((hey so, I’ve tried posting a little bit here and editing Maria’s bio page and whatnot, but honestly, I just thing a complete blog overhaul is in order.
Maria is now at @portalwalker if anyone here still wants to interact with her.
Expect this to get reblogged a few times but that’s where Maria is now. Consider it a soft reboot to help me get back into RP-ing!))
You read that right. Look, sex is great, I love sex, but there are a million other prompts today celebrating that sin. Shout outs to the rest.
Send me one of the following to learn about my muse:
💪 - PRIDE - What is my muse proud of about themselves? In particular what do they lord over others, intentionally or unintentionally?
💰 - GREED - What does my muse hoard, what do they need all of, what will they stop at nothing to get?
💚 - ENVY - What is my muse jealous of? Is it someone else’s power or privilege? Is it something about their relationship?
🍖 - GLUTTONY - What are my muses Vices? What do they indulge in to the point of self harm or health risk? What do they not know when to stop?
🛏️ - SLOTH - What responsibilities does my muse shy away from? What do they put off, what are the tasks in their life they procrastinate or abdicate entirely?
⏪ - REVERSE - Send this with any of the above to have my Muse tell you what they think your characters Pride, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, or Sloth is.
For any of the above, if the emoji isn’t available feel free to just send the word! Enjoy, and get your six sins on!
((hey so, I’ve tried posting a little bit here and editing Maria’s bio page and whatnot, but honestly, I just thing a complete blog overhaul is in order.
Maria is now at @portalwalker if anyone here still wants to interact with her.
Expect this to get reblogged a few times but that’s where Maria is now. Consider it a soft reboot to help me get back into RP-ing!))
A portal opens, blue and swirling with the color of a crystalline sky.
The young woman stepping out of it looks almost normal by comparison -- brown hair settling around her shoulders as she scans the horizon with clear blue eyes bordering on an electric shade.
Maria inclines hear head as the portal closes behind her. “Hm. Where have I ended up this time...?”
((thinking about dusting off this blog and getting Maria to have an RP presence again. She didn’t have much of one before, but I’m starting to miss writing for her.))
After Amos’ Halloween bash, the haunted house that had been set up in the Mystery Shack almost seemed boring by comparison, despite all the electronics that Stanley and Soos had put into it in order to make it work extremely well.
It made Maria and Sixer relieved that they weren’t forced to be a part of the cleanup, because they hadn’t helped set it up in the first place.
(Or accidentally tear it down during a haunted tour, if the glares Mizar sent Alcor were to be believed.)
Which meant they could go out into the woods and enjoy the nice, crisp autumn air as fall and winter drifted even closer.
They went their separate ways not far into the forest -- Sixer made his way up to the Multibear’s cave system to check in on him and see if he needed anything done before going into hibernation. Just another chance to see what it was this bear did on a day to day basis that affected the forest.
Maria, on the other hand, was intent on going invasive species hunting.
“For all the good you hawktopi do, you really can’t keep up with the sheer number of these little things.” Fireballs danced on her fingers as she stalked the woods, looking for a sign of the eldritch frogs that had been giving them trouble the last few months.
Beta, who shared their twin’s affinity for pretty lights, was fascinated by Maria’s revolving fireballs. The firelight made their pink markings and single pink eye appear a rosy sort of orange, in the dark.
“Comes with the territory, huh? You jump between universes, the things that live between are gonna see you. And Morph knows because they are one of those things. Or, they used to be.”
Beta had fallen behind Maria a bit. They teleported a few feet forward, back to her side on the trail. “They worry about that, like, constantly, I think. All the time, wondering if me doing this or that is going to blow whatever cover we’ve got. They coach me on ways to lay low whenever I time travel, teleport, and especially come visit you here. I don’t know what they’d do if they thought I was exploring other worlds with my portal gun the same way I do outer space in our own base universe. And I’m not, yet, but I also can’t keep waiting for them to figure out how to handle preparing me for when… when they’re not around anymore. So, I’m going to have to take some risks soon, but not right now. They can sleep sort of easy for a bit longer.” The caterpillar laughed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get into all that. I’m lucky to have the luxury of getting to prepare myself at all, aren’t I? Amos didn’t have that, and it sounds like you and Sixer didn’t really, either.”
