita's Sage and it's giving him some kind of annoying headache. Before he knows what's happening, he's secretly helping an Assassin who reminds him of Ezio and forms some kind of alliance with him. He has no knowledge of the French Revolution other than the Liam Neeson movie (not the musical because, according to wiki, that released on Dec 25 2012 in the US and our boy is already dead by then) so good luck?

Victorian England, on the other hand, would have Desmond barging in on the train that the Frye twins commandeered because 'it's a train... if you wanted to be inconspicuous, you'd pick the sewers, not a train'. His height would leave him... well, pretty much benched unless it's nighttime and he stays on the roofs so he gets to help Greenie with research (and miss Shaun) and maybe awkward shuffle away when Evie and Henry start having a moment. He does help out during nighttime missions AND BECOMES ONE OF CHARLES DICKIN'S GHOST CLUB MISSION because people saw him and think 'holy shit, ghost!' and now Evie and Jacob have to pretend not to know that the ghost Charles Dickins wants them to find/debunk is actually some chill dude who likes going out at night to stretch his legs. (Jacob brings Desmond the dog to the train and introduces him to Desmond, Desmond is not amused, Jacob thinks it's the best joke he's made in a while, Desmond the dog thinks Desmond the Isu gives the best belly rubs)

3 Desmond gets traveled back in time in an Isu body during the 21st century (or farther than that)

For this one, I can think of two main plotlines

This one is connected to my previous idea of Elijah overriding Juno's new body and transferring Desmond's data into it. Cue awkward father-son bonding between the two as they try to escape Juno's lackeys with Charlotte and the other Assassins and Desmond is awkward around them because he doesn't know anyone (he's been isolated to the other Assassins since he got his own 'cell') and Elijah doesn't trust anyone at all. Their main problem now is trying to contact any of the other Assassins to help them escape while trying to escape from both Juno's lackeys and Abstergo who has now heard of Desmond's 'resurrection'.

This other plotline is kinda meh but you can throw Desmond farther into the future and have him get a more stable Abstergo-created Isu body during the timeline of Watch_Dog Legion. While the developers insist that Darcy (who is a descendant of the Fryes) isn't canon, fuck canon, have Desmond deal with the horrors of a dystopian future where his height will be a fucking red flag. He's stuck in London, allies himself with Darcy and Dedsec in a 'you scratch my back, i scratch yours' setup where he helps them out and they help him try and contact an Assassin he actually knows (like maybe Shaun or Rebecca).

In both of these plotlines, Desmond can easily blend in by using one thing: wheelchairs. While he's overall larger than normal humans, wheelchairs will make that less 'visible'... heightwise anyway

....... I just realize that I made plots instead of answering how Desmond could hide while using an Isu body... ooops?

#if you give me a plot idea #my brain will definitely run away with it #this isn't a warning #i love having plot ideas #ask and answer #i used my break at work to write this XD #the main point of these plots is to make desmond suffer (affectionately) #they can be gen or not #assassin's creed #desmond miles #fic idea: assassin's creed #i don't feel like tagging other characters since they're only mentioned #teecup writes/has a plot

[nellie-elizabeth]

Writing Patterns

Rules: Share the opening of your last ten published works or as many as you are able to see if there are any patterns!

I was tagged by @ajna-eye-cogitations, thank you!!

[A note that when I picked the last 10 published, I skipped over all my short one-shot collection fics that I've been posting for years now, since those are cases where each chapter is its own individual story. So I just stuck to stuff outside of that!]

where the real road lies

Grief doesn’t feel like anything. Or— well, it feels like a lot of things, but nothing you can pin down. Maybe it’s one of those human experiences that can only be talked about in metaphor. Like, it feels as if my heart’s being ripped out of my chest, or it feels as if someone’s scooped me out, left me hollow, plunged my very soul into darkness. It feels as if, as if, as if.

(can't) get back again

It’s not a decision either of them is actually making. That’s what Michael tells himself when it happens for the first time, that he didn’t decide and Alex didn’t decide and in fact fighting the inevitability of it would only be adding more pain into a world already saturated with suffering.

small town halloween night

Maria gets home before Rosa, on Halloween night. They’d both picked up shifts for their parents, Maria at the bar and Rosa at the diner. It’s not the worst shift Maria’s ever worked, but she can’t help but feel a little melancholy on her drive home. A whole night of watching people her age, people she went to school with, cluster together with their friends, doing cheap shots... A year ago, that had been her. A year ago, dressed up with her skin out, doing shots in her friends’ kitchen, laughing at the movies and getting rice in her hair.

tell me that we belong together

September 2011 Michael always gets a little nostalgic about Roswell right before leaving it behind for a while. School’s starting in just a couple days, and that means saying a temporary goodbye to mornings like this one, lounging in their favorite booth at the Crashdown, the sounds of Arturo making their breakfasts carrying through from the kitchen, jukebox playing some song Michael only recognizes because he’s heard it playing in this very diner countless times over the years. They have their local haunts in Albuquerque by now, but he’ll always be a hometown boy at heart, and for better or worse, this is his hometown.

