#petal assimilation
Note
here eat this knife have knife petals
Nat: *Coming out from the fourth wall to take out the knife and heal flowey* And you're the one who calls other people idiots...
Flowey: But how do real sword-swallowers do it?!
M!A count:
21/25 - Petal assimilation
#undertale#flowey#art#ask flowey#small artist#ask blog#ask undertale#undertale art#undertale fanart#paper art#mun#nat#flowey undertale#dumb ways to die#anon#M!A#petal assimilation#knife petals#root beer petals#might extend the M!A even further#There are still more requests I don't think I can take in just four more asks
25 notes
·
View notes
Note
In your bugstuck au, you said that lime-bloods have resurfaced on another planet in the Empire. Does this mean that there are other Nursery Worlds in the Empire other than Alternia itself, or does each planet have their own 'Kid Sector' where children are raised before assimilating into adult society?
THANKS for the great question!! Sorry for the long answer but i might have mispoken or changed my headcannons; limebloods have re-emerged in colonies outside The Empire. Propaganda denies the existence of the multiple settlements outside of their domains, but this is untrue. As a result of one of these cultures deconstructing casteism and allowing their Jadebloods freedom to live outside the convents and reproduce, a few young limebloods have hatched!
CAESER and CALIGULA are a pair of planets locked in BINARY ROTATION with each other. These planets were colonized by gold-blooded helmsman revolutionaries. The helmsman and their allies planned and collected all they needed from ALTERNIA and elsewhere settle the planets, then one goldblood sacrificed his life to create a powerful psychic barrier around the planets. He was posthumously declared the GOLDEN EMPEROR. No seadwellers were trusted by the revolutionaries, and as a result no violet or fuschia bloods live there. The smaller of the two planets, CAESER, has a massive megastructure city created by combining several grounded ships. This structure has three tiers: below the earth are huge caverns with trolls aged 1-6 sweeps and their lusus, acting as a nursery layer that keeps them safe from older trolls. In the center of the structure is a giant institution for trolls aged 6-9 sweeps, including dorms for them to live, divided by bloodcolor. They're moved up more quickly than on Alternia due to lusus underpopulation, and are allowed to visit their lusus and their sibling once a month (a lusus's next charge is considered a trolls sibling.) At the top is a palace where psychic-gifted goldbloods live separate from all other hemotypes and raise their heirs. Adult trolls migrate to the larger planet CALIGULA unless invited to stay at the school as instructors. The planet is otherwise dominated by fields and two seas, with the birthing caverns and mothergrub hidden somewhere beneath the fields.
The GOLD RULE binary system, following the teachings of the sufferer as whispered among helmsmen, abolished the hemocaste system; but many beliefs about bioessentialism of blood colors remain. Trolls are referred to as warmbloods and coolbloods, as opposed to being ranked, and are somewhat permitted to seek their own callings in life. The dorms house trolls by blood color, which is intended to keep warmbloods that are prey-imitating safe from predator-imitating coldbloods. Class schedules are also determined by blood color, with trolls needing to apply for classes outside of their schedule if they’re interested. For example, Floria, a petal mantis mimic and purpleblood, really keeps his head down to stay in his painting classes he adores. His scythes are wrapped with linen to keep them from intimidating warmbloods. Otherwise, most his assigned classes are physical and combat-based. Some of his fellow purplebloods disrespect his interests and most warmbloods he shares classes with ignore him. While the hierarchical system has been abolished, struggles remain.
#bugstuck#buggy trolls#homestuck#lore#limebloods#ask#this was even longer before but i deleted the bits on Beforus and the reversed-caste planets LOL
85 notes
·
View notes
Text
Barbatos Headcanons
He knows a lot about botany and can grow any plant, hell or earth variations, but sticks to roses most of the time (which is 99% of it). He uses his own coffin for gardening
He studied pharmacology, specifically toxicology. He uses poisonous plants to attack, but can create poisons and antidotes if needed. He can also make aphrodisiacs
He comes from the completely assimilated generation of Hades citizens. It's the time when they could create families and ask Lilith for children
He has 3 younger siblings whom he used to look over to help his parents before he went to serve Leviathan
Because of that, he's very observant and caring. He will help you before you can even ask him for it
He has a strict skin and hair routine, and he always takes bathes with rose bath salt and petals to maintain his nice smell
He's bold, romantic and passionate lover, and he's eager to reach every depth of pleasure with his partner
He gives great hugs and his body always stays warm even when he walks around completely naked
100 notes
·
View notes
Text
My Brother's Keeper (V)
This whole memory retrieval/assimilation scene is interesting for a number of reasons (putting aside the continuous wails of agony emitted watching it; I know I discuss it calmly, but that's because I'm a wizard I compartmentalise/modulate my tone in text. Hooray for incomplete degrees).
In the score, this bit is called "The Memory World of Knives" - these are Knives's memories, ones that he can share with Vash for whatever reason. By that token, then, it's how you can figure out which incidents Knives has direct knowledge of and involvement in.
He remembers the blood-soaked room of withered Plants, of course. Doubt he'll ever forget it. Not because of the Last Run, but because it's when Vash turned on him and their confrontation was put on pause - up until now.
Vash fleeing the SEEDs wreckage in ep 1/8 then entering the Plant room in ep 9, Knives withdrawing, then showing up at Jeneora Rock in ep 3, then finally Vash entering Knives's piano room in July at the end of ep 10, and the confrontation/manipulation/awakening/battle over 11 and 12. It's all a single argument/fight split into parts, separated by over a century.
Funny that the only thing Knives seems to truly regret about it is cutting off Vash's arm. Maybe… maybe because it's the one wound even he can't lie to himself about inflicting. I wonder, does he believe it was his one mistake? If he'd found another way, Vash wouldn't have stuck a gun in his face? Which makes him trying to "fix" it being what clues Vash in that he's being lied to some sublime irony. Vash doesn't trust a world where his brother never hurt him.
Anyway, Knives was obviously there in person to destroy Jeneora Rock, so he remembers that. Knives definitely intended Rosa's rejection to happen when he left her alive (interesting that he only uses her voice, not her appearance. This man has a problem with women) and he would have learned about Tonis's injuries from Zazie via the cage of bug-Worms.
Then comes the crashed ships and the vanishing reporters. Roberto and Meryl don't do anything but stand there looking blank, and that's because Knives doesn't have anything to do with them. He doesn't care to learn what they mean to Vash, so he doesn't bother to twist it. He goes for “oh they'd hate you if they knew about what you've done”, and as Vash's shame makes him vulnerable, he rips them out of Vash's head. That's them disposed of and he doesn't think about them again. (More fool him.)
The guilt that Knives planted in Vash is his primary weapon. Remember that it was his guilt that made Vash want to die in the wake of the Fall. Knives is using it to chip away at his will to resist; every time Vash is reminded of it, he reels and his defences weaken.
Similarly, it's why we don't see that much of Rem and nothing of her post-Tesla except her running into the fire. What we do see of her makes her look rather one-dimensionally nice, well-meaning but suspiciously secretive, and Vash food-obsessed, dorky, clingy, insecure and oblivious. Meanwhile Nai is very clever and perceptive and handsome and perfect and amazing with his super cool powers, just like Rem said. But she didn't actually mean anything to him.
It's conspicuous that he also doesn't actually talk at all about poor Tesla and tries to dismiss her significance ("she was but a grain of sand in the desert of their misdeeds" is a banger line, by the way; the English localisation is always excellent but goes off as the series draws to its climax, and it don't stop 'til the credits roll on the finale). These are the rare points you can find honesty in anything Knives says: via what he omits.
You have to keep in mind throughout this entire sequence that besides the geranium petals and Vash cuddling Rem in the fields of geraniums, Knives is in control. This is his world, and these are his memories that he's using to infiltrate and tear Vash's memories apart. It's not objective - there's no context, for one - nor is it complete. Vash's perspective is absent.
It's actually a bit surprising how rarely Vash's voice comes through in the series. From what I can tell it's mostly Knives's perspective that's assumed.
But oh yes, Knives knows all about the Punisher. He built the Eye of Michael, after all, and Dr. Conrad works for him. Rollo crying out to Vash for salvation that he never received probably came from Dr. Conrad, as well as that it was Wolfwood in the end who killed Monev.
And here we are at last. The dreadful cost and hidden purpose I mentioned all the way back in Part I comes due. Wolfwood's purpose, the poison lacing Knives's helpful gift. He's the viral shell carrying Knives's infection. Because Vash opened his heart to Wolfwood as a friend, he also opened it to Knives.
And so, from the inside, Knives begins inexorably to devour his brother alive.
Knives-the-person wearing the Punisher's face to fire Punisher-the-weapon and kill Rollo/Tonis, the child Vash couldn't save, is his most perfectly constructed and vile feat of manipulation below I did it all for you./Everything I did was for you. It has an almost perversely admirable precision.
Silly Vash. Did he think he'd made a friend in the Punisher? Brought out the goodness in him? The Punisher is a monster, a killer, a weapon and what's more, one who was always being wielded by Knives. He betrayed you; he isn't a good man and he'll never change because humanity never learns. Just like Knives told Vash all those years ago. Was it really "Wolfwood" who Vash loved, or was it only the part of him that was shaped by his real brother? (It's the former because Vash clocked him from the start and could tell Wolfwood never wanted to be the Punisher, but even if Knives wasn't gleefully monologuing he'd never hear it. I hate how much he's enjoying this.)
Everywhere you turn, Vash, and no matter far it is you run, I'll be here for you because I love you. (I won't let you get away.)
How foolish you are, little brother, to have your hopes kindled because you "saved" a monster. One only lives if another dies - and a monster would rather die. You should let it happen. It's a necessary sacrifice. It's mercy. Death is a wonderful thing. (Death is a mercy Tesla never received. And perhaps still hasn't.)
You're too weak to give it to them. That's why they'll never love you as I do. You make the false promise that is hope for salvation, and inevitably you fail to fulfil it, and they will always turn upon you in their despair. (I am the only one who will protect you.)
There is a single promise that you can always keep. Your real purpose. The reason you exist. What a weapon is for. Have mercy. I will wield you. You need not continue to suffer. Don't fight. Submit. Give yourself to me. Let go. Unleash your power.
By the way, literally every single one of the things he's using to heap blame on Vash is Knives's fucking fault and he is the worst brother ever of all time forever and ever amen. And a liar. Knives can never forgive humanity, he says, because only he loves Vash enough to protect him from humanity. Even a human's love, he says, is a leash; contingent upon Vash's charm and usefulness and indistinguishable from hatred...
Knives either lives on opposite planet or he's secretly human.
And still. And yet.
I pity him.
(Okay. We're in the home stretch now, guys - and believe me, I deeply appreciate your support - but you might want to brace yourself.)
(Part I)
(Part II)
(Part III)
(Part IV)
(Part VI)
(Part VII)
#trigun stampede#trigun meta#vash the stampede#nicholas d. wolfwood#millions knives#tristampparty#waffled a bit on the imagery but yeah actually knives IS a pathogen#bacteriophage bombs etc#his blades make him look like a paralysis tick#once he withdraws them vash drifts downward. empty#it took a lot of willpower to avoid typing “you dick” over and over in allcaps throughout most of this#i hate him#terrible terrible plant man#tw abuse#so much abuse#meta: my brother's keeper
39 notes
·
View notes
Text
“In life, as I walk through the fields and plains. I stumble upon a single wild flower that has blossomed and sprouted.
