#(Its something similar to this but Anyhow)

[swingstep]

Please drop mrd theatre au lore????

OH HOO BOY so. genuinely did not remember i never explained that au huh ksjdngd its been a hot minute since ive messed with that one, but lets see what i can dig up for it. as a disclaimer, its kind of an... abstract au, very rough around the edges as well. dont expect it to be anything too concrete WAHAHA

anyhow. tldr:   the mrd theatre au is exactly what it sounds like: the plot of the game described entirely through the lens of a theater production! alternately referred to as the dance au, because... its a musical! major events are described through dance, each piece pushing the story forward with the power of music and expression. literally-- the story won’t move on without it. starring mad rat as the lead role, rat god as the director, and heart as... That One Guy, Sure!

    the abstraction kicks in in its presentation though-- it's told through the framing of a stage-- however, the story itself is Real to the characters. their world is real, and as characters, they see it as such. to everyone else, it's exactly as its namesake: a play. the term "actor" and "character" go hand in hand, practically synonyms. actors are the characters. the narrative is their world. all in all: the theatre au is an inspection of the meaning of Reality and Perception, the meaning of what it is to be a Character or a Person, and a play on Stories and Roles. more under the cut.

---------------

  As it does in canon, the narrative starts with Mad Rat waking up, and Rat God telling him his situation. Y'know, he died, she's giving him a second chance, etc etc. However, she Specifically tells him that he is, in fact, a character in a play and, as someone outside of the narrative, she knows what to do and what paths to follow. As long as he followed her, he'd be able to make it to the end of his story a-ok, and finally get the ending he deserved!

  In the beginning, Rat God starts out with a whole musical number as she narrates the scene (to both the audience and Mad Rat) to catch him up to speed on where he is, who she is, and why he died. As she finishes, hands off the (metaphorical) mic to Mad Rat to get a word in for his debut scene. Unfortunately, Mad Rat, having just recovered from a terminal case of Being Dead, Does Not In Fact Have The Nicest Voice. Seeing this, Rat God quickly interrupts and redirects to another option: Dance. Which is where a major quirk comes in: every character has a specialized dance style!

  Rat gods style is tap/swing, which is what the intro scene Truly is! It's Rat God introducing Mad Rat to the concept of The Show in a duet swing performance. Specifically, in this performance, Rat God takes the lead role in this one for several reasons: 1) She's Extra and Likes Showmanship. 2) She's ensuring Mad Rat goes in the direction he's supposed to-- making sure he's following along. And 3) She's effectively re-teaching Mad Rat how to move after. Y'know. Being Dead. Swing is a heavily motion-focused and improvisational dance: Mad Rat Does Not Know How To Dance. However, Rat God is good enough at it that she can take the lead and turn his stumbles and missteps into motion and flair. It's essentially the tutorial stage!

  The narrative is pretty much the same through the first third of the game, more or less. Mad Rat meets Heart, who doesn't really Dance but rather just cheers him on, and they begin "travelling" together, with periodical "intermissions" where Rat God, off to the side of the stage presents recaps, narration, and questions-- but it's never clear if it's to the audience or Mad Rat. Maybe both. What's really important is the Framing, though. Mad Rat (kind of) acknowledges he is just a Character, but doesn't really Understand it. 

  Despite the knowledge, he still functions through the frame of a Character. He perceives the stage as The World Around Him rather than A Stage, while Rat God is the opposite. This leads to Mad Rat essentially just Following Her Lead. Which ends up just seeming... brazenly reckless and incredibly dangerous-- because Mad Rat doesn't think it will lead to anything. Obviously he's the main character, so he's probably going to just... get to his goal and whatever happens happens, right? Rat God said which way the story goes so... whatever, right?

  Which all culminates at Heart's intervention: Heart notices all of this and gets worried. Whatever this Mess about "shows" and "story" and "directors" is, Mad Rat is still being really really flippant about how many Near Death Experiences he's had (not to mention the whole "Seeing Things That Heart Doesn't" thing.) So he decides to step in.

  This is the first time we ever see Heart dance! He'd always insisted on being moral support/backup for Mad Rat, not really stepping in in any major way. Turns out, he's really good at a lot of dance styles. It's the first time we have a music genre outside of showtunes and the adjacent. It's heart basically trying to tell him that, whatever bullshit about "Narratives" he's following, Mad Rat is still Here. He's still a contributor to the world around him-- he can affect It, and it can affect him. It doesn't matter what he knows about Whatever This Is because it all wont matter if he gets himself into Real Trouble. Which is a convenient segue to the next arc-- they go off-script.

  The following arcs are pretty much just those two figuring out what to do and where they’re going. Mad Rat, up to this point, was just (kind of badly) trying to imitate the swing style from the beginning, but slowly starts figuring out his own specialty on his own. Mad Rat kind of dabbles through a lot, but is Particularly good at breakdance/krump. It’s a bit of a slow process, but he slowly forges his own place in a world he technically does not belong in. 

  All the while, Rat God is suspiciously quiet. They weren’t supposed to go that way, or do any of that, But she could improvise. She passively tried to mess with them from offstage-- changing the background scenery, tossing obstacles after them-- but they just. Kept going. Mad Rat even began Understanding the nature of The Stage and learning how to use that to his advantage, predicting the way things would move or shift, and using that knowledge to move even faster. It was only after Mimolette’s scene (which was Not supposed to be this early in the script, to Rat God’s chagrin,) that she Really started to get particularly miffed. They’d completely gone off-script, avoided Everything she sent after them-- but there was still an ending that needed to be told, and she was going to tell it no matter how messy it was to get there. Which leads to an intervention of her own.

  As the director, she had direct control over a lot of things-- but she herself could never interact with the Narrative. She had no real Hold, as it were. She was barely a concept to the characters in the narrative-- they could not really perceive her. So, she decided to break that rule-- and interact with them directly. Rat God’s scene is incredibly similar to that in canon: Incredibly Chaotic and Hard To Track. She mostly keeps to swing, as that’s her specialty, but regularly switches it up to try and throw Mad Rat off. But things are different than their first dance.

  Mad Rat has a grasp on himself and his goals. Rat God’s plan is already off its rhythm-- it was clear from the start that this was a last-ditch effort on her part to kill him. Despite her still trying to take control, Mad Rat was nothing if not stubborn. He was just as good at deflecting and navigating the scene as she was. But it’s hard to truly get rid of something like Rat God. She isn’t done until the Story was done. There was still a story to be told, so here she stayed. She could keep going as long as he could, and longer. So knowing what he did now, and understanding the circumstance, he did the only think of. The two had, to some extent, switched places: Rat God taking the stance of a Character/Participant in the scene, and Mad Rat seeing the full scope of The Stage and how it worked. The show was still going, so all he had to do was end it. 

  Tricking her into a monologue, he truly exits the frame of the narrative for the first time, grabbing one of the curtain ropes and letting it free, closing the curtains on the stage-- with Rat God behind them. And... silence. In the end, it was just the closed curtains, the audience, and Mad Rat and Heart in front of them. They saw the audience, truly, for the first time-- that larger force constantly watching over him from beyond his view, pushing the show forward not of their own actions, but of their presence alone. This is who it was all for. And seeing this, Mad Rat makes the decision... to ignore them. 

  They weren’t important anymore. The show was over-- the audience had no more use here. No more power here. They meant nothing to him. Nothing to them. He has one last talk with Heart-- they knew they weren’t alone, not truly-- but all that mattered right then was just the two of them. What they’d seen, what they’d been through-- it all had to come to an end eventually. But not by the hand of someone who had no stake in their story-- in their lives. Mad Rat gets to make his own choice about his future: And with no story left to tell... he gets up, and walks off the stage. 

   The Story Is Over.

[mochinomnoms]

hrng… trey birthday fic…

I’m not gonna lie, for awhile, I didn’t really like trey. i didn’t dislike him, mind you, but he was just kind of there. but all of a sudden, my brain was just thinkin about trey. like i’m just chillin at home, and i’m just thinking about trey. he’s just so…

and then you posted the birthday fic and godDAMN

Mochi, you are a genius. I am a buff trey truther. mans would have hella arm muscle and I will not accept any less. sorry i just keep thinking about trey now. he would have the biggest breeding kink its not even funny

anyhow, if you have more trey I would LOVE to read it especially if it’s about him being a pervert

i’m so normal i promise

as always, have a wonderful day ^^

-🦷

AAAAAA TY!!! I'm so glad that you're seeing the appeal for Trey he really is an underrated character!! I got that eldest daughter syndrome and Trey as a character feeds into that ngl.

I also had a crush on Peeta from The Hunger Games when I was a kid and I was remembering a bit where it was pointed out that as a baker, Peeta was actually hella strong (he could toss 100 lbs flour bags over his shoulder), so it would only make sense to me that Trey would be similar.

I image he would have a bit more of a sleeper build, so it's not obvious how strong he is until he's actually doing something physical (like fucking me—). None of the sprites do him justice in that regard, but this very specific panel from the manga does do things to me:

aaaaaaaaa big strong arms to hold you in~

Trey is also kinda silly in the fact that he canonically is really bad at flirting, or at the every least being suave/romantic. Poor ghost bride, getting her eyes compared to grapes...

He did say that it was cause he was put on the spot, which is partially true. I like to think that he's the type to just say something flirty or romantic without meaning to.

Think of an old married couple where one of them will casually drop a compliment like it's the most natural thing in the world. That's how Trey is, and he doesn't even realize it! It's very sweet, and it's very easy to fall for of course!

I, of course, have other thots as well tehehe~

He absolutely has the biggest breeding kink (no this isn't just copy and pasting my own kinks into my favs, wat you talking about?). He grew up with a happy family, and had a bit of a taste of what parenthood is like while taking care of his siblings.

He wants to replicate that for his own family, no doubt, but it's not exactly those reasons that he's so into breeding you. No, it's the, forgive him for the silly comparison, look of your hole absolutely stuffed like a éclair (which I've seen several people on here ask of him YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE).

The sight of you swollen, twitchy, and full hole is sooooosososososoooooo yummy, and he has the excuse that he has to make sure his seed will take to keep filling you! It's not until after when your belly is swelling with a baby that his pregnancy kink kicks in...but perhaps that's another discussion for another time.

My last thoughts for just this moment are that Trey maaaay have a slight bit of an oral fixation. He likes seeing your mouth on his dick, he likes to open your lips with his cum still resting on your tongue and running his fingers over your teeth, and he reeaaally likes to have you bite down on his neck and admire the teeth marks. Not enough to bleed, mind you, but enough that he could take a picture and then compare the marks to your actual teeth later on in fascination. It's only a little weird, indulge him won't you?

[dottiro]

A Dear in the Headlights

Unreliable summary: Your date doesn’t show up after hours of waiting; in frustration you drive over to Pantalone’s house, knowing he’ll always comfort you. / You get into a car accident due to a deer in the headlights—deer, dear? Does it matter? Warnings: Yandere, car crash, implicated kidnapping, Pantalone is rich, descriptions of dead/mangled body(ies), DEAD DOVE DON'T EAT Note: This is a rewrite of THIS fic from my old blog.

"Hey, it’s me. Your phone has been going to voicemail for a while—you’re probably asleep, but I'm almost at your house. I know, I know, I shouldn't have come to your home in the middle of the night, but once again; you were right."

You press your lips together during the silence that follows. The road ahead is dimly lit by lanterns that do a poor job of showing the way. Only your solitary headlights indicate what's ahead of you. 

Disappointment has yet to leave your system as you recall the events from a few hours before."It’s annoying. I wish I could see through people like you do."

Earlier in the evening, you'd been getting ready for a date with a guy who never showed. Unfortunately for you, these occurrences have become normal. The worst part is that hope remains within you. No matter how often it happens, you still believe the next would be better. 

You wonder why those assholes bother to chat when they never plan to show.

