Corrupted Liberation

"I saw the Devil today, and he looked a lot like me." Indie Infinite from Sonic Forces || Replies run on a queue || Read Rules and About || Multi-ship || 18+ only as NSFW will be present on this blog || 🔞Minors DNI🔞 || Selective/Private || Mutuals Only || Mun is 21+ || Follows back from a-bitter-resentment || Penned by Kanda

[my-inverted-reality]

~𝕐𝕠𝕦'𝕣𝕖 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕝𝕝~

[You’re just in time to see the fall.]

🔞Minors DNI🔞

STATUS: [Low Activity]

Rules || History || Cataclysm

Queue Heavy

Penned by Kanda Follows back from a-bitter-resentment

(All in character drabbles can be found at the bottom of the [History] page.)

[my-inverted-reality]

//Activity post so my account doesn’t self delete

[my-inverted-reality]

Extending Hiatus:

Until I’m in a better state of mind, I’m putting a lot of things here on hold for the time being. I’m going through some things off screen, and between needing to do art for a living, and current personal events in real life, I just don’t have the mental stamina to write consistently right now.

This is not a permanent hiatus. But I still need more time to refocus, especially after recent events. I might roleplay a few short things with people privately if and when I have energy for it, but right now, I can’t write openly on Tumblr.

Right now, I need to focus on myself, and managing my emotions to the best of my abilities during these trying times.

To those of you I currently have threads with:

- Contact me if you’d like to drop any threads, or move things off tumblr to continue. - I’m not deleting any of the threads I currently have in drafts unless you come to me and ask me to. I also won’t be deleting any asks that users have sent me. I’ll be doing my best to answer all of these when I come back from this hiatus. - If you need more details as to why I’m extending my hiatus, ask me privately. I’m not airing my personal irl business on open-sourced media anymore.

You’ll see me around online no doubt, because as stated above, I do have to do art to pay my bills. But I don’t have the energy to do all that, deal with current irl events, and write all at once. I hope you all can understand.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this.

- Kanda

[pupmallows]

redraw of a piece from a couple years ago since i'm down bad for him again 💫🥴

[my-inverted-reality]

familylightfox​:

     Not only was the subtle distortion a giveaway that the jackal caring for her friend wasn’t real, but the scent he gave off was lacking in a few telltale signs. She could pick up the subtle scents, that matched those of Nym’s scarf that Zero wore, but everything else was missing. But she didn’t seem to mind as she took back up her seat to watch over the two on the bed until it once again returned to just Zero. Her ears were turned to show that she was still paying attention when he spoke while rocking her head from side to side in comfort.

     Although she looked back when he mentioned a chair and very lightly shook her head. All it took was for her to shift her stretched out legs to show the way her ankles bent upward far more than her knees and shins bent back. “I’m actually a lot more comfortable on the floor than a chair cuzza how my legs are. Everybody used t’ say I looked like a feral when I walked cuzza it. Thank ya tho.”

    Nowadays the comment didn’t bother her. It was just how she was. It was a part of her and she wouldn’t change it for the world. She was polite in her decline and for a little bit made a point to look back so she could keep having a conversation with the one who Zero had cared for so much that he had turned to Eggman for help. A small wag of her tail followed his smile. 

     They could both agree that their friend did not have a very good poker face.

     The wag of her tail had only grown at the grin and her own was soon just as bright. That was definitely a compliment that she was able to get under his armor and see him for the Mobian he was. Beyond the masks he kept up for others, some more literal but that was beside the point as she listened to how the two had met.

     Still, her eyes had been drawn to the hand she had used her ability with when it was mentioned. Mostly because the preteen still didn’t know exactly what she had done. That had been a completely new power that she had never seen before, or even heard of being a thing.

     Part of her hoped that she could do it again sometime to help others as well. Time would tell and her attention went back to Nym. Her expression softened as she realized he wasn’t going to be there much longer, nodding at his request. “I won’t tell him. It’ll be our secret.”

     Another nod, this time in regards to the understanding. Much like how her father had to move on after his companion passed, Zero would one day need to do the same. He couldn’t keep clinging to the past in hope of getting it back. He needed to live on for the ones that were lost and honor their memory. Hopefully she could get that through to him one day.

     No, she would help him to do that. They were friends and that was what friends did.

     Powder blue tipped ears raised at the approaching footsteps. If not for Nym’s reminder of the bobcat’s vision, Harmony would have sat up in order to nudge Zero awake. Instead she remained where she was sitting and nodded one more time, pressing her forehead into the disappearing fingers with affection. “Bye bye Nym. I’ll look after ‘im fer ya. I won’t let him give int’ the darkness. Promise.”

     Now it was just the two of them in the room for the time being, listening to the sounds of movement just beyond the door and the subtle noises made by Vince. Harmony knew full well that he had seen the state of the fridge as she had when she looked out of curiosity. Slowly the scent of the food reached her nose and that was just enough reason to get up from her spot on the floor. One hand reached out and gently nudged Zero’s shoulder.

     As much as she wanted to listen to Nym’s words and let him sleep, he needed to eat something so they could give him the medicine.

     “Hey…” Still, her voice was lowered to keep him from being startled awake. “Mr. Vince is here with food.”

     Giving it another minute or two, the preteen stretched on her toes and took the now warm bandana from her friend’s forehead. Mostly so she could go out to meet Vince before he came into the bedroom and also to run it one more time under cool water for Zero. Her smile was just as bright as it had been before when she had met the bobcat and a gentle wag of her tail was given.

     “Hi Mr. Vince. Nym fell asleep while we were waitin’.” Might as we’ll be honest in the process as she looked over at the bowls. “I can carry that in fer ‘im after I finish gettin’ my bandana wet fer his forehead.”

It was unfortunate to learn that the child had been spoken to in such insensitive manners, and more so when Nym picked up on the potential it may have even come to affect the child once upon a time. How odd, how different the cultures could be across the planets and multiverse beyond.

