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RP BLOG FOR @PATHETICNYAS

[atomiclalna]

@y0urendisnigh:

“Y-You’re… You’re not mad at me?” Nimbus asks in disbelief, tears still pouring down their face, Mixtape rubbing against them and licking their petals, purring.

They wipe at their damp cheeks, sobs dying down to sniffles.

“But you could have d-” they stop mid-sentence.  They don’t want to say what they mean, it’s just too much.

“You could have gotten really hurt,” they finish.

“Of course I’m not mad at you!” Lalna leans back somewhat, taken aback, then resumes the hug. “There’s no way I’d be mad at you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

He smiles. “I’m not hurt, am I? Sure, it was a little scary–” he may as well be honest about it “–but I’m fine, and so is everyone else!” He manages to bite back an “I think”, not wanting to worry Nimbus more. He needed to be confident that things were fine, which was something he had a good amount of practice in. Even if about half of it was denial on a good day.

“Come on,” he encourages. “Maybe next time you can come visit me at my base! Nano would like to meet you, I bet.” And it was less likely for something to go horribly wrong, he hoped.

[y0urendisnigh]

Nimbus gently paws at their eyes, flicking their tears away.  They laugh softly as Mixtape firmly nudges up against them with yet more licks and nibbles.

“I think, I think I would like that,” they say quietly, closing their eyes tightly as they lean into the hug.

[showyourenergy]

crystal toyko;

[showyourenergy]

@y0urendisnigh:

At this, Nigh sits on the cold, glass floor, and curls in on himself.  He doesn’t even notice when he starts floating off the ground, ears pressed flat against his head.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, rather than what he wants to say, which is somewhere along the lines of ‘I’m not sure my best is a good thing considering my job as a god is to end things, to cut things short’.

RR steps closer to Nigh and pulls him into a hug, folding his wings around him as he does. “you look like you need one,” he explains, somewhat shy. Now that he’s in direct contact with Nigh, though, he can sense something… bothering him. He frowns a little, puzzled, as he tries to place it. It’s like something lingering. 

This weird discussion seems to be only the tiniest bit of the iceberg over the waterline.

“what brought all this on?” he tries. Nigh seems to keep skirting around it, and to be honest RR can’t find it in himself to blame him. “seriously, the kids were freaked out, youre bein’ all down outta nowhere…” He releases the hug, but keeps one hand resting on Nigh’s shoulder. “if y’need me to fight somebody on yer behalf, i will. like, thats something ill do.”

[y0urendisnigh]

Nigh lets out a sudden, shrill laugh, unfurling enough for his face to be visible.

“RR, now, I don’t doubt your ability to kick people’s asses, but I don’t think my inner demons have anything for you to kick,” he says, relaxing into the hug.  “It’s just the seasonal depression, anyway.”

But as the embrace continues, it becomes more and more apparent that something is deeply wrong.  Only a faint hum, something within Nigh and his bubble pulses irregularly.  It feels like unmedicated anxiety, like the deep dark expanse of the ocean, a puddle of shiny, slick oil on concrete.  It feels like arachnophobia.

Nigh doesn’t seem to notice.

[i-see-light-blog]

Character Development Questions: Hard Mode

Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

Does your character remember names or faces easier?

Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

What does your character like in other people?

What does your character dislike in other people?

How quick is your character to trust someone else?

How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

How does your character behave around children?

How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

How does your character behave around people they like?

How does your character behave around people they dislike?

Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

[atomiclalna]

@y0urendisnigh:

Nimbus struggles weakly, now openly weeping as Mixtape scurries to join in on the embrace.

“But - but - I’m the one who messed up! I’m the -” sob “- the, the one who lied to you! I - I -”

“I’m the one who told you he could be trusted!”

Oh. So that’s why Nimbus is upset. They’d been telling Lalna that Nigh would help him out, that he was friendly and wouldn’t do him any harm, except as soon as he actually got to meet Nigh it had ended in a fight, at least three freakouts, and him having to flee for his own safety.

Yikes.

