#(decided to leave it in in the end lol)
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Harmony Syndrome Part 5/5
The last chapter of my mlp infection AU! Thank you to everyone who followed along. Some final thoughts on my twitter @cracklewink if anyone's interested : )
#mlp#my little pony#mlp infection au#mlp infection#twilight sparkle#Sorry for leaving the ending open ended but I genuinely couldnt decide on just one way for things to turn out and I liked the idea of#leaving it open the most#in my mind sunset's final message is like we found a recording from the later days of the infection and we dont know what happened in the#end because the recordings stopped/ended#In any case I think they were able to put twilight and the others to rest#but who knows who survived the “final battle” and who didnt#also yes Twilight created harmony syndrome but not on purpose lol#it was the result of her botched attempt to create a spell that makes ponies immortal#obviously it backfired lol#and the irony is that twilight ends up dying before any of her friends#if they didnt want me writing my little pony horse tragedy they shouldnt have left mlpfim off on the note that all of twilight's friends#were growing old without her#ending thats been haunting me for five years#if anyones seeing this this is an open au btw so feel free to adopt any of the ideas if you like! : )#tw thanatophobia#thanatophobia
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some designs for tusken era boba :)
unarmored/pre krayt hunt armored/post krayt hunt
alternative lighting style and flat colors
#star wars#boba fett#tbobf#book of boba fett#tusken raiders#tusken#redbean art#sw au#<- maybe?#in which the tribe doesnt get killed bc they were off on a krayt hunting trip when cad bane/pykes arrived#the krayt hunt in question is the same one din cobb and dins tusken friends were on#that is also how boba got his armor back#he showed up to help w the hunt; saw cobb in the background; and promptly tackled the guy to get his stuff back#the red fabric on his pre krayt mask mimics the visor paint#the visor and filter are based off his early krayts claw helmet#the belt plates are engraved with jasters jp and mandalor sigils#partially in remembrance and partially so he doesnt end up looking like maul's death watch/shadow collective commandos lol#the shoulder teeth (arranged like his wookiee braids) are from the six legged sand creature he killed#because i think the tuskens would be very supportive of his monster tooth collecting hobby from that one comic#post krayt he gets to keep a krayt tooth but it doesnt fit on his belt so he keeps it in his tent or something#in the post krayt design most of his armor is layered between the inner and outer robes#he gets more souvenir teeth arranged like the tusken mentors belt beads#couldnt decide whether to leave the tusken horns on or off post krayt#but i couldnt figure out a good way to adhere them to the helmet without blocking the rangefinder rotation or having to glue them#so no tusken horns for the post krayt design
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☆ love; heretical and divine
{☆} characters tsaritsa {☆} notes cult au, yandere, drabble, gender neutral reader {☆} warnings blood {☆} word count 0.8k
To love a God is heretical. It is an act of blasphemy– it is to drag them down from their throne of hollow gold, to topple the pedestal the worshipers uphold on their shoulders like lambs at the herders heel. It is the act of forcing them to their knees and ripping that beating heart of glorious gold and beautiful, cruel divinity from their chest, so pure it burns.
To love a God is to make them sin. To make them painfully, horribly human.
To love a God is to sin.
The love of a worshiper is no love at all, brilliant in its raw purity, untainted by sin. It is fear and obedience masked by adoration so overpowering it corrupts. It makes the lamb so unquestioning in it's faith it will never question the knife that cuts, the teeth that rip, the claws that tear. If the Creator deemed them unworthy of the very life crafted by their hands, then they must have committed a sin so grave there lay no salvation for their horrid soul.
But she is no worshiper– her lips speak of heresy as easily as she breathes, her words nothing but lies, cold and cruel like the ice that crawls along her skin like webs.
She loves a God like a lover should.
A damned sinner reaching longingly for the heavens.
She loves a God in the subtle brush of their lips, their muffled voices behind closed doors as they indulge in curiosity untamed. She is a sinner through and through, but she feels herself fall further with every brush of her hand across their cheeks, every touch she bestows upon them like a lover. She memorizes the imperfections of their body like memorizing a map– every scar, every mark, every line drawn on their body like a canvas, her touch the brush that stains the pristine white.
No devoted lamb shall ever see the painting they create in these stolen moments– it is for the eyes of a heretic so vile it makes them shudder, their body dirtied by the love of a woman so vile even their divinity is obscured by the ice.
The lambs may be satisfied with fleeting glimpses of gold and empty words from lips that guide them to the jaws of the wolves, but she is not. Her hands crave them like a starving hound, aching to touch that imperfect skin hidden by the veil of gold that obscures the painfully human body beneath. She longs to free them from the golden cage that binds them– to see their wings blot out the sky, their divinity tainted by sin and making them all the more beautiful for it.
It is a longing that leaves a festering wound that cannot heal, will not heal. Even if it could, she would not let it.
For as much as she tries, deny it as she may, she is no better then the blind lambs following the herder who holds a blade in their hand, glittering like gold in the sun, stained by dull red.
She is a fool, and what a fool they make of her with the touch of their hands against her skin– so cold it leaves frost on their fingertips. Yet they do not fear the cold, mapping out every inch of her imperfections, carved into her body by her own hands.
She has always been a heretic, cursing the divine until she could speak no more, but if divinity can be found in them – in this love that consumes, that burns her hands and her lips – then she is a Saint, praying at the altar until her throat bled.
But in the end, she has and will always be a cold woman with hands stained with blood. Until it is all she can taste, until it is all she can smell, until it is all she can feel. These hands of hers, heretical and divine, will bleed the God from their veins– she will become the wolf to their lamb until the rivers of Teyvat run gold with their ichor, until the gold bleeds into red, the taste of their divinity on her tongue.
Until she drags a God from their lofty throne and makes of them a monster.
There is no greater triumph to the heretic then to love a God into sin. To make a God sin to love.
To love is to be human, and they are no God.
Even if she must tear the gold from their very being until all that's left is something human. Even if Teyvat crumbles and decays, even if it begins over and over again..
She will do it again and again, until the gold can bleed no longer. Until her sins grow too great for Teyvat to contain.
To love a God is to devour, and be devoured. An endless cycle of sin that dulls the glow of gold into something new– something horrifying and divine, in it's own right. Something just as horrid as her, just as divinely corrupted by the sins she carries on her shoulders like a trophy, as gold as the sun and as cold as ice.
Divinity, carved into something human by love all consuming, until it all bleeds away and they begin their dance anew, for as many cycles as it takes.
An eternity, if she must, of dooming this world of theirs to fire and decay for a glimpse of the being snared by their golden shackles.
#sagau#genshin sagau#self aware genshin#genshin impact sagau#self aware genshin impact#genshin cult au#genshin impact cult au#fic tag#tsaritsa#tsaritsa x reader#rip 2 anyone who expected like. a normal fic lol. lmao.#im very normal abt the tsaritsa and love its so tasty#i left it very up to interpretation what like. actually happens but. yknow.#i just think tsaritsa being the god of love and not knowing how 2 love without being weird abt it is fun#also wanted to dig into the concept of reader being fundamentally changed by being the creator besides gold blood yknow#but the tsaritsa Knows its changed you and she hates it. she hates it but how does one destroy what is divine?#how do you destroy the very thing that has created you in its hands so cruel and kind?#ive really gone off the deep end huh#this is a warning 2 the normal ppl u might as well leave now. lol#lowkey going for her actually straight up eating u but decided that was too weird for my first fic in a while. had 2 tone it down#i also wanted to add a bit of a concept of the constant resets teyvat goes through and how it plays into the themes#the tsaritsa constantly stuck in a cycle of getting rid of your divinity to be with you as you actually are but teyvat “dies” shortly after#bc obvs ur not the creator afterward so it just croaks and then it all resets again and again#but its the tsaritsa we r talking abt do u think that stops her. NO#obvs still up 2 interpretation go wild this was just what i intended#can u tell i have a lot of feelings abt tsaritsa and concepts of love from her pov. haha. I PROMISE IM NORMAL#i am mentally well why do u ask#what warnings do i add here. dont open this fic ive lost it maybe. yeah#covid rewiring my brain or smth idk man
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tsukasa finally wrote a good story<3
#txt#TL by tsukasa's number 3 fan#you can read the story in the rest of the translation lol. it's actually really cute#basically there are leaves who decide to put on a competition to be the reddest lead bc they want to make people happy with their beautiful#colors. but they end up falling off the tree when theyre still a mix of oranges and yellows. theyre sad because they assume people-#wont be happy with their weird colors#but a child finds them and decides to preserve them because she likes the different kind of colors they are#surprisingly wholesome coming from tsukasa!#he didnt even have a role. neither did the kagamines or kaito but still#canon talk
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New Age AU (Cross' Spy Adventures)
Hi guys! I'm back! This one has been eating at me so forgive me if it's a bit rougher than the others, but I hope you still enjoy! (And if plot details don't seem to line up? Remember Cross has no clue what's going on yet :] )
Context: Cross has been asked by Dream to do recover information on his brother's next plans of attack. He's not a very good spy.
