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stellocchia · 3 years

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This is part 4 of the Comprehensive Analysis of c!Tommy and c!Dream’s relationship during the Exile Arc

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

We’re here once more just to suffer... though be fair I did decide to do this to myself, so I can’t really complain there...

As always under the cut we will be exclusively be talking about the characters unless stated otherwise and we will be talking about some serious topics, so keep that in mind

We’re starting this off with the infamous Beach Party stream: Tommy Is Left ALONE at his Exile Party with Dream

Now, quick introduction to this vod, since we find out about some details later on: no-one, aside from Dream, shows up because Dream destroyed the invitations and also Ghostbur won’t be around any longer because Dream sent him away (knowing fully well that that could have killed him since he already heard directly from Ghostbur that rain melted him).

Basically at this point Dream is taking a step further into the manipulation process by not only making everyone else believe that Tommy didn’t want to see them but by also physically ensure they’d believe that. Also Tommy doesn’t start this one drowning either (perhaps because he was in high spirits the day prior?)

*creeper blows up* “Shit shit shit shit (...) I’m stupid I’m stupid I deserve that I deserve that. No no no no I didn’t I didn’t, today is gonna be a good day, today is gonna be a big day” (first response to anything negative has become taking on the blame, which we see later on with the Community House situation)

“Will Tubbo be there? Maybe! Myabe he will! Maybe he will!” (Tommy still very much missing his best friend)

“He [Tubbo] did boot me out... no no! you know what? I’m in the mood to reconcile!” (a big trait of Tommy’s has always been his loyalty to people, no matter how much they hurt him)

“It was definitely 8 pm GMT, 8 pm G-” *Dream joins the game* *Tommy pauses for a few moments on the Nether bridge completely still and then turns back* (I want to point out that the reaction any time Dream joined was one of absolute fear, for good reasons of course)

One thing that I’ve noticed is that Dream rarely comes from the Nether when visiting Tommy, opting instead for the objectively longer route through the water, which honestly seems to reinforce something he said early on, which was basically that even with the longer route it doesn’t take much effort to visit, and yet Dream is the only one willing to make that effort.

“Hello!” “H-hello?” “Hi!” “Hi ho-” “Where is everyone else?” “Oh... I don’t- I don’t know...” “I’m running a little late, I’m sorry”

Considering that we know that Dream was in fact the one who sabotaged the invites, therefore meaning he knew fully well that nobody would be there, does the fact that he came late seem like he really wanted Tommy to stew in his own loneliness for a while to anyone else? You know, to properly break his spirit. Also Tommy immediately after this goes to take off his armour (Tommy Slippers included) and weapons, but this is the one time Dream lets him keep it (which, once again, he’ll use as a point against him later on).

“Wilbur sent out the invites, didn’t he?” “Yeah, yeah no he sent them to everybody. He actually told Tubbo to his- like, he told him, he didn’t even need to give him an invite” “Really?!” “Yeah” (just want to point out that this is in fact not gaslighting, as some people seemed to think at the time, but it is still manipulation)

“I’m sure they said they’d be here by the day-” *watching the sun go down* “Time...” “I- I thought I was late so I’m surprised people aren’t here, but...” (turns out Dream was around 15 minutes late supposedly)

Tommy at this point takes out the cake, but he doesn’t eat any. I do think this is a good time to point out that the further we are into the exile the less we actually see Tommy eating (sometimes he straight up throws away any food he has in the inventory). He also sleeps less and less (or, at least, rests less, after all sleeping doesn’t necessarily mean being well rested afterwards) which we can deduce both from his comments on the subject and his rapidly deteriorating state.

“Dream, no-one’s here” “I don’t know why... guess I’m most surprised Tubbo isn’t ‘cause he said he was gonna be, but-” (once again harping on to the retoric that Tubbo specifically willingly abandoned Tommy)

“I figured, I mean I figured you’d probably care the least if I was here so I just- I didn’t mind being a little bit late because everyone else would be here, but...” (once again the idea here is: “even if I was late I still came, no-one else did”)

“No-one cares about me anymore!” “That’s not true...” “No-one cares about me!” *Tommy takes his armour off again* “Tommy...” “No-one cares- no-one cares about me!” *Tommy destroys the rest of the cake* “No no no *sigh*” “No-one cares, do they? No-one showed up to my party... and it was the one thing, THE ONE THING they had to do for me after exiling me and fucking me over and not one of them came with me. And... none of them care about me anymore... ‘cause I’m not in L’manburg anymore, ‘cause I’m not with- ‘cause I’m not the vice-president”

Okay, that was a long quote, but 2 things I want to point out here: Tommy had about half of his health here, he refused to eat, take of his armour and marched towards the Nether, which is again him acting with no regard for his own self-preservation. And also there is a bit of Wilbur retoric sprinkled in there, with the whole “people only care about you when you have power” mentality. That’s exactly what Wilbur tried to convince him of in the Pogtopia era and it looks like he’s seeing a confirmation of this through the party.

“If no-one is gonna put in any effort to come and see me, than I’ll make the effort harder to come and see me then, alright?”

At this point Tommy has borrowed Dream’s netherite pickaxe and he proceeds to destroy a chunk of the bridge he’s made in the Nether, swapping it out for a one block wide wooden bridge. Of course, it goes without saying that he is not acting rationally, he is hurt and angry at the moment and he wants to convince himself that if others don’t care about him then he won’t care about them, which is why he starts lashing out more after this. And this is the result of Dream’s direct actions by the way.

“What is everyone saying about Tubbo’s compass? What is that? What is it? Explain to me” “I- uh I’m pretty sure that he burned it or something... or he lost it, something like that” “Wha...?” “He doesn’t have it anymore”

Tommy, up until now, didn’t even fully believed that Tubbo had a compass, but with the official confirmation of it being paired with Tubbo possibly willingly burn it, it’s the last straw for Tommy who decides to do the same. Though he doesn’t end up actually burning it, he does goes to take it out of the enderchest and bring it to the Nether. I do want to point out that Tubbo did not, in fact, either loose it or burn it willingly. It was blown up by accident in a creeper explosion.

*Tommy holding his compass over a sea of lava* “He burnt it? On purpose?” “I- I think so” “You know what, wou know what? Y- you know what?!” “Why don’t you- why don’t you sleep on it Tommy? Just wait don’t do anything, you know? Anything you can’t take back and then...” “I don’t sleep anymore Dream...”

Pretty sad scene... also a confirmation of what we said before about Tommy sleeping less and less. Also I’m not entirely sure why Dream was suddenly against Tommy burning the compass when he didn’t seem to be at the start, though it could be because Tommy was so obviously hesitant about it, so he probably wouldn’t have done it either way. Which means that it was a good moment to get friendship points.

*Tommy standing in front of the portal in the main Nether hub* “I just want to go home... please can I go home...?” “Uhm, do you wanna see the Christmas tree for, like, 10 seconds?” “Can I stay?” “You can’t stay, but you can go look at it, I’ll let you out-” “Why can’t I stay?” “It’s not like they want you anyway Tommy” “wha...?” “Tommy, no-one showed up to your party and everyone was invited. Do you want to see the Christmas tree?” “I’ll just go back...”

This is the one single scene that is capable of making me emotional every single time. Just Tommy’s broken and small voice throughout it is something else... also Dream’s absolutely smug tone in all of it. But, the one thing, aside from the great acting, that I want to point out in all of this is how the reason for why Tommy can’t go back now has shifted from Dream killing him if he does to his old friends not wanting him around any longer. This way Dream gets to fully play the part of the magnanimous friend who still cares while everyone else is depicted as the enemy. Also I do find it interesting that in this scene Dream keeps insisting quite a bit for Tommy to go see the tree (in contrast to the first time where he refused for him to go back even for a few seconds), which almost looks like him testing how effective his conditioning was.

“That guy is gonna kill me, the little guy” *pointing at a baby piglin* “Oh” *Dream proceeds to get rid of it* (Tommy is by now basically dependent on Dream for his own safety)

“Do you need food?” “*sigh* No” (Tommy is literally on 3 hearts with 3 1/2 hunger bars and he is still refusing to eat)

They spend quite a bit of time after this by playing with Dream’s riptide trident and later also with the throwing one. Also Tommy changes his “girlfriend” hot girl for HOTTER girl (because I know you all deeply care for this kind of updates)

“I actually didn’t have a trident before and it took forever to come here, so I got a trident to come here quickly” “Oh thank you! You obviously care about me Dream” (Tommy feeling compelled to thank Dream for literally anything paired with Dream constantly showing off how much effort he is willing to put in)

“Let’s make a guest tent, let’s make a guest tent!” “That’s a... great idea” “In case any guest wanna- I mean maybe even- maybe you- we’ll make it here. It- it needs to be close to me because I’m- I’m really missing contact” (on top of everything else, Tommy was also canonically touch starved)

Dream and Tommy also make a guest tent together (and it’s implied a few times that maybe Dream will use it) before playing with tridents a bit more when it starts raining. Also Tommy builds a cobblestone smartphone were he keeps snapchat streaks with girls (this goes in the list of sentences I never thought I’d type).

“Hey thanks for letting me keep my armour today” “You’re welcome” “It was nice of you” “I just thought it’d be good for the party and everything” “I’m sorry it wasn’t that much of a party in the end” “Eh, we make it a party together, so” “Yeah”

So, once more I want to point out a couple of things: there is no reason, aside from Dream’s conditioning, for Tommy to feel grateful that Dream didn’t take away his means to defend himself, nor is there any reason for Tommy to be the one apologizing for the party turning out the way it did. But also one other thing I want to point out is Dream’s insistence over them having fun together, which he keeps saying even later on during the prison visits. And I want to point that out because I do really think that Dream believes that or that he, at the very least, does try to convince himself of it. I’m still not entirely sure on that point, but, by now, I’m fairly sure that Dream really does believe that him and Tommy are his warped and toxic version of what “friends” would be...

“I should have died and then- and then I didn’t! I should have died...” (suicidal thoughts)

*Tommy reaching the maximum height with the trident* “I’m alone...” (just a very famous scene here, but also keeping to the theme of loneliness even when other people are around, in this case Dream)

“Just- just build a guest tent Dream! You’re probably gonna be the one who stays in the most so... since you’re my guest”

*Dream standing inside the guest tent* “I’m in- I’m in my tent my tent” (the implications I mentioned before)

“Maybe I’m just gonna stay here, maybe I’m just gonna live here instead” (referring always to the guest tent and Logstedshire)

This all ends with Dream gifting Tommy the throwing trident (which he then puts in his enderchest) and Tommy also gains a zombie head from their mob hunting.

“Let me keep the other trident please” “What the one that you can throw?” “Yeah” “Okay Tommy, I’ll let you keep it” “Really?” “Yeah, as a gift, a beach party gift. You can remember our bonding experience from today” “Awww, thank you” (this is the conversation as a frame of reference)

“Listen Dream, what do we do now, then? If no-one is gonna come and visit me, what do I do?” “Nah, I’m visiting you!” (Dream really is convinced to me as much the center of Tommy’s universe as he is of his, huh?)

“Dream, as much as I’m feeling happy, I’m not. I’m not Dream. Where do we go from here?” “Uhm, I think that you will come around to liking it here, and you’ll build up your own ‘empire’ here, and you’ll be happy and maybe they’ll come and visit you- like you said! You said the thing about all, like, power right? You have no power and now they don’t visit you, maybe you’ll be- you’ll be back in power and then they’ll...” “I’ll always be exiled” “Yeah but that doesn’t mean you can’t become powerful, you can become powerful away from- away from them”

This is the closing conversation, that ends with Tommy entering the sea and disconnecting once he is on only one bubble of air left. Which, by the way, is a case of Tommy dissociating, which we know because he always later seems confused when logging in and finding himself in the water (meaning the confrontation with Jack at the hotel wasn’t the first case of him dissociating).

Also, while Dream is spewing all of this stuff about how “Tommy can still be powerful here” it’s obvious that that’s not the case. Tommy is not allowed armour or weapons and he is basically not allowed any allies (what with Dream sending Ghostbur away, intercepting Ranboo’s mail and making sure to keep away from Tommy as much as possible). Tommy is quite literally stuck in a position of powerlessness that he cannot escape from with someone who actually enjoys having him at his weakest.

I’ll leave it here for today, because this was literally one of the most intense streams so I had quite a lot to say and this became so damn long... I’ll probably condense the next two together.

#dreamwastaken #tommyinnit #dream smp #character analysis #relationship analysis #tw abuse #tw suicide #tw manipulation #exile arc #c!dream #long post #my post #this seriously came out really fucking long #oh well #pretty sure you guys are used to that from me by now!

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immortalcoelacanth · 3 years

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Between the Walls, Chapter 4: Cheating the System (Dream SMP fic)

God dammit I forgot to post this before I passed out, so it’s a rare super late/early post from me XD

Word count: 5826

Summary: In which Tommy learns about many things. The purpose of the mob farm, what gunpowder is, and that Techno has a horse named Carl.

Over the course of the next couple days, Tommy learned several things. He learned that Techno’s favourite vegetable was a potato, something about it tasting like victory and being easy to grow. He learned that the upper floor of the house, the only space he had been unable to reach since digging upward tunnels was a bitch, housed not only Techno’s bed but a bell as well. Honestly, he was more surprised about the hybrid having a bed than anything else since he rarely seemed to sleep.

He also learned what the true purpose of the mob farm was.

The borrower had been looking out one of the many windows, still a bit anxious about being out in the open but ultimately adapting quite well to his new environment, when he spotted Techno outside. Nothing about this really interested him, he occasionally watched the hybrid gather resources nearby or take trips to the village to trade, but what caught his attention was the fact that Techno was going to the mob farm this time.

Now curious, he leaned against the window and watched as Techno brushed some freshly fallen snow off the ground, revealing a previously hidden trapdoor.

Seeing an opportunity to both mildly annoy Techno and figure out what was up with that random trap door, he quickly ducked into the nearby passage and made his way down to the ground. From there, he shimmied out of the entrance he had made in the wooden framework of the house, winding up on the stone stairs.

Entrances and exits to the house were always the first thing borrowers made. Escape routes were important and all, and he doubted the hybrid had noticed the practically invisible entrance, consisting of nothing other than a sheet of wood that could be moved back and forth.

It was a sliding door, Tubbo called it. He had picked up the design during a conversation with some other borrowers and shared it with Tommy once he got home. They had, naturally, tried it out and built their own special, hidden sliding door and used the space behind it as a sort of secret storage.

Hopefully it was still hidden, protecting the treasures they had gathered over the years. The sparkling red dust that Tubbo liked to mess with, the worn bee plushie, the old jukebox Tubbo had managed to fix up, and the discs they would listen to late at night.

Cat and Mellohi.

He skidded to a halt once he reached the railing, nearly falling off in the process, and quickly cupped his hands around his mouth.

“HEY TECHNOOOOOOO!” Tommy shouted at the top of his lungs. “BIG MAN! WHAT’RE YOU UP TO?!”

While the hybrid didn’t show any signs of being surprised, something that the borrower was just the slightest bit disappointed about, he did see those large, pointed ears twitch before Techno turned to face him. He waved both of his arms, bouncing up and down, and he watched as Techno reluctantly made his way over.

“So, what’s up with those trapdoors?” He immediately asked, leaning forward and peering around the hybrid as he tried to catch another glimpse of the aforementioned trapdoors. “Got some secret room full of women you’ve been hidin’?”

“... I don’t think there are any words in the English language to convey the emotion I just felt, and no.” Techno calmly replied. “It’s for the mob farm. The hoppers and chests.”

“... You keeping frogs down there?” Tommy grinned as he heard the disappointed sigh the hybrid let out in response to his question. He had no clue what a hopper was, but it sounded weird.

“It’d be easier to just show you.” Techno said, choosing to completely ignore the borrower’s question as the last thing he wanted to do was acknowledge it. “C’mere-”

“Wait! Wait! Don’t pick me up! Blade, let me ride on your shoulder!” Tommy exclaimed as he clasped his hands together. “It’ll be cool!”

“Wh-no.” Techno balked at the request. “That is possibly the worst idea I’ve ever heard on so many levels.”

“But I’ll be tall-”

“And that’s even more of an incentive to say no.”

Tommy inhaled and used his backup plan. “Please, please, please, please please, please, please, please-”

His pleading was cut off when Techno reached out and picked him up, yet again without bothering to warn the borrower. He was moments away from shouting, wanting to curse the hybrid for making a habit out of randomly picking him up, but the sudden drop onto Techno’s shoulder cut him off.

Immediately, he found himself surrounded by the fluffy trim of the cape and he impulsively ran a hand through the surprisingly soft material. It was warm, very warm, due to both the body heat the hybrid was giving off as well as the natural insulation provided by the cape. He glanced upwards, noticing the large, pointed ear above him, and a mischievous grin crossed his face.

The borrower quickly inhaled and, without warning, blew a quick puff of air up towards Techno’s ear. He was immediately rewarded with a full body shudder from the hybrid as his ear twitched wildly. That evil look appeared once more, and he quickly inhaled-

Just in time to be met with a sharp flick on his forehead. It was Techno’s retaliation, and he let out a loud yelp before massaging the aching spot.

“What the fuck was that for?!”

“You acting like a gremlin.” The hybrid replied while staring at the borrower out of the corner of his eye. Tommy nervously swallowed. “And don’t do that again.”

“R-Right! Got it, big man!”