Lalna bites his bottom lip. Well, this was a pretty bad situation. How to fix it? If only he could take a spanner to conversations like he could with malfunctioning machines. That would make his life about ten times easier. “Well, you didn’t really lie to me, you just… didn’t think that would happen.” He pats the flower gently. “And it’s not like you knew your dad might freak out because of me. Or the other me.”

How the heck had Digger even ended up there, anyhow? From what he’d been able to piece together, it sounded like Nigh had… stolen him? Lalna doubted Nigh pulled the clone out of a hat just for the purpose of interrogating them, though. Instead, it felt more like Lalna had blundered his way into the middle of a situation with no idea what was going on, which was par for the course.

“…what I’m trying to say is, it’s not your fault.” Lalna sighs. Well, looks like that’s another thing he needs to bring up to Nigh– ‘hey, your kid is traumatized and feels guilty because you attacked me even though they kept saying you’re chill, you should probably talk to them about that’.

[y0urendisnigh]

“Y-You’re... You’re not mad at me?” Nimbus asks in disbelief, tears still pouring down their face, Mixtape rubbing against them and licking their petals, purring.

They wipe at their damp cheeks, sobs dying down to sniffles.

“But you could have d-” they stop mid-sentence.  They don’t want to say what they mean, it’s just too much.

“You could have gotten really hurt,” they finish.

[showyourenergy]

crystal toyko;

[showyourenergy]

@y0urendisnigh:

“Hrrgh…”

Nigh fidgets somewhat, looking to be in conflict with himself as he debates something.  He raises his hands again, putting assorted rubble back into its place.  He’s silent for what seems to be an eternity before he speaks again.

“RR, do you ever….regret being a god?”

“…huh?”

Well, that’s not what he was expecting. RR stares at Nigh as he processes his question, then looks down at his hands as he interlocks his fingers. “well, uh…”

Does he? …Maybe a little. He puts a lot of responsibility on himself. He tries to make everyone happy. And yet, somehow, despite having the ability to do so much, he also hardly has the ability to do anything. Or, at least, he rarely seems to be able to do anything that matters.

What’s the point of being a god if you’re useless?

“kinda, yeh.” He stares at his feet, tail swaying from side to side. “sometimes i think everything’d be better off if it was literally anybody but me.” RR tilts his head a little to glance at Nigh again. “but like, it’s gotta be me, yeah? i’m here fer a reason, even if it doesn’t make much sense that it’s me and not somebody that’s actually like… competent.”

He hesitates. “…what happened, nigh?”

[y0urendisnigh]

“I just think it would…probably have been better if I wasn’t a god.  Or hell, even just not existing at all.”

He sighs, lowering his hands to hold his arm tightly.

“I’m just worried.  About the kids.  About…everything.  I wish there was some sorta instruction manual for this.  Though, I’ve never been one to follow the rules anyway,” he chuckles dryly.

[showyourenergy]

RR doesn’t really know what to say. He’d love to cheer Nigh up, but… this is the sort of topic he can’t just fix with a funny meme or a distraction. He shifts his weight from foot to foot, tapping the floor a little with one paw, as he thinks about what to say. 

“i like that you exist,” he says in a very small voice. “i mean, shits rough, but im glad yer here n’ my friend.” He busies his hands with preening his wings, quietly cursing himself for being so goddamn fidgety when he’s anxious. At least he hasn’t started plucking feathers yet.

“n’, yeh, havin’ some sorta guide to what we gotta do would be… pretty great. but we’ve been making it work,” he looks up at Nigh, “right?” He hopes so, at least. To be perfectly honest with himself, RR isn’t sure. “we’ve been doin’ th’ best we can with what weve got.”

[y0urendisnigh]

At this, Nigh sits on the cold, glass floor, and curls in on himself.  He doesn’t even notice when he starts floating off the ground, ears pressed flat against his head. 

“Thanks,” he mumbles, rather than what he wants to say, which is somewhere along the lines of ‘I’m not sure my best is a good thing considering my job as a god is to end things, to cut things short’.

[atomiclalna]

@y0urendisnigh:

Nimbus seems to snap out of it a little bit at the question.

