#lady rutile

[forgottenfaction]

Dropping my official Lady Rutile vs Hossana Hess design study, which is far from complete!!

#drinking with cupid #lucky for you #lady rutile #hosanna hess #adventure time #fionna and cake #original characters #doodle #my art #inserts #alternate universes #timelines #thiperous au #main au #reference

[sasaleleselfships]

Alternate universe design study!!

#lady rutile #hosanna hess #fac

[thedorfmirrin]

Commission artwork for a friend of their oc's 💖💖💖💖💖💕🌈💕🌈💕💕

#dorf's art #digital art #oc #other peeps ocs #commission #finished commission #reference sheet #character design #commissions #spider cut rutile quartz #ammolite #su ocs #evil duo #those legs are spider lady where SO HARD TO DRAW but they turned out very good so its worth it

[theanoninyourinbox]

Once more into the hyperfixation breach! Three more Rock Ladies posts and we’ll go back to our regularly scheduled programming!

Spanner was a guard for the Harvesting Center, but always felt a stab of guilt as she watched the gems be processed and sent away. On one particular day, she noticed a great deal of hubbub and chaos at the colony’s Court; as she stayed at her post like a loyal Gem, a new order came through from the Kyanite of the Court - to move the Harvested Gems to the Diamond Pleasure Cruiser. The request was odd, but Spanner did as she was told - up until she was stopped by a Morganite. Upon finding out that her orders were from A Rebel, Spanner was torn, but hearing what the Morganite had planned for the Harvested Gems was the tipping point - her fellow Gems were Not going to be Weapons!! She Poofed the Morganite and her Ruby guard, and bolted aboard with her precious cargo. Spanner now helps with keeping the Shatterthorn and her dropships afloat, with her close friends Trinket and Fingers.

Speaking of Fingers, the Rutile was nearly Poofed almost immediately after emergence for his extra digits, but as the War Effort required bodies he was spared. As a grunt, he carried supplies, cataloged casualties and rebels, and repaired machinery - his favorite task. Fixing was his joy, and it was his repair job that led to freedom. Fingers was putting the finishing touches on the inside of the New Cruiser when it suddenly left the planet altogether!! On bolting to the deck, he was greeted by the fleeing Gems and joined - as soon as he understood what was happening. Now Fingers gets to do what he loves, with Gems he cares about.

Honeycomb Opal is Very Off Color - Opals are supposed to be tall, long-limbed, graceful, and easily breakable. Honey, however, was grown a little too close to the Quartz that were meant to guard the long-range fighters, and came out BEEFY. Like seriously shredded. As times were tough, and Loyal Warriors needed, she was spared - up until she Poofed her Emerald for trying to shatter a clumsy subordinate. When she woke on the newly dubbed Shatterthorn, she took her new freedom in stride. Now she fights for all Gemkind, both out on the battlefield and within her own ranks. Because her heart is as beefy as the rest of her, and she Will Suplex You onto a couch and ask you about your Feelings. She loves working with Aydee, even though her fellow Gem Therapist is a Little Scared of her.

Enjoy, or don’t, I can’t make you. I can only make Art and hope you like it!

#My art #rock ladies #rock ladies au #red Quartz #quartz #rutile #honeycomb opal #Opal #steven universe au #steven universe

[ditipatri]

Stolas is a Great Prince of the Underworld and a powerful daemon mentioned in Ars Goetia and Pseudomonarchia Daemonium. According to these grimoires, Stolas appears to the magician as an owl and teaches the arcane art of astronomy, the knowledge of herbs, and the value of precious stones. He is a mighty companion to a mage that wants to learn more of the craft and art of demon work. 

Stolas is a daemon I am personally close to, and owe a lot to for helping me in my path. I’d like to speak on some offerings that one can make for Him as well as a simple ritual to invoke Him were you to want it. 

Note: All suggestions are based on just my experience. Don’t take it as a guide.

These are some non-poisonous plants and herbs I can suggest for Prince Stolas: 

⋆ Asafoetida ✩ Basil ⋆ Bergamot ✩ Black pepper ⋆ Cassia ✩ Clove ⋆ Fennel ✩ Verbena ⋆ Licorice ✩ Star anise ⋆ Sage ✩ Agave ⋆ Jasmine ✩ Barrenwort ⋆ Blackberry ✩ Dark opal basil ⋆ Dusty miller ✩ Fern ⋆ Lady's mantle

Stolas is a daemon governing poisonous plants, which is why I will enlist some. Do NOT eat those and avoid touching them without first learning whether or not it’s safe. Do NOT let your pets eat these.

✩ Aconitum Napellus ⋆ Pyracantha ✩ Amaryllis hippeastrum ⋆ Gypsophila ✩ Morning Glory ☾ purple/pink ☽ ⋆ Wisteria ✩ Delphinium ⋆ Sweet Pea ✩ Horsetails ⋆ Golden Star ✩ Moonwort ⋆ Star Grass ✩ Hostas ⋆ Coleus

Precious stones are said to be Stolas’ field, which is why I find them very important in invoking Him as well as routinely approaching Him:  

🜃 Papagoite quartz 🜁 Star rutilated quartz 🜃 Kunzite 🜁 Dioptase 🜃 Space peridot 🜁 Meteorite pieces 🜃 Crystals shaped to resemble the 7 Planets 🜁 Crystals for each of the 7 Planets:

☿ Clear quartz ✦ Volcanic rock quartz 『 Mercury 』 ♀ Brown jasper ✦ Serpeggiante 『Venus』 ☉ Lapis lazuli ✦ Sodalite / Blue calcite 『 Earth』 ♂ Spessartine garnet ✦ Hematite coated quartz 『Mars』 ♃ Tiger’s eye 『Jupiter』 ♆ Cat’s eye ✦ Tanzanite 『Neptune』 ♄ Red jasper ✦ Citrine 『Saturn』 ⛢ Angelite ✦ Larimar ✦ Aquamarine 『Uranus』 ♇ Black onyx ✦ Hematite 『Pluto』

Many of the objects I’d like to suggest are related to the art of astronomy. You do not need to get expensive telescopes or other tools, you can get very cheap ones as well:

🜙 Spyglass 🝐 Telescopes 🜙 Astronomical clocks 🝐 Armillary spheres 🜙 Celestial sphere 🝐 Alembic 🜙 Astrolabe 🝐 Quill 🜙 Lenses & oculars 🝐 Small alchemy bottles 🜙 Alchemical scales 🝐 Richly textured fabrics 🜙 Feather crafts 🝐 Coins 🜙 Jewelry with precious stones 🝐 Metalcraft 🜙 Metal dice 🝐 Pendulums

I have to make it clear that all of these objects are to be acquired ethically. Body parts of roadkill, those you found on the ground or in a forest, or perhaps ones you already own will do.  Do consider the laws of the place you live in before picking up roadkill.

🜥 Bones of owl prey: mice, rodent-like mammals, rabbits, birds, squirrels 🜛 Skin of snakes and lizards 🜥 Eyes and body parts of frogs 🜛 Tails of lizards 🜥 Owl pellets 🜛 Owl claws, skulls, and feathers

While Prince Stolas can be a great companion and ally in the field of academics, you can do simple, daily things with and/or for Him, too. Here are some of my ideas: 

✧ Having your own garden of poisonous plants is a great idea to honor Him. Do not have it out in the open unless you can secure access to your property so no animal or human can accidentally hurt themselves by interacting with your plants.

༓ Feeding birds whenever you have a chance to might appease Him, as He is represented as a great owl. 

✧ Jewelry making might be a good idea. You can make jewelry for or with Him, offer it up after, wear it, charm it, or devote it to Him. 

༓ Stone polishing is one of the high-skill tasks I’d like to offer. While you do need special equipment and skill to do it, if you can safely learn this craft or already know how to do it, it is a good way to interact with Stolas. 

✧ Investing into arcane arts and practicing alchemy in a safe way is a great way to bond with Stolas, as He’s said to be a Scientist and Alchemist. 

༓ You could buy a very cheap telescope, if your funds allow you to, and watch the night sky to try and memorize the stars as well as generally learn more about astronomy.

✧ In addition to stargazing, you can create a star map journal, pages on astrology or astronomy for your book of shadows if you have one, or a magical side journal to keep track of Lunar phases, planetary movement, and properties of the celestial bodies. 

༓ You can create a list of personal correspondences of planets and their properties to deepen your understanding of Arcane magic.

✧ Learning how to tell time or location by the stars. 

༓ While this might take some time to master, you can communicate with Stolas through stargazing. Twinkling of the stars and celestial movements could be tracked and recorded to further identify them with certain responses you and Him agree on. 

✧ Having a journal on herbalism or precious stones could further your communication with the daemon. You can invest into learning more of your region’s native plants and stones to localize your craft, too. 

༓ Creating devotional objects with bones or ethnically acquired animal body parts or investing into bird taxidermy, if you can afford it. 

✧ You can craft more objects, too, including pendulums or other magical tools you’d like to use in your demon work. 

༓ Numerology is sacred to a lot of daemons, so creating personal number sigils, mandalas, numerical codes, and otherwise number-based magic tools would not be out of realm of possible devotional activities for Stolas. 

✧ Drawing Him personal portraits, sculpting busts, or otherwise depicting His image is a good way to honor Him. 

༓ And lastly, you can do simple offerings for Him where you place the objects you want to give Him in a bowl, which can include fruits, nuts, and otherwise foods that He prefers. 

Everyone’s approach with demon work is going to be different. This ritual isn’t mean to be universal, but I believe it’s a relatively simple beginner level rite that everyone can do as all the materials involved in it are easily accessible. Be aware of fire safety rules. 

For this ritual, you’ll need something to write with, a piece of paper, a bowl (preferably tin), herbs of choice, and a pendulum (optional). It’s preferable you start doing this ritual after sunset. 

On the paper, draw Stolas’ sigil, whether it’s one you personally made for Him or one from Ars Goetia. I will not be linking it here, as I am not to invoke Him, but you can access the grimoire in the list of my sources.  After the sigil is drawn, wrap your chosen herbs you’ve picked to represent Stolas in this piece of paper. You can activate the sigil in any way you’d like prior: by looking at it, smearing your saliva or other fluids over it - this is up to you. You can chant during this process, call out for Him, or simply think of Him.

After that is done, place the wrapped sigil in the bowl and leave it, preferably under moonlight, or underneath the stars if outside, for the night. Before sunrise, discard the sigil by burning it in the bowl or, if you can’t burn it, tearing it apart and placing it in the bowl. This specific ritual is designed for burning or tearing of the sign, but if you can incorporate your personal means of sigil work here, feel free to. 

While the sigil is burning, or while it’s in the bowl, you can optionally use pendulum for spirit communication with Stolas or simply call onto Him. Either way, if you feel that the ritual has been accepted by the Prince, you’ll feel His presence soon. 

Sources in my pinned. 

#𓆩⛧𓆪 ˣ 𝐃𝖆𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖚𝖒 #witchblr #witchcraft #witches of tumblr #demonolatry #demonology #demon work #ars goetia #stolas

[cainluvr69]

Surely, We Can Make Miracles Chapter 23

Previous Chapter

Cain: …kh…

Chloe: I can't…breathe…

Hwylryn: Of course not. This is the bottom of the ocean. Children of man aren't meant to live here. So can you hurry back to land already? Anyway… I guess I should be getting back to Shylock now.

Rustica: …My apologies, but… I'd like you to accompany us for just a bit longer. <Amo…> …gh!

Chloe: Rustica…!

Hwylryn: Nope, you don't get to do that. Your singing makes me start daydreaming. The next whirlpool is going to take you right up to the surface. Don't try to fight it. It's pointless. And it'll only rip you up.

Rutile: …Hwylryn…! Please, listen to what I have to say…

Hwylryn: I'll see you tomorrow. On land. Now withdraw.

Cain: …I won't…let you…! Uwaaahhh…!

Rutile: Aaahhh…!

Rustica: …Chloe…!

Chloe: Rus… Everyone…!

Natalie?: <Cure Memini>

Hwylryn: …Oh, my.

Cain: …You…you're… The lady from earlier…?!

Natalie?: … Excuse me…?

Cain: You were really a wizard?!

Natalie?: Excuse me? The fact that you can see me should give you all the answers you need.

Cain: …Huh? I mean, we got pretty touchy-feely earlier.

Natalie?: We did?

Cain: Huh?

Natalie?: Hah?

Cain: …You're Owen!

Natalie?: Sir Knight. Don't tell me you did something unbecoming of a knight to this woman.

Cain: Of course I didn't! I just didn't have a handkerchief, so…

Owen: You don't even have something like that? Chloe, can you believe this. Cain doesn't have a handkerchief.

Chloe: …sniff…Owen…

Owen: Heh. What, did this guy make you cry? What a wretched sea snake you are.

Hwylryn: Oho. Something interesting showed up.

Owen: I'm going to turn you into dog food. <Cuare Morito>

Hwylryn: I don't think that little puppy's tummy can fit me.

Owen: …kh… (This guy is…strong…!)

✦✧☾✧✦

Lennox?: …!

Faust: … (Leno's moving his arms the same way the mermaids with spears did, now that he has one at hand…)

Shino: Faust, watch out! Lennox is good with a lance!

Faust: …I know that…!

Lennox?: …!

Faust: …Waugh…!

Heathcliff: Mr. Faust…! (He forced Faust against the reef, and now he's lifting his spear…!) (He's going to stab him…!) Lennox, stop! Please, don't hurt him…!

Lennox?: …

Heathcliff: …He stopped…

Shino: Lennox…

Faust: … …Leno…

Lennox?: …… …Lord…st…

Faust: …! Leno…!

Lennox?: …!

Faust: …?!

Shino: Stop, Lennox! Don't hurt him…! You'll regret it until the day you die if you do…!

Lennox?: … ……. …

Shino: You can't! Put the lance down…!

Lennox?: …!

Faust: Leno?! Why did you stab your own leg…?! Stop! Stop, let go of it…!

Lennox: …gh…

Faust: Leno! Leno…! Stop it, your leg's already hurt enough…!

Lennox: …Fau…st… …Lord Faust…

Faust: …Leno…

Heathcliff: Mr. Faust! We finished the circle!

Shino: All we need to do is scatter the firstlight salt… Done! <Matzah Sudipas>!