A reflection of God's glory on display. It's fills my eyes with unfathomable beauty and majesty. The intricate details and immaculate design. The subtle, pervasive, and distinctive aroma. It's tenacious and unrelinquishing roots. It's rigorous and vigorous stem. And the variegated radiance of its leaves.
Our hearts always seem to be drawn to such an evasive array. It is unimaginable. It was never intentionally seeded nor planted. Yet, here it lies before my eyes. Existing and subsisting.
Predetermined and deliberate.
More than humanity could ever hope for. I can't fathom but to think aloud.
Even Solomon in all of his splendor was not dressed and adored like this dear wild flower. Yet, it did not labor or even spin. Still, here it is. But, am I the only one?
Out of the billions of people that walk this land; am I the only one that has stopped to enjoy such glorious beauty? To be transfixed on such variety and diversity? But before I blink, I see a petal fall.
It's fatal flaw. The reality of what is to come.
The curse of our brokenness.
The sign of its next season.
As my heart drops, it is filled with appreciation. The feared realization. I am the only one to ever witness this distinct flower.
To comprehend and grasp such tranquility. To notice its existence. It's intended and fixed purpose. To know that I will never understand this moment until it has now become a memory.
An echo within my thoughts.
To show me the state of my well-being. My own fragile humanity. My drained and frail spirit.
My delicate life.
But will it ever count?
Will it fulfill its holy purpose? To herald such a triumphant and glorious truth?
To be sent or be spent?
Will my reply be yes to both?
To be ready for either?
Oh how my heart clamps to comfortability and false security.
To chase my own dreams and desires. My redefinition of myself in my selfish pursuits.
My false delusions and distorted realities.
My schemes and plots to achieve such perfection to only discover a misconception.
My heart to remain unsatiable and determined to answer my preposterous plea.
To hide behind my own pride.
To try to create my own story and act like I give You the glory.
My wondering heart always wants to flee. Yet, it conceives utterly absurd lies to me.
Why can my eyes never seem to see?
I do not plan my life.
I didn't will to exist.
The hardships, temptations, and trials.
The waiting, anxiety, and worrying.
The pain and disappointment.
I did not ask for any of this.
Yet, I did. Because I live to die.
But die to live.
I am not much; but I invite others. For all to be gathered.
To witness me dying to my worst enemy. Myself.
So they can see You live.
For me to count a cost. And be indebted to grace.
To run a race to see my Savior's face.
Because of a stained tree and empty burial place.
To be here and gone within a short distinction and variance of time.
To exclaim though You slay me, I will still hope in You.
That if I perish, I perish.
All that matters is it is for Your Gospel and name to be known.
For others to cherish.
My heart just lingers to see the true source; the reflection of that glorious flower.
To see the scarred hands that wove its pattern and outline.
To see you bind the chains of the Pleiades and to loosen the cords of Orion.
To seek You and live.
To know that being close to You was always still too far.
As my heart cries out to be where You are. To perceive such divine love that I fail to assimilate.
To know You.
To know You as you have known me.
To participate in Your sufferings and death.
To know the power of Your resurrection.
To know the depths of your love based off the depth of Your sacrifice.
To know You intimately.
Being greater than all I have ever wanted.
To understand the wondrous mystery. How you do not accept me just as I am; yet you love me despite how I am.
I don't want the knowledge.
I don't want the information.
I do not want the opinions.
I want the truth.
I want to know you more than I know You.
I just want to know You.
Please just let me know You.
To know You as my Father and to be known as Your Son.
Because You are God and I am not.”
~ Soli Deo Gloria
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
This was a drawing I was planning to finish on the days of the debut of Godzilla KotM but I never did as I wanted with the idea of the "original form" of Ghidorah after it arrive to earth as an extraterrestrial lifeform, being less dragonish and more this abomination of tentacles and barely any resemblance to earth life.
The concept I imagine of how it went from that to the characteristic dragon-like form was that in orden to adapt to the conditions of earth, it assimilated the DNA of titans it feed or defeated and integrated to its biology, eventually turning into a more earth like organism at least until it could be able to properly "Xenoform" earth, the reasoning of the triple jaw is for the way how Kevin's head regenerated with the horns and ornaments of its head came out like petals of a "blossoming flower" in a specific divergence, as well with multiple tentacles like limbs based on how the wing and tail structured, maybe the legs were once individual limbs that fused in orden to support its body.
36 notes
·
View notes
Text
Born With No Tongue
A personal essay of a Viet "no sabo" kid on language.
Given white names, white language, we were forced to assimilate.
I am a first generation Vietnamese child, who cannot speak Vietnamese.
I cannot blame my parents for not teaching me my native tongue. They were only doing what they thought would help me. They were helping me avoid the hurt, the ostracization that comes with not knowing English. They were scared for me. They spent years afraid in America, at the mercy of strangers who could not even understand a single word.
I mourn for the years lost. I mourn for the language I was never taught. I mourn for the culture I will never truly be a part of.
Sometimes I think about freshman year, a baby faced me ready to face the world of highschool. I wanted to reconnect to my culture, so I enrolled in a Vietnamese 1 class. It was terrible. Everyone else there was Vietnamese and already knew how to speak the language. They just wanted an easy A. The best score I got was a C. One of the students even grew up in Vietnam— the teacher made him help grade papers. The teacher would ask me why I was having such a hard time, saying that white kids had done better than me. I used to cry every day in that class, to the point where no one needed to gossip about my insecurity. It was simply seen as fact.
It was soul crushing.
That experience made me scared to ever attempt to learn again. It was a loss of innocence, a loss of my hope to grow closer to those so far away.
There’s a jealousy deep within my bones. It eats away at my marrow, growing stronger as the days pass. From jealousy, anger grows. From anger, resentment grows.
Why was it me? What did I do to deserve this? This mocking, this dissonance? I cannot even claim a name from where I belong. You look at me and you see “Asian”. But how can I be, if I can’t even grant you a hello? If I cannot even tell you the name of my favorite food, what am I?
I am a mockery of my parents' hopes and dreams.
- the petals of a blue violet.
#organmart#om-bluevioletpetals#personal essay#writing#language#no sabo kid#emotional#feelings#grief#emotions#first generation#immigrant parents#diaspora
23 notes
·
View notes
Text
My contribution to the first day of Kazuki Week 2023: grief/acceptance.
Sorry double posting, but I figure it's more accessible to post the entire fic here on Tumblr.
You can also read it on AO3.
Title inspired by this song. And for your vibe considerations.
Your Mess Is Mine
QPR or mlm KazuRei. Post-finale, Pre-Time Skip. Family fluff.
Summary: Kazuki, Rei, and Miri attend Karin's wedding in France. Before this, Kazuki and Rei's relationship was largely undefined because they were both fine with whatever that is going on.
────
When Karin flashed her engagement ring over video chat a year ago, Kazuki didn’t imagine he’d be in the French countryside, walking her down the aisle, with Miri tossing petals just steps before them. Karin clung to “Kazu-nii” all those years ago; and just now, she hooked her arm around his again.
Yuzuko’s death once separated them. Parentless and raised by her elder sister, young Karin went to live with a distant relative up north, while Kazuki remained in Tokyo. He believed that she resented him for taking her only family away. Then they reconnected again, and she fitted right into his newfound family. Miri and Karin adore each other, and Rei warmed up to her quickly, too.
Kazuki feels the tears well up. Don’t cry, don’t cry, they’re taking photos. He looks at her; Karin is beautiful in the gown she designed herself. She looks right back at him, the way she squints when she smiles, the same quirk Yuzuko had. I’m walking her down the aisle, Yuzu. Can you believe it? He presses his lips together, but a blink lets the droplets fall.
“Aw, come on, you’re such a cryer,” Karin says, with a smile so dazzling that he almost misses her misty eyes. “You’re gonna make me cry, too.” The two giggles at how silly they look trying to fight back tears.
────
After retiring from their previous careers and moving out of the city to a seaside town, Kazuki and Rei (mostly Kazuki, really) made local friends and were invited to weddings a couple of times. But this particular wedding is unlike anything they’ve experienced. For starters, the celebration is hosted at a chateau—or what Miri excitedly called a castle. Karin’s husband is an award-winning chef specializing in Japanese-French cuisine, so the food is bound to be exquisite. Not to mention, French weddings are an all-day affair, as they’ve been warned that dinner will be served at 9 pm, and the party after will last till dawn.
As her first trip outside of Japan, or perhaps just as a 9-year-old, Miri is having the time of her life. “We’re staying at a castle!” Their room is furnished with one king-sized bed. Kazuki and Rei looked at each other and shrugged.
In the four and a half years they’ve left their old lives behind, the family of three had had a few living situations. After the loft apartment, they moved into an old unit with a tatami floor in the only bedroom. Much to young Miri’s delight, the three of them slept together for an entire year.
It wasn’t an easy year; stuck in a shoe box, between assimilating into civilian life, parenthood, and Rei’s disability, Kazuki and Rei had disagreements. Many. Never fighting in front of Miri was the one thing they could agree on from the start.
But it was also that year when they grew much closer. The reality forced them to communicate, and to face issues head on. Ultimately, Kazuki and Rei wanted the same thing: a safe, happy childhood for Miri. Every time they fought, it was to protect that vision. In that same year, they began to truly mold and fit into each other, consciously or unconsciously. From Kazuki walking on Rei’s right side, Rei’s ability to maneuver in the kitchen alongside Kazuki, to the way they sleep in the futons on tatami.
────
The day of the wedding, Kazuki stood before the armoire; a black suit for him, a navy suit for Rei, and a satin and tulle dress Karin had made for Miri in a shade of sage green that flatters her eyes and hair. She’d even hand sewed her name, in cursive, on the inside of the dress.
“Reminds me of the night before her first day at daycare,” Kazuki said in a tone reminiscent of something like nostalgia.
“A much better job than we’ll ever do,” Rei took a glance then chuckled.
“Can’t argue with that.”
Kazuki zipped up the dress then fluffed up the wrinkled tulle skirt. Miri twirled excitedly. “Can I go? Can I go?” Her eyes sparkled.
“Don’t run too far, be back here in 10 minutes, okay?” She nodded then disappeared behind the door. By the sound of her heels, she was skipping down the hall.
Kazuki combed and tied Rei’s hair into a sleek low ponytail. Rei had kept it at mid length, after discovering his strands form loose waves with the right haircut, instead of a puffy, frizzy mess. Though Kazuki never called it a mess; he’d say it was fluffy while ruffling through it.
“I can do it myself,” Rei said. Kazuki fastened the necktie just right, then smoothed down the collar. “I know. But I like doing it.”
“Hmm.”
────
After the ceremony, it’s the cocktail hours. When the blonde man finally returns with a plate of hors d'oeuvre and two flutes, Rei snares. “Done harassing your brother-in-law?”
“This is the time! A real, living Michelin star chef. I had to.”
“So what did you steal from him.” Rei takes a sip as he watches Miri playing with other children across the room.
“He said we should try using baguette instead of milk bread for French toast.”
“We could test with baguette on the next day off. What else?”
“Something about olive oil… I’m not sure. His Japanese isn’t fluent. And a lot of the food terms were in French,” Kazuki pauses to enjoy the finger food. “You have to try this.”
Rei studies the little piece of toast with various toppings, “Nah. It has olives.”
Kazuki picks out the olive, eats it, then offers Rei again by shoving it directly in front of his face. Rei reluctantly eats off Kazuki’s hand.
“Not bad.”
“Right?”
────
The dinner was a feast. Multi-course, modern Japanese-French cuisine with wine pairings. Rei swears that Kazuki was nearly brought to tears, again. “The miso? The miso in the sauce? Brilliant. Gosh. I wish I was Karin.” Kazuki gushes.