“I’m fine!  I mean…I don’t know.  I don’t know,” they say, angry at first, then sad.

Mixtape meows in distress, and Nimbus sighs, smiling weakly.

“I’m fine, I promise,” they say - even if they do want to talk about it, it seems they don’t want to worry the tall man.

Oh my god Mixtape meows. Lalna takes note of this, then redirects himself back to the task at hand. Hearing Nimbus angry overshadows more evidence of Mixtape being a very weird cat.

“Did something happen with your dad?” he asks, somewhat blunt. He knows the answer is ‘yes’. He also knows that Nimbus is trying to avoid the topic. But… they’re just a kid. The fact that they’re already lying about their feelings to avoid problems isn’t a good sign. “I’m not going to get upset,” Lal adds in a softer voice. “If that’s what you’re worried about, I mean. It’s kind of my fault, I think, so I’m gonna try and fix it.”

[y0urendisnigh]

Nimbus starts to protest once more, but seems to freeze up when the man says he won’t get mad.  They stop their walking abruptly.  They shudder, shivers passing through their small body.

A few hiccups escape their mouth, but they desperately try to keep the sobs in their throat.  They try to sputter out words, but it just comes out garbled, illegible as they balance attempting to talk with not making any noises at all.  Mixtape beeps worriedly.

[atomiclalna]

BABY IS CRYING, WHAT DO. Lalna stammers, looking around as if hoping anyone will give him instructions on what to do, then sets Mixtape down and hugs Nimbus. “H- Hey, don’t cry, uh, it’s– it’s okay, please don’t cry…” 

Things Lalna is not good at: children, people crying, reassuring people, all of the above at once. He really wishes Nano was here. Xe’d probably know what to do. But… xe wasn’t here, so he had to figure this out on his own.

“It’s okay,” he repeats awkwardly. “It’s– whatever happened, it’s over now, right? So everything’s okay, and I just… I just gotta apologise to your dad for screwing things up.”

[y0urendisnigh]

Nimbus struggles weakly, now openly weeping as Mixtape scurries to join in on the embrace.

“But - but - I’m the one who messed up! I’m the -” sob “- the, the one who lied to you! I - I -”

“I’m the one who told you he could be trusted!”

[showyourenergy]

crystal toyko;

[showyourenergy]

@y0urendisnigh:

“Hrrgh…”

Nigh fidgets somewhat, looking to be in conflict with himself as he debates something.  He raises his hands again, putting assorted rubble back into its place.  He’s silent for what seems to be an eternity before he speaks again.

“RR, do you ever….regret being a god?”

“…huh?”

Well, that’s not what he was expecting. RR stares at Nigh as he processes his question, then looks down at his hands as he interlocks his fingers. “well, uh…”

Does he? …Maybe a little. He puts a lot of responsibility on himself. He tries to make everyone happy. And yet, somehow, despite having the ability to do so much, he also hardly has the ability to do anything. Or, at least, he rarely seems to be able to do anything that matters.

What’s the point of being a god if you’re useless?

“kinda, yeh.” He stares at his feet, tail swaying from side to side. “sometimes i think everything’d be better off if it was literally anybody but me.” RR tilts his head a little to glance at Nigh again. “but like, it’s gotta be me, yeah? i’m here fer a reason, even if it doesn’t make much sense that it’s me and not somebody that’s actually like… competent.”

He hesitates. “…what happened, nigh?”

[y0urendisnigh]

“I just think it would...probably have been better if I wasn’t a god.  Or hell, even just not existing at all.”

He sighs, lowering his hands to hold his arm tightly.

“I’m just worried.  About the kids.  About...everything.  I wish there was some sorta instruction manual for this.  Though, I’ve never been one to follow the rules anyway,” he chuckles dryly.

[atomiclalna]

@y0urendisnigh:

Nimbus seems to snap out of it a little bit at the question.

“I’m fine!  I mean…I don’t know.  I don’t know,” they say, angry at first, then sad.

Mixtape meows in distress, and Nimbus sighs, smiling weakly.