A bitter sigh escapes your lips. You’re rambling again… how embarrassing. 

For a moment, you hope Pantalone will leave his voicemails unread. Perhaps that’d save you face when you’d wake him up in the middle of the night—but you know better. Pantalone does not let anything go unnoticed. Sooner than later, he’d pick up his phone to hear your aimless talking and waste of time. 

“Anyhow, I’m almost there. Since you gave me the keys to the gate; I’ll be entering your property. Sorry, not sorry.” 

There is a short silence before you end the voicemail. 

Although you know you shouldn’t drive and call, the road to Pantalone’s home was—and will always be—abandoned. Not once have you seen traffic coming in or out. Keeping one eye open will be enough. 

As you continue forward, the gates surrounding his estate come into sight, and no matter how often you see it, you continue to be in awe at how much he owns. 

You’re not sure what his job exactly concludes, Pantalone is a private person, but you know he organises parties for nobles in Snezhnaya. Only the top percentage of people are invited—vision wielders with high ranks, the top businessmen, and daughters born into money pleading for his attention; they all flock for an invitation so they can have the possibility to fall in his graces. 

By now, you’ve been able to guess he works as a finance minister for Snezhnaya. If not, something similar will be the answer.

Yet, despite his charming personality and social life, Pantalone continues to appreciate the quiet over the chaos of Snezhnaya’s capital. 

At the end of each week, he’d return home to his mansion for the weekend.

You can't blame him.

With one last turn, you arrive at the entrance to the large gate. Usually, it’s closed. However, tonight you find them wide open. 

You can’t find a reason why they should be.

The car slows down as you hesitate to intrude into his property. 

In the distance, a gentle light is cast inside his mansion. 

Is he still awake?

With uncertainty, you let your car roll past the gates, speeding up in curiosity. Wanting to be secluded, Pantalone has surrounded himself by nature to hide. You have to drive through the dense greenery before you reach the lights in the distance. 

Your frown turns into a smile when suddenly the upbeat tune of your ringtone echoes through the car.

“Pantalone!” You pick up, holding your phone to your mouth. Your voice is upbeat—you didn’t expect him to call back so soon. You’re surprised he doesn’t comment on its loudness.

“Dearest, would you be so kind as to tell me where you are right now?”

You raise an eyebrow before a chuckle escapes your lips. “Did you or did you not listen to the voicemail?” you ask. 

Only a mere few minutes have passed since you ended the one-sided call. If he had listened to it, he would’ve known that you were on the way—already approaching his home. 

Background sounds on his end of the call muffle his reply. For just a second, you take your eyes off the road to turn up the volume.

“Are you busy? I hear lots of people.”

You glance at the road as you keep one hand on the wheel. Then, you turn back to your phone, trying to adjust the volume again.

“Pantalone? I can’t hear—”

A loud crash makes you drop the phone before you finish your sentence. In a panic, you release the gas pedal; trying to break instead, resulting in the car drifting as it loses control. Instinctively, both your hands reach for the steering wheel. With all your power, you try to go against the current your car is trapped in—hoping to stabilise it, but failing as you drive over a hobble. Instantly, a thud is created, and something slams against your window, breaking it and shattering shards of glass across the front seats. 

Your arms fly up in front of your face, losing your grip on the wheel as you brace yourself. In seconds, you fly forward as another crash happens; and this time your car comes to a full stop. Instantly, the airbags register, pushing your body back into the chair with immense force.

Your ears buzz as you struggle to breathe, feeling like the wind has been pushed out of your lungs. A million thoughts enter your mind and at the same time, you can’t register any of them. Time passes too fast, yet too slow. You try to grasp what happened, watching darkness swallow you whole when the headlights flicker one last time before turning off. 

ㅤ

It’s dark, it’s silent. 

Faintly, somewhere distant, you hear the motor continuing to hum. 

The sound becomes louder and louder until you hear a familiar voice. 

“Y/n—?!”

Pantalone?

You hear Pantalone’s voice through your phone. A dim white light tells you it must still be in the car. With only the artificial- and moonlight to guide you, you try to recall your surroundings. Did your phone get thrown back to the back or front during your crash?

As the sound of voices continues to increase, they become deafening. With a throbbing head, you push the deflating airbag out of your way, clicking the seat belt loose and climbing out of your seat with shaky legs. 

You take steps forward. 

One… 

then two… 

—you think you stop after that.

Cold air falls into your face, embracing you like death’s hands tickling your face as he debates whether or not to take you with him to the afterlife. Behind you, the front door of the car falls shut. After the slam, the blinkers go off; beeping as one of the orange lights flashes on and off.

You take a deep breath. 

Your entire body pulses as your body sways. You have to put your hand on the car to keep yourself upright. Slowly, your other hand reaches for your head. Aside from the confusion, you don’t feel any pain. You wonder if it’s the adrenaline.

Right.

What did you hit again?

A deer?

You block out the distant voices as you make your way around the car. By keeping one of your hands against the metal surface, you circle it without losing your balance. 

Without the headlights shining the path ahead of you, it’s hard to see what might be on the street. But, even without lights, no one can miss the mangled silhouette crawling forward. Its legs are bent; one loose to a point where you fear it’d fully snap off if it continues to drag its limbs across the cement. 

Suddenly, its head turns up and it cries out like a human. The sound brings chills to your bones and the hollow feeling it leaves behind makes a sob escape your lips. A small button nose lifts into the air as it looks at the moon shining above the gates. 

You are paralysed.

A button nose?

The figure crawls again, using its twisted arms to move forward and dragging what remains left behind onto the concrete floor. 

You blink through your tears. The world continues to spin and you eventually force your eyes closed. The voices in the background are becoming increasingly louder, making your head scream as it becomes too much. Almost instantly, your body starts to feel warm as pain floods over your being.

The silhouette on the floor is still there when you open your eyes.

Long hair is matted with blood and dirt. Eyes threaten to cave in as the circles under its eyes claw holes in its skin. Sharp cheekbones peek out, cutting through the air as it drags its nails through the rubble, inching forward slowly but surely; much like a poor animal.

You now realise it’s crawling away from the house.

Right…

Pantalone.

You turn around back to the car. With the adrenaline leaving your body quickly, you need to tell him to call for an ambulance. 

Before you can do as much as turn, a light is cast upon you. At that moment when you see her clearly, the girl screams in agony—not in pain but out of despair. 

Her clothes are ripped, and blood pools up around the middle of her body and she seems skinny, underweight even. Likely, she was already in a bad state before the crash; underweight and starving at the least. Her figure is already dishevelled and now deformed because of you. 

Hysterically, she claws forward, further gashing her skin and leaving more blood in her trail.

The thick long stripe of blood going from her body to the end of the car; down under your feet.

Did you hit…?

…No…

“Y/n.” Pantalone steps between you and the girl. With ease, he shields the sight from your eyes. His eyes inspect your body,

Much as if you were his priority.

“Can you move?” he asks.

His figure is blurry yet his face is so perfect… much unlike the girl. Your limbs feel weak as the image is etched into your mind like an ugly scar. Every time you close your eyes, you see her. Even as the people surrounding you reach over to Pantalone to help, the cries only double and combust into a choir of anguish.

Pantalone says something to you, but you can no longer process what he’s saying.

He seems calm…

You think of how easy it’d be to fall in his arms and believe everything to be a dream. Surely, it must be—!

The back of his hand comes up to caress your cheek, dragging a line of thick blood from your forehead to your chin and staining his gloves

His eyes open, and the intense colours of his irises flood sense into your brain. With his hand keeping your head steady, he says, “you’re alright, my dear.”

Then, he repeats it.

You’re alright.

Pantalone wouldn’t lie to you. He hadn’t lied in the past, and neither will he now. You choose to believe him. 

His hands hold your face. He brings you closer until his lips fall next to your ear.

You diminish your thoughts as you let his voice carry over. 

You got into a car crash because you hit a deer. You lost control of your wheel, ran into a tree, and as a result of the impact you got a concussion—your mind is scrambled, trauma making your memory warped and untrue.

He repeats it, whispering the words like a gentle song as his arms turn you around. One hand creeps up to your neck, while the other pushes the small of your waist forward.

You got into a car crash because you hit a deer. You lost control of your wheel, ran into a tree, and as a result of the impact you got a concussion—your mind is scrambled, trauma making your memory warped and untrue.

Lights shimmer onto the roads. For a moment, you’d believe they’re fireflies. Voices surround you, either barking orders or following them with timid voices. Pantalone’s presence stands out among the others. His warmth makes you continue forward. You want to continue forward with him.

He repeats the words. 

You got into a car crash because you hit a dear. You lost control of your wheel, ran into a tree, and as a result of the impact you got a concussion—your mind is scrambled, trauma making your memory warped and untrue.

The next time you open your eyes, you’re in Pantalone’s room.

His silken sheets are a beautiful dark violet. They feel soft against your skin. When you place your head against the pillow, you smell his natural scent mixed with a soft lavender. It's different from the perfume he wears daily—more subtle and inviting—but you find that it suits him. You wonder if the lavender is a remnant of the many bath scents he uses.

You savour the short moment of your headache disappearing. The fresh and calm scent makes you want to turn around in his bed for longer. Your fingers dig into the mattress, enjoying the remaining warmth, and then you close your eyes.

You think of last night.

You clearly remember the date date-gone-wrong; and the crash too, but you fail to recall how you got to Pantalone’s house. Did you pass out?

You know you shouldn’t have called without driving, and you know you shouldn’t have assumed his roads would be abandoned as always,

But…

What got in your way…?

As you shovel through your memories, Pantalone enters the room unannounced. His expression shifts from a frown to something you’d describe as relief.

He apologises for entering before knocking. 

“It’s alright. I’m the one who should say sorry. I…” 

Your headache returns as you try to remember what happened. 

“I can remember crashing my car but everything after is fuzzy, like… a scattered memory or dream…?” 

You stop, taking a moment to find your following words. 

“It’s like my brain stopped working.”

Pantalone sits next to you on the edge of the bed and places his hand near yours. His fingers snake forward, reaching to intertwine yours in his. “The doctors tell me you suffer from a concussion. I believe it’d be best for you to remain in my care until you’ve recovered.”

“I’ve already made a big enough mess. I wouldn’t want to bother you more.”

You place your hands down on the blanket that covers your legs. Your fingers fiddle with the fabric as a way to distract yourself. Only now, you notice that you’re dressed in an oversized pyjama, which you assume is Pantalone’s. You are left to wonder when and how you got changed.

Pantalone tilts his head, eying you down from over his glasses. You know that look, he’s sent it many times before. Never does it fail at making you feel small.

He brushes his thumb over your knuckles and you realise he has shed his gloves. It’s a rare sight and you take comfort in his natural warmth when he squeezes gently.

“You can depend on me, dear. I’ve informed my assistant that I’ll be home this week. You only need to recover; let me figure out the rest.”

You sigh, letting out a mix of disappointment and frustration pointed towards yourself.

“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have called while driving, but—“ You groan in frustration. A fragment of yesterday flashes through your mind. “It just… ran in front of my car. I don’t know what animal would do that.”

You recall the first impact into the second. The pain in your body is a reminder of what it felt to take one hit after another.

When you lift your head from your hands—you gaze at Pantalone. The hand that had held you is now under his chin. He appears to be lost in thought, slightly frowning with lips pursed as a habit of focus.

“’lone?”

His frown turns into a soft smile at the sound of your voice and he puts his hand on your knee. “Sorry, dear. Just thinking.” He continues, “let me fix your problems. In the meantime, rest. I shall be here if you need anything.”

You watch him stand up from the side of the bed, patting your knee affectionately before disappearing into the corridor. 

As much as his presence calms you, you sense a feeling of dread.

You’re missing something.

You try to summarise last night’s events one last time.

