#shattered soul crystal cookie

[indigo-flightly-falls]

White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes

------

Are some designs inconsistent and like two of the lyric wrong? Yes but who cares this took like 4 hours and I was not touching it after I finished

ANYWAYS, 3rd Life X Cookie Run Kingdom AU anybody?

Ren - Choco Wolf Cookie

Martyn - Lost Apple Cookie

Skizz - Red Angel Cookie

Etho - Void Starling Cookie

BigB - Shattered Soul Crystal Cookie

@10piecechickenmcnugget @qsmp-cellbit @dingdinghq (you seem like you'd like this :) ) and finally @trenchcoatsbi!!! Phil here you go this took so fucking long but it's so so worth it. Thank you for letting me come in the inbox and yell about it

#crk #cookie run kingdom #3rd life #third life #trafficblr #renthedog #choco wolf cookie #martyn inthelittlewood #lost apple cookie #skizzleman #red angel cookie #ethoslab #void starling cookie #bigbstatz #shattered soul crystal cookie #indi's art #Game of Life and Snow

[dingdinghq]

*cracks knuckles*

Alright, get READY FOR CHARACTER DETAILS!! (<- is Not Normal about character creation). For the record, this is not all the characters, just the ones I've fleshed out enough that I'm happy with

Void Starling/Voidling Cookie (Etho) Name reasoning: Starling for a general space then + birb, Void to set them apart from Stardust, and Voidling as a fun little nickname because they have a long name Pronouns: they/them + any space neos! Theme song: King of the World - Young Rising Sons Extra details: - has ADHD and BPD - finds a special winter area in the Kingdom extra calming, and will sit for hours at night in the snow - created by the Celestial Tree guardians by accident out of Stardust's dough, and therefore is siblings with Stardust! - technically siblings with Moonlight cookie as well, but hasn't met her yet

Parrot Ice Cream Cookie (Grian) Name reasoning: I know of an ice cream flavor that looks like the pastel version of common Grian parrot hybrid color headcanon so. Also bc waffle hair Pronouns: he/they Theme song: Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons Extra details: - he has literal waffle hair, like the ice cream cone - ADHD - after being killed at a young age, they were brought back to like by Eye Cookie and turned into a Watcher - actually got fully brainwashed post-game, and while he was able to be freed, feels really guilty about that

Red Angel Cookie (Skizz) Name reasoning: Call back to his long time spent as red dring 3L, and the common angel headcanon! Pronouns: he/him Theme song: Die for You - Starset (alternatively Angel With a Shotgun fits perfect as well) Extra details: - Used to be close friends with Firebird and Yellow Demon, but ya know. death games where they were on opposite sides. They're currently on speaking terms, but things aren't the same any more. - former guardian angel, but lost the rank after letting his charge die by accident - probably the only reason Voidling hasn't died yet - knows how to use most weapons! - partners with Voidling! he knew they wanted to ask him out well before they actually did ask him out

Choco Wolf Cookie (Ren) Name reasoning: Look at Ren and tell me he isn't chocolate flavored Pronouns: he/him mostly! Theme song: Born for This - The Score Extra details: - Some flavor of neurodivergent - was the prince of a kingdom before running away after it was taken over! - In a poly relationship with both Lost Apple and Shattered Soul Crystal! Also in a qpr with those two + Voidling and Red Angel! (the qpr is between all members I'm just mentioning it here)

Lost Apple Cookie (Martyn) Name reasoning: It is all the vibes tbh Pronouns: he/ey (ey/em) Theme song: Hallelujah (I'm not Dead) - Citizen Soldier Extra details: - autistic - Used to be know as Apple Angel Cookie, but after watching his village get attacked, changed it to avoid being found - he's aromantic! - Despite the 'angel' part of his name, he was never a guardian angel and has never interacted with them

Shattered Soul Crystal Cookie (BigB) Name reasoning: I'm giving a bunch of the characters trauma specifically related to being valued but torn apart at the same time. Also the general shape of his wings! Pronouns: he/it Theme song: Brother - Kodaline Extra details: - used to be the 'savor' of a village, but was treated horribly so it ran away - Doesn't really know how to interact with cookies - due to the way his magic works, using too much can cause it to need to basically sleep for weeks. This rarely happens, but when it does he feels awful - used to be really close to exactly one cookie in his old village, before they were killed for 'daring to touch the prized'. This was the main reason he snapped

Moss Phantom Cookie (Bdubs) Name reasoning: Moss coat + semi common phantom headcanon! Pronouns: he/it/xe Theme song: Dial Drunk - Noah Kahan Extra details: - Would vibe to Cotton Eye Joe unironically - ended up having the friend version of a break up with Doc, was not dealing with it good - has a joke-crush on Void Starling. It's played up for laughs and is more like a squish then a crush - Short - Is actually a demon possessing a pile of moss

Frost Flower Cookie (Scott) Name reasoning: Ties in both empires seasons, as well as 3L! Pronouns: he/xe Theme song: Atlantis - Seafret (in a non-literal sense) Extra details: - former name was Blueberry Syrup Cookie! Xe changed it after getting taken by the Watchers and realizing that hey, he didn't have to be like his parents anymore. - While he and Canary broke up, they're still on good terms! They just didn't feel right about continuing their relationship post-game. - is pretty close to Dark Syrup after that whole deal!

Canary Cookie (Jimmy) Name reasoning: I feel like this one explains itself. Canary curse and all Pronouns: he/they/it Theme song: Running Up that Hill - Kate Bush Extra details: - brother to Lost Apple! They got separated at a young age and didn't recognize each other until after the game - adoptive siblings with Blue Axolotl Cookie (Lizzie) - in a qpr with Firebird! - actually almost joined Cakewarts, but didn't fully trust Choco Wolf

Dark Syrup Cookie (Xornoth) Name reasoning: 'Dark' is commonly used in crk to show characters who are aligned with evil, 'syrup' is from the fact that maybe the corruption is more of a syrupy thing in this AU? Pronouns: they/it Theme song: Dollhouse - Melanie Martinez Extra details: - Not evil anymore! Dark Stag Cookie (Exor) just sucks! STOP MANIPULATING CHILDREN - actually really sweet when not corrupted! Also loves its brother very much!!!! - still has control over the corruption, loves to mess with cookies by growing random vines or stuff

Charred Angel Cookie (Helsknight) Name reasoning: Well I've always headcanoned Hels as an angel, and the 'charred' bit reflects how they got stuck in an oven and got a bit burnt up Pronouns: they/it/hell/flare Theme song: Feel Better - Penelope Scott Extra details: - still siblings with Wels, they just don't really bother to try and connect with hells brother - Autistic and has BPD - Used to be a guardian angel, but was never allowed to actually guard anything, leading to flare losing the ability to feel positive emotions for a while

Moon Moth Cookie (Pearl) Name reasoning: Pronouns: she/her Theme song: The Moon Will Sing - The Crane Wives Extra details: - hunts demons and dragons! Probably met Tart Tartan Cookie at some point because of this!

I'm cutting it off here because I don't wanna lit character limit again-

CHARACTERS!!!!! i love this so much!!!

the names are super cool!!!! still dont get bigbs kinda but i absolutely see the vision and am with you (speaking of, do you know ye olden days bigb lore? do you have any ideas who this old village friend may have been?)

ough,,,,,, love them. love them sm. theyre the little guys.

#asks from surface waters #indigo asks #3rd life crk au #i think thats my tag for it #also sorry i cant give more direct commentary #ive been wanting to but my thing is breaking and it fucks up asks once i go to answer them so i cant exactly see what the ask says :(((

[sammywolfgirl]

I don’t know a whole lot about the dragons in Cookie Run in general- but I’ll try mah best-

Do cookies still have control while in their dragon forms? Or is it like a werewolf situation where they go berserk?

In the comic you did you mentioned a dragon crystal- what’s that do? Is it like an indicator of a dragon or just something to keep them under control

Well dragon cookies are like they are in my main au, which means when they become a cookie they’ll slowly gain their dragon power back, and will be able to go full dragon at will eventually.

Tarte Tatin is a special case since she wasn’t born a dragon, she’s a cookie who was given a dragons power.

Dragon gems are a thing regular dragons have, I’ve seen some people compare it to soul jam but idk if I’d go that far. It’s just something a dragon like… has? If that makes sense.

It’s probably important, if that thing shatters the dragon is going to be seriously hurting until it heals. But it’s like…. It’s something a dragon can sense to see a fellow dragon, usually only legendary dragons have them, but dragon cookies will always have one. So that means it’s possible for a minor dragon that gets a cookie form to get one.

Though a minor dragon becoming a dragon cookie is incredibly unlikely.

Dragon cookies by the time they can achieve ther dragon form will hav full control, though they might struggle to go full dragon on command (Royal margarine dragon for example hasn’t gone full dragon in so long he’s forgot how to do so on command)

As for tarte Tatin? Uh… well she could go full dragon but as she is now I’d say it’s unwise for various physical and mental wellness reasons.

#it me #dragon swap au #cookie run #cookie run kingdom #cookie run au

[eloquentornot]

The Rock, the mega base, is not the Entity, though it is similar. It will have many themes, styles from various points in history, all connected by vines across small islands floating high into the sky. From what we see built today, the first section is a mixture of two different historical styles, and the first floating island, the nether portal, bears striking resemblance to a shattered crescent moon.

Hmm... Different parts of history connected, built one at a time, such that the style of the base... “Evolves” over time? (Probably not actually a reference, but you never know.)

The oxidised copper dome of the structure ages in an instant, the surface seemingly damaged by patches of Warped materials...

Mumbo Jumbo has returned! He did not appear to have come from the Rift, and the image of his face is no longer there... Hold on. The back of his head is once again styled to resemble Grian’s, as it was in the days when he had eaten his soul... But that state of affairs surely reverted between seasons, as all such massive changes must, did it not? And, as Grian points out twice, his name is now Mumbo, not Mumbo Jumbo. ...Perhaps a change in presentation is perfectly innocent, he has been away for quite some time! And, as one of Grian’s best friends, he has chosen to build his mega base as close as possible! Which just so happens to be directly over the Rift. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

It could have been an ordinary ending to an episode, but Grian’s wings broke. He stumbled down the one hole in his bridge, falling so far down to his beacon that he was sure he would die. But he survived, to his great surprise and shock. We could hear a strange sound from the Rift, as he turned to face it. He didn’t say it, but it was clear what he had realised: it saved him. The Rift chose to keep Grian alive. It is fair to infer that strange things are coming...

But the strangest part yet of what we have watched today, may or may not be relevant. To end his odd outro, Grian ate a cookie. An Elven Surprise, created by Scar, the surprise being a brief blindness effect. But in the darkness, Scar’s voice echoes, strange references to a dreamlike world of memories, past lives...

Earlier, Scar also featured, along with Mumbo, in what we presumed to be an unrelated bit. What strange things he said, affecting that Grian’s life somehow.

Scar is also someone who has pointed out how Mumbo’s name is now changed. It could just be that the three are close friends so it makes sense that these two are the first to notice. And yet, I cannot help but suspect... Scar has subtly (or not so subtly) emphasised his strange bed, many times. The bed made of Warped materials. At first I assumed the twisting vines around his base were for elven decoration, but now I wonder if his strange elven magic might somehow be connected to all this. It was probably in the void between seasons that his transformation took place, after all, and that was presumably also where the Entity first contacted Grian... I had begun to worry that the Warped plants might be spreading out from Grian’s starter house towards Scar’s, but equally it could somehow be the other way...?

(...I know. There are amethyst crystals in Scar’s tree, too. But it can’t be the Nothing. It just can’t be. It is something different, something new. It has to be. I honestly don’t think it has anything to do with that bunch of troublemaking, angst-or-whatever-eating Watchers, either. But I might be wrong.)