“I’m fine, I promise,” they say - even if they do want to talk about it, it seems they don’t want to worry the tall man.

Oh my god Mixtape meows. Lalna takes note of this, then redirects himself back to the task at hand. Hearing Nimbus angry overshadows more evidence of Mixtape being a very weird cat.

“Did something happen with your dad?” he asks, somewhat blunt. He knows the answer is ‘yes’. He also knows that Nimbus is trying to avoid the topic. But… they’re just a kid. The fact that they’re already lying about their feelings to avoid problems isn’t a good sign. “I’m not going to get upset,” Lal adds in a softer voice. “If that’s what you’re worried about, I mean. It’s kind of my fault, I think, so I’m gonna try and fix it.”

[y0urendisnigh]

Nimbus starts to protest once more, but seems to freeze up when the man says he won’t get mad.  They stop their walking abruptly.  They shudder, shivers passing through their small body.

A few hiccups escape their mouth, but they desperately try to keep the sobs in their throat.  They try to sputter out words, but it just comes out garbled, illegible as they balance attempting to talk with not making any noises at all.  Mixtape beeps worriedly.

[showyourenergy]

crystal toyko;

[showyourenergy]

@y0urendisnigh:

Nigh shrugs and waves it off, smiling.

“Don’t worry about it.  Like you said, it was just some partycrashin!  Got a little out of hand is all,” he explains half-heartedly.

He raises his hands up into the air, and as he does so, so do the glass shards from the water, dripping as they float - fitting into each jigsaw pieces, they form seamlessly together into the floor, as if nothing had ever happened to it.

“So, whatcha here for?”

“right, right.” RR hums a little. Is it just him, or does Nigh look a little different than usual..? Maybe he just changed how he does his hair. It’s not that RR’s unobservant, it’s just that change blindness is a hell of a thing. 

He crouches down to look at the floor, then tilts his head to the side as Nigh asks him a question. “i’m… kinna bored,” he admits. “and i wanted t’see if you were okay. ‘cause, y’know, surprise visit from nimbs and mix.” The winged shape straightens up and chews on his hand absent-mindedly. “nimbs didn’t say what happened, but it looks like it’s s’all good now at least?”

Wait. Something is off. RR pauses, his idle train of thought screeching to a halt, and looks Nigh over. “…what’s up with yer eye?” He taps his face, just below his left eye, to indicate what exactly he’s talking about. 

[y0urendisnigh]

Nigh tenses up immediately at the question.

“My eye?  Oh, heterochromia!  Isn’t it pretty?  I’m going for a new look!  Anyway, uhh, Nimbus and Mixtape!  Did you wanna visit em?  I can call em up here!”

It seems obvious that he’s not exactly fully paying attention to what RR is saying.

[showyourenergy]

Hmm. RR doesn’t totally buy it. Then again, RR himself had decided to switch up his appearance after literally catching fire once, so he can’t really judge Nigh if he really did decide to go for a change of pace.

He likes to think he knows Nigh pretty well, but he also doesn’t want to push the subject if it’s putting him on edge. “sure, why not!” RR shrugs with his wings.

He pauses, then opens his eyes a little and looks to Nigh with concern. Sure, he’d just decided he doesn’t want to push it, but…

“y’know if somethin’s buggin’ ya you can tell me, right?”

[y0urendisnigh]

“Hrrgh...”

Nigh fidgets somewhat, looking to be in conflict with himself as he debates something.  He raises his hands again, putting assorted rubble back into its place.  He’s silent for what seems to be an eternity before he speaks again.

“RR, do you ever....regret being a god?”

[showyourenergy]

crystal toyko;

[showyourenergy]

@y0urendisnigh:

Nigh shrugs and waves it off, smiling.

“Don’t worry about it.  Like you said, it was just some partycrashin!  Got a little out of hand is all,” he explains half-heartedly.

He raises his hands up into the air, and as he does so, so do the glass shards from the water, dripping as they float - fitting into each jigsaw pieces, they form seamlessly together into the floor, as if nothing had ever happened to it.

“So, whatcha here for?”