Specter-like, glitching ears seemed to fold back partially, yet a somber smile graced the illusions face. "In jackal society...those born with digitigrade legs were considered of the purest origin, practically considered royalty. They were lauded and praised, highly respected. It is a very rare trait, one I fear may soon vanish, alongside our species before long. But it was never something to be ashamed of."

When they had left their people, there had been only a scant village of them left, the rest having perished in the great migration across the desert in search of water so many years before. And due to the unstable hierarchal standing, a rather unsavory sort had been left to run the dwindling numbers of their kind.

Someone who further ostracized many from the village for not following or breaking his particular, strict set of laws. Corrupt and twisted rules that favored repopulation over the happiness of the few that remained.

Being banished from the clan had been a hard blow as it were. And then to lose the jackal squad years later?

It left Zero with nothing.

Yet as Nym gazed down at the child, he felt he couldn't be more wrong about that thought as of this moment. Because this child? Was something. Perhaps he was being presumptuous, but something about the young teen?

It had changed something in the jackal leader. Hopefully for the better. Because the path he walked currently would lead to nothing but heartache, ruin, and further pain. Damnation.

And Nym didn't think Harmony's influence had to do with only that odd power she'd used earlier.

She was quite the enigma it seemed, even managing to warm the illusions false heart with her child-like innocence.

Unfortunately, his time here needed to be cut short.

"Perhaps I'll see you again sometime. Until then, take care of yourself, Harmony." His fingers were the last to fade from existence, the light touch to the child’s forehead vanishing in the final scattering of phasing cubes.

Zero was still out, his brows furrowing only minutely when she nudged his shoulder, a nose scrunching, tail twitching beneath him. Her voice sounded muffled, like he were listening from beneath a wall of rushing water. His lids felt so incredibly heavy, too heavy to lift quite yet, but his words, while warbled with half-asleep slurring, could be heard if one listened closely enough.

"I need...a momen' more..." To gain awareness. He was rousing, but through the fever and fogginess of his mind, it was proving difficult.

He wouldn't be able to cast an illusion when compromised like this, with his mind vulnerable and stricken with fever as it were. Lids flickered, struggling to open, glazed orbs following the child as she left the room, then sliding closed again once she had vanished.

Brows were furrowed tightly together as he fought to push himself upright, to prepare himself for the food to come, and for a potential visit from the cart-vendor.

His friend.

Out in the kitchen, Vince's olden ears twisted to the teen approaching. "Ah, good evening young one. I hope he hasn't given you much trouble. He can grow rather fussy when he’s not feeling well." The feline ran his fingers along one cabinet, to a second, then pulled it open, retrieving not one, but two bowls.

One for Nym, and one for Harmony.

"Just 'Vince' dear. So, he's resting then? Good, good. That boy needs his rest. Though it would be best to get this food in him hot." A few pill bottles were set down. Vitamins and immunity boosting minerals, as well as fever reducers and a few medications to treat symptoms. "You've been a great help, Harmony dear. I wouldn't want to keep you here for too long though, if you happen to need to be elsewhere." The food was ladled out carefully before the bobcat turned to face her more fully.

"You have done more than enough. You must be tired. And it's getting late. The sun will be setting shortly." Yet he refrained from asking her if her parents would be worried.

After all, the world they lived in now? With the war and so many lost lives, countless refugees? It would be insensitive. "If you've nowhere else to stay, I understand. I'm sure Nym wouldn't mind having your presence here while he recovers." The bowls were set out for her to take, Vince flashing her a smile. “It is entirely up to you what you wish to do. If you wish to stay, I can leave you my number in case Nym’s fever rises. If you wish to leave, I can walk you to your destination since it will be nightfall very soon.”

[my-inverted-reality]

chaosworthy​:

   {➹} – ARROW HAD MORE EXPERIENCE with saying the wrong thing than he wanted to admit, or that he would admit then and there. A part of him suspected that Nym may have already figured that part out themselves but the hero was rather lucky in that respect. He could count on a single hand how many times his bluntness had truly bit him in the rear. But even he knew his luck on that matter wouldn’t last forever so maybe, just maybe, the jackal had a point there. 

     Not that the hero was going to say that, of course.

     Instead, he noted the interest on the other’s face at his little display, and little was an accurate word. The hero was capable of more than people ever pegged him for, things that surprised even himself at times. Yet, much like Nym, he had no intentions of displaying those that afternoon. There was no need. It had been a demonstration, and a point. The canine had their skillset, and the hero had theirs. And should they ever go toe-to-toe? The results wouldn’t be pretty. One more fact that Arrow was sure the other had realized by that point. 

     Still he wasn’t inclined to explain his abilities, one always did need an ace after all, and he was unaware just how much Nym had read from their interaction. How accurately the other had pinned him in just a few minutes. If he had the hedgehog may have been bothered by the fact, but he didn’t and thus only focused on the seeming agitation from the canine at his, once again, blunt question. The sharp tone wasn’t missed, merely questioned silently with a curious look. Arrow hadn’t expected any lengthy explanation of what it was Nym could do, but he was listening. He always did. 

     To say he understood initially would have been a lie. So far the only seemingly complex thing he had seen from the other were the illusions…and the cubes from their last meeting. He didn’t understand either of them, only that they gave off a power he was utterly unfamiliar with. He couldn’t decipher if it was good or bad, if it came from Nym or not, but it did make the hero cautiously wary.

    So it made very little sense that he didn’t stop the other when the blade came from seemingly nowhere, when the canine gave their warning and yet took the hero’s hand as if he expected no complications from the hedgehog. And he got none. Not with Arrow’s damnable curiosity at full tilt. Sometimes even the hero had to wonder how he had made it this far as he watched a dark thumb trace over his own fingers before the blade did much the same. In truth, he had expected nothing which made the sting of metal through skin that much more surprising.

     Rather than pull his hand back the hero just stared at it before watching the knife dissolve away, puzzled more than anything else. The power was odd, not at all what he had first thought and that was cause for some concern.

     Not just illusions. Strange…

     And dangerous.