a work of fine art

Quentin Coldwater has fuzzy arms. It’s one of the first things Eliot notices about him as his volunteer life model settles down on the couch, crossing said arms across his chest in a nervous, nearly defensive move. It’s like he’s trying to fold his body into an origami box so all the outside parts will be on the inside, safe from Eliot’s eyes. But looking at the man in front of him is rather the point, so Eliot looks his fill, careful to catalogue every detail, despite how he can practically feel the waves of energy coming off of Quentin’s body, the frozen full-body cringe as he attempts to deflect the attention. Eliot indulges in it, keeping his face carefully neutral instead of giving in to the smile building up inside of him at the rather lovely display. Squirmy, awkward, cute naked boy, and Eliot gets to stare at him for a full uninterrupted evening. It must be his birthday.

tales from a bookshop

The bookshop has always been something of a sacred space for Crowley. Scratch that— not sacred, certainly not sacred, who the hell said sacred, honestly. And no more is it Hell’s cosmic opposite, profane, it’s only that— well, blast it, it’s only that A.Z. Fell & Co. booksellers has always been an important place for Crowley. Significant. Precious, maybe, though even the taste of such a word makes him want to scream profanities at someone who doesn’t deserve it, just to get the tickle out the back of his throat.

Shelter

The first thing Quentin did most mornings was locate the most excitable, energy-filled dog he could find in the kennels, and take the little terror out for a brisk, damp jog. Damp, because the Seattle air always seemed to be damp no matter the temperature. Brisk, because Quentin was not a jogger and a solid twenty minutes was usually as much as the lucky canine in question was likely to get out of him. He did this because he was usually the first person to arrive at work and he didn’t feel like making awkward chit chat with the night shift people, and also because it seemed a kindness: by the time his bosses Margo and Fen had shown up after their leisurely morning coffee routine, the most excitable of their furry residents had already had some of their energy burned away by Quentin’s efforts.

under the desert sky

Beyond basic necessities, the items Alex brings with him on their trek to the Grand Canyon are a fully stocked iPod, car charger, and a stitch-bound notebook slipped into the front pocket of his backpack. Michael brings his restored Nikon FM 35mm and six rolls of film.

the lengths that i would go to

Summer 2010 It’s early, so early that the sun isn’t up, the air around him still and quiet. Alex is awake, and for a second he doesn’t quite know why. His body is conditioned to wake early each morning, but this is something different. There’s a strange awareness, where paranoia meets familiarity. Alex knows, as consciousness filters into his brain, that there’s someone else in the room with him. He also knows, without having to open his eyes, that there is no threat, because it’s Michael. The bed shifts, and Alex blinks into the dim light, looking down to see Michael crawling up the bed towards him.

it might change my memory

June 2022 It’s Bonnie, of all people, who calms everybody down. Not Isobel with her power to mentally soothe, or Dallas with his preacher training and inviting sensibility. Not Liz with her practical, scientific mindset, or Michael, the one person in this room who theoretically has all the pieces of the puzzle and actually has a chance of knowing what the fuck is going on. It’s Bonnie who cuts through the excited, confused, unintelligible babble and says, quite loudly for such a small woman: “Okay! Seems like we have a situation! Everyone should sit down. I’ll make tea.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow, okay, this was really interesting to see! It looks like a very common approach for me is "short, catchy sentence" followed by longer paragraph expounding on it. Like -- "Grief doesn’t feel like anything." or "The bookshop has always been something of a sacred space for Crowley." or "Quentin Coldwater has fuzzy arms." This is true across all the fandoms I write in!

It's crazy that only one of these ten examples has any dialogue in it at all, because I tend to think my dialogue skills are really sharp! I should start more stories off with it lol.

Tagging whoever writes and wants to participate! @portraitofemmy, @prettyboysdontlookatexplosions, @awildwickedslip, @spiders-hth-is-an-outlier, @r-dtoblack

#my posts #writing #my fic #roswell new mexico #the magicians #good omens

[katyspersonal]

Hello. Do you think the Orphan of Kos was killed in the same way we kill him by Gehrman or was he killed while still in the womb? i can’t find an answer on this.

Thanks for the ask! Well, I think as epic of a scene as it'd be to imagine an Old Hunter (Gehrman or Maria - your choice) fight OoK, this probably didn't happen and instead OoK died pretty much as soon as his mom, or was pulled from her for experiments! Here are the things:

I am using the retranslation document ( x ) as usual, and like… not only I feel like a lot of ideas remain vague because chanters are just easy to miss, but also here you can see an example of localisation being more vague too! English official version says baby was taken and calls him just a child rather than infant specifically!

As for the 'divine blood of the void child', I believe it refers to blood as in spilled blood (murder), rather than as OoK being the source of the old blood! Notice the use of 'deus sangua' (deus = god) whereas Church's holy blood is referred to, in Laurence's theme lyrics, as 'sanguine sanctum' (sanctum = sacred). Alfred loredrops that originally the holy substance was discovered by Byrgenwerth in the dungeons, and seeing how Old Yharnam has the poisonous crucified Blood-Starved Beast with a bowl with blood under it and Old Yharnam being full of poisonous beastly patients, I believe him I guess…? That blood ministration is more about practice and less about particular 'source' of this blood. I do not think it means Ebrietas either despite Living Failures praising the stars because although she also a Great One ('bastard of the Moon' as internal filenames call her), she is far from infant… She is adult version of Arianna's child, basically!