“right, right.” RR hums a little. Is it just him, or does Nigh look a little different than usual..? Maybe he just changed how he does his hair. It’s not that RR’s unobservant, it’s just that change blindness is a hell of a thing. 

He crouches down to look at the floor, then tilts his head to the side as Nigh asks him a question. “i’m… kinna bored,” he admits. “and i wanted t’see if you were okay. ‘cause, y’know, surprise visit from nimbs and mix.” The winged shape straightens up and chews on his hand absent-mindedly. “nimbs didn’t say what happened, but it looks like it’s s’all good now at least?”

Wait. Something is off. RR pauses, his idle train of thought screeching to a halt, and looks Nigh over. “…what’s up with yer eye?” He taps his face, just below his left eye, to indicate what exactly he’s talking about. 

[y0urendisnigh]

Nigh tenses up immediately at the question.

“My eye?  Oh, heterochromia!  Isn’t it pretty?  I’m going for a new look!  Anyway, uhh, Nimbus and Mixtape!  Did you wanna visit em?  I can call em up here!”

It seems obvious that he’s not exactly fully paying attention to what RR is saying.

[atomiclalna]

@y0urendisnigh:

Mixtape happily curls up in Lalna’s arms, kneading at the sleeves of the lab coat and purring.

“Papa says…um…  He says that if something is meant to come here, it will.  I dunno what that means though,” Nimbus tries to explain.

“I was really happy to get anything from you!  And I’m glad you like what papa got for you!”

They pause for a moment, face falling.

“I guess we should get going,” they say before turning around and heading down a small path, looking behind them to see if Lalna is following.

Lalna can be pretty dense when it comes to social interaction– kind of the side effect of being a) autistic and b) isolated from people for several years save for occasional run-ins. He’s still able to pick up on the mood shift, and takes a moment to think about what to say, or if he should say anything at all.

“Are you alright?” he asks, somewhat hesitant, as he follows behind Nimbus. Lal idly pets Mixtape as he walks; the freshling is definitely some sort of weird cat, albeit… bitey… and he’s quite fond of cats, so it’s no surprise he’s taken to the trouble orb so well. And, despite his fear of children (or more specifically fear of being too careless), he’s doing pretty well by his standards around Nimbus, too. Maybe because they’re so different from anything else he’s met?

His train of thought is wandering again. Lalna does his best to re-rail himself. “You don’t have to talk about it,” he adds on, somewhat nervous.

[y0urendisnigh]

Nimbus seems to snap out of it a little bit at the question.

“I’m fine!  I mean...I don’t know.  I don’t know,” they say, angry at first, then sad.

Mixtape meows in distress, and Nimbus sighs, smiling weakly.

“I’m fine, I promise,” they say - even if they do want to talk about it, it seems they don’t want to worry the tall man.

[showyourenergy]

crystal toyko;

RR stretches his hands over his head in what was probably an unnecessary gesture, considering he has no arm muscles to stretch. The movement does cause him flare out his wings, though, nearly hitting Firefly in the face if not for the blossom learning a while ago when to duck. He yawns as he drops his hands down and slumps over, his cyan tongue left poking out somewhat once the yawn finished. It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but RR, the local god of space and avatar of the second Triangle, was bored. And also slacking. That might be the cause of it, actually, but he wasn’t ready to admit it just yet.

The factory echoed with his footsteps as he walked, humming to himself. His surroundings were shades of blue, in stark contrast to his vivid orange fur; the noise of the background machinery was something he’d gotten used to a while ago, as was the slight chill. He could always use a change of pace. Staying in the factory all day wasn’t helping with his restless energy. And, now that he thought about it, he did have something to do…

“Ay yo, FF!” The blossom following him perks up. “I’m gonna see how Nigh’s doing, okay?” The unexpected playdate with Nigh’s kids had been nothing he couldn’t handle, and Firefly had been happy to see Nimbus (although being around Mixtape for long periods of time could be… overwhelming), but he still felt a bit of worry. Especially with the emotional state the two had been in.

