#i love gilles' helmet i really do

[taffyvontrips]

Gilles Villeneuve in the pits, 1981

#gilles villeneuve #ferrari #f1 #classic f1 #retro f1 #vintage f1 #80s #1981 #photo #jean dawkins #meins #i love gilles' helmet i really do

[spacedykez]

when the world's not kind (if we have each other then we'll both be fine)

Four times the Mean Gills lived in the past, and one time they lived in the present. Featuring very gay Martyn, sad boi Scott, and lots and lots of pining.

wc: 4113 | ao3 link | cws: self-loathing, self-blame, mentions of death & blood (average life series levels), small section of suicidal ideation, suffocating/drowning, kissing. notes: here is where i put the disclaimer that I Am Not A Medical Professional. also just. Don't ask how they can breathe underwater for so long. Don't question the logic here. Thanks :D

I. The Crown

Martyn doesn’t think much of it when coral begins to grow out of the damp patches that perpetually cover Scott. They do live in the middle of an ocean, and while he’s not heard of coral growing like that before, he’s not one to question it. Maybe it’s magic, maybe it’s not. He’s got bigger things to worry about- such as not dying in the middle of a hostile world trying to kill him. 

It’s almost pretty, in an odd way. He wonders vaguely, sometimes, how the coral feels to Scott. Is it like a mold, digging into his flesh and turning him slowly to coral? It continues to grow by the day in a way that suggests that soon Scott will be more coral than person. Does it hurt him? Or maybe it’s a welcome addition. Maybe it’s warm against his skin, a living part of him. Maybe Scott loves it, and encourages it to grow.

Still, it remains not much more than a colorful accessory, and Martyn doesn’t really bother to ask Scott about it. It doesn’t seem to be a major problem, and what would he even say, anyways? Oh, yeah, by the way, I was just wondering if that coral on your skin is a parasite or a new body part? That would definitely be a bit weird.

So Martyn leaves it be, and doesn’t say anything about it. The coral is bright and colorful, and honestly, kind of pretty. He and Scott aren’t anything other than allies, but it’s not weird to think your ally is kind of hot, right? Besides, it’s just a little bit of coral. It’s not like it’s causing any issues.

Well. Not for now. Little does Martyn know, that won’t last long, but he can’t see the future. Only they can do that. 

Memory is an odd thing. His recollection of the events leading up to the incident are crystal-clear: sneaking across Bread Bridge with Scar, seeing Grian’s blank stare, trying not to think about them when he sees the slight purple tinge to Grian’s unseeing eyes. He recalls Joel and then Jimmy finding them in the act.

And then Scott had come out of the Nether portal.

Martyn had barely registered the object upon his head at first. He saw a blue shape out of the corner of his eye, a shape he now knew intimately from hours spent on the island, and slowly turned to look at Scott. 

“Oh, ‘ello, Mean Gills!” Jimmy called out in greeting. 

“Hiii!” Scott smiled. Scott’s accent made the word longer, more drawn out, giving Martyn time to see the crown.

The crown upon his king Scott’s head was tinted red with blood, both his own and his enemies’ coral poking up behind it. It glinted gold in the sunlight  adding a royal touch to add to the outfit. A long red cape billowed out behind him,  white triangles dyed nearly invisible, covered as they were in blood. Blood, everywhere, on their clothes, their hair, the axe.

Martyn vaguely heard himself saying something about breaking a rule. Helmets, they weren’t allowed although that had never stopped the King from wearing the crown, that crown stained red with the blood Martyn had spilled.

“Is that a crown upon thine head?”

Joel and Jimmy were chanting something, with him- a demand for bloodshed, for war, for chaos- for Scott to lose an hour. (and who would be the one to take it, if Scott had agreed- would it be by Martyn’s own hand again, Martyn killing his king  ally? 

Scott takes the crown off his head, and the glint of god vanishes, but still he is crowned with coral. Martyn doesn’t think much, letting his body go on autopilot for a while, ignoring the slowly-growing dread and ghost sensation of blood dripping down his hands. It’s water, but it is warm, and Martyn can’t shake the feeling that it is hot, thick blood- the blood of his King.

It’s then that Martyn, for the first time, decides he is going to protect Scott. Later, he’ll wonder whether it’s Scott he’s protecting, or if he’s simply projecting Ren’s image onto a new ally, but really, what difference does it make? He is a king’s Hand, and his job is to protect his King.

And is a king really any less of a king, simply because he is crowned with coral and not gold?

II. Strawberry Blond

Scott’s always loved bright colors.

It shows in his hair, always dyed his trademark brilliant blue, in his clothes, which are vivid shades of red and yellow and green, bringing color to his outfits even as the world is bloody and dying. Because Scott might be doomed to die, but he will die in style, thank you very much.

It shows in his houses, with nice, cute color palettes and bright floors, in his gardens full of colorful flowers. He’s been insulted before, told he’s naive, for trying to find some light, some color, in a world doomed from the start. But Scott’s always lived as colorfully as possible. He’s always been one to make the most of the time he has.

In the beginning, in the first game, before they knew how dark and deadly things would get, Scott wasn’t alone in his gardens. He’s tended to his plants alone for a while now, but that wasn’t always the case.

Once, there was someone else sitting among the flowers with him, daisies and poppies and roses woven in a headband, colors bursting against his blond hair. 

Scott still hears his laugh on the breeze, sometimes. 

But he’s long gone now, moved on, and wants nothing to do with Scott and his plants anymore. No one does. No one sticks around for long. They all leave in the end, leave him alone with nothing but his plants for company. That’s fine, really. He doesn’t need anyone else. 

Martyn has decided to ally with him, after trying to leave. Which does leave the question of whether Martyn is allying with him out of an actual want to ally with Scott, or out of a need for allies and a lack of any other option. But that’s a question Scott doesn’t want to indulge at the moment, so he leaves it be, and lets himself believe that someone is staying for him, for once.

Coral is certainly unique, and different than the plants Scott normally grows. But it grows on him- literally- and he gets used to it. He learns to hold his breath longer, learns to move through the water quicker, and he even begins to change a bit, physically, becoming more fishlike.

Martyn helps him tend to the garden sometimes. He’s good with his hands, which Scott appreciates, and he’s not really been one to criticize Scott’s bright lifestyle before.

Scott’s usually covered in little bits of coral by the end of a ‘gardening session,’ but he’s not accustomed to Martyn being covered in coral. Martyn spends less time in the water, and hasn’t changed. He’s still human. Still normal (Not like Scott, who couldn’t be normal even if he wanted to be. Even if sometimes he wishes he could).

Sometimes Scott forgets who’s working with him in the garden. When bright corals mix into Martyn’s dirty blond hair, Scott sees somewhere else. For just a moment, Scott isn’t under blue water, with Martyn, in a reef of bright coral. For just a moment, he floats under azure skies with Jimmy in a field of bright flowers.

He doesn’t mention it to Martyn. That’s not fair to him-  Martyn is doing his best, and he seems to really care about Scott. So did Pearl, his mind whispers. So did Cleo. And they didn’t stick. You’ve left them, too. 

He knows they don’t openly hate him. But… maybe they prefer more normal company. Maybe they’re happier with people who actually seem to take the game seriously, instead of planting seeds that he won’t live to see grow up.

So he says nothing, and lets himself take a tiny bit of comfort in at least pretending that he’s working in a bright garden, tending to his plants with the one person that doesn’t care how strange he is.

III. Martyn the Loyal Hand

Scott is the last yellow.

It’s an odd contrast to how Ren was- the very first red, quick to accept his death. Ren was not careless with his deaths. He was simply more…. well, bloodthirsty than Scott is.

Scott certainly has some bloodlust, or at least some ability to kill. He was the first boogey, and Martyn’s seen him shoot a bow. Scott’s not a perfect shot, but he’s not bad by any means (and maybe Martyn thinks Scott’s gorgeous with a crazed look in his eyes, but that doesn’t matter. It’s probably just him comparing Scott to Ren again).

Martyn’s vowed to protect him- to do his duty, to be loyal to his coral king. He’s protected his love king ally in the midst of a death game before, and he will do so again, even if it costs him his life.

He can’t say he doesn’t see it coming when the server decides that they want to kill his king Scott. After all, Scott does have the most time on the server, and as the clock ticks down, the players’ desperation grows. But-

“I can’t let you do that,” Martyn says firmly. I can’t let you do that. I can’t let you kill my liege.

They laugh him off. They ignore him, and Joel says dismissively, “Oh yeah, you’re one of his friends or whatever.”

“One of his friends or whatever!?” Martyn replies indignantly. He calls Martyn ‘one of his friends,’ when Scott is his- everything his king his love his lord his duty closest, his only ally, who Martyn would die for!?

Martyn dashes off. He needs to find Scott, needs to get there first. He can’t let Scott be caught off guard and killed so easily.

He finds his ally running through a shadowy forest, leaping over roots and rocks in a dash to escape. No warrior can fight off an entire, bloodthirsty server coming after him- not even the gods could do such a thing.

“Scott!” Martyn calls frantically.

“Hi Martyn,” Scott greets. He does not stop running, and neither does Martyn, instead falling into step beside him. 

Together they run, through the forest, and for a moment Scott is not Scott, but a fur-covered man draped in red, hounding for blood with all the grace of a proper king.

But Scott is not draped in red, he is colored in shades of blue. And he is not a dramatic, dutiful king, but a peaceful, kindly gardener, whose only real sense of duty is to his plants.

“Martyn,” Scott says, his name beautiful in his love lord liege ally’s mouth. 

“Hand of the King?” Ren has discarded his cape and crown. Martyn knows that they are stored safely in the ender chest inside of the keep, but it is still odd to see his king lacking a crown.

They stand on a hilltop, overlooking the Coral Isles, Martyn’s sand timer slowly trickling away, a reminder of the clocks on their wrists that tick down, down down. The coral crowning Scott’s head is brilliant yellow in the moonlight.

“Yes?” he asks his liege, turning to meet Scott’s grass-green eyes, the color of leaves, of life. 

“We are here, at the altar… for ye test,” Ren declares ominously.  “Tonight we prove our loyalty to one another. We will also be sending a message to this filthy server… that Red Winter is Coming.”

Martyn shivers, but smiles. His liege sure does know how to make a speech.

“What would you have me do?” Martyn asks. Does he need Martyn to kill the sheep that’s wandered through here? A sacrificial lamb, if one will?

“I need you to kill me.” Scott stares directly at him, eyes filled with nothing but trust. His gills are spread wide, and it’s… beautiful.

“I have given ye my trusty battle axe… me Hand, I am going to ask you to do a terrible, terrible thing. I am going to ask you… to slice the head off ye king.” 

Martyn freezes.

Martyn is still as he stares into Scott’s eyes. 

“If I’m at one hit… I need you to take the kill.”

“I can’t do that!” Martyn cries out, instantly. He can’t kill his closest ally, the one he loves, his liege, his king.

“Please. I don’t want them to get the time,” Scott explains. Martyn nods wordlessly, not trusting himself to speak. “Oh, no-”

From the woods come distant yells, cries for blood- Scott’s blood. Scott takes off running along the hilltop and Martyn follows, ever loyal.Scott reaches a short cliff and leaps off, and Martyn’s heart backflips along with Scott, momentary panic overtaking him. 

Scott lands in the water with a large splash, and Martyn doesn’t let himself stop to think about what he’s doing as he follows his ally into the midnight-blue water.

Scott is a blur of motion, weaving expertly among the coral. Martyn follows as best he can, but he’s not begun to turn into a sea creature like Scott has (at least, not yet). 

They make it across to the Coral Isles before they need to surface for air, but it’s not far enough. 

“There he is! Get him!” Joel yells, and Scott dives. Martyn follows as he always does as Scott swims towards TIES’ base and further away from his pursuers. They never reach the land.

Scott turns back, facing Martyn. Coral crowns his head and beams of moonlight filter through the water to illuminate his face as he pulls his sword (crusted with coral and mossy with disuse) from the sheath on his back. 

Martyn’s eyes widen as he realizes what Scott’s asking him to do. Martyn shakes his head slightly, and Scott puts a hand on Martyn's face to stop him, tilting it to stare right into Scott’s eyes. They are a brilliant blue, and their depths are vast as the wide expanse of the ocean. 

Scott guides Martyn’s hand onto the hilt of the sword, and the point to rest in the center of the heart in the center of Scott’s shirt. Behind him, Martyn hears a heavy splash, and then another. The server had arrived.

They were sending a message to the server, the server Ren had called filthy. Perhaps Ren was right to call them filthy. Look how quick they were to descend into violence and madness, to hunt their own friends for blood. 

But even in the midst of madness, the Hand still kept a sense of duty. This was his duty to his King. His liege had asked this of him, and it was not his place to deny it. 

He plunges the axe sword deep into his liege’s neck chest. His liege looks at him with love and trust and forgiveness, even as Martyn breaks his own promise to protect his King.

Scott’s blood fills the water around Martyn, and lingers long after his body has vanished, leaving Martyn to drift to the surface surrounded by the physical proof of Martyn’s failure to protect his liege from himself. 

Afterwards, he will go to find his liege safe back in their base, and his liege will assure him he is forgiven, and that he does not blame Martyn for simply doing as he had been asked. Martyn will smile and nod and tell his liege of course, of course. Anything. He’ll not mention the bitter taste in his mouth, nor the feeling of his love’s blood on his hands, an unseen reminder that will never go away.