So yeah, you can see why I'd get the image of OoK being stolen right from the womb and experimented on, or at least tormented to get his Eye Cord! Since they say 'wizened infant', I presume he was still alive for at least some time, so nobody had doubts he was in terrible pain.

^ Another interesting thing about OoK however, is that not only he looks kinda far from an 'infant' - very developed, actually, but also his umbilical cord is in its place - and notably lacks black dots of eyes on it!

This is, indeed, odd! It would be easy to assume that OoK must not be quite an infant, then - that for some reason he was growing and even maturing in his mother's womb for a while, thus eyes on the cord got closed, and instead of finding a little baby inside, they did have to fight a newborn old man equally, right? But like we already stated - he WAS infant, he WAS stolen, and odds are, Willem sent people to seek a Great One infant for the cord!

So I think in reality OoK was much smaller and younger, and actually HAD his cord taken and used, and what we are fighting is specifically his version in the Nightmare realm. I would not put it past an infant Great One to not "die" in the way humans know it- I mean, humans are not quite dead forever either xd So all along he not only lived within Nightmare, but also was being nourished by the curses and prayers, and grew up in it! His cord still being present even in his "adolescence" is more like a symbol of how he never got to know any attachment besides the time when Kos was still pregnant with him, and never got to know any different life but this trauma. So, never being able to separate from his mother and what happened to them both mentally.

Also, just defeating OoK is not enough, and you only get message of 'Nightmare Slain' when you also kill the black wriggling presence emerging from Kos too! There is a rip of its model in a video by Sinclair Lore ( x ) without black fog and curled, and it looks like this:

So I think that was OoK in infancy! Like a tadpole, and only supposed to drop tail and grow limbs later x) Killing this part means actually releasing the true child within, not the "adult" version that only ever knew pain and was raised by pain.

^ On a side note, placenta looks really lumpy, and also when OoK crawls out, there are so many bones everywhere? At first it got me thinking: 'Oh, maybe there were supposed to be MANY babies, but only OoK managed to survive and develop! Unfortunately, marine creatures often lose a LOT of children, that's why they lay so many eggs'. But now after writing this post I also got another thought - maybe all those bones are actually from previous attempts to kill OoK? We can't be sure just how 'active' life in Hunter's Nightmare was besides Simon trying to sneak in Fishing Hamlet then and now (he speaks of Brador as though he killed him not the first time). Maybe other hunters were seeking OoK too - hence Maria saying 'rummaging through corpse isn't very admirable'! For all we know, it could be resentment to a reoccurring situation rather than what happened long ago in Fishing hamlet massacre! So those bones? They might be previous deaths of OoK. By hands of curious hunters getting through Maria and Brador. But they did not get the idea to cut wriggling black presence, so sooner or later, OoK would be born over... and over... and over... into the same nightmare.

Well, in that case, good thing that Paleblood Hunter gets the most creative ideas (such as eating eye covered jerky three times or killing a spider that is said to protect the world from horrors, yeah... well but THIS idea was a good one). Haha...

#bloodborne #bloodborne theory #orphan of kos #ask replies #damn... #also interesting how henriett is a summon in hunter's nightmare AND detractor from healing church #could she have been someone who learned church's secrets through nightmare and gotten this far? makes me think #probably not but damn #seriously tho imagine hunters coming to try and fight ook for some eyes once in a while #maria and brador could have been taking L at least five times now!!!!!

[acapellasampler]

how did Elias go about letting the other goths in on him being a hybrid? Those that read the fic get how he learned but what about the others?

Sorry this took so long I've been listening to Swoop videos while writing this

I hadn't really thought of how tbh but I brainstormed an idea based on some banter I had with the bestie Noodle and decided this

Elias hadn't actively told anyone yet (only Firkle and Veronica knew atm) both the friends that knew had sort of stumbled upon it or in Firkle's case looked too early during a rescue X'D

I drew inspiration from a headcanon I saw someone have of Michael fainting when he's scared or stressed if y'all know who it was please lmk so I can be sure to credit them

Elias reveals it to the other Goth's just after the events of ‘Dawn of the posers’ (while they aren't heavily mentioned Maria and Lafayette were there)

After saving the eldest goth from the emo conversion camp (despite it being a ruse for a tv show he was still a bit rattled, I saw someone mention a headcanon of him having fear/stressed induced fainting spells and love it so I like to think that was his first experience with a spell) so the goths all congregated at Henrietta's the next day to talk about what they went through and Elias noticed Michael still seemed rattled.

After a bit of gentle prying Michael comes clean about the fainting spell and how it'd never happened before, due to how close the group is (even more so after that kind of shit) he admitted to being scared by it because he passed out on his arrival and woke up bound to a chair.

Elias notices Michael's death grip on his cane and asks if there's anything he can offer to help him, after Michael simply shrugs he offers something fluffy (Firkle's eyes go wide) and some comfort compression. When a curious Michael agrees he partially expects the 2nd shortest to just lay his head in his lap, instead he drops his cane after watching Elias become a wolf pup (I'd say maybe the size of a young border collie) donning a yellow scarf. 

