A World Painted Red

An Eddsworld AU Sometimes the only way to save what you love is to become the bad guy; no one knows this better than Tord. But when he comes back to face the consequences for the friendship he broke, it's more than some vile memories that's come with him. This is the story of how the world was almost painted red...  Things You Should Know / Behind the Curtain

[rocket-sith]

Reblog if you write fic and people can inbox you random-ass questions about your stories, itemized number lists be damned.

[grimreaperchibi]

Okay, so now that I’m not brain dead tired and a zombie from stress, I should probably make a Tumblr Imminent Death post. 

First of all, I want to state that while I have not had anything (that I am aware of) flagged or muted or all the other bullshit a lot of people have had happen to them, I’m not convinced I would survive the upcoming purge either. I willingly mark a lot of my stuff not safe, mostly because language and adult situations. Writing is supposed to be okay, but this mass censorship/purge is really just the bell tolling before the dead are brought out.

Now, what does that mean for my blogging future?

Well, immediately, nothing. I’m not deleting my blog/sideblogs (provided any survives the initial purge), but as anyone can tell, I haven’t exactly been active in over six months. A lot of irl bullshit piled up over the summer (sickness/moving/work problems/family problems) and I’m still sorting through the mess for salvageable shit. I simply don’t have the energy to keep up with a steady online presence at the moment.

But since I’m a pessimist at heart, here’s the emergency contact list:

AO3 : Grimreaperchibi Still posting fic, just doing it at an even slower pace than before… It’s going to become kind of my central posting area.

Discord: Grimreaperchibi#5243 I’m not really active here, but I also don’t really have a reason to be, either. Pretty good for messaging and sharing, though.

Twitter: Duo Gråleder, @grimreaperchibi Just getting started here, so nothing there yet, though I’m hoping to do more later.

And that’s about it. Good luck to all, and thanks for the fish!

[painted-red]

As far as continuing Painted Red:

This project will come back to life at some point. I have a lot of notes, I have a lot of plans, I just have no energy to follow through at the moment.

In the case of deletion, this will continue as a standard story on AO3. It was always part of my overall plan to condense the blog down and post it, I was just hoping to do something more interactive for the story building.

It’s been a lot of fun regardless of how this all turns out, and I thank you all for coming this far with me. I appreciate it more than words will ever express!

[painted-red]

Sorry for the lack of updates.

This month has been awful. Between work, being sick, and trying to move, I haven't had the energy to keep up with this blog. Please excuse the short hiatus while I try to get my life back in order.

[painted-red]

Edd, Matt, or Tom: How was movie night?

Tom yawns widely as he gropes for his quietly humming phone. It takes a few tries before his hand works properly enough that he can fumble it into his possession. He stares bleary eyed a few moments, confused by the gibberish he sees, before realizing he's holding his phone upside down. When he can finally read the message properly, Tom surveys the diaster zone that is Edd's livingroom. The coffee table is spilling over with leftovers from the night before. A veritable army of cola cans takes up one side while several Smirnoff bottles line up on the other, flanking the mess of wrappers and partially empty candy boxes that's been crammed in between. There's popcorn all over the floor from throwing it both at the television and each other, a couple suspicious looking dark spots on the carpet, and what could very well be a puddle of cat puke from where Ringo got into something he shouldn't have. Edd's snoring at the other end of the couch, head resting against the backrest at an angle that guarantees a sore neck later. Matt's using Edd's shoulder as a pillow and drooling slightly, one of his long legs thrown across Tom's lap. Daylight seeps around the blinds, bright enough to be late morning or early afternoon.Tom smiles. "I think it went pretty good, actually."

[painted-red]

I know you're concerned about your friends' safety. Would you consider passing along the message that they're in danger? They might be able to help, or at least be more aware of their surroundings, if they had a little context to do so...

“I doubt even with the warning they would be more observant than usual, which is to say not,” Tord says dryly. “But I do have a meeting with Matt set up. Even though I have little information to pass on, I might be able to impress upon him the importance of trying.”

[painted-red]

Hey, most of us here are pretty benevolent, Tord, so I doubt you have much to worry about: Speaking of worry about, what you plan on doing about the mysterious and suspicious figures you keep seeing everywhere--? How you even going to find them?

“For now I can do nothing except prepare, be vigilant and cautious.” Tord starts putting his tools away. “They have already found me, so it is only a matter of time before they make a move. I merely have to be patient.”

[painted-red]

Think of us as concerned and curious friendly... Pseudo parents and friends of the intangible sort.

“I lead an entire army; I do not need parental guidance,” Tord replies flatly. “And friendship is earned, not given. That’s why I’m not asking the others to take me back.”

He chews on his thumbnail, considering the message with a hard look on his face. “...I would ask if this is a trick, but I suppose it matters little. You already have too much information, too many connections, and I have no choice but to believe what you say without proof otherwise. I tell you this, though. If I even suspect you of endangering any of what I care for, I will be your personal hell on earth.”