He doesn’t need to mention it, because that would hurt his liege. And Martyn will do anything to avoid that. He never wants his liege to be hurt.

So why does he always seem to be the one to hurt his King the most?

IV. Canary In The Coral Mine

Color has always been present in Scott’s life. It’s all over- in his hair, clothes, builds. He’s always lived a bright life, literally if not figuratively. Maybe if he shines bright enough, he’ll become impossible to forget. 

He knows that will never be true, but he can still try. Or maybe he doesn’t need anyone else. Maybe the colors can be his friends. They’ve certainly come to carry enough meaning to be almost like friends.

Blue is for him- his cyan hair and jean-jacket vest, cornflower-blue sneakers and navy jeans. Blue is for azure skies filled with sunlight and bright turquoise water filled with coral. Blue is for cornflowers and azure bluets and cool rain and a pond surrounded by sugarcane.

Green is for life- for the start of new series, for early-game optimism and friendliness. Green is for leaves, for his plants, for regrowth and starting over. Green is for ferns and tall-grasses and bamboo and cattails ringing a certain pond.

Red is for violence, for blood and for murder. Red is for madness and chaos, for evil and for malice. Red is for time running out, for death knocking on the doorstep. But red is also for roses, and kisses under the sunset, and poppies. Red is for love, and red is for passion.

And yellow?

Yellow is the color of the sun, the color of corn in the fall, the color of ripe summer squash. It’s the color of the bright beams of light that filter through the sky, and the color of time ticking down, of lives running out. It’s the color of daisies and dandelions and daffodils, of bright flowers in summertime.

But yellow is also the color of canary feathers. Yellow is the color of his former husband’s silky hair under Scott’s fingers. It is the color of fluffy wings sprouting from his back, and of feathers left everywhere around the base and the server, and all over Scott.

He grew very used to seeing yellow, during Third Life.

But then things had changed. The death games had started over again, and Jimmy hadn’t come back to him. Pearl and Cleo were wonderful, but they never could quite fill the hole left by Jimmy’s absence. 

And Scott saw less and less yellow.

Double Life went by, and Scott failed Pearl. He abandoned her, and the red of her cloak was red with vengeance. Red covered her, and red covered his eyes as he shivered in the middle of a sunny day because of his own mistakes. But he’d already chosen Cleo, and he couldn’t leave her too- that would just hurt them all even more.

As Scott clutched the red TNT in his hand and lit the fuse, a small part of him hoped against logic that this would be the last of these games, that he would be left to die along with all his failures. 

But it wasn’t the last of the games, because that would be too merciful. No, Scott had to be left to suffer even more. 

He awoke standing in a circle with thirteen other players, directly across from a blonde-haired man with canary-yellow wings. 

But Jimmy wanted nothing to do with Scott anymore, and for good reason. He always failed every last one of his allies. Jimmy, dead, bleeding out on the sand. Pearl, abandoned, left to live alone with her wolves because of Scott’s unfair rejection of her. 

Every time, every series, Scott outlived his allies. Every time, he watched them die because he couldn’t protect them.

Scott chooses to settle in the bright, colorful Coral Isles. Perhaps seeing so many colors will wipe away the memories.

Martyn joins him, for some reason. Maybe he doesn’t know how badly Scott always fails. Maybe he doesn’t care. Scott doesn’t ask.

It is… nice, having Martyn as an ally. Martyn listens, and Martyn protects him, and Martyn never teases him about his plants. He even helps Scott to whisper to the coral and shape it to grow in wild patterns.

By the end of any given day, they are both covered in coral. Some of it comes off. Some of it doesn’t.

Scott grows accustomed to seeing Martyn covered in coral- red, blue, pink, purple. But he’s not sure he’ll ever grow used to seeing Martyn in yellow.

Martyn pokes his head out from between two strands of kelp, yellow horn coral scattered across his hair, looking almost like- like-

Feathers. 

Yellow feathers.

 Scott accidentally opens his mouth in an involuntary gasp, seeing someone else where Martyn is. A different blond man, also covered in yellow, also kind and caring-

Water floods into his mouth, his chest, suffocating and heavy, and instantly he begins to cough and choke. He’s grown a tail and coral has taken up residence all over his body, but he’s still not yet grown gills. He’s not sure if that would be better or worse.

He feels his body only distantly, his chest tight and vision black. Something grabs his shirt. He can’t focus enough to care.

Then there is air flooding his lungs, and he is coughing and choking again, throat burning from the strain. There are strong arms gripping him, holding him above water, and once Scott can feel his limbs again, he turns to see Martyn staring worriedly at him. His hair is slick with water, and his blue eyes reflect the waves in a mesmerizing pattern. 

He thinks yellow might be getting a new meaning to him soon.

+1. before the world catches up (show me your love)

“So… would you like to talk about it?” Martyn asks, once he’s dragged Scott out of the water and onto their island filled with tall grasses and colorful flowers.

Scott stares at the ground, expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he says. “I thought you were Jimmy.”

Martyn doesn’t butt in, letting Scott continue.

“Under- with the yellow coral on you-” Scott is not crying. He will not cry. “I thought you were him. But we’re not- you know-”

“Husbands.” he finishes awkwardly, a tinge of red finding its way onto his usually very blue cheeks.

They pause, Scott staring at the ground and Martyn staring at Scott. 

“I’ve been seeing Ren, too.” Martyn says, after a time.

Scott looks up at him, frills opening inquisitively.

“When you asked me to take the time. I saw him. It- I was killing him all over again,” he admits, and Scott’s eyes go wide. 

“I’m so sorry, Martyn,” he says frantically. “I didn’t think- I just couldn’t let them get that time.” He mutters to himself under his breath, and Martyn doesn’t need to hear the words to know what he’s saying.

“Stop that, it wasn’t your fault.”

Scott stares at him in slight shock, and Martyn takes a small bit of satisfaction in that. Ha! Read him like a book.

“I failed you. Again.”

Martyn furrows his brow in confusion. “What d’you mean?” He doesn’t think Scott has ever pledged any sort of loyalty to him before, so how could he have failed Martyn?

“Every time. Every series. My allies suffer, and it’s my fault.”

“Oh, shut up!” Martyn snaps, regretting the words the minute he sees Scott recoil. “Sorry. Just, we’re all stuck here. Rather a lot of blame to place on yourself, when really it’s the damned game’s fault.”

Scott’s eyes flicker to Martyn, then back to the ground. Nothing can prepare him for what Scott says next. “If you want me to shut up, why don’t you make me?”

Martyn stops thinking. He lunges forward, grasps Scott’s damp, messy shirt between his fingers, and presses his mouth to Scott’s.

Scott’s lips are cold and salty against his own, probably since the man nearly drowned just fifteen minutes ago. The kiss isn’t pretty- they’re both soaked, and water drips everywhere. But it’s Scott, and Martyn- well. He can’t pretend it’s just his lingering affection for Ren anymore.

Martyn pulls away just as quickly, leaving Scott gasping for breath. “Trying to drown me again, loverboy?”

“Only emotionally,” Martyn snarks back cheekily, and Scott laughs brightly. Martyn thinks he’d be content to let this moment last forever.

“Well, then? Go on and drown me,” Scott smirks, and Martyn, ever-loyal, gladly obliges.

Perhaps later they’ll regret this, when the bombs drop and the arrows fly. Perhaps later they’ll wish things had gone differently, so that it wouldn’t hurt as much when one of them inevitably outlived the other. 

But that time is not now.

For now, they think about no time other than right here, in the moment, in one another's' arms.

#the otter scribbles #mean gills #coral kids #majorwood #trafficshipping #lilsmp #limited life #limited life smp #smajor #scott smajor #martyn littlewood #martyn inthelittlewood #inthelittlewood #<--they have WAY TOO MANY TAGS btw #treebark #flower husbands

[the0retically]

114 Thoughts

- I wrote down almost every thought I had while watching this episode and I already want to go back and rewatch it, but if anyone wants to read my descent to madness here it is!

- Jay and Chip peak siblings this episode though

- IT’S GILLY SKIN??

- “That’s gilly skin.” “Well….hope he’s alright”

- Why do I feel like Goobleck is about to come back

- Also them talking about the ways they’ve thought about dying is So sad

- God fuck RAFT, they’re studying the hollowed to use it??

- Oh god other triton skin, is edyn here??

- Also when I said I wanted another Chip and Jay session of them doing stuff I didn’t want this

- Bizly and Condi need to deafen and leave for this?????

- That’s gotta be Edyn in this room with Gill right?

- WAIT IS IT ARLIN?? IS ARLIN UP ON THE HOOKS WITH GILLION?? Ok no it’s a triton

- KUBA KENTA?? He always said rats, is it him?? HOLY SHIT OH MY GOD IT IS

- GILLION YOU PUT THE HELMET ON??

- Oh god this helmet device is Not good, Gillion :(

- HE FEELS THE NEED TO BE A MORE OBEDIENT SOLDIER WHAT THE FUCK??

- Charlie rolled a zero on initiative goodness

- 20 ON STEALTH LETS GOOO GILLION!!

- HES BACK WITH THE GROUP!

- Also Gill please tell them about Kuba, good job that they know about his thoughts about the prophecy now but please they should know about Kuba

- “Fuck my fucking gay ass stupid life” CONDI PLEASE

- Fish and chips I hate you /j what the hell do you mean you dock your poles together??

- I do love that Chibo is still a nickname that’s just fun

- Oh god please tell me the crew didn’t follow them into the stronghold

- Chip is going through it

- “Praise the solar mother” ???? Ok grandma ferin

- But also I cannot believe they split up and left Jay alone

- And now Condi has to deafen while we’re with Gill and Chip goodness

- WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT GILLION IS NOT GILLION

- “They didn’t make me with all of his memories; you didn’t really think I just grew the skin back did you?”

- God and Condi is deafened for this oh not Not Ferin Well OH NO

- “I took the fireball for you” “yeah and that’s when I knew I had you”

- Charlie you’re too good at this

- My face is numb oh god chip please be ok

- “You hear in your head: chip is about to die” NO NO NO NO

- I have never felt dread like this before for a piece of media oh my god

- “…I don’t know how chip works?” “I don’t either dude!”

- Also I really want the riptide dice whenever they come out

- God Gillion seeing himself again must be Difficult

- Gill still has 1 HP goodness

- They’re gonna die, I’ve never been this scared for them

- THANK GOD THEYRE OUT THEYRE BACK TOGETHER

- oh god a chase now

- I JUST CHOKED OH MY WATER “oh yeah guys Kuna Kenta is downstairs! :D”

- Literally had to get up and pace for a few minutes

- “Do you think we can befriend doppel-Gilly?”

- Thank god doppel-Gilly can’t use prophetic screwup

- “Hey dopple-Gilly it is your destiny to jump into the hole” OH MY GOD??

- This has become some looney tunes shenanigans and I love it

- “I killed you once and I’ll do it again!” “I’m gonna go down with a smile and fuck you up and change the trajectory of your life!”

- This is insanity

- Also ok but both Chip and Gillion trying to convince Jay to get the other out of that room and save the other was Heartbreaking

- DOPPLE-GILLY IS PULLING FROM THE DECK?????? BIZLY WHY DID YOU SUGGEST THAT

- Prophetic screwup playing during this is so funny

- Condi just losing it and then everyone else just laughing is killing me

- This episode has been incredible holy shit

#jrwi #jrwi thoughts #jrwi spoilers #gillion tidestrider #Jay ferin #jrwi chip #riptide

[creationofacentury]

(For anyone who's interested in interaction between X and Grumbot: Hello! This is a short fanfic about them.)

------

Grumbot has been working in the grocery store for a long time. He has seen a lot of strange people. People with gills, people with eye patches, people with wings, people with watermelon hats, people that looks like creeper...but the strangest person among them is the owner of the store.

X, is what the they asked Grumbot to call them. X wears their helmet all the time, Grumbot has never seen their face. (Grumbot assumes they have a face. Most people have it.) X never eats, which is very different from most people that Grumbot knows. X also talks in a really unique voice, it sounds like the asphalt surface when Grumbot drags his feet across the floor (X doesn't like it when he does that), and Grumbot likes how X's voice sounds similar to his own. Some times, though, X stares at him with an expression that Grumbot doesn't understand, but despite the strangeness, Grumbot likes X. X takes good care of him, and X is red- Grumbot loves red.

He tells X that.

Beneath the visor and armor, X stiffens. They slowly turn to look at Grumbot and frown.

"Yeah?" X sounds extra cheery today. Normally they just make noises at Grumbot that he has yet to understand and walk away. "Why is that?"

Do frowns go with cheery? Grumbot needs to update his database. "It makes me think of...bed, I guess. It makes me feel warm."

"..." The frown disappears, and now Grumbot can't read X's expression at all. It's all blank. "Your bed only has two colors, and it's yellow and black."

"Bee's color,"

"Yeah."

"I like bees,"

"I know."

"But I still don't know why I like red..." Grumbot sighs- a movement he learns from X, "...Oh, I know! Maybe it's because you are red, X!"

X visibly shakes.

Grumbot tilts his head in confusion.

"...Yeah?" X asks weakly after a few seconds.

"Yeah!"