The older five watch as wolf Elias lays his torso and head along Michael's leg, Pete nearly drops his cigarette when Elias verbally encourages Michael that he can pet him. It ends with the entire 6 human goth kids sitting around Elias for essentially doggy destressing, Elias just lays there mainly keeping his focus on Michael checking on him and his anxiety. Elias answers questions and just kind of basks in the attention, he begs them all not to tell them and they agree after learning why he hid it.

#anon ask #thanks for the ask! #new kiddos

[cornus27florida]

Dogyssey if being part of Gwen's dream

Warning and Disclaimer: This post is totally just prediction or theory or headcannon (??sorry I am myself got confused), or could be saying as 'over-active' imagination - which likely won't be true or it might could be become true in some degree but not all - I am alright with whatever actually for the outcome. My goal is simply to share it to more people, these thoughts hidden away in discord server on fast-pass spoiler which I know people tend to avoid - so I feel as it not really spoiler content, I like to have more people to know it. ALSO I thought to make it fanfiction-styled, but I realized now I am so lost in touches with it as IRL I am speaking too formally to the point it kinda 'clinical' and not beautiful flowy art of literature - so I think it's best to be myself currently, tell exactly what I have in mind except some fixations (like grammars) if needed + CPC Ss to help me covey what I had in mind. Without further ado, here the post is! Dream!Gwen!!

-> Also the idea of Dogyssey could become part of Gwen's dream because Frederick's Dogyssey copy book is in her bed desk - and it's not a surprise for LambCat bringing upon small detail to become bigger later on + Gwendolyn need closures to everything that happened.. and I want to see Furryderick again ;-; XD sahbbddjnds I am not a furry I promise, is just Fred's dream of Dogyssey is wholesome

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Dream!Gwen that carrying the shattered-not-yet healed Humpty Dumpty got desserted in an unknown island. She have similar experience with Jack that deserted in the Braided island [P.S: This could also give setting in Gwen's dream if her mother's diary been read to her - but with the very limited time space in CPC's final season - I somehow didn't think that Aurelia will really read from the very start]

So I think Dogyssey will be read to sleeping Gwen, resulting to Dream!Gwen realizing she got stranded in unknown island that she learnt named 'Ithaca' (I take the real Odyssey version, and as it prediction - it could be turn out different than the Canon which LambCat has in store for us) In the middle of the island, there's a cozy homey-looking hut which dream!Gwen knocked the door off. She found out that inside the hut, there's a lovely couple with dog ears and dog tails that open the door- that really look like herself and Frederick.

Both of the hut owners somehow looks like 'few years older' version of herself and Frederick -> basically Gwen dream is skipped to the epilogue part of Dogyssey, similar to me that sometimes skipping book to epilogue part. We have Gwen in the epilogue part of the Dogyssey, unlike Freddie's dream.

Gwen's “suitors” might turn up in Dogyssey - like Leopold or Beckett -> but as dream!Gwen skipped to the ‘happily-ever-after’ ending part, both of them likely won’t shown especially with Gwen never thought of those two like that romantically - and Beckett is actually for Maria, while Leopold for Jamie.

I think Gwen unaware about both Leopold and Beckett is fancies her - the one that know and aware is Frederick that used to think both of them as his 'love rivals' Also what in my head focused to help Gwen find her own closure in the epilogue part of “Dogyssey - which means all the suitors already left out and Dogyssey already returned to his lover (in Homer version of the Odyssey, is to return to his wife instead - and they're already have a grown son - but this detail changes as it in CPC universe, as the MC literally a dog instead a human) after 'dog' years facing various obstacle in his boat journey Hence understably that the Dogyssey and his angel of Fortune which dream!Gwen meets has slightly older appearance than what Frederick dreams on (which same age as they're currently-16/17) - the story now on future timepiece. Also my own take for Frederick question in this panel below : because the MC, Dogyssey, loves and trusts his lover - the angel of the fortune - so much. He believing that her feelings to him remains unchanged, and she'll waiting for him endlessly - which totally a truth, with IRL The Odyssey have the wife Penelope is believing faithfully that Odyssey still alive while keeping her wits to fend off her suitors.

Dream!Gwen becomes so surprised with the revelations of people that lives in the hut - even blurted out 'Frederick!' in the face of 'furryderick'. The MC become so confused with the exclaim and telling Gwen that his name is Dogyssey, then he introducing his lover the angel of Fortune (is weird that I simply named her.. Angel?) - with obliviousness that Angel and his guest has same appearance [also the obliviousness IMHO totally make sense as episode ‘The Dream part 1” we have totally same appearance as Prez and behaving the same, but not recognizing Gwen at all and introducing as ‘the Mad hatter’] - except one holding shattered Humpty Dumpty while one has furry features such as having dog ears and tail.

Dogyssey letting Gwen to take a seat to sit down inside their humble hut, while he helping Angel to prepare the pleasantries for their guest in the kitchen. The floofy warms interaction between Dogyssey and Angel makes Gwen unawarely began to start sobbing, as those two is what exactly that Gwen dreams on as her 'happily-ever-after' with Frederick (remember in the crystal room that what Gwen wanted the most selfishly is to skip to her happily-ever-after without facing the 'hurts painful feeling' of confronting Frederick honestly about her shattered perspective at their first meeting+first ep of final season as the panel below).