“…How do you deal with that? A reputation? When I finally saw what I really look like tonight, it sort of hit me in full that I was going to have one whether I liked it or not, you know? It hit me how much I’m not of the planet Earth. I’m going to get sucked back in to the kind of ‘world’ Mo came from eventually no matter what I do. You’d think after tonight I’d feel, I dunno, more powerful, but honestly I feel the opposite.”
“Sorry, I don’t know if this is just going to sound like me trying to get you to make me feel better about not being as badass as you are, but– are you really alright, Maria? With your situation? With your reputation?”
If Beta paid close attention to Maria, they’d no doubt notice that the way the firelight bounced off her clothes made them seem less like soft fabrics and more like a flexible metal of some kind. It was strange to watch, but most normal humans wouldn’t notice it at first glance.
Maria nodded as Beta talked about Amos’ worry and advice over Beta’s ability to travel. “Yup. And they just want to make sure that you don’t get too much attention from those creatures yet, I think. Some of them might be curious enough to just sit and watch, but others might get a little more nosy. Knowing how to keep yourself hidden is pretty important.”
Her expression shifted at Beta’s observation of preparedness. “Yeah, we didn’t exactly have the chance. I first traveled to another dimension when I was about 16, and that time I didn’t have any control over where I was going because someone else dragged me through a portal. And Sixer...well. He had about the same thing happen, except he didn’t get to go galavanting through dimensions that only looked like Disney movies.”
More bushes shifted again. Maria directed one of her fiery spheres to swing close, and it was answered with the screech of a gnome before it scrabbled off, deeper into the woods. She snorted in amusement at its reaction before pulling the orb back. “I didn’t really think that I had a reputation, in the beginning. I was just traveling to dimensions that I was familiar with through cartoons and video games and helping people as best I could. It was only after...a certain event, that I realized that my actions were getting me attention. Attention of a sort that I wouldn’t want. It also made me realize that I’d been pushed a little outside of time. This body doesn’t feel wear and tear from its passage. Getting in fights, sure, but if I decided I wanted to take a nap for a century, nothing would rust. I think I have the opposite problem from you in that regard -- instead of being drawn back to the dimension I came from, my dimension cut all ties with me. If it weren’t for this Gravity Falls, I technically wouldn’t have a place to call home.”
She sighed, then paused, realizing she had rambled a bit. “I guess I’m saying that I’ve changed a lot since I first started traveling, and because of that I can carry the reputation that I’ve created for myself. It can be a burden sometimes, but not always. I mean, most people who know of me know what ticks me off and make it a point to avoid that, so that’s a plus.” She grinned at the thought.
After Amos’ Halloween bash, the haunted house that had been set up in the Mystery Shack almost seemed boring by comparison, despite all the electronics that Stanley and Soos had put into it in order to make it work extremely well.
It made Maria and Sixer relieved that they weren’t forced to be a part of the cleanup, because they hadn’t helped set it up in the first place.
(Or accidentally tear it down during a haunted tour, if the glares Mizar sent Alcor were to be believed.)
Which meant they could go out into the woods and enjoy the nice, crisp autumn air as fall and winter drifted even closer.
They went their separate ways not far into the forest -- Sixer made his way up to the Multibear’s cave system to check in on him and see if he needed anything done before going into hibernation. Just another chance to see what it was this bear did on a day to day basis that affected the forest.
Maria, on the other hand, was intent on going invasive species hunting.
“For all the good you hawktopi do, you really can’t keep up with the sheer number of these little things.” Fireballs danced on her fingers as she stalked the woods, looking for a sign of the eldritch frogs that had been giving them trouble the last few months.
“Okay! L-Let’s get searching!” Beta grinned, eager to change the topic. “Meaning, you get searching and we’ll tag along and maybe be helpful.” They winked.