"...That's great." They smile, and it looks wobbly. "Kid, isn't it almost your bed time?"

Grumbot checks the clock on the wall to be sure. "It's only seven, X, are you alright? You are acting unusual today!"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." X turns around to fiddle with the counter. "How about we close for the day early, and I'll let you count the diamonds?"

"CAN I?!"

"Yes, but! Just for today."

"Yay! You are the best, X!"

X turns away. "What are you waiting for? Go lock the door."

As Grumbot runs to lock the door, he hears X mumbles. It isn't unusual, X does that a lot, and it's always something about sooma and void, but Grumbot has never figured out what a sooma is. He has a feeling that X doesn't know he can hear them all.

This time though, there's a new word:

"Call me heartless one more time...who's the heartless ones? The simulation is over, it's been years- aren't they your children? I swear to Notch, Grian..."

Grian?

Grumbot collapses to the ground.

System rebooting...

Memory access blocked...

Overwrite?

Access denied...

System rebooting...

"...umbot? Grumbot! Wake up! Kid, come on, come on, come on-!"

"...X?"

"KID, YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!"

Grumbot realizes they are on the ground. X is cradling him like a human baby, and Grumbot kind of like it.

"X? What happened?"

X has their right hand on Grumbot's forehead, "You are shaking,"

Grumbot wants to say X's voice is shaking too, but he decides not to. He is shaking after all, and he doesn't know why.

"Why?"

"I don't know, you just collapsed- and-"

"Sorry, X..."

"DON'T." X yells and then immediately regrets it, "Sorry, I...don't be sorry for things you can't control, don't ever apologize for that, okay?"

Grumbot nods.

"I need verbal response, kid."

"...yes, X."

And X wraps their arms around Grumbot. Grumbot has seen customers do that. Once, a man with a watermelon hat came in with a yellow shirt child, and when the child cry, the man did this. X told him it was a hug, and finally Grumbot gets one as well.

X's soft, Grumbot decides. He can feel it through the armor. Maybe X have a face underneath the helmet after all, since faces are soft, too.

After three minutes, Grumbot thinks he still needs to ask, "...Can I still count the diamonds?"

X chuckles. It sounds choked, maybe X needs to drink water. Grumbot knows X has a pair of cups and a box of tea, but he has never seen X use them before. They just sit on the shelf in the back of the store, strangely not collecting dust at all.

"You don't sound great, X, are you sure you are okay?"

X stays silent.

It takes them a while to reply, "...Give me a night. I will be okay tomorrow, alright?"

"Okay."

"You can count the diamond on your own right? Don't fall asleep with them in your bed, I will know if you do."

"Okay, okay! I won't! Get better soon!"

With a final pat on the head, X walks him to his room and hands him the diamonds. Grumbot counts the diamond one by one, and he recounts just so he doesn't mess up. When he falls asleep, he dreams of a person in red and a person in black, smiling towards him. They seem nice. All in all, it's a good day. (And if he gets up before X, he can get away with sleeping with diamonds in his bed, then the day would be even better.)

#evil xisuma #grumbot #hermitcraft #hermitcraft fanfic #family fic #hermitcraft s9 #hermicraft s8 #hermicraft s7 #basically Grumbot lost his memory and is living with Evil X #in a grocery store because it's cute #Evil X saved the kids from the s7 server reset #I have been thinking about Grumbot again. This happens every three months lmao #grian #mumbojumbo #grammar tips welcome!!!!!!!! #and you might ask where jrumbot is. well. take a guess.

[ghouletteanon]

Mushy May: Day 29 - Wine-drunk affection

How come there are only 3 days left? Prompt list for Mushy May can be found here, curated by the marvelous @forlorn-crows.

Relationship: Mist/Dusk (new ghoulette)

Summary: Dew has convinced Dusk and Phantom that you can't get drunk from unholy wine because it's technically not wine after Copia has blessed/cursed it. Mist has to come and get her mate.

Word count: 916

Rating: T

“And then Dew said you can’t really get drunk because it’s technically not wine anymore,” Dusk rambles into the crook of Mist’s neck as she leads them away from the backroom where the mass wine was stored.

Dusk, Phantom and Dew had broken into the backroom, but when Rain found them, he had gone straight to Aether and Mist to come and get their partners. Mountain volunteered to help as well, and he had picked up Phantom and carried the sleeping quintessence ghoul somewhere to sober up. Mist led Dusk away before Aether could even start his tirade.

“Mm, but then it did not really taste like blood either, so I shouldn’t have trusted him,” Dusk continues, leaning heavily against Mist as she stumbles over her own feet. “Blood is tastier.”

“You’ve been topside enough to know better than to believe what Dew says,” Mist argues, but she finds it difficult to be angry. It was Dusk’s own fault for falling for an obvious lie. She tightens her grip around Dusk’s waist as they start climbing up the stairs. “Phantom is new and naive, but I thought you were smarter than that. You’ve had wine and bread before at mass.”

“But it’s such a tiny amount! How could I know if it was still alcoholic or not?” Dusk insists, her words slurring as she struggles with both walking and talking at the same time. Her eyes are barely open, hair falling into her face as she walks the familiar route, she has taken for several years now ever since Mist and her finally made their relationship public. “You’re tastier than wine anyway.”

“I’m tastier than wine?” Mist laughs fondly. Dusk rarely got drunk, saying she did not like the taste of most drinks, but when she did, she said the sappiest things. “You don’t even like wine so that’s not really a compliment.”

“But it is! You’re tastier than…” Dusk stops in the middle of taking a step, her foot hovering over the next step. She gives Mist’s neck a lick, taking Mist by surprise as her rough catlike tongue swipes across the sensitive gills on the side of her neck. Dusk loudly declares, “You’re tastier than blood and fish combined!”

“You’re ridiculous,” Mist shakes her head fondly, but accepts the compliment and steers Dusk forward. They stop right outside their room and Dusk leans against the wall as Mist opens the door and says, “You’re going to drink some water and then get straight to bed.”

“I don’t want to drink water!” Dusk complains and pouts, making Mist roll her eyes. For some reason Dusk kept pushing her water side away, but Mist could not force her mate to talk about it. Perhaps one day, but not when Dusk was tipsy from drinking unholy wine.

“You will drink water, or I will make you soak in the shower,” Mist warns her mate. She gets the door open and Dusk stumbles forward in a way that’s somehow still graceful even if she struggles to put one foot in front of the other. “You’ll have a dehydration headache tomorrow otherwise.”

“I don’t want to shower. I just want to go to bed with you.” Dusk stops at the foot of their bed, staring at her boots like they have offended her personally as she can’t get them off without opening the laces. “Help me, Mimi?”

“Only because you asked so politely, and I love you. Sit down and I’ll get you some water.” Mist kisses the top of Dusk’s head. Dusk’s hair is still curly from the braids she wore under the helmet she wore during band practice. Dusk still needed to learn how to do her hair into curls, but Mist selfishly loved doing it for her for as long as she could. This tour will be the first time they are apart since they formalized their relationship and Mist retired from the band and it has not really felt real.

“You’re the best.” Dusk sits down at the edge of the bed, her feet barely reaching the floor. She calls after Mist, “You’re better than all the blood and the fish in the world.”

“That’s high praise.” Mist exits the bathroom, glass in hand that she gives to Dusk before she kneels and helps her unlace the combat boots. Knowing her mate, Mist works fast as Dusk would probably fall asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. “What else am I better than?”

“You’re better than…” Dusk considers her words between chugs of water. “You’re better than all the chocolate and licorice in the world.”

“Even better than salty licorice?” Mist humors her partner, helping her undress before she strips down as well.

Dusk nods enthusiastically, eyeing her mate shamelessly. “Yeah, and you’re even better than tar licorice too.”

“That’s a really high bar to beat,” Mist smiles and lays down in bed, patting the space next to her where Dusk crawls up. Tar licorice is Dusk’s favorite candy after all, even if Mist never really understood what she liked about it.

Dusk’s voice is sleepy as she rests her head on Mist’s chest. “Nah, you’re my favorite thing in the world, both topside and in the pits.”

“You’re my favorite thing in the world too, Dusk.”

Mist is almost asleep when she hears a small, “Mimi?”

“Yeah?”

“I knew it was wine, but I didn’t want Phantom to feel stupid for falling for it.”

Of course she had. “You’re a good friend, Dusk.”

#the band ghost fanfiction #mushy may #mist ghoulette #dusk ghoulette #ga writes #unbeta'd

[sepulchralsmile]

sepulchralsmile fic masterlist

here is a masterlist of all the harringrove fics i have up so far! (i know no one asked but i'm doing it for my own reference and i thought i may as well share) i sorted them by word count, and tried to include the description and rating. my username is also sepulchralsmile on ao3, so check them out! :)

for want of a nail - (172k) (Rated: E)

Instead of getting there in October, Billy Hargrove rolls into town at the end of November; complete with a broken arm, a head full of stitches, and some newly-refreshed fear of his father. There he meets Steve Harrington: the preppy dreamboat who seems content with hating Billy's guts on sight and is determined to ignore him for the rest of the year. Billy's never been easily ignored, though, and Steve is about to really learn what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. (s2 au)

---

i hate you some, i love you some, i love you when i forget about me - (90k) (Rated: T)

After that night in November, Billy is willing to cut his losses, let sleeping dogs lie, and finally leave Steve Harrington alone. Easier said than done, especially when Harrington asks him to be his math tutor. (post s2 au)

---

your will to follow through - (36k) (Rated: T)

After that night at the Byers, Steve feels like his days are all blurring together; drowned in a monotonous rhythm he can't seem to break out of. Desperate for some kind of change, he decides to join the amateur lacrosse league advertised in the rec center. It's just his own brand of shitty luck that Billy happens to be on the team, too. (post s2 lacrosse au)

---

the same deep water as you - (23k) (Rated: T)

Billy has his first Change when he’s nine years old.

He hadn’t really been normal before that, though. His mom would take them swimming and she’d Change, and even though he didn’t have a fin or gills, he’d be able to keep up with her in the water. Would hold his breath for far longer than the typical two to three minutes; he could pop up to the surface a half an hour later without his lungs aching at all. He knew that it wasn’t considered normal, but it was his normal. Both him and his mom. And sharing something like that with her was worth the lifetime of secrets he knew came with it. (secret mermaid billy au, also season 2 au)

---

have you seen her, tell me have you seen her? - (16k) (Rated: T)

Vanessa Harrington knows that she's been lacking in the mother department for, well, a while. So when Steve picks up his grades, she decides a surprise visit is in order. Within the first hour of getting home, she finds her son asleep, and clutched around another boy. This is only the beginning of the whirlwind that ensues. (steve's paren'ts are alright au, post s2 au)

---

but i won't cry for yesterday, there's an ordinary world - (8k) (Rated: E)

He’s whistling to himself as he walks to the door, twirling the keys in his fingers and patting down his pockets to make sure he has his wallet, only to yank it open and stop dead in his tracks.

“Um,” is all he can say, heart lurching to a stop in his chest.

Because standing on the doorstep of their two bedroom house in Carlsbad are Steve’s parents. (future au, living in cali au)

---

the finest hour i've ever known - (3k) (Rated: T)

Instead of grabbing onto the nightstand, his hand smacks into the leaning tower of cassette tapes that Billy has stacked next to his bed.

It feels like time slows down as he watches them topple to the ground in a loud clatter of plastic on plastic. The sound seems to echo around the otherwise quiet room, sounding deafening in the silence.

His heart drops all the way to his fucking stomach; any relief he’d felt earlier gets subsumed by the torrential onslaught of dread. (soft hg au)

---

i don't wanna line, i wanna shine, i wanna say - (2k) (NR)

One of the storeowners, the one with the helmet of brown hair, is standing in the mouth of the aisle. Confused, she looks behind her, and sees nothing. When she turns back, the man has his eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, I’m talking to you,” he says, glaring from behind his eyeglasses. The heat and vitriol behind his gaze almost makes her want to step back in caution. “You’re lucky I decided to do this on a day when you don’t have your kids.”

“Excuse me?” she sputters out, heart rate picking up in that familiar way when she’s faced head-on with confrontation. She’s never been good with the direct approach, most times to a fault. “Do I know you?” her eyes flick down to his badge, where it says Steve. She wracks her brain trying to think of one, especially one that would apparently hate her this much, but his scoffing tears her out of her thoughts.

“No, but you’re about to.” He cocks his head to the side, appraising her. Beverly has a feeling she’s not gonna like what he says next. “Does the name ‘Billy’ ring a bell?” (future au, living in cali au, billy's mom au)

---

you hold my eyes in yours and open up the world - (2k) (Rated: G)

It’s a Tuesday night, and Billy’s clutching his stomach.