Heathcliff: <Repsev Aivulp Sunos>!

Faust: … <Salliuqnart Mulcredo>!

✦✧☾✧✦

Lennox: Hah… …Haah… …

Faust: Leno…!

Lennox: …Lord Faust… Woah…!

Faust: …I'm so glad you're okay… Alec told me your unit might have been completely wiped out…

Lennox: Several others survived as well. Things seemed hopeless, but we still managed to return alive.

Faust: Thank god…

Lennox: …

Faust: …What's wrong?

Lennox: I'm just surprised.

Faust: By what?

Lennox: I didn't think that you'd jump on me the same way Lord Alec does.

Faust: Sorry. Are you hurt anywhere?

Lennox: No. …Haha…

Faust: What…? I don't hear you laugh very often…

Lennox: Haha… I could say the same to you.

Faust: I do laugh. More than you, at least.

Lennox: That's true…

Faust: …Haha…

Lennox: Ahaha!

✦✧☾✧✦

Lennox: … …That's right… …I'd forgotten… I found him, Courir. I found the person I'd been looking for. I need to go to him. I'm glad I got to see you again. You always trusted me. And you were always by my side. I never really spoiled you, but you still always slept next to me. I love you very, very much. And having to part with you hurts very, very much. But, I need to… Goodbye. I love you. Goodbye, Courir. I hope you can run freely as far as you want. Thank you.

✦✧☾✧✦

Faust: …Leno… Leno…!

Lennox: … …Lord Faust… Woah…!

Faust: …Thank goodness…

Lennox: …

Faust: …Sorry. I did that when I know you're injured…

Lennox: No… …Haha…

Faust: …Are you okay? He's not controlling you anymore?

Lennox: No… I should be fine now.

Shino: Lennox, are you okay?!

Heathcliff: Lennox! Do you know who we are?!

Lennox: Yes, I do. I do know. … I can't clearly recall what happened, but I'm sorry for putting you through so much trouble…

Faust: Don't say that… Let me look at your wounds. Give me your leg…

Lennox: …

Faust: Lennox…?!

Shino: Did he pass out?!

Faust: He must be completely exhausted. I should get him out of the ocean as soon as possible. The two of you must be at your limits, too.

Heathcliff: You're right… I still feel okay for right now, though.

Faust: Shino, Heathcliff.

Shino: What.

Heathcliff: What is it?

Faust: This was only possible because of the two of you. Thank you.

Shino & Heathcliff: …!

Shino: Heh, yeah!

Heathcliff: It's an honor!

Faust: Let's return to the water's surface. Vespa, can you show us the path up?

Vespa: …! …!

Heathcliff: Let's go, Shino!

Shino: Yeah!

✦✧☾✧✦

Owen: <Cure Memini>

Hwylryn: Ahaha! This is fun!

Owen: …tsk!

Rustica: I'll support you! <Amores Viesse>

Hwylryn: You're kind of annoying.

Rustica: …cough…!

Chloe: Rustica!

Rustica: ……!

Rutile: Rustica…!

Rustica: …

Rutile: Oh no…! Rustica isn't breathing!

Chloe: What do we do…?! Rustica! Rustica!

Rutile: We need to bring him to the surface!

Owen: Then get on with it. Or else your teacher's gonna turn to stone!

Chloe: But…!

Owen: Whatever, just go. You're at your limit.

Chloe: Owen…

Owen: Tch… Yeah, that was stupid. You're going to die here. Just like I thought you would.

Cain: Go, Chloe! I've got things covered here!

Rutile: I'll stay, too! Please look after Rustica for us!

Chloe: …Okay…! Thank you…! (I need to hurry! I need to hurry!) (I'm definitely going to save you, Rustica!)

Owen: Hmph… And what do the two of you think you can do?

Cain: Swordplay and magic.

Rutile: I can heal, and fly very, very fast.

Owen: Lame… Just so you know, if I die, the two of you have exactly zero chance of winning. So if I die, just run.

Cain: … No, I won't.

Rutile: I won't, either.

Owen: Super lame…

Hwylryn: Are you guys ready yet?

Owen: The lamest one here is you.

Hwylryn: I like your dog!

Owen: Shut up. <Cure Memini>

Hwylryn: Let's play.

✦✧☾✧✦

Torta di Cocco Shopkeeper: Here, it's finished baking.

Riquet: Wahh, it looks so tasty!

Mitile: It smelled so good while it was in the oven!

Nero: Hmm… Y'think you could teach me the recipe?

Mithra: Is it done? Can I take it to the bottom of the sea now?

Mitile: N-not yet! It needs the cream and coconut on top first.

Mithra: Then can you hurry, at least?

Mitile: If you could, please!

Torta di Cocco Shopkeeper: Yes, of course.

Claudia: My, what a delicious-looking cake.

Riquet: Yes! Thank you for being willing us to let us have your cake so we could know how it tastes. I'm incredibly grateful.

Claudia: My, what a good boy you are. I'm happy I could meet you boys again, in fact. It sounds like you've helped Dianne out a lot, too.

Riquet: How is Dianne doing…?

Nero: She's talkin' to Bradley right now.

Riquet: Did she ask Bradley to help her?

Nero: Uh, somethin' like that.

Riquet: Thank goodness. She seemed to be having a very difficult time, and Bradley can be a very helpful person.

Nero: …True that.

Claudia: Both I and my sister should have realized how much Dianne was hurting so much faster than we did… No, I'm sure my sister knew. That must be why she tried to turn that story into a heartwarming tale, to try and take her pain away. But instead, that simply made Dianne feel like no one would protect her honor…

Riquet: It's a very complicated problem. Even with so much love and kindness given to her, her pain prevented her from finding her path… Guiding people is a very difficult prospect. It's important to carefully ascertain if what lies at the end of the path you lead them down will truly be good or not… Wanting someone to walk down a path is very similar to forcing them to think and act a particular way. It's frightening. I wonder what Bradley is telling her? Do you think it'd be okay if I listened in?

Nero: Nahh, that's prob'ly not a good idea. I don't think her Lordship would wanna have anyone eavesdroppin'.

Riquet: I suppose you're right…

Mithra: Excuuuuse meeee. We don't have any time to chat like this.

Nero: I know, man. Just wait a lil' bit longer. Actually, speakin' of, Claudia. There was somethin' I wanted to ask you about the disappearances…

Claudia: Yes, I suppose I'll spill the beans. I've seen a door through which I could see the past on the island's shore. I can't help but wonder if that door isn't related to the disappearances.

Riquet: A door to the past… That story we heard was real? Did you really see the past?

Claudia: No, it was just an illusion.

Mitile: What kind of illusion did you see?

Claudia: A man I fell in love with many years ago stepped through it and told me he loved me.

Mitile: I… I see.

Claudia: But he'd never said those words to me before, not even once. It was very obvious it was just an illusion. We had a good relationship, and he was a good friend. But though I fell in love with him, his status was far too high… He already had a fiancee before we even met. And yet, here is what I thought to myself. Perhaps if I open that door, I can see him again… Were it twenty years earlier, I imagine I would've found myself drawn to that door despite myself.

Riquet: Why not now?

Claudia: Because the paint I drew up my dream with has long since dried.

Riquet: You painted your dream…?

Claudia: The things that make your heart tremble and dance are what make your dreams shine so brightly, like light on a freshly-painted canvas. He was the one who said that to me. The paint of my dream has dried, and my heart has calmed down and put itself in its place, and so… I can't go back to such fresh and youthful excitement, not when I'm so afraid of so much as brushing against it, much less taking it into my hands directly. It's like appreciating how a cake is decorated before demolishing it with your fork, to put it another way.

Riquet: I…think I understand…

Claudia: Because the paint of my dream had already dried, and left it calm and quiet, hearing him say that didn't make my heart dance. It was an odd feeling, both lonely and relieving at the same time.

Riquet: Like looking at your plate after you've finished your cake?

Claudia: Yes. It's not like being scared of destroying something, but more like having properly eaten and savored it instead. But Dianne's dreams are still bright. They're delicate, strong, and still gasping for air. Just like fresh paint on a canvas. The idea of touching them before they're ready and smudging their colors into one she doesn't want, polluting her canvas forever, is terrifying. That's how it feels, looking at the beautiful, vivid scenery she's painted. It's as if time has stopped in place.

✦✧☾✧✦

Lennox: …ah…

Faust: Leno, are you okay? I'm going to get you to the surface soon. Just hold on tight to me.

Lennox: …Yes…Lord Faust…

✦✧☾✧✦

Dianne: …What do you mean by throwing away my fear? Are you going to cast a spell on me?

Bradley: …

Dianne: Or are you planning on providing counsel? How am I meant to do this without trembling?

Bradley: What do you think? We're here to talk about you, girl.

Dianne: …What is there to talk about…? … …Things always go so well in my imagination. …I can always make the best, safest decision for everyone, without making a single mistake in the process. I've worked ever since I was a child to become that kind of person. And yet, this is what happens instead… I'm sure my grandfather would be disappointed in me. …I'm so pathetic…

Bradley: Y'don't have to change who you are. Y'don't have to be someone you aren't.

Dianne: …But if they knew about the real me, they'd all laugh… I don't want them to laugh at me…I'm weak, and pitiful…and embarrassing…

Bradley: 'Course you don't. Who wants to be turned into a laughingstock? But I won't laugh at you. You're tryin' to fulfill your responsibilities, and that's why you're standin' here.

Dianne: …

Bradley: You good? I've got something I used to say to newbies right after they joined up, to get 'em to throw away their fear.

Dianne: Newbies…? Were you the leader of some kind of organization?

Bradley: Yeah, a bandit gang. That's why I'm a prisoner now. Still wanna hear what I have to say?

Dianne: …Yes… I want to hear you out. Please, tell me.

Bradley: Alright. Everyone's experiences protect 'em, no matter what that experience is. Failures, successes, all of 'em do the same thing. But newbies like you don't have any experience to protect yourself with. And at times like that, when y'don't have any foundation to prop yourself up with, you start doin' weird shit like this. Y'start thinkin' that if you don't protect your honor all on your own, you won't have a place to belong anymore. Even though you don't know right from left yet. So, here's what I tell 'em. You ready to jot this down? I'll protect you. I'll protect your life, your honor, your perspective. So you need to protect your comrades.

Dianne: …

Bradley: Dianne. You're about to walk out that gate and talk to the crowd, yeah?

Dianne: Yes.

Bradley: If for whatever reason you can't do it, I'll talk for you. And I'll hold that position 'til you're ready to take it from me. If anyone tries to jump on you, I'll protect you from 'em. But I've got a feelin' you'll be able to do just fine without me havin' to do a damn thing.

Dianne: …

Bradley: Remember. You're the lord of this whole big-ass castle. That ain't your average job. And you were the one who made it there. Have more faith in yourself. Anythin' else you're scared of?

Dianne: … I…don't think so… Why not…? I was so scared, but now…

Bradley: Don't hold back now. If there's anythin' worryin' you, just say it.

Dianne: … You're not lying? You're not going to betray me…?

Bradley: 'Course not. Hell, if people found out I turned on a little lass like you, that'd just make me more infamous and not in a good way. I'm not gonna betray you, Dianne. On my honor, I'll protect your honor. Now step forward. The first step's always the scariest. The rest'll be a piece of cake. Don't be scared. I'm right next to you.

Dianne: …sniff…okay… …I understand. I'm going now!

Bradley: Hell yeah! You got this!

Next Chapter

#.mhyktl #.eventtl #.main story tl #4th anni

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 5: Be Prepared (originally posted on September 25, 2023)

AN: We only have one chapter to go before the big halfway point, and I got quite a few things planned for it. We'll be getting the long-awaited rematch between Steven and Black Rutile, the beginning of the end of the Rutile Rebels, the true nature of Prince Nosiop's plans for the universe, and many more. Tensions will run high as the story reaches the second half, and the endgame will be the most epic that Alternate Future has seen yet. Now without further ado, let's get things started.

Synopsis: Black Rutile and her subordinates find themselves caught in a scheme by the insidious heir to Serpentes's throne to conquer the universe, and Black Rutile is all too eager to get in on the plan for the sake of revenge.

Cast:

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Jason Marsden as Prince Nosiop Jormagundr

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball, Doc, Navy, Army, Leggy

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Gina Torres as Andesine

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Awkwafina as Kyanite

Allison Janney as Pyrite

Kimberly Brooks as Dalmatian Jasper

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Lena Hall as Bloodstone

Jodie Whittaker as Xenotime

Barbara Dunkelman as Amber

Kristen Schaal as Howlite

Idina Menzel as Amazonite

Halsey as Tanzanite

Mia Barron as Apatite

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Keith David as Pyth

Cissy Jones as Princess Naja Jormagundr

Aurelio Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundrr

Shirley Millner as Queen Constricta Jormagundr

Zach Callison as Steven

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Atticus Shaffer as Peedee

Matthew Moy as Lars

Julissa Aguirre as Lady Imagineer

John Mulaney as Flipso

--

Prince Nosiop Jormagundr wasn't always the way he was today. When he was a young snake, Nosiop was a prince with big dreams for the future of his race. However, not everyone was willing to listen to him because he was so young, but he didn't let that deter him. One year, during the 419,982nd annual Contest of Champions, Nosiop tried once again to plead his case to his father.

"Conquering the Ood? Surely you jest, my boy!" King Cobralan objected to what his son had just said as the two slithered through the castle halls. "You know we'd be no match for their psychic abilities! It would be utterly stupid!"

"But please, Father, our lives could be so much easier with a hivemind serving us!" Nosiop stated, but his father still wouldn't listen. "In fact, tons of races and planets would be of great use to our people, like the Shamoians, the Mooninites, and the Watchdogs. Maybe we could even abduct ourselves a few Gems!"

"Enough, my son." Cobralan urged his future successor. "I can see you have big ideas, but unfortunately, they don't align with our culture. Now, I'm going to speak with the Universal Lords for a bit. You go off and have fun at the Contest with your mother and your baby sister." He then began to slither away. "I'll see you again soon."

Although Cobralan left the conversation with a smile, Nosiop wasn't as happy as his father. "He just doesn't get it!" Nosiop grumbled angrily. "We could be perfect conquerors, just the two of us ruling the universe as father and son!"