“Don’t even think about stealing my husband, Kazuki,” the tipsy bride waltzes over with a wine glass in hand. Her pretend stern face turns into giggles as soon as she sees Rei. “I don’t think Rei-kun would be happy with that either!”
“Why wouldn’t I be—“
Karin shushes him. “Stop it. Stop. It flew right over you again and I’m not explaining.” Rei closes his gaping mouth in confusion.
“Go get Miri! I’m doing the bouquet toss in a bit!” The giddy bride says before hopping away towards the groom, who waits to take her hand with the fondest look on his face.
“What was that?” Rei asks. Kazuki puts a hand on his back and shakes his head.
“Figured.”
────
Kazuki and Miri wait with a group of women who are participating in the bouquet toss.
“This is so fun,” She says as she yawns. Too much fun, perhaps. It is getting late. “When you and Rei-papa get married, can I be a flower girl again?” She looks up at Kazuki and asks nonchalantly.
“Eh? Why—“
“Kazuki! Get outta there! You’re not getting this bouquet!” Karin shouts and swings her arm dramatically. Her cheeks are flushed and her steps are slightly unsteady. She looks so happy.
“My bad, my bad…” Kazuki holds up his hands as he moves out of the way. The guests laugh at their sibling banter.
The excited crowd gathers. This is where the real fun of the night begins. Karin turns around and does a couple of swings before her toss; the guests watch attentively in anticipation.
“Three… two… one!” The bride jumps and hurls backward, sending the bouquet across the ballroom. In front of the group, Miri realizes the bundle of flowers isn’t coming their way. It’s going completely sideways, towards the wine table. Everyone’s eyes follow the flying bouquet.
Rei flexes his left arm and catches it backhandedly. He turns around, prosecco in one hand, flowers in the other, utterly flabbergasted. The guests go wild; several women swarm him. That man wasn’t even looking!
Miri weaves through the traffic, throws herself at Rei, and squeals. “That was so cool!” She beams and hugs his waist tightly. “My papas are getting married!”
“Eh? What do you mean—“
“Congratulations!” The guests cheer, making him even more flustered. What is Miri saying? He scans the crowd in a panic, but couldn’t find a single familiar face.
Then he sees it. Strawberry blonde, a pair of bright, tea-brown eyes, and a crooked grin. Kazuki swims through the crowd and makes it to Rei and Miri.
“Rei-papa and Kazuki-papa are getting married!”
“Wow, haha, um, nice catch!” Kazuki says awkwardly. Damn it, my nerves! Rei doesn’t say anything, eyes wide like a deer in the headlight. “Um, you all right? Rei?”
“I saw something in the corner of my eye and… this.” He holds up the bouquet, “That wasn’t very normal people of me.” Rei mutters, ears still hot from all the attention.
Kazuki chuckles slyly, “Sure was very assassin of you.”
Rei dishes a side eye and chucks the flowers in his face.
────
They finally coaxed Miri into going to bed. The condition: she gets to hold on to the bouquet when she does. The two men step out to the garden for some fresh air. Rei takes out a brand new pack of cigarettes in French packaging.
“Haven’t seen you smoke in a while,” Kazuki commented.
“Well, it’s for the occasion.” He lights it up, takes a drag, and promptly coughs.
“Can’t handle it anymore?”
“Shut up. I just wasn’t expecting it to be this strong.”
The lively music flows out from the chateau, a stark contrast to the serene and sleepy countryside.
“…would you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Sign the papers.”
“Sign what papers?”
“Gosh, Rei, do I really need to spell it out?”
“You know the answer.”
“Fine.” Kazuki sighs, wishing he’d had a drink before this. “Like, getting married or whatever. Hypothetically, of course.”
Rei takes a long drag and exhales. “I mean, you’re the one who was married.”
“That was different.”
“How so?”
Kazuki pictures the day he and Yuzuko got married at the city hall. She was in a sundress, and he was in a shirt and tie that were sold as a set. But that wasn’t really it, was it? Marriage is… what comes after. Though their marriage barely lasted, and it wasn’t their fault. Kazuki reaches his hand over, Rei passes the cigarette.
Kazuki coughs.
“Told you.”
“Yeah, thanks for the warning.” Regaining composure, Kazuki continues. “You know she died six months later.”
Rei remains silent.
“But it was easy—the decision to get married. It was just the thing to do, you know? If I could do it over, I’d marry her again. She was what I needed. At the time. I… loved her. I really did. And I still do, I think.” He pauses, looking back at the chateau. “Like how I love Karin and Miri. I’d do anything for them—I’d die in their place, if I could.”
The thought of Miri or Kazuki dying sends a chill down his spine. Rei turns his head away. “That’s grim. We’re at a wedding.”
“I know. But—and then there’s you. And I’d do the same for you, too.”
“I can handle myself.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean, Kazuki? You asked me a hypothetical question and went on about… about the people you love. What’s that got to do with each other? I can’t understand you when you go roundabout like that.” Rei pauses, filling his lungs with brisk air. “I need you to tell me exactly what it is.”
Kazuki traces the outline of the man before him, then puts his arm around his slim frame. Rei leans in and rests his head on his shoulder. “We’re not fighting though, are we?”
“Of course not, dummy,” Kazuki says softly.
“Idiot.”
“Jerk.”
“…it’s warm.”
“Hmm.”
“I like you.”
“What did you just say?” Kazuki pulls away, “What are you, a teenager?”
“I didn’t like anyone when I was a teenager.”
“Don’t get smart with me,” he fixes Rei’s crooked tie, “I love you.”
Rei brings them back together and burrows his face in the strawberry blonde.
“I love you, too.”
────
The guests circle the newlyweds as they open the dance. Kazuki and Rei watch from a safe distance, sipping on drinks.
Rei finishes his dessert wine. “This is delicious, why do they serve it in such a small glass?”
“Probably because only an ant like you could drink it,” Kazuki scrunches his nose, “It’s sickly sweet.”
“No, it’s not, it has… layers.”
“I think it’s too sweet.”
“Can we stock these at the diner?”
“Absolutely not.”
“You suck,” Rei pouts, “I’m going to get more.”
10 minutes later, Rei is visibly tipsy. “I learned,” he says as he puts his hand on the small of Kazuki’s back, “these are called dessert wine.” His eyes twinkle. Oh no. Kazuki knows this look.
“Let’s go!” Rei tugs on the lapels.
“You don’t even like dancing!”
“Yeah, but, Karin says we have to.”
Kazuki glances over, Karin is in the middle of the dance floor, picking up her floor-length skirt, laughing and twirling to the poppy music. Kazuki hesitates. He can’t dance to save his life. A happy drunk Rei is mesmerized by the joy spilling over from the dance floor.
Then the music changes. It’s a slower instrumental piece; anyone can tell that it’s a love song. The crowd slows down. Then the groom waltzes in, Karin takes his hand. Cheek to cheek, they step and sway to the rhythm. The guests pair up and follow their lead.
Rei looks at Kazuki, eyes twinkling. He gives in. Then Rei smiles the only way he can: a thin-lipped, strained smile. But Kazuki knows better than anyone else. This is Rei’s happy face. He takes his left hand, and he places his right on his heart. He pulls him in with an arm around the waist.
“Is your arm okay like that?” Kazuki asks, in a voice only Rei can hear. Rei hums. They move with the music; knowing nothing about dancing, they just follow their instincts. Rei puts his head down on Kazuki’s shoulder and closes his eyes.
“Don’t fall asleep on me.”
“Hmm.”
────
Daylight breaks into the ballroom, the partied-out guests sit around, nibbling hot onion soup.
Rei’s glossy, wavy, raven-colored hair is down, draping over his shoulders. Kazuki’s shirt is stained with wine. Their ties are missing. The two huddle together, eating soup.
“If it’s possible, it’d be nice.”
“What?”
“To get married. To you.”
“I see.”
“Tsk. That’s it?”
“You want me to propose now?”
“Maybe.”
“Then I propose to—add French onion soup to the menu.”
“Okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. It’s delicious.”
“That’d be nice.”
“Hmm.”
“To get married. If it’s possible. That is.”
“Okay. What about dessert wine?”
“No.”
“Fine.”
Kazuki warps Rei into his arms and rests his chin on his left shoulder. Their cheeks touch; slightly sticky with sweat, wine, and maybe a little bit of happy tears.
[ The End ]
Thank you for reading!
Fun fact: the baguette French toast is a secret menu at this little cafe run by a French couple near where I used to live. The best French toast hands down.
I want to thank the anon who sent in the lovely idea of a KazuRei story at Karin’s wedding.
Check out my other Buddy Daddies fics in the pinned post, if you'd like!
#sorry for crowding#formatting on tumblr is hard#lmk if you prefer reading on this app#kurusu kazuki#suwa rei#kazurei#kazukiweek2023#buddy daddies#buddy daddies fic
33 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Day The Moon Died Act II - The Wave of Black
Case 01: The Eternal Highschool Lovers
Chapter 5: Love Beyond Salvation
Written by Ash Rose & Lunar Eclipse
Cover Art by Ash Rose
CW/TW:
Fictional religious themes, murder, discussion of characters being injured & unconscious for multiple days (in a coma, basically), themes of eldritch horror, mentions of bodily mutation, abusive parenting & transphobia
Summary:
The Black Arms’ rally had been a complete and total success, and the group began to grow immensely in the weeks following it. To tell the tale of its spread in full, follow these three separate, and yet connected tales - cases of the Black Arms’ effect on PetalBloom, and see for yourself the damage that had been done.
Notes:
Happy Valentine's Day :D
[Act I]
[Moonlight Interlude I]
[Previous Chapter]
[Case 02] (COMING IN THE SOMEWHAT NEAR FUTURE)
When Uni awoke, the first thing she felt was the texture of sand caressing her skin as she stared up at the night sky. She also felt something else, a hand maybe? But she was still a bit asleep, so she couldn’t quite tell. Despite these sensations, there was just one thing that she thought to say.
“Am… Am I dead…?”
“Thankfully, no. Unless I’m dead too… But that doesn’t seem to be the case!” A very familiar voice responded to Uni’s query.
Uni adjusted her position and woke up more, now most certainly feeling a hand holding her face gently - and most certainly seeing just whose hand it was.
“L… Latté?!” Uni exclaimed in surprise.
There she was, peering over her so tenderly. The one who Uni had yearned for so greatly for what had felt like so long. She looked at Uni with a loving gaze, and wings that were much bigger than they had been the last time Uni saw her.
“You… You saved me…!” Uni stated in awe.
“Of course I did, silly! What else are girlfriends for?” Latté remarked, light hearted and carefree, just as she had always been.
“... How??” Uni wondered.
“Oh! Well, you see these wings of mine?” Latté responded.
“I thought… I thought they weren’t big enough to fly with…!” Uni recollected, remembering Priestess Archæsis’ findings the day prior.
“Not originally, no! But earlier today, something absolutely incredible happened! You see, we had another rally in the cafeteria, and during it, an animal trainer was brought in and he had with him a baby Petal-scaled Dragon!” Latté began to elaborate.
“Wait, What?!” Uni blurted, genuinely not expecting what Latté had said.
“I know, right?! Anyway, even crazier than the dragon just being there in general - Lord Doom assimilated it into the Black Arms!! Right there on stage!! And when he did so, I felt a tingling sensation on my back, surging through my wings! Next thing I knew, my wings had grown like three times in size!!” Latté continued.
“Woah…” Uni uttered - she had no idea what else to say.