(Hi to @ancha-aus @papiliovolens and @mutzelputz !!!)
Stars this place was big.
He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be on a castle grounds after so many years roughing it with Ink. Inns and taverns and tents. He wasn't sure how much he enjoyed being back in the throes of the rich and powerful's estates.
The cart-ride with the other new recruits had been pleasant enough, they were all decently friendly guys. A few were putting on that tough-guy facade, but none of them could've been older than 25. Fresh off the press, practically. Perfect soldiers to be brainwashed.
Cross had laughed and joked with them about what life in the castle might be like. How different it would be from the old daily grind. How maybe they'd pick up a hot partner in town on their patrols. How they hoped they'd eat like kings.
Though, Cross noticed that each of them got cagey when word of the King resurfaced. One birdish-monster mourned that she couldn't have served the last King, Nim, before she passed on to join the gods. Another spoke of the honor it would bring for him to serve the blood of Nim.
They seemed averse to even acknowledging King Nightmare's existence. Aside from his connection to Nim.
Now, the chatter was all silent, and Cross was among the many new soldiers who were ogling the castle as they passed around its outer wall and entered through a side gate.
It was, admittedly, impressive.
His own home kingdom had less of a castle, more of a monolith. It had been dense, and tall, and impossibly smooth. His father couldn't stand imperfection.
This castle was almost the exact opposite of what Cross had always known. The walls imperfect and overlapping, rather than brick it looked like it had burst straight up from the ground. Bumpy and imperfect and natural, and yet beautiful and structurally stable. He didn't linger on it, but he wanted to so badly.
Instead, he drew his attention ahead. To where a man stood, his armor decorated in the marks which indicated him as a reporting officer.
This man, a human with a crooked nose and a thick, black, beard held up a hand, and the driver of the cart tugged at his reigns, the horses pulling to a slow stop.
One by one, once given the signal, the soldiers filed out. Stating their rank, their camp of origin, and their name.
Cross was middle of the pack, and saluted the human as Dream had taught him and as everyone had done before him.
"1st Year Guard, Pierson Camp, Z." He reported.
He was not proud of his code-name. It physically hurt to say it with a straight face, but when he'd been talking about needing a new code name, Ink had excitedly suggested it.
Z, he'd said, Like 'X' but not! And Cross hadn't been able to shut the idea down when Dream had giggled and tapped his cheekbone, the spot just under his eyelight that held is scar.
Dream had called it fitting, and it'd been settled in a heartbeat.
Cross managed to say it aloud without any hint of suspicion and was waved off to join his fellow recruits.
They lined up haphazardly, but didn't dare to do more than grin and snicker between eachother at. Well. Anything, it seemed. They were taking this very casually compared to what Cross had been expecting.
Though, the moment the captain was done looking to the cart for any stragglers, he turned. The soldiers all went still and aligned themselves.
Cross wondered how they survived training if they goofed off like that so readily.
He watched as the cart which had brought them circled away, and he listened carefully as the man introduced himself.
"I am Captain Rogers. Your platoon will report to me for any and all management. I control your training schedules, your mealtimes, and your work hours." He called out to them, right there on the lawn "you are here today to serve the blood of the gods, and by Nim's watch you will not slack on your oath. No matter how much you loathe it here. Understood?"
Such a bold declaration of... unrest.
The soldiers, one by one, gave affirmative nods and salutes, Cross making sure he wasn't the first. He didn't want to seem too eager.
The captain led them about.
He asked for them to stay in formation, and Cross ended up towards the middle of the pack yet again, just close enough to hear the explanations of their duties, places on the grounds they were allowed to go, and what their daily routine was meant to be like.
Near the stables, they paused briefly, and the Captain was taking an extra long time explaining that the horses in the stables were not to be ridden without explicate orders from him or another commanding officer.
Cross couldn't help but notice the guys ahead of him whispering about something, and Cross followed their miniscule gestures off to the left.
A black cat, wirey and short-hair. It was standing in the shadow of a fence, and he didn't think he would've spotted it if it weren't for its big, green eyes. They were like little saucers in its head.
It was staring straight at him. Tail flicking. One ear twitched.
Cross tried to ignore it, but when he'd glance back, it was still there.
Until, suddenly, it wasn't.
By the time they moved on, it was nowhere in sight.
His old home hadn't had many animals, especially not roaming cats. He wondered if it was a 'barn cat'. Blue had explained the concept to him once.
Regardless, that thing was freaky.
Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, the Captain announced that their last stop of the night would be to their quarters.
He could practically feel the relief rolling off of the guys next to him, and it took am effort to let his shoulders sag even an inch in imitation. The guy next to him looked like he might fall over, and Cross shared none of that exhaustion.
They would start their assignments bright and early in the morning, each of them would have a more experienced guard join them as a guiding measure before they were left to the duties themselves.
A much kinder grace period than Cross had been expecting, honestly.
The Captain escorted them down the halls, long and twisting. Each one held soldiers out of uniform, turning in for the night, going through their routines. As well as some moving out for the night shift. They ignored the rookies as they kept to their own business.
The Captain swung a door open, only to immediately block the soldiers in front from entering the space of relaxation beyond.
"Ah, Ccino, I was worried we'd missed you." The Captain spoke up.
"Soldiers, back up. Stand at attention." Came an order next.
Cross was faster than the others in recognizing the order, but forced himself to wait until the others stumbled into him to start moving. He wasn't sure why they were getting into this stance, but he knew better than to start asking questions.
They all stood in the hall, and Cross caught a few snickers from nearby lounging guards as the rookies stood there.
"The King called upon me, so I wasn't able to meet you where we had planned," a softer, calm, voice rang, "I figured I would run into you here before you turned in for your first night."
The Captain stood before them, and beside him, exiting the barracks, was a monster.
Cross tried not to stare, but he couldn't deny that this was odd. He'd never known a captain to bend to anyone but a higher up. But...
This skeleton was dressed in a servant's uniform. Granted, it was made of a thick, soft-looking brown and tan fabric, with an apron with more embroidery than he thought he'd ever seen in his life, but it was nothing too out of place.
Surely it wasn't a Knight. No, he'd been told they wore masks. He could tell this skeleton was not a Knight. He could see the full skull, soft and gentle, calm eyelights, and a body Cross swore had never seen a single battle.
No. Cross, stop that.
He didn't tear his eyes away, but he forced himself to look back to the skeleton's shoulder. No eye-contact, but still facing him. Good.
"Soldiers, This is our Head of House, Ccino." The Captain gestured to the skeleton at his side.
The soldiers all remained silent, and the captain nodded.
"If Ccino ever gives you any sort of order, you listen." The Captain's voice was harsh with this, the same way he'd spoken about the horses, and the kitchen, and the private training rooms they'd passed. "No questions, no hesitation, no disobeying. You understand?"
The squint of the Captain's eyes were more than enough for Cross to know better than to ask. Something like this was unfamiliar, for sure, but he knew when a soldier was saying something he truly believed in. Lived by. For better or worse.
None of the other recruits seemed to speak up. Cross certainly didn't. He tried not to let his nerves show as this skeleton, Ccino, let's his soft white eyelights skim softly from one soldier to the next. When they came to him, he desperately avoided the gaze, practically staring a hole into the soft fur scarf wrapped around his neck, hiding his spine from view.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," That calm voice again, "As you heard, my name is Ccino. I manage the Castle, it's grounds, and the people who stay within our walls. This includes all if you, as of tonight."
He seemed rather put-together. Pleasant. Cross didn't feel any unease. He was positive, now, that this was not a Knight. Yet, he couldn't figure out why such a monster would be held in such high regard, unless, of course...
"As you heard, our King trusts my decisions regarding these matters, which is why he asks you listen to my requests. However, I don't abuse this privilege, and it shouldn't dissuade you from coming to me if you have any problems." Ccino pulled his arms to cross infront of him, and once again looked over the recruits. "You may be our guard, but that does not mean you shouldn't recieve help as well. If you cannot find me, ask another servant and they will get word to me."
Ccino seemed... kind. That had to be it.
The sparkle of admiration in the captain's eyes. The way some of the soldiers watched. Maybe Ccino was the golden light in this dark place? Though, that didn't seem quite right.
"Stick to your duties, remain diligent, and you will be cared for here." He said softly. "Now, stand down and go rest. Your training tomorrow will be thorough, and you will need the extra sleep."
Oh.
Cross recognized the order, and his body moved a bit before his mind could catch up. He relaxed, as much as he naturally could, and took a step. Toward the barracks. Then paused and glanced like a deer in the headlights to the Captain and the Head of House.