#hermitcraft spoilers #hermitcraft speculation #entity hc #grian hc9 lore

[multifandom-onigiri]

// do not read this at all if you have not read day 3 of cookie odyssey chapter 2

Mostly not an original thought from my part because I did actually see the cutscene picture from a Korean YouTube channel that posted day 3 (in split parts) quite earlier and looked at the comments of that particular video

But

well would you look at that :)

further explanation:

[TDLR: Magic candies are made of sugar and one core ingredient specific to the user, which is what Espresso (partially on accident) uses.]

Magic candies seems to fit the description of the “receptacle” that espresso was trying to transfer the energy from the soul jam to due to 2 components:

Sugar: Espresso was first experimenting with sugar cubes and then compressed sugar. In ovenbreak, magic candies are made with various types of sugar crystals. Not exactly the same thing, but quite similar due to the same ingredient.

Core Ingredient: In Ovenbreak, each magic candy has one ingredient that is special to the user that holds it.

Espresso attempts many times to get a receptacle to store the energy from the soul jam, but they all shatter immediately when it comes into contact with anything. It’s only when Espresso accidentally spills coffee that the receptacle finally succeeds in holding the energy from the soul jam.

For Espresso, that would be his core ingredient and it would make complete sense. Not only because he’s made of espresso but also he loves coffee. It’s the drink that keeps him awake for days on end to focus on his studies and experiments, and it’s the entire drink that he literally invented a new form of magic from. He probably wouldn’t have the same life as he does now without it. (And that’s probably where the “soul” part comes in.)

Nothing is confirmed but I would love if this is how they introduced magic candies. And if this is how they will introduce magic candies into crk, shout-out to espresso cookie cuz wow.

Edit: Although I do think it might be a bit early for them realistically to introduce them as a game mechanic if they didn’t mention it during the devnow presentation. But I do feel like introducing magic candies into the lore first could be a good way to start setting up for a future in-game mechanic.

(Sorry that this is really long LOL.)

#cookie run spoilers #cinder rambles

[lilylovesundertale]

I apologize I am very sick but I'll try my best to post anyways

Chapter 3 the disaster

Delto: we found one

Sunny: good 9 more to go the next one's in the ocean

Aquo: ...*gay panic*

Delto: you ok-?

*aquo falls over*

Sunny: AQUO

leaf:* make sure he's okay*

Drago: ...

*a soul peace went inside of aquo and he began floating*

Drago:*back away slowly*

Lily:*walking holding cookies* who wants cookies-what the fuck

Zap: that's not like you sis-... Should I call an exercise

Nora:*walking in* . . . Lily get behind me

Echo:*walking in only to walk back out* nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope-I'm too tired for this

Star:*pull out coss * THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU

Aquo:*begins attacking them*

*Delta begins crying from the other room making lily go over to the baby*

Sunny:*protect Crystal's body* OW

*one of the attacks hit echo *

Echo:*attack back twice of power*

Darko: hey babe I got tickets for the moiv-

*he stopped witnessing what was happening*

Darko: ... what the fuck did I just walk into?

*after a while aquo collapses a soul piece coming out*

Aquo: my head hurts

Aziz: you okay petty boy?

*drago Get in front of them*

Drago: HE'S MINE!

Aziz: no he's not

Aquo: *confused screaming*

The soul peace went back to Crystal*

Nora:*coss arms* mind explaining what exactly happened there?

Lily:*had some worried look on*now I'm all worried about you guys well being are you okay are you guys hurt

Sunny: well I guess the gig is up

*they explained everything to lily and Nora*

Lily: WHAT!?

*Nora spit out her coffee*

Aquo: yep it turns out for some reason her soul shattered but luckily she's alive still

Lily: WHY DIDN'T YOU GUYS TELL US ABOUT THIS YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELFS KIDNAPPED O-OR WORSE!

nora: *disappointed parent look*

We have to do the next chapter once they calm down/to be continued

#lily aquado au #psychonauts au #psychonauts 2 #lily aquado future #my au #protective nora #darko x zap #lily x nora #aquo x drago

[abstracthappiness]

swordtember 2022, collected

The sword is made of crystal, its blade polished to a rainbow sheen, pulsing with magick. It holds a ragged edge, deceptively fragile. If the wielder forgets to wrap the handle, shards will cut deep into the palm, enchanting the blood even as it poisons her.

-

The sword is a candle, and a test, as she slowly climbs the tower. The blade burns down, hot wax covering her hands. If she cries out or releases the grip, she fails. If the flame goes out, she fails. The wind howls. The beacon waits to be lit. She climbs.

-

She twisted the hilt and the blade seemed to shatter—gears clicked and whirred, shifting and spinning the metal pieces until the sword reformed into a shield. The edge bit into the ground as she braced for impact, hugging her sister close.

-

Four swords lay sheathed in the temple, each forged with a sacred orb containing an elemental. In order to awaken that power, each wielder must pledge their very soul—resigning themselves to be slowly devoured by the element they have sworn themselves to.

-

At midwinter, a blind warrior hands out weapon-shaped cookies. You’re meant to break the edible sword in half and share it with a rival. This tradition echoes the Breaking of the Blades, which accompanied the signing of peace treaties after the Hundred Year War.

-

She utters a word, leaving her mouth tasting like copper. The sword shivers, spills—becoming liquid at the knight’s feet until she flicks her wrist. The blade stretches into a mercurial whip with an edge that slices through almost anything: steel, stone, bodies.

-

The sword’s blade is a mirror. It is named Bloody Mary, unsheathed for the most serious trials. The criminal is made to look into its surface, hands tied to the grip. She must answer truthfully; if she lies, cuts will appear on her face and hands.

-

She took up her father’s shattered sword, soldering it together with spell-worked metal. It was quenched and blessed in a thunderstorm. When she found the murderer, she wielded a gold-veined blade that hummed with power, calling lightning down upon the guilty.

-

The sword was elegantly forged, the blade etched with a floral motif, designed by the princess herself. When she overheard someone mocking the aesthetic, she gently explained, “The flowers depicted are all poisonous, and the etching holds the poison well.”

-

The sword itself was unremarkable; it was the sheath that made the thief’s fingers itch. Twin snakes twisted down the ebony shaft, each scale a glittering emerald. They came alive when she reached for it, two sets of diamond fangs sinking into her arm.

-

The sword powered up, neon blue light reflecting off the knight’s cybernetic augmentations. “Never thought I’d see one of those again,” the old man said. “Was it your father’s?” “I stole it off a dead man,” she replied. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

-

In every lifetime, a chosen one is drawn to the Fractured Blade. Once the fragments are gathered, they are woven back together by the Sisters Smith, masters of magic and metalworking. The art of sword-spinning has been lost, but for those three witches.

-

The sword lies hidden, invisible until wielded by one with royal blood. It was lost after the slaughter of the royal family. Years later, a local girl sees a glimmer in the woods; a sword in a stone. The king’s bastard steps forward and draws her birthright.

-

The witch’s sword cannot cut or stab through armor or flesh, but it is far from useless. Its enchantment allows the witch to pierce the veil between worlds, giving her a quick exit from unfriendly situations.

-

Her weapon was dual-purpose: a rifle for taking out prey at longer distances, with a secondary trigger allowing a blade to swing out for the close-up kill. She tried not to favor one over the other; right tool for the right job, and all that.

-

The sword is carved from the bones of some deep sea monster; the blade is set with pearls and shells in a wave pattern. A ceremonial weapon, to be exchanged with the Landwalkers as a symbol of unity between earth and water. It will soon be dyed red with blood.

-

The Oathbreaker Knight is marked by the blade-less swords she wields. One century ago, when war broke out, she bent the knee to her king and swore an oath before the gods of fire and victory. When she broke that faith, every blade she had turned to smoke.

-

The sword was forged from enchanted glass; blessed to strike a killing blow, cursed to constantly fracture under its wielder’s touch. It was once wielded by gods and giants. Now the shards are fit for only the smallest pixie.

-

The sword in the stone was an impromptu family heirloom, appropriated by the MacAlyster Clan when they built their castle around it. It stood in the gardens for generations, until a newly hired nanny sneaked out to retrieve the sword that would make her queen.

-

The tomb was guarded by two knights, carved from white marble. The statues held swords stylized as acanthus leaves; appearing too garish to be functional, but sharp enough to cut a careless trespasser. It was said that in the moonlight, the knights came alive. (Acanthus leaves are a symbol of immortality and resurrection; somewhat ironic for the cursed emperor who claimed he would never die.)

-

The Revenant Knight carries a sword with a short, curved blade and a long handle. The pommel is a ring, upon which hangs a lantern. They roam the wilds, the light guiding the restless dead back to the corpse roads, where they may wander to the underworld.

-

The Forest Lord sharpened the tips of his antlers until they were sharp as swords. A pretender had come to His territory, claiming the Summer Throne and the Winter Crown. The Lord would show this whelp exactly how He had held the Greenwood for three centuries.

-

The sword is held in place by chains. The blade is shattered, clinging to a soulstone. This whispers and sings and screams with the voice of a witch long dead. The sword and the soul are too powerful to destroy, forever suspended over a chasm, out of reach.

-

Deep in the Water Temple lies a sword, with a mother-of-pearl blade, and a guard of twisting coral. Whoever retrieves it will be crowned King By the Sea. One bright night, a pearl diver descends to claim the treasure, and all that is promised with it.

-

Your former bosses contracted the android assassin known as Spider. A looming figure approaches; three extra sets of arms extend from the torso, each limb tipped with a blade. Eight swords spinning in your direction, cutting through everything, smooth as silk.

-

The child wielded a wooden sword, uttering a war-cry as she charged her brothers, who scattered with mocking cries of terror. “’Tis not ladylike,” tutted her governess and her mother, but her father roared with delight at his little lady warrior.

-

The swords and shields are laid out in a neat pattern, criss-crossing down the hall. The swords get more rusted, the further you go; the shields are rotted through. There’s a throne at the end of the hall. You don’t know what you’ll find, when you get there.

-

One side of the blade is normal, sleek and sharp; the other is jagged, spiked, pocked with red shards. The blessed side, the cursed side. As befits an asymmetrical blade, it has two very different wielders, who love and hate each other in equal measure.

-

The giant wears a crown of swords; a broken, rusted thing. No one has challenged him for a long time—no one has failed for a long time—where are all the foolish champions? He is almost bored enough to come down from his mountain and look for someone to kill him.

-

It’s hard to say where metal ends and bone begins; the sword was created using necromantic methods, and is full of souls, nigh unbreakable. Two skulls make up the guard, and chatter while their wielder hacks away at flesh and bone, both living and undead.

//

read more on twitter: kattra | prompt list

#microfiction #flash fiction #vss #writing #swordtember #swordtember2022 #kattra #my writing #fantasy #sci fi #sword #scribblings

[3cl4ir-c00ki3-simp]

Cookie run muses!!

(Gays at the bar)

Sparkling

Herb

Vampire

Mint choco

​​​​​​

(Detectives and a criminal)

Almond

Rougefort

Walnut

​

(Bounty hunter and theif)

Rye

Chilli pepper

​

(Guild buddies)

Milk (Strawberry. Chocolate. Banana)

Purple yam

Dino sour

Mala sauce

​

(Chaotic evil and Neutral evil)

Hypnotic (oc)

Melted choco (oc)

​​​​

(Desert lovers)

Poison (oc)

Snake vemon (oc)

​​

(Gayendarys)

Fire spirit (Lord of ash) (Immortal Cataclysm)

Wind archer (Night raven)

Sea fairy (Dread trident of the abyss)

Moonlight (Alluring crescent moon)

Timekeeper

Millenial tree (Darkness tree)

Pitaya dragon

Ananas dragon

Lotus dragon

Lychee dragon

​

(The ancients)

Pure vanilla (Bitter vanilla)

White lily (Black rose)

Hollyberry (Poisonberry)

Golden cheese (Burnt golden cheese)

Dark cacao (Apyss cacao)

​

(Ex-cookie of darkness and a dancer)

Dark choco

Whipped cream

​

(Tropical islands)

Sorbet shark

Mango

​

(The bravest cookie, his not so brave brother, his bright sister and their enemy)

Gingerbrave

Dozer

Gingerbright (Special symbols like . and - are Purple and Italic)

Spiral lolipop (oc)

​

(Family in the mansion)

Blackberry

Adventurer

Onion

​

(TBD)

Croissant

String gummy

​

(Twizzly's friends)

Toothpaste

Peeled carrot

​

(Dark cacao kingdom)

Affogato

Caramel arrow

​

(Lab tested shapeshifters)

Faker (oc)

Jam (oc)

​

(Grandmaster hotel)

Earl grey

Pawn white cookie

Pawn black cookie

​

(Yogurca)

Scorpion

Plain yogurt

Yogurt cream

Cactus flower (oc)

​

(Crystalized undead and Flower ghost)

Crystal (Past name is Salted caramel) (oc)

Black tuilp (oc)

​

(Electric love)

Hero

Lemon

​

(Delivery!)