[painted-red]

Pretty much the whole gang tbh. Matt, Tom, Edd-- even Paul and Pat on occasion.

Tord sits stunned for a minute, trying to account for all the implications. “I figured you would talk to Paul and Patryck. They were here when it first started, after all. Our phones are connected. But to also be in contact with...”

He falls quiet again. “Who are you?” he asks softly to himself. “And what do I do about it now?”

[painted-red]

Tord, what is your fondest memory with Edd, Matt, and possibly even Tom?

“My fondest memory is of the summertime Water Wars,” Tord says with a small smile. “As soon as someone mentioned how ungodly hot it was, we’d start trying to ‘cool them off’ by dumping water on each other. Edd usually cheated by using the garden hose, Matt always used water balloons, and I preferred my modified super soakers. Tom liked buckets and drenching us while we slept despite bedrooms being safe spaces.”

[cleverclovers]

@painted-red updated and I felt like coloring today so in honor of both, I hope you enjoy! Thank you @grimreaperchibi for creating such an engaging AU

Links ( ˘ ³˘)♥

💙 Patreon 💙 Redbubble 💙 tips and donations 💙

[painted-red]

It looks amazing! It’s been amazing from the start and I really do appreciate the care and time you’ve put into this. Thank you so much for this wonderful piece of art!  <3

[painted-red]

Chapter Three - cont.

Movie night went better than expected. With a surprisingly minimal amount of prodding, Edd managed to convince Tom to join them. Though he still looked rather rough around the edges and was drinking throughout, he still heckled the screen for poor special effects even as Matt ooh-ed and ahh-ed in return. They all ate their fair share of the popcorn and snacks, drank their fair share of drinks, and the coffee table was suitably overburdened with leftovers from both by the time the movie was done.

It felt nice. It felt normal. Edd hadn't realized how awkward and unsettled things had become until the credits started rolling. First Tord coming back, then Tom's drinking going out of control again, Matt's odd thoughtfulness when conversations lulled, and the weird messages that kept showing up on the phone... Edd wanted to ask if either Matt or Tom had received any, but felt loathe to break the current spell of normalcy. He was tired of thinking about all the (even for them) weird things that kept happening. So instead, he asked,

"Anyone up for a double feature?"

"Sure!" Matt chirped, reaching for another box of red vines.

"Can the next one have a decent amount of gore this time?" Tom asked. "And turn the camp up, too."

"There was plenty of gore in the last one," Matt replied

"It had a body count, not limbs getting sawed off. It hardly counts."

Smiling as his friends continued to argue over the end credit music, Edd searched through the movie collection.  "One special feature with over-the-top gore and a total lack of self awareness coming right up."

The best movie for the criteria set would have be something from the Insane Zombie Pirates from Hell series, but the line-up had lost some of it's appeal since the whole house getting blown up ordeal. Edd had still replaced them within their extensive library, if only because it was so odd not to have them on the shelf. They hadn't been touched since, however, still in their original packaging with price tags and everything. He wondered for a half second, as always, if Tord still watched the series before skipping over to something else.

After even more arguing between the three of them, an agreement was finally reached. Those Two Guys Vs the Evil Thing was popped into the dvd player and another round of popcorn got thrown into the microwave while the disc queued up.

Edd grabbed a cola from the fridge and took a moment to appreciate the sight of his two best friends on the couch, discussing the merits of different blood substitutes and distribution methods. This had definitely been one of his better ideas in a while, even if it did bring up the phantom thought of Tord once more. Edd firmly pushed it to the side as he dumped the new bag of popcorn into a bowl and grabbed the remote.

"Budge over, Tom, you're hogging the whole couch."

Things rolled along smoothly until an insistent buzzing picked up in the middle of the first set of deaths.

"Matt, you know the rules. Turn off your bloody phone already," Edd said, lightly nudging his friend with one foot.

Matt fumbled the phone out of his hoodie pocket to frown at the screen, then did the opposite of turn it off. He rolled to his feet with a mumbled, "Sorry, I have to take this," before disappearing further into the apartment.

Both Edd and Tom watched their third walk off, already talking brightly into the device as if he hadn't just abandoned one of the better pieces of cinema ever created.

"What do you think that's all about...?" Tom asked.

"I don't know," Edd replied, a feeling of unease starting to crawl up his spine. "Should we pause the show?"

"Nah. He wants to talk through the best part of the film, let him. We can eat his share of the popcorn instead." Tom might have been able to refocus on the movie, but Edd couldn't. Pieces of Matt's conversation kept catching his attention. Pleasantries. Relief. Something about a meeting. Concern. Assurances. And then Matt was hanging up, the whole thing done and over with in mere minutes.

"So what's up?" Edd asked when Matt reclaimed his spot on the couch.

"Nothing much. Just a friend wanting to meet up."