With that boundary drawn, Techno made his way back over to the trapdoors. He ignored the surprised shout that came from Tommy as he started moving as well as the uncomfortable memories that roiled in his mind. Moments of people whispering as he passed, pointing at him.

At his ears.

Looks of disgust and distrust, as though he were some kind of freak walking through the streets. The insults and jeers that filled his childhood, eventually turning to words of praise and awe-

He suppressed the shudder and pushed down the images that plagued his mind of a time that had long since passed. There was no point dwelling on such things, remembering them, and in an attempt to distract himself, he opened the trapdoors and jumped down.

Whatever Tommy was expecting when the duo descended into the room connected to the mob farm, it certainly wasn’t this.

He could see the faint glow coming from those weird blocks, something he still needed to ask Techno about, lighting up the small space. The room itself was made out of stone, smelling faintly of dirt, and featured some chests that had been placed directly below the glowing blocks. Some strange, metal devices linked the two, and the borrower briefly wondered whether those were the “hoppers” Techno had talked about.

Before he could ask what anything was, or why the hybrid had decided to make the farm in the first place, Techno made his way over to one of the chests, crouched down, and opened it, revealing all the loot that the mob farm had generated while the borrower had been acting as bait.

There were some drops that Tommy was familiar with, the bones and rotten flesh being the main ones. Back in Borrowton, there had been groups who would go out and scavenge what loot they could find after the mobs had burnt up in the bright sunlight. It had been a dangerous job, but the rewards were worth it.

Especially when the occasional chunk of iron was found. He would never be able to forget Tubbo’s excited rambling about what new tools would be made. Fixing old, broken things was his favourite pastime, even more so when he and Tommy got something out of it, and it was one of the main sources of motivation for Tommy to go out and steal things.

Well, that and spite.

Bones had been surprisingly rare with how common skeletons were supposed to be, but he had always supposed that was because of the local wolf population getting to them first. No one wanted to challenge the local wildlife, even if it meant getting vital supplies.

However, the rest of the items left Tommy scratching his head in confusion as he tried to figure out what they were. One looked like some weird, reddish eye. String, or something that resembled string, was also pretty common and he quietly wondered if that was from the occasional spider he had seen. The only other thing he struggled to identify were the random piles of some strange, grey coloured powder.

Interestingly enough, it was these piles of powder that Techno seemed the most interested in, based on the appreciative hum he let out upon seeing how much had been collected.

“It’s gunpowder.” The hybrid replied. After hearing the confused noise the borrower made, he continued speaking. “Creepers drop it.”

“Oh.” Tommy had seen the large, somewhat fuzzy, green mob before. It was always from a distance since they apparently exploded. “So it blows up?”

Techno just grinned in response as he slowly sorted through the loot, gathering as much of the gunpowder as he could and adding it to a bag, making the borrower instinctively shudder. There was just something about that look, the amount of malice he radiated that made him want nothing more than to run, to hide and find somewhere he would be safe.

He hated it, of course, and determinedly shoved the emotions down. He was a big man, and he wouldn’t show any fear! He was stronger than that!

“Bit of a shit explanation, that is.” Tommy huffed. “Just smilin’ like someone who’s scheming. Are you scheming, Blade?”

“Not at all.” The sarcastic drawl clearly indicated otherwise, but the borrower decided not to press any further. He had his own things to worry about and the last thing he wanted was to get caught up in whatever Techno was hinting at.

Prioritize, Tommy had to prioritize. For as much as he unintentionally enjoyed his time with the hybrid, it would be best if he kept his distance as much as possible and only interacted when he really needed to. Less attachment would make it easier to leave.

It was a sound plan.

Too bad Tommy always sucked at following plans.

The next day, he ended up learning that Techno used to have a horse named Carl.

The loud bang that shook the house, walls trembling before going still, was the first indication Tommy had that something bad had happened. The next was the furious, yet short-lived, shouting he heard coming from the front yard. He faintly heard something about a retirement fund?

He didn’t really care about whatever a retirement fund was as most of his attention was focused on whatever could make Techno sound so angry. It was the first time he had ever heard such anger from the hybrid, which was concerning in and of itself, and he hesitantly made his way out towards the shouting. After creeping through his hidden door, he found Techno pacing in the snow, a somewhat crumpled piece of paper held in his hands.

Maybe that was the source of his anger…?

“Uh, Blade?” Tommy hesitantly called out. He cringed as the hybrid whirled around, red eyes shining with rage, and quietly wondered why he always got himself into these stupidly dangerous situations. “You… lookin’ a bit mad there, bruv-”

“They took Carl.”

“Uh, Carl?”

“My horse.” Techno replied, voice strangely monotone after his enraged outburst moments ago. “He’s stuck in some underground maze.”

“... So, when are we breaking him out?”

“We?” The hybrid repeated, anger fading as it was replaced by confusion.

“Well, yeah! You think I can’t help?!”

“... You’re a tiny person-”

“I am a big man with a big brain!” Tommy retorted as he pointed a finger at Techno. “And I’m great at puzzles-”

That was an absolute lie, Tubbo had always been the better out of the two when solving puzzles or riddles. He was far more patient than Tommy.

“Plus they’re probably counting on you being alone and stuff, not having a master puzzle solver with you!”

The hybrid hated to admit it, but in a way Tommy did have a point. Though he doubted the kid was as much of a master at solving puzzles as he claimed, his diminutive size could come in handy, and the sooner he got Carl out of that maze, the better.

“Alright-”

“Yes!” The borrower cheered, eagerly hopping into the offered hand before jumping onto Techno’s shoulder. He quickly made himself comfy, ignoring the exasperated look on Techno’s face, and tapped the side of his neck. “Let’s go!”

“I have to get supplies.”

“... Let’s go after we get supplies!”

Fortunately, preparing for their journey did not take long, and in no time at all, Techno set out and strode into the tundra. As they were leaving, Tommy noticed how some of the stones that made up the front porch were cracked. He could see the point of impact and how the damage spread outwards.

Had… had Techno punched it?

It took all of his strength to suppress his laughter, and even then he caught a glimpse of the hybrid staring at him in confusion before shaking his head. Nope, Techno was not going to ask about what that laughter was about. He had more important things to focus on at the moment, like getting to wherever the hell this maze was, and ignoring the inane chatter coming from the borrower.

By the time the sun had begun to set, the pair reached their destination.

“So I guess this is where your horse is.” Tommy commented as he stared at the stone entryway leading deep underground. His eyes momentarily lingered on the strange, orange, glowing things in the ground before he looked up at Techno. He couldn’t see much of the hybrid’s face due to his vantage point, but he could easily see how tense his jaw was.

Gritting his teeth as he thought about the best way to solve this maze without losing one of his lives, Carl, or his items.

“Yeah.” He grumbled as he approached the entrance, eyes briefly scanning over the sign that stated only he could enter. A quick hit with his axe split the wooden sign in half, pieces tumbling to the ground as he made his way forward.

“Apparently, if any blocks get broken Carl’s gonna burn to death.” The hybrid explained, descending into the start of the maze. “If it was anything else I’d get someone, probably Skeppy, to do it for me, but I don’t want someone to troll me by breaking a block and killing Carl.”

He then glanced down at Tommy. “And that’s where you come in.”

“... We’re gonna cheat the system?”

“Absolutely.”

“Fuck yeah!” Tommy cheered, throwing his arms up into the air in excitement. “Pog! We’ve gotta rub it in their stupid faces after we get Carl back!”

That got a small smile out of Techno, and he felt his mood lift for the first time since reading that stupid note. The kid could be so damn obnoxious and annoying, but sometimes he was alright.

So, after quickly checking out the nearby chest to see if there was any loot in it and finding nothing, he moved on and investigated the lectern nearby. He picked up the book resting on it, and opened it.

Huh, at least whoever designed this place was nice enough to leave hints.

Techno scanned over the words written in the book as he glanced at the arrows on the wall. “So, they need to be in a specific pattern-”

“I’ve got this.” Tommy scoffed as he cut Techno off. “Just lift me up to one of those frames and I’ll handle the rest.”

Mildly intrigued to see what the borrower had in mind, the hybrid held out a hand for Tommy to jump into. From there, he lifted the kid up to the item frame and watched as he skillfully jammed a tiny knife into the space between the frame and the wall, wiggled it loose, and slipped into the crack.

Suddenly, the arrow on the item frame started turning, rotating in place until Techno heard a click come from it. The borrower stuck his head out of the crack and grinned. “Got it! Take me to the next one!”

This process was repeated with each of the item frames, Tommy prying them open and messing with the redstone behind the wall until the arrow was in the correct position. Hardly any time had passed before the final click sounded and a section of the wall slid open.

Techno grinned. “... So you were a good investment-”

“Fuck yeah!” Tommy smirked while flexing his arms. “Big brain move to invest in these muscles!”

“... I take it back.”

“Hey!”

Progressing deeper into the maze, Techno easily kicking aside the empty lectern that was in his way, he took note of the bed placed in a cramped corner and the sign above it. A warning of death and respawns, and the implications made him snort in amusement.

Him? Die in this stupid maze? Not going to happen when he had Tommy to throw into the dangerous sections. Speaking of which…

“Time for you to do your thing.” He said as he scooped the borrower off his shoulder and placed him on the ground. “Apparently there’s a lot of death up ahead, probably lava. Try not to die.”

“Awwwww, the Blade cares-”

“It’d be a pain in the ass to replace you.”

“... Fucking dick.” Tommy grumbled as he stomped off. “It’d be impossible to replace me, you can’t replace perfection!”

He didn’t bother listening to whatever the hybrid’s response was as, in a mildly unnerving display of attention and focus, he approached the latest challenge he needed to overcome.

Tommy hummed as he investigated the next section of the maze. It certainly looked complicated, with all the pressure plates and strange devices, but there were two things that he quickly noticed that left him grinning. The first was that the pressure plates didn’t really detect him thanks to how small he was, and the other was that not all of the stone blocks were perfectly flush with one another, leaving the occasional gap that was just big enough for him to fit through.

Perfect.

He cracked his knuckles and got to work.

Crawling through the gaps yielded several pieces of information, the main one being that Techno had been correct in his guess that there would be lava. There were tons of spots where it had been used, each dead end filled with the glowing, molten fluid. It was chilling to realize how many times whoever kidnapped Carl wanted Techno to die, and Tommy could not help but wonder why.

Why steal Techno’s horse? Why go through all the trouble?

Something else he noticed was the strange, dark coloured sand with swirls and shapes in it. He had been hesitant to walk in it at first, and when he did he noticed that the sand seemed to stick to his boots, making it hard for him to move at anything other than a snail’s pace. Fortunately, he was able to easily skip these sections and in no time at all, he found himself staring at another lectern.

Fuck yeah!

With a victorious grin on his face, the borrower scampered back through the cracks and gaps in the blocks before finding his way back to Techno.

“You solved it?”

“Of course I did! Big man, I better get a reward for this-”

“Your reward is me not punting you every time you decide to act like a gremlin child.” The hybrid teased as he stepped forward and scooped the sputtering Tommy up. He stepped onto the pressure plate, momentarily disoriented as he was moved around, and then gestured for the borrower to begin guiding him.

Every so often, Tommy would get Techno to pause as he quickly checked to make sure the path they were following was correct before continuing to lead him. He could feel both his pride and ego swelling at his success, even after the teasing from earlier. This maze was easy!

And that thought stayed in his mind for only a couple of seconds before the pair reached the next section. While the borrower did not see the hint, he did catch sight of the smile that crossed Techno’s face once he was done reading it, which made him smile too.

Oh yeah, this next part was gonna be easy as hell-

Or so the borrower thought, until he was blasted in the face by the roaring heat of a room full of lava. The viscous fluid dripped from the ceiling and filled the pit which took up the bottom of the room. Several tiny platforms were suspended above the deadly obstacle, and multiple ladders lined the walls.

“It’s all fucking lava!” Tommy shrieked, voice cracking painfully. “Techno, move!”

“Gimme a sec.” Techno tersely replied as he jumped from the starting platform to the nearest ladder. His concentration was momentarily thrown off as he felt a pair of arms wrap around the side of his neck and a tiny body press itself against him.

It was Tommy, and he was trembling in fear.

Discomfort ran through him, but the hybrid ignored it as he continued to jump from ladder to platform. He carefully dodged the bits of lava that fell from the ceiling and unconsciously raised the shoulder the borrower was on, blocking any potential lava that might land on him.

It was a gesture that only Tommy noticed, his eyes widening in surprise as the protective positioning registered. It was just like back with the librarian. Techno was trying to keep him safe…

Soon enough, Techno’s boots hit stone. This sound snapped Tommy out of his dazed state, and he awkwardly let go of the neck he had been clinging to and looked off to the side.

Don’t say anything, just don’t mention it-

“Welp, hope you don’t mind more lava-”

“THERE’S MORE?!” The borrower wailed as he looked in front of them, taking in the multiple different pathways that were full of lava. “WHY THE FUCK IS THERE MORE?!”

“Bruh, if you’re gonna keep being so loud I’m sticking you in a bottle.”

“Technoblade, you’re subjecting me to this torture again! Wh-what about my emotions?! The trauma?! I’ll never be able to look at anything orange ever again!” Just as Tommy was about to continue his rant, Techno lifted a bottle of some strange, glowing liquid up for him to see.

“It’s a good thing I decided to brew a fire resistance potion, then.”

“... A what?” The borrower blinked in confusion, and the hybrid rolled his eyes before explaining further.

“It’ll make us immune to fire damage for a bit-”

“Immune-why didn’t you use that in the other room then?!”

“I didn’t wanna waste it, duh.”

He ignored the enraged sputtering coming from Tommy and quickly splashed some of the potion on the kid, getting a loud curse in response, before dousing himself with the rest of it. After quickly checking to make sure the fire resistance was actually working on the borrower, a quiet sigh of relief escaping him when he saw those signature orange swirls, he then glanced at the hint book.

He who fails, may lose, but maybe not again…

Again…?

“Two, maybe?” Techno mumbled to himself as he approached the second opening. He both felt and heard Tommy start to panic, listened to the anxious mumbles and felt the nervous shifting on his shoulder, and decided it was best to get this part over and done with.

Without warning the borrower, he quickly lunged into the lava, pushed through it, and found himself in a stream of water. He was immediately met with more shouting courtesy of Tommy.

“What the fuck, man?! Why the fuck would you do that without warning me?!”

“So I didn’t have to listen to your yelling…” Techno started to say, but his voice trailed off as he looked down the next passage and noticed something moving in the distance.

Something horse shaped and wearing diamond armor.

“CARL!”

He immediately raced off, passing the two rooms that had clearly been left open on accident in his haste to get to his horse. Tommy was nearly knocked off his shoulder, but just barely managed to hold on thanks to the fur trim behind him.

“How about a bit of warning, next time?!” The borrower shouted, ultimately being ignored as Techno chose to focus on showering Carl with love and affection instead. He whispered gently to the horse, brushing a hand through Carl’s mane and promising that they would be home soon, that everything would be alright.

Tommy pretended to gag. “Can’t believe you’re going soft, Blade, and over a horse too.”

“I’ll have you know that Carl is the best horse in the world, and deserves nothing less than perfection.” Techno proudly stated. He looked so happy, definitely the happiest Tommy had ever seen him, and it was so…

Weird.

Rather than continue to tease the hybrid further, the borrower just let out a loud, exasperated sigh, arms dropping to his sides. “Well you better finish up your reunion so we can get outta here!”

Unfortunately for Tommy, it was this outburst that caught the horse’s attention. Carl let out a snort and shifted so his muzzle was pointed at Techno’s shoulder where the borrower was. Tommy winced as he felt a puff of warm air run over him before frantically looking at Techno. “What the fuck do I do?!”

“Relax, Carl’s just saying hello.”

“... So I should say hay back-” The pun was cut off by a quick flick to Tommy’s forehead. As the borrower grumbled as rubbed at the sore spot, Techno offered his own suggestion.

“The last thing you should do is offend Carl, especially with any of your shitty jokes-”

“They’re not shit!”

Carl let out snort of his own at Tommy’s objection, as if disagreeing with the borrower despite only having just met him a couple moments prior, making Techno let out his own laugh.

“I can’t believe I’m being bullied by a bastard and his horse.” Tommy grumbled. He was snapped out of his sour mood when another puff of warm air rolled over him, Carl still clearly intrigued by the tiny being. Feeling both curious and nervous, Tommy hesitantly held a hand out towards the horse.

“Hello there… Carl…”

This was insanity, absolute insanity, and the borrower was certain he was going to die. However, his assumption was immediately disproven when the muzzle of the horse was pressed against his hand.

Unfortunately, the affectionate gesture was a bit too strong for Tommy, nearly knocking him over before Techno reached out to steady him.

“Looks like Carl approves.” The hybrid chuckled, getting a half-hearted glare from the borrower.

“At least he’s got good taste.” Tommy mumbled as he gently patted the horse, starting a bit more comfortable. “Everyone approves of me, I’m fantastic.”

“You keep telling yourself that.”

A couple more moments passed with Carl investigating the strange, tiny new creature before the horse let out a snort and shook his head. One of his hooves pawed at the ground, a clear sign that he was more than ready to leave the cramped space he had been stuck in.

Having saddled up Carl and made sure he was alright for the journey back home, the group emerged out of the dark tunnel into moonlight. Techno let out a quiet, relieved sigh, happy to be out of the cramped maze, while Tommy just slumped against the side of his neck. The duo were exhausted and both wanted nothing more than to pass out.