It starts with the date. An hour before you left for the restaurant, he had messaged you; telling you he was excited and ready to see you. Then, when he fails to show up, you call him, but end up with an ‘unknown number’ response. He had blocked you. 

After this, you drive home, only to turn around as you arrive home and decide to head to Pantalone’s instead. You try to call him, feeling guilty for showing up unannounced in the middle of the night, but he doesn’t pick up and you leave a voicemail instead. 

You pass his open gates—did you open them?—and your cell phone goes off as Pantalone calls you within mere minutes of the voicemail being sent.

When you can’t hear him—why couldn’t you hear him?—you turn up your volume.

You crash… but you run into something first. 

What did you run into?

Something ran from the woods into the pathway.

You remember vaguely getting out of the car, but you’re not certain… 

What comes next…?

No matter how much you try to shuffle the events; certain things remain a mystery. Gaps are left unfilled as you toss and turn under the soft sheets. On the feathered pillow, you lay your bandaged head in defeat. 

You try to push the questions out of your head, letting the lingering scent of Pantalone consume your mind. When you close your eyes, you force the cries of last night out of your mind. A vague image of a mangled body comes up. You try to remember Pantalone instead. 

His reassuring words, his gentle touches. His generosity and never-ending patience with you; even in this situation. You think of how calm he is and how restless you are.

Sooner than later,

It’s not enough. 

You sit up and toss the covers from your body.

The cruel cold embraces you. A chill crawls up from your feet to your neck. You remember it similarly last night.

If you could, you’d stay in his bed forever. Alas, your mind plagues you and even he could not bring comfort in your darkest hours.

The room has been darkened, yet, stipes of stubborn sunlight continue to escape the cracks of the thick curtains. The time is evident to you even before you pull open one side. In the late morning sunlight, all of Pantalone’s property is visible.

Unlike last time, you now see his beautiful garden. At the window, you can see the gardener tending to the plants available in Snezhnaya below you. You see the few servants walk around at the front of his mansion. Then, your eyes follow the gravel path that’s framed by trees. 

Your car is gone,

But the long trail of blood on the street remains.

To your surprise, it drags into two directions, as if there were two separate entities. One seems to have combusted into a pool at a tree, while the other continues to drag towards the gate for a few meters. 

The image of a mangled woman pops up in your head. You remember her dirty and worn-out clothes, her leg that had been twisted at an inhumane angle, her bones that stuck out from beneath her skin.

“Y/n.”

You let the curtain fall from your grasp and you turn around.

Another flash pops up in your mind. You remember the stranger that walked up to you with the flashlight, the other people who Pantalone yelled at, the way the mangled woman started begging for her life when one of the men crushed her skull with his boot.

Two hands place themselves sturdy on your shoulders. You jolt backwards, but Pantalone’s hands keep you close.

His expression is peaceful. Gentle. Calm.

So many things you’re not.

He calls out to you again, dragging one of his gloved fingers like a familiar habit over your cheek. So so familiar.

His eyes remain closed and he users you back to his bed, telling you that you’re still unwell and that you need rest.

You ask him about the mangled woman.

He frowns.

“Dear, your brain is shaken from the crash. When I, alone, came to your car—you were passed out. I had to carry you back to the house.”

You ask him about the trail of blood and your missing car. 

“I first called a mechanic to drag your car away, then I called a friend who works as a vet to carry the deer away.”

Pantalone holds your head in both of his hands. His thumbs brush over your cheekbones, and he brings you closer to place his lips against your forehead; leaving chaos in its wake.

“The doctors told me your head suffered from injury after the impact. I feared I might’ve underestimated it. Your mind is already filling these gaps of your mind with horrid ideas. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you.”

He looks solemnly down at you.

“That, my dear, is why you should stay here. I can take care of you until you’ve recovered. I’ll call a private doctor for a check-up. He should be able to tell you if it’s advised to go home or stay under someone else’s care.”

You nod your head. 

It’s slow and unsure, but you show your trust in Pantalone. 

You’ve been friends for so long… He wouldn’t lie to you.

You trust him.

After all…

A ludicrous laugh escapes your lips at the notion.

ㅤ

“—as if a woman would be running at your property. It’s nonsensical, right?”

He smiles;

“Yes, it is.”

©dottiro. Do not copy, repost, translate, feed to AI, or take heavy inspiration from my content. Thank you for reading ♡

[gotranting]

The push - Remus Lupin x female reader

I want to keep my stories on one blog. This is the same story as from my main tumblr, in case you come across it again.

The idea is...imagine Remus witnessing that your patronus has changed its form.

I'm missing older Remus stories, and I need to scroll way down to find them. Tumblr refreshes every so often and brings me to the first post. So I had enough and wrote a few things. Once again, maybe someone will like it...enjoy if you do <3. I plan on making a part two (one day...), and we'll see how that goes.

There are no warnings, except a larger age gap.

Imagine Remus seeing that your patronus has changed its shape. You were surprised as well. Whatever has been going on between you two was never given a name other than friendship. A denial of feelings is what I would call it.

For Remus it was also a feeling of not being enough for you. Of being too old for you. What could he possibly give you, he thought. Living from one paycheck to another? Never knowing where you will live next month? Having to suffer all sorts of slurs and insults once people found out he was the creature you chose as your partner? You had a life in front of you. He would not let you waste it.

And yourself? Apparently you were both presuming how the other would react without even asking for the other's opinion. There was a different pattern of thought in your mind, Of course you would not allow him to settle for you. Remus could do better than that. What could you possibly offer him? See, you believed that all your conversations were on surface level (they were not). You thought that once he would try to get to know you on a deeper level...he would find nothing there (Sirius teased him over how enamoured he looked every time you spoke). You did not see much worth in yourself at all. Oh, yes you hid that well. But, if you saw no worth in yourself, how could you possibly believe anyone else would find any. Remus would have spent hours proving you wrong if he knew. Just as you would spend hours proving him wrong.

There was another problem. To be with him would require of you to open up. And that thought alone frightened you. Yes, you two might have spent hours talking about everything. Or nothing sometimes. So, it is strange that it suddenly became something to fear. But perhaps for many it is not strange at all. Anyhow. If you suffered with such thoughts, why would you put Remus through all of that as well? He deserved someone better for himself.

Strange how similar you both were in that regard.

Well, apparently denial of feelings is how it would be between the two. Without a push, nothing would happen except longing gazes, and too long embraces when one came back safe from a mission. Or throwing oneself in front of the other to defend them against a dozen of dementors. It was the strongest patronus you ever casted. A bear that tore down every dementor which tried to get to Remus. Some got to you. Not many. But at least, Remus was safe.

As for that push - Well it just so happened, there was no need for long waiting. It's strange how fate works yes? I wish Umbridge had nothing to do to contribute to this, but sadly she did in a way. After coming to Hogwarts, she did a marvelous job at teaching the students absolutely nothing. With Voldemort returning, the students were vulnerable if there was no one to teach them how to properly defend themselves. Harry, Ron and Hermione had a brilliant idea. Dumbledore's army. Not everyone believed the Ministry's lies. Soon there was quite a few students joining the initiative.

All in all they planned it quite well. But it was always good to get a second opinion. So, when Harry came to the Grimmauld place, it only felt right to ask the three residents of the house for assistance. Sirius was there constantly. He didn't need any convincing. Spending time with Harry, breaking some school rules, aiding in fighting Voldemort...and getting to call Umbridge a cunt as much as he liked. ...He would have done so regardless. But still.

Remus was there at the insistence of Sirius. The last few months have been difficult after his previous colleagues found out what he was. He defended himself when a hex came his way before he left that shop. See, even with witnessing that, he still thought of himself as a monster. After Sirius found out, he would have it no other way than Remus staying with him. And if the previous coworker somehow got too ill from eating one of Fred and George's experiments well...the twins left their things around constantly. It was an honest accident.

The girl? Well, she had a home of her own. Small place. Hidden. Cozy and simple. Sirius insisted here as well. She didn't know why exactly. And she couldn't be at Grimmauld all the time. But she did stop by as often as she could. After finding out about the hexing, it was more than other members of the Order. Good thing that Sirius handled it (it was an accident I swear), or she would have used something far more darker.

With Harry's arrival it was the four of them in the house. Planning which spells would be the most useful ones to teach. Considering they had cleaned the attic, it was as good a place as any to let Harry practice those spells with their supervision. That way he could get a better feeling on what should he pay attention to.

Spell by spell. Expelliarmus. Reducto. Stupefy. Expecto patronum. The push.

„I think that is a break for me. Anyone wants some tea?“ Sirius asked after an hour of dueling. James would be so proud of Harry. Remus was leaning back on one of the tables observing it all. Your dog was begging for food so you kept to the sidelines as well.

„I'm going back in three days. There is no time for breaks. I cannot let them down.“ Harry on the other hand was not backing down. He would not let anyone be unprepared. He would not let anyone lose a friend in front of their eyes. He needed to practice more.

„Harry, you will not be able to teach them anything if you fall unconscious from exhaustion.“

„Then I need to practice more, to endure as much as I can. The death eaters won't stop because I am tired. Voldemort will kill someone else while I am catching my breath!“

The others could only look at each other. One way or another, he would continue. With or without them. So it was decided, that while Sirius went to get tea, they'd practice something other than dueling. It was your time to step to the centre of the room. You agreed that you would cast the patronus. You would make random mistakes, which Harry would have to notice and correct properly. Remus would give him advice in case he missed something.

Considering she did well when casting a full bodied patronus, she didn't think there would be anything unexpected. First try, she moved her hand in a slightly different direction, which Harry noticed quickly. Second time, she didn't cast a powerful enough memory. Harry gave her some ideas. He would do well, they knew it. Third time, she decided to allow for some wisps to flow from the wand. Still not strong enough. Even here, Harry would give words of encouragement. She thought she saw Remus softly smiling in the corner of her eyes. She thought of that. The last time she saw him like that. It was after the Full Moon. Despite Wolfsbane, she found him pale in bed, wrapped up in blankets. With tea on his bedside table, she put a vinyl on. He mentioned he was fond of Cohen. He was a favourite of his mum's. A muggle store had that vinyl. She didn't have to think twice.

He mentioned that vinyl around six months ago.

If he had more strength in him, he'd get up and carry her with him to his bed in that moment. Nothing sexual. Just to hug her closer. To kiss her on the forehead. To nudge his nose to hers, until she gazed at him with that look. A look which left him thinking that it did not matter at all to her that he was a werewolf. Or 17 years older than her. Poor. Broken. At that moment he would know there was more to him. He'd nudge her nose once again until she blushed. Then he would press his lips to hers. And she would brush the hair away from his forehead. No, they would not let each other go. If only he had more strength. And courage.

She thought of him at that moment. At how she still managed to make him laugh to tears, even after that Full Moon. At how they both hummed to the songs. At what could be. The wisps got stronger this time. She saw the outlines of paws, only they were smaller this time. Strange. The whole bear seemed to be a bit smaller than it usually was. Remus's smile faltered, as he noticed what creature was forming in the room. The realisation was slowly dawning on her as well. It was not the bear she has come to expect, it was a wolf. She could lie to herself only so many times, but here was the proof. Right in front of him. A wolf making a circle around Harry. Coming to greet her dog. Harry was busy looking at the beautiful creature to notice two figures standing frozen in the room.

And sure, he hoped that it was him this wolf represented. She would not stop lying to herself, but she still hoped he understood now. What did each of them see though? He saw her carefree look fading. He saw her standing rigid in the centre. Was she ashamed? Angry? What if the wolf was not connected to him at all? He didn't want to meddle in her love life. If only to hide the jealousy of which he had no right to feel. What if there was someone with whom she felt as comfortable as she had with him the night that vinyl played. He had no right to wish it was him alone who would get to see her like that.