You can tag along, Amos said. I think I have things to see about back home. Spells to check. Are you alright to return by yourself?
Beta gave an ‘I’m fine’ wave. “Yeah, thanks. See you later, Mo.”
The already faint shadow of the elder entity faded to nothing, and only Beta was left in the dark woods with Maria. “I was hoping for that,” Beta said. “I’d never tell them so, but world-jumping is easier without them attached to me. Things keep looking at us whenever they come with.”
They hung close to Maria’s light. It was getting tough to see out here. If any frogs were going to be found, by Beta at least, it was probably going to be by sound rather than sight. Fine by them.
“With you at the party, looks like maybe I wasn’t the only one who didn’t really know a lot of the other guests,” Beta said, after a moment. “And honestly, I’m kinda including you and Sixer in that. But hey! I’m sure we’ll have lots of chances to get to know each other better down the road!”
“M-Man, midnight was sure a surprise, though, right?”
“Hm.” Maria’s expression shifted to amusement briefly at Beta’s declaration. She blinked as the faint shadow vanished, raising an eyebrow at it before sousing back on the task at hand.
“Yeah, we didn’t really know anyone else who was there,” Maria remarked. She bounced her one fireball in her hand, then let it hover in the air and start to circle around them. She materialized a second one moments later, and that one started to circle as well. “I mean, getting to know those people could be interesting, but that’s gonna depend on whether or not we feel like approaching each other, you know? Maybe we’ll get to know each other in the future, but for now it looks like we won’t have crossing paths anytime soon.”
Her gaze shifted the undergrowth of bushes that sat under a few trees nearby, but no tell-tale rustling met her gaze, so she left it alone and kept moving. “Yeah, it was certainly something. I don’t think I can say that I’ve seen forms entirely like yours before. Although, Sixer might have a few weirder examples. The two of us have been occasionally almost caught off-guard when extra-dimensional beings peer in on us when we’re taking portals across dimensions, but he tends to pay more attention to that than I do.”
A smirk crossed her face. “When you gain a reputation for being strange or powerful, you tend to get a lot of attention. I’m lucky that I’ve got enough of one that most decide to leave me alone, or spy from afar instead of trying to get up close.”
~ How would your muse behave if they are at their angriest? Would they lash out and hurt someone?
~ What is the most extreme thing your muse would do for someone they love?
~ Your muse now has the ability to bring a deceased loved one back to life perfectly (no decay or anything, just as they last saw them). The catch is, their loved one would have no memory of your muse at all. Would they do it anyway?
~ Your muse opens their door one rainy night to find a child (of their same species) standing outside and soaking wet. They say they have no family and are lost, would your muse take them in as their own?
~ What is the saddest state your muse has ever been in? Describe them in their most depressing, loneliest state. How do they behave?
~ What subject tends to make your muse go into a “soul searchy” state?
~ What is your muse’s personal hell like? Is there anyone or anything there to terrorize them?
~ Describe your muse’s top 3 worst nightmares they have ever dreamed up.
~ Describe your muse’s top 3 nightmares in real life.
~ What is the worst situation your muse has ever been in?
~ Describe a moment in your muse’s life when they have been seriously injured or sick. How close could they have been to dying?
~ Are there any sights or images that make your muse feel sad or lonely?
~ Describe a time when your muse was completely alone. How did they handle it?
~ If your muse could make one perfect wish, what would they wish for?
~ When was the last time your muse found themselves crying alone, with no one to support them?
~ Your muse has to sacrifice something or someone precious to save the world. What would their sacrifice end up being? A cherished memory or memento? Or something greater than that…?
~ What is an activity your muse will do to clear their head?
~ Have your muse describe the worst physical pain they have been in.
~ Have your muse describe the worst emotional pain they have been in.
~ The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Describe your muse in each stage after losing a loved one.
~ What is one thing your muse deeply regrets doing?
~ If your muse found out they were dying in 42 hours, who would they visit and spend time with? Would they try to do anything on their bucket list or spend the last few moments of their life surrounded by loved ones?