… But sleep was not the only thing on Tommy’s mind. He kept thinking back to the maze, to the puzzles he had helped the hybrid overcome. He had been helpful, very helpful, and it was likely Carl wouldn’t have been saved if it weren’t for him.

He was important, his help had been important, and he wanted to know if…

If Techno realized that.

He wanted the validation, craved it, and despite how anxious he was everything in him begged him to speak up and voice those words.

Ask him, ask him-

“Techno,” Tommy began, looking up so he could catch a glimpse of the hybrid’s face. “Did… did I do good?”

“No,” He felt his heart shatter hearing that word. Again, again someone had not thanked him for his work.

“You did great.” The rough sensation of a finger being pressed against the top of his head and ruffling his hair snapped Tommy out of his spiral, and by the time the ruffling stopped he was able to look up and see the smile on Techno’s face.

A true, genuine smile.

You did great.

Great.

...

Why?

Why had a man who was practically a stranger to him, someone he had known for less than a week, been able to say the words he had been dying to hear from the people who had known him since he was a child?

Why had one of the most emotionally reserved people Tommy had ever met been able to express the appreciation towards his actions that he had only ever experienced with Tubbo?

Why was Technoblade one of the two people he now felt safe around? How the hell had the hybrid managed to earn his trust so fast with how much of a prick he could be?! And why the fuck was he crying over something so stupid-

But it wasn’t stupid.

It was a sign of him being valued, being wanted. A sign that, despite how annoying and obnoxious he could be at times, someone cared about him. It was what had drawn him to Tubbo in the first place, the foundations of their friendship.

The fact that they genuinely cared about one another when no one else did.

I miss Tubbo.

A choked sob burst out of Tommy and he quickly pressed his forearm over his face as he struggled to suppress the sounds of his crying, damn he had been crying a lot.

He was unaware of how the ear above him twitched, Techno obviously hearing the sounds of his distress despite how hard he tried to hide it. He was equally unaware of the look of discomfort that briefly crossed the hybrid’s face before fading to neutrality.

Emotions, the last thing he wanted to deal with.

… Or really knew how to deal with. Years worth of being a social outcast, repressing his own emotions, and just having a general sense of anxiety towards interacting with people had left him woefully unprepared when it came to displaying empathy. The people who mattered most to him, Phil and-

The soothing sounds of someone playing a guitar. That teasing laughter and lighthearted sparkle in his eyes.

Wilbur.

Both of them knew, or had known, when he was trying to help out and show that empathy he struggled with. The words he was unable to say, always out of reach, conveyed through physical acts. The occasional, awkward hug, leaning against them…

Stealing Wilbur’s beanie and ruffling his hair, warm curls bouncing and wrapping around his fingers. The sounds of his laughter.

Fuck.

This was why he didn’t do emotions. Too many bad memories and negative feelings he didn’t want to deal with.

After what felt like an eternity passed, with Techno being seconds away from breaking down and begging the borrower to just stop being sad please I don’t know how to deal with this, he heard the kid sitting on his shoulder let out a shaky sigh.

“Fuckin’ bullshit is what it is.” Tommy bitterly mumbled, arms crossed and posture defensive. Techno let out a soft hum of agreement, and the borrower could feel the corresponding rumble through the neck he was leaning against. He instinctively started relaxing, sighing softly as his eyes closed.

Neither of the duo made any mention of what had just happened, both uncomfortable with the display of emotions for various reasons, but the awkward air lingered.

It was suffocating and only brought attention back to what had just happened, making it impossible to escape from the embarrassing display of feelings. As such, Tommy cleared his throat and decided to strike up a conversation.

“So, what about me?”

“Heh?” Techno blinked and tried to stare at the borrower, only really succeeding in catching a glimpse of his sprawled out legs.

“You’ve got this cool horse and all,” He started to ramble, gesturing with his arms despite knowing that the hybrid had no way to see. “With-with diamond armor, or some crap-”

“I should start trying to upgrade Carl’s armor.” Techno suddenly said, tuning out Tommy’s rambling as he contemplated whether it would be worth it to try and make netherite horse armor. “He deserves it.”

“I am talking, bruv! I thought you had manners?!” Tommy huffed as he angrily jabbed the side of the hybrid’s neck. He openly scowled when Techno started laughing.

“You were talking? I thought that was a fly buzzing around-”

“Prick!”

The insult was followed by more slapping as Techno laughed loud enough to nearly knock the borrower off his shoulder. He just barely managed to grab onto the furry trim of the cape as he glared up at Techno.

“You keep fucking picking on me for bein’ short and shit.”

“I don’t pick on you because you’re short. I pick on you because it’s easy.”

“Well… well your mum’s easy.” Tommy grumbled, crossing his arms and looking off to the side. He ignored how Techno continued to laugh, or he did until he came up with a suitable rebuttal.

“... I think I’d like a moth as a cool animal friend.”

Yup, that got the laughter to stop immediately. “Tommy, you’re not keeping a moth in my house.”

“It’s our house, bruv! And she’d be nice!” Tommy continued, pretending he didn’t hear Techno speak. “I’d have to give her a great name though. How about Clementine?”

“Tommy if you let one moth into my house, I swear-”

The borrower burst into loud cackles, arms braced against his stomach as he threw his head back and laughed. He tilted backwards, nearly falling off of his perch, and just barely managed to righten himself. Due to this, he didn’t catch the faint smile that crossed the hybrid’s face, nor did he see how those red eyes seemed to brighten for a moment, despite the inner turmoil that the owner felt.

Maybe, just maybe, Techno could admit to himself that it was nice having some company.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The fastest way to a piglin hybrid's heart is through his prized, retirement securing horse!

#my story #fanfiction #dream smp #dream smp fic #sleepy bois inc #sleepy bois inc fic #borrower au #dsmp tommy #dsmp techno #borrower!tommy

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justlightlysedated · 4 years

Text

for @zuluoscarecho 🥰🥰

Michael is in the middle of changing the oil on Mr. Jameson’s ancient Chevy, when there are hands wrapped around his ankles rolling him out on the creeper from beneath the hood of the car.

Michael takes in the military uniforms, tactical gear, and the fact that they all have their faces completely covered and is immediately on guard, trying to figure out how to get out of this without actually revealing his secret.

"Are you Michael Guerin?" One of them asks, voice muffled by their masks, but the command in their tone is unmistakable.

"Who's asking?" Michael asks instead, not wanting to give an inch.

"His face matches the picture, Number Two," another voice pipes up. "We can just take him and confirm once-"

The voice is cut off with a painful sounding hiss, but Michael's eyes are narrowed and on the person who seems to be in charge here.

"What are the charges?" He asks, pushing himself up to his feet, and letting the creeper slide back underneath the car. "Because I know you can't arrest me without a warrant."

The group of four soldiers are all pointing their guns at him, except the one called Number Two, whose eyes look too amused for Michaels liking.

"Who says we're here to arrest you?" They ask, and before Michael can think of something to say to that, one of the soldiers closest to him moves, swinging his gun and catching Michael right on the side of the head.

Fuck, Michael thinks as everything goes black.

Michael comes back to consciousness violently, fists swinging and feet kicking, his knuckles smart when he actually comes into contact with someone, who grunts in pain.

"Calm down, Mr. Guerin," the same commanding voice from before says. "We're not going to hurt you."

The only difference in the voice is that it's not muffled anymore, which is the only reason that Michael opens his eyes and gives them a pointed look in answer.

The woman in question is standing in the middle of the room, she's tall and regal looking, blonde hair kept away from her face by a braid. The other three soldiers are sitting on the opposite side of the small room, two more women, one wearing a hijab, the other a brunette with her hair cut short and severe aligning with her chin and a blonde guy, built like a linebacker, hair buzzed on the sides and cropped short on top, rubbing a red spot on his cheek and glaring at Michael, all of them looking around the same age, which is not any much older than he is.

“The fact that you knocked me out and then brought me here, wherever here is says pretty much otherwise, so excuse me for not actually believing that,” Michael says, ignoring the pounding in his head to sit up, not really liking being in a vulnerable position around so many people, especially considering these people were soldiers.

The woman, who he figures is Number Two, straightens up even more, tucking her hands behind her back, and she somehow looks even taller than before as she starts to speak.

“Our apologies, but we need your help,” she says, and keeps speaking before Michael can ask what exactly they need him for.

“We are Troop Eleven-Zero-Six of the USAF, in charge of infiltrating and retrieving. I am First Lieutenant, Barbara Wilson, but everyone calls me Number Two. My team,” she motions over to them and they all introduce themselves, but Michael is still caught back a couple of sentences before when she said they were part of the USAF, the Air Force, meaning that this was either his one way ticket to a dissection table or this had to do with Alex.

“I’m sorry,” Michael says, interrupting the guy who’d been rubbing his cheek earlier. “But I don’t really care who you are. What do you want with me?”

The guy opens his mouth, probably to argue, but Number Two steps up, holding a hand out to stop him before he can say anything.

“As of 0600 hours yesterday morning, our Captain, Alexander Manes was reported MIA, during what was supposed to be a simple routine pick up. Our assumption is that he’s been abducted and is being kept somewhere outside of our jurisdiction. My team has been put on the sidelines and told to wait, while inexperienced older men debate whether or not it would be worth it to use the resources to find him.”

Michael had always known that the Air Force was going to get Alex killed.

Even though it’s been weeks since the last time that he reached out to Alex, the distance making their connection waver and spotty most of the time, like an old radio trying to pick up radio signals that are out of range, Michael reaches out for him almost subconsciously, and he is marginally relieved to feel a sharp irritated nudge back, even if it’s Alex Code for leave me alone.

“What do you need from me then?” he asks, partially because he thinks he already knows what. But at the same time, their soulmate status is something that they never actually discuss with each other, so Michael had assumed that Alex had never told anyone else.

“You are his soulmate, aren’t you?” The girl in the hijab, who Michael vaguely remembers, had introduced herself as Carter, no first name, asks stepping away from the wall she’d been propped up against.

“He’s obviously not,” the guy who he’d interrupted before, and is now labeling, Blonde Asshole, says, a sneer on his face. “There is no way some backwards cowboy hick from Roswell is the Captain’s soulmate. I told you we should’ve checked his mark while he was unconscious.”

“That is an invasion of privacy,” Carter says, sounding disappointed.

Blonde Asshole scoffs, “We’re in the middle of an unsanctioned mission.”

The woman with short hair sends a truly impressive bitch face to the Blonde Asshole, and Michael thinks she introduced herself as Sabrina, “That doesn’t give you the sanction to act like such an asshole. Oh, wait, that’s just a delightful part of your personality.”

Blonde Asshole makes a mocking face at her, “It would’ve saved us the trip. The Captain’s life is in danger. We don’t have time to-”

Michael gets to his feet, effectively shutting him up and turns to Number Two, who stares right back at him.

“Alex is in danger?” he questions, sending a wave of worry to Alex, which is immediately cut off with a stone cold icy wall, like Alex doesn’t want to give him even an inkling of what he could possibly be feeling right now, which usually would make Michael scoff and roll his eyes and go to the bar and drink until he can dull the awareness of Alex in his head.

“Yes,” she says, simply and effectively changing the mood inside of the room. “Our mission before he went missing was highly classified, and it’s entirely possible that it pissed off the wrong type of people, and this is their way of getting revenge. They’ll interrogate him to get as much information out of him first, and then they’ll kill him. And the Captain is a hard nut to crack. He’ll withstand the torture for a long time. But I wouldn’t put it past the Commander to just drop a bomb instead of risking a rescue mission.”

“So we’re not only on a time limit, but we’re also risking possible dishonorable discharge, not to mention actual prison time, so if you’re not going to be any help, you may as well tell us now so that we can find another way to save him,” Blonde Asshole says, and he potentially sounds worried, but Michael ignores him and keeps looking at Number Two.

“So what are we waiting for?” he asks, not caring that he hasn’t confirmed that he is Alex’s soulmate.

He is, which is all that matters. He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone right now. They’ll get their proof soon enough.

“For the plane to land,” Number Two says, and the plane hits a spot of turbulence on an otherwise completely still flight, and Michael drops down back to the row of seats that he’d woken up on, feeling a little dizzy. He has never been on a plane, and he doesn't understand why knowing he's actually in one, makes him feel worse than not knowing.

Number Two just reaches out and pats his shoulder, “Rest up. Once we hit the ground, there’s going to be no time for that.”

Michael nods his head, thinking that that is easier said than done, but as soon as he leans back against the seat, he feels his eyes flutter close, exhaustion hitting him like a wave, dragging him under and before he knows it, Michael falls asleep.

After the plane lands, he gets shuffled into a standard armored vehicle, squeezed between Blonde Asshole and Sabrina, who asks him if he's an actual cowboy or if he just wears the hat.

Michael doesn't really answer because since the moment he touched the ground, wherever they are, since he didn't exactly get an itinerary before he'd been kidnapped, he could feel his awareness of Alex coming back in full force, and now that he was closer, he could tell exactly why Alex had been pushing and putting up walls, and trying to keep him away.

Their bond was bright hot red with his pain, and not only was he going through whatever it was causing him pain, torture being the likely candidate, but he was also actively trying to keep their bond blocked.

Michael closes his eyes and concentrates fully on the piece of Alex that he had inside of him, feeling it light up in the back of his head, and right on the center of his chest, warm and pulsing.

Alex sends out a drowsy question, probably wondering what the hell Michael is doing, and Michael sends back an image of getting pulled out from beneath the hood of Mr. Jameson's Chevy by his team.

He feels Alex’s alarm sweeping through him, and before he can say or think anything else, Alex drags him out of his head.

Michael gasps as he feels overwhelmed with pain, stinging from the tips of his fingers to an ache in his chest that makes it hard to breathe to the excruciating pain of what he’s pretty sure is at least one broken leg.

Michael opens his eyes with difficulty and takes a look around the cell that they have him in, but there are no windows, and even if he could find it in himself to move, whoever took Alex has his hands cuffed together and tied to his cuffed feet.

If Michael concentrates, he'll be able to tug against the bond and use his powers even while in Alex's body, but before he can, Alex is dragging him out of his head and into their mindscape, a phenomenon that only seems to be possible when an alien is your soulmate since it's one of the many strange things about their bond that isn't like anyone else's.

Michael lets Alex tug him forward and check him over, asking about a million questions, but he can barely hear any of that.

His entire focus is taken up by Alex. Even though he knows that in the mindscape he's nothing more than a projection of his subconscious, which is why he looks all of seventeen years old, the same exact age they were when they fell in love and formed their bond. Michael can't help but be relieved at the sight.

He misses Alex so much while he's away, even more when he's overseas and he can't even get this.

Alex stops speaking, probably noting the lovesick look on his face, and he sighs, but Michael can feel the swell of affection pulsing through him.

"Guerin, focus," Alex requests, snapping his fingers in Michael's face.

Michael blinks a few times before he nods his head, “I’m here.”

Alex nods his head, “Good, now tell me. What do they have on you? Because I can convince Wilson to get lost while I figure out how to get out of here.”

Michael is too charmed by the way he puts air quotes around lost and forgets to actually pay attention to what Alex is saying.

Alex shakes him a little, and Michael blinks a few times before he realizes what Alex is saying.

“Oh,” he says, shaking his head. “This isn’t about me. Well, not about the alien thing. It’s about our soulbond. They think I can help find you.”

Alex furrows his brow and shakes his head, “Tell them no.”

“It’s already a little late for that,” Michael says a little sheepishly, pushing his recent memories towards him.

Alex just inhales deeply and closes his eyes.

"Fine, okay," he says, sounding defeated. "My team is good at extraction, and having a direct line to me through you should get the job done, but-"

He stops himself and turns to Michael, looking at him with a pleading expression, "But you have to promise me that you're not going to do something reckless and dangerous and expose yourself."

Michael wants to tell him that he will do anything if it meant getting him back safely, but he also knows that it's probably a declaration that Alex doesn't want to hear.

"I'll just lead them to where you are and stay out of the actual fight, you don't have to worry about that,” Michael says, and Alex gives him a look like that’s asking for him to do something impossible.

Before either of them can say anything else, Michael feels a jolt of pain coming from Alex’s side of the bond.

Alex grits his teeth, shutting his eyes tightly and shaking his head.

“Is that why you push me away sometimes, because you’re trying to protect me from this?” Michael asks without actually meaning to.

Alex blinks his eyes open, and just looks at him, and Michael can tell that he’s on the right track, but now isn’t the time to be discussing this.

Alex just breathes in deeply, and then narrows his eyes at Michael, and Michael feels a deluge of memories, scents and sounds and limited vision, of the drive to wherever it was that they took Alex.

It’s not a lot, but it’s enough for Michael to piece it together.

“We’re going to find you,” he tells Alex, infusing the words with as much conviction as he can.

Alex gives him a wan smile in return. “I know.”

Michael just nods his head and Alex closes his eyes, and then Michael drops back into his body like he’s been dropped from a great height.

He jolts and his eyes snap open, and he sees Number Two and Carter, turned around looking back at him.

He can feel Sabrina’s hands on his neck, and wrist checking his pulse.

“Is everything okay?” Number Two asks slowly, eyes darting all over him, probably worried that they’d concussed him earlier.

Michael nods his head, “Just conferring with Alex. I know how to find him.”

Number Two looks at him for a long moment, scrutinizing, before she nods her head sharply, "Alright then."

She turns towards the front starting the truck up again while Carter hands him her tablet with their location and the map pulled up, showing real time images.