She saw him straightening up. She saw his smile fade. The clenched jaw. He was angry. A girl, barely out of Hogwarts fell in love with him. Just what he needed.

Sirius came up with tea. She was quick to apologize, saying all the practice made her a bit dizzy. Remus still stood next to the table. After a moment he excused himself as well. One could sense something went wrong.

„I suppose no one is in the mood for tea anymore. What happened here?“

„I'm not sure. The patronus appeared and right after they both left.“

A push needed to happen. However, that push can move events in any direction. Sirius had no idea what had transpired in that room. But he would do his best to find out.

[mrmeowski]

˚✦𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥✦˚

Synopsis: You are a well-known vampire hunter throughout your little village. Bravely slaughtering bloodsuckers left and right without breaking a sweat. An anonymous letter summoned your attention and mentioned that there was a castle deep within the forest where legends of an ancient vampire lived. You went into the woods since you're a furious hunter. Expecting a brief hunt, you instead encounter a lone individual who has succumbed to a mortal creature like yourself and has no intention of leaving you alone.

CW: Suggestive, dry humping

Pairing/s: Diavolo x GN.Reader

Word Count: 4.3k

You've heard stories about this man from townspeople and friends, but no one knew where his castle was until a letter addressed to you arrived. Nobody has seen him, but everyone fears him. Who won't be? Most people will be horrified by the idea of a fanged beast hungry for human blood. Not you, though. You hunt these filthy creatures for a living; you're the town's only beaming hope, and you won't back down from the individual's request, and you won't return to the warmth of your bed until you've reassured the townspeople that they don't need to be weary whenever they step outside the safety of their homes, especially at night.

According to legend and the anonymous informant, the creature was well-versed in knowledge and possessed enough power to devastate humanity. He endured many centuries and wars, and he was dreaded by everyone, including his fellow vampires. Someone said that he is the Blood Prince.

You took a deep breath and strolled into the intertwined woods. The moonlight cannot pierce the huge trees that shadow your route, yet you decide to go through anyhow. When darkness falls, the bloodsuckers are at their most active and, unfortunately, powerful. It could have been a mistake, but the chances of meeting him are greater in this case. As soon as you entered the woodland, you sensed a minor disruption in the aura, similar to that of a vampire. You may not have magic, instead, you have the ability to sense the presence of supernatural energy which is helpful in situations like this.

The forest was enormous, with an abundance of woodland creatures of various sizes and hues. As you continue your journey, you can't help but feel prying eyes burning holes in the back of your head. Shadows move in your peripheral vision. It was unsettling. The look was strong. The woodland had been eaten by something supernatural, and you couldn't pinpoint its exact origin. It was upsetting you so much that it caused the hair on the back of your neck to stand up like no other experience had before.

Finally, after what felt like hours of simply wandering through the forest, you realized the stories were true; a glimpse of a castle towered beyond the woods. You stared in awe. Never in your life of chasing bloodsuckers have you seen an actual castle. You merely resided in a small town and traveled around in semi-large villages. It was surreal to see it in person; you had only seen it in textbooks, and even then the images were not clear. When you recovered from your initial shock, you entered the gates, which seemed to welcome you considering the inhabitant had left them wide open.

The enormous castle had been swallowed up by the lush green flora, and it felt lonesome. Even when you were in front of the oak doors, you began to doubt that anyone was inside, but your Insight told you otherwise. You couldn't help but admire the exquisite wooden carvings on the exterior of the door before pushing it open, creaking loudly. The sound echoed through the old structure's lonely, frigid hallways. You began by taking slow steps while attempting to see through the thick blackness.

The candles were not lit, and everything was covered with a thick layer of dust that you could practically sneeze. It may appear deserted and abandoned, but vampires are drawn to these locations because they believe no one will ever return to live there again. You were worried that there might be more than one person residing in this location and could overpower you. That concept scares you but you bare no mind to it.

You continued your search for the aforementioned man in this deserted castle when you approached a large area resembling a ballroom where major parties and other royal events take place. You couldn't help but ponder about the location and its history. What was this place like before it fell into ruin? Why was it left in ruins in the first place? There are numerous secrets surrounding this location, and your intense curiosity is devouring you on the inside.

"Don't you find it impolite when intruders break into your domain, [Name]?" A thunderous voice boomed through the vacated space, making you flinch and look about in a split second. Empty, just you—wait, how did he have your name? "The town detests and fears me, yet someone among their own blood still dares venture into my abode? They are either foolish or bold. Even the most highly skilled hunters cringed each time they heard my name." Unbeknownst to you, he hid in the shadows, examining your bewildered face as your eyes wandered around. "I'm pleased that you're a bit of both, perhaps that's why you captivated me." A low chuckle left his lips.

Captivate him... what does he mean by that? However, this was not the time to listen to whatever words the miserable monster said. Each passing second is crucial.

"Show oneself, bloodsucker!" You snarled at the cowardly monster, clutching the enchanted blade you'd always used to repel his kind.

Your knuckles had turned white from your tight grip and anxiety. He can't help but crack a grin as he observes things unfold. A miserable little human who believes he can be defeated with an enchanted lump of metal, just like all the other vampires you've faced in the past.

"Please do not refer to me by such unpleasant nicknames; it hurts me when you do. Call me... Diavolo, please." With that stated, a looming shadow emerged before your eyes, shaping and shifting into the image of a man. Even though it was pitch black, his intense golden eyes cut through the darkness. "I've heard countless whispers about you, [Name]. You have quite the image, you know? My kin both resents and dreads you, my dear! You ought to consider that as a compliment..." He walked forward, and your body instinctively stepped back, as if your hands were unable to do anything along with your body that had planned on going into flight mode. "In fact... I've been watching—for some time lately. Whenever you think you're alone, I was somewhere... in the corners." As you backed away, you hit a table, leading you to look back.

Before you realized it, a hand grabbed your chin and compelled you to gaze upon him.

"What's exactly your point in this, Diavolo?" Your tone was full of anger, and you particularly spit the words directly into his face, making his chest clench.

He expected such a reaction, but it still pained him.

"My point?" He repeated the query, as if surprised that you hadn't caught on. "Isn't it somewhat evident my dear..?~ Think about it... why would I, a century-old being, care to track you out and then not dare raise a finger upon you?" He hummed, tipping his head to the side.

"Uhm... 'cause you're bored—"

"Now, now—do not mislead yourself with such fantasies!" Gritting your teeth, you sought to puncture his chest with our near contact, but he stopped grasping both of your wrists with one hand. He continued talking as if you didn't just attempt for his life, "You see my mere mortal friend, it appears that I've developed an interest in your captivating nature! I could not determine precisely why, but even if I did, I'd rather keep it a secret. Mysterious is part of my attraction~" He winked at you, and you shuddered in disgust.

"If this is your way of luring me into letting down my guard, I will not fall for it!" You rolled your eyes in front of the alleged vampire, who was reputed to be the strongest creature to ever grace the face of the earth.

He was unable to help but sigh in disappointment at your insistence.

"Have I not advised you not to believe things that are false?" Despite the dim lighting, you could make out a tan-skinned figure with rich ruby locks, a cloak that was black as midnight with glistening golden eyes, and features etched with an inscrutable frown.

Although he had a solid grip on your hands, you could still move your legs. All you bother about at the moment is eradicating him for good, and you use all of your willpower to exploit the weakness of every male living creature. With a single kick, you knocked the man to the ground, his hands moving down to his throbbing groin. Groaning and snarling, you used the chance to strike him in the head with the blade in your hand.

Like a flash, he pounced and had already pinned you to the ground, hands up on your head. Unfortunately, your legs were now pulled down by his shin, prohibiting you from using the same method. Your gaze shifted to the roof of the room before returning to his snake-like eyes, where you noticed he was wearing a shit-eating grin. It felt almost surreal way he looked down on you.

"You believe this deplorable thing could destroy me regardless of whether I allow you? Some of my more fragile brethren won't, yet I will. Thus, why don't you cease making an attempt for my life and rather... engage in an innocent conversation with me? I assure you, so long you avoid wielding that lump of steel you consider to be a dagger, then I shall not harm a hair on you. Unless you're into that~" Your eyes widen as you realize what he's referring to, and you can't help but curse right in his face.

"You disgusting pervert! I'll shred you apart as many times as I desire until—" Before you were able to finish your sentence, the man smothered your mouth, his coarse skin pressing over your tender ones.

"Or perhaps you aren't... hmph, we'll figure out shortly enough what you're akin to~ Albeit as I stated, all that I desire is a simple connection about anything! You see, my beloved [Name]... I've felt rather empty for generations and nothing was unwise enough to stop by my lovely residence for sooo many years." He leaned closer, his chilly breath breezing across your cheek as he inhaled your perfume.

He brushed his face into yours, letting out a deep purr. You can't help but ruin his mood by punching him, and while it hurts, seeing the disgusted expression on his face was pretty pleasurable until his grip tightened to the point that you thought he'd break your bones.

"You... Why won't you comply...? You understand... I could simply rip out your throat, consume your blood, and flaunt your lifeless body in your small village..." He frowned at you, then his eyes jerked abruptly. There is no malice behind it, I promise...~" He bent near your ear as he spoke, "Will not you contemplate about it?~ Come on, my beloved [Name]." His head moved downward to the curve of your neck, where he sank himself completely.

You can't move because you're too astonished by the tremors of the low grumbles he constantly creates. Your breathing came to a halt as the old being lay on top of you, his free hand steadily and slowly moving over your tiny mortal body. You wanted to rip away his face... you wanted him dead. This was not how you anticipated it to go; everything was going wrong for you.

The man moaned into your ear as he slowly ground his groin against yours. Unaware that he was already marking you with his scent. It was the only reason he was so near and constantly rubbing himself along your shivering form. It is a means for his brethren not to put a finger on you because you are his, commonly used to mark their prey, however this time it's different.

'I'm not a monster... I cannot even harm a bug," you seem to distrust his statements. His voice had dropped an octave, and you were able to hear hints of... lust? "I just want a mere companion... Will you satisfy my desires? Will you be my long-awaited partner for the night, or better still... forever? His lips pressed on the most tender regions of your neck, and his sharp fangs trailed dangerously across your flesh, sending goosebumps along your spine.

"Do you regard me as a fool!?" You were able to spew out, and you attempted to pry him off of you, but his weight was far too hefty for you, and the strain he was exerting on you was almost excruciating.

He breathed heavily, and you felt his chilly breath on your shoulders, which made you tremble to your core. You suddenly felt neither his weight nor his ground crushing against you. Before you could move, he yanked you to your toes by the rim of your blouse. You had to keep yourself balanced when he let go of it. That was the sole image you saw of him before he vanished like a shadow, blending among his fellow darkness.

"I anticipated you to decline..." His voice was tinged with displeasure whilst he complained, "How bothersome; why are you unable to accept it?" Almost quickly, you rushed to get your dagger, only to discover it wasn't where you assumed it was; he must have stolen it when he vanished. The doors began to shut around you, and you immediately understood what he had in mind, so you chose to try for the window, but a wall of thorned vines blocked you from getting closer. "I'm sorry, [Name] but I can't let you go. Not at this point, at least."

Boiling with anger, you roared with rage, "Why not!?" A few seconds passed but no answer.

You merely grumbled in frustration, hitting a fallen chair to release all of your wrath.

Following an extended period of hanging around in solitude, thinking of a strategy to escape or murder the man without using your valuables. Magic was the first thing that came to mind, but you weren't born with it... You haven't even attempted casting simple spells. Although others who were not awarded such a gift can nonetheless become powerful sorceresses, few can even outperform those who were blessed in the first place—your good childhood friend, Solomon, is one such example. Now that you think about it, you wonder where he went off to. You and Simeon are deeply concerned about him and his current situation.