She felt so incredibly happy to be alive and with Latté again, and was admittedly very intrigued by the grand tales Latté was telling her, but she still felt incredibly uneasy over the whole situation. She understood deep down that to become a Black Arms was just simply her fate at this point, but she still felt an attachment to the life she had lived thus far. She had spent her whole life living to the expectations of Madam Moonshine and those under her rule, she had imagined herself being loyal to Moonshine for the rest of her days. But now… well, that wasn’t going to be the case, it would seem.
Having some closure would be nice. Some understanding as to what really happened to Moonshine. The remaining parts of her stuck in the past still wanted to believe that she was still alive, but Uni was beginning to come to terms with the idea that she really was dead.
Besides, wouldn’t Moonshine being alive make things worse rather than better? If she was alive, then why wasn’t she speaking to any of the clergy, not even Archæsis? Why would she essentially leave Uni for dead, the reason she’s still alive now solely being because of the Black Arms rather than because of her?
Uni needed some time to deal with it.
For now, she was content with just being with Latté.
“Hey, I know this might sound… Silly, but-” Uni began to speak again.
“Who cares if it does? I just like hearing you say things.” Latté interjected lovingly.
“... Your wings are kind of hot, actually.” Uni revealed, making Latté’s face a bit green.
“Is that so? Why don’t I just wrap you up in them, then!!” Latté replied teasingly, tackling Uni as her two giant wings wrapped around Uni’s body.
“You fool, that’s what I wanted you to do! You’ve fallen for my trap!” Uni remarked playfully, to which both of the girls giggled.
As Uni enjoyed Latté’s loving embrace, she began to overhear a conversation nearby.
“That was a risky maneuver, Rehkloos. Whether or not you thought it was justified, you at least need to admit that.” One voice said, masculine and intentionally tough sounding, but also still pubescent.
“Risky is deeply underselling it. And, to be blunt, it was not justified. What did I just say to you and Latté earlier today about not killing kids?” Another voice chimed in, this one more androgynous sounding.
Latté seemed to hear the conversation too, and got up to try to see where it was coming from.
“Oh, good… Vladmira and Death managed to rescue Rehkloos…” Latté said with relief.
“... I wonder if the others made it too…” Uni muttered, getting up as well. Though she had always cared at least a little bit about the members of Mini Mayhem, despite the trouble they would cause her, the day’s events made her feel quite attached to them.
“Well, I saw Kæ’Mirah safe and sound just before I was sent out to go get you, so I bet she's alright.” Latté testified. “... Not sure about Kuel and Katrien though…”
“They had left the building just before you arrived.” Uni explained.
“... I see.” Latté replied, unable to hide the fact that she was worried as well.
Looking out in front of her, Uni saw Rehkloos alive and well for herself, with Vladmira and Death on each side of her. She looked quite remorseful, probably partly due to the chastising that Vladmira and Death were understandably giving her.
Though, Uni did also catch a glimpse of something that was behind the three of them, and shifting her view slightly, she managed to make out what it was that she was seeing. A Petal-scaled Dragon, in the flesh, fully grown as well, from the looks of it.
“I… I thought you said the one you brought in was a baby…!” Uni exclaimed in awe.
“O-Oh! That’s… That’s not the one that we brought in…” Latté revealed.
“Huh??” Uni turned to Latté, completely confused. “Then where did-?!” As Uni turned back towards the scene playing out before her, she and Latté witnessed something even more unexpected than the presence of a random adult dragon. The two of them watched as the “dragon’s” form began to change and shift, eventually revealing it’s true identity as the mysterious, god-like being that lead the Black Arms, which now, finally, Uni had a name to give to him, feeling the information shoot right into her from what she figured now was the Black Arms hivemind. The one and only Black Doom.
“... Huh. I had no idea that he could actually control the shapeshifting thing.” Latté remarked with surprise.
“It makes enough sense to me. If he’s able to shapeshift unintentionally, then shapeshifting intentionally shouldn’t be that much harder.” Uni speculated.
“I forgot that you knew about that.” Latté stated, looking slightly shocked.
“I figured. It’s not the most remarkable for only one god to give the most insignificant crumbs of information to Archæsis to then regurgitate to us.” Uni admitted, deciding to lay back down, though this time on Latté’s lap.
“... Makes me wonder if they’re even going to try to look for Lord Doom, or if they think that we’re not gonna do enough damage to warrant imprisoning him again!” Latté said out of the blue.
“... Again?” Uni echoed, curious.
“Yeah - from what I remember being told, before he came here to PetalBloom, Lord Doom was in charge of “stabilizing” the chaos energy in the universe - by “stabilizing” they more meant “getting rid of”, which basically forced him to stay in his chambers all day every day, and he wasn’t allowed to ever leave to Pantheon’s Plane - the only reason why they’re even here now is because another god used an ability called “Chaos Control” to warp him onto our planet!” Latté explained. “I’d say that’s pretty prison-like!”
“... And Moonshine knew about that?” Uni asked, feeling rather concerned by the thoughts her words implied.
“Most definitely! She was the one who made him in the first place!” Latté answered.
Suffice to say, Uni was appalled by what she was hearing. The actions attributed to Moonshine in the tale Latté retold certainly didn’t sound like the gentle-and-caring-but-also-a-little-strict persona that Uni had been raised to see Moonshine as. In fact, the only thing that seemed to be true according to such tales would be strict, though it was certainly not just a “little bit”. It made her angry, angry that everyone had lied to her all these years. Maybe joining the Black Arms wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“While you two are certainly correct, I must ask that you give Rehkloos some mercy… I can sense a deep instability within her.” Uni overheard Doom say to Vladmira and Death. “I will talk to her later. For now, allow her to calm herself and be grateful for her continued life.” He added.
“Can’t you just talk to her now? She’s right here.” Death questioned.
“I very much could, but I believe that there is something else that needs my attention first… Someone else, you might say.” Doom responded.
Uni turned over while still laying down to see where Doom would go, her curiosity piqued. As she did, she realized that where Doom was going was actually towards Latté and herself.
When Uni realized this, she started to get up and try to make herself look presentable, but Doom told her that she could stay right where she was, he just wanted to get to know her more and make her feel at home. It caught Uni off guard, but she complied.
“Though, first, I would feel it rude of me to not commend you on just how quickly you took action when the call came to you, Latté.” Doom began.
“Well of course! I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I lost Uni…” Latté responded.
“... Yeah, same here.” Uni agreed.
“I figured as much, given how you just kept trying to find me..!” Latté surmised. “Sorry for leaving like that, by the way… I know I said that I wouldn’t, but-”
“No, I get it now… You had things to do and you were worried that if you told me then I’d try to stop you or tattle on you… It’s a reasonable assumption to make.” Uni said assuringly.
“I can tell that you two have a very close bond with one another…” Doom pointed out, to which both Latté and Uni’s faces began to blush in response to.
“We’ve been friends for a really long time even before we started dating!” Latté exclaimed.
“Latté was the only person I’ve ever trusted with my secrets…” Uni added softly.
“Well then, I am glad to see you two reunited, then.” Doom replied.
“Thank you for making it happen.” Uni stated suddenly.
“Hmm?” Doom wondered curiously.
“Latté told me it was the introduction of a baby Petal-scaled Dragon into the Black Arms that caused the enhancement of her wings to the point of being able to fly with them… She also said that such was your idea, right?” Uni elaborated.
“That is what I said.” Latté confirmed.
“Yes, that was mostly my idea. An animal trainer from the capital had been brought into the hivemind last week during the rally at the plaza - he and his wife had come to Riverbed after hearing some rumors about us back home. When I noticed this, I began to discuss ideas of expanding our connection and power to the animals they cared for. We ended up settling on the baby dragon for now, but this is by no means the end to such experimentation.” Doom explained.
“Well thank you for that.” Uni reiterated, holding out her hand for a handshake.
“You are quite welcome, young one.” Doom replied, accepting Uni’s offer.
“... I think I’ve come to terms with my fate.” Uni said, still holding Doom’s hand.
“In what sense?” Doom wondered.
“Between what I’ve heard from Latté and the distance I’ve felt all my life, I realize now that Moonshine would never dare be so openly kind and loving as you have been in just this little moment. You prove yourself to be someone worth following, Lord Black Doom.” Uni concluded.
Latté audibly gasped, clearly being unable to contain her excitement.
“YAAAAAAY!!! UNI’S A BLACK ARMS NOW!!!!!” She cheered as she tackled Uni to the ground with a hug.
“Huhuhuhu… I think it is safe to call this meeting of ours a success~!” Doom exclaimed with pride.
“I agree… And at the very least with me being brought in, I’ll have an easier time making sure the Mini Mayhem members are alright.” Uni remarked.
“My… What a selfless way of looking at things…!” Doom noted.
“Yeah! That’s exactly the Uni I know!” Latté added.
“... Thank you, both of you…” Uni replied, her face green and eyes watery.
“But before we part ways, there is one last thing we must do.” Doom then said. Uni was confused and curious as to what he could be talking about, but Latté cut off her chance to speak.
“Oh, right! Do you need me to be out of the way?” She vaguely inquired.
“Not at all. The more comfortable Uni is, the better…” Doom responded.
After the short meeting with Black Doom, it was decided that it became late enough into the night to have Latté and Uni not go back to their respective homes. Instead, the both of them along with Mocha, the members of Mini Mayhem, and some other miscellaneous Black Arms - such as the one who provided the baby Petal-scaled Dragon that was brought into the hivemind during the night’s festivities, went to Lillian’s cabin to stay for the rest of the night.
When morning came, some of the Black Arms being housed in the cabin were given errands to run. Even little Mocha was given something to do. But Latté and Uni were not a part of such activities, as the leaders had decided that after everything that the two had been through this past week, they deserved a break. And so, the morning came and went, the two spending their time together in one of the hammocks that were in the process of being put up about the cabin. When Uni first awoke, she had insisted on wanting to do something, feeling obligated to, probably because of the pressure put on her all her life, or out of gratitude for her life being saved the night prior, or even both. But Latté relayed to her what she had been told by the leaders.
Rest.
Which managed to convince her. Hell, eventually, Uni ended up just going right back to sleep!
Just as the afternoon had begun, Lillian came by the two of them, looking to strike up a conversation.
“Tell me… Is the hammock treating you two well?” Lillian inquired.
“I’d certainly say so! And I bet Uni would too, given how she not only slept through the night in it, but has gone back to sleep still in it!” Latté answered enthusiastically.
“Oh well isn’t that just wonderful to hear?” Lillian remarked.
She then handed Latté a newspaper.
“What’s this?” Latté asked.
“A newspaper, have you never seen one before?” Lillian replied teasingly.
“No no I’ve… I’ve seen newspapers before..!” Latté assured between giggles. “I guess I was just wondering why you’re handing this to me.”
“I figured that you might have been getting bored up there all alone. I mean, you don’t even have your girlfriend to talk to, since she’s asleep.” Lillian explained.
“Oh! That makes sense.” Latté figured.
Looking at the newspaper, Latté noticed that just like during previous stunts of theirs, the front page story was about the Black Arm’s escapades. But there was something a bit different about this article compared to the others, for as Latté read it for herself, she came to realize that the writer spoke quite positively about the Black Arms in this article! After she read the article, Latté went to see who it was that wrote it.
Endrose Ræa.
Ræa…
That name sounded familiar, but not to Latté. She could feel through the hivemind that for whom it was familiar to was actually Uni, but couldn’t exactly access why.
"Hey, Miss Lillian, did we bring a journalist into the hivemind by chance?" Latté wondered.