~ What is something noble your muse has done that they never got credit or recognition for?
~ What is the meanest thing anyone has ever done to/said to/ called your muse?
~ Are there any holidays your muse cannot celebrate properly without feeling upset or lonely?
~ Your muse has “gone savage” for an hour and has injured everyone around them in some way as a result. How bad would they feel after snapping out of it?
~ Your muse is on their deathbed. They start seeing loved ones who have passed on in their life. Who is there to guide them to heaven as they die?
After Amos’ Halloween bash, the haunted house that had been set up in the Mystery Shack almost seemed boring by comparison, despite all the electronics that Stanley and Soos had put into it in order to make it work extremely well.
It made Maria and Sixer relieved that they weren’t forced to be a part of the cleanup, because they hadn’t helped set it up in the first place.
(Or accidentally tear it down during a haunted tour, if the glares Mizar sent Alcor were to be believed.)
Which meant they could go out into the woods and enjoy the nice, crisp autumn air as fall and winter drifted even closer.
They went their separate ways not far into the forest -- Sixer made his way up to the Multibear’s cave system to check in on him and see if he needed anything done before going into hibernation. Just another chance to see what it was this bear did on a day to day basis that affected the forest.
Maria, on the other hand, was intent on going invasive species hunting.
“For all the good you hawktopi do, you really can’t keep up with the sheer number of these little things.” Fireballs danced on her fingers as she stalked the woods, looking for a sign of the eldritch frogs that had been giving them trouble the last few months.
Beta looked pretty chastened now, having stopped on the edge of the trail, twiddling their claws apologetically. “Yeah, well… we figured these woods were pretty good about keeping themselves balanced, but hindsight’s 20/20, I guess. Sorry. Hope the hawktopi come back soon.”
After a long moment of silence, Morpho’s voice came, a bit reproachfully: At any rate, it was my idea.
Beta’s mouth quirked. “Heh.”
Their form wavered just a bit, temporarily going two-legged– but no, Beta didn’t have the energy to assume human form just now. “Er, no, that’s about it. Just wanted to come over and, uh, come clean. About the frogs. …If you want some company out here, though, I dunno– if we see one we’ll point it out, yeah?”
“Yeah, we can expect any number of things, but unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Maybe if you’d given us fewer, the woods would have adapted.” Maria shrugged. “What’s done is done. We’re going to have to clean up the mess left behind and force things back into balance ourselves if we have to.”
She tilted her head at Morpho's remark and nodded to where she assumed his form was, but she wasn’t entirely certain -- following that faint shadow didn’t exactly tell her how high off the ground he was.
A small smile appeared on her face at Beta’s offer. “I could use the company, sure. Having an extra pair of eyes is always helpful out here.”
After Amos’ Halloween bash, the haunted house that had been set up in the Mystery Shack almost seemed boring by comparison, despite all the electronics that Stanley and Soos had put into it in order to make it work extremely well.
It made Maria and Sixer relieved that they weren’t forced to be a part of the cleanup, because they hadn’t helped set it up in the first place.
(Or accidentally tear it down during a haunted tour, if the glares Mizar sent Alcor were to be believed.)
Which meant they could go out into the woods and enjoy the nice, crisp autumn air as fall and winter drifted even closer.
They went their separate ways not far into the forest -- Sixer made his way up to the Multibear’s cave system to check in on him and see if he needed anything done before going into hibernation. Just another chance to see what it was this bear did on a day to day basis that affected the forest.
Maria, on the other hand, was intent on going invasive species hunting.
“For all the good you hawktopi do, you really can’t keep up with the sheer number of these little things.” Fireballs danced on her fingers as she stalked the woods, looking for a sign of the eldritch frogs that had been giving them trouble the last few months.
“Oh? Oh, okay!” Beta let out a long, loud sigh, but they were smiling– at least it looked like they were. Difficult to tell on that bug face. “Weird, we haven’t had that issue– but then again we haven’t really seen them much since we– we released–!”