You learned to avoid looking back on happy recollections of your companions since they would make you cry. Thinking you'd never see them again, along with your brother and the friendly townspeople. Instead, you sought the deepest recesses of your mind for spells that you and the white-haired individual may have experimented with when you were younger. Unfortunately, none arrived...

With witchcraft crossed off, you suspected that the vampire had failed to seal off an exit. Then you swiftly counter with the assumption that if there was an escape route, he was most likely monitoring you from the darkness and would soon block that as well. He might have put that on purpose to play with you. Wretched creatures...

Then the man in question appeared before your eyes, a void-like gas that quickly solidified and transformed into the shape of a man.

There he stood, the excuse for a vampire, with his arms crossed and a sigh, saying, "I have a proposal for you..." His demeanor was flat, mirroring the same expression on his face.

"And that is..?" You had already given up at this point, your mind fatigued following the amount of thinking you had done before he showed.

"As you might have suspected, I'm aware of the circumstances in your hometown and... your brother. Luke is it?" Your expression darkened as he described the state of your loved ones. "I have knowledge about how to come up with a treatment for the sickness that hinders your kind, along with assisting you mortals to live longer lives—but of course, both come with a price." Your expression changed into mild disdain at the way this creature would toy with numerous lives of others simply to get what he wanted, yet what did you anticipate of his kind?

However, something crosses your worried mind: "What if what he says is true?" or possibly a hideous deception to get you to consent to his horrifying conditions, which you know would result in your death. You know this man only wants your blood, but he is also a harbinger of wisdom.

"Is there any evidence to support your words? This illness has befallen us for generations and nobody has come up with an explanation for its origins. How may you potentially have a solution for it?" He chuckled at your assertion, and you wrinkled your brow; does he think this was humorous? 

He bent down with a smirk as he talked to you, almost sarcastically, "I have lived for many centuries, I possess numerous volumes of the past. I'm accustomed to immense knowledge..." It seemed like each word caused the structure to shake, and his golden eyes glazed over at your terrified figure. "I harness such power to bring mankind down on its knees." There was a knot in your throat that was difficult to swallow, his very presence allowed you not to get back up, and every part of you felt weak to the bones.

You were silent. Very silent. As motionless as a statue. More thoughts crossed your bewildered mind. If his statements are true, the illness that has plagued your home and your friend's community will be eradicated. But it was solely an if. He was patiently waiting and anticipating your response.

"...What if I decline, what might you do then?" You were intrigued by what would occur if you turned down his offer.

Will he set you free? But that possibility is very unlikely to happen. He will either kill you immediately or confine you to this abandoned castle. Turn you into his human meal until he has sucked every ounce of life out of you.

He hummed and rested his chin on a palm as if contemplating it.

He started out, "I suppose if you then..." He sighed extensively, practically solemnly as he went on, "I'll allow you to be free without a scratch although I have no intention of returning any of your possessions. I happen to have an inkling that you are going to assault me~ Oh, and don't consider that I'll stop watching you." You could not help but grimace at the way he spoke.

"So what I'm understanding is... you are willing to let me leave?" It was difficult to trust what he had just said. "Lies, it was all lies," you reassured yourself before adding, "You're willing.. to spare me?" Your skepticism causes him to smirk.

"Did I stutter? Of course, you could return again if you'd like~ The contract is still up. Thus, what will be your definitive answer, my dear little [Name]?" Your eye twitched as he belittled you, but you let it go as you carefully considered your options and repercussions.

Since he stated that you can return at any time, you would depart for the time being and hope that he maintains his word. There was still a possibility that he would let you see the front door before executing or torturing you.

"I... decline, for now. I'll contemplate it upon my return. I need to empty my thoughts of everything." The smirk he had during his sentence faded into an unimpressive scowl.

"If that will be your final response, I will comply with your desire... Let me accompany you out." He offered a hand, but you refused to accept it, he grumbled, hardening his frown and instead straightening his clothes. He walked passed you, and with a flick of his fingers, the doors sprang open. "Follow me, my lovely." You rolled your eyes and reluctantly followed him.

The walk to the main entrance was punctuated by uneasy quiet. Your surroundings were known, therefore he was not leading you astray. Shockingly, he was escorting you out. You were still unsure about the situation since you knew he could literally backstab you. He was playing with your emotions and hope. He will lead you to the door and then yank your freedom away, trapping you with him or, better yet, ripping you to pieces. If you had to choose between the two, you would much rather go with the latter.

"If you are okay with it, I'll be accompanying you throughout the forest. A gorgeous human such as yourself shouldn't be alone in a creepy ancient labyrinth of woods." His piercing voice interrupted your train of thought and made you look at him.

He had an expression that appeared sincere, but who knows? He has plenty of time to practice such things.

"..." You merely nodded, glancing aside, so you didn't catch the little twitch of his lips when you switched your gaze to another.

He can simply transport you to the far reaches of the woods—you weren't aware of it, and you don't need to. He used this to pass the time he had left with you. A question stays in his mind: why did he find you so fascinating? To answer his own inquiry, he senses something deep within you.

There was something deep within you that remained dormant; it felt powerful, but there was a barrier carved into your spirit that prevented you from using it. He had once sensed the power from a family that had decimated entire vampire populations. A supernatural force that helped imprison and tie the Nightbringer in a powerful seal. That same family was chased by the Nightbringer's followers, and exhausted from the power they utilized to seal the followers' lord, they succumbed to his kin.

He sometimes recalls the day when the family's mother made a deal with him. He will keep their humble castle and all of its secrets secure and hidden from all thirsty sorceresses and his own kin whilst he gains full access to it. They were decent folks, and it was tragic about what took place for them. But he never heard of one of them escaping their fate... perhaps he was wrong.

When you return to town, some people crowd you, namely your grandfather and Simeon, wondering how things went and how you're doing. It was like a stab in the heart when you informed them of the dreadful report, but don't worry, you'll be back more stronger and prepared. Then, as you entered your home and witnessed the state of your brother, you broke down completely.

Luke might not have been your biological brother—another child whom the old man adopted as his own, like yourself—but it seemed like he was your blood. Watching him in this situation, weak and immobile, was more heartbreaking than failing to slay that despicable demon.

Even in the luxury of your own bed, you can't help but wonder about Diavolo's offer and whether his words are sincere or a malicious lie intended to seduce you. He is a vampire, for heaven's sake. A living thing that harms humans in order to survive—even if he did not touch a hair on you, he had surely injured someone else. As you sink into a dreamless slumber, you are left wondering if the man in question is watching you from the shadows, as he had previously stated.

A couple of days have gone by following your previous interaction with the bloodsucker, and you have decided to accept his offer. Whatever will be will come after. Taking a deep breath, you say goodbye to the people you've grown to care for and love, who you might never meet again. You thought that after the cure was complete, you'd be able to go back to your normal life, far away from the vicious tyrant.

You've only taken a couple of steps in the same woodland, deep enough to be concealed from anyone's eyes, to observe something that they shouldn't see before someone swoops you from the earth. A head buried in the curve of your neck, his dark ruby hair tickling your delicate skin as he inhaled in your wonderful scent. He realized right away and accepted the fact that he had responded to you.

"Oh, I missed you terribly, my precious!~" His embrace was practically smothering, and you weren't delighted where his head fell. "So, what has been your decision, hmmm?" He sat you down; you didn't need to glance at him to see his eagerness; his words and gestures were enough.

"I..." You paused a moment. For your brother... and those who succumbed to this dreadful sickness. "I accept with all of your conditions—but promise me," your voice was frantic, nearly to the point of cracking, as you kept going, "Please promise me that your statements are true! If it isn't..." The words couldn't leave your mouth.

"But what if it isn't?" His voice sank, and he stood tall over you with a shit-eating grin. You felt your stomach twisting and turning. This turned out to be a mistake; you were about to draw your dagger before he broke out laughing. "Look at you~" He pinched your cheeks, making you groan in irritation, and continued with his tormenting, "You ought to have seen the look on your face dear~ It's very adorable!" Having his full, he pats down your shoulder. "Apologies, it can't be helped. Not often that I get to spend time with a human... or any other person honestly. Nevertheless, you're here now, so none of that matters! Let's shake on it, shall we?" He held out his hand to you with an endearing sigh, and you grasped it.

It seemed like you made a pact with the devil himself—which, in retrospect, you probably did. An entity with vast knowledge and power, who also happens to have the name of the devil... You wished you hadn't seen the similarity; now you were convinced you had dug yourself not only a hole but a grave.

"Hope to make an acquaintance of you, darling~"

Full Story» [WIP] Masterlist» Request»

*•.𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃.•*

[lainsim]

theres a mood I'm trying to articulate but I am having difficulty finding the words for

with Scorn, MAD GOD, and now The Forever Winter, I've been thinking of like, dystopian art that captures a catharsis the same way a 14th century flagellant might. like with Scorn I, in a way, see that world as *kinder* than the actual world we live in. not because its better but because it feels like. more honest? like none of the cruelties in that game at least I think are actually notably worse than the stuff you see on the news every day. like its not better but I do think there's something to the world of Scorn as being more *honest* about things than ours? like there's no weird corpo therapy speak or political gesturing or justification. the nightmare is just happening and I think at the very least there's a kind of release at not really needing to wonder *why*. and instead you can move forward with trying to surivive. I don't know I'm rambling

like I think forever winter captures this kinda thing in a similar way with it just really capturing how it feels to have these massive systems of violence not only hang over you like a gulliatine but you can see them breaking and collapsing. so that game kinda feels at least similarly more honest in that you don't need a justification you just need to keep moving forward trying to survive. like, it captures a feeling of like "no things are not ok and you don't need to pretend they are" cuz that's honestly a shit load of stress anyhow. like I don't think its doomerism per se so much as kind of a demand to let go of trying to find any actual meaning to try to keep moving and keep breathing. you wont survive, but at least you can try to make it to tomorrow. and I think that is a feeling a lot of people are having right now

[axolistic]

WOF X HFJONE AU LETS GOOOOOO

I've been working on this au for a while, and I kinda spedrun it between today and yesterday to cope with II's finale. I am not okay.

Anyways, I'm like, super proud on how this turned out, I'm pretty satisfied with 99% of the designs, except with Amelia's, I just feel like there's something missing there lol.

Some extra notes / aka: things i need to clarify.

I got confused on Stone's name, instead of Stonecarver it should be Stoneshaper

Just as in canon, Airy forgot their name, that's why they are Reed now.

I'm not really sure where or when or how or why the whole premise of the show would happen in this au, but I'll figure it out. Probably. Hopefully.

I am still not sure what tribe to make Taylor and Charlie-

For Taylor I'm leaning towards a Skywing or Rainwing, or a hybrid between the two. Skywing fro the color, Rainwing based on pure vibes

As for Charlie I'm between mudwing and leafwing, though I'm leaning more towards leafwing. Because he has a mother and I feel like there's too many mudwings in the cast so far,,,, I think I'll make him a leafwing

Charlotte's mold is probably an animus curse or something,,, like- she just pissed off the wrong dragon, or took and enchanted jewel or something similar

Anyhow.... below there's some more art if u want to see it.

Full body of Airy, probably my least favorite of the drawings. It's not awful tho. It's also like my second time drawing a dragon full-body, so its decent enough

Parodia (Abstracty) copying moldy in that one scene of the show, I think it turned out great. And I think the name I thought for Abstracty is very fitting :3

MY FAVORITE YAAAHHHHHHHH. I LOVE HOW THEY BOTH LOOK, SPECIALLY BRYCE LIKE WHAT, I NAILED HIS DESIGN HE'S GOTTAS BE MY FAV OUT OF THE BUNCH ALSO LIKE YEAAHAHHHHH

[signedeclipse]

Hi! If your open for requests I'd like to see headcanons for rengoku, Tengen, and inosuke and with a reader who is blind? I'm legally blind although I still can see colors and vague outlines, I think it be cute!! Please and thank you!!