Ccino just smiled, and the Captain seemed stoic.
"Seems Z gets first dibs on the cots!" The Captain announced, and with his approval, humor seeping into his tone a bit, and laughter echoing from the older guard who'd been observing?
Cross made the quick duck into the room and grabbed for the first cot he saw. Bottom bunk, closest to the door, the easiest way he'd be able to leave the long room of bunk beds.
The others hurried in after him, some laughing, others cursing jokingly at Cross having noticed the test first.
The test.
Of course it'd been a test. A test to see if they'd recognize Ccino as an authority figure. A test to see if they took the warning seriously. Cross just listened to the superior officer. And... put himself in the limelight of excelling new recruits.
If there was one good thing, though it was mortifying, the others didn't seem to notice what it was. They were too busy teasing Cross for the grape blush that enveloped his face the moment he sat to think it over. The others assumed he'd just slipped up. Listened to the prettiest person in the room.
Once again, Cross wondered how they'd made it through training. Though, it was good they just thought he was a stupid lover boy. Better than them realizing he was following orders on instinct.
It'd been a hard sell, getting to sleep, but he'd managed somehow.
.
The morning was much easier than the night prior. He woke up before the sun, before a lot of the others even showed signs of stirring. It was good he got up so early, sneaking off probably wouldn't be much of an issue.
Tomorrow, then. He'd do his sneaking tomorrow, after he got a lay of the land today. From what they'd been told, he'd be supervised today. Everyone would. It was different from what the Prince had told him, but it didn't matter. Policies could change, and Cross knew better than to disobey new policies.
The castle inside felt like a maze yesterday, he'd hopefully have routes inside, so he'd be able to memorize at least a few escapes. Orient himself. Worst case he could break a window.
He didn't want to leave any trace, though. The best scenario, as Dream had explained it, was that he'd get in, get the information, and get out. A week, maybe a week and a half tops. Cross wanted to spend as little time here as possible. He didn't want to fall into whatever mind-control he'd been warned of. He didn't want to run into the Knights. He certainly didn't want to see Dream's twin.
Though, he was curious. What he looked like. If he could see the sibling resemblance between the Prince and his supposedly brainwashed ruler of a sibling. It was honestly none of his business. If the King never saw his face, that would be all the better. He shouldn't know Cross was ever here at all.
The thoughts swirled in hid head as he stared at the bottom of the cot above his. Wood slats, the whole thing was sturdy wood, with decent mattresses and blankets and pillows resting on its support. It didn't creak at all, which was good. And surprising. Everything in the castle seemed so nice.
Mm, must've been a thing for the people here. Serve the 'gods' and live in luxury. It certainly seemed that was how the Prince's camp had run as well.
Cross couldn't be sure how long he was awake, examining the room and sitting still, but the sun managed to rise into the sky by the time he'd heard the slamming knock on the door to the barracks.
It was easy for him. When the Captain swung the door wide open and announced, in a hardy shout, that they were to be in the hall in 5? Cross rolled out of bed the moment the door closed again.
It pained him to move so slowly. He couldn't be the first one out again. Couldn't be the first one dressed. He didn't know why it took so long for the others to change to their uniforms and rub the sleep from their eyes. Monsters and humans alike! They hustled, some of them, and Cross was grateful a cat monster seemed to gather herself more readily than the others. An orange striped cat, her nose and the tip of her tail a stark white. Cross only noticed her when she rushed for the door, and he let himself trail her a moment later.
Thinking back, she'd been at the back of the group yesterday, joking with some of the others. Cross wondered what the energy change was all about.
He didn't get time to worry about it, though. The hall outside the barracks was busier than it had been last night, and Cross found himself facing, not only the Captain, but also several guards. They each seemed to be in full uniform, different than Cross' or the cat's which marked them as trainees. They seemed stoic before their captain, and Cross almost felt a moment if relief. Maybe this was a decent show of artillery?
No, wait, strong soldiers would be bad for the Prince. He'd have to get through these guys.
He shook away the thought, listening in as he stood awkwardly in the hall, another recruit lumbering out to stand where he'd joined the cat already.
The Captain looked them over, before nodding.
"Harper, you're with Jenna." The Captain ordered, pointing from the cat before gesturing towards one of the guard directly behind him.
Cross tried not to let his eyelights give away his observance as the guard stepped around her captain. She seemed to be a bunny monster, lots of fur and long, floppy ears tied behind her head. She, Jenna, saluted the cat, Harper, and Harper saluted in return.
"Listen to what your mentor tells you, got it?" The Captain asked, and Cross saw a few others exiting as he said this.
Those who started moving down the hall, and the Capatin looked to Cross. It was a kick glance, one look-over, before he turned and looked over his shoulder.
"Z, you're with Shep." And a gesture guided Cross towards whoever his mentor for the day would be.
From nearly the back of the crowd, snaked a dog monster. Black and white, short-trimmed fur. His eyes were brown and intense, and after a moment Cross realized this guard was shorter than him. He didn't like that when Shep saluted, he had to peer down to salute back.
He hardly even registered that they were already moving off, not unlike the two before them had done, until he'd taken a few steps to follow this small royal guard.
"So, you're Z?" Shep asked him as they stopped a few halls away. This one was largely barren aside from a few servants. Along each wall hung a huge tapestry, woven out of heavy threads and hung by a long piece of metal along the top edge.
"Yes, sir." Cross responded shortly. Not giving himself a moment to stammer.
Shep looked at his quizzically, before he leaned forward and sniffed. Actually just sniffed at Cross. It was still a few inches away, they didn't make contact, but suddenly he worried he was stinky. He's bathed before hopping on the cart, and he hadn't been exercising much, surely-
"Ah, you're not from this Kingdom! Not originally, at least." Shep said then, leaning away just as quickly as he'd gotten close.
Cross blinked, and he was sure his skull didn't hide his shock as well as he'd hoped. "I can smell the pollen on you, newbie. We don't have those kinda plants in this kingdom." He explained, and Cross internally cursed himself. Would he have to run? Would he have to-
"You know, I'm not from this kingdom either, I was born to the west." Shep admitted then, easily, using a paw to gesture loosely at the space between them, "I bet we'll get along just fine, newbie. C'mon. I'll show you around your route."
Cross didn't even get a spare second to defend himself, or puzzle at why a foreign monster would choose to come here. Shep was already on his way, back turned and hurrying down the hall at a brisk pace.
"As far as I know You're gonna be taking over my old route, inner portion of the castle." Cross listened, but orders were his second nature. As they walked, he eyed the tapestries hung along the wall. Long and intense, and yet, there was a moment where Cross could see the colors were more faded and worn.
"You'll mostly just be patrolling, watching out for anything out of the ordinary, waiting to see if you're needed for any specific duties." The images showed monsters, humans, monsters again. Depictions of complex circles and red splashes dripping from weapons and hands. And he noticed a trend, eventually. These must've been the previous rulers. The past Kings.
"Your patrols will be alone, the rooms in the hall aren't too important, and it's mostly servants that pass through that way." Cross almost lost his rhythm as they drew to the end of the tapestry, though the hall kept moving. There on the tapestry was a depiction of two little skeletons, one which seemed strikingly similar to Prince Dream, even in his adulthood. Beyond, the tapestry simply stopped. It was odd that King Nightmare hadn't bothered to get it finished with his own visage. Maybe his puppetmaster was waiting to put himself there instead?
"Still important, anyways. The servants halls are the easiest ways in and out of the castle, so we can't slack off." They turned a corner, and Cross pried his eyes away from the tapestry and back before him.
They passed a few more halls, before Shep stopped dead in his tracks, and Cross reacted quickly, spotting the way he peaked around the next corner.
Across the way, Cross spotted that they'd run into another pair who had also stopped. Only when Shep saluted did Cross think to follow his lead.
From the hall he couldn't see, emerged a figure.
Cross kept his eyelights to the ground, but the steps, the shoes, the heavy cape, and especially the dark and slimey tendrils which snaked along in his wake? That was the King. The one Dream had been so particular about not running into at all.
Two sets of feet followed him. Closely. He didn't have to look up to recognize that they must've been Knights. The easy weight of their steps, how close they stuck behind the king, the weight of the one's magic? Surely. He didn't risk a glance until after Shep lifted his head again. Cross only caught a glimpse of a tiger mask turning another corner before the three figures were gone.
In the tense silence, Cross swore he could hear his soul beating. He wasn't sure if it was fear, or indignance, or something else, but he knew being so close to the King had not made him feel good. Dream had been right, something about that guy was wrong.
Shep glanced around, and his ear twitched, watching down the hall where they'd left to.
The group across from them was already moving, towards the hall Cross had just cone from.
"You know, you kids are lucky Newbie." Shep voiced then, eying up the human rookie who was passing by. "When I first joined the guard, the King cut my tail off to prove my loyalty."