     With it released, the hero took to looking at his finger, as if he couldn’t quite grasp what had happened but was otherwise unconcerned with the injury. It would be gone in a few minutes’ time, as most small ones were. An effect of what he was, though he didn’t mention as much to the jackal as he looked back into amber eyes before they shifted away. He wanted to point out that ‘illusions’ hardly seemed like a fitting word given what the canine was saying, but held his tongue. 

     Instead the question that did come was one of genuine unease. Not for him but rather the ones who may have found themselves in said illusions. In something fake, with their senses under the influence of something unknown even if their minds weren’t. It seemed like a small consolation to the hero. “Is that so far off?”

     He didn’t expect an answer, not really. Nor did he really want one, for once. The more they talked about the current subject the more the hero felt an odd pull to the jackal, that odd necessity of his to understand a strange circumstance ever growing around them. It was new, misunderstood and the hero wanted to change that in terms of himself and yet he offered no resistance as the subject was change, as the topic of the city came once more.

     The empty look was unexpected, the hero lowering his food to frown slightly at the change. He was relieved to know that the city was untouched, both in terms of the illusions and the fact that it seemed Nym truly did care for the place but he couldn’t help but wonder how long that would last. Another thought he didn’t want to dwell on, and not just because he could tell he had touched something in the jackal.

      Moreover, the hero was confused all over again. As someone who had found their own escape time and time again in places and people (and some vices he sworn would never see the light of day again) he had never seen them as a bad thing – vice aside. They were a necessity, the only way he had been able to keep himself grounded. Not a weakness, not even close. They were the only thing that had served as an imperative reset when everything else had been too much.

     “How is something you enjoy a weakness?” Again, it seemed he had failed to tone down his bluntness to a certain degree, though this one did come with a softer tone. Mismatched ears twitched in bewilderment, the hero’s head falling to the side oh so slightly. “If you get rid of that part of you, or your life, what’s left? I may be out of line here…but I don’t think ‘s anything good. Nothing worth destroying that peace of mind, no matter how small it may be.”

      Maybe Arrow should have but he didn’t hide the note of experience there in his voice. There wouldn’t have been a point, not when his eyes were always far too willing to give away the hardened knowledge that laid in the hero. Like a projection he could never really shut off. A curse, really. Moreover he was…worried after hearing that, both for those around and Nym himself. Worried that Vince may lose one of his favorite customers, friends even, and that the jackal in turn would lose something that tethered them to something that was needed.

     Maybe it was something they shouldn’t dwell on, not there and not then. In another time, another place. It was why the hero bit his tongue to keep himself from saying more, why he only listened as the other pondered over the mystery that was the multiverse. And as they pointed out something Arrow himself had missed. 

     How the hedgehog may have very well introduced that one little change. What a bizzare thought, and one that made the hero fall oddly silent for a few minutes. It wasn’t something he had meant to do, and for all he knew it could have changed nothing, but something in the way Nym addressed it…it made the hero think otherwise. It was almost as surprising as the words that followed, the hero’s name and that laugh. Arrow may have never really believed in fate and that sort of thing, but more and more he found himself pondering over it all.

     And yet before he could comment on it, the look turned on him held his tongue in a vice. Oh, how he recognized that look, the exhaustion, the languor. What he didn’t recognize was the purpose for it. A debt. A blood debt. Even the hero knew what that meant and it confirmed a small, inkling of suspicion he had. One he wasn’t happy with in the slightest. Yet, he had the feeling it wasn’t Robotnik the jackal was after. Another part of the puzzle.

     A means to an end. 

     A cryptic answer if there ever was one, only serving to raise question after question more. Yet one stood out in the hero’s mind more than them all:

     Was it to their end, whoever they were, or Nym’s own?

     So lost in the thought and idly eating his food the hero had only heard the basketball approaching, and certainly would have been hit as he turned towards the sound had it not been for Nym. Still, it was all rather abrupt and the small protest that would have come from the hero was lost as he, oh so gracefully, nearly choked on the bite of meat he had been working on. The coughing that ensued was short-lived, fortunately, but it did leave the hedgehog a tad teary-eyed and, more importantly, sheepish. Not his finest moment, admittedly.

     Still emeralds did meet golden hues with an air of confusion before moving to glance at the kids in question. While he seriously thought the phrasing of the inquiry needed work, given who Nym was, it brought a pure dubiety to the hero’s face all over again, not because of the matter at hand per se but another matter entirely.

     “Do you really think that’s…I don’t know, fair? ‘M not exactly know for being…slow.“ It had been a very long time since anyone had bothered to ask the hero to play a sport, at least a proper one, but all for good reason. They tended to lose their excitement when the fastest thing alive was involved and he had long since made his peace with that fact. To be asked now, by Nym of all people, was not where he thought this day was going to go.

     Yet he would be lying if he said there wasn’t something almost enticing about the look in the canine’s eyes. An odd change, yes, but perhaps not a bad one. Arrow, after all, had no reason to think that this was a vindictive thing. No, just the opposite he reckoned it really was just a familiar neighborhood face making good on a promised favor. Seemed he might not have been the only one with a weakness to children.

     “You really are an enigma, huh?” Arrow expected no response, merely giving his food a somewhat longing look before going to the offered hand. As much as he wanted to point out that the food would likely be cold by the time they finished he didn’t get the chance at the girl chimed in. It was enough to make the hero smile, shaking his head in a way that was amused and just plain confused. 

     Moreso when one word he hadn’t expected was uttered in such a tone. Friend. It made the hero blink, caught between surprise and a bout of disbelief. He didn’t know if it was just for show, or if part of the jackal meant that but he did finally relent, looking between the jackal and girl with a bold tone. 

     “I don’t think this friend has much of a choice,” he quipped, finally putting his meal down and taking the offered hand as he got to his feet. He was sure to meet amber eyes for a moment then, a question in emerald hues before he merely motioned for the other to lead the way. They did have the ball, after all. 