"It truly is a shame that your father wouldn't give you the time of day," Pyth said as he appeared behind Nosiop. "My father was like that too when I was your age. Unlike yours, however, he didn't live long enough to see things my way."

"Are you suggesting I kill my father?" Nosiop asked curiously, causing Pyth to laugh at the idea.

"No, my boy, I'm way past killing parents!" Pyth chuckled loudly. "What do you think I am, Uncle Claudius?!" After another round of laughter, Pyth decided to get serious as he put a hand on the young prince's shoulder. "Come with me, child. There are many things I wish to teach you."

Nosiop obediently followed the royal family's grand vizier down the hallways and into a hidden room within the castle walls. As loyal as he was to his father, the prince of the Slytherophidians often believed that Pyth was more of a dad to him because of how much they agreed with each other on certain topics, chief among them being what should the future holds for their race.

--

"Let's hear it for the Andesine Armada, the new and improved rebellion against the Crystal Gems!" Andesine cried as her new subordinates chanted her name to celebrate her and Cinnabar's victory against Rigby Starglow and Captain Gearfeet. "Today is a most momentous occasion in our time together. With Black Rutile no longer fit to lead our cabal of insurgents against the tyranny of the Crystal Gems, I have proven myself more than worthy of replacing her and instating myself as a gentle guiding hand in our grand mission." The Armada all cheered in excitement. "Under my leadership, not only shall we finally put the Crystal Gems out of their misery, but Black Rutile will soon be next!" Her new subordinates cheered again. "And furthermore, with the Diamonds temporarily out of commission, this shall be an ample opportunity for us to race back to Homeworld when no one's looking and seize power for ourselves!"

"But what if Black Rutile hears us?" Holly Blue asked nervously while looking left and right.

"Stuff and nonsense, we're behind closed doors here." Aquamarine snidely declared. "There's no way she can find us." Just then, the doors to the Andesine Armada's quarters opened behind Aquamarine, and in came Black Rutile with Nosiop and Pyth, much to the other Gems' shock as they tried silently begging her to shut up. "Of course, that is if she hasn't been brainwashed by Steven right about now."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting anything?" Black Rutile abruptly interrupted Aquamarine's bravado, sending chills down her spine as she turned to face her former master. "So, this is what you've all been doing, huh?"

"Uh, my Rutile, this isn't what it looks like!" Cinnabar awkwardly apologized to her old mentor. "Andesine and I were just playing a little game of follow the leader!"

"A likely story." Black Rutile replied while pulling out her bowie knife. "Tell me more about this Andesine Armada you've all been bragging about."

"Should you tell her, or should I?" Tanzanite asked Amazonite.

"No, I value my life too much to even talk to her right now," Amazonite replied fearfully, casting an illusion to hide herself from Black Rutile.

"Now, everyone, let's just calm down here and talk things out." Amber tried to ease the tension, but Black Rutile quickly shoved her out of the way to confront Cinnabar and Andesine.

"I'm going to assume this was all your idea, Andesine." Black Rutile said to her old friend. "After all, your name is literally in the team name!"

"No, it wasn't, it was Kyanite's idea!" Andesine tried to shift the blame onto someone else.

"Hey, I've only been here a few minutes!" Kyanite cried. "What's going on?!"

"Please forgive us, Black Rutile, but we simply believe you can no longer lead us into battle." Cinnabar firmly stated. "Your exile to Earth has turned you soft and pathetic, and you are perfectly aware of it yet never once bothered to fix it!"

"I did!" Black Rutile exclaimed. "I tried allying with a Steven from another universe where I'm the good guy, I struck a bargain with an extra-dimensional jester, and I even used the Internet to turn humanity against the Crystal Gems!"

"But that's the thing, dearie," Pyrite stated while filing her nails. "You failed at every single one of those." She added while poking Black Rutile in the chest with her nail filer. "For all your planning and thinking you're one step ahead of everybody, you fail to realize that you're just as flawed as the rest of us."

"Is that so?" Black Rutile said before turning the knife into her massive sword. "How's this for flawed?!" With a mighty swing, Cinnabar and Andesine were sliced in two and poofed, to the horror of the other Gems around them.

"Boss, no!" Bloodstone yelled in horror as she raced to scoop up Cinnabar's inactive gem while Howlite did the same to her superior's.

"Now then, anyone else care to join them?" Black Rutile smirked while menacingly pointing her sword at the surviving resistance members. Although they were more willing to speak up to their fallen superior, this ragtag band of Gems had every right to keep their mouths shut until one of them spoke up.

"All hail Black Rutile!" Eyeball chanted vigorously. "All hail Black Rutile! Come on, guys!"

"All hail Black Rutile! All hail Black Rutile!" the other members of the newly rechristened Rutile Rebels joined Eyeball in cheering for their new leader.

"Now that's more like it!" Black Rutile laughed evilly while sneering at Cinnabar and Andesine's followers mourning the loss of their leaders. "Now that I've reinstated myself as your fearless leader, allow me to introduce a new acquaintance I've made in my time here." She motioned for Nosiop to step forward. "This is Prince Nosiop of the Jormagundr royal family, and much like me, he also desires a new era for his people."

"Yes indeed, I now present to you a grand idea for the Slytherophidian race," Nosiop stated. "With all of you at my side, we can overthrow my good-for-nothing father and instill myself as not just the new ruler of his empire but as the most powerful Universal Lord there is."

"Are you crazy?!" Holly Blue yelled. "You'd be a fool to challenge a Universal Lord, especially if it's your father, Nosiop!"

"My father is yesterday's message, a clapped-out and distracted regime." Nosiop began singing to the Gem rebels. "Whose failings undoubtedly presage the need for a different dream. Yes, serpentine times are a-changing, meaning you must do so too. My vision is clear and wide-ranging and even encompasses you."

"So, prepare for the coup of the century. Prepare for the murkiest scam." Black Rutile also began singing, and far more intensely than Nosiop, as if she was using the song to air out her insecurities. "Meticulous planning and tenacity spanning centuries of denial is simply why I'll be empress! Undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the visionary I am! Yes, my gem and ambitions are bared. Be prepared!"

"Yeah, be prepared, we'll be prepared!" Zoisite exclaimed. "Uh, for what?"

"For the death of my father and the beginning of a new era for Serpentes!" Nosiop loudly announced.

"What do we do, make him sick?" Dalmatian Jasper asked before Pyth coiled his tail around her neck.

"No, you fool, we're going to kill him." Pyth proclaimed.

"And Steven, too." Black Rutile added sinisterly before DJ was dropped to the ground.

"Splendid idea!" Xenotime cheered. "Who needs either of them?!"

"Idiots, there will still be someone to rule!" Nosiop yelled. "Together, Black Rutile and I shall conquer the universe together using the power of the Lapidarist, who has the power to reset all Gems to their basic functions!"

"Wait, really?" Emerald asked nervously, not having a clue as to what Nosiop was talking about.

"Yes, you would all be rejuvenated on a massive scale, so to speak." Nosiop grinned with a hiss. "With her powers, I shall have myself an unstoppable army to overthrow my family and conquer all that I see! Now, who's with me?!"

Despite the dire circumstances this would place not just them but all Gemkind in by wiping everything that made them the Gems they are today, the Rutile Rebels had no choice but to agree out of fear for their lives. However, some were still nervous about how Black Rutile would play a part in this, especially after how she heartlessly poofed two of her most loyal subordinates. "All hail Black Rutile and King Nosiop! All hail Black Rutile and King Nosiop!"

"So, prepare for a glorious future!" Black Rutile announced as the Rutile Rebels chanted, 'Be prepared!'. "Be prepared for a universal golden age!"

"And like any other who'd murder their father!" Eyeball laughed before Aquamarine pulled her fusion partner aside.

"If we don't spread rumors, she'll feed us and groom us!" Aquamarine stated.

"When we've got friends in high places, we hold all the aces!" the Rutile Rebels and a few snake guards chanted harmoniously.

"So don't try and rattle my scales." Nosiop snidely added.

"Oh, imagine if anyone dared!" the chorus cried out. "BE PREPARED!"

"So prepare for the coup of the century!" Nosiop and Black Rutile sang together. "Be prepared for the murkiest scam!"

"Meticulous planning, tenacity planning!" Nosiop proclaimed.

"Centuries of denial is simply why we'll!" Black Rutile added.

"Rule supreme undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the visionaries we are!" the villainous duo declared. "Yes, our gems, fangs, and ambitions are bared; be prepared!"

"Yes, our gems, fangs, and ambitions are bared!" Aquamarine, Eyeball, Holly Blue, and Cat's Eye, who have all loyally followed their leader despite everything that's happened, sang together.

"Be prepared!" the newly-formed union of the Rutile Rebels and Nosiop's followers announced, sealing their alliance with a shared evil laugh.

"Pleasure to be working alongside you, partner." Black Rutile said as she and Nosiop shook hands.

"The pleasure's all mine, partner." Nosiop hissed while covertly crossing two scaly fingers behind his back, which implied he desires to stab Black Rutile in the back when she least expected it.

--

"And that's the whole story of how we got here," Ronaldo said to Peedee elsewhere in the Ouraborium. "Though I'm pretty sure I didn't need to tell you all that since you did hitch a ride with us."

"You are definitely right on that one," Peedee answered.

"So why did you do it?" Steven asked. "What would Mr. Fryman say?"

"He said I should keep an eye on him no matter what," Peedee replied firmly. "And if that means hitching a ride with you guys on a spaceship heading for an alien planet in another galaxy, then I'll do it, no problemo. Plus, it would be nice to participate in one of your big adventures, Steven."

"It's nice to have you join in, too, Peedee," Steven said to his old friend with a hand on his shoulder. "But be warned, this planet is insanely deadly. You might be forced to fight for your life in a gladiatorial death match where you might die if you aren't careful!"

"Luckily, you got your big brother to protect you!" Ronaldo exclaimed excitedly while raising his sword.

"Yeah, good luck with that." Peedee dryly remarked, recalling Ronaldo's cowardice in his fight against the Decimator.

"Yeah, ditto." The three boys heard the voice of none other than Lars say as he walked up behind them. "Hey Steven, long time no see. Sorry we had to meet again like this."

"Lars, did they capture you too?!" Steven exclaimed at the undead human before him. "Oh no, where are the Off-Colors? Are they in trouble?!"

"Don't worry, they're fine," Lars assured Steven. "They're just stuck in a cell somewhere since none of them can fight per se. They only want me since I can't really die." Before Lars can continue, he suddenly noticed Ronaldo and Peedee standing behind Steven. "Wait, Ronaldo?! How and when did you and Peedee get here?!"

"We followed Steven here!" Ronaldo answered, smiling. "I was vindicated upon learning that the snake people, I mean, Slytherophidians, were real all along, like many of my theories, and I came along to gather as much info as I could about their people so I could spread them to the humans!"

"And I came along to keep Ronaldo from accidentally killing himself," Peedee added. "So, how's your space adventures been going?"

"That's actually a funny story. The Off-Colors and I were journeying to Wasprus when we got abducted." Lars revealed to the two humans. "Once their guards noticed that I'm basically invincible after experimenting on me, they said they wanted to keep me here forever so I'll keep fighting for as long as the universe lives."

An intercom crackled to life as if the Slytherophidians heard Lars' explanation. "For our next fight, we shall be pitting the one and only Lars of the Stars against the flying dreamer Lady Imagineer!" the voice of Queen Constricta announced. "Now, Lars, be sure you're as ready as you'll ever be because Ms. Imagineer is a very tough opponent."

"Well, speak of the devil." Lars muttered in surprise as the guards moved him to the arena. "Wish me luck, guys! I'm going to need it!"

"Good luck, Lars!" Steven hollered as Lars got further away from him and the Fryman brothers.

--

"Nosiop, are you there?" Naja called for her older brother while slinking through the castle halls. "Where are you? Father is getting worried and wants to see you." Unfortunately, her big brother did not answer. "Come on, Nosey, where are you?"

"Looking for someone, my dear?" Aquamarine asked as she fluttered down and landed on the floor next to Naja. "I once felt lost, too, but then I realized I had someone right by my side this whole time."

"You're one of those Rutile Rebels, aren't you?" Naja asked Aquamarine. "What do you want with me?"

"Oh, how very astute, your grace," Aquamarine replied with a mocking curtsy. "Now then, you were looking for someone, right?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Nosiop," Naja stated. "Have you seen him?"

"I am right here, dearest Naja." Nosiop hissed as he, Pyth, and Black Rutile emerged from the shadows. "Oh, I am so sorry that my sweet baby sister was so scared her big brother wasn't there to keep her safe. Then again, you were always pretty scared but always tried hiding it by acting like the showman you want to be."

"He does raise a good point there, princess." Black Rutile snidely added before cupping Naja's face in her hand. "You ever feel like your old man and the queen have been holding you back from reaching your full potential, Naja?"

"Nosiop, what are you doing fraternizing with Black Rutile?!" Naja asked hurriedly. "You know she's an intergalactic criminal imprisoned for multiple counts of attempted genocide! Stay away from her!"

"Oh please, you threaten to destroy one planet multiple times, and everyone treats you like the bad guy." Black Rutile rolled her eyes in disgust. "Anyways, your brother isn't fraternizing with me. I'M fraternizing with HIM. As it turns out, the two of us have something in common, and we became close quite instantly."

"Perhaps you'd like to join us on our little crusade." Nosiop offered while taking his sister's hand. "Together, the two of us can rule the universe side by side as brother and sister with an unstoppable Gem army at our command, and no one will have to judge you for what you really are!"

"What are you saying?" Naja asked, growing more concerned for her big brother's mental status by the second.

"I'm saying that Mother and Father are holding us back!" Nosiop yelled in his sister's face, momentarily flicking his forked tongue at her. "I have legitimately good ideas for our people, but no one ever takes me seriously! But Black Rutile, on the other hand, truly understands my suffering, for she has encountered the same problems as I!"

"Indeed, I was made an outcast because I disagreed with the current status quo of my race." Black Rutile added, trying to look as innocent as possible with a pout and big, pleading eyes toward Naja. "I was even betrayed by my friends who started thinking little of me, but I changed that quickly."