He said it so easily that Cross was speechless. What did he mean? Was. His tail was docked, but...
"What?!" The panicked whisper came from the passing humans who had obviously been eavesdropping. He expressed the concern coating Cross's soul and freezing him in place.
"Yep. I heard he used it as a cat toy for the strays." Shep confirmed loosely.
"Shep." Came the snap of his name from the other trained guard, though they didn't move to deny his claim.
Cross hadn't heard anything about that from Dream. Of course, he also hadn't heard about this introduction process either. He was flying blindly here, and suddenly he feared for his limbs.
Shep simply shrugged and kept moving forward. Cross wanted, badly, to excuse himself right this moment and go back and claim he couldn't do it. But he was here now, and he had a Prince to help. And a whole lot of people relying on him to prevent more tragedies.
The training wasn't hard. Shep stood with him, made small-talk, told him all the tricks to ensure he knew when someone would switch off with him, and then they had lunch.
He hated to admit it, but the food was delicious. He hadn't had something so filling in... maybe ever. He couldn't put his finger on it, not quite, but for monster food, it felt solid. Warmer. He felt less hungry after, and a part of him wondered if that was how they did it. The mind control. Was it the food?
But, no, surely not. He was still set on his mission when he went right back to his rounds. The food was just... strangely good.
The rest of the rounds were easy. Simple. And there was at least an hour after where Shep willingly guided him through the rest of the building. At least, anywhere he could.
Cross noticed, once, that Shep broke a rule. He ducked into the kitchen. Returned to a surprised Cross with two pieces of bread and handed one to Cross before tearing into his own. Apparently, from what Shep said, the main kitchen wasn't off-limits. Not really. Just the private one.
He didn't ask about the difference, he wouldn't need to know, after all. He doubted plans of attack were stached in the cupboards of a pantry.
And just as swiftly as it had begun, it ended. Shep said he'd be around the training grounds tomorrow if Cross needed him, and released him to dinner. After Dinner, Cross went back to the barracks.
Many of the rookies were talking all about their routes, others complaining that they had gotten cleaning duties for being the last out of the barracks that morning. They'd start training tomorrow. Cross tried not to contribute much, but he liked listening in. Understanding more about the place. The people.
It sounded like the King had crossed quite a few of their paths as well, and they didn't seem happy about it. Discussing in hushed tones how weird the King was compared to the last. Dark, secretive, hardly even a ruler. Cruel. He heard the human from before shamelessly telling Shep's tail misfortune to the gathered group, who all seemed to be riled up by it, exchanging other horrible speculations.
He needed to get this information. He just... he couldn't do anything until the others were asleep. So. Morning it would be.
.
Cross was a coward.
He knew as much, deep down somewhere, but as he woke up early again, he thought through his plan. He didn't know where he'd find any of this information he needed, he didn't know anything beyond his own route. He didn't even know what he'd be finding. He'd know when he found it, he was sure, but the last thing he wanted to do was get caught
He should've excused himself during dinner to go search around, or chosen a buddy to go wandering with. Shep had told him some things, he knew the room where the Knights trained was the indoor room, and he knew some areas no one went to. He knew the hall where the Knights and King stayed, Cross found it interesting they all stayed nearby, and he'd promised himself he'd avoid the space like the plague. He knew so much, and so little, all at once.
And he waited, thinking, so long that he... he just got up as the others did. Moved to his station to rotate shifts with the night guards. He just... did his duties again.
Well, they weren't his duties. He had no obligation to be here, not really. But the Prince had told him a week. A week and a half. That would make the most sense for an in and out. So, he wanted to respect that. And he had orders now to act out. Surely if he slacked off it'd be noticed, right? Yeah. He'd just slip away before dinner and say he went to train a bit more. Peak into some doorways. No biggy. Surely.
He worried about what he'd do to pick up a slack he hadn't even lost, all day. All through his rounds. If he showed it, his replacement at his last post said nothing, and waved him off.
Cross wanted so desperately to go searching. But. Before he could pass by the hall which would lead to the mess hall for the servants and guard? He glimpsed them from down the adjoining hall.
Two of the Knights.
One with a hood obscuring his face, casting a heavy shadow over everything, his eyelights a dull white. Though he didn't see a mask at first glance, Cross had to make some assumptions based on the one beside him that they were both Knights.
The other had on leather training armor, and a tiger's mask, red ribbons hanging from it, swaying with weight. He could see the skeleton's grin peaking from beneath the mask, and noticed how the tiger draped an arm over the other and laughed.
Cross didn't even give them a second to notice him, swiftly stepping out of the corridor and towards the dining halls after all. He didn't want to get in the way. He didn't want to be on their radar.
He needed to know when they trained. When they'd all be occupied so he wouldn't have to worry about them catching him off-guard.
Off guard. Ink would be having a hayday with that one if he'd made that joke back at camp.
Cross just kept moving forward, ducking into the dining space before the Knights even reached that hall.
.
Three days. It took him 6 whole days to learn more. To learn where the information might be. To learn where the Knights usually were at any given time. To learn how to navigate the place better. To not worry about getting caught.
He'd gone back to Shep one day, to test if he'd be told to go off the dinner or if he'd be sought out. He was not, so he had his proof that no one cared so long as he was doing his rounds.
He'd sat and talked. Asked about the Knights. (Shep had little to say that Cross didn't already know). Asked about training. (Shep said he was always out here now, running routines.) Asked about the king.
And Shep was interested about him asking on the King. Cross almost fumbled, but said he'd heard a lot of rumors. Shep had been here a while. What was true?
And Shep told him stories. In a low voice. Of the King breaking spines, of throwing objects with his tendrils, of sentencing folks to death over minor transgressions. Of his ruthless rule and cruel first. How he brought in servants and guards by force. Ripping them from their homes. How the king would declare traitors and have them hung.
Eventually, Cross asked him to stop. He'd heard enough.
Some of those things he'd heard from Dream, or the folks back at that encampment. Others were new. Insider information. Things he'd never dreamed of.
It was informational, and Cross decided that he'd keep learning more, until he was sure he had the perfect moment to strike.
.
He wasn't the smartest, okay?
Cross had done his rounds, and the moment he was done, he scurried off towards his destination.
He paid no mind to servants or guards, and used a servant's hall to arrive in the location he needed. The hall where the King's Study was located.
Yesterday he'd investigated the war room. Entering and closing the doors behind him, the room had been a mess of papers and figures and notes. The maps of each neighboring kingdom alone were strewn on walls, like the ravings of a mad-man. None of them had plans of attack, though. The light from his eyelights had been enough to illuminate each one as he approached. Every single one was a new defensive plan. Ways to deploy troops if they were attacked. Not one seemed unprovoked which was... strange.
Cross was almost unable to find any sign of the King's next route of action for his destructive feats, so he was resigned to search the study tomorrow. His only solace was that exiting the War Room had only been met with a servant a ways down the hall, and a cat pacing by, paying him no mind.
The cats in this place were many. Cross had never seen so many cats in one place, and when he'd asked at dinner, it seemed that everyone thought they belonged to the Head of House, Ccino.
It would make sense, Cross had seen the embroidery along his apron, plenty of paws and cat-like figures along the hemlines, between the branch and tree motif the entire building seemed set on holding tight to. But, it amazed him that there would be so many, allowed to run free. The King must've been very lenient with his Head of House, to allow so many creatures free-roam.
...then again, the Knights wore masks decorated with Big Cats. Cross had finally caught a glimpse of the Lion, out on the lawn while he was talking to Shep. He carried an Axe twice the size of Cross' torso, and he seemed to wield it with hardly any problem. Cross just hoped the little beasts weren't being sacrificed. He'd heard about the barbaric practices from Ink once when he had his head on straight. He hadn't had the guts to bring it up to the Prince. Or Shep. Fearing the answer.
And so, now, he moved for the study. When he knew no one would be around, when no one would see him or bother him. He could dig through the information, tuck it away in his ribcage, and get out of dodge.
It was mid-day. Apparently the Knights tended to have training about now, and the King always supervised. So the forbidden hall, as the others called it, was dead and silent.
It wasn't hard to determine which door was the study, the door was carved carefully with a beautiful tree, and the handle was a shining gold, as though it got less use than the other rooms. He tested the handle, it moved, and he slipped inside.
Of course it wouldn't be locked. Who would have the guts to go snooping around in the private spaces of murderous tyrant kings? Well. Cross would, but that was besides the point.
The inside was lit by a few stray candles, and Cross tried not to marvel at the luxury of the room. Everything was carved out of dark wood, with golden fabric lacing the cushions of lounge seats and the curtains which covered the windows. It was darker, used, but still gorgeous. The daylight filtered in through an open window, giving it a warm ambience. Cross didn't know how a room used by such an unpleasant man would be so calm and soft.