Many had underestimated the jackals intuitive perception, and many had fallen to their deaths due to such a folly. Those were the perks of his mercenary training. Learn to read the room before any fights broke out. Size up your opponents down to the tiniest action or reaction. And never...never underestimate a seemingly innocent face.

The hero was brazenly curious it seemed. And foolishly blunt with that curiosity. It would be a lie if Nym said he didn't find himself at least a little impressed. Whether the hero's antics were foolhardy and stupid, or astoundingly brave would be left up in the air for time to tell.

It was better that Arrow not understand the workings of his power, for Nym at least. And while the jackal had given the hero a tidbit of information on his capabilities, he was far from revealing just how deep and powerful those capabilities could grow should the jackal desperately need it.

The wariness was best. For the both of them.

As of right now, Nym was no danger to Arrow. So, his demonstration wasn't done with the intent to scare, nor injure in any fatal manner. Just to warn. Warn Arrow of what he would be up against, should he choose to cross Nym or distance him from his final goal for this place. A goal that...Nym still wasn't entirely sure he wanted at his core.

It was why he didn't outright put an end to the potential of the hero at his side later interfering by snuffing his life now. There was still some part of Nym that thought...maybe this wasn't how things needed to go. That perhaps vengeance wasn't the only answer.

But the dead still haunted his every waking moment. He could still hear their shaken voices over the communicator. Nightmares plagued him. And when he was awake? He further tortured himself with what could have been, tortured himself with the memories of his comrades, lied to himself with his own delusional illusions of a life he felt he could still hold onto. He could have saved them, had he only been stronger.

Had he not been so damned weak.

The demonstration served as a warning. Nothing more and nothing less. Of what Nym was capable of, of what he would do should his plans be thwarted. Should he be pushed to it.

Nothing could come between him and his need for revenge against a certain crimson quilled hedgehog.

Not even himself.

For now though, he allowed himself to revel in this false reality he'd created. This false narrative he lived when he wasn't working for the doctor. He allowed himself to forget, even if for only so short a time between his bloody missions.

As the blue hedgehog inspected his finger with that odd expression, Nym couldn't help the snort of amusement to escape him. "Did you think that my illusions were only that? That they could not touch you? These illusions...they aren't just false projections. So long as I my mind and will are strong, I can conjure...almost anything I wish."

But he could not bring the dead back to life. Something that he still struggled with to this day.

He could, however, create puppets in their likeness. But...they lacked soul. Their eyes were empty. They weren't real. And when Nym's will wavered, so too would those illusions.

A gift...and a curse.

Arrow's question though? It caused Nym to falter. A shallow breath was exhaled, but his smile still held as he gave the other a partially sidelong glance, not quite looking at him. "Perhaps you're right. I guess...there really isn't much a difference, is there?"

His gaze was soon averted, distant, yet ever present and aware at the same time. The following question did succeed in causing his smile to dwindle though, and silence to grow thick between them again. The jackal had half a mind to ignore the question altogether...yet...something pushed him to respond. Something urged him to be honest with the hero.

Maybe it was because Arrow didn't belong to this world that he found it so easy to speak to him. Was a true outsider, a stranger. Held no connection to the goings on of this place, and therefore no connection to Nym.

Instead of answering directly though, he started with a question of his own, eyes watching the court and the children playing, yet seeming to peer directly through them rather than at them. "Have you ever lost someone? Someone you care for very dearly?" Clarity returned to those eyes as he then turned his head to lock his gaze with Arrow's own. "Have you lost multiple people?"

There passed a moment more of extended quiet, before Nym once again broke their gazes and exhaled shallowly as he flexed his fingers subtly above his knees. "You've answered your own question... I lost people, and...a large portion of myself along with them. I find myself asking the very thing you ask of me now. 'What's left'? Indeed, what is left, once you've lost everything?" A rather morose and vague admission, but it was no less true.

Nym was lost. He had no idea what he wanted out of this life, because those he cared for? Were gone. He could never bring them back.

He should have been gone too.

But he was still here.

His need for vengeance was what drove him now, what kept him going, along with the power of that Ruby. Because he had no one else to fight for other than their memories. Was trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of wishing for a life long since passed and trying to accept his current world without those he loved living in it any longer. His friends. His family.

His heart.

He had no idea how to cope with that loss.

"If you stop finding enjoyment in things...then no one can take them away from you."

Perhaps his own honesty was encouraged due to Arrow's genuine words. The former mercenary could sense the experience, could hear it in the hero's voice without having to so much as look his way.

Nym wasn't quite gone yet, but he was teetering on that edge just shy of toppling it.

And much like the canine had mentioned, something about Arrow's presence had already seeded change in this place, in Nym's life, and the choices he'd started to make in regards to Robotnik. Even now, the hero was intermingling further and further with this world, becoming a part of it just as much as Nym himself.

Arrow had met Vince. Had made an impact on the man.

The placid water had been disturbed and ripples had been sown. How far those ripples might reach?

Only the future would tell.

Nym wouldn't be elaborating any further on his rather macabre and dark words. He didn't wish to delve any deeper into his own mind more than he had already.

And the basket ball had come as a good opportunity to end the personal conversation as any. A deep, smooth laughter filled the air when Arrow nearly inhaled his most recent bite, the jackal giving him a firm yet reserved few smacks to the back to help him dislodge the food should it have threatened to choke the blue male further.

"Of course it's not fair. That's why you need to intentionally slow yourself down." As the young girl approached and the other children waved from the court for the two to join them, Nym lowered his voice for Arrow's ears alone. "But don't make it easy for them either~. They'll enjoy their victory much more if they feel it's hard won~." A silent admittance that he wasn't in this game for vindictive reasons at all.

He intended to lose, while knowing he and Arrow were leaps and bounds above these children in means of skill or power.

An enigma?

A raised brow was shown Arrows way, lip lifting in a smirk, a singular fang exposed. "You have no idea, 'Mr. Hero, not hero'~." And there would be no need to worry for the leftover food. Once they were away from the prying eyes of children, or any who might happen to see Nym's secretive power, he could easily reheat the food later with nothing more than a thought.