The oddly short response had both Tom and Edd staring at him. "...anyone we know?"

Matt shrugged. "Oh, just an old acquaintance. You've met them before. It's just been a while." "This wouldn't happen to be one of your fake girlfriends, is it?" Tom asked with a jeer.

"Excuse you. I don't have to take guff from someone who makes out with their bass."

"You leave Susan out of this."

"Okay, okay, enough." Edd held out his hand, making a grabby motion with it. "House rules, Matt. No phone during the movie. You have to pay a penalty--"

"I'll buy you two cases of cola," Matt interrupted.

"Think you can bribe your way out of this one, huh?" Edd asked. Matt just waited patiently. "Well, you're right. Make it three cases and I won't flush your phone down the toilet."

"Deal."

"If you two are done, can we get back to the movie?" Tom asked. "Now that we've missed most of it and everything."

Grabbing up the remote again, Edd skipped back the handful of scenes they'd missed and let the movie start rolling again. And though the veil of normalcy once more descended over them all as the second movie rolled into an all night affair, there was something false to it this time that Edd couldn't pin down even at 2 AM after both Matt and Tom had passed out where they sat.

[painted-red]

Tord, Tom believes that you are megalomaniac, What do you say about that? (I know you aren't, I just want to hear your thoughts about it.)

"I'd say the drunk was finally paying attention to something." Tord shakes his head, rubbing at his scars again. "It also means I did my job well when I left them the second time, if he really believes that. Being power hungry is amazingly easy to play at, but it becomes unnecessarily dramatic quickly. I was always afraid it came off as more Saturday cartoon villain than believable betrayal. I'm glad to hear the worry was for nothing."He pauses, then grabs the phone up. "Wait, you've been talking to Tom? Does that mean you've been in contact with Edd and Matt as well? Who else?"

[painted-red]

Tord, have you ever thought about different versions of yourself? For example, the one Tord that never went to the army and lived out the rest of his days with his friends, or the one Tord where you take over most of the world out of pure hunger for power?

“Different versions of myself...” Tord muses. “You mean like branching paths, alternate universes, paradox realities? Yes, I’ve thought about it; it’s an interesting, if not somewhat futile, thought experiment. If one tweak somewhere could change everything, or change nothing at all... It would be nice to believe that somewhere there is a version of this hell that turns out right. I just do not have the will to believe such a thing.”

[painted-red]

Tom, do you sometimes wish things could of/ would be different between you and Tord?

Tom glares at his phone. “Tord was always an asshole, through and through. Nothing can change that. Maybe if he’d lost some of that smug dickishness of his, things would have been different between us, but that didn’t happen. It got worse instead when he decided to add megalomania to the list of ways to be a complete bastard. The only thing I wish is that he’d stayed away permanently.”

[painted-red]

Hey Matt, what is it you're doing, these days? How'd you handle the sudden change?

Matt looks anxiously to his phone when it pings with a new message, slightly disappointed that it’s not the one he’s been expecting. He shakes it off quickly, once more focusing on his hair in the bathroom mirror.

“Things have been good! Right now I’m preparing for a movie night; we haven’t had one of those in a long time. We’re supposed to meet at Edd’s here soon for that and I’ve been gathering snacks. Oh! And we finally convinced Tom to come to it, too, so it should be a lot of fun. Other than that, not much has been happening.

“Still waiting for a friend to call, though. Other than that, things have been pretty quiet. I hope he calls soon. I’m starting to get worried about him.”

[painted-red]

Tord, if you could change any part of your life, what would it be--? If anything.

“Change something?” Tord laughs quietly, voice strained. “There is so much that I would wish changed. Not join the Red Army. Everything I did while Red Leader. That I had not left my friends in the first place. But... If I had not joined, there would have been another body who did. If I had not been Red Leader, another would have been assigned the position. If I had never left, who knows if the madness that was the Red Army’s plan for the world would have been stopped, of if we’d all be thralls to her by now instead.

“I wish things could be changed. So much would be undone if it was, however, and that would never be a risk I could take.”

[painted-red]

Okay, this may seem out of the blue but I have my reasons for asking this, I swear. Sorry if this was talked about already but is your robot arm waterproof or nah?? Would you have to take it off if u wanted to shower or smthn??

“The ESEF is water resistant,” Tord replies, still rubbing at his scars but not as intensely, “but only up to a point. It won’t short out in the rain or during quick swimming stints, but it will malfunction if heavily drenched or submerged for an extended period of time. Though that’s usually has more to do with the electro gel helping it interface with the rest of my arm washing away than mechanical failure.

“In any case, I wouldn’t wear if in the shower to begin with; my arm functions adequately enough I don’t need it for such things. The frame was designed for power, so everyday use is not it’s strong point. Most days, I wish they had just taken the whole bloody thing off and been done with it. Even a poorly built robotic arm would be an improvement over what I was left with.”