Pizza

​

(The Curse and the Phantom)

Curse (Special symbols like . and - bold, black and italic)

Phantom (Special symbols like . and - bold, black and italic)

​

(A trickster and a wannabe artist)

Gumball (cookie)

​​

(A scientist and a cyborg)

Aloe (Special symbols like . and - bold and green)

Cyborg (Special symbols like . and - bold and purple)

​

(A sleep deprived professor)

Espresso (Special symbols like . and - are bold and black)

​

(Future king)

Custard (III) (Special symbols like . and - are orange and italic)

​

(Warriors that came from a timeloop)

Butter cream (NPC + fan name)

Waffle cone (NPC + fan name)

​

(Consul of the Crème Republic)

Clotted cream

​

(Bittersweet love)

DJ

Rockstar (Special symbols like . and - are Blue, bold and italic)

​

(The All-star)

Choco ball cookie (Special symbols like . and - are Orange)

​

(Forest enemies)

Grape feather (oc) (Special symbols like . and - are Orange and Bold)

Wolfberry (oc) (Special symbols like . and - are Orange and Bold)

​

(The thorned cookie)

Thornberry (oc)

​

(The optimistic host)

Blue raspberry soda (Special symbols like . and - are Pink) (NPC + fan name)

​

(Bug queens)

Bitter choco wasp

Raspberry dragonfly

Tiger ant

Jam mosquito

Cobweb

Lava scorpion

​

(Sprit guardians)

Sweet strawberry kitsune (oc)

Frosted grape deer (oc)

​

(The fallen guardians)

Soul stealer (Soul vanilla)

Shattered soul

​

(House caviar)

Captain caviar

​

(Wolf from the abyss)

Dark wolf

​

(The butterfly and the moth)

Light butterfly (Special symbols like . and - are Black)

Shadow moth (Special symbols like . and - are Black and Italic)

[bokettochild]

The Floor is Lava

Toot toot, the angst is back!

This bit is not inspired by an ask!

Crazy, right?

Enjoy Twilight and Warriors being amazing, concerned older brothers!

Twilight can’t sleep.

His mind spins, images and whispers flying about in his minds as he imagines the vet, downstairs, alone.

“Do you actually want to die? You keep saying you do, but-” Midnight blue sparkles with starlight tears. “Do you really want to die?”

“...yes.” Legend’s voice is small and nearly impossible to hear, but Twilight catches it all the same.

He turns over onto his side, careful not to disturb Wild’s sleeping form beside him, but his mind still twists and dances with the sight of Legend’s screaming form disappearing beneath waves of molten orange.

He can’t lose the vet, not again, but whose to say that Legend is still willing to stick around? He heard the strangled sobs of the vet when life had been poured back into him.

“-saw her.” Legend’s eyes glisten softly in the faded light of their campfire, staring up at the stars with no recognition of the voices that surge around him. “Sh’ said,” Tears glisten in the corners of violet hues. “I ‘ve to stay.”

Twilight doesn’t know who ‘she’ is, but he’s not stupid either. There’s no place Legend wants to go, no life or energy in the vet’s eyes, no passion for any place. With that in mind, Twilight knows that ‘stay’ means stay alive, and if the mere thought is enough to force the emotionless veteran to cry, what are the chances that Legend won’t try something tonight?

He’s on his feet in a minute, panic running through his veins as midnight blue meets with royal, Warriors himself halfway through rsing from the bed he shares with Wind.

“You alright, Rancher?”

“’m worried.”

“Legend?”

“Yeah.”

“Same.” Warriors’ gaze is shattered as he looks towards the door. “I’ve seen soldiers like him before, no will to live and no reason to do so.” The expression on Warriors’ face is heartbreaking, and were the captain not so skilled at keeping his own emotions in check, Twi knows that the captain would be crying softly. “They- they’ve made it through battle after battle, but even if they aren’t touched by the blade, we’ll find them cold in the mornings.” Warriors sighs, deep and broken. “I don’t want that for my brother.”

“Let’s check on him.” Twilight murmurs, and Warriors nods, grabbing his scarf and sliding softly down the center of the room towards the door.

They pad down the stairs as softly as possible, worry churning in their guts and Warriors’ hand tight as it clutches Twilight’s shoulder, but when they reach the landing to look down into the living room, they find that all they can see is Legend seated on the couch, eyes glassy as he gazes into the fire. There a quilt thrown over the vet’s shoulders, and trembling fingers fumble with one of his rings, sliding it up and down gnarled knuckles as something soft and sickly-sweet dances through the air, a soft melody that makes tears prick at their eyes as Legend slumps in place.

There’s no response from the youth as the two older boys pad softly into the room, but when they hesitate at the edge of his vision, he does scoff lightly under his breath. “I don’t bite. Sit down already.”

Like scolded children, the two of them dart forwards, each taking his place on either side of the vet, joining him in staring into the fire for a brief moment.

Legend shivers slightly, drawing his quilt closer with halting breaths, and Wars and Twi exchange a look over the top of his head.

“What’s eating at you?”

Two sets of blue eyes dart downwards, Legend still faces forwards, gaze dark and soul-less as he gazes into the rippling flames. Twilight can’t help but think that there should be some fear in those eyes, staring as they do into flaming orange, so similar to the hot lava that nearly tore him from their grasp forever.

“What?”

“The both of you came tip-toeing down here like nervous cats.” Legend deadpans. “Somethings eating you, and neither of you want to wake the others. You were hoping to came down here but you weren’t expecting me to be awake.” Wilted violet stares up at them, empty and darkened by the heavy bags beneath. “Or am I wrong and you wanted to snitch something out of Ma- Miss Malon’s cookie jar?”

Royal blue stares down at the vet as Wars settles one hand on Legend’s arm. “Ledge, can we talk?”

Pink brows shoot up. “About?”

“The other night,” Twilight rumbles. “When the whisper scared everyone awake,” The vet stiffens. “You said- You-” Something inside of him screams, there’s tears in his heart and he wants nothing more than to just stop talking and wrap Legend in his arms and cry. “You know we love you, Legend, right? That everyone of us, Time, Wind, Wild, Sky, all of us, would rather die than lose you, right?”

The vet shifts in his place, gaze dropping to where the rancher’s hands have captured his own.

“We understand you’ve seen a lot of shit.” Warriors rumbles softly, and Twilight wonders if the man realizes that he’s buried his hand in Legend’s hair. “Stuff that most of us could never hope to understand, that we wouldn’t want to, but you- Legend, there-” The captain stumbles over his words.

“Life sucks.” Twilight murmurs for him. “An’ you haven’t been treated fairly.”

The captain nods, thankful. “But even so there are still good things in the world. And even if your Hyrule is as messed up and awful as the Travelers, or if there is no one waiting behind for you to come back, then,” Warriors fingers gently guide Legend’s face to meet his own, eyes deep and restless as the sea as they meet dead shadows. “We want you to know that even if the entire world is ending, you have us. We’re your brothers and-” the captain’s voice catches as he strokes the vet’s sunken cheek. “And we really love you, Legend. And losing you? We-” Tears prick in the gazes of both of the older boys, and behind heavy shadows, something flickers in a broken stare.

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and neither the hero of Twilight or the Hero of Warriors has ever seen one so shattered. Legend’s gaze reveals something so broken and shattered that the two are helpless to do anything but wrap their arms around him cautiously, willing to release if the vet asks, but warm and comforting for themselves and the others if it is welcomed.

The vet’s shoulders tremble.

A sob breaks the silence of the night as crystal tears pour down sunken cheeks.

#linkeduniverse #linked universe #lu legend #lu warriors #lu twilight #the floor is lava

[datcloudboi]

List of video games that turn 20 years old in 2021

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies

Advance Wars (Nintendo, please... a new one...)

The Adventures of Cookie & Cream (a cute, cuddly adventure game from the team that would go on to make Dark Souls. I'm not joking)

Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage (an RPG on the N64 I really liked as a kid)

Anachronox

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance

Bejeweled

Black & White

The Bouncer

Burnout

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

Civilization III

Clive Barker's Undying (remember when Clive Barker made video games?)

Conker's Bad Fur Day

Crazy Taxi 2

Dead or Alive 3

Devil May Cry

Dr. Mario 64

Dragon Warrior VII (NA version of Dragon Quest VII)

Extermination (a psychological horror game from Swery65, the guy who would go on to create Deadly Premonition)

Final Fantasy X

The Game Boy Advance

The GameCube

Golden Sun (plz, Nintendo... a new one... :'[)

Gothic

Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

Grand Theft Auto III

Halo: Combat Evolved

Ico

Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble

Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil

Klonoa: Empire of Dreams

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons

Luigi's Mansion

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

Mario Party 3

Mario Tennis (N64)

Max Payne

Mega Man X5

Mega Man X6

Mega Man Battle Network

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Myst III: Exile

Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee

Oni (developed by Bungie)

Onimusha: Warlords

Paper Mario

Phantasy Star Online

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (in Japan)

Pikmin

Pokémon Stadium 2

Pokémon Crystal

Project Justice (the sequel to Rival Schools)

Red Faction

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

RuneScape

Serious Sam: The First Encounter

Shadow Hearts

Silent Hill 2

Silpheed: The Lost Planet

Sonic Adventure 2

SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II - Rogue Leader

Super Monkey Ball

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Tribes 2

Twisted Metal: Black

Wario Land 4 (Nintendo... come on...)

The Xbox

Zone of the Enders

#ace combat #baldur's gate #burnout #castlevania #sid meier's civilization #conker's bad fur day #dead or alive #devil may cry #dragon quest #final fantasy #golden sun #grand theft auto #halo #jak and daxter #kirby #klonoa #legend of zelda #mario kart #mario party #mega man #metal gear #myst #oddworld #phantasy star #pikmin #runescape #silent hill #sonic the hedgehog #super smash bros #video games

[ritaerr0r]

[List] Day 3 Vessel, Guidance, Mirror

Ink munched on his cookie, making notes about everything that Burger was saying.

-So, he did make some kind of transformation, like in comic books?- even so, he can't take serious his words

-No… Not like that! He… he was in… and become vessel of some kind? He wasn't himself after getting out!

-So this… crystal, did possess him?

For a moment, Burger was quiet, thinking about it

-I... don't think so. At first it looked like that, he was some kind of...of monster. I saw their bodies… so, so much bodies--

-You are getting out of topic?

-Oh… right… after some...time, he become more like he was before? I didn't have a chance to talk to him, but it looked more like he was in control again

-And, what about that crystal?

-It was … wreid. Like your very being...very soul was called by it. Guiding you to come along...well, if it won't, I don't think that any of us will get out of there…

Ink belongs to @comyet​

Burgerpants belongs to Toby Fox

Shattered!Dream belongs to @shattereddreamsau​

#undertale #au #fanart #sans #dream #dreamtale #shatteredatlantis #shattereddream #ink #burgerpants #inktober #inktobertale #undertober #crystal #heartofatlantis

[dingdinghq]

Hehe alright! I'll answer for option A in this ask, and then send in a second for D because I have a LOT to say about characters lol

But okay, how 3rd Life happened in the AU, what is the same as canon, and what changed?