"I know where this is going, and I refuse to take part in it!" Naja exclaimed as she tried to escape the oncoming swarm of Rutile Rebels. "Father will hear about this!"

"Well, excuse me, Princess, but I think not." Black Rutile hissed angrily. "Rubies, seize her!"

"Yes, my Rutile!" the Rubies obediently chorused as they jumped up and tackled Naja to the ground. "Princess has been secured!"

"Excellent, little Rubies." Pyth purred eagerly. "Now, please show the dear princess to her room until further notice." He gave orders with a sadistic smile. "Wouldn't want her getting in the way by telling everybody."

"You won't get away with this!" Naja yelled angrily as the Rubies dragged her away. "Steven will find out!" As Nosiop watched the Rubies carry off his sister, he turned away in shame at having to betray his sister like this. But alas, their worldviews had no choice but to clash as he still had far grander designs in mind, and she didn't play a role in them. With a heavy sigh, the visionary prince looked to his new Gem ally and his royal vizier, who looked back at him with sinister smiles.

--

Meanwhile, in the Ouraborium, Lars had been pitted against the flying dreamer Lady Imagineer in combat, but despite his moderate skill in combat, the donut boy turned undead space hero was outmatched in every way possible.

"Stay still, for Pete's sake!" Lars groaned as he tried catching up with Lady Imagineer's airborne acrobatics. "Just because I'm human doesn't mean I can't beat you!"

"But that's what makes your race so fun, Lars!" Imagineer laughed sweetly. "You have so much potential; you just need to learn not to waste it!"

"Yeah, that's my sister up there!" the reality-warping trickster Flipso cheered for Lady Imagineer while conjuring up a smartphone to record the fight with. "You're doing amazing, sweetie!" Suddenly, Solaris Noctua turned his gaze to find Flipso in the audience below where he and the other Universal Lords were seated. Flipso immediately hid himself by disguising himself as a Slytherophidian. "Gotta keep up appearances."

"Quit flying around so much!" Lars yelled as he tried using his portal powers to scream his way to Lady Imagineer, but she was far too quick on her feet for him to keep up.

"Gonna have to catch me first!" Imagineer giggled before conjuring up an illusion of Sadie that made Lars blush, distracting him long enough for the space pirate to realize he was now falling to the ground. "I can also conjure up illusions based on what I find in your mind."

"YOU SUUUUUUUUCK!" Lars screamed before he landed on the ground with a loud thud, prompting the audience to chant.

"FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM!" the Slytherophidians cheered as Lady Imagineer floated down to where Lars landed and helped him up.

"Ugh, my back." Lars groaned in pain as he shuffled away. "This is probably the second most humiliating moment in my life, right after Steven possessing my body."

"Oh, come on, Lars, at least you had fun, right?" Lady Imagineer asked with a cute smile.

"Yeah, maybe it was a little fun." Lars laughed dryly before continuing his walk of shame.

--

"Oh, my back." Lars groaned in pain as he struggled back to the quarters the Jormagundr royal family gifted him upon his arrival on Serpentes and slumped on the closest velveteen couch to sleep his troubles away. "Oh, sweet Velveteen Rabbit. Take me away on your Edwardian adventures."

"Anything the matter, Lars?" Emerald asked while walking in and stroking Lars's aching back.

"Just lost to Lady Imagineer," Lars said while turning his head to face Emerald. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to comfort an 'old friend' of mine in these trying times," Emerald replied. "Seeing you so humiliated like that, while it was cathartic to see you feel how you always made me feel back in the day, it just pained me to see a worthy opponent go down like that."

"What are you saying?" Lars asked, not expecting a good answer at all.

"I'm saying is that Steven has ruined your life for long enough!" Emerald exclaimed. "First, he repeatedly robs you of your dignity, then he takes you away from your home planet where you were forced to die for him, and now you're fighting for your life on another alien planet! And you're expected to become his friend after all that?!"

"You're wrong!" Lars yelled as he bolted up, briefly yelping in pain. "Yeah, Steven and I got off on the wrong foot, but he still willingly gave up everything for the wellbeing of others, even me, and I returned the favor! Now, I'm living the dream as a badass space hero like in the old TV shows with a bizarro found family of Off-Colors!"

"That's what I hated about you, Lars, outside of the fact you stole my favorite ship and got away with it," Emerald stated while pulling out her spiked club from her gem, now pulsating with electricity as she pointed it at Lars. "You're way too human!" She swung her club at Lars, who deflected it with a kick.

"No, I'm just human enough!" Lars smirked before punching Emerald's face and knocking her down. "What's with the change in attitude? Last time I saw you, you were willing to face punishment for your crimes."

"Things have changed. Though I wanted to atone, eventually, I grew tired of Black Rutile's wailing and believed my failures were because of her." Emerald revealed. "Ditto for Demantoid, Pyrope, and Morganite as well."

"Guess old habits die hard, I suppose," Lars muttered before Emerald tried taking him by surprise with another swing of her club, but Lars dodged in the nick of time and sent her flying towards the wall with a combo of fists and feet. As Emerald lay injured against the wall, Demantoid, Pyrope, and Morganite raced to see what was happening.

"Emerald, what happened here?!" Morganite asked while helping the renowned pilot to her feet.

"Seems like I got a little shortsighted again." Emerald laughed weakly. "At least I tried to get one over on him."

"This won't be the last you'll see of us, Lars of the Stars," Demantoid said to Lars. "When next we meet, you will face the full might of the Rutile Rebels."

"And I'll be onto you like a Langdon Cobb movie." Lars replied firmly.

"Do any of you have a clue as to what he said?" Pyrope asked while the three Gems carried Emerald away, to which Demantoid and Morganite responded with hushed confusion.

--

In the Crystal Gems' room in the arena, Steven was sitting worriedly on the couch with Peedee as Ronaldo paced around the sofa, thinking about Lars's loss and how it would affect them. "Well, there goes Lars." Ronaldo declared bluntly. "Either of you got any bright ideas?"

"I'm not sure what to do now," Peedee replied. "I mean, what chance do we have now that the Diamonds have been poofed and Lars is out of commission? In fact, where are the Crystal Gems?"

"Off being forced to fight more innocent aliens," Steven added. "Speaking of which, I wonder how Black Rutile is doing."

"Attention all combatants, our next fight is a very special one!" Constricta's voice announced through the arena's PA system. "For quite possibly the biggest show yet in the Contest of Champions, we give you Steven Universe versus Black Rutile!"

"What?!" the three boys yelled while Black Rutile stormed into the room with an evil laugh.

"I see you just heard my big surprise for you, Steven!" Black Rutile announced joyfully. "As arranged by my dear friend Prince Nosiop, we shall have our long-awaited rematch, and I'll finally get the chance to destroy you once and for all!"

"No one destroys a boy like you, my Rutile," Aquamarine said while perched on Black Rutile's shoulder. "See you soon, Steven." The two Gems laughed as Black Rutile turned around and left, leaving Steven horrified at what he had just heard.

"This is not good; this is not good at all," Steven muttered nervously. "Everyone here already hates me because I don't want to kill people, so they'll no doubt be rooting for Black Rutile to destroy me! What do I do?!"

"Hey, don't fret, Steven, just believe in yourself," Ronaldo suggested. "Believe in the Ronaldo who believes in you."

"He's right," Peedee added. "Some people can't believe in themselves until someone believes in them first. Remember that no matter what, everyone back at Beach City has your back."

"Thanks, guys," Steven said with his eyes closed. "But I guess I have no other choice." He opened his eyes, revealing that one of them now had a diamond-shaped pupil.

--

And so, we finally reach the halfway point of Snake Eyes with the long-awaited rematch between Steven and Black Rutile, allowing them to finally settle the score after their numerous fights in Alternate Future. And this time, Black Rutile won't just decide to give up on Steven and let him wallow in shame, she's going in for the kill and has a lot of issues left over she'll use their upcoming fight for. How will things turn out? Find out next week.

#steven universe #steven universe future #fanfiction #steven universe alternate future #steven universe snake eyes #steven quartz universe #black rutile #prince nosiop jormagundr #aquamarine #eyeball ruby #holly blue agate #cat's eye #andesine #cinnabar #lars barriga #ronaldo fryman #peedee fryman

[gallus-rising]

one of my favorite parts of hnk is how Rutile started as “ooooh~ sexy doctor. a leggy boy. stern hot doc lady w some lovely legs ;) leg so hot. hot hot leg. leg so hot u fry an egg” and ended as “unwashed maniac living in the wilderness clutching their dead ex’s kidney stone”

#*furious pecking* #you go queen #gaslit too close to the sun

[ethancrossmedia]

As The Game Awards is coming next week on Thursday December 8th, here's what I voted that are nominated for this year's The Game Awards in 2022.

Yes, I know many of you guys and voice acting superfans are familiar with Ashly Burch, who's an actress, voice actress, and writer for video games, anime, and animation (cartoons), known for creating the web series about video games, "Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin'?". You might her know her in the anime, Attack on Titan as Sasha Brouse (from Funimation, now Crunchyroll), cartoons like Adventure Time as Breezy, as she's also a writer there, Steven Universe as the Rutile Twins, Enid in OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes for Cartoon Network, Ridley in Glitch Techs, and the title character in The Ghost and Molly McGee, and as Tiny Tina in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. Yes, again, she's a very busy lady who has billions of followers on social media feeds, this means we can't causally ask her questions, as most notable people/celebrities are like this. Though, I'd like to see her someday in person at conventions, so I can easily reach out to her (if she's not an reclusive artist, yes, this means if a person cannot handle making public appearances in conventions, award shows, or events).

@nintendo

@ashlyburchisgreat

#kirby and the forgotten land #kirby #sonic movie 2 #sonic movie #sonic the hedgehog 2 #sonic the hedgehog #multiversus #ashly burch #horizon: forbidden west #nintendo switch #nintendo #the game awards 2022 #the game awards #sega #paramount pictures

[case-electris]

*rubs hands* I've been waiting for this moment hee hee hee>:)

Persona

Margaret

Hifumi Togo

Naoto Shirogane

Mitsuri Kirijo

Legend of Zelda

Vaati

Underworld Office

Boss

Little nightmares

The Lady

Cookierun

Pomegranate cookie

Espresso cookie

Red Velvet cookie

IDV

Xie Bi an

Melly Plinius

Orpheus

Aesop Carl

Ace attorney

Simon Blackquil

Kristoph Gavin

Miles Edgeworth

Barok van Zieks

Castlevania

Hector

Isaac

Fire Emblem

Robin

Leo

Lysithia von Ordelia

Hapi

Hades

Thanatos

Final Fantasy

Vincent Valentine

Tseng

Sonic

Shadow the hedgehog

Yuu yuu hakusho

Denise/Yoko Kurama

Homestuck

Kankri Vantas

Dave Strider

Kurloz Makara

Eridan Ampora

Rose Lalonde

Dirk Strider

Epithet Erased

Sylvester Ashling

JoJo

Yoshikage Kira

Houseki no Kuni

Rutile

Tgcf

He Xuan

Kemono Jihen

Mihai Florescu

Trash of the Counts Family

Cale Henitus

Eruhaben

Scum Villain

Shen Qingqui

Voltron

Lotor

Pokemon

Marnie

Colress

Assassin's creed

Haytham Kenway

Shane Huastings

Jujutsu Kaisen

Hiromi Higuruma

Twisted Wonderland

Malleus Dracona

Jade Leach

Detroit:Become Human

Elijah Kamski

Obey me!

Belphegor

Mephistopheles

Satan

Devil May Cry

Lady

Vergil

OHHC

Kyoya Ootori

Mystic messenger

Jumin Han

707

Arcane

Viktor

Genshin impact

Mona

Squid Game

Choi Sangwoo

Hetalia

Iceland

Austria

England

Norway

Luxiem

Mysta Rias

.............i could go on tbh but the list is already long enough

come back to the stream we have things to discuss

[manygalaxiesinone]

If Disgaea Characters Had Arcana Part 3

((Once again as a heads up, this is a multi part discussion, so if you haven't seen the previous 2 parts first, please check them out. Also, apologies for not mentioning this before in either of my posts, but yes, this WILL contain spoilers to the games, so if you don't want to get spoiled in any of the Disgaea games or even potentially some of the persona games, click away and come back later. If you're already caught up or just don't care then, let's get a move on.

Let me go ahead and apologize for not including Stella and Rutile in the previous part. I didn't think to include them because not only was it getting long after covering characters from 2 games, but when I was finishing it up last night, I was EXTREMELY exhausted from work and practically passed out right after posting it. So, let's cover them now before we move on to Disgaea 4. Starting with Rutile, I feel like she's a good candidate for Priestess. In case I haven't already explained in the previous parts, this arcana represents intuition. Characters under this are encouraged to follow their natural instincts instead of solely relying on advice from others. While Rutile has been a bit of a follower in the game, she does so to fulfill her goal of having as many friends as possible. It's in her nature to be this kind. In fact, she shares quite a few similarities with Fuuka Yamagishi from Persona 3, another character under this same arcana. Both are gentle ladies who prefer being around their new companions knowing full well the danger they'll be in compared to life at home and they ended up befriending a classmate who used to torment them until they saw the error in their ways.

Speaking of said character, Stella Grossular takes the Empress Arcana hands down. This arcana represents femineity, beauty, and being able to connect with mother nature. Now I can hear arguments for Master Bigstar taking that arcana instead, but I don't really enjoy doing duplicate slots for characters within the same game and as I said before, there aren't any characters in Disgaea 3 that are more suited for Temperance than Master Bigstar as he's the most well rounded. As for Stella, she takes pride in her elegant nature and intelligence, which includes her talent in fencing, similar to that of Mitsuru Kirijo from Persona 3, who also represents the Empress Arcana. As for her being in tune with nature, she is rather fond of beasts, especially those that usually appear ferocious and hideous to most other people.