Despite Nym having been the one to offer his hand out for the hedgehog to take, his fingers still twitched when contact was made, as if unfamiliar with the sensation.

It wasn't too far from the truth after all.

Yet he still found courage enough to fold his fingers about Arrows own, aiding to pull him up from the bench. When forests met deep golden hues upon Arrow's finding of his feet, Nym seemed to pause himself for a few beats, the question in Arrow's gaze answered with poorly veiled uncertainty.

It seemed Nym was just as unsure of his actions as Arrow seemed to be. Questioning himself, and why he'd chosen to use that word, of all words.

Friend.

Yet that didn't stop him from lifting a shoulder in a shrug as he released the hero's fingers, then turned to lead the way toward the court, the young girl practically dragging the jackal along after she’d managed to snag his sleeve. 

When he next spoke, it was to the kids as he was led about the fence corner and entered the court itself. "Adults against the children~! I have time for one short game tonight kids." The ball was bounced as he entered the court, a short glance given to Arrow as he gestured for him to prepare for the start of the game, his long tail flicking to one side smoothly.

"First team to five points wins!” The young girl scampered over to join her friends, a team of one other girl and four boys. Six against two still left the children and teens at a heavy disadvantage, but as Nym shot another of those confident smirks over toward Arrow, it was more than obvious he would make this a game for the kids to remember.

The harder earned, the sweeter the victory for them.

[my-inverted-reality]

a-whole-latte-love​:

Now there was a bit of apprehension as the dark green jackal pup stepped back, his gaze turning wary. He leaned forward just a bit, tilting his nose up some as he sniffed at the other. Yes, this guy certainly looked like his father, but he didn’t smell like him at all. There wasn’t the scent of fresh baked cookies or wild flowers. This guy was something else. He didn’t speak immediately, his ears only flagging when the older canine spoke to him. Of course, all the mistrust melted away at the compliment as the child puffed out his chest proudly. “Yeah, I’m very brave! I go on adventures like this all the time!” He said, brandishing his stick again and waving it about like some sort of sword.

Okay, maybe not entirely true. He’d never gone out this far before, especially away from the watchful eyes of his parents. But it was only a matter of time before Reese sniffed him out, so he wasn’t too worried. Besides, he’d gotten to see something neat! A real life copycat! He wondered if there would be one of him in these woods, too. “Dad’s actually not here. He’s back at the cafe, makin’ a special order of cookies. S’why you surprised me, copycat. I thought you were him.” He said, matter of factly. Seems his distrust in the other had been fully quelled now. “But Papa is here somewhere. We were going on a walk and I started chasing a squirrel. Guess I lost him.” He perked at the offer of finding his parent. As much as he liked exploring, he didn’t wanna keep them waiting any longer than possible. He didn’t like the idea of them worrying….aaaaand he didn’t want to get in trouble. He skipped to the other’s side, though he didn’t take the available hand. Instead, he held up his stick to point at Nym. “And don’t even think of trying anything funny. Dad and Papa told me I’m allowed to bite strangers if they’re weird.” To punctuate that sentence, he bared his teeth in a threatening ‘grin’, showing off some impressive, shark-like chompers.

No, the young boy wouldn't pick up the scent of sweets or an assortment of wildflowers. But, the elder jackals scent was very reminiscent to spring fresh honeysuckles.

And on different occasions, perhaps the sharp stinging scent of iron. But that wouldn't be today. And hopefully not for a few days longer, should Robotnik not call for him sooner.

Seeing that innocent jubilance made it hard to smother the part of Nym that he'd been so desperately trying to bury, yet clung to so fiercely at the same time. Reluctant to let it go, yet loathing every moment that that 'weakness' festered within him.

A weakness for children, it seemed, as he exhaled the inner tension and turmoil he felt.

If there was ever a losing battle, it would be when Nym was faced with a decision that involved them, when acting as a the harbinger of death, or otherwise. An amused snort was puffed from a nose, the corner of a lip barely up ticking in a slight smile. Eyes that were usually a mask of false warmth, actually warmed genuinely.

"Indeed, you are brave." Though perhaps a bit naïve to the dangers the world could present. It made Nym glad that he'd stumbled upon the child. Or rather, the child had stumbled upon him.

Copycat?

That word caused the older canine to pause momentarily and blink down at the youngster in confusion and...perhaps curiosity?

"An unusual nickname. Are you telling me I resemble your father?" Nym was, for lack of better words, relatively new to the idea of what the Doctor had called 'Alternates'. And while the prospect of them drew boundless questions to the jackals mind, he'd honestly never thought he'd run across one, nor meet one of himself. And, more than likely, the resemblance here was merely a coincidence.

This worlds wasn't his own though. Nym could travel far with the power of the gem fused to his core, keeping him alive, keeping his damaged heart beating. A gem hidden only through illusion alone, a weak and easily maintainable illusion to alter his physical appearance. And only those practiced in using the energy of the Phantom Ruby could sense the barest traces of that power when in close proximity.

So far, no one had detected him through the veil of his illusions, and he hoped to keep it that way for a while to come.

Zero didn't exist anymore.

Nym wasn't the least bit offended when his hand wasn't taken. For such a young child, he wasn't entirely foolish it seemed. The jackal held both hands up in a show of mock-surrender when the stick was directed his way, his smile easy. "You're the boss, kiddo. No funny business from my end." The following enunciation on the young pups fangs earned the kid a chuckle. "And your parents are very correct. If anyone makes you feel unsafe, you do whatever necessary to ensure your own safety." But for now, the kid wouldn't have to worry about that.

Nym held no motives to helping the child, only wanted to see him home safely, and free from the thick of this forest.

No doubt the kid's father would be worried sick. So, Nym took the lead, casting a look over a shoulder every so often to make sure the pup was keeping pace. After a few moments of silent walking, he decided to fill the silence himself. "While 'Copycat' is a rather...innocuous name...you can call me 'Nym' instead. If you so wish, that is. Is there anything you'd like me to call you? You do not need to impart your real name. I'll call you whatever you wish me to call you."