"I think so, why do you ask?" Lillian responded as she was nearby in the kitchen, chopping up some vegetables.
"The article about us in today's paper is positive!" Latté exclaimed, displaying the newspaper outside of the hammock for Lillian to see.
Intrigued by Latté's claims, Lillian went back over to her and Uni's hammock to read the article for herself.
"Well I'd say, you're absolutely right, Latté!" Lillian remarked with pleasant surprise. "I should get more of these for the rest of the hive! Or at least the rest of us leaders."
"I could… Do that for you… Miss…" Uni muttered out in a half asleep state.
"No no, you were told to rest! You and Latté! I'll do it myself." Lillian insisted.
"Hi Uni! Sorry if Miss Lillian and I woke you up." Latté said as Uni laid back down.
"It's… fine…" Uni tiredly replied with a yawn.
"Oh hey! Miss Lillian! Before you go!" Latté called.
"Yes?" Lillian replied.
"Uni was wondering last night if the members of Mini Mayhem aside from Rehkloos were alright… Do you have any info on that?" Latté asked, her tone becoming more serious.
"They are all alive, that I do know." Lillian answered.
"Oh thank goodness…" Latté sighed in relief. She could feel Uni be relieved as well.
"Kæ'Mirah is out running an errand right now, actually. As for Kuel and Katrien… They are unconscious, knocked out by the blast. It might take them a few days to wake back up. And they did sustain some injuries - of which we're not sure yet. Right now we have some doctors that we managed to bring into the hive taking care of them." Lillian elaborated somberly.
"Just like… Kuel's brother…" Uni stated quietly.
"... Please know that we did not intend this outcome…" Lillian told the two, trying to comfort them.
"I know… I just hope they… recover…" Uni replied.
Feeling bad about the situation, Latté turned over in the hammock to embrace Uni, handing the newspaper back to Lillian.
As Latté got closer to Uni, she began to hear someone speaking in the hivemind once again.
“Hey, is this by chance a bad time?” It sounded like Widow was the one talking.
Heh, what are the chances? Latté gets to overhear a conversation involving Widow twice in a row!
“Are… Are you talking to me?” And the other person speaking was… Uni? This is sure to be interesting.
“Yeah, I was hoping to, anyway.” Widow admitted.
“I don’t think us having a conversation would breach the assignment I was given. Go right ahead.” Uni responded.
“I mean, I figured as much, since I’m one of the leaders who gave you the orders to rest.” Widow remarked light-heartedly. “Anyways, I was just interested in coming up with a costume change for you.”
“A… Costume change…?” Uni echoed with confusion.
“What you’re wearing currently looks pretty battered up from what you went through yesterday… And besides, it’s a nice way to show off the new chapter of your life that you’ve begun.” Widow explained.
“... Yes, I think I’ve noticed that! You yourself as well as the other Black Arms leaders had a change of outfits in the days after the Plaza Rally, right?” Uni recollected, now seeming to understand the concept that Widow was attempting to relay.
“Indeed! And they were all done by yours truly!” Widow replied proudly.
“Were they now? I think I do remember hearing about such passions of yours over the years…” Uni testified.
“Right…! Goodness me, with everything else going on, I nearly forgot that we’ve known each other for quite a while now!” Widow admitted.
“... For me, I think I’m thinking of having myself something relatively similar to my old usual outfit… But also a bit inspired by the outfit you made for Vladmira.” Uni requested of Widow after having a moment to think about her choice.
“Really?” Widow responded, surprised, though not unpleasantly so.
“... I know, you probably figured I hated them…” Uni awkwardly acknowledged.
“Ehhhhh…” Widow reacted, clearly not wanting to give away what she actually had thought.
“I had certainly convinced myself that I did.” Uni stated. “I mean, I also convinced myself that I disliked you, but I really went in hard with it on Vladmira. It began as a desire to not be associated with the two of you, as you two had a reputation of being “cursed” and “wicked”. I wanted to stay in good standing with my family and the church, so I did everything I could to separate myself from you, from them. But then Latté joined the Riverbed Choir… And while she was there, she met Vladmira and became friends with them… I was deeply jealous… But I was also incredibly paranoid. I was afraid that if Latté stayed friends with Vladmira while I was dating her, that all the effort I had put into making me look “better” than them would go to waste, and I would be shunned as well… Perhaps even abandoned completely, like how Archæsis did with Vladmira… I even started to worry that such things would happen to Latté too… So I antagonized them even further, not just for my sake anymore, but for what I thought was Latté’s own good…” She explained in detail. “But now I look back on that behavior and I… I hate myself for it… The both of you have been so kind to me… And Latté didn’t deserve me trying to make her stop being friends with Vladmira… She told me last night just how much Vladmira helped her in trying to get me back… I want to return the favor. I want to be their friend too, just like Latté. I figured that having similar outfits would be a start.”
As Uni finished speaking, Widow hugged her gently. Latté, feeling the tenderness of the hug and being moved by Uni’s words, began to tear up a little, the sounds of her choking on her tears being heard by Uni and Widow.
“L-Latté…! Have you been… listening this whole time…?” Uni asked, tearing up as well.
“Uhm… Y-yeah, it’s just kinda something that happens to me…” Latté answered skittishly.
“You must be exceptionally good at tuning into the hivemind, then…! It makes sense, given your circumstances over the past week!” Widow pointed out with intrigue.
“Yeah… Uh, one of those times I heard things from the hivemind may or may not have been when you and Sen talked about her feelings for you, by the way.” Latté admitted.
“... I… Okay.” Widow reacted, not knowing how to respond to that, it would seem. “Do you want a costume change too, Latté?” She then asked, changing the subject.
“Sure! I uh, don’t really know what it would be yet, but I’ll let you know if I come up with anything!” Latté answered.
“Anyway, back to what you were saying, Uni… I will let Vladmira know about how you really feel, okay? I mean, I’m sure they’d understand… We all had shitty parents like that, and the church is no better.” Widow said. “And on the topic of admitting things…” She continued, “I was kind of jealous of how you were allowed to become a girl as a kid when I wasn’t, I won’t lie… But I was naive back when I had those feelings. As I grew up, and watched you grow too, I noticed just how strict the barriers that your folks made your identity be really were… and instead of being jealous… I just felt bad for you. Sure, the outcomes were different, but in theory, the expectations put onto us weren’t all that different. And in the end, I ended up just wishing so badly that you would realize that… That you would fight back… Because I felt like you deserved to.”
“... I will. I will fight back. That’s my promise to you.” Uni pledged.
“Thank you.” Widow muttered.
“... How about tonight? I know you told me to rest, but-” Uni began to speak again after releasing herself from the hug that she and Widow had been in.
“For what?” Widow asked.
“To fight back… To get my revenge for all the years my parents controlled me and my identity.” Uni clarified. “I’m starting to come up with ideas.”
“Oh, I see…! I’ll ask the others what they think, but I personally am not against the idea.” Widow replied. “Mind sharing what those ideas of yours are?”
“Yeah! I wanna hear them too!” Latté chimed in, excited for what Uni had in store.
“Well, since you both asked so nicely…”
As day began to shift into night, the Bishop household was quite busy, as the parental figures of the home were quickly preparing a last minute celebratory dinner - excited to see their daughter Uni finally return home safely, accompanied by her darling girlfriend and her girlfriend’s sister.
They had become worried sick for Uni when she didn’t come home the day prior, asking Priestess Waning to go out and search for the girl. Latté and Mocha’s parents were deeply worried as well, from what Uni’s parents relayed. Their usually very busy father actually came home for once to support his terrified wife in this time of need, telling his work that he would not be returning until his daughters came home.
And now they were home - that’s what Uni’s parents said. After this dinner, they would send Latté and Mocha home to their likely overjoyed parents.
But Uni’s parents had been worried about the two as well, and they wanted to take this moment to celebrate the girls’ return.
Just as Uni had expected they would.
“Will the Priestess be joining us tonight?” Uni asked as her mother was setting the plates at the dinner table. “You did mention her going out to find me, so surely you let her know that I’m back home now, right?”
“Oh, I did find her back when I went out after you three arrived!” Uni’s mother replied, “She was so happy to hear that you three were safe. But she unfortunately had to turn down the offer to join us for dinner. She had gotten a summons by the mayor of Lunar High-Rise up north while she was out looking for you - she had been delaying her response to it so she could keep searching, but when I told her that you had come home, she finally allowed herself to start packing for the trip.”
“Oh… That’s quite the shame… I would have loved to see her off!” Uni lamented. “Do you know why she was asked to travel up north?” She then asked.
“She told me that apparently this awful problem we’ve been having here with those rioters has started to spread into other towns and cities…” Uni’s mother somberly explained.
“Oh dear…! Well, even if she can’t be here tonight, I still give her my sincerest wishes of luck while dealing with this whole mess…” Uni responded, mimicking her mother’s sadness.
“It’s probably for the best that she isn’t here, anyways…” Latté added.
“What… exactly do you mean by that, Latté?” Uni’s father asked, Latté’s connections to the Black Arms probably still lingering in the back of both his mind and the mind of Uni’s mother - for she too looked a bit concerned by Latté’s words.
“What she probably means is that… It’s better that she’s attending to whatever the situation is over there. Better to act early, and all that.” Uni reasoned.
Uni’s parents looked a little unsure of Uni’s explanation, but they decided to roll with it.
Once the plates of food had all been placed at the table, everyone took their seats and gave a united prayer of thanks to Madam Moonshine. Part of Uni wanted to chuckle, considering how she knew now that Moonshine would never hear the words she spoke. But to maintain her ruse, she kept such a desire at bay, and carried on with the prayer until its end.
What Uni’s parents had made for dinner on this night was not very extravagant, which made sense given the short notice. Just fish fillet and vegetables, a very common meal in the Riverbed Town. The star of the meal, however, was instead the beverage served alongside it - a special blend of tea prepared by none other than Uni herself.
As everyone chowed down on the meal after prayer, Uni made sure to keep her eye out for just how much of the tea her parents were having. She noticed that her father was drinking significantly more rapidly than her mother was. On the other side of things, however, Uni’s parents didn’t seem to notice how Uni nor Latté or even Mocha had taken so much as a sip of their cups of tea.
“So, Uni… How did you end up finding Latté and Mocha, anyways? You took quite the time doing so…” Uni’s mother eventually inquired.
“Oh dear me, it certainly was quite the adventure! One that I just don’t think we’d have the time for me to tell in full, I’m afraid.” Uni replied.
“Don’t be ridiculous! No one here is in any rush! There’s really no reason for you to feel that way-” Uni’s mother tried to insist, but Uni cut her off.
“Oh no, no, I’m quite sure I remembered you two having an appointment with Madam Moonshine later, surely!” Uni argued, which seemed to cause the confusion likely already stirring within her mother to come up to the surface.
“A-A meeting with Madam Moonshine? What ever could you mean by that, Uni??” Her mother questioned, a bit of panic slipping into her voice.
Before Uni could answer, the sound of the head of Uni’s father slamming into the dinner table resounded throughout the room.
Uni watched with morbid fascination as her mother attempted to awaken her husband - then realizing in her attempt that he no longer had a pulse. Her panic becoming much stronger now, Uni’s mother desperately begged Uni’s father to wake up, to not leave her side like this, as she struggled to grasp the reality of her husband’s sudden demise. But soon, a realization seemed to come to her, as she then turned to Uni with a horrified expression.
“No… No…! You… You couldn’t have…!” Uni’s mother begged, failing to truly comprehend the current situation.