Now we finally get to Disgaea 4, starting with Valvatorez. Now some of you would probably think he would be a clear cut for the Emperor Arcana and I can understand why. Valvatorez is intimidating and has very good leadership skills, probably the best in the entire series thus far. That being said, there are a couple of details some of you probably forgot. First off, Valvatorez doesn't really have that much interest in actually ruling over others. His main goal in life is to become a symbol of fear and maintain balance in the universe. Even when he was considered a tyrant, he was only focused on his job as a demon to scare humans into giving fear energy. Hell, his title as "Tyrant" was only in reference to his power, not so much authority. The only reason he decided to take over the system is because he was convinced he had to otherwise the balance would collapse. So instead, I'm going to give him the Fool Arcana for 3 reasons. 1, because he's the main character, 2, because he values the power of bonds with others given how often he brings up camaraderie, and 3 and it's something we have to be honest with here, he's pretty gullible. Not only did he almost believe Fuka when she said everything is taking place in her dream, but both Fenrich and Artina have successfully fooled him at least once each in the game. Fenrich did when it came to capturing Artina and Artina did later on when she got him to participate in Krichveskoy's tournament to win some sardines.

I'm very confident that Fenrich would be the Hermit Arcana. As the name implies, this arcana represents solitude. Unless if you're Valvatorez or maybe Killia and the Medic girl you get as DLC, he wants nothing to do with you. Granted I can hear arguments for him being Magician, because he might remind you a bit of Yosuke Hanamura from Persona 4. Both are wind masters, both like playing second banana to the main character, Yosuke has his own werewolf costume for halloween, and as shown by his shadow, both get easily irritated by everyone else around them.

Now there are actually 3 different Arcana I can see going for Artina and they all depend on which version of her you're referring to. If you're talking about just her in her angel form, then she'd be the Fortune Arcana. I said it before, Artina has been through quite a lot in the game. Yeah, she was able to reunite with Valvatorez after death and give him the chance to drink her blood as promised, and was accepted into Celestia after her passing, but that doesn't change the fact that she had to deal with stuff like Flonne spending all the money she collected for Celestia or getting roped into Fuka's shenanigans. If it's Nurse Artina we're talking about, she'd be the Priestess. Like Rutile, Artina naturally wants to help others without asking anything in return, even if she has to fight and to her it didn't matter if they were friend or foe. Now if we're talking about an arcana that fits the both of them, then I would probably say the Lovers. Remember, while the Lovers Arcana does represent one's love life, it can also be seen as a sign that one's relationship with their close companions need attention and they should consider the possible consequences of their choices, and that fits the bill for Artina's relationship with both Valvatorez and Nemo. Even if you don't ship either of them, it can't be denied that Artina has left an impact on both of their lives. While she had good intentions, it ended up causing problems for both of them later on, something that she recognizes and tries to correct throughout the game.

Fuka Kazamatsuri takes the Chariot Arcana with ease. In fact, I doubt you'll find any character that's more fitting for this arcana in this series than her, aside from like maybe Zed. Fuka always does whatever she sets her mind to and strongly believes that nothing is impossible. Granted, this stems from her delusional thinking that all of this is just a dream, but my point still stands. As Artina points out, she's rarely that phased even in the most dire situations.

Now Desco would probably be happy to hear my Arcana pick for her...until she understands why I pick it. That Arcana being none other than the Devil. As I said before, this arcana represents the feeling of restraint and powerlessness and Desco was cast out of the Human World into Hades because she was deemed useless. It wasn't until she joined the Hades Party and started training under Valvatorez that she realized that despite the test results, she really does have what it takes to become a final boss and be a wonderful little sister to Fuka as long as she applies herself.

Yeah, I know he's a Grim Reaper, but I'm not going to give him the Death Arcana. The Death Arcana is not symbolic with the physical manifestation of death itself. It represents natural cycle of life, reminding people that at some point, all things must come to an end and Emizel's journey does not represent that. What it DOES represent is the need to ditch his comfortable lifestyle of riding his father's coattails and make something of himself, which is why he gets the Tower Arcana instead.

The same goes for his father, Death King Hugo. His story isn't exactly about death, he just happens to be the reaper king. Instead, he's been constantly making sacrifices to maintain the Netherworld as much as possible after the humans took over, even cutting off his own son to save his image when Fenrich threatened him with blackmail. Therefore, his arcana would be the Hanged Man.

Nagi Clockwork would probably be the Moon Arcana. Just like Rozalin, she may appear to be a bit boastful and demanding, but deep down, she has some insecurities that she doesn't like to share. It wasn't until after a while of talking with Nurse Artina that she revealed why she was so protective of her when she joined the group. She reminds her of Nagi's older sister who passed away during the war along with the rest of her family and doesn't want to see her die too. At the same time, I can also hear arguments for her being the Aeon Arcana.

And once again, the final boss, Nemo, is Judgement. It does help that it's in the name "Judge Nemo". But in all seriousness, this is about Valvatorez and Artina confronting their past. Valvatorez failing to keep his promise to Artina to protect her until he took her blood and Artina stopping Valvatorez from going Dracula Tepes on the humans after her death as well as failing to calm Nemo down after she became an angel is what resulted in Judge Nemo taking form and now it's time to set things right.

Now we finally reach the Disgaea 5 cast starting with the main character Killia. Honestly, I think we have a legitimate case for the Aeon Arcana with this guy. I tried to look up as much as I can about this Arcana outside of info shown in Persona because we've only ever seen it in 2 characters, Aigis from Persona 3 and Marie in Persona 4. At best, what I can come up with is this arcana symbolizes time and can be seen as the reverse judgement arcana. And not only are Killia's powers time based, but he's also ever evolving throughout his journey as he started out as a tyrannical overlord, then the pupil of Goldeon, then a wandering demon, then the leader of a rebel army, ect. And from what I looked up in terms of the persona series, this arcana is given to those who aren't exactly human but give off human characteristics, and guys like Seraphina and Christo have often commented on his undemon-like behavior. So yeah to me personally, this arcana fits.

Seraphina would be the Empress Arcana. She is very feminine and vain about her beauty and while she doesn't start off as compassionate, she does become more reasonable and sympathetic toward her companions as the story progresses. Keep in mind, her own prinnies only rebelled against her once when they found out that she couldn't pay them, which is more than I can say for others like Etna or Mao. That being said, I can also hear arguments for the Lovers Arcana as she was at crossroads when it came to choosing between her companions and her father.

Red Magnus takes the Sun Arcana with ease. He's optimistic, full of energy, and his attacks are fire based. Hell, his ultimate skill has him fusing with a sun! That's not saying he doesn't have moments when he gets upset, most notably when the residents of his own Netherworld turned against him, he just usually keeps his head held high most of the time, even when others try to insult him.

I already talked about Christo in part 1 of this post, so there's no need to bring him up again.

Some of you are probably expecting me to give Usalia the Hermit Arcana as I constantly compare her to Futaba Sakura from Persona 5. Well this is actually one of the instances where the two of them differ. Futaba suffered from genuine social anxiety after the death of her mother and believed she was at fault. She had trouble trusting other people she didn't know. Usalia on the other hand was only hesitant in joining the Rebel Army for a little while because she was afraid they'll become a target by being associated with her, but that didn't last long once she realized they were targets anyway and she quickly got along with all of them. That being said, she still blamed herself for her parents' deaths and suffered the effects of the curse Majorita put on her until her parents told them as spirits that they loved her to the very end. For that reason, I'm going to give her the Tower Arcana or at the very least Moon.

Zeroken takes the Magician Arcana easily. While he a student of Goldion and as such, his moveset is similar to Killia's, keep in mind that he's the one responsible for branching off the Ultimate Demon Technique in the future, leading to the creation of many new skills, including Etna's Sexy Beam.

Majorita is an interesting case here as she could represent the Devil Arcana both Upright and Reversed. Upright because of her struggles as a war child as well as her relationship with Void Dark. While she did follow Void loyally until he eventually betrayed her, it doesn't change the fact that like with all members within Void's Army it is either that or death. As for reversed, which represents the desire to create chaos without thinking of the consequences, Majorita intentionally loves getting under the skin of those around her and doing the exact opposite of whatever she promises. In fact, her own curses and spells were specifically designed to make those affected under them suffer in some way, including herself when she brought herself back to life at the cost of having to serve under Usalia, the one person who irritates her most of all.

Surprising no one, Goldion gets the Strength Arcana. He has the will and fortitude to go through anything life throws at him, whether if it's a tyrannical overlord trying to kill him, his own son brainwashing him to take over the universe, or another dimension planning an invasion. He has been through it all, never backed down from any of it, and helps prepare others to do the same.

Just like with Fake Zenon, Void is getting the Emperor Arcana instead of Judgement, though granted, he's not the final boss of the game. To say that he was authoritative would be an understatement as he ruled almost all of the existing Netherworlds at that time with an iron fist, though granted he did so in order to bring his dead sister back to life. I guess you could call him the "Sister Complex Kingpin of Darkness". Go ahead and give yourself a cookie if you managed to get that reference.

I'm going to end things today with Liezerota. As much as I want to give her the Death Arcana as both Killia and Void were struggling with her death and Killia was able to cope with it thanks to his allies, I'm not too sure if I could because 1, she came back to life at the end of the game, and 2, her death was not the only thing Killia was suffering from. Keep in mind, the whole reason Killia ran away from her house to begin with was because he failed to master the Avidya Holy Water and accidentally left a scar on Goldion's ribs. He didn't even take Lieze with him. She just happened to find out he ran away and instinctively followed after him. Her death just ended up making a bad situation even worse, it wasn't exactly the initial spark. So instead, I'll give her the Priestess because of her gentle nature and going out of her way to try to connect with Killia simply because she wanted to.

Tune in next time as I finish this up by going over the Disgaea 6 cast and maybe some extra characters throughout the series.))

#disgaea #disgaea 3 #disgaea 4 #disgaea 5 #tarot arcana #persona #shin megami tensei

[therockblog]

The second encounter

The jar with the piece of dried clay stayed on the shelf for several years after that. It became a frequent object of attention whenever I had a point to make. An easy thing to bring up and say, “I told you so!”

The jar remained, but my tastes changed. I still liked free stuff –who didn’t?-- but at the same time, there was an undeniable appeal to things that were sold in shops. And things that were appealing carried heavy price tags. 

So the jar remained on the shelf, though mostly forgotten about at that point. My affinity for things coming from the earth remained, and only grew more picky. With the power of the internet, it was easy to grow more proficient in identifying rocks and minerals, though I was nowhere near perfect. The best way to learn was to be hands-on, and that opportunity did not reveal itself to me until years later, when an annual gem show announced it would be hosting its first event since the pandemic shut everything down. Vendors from all over the country would be there, and they had student discounts for entry tickets, so really, how could one resist? 

The venue was huge. Each vendor had their own table set up, some with two, to showcase all their goods. When lined up neatly, each row seemed to stretch on forever, which was a good thing considering how many people were there. Even with so many options, some tables were so popular that lines of people would filter in and out of the main viewing sections, taking turns to look at the displays of sparkling sapphires, rubies, and garnets. Most were already cut and polished, ready to be set in a ring or a pendant, and cheaper materials like quartz were sold as tumbled stones and cabochons to anyone just getting into the hobby who weren’t ready to commit to bigger purchases. None interested me; I wasn’t looking for anything already changed by man to fit into artificial standards of beauty. The ones that were carefully preserved the way they were when they were first mined were the ones that were truly beautiful. 

There was one man who sold precisely that, at a table tucked away in a corner at the very end of the venue. He wore only a sleeveless vest that could’ve at one point been bright white, but was now yellow from sweat stains. He was speaking to another man of similar middle age, and neither paused their conversation when I approached to inspect his inventory. 

He seemed to appreciate the unordinary. The one specimen that eventually caught my eye was a piece of hematite with yellow-brown rutile needles emerging from its sides. Rutile in itself was a controversial mineral; its needle-like structure mainly grew in other gemstones, and depending on its placement, could either drive down the value of the specimen or greatly increase it. In this case, it was definitely the former. 

The man finally took notice of my presence, and let out a hum of approval when I let him know what I wanted. “That there’s a fine piece of rutile, little lady. Got it myself from a supplier in Tucson earlier this year.” 

“Yes, the colour on this one is particularly attractive.” Some valuable advice I got from the internet: acting hard to please didn’t work in the gem industry. Showing interest was far more effective in getting a good deal, in the end. 

“Tell you what, miss. I’ll give you a discount this time, since you looked so interested in it.” 

I smiled. “Thank you, sir.” 

Not quite free, but it was hard to argue with a discount.

#writers on tumblr #story #minerals #class project

[cainluvr69]

Surely, We Can Make Miracles Chapter 8

Previous Chapter

Bradley: Sigh… Fer cryin' out loud.

Snow: I'm so glad you came back, Bradley dear.

Bradley: Can't believe that bastard Nero had pepper on standby. Next time I see him, I'm going give him a patdown.

White: Owen dear, did you find the shop with the torta di cocco?

Owen: Shut up. I'm looking for it. This is weird… I'm pretty sure it was in the bazaar.

Hooded Wizard Shopkeeper: Here, boys. Let me give you a sample. They're magic seafood crackers.

Snow: Wah, are you sure?

White: Yaaaay, thankies!

Owen: What are these.

Snow: Seafood crackers.

White: They're magical snacks. Something interesting might happen when you eat one. Go on, give it a try.

Bradley & Owen: No way.

Snow: Owen dear, they're snacks!

Owen: But they're not sweet, are they? Just eat them yourselves.

Snow: Of course!

White: We shall!

Snow & White: Munch… Delicious~!

Bradley & Owen: …

Bradley: If nothin' happens, then I guess I'll try one.

Owen: Me too.

Bradley & Owen: Munch…

Bradley: Mm. Not too shabby.

Owen: They're crunchy and taste like sea creatures.

Kid That Also Tried Them: Moooom! I can only walk side to side like a craaaab!

That Kid's Mom: Dear, what's wrong?! Our house is this way!

Guy That Also Tried Them: I--I'm so sorry! For some reason my body's only letting me move backwards, like a shrimp!

That Guy's Sister: Big brother, hold on! Where are you going?!

Snow & White: Ohoho! How fun!

Snow: It's a good thing we only pretended to eat them!

Bradley: Wha--?!

White: I wonder when the two of you are going to start showing the effects~?

Owen: I'll kill you…

Borda Island Resident: Oh no! Everyone's acting all weird because of those magic snacks! The wizards in the market are handing out weird magic snacks!

Borda Island Resident: Huh?! The wizards in the market are giving out poisoned snacks?!

Borda Island Resident: Help us! No matter what we do, we can't stop schooling like sardines! Even though we don't want to, we just keep moving together!