It was safer that way. Less a chance he could grow attached emotionally. While this zone was of no danger from him, he still found the idea of forming friendly attachments to be...another weakness.

There were moments Nym had thought he'd snuffed those hindersome emotions and sentimentalities out of himself, yet...in moments like this, how easily those rigidly constructed walls seemed to soften and erode.

Infuriating...

[my-inverted-reality]

Anonymous asked:

It's a jackal puppy! He'd just been swinging around a stick and was about to hit the bigger jackal in the leg with it when he paused and stared up at the other in confusion. A small tilt of the head and the pup spoke. "Huh? You're not my dad."

@a-whole-latte-love​

Had the child not stopped in their flailing of the stick, Nym’s natural reflexes borne of years of mercenary training would have no doubt prevented the potential weapon from making contact, evident in the way the tip of the jackals tail had twitched in anticipation of needing to dodge quickly.

But the stick had faltered before contact, and the child’s bright eyes had lifted to meet his own.

Nym was struck speechless for a brief moment. A vivid flashback of his own teenage years spent caring for the children of his oldest pack passed before his minds eye in a flash. How long had it been since he’d last seen a jackal child such as this?

But more importantly...

...where was this little guys family?

The innocent, inquiring voice tugged at something within Nym. Something he’d thought long since dead. And for the longest stretch, he couldn’t find his words. Not until that sensation, his concern for the child overrode his sudden lapse in time and memory.

“No, I fear I’m not, dear child.” The canine knelt down to be more level with the young boy, his eyes only leaving the child long enough to scan their surroundings. The brief scan revealed that the child was indeed alone. How far had he wandered to get this far off the beaten path?

“You must be very brave, to venture out so far all alone. Did you drift from your fathers side? You can’t have wandered too far from him...” He had to be nearby somewhere. So, standing and straightening himself, the jackal cast another wary glance about their surroundings, then lowered his gaze to the youngster. “I can help you find your father.”

A hand was offered out for the child to take, should he so choose. “I believe there’s a park nearby. You really did travel off the trails a decent way.” Nym had come out this far into the forest to be alone, away from the cacophony of the nearby citizens and residents. He craved the solitude, the tranquility, the peace that nature could sometimes bestow.

Chaos only know how much more time he’d have to himself like this before Robotnik called on him again...

“I’m sure your father is worried. Let’s get you back, yes?”

[my-inverted-reality]

Interest Call:

In the coming days I’d like to start working on replies here. I know I’ve been gone a while, so this is an interest call. I will be linking all of the drafts I currently have saved and @ing those of you who I owe them to. If you want to drop the thread, please DM me. If you want to continue, feel free to like this post (or DM me, whichever is more comfortable).

@gonnachasethestars    X @the-twinventors    X @rolling-orb-bot    X @chaosworthy    X @familylightfox    X @gamblealife    X

You may also like this thread if you’re interested in a future roleplay with me, and we can discuss creating a starter or plot ideas.

Thank you for taking the time to read!!

[latenightdoodles]

Christmas Surprise - 2

@my-inverted-reality​, thank you for the year! I know you’ve been having a rough time, but I hope this art finds you well. You’ll always be one of the RP’rs I look up to, and I thank you for being kind to others (but still having a no-shit attitude when you need it). You’ve been lovely to be friends with for the past year n’ a half, and I look forward to where things’ll go in the future.

Whether it’s RP’ing, life, or whatever else have you, I’m always glad and happy to chat. May this holiday season end with grins and laughter for you, Kanda. Thank you for being a friend. 💛

[my-inverted-reality]

Last Call:

If you want to continue our old threads, ‘❤️’ (like) this post. If you wish to drop our old threads, DM me. I will be continuing all the threads for those of you who liked the prior post. But this is my last call for the threads I currently have drafted on here and on @a-bitter-resentment. 

I will be making a purge list in the next few days and posting/linking all the drafts to be dropped. Please contact me beforehand if you don’t want to be added to the purge list.

If you find yourself added and would still like to discuss continuing because you missed my prior posts, I’m still down for bringing the thread back. But you have to contact me and communicate.

[my-inverted-reality]

Low Activity Update:

I know I’ve been gone for a while. I’m very very slowly starting to find inklings of my muse again, but I’m not gonna lie. I feel like taking time off has caused me to miss a lot in regards to blog events, and the like. So I guess what I’m trying to say is:

If you’re okay with me continuing our older threads when I return, please give this a ‘❤️️‘, or DM me privately.

I don’t want to force anyone to continue older threads if they no longer have muse for them. I know I’ve practically fallen off the face of the earth in regards to roleplaying on here. I’m trying to come back. I just wanna know if those of you I currently have drafted/saved threads with would like to continue our old ones, retcon them, or discuss what happened OOC over DM’s.

Please let me know if you’d like to drop threads, or give this a like if you’re still interested in our older threads!

[kandaarts]

~Kanda Arts~

Updated as of 10/14/2021

Terms of Service ||  Carrd

Commission Prices || Commission Queue || Finished Commissions

Commissions: Open || Available Slots: 3/10

Requests: Closed

Trades: Closed

Shoot me an IM, or Discord message if you’re interested! Please have references ready and an idea in mind of what you want~!

Art is free to reblog, but do not repost. Please ask for permission before posting art to another site (even if it’s a commission), and always make sure to give credit/link it back to my art account(s)!

Don’t wanna buy a commission, but still wanna support me? Then feel free to buy me a coffee:

Ko-fi

If you like my work, please reblog it.

Final Notes:

A sketch commission done for @familylightfox of his character (Harmony), and mine (Cataclysm aka Zero). Both spending a day chatting and relaxing from the stress of their separate lives, Harmony spoiling the jackal with a mani.

[my-inverted-reality]

Anonymous asked:

Did you hear what that kid did to Eggman? I think she may have traumatized him.