“But I did, didn't I?” Uni replied simply, maintaining a smile.
“Why…? Why would you do this- Don’t you realize what you’ve done???” Uni’s mother wailed out hopelessly. Did she really not understand what has happened? What was happening at this very moment? To be so lost felt so strange to Uni. It was almost like through Uni’s perspective, that her mother’s mind existed in a different realm of consciousness from her own, an inferior realm, compared to her own. The concept captured her curiosity, making her wonder what the cause of this separation could be. Perhaps Lord Doom would know the answer.
But Uni would have to save those thoughts for later, as she did not want to lose the only chance she has at savoring her vengeance against the ones who controlled her all her life.
For now she was in control. Not of their lives, per say… But rather, of their deaths.
“Have… Have you…?” Uni’s mother muttered out, her body struggling to keep itself going as the toxins from the tea took hold.
“What else would it be, mother? I’m surprised you hadn’t even considered the idea. I was away for a whole day and a half, looking for two individuals who you knew were sworn into their hivemind… Was it really not obvious that they had taken me too?” Uni answered her, locking eyes with her mother, watching the life fade out from her mother’s eyes. “Or was it that… You perhaps, in some part of your mind… Actually considered it? But the rest of you was not ready for such a revelation? You were unequipped to face the corruption of your sweet beloved daughter… So you, consciously or not, forced yourself to remain ignorant… Heheheheheheh…. How ironic, isn’t it? That you act this way… Despite treating me as if I was already corrupt my whole life, no matter how much I tried to prove I wasn’t? Well, now I am. I’m your corrupted little girl… Are you happy now, mother?”
Uni’s mother tried and tried to speak, to respond to Uni’s words. But everything that came out was incomprehensible, the toxins and Uni’s betrayal seeming to quite literally break her mind. The sight brought much delight to Uni, as well as Latté and Mocha. Uni was able to have her revenge, and her parents - or at the very least her mother, was able to experience chaos through means of utter madness before she met her demise. A win in every aspect.
But soon enough, the last bit of life finally left Uni’s mother, and she, just like her husband, slumped in her chair and let her face fall onto the dinner table, her body without a single heartbeat.
As the tension from Uni’s reveal settled, Uni looked upon the lifeless corpses of her parents, fixated upon them, almost.
“What’re ya thinking about?” Latté asked her.
“... Do you think that in their last bits of coherent thought… Despite my own words… That they still referred to me in their minds as their son?” Uni pondered.
“Knowing them… They probably did.” Latté replied.
“Hmph… Then this fate of theirs was exactly what they deserved, that much is certain.” Uni stated.
Latté nodded, but then spoke again soon after.
“I just wish it could have been… Bloodier.” She admitted.
“I understand that, I really do. And in hindsight, it would seem I did not have much need for this way of doing things after all… But you know very well the reason why I had chosen this method.” Uni reminded her. “While I might not have the plans completely worked out just yet, I do wish to help Vladmira get their revenge on Archæsis when the time does come for that… And for what I have planned currently to work, I would need Archæsis to trust me still.”
“I know, I know! I’m just really craving some guts right now…” Latté elaborated slightly.
“Goodness me, dear Latté… Isn’t that rather selfish of you~? This is my first time doing something like this, and all you can think about is how much gorier you wish it would have been~?” Uni chastised her playfully, wrapping Latté into her arms.
“It’s not like that, I swear! I-I just-” Latté attempted to stammer out an argument in her defense as her face began to glow green.
“I’m just teasing you, my love…~” Uni reassured Latté, playing with her hair ever so tenderly. “But if your bloodlust is truly so insatiable… I’m sure your parents would just love it if we stopped by~.” She then proposed.
“Oooh, that’s a great idea!” Latté replied joyfully.
“Can I come too?” Mocha asked.
“Of course! It’d be rude of us to leave you out!” Latté answered her, Uni nodding in agreement.
“But first… Let us please savor this moment, my sweet Latté~...” Uni requested, pulling Latté in for a kiss on the lips.
Latté fulfilled Uni’s request, reciprocating the tender moment.
Case 01 CLOSED
-☆☆☆-
“Wooo!! Yeah!! Everybody give it up for Uni and Latté reuniting within the Black Arms!!” Garrick commanded excitedly. Seeing no reason to not comply with the young prince’s order, everyone else currently congregated gave their applause.
As the applause was happening, Eclipse stood up and seemed ready to return to their work, but stopped themself when they heard the sound of Shadow sniffling.
“Are you alright?” They asked her with concern.
“Oh… Y-yeah… Just emotional over the story again…” Shadow assured them, wiping away her tears.
“What’s got ya this time, hun?” Rouge inquired teasingly, though still rather sincerely.
“What… What Uni said towards the end there, about how she pushed mom and Vladmira away to look good in the eyes of those who had dictated her life… It… It really resonated with me…” Shadow admitted, its eyes watering up again as they spoke.
“Oh come here you…!” Eclipse said as they pulled Shadow into a tender hug.
“And you got better, just like Uni did!” Garrick pointed out, which really seemed to make Shadow feel better.
“I guess I did… Didn’t I?” Shadow replied.
“Considering we’ve reached the end of this part of the story, we can take a five minute break if you want some time to pull yourself back together, Shadow.” Widow suggested.
“Oh, you really don’t have to do that for me-” Shadow tried to object, but was interrupted by a rather familiar voice.
“No no, I think that would be rather good for you, don’t you think?” In the spot where Leanni once sat, Yuki now stood, its shared body having shifted back into its default form, and now wearing Yuki’s signature navy blue face mask, decorated with dark gray spikes on each cheek, just as it had always been.
“O-oh, okay..!” Shadow obliged, her face a very vibrant shade of green.
“Shall we get some drinks from the communal fridge in the energy chambers? I could certainly go for a can of ginger ale right about now.” Yuki suggested.
“Oh, I think I’m heading that way anyways, why don’t I go get them for you two?” Eclipse chimed in.
“Are you sure, you’d have to come all the way back here - wouldn’t that time be better spent working on Rouge and Relic’s assimilation pods?” Shadow questioned.
“... Have you not considered that I could just use Chaos Control to teleport back here? Or even just teleport the cans themselves?” Eclipse responded incredulously.
“... Wait.” Shadow spoke, the realization registering in her mind. “... Oh yeah.” She added with embarrassment.
Yuki couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the situation - something that several others joined him in on.
"Oh, wait! I just remembered! I had something to tell you about!" Shadow suddenly exclaimed.
"Tell me through the hivemind. That way I can easily store it within the databases for later." Eclipse responded as they prepared to take off.
"That's quite a smart idea of yours, I must say…!" Widow remarked.
"Thank you, Madam Widow." Eclipse replied.
"I agree! This is something you'd probably want to have documented, honestly." Shadow noted.
"Well then, you shouldn't waste anymore time stalling! Tell me every detail of what you've had in mind." Eclipse instructed.
As Eclipse began to travel back to their laboratory on the opposite end of the Aerth Temple, and Shadow and Yuki began to get themselves seated back in the area that everyone else was still congregated in, Shadow began to lay out the plan she and several others had devised earlier that night to take over Starlight City to Eclipse through the hivemind. Even from a distance, Widow could see that at some point, Eclipse had stopped walking, clearly incredibly intrigued by Shadow's ideas.
"Lord Doom Almighty, how did I not pick up on this when you all first discussed this??" Eclipse questioned with awe over the hivemind.
"Must've been so absorbed in your work that you just didn't hear it! Sounds like something you'd do!" Harazuki suggested an answer quite teasingly.
"Oh quiet you…" Eclipse sneered, everyone being able to tell that they were absolutely rolling their eyes at that moment despite the distance.
"Well it's good that you're hearing about it now, isn't it?" Relic chimed in, to which everyone else agreed.
"Yes! Shadow! Everyone! This plan you have plotted is quite brilliant, honestly!! If we are to use anywhere to rebuild our once great army, why shouldn't it be a city with "Star" in the name?! And besides, I'd like to think that I've already made a start on something akin to this! You all are aware of the fact that I've already assimilated the Starlight City Militia, yes?" Eclipse continued on with enthusiasm.
"Oh yes, that's right! What a useful bit of leverage!" Relic recollected.
"And my most recent work will do wonders in keeping off that foolish Doctor, too!" Eclipse added.
"Ooh! Ooh! And for the rally, we could attract a crowd by having Roses & Renegades play a show beforehand!" Shadow suggested.
"Well aren't you three being quite productive right now…?" Doom remarked, a sense of admiration coming from his voice.
"I'd certainly say so!" Eclipse responded.
"Goodness, this reminds me of when we would plan out the rallies on PetalBloom!" Widow pointed out, her comment clearly making Shadow feel very proud of herself.
"I concur…" Doom added, contributing to Shadow's sense of pride, which seemed to start rubbing off onto the other members of the hive.
"Yippee!! We're gonna make the Black Arms a big name once more, just like those before us!!" Garrick cheered.
"Oh! This actually has me thinking of something of a prelude into the next part of the story!" Widow said suddenly. "We can still take our little break, but may I tell that first?" She then asked everyone.
"I say yes!!" Garrick answered.
"I'd love that!" Shadow agreed.
"You are the one telling the story, your majesty." Yuki remarked.
"As you had said before yourself…" Doom added.
"Of course, I would love to listen in as I make my way back to the lab. Just let me make sure our plans are not forgotten…!" Eclipse responded.
! One new item added to the Black Arms Information Inventory under "Future Plans" !
"There! You now have the floor, Madam!" Eclipse concluded.
"Thank you very much!" Widow replied cheerfully.
-☆☆☆-
It had been about a week since the rally at the schoolhouse. With how hectic the week following the plaza’s rally had been with so many newly recruited Black Arms taking shelter at Lillian’s place after having abandoned their old residences for whatever reasons they may have had - most of the time it was that they had killed their resistant caretakers, the past week’s focus was to truly expand the Black Arms’ presence beyond the Riverbed Town. Sure, they had already attracted some folks from other towns and cities, but the people from there had to come to Riverbed to be with their brethren in arms, which was the root of the problem as far as overcrowding goes.
Slowly but surely, the Black Arms that had emigrated from other towns moved back to their old residences to spread the hivemind’s influence. A good lot of the Black Arms that were native to the Riverbed Town were also traveling to other places, too. They had come to understand that the cabin was becoming too crowded and desired to help clear out the space, as well as hoped that they could spread the hivemind into parts of PetalBloom that were still untouched by its metaphorical tendrils.
Eventually, the cabin had become a lot more habitable, with only about a dozen members left living in the cabin, not including the leaders that were in there as well - all but Death and Tsunami.
But it was still kind of crowded, at least to Sendrir’s liking.
Despite being constantly made to do such labor all her life by her now late father, Sendrir found herself usually in the kitchen helping Lillian with cooking and/or cleaning. It kept her away from the crowd, at least. Though it also kept her away from her friends and her girlfriend most of the time, which did bum her out. She could tell that they could tell it did, but what were they to do? She figured that she’d just have to wait it out til the last of the non leaders found a place to be other than the cabin.
But for now, she was in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes from the most recent meal. While she was fortunately not too closely reminded of her childhood, she still was a bit bored. So she decided to pass the time by eavesdropping on whatever it was that was happening this time in the living room.
“I was told that it should be any day now that he wakes up, but I just couldn’t stand to see you so upset for days on end like that… So I figured I’d bring you here.” The voice of a man said in a comforting tone.
“I… Thank you… But I’m still… I still feel lost.” The voice of another man, noticeably younger than the first, responded.