Bradley: Tch… You idiots got us caught up in some real bullshit.

Owen: If I just kill everyone here…

Snow: My, what's wrong, you two? You're standing back-to-back.

White: You're like mussels!

Owen: Tch… <Cure Memini>

Snow: Oh, he vanished!

White: And we wanted to play more~!

Snow: …That said, this is certainly quite a mess.

White: While we find these kinds of snacks fun, for humans, this is a strange and frightening experience.

Borda Island Resident: What should I do?! I tried one of those fruits earlier!

Market Wizard: Well now, this is a rare magical fruit. I'll give you a sample, just for today…

Traveler: Stop it, you murderer!

Market Wizard: Wh-what did you just call me?!

Borda Island Resident: Won't anyone save me, a poor little arthropod~?

✦✧☾✧✦

Hooded Wizard Shopkeeper: … Fufu…

✦✧☾✧✦

Riquet: Fufu… It's almost our turn.

Mitile: Yeah! I hope they're not sold out yet.

Riquet: If they're sold out, are we not going to get anything?

Rutile: I guess so, if they're completely out of everything.

Riquet: Oh no…! … I pray…that we may buy something…

Torta di Cocco Shopkeeper: We're all sold out of torta di cocco for the day!

Rutile & Mitile & Riquet: …!!

Rutile: Oh no… They did sell out.

Riquet: …How…How could this happen…

Mitile: We already planned to stay the night here, so let's come again tomorrow.

Red-Haired Noblewoman: You boys there.

Riquet: Do you mean us?

Riquet: (She seems like a kind person… And she's wearing a pretty flower ring.) (I feel like I've seen it before…)

Red-Haired Noblewoman: I'd like to give you this, if you'll accept. I already ate some earlier today.

Riquet: Are you sure?!

Rutile: But, but…

Red-Haired Noblewoman: But you all want to eat it. I'm acquainted with this shop's owner. Everything they make is a masterpiece.

Torta di Cocco Shopkeeper: Thank you so much. Lady Claudia…

Red-Haired Noblewoman: Don't worry. I just felt terribly sorry for them. I'll be sure to come again.

Riquet: (Lady Claudia… Is that this woman's name?) Claudia. Are you sure it's okay for us to take this torta di cocco?

Red-Haired Noblewoman: Yes, of course. I won't complain about it later, I promise.

Riquet: You promise… (I think my mother would be about the same age as this woman.) (I wonder what kind of person she was?)

Red-Haired Noblewoman: Boy?

Riquet: My name is not "boy", it's Riquet. I'm a wizard, so I can't make a promise in return.

Red-Haired Noblewoman: Is that right, Riquet. Well then, it'll be a promise just for me. I'm quite experienced with solo promises, I'll have you know.

Riquet: Solo promises?

Red-Haired Noblewoman: Yes. Like promising you I won't complain, or promising to take care of this memento of my sister… Or promising to only love a single person for the rest of my life.

Riquet: …

Rutile: How lovely… Miss Claudia. Thank you for your kindness. We've been looking forward to eating torta di cocco very much. I'm really, truly grateful.

Claudia: Well, I'm happy to hear that. I hope you enjoy your wonderful sweets. Now then, please excuse me.

Mitile: Thank you!

Riquet: Thank you. (I think that I've made a lot of promises in my own heart, too.) (Because I know that rules, justice, morals, and proper procedures must be followed.) (But I'm still trying to find a solo promise that's just for my own sake…) (And I haven't been able to find one.) (It's like I've fallen into the vast ocean to drown and sink to its deepest depths.) (I imagine this is how that feels.) (My heart is like the ocean.) (There's nothing in it but dark depths.)

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: This is so good…!

Rutile & Mitile: It's soooo tasty!

Riquet: This torta di cocco really is wonderful…! I need to express my thanks to Claudia.

We'd neatly split the torta di cocco into even pieces, and now we were eating it, sitting by the seaside. Torta di cocco was something very similar to coconut cake. It was a cake as fluffy as a cloud and packed with lots of coconut, and even its appearance was unique.

Mithra: Well, this is good.

Rutile: Ah, Mithra… If you're only going to have a single bite, don't take such a big one…

Akira: (Honestly, it kind of feels like a waste to give any to someone like Mithra, considering he'll say even charcoal is good…)

Mithra seemed interested in the bits of shredded coconut that were fluttering down. I wonder if it reminded him of the snow in Northern Country. Gulls were calling in the background. I looked up at Mithra, sitting at my side, and his gaze was fixed on the ocean as sweet, powdery snow fell from between his fingers. His lips were pressed together, and his expression was hard to read.

Akira: …Is something wrong, Mithra?

Mithra: Something's here.

Akira: Huh?

I became the target of Mithra's gaze instead. My breath caught in my throat. In the waning light of the sun, he was as beautiful as a painting--a masterpiece had been drawn right next to me.

Mithra: There's something in the ocean.

I looked out to the ocean. I didn't see anything but the calm lapping of waves and seabirds silhouetted against the sky. But then…

Mitile: Ah… Look. Those people walking down the beach…

Mitile pointed his finger towards the edge of the beach.

✦✧☾✧✦

Under the sky dyed in the warm hues of sunset, where seagulls could spread their wings and soar undisturbed… A strange procession had formed on the shore. At the head of the procession was a man with long, white hair and fluttering blue clothes. I could tell he was a beautiful, elegant person even from a distance. Following behind him were many women in bright, colorful clothing. It was like they were fish with gleaming scales, swimming through the sunset scenery as though it were the middle of the sea. The white-haired man at the front…was wearing a silver bracelet with a large gemstone set in it.

Rutile: Is that the prince of the fallen kingdom the bard was singing about…?

He raised his head. I had the feeling he looked at me and smiled.

Mithra: …!

Akira: Wah, what's wrong?!

Mithra had suddenly scooped all four of us into his arms. He was protecting not only the Southern brothers he'd sworn to defend, but me and Riquet too, his whole body prepared to respond to anything.

Mithra: Why here…

Akira: D…Do you know him?

Mithra: I do not. However… He is not something that should be on land.

Mithra's voice was somewhat shrill. That startled me, and I stared at the silver-haired man. Mithra feared nothing and no one but the world's strongest wizard, Oz, and yet I'd just felt him shiver. In perfect contrast to Mithra, the silver-haired man wore a honeyed smile as he approached. The gentle evening breeze caught his silver tresses and the blue fabric of his clothing, and they fluttered through the air as if dancing. It was as if he were the sea itself. His eyes were a silver so pure they seemed almost transparent. It was a bit frightening.

???: Hwylryn.

Akira: Huh…?

But he did not repeat whatever he'd just said. Yet, somehow, I knew that had to be his name.

Mithra: …If you get any closer, I'll kill you.

At some point, Mithra had pulled out his magic focus, his crystal skull. The Southern brothers and Riquet both drew back, pressing against Mithra, his current state putting them on edge. The silver-haired young man…who was probably Hwylryn simply smiled. It was a friendly but mischievous expression.

Hwylryn: Be at ease, wizard of the North. I'm here to negotiate. What's your name?

Akira: Um…Akira.

Mithra: Master Sage!

Akira: Sh…should I not have told him?!

Hwylryn: Ahh, the Sage. So you're the Sage? Hmmmm.

Hwylryn narrowed his silver eyes. It was like the expression of a cat facing the sun. I could feel Mithra, still standing vigilant at my back, but as I looked at the man standing in front of us, I could feel my fear fading away. I couldn't say why, but he seemed like a cat who wanted just wanted to come and stick his paws in the middle of things.

Akira: …What do you want to negotiate?

Hwylryn: Sage. Take this.

He extended his hand, and I reached mine out, too. I blinked, and my hand was filled with gemstones. I didn't know what exactly all of them were called, but I could tell they were well-sized, well-cut, and very, very valuable.

Hwylryn: I'm giving this to you.

Akira: For… For the torta di cocco?

Hwylryn: Yeah. I heard the last customers had been served. And that you lot were those last customers.

Akira: Ah…

There were so many things I should've asked him, but the question that ended up coming out was a weird one.

Akira: Are you Hwylryn?

Hwylryn: That's right.

He kneeled down in front of me, maybe to meet my eyes. His silvery, transparent eyes looked up at me. It seemed like he was deliberately trying to downplay his commanding presence to put us more at ease.

Hwylryn: Please?

I split my slice of torta di cocco in half with my hand and gave him the part I hadn't taken a bite from yet. Maybe I should've given him the whole thing, but it was so delicious that I ended up only giving him half.

Akira: H…here.

Hwylryn: Thank you.

Hwylryn took a bite of the torta di cocco. Shredded coconut fell to the sand, dancing through the air as it went. Hwylryn looked up at Mithra, who had kind of stopped breathing, and grinned at him. The fluttering tips of his sleeves brushed against Mithra's nose. But Mithra had never had someone tease him like that before, so he was just left confused.

Mithra: …?!

Hwylryn: Let's play together soon, wizard of the North.

That was how Hwylryn and I first met.

****TL Note: Hwylryn's name, while not a literary reference, is taken from the Welsh word hwyl, meaning "fun" or "passion".

Next Chapter

#.mhyktl #.main story tl #.eventtl #4th anni

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 6: Folie a Deux (originally published on October 2, 2023)

AN: And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. We've been building up to this for two years now, but at long last, Steven and Black Rutile finally go head-to-head once again. And this time, there will be nothing holding them back in their fight to the death, except for their own inner demons. Steven refuses to fight and kill for entertainment but deep down, he's resisting the urge to go all out. Meanwhile, Black Rutile is incredibly eager to kill Steven once and for all, but that doesn't stop her from having her own second thoughts about everything. This, I believe, makes their dynamic so well-written, though I might be bragging here since I was the one who created it. But enough stroking my ego, we're officially at the halfway point of Snake Eyes now, so let's begin!

Synopsis: Steven and Black Rutile have their long-awaited rematch. Meanwhile, Nosiop begins his plot for universal conquest.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Grace Rolek as Connie

Jennifer Paz as Lapis

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Aurelio Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundr

Jason Marsden as Prince Nosiop Jormagundr

Keith David as Pyth

Shirley Millner as Queen Constricta Jormagundr

Henry Rollins as Captain Boa

Neil Flynn as Aescul

Patti LuPone as Yellow Diamond

Lisa Hannigan as Blue Diamond

Christine Ebersole as White Diamond

Ron Perlman as Inner Steven

Christopher Lloyd as Batsputin Vosania

Anna Akana as Dionna of the Sands

Peter Stormare as Reximillian

--

"Okay ladies, everyone into your cells!" one of the Bismuth guards at Revanche 666 yelled as the Rutile Rebels were ordered to their assigned prison cells in the aftermath of their attempted takeover of Little Homeworld. "This will be your home for as long as it takes for you to change your ways and finally accept that you lost."

"So that's how it is, huh?" Black Rutile muttered as she glumly sat down in her cell and gazed at her feet. Everything she had worked so hard from the moment Steven came out as the so-called son of Pink Diamond was all made entirely pointless once again. And even worse, it wasn't even Steven who ruined her plans this time, but instead his disgusting human friends. That was one of many things she hated about Steven. Despite how toxic he was towards others, Steven always knew how to gather allies, whether they were former enemies he convinced would agree with him or simple-minded creatures he could mold into his slaves.

Of course, Black Rutile wasn't any better, but at least she knew how evil she was and loved it. But now, her love of manipulating others to her whims had been used against her thanks to some choice words by the Crystal Gems to turn her allies' collective backs on her. And now, as she heard her subordinates converse among themselves, Black Rutile had one question to ask herself.

"Is this still worth it?"

--

"Status update on the Diamonds?" a Slytherophidian scientist said to his lab assistant as the pair watched over three massive gems in an equally large containment field meant to house the ginormous Diamonds they would soon reform into.

"Their vitals are normal, Dr. Heller." The female Slytherophidian said, gazing down at a tablet documenting the Diamonds' statistics. "They should return to their normal forms within a few minutes."

"Excellent work, Dr. Mercer." Dr. Heller said before the two scientists turned to find Aescul walking into the laboratory. "Oh, hello Aescul. Need anything?"

"Yes, I'm gonna need you two to leave for a bit so I can have a little privacy with our giant guests here." Aescul stated. "They're gonna need some catching up to do."

"Understood, sir." Dr. Heller said as he and his assistant left Aescul alone in the lab, just as the Diamonds regenerated their forms and found themselves in the containment unit.

"Oh, what happened?" Yellow groaned as she slowly regained consciousness from her fight with the Metals. "Where are those Metals?"

"Where are we? Some kind of laboratory?" Blue asked while looking around and tapping on the glass.

"You are exactly right, my Diamond-y friend," Aescul stated. "Hi, my name's Aescul. I'm a Slytherophidian spy who participated in the surveillance of your people and brought your little friend Steven to your planet. Nice to meet you guys."

"Hello there, Mr. Aescul." White Diamond politely greeted the spy in a somewhat awkward fashion. "Would you mind telling us where we are and why we're here?"

"Oh yeah, that." Aescul nodded. "You took quite a beating against the Metals, and I just wanted to see if you'll be alright in time for Steven's big fight with Black Rutile."

"Whose big fight with what?!" Yellow yelled in shock.

"Oh no, Steven!" Blue added, just as horrified at the decision, while Aescul remained stoic.

"Please, you must tell your masters to change this decision at once!" White begged Aescul on her knees like her life depended on it. "You have no idea how much Black Rutile hates our dear Steven!"

"Sorry, everybody, but rules are rules," Aescul said as he turned to leave. "You know, I can let you go so you're free to watch, ladies. You just need to keep your mouths shut since everybody hates you so much. Remember that cover-up?"

"Yes, we convinced the universe at large that all the planets we conquered were uninhabited to hide the fact that we committed genocide, we know," Yellow stated dryly as the Diamonds were released from their confinement. "I don't think I want to know how Steven would react to such news."

"Probably not well at all." White nodded fearfully while Aescul led them out of the lab. Little did they know was that Steven was having his own issues at the moment.

--

Meanwhile, Steven anxiously paced back and forth in the Crystal Gems' quarters at the Ouraborium as he contemplated what he had heard earlier. Queen Constricta had just announced that Steven and Black Rutile were due to fight soon in the arena, their first one-on-one battle since Black Rutile invaded the beach house while the Gems were in Los Diego. A lot has changed since the two last fought, but one thing that remained a constant was that Black Rutile utterly hated him and wanted every opportunity she got to knock him down a peg.