There was a case along one wall, large and long. Hung inside were masks of all different shapes and styles. Some were decorated with swirls and gems, but most resembled animals. A crane, a swan, a horse, a sheep, a hawk, a wolf, they all stared out at him with blank, empty, sockets. He wondered if these were used or not, but they seemed untouched.
And beside that case, in the far corner, sat a heavy desk, with bookshelves filled to the brim tucked just behind it.
The desk was heavy, and it looked to be covered with papers, letter drafts, just a quick glance over the contents told Cross this was just what he needed.
He stood behind the desk, unable to stop himself from lifting the papers up into his hands. From here he could see the door, as well. He'd know if someone was coming.
The first paper he looked at seemed to be the draft of a letter, addressed to someone by the name of Crop. The handwriting was beautiful, and Cross was lucky Ink knew how to write in so many dialects, or he'd have trouble deciphering exactly what this was saying. The cursive was precise. And... it seemed a half-finished letter asking about plants. The state of a harvest? No, that's strange.
Cross lifted the few pages which had been tucked beneath the first, confused. These ones seemed to be written in a much more unsure writing, but they held what he could only call sketches. Showing clouds and plants and... fields? Cross wasn't familiar with farming, but he could recognize a field anywhere. The paper had a few words underlined and circled, and they seemed to be later additions, added overtop by someone else. The words seemed to be mentioned again in the letter draft? It was completely innocuous. If this was the King's letter, he was just asking about the wellbeing of a farmer's harvest. Asking about improvements.
He moved them hastily into a stack and set them aside, reaching for the next haphazard bundle of paper. That couldn't have been right.
The next piece he scooped up was in that same pretty cursive, but this time it wasn't a letter. Instead it was some sort of list. Locations, some crossed off, and some untouched. Was this what he was searching for? Surely this was it.
He moved to grab the next page that had been beneath it. It held more context, it seemed. Notes scribbled down about how these towns needed changes. Action. Cross looked to the first crossed-off name, one he recognized from one of the woman at Dream's encampment.
The paper read of a faulty justice system, a lawman who needed to be checked up on for counts of bribery and false accusations. She'd said the Knight, the tiger, had arrived and asked for their head of city guard, the one who enforced rules and kept peace in their small village. Two days later he was killed, replaced by someone the King installed, and he started jailing innocent folks.
Cross looked to the next one, a pass where travel had been haunted by the royal guard. He'd been told they'd done it to halt people from mining in the area, a crop of wealth the King wanted to hoard. But this said that it was a mountain pass with frequent and dangerous rocks lines thanks to a sudden increase in storms since his rule. Notes reminding of supplies, and pay, and signs. Signs.
The next was not crossed off. An issue of bandits ransacked the town when people would enter or exit. Notes in messier scrawl seemed to pose solutions. Ideas. One that was circled said 'Send Horror, Autumn'. It was nearing the end of summer now.
This did seem to be the list that Dream had suggested existed, my twin is organized, he'll have a list with extensive notes, but he'd said nothing about the way the list wouldn't actually contain anything incriminating.
He skimmed again, but it seemed like nothing harmful. One lower down even acknowledged a damage caused during some sort of raid and to divert funds to someone. A random shopkeep in an outer city. This didn't add up at all.
He folded the paper silently and stuffed it into his armor, but kept looking. No doubt there would be something else. One of the lower pieces, something hidden away.
But the papers atop the desk seemed just as helpful in nature. Even ones like drafted decrees or laws to impose later were not unreasonable. One even seemed to propose a ban on child labor. What kind of tyrant would pass up a chance for easy workers?
Digging through the drawers revealed nothing more, just an impressive collection of quills, ink, and more books it seemed didn't fit on the shelves behind him. He wouldn't find anything more useful than these documents, he was sure. He... he just hoped the Prince would be able to see whatever evil Cross was obviously missing here. He scooped up another piece, one of the decrees, and then the letter draft to that Crop. Maybe they could speak to him? No, the planning was up to Dream. He was just here to get the information and go.
And now that he had it...
Cross sighed a bit, he couldn't understand why these were the things in here. In this innermost sanctum where only the trusted went. Everyone feared this King so much, Dream claimed he and his master were such a threat. And yet all Cross could find was a record of damages, and a plan to enact damage control. It...
"Having some trouble finding the dirt?"
Cross felt his entire soul freeze up as the voice cut through the silent room. It was quiet, and deep, and a bit gravelly. He didn't recognize it, but that didn't matter, because he knew he had been alone.
Almost all at once, a wave of presence crashed over his awareness. That damp static that had passed by once in the hall. Trailing the King. He didn't have to look up to know it was one of the Knights somewhere before him.
"Our King isn't usually one to make a mess." The voice said again, calmly.
Cross dragged his eyelights up, hands tentatively hovering at his sides. There, sat comfortably on one of the chairs, was the hooded one. Dust, Shep had told him.
Now, despite the shadow cast by his hood, Cross could see the faint details of his panther mask, black and hidden away in the darkness of his cover. He seemed entirely at-ease, not a care in the world, watching Cross. If his soul hadn't been sinking into his gut, Cross would've even thought Dust found the situation humorous.
He steeled himself, watching. Could he try and bluff his way out of this? Somehow? How long had Dust been there? How much had he seen?
"Any chance you'd believe I was looking for a good book?" Cross asked, though the bold humor he'd attempted to channel in the way Ink had done so many times before fell flat. Maybe his growing panic was clouding his mind, or maybe he'd never been much of a comedian.
Dust just stared at him, tilting his head a bit. By the way his eyelights changed shape, Cross imagined his sockets had drooped to give an unamused stare. Not a great sign.
"Are you going to try and run, or can I catch a break today?" Dust just asked across the room.
Mm. Cross didn't have much of a choice here anymore. Dream had told him, drilled it into his skull, not to get caught. Especially not by the Knights. They'd torture him. Kill him. The stories of what they did to traitors... Cross couldn't let this knight get hold of him. Couldn't be trapped. He had to get out of here.
He promised Ink he'd be back.
With that thought, his sword summoned to his hand in a flash. It was big, and bulky, and not the best for an indoor fight, but he'd make due. He just needed to get away from this guy. That was all.
His summons was clearly a declaration of intent, because he heard Dust scoff over the rush of adrenaline running through him and roaring through his ears. All at once, the electric charge in the room seemed to up itself. Bones, blue, cracked downwards from the rafters and planted themselves sturdy before the door and the window. His two possible exits. Dust stood up and stretched his arms before him.
"Alright, let's get this over with." Dust voiced, then.
Cross nearly let his guard down in the first moment. He felt a charge of energy coming from his side, and narrowly vaulted over the desk to avoid the spiked and jagged bones which rose where his feet had just been planted.
Momentum carried him now, and his sword was already poised for attack before his mind quick processed it. He slashed at Dust, growing rapidly closer. Hid swing was met with pure white bones that stopped his swing, just enough for Dust to avoid the hit with a split second to spare.
He was quiet, as they fought. As Cross lunged and spun and threw himself forward with grunts of exertion. It was unsettling, how the only noises were the cracks of his magic ripping into existence or Cross's sword cracking them to pieces like a lumberjack's axe.
He kept his attention on Dust. The magic had a pattern. The room was buzzing ambiently, and right before an attack it was like being too close to a fire. Just briefly. Cross barely managed to avoid spearing his ankle thanks to the crackle. He wished he could be a bit faster, though. Cross couldn't feel where an attack was aiming like he normally could. Dust gave no indications as to where an attack would be channeling either, almost like he wasn't controlling them at all. He didn't like it, it was unpredictable, and was wearing him down fast.
Dust kept dodging his swings, no matter how fast he moved, and eventually Cross stumbled. His shoulder connected with one of the random jutting bones. Dust stepped back just before it pierced upwards, and Cross grunted in distress as it drove him back a step as to not get impaled.
That was apparently his mistake. The moment he wasn't close to Dust, bones seemed to crop up all around him, gutting at different angles, just barely piercing the bone, little cracks forming with the force. Cross could feel each one jab a bit deeper than the last. Each time he reversed to get away from one or break away an incoming volley, another would arrive behind him at a new angle.
He hated that Dust stood back. Watched. The only sign that he had even broken a sweat was a slight heaviness to the up and down of his shoulders, and while Cross hadn't lost much HP yet, he was starting to feel the exhaustion creep closer, and each little wound and crack seemed to be draining him. Was this the strategy? Play with him like a living pin-cushion? Was this it's own sort of-
Cross shifted his stance and unsummoned his weapon as he jumped up and out of the quickly growing ring of spikes. He had to act fast. He had to get out of here.
He grumbled a bit under his breath, he didn't like trying to do this, but...
The moment his feet landed, Cross summoned up his other piece of magic. The part his father had embedded into his soul early on in his life which made him so powerful. He was sure his normally white eyelight changed shape in the split second it happened. Red, bright red.