Michael grabs it gratefully and starts looking for something that matches the memories that Alex gave him.

"Let's go get our boy back."

#malex fic #2kcelebrationfic #this was the first thing to pop into my head when i read your prompt so i hope that you like it :D

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mine-sara-sp · 4 years

Text

Left, Right, Straight ahead

A little fic for the Shadow People AU! Doc gets lost and has a conversation with Mumbo’s s7 shadow, Tripwire!

It references some events from “The calm before the storm” by @green-t-ea

Doc had gotten lost.

That was unusual. He just needed to go mining, nothing much, look for some redstone, maybe some diamonds.

Then he found the mineshaft.

That wasn't like a normal mineshaft, it was more like a labyrinth, it was disorienting and there was a constant low sound in the background. The sound of ticks, of dispensers, of redstone components interlocking and working. There were some machines here.

The place was scarcely lit up, just barely enough to keep things from spawning, and there were no indications whatsoever on where to go. If someone was using this as a base or as an industrial zone they would have some signs to remember where to go, no?

Still, this was.. weird.

He had tried breaking a wall to reach one of the machines, but behind every stone wall there seemed to be another wall made out of obsidian. Was it a way to protect it?

Doc turned around a corridor a few times, trying to follow the sound of the machinery, it just seemed they were all over the place, but no door was around to enter.

Then he found himself stuck in place. He looked down to see his foot caught in cobwebs.

He let out a frustrated sigh and used his sword to cut off the webbing. He didn't need spiders now.

The loud sound of a piston moving nearby startled him. He turned around and saw an open passage in the wall for him.

"Is anyone here??" He asked trying to be as loud as he could, thinking the noise of farms would drown out his voice.

No response.

Doc stared at the passage for a few instants. His paranoia was screaming at him. He didn't trust this, it must have been a trap.

He walked off, away from the tunnel.

He would find his way out in another way.

The mineshaft just kept getting more and more confusing, at some point he reached a dead end.

A corridor that ended with a 2x2 hole on the ground, it seemed very deep and there was no light at the bottom of it. If he had some water he could have used that to go down, it seemed like the best option at this point.

Looking up the ceiling he saw a square of stone bricks, Doc had the impression that they were supposed to open at some point. It was probably a trap to get people to fall to their death from the other side.

The incessant noise of the farms seemed to be louder here and it was starting to get to his head. He could feel the start of a headache as he ran a hand through his hair.

Doc closed his eyes for an instant and suddenly... Silence.

All the farms stopped. Every single one of them.

He was able to hear something else now.

Behind him.

A spider.

He grabbed his sword and turned around quickly, but the monster was quicker. Biting down on his arm and sending him down the hole behind him.

He closed his eyes instinctively, expecting to hit the ground, but something soft and sticky blocked his fall at the end.

Cobwebs.

His eyes snapped open, he saw the spider that had pushed him make its way down the hole, but that was just the beginning of his problem.

The room he had fallen into was huge compared to the corridors he had been exploring before and it was infested with spiders. They were everywhere and they immediately took notice of Doc.

Doc's first instinct was to use his sword to get free from the webbing but he didn't have it anymore, it was too dark to see it but it was either somewhere in between the webs or on the ground where the spider had bitten him, he tried to free himself but the more he struggled the more he seemed to get stuck and there were so many cobwebs here. He had never seen so many even in other spawners!

The spiders were all too close now, crawling around him and getting nearer, he saw one opening his jaw to bite down on his leg--

A sound filled the room, the sound of a cord being pinched.

All the spiders froze in place.

Doc stared at the animals confused for a moment, then tried to look around the huge room, for the source of the sound...

Another one echoed and then another and another, it reminded Doc of when Ren was trying the new strings on his guitar.

The spiders quickly crawled down from the web, leaving Doc alone in the middle of it. Even the spider that pushed him the hole completely ignored him once he got down.

He finally caught a glimpse of a golden string shining faintly and running from all the angles of the room and also into some of the cobwebs.

He knew who was in the room with him now.

"Tripwire?"

A pair of shiny yellow eyes appeared on one of the walls, all the spiders seemed to notice and they gathered around that specific place against the wall.

With one swift movement Tripwire pulled himself out of the wall, yellow particles falling out of him and following him. He pressed what must have been a button on the wall because after a tiny click the room was lit up at all the angles by some sea lanterns.

The shadow stared at Doc and the scientist suddenly remembered how different he could look from Mumbo and Murmur. He had a certain...coldness and severity in his expression, most of the time.

"They thought you were dinner."

Tripwire said calmly as one of the smaller spiders, about the size of a silverfish, crawled up his arm and he gave delicate pats on the heads of some of the bigger ones. Were...were the spiders his pets?

The scene could have been cute if it wasn't for the fact that those were spiders and that they were about to eat him just a few moments ago.

"Wh- Why did you save me?" Doc asked, trying to free himself from the webs now that all the spiders seemed busy.

Tripwire watched him struggle for a few seconds, he then delicately picked up the tiny spider from his arm and let it crawl up one of the webs on the ceiling. He stepped closer to the main web, while the spiders moved out of his way.

He offered his hand to Doc.

The scientist stared at him for a while. Was this gonna be a trap? It couldn’t be worse than getting eaten.

He took the shadow's hand.

"Your metal parts would upset their stomach."

"Wha-"

With a strong pull, Tripwire ripped Doc out of the webbing and let him hit the ground.

The spiders seemed alarmed by this, some seemed about to jump on Doc again, he instinctively covered his face with his metal arm when a spider got too close.

He heard the sound again, the cord. He peeked from under his arm and saw the spiders freeze again, looking up at their owner.

Doc now noticed that Tripwire had his golden string tangled around his left hand. He had picked one of the ends of the string and pinched it, producing the sound his spiders responded to.

"You should get out now, they should have their actual dinner and you make them nervous."

"I make them nervous?!"

Tripwire pinched his string again, for a moment Doc though that would make the spiders attack him, but they dispersed, some crawling on the walls and others going on the main web to fix it.

"A lot. Now out."

Tripwire sank in the floor and Doc followed its movements, seeing him go through a tiny hole in a wall made with a piece of a staircase. He was about to yell at him that he couldn't get out from there when a passage opened, sticky pistons firing and moving some stone out of the way.

He still didn't trust it, but if Tripwire had wanted him dead he probably would have been by now. He remembered the traps he could set up, he had fallen in a good few of those when he was still friend with Leviathan.

As soon as he went through the passage the piston fired again and the room with the spiders was sealed again. Doc was now in what seemed a control room, all the walls were littered with levers. He supposed those were the ones that started all the farms around here but not a single one was labeled so he still had no idea what kind of farms they were.

Tripwire was back to his tridimensional form at the side of the room, a few blocks away from Doc.

"I was trying to get you out of here, but you avoided my exit." He said pulling one of the levers.

Doc heard something fall in the other room after a few instants, probably the spider's dinner.

"You mean the passage that opened before?" Doc asked raising an eyebrow "It was super sketchy! How was I supposed to know that was an exit?"

"By going inside." The shadow replied deadpan as if it was obvious.

"Yeah, and maybe fall in a trap!" Doc hissed.

Tripwire looked like he was about to hiss back for an instant. Thing that Doc did witness once.

Tripwire and Leviathan used to start mimicking each other’s mannerism after working for too long together and once that resulted in Tripwire hissing like a creeper when irritated, it would have been more amusing if not for Leviathan being ready to hit in the face the person that irritated his "trap buddy".

"You're lucky I disarmed most of my traps for you. You wouldn't even have gotten as close at that exit if I didn't." He murmured bitterly, as he walked towards another lever and pulled it. Another passage opened up that seemed to bring to another section of the mineshaft.

"Follow me, otherwise you'll fall into something else before finding the exit."

"I didn't fall! Your pet pushed me!"

"Green just thought dinner was stuck." He said before slipping in the shadows in the floor and drifting out the room.

Doc had to sprint and run to keep up with him and not get lost in the maze of corridors.

"How do you not get lost in here??" Doc asked while he took a sharp turn to the left. He almost lost sight of the shadow on the floor as he did so.

Tripwire didn't reply, which only irritated Doc.

That shadow could always be quite infuriating for him. Back when it was just falling into his traps was something, but now he was worse. Not because he was acting worse right now, but because everything that was going on.

Everything to do with Grian's new crazy shadow and just how he had betrayed Leviathan for him, it just made everything he did feel worse later.

Doc thought about the traps suddenly.

He said he had disarmed them for him?

Why would he do that? He never had any hesitation in killing him before and also found it quite amusing, what changed now?

Maybe the guy Puzzler didn't want him dead? Maybe he was being brought to a trap right now??

What if he was gonna be put inside a box like Wels?

His paranoia started to screech at him, but what could he do now??

He didn't know the way out, he had lost his sword and his best option to get out was probably gonna bring him to a trap.

Doc saw Tripwire emerge from the floor again, standing in front of that tunnel he saw before.

He didn't stop running.

He ran right into Tripwire and with all his momentum and weight, both of them fell on the floor. The shadow looked up at him, utterly dumbfounded, surprised and then angry, he gave again the impression that he would hiss.

Doc didn't let him speak now.

"Why did you disarm the traps?! You never missed a chance to kill me, what are you planning!?" He almost roared with his breath short from all the running.

Tripwire stared at the hermit, he was wide-eyed for a moment. He didn't expect any of this, even with knowing Doc's personality.

"I'm not planning anything I'm just trying to get you out of my home."

Doc hissed. "Why not let me exit through death like you always used to do??"

The shadow kept staring at him, his expression slowly shifted, becoming more… Tired.

"I just didn't want to kill you.." he murmured. "I.. I wanted to ask you something." He added later sheepishly.

Doc frowned a little.

He was still suspicious but Tripwire didn't sound like he was lying right now. He didn't have that light smugness he usually had when tricking someone.

He also noticed how the shadow stayed in place when it could have easily slipped back into the floor to get rid of Doc's weight on him. It was surely something that helped his paranoia a little.

"What do you want to know?"

Tripwire stayed silent for a while, then looked at the side, to an undefined place on the wall.

"Does Leviathan finally hate me?" He asked softly.

"What?" Doc asked under his breath, unsure of how to answer to that question.

What kind of question was this?? He.. thought about it.

He thought about everything after the first betrayal, every mention of Tripwire and every reaction Leviathan had. Every mention of him was mostly unpleasant.

Leviathan was hurt. A lot.

He cried from time to time. He had gotten that weird power to protect himself and Shadoc..

He should hate Tripwire.

But at the same time Doc remembered seeing him being protective of the old traps and projects the two had worked on together.

He remembered the fact that he could have easily crushed the other shadow when he turned into that monster…. But he didn't.

"I.. I don't think he hates you.. he..he probably misses you." Doc finally said.

Tripwire pressed his hands on his eyes. Was he crying?

The shadow finally sank back in the floor, hiding in what was Doc's shadow.

"I don't deserve to be missed.. it would be easier if he hated me.." The shadow let out a tiny sob as he spoke.

Doc looked at the shadow on the floor for a few moments without saying anything. He..he still cared about Leviathan?

He frowned.

"Why do you stay on Puzzler's side? Why don't you just.. go back and try make peace with Leviathan?" The shadow shifted slightly at those words.

"I think he would like that.."

Doc saw Tripwire's eyes appear from the shape on the floor. They looked so sad.

"I would like that too.." he murmured.

With a quick movement, the shadow drifted back to the corridor of the mineshaft, stopping for a moment before running off.

"But Puzzler is my friend too, and he needs my help more than you think."

After that he was gone.

Doc signed and pulled himself up. He had no idea what was going on between all these shadows at this point. He followed the tunnel until he found his way back on the surface, he was dangerously close to the empire but he didn't worry about it.

He had other things in mind.

He was wondering if he should tell Leviathan about this conversation.

#shadow people au #abandoned shadows #Tripwire #sp fanfiction #Leviathan #tw spiders #i guess??

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cassolotl · 5 years

Text

[Minecraft] Shipwreckers (1.14+)

Or, How to Land in a World that is Only Deep Lukewarm Ocean and Die Repeatedly Looking for a Door

22nd September 2019

Me and Jay like Minecraft, and we specifically like the survival bit at the beginning. We also like challenges that make us think around corners a little bit. We have in the past enjoyed Skyblock, and also this cute game where you’re in an ordinary land biome but you are a tree and you start with one sapling and you’re only allowed to walk on logs of your tree.

In a hunt for a new way to make Minecraft harder and more interesting, me and @jay-avery hatched a plan.

We would make a Minecraft world that is only ocean.

THE THOUGHT EXPERIMENT

It turned out that making a plugin to remove biomes isn’t as easy as making one that adds them, but you can make it so that a world contains only one biome.

Jay (codemonkey) did some research on the features and downsides of various biomes, and found that “deep lukewarm ocean” has lots of the pros and very few of the cons. It has ocean monuments and shipwrecks, as well as caves and abandoned mines (deep ones). All ocean mobs can spawn in them. Most importantly, it has NO LAND WHATSOEVER. >:D

There are some items etc. that are unavailable in that biome, but fewer than you’d think.

Saplings, sugarcane, coral, ice and flowers can be traded from wandering traders (the ones with llamas), who can spawn anywhere except in water.

Sugar can be obtained from witches.

Paper is often in shipwreck chests.

Edible crops can be found in chests (seeds) and zombie drops (carrots and potatoes).

If you can get stuff for potions and you find some golden apples in chests, you can convert and cure zombie villagers and start a floating (or cave) village.

However, that leaves animals, of which many can only spawn in land biomes (so dirt platforms in the sea won’t work), and coral, which only grows in warm ocean biomes. Also the small matter of… grass.

So here’s what Jay made.

THE ACTUAL THING

It’s a surprisingly simple change to get your head around.

The only biome for the entire world is “deep lukewarm ocean”. The Nether and the End stay the same (strongholds can generate in the ocean and at bedrock).

In single player it’d just be a buffet type setting, but it’s more tricky with servers. Shipwreckers can be used with single player and on a server, and will make sure you also occasionally find in treasure chests the items and animals that would otherwise be completely unattainable in deep lukewarm ocean.

There are special loot tables that you have to include (provided), to make it possible to obtain anything (as far as we can remember) that would otherwise be unavailable in an all-ocean world. Every loot chest (shipwrecks, abandoned mineshafts, ruins, etc) will contain one stack from a new pool of possibilities:

a single spawn egg for any passive land animal (farm animals are more likely)

a single grass block

a single mycelium block

a single sea pickle

a single sweet berry

SETTING IT UP

It’s not a typical plugin installation situation. You have to create the world and then add the data pack and then delete and regenerate the world.

Here’s Jay’s instructions. For the purposes of this tutorial, [worldname] will probably be “world” (or “New World”, that’s the default for single player).

1. Create new world (in vanilla 1.14) > choose buffet world type > choose deep lukewarm ocean biome > save and quit immediately once created

2. Add the special loot tables: put this ‘shipwreckers’ folder into the saved game’s data packs folder (at minecraft/saves/[worldname]/datapacks).

3. Regenerate the world to make sure the new loot is added: delete the 'region’ folder (minecraft/saves/[worldname]/region).

Now it’s ready to play single player.

If you want to play with friends you can upload the whole save folder to a server for multiplayer, and players won’t need to do anything except connect. (We can’t help you here - methods will vary depending on what kind of server set-up you’ve got.)

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO PLAY

Starting out SUCKS. :D To begin with, we tried harvesting fish to eat, but they are not very nourishing, and the problem is… there are water zombies everywhere, and they will attack you and the fish won’t heal you fast enough, so you’re just going to die and drop all the fish and get sent back to spawn anyway.

When you find a shipwreck (of which there are many), there’s no way to swim all the way down and “harvest” some wood to make tools or a door, there’s just no time and you drown. Your only hope is to by chance find a shipwreck that happens to contain a door (which makes an air pocket), and even then there will probably be water zombies and maybe even trident guys down there who will kill you.

So you just have to… swim around looking at shipwrecks in the hope of finding a door, dying repeatedly and being sent back to spawn. And then when you find a door, cling onto it and turn your shipwreck into a minibase by harvesting lots of wood and turning it into doors.

It is SO DIFFICULT compared to vanilla or even Skyblock! So frustrating!!! AHHHHHHH

Anyway, from there you can build up to make a platform for mobs (pray for a wandering trader, get creepers) or dig down to start a mine. Even though the world is one uniform biome, it's still interesting to explore because there's variation in the plants and mobs and also the generated structures.

The first few hours were great, because when we’d find a shipwreck there would be much excitement over the animal eggs and other rare goodies we’d find in the chests, and then getting it all home safely in order to stash it was really fun, along with getting excited when you find a second animal egg so you can breed them (except chickens, which are conveniently parthenogenetic). Until you have really good armour the trident dudes are always a significant threat. Jay says, “I am repeatedly amazed and horrified by how powerful trident guys are, and because they are ranged attack they knock you back and you can't swim towards them fast enough to hit them before they throw at you again aaahhhhh”

The main limiting factor we’ve had so far is lack of trees. If we need wood we get in a boat and go and find a shipwreck, and just totally dismantle it. We’ve got a tidy collection of farm animals and crops going on, but no trees or flowers. We’ve had one wandering trader spawn, but he wasn’t selling sugarcane or saplings. We’ve got some enchanting stuff going on (books and paper from shipwrecks), and we’ve got potions stuff since we found some blazes in the Nether, but we’ve not made it to the End yet because endermen don’t spawn much due to all the water.