Her sobbings make Dogyssey and Angel alarmed - and hurriedly comes surrounding dream!Gwen and comforting her. Between her hiccups due to crying, dream!Gwen asking the two something along these lines : “How- How are you two - could so be in love with each other? I - I want that too.. Have my happily-ever-after .. b-but.. I am afraid it is not possible to me.. He never loves me.. Nobody loves me..”

Dogyssey and Angel calming her down (with warm tea and handkerchief ~ likely?) then begin telling their love story as the tale of the Dogyssey. Dogyssey could return back to Angel because they are trusting each other so much, in the way that Dogyssey turns the 'monsters' that he meets to become his friends (showing the monsters look like CPC members which kinda surprising Gwen) while Angel holding the Ithaca island from her suitors that want her in marriage - everyday as she awaiting for the return of her lover while believing he still alive and not dead in the journey.

Angel and Dogyssey can't give definite answer to dream!Gwen, but their answer that enforcing Gwen to believe that Frederick will come and he indeed truly loves her is warming her soul - and both of them wishing the best good lucks for dream!Gwen especially about Frederick. It also could be added in this scene, Gwen telling that she just want to skip to her happily-ever-after - but both Angel and Dogyssey exclaimed to Gwen softly that happily-ever-after ending isn't given - it's earned (through the following steps that also could means as hardships, like facing the 'painful feelings') = so Gwen still need to faces her feelings including the one that makes her hurt, but they assured that it Will be okay as vital part of relationship is honest communication. Angel and Dogyssey then softly gone as the Dogyssey book been finished to read, leaving Gwen and the Humpty Dumpty to preparing for her next dream sequence.

The end~ totally not fanfiction styled and more of the mesh mass of the mashed potatoes there ><

-----------------------------------------------------------------Here the summary as image of the original version of Dogyssey, which IRL The Odyssey wrote by Homer

Also final P.S.: Dogyssey definetely different than the IRL the Odyssey - IDK how 'abridged' actually will become but it seems from Frederick's dream - the monsters that Dogyssey confronts is simplified than the Odyssey (like there's no Calpyso) as these following image of SSs making points:

Dogysseys monster count is much shorter than the Odyssey, and I think the 'mermaid' in Leelathea's reading is to potraying Calypso - that trying to get Odyssey's heart.

#cursed princess club #one of my own headcannon that I wish could come true #as Gwen really need closures while it'll so interesting to have her got 'reverse' dream in one of Freddie's dream

[scribbleseas]

Beyond the Walls, Chapter I: Welcome to the Survey Corps

Description: It’s the year 850.

You are a renowned scientist who narrowly saved the world from impending famine and malnourishment with a myriad of agricultural advancements after Wall Maria fell, surrendering acres of farmland to titans. However, your innovations are not quite enough to be a permanent solution, given that their yield rate is nowhere near ideal. Many are still starving, costs for bread and vegetables are still high, and refugee rations remain low

Convinced that the only sustainable answers can come from the natural world outside the walls, you implore Survey Corps Commander Erwin Smith to allow you to join his company’s ranks for their next expedition. His only condition? You must be trained in omni-directional mobility gear under Humanity’s Strongest Soldier, Captain Levi Ackerman, to qualify for the expedition as a soldier. Despite having no demonstrated prowess outside your trusty greenhouse, you willingly accept Erwin’s terms, desperate to prove your hypothesis. However, during your time with the Captain, you soon learn that there is more to the stoic and strong soldier that meets the eye, and instead, you have much more in common that you would have guessed. Not even you, a certified genius in the horticulture field, could predict the blossoming romance between you.

Is your commitment to saving humanity enough for you to endure extensive training under the scrutinizing Captain? Or will it be your unexpected feelings for him that ultimately distract you from your original experiment?

Content Warnings: Violence, gore, death, swearing, eventual kissing, eventual smut, human-eating titans, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder

Author’s Note: Hi there! I told you all that the Levi fans would be getting fed soon! I hope this debut chapter interests you. Planning for this fic go back to nearly around the time I started finalizing the TIP outline, so I was really hyped to get it out! This fic does not explore any themes that are darker than the Attack on Titan canon. So if you’ve watched the anime/read the manga, nothing in this fic should be too distressing. Note: In no way do I claim that the MC’s innovations are my ideas! Aeroponics and vertical farming are innovations devised by real scientists, Fritz Warmolt and Gilbert Ellis Bailey, respectively. I’m the furthest thing from a scientist, seriously. I’m a humanities girlie, so I couldn’t get super creative with this without losing the realistic aspect.

Also, in case any of you were wondering: I will still be updating Straight Laced! It’s actually my priority. I only changed my account aesthetic because the cool blues and greys weren’t the summer vibe I wanted on my account anymore. Don’t be surprised if I change this soon, too! I have a major Pinterest addiction.

Thank you all for the support for the most recent chapter of Straight Laced, as well! I’m already hard at work on Chapter 3, and I think it could be out by next week. I’m on vacation right now, which explains all of the content all of the sudden. Also, also, keep an eye out for my new Masterlist! I’m currently looking for the best way to format it so all of my works— The Indignant Pawn, Straight Laced, Unfiltered (on hiatus), and this one — are easily accessible.

Happy Reading!