It only took a moment, a tug at the very being, hidden away in the Knight's chest. For a split second, he could feel the control of foreign magic slip into his own hands.
For a moment, it worked just as he knew it would. His fist trembled under the effort, keeping an eye on Dust as the other seemed to stare at him. The bones he'd summoned all seemed to sink away at once, recalled faster than Cross could've hoped. Dust seemed to feel his magic stop responding to him.
Cross just needed to get the Knight downed. Not dead. He just needed out.
He shifted stiffly. One, concentrated blast of bones at the Knight. He seemed like he didn't want to risk taking any damage. That was all Cross needed then. Some damage. And he'd be free to escape back to the camp. Away from these weird monsters with their weird magic.
He let his palm open, directing the force like he'd done so many times, channeling another monster's magic against them. Controlling it against their will.
The feeling of electricity rose again. It spiked. It. It gathered in his hand, that burning feeling he felt when an attack had been about to hit him.
What?
It was too late to recall the intent once he'd released it. The moment he tried to command the magic, he felt it all roll back over him. Bones meant to be aimed at their owner came jolting straight at his front. And though he stumbled back, he couldn't escape the searing pain of a fire too hot to process escaping his bones and immediately rushing up his arm, into his chest, down to his feet.
He had to imagine, with the loud sound like a cracking whip, that that was what being struck by lightning felt like. Molten metal in your veins.
Cross laid sprawled, dazed, on the floor as his control magic puttered out. It hurt to breathe. To see. To exit. He was half-convinced his arm was completely splintered apart after the pulse of raw magic that had filtered through it, but he didn't bother to look.
His soul begged him to move, to get up and run again, but darkness danced in his vision as he stared up at the ceiling. He failed his mission.
He hated to see as the Knight rounded into view, standing cautiously over where he was laid. Floored by the backfire of his power. If the knight said anything, he couldn't hear over the loud ringing invading his head.
Though, instead of stabbing him through like Cross had expected, the knight seemed to duck down. A cool feeling encased Cross' wrists (so the other hadn't broken apart) and his soul suddenly felt exhausted. He felt exhausted.
No matter how much he wanted to stay awake, to escape, he lost this fight fair and square.
#new age au#Y'ALL my formatting obliterated my italics so I apologize....#some narrative beats will feel weird!!! raugh!!!!#anyways yeag#Cross is a goofy lil guy and he's strong af#but he's also very naive and quick to trust blindly. even when he thinks he's being careful and getting a second opinion#and also he's not quite ready to fight to kill again and so Dust is quick to push him around there at the end <3#neither are trying to kill eachother (The Knights agreed they'd try and get information. Cross just doesn't want blood on his hands or a#target on his back.)#and Dust is just a lot more exoerienced!#Cross' msgic btw (if it isn't clear) is a weird subversion of the Overwrite power#where Cross can temporarily seize control of a Monster's magic and use it against them as though it's his own (relies on embedded#Determination to 'overwrite' control lol)#unfortunately for Cross? Dust's magic isn't actually originating from his soul. it's *outside#* his soul providing power and energy that his emotions influence as though it's his soul.#so Cross can decide where the magic is concentrated. but not where or who or how it manifests a#d attacks :]#so. Cross basically pulled all of Dust's small concentrated bursts of controlled magic and released them directly into his own face lmao#Dust's magic is truly an enigma <3#AND I think later on when they work together Cross helps Dust center and aim his magic (because Dust is just used to dealing with its chaoti#c nature rather than actually controlling it. so it's a bonus special combo attack they could do if they needed that specific#style of attack!)#anywho yeah#Shep will be a reoccurring character btw. he and Harper I think!#Harper is a young upstart who actually kinda likes being in the castle (Cats being sacrificed for so long in the kingdom did leave a bad rep#on Cat monsters. so Nightmare being fond of and protecting them makes Harper feel a lot more loyalty than she'd like to admit.)#and Shep. well. let's just say Nightmare hired him on for the guard personally :]#andd yeah!!!#i'm sure I'm missing something but I hope y'all enjoy!!!
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I feel like Vi should have gotten a monologue. Vi should have gotten an 'is there anything so undoing as a daughter?' moment where she really thinks about her relationship with her sister– just vi and her thoughts. her real thoughts. I want to see why she finally felt okay with letting jinx go. I want to see her consciously deciding to choose herself for once, instead of just being dragged around by the rest of the characters' motivations or trying to do what she thinks is best for other people. I want her to be selfish and not regret it. I wanted to see Vi making the (unforced!) decision to choose her own peace over trying to help her sister. I feel like jinx saw it and wanted that for Vi, and I wanted Vi to realize that, too.
#like i feel like she got there in the end but i really really wanted a scene where vi legitimately chooses her own happiness and needs#i think that the sex scene did that to some extent– but it also felt a little jarring?#i don't want an implication– i want vi to realize that her ENTIRE LIFE has been spent prioritizing her sister#and now vi needs to learn to prioritize herself#idkkkkk#i think i need to rewatch the act and form more thoughts tbh#but idk. family will ALWAYS come first for vi. she literally can't let her sister go and that was why jinx had to die#i'm glad that jinx recognized what vi had done for her and finally decided to put vi first instead of vi putting everyone else first#but i also wanted vi to put vi first lol#IDKKKK i'm sleep deprived leave me alone#arcane#arcane season 2 spoilers#arcane s2#arcane s2 spoilers#arcane season 2#arcane spoilers#arcane season two#arcane vi#vi arcane#jinx arcane#powder arcane#arcane powder#arcane jinx
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And the world bent double from weeping...
And yet the birds begin to sing
#nico robin#one piece#nico robin one piece#wings#i love her so much aaaaaaaaaa#i decided to leave this one a bit sketchy lol#2023 is the year i let myself do more stuff like this that's just#completely self indulgent#i did it at the tail end of 2022 and it was so freeing!
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here’s hayama-san talking about bimi bringing that origin with sougyaran bam 💥 to the end point in terminus and sakahihara-san geeks over the exact verse i was HE GETS IT LMAO
#this is vee speaking#SAKAKIHARA-SAN 🤝 ME: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH LMAO#I LOVE THAT BAD ASS TEMPLE GETS THEIR CHARACTERS AND LOVES THEM TOO LOL#man it was just nice seeing the three of them together again lmao like it wasn’t that long ago#i’m just starved to see them together at all times lol#hayama-san and sakakihara-san having their own intro and thus leaving takeuchi-san out of the loop lol#so they decided to improv takeuchi-san’s nice ass mc name and takeuchi-san looked so embarrassed LMAO#and it’s not a bat show if hayama-san isn’t blanking out over something and his team knows this lmao#so when he lowkey blanked on the rap is tano-C!!! at the end sakakihara-san nearly fell over in laughter I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOUR 😭😭😭💜😭💜💜💜😭😭
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where’s my toxic dark academia au where the Jedi Order is a prestigious private university for rich kids who are all a different flavor of beautiful and fucked up, and Anakin is the kid they let in on scholarship once every a few years and he comes in scrappy and defensive and in love with the daughter of the family who is sponsoring him (and maybe half-adopted him when he was 10 so it’s a bit fucked up all around)
and he meets this pretentious dickbag of a student on his hall who is so cold and aloof that anakin can’t stand him, this guy obi-wan who’s so beautiful and untouchable and who sees right through him
I imagine they fuck in the most explosive way where they’re in the middle of a very loud fight in some bathroom in some rich kid’s house and neither is sober, and obi-wan says some awful shit about anakin being in love with Padmé and if his adoptive parents knew they probably would wish they hadn’t adopted him and anakin says some awful shit about how obi-wan’s been sent to boarding schools all his life cause his father never wanted him, and it starts as a fight but they’re just punching each other with their mouths and probably crying too
#Kit’s silly lil AUs#cw: drugs#(maybe these tags do not go together lol)#obikin#give me that toxic same age obikin#scholarship kid anakin in a world of burnouts and trust fund kids#trying to belong#maybe after their first time obi-wan decides he’s gonna take him under his wing#and show him the high society fucked up kids ropes#only there’d be so many scenes where anakin slowly finds out how fucked obi-wan is#and he slowly starts caring more and more#in a way that genuinely scares him so much#that he leaves before he graduates??#ends up writing a book about it ten years later (all names changed)#and obi-wan finds him because in the book he is not shy about calling obi-wan the great fucked up love of his great fucked up life#lol I guess this has very little in common with Star Wars
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OC HALLOWEEN CHALLENGE 2024 - DAY SIX - ROLESWAP AU
Luna Derbyshire as The Emissary of the Gods Amber Talbot as the Constant Companion
#ocappreciation#ocapp#ochub#queerocs#ohc2024#OC: Luna#story: eighth wonder#OC: Amber#story: electric feel#me: gah i dislike aus where the doctor and the master swap places#also me: what if amber was the constant companion of a roleswapped master???#amber is much more introverted and callous than canon#doesnt really make friends out of fear that theyre going to find out about her psychic powers#and leave her - the master is the one person who will#never leave her astray - they love her in spite of all her flaws and she#well she respects them she isnt gonna say LOVE#luna is the half human half god daughter of astraea - goddess of stars#much like amber her starlight powers have been diluted and can be powered up with electricity#her brother and her share the powers as well! which is neat!#she's not billy's tutor but rather his (or freddie's) 'trainer'#if its freddie she initially decides to help him with his stamina - while she cant fix his injured leg#she can make it less challenging for him#when freddie becomes this universe's captain marvel luna is estatic to have another superhero in her life#(amber doesn't consider herself a superhero while the second that luna found out#about her godly heritage and her supernatural abilities she decided to use them to help people)#also the mk system is... uh... tbd? im thinking either one)#its randall who survived the accident but instead of getting abused he was coddled by his mother#or two ) marc ends up becoming the identity that lacks information#and steven's the one who becomes moon knight#jake's still jake lol
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Happy New Year!!
