#((lore drop!))

In the Shadows of our Secrets

Everyone has a secret or two that they’d like to keep from even the closest people in their lives. The new 5th year - now a 6th year - is no different.

6th year Valeria often sneaks out in the dead of night searching for secrets. Secrets that will give her answers on how to control the raging ancient magic crammed within her. But these secrets can hurt, can haunt. It could compromise the people she loved and held dear.

How’d you two even meet? And what’s it like knowing giant mutant-humanoid turtles exist and aren’t science-fiction bullshit?

Leo: So… Harley and I met at probably one of the wildest times of my life. About a year and a half ago, I was ambushed by the Foot Clan. The Shredder, who we had thought defeated, returned with a vengeance, with the intent to end us all. Luckily we escaped, but barely. By the time we reached Casey’s Grandma’s old farmhouse, we were battered, broken, and I was very close to death myself. I ended up being in a coma for about three days. And it’s where I got many of the scars I still carry, like the ones on my jaws and over my eye. I think that’s why Harley isn’t fond of telling the story because she helped treat a lot of them when they were new wounds. It wasn’t pretty, let me tell you.

Harley is Casey’s cousin, she lives out at the farm on her own— and suffice to say, she wasn’t expecting our sort of company to show up on her porch midwinter and bleeding all over her couch. Understandably it was a lot to adjust to, for all of us. But Harley took on the role of…. Looking out for us, for me. She didn’t have to be nice to us or cook, or make the beds, but she did. To this day I still don’t know how she took our whole…. situation so calmly. Most humans completely freak…

She woke the earliest out of habit, so when my health finally started improving after those first few days, Harley was the one who took care of me in the early hours when everyone was taking shifts making sure I didn’t…yknow, slip back into a coma and die. She made sure the fire didn’t go out, that I took my medicine, drank water, changed my bandages. I remember a lot of really quiet mornings where her stirring by the hearth to get it going again would wake me and we’d talk a little. It was the briefest shift but looking back…I think I looked forward to the….anonymity of chatting with someone who, at the time, was a stranger. Who I only saw in the few quiet hours before dawn. There wasn’t any heaviness when we spoke.

Leo: “Honestly, I didn’t think she liked me much at first. I know I felt like a burden, but despite how much trouble we’d been by dropping unannounced into her life, she never treated me like a burden. I’d lost my honor, my home, my swords. And I felt like a massive failure at the time. She never made me feel like I’d failed though… she didn’t know me, she barely even seemed like she felt much of anything at all, but she genuinely just wanted me to get better, that was her only expectation.”

Harley: “It’s still my only real expectation; You taking care of yourself.”

Leo: “How did you stay so calm about us and the whole….mutant turtle situation anyway?”

Harley: “I dunno... I like turtles, they’re cute. And you all looked really sad and cold out in the snow.”

Leo: “That’s your reasoning~?”

Harley: “That’s all the reason I needed.”

Leo: “Of course.” 🩵

Wears blood red armor with the royal crest on his chest

Owns a white sword, made of a gleaming meteorite rock that is stronger than steel.

Does not draw this sword often, he does not speak about it EVER. No one knows where he got it, or what its name is, although the many songs have speculated a great deal of titles.

He has a short sword side arm he uses in the vast majority of cases, and his skill is beyond reproach, easily dispatching a half dozen men by himself.

Has a shield but does not favor it, preferring to rely on agility and winning fast versus tiring his opponents out.

Has been called "Deathknight" because of his favored steed, a white horse, and his many victories. He has slain many hundreds.

Refused the throne of his own free will, trusts Dirk will supply an heir and it will never be his responsibility.

Ser Karkat Vantas of Crimson Hill

Is poor

Like rrrrrreally poor

The only lands his family is entitled to is basically six farms and a tiny pier, they barely collect enough taxes to satisfy the crown.

Karkat spent his childhood tilling the farm alongside his training as a knight, and as such has never felt like a true noble.

He was taught courtesy and courtly manners, but chooses to not use them, finding the rich way of life despicable. Hates that richer houses look down on him.

Is very comfortable with farming equipment, to the point he tried to use a sickle in a fight.

Didn't go well.

Uses a sword, but is much stronger in unarmed melee, a close combat specialist.

His sigil is a bleeding scar, and he wears smoke grey armor with dark, blood red linens and wool.

so i’ve mentioned that i have an ultrakill AU called ULTRAKILL: NULL OUROBOROS, but what is the AU actually about? here i will explain the basic plot and important stuff of this AU for those that are curious <3 buckle up, cuz this is kinda a lot.

uk:no is an Earthmover-centric ultrakill AU that puts my takes on how earthmovers were during the Final War, what kinds of earthmovers there were, and how they got to Hell. the AU is split into three sagas: the Final War saga, the Hell saga, and the Revival saga.