For our first major change, only 3L happened. This is because one does not trap a cookie with the power of space itself against their will. But that doesn't matter in the long run <3

Basically, the Watchers work pretty simluar to Martyn's lore! Beings that feed on negative emotions and like picking on specific people for petty reasons. Eye Cookie had started to realize that 'hey, we can technically trap a bunch of cookies and feed on them if we change reality a bit.' and the other Watchers were just sorta like 'alright, we're hungry so get working on it'

Void Starling and Parrot Ice Cream were both easy targets, as neither of them had any life outside the Watcher's grasps (will explain in the next ask), and the other 12 cookies were fairly easy to weed out. All they had to do was find cookies down on their luck, that nobody would realize were missing.

And so, the games started.

I'm leaving the three lives rule, because is it 3L without that? as well as the 'no helmets' rule, and the 'reds are hostile' rule.

Session 1 stays mostly the same. The mobs are different, to fit in with the crk universe. I'd say it was one of those weird walking poison mushrooms that killed Magic Cat Cookie (Scar) instead of a creeper. Uhhh honestly yeah that's it. Oh the Tree-TSD thing still happens, it's just more of Moss Phantom Cookie (Bdubs) forgot that he could make plants grow and started growing a tree on top of Zombie Queen Cookie (Cleo). As well as that, Voidling/Etho's dark oak still gets burned.

Oh, one change for everything is that the game took place over about a year! As well as that, it worked in a more realistic manner, so the buildings didn't just appear overnight.

Session 2... honestly I forget what happened here lol. Uhhh I guess just think that bases are being built, cookies are chatting and making friends, life is good! Uhhh yeah Pizza still exists. Why not lol

Session 3 is when Dare to Flare was being created! I don't know how Firebird Cookie (Tango) got his hands on lava just roll with it. It's funny and weirder things happen in crk. Also now the first red exists! Since Hermitcraft doesn't exist in this AU (causes far too many plot holes), Magic Cat is seen as a MUCH bigger threat by Choco Wolf and Lost Apple

Session 4: Cakewarts is founded!! Voidling, Red Angel, Shattered Soul Crystal, and Lost Apple are brought in by Choco Wolf to join the army! I changed it so that they all join at the same time for fun. and also because it means that I can give Shattered Soul Crystal more time with the others!!

Yes the alter scene still happens

Honestly I do not have the patience to type out things session by session because my hands are tired and also I don't wanna hit character limit AGAIN so uhhh here's a list of everything I can think of:

Firebird and Clay Flower Cookie (Joel) never joined Cakewarts

Yellow Demon (Impulse) did still join though. yes he still took out Voidling

Instead of rigging the desert with TNT, Parrot Ice Cream just made plain old bombs

Shattered Soul Crystal wasn't in session 7 because he was kinda sick due to the way his magic works

Flower Husbands happy ending was just a dream by Frost Flower Cookie (Scott)

The first siege of the Crastle (w/ Etho making tnt missiles) unforuntally didn't happen

Parrot Ice Cream felt guilty about starting all of the mess and tried to meet with Cakewarts to try and reach a truce. This didn't work

After each cookie was killed, the Watchers took their bodies to feast on their emotions. They were brought back to life when this happened, just sleeping.

Ummmmm honestly I can't think of much more things for this. I'll get to explaining every character I can tomorrow because it's late and I can't stay up past late every single night and still wake up early each morning lol

oh frost flower :(((

super excited to hear more about this au!!!! take your time with the stuff about character tho, dont wanna burn you out

#asks from surface waters #3rd life crk au #indigo asks #yeah ill make that a tag

[cookiesofthecosmos]

''Have you ever stopped to smell the white roses?''

(image/info under read more)

White Rose Enchantress Cookie

Beloved by a garden of white rose cookievourous plants, yet never harmed by them. As mysterious as she seems, her existence was often thought of as a mere whisper since most never thought they'd see her. In truth, the secret rested in an illusion most saw daily. Indeed, this is the true form of White Rose Cookie.

White Rose Enchantress is the result of a magical mishap. The illusion used by DE left behind lingering energy, and the magic ended up absorbing into a crystal. From there, it became some sort of false soul stone. Harnessing both the form of White Lily and DE's own power, this crystal was found by Butterscotch who planted it in a white rose garden.

Unfortunately, while not a true soulstone, the crystal still bonded to the flowers around it...This allowed the magic to manifest itself, though taking on an unusual form. The resulting Cookie, however, first appeared rather plain though somewhat ghostly.

But through her desire to protect her friends, White Rose Cookie eventually reveals her own form to be nothing more than an illusion and thus forth her true form was found when she defends them from DE again. A dramatic shattering of the crystal shard she wore around her neck...And her true appearance becomes known.

White Rose Enchantress' wings are rose leaves, and she can fly freely with them. Her healing magic is quite stronger, but it's clear some dark magic still lingers to throw off her strength in battle. She can summon rose vines to trip enemies, and her cookievorous plants will heal her allies with their soothing aroma...While attacking enemies too. However, much like her illusion, she still can't stay out in direct sunlight and can leech life off of other plants much to anyone's annoyance.

She can still hide her true form at will, mainly so no ones scared of her.

#White Rose Enchantress Cookie #White Rose Cookie #cookie run oc #cookie run

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

Motion Sickness Chapter 52

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Neo and I waltzed up on Aurum. I had my pipe clenched between my front teeth and was taking a pull on it long enough to make my head spin. Damn, it felt good. Silence, apart from the soul rending music. True peace with the bugs behind my face.

Cobalt and Obsidian were there and they were armed. Obsidian had a hatchet, red and black, and Cobalt had a machine gun. I could only guess who they were for. They didn't really concern me. I was a tough cookie and Neo was no slouch.

"Well you busted my boys out. I owe you for that," Aurum told me. "Join me. Have a seat."

I did, carefully maneuvering the harness of tools on my back. Neo plopped down beside me, kicking one leg up over the other. I watched Cobalt's eyes watch her legs and snorted a little. Maybe he hadn't seen any action in a while.

I took another long take on my pipe and made sure to blow it away from Neo out of a sense of politeness and professional courtesy.

"You got my information?" I half asked, half demanded. "I want to know about that facility."

"Easy champ. Relax. Have a drink." He poured one out for us. Neo obliged him but I was already cruising. The ceiling and walls were doing a decent rate in my head. It felt awesome but I didn't need to add to that in case things went sideways.

I tapped my pipe out on an ashtray. "You better not fuck around with me. I'll rip your party pad apart to find what I want and I'll hand you over to Neo. She'll chew into you."

"Don't be like that. I was just going to offer you more work. You did a good job and you're quite the badass from what I'm told." Obsidian shuffled, a touch nervously. Perhaps remembering coasting by guide wires thousands of feet above the ground as I flew him and his pal around. Or maybe he was remembering the way I ripped the roof off his prisoner transport. "I have no intention of pissing you off. I just wanted you to know that there was more I could offer you."

"Like what?"

"Money, for one."

"Not interested," I disagreed quickly. I had millions in digital currency and a few dozen grand in cash.

"Maybe so." He went with it easily. "How about information on the General. I can put you in contact with a group that will let you know what he's really up to. I don't have the details myself."

I reclined. He had my attention. I packed another bowl from my grinder.

"Let's hear about the Schnee and her facility first. Then we can talk about the General."

"Very well. She visits the Sinovial Bunker everyday. It's near the academy. All she does is visit this old lady the whole place is built around. Your guess is as good as mine as to why. I have a few eyes inside but they're not allowed close to the woman. The only person she's allowed to see is the Schnee, which death might be preferable to."

I nodded. It was the summer or winter maiden. It had to be. That made Winter the next maiden if the General's plan went well. Something to keep an eye on. I could set my trap for Cinder around the place.

"Or maybe your guess as to why is better than mine."

"Maybe." I took a toke, keeping the place spinning at an appropriate rate. Not too fast, not too slow. Indica tended to wear off fast.

"Well don't share everything all at once now." He laughed and poured himself another drink.

"I had no intention of doing so. You'd be the one owing me after that."

"So are you ready to talk about the General?" He asked.

"And a few other people. What have you heard about a man named Merlot?" I asked. He frowned and shook his head. "How about Tyrian Callows? Or Hazel Rainart? Or Cinder Fall?"

"The first one rings a bell. He's in Atlas if nothing else. A scorpion faunus, yes?"

I nodded. "He's incredibly dangerous. I have a bit of a vendetta against him. He tried to kill me once."

"He tried to kill you ."

"I wasn't always such a badass."

"Well if he comes up, I'll leave him to you, shall I?"

"That would be best. He might kill you and torture you for fun. He's a bit of a psycho."

"Well I'm willing to pass on information about all four. In exchange for a favor."

"What do you need me to do?" That's what I was. I was a doer. I got things done for people now.

"A rival gang is moving in on my territory. I need you to stomp them out. It shouldn't be a problem for somebody of your talents."

"You need them dead or just hurt?" I asked.

"Either or. I need them out of my way."

"Tell me more about them."

"They're called the Blue-Hats. You heard of them?"

I shook my head and exhaled smoke. It was quickly lost to the energy of The Den.

"They've got this big hang-out in Cerebri-Plaza. I'll show you." He pulled out his scroll and flicked open a map of Atlas. "They're fucking annoying."

"What do they do?"

"Run drugs mostly. Occasionally they do killings and beatings but mostly drugs. They're my main competition when it comes to hyper."

I nodded along. "And you want me to bust their skulls. Burn their supply, maybe."

"I like where your head's at. I'd rather you steal it for my boys but if you can't do that then go for it and burn it. Sure, why not?" He swallowed some of his drink. "My own boys haven't been able to crack at them, not since they were in prison. But now we have you. And I'd rather things didn't devolve into shooting in the streets. Try and keep it indoors. You get this done for me. And I'll find out about those four. All you want to know. Plus the General's secret project. What do you say?"

I chewed on my pipe and looked at his projected map of Atlas. "Send me their location information."

"What? You going to do it now?"

"I've got nothing better to do. I'll be back before the night is over. Keep my seat warm." If it was just this then it would be easy. Too easy. I sometimes forget what life was like for non-hunters. Considering how long I'd been a hunter.

I'd been at it for nearly my whole life. Practically my whole life. It's just that I was only three years old or so. I've been out of the tank that long, I guess. I was maybe four depending on how you wanted to cut your definition of life, which I realize was a discussion most people didn't have to have with themselves.

That's how long I'd been grown in that incubator to adulthood. Then I'd immediately gone to Beacon, had my aura unlocked, and started fighting.

It was a matter of relativity, I suppose. I'd been at it for arguably longer than Ruby or Yang had been. If it was a matter of ratios rather than time, that is.

"Well you do work fast," Aurum said in his tacky suit.

I stood up and Neo bounced on her heels behind me. "Yep." I told her. "We're off to smash some heads in. Get excited."

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It was a three story building and I took my time scoping it out. I'd had to pocket my pipe once I got outside of The Den. I was sure I had an earthly cologne, besides.

It was getting to midnight and sure enough a bunch of boys in blue hats came in and out of the building. The closest thing to gang uniforms that really existed besides the Malachites' gear.

It had nice glass windows and music and lights radiated from the inside. It sounded like as much of a party was going on inside as was taking place at The Den. It was too bad Neo and I were going to pop this joint.

I pulled a few red dust crystals and squeezed them until they shattered like I practiced. Then I waved a hand and blew out the windows on the top floor with fire. Screaming poured from the inside. I had told Aurum I was going to burn it and he made it clear he didn't care enough for me to not.

I palmed a yellow crystal and crushed it in my hand. I waved a hand and lightning struck the upper floor and shook the building.