"Well, well, well, look who's all ready for his big day." Black Rutile declared sarcastically as she entered the room to speak with Steven one last time. "Don't get cold feet, old friend. The Slytherophidians wouldn't like that. Then again, they already hate you as is."

"So, what brings you here?" Steven said tepidly. "Want to gloat some more before we fight?"

"Quit reading my mind!" Black Rutile laughed before offering her archenemy a high-five. "Give me five!" Steven didn't answer, causing Black Rutile to high-five herself instead. "But in addition, I come here to inform you of a new plan I've come up with in cooperation with a new acquaintance I've made here with similar designs for the universe as I."

"Who are you talking about?" Steven asked quietly.

"I am, of course, talking about Prince Nosiop Jormagundr." Black Rutile stated. "You'll get to meet him soon, of course, but for now, to give you an idea of what we have planned." She played a holographic image of a tall, humanoid figure looming over the Crystal Gems and zapping them into poofing before the Gems reformed, looking like they had just emerged from a Kindergarten. "Nosiop and the rest of the royal family have connections with a being known as the Lapidarist that can revert all Gemkind into their base programming." She explained. "Meaning that we won't just force the Crystal Gems into being returned to what they were originally created to do, but the Diamonds and all of your little friends too! And maybe as a bonus, you might fall victim to the Lapidarist's powers too, thanks to you possessing good ol' Pink Diamond's gem."

"I knew you would do something like this to get your way!" Steven screamed angrily. "You're a monster!"

"Oh, I'm a monster. I haven't heard that one before." Black Rutile replied with a cross of her arms and a roll of her eyes. "What are you going to do about it? Shatter me? Oh wait, you can't because you're a pacifist! No, pacifist might be too kind for you. You can't shatter me because you're a coward."

"I am not!" Steven yelled back, only for Black Rutile to shut him up with a finger to his lips.

"Oh sure, try and deny it all you want, but let me make one thing clear." Black Rutile stated. "All of this was your fault. All of your friends were abducted by these snake people all because they've been watching you for months on end, and now they're all going to die because you don't want to fight!"

"But that's the idea." Steven tried to explain himself. "I told the king that I refuse to kill people for the entertainment of others, something I'm sure you would love to do."

"Oh sure, even the king is patting you on the back for your cowardice." Black Rutile sneered as she prepared to leave. "But remember that next we meet, you and the other Crystal Gems will finally learn your place under my heel."

"I'll see you in the ring." Steven said as Black Rutile left the room. Once again, she was plotting her revenge, but this time, her plan would involve transforming all Gems into her slaves, the Crystal Gems included. Steven couldn't stand for this. As much as he wanted to stay true to his guns, Black Rutile needed to be stopped once and for all, no matter what it would take.

"I said I've had enough of your bullying, Black Rutile," Steven yelled as soon as he heard another pair of footsteps approach him. "I'll see you in the ring!"

"I'm not Black Rutile, but I still think we need to talk about her," Greg replied in a firm yet gentle and fatherly tone while sitting beside his son.

"Please don't tell me she convinced you I'm a monster." Steven prayed that his beloved father wouldn't betray him.

"What, no?! I would never think such horrible things about my son!" Greg exclaimed. "Black Rutile's a monster, and your kindness aside, anyone else would've wanted to put her down for good with no remorse."

"Then I don't understand why you're talking to me when you barely know her," Steven responded.

"It would be the logical move, the safest move, the sensible move," Greg added.

"But?" Steven asked.

"It's not the Steven move. You trust people. You give them second chances, and they live up to your expectations the best they can." Greg explained. "I mean, Lapis, Peridot, Jasper, Bismuth, Spinel, the Diamonds, White Topaz, they all wanted you dead or out of the way, yet you believed they deserved a chance anyways."

"And here comes Black Rutile to refuse a second chance and live up to how evil she can be." Steven muttered disdainfully.

"No one can deny all the horrible things she did." Greg agreed with his half-human son. "I mean, she formed an entire terrorist organization to get revenge on you AND tried to destroy or conquer Earth multiple times!"

"But now she and Nosiop are plotting to reset the entire Gem race and use them to conquer the universe!" Steven exclaimed.

"True. And if I had your powers, I'd use them to take her down if I had no other option." Greg shook his head in agreement. "But I never thought I'd live to see you consider doing the same. You always find a way."

"Not this time." Steven declared as he got off the couch. "I've had to do a lot of growing up ever since I discovered my powers."

"And you did pretty great despite all you endured." Greg smiled pridefully, remembering all the ups and downs he and his son went through together as Steven grew up.

"For a while. But then I kept letting her get in my head and making me live up to her expectations. It's because of her that I had to leave everyone behind!" Steven exclaimed angrily, only for Greg to not answer him. "Aren't you going to argue with me?"

"Not when you're right, Schtu-ball," Greg replied somberly, knowing what Steven would do next.

"I've had fun, but I knew that when the situation gets serious, so would I!" Steven added.

"I'm not gonna argue with you, Steven," Greg said, not wanting to get into a fight with Steven. "I just wanted to make sure you really thought about this."

"I have, Dad. I'm sorry about what I'm going to do to Black Rutile; I really am." Steven replied firmly as he turned around and prepared to leave for the arena, his eyes briefly glowing a faint pink. "But I'm not a bright-eyed little kid singing songs about ice cream anymore. Playtime's over."

--

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, you've been waiting for this fight for ages now, but at long last, the moment has arrived!" King Cobralan announced to his cheering audience. "In this corner, you know him; you absolutely hate him, Steven Universe!"

As Steven marched out into the arena, he was met with booing and insults from the Slytherophidians, who were eager to see him killed in action. At the same time, the Crystal Gems could only watch helplessly as their human son was forced to fight against his will.

"Please do your best, Steven." Pearl silently prayed for Steven's survival.

"What are the odds of him making out of this alive, Garnet?" Amethyst asked the fusion.

"I'm calculating a 32.33% chance of Steven making this out with perfect mental health," Garnet replied, lowering her shades. "Repeating, of course."

"Well, that's better than he usually does," Jasper added.

"And in this corner, the Striking Shadow of the Rebellion, the leader of the Rutile Rebels, the little Rutile that could, the most wanted criminal known to Gemkind, BLAAAAACK RUTIIIILE!" The Slytherophidians celebrated Black Rutile's introduction, a stark contrast to how Steven was received, as Black Rutile strutted into the arena with her sword over her shoulder.

"You know what shall happen once I win this, right?" Black Rutile snidely asked Steven as she drew her sword. "You shall die, and there will be much rejoicing." To emphasize her point, Aquamarine and Eyeball gave a dry "Yay." from afar.

"I know, but I'm willing to try." Steven said as he nervously summoned his shield to defend himself as Black Rutile furiously charged at her archenemy and tried to stab him with her sword. Throughout the first part of the fight, Steven mainly defended himself with the shield from Black Rutile's attacks, all while she vented her frustrations and insecurities on him.

"Haha, you're just blocking!" Black Rutile laughed. "Typical Steven, never once raising a fist even if his life depended on it! You're just like your mother, just as weak and pathetic a brat as she was!"

"Seriously, pressing the mother button again?!" Steven yelled before he finally decided to throw a punch, but Black Rutile effortlessly caught it and threw him to the ground.

"Oh, what's the matter, little boy?" Black Rutile taunted. "Going to cry? Maybe soil yourself in front of hundreds?"

"So this is going to be our battle?" Steven muttered frustratedly. "Just you making speech after speech in between insulting me? Trust me, if I wanted to hear someone talk about themselves all day, I'd spend time with Peridot or Jasper."

"You know I can hear you, Steven!" Peridot yelled in offense before Jasper pushed her away.

"Come on, Steven, destroy her!" Jasper ordered Steven.

"No, this isn't just a battle. It's a message." Black Rutile replied while holding back tears of rage and sorrow. "A message about how you ruined countless lives with your worthless pacifism, but none more than mine. Before I met you, I was the ideal servant! Proud, ruthless, ruling by intelligence and charisma alone! Under my gentle guidance, entire armies of Gems made civilizations tremble before the Diamonds' might! But then you came along, a mere human boy from a pathetic little ball of dirt thought long abandoned by the Diamonds, a boy who stripped me of my honor and pride that I built my entire identity upon. It was at your hands that I suffered my greatest defeats and was forced to live life as a commoner after giving up everything I had worked for. You could not begin to imagine the disgrace I felt when I was exposed as a mere victim of White Diamond's sense of humor in front of everyone on your world!"

"But you still don't understand!" Steven exclaimed as he got back up and smacked Black Rutile in the face with his shield, making her tears fly free as she parried another attack and pressed her sword against the shield. "You were this way because the Diamonds gave you everything you could've ever wanted, and you still selfishly wanted more! Has it ever occurred to you that you're more like Pink Diamond than you think?!"

Angered by this accusation, Black Rutile slashed at Steven's shield as she began crying in earnest, something that Steven had never seen her do before, if she could even express such sadness at all. "Don't you dare compare me to that overgrown brat! I had suffered for centuries because of her, and now it's because of you that I lost everything!" she screamed tearfully. "I admired the Diamonds so much, but it's all their fault I'm reduced to a shell of my former self! Why do I have to keep chasing after a damned half-human rat who always knew what to do to ruin my life?! Why do you keep getting so strong and winning at everything, and even be acknowledged by the Diamonds as one of them, but why was I the one always getting pushed aside?! Why can't you just accept me for who I am?!"

Steven couldn't believe what he was seeing. Black Rutile, who had prided herself as a cunning, devious, opportunistic, sociopathic monster, was showing real sadness for the first time ever since they first met each other on that faithful day when she and White Topaz interviewed him for their fake news show. Everyone has seen Black Rutile laugh, but now Steven isn't sure if anyone has ever seen her cry.

However, Black Rutile quickly brushed her tears away and replaced her crestfallen frown with a psychotic grin. "But now, with Nosiop and the Lapidarist by my side, I can start anew with a new army, a new Homeworld to rule, and an entire universe at my fingertips to enslave! That's why I needed to come with you, to seize the opportunity like I always do! The Lapidarist shall free us of these petty attachments we have forged with each other, and I have to say, revenge feels pretty good."

"Not yet." Steven firmly stated as he stood his ground and awaited another attack from his nemesis.

"Too little, too late. Story of our lives, Steven Universe." Black Rutile smirked as her sadness turned into insane laughter as she lunged at Steven, ready to kill him once and for all.

--

"So, is this what Black Rutile is truly like?" Dionna of the Sands asked as she and the other Universal Lords watched the fight between the half-human son of Pink Diamond and the rebellious Rutile below their theater box. "I have only heard stories about her atrocities before now."

"Nay, as someone whose life was threatened by her before, this is utterly new to me." Batsputin added with a curious shake of his head. "Never before have I seen someone pour their heart out this much. Metaphorically, of course."

"It is extraordinary to see a Gem act this way." Reximillian agreed with Batsputin. "Is it normal for one of their race to be this emotional?"

"I'm not too sure." King Cobralan answered fearfully. "I'm afraid that should Steven Universe survive this, there should come a time for him to learn the truth."

"The truth about what, my love?" Queen Constricta asked.

"The truth about the origins of Gems and how they connect to us," Cobralan told his wife, making Constricta realize what her husband was talking about. "Captain Boa, inform our special friend at once."

"It shall be done, sire." Captain Boa said as he slithered away. "And I'll make sure to look for Princess Naja and Pyth as well. No one has seen them lately."

"Don't bother, Captain." Nosiop told Boa as he took a break from silently cheering for Black Rutile to face his uncle. "Naja is just in her room, nothing too serious. As for Pyth, wouldn't you like to know?"

--

While the Contest of Champions was going on, Pyth had retreated into his favorite hidden chambers within the royal family's castle with a torch in hand to search for something he hadn't checked up on in decades. Raising his torch to the wall, the Jormagundrs' royal vizier examined a series of stone wall carvings depicting what could come in the future.

They displayed images depicting what appeared to be figures resembling Steven and Black Rutile fighting each other in the arena, then shaking hands, followed by the two of them facing a large humanoid figure with hair resembling White Diamond's, and then them preparing to fight an even bigger snake creature.

"It is just as the prophecy foretold." Pyth stated ominously. "The sword and the shield shall soon reach an understanding after the shield learns of the sword's true inner self, just in time for Ragnarok."

--

"Dang, Black Rutile is really going all out." Greg muttered in surprise at Black Rutile's emotional outburst. "Never expected her to be that broken."

"She's lying, I just know it!" Connie yelled as she struggled to rush out into the arena and back up Steven against Black Rutile. "Black Rutile would never say something like that; she has to be faking it!"

"Connie, please calm down!" Pearl said while holding Connie back from recklessly charging into battle. "I know you love Steven, but I think he can handle himself here."

"Still, I've never seen Black Rutile like this before." White Topaz added. "I've been working with her for ages, and even I don't think she would get this emotional."

"Maybe it's because of how Steven ruined her life." Aquamarine said as she fluttered into view, with Eyeball, Holly Blue, and Cat's Eye beside her. "Think of it: she is only now venting all of her frustrations because, in this world, violence is both the only question and the answer."

"And the answer is yes!" Eyeball added cheerfully.

"Ugh, these guys." Lapis groaned in disgust. "What'll it take for you just to give up already?"

"In all seriousness, even we're questioning our loyalty to Black Rutile right now." Holly Blue declared. "We're so sick of her complaining about her losing; we almost selected a superior leader to replace her!"

"But unfortunately, Black Rutile and his new friend had to come in and ruin our fun!" Cat's Eye declared dramatically and swooned into Holly Blue's arms. "Now we are well and truly lost!"

"I'll believe it when I see it, drama queen." Jasper scoffed in disbelief as everyone turned back to watch the fight with bated breath. The battle between Steven and Black Rutile had just gotten more intense than ever, escalating from a duel between rivals to a clash of warriors. But who would make it out of this fight alive was left to the viewers.