Beta stopped, chuckling, and when their composure was back: “They’re all Aggie’s children. ‘M sorry, we– we were sure you’d figure it out, but yeah, Agatha had like a million babies out of the blue and we decided to… yeah. Whoops! Our bad!”
We thought Sixer would be glad to have a new species to study, came the elder twin’s voice in Maria’s head, although they themself remained invisible. Ah, well. I suppose you have the right to do as you like with them on your own home turf.
“We’re not helping you hunt the little monsters, but, free tip, they’ll walk into anything if there’s snacks in there.” Beta, when standing next to Maria, came up to her hip. “You have fun tonight?”
Maria’s expression shifted to something more mask-like when Beta let slip the word “released,” then to something that more resembled a tired mother who didn’t have the strength to be mad at her children because they had run her ragged.
She sighed heavily and ran a hand down her face, looking all the world like she was going to punch something later -- not now, but later. “I get the thought of giving Sixer something new to study -- really, I do. But you could’ve done far better by giving us far fewer than that swarm. At this point, it’s starting to sound more like a prank gone wrong than anything.”
She looked at Beta, knowing that Amos was around but not entirely where he was. While her senses were advanced in comparison to a humans, she was still limited to the physical plane.
“I get not wanting to kill them because they’re the kids of your pets, but...” She shook her head slightly. “I’m not exactly going to call this one fun, kiddo. But it’ll definitely be a relief when their numbers have been cut down to something more manageable so that the hawktopi can finish them off when they’re hungry again. I think most of them have migrated out, and that’s why they haven’t done anything big against the population in the last couple weeks. You guys come by for any reason other than our current infestation?”
After Amos’ Halloween bash, the haunted house that had been set up in the Mystery Shack almost seemed boring by comparison, despite all the electronics that Stanley and Soos had put into it in order to make it work extremely well.
It made Maria and Sixer relieved that they weren’t forced to be a part of the cleanup, because they hadn’t helped set it up in the first place.
(Or accidentally tear it down during a haunted tour, if the glares Mizar sent Alcor were to be believed.)
Which meant they could go out into the woods and enjoy the nice, crisp autumn air as fall and winter drifted even closer.
They went their separate ways not far into the forest – Sixer made his way up to the Multibear’s cave system to check in on him and see if he needed anything done before going into hibernation. Just another chance to see what it was this bear did on a day to day basis that affected the forest.
Maria, on the other hand, was intent on going invasive species hunting.
“For all the good you hawktopi do, you really can’t keep up with the sheer number of these little things.” Fireballs danced on her fingers as she stalked the woods, looking for a sign of the eldritch frogs that had been giving them trouble the last few months.
Off the trail, there was the sound of a portal opening. Somebody stumbled through and into the bushes. The interloper wasn’t visible yet, but they were talking, seemingly to themself.
“I’m gonna– No, I’m going to tell them, Mo, you can’t stop me.” They giggled a bit tipsily. “What? I– Because they deserve to know! C’mon, you’ve had your fun…”
Beta, in caterpillar form, stepped into Maria’s path. They were idly jugging their pilfered prototype portal gun in their insect claws. When they noticed Maria, it took them a moment to negotiate themself into a position facing her. “H-Hey, Maria!” Beta greeted. “Real glad you ‘n Sixer could make it. Just thought I’d pop over, and–” They devolved into giggles again, at whatever the shadow floating around their head had said. “Mo, quit it– So, what’s the lightshow for?” They indicated her flaming fingers.
Maria recognized the presence of a portal more by the energy pulse than the sound of it, and she stiffened in response.
It didn’t bring along the pain of a rift, which she took to be a good sign, but she planned to withhold judgement until she had a better idea of who it was that had just arrived.
She relaxed in slight confused as a caterpillar crawled into view with portal gun in hand. Ah, now that made a little more sense.
“Oh, this?” Maria shook her hand and let the small flits of fire disperse into sparks that dissipated before they hit the ground. “We’ve had an infestation of...eldritch frogs, I guess. They came swarming in like a pack of locusts and tried to eat our kitchen. We drove them out, and the hawktopi started snacking on them...except they aren’t eating so many of them anymore, so I’m looking to do a little cleanup this afternoon. If those things keep eating the creatures of the forest like they are, they’re going to completely upend the ecosystem, which Sixer’s pretty alarmed about.”