@familylightfox​

“I have not, but I assure you, I probably would have found the ordeal amusing to watch.” And it must have been another of those ‘alternate universe’ things involving the multiverse, considering the doctor here was just as annoying and foolishly headstrong as ever. Not traumatized in the slightest. Ever moving toward his total conquest of the planet.

“I pity any fool who dares stand in her way. She is a force to be reckoned with, that’s for certain.”

[mintluck]

You could also replace him with Mephiles and it would still work. Time and time again shadow is hunted by people he has no idea who they are

[gamblealifearchived1-deactivate]

@my-inverted-reality

[a-bitter-resentment]

Status: Low Activity

Gonna be focusing on commissions for a while. Find me on Discord if you wanna chat!

[my-inverted-reality]

 familylightfox​:

     Some might have thought that Zero’s preferences to his name would be confusing for someone, Harmony had no problem nodding. She’d remember to call him by his preferred name depending on where they were, as long as he also called her by her name. They were friends now and there wasn’t a need for formality. At least not in the preteen’s opinion.

     A wag of her tail came with the compliment to her name before falling into a gentle silence so Zero could rest to his heart’s content. When next Harmony got to her feet to talk to her grandfather, emerald eyes had glanced at the fever stricken jackal with worry for his condition. The way the Ruby pulsed like a heartbeat reminded her so much of the drive that was usually housed in her father’s cybernetic. How it was a last resort for him.

     Could the same be said for Zero?

     It seemed that way when he had described it earlier and it worried her that should something happen to the gem, she would lose the friend she had just made. Harmony couldn’t let that happen. Maybe she could ask around and find out more about the Ruby, how it worked and what it needed to keep thrumming the way it did without hurting Zero.

     First things first though, the phone call to her grandpa. His advice had only been mildly helpful with how sparse everything was within Zero’s home. Part of her had been tempted to make a run to the store and come back, but if Vince came while she was gone and saw Zero without his disguise… It was too much of a risk so she made do with what she could find and what she had on her.

     A glass of water was filled and two of her over the counter painkillers taken from the bottle in her pouch was all she could offer until Vince arrived with medicine and hopefully some easy to make food. As she returned to the door, ears raised at the second voice. The sound of movement inside fed into her worry as one hand carefully opened the door to the bedroom where emerald eyes spied the other jackal.

     For that moment, there was confusion but no hostility. Emerald eyes taking in the other’s posture and what he was doing. One careful step forward between two, then three and the space was closed so she could set the glass and pills on the nightstand.

     “Yer Nym… Ain’t ya?” Her voice was low, refusing to raise and wake Zero up from his rest. She didn’t know about the agreement to to stay until she returned, only that he looked so similar to the way Zero made himself look to everyone else outside of his home.

     From all the stories she had been told by her father, Zero’s friend reminded her of his later companion. The soft eyes, the way he cared for another. Whether he was able to actually respond of even acknowledge her existence wouldn’t deter her from going back to taking up residence with her back to the bed. It wouldn’t stop her from taking the nearby hand and once again placing it on her head, nor would it stop her quiet voice breaking the gentle quiet.

     “Zero really misses you. I can tell by the way he talks about you… I know that it might be cuz of his fever that he told me ‘bout ya, but it’s true.” Her head tilted back like it had before, unbothered by the fingers slipping almost onto her muzzle. If only so she could smile. “He’s a really bad liar.”

     A pause followed as Harmony went back to looking at the wall and lightly kicking her feet. “I know he works fer Eggman and that he’s gotta keep workin’ fer him cuz of the Ruby, but I don’t want him to end up like the Infinite from my Zone. He had a lot of darkness in his heart and I think it drove him insane.”

     She didn’t know if Nym really could understand what she was saying, but the urge to speak from her heart was strong. Some of it might have been because she thought she had opened Zero’s with her ability, but another part might have been her wish for him to understand. No matter what actually drove her, the preteen had still spoken her piece while rocking her head from side to side to be petted.

     Even if it was only for a little bit, it was something she needed at the moment.

A clear distinction that this was indeed an illusion borne of the Phantom Ruby along with Zero's lingering will, and not some stranger having broken into the house, were the very distinct wavers and flickers of glitching distortion around Nym's features. It wasn't often, but every couple of minutes, a ripple would shimmer through his being, as if playing from a damaged tape recorder.

When the young teen stepped into the room, Nym's ears had twitched, but he hadn't turned her way. Not quite yet. He had already known of her presence before manifesting. After all, he was borne of both Zero's heart and mind, along with the power of the ruby itself. While it might not truly be him in the flesh, merely just an illusion brought to life, he still housed the original's memories, his emotions, his desires, morals, and care for others. He was as real as if Zero's lover had come back to life and walked into the room himself. He wasn’t one of the soulless creations used in battle, but a true individual brought to temporary reality by the strong and unyielding desire from Zero’s own heart.

Even if it was only a temporary lie.

When Harmony spoke a question to him, he finally allowed chocolate golden hues to drift her way, the brush pausing as he offered her small nod in response, before his gaze returned to the jackal in his lap and the brush resumed where it had left off. "I am. Yet at the same time, I'm not. It's...complicated...and rather difficult for me to explain. You would have to ask Zero himself for the detailed answer. Smarts never were my forte. I have my own awareness, but I have no idea just how much of that is me, or how much of it is what he wishes me to be."

Even this façade of Zero's lover found himself curious about the young girl, and reluctant to leave upon her arrival, so he lingered. A small proof, even to himself, that he had some semblance of his own will separate from the slumbering man before him. And it wasn't like the sleeping jackal wished for him to leave. In so many words, he was free to do as he pleased, until that desire to have him around faded or was disrupted by some other emotion, be it panic, anger or fear.

The foreign jackal hardly moved more than to watch the preteen as she moved those fingers to her head and settled down in her former position, an acting sentry. "A chair would be more comfortable, you know? I can't travel beyond this current room, unfortunately, or I would've offered to bring you one. Zero is asleep, so that means my range is rather limited right now." And should Zero’s desire to have Nym near faded, so to would the illusion.