I was going to shake and batter the place with my magic first. Then I was going to strike with Neo beside me. She had her umbrella leaning against one shoulder and was standing next to me, watching me cast my bolt against the building.

The building was all silver greys like much of the Atlas skyline. And it had been built to code with enough distance between it and the nearby buildings that the fire now burning inside wouldn't spread. It was an isolated target.

I activated my semblance. I felt the power flood over and throughout me. I focused my will, my very essence on holding onto the power as long as I could. I glowed blue and hummed with energy.  

I reached over my shoulder and drew the bronze and white longsword with the foot and a half long red handle. I spun it in one hand with ease, leaving my shield on my back. The broadsword would only be hampered in doors and I was fast enough that the shield wasn't necessary for these sorts of goons.

I walked up to the burning building and kicked the front door down and in. People came running out screaming and I let them. It was those staying behind to save the product from the burning building I would need to deal with.

A kid with a blue hat turned a pistol sideways at me and shot with atrocious aim. He had red hair and dark eyes. Another blakc haired kid added submachine gun fire to the mix and I rushed forward, hovering inches above the ground.

I slashed Mr. Gangsta to the ground. He fell screaming. Then I cut the submachine gun into pieces and reached my free hand out and grabbed the man still holding the butt of the weapon. I threw him behind me into a wall hard enough to crack it. Both him and the wall, that is.

There were people trying to save boxes from the upstairs fire. Boxes which I could smell were full of greens and it made my mouth water a touch. Unfortunately I couldn't have any of that and I raced at them and sliced the boxes out of their hands.

A knife came up at me which I blocked with my free hand and turned with incredible strength against its user, a brown haired kid with blue eyes. It sank into his stomach and he fell gasping to the stairs. Slumping to the side. Red smeared across his hair and face.

I snatched a pistol out of one of their hands and shattered it by squeezing it. I kicked him down but left him alone otherwise so he could carry the others to safety.

The last man had aura. It was blue and crackling.

I kicked him with both legs and he fell to the side. I bashed him with the pomel of Crocea Mors. I claimed the stairway to find Neo already fighting on the second floor. There were nearly fifteen Blue-Hats up here. I readied my sword and slashed the barrel of a rifle in two and throw the man behind it to the ground. I kicked him in the chin afterwards.

I slashed at another in the gut and he went down holding his chest and letting the blood fly free. I stepped past the dying man and onto the next. I stabbed with the tip of Crocea Mors and met resistance. More aura. I stabbed again and cut once and eventually made my way through it and he fell to the side bleeding.

I came up on a woman in a blue hat and long blonde hair. She was pretty enough with bright blue eyes but I cut her aside anyways with the diagonal edge of Crocea Mors' longsword.

I slammed the hilt of the blade into the skull of another and I pulled out another dust crystal. Yellow. I squeezed it and it turned grey as it broke and the energy came rushing up my arm. I pointed a hand forward and the bolt struck behind where seven of them were forming a foreign line and tossed them about like rag dolls.

Just because I was mostly immune to small arm fire didn't mean I wanted to go up against a firing squad. There were heaps of brown boxes in the corner and I watched the still growing fires consume them.

Neo wrapped her legs around one poor soul's head and flung him back into the flames where he screamed in real pure agony. Getting burned hurts. A lot. Getting burned all over probably hurts a lot more.

I grabbed a blue hat by the collar and picked him up with a casual strength and slammed his head into the ceiling then I tossed him aside. All these guys the fire would probably consume. I went back and stabbed him in the chest. It just seemed more merciful.

I could see plastic packets of hyper, some drown out on tables others still in their boxes. I palmed another fire crystal and let the fire burst forth from it. I was using dust raw. In its most destructive form. I'd heard of sewing it into clothes as Cinder did, I'd also heard of consuming it into the body to be used as a bit of an amplifier. This was either of those. This was the caveman's version of using dust. It was simple and raw.

I was strangely good at it. I consumed a crystal and cast my sword at a group of boxes and let the fires wash forth from the blade. I wasn't even sure I'd be able to hold onto the power very long. Better to use it before it hurt me and let it out.

I was still holding onto my semblance and I glided forward and front kicked a blue hat out of a window. He tumbled through the glass violently and fell the two stories.

The building was starting to cave in on us. Beams from the third floor where I'd sent my first blast were descending onto the second. And I'd set this floor ablaze a plenty.

"Neo! Let's bug out. Jobs done." I told her. The place was falling apart. I slashed at the wall and bounded out into the street and landed in a single massive leap.

I sheathed my sword and brushed ash from my dark clothes. I slapped at my cape where the lamp hung by my side. We made this look easy too. It would have been much harder if I'd been respecting the sanctity of life but who had the time and the power to do that. It would take a near god to go around sparing life in the sort of combat I was in. I could kill, that was abundantly clear.

But how could I minimize the loss of life in a burning building I was attacking? I couldn't stop time or manipulate space. My semblance just made me stronger and faster. And I wasn't sure that Neo would have been on board if I was trying to avoid death all the time. I wasn't sure I could keep her on my side if that was the case.

I released my semblance. Letting my power evaporate into nothing. I'd held onto it for a long time in there. I was sure that with enough practice I'd be able to hold onto the power indefinitely. I might even be able to combine different dust types with it and do all sorts of nasty things one day. For now all I was capable of was raw destruction with dust. I might be able to eat it one day with enough practice. And I had the money for dust and I was in the dust capital of the world.

I'd make time to practice magic. People like Aurum would give me all the targets I could ask for and one life was as inconsequential to me as another. I'd have my share of practice to use the power against.

But when I ran into Tyrian again I wanted to be ready to squash him like the bug he was. And when I fought Cinder again I wanted to have all the tools I could possibly have at my disposal. That meant practicing dust eating. That meant practicing using its raw form and perhaps using it with my weapon to bring out the greatest effect like Raven had done.

In a moment she had turned the tide enough in that fight to escape from me. When I had her dead to rights she'd used dust to leverage enough of an advantage, just enough, to win. I couldn't remain ignorant about dust any longer. I had to learn how to use it for magic.

For now that meant these little things against people like the Blue-Hats. But one day it would mean taking dust to that next level against monsters like Cinder. With enough dust, I could overcome the power of a maiden. I had literally no excuse to stop improving and stop getting better. So in the weeks Neo and I had traveled I practiced.

Yuma had been right to say I was loaded with the stuff. Now I could do minor destruction magic with it. It wasn't enough. It may never be enough but I had to use every resource available to me if I wanted to defeat Cinder. She was two maidens now. I wasn't sure there had ever been such a thing in all of history but she was now.

She also knew how to use dust and glass and gods only knew what her semblance was. She was dangerous. Probably more dangerous than me and more dangerous than ever. I need the edge dust could bring if I ever wanted to defeat her. That was why I brought Neo on board.

I needed to seize every edge.

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

-WG

#neo #neapolitan #cloud strife #jaune arc #rwby #ffvii #ff7 #motion sickness #war of the roses #white rose #whiterose #whiteknight #white knight #lancaster #ruby rose x jaune arc x weiss schnee

[ottelis]

"I gave you my life, Eliott," Lucas's voice shatters, splinters.

Eliott replies softly, broken, "And I gave you mine."

.

.

aka: eliott and lucas grow up together, but are separated when eliott is institutionalized in paris after a severe depressive episode. they reunite two years later when eliott is released, but everything has already changed before their eyes.

epigraph. i.

tw:  brief depictions of anxiety/panic attacks, very brief reference to child abuse, uses of the q slur, mentions of a suicide attempt

~

october 22nd, 1962

01:34

caen, france

~

Outside Eliott's window, the waves sigh against the shore and rest their weary heads on the cool, silver sand. They hold each other, breathing together until they both slip into a dreamless sleep, fading into the depths of the sea. The wind drifts breezily along, whispering its secrets to anyone who is awake and willing to listen; secrets so dark and hidden it leaves a sharp chill in the air and a bitter tang on your tongue. The moon stands guard on her throne in the dark, inky sky—darker than usual—and welcomes all the lonely souls wandering through the night into her embrace. She is the one weaving the waves and the shore together, the one giving the wind the courage to speak its mind. "All is well," she seems to whisper, sing, "There is a calm after the storm, a peace after the war, a warmth and a comfort when burning heat fades away. Brave through, my darlings. To be brave is to be alive, to be well. All I ask is that you remember, still, to be gentle all the while."

Inside Eliott's room, the only light is glowing from the flashlight clasped in his hand like a lifeline. Its beam shines on yellowed, weathered pages filled with words that his eyes drink in hungrily, almost desperately. He's tucked himself away beneath his blanket, the fabric seeming to float just above his skin, leaving the softest touches and the gentlest warmth. Everything is quiet, still, here in this little corner of the gaping world he's created for himself. Here, it's warm, and as wide and as bright as he wanted it to be. Here, he has his books. Here, he has himself and his mind and his heart. Here, he has time halted in its tracks, and it wouldn't continue to tick forward until he told it to. Here, he has all of space at his fingertips, stars leaving freckles that scattered up his arms. Here, he is safe. Here, he rules the world.

Outside, a pebble clatters against Eliott's windowsill, startling him out of his hiding place. Lucas , he thinks. They agreed what felt like years ago that if Lucas ever needed something, he would throw a rock at Eliott's window. But it's late. Lucas only ever needed to come in this late when—

Eliott throws off his comforter, panic shocking time and space back to their natural rhythms. He hurries as quietly as he can down the stairs and to the back door, careful not to wake his parents. He opens the door, an autumn gust sweeping over him. Lucas is standing there, his eyes bleary with tears, his cheeks rosy from the cold, his hand hovered by his mouth with his teeth clamped onto the end of his sleeve. He's trying to stay quiet, hold back the sobs. He's shivering.

"Lucas, what's wrong?" Eliott asks, placing his hands on Lucas's shoulders. "Did he hurt you again?"

Lucas's tears started to fall, but he shakes his head. He slowly pulls his sleeve away from his mouth so he could answer, his lower lip quivering. But all his sobs escape. He throws his arms around Eliott. With a trembling breath, with a hiccup, Lucas finally replies, "He left, Eliott."

Eliott's heart drops to his feet. He holds Lucas as tightly as he can. He feels his tears soaking through his shirt, feels his body trembling with the force of his sobs. He feels tears of his own wet his cheeks. He doesn't say a word. He lets Lucas cry. He shields him from the cold, bitter wind; Lucas doesn't need its secrets when he already has so many of his own. He waits for Lucas, patiently, gently.

"Let's go inside," Eliott suggests once Lucas started to calm down. "Okay?"

"Okay," Lucas agrees, sniffling.

Eliott releases Lucas from his tight hug, instead taking his hand to guide him up to his room. Lucas bites his sleeve again, looking nervously towards Eliott's parents' bedroom.

"It's okay," Eliott reassures him. "They're asleep."

Lucas nods, letting his hand drop to his side.

Eliott opens his bedroom door and enters, turning on the lamp on his bedside table. A small, warm light breaks through the darkness of the room, barely mingles with the darkness outside. Eliott turns to Lucas, his blood suddenly running cold when he sees all the tear stains on his face. He bites his lip, forcing back his tears. He needs to be strong right now. For Lucas.

"Let's sit on my bed," Eliott manages, his voice wavering. He sits, gently tapping the spot next to him.

Lucas nods, another tear slipping down his cheek. He sits, too, letting out a trembling sigh. Words start spilling out of his mouth before Eliott could find his own words, the right words.

"They couldn't stop arguing," Lucas starts, his voice thin. "They were arguing before Maman took me to school, and they started arguing again when Papa got home from work. I hid in my room and tried to block out all the noise but I could still hear all of it. Papa was yelling at her, and I could hear her crying. He... He kept saying that she was insane, and he was threatening to send her to an asylum. He said he wanted to leave, and that he should have left years ago. He said he should've left her at the altar. He said he should've left when she told him she was going to have a baby. He said he should've left the day I, that queer, was born. Maman tried to talk to him but he wouldn't listen. Every time she tried to, he would scream at her and tell her to shut up. And then I heard him walk towards their room. And I heard Maman crying and begging him to stay. Then—"

Lucas started to crumble again, more rivers of tears streaming down his face. "I think he hit her. And then he left."