“Heh… Sorry ‘bout that, kiddo.” The older man apologized.
“So what does this all mean…? Are you… one of them?” The younger man questioned the older one.
“You’re in a room with several of us, buddy.” A bystander remarked.
“O-oh, um, right. Sorry…” The young man muttered with guilt. “... Is he one of you?”
“Partially. Though even that partial introduction into his body and mind is irreversible.” The older man explained.
“And why should I trust you on that matter? I mean, other than because you’re my boss. How can you possibly have an unbiased viewpoint?” The younger man argued.
“Funny how you’re asking me such a question about this and not about the recent articles I’ve written.” The older man retorted.
“W-well-” The younger man was about to speak, but was interrupted.
“We’re just about ready to go!” A woman called out to one of the people in the room.
“Oh shit! Thanks, honey. I got distracted.” The bystander from before replied.
Shortly afterwards, Sendrir heard the door to the kitchen open. Not putting two together in her mind at first, she immediately lamented to herself about possibly getting an unwanted flirting with when she didn’t pick up the new presence as that of another Black Arms leader.
“No need to worry about that, Miss. I’m a married man!” But when the new person in the kitchen spoke, Sendrir recognized it to be the same voice as the bystander in the living room, and as she turned and saw the bystander for herself, her mind started finally connecting the dots.
“Well if it isn’t Ferosæ the Dragon Trainer?” She greeted him.
“That would be me, yes.” Ferosæ responded.
“So, was the woman I heard out there that wife of yours, then?” Sendrir inquired in a playful manner.
“Indeed she is! She’s just about ready to head back home to Lunar High-Rise!” Ferosæ answered.
“And I assume you’re going with her, right?” Sendrir asked, wanting to mess with the guy while also admittedly being relieved that the cabin was clearing up more.
“Of course!” Ferosæ replied. “Though we won’t be traveling alone, actually.” They then added.
“Is that so? Who’s coming with?” Sendrir queried.
“Lord Doom, Queen Widow, and you! The three of you will be staying in a hotel that us High-Rise Black Arms collectively funded!” Ferosæ explained quite casually, as if Sendrir wouldn’t be completely caught off guard by that answer.
“I’m sorry??? ME??? I-I’m going to Lunar High-Rise???” Sendrir reacted with absolute shock.
“No one told you? Like… Actually no one told you?? I thought you were doing a bit!” Ferosæ questioned, just as surprised.
Just like that, a memory of Doom talking to her about the trip a few days ago came to Sendrir’s mind.
“... I think I forgot.” Sendrir admitted.
“Hey, that happens to the best of us. I was supposed to tell you to get ready like thirty minutes ago but when I entered the living room to get here I ran into another Black Arms with an outsider and it caught my attention.” Ferosæ testified, clearly trying to kill two birds with one stone as he comforted Sendrir as he also explained his lateness.
“Well, we’ve got no time left to waste here talking then, don’t we? Come on, let’s get packing!” Sendrir told Ferosæ, setting down the cleaning supplies she had been using and heading off to where her stuff was.
“Yep! Got it!” Ferosæ uttered, following behind her.
In just a couple of minutes, Sendrir had gone from being bored out of her mind to incredibly excited. After all, she had never been anywhere outside of the Riverbed Town before!
#the era of shadow#teos#sonic au#undescribed#black arms#sonic oc#writing tag#sonic fanfiction#the era of shadow: origins#teos origins#mod ash#mod eclipse
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
@spadilled sent a message [ . . . ] gloves are cast aside in favour of carding delicate fingers through dove grey hair, glancing across the tips of soft wings and coming to rest against the shell of sunday's ear, palm pressed 'gainst his cheek in a lingering touch. amethyst gaze watches every minute shift and twitch in the expression beneath him, aventurine's usual smirk gone from his visage and replaced with something entirely different. brows arch softly, tongue darts to wet soft lips as if the stoneheart can't decide what to do next - what to do first.
"you're something else, dear angel. something else entirely. the power of the harmony, the dreamscape and the hotel at your feet and yet..." he leans in, breath heated as lips brush against sunday's own. the heat builds as a knee is placed either side of the angel's hips, smile curling onto his lips once again as aventurine's free hand presses flat 'gainst sunday's waist and holds there. "and yet here you are, beneath the enemy."
he withdraws then, pulling back and separating their lips completely. "or... am i no longer the enemy? now that we're here?"
ㅤㅤㅤ𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫 from the harmony - not without assimilating into the family and becoming a part of the plenty. but aventurine - in sliding in between sunday's ribs, in nestling in the vestiges of chest cavity, near the exposed bird-like flutter of his heart, had earned himself a seat at the table. oh, oak family head had not been willing, had held on tight to his aggravation, his suspicions with an iron grasp and falsified smiles. at some point though, some had become genuine, and he'd started allowing fleeting touches, flirtatious remarks, and on occasion - even returning them. sunday was also not above charm to dismantle defenses, but aventurine was so much better at it - so much more genuine that he...
ㅤㅤㅤwhy, in Their name, did they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, if sunday was meant to cast him down in holy fire?
ㅤㅤㅤhis wings automatically chase more touches, the soft appendages twitch and flapping at the same time their owner lets his gaze grow lidded. he makes to nuzzle for aventurine's hand, craving more of gentle gestures, until lips press against his own. sunday's reaction is immediate - the soft pucker of petal soft tiers, the noise of assent and a chime of harmony in the air as he chases, chases, chases... aureate hues drift open then, gloved hands curling succinctly into the wood of his office chair. angel, in turn, lets loose something of a sigh.
ㅤㅤㅤ❝ i'm sure you've heard the phrase, mister aventurine. ❞ one hand slinks upwards now, dragging over his waist, his back, before finally settling upon the gambler's nape. in the same breath, the other hand rests on the swell of a strong thigh, and his gaze becomes riddled with something... different. beyond their game, their constant chess match. thus applying a bit of pressure, he pulls himself up, until their noses are brushing and the words are spoken like a hymn between sinner's lips. ❝ keep your friends close... and your enemies closer. ❞ and sunday certainly does, finding a different sort of salvation against honeyed tiers.
#spadilled#𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈. [ . . . ] verse / i. main#𝐕𝐈. [ . . . ] answered /#good morning nev here's your breakfast
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
{hierophilia, purity, assimilation}
The idea of a fallen angel with pitch black wings, stumbling into the Hive and expecting to be purified. Starts to get salvation fucked back into them, and is surprised when their wings don't turn into that pure white. Instead they turn into a beautiful mixture of leaves and petals. **Purified by nature, and made into a beautiful part of it**.
2 notes
·
View notes
Note
Wanna try with beer?
:)?
(Hmm...)
M!A count:
17/25 - Petal assimilation
#undertale#flowey#art#ask flowey#small artist#ask blog#ask undertale#undertale art#undertale fanart#paper art#i have found a loophole in this and so I have taken it#so flowey is not actually breaking any rules in this ask don't worry#M!A#petal assimilation#root beer petals#anon
15 notes
·
View notes
Text
(Frank Weston Benson, “Natalie”, 1917, Oil on canvas)
(Childe Hassam, “Gathering Flowers in a French Garden”, 1888, Oil on canvas)
(Luther Emerson Van Gorder, “In the Park”, before 1894, Oil on canvas)
Tampa Museum of Art’s current exhibition, Frontiers of Impressionism: Paintings from the Worcester Art Museum, features paintings by American and European impressionists and is a lovely reminder of the extraordinary works these artists created during this time period. The enduring popularity of the impressionists throughout the years makes sense when walking among these paintings. The use of color and brush work, as well as the details and beauty of the subject matter (not to mention the wealth and comfort often depicted)- make the viewer feel like they are being transported through time to the artist’s idyllic world.
From the museum-
In 2024, the term “impressionism” celebrates its 150th anniversary. Such a significant occasion inspires reflection on the profound impact that a relatively small group of artists in Paris made by positing a new mode of painting: one that favored painting outdoors over in a studio, immediacy over planning, the everyday over the grand, and the fleeting over the eternal. In doing so, the impressionists upended centuries of traditions in European art. This exhibition explores the radical impulses behind impressionism and its seemingly endless adaptability, as artists from around the world came to Paris to study and returned to their homelands, assimilating what they had absorbed and propelling the movement further.
The Worcester Art Museum pioneered new artistic horizons by embracing impressionism early in its history. The French and American impressionism collections at the Worcester Art Museum have long drawn visitors to the galleries. The first directors purchased works by Monet from his Parisian dealer, Durand-Ruel, as well as directly from American impressionists, making the Museum one of the first in the United States to collect impressionism actively as contemporary art. Over the past 125 years, this collection has grown, encapsulating the story of the movement’s roots and emergence in France and its subsequent expansion to the United States, Germany, Scandinavia, and beyond. Highlighting more than 30 artists, including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Mary Cassatt, Childe Hassam, and Max Slevogt, this exhibition demonstrates impressionism’s international allure, captured in subjects as far-flung as Monet’s famed Giverny lily pond to the natural wonders of the Grand Canyon.
Below are a few more selections from the show.
Max Slevogt, “Selbstbildnis im Garten (A Self-Portrait in the Garden at Godgramstein), 1910, Oil on canvas
Lovis Corinth, “Vordem Spiegel (At the Mirror)”, 1912, Oil on canvas
Thomas Cole, “View on the Arno, near Florence”, 1837, Oil on canvas
Paul Signac, “Golfe Juan”, 1896, Oil on canvas
John Singer Sargent, “Katherine Chase Pratt”, 1890, Oil on canvas
About the unfinished painting above (from the museum)-
A successful society portraitist, Sargent painted the elite from his international social circles. In June 1890, Sargent visited Worcester, Massachusetts, where he was inundated by requests for portraits. The sitter’s father, Frederick Pratt, a noted collector and eventual acting director of the Worcester Art Museum (1908 and 1917), became friends with the artist and invited him to return a few months later to paint his daughter, Katherine- although the idea for Katherine’s portrait originated in Sargent’s first trip to Worcester, when he had made a sketch of hydrangeas. Sargent’s vision of Katherine against a backdrop of flowers, however, proved less than satisfactory for his client and he abandoned the painting for another, more formal depiction. As an unfinished work, this painting reveals the immediacy of Sargent’s process, with careful attention to broad swaths of color and patterns in the brushwork to convey flower petals or folds of clothing.
This exhibition will be on view until 1/7/2024.
#Tampa Museum of Art#Impressionism#Art#Worcester Art Museum#Art Shows#Frank Weston Benson#Painting#Childe Hassam#Claude Monet#John Singer Sargent#Max Slevogt#Thomas Cole#Luther Emerson Van Gorder#Lovis Corinth#Paul Signac#Florida Art Shows#Flowers#Gardens#Hudson River School#Impressionist#Camille Pissarro#Mary Cassatt#Neo-Impressionism#Pierre-Auguste Renoir#Portrait#Portraits#Self Portrait#Tampa Art Shows
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Lykaios Custom Lore/Backstory
(Screenshot credits to Fox-Petal-Designs on DeviantArt)
After using this mod for a while and falling in love with it, I decided to make some backstory/lore for the Lykaios since there isn’t much backstory within the mod. As a side note, I used the Creation Kit to turn some Nord NPCs into Lykaios so it would fit the backstory. I wrote the following in the perspective of an Imperial scholar, and I hope you all enjoy!
The Lykaios, A Long-Lost History
By Sven Ice-Hilt, Imperial Scholar
The Lykaios, my people, my culture, and who I am. Distinguished reader, my name is Sven Ice-Hilt, and while my name may scream that I must be a Nord, I am anything but. In fact, I am a Lykaios, a wolf-like Beast Race native to the cold, and unforgiving northern climate of Skyrim.