He’s about to drop off, counting his breaths, when he hears something in the grass outside. It’s not big enough or loud enough to convince him to roll over and look out the window, so he just curls in tighter and ignores it. Then, about five seconds later, he hears the window opening up slowly, mindful of the creak it always makes whenever the window gets shoved up past a certain point. There was no mistaking it now. He suppresses a sigh and curls in on himself a little bit tighter. (soft hg au)

---

there they are! i'll probably update and edit it as i post more, but here it is simplified :)

#harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #stranger things #harringrove fic #my fic

[vampsquerade]

I’m here on my hands and knees to request some Monty coming home to his s/o after being away for a long time like the addict I absolutely am.

aweee no need to get on your hands and knees! i’m always happy to supply someone with some much needed Monty love. as, he is my favorite operator of all time, so what sort of giving god would i be to deny someone of such a hot man? also i was supposed to upload this last night but i fell asleep OOF

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Montagne x Reader: Sweet Return

Trigger Warnings: None really, this has just a bunch of fluff

Another successful mission was completed, and Gilles was excited to get himself home and tell you all about what happened. He wanted to surprise you this time once he got home by not telling you he was coming back, so he kept to himself as he was putting his gear away. “Gilles, mon ami!” a voice behind him yelled. He turned and saw Olivier walking his way, and he smiled at him, “Ah, bonjour mon ami! Is there anything you need?” he asked, taking off his helmet. “Non, I just wanted to come and chat with you before I go home. How are you feeling after the mission? Néon did great.” Olivier said, stepping into Gilles’ locker with him. “They did an exceptional job, I’m very impressed. I wish I could have done more, but with that mini-gunner right in front of us? I’d rather cover the two of you than do anything to get rid of him.” Gilles said, laughing.

Olivier then pat his shoulder, looking over at Gilles’ new shield sitting right next to his previously used shield. “Are you going to miss your old piece of scrap?” he asked, pointing at it. “Hey, that old piece of scrap has saved countless lives. It saved your ass several times as well.” Gilles said, crossing his arms. Olivier burst out laughing, shaking his head, “I know, I know. But how do you like your new one?” he asked. “Too flashy for me. If it weren’t for the whole NIGHTHAVEN situation, everything would be the same.” Gilles said, a frown on his face. “You have a point, it’s disappointing that this all happened. But,” Olivier said, getting out of Gilles’ locker, “I won’t stress you out with that conversation. You should get home to Y/N now.”

Gilles gave him a nod and a smile, “Oui, get home to your apartment safely. If you need anything, just give me a call.” he said. “I will. Au revoir, bisous.” Olivier said, walking out of the locker room. Gilles then finished up leaving behind his things and headed to the hangar to be piloted back home to you. He eventually dozed off while in the jet back, sleepily mumbling your name, much to the amusement of everyone else heading home.

Upon landing back home, Gilles was woken up by Emmanuelle gently. “Wake up sleepyhead, we’ve landed.” she said softly. Gilles rubbed his eyes and stood himself up, “I hadn’t realized I dozed off, thank you for waking me up.” he said. “You’re welcome, no worries about it. Now get your things, I’ll drop you off at your home with Y/N.” Emmanuelle said, walking off the jet with her things. Gilles gathered his belongings, stepping off and walking over to the car that he and Emmanuelle would be in. “If you want, you can sleep more here before you get home. It’s like, an hour drive from our current location.” Emmanuelle said.

Gilles rolled his eyes and shook his head, “Non, Emmanuelle. I want to be awake to see ma papillon.” he said. “Aww, how cute of you. Who knew the gentle mountain finally found himself a little butterfly to be in love with.” Emmanuelle teased. Gilles groaned and playfully flicked her elbow, looking away from her. She laughed, “C’mon, it’s what you two are! You’re literally calling them your butterfly. Don’t get mad at me for stating the facts.” she said. “I’m not mad, your teasing is just awful.” Gilles said, looking back at her. Emmanuelle simply grinned at him, gently punching his arm.

After about an hour of Emmanuelle’s relentless teasing, the car assigned to them both finally arrived at your shared home with Gilles. “You’re home, glad you didn’t fall asleep this time.” Emmanuelle teased once more. “Mon amie please, it was an accident when I fell asleep on the jet!” he exclaimed, playfully feigning hurt. “I’m sorry, it’s just cute! You were mumbling Y/N’s name the entire time you were asleep!” Emmanuelle said, now stepping out of the car. “I’m sure you all enjoyed that then. Ma papillon just lives in my head whenever I’m on a mission, I can’t stop thinking about them whenever I’m away.” Gilles said, frowning at her as he stepped out of the car. “I know, you two have been together for a year now, and knew each other before when we all decided to stay with you three years ago. The way you guys met was just…cute too!” Emmanuelle exclaimed, sighing, “I wonder when that’s going to happen to anyone else so we could tease them.”

Gillies chuckled, getting his things and walking up to the doorstep as he took out his house keys. “And hopefully it’s soon, you and Taina have been relentless since Y/N and I met,” he said. “Oh no, we haven’t. You should’ve heard what James used to say when he found out about your feelings for them. Teased you a lot more than us.” Emmanuelle admitted. “Really? Well now you’re going to have to tell me sometime, now that he’s gone.” Gilles said. “Oh I will, I’ll make sure Taina’s with me.” she said, sneering at him. “You’re not funny, Emmanuelle.” Gilles groaned, putting his key into the lock of the door and turning it to unlock it. “I am, you just keep denying it.” She said, getting back into the car.

Gilles turned back to the door and opened it, waving Emmanuelle goodbye as the car drove off. Turning back around to step inside and closed the door, delighted to see you now coming down the stairs. “Gilles! You’re home!” you exclaim, now running towards him. “Indeed I am, ma papillon.” Gilles said, dropping his bag and opening his arms wide to catch you as you leaped onto him and latching on. He held you tightly, spinning around the living room with you. “You didn’t tell me you were coming home tonight! Are you hungry? Need water or coffee?” you ask, peppering his neck and face in kisses. “I’d love to share a coffee with you, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you.” Gilles said, giving you a gentle kiss.

You nodded and unlatched your legs from around his waist, much to Gilles’ disappointment. “Allow me to carry you there, please?” he asked. “Oh! Alright then,” you say, and latch your legs back around his waist, “is this better for you?” Gilles nodded, “Much better, merci beaucoup ma papillon.” he thanked. You smiled and buried your face into his chest out of happiness, laughing softly. Gilles then carried you to the kitchen and set you down so you could brew the coffee, grabbing you from behind as you both waited for it.

The domesticity of being back home with you, making coffee made Gilles feel so alive. He’s never really felt like this his whole time on this Earth, but he was happy he got to feel like this when he was you. Everything about you made him happy, he practically worshipped you like a divine being he couldn’t let go of. He didn’t know if you felt the same way, but he hoped you had loved him a lot either way. “So, how did your mission go?” you ask, putting your hands on his own. “The mission went well, I didn’t do much more than my usual shield holding.” Gilles said, chuckling. “Aw, but I love your shield holding! It makes you so strong, and you can pick me up a lot more.” you say, turning around in his arms. “I know, but this time I wish I could have. You remember how I told you we got a new recruit?” Gilles asked.

You looked away from him for a moment, trying to remember. You bit your lip, as you normally did when thinking, then nodded up at him. “Glad you remembered! Anyway, they did an amazing job. Took all the glory from Olivier as well.” Gilles said, chuckling. “You know, sometimes you make the life you live sound like one of those movies.” you say. Gilles quirked a brow and grinned at you, “And if my life is a movie? Would that make you the main character’s love interest?” he asked. You flustered and looked away from him, only for him to gently grab your chin and turn you back to face him. “Come on now, you can answer me that question, non?” he teased. “Y-Yeah…and hopefully your permanent one…” you mumble softly.

Gilles’ eyebrows then furrowed out of concern, and he kissed your cheek, “Of course you’ll be my permanent one, there’s nobody I love more than I love you.” he said. “Do you mean that?” you whisper, looking him in the eyes. “Wholeheartedly. Vous êtes un être divin dont je suis content d'être tombé amoureux. Je t'aime tant…” Gilles whispered, pulling you into a gentle kiss. You put your hands up into his hair and gently pulled on it as you kissed him back. Gilles moved his hands from your waist to his hips, pulling them closer to his as he gripped them tightly.

Eventually, Gilles pulled away once he heard that the coffee machine had finished brewing, and you couldn’t help but frown. “We can kiss more later. For now, let’s enjoy ourselves a nice cup of coffee together. I have some details about the mission I can tell you about.” Gilles said. “Fineeee.” you whine, moving your hands so he could reach up and get two mugs for the both of you. You then pour the coffee into each cup, making yours to be the way you liked, as well as the way he liked. Gilles obviously protested to this, but you told him he needed to relax now that he was back home, and reminded him that you weren’t going to let him do anything until he felt fully rested. When you worded it like that, Gilles felt a lot more appreciated and loved.

Once the two of you were finished, you took the cups from the table, washing and drying them. You then grabbed his bag from the living room, leading Gilles himself up to your shared bedroom. “I bought some new soaps while you were gone! You can go ahead and use whichever one you think smells the nicest when you shower.” you suggest, smiling at him. “You do so much for me, you’re absolutely lovely.” Gilles praised, leaning down and kissing your forehead. “Well, I do it all because you’re absolutely lovely. And you work so hard, you deserve to be treated softly.” you say. “You have a point, I can’t argue with you there,” Gilles said, getting some clean clothes he had left behind, “I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

You hummed in accordance as you tucked away his things. Gilles made his way to the bathroom, and took his time to shower, a good 10 minutes over the time he said he would take. He dried off and got dressed, putting his dirty clothes into his hamper before walking back to the bedroom. You had fallen asleep over your desk, and he walked over to gently shake you. “Y/N, you fell asleep at your desk. Want me to move you to the bed?” Gilles asked softly. You nodded sleepily, and Gilles carefully lifted you up. He walked over to the bed and placed you onto the side you normally slept on, pulling the sheets over you so you could stay warm.

Gilles then climbed into bed next to you, pulling you flush against his chest. You smiled in your sleep, wrapping an arm and a leg around him, “I love you…” you mumble sleepily. “I love you more. Beaux rêves, ma papillon.” Gilles said. He planted a kiss to the top of your head before falling asleep himself. It was always so good to come back home to a partner that worked so hard, yet still took their time to take care of him. Gilles would definitely make it up to you, someday soon.

#r6s #r6s x reader #rainbow six siege #rainbow six siege x reader #r6s montagne #gilles touré #montagne x reader #fluff #sfw #r6s GIGN

[racingliners]

F1 Re-Watch 2013: Round 7 - Canada

oh man I have SUCH vivid memories of watching this race live at the time. This was back when my Mum and my Step-Dad were still just dating, and we alternated weekends of either staying at my Step-Dad’s or him and my Step-Brother staying with us (not really relevant, but anyway). Time differences being what they are, the Canada race start is early evening UK time, which is when most people would be sitting down for dinner.

And my Step-Dad, bless his heart, saw how excited I was to be watching F1 again after so many years, said it was fine for me to have my dinner in the living room so I could watch the race (I mean, the layout of his house meant that the kitchen and living room were right next to each other, but the sentiment still meant a lot 😭)

ANYWAY, this was Seb’s first win in Canada (a very sexy lights to flag win, we love to see it), and the race that I decided to start supporting Seb - not because he won, but bc I felt bad for him being booed on the podium. AND we get a Sewis podium. So I’m beyond excited to watch this one back!

“It’s one of two tracks on the current calendar he [Seb] hasn’t won at” KING SHIT

iirc the other track was Catalunya? I could be wrong

anyway starting grid:

Seb on pole 🥰

Lewis P2, a Sewis front row my beloved 💖

Bottas P3. In a Williams (it was a wet quali)

JEV P7!!!

Dan P11 and Jenson P14. pain.

Helmet watch: Seb has a v sexy charcoal/gunmetal grey helmet. 

[Formation Lap]: All but 4 cars starting on the super softs

cut to Claire Williams bc it was Williams’ first P3 in yonks, bless

[Start/Lap 1]: Seb just shot off the start line, that’s my boy!!!!

Lewis holds P2, and Rosberg and Webber both jumped Bottas

[Lap 2]: looooads of shuffling about in the midfield 😵‍💫

Seb already has a 2.7 second lead dbvuuhdfbuhd

He really said you can fight me for this win at your peril

[Lap 3]: ...and Seb fastest lap 😅

oh man the replay of Bottas v Alonso 👌

[Lap 6]: And Jev takes P6 for Bottas

Sutil got tapped into a spin, and somehow no one drove into him 😳

[Lap 7]: and to make his afternoon worse Maldonado just lightly drove into his rear with a small amount of carbon fibre confetti

[Lap 8]: Seb watch: his gap to Lewis is now 4.4 seconds.

Man it is very weird to hear GP on Di Resta’s radio sdvhduvhdf

[Lap 10]: Worth adding that Lewis also has a 4+ second gap over Rosberg so he and Lewis are just in their own little races while everyone else fights over the rest of the points 

Not the replay of Seb brushing against the concrete barriers, my blood pressure did not enjoy that

[Lap 11]: Jev in P6 and Dan in P8, now that’s MY Scuderia Toro Rosso

[Lap 13]: Jenson’s down in 12th 🥲

But Seb’s gap over Lewis is now 7.8 seconds. The duality of faves.

[Lap 15]: Rosberg pits from P3 and stays in front of Webber

“I want 3-4 laps at this pace.” “I’m pushing.” Bono and Lewis just doing Bono and Lewis things.

[Lap 16]: Seb pits for a set of mediums, as does Alonso

[Lap 18]: Rosberg’s brakes are apparently overheating, bc that’s what you want to hear in Canada of all tracks

Lewis still hasn’t pitted yet

Jenson into P10!!! But he’s yet to stop :(

[Lap 19]: and Lewis pits for the mediums, he comes out in P2.