Eliott wraps his arms around Lucas again, speechless, anger beginning to boil in his stomach.

"He left us, Eliott," Lucas weeps, clinging to Eliott's shirt. "And he's not coming back. And I had to hold Maman while she cried. She's asleep now, but... I don't know what we're going to do. We can't survive by ourselves. We need Papa. But he hurts us. He hurts Mama and he yells at her when she didn't do anything wrong. And when I do something wrong, he hits me and he hits me and he—"

"Lucas," Eliott begs, his voice breaking. "It's okay. You're safe here."

Eliott feels completely helpless as he holds Lucas tighter, closer to his chest. So, he promises him that everything will be okay. No matter how far time stretches away from him, no matter how many tears he sheds, no matter how much it feels like his world is crashing around his ears. He promises him that he's not alone. And a small part of Eliott hopes he isn't lying to him through his teeth.

june 21st, 1968

08:22

caen, france

~

Eliott wakes with a start, instantly blinded by a curtain of sunlight. He blinks through it until his vision clears, then studies his surroundings. A green, luscious forest streaks by through the window, awakened and enlivened by the newborn spring. The sky is clear, a light, crystal blue. He hears the chatter of the other passengers—hushed whispers, joyous laughter, excited gossiping. He sees men reading the newspaper, women with their children in their laps, workers in their uniforms sipping cups of coffee. They all seem ordinary, mundane. It's comforting, almost. How Earth seems to move smoothly, gradually as her people help her along. Walking forward together, guiding her through her orbit, through the universe.

Eliott wonders what the other people on the train would think if they happened to look over and see him. They must see tired, bleary eyes, messy, tousled hair, an old, worn out coat two sizes too small. Can they see the fear that's settled deep in his bones, just underneath his skin? Can they feel his fear that nothing will ever be the same again, that everything has already changed too much? That the world he once controlled has moved on, has found its own orbit without him? Can they see right through him? Can they see all the shame, the secrets, the trauma? Do they pity him? Do they understand his pain, see him in the echoes of their own? Would they just ignore him? Write him off as some strange, young man they saw on the train one day?

Eliott blinks, biting his lip. He can't think about any of that right now. He's supposed to be happy. He's coming home! After almost two, long years, he's finally coming home!

He remembers his sweet, lovely Maman. She came to visit him as often as she could, of course, but now he gets to go home with her. He gets to hug her and hold her close as long as he wants to without nurses telling them visiting hours were over. He gets to see her smile and laugh without a sadness in her eyes as she realizes she'll have to leave him again. He gets to sit in the living room with her and watch TV, or linger in the kitchen while she makes tea and cookies. He gets to spend his birthday and Christmas with her again. He gets to celebrate her birthday, too, Mother's Day. She gets to be his mother again, and he gets to be her son again. He gets to fall asleep every night knowing she's just down the hall if he needs her. Everything will be normal again. Maybe she'll start singing again, like she used to before Papa died. He misses hearing her sing while she wanders around the house.

He remembers Lucas, his best friend, and maybe something more. Lucas hasn't been able to visit him since he's finishing lycée, but they've written letters to each other whenever they could. Eliott has always wondered what Lucas looks now, now that he must be all grown up. He's wondered if Lucas has changed, if his smile is a little more genuine now, if he's learned that the fire within him is something he should embrace, letting it give him the courage that's buried somewhere in there, too.  He wonders if he's spent as many restless, reckless nights as he has dreaming of him. He wonders if Lucas misses him as much as he does. He wonders if Lucas knows he misses him. How he's missed kissing him as slow and deep as the sun sinking into the horizon, how he's missed weaving his hands through his hair until they got lost in its tangles. Has Lucas waited for him, patiently, gently? Or has he moved on? Has he found someone else? Someone better, someone kinder, someone who loves him more than Eliott can? Everything should be normal with his mother, but what about with Lucas? Eliott loves Lucas with everything inside of him, but does Lucas still love him, too?

He loves me, his mind begins to chant, beg. He loves me, he loves me, he loves me. I need him to love me. Please.

If Eliott closes his eyes, he can see them together in his room that day, the books in their laps falling to the floor as Eliott deepened the kiss, the dying, golden rays of sunlight smiling down on them. He can see Lucas, his brilliant, blue eyes suddenly subdued and darkened with desire, desperation. He can feel his heart slowing in his chest, swaying to the rhythm of Lucas's. He can feel his lungs expanding, greedy for more of the air that was suddenly hanging still and silent between them. He can taste Lucas, salty air and sleep. He remembers the fleeting image of his parents finding them slipping through his mind, and how his world ending was less terrifying than this one, blissful moment ending a second earlier than it needed to. Eliott could never find the courage to believe in infinity until he kissed Lucas, loved him. Suddenly, he'd found the strength to fight for infinity, for the boy in his arms.

If Eliott closes his eyes, Lucas still loves him.

If Eliott closes his eyes, infinity is still within his grasp.

But his eyes are open, and the train suddenly begins to lurch to a stop.

What a luxury, he thinks, to come and go as you please. To change along with the world; move forward along with it.

The other passengers begin to gather their things, rising from their seats. The coffee is cold, the gossip has run dry, and there's no more news for today. They must move on. And so must Eliott.

He stands, however slowly, picking up and holding his suitcase with a desperate grip. He lets people walk past him and smiles politely, gathering the courage to keep moving, to live as he once did. He waits until he's the last one aboard, then walks down the aisle, hoping he can turn his mind off, just for a moment.

Remember Maman, he tells himself. Remember Lucas. Remember home.

He steps off the train, looking out at the crowded platform. He used to know everyone that lived in his quaint, little town, but now, he doesn't recognize anyone. A million, blurred faces he doesn't know. And he's a stranger to them, too. There are people in the town he's called home his whole life that don't know who he is, that he even exists. Don't they know him? Eliott! Noémie and Eduard's boy! The artist! The one who flew off to the cuckoo's nest! Don't they remember him?

They pass him by, barely bothering to glance at him over their shoulders. They don't know him. They don't remember him. He's a stranger.

Eliott grips the handle of his suitcase tighter, feeling pressure build up in his knuckles. He just needs to find his mother then she can take him home and he'll be safe. Everything will go back to normal. Everything has to go back to normal.

A small jolt sparks through him, straightening his back and squaring his shoulders but leaving an odd, unpleasant taste in his mouth. He blinks, biting his lip. He focuses on searching the crowd, looking for dark hair and warm eyes and a gentle smile. He takes a few, careful steps forward, flinching whenever bumped into him as they walked on. He feels like he's swimming, the current threatening to sweep him away, further out into the ocean. He starts walking faster, his eyes flickering all around the old, bustling train station. He's getting overwhelmed again, like the doctors always said was almost too easy for him to do. He feels the jolt again, barely, like a ghost, a memory. He tries to ignore it.

"Things are going to be difficult at first when you come home, Eliott," one of the doctors had said. "You'll have to readjust to society. It'll feel like you're starting over from scratch. It's important you still try and control your symptoms. Take your medication. Okay? Like we've been practicing while you were here. And if you ever feel like that isn't working, we are opening a psychiatric office over in Normandy. You won't be institutionalized like you were here, but you'll be able to visit often and they'll help you feel better. You will feel better, Eliott. You're going to be okay."

"I'll be okay," Eliott repeats under his breath. "I'll feel better."

He takes one more step forward, and he feels like he can breathe again. He looks behind him and sees the current continuing, surging. He sighs in relief. He's made it to shore.

"Eliott?" his mother's sweet, frail voice calls, somehow piercing all the noise of the station.

He whirls forward, and then he sees her. His mother. She's grinning like she used to, tears rolling down her cheeks. She holds her arms out to him, warm and wide. He runs to her without a moment's hesitation and falls into them. He has his mother again.

He holds her as tightly as he can, breathing in her familiar scent. He feels her tremble with her tears, and he shushes her quietly, comfortingly.

"I'm here, Maman," he says, beginning to weep himself. "I'm home."

"Don't be gone for that long again," she tells him. "I can't stand it."

"I can't control it, Maman," Eliott replies, biting his lip. "But I'll try."

His mother pulls away, holding his face in her hands. Her smile wavers, wobbling into a frown. "You look so much like your father."

Eliott feels sadness twinge in his chest, too. "I know."

He bites back a sob as he remembers a question that's lingered in the back of his mind since his father died, one he's never gotten to ask his mother. "Do you think Papa would be proud of me?"

His mother wipes away his tears. "He is proud of you, dear. I know it."

He pulls her into another hug, burying his face in her shoulder. "I miss him so much."

"He misses you, too, Ellie," she reassures him, rubbing soothing circles into his back.

The old nickname brings a smile to his face. He lets out a little laugh. "Thank you, Maman. I love you."

"I love you, too," she returns, chuckling, too. She pulls away again. "Let's get you home. Okay?"

It's still hard to stomach the thought of going back home after so long, but he already feels exhausted. He misses his house, his bed, Lucas.

Lucas.

"Okay," Eliott agrees. "Maman, Lucas is still here, right?"

"Of course he is," she smiles. "I thought about asking him to come with me to get you, but I figured you'd want to surprise him."

"He..." Eliott begins, stuttering a little. "He doesn't know I'm coming home?"

She nods, her smile widening. "As far as I know."

"How's he doing?" Eliott asks, anxiety beginning to settle in his stomach.

"He's well, I think," she replies. "He's graduated lycée, and he's heading off to medical school in the fall."

Eliott can't fight his smile. Lucas had always wanted to become a doctor when he grew up. But then his smile fell almost as quickly as it appeared.

"In Paris, right?" he mutters, biting his lip.

"I think so, dear," his mother answers, placing her hands on his shoulders. "But Paris isn't too far. We could always go visit him every once in a while if you wanted to."

Eliott nods. He can feel his hope being chipped away, falling to the earth like ash. It hurts.

"You have the whole summer to be with him and catch up," she says, noticing his shifting demeanor. "And I don't think he's going to give up on you without a fight."

Eliott manages another smile. "Thank you."

"Let's go ahead and get you to him. Okay?"

Eliott nods. "Okay."

june 21st, 1968

09:00

caen, france

~

The car ride home was almost unbearable. The radio was full of songs he'd never heard, and the ones he sang at the top of his lungs before his breakdown had all but disappeared. There were so many new buildings, some so tall Eliott had to crane his head to see the top of them. Buildings were this tall back in Paris, not back home.

"When did they build that?" Eliott asks, pointing at an especially tall, commercial building.

"I think it opened about a year after you left," his mother answers. "Things have changed a lot around here, dear. I wish you could've seen all of it when it was happening."

Eliott doesn't respond at first. He closes his eyes, imagining the town he knew before his life changed forever. Before his father died, before that day at the beach with Lucas, before his breakdown, before his diagnosis, before his long, long stay at the institution. The town with the quaint houses, old brick and mortar shops,  tranquil fields of lush grass and clean, quiet beaches. The town with an almost constantly cloudy sky, the town that always has a chill in its air, the town with millions of drops of blood crying vengeance from deep within its soil. The town that cradled Eliott but then left him to die all alone on the cold, hard ground. This town holds everything he's ever loved, everything he's ever hated or regretted, everything he's tried so hard to forget, and now he doesn't even recognize it if he opens his eyes.

"Me too," Eliott finally says, more melancholic than wistful.

He keeps his eyes closed, letting the music play and the car move onward, hopefully towards something familiar, someone he loves.

He loves me, he loves me, he loves me

"Eliott," his mother begins, making Eliott open his eyes again. "I can tell what you're thinking. You've been gone a long time. No one expects you to put on a smile and act like everything is still normal."

"I want everything to be normal," Eliott mutters. "More than anything."