--

"What's wrong, boyo? Too scared to keep fighting?!" Black Rutile snarled viciously as she threw her bowie knife at Steven's eye, only for him to block it with his shield and accidentally injure a Slytherophidian in the audience. "Oh, I get it; you want to go easy on me because you think I'm just so scared and misunderstood!"

"I know what you're going through, Black Rutile. There was a time when I felt scared and alone, too!" Steven exclaimed as he continued fighting back. "Of course, that was half because you made me feel like everything I did was for nothing!"

"Everything you did was for nothing, you pink brat!" Black Rutile responded as she jumped into the air and tried attacking Steven from behind. However, something began to change within Steven in the seconds before she would land the finishing blow.

"You're really just going to stand there and let her kill you?" a familiar voice in Steven's head asked. "Do you give up? Will you abandon their hope? Can you not feel their desperation?" Steven's eyes lit up in shock as the world around him froze, the only ones moving being himself and a being who looked just like him, only more muscular with pink skin and his hair in a pompadour. "Will evil forever rule the universe? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN?!"

"You again!" Steven yelled at Inner Steven, facing him. "What do you want with me now? What have I forgotten?"

"I'm asking if you've forgotten what it means to stand up for yourself." Inner Steven said, turning Steven around to face Black Rutile, ready to stab him in the back. "Tell me, my friend, are you ready to surrender and let a monster like her claim the victory she craved for so long?"

"But what if she isn't a monster?" Steven asked his darker half. "Fighting her has given me a whole new perspective on Black Rutile as a person. She feels so lost and alone, and it's all my fault. Maybe if she stopped trying to kill me for a minute, maybe we can finally talk things out!"

"Oh please, she's probably lying as always to play with your sympathy." Inner Steven shook his head in disgust before he got an idea. "As a matter of fact, why don't I take the wheel for a bit? I've been wanting some action for a long time now."

"Well, if that's what you want, then by all means," Steven sighed in resignation before stepping away to let Inner Steven take hold. "go get her, tiger."

"You're too kind, my little friend." Inner Steven grinned happily as time resumed to normal, and Black Rutile was about to stab Steven in the back. However, she was quickly met with Steven grabbing her sword by the blade, not caring about the injuries to his hand it would cause, before saying one word in a very deep voice. "FALL!"

Steven's increased volume sent Black Rutile flying back into the arena walls, creating a significant dent in the wall as the Slytherophidians gawked at Steven's sudden change. Not even the two hecklers had any wisecracks to make because of how shocking this was.

"W-what is this?" Black Rutile stuttered in shock at this new development. "Who are you?! Where is Steven?!"

"He's gone." Steven, now under the control of Inner Steven, declared as his body became a pink silhouette with glowing white eyes and a pair of shields in his hands.

"What did you just say?!" Black Rutile shouted. "Answer me!"

"He's GOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!" Steven boomed loud enough to create a shockwave that rocked the Ouraborium and the entire surrounding city, causing everybody inside to fall over from the sudden yell.

"Wait, this is just like when I removed his gem!" White exclaimed hopefully while the other Diamonds trembled in fear. "If this is anything like that time, then Black Rutile is toast!"

"Steven, you can't do that!" Black Rutile yelled angrily. "This victory is mine!" With an angry battle cry, the Rutile charged at Steven with her sword, ready to kill, only to be grabbed by the face and slammed into the ground. "What happened to you, Steven?! Why are you like this? Answer me, blast you!"

"This is what happens when I cut loose and show you how powerful I really am." Steven announced before picking Black Rutile up and throwing her to the sky before zipping towards the airborne Gem with superhuman speed and striking her with everything he's got. "ATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA-OWATTA!"

"Make it stop, make it stop!" Black Rutile screeched as she felt every last bit of hatred Steven had for her with every attack. But no matter how much she wanted to, she could never poof from the amount of damage she was taking, almost as if Steven wanted her to suffer all the pain she wrought upon others.

As Black Rutile landed on the ground in a cloud of dust while Steven descended from the air, the only thing she could do now was plead for mercy. "No more, Steven Universe! Grant me mercy, I beg of you!"

"You, who are without mercy, now plead for it?" Steven scoffed in disgust at Black Rutile's attempted surrender. "I thought you were made of sterner stuff."

"That's what you think!" Black Rutile briefly regained her bravado and drew her sword, but Steven deflected the attack with his twin shields before grabbing the blade and twisting it into a corkscrew shape.

"No need to wonder where your god is, Black Rutile, for he is right here." Steven declared menacingly, his threat sending shivers down the audience's spines. "And he is fresh out of mercy."

"Oh, how cute, he thinks he's a-." Black Rutile chuckled before she realized what Steven was about to do. "OH SHIT!" With another punch to the face, Black Rutile skidded to the ground so hard she was almost buried within Serpentes's surface. As she burst one hand out of the arena's floor to pick herself back up, Steven stepped on her face, and Black Rutile was forced back into the hole.

"This is where you belong, Black Rutile. Under. My. Heel." Steven coldly declared as Black Rutile continued trying to escape. "Had enough yet?"

"You know what? I give up." Black Rutile said, causing Steven to stop stomping on her as she exited the hole and onto her knees. "Go ahead, kill me. Kill me now." Steven was silent, as if he was hesitating to put her down. "DO IT!"

"FINISH HER! FINISH HER! FINISH HER! FINISH HER!" the Slytherophidians chanted as they beckoned the empowered Steven to shatter Black Rutile just as Steven returned to his senses and realized what he had just done.

"No!" Steven boldly declared upon regaining his humanity. "I refuse to kill someone who's already dead inside as is!" The Slytherophidians gasped in shock at Steven's announcement, but unlike the last time something like this happened, where they made him the scourge of Serpentes, they were willing to hear him out this time. "Just look at Black Rutile here. She's lost everything. Her power, her status, even her dignity. Everything she's been through has reduced my opponent into a pathetic shell of her former self, and I do not think shattering her would grant her any kind of sweet release she would be looking for. Why kill her when she's already killed herself?"

"So that's it? You're sparing me?" Black Rutile muttered in disbelief before she immediately grabbed onto his pant leg like an upset child. "Why?! Why can't you shatter me already?! I've ruined your life, turned you against your friends, and turned the whole universe against you! Why can't you just hate me like I do?!"

"Because after hearing you vent your anger," Steven coldly responded. "nobody hates you more than yourself." On that last word, Steven left the humiliated Black Rutile to be gawked at by the shocked snake people like she was some kind of endangered species. Perhaps Steven was right. No one did hate Black Rutile more than herself. And this made her very worried.

"Uh, this was certainly an unexpected end to such an intense fight." King Cobralan announced as he tried to ease the tension thick enough to be cut with the sharpest swords in the universe. "How about we go to halftime then?!" The Slytherophidians all cheered at the suggestion while their fearless leader wiped the sweat off his brow. "Oh geez, I do not want to know how the Lapidarist will hear about this!"

"Hmph, pathetic." Nosiop scoffed in dismay at Black Rutile's meltdown as a pair of Slytherophidian guards took her away. Regardless of her performance, she was still needed for his plan to succeed, but Nosiop knew she would need to be taken off the board soon.

--

Minutes later, Black Rutile was left to wallow in shame in her personal quarters at the Ouraborium, utterly humiliated by her defeat and how Steven refused to kill her no matter how much she begged him to end her suffering. But no matter what she did, Steven refused to cave into the pressure of others and stuck true to his ideals. "I thought this time, just this once, I thought I was gonna get what I was fighting for."

"Hey, Black Rutile, remember me?" White Topaz said as she entered Black Rutile's quarters to comfort her old master despite how much she was abused in the past. "I just thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing. Man, Steven absolutely destroyed you back there, huh?"

"Don't remind me." Black Rutile sulked angrily as she turned away. "The nerve of that boy, thinking I was more like Pink Diamond than I realized, and how nobody hated me more than me. Can you believe him?! Always projecting his own issues onto others!"

"But it's true, you are like Pink Diamond!" White Topaz agreed with Steven's accusations. "You got everything you could ever want, yet you still think that isn't enough, so you decided to become an evil megalomaniac bent on conquering the universe because you think you'd be a much better leader than any of the Diamonds combined."

"Because that's what I built my identity on! Or at least I thought I did." Black Rutile stated. "Until I learned that everything I worked for was because White Diamond found my dreams of greatness funny. I swear on my gem, once I learn more about the Lapidarist, I will restore everything to its proper order, except that only I shall be made leader of all Gemkind!"

"Then you truly are lost." White Topaz declared sadly, having now lost all hope in helping Black Rutile make a change. "Goodbye, my Rutile."

As White Topaz turned away and left Black Rutile behind, her former superior could only cry out for her ex-bodyguard to come back. "Topaz, get back here at once! Topaz!" The doors shut behind White Topaz, leaving Black Rutile alone in her room. "TOPAZ!" She fruitlessly pounded on the door with tears in her eyes, desperately trying to get White Topaz's attention, but to no avail.

What once was a proud, arrogant conqueror with delusions of grandeur was now a broken, lonely shell of her former self. Thus continues the tragic tale of the life of Black Rutile.

--

"What was all that for?!" Steven yelled at Inner Steven in the meantime. "You could've gotten Black Rutile seriously hurt or worse!"

"It's the least she deserves after all she's done to you." Inner Steven firmly retorted while folding his metaphorical arms. "Let's see, lying to you and all your friends, attempting to kill you, gaslighting you into betraying your friends, attempting to destroy the Earth multiple times, shall I go on? Going easy on her just wouldn't be enough if you ask me. Consider yourself lucky you made it out with your mental health intact."

Just then, there was a knock at Steven's door. "We'll settle this later, Inner Me. I think someone wants to see me." Steven said to the personification of his darker impulses as he opened the door to find Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl beside King Cobralan. "Oh hey, guys. Sorry, I got you all worried back there."

"Nah, we're not talking about how you utterly creamed Black Rutile in your fight." Amethyst shook her head morosely.

"We're here because King Cobralan wants to speak with you about something." Garnet added before nodding to Pearl.

"So, Your Majesty, what did you want to say to him?" Pearl asked the Slytherophidian king.

"I wanted to tell Steven that it's time he learns the truth." King Cobralan said forebodingly.

--

In Loving Memory of David McCallum

September 19, 1933 – September 25, 2023

"So many different ways to tell a story, but that's what makes them so interesting. You can never predict how they're going to turn out."

-Professor Paradox, Ben 10 Omniverse: "And Then There Were Ben"

So ends quite possibly the longest chapter of Snake Eyes yet, and how fitting that it's the chapter marking the halfway point. From here on out, Black Rutile has turned into full tragic villain, we get more hints on her big scheme with Nosiop and Pyth, and next time, Steven learns the origins of the Gems we've all been waiting for. And I can assure you, it'll be one of the biggest bomb drops I've written not just for Alternate Future, but for any of my stories in general. See you then.

#steven universe #steven universe future #fanfiction #steven universe alternate future #steven universe snake eyes #steven quartz universe #garnet #amethyst #pearl #black rutile #white topaz #lapis lazuli #peridot #bismuth #connie maheswaran #greg universe #king cobralan jormagundr #yellow diamond #blue diamond #white diamond

[buzz-london]

🫢👉*Thorium theft: A 60 lakh crore scam?*😳

*Why India lost in the Race for Clean Thorium Nuclear Power!*

*MOU between Congress & Communist Party of China.*

*A Must read...as this is the worst of the scams during UPA regime.*

*How Sonia destroyed India's Thorium Technology: A ₹60,00,000 Crore worth of Thorium Scam was done by Madam Sonia Gandhi and her traitorous gang!*

We noticed illegal sand mining is going on throughout the coastal belts of India. Many of us have the false impression that this sand is used for construction works. But if we think that, we are more wrong.

*India holds the biggest reservoir of Thorium along our beaches with Tamil Nadu alone holding more than 30% of the world’s Thorium deposits!*

The sand in our beaches is full of Thorium.

*India was Number one in the Thorium based Fast Breeder ( FBT) Nuclear Technology until PM Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Union Defence Minister A.K. Anthony captured it for 10 years under the orders of the Congress President Sonia Gandhi.*

Once the Sonia Gandhi led UPA Government came to power the Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh followed an unwritten policy of severely downsizing the indigenous Thorium Based Technology Programme (Fast Breeder Reactor or FBT) thereby *making India dependent on the foreign countries for an advanced nuclear technology,* key scientists claim on the condition of anonymity.

Indian Nuclear Scientists at the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) claimed that *by 2013 India would have mastered the technology to build Thorium based 1 Gigawatt Nuclear Reactors which is now being supplied by China to Pakistan!

*The smuggling and illegal mining of the beach mineral sand started flourishing in the Kerala costal lines after 2007 when Ilmenite was delisted from the 'list of Prescribed Substances' by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the UPA-I rule.*

Not many Indians know that the RARE EARTH Mineral Titanium is processed from Ilmenite.

Indian Nuclear Scientists said, “since the UPA government assumed office in 2004 with Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister, 2.1 million tonnes of the RARE EARTHS that contain Monazite , Ilmenite, Cerium, Garnet, Zircon and Rutile equivalent to 195,300 tonnes of Thorium at 9.3 per cent recovery had disappeared from the sea shores of India!”

This RARE EARTH (Monazite, quite rich in Thorium) is reported to have been mostly exported to other countries by a powerful mining cartel.

*China received so much of the Thorium from us that it will last them for the next 24,000 years!*

The Chinese are now developing THORIUM MOLTEN SALT REACTOR (MSR) TECHNOLOGY. So China now is taking the Lead in the Race for Clean Nuclear Power! This should have been ours but for the Italian Lady and her traitorous Sepoys!

*Now do you understand the implications of the agreement between Congress & Communist Party of China.*

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/thorium-theft-a-60-lakh-crore-scam/videoshow/22278985.cms

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/thorium-theft-a-60-lakh-crore-scam/videoshow/22278985.c

#indian politics #china #energy

[dollseyereflex]

Ah, Mr Lucille, I’ve been expecting you... Gwin always ends up looking like a Bond villain. Always. It’s probably the hedgehog, though the overbearing, powerful demeanor hiding behind a quiet facade doesn’t help..

#grand guignol orchestra #ningyou kyuutei gakudan #guignol kyuutei gakudan #royal doll orchestra #gwin #gwindel #lucille #rutile #lady hedgehog #yuku kaori #manga #ggo