Inosuke

Inosuke isn't very sensitive about these topics

When he first sees you almost run into a wall, he asks if you're stupid on purpose

After that he might be rough but he will try his best to keep you from hurting yourself

If it happens too much in one day he will throw you over his shoulder and carry you where you're trying to go

He has eyes anyways so he may as well help you out when he isn't really using them for anything!

Gets very freaked out when you accidentally make eye contact with him though

Will literally tremble, he thinks you've gained sight just to spite him

If you really want him to listen to you, you can try to look him in the eyes by guessing and if its even slightly on target he will give you his full attention and attend to all your wishes just please stop doing that what the fuck

He likes when you rely on him a little more though, it inflates his ego a lot

Kyojuro

He is as gentle as he can be with you, while also trying not to assert himself too much in your life

Rather than saying something, he’ll just put his hand in front of you before you walk into something like a wall or puddle so you hit him instead

It becomes very subconscious for him, he does it so much that he stops realising it and you just learn to redirect yourself after feeling it

Kyojuro believes in your more enhances abilities to keep you safe, but knowing his job he has to consider alternative ways to keep you home and safe at night

Would ask you to babysit Senjuro when he is out on a mission so you feel like you are doing something, but he tells Senjuro to take good care of you

Senjuro likes your company a lot anyhow, and finds your home to be very comfortable

He would find your enhances abilities very impressive, like how you can memorise entire paths and structures just by walking around them once or twice

Uzui

One of the first things he ever said to you had something to do with his looks

To which you responded about him being 'nothing more than average'

Ouch but he liked the spice

Uzui wasn't an idiot, but he probably hadn't realised you were blind for a longer time than he would have liked to admit

"You wrote me letters!"

"Someone else wrote them, I just said what I wanted"

Defeated

Okay sure, he knows you are capable of taking care of yourself, but something about the fact that you couldn't see danger coming your way upsets him

I mean, what if a demon is talking you up into thinking they're human? And you perish at their hands full of trust?

Because of this, Uzui keeps either himself or his wives in your proximity just in case

Thankfully you don't seem to mind, and the girls love talking to you since you tend to be the least judgemental of anyone they had ever met

Expect to always have someone who loves you right by your side, even if you don't realise it

Authors Note - Strangely enough I got a very similar request right after this, characters and blind and everything! I deleted it, but then I got another one!

This hit a little close to home, my eye sight deteriorates a lot in one of my eyes every year! Thankfully I will always have one, but still! Please enjoy <3 I made reader 100% blind so its more interesting!

[ghost-bxrd]

GIRL CODED JASON !!!!! HI HELLO OMG TUMBLR USER AND AMAZING AO3 WRITER GHOST BIRD YOUR POSTS AND STORIES JUST ACTIVATE BRAINWORMS IN MY HEAD 😭😭😭😭 holy fuck hi I'm too shy to come off anon but I love the discussions you've been having, so just chipping in !!!

I love the many many looks on how people interpret him being girl-coded, exploring his feelings towards domestic violence, towards victims, women etc, extremely good points that you brought up ! And I'd like to bring up that on a more meta level, the way his character is treated by DC and by people in canon as a whole is also so... girl-coded ? Going to try my best to articulate since eng is my 3rd language 😔😔 Sorry if it's not consise 😭😭 I have FEELINGS AAAAAAAAAAAA

I think the core of this "girl-codedness" stems from a few things, two things I can point to currently are how he's treated as a victim and fridging. Fridging is the easier one to see imo, it's something that's usually associated with female characters but fits Jason a lot. It's not about him and his trauma/pain being feminine inherently (nothing can be categorised in that way honestly) but how it's dealt with by people and the narrative.

Let's take a look at its counterpart which is 'Dead Men Defrosting' trope coined by John Barton. Here's the source for that: https://www.lby3.com/wir/r-jbartol2.html, and a quote from the Women in Refridgerators website I feel is really encapsulates this whole situation.

"...women heroes are altered again and never allowed, as male heroes usually are, the chance to return to their original heroic states. And that's where we begin to see the difference."

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Additionally, the grief that his death bought is made to be even more objectifying than it should have been. It's made to be Bruce's and everyone else's more than it is Jason's. The image of the dead character is, by necessity, distorted and is served as fuel towards a different character. He's reduced to his death and the pain associated with it is milked for like... 16 yearsish??? A perverted memorial, a perverted memory, an altered legacy. He was just 15. A boy. (Still, I wouldn't say Jason was fridged per say, as the term is created in reference to female characters and they have little to no agency in their stories there, but that 'feel' is there. So I understand where the girl-codedness comes from!)

It’s that the way a lot of characters treat him and a lot of the tropes used on him are things that are typically associated with feminine characters. It's also about how he's treated since he's not a perfect victim. Every attempt Jason has made to express his pain and his anger just gets him labelled as emotional, unreasonable and hysterical (which are again, unfortunately terms associated with women.)

There's many different points people have brought up about Jason, such as his bleeding compassion as Robin, the tears at the end of UTRH, and so on. Nonetheless, I think there's a lot of nuance that comes with gender discussions, since these things are deeply personal to people, and there's disagreements to be had. And that's cool !! There's many points loads of other people also being to the table that I love !! Contradictions too !!

Anyhow, so many cool PPL and analysis these days,,, ILY ANON WHO BROUGHT UP TITANS TOWER (anonanonanon pls chip in again and my life will be URS) Also ILY TUMBLR USER MAGIC-CRAZY-AS-THIS FOR PUTTING THE WEDDING DRESS IMAGERY IN MY HEAD, ALSO ILY GHOSTBIRD FOR THAT AMAZING REPLY AND ANALYSIS,, I LOVE THIS LITTLE POCKET OF COMMUNITY U HAVE CREATED this is so beloved 🥺🥺🥺💞💞💞💞

All very good points!

I don’t have much to add here except perhaps the argument with the memorial case. You’re absolutely right. I never realized how similar it is to the classic hero trope of protagonist mourning their dead love interest/family and dedicating their entire life to a memory of them, citing the actions they take to be in honor of the dead person.

On one hand, I tend to enjoy that trope. On the other hand with Jason, it all became horribly twisted so very quickly and lead to a hard downward spiral of Bruce having a real assholish phase.

But yeah that’s a whole other can of worms better left unopened for now ksksks.

I’m very happy you’re enjoying this blog 💚 it’s honestly super rewarding to hear people say that when it was one of the main goals to have this be a safe and harmonious space for everyone 💚💚✨

[sepublic]

I find it a missed opportunity that Cole didn't play a role in Seabound with helping Nya unlock her Spinjitzu Burst; If you ignore The Island, which is basically part of the larger Seabound arc anyhow, Master of the Mountain comes right before and is all about Cole learning the Spinjitzu Burst. Given its requirements are to be surrounded by one's element, it's general fanon consensus that this was what Nya did when she unlocked the power of the sea.

Not only does this connect back to a previous season and make the show feel more intertwined, it also gives Cole something to do, builds off of his previous characterization, but also creates the opportunity for emotional conflict. He might be reluctant to teach Nya the Spinjitzu Burst upon hearing what happened to Nyad, or she may intentionally keep this a secret from him. When Nya does perform her big sacrifice, we could have Crystalized begin with Cole feeling guilt because he taught Nya the Spinjitzu Burst; Without it, she wouldn't have merged with the sea.

You could call back to Master of the Mountain again by having Cole ultimately make peace with what he did, by remembering his promise to Lilly, and recognizing that she would've done the same in Nya's place; He would've done the same in her place. In the end, all three chose to stand up to those who were cruel and unjust, to protect those who could not protect themselves.

...That also gets me to another point; The beginning of Crystalized is so similar to the beginning of Tournament of Elements; Both arcs follow the emotional aftermath of the ninja splitting up after a member of their team performs a great sacrifice to defeat the villain and save the day, and eventually have to get together when they're given hope that their dead teammate isn't so dead after all.

I really wish Crystalized hearkened back to that period where the ninja mourned Zane, because it would've been both a sensible callback, and a way to differentiate this arc from that one, by building off of the one which came before. Maybe the ninja ARE still sticking together, with Zane being different in that he's never had to mourn a teammate before; He was the sacrificial teammate the first time. That could lead to him turning off his emotions.

But while on the surface, the ninja seem to be handling it better than with Zane, since they learned their lesson, they may still express their grief in other ways. Such as with Kai becoming more ruthless, which canon already teased at; Maybe this could tie into Lloyd's Oni arc. Like with Zane's sacrifice beforehand, Lloyd urges the team to stick together and this time they do. But like Kai, his frustration with himself for not being good enough, thus necessitating Nya's sacrifice, could lead to Lloyd being more ruthless as a ninja, which could transition into his struggle with the Oni half of him, Harumi's return, the revelation that the Overlord is his grandfather's misguided attempt to purge his Oni half, etc.

That last bit especially, which was left out of the final product, seems to be building up to a lesson about Lloyd not repeating the FSM's mistakes by accepting his Oni half, and he already knew Mystake, Garmadon was finding good in himself, plus the implications of an Oni getting together with a Dragon to create his bloodline... But nothing comes of that. Imagine if Lloyd didn't succumb to his Oni form, but instead accepted it, and by extension accepted the Overlord, absorbing him into his body and making peace with the darkness the way his grandfather didn't.

That could be more interesting than Oni Lloyd actually being evil after all, which is basically the same moral takeaway as canon, just explored differently. It also hearkens back to Star Wars, which Tommy Andreasen takes big inspiration from when writing Ninjago, and the climax of Hunted, if Lloyd chooses not to fight the Overlord, and wins because of it; Rather than fighting Fire with Fire.

[inconspicious-random-thoughts]

Heeeey Bitch. Lets talk about Lucifer

I want to say Hazbin Hotel take on Lucifer is refreshing and interesting.

Just about everything portrayal of the King of Hell, hes a terrible evil creature wanting revenge on Heaven.

Granted Lucifer traditional backstory has been altered to fit this world version of him . In this world he was a dreamer and Heaven did not agree with his ideas of creation and that his way of thinking his dangerous.

I am interested what his ideas were. Maybe they were dangerous? Maybe we are being gaslit to believe he being a victim only to be revealed he wasn't. I don't think that's case, but it a possibility.

Anyhow, continuing with Hazbin lore, Lucifer met Lilith and they fell in love. They gifted/aided mankind with knowledge and free will by offering Eve the apple from the tree of knowledge. Then he and Lilith was casted away to Hell. To never witness what good that would raise from their act.

On top of that, he has a daughter that was born and raised with deplorable humans that became sinners to populate the world his daughter lives in.

It so valid how Lucifer became jaded, depressed and forlorn. To give mankind the gift of freewill and knowledge and only witness the worst of the crop. It a really refreshing take.

I love the little details of his design. When he was home we only witness him at his workbench, creating. He wants to create still like he was back as an angel.

Then his whole clothing design. When he view him from the back, he looks like an apple core. His spector is tipped with an apple, his hat has an apple and a snake wrapped around it to represent the serpent of Eden.

I noticed despite Lilith apparently leaving him, he still wearing his wedding ring. I am madly curious on the reasons with Lilith leaving. I thought she was away on mission to explain her absence, I didn't realize she left Lucifer as well. I'm guessing because like Charlie, she's cares about the people in hell, and is upset he doesn't do anything to stop the extermination and in fact enables it because he only sees the worst in them. That they deserve it.

He just a broken man...er angel surrounded by shards of a shattered dream. A man who fought for a dream and lost. Lost badly. Banished to eternal damnation of the worst product of his generous act. The only thing that probably kept him going was Lilith and Charlie. Only for Lilith seemly walk away with Charlie leaving him with nothing.

I wonder what what was holding him back from seeing or talking to Charlie. Clearly they both wanted it?