"They'll be normal again soon, honey," she replies, looking over at him with her unwavering kindness in her eyes. "Just take your time. Let yourself heal. You need it."

"I was supposed to heal at the institution," Eliott sighs. "And I did. Now I have to heal all over again?"

His mother considers for a moment, biting her lip. "Healing never really ends, Eliott. There's always something that can be fixed or mended. We just need to hold our hand out to the healing, and once it takes it, it'll guide you through the hurt. And it'll never let go. It's a gift. A blessing. A friend. It's warm."

"Why can't the healing stop the hurt, then?" Eliott asks, getting tearful again. "Why can't it find some other path to take, or clear the one we're walking on if we do have to walk on it? Why do I have to hurt to feel the healing?"

"Maybe the healing needs us as much as we need it."

Eliott isn't sure. He sighs, letting his mother's answer hang in the air, and she lets it hang, too. Maybe one day he'll believe everything she said.

Suddenly, distantly, he can hear the gentle crashing of the waves against the shore. He can hear the water breathe, the sand call out its name. Oh, how he's missed that sound. He looks out the window, and he can just barely see the beach. He's missed the pale sand, the smell of salt in the air...

His mother must have noticed him gawking. "You missed the beach, didn't you?" she asks, smiling.

"So much," he breathes. "I can't wait to swim again. It's been so long since I've..." He breaks off, the beginnings of unwelcome memories infiltrating his mind. He sees his mother's smile falter.

"Sorry," he mutters.

"It's okay," she replies, so quiet Eliott almost didn't hear it. "It's okay," she repeats, louder. "You're home now."

Eliott nods, letting himself smile again. "I'm home."

Eliott keeps looking out the window, watching the waves ripple and curl like ribbons on the horizon. He feels a million emotions swirling around in his chest, his mind. He remembers splashing and laughing and building sandcastles. He remembers choppy waves, cold, biting water, salt burning his eyes. He feels relief, panic, love, abandonment. He wonders if the water is still the same, or if it's not, if it'll ever be the same again.

"Eliott, look," his mother says, pointing ahead.

He looks, and his heart begins to soar. Just ahead, he can see his childhood home with its white, brick walls and faded, gray roof. There's still little ropes of ivy climbing the side of it, it's just climbed a little farther now. There's still the steel blue front door, wooden porch, window shutters. There's still the little bushes lining the driveway, green and alive. It's his house. The one he grew up in, the one he fell in love in, the one he slept in every night, the one where he drank thousands of cups of tea and ate thousands of biscuits. It's his house.

And if he looks just beyond it, he can see Lucas's house. He smiles wider. Lucas must be in there, watching TV or reading a book and not suspecting for a moment that Eliott was just down the street, heading straight toward him. Eliott imagines knocking on the door and Lucas bursting into tears when he opens it and sees him standing there. He imagines them finding somewhere private and kissing again; kissing and breathing the same air and laughing and existing together again. He imagines things going back to normal, everything falling smoothly back into its natural rhythm again. He imagines him being okay, and being okay with Lucas by his side. Is he foolish, too hopeful, for imagining these things?

"I can't wait to surprise Lucas," Eliott says aloud, his excitement beginning to brim and spill over.

"He shouldn't be expecting a thing, dear," his mother replies, winking. She pulls into their driveway and parks their car. "Now go knock on his door and talk with him again. I'll be inside, okay?"

"Okay," Eliott grins. "Thank you, Maman. I love you so much." He unbuckles his seat belt and gives her another hug.

"You're welcome, dear. I love you, too," she returns, hugging him back.

He lets her go and takes a deep breath. He's about to meet Lucas again after two years. Either his worse nightmare or his fondest dream is about to come true. He opens the car door, and steps out.

He makes the short walk to Lucas's house, running his fingers along his bottom lip, a nervous habit. He breathes slowly, taking in all the sights and sounds and smells. He holds his head high and strides up to the Lallemants' front door. He takes another deep breath before knocking on the door.

"I'll answer it, Maman," Lucas's voice calls through the door. Eliott could cry right then and there. His voice! Sweeter, softer than the sound of the waves, or the wind chimes on the porch.

The door opens, and there stands Lucas Lallemant, older, more handsome. His blue, blue eyes widen and his pink, pink lips part in shock.

"Eliott?" he chokes out, half-laugh, half-sob.

"Surprise," Eliott replies cheekily, smiling and tilting his head. Before he can catch himself, his tears start rolling down his cheeks and he envelops Lucas in his arms. He holds him tighter with a new strength, with an old love and fondness. "I've missed you more than anything in any universe, my love."

Lucas hugs him back, tenderly, carefully. "And I, you."

Eliott could hold Lucas in his arms for a million years if he had to. He'd spend every moment running smooth circles over his skin, playing with his hair, breathing him in—his smell, his breathing, his thoughts, his heartbeats. He'd spend every moment trying to get closer and closer, silently hoping one day he'll melt into him and they'll never have to leave each other. Maybe, when they collided, they'd explode into a whole other universe—a whole other parallel universe as Lucas always talked about—one where Eliott wasn't sick, one where Lucas didn't carry so much weight, so many scars. Their universe.

"Eliott," Lucas whispers, almost afraid. "Can... Can we talk?"

Eliott ignores the twinge in his chest, the tug at the back of his mind. He pulls away, his hands drifting down and taking Lucas's. "Down by the shore?"

"No," Lucas replies, too quickly. "I don't go down there anymore. If I can help it."

"Does it remind you of..." Eliott can't finish the sentence, the last word getting caught in his throat.

"No," Lucas says again. "It reminds me of you."

The twinge is sharper, the tug pulls harder. Eliott swallows his nerves. "What do you mean?"

"Eliott, please," Lucas begs, his eyes closed and voice shaking. "Can we just talk somewhere?"

Eliott nods, biting his lip. "Okay."

Lucas lets go of Eliott's hands, looking up at him with pity. Eliott feels like he could explode.

Lucas starts walking towards the shore, but doesn't stray past the small patches of grass, a little ways past their houses. He looks out at the water, his brow furrowed, frowning. His eyes are dry, his breaths aren't shaking anymore. But somehow, Eliott notices, he looks sadder than he ever has before.

"Lucas?" Eliott tries, gently, patiently.

"So, you're home?" Lucas asks, turning to him but avoiding eye contact.

"The doctors said I was stable," Eliott answers, trying to keep the fear from edging into his voice. "So, they said I could go home. Live a normal life again. Be with everyone I love. Be with you."

Lucas takes a deep breath, wringing his hands. He's nervous.

Eliott takes his hands again. Lucas finally looks back at him, his eyes darker, lackluster.

"I love you, Lucas," Eliott says, moving his hands to cradle Lucas's face. "I love you."

Lucas closes his eyes, leaning his forehead against Eliott's. Eliott closes his eyes, too, and gathers every ounce of courage he has. He kisses Lucas, but their lips barely brush against each other before Lucas yanks himself away. Eliott swears he hears a sob rip out of Lucas's throat. His eyes fly open, and he sees Lucas backing away from him, hugging himself. There are tears running down his cheeks.

Eliott walks over to him cautiously, wanting to cry himself. He needs to be strong for Lucas. "Ça va, mon amour?" Eliott asks carefully.

"Don't call me that," Lucas begs, strained, tired.

Eliott feels the color drain from his face, feels the wind being knocked out of him.

He still loves me, he still loves me, he still loves me, he has to love me still

"Why not?" he chokes out.

Lucas shakes his head. After a moment, he looks Eliott in the eye. His eyes are shining, hopeless.

"I'm engaged, Eliott."

Eliott's heart nearly stops.

I need him to love me, I need him to love me, I need him to love me!

"To whom?" Eliott asks, his voice strangled.

"Chloé," Lucas answers. "Chloé Jeanson."

"That girl in the year below us?" Eliott asks, his heart racing now.

Lucas nods. He takes a deep breath before he continues. "We're getting married in December."

"And when did you propose to her?"

Lucas bites his lip. "Yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Eliott repeats. He feels tears running down his face.

"I love her, Eliott," Lucas justifies, stumbling through his words, his tears. "And she loves me."

"Lucas, you told me you can't fall in love with girls," Eliott cries, so desperate he can't control his tongue. He rambles, pleads through every hiccuping sob. "Remember? You told me that when we were sitting in my bedroom. And then I told you I can fall in love with anyone, but my heart chose you. And then you kissed me. Please tell me you remember that. Because I can't stop thinking about it. You kissed me and then I kissed you back and we kissed and we kissed and I'd never been so happy. We spent that whole spring, that whole summer kissing each other and every day I loved you more than I ever thought I could. I told you over and over again how much I loved you and you told me over and over again that you loved me, too. Was that a lie, Lucas? Have you been lying to me this whole time? Every time you wrote to me and called me the love of your life, the only good thing that's ever happened to you, those were all lies?"

"I was a boy, Eliott," Lucas bites back, anger twisting his features. "You were a boy. We didn't know anything about love. We didn't know anything! When I met Chloé, I knew!"

"So, you just moved on?" Eliott asks, his face burning bright red. "You fell in love with her? I was in misery in Paris, and you were here carrying on with some girl? I loved you, Lucas. I still love you!"

"If you loved me, you wouldn't have tried to kill yourself!" Lucas shouts, his voice echoing off the air, the water, the sky.

Eliott can't breathe. He can't feel his arms, his legs. He falls to his knees, shaking his head, his body wracked with sobs. "Lucas, I was sick, you know that."

"You could've talked to me that night, Eliott," Lucas replies, just as tearful. "You could've talked to me, instead of leaving a letter at my window sill and expecting me to find it by the time it was too late. You left me with the unbearable thought that you'd saved me from almost the same fate you were subjecting yourself to, but I wasn't gonna be able to save you. How could you have done that?"

Eliott presses the heels of his hands against his eyes, pushing away the memories. "Stop, please," he begs.

"I gave you my life, Eliott," Lucas's voice shatters, splinters.

Eliott replies softly, broken, hollow, "And I gave you mine."

"No," Lucas says, low and dark. "No, you didn't."

Eliott pulls his hands away, sunspots crawling across his vision. He can't see Lucas's face, but he can feel the anger radiating off of him. "Lucas, please, if you would let me explain..."

"Maybe someday," Lucas concedes, his voice still sharp and cutting. "Or maybe in another universe."

"Lucas—" Eliott begins, his voice breaking along with his heart.

"Everything has changed, Eliott. We've changed. I'm not a queer like you, and I'm not sick like you. And you're not in love like I am, and you're not moving on like I am."

"Please,"

Lucas pauses. Eliott hears him choke back a sob. "I'm sorry, Eliott."

He hears Lucas walking away, hears the sand shifting beneath his feet. He hears him sniffle, sigh. He hears his worst fear, his worst nightmare, laughing at him from the back of his mind. He hears a voice, deep within his heart wail,

He hates me, he hates me, he hates me

june 21st, 1968

9:43

caen, france

~

Somehow, Eliott finds the strength to rise to his feet and walk back home. He follows Lucas's footprints, like they used to when they were kids. Eliott usually led the way, taking the longest strides possible with his longer legs. Lucas struggled to keep up, often having to hop to the next footprint. Lucas would complain the whole way to their houses, ask why Eliott always had to lead the way. He would wish his legs were longer, so he could follow him easier, run faster than him. Eliott would laugh at him, tell him that maybe someday he would be as tall as he was, have legs as long as his. In Eliott's eyes, it was an innocent game, playful. In Lucas's, it was frustrating and unfair. Yet, they played it every day after playing at the beach, in the water. Because Eliott wanted to play it, and Lucas was always right behind him, nipping at his heels. Somehow, for all those years, Lucas had found the strength to keep walking.

Lucas has gotten taller, though not as tall as Eliott did. His feet are bigger, too. His strides are longer, angry. His feet barely had time to make impressions in the sand, and his footprints quickly disappear when the sand is overtaken by grass. Eliott's footprints are clearer, deeper from the sand threatening to pull him under and bury him, consume him. Somehow, despite the earth's pleading, Eliott found the strength to keep on walking.