She rested her hand against her hip and sighed. “As nice as it was to see you guys the other night, seeing that frog zip out of nowhere and snag some of Sixer’s rock candy made me remember we’ve got that as a problem.”
After Amos’ Halloween bash, the haunted house that had been set up in the Mystery Shack almost seemed boring by comparison, despite all the electronics that Stanley and Soos had put into it in order to make it work extremely well.
It made Maria and Sixer relieved that they weren’t forced to be a part of the cleanup, because they hadn’t helped set it up in the first place.
(Or accidentally tear it down during a haunted tour, if the glares Mizar sent Alcor were to be believed.)
Which meant they could go out into the woods and enjoy the nice, crisp autumn air as fall and winter drifted even closer.
They went their separate ways not far into the forest -- Sixer made his way up to the Multibear’s cave system to check in on him and see if he needed anything done before going into hibernation. Just another chance to see what it was this bear did on a day to day basis that affected the forest.
Maria, on the other hand, was intent on going invasive species hunting.
“For all the good you hawktopi do, you really can’t keep up with the sheer number of these little things.” Fireballs danced on her fingers as she stalked the woods, looking for a sign of the eldritch frogs that had been giving them trouble the last few months.
It’s growing dark early in Washington this time of year. When the gathering begins, there’s already a full moon out, huge and gold and low over the hills, with a few distant pines silhouetted perfectly against its face. A witchy, werewolf sort of moon.
For those who needed to be picked up: Beta couldn’t resist appearing directly behind them. After some brief explanation (and encouragement, if needed), they offer their hand, and smile. Whoosh, spirited away to the remote woods of Washington State!
(The trip was near instantaneous, and Beta was gentle, but if one kept their eyes open at just the right time, one might have caught a glimpse of something stretching across the field of vision, intertwined with barely visible gigantic prisms. Serpentine, with numerous legs, and a single smiling pink eye.)
The party is being held outside of Amos’s purple van, in a meadow tucked in the woods, far from any roads. The area is well cloaked in spells meant to turn away any uninvited eyes. A tall bonfire is roaring. Every so often, green and violet flames leap up among the orange. The smoke shifts hue every time another log is thrown on.
Maria wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but Sixer had said it was going to be fine and that Morpho hadn’t planned anything dangerous for the night, so she’d gone along, somewhat apprehensive and curious about what was to follow.
She’d given Sixer a strange look when they’d walked into the clearing. His tails had shivered at once as he’d tilted his head with a “Hm.”
“What?”
“You didn’t notice it?” Sixer raised an eyebrow.
“I...guess not. Notice what?”
“They’ve raised a cloaking spell over this whole area.” Sixer motioned to the entirety of the clearing. “They must be planning on doing something they need to keep hidden from prying eyes?”
Maria frowned. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“I should think tonight will be more interesting than anything. Morpho isn’t planning on doing anything dangerous to Earth anytime soon.”
“Hm.”
The changing color of the bonfire drew Maria’s attention at first, then the candy scattered around and the strange drink bubbling in the cauldron. The way Morpho stood over it and assured everyone it was fine reminded her of her father’s old tales of college parties, where everyone brought alcohol and poured it into a large, new, clean trash can.
“In the end, it all tasted like Kool-Aid,” he’d said.
“Something tells me that won’t taste like Kool-Aid,” Maria remarked.
“Probably wouldn’t hurt to try,” Sixer remarked. His tails flicked as he glanced around at the others present, and Maria noticed that the others invited to this Halloween gathering were far more human in appearance than Sixer was -- none of them had any sort of visible, non-human trait, except for the two who clearly pinged on her radar as androids of some kind.
“Wonder how everyone here got pulled into a friendship with these guys?” Maria tilted her head as Sixer went for the cauldron. It wasn’t hard to guess what he was up to.