-Dan

MASTERLIST

| NEXT CHAPTER

“Commander Erwin,” you offered a tentative smile, the corners of your mouth turning upwards as you took measured steps into the Survey Corps leader’s office. “Thank you for making time for me on such short notice. I appreciate it more than you know.” You stopped in front of the single chair across from him, forcing the poise and fortitude expected of an established doctor into your demeanor. In front of the Commander, you felt as if he could see through every bit of your measured persona, and there was little you could do to fortify yourself.

“Of course, Doctor Y/l/n. Section Commander Hange speaks highly of you, and of course, your work more than speaks for itself,” Erwin Smith rose from his office chair. He extended his hand to you. You quickly accepted, giving his hand a professional shake, nearly in tandem with your nod. “What can I do for you?”

“Please, call me Y/n,” you sat in the chair across from his desk, wringing your hands in your lap, so he couldn’t see them. The best way to make your request was to simply ask. You fought the urge to wet your lips— it was a sign of weakness.

“I would like to join your next expedition outside the walls,” you straightened your back. Squared your shoulders. The words came out measured and sure, just as you practiced in the mirror for the past several days.

Erwin’s thick eyebrows knit together, a pensive departure from the mildly intrigued way he was regarding you prior. He frowned as if he thought he heard you incorrectly, and when you merely continued to gauge his reaction, he shook his head grimly. “Unfortunately, we cannot—” he started, but you refused to allow him to reject you outright.

Not without hearing you out, first. You had a few words prepared for this reason.

“There have to be occurrences in the natural world that we can learn from,” you insisted, raising your chin as an additional show of confidence. “My breakthroughs have helped, but they aren’t enough. Many — too many — people are still starving, we’re still rationing bread and potatoes in the outer towns, and only the inner cities have reliable vegetation.”

To combat the extreme loss of fertile farmland and resulting famine after Wall Maria fell, you invented space-conserving methods to grow crops. You were best known for vertical farming and aeroponics. Growing crops in vertically stacked layers instead of horizontal farmland generated more food in less space than traditional farming, and using aeroponics, you grew suspended plants without soil— only air and nutrient dense water, bypassing the poor soil quality within Wall Rose due to over planting.

“There has to be another way,” you continued. You repeated the same words to yourself to the point that you could see your loopy handwriting in your mind’s eye, the arrangement of your professional face from your reflection. “And the Survey Corps is the only military branch that goes outside the walls with a focus on human expansion and outside exploration. I can’t go outside myself, and I could not fathom watching humanity continue to starve while those titans gorge themselves on us.”

Erwin considered your words, but he thought better of conceding. “Doctor, you are an untrained civilian, not to mention one of the most brilliant minds in our time. I could never fathom—”

Come on, Erwin. Where is the open-minded Commander that decided to enlist a titan shifter?

“Train me on the omni-directional mobility gear,” you suggested. “I don’t have to be an untrained civilian. I’m a fast learner.” You were only a year from thirty and you were a certified doctor, alongside your doctorate in biology. Any academic success of yours was a result of your willingness to learn and innovate— surely mastering military operations and equipment couldn’t be much harder. “Besides, I am a trained medic. I know how many soldiers you lose on these expeditions from untreated on-site injuries. Commander, I am nothing but an asset.”

“You are willing to go through all of this for a couple of…soil samples? What do you hope to find?” Erwin asked skeptically. While you anticipated this particular question, you didn’t have a concrete answer. All you knew was that the natural world had to have better innovations that you couldn’t even begin to think of.

“I only want to come along with the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission. And I know it is going to be quite soon— you just received custody of the titan shifter,” you clarified. “You want to go back to Shiganshina, don’t you?”

Erwin’s frown deepened. “Cadets train for three years before they can join the Scouting Legion. If you start your training tomorrow, that would only give you about a month or two to gain competence with the ODM gear and a full understanding of how we do things here.” His expression told you: I doubt this is possible.

You expected him to say that as well, but absorbing information was second nature to you. Furthermore, you were relatively young and in decent shape. How hard can the gear be? “I can do it, sir. You have to at least give me a chance.”

Have to? You misspoke, but the commander didn’t seem to mind your pluck.

Instead, you watched Erwin’s resolve melt, a wrinkle forming between his eyebrows as if he already regretted considering your proposition. “…And if you are not prepared for the expedition?” He looked at you expectantly, wanting you to voice the conditions yourself.

“If you do not deem me fit, I will not go,” you answered resolutely— confident that this was the last case scenario. “More so, I will set up my greenhouse and all necessary supplies at this base.” The Scouting Legion’s remote headquarters were perfect for establishing your work; the further away from the rest of the population, the better the soil. The healthier the soil; the less work you would need to put into rejuvenating its nutrients to support your planting.

“With me here, your scouts will have vegetables again. Ask the Military Police,” you added.

Although you weren’t particularly proud of it, a lot of your efforts first benefited the Military Police Brigade and the wealthy behind Wall Sina. The upper echelon wasn’t starving, but they were uncomfortable enough to be generous backers as you developed your work over the past five years. It was, in part, thanks to their affluence, that vast numbers of towns and villages behind Walls Rose and Sina had lettuce (among other vegetation) and a new surplus of potatoes.

Erwin took a moment to mull over your words— the line of logic, the authority in your voice. You had one last appeal. Pathos.