“His [Lewis’] only problem is Sebastian Vettel” Just Seb and Lewis things: being a thorn in the other’s side (affectionate)

[Lap 21]: 10.9 second gap between Seb and Lewis. sheesh.

Seb really said I gotta go fast fast

[Lap 23]: Not related to anything happening on track, but the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is very pretty, easily one of my favourites on the calendar

Plus, for me at least, it’s one of the tracks where I just really enjoy watching a car do a lap, it’s a really great circuit

[Lap 24]: The gap between P1 and P2 is now 13.5 seconds. Thirteen point five.

SEBASTIAN

He just set a 1:18.4

I mean I utterly adore him, but also holy shit

That’s my beloved menace to society 💖

[Lap 27]: Rosberg and Webber continue to scuffle over P3

But suddenly: Alonso

(jaws music plays in the background)

[Lap 28]: Pros of Seb shooting off into the distance: it’s sexy as hell. Cons: There are only fleeting glimpses of him on the TV feed 😭

but GOD I’d really missed him goating like this

[Lap 30]: The gap is 17 seconds, if anyone was wondering.

But Alonso has properly joined the battle for P3. 

A Merc, a Red Bull and a Ferrari all competing for a podium place. Not to be a grandma on main but these really were the good old days.

[Lap 31]: and Webber finally passes Rosberg, and Alonso does the same into turn 1

[Lap 32]: Seb sighting!!!!

He is still going very, very fast 🏃‍♂️

[Lap 33]: A Webber fastest lap as he tries to catch Lewis

[Lap 35]: I fear I’m going to jinx it even though this is a ten year old race replay, but we still have all 22 cars in the race.

Jev still in P6 🥰

[Lap 36]: aaaand we’re passed half-distance

and van der Garde in not quite letting Webber properly past has given him some front wing damage 😬

unsurprisingly, he’s being investigated for ignoring blue flags

It means that Alonso has really closed up to the back of Webber as a result

[Lap 39]: But they’re both catching Lewis at a decent rate of knots

[Lap 42]: and Alonso gets past Webber into turn 1

and GOSH the prospect of a Seb, Lewis, Alonso podium. Very iconic.

[Lap 43]: another Seb sighting!!!

still going fast, keeping up the good work

dfvhfduvgsd he’s lapped everyone up to P7, this is such a peak Seb drive.

I do see why 16yo me decided ‘I want to support that one’ 😅

[Lap 45]: 8.4 second gap between Lewis and Alonso 👀

[Lap 46]: and another Seb fastest lap

he is currently collecting them like pokemon

“We are racing Jenson.” not more McLaren on McLaren violence I’m not sure if I can take it

[Lap 47]: van der Garde’s very bad, not good race: he is currently driving around with his front wing stuck under his car

(which tbf, is not safe practice, pull over dude)

ah he had an incident with Hulkenberg who has also DNFd

[Lap 49]: and Lewis pits for another set of mediums, he stays in P2

oh gosh the irony of him coming out in-between and lapping the two McLarens

And in comes Seb, also for mediums

and a replay of a very back lock up for Rosberg, I did think it was Lewis for a second because of the almost matching yellow helmets.

[Lap 51]: Hmm, the gap between Lewis and Alonso is now around 6 seconds

another Seb sighting, he went wide at turn 1. Keeping himself humble.

[Lap 53]: oh wild the Lewis v Alonso gap is now about 3 seconds.

[Lap 54]: No one tell Seb that Alonso just got the fastest lap I fear rage

[Lap 55]: Someone told Seb, he’s setting purple sectors.

[Lap 57]: And the Lewis v Alonso gap is 1.7 seconds...

“Please just let me drive man.” Lewis is apparently not very interested in rev counts and temperatures. Poor Bono.

[Lap 58]: and apparently Rocky asked Seb “are you listening?” when he told Seb not to chance the fastest lap. Rocky and Bono should have started a race engineer support group for stubborn drivers.

[Lap 59]: ...and Alonso has caught up to the back of Lewis

this will either be spicy or messy

please don’t be messy

[Lap 60]: I am slightly too nervous to type

[Lap 62]: Lewis still in P2 for now

oh good grief they went side by side into the hairpin

FELLAS

[Lap 63]: aaaand Alonso gets the pass done into turn 1

whew, they very nearly made contact down the main straight

that was stressful

fun, but stressful

[Lap 64]: Seb has a 19 second hap on Fernando, and Lewis has an 8 second gap over Webber, so I think the podium places are pretty safe to stay as is

Lewis is still trying to chase Fernando down though

🍿

[Lap 65]: oh they made contact again, Lewis lost a tiny bit of front wing

[Lap 66]: oh dear Gutierrez in the barriers at turn 1, he’s okay

[Lap 68]: tag yourself edition - Adrian Sutil has been: spun round, driven into, and given a drive through penalty, and he’s somehow still in P10.

[Lap 69]: And I think the grid has finally settled down.

[Lap 70]: FINAL LAP!!!

lol as I say the grid as settled Massa gets past Raikkonen for P8.

and another fastest lap for Webber.

and Seb has set a purple sector 1 🤣

[Finish]: AND SEB WINS!!!!!! 

👏🎉🍾

Alonso P2, Lewis P3, Webber P4, Rosberg P5, JEV P6!!!!, Di Resta P7, Massa P8, Raikkonen P9 and Sutil P10.

Wow Seb had lapped everyone bar the top 5. KING SHIT. And turns out Austin was the one track Seb/Red Bull hadn’t won at at this point. But WHEW that was such a goat drive from Seb, he finished 15 seconds ahead of Alonso in the end.

And also the absolute iconic as shit of a Seb, Alonso and Lewis podium. At this point in time they had 6 WDCs between them, if that podium was repeated this year it would be double that. Legen-fucking-dary.

Next race up is Great Britain!

#F1 Re Watch #F1 2013 Re watch #f1 liveblog #canadian gp 2013 #finally finish my online training modules for the UCI Championships so I watched this as a treat

[galacticgraffiti]

𑁍⋆ Eya - Ep. II ⋆ 𑁍

Rating: Teen and up Wordcount: 2.7k Characters: Eya (Mando!Nautolan!OC), Marilys (dancer!OC), Raia (Togruta!OC belonging to @cyarbika) and mention of Cherise (owner of 79's, who also belongs to Bee) Warnings: very slight allusions to sexy times, angsty thoughts, non-exclusive relationship, some flirting, one (1) mention of gore though fairly non-descriptive. Just to avoid any confusion: Eya is also referred to by their full name - Kyreya. Eya uses they/them pronouns.

Eya Artwork ⋆ Eya’s Charactersheet ⋆ My Masterlist

───── ⋆⋅𑁍⋅⋆ ─────

Closing Time

One night at 79's, 19 BBY

Slender fingers hook into the shoulder straps of Kyreya’s top and tug slightly.

“This new?”

Eya turns to the side and their eyes are met with Raia’s sparkling ones, full of tender mischief. Eya’s tendrils curl up happily when Raia’s finger trails down their side before she pulls away. It’s not much - barely the ghost of a touch - but it is enough that Eya can barely think anymore. Their own desire hangs heavy in the air, too heavy for them to taste anything else, too heavy for them to rely on the chemicals that Raia emits. In moments like these, Eya always realises how much they usually do rely on their sixth sense. They sigh internally. Reading facial expressions is so much harder - a trait Kyreya’s own people never cultivated when amongst their own. Why bother when the smell, the gentle touch of tendrils, expresses so much more? There is no need, really. Especially when helmeted-

Kyreya stops themself. No. No thinking about that today. Focus. Raia. Now.

The cybernetic eye whirs louder than it should when it focuses on the way Raia’s teeth sparkle in the strobing lights, on how her eyes shine when she grins wide. How her lekku swing when she casually steps back and wipes the counter, her eyes flicking between the smooth surface and Eya’s neutral face. Eya curses their own starforsaken pheromones for clouding their judgement. Does this same desire tint Raia’s aura?

Once again, Eya wishes there were another Nautolan here they could ask. But none of the customers are well enough acquainted to ask for so personal a favour, and asking the dancers… that could lead to awkward questions. Kyreya throws a quick glance over their shoulder, flashing a practiced smile at Marilys who is lazily sprawled across the floor, her legs moving in beat to mesmerise a shiny whose eyes are fixed on her form. Not that Eya could blame him.

Marilys is beautiful, to say the least. And both of them agreed- nothing exclusive. Just a bit of fun on the side. A way to blow off some steam. And still… asking one of the few Nautolan dancers to taste the air of another would feel like betraying Marilys.

Eya’s thoughts are broken by Raia, who chuckles and holds a glass up to see if it needs polishing.

“Not in a chatty mood today, are we?” The Togruta clicks her tongue and smiles. “Not that you ever are, just- is something the matter?”

Yes. I want to taste you.

Eya shakes their head. That is not something one can say that to a stranger - well. Not that Raia is a stranger, but… ugh. Why does it have to be so complicated? They bare their fangs when they smile at Raia, and there is no missing the way the Togruta’s eyes flick down to catch on the silver that sparkles between Eya’s lips. Kyram’edeem - the fatal bite. So many reminders of old lives never truly lived. Raia does not mean anything by it, she does not mean to stare. Eya knows this, and still, it stings, that even after all this time… there seems to be no escaping the past. Finally, Kyreya finds their voice.

“No… no, nothing in particular. Just a… nostalgic day, I suppose.”

Raia shrugs and starts polishing a glass that was already perfect to begin with.

“We all get those, Eya love.”

Eya’s tendrils curl so far up they can feel them tickling their gills. They bend across the counter, their frame still towering over Raia even now.

“Moved on to nicknames, have we?”

“Just trying to comfort you,” Raia defends herself, but she is giggling wildly. Eya presses their lips together as they smile. No need to invite more questions, although they seem to become unavoidable the longer they know Raia. But it is a dangerous game, when the feelings get stronger each day even though they should not. Eya should know better. They cannot talk about their past, not to anyone. It is too risky, too ugly, too chaotic. Raia would not understand – she couldn’t. And Eya would not blame her. And without talking, without getting to know the other person, how will they ever form a relationship? No, it is impossible. Which is why Marilys is a safer bet. No strings attached. As if Kyreya’s thoughts called out to her, two small arms wrap around their waist from behind.

“Hey, baby.”

Eya snorts.

“I still think it’s funny you call me that. I’m twice your size, little one.”

Marilys stands on her tippy-toes, but even in those high platform heels her nose barely bumps Eya’s chest when she nudges them.

“My shift’s nearly over,” she twitters, then interrupts herself to smile at Raia and ask for some water. Her hand sneaks over to Eya’s thigh, tapping little rhythms on their leg. “You got some time for me… baby?”

Her teasing tone and obvious intention make Kyreya laugh. With Marilys, everything is easy. Uncomplicated. And… shallow. Not in a bad way. It’s what Eya needs, or so they keep telling themself. It’s what is possible, and so they must be content.

“Sure, darlin’.” Eya makes a conscious effort to smile at Marilys. Humans are especially finnicky about facial expressions, or so they have found. Especially when the eyes - to them - say so little already. One big Nautolan eye, so dark that the pupil is barely visible, on cybernetic eye that for all its supposed ‘upgrades’ still cannot truly replace the emotion that eyes can express. Kyreya’s face truly cannot be easy to decipher.

“Splendid! Won’t be more than an hour!” Marilys climbs onto the barstool next to Eya to press a kiss to their cheek, then waves and flutters off, back to the stage where the troopers welcome her back with enthusiasm.

“She’s so sweet,” Raia murmurs and slides a pint of dark ale across the counter towards Eya.

“She is,” Eya muses, their eyes fixed on Marilys who is blowing kisses at the troopers worshipping the very ground she walks on. “Not just pretence, either. Just genuinely… sweet.”

Raia smiles.

“A rare one, then. You gonna… walk her home?” She waggles her brows and laughter bubbles in Eya’s chest. They distract themselves by digging into their trouser pockets in search for their hydro-cig. The air gets drier and drier in this place. They’ll need to talk to Cherise about that if it keeps getting worse.

Raia slides something across the counter and Eya looks up to find a charged and filled hydro-cig sitting in front of them. Raia shrugs.

“I keep them on hand for aquatic customers. I know the air in here isn’t great.”

“Only disadvantage of working in this place,” Eya grumbles. “The bar I tried before this was aquatics only but didn’t seem half as much fun.”

“I’ve heard Nautolans are pretty tough,” Raia grins and tosses one lek over her shoulder. Eya shrugs and chooses their words carefully.

“We are, we just… it’s not like I’ll die if I don’t get in the water. I’m just more comfortable there. And in here it’s more comfortable smoking to keep my gills from drying out… which is ironic, considering smoking actually describes quite the opposite of what this thing does for me.”

They take a deep drag and gurgle quietly when the water coats their lungs.

“What’s- sorry. I don’t mean to be impolite.” Raia bites her lip and Eya’s brow raises.

“I’d tell you if you were,” they say quickly. “So… ask away. I won’t be offended.”

Raia stares at the countertop, then pulls her shoulders back and looks Eya straight in the eye.

“Please actually tell me if it’s impolite, but… what’s that noise you make? Does it mean anything?”

“What noise?”

“That… what you just did. This little sound where it sounds like you’re gurgling water.” Raia gestures vaguely towards Eya’s throat.

