#'i did good right?'

[bxtchboyvicquemare]

Last Wish of a Dying Demigod

Their fight had raged on, flurries of flame and blade passed back and forth. The tarnished had watched in abject horror as Messmer pulled the scarseal out of his eye socket, crushing it and releasing the abyssal serpent that lurked within him. They had watched as he asked his mother for forgiveness and a part of them nearly felt sympathy, but they had little time to dwell on it before the serpent itself was coming for them. 

Messmer was quick, but the tarnished was quicker. With one final blow to his head, they watched his lengthy form crumple at their feet as he cried out, “Mother.. Marika.. A curse upon thee..!”

Standing over him with their blade still held tightly at their side, they watched him silently, waiting for the body of the demigod to disperse into the air as nothing more than dust. 

But it didn’t. His spear fell from his hand, the snakes rooted in his chest moving in a futile frenzy as if they might find a way to bring him back from the edge. He turned his head from where he lay beneath the tarnished, looking vaguely up in their direction, his voice pained and shaking, “Tarnished… mongrel tarnished…” 

They didn’t respond, their eyes remained focused on his face; the grotesque injury from ripping the scarseal out, the blood seeping from the final blow they dealt to his head. It was a curious sight, a demigod dying at their feet. 

“Tarnished,” he repeated, his large hand reaching blindly for them, “Please… do not leave.”

An odd request, surely. They considered him, the pathetic way in which he regarded them, and the thought of ending his misery then and there crossed their mind. Yet something about him, about how harmless and broken he was, bid them to kneel beside him instead.

They were quiet, studying him for a long moment before finally speaking, “What wouldst thou ask of me, Impaler?”

“T’is.. rotten, to die alone.”

The tarnished shifted uncomfortably. For everything they knew of Messmer and the things he had done, they could not help but feel that same twinge of sympathy rising in their chest. The despondent plea was so ill-fitting for a monster such as he, yet it made him seem so human.

“Thou wouldst prefer to die next to the one that has killed thee?”

He managed a mirthless, hollow laugh that seemed to cause him pain as he grimaced, “I have naught else, dearest Tarnished. My family, my mother, have long since forsaken me. I had hoped… my mother…” His voice trailed off as he found himself incapable of finishing the thought. 

“Thou hoped to see thy mother again,” they muttered, finishing the thought for him. The tarnished did not know why they found themselves entrenched in such guilt, such sympathy for such a terrible demigod, but they did. They reached their hand out, slipping it under his head, careful to avoid the wound they had given him mere minutes before. Their action prompted his serpent companions to dart feverishly around their face and their hand, though it seemed the serpents were acutely aware that the tarnished did not intend to bring further harm upon their master. 

Messmer’s body tensed at the sensation of their hand beneath his head, but he made no complaints.

“Yes… but thou needest not pity me, tarnished.”

“There is little less pitiable than a child abandoned.”

Messmer’s face twisted briefly, his expression lost somewhere between disdain and a deep sorrow. The tarnished saw the passing expression, “My apologies, I did not mean–”

“Nay, thou’rt not wrong,” his trembling hand found its way to their arm, grasping it as if in a desperate plea for some final closeness to something, someone, anyone, “I only regret that I have failed her, that I have failed my goal, that I shall die as the monster she sealed away.”

“But thou served her cause for so long. Surely she would not decry thee for thy final attempt at survival, at upholding her will,” they replied, their other hand carefully brushing the stray red hairs from his face. Their movements were delicate as they found themselves desperate to offer him tenderness in death, for they were quite certain he had seen little of it in life.

“Thou’rt far too generous, tarnished.”

“I speak what is true.”

“My mother… forsook me. And yet…”

Silence filled the air, Messmer seemingly lost in his thoughts. His grip remained tight on their arm, but they did not mind. They looked at his marred face, now that they had brushed the stray hairs away, they could see all of it. Part of them was almost glad they could not look into his eyes because they knew the sadness they would find in them would all but shatter them. 

They placed their hand on his cheek which made him flinch, but he seemed to settle quickly. They could feel his grip on their arm weakening.

“Messmer,” they whispered, not entirely certain he would respond.

Almost a minute passed before he did, his voice nearly inaudible, “Dost… dost thou truly think my mother would be pleased?”

“Yes.”

“Even… in my failure?” He was struggling to speak now. His grip on their arm failed, his hand falling hard to the cold stone of the floor. He was fading quickly.

“Even in thy failure,” they responded softly. They manoeuvred his head into their lap, bringing their now freed hand to his that lay on the floor.

He was quiet once more.

They could see his breathing slowing, the serpents were barely moving.

They tightened their grip on his hand as they spoke, “I believe it is time, my dear.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.”

“Already?”

“Already.”

“I… I am afraid. I do not think I can… I do not want…” his voice trailed off. 

“Thou can, thou must.”

“Art thou… certain?”

“Yes, Messmer.”

He took one last, staggered breath, “I… thank thee… tarnished.”

The tension in his hand disappeared as it fell limp in theirs.

The room was silent now. His serpents were as still as he was as the tarnished watched his body dissipate into nothingness, their fingers still curled around a hand that was no longer there. 

Link to work on AO3 <3

[chaoticdelinqueerwithglitter]

You'll change your name and change your mind (but you can't leave this fucked up place behind)

(Prompt #15: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA | Painful Hug | Moment of Clarity | "I did good, right?")

Notes: Awww, did you all miss tl0 too? Worry not, because here we go again! This one it's settled in a very specific moment of canon, when our dear gremlin discovered katana-chan would always be the best way to defend Mikey's honor (no, it won't, but let him believe it is)

Also, I didn't specify exactly what happened to his classmates and left it open to interpretation on purpose. If Wakui can do it, I don't need to figure it out either, I'm just here for the angst!