*pops grape juice bottle* woooo we’ve made it, guys!
2023 was such a nice year in the fandom, in my opinion. There was s3 and that was a banger, but I feel like the stuff we were up to ourselves over here was amazing too. I got to talk more with some of my mutuals who I hadn’t been as close to before, and lovely people keep coming to this corner of the internet!! We had our first sketchbook event and are currently preparing for a general Hilda Appreciation Week, I feel like this is all amazing considering the size of this community.
Just wanted to thank everyone who’s been here for the ride as well! It’s certainly always more fun when you have people to be insane with you. I just. Get very touched thinking about the amount of support in this fandom and how we creatively fuel each other.
Anyway, just wanted to write this post as a thank you. I hope you’re having a lovely end of the year, and may 2024 be even better 💜
(I do have one small writing update to add, though! The first months of the year will probably be relatively devoid of new content from me. This for two reasons. One is that I churned out so many fics this year that I feel like even the people who like my writing are having a hard time catching up (I don’t know how this happened either-), and the other is that I’ll be using my free time to get ahead on preparing my content for the rest of the year! I won’t completely stop or anything (Hilda Appreciation Week will see to that), just wanted to leave this noted so no one things I’ve Vanished from the fic writing scene or anything. I’m just preparing my next attack. Anyways that was it happy new year!!)
#also saying it to force myself to take a breather from posting GEJDHJDHD#cause otherwise I’ll just post the ones that are ready asap and run out of prepared content lol#also! didn’t want to say this in the post bc I was afraid of coming across as self centered?? idk??#but the people who read my tags will probably find it fun: I was checking my ao3 stats for the year and I posted 18 new fics!!#also posted just over 180k words in total. it’s my second biggest word count in a year#second only to 2020. for obvious reasons#and I’m soooo happy with what I wrote too. I feel like I’m finally beginning to like my own writing. excited to see how I can improve#also I finally played with writing things outside of my usual sketchbook formula!! dipped my toes in Raven Scientist *and* created an OC#it was really nice to try out these things and be pleased with the results!!#2023 really was the year to get silly goofy with writing and love it#if all goes according to plan 2024 will be decided into a ‘tying up some loose ends’ era#and a ‘write what you know and I’m a flipping nerd’ era#may college have mercy on me. and May my inspiration not leave me please :’)))#wife speaks
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ahhhhhhhh guess who made the mistake of getting a haircut
#i was planning on growing it out for real i swear#but then the back of my hair got to that length (like it always does) where it starts touching the back of my neck wrong and i cant stand it#so i figured I'd juuuuuust get a trim maybe only the back so it wouldn't keep bugging me#and it started off pretty good too she was doing well with everything and i liked the way it looked#then she asked me a question with two options. and i answered the question. and she repeated my answer. good enough right?#well i think she maaaay have forgotten my answer in the span of like 2 seconds bc she started cutting SUPER short suddenly#and now my perm is completely gone lol#i think she's used to going a bit shorter so it looks good in like a week when it's grown out a bit#and you don't have to go back for a haircut every 2 weeks#but like. i would rather not hate my reflection (more than usual) for a week or two while it grows out yknow#eurghhhh it's not that bad tbh ive had haircuts where i wanted to kill myself and this is just 'hmm maybe i should wear a hat for a week'#but still. very annoying. and especially so bc i was actually feeling optimistic with where we were going at the start#anyway there's this weird phenomenon that keeps happening where I accidentally get my hair cut too short#then i decide this is going to be the time i finally grow my hair out for real#and after a while the back reaches that length where it starts bothering me again#and ill get a haircut juuust for a trim#then i somehow end up with a bowlcut#it's an emo bowlcut to be clear. so im not super hung up about it bc i still love that haircut for reasons i cannot comprehend#but everybody else seems to go 'ew a bowlcut why' except for the alt queers who go 'omg gender'#which i consider to be one of the biggest compliments i could ever get. and have gotten. seriously that moment will never leave my mind#like having someone that you consider Gender to look at you and say *you're* very gender? my crops have been watered my cattle have been fed#etc etc. anyway this currently has the shape of a bowl cut but it's too short esp on top#so im back in my 'okay im gonna grow it our FOR REAL this time' phase again. as it goes. like fucking sisyphus.#anyway. im gonna be tearing it up in the pit at origami angel tomorrow so if anybody's also going feel free to join me there#just gotta let off some steam. goddammit i knew i should have gone the queer route and just done it myself. in my defense i still had a perm#and i didn't trust myself to cut curly hair. turns out i shouldn't have trusted the barber either bc she just held it straight out#and chopped right across. and soon the curls were gone and everything was straight. ...that sounds like a metaphor for conversion therapy#'yeah just head into that place by the time you leave you'll be straight'#anyway. sorry for the waterfall of tags if ur still here kudos to you and may you have a wonderful day#mine
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i need to make more friends who i can drag out to karaoke nights with me lmao
#i wanna go out for karaoke tonight but i feel weird about going alone bc i haven't been to my monday night place in like over a month#it's the one the guy i kinda like hosts lol#it's a cool vibe but i haven't been going bc it's soooo far away and i always have to uber home bc otherwise it takes 2 hours to get home#i wanna go again but i don't know anyone else really and i don't just wanna sit there alone. i need people to get hyped with#i wish my new bestie who i met through karaoke was here but she goes to med school upstate and only comes down on weekends 😔#she'll be here this weekend and said she might stay until tuesday..... perhaps next monday#but i also wanna go tonight tho bc i can stay late if i want. next week i will Have A Job and will have to leave early-ish#eye dee kay. we'll see what i decide lol#if i end up going i don't have to leave until 8. or later. it starts at 9-ish but goes until 2 or 3 usually so i have time to think#if any of my nyc area mutuals wanna go out for karaoke in bushwick tonight hit me up lol#m.txt
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🤍 ꒱ “and the trees were happy…”
─── yuzuha + sethomi but make it omori angst
(🖋️ ) additional note: omori manga had me hyper fixating so bad i decided to cook something small real quick LMAO. of course it’s nothing as soul crushing as the inspiration source itself but it’s still a tad bit angsty ( like a smidge really ). there are also some special mentions of certain individuals as well~ they’ll know when they see hehe
it's been several years since he last set foot on these grounds -- years since he felt a cool wind brush past his cheeks amidst this blazing summer heat while the lush grass below softens his every step. shadows are casted upon the ground from the countless trees standing about, looming over to shroud him in all their grandness that strangely felt like a homecoming. they seemed a lot happier back then… kazuha thinks.
in the distance, a weeping willow comes into view.
at the foot of the tree, he catches a glimpse of something from times bygone. he first sees himself, sat upon a picnic blanket with his friends kunikuzushi and lyney, accompanied by their respective lovers. they all appear to be gathered for a picnic. several delicious foods and pastries scattered about the blanket whilst they all happily conversed about one thing or another.
and then, he sees her. sitting beside him with a hand placed over his as she laughs at something kunikuzushi's lover had remarked about him. her laughter devoid of any sound, and leaving him with only the sight of her smiling face to witness. how he'd long to hear such a melodious laughter once again.
but, there is another as well--one who's figure appears to him as nothing but a blur on the opposite side of her. though, such a sight almost feels intentional. like he'd made sure to forget the appearance of that person a long time ago.
just as quickly as the memory came however, it faded away the closer he drew near.
the carefree individuals disappear into thin air and the red gingham blanket becomes replaced with the sight of a gravestone that has a potted flower placed before it: a lily of the valley. and sitting before that, the mysterious figure from his fragmented memories. except this time, he becomes more visible in kazuha's line of sight.
at the sound of approaching footsteps, the person turns his head around, glancing over his shoulders. upon meeting kazuha's gaze, he doesn't say anything for a moment. merely staring at him with verdant eyes that seemed to have lost their light. like he'd suddenly lost any remaining hope he had left for this world. "for a moment i thought i was seeing a ghost…but it really is you."