“Ah.” Kyreya pauses and considers. “I’ve never thought much about it. We all do it, at least in my cl- in my family we did. It’s a sign of… not happiness, exactly. I think the most exact translation I can think of would be… the-state-that-was-has-become-better-through-ease.”

Raia stares at them, her mouth slightly agape.

“You mean like relief?”

“Oh. Well- yes.” Eya knocks their fists together in embarrassment, cringing at the sound of the metal that is always so much louder than intended. “Yes, I suppose. Relief.”

Raia’s roaring laughter fills the room, so loud that a few customers look over. It’s a weekday, and most battalions seem to be deployed, so it is a quiet night. Still, Eya hastily shushes Raia. Her laughter is not malicious in the least, she is not making fun of Eya. It feels more like an easy, shallow joy. Like fun, together.

“Oh dear, for someone who doesn’t talk much your language sure seems complicated,” Raia chuckles to herself. Eya grins, then hastily shuts their mouth when they catch the shiny reflection of their teeth in the mirror behind Raia. The Togruta seems to notice the sudden change, judging from her questioning looks, but she does not ask out loud, and so Eya decides it is best to ignore this issue for now. It would only complicate things.

Hey, I know we’ve barely known each other for a couple months, but I just wanted to tell you the reason I don’t smile more at you although custom tells me I should is because I ripped out a man’s throat with my Kyram’edeem and now I can’t look at them anymore without thinking of the unjustified bloodbath that followed.

Eya shakes their head. Yeah… not a great conversation in any context. Not now, not later… maybe never. Their tendrils tremble with the memory, and Eya takes a sip of the ale that is dark and bitter and so different from the net’ra gal they sipped the night of victory… the night of the massacre.

“You alright, baby?” Marilys’s voice that sounds like bells and sunshine rips Eya from their thoughts of blood and murder. Their severed tendril recoils, and Eya impatiently brushes it back.

“Yeah, I’m grand. You good to go?”

Marilys looks so different out of her little dancer outfit - short hair instead of long, wide trousers, oversized shirt… she seems to drown in her clothes. Nothing left of the tight-fitted bodysuit she is usually in when she dances, the one that hugs all her curves exactly right. Eya eyes the sweater that hangs on Marilys’s frame like a sack suspiciously.

“Hey, isn’t this mine?”

“…yes?” Marilys peers up at them and bats her lashes. “But it was comfy and I was cold. I should’ve asked, sorry- do you mind?”

Eya shakes their head quietly and tugs on the sweater, then throws their arm across Marilys’s shoulders.

“Nope. I don’t mind, Lys. Not in the least.”

“Phew, good.” Marilys sighs in dramatic relief. “I’m not sure how I would’ve lived with myself if you did.”

She presses a kiss to Eya’s bare arm - the only part she can reach, really - then tugs on their belt.

“Come on, let’s go. I’m tired.”

“Too tired for this?” Eya grind and lifts Lys high up in the air before pulling her against their chest and kissing her nose. Marilys sighs happily and wraps her legs around Eya’s waist to kiss them back deeply.

“Never.” She winks, then twists around in Eya’s arms to wave at Raia. “Goodnight!”

Kyreya looks quickly at Raia.

“You gonna be alright closing up on your own, Raia?”

“Sure! I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me.” Raia lowers her voice. “Though maybe pick up those two stragglers near the door on your way out so I can lock up.”

“Oy!” Eya calls, and the two troopers lingering near the exit look over at them. “Come on, troopers. Bar’s closing up for the night.”

One of the troopers hums and haws and blushes so dark red he looks like a blumfruit.

“I just wanted to ask the bartender-“

“He hasn’t got the nerve to ask her out,” the other interrupts him. The first trooper elbows him in the side, but concedes.

“Well… yeah. Been trying to gather my courage all night, but- yeah. Thought rejection might sting less when there’s not so many people around anymore.”

“Not very optimistic, are you?” Eya notes, but their voice is soft, not snide. The trooper’s crush is honest, that much they can taste in the air. “But, whatever the reason… either ask now, or come back tomorrow. You can’t stay here. We’re the last ones out.”

The trooper nods and shifts uncomfortably.

“I’ll come back then,” he says quietly. Eya slaps his shoulder and he stumbles a bit. Whoops.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to put that much force behind it,” they mumble and the trooper smiles.

“No worries.”

“Where are you guys headed?” Marilys chirps, hanging from Eya’s arm.

“Barracks,” the second trooper shrugs. “Not much else to do. We’re shipping out in a couple days, thought we’d enjoy the time while we could.”

“Hmm, not our direction then,” Eya says. “Sorry lads. Come on, we’ll at least take you to the station with us.”

They gently shove the troopers in front of them and wave back to Raia one last time before pulling the doors shut behind them, inhaling the fresh Coruscant air. Well, maybe fresh is a bit exaggerated. Just a different kind of pong than the bar, really.

“How’d you know we didn’t know where to go?” the first trooper asks. Eya grins, and the trooper shies back before catching himself. Fuck. Forgetting the kyram’edeem gets easier and easier every day, until the reactions of other people bring back unwelcome reminders of the past.

“We didn’t,” Kyreya responds finally. “Just, you can’t really walk anywhere from here. So, station is more than likely.”

They walk in silence for a bit, before Marilys, whose curiosity is bursting at the seams, can’t hold back anymore and starts firing questions at the poor shinies. Eya listens with half an ear, but is more than content with saying nothing. Conversation is more Marilys’s area of expertise. They wave the two troopers off at the station, then change platforms to catch their own train. Marilys nestles up against Eya’s side, her eyes falling closed as she nods off. Eya doesn’t have to ask, your place or mine? It’s Marilys’s, it always is, for the simple reason that Eya’s apartment is a communal living waterpod on the lower levels. Most of their flat is flooded, save for the spaces where Jaster usually goes. Kyreya tried living alone, they did, but it was too quiet, too eerie, another unfamiliar thing in an already unfamiliar city. And communal living is so much less expensive. They have their own rooms, but there is a communal kitchen and hangout area, and Eya likes their living mates. They are nice and respectful and still familiar enough to be someone to come home to. As it should always be. Once again, Kyreya shrugs off unwelcome memories. The train announcement calls the right level, and Eya picks up Marilys carefully so she doesn’t wake up, and carries her outside. The walk to Lys’s apartment complex is quick, and the door unlocks with Eya’s bioscan.

Thank Nephto they only need one eye, Eya had joked when they had first put their data into the system, and Marilys had laughed and asked no questions. So easy.

Lys stirs when Eya places her on the soft bed that’s nearly long enough to house even Eya’s enormous frame.

“Hey,” Marilys pouts. “m‘ya I wanted- wanted t’take care of ya.”

“That’s alright, little one,” Eya soothes her. “Tomorrow. You’re tired, we’ll sleep first.”

“Mhm.” Lys is already half-asleep again. She cuddles closer and wraps her small frame around Eya. She is so soft, always so soft in all the right places. Eya’s eyes close as they inhale the scent of Marilys’s perfume, their shampoo… one tendril snakes its way around Lys’s shoulder and Eya breathes in the deep contentment and the affection the lingers in the air.

“G’night ‘ya,” Lys mumbles. “‘morrow… talk. After caf.”

“Mhm,” Eya hums. “Tomorrow.”

So easy.

───── ⋆⋅𑁍⋅⋆ ─────

I’m tagging the people from my 'ALL' taglist in this.

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@aeryntheofficial @rescuethewretched @deewithani @thefact0rygirl @clonecyare @baba-fett @rowansparrow @tenderclio @twistedstitcher27 @spaceydragons @maygalodon @samanthacookieone @fennccshand @equalityforcats @ashotofspotchka @levi-llama @bobaafetts @fantastic-commander-fox @thebitchformerlyknownaskenobi @lackofhonor @a-c-lee @imalovernotahater @ladykatakuri @solidago-sempervirens @meabravo @dream-alittlebiggerdarling @fivedicksinatrenchcoat @corrabell @bucketbunny @sharpbarnacle @amcheeken @snarwor @basilbumble @dear-fifi @dollydee28 @snakerune @rexscyarika @misogirl828 @stcrmhond @shadesofshatteredblue @damerondala

#gala's ocs #oc eya #oc marilys #other people's ocs #oc cherise #oc raia #eya's adventures #tcw fanfic #79's #galawrites #gala's drabbles

[i-only-write-in-purple-ink]

Day 2: Crown (12 Days of Writers Self Love)

I couldn’t decide which of two ideas I wanted to do more, so I did them both! Apologies if this got a little long. I really did enjoy writing these, this challenge is turning out wonderfully! Many thanks to @writeblrfantasy for creating it!

1. Hermitcraft Season 8, White Wings AU (main story here) 2. Hermitcraft Season 9, Third Life SMP

1. HC Season 8, White Wings AU

Tommy had seen many crowns in his lifetime.

The gem-encrusted crown of the SMP, first worn by Eret, and then George.

Ranboo’s humble diadem, studded with rough-cut rubies and emeralds mined by hand from the depths of the earth.

The golden spikes adorning the top of Sam’s Warden armor, fused to the mask he had worn more and more often.

Techno’s simple golden circlet, twin to Phil’s silver one, relics of an empire long past.

But he had never worn one of his own before now.

False measured out a length of copper wire before presenting it to Tommy with a wink. “It’s easier if you start with this.”

Gem taught him how to weave stalks of grass together, how to twist and braid the fragile stems around the wire until they formed something resilient, stronger. Something complete.

Stress regaled him with the meanings of different flowers, what made them grow the best, which ones were good for tea or scents or dyes. Under her careful eye he worked Queen Anne’s lace, lavender, daffodils, and yellow orchids into the strands of his masterpiece.

Iskall chuckled as he swept a lock of Tommy’s ivory hair away from his eyes. “Ready?” He asked, his organic eye twinkling with warmth as it darted around Tommy’s face. Tommy nodded, expression implacable, and Iskall placed the completed flower crown gracefully among his curls. The Swede examined his handiwork for a moment, tucking hair or flowers into place, before nodding in satisfaction.

Iskall picked up his own creation from the ground beside him, sporting purple asters and orange orchids, and crowned himself with a flourish. Tommy tilted his head, judging through squinted eyes. After a few seconds a small smile rose to his face, and he nodded in approval. It's good. I like it, he signed.

A small noise made them both turn to where Xisuma was seated on the soft grass, his crown of blue bellflowers and pink dahlias resting crookedly on top of his helmet. He was struggling to right it, but the mechanical axolotl gills on either side of his visor made it so that the woven headress kept slipping. “I guess I’m just not made for crowns,” he said good-naturedly when he noticed them looking, giving up the fight and leaving the flowers slightly off-kilter.

Perfect, Tommy signed to him, and the admin let out a surprised laugh. “Perfect? I suppose it does suit me. I’m a bit of derp even on the best of days.”

Tommy leaned back, and let the sun hit his face. Laughter danced in the wind as the Hermits delighted in the carefree summer day. He had never felt so far and yet so close to home.

-----

// Yes, I know these flowers wouldn’t all exist in the same climate as each other. But honestly this is Minecraft fanfiction so lower your expectations and let me have my dramatic flower symbolism :’D 

// I really like that trope in fiction, I wish people did more of it. And can you tell I’m a sucker for found family? Lol

// Not me giving my headcanons for the DSMP crowns and forgetting all about the MCC champion team crowns. 💀 MCC is only sort of canon to this universe.... we can chalk it up to ww!Tommy never participating in MCC before, that’s only for the really famous competitive types like Technoblade and Grian. Yep. Definitely no plotholes here.

// Flower Meanings  vvv

Tommy:

Queen Anne’s lace (safety, sanctuary, and refuge)

Lavender (purity, silence, serenity)

Daffodils (rebirth, new beginnings)

Yellow Orchids (new beginnings, friendship, joy)

Iskall:

Asters (love, wisdom, trust)

Orange Orchids (pride, enthusiasm, boldness)

Xisuma:

Bellflowers (affection, constancy, unwavering love)

Pink Dahlias (elegance, grace, kindness)

2. HC Season 9, 3rd Life SMP

Kingmaker. That’s what they called him.

Ren rolled the chess piece between his fingers, relishing the weight of the solid obsidian. It made a satisfying clack as he placed it back in its spot on the board. The black queen.

If he was the king, the ruler over the entire Hermitcraft server, then Bdubs would be his queen. He certainly wielded enough power; it was through Bdubs’ support alone that Ren won the crown. Bdubs was the one who built the Crastle for him, who was his advisor, defender, friend. His second-in-command, his right… hand….

Ren frowned, unease rising in his gut, a sudden chill burning the tips of his fingers. He curled his hands into fists on reflex. Something wasn’t right.

He rose from his throne with a growl and swept down the stairs from the royal dais, his cape billowing out behind him. His paws made no noise on the plush carpet running down the center of the throne room, keeping away the chill of solid stone.

“Sir BdoubleO? Your king summons you!” Ren called, his voice echoing through the empty stone halls. He waited a few moments, but only silence answered.

“Bdubs? Where are youuuuu….” His words bounced eerily off of the cavernous ceilings, echoing back as if mocking him. He hesitantly ventured down a hallway, turned, and was faced with an identical hallway. He followed it, but that only yielded another similar looking passageway. The next was almost exactly the same. And the next. Ren frowned. He hadn’t remembered there being quite this many corridors in his Crastle.