Brows drew together in a look akin to that of apprehension when she mentioned how much Zero missed him. And he had to agree with her assumption about his fever. Had he not been so disoriented, Nym had no doubt he wouldn't have been so free with the instances of his past, so free with that personal information.

That didn't mean he couldn't be glad for it, that the young man had finally opened up to someone aside from those of his past.

An amused smile still lit the elder jackals face, his ears darting back for a mere moment. "He really is a terrible liar, isn't he?" A fond look was shown the ill canine's way, fingers straying to brush back his sweaty bangs. The water was then given a cursory once over along with the pills, the look on his face morphing to one of gratitude. "We can offer him medication and water when he rouses. For now, he really does need his rest. Even before, when I and the pack were still around, Zero was a rather sickly sort. It seems, even after all this time, his immune system still hasn't fully acclimated to the tight quarters of a city. He always has been more favorable towards rural as opposed to urban areas. It was...actually my idea to try moving to a city. I felt Zero could use the Mobian interaction."

There was a reason Zero was more a loner than most other jackals. It was practically all he’d ever known. For the longest time, and even now, he still continued to fight his own internal instincts.

So that was why it didn’t shock Nym to hear that a different version of the very man within his lap had suffered such a terrible mental shattering, beyond what one could hope to recover from. So filled with darkness that it ultimately consumed him. And it made him wonder if that version of ‘Infinite’ had suffered similar loss, with no one to help him cope healthily through it.

"I have no doubt he'll be regretting the conversation he had with you once he recovers. But I can honestly admit that I'm glad he's spoken to someone. Whatever you did to him, it's helped. You have a special, incredible gift, and I don't just mean that unusual power you used. No, you have an unseeming knack to get under the skin of even the toughest of men, it seems. Aside from that elder bobcat, I'm fairly certain you're the only one Zero has spoken to with any semblance of trust like this."

Gaze drifting back to the young girl, Nym flashed her a show of fangs in a teasing grin. "You annoy him, not because he dislikes you. But because you can so easily chip away at his armor. He hated me for the same reasons when we were younger. We were...the most awful rivals. I hated him for his unshakeable strength, for his unbreakable will and authority. And he hated me because I refused to stop questioning him, and challenging that very authority." There may have been a note of jealousy to enter Nym's voice.

"And I may have been a tad peeved that he managed to swipe the title of 'Leader' so easily from beneath my feet, despite the fact that he was the youngest of our squad. But, with our clashing personalities, we somehow found a way to make it work. It was unfortunate that things had to turn out the way they did in the end though. We were so close to living the lives we all deserved. The lives we fought, and shed blood, sweat, and tears for. No one foresaw things ending in such a gruesome light. Nor did we know that our leader would be left barely clinging to life, and desperate to see us all avenged, willing to make any sacrifice necessary to do so."

It was all personal information, information that Nym knew their leader wouldn’t so easily part with, especially once he returned to his former self again. “All I ask is that you don’t speak to him of our meeting once he recovers. I think it’s best to keep this chat between us, at least until Zero is willing to let you meet me himself. I promised to part once you returned, but I also wished to speak with you myself. While I don’t understand how the Ruby affects him, nor myself personally, I do realize that...whether it be through Zero’s desperate desire to see me and the others, or something else...I still have at least some level of free will and thought for myself. I’m not the same as the mindless drones set out to fight in the stead of an army. But I’m also self aware enough, to realize that as real as all of this feels, I’m not truly here. I’m just a dream figure, really. And I know that, soon, he’s going to need to let me...to let us all go.”

And he was hoping that when that time finally came, that there would be someone there to help him through those dark days. Holding onto the pack as Zero had been the past few years? It was only worsening that darkness that Harmony had spoken of. It would only lead to his ultimate damnation if he didn’t have someone there to lead him in the right direction.

“Vince will be here in a short while. And you have no need to wake Zero when he shows. The bobcat is nearly completely blind, so he won’t visibly be able to see the difference. Vince has experience with Zero’s weak immunity already.” A subtle chuckle rocked Nyms shoulders, causing another ripple to run through his corporeal body, threatening to dissipate him. “Zero nearly collapsed at his cart from fever one day. And they’ve been practically best friends since.”

A glance was shown toward the door, the sound of approaching footsteps nearing. The subtle shuffle and the distinct tap, tap, tap of a white cane signaling Vince’s arrival.

Nym carefully eased Zero back onto the bed, and pulled the covers atop his body, tucking him in, and placing a soft, lingering kiss to a forehead. “Perhaps I’ll see you again sometime, dear Harmony.” Standing up straight, he allowed his own fingers to drift to her head, joining Zero’s own in combing her tuft of softer quills, before his touch grew distant, and his form dispersed in the scattering of crimson cubes and glitches. His voice, a final echo throughout the room.

“I might just be an illusion. But I still love him as if I hadn’t perished at all that fateful day. Please watch over him for me...and for the rest of our pack......”

The sound of jingling could be heard after a faint knock, Vince using a key, gifted to him by none other than the sick man in bed, to unlock the door and allow himself entrance. There was a bag slung over a shoulder, and warmed food was contained inside. Enough for Harmony and Zero alike, freshly made, having already been simmering the entire day.

The door was shut behind the feline, Vince walking in as if he’d been there a thousand times before, the white cane left by the door as he traversed to the kitchen. He knew the place like the back of his hand, every corner accounted for, the layout as fresh in mind as if someone had drawn him a map. The hot food was pulled free from his bag and set out atop the kitchen counter, rice, soup, and freshly made, still warm bread. All easy on the stomach, and fortified with vitamins, minerals, and nutrition. The medicine was also set out, his tail flicking back and forth as he got to work setting up bowls for the two others inhabiting the apartment.

The bread was sliced evenly, and the fridge opened. The soft ‘tsk tsk tsk’ of the feline could be heard as he emptied the remaining containers from his bag into the fridge itself after a quick feel with fingers revealed how empty it was, tupperware full of easy to heat food, and grapes set inside.