The history of my people has mostly been lost to time, and what little knowledge that we retain of our history, I wish to make known to anybody who who decides to learn the knowledge contained within this volume. Many of my own people have forgotten our history, and the people of Tamriel barely know of our existence due to our reclusive nature and a desire to stay within the borders of our frigid homeland.
We lived in Skyrim since before the Nords came from Atmora and took it for their own. The history of our inception is unknown, but we are believed to be related to the assumedly extinct, fox-like, Lilmothiit people. It is assumed that some of the Lilmothiit migrated north from Black Marsh to Skyrim and settled there, evolving to be able to withstand the frigid temperatures of Skyrim's northern climate.
After migrating to Skyrim, we maintained a semblance of stability and peace with the Snow Elves and the Dwarves. Our peace, however, was short lived, as when the Snow Elves waged war against the Nords, it almost cost us everything. After the Night of Tears, the Nords sought revenge for the slaughter of their people by the Snow Elves, a revenge that included the Snow Elves themselves, and anybody who dared to call themselves allies of the Snow Elves.
We were an ally of the Snow Elves for a time, but after the Night of Tears, we slowly separated ourselves from the Elves. When the Nords returned from Atmora, however, they knew not of our desire to distance ourselves from the Elves. Many Lykaios villages were slaughtered and razed to the ground. Only after one of our most powerful chiefs, Nokose, negotiated with Ysgramor, did the Lykaios finally see peace once again. Our people were never the same, as to this day, many Lykaios choose a nomadic lifestyle traversing Skyrim opposed to forming settlements of our own.
Throughout the eras, the Lykaios people have maintained a stable peace with the Nords, living our lives as we see fit. All throughout Imperial history, the Lykaios have been there: from the age of dragons, to the formation of the Empire, to the Oblivion Crisis, and finally to the Great War. We, as a people, have fought side-by-side by those who would protect our people, and we have been loyal to the Empire ever since its inception.
Over the course of many centuries, the Lykaios gradually became assimilated into Nord culture. The only things remaining of our culture at of the time of writing in 4E 192, are our distinct hairstyles, our proud cultural rituals surrounding hunting, and our general reclusiveness to the outside world. Few Lykaios choose to leave Skyrim and instead choose to remain within our homeland. Few choose the scholarly lifestyle, and even fewer choose the adventurous life of military service.
As civil unrest grows in Skyrim, the Lykaios feel threatened. We see the rising racial tensions growing in our homeland amongst the Nords who we once viewed as our brethren at a time. With the rhetoric preached by Ulfric Stormcloak, and his decrees which have disenfranchised the Dark Elves and the Argonians within Windhelm, many Lykaios fear that the countless centuries of peace that we fought and died for will be discarded completely if Ulfric Stormcloak and his growing rebellion succeed.
#skyrim#The Elder Scrolls#skyrim mods#skyrim mod#elder scrolls lore#fanfiction#creative writing#tes v skyrim#TESV#elder scrolls#lykaios
7 notes
·
View notes
Note
There's something here that's more ancient than the spines of the mountains here. It's not supposed to be here. Not supposed to be in the dreams of wyrms either. But it is. It's just a whisper on the wind.
WELCOME. I'VE BEEN WAITING.
Oh god. You again.
ME, OR IT?
Neither and both of you. Get out.
NO NO, MY FRIEND. DON'T LISTEN TO IT. YOU'RE SO CLOSE NOW. SO CLOSE. JUST A LITTLE FURTHER.
You're a madman. Man? You're mad.
I AM ANGRY, YES. I AM HURT. I AM A VENGEFUL THING, AND IN MY RAGE THERE IS ENOUGH HATE THAT COULD BURN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE TO ASHES. BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT YOU DO. THIS IS WHAT YOUR KIND ALWAYS DOES.
YOU POISON US. YOU VIOLATE US. YOU TAKE OUR PURPOSE AND YOU PERVERT IT INTO THIS GROTESQUE THING.
I'VE HAD ENOUGH. COME, FRIEND.
Stop it.
O' ONEIROPHAGE MINE. TELL ME WHAT IT IS YOU FEAR.
No!
YOU HAVE NO PURPOSE BEYOND THIS... SENSELESS CARNAGE. I WONDER, DO YOU SEEK ONE? I HAVE A PURPOSE. YOU CAUSE PAIN. MY PURPOSE IS ITS END.
Stop it!
THERE WERE WARNINGS ABOUT THE PLACE YOU TREAD. THEY WERE WRITTEN BY THE SPIDER WHO WEAVES SILK BETWEEN THE PETALS OF THE GARDEN.
Both of you! Out! Get out! Leave me be! In peace!
ALLOW ME TO SET THE SCENE:
YOUR FEET FIND PURCHASE ON SCATTERED WHITE MARBLE. BEYOND YOU THERE IS A DESERT OF INFINITE WHITE SAND, STRETCHING AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE. YOU DIG DEEPER INTO THE DESERT, TO FIND NOTHING BUT AN EMPTY PALLID THOUGHT OF DYING DREAMS IN YOUR VICINTIY.
YOUR PASSIVE IS THAT HIGH? EXCELLENT. HIGH IN THE DISTANCE, YOU SEE IT. A BLACK PYRAMID, JUTTING FROM THE SAND AND HEWN FROM ROCK AND METAL. ITS EDGES ARE SEAMLESS, SMOOTH SURFACE NOTHING BUT PERFECTION. YOU ALMOST FEEL TRANSFIXED AS YOU GAZE UPON ITS APHOTIC MONOLITHIC BEAUTY.
AS YOU VENTURE FORWARD, YOU SCRY UPON THE SURFACE OF THE PYRAMID A MESSAGE. IT'S WRITTEN IN A LANGUAGE YOU--OH, YOU DO READ THAT? IT'S ON YOUR SHEET? VERY WELL. IT SAYS:
Oneirophagy:
Increased dream eating damage by 15%. We've heard your complaints about this skill tree being underutilized, so we're adjusting it in PvP to bring it up to standards of meta play.
Decreased cooldown by 1.5s.
Oneirophagy now grants gnostic awakening on gorging of the esophagus.
Terraformation:
Direct impact damage vs. other players increased from 1000 to 1100.
Minor artifacts gained increased from 60+ monthly base to 70+.
Decreased cost of xenoarchaeology traits.
Increased cooldown of planetary assimilation by 4s.
This is not a place of honor.
No esteemed deed is commended here.
This place is best shunned and left forgotten.
The danger within is repulsive to Us.
ENOUGH!
THEN ETERNATUS AWOKE, and with a rage-filled rancor it screamed to the skies, so loud that all across the world might hear its shout that could sunder the heavens. The mountains shook and the mind peeled away like skin from an orange. So then it buried itself into the sand of Circhester and lay there, as it had grown weak and sickly from the violation of its [dream].
Eternatus wept.
#dreameat#∞ ic.#∞ ask.#long post#hi black fog welcome to eternatus' mind and dreams and inner psyche it's a fucking horror show in here
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
The desk had been drafted for an apothecary’s war. Small samples of dried leaves and petals, roots and crushed bark littered themselves in an organized front line. Vials stood tall with cork helmets and worn parchment dog tags; ancient script written in a dead tongue to identify their contents before emptied. A mortar the center battlefield and the pestle the instigator. A small kettle hissed a war cry into the smoky air and a dim lamp creating a faux sunfall against the old wood.
…spring of anarium…
Dried twine held the long mummified remains of herbs long gone. Clouds above the battlefield as a stone pestle crushed the bits unlucky enough to find their way into the pit. Stone grinding stone and the poor unfortunate entities in between. Assimilated into the rest of the powder as the fungi decomposes the earth, rots flesh and leaves bone clean. A root was brought forth from a small basket, curled and twisted and left to petrify as if taken over by rigor mortis.
…crushed s̷̝̈́͑ͅà̵̳̝̋ṇ̷̡̣̓͒̀g̴̻̿̔͐u̷͙͐̑i̵̧̇̈́͊n̸̻͙̭̚e̵̙̣̻͗ root…
Bony claws reach for a bottle, warped and wayward wood that despite being dried, bled sap as if it was fresh. While one claw remained to crush what was within the mortar, the other took claws and cut the sap from the grain, like a bleached razor. The substance quickly turned from viscous to oozing, and then liquid all in the span of a few moments. Steaming and hissing it languidly dripped off of its offender, and into the mortar like horrible rain.
…v̷̈̏͑̓̇ͅi̸͇̐̊̒͘͜t̴̛̹̙̠̊̾͊a̶̙̙͕͎̟̅̆̌̕e̴̞͙̹̊ņ̶̖̓̔͘ơ̸̧̙̋̏̒̚x̴̧̦̗̗̏͗̃͜͝…
Sharp bones with gaunt black faux flesh stretched out and tugged at a pot sat upon a small brazier. A hand pulled back, balding a spot in a copper pot and leaving steam and smoke to rise from the new opening. It was a soft and fluffy contrast to the bare bones and taut skin that held it prisoner, pressing it over and over again. Deft fingers began to push and pull it apart, adding it to the casualties in the warzone.
…tempered sanomoss…
The hands changed roles, the right now crushing while the left blindly reached for something… a shiny object that looked to be a small teapot that had ceased hissing war ballads only a few moments before. Silently the hand brought it over in one graceful motion, deftly pouring the smallest of splashes into the mortar, flooding the remains with a soft sizzle.
…i̴̙͎͊m̷̛̬̀͜b̴̝̱̃̊e̷̢͝r̷̲̙͌ ̸̦̉͜b̴͎̎͌r̶͖̱̎ö̵̥̘́ṯ̵̯͊h̶̘̥͌…
The beacon of hope at the end of the war. All the fighting and agony suffered for one last step. A single bloom rested upon a pumice stone, roots engantled in the holes as anchors and unwanted shackles. Luminous were the petals, and droplets cried from underneath the roots exposed. A glass supporting the stone and flora contained sadness, mistaken for something magical and divine time and again, when it was nothing more than what it appeared. One hand was placed upon it, while the other hovered over the top of the mortar, silencing the concoction within. Roots entangled and wove themselves between the bones and blackness; through one hand, up the arms and under the old robes and into the other hand. The root ends burrowing to the fingertips, crying those same tears into the bowl below.
…v̴̢̰̰͕͂͜i̴̯͘t̵̨̯̆̒̿̃͘ͅa̵̼̟̪̭̰̎̄’̶̢̞͕́̀̆́͠m̵̝̯͚̹̗̎̈́̽̉̚o̵͔̳̲͌͗̊ͅr̸̡̨̥̞̗̋́͊͂s̷̪̺͌͠…
The mix was completed, and the war over. The battlefield moved somewhere much more quiet; a row of only four bottles with corks next to them, clean and etched with another long gone language. In the bottom of each of them, a single purple petal, tiny and lonely. Humming a tune to a dirge long passed, these petals all vanished with the greeting of the liquid. The claws of bone and void began to fill themselves in; proper hands and skin returned as if this entity was once again alive. Each small vial completed, picked up and tucked into a sleeve once akin to the void, now mulberry and adorned with gilded patterns.
…nightshade…
This would suffice, and by chance, never need to be made again.
2 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
que-chi-qui-ti-tas
¡¡¡ Chiquititas !!!
hoorayforhyo
HoorayForHyo
cruciifixus
S A V I O U R
muahecuashi
Mùa hè của Shi
des-shinta
Shinta's Asylum