He pats the scarf-wearing blossom on the head, tells them “be good!”, then gently tapped the triangle pinned to his bandana. It glowed in tandem with his horns (and his eyes, if he’d had them open), and when RR steps forwards he vanishes from the factory.

If the risk-assessment part of RR’s brain had been awake right now, he probably would’ve gone “hey, wait, is it really a good idea to pop into existence next to my good friend who also may have had an Incident of some sort?”. It’s not awake, though, so RR portals in as close to Nigh as he can manage.

@y0urendisnigh

[y0urendisnigh]

“GAH!” Nigh’s immediate response is to flail his arms, smacking RR straight in the face with a paw.

He immediately realizes who it is and visibly relaxes.

“Oh, it’s just you.  Don’t sneak up on me like that!” he says, giving a nervous chuckle.

Before the portal had opened, he had been attempting to fix the huge hole in the floor he had made during the ‘incident’.  With his break of concentration, there’s a loud splash of glass into the water.

[showyourenergy]

“Ow!” RR doubles over, holding his …nose…? and wincing. “Dang, Nigh! That’s… one way to say hi.” He rubs his face with the back of one hand as the pain fades. He’s not normally this jumpy, right?

“Well, yeah, ‘course it’s me!” He grins a little, showing off a sliver of beartrap teeth. “You been gettin’ visitors lately? Gin done any partycrashin’?” RR winches as he hears the splash. “…Literal crashin’?”

Who the heck would wreck Nigh’s tower? He’s fairly sure Nigh handled it with no problem, though. Although, if Nigh did get attacked somehow, that would explain the kids getting thrown at him and how stressed the kitty seems to be right now… “Do I need to do any literal crashin’?”

[y0urendisnigh]

Nigh shrugs and waves it off, smiling.

“Don’t worry about it.  Like you said, it was just some partycrashin!  Got a little out of hand is all,” he explains half-heartedly.

He raises his hands up into the air, and as he does so, so do the glass shards from the water, dripping as they float - fitting into each jigsaw pieces, they form seamlessly together into the floor, as if nothing had ever happened to it.

“So, whatcha here for?”

[showyourenergy]

crystal toyko;

RR stretches his hands over his head in what was probably an unnecessary gesture, considering he has no arm muscles to stretch. The movement does cause him flare out his wings, though, nearly hitting Firefly in the face if not for the blossom learning a while ago when to duck. He yawns as he drops his hands down and slumps over, his cyan tongue left poking out somewhat once the yawn finished. It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but RR, the local god of space and avatar of the second Triangle, was bored. And also slacking. That might be the cause of it, actually, but he wasn’t ready to admit it just yet.

The factory echoed with his footsteps as he walked, humming to himself. His surroundings were shades of blue, in stark contrast to his vivid orange fur; the noise of the background machinery was something he’d gotten used to a while ago, as was the slight chill. He could always use a change of pace. Staying in the factory all day wasn’t helping with his restless energy. And, now that he thought about it, he did have something to do…

“Ay yo, FF!” The blossom following him perks up. “I’m gonna see how Nigh’s doing, okay?” The unexpected playdate with Nigh’s kids had been nothing he couldn’t handle, and Firefly had been happy to see Nimbus (although being around Mixtape for long periods of time could be… overwhelming), but he still felt a bit of worry. Especially with the emotional state the two had been in.

He pats the scarf-wearing blossom on the head, tells them “be good!”, then gently tapped the triangle pinned to his bandana. It glowed in tandem with his horns (and his eyes, if he’d had them open), and when RR steps forwards he vanishes from the factory.

If the risk-assessment part of RR’s brain had been awake right now, he probably would’ve gone “hey, wait, is it really a good idea to pop into existence next to my good friend who also may have had an Incident of some sort?”. It’s not awake, though, so RR portals in as close to Nigh as he can manage.

@y0urendisnigh

[y0urendisnigh]

“GAH!” Nigh’s immediate response is to flail his arms, smacking RR straight in the face with a paw.

He immediately realizes who it is and visibly relaxes.

“Oh, it’s just you.  Don’t sneak up on me like that!” he says, giving a nervous chuckle.