We haven’t yet made water-breathing potions, nor have we managed to enchant a hat with some kind of water-breathing charm, but we’re not unduly hampered by this because we take doors everywhere we go for emergency underwater air pockets.

Here’s a Dynmap screenshot of where we’re at so far. It’s fun to note that when you’re boating about you can always tell when you’re nearly home because the kelp is all really tall. :D (You can also use it as a fuel source! It’s just incredibly slow!)

Behold, me fishing under the mob spawner XP farm thing I just made:

(The texture pack is not included, but it’s made by Jay and can be found here.)

NB: Me and Jay aren’t available for tech support, and if this thing stops working with future versions we’re not available to update it. Sorry about that! However, it has some kind of free software license that means you can edit and share it, so you are welcome to update it yourself and republish it.

Edit 2019/09/22: Oops, coral can be traded with wandering traders, that has now been removed from loot tables. Plus we added a couple of animal eggs that we forgot to include in the loot tables, sweet berries, and the mycelium block.

#original posts #minecraft #Shipwreckers #jay avery #that's my person being great

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paperspell · 6 years

Text

Kingdom Hearts || Three Half Promises

Rating: Teens and up

@mimiplaysgames and @lyssala helped me put a little more life in this chapter! In fact, they basically do that in nearly all the other chapters! But still, this is the part where I always say how awesome they are and how glad I am for them to assist me. And they are! And I am! Cheers!

Summary: A character study of Aqua and Terra from childhood to adulthood

Chapter 5: The Master’s teachings | About the world’s orders

It’s Terra’s idea to stay at the secret garden post practice, a proposal he asks her about one morning after his invitation to that very spot. Spring brings forth clear skies and fair weather, enough that it would be shameful to stay cooped up in the castle rather than outside. Flowers are blooming in earnest, and there is a certain cheer that accompanies the growing warmth.

Aqua is apprehensive to say yes at first. She can still envision the glowing eyes amidst the darkness of the night, feel the dread that slithers into her senses from the unknown.

“It’ll be fine,” Terra says. “We’re not too far from the plains, and we can always go before sundown. Just follow me.”

He adds on how he needs help tending to various vegetables – rows of carrots, cabbages, leeks and peas – or so he says; Aqua finds out that very afternoon it’s not so much her help he desires, but rather, her company as he works. Keen to be friends, she agrees and helps him carry off books to study during the daylight. They go about silently in preparation for their next lesson (which has unfortunately hit a dull topic of theoretical changes brought by magic at a subatomic level) – at least until they cannot stand it anymore, prompting Aqua to read aloud from a big book of stories instead.

This particular tale is a grand one, about rogue pirates and the untold riches stowed in a far-off place, a famed planet buried with treasures. In no time at all, Aqua reaches the last page.

“…when he looks up, he sees the gleam of the stars, twinkling above like the very eyes of that rogue who took off in jubilant laughter…”

Terra yawns contently in response as Aqua closes the book. Having watered and fertilized the crops, he carefully puts aside his whittling work, and lays down, disappearing within the groves of pansies and yellow trilliums. She can’t blame him; today’s a very lazy day, the sun welcoming them to doze on the smooth, tepid grass.

The block of wood he’s been working away with is taking shape, but there are no discerning features about it yet. Aqua wants to ask, but she has a feeling that their friendship is still in its early, fragile stage. Much like a dandelion, she has to treat it with upmost care. She settles with pulling up another book she’s seen him reading last night, handing it over.

“Why are you giving it to me?” he asks.

“I thought we were taking turns.”

“Oh. Well…” A strange expression clouds Terra’s face. “Wouldn’t I be spoiling it for you?”

“I don’t mind,” Aqua says. She presses the novel to him once more.

Terra looks taken back at the book she hands to him. He passes it to and fro, as if he’s unsure of how to even open it.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he affirms quickly. His left hand twitches as his finger glosses over the title of the book. “Anyway…”

Even as his opens the cover, flipping to the bookmark page, he makes no attempt to read the text aloud. Terra coughs before starting in a slow drawl.

"Erm, okay…the…the creepers of the grates were startled to find someone already there…”

Aqua looks over his shoulders to read alongside him.

“Terra?” She frowns. “It’s says keeper of the gates.”

“Right,” Terra mumbles, before flushing red. He squints at the page again, hesitating a beat too long.

“Once the men saw that this stranger was no one else but the prince, they…ray-rep-”

“Rejoice,” Aqua says helpfully, then immediately wishes she hasn’t.

Terra stares hard at the words. Finding that she is right, he carefully reads the rest of the passage. Even though it isn’t particularly hard, Aqua could see the relief that passes over him – that is, until he fumbles another word. She doesn’t make another attempt to correct, but he pauses, knowing what he just spoke makes no sense with the context of it all. Terra shuts the book hastily, and Aqua fears that an invisible wall, one she thought they had overcome, is starting to thicken once more.

“You can laugh if you want,” he mumbles.

“Er,” she says, perhaps too quickly, “about what?”

Terra looks as if he bit into bitter melon.

“About the fact that I can’t read,” he begins hotly. “Read right, I mean. I can’t do it as well as you.

He begins to thrust the book back to her, but thinking better of it, sighs and places it in her hand a touch gentler than originally intended. Clearly, he doesn’t want to be the one to break the peace between them either, and it gives her hope – just a little.

“It’s okay. Plenty of kids in Radiant Garden mix up their words too,” she assures him. “It takes practice, that’s all.”

Terra nods slowly at this.

“I know. It’s just–” He sighs. “I can read by myself, most of the time. Not a lot, cause then I get headaches, but I really can read well when nobody’s, you know…listening.”

His voice gives away to unexpected earnestness at the end, like he’s trying to convince her to believe him. Although Aqua does trust him on this, the way it comes out is so unlike the cool, unbothered boy who she knows that it startles her. All she can offer is a lame “sure,” which does little to reconcile him.

“I believe you,” she states in a hurry. “I won’t make fun of you for it, I promise.”

Terra stops fiddling with the grass.

“But you can, you know. Everybody else did anyway.”

Aqua edges closer at this. His voice has dropped so much it’s hard to catch what he’s saying.

“Who do you mean?”

Terra wets his lips, opening his mouth to give a proper explanation, but then clams it shut before turning away. A bell goes off in Aqua’s head – of course, Master Eraqus had mentioned, the falling of Terra’s home. Whoever he’s thinking about is most likely long gone. Her mouth goes dry, and she is racking her brains to say something to save the little pleasantness left.

“Nobody made fun of anybody in the orphanage for not reading well. Otherwise we’ll get in trouble. Besides, I don’t want to do that either way,” Aqua declares. “We’re friends, right?”

It feels a bit silly to declare something as simple as that, but at this point Aqua couldn’t be sure. They have stopped fighting, but the hesitation she senses before Terra confirms that yes, they are indeed friends, is enough to prove there’s still more work to be done on that. Trying not to dwell on this small unhappiness, she offers to read the book from the beginning, which cheers him up considerably – she unravels the story with poise and is clearly appreciative of all the right parts that when they get ready to retreat back to the castle, their spirits are as light as when they first start out.

“Thanks for…you know…” Terra says, rubbing the back of his neck. Keeping his promise, the sun is casting the last of its rays before dipping behind the mountains as they edge out of the meadow.

“S’okay,” she nods. “I’ve read to the younger kids before because the misses told me to – so I got a lot of practice out of it. If you want I can help you, um, read smoother.”

“Really?” Then, perhaps ashamed he sounds so eager, Terra clears his throat and walks quicker to the castle’s entrance.

“Really,” she says, catching up to him.

He slows down some before they reach the dining hall. Maybe he’s thinking of how to properly respond to this unexpected help, but being unable to fully express his gratitude, Terra is left giving her a sheepish grin.

“Same time tomorrow?”

Aqua doesn’t hesitate, and a definite “yeah” leaves her mouth before she even realizes.

Things become exceptionally better as friends. By the time they hang around the garden for the fifth time, the hours seem to chip away until dusk settles, and they continue their companionship well past what is expected.

In exchange for Aqua’s help reading, Terra suggests that they work together on techniques, during which he readily gives Aqua pointers on how to utilize the sides of her wooden sword better. She tries to copy his style of fighting, and quickly discovers she can’t match his strength. However, Terra does not scoff anymore, and makes genuine attempts to help her improve her sparring. With the sudden increase in productivity, there’s ample time to relax afterwards. They grow careless of their company, with midday chores made fun as they begin talking about everything, and yet nothing in particular. It slows down their progress of course, and sometimes Master Eraqus will give them a stern reminder to finish up their duties.

Aqua knows the Master isn’t really mad; he’s probably more relieved they can find a friend in each other. Still, it doesn’t stop him from rebuking them when they grow lax on their lessons, and without the fiery competition they once had, Aqua notes how she and Terra face a different problem now – instead of quizzes and the like she’s known in Radiant Garden, Master Eraqus makes it a habit to test them by popping the occasional question, sometimes aimed directly at Terra and his glassy face.

This happens during one particular lesson, when they are moving on from the collective history of the Age of Fairytales to the wider range cultures of that could be found from world to world. As established hierarchies of multiple worlds are being explored, Aqua can’t help but feel sorry for Terra, as he blinks in alarm at the question.

“Yes Master?” he asks, snapping to.

Eraqus is not amused.

“I am asking you, Terra, exactly what importance a royal family – say from a place like Enchanted Dominion – serves in regard to the entrance of outsiders.”

“Er,” Terra intones, as Eraqus raises a questioning brow, “I-I don’t know, sir.”

Eraqus stares hard at Terra, enough so that even Aqua, who sits on the Master’s opposite side, rights herself to be as straight as an arrow. Once properly ensuring Terra’s attention, the Master proceeds to explain how the royal family bears the honor of knowing more than their subjects about the history and hearts of worlds, thus carry the responsibilities of enforcing the protection of their world’s order.

“If nothing else,” Eraqus says, “remember this – it is crucial that we serve not just as warriors of the Light, but as peacekeepers. We are free to tread on any world in existence, but they are not ours to claim over. When we enter each world, we are considered outsiders and must obey the rules of inhabitants.

“In fact, some worlds are not entirely welcoming of Keybearers. It may be due to caution, fear, or perhaps rash assumptions of us. They know the Keyblade holds power, but they also know the terrible dangers it beckons. Even in this era of peace, the remnants of what happened a century ago, and the splitting of the world is retold, maybe more accurately on some worlds than others.”

Aqua stops twiddling with the grass on her side. It has never occurred to her exactly how many rules there are in order to keep all the worlds safe. How to gauge, how to remain discreet, how go about getting an audience with those empower, and then, how to act when you finally do – the Master goes through it all.

Terra starts to drift off again, his expression slightly unfocused. Even she begins to feel the boring rigidness of Master Eraqus’ explanation about surveying from a distance, like learning the rules of the world before blending in and prodding exactly how much the inhabitants know. The lecture goes on without anything notable aside from further mentions of Enchanted Dominion, specifically about the unusual abundance of Light from the rumored princess who should be about Aqua’s age if the Master remembers correctly. By the time they are dismissed, the Master yanks Terra back to attention, and they are given one final tidbit of “if nothing else, remember this” about the dangers of a dark sorceress who lives in the shadows of that world.

“It’s not fair though,” Terra muses during their retreat back to the garden. “How come it’s always me?”

Aqua bites down her smirk. Truthfully, between the two of them, she’s more prone to daydreaming during the lessons, so it’s crucial that she gives all the right cues on the right time. Judging the tone of Master Eraqus’ voice, his pauses and gestures, she either nods or give the occasional hum.

“You just got to pay more attention.”

“Says you,” he remarks. Terra, somehow catching exactly how bored she is during their lecture, has agreed to keep it secret, justifying it with “well, I think it’s pretty funny too.”

Although they both respect the Master a lot, nothing stops them from making fun of him every now and then. His hard-earned wisdom, not yet comprehensible, earns them fits of laughter when they study together, as they take every chance to parrot his trademark phrase.

“If nothing else,” Aqua says in her most queenly voice, “remember this.”

“Ha,” Terra snickers. “You sound just like him!”

Encouraged by each other, they continue to share their outrageous impressions, each more exaggerated than the last. Chuckling at their cleverness, they stretch over their toppled books to pore over the thicket that leads deeper into the woods.

“Hey Terra, do you ever wonder what’s past those bushes over there?” Aqua points at the direction of the darkening, narrow road.

“More trees,” Terra retorts, grinning at her unamused face. “It’s true. Take a look.”

He gets up to his feet, beckoning her over.

They have to crawl under the small opening of the bushes, as they were too thick to push aside, and the surrounding trees grew too closely for them to walk around. The tunnel is small, but wide enough for them to go through without too much difficulty. When they reach the end, Aqua has to brush some loose leaves from her head.

“Took me a while to make the hole big enough,” Terra says, “but see?”

He points at one nearby, and Aqua can see a faint ‘T’ has been carved on its base. Terra takes the lead once more, and she follows him closely. The path they trend on is slight yet noticeable enough to mark it as well used. They pass by a couple of more trees with Terra’s markings, some with wild flowers for company. As they edge deeper, she can hear the growing roars of moving waters.

“Careful, we’re right above a cave,” Terra informs her as they step over damp ridges of stone. “I got a bad cut from here one time.”

Sure enough, peering from the hem of his shorts, she could see a white scar that trails to his calf. Aqua thinks she’s finally got an answer to what Terra does when the Master is away. While Master Eraqus has been exploring, Terra has been making his own discoveries right here, on this very corner of the world.

“Wow,” she breathes out, once the waterfall comes to view. Even grander is the lake the water spills out to, with more mountains in the distance. “You didn’t say anything about this.”

“I haven’t really been past this point,” he says, shrugging. “There’s too much water. If we want to go further out, we have to find another road.”

The stillness of the lake made it so that the horizon where water and sky meet are indiscernible. They break this illusion by taking turns skipping rocks, Terra a touch proud when his rocks fly out further, at least until Aqua’s final stone skips past his mark.

As they make their way back to drier land, a rustle comes from the bush behind them. Aqua drops her stone in a jolt. The noise doesn’t bother Terra, and he doesn’t even notice her shrinking from behind him. Instead, he holds his arm out, as if greeting an old friend. A deer pops out, and with her, a young fawning. They also do not seem to be troubled by Terra’s presence, although they do seem apprehensive to Aqua’s.

“Why are you standing all the way over there for?” Terra asks, finally noticing her position. “Come say hello.”

“Er,” Aqua says, not moving an inch.

Terra laughs softly, and the sound tinkles in the air. “They don’t bite, I promise.”

Her foot snaps a stray branch as she steps forward. The deer rears back with her ears up, and her child follows suit. Terra has to hold out his hand and soothe them before Aqua could take another step.

“Sorry,” she whispers.

Terra takes her shaky hand and moves it, slowly and gently, towards the nose of the deer. The magnificent creature proceeds to sniff, until at last it gives a small tentative lick. Aqua breathes out in relief, her hand still hovering in the air.

“You can pet them now,” Terra says, smiling broadly.

She does. Their hair is coarser than she expects, and the fawn is both skittish and desperate for her attention. Aqua treats it much gentler until it proves it’s overcome their fears completely. She pets its head carefully, and is rewarded with a deliberate closing of it’s large innocuous eyes.

“I did it,” she sighs.

“Yep,” Terra says proudly. “Now they trust you.”

When both mother and child leave, Aqua’s hand is licked raw.

Terra and Aqua start their slow trek back to their meadow. On the way, he explains the troubles of having a garden out in the woods. He had to set traps and snares every so often to keep wild animals out, and one day without meaning to, his snare caught hold of a deer lurking nearby. With no resolve to dispose it, Terra freed it, and started making a fence to keep both prey and predators away. Ever since, he’s come across various other animals but makes sure to keep to his own territory.

“It’s amazing though,” Aqua says once they are back in the garden, “with all the things you find here. A whole place to yourself.”

“Yeah,” Terra nods. He looks at her. “You really think so?”

“You don’t?”

Terra gives a noncommittal hum. “It’s not that I don’t think it’s amazing, I do. But being here, all the time makes me, I don’t know…see things differently. I guess.”

“There’s still plenty of things we haven’t seen yet,” Aqua points out. “We haven’t been around the entire world.”

Terra considers this, but only briefly.

“Remember when we were learning about the Great Keyblade War from a hundred years ago? The Master said that when Daybreak Town split and all its pieces were left to form a world of its own, this place itself is what’s left from the fountain where Master Ava told the dandelions to run.”

Aqua nods, finishing the memory. “That’s where all the Keyblade wielders gathered, and that’s why we have all this Light to protect us.”

Terra doesn’t seem to be satisfied with this. He looks over all their toppled books, reaching for the one titling Radiant Garden’s history.

“I like it here, but I can’t help thinking about the chances of me being anywhere else,” Terra says. “You’re really lucky, since Radiant Garden is huge.”

A strange, hungry look crosses his eyes, but when Aqua blinks it’s gone. What replaces it is a wistful expression. Carefully mulling over the right words, he utters quietly.

“This world is just…too small.”

A younger Terra, trampling around while Master Eraqus is gone crosses her mind. Training, reading, planting and getting hurt before picking himself back up again, alone.

“Sorry,” he says quickly. “It’s only because we keep talking about worlds, and I haven’t been since Master Eraqus took me when I first came here.”

“You got to travel with the Master?” she inquires.