#──★ ˙ 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍𝚜 🪽 ̟ !!#──★ ˙ 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚢𝚜 🩵 ̟ !!#there was originally a whole section of dialouge in this as well but i ultimately decided to not include it in the end lol#maybe if i’m feeling confident enough i’ll upload it on a different post later on hmhm#incoming lore yap:#as you can probably surmise kazuha and sethos are not necessarily on good terms here ;; a sour mood that only worsened after the fact.#this is can mostly be due to the fact sethos unfortunately fell victim to second male lead syndrome ..#however since the beginning ( at least in this omoriverse ) the two did start off on a rocky footing.#i’d like to imagine their dynamic with each other to be similar to that of yuki and kyo from fruits basket i.e they both despise ..#each other but yet secretly desire to have the traits most commonly found in the other that they can’t admit to admiring/respecting.#saying ‘i died’ feels kind of weird😭but yes upon such a death kazuha much like sunny became somewhat of a shut in.#though instead of sealing himself away in his own house for years he simply engaged with others less & less and preferred to be on his own.#with the except of his close friends who often did their best to try and support him but even then drifting apart was inevitable.#sethos i saw akinned to aubrey in that he also struggled and tried to keep the friend group together but after failing to do so ..#ultimately stopped being their friend and went on to make new ones ( sumeru gang ).#www there’s still so much i could yap about but since tags are most likely getting too long atp i’ll leave at that!#perhaps if the inspiration really hits the yuzuha/sethomi omoriverse will get additional posts in the near future 🤭
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I had this in my google docs unfinished so I decided to at least add an ending to my silly draft based off of a au I had.
“Wouldn’t a human like you be more afraid of me?”
“Er..why should I be scared of you sir?”
“Is it not quite obvious? I’m a fae, you're a child of man. All humans hate fae.”
“Father?” Lilia snapped out of his train of thought to see Silver looking at him a bit concerned.
“Hmm, yes Silver?”
“You looked like you were zoned out or in some trance. Are you alright?”
“Kufufu, of course I am, I just get a little stuck in the past. That’s all~”
“Ah, okay.”
Lilia stared at Silver longer which led to a long awkward silence between the two.
“Father, I need to head to class now.” Silver said, breaking the silence as he went to leave.
Lilia nodded and watched Silver walking away leaving the dorm.
Silver…he reminded Lilia so much. So much of a human boy he once knew.
***
Lilia wasn’t sure why this human boy was following him. Even though the boy tried to be discreet about it, his unique features such as his silver hair and his aurora-like eyes.
Still he decided to humour this child of man and pretended not to notice him.
Soon after having enough of humouring the child, he turned around immediately, leading to the boy yelping in surprise at being caught so soon.
“What are you doing following me?” Lilia demanded.
The boy looked a bit nervous to say anything but still said what he wanted to say. “…I was curious to know more about you.”
“Know more about me?” Lilia let out a laugh at the thought of that. How silly can this human be?
The silver haired boy nodded. “Well, yes.”
“I’m curious, child of man, how did you find me?”
“Well I like to explore the forest a lot and saw you so, I got curious and followed you.”
“My, how brave of you. A human daring enough or perhaps foolish to go after a fae.”
“Foolish?”
“Well yes. Wouldn’t a human like you be more afraid of me?”
“Er..why should I be scared of you sir?”
“Is it not quite obvious? I’m a fae, you're a child of man. All humans hate fae.”
“I don’t hate you though?”
With how the boy responded it only seemed to amuse Lilia more. Is this boy not aware of the war that is raging as of right now between the human and fae?
Lilia signed. “Child of man, shouldn’t you be going back to whatever home you may have back at your human village-“
“I don’t have a home.”
That surprised the war general. Lilia raised an eyebrow.
The silver haired boy fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “Never had one really.”
“So you never had parents or anything at all?” The human boy wanted to know more about the fae but now here was Lilia prodding the boy questions about his home life.
The boy hesitated before continuing. “I do have a dad, but he’s always drinking so I don’t consider the house I live in a home.”
Ah. So the boy’s father was an alcoholic.
“Your mother?”
The boy shrugged. “She left after I was born.”
“And here you are, a child of man, curious of what humans consider their enemy. The fae.” Lilia said, concluding it all up.
“I’m curious about a lot of things.” The boy said.
Lilia chuckled. “We had an interesting conversation for sure but I must be going now, child of man.”
“Why?”
Was it not obvious from his attire? He was still dressed up for war.
“Have you not heard of the fae-human war that is still going on?” He asked incredulously.
“I hear adults talking about it but I didn’t know you were part of it.” The boy said bluntly.
Lilia snorted. “Anyways I must be going.”
“Will I see you again?” The boy asked curiously.
“…we’ll see.”
Once again they met. The boy saw him trudging through the forest and instead of trying to follow him in secret since the fae general already knew of his existence he simply bounced up to him.
“You’re back!” The boy said happily.
“Yes. I am back.” Lilia responded back dryly.
The two then walked in silence before the boy broke the silence. “Is the war over?”
Lilia blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“Since you’re here not on a battlefield or anything that would mean the war is over.” The silver-haired boy said.
“That. Is an interesting conclusion you have.” Lilia noted. He knelt down to look at the boy directly in his eyes. “Tell me what do you think when you hear about war?”
“Uh, I know it’s bad. It’s like a long argument right?”
“Something like that. In war, you can have truces between periods of time and then resume the fight to win over something.”
The boy scrunched up his face. “That sounds complicated. But you’re here now so I wanna know more about you now!”
This child of man really did have a short attention span.
“Well I am a fae.” Lilia said.
“But what’s your name?” The boy asked curiously. “I’ll tell you my name! It’s Silver!”
“Is your name Silver because of your hair?” The fae general asked.
Silver thought about it and shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Most fae don’t reveal their name you know.” Lilia said.
The boy’s expression dropped. “Oh. Mr. Bat!”
“I’m sorry?”
“Mr. Bat. Your new nickname until I get to know your real name. You remind me of a bat.”
He was surprisingly close to what type of fae he was. “Fine. Call me that if you want.” He stood up. “Before you said you didn’t hate fae. Most children of man would be frightened by us fae.”
“You don’t look scary.” Silver answered.
‘You never would see me be truly scary until you're an enemy on a battlefield’ Lilia thought.
“I should go back before it gets dark.” Silver said after noticing how it was evening already.
“Alright. You are off now then.”
“Will I see you again?”
“Lilia?” Lilia blinked and looked to see Malleus looking at him. “You were staring at your food untouched for a while. Are you unwell?”
“Ah, no I’m fine Malleus. Just reminiscing.”
The former general never did answer the boy’s question but still saw him again from time to time. It was rather nice back then to have someone not revere him in awe or fear.
It was a shock to him when he learned of the boy’s demise of being killed by the other villagers just for interacting with a fae. The villages had seemed to think the boy would have been too far infected to be saved so he was killed.
Lilia thought back to the question the boy constantly asked.
“Will I see you again?”
He smiled.
He would see him again reborn and come to adopt him.
#twst silver#silver twst#lilia vanrouge#twisted wonderland#silver twisted wonderland#twst#lilia twst#silver!reincarnate!au#I need a better au name#idk What to call this silly au i have of silver in his previous life having been alive during the human fae war and met general Lilia#at the time before he died#lol#this au i made up with silver been a child lilia used to knew#makes me feel silly#unfinished draft which I decided to finish quickly#to not leave it unfinished#the ending a bit confusing#since I rushed abit to put some ending to this#I Hope this is clear#selkiewrites
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i hate my uni sm lol i dont want to be heeeeere let me out let me out
#motherfucking dance classes. we have the exam in two weeks and the choreography's not ready.#we gotta meet up in our own free time without the professor and practise on our own and try out if something works or doesnt. on. our. own.#bitch like what are you getting paid for lol#i hate it here so much i didnt come here to dance#and i leave every rehearsal on the verge of a panic attack and with red welts down my arms from scratching myself to calm tf down lol#(ask me again why i became obsessed with the white haired beautiful princess with a disorder in record time lol I GET HIM)#its fucking mental torture to me lol#anyway now im getting passive aggressive comments in the groupchat because they suddenly decided that we need to meet#for another rehearsal. today in two hours. like bitch????? sorry that i have earlier plans??????#i gently suggested that we should try to set the rehearsal plans earlier#and i even put a sad emoji at the end to show that im not trying to be a bitch lol#and now a girl im like actually friends with goes all 'thank you for your input jagoda im waiting for you to suggest something better' like#girl?????????? lol#but like it's whatever. apologised immediately ofc like why bother#anyway BASTA
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