Before the portal had opened, he had been attempting to fix the huge hole in the floor he had made during the ‘incident’.  With his break of concentration, there’s a loud splash of glass into the water.

[atomiclalna]

@y0urendisnigh:

“I’ll….I’ll bring you to him, if you want,” Nimbus says, though they sound hesitant.

“He’s um…  He’s fine.  For a while, we were living with - with family, and then when we came back, it was like….  It was like nothing happened..”

While they speak, Nimbus paws at Lalna, apparently wanting something.

Nimbus lights up at the mention of the card.

“We got it!  I was so happy, I had thought you had….you….  Papa said he sent you something back, too!”

Lalna picks Mixtape up as he listens to Nimbus. Sounds like something had happened, but whatever it was Nigh hadn’t thought to tell his kids. He could somewhat see where he was coming from. That strange… transformation… Nigh had wasn’t a pretty sight, and he was certain that whatever had happened after he and Digger had bailed had been equally as bad.

He’d learned one thing though, which is that he really, really didn’t want to see Specimen Three upset, because then he would probably be about to die. …He wasn’t sure if it would be by her hand.

“I’m surprised it got here,” Lal says with a chuckle. “I’ve taken to sorta, uh… Well, I found out some weird properties of Ender Chests, so if I need to send something somewhere I just drop it in.” The ‘weird properties’ in question being how, apparently, he– or maybe that younger version of him– had sent a humble potato on a multiversal adventure.

Man his life was weird.

“And, yeah, he did!” Lal taps his new goggles, grinning ear to ear. “He called my old pair a ‘safety hazard’… Although I guess if it’s god-made it’s gonna be impossible to break.” He shrugs, adjusting his hold on Mixtape. “Sorry for not getting you guys anything personal, I wasn’t really sure what you’d like.”

[y0urendisnigh]

Mixtape happily curls up in Lalna’s arms, kneading at the sleeves of the lab coat and purring.

“Papa says...um...  He says that if something is meant to come here, it will.  I dunno what that means though,” Nimbus tries to explain.

“I was really happy to get anything from you!  And I’m glad you like what papa got for you!”

They pause for a moment, face falling.

“I guess we should get going,” they say before turning around and heading down a small path, looking behind them to see if Lalna is following.

[atomiclalna]

@y0urendisnigh:

“But - but -” Nimbus stops, taking a long shuddery breath, fat tears rolling down their petals.  They’re silent for a moment, trying to control their heavy breathing.  The last of their fresh tears fall.

“I’m glad you came back,” they say, almost a whisper.

Mixtape releases Lalna’s arm to rub up against the small flower.

“Do you…um….  Want to see…  Papa?  I - I guess you wouldn’t,” they say, awkwardly, voice still thick with mucus.

“Yeah, uh, I need to talk with your dad.” Lalna tries to give Nimbus an encouraging smile. “I’m not mad at him, promise! I just gotta… ask him some stuff. And I never got to explain the deal with, uh, me.” And the many, many other hims. Sure, Digger had explained some of what was going on, but Digger had also been about to lose his grip on reality from catastrophic amounts of panic.

He pats Mixtape, giving the freshling a warm look. He’s definitely getting fond of the baby plant and trouble orb. Which, out of context, sounds really weird. Either way, he’s happy to see both of them again!

“How is he, anyway? Your dad, I mean.” Did the tower always look like that? Actually, the entire dimension felt different than when he’d been here before. Considering that Nigh was apparently some sort of god, he wasn’t sure if the catboy (which he was absolutely not going to call Nigh to his face) had decided to just fancy it up a little or if something else had happened. “And did you get my card?”

[y0urendisnigh]

“I’ll....I’ll bring you to him, if you want,” Nimbus says, though they sound hesitant.

“He’s um...  He’s fine.  For a while, we were living with - with family, and then when we came back, it was like....  It was like nothing happened..”

While they speak, Nimbus paws at Lalna, apparently wanting something.

Nimbus lights up at the mention of the card.

“We got it!  I was so happy, I had thought you had....you....  Papa said he sent you something back, too!”