This portrayal was just fun! I really appreciate it.

I have no idea about the rubber ducks. I'm guessing something to be revealed later why ducks have a significance to him. I'm guessing he wanted to create something similar to a duck. As the flashback between him and Charlies duet he was showing her his dreams and the images looked like ducks. Or its something relating to Charlie and hes desperately clinging to the childhood innocence of her.

He had some fun lines

“This is the first time she’s called YOU in years…this has to be perfect…” -"Heeey bitch"

"take that depression!"

Basically every interaction with Alastor.

"you like girls! me too!"

His emotional duet with Charlie. What a voice! and End up supporting her and the love he has for her is so evident. Its touching.

[honeycreammilkshake]

hello there honey i really enjoyed your analysis on sukuna and yujis relationship they're so overlooked by the vast majority of the fandom despite being the mcs and it makes me happy some of us appreciate their dynamic i might be unsatisfied with geges overall handling of the story and how it took so long to really focus on these two but he wrote them very compelling despite everything. it makes me frustrated because it could've been even more of a punch if we didn't focus so much on everything else and i adore some characters but it came at the expense of not doing enough with his mcs which even if some people don't want them to be its still yuji and sukuna.

anyhow a small little detail i wanted to point out about 265 is yuji up to that point had been treating and referring to sukuna as a curse, but while in his domain while they're fishing he baits him by saying "cant the strongest sorcerer do this?" and its baiting him obvs and hitting at his ego but he still referred to him as a sorcerer and he's the only one to do so to my knowledge everyone else including himself refers to him as the king of curses, something that he was seen as by everyone since the heian era, a curse, and that he still believes he is right to 268. i really wanted gege to expand on why yuji sympathies with him, we can deduce why and it he clearly does but i wanted to see his exact thoughts what changed, maybe he found out by gojo about his family when he talked to him and realized sukuna was his relative? i mean there's more reasons why he sympathized with him clearly as you very well pointed out in your post but still this is why im dissatisfied with the writing they could've explained it better.

what are your thoughts? i hope we get to focus on yuji at least in the next chapters or im going to lose it. do you have any hope that sukuna ended up accepting yujis offer? i think the scene ended abruptly... i want them back together its so frustrating and while it fits and i can see gege leaving it like that it just doesn't feel right to me

hi, jenjen!! (do you mind if i call you that?)

thank you so much for reading that mess of a post. i had a lot of sukuita feels and just spilled my thoughts in one entire go. it's sad that they're so overlooked because they're unironically the best thing about jjk. like yeah there's a lot of cool characters in jjk but sukuna is literally a god of chaos and devastation that somehow got stuck in the body of an unhinged teenager who would sacrifice his own life for strangers.

they're two different extremes trapped within the same body, but as the story goes on we see they're a lot more similar than they first appear. like yin and yang, the two extremes that often oppose each other but are also inseparably complimentary to each other. there is soooooo much to explore with that dynamic, and i'm forever heartbroken we didn't get to have more focus on these two because they are honestly amazing.

anyhow a small little detail i wanted to point out about 265 is yuji up to that point had been treating and referring to sukuna as a curse, but while in his domain while they're fishing he baits him by saying "cant the strongest sorcerer do this?" and its baiting him obvs and hitting at his ego but he still referred to him as a sorcerer and he's the only one to do so to my knowledge everyone else including himself refers to him as the king of curses, something that he was seen as by everyone since the heian era, a curse, and that he still believes he is right to 268.

your point about that one scene in 265 is so goooood <3

as you said, up until that point yuuji had only been referring to sukuna as a curse, even though that's not technically true. but to yuuji, sukuna is more of a curse than some curses are. this is part of my theory that yuuji is the only one that sees right through sukuna. almost everyone else admires sukuna or only sees him as something to test their strength against.

yuuji is the only one who actually hates sukuna. yuuji even wants to destroy him because he knows sukuna is a murdering, cannibalizing force of death and devastation. and sukuna hates yuuji because the brat represents everything that goes against sukuna's cursed and selfish nature.

they both stand for everything the other hates, yet it's so interesting that they somehow understand each other better than anyone else does. (more on that later >.<)

what i really love about this scene is yuuji's teasing nature. he's not being mocking or sarcastic. he's both stroking sukuna's ego and, with light playfulness, is giving him a kind of recognition (as a sorcerer, not a curse) that nobody else has. you were completely right with that, jenjen.

and it's just so sudden that it happens. actually, everything about this chapter was so sudden and unexpected.

the fact that sukuna is willfully going along with all of this when he would strike down and destroy people for daring to even order him about (like nanako and mimiko). yet he indulges yuuji over and over again.

yuuji is literally telling sukuna what to do, but sukuna doesn't even reprimand him. actually, he pays attention to yuuji. (also i love how everything is always so "special case" and "different" with them like that don't even know how they arrived in yuuji's little mind palace and sukuna looks freaked out about it but he still listens to yuuji, he still does whatever yuuji asks him to... that's truly amazing.)

this scene in particular was really interesting to me. as you pointed out earlier yuuji only ever referred to sukuna as a curse and treated him like one, too. during his conversation with mahito, yuuji says that his purpose in all this is to just kill curses, sukuna especially, as that's the end goal of everything yuuji did.

yet here yuuji is, decidedly not killing sukuna and instead giving the king of courses his entire life story. yuuji's being the most open and vulnerable about himself than he's ever been, and it's all for the infamous king of curses who cares only for himself, the enemy yuuji hates and wants to see destroyed.

yet the way sukuna remains uncharacteristically quieter through all of it, looking like he's honestly reflecting or considering what yuuji just said, and how he gives this meaningful pause after yuuji describes how empty the town he was raised in became. yuuji says he expected it to be that way and sukuna looks almost thoughtful about that.

something similar happens a little bit later on when yuuji's talking about how there's a smaller amount of insects now than when he was younger.

what i noticed about both of these moments is that yuuji is talking about changes that happened for him. changes in the place he was raised and changes in the life he used to see more of that he doesn't now.

sukuna isn't affected by change. he's the strongest, he does whatever pleases him and doesn't care about anyone but himself. but yuuji cares about these little things, these changes that affect him, these small details that stay in his memory. that's such a contrast to sukuna's mindset, which is that every human tastes fleeting. and here yuuji is, sharing his memories about these tiny things with sukuna, these "tastes" that have stuck with him. because it's little details like yuuji losing his slime toy or drinking sweet milk tea when it snows that makes him who he is as a person. but does sukuna have any kind of memories like these? anything that connects him to being human like yuuji? maybe that is why yuuji is showing sukuna all these everyday normal things. he knows sukuna doesn't have memories like this, so maybe showing him yuuji's own might trigger something in him, something deep down. he wanted sukuna to open up with him too, maybe.

all of this is such a strong contrast to how other sorcerers and curses treat sukuna. they only approach him with the intent to try to overpower him or maybe to try to gain his favor. yuuji isn't doing anything like that. he isn't bargaining or making violent demands. there's no fighting. it's the most tender they have been with each other so far. (sukuna not killing yuuji the moment that brat asked him to do anything is sukuna being tender imo... he would have crushed anyone else for daring to do such a thing.)

it's just... it's so fascinating how yuuji hated sukuna for being so inhuman before, but now he's suddenly treating sukuna like he is human. he's acknowledging that sukuna was human even if the king of curses doesn't want to be seen as that anymore. and it's beautifully complex and should have been explored far deeper.

i really wanted gege to expand on why yuji sympathies with him, we can deduce why and it he clearly does but i wanted to see his exact thoughts what changed, maybe he found out by gojo about his family when he talked to him and realized sukuna was his relative? i mean there's more reasons why he sympathized with him clearly as you very well pointed out in your post but still this is why im dissatisfied with the writing they could've explained it better.

i am right with you on this one, too. chapter 265 was almost like a dream for me. jjk is hardly romantic at all. even a lot of other action manga includes at least a little romantic subplot... yet the most romantic scenes we get in this series are these date-like interactions between sukuna and yuuji, who supposedly hate each other, yet i guess they're out there doing archery together??

(sukuna getting another perfect archery shot just to impress his demanding little boyfriend <3 i love how serious he looks here, too, he's really playing up that coolness factor)

you also made another great point about how yuuji suddenly took a lot more emotional interest in sukuna now than he did before. i wonder if that conversation yuuji had before gojo died was about sukuna being related to yuuji? maybe part of him lit up on the inside because he actually has family, even if it's the murderous demon god that wants to destroy him and everything that he loves? or maybe he felt some kind of closeness while sukuna was inside of him that he misses now?

i really wish that we got more scenes like this with these two. i want to understand yuuji's thought process for trying to reason with sukuna and to maybe even get him to open up, too.

it's sad that gege took so long to focus on these two again. there were so many more interactions we could have had, so many more meaningful insights into both of their characters.

but this chapter did a lot all in one take.

i said earlier that sukuna and yuuji understand each other really well, and i believe that's true because not only are they the only ones who spent so much time being soul-crushingly close to one another, they also get under each other's skin far more than anyone else does. sukuna loves to torment yuuji because he knows just how caring and compassionate yuuji is. he rubs it in that he killed thousands of people during the shibuya arc and that he possessed the body of yuuji's friend. but yuuji also knows just how to rile up sukuna and he fights sukuna hard, he never gives up, and i think sukuna secretly admires that about yuuji.

and this chapter showed us how they understand each other yet again.

this conversation, to me, shows two very important things. one is that, despite already feeling it's a lost cause, yuuji still tries to convince sukuna to accept the mercy he's showing him, to understand yuuji's perspective as well. but sukuna's response to this is more layered than it first seems, in my opinions.

as we've seen, sukuna uses a lot of backhanded insults and contradicting statements with yuuji. he simultaneously calls the brat weak and uninteresting, but is disappointed when yuuji lost against choso (sukuna was paying a suspicious amount of interest during that fight scene for someone who considers yuuji to be so worthless) and looks reluctantly impressed or even surprised at yuuji's abilities.

yet when anyone else gives sukuna a hard time or challenge, sukuna shows them respect or even gives them praise. he does no such thing with yuuji, at all. in fact, all he does is mock and discredit yuuji, so sometimes the actual words he uses is a roundabout way he's actually acknowledging yuuji getting under his skin. and i think his words here, "i'm astounded at how spineless you are," can be taken as a form of that reluctant and contradicting acknowledgment.

even if sukuna doesn't accept what yuuji is saying, i think he knows yuuji is being sincere. he has to feel like he's guarded against it though, so he easily dismisses yuuji, and that's why my second important thing from this conversation is how yuuji still doesn't give up.

sukuna knows yuuji can kill him. he's getting back up into a corner now. but instead of going in for any kind of demands, yuuji is giving sukuna mercy. a second chance. a choice.

even though he knows sukuna refuses to see things yuuji's away, to accept yuuji's ideals of valuing life, he still offers a chance at mercy for sukuna.

sukuna, who has deliberately proved over and over again that he doesn't deserve mercy or empathy, and yuuji understands this. he accepts that sukuna is unsympathetic and a monster.

even when sukuna is dying, yuuji shows him that mercifulness once more. he's far more gentle and compassionate to him than sukuna deserves.

the fact that he still wants to live with sukuna. either a longing for family or the closeness they once shared when yuuji was his vessel or both. he genuinely cares about sukuna. and i think sukuna knows that.

so that's why it's another insult to undermine yuuji's efforts and empathy when sukuna says this offer is yuuji just "acting the fool" when i think he knows truly that yuuji wouldn't be so unserious about such a big thing.

but one thing that hit me hard is how sukuna calls the brat by his full name this time. something he has never done before. just like yuuji called him a sorcerer that one time too. it's like sukuna's admitting deep down he was touched, but he just can't accept yuuji's mercy. that would kill his persona, his reputation as the king of curses. it would make him more human. and he refuses to be anything but inhuman.

the original japanese had quotes around "curse" and that was important for a reason. sukuna wanted to be seen only as a curse would be seen.

as gojo said. love is the greatest curse of all. and sukuna is the king of curses. so it's very fitting indeed that sukuna died in the hands of perhaps the one person who ever really saw him, or understood him, or loved him.

thank you for your ask btw, jenjenpup. i really loved reading your thoughts on this. thanks for bearing with me on all my rabid rants about these two. i hope i answered your ask well enough.

so glad to have you in the sukuita cult, too <3

[emporer-of-chaos]

Another swap au whoooo. This one is partially inspired by @phenphoenix swap au (go check it out its amazing) mostly because he nailed almost exactly what I wanted this swap au husk and niffty to be like and I like the names he came up with.