“Only once,” Terra admits. “It was a long time ago, when we were searching for someone, a friend of his, I think. The place we went to had lots of islands and grew star-shaped fruit. It was just that one time, and I don’t think it’ll be easy for the Master to take us both before we learn how to summon our Keyblade.”

“Have you tried?”

Terra blushes.

“Sometimes, I guess…I don’t know. It’s hasn’t come yet.” He looks away, hand on the nape of his neck.

Aqua has an inkling that sometimes may mean more than Terra suggests. She had spent countless hours grasping at thin air in the privacy of her bedroom. The thought that perhaps Terra did too gives her some comfort. Besides, the Master did mention that it takes some time to summon one, and it wasn’t so long ago that she came here. She tells him so.

“I’ve been here longer though,” Terra corrects flatly, “and nothing’s ever happened.”

Here she deflates a little. The same memory echoes Master Eraqus’ afterthought – it will still take some time – in some rare cases, even years – for a corporal Keyblade of one’s own to emerge…

“I don’t get it,” Terra finally says. “the Master said I’m strong. I’ve tried, but no matter what, it won’t appear.”

“What about getting to know what’s close our hearts?” Aqua recalls. “Maybe we need to start there.”

Terra shakes his head and mumbles, “I know that my heart is strong. I just wonder if it’s strong enough.”

He goes quiet, holding his left hand with his right, gingerly studying something Aqua can’t see. She considers his contemplation, while also thinking back to how, not long ago, they competed time after time, just to best each other. Frustratingly so, she cannot say that Terra isn’t the most driven and unyielding person she knows.

“If it’s not already,” Aqua says, “it will be.”

Here in the grove, speckles of light colors Terra’s eyes in a golden hue. He seems puzzled by her declaration, but eventually accepts the support behind it. He gives a rueful smile.

“Thanks. One day when my heart’s strong enough,” he says, looking to the sky, “I’ll go out there and see everything. Just like the Master.”

The wind sweeps by them, shaking the trees and whipping their hair. When Aqua opens her eyes again, she finds Terra’s has returned to their startling blue.

Every day since then, Terra and Aqua would edge just a bit further out around the lake, paving away a new path. They always have to stop before dark, so not much could be said about their progress on making it to the mountains on the other side. Regardless, they have fun hopping over stumps and walking over fallen logs. Terra insists they now carve ‘T & A’ over any noticeable landmark, and even hands her one of his special whittling knives to do so. Bolden by his sureness, Aqua begins to walk in stride with him. Once their day adventures are done, when night falls they take a trip to different worlds, with the help of books and the dim glow of a single lantern they share between each other.

Spring yields plenty of crops and sweet apricots, which Master Eraqus makes into pies once a week. Although both Terra and Aqua offer to help, neither has talent when it comes to cooking, and so under the Master’s orders they dutifully retreat to wash up while he cleans up the now very messy kitchen. As they walk down the halls to use the sink in the small bath, Terra flicks some flour at Aqua, and she retaliates by smearing apricot juice on his chin.

“You got it in my hair,” she grumbles, trying to swipe it clean.

“Yeah well,” Terra smirks, thumbing the juice and licking it away, “you should’ve gotten it on mine.”

And she would have too, if he didn’t back up so fast and started running down the hall. They collided by the foot of the door to the bathroom in fits of giggles as they struggled, Aqua trying to reach over him and Terra grasping at both her wrist.

“Stay – still–” she grunts, aiming for his parted bangs. Terra’s still physically stronger, but he looks surprised by her growth in strength.

“Okay,” he laughs. “Okay! You win! Lemme go.”

Cleaning up proves to be even more challenging as their fight does not subside. Terra flicks water at her, and she aims the sink’s faucet squarely to his face.

“Aqua!” he cries, but her name is garbled by the water, which spills out and dribbles down his chin.

“What?” she says, a bit too innocently. “You’re clean now.”

They step back out the hall, the closet-size infirmary right across from them. As Aqua turns to go, she does a double take when a glint from something at the far corner flashes her. Now that it’s daylight, she could see a reflective handle attached to an even smaller door that’s right next to them. Perhaps that night she took Terra to the medic room she was so fearful that she didn’t notice it before, but somehow that doesn’t seem to be the case. The door is narrow and pale, nearly blending with the wall.

“Terra, what’s that room over there?”

The boy pivots to track the direction of her pointing finger.

“Oh. That.” Terra stares uneasily at the door. “It’s an old room. I think it used to belong to someone, but Master Eraqus said they left a long time ago. It’s not important – we should head back.”

There’s something about it, and the way Terra is fidgeting, resolutely trying to steer them away that has her curious.

“Have you been inside?”

“Yeah, when I first got here,” Terra confesses, but then twitches his eyebrow in annoyance. “And come on, stop doing that.”

“Sorry,” she says. As much as she knows how Terra doesn’t like it when she reads him, sometimes she can’t help it. “I just want to check it out.”

“Aqua–” Terra starts, but she has already opened the door and slipped in. He follows with less enthusiasm.

The first thing that hits her is the smell – that of stale dryness, which effectively hovers over a second, less prominent odor. It’s musky yet sterile, kind of like a hospital room, purposely scented clean. Aqua wrinkles her nose.

Dust looms heavily in this place, even more so than the treasure room. A thin sliver of the evening’s dying light makes its way through the curtains, but only just.

Aqua can now tell exactly why Terra is so uncomfortable here – whereas the treasure room may be filled with discarded items of other people, rich with sentimentality and hopes from each individual, this bedroom gives no tragic imprint.

Instead, what is left behind brings up more questions than answers. Littered on the floor are loose pieces of crumple notes, pairs of thin rubber gloves, and alarmingly curious, a dull scalpel. Picking up and unraveling a note, she sees it’s a page detailing the human anatomy, specifically, the heart.

There’s a low ticking coming from a metronome on top of a shelf over the bed. Lined up against it were several hourglasses, in which each grain of sand within has already reached the bottom. Still, the metronome ticks away, marching along with time with or without its owner.

Certainly, someone has slept and used this room before, but Aqua can’t tell what sort of person they were – it’s as if they tried erasing their own presence completely.

“What is all this?” she whispers.

She traces the parchment of notes tacked up against the wall, the writing too frantic and faded for her to read. There is a bold circling on a certain key aspect. Who made it was so excited about what they discovered that their pen, tracing the circle over and over, has left a slight tear on the paper.

“I don’t know,” Terra replies. “Whoever was here really likes writing their own discoveries though. I think they might had been a Seeker – half of this stuff is about Kingdom Hearts.”

Eyeing the circled scribble, Aqua can make the words out now, and it does indeed say that. Terra edges himself away from a stack of books by the foot of the bed. When she turns to face him, a table with beakers and flasks, set right in the middle of the room, obscures her vision of him. With such an angle, she sees the whole of Terra’s body through the glass of a small test tube.

The tube, having been cleared from substance, isn’t exactly clean. She sees stains of inky blackness pooled at the bottom, from the same glass Terra seems to be encased in.

Touching the glass, she finds it’s as cold, if not colder, that the rest of the room. She feels a prickle on her neck, but when she turns around, the only thing she sees is the empty sockets of an intricate goat mask.

“Hey,” Terra’s reflection says, “let’s go.”

Aqua tilts her head up to see Terra beckoning her over.

She feels like how he looks – Terra’s back is aligned to the wall, as if he doesn’t want anything to sneak up from behind him. Although nobody else is in the room with them, Aqua can’t shake the feeling of being watched, and she’s becoming keenly aware of the now insistent ticking of the metronome, which might be growing louder with each swing unless her ears were deceiving her.

Careful not to knock into anything, as well as show her hastiness, she joins him out in the hall. She clicks the door shut from behind her.

“That was…” she pauses, not sure what to say.

“…Interesting,” Terra finishes.

That wasn’t the word she would use to describe it. The room, in her opinion, is hauntingly mysterious. Someone was tinkering with something, wildly uncovering a secret only to take it with them when they left. Still, Terra isn’t wrong – the whole thing is interesting in its own way. Putting it in such an innocent perspective is impossible, however, and the rising goosebumps from their arms proves it.

Wordlessly, they both speed down the corridors trying their best to shake off this uneasiness without really showing it.

Back in the kitchen the pie is almost done baking. The sweet aroma wafts into their noses, and the Master welcomes them back to a pristine kitchen.

“You two certainly took your time,” the Master notes. He wipes his hand clean from the last of the mess.

“Sorry Master,” Aqua says. “We got distracted.”

“Oh?” Master Eraqus raises a brow. “If nothing else, remember to keep the mess at a minimum next time. I would appreciate both my helpers to aid more and wreck less havoc if they insist on assisting.”

Terra and Aqua dare not to even look at each other. She’s fairly certain that the cough that came from Terra is to hide his snicker. She had to bite down her lip to hold in her smile.

“Yes Master,” they both say.

Pulling out a chair, they three of them sit down to enjoy the rest of the evening’s ray and the sweetness of the apricot pie. Master Eraqus drinks his tea. Aqua talks about the candy she gets after dinner sometimes in Radiant Garden. Terra finishes his slice of pie, swiftly cutting himself a second piece just as Aqua is still on her first. The clinking of silverware swallows up whatever pauses in between.

Here, the warmth of spring reaches them so strongly that Aqua forget the chills of the mysterious bedroom altogether.

#kh terra #terraqua #kh aqua #kh bbs #kh thp #kingdom hearts

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smashbuddies · 5 years

Text

They Came From Outer Space: Pt. 10

“I still don’t really like you leaving without your collar…”

Daniel let out a deep sigh as he smoothed the lapel of his blazer and scanned over his reflection. “Well, it can’t be helped. You said it would take another day or so for it to get fixed. And I’ve been fine so far, there’s really nothing to worry about.”

Their claws shuffled together nervously, which he caught from the corner of his eye. Quietly, they mumbled, “You look unclaimed.”

“You and I both know that I’m not.”

“But you look it!”

Clearly he wasn’t going to get anywhere like this. So he took a deep breath, hands splayed out in the air so he could shake off some of this frustrated energy. They were coming from a good place. And look, he didn’t have nearly as much experience with others of their… Kind as they did. So maybe there could be a compromise.

Turning toward them, he flipped his hair back and said, “Alright. If you want me to look claimed, then do it the human way.”

They blinked owlishly, one claw frozen right up by their hair. “Huh?”

“Claim me the human way,” he repeated, arms crossed and hip cocked out. “Give me a lovebite.”

That stunned look didn’t leave their face. In fact, they only tilted their head and looked even more lost, almost like a puppy. It was cute, but he didn’t have time for this.

“Right here.” With a lone finger, he drew out a line where his collar once rested, goosebumps rising up in his skin from the almost too-strange feeling. “Just use your mouth and suck. It’ll leave a mark that’ll last for a good while, and everyone here on Earth will know I’m taken.”

Their eyebrows furrowed together, and they eyed up his neck, a small frown on their face. “Are you sure you want me doing that? I mean…”

For a second, his attention was drawn to their teeth almost glinting dangerously, the sharp, jagged points making his heart skip. He swallowed thickly and recalled all the little nips they’d given him in the past, right above his collar. Quick little stings that felt nice, but also made some deep, paranoid part of his brain go wild.

But really, as if Snail would ever hurt him, even accidentally. Well, besides the many instances of sore ass they gave him. That was different. And it only further proved how wrapped around his little finger they were.

“You won’t be using your teeth,” he finally said in a watered-down version of his “you dumbass” tone. “At least, not that much. Really, it’s mostly just sucking. Do you want me to show you?”

That was supposed to be sarcastic. Condescending. Part of his Daniel Nadiva Brand Sass™. A loaded question that they’d either scoff or pout at because as if they’d need to be shown how to do something so simple.

But no. They nodded, eyes wide as they stared him down almost expectantly.

His face grew warm. “Really? You know the only way is to just do it, right?”

Another nod. Oh boy.

The heat in his face didn’t cool down as he stepped in close. With a quick kiss to their lips- mostly to cool his own nerves- he said, “Alright, head back, or else this’ll be awkward.”

Their face grew a darker shade of purple, but they obeyed and watched him carefully. He grabbed their chin just to ensure they wouldn’t get in the way and pressed his lips to their skin. High, it had to be high. For no particular reason. No, he wasn’t afraid that maybe someone out there would try to woo his Snail. Not at all.

...Okay, even he knew that was a huge lie.

He started with a gentle kiss, which earned a nice little hum. Then he got to the main event. It was an unfamiliar experience- not necessarily new, but it had been a long while since he’d done this at all. As usual, he preferred receiving.

Oh well. He was charitable enough to give where it counted.

Snail’s soft noises and hums fueled him, and he was happy that they seemed to at least be enjoying themself a little. As the cherry on top, they put a hand to the back of his head, fingers curling through and grabbing his hair. Oh, how nice.

When he pulled back, he let a scowl cross his face. The mark he left was noticeable enough, despite being abysmally small. “Well,” he muttered almost bitterly, “it’s been a while, but you get the-”

Suddenly, he found himself almost pushed against the wall, Snail’s free hand now on his hip, body pressed against him. His breath hitched when he noticed the hunger in their eyes- which were glued to his throat. It was like a switch flipped, their possessive nature taking over with a flash of large, sharp teeth.

Fuck.

“Sir… Are you okay?”

Daniel’s neck throbbed as he typed away on his computer. Emails, emails, emails, so many emails. Fucking bullshit, he hated this. “Yes, Sam. I’m fine.”

“...Are you sure about that?”

“I’m sorry, do you know about my physical condition better than I do?” he asked with a scowl. “Are you a doctor? Was that something you left out on your resume? Please, enlighten me on why I wouldn’t be okay.”

She rolled her eyes and placed a small stack of papers on his desk. “It looks like you got attacked by a swarm of very particular leeches, sir. Giant leeches, at that.”

His face grew hot and he tried, in vain, to pull his collar up over his marks. “Not leeches. Just a very… Very possessive alien. Snail got antsy about me going out again, so I told them about lovebites. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to work today, I’m sure.”

The corner of her lip quirked up for a split-second. “I see.”

He slowly took her in, one eyebrow raised up as he noted something rather interesting. Smoothly, he turned his gaze back to his email, pressed send, and said, “Ms. Samantha Morrison, I don’t believe you have much room to laugh. Perhaps you’d do well to, ahem, touch up your foundation. It’s rubbing off.”

She let out a gasp and her hand immediately went to the crook of her neck. Oh, he hit the nail right on the head. And it was so sweet for all the shit she’d given him. But of course, he couldn’t be too hard on her.

Daniel got to his feet and sauntered over to her, grinning wildly as he continued, “I think now’s a good time for my break. Tell her to be more careful while I’m out.”

Her red face betrayed the impassive look she gave him. “Sir, kindly shove it up your ass.”

“Oh, please, if I wasn’t taken, I’d love to.”

“I’m not surprised.”

He crinkled his nose at her in mock offense, to which she returned with a satisfied smirk. On that note, he took off, ready for a much needed tea break. And perhaps he’d make a note to tell Snail “not so rough” next time.

But that was an issue for Future Daniel. For now, he was ready to enjoy the sunshine, the city sounds, the eyes following his every move. The simple pleasures always made him smile.

After walking a block or so, though, he began to feel… Uneasy. In a somewhat familiar way. He looked over his shoulder, hoping his resting pissy face would deter any creepers trying to follow him. But, to his shock, there was no one there. No one that seemed to be suspicious, at least. Just people going about their business or small clusters of friends laughing as they walked.

Best not to worry about it, then.

Still, he picked up his pace, and took about three or so steps before something wrapped around his waist and pulled him into the alleyway he’d just passed by. Slammed against the wall, stars invaded his vision while rough metal clamped around his neck. His hands immediately went up to wrench it off, but a strong grip grabbed him by the wrists and pinned them above his head.

Once he finally registered who the hell was assaulting him, his blood ran cold.

An alien. Clearly the same kind as Snail- the eyes, the markings, the wriggling tentacles in the air. But instead of purple, this asshole was a sea of reds and oranges. And that predatory grin was almost heart-stopping- full of too-sharp teeth that Daniel actually had to reel back from.

“What a pretty pet,” a deep voice cooed as a single claw traced the curve of Daniel’s jaw. “An Eleven, all mine!”

Hell no!

“Excuse me,” he snapped, practically snarling as he pulled against the hold on him. “But I already have a fucking owner- get this damn collar off me!”

The alien blinked, all excitement replaced by a bored look of disbelief, which even spread to the slowing down of their tentacles. “Is that right? Then what’s your owner’s name, little pet?”

“Snail.”

Eyebrows furrowed, the alien muttered something and brought out a strange device. A snarled word slipped through Daniel’s brain- this stupid fucking language, he’d need to learn it one day- and a holographic image of Snail with some strange text popped up. Then that photo was replaced by one of him, with his name in clear English underneath. After taking it in, he narrowed his eyes.

…Was he sleeping?

Never mind, there were more important things to worry about. Like the fact that the alien had dismissed the image and now had a hand on his hip, claws digging into his skin deeper than Snail had ever done. He bit down on his lip from the pain, and fuck, there was no way the asshole didn’t draw blood and poke holes into his slacks.

“Well, little pet,” the alien said, almost taunting with its low, slow drawl. “Your owner must be stupid for letting you out with no collar.”

“It broke,” he muttered darkly, a sneer on his face. “They’re getting it fixed, and it’s supposed to be done soon.”

“Really? How interesting.” That tone made him feel sick. The alien brought a hand up to poke at the metal resting heavily on his neck. “Well, they sure won’t be able to get their collar on you now, will they? As if they’d even want you knowing that you’ve been claimed by someone else. Claimed and used.”