She found a spot to sit that had a shade of candy nearby, and watched as Sixer stumbled over. “Are you drunk already?”
“Hardly!” Sixer laughed. “Apparently, a temporary side-effect of the drink is ultraviolet vision! I am seeing colors that no third-dimension mortal is supposed to be capable of seeing!”
“Anything else?”
“Just a headache, but that is likely more because of this than anything.” He motioned to his eyes, then noticed the candy sitting near them, the chocolate and the rock candy.
Maria had to hold back a laugh as Sixer set to work devouring the candy near them, and yelped in surprise herself when a familiar, frog-shaped looking creature flashed past and took off with a couple pieces of rock candy. “Hey!”
Sixer frowned at where it disappeared under the van. “I did not think those were inter-dimensionally consistent.”
“Yeah....” Maria frowned. She was going to have to ask their host how he handled those creatures later.
The costumes get a nod from her, and it makes her wish she’d come with a costume of her own. Since no one here except for Morpho knew her, she shifted from clothes to armor with a shower of embers, the purposeful sparks reflecting off the orange and red plates of metal that covered her from the neck down.
She thought about attempting to talk to the other guests, but she held back, unsure how to approach the two androids or the two organic humans. She didn’t know whether or not Morpho’s other friends would be friendly.
And then midnight hit, followed by a real series of surprises. Like Sixer, Maria knew Morpho’s shape -- or, rather, Amos’, since she’d heard that name used by him and addressed to him enough times by now. Z was familiar, but only slightly. The color, at least, was consistent.
Beta was an entirely different ballgame.
“Whoa. Okay.” Maria blinked as Beta recovered quickly from their shock -- she was old enough to spot it, no matter how well Beta recovered from it. “Do they exist outside of time?”
“Hm?” Sixer blinked at the question.
“Beta. They’re kinda...flickering, in and out. It’s not space distortion, but...more like they’re existing in multiple timelines at once, maybe?”
Sixer swallowed his mouthful of candy. “How would you know how to spot that?”
Maria shrugged. “Celeste the Shiny Celebi did that sometimes. Comes from coming back from a future that no longer exists, I guess.”
“Ah.”
In the conversation and illusions that followed, Maria didn’t so much as participate as she did present Amos a challenge for his illusions. While she could create mirages by altering the flow of heat around her, she couldn’t make them quite so lifelike. In a matter of minutes, there were mirage-made and illusion-made animated pumpkins and little sharp-toothed, gem-eyed gremlins running around the clearing, chasing each other and messing with the air currents. Maria hoped this wouldn’t leave the others freezing cold or burning hot as her own mirages moved passed them.
Eventually, she let her fun cut short, and let the others have some fun of their own in calling out illusions. She wasn’t thrown off by anything that showed up, or by the true forms that Amos, Z, and Beta had revealed.
“That was pretty nice,” Maria remarked to Sixer hours later, as they left the extra-dimensional beings to their home. “You looked like you were enjoying yourself too there.”
Sixer laughed. “I had an excuse to not think about research tonight, as much as I might want to. Now -- how about we head home and hide our stashes where the kids can’t find them?” One of his tails twitched, sending a piece of rock candy up by his head. He snatched it out of the air and popped it into his mouth with a grin.
“Pretty sure I know a good place that not even Alcor can break in,” Maria replied with an equally wide grin. “Come on. Crescent’s gonna be so jealous.”
Maria raised an eyebrow. “You’re a really curious one, aren’t you? Hm! All right then.
“My parents were very into history and languages. They probably would’ve encouraged me to get into any form of fine arts if my life hadn’t gone in this direction.
“My older brother tried to get us to form a band at one point. I would’ve ended up playing the drums, except...well, World Jumping takes away a lot of potential time for band practice.
“I can honestly say...when I was 17, I thought I would still have a chance to settle down like my parents had, and stop World Jumping, and grow up in my home dimension, have children, and pass on as an old grandmother with World Jumping kids of my own, potentially. I can certainly say my life has not turned out that way.”