“You are a visionary, Commander Erwin,” you continued. “Without you, Eren Yeager would have been a prisoner of the state—his full strategic potential unrealized. Please. All I ask for is an opportunity.”

Erwin’s serious expression softened. He inspected you like you did your experiments: equal parts curiosity and hope. Your words resonated with him. “You must comply with your training. To maximize our time, you will train under our very best, Captain Levi.“

“Yes!” You tried to maintain your composure, but you couldn’t help the exuberant smile your face split into. You cleared your throat. “Yes. Thank you, Commander.”

Erwin faltered as if he didn’t expect you to be so enthused about training rigorously under the infamously strict and solemn squad Captain Levi Ackerman.

“You do understand that you could die, Y/n?” He asked, causing you to tilt your head. Of course you considered the possibility. Survey Corps expeditions had only slightly more than a 50% mortality rate. It wasn’t a vacation— you’ve seen the carnage first-hand, having treated several of the wounded, amputees, blunt force trauma victims, and more.

“Yes. Of course. I’ve already informed my parents.” You were fortunate enough that they were alive and safe within Wall Rose, but the announcement didn’t come without tears. They were your only family. Although you were 29, you were unmarried and childless because you’ve always thrown your life into your studies.

“All right,” Erwin stood from his seat, and you did the same. He couldn’t have any further reason to question you. Your personal life was none of his concern.

“With that settled, then I suppose, welcome to the Survey Corps, Doctor.” He said meaningfully, extending his hand towards you once more. You gave it an eager shake, trying your best to ground yourself and truly think about the work and struggle that you were signing on for.

“Thank you, Commander,” you grinned reverently. “I will report to headquarters by the end of the week.” You closed the door on the way out.

#levi attack on titan #levi fanfiction #levi smut #levi ackerman fanfiction #captain levi #snk levi #levi x y/n #levi x reader smut #levi x reader #levi x you #levi ackerman x reader #attack on titan fanfiction #attack on titan #attack on titan fandom #attack on titan x reader #anime fanfiction #shingeki no kyojin #levi ackerman x you #levi ackerman #levi ackerman smut #captain levi x reader

[peterlorres21stcentury]

the file is called "plotbunnies"

I wish I could somehow transcend human limitation and write ALL of my story ideas at once, with perfect clarity and within a year or so. Barring my unexpected evolution into the next stage of cosmic existence or something, I want to share all the plot ideas from my notes file, which seems to expand the more I look at it (spoiler, every one of them involves Peter Lorre because I seem to have devoted my whole creative life to him; I don't make the rules)

Category 1: stray ideas for stories that don't fit into any particular established universe:

a tale of the wild west, starring Peter as a morally gray, but goodhearted gunslinger, cowboy, and all-around ladies' man (and some of the gentlemen too)

Peter as impoverished violinist living in Vienna. I do not have a specific plot for him yet but I'm kind of thinking of a continuation of "Kitten on the Keys" where Laszlo and Betty visit post-war Europe and run into Laszlo's shy brother playing violin in a destroyed corner of the city, after failing to become a music teacher like he wanted... this is literally just a mental image left over from a long-ago unfinished story and I have no idea where it goes from here. What do you think, yea or nay?

One last little goodbye coda to my OG characters Leo and Tanya Becker, as they enjoy the post-war life and relative calm while raising a family in Washington, DC.

...I lied, one day I also want to write something about the Becker kids after they grow up.

Category 2: TORG. Oh I have so many ideas for the little cannibal:

Georg escapes a cruel mental institution only to join an even more abusive traveling carnival through central Europe in 1910

Torg in the Fallout universe, eating his way through the wasteland and surviving mad science experiments

My notes include this joke title which riffs on an actual play: "The Inexplicable Rise of Georgio Ui." This makes no sense but I thought it was funny. The actual story idea is more serious, as it involves a Holocaust survivor relating her experiences to a historian, and she tells the unbelievable tale of one fellow prisoner who set them all free by devouring the place whole. Includes a Twilight Zone-esque twist that I will not reveal here, yet. :3

Category 3: Actual fanfic ideas expanding on Peter's real movies. These ideas are free for any other writer out there who wants to tackle it because omg do you see all those ideas above, I don't know how or even if I will get to these:

The Constant Nymph. Fritz Bercovy got a raw deal in the book AND the film, and I want him to get as far away from the unappreciative, racist and rude Sanger family as possible. Instead let him have some refined and sexy adventures around the world as he splashes the cash on a more deserving woman, for a change.

The Island of Doomed Men. Something that really leans into the whole BDSM theme that was toned down in the original film but was quite obvious anyway. Lots of whipping and barely-repressed emotion and fucked-up relationships and yeah :3

Andre and Polo of "I Was An Adventuress" need their own adorably kleptomaniacal comedy series, pronto.

The Face Behind the Mask. Janos deserves a second chance! An alternate version where he was still burned, but some soft-hearted employer decides to give him a job. His hardships aren't over, but at least he doesn't have to turn to a life of crime and maybe even Maria can join him like he wanted (but does she still want him??)

#anyway I guess that's all of 'em #I'll be sure to have others #peter lorre #fiction #fanfic #story ideas #notes #plotbunnies

[beckface]

Electric take: Human Maria would be a type 1 diabetic, since she's not an energy monster anymore. And hell, you could totally apply this concept to canon too.