He resists the urge to look over at Lucas's house, ignores the hope that he may see him through one of the windows. Lucas hates him, and he isn't sure he can handle seeing that hatred in his face, in his eyes. Lucas is engaged to someone else, and Eliott isn't sure he can handle seeing him kiss her, love her like he used to kiss and love him. The Lucas he just talked to isn't the same Lucas he grew up with, loved. But he also knows he isn't the same Eliott he was when they were kids. He's not the same Eliott Lucas grew up with, loved. Neither of them are the same. He should've known that from the moment he knew he would see Lucas again. He should've known that two years is a long time to be away from someone, especially considering the circumstances of why Eliott had to leave. Lucas has every right to be angry, but Eliott wishes with everything in him that he won't be anymore.

He makes it to his front door, taking a deep breath, another. He hasn't been inside his childhood home in two years. He would've been nervous, anxious, but he's too exhausted from his argument with Lucas to feel anything. So he breathes, and he opens the door.

"I was wondering where you were, dear," his mother calls. "How was reuniting with Lucas?"

Eliott doesn't answer. He drinks in his family's old living room. The once weathered, muted yellows were now a pure white, the rich, darkly stained wood floor were pale and matte. The old, paisley rug had been replaced by a plush, sky blue one. The couch his mother was sitting and reading a newspaper on was plush, too, a steely gray with wooden legs. The house looked new, cold, wide and gaping. Eliott feels like if he spoke, his words would echo for hours, miles. Was this really the house he grew up in? He doesn't recognize it...

"Eliott?" his mother repeats, putting down her newspaper.

He blinks and forces a smile. "Sorry, Maman. What did you say?"

"How was reuniting with Lucas?" she asks again.

He widens his false smile. "Good. I've missed him a lot."

"I'm so glad, honey," she smiles, genuine. "And do you like the new house?"

He nods, tells another lie. "Yeah, I do."

"I'll tell you, though," she begins, getting up from the couch. "I didn't touch your room, besides for some dusting and cleaning. Do you wanna see it?"

His smile falters, only to widen again, but genuinely this time. "Okay. Yeah."

He follows his mother upstairs, the stairs not creaking like they used to. The door to his room is closed, and his mother stands beside it excitedly, her hand on the doorknob. He can't help but smile.

"I remember what my room looks like, Maman," he laughs. "Why is it a surprise?"

"There's a few surprises in there," she replies, winking. "Ready, dear?"

He nods. "Ready."

She opens the door, and steps aside so he can walk in. He steps inside cautiously, but he was right. His walls are still a pale blue, his floor still dark, shiny wood planks. His bookshelf still standing tall in the corner of the room, all his pictures still framed and sitting on top of his dresser. The same sheets are on his bed, all made up. But there was a cardboard box on his bed. He grins, walking over and picking it up. It was heavy.

"Is this one of my surprises?" he asks, shaking it lightly.

"They're all in that box," she replies, nodding. "This is your birthday present, by the way."

He looks up, chuckling. "Is it?"

"No, not really," she concedes. "I do have birthday presents for you, but these are welcome home presents."

He shakes it again, holding it close to his ear. "Can I open it?"

"Of course, honey," his mother says, grinning.

He sits down on his bed, opening the box carefully. On top was a book, old and yellowed.

"The Waves?" he reads aloud, pulling the book out to study out. "Virginia Woolf?"

"It was one of my favorite books when I was your age," his mother tells him, sitting next to him. "That's actually my copy of it."

"Oh, Maman," he replies, suddenly feeling guilty. "You don't have to give me one of your books."

"It's a gift, honey," she reassures him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, I think you need it more than I do. I think it'll help you."

"Thank you, Maman," he smiles, giving her another hug.

"No, go through the rest of the box!" she laughs. "You can hug me when you've seen all of them."

"All right, all right," Eliott gives in, putting the book down and looking back in the box. He sees thick, tawny fabric. It looks familiar. He pulls it out of the box, and tears brim in his eyes again.

"This is Papa's old coat," he says, in awe.

"I know it's still summer, but once it gets cold, I thought you'd like to wear it," his mother says. "Your father loved this old coat. He rarely took it off while it still fit him. Remember?"

Eliott nods. "I remember."

"Put it on," she urges. "I wanna see you wearing it for a bit."

Eliott gladly takes off his old, too-small coat and puts on his father's. It's a little big for him, but it's warm and it smells like his father's cologne. He pulls it tight around his body, letting it envelop him. "I love it," he says, closing his eyes. "I love it, Maman."

"He loved it, too," his mother replies. There are tears in her eyes as she watches Eliott. She's probably thinking about how much they look alike. She blinks, and she's suddenly out of her reverie. She points at the box, smiling. "Oh, there's one more surprise in the box, Eliott. Lucas's mother helped me with it."

His heart sinks at the mention of Lucas's name, but he looks down at the box anyway.

It's a framed picture of a drawing he remembers making as clear as day. It's a self portrait, where his hair is a little lighter, and he's wearing a blue shirt and gray pants. He drew birds in the sky, the beach and the water and his house in the background. At the right edge of the paper, his five-year-old handwriting scrawled out a half-written message.

Be

Fri

For

Lucas had the other half, with his own self-portrait and his handwriting finishing the message.

Best friends forever

"Lucas's mother found this in their house, and she gave it to me and we got them framed. Lucas should be getting his half today, too. Remember the day you made these? The day I had to visit Papa at the hospital in Paris?"

He isn't listening to her. He studies his picture, remembers Lucas's, and it hits him all over again that everything has changed, that everything has been ruined. His tears come back, more bitter, and they refuse to be held back.

"Eliott, honey, are you okay?" his mother asks, suddenly worried.

"Yeah," he lies, leaving the picture sitting in his lap and wiping away his tears. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" she presses, putting her hand on his shoulder again.

He shakes his head, choking out a sob. "He hates me, Maman. He's so angry with me."

"Ellie," she starts, her hand moving to cradle his face.

"He hates me because I tried to kill myself," he sobs. "And he's engaged now and he's moved on without me and we're not best friends anymore."

"Honey, you don't know that," she tries to tell him, but his emotions only surge.

"I do, Maman! He told me! I've already almost lost him once and now I've lost him. He'll never talk to me ever again and he'll get married and have kids and be happy and he'll forget about me. He's gonna forget about me!"

"Eliott—"

"I love him, Maman! I love him and he hates me now! How can I live without him? How can I live without my best friend? How can I live without the love of my life?"

He looks down at the picture in his hands, and he's angry. Angry at Lucas, angry at himself, angry at his mind, angry at his parents, angry at the world. He screams, throwing the picture down on the floor. It shatters into a million pieces, leaving the picture exposed. He hears his mother calling his name, but he ignores her. He snatches the picture, ripping it in half, in fourths, in eights.

"Eliott, please!" his mother yells, grabbing hold of his hands.

He stops, his heart missing a beat and his breath hitching in his throat. He looks down at the paper shreds in his hands, the glass on the floor.

He's out of control again. He's lost it again.

He bursts into tears, his chest tightening, exploding. He falls into his mother's arms, wailing into her shoulder. She holds him close, kissing his hair and comforting him in soft, caring whispers.

He's falling apart all over again. He thought he was stable, he thought was gonna be okay, he thought everything would be normal.

How could he have ever been so wrong?

#here we go folks #we'll see what happens #skam france #skamfr #elu #elu fanfic #lucas lallemant #eliott demaury #skam france fanfic #skamfr fanfic #hush bailey #my writing #my fic #ttmc #suicide tw #q slur #child abuse tw #panic attacks tw

[rainy-knight]

Get it off your chest

Steven, the crystal gems and the past homeworld gems all sat around in chairs in Steven's house.

Steven: "Its a miracle I was able to get you all here, but I think it's high time we get everything that needs to be said to be...well, said."

Jasper: "Just get it stared, I got rocks to smash."

Steven: "Okay okay...Sooo I'll start and we all go in order clockwise. Pearl?

Pearl: "Oh! Yes Steven?"

Steven: "Yes, remember when I was mad at you and I made you tea?"

Pearl: "Oh yes, even though you were mad you found it in your heart to make me something so delicious!"

Steven: "I spat in it."

Pearl: "Oh that's lovel-BWAHGH!"

Steven: "Every time."

Pearl: "BRGH! I KNEW there was a tingle to the tea!"

Steven: "Its only going to get ugly from here on but that's what's the point of this. Amethyst, you're up."

Amethyst: "When you were a baby I tossed you like a football."

Steven: "Thats...alright that's worrying but ok."

Garnet: "Steven. You are precious to me, and I'll always love you."

Steven: "Oh no..."

Garnet: "That why I foresaw your terrible eating habits and ran cookie cats out of business to save you from becoming overweight."

Steven: "WHAT! I mean that's great but WHAT? You ran out the best treat in the whole universe but not lion lickers??"

Garnet: "Meh, you wouldn't eat them anyways."

Steven: "I mean I GUESS."

Pearl: "Steven...OH, if we're out in the open! I used to put a wig on you that looked like rose while you slept and just, WATCH you! I missed her so bad!"

Peridot: "Yyyyyyikes."

Steven: "You know that ain't as bad since I caught you staring at me sleep at times. Hey wait why are you all aiming towards me? This is to unload drama and grudges from our past, why just me guys?"

Jasper: "I actually love the way your punches feel, they're so aggressive, so hostile."

Steven: "That...nice jasper."

Jasper: "Hurt me Steven...Hurt me more."

Steven: "I think i need an adult."

Jasper: "I'm over six thousand years old."

Steven: "A YOUNGER adult!"

Lapis: "I secretly dont care about anyone but Steven. Not a soul or gem. If Steven wishes it I would drown every living organism on this planet without batting a eyelash, just to see you smile."

Steven: "That...that's horrific lapis."

Peridot: "Even me???"

Lapis: "I await Steven's call, and you will be the first, you put me in that cell, and I will imprison you in a water so dense you will forever be unable to reform."

Steven: "Holy SHIT!"

Pearl: "Steven! Dont swear!"

Steven: "Sorry that was just, wow. Lapis we need to talk after this."

Peridot: "Steven I steal your saliva while you sleep to increase my botany."

Steven: "Me? Again? Guys I'm going to be honest I'm feeling pretty attacked right now."

Jasper: "Feeling angry? You can always hit m-"

Steven: "Stop! Stars alive!"

Lapis: "Is she bugging you Steven, just say the word."

Steven: "NO, just, NO!"

Amethyst: "It was a good throw too, like, fifty feet."

Steven: "Why??"

Amethyst: "Garnet said you'd be fine."

Garnet: "..."

Steven: "...well?"

Garnet: "I saw you'd be alright."

Pearl: "I dance with shattered gems of the past in my room! Pink would throw parties and I'd dance with gems, those same gems battled along side me but shattered. I STILL dance with them!"

Steven: "You know I'm happy this one wasn't about me but somehow wish it was."

Jasper: "I crave your fist."

Steven: "No, stop!"

Lapis: "Let me let loose Steven. It wouldn't be hard, just a flick of my wrist"

Steven: "Stop!"

Peridot: "Like, allot of your saliva, you drool allot."

Amethyst: "man, fifty feet."

Steven: "AAAAAAAH!"

* * *

Steven, falling on his butt with Garnet standing beside him.

Garnet: "Howd it go Steven, my future vision help you? Any progress on Pearl's plan?"

Steven, laying on the floor exhausted.

Steven: "You know...I think I'm going to sit this one idea out...hey pearl?"

Pearl: "Oh yes Steven?"

Steven: "You feel like having my homemade tea?"

Pearl: "Oh! That would be lovley!"

#steven universe #steven #pearl #garnet #lapis lazuli #peridot #jasper #amethyst #just wanted to write some nonsense to get the noggin joggin