He followed more turns, traversed more corridors, calls going unheard and unanswered, until he realized he was well and truly lost. Ren stopped at a four-way intersection, glancing down each hall. They all felt familiar, but was that because they looked the same or because he truly recognized them?

Ren pulled his cloak tighter around himself, shivering. And when had it gotten so cold? He needed to tell Bdubs to install some sort of heating system in the castle, like magma blocks behind the walls or something. These were not livable temperatures, certainly not for a king.

Ren’s breath had begun to fog the air by the time he reached something that certainly didn’t belong: a set of arched glass doors, metalwork spiraling intricately across their frosted surface. The metal handles were bitterly cold, but they turned without protest as he pushed the double doors open.

Beyond lay a courtyard, dead branches hanging like corpses over flowerbeds full of dried leaves. A few inches of snow was dusted over everything in sight, drifting heavily in the corners and on the trees. Ren’s trepidation spiked. It was supposed to be summer on the Hermitcraft server, after all. And the Crastle didn’t have an interior garden.

He stepped out into the courtyard, bracing himself against the freezing gusts of air. His royal cape was woefully equipped to protect him from the full wrath of a winter’s wind. The harsh blasts died down into a biting breeze as he neared the center of the courtyard, snow crunching beneath his paws. Ren scarcely minded the cold as he stared wide-eyed at the centerpiece of this unnatural display.

A large stone altar rose from the ground, more of an elevated platform than anything else. Ren ascended its steps, captivated by the rough, indecipherable runes hewn deep into the surface. Lines had been cut straight across the top slab, radiating out from a shallow, bowl-like indentation at the middle. Blood channels, Ren realized with a growing horror. Blood channels that had clearly already been used.

A sudden growl had him tensing, ears lying flat and lips pulled back into a snarl. The sound seemed to emenate from every corner of the courtyard at once, circling as one would stalk prey. It was more than a threat. This was the hunting call of a predator.

Ren scanned the courtyard wildly, but there was nothing to see except a slate-gray sky bordered by gargoylic crenelations and the first few flurries of snowfall. The rumbling grew louder and louder, until the very air trembled before it. Oh, little wolf, the voice purred, smugly satisfied and impossibly deep.

“Who are you?” Ren shouted at the sky, hating the way his voice had gone high-pitched with fear.

The voice merely chuckled, the sinister whisper of a blade pulled from its sheath. Winter is coming, it intoned. And the crown weighs heavy.

Ren spun in place, breaths coming sharp and cold biting at his lungs. The voice was crushing him from all sides, pushing him down to his hands and knees on the cold, stone altar.

Do ye have what it takes to be KING, Rendog?

And Ren woke in his royal bedchambers, gasping for air and sheets soaked in sweat. His hands didn’t stop shaking for the rest of the day.

-----

// I am just now getting into the 3rd life fandom (yes, a year late) and holy cow I love the Red King so much!! Big kudos to dog at the door by fluffy_papaya and iamsolarflare for getting me hooked on Ren’s lore, it’s one of my favorite fics ever. 

// For the voice, have you heard the voice of the Old God N’Zoth from the Warbringers short? Yeah, that but with a hint of Scottish accent. Very dark and powerful-sounding.

Deal? I like deals.... *eldritch laughter*

- N’Zoth the Corruptor

#12 days of writers self love #hermitcraft #white wings au #eburnean #eburnean tommy #hermitcraft season 8 #hermitcraft season 9 #third life #3rd life smp #the red king #rendog #fanfiction #why is this so much easier to write than regular chapters #happy december y'all

[dangerouscommiesubversive]

If every main rider got swapped with someone else in their show, who do you think it'd be? (This is because my friend and I were discussing this about Gaim, but found the scenarios of Kouta swapping with Kaito and Micchy equally as enjoyable.)

This is such a fun question, and it's not dissimilar to conversations I've had with my husband, often along the lines of "who in this show is the actual main character." Pondering it, at least with modern Rider, here are some of my thoughts--ok, we will hit the Showa for one, because:

Stronger--Yuriko. Imagine a world where Yuriko was Kamen Rider Stronger (and thus got a proper full-face helmet and therefore a suit actor and could get through the whole show), and Shigeru was her himbo sidekick Tackle (which would be perfect for him as a name because he canonically played college football).

Anyway! On to the modern era. Please note that for the most part I'm not saying, "this character should be Kamen Rider [Whatever] instead," but, "what if the show was Kamen Rider [That Guy] instead of Kamen Rider [This Guy]."

Kuuga--I...genuinely I don't think any other character in that show could replace Godai. He holds a unique place even among modern Riders.

Agito--so Hikawa is already essentially the main character of the show. Honestly, though, I would love to see a version of Agito where Ryou is the lead. Shouichi is notable for being gentle and domestic and non-combative, whereas Ryou is very angry and conflicted and stressed out about what's happening to him. The day being saved by Kamen Rider Gills, Misfit Toy of the Seeds of Agito, would be a fascinating arc.

Ryuki--Ren thinks he's the main character anyway, we'll skip over him, what if the show was Kamen Rider Raia? And our lead was this pacifist with the fucking curse of Cassandra laid upon him, so instead of having no idea what's up he's the only guy who knows what's up? That would be so cool.

555--Takumi is a rare and unusual gift among Rider leads, and I'm not really eager to swap him out for another character, but a version of the story that puts Yuka front and center would kick ass.

Blade--obviously if our lead character isn't Kenzaki then this is a story about Hajime.

Hibiki--I...would love a version of Hibiki where Hibiki is actually the main character.

Kabuto--Kagami is the main character of Kabuto, but a version of the story that truly centers him would be fascinating--if the show was Kamen Rider Gatack and Tendou had to get his approval it'd be a wildly different ballpark.

Den-O--now see my problem with Den-O is that it keeps insisting that the show is Kamen Rider Den-O and not Kamen Rider Zeronos Featuring Den-O.

Kiva--Megumi, for what I think are probably obvious reasons. Let Megumi be Kamen Rider.

Decade--if Tsukasa isn't the lead, then I think this immediately makes the show Kamen Rider TheEnd (spelled like that instead of DiEnd), where you've got focus primarily on Daiki trying to shirk his responsibilities to save all worlds from the Destroyer because he loves him.

W--this one's cheating but I would super enjoy a version of W where Philip and his struggles to contextualize the world are the primary focus, with Shoutaro as his wacky sidekick, instead of the other way round.

OOO--a story that doesn't center Eiji is, I think, absolutely about Gotou trying as hard as he can to Do Things Right.

Fourze--there's potential here for a Kuuga-like story about Kengo slowly destroying himself trying to be a Rider, I think.

Wizard--fuck it, full role swap, Koyomi is Wizard now, confused eyebrows and all, and Haruto is her incredibly shy sidekick.

Gaim--you called out Kaito and Micchi, but I think I'd really enjoy a version of Gaim in which Takatora is the main character and gets to have a little more nuance than "noblesse oblige."

Drive--let Kiriko be Drive. Alternately, Chase should be the main character.

Ghost--Alain would make a wonderful alternate lead, although I think if the writers aren't careful then this ends up with an arc very similar to Takatora's.

Ex-Aid--there is a version of Ex-Aid that lives in my heart where the entire show is about Nico.

Build--I would potentially enjoy a version where Katsuragi doesn't get transformed into Sento and has to start the show knowing the terrible things he's done and trying to rectify them.

Zi-O--cut out the hereditary-royalty thing, but make Tsukuyomi the lead here, traveling through time trying to avert the rise of this terrible warlord who she is unfortunately finding that she likes.

Zero-One--make Yua the inheritor of Hiden, and move Aruto over to AIMS to be the unfortunately competent partner who's always tormenting Fuwa with his jokes. Yua and Izu hanging out would be potent stuff.

Saber--I think Mei should be a Rider. If you've got Yua as Zero-One, then that's a much more serious lead, and so then you can have this goofy woman as Saber and Touma as her sidekick/head cheerleader.

Revice--oh my god where do I even start. Make Hiromi the lead, I don't know. I love Revice but it's such a mess.

#anonamouse

[thatoneguy031]

[Once more, Guy is on his search for... something. He isn't quite sure yet, but he is very excited to explore the Abyssal Ruins. So far, he's found two Relic Golds, a Relic Silver, Sky-, Icicle- and Dread Plates, and a Relic Statue, along with some coins and trinkets that humans had dropped in the water. All of which except the Relic Statue he had placed in his helmet for safe keeping. He held the Statue in his right arm, and while it was a little heftier than he expected, it wasn't something he couldn't handle.

However, he wasn't prepared for what had their sights on him within the depths of the sea.]

Y'know, I think I hauled myself a really good pile of thingies for myself. Might give some to Cherry n' Mx. Suicune, they'll love it! Can't help but think there's more down there, though...

[As he swam upwards towards the surface, he felt a stinging sensation on his back, like something was trying to burn his fur off.]

Ow, ow, ow! Who did that? [He twisted his body around to face his opponent, now facing it upside-down.]

Show yourself!

[From the shadows, came a wispy purple figure. A Dragalge was the one that had struck Guy with an Acid attack. It backed up a little, then it charged, attempting to attack him again with a Poison Tail.

Guy tried to back away from it, but it had managed to hit him in the stomach, much harder than he anticipated.]

GrrAGH-

Bpbgb-! [Remembering that he's underwater, he immediately shut his mouth again.]

Rrgh, I don't have time for this! C'mon, me, I can't get any air any time soon, this thing probably has gills, and it-

[The Dragalge interrupted his thoughts, landing a Sludge Bomb followed by another Poison Tail, causing him to spiral backwards. Before he could hit a wall, Guy had managed to stop himself and finally position himself upright.]

Ah, screw me, that hurt! And I've been Poisoned too... Now I really can't stay down here. But he won't leave me alone. The only option... [Guy threw the Relic Statue upwards, and unsheathed his seamitars as it hit the ground.]

...Is to fight this guy directly! Get over here!

[Guy charged towards the Dragalge, and their interaction was a flurry of Slashes and Poison Tails, all of which clashing with the other as the two water Pokemon got faster with each of their swings. Guy attempted to go for the weak spots, such as the eyes and gills, but the Dragalge was able to block nearly every hit.]

[Every hit that he unleashed, however, Guy was growing more and more tired, as both his lack of oxygen and the poison damage had begun truly taking a toll on his body.

Eventually, Guy was able to win the struggle, landing one, two, and three consecutive Fury Cutters to knock the Dragalge backwards.

While it was disoriented, Guy rushed near it again to hopefully finish it off.]

C'mon... this is it...! I have to get this right this time!

[Guy threw his seamitars up towards the surface of the water, preparing to punch the Dragalge.]

Get it right, me! Like last time! Focus the energy just in your arm...!

[He cocked his arm back and, slowly but steadily, the bizarre yet familliar dark aura had returned, cloaking it. While he didn't recognize it, his arm had become the identical dark-blue as last time, and his claws turned from a soft black to a blood-like red.]

I can do this, I can! I...

I CAN DO IT!

[The Samurott's eyes flashed a bright crimson once again, as he struck the Dragalge with a devastating blow, knocking it out.

But now wasn't the time to celebrate. Now it was a race against the clock, as Guy still had to make it to the surface before he drowned.]

[Abandoning the Relic Statue, he turned around and kicked the Dragalge, using them as an impromptu launchpad, propelling himself towards the surface.

As he made his way up, he caught both of his seamitars, not bothering placing them in their sheaths until he knew he was safe.

He charged beyond the ocean's surface, startling Cherry and Suicune as he hit the sand of Undella Bay with a very loud thud, gasping and coughing with a terrified expression on his face.]

!!

Cheesecake!!! What happened?!!

[It was a long time until Guy answered her question.]

HAHH... Ha... HgAHhh... They! The thing! They! They att- HHHRG!

[He interrupted himself as he coughed up his lunch.]

!!!

[Cherry noticed as Guy's body was trembling, as though he was sick. She reached into Suicune's satchel he had left in the sand, pulling out an Antidote from within it. She started practically pouring the contents over Guy, and like a tidal wave, relief washed over the Samurott.

However, once he caught his bearings, he scrambled away from the water, scared for his well-being, and began crying.]