Warnings: Blood and injury, dissociation (sanzu is clearly not okay), implied massacre with a katana.

Haruchiyo stood there, frozen in time like a bloody statue commemorating his victory. Fitting, considering Mikey's clock also stopped working properly so long ago. 

There was peace in the eerie silence that fell on the scene. No more mockings daring to defile the memories of his best friend, no more panicked screams, no more scared footsteps. Did they flee or did he manage to hush them forever? He couldn’t find it in himself to care now that his blinding rage had finally given way to calm.

Only his ragged breath and the constant dripping of blood could be heard — trickling from his katana, running down his face. Blood cleansing all his sins, a bizarre expiation dyeing the world scarlet.

Maybe he should feel pain, but he couldn’t. Impotence had rooted inside of him — his inability to do anything while his friend was wilting — but he might have found a way to get rid of it, to be able to breathe again. What was physical pain in comparison? Nothing. 

“Haruchiyo?” 

The voice, he knew that trembling voice, it belonged to the other half of his pain — but why did it sound so worried then?

“Look, Keisuke!” 

His smile might have looked weird because Baji didn’t seem pleased. Did he not understand how free Haruchiyo finally was? 

“You… you did this? Why?”

“Duh, they were badmouthing Mikey.” 

His friend only swallowed as an answer. Why was Baji so pale, what was going on? He was also starting to feel unease, his insecurities returning ten times stronger. 

“I did good, right?”

A plea, desperate for approval, for the confirmation that he didn’t fail Mikey this time. But nothing came, just silence — oppressive and charged of something he couldn’t pinpoint, long forgotten the previous peace. 

“Kei? Why are you acting so weird?” 

“Me?” 

He knew it was a mistake, that he shouldn’t have followed Baji’s gaze, that he should’ve ignored his choked whimper — no, he could never do that to Baji. His eyes widened when he finally registered their gruesome surroundings. 

“No.” A metallic noise echoed when he unconsciously dropped his katana. “No, no, no, no!”

Haruchiyo tried to cover his eyes, to stop seeing, but there was red everywhere, red threatening to engulf his vision forever. It was too much to process, he just wanted to disappear.

Suddenly, a pair of arms pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, grounding him back to the present — a present where someone was crying. No, not someone. 

“I only wanted to help… to protect Mikey...” It was a miracle that Baji was able to understand anything between his sobs and the sound of the sirens getting closer. “I didn’t… I…”

“I know, I know.” Of course, Baji always understood him better than himself. “I’m not going to abandon you, okay? We’re on this together.” 

No, they weren’t, he was the one who did something unforgivable — but judging by Baji’s tear-streaked face, maybe there was some truth in his words. 

“Please Kei, don’t leave me.” A quiet whisper again. “Please.” 

At least, he hoped there was. Because one thing was certain: Haruchiyo would go completely insane if he was left all by himself. 

Did I finish with this sentence as a reminder that Haru is going to have to deal with this completely alone in the future bc Baji won't remember shit and then will die? Yeah, totally, I'm evil, what can I say xD

[kalira]

Did Good . . . Right?

Written for @whumptober, Day 15

Prompts: Childhood Trauma Painful Hug Moment of Clarity “I did good, right?”

T; 2k Kei & Sho

No one has ever told Sho you did well before Kei - and no one else's words will ever carry the same weight, the same warmth. Even in the depths of bloody despair, so long as he can turn to Kei. . .

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Hey now, Let her cook!

[panthermouthh]

“Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?”

[egophiliac]

buckle up lads we're going BACK INTO THE BOOK

[xx-sketchy-xx]

LOOOK, LOOK WHAT MY MOTHER MADE FROM CAKE. AAAAAAAAAA-

[inkskinned]

"don't make it political!" .... what proportion of death and suffering must occur before politics are involved. if this isn't political, what is even the point of any politics, ever. of democracy. the words are "by the people for the people." if i am going to be left alone by my elected representatives to "figure it out" - to undergo damage, hardship, fear. what the fuck did i elect them for. what was their job. the entire point is that they handle this shit. this is why we were supposed to be electing leaders.

poverty is political. misogyny is political. gun control is political. climate change is political. how much aid a community gets is political. what the fuck are you talking about. it's been political this whole fucking time.

[fifizero]

pajamas !

[umblrspectrum]

part 4 of a lot funnier in my head than on paper

[golswia]

could you draw chibi crowley and chibi aziraphale? please

"WHERE AR U TAKING UR HUSBAND-"

[hinamie]

i don't normally participate in these redraw challenges but it's megumi so i'll make an exception

[noornight]

Long distance besties. This definitely happened after the third movie (source: trust me bro)

Based on this

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Trapped in a vicious cycle of pining? Try gay sex! (More things to learn over at Tiger Tiger!)

[keferon]

Biblically accurate Blurr~

Blurr's Spotlight was actually the very first Transformers comic I ever read. I remember looking at the first pages and being like, holy shit, dude why are you so ugly?? Ahahjcmgmg

[egophiliac]

do skully have pokemon?

Pumpkaboo is the obvious one, but y'know, sometimes the obvious one is the right one! (we'll say SUPER SIZE Pumpkaboo, just for fun. big pumpkin for big skeleton boy.) and another person actually also suggested Greavard, which I somehow hadn't considered, but feels so perfect that I feel like I should have. dangit.

(they can also have little Nightmare Suit costumes :D)