[y0urendisnigh]

@atomiclalna:

Lalna shrieks as something latches onto his arm, absolutely sure death has finally come for him. He had a pretty okay life, he guesses. Okay, not really. He just hopes it’ll be over soon because he does not want to see what it looks like when your life flashes before your eyes but you also have your memories and sense of self smashed up with other versions of you–

Oh, wait, it’s Mixtape. It’s Mixtape! Lalna throws his dramatic last will and testament in the garbage and instead happily squeals over the return of the trouble orb. “Mixtape! It’s good to see you too!” Thank god, they seemed to be okay. They’re also still very bitey, and he’s thankful that they aimed for his artificial arm because they are definitely using teeth this time.

“And Nimbus! Hey!” Lalna waves with his arm that isn’t currently being used as a chewtoy. “How’s it going? –Uh oh.” Ohhhh no no no the adorable baby is crying. What’s he supposed to do, again? “Um… there there?” What are the comfort words. Someone help.

Nimbus darts over as fast as they physically can, tumbling over their roots as they go.  They hug Lalna’s leg, latching onto the pant with their clawed leaves, and bury their face into the rough fabric as they sob.

“L-Lalna…  Y-You’re here…  I thought -” hic “I thought I would never see you again…”

They continue to cry, dampening his pants, while Mixtape continues to chew, purr, and happily beep.  It seems they missed him quite a bit.

[atomiclalna]

“Whoa, easy!” Lalna crouches down to do his best to hug Nimbus. How do you hug an emotional plant? He doesn’t know, but he’s trying anyway. “It’s okay, I didn’t get hurt. I’m fine, see? Nothing bad happened to me.”

He’s immediately jumped to the idea that the reason Nimbus is upset is because of the risk of him getting injured after the kids were sent away. Lal has trouble putting himself in other people’s shoes, but he knows for a fact that small children and people not used to him in general don’t do well when getting glimpses of the intense high-risk life he leads.

He does have questions about what exactly happened, but he doesn’t want to put Nimbus through any more emotional strain on top of… seeing their father about to beat the shit out of their new friend. Their father that they’d kept saying was nice and would help him. Oh. That… definitely plays a part on it, doesn’t it.

“I’m fine,” he repeats encouragingly. “I go through stuff like this all the time!”

[y0urendisnigh]

“But - but -” Nimbus stops, taking a long shuddery breath, fat tears rolling down their petals.  They’re silent for a moment, trying to control their heavy breathing.  The last of their fresh tears fall.

“I’m glad you came back,” they say, almost a whisper.

Mixtape releases Lalna’s arm to rub up against the small flower.

“Do you...um....  Want to see...  Papa?  I - I guess you wouldn’t,” they say, awkwardly, voice still thick with mucus.

[y0urendisnigh]

@atomiclalna:

Lalna shrieks as something latches onto his arm, absolutely sure death has finally come for him. He had a pretty okay life, he guesses. Okay, not really. He just hopes it’ll be over soon because he does not want to see what it looks like when your life flashes before your eyes but you also have your memories and sense of self smashed up with other versions of you–

Oh, wait, it’s Mixtape. It’s Mixtape! Lalna throws his dramatic last will and testament in the garbage and instead happily squeals over the return of the trouble orb. “Mixtape! It’s good to see you too!” Thank god, they seemed to be okay. They’re also still very bitey, and he’s thankful that they aimed for his artificial arm because they are definitely using teeth this time.

“And Nimbus! Hey!” Lalna waves with his arm that isn’t currently being used as a chewtoy. “How’s it going? –Uh oh.” Ohhhh no no no the adorable baby is crying. What’s he supposed to do, again? “Um… there there?” What are the comfort words. Someone help.

Nimbus darts over as fast as they physically can, tumbling over their roots as they go.  They hug Lalna’s leg, latching onto the pant with their clawed leaves, and bury their face into the rough fabric as they sob.

“L-Lalna...  Y-You’re here...  I thought -” hic “I thought I would never see you again...”

They continue to cry, dampening his pants, while Mixtape continues to chew, purr, and happily beep.  It seems they missed him quite a bit.