The swarm of tentacles hovering around drew in closer, and Daniel’s eyes went wide. The surge of panic for his safety mixed with the fear that maybe Snail would hate him after this. They’d told him so, after all, and now by their culture’s standards, he’d been stolen away. He’d been a bad pet, a bad boyfriend, and now he wasn’t theirs.

No!

Every last one of his lovebites ached a reminder. He belonged to Snail by his standards. Their pet, their boyfriend, and nothing would change that. Their ownership ran deeper than anything a metal piece of junk could erase.

Swiftly, he brought his knee up to the source of the tentacles. A loud, rattling roar echoed through the alleyway, and the firm grip on his hands released. In the small window he had, he slipped away from the alien and made it past the threshold, surrounded by light and people and safety.

Daniel turned back to snarl some vicious threat, but was pinned in place by the terrifying glare aimed right at him.

“You better hope your old owner will protect you,” the alien growled, all tentacles gone and hands in place over where he attacked. “Because I don’t like unruly pets.”

On that note, the alien scampered away, disappearing around a corner on the other side of the alley.

Shit. He didn’t have much time. Mind abuzz with too many thoughts, he pulled his phone out and called Sam, legs carrying him back to the studio as fast as he could go.

“Sir?”

“Cancel today’s episode,” he rushed out, words spilling forward without much to reign them in. His free hand reached up to the collar on his neck and tugged, hoping in vain to pull it off. “Something came up, alien bullshit, bad alien bullshit. Tell everyone I got food poisoning or something, I don’t care, whatever it takes, just please, make this happen.”

“Of course, sir, of course. Be safe, and good luck with your alien bullshit.”

“I’ll try. And thank you.”

Daniel’s brain was so frazzled that he sooner tried to kick down his own damn door than unlock it. Foot aching terribly- a wonderful match to go with all his throbbing injuries- he threaded both hands in his hair and pulled just hard enough to get his mind to quiet down, then slapped the touchpad of the stupid, bullshit, piece of garbage alien technology that kept him locked out. After just a second, the little indicator flashed green, and he could finally go in.

“Snail!”

Tears welled up in his eyes, but they appeared in just a second flat, hands cupping his face, soft whispers filling his head with a pleasant lightness. Their lips pressed against his, and he let himself be swept away by the comfort.

Until a low rumble filled the air.

Snail pulled back, teeth now bared, eyes glued to the collar on his neck. Their hands went down to grip at it, and Daniel’s heart jolted with panic. Their growling only grew louder as their claws tried to dig into the metal fruitlessly.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered out, unable to meet their eyes. “Some other alien found me and, fuck, I said I was owned, gave your name and everything, but-”

“Are you hurt?”

Daniel blinked, every rushing thought and worst-case scenario crashing into an indecipherable mess. “What?”

Their face was softer. Just the slightest bit of possessive edge remained, but their concern shone through. Slowly, almost sweetly, they repeated, “Are you hurt? Did that bastard do anything to you?”

As soon as he opened his mouth to answer, a touch to his hip made him wince. They immediately reeled back, and looked down at the small smear of blood on their hand. Whatever anger remained drained out, and they went pale. But he didn’t have long to try and decipher that look on their face before they pulled him into a tight hug, one clawed hand in his hair.

“I’m okay,” he tried to assure them, but his shaking voice probably didn’t help much. He rested his head on their shoulder and took a deep breath. “That’s all the asshole did. I was able to book it before...”

A sharp intake of breath. “You… Managed to get away? On your own?”

“Yeah?” He pulled back to give them a curious look that slowly turned into a wry smile. “I know your kind’s weakest spot. Wasn’t that hard to get to with a well-timed knee.”

They stared at him for a moment while the gears visibly turned in their head. Then their eyes widened a fraction before narrowing into a pained wince. Even Daniel felt a little empathetic pang just from thinking about it too hard.

“I did what I had to do,” he said with a grimace. “As if I’d let someone else get their grubby tentacles on or in me.”

That made them purr, the soft vibrations tickling his neck as they nuzzled into him. Daniel let out a breathy laugh. All the weight and fear was gone now, and he could finally enjoy just being in their arms. For the moment, at least.

Once the warm, fuzzy feelings reached their peak, he sobered up a little and said, “The alien was pretty pissed at me. I'm pretty sure we'll be getting a visit soon.”

Snail sighed. “Yeah...”

Daniel frowned to himself and wrapped his arms tightly around them. A thought plagued him: if Snail had to deal with the other alien, it would no doubt be violent. That seemed fitting from what little he knew. Brutal fights to the death over signs of status- the most prominent point of their culture. And it matched with how aggressive they were. Eager to kill for him.

And no doubt willing to die.

He couldn't bear it, wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing he did that to them. They were- fuck, what a revelation to have right now- the love of his life. And they couldn't be the only one doing the protecting.

Was it even worth the risk to have them fight? He was an Eleven. A pet, a valuable pet at that. He wouldn't be killed. Hurt, punished, no doubt tormented in ways that even trying to think of made him nauseous. But not killed. And neither would Snail, if he gave in.

“You can go,” he said quietly, and he felt the hand against his head tense. “So you don't get hurt. I'll be okay, I promise.”

That familiar rumble sprang back up and sent vibrations through him. “No.”

“Snail-”

“No!”

His head was pulled back and their lips smashed against his at the first opportunity. The kiss dominated him, every ounce of fight away, replaced by a desperate need for the comfort they were roughly providing. Soft whimpers bubbled up in his throat, punctuated by a gasp when he could finally breathe again.

“You’re mine,” they panted out, eyes flickering down for a second. Then they put a hand to their neck, the dark blotch Daniel left on them just barely visible between their fingers. “And I’m yours. No one can change that. I’ll crush anyone who tries.”

A little brutish. But that declaration of love- yes, it was love, he could feel it in every word- made him swoon nonetheless.

#snailbitch #they came from outer space #tentacle fuck au #fic #mod cantolope

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shielddrake · 6 years

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Rebel of Sky City Ch. 22

So, here’s a little tidbit I meant to include in the last chapter post, but little scatterbrained me forgot. I just wanted to share part of a review from chapter 20 written by TheAmberShadow, in regard to Ivor’s apparent fall from the palace after the explosion in his lab:

“Ivor’s going to fall screaming past them at any moment and that mental picture is hilarious!”

The idea of Ivor falling past Lukas and Isa as they tower back up to the city had my sides hurting from laughter! I wish I had included that somehow! It’s much more creative than what I ended up doing. Unfortunately, I needed Ivor to show up at the big meeting with all the other characters. There should be a Minecraft: Bloopers Mode and include that somehow!

I’m still looking for input on my next project. The updated choices are in chapter 19.

Chapter Twenty-Two

To Lukas’ surprise, he found himself staring at the hilt of one of Isa’s swords.

They had positioned themselves all around the outer perimeter of the palace. This was where most of the traitorous guards remained. They threw spawn eggs to create monsters whenever they felt like it. Ghasts seemed to be their favorite. Despite that, there were plenty of zombies, skeletons, spiders, and creepers around to make everyone nervous.

The only good thing about the rubble around the city was that it provided plenty of cover for them to hide. They still had to beat a few mobs every now and then, but for the most part they were able to reach the large crevice that surrounded the palace entrance. Had it been filled with water, Lukas would have called it a moat.

Still, he didn’t expect to be in this situation. The group was waiting for one of Aiden’s henchmen to show up before they sprung their plan. In the meantime, Lukas stared at Isa with a perplexed expression as she pointed the hilt towards him.

“Really?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

“Aiden has access to all the resources we had in the palace, including the weapons stash for the Guard,” Isa explained. “No doubt he will have found the diamond swords by now.”

“Swords made of diamond?” Olivia repeated. “Really? You have those?”

“They were only for Jesse, Reginald and me to use, but I’m sure Aiden will be keeping one at his side,” The Founder continued. “It would be foolish to think otherwise, and a diamond sword lasts much longer than your iron one. If you end up fighting him, you’re going to need a weapon that can match his.”

Lukas looked down from her face at the sword for a moment before slowly taking it. He couldn’t argue with her logic.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” Lukas said. “Hopefully Aiden will be willing to listen to reason.”

“What are the chances of that?” Petra asked him. “He’s way beyond reason by now.”

Lukas shrugged. “Guess Jesse’s optimism has rubbed off on me.”

“Looks like some of the guards are patrolling again,” Milo whispered, looking over the pile of blocks. “Philippe and I are going over to the other side. We’ll lead the distraction from there. Split their forces in half, so to speak.”

“Good idea, Dad,” Lukas agreed. He reached over and gave his father’s shoulder a squeeze. “Be safe, okay?”

“And you as well, son.” Milo returned the gesture and smiled. “I will see you on the other side.”

Milo and Philippe took a group of the rebels and headed off to the other side of the palace. Lukas turned his attention to Ivor, who was now without anything to defend himself, having given his last three potions to them. Not wanting to leave him unarmed, Lukas pulled the iron sword Axel had given him and passed it to Ivor.

“You think I know how to use one of those things?” the older man said deeply.

“Yeah, I don’t think this guy does much fighting,” Petra joked, at which Ivor glared at her.

Lukas shook his head. He could tell Petra was teasing, but he wasn’t sure if Ivor would take it that way. And now really wasn’t the time for them to start going at each other. Lukas only just got his father and Isa to agree to disagree long enough go through with this plan. He didn’t need another argument on his hands.

Thankfully, Axel hushed them for him. “Guys, check it out. Gill and Maya.”

The little group looked over their shelter. Sure enough, Aiden’s two little flunkies were walking around, swords in hand, and looking around. They had a couple of other guards with them, and they each sported bags and belts full of eggs. The guards were clearly being more vigilant than either Maya or Gill, who were chatting with each other without a care in the world.

“Look at those jerks,” Olivia commented. “Acting like the city isn’t falling apart around them.”

“Time to take the fight to them,” Axel said, punching one fist into the opposite palm.

Isa stood, pulling out her remaining diamond sword and twirling it in her hand. “I swear, I’m going to tear these traitors limb from limb.”

“Take care of yourself out there, Isa,” Lukas warned her.

“And to you as well,” Isa answered him. She nodded to Ivor. “Let’s go.”

Ivor followed her across the yard and into position. Axel rolled his neck and stood.

“Time for a little payback.” He was stopped by Petra’s hand on his. His eyes went wide for a moment before he lifted his gaze to hers. “What’s up, Petra?”

“Just…be careful, okay?” She rubbed the back of her neck, which was starting to turn a little pink. “You never know what new tricks Gill and Maya have up their sleeves.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ve dealt with them pretty much my whole life,” he insisted. He let out a single laugh. “And you’ve kind of helped me be more confident around people who talk down to me. I can handle any monster they throw at me…no pun intended.”

Petra still didn’t release his hand. Axel glanced back and forth between her face and their clasped hands.

“Uh, Petra? Are you okay?”

She squeezed his hand, ignoring him in favor of glaring over at Lukas and Olivia, who were watching them intently. She crinkled her nose at them, apparently rather annoyed at the presence of an audience. Finally, she threw up her hands and turned back to Axel.

“Screw it,” she said, and then reached up to pull the tall man down and crashing her lips to his.

They remained like that for a good minute or so. Lukas and Olivia stared with wide eyes, eyeing each other uncertainly. The kissing pair ignored them entire. Petra kept her eyes close, while Axel’s seemed to take over his entire head.

Finally, she released him. Axel stared at her with a rather stupid smile on his face. He continued to watch Petra as his body tried and failed to turn around. He stumbled over some debris as he moved to follow Isa into the courtyard. His normally deep voice was pitched to a higher octave as he chuckled nervously. He cleared his throat and headed off.

Petra watched him go and place himself in front of the patrolling guards. She glanced over at Lukas and Olivia. They were giving her an expression that was some sort of mixture of amusement and surprise. Olivia kept her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle giggles, while Lukas held his sides in a silent laugh.

The redhead scoffed at them. “Don’t say it. Don’t even chuckle. Especially you.”

Petra pointed a finger at Lukas, who only barely managed to control his laughter. He did remain quiet, as commanded.

“Hey, Maya! Gill!” Axel shouted. Lukas looked over the barrier to see the tall man waving his arms around. “Bet you’re feeling on top of the world right now!”

To no one’s surprise, the commotion got their attention in no time at all. The brunette pair’s gaze immediately snapped to him, and both Gill and Maya smirked at him. Gill stepped forward and put a loser sign on his forehead, using his thumb and index finger.

“Too bad you didn’t choose the right side, huh?” he mocked. “Loser.”

“Yeah, maybe you should’ve tried harder to get on Aiden’s good side,” Maya joined in. “But big surprise, you’re not smart enough to have figured that out.”

“Brilliant comebacks from these guys,” Olivia muttered.

“I think that’s the longest sentence that’s ever come out of Maya’s mouth,” Petra added.

Lukas had to bit his lip to stop himself from laughing again, and thus give their position away.

Axel, however, wasn’t perturbed at all, which Lukas had to admit was a bit of a surprise, but in a good way. He flexed his arms, making himself look even bigger.

“But I’m still here though!” He announced. It would seem that Axel felt more confident and loud after receiving Petra’s attentions. “You’d think you would’ve caught me already, if I was such a loser!”

That simple taunt got under Gill’s skin, and he pulled his sword out and waved it in a threatening manner. “That can change real quick!”

“Even if he has reinforcements?” Everyone’s heads turned to see Isa walking up to the crevice, with Ivor right behind her. She glared at the pair and the guards standing with them. Lukas had to look closely, but he could see their knees shaking. “I do not take kindly to traitors. Stand down now, or I will show you how I deal with people like you.”

Gill’s mouth dropped open while Maya started stuttering. “You’re, you’re, but you’re dead! Aiden threw you off the island! How is this—”

“Perhaps I am more resourceful than you expected,” Isa sneered, flashing her blade against the rain. “Now it’s time to see if you will follow through with your threats.”

Gill shook his head and snickered. He looked over his shoulder at the other guards, who were simply staring at The Founder with disbelieving eyes.

“Don’t just stand there!” he commanded. “Get them!”

“Boom!” Maya shouted, throwing an egg at Axel’s feet, instantly spawning a spider. “Egg!”

A fight broke out in no time. Isa maintained the line the most, being the most experienced fighter there. Axel and Ivor were able to hold their own fairly well, even against the skeletons being spawned in front of them. Ivor seemed more anxious about the whole thing, but that didn’t stop him from giving a few blows to the nearby creeper. He jumped out of the way of the imminent boom, shouting as he covered his head.

“I don’t need any more explosions!!” he hollered. “Thank you!”

There was the sound of another bang in the distance, far enough that no debris showered the group but still close enough that they felt the swell of the explosion. Lukas took a glace in the direction it came from. He could hear screaming in his father’s voice, but it wasn’t a painful scream. It was one of releasing pent up rage and frightening the enemy. Lukas smiled at his remaining two friends.

“That would be Dad,” he said. “And that’s our cue.”

“Remind me to congratulate Axel on his standing up to his bullies,” Petra said. “They’ve been jerks to him for long enough.”

“I think he’s fine,” Olivia stated, shrugging one shoulder and listening to Axel continue to taunt Gill and Maya. “That little public display of affection gave him the boost that he needed.”

“Yeah, you should do that more often,” Lukas suggested, smirking at his best friend and ignoring how her face began to match her hair. “I think you’re getting a little soft, Petra?”

“Oh, shut it.”

Giving them one last glare, Petra quickly drank the light blue potion in her hand. Having the Potion of Swiftness, neither Lukas nor Olivia saw her sprint out of their sight, leap over the crevice, and head straight for the front gates of the palace. They did feel the gust of wind that went with her, but beyond that it was as if Petra just disappeared into thin air.

Olivia smiled and drank her own potion. Hers was the Potion of Leaping. This gave her the ability to leap from her hiding spot straight over not only the crevice, but also over the guards, rebels and monsters standing in her way. She landed with a boom, and for a moment Lukas was worried that she would be spotted and attacked. He needn’t have worried though, as Olivia immediately jumped again. She was able to bypass the fighting by staying airborne. Soon enough she was also at the palace gates, standing right next to Petra.

“Guess it’s just me now.”

With that Lukas closed his eyes and downed his grey potion in one gulp. It felt like he had swallowed a large bug, or maybe a spider, along with soggy carrots and some kind of plant his tongue didn’t recognize. He grimaced at the taste and nearly spat it out. It was only the knowledge that he really needed the Potion of Invisibility’s effects that kept him from doing so.

Half a second later, Lukas looked down at his hand. He knew he was moving his fingers and he could feel the air around them, but he couldn’t see them at all. Glancing down at the rest of his body, Lukas could see, or rather, not see himself at all. His body was completely gone!

“Now that’s more like it,” he whispered, trying to keep his voice down to maintain the illusion of having disappeared.

Lukas probably had the hardest time getting over the crevice. He thanked the stars it didn’t go all the way through the bottom of the island. He was able to slide down it, reach the base, and then slowly and carefully climb up the other side. The stones and dirt that were displaced by his steps weren’t invisible, but that was part of the reason his friends and family were acting as a distraction. Once Lukas reached the top of the crevice on the other side, he looked over his shoulder at the battle. Everyone was too busy to even notice that anything had gone amiss. He smiled and waved at Isa, but then remembered she couldn’t see him. He turned back to the palace.

“Only three minutes,” he reminded himself, and he took off running.