FR, Maria could be such good child disability rep. Her canon struggle with  managing her diet on her own could be a parallel to lots of human medical conditions. As it stands right now, Maria doesn't have anyone supporting her/managing stuff for her, so she makes a lot of "bad" choices because she's hungry and wants energy :( even at the cost of potentially fufilling relationships. Remember when she was torn between being Eileen's pet and nomming on the electric snowman... and the snack won out? Remember how tired she was in the jar? These sorts of medical conditions are real things some kids struggle with, even with caring parents/access to good doctors/medical care. And symptom wise... honestly, Type 1 diabetes wouldn't be far off from what Maria goes through. I mean obviously type 1 diabetes doesn't turn you into a kaiju when you eat a lot or shrink you to the size of a beta fish when you don't, but either way, I think it's a fairly close match. It really seems like her bodies inability to store energy for later and use it through the day really messes with her, and that the best way to manage it would be, instead of calcuating activities, the calorie counts needed for that activity, and providing insulin for those calories, something like careful "meal" planning with the right amount of energy to keep herself at a healthy and manageable size. You know????

And if Eileen and her developed a good friendship, I can see her helping her throughout the day when Maria's guardian isn't there. I'm sure that if Eileen saw it as a medical thing she'd do her very best to look out for her friend and keep her on track. Meanwhile obviously Maria benefits because her size and energy levels aren't drastically shifting all the time, and also, good friends :D

I adore your Maria and Eileen ideas sm THEM

It would be great to see a character like Maria, that’s very ND coded on top of everything else, get to have the people around her create a system that allows her to live a normal life! Speaking from experience, a lot of times kids who are either mentally or physically disabled can feel sometimes like they just stick out like a beacon of electricity. They either don’t have enough and are too small and invisible, or they’re too much and zapping the energy out of the people around them.

I’ve said this before, but it would be so fun to see an au where Maria figures out a diet plan and can stay the size of a normal kid, keeps her helmet, and just goes to school with the rest of them. Obviously it wouldn’t exactly get easier for her, she doesn’t STOP being a being of pure energy, but she would have loved ones and a support system to keep her on track. She can still be a villain and lose herself every once in a while, mostly because I like her as a villain, but overall she’s just a normal, hyper kid that is great for clingy Eileen to be best friends with.

Allow me to go on a tangent a bit and give some ideas for how Maria might bond with the other kids besides Eileen. Give this girl friends.

Becky- It’s career day, and everyone’s parents are coming in to talk about their jobs and things. Maria is feeling insecure about her not having actual parents and just being adopted by either her caregivers or Eileen’s mom. She starts sparking and Becky can sense that she might go on a distressed rampage, and to do her hero duty goes to try and talk to her and prevent that. Maria becoming a student is fairly new, so Becky still has her guard up, but that’s making Maria even more tense. At some point during the conversation Maria explodes like “WHY DON’T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! Go be with your perfect FaMiLy!” and Becky realizes what this is about. She apologizes for being skeptical of Maria and sits down with her and tells her that she’s adopted too. Maria is surprised by this, and the two talk more. Maria thanks Becky and they hug, leaving Becky’s hair all frizzed. Becky then heads back to the Botsfords while Maria goes to join Eileen and her Mother, feeling happy. Maria and Becky start getting along really well unexpectedly

Violet- Violet is very open to new people and very kind generally, so she would be the FIRST person to welcome Maria to the school. Maria and Eileen together would then proceed to talk her ear off. Eileen, being Eileen, kinda tries to steal Violet away from Becky and Scoops, saying that her and Maria make a BETTER trio, and it’s her birthday so she can do what she wants. Violet doesn’t want this obviously, but she tries to be polite while trying to get away. Maria doesn’t realize that this is a situation that has happened many times before, and doesn’t realize that Violet is uncomfortable, she’s just excited for a new friend. So when Violet puts her foot down and tells Eileen to leave her alone, Maria feels really bad. Eileen is just being grumpy the rest of the day while Maria is a ball of anxious energy (lol) and eventually she goes up to Violet after school to give her a long-winded apology, and please give her a second chance. Violet explains that she’s happy to be friends! She just doesn’t want to be forced into anything. Maria understands and relays this information back to Eileen, who actually listens now that someone she trusts is explaining it to her. The two start respecting Violet’s boundaries more and they all get closer

Scoops- Scoops interviewed Maria on the first day of school because duh, and he got so excited by just how MUCH content he got from her endless talking. He asked her to join the news club. Her favorite thing is being a news anchor. Maria and Scoops have that type of friendship where they just talk over each other for an hour and it’s the most fun thing ever

Tobey- Tobey cannot STAND her at first (tbf he can’t stand anyone) because she talks to him happily and does not pick up on any of his sarcasm or jabs. Over time he gives up and stops trying to be snotty to her and just listens to her talk and gives his dry input every once in a while. Man refuses to admit that he enjoys it.

Victoria- Victoria and Eileen were already close just on the basis of they were the only two kid girl villains. Victoria likes having another girl villain, especially one who is so easily impressed by everything even mildly cool she does.

#wordgirl #hc/au #ask #maria the energy monster #eileen the birthday girl #becky botsford #Violet Heaslip