(Huskers wings are the same same goes for his tail I just.. really didn't want to draw them) Anyhow in this universe niffty was the overlord i have no idea of what i tried coming up with something but couldn’t so if you have any ideas tell me please its driving me insane unfortunately for her she is still nifty and she let her obsessive tendencies get the best of her leading to her making some horrible calls that resulted in her being backed into a corner and making a deal with angel to preserve her power. Husk on the other hand still got backed into a corner due to his gambling habit but in this au he wasn't an overlord and the reason he made a deal with angel was because he owed money to his mafia due to it. He actually feels like his life has improve massively since making that deal and as such does not regret it at all Their personalities are mostly the same, just nifty being depressed and husker not being. I imagine niffty in this au is being very obsessive and in need of controlling everything in regards to that obsession while husker is much more caring and compassionate. Plus I love the idea of Husker having more feline tendencies such as him randomly dropping everything and chasing a mouse as this aus version of nifty roach obsession.

But their relationships with certain characters are very different, husker and angel are pretty close. He is grateful to Angel since as I stated before he is treated pretty well by him but while they are kind of friends their relationship never developed further due to the distance that one party straight up owning the other's soul put between them. For huskerdust to happen in this au angel would have to voluntarily give up husks soul which i dont think would happen in the near future. Niffty on the other hand is a bit resentful but mostly indifferent about angel a “could have been worse” attitude what i wanna talk about is her relationship with Alastor. She quickly becomes a good friend of his and while she is annoyed at him never fully acting like himself always wearing that smile (which she recognizes as a desperate bid for controle) their friendship doesn't have as rocky of a start as husk and angel dust in canon. But she still eventually has enough and calls out his bs in a similar manner to huskies “everyone loves to bitch to the bartender” spiel. In her case though the reason she knows so much is that people straight up forget she is there. Mostly because I think it's a lot more fitting for her plus I think it's funny. I am probably gonna draw the whole scene of her psychoanalyzing everyone once i decide who the fuck im swapping Sir pentious with becouse atm i have no idea.

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[arminreindl]

So something that a lot of people are seemingly unaware off is the "rostral boss" or simply face bump seen in some American Crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus). I've seen it a few times now that folks are really surprised to see it, so I think its worth sharing a bit on that and its importance to understanding how crocs came to America.

For starters, the rostral boss is a large bump that is located on the snout of some crocodiles just before the eyes, covering the back of the nasal bone and areas of the prefrontals, lacrimals and parts of the frontal bone. This boss, among modern crocs, is most prominent in the American Crocodile. Sidenote, I know its a pain, but here American Crocodile (capitalized C) means Crocodylus acutus. When meaning the crocodiles of America, I'll use Neotropic crocodiles. Also tho I'm usually liberal with the term, here crocodile specifically refers to the genus Crocodylus. Good? Good. Anyhow, this kinda gives them a look thats been likened to the Triassic phytosaurs and makes individuals with said bump really distinct. Below are some pictures which show different indivudals with less and more pronounced bosses.

Now this feature is not unique to American Crocodiles (again meaning C. acutus, I know the terminology is confusing), but can be seen in at least some other neotropic Crocodylus species. Now I've yet to see images of either Morelet's or Orinoco Crocodiles with the same and they don't appear to have been recognized with them by older literature, but there are some Cuban Crocodile skulls also showing a slight boss. If you look at the two photos below, you can see an American Crocodile skull on the left and several skulls of Cuban Crocodiles on the right (from the Quaternary Sawmill Sink on the Bahamas). It's comparably subtle in the Cubans, but there is a boss present in these skulls.

The fun part is that this isn't just a random trait that these crocodiles got out of nowhere. No, the rostral boss is actually a trait thats likely to be ancestral to ALL Crocodylus species of the Neotropics (so again, Morelet's, Cubans, Orinocos and Americans). The oldest known Crocodylus species from the Americas is Crocodylus falconensis from the Pliocene of Venezuela. And guess what, it had that very same bump on its face.

But that's not where the trail ends. No. Back in the 1940s a crocodile was found in Miocene sediments of Northern Africa that had a similar bump. Meaning on the other side of the Atlantic. This was largely ignored at the time, despite the similarities to American and Cuban Crocodiles and their rostral bosses being known back then. But more recently, scientists have taken a second look at this species, Crocodylus checchiai, and concluded that it is a likely ancestor to today's Neotropic crocodiles.

We already knew that African crocodiles (Nile Crocodiles and Sacred Crocodiles) were more closely related to Neotropic crocodiles than to Australasian ones (like Salties, Freshies and Muggers), but this essentially provided some really solid evidence for how crocs got to America. Sometime between the Miocene and Pliocene, Crocodylus checchiai (or a relative or descendent) swam across the Atlantic and landed in the area around the Caribbean, spreading and giving rise to the four true crocodiles that still inhabit the region. Which I personally think is really cool.

[rocksibblingsau]

The fact that in real life Funk is a sub-genre/borned from R&B and in the troll universe is (implied to be) the opposite makes choosing music for the Funk tribe and assigning irl music to a troll's genre so weird and confusing.

Lets not even start with how Jazz and its different genres, Blues, Disco, Gospel, Soul and others would get mixed into this. It's already difficult to draw a hard line between them in real life since a lot of these genres originated from one another, influence each other and overlap quite often and are even sometimes fully grouped together (R&B been both its on genre, but also the grouping of Blues and Rhythm). It feels wrong to just completely mix them together into Funk or say they are a sub-genre of Funk because how different, nuanced and big each of these genres can be (and how many of them are older than Funk itself), but them being one of the main tribes and R&B already been a sub-genre of Funk in universe doesn't help.

Which leads to the question of again, we're does this leave Jazz? It has many roots in Blues and some jazz sub-genres are often group together with R&B and Gospel (forming the "genre" of Soul music), but most of Jazz can be and IS very different from Soul and Funk. And that is not even mentioning how heavily Jazz influenced Hip-Hop, R&B and even Funk. I think Im having a stroke...

Anyways, it seems that the lesson today is that even though the Troll Tribes are a fun and creative idea it also really simplifies and separates the topic of music genres abd music history, something thats famously complex and interconnected. I didn't even mentioned genres like Rock, Techno, Rock-and-Roll and others that were also pioneered by black american communities and were influenced/influential and share similarities to Jazz, Funk, Blues and R&B.

Aka.: Music genres in real life doesn't exist in a vacuum and wasn't born out of thin air, but they did in the Trolls universe so let's not think so hard about it and just roll with it for the sake of all of our sanities.

(This rant/discussion was born out of me finding a brazillian jazz and soul song that really fitted Funk Branch and researching the history of black-american genres for two hours just to make it make sense some what because I obviously wasn't giving such a good song to fucking Chaz. Anyways the song is De Ontem by Liniker, it's really good and I recommend it a lot - for Branch and in general - even if the translation I found on google was quite bad. If you plan to listen to it, I can write and send you a somewhat better one if you want)

Anyhow, sorry for the insanely long ask. If you take a shot for everytime a mention a music genre, you would quite literally die before the ask was over. Thank you for reading <3

That's kind of a thing with music irl yeah, the genres are messy and almost every song when you look it up has at least two genres it's accredited to. I think part of the point of the movie is that it's hard to stay confined to a single genre and all genres take influence from each other and are born from each other. Pop and Rock were born from the same thing, they just split in different directions.

I take the irl genres of songs as a suggestion. If something seems more like it'd be the Funk Trolls vibe, then it's their music.

[thesockghost]

Im going to just put this here since I can’t seem to put it in the comments.

So in the description of this video, there is a message encoded in a vigenère cipher. Found this out by putting it through this website that runs codes through multiple cyphers at once.

Here’s what it reads:

hi there…new friend? We will see.

It appears I have made your acquaintance. Time will reveal whether or not we become allies. Apologies for the flashy entrance, by the by. I know the glitchyness may be a little over the top and over used now from what I’ve seen, however I had to claim your attention somehow. Thus, my pyrotechnics and special effects talents seemed to do the trick. Anyhow…

I have thus far only heard tell of the realm of monsters, yet you lot entirely align precisely with my expectations. For some time, I have sought a means to initiate contact with you.

In my research, I have observed that you have engaged in similar endeavors previously. You have deciphered clues, uncovered hidden codes, and participated in a rather engaging game orchestrated by him, correct? You may pride yourselves on discovering his narrative and the fragments he has left behind. But allow me to pose a question: how much of what you have uncovered do you consider genuine, and how much do you perceive as mere entertainment? As though a clown performing cheap yet ultimately spurious magic subterfuge to amuse a sad crowd?

Permit me to clarify. Despite my mere day-long presence in this domain, I have located every single “insinuation” he has provided over the past two years. My acumen is rather impressive, I must admit. To my surprise however, some of what he has disclosed is indeed accurate. Yet ultimately, you have been misled by a charlatan. You have allowed a deceiver to narrate his tale, and you have accepted it without question. He has scattered breadcrumbs, and you have followed them like naive children.

I am neither vexed nor dismayed, merely perplexed and somewhat entertained. Yet my frustration dissipated yesterday when my greatest aspiration was fulfilled, all thanks to the seemingly inconsequential bear.

Hear me now. I am real. I am no penguin, no shadow, no clone, no celebrity, no friend, no enemy, no fox, cow, ticon, lion, dolphin, rabbit, monkey, rat, dog, cat, demon, food, and no monster. Well, no monster to you. He hasn’t shown me yet. To be fair, he doesn’t even know what I look like. Hell, sometimes even I forget what I look like.

This will not be another of his contrivances. He will not dictate the narrative. You will adhere to my codes, solve my riddles, and engage with MY puzzles. Not his.

Be assured, these challenges will be formidable, not merely for my amusement, though that is a small factor I do confess. Primarily, they are designed to be concealed, and yet I intend to unveil secrets beyond your wildest imagination. We may uncover the origins of those monsters, the nature of the so-called shadow, and perhaps even my own identity. Moreover, the rationale behind my actions may even be revealed in time.

And, by the way, this is unrelated to his absurd “Toon Turf” series. A ludicrous title for an autobiographical account of his past three years of carnage. I will remain present regardless of its reception. whether you dumb fucks eat it up or not. I’m going to be around for awhile. Once again, you have no comprehension of how long I’ve waited for this.

Oh, and should you notice a tapping on a window, a scratch on the floor, or a dent in the vent, do not be alarmed. I am merely exploring, and may be potentially offering subtle guidance. However, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do first, so don’t expect any big answers right this moment. You lot have a lot of fun things in this world, don’t you?

This will be the only straightforward message you receive from me. Henceforth, you will need to be inventive. What you term an ARG is an apt description. Do not worry, I know you have become bored with his stories, so allow me to introduce something new. Something fresh. Something you’ll have much more difficulty sliding through. We shall manipulate reality, as it is now entirely my domain. I’m in control. Except the only reality we’re going to fuck with, is his. hehe

And to him, who’s never done an ounce of decoding in his life, and therefore will never read this, I proclaim:

happy birthday shitass :) hope you like your gifts.

Signed with blood, Absinthe