Of course, Lukas was the last one to arrive at the palace gates. By this point, Petra’s potion had worn off, which meant that Olivia’s was not far behind. They were already waiting for him at the palace entrance. Petra had her sword out and Olivia had an arrow drawn in her bow. Lukas waved his own weapon.

“Ready, ladies?” he asked. They both nodded. “All right! Let’s go!”

With that, the trio found themselves in the perpetual labyrinth that was the Sky City Palace. The outside of the palace was so precise and so immaculate on the outside, with its bright gold blocks and perfect dome. Truthfully, Lukas never thought it would be such a mess inside. Halls and rooms weaved each and every way imaginable, including up and down a few small flights of steps. The worst part was that, to him at least, it all looked alike. The few paintings and tapestries hung on the walls didn’t help him familiarize himself. Everything looked the same to him!

“Who’s bright idea was it to make this place so complicated?” Lukas couldn’t help but groan. “Why isn't this considered an ‘egregious waste of resources’!”

“Good thing you’ve got me, huh?” Petra joked.

Lukas chuckled. If Petra hadn’t joined the Guard and become accustomed to walking about the palace…well, that was just luck on their part.

“Think we’re going to run into any monsters in here?” Olivia wondered aloud.

“Keep your eyes peeled,” Petra replied. “Just in case.”

Almost as if on cue, when they arrived at a four-way intersection, Lukas saw the flash of a swinging sword from a side hall. He lifted his sword in time to parry the attack, but he stumbled back from the blow. The sword came down again, but this time it was Petra’s sword that blocked it.

“Look out!” she yelled, a little too late, but Lukas was unharmed and that was all that mattered. She looked up from the hilt of her sword into a pair of dark eyes covered by pale cyan hair. “Mevia?!”

“And here I thought you wouldn’t show your face here again, Petra,” Mevia replied, a smirk scribbled across her face. She jerked her sword, forcing the redhead to step back. “We’ve got some fighters here, Hadrian!”

“Aiden warned us about keeping intruders out of the palace.” Olivia spun around, aiming her bow down the opposite hallway as Hadrian walked into view. He held his own sword made of diamond, jutting it towards Lukas. “Can’t say I expected to see you again, chump.”

The blonde narrowed his eyes at the older man. “You were hoping I was dead, weren’t you?”

“You’ve made life very difficult for us, buddy,” Hadrian answered with a snarl. “But you know what they say: revenge is best served cold.”

With that, Hadrian drew up his sword and rushed at Lukas. He held up his own sword in preparation to deflect the attack. It turned out he didn’t need to worry about it. Just moments before Hadrian reached arm’s length, there was a whirl in the air. Hadrian screamed as an arrow embedded itself into his arm. Lukas jumped back, out of range of Hadrian’s sword.

Rather than continue his assault on Lukas, Hadrian snapped his gaze to Olivia, who was preparing another arrow in her bow. She drew it back and fired again. This time, Hadrian dodged, but the arrow still forced him to step back, or else he would’ve gotten an arrow in the knee.

“That’s for my glowstone dust!” she hollered, in a rather non-Olivia-like way. She readied another arrow and glanced at Lukas over her shoulder. “Keep going! Find Jesse!”

“She’s right!” Petra called, swinging her sword against Mevia’s and talking to Lukas with perfect multitasking skills. “We’ll take care of this!”

“Aw, isn’t that cute, Hadrian?” Mevia mocked. “She thinks they can take us on.”

“Time for a wake-up call, kiddos.”

Hadrian ran for Olivia this time, but she was too quick for him. She dodged out of the way and leased another arrow, this time aiming for his chest. He had to press himself against the wall to avoid it. Petra, meanwhile, saw an opening in Mevia’s defenses and gave her a solid kick in the chest, knocking her back.

“What are you waiting for, Lukas?!” Petra shouted at him. “The throne room is down that hall! Alternate left and right until you get there!”

Lukas glanced back and forth between the two women. Between Petra’s swordsmanship and Olivia’s aim, they seemed to be able to hold their own.

He nodded before taking off down the fourth hallway. “Take care of yourselves!”

Lukas’ steps echoed in the palace halls. As the echo faded, Petra dodged another of Mevia’s swings. The older woman’s sword became embedded in the wall where two of the hallways met. This bought Petra a little time to regain her footing.

“You doing okay, Olivia?”

“I’m having a blast!” She shot another arrow, forcing Hadrian to jump back again. With each arrow she fired, he was forced farther and farther down the passage. “I’ve got years of frustration to work out! Hadrian’s not going anywhere!”

Petra couldn’t help but let out a snigger and faced her opponent again. “Hear that, Mevia? It’s just you and me!”

Lukas could hear Petra’s telltale battle cry as he sprinted down the halls, trying his best to stay oriented in relation to the throne room. A few more hallways later, Lukas felt he was no closer to it than he was when he was separated from Petra and Olivia. He looked around, taking in the same bland walls, same straight corners, and same egg paintings everywhere. Although the egg theme made since in relation to the Eversource, Lukas felt like he never wanted to see an egg again.

“Isa, if we get through this,” he grumbled, hoping he didn’t go in a circle and end up meeting his friends again rather than the throne room. “I’m never letting you build anything this big ever again without supervision. This is absurd!”

He kept going left and right as Petra instructed, and after several twists and turns he slowed his dash to a stop. Before him were the double doors that he now recognized as the ones leading to the throne room. Lukas let out a huge sigh of relief before he pushed them with all his might, opening them as quickly as he could.

Made it, he thought. That was lucky!

“Back down and get out of my face, Reggie!” Lukas instantly identified Aiden’s distinct tone, and he readied his sword. “I won’t tell you again!”

“You’re delusional, Aiden!” That was Reginald. “The people of Sky City will never bow to you! You killed The Founder!”

Once inside the room, Lukas spotted Reginald sitting on the floor next to the throne. His hands were tied behind his back, while he looked up at the seat with a snarl. Of course, it was obvious why he was doing that. Aiden sat on the throne, leaning back with his feet propped up on the left armrest. Next to him, tied on a leash and held down with Aiden’s foot, was the Eversource. She clucked helplessly as she flapped her little wings. Lukas’ eyes narrowed at the scene.

“Yeah?” Aiden barked. “Well, you’re going to be next if you don’t shut up!”

“Now you listen here!” Reginald protested, still yelling. “I’m the Captain of the Guard! You can’t just talk to me that way!”

“I’ll talk to you however I want, Reggie!”

Aiden stood and gave Reginald a good kick in the side, knocking him off the steps leading to the throne. The Eversource clucked as Reginald grunted from the impact of his shoulder against the floor. Aiden’s foot lifted off the chicken’s leash, allow the Eversource to flap away from the throne.

Lukas has seen more than enough, and he took a step forward. “Hey! Leave him alone, Aiden!

Aiden jumped at his voice, his eyes shifting from Reginald to Lukas. He stood at the top of the throne, his eyes wide and his nostrils flared. His hands balled into fists and he lifted them as if he was ready to punch something.

“Lukas?! How can—” Lukas could hear him practically hissing through his teeth. “I saw you fall! You went down!”

Reginald looked up from his place on the floor and gasped. “You’re alive? You’re alive! Is The Founder with you?”

Aiden finally decided to take his rage out on Reginald. Pulling a green and black egg out of his inventory, he tossed it right at the back of the Captain’s head. Being on the floor with his hands tied behind his back, Reginald wasn’t able to move away in time to avoid it. Reginald yelped as the egg cracked against him, spawning a black and green creature on top of him. Lukas recognized it as the one Aiden had spawned in the basement, and recalled Jesse’s words about it.

“Creeper! Lukas! Watch out! They explode!”

He didn’t have a chance to react however. The creeper exploded a mere second later, knocking him farther from the giant chair. The Eversource scampered over to him and pressed her beak against his cheek in an attempt to wake him up.

“Reginald!” Lukas cried. His attempt to go help the older man was halted by Aiden’s next yell.

“Not one more step!” Lukas narrowed his eyes at his former best friend. Aiden bared his teeth, and Lukas felt like punching them out of his mouth. “How in the world are you still alive? No one survives falling into the Void!”

“Guess I’m full of surprises,” Lukas announced. He took a few steps towards the throne. “Where’s Jesse?”

Aiden let out a howl of laughter. “Like I would let you anywhere near her now.”

He doesn’t know, just like Ivor said, Lukas thought. He shook his head and pointed his sword towards his ex-friend. “Aiden, you’re done. This is where it ends.”

“I killed you once, Lukas,” he screamed, bringing out his own blade. “I can do it again!”

“Not this time!”

Aiden leapt down from the top of the throne, bringing his sword down towards Lukas from above. Rather than try to block the attack, Lukas rolled out of the way and counterattacked. Aiden easily blocked it, forcing Lukas to take several steps back. With another push, the brunette was able to push Lukas farther until he was pressed against a wall. Aiden’s sword came down again, and Lukas was barely able to duck away. The diamond sword let out a reverberating clang that flew through the entire room.

Lukas was on the defensive. The only experience fighting he had was the occasional sparring he did with Petra, and even then she would always win. She was the one who should be fighting this battle, not Lukas. He couldn’t recall a time Aiden got any kind of training, especially enough to be pushing Lukas as much as he was. When did he learn to fight like this?

“Give it up, Lukas,” Aiden mocked. He sideswiped his sword, cutting Lukas at his chest. “I’ve always been the better fighter—no, the better man than you!”

The sword ripped through Lukas’ shirt, superficially slicing his skin underneath. He hissed at the feeling. Putting his hand up to his chest, he felt a small amount of blood smear onto his palm. It distracted him long enough to allow Aiden a chance to swing up and practically throw his sword down on him. Lukas watched as the blade came down…

But instead of feeling a sword crash onto his head, Lukas heard the sound of a pig squealing.

#mcsm #mcsm au #mcsm jesse #mcsm lukas #Sky City!AU #Sky City!Jesse #fanfiction

3 notes · View notes

minrcrafter · 7 years

Photo

The Great Expanse [Vanilla][SMP] {1.12.2}{Hard}{Adults Only}{Whitelist}{Discord}

Hello Minecrafters!

We are a relatively young server looking to increase our active player base, things are a bit quiet on The Great Expanse at the moment. You can help us fix that!

‎Mushroom Island at spawn 🍄

Vanilla, Survival, Hard Mode

Adult/Mature players only

Griefing not allowed

‎1-player sleeping

‎All gamerules are default (so yes fire spreads & creepers are destructive)

Started in 1.10 & currently running 1.12

‎Will stay up to date with latest stable releases

‎No map resets in the Overworld or Nether

‎End dimension completely reset monthly

‎Build with others or lone-wolf it, your choice!

‎PVP is acceptable if all players involved have very clearly agreed to fight each other

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HOW TO JOIN THE GREAT EXPANSE

PM me or leave a comment here if you want to join. I'd like to know a little about you & your play style. From there I'll get you added to Discord where you can read the full set of rules/guidelines (if you haven't already read them below) & then I can get you whitelisted & provide you with the server IP address. A lot of times I can have you added within an hour of applying, but this is not always possible if I'm at work, etc.

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MORE ABOUT THE GREAT EXPANSE

This is a friendly-play no-griefing-allowed server. A complete set of rules is available below & on the group discord. There's lots of stuff already built including some small neat villages, mob & resource farms, an in-progress nether hub & more! There's also plenty of untouched territory still available.

Spawn is at a Mushroom Island. It has a small village on it & is a place for everyone to collaborate and build things if they so choose. When you first spawn you'll be in a garden on top of a floating temple just off the shore of a mushroom island. You'll be in Adventure Mode at first, but have no fear! As soon as you leave the Spawn Temple your game mode will change to survival automagically.

Some bases and buildings around the world are protected with Adventure Mode. If you get too close to another player's protected area you'll be switched into Adventure Mode until you leave that area. I am happy to setup Adventure Mode protection for anyone who wants it around something they put a lot of effort into. It can be customized for individual players or for groups/teams of people!

There are a handful of Wardens capable of teleporting griefers to a jail near spawn to await sentencing. If you respect the players around you there's no reason you should ever find yourself in jail & most players on The Great Expanse never have & likely never will go to jail.

This is a community-oriented server, but if you want to have your own solo builds that's also perfectly okay & encouraged. You can choose for yourself if you want to be in the middle of things, out on your own lone-wolfing it, or a combination of the two!

I work full time, but I usually play each night for a few hours & with winter coming I'll be on more than I am in the warmer months. We have players from the UK & US so people are on and off at all hours of the day and night.

This server isn't going offline anytime soon, even during periods of inactivity in the past I've kept it online. So dive in & build something great!

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THE GREAT EXPANSE'S HISTORY

The map featured on The Great Expanse was started in 2016 on version 1.10 which means of course there are no Woodland Mansions in areas first explored. There's probably about a 5,000x5,000 area around spawn that would not be good for Woodland Mansions, but outside of that area you should be able to find them because we do keep up-to-date on the most recent stable releases (currently 1.12.2).

This map was first started as a home-hosted server between me and a small handful of my IRL friends (of which only 1 continued to play after the first month). The two of us built up our own bases away from spawn over the course of 6 months leaving the Mushroom Island at spawn mostly untouched.

At some point I converted the map to a Realm and during the summer of 2017 I invited a couple of new players I met here on Reddit. At that time I had lost motivation & was rarely on. The two Reddit players started a really cool base but must have grown bored & quit right around the same time I started playing again.

I then recruited a handful of players from Reddit and we all played on the realm until our numbers reached 10+ and Realms couldn't keep up. We started experiencing a lot of lag anytime more than 5 people were online at a time.

At this point I moved the map to a server setup with Bisect Hosting. The lag problems are gone, alas it was too little too late. A lot of players I think got frustrated with the Realms lag & quit before we switched to a nicer server setup.

There are still a few of us playing, but not nearly as many as I'd like to see, hence I'm here advertising!

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RULES & GUIDELINES FOR THE GREAT EXPANSE

1). Mushroom Island at spawn is a public area and anyone who wishes to build public structures on it may do so. Let's build up Mushroom Island & make it cool for new comers!

2). NO GRIEFING! Do not destroy other people's creations. Do not steal. If someone dies secure their gear for them and give it back when you next see them, etc. Basically just don't be a jerk & don't be dishonest. We're all just here to relax & have fun.

3). If you are in adventure mode it means you're in range of a protected building or territory. Griefing is already not tolerated; griefing in an adventure zone especially is grounds for immediate banishment from The Great Expanse.

4). Do not look through other players' chests or shulker boxes without explicit permission. Some chests are trapped and anyone who is sticking their nose where it doesn't belong could find themselves in jail pending trial.

5). If a player has a solo build going on please respect that and don't build right next to them without an invitation. (If you wish to have your base or building protected with Adventure Mode just let me know & I can make that happen. There are conditions/requirements, just ask me for details.)

6). TNT Cannons and other devices intended to destroy buildings or otherwise bypass the Adventure Protection Zones are strictly prohibited & anyone found guilty of building or collaborating on one will be banished from The Great Expanse.

7). Do not summon a Wither anywhere within 1000 blocks of anyone's buildings without explicit permission from the owner of those structures.

8). Please don't destroy the landscape/scenery. If you need to clear an area for a build that's fine of course, but don't do things like burning down a forest just for fun, etc.

9). Don't leave unfinished projects all over the map. If you've given up on a project please destroy it and attempt to restore the natural landscape as best you can. Projects left unfinished for an excessive amount of time are subject to demolition.

10). Avoid leaving trails everywhere you go, it ruins exploring for others. Instead use a map to keep track of where you are. No one likes finding ugly place markers all over a pristine mountain range, etc. If you leave random ugly trails anywhere in the Overworld, Nether, or End those trails might get removed.

11). The End is subject to being completely reset without prior notice. Do not build or store anything in The End that you're not willing to see erased. I typically reset The End around the 1st of each month.

12). Do not penetrate the bedrock layers in the Overworld or the Nether. Bedrock is intended to be unbreakable, so in the spirit of hard-mode survival play: penetrating bedrock is forbidden. Anything built on the wrong side of bedrock will be deleted without notice.

13). Do not attempt to glitch or "trick" the game in any way. Attempting to duplicate items or any other things not intended for survival gameplay are forbidden.

14). Do not use any mods, x-ray resource packs, or participate in any other behavior that is not in the spirit of vanilla survival play.

15). Any player in jail is there under the authority of KingPeebs or one of the official Wardens of The Great Expanse. Do not attempt to break anyone out of jail under any circumstances. If you're in jail and you feel you've been wrongly imprisoned please feel free to message me on discord & we'll get it figured out. Soliciting other players to break you out of your cell is prohibited.

16). This is an adults only realm. Mature language & conversations are acceptable, but hateful comments of any kind will not be tolerated. And folks, just because you can swear on here doesn't make it a competition to see who can curse the most. Let's keep it somewhat sorta classy-ish, please & thank you.

★★). The Catch-All Rule: Anyone who proves to be a continual problem to me or anyone else on the realm may be banned. If I get complaints about any one person more than just a couple times it may be grounds for banishment depending on the severity of the situation. Similarly, if you make a regular habit of coming to me about every disagreement you have with someone it's going to get old fast. Always try to work out any disagreements you have with that person first. If you've tried to work things out with another player & you're still having trouble that's when you should bring it to me or one of the other Wardens of The Great Expanse.

Respect the other players around you and there shouldn't be any problems. Let's all have fun & be respectful to each other, it's just a game after all!

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