#guy rambles #pokemon #samurott #flygon #suicune #??? #dragalge #pkmn irl #pokeblogging #tw near death

[f1]

Yes I am a hypocrite admits Vettel after politicians broadside over oil sands helmet | 2022 Canadian Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel responded to Canadian politician Sonya Savage’s description of him as a hypocrite by stating: “Yes, I am.” The Aston Martin driver said he was disappointed the Alberta politician resorted to a personal attack in reaction to his environmental activism. Vettel is wearing a special helmet design at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix highlighting the environmental impact of Canada’s oil sands mining. He was also pictured in a T-shirt of similar design earlier this week. The Athabasca, Peace River and Cold Lake oil sands combined form the world’s third largest known deposit of crude oil. However, extracting oil from the heavy sands is three to five times more energy intensive than pumping it from wells and has devastating environmental effects. The deforestation required to access the mining sites, and emission of run-off and oil-infused sand, has created what is called the world’s most environmentally-destructive oil mining operation. Vettel called the operation, which has also waged a bitter fight with Canada’s marginalised indigenous peoples over a pipeline and ongoing environmental concerns, “criminal” during a Friday press conference at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free Alberta minister for energy, Sonya Savage, called Vettel a hypocrite for expressing his views, pointed out he drives in Formula 1 for a team sponsored by Saudi Aramco, which is reportedly the world’s largest polluter. Feature: Vettel’s unexpected route from hybrid critic to low-tech eco activist Vettel agreed with the description of his views as hypocritical. But he said such personal attacks risk missing the “bigger picture” of the climate crisis. “I’m a little bit disappointed that politicians jump on a personal level because it’s not about me, it’s not at all about me, it’s about the bigger picture,” he said. “Yes, I am a hypocrite doing what I do for a living or doing what I love. We all have different passions, this is the way I sort of paint my canvas.” “There are solutions for the future to make it more sustainable and not rely on fossil fuels and the future, in that regard, looks exciting,” Vettel added. “I think it’s disappointing that we break it down to a personal level and miss to look at the bigger picture. “What’s really important is the message that we need to make the switch and get out of fossil [fuels] and start to base our whole lifestyle on renewables. So I think that’s the bigger picture stuff that I’m trying to address.” Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free Browse all 2022 Canadian Grand Prix articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net

#F1 #“Yes I am a hypocrite” admits Vettel after politician’s broadside over oil sands helmet | 2022 Canadian Grand Prix #Formula 1

[jimclarkposting]

The Ultimate F1 Helmet Ranking: 60s/70s

inspired by @greenliketheskyf1pics, I've decided to rank my fav 60s/70s boys on their helmets, because i can. there is no criteria other than how much joy they spark in my heart. helped by @taffyvontrips, thank u bestie!

Jacky Ickx

I think it's classy, kind of like him, aesthetically minded as he is. taffyvontrips really likes it and I agree wholeheartedly. if i were to say it...it’s a sexy helmet.

8/10

Jackie Stewart

now this i don’t like as much. it's just a tartan band on a white background. it's both too plain and too busy at the same time. unfortunately, it's iconic (as @taffyvontrips​ keeps telling me).

5/10 because i can’t deny that it is very eye-catching

Graham Hill

my next unpopular opinion is that I don't like this one either. it looks weird and unfinished and like his helmet has been pooped on by birds. the sad thing is is that it's one of the only helmets (like jackie's) that I can recognize on sight.

4/10, i’m sorry graham :(

Jim Clark 

it's simple. literally the most simple! i only include him bc I'm jimclarkposting. it makes him look like a cute little egg (according to taffyvontrips) but it is also somehow unmistakably his helmet. I want the £100 half-size one, thank you very much.

10/10 (I'm very biased)

John Surtees

I LOVE this helmet. it's literally just two blue stripes but it's amazing and beautiful and I might have a surtees bias too.

9/10 (also the colours are great)

Jo Siffert

the design is tops. love the Swiss element. suits his face. the colour is amazing!! can't think of anyone else around this time with a red helmet.

10/10 (also, why 2 pairs of goggles??)

Bruce McLaren

it's all space-age and silver and eye-catching in the sun. what's not to love??

8/10 (only points docked for the fact that it doesn’t have a brim/visor)

Gilles Villeneuve

"snazzy", a direct quote from taffyvontrips. colours are nice (on brand for him), and the v is pretty classic, and visually distinctive. points docked for it really not doing its job during his crash.

6/10 (I like jacques' better oop)

Innes Ireland

it's the CHECKERED FLAG. nothing more iconic.

11/10

BONUS:

Luigi Musso and Ricardo Rodriguez 

these make me very happy to look at, the og yellow helmets (with the little flags painted on the sides!). 

12/10, they're adorable 💛

Elio de Angelis

this serves the same function as the bagpipes; it's a helmet of war. you see this man behind you in your mirrors and it strikes terror into your heart. even this picture causes me fear. help me.

1000/10, of course, because elio in this pic might kill me if i give him anything less (love him tho)

Wrap Up

according to me: some helmets are nice, some are bad (sorry jackie and graham) and some are GORGEOUS. thanks again to @taffyvontrips​ for your input (even tho some of your opinions were incorrect, love you bestie)! there are lots that i didn’t include that i might make a separate post on later, but for now elio tops the rankings...

#jacky ickx #jackie stewart #ricardo rodriguez #elio de angelis #jim clark #graham hill #bruce mclaren #gilles villeneuve #john surtees #innes ireland #luigi musso #jo siffert #classic f1 #f1 #formula 1 #formula one #retro f1

[teatitty]

I said I was gonna do a post about some redesigns for Lucy’s Spirits (her gold keys specifically) so here is that post

Aquarius

My biggest redesign by far, first of all I’ve given her body fat/blubber because she’s a mermaid and “thin model bodies” simply don’t work for me when smth lives in the fucking ocean. Either make them fat or buff unless you’re going with, like, a clownfish or smth. 

She also has two toned skin; sea green fading into the blue of her tail. Hair is made of water and constantly “floats” around her. Gills on her sides/ribs for breathing, fins on her elbows + one on her back. Webbed hands and clawed fingers, rows of shark teeth. Still wears a circlet and jewellery. A little more “feral” in appearance to fit her bad temper and mermaid mythos

Instead of a bikini bra, she is wearing a patterned sports bra with criss-cross straps at the back. Made a conscious effort to be appear “nicer” (ie: no feral traits) when Lucy was a child so as not to frighten her and this habit has stuck with her since. She also has more obvious affection for Lucy, getting angry pretty quickly if someone insults or hurts her while Aquarius is summoned

Taurus

We were robbed of Gladiator Taurus I think about his concept art and personality every goddamn day so not only have I redesigned him to have a more “gladiator” appearance (but still shirtless and a walking cow) I’ve also changed his personality to be less “perverted” and more respectful though still a little flirty. He’s also boisterous and loud and always rearing for a good fight. Honestly a bit of a show off

When I say I made him more of a gladiator I mean that, apart from his shirtlessness, he’s basically dressed in traditional gladiator armour: the leather skirt thing (forgive me I forget its proper name), the high greaves, leather gauntlets, feathered helmet etc. Still has his big nose ring because I like it though

Aries

I think it’s unfair that only the men get to inherit more animalistic traits so much like Capricorn and Taurus, Aries is now an anthropomorphic ram with massive curly horns. She still keeps her pink hair because I love it and does, of course, get to wear nice fluffy clothing but she actually looks like her namesake now. She also has ram ears rather than human ones and side-ways rectangular pupils rather than round ones

In her pre-Karen days Aries was also much more aggressive and was known for having a fiery temper. She used to be very close to Aquarius and back in those days she dressed in more “punk like” clothing, including torn up jeans, a jacket with her name in sequins on it etc. She has a lot of hidden muscle underneath all her wool and is the third physically strongest Zodiac with Taurus at second and Leo, naturally, in first

Sagittarius

I’ll be honest he really doesn’t have much going for him in canon so I thought it’d be fun if he was just a super tired dude constantly taking naps who gets summoned in a whole horse onesie but could, if he wanted to, show up as a proper centaur. Also he’s an archer so...back and arm muscle get to it. His hair is also long and kept in a low ponytail because I couldn’t resist the joke opportunity of it

Scorpio

At first I was gonna get rid of his mechanical stinger and give him a real poisonous one but then I thought...what if we just lean all-in on the mechanical thing? Why not go for a futuristic sci-fi looking rockstar Scorpio, with neon vibrant mechanical implants that glow in the dark? Think of how fucking cool that would! He has a rockstar-like personality anyway (dude even does devil horns lol) and this would also keep the mechanical stinger without it seeming like an odd choice (I’m still making it poisonous though)

I’ve also scrapped my original redesign for Scorpio’s star dress and changed it to something that makes Lucy look like a rockstar too, complete with a blue star painted over her eye and an 80′s style curly mohawk with blue streaks

Cancer

Cancer has the start of a really good aesthetic but it feels like he was giving up on part-way through. First of all, we’re going for a more “creepy” aesthetic with his crab legs. I want his legs to be coming out of his sides instead of attached to his back and to also be his main form of transportation, so his body is sort of hanging in the air while his long ass crab legs walk around everywhere, including up the walls and along the ceilings

His clothes have also been changed to look more caribbean inspired, with bright vibrant patterns but he is keeping his gold chain necklace. As a result, Lucy’s star dress has also been changed to a long flowing gown that is just as brightly patterned as Cancer’s own garb and she’s also got bangles and bracelets to match his necklace

Leo

Leo canonically gains more lion-like traits the longer he readjusts to being a Spirit again so I propose that his ears are real, he has fangies, purrs when he’s happy and will one day regain a lion tail and paw pads on his hands. I would also say he has gold flecks in his eyes, more “cat-like” expressions and his hair adopts a much wilder “mane-like” appearance. This is just something fun for me but I think a Leo with darker skin to represent that lions irl are mostly found in Africa and historically also existed in South Asia (you can still find Indian Lions actually!) would be extra neat and good

Capricorn

There’s really nothing to change with Capricorn except my own HC that he has time-based eye magic which is why he wears shades all the time. His pupils look like clock hands. His horns also remind me more of a ram than a goat so I’ve stuck his ears to the sides of his head and then given him proper goat horns that stretch backwards from the top of his head

Virgo

Really the only difference I’d make to Virgo is having more variety in how she can present herself. We only see two forms in canon but Virgo is “the maiden” so it stands to reason she could make herself appear in any female form she desires, be that an hourglass model, someone busty and fat or a grizzled old woman. The only thing giving her away would be her eyes, hair and dull formal tone of voice

Gemini

Honestly the only difference Gemini have here is that neither of them have a gender. Canonically “Gemi” is the brother and “Mini” is the sister but they look like little blue aliens and they can copy the form of any person ever regardless of gender so. Gemini simply have no gender whatsoever. Thank you for listening

#fairy tail #redesign #celestial spirits #long post

[rustic-space-fiddle]

I just have a quick question? Please don’t take this the wrong way I love you and the art you create!

So your Clone Oc Cradle stole my heart (and Gill too) but I’ve just been noticing that he seems really white? Is it because he’s naturally paler than his brothers or

Hello! Thank you for your question and thank you for putting forward so amicably! I’ve gotten this question before, but not usually this nicely. However, I think it’s time I give at least some attempt at an answer. I hope it satisfies everyone!

Is Cradle naturally paler than his brothers? No! He actually isn’t. At least, I do not intend for him to be. Let me explain...

So below I’ve made a very crude color pick comparison thing using various images of Temura Morrison and the animated clones in as many lighting variations as I could get without spending an hours scouring the internet. It was very difficult for the animated clones because the color tone of the Clone Wars show is often so dark and they wear their helmets when they’re outside almost 100% of the time. I also added a couple pictures of actually white people in contrasting lights. In the middle is my current choice of basic skin tone for Cradle with a lame, quick guess at a shadow color and a highlight color.

You’ll notice that the middle ground colors for Mr. Morrison and the animated clones varies drastically depending on the lighting.

Now, I’ve seen people discount the “lighting changes colors!” argument, but you shouldn’t! It can be extremely difficult to discern colors when atmospheric lighting is almost always in play! In my art, the highlighting techniques I tend to use often make the upper parts of the character darker than the lower, to bring more focus to the character’s head and shoulders, and unfortunately, that often means it washes over a lot of the only part of Cradle that is every exposed.

However, that is not to say that I don’t alter skin tones when I see I’ve got them wrong! I’ve changed Cradle’s skin tone before! Skin is complex, hard to grasp, and even a slight shift will make the difference between the perfect one and something that just... doesn’t look right. One day it’ll look great, and a month later you’ll look back and say “HOW DID I THINK THAT WAS THE RIGHT COLOR?” Heck, I’ve had a terrible time getting the skin tone for drawings of MYSELF right, and you’d think I’d know what color brown I am after living in my own body for almost 20 years! But I digress. Below is a color chart showing Cradle in both the original tone and his newer one, along with the collection of matches I got from the previous visual. See how they vary? But also see how SIMILAR some of them look??? Cradle in his original shade versus him in the Christmas photo look drastically different, but when you put the color’s next to each other, there hardly looks a difference.

But, as I was making the visuals for this post, I realized I didn’t like the tone I had for Cradle! The undertones were much too grey and dingy—I didn’t think it worked anymore. I found I wanted to base it more on Temura Morrison and less on the animated clones, so I added some more red/orange undertones and brought the shade down just a teeny weeny bit so it didn’t look too saturated, and:

Ta-da! New Cradle skin! But to just finally illustrate my point, I’ve showcased the three Cradle shades (rip the first two) at the bottom. So very similar, but so very different. It genuinely is difficult to get it right. What looks right to one person does not look right to another. The slightest adjustment makes all the difference, but it doesn’t always come on the first try. Trial and error, and now Cradle looks much more like his brothers, doesn’t he? Maybe I’ll change his skin tone again someday! Who knows!

I really hope this makes sense! I also hope that it doesn’t come off like excuses—art is very important to me and one of my biggest goals right now is to get better at color recognition and color theory! I’m just trying my best! :) Thanks again for the kindness anon! Have a good day!

#please don’t roast me #I’m genuinely trying #and as kind as this anon was #(bless you anon 💕) #I am so tired of this question #I’m just trying to draw my guy #I know that people are brown #I am brown #I’m not stupid and I’m not racist I’m just trying #kind anon #touchy subject #clones #art